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Full text of "History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. .."

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3  1833  00862  6407 


HISTORY 


Northern  Wisconsin 


C  O  N  T  A  I  N  1  NM 


AN    ACCOUNT    OF     ITS    SETTLEMENT,    GROWTH,    DEVELOPMENT    AND 
RESOURCES;   AN   EXTENSIVE  SKETCH   OF   ITS 


Counties,  Cities,  Towns  and  Villages, 


THEIR  IMPROVEMENTS,  INDUSTRIES,  MANUFACTORIES;  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES,  PORTRAITS 
OF  PROMINENT  MEN  AND  EARLY  SETTLERS;  VIEWS  OF  COUNTY  SEATS,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


CH  ICAGO: 
THE     WESTERN      HISTORICAL     COMPANY. 

A.     T.     ANDRI':.\S,    Pkoi'rietok. 
1881. 


COPYRIGHT, 

THE    WESTERN     HISTORICAL    COMPANY 


Ddnnki.i.kv.  C 


ASSF.TTE    &    I.OYO,  A.    J.     CoX      &     COMPANY. 


INTERP 


BINDERS. 


PREFACE 


1112368 


In  presenting  the  History  of  Northern  Wisconsin  to  the 
public,  the  publisher  feels  that  he  has  accomplished  a  work 
of  great  value  to  the  present,  and  of  inestimable  impor- 
tance to  the  coming  generations.  While  yet  those  men 
whose  energy,  perseverance  and  intelligence  created  this 
region  are  living,  the  record  of  the  founding  of  a  mighty 
domain  is  placed  in  abiding  form.  Much  of  the  informa- 
tion herein  contained  was  derived  from  the  lips  of  partici- 
pants in  the  scenes  described.  Still  other  portions  were 
obtained  by  patient  research  among  obscure  volumes  and 
documents,  which  are  perishable,  and  which  a  few  years 
hence  may  be  inaccessible  to  the  historian.  In  this  work 
are  gathered  the  scattered  threads  of  incidents  and  events, 
which  are  woven  into  a  consecutive  fabric,  and  given  as  the 
basis  of  of  future  history. 

The  earlier  pages  form  one  of  the  most  interesting 
chapters  in  the  history  of  the  Nation.  On  the  shores  of 
Green  Bay  and  Lake  Superior,  were  planted  the  seeds  of  the 
empire  of  the  Northwest.  Two  and  a  half  centuries  have 
passed  since  the  subject  of  France  trod  the  wilderness  of 
the  West  and  the  soldier  of  the  Cross  implored  divine 
mercy  on  the  heathen  tribes  of  the  trackless  waste.  To- 
day the  forest,  which  then  echoed  only  with  the  defiant  war- 
cry  of  the  Indian,  now  throbs  with  the  peaceful  pulse  of 
commerce,  and  trade,  "the  calm  health  of  nations,"  pene- 
trates to  the  remotest  borders  of  the  once  savage  realm. 
Had  Jean  Nicolet  been  gifted  with  superhuman  powers  of 
divination,  what  marvels  he  would  have  foreseen.  Braving 
dangers  by  lake  and  land,  he  sought  to  establish  traffic  with 
Wisconsin — then  a  region  of  myth  and  legend.  Now  that 
section  contributes  its  store  of  wealth  to  the  world,  and 
wins  success  through  the  mediumship  of  intelligent  in- 
dustry. 

Of  such  a  section  does  this  volume  treat — rich  in  his- 
toric   importance,    but    richer   still    in    the   record    of    its 


phenomenal  development.  The  manner  in  which  the  task 
has  been  performed  is  easily  comprehended  by  the  reader  : 
First,  the  far-distant  events,  then  the  intermediate  era,  and 
lastly,  by  counties,  the  history  of  each  locality  since  the 
existing  generation  stamped  it  with  the  unmistakable  seal 
of  American  enterprise. 

As  we  have  published  most  of  the  counties  in  Wiscon- 
sin, known  as  agricultural  counties,  we  thought  best  to 
include  in  one  large  volume  tliose  in  what  is  known  as  the 
lumber  and  mining  districts,  and  add  the  counties  and 
cities  having  large  interests  in  that  section.  Some  parts 
have  long  been  settled  ;  others,  only  a  short  lime.  We  have 
endeavored  to  gather  all  important  facts  accessible,  and 
treat  all  sections  impartially.  With  the  number  of  men 
employed,  it  has  been  impossible  to  have  that  similarity  of 
style  and  subjects  treated,  as  we  would  wish ;  but  we  think 
the  ground  has  been  pretty  generally  covered. 

The  constant  rains  during  the  season  retarded  our  work 
more  than  can  be  imagined  by  those  not  acquainted  with 
the  facts.  For  weeks  and  weeks,  little  could  be  done ;  but 
our  men  struggled  against  the  obstacles,  and  did  the  best 
they  could.  As  there  is  more  type  work  in  this  volume 
than  in  any  other  ever  issued  in  the  West,  and  in  order  to 
complete  it  before  the  severe  Winter  weather  set  in,  it  was 
necessary  to  give  it  to  two  of  the  largest  printing  offices  in 
the  city,  which  accounts  for  a  slight  dissimilarity  in  type 
and  a  skip  in  folios  where  they  will  join. 

Cordially  expressing  a  sense  of  obligation  for  assistance 
rendered  by  the  press,  the  pioneers,  the  clergy  and  the  busi- 
ness men  of  every  portion  of  the  territory  herein  described, 
the  publisher  places  his  work  before  the  people,  conscious 
of  having  endeavored  to  perform  well  the  labor  undertaken 
by  him. 


Western   Hisiokical  Co. 


Chuago,  December,  1 8S  i . 


CONTENTS 


HISTORY     OF     NORTHERN     WISCONSIN 


General  History.  page 

The  Mound  Builders.. 33 

The  Indian  Tribes 34 

The  First  Map 37 

Nicolet's  Explorations ._ 37 

Early  Jesuit    Missions ..  tS 

Under  French  Dominion 42 

Discovery  of  the  Upper  Mississippi...  43 

Joliet's  and  Marquette's  Maps 43 

Explorations  Subsequent  to  Joliet 44 

English  Supremacy  in  Wisconsin 47 

Explorations     of    Northwestern    Wis- 
consin   -. 51 

The  Territorial  Period 55 

The  Public  Domain 56 

Furs 58 

Adams  County. 

Natural  Features 5g 

Settlement... 59 

Organization 60 

Friendship 60 

Ashland  County. 

The  Jesuit  Fathers 61 

Apostle  Islands 63 

The   Mainland 64 

Ashland 66 

Butternut .  74 

Glidden 75 

Protestant  Missions ..  75 

Barron  County. 

Natural  Features __  77 

Settlement 77 

Organization 78 

Barron 78 

Bayfield  County. 

Natural  Advantages.. 7S 

Indians 78 

Early  History 78 

Bayfield. 79 

Bkown  County. 

Exploration  of  Green  Bay 86 

Early  Indian  Movements 87 

The  First  Fur  Traders 87 

The  Catholic  Missions _  87 

Daumont  de  St.  Lusson 8S 

Marquette  and  Joliet 88 

La  Salle Sg 

Louis  Hennepin 8g 

Henri  De  Tonty 90 

Subsequent  Visitors go 

British   Rule g2 

Beginning  of  Actual  Settlement..    ..  93 

Building  of  Fort   Howard 94 

Under  Michigan  Territory 95 

The    Present gq 

Lake  and  River  Communication 100 

Roadsand  Railroads loi 

Political  Organization 102 

Location  of  the  County  Seat 103 

Judicial   Organization 104 

The  Bar  Association -- 104 

Attorneys — 1818  to  1848 104 

Land  Office 104 

The  Old  Settlers' Club 105 

County    Organization     Under     State 

Rule 105 

Legislative    Representation inf 

The  Arndt-Vineyard  Tragedy 106 

Military  History 107 


Brown  County — continued.  page 

Town  History 108 

District  Schools io9 

Green  Bay _. lo9 

Fort    Howard.-    1 34 

The  De  Peres 140 

West  De  Pere 143 

Wrightstown 147 

Other  Towns 147-151 

I'.uffalo  County. 

Location  and  Natural  Resources 152 

Early  History _. 153 

Official 156 

County  Seat  Troubles 157 

Agricultural   Society 158 

The    Press 158 

Beef  Slough 158 

Alma 159 

Fountain  City 164 

Buffalo  City 168 

Mondovi 168 

Gilmanton l6g 

IUirnett  County'. 

Natural  Features 170 

Organization 171 

Grantsburg r7i 

Calumet  County. 

Location  and  Natural  Features 172 

Early   Occupants 172 

Settlement _ 172 

Political  and  Judicial 174 

A  Marked  Assimilation 174 

The  War _  175 

Chilton 176 

New  Holstein 181 

Hayton .  183 

Gravesville 183 

Hilbert   Junction. 184 

Brillion 1S5 

Sherwood _  186 

Clifton .  1S7 

Stockbridge .. 187 

Brothertown 18S 

Chippewa  County. 

Physical  Features 1 89 

TheChippewas _.  1S9 

Organization igi 

War  Record _. 192 

The  Settlement 192 

Chippewa  Falls 198 

Bloomer 221 

Chippewa   City _.    223 

Auburn .  224 

Cadott 225 

Cartwright's  Mill 226 

Badger  Mills. 226 

Clark  County. 

Location  and  Natural  Features 227 

Settlement 228 

The  Press 232 

Pineries  and  Logging 233 

Neillsville 233 

Humbird 244 

Greenwood 246 

Hemlock 248 

Colby  (See  Marathon  County) 248 

Dorchester _.    250 

Unity  (See  Marathon  County) 251 

Abbotsford _ 252 


Door  Couni  y.  page 

Natural  Advantages 253 

Lumber  Interests 253 

Sturgeon  Bay  Ship  Canal 253 

The  War  Quota 255 

Traditional  and  Early  History 255 

Political _.  255 

Sturgeon   Bay 256 

Bay  View 262 

Nasewaupee 263 

Foreslville _ 263 

Gibralter 264 

Liberty  Grove 265 

Clay  Banks 265 

Sevastopol __   265 

Egg  Harbor 266 

Bailey's  Harbor 266 

Jacksonport 267 

Douglas  County. 

Superior 269 

Dunn  County. 

Location  and  R esources 272 

Settlement  and  Growth ....  273 

The  Old  Settlers _ 276 

Menonionie 279 

Knapp 288 

Rusk 289 

Downsville 2S9 

Dunnville 290 

Cedar  Falls 290 

EauGalle __ 291 

R  ock  Falls 29 1 

Maridean 292 

Other  Towns  and  Villages 2g2-2g3 

Eau  Claire  County. 

Geology 2g3 

Early  Visitors .  2g3 

Organization 2g5 

Eau  Claire 297 

Union _. 338 

Augusta 338 

Fall  Creek 342 

Porterville 343 

Other  Towns  and  Villages _  344 

Green  Lake  County. 

Natural  Advantages _ 346 

Antiquities 347 

Settlement 347 

Organization. 34S 

War  Record 348 

Legislative 34g 

Summer   Attractions _ 349 

Berlin 350 

Princeton 359 

Markesan 361 

Dartford 363 

Kingston _  364 

Green  Lake  and   Manchester 365 

Juneau  County. 

Physical  Features 366 

Settlement 366 

Press 36S 

Mauston 368 

New  Lisbon 378 

Necedah _ 3S3 

Elroy 387 

Wonewoc 388 

Union  Center 393 

Germantown 394 

Werner 304 


CONTENTS. 


Jackson  County.  page 

Physical  Features 395 

Indian  Occupation _  396 

Settlement __ 396 

Logging  and  Lumbering --.  403 

Black  River  Falls 403 

Merrillan 414 

Alma  Center — 419 

Hexton 420 

Sechlersville — 42 1 

Melrose ' 422 

North  Bend 424 

Millston - -  425 

Other  Towns 425-426 

Kewaunee  County. 

Natural  Advantages 426 

War  Record __ 426 

Political 426 

Kewaunee ' 427 

Ahnapee 432 

Other   Settlements.--   436 

LA^GLADE  County.  438 

Lincoln  County. 

Physical  Features-.- 438 

Political -  439 

The  Wisconsin  River - -  439 

Merrell - 440 

Other   Towns- -449-450 

l.\  Crosse  County. 

The  Winneb.igo  Confederacy  and  In- 
dian Occupation -- _  450 

0-Chunk-O-Raw ---  457 

Preliminnry--- --      454 

The  Beginning 454 

Origin  of  the  name  La  Crosse 455 

The  G.T me  of  La  Crosse 456 

Beginning    of  Settlement 456 

Mining  Settlements  and  Military  Posts  45S 

Nathan    Myrick's  Arrival 459 

The  Settlement  on  the  Mainland 459 

The  First  Survey 460 

The  Mormon  Invasion 460 

The  First  Raft -.  461 

The  First  Death 462 

The  First  Birth 462 

First  Land  Sales 463 

Removal  of  the  Indians 463 

Organization --- --  465 

County  Seat 467 

United  States  Land  Office 467 

Northwestern  Horticultural  Society..  465 

Reminiscences 46S 

La  Crosse .-.  4S2 

WestSalem 513 

Manitowoc  County. 

Natural  Advantages 514 

General  History -...  514 

Political - --- 515 

Enrly  History - 516 

The  War  Period --- -  517 

Means   of  Communication -„  517 

Manitowoc 519 

Manitowoc  Rapids 535 

Two  Rivers 536 

Centerville 539 

Keil -.  540 

Other   Settlements 541 

M.\kathon  County. 

Phy.sical  Features 542 

Settlement 543 

Wausau -. - -  544 

Marathon   City - 569 

Mosinee 569 

Knowlton 570 

Springbrook 571 

Hutchinson --  571 

Spencer 572 

Colby  (See  Clark  County) -  575 

Unity  (See  Clark  County)... 576 


Marinette  County.  page 

General   Features 57S 

E.irly  History .-- 578 

The  First  Mill 579 

The  Great  Fires  of  Oct.  8,  1871 579 

After  the  Fire— Relief 5S2 

Marinette 5S3 

Menekaunee 595 

Peshtigo.-- -. 595 

Menominee,   Mich -.._- 601 

Marquette  County. 

Physical  Features- -- 6n 

Pre-Historic  and  Aboriginal 61 1 

Settlement -  611 

Organization --  612 

Montello 612 

Westfield 614 

Other   Settlements 615 

Monroe  County, 

Geographical  Position 616 

Indians 616 

Settlement -  616 

Organization -.- .  618 

Railroads 620 

The    Press -  621 

Monroe  County  Agricultural  Society.  622 

Cranberry  Culture 623 

Sparta 624 

Angelo 639 

Lafayette 640 

Cataract -  - 640 

Leon -- 640 

Cashton - 64 1 

Melvina - 642 

Tomah - 643 

Greenfield -- 651 

Norwalk 651 

Wilton- ,-.  652 

Glendale - 653 

Kendall 653 

Adrian -- --.  653 

Oconto  County. 

General  History.. 654 

Early  History - 654 

Fur  Trade - 655 

•   The  War 655 

Oconto - - 656 

Villages 665 

Outagamie  County. 

Natural  Features 667 

Political 667 

County  Organization- 667 

War  Items 668 

Applelon 669 

Town  of  Grand  Chute 685 

Kaukauna  and   Ledyard 686 

Seymour 687 

Hortonville - -  - .  688 

Other  Settlements -..  688 

Pepin  County. 

Physical  Features 6go 

Fort  Beauharnais - 6gi 

Early  History 692 

Official -- 693 

Press - 694 

Coleman  Brothers  Murder 695 

Durand 69S 

Pepin 703 

Arkansaw - 705 

Stockholm _-_  706 

Pierce  County. 

Location  and  Natural  Features 707 

Early  History 70S 

Official 710 

Ellsworth 712 

Maiden   Rock 714 

Prescott  .- 715 

River   Falls 717 

Diamond    Bluff 720 

Esdaile 720 


P01.K  County.  page 

Physical  Features -  -  721 

Settlement - 722 

Organization 722 

Osceola -  723 

St.  Croix  Falls - 724 

Portage  County. 

Physical  Features- -..  725 

The   Indians 726 

Early  History 728 

The  White  Pine 730 

Political    History 732 

The  War  Record 734 

Stevens    Point 735 

Plover 760 

Springville , 762 

McDillville 762 

Amherst .-- 762 

Junction    City 762 

.Meehan - -.. 763 

Price  County. 

Lumbering 764 

Settlement 764 

Organization - - -...  765 

Phillips -..  766 

Worcester 767 

Fifield -.  767 

Ogema 768 

Shawano  County. 

General  History 768 

The  Reservations 768 

Settlement ---  769 

Organization - 769 

Shawano - 769 

Other  Settlements..  - -  772 

St.  Croi.x  County. 

Physical  Features -..    .-  945 

The  Indians - 945 

Early  H  istory 946 

Organization -- 947 

Hudson 949 

New   Richmond -_- 952 

Hammond... -- 957 

Town  of  Somerset --  959 

Baldwin - - q6i 

Hersey 962 

Nelson 963 

Star  Prairie-- 964 

Erin - - 965 

Other  Villages 966 

Shtboygan  County. 

Physical   Features 967 

Prehistoric  Remains 967 

The  Name 967 

The  Indians 968 

Settlement - 968 

Organization - 969 

Means  ofCommunication 970 

Legislative... 971 

Schools- 972 

Agricultural    Growth 973 

The  War  Period -.  974 

Tornado  of  1S73 975 

Sheboygan 975 

Sheboygan  Falls 999 

Plymouth - 1006 

Greenbu.sh loii 

Glenbeulah loii 

Town  of  Mosel 1014 

Town  of  Herman 1014 

Howard's  Grove 1014 

Franklin 1015 

Town  of  Rhine 1015 

Town  of  Russell 1015 

Town  of  Lima.. 1015 

Town  of  Holland 1016 

Cedar  Grove 1016 

Oostberg 1017 

Amsterdam ..  1017 

Town  of  Wilson 1017 


CONTENTS. 


Sheboygan  County — continued.  page 

Town  of  Lynden 1018 

Cascade 1018 

Waldo.. 1019 

Onion  River 1019 

Winooski 1020 

Town  of  Sherman 1020 

Random  Lake 1020 

Sherman  Station 1021 

Silver  Creek 1021 

Town  of   Mitchell 102 1 

Town  of  Scott J021 

Taylor  County. 

Early  History 1022 

The  Centennial  Year 1023 

County  Officers 1023 

Medford 1024 

Chelsea 1030 

Westboro 1032 

Stetsonville 1032 

Trempealeau  County. 

Natural  Features 1033 

Settlement 1033 

Organization 1035 

The  Press 1037 

Whitehall 103  7 

Trempealeau 1042 

Town  of  Caledonia 105 1 

Arcadia 1052 

Galesville. 105  S 

Independence 1065 

Blair 1070 

Ettrick _ 107 1 


Waupaca  County.  page 

Geological 1072 

Lumber  Interests 1072 

Agricultural 1073 

Property  and  Taxation 1073 

Population 1073 

The  Schools 1073 

Prehistoric  and  Historic 1073 

First  Settlers 1074 

The  Fight  for  a  Child 1074 

Organization 1075 

First  Things 1075 

Old  Settlers' Society 1076 

County  Buildings 1077 

Waupaca 1077 

New  London 1088 

Noithport logs 

Weyauwega iog6 

Little  Wolf 1 100 

Royalton 1 100 

Lind.. iioi 

Farmington 1103 

Scandinavia H05 

St.  Lawrence 1106 

lola. 1 106 

Dayton 1107 


He 


1 109 


Bear  Creek 1109 

Caledonia n 

Union II 

Matteson _  11 

Larrabee 11 

Fremont ii 

Dupont II 


Waushara  County.  page 

Physical  Characteristics 1114 

Early  History 1114 

Organization H14 

Wautoma 1115 

Plainfield 1116 

Hancock ms 

Other  Villages mg 

Winnebago  County, 

Natural  Features...    1120 

General  History 1120 

Indian  History 1120 

Early  History 1121 

"  City  of  Athens" 1121 

Oshkosh 1124 

Neenah  and  Menasha 1167 

Omro 1183 

Winneconne 1187 

VVaukau 1188 

Eureka nSg 

Butte  Des  Morts ngi 

General  Town  History iiga 

Wood  County. 

Physical  Features 1193 

Settlement 1154 

Organization ngj 

The   Press iig6 

Cranberry  Culture 1197 

Grand  Rapids iig7 

Port  Edwards' 1 207 

Centralia 1207 

Marsh  field 1209 

Auburndale 1213 

Dexterville 1215 

Scranton. _  1215 

Other    Towns. 1216  1217 


--i^ 


CONTENTS. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PORTRAITS.  I 

George  W.  Adams,  Medford ^ 1027 

W.  J.  Abrams.  Green  Biiy --  122 

A.  C.  Brown,  Marinette 588 

F.  1.  Bartels,  Peshtigo 596 

George  Beyer,  Oconto 659 

Berthin  N.  Benson,  Dorchester 251 

Edwin  O.   Baker,  Menominee 2S3 

George  A.  Buffington,  Eau  Claire .-  317 

Luther  Beckwith,  Mauston 374 

Mrs.  E.  M.  Beckwith,  Mauston 374 

S.  C.  Blake,  Manitowoc 5^5 

J.  M.  Bingham,  Chippewa  Falls 205 

John  C.  Clarke,  Wausau --.-  558 

Augustus  Cole.  Oconto 660 

William  Carson,  Eau  Claire --  31S 

James  Chapman,  Bayfield.-. -  83 

William  Chipman,  Green  Bay 123 

C.  E.  Crane,  Green  Bay 124 

E.  W.  Culver,  Chippewa  Falls. 207 

Alfred  Dodge,  Medford 102S 

A.  G.  Ellis,  StevensPoint 75" 

C.F.  Eldred,  Wausau 559 

Charles  J.  Ellis,  Marinette 588 

W.  A.  Ellis,  Peshtigo 597 

E.  J.  Farr,  Eau  Claire 321 

John  Franz,  Manitowoc 527 

M.  D.  L.Fuller,  Plymouth 1009 

Sam  O.  Fifield,  Ashland 71 

J.  H.  Farnham,  Wausau 560 

A.  M.  Fairchild,  Marinette 589 

A.  M.  Gibbons,  Eau  Claire 322 

George  C.  Ginty,  Chippewa  Falls 209 

George  Grimmer,  Kewaunee 430 

Timothy  Howe,  Green  Bay 127 

Sani'I  D.  Hastings,  Jr.,  Green  Bay 125 

William  Hoflman,  Green  Bay... 120 

James  Hewett,  Neillsville 241 

Jeff  T.  Heath.  Wonewoc 392 

M.  H.  Hurley,  Wausau... .-  561 

E.  R.  Herren,  Stevens  Point 752 

G.  L.  Holmes,  Sheboygan 990 

F.  A.  Healy,  Medford 1028 

O.  H  .  Ingram,  Eau  Claire 325 

D.  M.  Kelly,  Green  Bay 128 

John  H.  Knight,  Bayfield 84 

F.  W.  Kickbusch,  Wausau 562 

C.  A.  Murch,  Green  Bay I2i 

L.  M.  Marshal,  Green  Bay. 129 

H.  E.  Macomber,  New  Lisbon 3S0 

M.  H.  McCord,  Merrill 447 

H.  E.  Mann,  Marinette 590 

A.  C.  Merryman.  Marinette 59' 

T.  B.  McCourt,  Medford 1029 

T.  H.  McDill,  Stevens  Point 754 

D.  E.  Miles,  Chippewa  Falls 32 

J.  H.  Nourse,  Bayfield 85 


Luther  B.  Noyes,  Marinette 59" 

A.  W.  Newman,  Trempealeau --  1050 

Thad.  C.  Pound,  Chippewa  Falls 215 

Horace  Palmer,  Sparta 638  ; 

John  Phillips,  Stevens  Point -  -  755 

W.  H.  Packard,  Stevens  Point 755 

Charles  D.  Robinson,  Green  Bay 131 

S.  S.  Riddell,  Chippewa  Falls 216 

William  Rahr,  Manitowoc. 531 

A.  Reinhart,  Oconto..... 663 

C.  E.  Rogers,  Chippewa  Falls 32 

H.  M.  Royce,  Oconto 663 

Myron  Reed,  Waupaca ..    10S6 

J.  O.  Raymond,  Stevens  Point.. 75^ 

J.  M.  Smith,  Green  Bay 132 

N.  Shaw,  Eau  Claire --  332 

Daniel  Shaw,  Eau  Claire 333 

G.A.Sinclair,  New  Lisbon 382 

John  Schuette,  Manitowoc 532 

F.  Simon,  Manitowoc 533 

William  Scholfield.  Wausau 5^7 

C.  A.  Single,  Wausau 555 

Isaac  Stephenson,  Marinette 593 

S.M.Stephenson,  Marinette 594 

F.  P.  Stiles,  Sparta 639 

P.  H.  Swift,  Oconto 664 

S.  A.  Sherman,  Stevens   Pont 757 

George  C.  Teall,  Eau  Claire 334 

O.  Torrison,  Manitowoc 533 

F.  R.  Townsend,  Sheboygan 997 

J.  A.  Templeton.  Neillsville 31 

Louis  Vincent,  Chippewa  Falls 219 

Daniel  Whitney,  Green  Bay   ._    133 

N.  W.  Wheeler,  Chippewa  Falls    ...  220 

A.  Wilson,  New  Lisbon -  3S0 

E.  Wagner,  Manitowoc 534 

W.  H.  Webster,  Oconto 665 

W.  H.  Young.  Oconto 665 

VIEWS. 

Ashland 66 

Alma. 159 

ArPLETON 671 

Bayfield 80 

Berlin 353 

Black  River  Falls 404 

Chilton 177 

Chifpewa  Falls 199 

DURAND 699 

Eau  Claire 301 

Eagle    Brewery 29 

Crescent  M  ills  and  Elevator 31 

Kaufmann  &  Bachrach,  store 31 

Grand  Rapids 1199 

Green  Bay 1 1 1 

Joannes  Bros.,  store 120 


Green  Bay— Business  College 121 

St.  Patrick's  Church,  Ft.  Howard. . . .  135 

D.  M.   Burns   Boiler  Works,  Ft.  How- 

ard 137 

Hudson 949 

Kewaunee. 427 

La  Crosse 483 

Menominee 279 

Mauston - 37 ' 

Bank  of  New  Lisbon —    380 

A.  Wilson,  residence.  New  Lisbon 383 

Case  Wagon  Co.,  Wonewoc 389 

Merrill 44i 

Manitowoc 519 

Marinette. 585 

Menominee,  Mich 602 

Medford 1024 

Menasha 1 169 

Neenah 1 168 

Neillsville 235 

Oshkosh 1125 

Oconto 657 

Sturgeon  Bay 257 

Sparta 625 

Court-House 625 

James  Davidson,  residence. 625 

Thos.  B.  Tyler,  residence 624 

Alfred  W^  Wilson,  residence 624 

Opera  House,  Tomah 646 

Drake   House,  Tomah.. 647 

E.  W.  Beebee,   residence.  Tomah 648 

T.  S.  Powers,  residence,  Tomah 650 

Stevens  Point 737 

Bosworth  &  Reilly's  mills 742 

Herren  &  Wadleigh,  planing  mill 743 

Sheboygan 976 

Shawano 77° 

Wausau 545 

Whiteh.all 1038 

Waupaca 1077 

Greenwood  Park 107S 

Hotel  and  Terrace 1079 

View  from  Seven  Pines 1079 

Masonic  Block 1081 

J.  W.  Evans,  residence 1082 

J.  W.  &  C.  Evans,  woolen  mills..    ...  1082 
H.  Harrington,    residence  ,  Town  of 

Lind 1102 

Wm.  Springer,  residence,  Town  of  Fre- 
mont...   1 1 12 

MAPS. 

Wisconsin  32 

Champlain's  Map  of  Wisconsin,  1632 48 

Joliet's  Map  "  New  France  " 49 

Father  Marquette's  Map  of  the  Mississippi 

or  Conception  River 49 


RECEIVED  TOO  LATE  FOR  INSERTION  IN  PROPER  PLACE. 


Big  Bend,  CHiprEVVA  County. 
GUS.  NATER,  farmer,   proprietor  of  Summer  Resort   Hotel, 


Justice  of  the  Peace,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  July  28,  1846  ;  came  to 
America  in  1861 ;  resided  in  Chicago  until  January,  1871 ;  then  he  vis- 
ited Europe,  where  he  remained  until  the  Summer  of  1872,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Chicago.  Soon  afterward  he  went  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and 
was  there  employed  as  cook  for  the  Kirby  House  ;  (during  his  residence 
in  Chicago  he  had  been  engaged  as  cook  in  some  of  the  leading  hotels 
of  that  city ;  )  he  remained  at  Menominee  one  year  ;  then  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  and  was  for  sixteen  months  cook  in  the  well-known 
restaurant  of  M.  Fox.  When  he  left  that  place  he  purchased  a  farm  on 
Sec.  21,  Town  33,  Range  8  west,  situated  in  Big  Bend.  He  has  held  of 
fice  of  Town  Treasurer  one  year,  and  is  now  Justice  of  the  Peace,  hav- 
ing held  that  office  for  the  last  three  years.  He  also  holds  the  office  of 
School  District  Clerk.  Mr.  Nater  was  married  in  Eau  Claire.  Aug.  I, 
1873,  to  Louise  Hillmer,  a  native  of  London,  Eng.  They  have  three 
children  living-William  Tell,  Lidea  and  Ella  Albertina.  They  have 
lost  two  children.  Victor  died  in  Eau  Claire  when  about  one  year  old, 
and  an  infant  daughter  died  in  Chicago.  Mrs.  Water's  parents  are  resi- 
dents of  Chicago. 

Fo.x  Lake,  Dodge  County. 
JOEL  A.  GLEASON,  lumberman  and  farmer,  resides  three  miles 
east  of  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co.,  W^is.  Mr.  Gleason  first  settled  at  LaCrosse, 
Wis.,  in  1856,  and  followed  the  lumber  business  there  one  year.  Then 
he  moved  to  Tomah  and  followed  the  same  business  until  1878.  Then 
he  sold  out  at  Tomah,  and  moved  on  his  farm,  as  above  staled,  three 
miles  east  of  Fox  Lake,  which  he  had  purchased  fifteen  years  previous. 
Mr.  Gleason  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  July  2q,  1827.  He  was 
married  at  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  May  2.  1859.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Martha  J.  Braman  ;  she  was  born  in  Nurihampton,  ^L^ss.,  Sept.  25, 1S33. 


They  have  four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls,  named  —  Chester  W., 
Minnie  L.,  Leslie  J.  and  Josie  J.  Gleason.  Chester  W.  was  married, 
Oct.  25,  18S0.  His  wife"'s  maiden  name  was  Nellie  Culver.  They  live 
at  Sheffield,  Iowa. 

CmrpEWA  County. 
FRANK  G.  SMITH,  farmer,  .Sees.  10  and  11,  in  the  town  of 
Wheaton  Chippewa  Co.,  was  born  in  Warren,  Warren  Co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  15, 
i84g.  Was  removed  to  Michigan  in  1854,  and  from  there  to  Jackson 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  185S.  Remained  in  that  county  until  the  Spring  of  1864, 
when  he  came  to  Chippewa  County.  For  a  period  of  about  five  years 
he  carried  on  a  logging  business,  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Sidney. 
They  also  conducted  the  Juneau  House,  in  Chippewa  Falls,  for  one 
Summer.  Since  that  time,  Frank  has  given  most  of  his  attention  to  his 
farming  interests.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  in  August,  1869, 
to  Alice  Rogers,  a  native  of  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  three 
children  —  Charlotte,  Dean  and  Ray.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  ot  the 
I.  O.  O.  F. 

Waupaca  County. 

R.  SWAN,  of  the  firm  of  J.  Towle  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  tight 
barrel  staves  and  shingles,  Waupaca  County.  Mr.  Swan  was  born  in 
Renssellaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-three,  he  went  to  Buffalo,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  gen- 
eral cooperage,  which  he  followed  from  1S51  to  1862.  He  then  went  to 
Cleveland  and  conducted  the  same  business  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  1872,  he  engaged  with  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  of  Cleveland,  for 
whom  he  traveled  for  over  eight  years,  engaged  in  the  purchase  and 
shipment  of  staves  ;  during  which  time  he  engaged  in  the  present  busi- 
ness. The  firm  gives  employment  to  ten  men,  and  has  a  capacity  of 
1,000,000  staves  annually. 


EAGLE    BREWLIA,    LAL     CLAIRE. 


RECEIVED  TOO  LATE  FOR  INSERTION  IN  PROPER  PLACE. 


Ai-^u-tJ^^-i^^/^S) 


See  page  244. 


E    Eai     CL\irL 


¥ 


:Sa!«!^ffi 


RECEIVED  TOO  LATE  FOR  INSERTION  IN  PROPER  PLACE. 


4S//X'r 


l^i3 


CLAYTON  E.  ROGERS,  superintendent  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Co.'s  mill,  was  born  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa.,  April  4, 
1832.  Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Madison,  Wis.,  in  1848.  After  re- 
maining there  three  years  he  removed  to  what  is  novf  Ontario,  on  the 
Kickapoo  River,  in  Vernon  County,  where  he  engaged  in  lumbering 
operations.  In  April,  1S61,  he  enlisted  in  Company  \,  6th  Wis.  V.  I. 
In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  and 
the  following  Spring  to  first  lieutenant.  Afterwards  did  staff-duty  with 
General  Doubleday ;  later,  with  General  Wadsworth.  After  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  he  resigned  and  returned  to  Vernon  County,  where  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  in  1S63.  In  the  Winter  of  1863-64  he  raised  Co.  B,  50th 
Wis.  V.  I,  and  went  to  St.  Louis,  having  command  of  five  companies  of 
that  regiment.  Soon  after  he  was  detailed  for  provost-marshal  duty, 
district  of  Central  Missouri,  being  stationed  at  Kansas  City,  Lexington 
and  Warrensburg  until  June,  1864  when  he  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis 
and  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Military  Court-martial.  Was  a 
member  of  that  commission  until  July  5.  l865.  When  he  left  the  service 
he  returned  to  Wisconsin  ;  for  a  short  time  was  at  Virginia  ;  then  went 
to  Menomonee,  Wis.,  where  he  had  charge  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.'s  saw- 
mill until  about  seven  years  ago,  when  he  went  to  Wilson's  Station,  and, 
with  Capt.  Wilson,  built  a  saw-mill,  which  was  operated  under  the  firm 
name  of  Wilson,  Van  Vliet  &  Co.  (he  being  a  member  of  this  firm)  for 
two  years.  He  then  went  with  Jacob  Humbird,  at  Clayton,  Wis.,  and 
they  run  it  together  for  two  years,  when  Mr.  Rogers  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest,  but  continued  to  operate  the  mill  until  Dec.  15,  1879.  Jan.  I, 
1880,  he  became  connected  with  the  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co., 
having  charge  of  their  manufacturing  business.  He  was  married  in  On- 
tario, March  13,  1856,  to  Emily  Tuttle.  She  died  July  12,  1S68.  leaving 
three  children — Eva,  Earl  M.  and  Chester  H.  Mr.  Rogers' present 
wife  was  Sylvia  A.  Sherbern.  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They 
were  married  in  November,  1869.  They  have  six  children — Wilshier  S., 
Guy,  Lute  T.,  Dana,  Jay  H.  and  Clayton. 

JOHN  C.  GINTV  was  born  in  Toronto,  Feb.  14,  1S40.  En- 
tered a  printing  office  in  1S52,  and  has  been  connected  with  that  branch 
of  industry  ever  since.  Has  been  publishing  a  paper  for  twenty-one 
years,  and  is  now  editor  of  the  Chippewa  Herald.  In  1861,  was  an  Al- 
derman ;  and  in  1863,  a  member  of  the  Legislature  ;  and  has  been 
President  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  several  years.  During  the  war, 
served  as  assistant  provost  marshal  for  over  a  year.  Was  then  appointed 
major  of  infantry,  then  colonel,  and  breveted  brigadier-general  at 
the  close.     (For  portrait  see  page  209.) 


oX^i^-^ 


DAVID  E.  MILES,  dealer  in  pine  lands,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1863.  Located  at  Chippewa  Falls  ;  worked 
first  two  or  three  years  in  the  woods,  and  then  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile business  for  about  five  years,  here  and  in  New  York  City,  also  inter- 
ested in  lumbering  during  this  period.  In  the  Summer  of  1869  he  built 
the  first  brick  store  in  the  place  (which  was  the  first  brick  structure  of 
any  kind  erected  here).  One  year  afterwards  it  was  destroyed  by  fire 
and  he  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  until  1875,  when  he 
returned  to  Chippewa  Falls,  since  then  dealing  in  real  estate,  pine  lands 
principally,  having  bought  and  sold  over  500,000  acres  in  the  last  two 
years.  He  was  bom  near  Galesburg,  III.,  March  27,  1848.  Lived  there 
until  December,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  57th  III.  V.  I.,  being 
then  under  fourteen  years  of  age,  but  weighed  at  that  time  168  pounds, 
and  succeeded  in  passing  muster.  In  March,  1863,  he  was  discharged 
or.  account  of  disability,  caused  by  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of 
Corinth,  Oct.  4.  1862.  He  was  married  in  the  city  of  New  York,  June 
8,  1875,  to  Ella  Palmer,  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  reared  in  New 
York  City.  She  died  April  26,  1881,  leaving  one  child,  James  Palmer, 
who  was  born  Oct.  31,  1880. 

WILLIAM  CARSON,  president  and  treasurer  of  the  Valley  Lum- 
ber Co.,  was  born  in  Inverness,  Canada.  In  his  youth,  went  to  Massa- 
chusetts; lived  there  until  1837,  when  he  removed  to  Southern  Illinois, 
and  remained  there  and  in  St.  Louis  until  June,  1838,  when  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  locating  at  Badger  Mills,  a  few  miles  from  the  present  city 
of  Eau  Claire.  When  he  came,  there  was  no  house  between  this  point 
and  Prairie  du  Chien.  He  made  claim  to  the  ground  where  North  Eau 
Claire  is  now  located,  which  he  sold  to  Stephen  McCann  the  following 
year.  For  about  two  years  after  coming  here,  he  worked  by  the  month, 
doing  some  lumbering  for  himself,  soon  after  coming  to  this  region.  He 
spent  one  Summer  in  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  in  1S40  went  to  Eau  Galle, 
thirty  miles  from  Eau  Claire,  where  he  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
shingles,  etc.,  and  running  the  same  to  market.  In  1844,  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  mill  at  Eau  Galle,  and  is  still  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
it.  He  continued  to  reside  there  until  the  Fall  of  1874,  w-hen  he  became 
one  of  the  principal  owners  of  the  Valley  Lumber  Co.  He  then  came 
to  Eau  Claire.  Mr.  Carson  is  also  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Rand 
Lumber  Co.  and  Keokuk  Lumber  Co.,  and  is  also  one  of  the  owners  of 
several  lumber  yards  in  Iowa.  He  was  married  by  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas, 
a  Methodist  clergyman,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.,  in  1847,  to  Mary  E. 
Smith,  a  native  of  Rutland,  Vt.  They  have  six  children — Jessie,  Mary, 
Belle,  Kate,  William,  Jr.,  and  Fannie.     (For  portrait  see  page  318.) 


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History  of  Northern  Wisconsin. 


GENERAL    HISTORY, 


THE   MOUMD    BUILDERS. 

There  are  singular  remains  of  antiquity  throughout 
America,  universally  conceded  to  be  the  work  of  a  pre- 
historic race,  commonly  called  the  Mound  Builders. 
That  these  works  owe  their  origin  to  a  people  more 
intimatel}'  acquainted  with  the  arts  of  life  than  the 
aboriginal  tribes  which  inhabited  this  continent  upon 
its  discovery,  is  abundantly  proved  by  these  records 
which  are  found  scattered  throughout  the  entire  length 
and  breadth  of  our  land.  The  attention  of  archaeolo- 
gists is  being  more  and  more  directed  to  a  stud\'  of  these 
peculiar  evidences  of  a  vanished  half-civilization,  but 
as  3'^et  neither  their  origin  nor  the  date  of  their  inhab- 
itance  has  been  determined.  Such  traces  as  are  left, 
though  abundant  in  quantity,  are  vague  as  to  charac- 
ter, no  written  memoranda  having  come  to  light,  nor 
hieroglyph  whose  key  can  unlock  the  mystery.  The 
remains  consist  chiefly  of  mounds  of  earth,  which  not- 
withstanding tiie  leveling  and  wearing  action  of  the 
elements,  have  kept  the  form  into  which  tliose  mythical 
hands  molded  them.  Hence  the  name  cf  Mound  Build- 
ers. In  these  mounds  are  found  the  traces  of  such  use- 
ful arts  as  place  beyond  peradventure  the  users  of  them 
higher  in  the  scale  of  progression  than  the  savages  who 
succeeded  them.  These  mounds  and  enclosures  are 
various  in  form,  and  it  is  supposed  that  they  were  dedi- 
cated to  uses  as  various.  Some  are  believed  to  have 
been  fortifications ;  others,  places  of  sepulcher  and  of 
sacrifice ;  while  some  were  the  sites  of  temples,  and 
otliers  observatories.  The  ground  selected  for  their 
erection  seems  generally  to  have  been  an  elevated 
plateau  on  the  banks  of  either  lake  or  river,  and  the 
builders  were  apparently  influenced  by  the  same  con- 
siderations as  govern  men  in  modern  times  in  the  choice 
of  places  for  settlement.  It  is  a  factthat  many  of  our 
most  opulent  cities  are  built  upon  the  sites  of  these 
ancient  works,  proving  that  those  by -gone  races  availed 
themselves  of  the  same  natural  advantages  as  we  do  of 
to-day.  These  earth-works  are  by  no  means  of  uniform 
shape  or  size.  Some  are  regularly  arranged,  forming- 
squares,  circles,  octagons;  others  are  like  walls  or  for- 
tifications ;  while  otiiers  (and  these  are  more  numer- 
ous in  Wisconsin  than  elsewhere,  and  first  noticed  in 
this  State)  are  in  imitation  of  the  siiapes  of  animals — 
birds,  beasts  and  fishes — and  in  the  forms  of  trees, 
war-clubs,  tobacco-pipes,  and  other  significant  imple- 
ments of  race.  It  is  not  an  improbable  supposition  that 
these  curious  figures  were  intended  to  represent  a  badge 
of  tribe — a  sort  of  gigantic  armorial  device  on  a  scale 


commensurate  with  the  vastness  of  the  territory  inhab- 
ited. In  all  existing  nations  symbols  are  employed  as 
an  expression  of  national  individuality,  and  are  deeply 
cherished  by  the  people.  England  has  her  lion,  France 
her  eagles  and  her  fleur-de-lis,  Scotland  her  thistle, 
and  amongst  our  present  North  American  tribes  we 
have  such  titles  as  Sitting  Bull,  Driving  Cloud  and 
Black  Hawk.  So  these  mounds  may  luxve  been  shaped 
to  represent  tribal  or  family  insignia,  and  were  possibly 
dedicated  to  the  burial  of  members  of  the  special  clans 
who  reared  them.  These  animal-shaped  mounds,  equally 
with  the  round  tumuli,  contain  human  bones.  These 
bones  are  in  a  very  brittle  and  decomposed  state, 
having  roots  and  fibers  growing  through  them,  and  are 
distributed  equally  through  all  parts  of  the  mounds. 
In  the  construction  of  these  monuments  it  is  evident 
that  the  bodies  were  laid  upon  the  surface  of  the 
ground  and  the  earth  heaped  upon  them.  No  appear- 
ances are  to  be  found  of  graves  having  been  dug  below 
the  surface.  In  many  cases  later  burials  have  been 
made  upon  these  mounds,  where  possibly  some  nomadic 
tribe  made  a  grave  for  its  dead  above  the  long-buried 
and  almost  forgotten  race.  This  surface  burial,  in 
which  earth  was  brought  and  heaped  above  the  dead, 
was  not  the  custom  among  the  North  American  Indians, 
their  mode  being  a  shallow  grave,  or  suspension  on  plat- 
forms, or  in  trees,  and  this  is  counted  another  proof  of 
the  uon-identity  of  the  Mound  Builders  with  the  people 
that  followed  them. 

In  some  parts  of  the  State  are  found  earth-works  of 
a  different  character  from  the  mound  proper,  which 
from  their  supposed  use,  are  styled  "  garden  beds." 
These  beds  are  methodicalh'  arranged  in  parallel  rows, 
much  as  a  gardener  would  lay  out  his  ground  for  flower 
culture,  and  are  of  a  variety  of  sizes  and  shapes,  some- 
times occupying  acres  in  extent. 

These  mounds  are  not  the  only  traces  of  the  lost 
inhabitants.  The  copper  mines  of  Northern  Michigan 
afford  ample  proofs  of  their  having  been  worked  at 
some  previous  period,  and  as  implements  of  this  metal 
are  abundant  among  other  vestiges  of  the  Mound 
Builders,  they  were,  without  doubt,  the  pre-hisloric 
miners.  Prof.  Irving  believes  that,  as  the  Michigan 
copper  belt  extends  across  Wisconsin  to  Minnesota, 
copper  must  have  also  been  mined  in  this  State.  Tlie 
Jesuit  fathers  frequently  mention  the  existence  of  cop- 
per, and  even  use  the  term  mines,  thougli  there  is  no 
evidence  that  they  either  saw  or  heard  of  actual  min- 
ing in  the  technical  sense  of  that  word.  As  early  as 
1636,  which  was  prior  to  the  time  when  tiiey  them- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


selves  had  visited  the  Great  Lake,  they  speak  of  the 
presence  of  native  copper,  and  of  its  havinij  been  taken 
from  the  mines.  In  the  "  Relations"  for  1G59-60,  after 
missions  had  been  established  in  this  region,  they  re- 
ported it  to  be  "  enriched  in  all  its  borders  by  mines  of 
lead,  almost  pure,  and  of  copper  all  refined  in  pieces 
as  large  as  the  fist,  and  great  rocks  which  have  whole 
veins  of  turquoise."  Prof.  Whittlesey  says,  in  a  paper 
to  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  that  there  are  evidences 
that  these  ancient  mines  were  abandoned  several  hun- 
dred years  before  the  advent  of  the  French  into  that 
region,  and  their  acquaintance  with  the  Northern  tribes. 
As  there  is  no  legend  among  the  Indians  of  their  an- 
cestors having  worked  the  mines,  nor  any  implements 
in  their  possession  that  could  have  been  used  for  that 
purpose,  it  is  highly  improbable  that  they  could  have 
been  the  original  workers.  In  ancient  mining  pits  have 
been  found  wooden  shovels,  fragments  of  wooden  bowls 
and  broken  stone  mauls.  The  effects  of  blows  from 
these  stone  mauls  are  visible  upon  the  rocks.  In  other 
places  are  the  distinct  marks  of  picks  and  drills,  as 
fresh  and  perfect  as  if  they  had  been  recently  made. 
Coals  and  ashes  are  also  found  in  the  old  excavations, 
along  with  the  remnants  of  tools  used,  and  in  some 
cases  the  scales  of  fishes,  evidently  the  remains  of 
miners'  meals. 

It  appears  that  these  people  were  supplied  only 
with  very  simple  mechanical  contrivances,  and  ^that 
they  penetrated  the  earth  only  to  a  short  distance,  their 
deepest  works  being  only  about  the  same  as  those  of 
the  old  tin  mines  of  Cornwall,  England,  which  were 
wrought  before  the  conquest  of  Britain  by  the  Romans. 

Dr.  Hoy,  President  of  the  Wisconsin  Academy  of 
Sciences,  Arts  and  Letters,  finds  upon  examination  of 
the  implements  made  out  of  copper  by  these  people, 
that  they  were  beaten  or  hammered  into  the  requii-ed 
shape,  not  melted  and  molded.  In  a  large  majority  of 
cases  he  found  specks  of  pure  silver  scattered  over 
their  surfaces,  which  he  counted  as  evidence  positive 
that  the  specimen  was  never  melted.  Their  fibrous 
texture  was  another  proof  that  they  were  hammered 
or  beaten  out.  Prof.  James  D.  Butler,  however,  ap- 
peals from  this  conclusion,  and  believes  the  people 
knew  the  art  of  smelting,  "  though  the  manner  may 
be  past  finding  out."  He  claims  that  as  a  rule  the 
articles  they  manufactured  were  of  utility  rather  than 
of  ornament,  and  that  he  has  found  evidences  of  melted 
metal  in  their  construction.  The  discussion  is  of  in- 
terest only  as  going  to  prove  a  greater  or  less  degree 
of  advancement  among  these  workers  in  the  appliances 
of  labor.  If  smelting  was  practiced,  more  complicated 
ingenuity  was  evinced  than  if  onl}'  the  rude  hammer 
was  used. 

We  have  scarcely  learned  the  alphabet  of  this 
sti-ange  language  written  all  over  the  surface  of  our 
country.  Thus  far  in  the  study  of  the  subject  of  the 
Mound  Builders  little  more  seems  demonstrated  than 
the  ancient  occupation  of  the  territory  by  a  semi-sav- 
age race.  No  trace  of  high  art,  or  of  refined  civiliza- 
tion piques  the  antiquarian  or  stimulates  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  student  with  visions  of  valuable  discoveries 
yet  to  be  made.  The  chief  interest  lies  in  solving  the 
mystery  of  the  utter  disappearance  of  a  race,  which 
has  so  entirely  dropped  out  of  human  annals  as  scarcely 


to  live  even  in  legend.  We  only  know  that  a  people 
lived,  were  numerous,  industrious  and  widely-estab- 
lished, but  from  whence  they  came  or  whither  they 
vanished  is  mere  conjecture.  Their  names  were  not 
"  writ  in  water,"  but  in  the  earth.  The  turf  of  the 
prairie,  the  margin  of  the  river,  the  cleft  in  the  rock 
testify  to  their  having  been.  But  whether  definite 
history  can  be  written  from  such  memoranda,  must  rest 
with  the  skill  of  the  future  archaeologist. 

THE  INDIAN  TRIBES  OP  WISCONSIN. 

The  obscurity  which  enshrouds  the  history  of  the 
aborigines  of  the  Northwest  prior  to  1634,  continues 
the  gradation  of  human  occupation  of  the  soil,  from 
the  impenetrable  mystery  of  the  Mound  Builders  to 
the  era  of  letters.  But  little  is  known  of  the  lives 
and  habits  of  the  savage  nations  inhabiting  what  is 
now  Wisconsin,  before  their  discovery  b}- civilized  man. 
The  sparse  knowledge  which  has  come  down  to  us,  of 
those  years  of  warfare,  during  which  the  untutored 
bi-ave  contested  with  his  brother  for  the  right  of  ex- 
istence, or  of  the  milder  and  infrequent  periods  of 
peace,  wherein  were  enjoyed  rude  arts  and  tender  pas- 
sions, have  but  a  basis  of  tradition  on  which  to  stand ; 
and  as  a  subject  invested  with  romantic  hues,  because 
so  far  removed  from  the  stern  glade  of  historic  fact, 
form  a  gracious  topic  for  the  pen  of  fiction  rather  than 
the  pen  of  history. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  work  to  treat  but  briefly 
of  those  divisions  of  the  Indian  nations  which  fill 
merely  an  auxiliary  or  preliminar}-  station  in  the 
record  of  Wisconsin  tribes. 

The  country  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lake  Supe- 
rior, on  the  east  by  Lake  Michigan,  on  the   south   by 
wide-spreading  prairies,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mis-      | 
sissippi,  was  first  seen   by  an  European  in  the  year      | 
1634.     Jean  Nicolet  then  discovered  that  upon  this      i 
wide   area    met   and,    with    measurable  peacefulness,      I 
mingled  two  far-branching  families  —  the  Algonquins      ; 
and  Dakotas.     The  exception  to  the  rule  of  hostility      ' 
was  the  Winnebago  tribe,  which,  although  belonging      | 
to  the  Dakotas  or  Sioux,  were  peaceful  towards  the 
Algonquins.     Parkman  says :   "A  detached  branch  of 
the  Dakota   stock,  the  Winnebago,    was    established 
south  of  Green  Bay,  on  Lake  Michigan,  in  the  midst 
of  the  Algonquins."   Tradition  points  to  the  former  as 
having,  at  some  distant  period  of  the  past,  migrated 
from  the  East  —  and  this   has   been    confirmed  by  a 
study  of  their  language ;  to  the  latter  as  coming  from 
the   West  or  Southwest,  fighting  their  way  as  they 
came.     As  yet  there  were   no  representatives  of  the 
Huron-Iroquois   seen   west   of    Lake    Michigan,    that     | 
great  family  then  dwelling  northward  and  southward      j 
of  Erie  and  Ontario  lakes. 

Of  the  Algonquins,  the  principal  branches  were  the 
Chippeways,  Menomonees,  Pottawatomies,  Mascoutins, 
Miamis,  Kickapoos  and  Illinois  (the  latter  to  the 
southward)  ;  of  the  Dakotas,  but  two  divisions  were 
in  Wisconsin,  the  Winnebagoes  and  a  few  bands  of 
chance  Sioux. 

Already  had  the  French  secured  a  foothold  in  the 
valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence ;  and,  naturally  enough, 
the  broad  expanse  of  water  to  the  westward  offered  an 
irresistible  inducement  to  the  explorer.     Thus  it  was 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


35 


that  the  shores  of  Green  Bay  were  visited  in  1634,  by 
Jean  Nicolet,  who  beheld,  upon  the  right  in  ascending 
the  bay,  a  tribe  of  Indians,  lighter  in  complexion  than 
their  neighbors,  remarkably  well  formed  and  active. 
Tiiese  were  what  are  now  known  as  the  Menomonees. 
Although  of  the  Algonquin  stock,  their  dialect  dif- 
fered so  much  from  the  surrounding  tribes  that  for  a 
long  time  they  were  accredited  with  a  distinct  lan- 
guage. Their  homes  and  hunting  grounds  were  on  the 
Menomonee  River,  though  within  the  period  of  a  cen- 
tury they  shifted  somewhat,  and  without  infringing 
upon  the  territory  of  other  tribes,  spread  out  to  the 
westward  and  southward,  their  principal  village  at  that 
time  being  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay.  In  1634,  they 
took  part  in  a  treaty  with  some  representatives 
of  the  French,  who  at  this  time  were  intent  upon  the 
occupation  of  this  wild  region.  After  this,  twenty 
years  elapsed  before  there  is  any  record  that  they  were 
again  visited  by  white  men. 

Early  in  December,  1669,  Father  Claudius  AUoiiez 
visited  the  mouth  of  Green  Bay.  and  on  the  third  of 
that  month  celebrated  Holy  Mass  for  the  first  time  in 
his  new  field  of  labor.  In  May  of  the  following  year, 
he  reached  the  Menomonees,  who  were  then  a  feeble 
tribe,  suffering  from  disasters  in  war,  and  nearl}'  ex- 
terminated. He  did  not  remain  long  with  them,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Father  Louis  Andre,  who  built  a 
cabin  upon  the  Menomonee  River.  This  hut  the 
savages  burned,  and  he  was  afterwards  obliged  to  live 
in  his  canoe.  He  was  not  wholly  unsuccessful  in  his 
missionary  work,  for,  in  1673,  Father  Marquette  found 
good  Christians  among  this  tribe.  By  degrees  they 
extended  their  intercourse  with  the  white  fur  traders, 
and  gradually  were  drawn  under  the  banner  of  France. 
They  joined  that  government  in  its  war  with  the  Iro- 
quois, and  subsequently  in  its  conflict  with  the  En- 
glish. 

In  1760,  the  French  post  at  Green  Bay  was  surren- 
dered to  the  British,  though  the  latter  did  not  take 
possession  until  the  Autumn  of  the  following  year. 
The  land  upon  which  the  fort  stood  was  claimed  by  the 
Menomonees.  Their  princi[ial  village  was  located 
there,  though  a  lesser  one  was  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Menomonee  River.  They  did  not  rebel  at  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  British,  possibly  for  the  reason  that  they 
were  in  a  reduced  state,  having  lost  three  hundred  of 
their  warriors  by  small-pox,  and  many  of  their  chiefs 
in  the  late  war  in  which  the  French  commander  had 
engaged  them  against  the  British.  Moreover,  they 
found  an  advantage  in  dealing  with  British  fur  traders, 
as  they  could  purchase  supplies  of  them  for  half  the 
prices  they  had  paid  to  the  French.  Their  good  faith 
to  their  new  allegiance  was  soon  put  to  the  test,  as 
Pontiac's  War  broke  out  in  1763,  and  the  post  of 
Mackinaw  was  captured.  This,  instead  of  inciting 
them  to  a  revolt  against  their  new  rulers,  gave  them 
the  opportunity  to  prove  their  integrity,  for  they,  with 
other  tribes,  escorted  the  garrison  at  Green  Bay  across 
Lake  Michigan  to  the  village  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  on 
their  way  to  Montreal.  Their  alliance  with  the  British 
continued  through  their  first  war  with  the  American 
colonies,  and  through  the  later  contest  of  1812-15. 
But,  as  they  had  yielded  peaceably  to  the  British  after 
their  conquest  over  the  French,  so  when  the  American 


lil22B3 

force  arrived  at  Green  Bay  to  take  possession  of  the 
country,  they  greeted  the  commander  as  "  my  brother." 
At  this  time  their  territory  had  become  greatly  ex- 
tended. It  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  dividing 
ridge  between  the  waters  flowing  into  Lake  Superior 
and  those  flowing  south  into  Green  Bay  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  on  the  east  by  Lake  Michigan  ;  on  the  south 
by  the  Milwaukee  River,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Black  rivers.  This  was  their  territory, 
though  they  were  practically  restricted  to  the  occupa- 
tion of  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  lying  be- 
tween the  mouth  of  Green  Bay  on  the  north  and  the 
Milwaukee  River  on  the  south,  and  to  a  somewhat  in- 
definite area  west.  Their  general  claim,  as  late  as 
1825,  was  north  to  the  Chippewa  country ;  east  to 
Green  Bay  and  Lake  Michigan ;  south  to  the  Milwau- 
kee River,  and  west  to  Black  River.  This  tribe, 
which,  in  1761,  had  been  feeble  and  depleted,  had  now, 
in  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  century,  become  a  pow- 
erful nation,  numbering  between  three  and  four  thou- 
sand. As  late  as  1831  the  Menomonee  territory  pre- 
served its  large  proportions;  but  in  that  year  it  was 
shorn  of  a  great  and  valuable  i^ai-t  by  the  tribe  ceding 
to  the  United  States  all  the  eastern  division,  estimated 
at  two  and  a  half  million  acres.  The  following  year 
they  aided  the  General  Government  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  In  order  that  the  Menomonees  might  become 
more  established,  they  were  assigned  as  a  permanent 
home  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  north  of  Fox  River 
and  east  of  Wolf  River,  with  a  reservation  of  their 
territory  west  for  hunting  grounds,  until  such  time  as 
the  General  Government  should  desire  to  purchase  it. 

In  1836,  another  portion,  amounting  to  four  million 
acres,  lying  between  Green  Bay  on  the  east  and  Wolf 
River  on  the  west,  was  disposed  of  to  the  United 
States,  besides  a  strip  three  miles  in  width  from  near 
the  portage  north,  on  each  side  of  the  Wisconsin  River, 
and  forty-eight  miles  long — still  leaving  them  in  peace- 
ful possession  of  a  country  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  long  and  eighty  broad. 

Finally,  in  1848,  the  Government  purchased  all  the 
remaining  lands  of  the  Menomonees,  preparatory  to 
their  migration  to  a  reservation  beyond  the  Mississippi 
of  six  hundred  thousand  acres.  This  latter  tract,  how- 
ever, was  re-ceded  to  the  United  States,  for  notwith- 
standing there  were  treaty  stipulations  fur  the  removal 
of  the  tribe  to  that  tract,  there  were  such  obstacles  in 
the  way  that  they  were  finally  permitted  to  remain  in 
Wisconsin.  Lands  to  the  amount  of  twelve  townships 
were  granted  them  for  permanent  homes  on  the  Upper 
Wolf  River,  in  what  is  now  Shawano  and  Oconto 
counties—  a  very  small  portion  only  of  their  once  vast 
possessions.  They  removed  to  this  reservation  in  1852. 
Thus  are  the  Menomonees  the  only  one  of  the  original 
tribes,  which,  as  a  whole,  has  a  local  habitation  within 
its  limits.  This  tribe  refused  to  join  the  Sioux  in  their 
outbreak  in  1861,  and  several  of  their  warriors  served 
as  volunteers  in  the  United  States  army  in  the  late 
civil  war. 

The  Winnebagoes,  or  "  Men  of  the  Sea,"  as  the 
name  signifies,  were  first  visited  in  1634,  at  which 
pei'iod  their  villages  were  upon  the  head  waters  of 
Green  Bay.  They  were  one  of  the  tribes  belonging 
to  the   family  of  the  Dakotas,  and  had  come  hither 


36 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


from  the  westward,  but  whether  from  the  Pacific,  as  their 
name  might  indicate,  is  not  known.  Their  ancient 
seat  was  Winnebago  Lake,  whither  they  afterward 
removed  up  the  Fox  River.  Their  country  included 
not  only  tliis  lake,  but  all  the  streams  flowing  into  it, 
especially  the  Fox  River,  and  was  subsequently  ex- 
tended to  the  Wisconsin  and  Rock  rivers.  They  were 
brought  under  the  influence  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries, 
who,  in  1670,  found  them  worshiping  idols.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Winne- 
bagoes  were  firmly  allied  to  tlie  French  and  in  peace 
with  the  dreaded  Iroquois.  In  1718,  the  nation  num- 
bered six  hundred.  They  subsequently  joined  the 
French  against  the  Iroquois,  and  also  aided  them  in 
their  conflict  with  the  British.  But  with  the  Britisli 
possession  of  the  post  at  Green  Bay  they  allied  them- 
selves with  their  conquerors,  and  kept  up  this  friendship 
through  the  Revolution  and  the  war  of  1812.  At  this 
period  they  were  estimated  to  number  4,500,  and  were 
counted  a  bold  and  warlike  people.  When  the  United 
States  took  possession  of  the  post  of  Green  Bay,  in 
1816,  they  apprehended  trouble  with  the  Winnebagoes, 
but  after  a  single  remonstrance  with  the  commandant, 
they  submitted  to  the  new  order  of  things,  and  after- 
ward made  a  treaty  of  peace.  In  1820  they  had  five 
villages  on  Winnebago  Lake  and  fourteen  on  Rock 
River.  Five  years  later  their  claim  to  territory  was 
an  extensive  one.  Its  southeast  boundary  stretched 
away  from  the  source  of  Rock  River  to  within  forty 
miles  of  its  mouth,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  where  they 
had  a  village.  On  the  west  it  extended  to  the  heads 
of  the  small  streams  flowing  into  the  Mississippi.  To 
the  northward  it  reached  Black  River  and  the  Upper 
Wisconsin,  but  did  not  cross  Fox  River,  although  they 
contended  for  the  whole  of  Winnebago  Lake.  In  1829, 
a  large  part  of  their  territory,  in  what  is  now  South- 
western Wisconsin,  was  sold  to  the  United  States.  In 
1837,  they  ceded  to  the  General  Government  all  their 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi.  Considerable  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  removing  them  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  they  have  several  times  changed  their  place 
of  abode.     Their  numbers  have  greatly  diminished. 

The  Chippeways,  b}'  reason  of  their  numerousness 
and  the  immensity  of  the  area  embraced  within  the 
limits  of  their  recognized  territory,  as  well  as  by  the 
continuance  of  their  distinctive  tribal  relations,  form 
one  of  the  leading  divisions  of  Wisconsin.  Their  coun- 
try included  all  now  known  as  Northern  Wisconsin, 
excepting  the  Menomonee  country  on  the  west  of 
Green  Bay  and  the  Winnebago  country  on  the  east, 
or  the  present  counties  of  Door,  Kewaunee  and  a  por- 
tion of  Brown.  Besides  this  vast  region,  the  tribe 
was  accorded  the  lands  north  of  Lake  Superior.  The 
name  is  commonly  written  and  spoken  "  Chippeway," 
but  tlie  best  authorities  now  agree  that  the  correct 
spelling  is  Otchipwe.  The  name  is  employed  inter- 
changeably with  Ojibway.  The  French  also  spoke  of 
them  as  Sauteux,  from  the  fact  that  the  earliest  en- 
counter with  them  was  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  This  name 
is  still  applied  to  them  by  the  Canadians.  In  1642 
Fathers  Jogues  and  Raymbaut  began  a  mission  at  Sault 
Ste.  Marie,  where  there  were  2,000  Chippeways.  In 
cliaracter  this  tribe  is  described  brave  in  war,  expert 
in  hunting,  fond  of  adventure,  and  averse  to  agricul- 


tural labor.  From  remote  times  their  contests  with 
rival  tribes  are  noted.  They  warred  with  the  Foxes, 
the  Sioux  and  the  Iroquois,  driving  the  Sioux  from  the 
upper  regions  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Red  River  of 
the  North.  Their  style  of  fighting  shows  that  thej- 
were  more  used  to  wooded  countries  than  to  the  plains, 
as  thej^  were  oftener  victorious  when  forcing  their  foes 
to  battle  among  forests,  than  when  meeting  them  on 
prairies.  Their  numbers  were  greatly  reduced  by  war, 
during  the  half  century  succeeding  the  establishment 
of  missions  in  1642.  They  were  devoted  to  the  French 
down  to  the  time  of  the  end  of  French  domination. 
During  the  American  war  for  independence,  they  were 
under  British  influence,  but  made  peace  by  the  treaties 
of  Fort  Mcintosh,  in  1785.  and  Fort  Harmar  in  17*^9. 
So  far  as  their  policies  affect  the  history  of  Northern 
Wisconsin,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  article  entitled 
"  The  Public  Domain,"  given  later  on  in  this  work. 
Therein  will  be  found  mention  of  such  treaties  with 
the  Chippeways  and  other  ti'ibes  as  are  required  to 
complete  the  chain  of  title  in  the  Government  to  the 
lands  of  the  State. 

The  Sacs  and  Foxes  are  one  of  the  tribes  of  the 
Algonquin  family.  Father  Alloiiez  found  a  village  of 
them,  in  1665,  upon  the  shores  of  Green  Bay,  and 
early  in  1670  he  visited  a  village  of  them  located  upon 
the  Fox  River  about  four  leagues  from  its  mouth. 
Upon  his  first  visit  he  described  them  as  of  wandering 
habit,  great  in  numbers  and  fierce  and  savage  beyond 
all  other  tribes.  Polygamy  was  common  amongst  them, 
and  the  v/'omen  and  children  were  very  numerous.  The 
Foxes  were  of  two  stocks — the  Outagamies  or  Foxes, 
and  the  Musquakink,  or  men  of  red  clay.  They  were 
supposed  to  have  come  from  as  far  east  as  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  to  have  been  driven  from  time  to  time,  first 
to  near  Detroit,  then  to  Saginaw  (a  name  derived  from 
the  Sacs)  and  then  by  the  Iroquois  to  Green  Bay,  and 
from  thence  up  the  Fox  River.  Alloiiez  established 
among  these  his  mission  of  St.  Mark,  and  in  two  3'ears 
rejoiced  in  the  baptism  of  "sixty  ciiildren  and  some 
adults."  In  1684  the  Sacs  sent  out  warriors  against 
the  Five  Nations,  but  they  soon  became  hostile  to  the 
French.  They  afterward  became  reconciled,  but  this 
reconciliation  was  of  short  duration,  and  their  ill  will 
toward  the  French  continued.  The  consequence  of 
this  spirit  of  enmity  was,  that  in  1716  their  territory 
was  invaded,  and  they  were  forced  to  sue  for  peace. 
This  compulsory  friendship  was  of  short  duration. 
The  Foxes  numbered  five  hundred  men,  with  an  abund- 
a^ice  of  women  and  children.  They  were  industrious, 
and  raised  large  crops  of  Indian  corn.  In  1728,  the 
French  sent  a  second  expedition  against  them  and  the 
Menomonees  and  Winnebagoes,  destroying  wigwams 
and  fields.  They  were  attacked  for  a  third  time  in 
1730,  and  defeated,  and  again,  1734,  b}^  the  same  foe, 
against  whom  in  this  last  attack  they  were  more  suc- 
cessful than  formerly.  In  1736,  the  Sacs  were  "con- 
nected with  the  government  of  Canada,"  though  at 
heart  far  from  brotherly  in  feeling  to  the  French.  In 
1754  came  the  struggle  between  France  and  Great 
Britain,  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  allied  themselves  with 
their  former  foe  and  conqueror  against  the  English, 
but  were  forced  into  subjection  to  the  new  victor.  In 
1761  the  two  nations,  about  equally  divided,  numbered 


HISTORY    nv    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


37 


about  seven  hundred  warriors.  The  Sacs  migrated  to 
the  westward,  but  the  Foxes,  or  a  portion  of  them, 
still  remained  upon  the  waters  of  the  Fox  River.  Dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  adhered 
to  the  English.  At  the  commencement  of  this  cen- 
tury what  territory  remained  to  them  in  Wisconsin 
was  in  the  extreme  southwestern  part  of  the  State. 
This  they  ceded  to  the  United  States  in  1804.  From 
tliat  date  these  allied  tribes  can  not  be  considered  as 
belonging  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  An  episode  in 
their  subsequent  history  comes  in,  however,  incident- 
ally in  the  annals  of  the  State,  and  that  is  the  Black 
Hawk  War. 

The  Pottawatomies  were  neighbors  to  the  Winne- 
bagoes  upon  Green  Bay  in  1639.  Thirty  years  later 
they  were  still  upon  its  southern  shore  in  two  villages, 
and  ten  years  subsequent  to  that  they  occupied  at  least 
one  village  in  the  same  region.  Upon  the  expiration 
of  the  first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  a  part 
only  of  this  nation  was  in  that  vicinity,  upon  the  islands 
at  the  mouth  of  the  bay.  These  islands  were  then 
known  as  the  Pottawatomie  Islands,  and  considered  as 
the  ancient  abode  of  these  Indians.  This  tribe  had 
scattered  to  the  southward,  one  band  on  the  St.  Joseph 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  other  near  Detroit.  The 
Pottawatomies  did  not  keep  themselves  distinct  as  a  tribe 
but  fraternized  with  various  other  tribes.  These  "  united 
tribes"  as  they  were  called,  claimed  all  the  lands  of 
their  respective  tribes  and  of  other  nations,  and  gave 
the  United  States  no  little  trouble  when  possession 
was  taken  by  the  General  Government.  Finally,  by  a 
treaty  in  1833,  their  claims,  such  as  they  were,  to  lands 
along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  within 
the  present  State  of  Wisconsin,  extending  westward 
to  Rock  River,  were  purchased  by  the  United  States, 
with  permission  to  retain  possession  of  their  ceded 
lands  for  three  years  longer,  after  which  time  this 
•'  united  nation  of  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and  Pottawat- 
omies "  began  to  disappear,  and  soon  wei'e  no  longer 
seen  in  the  State. 

Besides  the  five  tribes — Menomonees,  Winnebagoes, 
Chippewas,  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  Pottawatomies — many 
others,  whole  or  in  part,  have,  since  the  territory  now 
constituting  the  State  was  first  visited  by  white  men, 
been  occupants  of  its  territory.  Of  these  some  are 
only  known  as  having  once  lived  in  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin ;  others,  such  as  the  Hurons,  Illinois,  Kickapoos, 
Mascoutins,  Miamis,  Noquets.  Ottawas  and  Sioux  are 
recognized  as  Indians  once  dwelling  in  this  region  ;  yet 
so  transitory  was  their  occupation,  or  so  little  is  known 
of  them,  that  they  can  scarcely  be  claimed  as  belong- 
ing in  the  State.  Commencing  in  1822,  and  continu- 
ing at  intervals  through  some  of  the  following  years, 
was  the  migration  to  Wisconsin  from  the  State  of  New 
York  of  the  remains  of  portions  of  four  tribes:  the 
Oneidas,  Stoekbridges,  Munsees  and  Brothertowns. 
The  Oneidas  finally  located  west  of  Green  Bay,  where 
they  still  reside.  Tiieir  reservation  contains  over  sixty 
thousand  acres,  and  lies  wholly  within  the  present  coun- 
ties of  Brown  and  Outagamie.  The  Stoekbridges  and 
Munsees,  who  first  located  above  Gieen  Bay,  on  the 
east  side  of  Fox  River,  afterward  moved  to  the  east 
side  of  Winnebago  Lake.  They  now  occupy  a  reserva- 
tion joining  the  southwest  township  of  the   Mcnomo- 


nee  reservation,  in  Shawano  County.  The  Brother- 
towns  first  located  on  the  east  side  of  Fox  River,  but 
subsequently  moved  to  the  east  side  of  Winnebago 
Lake,  where,  in  1839,  they  broke  up  their  tribal  rela- 
tions and  became  citizens  of  Wisconsin  Territory. 

THE   FIRST   MAP. 

During  the  early  years  of  Champlain's  government 
of  New  France,  the  region  west  of  Lake  Michigan 
was  entirely  unknown  to  white  men.  From  Indian 
sources  vague  rumors  of  a  fertile  country,  abounding 
in  lakes  and  rivers,  and  in  which  game,  fish,  and  min- 
erals were  inexhaustible,  passed  from  tribe  to  tribe, 
until  they  reached  the  ears  of  the  Governor,  himself 
a  practical  draughtsman.  It  is  known  that  from  those 
reports  a  diagram  of  the  western  country  was  made. 
This  first  attempt  at  delineating  the  region  of  the 
Great  Lakes  is  preserved  in  Samuel  Champlain's  work 
entitled  "Les  Voyages  de  la  Novvelle  France,"  pub- 
lished in  Paris  in  1682.  So  much  of  this  map  as  in- 
cludes the  lands  lying  southwest,  west  and  northwest 
of  Lake  Huron,  is  based  wholly  on  Indian  reports. 
The  portion  designed  to  comprehend  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin is  reproduced  for  this  work.  The  explanatory 
words  in  biackets  to  be  seen  therein,  do  not,  of  course, 
appear  in  the  original  publication.  They  are  given 
from  a  description  printed  in  Champlain's  work  ;  from 
contemporaneous  as  well  as  somewhat  later  authorities  ; 
and  from  a  careful  study  of  the  map  itself.  For  this 
we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  C.  W.  Butterfield,  of  Madison, 
a  reliable  authority  on  the  early  history  of  Wiscon- 
sin. 

nicolet's  explorations. 

To  Jean  Nicolet  belongs  the  honor  of  the  first  place 
in  the  history  of  Wisconsin.  Nor  is  that  honor  due 
from  mere  accidental  events,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in 
discovery  of  new  countries ;  for  it  was  now  by  the 
deliberate  accomplishment  of  a  laborious  and  danger- 
ous undertaking,  whose  purpose  was,  so  far  as  evidence 
can  now  be  adduced,  substantially  achieved.  The 
sparse  records  of  the  life  of  this  man  contain  but  the 
barest  outlines  of  his  earlier  days,  though  future  re- 
search among  original  documents,  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
will  shed  more  light  on  the  obscured  details.  It  is 
known  that  he  was  of  French  nativity,  born  in  Nor- 
mandy, and  that  he  emigrated  to  Canada  in  the  year 
1618,  being  a  prot^g^  of  Champlain.  The  date  of  his 
birth  is  not  jireserved  in  any  document  extant.  Upon 
his  arrival  in  New  France,  he  at  once  took  up  his  resi- 
dence at  Allumettes  Island,  on  the  Ottawa,  that  he 
might  the  better  study  the  Indian  tongue,  and  thereby 
fit  himself  for  the  office  of  interpreter.  In  1622,  but 
four  years  after  his  airival,  he  is  mentioned  as  having 
acquired  an  extensive  influence  over  the  Algonquin 
tribes.  From  1623  to  1631,  Nicolet  lived  with  the 
tribes  of  tlie  Nipissing.  This  is  stated  on  the  authority 
of  his  friend  Fatlier  Le  Jeune ;  although  other  of  the 
"Jesuit  Relations"  record  that  the  peiiod  of  his  resi- 
dence with  the  Nipissing  tribes  was  from  1629  to  1632. 

It  is  determined,  by  those  who  have  made  a  special 
study  of  the  subject,  that  Nicolet  came  to  Green  Bay 
in   the  Summer  of  1634,  and  returned  to  Quebec  in 


3S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1635.*  The  nature  of  this  work  precludes  the  possi- 
bility of  arguing  this  question,  but  as  several  hitherto 
accepted  theories  are  controverted,  the  authorities  gov- 
erning this  deduction  are  named. f  Parkman  observes 
that  "Nicolet  was  a  remarkable  man,"  and  so  he  must 
have  been,  to  win  the  confidence  of  the  savage  tribes 
to  that  degree  whicli  enabled  him  to  penetrate  into  the 
remote  regions  of  their  homes,  and  there  conduct  a 
peaceful  enterprise  with  the  warlike  Winnebagoes,  for 
the  advancement  of  commerce  in  fur  and  peltry. 

The  long  journeying  from  Quebec  was  undertaken 
at  the  suggestion  of  Champlain,  and  in  the  ofBcial 
capacity  of  interpreter  of  the  Company  of  One  Hun- 
di'ed  Associates  of  New  France,  which  was  formed  in 
1627,  with  a  view  to  the  development  of  the  immense 
resources  of  the  Western  Wilderness  in  furs.  The 
mission  of  Nicolet  was  not  to  establish  peace,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  warfare,  between  the  Hurons  and 
Winnebagoes ;  but  was,  rather,  a  mission  of  peace,  to 
cement  the  friendly  relations  of  these  tribes,  as  well  as 
the  Nez  Percys  or  Ottawas,  and  other  tribes,  in  the  gen- 
eral interest  of  the  French. 

Nicolet  visited  the  Hurons  while  on  his  westward 
journey,  at  their  home  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake 
which  bears  their  name,  and  negotiated  with  them. 
It  is  recorded  by  Parkman  that,  upon  his  arrival  in 
Green  Bay,  at  "Winnebago  Town,  he  sent  some  of  his 
Indian  attendants  to  announce  his  coming,  put  on  a 
robe  of  damask,  and  advanced  to  meet  the  expectant 
crowd  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand.  The  squaws  and 
children  fled,  screaming  that  it  was  a  manito,  or  spirit, 
armed  with  thunder  and  lightning;  but  the  chiefs  and 
warriors  regaled  him  with  so  bountiful  a  hospitality, 
that  one  hundred  and  twenty  beavers  were  devoured 
at  a  single  feast."  With  such  a  dramatic  display  was 
the  white  man  inti-oduced  upon  the  soil  of  the  great 
commonwealth  of  Wisconsin. 

The  Jesuit  Paul  le  Jeune,  writing  in  1640,  said : 
"  Upon  the  borders  of  Green  Bay  are  the  Menomonees  ; 
still  further  on,  the  Winnebagoes,  a  sedentary  people 
and  very  numerous.  Some  Frenchmen  call  them  the 
'  Nation  of  the  Stinkards,'  because  the  Winnebago 
word  '  winipeg '  signifies  '  stinking  water.'  Now  they 
thus  call  the  water  of  the  sea ;  therefore,  these  people 
call  themselves  Winnebagoes,  because  they  came  from 
the  shores  of  a  sea  of  which  we  have  no  knowledge. 
Consequently  we  must  not  call  them  the 'Nation  of 
the  Stinkards,'  but  the  '  Nation  of  the  Sea.'  " 

It  is  asserted  by  several  writers  that  Nicolet  con- 
tinued his  journey  down  the  Wisconsin  River  unto  a 
point  "within  three  days'  journey  of  the  Mississippi ;" 
but  this  statement  is  shown,  by  the  monograph  referred 
to,  to  be  an  impossibility.  It  is  therein  given  as  his- 
toric fact  that  the  renewed  journey  extended  up  the 
Fox  River,  to  within  three  days'  voyage  of  the  Wis- 
consin, where  it  is  supposed  he  found  the  Mascoutins. 
This  correction  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  that  has 
been  made   by  Prof.  Butterfield.     After  returning  to 

•An  fxlmuslivi'  inniio^^raph  on  NicoleVs  Discovery  nf  the  Nnrihwesi  is  now  in 
press  aipl  ■■  ;il     -.  ,  ■.    lI  ..   ,  |..  n,,  pnblic.  In  tills  work  the  author.  Prof.  C.  W.  But- 

terhfl  I    1;       '   ..    I     .    I"     Ml  itnirouffhly,  and  not  only 


ion  can  be  raised 

or(Jinje>e,  by  C.  W.  Butterfield, 


Mr.  Benia 
1634,  but  adds  such  conclu 
that  point. 


Robert  Clarlt  . 


Jesuil  Relnlinns. 

Melanges  DHistoire  et  tie  Litterateur,  1876.    Bimi 

Tfotes  on  Jean  NicoUt,  in  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  Vol.  8.' 


Green  Bay,  Nicolet  visited  many  of  the  surrounding 
nations.  He  retraced  his  way  to  the  St.  Lawrence  in 
the  Summer  of  1635,  reaching  Quebec  in  safety.  The 
parish  records  of  that  city  furnish  the  information  that 
this  brave  man  was  occupied  with  various  duties  from 
1635  to  the  date  of  his  death,  and  show  conclusively 
that  his  journey  must  have  been  made  at  the  date  given, 
since  he  was  not  absent  from  Quebec  long  enough  at 
any  one  time  to  have  performed  the  feat  subsequent 
to  1635. 

Nicolet  married  Marguerite  Couillard,  at  Quebec, 
October  7,  1637.  He  lost  his  life,  while  on  a  mission 
to  save  a  poor  Abenaqui  from  the  Algonquins,  by  the 
capsizing  of  his  boat,  October  31,  1642.  To  this  bold 
adventurer,  whose  knowledge  of  the  western  tribes 
was  gained  by  actual  experience,  must  all  praise  be 
given  for  having  opened  to  the  devoted  followers  of 
the  Cross  the  way  to  new  fields  of  usefulness. 

EARLY   JESUIT   MISSIONS. 

The  pipe  of  peace  which  Nicolet  smoked  with  the 
western  tribes  was  not  productive  of  immediate  good 
returns.  The  death  of  Champlain  and  the  change  in 
purposes  and  ambitions  among  the  Canadian  settlers, 
produced  in  the  east  an  almost  total  forgetfulness  of 
the  upper-lake  country.  For  at  least  two  decades  of 
years  after  the  discovery  of  Wisconsin  by  Nicolet,  very 
dim  and  shadowy  is  its  history.  Here  and  there  refer- 
ences to  Green  Bay  and  the  Indians  inhabiting  its 
shores,  are  made  by  Jesuit  missionaries  in  their  Rela- 
tions. These  "  Relations "  were  the  records  kept  by 
priests  of  their  experiences  in  their  arduous  calling. 
For  many  years,  beginning  in  1632,  the  Superior  of  the 
Jesuit  Mission  in  Canada  —  then  New  France  —  sent 
every  Summer  to  Paris  his  reports  which  embodied  or 
were  accompanied  by  those  of  his  subordinates.  For 
forty  years  these  reports  were  annually  published  in 
Paris,  and  were  known  as  the"  Jesuit  Relations."  Those 
which  are  of  interest  to  the  student  of  Wisconsin  his- 
tory begin  with  the  year  1639-40  and  extend  to  1672. 
Says  one  of  these  records,  of  date  1648,  "  This  Supe- 
rior Lake  extends  to  the  northwest,  that  is  to  say,  be- 
tween the  west  and  the  north.  A  peninsula,  or  strip 
of  land  quite  small,  separates  this  Superior  Lake  from 
another  third  lake,  called  by  us  the  'Lake  of  the 
Puants "  (Green  Bay)  which  also  discharges  itself  into 
our  fresh-water  sea,  through  a  mouth  which  is  on  the 
other  side  of  the  peninsula,  about  ten  leagues  more  to 
the  west  than  the  Sault.  This  third  lake  extends  be- 
tween the  west  and  the  southwest,  more  toward  the 
west,  and  is  almost  equal  in  size  to  our  fresh-water  sea. 
On  its  shores  dwell  a  different  people,  of  an  unknown 
language,  that  is  to  say,  a  language  that  is  neither 
Algonquin  nor  Huron.  These  people  (the  Winneba- 
goes) are  called  the  Puants,  not  on  account  of  any  un- 
pleasant odor  that  is  peculiar  to  them,  but  because  they 
say  they  came  from  the  shores  of  the  sea  far  distant 
toward  the  west,  the  waters  of  which,  being  salt,  they 
call  themselves  '  the  people  of  the  Stinking  Water.'  " 

Another  account  written  in  1654,  after  giving  the 
arrival  at  Montreal  of  a  fleet  of  canoes  loaded  with 
furs,  belonging  to  friendly  Indians,  who  came  from 
the  upper  country  a  distance  of  four  hundred  leagues, 
speaks  of  a  part  of  these  Indians  being  the  Tobacco 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHKRN    WISCONSIN. 


nations  of  the  Hurons,  and  a  portion  Ottawas,  and 
adds:  "These  tribes  have  abandoned  their  ancient 
country,  and  have  retired  toward  the  more  distant 
nation  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  lake,  whom  we  call 
Puants,  in  consequence  of  their  having  dwelt  near  the 
sea,  which  is  salt,  and  which  our  savages  call  'stinking 
water.'  "  The  Hurons  had  been  entirely  overthrown 
by  the  Iroquois  in  1649  and  1650,  and  had  abandoned 
their  country.  A  division  of  this  nation,  called  the 
Tobacco  Indians,  with  such  other  Hurons  as  had  taken 
refuge  with  them,  settled  on  Mackinac  Island,  where 
they  were  joined  by  a  branch  of  the  Ottawas,  nick- 
named by  the  French,  Cheveux  releves,  or  Standing 
Hair;  hence  this  statement  in  the  " Relations "  that 
these  nations  had  "  retired  toward  the  more  distant " 


Again,  in  the  same  year,  this  is  recorded :  "  In  the 
islands  of  the  '  lake  of  the  people  of  the  sea,'  whom 
some  persons  wrongly  call  the  '  Puants,'  there  are 
many  tribes  whose  language  closely  resembles  the 
Algonquins."  In  1656,  one  of  the  Jesuits  writes: 
"  Our  attention  has  been  directed  toward  a  number  of 
nations  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  '  Nation  of  the  Sea,' 
whom  some  persons  have  called  the  'Puants,'  in  con- 
sequence of  their  having  formerly  dwelt  on  the  shores 
of  the  sea,  which  they  call  '  Winipeg,'  that  is  to  sajs 
'stinking  water.' "  Then  follows  an  enumeration  of 
the  villages  of  Illinois  and  Sioux  Indians,  and  of  two 
other  nations,  the  "  Ponarak  "  and  "  Kiristinous."  Such 
are  the  meager  records  of  Wisconsin  after  its  visita- 
tion by  Nicolet,  down  to  the  year  1658. 

In  August,  1656,  a  band  of  the  Ottawas,  or  other 
Algonquins,  numbering  three  hundred,  and  in  fifty 
birch-bark  canoes,  appeared  upon  the  St.  Lawrence. 
These  savages  demanded  commerce  with  the  French, 
and  missionaries  for  the  boundless  West.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  commerce  of  the  Northwest.  But 
for  the  greed  of  the  fur  trader  and  the  zeal  of  the 
Jesuit,  the  story  of  Nicolet  would  soon  have  passed 
from  the  minds  of  the  Frenchmen  inhabiting  the  St. 
Lawrence ;  and  the  discovery  of  Wisconsin,  like  the 
discovery  of  the  Mississippi  by  De  Soto,  would  soon 
have  faded  from  the  memory  of  man. 

But  a  missionary,  whose  name  is  not  appended  to 
the  "  Relation,"  and  it  is,  consequently,  uncertain  who 
the  reverend  father  was,  took  from  the  lips  of  an  In- 
dian captive,  named  Asatanik,  and  a  man  of  consider- 
able importance,  an  account  of  his  having,  in  the 
month  of  June,  1658,  set  out  from  Green  Bay  for  the 
north,  passing  the  rest  of  the  Summer  and  the  follow- 
ing Winter  near  Lake  Superior — so  called  because  of 
its  being  above  Lake  Huron.  This  Indian  informed 
the  Jesuit  of  the  havoc  and  desolation  of  the  Iroquois 
war  in  the  west ;  how  it  had  reduced  the  Algonquin 
nations  about  Lake  Superior  and  Green  Bay.  The 
same  missionary  saw  at  Quebec  two  Frenchmen,  who 
had  just  arrived  from  the  upper  countries  with  three 
hundred  Algonquins  in  sixty  canoes,  laden  with 
peltries.  These  fur  traders  had  passed  the  Winter  of 
1659  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior,  during  which 
time  they  made  several  trips  among  the  surrounding 
tribes.  In  their  wanderings  they  probably  visited 
some  of  the  northern  parts  of  what  is  now  Wisconsin. 
They  saw,  at  six  days'  journey  beyond  the  lake  toward 


the  southwest,  a  tribe  composed  of  the  remainder  of 
Hurons  of  the  Tobacco  nation,  compelled  by  the  Iro- 
quois to  abandon  Mackinac,  and  to  bury  themselves 
thus  deep  in  the  forests,  that  they  might  not  be  found 
by  their  enemies.  The  two  traders  told  the  tales  they 
had  heard  of  the  ferocious  Sioux,  and  of  a  great  river 
upon  which  they  dwelt — the  "  great  water  "  of  Nico- 
let's  guides.  Thus  a  knowledge  of  the  Mississippi 
began  to  dawn  again  upon  the  civilized  world.  It  may 
be  well  to  remember,  in  this  connection,  that  the  fur 
traders  came  to  what  is  now  Wisconsin  in  advance 
generally  of  the  missionaries.  They  led  the  way  for  the 
Jesuit  fathers  ;  but  as  trade  was  their  object,  and  tliey 
left  no  record  of  their  visits,  only  vague  knowledge  is 
had  of  what  they  really  saw  or  did.  But  slight  men- 
tion is  made  of  them  in  the  Relations,  where,  as  much 
as  possible,  their  presence  and  doings  are  kept  in  the 
background. 

The  narratives  of  the  Indian  captive  and  of  the  two 
Frenchmen  were  not  lost  upon  the  zealous  Jesuits  ;  for, 
two  years  later,  Ren^  Menard  attempted  to  plant  a 
mission  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  but 
perished  in  the  forest  by  starvation  or  the  tomahawk. 
Thoroughly  inured  to  Indian  life,  with  many  a  dialect 
of  Huron  and  Algonquin  at  his  command,  this  mis- 
sionary, in  endeavoring  to  establish  the  Cross  so  far  to 
the  westward,  went,  with  eight  Frenchmen  and  a 
number  of  Ottawas,  starting  from  Three  Rivers, 
Canada,  August  28,  1660.  He  made  his  way  to  "  a 
large  bay  "  upon  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake — in 
all  probability,  what  is  now  known  as  Keweenaw, 
Michigan.  Here,  however,  he  met  with  little  success 
in  founding  a  mission.  He  subsequently  determined 
to,  visit  some  Hurons,  who  were  then  located  upon,  or 
near,  the  Noquet  Islands  in  the  mouth  of  Green  Bay. 
and  who  had  sent  to  implore  the  missionary  to  come 
amongst  them,  as  they  had  long  been  destitute  of  a 
pastor,  and  many  of  them  were  fast  relapsing  into 
pagan  habits.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
Hurons  proper,  and  their  allies  and  kindred  of  the 
Tobacco  nation,  had,  many  years  before,  while  living 
near  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  Canada,  re- 
ceived the  Jesuit  missionaries  at  their  villages,  and 
numbers  had  professed  Christianity.  Three  of  Men- 
ard's companions  were  sent  to  explore  the  way.  De- 
scending the  Menomonee  River,  they  finally  reached 
the  Huron  village,  where  they  found  a  few  wretched 
Indians — mere  living  skeletons.  On  their  way  they 
encountered  great  hardships,  owing  to  the  rapid  cur- 
rent of  the  stream,  its  portages  and  precipices.  Con- 
vinced of  the  impossibility  of  Menard's  reaching  tlie 
Hurons,  or  remaining  with  them,  if  he  did,  they  re- 
turned, encountering  still  greater  difl&culties  in  ascend- 
ing the  river.  These  Frenchmen  were,  doubtless,  in 
their  perilous  journey,  many  times  upon  what  is  now 
territory  of  Wiscontiin — the  Menomonee  forming  the 
northeastern  boundary  of  the  State.  On  their  arrival 
at  the  lake  they  implored  the  aged  missionary  not  to 
attempt  a  journey  evidently  beyond  his  strength.  But 
to  their  remonstrance  he  interposed,  "  I  must  go,  if  it 
cost  me  my  life."  He  set  out  with  one  Frenchman 
and  some  Hurons.  His  seventeen  other  companions 
returned  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  Menard  was  soon 
left     by    the    Hurons,    and    was    afterward   lost    from 


HISTORY    OF    NORTIIKKN    WISCONSIN. 


his  companion,  who  sought  for  him,  but  in  vain. 
It  seems  that,  wliile  his  attendant  was  employed 
in  tiansportine:  a  canoe,  Father  Mt^nard  accidentally  be- 
came separated  from  him.  This  was  pi-obably  at  the 
first  rapids  in  the  Menomonee  River  as  we  ascend  that 
stream.  It  is  possible,  therefore,  that  the  father  may 
have  perished  upon  what  is  now  the  soil  of  Wisconsin. 
Tins  was  about  the  tenth  of  August,  1661.  With  him 
perished  the  first  mission — if,  indeed,  it  can  be  called 
one — upon  tlie  shores  of  Lake  Superior.  His  faithful 
companion,  Donne  John  Guerin,  reached  the  Huron 
village  in  safet}'.  There  was  not,  at  that  time,  another 
missionary  station  nearer  than  Montreal.  But  the 
failure  of  this  first  attempt  did  not  discourage  the 
Jesuits,  or  quench  their  enthusiasm.  But  who  was  the 
man  to  cope  with  the  thousand  difficulties  surrounding 
the  establishment  of  a  mission  so  far  in  western 
wilds  ? 

With  better  hopes,  undismayed  by  the  sad  fate  of 
Menard,  indifferent  to  hunger,  nakedness  and  cold  ;  to 
the  wreck  of  their  ships  of  bark  ;  and  to  fatigue  and 
privations  by  night  and  by  day — in  August,  1665, 
Father  Claude  Alloiiez  embarked  on  a  mission,  byway 
of  tiie  Ottawa,  to  the  far  West.  Early  in  September 
he  reached  the  rapids  through  which  the  waters  of 
Lake  Superior  rush  to  Lake  Huron,  aud  admired  the 
beautiful  river,  with  its  woody  isles  and  inviting  bays. 
On  the  second  of  that  month,  he  entered  the  great 
lake,  which  the  savages  reverenced  as  a  divinity,  and 
of  which  the  entrance  presents  a  spectacle  of  magnifi- 
cence rarelj'  excelled  in  the  rugged  scenery  of  the 
North.  He  passed  the  lofty  ridge  of  naked  sand 
which  stretches  along  the  shore  its  drifting  heaps  of 
barrenness  ;  he  urged  his  canoe  by  the  cliffs  of  pictorial 
sandstone,  which  for  twelve  miles  rise  three  hundred 
feet  in  height,  fretted  by  the  chafing  waves  into  arches 
and  bastions,  caverns  and  towering  walls,  heaps  of 
prostrate  ruins,  and  erect  columns  crowned  with  fan- 
tastic entablatures.  Landing  on  the  south  shore,  he 
said  Mass,  thus  consecrating  the  forests  which  he 
claimed  for  a  Christian  king.  Sailing  beyond  the  bay 
of  St.  Theresa  (so  named  by  Menard,  now  Keweenaw 
Bay),  and  having  vainly  sought  for  a  mass  of  fine  cop- 
per, of  whicli  he  had  heard  rumors  (tliis  being  the 
first  known  of  that  metal  by  the  whites),  on  tlie  first  day 
of  October  he  arrived  at  the  great  village  of  the  Chip- 
pewas,  on  the  west  shore  of  the  bay  of  Chagouami- 
gong  or  Chegoimegon  (now  Chequamegon  or  Ashland 
ba3%  in  Ashland  and  Baj'field  counties).  It  was  at  a  mo- 
ment when  the  young  warriors  were  bent  on  a  strife 
with  the  warlike  Sioux.  A  grand  council  of  ten  or 
twelve  neighboring  nations  was  held,  to  wrest  the 
hatchet  from  the  hands  of  the  rash  braves ;  and 
Alloiiez  was  admitted  to  an  audience  before  the  vast 
assembly.  In  the  name  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  his  vice- 
roy, he  commanded  peace,  and  offered  commerce  and 
an  alliance  against  the  Iroquois  ;  the  soldiers  of  France 
would  smooth  tlie  path  between  tlie  Chippewas  and 
(Quebec ;  would  brusli  the  pirate  canoes  from  the 
rivers;  would  leave  to  the  Five  Nations  no  choice 
between  tranquility  and  destruction.  On  the  shores 
of  the  bay,  to  which  the  abundant  fisheries  attracted 
crowds,  a-  cliapel  soon  rose,  and  tlie  Mission  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  founded.     As  this  chapel  was  the  first 


house  erected  by  civilized  man  upon  territory  now  con- 
stituting the  State  of  Wisconsin,  some  interest  is 
attached  to  the  place  where  it  was  built.  The  exact 
spot  is  not  known.  The  fact  that  it  was  not  on  the 
Madaline,  one  of  the  Apostle  Lslands,  tradition  and  the 
tenor  of  the  Relations  seem  conclu.sively  to  establish. 
It  was  prol)al)Iy  l)uilt  upon  section  twenty-two,  in 
township  fifty,  of  range  four  west,  of  the  Government 
survey,  at  a  place  now  known  as  Pike's  Bay,  in  Bay- 
field County,  on  the  main-land,  west  of  La  Points. 
Tiie  claim  is  also  made  tliat  the  site  is  the  section  south 
of  the  one  here  named — twenty-seven;  but  the  spot  is  a 
matter  of  speculation,  merely.  He  afterward  removed 
near  the  present  site  of  the  last  mentioned  place  on 
Madaline  Island,  where  a  second  chapel  was  raised. 

To  the  new  chapel  in  the  forest  admiring  throngs, 
who  had  never  seen  an  European,  came  to  gaze  on  the 
white  man,  and  on  the  pictures  which  he  displayed  of 
the  realms  of  hell  and  of  the  last  judgment ;  there  a 
choir  of  Chippewas  was  taught  to  chant  the  pater 
noster  and  the  Ave  Marie.  During  his  sojourn  here 
he  lighted  the  torch  of  faith  for  more  than  twenty  dif- 
ferent nations.  The  dwellers  round  the  Sault,  a  band 
of  the  Chippewas,  pitched  their  tents  near  his  cabin 
for  a  month,  and  received  his  instructions.  The  scat- 
tered Hurons  and  Ottawas,  that  roamed  the  deserts 
north  of  Lake  Superior,  appealed  to  hfs  compassion 
and,  before  his  return,  secured  his  presence  among 
themselves.  From  Lake  Michigan  came  the  Pottawat- 
tomies,  and  these  worshippers  of  the  sun  invited  him 
to  their  homes.  The  Sacs  and  Foxes  traveled  on  foot 
from  their  country,  which  abounded  in  deer  and  beaver 
and  buffalo.  The  Illinois,  a  hospitable  race,  unaccus- 
tomed to  canoes,  having  no  weapon  but  the  bow  and 
arrow,  came  to  rehearse  their  sorrows.  Their  ancient 
glory  and  their  numbers  had  been  diminished  by  the 
Sioux  on  one  side,  and  b}'  the  Iroquois,  armed  with 
muskets,  on  the  other.  Curiosity  was  aroused  by  their 
tale  of  the  noble  river  (the  Mississippi)  on  which  thej' 
dwelt,  and  which  flowed  toward  the  south.  '*  They 
had  no  forests,  but  instead  of  them,  vast  prairies,  where 
lierds  of  deer  and  buffalo  and  other  animals  grazed  on 
the  tall  grasses."  Thej'  explained,  also,  tlie  wonders 
of  the  peace-pipe,  and  declared  it  their  custom  to  wel- 
come the  friendly  stranger  with  shouts  of  joy.  "  Their 
country,"  said  Alloiiez,  *'  is  the  best  field  for  the  gos- 
pel. Had  I  had  leisure  I  would  have  gone  to  their 
dwellings  to  see  with  my  own  e3'es  all  the  good  that 
was  told  of  them."  Tiien,  too,  at  the  very  extremity 
of  the  lake,  the  missionarj-  met  the  wild  impassive 
Sioux,  who  dwelt  to  tlie  west  of  Lake  Superior,  in  a 
land  of  prairies,  with  wild  rice  for  food,  and  skins  of 
beasts,  instead  of  bark,  for  roofs  to  their  cabins,  on  the 
banks  of  the  great  river,  of  which  Allouez  reported 
tlie  name  to  be  "  Messipi."  After  two  years  of  labor, 
Alloiiez,  having  founded  the  missions  of  the  Ottawas 
and  Chippewas,  and  revived  those  of  the  Hurons  and 
Nipissings,  returned  to  Quebec,  to  lay  before  his  supe- 
rior a  full  account  of  the  West  and  of  his  doings  there  ; 
and  then,  two  days  later,  set  out  again  for  Cliegoime- 
gon,  having  with  him  a  companion.  Father  Louis  Nicli- 
olas.  Tliey  reached  the  mission  in  safety.  Nicholas 
soon  left,  but  his  place  was  afterward  supplied  in  the 
person  of  Father  James   Marquette,  who  left  Quebec 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


in  April,  1668,  for  the  upper  country,  stopping  with 
his  superior.  Father  Claudius  Coblon,  at  Sault  St. 
Marie.  Here  a  station  was  begun  at  the  foot  of  the 
rapids,  on  the  soutnern  side,  by  them  called  the  Mis- 
sion of  St.  Mary.  Fiom  this  Marquette  made  his  way 
to  the  Mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  Chegoimegon, 
wliich  he  reached  in  September,  1669,  and  found  there 
five  villages  of  Indians — four  Algonquin  and  one  Hu- 
ron. Alloiiez,  meantime,  planned  a  new  mission  on 
the  waters  of  the  lake  of  the  Puants ;  that  is.  among 
the  tribes  inhabiting  the  country  of  Green  Bay  and 
vicinity.  However,  before  following  the  missionary  to 
this  interesting  field  of  labor,  let  us  leturn  to  the  Mis- 
sion of  the  Holy  Spirit,  where  was  left  Father  James 
Marquette.  This  missionary,  anxious  to  extend  the 
faith,  had  sent  an  interpreter  to  the  Sioux,  bearing  a 
present  to  the  tribe  to  obtain  protection  and  safe  con- 
duct for  the  European  heralds  of  the  Cross.  After- 
ward the  Ottawas  and  Hurons  of  Chegoimegon  pro- 
voked a  war  with  the  Sioux  which  compelled  the  tribes 
first  mentioned  to  flee  the  country.  The  Sioux,  how- 
ever, returned  the  missionary  his  pictures  and  other 
presents  before  they  declared  war.  The  Ottawas  fled 
to  the  Great  Manitoulin  Island.  The  Hurons  remained 
for  a  time  with  Marquette,  but  finally  embarked  on 
Lake  Superior,  and,  descending  the  rapids,  doubled  the 
cape,  and  lancTed  at  Mackinaw,  where  they  had  dwelt 
some  years  previous.  Marquette  followed  these  tribes 
in  1671.  raising  a  new  chapel  on  the  main-land,  on 
the  north  shore  of  the  straits,  opposite  the  island  of 
Mackinaw,  calling  his  mission  St.  Ignatius.  The  chapel 
at  Chegoimegon  was,  of  course,  deserted.  It  was  the 
end,  for  one  hundred  and  seventy  years,  of  a  mission 
upon  that  bay. 

On  the  third  of  November,  1669,  two  canoes  set  out 
from  the  Mission  of  Sault  St.  Marie  for  Green  Bay. 
They  contained  some  Pottawatomies,  returning  to 
their  homes,  and  were  accompanied  by  Father  Claude 
Alloiiez.  They  had  requested  him  to  visit  their  country 
for  the  purpose  of  restraining  some  traders  who  had 
ill-treated  them  there.  He  was  very  willing  to  under- 
take the  journey,  as  it  was  taking  him  to  the  field  he 
had  chosen  for  the  founding  of  his  new  mission.  A 
month  was  consumed  in  the  passage.  November  clouds 
hung  heavily  overhead,  and  broke  in  storms  that  came 
near  drowning  the  party  in  the  lake.  Floating,  pieces 
of  ice  opposed  their  progress.  On  the  twenty-fifth 
they  reached  a  Cabin  of  the  Pottawatomies,  where 
they  were  supplied  with  a  limited  amount  of  beech 
nuts.  Two  days  later,  they  visited  some  lodges  of  the 
Menomonees.  These  Indians  they  found  pressed  with 
hunger,  and  being  themselves  at  the  end  of  their  pro- 
visions, they  pushed  forward.  Eight  leagues  from  the 
river  of  the  Menomonees  they  arrived  at  the  vil- 
lage which  was  the  home  of  the  companions  of 
Alloiiez.  This  was  on  the  2d  of  December, 
the  eve  of  St.  Francis  Xavier.  This  saint,  Alloiiez 
chose  as  the  patron  of  his  mission,  giving  it  his  name. 
He  found  here  eight  Frenchmen,  whom  he  assembled 
to  join  with  him  in  thanksgiving  for  his  preservation  in 
his  perilous  journey  from  the  Sault.  The  village  was 
the   Winter  quarters  of  about  six  hundred  Pottawato- 


mies,   Winnebagoes   and    Sacs   and-  Foxes, 
passed  the  chief  part  of  the  Winter  here,  gi 


Alloiiez 
no-  reli<''- 


ious  instruction.  Thus  was  founded  by  him  the  mis- 
sion of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  second  mission  within 
the  present  bounds  of  Wisconsin. 

In  Februaiy,  1670,  he  crossed  the  bay  upon  the  ice 
to  a  Pottawatomie  village  of  about  three  hundred  peo- 
ple, where  he  labored  for  a  few  daj's.  He  was  able  to 
visit  only  one  or  two  of  the  smaller  villages.  With  the 
thaws  of  Mai'ch  the  Indians  began  to  disperse  for  better 
means  of  subsistence.  The  ice  l)roke  up  on  the  12th 
of  April.  Bv  the  16th,  Alloiiez  had  reached  the 
entrance  to  Fox  River,  at  the  head  of  Green  Ba3\ 
Passing  a  village  of  the  Sacs,  a  place  now  known  as 
Depere,  Brown  County,  he  afterward  reached  the 
mouth  of  Wolf  River,  up  which  stream  he  turned  his 
canoe,  to  a  large  village  of  the  Foxes,  probably  within 
the  present  county  of  Outagamie.  Here  the  missionary 
founded  another  mission,  which  he  called  St.  Mark, 
the  third  one  in  Wisconsin. 

Alloiiez  afterward  ascended  Fox  River  of  Green  Bay 
to  the  homes  of  the  Miamis  and  Mascoutins,  returning 
subsequently  to  the  place  where  he  had  passed  the 
Winter.  Thence  he  proceeded  to  the  Menomonees ; 
also  to  the  Winnebagoes  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
bay :  and  to  the  Pottawatomies.  On  the  20th 
of  May,  1670,  he  started  on  his  retuin  to  Sault  St. 
Marie.  In  September  he  again  visited  Green  Bay, 
accompanied  by  the  Superior  of  the  Ottawa  missions. 
Claude  Dablon.  At  the  previous  Winter  quarters  of 
Alloiiez,  they  quieted  a  disturbance  between  the  In- 
dians and  some  fur  traders.  "  We  found  affairs,"  says 
Dablon,  "  in  a  pretty  bad  posture,  and  the  minds  of  the 
savages  much  soured  against  the  French,  who  were 
there  trading ;  ill-treating  them  in  deeds  and  words, 
pillaging  and  carrying  away  their  merchandise  in  spite 
of  them,  and  conducting  themselves  toward  them  with 
insupportable  insolences  and  indignities."  The  sol- 
diers in  particular  were  complained  of;  for  thus  early 
had  the  arms  of  France  been  carried  to  the  waters  of 
Green  Bay.  The  missionaries  held  here  a  council  with 
the  congregated  tribes,  where,  as  they  harangued  their 
unbred  audience  their  gravity  was  often  put  to  a  sore 
test :  for  a  band  of  warriors,  anxious  to  do  them  honor, 
walked  incessantly  up  and  down,  aping  the  movements 
of  the  soldiers  on  guard  before  the  Governor's  tent  at 
Montreal.  "  We  could  hardly  keep  from  laughing," 
writes  Dablon,  "  though  we  were  discoursing  on  very 
important  subjects,  namely:  the  mysteries  of  our  relig- . 
ion.  and  the  things  necessary  to  escaping  eternal  fire." 

The  fathers  were  delighted  with  the  country,  which 
Dablon  calls  an  earthly  paradise  ;  but  he  adds  that  the 
way  to  it  is  as  hard  as  the  path  to  heaven.  From  here 
they  proceeded  up  Fox  River  to  the  towns  of  the  Mas- 
coutins, and  the  Miamis,  which  they  reached  on  the 
1.5th  of  September.  In  passing  the  lower  rapids 
of  that  stream,  they  observed  a  stone  image  that  the 
savages  honored,  "never  failing  in  passing  to  make 
some  sacrifice  of  tobacco,  or  ariows,  or  paintings,  or 
other  things,  to  thank  him  that,  by  his  assistance,  they 
had,  in  ascending  the  river,  avoided  the  dangers  of  the 
water-falls  which  are  in  this  stream  ;  or  else,  if  they  had 
to  descend  to  pray  him  to  aid  them  in  this  perilous  nav- 
igation." These  missionailes  caused  this  idol,  as  they 
termed  it,  "to  be  lifted  up  by  (he  slrenglh  of  aim  and 
cast  into  the  depths  of  the  river  to  appear  no  more  "" 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


to  the  idolatrous  people.  Crossing  Winnebago  Lake, 
the  two  priests  followed  the  river  to  the  village  of  the 
two  tribes.  This  village  was  enclosed  with  palisades. 
The  missionaries,  who  had  brought  a  highly-colored 
picture  of  the  Last  Judgment,  called  the  Indians  to- 
gether in  council  and  displayed  it  befoi-e  them,  while 
Alloiiez,  who  spoke  Algonquin,  harangued  them  on  hell, 
demons  and  eternal  flames.  They  listened  with  open 
ears,  beset  him  night  and  day  with  questions  and 
invited  him  and  his  companions  to  unceasing  feasts. 
Dablon  returned  to  the  Sault,  and  Alloiiez,  during  the 
Winter,  made  his  way  to  his  mission  of  St.  Mark, 
though  not  without  dangei',  as  tlie  Foxes  were  in  ex- 
treme ill  humor.  They  were  incensed  against  the 
French  by  the  wrong  usage  which  some  of  tlieir  tribes 
had  lately  met  when  on  a  trading  visit  to  Montreal. 

In  the  Summer  of  1671,  Father  Louis  Andre  was 
sent  to  the  Green  Bay  region  as  a  co-worker.  The  Sac 
village,  at  the  lower  falls  of  the  Fox  River,  was  ob- 
served to  be  a  great  resort  for  all  the  surrounding 
tribes,  whose  numbers  were  estimated  at  fifteen  thou- 
sand. They  were  drawn  here  for  the  purpose  of  traffic  ; 
also  by  the  abundance  of  water-fowl,  and  by  its  some- 
what remarkable  fishery,  prepared  by  means  of  stakes 
set  in  the  water  across  the  river.  The  fish  in  ascend- 
ing congregated  at  this  barrier,  where  they  were  taken 
in  great  numbers  by  means  of  dip  nets.  Here,  at  what 
is  now  the  village  of  Depere,  was  located  the  central 
station  of  St.  Francis  Xavier ;  which  mission  included 
all  the  bay  tribes.  A  rude  chapel,  the  first  upon  these 
waters,  was  erected,  the  third  one  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  State.  It  has  been  frequently  published 
that  the  mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  founded  at 
Depere,  in  1669.  This,  however,  is  a  misapprehension, 
as,  until  1671,  the  mission  was  a  roving  one,  though 
confined  to  the  bay  tribes. 

Alloiiez,  leaving  his  companion  in  charge,  employed 
himself  among  the  Foxes  and  Miamis.  He  continued 
his  missionary  work,  extending  his  labors  to  other 
tribes,  until  1676,  when,  on  the  6th  of  April,  he  was 
joined  by  Father  Anthony  Siloy.  In  October  follow- 
ing, he  succeeded  Marquette  in  the  Illinois  mission. 
About  1679  Siloy  was  recalled  and  his  place  filled  by 
Father  Peter  A.  Bormeault.  Alloiiez,  driven  from  the 
Illinois,  soon  after  returned  to  the  Maseoutins  and 
Miamis,  but  went  again  to  the  Illinois  in  1684,  where 
he  probably  remained  some  time.  He  was  there  in 
1687,  and  died  about  the  year  1689. 

AndrS  worked  with  zeal  in  the  mission  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier.  His  rude  chapel  was  hung  with  pict- 
ures calculated  to  strike  the  imaginations  of  the  sav- 
ages with  powerful  force.  One  represented  the  twelve 
apostles ;  another  showed  Jesus  dying  on  the  cross ; 
while  a  third  portrayed  the  general  judgment.  At  the 
top  of  this  last  one  parents  could  not  help  but  observe 
the  contrast  between  the  places  occupied  by  the  bap- 
tized children,  and  the  one  where  Satan  endured  horri- 
ble torments. 

During  Andre's  temporary  absence,  his  chapel  was 
burned,  with  all  his  household  goods  and  Winter's  pro- 
visions, by  savages  opposed  to  his  labors.  He  reared  a 
cabin  upon  the  ruins  of  the  former  one,  and  continued 
to  teach  the  gospel  to  the  benighted  heathen.  His 
dwelling  was  next  burned,  but  he  built  another  on  the 


Menomonee,  which  shared  the  same  fate.  Still  he 
kept  on  with  his  labors,  living  in  his  canoe,  and  going 
from  place  to  place  among  the  six  tribes  of  his  mission. 
In  1676,  Father  Charles  Abanel,  Superior  of  the 
Ottawa  Mission,  was  stationed  at  what  is  now  Depere, 
where  a  new  and  better  chapel  was  built,  partly  bj'  the 
aid  of  fur  traders.  But  the  prosperous  days  for  the 
mission  were  well  nigh  ended.  In  1680,  Father  John 
Enjalran  was  alone  at  this  mission.  At  this  date  the 
Winnebagoes  were  hostile  to  the  efforts  of  the  mis- 
sionary. Enjalran  was  recalled  in  1687.  Upon  his 
departure  his  house  and  chapel  were  burned.  He 
returned  no  further  than  Mackinaw,  and  the  mission  of 
St.  Francis  Xavier  was  ended. 

UNDER   FKENCH   DOMINION. 

The  Governor  of  Canada,  John  Talon,  was  an  able, 
vigorous  and  patrotic  Frenchman.  He  cherished  high 
hopes  for  the  future  of  New  France.  He  not  only 
labored  strenuously  to  develop  the  industrial  resources 
of  the  colony,  but  addressed  himself  to  discovering 
and  occupying  the  interior  of  the  continent;  "con- 
trolling the  rivers,  which  were  its  only  highways  ;  and 
securing  it  for  France  against  every  other  nation." 
But  the  region  was  still,  to  a  very  great  extent,  an 
unknown  world  ;  yet  sufficient  knowledge  had  he  of 
the  Upper  Lakes  and  circumjacent  reg'ions  to  resolve 
that  possession  must  be  taken  at  once  of  the  country, 
to  secure  it  to  France ;  meanwhile,  an  active  search 
was  to  be  carried  on  for  mines  of  copper. 

The  agent  employed  by  Talon  for  the  work  of 
securing  the  Great  West  to  the  King  of  France,  was 
Daumont  de  St.  Lusson.  The  latter  set  out  in  1670, 
from  the  St.  Lawrence,  accompanied  by  a  small  party 
of  men.  With  him  was  Nicholas  Perrot,  a  Canadian 
voyageur,  who  was  to  act  as  interpreter.  Perrot  spoke 
Algonquin  fluently,  and  was  favorabl}^  known  to  many 
of  the  tribes  of  that  family.  He  was  a  man  of  enter- 
prise, courage  and  address.  His  influence  with  many 
of  the  western  nations  was  great.  It  was  arranged 
that  St.  Lusson  should  winter  at  the  Manitoulin 
Islands,  while  Perrot,  having  first  sent  messages  to  the 
tribes  of  the  North,  inviting  them  to  meet  the  deputy 
of  the  Governor  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  in  what  is 
now  the  State  of  Michigan,  not  far  from  the  foot  of 
Lake  Superior,  in  the  following  Spring,  should  proceed 
to  Green  Bay  to  urge  the  nations  seated  upon  its 
waters  to  the  meeting. 

Perrot  wintered  among  the  tribes  at  the  Bay,  and 
was  industrious  in  making  preparations  for  the  journey 
of  the  principal  chiefs  of  surrounding  nations  to  the 
Sault,  where  they  were  to  meet  the  representatives  of 
many  other  tribes  gathered  for  the  conference  with 
St.  Lusson.  Sachems  of  tiie  Pottawatomies  who  also 
represented  the  Miamis ;  chiefs  of  the  Sacs  ;  head  men 
of  the  Winnebagoes  and  Menomonees  ;  all  embarked 
for  the  place  of  rendezvous,  along  with  the  indomit- 
able interpreter,  where  they  arrived  May  5,  1671, 
finding  that  St.  Lusson  with  his  men,  fifteen  in  num- 
ber, had  preceded  them  more  than  a  month.  Indians 
came  from  other  directions  —  among  them  were  Creez, 
Monsonis,  Amikoues,  Nipissings  and  others.  When 
all  had  reached  the  rapids,  the  Governor's  deputy  pre- 
pared to  execute  the  commission  with  which  he  was 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


charged  —  the  taking  possession  of  the  country  in  the 
name  of  the  French  king,  with  the  full  consent  of  all 
the  assembled  chiefs  deputed  to  give  acquiescence  for 
the  surrounding  nations. 

The  ceremony  was  to  be  an  imposing  one.  To  this 
end  a  large  cross  of  wood  had  been  prepared.  It  was 
now  reared,  and  planted  in  the  ground.  Then  a  post 
of  cedar  was  raised  beside  it,  with  a  metal  plate  at- 
tached, engraven  with  the  royal  arms.  "  In  the  name," 
said  St.  Lusson,  "of  the  most  high,  mighty  and  re- 
doubtable monarch,  Louis,  fourteenth  of  that  name, 
most  Christian  King  of  France  and  of  Navarre,  I  take 
possession  of  this  place,  Sainte  Marie  du  Sault,  as  also 
of  Lakes  Huron  and  Superior,  the  island  of  Manitou- 
liii,  and  all  countries,  rivers,  lakes  and  streams  con- 
tiguous and  adjacent  thereunto  ;  both  those  which 
have  been  discovered,  and  those  which  may  be  discov- 
ered hereafter,  in  all  their  length  and  breadth,  bounded 
on  the  one  side  by  the  seas  of  the  North,  and  of  the 
West,  and  on  the  other  by  the  South  Sea ;  declaring  to 
the  nations  thereof,  that  from  this  time  forth  they  are 
vassals  of  his  majesty,  bound  to  obey  his  laws  and  fol- 
low his  customs  :  promising  them  on  his  part  all  succor 
and  protection  against  the  incursions  and  invasions  of 
their  enemies ;  declaring  to  all  other  potentates, 
princes,  sovereigns,  states  and  republics — to  them  and 
their  subjects — that  they  can  not  and  are  not  to  seize 
or  settle  upon  any  parts  of  the  aforesaid  countries, 
save  only  under  the  good  pleasure  of  his  most  Chris- 
tian majesty,  and  of  him  who  will  govern  in  his  be- 
half ;  and  this  on  pain  of  incurring  his  resentment 
and  the  efforts  of  his  arms."  This  was  followed  by  a 
great  shout  of  assent  on  part  of  the  assembled  savages, 
and  of  "  Vive  le  Roi"  by  the  Frenchmen.  Thus  it  was 
that  the  great  Northwest  was  not  only  placed  under 
the  protection  of  France,  but  became  a  part  of  her 
American  possessions.  And  why  not?  She  had  dis- 
covered it — had,  to  a  certain  extent,  explored  it — had, 
to  a  limited  extent,  established  commerce  with  it — and 
her  missionaries  had  proclaimed  the  faith  to  the  red 
men  of  its  forests. 

The  act  of  St.  Lusson  in  establishing  French  suprem- 
acy in  the  country  beyond  Lake  Michigan  not  being 
regarded  as  sufficiently  definite.  Perrot,  in  1689,  at  the 
head  of  Green  Bay,  again  took  possession  of  this 
region,  extending  the  dominion  of  New  France  not 
only  over  the  territory  of  the  Upper  Mississippi,  but 
"  to  other  places  more  remote."  This  completed  the 
work  so  auspiciously  carried  forward  in  1671,  by  this 
intrepid  voyageur. 

DISCOVERY   OF   THE   UPPER   MISSIS.SIPPI. 

The  gathering  of  the  nations  at  the  Sault  Ste. 
Marie  by  St.  Lusson,  was  followed  by  an  event  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  French  interest  in  the  West. 
This  was  the  discovery,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi.  Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  upper 
lialf  of  that  river  was,  to  a  certain  extent,  explored. 
For  the  first  time,  white  men  beheld  its  vast  tribute,  in 
this  upper  country,  rolling  onward  toward  the  Mexi- 
can gulf.  The  discoverer  was  Louis  Joliet.  He  had 
visited  the  upper  lakes  in  previous  years  ;  knew  well 
of  the  existence  of  the  great  river  throiigli  Indian  re- 
ports; was  a  man  of  close  and  intelligeut  observation. 


possessing  considerable  mathematical  acquirements. 
He  was  born  at  Quebec  in  1645  ;  was  educated  by  the 
Jesuits— resolving  at  first  to  l)e  a  priest  but  afterward 
turned  fur  trader.  In  1G73,  he  was  a  merchant,  cour- 
ageous, hardy,  enterprising.  He  was  just  the  man  for 
the  French  authorities  to  entrust  with  the  proposed 
discovery  and  exploration  of  the  Upper  Mississippi. 
This  was  in  1672.  Said  the  Governor  of  Canada,  on 
the  2d  of  November  of  that  year  :  "It  has  l)een  judged 
expedient  to  send  Sieur  Joliet  to  the  Mascoutin's  (then 
located  in  what  is  now  Green  Lake  County,  Wiscon- 
sin), to  discover  the  South  Sea,  and  the  great  river 
they  call  the  Mississippi,  which  is  supposed  to  dis- 
charge itself  into  the  Sea  of  California."  "  He  is  a 
man,"  continued  Frontenac,  "of  great  experience  in 
these  sorts  of  discoveries,  and  has  already  been  almost 
at  the  great  river,  the  mouth  of  which  he  promises  to 

Joliet  reached  the  mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  a  point 
north  of  the  island  of  Mackinaw,  in  the  Spring  of  167.S. 
finding  there  Father  James  Marquette,  raissionarv, 
whom  he  invited  to  join  the  expedition.  The  invita- 
tion was  gladly  accepted.  On  the  17th  of  May,  Joliet, 
having  with  him  Marquette  and  five  otlier  Frenchmen, 
left  the  mission  on  his  voyage  of  exploration.  He  had 
two  bark  canoes.  Every  possible  precaution  was  taken 
that,  should  the  undertaking  prove  hazardous,  it  should 
not  be  foolhardy;  so,  whatever  of  information  could 
be  gathered  from  the  Indians  who  had  freiiiicnted  those 
parts,  was  laid  under  contribution,  as  he  paddled  mer- 
rily up  the  waters  of  Green  Bay.  The  first  Indiat) 
nation  met  by  him  was  the  Menomonee.  He  was  dis- 
suaded by  these  savages  from  venturing  so  far  to  the 
westward,  assured  that  he  would  meet  tribes  which 
never  spared  strangers,  but  tomahawked  them  without 
provocation;  that  a  war  which  had  broken  out  among 
various  nations  on  his  route,  exposed  him  and  his  men 
to  another  evident  danger — that  of  being  killed  l)y 
war  parties  constantly  in  his  path.  He  was  told  that 
the  great  river  was  very  dangerous  unless  the  diflBcult 
parts  were  known  ;  that  it  was  full  of  frightful  mon- 
sters who  swallowed  men  and  canoes  together ;  that 
there  was  even  a  demon  there,  who  could  be  heard 
from  afar,  who  stopped  the  passage  and  engulfed  all 
who  dared  approach  ;  and  lastly  that  the  heat  was  so 
excessive  in  those  countries,  that  it  would  infallibly 
cause  their  death.  Nevertheless  Joliet  determin»d  to 
go  forward. 

joliet's  and  Marquette's  maps. 

The  Relations  of  Joliet  and  Marquette  contain  the 
statement  that  maps  were  prepared  by  them,  for  their 
guidance,  from  the  reports  of  friendly  Indians.  Tw.. 
Sf  Joliet's  charts  have  never  been  published.  1-nt  a 
third  (and  probablv  the  earliest •)  lias  recently  i  ■  ■  r. 
given  to  the  world  by  'SI.  Gabriel  Gravier,  !'re.-M' 
the  Norman  Geographical  Society,  wlio  isan  auth.  ..  • 
on  the  subject  of  early  explorations  in  Ainenca.  I  li.- 
map,  reproduced  in  this  volume,  is  full  of  erroi^.  whicl. 
must  have  been  known  to  Joliet  as  sucli  at  the  time. 
Its  value  consists  ciiieflv  in  the  fact  that  it  is  the  only 
specimen  of  Joliefs  cartography  thus  far  made  i.ul.lic. 
Unlike  Marquette's  map,  this  one  contains  a  cnule 
representation  of  the  stopping-place  at  Chicago.  whicU 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


is  vajjuely  desi2:nated  as  Mont  Joliet.  (See  Revue  de 
Geoo;i-ay)hie.  Fevier,  1880.  Hist.  Society.  Madison.) 
A  fae  simile  is  also  herewith  given  of  Marquette's 
chart,  prepnred  at  tlie  same  time.  (See  Shea's  "Dis- 
covery and  Exploration  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.") 

Joliet  found  the  Fox  River  very  heautiful  at  its 
Tnouth,  having  a  gentle  curent.  It  was  full  of  bustards, 
duck,  teal  and  other  birds,  attracted  by  wild  oats, 
which  .were  plentiful  and  of  which  they  were  very 
fond.  As  the  partv  advanced  up  the  river  a  little  dis- 
tance, it  was  found  to  be  difficult  of  ascent,  both  on 
account  of  the  currents  and  of  the  sharp  rocks  which 
cut  their  canoes.  But  the  rapids  in  the  stream  were 
passed  in  safety.  The  Mascoutins  were  reached  at 
length,  and  in  their  village  was  gathered  also  the  Mi- 
amis  and  Kickapoos.  Bark  for  cabins  was  found  to  be 
rare  in  the  Mascoutin  village,  the  Indians  using  rushes, 
which  served  them  tor  walls  and  roof,  but  which  were 
no  great  shelter  against  the  wind  and  still  less  against 
the  rain  wlien  it  fell  in  torrents.  The  view  from  the 
Indian  village  was  beautiful  and  very  picturesque ;  for, 
from  the  eminence  on  which  it  was  perched,  the  eye 
discovered  on  every  side,  delightful  prairies,  spreading 
out  beyond  its  reach,  interspersed  with  tliickets  or 
groves  of  lofty  trees.  The  soil  was  found  to  be  very 
good,  producing  ranch  corn.  Plums  also  and  gray)es 
were  gathered  in  the  Autumn  in  quantities  by  the  In- 
dians. 

Joliet  and  his  party  arrived  at  the  Mascoutins  on 
the  7th  of  June;  their  departure  was  on  the  10th.  "We 
knew,"  afterward  wrote  Marquette,  "  that  there  was, 
three  [thirty]  leagues  from  Maskoutens  [Mascoutins], 
a  river  [the  Wisconsin]  entering  into  the  Missippi ; 
we  knew,  too,  that  the  point  of  the  compass  we  were 
to  hold  to  reach  it  was  west,  southwest,  but  the  way 
is  so  cut  up  by  marshes  and  little  lakes  that  it  is  easy 
to  go  estray,  especially  as  the  river  leading  to  it  is  so 
covered  with  wild  oats  that  you  can  hardly  discover 
the  channel.  Hence  we  had  good  need  of  our  two 
[Miami]  guide.s,  who  led  us  safely  to  a  portage  of 
twenty-seven  hundred  paces  [the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  Portage,  Columbia  County,  Wisconsin],  and 
helped  us  to  transport  our  canoes  to  enter  this  river 
[the  Wisconsin],  after  which  they  returned,  leaving 
us  alone  in  an  unknown  country  in  the  hands  of  Prov- 
idence." 

"  We  now  leave,"  continues  Marquette,  "the  waters 
Avhich  flow  to  Quebec,  a  distance  of  four  or  five  hun- 
dred leagues,  to  follow  those  which  will  henceforth 
lead  us  into  strange  lands.  *  *  «  'Yhe  river  on 
which  we  embarked  is  called  Meskousing  [Wisconsin]  ; 
it  is  very  broad,  with  a  sandy  bottom," forming  many 
shallows,  which  render  navigation  very  diiUcult.  It  is 
full  of  vine-clad  islets.  On  the  banks  appear  fertile 
lands  diversified  with  wood,  prairie  and  hill.  Here 
you  find  oaks,  walnut,  whitewood  and  another  kind  of 
tree  armed  with  thorns.  We  saw  no  small  game  or 
fish,  but  deer  and  moose  in  considerable  numbers." 

On  the  17th  of  June,  with  a  joy  inexpressible,  Joliet 
and  his  party  reached  and  entered  the  Mississippi. 
After  dropping  down  the  river  many  miles  they 're- 
turned by  the  Illinois  River  and  Lake  Michigan  to 
Green  Bay.  Here  Marquette  remained  to  recruit  his 
wasted  energies,  while  Joliet  proceeded  on  to  Quebec, 


where  he  reported  his  discoveries  and  explorations  to 
the  Governor  of  New  France. 

EXPLORATIONS    SUBSEQUENT   TO   JOLIET. 

Explorations  begun  by  Joliet  were  continued.  La 
Salle,  in  1679,  with  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  coasted 
along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  landing 
frequently.  The  return  of  Henri  de  Tonty,  one  of 
La  Salle's  party,  down  the  same  coast  to  Green  Bay 
from  the  Illinois,  followed  in  1680.  The  same  year. 
Father  Hennepin,  from  the  Upper  Mississippi,  whither 
he  had  gone  from  the  Illinois,  made  his  way  across 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  by  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox 
rivers,  to  Gieen  Bay.  He  was  accompanied  by  Daniel 
Graysolon  Du  Lhut  (synononious  with  Duluth).  who 
on  his  way  down  the  "  great  river  "  from  Lake  Supe- 
rior had  met  Hennepin.  "As  we  went  up  the  river 
Wisconsin,"  says  the  latter,  "  we  found  it  was  as  large 
as  that  of  the  Illinois,  which  is  navigable  for  large 
vessels  above  an  hundred  leagues.  We  could  not 
sufficiently  admire  the  extent  of  those  vast  countries, 
and  the  charmine  lands  through  which  we  passed, 
which  lie  all  untilled.  The  cruel  wars  which  these 
nations  have  one  with  another  are  the  cause  that  they 
have  not  people  enough  to  cultivate  them.  And  the 
more  bloody  wars  which  have  raged  so  long  in  all  parts 
of  Europe,  have  hindered  the  sending  Christian  colo- 
nies to  settle  them.  However,  I  must  needs  say  that 
the  poorer  sort  of  otir  countrj^men  would  do  well  to 
think  of  it,  and  go  and  plant  themselves  in  this  fine 
country,  where,  for  a  little  pains  in  cultivating  the 
earth,  they  would  live  happier  and  stibsist  much  better 
than  they  do  here." 

Following  the  voyage  of  Hennepin,  was  the  one  of 
Le  Sueur,  in  1683,  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Missis- 
sippi, ascending  that  river  to  the  Sioux  country  in  the 
region  about  St.  Anthony,  and  his  subsequent  estab- 
lishment, said  to  have  been  in  169-3,  at  La  Pointe,  in 
the  present  Ashland  County,  Wisconsin.  He  was,  at 
least,  "  a  voyageur  stationed  at  Chegoimegon  "  during 
that  year.  He  continued  to  trade  with  the  Sioux  at 
intervals  to  the  year  1702. 

Nicholas  Perrot,  who,  as  the  agent  of  St.  Lnsson, 
had  collected  the  Green  Bay  tribes  in  1671,  to  assem- 
ble at  the  congress  holden  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
again  made  his  appearance  in  the  Winnebago  country, 
this  time  in  the  year  1684.  He  was  commissioned  l)y 
the  Government  of  New  France  to  manage  the  fur 
trade  from  Green  Bay  westward.  "  I  was  sent  to  this 
bay,"  he  writes,  "  charged  with  the  commission  to  have 
chief  command  there,  and  to  the  most  distant  coun- 
tries on  the  side  of  the  west."  He  passed  the  Winter 
of  1685  and  1686  at  a  jiost  erected  by  him  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Pepin,  this 
being  the  first  post  on  the  Upper  Mississif)pi.  Thence 
he  proceeded  overland  to  Green  Bay.  Meanwhile,  he 
had  been  ordered  by  Denouville,  the  new  Governor, 
who  did  not  approve  of  such  distant  enterprises,  to  re- 
turn with  all  the  Frenchmen  in  this  region ;  whicii 
order  he  now  obeyed.  In  1687,  he  was  again  at  Green 
Bay,  being  engaged  to  bring  the  Indians  inhabiting  its 
shores  to  the  assistance  of  Denouville  against  the  Iro- 
quois. In  1690,  Perrot  set  out  from  Montreal  with 
presents   and    messages  to    the  Indians  of  the    upper 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


45 


country,  for  the  purpose  of  thwarting  the  Englisli,  who 
had  opened  negotiations  with  several  nations.  Two 
years  subsecfaent,  he  was  sent  to  Green  Bay,  chiefly  to 
guard  against  and  frustrate  the  Englisli  overtures  to 
the  Miamis  and  their  allies,  and  in  August,  1693,  he 
conducted  ten  or  twelve  chiefs  of  the  different  tribes 
to  Montreal.  He  visited  the  Miamis  again,  16'.i7,  by 
whom  he  was  captured.  He  was,  however,  set  at  lib- 
erty through  the  intercession  of  the  Foxes.  The  voy- 
age of  St.  Cosme,in  1699,  wlien  he  and  his  companions 
frequently  landed  on  the  west  coast  of  Lake  Michigan, 
was  followed  by  that  of  Le  Sueur  up  the  Mississippi, 
in  1700.  But  far  more  important  was  tliat  of  Fatlier 
Charlevoix,  in  1721,  to  the  waters  of  Green  Bay  from 
Mackinaw,  because  of  his  valuable  record  of  wliat  he 
saw  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Other  explorations 
followed,  notably  that  of  Fatlier  Guignas,  in  1727,  and 
of  the  Sieur  de  Laperrier,  in  the  same  year,  so  that,  by 
the  end  of  the  first  hundred  years  after  the  discovery 
of  Wisconsin  by  Nicolet,  considerable  knowledge  of 
its  territory  was  brought  home  to  the  civilized  world. 

Fur  traders,  or  at  least  their  employes,  were  the 
first  explorers,  after  Nicolet,  of  Wisconsin.  They  pre- 
ceded tiie  .Jesuit  missionaries.  These  traders  sent  from 
the  St.  Lawrence  hatchets,  knives,  blankets  and  other 
articles  coveted  by  the  savage,  to  exchange  with  him 
for  furs.  Their  employes,  the  voyageurs,  made  their 
journeys  into  the  far-off  regions  in  birch-bark  canoes, 
of  the  lightest  possible  construction;  for  they  had  fre- 
quently to  be  carried  by  hand  around  rapids,  and  from 
one  stream  to  another  along  carrying  places,  called 
portages.  They  usually  made  up  their  outfit  at  Que- 
bec or  Montreal,  and  ascending  the  Ottawa  during  the 
Summer  and  subsequently  that  river  and  the  lower 
lakes,  proceeded  to  the  various  tribes  inhabiting  the 
region  of  the  upper  lakes,  either  wintering  at  Indian 
villages,  or  at  stations  which  had  been  established  by 
them  in  their  neighborhood.  With  their  peltries 
gathered  during  the  Winter  and  earl}^  Spring  thej'  re- 
turned usually  the  next  Summer  ;  but  sometimes  they 
were  required  to  make  longer  voyages.  The  fur  traders 
were,  as  a  class,  men  of  some  wealth,  of  respectable 
families  and  of  considerable  intelligence,  and  were 
possessed  of  enterprising  and  adventurous  habits. 
They  found  the  fur  trade  more  profitable,  or  more  con- 
genial to  their  dispositions  than  agricultural  pursuits. 
Their  menials,  the  voyageurs,  penetrated  the  fastnesses 
of  the  western  wilderness  with  a  perseverance  and 
courage  almost  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  ex- 
plorations of  savage  countries.  Lideed,  they  out- 
savaged  the  savage  in  that  respect. 

The  French  Government  early  manifested  a  disposi- 
tion to  extend  her  dominions  in  America.  At  the 
very  commencement  of  the  seventeenth  century,  she 
had  colonized  Acadia.  In  1608,  (Quebec  was  founded. 
In  1663,  New  France  (Canada)  was  made  a  royal  col- 
ony. The  reports  circulated  in  France  of  the  advan- 
tages of  the  fur  trade  were  such  as  to  induce  many  of 
the  nobility  and  gentry  to  invest  their  fortunes  in  the 
New  World.  With  this  patronage  and  the  constantly 
increasing  number  of  colonists.  New  France  grew  rap- 
idl}'  in  commerce,  the  most  lucrative  branch  of  which 
was  dealing  in  furs.  The  voyageitrs  were  the  usual 
agents  employed  by  the  French  Government  to  extend 


and  uphold  its  dominion  in  the  Northwest.  The  traf- 
fic in  furs  maintained  with  the  Indians  constituted  the 
only  value  of  this  region  in  the  eyes  of  Frenchmen,  so 
long  as  France  continued  her  dominion  over  it.  The 
regular  fur  trader  was  licensed  by  the  Government, 
this  license  generally  stipulating  the  territory  in  which 
they  were  permitted  to  operate.  It  was  drawn  in  the 
nature  of  a  colonial  commission,  conferring  upon  the 
licensed  trader  the  authority  of  a  military  officer  over 
the  voyageurs  in  his  employ.  It  also  made  him  a  com- 
mercial agent  of  the  Government  among  the  Indians. 
He  was  frequently  employed  as  special  agent  of  the 
colony  to  make  treaties.  Sometimes  he  was  required 
to  lead  his.  voyageurs  upon  war  expeditions  in  return  for 
his  fur-tiading  privileges.  His  employes,  therefore, 
were  always  around,  equiped  and  familiarized  with 
military  duties,  partly  from  necessity  of  defending 
themselves  from  attacks  of  hostile  Indians,  and  partly 
to  be  enabled  to  carry  out  &\\y  requisition  made  by  the 
Government.  The  dominion  of  France  over  the  west- 
ern country  was  thus  made  self-sustaining.  But  the 
Government  found  some  trouble  in  controlling  the 
traffic  in  furs.  There  grew  up  an  illicit  trade,  main- 
tained by  couriers  de  hois,  in  contradistinction  to  the  reg- 
ular traders,  or  voyageurs.  The)'  followed  the  Indians  in 
their  wanderings,  and  sometimes  became  as  barbarous 
as  the  red  men.  A  few  years  of  forest  life  seemed  to 
wean  them  from  all  thought  or  desire  for  civilization. 
They  spread  over  the  Northwest,  the  outlaws  of  the 
forest.  Although  rendering  essential  aid  at  times  to 
the  Government,  the  King  of  France,  in  1699,  launched 
a  ro3-al  declaration  against  them.  When  French  dom- 
ination ceased  in  the  Northwest  there  was  an  essential 
change  in  the  fur  trade. 

The  military  occupation  of  the  country  of  the  upper 
lakes  by  the  French  —  including,  of  course,  what  is 
now  Wisconsin  —  was,  after  all,  only  a  nominal  posses- 
sion, intended  as  a  protection  to  the  fur  trade.  Posts, 
which  were  mei'e  stockades  without  cannon,  built  by 
fur  traders  and  held  by  them  in  the  name  of  the  king, 
though  at  their  own  expense,  were  erected  on  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  at  least  at  two  points  within 
wiiat  are  now  the  boundaries  of  tlie  State:  one  upon 
the  north  side  of  Lake  Pepin,  another  on  an  eastern 
tributary  of  the  Mississippi,  some  distance  inland.  No 
post  was  established  at,  or  in  the  vicinity  of,  the  mouth 
of  the  Wisconsin  River,  prior  to  English  domination, 
as  has  been  supposed.  There  was  a  stockade  at  La 
Pointe,  in  1726,  but  how  long  it  was  occupied,  is  not 
now  known.  On  tiie  west  side  of  Fox  River,  not  far 
above  the  mouth  of  that  stream,  there  was  erected 
somewhere  between  1718  and  1721,  a  post  having  a 
commandant.  It  was  afterward  destroyed,  then  re- 
built, but  deserted  by  the  French  before  the  occupation 
of  the  vicinity  by  tlie  British.  It  was  the  only  fort 
regularly  occupied  by  French  soldiers  within  what  is 
now  Wisconsin.  It  was  called  "  Fort  St.  Francis," 
and  was  in  1721  under  the  authority  of  Captain  de 
Montigny.  In  1726,  it  was  commanded  by  Sieur 
Araeritan,  and  in  1754  b}-  Sieur  Marin,  soon  .ifter 
which  it  was  abandoned. 

During  the  continuance  of  French  supremacy  in 
the  Northwest,  there  were  no  permanent  civilizetl  set- 
tlements   in    Wisconsin.     There  was    no    immigration 


46 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


hither  for  the  purpose  of  tilling  the  soil,  or  engaging 
in  the  other  useful  vocations  of  life.  The  posts  of 
fur  traders,  and  the  few  log  huts  erected  iu  their  vicin- 
ity were  onh^  temporary  residences.  The  white  popu- 
lation was  "  like  drift-wood  from  the  current  of  a 
stream,  only  to  be  swept  away  again  upon  the  next 
eddy." 

The  Fox  Indians  are  supposed  to  have  migrated 
from  the  banks  of  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  at  a  remote 
period,  being  driven  West,  and  settling  upon  the 
waters  of  Saginaw,  Michigan.  Thence  they  were 
forced  by  the  Iroquois  to  Green  Bay,  but  were  com- 
pelled to  move  subsequently  to  Fox  River.  The  perse- 
cutions of  the  Five  Nations  continuing,  they  retreated 
to  Wolf  River,  where,  in  1670,  they  were  visited  by 
Father  AUoiiez.  The  next  year  they  stood  aloof  from 
the  congress  held  by  Daumont  de  St.  Lusson,  at  the 
Sault.  French  fur  traders  had,  thus  early,  aroused 
their  animosity  by  their  ill  treatment;  and  when,  sub- 
sequently, the  nation  returned  to  the  Fox  River,  they 
held  this  tlioroughfare  securely  against  the  voyageurs 
from  Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi ;  not,  however,  un- 
til, at  the  summons  of  De  la  Barre,  in  1684,  they  had 
sent  warriors  against  the  Iroquois  ;  and  not  until  they 
had  taken  part,  on  the  side  of  the  French  in  Denou- 
ville's  more  serious  campaign.  As  early  as  1693, 
several  fur  traders  had  been  plundered  by  them,  while 
on  their  way  to  the  Sioux,  the  Foxes  alleging  that  they 
were  carrying  arms  to  their  ancient  enemies.  Their 
hostility  continuing,  the  Fox  River  was  completely 
blockaded. 

Early  in  the  Spring  of  1712,  a  number  of  Foxes 
and  Mascoutius  encamped  close  to  the  fort  at  Detroit. 
This  post  was  commanded  by  M.  Dubuisson.  His 
garrison  numbered  only  tliirty  Frencii  soldiers.  The 
Foxes  and  their  allies,  the  Mascoutius,  soon  becama 
insolent,  calling  themselves  the  owners  of  all  the 
country.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  plan  laid  by  them 
to  burn  the  fort,  but  their  purpose  was  communicated 
to  the  commandant  by  a  iriendly  Fox.  An  express 
was  immediately  sent  to  the  hunting  grounds  of  the 
Ottawas  and  Hurous  by  Dubuisson  for  aid.  The 
Chippewas  and  another  tribe,  upon  the  other  side  of 
the  lake,  were  invited  to  join  with  him  in  defending 
his  post.  The  commandant  took  such  measures  of 
defense  as  his  limited  force  would  permit.  On  the 
18th  of  May,  he  was  re-enforced  by  seven  or  eight 
Frenchmen.  Happily  other  aid  arrived  —  quite  a 
number  of  Indians  from  various  nations  around,  who, 
joining  the  Hurons,  entered  the  fort  to  assist  in  de- 
fending it.  This  brought  matters  to  a  crisis,  and  firing 
commenced  between  the  besiegei's  and  the  besieged. 
With  undaunted  courage,  Dubuisson  for  nineteen  days 
continued  to  defend  his  post.  The  assailants  were 
finally  obliged  to  retreat,  their  provisions  becoming- 
exhausted.  Some  of  the  Frenchman,  with  the  Indians, 
soon  started  in  pursuit,  overtaking  the  enemy  near 
Lake  St.  Clair,  where  they  had  erected  entrenchments. 
They  held  their  position  for  four  days,  figliting  with 
much  courage,  wlien  they  were  forced  to  surrender, 
receiving  no  quarter  from  the  victors.  All  were  killed 
except  the  women  and  children,  whose  lives  were 
spared,  and  one  hundred  men  who  had  been  tied,  but 
who  escaped.     There  were  a  few  Sacs  engaged  in  this 


attack  on  the  fort,  but  more,  perhaps,  were  fighting 
upon  the  other  side.  The  Foxes  were  incensed  rather 
than  weakened  by  the  severe  loss  they  sustained  near 
Detroit;  and,  their  hostility  continuing,  not  only 
against  the  French  but  the  Indian  tribes  in  alliance 
with  them,  caused  a  proposition  to  be  brought  forward 
by  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  to  commence  a  war 
of  extermination  against  the  Foxes.  To  this  most  of 
the  friendly  nations  readily  assented.  A  party  of 
French  troops  was  raised  and  put  under  the  command 
of  De  Louvigny,  a  lieutenant,  who  left  Quebec  in 
March,  1716,  returning  to  that  place  in  October  of  the 
same  year.  He  ascended  to  Detroit  in  canoes,  with 
all  possible  despatch  ;  there  he  received  re-enforce- 
ments, and  thence  urged  his  way  to  Mackinaw,  where 
"  his  presence  inspired  in  all  the  Frenchmen  and 
Indians  a  confidence  which  was  a  presage  of  victory." 
With  a  respectable  force  —  said  to  have  been  eight 
hundred  strong  —  De  Louvigny  entered  Green  Bay 
and  ascended  Fox  River,  to  what  point  is  now  uncer- 
tain, when  he  encountered  the  enemy  in  a  palisaded 
fort.  William  R.  Smith,  in  his  History  of  Wisconsin 
says:  "The  Foxes  had  selected  a  stronghold  on  the 
Fox  River,  now  known  as  the  '  Butte  des  Morts,'  or 
'  Hill  of  the  Dead,'  "  but  he  does  not  designate  the 
exact  locality.  "After  three  days  of  open  trenches," 
says  the  commander,  "  sustained  by  a  continuous  fire 
of  fusileers,  with  two  pieces  of  cannon  and  a  grenade 
mortar,  they  were  reduced  to  ask  for  peace,  notwith- 
standing they  had  five  hundred  warriors  in  the  fort, 
who  fired  briskly,  and  more  than  three  thousand 
women  ;  they  also  expected  shortly  a  re-enforcement 
of  three  hundred  men.  But  the  promptitude  with 
which  the  ofiicers  who  were  in  this  action  pushed  for- 
ward the  trenches  that  I  had  opened  only  seventy  yards 
from  their  fort,  made  the  enemy  fear,  the  third  night, 
that  they  would  be  taken.  As  I  was  only  twent3'-four 
j'ards  from  their  fort,  my  design  was  to  reach  their 
triple  oak  stakes  by  a  ditch  of  a  foot  and  a  half  in  the 
rear.  Perceiving  very  well  that  my  balls  had  not  the 
effect  I  anticipated,  I  decided  to  take  the  place  at  the 
first  onset,  and  to  explode  two  mines  under  their  cur- 
tains. The  boxes  being  properly  placed  for  the  pur- 
pose, I  did  not  listen  to  the  enemy's  first  proposition  ; 
but  they,  having  made  a  second  one,  I  submitted  it  to 
my  allies,  who  consented  to  it  on  the  following  condi- 
tions :  That  the  Foxes  and  their  allies  would  make  peace 
with  all  the  Indians  who  are  submissive  to  the  king, 
and  with  whom  the  French  are  engaged  in  trade  and 
commerce  ;  and  that  they  would  return  to  me  all  the 
French  prisoners  that  they  have,  and  those  captured 
during  the  war  from  all  our  allies  (this  was  complied 
with  immediately)  ;  that  they  would  take  slaves  from 
distant  nations  and  deliver  them  to  our  allies  to  re- 
place their  dead  ;  that  they  would  hunt  to  pay  the  ex- 
penses of  the  war ;  and,  as  a  surety  of  their  keeping 
their  word,  that  they  should  deliver  me  six  chiefs,  or 
the  children  of  chiefs,  to  take  with  me  to  M.  La 
Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  as  hostages,  until  the  entire 
execution  of  our  treaty,  which  they  did,  and  I  took 
them  with  me  to  Quebec.  Besides  I  have  re-united 
the  other  nations  at  variance  among  themselves,  and 
have  left  that  country  enjoying  universal  peace." 

But  the  Foxes  proved  irreconcilable.     War  was  re- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


newed  at  Detroit  in  1721  ;  and  in  1728,  another  ex- 
pedition was  organized,  "  to  go  and  destroy "  tliat 
nation.  It  was  commanded  by  Marchand  de  Lignery, 
who  had,  two  years  before,  held  a  council  at  Green 
Bay  with  the  Foxes,  Sacs  and  Winnebagoes,  when 
these  tribes  promised  to  maintain  peace.  But  the 
Foxes  paid  no  regard  to  their  plighted  faith,  and  con- 
tinued their  hostility;  and  joined  with  them  were  the 
Sacs  and  Winnebagoes.  De  Lignery  left  Montreal  in 
June,  1728,  proceeding  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  River  and 
Lake  Huron  to  Mackinaw,  thence  to  Green  Bay,  upon 
the  northern  shore  of  which  the  Menomonees,  who  had 
also  made  common  cause  with  the  Foxes,  were  at- 
tacked and  defeated.  This  was  on  the  15th  of 
August.  On  the  evenings  of  the  seventeenth,  the 
mouth  of  the  Fox  River  was  reached,  when  it  became 
evident  that  tiie  savages  had  knowledge  of  the  expedi- 
tion. It  had  been  the  intention  of  De  Lignery  to  at- 
tack a  Sac  village,  just  above  Fort  St.  Francis — the 
French  post,  where  he  wished  to  surprise  the  enemy, 
who  were  staying  with  their  allies,  the  Sacs.  He  ar- 
rived at  tlie  French  fort  at  midnight,  and  immediately 
sent  word  to  the  commandant  of  his  presence,  and 
asked  for  information,  as  to  whether  the  Foxes  were 
still  in  the  Sac  village.  The  repl}'  was  that  they 
ought  to  be  found  there  ;  but,  upon  moving  foward, 
De  Lignery  discovered  that  both  Sacs  and  Foxes  had 
all  escaped,  except  four,  who  were  captured  and  soon 
put  to' death  by  the  Indians  accompanying  the  expedi- 
tion. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  the  army,  consisting 
of  not  less  than  four  hundred  French,  and  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  Indians,  consisting  of  Hurons, 
Iroquois,  Ottawas  and  others,  reached  a  Winnebago 
village  on  Fox  River,  which  was  deserted,  and  which, 
with  the  crops  in  the  vicinity,  was  destroyed  by  the 
invaders.  Thence  they  j^roceeded  to  the  home  of  the 
Foxes  farther  up  that  stream.  Four  of  their  villages 
were  found  but  all  were  deserted.  They  secured  four 
prisoners  :  two  squaws  and  a  girl,  who  were  reduced 
to  slaver}',  and  an  old  man,  who  was  "  burnt  to  death 
at  a  slow  fire."  After  destroying  the  villages  and 
fields  of  the  Foxes,  the  army  returned,  having,  in 
reality,  accomplished  little,  save  the  destruction  of  the 
crops  and  empty  huts  of  the  enemy.  "After  this  ex- 
pedition," says  its  historian,  Emanuel  Crespel,  "if 
such  a  useless  march  deserves  that  name,  we  prepared 
to  return  to  Montreal."  On  their  return,  the  French 
post  near  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River  was  destroyed, 
"because,  being  so  near  the  enemy,  it  would  not  afford 
a  secure  retreat  to  the  French,  who  must  be  left  as  a 
garrison."  When  the  army  arrived  at  Mackinaw,  the 
"  commander  gave  permission  to  every  one  to  go  where 
he  pleased." 

Another  expedition  against  the  Foxes,  led  by  Neyon 
de  Villiers  in  September,  1730,  was  more  successful. 
His  forces,  including  Indians,  numbered  not  less  than 
twelve  hundred.  It  resulted  in  the  almost  total  defeat 
of  the  Foxes.  Two  hundred  of  their  warriors  were 
"killed  on  the  spot,  or  burned,  after  having  been  taken 
as  slaves,  and  six  hundred  women  and  children  were 
al)solutely  destroyed."  Such  only  are  the  facts  known 
of  this  successful  enterprise  of  the  French  and  their 
allies.     But  the  Foxes  were  not  humbled.     They  drew 


the  Sacs  into  a  firmer  alliance,  and  soon  became  so 
troublesome,  that  another  expedition  was  planned 
against  them — this  time  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain de  Na3'elle.  Preparations  began  near  the  close  of 
1734,  and  it  was  carried  on  the  following  year  with 
sixty  soldiers  and  probably  a  number  of  Indian  allies. 
The  Foxes  were  attacked  in  their  own  country,  where 
they  had  suffered  defeat  at  the  hands  of  De  Villiers. 
This  was  the  last  enterprise  of  the  French  against  that 
troublesome  nation.  Many  places  have  been  desig- 
nated, upon  Fox  River,  as  the  points  of  conflict  in 
these  expeditions,  but  all  such  designations  are  tradi- 
tionary ;  nothing  is  known  with  certainty  concei'ning 
them. 

In  1736,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  "  connected  with 
the  Government  of  Canada,"  nevertheless  they  were 
far  from  being  friendly  to  the  Frencli.  However,  in 
1754,  they  arrayed  themselves  with  the  French  against 
the  English,  and  so  continued,  until  the  close  of  the 
contest  so  disastrous  to  France  in  America. 

ENGLISH    SUPREMACY   IN   WISCONSIN. 

When  France  yielded  her  inchoate  rights  in  the 
West  to  England — where  all  the  territoiy  now  included 
in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  was  by  right  of  conquest 
delivered  over  as  a  part  of  Canada  to  the  English — 
French  trading-posts,  French  forts  and  French  mis- 
sionary establishments  had  all  disappeared.  The  forti- 
fication at  the  head  of  Green  Bay  had  been  vacated 
for  some  years.  It  was  "rotten,  the  stockade  ready 
to  fall  and  the  houses  without  cover."  It  was  a  fit 
emblem  of  the  decay — of  the  fast-crumbling  and  per- 
ishing state — of  French  domination  in  Nortli  America. 
Governor  Vaudreuil  surrendered  Canada  to  General 
Amherst,  of  the  British  army,  on  the  9th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1760,  and  immediately  notified  the  commandant 
of  the  fort  at  Mackinaw,  for  the  information  of  tiie 
people  of  the  Northwest,  that  thereafter  tliey  would 
be  amenable  to  England's  authority',  under  stipulations 
which  guaranteed  to  them  the  undisturbed  possession 
of  their  goods  and  peltries,  and  full  liberty  to  continue 
their  trade  in  the  same  manner  as  though  tliey  were 
subjects  of  Great  Britain. 

But  Wisconsin  was,  at  this  date,  a  howling  wilder- 
ness. There  was  not  a  single  white  settler  within 
what  are  now  its  limits.  The  fur  trader,  however,  was 
still  upon  the  ground.  The  fur  trade  of  the  North- 
west, long  coveted  by  England,  was  now  to  be  firmly 
established  with  the  various  tribes  under  the  new  order 
of  things.  To  do  this  required  a  military  occupation 
of  the  country,  among  other  places  at  "  the  Bay" — 
as  the  post  for  some  time  previous  to  its  evacuation  by 
the  French  was  called;  for  this  was  the  point  that 
commanded  the  Fox  River  country  and  the  trade  be- 
yond. There  were,  however,  no  English  residents  to 
be  protected  by  English  bayonets — no  settlers  on  Wis- 
consin's soil  to  need  the  shielding  presence  of  the  red- 
coats. Military  possession  signified  only  protection  to 
English  traders.  Detroit  was  the  first  of  the  French 
posts  in  the  West  to  surrender ;  then  Mackinaw ;  and 
finally,  in  1761,  a  small  squad  of  English  soldiers  were 
despatched  to  the  head  of  Green  Bay  to  garrison  the 
deserted  post  in  tliat  vicinity.  A  captain  of  the 
eighteenth  English  regiment  was  ordered   to   Tnarch 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


from  Detroit  with  a  detaclnneut  irom  tliat  and  tlie 
sixtietli  regiment,  to  take  possession  of  and  to  leave 
garrison  at  tlie  posts  on  lakes  Huron  and  Micliigan. 
These  were  Mackinaw,  "  the  Bay"  (afterward  Fort 
Edward  Augustus)  and  St.  Joseph  (upon  the  river  of 
that  name  in  the  present  states  of  Michigan  and  Indi- 
ana). The  detachment  arrived  at  Mackinaw  on  tiie 
28th  of  September,  1761,  where  a  lieutenant  of  the 
sixtieth  regiment,  one  sergeant,  one  corporal,  one  drum- 
mer and  twenty-five  privates  were  left  to  garrison  that 
post,  the  lesidue  sailing,  with  a  fair  wind,  for  "  the 
Bay,"  where  they  arrived,  on  the  12th  of  October,  at 
tlie  tumble-down  post,  now  the  city  of  Fort  Howard, 
Brown  County.  The  captain  departed  on  the  four- 
teenth, leaving  at  "  the  Bay,"  Lieut.  James  Gorrell,  of 
the  Royal  American,  or  Sixtieth  Regiment,  and  one 
sergeant,  one  corporal  and  fifteen  privates,  together 
with  a  French  interpreter  and  two  English  traders. 

'•  There  were  several  Frenchmen,"  says  Gorrell, 
"  who  had  gone  up  the  river  that  forms  the  bay  which 
comes  fron  Lake  Winnebago,  about  fourteen  leagues 
up.  These  tradei-s  have  gone  up  as  far  as  the  Sioux 
country,  near  two  hundred  leagues  from  tlie  bay.  As 
they  went  past  th's  post,  notwithstanding  these  veiy 
Frenchmen  weie  employed  by  the  English  tradi  rs 
from  Montreal,  that  come  to  Mackinaw  by  virtue  of 
General  Gage's  license,  they  did  all  that  laid  in  their 
power  to  persuade  the  Bay  Indians  to  fall  on  the  En- 
glisli  on  their  way ;  as  they  heard  of  our  coming, — 
they  telling  the  Indians  that  the  English  were  weak 
and  that  it  could  be  done  very  readily."  But  tlie 
savages  proved  too  wary,  and  remained  at  peace  with 
the  conquerors. 

Tlie  garrison  in  Fort  Edward  Augustus  (the  new 
name  of  "  the  Bay  "),  busied  themselves  during  the 
ensuing  Winter  in  repairing  the  fort,  houses"  and 
grounds,  for  the  reason  that  reports  were  rife  of  in- 
tended Indian  attacks  upon  the  fort;  but  happily  they 
proved  groundless. 

Some  few  young  men  of  the  different  tribes  in  the 
vicinity  came  at  various  times  to  know  how  they  would 
be  treated  by  Gorrell  and  his  men;  and  they  were 
agreeably  surprised  to  find  themselves  received  with 
civility,  so  contrary  to  the  accounts  given  them  by  tiie 
French,  who  were  still  smarting  under  English  chas- 
tisement, and  anxious  for  a  rupture  between  the  sav- 
ages and  their  new  masters,  which,  indeed,  was  not 
long  postponed.  Tliey  asked  for  ammunition,  whicii 
was  given  them  at  different  times.  Flour  was  also 
sent  to  some  of  their  old  men,  who,  thev  said,  were 
sick  in  the  woods.  Finally  a  council  wa's  held  with 
the  Menomonees,  the  Winnebagoes.  the  Oitawas,  and 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  during  the  last  of  May  and  first 
of  June,  1762,  when  Lieut.  Gorrell  presented  to  the 
Menomonees  and  Winnebagoes  belts  of  wampum  and 
strings  of  the  same  for  tlie  return  of  prisoners. 

He  made  at  the  same  time  a  conciliatory  speech, 
which  had  a  most  happy  effect.  The  Menomonees, 
upon  whose  lands  Fort  Edward  Augustus  stood,  an- 
swered in  the  same  spirit.  They  said  thev  were  very 
poor,  having  lost  three  hundred  warriors"  lately  with 
small-pox,  as  well  as  most  of  their  chiefs  by  the  late 
war,  in  whicli  they  had  been  engaged  by  the  then 
French  commander  at  "the  Bay,"  against  the  English. 


They  expressed  themselves  glad  to  find  that  the  En- 
glish were  pleased  to  pardon  them,  as  they  did  not 
expect  it ;  they  were  conscious  they  did  not  merit  it. 
They  assured  Lieut.  Gorrell  that  he  might  depend 
they  would  adhere  to  whatever  instructions  the  com- 
manding English  officers  might  give  them  for  the 
future,  as  they  had  always  done  with  regard  to  the 
French.  They  begged  that  Gorrell  would  send  for  a 
gunsmith  to  mend  their  guns  as  they  were  poor  and 
out  of  order;  the  Frencli,  they  said,  had  always  done 
this  for  them  ;  and  their  neighbors  at  Mackinaw  had 
had  this  favor  granted  them.  They  said,  also,  that  the 
French  commandant  always  gave  them  rum  as  a  true 
token  of  friendship. 

Lieut.  Gorrell  had  muCh  the  same  understanding 
with  the  Winnebagoes,  Ottawas  and  Sacs  and  Foxes. 
From  this  time  until  March  1,  1763,  nothing  of  mo- 
ment happened  at  F(  rt  Edward  Augustus,  except 
the  arrival  of  several  English  and  French  traders, 
some  of  whom  went  up  tlie  country  and  also  sent  up  a 
large  part  of  their  goods.  On  the  day  mentioned 
twelve  Sioux  warriors  came  to  the  post.  They  seemed 
very  friendly  to  the  English.  "This  nation,"  savs 
Gorrell,  "  is  always  at  war  with  the  Chippewas.  They 
told  me  with  warmth  that  if  ever  the  Chippewas  or 
any  other  Indians  wished  to  obstruct  the  passage  o"f  the 
traders  coming  up,  to  send  them  a  belt  and  they  would 
come  and  cut  them  off  the  face  of  the  earth.'"  The 
Sioux  then  gave  the  commandant  a  letter  written 
in  French,  and  two  belts  of  wampum  from  their  head 
chief,  in  whicli  he  expressed  great  joy  on  hearing  of 
the  English  at  the  Bay,  and  a  desire  to  make  peace  with 
them,  and  to  have  English  traders  sent  among  them. 

In  June  some  Ottawas  and  Frenciimen  came  to  the 
post  and  delivered  to  Gorrell  instructions  from  Capt. 
Etherington,  commanding  at  Mackinaw,  informing 
him  that  Mackinaw  had  been  surprised  by  the  Chip- 
pewas, and  taken,  one  lieutenant  and  twentv  privates 
having  been  killed,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  garrison 
taken  prisoners,  but  that  friendly  Ottawas  had  taken 
Capt.  Etherington,  Lieut.  Leslie  and  eleven  men  out 
of  their  hands  with  the  promise  to  re-instate  them. 
Gorrell  was  ordered  to  set  out  with  all  his  garrison  and 
traders  to  Etherington's  relief.  It  was  thus  that  thev 
first  got  word  of  the  beginning  of  Pontiac's  War  and 
of  the  fall  of  Mackinaw.  Gorrell  complied  with  the 
orders  fiouHiis  superior  officer.  He  set  off  on  the  17th 
of  June,  1768,  but  was  hindered  by  contrary  winds. 
He  did  not  get  off  until  the  21st,  when  he  set  sail  with 
a  part  of  the  four  tribes  —  Menomonees,  Sacs,  Winne- 
bagoes and  Foxes.  They  found  Etherington  held  a 
prisoner  about  thirty  miles  above  Mackinaw,  and  they 
all,  in  due  time,  reached  Montreal  in  safety.  Thus 
actual  occupation  of  Wisconsin  liv  an  English  armed 
force  was  at  an  end. 

By  the  treaty  of  peace  between  England  and 
France,  in  1763,  tliat  part  of  French  tenitory  lying 
west  of  Lake  Micliigan,  was  ceded,  along  with  the 
residue  of  Canada,  to  the  English.  It  was  thus  that 
Wisconsin,  although  no  longer  under  direct  military 
control  of  the  conquerors,  became  actual  British  soil, 
with  no  counter  claimants,  save  the  savages  who  re- 
sided within  its  limits.  The  expectation  of  Capt. 
Etherington  that  Fort  Edward  Augustus  would  soon 


See  Page  37. 


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Calif ourn'tC  poj 
ou  on  vtut  aMe 
cat  ^£roa  oui 
e/  o^t    CniruL — ' 


^   'y^cmelk  (^rem^oS  y 


/    -^  1*4,  V 

/       ('i-  'P  f  .,v     V 


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FAC    SIMILE 

of  !he  Autograph  .  *l'tp  oflfic 

+7'    MISSISSIPPI 

Goticeplioii  'tliror 

'"  rATHCK      MA/iClUETTt 

ffom  Am  0'  t^tiiai  p'tif'td  at  fit  ttarys  Collecii 


\ASUtJ    OE  LA    FLOfliDE 


FLOKIDE 


SeePa^e4f3. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


49 


he  re-occnpied  was  not  realized.  Instead  thereof,  the 
Indians  were  placed  under  control  of  tlie  post  at 
Mackinaw,  whicii  was  soon  re-garrisoned.  No  sooner, 
however,  had  the  soldiers  under  Gorrell  left  "the 
Ba}','"  than  French  tiaders  seized  upon  the  occasion  to 
again  make  it  head-quarters  for  trafBc  in  furs  to  the 
westward  of  Lake  Michigan.  Not  tiiat  alone,  for  a 
few  determined  to  make  it  their  permanent  home.  By 
the  year  1766,  there  were  some  fiunilies  living  in  the 
decayed  Fort  Edward  Augustus,  as  well  as  opposite 
thereto,  on  the  east  side  of  Fox  River,  where  they 
cultivated  the  soil  in  a  small  way  and  in  an  extremely 
primitive  manner.  Of  these  French  Canadians  no  one 
can  be  exactly  considered  the  pioneer — no  individual 
one  is  entitled  to  the  renown  of  having  first  led  the 
way,  becoming  thus  the  first  settler  of  the  State,  much 
less  the  father  and  founder  of  Wisconsin.  It  was 
simply  tliat  "the  Bay,"  being,  after  Pontiac's  War,  oc- 
cupied by  Canadian  French  fur  traders,  their  station 
finally  ripened  into  a  permanent  settlement  —  the  first 
in  Wisconsin,  and  the  leading  spirits  of  which  were 
the  two  Langhides,  Augustin  and  Charles,  father  and 
son.  It  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  French  settle- 
ment. Its  growth  was  very  slow  ;  its  industries  were 
few  and  simple.  Besides  the  employments  of  trading 
and  transporting  goods  and  peltries,  the  inhabitants 
engaged  in  hunting  and  trapping.  The  cultivation  of 
the  soil  was  only  an  incidental  matter,  though  gradu- 
ally a  few  persons  turned  their  chief  attention  to 
agriculture.  At  length  wheat  enough  was  raised  to 
supply  the  communitiy  with  bread,  while  other  grains 
were  cultivated  to  some  extent,  and  a  few  domestic 
animals  were  raised.  Mechanical  trades  were  almost 
unknown  ;  a  smith  to  mend  fire-arms  and  to  make  and 
repair  traps  was  all  that  was  necessary.  The  imple- 
ments of  husbandry  were  rude  and  few.  If  a  respect- 
able house  was  to  be  erected,  workmen  were  sent  for 
to  Canada.  The  people  had  the  free  exercise  of  their 
religious  belief,  which  was  Catholic.  There  were  no 
schools  nearer  than  Mackinaw  for  many  years,  though 
pi'ivate  instruction  was  occasionally  given  in  families; 
nor  were  there  any  phj'sicians  or  lawyers.  The  settlers 
were  allowed  to  govern  themselves  by  custom  and  the 
"  Laws  of  Paris."  Many  of  them  formed  matrimonial 
alliances  with  the  Indians,  in  consequence  of  which  a 
mixed  lineage  became  so  prevalent  that  the  commun- 
ity, in  the  course  of  years,  numbered  but  few  persons 
of  pure  white  blood.  Such  was  the  settlement  at  the 
head  of  Green  Bay,  and  so  it  continued  until  Ameri- 
can influence  became  paramount,  every  thing,  even  the 
occupation  of  the  land,  being  subordinate  to  the 
Indian  trade,  which,  directly  or  indirectly,  furnished 
employment  for  every  member  of  the  community,  and 
in  which  all  its  interests  centered.  When  the  settlers, 
who  at  first  held  the  soil  in  common,  began  to  estab- 
lish individual  rights,  they  did  so  by  apportioning  to 
each  a  tract  abutting  upon  Fox  River,  extending  inland 
a  considerable  distance  ;  so,  when  these  were  sub- 
divided, the  result  was,  long,  narrow  strips,  each  with 
a  water-front.  Nearly  twenty  years  subsequent  to  the 
time  when  the  Green  Bay  settlement  began  to  assume 
a  permanency,  some  French  Canadians  located  on  the 
east  shore  of  the  Mississippi,  within  what  are  now  the 
boundaries  of  Wisconsin.     There   is   no   positive  evi- 


dence of  any  [)ermanent  settlers  being  tliere  before  the 
year  1783.  It  was  in  that  yeav  tiiat  four  men  perman- 
ently occupied  the  open  tract  upon  which  is  now 
situated  the  city  of  Prairie  du  Chien.  Quite  a  num- 
ber soon  after  followed  and  located  there.  Here,  as  at 
the  settlement,  at  the  Bay,  no  one  could  claim  prece- 
dence, as  being  the  first  to  "settle"  on  the  prairie. 
Those  who  remained  were  first  traders,  then  settlers ; 
or,  rather,  they  became  permanent  traders.  They 
usually  passed  the  Winter  months  at  the  Indian  vil- 
lages, and,  during  the  Summer,  transported  their  furs 
to  Mackinaw,  returning  with  their  canoes  laden  with 
goods  for  the  next  season's  trade,  and  with  a  supply  of 
provisions.  In  the  Winter,  Prairie  du  Chien  was  half 
deserted,  while  in  Summer  its  numbers  were  swelled, 
not  only  by  the  return  of  its  own  people,  but  also  by 
traders  from  other  quarters,  and  by  throngs  of  Indian 
visitors.  Little  value  was  placed  upon  the  soil  l)y  the 
inhabitants,  though  they  found  leisure  to  cultivate 
small  portions  of  the  prairie  in  a  rude  way  ;  and  occa- 
sionally a  voyagein\  weary  of  his  roving  life,  or  unable 
longer  to  endure  its  hardships,  settled  there,  and  de- 
voted himself  exclusively  to  farming.  The  traders 
located  there  were  generall}'  men  of  considerable 
wealth,  for  it  required  means  to  carry  on  their  business, 
provide  stocks  of  goods  and  provisions  for  long  periods, 
and  transport  them  hundreds  of  miles  by  oarsmen  con- 
stantly employed  for  that  purpose. 

The  voym/eurs  constituted  a  different  class.  They 
were  generally  very  poor  and  dependent  on  their  small 
wages,  which  barely  sufficed  to  supply  them  with  the 
simplest  necessaries  of  life.  Although  there  was  no 
administration  of  law,  the  will  of  their  employeis,  en- 
forced by  possession  of  their  subsistence  was  very 
nearly  absolute  over  them,  and  the  distinctions  of  mas- 
ter and  servant  were  strongly  marked.  The  houses  of 
the  wealthy,  though  constructed  of  logs,  sometimes 
clapboarded,  yet  rude  and  unattractive  in  external 
appearance,  were  comfortably,  neatly,  and  even  ele- 
gantly furnished.  Those  of  the  poorer  classes  were 
very  inferior  structures,  often  witliout  floors,  and  with 
straw  for  a  covering,  while  the  furniture  consisted  of  a 
few  rude  kitchen  utensils,  benches  and  other  domestic 
articles  equally  meager.  A  sort  of  middle  class  event- 
ually sprang  up  in  the  small  farmers  scattered  about 
the  prairie,  who  were  somewhat  less  dependent  upon 
the  will  and  caprice  of  the  traders.  They  were  enabled 
to  live  better  than  the  voyageurs,  whose  diet  consisted 
chiefly  of  corn  soup  ;  but  their  implements  for  work 
were  very  primitive,  their  carts  and  plows  being  made 
of  wood, "to  which  the  oxen  were  attached  by  rawhide 
thongs.  Coffee-mills  were  at  first  used  for  grinding 
grain.  These  were  superseded  by  mills  turned  by 
hand-power — the  buhrs  being  cut  from  native  granite 
boulders. 

Amid  these  conditions,  apparently  favorable  to  the 
development  of  lawlessness  and  violence,  these  people, 
surrounded  by  savage  life,  were  remarkal)ly  docile, 
having  a  disposition  submissive  to  any  authority  as- 
sumed over  them.  Violeut-crimes  were  extremely 
rare,  even  when  drinking  and  carousing  were  indulged 
in.  Upon  their  wintering  grounds  the  traders  prac- 
ticed many  devices  to  overreach  one  another,  but  on 
their  return  they  met  and   settled   all  difficulties  over 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  "flowing  bowl."  Beyond  these  tricks  of  trarle 
they  generally  manifested  a  commendable  spirit  of 
honor ;  and  when  their  word  was  pledged  it  might  be 
safely  relied  upon.  Morality  was  at  rather  low  ebb, 
as  they  were  destitute  of  both  schools  and  spiritual 
teachers.  Their  amusements  were  limited  to  rude 
dances,  foot  and  horse  racing  and  other  similar  sports, 
aided  with  a  free  use  of  intoxicating  liquors.  What- 
ever semblance  of  law  was  adhered  to,  was  derived 
from  the  "  Laws  of  Paris,"  which  England  permitted 
Canada  to  be  governed  by.  They  were  without  admin- 
istrative officers,  or  other  constitutional  authorities,  but 
permitted  the  most  learned  man  among  them  to  exer- 
cise the  powers  of  civil  magistrate.  Affairs  thus  con- 
tinued, until  finally,  as  adopted  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  they  were  brought  within  its  jurisdiction.  The 
settlements  of  Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien  were 
the  only  ones  in  Wisconsin,  so  long  as  English  suprem- 
acy lasted.  A  number  of  French  Canadian  traders, 
it  is  true,  located  at  the  mouth  of  Milwaukee  in  1795  ; 
but  their  establishments  were  not  of  that  permanent 
character  to  entitle  them  to  be  designated  a  settlement. 
So,  too,  the  location  at  the  portage  between  the  Fox 
and  Wisconsin  rivers,  in  1793,  of  Lawrence  Barth,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  carrying  trade. 

After  Pontiac's  War,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
which  had  been  chartered  by  Parliament,  as  early  as 
1670,  began  to  exercise  exclusive  privileges  in  tlie  fur 
trade,  in  this  region,  continuing  in  full  sway  until  1783, 
when  the  Northwest  Fur  Company  was  ox-ganized  at 
Quebec,  and  established  its  posts  at  different  points 
on  the  upper  lakes,  and  throughout  the  interior.  The 
result  of  this  was  a  relentless  feud  between  the  two 
companies,  which  lasted  many  years.  The  fur  trade, 
before  Canada  was  wiested  from  France,  had  long 
been  coveted  by  the  English.  Many  years  prior  to 
that  event  the  Loquois  had  been  encouraged  by  tliera 
to  cut  off  communication  with  the  Northwest.  When 
that  failed,  they  endeavored,  through  the  intermediate 
tribes  to  persuade  the  Indians  to  carry  their  peltries  to 
the  British  frontier;  and  the  disorders  that  at  times 
confronted  the  French  in  tliis  region  were  in  some  de- 
gree due  to  their  overtures.  The  French,  after  Canada 
had  surrendered,  while  outwardly  preserving  an  ap- 
pearance of  submission  to  the  conquerors,  regarded 
them  with  hatred,  and  readily  employed  every  possi- 
ble means  to  hinder  the  Indians  from  entering  into 
friendly  relations  with  them.  Some  of  them,  gener- 
ally traders  or  voyageurs^  preceded  the  English  soldiery 
on  their  way  to  tlie  West,  endeavoring  to  persuade  the 
savages  to  waylay  and  cut  off  the  feeble  detachments. 
They  endeavored  also  to  prevent  English  traders  from 
venturing  beyond  Mackinaw,  circulating  tales  among 
them  of  meditated  attacks  on  part  of  the  Indians. 
But  the  judicious  and  friendly  conduct  of  Gorrell  and 
his  little  garrison  at  Fort  Edward  Augustus  soon 
brought  about  a  friendly  alliance  with  all  the  bay 
tribes,  and  several  beyond  that  vicinity.  They  were 
the  more  readily  disposed  to  receive  the  English  trad- 
ers, as  they  gave  them  much  better  terms  than  the 
French.  Tlie  difficulties  and  dangers  in  the  way  of 
the  uew  fur  traders  were,  liowever,  by  no  means  over- 
come by  the  removal  of  their  apprehensions  of  Indian 
hostility.     Their  lack    of  acquaintance   with   the   lan- 


guage and  manners  of  the  western  tribes  was  a  serious 
impediment ;  yet,  upon  the  whole,  the  English  made 
substantial  progress  in  establishing  their  trade  with 
the  western  Indians.  The  influx  of  English  traders 
before  Pontiac's  War  threatened  to  destroy  the  princi- 
pal means  of  subsistence  of  the  Canadian  French,  and 
when  Gorrell  evacuated  his  post  at  the  head  of  Green 
Ba3',  some  of  the  more  enterprising  of  the  last-men- 
tioned seated  themselves  promptly  in  and  around  the 
deserted  fort.  Immediately  after  the  return  of  peace, 
no  traders  were  permitted  to  visit  Wisconsin  from 
Mackinaw.  The  traffic  at  the  Bay  was  in  the  hands  of 
local  traders,  who  avoided  British  posts  with  the  de- 
sign of  transferring  their  trade  to  the  French  province 
of  Louisiana.  As  soon  as  this  policy  became  manifest, 
communication  was  at  once  opened,  and  as  early  as 
1766,  both  English  and  French  traders  were  permitted 
to  traffic  at  the  Bay,  and  farther  west. 

The  expected  re-occupation  of  Wisconsin  by  the 
military  under  a  British  command  was  indefinitely 
postponed,  as  Mackinaw  had  been  garrisoned,  and  was 
found  sufficient  to  regulate  the  fur  trade.  The  En- 
glish, although  commanding  the  market  for  furs,  found 
the  French  voyageurs,  clerks  and  interpreters  indis- 
pensably necessary  to  their  trade.  This  brought  about 
a  reconciliation.  The  English  carried  their  operations 
no  furtlier  than  the  frontier  posts ;  the  French  retain- 
ing their  favorite  field  —  the  Indian  country.  In  this 
way  all  jealousy  was  overcome,  the  tranquility  of  the 
Indian  was  assured,  and  the  necessity  of  a  garrison  at 
the  Bay  avoided.     - 

^Vague  and  conflicting  claims  of  some  of  the  British 
colonies  in  North  America,  to  the  Northwest,  including 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  under  their  cliarters  from  the 
British  Crown,  were  all  set  at  rest,  so  far  as  tlie  mother 
country  was  concerned,  before  the  declaration  of 
American  independence,  b}^  the  passage,  by  the 
British  Parliament,  in  1774,  of  the  "  Quebec  act,"  by 
which  tlie  whole  region  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River, 
and  extending  to  the  westward  so  as  to  include  the 
whole  country  lying  to  tlie  westward  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, was  made  a  part  of  the  province  of  Quebec. 

Under  French  domination  no  grants  of  lands  in 
Wisconsin  were  made  to  any  one  by  the  Government, 
except  that  in  October,  1759,  the  Marquis  of  Vaud- 
reuil  bestowed  upon  M.  Rigaud  an  extensive  territory, 
including  the  fort  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay,  with  the 
exclusive  riglit  to  trade,  and  other  valuable  privileges. 
This  grant  was  sold  to  William  Gould  and  Madame 
Vaudreuil,  to  whom  it  was  confirmed  by  the  French 
king  in  January,  1760,  at  a  very  critical  period  when 
Quebec  iiad  been  taken  b\-  the  British,  and  Monti-eal 
only  was  wanting  to  complete  the  conquest  of  Canada. 
The  English  Government  wiseh'  refused  to  perfect  the 
title  of  the  claimants,  and  the}-  lost  their  lands  and 
privileges.  By  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  Paris  of 
February  10,  1763,  all  the  possessions  in,  and  all  the 
claims  of  the  French  nation  to  the  Northwest,  were 
ceded  to  Great  Britain.  Among  the  first  acts  of  the 
new  masters  of  the  country  was  one  to  protect  the 
eminent  domain  of  the  Government,  and  the  restric- 
tions of  all  attempts  on  the  part  of  individuals  to  ac- 
quire Indian  titles  to  land.  Nor  does  it  appear  that 
any  such  effort  had  been   made  by  any  one  while  the 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


country  constituted  a  part  of  New  France.  By  a  pro- 
clamation of  the  King-  of  England  in  1763,  all  private 
persons  were  interdicted  the  liberty  of  purchasing 
lands  of  the  Indians.  In  face  of  this  proclamation,  and 
within  three  j'ears  after  its  promulgation,  under  a 
purchase,  as  claimed,  of  the  Indians,  .Jonathan  Carver, 
laid  claim  to  nearly  one  hundred  sijuare  miles  of  land, 
situated  in  what  is  now  Northern  Wisconsin,  and  in  the 
present  State  of  Minnesota.  A  ratification  of  his  title 
was  actually  solicited  from  the  king  and  council,  but 
was  not  conceded.  The  representati'ves  of  Carver, 
after  a  change  of  government  had  bought  these  lands 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  asked 
Congress  for  a  confirmation  of  this  title,  which  was 
refused.  Many  of  the  early  maps  of  the  country  con- 
tain delineations  of  the  so-called  "  Carver's  Grant." 

By  the  treaty  of  1783,  with  Great  Britain,  the 
country  east  of  the  Mississippi,  including  all  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin,  be- 
came territory  of  the  United  States.  Possession, 
however,  was  arbitrarily  continued  by  the  British,  of 
all  the  Northwest,  until  after  the  treaty  of  179.5. 
During  the  next  Summer,  the  ports  in  the  West,  none 
of  which  were  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin,  were  deliv- 
ered into  the  keeping  of  the  United  States.  Thus  the 
supremacy  over  this  region,  both  military  and  civil, 
of  Great  Britain,  was,  after  an  actual  continuance  of 
thirty-five  years,  brought  to  an  end.  But  the  au- 
thority of  the  Uiiited  States  over  the  settlements  of 
Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien,  was,  for  several  years 
after,  only  constructive.  The  people  remained  a  law 
unto  themselves. 

EXPLORATIONS   OF    NORTHWESTERN   WISCONSIN. 

It  was  nearly  seven  years  after  Joliet  and  his  com- 
panions had  floated  down  the  Mississippi  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  as  is  related  in  the  foregoing 
pages,  before  the  great  river  was  explored  above  that 
point.  In  the  earl}^  part  of  1680,  La  Salle  was  upon 
the  Illinois,  and  being  anxious  to  have  the  last  men- 
tioned stream  examined  to  its  confluence  with  the 
parent  river,  and  also  desirous  of  having  the  Upper 
Mississsippi  explored  above  the  point  where  Joliet  first 
floated  out  upon  its  broad  surface, —  one  Michel  Accau 
was  sent  on  the  expedition.  With  him  was  also  sent 
Antoine  Auguel.  The  Rev.  Father  Louis  Hennepin  a 
Recollect  friar,  volunteered  to  go  with  the  party,  and 
he  became  its  historian,  arrogating  to  himself,  however, 
the  chief  honors  of  tlie  enterprise.  Accau  left  La  Salle 
on  the  11th  of  April,  1680,  "  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,"  says  Plennepin.  Proceeding  down  the 
Illinois  and  up  the  Mississippi,  we  let  the  Recollect 
missionary  give  a  description  of  the  great  river,  begin- 
ning just  before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin. 

"On  the  eastern  side  you  meet  first  an  inconsiderable 
river,  and  then  further  on  another,  called  by  the  Indians 
Guisconsin,  or  Wisconsin,  which  comes  from  the  east  and 
east-northeast.  Sixty  leagues  up  you  leave  it  (the  ^Viscon- 
sin),  and  make  a  portage  of  half  a  league  to  reach  the  Bay 
of  the  Puants  (Green  Bay)  by  another  river  (the  Fox), 
which,  near  its  source,  meanders  most  curiously.  It  (the 
Wisconsin)  is  almost  as  broad  as  the  river  Seignelay,  or 
Islinois  (Illinois),  and  empties  into  the  river  Colbert  (Mis- 
sissippi), a  hundred  leagues  above  the  river  Seignelay. 


"  Twenty-four  leagues  above,  you  come  to  the  Black 
River  called  by  the  Nadouessious,  or  Islati,  Chabadeba,  or 
Chabaoudeba,  it  seems  inconsiderable.  Thirty  leagues 
higher  up,  you  find  the  lake  of  Tears  (Lake  Pepin),  which 
we  so  named,  because  the  Indians  who  had  taken  us,  wish- 
ing to  kill  us,  some  of  them  wept  the  whole  night,  to  induce 
the  others  to  consent  to  our  death.  This  lake  which  is 
formed  by  the  river  Colbert,  is  seven  leagues  long,  and 
about  four  wide;  there  is  no  considerable  current  in  the 
middle  that  we  could  perceive,  but  only  at  its  entrance  and 
exit.  Half  a  league  below  the  lake  of  Tears,  on  the  south 
side,  is  Buffalo  River  (the  Chippewa),  full  of  turtles.  It  is 
so  called  by  the  Indians  on  account  of  the  numbers  of 
buffalo  found  there.  We  followed  it  for  ten  or  twelve 
leagues  ;  it  empties  with  rapidity  into  the  river  Colbert,  but 
as  you  ascend  it,  it  is  always  gentle  and  free  from  rapids. 
It  is  skirted  by  mountains,  far  enough  off  in  some  places 
to  form  prairies.  The  mouth  is  wooded  on  both  sides, 
and  is  full  as  wide  as  that  of  the  Seignelay  (Illinois). 

"  Forty  leagues  above  is  a  river  full  of  rapids,  by 
which,  striking  northwest,  you  can  proceed  to  Lake  Conde 
(Lake  Superior),  as  far  as  Minissakouat  River  (the  St. 
Louis),  which  empties  into  that  lake.  This  first  river  is 
called  Tomb  River  (the  St.  Croix),  because  the  Issati  left 
there  the  body  of  one  of  their  warriors,  killed  by  a  rattle- 
snake, on  whom  according  to  their  custom,  I  put  a  blanket. 
This  act  of  humanity  gained  me  much  importance  by  the 
gratitude  displayed  by  the  men  of  the  deceased's  tribe,  in 
a  great  banquet  which  they  gave  me  in  their  country,  and 
to  which  more  than  a  hundred  Indians  were  invited." 

This  account,  written  in  1682  and  given  to  the 
world  the  next  year,  is  the  first  description  ever  printed 
of  the  western  partof  .what  is  now  Wisconsin,  extend- 
ing from  the  southwest  corner  of  the  State  to  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  and  up  that  river  and  down  the 
St.  Louis  to  Lake  Superior — the  whole,  it  will  be 
seen,  of  the  west  side  of  the  State  ;  though  mere  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  part  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Croix.  Hennepin's  account  of  the  voyage  is  veiy  full. 
He  gives  a  narrative  of  his  party  being  taken  prisoners 
by  the  Sioux  and  of  the  journey  to  the  villages  of 
these  savages ;  how  he  and  his  companions  were 
treated  by  them;  and  how,  finally,  he  was  rescued 
from  captivity  by  Du  Luth. 

The  narrative  of  the  last  mentioned  (Daniel  Grey- 
solon  Du  Lhut  was  his  real  name)  is  of  interest  as  it 
mentions  the  descent  of  the  St.  Croix  River — the  first 
time  a  white  man  ever  floated  upon  that  stream.  He 
and  his  companions  were  the  first  civilized  men  who 
traveled  in  canoes  (by  making  a  short  portage)  from 
Lake  Superior  to  the  Mississippi.  Their  route  was,  it 
is  supposed,  up  what  is  now  known  as  the  Bryle  River 
in  Douglas  Count}'',  Wisconsin,  to  its  head  ;  thence 
across  a  very  sh.ort  portage  to  a  small  stream  emptying 
into  the  head  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Ujjper  St. 
Croix  Lake  ;  thence  across  this  lake  to  its  foot,  whence 
issues  the  St.  CroLx  River;  thence  down  that  stream  to 
the  Mississippi. 

"  In  June,  i68o,  not  being  satisfied  with  having  made 
my  [previous]  discovery  by  land  [of  the  country  of  the 
Siou.x],  I  took  two  canoes  with  an  Indian  who  was  my  in- 
terpreter and  four  Frenchmen,  to  seek  means  to  make  it 
by  water.  With  this  view  I  entered  a  river  [the  Bois  Brule 
River,  in  Douglas  County,  Wisconsin]  which  empties  eight 
leagues  from  the  extremity  of  Lake  Superior  on  the  south 
side,  where  after  having  cut  some  trees  and  broken  about  a 


52 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


hundred  beaver  dams,  I  reached  the  upper  waters  of  the 
said  river,  and  then  I  made  a  portage  of  half  a  league  to 
reach  a  lake  [the  Upper  St.  Croix  Lake],  the  outlet  of 
which  fell  into  a  very  fine  river  [St.  Croix],  which  took  me 
down  into  the  Mississippi.  Being  there  I  learned  from 
eight  cabins  of  Nadouecioux  [Sioux]  whom  I  met,  that  the 
Reverend  Father  Louis  Henpin  [Hennepin],  Recollect, 
now  at  the  convent  of  St.  Germain,  with  two  other  French- 
men, had  been  robbed  and  carried  off"  as  slaves  for  more 
than  three  hundred  leagues  by  the  Nadouecioux  themselves. 
"This  intelligence  surprised  me  so  much,  that  without 
hesitating,  I  left  two  Frenchmen  with  these  said  eight  cab- 
ins of  Indians,  as  well  as  the  goods  which  I  had  to  make 
presents,  and  took  one  of  the  said  Indians  to  whom  I  made 
a  present  to  guide  me  with  my  interpreter  and  two  French- 
men to  where  the  said  Reverend  Father  Louis  was,  and  as  it 
was  a  good  eighty  leagues  I  proceeded  in  canoe  two  days  and 
two  nights,  and  the  next  day  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
I  found  him  with  about  one  thousand  or  eleven  hundred 
souls.  The  want  of  respect  which  they  showed  to  the  said 
Reverend  Father  provoked  me,  and  this  I  showed 
them,  telling  them  that  he  was  my  brother,  and  I  had 
him  placed  in  my  canoe  to  come  with  me  into  the 
villages  of  the  Nadouecioux  [Sioux],  whither  I  took 
him,  and  in  which,  a  week  after  our  arrival  there,  I 
caused  a  council  to  be  convened,  exposing  the  ill 
treatment  which  they  had  been  guilty  of,  both  to  the  said 
Reverend  Father  and  to  the  other  two  Frenchmen  who 
were  with  him,  having  robbed  them  and  carried  them  off  as 
slaves,  and  even  taken  the  priestly  vestments  of  the  said 
Reverend  Father.  I  had  two  calumets  which  they  had 
danced  to  them,  returned  to  them,  on  account  of  the  insult 
which  they  had  offered  them,  being  what  they  hold  most  in 
esteem  among  them  to  appease  matters,  telling  them  that 
I  did  not  take  calumets  from  people  who  after  they  had 
seen  me  and  received  my  peace  presents,  and  been  for  a 
year  always  with  Frenchmen,  robbed  them  when  they  went 
to  visit  them. 

"  Each  one  in  the  council  endeavored  to  throw  the  blame 
from  himself,  but  their  excuses  did  not  prevent  my  telling 
the  Reverend  Father  Louis  that  he  would  have  to  come 
with  me  towards  the  Outagamys  [Foxes],  as  he  did,  show- 
ing him  that  it  would  be  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  French 
nation  in  a  new  discovery,  to  suffer  an  insult  of  this  nature 
without  manifesting  resentment,  although  my  design  was  to 
push  on  to  the  sea  in  a  west  north  westerly  direction,  which 
is  that  which  is  believed  to  be  the  Red  Sea  [Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia] when  the  Indians  who  had  gone  warring  on  that  side 
gave  salt  to  three  Frenchmen  whom  I  had  sent  exploring, 
and  who  brought  me  said  salt,  having  reported  to  me  that 
the  Indians  had  told  them  that  it  was  only  twenty  days' 
journey  from  where  they  were  to  find  the  great  lake  of  which 
the  waters  were  worthless  to  drink.  This  has  made  me 
believe  that  it  woufd  not  be  absolutely  difficult  to  find  it, 
if  permission  would  be  given  to  go  there.  However,  I  pre- 
ferred to  retrace  my  steps,  manifesting  to  them  the  just 
indignation  which  I  felt  against  them,  rather  than  to  remain 
after  the  violence  which  they  had  done  to  the  Reverend 
Father  and  the  two  other  Frenchmen  who  were  with  him, 
whom  I  put  in  my  canoes  and  brought  them  back  to  Mich- 
elimakinak  [Mackinaw]." 

In '1684,  Nicholas  Perrot  was  iip]iointed  by  De  la 
Barre,  the  Governor  of  Canada,  as  ("oinmandant  for  the 
West,  and  left  Montreal  witli  twenty  men.  Arriving 
at  Green  Bay  in  Wisconsin,  some  Indians  told  him  tliat 
they  had  visited  countries  toward  tlie  setting  sun, 
wliere  they  obtained  the  blue  and  green  stones  sus- 
pended from   their  ears  and  noses,  and  tliat  they  saw 


horses  and  men  like  Frenchmen,  probably  the  Spaniards 
of  New  Mexico  ;  and  others  said  that  tiiey  had  obtained 
hatcliets  from  persons  wjio  lived  in  a  house  that  walked 
on  the  water,  near  the  montli  of  the  river  of  the  Assin- 
iboines,  alluding  to  the  English  established  at  Hudson's 
Bay. 

Proceeding  to  the  portage  between  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin,  thirteen  Hurons  were  met,  who  were  bit- 
terly opposed  to  the  establishment  of  a  post  near  the 
Sioux.  After  the  Mississippi  was  reached,  a  party  of 
Winnebagoes  was  employed  to  notify  the  tribes  of 
northern  Iowa  that  the  French  liad  ascended  the  river, 
and  wislied  to  meet  them.  It  was  furtlier  agreed  that 
prairie  fires  would  be  kindled  from  time  to  time,  so 
tiiat  the  Indians  could  follow  the  French. 

After  entering  Lake  Pepin,  near  its  mouth  on  tlie 
east  side  Perrot  found  a  place  suitable  for  a  post,  where 
there  was  wood.  The  stockade  was  built  t-t  the  foot 
of  a  bluff,  beyond  wliich  was  a  large  prairie.  A  writer 
in  1700,  who  writes  of  Lake  Pepin,  makes  the  follow- 
ing statement :  "To  the  right  and  left  of  its  shores, 
there  are  also  prairies.  In  that  on  the  right  on  the 
bank  of  the  lake,  there  is  a  fort  which  was  built  by 
Niciiolas  Perrot,  whose  name  it  yet  bears."  This  was 
the  first  Frencli  post  upon  the  Mississippi. 

Perrot,  in  1685,  prevented  with  much  difficulty  the 
capture  of  his  post  by  an  expedition  of  Foxes  and  tlieir 
allies.  He  passed  tiie  Winter  of  1885-6  there,  and 
tlien  proceeded  to  Green  Bay.  A  memento  of  his 
interest  in  the  mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  is  to  be 
seen  in  the  sliape  of  a  silver  "ostensorium,"  found  not 
long  ago  in  digging  for  laying  the  foundation  of  a  house 
at  Depere,  Brown  County.  In  1688,  he  again  ascended 
the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  tlie  Wisconsin  to  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's,  returning  to  Green  Bay  by 
the  route  pursued  on  the  outward  journey.  He  was 
never  again  upon  the  Mississippi. 

In  the  year  1700,  Le  Sueur  went  up  tlie  Mississippi 
River  to  explore  some  mines  said  to  exist  in  what  is 
now  Minnesota.  "  On  the  first  of  September  he  passed 
the  Wisconsin  River.  It  runs  into  the  Mississippi  from 
the  northeast.  It  is  nearly  one  and  a  half  miles  wide. 
At  about  seventy-five  leagues  up  this  river,  on  the  right, 
ascending,  there  is  a  portage  of  more  than  a  league. 
The  half  of  this  portage  is  shaking  ground,  and  at  the 
end  of  it  is  a  small  river  [the  Fox]  which  descends 
into  a  bay  called  Winnebago  Bay.  It  is  inhabited  by^  a 
great  number  of  nations  who  carry  their  furs  to  Canada." 
Monsieur  Le  Sueur  came  by  the  Wisconsin  River  to 
the  Mississippi,  for  the  first  time  in  1683,  on  his  way 
to  the  Sioux  countrj%  wliere  he  had  already  passed 
seven  years  at  different  periods.  The  Mississippi,  op- 
posite the  mouth  of  tlie  Wisconsin,  is  less  than  half  a 
mile  wide.  From  the  1st  of  September  to  the  5th, 
our  voj'ageur  advanced  fourteen  leagues.  He  passed 
the  river  "Aux  Canots,"  which  comes  from  the  north- 
east, and  then  the  Quincapous,  named  from  a  nation 
which  once  dwelt  upon  its  banks. 

From  the  5th  to  the  9th  lie  made  ten  and  a  half 
leagues,  and  passed  the  rivers  Cacliee  and  Aux  Ailes. 
The  same  day  he  perceived  canoes  filled  with  savages, 
descending  the  river. 

Monsieur  Le  Sueur  made,  the  same  day,  three  leagues, 
passed  a  stream  on  the  west,  and  afterward  another 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


53 


river  on  tlie  east,  wliicli  is  navigable  at  all  times,  and 
wliich  the  Indians  call  Red  River. 

From  the  10th  to  the  14th  M.  Le  Sueur  made 
seventeen  and  a  half  leagues,  passing  the  rivers  Raisin 
and  Paquilenettes.  The  same  da}'  he  left  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi  a  beautiful  and  large  river, 
which  descends  from  the  very  far  north,  and  called 
Bon  Lecours  [Chippeway],  on  account  of  the  great 
quantity  of  buffalo,  elk,  bears  and  deer  which  are 
found  there.  Three  leagues  up  this  river  there  was  "  a 
mine  of  lead,"  and  seven  leagues  above,  on  the  same 
side,  they  found  another  long  river,  in  the  vicinity  of 
which  there  "  was  a  copper  mine,"  from  which  he  had 
taken  a  lump  of  sixty  pounds  in  a  former  voyage.  "  In 
Older  to  make  these  mines  of  any  account,  peace  must 
be  obtained  between  the  Sioux  and  Outagamies 
[Foxes],  because  the  latter,  who  dwell  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  pass  this  road  continually  when 
going  to  war  against  the  Sioux." 

"  In  this  region,  at  one  and  a  half  leagues  on  the 
northwest  side,  commenced  a  lake,  which  is  six  leagues 
long  and  more  than  one  broad,  called  Lake  Pei^in." 

Le  Sueur  made  on  this  day  seven  and  a  half  leagues, 
and  passed  another  river,  called  Hiambouxecate  Ou- 
taba,  or  the  River  of  Flat  Rock. 

On  the  15th  he  crossed  a  small  river,  and  saw  in 
the  neighborhood  several  canoes,  filled  with  Indians, 
descending  the  Mississippi.  He  supposed  they  were 
Sioux,  but  he  could  not  distinguish  whether  the 
canoes  were  large  or  small. 

The  part}'  was  composed  of  forty-seven  men  of  dif- 
ferent nations,  who  dwell  far  to  the  east,  about  the 
forty-fourth  degree  of  latitude.^  Le  Sueur,  discovering 
who  the  chiefs  were,  said  the'  king  whom  they  had 
s])oken  of  in  Canada,  had  sent  him  to  take  possession 
of  the  north  of  the  river ;  and  that  he  wished  the  na- 
tions who  dwell  on  it,  as  well  as  those  under  his  pro- 
tection, to  dwell  in  peace. 

He  made  this  day  three  and  three-fourths  leagues  ; 
and  on  the  16th  of  September  he  "  left  a  large  liver  on 
the  east  side,  named  St.  Croix,  because  a  Frenchman  of 
that  name  ivas  shipwrecked  at  its  mouth.  It  comes  from 
the  north-northwest." 

After  Le  Sueur  no  attempt  was  made  to  visit  the 
Upper  Mississippi  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  for 
the  reason  that  the  Governor  of  Canada  had  resolved 
to  abandon  the  country  west  of  Mackinaw,  so  far  as 
trade  was  concerned.  The  first  attempt  at  renewal  of 
the  fur  trade  with  the  Sioux  was  in  1727,  by  the  Sieur 
de  Laperriere,  who  erected  on  the  north  side  of  Lake 
Pepin  a  post  called  Fort  Beauharnais. 

Rev.  Father  Louis  Ignatius  Guignas,  missionary  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus,  left  Montreal  on  the  16th  of  June, 
1727,  to  found  a  mission  among  the  Sioux  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi. He  reached  Green  Bay  on  the  8tli  of  August. 
Tiie  record  of  his  journey  to  and  his  voyage  up  the 
Mississippi  as  given  below,  is  very  brief.  It  is  an  ex- 
tract from  a  letter  to  the  Marquis  de  Beauharnais,  for 
whom  the  fort  on  the  Mississippi,  where  the  mission 
was  located,  was  named.  After  describing  his  journey 
by  lakes  and  streams,  the  missionary  says : 

"  Forty-eight  leagues  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ouisconsin, 
according  to  my  calculation,  ascending  the  Mississip])i,  is 
Lake  Pepin,  which  is  nothing  else  but  the  river  itself,  desti- 


tute of  islands  at  that  point,  where  it  may  be  half  a  league 
wide.  The  river,  in  what  I  traversed  of  it,  is  shallow,  and 
has  shoals  in  several  places,  because  its  bed  is  a  moving 
sand,  like  that  of  the  Ouisconsin.  On  the  7th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1727,  at  noon,  we  reached  this  lake,  which  had  been 
chosen  as  the  bourne  of  our  voyage.  We  planted  ourselves 
on  the  shore,  about  the  middle  of  the  north  side,  on  a  low 
point  where  the  soil  is  excellent.  The  7i'ooii  is  very  dense 
there  [as  Perrot  also  reported],  but  it  is  already  thinned  in 
consequence  of  the  rigor  and  length  of  the  Winter,  which 
has  been  severe  for  the  climate,  for  we  are  here  on  the  par- 
allel of  43°,  41'.*  It  is  true  that  the  difference  of  the 
Winter  is  great  compared  to  that  at  Quebec  and  Montreal, 
for  all  that  some  poor  judges  say. 

"  From  the  day  after  our  landing,  we  put  our  axes  to  the 
wood  ;  on  the  fourth  day  following,  the  fort  was  entirely 
finished.  It  is  a  square  plat  of  one  hundred  feet,  sur- 
rounded by  pickets  twelve  feet  long,  with  two  good  bas- 
tions. For  so  small  a  space,  there  are  large  buildings, 
quite  distant  and  not  huddled  together,  each  thirty, 
tliirty-eiglit  and  twenty-five  feet  long  by  sixteen  feet 
wide.  All  would  go  well  there  if  the  spot  were  not 
inundated;  but  this  year  [1728],  on  the  fifteenth  of  the 
month  of  April,  we  were  obliged  to  camp  out,  and  the 
water  ascended  to  the  height  of  two  feet  eight  inches  in  the 
houses,  and  it  was  idle  to  say  that  it  was  the  quantity  of 
snow  that  fell  this  year.  The  snow  in  the  vicinity  had 
melted  long  before,  and  there  was  absolutely  only  a  foot 
and  a  half  from  the  8th  of  February  to  the  15th  of  March  ; 
all  the  rest  of  the  Winter  you  could  not  use  snow-shoes. 
I  have  great  reason  to  think  that  this  spot  is  inundated 
more  or  less  every  year  ;  I  have  always  thought  so  ;  but 
they  were  not  obliged  to  believe  me,  as  old  people,  who 
said  they  had  lived  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  declared  that 
it  was  never  overflowed.  We  could  not  enter  our  much- 
devastated  houses  till  the  thirtieth  of  the  same  month  of 
.'\pril,  and  the  disorder  is  scarcely  repaired  even  now.  Before 
the  end  of  October,  all  the  houses  were  finished  and  fur- 
nislied,  and  each  one  found  himself  tranquilly  lodged  at 
home.  They  then  thought  only  of  going  out  to  explore 
the  neighboring  hills  and  rivers,  to  see  those  herds  of  all 
kinds  of  deer,  of  which  they  tell  such  stories  in  Canada. 
They  must  have  retired  or  diminished  greatly  since  the 
time  that  the  old  voyagetirs  left  the  country ;  they  are  no 
longer  in  such  great  numbers,  and  are  killed  with  diffi- 
culty. 

"  After  beating  the  field  for  some  time,  all  re-assembled 
at  the  fort,  and  thought  only  of  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their 
labors.  On  the  fourth  of  the  month  of  November,  we  did  not 
forget  that  it  was  the  General's  birthday.  Mass  was  said 
for  liim  in  the  morning,  and  they  were  well-disposed  to 
celebrate  the  day  in  the  evening,  but  the  tardiness  of  the 
pyrotechnists  and  the  inconstancy  of  the  weather,  caused 
them  to  postpone  the  celebration  to  the  fourteenth  of  the 
same  month,  when  they  let  off  some  very  fine  rockets,  and 
made  the  air  ring  with  a  hundred  shouts  of  Vive  le  Hoi,  and 
Vive  diaries  tie  Beauharnais.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that 
wine  of  the  Sioux  was  broached ;  it  was  par  excellence, 
although  there  are  no  vines  here  finer  than  in  Canada. 
What  contributed  much  to  the  amusement  was  the  terror 
of  some  cabins  of  Indians,  who  were,  at  the  time,  around 
the  fort.  When  these  poor  [)eople  saw  the  fire-works  in  the 
air,  and  the  stars  fall  from  heaven,  the  women  and  children 
began  to  take  flight,  and  the  most  courageous  of  the  men 
to  cry  mercy,  and  implore  Us  very  earnestly  to  stop  the  sur- 
prising play  of  the  wonderful  medicine. 

"As  soon  as  we  arrived  among  them,  they  assembled  in  a 
few  days  around   the  French  fort  to  the  number  of  ninety- 

•UiiUoubteaiy  ail  error  lu  Iniiislatlon  or  priiitlin;.     II  shoiil.l  rfa<!.  44",  41  . 


54 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


five  cabins,  which  might  make,  in  all,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men  ;  for  there  are  at  most  two  men  in  their  portable  cabins 
of  dressed  skins,  and  in  many  there  is  only  one.  This  is 
ail  that  we  have  seen,  e.xcept  a  band  of  about  sixty  men, 
who  came  on  the  twenty-si-\th  of  the  month  of  February, 
who  were  of  those  nations  called  Sioux  of  the  Prairies. 

"At  the  end  of  November  the  Indians  set  out  for  their 
Winter  quarters;  they  do  not,  indeed,  go  far,  and  we  saw 
some  of  them  all  through  the  Winter  ;  but  from  the  second  of 
the  month  of  April  last,  when  some  cabins  re-passed  here 
to  go  in  search  of  them,  we  sought  them  in  vain,  during  a 
week,  for  more  than  sixty  leagues  up  the  Mississippi.  We 
arrived  yesterday  without  any  tidings  of  them.  Although 
I  said  above,  that  the  Sioux  were  alarmed  at  the  rockets, 
which  they  took  for  new  phenomena,  it  must  not  be  sup- 
posed from  that  they  are  less  intelligent  than  other  Indians 
we  know.  They  seem  to  me  more  so,  at  least  they  are 
much  gayer  and  open,  apparently,  and  far  more  dexterous 
thieves,  great  dancers  and  great  medicine  men.  The  men 
are  almost  all  large  and  well  made ;  but  the  women  are 
very  ugly  and  disgusting,  which,  however,  does  not  check 
debauchery  among  them,  and  is,  perhaps,  an  effect  of  it." 

The  subsequent  events  of  this  region  are  of  great 
interest,  but  we  are  especially'  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
movements  of  the  party  at  Fort  Beauharnais.  In  spite 
of  Guignas's  opinion  of  the  Foxes,  they  continued  to 
be  hostile,  and  in  1728,  the  year  of  this  letter,  De 
Ligneris  marched  against  them.  The  traders  had  pre- 
viously withdrawn,  to  a  great  extent,  from  Fort  Beau- 
harnais, and  Father  Guignas,  in  attempting  to  reach 
the  Illinois  country,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mascou- 
tins  and  Kickapoos,  who  sided  with  the  Foxes,  and 
remained  a  prisoner  for  five  moiiths,  narrowly  escaping 
a  death  by  torture  at  the  stake.  His  captors  then  took 
him  to  the  Illinois  country,  and  left  him  there  on  parole 
till  November,  1729,  when  they  led  him  back  to  their 
town.  Nothing  has  yet  appeared  to  show  whether  he 
then  returned  to  the  fort,  or  whether  he  made  his  way 
to  some  other  French  post.  In  1736,  he  again  appears 
on  Lake  Pepin,  with  M.  de  St.  Pierre,  perhaps  the 
same  to  whom  Washington,  at  a  later  date,  presented 
Dinwiddle's  letter.  Nothing  is  known  of  his  later 
history. 

French  traders  reached  this  point  at  intervals,  for 
a  number  of  years  thereafter — probably  until  near  the 
commencement  of  the  war  between  France  and  Great 
Britain  in  1755  ;  after  which  the  Mississippi  seems  to 
have  been  virtually  abandoned  by  the  French.  Jona- 
than Carver  was  the  first  to  ascend  the  Mississippi 
after  the  country  had  passed  under  the  control  of  the 
English.  He  visited  this  region  with  a  view  of  ascer- 
taining favorable  situations  for  new  settlements.  He 
left  Mackinaw  in  1766,  pursuing  his  journey  by  way 
of  Green  Bay  and  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  to 
the  mouth  of  the  last  named,  where  near  by  he  found 
the  Indian  village  called  by  the  French  "La  Prairies 
les  Ciiieus,"  signifying  "  Dog  Plains,"  now  written 
Prairie  du  Chien. 

"Ontheist  of  November,  I  arrived  at  Lake  Pei)in, 
which  is  rather  an  extended  part  of  the  river  Mississippi, 
that  the  French  have  thus  denominated,  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  Ouisconsin.  The  Mississii)pi  below 
this  lake  flows  with  a  gentle  current,  but  the  breadth  of  it 
is   very   uncertain,  in   some  places   it   being   upwards   of  a 


mile,  in  others  not  more  than  a  quarter.  This  river  has  a 
range  of  mountains  on  each  side  throughout  the  whole  of 
the  way  ;  which  in  particular  parts  approach  near  to  it ;  in 
others,  lie  at  greater  distance.  - 

"  About  sixty  miles  below  this  lake  is  a  mountain  re- 
markably situated  ;  for  it  stands  by  itself  exactly  in  the 
middle  of  the  river,  and  looks  as  if  it  had  slidden  from  the 
adjacent  shore  into  the  stream.  It  can  not  be  termed  an 
island,  as  it  rises  immediately  from  the  brink  of  the  water 
to  a  considerable  height.  Both  the  Indians  and  the  French 
call  it,  the  Mountain  in  the  River  [Trempealeau]. 

"  One  day  I  walked  some  miles  below  Lake  Pepin,  to 
take  a  view  of  the  adjacent  country.  I  had  not  proceeded 
far,  before  I  came  to  a  fine,  level,  open  plain,  on  which  I 
perceived,  at  a  little  distance,  a  partial  elevation  that  had 
the  appearance  of  an  intrenchment.  On  a  nearer  inspec- 
tion I  had  greater  reason  to  suppose  that  it  had  really  been 
intended  for  this  many  centuries  ago.  Notwithstanding  it 
was  now  covered  with  grass,  I  could  plainly  discern  that  it 
had  once  been  a  breastwork  of  about  four  feet  in  height, 
extending  the  best  part  of  a  mile  and  sufficiently  capacious 
to  cover  five  thousand  men.  Its  form  was  somewhat  circu- 
lar, and  its  flanks  reached  to  the  river.  Though  much  de- 
faced by  lime,  every  angle  was  distinguishable  and  appeared 
as  regular,  and  fashioned  with  as  much  military  skill,  as  if 
planned  by  Vauban  himself.  The  ditch  w-as  not  visible, 
but  I  thought  on  examining  more  curiously,  that  I  could 
perceive  there  certainly  had  been  one.  From  its  situation, 
also,  I  am  convinced  that  it  must  have  been  designed  for 
tliis  purpose.  It  fronted  the  country,  and  the  rear  was 
covered  by  the  river;  nor  was  there  any  rising  ground  for 
a  considerable  way  that  commanded  it;  a  few  straggling 
oaks  were  alone  to  be  seen  near  it.  In  many  places  small 
tracks  were  worn  across  it  by  the  feet  of  the  elks  and  deer, 
and  from  the  depth  of  the  bed  of  earth  by  which  it  was 
covered,  I  was  able  to  draw  certain  conclusions  of  its  great 
antiquity.  I  examined  all  the  angles  and  every  part  with 
great  attention,  and  have  often  blamed  myself  since,  for 
not  encamping  on  the  spot,  and  drawing  an  exact  plan  of 
it.  To  show  that  this  description  is  not  the  offspring  of  a 
heated  imagination,  or  the  chimerical  tale  of  a  mistaken 
traveler,  I  find  on  inquiry  since  my  return,  that  Mons.  St. 
Pierre  and  several  traders  have,  at  different  times,  taken 
notice  of  similar  appearances,  on  which  they  have  formed 
the  same  conjectures,  but  without  examining  them  so  mi- 
nutely as  I  did." 

No  other  explorer  has  given  an  account  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  above  the  Wisconsin  in  the  years  which 
follow  Carver's  visit  down  to  the  time  of  the  taking 
possession  of  the  country  by  the  United  States ;  but 
the  General  Government  soon  determined  to  be  placed 
in  possession  of  facts  concerning  the  Upper  Mississippi 
compatible  with  exercising  jurisdiction  over  it. 

In  the  year  1805,  Major  Z.  M.  Pike,  of  the  Sixth 
Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  was  delegated  by  his  olBcial  superi- 
ors to  "  trace  the  Mississippi  to  its  source."  He  set 
out  from  St.  Louis  in  August  of  that  year,  with  a  party 
consisting  of  three  oiBcers  and  seventeen  men.  He  was 
accompanied  by  Lieutenant  James  Wilkinson  and  Dr. 
John  H.  Robinson.  The  record  left  by  this  officer  is  so 
circumstantial  and  so  easy  of  access  withal,  that  the 
account  of  the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi  in  this 
volume  may  properly  end  here  with  a  reference  to  that 
journal.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
the  student  of  history  will  find  few  obstacles  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  work. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


55 


THE   TERRITORIAL   PERIOD. 

The  nature  and  especial  purpose  of  this  work  pre- 
cludes the  elaboratiou  of  Territorial  and  State  history. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  region  herein  described  was 
in  a  state  of  wildness  wheu  Wisconsin  was  created  a 
Territory,  and  therefore  little  of  the  business  trans- 
acted by  the  earlier  sessions  of  the  legislatures  applied 
to  the  northern  portion  of  the  present  State.  Green 
Bay  was  included,  but  that  section,  like  all  others 
treated  of  herein,  receives  detailed  attention  in  tlie  fol- 
lowing portions  of  the  work.  It  is  the  design  of,  this 
record  to  omit  those  generalizations  which  are  easy  of 
access,  and  devote  the  entire  space  to  the  elaboration 
of  county  or  local  histories.  Therefore  the  period  of 
time  embraced  within  the  years  1787-1848,  the  end  of 
Territorial  Government,  is  dismissed  with  few  words, 
and  the  subsequent  era  of  State  existence  is  not  taken 
up  at  all.  Unless  full  and  accurate  work  is  done,  the 
time  devoted  to  an  historical  record  is  valueless ;  and 
since  the  liistory  of  the  counties  includes  a  history  of 
northern  Wisconsin  as  a  vast  section  of  an  immense 
commonwealth,  it  would  be  but  a  vague  iteration  of 
facts  to  attempt  here  to  give  an  outline  sketch  of  the 
State. 

The  political  epochs  of  Wisconsin,  being  those  peri- 
ods of  distinct  jurisdiction  over  this  region  from  the 
passage  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  to  the  time  of  the 
erection  of  a  State,  are  as  follows  : 

The  Northwest  Territory  proper  (1787-1800),  hav- 
ing jurisdiction  over  all  the  lands  referred  to  in  the 
Ordinance  of  1787.  In  this  tract  Wisconsin  was 
included.     Ohio  was  set  out  as  a  State  in  1802. 

Indiana  Territory  was  formed  July  4,  1800,  with 
Vincennes  as  its  capital,  and  Wisconsin  was  under  that 
political  division. 

Michigan  Territory  was  formed  June  30,  1805.  It 
was  bounded  on  the  south  by  a  line  drawn  east  from 
the  south  bend  of  Lake  Michigan,  on  the  west  by  the 
center  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  did  not  include  Wiscon- 
sin. The  upper  peninsula  was  annexed  in  1836.  The 
State  of  Michigan  was  formed  January  26,  1837,  with 
its  present  boundaries. 

lUiuois  Tenitory  was  formed  March  2,  1810.  It 
included  all  of  the  Indiana  Territory  west  of  the  Wa- 
bash River  and  Vincennes  and  a  line  running  due 
north  to  the  Territorial  line.  All  of  Wisconsin  was 
included  therein,  except  what  lay  east  of  the  line 
drawn  north  from  Vincennes. 

Indiana  was  admitted  as  a  State  April  19,  1816,  in- 
cluding all  of  the  territory  of  Indiana  Territory,  except 
a  narrow  strip  east  of  the  line  of  Vincennes,  and  west 
of  Michigan  Territory,  lier  western  boundary. 

Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  State  April  11,  1818.  All 
of  Wisconsin  was  added  to  Michigan  Territory,  Illinois 
extending  northward  only  to  42^  30'. 

The  counties  of  Michilimackiuac,  in  the  present 
State  of  Michigan,  and  Brown  and  Crawford  —  being 
all  of  now  Wisconsin — were  formed  in  October,  1818. 
Iowa — as  much  as  was  then  ceded  to  the  United  States 
— was  attached,  for  judicial  and  political  purposes, 
June  30,  1«34. 

Wisconsin  Territory  was  formed  April  20,  1836. 
The  State  of  Wisconsin  was  created  May  29,  1848. 


Wisconsin  Territory  originally  embraced  the  area  of 
Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  a  part  of  Dakota. 
The  counties  were  Brown,  Milwaukee,  Iowa,  Crawford, 
Dubuque  and  Des  Moines,  with  a  portion  of  Chippewa 
and  Michilimackiuac.  The  jurisdiction  of  Michigan 
Territory  over  the  new  Territory  ceased  on  July  4, 
1836. 

April  30,  1836,  President  Jackson  commissioned 
Henry  Dodge,  Governor  of  Wisconsin.  The  remaining 
officers  were :  John  S.  Horner,  Secretary ;  Charles 
Dunn,  Chief  Justice;  David  Irvin  and  William  C. 
Frazer,  Associate  Judges ;  W.  W.  Chapman,  Attorney  ; 
Francis  Gehon,  Marshal. 

The  census  taken  in  1836  gave  Des  Moines  County 
6,257;  Iowa  County  5,234;  Dubuque  County  4,274; 
Milwaukee  County -2,893  ;  Brown  County  2,706;  Craw- 
ford County  850  ;  making  a  total  in  Wisconsin  proper, 
11,683,  and  in  the  entire  region,  22,214.  Under  this 
appointment  Brown  and  Milwaukee  counties  each 
received  two  Councilmeu  and  three  Representatives  ; 
Iowa  County  three  Councilmeu  and  six  Representa- 
tives, while  Crawford  two  Representatives,  but  no 
Councilmeu.  The  members  chosen  were  :  to  the  Coun- 
cil, Henry  S.  Baird  and  John  Arndt,  from  Brown ; 
Gilbert  Knapp  and  Alansou  Sweet  from  Milwaukee  ; 
E.  Brigham,  J.  B.  Terry  and  J.  R.  Vineyard  from  Iowa  ; 
to  the  House,  Ebenezer  Childs,  A.  G.  Ellis  and  A.  J. 
Irwin  from  Brown  ;  W.  B.  Sheldon,  M.  W.  Cornwall 
and  Ciiarles  Durkee  from  Milwaukee;  James  H.  Lock- 
wood  and  James  B.  Dallam  from  Crawford  ;  William 
Boyles,  G.  F.  Smith,  D.  M.  Parkinson,  T.  McKnight, 
T.  Shanley  and  J.  P.  Cox  from  Iowa  County.  Bel- 
mont, in  the  present  La  Fayette  County,  was  chosen 
as  the  seat  of  government.  October  26,  1836,  was  the 
time  of  the  first  session.  Henry  S.  Baird  was  elected 
President  of  the  Council. 

The  judicial  districts  were :  First,  Crawford  and 
Iowa,  Chief  Justice  Dunn  ;  Second,  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, Judge  Irvin;  Third,  Brown  and  Milwaukee, 
Judge  Frazer. 

Madison  was  chosen  as  the  permanent  capital — the 
seat  being  temporarily  removed  to  Burlington,  Iowa. 
At  the  first  session  the  counties  of  Walworth,  Racine, 
Jefferson,  Dane,  Portage,  Dodge,  Washington,  Sheboy- 
gan, Fond  du  Lac,  Calumet,  Manitowoc,  Marquette, 
Rock,  Green  and  Grant  were  defined  and  established. 

George  W.  Jones,  of  Sinsinawa  Mound,  was  elected 
Delegate  to  Congress. 

The  first  session  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  held  at 
Belmont,  December  8,  1836.  Charles  Dunn,  Chief 
Justice  ;  David  Irvin,  Associate  ;  John  Catlin,  Clerk  ; 
Henry  S.  Baird,  Attorney  General. 

The  second  session  of  the  first  Legislature  was  held 
at  Burlington,  now  the  county  seat  of  Des  Moines 
County,  Iowa.  Among  the  resolutions  passed  was  one 
asking  Congress  to  appropriate  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars and  two  townships  of  laud  for  a  "  University  of 
Wisconsin."  The  land — forty-six  thousand  and  eighty 
acres  —  was  subsequently  granted,  but  the  money  was 
not.  The  State  buildings  were  put  uuder  contract  in 
April,  1838.  The  ordy  cluiuge  thus  far  in  Territorial 
officers  was  that  of  William  B.  Slaughter,  for  J.  S. 
Horner,  Secretary,  which  was  made  February  16, 1837. 
June  19,  1838,  Edward  James  was  commissioned  Mar- 


56 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


slial,  and  July  5,  Moses  M.  Strong  was  appointed 
United  States  Attorney. 

July  3,  1838,  tlie  region  west  of  the  Mississippi  was 
set  off  as  a  separate  Territory,  and  named  Iowa.  Tiie 
population  of  the  eastern  or  Wisconsin  counties  at  that 
time  was  18,149. 

The  first  session  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  Madison 
after  the  re-organization  of  the  Territory  was  h&ld  on 
tlie  third  Monday  of  July,  1838.  In  September  of  that 
year,  James  Duane  Doty  was  elected  Delegate  to  Con- 
gress from  Wisconsin.  On  the  8th  of  November, 
Andrew  G.  Miller  was  appointed  Associate  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  to  succeed  Judge  Frazer  who  died 
at  JNIilwaukee,  October  18. 

On  the  2Jth  of  November,  1838,  the  Legislature  met 
for  the  first  time  in  Madison — being  the  first  session 
under  tlie  re-organized  condition  of  affairs,  but  tlie 
second  Legislature  in  reality. 

On  March  8,  1839,  Henry  Dodge  was  re-commis- 
sioned Governor  by  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
James  Duane  Doty  re-elected  Delegate  to  Congress, 
taking  his  seat  December  8,  1840.  Francis  J.  Dunn 
succeeded  iNIr.  Slaughter  as  Secretary  of  the  Territory 
Janiiarv  25,  1841,  but  was  himself  succeeded,  April 
23,  following,  by  A.  P.  Field.  On  tlie  15th  of  March, 
Daniel  Hugunin  was  commissioned  Marshal,  and  April 
27,  T.  W.  Sutherland  was  appointed  Attorney.  Sep- 
tember 13,  Governor  Dodge  was  removed  by  President 
Tyler,  and  James  Duane  Doty  appointed  in  his  place. 
Henry  Dodge  was  thereupon  elected  to  Congress  to  fill 
that  vacancy,  taking  his  seat  December  7,  1841.  Oc- 
tober 30,  1843,  George  Fio3'd  was  appointed  Secretary 
of  the  Territory.  On  the  21st  of  June,  1844,  N.  P. 
Tallmadge  I'eceived  the  appointment  of  Governor,  and 
August  31,  Ciiarles  M.  Prevost  that  of  Marshal.  April 
8, 1845,  President  Polk  re-instated  Henry  Dodge  in  the 
gubernatorial  office.  The  official  changes  tliis  3"ear 
were:  INIarch  14,  John  B.  Rockwell  as  Marshal;  July 
14,  W.  P.  Lynde  as  Attorney;  Morgan  L.  Martin  as 
Delegate  to  Congress,  to  succeed  Henry  Dodge.  On 
January  22,  1846,  A.  Hyatt  Smith  became  Attorney, 
and  John  Catlin  was  named  as  Secretary,  February  24. 
John  H. Tweedy  was  elected  Delegate, SeptemberG, 1847. 

On  the  27tii  of  September,  1847,  Governor  Dodge 
issued  a  proclamation  for  a  special  session  of  the 
Legislature,  to  commence  on  the  eighteenth  of  the 
ensuing  month,  to  take  action  concerning  the  admis- 
sion of  Wisconsin  to  the  Union  as  a  State.  The  Con- 
stitutional Convention  met  at  Madison,  December  15, 
1847.  The  Constitution  then  provided  was  ratified  by 
the  people  on  the  second  Monday  of  March,  1848.  On 
the  29th  of  May,  1848,  Wisconsin  became  a  State. 

THE   PUBLIC   DOMAIN. 

The  arbitrary  assumption  of  authority  over  the. 
region  now  known  as  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  the 
.several  peaceful  treaties  by  wliicii  governmental  title 
was  gained,  as  well  as  tlie  changes  in  national  domina- 
tion by  purchase  or  warfare,  are  briefly  given  in  the 
following-  iniragiaiihs. 

The  year  1634  witnessed  the  arrival  of  the  first 
Furopean  at  a  point  west  of  Lake  Michigan.  Jean 
Nicolet  came  hither  to  confirm  a  state  of  peace  be- 
tween the  French  and  the  Winnebago  Indians.     This 


overture  was  made  at  Green  Bay.  In  furtherance  of 
I  lie  plan,  the  Jesuits  attempted  to  ff]Uiid  a  mission  at 
La  Poinle,  in  the  present  county  of  Ashland,  on  Lake 
Superior,  in  1660.  The  French  Government  realized 
tlie  importance  of  possessing  formal  rights  over  the 
new  Northwest,  and  so,  in  1670,  Daumont  de  St. 
Lusson,  with  Nicholas  Perrot  as  interpretei-,  started 
from  Quebec  for  the  purpose  of  inviting  all  tribes 
within  a  circuit  of  a  hundred  leagues  of  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  to  meet  him  in  council  at  that  place  the  follow- 
ing Spring.  This  invitation  included  the  Indians  of 
Wisconsin.  In  accordance  with  this  request,  fourteen 
tribes,  including  the  Winnebagoes  and  Menomonees, 
assembled  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  in  Ma}',  1671. 
There  St.  Lusson  planted  a  cedar  post  on  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  loudly  proclaimed  the  entire  Northwest 
under  the  protecting  segis  of  his  royal  master,  Louis 
XIV.  This  act  not  ajipearing  sufficiently  definite,  on 
ihe  8th  of  May,  1689,  Perrot,  then  commanding  at  the 
jiost  of  Nadousioux,  near  Lake  Pepin,  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  commissioned  by  the  Marquis  de  Denou- 
ville  to  conduct  the  interests  of  commerce  west  of 
Green  Bay,  took  possession  of  the  counties  west  of 
Lake  J\lichigan,  as  far  as  the  St.  Peter  River,  in  the 
name  of  Fiance.  For  ninety  years  the  ownership  and 
dominion  over  these  lands  remained  unquestioned. 
The  white  men  who  knew  by  personal  experience  of 
this  country  were  few  in  numbers  and  devoted  to  fur 
trading  or  commerce  with  the  Indians.  No  attention 
was  paid  to  agriculture,  nor  did  the  Government  offer, 
a  suggestion  to  induce  settlement  by  men  of  humble 
birth.  A  few  grants  of  land  were  made  to  French 
governors,  or  commanders.  Within  the  limits  of  this 
State  an  extensive  grant  was  made,  including  the  fort 
at  Green  Bay,  with  exclusive  right  to  trade,  and  other 
valuable  privileges,  from  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  to 
M.  Rigaud,  in  October,  1759.  It  was  sold  by  the  lat- 
ter to  William  Gould  and  Madame  Vaudreuil,  to  whom 
the  King  of  France  confirmed  it  in  January,  1760.  at 
a  time  when  Quebec  had  been  taken  by  the  British, 
and  only  Montreal  was  wanting  to  complete  the  con- 
quest of  Canada.  The  grant  was  not  confirmed  by  the 
British  Government. 

The  victory  of  English  arms  in  Canada,  in  1760, 
terminated  French  rule  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence;  and  the  consequent  treaty  of  Paris,  concluded 
February  10,  1763,  transferred  the  mastership  of  the 
vast  Northwest  to  the  Government  of  Great  Britain. 
The  first  acts  of  .the  new  possessors  were  to  protect 
the  eminent  domain  from  those  ambitious  men  who 
sought  to  acquire  wide  estates  through  manipulation 
of  Indian  titles.  A  royal  proclamation  was  made  in 
1763,  interdicting  direct  transfer  of  lands  by  Indians. 
This  wise  policy  has  since  been  substantially  adhered 
to  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

For  many  years  maps  of  the  Northwest  contained 
what  purported  to  be  the  boundaries  of  a  grant  from 
the  natives  to  Jonathan  Carver,  covering  a  tract  nearly 
one  hundred  miles  square,  and  extending  over  portions 
of  northern  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  The  history 
of  this  giant  forms  one  of  the  most  noted  pages  in  an- 
nals of  congressional  legislation.  In  the  face  of  the 
proclamation  of  1763,  and  within  tliree  years  after  its 
promulgation,  Jonathan  Carver  made  claim  to  owner- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


57 


ship  of  this  immense  tract,  throngli  purchase  or  volun- 
tiu-y  grant  of  tiie  aborigines.  He  solicited  a  confii ma- 
tron of  his  tiile  at  tiie  hands  of  tlie  king  and  liis 
conncil.  Tiiis  was,  of  course,  deraed.  After  the 
establislunent  of  American  independence  the  represen- 
tatives of  Carver  made  application  to  Congress  for 
approval  of  the  claim.  This  has  been  repeatedly  de- 
nied. 

The  terms  of  peace  between  France  and  England 
provided  for  the  security  of  the  French  settlers  then 
upon  the  soil.  Subsequent  Indian  outbreaks  occurred 
in  the  eastern  and  more  southerly  sections  of  the  new 
Territorjs  but  Wisconsin  was  not  involved  in  any  of 
those  bloody  massacres.  The  expedition  of  Col. 
George     Rogers    Clark     to     the    Illinois    country,    in 


nii 


opene 


d    the    way  for   the    tide   of    Anglo- 


American  emigration  to  tiie  Mississippi.  At  the  term- 
ination of  the  Revolutionary  War,  Great  Britain  re- 
nounced all  claim  to  the  lands  lying  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River.  As  Clark's  expedition  was  undertaken 
under  the  auspices  of  Virginia,  tiiat  commonwealth 
laid  claim  to  the  so-called  "  Illinois  countr}'."  It  is  a 
popular  statement  with  some  writers  tliat  Wisconsin 
was  included  in  this  general  term,  and  was  therefore 
once  under  the  government  of  Virginia;  but  lietter 
authorities  maintain  that  such  is  not  the  fact.  There 
were  but  two  settlements  then  existing  in  Wisconsin  : 
Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Cliien.  These  places  were 
in  the  hands  of  French  residents,  and,  being  undis- 
turbed, were  really  under  the  authority  of  Great 
Britain.  They  so  remained,  witli  the  territory  now 
composing  this  State,  under  the  terms  of  the  definite 
treaty  of  peace  of  1783,  between  the  English  Govern- 
ment and  the  United  States,  until  1796,  at  which  date 
Great  Britain  yielded  Jier  domination  over  the  Western 
posts.  The  several  claiming  States  of  the  American 
Union  ceded  their  individual  rights  to  the  General 
Government,  at  different  periods,  ranging  from  1783  to 
1785,  therel)y  vesting  complete  title  in  the  United 
States,  so  far  as  they  could. 

A  period  is  now  reached  where  the  public  domain  is 
held  by  the  United  States  save  only  those  claims  pos- 
sessed by  right  of  occupation  by  the  Indians,  and 
which  could  not  be  gainsaid  or  ignored  by  any  nomi- 
nal assumption  of  rights  by  the  Government. 

First  after  the  Revolutionary  War  came  the  Indian 
War,  wherein  General  Wayne  distinguished  himself. 
Then  followed  the  treaty  of  August  3,  1795.  One  of 
the  terms  of  this  treaty  was  the  relinquishment  of 
title  by  the  Government  to  all  Indian  lands  northward 
of  the  Ohio  River,  eastward  of  the  Mississippi,  west- 
ward and  southward  of  the  great  lakes  and  the  waters 
united  by  them,  excepting  certain  reservations.  The 
title  to  the  whole  of  what  is  now  Wisconsin,  subject 
to  certain  restrictions,  became  absolute  in  the  Indian 
tribes  inhabiting  it.  The  Indians  acknowledged  them- 
selves under  the  dominion  of  the  United  States,  and 
pledged  themselves  to  sell  their  lands  only  to  the 
United  States.  Settlement  on  their  lands  was  prohib- 
ited white  men. 

The  several  treaties  with  the  Indians,  by  which  the 
domain  of  Wisconsin  was  transferred  to  the  Goverment 
are  cited  here  :     The  treaty  made  at  St.  Louis,  Novem- 


ber 3,  1804,  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  the 
Uni'ed  States, — William  Henry  Harrison, Commissioner 
— ceded  a  large  tract  both  east  and  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  included  the  Lead  Region  of  Wisconsin. 
The  validity  of  this  treaty  was  questioned  by  certain 
Sac  bands,  and  became  the  cause  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  in  1832.  The  treaty  at  Portage  des  Sioux,  now 
St.  Charles,  Missouri,  between  certain  Sacs  and  tiie 
Government,  September  13,  1815 ;  that  of  September 
14,  1815,  by  certain  Foxes  ;  and  that  of  May  13,  181(3, 
at  St.  Louis,  were  pledges  of  peace,  not  affecting  land 
titles,  excepting  those  involved  in  the  treaty  of  1804. 
The  Winnebagoes  of  tiie  Wisconsin  River  signed  a 
treaty  at  St.  Louis,  June  3, 1816,  confirming  all  previous 
Indian  cessions,  and  afBrming  their  own  independence. 
This  act  was  followed  by  the  Menomonees,  March  30, 
1817.  August  19,  1825,  tlie  several  tribes  in  Wiscon- 
sin defined  the  boundaries  of  their  respective  lands, 
by  council  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Tlie  Chippewas 
held  a  meeting  on  the  St.  Louis  River,  Minnesota, 
August  5,  1826,  and  specified  their  boundaries  and  also 
ratified  previous  treaties.  ,  The  Chippewas,  Menom- 
onees and  Winnebagoes  again  defined  their  bounda- 
ries by  council  at  Butte  des  Morts,  August  1,  1?27. 
The  treaties  of  August  25,  1828,  at  Green  Bay,  and 
July  29,  1829,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  determined 
disputed  points  in  the  lead-mine  cession. 

An  iinjiortant  treaty  was  made  at  Green  Bay,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1831,  between  the  Menomonees  and  the 
United  States.  The  vast  territory,  the  eastern  divi- 
sion of  whicli  was  bounded  by  tlie  Alilwaukee  River,  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  Green  Bay,  Fox  River  and  Lake 
Winnebago  ;  the  western  division  by  tiie  Wisconsin  and 
Chippeway  rivers  on  tiie  west,  on  the  north  by  the 
Fox  River,  on  tlie  east  by  Green  Bay,  and  on  the  north 
by  the  higiilands  wliicii  flow  tlie  streams  into  Lake 
Superior,  all  came  within  the  range  of  this  treaty. 
The  eastern  division,  estimated  at  two  and  a  half  mill- 
ions of  acres,  was  ceded  to  tiie  United  States.  Tiie 
tribe  was  to  occujiy  a  large  tract  lying  nortii  of  Fox 
River,  and  east  of  Wolf  River.  Their  territory  furliier 
west  was  reserved  for  their  hunting  gi-ounds,  until  sucii 
time  as  the  Government  should  desire  to  purchase  it. 
Another  portion,  amounting  to  four  millions  of  acres, 
lying  between  Green  Bay  on  the  east  and  Wolf  River 
on  the  west,  was  also  ceded  to  the  United  States, 
besides  a  strip  of  country  three  miles  wide,  from  near 
the  portage  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers  north,  on 
each  side  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  forty-eight 
miles  long — still  leaving  the  tribe  in  possession  of  a 
country  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  long  and 
eighty  broad.  The  treaty  provided  for  two  New  York 
tril)es,  granting  tiiem  two  townships  on  the  east  side  of 
Lake  Winnebago.  Tlie  treaty  of  September  15,  1832, 
at  Fort  Armstrong,  ceded  all  the  Winnebago  territory 
lying  south  and  east  of  tlie  Wisconsin,  and  Fox  River 
of  Green  Baj'.  The  Indians  were  excluded  from  tiiat 
tract  after  June  1,  1833.  The  treaty  of  October  27, 
1832,  at  Green  Bay,  ceded  to  the  New  York  Indians 
certain  lands  on  Fox  River.  The  treaty  at  Chicago, 
September  2o,  1833,  by  tiie  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and 
Pottawatomies,  conijileted  the  United  States'  title  to  the 
lands    in    southern    Wisconsin. 


S8 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


On  the  od  of  September,  1836,  the  Menomonees 
ceded  hinds  lying  west  of  Green  Bay,  and  a  strip  on  the 
Upper  Wisconsin  ;  th«  quantity  being  estimated  at  four 
millions  of  acres  in  the  Green  Bay  tract,  and  neavlj'  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand  acres  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin. July  29,  1837,  at  Fort  Snelling,  the  Ciiippewas 
ceded  all  their  lands  lying  south  of  tlie  divide  between 
the  waters  of  Lake  Superior  and  those  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  Sioux  nation  of  the  Mississippi,  relinquished 
their  claim  to  all  their  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi  and 
the  islands  in  that  river,  while  on  a  visit  to  Wash- 
ington, September  29,  1837.  The  Wiunebagoes  gave 
up  their  rights,  November  1, 1837,  at  Washington,  and 
agreed  to  leave  the  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi  within 
eight  months,  retiring  to  their  reservation  west  of  the 
great  river.  The  Oneidas,  or  New  York  Indians,  at 
Green  Bay,  ceded  their  lands  granted  them  in  1831 
and  1832,  excepting  sixty-two  thousand  acres,  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1838,  at  Washington.  The  Stockbridge  and 
Munsee^  tribes  of  New  York  Indians,  ceded  the  east 
half  of  the  tract  of  forty  thousand  and  eighty  acres 
which  had  been  laid  off  for  their  use  on  the  east  side 
of  Lake  Winnebago,  September  3,  1839.  The 
Chippewas,  by  treaty  at  La  Pointe,  October  4, 
1842,  ceded  all  tlieir  lands  in  northern  and  northwestern 
Wisconsin.  Tiie  Menomonees  ceded  all  lands  in 
the  State,  wherever  situated,  October  18,  1848.  A 
supplementary  treaty  was  made,  November  24,  1848, 
with  the  Stockbridges, — the  tribe  to  sell  the  town  of  land 
of  the  east  side  of  Lake  Winnebago.  Another  supple- 
mentary treaty,  May  12,  1854,  the  tribe  receiving  a 
tract  Iving  on  Wolf  River,  being  townships  28,  29  and 
30,  of"  ranges  13,  14,  15  and  16.  The  Chippewas  of 
Lake  Superior  ceded  their  joint  interest  with  the  Chip- 
pewas of  the  Mississippi  in  lands  lying  in  Wisconsin 
and  Minnesota,  September  30,  1854.  On  the  5th  of 
February,  1856,  certain  small  grants  were  made  by  the 
Stockbridge  and  Munsee  tribes,  at  Stockbridge,  for 
which  they  received  a  tract  near  tlie  southern  boundary 
of  the  Menomonee  River,  the  Menomonees  ceding  two 
townships  for  them.  Tiius  ended  the  Indian  title  to  all 
lands  in  Wisconsin,  excepting  some  minor  local  grants, 
and  the  title  to  the  vast  domain  became  vested  in  the 
General  Government. 

The  original  settlements  of  Green  Bay  and  Prairie 
du  Chien  were  made  on  lands  part  of  which  were 
granted  by  tlie  paternal  Governments  to  the  first  settlers. 
The  question  of  title  based  on  these  claims  came  before 
Congress,  in  1820,  by  the  revival  of  a  similar  case  raised 
to  cover  claims  at  Detroit,  in  1805,  and  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  some  seventy-five  titles  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  and  Green  Bay. 

The  ordinance  of  1787  provided  that  Congress  might 
establish  one  or  two  States  of  that  territory  lying  north 
of  a  line  drawn  east  and  west  through  tlie  southerly 
bend  of  Lake  Micliigan.  In  spite  of  this  plain  fact, 
Illinois  was  defined  in  its  present  nortliern  line,  and 
tlie  Lake  Superior  region  was  added  to  Michigan,  as 
the  "  Upper  Peninsula.''  Efforts  were  made  by  Wis- 
consin, at  an  early  date,  to  recover  wliat  was  justly  her 
riglit,  but  those  efforts  proved  unavailing. 


The  first  survey  of  lauds  northwest  of  the  Ohio 
River  was  made  pursuant  to  act  of  Congress  approved 
May  20.,  1785.  The  survey  of  lands  in  Wisconsin  fol- 
lowed immediately  after  the  cession  of  territory  by  the 
Indians.  The  first  Government  land  offices  were 
located  at  Green  Bay  and  Mineral  Point,  and  the  first 
sales  took  place  in  1835.  There  are  at  present  six 
land  offices  in  the  State.  They  are  located  at  Menasha, 
Falls  of  St.  Croix,  Wausau,  La  Crosse,  Bayfield  and 
Eau  Claire. 


Incidental  to  the  history  of  the  entire  Northwest  is 
the  record  of  the  traders  in  furs,  although  the  region 
covered  by  this  volume  does  not  contain  the  site  made 
noted  by  the  location  of  the  chief  trading  post.  Many 
sub-jiosts  were  established  throughout  tiiis  State  and 
the  adjoining  States,  especially  where  streams  and  lakes 
made  the  points  easy  of  access  to  the  dealers.  There 
is  required  here,  however,  only  a  general  sketch  of  this 
earliest  of  commercial  undertakings.  The  Northwest 
was  visited  and  explored  by  French  voyageMrs  and  mis- 
sionaries from  Canada  during  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  object  of  the  former  was  gain  ;  the  purpose  of  the 
Jesuit  Fathers  was  the  conversion  of  the  savages.  As 
earl}^  as  1624  the  traders  were  operating  about  Lake 
Huron  and  Mackinaw.  Previous  to  1679  a  consider- 
able traffic  in  furs  had  sprung  up  with  Indian  tribes  in 
the  region  of  "  Ouisconsin."  That  year  more  than  two 
hundred  canoes,  laden  with  furs,  passed  Mackinaw 
bound  for  Montreal.  The  commerce  of  the  lakes  was 
then  carried  on  solely  in  birch  bark  canoes.  The 
lightness  and  strength  of  the  little  craft  enabled  the 
French  explorers  to  make  portages  or  navigate  large 
bodies  of  waters  with  comparative  safety.  When  the 
military  possession  of  the  Northwestern  domain  passed 
from  France  to  Great  Britain,  in  1760,  the  relationship 
of  the  fur  trade  to  the  Government  changed.  France, 
as  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  these  pages,  used  the 
license  of  traders  as  a  bond  Of  fealty  to  the  king.  The 
policy  of  England  was  to  grant  exclusive  charters  to 
particular  companies.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had 
grown  rich  and  powerful  between  1670  and  1760.  Its 
success  excited  the  envy  of  other  capitalists,  and  rival 
organizations  were  formed.  The  original  company 
purchased  their  furs  at  certain  trading  stations.  The 
newer  firms  sent  out  their  voyageurs  into  ever}'  nook  of 
the  land  to  buy  up  the  furs,  or  indeed  to  catch  the 
fur-bearing  animals  themselves.  This  competition 
diminished  the  profits  of  the  business.  In  1815,  Con- 
gress prohibited  foreigners  dealing  in  furs  in  the  United 
States  or  Territories.  This  action  founded  John  Jacob 
Astor's  colossal  fortune.  Mr.  Astor  organized  the 
"  American  Fur  Company,"  he  being  the  sole  owner, 
in  1809.  In  connection  with  the  Northwest  Company 
he  bought  out  the  Mackinaw  Compan}-,  and  formed  the 
Southwest  Company.  The  War  of  1812  interrupted 
the  existence  of  that  organization,  but  it  was  revived 
in  1816,  as  an  American  institution.  Considerable 
trade  is  still  carried  on  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  but 
mainly  by  individuals. 


HISTORY    OF    ADAMS   COUNTY. 


ADAMS    COUNTY. 


NATURAL   FEATURES. 

The  region  organized  under  the  name  of  Adams 
County  lies  in  nearly  the  center  of  the  State,  is  bounded 
north  b}'  Wood  and  Portage  counties,  east  by  Wau- 
shara and  Marquette,  south  bj-  Columbia,  and  west  by 
Juneau,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Wisconsin 
River. 

The  general  surface  of  the  county  may  be  designated 
rolling.  As  the  Wisconsin  River  is  approached,  how- 
ever, the  country  becomes  broken,  offering  to  the  artist 
fine  opportunities  for  the  display  of  taste  and  skill  in 
rugged  studies.  The  famous  "  Dells"  are  partly  within 
the  limits  of  this  county,  in  the  southwestern  portion, 
and  several  of  the  grandest  glimpses  of  scenery  are 
here  obtained.  Among  these  are  "Cold  Water  Cailon" 
and  "  Witches'  Gulch,''  which  extend  back  into  the 
county  a  mile  or  more  from  the  river.  There  are  also 
"The  Devil's  Jug,"  "Ruffle  Rocks,"  "Steam-boat 
Rock"  "  Rood's  Glen"  and  other  exceedingly  curious 
and  picturesque  localities,  celebrated  not  only  in  the 
immediate  region,  but  known  to  tourists  from  all  parts 
of  the  Union.  In  the  northern  towns  the  view  along 
the  river  is  less  grand,  though  the  bluffs  are  always 
bold,  and  the  scene  ever  varied.  This  is  due  to 
the  action  of  the  water  on  the  soft  sandstone,  which 
forms  the  banks,  and  which,  by  constant  erosion, 
has  been  fashioned  into  an  endless  variety  of  forms. 
The  bluffs  vary  in  height,  from  a  gentle  ascent  from 
the  water's  edge  to  ragged  precipitous  walls  that  rise 
abruptly  200  feet  or  more.  The  county  has  but  few 
streams,  the  principal  being  the  Big  and  Little  Roche- 
a-Cri,  White  and  Grignon's  creeks.  All  these  afford 
water-power,  and  abound  in  the  common  kinds  of  fish. 
The  soil  of  the  county  is  below  the  average  for  culti- 
vation, being  quite  sandy  ;  however  in  the  southern 
part,  there  is  considerable  good  land  ;  and  this  region 
is  the  home  of  many  thrifty  and  well-to-do  farmers. 
About  50,000  acres  in  the  county  are  under  cultivation 
— the  crops  being  corn,  wheat,  rye  and  hops,  in  the 
order  of  enumeration.  The  county  suffered  greatly  by 
depression  in  hops  in  1868,  and  has  never  fully  rallied 
from  the  financial  losses.  Considerable  attention  is  being 
paid  to  fruit  raising,  but  it  has  been  attended  with 
only  medium  success.  The  greater  part  of  the  county 
is  covered  with  an  inferior  class  of  timber,  such  as  the 
oak,  ash  and  basswood,  there  being  only  a  little  pine 
toward  the  northern  end.  About  twenty  per  cent,  is 
marsh,  some  of  which  is  adapted  to  cranberry  culture, 
while  other  parts  make  valuable  meadows.  Sandstone 
is  (juarried  at  different  places  in  the  county,  but  is  used 
only  for  local  purposes.  The  population  in  1880  was 
6,741,  of  which  more  than  o,000  were  Americans  ;  the 
rest  being  Swedes,  Germans,  Danes,  and  immigrants 
from   other   European    countries. 

The  county  is  traversed  by  nn  railroad  as  yet,  al- 
though future  internal  improvements   may  bring    that 


section  of  the  State  into  closer  communication  witii 
other  counties.  At  present  Kilbourn  Citj-  is  the  chief 
depot  of  supplies,  and  is  the  outer  terminus  of  a  daily 
stage  line. 

settlement: 

The  necessity  which  induced  white  settlement  in 
Adams  County  was  the  supplyingof  food  to  lumbermen 
going  to  the  pineries  of  the  upper  Wisconsin.  A  post 
was  established  in  the  county  as  early  as  1838,  in  what 
is  now  New  Haven  Town,  less  than  two  miles  from  Big 
Springs  Post-ofiSce.  The  pioneer  who  thereby  won  for 
himself  a  place  in  historv  was  Jared  Walswortii,  a  man 
of  no  slight  experience  in  frontier  ways,  and  who  had 
served  as  engineer  on  a  Mississippi  steamer.  The  sup- 
ply post  kept  by  Walsworth  was  not  only  the  first  mer- 
cantile venture,  but  it  was  also  the  home  of  the  first 
white  woman  to  settle  here  ;  as  Mrs.  Walsworth  and 
her  family  came  at  the  same  time  as  the  trader.  He 
died  some  years  since. 

The  Walsworth  "tavern,"  as  it  was  called,  witnessed 
the  birth  of  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  territory 
named.  The  name  of  this  noteworthy  child  is  J.  S. 
W.  Pardee,  son  of  George  Pardee  ;  and  the  year  of  the 
event  was  1843. 

George  Stowell,  in  the  employ  of  Walsworth  origin- 
ally, claims  the  honor  of  having  first  settled  upon  land 
in  the  county  in  1844.  His  frame  "  shanty"  was  put 
up  in  the  town  of  New  Haven,  and  there  he  began  the 
cultivation  of  a  small  tract  of  land.  In  1845  Amos 
Landt,  Judge  Smith,  Robert  Ramse}'  and  his  three 
sons,  "Uncle"  Ward  and  a  man  named  Winchell  be- 
came "squatters"  in  tlie  same  town,  near  what  is  now 
Big  Springs  Post-office.  They  tilled  the  soil  and  erected 
log  cabins. 

Tiie  Territorial  road  from  Milwaukee  to  Stevens 
Point  passed  through  Adams  County,  and  upon  this 
highway,  in  1845,  William  Sylvester  opened  a  supply 
post  combined  with  a  "  tavern,"  at  what  is  now  Grand 
Marsh  Post-office.  Soon  afterwards  one  Strong  began 
a  similar  enterprise  on  tlie  Big  Roche-a-Cri,  not  far 
from  Cotton's,  about  eight  miles  north  of  Friendship. 

Among  the  settlers  in  what  is  now  Dell  Prairie  in 
1849-50,  were  Thomas  Rich,  William  Davis,  Holland 
Carter,  George  Knox,  Cotterel  and  Mathews.  Wells 
Tyler  and  William  Armstrong  located  on  the  banks  of 
the  Wisconsin  in  1851.  From  the  year  1850  to  1853 
immigration  poured  into  Adams  County. 

In  1850  the  first  sciiool-house  in  the  county  was 
built.  The  site  of  this  building  was  what  is  now  known 
as  Dell  Prairie  Post-oflice.  It  was  built  bj-  Thomas 
Rich,  who  hired  Lewis  Carter  as  teacher  at  $12  and 
board  per  month,  and  invited  the  neighbors  to  send  in 
their  children. 

Rev.  Anderson  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the 
county,  in  1852,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Rich,  who  paid 
him    one   dollar  a  visit.      He  afterward  grumbled    at 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  salary,  and  tlioiight  they  ouglit  to  furnisli  him 
a  conveyance.  Mr.  Rich  thereupon  bought  liim  a  horse 
for  $65,  and  told  him  to  wear  his  legs  out  in  tlie  good 
cause.  A  chui-ch  was  erected  in  1854,  at  the  Dell 
Prairie  Post-olGce,  and  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher,  a  Baptist 
minister,  was  employed  to  regularly  supply  the  pulpit. 

The  first  white  settler  who  died  was  one  Horton, 
who  was  killed  in  the  Summer  of  1850,  while  digging 
a  well. 

TJie  two  towns.  Dell  Prairie  and  New  Haven,  are 
the  best  settled,  and  the  richest  in  the  county. 

There  are  still  tracts  of  land  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  owned  bj^  tiie  State  and  General  Govern- 
ment, for  sale  at  a  low  figure.  In  these  northern  towns 
there  are  found  deposits  of  bog  iron  ore,  and  also  some 
beds  of  kaolin. 

The  fiist  newspaper  in  the  coun'ty  was  the  Adams 
County  Independent,  issued  in  May,  1858,  by  Julius  C. 
Chandler,  in  the  interest  of  removing  the  county  seat 
to  Friendship.  The  paper  was  discontinued  in  1862. 
In  1860  tiie  Adams  County  Press  was  started  by  the 
"Press  Publishing  Co.,"  under  the  direction  of  S.  W. 
Pierce. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  act  creating  the  county  of  Adams  was  approved 
March  11,  1848.  The  new  county  was  created  from 
territory  hitherto  belonging  to  Porlage,  and  embraced 
a  region  defined  by  a  line  commencing  at  the  "  north- 
west corner  of  Sauk  County,  and  running  due  north 
to  the  middle  of  the  Lemonwier  River  ;  thence  down 
the  main  cliannel  of  that  river  to  its  mouth  ;  thence 
down  the  Wisconsin  River  to  the  point  where  it  crosses 
the  north  line  of  Township  13  ;  and  thence  due  west  to 
the  point  of  beginning."  The  new  county  was  at- 
tached to  Sauk  for  legal  purposes.  This  boundary  was 
of  short  duration,  however,  ibr  by  an  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature, approved  March  8, 1879,  the  county  was  greatly 
enlarged  in  area.  By  this  act,  it  included  all  north  of 
the  middle  of  Township  15  north,  in  Ranges  2,  3,  4,  5,  6 
and  7  east,  to  the  north  line  of  Township  20  north.  At 
this  time  the  county  contained  about  1,435  square 
miles,  or  .about  919,006  acres.  By  an  act  of  March  14, 
1853,  it  was  again  enlarged,  and  made  to  include 
Townships  14  to  20  north,  inclusive,  lying  in  Ranges  2 
to  7  east,  inclusive.  By  another  act  of  the  same  date, 
it  was  organized  for  county  and  judicial  purposes  from 
and  after  the  first  Tuesday  in  April.  By  this  act,  also, 
it  was  organized  into  the  five  towns  of  Jackson,  polls 
to  be  open  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Ritchie ;  Grand 
Marsh,  voting  to  occur  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Peck  ; 
Quincy,  first  election  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  H.  W. 
Kingsbur_v  ;  Necedah,  first  election  at  the  house  of 
Thomas  Weston  &  Co. ;  Lemonwier,  voting  to  occur 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Findlay.  Town  elections  were 
ordered  by  the  act,  and  such  political  machinery'  as 
was  indispensable  to  the  comi)lete  formation  of  a 
cotfnty  was  provided  for  and  set  in  motion.  An  elec- 
tion was  ordered  in  these  several  towns  for  such  officers 


as  they  were  allowed  by  virtue  of  the  organization. 
The  county  seat  was  fixed,  for  a  term  of  five  years,  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  7,  Township  16  north, 
of  Range  5  east — the  village  of  Quincy.  The  county 
was,  by  the  same  act,  made  part  of  the  third  judicial 
district.  The  election,  which  occurred  on  the  first 
Tuesday  of  April,  resulted  in  the  selection  of  E.  S. 
Miner,  County  Judge;  W.  J.  Sayers,  Sheriff;  S.  G. 
Holbrook,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  also  County 
Treasurer;  W.  H.  Sjiain,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors ;  William  H.  Palmer,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  D.  A. 
Bigelow,  District  Attorney;  Caleb  McAithiir,  County 
Surveyor;  and  W.  I.  Webster,  Coroner.  Tiie  Board  of 
Canvassers,  which  was  composed  of  the  Chairman  of 
the  County  Board,  assisted  by  two  Justices  of  the  Peace, 
decided  that  H.  G.  Holbrook  could  not  legallv  hold 
two  offices,  and  accordingly  declared  the  office  of 
treasurer  vacant,  and  appointed  to  that  position  Daniel 
Young.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  board  in  August, 
1853,  Stillnian  Niles  gave  bond  to  furnish  a  court-room 
and  three  office  rooms  for  the  county.  The  Legislature 
passed  an  act,  approved  March  8, 1855,  authorizing  the 
people  to  submit  the  question  of  still  another  division 
of  the  county  to  a  popular  vote.  The  measure  created 
an  intense  feeling,  and  the  question  was  fought  with 
considerable  bitterness.  Those  in  favor  of  division  pre- 
vailed in  the  contest,  and  the  Wisconsin  River  became 
the  western  boundary  of  Adams,  and  the  new  county 
of  Juneau  was  formed.  Tiie  latter  county  remained 
attached  to  Adams  for  judicial  purposes.  By  this  di- 
vision the  county  seat  was  left  on  the  western  boun- 
dary of  the  county,  and  was  distasteful  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  citizens.  As  an  outgrowth  of  this  feeling,  the 
Legislature,  by  an  act  approved  March  24, 1858,  allowed 
the  people  to  vote  on  the  removal  of  the  capital  from 
Quincy  to  the  village  of  Fiiendship.  The  vote  resulted 
in  a  majority  of  155  for  removal,  and  in  January  fol- 
lowing, the  books  and  records  were  taken  to  Friend- 
ship, where  they  have  since  remained.  Adams  County 
was  named  in  honor  of  President  John  Adams,  second 
President  of  the  United  States.  The  present  subdi- 
vision comprises  the  organized  towns  of  Adams,  Big 
Flats,  Dell  Prairie,  Easton,  Jackson,  Leola,  Lincoln, 
Monroe,  New  Chester,  New  Haven,  Preston,  Quincy, 
Richfield,   Rome,  Springville,  Strong's   Prairie. 

FRIENDSHIP. 

The  county  seat  is  Friendship,  situated  on  Section  5,  in 
the  town  of  Adams.  This  point  was  first  settled  in  1856, 
by  people  from  Friendship,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  vil- 
lage has  a  population  of  about  400,  who  are  engaged  in  the 
various  industries  tributary  to  an  agricultural  region.  The 
l)ublic  buildings  are  the  court-house,  a  frame  building, 
thirty-two  by  forty-six  feet,  two  stories  high,  having  a  stone 
fire-proof  vault;  a  fine  two-story  school-liouse,  thirty  by 
forty-six  feet ;  and  a  good  church  building,  erected  by  the 
Congregational  society,  and  jointly  occupied  by  that  and 
the  Methodist  society.  Friendship  is  the  largest  village  m 
the  county,  h  daily  stage  runs  between  this  place  and 
Kilbourn  City,  on  tlieSt.  Paiil  Railway,  in  Columbia  County. 


HISTORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


ASH  LA  ND     COUNTY 


Ashland  County,  like  Douglas  and  Bayfield,  has 
been  a  part  of  Michilimackinac,  Chippewa,  Crawford, 
St.  Croix  and  La  Pointe  counties,  being  set  off  from 
the  latter  March  27,  1860. 

Its  coast  line  on  Lake  Michigan  extends  from 
Range  5  west,  to  Range  1  east,  including  the  Apostle 
Islands,  the  boundary  extending  from  thence  south  on 
the  township  line  between  Ranges  1  and  2  east,  to  the 
township  line  between  Townships  40  and  41  north, 
thence  west  to  the  range  line  between  Ranges  9  and 
10  west;  thence  north  to  the  range  line  between 
Townships  4'2  and  3 ;  thence  east  to  the  range  line 
lietween  Ranges  4  and  5  west ;  thence  north  to  the 
liead  of  Ashland  Bay  in  Township  47  west,  including 
forty-eight  townships. 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  generally  level,  tliough 
it  is  Ijroken  by  the  iron  and  copper  ranges,  which  at- 
tain an  elevation  of  nearly  1,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  t'.ie  lake.  The  timber  consists  of  pine  and 
many  other  vai'ieties  of  trees.  The  soil  is  varied, 
marl  and  sandy  loam  in  the  interior,  and  red  clay  on 
the  lake  shore. 

The  Montreal,  White  and  Bad,  are  the  principal 
rivers.  There  are  also  many  spring  brooks  and  several 
lovely  inland  lakes. 

The  Penoka  iron  range  runs  southwesterly  through 
the  county  a  distance  of  over  twenty  miles — the  cop- 
per range  is  north  of  it — in  which  geologists  are  of 
tlie  opinion  that  iron  and  copper  exist  in  large  quanti- 
ties. The  name  Penoka  was  originally  Pewabic,  Chip- 
pewa for  iron,  but  through  the  poor  penmanship  of  a 
professor,  writing  of  the  range,  it  was  deciphered  Pen- 
oka. 

The  Apostle  Islands  forming  a  part  of  Ashland 
County,  have  a  heavy  growth  of  pine,  hemlock  and 
hardwood  timber.  The  group  includes  Madeline 
Island,  on  which  is  situated  La  Pointe,  the  oldest 
known  European  settlement  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 
The  early  history  of  x\shland  County  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  Lake  Superior  region.  It  was  visited  in 
the  early  days  by  Jesuits,  traders,  trappers  and 
hunters. 

THE   JESUIT   FATHERS. 

"On  the  eighth  day  of  August,  of  the  year  1665,  I 
embarked  at  Three  Rivers  [Canada],  with  six  French- 
men, in  company  with  more  than  400  savages 
of  divers  nations,  who  were  returning  to  their  homes, 
after  having  finished  their  traffic,  for  which  they  had 
roine  here."  Such  is  the  announcement  of  Claude 
AUoiiez,  Jesuit  missionai}',  of  his  starting  for  the 
wilds  of  the  distant  West,  which  resulted  in  his  estab- 
lishing the  first  Catholic  mission  within  what  is  now 
ilic  State  of  Wisconsin  —  "the  Mission  of  the  Holy 
Ghost." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  follow  Alloiiez  in  his  journey 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  up  the  Ottawa  River.     He  took 


the  usual  course  of  that  river  to  Lake  Nipissing  ; 
thence  down  French  River  to  Lake  Huron  ;  on  Lake 
Huron  to  the  strait  or  outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  But, 
from  the  time  he  reached  Lake  Huron  until  his  arrival 
within  the  present  limits  of  Wisconsin,  we  will  let  him 
describe  his  journey ;  we  will  say,  however,  that  his 
voyage  up  the  Ottawa  was  made  with  great  toil  and 
suffering,  aggravated  by  the  brutality  of  his  conduct- 
ors : 

"Toward  the  beginning  of  September,  after  having 
coasted  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron,  we  arrived  at  the 
Sault ;  it  is  thus  that  they  call  half  a  league  of  rapids  in  a 
beautiful  river  that  forms  the  junction  of  the  two  great 
lakes,  Huron  and  Superior.  It  was,  therefore,  on  tlie  2d  of 
September,  after  having  surmounted  this  Sault,  which  is  not 
a  water-fall,  but  only  a  very  violent  current  obstructed  by 
numerous  rocks,  that  we  entered  into  tlie  upper  lake,  which 
will  hereafter  bear  the  name  of  Monsieur  Tracy,  in 
acknowledgement  of  the  obligation  under  which  the  people 
of  this  country  are  to  him.  The  form  of  this  lake  is  almost 
that  of  a  bow,  the  southern  coast  being  very  much  curved, 
and  that  of  the  north  almost  a  straight  line.  The  fisheries 
are  abundant,  the  fish  excellent,  and  the  water  so  clear  and 
trans]3arent  that  one  can  see,  to  the  depth  of  six  fathoms, 
what  lies  at  the  bottom.  The  savages  respect  this  lake  as 
a  divinity,  and  sacrifice  to  it,  either  on  account  of  its  mag- 
nitude, for  it  is  200  leagues  in  length,  by  eighty  its 
greatest  width,  or  because  of  its  bounty  in  supplying  the 
fish  that  nourish  all  these  people,  in  the  absence  of  game, 
which,  in  this  vicinity,  is  very  rare.  They  often  find  at  the 
bottom  of  the  water,  pieces  of  pure  cojiper,  weighing  from 
ten  to  twenty  pounds.  I  have  often  seen  them  in  the  hands 
of  the  savages,  and  as  they  are  superstitious,  they  look  up- 
on them  as  so  many  divinities,  or  as  presents  made  to 
them  by  the  gods,  who  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  to  be 
the  cause  of  their  good  fortune;  for  this  reason  they  pre- 
serve these  pieces  of  copper,  wrapped  up  among  their  most 
precious  movables;  there  are  some  who  have  preserved 
ihe'ni  for  more  than  fifty  years,  others  have  had  them  in 
their  families  from  time  immemorial,  and  cherish  them  as 
household  gods.  For  some  time  there  was  visible  a  great 
rock  entirely  of  copper,  the  top  of  which  projected  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  This  gave  occasion  to  by-passers  to 
go  and  cut  off  pieces  from  it.  Nevertheless,  when  I  passed 
by  that  place,  nothing  could  be  seen  of  it.  I  believe  that 
the  storms,  which  here  are  very  frequent,  and  similar  to 
those  on  the  sea,  have  covered  this  rock  with  sand  ;  our 
savages  wanted  to  persuade  me  that  it  was  a  divinity,  and 
had  disappeared  for  some  reason  which  they  did  not  state. 
As  for  the  rest,  this  lake  is  the  abode  of  twelve  or  fifteen 
different  nations,  some  coming  from  the  north,  some  from 
the  south,  and  others  from  the  west,  and  all  repairing  to 
the  shores  most  appropriate  for  fishing,  or  to  the  islands, 
which  are  very  numerous  in  all  jiarts  of  this  lake.  The  in- 
tention of  these  people  in  repairing  to  this  place  is  partly 
to  seek  a  livelihood  by  fishing,  and  partly  to  carry  on  their 
little  commerce  with  each  other,  when  they  meet  together. 
Hut  the  design  of  God  has  been  to  facilitate  the  ])ublica- 
tion  of  the  gospel  to  a  wandering  and  vagrant  people. 
Having   then   entered   into  Lake   'fracy,  we  employed  the 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


whole  month  of  September  in  coasting  along  the  southern 
shores,  where  I  had  the  consolation  of  saying  the  holy  mass, 
having  found  myself  alone  with  our  Frenchmen,  which  I 
had  not  been  able  to  do  since  my  departure  from  Three 
Rivers.  After  having  consecrated  these  forests  by  this 
holy  action,  to  complete  my  happiness,  God  conducted  me 
to  the  borders  of  the  lake,  and  put  me  in  the  way  of  two 
children  whom  they  were  embarking  to  go  into  the  interior. 
I  felt  strongly  inspired  to  baptize  them,  and  after  all  neces- 
sary precautions,  I  did  so,  considering  the  danger  they 
were  in  of  dying  during  the  Winter.  All  past  fatigues 
were  no  longer  regarded  by  me  ;  I  was  inured  to  hunger, 
which  always  closely  followed  us,  having  nothing  to  eat  but 
that  which  our  fishermen  (who  were  not  always  successful), 
supplied  us  with  from  day  to  day.  We  afterward  passed 
the  bay,  named  by  the  late  Father  Menard  "St.  Theresa." 
It  was  here  that  this  generous  missionary  wintered  ;  here 
laboring  with  the  same  zeal  which  caused  him  afterward  to 
yield  up  his  life,  searching  after  souls. 

"After  having  gone  i8o  leagues  along  that  coast 
of  Lake  Tracy  which  looks  toward  the  south,  where 
it  has  pleased  our  Lord  to  put  our  patience  to  the 
proof,  through  tempests,  famine  and  fatigues  by  day  and 
night,  finally  we  arrived,  on  the  first  day  of  October,  at 
Chagouamigong,  for  which  we  have  for  so  long  a  time 
looked  forward.  It  is  a  beautiful  bay,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  is  situated  the  great  village  of  the  savages,  who  there 
plant  their  fields  of  Indian  corn,  and  lead  a  stationary  life. 
They  are  there  to  the  number  of  800  men  bearing  arms, 
but  collected  from  seven  different  nations,  who  dwell  in 
peace  with  each  other,  thus  mingled  together.  This  great 
collection  of  people  has  caused  us  to  prefer  this  place  be- 
fore all  others,  at  which  to  Rx  our  ordinary  residence,  that 
we  might  with  greater  convenience  attend  to  the  instruc- 
tion of  these  infidels  —  erect  a  chapel  there  —  and  com- 
mence the  functions  of  Christianity.  This  quarter  of  the 
lake  where  we  have  stopped,  is  between  two  large  villages, 
and  as  it  were,  the  center  of  all  the  nations  of  these  coun- 
tries, because  fish  are  abundant  there,  which  form  the 
principal  subsistence  of  these  people.  We  have  erected 
there  a  small  chapel  of  bark,  where  my  sole  occupation  is 
to  receive  the  Algonquin  and  Huron  Christians,  instruct 
them,  baptize,  and  catechise  the  children." 

Alloiiez  found  at  Ashland  Bay  (as  we  now  shall 
call  it)  the  people  formei-ly  called  the  "  Hurons  of  the 
Tobacco  nation,"  from  the  I'egion  south  of  the  Georg- 
ian Bay  of  Lake  Huron.  "They  have  been  con- 
strained," says  the  missionary,  "as  well  as  the  others 
[that  is,  other  nations,  then  at  the  bay]  to  quit  their 
country  to  avoid  the  Iroquois,  and  to  retire  toward  the 
extremity  of  this  great  lake  [Superior],  where  the 
distance  and  the  lack  of  the  chase  secures  to  them  an 
asylum  from  their  enemies.  Formerly  they  formed  a 
part  of  the  flourisiiing  churcii  of  the  Hurons  and  had 
the  late  Father  Garnier  for  pastor.  They  have  tiieir 
village  quite  near  our  residence[at  the  bay  of  Chegoime- 
gon  or  Ashland  Bay]  which  has  afforded  me  themeans 
of  undertaking  this  mission  with  more  assiduity  than 
the  others  more  distant."  The  name  of  the  bay  is 
variously  spelled:  Chagouamigong,  Chequamegan  and 
Cliegoimegan. 

The  exact  location  of  the  chapel  is  in  obscurity  ; 
one  tradition  claiming  Section  27,  and  another  point- 
ing to  Section  22,  Township  50  north,  Range  4  west, 
as  the  site.  The  range  was  unquestionably  somewhere 
witliin    those   sections,  on  the    shore  of  Pike's    Bay. 


The  mission  was  afterward  removed  to  Madeline 
Island,  near  the  present  hamlet  of  La  Pointe. 

Ten  or  twelve  petty  Algonquin  tribes  soon  assem- 
bled at  the  bay,  to  hang  on  the  war  kettle  and  prepare 
for  a  general  invasion  of  the  land  of  the  Sioux,  which 
lay  to  the  westward,  "  toward  the  great  river  called 
Messipi,"  as  the  missionary  declared.  These  Sioux 
were  first  seen  by  Alloiiez  at  the  extremity  of  Lake 
Superior — Fond  du  Lac — whither  the  father  had  trav- 
eled. He  declared  "  they  were  almost  at  the  end  of 
the  earth,  according  as  their  say."  The  expedition 
organizing  by  the  Algonqnins  at  Chegoimegon  against 
this  tribe  was  given  up  at  the  solicitation  of  Alloiiez. 
Tranquility  being  thus  insured,  the  missionarj'  adorned 
his  chapel  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  the  spot  henceforth 
called  "  La  Pointe  dn  Saint  Esprit "  or,  simply,  "  La 
Pointe"  in  the  course  of  time,  and  began  to  gather 
his  Indian  Church.  His  chapel  was  soon  an  object  of 
wonder,  and  wandering  hunters  of  many  a  tribe  came 
to  the  spot;  among  whom  were  Chippewas,  Potta- 
watomies.  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Kikapoos,  Miamis  and  Illi- 
nois. His  mission  comprised  two  towns,  —  one  inhab- 
ited by  Ottawas  the  other  by  Hurons.  He  visited  the 
Chippewas  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  and  the  Nipissings 
at  Lake  Alempegon.  It  was  thus  that  in  two  years  he 
founded  the  missions  of  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas 
and  revived  those  of  the  Hurons  and  Nipissings. 

The  Relatvm  of  1667,  says  : 

"  During  the  two  years  that  Father  Alloiiez  has  remained 
among  the  Ontaouacs,  he  has  observed  the  customs  of  all 
the  nations  that  he  has  seen,  and  has  carefully  studied  the 
means  that  may  facilitate  their  conversion.  There  is  em- 
ployment for  a  good  number  of  missionaries,  but  there  is 
nothing  for  them  to  subsist  upon;  one  part  of  the  year 
they  live  upon  the  bark  of  trees,  another  part  on  pulverized 
fish  bones,  and  the  balance  of  the  time  on  fish,  or  on  Indian 
corn,  which  sometimes  is  very  scarce,  and  sometimes  suffi- 
ciently abundant.  The  father  has  learned  by  experience, 
that,  the  fatigues  being  great,  the  labors  continual  and 
the  nourishment  light,  a  body  even  of  bronze  could  not 
withstajid  it,  consequently  it  is  necessary  to  have  at  the 
missions,  men  of  courage  and  piety,  to  labor  for  the  sub- 
sistence of  the  missionaries,  either  by  cultivating  the  earth, 
by  fishing,  or  in  following  the  chase;  who  would  Construct 
lodgings  and  erect  some  chapels  to  excite  the  veneration  of 
these  people,  who  have  never  seen  anything  finer  than  their 
birch  bark  cabins.  With  these  views,  the  father  re- 
solved to  come  to  Quebec  himself,  and  labor  to  carry 
these  designs  into  execution.  He  arrived  there  on  the 
third  day  of  August,  of  this  year  1667,  and  after  remaining 
two  days  only,  his  diligence  was  so  great  that  he  was  pre- 
pared to  set  out  from  Montreal  with  a  score  of  canoes  of 
savages,  with  whom  he  had  come  down,  and  who  awaited 
him  at  that  island  with  a  great  deal  of  impatience.  His 
equipage  was  composed  of  seven  persons  :  Father  Louis 
Nicholas,  to  labor,  conjointly  with  him,  for  the  conversion 
of  these  people,  and  one  of  our  brothers,  with  four  men,  to 
be  employed  at  the  stations  in  securing  a  subsistence  for 
them.  But  it  has  pleased  God  that  the  success  of  this  en- 
terprise should  not  correspond  with  their  good  intentions, 
for  when  there  w-as  question  of  entering  the  canoes,  the  sav- 
ages became  so  ill  humored  that  the  two  fathers  only,  with 
one  of  their  men  could  obtain  places  in  them." 

Though  forced  to  leave  their  French  companions  at 
Montreal,  the  two  missionaries  reached    their   mission 


HISTORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


63 


in  safety.  Nicholas,  however,  soon  left  La  Pointe  ;  fol- 
lowed in  September,  1669,  b}'  Alloiiez,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Father  James  Marquette. 

"Divine  Providence,"  says  the  last  named  mission- 
ary, "  having  destined  me  to  continue  the  Mission  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  Father  Alloiiez  had  commenced,  and 
where  he  had  baptized  the  principal  personages  of  the 
Kiskakonk  nation  [Ottawas],  I  arrived  there  the  thir- 
teenth day  of  September  [1669],  and  I  went  to  visit  the 
savages  who  belonged  to  the  parish,  which  is,  as  it  were, 
divided  into  five  villages."  A  war  between  the  Sioux 
on  the  one  side  and  tlie  Ottawas  and  Hurons  on  the 
otlier,  in  1671,  induced  Marquette  to  break  up  his  es- 
tablishment at  the  Pointe.  He  went  thence  to  Mack- 
inaw and  the  Jesuit  Fathers  were  never  again  seen  at 
La  Pointe. 

APOSTLE  ISLANDS. 

Madeline  Island,  on  which  is  located  the  village  of 
La  Pointe,  contains  the  oldest  settlement  in  northern 
Wisconsin ;  and,  if  we  include  the  primitive  races, 
goes  back  to  the  remotest  ages.  The  Jesuits,  includ- 
ing Father  Marquette,  located  on  this  island  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  After  living 
here  several  years,  they  finally  abandoned  the  place. 
In  1800,  M.  Cadotte,  an  old  French  trader,  settled  on 
the  island,  and  erected  fortified  dwellings,  the  location 
now  being  known  as  the  "old  Fort."  Here  he  lived 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  died  July  8,  1S37.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  present  centurj%  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company  established  its  head-quarters  here, 
on  the  soutli  side  of  the  island ;  but  the  harbor  being 
a  poor  one,  they  removed  across  the  island  to  the 
present  village  of  La  Pointe,  in  1835.  Warehouses  and 
docks  were  built.  Here  poured  in  the  trade  of  the 
surrounding  country,  and  La  Pointe  saw  its  palmiest 
days.  The  company's  buildings  were  afterwards 
burned,  and  the  place  abandoned.  Indistinct  traces 
of  these  ruins  can  yet  be  found  near  the  Catholic 
cemetery.  In  1830  the  Rev.  Sherman  Hall  established 
a  mission  here.  It  was  afterward  removed  to  Bad 
River.  On  July  28,  183.5,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Frederick 
Baraga  arrived  on  the  island.  He  says:  "I  found 
some  Canadians  and  Catholics  who  were  in  the  service  of 
the  American  Fur  Company;  also  some  half-breeds,  who 
were  civilized  and  had  been  baptized."  Bishop  Baraga 
partially  completed  a  church  by  August  29.  He  then 
celebrated  his  first  mass  in  the  imperfect  church.  In 
order  to  secure  funds  for  the  completion  of  the  edifice, 
he  left  for  Europe  September  29,1836, and  returned  Octo- 
ber 8,  1837,  having  received  by  contributions  enough  to 
finish  the  church,  which  was  effected  in  August,  1838, 
and  called  St.  Joseph's.  It  was  dedicated  September  27 
of  the  same  year.  This  building  was  demolished,  and  a 
new  church  built  and  dedicated,  August  1,  1841.  Au- 
gust 14, 1844,  Bishop  Heuni  arrived,  and  confirmed  122 
Indians.  Bishop  Baraga  continued  here  many  years, 
going  finally  to  Marquette,  where  he  died.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Chebul,  who  remained  for  several 
years.  Since  his  departure,  services  have  been  held 
mostly  by  missionaiies. 

Built  into  the  wail  of  the  present  Catholic  Church 
is  an  old  structure  supposed  to  have  been  erected  200 
years  ago.    Tiiis  supposition  is  erroneous,  as  the  church 


dates  but  half  a  century  back.  In  the  present  church 
is  a  painting,  which  is  known  to  be  200  years  old,  but 
if  one  should  judge  l)y  the  canvas  and  nails,  it  might 
date  back  several  hundred  years. 

On  March  28,  1843,  the  first  treaty  on  this  island 
was  made  at  La  Pointe  by  Robert  Stuart,  United  States 
Commissioner,  with  the  Chippewa  Indians,  whereby 
they  ceded  all  their  lands  in  Michigan  and  Wisconsin 
to  the  Government,  the  Indians  stipulating  the  right 
to  hunt  on  these  lands.  By  this  treaty  $75,000  were 
allowed  them  by  the  Government  for  the  satisfaction 
of  debts  to  the  white  men.  One  of  the  largest  items 
was  some  $27,000  to  the  Astors,  then  connected  with 
the  American  Fur  Company.  In  1854,  another  treaty  was 
made  by  Commissioners  Gilbert  and  Harriman,  wheii 
the  Indian  reservations  were  defined.  At  this  time 
La  Pointe  Indian  Agency  was  established.  La  Pointe, 
in  its  early  days,  was  mostly  governed  by  the  American 
Fur  Company.  John  W.  Bell  came  here  in  1835.  The 
population  at  that  time  was  about  2,000,  composed  of  In- 
dians, voyageurs,  traders  and  half-breeds.  Tiie  only 
persons  known  to  be  living  now,  who  were  there  at 
that  time,  are :  Jolin  W.  Bell,  Theophilus  Remilliard, 
Ignace  Roberdoux  and  Matilda  Perinier.  A  dock  was 
built  in  an  earl}'  day,  but  is  now  in  ruins.  The  village 
has  a  good  school-house  :  but  where  once  was  a  pros- 
perous, busy  little  city,  now  only  a  few  fishermen 
remain.  The  area  of  the  island  is  14,804  acres.  La 
Pointe  for  a  long  time  was  tlie  county  seat  of  Ashland 
County,  and  tlie  head  center  of  the  town  of  La  Pointe, 
Asiiland  County.  This  town  was  vacated  on  June  17, 
1879,  and  the  territory  added  to  the  towns  of  Asldand 
and  Butternut. 

Basswood  Island  has  an  area  of  1,980  acres,  and  is 
noted  for  its  brown  stone  quarries,  from  which  the 
stone  was  taken  for  tiie  Milwaukee  Court-liouse. 
Michigan  Island,  with  an  area  of  1,556  acres,  has  a  few 
farmers;  a  Government  light-house  stands  on  this 
island.  Presque  Isle,  area  10,054  acres,  has  good  stone 
quarries  ;  Outer  Island,  area  7,999  acres,  has  a  Govern- 
ment light-house  ;  Hemlock  Island,  area  1,340  acres ; 
Oak  Island,  area  5,077  acres;  Raspberry  Island,  area 
224  acres,  has  a  Government  light-house ;  Willey's 
Island,  area  350  acres,  the  fishermen  have  made  some 
improvements;  Rice  Island,  area  1,100  acres;  Bear 
Island,  area  1,824  acres;  York  Island,  area  104  acres; 
Sand  Island,  area  2,868  acres  ;  Steam-boat  Island,  area 
24  acres.  The  other  islands  are  named  Little  Steam- 
boat, Iron  wood.  Devil's,  Wilson's,  Gull,  and  Long 
Island,  upon  which  is  a  light-house.  These  islands, 
twenty-two  in  number,  contain  good  soil  for  all  kinds 
of  vegetables.  Grain  and  fruits  grow  well.  The 
islands  are  heavily  wooded  with  almost  every  kind  of 
timber  natural  to  this  latitude.  Being  surrounded  by 
water,  the  soil  is  protected  from  early  frosts.  The 
Winters  are  somewhat  warmer  than  on  the  mainland. 
Tiie  majority  contain  five  undeveloped  stone  quarries. 
The  greatest  length  of  the  islands  is  thirty-five  miles, 
and  the  greatest  breadth  twent}'  miles. 

HON.  JOHN  W.  13EI,L,  relived,  M-ideline  Island,  P.  O.  La  Pointe, 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  May  3,  1805,  where  he  remained  till  he 
was  eight  years  of  age.  Mis  parents  then  took  him  to  Canada,  where 
his  father  died.  He  had  gotten  his  education  from  his  father,  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  three  trades — watchmakMig,  ship-building 
and  coopering.     He  then  moved  to  Ft.  La  Prairie,  and   started  a  cooper 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


shop,  where  he  remained  till  1S35,  when  he  came  to  La  Pointe,  on  the 
brig  'Astor,"  in  the  employ  of  the  American  Fur  Company  as  cooper, 
for  whom  he  worked  six  months,  when  he  look  the  business  into  his  own 
hands,  and  continued  to  make  barrtls  as  late  as  1S70.  It  was  in  1S46  or 
1847  that  Robert  Stewart,  then  Commissioner,  granted  him  a  license, 
and  he  opened  a  trading  post  at  Island  River,  and  became  interested  in 
the  mines.  He  explored  and  struck  a  lead  in  the  Porcupine  Range,  on 
Onion  River,  which  he  sold  to  the  Hoston  Company,  and  then  came  back 
to  La  Pointe.  In  1854  he  was  at  the  treaty  between  the  Chippewas  of 
Lake  Superior  and  the  Mississippi  River,  and  was  appointed  Enrolling 
Ae.ent  on  their  new  reservation,  on  the  St.  Louis  River,  where  he  went, 
but  soon  came  back,  as  the  Indians  weie  not  willing  to  stay  there.  He 
was  then  appointed  by  the  Indians  to  look  up  their  arrearages,  and 
while  at  this  work  visited  the  national  c.ipital.  He  was  appointed 
County  Judge  for  La  Pointe  County,  and  held  till  1S7S.  He  was  elected 
on  the  town  board  in  iSSo.  Has  been  Register  of  Deeds  a  great  many 
years.  Has  held  most  all  the  different  county  and  town  offices,  and  at 
one  time  held  or  did  principally  the  business  for  the  whole  county. 
He  has  seen  La  Pointe  in  all  of  its  glory  dwindle  down  to  a  little  fishing 
hamlet  ;  is  now  Postmaster  at  his  island  home,  where  he  occupies  a 
house  put  up  by  the  old  fur  company.  He  was  married  in  1837  10  Miss 
Margaret  Brebant,  in  the  old  Catholic  Church,  by  Rev.  Bishop  Baraga. 
They  had  seven  chddren — John  (deceased),  Harriette  (now  Mrs.  La 
Pointe).  Thomas  (deceased).  Alfred  (now  Town  Clerk),  Sarah  E.,  Mar- 
garet (deceased),  and  Mary  (now  Mrs.  Denome). 

THE  MAINLAND. 

At  the  period  of  first  .settlement  of  Ashland,  La 
Pointe  County  had  but  one  town,  wliich  was  called  La 
Pointe;  but  outside  of  Madeline  Island  tliere  was  no 
real  estate  on  the  tax  roll,  except  perhaps  a  few  sec- 
tions around  Bayfield.  On  March  12,  1856,  a  petition 
was  presented  and  the  town  of  B.iyport  was  set  off.  Tiiis 
included  all  the  mainland.  Election  was  held  on  the 
first  Tuesday  of  April  of  tiie  same  year.  Schuyler  Goff 
was  elected  Chairman,  J.  T.  Welton  and  Asaph  Wliit- 
tlesey.  Supervisors.  The  annual  statement  made  in 
1857  siiowed  tiie  indebtedness  of  the  town  to  be  $25; 
in  1858  it  was  122.75;  and  at  that  election  $195.50 
was  levied.  The  first  bills  allowed  in  1857  were  :  Ed- 
win Ellis,  $9.25;  J.  T.  Welton,  $9;  A.  J.  Barkley, 
$5.50.  At  the  town  meeting-  in  1858,  the  first  bill  act- 
ed upon  was  that  of  Asaph  Whittlesey,  Superintendent 
of  Schools,  amounting  to  75  cents. 

The  town  of  Baj-port  organization  was  kept  up  about 
ten  years,  when  tiie  settlers  became  reduceil  in  num- 
bers, and  the  town  was  vacated. 

The  first  United  States  survey  around  the  head  of  the 
bay  was  made  in  1848  by  S.  C.  Morris,  Deputy  United 
States  Surveyor.  George  and  Albert  Stunlz  survey- 
ed around  Bark  Point  and  Ashland  in  1854-5,  though 
it  was  several  years  before  the  survey  was  completed. 
It  was  while  on  one  of  these  expeditions  that  young 
Barber,  son  of  Hon.  J.  Allen  Barber,  deceased,  of  Lan- 
caster, was  drowned  in  tlie  Montreal  River,  at  the  foot 
of  the  falls,  by  being  sucked  into  a  whirlpool. 

In  1860  the  county  was  constructed  from  a  portion 
of  the  territory  of  La  Pointe  County  in  pursuance  of  an 
act  of  the  Legislature.  The  first  election  was  held  in 
June,  1860,  and  resulted  in  choice  of  the  following  of- 
ficers :  Martin  Beaser,  Clerk  of  tlie  Board  of  Super- 
visors, Clerk  of  tiie  Circuit  Court  and  District  Attor- 
ney ;  J.  O.  Smith,  Siieriff;  Junius  T.  Welton,  Coroner ; 
Andrew  Cramer,  County  Treasurer ;  John  W.  Bell, 
Register  of  Deeds  ;  Alliert  C.  Stuiitz,  Surveyor.  The 
first  meeting  of  the  (younty  Board,  which  was  a  special 
meeting,  was  held  May  10,  1860.  John  W.  Bell  was 
elected  Ciniirman.  The  first  annual  meeting  was  held 
November  13,  1860.  A  petition  praying  for  the  vacation 
of  the  village  of  Bay  City  was  granted.     The  County 


Treasurer's  report  showed  :  State  tax  collected,  $5.93  ; 
county  tax,  $35,58 ;  town  tax,  $6.27  ;  school  tax,  $3.96  ; 
highway  tax.  $7.06.  Bills  amounting  to  $314.70  were 
reported  and  allowed.  At  this  time  the  assessed  valu- 
ation of  lots  in  Bav  City  was  $1.04;  Ashland,  2.08  ; 
Houghton,  $1.56  ;  La  Pointe,  $2.33. 

In  1867  the  county  was  divided  as  follows  :  Dis- 
trict No.  1,  comprising  all  of  the  mainland  of  the 
county  ;  district  No.  2,  the  island  of  LaPointe  or  Mad- 
eline Island  ;  district  No.  3,  comprising  the  whole 
group  of  the  Apostle  Islands,  with  the  exception  of 
Madeline  Island.  This  year  the  town  of  Bayjiort  was 
<leclared  vacated,  and  made  a  part  of  the  town  of  La 
Pointe.  July  3,  1867,  the  County  Board  ordered  a 
"good  Winter  road"  cut  through  from  some  point  on 
the  lake  shore  between  Ashhuid  and  Fisli  Creek  to 
Long  Lake  ;  from  there  to  P.ickwayuwang  Indian  vil- 
lage. At  this  time  the  County  Clerk's  salary  was  $100. 
Tiie  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  received  $25. 
Octoljer  17,  1871,  the  village  of  Ashland  was  made  an 
election  precinct.  In  1872,  $3,000  were  appropriated  to 
build  a  turnpike  road  from  Moffett's  Bridge  to  Goose- 
berry River,  and  for  the  grading  of  Main  and  Front 
streets,  Ashland,  and  sidewalks  for  same.  In  1872  the 
town  of  Ashland  was  set  off  from  La  Pointe.  Tiiat 
year  $1,000  were  aiipropriated  to  the  town  of  Ashland 
for  building  bridges  across  Fish  Creek  and  for  work  on 
Moose  Lake  road. 

Ashland  for  several  years  was  the  county  seat,  until 
the  waning  population  of  the  village  caused  the  records 
to  be  removed  to  La  Pointe,  wliere  the  seat  was  located 
till  1^73,  when  it  was  removed  back  to  Ashland. 

July  19, 1876,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  voted  $3,500 
for  the  purchase  of  lots  in  Block  72,  Vaughn's  addi- 
tion, for  a  court-house  site.  In  April,  1877,  the  Board 
adopted  the  plans  of  S.  V.  Shipraan,  of  Ciiicago  ;  and 
proposals  for  the  construction  were  advertised.  In 
September  the  contract  was  let  to  B.  F.  Bicksler.  of 
Asliland.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  October  3,  1877, 
with  great  ceremony  by  the  Masons  and  other  .societies. 
Addresses  were  made  by  Hon.  Sum  S.  Fifield  and 
Asaph  Whittlesey,  of  Bayfield.  The  building  is  now 
occupied  liy  the  count}'  oificers,  but  some  parts  remain 
unfinished.  The  edifice  stands  in  tlie  center  of  a 
block,  affording  a  fine  view  of  the  bay.  It  is  a  two 
story  frame,  brown  stone  basement,  with  dome  on  roof, 
fronting  eastward.  The  basement  is  used  for  county 
jail,  the  first  floor  for  the  county  offices,  and  the  second 
story  for  court  and  juiy  rooms.  It  is  nicely  furnished, 
and  contains  the  latest  improved  vaults.  When  com- 
pleted it  will  be  the  finest  court-house  in  Northern 
Wisconsin. 

In  1878  the  town  of  Juniper  was  organized  from 
territory  in  La  Pointe  and  Ashland  towns  ;  but  by  ac- 
tion of  the  County  Board  was  vacated  March  6,  1879, 
and  made  a  part  of  the  town  of  Butternut. 

Ajiril  9,  1878,  two  Supervisors,  John  W.  Bell  and  A. 
W.  O'Malley,  appeared  at  a  meeting  of  the  County 
Board,  both  claiming  to  be  Chairman  of  the  town  of 
La  Pointe.  Tlie  Chairman  of  the  town  of  Ashland  rec- 
ognized Mr.  Bell,  and  the  County  Clerk,  Mr.  O'Malley. 
Su[)ervisors  Wilson  and  Bell  proceeded  to  organize 
with  Mr.  Wilson  as  Chairman ;  but  the  County 
Clerk   refused   to  record  the  minutes   of  this   Board, 


HISTORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


wliereiipoii    John    McCarty    was    appointed    clerk  pro 
tern. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting  cliarges  were  i)referre(l 
against  the  County  Clerk,  and  he  was  cited  to  ap])ear 
before  them.  Failing  to  do  so,  he  was  removed,  and  E. 
F.  Prince  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  After  Mr. 
Prince  had  qualified  for  office  he  demanded  the  records 
of  Mr.  Willis,  the  County  Clerk,  but  the  latter  refused 
to  turn  them  over.  Action  was  commenced  in  the 
lower  courts  by  Mr.  Prince.  Considerable  excitement 
and  feeling  were  displa3-ed  at  this  time.  The  county 
business  was  blocked,  both  clerks  had  different  offices 
for  business,  the  books  being  divided  between  them  ; 
the  safe  was  carted  back  and  forth,  once  in  the  night 
time.  Finally  the  case  was  taken  into  the  Circuit 
Court  and  very  able  legal  talent  of  the  State  was  en- 
gaged. In  this  court  it  was  decided  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Willis.  Mr.  Prince  took  an  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
where  the  decision  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  reversed, 
and  Mr.  Prince  took  possession. 

The  county  has  furnished  the  following  members 
to  the  LegisUitnre  : 

Assembly— Asaph  Whittlesey,  1860;  Samuel  S. 
Vaughn,  1871;  Sam  S.  Fifield,  1874-5-6.  Sen- 
ate— Sam  S.  Fifield,  elected  to  fill  vacancy  1876, 
and  re-elected  in  1880. 

The  first  County  Judge  was  John  W.  Bell,  who  held 
office  till  1877,  when  Edwin  Ellis  was  elected,  and  has 
held  it  to  the  present  time. 

The  present  county  officers  are  : 

Board  of  Supervisors,  James  A.  Wilson,  Chairman, 
Ashland;  John  Boch,  of  Butternut.  Sheriff,  John  Maertz; 
County  Treasurer,  W.  R.  Sutherland  ;  County  Clerk,  M. 
J.  Hart ;  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  John  Eisner;  District 
Attorney,  J.  J.  Miles ;  Register  of  Deeds,  Ernest  H. 
Nelson ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  E.  C.  Smith  ;  Sur- 
veyor, George  Parker :   Coroner,  Ira  Eble. 

The  population  of  the  county  in  1860  was  513  ;  in 
1865,  256  ;  in  1870,  221  ;  and  in  1880, 1,559. 

Tlie  town  of  Ashland  was  organized  in  1863,  being 
erected  from  territory  once  known  as  the  town  of  Bay- 
port.  Ashland  has  received  several  additions,  at  dif- 
ferent dates,  and  in  1876  some  of  the  area  was  detached 
from  its  jurisdiction.  As  is  incidental  to  new  county 
governments,  changes  are  made  in  town  lines,  for  pur- 
poses of  convenience. 

In  1863  the  county  seat  was  removed  from  Ashland 
to  La  Pointe  ;  but  in  1872  Ashland  County  was  re-or- 
ganized, and  in  1873  the  county  seat  was  returned  to 
the  original  place.  At  the  first  town  election  after  the 
re-organization  ninet3'-three  votes  were  polled,  and  the 
result  showed  the  following  officers  elected  : 

Board  of  Supervisors,  Sam  S.  Fifield,  Chairman; 
Antoine  Perinier,  Benjamin  Armstrong.  Clerk,  N.  W. 
Goodwin ;  Treasurer,  James  A.  Wilson  ;  Assessor, 
Charles  H.  Pratt ;  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Benjamin 
Armstrong,  James  M.  Davis,  James  A.  Wilson  ;  Con- 
stables, James  McGuire,  George  Fleming,  Edwin  Snow, 
Napoleon  La  Rock ;  Overseer  of  Highways,  Conrad 
Goeltz;  Sealer  Weights  and  Measures,  R.  W.  French. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Town  Board  of  Ashland 
was  held  July  17,  1872,  at  which  meeting  committees 
were  appointed  "for  jail  building,"  "office  furniture," 
the  building  of  bridges,  grading  of  streets,  etc.   Licenses 


were  established  for  the  sale  of  beer  and  ale  at  f50, 
and  f  50  more  were  added  for  wines  and  other  liquors  ; 
bonds  required  in  the  sum  of  f2,000  under  the  State 
law,  and  #500  under  the  town  license  law.  July 
24,  same  year,  school  district  No.  1  was  organized. 
August  7,  !|620  were  appropriated  for  a  town  jail. 

In  1871  a  special  election  was  held  in  town  of  La 
Pointe,  which  then  included  all  the  territory  in  Ash- 
land County,  and  at  which  it  was  decided  to  issue 
$200,000  in  bonds  to  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad 
Company',  running  thirty  years  at  seven  per  cent.,  in 
consideration  of  $200,000  of  the  company's  stock  and 
the  building  of  the  road  through  Ashland  County. 
The  road  was  finished  and  cars  running  in  June,  1877. 
In  1880,  the  county  up  to  this  time  failing  to  meet  the 
interest  on  the  bonds,  propositions  for  a  compromise 
were  made  by  the  bond-holders,  represented  by  E.  H. 
Abbott.  Prior  to  this  time  the  railroad  stock  had 
no  market  value.  Several  different  propositions  having 
been  made  ;  and,  finally,  in  January,  1881,  the  rail- 
road stock  having  gone  up  to  twenty-five  cents  on  the 
dollar,  an  agreement  was  entered  into,  whereby  the 
whole  amount  of  the  bonds  was  to  be  returned  by  the 
issue  of  new  bonds,  called  "  county  of  Ashland  fund- 
ing bonds,"  amounting  to  $100,000,  running  twenty 
years,  at  five  per  cent.,  and  the  turning  over  of  the 
railroad  stock,  $13,000  in  cash,  and  all  the  tax  certifi- 
cates and  deeds  held  by  the  county.  At  this  writing 
$168,000  of  the  old  bonds  have  been  taken  up  and 
canceled. 

Wisconsin  Central  Railroad. — During  the  Spring  of 
1870,  a  preliminary  survey  was  run  from  Ashland  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  county.  Capt.  Rich  ran  a 
second  line  from  Penoka  Gap  to  Ashland  ;  upon  this 
second  survey  the  location  was  made  the  following 
year.  In  March,  1872,  the  contractors,  Messrs 
Stoughton  Bros.,  began  the  labor  of  construction  be- 
tween Ashland  and  Penoka.  The  work  was  under  the 
supervision  of  Capt.  Rich,  and  was  carried  on  in  the 
face  of  many  disadvantages.  Some  of  the  subcon- 
tractors were  obliged  to  give  up  their  share  and  turn  it 
over  to  the  Phillips-Colb}'  Construction  Company,  who 
were  the  builders  of  the  road,  but  who  finally  had  to 
suspend  work  on  account  of  financial  embarrassments. 
In  1873  construction  was  continued  and  the  road  com- 
pleted from  Ashland  to  Penoka.  Nothing  was  done 
in  1874  and  1875.  In  the  Winter  of  1875-6  a  new 
survey  was  run  from  Penoka  south,  and  on  Saturday, 
June  2,  1877,  five  years  from  the  day  the  first  blow  was 
struck  at  Menasha,  the  last  spike  was  driven. 

Hon.  Asaph  Whittlesey,  in  his  "  Recollections  of 
Ashland,"  said  :  "On  the  second  day  of  June,  1877, 
I  had  the  honor  of  driving  the  last  spike,  which  took 
place  at  Chippewa  Station,  amid  the  shoutings  of  a 
large  assemblage  of  people,  including  laborers  upon  the 
road,  and  in  a  few  moments  thereafter,  the  first  train 
from  Milwaukee  passed  over  the  road  on  its  way  to 
Ashland,  amid  great  rejoicing  and  demonstrations  of 
joy  over  the  victory  won.  At  Ashland,  also,  the  ex- 
citement became  intense,  and  though  it  was  late  on  a 
Saturday  evening  when  our  train  reached  the  town, 
the  illumination  of  the  place  brought  to  view  a  field  of 
faces  crazy  with  excitement  over  the  event  they  were 
celebrating.     As  for  myself,  I  confess  I  felt  very  much 


66 


HISTORY    OK    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN, 


like  saying,  '  Now,  let  tiiy  seivaut  depiut  in  jieace."  " 
The  country  tiuougli  wliicii  it  runs  in  Ashland 
County  is  very  rough.  Some  of  the  best  engineering 
skill  has  been  displayed,  the  road  being  a  difficult  one 
to  build.  Tliis  is  notably  the  case  between  Penoka 
Iron  Range  and  Ashland.  The  elevation  at  the 
"  Gap,"  where  the  road  crosses,  is  about  800  feet  above 
the  level  of  tiie  lake.  Bad  River,  with  its  wild,  weird 
scenery,  is  a  crooked  stream.  It  is  full  of  rapids,  deep 
and  dangerous  whirlpools,  and  subject  to  sudden  over- 
flows. The  road  follows  this  stream  for  seventeen 
miles,  crossing  it  seventeen  times  in  nine  miles,  requir- 
ing expensive  bridges.  The  largest  one  —  White 
River  bridge  —  is  the  largest  of  the  kind  in  tlie  world. 


the  Wisconsin  &  Lake  Superior  Mining  and  Smelting 
Co.,  commenced  work  on  "  Penoka  Range,"  with 
head-quarters  at  Ironton.  Other  prospectors  came  in 
soon  after.  Docks  and  warehouses  were  built  at  Iron- 
ton,  but  the  company  afterwards  moved  its  head-quar- 
teis  to  Ashland  ;  a  road  had  been  cut  by  tiie  company 
from  the  "range"  to  Ironton  and  one  to  Ashland. 
Tiie  cost  of  getting  provisions  to  the  "range"  was  enor- 
mous. The  company  invested  some  $2.5,000.  Mr. 
Herbert  was  first  put  in  charge,  but  was  removed 
shortly  after,  and  Gen.  L.  Cutler  given  control.  Some 
twenty  log  cabins  were  built ;  three  towns  were  platted, 
one  at  Penoka,  one  at  Lockwood,  and  one  at  the  Gorge. 
Surveys  for   a   railroad   from   the   "range"   north   and 


with  one  exception.  It  is  1,560  feet  long,  103  feet 
high,  and  cost  $140,000.  The  river  is  a  small  stream, 
with  its  banks  only  a  few  rods  apart,  but  it  runs 
through  a  wide  bottom  valley,  which  made  the  bridge 
a  necessity.  At  Silver  Creek  is  another  structure  650 
feet  long,  92  feet  high,  costing  $60,000. 

There  is  now  in  course  of  construction  the  North 
Wisconsin  running  from  St.  Paul  and  Hudson  north 
toward  Cbequamegon  Bay,  and  the  extension  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  from  Duluth  east. 

Penoka  Iron  Range  is  a  fine  undeveloped  vein  of 
iron  ore.  It  runs  east  and  west  across  the  county, 
through  Townships  44  and  45.  It  is  about  twenty 
miles  in  length.  The  range  has  been  explored  by 
eminent  geologists  and  experts,  and  valuable  veins  of 
iron  and  copper  discovered.  Samples  taken  at  random 
have  yielded  62^  per  cent,  of  iron.  The  facilities  for 
manufacturing  are  excellent.  The  immense  forests  of 
hard  maples  on  and  about  the  range  will  furnish  the 
necessary  charcoal  for  smelting.  It  is  within  easy 
access.  Lake  Superior  being  only  twenty-nine  miles 
distant.     In  May,  1857,  a  company  of  capitalists,  called 


south  were  made.  Other  surveys  and  explorations 
were  commenced  ;  a  block-house  was  built  at  Penoka 
and  also  at  the  Gorge.  The  men  who  had  charge 
of  the  compan3'^'s  interest  returned  to  Milwaukee 
in  December,  1857.  The  panic,  striking  the  company, 
left  it  in  bad  shape  financiall}-,  but  more  stock  was 
sold,  and  the  work  went  on.  At  first  the  company 
had  some  difficult}^  in  getting  possession  of  the  land. 
They  finally  came  into  full  ownership  in  1858,  but  the 
range  was  abandoned  July  1,  1858.  Since  then  very 
little  has  been  done. 

Ironton,  which  was  settled  at  the  time  of  the  iron 
excitement,  was  situated  on  the  south  shore  of  the  lake, 
one-half  mile  west  of  the  Montreal  River.  The  village 
was  platted  in  1856-7,  by  McEwan,  Herbert,  Mandle- 
baura,  and  others.  Warehouses  and  docks  were  built, 
and  the  place  thrived  for  about  four  years,  when  it  was 
abandoned. 

ASHLAND. 

Ashland  is  situated  on  a  plateau,  about  thirty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  lake,  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Che- 
quamegon  Bay.     The  village  stretches  along  the  shore  for 


HISrORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNl'\' 


07 


two  miles.  It  has  a  fine  liarbor,  large  enough  to  float  the 
heaviest  fleets.  The  village  is  beautifully  located,  is  well 
drained,  and  is  healthful.  It  is  one  of  the  prominent  Sum- 
mer resorts  of  the  State,  about  1,500  arrivals  being  reported 
in  1S81.  The  weather  is  always  cool  and  the  air  good. 
Those  persons  who  suffer  from  hay  fever  find  relief  in  this 
region. 

On  the  fifth  day  of  July,  1854,  Asaph  Whittlesey  and 
George  Kilborn  left  La  Pointe,  in  a  row  boat,  with  the  de- 
sign of  finding  a  "  town  site  "  on  some  available  point  near 
the  "  head  of  the  bay."  At  5  o'clock,  p.  m.,  of  the  same 
day,  they  landed  at  the  westerly  limit  of  the  present  town 
site  of  Ashland.  Mr.  Whittlesey  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  landing :  "As  I  stepped  ashore,  Mr.  Kilborn 
exclaimed,  '  Here  is  the  place  for  the  big  city  !  '  and  (hand- 
ing me  his  ax)  added,  '  I  wantiw/  to  have  the  honor  oi  ciil- 
iing  the  first  tree  \\\  the  way  of  settlement  ii])on  the  town 
site;'  and  the  tree  which  I  then  felled  formed  one  of  the 
foundation  logs  in  the  first  building  erected  upon  what  is 
now  known  as  Lot  2,  Block  105.  'I'his  building  was  14x10 
feet  square ;  had  but  one  door,  which  faced  the  south, 
and  but  one  window,  which  was  upon  the  north  side,  fur- 
nishing a  full  view  of  the  bay." 

Mrs.  Whittlesey  and  her  little  daughter  arrived  on  the 
1 6th  of  August.  Capt.  Moses  Easterbrook,  of  the  steamer 
"  Sam  Ward,"  invited  a  number  of  the  La  Pointe  people  to 
join  him  in  an  excursion,  September  7,  iS54,and  in  the  after- 
noon landed  at  Ashland.  The  "Sam  Ward,"  therefore,  was 
the  first  steamer  to  land  at  the  new  city. 

On  September  12,  1854,  the  second  house  built  on  the 
town  site  was  completed.  It  stood  upon  Lot  5,  in  Block  6,  and 
was  13x15  feet,  one  story.  In  this  building  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whittlesey  found  a  temporary  home,  until  the  completion  of 
the  third  cabin,  which  was  built  u])on  the  town  site  in  1854. 
Mr.  Whittlesey  pre|)ared  the  logs  for  this  building  himself, 
with  but  the  help  of  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Mrs.  Whittlesey  as- 
sisted him  in  raising  the  logs  to  the  chamber  floor  and  ad- 
justing the  joist  for  the  second  story.  It  was  built  upon 
Lot  6,  Block  6,  and  was  20x30  feet  in  size.  It  had  "floors 
of  lumber,"  a  "  front  stoop,"  "  back  kitchen,"  "  mud  oven  " 
and  "  mud  chimney."  This  house  has  quite  a  history,  be- 
sides being  the  residence  of  the  first  settlers.  The  Whit- 
tleseys  moved  into  it  in  November,  1854,  and  the  same 
month  the  first  dancing  on  the  town  site  was  done  there. 
In  this  house,  during  the  following  Winter,  the  Rev.  L.  H. 
Wheeler,  of  the  Odanah  Mission,  preached  the  first  sermon. 
In  March,  1855,  the  first  post-office  was  established  th.ere,  and 
there  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration  for  1855  was  held.  It 
was  the  birth-])lace  of  the  second  daughter  of  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Whittlesey,  in  May,  1856,*  she  being  the  first  American 
child  born  on  the  town  site.  The  first  election  of  Ashland 
county  officers  was  held  in  November,  1856.  Within  its  walls 
the  first  Sabbath  school  was  organized  by  Ingraham  Fletcher 
in  1858,  and  the  same  year  it  was  the  scene  of  a  tragedy,  in 
which  Robert  D.  Boyd  was  shot  and  killed  by  Henry  Cross, 
which  occurred  January  10,1858.  While  in  a  fit  of  intoxica- 
tion, Boyd  approached  Cross  with  a  drawn  butcher  knife,  in  a 
threatening  manner,  as  if  about  to  strike,  when  Cross  drew 
a  revolver  and  fired  two  shots,  one  entering  Boyd's  heart. 
Cross  was  arrested  and  acquitted.  Of  their  first  celebration 
of  Fourth  of  July  (1855),  Mr.  Whittlesey  gives  the  follow- 
ing description  :  "On  the  day  referred  to,  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  read  by  Asajih  Whittlesey,  and  this,  with 
the  delivery  of  an  oration  by  A.  W.  Burt,  with  singing  and 
amusements,  constituted  the  first  public  Fourth  of  July  cele- 
bration in  the  history  of  Ashland.  The  exercises  were  liad 
at  Whittlesey's  house,  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  and  ex- 
tended late  in  the  evening,  when   music  and   dancing  were 

•A  (Mary  of  (hat  dare  in  the  possession  of  .las.  A.  Wilson  Rives  tlie  ilangiiter  of 


added  to  the  festivities  of  the  day.  The  ladies  present  were 
Mrs.  Haskell,  Mrs.  Whittlesey,  the  two  Mrs.  Corser  and 
Mrs.  Farley.  The  gentlemen  present  were  J.  T.  Haskell, 
George  Kilborn,  Lawrence  Farley,  Austin  and  John  Corser, 
Asaph  Whittlesey,  A.  W.  Burt,  A.  J.  Barkley,  Adam  Goeltz, 
John  Donaldson,  Conrad  Goellz,  Andrew  .Scobie  and  Dun- 
can Sinclaire.  The  children  present  were  Eugenia  E. 
Whittlesey  (less  than  three  years  old),  George,  son  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Austin  Corser,  also  a  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  Corser,  and  William,  John,  Jose])h  and  Hattie  Has- 
kell, children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  T.  Haskell." 

Ashland  was  given  its  name  by  Martin  Beaser,  who  was 
an  ardent  admirer  of  Henry  Clay,  and  gave  the  new  town 
the  name  of  Clay's  homestead. 

Mr.  Whittlesey  was  the  first  Postmaster,  appointed  in 
1855.  The  amount  of  post  office  money  he  returned  to  the 
Government  at  the  close  of  liis  term  of  service  was  $8.53. 

When  the  petition  was  sent  to  Washington  asking  for 
the  establishment  of  a  post-office  at  Ashland,  La  Pointe 
Co.  Wis.,  there  was  another  office  by  the  name  of 
-Ashland  in  the  State  and  it  was  therefore  given  the  name  of 
Whittlesey,  which  it  retained  until  July  30,  i860,  when  the 
obstacle  to  a  change  being  removed,  it  was  given  the  name 
of  Ashland,  and  was  designated  as  being  in  Ashland  County. 

G.  L.  Brunschweiler  surveyed  and  platted  the  town  site 
of  Ashland,  embracing  Lots  1,2  and  3,  and  the  north  half  of 
the  southwest  quarter,  northwest  quarter  of  southeast  quarter 
and  northeast  quarter,  Section  5,  Town  47,  Range  4,  in  1854. 

Schuyler  Goff",  County  Judge,  entered  the  same  at  the 
United  States  Land-office  at  Superior,  under  the  laws  then 
governing  the  location  of  town  sites  on  Lake  Superior, 
December  11,  1856,  for  the  benefit  of  the  owners  and  occu- 
pants. "Asaph  Whittlesey  owned  one  eighth,  George  Kil- 
born one  eighth,  and  Martin   Beaser  three  fourths." 

The  second  family  was  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John.  P.  T.  Haskell, 
who  came  November  2,  1854.    They  left  about  a  year  after. 

Many  new  comers  arrived  during  the  first  few  years  after 
the  settlement,  aiiiong  them  Martin  Beaser,  who  located 
permanently  in  Ashland  in  1856,  and  was  one  of  its  founders. 
He  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  October  27,  1822.  He  left 
Bufalo  when  fourteen  years  of  age;  went  to  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  and  engaged  in  whaling  for  seven  years;  then  returned 
to  Buffalo  for  a  short  period  ;  went  to  Lake  Superior,  via 
Mackinaw,  by  steamer,  and  from  there  to  Ontonagon  in  a 
small  sailing  vessel ;  resided  in  that  jilace  and  was  in  the 
mercantile  business  ;  had  made  several  trips  to  the  vicinity 
of  Ashland;  finally,  in  F'ebruary,  1856,  he  with  Dr.  G.  L. 
Brunschweiler  and  two  Indians,  with  a  dog-train,  came  over 
on  the  ice  to  Ashland,  and,  with  others,  laid  out  the  village 
plat.  His  family  came  in  September,  1856.  He  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  until  the  war  broke  out,  and  was 
drowned  in  the  1  ay  while  attempting  to  come  from  Bay- 
field to  Ashland,  in  an  open  boat,  during  a  storm,  Novem- 
ber 4,  1866.  He  is  buried  on  the  island,  at  La  Pointe. 
Mr.  Beaser  was  ranked  among  the  first  settlers  of  Ashland. 
He  was  closely  identified  with  enterprises  tending  to  open 
up  the  country  ;  was  wealthy  and  expended  freely ;  was  a 
man  of  fine  discretion  and  good  common  sense;  when  others 
were  discouraged  at  Ashland's  future,  he  was  full  of  hope, 
and    stuck  to  it  till   his   death. 

Among  others  who  came  during  1855  or  a  few  years  later, 
were  Austin  Corser,  John  Corser,  Conrad  and  Adam 
Goeltz,  A.  J.  Barclay,  G.  L.  Brunschweiler,  M.  H.  Man- 
dlebaum,  George  R.  and  Albert  C.  Stuntz,  Martin  Roehm, 
Dr.  Edwin  Ellis,  Henry  Drixler,  Capt.  J.  D.  Angus  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Beaser,  Mrs.  Conrad  Goeltz,  and  John  Beck  and 
family. 

The  first  cabin  was  begun  by  Kilborn  &  Whittlesey, 
luly  5,  1854,  and  was  twelve  by  fourteen  feet  in  size;  the 
second  cabin  was  built  bv  Kilborn  &  Whittlesey,  September 


68 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


9,  1854;  the  third  by  Asaph  Whittlesey;  the  fourth  by 
Conrad  Goeltz  ;  the  fifth  by  Martin  Beaser  ;  the  sixth  by 
Myron  Tompkins ;  the  seventh  by  Lawrence  Farley;  the 
eighth  by  Charles  Halmet ;  the  ninth  by  Anthony  Fisher ; 
the  tenth  by  F'rederick  Bauman.  Martin  Beaser  bought 
the  first  yoke  of  oxen.  Two  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes 
were  raised  on  the  town  site  in  1855.  On  December  3. 
same  year,  the  steamer  "  Algonquin  "  arrived  and  left  225 
barrels  of  freight  and  70,000  feet  of  lumber.  The  first  saloon 
was  opened  by  Jonas  Whitney,  in  1856,  and  about  the  same 
time  Martin  Beaser  opened  the  first  store. 

Martin  Beaser  built  a  dock  in  the  Fall  of  1855.  In 
May,  1856,  this  dock  was  carried  away  The  steamer  "  Su- 
perior" came  into  the  bay,  saw  the  fragments  of  the  dock, 
and  instead  of  landing,  put  back  to  La  Pointe.  In  those  days 
the  steamers  "  Lady  Elgin  "  and  "  Superior  "  landed  freight. 
The  imports  in  1854  amounted  to  $981  ;  in  1855  to  $4,256. 

"Vaughn's  division  of  Ashland  "  was  pre-empted  by 
S.  S.  Vaughn,  October  25,  1856.  Bay  City  was  surveyed 
and  platted  the  same  year,  a  stock  company,  of  which  Dr. 
Edwin  Ellis  was  the  agent,  owned  the  town  site.  A  store, 
hotel  and  several  other  buildings  were  erected.  Bay  City 
was  vacated  in  i860  and  part  of  the  original  plat  restored 
in  1872.  It  was  called  "Ellis's  division  of  Ashland."  In 
the  early  days  of  Bay  City  a  dock  was  built  about  100  yards 
east  of  White's  factory,  about  500  feet  into  the  lake.  It 
was  made  of  cribs  of  logs  pinned  together  with  wooden 
pins.  These  cribs  had  no  piling;  they  were  fastened 
together  by  stringers.  On  the  morning  of  Apiil  i,  1855, 
the  people  awoke  to  find  the  ice  and  dock  had  disappeared. 
In  December,  iS55,two  docks  were  built ;  one,  the  Bay  City 
dock,  near  the  sash  factory,  and  the  other  at  the  foot  of 
Main  street.  These  docks  were  carried  away  May  i,  i8';6; 
the  Bay  City  dock  was  rebuilt,  but  during  the  Winter  of  1856- 
7  the  ice  was  too  much  for  it,  and  at  the  opening  of  navi- 
gation it  had  disappeared,  except  the  sunken  cribs,  which 
are  still  visible. 

Mineral  excitement  and  the  prospect  of  a  railroad 
brought  many  new-comers  during  1856-7  ;  but  the  gloomy 
days  of  1858-9  were  exceedingly  dark  for  Ashland  ;  and 
one  after  another  of  her  citizens  became  discouraged  and  de- 
parted—  many  going  to  Ontonagon,  Bayfield  and  La 
Pointe.  Martin  Roehm  and  wife  (who  were  the  first  couple 
married  in  the  town)  alone  remained,  and  were  the  sole  in- 
habitants of  the  place  for  a  number  of  years.  In  187  i  many 
old  settlers  returned.  The  Ashland  post-office  was  again 
established,  with  James  A.  Wilson  as  Postmaster. 

In  1872  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  began  work  at 
the  bay,  and  at  the  same  time  many  people  arrived  :  liouses 
were  erected  and  the  re-construction  of  the  city  progressed 
rapidly.  The  improvements  in  Ashland  for  the  year  1872, 
not  taking  into  consideration  the  cost  of  the  railroad  or  the 
iron  bridge  at  White  River,  amounted  to  $244,800. 

Post-office. — Asaph  Whittlesey  was  the  first  Postmaster. 
Martin  Beaser  was  appointed  his  successor.  The  office 
was  discontinued  in  1863;  was  again  established  in  1872, 
and  James  A.  Wilson  commissioned  Postmaster.  He  has 
continued  in  that  position  ever  since.  During  the  time  Mr. 
Whittlesey  was  Postmaster  mail  was  received  via  Chippewa 
Falls  once  a  week.  In  i860  the  route  w^as  from  Superior 
City  to  Ontonagon  semi-weekly.  In  1872,  when  the  office 
was  re-established,  mail  was  received  tri-weekly  via  Lake 
Superior  and  Bayfield  by  "  packers,"  but  the  Postmaster 
and  citizens  of  Ashland  were  obliged  to  arrange  for  private 
service  from  Bayfield  by  subscription.  In  1873  this  route 
was  continued  to  Ashland.  At  that  time  the  Government 
was  paying  contractors  $41.25  a  trip  from  Superior  City  to 
Ashland,  which  was  expensive,  considering  the  amount  of 
mail   received    sometimes.      The  Postmaster's    salary    was 


small;  no  allowance  was  made  for  transportation,  and  the 
people  suffered  continuously  from  vexatious  delays  until 
the  railroad  facilities  obviated  the  difficulties.  A  daily  mail 
is  now  received. 

Sclwols. — The  first  school  was  taught  in  1859,  Miss  Julia 
Wheeler  being  the  teacher.  School  was  kept  in  a  house  of 
Duncan  Sinclair,  which  is  now  occupied  by  Charles  L.  Judd. 
September  30,  1872,  the  School  Board  appropriated  $3,000 
for  two  school-houses,  one  for  Bay  City  and  one  for  Ash- 
land, the  latter  to  be  situated  on  the  corner  of  Illinois  and 
Third  streets.  The  buildings  were  finished  by  the 
end  of  the  year.  Owing  to  the  long  distance  between  them, 
another  school  was  started  in  the  middle  of  the  village  in 
1S75,  in  a  building  on  Second  street.  The  average  attend- 
ance is  about  115  scholars. 

Religious. — The  Methodist  Episcopals  organized  the  first 
Protestant  society,  and  built  their  first  church  in  1872,  hav- 
ing at  that  time  about  a  dozen  members.  The  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  W.  D.  Bennett.  He  was  succeeded  in  turn  by 
W.  G.  Bancroft,  who  officiated  until  1876,  when  Rev.  John 
T.  Cheynoeth  was  located  here  and  remained  until  1879, 
at  which  date  Rev.  Mr.  Howes,  the  last  clergyman  appointed 
to  the  charge,  entered  upon  his  pastorate. 

The  Congregational ists  organized  in  1872,  with  but  a  half- 
dozen  members,  and  chose  W.  E.  Safford  pastor.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Driemer.  As  there  was  not 
strength  enough  to  maintain  two  church  societies,  the  fore- 
going organizations  were  abandoned,  and  a  new  society, 
under  the  forms  of  Presbyterianism,  was  created,  with  Rev. 
Angus  McKinnon  pastor. 

St.  Agnes  on  the  Lake  Catholic  Church  was  established 
by  Rev.  Father  Quigley  from  Bayfield.  Work  was  begun  on 
the  new  church  in  1873,  but  it  remains  unfinished,  though 
services  have  been  held  therein  since  1877.  Father  Quig- 
ley left  in  1874,  and  was  succeeded  by  F'ather  Chebul,  who 
remained  till  1875.  After  this  date  missionary  services 
were  held  occasionally  by  Fathers  Geuin  and  Buh  up  to 
1877.  Prior  to  that  time  services  were  observed  in  private 
residences.  Father  Buh  was  the  first  priest  to  hold  serv- 
ices in  the  new  church  in  1877.  He  left  in  the  Fall  of  the 
same  year,  when  p-ather  Schuttlehofer,  who  has  charge  of 
the  missions  from  Stevens  Point  to  Bayfield,  took  charge, 
and  held  services  regularly  at  short  periods  till  1S79.  The 
mission  work  was  then  resumed  by  the  Franciscan  Brothers, 
who  have  charge  of  it  still,  in  connection  with  this  church. 
K  Sisters'  school  will  be  opened  in  October. 

Societies. — Ancient  Land  Mark  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M  ,  No. 
210,  was  organized  in  1S77,  with  the  following  charter  mem- 
bers :  Edwin  Ellis,  Sam  S.  Fifield,  Geo.  White,  James  A.  Wil- 
son, E.  C.  Smith,  T.  D.  Green,  R.  W.  French,  W.  W.  Rich, 
B.  F.  Bicksler,  James  T.  Kent,  J.  J.  Miles.  At  the  first 
election  the  following  officers  were  elected:  Edwin  Ellis, 
W.  M.;  Sam  S.  Fifield,  S.  W. ;  George  White,  J.  W. ; 
James  A.  Wilson,  treasurer;  }.  L  Miles,  secretary;  R.  AV. 
French,  S.  D.;  B.  F.  Bicksler,"j.  D. ;  E.C.Smith  and  T.  H. 
Green,  S. ;  James  T.  Kent,  tvler.  Present  officers  are; 
Sam  S.  Fifield,  W.  M. ;  W.  M.  Tomkins,  S.  W. ;  M.  J. 
Hart,  J.  W. ;  E.  H.  Wilson,  secretary  ;  R.  W.  French,  treas- 
urer.    Present  membership  about  30. 

Ashland  Lodge,  No.  263,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  Au- 
gust 8,  1881,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Michael 
J.  Hart,  J.  M.  Davis,  David  Powers,  S.  Osiander,  A.  H. 
Brooks,  John  Young,  Jacob  Beck.  The  following  officers 
were  elected  :  Angus  McKinnon,  N.G.;  Michael  J.  Hart, 
V.  G.;  David  Powers,  secretary;  J.  M.  Davis,  treasurer; 
A.  H.  Brooks,  permanent  secretary. 

In  August,  1876,  a  Good  Templars'  lodge,  called  Polar 
Star  lodge,  No.  217,  was  organized  with  thirty-five  charter 
members.     The  following  officers  were  installed  for  the  first 


HISTORY    OF   ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


69 


term  :  T.  W.  Peck,  W.  C.  T.;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Hasey,  W.  V.  T.; 
B.  F.  Bicksler,  W.  Chap.;  W.  M.  Tomkins,  \V.  R.  S.;  Miss 
Ella  Peckham,  W.  A.  S.;  P.  M.  Beaser,  W.  F.  S.;  Miss  Ida 
White,  W.  T.;  C.  M.  Moore,  W.  M.;  Miss  H.  M.  Tomkins, 
W.  D.  M.;  Miss  Clara  French,  W.  I.  G.;  H.  D.  Thompson, 
W.  O.  G.;  Miss  Kate  Hayes,  W.  R.  H.  S.;  Miss  Anna  Til- 
den,  W.  L.  H.  S.;  Edwin  Ellis,  P.  W.  C.  T.  The 
lodge  flourished  for  two  years,  at  one  time  having  a  mem- 
bership of  seventy-five,  and  was  a  power  in  the  community. 
In  the  Summer  of  1878  some  of  its  active  members  re- 
moved, and  it  ceased  to  exist. 

A  Library  Association  was  organized  in  November,  1S72. 
The  first  officers  were  :  Sam  S.  Fifield,  president  ;  Jas.  A. 
Wilson,  treasurer;  C.  H.  Pratt,  secretary.  The  society 
prospered  for  several  years.  Meetings  were  held  often,  and 
debates  and  reading  of  essays  were  a  feature  of  the  pro- 
gramme. The  association  kept  up  until  the  town  library 
was  started,  when  this  organization  was  discontinued. 

The  Press.- — The  first  paper  published  in  this  locality  was 
the  Bayfield  Mercury,  by  Hamilton  Hatch.  Its  initial  number 
was  issued  June  20,  1857,  at  Bayfield,  in  the  building  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  James  Chapman.  It  was  printed, 
with  an  occasional  omission,  until  October  of  the  same  year, 
when  it  was  discontinued.  The  office  materials,  press,  etc., 
were  put  in  charge  of  S.  S.  Vaughn,  who  sold  them  to  pay  the 
debts  incurred  in  the  original  purchase.  A  part  of  the  type 
was  sent  to  Detroit.  In  October,  1859,  Joe  H.  Campbell 
purchased  the  press  and  started  the  Bayfield  Press,  with  a 
part  of  the  Mercury's  material.  The  Press  was  issued 
irregularly  until  some  time  in  the  Spring  of  1861,  when  it 
"  starved  out,"  and  the  material  was  shipped  down  the  lake. 
The  papers  were  the  same  size  as  the  present  Press;  both 
were  Democratic,  and  regular  Simon-pure  Breckenridge- 
Bourbon  at  that,  though  Joe  Campbell  himself  was  an  Abo- 
litionist. On  the  13th  of  October,  1S70,  the  Bayfield  Press 
was  established  and  issued  by  Sam  S.  and  H.  O.  Fifield, 
edited  by  the  latter.  Its  publication  was  discontinued  June 
I,  1S72,  the  Ashland  Press  succeeding  it  the  week  following 
at  Ashland,  being  printed  with  the  same  material,  and  pub- 
lished and  edited  by  Sam  S.  and  H.  O.  Fifield,  Sam  S. 
having  joined  H.  0.  in  the  Ashland  enterprise  and  assumed 
the  editorial  and  business  management,  with  H.  O.  as  local 
editor.  The  Press  was  continued  under  this  inanagement 
until  June  i,  1874,  when  Sam  S.  purchased  H.  O.'s  inter- 
est, enlarged  the  paper,  and  has  since  published  it. 

The  Chronicle  inade  its  first  appearance,  April  3,  1880, 
edited  by  W.  M.  Tomkins.  It  received  a  liberal  support 
from  the  people  of  Ashland  County;  but,  being  run  as  a 
branch  of  an  Oshkosh  publication,  upon  the  latter  failing, 
the  Chronicle  suspended,  about  three  months  after  its  in- 
troduction here. 

The  Hotel  Chequamegon  was  erected  by  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railroad  Company  in  i877,undercontract  of  Perinier 
&  White,  of  Ashland.  It  was  opened,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Pratt  &  Andress,  August  i,  1877.  In  1878,  Pratt  was 
succeeded  by  Stephen  Knowlton,  and  the  firm  became  An- 
dress &  Knowlton.  In  1879,  Sam  S.  Fifield  was  the  lessee, 
with  Charles  L.  Andress  as  assistant  manager,  who  ran  it  till 
May  I,  1880,  when  Abner  Ross  superintended  it  till  August 
1.  He  was  succeeded  by  Samuel  H.  Brown,  who  now  man- 
ages it  for  the  railroad  company.  The  hotel  is  situated  on 
an  elevated  plateau,  about  300  feet  from  the  lake.  It  is 
built  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  L,  1 20  feet  front  by  80  deep ; 
has  a  wing  back,  for  kitchen  and  laundry;  is  three  stories 
in  height,  affording  400  feet  of  verandahs;  contains  sixty 
guest  rooms;  large  dining-room,  with  seatings  for  100 
people;  large  office  and  parlors  on  ground-floor;  is  fitted 
with  electric  bells,  and  furnished  nicely  throughout;  has  a 
bowling-alley    and  billiard  room  attached.       Its  supply  of 


water  is  pumped  from  the  lake  to  reservoirs  to  an  elevation, 
so  as  to  give  force  at  the  hydrants;  and  has  large  grounds 
surrounding  it,  with  a  park  in  front. 

Colby  House,  the  first  hotel  and  third  frame  building 
erected  in  Ashland,  was  built  by  J.  M.  Davis,  the  present 
proprietor,  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  and  was  rebuilt  in  1881. 
It  is  situated  on  Second  and  Vaughn  streets,  and  has  a 
capacity  for  forty  people. 

There  are  numerous  other  hotels  in  the  place,  among 
which  should  be  mentioned  the  Lindell  Hotel,  Hopkins 
House,  Central  House,  Penoka  House,  Scandinavian  Hotel, 
Peterson's  Hotel,  and  White  River  House.  Several  private 
boarding-houses  receive  guests  during  the  Summer  season. 

The  Lvtnber  interest  of  Ashland  is  assuming  consider- 
able proportions.  There  are  three  large  mills  located  here, 
and  the  promise  of  two  more  to  be  built  before  another 
year  passes  by.  It  is  estimated  that  the  cut  for  the  season 
of  1881,  will  amount  to  20,000,000  feet,  most  of  which  is 
shipped  east  by  the  lakes.  There  are  probably  2,000,000,000 
feet  tributary  to  Ashland. 

Ashland  Lumber  Company  erected  the  first  mill  on 
Chequamegon  Bay  in  1872.  The  company  was  organized  at 
the  same  time,  with  the  following  officers  :  C.  A.  Sheffield, 
president  ;  E.  H.  Moore,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The 
same  officers  hold  now  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Moore, 
who  was  succeeded  by  W.  R.  Sutherland  in  1874.  The 
mill  has  a  capacity  of  50,000  feet  in  eleven  hours.  The 
company  ships  a  large  portion  of  its  lumber  west,  via 
Duluth,  for  the  Northern  Pacific  trade,  but  the  better 
grades  go  east  to  Chicago,  and  have  shipped  considerable 
as  far  east  as  Burlington,  Vt. 

Union  Mill  Company. —  This  company  was  organized 
April,  1878.  The  mill  was  built  the  same  year.  The  first 
officers  were  :  H.  J.  James,  president  ;  S.  Blake,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  W.  R.  Durfee,  secretary ;  George  Remington, 
treasurer.  The  present  officers  are:  H.  J.  James,  presi- 
dent and  manager;  J.  H.  James,  vice-president;  W.  R. 
Durfee,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  company  owns  a  fine 
dock.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  55.000  feet  per  day. 
The  estimated  manufacture  for  season  1881,  is  7,000,000 
feet.  Their  shipment  goes  mostly  to  Chicago,  with  some 
to  Duluth  and  the  Canada  trade. 

INIueller  &  Ritchie  built  their  mill  at  Bay  City  in  1881. 
It  has  a  capacity  of  60,000  feet  per  day. 

There  is  also  a  planing  mill,  sash  and  door  factory, 
George  White,  proprietor. 

The  usual  trades  are  represented  here  by  shops  and  work- 
men. 

Ashland  Boom  and  Canal  Co.  was  organized  in 
1881.  The  officers  are:  R.  F.  Sprngue,  president  ;  H.  M. 
Fuller,  vice-president ;  T.  J.  Potter,  treasurer;  John  H. 
Knight,  secretary. 

The  first  brewery  was  built  in  Bay  City,  but  was  discon- 
tinued after  a  short  time.  The  Ashland  Brewery  was  built 
in  1872,  by  Frank  Schottmuller.  Additions  were  made  in 
1878.     The  pre  ducts  are  disposed  of  locally. 

The  steam  boats  of  the  Lake  Superior  Transit  Company 
for  Buffalo  and  Duluth,  connect  with  this  point  at  Bayfield. 
The  Lake  Michigan  &  Lake  Superior  Transportation  Com- 
pany's boats  touch  at  this  place,  en  routeio  Duluth  and  Chi- 
cago. The  steamer  "  Manistee,"  belonging  to  this  company, 
plys  between  Hancock  and  Duluth,  touching  at  this  point. 
The  little  steamers  "Favorite"  and  "Eva  Wadsworth,'* 
carry  freight  and  passengers  between  Ashland  and  Bayfield. 

The  first  dock  built  in  new  Ashland  was  constructed 
by  S.  S.  Vaughn,  in  1872,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  street  into 
the  lake  about  1,000  feet.  In  18S1,  during  the  storm,  the 
drifting  logs  lifted  off  a  part  of  the  upper  covering  of  the 
dock  for  about  2^0  feet.     The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad 


70 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


dock  was    built    in    1S73  ;  runs  into    the    lake   1,500  feet; 
cost  $30,000,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country. 

In  1872,  E.  F.  Prince  established  an  e.xpress  line,  be- 
tween Ashland  and  Duluth  in  connection  with  the  Lake 
Superior  Express,  connecting  at  Duluth  with  the  United 
States  Express  Company,  in  Summer  by  the  lake  and 
Winter  by  stage,  this  continued  to  the  time  when  the  rail- 
road was  completed,  when  it  was  discontinued,  and  the 
business  is  now  done  by  the  American    E.xpress  Company. 

In  December,  1872,  the  panic  striking  the  country  dis- 
organized the  plans  of  the  railroad  company  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  Phillips-Colby  Construction  Company  was 
obliged  to  suspend  work  on  the  Lake  Superior  Division. 
This  suspension  threw  out  of  employment  800  men,  who 
were  located  in  various  camps  along  the  line  between  Ash- 
land and  Penoka.  Orders  were  received  by  Capt.  W.  W. 
Rich,  superintendent,  to  notify  the  men  to  quit  work  and 
to  remain  in  camp  till  the  paymaster  came.  Some  two 
weeks  elapsed  before  he  arrived  with  the  funds,  during 
which  time  many  of  the  gangs  mutinied,  and,  in  attempting 
to  pay  off,  the  paymaster  and  his  assistants  were  driven 
from  the  line  back  to  town  by  a  mob  at  Kelley's  camp.  On 
arriving  in  town,  Capt.  Rich  demanded  protection  for  him- 
self and  assistants  and  the  property  of  the  company.  The 
town  authorities,  being  helpless,  called  upon  Nelson  Boutin, 
Sheriff  of  Ashland  and  Bayfield  counties,  residing  at  Bay- 
field (united  at  that  time  for  judicial  purposes),  who,  on  the 
night  of  January  i,  1873,  arrived  with  forty-two  men 
armed,  equipped  with  muskets,  under  command  of  Capt. 
Pike,  of  Bayfield.  The  Sheriff  and  posse  remained  in  Ash- 
land two  weeks  and  preserved  order  until  the  men  were 
paid  off  and  safely  transported  out  of  the  country.  Subse- 
quently the  State  Legislature  passed  a  bill  paying  Sheriff 
Boutin  and  men  for  their  services. 

In  1873  the  Town  Board  purchased  ten  acres  for  a  cem- 
etery, situated  about  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  the  vil- 
lage, on  a  high  range  overlooking  the  bay.  The  first  man 
buried  there  was  John  Maituguin,  who  was  killed  October 
24,  1873. 

In  July,  1874,  an  attempt  was  made  to  blow  up  the 
county  jail,  but  without  any  effect.  None  of  the  five  boys 
were  ever  caught. 

January  i,  1878,  will  long  be  remembered  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Ashland  and  Bayfield  as  being  the  scene  of  one  of 
the  most  extraordinary  occurrences  ever  recorded  in  the 
history  of  the  Lake  Superior  region,  viz. :  an  excursion  from 
Ashland  to  Bayfield  and  return  on  New-year's-day  by  the 
steamer  "  Eva  Wadsworth,"  Capt.  Patrick. 

October  15,  18S0,  witnessed  one  of  the  worst  storms  on 
Lake  Superior;  considerable  damage  was  done  about  the 
harbor,  a  number  of  small  boats  were  demolished,  the  dock 
at  the  hotel  was  badly  wrecked,  and  about  150  feet  of 
Vaughn's  dock  was  washed  away.  Other  docks  and  boat- 
houses  were  more  or  less  damaged. 

The  Government  established  a  Signal  Service  station  at 
this  point  in  June,  1881,  under  charge  of  M.  J.  Hart,  who 
is  also  State  Treasury  Agent.  John  Maher  is  the  lumber 
inspector. 

HIOGRAPHICAI,    SKETCHES. 

U.  F.  lilCKSLER,  furniture,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Fairfax  Co., 
Va.,  Jan.  19,  1834.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  but  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  and  came  to  Bayfield,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  at  this 
business.  In  1856  he  went  to  Michigan,  but  returned  to  Bayfield, where 
he  began  the  manufacture  of  shingles.  In  1872,  came  to  Ashland, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  aiding  in  the  building  of  the  court-house 
and  the  Chequamegon  Hotel.  In  1874  he  opened  a  furniture  store, 
under  the  name  of  Hieksler  &  Co.  He  bought  the  other  interest,  and 
now  conducts  the  business  himself,  also  working  at  his  trade.  He  car- 
ries a  stock  of  $2,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $4,000.  In  1859  l'^  '"''"■- 
ried    Miss   N.   A.   Pike,  of  Bayfield.     They  have  had  seven  children- 


living;    Rosa,   Walter,  Eddie  and   Flora.  de- 
Mason,  and  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 


Burd,  Lizzie  and  Fr; 
ceased.  Mr.  Bicksler 
pal  Church. 

THOMAS  BARDEN,  real  estate,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Maysville, 
Mason  Co.,  Ky.,  Oct.  22,  1848.  and  came  to  Superior  City  in 
1857,  with  his  parents,  who  live  there  now.  In  1871  he  was  engaged  as 
one  of  the  engineer  corps  on  the  survey  of  the  North  Pacific  Railroad 
from  Lake  Superior  to  Red  River,  under  Gen.  Spaulding.  At  about 
the  same  time  he  became  interested  in  the  local  department  of  the 
Superior  Times.  In  1872  he  moved  to  Ashland,  and  opened  a  real 
estate  office ;  also  taught  school,  the  first  in  what  is  called  new  Ash- 
land. He  bought  the  Superior  Times  in  1876,  and  is  now  its  proprietor. 
He  is  also  interested  in  lumbering.  He  has  been  on  the  Democratic 
Central  Committee,  and  held  the  position  of  Deputy  United  States 
Marshal. 

CHARLES  A.  CAMPBELL,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  Feb.  6,  1845-  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  13th  N.  Y.  V. 
I.;  re-enlisted  in  the  3d  Mich.  Cav.,  and,  in  1865,  was  mustered  out.  He 
went  to  Missouri,  and  traveled  generally  through  the  South,  and  then, 
having  contracted  a  fever  in  Te.\as,  went  to  Montana  and  Dakota.  He 
stopped  for  awhile  in  Bismarck,  and  then  came  to  Ashland  County,  and 
kept  a  hotel  in  Chippewa  until  the  Spring  of  1881,  when  he  came  to 
Ashland  and  opened  a  saloon.  He  was  married  Nov.  3,  1880,  to  Hattie 
Tyler,  of  Bayfield.     They  have  one  child,  Lewis  Ellis. 

J.  M.  DAVIS,  hotel,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio, 
1826.  He  came  to  Minnesota,  and  located  near  St.  Paul  on  a  home- 
stead farm  of  160  acres,  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war,  un- 
der Gen.  Taylor.  He  remained  on  his  farm  for  two  years,  when  he  went 
to  steamboaling,  as  clerk  and  bar-keeper,  which  business  he  continued 
till  1864,  when  he  opened  a  hotel  at  Lake  Como,  Minn.;  from  there  he 
moved  to  St.  Paul,  and  thence  to  Ashland  in  1S71,  and  built  the  first 
hotel  there,  called  the  Colby  House,  which  he  rebuilt  in  1881,  the  build- 
ing  costing  some  $6,000.  In  1862  he  married  Miss  Sophia  Johnson, 
of   St.    Paul.     They  have  two  boys — George  and  Charlie. 

W.  R.  DURFEE,  lumberman,  Ashland,  came  to  the  shores  of  Lake 
Superior  in  1856,  and  engaged  in  trading  in  furs  on  Vermillion  Bay  and 
Rainy  Lakes.  In  the  Summer  of  1865,  when  the  gold  excitement 
occurred,  he  was  estimating  and  locating  claims  on  Superior  River  and 
near  Fond  du  Lac.  In  1S72,  came  to  Ashland,  and  helped  to  organize 
the  Union  Mill  Company,  of  which  he  is  a  partner,  and  in  Spring,  1S81, 
was  appointed  Indian  .'Vgent. 

EDWIN  ELLIS.  M.  D..  Ashland,  was  born  in  Oxford  Co.,  Me., 
May  24, 1S24;  commenced  his  education  at  Farmington  Academy,  after- 
ward attending  Colby  University,  in  Waterville,  about  1841  and  1842; 
went  to  Bowdoin  College,  taking  final  course  of  lectures  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  the  city  of  New  York.  He  then  returned  to  Farmington,  Me., 
where  he  entered  on  his  practice,  remaining  there  till  1854,  when  he 
moved  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  in  February,  1855,  moved  to  Ashland  and 
squatted  on  his  present  location.  He  went  to  Dubuque,  and  getting 
the  survey  ordered,  came  back  and  took  up  his  land,  and  proceeded  to 
settle  the  section,  and  had  some  thirty  families  here  when  the  panic  of 
1857  came.  One  after  the  other  left,  until,  1861,  he,  too,  went  away,  and 
took  the  Indian  boarding  school  on  Bad  River,  where  he  staid  till 
1866.  He  then  went  to  Ontonagon,  Mich.,  and  opened  a  drug  store,  and 
practiced  till  1S73,  when  he  returned  to  Ashland,  having  granted  half  of 
his  property  to  the  railroad  company,  the  other  part  being  what  now 
constitutes  Ellis's  Addition  to  Ashland.  He  is  engaged  in  his  profes- 
sion, and  has  a  drug  store.  He  erected  his  dwelling  in  1873.  In  1878 
he  was  appointed  County  Judge,  and  now  holds  the  office.  He  was 
married  in  1S50  to  Miss  Martha  B.  Baker,  of  New  Sharon,  Me.  They 
have  four  children— Augusta  S.,  Danielia,  Edwin  H.  and  J.  Scott.  Dr. 
Ellis  was  first  master  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  which  was  organized  in 
1877. 

SAM  S.  FIFIELD,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Ashland  Press,  is 
prominently  identified  with  the  history  of  Northern  Wisconsin. 
He  was  born  in  Corinna,  Penobscot  Co.,  Maine,  June  24,  1839;  the 
second  son  of  Samuel  S.  and  Naomi  Fifield.  The  name  is  one  noted 
for  its  pioneer  experiences  ;  both  the  father  and  mother  springing  from 
old  and  well-known  families.  The  early  years  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  were  spent  in  the  city  of  Bangor,  where  his  parents  located  when 
he  was  but  three  years  of  age.  He  attended  the  city  schools,  until  the 
death  of  his  mother  caused  the  breaking  up  of  the  family,  and  sent  hira, 
a  lad  of  ten  years,  to  seek  his  fortune.  For  four  years  he  was  employed 
as  chore  boy  and  clerk  in  a  store ;  but  at  the  expiration  of  that  time, 
his  father  concluded  to  remove  West,  taking  the  two  sons,  H.  O.  and 
Sam  S.,  with  him.  to  Rock  Island,  III,  arriving  there  Oct.  2,  1853. 
The  older  son  is  now  a  well-known  editor  in  northern  Michigan.  In 
the  Spring  of  1854,  the  family  removed  to  Prescott,  Pierce  Co.,  Wis., 
landing  in  the  State  on  the  17th  of  April.  Three  days  later,  Sam  ob- 
tained employment  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  John  R.  Freeman,  where  he 
remained  about  one  year ;  then  became  clerk  and  steward  of  the  Pres- 
cott  Hotel,  owned  by  C.  P.  Barnard,  now   of  St.   Paul  ;  remained  until 


HISIORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


71 


Oct.  20,  1856,  when  he  entered  the  store  of  Wells  &  Stillman,  gen- 
eral merchants,  and  served  until  the  firm  closed  their  business  in  the 
Fall  of  1S5S.  During  the  Winter  of  that  year,  Sam  clerked  for  J.  M. 
McKee,  dealer  in  books  and  stationery  ;  and  in  the  Spring  of  1859,  not 
being  able  to  obtain  employment  to  his  liking,  he  shipped  as  night 
watch  with  Capt.  A.  B.  Green  on  the  steamer  "Equator,"  plying  between 
Prescott  and  Taylor's  Falls.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  steward  and 
second  clerk,  which  position  he  held  when  the  steamer  was  wrecked, 
near  Hudson,  in  May.  After  completing  the  season  on  the  "Kate  Castle," 
he  returned  to  his  former  place  with  J.  M.  McKee,  where  he  remained 
until  Feb.  16,  1S60,  when,  having  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Capt. 
Frank  H.  Pratt,  now  a  merchant  of  Rush  City,  Minn.,  then  foreman  of 
the  Prescott  Traitsoipt,  published  by  Charles  E.  Young,  he  accompanied 
that  gentleman  to  Taylor's  Falls,  as  an  apprentice  and  business  assistant 
in  the  publication  of  the  Taylor's  Falls  A\'porter,  the  first  paper  worthy 
of  note  established  in  the  upper  St.  Croix  Valley.  Mr.  Pratt,  accom- 
panied by  his  family  and  young  Firield,  arrived  at  the  Falls  on  the  igth 
of  February,  i860.  The  press  and  materials  for  the  office  were  taken 
there  at  the  same  time,  and  the  paper  was  issued  a  few  days  later  ;  the 
proprietor  setting  the  first  stick  of  type,  and  his  apprentice  pulling  the 
press  that  printed  the  first  sheet.  Soon  after  the  office  received  Ed. 
Folsom,  present  editor  of  the  Journal,  as  "devil,"  and  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  was  promoted  to  the  foremanship.  He  remained 
with  Mr.  Pratt  until  January.  iS6i,when  ill  health  compelled  him  to  give 


up  the  business.  After  a  short  visit  to  his  friends  at  Prescott,  he  re- 
turned and  accepted  the  position  of  toll-keeper  on  the  bridge  between 
Taylor  and  St.  Croix  Falls.  Here  he  remained  until  Nov.  i,  i86l, 
when,  a  situation  being  offered  him  as  foreman  of  the  St.  Croixan,  a 
paper  that  had  but  a  few  months  previous  been  established  at  Si.  Croix 
Falls  by  J.  D.  Reymert  and  Junius  A.  Bartlett,  he  accepted  it.  On  the 
1st  of  December,  the  press  and  material  were  taken  to  Osceola  Mills, 
the  county  seat  of  Polk  County,  and  the  Polk  County  Press  was  issued, 
the  entire  type-setting  and  press-work  being  done  by  him.  On  the  2d 
of  April,  1S62,  he  purchased  the  newspaper  from  Mr.  Reymert,  and 
became  its  editor  and  proprietor.  From  that  day  the  Poli  County  Press 
and  its  editor  were  recognized  institutions  of  the  upper  valley,  the  paper 
increasing  rapidly  in  influence  and  circulation,  and  its  editor  gaining  a 
wide-spread  acquaintance  throughout  Wisconsin  and  the  Northwest.  It 
was  in  stirring  times  that  the  Press  was  first  issued.  The  dark  clouds 
of  war  and  treason  overshadowed  the  Republic.  The  Press  was  im- 
mediately enlisted  on  the  side  of  loyalty  and  the  Union,  and  was  earnest 
in  support  of  the  Government  and  its  flag.  The  St.  Croixan  under  Rey- 
mert's  control  was  Democratic,  but  under  the  new  management  it  threw 
party  to  the  winds,  and  supported  the  policy  that  Lincoln  inaugurated 
to  crush  treason  and  save  the  Union.  Its  columns,  during  the  long 
years  that  saw  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  great  rebellion,  teemed 
with  earnest,  patriotic  editorials,  and  contained  a  history  of  the  defeats  and 
victories  that  followed  the  trail  of  its  glorious  armies.  After  peace,  the  Press 
became  the  earnest  advocate  and  representative  of  Northern  Wisconsin, 
and  did  much  to  attract  attention  to  the  varied  resources  of  Polk  County, 
and  the  country  generally,  inducing  immigration  and  capital  into  the  val- 


ley. In  the  busy  and  toilsome  life  that  had  so  far  followed  his  fortunes, 
Mr.  Fifield  had  found  time  to  study  and  gain  a  good  practical  business 
education,  which  adverse  circumstances  had  deprived  him  of  acquiring  in 
the  usual  course  of  school  training.  After  he  had  fully  established  him- 
self in  business,  he  took  to  himself  a  partner,  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Stella  A.  Grines,  niece  of  Silas  Humphrey,  then  a  merchant  of  Taylor's 
Falls.  They  were  married  at  Prescott,  Sept.  20,  1863,  and  since  with 
her  husband,  she  has  become  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  by  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  The  times  that  had  witnessed  the 
establishment  of  the  Press  had  also  drawn  together  the  kindred  souls  of 
the  earnest  and  patriotic  men  of  the  frontier,  and  its  editor  soon  became 
intimately  associated  with  the  leaders  and  politicians  of  that  day.  The 
Press  became  the  leading  advocate  of  Republicanism  for  the  northern  tier 
of  counties  forming  the  frontier  district  of  Wisconsin,  which  began  to 
attain  political  importance  and  return  large  Republican  majorities. 
Meantime,  the  northern  counties,  owing  to  the  building  of  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railroad,  from  Milwaukee  to  Ashland,  assumed  importance,  and 
the  development  there  presenting  a  favorable  opportunity  for  business 
enterprise,  Mr.  Fifield  decided  to  remove  to  Ashland  and  join  his 
brother,  whom  he  had  already  established  at  Bayfield  in  the  printing  busi- 
ness, in  starting  a  newspaper  at  the  terminus  of  that  road.  The  ma- 
terial, good  will  and  patronage  of  the  Polk  County  Press  were  quickly 
transferred  to  Charles  E.  Mears,  who  had  served  with  the  proprietor  as 
devil,  journeyman  and  partner,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1872,  after  twelve 
years  of  constant  and  active  labor,  he  removed  to  Ashland,  and  estab- 
lished, with  his  brother  as  partner,  the  Ashland  Press,  of  which  he  is 
now  editor  and  sole  proprietor.  He  was  elected  chairman  of  the  first 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  new  town,  and  has  since  been  prominent  in 
many  of  its  business  enterprises  and  as  one  of  its  foremost  citizens. 
During  his  residence  in  the  St.  Croix  Valley,  he  held  several  offices  of 
honor  and  trust  in  his  town  and  in  the  State  Legislature.  In  1870,  he 
was  assistant  Sergeant-at-Arms  of  the  Assembly,  to  which  position  he 
was  promoted  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  his  party  in  1871  and  1872.  In 
1S74,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  receiving  a  majority  of  1,326  votes 
over  his  Democratic  opponent,  Amos  Gray.  He  was  returned  by  largely 
increased  majorities  in  1875  and  1876.  He  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the 
Assembly  of  1876,  receiving  the  unanimous  nomination  of  his  partv 
caucus.  In  the  Fall  of  1876,  he  was  elected  State  Senator  to  fill  the  un- 
expired term  of  Hon.  Henry  D.  Barron,  who  had  resigned  to  accept  the 
judgeship  of  the  nth  judicial  circuit.  In  the  Fall  of  1879,  he  was 
again  elected  Senator  for  the  term  of  two  years,  viz.:  1S80  and  1S81, 
his  term  expiring  Jan,  i,  1882.  While  in  the  Legislature  he  has  sf-rved 
on  many  important  committees.  Of  Mr.  Fifield  it  can  be  truly  said  that 
he  is  a  self-made  man.  By  his  industry  and  business  integrity  he  rap- 
idly gained  warm  personal  friends,  who  have  never  had  occasion  to  re- 
gret his  acquaintance  or  their  fellowship  with  him.  He  has  served  his 
constituency  with  ability,  fidelity,  and  with  an  earnestness  that  has 
been  successful  in  gaining  for  his  section  of  the  State  both  favor  and 
prominence.  As  his  history  shows,  he  commenced  as  a  poor  boy,  and 
worked  his  way  up  the  ladder  by  his  own  exertions,  and  his  record  is 
one  that  is  certainly  creditable   to  himself  and  his  many  friends. 

CHARLES  FISHER,  merchant,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  Nov.  6,  1827.  He  lived  at  home  until  1S49,  ^nd  received 
his  education  in  Detroit.  In  1849  ^""i  'S50  he  entered  the  service  of  S. 
McKnight,  at  Plymouth,  and  soon  after  went  to  Eagle  River  as  a  clerk. 
He  was  engaged  in  this  business  for  years,  and  lived  somewhere  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan  up  to  1871,  when  he  came  to  Ashland,  and 
with  S.  S.  Vaughn  put  up  Vaughn's  Dock,  and  engaged  in  a  forwarding 
and  commission  business.  In  1873  they  met  a  loss  in  a  railroad  tie  con- 
tract, and  in  1875  dissolved  partnership,  but  continued  in  the  store  until 
1878,  when  he  commenced  taking  contracts  for  building  and  merchandis- 
ing. He  owns  or  has  an  interest  in  considerable  real  estate.  In  i860 
he  married  Miss  Anna  McGlancey,  of  Ireland.  They  have  had  eight 
children— Thomas  Mary,  James,  Anita,  WiUard,  Max,  Ellis  and  Ada. 
the  latter  not  living.  Mr.  Fisher  was  Deputy  County  Treasurer  in  1877 
and  1S78,  and  has  held  town  and  school  offices. 

R.  W.  FRENCH,  hardware,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Dummerston. 
Windham  Co.,  Vt.,  March  20,  1830.  He  went  to  live  in  Erie 
Co.,  N.  v.,  where  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade.  He  worked  in 
Buffalo  and  from  there  went  to  Racine,  Wis.,  back  to  Penn.syl- 
vania,  then  to  Ohio,  and  finally  went  to  LaCrosse,  Wis.,  and  bought  a 
shop  and  built  a  dwelling  ;  but,  thinking  to  do  better,  he  went  to  St.  Paul 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  returning  to  LaCrosse,  sold  out  and  moved  at 
once  to  Superior  City,  Wis.  In  1872  moved  to  Ashland  and  opened 
store  to  a  good  business  in  hardware  and  stoves.  He  now  carries  a 
stock  of  $2,500  and  does  a  business  of  $4,000  a  year.  In  1853  he  mar- 
ried MissRosetta  Marr,  of  Ohio.  She  died,  leaving  eight  children — Ellen 
(now  Mrs.  Tanner),  Emma,  Eva,  Fred,  Clara,  Mary,  Frank  and  Rosa. 
In  1873  he  married  Miss  Mary  Vosburg,  who  died  in  1874;  he  then 
married  his  present  wife.  Miss  M.J.  Ilasey,  of  Maine.  He  belongs  to 
the  Masonic  lodge,  and  is  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

EMIL  GARNICH,  hardware,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many,  Dec.  10,  1S43.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  three  years  old, 
and  his  father  came  to  America  in   1S49,  locating   at   Egg   Harbor,   N. 


72 


HISl'ORV    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


J.  Emil  came  in  1S63,  having  learned  the  tinsmith's  trade  in  Ger- 
many. He  at  once  went  to  Philadelphia  and  worked  at  his  trade,  then 
going  to  Michigan,  on  Lake  Superior,  he  stopped  at  Eagle  Harbor,  where 
he  worked  for  wages,  finally  buying  his  employer  out  and  establishing 
himself  in  business.  In  1S72  he  came  to  .A.shland  and  went  into  the 
hardware  line  under  the  firm  name  of  Leihy  &  Garnich,  and  now  carries 
a  stock  of  $5,000  and  business  of  $10,000.  He  married  Miss  Isabella 
Bolls,  of  Michigan,  in  1S63.  They  have  four  children — Hattie,  Annie, 
William  and  Erwin  ;  Carl  deceased.  Mr.  Garnich  was  Supervisor  in 
1874  and  1875  ;  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

ADAM  GOELTZ.  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, and  emigrated  to  America  in  1847  with  his  brother  Conrad.  They 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849.  first  to  Sheboygan  then  to  Green  Bay,  and 
then  went  to  the  copper  mines  of  Eagle  River  and  the  Cliff  mines. 
In  1854  they  took  claims  in  Ashland  County.  When  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  village  left  in  1S63,  they  went  to  Marquette  County,  and  worked 
in  the  iron  mines  near  Negaunee.  In  1S75  they  came  back  to  Ashland 
and  worked  at  the  mason's  trade  and  built  a  brewery.  In  1879  Adam 
Goeltz  built  his  present  saloon  and  boarding-house.  In  1861  he  married 
Miss  Christina  Brenkeg,  of  Ohio.  They  have  six  children,  William, 
Louis,  Edward,  Charlie,  Annie  and  Otto.  He  is  a  member  ol  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

GEORGE  W.  HARRISON,  physician  and  surgeon,  Ashland,  was 
born  in  Oldham,  Lancashire,  England,  Jan.  5,  1S50.  He  moved 
to  Bradford,  Yorkshire;  attended  Wadson  Academy,  and  after  living 
at  Apperly  Bridge,  he  and  his  mother  came  to  America  and  to  Colum- 
bus. Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  locating  on  a  farm,  where  she  died  in  1866. 
While  there  he  attended  Columbia  High  School  and  graduated  in  1869. 
He  farmed  and  taught  school  till  1873,  and  in  1S76  commenced  study- 
ing medicine.  Read  with  Robert  W.  Earll,  and  went  to  Rush  College, 
Chicago,  187S  and  1879.  graduating  in  1880  and  iSSl.  On  the  19th  of 
March  of  that  year  he  came  to  Ashland  and  commenced  practice.  In 
1871  he  married  Miss  Ida  Woodhead,  of  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  They  have 
three  boys— Bruce,  born  July  6,  1872  ;  David,  Dec.  21,  1876  ;  Earll  W., 
May  4,  1879.  In  addition  to  Mr.  Harrison's  regular  certificate  he  re- 
ceived an  honorary  diploma  from  Rush. 

M.  J.  H.\RT,  County  Clerk,  Ashland,  was  born  in  the  west  of  Ire- 
land, April  8,  1847.  Came  to  America  in  1862,  and  landed  in  Canada, 
at  Quebec.  He  staid  there  until  1S64,  and  then  went  to  Washington, 
D.  C..  where  he  went  into  a  china  and  queensware  store  with  his  brother, 
T.  J.  Hart.  He  returned  to  Quebec  in  1867,  and  went  into  a  book  and 
stationery  business,  but  was  burned  out,  after  which  disaster  he  came  to 
Ashland,  where  he  arrived  in  May,  1872.  He  contracted  on  the  Wis- 
consin Central  R.  R.  and  boarded  the  railroad  men,  moving  down  the 
line  as  the  road  was  laid.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  the  Campbell  House, 
at  Chippewa,  and  built  the  Butternut  House,  of  Butternut.  He  was 
elected  chairman  of  town  of  Butternut  in  187S,  and  County  Clerk  in 
1879;  re-elected  in  1S80.  He  is  Postmaster  of  Butternut  and  Signal 
Service  officer  in  Ashland  for  this  part  of  the  lake.  He  was  married 
Feb.  5,  1879.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge,  of  which  he  is  junior 
warden. 

MICHAEL  J.  HART,  meat  market,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Mayo 
Co.,  Ireland,  Aug.  13,  1849.  He  came  to  America  in  1862,  and  landed 
at  Quebec,  where  he  remained  till  1864;  then  went  to  Washington,  D. 
C,  and  entered  the  queensware  store  of  his  brother,  Thomas  J.  In 
1878  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  stopped  at  Butternut,  in  Ashland 
County,  and  went  into  the  Butternut  House  run  by  his  brother  Mat. 
J.,  who  had  come  out  before.  He  staid  there  till  1879,  when  he  went 
to  Chippewa  Crossing  and  opened  the  new  hotel  called  the  Campbell 
House,  but  rented  it  to  C.  A.  Campbell ;  he  then  came  to  Ashland  and 
entered  upon  his  present  business.  He  was  Justice  while  in  Butternut, 
and  is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

WILLIAM  HASSARD,  miner,  Ashland,  was  born  in  New  Orleans, 
La..  Aug.  15,  1848  ;  came  North  to  Ontario  Province,  Canada,  where  he 
remained  till  1S70,  when  he  came  to  the  mining  district  of  Michigan. 
In  1871  he  came  to  Ashland  and  began  prospecting  for  iron.  He  found 
gold  and  silver  ore  that  assayed  $140  to  the  ton.  He  is  still  prospect- 
ing in  Penoka  Range,  and  has  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  Bayfield  County, 
on  which  he  lives  when  not  mining. 

T.  V.  HOLSTON,  agent  for  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  Ash- 
land,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Aug.  I,  1847.  While  there  he  at- 
tended the  Ward  schools  and  afterwards  the  Lawrence  University,  at 
Appleton.  He  taught  school  in  Bailey  Harbor  and  in  Oakfield, 
and  then  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  County  and  went  to  farming. 
He  learned  telegraphy  at  Delavan,  and  then  took  the  Saukville  Station, 
on  the  Milwaukee  and  Northwestern  Railroad,  removing  first  to  Hilbert 
and  then  to  Stevens  Point.  In  1879  came  to  Ashland  and  conducted 
the  station  as  well  as  the  telegraph  business.  In  1871  he  married  Miss 
Leila  A.  Maxson,  of  Waupun.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  belongs  to  the  Baptist  Church,  as  does  also  his  wife. 

H.  J.  JAMES,  lumberman,  A.shland,  was  born  in  Portage  Co., 
Ohio,  Oct.  23,  1830.  He  lived  at  home  until  1849,  having  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  of  his  father.     He  then  came  West  and  located   at 


Neenah.  He  first  worked  at  his  trade,  and  then  went  into  lumbering 
and  saw-milling.  In  1S7S  he  came  here  and  bought  a  share  in  the  saw- 
mill now  owned  by  the  Union  .Mill  Company,  of  which  he  is  president. 
The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  60,000  feet  of  lumber  and  30,000  shingles  a 
day.  In  1S55  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Scanlon,  of  Ireland.  They 
have  five  children  —  Joseph  H.,  Edmund  (now  in  Waco,  Texas,  farm- 
ing), Jennie,   Helen  and  Alice. 

C.  L.  JUDD,  contractor  and  builder,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Cape 
Vincent,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  16,  1836.  He  went  to 
common  school  till  1S54.  and  then  attended  Fulton  Seminary,  in  Oswe- 
go County.  Finally,  in  1S57  he  went  to  Theresa  Institute.  In  1S62  he 
enlisted  in  the  loth  N.  Y.  Artillery,  Co.  M.  In  April,  1864, 
he  was  transferred  to  the  navy,  where  he  was  at  the  capture  of  Mobile. 
He  was  mustered  out  in  Boston,  1865,  returning  to  Cape  Vincent  and 
resumed  his  trade  of  carpenter.  In  1872  he  came  to  Ashland  and 
selected  a  place  for  himself  and  moved  his  family  out  in  October,  1873. 
The  house  he  lives  in  is  one  of  the  first  in  the  village,  and  was  used  as 
the  first  school-house.  In  the  Spring  of  185S  he  married  Evaline  Lee, 
of  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  had  six  children  —  Etta  (now  Mrs. 
Page),  Willie,  Bjnjamin  and  Myrtle  ;  Emma  and  Seth  are  not  living. 
Mr.  Judd  has  been  Justice  since  1S78. 

WILLIAM  KELLOGG,  clerk,  .\shland,  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis., 
June  23,  1S56.  He  lived  there,  and  went  to  school  till  186S,  when  he 
moved  to  Wrightstown  with  his  parents,  where  they  still  live.  Here 
he  entered  his  uncle's  .-^tore,  in  the  Fall  of  1S72,  where  he  remained  till 
1881,  when  he  came  to  Ashland  and  went  into  the  general  store  of 
C.  G.  Mueller.  He  was  married  in  1879  to  Miss  May  Higgins,  of 
Wrightstown. 

A.  ].  McDOUGAL,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Glengarie 
Co.,  Canada,  .A.ug.  20,  1855.  He  went  to  New  York  in  1863  to  attend 
school,  returning  in  1S69  to  Cornwall,  Guelph  Co.,  Canada.  He  took 
agencies  for  sewing-mochines,  and  continued  in  that  business  until  1S72, 
when  he  went  to' Stillwater,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  till  1874.  He 
is  interested  in  some  mining  property  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, and  also  owns  forty  acres  of  good  iron  land  m  Brunsduoeiller,  Sec. 
23,  Town  45.  In  1S75,  he  mirried  Miss  Isabella  McDougal,  of  Canada. 
They  have  one  child  living — •  Allen  John.  They  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  E.  MAERTZ,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Crawford 
Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  9,  1850.  In  1853.  with  his  parents,  he  moved  to 
Hennepin  Co..  Minn.,  where  they  settled  on  a  farm  where  he 
lived  until  1869,  when  he  started  for  himself.  In  1872  he  went  to  Duluth, 
and  then  to  .\shland,  where  he  worked  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road. In  1873  he  opened  a  meat  market,  and  in  1874  sailed  and  fished 
on  the  lake.  In  1S78,  worked  at  lumbering.  In  188 1  he  began  his 
present  business.     In  1880,  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Ashland  County. 

U.  T.  MARCHESSAULT,  M.D.,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Montreal, 
Canada,  March  3,  1S47.  In  1865  he  graduated  in  the  classical  college 
of  Santa  Hyacinthe,  about  forty  miles  from  Montreal.  He  traveled 
rather  generally,  and  was  finally  induced  to  study  medicine  by  his  brother. 
He  took  preparatory  study  under  Dr.  Pregg,  and  graduated  in  Victoria 
University.  In  1872  he  opened  practice  in  Minneapolis,  and  came  to 
Ashland  in  1873.  In  1881  built  residence  and  office  on  Second  street. 
He  was  railroad  physician  in  1S78-79;  is  now  examining  physician 
for  Union  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Maine.  In  1879  he 
married  Miss  Lydia  Boutin,  of  Bayfield,  Wis. 

JERRY  MARCOTT,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Province  of  Que- 
bec, Canada,  April  22, 1839.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  when  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  left  Canada  and  went  to  Michigan.  In  1S72  he  came  to 
Ashland  and  opened  his  present  business.  In  1S65  he  married,  but  in 
1867  his  wife  died,  leaving  one  daughter,  Georgiana.  He  was  married 
again  in  1871,  to  Margaret  Sir,  of  Canada.  He  belongs  to  the  Catholic 
Church. 

JOHN  M.A.RSH.'VLL,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, April,  1841.  In  1855  he  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  in  1859 
to  the  copper  mines  on  Lake  Superior.  In  !87I  he  opened  a  shoe  shop 
in  Ashland,  and  in  1S77  began  in  his  present  business.  In  1870  he 
married  Miss  Jennie  Hockridge,  of  St.  Paul,  formerly  of  Hoboken,  N.  J. 
They  have  had  four  children— Marie  B.,  John  F.  and  Joe  U.  and  Will- 
iam H.,  deceased.     Mr.  Marshall  and  wife  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

JOHN  MONTAGUE,  hotel,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Wellington, 
Canada,  Nov.  14,  1838.  He  went  to  Negaunee,  Mich.,  in  1864, 
and  began  mining  for  iron.  In  1881  he  came  to  Ashland  and  is  now 
engaged  as  foreman  in  the  mines  of  the  Black  River  Company.  In  July 
of  the  same  year  he  opened  the  Lindell  House.  In  1859  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Johanna  O'Donnell,  formerly  from  Ireland.  They  have  nine 
living  children— Ellen  (now  Mrs.  Moore),  M.ary,  Sarah  J.,  John,  Johanna, 
Margaret,  Catherine,  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth.  One,  Michael,  is  not 
living. 

M.  E.  MONSELL,  merchant,  Ashland,  was  born  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  April  19,  1S50.  When  seven  years  of  age  he  went  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  parents  and  located  in  Fond  du  Lac.     He   moved  to  Waushara 


HISTORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


73 


County,  but  returned  to  Fond  du  Lie  and  attended  the  high  school  of  Mrs. 
Palmers,  afterwarJs  SpaffjrJ's  Hi  then  moved  to  .\dami  County,  where 
he  wasengaged  in  lumbering.  In  187S  he  went  into  a  hotel  at  Auburn- 
dale,  and  came  to  .-Vshland  in  1S79.  and  went  into  mercantile  business, 
being  connected  with  the  Ashland  Lumber  Co.'s  store  as  manager.  In 
iSyg  he  married  Miss  Page,  of  Stevens  Point.  They  have  one  child, 
Libbie.     Mr.  Monsell  is  a  member  of  the  Misonic  lodge  of  Ashland. 

NAT.  D.  MOORE,  miner,  Ashland,  was  born  in  North  of  Ireland, 
Oct.  27,  1847.  He  came  lO  New  York  and  went  into  the  Rose  lead  mines 
of  St.  Lawrence  County,  and  from  there,  to  Lanark  Co.,  Canada, 
town  of  Perth,  where  he  had  charge  of  three  mines,  the  Mississippi  iron 
mine,  the  Victoria  lead  mine  and  the  Oliver  copper  mine.  He  was  cap- 
tain till  l863,  when  he  went  to  Marquette,  Micli.,  and  began  the  mer- 
cantile business  at  Negaunee.  In  1872  he  came  to  Ashland  as  captain 
of  the  La  Pointe  Iron  Co.  In  November  of  that  year  he  left  and  went 
to  Ontonagon,  but  again  returned  to  Ashland  as  superintendent  of  the 
La  Pointe  Iron  Co.  After  this  he  explored  various  iron  regions,  and 
has  located  over  3,000  acres  of  iron  land.  He  again  went  into  active 
mining  for  the  Cambrian  Mining  Co.,  where  he  remained  until  it  went 
into  the  hands  of  the  Cliff  Mining  Co.  In  iSSo  he  organized  a  com- 
pany, called  the  Union  Mining  and  Exploring  Co.,  of  which  Samuel 
Hibbard  is  president,  Nat.  D.  Moore,  secretary,  and  James  Brown, 
treasurer.  They  secured  two  option-;  of  William  Brighton  and  started  on 
an  exploration  which  resulted  in  nothing,  and,  in  paying  up,  the  com- 
pany disagreed,  when  Capt.  Hibbard  and  himself  withdrew,  making  up 
what  was  called  the  Black  River  Mining  Co.,  which  organized  under  the 
laws  of  Michigan :  A.  W.  .Maitland,  president ;  Nathaniel  Hibbard, 
secretary  and  treasurer,  and  N.  D.  Moore,  general  superintendent.  They 
went  to  exploring  on  Felch  Mountain  Range  in  Menomonee  County, 
Mich.,  where  they  struck  the  Northwestern  mine,  thelargest  out-cropping 
of  ore  in  the  county.  The  option  was  one  belonging  to  Pittzen  Land 
&  Iron  Co.,  and  they  had  privilege  to  keep  it  up  to  June  i,  but  they, 
failing  to  locate,  Mr.  Moore  on  the  22d  of  May  secured  the  option  and 
disposed  of  the  last  of  the  shares  in  June.  18S1.  The  Black  River  Min- 
ing Co.  has  now  in  Range  45-6-7,  Town  47,  Michigan,  a  vein  of  clear 
ore  forty  feet  wide.  Mr.  Moore  has  bought  Green's  Hall  and  a  dwell- 
ing in  Ashland,  and  will  go  into  business.  In  1S77  he  married  Miss 
Ella  Montague,  of  Negaunee.  They  have  had  two  children— Elizabeth 
Jane,  who  died  June  13,  1S81,  and  Nathaniel  D. 

JAMES  E.  PAGE,  jeweler,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Racine  Co.,  Wis., 
Jan.  14,  1S55.  Moved  to  Portage  County  when  he  was  four  years  old,  and 
lived  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Stevens  Point.  Here  he  attended 
school  and  afterward  went  into  the  woods  and  traded  with  the  Indians. 
In  1873  he  learned  the  jeweler's  trade,  and  in  1877,  came  to  Ashland 
and  established  himself  in  business;  in  the  same  year  he  married  Miss 
Etla  Judd,  of  Ashland.  They  have  one  child,  Claude  E.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Ashland. 

GEORGE  O.  PECKHAM,  grocery  and  provisions,  Ashland,  was  born 
in  ChatauquaCo.,  N.Y.,Jan.  4,  1829.  Until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age, 
he  remained  in  his  native  State.  With  his  father,  came  to  Green  Co.,  Wis., 
and  went  to  farming.  In  1856,  he  went  to  High  Forest.  Minn.,  and  in 
1S61  enlisted  in  the  1st  Iowa  Inf.,  Co.  A.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  nth 
Iowa  Inf.,  Co.  H.  In  1863,  he  enlisted  as  a  veteran  till  the  war  was  over. 
He  was  mustered  out  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  July  18,  1865,  and  from  there 
went  to  Winona,  Minn.  In  1872,  came  to  Ashland,  and  in  the  Fall 
bought  the  hotel  called  Ashland  House,  but  was  burned  out  in  1873. 
He  then  rented  the  Adams  House  and  managed  that  for  two  years, 
working  meantime  at  his  trade  of  mason.  In  18S0,  he  opened  a  grocery 
store.  In  i866,  he  married  Mrs.  Keith,  of  Minnesota,  and  has  two 
daughters,  Etta  M.  and  Ella  M.  These  young  ladies  graduated  in  the 
Spring  of  1S81,  from  the  State  Normal  School  at  Winona,  Minn. 

E.  F.  PRINCE,  American  express  agent,  Ashland,  was  born  in 
Maine,  1832.  In  1S57,  he  came  to  Ashland,  but  in  1859  went  upon  the 
lakes.  He  returned,  however,  and  settled  here.  He  has  four  children — 
Eugenia  V.  F.,  John  R  ,  Roy  B.  and  Faith  W. 

MARTIN  ROEHM,  boarding-house,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Wurtem- 
burg,  Germany,  in  1821,  where  he  learned  to  be  a  baker  and  miller.  He 
came  to  New  York  in  1851,  and  went  to  Buffalo,  where  he  stopped  one 
year,  and  then  moved  to  Michigan.  From  there  he  went  to  La  Pointe. 
and  thence  to  Ashland  in  1854,  and  pre-empted  his  farm  of  160  acres. 
When  the  panic  reached  this  section,  and  the  people  began  to  leave,  he 
was  the  only  one  left  in  the  village  of  .Ashland.  This  was  in  1865.  In 
187 1,  fishermen  came  up  the  coast,  and  he  now  has  several  hundred  neigh- 
bors. He  is  engaged  in  raising  stock  and  keeping  boarders.  He  was 
married  in  1859,  ^"d  has  two  children.  He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

JOSEPH  ROUTIER,  saloon,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, March  15,  1850.  He  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in  1867,  and  went 
to  lumbering,  where  he  staid  until  1873,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.  He 
came  to  Ashland  in  August,  i88o.  In  1881  he  opened  his  present  business. 
In  1867,  he  married  Miss  Roy,  of  Wausau.  They  have  two  children, 
Nellie  and  Willie. 


FRANZ  XAVIER  SCHOTTSMUELLER,  brewery,  A.shland, 
was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  1S35,  emigrated  to  America  in  1851, 
going  from  New  York  to  Pennsylvania,  and  from  there  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  went  into  the  cigar  business.  In  1852  he  went  to  New  Orleans 
and  from  there  to  Missouri  and  Illinois,  stopping  a  while  in  Peoria.  He 
came  to  Ashland  in  1872,  putting  up  a  brewery  and  a  saloon  here.  In 
1S69  he  married  Miss  Annie  J  Dohm,  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  a  son, 
Martin  Otto. 

JACOB  SCOTT,  retired,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Little  Falls,  Her- 
kimer Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  l8,  1804.  In  1816  he  moved  to  Gene- 
see Co.,  town  of  Shelby,  living  on  the  farm  there  till  1823,  when  he 
went  to  work  at  caipentering  in  Black  Rock.  In  1843,  marrying,  he 
went  to  Put-in-Bay  Islands  and  had  the  agency  of  wood  and  stone  sup- 
plies there.  He  staid  until  1846.  when  he  took  a  farm  on  Scott's  Point, 
named  after  him,  and  famous  for  the  great  amount  of  fish  caught  in  its 
surrounding  waters.  He  lived  here  until  he  exchanged  for  a  farm  ad- 
joining  Ft.  Clinton,  and  then  exchanged  this  one  for  saw  and  grist-mill, 
at  the  mouth  of  Portage  River.  These  mills  burned  in  1855.  He  then 
worked  for  George  Reynold,  of  Lockport,  taking  the  superintendency 
of  F.  K.  Barney's  farm  of  300  acres.  In  i860  he  went  to  Sandusky 
City  and  opened  grocery,  and  later,  bought  what  is  now  called  Scott's 
American  Hotel,  kept  by  his  son.  He  came  to  Ashland  in  1S76,  and 
bought  the  Central  House,  also  pine  lands  on  Sec.  15,  Town  44,  Range 
2.  In  1S31  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Harr.  They  had  three 
children — Voltaire  ;  and  Adelaide  and  Winfield,  not  living.  Mr.  Scott 
belongs  to  the  Masons,  having  been  a  member  for  twenty-seven  years. 

E.  C.  SMITH,  manufacturer,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Worchester  Co., 
Mass.,  Jan.  23.  1835  ;  came  westward  in  1856,  and  settled  at  St.  Cloud, 
Minn,  where  he  went  into  mercantile  business,  in  which  he  was  engaged 
until  1S73.  He  then  moved  to  Ashland,  Wis.,  and  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  boots  and  shoes.  In  1879  he  was  elected  Town  Treasurer,  and 
still  holds  that  office.  He  married,  in  1858,  Miss  Mary  E.  Mattoon. 
They  have  one  son,  Benjamin  S.  Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

PETER  STEFAN,  general  merchandise,  Ashland,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  Aug.  15,  1838  ;  came  to  America  in  1846;  stopped 
at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  the  butcher's  trade,  which,  not  suit- 
ing him,  he  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  afterward  learning  the  carpenter's 
trade,  and,  in  West  Seneca,  went  to  day  and  night  school  till  1852, 
when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  worked  at  his  trade.  He  then  returned  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  went  into  a  saw-mill  for  himself;  but  the  dam  was 
washed  out  and  he  then  took  a  saw-mill  in  Hamburg.  In  1S63  he  re- 
cruited for  the  service  and  enlisted  in  the  98th  N.  Y.  militia,  and 
was  mustered  out  in  1864.  In  1867  he  went  to  Chicago  and  from  there 
to  Duluth,  Minn.,  where  he  put  up  the  first  wagon  and  blacksmith  shop, 
staying  till  1872,  when  he  and  Wilhelm  came  to  Ashland  and  went  into 
the  liquor  business.  In  1876  they  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Stefen  built  on 
Vaughn's  Division.  He  has  been  Assessor  and  Justice,  and  in  1874  he 
married  Miss  Catherine  Lenhard,  of  New  York.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  and  Catherine. 

W.  R.  SUTHERLAND,  lumberman,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Glen- 
garie  Co.,  Canada,  Nov.  17,  1841.  He  lived  on  a  farm  until  coming  to 
Wisconsin,  when  he  went  to  the  woods  and  lumbered  in  Juneau 
County.  In  1867  he  went  to  Dubuque  in  the  lumber  business,  where  he 
remained  till  1874  ;  then  came  to  Ashland  and  entered  the  Ashland 
Lumber  Company  as  secretary.  He  was  married  in.  1S73  to  Miss  Jane 
Ross,  of  Montreal.  They  have  five  children — Edward  R.,  Grace, 
Walter  A.,  Margaret  and  Joseph.  He  is  now  County  Treasurer  of 
Ashland,  also  contractor  for  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

W.  M.  TOMKINS,  lawyer.  Ashland,  was  born  in  England,  near 
London  Feb.  24,  1845.  He  came  to  America  in  1S50,  and  moved  to 
southwest  Wisconsin,  where  his  father  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  and 
moved  from  place  to  place.  He  died  in  1870  Mr.  Tomkins  took 
three  terms  at  Bronson  Institute,  and  was  in  the  junior  course  of  the 
State  University,  when  lie  was  compelled  to  leave  in  order  to  support 
the  family.  In  1870,  he  entered  mercantile  life  in  Adamsville,  in  Iowa 
County,  and  afterward  went  into  a  grist-mill,  but  sold  out  to  his  partner, 
and  in  April,  1873,  came  to  Lake  Superior.  He  came  on  foot  from 
Duluth  to  Ashland,  and  on  arriving  went  to  work  with  ax  and  shovel  to 
clear  the  town  site.  He  was  appointed  Town  Clerk  in  1873,  and  also 
filled  the  offices  of  Deputy  County  Clerk  and  Justice,  at  the  same  time 
commencing  the  study  of  law.  He  was  elected  Town  Clerk  in  1874-5, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  was  elected  District  Attorney  in  the 
Fall  of  1S75,  and  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  1878.  He  is  now  Dep- 
uty County  Treasurer,  practicing  attorney  and  real  estate  and  abstract 
broker.  He  married,  in  1872,  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Pierce,  of  Iowa 
County.  They  have  three  children— A.  Pierce,  G.  Webb  and  W. 
Clark.     Mr.  Tomkins  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order. 

SAMUEL  STUART  VAUGHN,  merchant,  Ashland,  was  born  in 
Bereir,  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  2,  1830.  He  went  to  Eagle  River, 
Mich.,  in  1849,  and  worked  in  the  mining  district.  Leaving  there  with 
his  brother  they  went  to  La  Pointe,  Aug.  4.  1S52,  where  he  engaged  in 
fishing    and    fur  trading    with    the   Indians  till    1855,  when   he    went  to 


74 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Cleveland.  Ohio,  and  attended  commeicial  college.  He  returned  to  La 
Pointe  and  resumed  his  trading,  which  he  carried  on  till  1S56,  when,  in 
the  Fall,  he  came  to  Ashland  and  took  a  claim,  or  pre-empted  160  acres, 
and  then  opened  a  store  in  Bayfield,  one  of  the  first  there,  which  he 
carried  on  till  1S72.  In  1S69  and  1870  he  was  elected  and  served  in  the 
Assembly,  representing  Burnett,  Polk,  Barron,  Douglas,  Ashland  and 
Bayfield;  was  Postmasterat  Bayfield  eight  years  ;  Chairman  County  Board 
Ashland  and  Bayfield  counties  several  terms.  In  1870  he  was  appointed 
directot  of  the  Central  Railroad,  but  when  the  company  re-organized  he 
retired.  On  coming  to  Ashland  he  built  docks,  warehouses  and  a  store. 
In  1871  laid  out  V.iughn's  division  of  Ashland,  and  at  present  is  some- 
what interested  in  lumber,  putting  in  10  000,000  of  logs  in  the  Winter, 
iSSo-Sl.  In  1S64  he  married  Miss  E.  Patrick,  of  Ohio.  William  S. 
is  the  only  son. 

H.  D.  WEED,  druggist,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  g,  1829.  At  four  years  of  age  he  was  taken  to  Pontiac,  Livingston 
Co.,  III.,  where  his  father  took  a  claim.  In  1840  his  father  took  some 
heavy  contracts  on  the  old  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  was  ruined  ;  he 
died  in  1842.  H.  D.  Weed  attended  school  in  Pontiac,  and  in  1839  went 
to  Binghampton,  N.  Y.,  attending  school  there  and  at  the  Ithaca  Academy. 
In  1844  he  entered  his  uncle's  drug  store  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  In  1S50  he 
went  to  California,  via  Isthmus  of  Panama.  On  arriving  he  engaged  in 
mining  and  came  back  in  1851  with  $5,000.  He  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  in  Milwaukee  and  moved  from  there  to  Chicago,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years.  He  then  went  to  Rock  Island,  and  from  thereto 
Minneapolis,  where  he  opened  a  grocery.  In  1S59  he  started  for  Pike's 
Peak,  going  on  to  California,  where  he  stayed  till  1863,  when  he  returned 
to  Minnesota.  He  then  went  to  Montana,  and  while  there  was  elected 
in  1865,  to  the  Territorial  Legislature.  In  1866  returned  home  on  a  flat 
boat,  down  the  Yellow  Stone  and  Missouri  rivers.  He  opened  a  drug 
store  in  Rushford,  Minn.,  and  moved  to  Winona  in  1870,  and  thence  to 
Ashland  in  the  Spring  of  1S72,  and  opened  a  drug  store.  In  1854  he 
married  Miss  Cole,  of  Waukegan,  111.;  lost  wife  and  child  in  1856.  He 
married  Miss  Benjamin  in  ,iS68,  of  Prophetstown,  111.  They  have  a 
daughter,  Fannie  H.  Mr.  Weed  was  elected  Town  Treasurer  for  Ash- 
land in  1876,  and  was  United  States  Enumerator  in  1S80. 

R.  D.  WERNER,  restaurant,  .Ashland,  was  born  in  New  York  City. 
Aug.  30,  1851.  His  parents  moved  to  Lake  Superior  shores  of  Mich- 
igan, and  at  nine  years  of  age  he  went  to  work  in  the  copper  mines ;  he 
then  learned  the  barber's  trade,  and  followed,  that  and  work  on  the 
canal  until  1866,  when  he  went  sailing  and  cooking  on  the  lakes.  He 
cooked  in  various  places,  until  1880,  when  he  began  his  present  busi- 
ness— barber  shop,  restaurant  and  bakery — and  is  doing  about  $3  000 
per  annum.  In  1S71  he  married  Miss  Murray,  of  Marquette,  Mich. 
They   have    three   children— Emma  D.,  Ameil  and  Mary. 

JACOH  WILHELM,  saloon,  .\shland,  was  born  in  Rhine,  Bavaria, 
Germany,  Fell.  4,  1S45.  He  learned  carriage  and  wagon  making  in 
Germany,  and  emigrated  to  America,  landing  in  May.  1865.  He  came 
to  Duluth,  Minn.,  and  opened  the  first  shop  in  the  village.  He  came  to 
Ashland,  May  6,  1872,  and  opened  a  liquor  store.  In  1870  he  married, 
but  lost  his  wife  six  months  afterward.  In  1874  he  again  married.  His 
present  wife  was  Miss  S.  Albert,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Wilhelm  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  also  a  Mason,  and  belongs  to 
"  Deutscher  Harugari,"  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  "  Ordens  der  Freiheit." 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  Supervisor  in 
1876  and  1880. 

ERNEST  H.  WILSON,  stationery,  Ashland,  was  born  in  Roscoe, 
111.,  Sept.  27,  1857;  remained  there  till  1S78,  attending  high  school  and 
afterward  acting  clerk  in  a  general  >tore.  He  came  to  Ashland  in  1878, 
and  entered  Wilmarth's  bank  ;  served  as  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds  in 
1879-80;  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1880,  and  now  holds  that 
office  ;  he  is  also  Deputy  Clerk  of  Court,  and  Assistant  Postmaster. 
Mr.  Wilson  is  secretary  of  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Ashland,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  cornet  band. 

BUTTERNUT. 

July  8,  1878,  the  following  townships  were  set  off:  Town- 
ship 41,  Range  i  east,  and  Township  41,  Ranges  i,  2,  3, 
and  the  east  half  of  Township  41,  Range  4  west,  from 
towns  of  La  Pointe  and  Ashland,  and  a  new  town  organized 
called  Butternut.  In  1879  it  received  additional  territory 
by  the  vacation  of  town  of  Juniper,  and  some  more  de- 
tached from  towns  of  La  Pointe  and  Ashland  ;  and  June  17, 
1879,  the  town  received  additional  territory  by  vacation  of 
the  town  of  La  Pointe.  The  first  election  was  held  at  the 
house  of  M.  J.  Hart,  August  13,  1878,  and  the  following 
town  officers  were  elected  :  M.  J.  Hart,  Chairman  ;  Henry 
Spille  and  Robert  Rom,  Supervisors;  S.  P.  Hogan,  Clerk; 
H.  Besse,  Treasurer.  In  1875  the  village  of  Butternut  was 
made  the  terminus  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.     At 


this  time  there  was  a  boarding-house  kept  by  Hart  &  Bar- 
nidge  and  a  store  by  Parker  &  Stubblefield.     In  the  Fall  of 

1877  tlie  spot  was  visited  by  Henry  Spille  and  H.  Besse 
from  Cedarburg,  Wis.,  looking  for  a  place  to  locate.  They 
were  so  pleased  with  the  country  that  they  induced  by  their 
representations  quite  a  number  of  Germans  froin  the  vicin- 
ity of  Milwaukee  to  settle  in  this  neighborhood.  These 
people  formed  what  is  known  as  the  "  Butternut  Colony," 
which  now  comprises  about  120  families. 

It  was  platted  in  1878.     The  first  school  was  taught  in 

1878  by  Miss  Hannah  Tomkins  in  a  log  cabin,  formerly 
used  as  an  ice-house.  She  had  fourteen  scholars.  A  school- 
house  was  built  the  following  year.  A  Lutheran  minister 
visits  Butternut  occasionally,  which  is  all  the  religious  serv- 
ices they  have.  A  saw-mill  was  built  in  1879  by  Karpe, 
Russell  &Aldrich,  of  Plymouth,  Wis.  Butternut  is  now  a  thri- 
ving place  of  300  people,  and  is  the  center  of  the  best  agri- 
cultural district  in  the  Superior  region.  The  lumber  in- 
terest is  large,  being  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Chippewa, 
and  near  the  Bad  River.  Butternut  Lake,  about  a  mile 
from  the  village,  abounds  with  large-sized  muskallonge  and 
black  bass. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  BAATZ,  farmer,  Sec.  24,  P.  O.  Butternut,  was  born 
in  Prussia,  July  19,  1840.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1S57, 
and  came  at  once  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  26ih 
Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  I  ;  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865,  when  he  went 
to  Cedarburg,  and  was  married  to  Miss  M.  Seidel,  of  that  place.  He 
remained  there  till  1878,  when  he  came  to  Butternut,  having  taken  a 
homestead  of  160  acres,  where  he  now  lives,  on  Sec.  24,  Town  41,  Range 
2  west.  They  have  had  seven  children — William  (deceased),  Albeit, 
August,  Hugo,  Augusta,  Amanda,  and  a  babe  not  yet  named.  Mr. 
Baatz  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  also  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

HENRY  BESSE,  general  store.  Butternut,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  May  4,  1S23.  He  came  to  America  in  184S.  In  1855  he 
came  west  to  Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  going  into  the  general  merchan- 
dise business,  and  carrying  that  on  until  1878.  In  the  Spring  of  that 
year  he  moved  to  Butternut,  and  opened  a  general  store,  carrying  a  stock 
of  $2,700,  and  a  business  of  $8,000  per  annum.  He  was  married  in 
1S49,  I"!'  '^'5  fi"*  "'if^  died,  leaving  seven  children  :  Louisa  (now  Mrs. 
Hart),  Henry,  Ida,  Herman,  Arthur,  Edward  and  Elsie.  In  1869  he 
married  Miss  Anna  Spille,  of  Cedarburg,  and  has  three  children  by  her — 
Anna,  Frederick  and  Martha.  Mr.  Besse  was  elected,  by  special  elec- 
tion, in  1878,  as  Town  Treasurer,  and  re-elected  in  1S79. 

IRA  A.  EBLE.  farmer,  resident  of  Butternut,  was  born  in  Milwau- 
kee Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  i,  184S.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm  in  that  county, 
and  remained  till  1S64,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  4th  U.S.  Reg.  Inf., 
Co.  K  ;  was  mustered  out  in  1867,  and  went  back  to  Milwaukee  County, 
where  he  remained  till  1876.  He  then  went  to  Ohio,  staying  there  till 
1878,  when  he  came  to  Butternut  and  took  a  homestead  of  160  acres, 
on  northeast  quarter  cf  Sec.  28,  Town  41,  Range  I  west.  In  1880, 
was  elected  Justice,  and  has  held  two  terms  ;  was  "Town  Clerk  in  1879, 
and  is  now  Deputy  Town  Clerk,  and  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  organiz- 
ation. 

G.  A.  GRANT,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Butternut,  was  born  in 
Waldo  Co.,  Me.,  town  of  Prospect,  Feb.  7,  1841.  He  came  with 
his  father  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1847,  and  worked  on  the  farm  and 
at  his  trade.  In  1879  he  came  to  Butternut  and  bought  220  acres  in 
Town  41,  Range  i  west.  Sees.  28,  29.  32  and  33.  He  married  in 
1S66,  Miss  Margaret  L.  Steele,  of  New  Jersey.  She  died  in  1S73.  as  did 
also  the  two  children,  John  L.  and  Margaret  L.  He  married  again,  in 
1874,  Miss  Josephine  .Shellinger,  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  one  child, 
Maggie. 

FERDINAND  H.  HOTH,  farmer,  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Butternut,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  July  7,  1837.  Emigrated  to  America  in  1875, 
having  followed  the  life  of  a  sailor  He  came  direct  to  Caledonia, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he   remained  till  1877.     In  187S  he   took  a  I 

homestead  in  Butternut,  Sec.  20  Town   41,   Range   I,  west,  upon  which  1 

he  lives.     In  1S61  he  married  Miss  Augusta  Traap,  of  Prussia.     They  I 

have  had  eleven  children  —  Johanna,  William,   Fred.,    Mina,  Mary  and  1 

Charles  are  living  ;  Henrietta,  Albertina,  Frank,  Rudolph  and  Albert 
are  not  living.     Mr.  Hoth  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

ALEX.\NDER  McQUILLAN,  saloon  and  farmer,  Butternut,  was 
born  in  Tyrone  Co.,  Ireland,  in  1S44.  He  came  to  .America  in  1S65, 
and  went  to  Baltimore.  Maryland,  and  from  there  to  La  Porte,  Indiana, 
where  he  remained  until  1874.  In  1878  he  came  to  Butternut  and  took 
a  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  and  now  works  it,  but  lives  in  the  village. 


HISTORY    OF    ASHLAND    COUNTY. 


75 


He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1878.  In  1867  he  married  Miss 
Martha  Lee,  of  Ireland,  in  La  Porte,  Indiana.  They  have  had  three  chil- 
dren— Jemima.  Haywood  A.  and  Thomas,  deceased. 

CAPTAIN  JOHN  J.  METZGAR,  farmer,  Sec.  5,  P.  O.  Butternut, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Dec.  20,  182S.  Until  1837  he  remained 
there,  and  his  parents  moved  to  Mercer  County  where  they  settled  on  a 
farm.  In  1S39  they  moved  to  Licking  Co.,  Ohio,  which  place  was  his  home 
till  1S54,  when  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  He  moved  to  Waupaca 
County  and  built  the  first  frame  house  in  Manawa.  In  1S61  he  enlisted  in 
the  76th  Ohio  v.  I.,  Co.  B.  He  began  as  a  quartermaster  sergeant ; 
was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  Sept.  30,  1862;  to  first,  March  12, 
1864  ;  to  captain,  Feb.  iS,  1865,  and  served  on  the  Staff  of  General  C. 
R.  Wood.  He  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  and  entered  mercantile  life  at 
Newark,  Ohio.  In  1870  he  received  the  appointment  of  Assistant  As- 
sessor of  Internal  Revenue,  for  the  Thirteenth  Congressional  District. 
In  1880,  he  came  to  Price  County,  and  took  a  homestead  in  Fifield  of 
113  acres,  in  Town  40,  Range  2,  west,  where  he  lives.  In  1855  he  mar- 
ried Miss  C.  E.  Prichard,  of  Granville,  Ohio.  They  have  six  children- 
Anna,  John,  Caroline,  Mary,  Frances  and  Catherine. 

J.  W.  PAINE,  railroad  agent,  Butternut,  was  born  in  Lind,  Waupaca 
Co..  Oct.  21,  1S56.  In  1S61  he  was  sent  to  school  in  Waupaca  City, 
continuing  there  until  1S75,  where  he  learned  telegraphy.  In  1878  he 
was  operator  at  Chilton,  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  till  he 
returned  to  Waupaca  County  and  began  book-keeping.  In  1880  he  took 
the  station  at  Butternut,  where  he  now  is. 

JOHN  RUSSELL,  saw-mill,  Butternut,  was  born  in  Buffalo  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  March  22,  1848.  He  remained  in  his  native  county  till  1851,  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  went  to 
farming.  In  1S78,  he  came  to  Butternut  and  bought  a  share  in  a  saw- 
mill. In  1872  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Mahlock,  of  Sheboygan  County. 
They  have  four  children— Clara, Minnie, Bertha  and  Henry.  Hehas  180 
acres  of  land.  He  was  Town  Treasurer  in  1S80,  and  has  served  on  the 
School  Board. 

J.  H.  SMART,  farmer.  Sec.  4.  P.  O.  Butternut,  was  born  in  Pros- 
pect Co.,  Me.,  Sept.  14,  1833.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  came  to 
Sheboygan  Co..  Wis.,  where  he  lived  until  187S,  when  he  came  to  But- 
ternut and  took  up  a  homestead  of  160  acres  on  Sec.  4,  Town  41,  Range 
I  east.  In  1857  he  married  Miss  Steele,  of  New  Jersey.  They  have 
six  children  living,  having  lost  four.  In  18S1  was  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy  as  Justice,  and  is  a   member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  organization. 

HENRY  SPILLE,  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.O.  Butternut,  born  in  Olden- 
burg, Germany,  Nov.  17, 1833;  emigrated  with  his  parents  in  1S4S  to  Amer- 
ica, and  came  to  Wisconsin  and  began  farming  in  what  is  now  Ozaukee 
County.  He  lived  there  till  1857,  when  he  moved  to  Manitowoc 
County,  where  he  lived  until  1S65,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  44th  Wis. 
V.  I.,  Co.  C.  He  was  mustered  out  in  1875,  and  went  to  Cedar- 
burg.  He  came  to  Butternut,  Sept.  3,  1877,  and  took  a  homestead 
of  160  acres.  His  was  the  first  family  of  homesteaders  in  Butternut. 
He  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  in  1878,  to  fill  a  va- 
cancy, and  was  elected  to  the  oflice  in  1S79  ;  was  elected  Town  Treas- 
urer in  iSSi.  He  is  general  agent  for  railroad,  State  and  Government 
lands.  His  wife  was  Miss  Catherine  Lubbering,  of  Oldenburg,  who 
died  in  1S78.  They  had  four  children— Alfred  H.,  Anna  C,  and  Ber- 
tha W.,  deceased  ;  and  Henrietta  Eleanora.  Mr.  Spille  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R. 

G.  W.  STUBBLEFIELD,  farmer,  on  Eagle  IsLand,  P.  O.  Butter- 
nut, was  born  in  Kalloway  Co.,  Ky.,  Dec.  11,  1849.  I"  1S62  he  went 
to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  going  to 
school.  He  enlisted  in  the  loth  Wis.  V.  I.  for  frontier  service,  and 
was, located  at  Ft.  Rice,  D.  T.  He  was  mustered  out  in  i8b7,  and  re- 
turned to  Rock  County,  where  he  remained  till  1873,  when  he  came  to 
Butternut  and  located  on  the  Flambeau  River,  where  he  kept  a  stopping 
place  for  travelers  and-trading  post.  In  1876  he  built  the  first  building 
in  the  town  of  Butternut,  for  a  store.  In  1877  he  gave  his  full  time  to 
locating  and  exploring  lands.  In  1878  he  opened  a  store  again.  In 
the  Spring  of  1879  he  closed  his  store,  and  is  now  living  on  his  island 
home  in  Lake  Butternut,  which  he  has  made  a  resort  for  Summer  trav- 
elers. 

GLIDDEN. 

The  place  of  many  names  was  first  called  Chijipewa 
Crossing,  then  Juniper,  then  Chippewa  Crossing,  then  Glid- 
den.  It  was  platted  in  1878.  The  first  men  to  locate  here 
were  Charles  B.  McLean,  the  jiresent  Postmaster,  and  John 
Fraser,  in  1S73.  The  place  began  to  settle  up  at  the  time 
the  railroad  was  completed  in  1877.  It  has  two  hotels  kept 
by  M.  J.  Hart  and  Mrs.  Mary  Fox,  and  one  store  by  J.  A. 
King.  The  population  is  about  seventy.  The  place  is  sit- 
uated in  the  lumber  district,  and  is  head-quarters  for  the 
camps  on  the  Chippewa.  A  school-house  was  built  here  in 
1877. 


White  River,  Marengo,  Silver  Creek,  Winnebosho  and 
Penoka  are  small  railroad  stations  along  the  line  of  the 
Central. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MRS.    MARY     FOX,     Glidden,     was      born     in     Brooklyn,     L. 

I.  Her  maiden  name  was  Moore,  and  she  married  a  Mr.  Tyler, 
by  whom  she  had  three  boys— Thomas,  Daniel  and  William.  In  1866 
she  married  Mr.  Fox,  in  Janesville,  Wis.  They  moved  to  what  was  then 
called  Chippewa  Crossing  and  built  a  hotel,  which  she  keeps  with  her 
boys.     She  also  owns  forty  acres  of  farm  land,  which  the  sons  work. 

J.  A.  KING,  merchant,  Glidden,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  July 

II,  1S17.  In  1S42  he  moved  to  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  remaining  there 
until  1845,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Fond  du  Lac 
County.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  Forest  Town,  being  the  second 
settler  there.  In  1S65  he  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  went  into  the  flour 
and  feed  business.  In  1S73  he  went  to  Medford,  where  he  built  the  first 
store  building  in  the  village.  In  1S79  ^e  opened  a  store  in  Chippewa 
Crossing,  now  called  Glidden.  In  1S60  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Jen- 
nings. She  died,  leaving  one  son,  J.  A.  King,  Jr.  Mr.  King  has  always 
been  a  pioneer,  keeping  in  advance  of  civilization,  and  is  well  known  as 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  section. 

CHARLES  B.  McLEAN,  Postmaster,  Glidden,  was  born  in  town  of 
Perth,  Province  of  Ontario,  April  28,  1839.  His  first  business  was  clerk- 
ing, after  which  he  studied  law.  He  went  to  Buffalo,  where  he  enlisted 
in  the  8th  N.  Y.  C,  Co.  A  ;  served  his  time  out,  and  returned  to  Can- 
ada and  opened  a  law  office,  but  soon  after  began  farming  with  his 
brother,  Archibald.  In  1S72,  he  moved  to  Ashland,  Wis.,  and  worked 
on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  In  1S74,  he  opened  a  restaurant 
and  bakery  there.  He  came  to  Glidden  in  1874,  and  located  on  a  farm 
of  130  acres,  on  Sec.  2,  Town  42.  Range  2  west.  Here  he  lived  till 
1879.  when  he  bought  a  property  in  the  village  where  he  now  lives.  In 
1872  he  married  Miss  Annie  Riley,  of  Ashland.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren—Mary, Archie  and  Charles  E.  E.  Mr.  McLean  was  Town  Clerk 
when  the  town  of  Juniper  existed — since  done  away  with. 

R.  M.  WILLIAMS,  farmer,  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Glidden,  was  born  in 
Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  about  five  miles  from  Ft.  Winnebago,  Sept.  16, 
1850.  Here  he  lived  till  1869,  when  he  moved  to  Pardeeville,  where  he 
learned  blacksmithing  and  afterward  telegraphy.  In  Summer  of  1874' 
he  moved  to  Medford,  and  afterwards  took  a  homestead  and  located  on 
Sec.  12,  Town  42,  Range  2  west,  which  he  is  now  clearing  and  improv- 
ing. In  i868  he  married  Miss  America  A.  Smith,  of  Wyocena.  They 
have  four  children — -^ngy,  Maurice  L.,  Daisy  and  Robert  A.  Mr. 
Williams  joined  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  in   1871. 

PROTESTANT    MISSIONS. 

A  brief  sketch  of  Protestant  mission  work  among  the 
Indians  in  northern  Wisconsin  is  here  given. 

Prior  to  the  year  1830,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Coe  missionated 
among  the  Indian  tribes  around  the  southern  borders  of 
Lake  Superior,  but  nothing  permanent  was  undertaken 
until  the  year  above  named,  when  Mr.  Ayer,  a  Cliristian 
teacher  from  Mackinaw,  came  up  the  lake  and  settled  at 
La  Pointe,  on  Madeline  Island.  The  year  following  he  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Hall  and  Boutwell,  who  also  lo- 
cated at  La  Pointe.  In  the  course  of  the  ensuing  fifteen 
years,  other  missionaries  came,  and  a  series  of  stations  were 
occupied,  e.\tending  west  to  the  Mississippi.  Only  one  of 
these  stations  fell  a  victim  to  Indian  rapacity  and  revenge. 
About  the  year  1845,  a  band  of  the  Sioux,  the  old  and  in- 
veterate enemy  of  the  Chippewas,  made  a  descent  upon 
the  mission  station  of  Pokeguma,  and  swept  it  out  of  exist- 
ence, murdering,  scalping,  burning  and  destroying.  Shortly 
after  this,  all  points  to  the  west  of  the  great  lake  were 
abandoned,  and  work  for  the  Chippewas  centered  in  the  two 
villages  of  La  Pointe  and  Odanah.  About  the  year  1850, 
Mr.  Hall,  who  had  been  for  nineteen  years  at  La  Pointe,  and 
most,  if  not  all,  the  time  in  charge  of  the  work  there,  quit- 
ted the  field,  and  La  Pointe  was  practically  abandoned. 
Before  Mr.  Hall  retired  from  this  field,  however,  he  was  the 
honored  instrument,  with  the  aid  of  Henry  Blatchford, 
native  licentiate,  of  getting  out  a  revised  translation  of  the 
"Ojibwe"  Testament,  whicii  is  to  the  present  day,  and  will 
continue  to  be  as  long  as  Chippewa  is  spoken,  the  one  stand- 
ard book  of  the  language.  Though  the  mortal  body  of  the 
Rev.  Sherman  Hall  now  sleeps  in  the  dust,  his  indefatigable 


76 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  faithful  labors  in  bringing  out  so  grand  a  translation  of 
the  New  Testament  Scriptures  in  the  vernacular  of  the 
people,  is  a  monument  to  his  memory  that  will  ever  abide. 
Though  a  school  was  in  operation  during  most  of  Mr.  Hall's 
sojourn  at  La  Pointe,  there  is  no  authentic  data  at  hand 
from  which  to  give  statistics.  The  Rev.  Leonard  H. 
Wheeler,  Rev.  Isaac  Baird's  honored  predecessor  at  Odanah, 
joined  the  mission  at  La  Pointe  in  1841.  In  1845  that  point 
was  permanently  occupied  as  a  mission  station,  and  for 
twenty  long  years  Mr.  Wheeler  was  the  inspiring  genius  and 
controlling  spirit  of  the  field.  Under  his  supervision  a 
large  mission  farm  was  pre-empted;  a  school-house,  capa- 
ble of  accommodating  eighty  children,  erected  ;  a  church, 
that  will  comfortably  seat  150  people,  built ;  and  a  manual 
labor  boarding-school  for  Indian  youth,  with  a  capacity  for 
twenty-five  children,  with  their  teachers  and  helps,  was 
constructed;  all  being  undertaken  and  accomplished  at  the 
expense  of  the  Mission  Board  alone,  the  Government 
making  at  rare  intervals  such  small  donations  as  it  saw  fit. 
During  Mr.  Wheeler's  regime  a  mighty  work  was  accom- 
plished. The  entering  wedge  to  sever  heathenism  was  in- 
troduced, a  Christian  church  was  established,  the  day  school 
and  the  manual  labor  boarding-school  were  both  doing  good 
service,  and  there  were  times  when  even  he  hoped  in  his  day 
to  see  the  desired  accomplishments.  The  church  reached  a 
membership  of  twenty-two,  and  the  schools  were  at  times 
well  attended.  But  now  ten  years  have  passed  away  since 
that  faithful  toiler  died,  and  much  remains  to  be  done.  Mr. 
Wheeler  was  a  man  of  commanding  appearance,  of  strong 
intellect,  of  clear  and  decided  views.  His  toils  were  liter- 
ally incessant  to  improve  and  benefit  this  people,  who  to- 
day are  reaping  the  harvest  which  has  sprung  from  his 
faithful  sowing.  In  1S59,  or  tliereabouts,  he  experienced 
the  first  break  in  his  health,  but  for  six  years  more  continued 
to  labor  on  with  his  remaining  strength,  until  the  year  1865, 
when  it  became  imperative  for  him  to  quit  the  field  in 
which  he  had  so  nobly  spent  the  strength  and  best  of  his 
working  days.  With  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Wheeler,  the  A. 
B.  C.  F.  M.,  under  whose  care  the  mission  had  hitherto 
been,  decided  to  abandon  the  field  entirely.  For  some 
five  or  six  years  thereafter,  H.  Blatchford,  the  native 
licentiate  named  above,  continued,  without  fee  or  earthly 
reward,  to  keep  up  the  regular  services  of  the  church,  and 
labored  hard  to  hold  together  the  little  band  of  disciples 
so  unhajipily  left  orphans  here  in  the  wilderness.  The 
weariness. and  disappointment  of  those  long  waiting  years, 
as  they  kept  calling  and  calling,  and  yet  only  calling  in 
vain,  for  another  missionary  to  come  to  their  aid,  can  not 
be  written  with  ink  and  pen. 

In  1870,  this  Chippewa  mission  was  transferred  from  the 
A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  to  the  Presb.  B.  Foreign  Missions. 
In  1871,  the  station  was  re-oj)ened  under  the  Rev.  S.  J. 
Mills,  but  insufficient  health  for  the  hardships  and  ex- 
posures of  the  field  led  him  to  soon  quit  it.  Before 
leaving,  however,  he  saw  the  day  school  occupied  by  a  mis- 
sionary lady  teacher.  Miss  S.  Verbeck  ;  the  boarding-school 
re-opened  under  the  management  of  Miss  H.  N.  Phillips, 
and  the  few  native  Christians  partially  revived.  Mr.  A.  W. 
Williamson,   son  of  the  now  sainted  Decotah  missionary, 


was  the  next  superintendent  of  this  mission.  Being  a  lay- 
man, his  duties  were  confined  more  exclusively  to  the  over- 
sight of  the  farm  and  the  educational  work,  though  his 
influence  w^as  felt  decidedly  for  good  in  the  church  work. 
But  the  situation  was  found  to  be  a  trying  one  for  his  health, 
and  after  some  nine  months'  experierce  of  it,  he  was  re- 
luctantly constrained  to  retire  and  give  it  up  entirely. 

Rev.  Isaac  Baird  was  the  next  superintendent  in  the  order 
of  succession.  He  reached  the  field  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
March,  1873,  at  12:45  o'clock,  p.  m.  Krom  that  time  to  the 
present  the  day  school  has  been  constantly  running,  Miss 
S.  A.  Dougherty  being  the  teacher  in  charge.  The  bcard- 
ing-school  has  also  been  kept  up  until  the  30th  of  June  last, 
when  it  was  closed,  whether  finally  time  must  decide.  The 
church  has  been  reorganized,  a  native  pastor  called  and 
ordained  over  it,  in  the  person  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Blatch- 
ford (formerly  licentiate  and  interpreter),  and  about  eighty 
Indians  added  to  the  roll  of  its  membership.  The  actual 
communicants  are  now  scarcely  seventy,  a  number  having 
been  lost  by  death  and  a  few  by  excommunication  and  sus- 
pension. The  church  has  been 'for  five  years  under  the 
care  of  the  pastor  and  the  elders,  of  whom  there  are  usually 
four.  Sunday  services  are  well  attended,  and  a  good  Sun- 
day-school and  weekly  prayer-meeting  are  very  well  sus- 
tained. The  people  have  made  rapid  improvement  during 
the  past  six  years  in  material  prosperity,  thrift,  general  in- 
telligence, and  morality.  Still  nearly  one  half  of  the  popu- 
lation of  460  souls  is  outside  the  church  pale.  Those  who 
have  embraced  the  Christian  faith  are  civilized  and  anxious 
to  have  patents  for  their  land  in  severalty,  and  to  go  for- 
ward in  the  white  man's  road. 

There  is  as  yet  only  one  out-station  to  this  mission,  and 
that  is  at  a  place  called  Puhquauhwong,  on  the  Lac  Courte 
Oreille  reserve,  in  Chippewa  County.  The  teacher  and 
licentiate  at  that  point  is  Louis  Manypenny,  who  received 
his  training  for  the  work  at  this  mission.  For  nearly  three 
years  now  he  has  taught  a  day  school  four  hours  per  day, 
and  kept  up  regular  Sunday  services  with  the  people.  At 
present  Mr.  Baird  is  training  others  to  go  forth  as  evangel- 
ists among  their  own  people.  By  natives,  trained  as  teach- 
ers and  preachers,  an  effort  is  being  made  to  gather  in  these 
wandering  children  of  the  forest  to  the  fold  of  Christ  the 
great  Shepherd. 

Odanah  and  the  Bad  River  Indian  Reservation  is  situated 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  Odanah,  the  Chippewa 
name  for  town,  is  a  settlement  and  head-quarters  of  the 
Indian  Agency,  in  about  the  center  of  the  reservation,  at 
the  junction  of  Bad  and  ^^'hite  rivers,  about  five  miles  from 
Lake  Superior.  The  village  now  is  what  is  left  of  a  once 
flourishing  town,  though  it  yet  contains  quite  a  number  of 
buildings.  The  country  around  is  suitable  for  agriculture. 
The  Government  improvements  and  buildings  have  cost 
$30,000.  The  reservation  contains  140,000  acres  of  land, 
with  several  hundred  under  cultivation.  Population  mostly 
Chippewa  Indians.  The  Bad  River  is  navigable  ten  miles 
from  its  mouth.  July  24,  1876,  a  dwelling  owned  by  the 
Government  was  burned.  The  village  contains  a  trading 
post,  a  Catholic  and  a  Presbyterian  Church. 


HISTORY    OF    BARRON   COUNTY 


BARRON     COUNTY. 


NATURAL    FEATURES. 

Tliis  county  lies  in  the  northwestern  portion  of  the 
State,  <and  is  comprised  of  thirty  townships.  The 
greater  per  cent,  of  tiie  country  is  covered  with  heavy 
timber,  such  as  pine,  butternut  and  maple.  Ten  per 
cent,  is  marsh  land.  The  surface  i.s  generally  level  or 
gently  rolling.  In  the  southern  portion  the  soil  is 
sandy  loam,  but  in  the  northern  towns  clay  predomi- 
nates. The  county  does  not  rank  high  as  an  agricul- 
tural region.  Those  settlers  who  do  follow  farming  as 
a  business  find  ready  market  for  their  produce.  The 
county  is  well  watered  and  drained  by  the  Red  Cedar 
(Menomonee)  and  Vermillion  rivers  in  the  eastern 
part,  and  Hay  River  in  the  western,  the  last  two  being 
the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Red  Cedar,  which 
is  the  chief  affluent  of  the  Chippewa.  Hundreds  of 
other  brooks  and  brooklets  ramify  this  region,  and  all, 
running  toward  the  south,  seek  outlet  through  the  Red 
Cedar.  The  currents  of  the  streams  are  usually  rapid, 
and  afford  many  admirable  mill-sites  and  water-powers, 
only  a  few  of  which  are  yet  utilized.  It  has  been  esti- 
mated that  the  water-power  of  this  county  would  drive 
the  wheels  of  all  the  manufactories  of  Massachusetts. 
There  are  many  lakes,  varying  from  two  to  ten  miles 
in  length,  in  this  county.  Some  are  found  reposing  in 
the  heart  of  the  forest,  coldly  isolated  from  all  other 
water ;  while  otliers  are  found  at  frequent  intervals 
along  the  water-courses  tributary  to  the  Red  Cedar. 
Principal  among  these  are  Beaver,  Little  Chetac,  Red 
Cedar,  Rice,  Bear  and  Long  Lakes.  Hundreds  of 
small  brooks  run  from  every  point  of  the  compass, 
finally  emptying  into  the  Red  Cedar.  The  natural 
beauties  of  the  woods  and  streams  are  enhanced  in 
value,  to  the  sportman's  eye  at  least,  by  the  nunierous- 
ness  and  variety  of  large  game  to  be  found  here. 

The  eastern  portions  of  the  county  contain  large 
formations  of  cathinite,  or  pipestone,  which  will  event- 
ually prove  a  material  source  of  revenue,  when  rail 
facilities  enable  shipment.  Potsdam  sandstone  pro- 
trudes in  the  southern  towns,  while  in  the  northern 
the  azoic  granite  outcrop  forms  a  characteristic  feature 
of  the  scenery.  Granite  boulders  reveal  their  presence 
in  all  parts  of  the  county. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  region  is  traditionary, 
strange  as  such  a  statement  may  appear  in  relation  to 
the  almost  new  districts  of  northern  Wisconsin.  It  is 
said  that  more  than  a  century  ago,  the  grandfather  of 
August  Cadot — long  a  resident  of  the  Chippewa  Valley 
— came  to  the  present  county  of  Barron,  in  company 
with  others,  from  Montreal,  and  established  a  trading- 
post  near  Rice  Lake.  The  story  runs  that  the  elder 
Cadot  was  killed  by  Indians,  and  that  his  grave  is  still 
discernable,  near  the  dam  erected  across  a  stream  flow- 
ing  into  Rice    Lake.      This   dam,   it  is  asserted,    was 


built  by  Cadot  and  his  co-workers.  It  was  over  300 
feet  in  length  and  eight  feet  high.  Why  it  was  built 
is  a  mystery.  The  post  became  a  noted  one  among  the 
northern  tribes. 

Tlie  next  white  men  to  .arrive  were  probably  fur 
traders  and  lumbermen  ;  the  latter  class  in  the  employ 
of  Knapp,  Stout  and  Co.  The  first  logging  was  done 
in  1848.  A  number  of  the  employes  of  this  Menom- 
onee lumber  firm  naturally  decided  to  make  a  home  in 
the  new  and  promising  region.  Among  others  may  be 
named  S.  P.  Barker,  John  Quaderer,  .James  Brocklin, 
Hiram  Storey,  Henry  Sawyer,  C.  P.  Fuller,  John 
Myers  and  Edward  Delong.  The  first  modern  dam — 
after  the  alleged  Cadot  dam — was  built  by  James 
Brocklin,  for  Knapp.  Stout  &  Co..  on  the  west  fork  of 
Yellow  River,  in  I860.  The  following  year  the  same 
firm  improved  the  Red  Cedar  for  log-driving  purposes. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  by>.  H.  and  O.  T. 
Perkins,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county,  in 
1862.  They  operated  it  until  1867,  when  the  supply 
failed,  and  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  it.  It  was 
but  a  small  affair,  using  a  circular  saw. 

In  1868,  the  firm  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  began  to 
realize  the  value  of  the  water-power  and  timber  in  this 
section,  and  commenced  numerous  improvements,  one 
of  which  was  that  of  farming.  Tiiey  now  own  the 
"  Prairie  Farm,"'  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county, 
where  they  have  hundreds  of  acres  under  cultivation. 
By  improving  the  power  furnished  by  the  waters  of 
Hay  River,  this  substantial  firm  now  operate  saw,  grist, 
shingle,  lath  and  planing  mills.  The  village  of  Rice 
Lake  has  become  quite  a  thriving  business  point  under 
the  firm's  management. 

The  principal  industry  is  lumbering.  Immense 
quantities  of  pine  timber  are  cut  and  driven  to  a  mar- 
ket below  on  Red  Cedar  River. 

The  first  settler  who  came  to  the  county  solely  with 
agricultural  intentions  was  John  Banks,  who  located 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  in  1855. 

The  North  Wisconsin  Raihvay,  from  Hudson  to 
Lake  Superior,  passes  through  the  northwestern  towns 
of  the  county,  and  furnishes  a  means  of  communication 
that  will  eventually  be  of  essential  value  to  the  people 
there. 

The  first  church  erected  in  the  county  belonged  to 
the  Roman  Catholics.  The  first  Protestant  services 
held  were  conducted  by  Rev.  W.  Bird,  a  Methodist 
Episcopal. 

In  1868,  the  first  mail  was  carried  from  Menomonee 
by  James  Brocklin,  to  the  post-office  at  old  Barron.  S. 
P.  Baker  was  the  Postmaster. 

Austin  Skinner  held  the  first  Justice's  Court,  the 
case  in  dispute  arising  out  of  a  transaction  over  a 
weasel  skin. 

The  first  white  child  born  here  was  a  daughter  of 
Michael  Jones,  in  1855.     The  first  white  person  to  die 


HlSrORY    OF    NORTH  KR\    WISCONSIN. 


was  Miss  Ball,  whose   death   is  said  to  have  resulted 
from  poison  administered   by  jealous  Indian  maidens. 
The  first  school  was  taught  by  Margaret  Clark. 
The  population  of^the  county  in  1880  was  7,023. 

ORGANIZATION. 

By  an  act  of  tlie  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  approved 
March  19,  1859,  Townships  32,  33,  34,  35,  36  and  37 
north,  in  Ranges  12,  13,  14  and  15  west,  were  set  off 
from  Polk  County  and  made  into  a  new  county,  under 
the  name  of  Dallas,  in  honor  of  George  M.  Dallas,  Vice- 
president  of  the  United  States,  between  the  years 
1845-9.  The  new  county  was  attached  to  Polk,  for 
all  purposes,  civil  and  judicial.  The  county  seat  was 
located  at  the  village  of  Manhattan. 

In  1860,  Townships  32  to  37,  inclusive,  in  Ranges 
10  and  11  west,  were  detached  from  Chippewa,  and 
annexed  to  Dallas.  In  the  same  year,  it  was  taken 
from  Polk,  and  attached  to  Dunn  for  civil  and  judicial 
purposes. 

In  1863,  in  accordance  with  a  vote  had  by  the 
people  of  Dallas  County,  the  Legislature  attached  Range 
15  of  Dallas  to  Polk  County. 

By  an  act  approved  March  2,  1868,  Dallas  County 
was  organized  for  county  and  judicial  purposes  from 
and  after  January  1,  1869.  The  county  was  continued 
as  one  town,  under  the  name  of  Dallas,  and  an  election 
for  town  officers  fixed  for  the  first  Tuesday  in  Novem- 
ber following. 

The  county  seat  was,  by  the  same  act,  located  on 
Section  26  in  Township  34,  of  Range  12  west,  after- 
ward known  as  the  village  of  Barron.  By  the  same 
act  it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  Governor   to  appoint 


the  first  county  officers.  He,  accordingly,  made  Fran- 
cis Finley,  County  Judge  ;  James  G.  Neville,  Register 
of  Deeds;  James  Brocklin,  Treasurer;  Alfred  Finley, 
School  Superintendent;  and  D.  F.  Boswell,  Clerk  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  which  was  formed  of  Rose- 
man  Kellogg,  C.  P.  Fuller  and  S.  P.  Barker. 

In  1862,  the  fiist  election  was  held  for  town  officers. 
The  voting  occurred  at  the  liouse  of  John  Banks. 
Those  elected,  however,  failed  to  qualify,  and  the 
organization  was  postponed  until  1868,  when  S.  P. 
Barker,  James  Vennette  and  John  Banks  were  made 
Town  Supervisors;  John  Quaderer,  Treasurer;  and 
James  Neville,  Town  Clerk.  Polls  were  open  at  Quad- 
erer's   camp. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  in  1869,  the  name  of 
the  county  was  changed,  and  called  Barron,  in  honor 
of  H.  D.  Barron,  now  serving  as  Circuit  Judge  of  the 
eleventh  circuit,  of  which  Barron  is  a  part. 

Two  papers  are  published  in  this  county.  The 
Barron  County  Chronotype  was  started  at  Rice  Lake, 
in  1874,  by  S.  N.  Carpenter.  It  was  removed  to  Bar- 
ron, under  the  charge  of  Fred  Peachman  ;  but  it  is 
now  issued  at  Rice  Lake,  by  C.  F.  Bone. 

The  Barron  County  Shield  was  first  issued  October 
6,  1876,  by  A.  Dewey,  at  Barron.  It  is  now  in  charge 
of  Walter  Speed  &  Co.,  at  the  same  place. 

BARRON. 

The  county  seat  bears  a  name  similar  to  that  of  the 
county.  Its  site  was  owned  originally  by  John  Quaderer, 
one  of  the  pioneers.  The  village  is  situated  on  Section 
28,  Town  34  north,  Range  12  west  It  contains  several 
hundred  inhabitants. 


BAYFIELD    COUNTY. 


NATURAL     ADVANTAGES. 

Bayfield  County  has  no  prairie  lands,  most  of  the 
country  being  covered  with  growths  of  timber — chiefly 
hemlock,  spruce,  pine,  sugar-maple,  red  oak,  elm,  pop- 
lar and  white  and  yellow  bii-ch.  The  numerous 
streams  afford  facilities  for  handling  the  lumber 
cheaply.  The  streams  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  empty  into  Lake  Superior,  while  those  in  the 
southern  part  flow  toward  the  Mississippi.  They  are 
bordered  by  rich  lands,  easily  cultivated  and  very  pro- 
ductive. There  is  a  good  supply  of  red  and  brown 
sandstone.     Copper  and  iron  have  also  been  found. 

Bayfield  County  has  a  coast  line  on  Lake  Superior 
of  over  seventy-five  miles,  of  which  not  less  than  fifty 
miles  are  a  safe  and  secure  iiarbor  for  vessels.  This 
harbor  is  formed  by  the  Apostle  Islands,  which  shelter 
it  from  winds  in  every  direction.  There  are  a  number 
of  trout  streams  in  the  county.  Among  the  most  noted 
are  the  Sioux  River,  Onion  River,  Pike's  Creek,  Fish 
Creek,  Raspberry  and  Sand  rivers.  All  manner  of  wild 
game  abounds  in  tlie  woods,  especially  deer  and  bear. 

INDIANS. 

The  Chippewa  Indians  formerly  occupied  what  is 
now  Bayfield  County,  and   many  of  their  descendants 


still  live  there,  engaging  in  the  same  occupations  as 
their  white  neighbors.  The  Indians  have  a  reserva- 
tion in  this  county,  called  the  Red  Cliff  Reservation. 
Buffalo  Bay,  Indian  village,  contains  a  Government 
saw-mill.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  on  the 
lake.  Its  population  numbers  500,  and  is  composed 
mostly  of  half-breeds  and  civilized  Indians,  who  have 
all  adopted  the  white  man's  dress.  Robert  Pew  estab- 
lished a  school  here  in  1874.  January  29,  1878,  Red 
Cliff  was  visited  by  a  destructive  fire,  which  consumed 
property  to  the  amount  of  $15,000.  The  Govern- 
ment, Mr.  Mahan  and  family  and  L.  O.  Clemens  were 
the  principal  losers. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

This  section  is  the  scene  of  the  first  efforts  by  white 
men  to  introduce  civilization  into  Wisconsin.  The 
facts  are  detailed  in  the  foregoing  pages. 

October  1, 1665,  Father  Alloiiez,  the  first  white  man 
who  came  to  the  county,  reached  the  bay.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  for  a  short  time  he  was  located  at  the  place 
now  known  as  Pike's  Bay,  the  precise  spot  being  un- 
known. One  tradition  designates  Section  22,  and  an- 
other Section  27,  in  Township  50  north.  Range  4  west, 
the  latter  on  the  estate  of  Franklin  Steele.    The  Jesuit 


HISTORY    OF    BAYFIELD    COUNTY. 


79 


engaged  in  missionary  duties  amongst  tlie  Indians,  as 
is  related  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  work. 

Subsequently  two  other  Jesuit  missionaries,  James 
Marquette  and  Louis  Nicholas,  attempted  to  perfect 
the  work  of  Alloiiez.  They  were  the  next  known 
white  visitors  to  Bayfield.  In  1693,  Du  Luth  arrived, 
and  traded  with  the  Indians  of  "  Cliegoimegon."  Mis- 
sionaries, voyageurs,  fur  traders,  were  the  visitors  of 
what  is  now  Bayfield  County,  at  different  periods  from 
1666  to  the  year  1854,  at  which  date  speculators  pur- 
chased lands  of  the  United  States,  as  preliminary  steps 
to  the  modern  settlement  by  whites. 

The  first  settler  of  Bayfield  County  was  Elisha 
Pike,  who,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  came  from 
Toledo,  Ohio,  in  1855,  and  located  on  Section  21, 
Township  50,  Range  4,  in  Bayfield  County.  He  pur- 
chased an  old  saw-mill  of  Julius  Austrian,  who  had 
bought  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  Mr.  Pike 
also  commenced  farming. 

The  territory  of  Bayfield  County  belonged  to  five 
different  counties  before  it  was  set  off  with  an  indi- 
vidual organization. 

In  October,  1818,  the  county  of  Michilimackinac, 
which  included  all  of  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin 
north  of  a  line  passing  west  from  the  head  of  De  No- 
■quet  Bay,  was  created  by  Lewis  Cass,  then  Governor 
of  the  Territory  of  Michigan.  A  new  county,  with 
the  name  of  Chippewa,  was  created  by  the  same  au- 
thority in  1825.  This  county  was  formed  of  territory 
taken  from  the  northern  part  of  Michilimackinac,  and 
extended  along  the  entire  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Superior. 

After  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was  separately 
organized,  Crawford  County  embraced  all  of  this  re- 
gion, the  former  two  disappearing  when  the  dominion 
of  Michigan  over  them  ceased. 

St.  Croix  County  was  created  from  Crawford,  by  an 
act  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  in  1840, 
and  included  all  that  corner  of  the  State. 

In  1845,  LaPointe  County,  including  in  its  area  the 
present  counties  of  Douglas,  Bayfield  and  Ashland, 
was  set  off  from  St.  Croix. 

In  1854,  Douglas  County  was  set  off.  Up  to  1858, 
La  Pointe  had  been  the  county  seat  of  La  Pointe 
County,  but  the  seat  was  then  removed  to  Bayfield,  at 
which  action  the  people  of  La  Pointe  united  with  Ash- 
land in  the  effort  to  form  a  new  county,  comprising  the 
Apostle  Islands,  which  was  done  in  1860.  The  name 
of  Bayfield  was  given  to  the  remaining  part  of  the  old 
county  of  La  Pointe  in  186t].  The  county  records 
were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1874,  and  the  historian  was 
unable  to  obtain  a  transcript  of  the  first  organization. 
The  first  election  held  in  Bayfield  was  in  November, 
1857,  when  it  was  a  town  of  La  Pointe  County.  April 
7,  1858,  the  first  town  election  was  held  there. 

Owing  to  absence  of  records  of  the  town  of  Bay- 
field the  first  complete  list  of  officers  that  can  be  found 
is  for  the  year  1859,  though  the  town  was  set  off 
two  years  before  that.  The  officers  for  1859  were: 
Andrew  J.  Day,  Chairman  ;  Linneus  Matthews  and 
William  S.  Warren,  Supervisors  ;  J.  Harvey  Nourse, 
Benjamin  F.  Bicksler  and  George  Clark,  Assessors; 
Peter  H.  Ley  and  Elisha  Pike,  Justices  of  Peace  ; 
Charles  O.  Stedwell  and  Antoine  Perinier,  Constables  ; 


T.  L.  Patterson,  Treasurer;  J.  Henry  Feemeyer, 
Clerk  ;  Benjamin  F.  Davison,  Overseer  of  Highways  ; 
Paul  Lanouette,  Sealer  of  Weiglits  and  Measures; 
Andrew  Tate,  Superintendent  of  Schools.  The  first 
meeting  of  this  Town  Board  was  held  April  5,  1859, 
at  which  meeting  $600  were  appropriated  for  a  school 
building,  and  $500  for  a  cemetery  ;  $10  was  made  the 
license  for  selling  spirituous  liquors.  In  September, 
$1,000  were  appropriated  for  building  roads  and  bridges 
to  the  St.  Croix  River. 

An  observatory  has  been  built  by  the  Government 
three  miles  from  Bayfield,  from  which  can  be  seen, 
with  a  good  glass,  a  part  of  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Superior  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  Apostle  Island 
group. 

A  court-house  was  built  under  contiact  by  B.  F. 
Bicksler,  of  Ashland,  in  1874,  costing  about  $15,000. 
Prior  to  this  time  the  county  offices  were  located  in 
private  buildings. 

The  population  of  the  county  (then  La  Pointe)  in 
1860  was  o52  ;  in  1870,  344  ;  and  in  1875  it  was  1,032. 

The  present  county  officers  are:  John  McCloud, 
County  Judge  ;  John  Gonyon,  Sheriff ;  Louis  J.  Bach- 
and,  Clerk  ;  Nelson  Boutin,  Treasurer ;  J.  D.  Crutten- 
den.  Register  of  Deeds  ;  W.  J.  Herbert,  Clerk  of  Cir- 
cuit Court ;  B.  B.  Wade,  District  Attorney  :  O.  Flan- 
ders, Superintendent  of  Schools  ;  E.  Pike,  Coroner. 

Town  officers  are  :  Frederick  Fischer,  Chairman  ; 
A.  Tate  and  Ervin  Leihy,  Supervisors;  J.  D.  Crutten- 
den,  Town  Clerk  ;  J.  H.  Nourse,  Town  Treasurer;  O. 
Flanders  and  E.  Pike,  Justices  of  Peace  ;  Wm.  Herbert, 
Street  Commissioner. 

The  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Rail- 
road is  surveyed  to  Bayfield,  and  is  finished  to  Long 
Lake.  Most  of  the  line  is  graded  to  Chequamegon 
Bay.  It  will  probablv  be  constructed  through  to  Bay- 
field in  1882. 

BAYFIELD. 

Bayfield  is  the  county  seat  and  the  principal  place  in 
Bayfield  County.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Lieut.  Henry 
R.  T.  Bayfield,  of  the  British  navy,  who  made  the  first  sur- 
vey of  Lake  Superior,  from  1823  to  1825.  It  is  sometimes 
called  "The  Fountain  City,"  from  the  fact  that  in  front  of 
many  of  the  cottages  are  fountains,  supplied  with  water 
from  the  hydraulic  works. 

It  is  probable  that  missionaries  and  traders  visited  the 
present  site  of  Bayfield  at  a  very  early  date.  The  Bayfield 
Press  gives  the  following  account  of  the  place  in  1765  : 

"It  seems  that  in  August,  1765,  Alexander  Henry,  a 
trader,  landed  at  what  is  now  Bayfield,  and  built  a  house 
just  below  Chajmian  &  Co.'s  store,  and  above  Col.  BanfiU's 
house,  occupied  by  F.  Boutin,  Esq.  He  called  the  jjlace 
Chagawamig,  and  says  he  'found  fifty  lodges  of  Indians 
there.  These  people  are  almost  naked,  their  trade  having 
been  interrupted,  first  by  the  English  invasion  of  Canada, 
and  next  by  Pontiac's  War.  *  *  *  Chagawamig,  or 
Chagawamigon,  might  at  this  period  be  regarded  as  the 
metropolis  of  the  Chippewas,  of  whom  the  true  name  is 
Ojebway.  *  *  *  The  chiefs  informed  me  that  they  had 
frequently  attacked  the  Sioux,  with  whom  they  are  always 
at  war,  with  1,500  men,  including  in  this  number  the  fight- 
ing men  of  F'ond  du  Lac,  on  the  head  of  Lake  Superior. 
The  cause  of  the  perpetual  war  carried  on  between  these 
two  nations  is  this,  that  both  claim,  as  their  exclusive  hunt- 
ing ground,  the  tract  of  which  lies  between  them. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


'"TheCliippewas  of  Chagawamig  are  a  handsome,  well- 
made  people,  and  much  more  cleanly,  as  well  as  much  more 
regular  in  the  government  of  their  families,  than  the  Chip- 
pewas  of  Lake  Huron.  Adding  the  Indians  of  Chagawa- 
mig to  those  I  brought  with  me,  I  had  now  a  hundred  fam- 
ilies, to  all  of  whom  I  was  required  to  advance  goods  on 
credit.  At  the  expense  of  six  days'  labor,  I  was  provided 
with  a  very  comfortable  house  for  my  Winter's  residence. 
My  Winter's  food  was  the  next  object;  and  for  this  purpose, 
with  the  assistance  of  my  men,  I  "soon  took  2,000  trout  and 
white  fish,  the  former  frequently  weighing  fifty  pounds  each. 
We  preserved  them  by  suspending  them  by  the  tail  in  the 
open  air.  These,  without  bread  or  salt,  were  our  food 
through  all  the  Winter,  the  men  being  free  to  consume 
what    quantity  they  pleased,  and  boiling  and  roasting  them 


'"  I  found  myself  in  possession  of  a  150  packs  of  bea- 
ver, weighing  100  pounds  each,  besides  twenty-five  packs 
of  otter  and  martin  skins,  and  with  this  part  of  the  fruits 
of  my  adventure,  I  embarked  for  Michilimackinac,  sailing 
in  company  with  fifty  canoes  of  Indians,  who  had  still  100 
packs  of  beaver,  which   I   was  unable  to  purchase.' 

"M.  Cadotte,  who  has  many  descendants  living  in  this 
vicinity,  was  a  partner  of  Mr.  Henry.  Vincent  Roy,  Sr., 
now  nearly  eighty  years  of  age,  a  man  of  great  integrity 
and  of  high  standing,  has  often  pointed  out  the  site 
of  Henry  &  Cadotte's  buildings,  and  even  now  some  of  the 
places  where  they  buried  their  goods  can  be  seen." 

The  first  settlement  was  made  by  a  party  of  nine  men, 
under  charge  of  John  C.  Henley,  March  24,  1856,  wno, 
landed  on  a  point    now  occupied   by  the  residence  of  Col. 


whenever  they  thought  proper.  After  leaving  Michili- 
mackinac, I  saw  no  bread,  and  I  found  less  difficulty  in 
reconciling  myself  to  the  privation,  than  I  could  have 
anticipated. 

'"  On  the  15th  of  December  the  bay  was  frozen  entirely 
over.  After  this,  I  resumed  my  former  amusement  of 
spearing  trout,  and  sometimes  caught  a  hundred  of  these 
in  a  day. 

"  '  My  house,  which  stood  in  the  bay,  was  sheltered  by 
an  island  of  fifteen  miles  in  length,  and  between  which  and 
the  main  shore  the  channel  is  four  miles  wide.  On  the 
island  there  was  formerly  a  French  trading  post,  much  fre- 
quented, and  in  its  neighborhood  a  large  Indian  village. 
To  the  southeast  is  a  lake,  called  Lake  des  Ontaonaies, 
from  the  Ottawas,  its  former  possessors;  but  it  is  now  the 
property  of  the  Chippewas.  [This  is  probably  Ashland 
Bay.— Ed.] 

"'On  the  20th  of  Ai)ril,  1766,  tlie  ice  broke  up,  and 
several  canoes  arrived  filled  with  women  and  children, 
who  reported  that  the  men  of  their  land  were  all  gone  out 
to  war  against  the  Nadowessies,  or  Sioux.  On  the  15th  of 
May  a  part  of  the  warriors,  with  some  others,  arrived  in 
fifty  canoes,  almost  every  one  of  which  had  a  cargo  of 
furs.' 

"  After  giving  an  account  of  the  doings  and  adventures 
of  the  war  party,  he  says  : 


John  H.  Knight.  The  first  tree  was  felled,  and  the  party 
erected  a  log  cabin  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  United 
States  land-ofiice.  The  cabin  was  finished  March  26.  On  the 
twenty-seventh,  John  M.  Free  arrived,  bringing  Maj.  Mc- 
Aboy,  a  civil  engineer,  and  others,  to  lay  out  the  town.  They 
came  overland  from  Superior.  A  dock  was  built.  Hon.  H.M. 
Rice,  of  St.  Paul,  had  located  the  land  and  selected  the  site 
for  Bayfield.  The  first  family  to  arrive  was  John  C.  Hen- 
ley's, on  the  schooner  "Algonquin,"  May  8,  1856,  this  be- 
ing the  first  vessel.  Others  who  came  about  this  time  were 
Andrew  Tate,  Peter  H.  Ley,  John  Hamlin  and  S.  S. 
^'aughn.  Others  soon  followed.  The  first  steamer  to 
arrive  was  the  "  Lady  Elgin,"  on  June  16,  1856,  and  the 
propeller  "  Manhattan,"  July  7.  The  propeller  "  Mineral 
Rock"  arrived  July  27  with  an  engine  and  mill  machinery 
with  Mr.  Kahoe.  The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  John 
C.  Henley,  July  16,  1856.  The  first  hardware  store  was 
started  by  John  and  R.  W.  McCloud,  of  St.  Paul,  under 
charge  of  Joseph  McCloud,  in  September,  same  year.  S. 
S.  Vaughn  opened  the  first  provision  store  in  October. 
The  building  of  a  hotel  by  the  Bayfield  Land  Company 
was  commenced  December  25,  1S56,  and  was  finished  in 
June,  1S57.  It  was  opened  by  J.  H.  Nourse.  This  hotel 
was  burned  in  i860,  then  kept  by  George  D.  Livingston. 
The  first  post-oflice  was  established  in  October,  1856;  Jo- 
seph McCloud,  Postmaster.     Mail  service    was   carried  on 


HISTORY  OF  llAVFIELI)  COrXTV, 


between  Bayfield  and  St.  Croix  Falls  semi-monthly.     First 
mail  was  carried  through  by  August  La  Rush. 

In  1856  a  dock  was  built,  and  a  steam  saw-mill  erected. 
At  this  time  Congress  had  passed  sever.1l  magnificent  land 
grants  to  aid  in  construction  of  railroads,  one  of  them, 
called  the  St.  Croi.x  and  Lake  Superior  land  grant,  ex- 
tending from  Madison  and  Portage  to  Lake  St.  Croix,  and 
from  there  to  the  west  end  of  Lake  Superior  and  to  lUy- 
field.  Li  1S57  a  dock  was  built  by  Charles  E.  Rittenhouse, 
whicli  has  since  disappeared. 

Bayfield  was  made  a  port  of  entiy,  December,  1058.  In 
May,  1859,  the  revenue  cutter  "John  B.  Floyd"  arrived  for 
service  on  Lake  Superior,  with  Bayfield  as  her  station. 

H.  C.  Hayward  is  the  present  Postmaster  and  Port  Col- 
lector. 

The  steamers  of  the  Lake  Michigan  &  Lake  Superior 
'Transit  Company  touch  at  this  point  regularly.  Connec- 
tion is  made  with  Ashland  by  the  little  steamers  "  F'avorite  " 
and  "  Eva  Wadsworth  "  daily. 

$500  were  appropriated  for  a  cemetery  in  1859.  It  is 
located  on  Section  28,  about  three  and  one-lialf  miles  west 
of  the  village. 

The  anticipated  railroad  from  Bayfield  to  St.  Croix  [in 
aid  of  which  a  grant  of  land,  now  known  as  the  "Bayfield 
and  St.  Croix  land  grant,"  had  been  bestowed  by  Congress, 
which,  it  was  believed,  would  cause  Bayfield  to  excel  even 
Chicago  in  business  enterprise]  had  induced  many  East- 
ern people  to  purchase  lots  in  Bayfield  at  enormous  prices. 
In  1S57,  when  all  fictitious  enterprises  disappeared,  the 
illusion  was  dispelled. 

In  1S60,  Mr.  -Mc.Aboy's  residence  was  burned.  In  Au- 
gust, 1862,  two  buildings  and  a  store  belonging  to  Mr.  Mc- 
.Aboy  and  Mrs.  Day  were  burned.  The  Bayfield  House 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  March  10,  1863.  The  Herbert  House 
was  burned  March  12,  1872,  and  in  1874,  three  buildings — 
one  containing  some  of  the  county  records,  and  another 
the  Indian  Agency  offices — were  burned.  This  was  the 
largest  fire  Bayfield  ever  experienced. 

The  village  of  Bayfield  is  well  built;  the  land  gradually 
rises  at  an  easy  grade  until  one  gets  back  about  two  miles, 
where  it  is  several  hundred  feet  above  the  lake,  giving  all 
who  build  a  fine  view  of  tiie  bay.  The  streets  are  lined 
with  shade  trees,  its  sidewalks  kept  in  good  repair,  and  the 
whole  place  has  a  neat  and  substantial  look.  A  system  of 
water-works  supplies  almost  every  house  in  the  town  with 
pure  spring  water. 

Large  quantities  of  some  of  the  finest  building  material 
in  the  West,  are  obtained  from  the  red  sandstone  quarry 
in  the  harbor. 

The  harbor  at  Bayfield  is  constantly  dotted  with  sail- 
boats and  vessels,  and  upon  the  completion  of  a  railroad, 
the  village  will,  in  all  probability,  become  one  of  the 
finest  Summer  resorts  in  the  country. 

'The  iiarbor  is  formed  by  islands  which   shelter   it   from 
the  wind  in  every  direction.     It  is  magnificent   in   its   sur- 
i     roundings  and  perfect  in  all  its  details.     It  is  the  only  har- 
I     bor  on  Lake   Superior  that  does   not   require   engineering 
i     skill   to   complete    and    be    made  serviceable.     It    is  large 
I     enough  to  accommodate  any  amount  of  shipping,  no  sunken 
1     rocks  or  dangerous   reefs,  and   the  largest   draught  vessels 
float  in  its  waters  without  grounding;  the  largest   steamers 
can   land  with  safety  in   the  most   boisterous   weather.     It 
opens  earlier  and  closes  later  than  any  other   harbor,  it  be- 
ing inside  the  currents  of  wind  that  drift  the    fieJd-ice  and 
icebergs  across  the  face  of,  and  into  the  bays. 

As  a  commercial  point  in  the  manufacture  and  shipment 

of  lumber  she  has  all  the  elements  requisite  to   build  up  a 

■     heavy  business,  equal  to  any  point  on  the  lakes.     The  fish- 

;     eries  in  this  vicinity  are  unexcelled,  the  field  being   unlim- 


ited and  the  markets  good;  in  this  branch  a  big  business 
has  been  built  up  which  is  assuming  immense  proportions. 
The  shipment  of  tan  bark  is  carried  on  to  quite  an   extent. 

As  a  Summer  resort  Bayfield  conies  in  for  a  large  share 
of  the  patronage.  The  town  site  includes  almost  every 
variety  of  surface,  at  some  points  forming  beautiful  terraces 
one  above  the  other,  and  from  all  points  a  fine  view  of  the 
lake  is  seen. 

Sc/ioa/s. — The  first  school  was  opened  December  i,  1856, 
in  the  upper  room  of  S.  S.  Vaughn's  building;  it  was 
kept  up  by  subscription  ;  was  taught  by  Miss  Rebecca  Mc- 
Aboy  ;  it  was  closed  in  March  18:57.  .Another  school  was 
opened  October  i,  1857,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Peel;  this  was  also 
kept  up  by  subscription.  This  school  was  closed  the  follow- 
ing Spring. 

At  the  first  town  meeting,  held  April  7,  1S58,  Andrew 
Tate  was  elected  'Town  Superintendent  of  Schools,  who 
proceeded  to  organize  the  first  school  district.  The  first 
school  meeting  was  held  May  i,  1858  ;  at  this  meeting  the 
following  officers  were  elected  :  John  C.  Henley,  Director  ; 
A.  J.Day,  'Treasurer;  W.  S.  Warren,  Clerk.  The  first 
public  school  was  opened  July  19,  1858,  Miss  Sara  Ma- 
han.  Teacher,  who  came  from  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Tlie  first 
school  building  was  erected  in  the  Summer  of  1872.  In 
1876  another  school  was  built  on  the  bay  about  a  mile  and 
one-half  above  town,  which  has  since  been  abandoned. 
The  present  attendance  is  about  fifty:  the  school  is  first 
class  in  every  respect,  has  good  teachers  and  considered 
one  of  the  best  schools  in  northern  Wisconsin. 

Relif^ioiis. —  The  first  religious  services  were  held  in  1856, 
in  different  houses,  by  William  S.  Warren,  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church.  .An  organization  was  perfected  in  August, 
1857,  Rev.  James  Peet,  as  pastor. 

\  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  in  the  Fall  of 
1856;  Rev.  'T.  R.  Elder  was  the  pastor.  Both  these  organ- 
izations erected  churches.  Neither  of  these  denominations 
now  hold  any  services,  and  have  passed  out  of  existence  ; 
both  churches  have  been  sold  and  are  now  used  as  private 
dwellings. 

Christ  Church  Episcopal  Mission. ^ — -Lay  readings  were 
commenced  in  October,  1869,  by  Thomas  Carrington.  .\ 
mission  was  organized  .April  8,  1870,  and  church  built  and 
occupied  the  following  September.  Bishop  Wells  preached 
the  first  sermon.  In  an  early  day  Mr.  Rittenhouse,  of 
Wasliington,  D.  C,  deeded  in  trust  six  lots  for  the  benefit 
of  an  Episcopal  Church  at  Bayfield,  Wis.  These  lots  are 
now  held  by  the  trustees  of  the  church.  The  j^resent  mis- 
sionary is  the  Rev.  J.  .\.  Davenport,  who  has  officiated  for 
several  years.  The  present  officers  of  the  mission  are, 
John  McCloud,  warden;  J.  H.  Knight,  secretary;  J.  D. 
Cruttenden,  treasurer. 

St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Cluirch  was  built  in  1859.  In  1861 
additions  were  made.  Since  then  other  improvements  have 
been  made,  till  now  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches 
on  the  lake.  It  is  situated  on  a  high  elevation  overlook- 
ing the  harbor,  at  the  north  end  of  the  village.  The  first 
pastor  was  Father  Chebul,  who  remained  till  1871.  From 
that  time  till  1878,  no  regular  services  were  held,  though 
missionary  services  were  held  often.  Since  1S78  Father 
Casimirus,  of  the  F'ranciscans,  has  been  in  charge.  In 
1878  a  convent  was  established,  in  connection  with  the 
church,  under  charge  of  Superior  Sister  Louise;  every  new- 
year  a  new  sister  takes  charge.  By  the  end  of  the  year. 
(i88i),  a  school-house  will  be  finished  and  will  be  under 
charge  of  the  sisters.  'The  Catholic  cemetery  is  near  the 
church.  'This  churcli  has  a  large  congregation,  its  seats 
are  always  full,  people  coming  from  aH  the  islands  and  sur- 
rounding country  to  attend.  'They  liave  also  a  scliool  at 
Buffalo  Bav  Indian  Reservation. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Saw-MiUs. — First  saw-mill  was  built  in  1856,  by  Mr.  Ka- 
hoe,  for  the  Bayfield  Land  Company.  It  was  burned  January, 
1857.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Mr. -Kahoe  in  the  Summer  of  1S58. 
After  changing  hands  several  times  it  was  pulled  down. 
Capt.  R.  D.  Pike  built  a  shingle  mill  in  1869;  additions 
were  made  in  1870.  and  since  then  other  improvements 
have  been  made,  at  different  times,  so  that  now  it  is  one 
of  the  most  complete  saw-mills  in  northern  Wisconsin; 
has  the  best  of  improved  machinery,  some  of  the  machin- 
ery being  Mr.  Pike's  own  patents.  Manufactures  some  fish 
barrel  staves.  Capacity  of  mill  40,000  feet  per  day,  for 
season  4,500,000  feet.  Most  of  the  logs  come  from  Bay- 
field County.  Shipment  goes  mostly  to  Chicago  and  the 
Manitoba  country.  The  mill  has  a  dock  up  to  which  the 
largest  boats  on  the  lakes  can  float.  Mr.  Pike  has  his  own 
water-works,  having  a  reservoir  on  the  hill  above  the  mill 
getting  a  head  of  fifty-eight  feet  fall,  enough  to  throw  a 
large  stream  over  the  mill  at  its  highest  point.  Pipes  are 
run  along  over  roof  of  the  mill,  and  at  the  opening  of  a 
valve  the  whole  roof  can  be  flooded. 

Superior  Lumber  Company  was  organized  in  1S81 
for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  lumber.  The  mill  will 
probably  be  located  at  some  point  on  Chequamegon  Bay. 
The  officers  are  A.  C.  Fuller,  president;  H.  M.  Fuller, 
vice-president;  T.  J.  Potter,  treasurer;  J.  H.  Knight,  sec- 
retary. 

Fish  Creek  Booming  Company  was  organized  in  18S1 
for  the  improvement  of  Fish  Creek.  The  officers  are  A.  C. 
Fuller,  president ;  R.  F.  Sprague,  vice-president ;  I.  H. 
Wing,  treasurer;  John  H.  Knight,  secretary. 

Fishery. — In  1871  the  fish  business  began  to  assume 
large  proportions,  when  N.  &  F.  Boutin  engaged  in  it. 
They  have  continued  ever  since.  The  catching  and  pack- 
ing of  fish  is  one  of  the  great  industries  of  Bayfield.  It  is 
estimated  the  business  for  1881  will  amount  to  $250,000, 
and  is  the  largest  shipping  point  on  the  lakes.  \Vhite  fish 
and  trout  are  caught.  Fishing  is  done  with  gill  nets,  trap 
nets,  and  seines,  by  white  men  and  mixed  bloods ;  in 
Winter  by  gill  nets,  and  hooks  through  the  ice.  The 
"catch  "in  the  Winter  amounts  to  150  tons.  The  fishing 
grounds  are  around  the  islands.  Shipment  goes  mostly  to 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  Chicago,  Buffalo  and  Eastern  trade. 
N.  &  F.  Boutin  employ  about  150  men;  ship  about  12,000 
barrels  a  season.  Fred  Fischer  employs  about  thirty  men  ; 
puts  up  about  4,000  barrels.  Other  parties  have  been  en- 
gaged in  this  business  but  are  now  out  of  it. 

In  i87r,tlie  fish  business  becoming  so  large,  and  the 
demand  for  fish  barrels  increasing,  Louis  Bachand  started  a 
factory  for  the  manufacture  of  fish  barrels,  since  which 
time  others  have  gone  into  it.  The  timber  for  the  barrels 
comes  from  the  surrounding  country.  Louis  Bachand  em- 
ploys about  thirty  men,  and  his  manufacture  for  a  season 
amounts  to  12,000  barrels.  Fred  Fischer  employs  about 
twenty  men,  and  manufactures  about  10,000  barrels  a  season 

Boal  Building. — This  branch  of  business  is  carried  on 
<iuite  e.xtensively,  a  large  number  of  "  Mackinaw  "  boats 
being  built  every  year,  mostly  for  fishing  purposes.  Antoine 
Lemorieux  is  the  principal  builder. 

Bayfield  Press.— 'Vht  first  paper  published  in  this  place 
was  \.\\Q  Mercury,  in  August,  1857,  by  Hamilton  &  Hatch, 
who  received  a  bonus  from  the  Bayfield  Land  Company 
-composed  of  Hon.  H.  M.  Rice,  St.  Paul,  Minn.;  H.  B. 
Sweeny,  B.  F.  and  C.  E.  Ritterhouse,  and  Hamilton  (i 
Faut,  banker  at  Washington,  D.  C.  This  paper  was  pub- 
lished about  one  year.  The  next  newspaper  enterprise  was 
the  Bayfield  Press,  which  made  its  appearance  October  i, 
1859,  by  Joseph  H.  Campbell,  of  Ontonagon,  with  Rev 
Wm.  B.  McKee,  editor,  assisted  by  Joseph  McCloud  and 
Cyrus  K.  Drew,  which  was  published  about  two  years  and 


a  half,  when  it  was  suspended,  and  the  material  purchased 
by  S.  S.  Vaughn.  In  the  Summer  of  1870,  Sam  S.  and 
Hank  O.  Fifield  revived  the  Press,  and  continued  its  publi- 
cation about  two  years,  when  it  was  removed  to  Ashland, 
June  I,  1877.  Sam  S.  Fifield  moved  the  office  back,  and 
commenced  the  publication  of  the  Bayfield  Press  again, 
with  Morris  Edwards  as  business  manager.  In  the  Spring 
of  1879,  D.  L.  Stinchfield  became  editor,  and  conducted  it 
until  April  i,  1880,  when  the  present  proprietor,  Isaac  H. 
Wing,  purchased  the  office  of  Sam  S.  Fifield.  jNIr. 
Stinchfield  continued  as  editor  till  Spring  of  1881,  when  D. 
H.  Pulcifer  came  in. 

November  30,  1857,  the  Bayfield  Lyceum  was  organized, 
with  the  following  officers  :  J.  Harvey  Nourse,  president ; 
AViUiam  Mc^boy,  vice-president;  A.Tate,  secretary;  S.  S. 
Vaughn,  treasurer.  The  society  used  to  meet  every  week, 
when  debate  and  reading  of  essays  would  be  the  order  of 
an  evening.  The  society  continued  till  it  was  merged  into 
the  Bayfield  Library  Association,  March  9,  1875,  with  the 
following  officers  :  J.  H.  Knight,  president;  B.  B.  Wade, 
secretary ;  Andrew  Tate,  treasurer.  This  new  Society 
flourished,  till  some  of  its  members  going  away,  it  became 
reduced  in  membership  so  that  now  no  meetings  are  held. 
Of  the  original  members  in  the  Lyceum  only  five  remain 
here — J.  H.  Nourse,  R.  D.  Pike,  Andrew  Tate,  George 
Stark  and  Joseph  McCloud. 

Bayfield  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  215,  was  chartered 
June  14,  1881,  with  the  following  charter  members  :  Robert 
Inglis,  S.  E.  Mahan,  O.  Flanders,  P.  W.  Smith,  A.  O.  Hay- 
wood, John  BanfiU,  A.  Tate  The  officers  installed  June  24 
were  ;  Robert  Inglis,  W.  M.;  S.  E.  Mahan,  S.  W.;  O.  Flan- 
ders, J.  W.;  A.  Tate,  treasurer;  N.  J.  Willey,  secretary  ;  P. 
W.  Smith,  S.  D.;  F.  W.  Herrick,  J.  D.;  Thomas  Doherty, 
tyler. 

On  January  i,  1873,  Sherift' Nelson  Boutin,  Capt.  R.  D. 
Pike  and  a  party  of  seventy-five  chosen  men  went 
over  to  Ashland  as  a  company  to  quell  the  railroad  rioters. 
After  stopping  there  ten  days  they  returned.  Having  had 
this  little  of  military  life,  they  conceived  the  idea  of  forming 
a  new'military  company  and  joining  the  State  militia.  The 
company  organized  February  25,  1873,  with  the  following 
officers  :  R.  D.  Pike,  captain  ;  John  Gonyon,  first  lieuten- 
ant ;  Duffy  Boutin,  second  lieutenant.  These  officers  have 
continued  to  date,  with  the  exception  of  second  lieutenant. 
Dufty  Boutin  resigned  in  1S78,  and  B.  B.  Wade  was  elected 
to  fill  the  vacancy.  He  resigned  in  1879,  and  F.  M.  Her- 
rick was  elected,  who  is  the  present  second  lieutenant. 

Bayfield  Hydraulic  Company  was  incorporated  March  16, 
1870.  First  officers  were  :  3.  S.  Vaughn,  president ;  Asaph 
Whittlesey,  secretary ;  John  Banfill,  treasurer ;  T.  J.  L. 
Tyler,  superintendent.  The  company  built  a  reservoir 
above  the  village,  on  a  small  stream  that  runs  down  a  deep 
ravine  through  the  village.  This  stream  is  supplied  with 
springs  that  line  the  ravine  for  a  long  distance.  The  com- 
pany have  exclusive  control  of  the  water  for  ten  miles.  By 
damming  at  the  reservoir  they  get  ninety-eight  feet  head. 
Mains  made  of  logwood  pipes  and  other  small  pipes  have 
been  laid  throughout  the  village,  giving  all  an  opportunity 
to  have  fountains  and  pure  spring  water  at  a  moderate  rate 
by  a  system  of  water  tax.  The  whole  is  one  of  the  finest 
natural  water-works  in  the  country.  The  present  officers 
are:  Andrew  Tate,  president ;  B.  B.  Wade,  secretary ;  Isaac  j 
H.  Wing,  treasurer;  P.  W.  Smith,  superintendent. 

Bayfield  &  Ashland  Telegraph  &:  Telejihone  Company 
was  incorporated  in  1880,  with  a  paid  up  capital  stock  ot 
$1,500.  The  building  of  the  line  commenced  in  1880,  and 
was  finished  by  October  the  same  year.  The  line  is  about  ' 
twenty-six  miles  long,  and  telephone  connection  is  made 
between  Ashland  and  Bayfield.      The  officers  are  :  R.  D. 


HISTORY  OF  BAYFIELD  COUNTY. 


83 


Pike,  president ;  Frederick  Fischer,  vice-president;  I.  H. 
Wing,  treasurer ;  S.  E.  Mahan,  secretary;  J.  H.  Knight, 
superintendent. 

The  La  Pointe  Indian  Agency  was  located  at  Bajfield  in 
May,  i860,  Col.  Cyrus  Drew,  Indian  Agent.  Prior  to  re- 
moval it  was  at  Superior.  Col.  Drew  was  succeeded  by 
Asaph  Whittlesey,  who  was  succeeded  by  Col.  John  H. 
Knight,  when  Gen.  L.  E.Webb  came  in.  He  was  succeeded 
by  S.  M.  Clark,  who  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  I.  L.  Mahan. 
He  was  succeeded  by  S.  E.  Mahan,  who  was  succeeded  by 
the  present  agent,  W.  R.  Durfee. 

LTnited  States  Land-office  was  established  at  Superior  in 
1853.  It  was  removed  to  Bayfield  in  i860.  The  district 
was  set  off  from  the  Willow  River  district  in  1853,  and 
comprises  all  of  that  part  of  Wisconsin  lying  north  of  north 
line  of  Town  40  and  west  of  the  west  line  of  Range  2  east. 
George  Hyer  was  the  fir=t  Register,  followed  by  Daniel 
Shaw,  who  was  succeeded  by  William  McAboy.  In  lune, 
1861,  F.  W.  Bartlett  came  in,  who  held  till  April,  "1867, 
when  V.  Smith  succeeded,  and  in  April,  i87i,Col.  John  H. 
Knight  came  in,  who  has  held  it  ever  since.  First  Receiver 
was  E.  B.  Dean,  who  was  succeeded  by  T.  Rush  Spencer  in 
1858.  He  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  Thompson,  July  i, 
i860.  In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  Asaph  Whittlesey  was 
appointed  and  held  till  the  Fall  of  1868,  when  Joseph  H. 
Nourse  was  commissioned.  He  held  till  1872,  when  the 
])reRent  Receiver,  Isaac  H.  Wing,  came  in. 

Smith's  Hotel  was  built  by  Resau  &  Bono  in  1S56  ;  was 
opened  by  Mr.  Bono.  It  was  then  called  the  Bayfield  Ex- 
change. It  was  bought  in  1862  by  P.W.  Smith,  the  present 
proprietor.  The  building  has  been  improved,  and  several 
additions  made  at  different  times.  It  has  a  capacity  for 
sixty  people  ;  has  a  large  dining-room  with  a  seating  ca- 
pacity of  seventy.  It  is  a  two  story  frame,  in  the  shape  of 
a  letter  L,  90x75  feet,  with  a  verandah  running  around  in 
front. 

The  Fountain  House  was  built,  not  as  a  hotel,  in  1S56, 
by  Antoine  Bardon,  who  first  occupied  it.  It  was  not 
opened  as  a  hotel  until  1877,  which  was  by  John  B.  Bono, 
the  present  proprietor. 

The  Lake  View  House  is  a  large  boarding-house.  There 
are  numerous  other  boarding-houses,  public  and  private. 

CABLE. 

This  is  a  little  place  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county, 
below  Long  Lake,  the  present  terminus  of  the  northern  di- 
vision of  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &:  D.  R.  R.  The  post-office  is 
called  Gunderson. 

RIOCRAPHIC^L    SKETCHES. 

CHAUNCEY  T.  ANDREAS,  jeweler,  Bayfield  ;  was  boin  in  Sparia, 
Wis.,  in  1S59.  son  of  Jere  and  Elizabeth  Wise  Andreas.  He  was  bronght 
up  and  educated  in  his  native  town  ;  learned  the  jeweler's  trade  of  L. 
D.  Merrill,  of  that  place  ;  went  to  Mather,  Wis.,  for  two  years;  went  to 
Bayfield,  Wis.,  in  January,  iSSi,  and  opened  a  jewelry  store. 

HON.  JOHN  BANFILL,  retired,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Topsham, 
Vt.,  Feb.  12,  iSll.  He  remained  at  home  till  1823,  and  then  moved 
to  Dover,  X.  H.,  and  from  there  to  Boston.  In  1835  he  went 
to  New  Orleans  to  work  at  his  trade,  the  mason's,  and  while  there  vol- 
unteered to  go  with  the  expedition  that  was  to  search  for  the  body  of 
Maj.  Dade,  who  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians.  After  returning  to 
New  Orleans  he  went  north  to  New  York,  and  then  to  Albany.  In 
1S3S  he  went  to  Lancaster,  Grant  Co;  moved  to  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  kept  the  Grant  House,  and  then  took  contract  to  build  the  court- 
house in  Clavton  Co..  Iowa.  lie  returned  to  Praiiie  du  Chien  and 
kept  the  Prairie  Mouse,  but  sold  out  and  went  to  St.  Paul  and  built  the 
Rice  House.  He  then  built  a  saw-mill  and  bought  a  farm  sixteen  miles 
up  the  Mississippi  River.  While  here  he  was  sent  to  the  .State  Senate  ; 
was  also  Postmaster  at  Winona.  In  l£6i  he  moved  to  Bayfield,  Wis., 
where  he  kept  hotel.  Since  coming  to  Bayfield  he  has  been  School 
Treasurer,  Judge  of  Proliate  Court  from  1870  to  1S78,  Chairman  of 
County  Bo.-ird,  and  has  held  other  ofTices.  In  1S38  he  married  Miss 
Nancy  Foster,  of  New  York  City.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fia- 


LOUIS  J.  BACHAND,  County  Clerk.  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Two 
Rivers,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  April  17,  1S53,  where  he  remained  till 
1S62,  going  thence  to  Chicago  to  attend  schcol.  In  1866  he  came  to 
Bayfield  and  in  1870  engaged  in  fishing,  which  he  carried  on  till  the 
Spring  of  187S,  when  he  was  elected  Assessor.  In  18S0  he  was  elected 
County  Cleik  for  Bayfield.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

HON.  N.  BOUTIN,  of  the  firm  of  N.  &  F.  Boutin,  fish  dealers,  B.-iy- 
field,  was  born  in  Canada  East,  Aug.  17,  1831.  W^ith  the  family  he 
moved  to  Detroit  in  1837.  where  he  lived  eleven  years,  and  then  moved 
to  Mackinaw,  and  soon  afterward  to  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.  While  there 
he  was  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  moved  then  to  Kewaunee  County, 
and  while  there  was  sent  to  the  Legislature.  He  then  returned  to  Mani- 
towoc, where  he  engaged  in  fishing  up  to  the  year  1S70,  when  he  moved 
to  Bayfield  and  established  the  firm  as  it  now  stands.  He  has  been  a 
politician  more  or  less,  holding  the  position  of  Sheriff  for  years,  and  in 
1880  was  elected  County  Treasurer.  In  1S48  he  married,  then  being 
only  seventeen  years  of  age.  Miss  Couture,  of  Detroit.  They  have  had 
four  children,   Mary,  now  Mrs.  Mahan,  being  the  only  one  living. 

FRANK  BOUTIN,  firm  of  N.  &  F.  Boutin,  fish  dealers,  Bayfield, 
was  born  in  Canada  East,  September,  1833.  and  followed  the  fortunes  of  the 
family  till  ccmirg  to  Bayfield,  where  he  entered  the  fish  trade  and  gen- 
eral merchandise  business  with  his  brother  Nelson.  They  have  $200,000 
in  their  business,  handling  1,500  half  barrels  of  fish  in  the  Summer,  and 
about  ICO  tons  of  fiesh  fish  in  the  Winter,  employing  about  100  men. 
In  1S53  Frank  mariied  Miss  Mary  Landre,  of  Canada.  They  have  six: 
children  :  James,  Frank,  Eniilj-,  Lucv,  Maiy  and  Ariia.  Of  his  broth- 
ers four  were  in  the  27ih  Wis.  V.  I.— Joseph  C,  Duffey,  Solomon  and 
Felis. 

DUFFEY  BOUTIN,  saloon,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich., 
Dec.  15,  384=;.  He  moved  from  place  to  place  engaged  in  fishing — 
Mackinaw.  W^hiskey  Island,  St.  Helena  Isle  and  Two  Rivers,  where  he 
remained  till  1S50;  then  to  Kewaunee  and  on  to  Bayfield,  where  there 
are  now  living  several  brothers,  Benoni,  Edward,  Felis  F.,  Nelson,  Frank, 
loseplr  C,  Duffey  and  Solomon  D.  In  1868  he  married  Miss  Lawrence. 
They  have  three  children— Walter,  aged  thirteen;  Nettie,  eleven  ;  and 
Lafa)etle,  three.  He  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff.  His  bi'other  Joseph  i.'> 
also  married  and  has  a  familv  of  seven  children  living.  He  has  also 
three  sisters,  Emily  Clara  and  A'deline. 

J.  B.  BONO,  hotel,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  April  14, 
1S32.  When  five  years  of  age,  went  with  his  parents  to  Sault  St.  Marie, 
whei'e  his  father,  John  Bono,  died  in  18S0,  atthe  advanced  age  of  106 
years  and  six  months.  J.  B.  left  there  in  1854,  and  went  to  sailing  and 
fishing.  He  came  to  La  Pointe  in  1855,  and  there  kept  a  boarding- 
house;  then  coming  to  Bayfield,  he  kept  the  first  hotel  in  the  place  ;  in 
1S67  he  sold  out  and  went  to  his  trade,  shoe-making  ;  in  1S70  he  began 
his  present  business  of  hotel  and  a  meat  market  with  grocery  store  ;  in 
1S53  he  married  Miss  Berron,  of  Michigan.  They  have  five  children — 
Alice  (now  Mrs.  Welcome).  Albert,  Julia,  Ilattie  and  Henry.  The  fam- 
ilv attend  the  Catholic  Church. 


JAMES  CHAPMAN,  merchant,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  S.ault  St 
Marie,  Mich.,  May  22,  1853.  His  parents  moved  from  there  to  Mack- 
inaw, and  from  there  he  attended  Erie  Academy  in  Erie,  Pa.  In  the 
Summer  time  he  engaged  on  a  revenue  cutler,  and  went  to  .school  in  the 
Winter.  He  came  to  the  iron  region  on  Lake  Superior  in  1S49.  locating 
at  Marquette.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  there.  He  took  an  iron 
claim  for  S.  McKuight,  and  then  worked  at  proving  up.  He  was  in 
Detroit  in  1854,  and  had  been  at  the  treaty  between  the  Chippewas  on 
Lake  Superior  and  Mississippi  and  the  Government.  He  returned  to 
Marquette  and  remained  until  1656.  when  he  came  to  La  Pointe.  He 
came  to  Bayfield,  and  in  1 861  was  employed  in  the  Indian  Agency,  and 
was  Postmaster  frorti  1856  to  1S64.  In  1S71  he  went  into  general  mer- 
chandise business.  In  185S,  was  elected  the  first  Register  of  Deeds  for 
Bayfield,  holding  ofllce  till  1868;  has  been  Supervisor  of  town  and 
county,  and  Deputv  Collector  of  Customs.  He  attends  the  Episcopal 
Church. 


84 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


COL.  I.  D.  CRUTTENDEN.  real  (.-stale,  BayfieUl,  was  liorn  in 
Geoigelown,  D.  C,  March  2.  1S22.  He  lived  there  till  1838.  then  moved 
to  St.  Eouis,  where  he  remained  till  184C  ;  then  up  the  river  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  Wis.;  in  1S49,  to  St.  Paul,  in  the  Indian  trade,  and  afterwards 
formed  a  partnership  with  R.  V.  Russell  at  St.  Anthony.  He  then  went 
to  Little  Crowing,  where  he  stayed  until  1855,  in  the  meantime  repre- 
senting this  section  in  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and  then  in  the  State 
House  in  1S57-8.  He  was  appointed  Register  of  United  States  Land- 
office  in  1859.  by  President  Buchanan.  In  February,  1S61,  he  was  made 
captain  and  assistant  quartermaster  ;  was  promoted  to  colonel  and  inspec- 
tor of  the  quartermaster's  department,  and  in  1S65  was  mustered  out,  and 
in  l86q  came  to  Bayfield.  He  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1S72, 
which  he  has  held  since  ;  also  Town  Clerk  since  1874  ;  has  held  deputies  in 
town  and  school  offices.  In  1861  he  married  Miss  Lucy  F.  Green,  of 
Granville,  Ohio.  They  have  one  child,  H.  Rice.  They  attend  the  Epis- 
copal Church. 

FRED.  FISCHER,  general  store,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  Nov.  8,  1847;  was  brought  an  infant  to  America,  landing  in 
Baltimore  in  January  o(  that  year.  He  lived  after  that  in  St.  Louis,  and 
in  l867went"to  Milwaukee,  and  afterward  to  Michigan.  In  1S69  he 
went  to  St.  Paul  ;  in  1S73  came  to  Bayfield  and  opened  a  saloon.  In  1S79 
he  went  into  the  fishing  business  and  general  merchandise.  He  has  been 
on  the  Town  Board  for  four  years,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Town  and 
County  Board,  and  is  one  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  1873.  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Elvina  Topel,  of  Sheboygan  Counly.  They  have  four  children — 
Henry,  Fred.,  Charlie  and  Alfena. 

J.  PATRICK  HOWLEY,  boarding-house,  Bayfield,  was  born  in 
Kilkenny  Co.,  Ireland,  Nov.  i,  1823.  He  came  to  America  in  1840, 
landed  in  New  York,  and  went  from  there  to  Connecticut  where  he 
farmed  and  worked  in  a  factory.  In  1847  he  took  a  trip  to  California, 
and  stayed  till  1S61,  when  he  enlisted  m  the  3d  V.  I.,  Co.  I.  He  was 
mustered  out  in  1S65,  and  from  California  he  returned  to  Connecticut. 
In  iS66hewentto  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  until  1870.  In  1874  he 
reached  Bayfield,  and  opened  the  Lake  View  House.  In  1857  he  mar- 
ried, but  lost  his  wife,  and  in  1874  married  Miss  Bridget  Shildah,  of 
Ireland.     He  has  been  Constable  from  1874  to  1877. 

A.  C.  HAYWARD,  Postmaster,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Bufl'alo,  N- 
Y.,  March  8,  1828,  where  he  lived  until  1S57,  when  he  removed  to  Supe- 
rior City,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  seven  years,  engaged  in  house  build- 
ing and  acting  as  Assistant  Postmaster.  Coming  to  Bayfield  in  1864,  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  was  then  appointed  Postmaster 
and  has  held  the  position  ever  since.  He  has  been  Deputy  Collector  of 
Customs  of  the  port  of  Bayfield,  Clerk  of  Court,  and  has  held  position 
on  the  school  board.  In  1855  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Sutton,  of 
New  York.  They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Maltie.  Mr.  Hay  ward  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


to  go  to  one  having  i 
until  mustered  out 
ately  appointed  assis 
commission  of  capta 


knowledge  of  taciics;  served  in  his  company 
he  expiration  of  term  of  service  ;  was  immedi- 

adjutant-general  of  volunteers  and  tendered  a 
I  the  regular  army — the  latter  was  declined  and 


:'/...X^,^,/^//, 


COL.  JOHN  H.  KNIGHT.  Bayfield.  Was  boin  near  Dover  in 
Kent  Co.,  Del.,  on  Feb.  3,  1836;  was  educated  in  New  York  at  Char- 
lotteville,  Schoharie  Co.,  and  at  Fairfield.  H.ikimcr  Co.  Studied  law 
three  years  under  Hon.  N.  B.  Smithers,  at  Dover,  Del.  Graduated  at  the 
law  school  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1859,  and  in  same  year  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  Delaware  law  courts,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon. 
George  P.  Fisher  at  Dover.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  responded  to 
the  call  of  President  Lincoln  (or  the  three  months'  troops  and  raised  a 
company;  was  mustered   in   as   first  lieutenant,  preferring  ihe  captaincy 


the  former  accepted,  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  staff  of  Brig.-Gen. 
H.  H.  Lockwood,  where  he  served  until  the  Spring  of  1862;  meantime 
having  accepted  a  captaincy  in  the  regular  aimy  he  was  in  April  on  his 
own  request  ordered  to  his  regiment  (iSth  U.  S.  I.),  then  serving  under 
Gen.  George  H.  Thomas  at  the  siege  of  Corinth.  Served  with  his  regi- 
ment from  that  time  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  until  January  1864, 
just  after  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  when  he  was  ordered  to  Detroit, 
Mich.,  as  mustering  and  disbursing  officer.  Shortly  after  entering  upon 
this  duty  was  appointed  chief  mustering  officer  and  acting  assistant  pro- 
vost marshal  general  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  in  which  capacity  super- 
vised the  re-organization  of  the  Michigan  regiments  ;  execution  of  the 
draft  laws  and  finally  the  disbandment  of  the  Michigan  regiments.  He 
held  the  following  commissions  in  addition  to  those  above  slated  ; 
Colonel  of  1st  Del.  C;  brevet  major  and  lieutenant-colonel  m  the  regu- 
lar army.  Participated  in  a  number  of  engagements  and  battles  during 
the  war  during  the  time  of  his  field  service,  beginning  wiih  the  firsi 
battle  of  Bull  Run  and  ending  wiih  the  battle  ot  Mission  Ridge.  He 
was  detached  from  his  regiment  during  his  service  in  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  at  a  number  of  times  by  Gen.  Thomas  for  important 
duties.  His  health  was  completely  broken  down  during  the  war,  and 
has  only  recovered  it  during  his  residence  in  Wisconsin  in  the  pure 
climate  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  .Superior.  He  was  relieved  from 
duty  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  February,  1867,  and  remained  on  leave  of  ab- 
sence until  in  October,  same  year,  when  he  received  orders  and  joined 
his  regiment  at  Ft.  Sanders,  Wyoming  Ter.  In  the  Spring  of  1868,  he 
commanded  the  troops  assigned  to  protect  locating  and  constructing 
parties  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  between  Ft.  Sanders  and  Ft. 
Bridger,  and  established  his  headquarters  in  the  western  end  of  Bridger's 
Pass ;  was  ordered  to  Camp  Douglas,  Salt  Lake  City,  in  November, 
1868,  and  remained  at  that  post  until  in  April,  1869,  commanding  the 
post  a  portion  of  the  lime.  In  the  Spring  of  1869.  he  elected  to  be  dis- 
charged from  the  army  under  the  Act  of  Congress  reducing  the  regi- 
ments in  the  regular  army,  and  returned  to  his  home  at  Wilmington, 
Del.  Shortly  afterwards,  in  May,  lS6g,  was  assigned  by  the  President, 
agent  for  the  Chippewa  Indians  of  Lake  Superior,  and  was  ordered  to 
Bayfield,  Wis.,  whither  he  went  and  assumed  the  duties  of  Indian  Agent, 
which  he  performed  about  one  year  and  was  relieved  by  the  civu  ap- 
pointee. In  the  Fall  of  1S70,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  regular 
army,  and  established  his  residence  at  Bayfield,  Wis.  In  1S71,  was  ap- 
pointed Register  of  the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Bayfield,  and  still 
retains  that  position.  In  1863.  was  married  to  the  eldest  daughter  of 
Levi  G.  Clark,  of  Wilmington.  Del.  She  died  on  June  29,  1867,  leaving 
one  clild,  Eugenia  B.,  who  is  still  living.  In  1S74.  he  married  a  sister  of 
his  first  wife,  from  which  union  he  has  four  children — Susan  B,,  Clark 
M.,  Mary  Emlen  and  Elizabeth  K.  He  is  a  member  of  Oriental  Lodge 
of  Masons  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 

ALONZO  KNIGHT,  book-keeper,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Kent  Co., 
Del.,  April  13.  1S54.  He  aiiended  Mt.  Vernon  Grammar  School  in 
Philadelphia,  then  the  High  School,  and  finally  went  to  Pierce's  Busi- 
ness College.  On  leaving  sch  ol,  began  keeping  books.  In  1878  he 
cleiked  in  Philadelphia.  In  1881  he  came  to  Bayfield,  arriving  the  29111 
of  May.  He  is  engaged  in  keeping  book's  for  his  brother.  Col.  John  II. 
Knight.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  cor- 
responds with  his  home  paper,  7'Jie  Doier  State  Sentinel. 

ERVIN  LEIHY,  general  store,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Oswego  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1822.  His  early  life  was  passed  on  a  faim,  and  at 
eighteen  moved  to  Illinois.  Later  he  bought  a  farm  en  Bad  River  and 
moved  to  it  in  1846.  In  1870  he  moved  to  Bayfield,  built  his  present 
residence  and  opened  a  store,  and  is  engaged  in  clearing  another  farm 
on  Sioux  River,  about  eight  miles  from  the  village.  In  1S51  he  married 
Miss  Morrin,  of  La  Pointe.  Their  children  are — Hannah  (now  Mrs. 
Newland),  Eunice  (now  Mrs.  Inglis),  Eliza  (now  Mrs.  Herbert),  Charles, 
Charlotte  (now  Mrs.  Boutin)  and  Phoebe.  Mr.  Leihy  was  member  of 
Town  and  County  Board  for  Ashland,  while  living  on  Bad  River,  and  in 
1871  and  1872  was  Supervisor  in  Bayfield,  and  is  now  on  the  Board.  IL- 
has  held  other  offices. 

MRS.  ANNA  LEY,  general  store,  Bayfield,  widow  of  Peter  H.  Ley, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Bayfield.  He  was  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  died 
June  16,  1876.  Mrs.  Ley  was  born  in  county  Clare,  Ireland.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Sexton.  She  was  married  to  P.  II.  Ley  in  1854,  in 
Detroit,  Mich.  In  the  Spring  of  1856  they  came  to  Bayfield  and 
opened  a  store,  and  since  1857  have  been  in  the  same  building.  They 
had  one  child,  who  died  before  its  father.  Mr.  Ley  during  his  life- 
served  as  Supervisor.  Register  of  Deeds,  etc.  They  were  both  members 
of  the  Catholic  Church. 

SAMUEL  E.  MAHAN,  real  estate.  Bayfield,  was  born  in  Tene 
Haute,  Ind..  Aug.  4,  1846  ;  graduated  in  1861  from  the  State  University 
and  began  the  study  of  medicine,  taking  one  course  of  lectures  at  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.    But  his  health  not  being  favorable  he  went  out  to  Kans.is 


HISTORY  OF  BAYFIELD  COUNTY. 


85 


and  entered  mercantile  life  in  Harvey  County ;  then  he  took  a  home- 
stead in  McPherson  County,  where  he  remained  till  1873,  when  he  came 
to  Bayfield.  In  1877-8  was  County  Clerk;  is  now  secretary  of  the 
Telephone  Company  of  Ashland  and  Bayfield,  and  secretary  of  the 
Hydraulic  Company  of  Bayfield,  and  has  just  closed  his  term  as  Indian 
Agent.  In  1878  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Boutin,  of  Bayfield.  They 
have  had  two  children,  Frances  Edna  and  Lucille  Eugenia,  only  one  of 
whom    is   living.     Mr.  Mahan  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


'r^tOXiyULD 


J.  H.  NOURSE,  merchant.  Bayfield,  the  oldest  son  of  Rev.  James 
Nourse,  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  July,  1830.  In  1853,  just  a  few 
months  before  marriage,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions,  a  teacher  to  Spencer  Academy,  Choctaw  Nation,  In- 
dian Territory.  Failing  in  health,  returned  with  his  wife  to  Washing- 
ton late  in  the  Fall  of  1S54.  Bleeding  from  the  lungs,  in  August,  1856,  he 
visited  Bayfield,  and  early  in  the  Spring  of  1857  brought  his  family  to 
that  healthy  spot.  In  the  Fall  of  1S58  took  charge  of  a  large  hotel  be- 
longing to  the  Bayfield  Land  Co.,  called  the  Bayfield  House,  and  .since 
burned.  Taught  the  public  school  from  October,  1861,  to  June,  1864;  was 
County  Treasurer  during  the  same  time  and  Town  Clerk  from 
April,  i860,  to  1864;  CoUeclor  of  the  port  in  1863  and  1864; 
Receiver  of  the- U.  S.  Land-office  from  i86g  to  March,  1872;  taught 
the  public  school  again  from  September,  1869,  to  March,  1871  ;  has  been 
in  his  present  business  since  May,  1872  ;  and  from  April  of  that  year  up 
to  the  present  time  (tSSt)  annually  elected  Town  Treasurer.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Isabel  Rittenhouse,  of  Washington,  D.  C;  they  have  had  eleven 
children,  four  deceased. 

CAPT.  R.  D.  PIIvE,  manufacturer,  Biyfield,  was  born  in  Corcoran 
Co.,  Penn.,  April  13.  1S38.  He  was  taken  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  by  his 
parents  in  1845,  and  remained  there,  receiving  the  rudiments  of  an  edu- 
cation. He  came  to  Bayfield  in  1855,  but  not  having  finished  his  edu- 
cation went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  took  a  commercial  course.  In  1862 
he  enlisted  in  the  27th  Mich.  V.  I.;  was  transferred  to  the  1st  Cav.,  and 
at  the  battle  of  Appomattox  he  was  promoted  to  captain,  and  after  some 
service  on  the  plains  returned  home  in  l866  and  commenced  lumbering. 
At  first  he  had  a  shingle  mill,  then  a  saw-mill,  and  finally  has  a  mill  that 
produces  lumber,  40,000  of  shingles,  and  30,000  laths,  and  staves  for  fish 


barrels  ;  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business.  Capt.  Pike  has 
been  Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  Clerk  of  County  Court,  and  filled 
other  public  offices.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  in 
1863  at  Fort  Howard. 

RUSSELL  ROBERTS,  saloon,  Bayfield  was  born  in  Canada  West, 
Aug.  21,  1838.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  on  leaving  home  in  1857, 
he  engaged  in  the  same  business  in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.  In  i860  he 
moved  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  began  lumbering  and  working  as  pilot  on 
the  river.  In  1872  he  moved  to  the  western  part  of  the  county  upon  a 
farm,  where  his  family  now  is.  He  engaged  in  his  present  business  in 
Bayfield  in  June,  1881.  In  1861  he  married  Miss  VanVaulkinburg,  of 
Ohio.  They  have  six  children — Julia,  Jane,  Fred.  W.,  Frank,  Mary  A., 
William  and  Edna. 

CAPT.  P.  W.  SMITH,  hotel,  Bayfield,  was  born  in  LowviUe,  Lewis 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  24,  1827,  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  went  to  sea  in 
a  whaler,  and  at  Van  Diemen's  Land  went  on  board  of  a  merchant  ship 
and  returned  to  New  York.  In  1S61  he  raised  Co.  9,  N.  Y.V.I. ; 
resigned  in  May,  1862.  on  account  of  bad  health,  and  came  to  Bayfield 
in  the  same  year  and  opened  a  hotel,  in  which  he  has  since  continued. 
In  the  Fall  of  1868,  he  went  to  Portage  Lake;  returned  to  Bayfield  in 
1869,  an'd  is  now  proprietor  of  the  oldest  hotel  in  the  village.  In  1S56, 
he  married  Miss  Sabina  Sanders,  of  Toronto,  Canada.  They  have  two 
boys — Frederick  W.,  aged  twenty-four,  and  William  J.,  twenty-one. 
Mr.  Smith  was  appointed  Sheriff  in  1S73,  and  elected  in  1876;  was 
Under-sheriff  till  January,  1880  ;  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Court,  held  town 
offices,  and  is  now  superintendent  and  director  of  the  Hydraulic  Co.  of 
Bayfield,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge. 

ANDREW  TATE  was  born  in  the  city  of  Washington,  D.  C,  Aug- 
23,  1823,  and  left  that  city  on  the  25th  of  April,  1857,  and  arrived  at 
Bayfield  25th  of  May  following.  Opened  a  store  and  commenced  read- 
ing law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  County  Court  in  1858,  and 
in  the  Circuit  Court  in  1861  ;  was  appointed  County  Judge  in  1861  ; 
was  elected  District  Attorney  soon  after  ;  was  the  first  School  Superin- 
tendent in  the  county  ;  was  elected  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  then  County 
Treasurer;  also  County  Treasurer  in  1880;  was  elected  Supervisor  in 
1881  ;  joined  the  Masonic  lodge  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1856,  and  is 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  Bayfield  lodge,  No.  215  ;  joined  the  Odd 
Fellows  in  1844  ;  is  president  of  the  Bayfield  Hydraulic  Company. 
He  married  Miss  Nellie  G.  Hall,  of  Biyfield,  formerly  of  Ohio,  in  July, 
1866.     They  have  one  child,  Lilian. 

B.  B.  WADE,  District  Attorney,  B,ayfield,  was  born  in  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.,  May2i,  1841.  He  graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  i860, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1863.  In  1S64. 
he  took  a  trip  to  Colorado,  where  he  practiced  and  mined,  returning  to 
New  York  in  t86S.  His  health  was  not  good,  and  he  was  recommended 
to  the  climate  of  Lake  Superior.  He  came  to  Bayfield  in  l86g,  and  has 
remained  here  since,  engaged  in  real  estate  business.  He  was  County 
Clerk,  and  elected  District  Attorney  in  Fall  of  18S0.  Mr.  Wade  is  lieu- 
tenant  of  the  Bayfield  Rifles. 

MRS.  L.  M.  WHITTLESEY,  relict  of  Hon.  A.  Whittlesey,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  They  were  married  in 
Peoria,  III.,  and  cime  to  La  Pointe  in  1854,  and  from  there  went  to  Ash- 
land, and  helped  layout  the  village,  living  there  till  1861,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  land-office  and  moved  to  Bayfield,  where  they  lived  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  December,  18S0.  He  had  always  endeav- 
ored to  develop  the  resources  of  his  adopted  home,  in  which  he  recog- 
nized the  capacity  for  a  great  and  rich  future.  He  held  at  one  time  a 
place  in  the  Legislature  of  the  Slate,  traveling  to  Madison  on  snow-shoes. 
There  is  now  in  the  capital  a  picture  illustrating  this  incident.  He 
was  Indian  Agent  and  Port  Collector.  He  died,  leaving  a  widow  and 
one  daughter.  There  were  two  children — Delia  E.,  now  Mrs.  Green, 
and  Jennie,  deceased.  Mrs.  Whittlesey's  mother,  Harriette  M.,  and  her 
father,  J.  P.  T.  Haskell,  moved  to  Ashland  in  1S55  ;  t'le  latter  died  in 
1875,  but  the  mother  is  living  in  Chicago  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy-two.  Mrs.  Whittlesey  now  lives  on  the  property  left  her  by  her 
husband  in   H.iyfield. 


6* 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


BROWN    COUNTY, 


The  region  now  known  as  Brown  County  is  historic 
ground.  Neaiiy  two  and  a  half  centuries  have  elapsed 
since  the  first  white  man  set  foot  upon  its  soil.  It  is 
necessary  in  this  work  to  divide  the  record  into  two 
periods.  We  shall  speak  of  the  earh'  history  as  an  epoch 
ending  in  1836,  and  of  the  recent  history  as  dating 
from  that  year. 

EXPLORATION    OF   GREEN   BAY. 

The  first  light  thrown  upon  the  history  of  the  Green 
Bay  region  was  an  exceedingly  faint  gleam — indeed, 
scarcely  perceptible.  Upon  the  St.  Lawrence,  a  small 
French  settlement  sprang  into  existence  during  the  first 
cjuarter  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  controlling 
spirit  of  which  was  Samuel  Champlain.  This  intrepid 
Frenchman,  at  an  early  day,  gained,  through  reports 
of  the  Indians,  some  idea  of  the  location  of  the  Mas- 
coutins,  who  had,  in  fact,  their  homes  upon  the  Fox 
River  above  Winnebago  Lake,  and  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
wliose  ancient  seat  was  around  the  head  of  Green  Bay. 
They  are  mentioned,  also,  by  one  or  two  other  wiiters 
cotemporaneous  with  Champlain,  but  in  an  exceedingly 
vague  and  unsatisfactory  manner.  All  that  was  known 
of  the  Winnebagoes  was,  that  they  had,  probably,  at 
some  remote  period,  come  from  a  country  bordering 
upon  an  ocean  ;  that  they  traded  with  tribes  of  the  Ot- 
tawa River,  and  sometimes  made  war  upon  the  nations 
on  tiie  east  side  of  Lake  Huron  ;  and  that  in  tlieir  own 
country  they  were  visited  by  a  people  living  still 
farther  west,  who  were  without  hair  or  beard,  and  who 
came  to  trade  with  them  in  canoes  from  far-distant 
hunting  grounds.  So  little  had  l)eea  heard  of  the 
country  to  the  northward  and  westward  of  tlie  eastern 
shore  of  Lake  Huron  before  the  Summer  of  1634,  that 
it  was,  to  that  date,  virtually  an  unknown  region.  Late  in 
that  year,  however,  a  daring  Frenchman  penetrated  the 
country  of  the  upper  lakes,  and  soon  after  made  known  to 
the  world  the  existence  of  many  savage  nations  before 
unheard  of.  This  explorer  was  Jean  Nicolet,  wiiose 
adventures  have  already  been  spoken  of  on  previous 
pages  of  this  book.  He  was  the  first  white  man  who 
set  foot  upon  any  portion  of  what  is  now  the  county 
of  Brown.  But  he  left  a  very  brief  account  of  his 
visit,  and  no  description  whatever  of  this  locality  and 
its  surroundings,  except  a  mere  mention  of  a  river — the 
Fox — and  of  his  having  journeyed  up  it  until  within 
three  days'  sail  of  a  great  watei* — the  Wisconsin.  In 
other  words,  he  visited  not  only  the  Winnebagoes,  but 
also  the  Mascoutins,  returning  the  next  year  to  his 
home  upon  the  St.  Lawrence.  Such  is  the  commence- 
ment of  the  history  of  Brown  County. 

One  of  the  objects  of  Nicolet's  visit  to  the  Green 
Bay  country  was  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with  its 
savage  occupants,  and  to  counsel  harmony  among  all 
the  tribes  of  the  upper  lakes  visited  by  him,  to  the 
end  that  all  might  be  visited  by  the   French  from  the 


St.  Lawrence  for  the  purpose  of  ti-ading  for  furs. 
Peace  was  promised  :  but  tlie  Winnebagoes,  immedi- 
ately after  he  left  them,  attacked  the  Nez  Perces,  lo- 
cated upon  the  eastern  waters  of  Lake  Huron,  captur- 
ing and  eating  two  of  that  nation.  Five  years  subse- 
c[uent  to  this,  they  were  themselves  attacked  by  the 
Illinois,  from  the  widely  extended  praiiies  of  the  South, 
and  nearly  exterminated.  In  1641,  the  Pottawatomies 
left  their  ancient  homes  on  the  islands  at  the  moulh  of 
Green  Bay,  seeking  refuge  among  the  Chippewas  at 
the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  near  the  foot  of  Lake  Superior, 
returning,  however,  some  years  afterward.  To  quote 
from  an  authoritv : 


"There  was  none  to  follow  Nicolet  to  the  wild  West  till 
1641,  when  a  great  "  feast  of  the  dead"  given  by  the  Algon- 
quins  in  Huronia  [at  the  head  of  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake 
Huron],  gathered  there  all  the  kindred  tribes  to  take  part 
in  the  funereal  games,  the  dances,  chants,  and  mournful  pro- 
cessions of  those  decennial  rites.  Among  the  rest  came 
the  Chippewas  from  the  Rapids  [of  Ste.  Marie]  which 
close  to  the  vessels  of  man  the  entrance  of  the  vast  upper 
lake.  These  deputies,  like  the  rest,  were  visited  by  the 
Jesuit  missionaries;  and  so  won  were  the  good  Chippe- 
was by  the  gentle,  self-devoting  ways  of  those  heralds  of 
the  Cross,  that  they  earnestly  invited  them  to  their  cabins 
at  the  Falls  [of  Ste.  Marie,  near  the  foot  of  Lake  Superior], 
portraying  with  all  the  lively  iiuagination  of  the  child  of  the 
forests  the  riches  and  plenty  that  reigned  in  their  sylvan 
abodes.  Ever  eager  to  extend  their  spiritual  conquests,  to 
enlarge  the  bounds  of  freedom  in  this  western  world  (for 
there  alone  is  liberty  where  dwells  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord), 
the  missionaries  joyfully  accepted  the  invitation  of  the 
Chippewas. 

"  By  command  of  their  Superior,  two  missionaries,  Father 
Charles  Raymbaut,  thoroughly  versed  in  the  Algonquin 
customs  and  language,  with  Father  Isaac  Jaques,  no  less 
complete  a  Huron,  w^ere  detached  to  visit  them.  On  the 
17th  of  June  they  launched  their  canoes  at  the  mission 
house  of  St.  Mary's  [in  the  coimtry  of  the  Huron  Indians], 
and  for  seventeen  days  advanced  over  the  crystal  waters  of 
the  inland  sea  [Lake  Huron  |,  amid  the  beautiful  islands 
which  stretch  across  the  lake,  clustering  around  the  lake- 
gemiued  Manitoulin,  so  hallowed  to  the  Indian's  mind. 
When  they  reached  the  Falls  [of  Ste.  Marie]  they  found 
two  thousand  Indians  assembled  there,  and  amid  their 
joyful  greetings  the  missionaries  gazed  with  delight  on  the 
vast  field  which  lay  before  them.  They  heard  of  tribe  after 
tribe  which  lay  around,  and  ever  and  anon  of  the  terrible 
Nadowessi  [Siou.x],  who  dwelt  on  the  great  river  of  the 
West  [Mississii)pi].  Earnestly  did  the  Chippewas  press 
the  two  Fathers  to  stay  in  their  midst.  "  We  will  embrace 
you,"  said  they  "  as  brothers  ;  we  shall  derive  profit  from 
your  words;"  but  it  could  not  be  so.  The  paucity  of 
missionaries  in  the  Huron  country  did  not  yet  permit  the 
establishment  of  that  distant  mission.  Raymbaut  and 
Jaques  could  but  plant  the  cross  to  mark  the  limit  of  their 
spiritual  progress  ;  yet  tliey    turned    it    to   the   South,    for 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY, 


thither  now  their  hopes  began  to  tend.  After  a  short  stay 
they  returned  to  St.  Mary's,  and  hopes  were  entertained  of 
soon  establishing  a  mission  on  Lake  Superior;  but  Raym- 
baut  shortly  after  fell  a  victim  to  the  climate,  while  Jaques 
began  in  his  own  person  a  long  career  of  martyrdom,  pre- 
luding the  ruin  of  the  Huron  mission,  the  death  of  its  aj)os- 
tles,  and  the  destruction  of  the  tribe." 

The  Jesuit  missioiiiiries,  located  in  tlie  couiitiy  of 
the  Huron  Indians,  always  wide-awake  to  obtaiiiino- 
knowledge  of  the  region  lying  to  the  westward  and 
northward  of  Lake  Huron,  had,  nevertheless,  but  mea- 
ger accounts  of  the  country  even  down  to  1618.  (^ne 
of  their  number  in  that  year,  says  : 

"  A  peninsula,  or  strip  of  land,  quite  small,  separates  this 
superior  lake  [Lake  Superior]  from  another,  third  lake, 
called  by  us,  "the  Lake  of  the  Puants"  [Lake  Michigan 
and  Oreen  Bay  combined],  whicji  also  discharges  itself  into 
our  fresh  water  sea  [Lake  Huron]  through  a  nioutli  which 
is  on  the  other  side  of  the  peninsula,  about  ten  leagues 
more  toward  the  west  than  the  Sault  [Ste.  Marie].  This 
third  lake  extends  between  the  west  and  the  southwest,  that 
is  to  say,  between  the  south  and  the  west,  more  toward  the 
west,  and  is  almost  equal  in  size  to  our  fresh  water  sea. 
On  its  shores  dwell  a  different  people  [Winnebagoes],  of  an 
unknown  language  ;  that  is  to  say,  a  language  that  is  neither 
Algonquin  nor  Huron  [but  Dakota].  These  people  are 
called  the  Puants,  not  on  account  of  any  unpleasant  odor 
that  is  peculiar  to  them,  but  because  they  say  they  came 
from  the  shores  of  a  sea  far  distant  toward  the  west,  the 
waters  of  which  being  salt,  they  called  themselves  the  '  I'eo- 
].)le  of  the  Stinking  Water.'  " 

EARLY  INDIAN  MOVEMENTS. 

In  Itio-t  is  obtained,  for  tlie  first  time,  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  movement  of  the  Indians  upon  the  eastern 
waters  of  Lake  Huron,  to  the  westward,  from  fear  of 
the  deadly  inroads  of  tlie  Iroquois — those  arch  enemies 
of  the  Algonquins  and  Hurons.  One  of  the  Jesuit 
missionaries  writing  from  Quebec,  September  21,  of 
that  year,  says  tliat  a  Heet  of  canoes  loaded  with  furs 
readied  Montreal,  whicli  came  from  the  west  a  distance 
of  four  hundred  leagues.  In  them  came  friendly  In- 
dians ;  some  were  of  the  Tobacco  nation  and  others  of 
the  Ottawa.  "All  these  tribes,' says  the  writer,  "  have 
abandoned  their  ancient  country,  and  have  retired 
toward  the  more  distant  nations,  in  tlie  vicinity  of  the 
Great  Lake  [Lake  Michigan  and  Green  Bay  combined], 
whom  we  call  tlie  Puants  [Winnebagoes]."" 

THE   FIRST    Fl'K   TRADERS. 

The  arrival  of  two  Frenchmen — fur  traders — upon 
tiie  shores  of  Lake  Superior  in  1658,  and  tlieir  journeys 
to  the  westward  and  soutliwest,  an  account  of  which 
has  already  been  given  in  this  Iiistory,  added  to  the 
stock  of  knowledge  possessed  by  the  civilized  occu- 
pants of  the  St.  Lawrence,  concerning  the  region  of 
the  upper  lakes,  but  shed  no  liglit  upon  the  country 
immediately  surrounding  Green  Bay.  Ten  years  sub- 
sequent to  this,  Louis  Joliet,  whose  name  has  been 
frequently  given  in  a  previous  chapter,  visited  this 
region,  reaching  possibly  the  islands  at  tlie  mouth  of 
Green  Bay ;  but  he  has  left  no  account  of  his  explora- 
tion. Tlie  next  year — 1669 — fur  traders  were  here, 
and  probably  before  that  time;  but  they  left  no  record 
of  what  they  saw  or  of  the  tribes  visited  by  them. 


THE   CATHOLIC   MISSIONS. 

The  founding  of  the  Mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier 
upon  the  siiores  of  Green  Bay,  on  the  2d  of  December, 
1669,  by  the  Jesuit  missionary,  Father  Claude  Alloiiez, 
and  its  precarious  existence  until  1687,  have  already 
been  mentioned;  so,  too,  the  transitory  Mission  of  St. 
Mark  upon  the  Wolf  River,  the  nortiiern  affluent  of 
the  Fox,  lias  been  spoken  of;  but  in  this  connection, 
before  proceeding  to  give  the  arrival  of  French  ex- 
plorers at  Green  Bay,  it  will  be  proper  to  continue  the 
recital  of  Catliolic  missionary  effort  in  this  vicinity  to 
1824. 

Now  it  was  tliat  England  began  to  dispute  with 
France  about  the  possessions  of  the  West.  Mackinaw 
was  abandoned  as  a  missionary  field,  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  Ottawas  went  to  settle  in  the  new  port  of  De- 
troit. A  list  of  the  missionaries  of  the  year  1701  in- 
forms us  that  there  were  two  Fathers  in  the  mission  of 
the  Ottawas,  but  as  regards  tlieir  laboi-s  and  residences 
nothing  particular  is  known.  In  the  year  1701  the 
name  of  Father  Nouvel  disappeared  from  the  list  and 
the  name  of  Father  Jean  Baptiste  Chardon,  was  found 
for  the  first  time. 

In  the  year  1711  Jacques  Marert  was  Superior  of 
the  mission  and  the  communications  between  the  dif- 
ferent stations  were  so  seldom  that  fifteen  years  passed, 
during  which  time  he  did  not  see  his  brother  Gabriel 
Marert,  missionary  among  the  Illinois. 

In  1721  the  historian  Charlevoix  visited  those  places, 
and  is  said  to  have  found  at  the  Fort  of  the  Bay  des 
Puants  the  amiable  Father  Jean  Baptiste  Chardon,  a 
Jesuit,  who  had  his  chapel  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  He  evangelized  the 
Sacs,  but  not  finding  them  docile,  he  studied  diligently 
the  Winnebago  language,  in  order  to  apply  his  care 
to  this  tribe.  Chiirlevoix,  amiiassador  as  he  was  of  the 
King  of  France,  engaged  the  Sacs  to  respect  their  mis- 
sionaries and  to  listen  to  his  voice,  if  they  wished  to 
retain  the  King's  favor.  His  words  had  a  good  effect. 
R.  T.  Chardon  was  sent  that  same  year  to  the  Illinois, 
and  was  the  last  Jesuit  residing  at  Green  Bay. 

The  wars  of  the  Foxes  greatl}^  embarrassed  for  the 
future  the  efforts  of  the  missionaries. 

In  1764  Rev.  T.  Marin  Louis  Lefrant  and  Pierre  du 
Jaunay  appeared  in  the  catalogue  of  the  Jesuits  of  the 
West ;  the\'  were  both  stationed  at  Mackinaw  in  1765, 
and  visited  regularly  the  different  stations  established 
along  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  They  were  kept 
for  a  long  time  in  happy  memory  b}^  the  Indians,  and 
in  1820,  an  old  man  of  tiie  tribe  at  Arbre  Croche  still 
pointed  out  tlie  place  where  P.  du  Jaunay  used  to  say 
his  breviary. 

In  1765,  two  Jesuit  missionaries,  whose  names  tradi- 
tion did  not  preserve,  were  killed  on  the  banks  of  Fox 
River,  near  the  place  where,  in  1676,  tiie  church  and 
residence  of  their  predecessors  were  erected.  Although 
no  work  of  that  time  mentions  this  fact,  the  old  in- 
habitants believe  it  to  be  certain,  and  siiow  the  ground 
tliat  was  soaked  by  the  blood  of  the  martyrs.  Mar- 
geret  O'Keewah,  a  one  liundred-year-old  Indian,  who 
died  February  IS,  1868,  ascertained  the  fact,  saying  that 
lier  parents  often  talked  to  her  about  two  black  ffowns, 
whom  the  Indians   had  massacred,   because  they    had 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


cast  the  lot  on  the  children  of  the  tribe,  which  made 
them  all  die.  Their  bodies,  she  says,  were  buried 
at  the  same  place.  Lastly  the  bull  Dominy  or  Re- 
demptor  issued  by  Clement  (Jargauelli)  dated  Jan- 
uary 21, 1776,  suppressing  the  illustrious  order  of  the 
Jesuits,  came  to  deprive  their  rough  but  glorious  field 
of  labor,  of  the  intrepid,  wise  and  pions  children  of 
St.  Ignatius. 

There  was  nothing  left  but  one  priest  to  guard  the 
spiritual  interest  of  the  scattered  faithful  in  Wiscon- 
sin and  Michigan.  It  was  a  transigrau,  Fatiier  Recol- 
lect, stationed  at  Fort  Ponchartrain,  at  present  Detroit, 
and  who  seems  to  have  visited  for  the  last  time  the 
Bay  about  1793. 

The  settlement  of  the  whites  at  the  Bay  dates  from 
about  the  middle  of  tlie  eighteenth  century.  Between 
1744  and  1746,  Augustin  de  Langlade,  Parisian  by  birth 
and  merchant  at  Michilimackinac,  left  that  place  with 
his  family,  composed  of  eight  persons,  to  settle  down  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  There  had  not  been  a  priest 
residing  at  Green  Bay  since  1721,  at  which  time  Father 
Chardon  left  the  place  to  go  to  Illinois.  Aug.  de 
Langlade  was  also  obliged  to  send  his  wife  and  two  of 
his  children  from  Green  Bay  to  Mackinaw,  in  a  canoe, 
in  order  to  have  them  baptized  by  the  priest. 

In  1785,  the  new  colon}-  numbered  fifty-six  ;  two 
families  of  which  had  settled  down  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  river  and  were  composed  of  fourteen  souls ;  whilst 
four  other  families  erected  their  homesteads  on  the 
right  bank  and  numbered  forty-two  souls.  From  the 
years  1792  to  1804,  the  colony  of  the  Bay  was  aug- 
mented by  some  families  (Canadian)  so  that  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  War  of  1812  there  were  two  hundred 
and  fifty-two  inhabitants.  Michigan  and  all  the  North- 
western Territory  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  of  which  the  seat  had  been  founded 
in  16G0 ;  the  19th  of  June,  1821,  Pius  VII.  erected 
the  Bishopric  of  Cincinnati,  which  was  to  comprise 
Ohio,  Michigan  and  the  Northwestern  Territory.  He 
appointed  for  this  seat  Rev.  Father  Edward  Fenwick, 
of  Maryland,  of  the  order  of  the  Dominique.  The  latter 
cliose  for  his  Vicar  General,  Rev.  Gabriel  Richard,  a 
subjectian  and  priest  of  St.  Anna  in  Detroit,  Michigan, 
since  1799. 

Thirty  years  had  elapsed,  and  not  a  priest  had  been 
seen  at  the  Bay,  until  at  last.  Father  Richard  came  to 
spend  a  few  days  here  in  1822.  He  celebrated  serv- 
ice in  the  house  (not  yet  finished)  of  P.  Grignon, 
situated  on  Washington  street,  now  the  property  of 
Dr.  Crane.  Father  Richard  gave  only  one  communion  ; 
this  was  to  Madame  Veaux. 

In  1824  they  counted  in  Green  Bay  five  hundred 
inhabitants.  During  the  course  of  the  following  year, 
Father  Vincent  Baden,  stationed  at  St.  Joseph,  with 
the  Pottawatomies,  came  here  regularly  every  year  to 
give  a  mission  of  one  month.  Mr.  Pierre  Grignon  had 
given,  but  without  deed,  six  lots  to  build  a  church  and 
a  school ;  this  property,  by  the  death  of  the  donator, 
passed  again  to  his  heirs.  A  school-house,  which  was 
also  to  serve  as  a  chapel,  was  built  there  (of  wood), 
and  Rev.  Bodin  appointed  there  a  Frenchman,  named 
Fauvrelle,  to  keep  school  therein,  and  permitted  him 
to  gather  every  Sunday  the  people,  in  order  to  read  the 
gospel  of  the  day,  to  sing  hymns,  and    say  prayers. 


But  Fauvrelle  soon  transgressed  from  the  orders  which 
he   had  received;    he  allowed   himself   to  sing  mass,      i 
omitting  every  time  the  consecration,  and  to  make  pro-      \ 
cessions,  accompanied  by  the  soldiers  of  the  fort. 

DAUMONT  DE  ST.  LUSSON. 
Having  thus  traced  the  history  of  the  Catholic  mis- 
sions to  the  year  1825,  we  return  to  the  year  following 
the  founding  of  that  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  and  resume 
the  narrative  of  French  discovery  and  exploration. 
It  was,  as  has  been  stated  in  a  previous  chapter,  in 
1670,  that  Nicholas  Perrot  visited  Green  Bay,  to  urge 
the  tribes  to  the  meeting  to  take  place  at  the  SaultSte. 
Marie,  the  next  Spring,  under  the  auspices  of  Daumont 
de  St.  Lusson.  Among  Canadian  voyageurs  few  names 
are  so  conspicuous  as  that  of  Perrot;  not  because  there 
were  not  others  who  matched  him  in  achievement,  but 
because  he  could  write,  and  left  behind  him  a  tolerable 
account  of  what  he  had  seen.  He  was  at  this  time 
twenty-six  years  old,  and  had  formerly  been  an  engage 
of  the  Jesuits.  He  was  a  man  of  enterprise,  courage 
and  address ;  the  last  being  especiall}'  shown  in  his 
dealings  with  Indians,  over  whom  he  had  great  influ-  ■ 
ence.  He  spoke  Algonquin  fluently,  and  was  favor- 
ably known  to  many  tribes  of  that  family.  Upon  his 
arrival  at  Green  Bay,  he  was  greeted  with  clamors  of 
welcome.  The  Miamis  upon  the  Upper  Fox  River,  it 
is  said,  received  him  with  a  sham  battle,  which  was 
designed  to  do  him  honor,  but  by  which,  nerves  more 
susceptible  would  have  been  severely  shaken.  They 
entertained  him  also  with  a  grand  game  of  la  crosse, 
the  Indian  ball  plaj'.  Perrot  gives  a  marvelous  account 
of  the  authority  and  state  of  the  Miami  chief,  who, 
he  says,  was  attended  day  and  night  by  a  guard  of 
warriors  ;  an  assertion  which  would  be  incredible,  were 
it  not  sustained  by  the  account  of  the  same  chief, 
given  by  the  Jesuit  Dablon,  who,  as  previously  ex- 
plained, also  visited  this  tribe.  The  result  of  Perrot's 
visit  has  already  been  given. 

JIARQUBTTE   AND   JOLIET. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  La  Salle,  the  renowned  ex- 
plorer of  the  West,  in  1671,  embarked  on  Lake  Erie, 
ascended  the  Detroit  to  Lake  Huron,  coasted  the    un- 
known shores  of  Michigan,  passed  the  straits  of  Mack- 
inaw, and,  leaving  Green  Bay  behind  him,  made  his 
way  into  the  southern  portion  of  Lake  Michigan,  cross- 
ing from  its  southern  end   to  the  Illinois  River,  and 
floating  down  the  last  mentioned  stream  to  the  Missis- 
sippi, descending  it  to  the  thirty-sixth  degree  of  lati- 
tude, when  he  returned.     But  these  statements  have 
not,  as  yet,  been   so   definitely  proved  as  to  warrant        i 
their  acceptance  as  facts  in  tliis  connection.     But  the        i 
account  of  the  visit  of  Joliet  in  1673,  accompanied  by 
Marquette  (as  in    this  narrative  already  described), 
to  the  waters  of  Green  Bay,  and  of  his  journey  thence       ' 
to    the  Mississippi,  rests  upon  no  such  unsubstantial       [i 
foundation.     Marquette  gives  a  pretty  full  statement       j 
of  what  he  saw  in  this  vicinity.  | 

"  The  first  nation  [he  writes]  that  we  met  [after  entering        jj 
Green  Bay]  was  that  of  the  Wild  Oats  [Menomonees].     I        i 
entered  their  river  to  visit  them,  as  we   have  preached  the 
gospel  to  these  tribes  for  some  years  past,  so  that  there  are       ' 
many  good  Christians  among  them. 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


"  The  wild  oats  from  which  they  take  their  name,  as  they 
are  found  in  their  country,  are  a  kind  of  grass  which  grows 
spontaneously  in  little  rivers  with  slimy  bottoms,  and  in 
marshy  places ;  they  are  very  like  the  wild  oats  that  grow 
up  among  our  wheat.  The  ears  are  on  stalks  knotted  at 
intervals  ;  they  rise  above  the  water  about  the  month  of 
June,  and  keep  rising  till  they  float  about  two  feet  above 
it.  The  grain  is  not  thicker  than  our  oats,  but  it  is  as  long 
again,  so  that  the  meal  is  much  more  abundant. 

"  The  following  is  the  manner  in  wliich  the  Indians  gather 
it  and  prepare  it  for  eating:  In  the  month  of  September, 
which  is  the  proper  time  for  this  harvest,  they  go  in  canoes 
across  these  fields  of  wild  oats,  and  shake  the  ears  on  their 
right  and  left  into  the  canoe  as  they  advance;  the  grain  falls 
easily  if  it  is  ripe,  and  in  a  little  while  their  provision  is 
made.  To  clear  it  from  the  chaff,  and  strip  it  of  a  pellicle 
in  which  it  is  enclosed,  they  put  it  to  dry  in  the  smoke  on 
a  wooden  lattice,  under  which  they  keep  up  a  small  fire  for 
several  days.  When  the  oats  are  well  dried,  they  put  them 
in  a  skin  of  the  form  of  a  bag,  which  is  then  forced  into  a 
hole  made  on  purpose  in  the  ground ;  they  then  tread 
it  out  so  long  and  so  well,  that  the  grain  being  freed  from 
the  chaft"  is  easily  winnowed  ;  after  which  they  pound  it  to 
reduce  it  to  meal,  or  even,  unpounded,  boil  it  in  water  sea- 
soned in  grease,  and  in  this  way  wild  oats  are  almost  as  pal- 
atable as  rice  would  be  when  not  better  seasoned. 

"  I  informed  these  people  of  the  Wild  Oats  of  my  design 
of  going  to  discover  distant  nations  to  instruct  them  in  the 
mysteries  of  our  holy  religion  ;  they  were  very  much  sur- 
prised, and  did  their  best  to  dissuade  me.  They  told  me 
that  I  would  meet  nations  that  never  spare  strangers,  but 
tomahawk  them  without  any  provocation ;  that  the  war 
which  had  broken  out  among  various  nations  on  our  route, 
exposed  us  to  another  evident  danger — that  of  being  killed 
by  the  war  parties  which  are  constantly  in  the  field  ;  that  the 
Great  River  is  very  dangerous,  unless  the  difficult  parts 
are  known ;  that  it  was  full  of  frightful  monsters  who  swal- 
lowed up  men  and  canoes  together;  that  there  is  even  a 
demon  there  who  can  be  heard  from  afar,  who  stops  the 
passage  and  engulfs  all  who  dare  approach;  lastly,  that  the 
heat  is  so  oppressive  in  those  countries  that  it  would  infal- 
libly cause  our  death. 

"  I  thanked  them  for  their  kind  advice,  but  assured  them 
that  I  could  not  follow  it,  as  the  salvation  of  souls  was  con- 
cerned; that  for  them  I  should  be  too  happy  to  lay  down 
my  life  ;  that  I  made  light  of  their  pretended  demon  ;  that 
we  would  defend  ourselves  well  enough  against  the  river 
monsters  ;  and,  besides,  we  should  be  on  our  guard  to  avoid 
the  other  dangers  with  which  they  threatened  us.  After 
having  made  them  pray  and  given  them  some  instruction, 
I  left  them,  and  embarking  in  our  canoes,  we  soon  after 
reached  the  extremity  of  the  Bay  of  the  Fetid  [Green  Bay], 
where  our  Fathers  labor  successfully  in  the  conversion  of 
these  tribes,  having  baptized  more  than  two  thousand  since 
they  have  been  there. 

"  This  bay  bears  a  name  which  has  not  so  bad  a  meaning 
in  the  Indian  language,  for  they  call  it  rather  Salt  Bay  than 
Fetid  Bay,  although  among  them  it  is  almost  the  same,  and 
this  is  also  the  name  which  they  give  to  the  sea.  This  in- 
duced us  to  make  very  e.xact  researches  to  discover  whether 
there  were  not  in  these  parts  some  salt  springs,  as  there  are 
among  the  Iroquois,  but  we  could  not  find  any.  We  ac- 
cordingly concluded  that  the  name  has  been  given  on  ac- 
count of  the  quantity  of  slime  and  mud  tliere,  constantl)' 
exhaling  noisome  vapors  which  cause  the  loudest  and  long- 
est peals  of  thunder  that  I  ever  heard. 

"The  bay  is  about  thirty  leagues  long,  and  eight  wide  at 
its  mouth  ;  it  narrows  gradually  to  the  extremity,  where  it 
is  easy  to  remark  the  tide  which  has   its    regular   flow    and 


ebb,  almost  like  that  of  the  sea.  This  is  not  the  place  to 
examine  whether  they  are  real  tides,  whether  they  are  caused 
by  the  winds,  or  by  some  other  agency  ;  whether  they  are 
winds,  out-riders  of  the  moon,  or  attached  to  her  suite, 
who  constantly  agitate  the  lake  and  give  it  a  kind  of  flow 
and  ebb,  whenever  the  moon  rises  above  the  horizon.  What 
I  can  certainly  aver  is,  that  when  the  water  is  quite  tran- 
quil you  can  easily  see  it  rise  and  fall  with  the  course  of 
the  moon,  although  I  do  not  deny  that  this  movement  may 
be  caused  by  distant  winds,  which  pressing  on  the  center 
of  the  lake,  make  it  rise  and  fall  on  the  shore  in  the  way 
that  meets  our  eyes. 

"  We  left  this  bay  to  enter  a  river  [the  Fox]  emptying 
into  it.  It  is  very  beautiful  at  its  mouth,  and  flows  gently; 
it  is  full  of  bustards,  duck,  teal,  and  other  birds,  attracted 
by  the  wild  oats,  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  But  when 
you  have  advanced  a  little  up  this  river,  it  becomes  very 
difficult,  both  on  account  of  the  currents,  and  of  the  sharp 
rocks  which  cut  the  canoes  and  the  feet  of  those  who  are 
obliged  to  drag  them,  especially  when  the  water  is  low. 
For  all  that,  we  passed  the  rapids  safely,  and  as  we  ap- 
proached Machkoutens,  the  Fire  nation,  I  had  the  curiosity 
to  drink  the  mineral  waters  of  the  river,  which  is  not  far 
from  this  town.  I  also  took  time  to  examine  an  herb,  the 
virtue  of  which  an  Indian,  who  possessed  the  secret,  had, 
with  many  ceremonies,  made  known  to  Father  AUoiiez.  Its 
root  is  useful  against  the  bite  of  serpents,  the  Almighty 
having  been  pleased  to  give  this  remedy  against  a  poison 
very  common  in  the  country.  It  is  very  hot,  and  has  the 
taste  of  powder  when  crushed  between  the  teeth.  It  must 
be  chewed  and  put  on  the  bite  of  the  serpent.  Snakes  have 
such  an  antipathy  to  it,  that  they  fly  from  one  rubbed  with 
it.  It  produces  several  stalks  about  a  foot  long,  with  pretty 
long  leaves,  and  a  white  flower,  much  like  the  gillyflower. 
I  put  some  into  my  canoe  to  examine  it  at  leisure,  while  we 
kept  on  our  way  toward  Maskoutens  [Mascoutins],  where 
we  arrived  on  the  7th  of  June." 


In  the  Autumn  of  1678,  La  Salle,  upon  the  St. 
Lawrence,  in  order  to  forward  his  designs  of  erecting 
a  fort  upon  the  river  Illinois,  sent  fifteen  men  up  the 
lakes  to  trade  for  him,  with  orders  to  go  hence  to  that 
river  and  make  preparations  for  his  coming  the  next 
year.  Some  of  these  men  went  on  as  far  as  Green 
Bay,  where  they  collected  a  large  store  of  furs ;  and 
here,  on  one  of  the  islands  at  its  mouth,  La  Salle,  in 
the  "  Griffin,"  the  first  sailing  craft  that  ever  floated 
upon  the  upper  lakes,  found  them  in  the  month  of 
September,  1679.  La  Salle  resolved  to  send  back  his 
vessel,  from  this  point,  laden  with  these  furs  and  others 
collected  on  the  way.  She  fired  a  parting  shot,  and  on 
the  18th  of  September  set  sail  for  Niagara,  witli  orders 
to  return  to  Mackinaw  as  soon  as  she  had  discharged 
her  cargo.  But  the  "  Griffin  "  was  never  heard  of  from 
that  time.  She  was  engulfed  in  tlie  wild  waves, 
probably,  of  Lake  Michigan  soon  after  leaving  the 
island.  La  Salle,  with  fourteen  men,  in  four  canoes, 
proceeded  to  the  country  of  the  Illinois. 

The  fur  traders,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  pre- 
ceded the  Jesuit  missionaries  to  this  region,  maintained 
their  relations  here  with  more  or  less  regularity,  for  a 
great  many  years. 

LOUIS    HENNEPIN. 

Following  the  visit  to  Green  Bay  of  the  fur  traders 
under  La  Salle,  in  1678,  and  of  that  famous  explorer 


90 


HISTORY    OF    XORTFIERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  year  after,  was  that  of  Louis  Hennepin,  in  1(380. 
He  and  his  part}',  as  a  detail  from  La  Salle's  expedi- 
tion to  the  Illinois,  reached  the  moiitli  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin in  that  j-ear,  on  iiis  way  from  the  Upper  Mississippi 
to  the  great  lakes,  passing-  up  that  river  to  the 
"portage,"  and  crossing  this  carrying-place  to  the 
Fox  River. 

"We  entered  a  river  [the  Fox],  |he  says,]  which  winds 
wonderfully,  for  after  six  hours'  sailing  we  found  our- 
selves opposite  the  place  where  we  had  embarked.  One  of 
our  men,  wishing  to  kill  a  swan,  capsized  his  canoe  ;  for- 
tunately he  touched  bottom. 

"  We  passed  four  lakes,  two  of  them  pretty  large,  on  tlie 
banks  of  which  the  Miamis  formerly  lived.  We  found 
Maskoutens  [Mascoutins],  Kickapous  and  Outaougamy 
[Foxes]  there,  who  plant  Indian  corn  for  their  subsistence. 
All  this  country  is  as  fine  as  the  Islinois  [Illinois]. 

"We  made  a  portage  at  a  rapid  called  the  Cakalin,  and 
after  about  four  hundred  leagues'  sail  from  our  leaving  the 
country  of  the  Issati  and  Nadonessious  [Sioux],  we  arrived 
safely  at  the  extremity  of  the  Bay  of  Puants  [Green  Bay], 
where  we  found  Frenchmen  trading  with  the  Indians  con- 
trary to  orders.  They  had  some  little  wine  in  a  pewter 
flagon,  which  enabled  me  to  say  mass.  I  had  then  only  a 
chalice  and  altar  stone,  but  Providence  supplied  me  with 
sacerdotal  vestments,  for  some  Islinois,  flying  from  the 
tyranny  of  the  Iroquois,  who  had  destroyed  a  part  of  their 
nation,  took  the  vestments  of  the  chapel  of  Father  Zeno- 
bius  Membre,  Recollect,  who  was  with  the  Islinois  in  their 
flight.  These  savages  gave  me  all,  except  the  chalice,  which 
they  promised  to  restore  in  a  few  days  for  a  present  of 
tobacco. 

"  I  had  not  celebrated  holy  mass  for  over  nine  months 
for  want  of  wine  ;  I  had  still  some  altar  breads.  We  re^ 
mained  two  days  to  rest,  sing  the  Te  Deum,  high  mass  and 
preach.  All  our  Frenchmen  went  to  confession  and  com- 
munion, to  thank  God  for  having  preserved  us  amid  so 
many  wanderings  and  perils. 

"  One  of  our  Frenchmen  gave  a  gun  for  a  canoe  larger 
than  ours,  with  which,  after  sailing  a  hundred  leagues  in 
the  Hay  of  the  Puants,  we  reached  Missilimackinac,  where 
we  were  obliged  to  winter." 

Hennepin  was,  in  fact,  at  this  time,  at  the  station 
of  the  Jesuits  at  Green  Bay  ;  but  its  existence  was 
wholly  ignored  by  him,  being,  as  he  was,  a  "  Mission- 
naire  Recollect." 

HENRI    DE    TONTV, 

One  of  LaSalle's  men  from  the  Illinois,  late  in  1680 
arrived  at  Green  Bay.  It  was  his  object  to  reach  the 
Pottawatomies  upon  the  islands  at  its  mouth  ;  but, 
unhappily,  he  and  his  party  passed  down  the  lake 
when  the  cold  was  intense,  and  it  was  no  easy  task  to 
grub  up  wild  onions  from  the  frozen  ground  to  save 
themselves  from  starving.  Tonty  fell  ill  of  a  fever  and 
a  swelling  of  the  limbs,  whicii  disabled  him  from  travel- 
ing, and  hence  ensued  a  long  delay.  At  length  they 
ueared  Green  Bay,  where  they  would  have  starved,  had 
they  not  gleaned  a  few  ears  of  corn  and  frozen  squashes 
in  the  fields  of  an  empty  Indian  town.  This  enabled 
them  to  reach  the  bay,  and  having  patched  an  old 
canoe  which  they  liad  the  good  luck  to  find,  they  em- 
barked in  it ;  whereupon,  says  Tonty  : 

"There  arose  a  northwest  wind  which  lasted  five  days, 
with  driving  snow.  We  consumed  all  our  food,  and  not  know- 
ing what  to  do  next,  we  resolved  to  go  back  to  the  deserted 


town,  and  die  by  a  warm  fire  in  one  of  the  wigwams.  On 
our  way  we  saw  a  smoke,  but  our  joy  was  short,  for,  when 
we  reached  the  fire,  we  found  nobody  there.  We  spent  the 
night  by  it,  and  before  morning  the  bay  froze.  We  tried  to 
break  a  way  for  our  canoe  through  the  ice.  but  could  not ; 
and  therefore  we  determined  to  stay  there  another  night, 
and  make  moccasins,  in  order  to  reach  the  town.  We  made 
some.  *  *  *  I  was  angry  at  Etienne  Renault  for  not 
finishing  his,  but  he  excused  himself  on  account  of  illness, 
because  he  had  a  great  oppression  of  the  stomach,  caused 
by  eating  a  ])iece  of  an  Indian  shield  of  rawhide,  which  he 
could  not  digest.  His  delay  proved  our  salvation,  for  the 
next  day,  December  4,  as  I  was  urging  him  to  finish  tire 
moccasins,  and  he  was  still  excusing  himself  on  the  score 
of  his  malady,  a  party  of  Kiskanon  Ottawas,  who  were  on 
their  way  to  the  Pottawatomies,  saw  the  smoke  of  our  fire, 
and  came  to  us.  We  gave  them  such  a  welcome  as  was 
never  seen  before.  They  took  us  into  their  canoes,  and 
carried  us  to  an  Indian  village  only  two  leagues  oflT.  There 
we  found  five  Frenchmen,  who  received  us  kindly,  and  all 
the  Indians  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  sending  us  food." 

SUBSEQUENT   VISITORS. 

Le  Sueur,  a  noted  voyageur,  was  at  the  Bay,  for  the 
first  time,  in  1683,  making  his  way  up  the  Fox  River 
and  down  the  Wisconsin  to  the  Mississippi,  thence  to 
the  Sioux  country,  where,  at  different  periods,  he 
spent  seven  years. 

In  1684,  Nicholas  Perrot,  who  had  assisted  St. 
Lusson  in  1671,  it  will  be  remembered,  again  made 
his  appearance  at  the  Bay.  Perrot  is  the  most 
notable  figure  in  tlie  early  history  of  Wisconsin. 
He  employed  a  considerable  number  of  men,  and 
carried  his  operations  as  far  as  Lake  Pepin.  He 
was  tlie  trusted  agent  of  the  Government,  and  was  in- 
vested with  more  extensive  authority  than  ordinary 
traders.  He  was  commissioned  to  manage  the  interests 
of  commerce  from  Green  Bay  westward,  and  was  em- 
ployed as  Indian  agent  for  many  years.  He  procured 
a  peace  among  the  Sioux,  Chippewas  and  Foxes,  and 
so  far  put  to  sleep  the  animosity  of  the  latter  toward 
the  French,  that  while  he  was  tiieir  agent  they  re- 
mained friendly.  "  I  was  sent  to  this  Bay,"  lie  writes, 
"  charged  with  the  commission  to  have  chief  command 
there,  and  in  the  most  distant  countries  on  tlie  side  of 
the  West." 

In  168.5,  Daniel  Greysolon  Du  Lhut,  better  known 
as  Du  Luth,  arrived  at  the  Bay,  and  assumed  military 
command  under  the  superintendency  of  the  command- 
ant at  Mackinaw.  While  making  preparations  to  go 
to  war  against  the  Iroquois,  he  was  assisted  b}'  Perrot 
in  collecting  Indian  allies.  Tiie  last  mentioned  voya- 
geur was  then  trading  among  the  Foxes,  near  the  Bay. 
On  the  8th  of  May,  1689.  he"  (^Perrot),  then  command- 
ing a  post  among  the  Sioux,  was  commissioned  by  the 
Governor  of  Canada  to  manage  the  interests  of  com- 
merce among  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Bay,  and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  make  more  certain  the  taking  possession 
of  the  wliole  country  in  the  name  of  the  French  king. 
In  other  words,  he  supplemented  the  work  of  St.  Lus- 
.son  done  in  1671. 

During  the  same  year  the  Baron  Le  iloutan  visited 
Green  Bay,  and  was  entertained  in  a  distinguished 
manner  by  the  Sacs,  Pottawatomies  and  Menomonees. 
"This  is  a  place,"  are  his  words,  "of  great  trade  for 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY, 


skins  and  Indian  corn.     Tliese  the  savages  sell  to  the 
courier  de  hois." 

A  post  was  established  at  Green  Bay  (or,  at  least,  it 
was  found  to  be  in  existence  there)  some  time  between 
the  years  1718  and  1721.  It  was  not  then  called  St. 
Anthony,  but  had  taken  the  name  of  Fort  St.  Francis, 
the  locality  being  known  as  La  Baye,  tliat  is,  the  Bay. 
In  July  of  the  last  mentioned  year.  Father  Charlevoix, 
the  distinguished  historian  of  New  France,  was  at 
Mackinaw,  and  being  of  an  exploring  turn  of  mind, 
visited  this  region.  He  says  that  he  "  made  a  voyage 
to  the  Bay  eiglity  leagues  distant "  from  Mackinaw, 
in  compaii}'  with  M.  de  Montigny,  "  captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  troops  whicJi  the  king  maintains  in  Canada," 
who  was  going  to  tlie  Bay  to  take  command  of  the  post. 
He  gives  an  interesting  account  of  his  journey  : 

"We  embarked  [lie  writes]  the  2d  of  July  [1721],  in 
the  afternoon;  we  coasted  for  thirty  leagues  a  cape  which 
separates  Lake  Michigan  from  the  upper  lake  ;  it  is  in  some 
places  only  a  few  leagues  wide,  and  it  is  scarce  possible  to 
see  a  worse  country,  but  it  is  terminated  by  a  pretty  river 
called  the  Manistie,  full  of  fish,  and  especially  of  sturgeons. 
A  little  further  going  to  the  southwest,  we  enter  into  a  great 
gulf,  the  entrance  of  which  is  bordered  with  islands;  they 
call  it  the  Gulf,  or  the  Bay  of  the  Noquets.  This  is  a  very 
small  nation  which  came  from  the  borders  of  the  upper 
lake,  and  of  which  there  remains  only  a  few  families  dis- 
persed here  and  there  without  any  fixed  abode. 

"  The  Bay  of  the  Noquets  is  separated  from  the  Great  Bay 
only  by  the  isles  of  the  Pouteouatainis  [Pottawatomies], 
and  I  have  already  observed  that  they  were  the  ancient 
abode  of  these  savages.  The  greatest  part  of  them  are  very 
well  wooded  ;  but  the  only  one  which  is  still  peopled  is 
not  the  largest  nor  the  best;  there  remains  in  it  now  only 
one  indifferent  village,  where  we  were  obliged  to  pass  the 
night,  though  very  much  against  our  inclinations  :  we  could 
not  refuse  the  pressing  entreaties  of  the  inhabitants;  and 
indeed  there  is  no  nation  in  Canada  that  has  always  been 
more  sincerely  attached  to  the  French. 

"The  sixth  we  were  stopped  almost  the  whole  day  by 
contrary  winds;  but  it  proving  calm  at  night,  we  embarked 
a  little  after  sunset  by  a  fine  moonlight,  and  we  kept  going 
forwards  twenty-four  hours  together,  making  only  a  very  , 
short  stop  to  say  mass  and  to  dine.  The  sun  shone  so  hot, 
and  the  water  of  the  bay  was  so  warm  that  the  gum  of  our 
canoe  melted  in  several  places.  To  complete  our  misfor- 
tune, the  place  where  we  stopped  to  encamp  was  so  full  of 
gnats  and  mosquitoes,  that  we  could  not  close  our  eyes, 
though  we  had  not  slept  for  two  days  before;  and  as  the 
weather  was  fine,  and  we  had  moonlight,  we  embarked 
again  on  our  route  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

"After  we  had  gone  five  or  six  leagues,  we  found  our- 
selves over  against  a  little  isle,  which  is  not  far  from  the 
west  side  of  the  bay,  and  which  hid  from  us  the  entrance 
of  a  river  [Menomonee],  upon  which  is  the  village  of  the 
Malhomines  [Menomonees],  which  the  French  call  folks 
avoines  (wild  oats),  probably  because  they  make  their  com- 
mon food  of  this  grain.  The  whole  nation  consists  of  no 
more  than  this  village,  which  is  not  very  populous.  This 
is  to  be  regretted,  for  they  are  very  fine  men,  and  the  best 
shaped  of  all  Canada.  They  are  even  taller  than  the 
routcoiiatamis.  I  am  assured  that  they  have  the  same 
origin  and  nearly  the  same  language,  as  the  A'fy/^^'/.f  and  the 
Saultcurs  |  Chippewas]  ;  but  they  add  that  they  have  also  a 
particular  language  which  they  keep  to  themselves.  They 
have  likewise  told  me  some  odd  stories  of  them,  as  of  a  serpent 
which  goes  every  year  into  the  village,  and   is   received    by 


them  with  great  ceremonies,  which  makes  me  believe  that 
they  are  inclined  to  sorcery. 

"  .'\.  little  beyond  the  island  I  just  mentioned,  the  country 
changes  its  appearance  all  at  once;  and  from  being  wild 
enough,  as  it  is  to  this  place,  it  becomes  the  most  charming 
in  the  world.  It  has  even  something  more  smiling  than  the 
strait;  but  though  it  is  every-where  covered  with  very  fine 
trees,  it  is  much  more  sandy,  and  not  so  fertile.  The  Otch- 
(Zg-/-rt.f  [Winnebagoes]  who  are  commonly  called  the  Puants, 
dwelt  formerly  on  the  borders  of  the  bay,  in  a  very  delight- 
ful situation.  They  were  attacked  here  by  they///«m,  who 
killed  a  great  number  of  them.  The  remainder  took  ref- 
uge in  the  river  of  the  Ouiagamis  [F'oxes],  which  runs  into  the 
bottom  of  the  bay.  They  seated  themselves  on  the  borders 
of  a  kind  of  lake  [Winnebago],  and  I  judge  it  was  there,  that 
living  on  fish  which  they  got  in  the  lake  in  great  plenty,  they 
gave  them  the  name  of  Puants,  because  all  along  the  shore 
where  their  cabins  were  built,  one  saw  nothing  but  stinking 
fish,  which  infected  the  air.  It  appears  at  least  that  this  is  the 
origin  of  the  name  which  the  other  savages  had  given  them 
before  us,  zrA  which  has  communicated  itself  to  the  bay,  far 
from  which  they  never  removed.  Sometime  after  they  had 
((uitted  their  ancient  post,  they  endeavored  to  avenge  the 
blow  they  had  received  from  the  Illinois;  but  this  enter- 
prise caused  them  a  new  loss,  which  they  never  recovered. 
Six  hundred  of  their  best  men  were  embarked  to  go  in 
search  of  the  enemy,  but  as  they  were  crossing  Lake  Mich- 
igan, they  were  surprised  by  a  violent  gust  of  wind,  which 
drowned  them  all.  We  have  in  the  bay  a  fort  which  stands 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river  of  the  Outagamis,  half  a  league 
from  its  mouth  ;  and  before  we  arrive  at  it  we  leave  on  the 
left  hand  a  village  of  Sakis  [Sacs],  The  Otchagras  have 
lately  come  and  seated  themselves  near  us,  and  have  built 
their  cabins  about  the  fort.  The  missionary  who  is  lodged 
pretty  near  the  commandant,  hopes,  when  he  has  learned 
their  language,  to  find  them  more  docible  than  the  Sakis, 
among  whom  he  labors  with  very  little  success.  Both  of 
them  appear  to  be  a  very  good  sort  of  people,  especially 
the  first,  whose  greatest  fault  is,  that  they  are  a  little  given 
to  thieving.  Their  language  is  very  different  from  all  the 
others,  which  makes  me  believe  that  it  is  not  derived  from 
any  of  Canada;  and  indeed  they  have  always  had  more 
intercourse  with  the  people  of  the  West,  than  with  those  we 
are  acquainted  with  in  this  country. 

"The  Sakis,  though  they  are  but  a  small  number,  are  di- 
vided into  two  factions,  one  of  which  side  with  the  Outa- 
gamis,  and  the  other  with  the  Poitteouatamis.  Those  who 
are  settled  in  this  post,  are  for  the  most  part  of  the  last 
]iarty,  and  of  consequence  in  our  interest.  They  received 
the  new  commandant  with  great  demonstrations  of  joy. 
.As  soon  as  they  knew  he  was  near  arriving,  they  ranged  them- 
selves with  tlieir  arms  on  the  bank  of  the  river ;  and  the  mo- 
ment they  saw  him  appear  they  saluted  him  with  a  discharge 
of  their  muskets,  which  they  accompanied  with  great  shouts 
of  joy.  Then  four  of  the  chief  men  went  into  the  river, 
where  they  were  soon  up  to  their  waist;  but  they  waded 
quite  to  his  canoe,  and  took  him  up  in  a  great  robe  made 
of  many  roebuck  skins,  well  sewed  together,  of  which  each 
of  them  held  a  corner.  They  carried  him,  thus  to  his 
apartment,  where  they  complimented  him  and  said  many 
things  to  him  which  were  extremely  flattering. 

"The  next  day  the  chiefs  of  the  two  nations  i)aid  me  a 
visit,  and  one  of  the  Otcliagras  showed  me  a  Catalan  pistol, 
pair  of  Si^anish  shoes,  and  1  know  not  what  drug,  which  a 
seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  ointment." 

In  1726,  the  Green  Bay  post  was  under  the  author- 
ity of  Sieur  Amoritan.  The  next  year  it  was  visited 
by  the  Sieur  de  Lapierriere,  having  charge  of  an  expe- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


dition  bound  for  the  Mississippi  to  establish  <a  post  in 
the  country  of  the  Sioux.  With  him  was  Father  Guig- 
uas,  who  has  left  this  account  of  his  visit  and  passage 
through  this  region  : 

"  The  Sioux  convoy  left  the  end  of  Montreal  Island  on  the 
sixteenth  of  the  month  of  June,  last  year,  at  ii  a.  m.  and 
reached  Michilimackinac  the  twenty-second  of  the  month  of 
July.  This  post  is  two  hundred  and  fifty-one  leagues  from 
Montreal,  almost  due  west,  at  45°  46'  north  latitude. 

"We  spent  the  rest  of  the  month  at  this  post  in  the  hopes 
of  receiving  from  day  to  day  some  news  from  Montreal,  and 
in  the  design  of  strengthening  ourselves  against  the  alleged 
extreme  difficulties  of  getting  a  free  passage  through  the 
Foxes.  At  last,  seeing  nothing,  we  set  out  on  our  march  the 
first  of  the  month  of  .\ugust,  and  after  seventy-three  leagues' 
quite  pleasant  sail  along  the  northerly  side  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, running  to  the  southeast,  we  reached  the  Bay  on  the 
eighth  of  the  same  month  at  5  J4  p.  m.  This  post  is  at  44° 
43'  north  latitude.  We  stopped  there  two  days,  and  on  the 
eleventh  in  the  morning,  we  embarked  in  a  very  great  impa- 
tience to  reach  the  Foxes. 

"  On  the  third  day  after  our  departure  from  the  Bay,  quite 
late  in  the  afternoon,  in  fact  somewhat  in  the  night,  the 
chiefs  of  the  Puants  come  out  three  leagues  from  their  vil- 
lage to  meet  the  French  with  their  peace  calumets,  and 
some  bear  meat  as  a  refreshment,  and  the  next  day  we  were 
received  by  that  small  nation  amid  several  discharges  of  a 
few  guns  and  amid  great  demonstrations  of  joy. 

"  They  asked  us  with  so  good  a  grace  to  do  them  the  honor 
to  stay  some  time  with  them,  that  we  granted  them  the  rest 
of  the  day  froiu  noon  and  the  following  day. 

"  There  may  be  in  all  in  tliis  village  sixty  to  eighty  men  ; 
but  all  men  and  women  of  very  tall  stature  and  well  made. 
They  are  on  the  bank  of  a  very  pretty  little  lake,  in  a  most 
agreeable  spot  for  its  situation  and  the  goodness  of  the  soil, 
nineteen  leagues  from  the  Bay  and  eight  leagues  from  the 
Foxes." 

In  1728  the  post  at  Green  Bay  was  destroyed  by  De 
Lignery,  and  when  it  was  rebuilt  is  undetermined,  al- 
though it  is  believed  to  have  been  re-established  about 
1730.  It  was  located  on  the  west  side  of  Fox  River, 
where  the  city  of  Fort  Howard  is  now  located ;  but 
whether  it  was  continuously  occupied  as  a  post  or  gar- 
rison for  the  next  twenty-five  years,  is  uncertain.  But 
this  much  is  evident,  that  whenever  so  occiij^ied,  it  was 
maintained  by  fur  traders — not  as  a  military  establish- 
ment of  the  Government.  The  commanders  enjoyed 
the  exclusive  privileges  of  trade  in  return  for  main- 
taining a  garrison  at  their  own  expense.  They  were 
frequently  gentlemen,  in  the  sense  of  being  men  of 
good  family,  holding  some  subordinate  military  rank  in 
the  colonial  service,  who  preferred  employing  traders 
for  a  share  of  the  profits,  while  they  busied  themselves 
solely  with  the  affairs  of  the  post,  or  in  executing  some 
mandate  of  the  Government.  They  were  never  officers 
of  the  regular  army.  The  garrison  consisted,  not  of 
enlisted  men,  but  of  engages,  who  preferred  a  half-set- 
tled employment  of  that  kind,  under  a  sort  of  half-rail- 
itar}'  organization,  to  the  purely  roving  occupation  of 
the  voyageur.  Under  such  a  system,  it  is  probable  that 
during  periods  of  unusual  disorder,  the  post  was  found 
unprofitable,  and  was  therefore  left  occasionally  vacant. 

There  was  no  immigration  to  the  Bay  for  the  pur- 
pose of  occupying  the  soil — no  settling  there  in  the 
common  accei^tance  of  the  term — while  French  domin- 
ion  lasted.     The  determination  of  the    Government, 


near  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  to  permit  no 
further  settlement  of  new  colonies,  was  never  changed  ; 
for  Canada  could  at  no  subsequent  period,  so  long  as 
French  domination  lasted,  afford  to  be  thus  weakened. 
The  post  (and  Green  Bay  was  no  exception)  occupied 
by  the  trading  classes,  was  merely  in  the  nature  of  a 
temporary  residence.  Frequently,  the  Canadian  French- 
man resided  among"  the  Indians  for  an  indefinite  length 
of  time.  This  practice  began  at  a  very  early  day,  for 
it  is  thus  recorded  by  Governor  Vaudreuil,  in  1718 : 
"  From  Saquinam  [Saginaw]  you  go  to  Missilimackinac 
[Mackinaw],  the  residence  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers  and 
of  some  Frenchmen.  The  Bay  [Green  Bay]  is  on  the 
same  side  as  Missilimackinac  ;  there  are  some  French- 
men there  also."  These  men  domesticated  themselves 
after  the  manner  of  the  savages  during  convenient 
seasons,  resuming  their  roving  employment  whenever 
it  suited  their  inclinations.  And  thus  with  fur  ti-aders, 
voyageurs  and  roving  French  Canadians  continued 
affairs  at  Green  Bay  so  long  as  the  country  belonged 
to  France.  A  distinctive  settlement  was  not  developed 
until  a  later  period — at  least,  none  that  was  permanent. 

BRITISH    RULE. 

Governor  Vaudreuil  surrendered  Canada  to  General 
Amherst,  of  the  British  army,  September  9,  1760,  and 
immediately  notified  the  commandant  at  Mackinaw, 
for  the  information  of  the  people  of  that  neighborhood, 
that  thereafter  the  inhabitants  would  be  amenable  to 
British  authority,  under  stipulations  which  guaranteed 
to  them  the  unclisturbed  possession  of  their  goods  and 
peltries,  and  full  liberty  to  continue  their  trade  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  proper  subjects  of  Great  Britain. 
The  fur  trade  of  the  Northwest  had  long  been  coveted 
by  the  new  masters  of  the  country.  Many  years  before, 
for  that  reason,  they  encouraged  the  Iroquois  to  cut 
off  the  French  communication  with  this  region.  When 
that  failed  they  endeavored,  through  the  intermediate 
tribes,  to  persuade  the  Indians  to  carry  their  peltries 
to  the  British  frontier,  and  the  disorders  that  at  times 
confronted  the  French  at  the  Bay  were  in  some  degree 
due  to  their  overtures.  They  now  quickly  prepared  to 
garrison  the  principal  trading  stations,  and  an  expedi- 
tion for  this  purpose  under  Captain  Balfour  was  sent 
forward  in  1761.  Arriving  at  the  Bay  on  the  12th  of 
October,  Lieutenant  James  Gorrell,  of  the  Sixtieth  or 
Royal  American  Regiment,  was  there  posted  at  the  old 
French  station  with  a  garrison  of  seventeen  men,  with 
whom  remained  a  French  interpreter  and  two  English 
traders  —  McKay  from  Albany,  and  Goddard  from 
Montreal.  The  dominion  of  Great  Britain  thus  estab- 
lished was  fully  confirmed  by  the  treaty  of  peace  in 
1763.  The  French,  while  outwardly  preserving  an 
appearance  of  submission  to  the  conquerors,  regarded 
them  with  hatred,  and  secretly  employed  every  possi- 
ble means  to  hinder  the  Indians  from  entering  into 
friendly  relations  with  them,  until  the  last  hope  that 
France  would  recover  possession  was  disappointed. 
Some  of  them  preceded  the  English  soldiery  on  their 
way,  passing  on  to  the  west,  and  endeavored  to  per- 
suade the  natives  to  waylay  and  cut  off  the  feeble 
detachment,  but  without  success.  They  endeavored 
as  well  to  prevent  the  English  traders  from  venturing 
to  the  Bay  by  circulating  tales  of  meditated  attacks  on 


HiSTORV  OF  BROWN  COUXl'W 


tlie  part  of  the  Indians.  In  consequence  of  tliese 
tliirgs,  the  garrison  was  employed  during  tlie  Winter 
iu  making  tlie  place  defensible,  for  the  buildings  were 
found  quite  rotten,  and  the  stockade  ready  to  fall. 
The  fort  was  named  Fort  Edward  Augustus.  The  land 
was  at  that  time  claimed  by  the  Menomonees.  The 
Indians  for  a  time  kept  aloof  from  the  post,  partly  in 
consequence  of  the  reports  spread  among  tliem  by  the 
French,  and  partly  because  at  the  time  of  its  occupa- 
tion they  had  betaken  themselves  to  their  Winter  hunt- 
ing grounds.  A  few  young  men,  however,  from  the 
different  tribes,  made  their  appearances  occasionally, 
and  were  agreeably  surprised  by  being  well  received. 
Their  distrust  was  thus  dispelled,  and  the  ice  being 
broken,  the  cliiefs  of  the  Menomonees  and  Winneba- 
goes  assembled  at  the  post  in  May,  1762,  wliere  thej- 
were  met  by  the  commandant  in  council,  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  friendly  alliance.  Envoys  arrived  a  little 
later  from  the  Ottawas,  residing  between  the  Bay  and 
Mackinaw.  Approfjriate  presents  were  distributed  on 
such  occasions,  and  the  Indians  were  not  backward  in 
slirewdly  suggesting  the  desirable  favors  of  that  kind 
it  had  been  the  habit  of  the  French  to  grant  them.  By 
attention  to  these  things,  the  permanent  friendship  of 
all  the  neighboring  tribes  was  secured  in  the  British 
interest.  They  were  the  more  readily  disposed  to  the 
new  alliance  from  the  fact  that  the  traders  whom  they 
met  at  the  post  gave  them  much  better  terms  tlian 
tlie  French,  and  there  was  a  universal  request  for  En- 
glish traders  to  come  among  them.  Tiie  difficulties 
and  dangers  in  the  way  of  tlie  English  merchants  were 
by  no  means  overcome,  however,  by  the  removal  of 
their  apprehensions  of  hostility  from  the  Indians. 
Their  lack  of  acquaintance  with  the  language  and 
manners  of  the  Western  tribes  was  a  serious  impedi- 
ment. At  the  post  it  was  overcome  by  the  employ- 
ment of  French  clerks  and  interpreters  ;  but  this  ex- 
])edient  was  of  no  avail  at  the  hunting  grounds  and 
Winter  villages  of  the  Indians,  the  favorite  resorts  of 
French  traders,  against  the  jealousy  of  the  latter, 
which  was  dangerously  manifested  by  the  murder  of 
two  Englishmen  who  ventured  to  go  among  the  Sacs. 
Yet,  upon  the  whole,  the  English  made  substantial 
progress  in  establishing  a  secure  foothold. 

The  formidable  uprising  of  all  the  Indian  tribes 
east  of  Lake  Michigan  against  the  English,  in  1763, 
known  as  the  Pontiac  War,  made  a  great  change 
temporai'ily  in  the  face  of  affairs.  On  the  15th  of 
.luiie,  Gorrell  received  information  from  the  command- 
ant at  Mackinaw  that  the  place  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  hostile  Chippewas  and  himself  a  prisoner,  accom- 
panied by  an  order  to  evacuate  the  post  and  come  to 
his  assistance.  Preparations  for  this  step  were  speedily 
made,  and  on  the  twenty-first  the  little  band  set  out 
for  Mackinaw,  accompanied  by  a  strong  escort  of  Me- 
nomonees, Winnebagoes,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  evinced 
the  sincerity  of  their  friendship  by  procuring  tlie  re- 
lease of  the  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  Ciiippewas, 
and  full  permission  for  them,  as  well  as  Gorreli's  part}', 
to  proceed  safely  to  Montreal.  Mackinaw  was  re-oc- 
cupied the  following  year,  but  the  Bay  never  received 
another  British  garrison.  Its  liasty  evacuation  com- 
pelled the  English  traders  to  leave  their  goods  in  the 
care  of  French  clerks.     Except   that   two  or  three  of 


them  returned  thither  with  the  Lidian  escort  to  dis 
pose  of  their  remaining  stock,  the  French  Canadians, 
by  this  complete  revolution,  temporarih-  recovered 
command  of  its  traffics. 

BEGINNING   OF   ACTUAL   SETTLEMENT. 

Soon  after  Gorreli's  evacuation,  the  Ba}'^  trading 
station  ripened  into  a  i:)ermanent  settlement.  The  in- 
flux of  English  traders  had  threatened  to  deprive  the 
Canadian-French  of  their  principal  means  of  subsist- 
ence, and  had  a  strong  tendency  to  crowd  numbers  of 
them  from  their  settlements  to  more  remote  places. 
The  evacuation  of  the  post  at  the  Bay  offered  an  extraor- 
dinary inducement  for  some  of  the  moie  enterprising 
ones,  by  promptly  seating  themselves  there  in  a  perma- 
nent manner  to  secure  what  the  English  had  been 
forced  to  abandon,  and  deter  them  from  returning,  or 
enable  themselves  to  meet  their  competition  success- 
fully. That  the}'  improved  the  occasion,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  during  1764-65,  while  no  traders 
were  permitted  to  visit  the  Ba}-  from  Mackinaw,  its 
traffic  was  in  tlie  hands  of  local  traders,  who  avoided 
British  posts  with  the  design  of  transferring  their 
trade,  by  way  of  the  Mississippi,  to  the  French  prov- 
ince ol  Louisiana.  As  soon  as  this  design  became 
manifest  to  the  British  authorities,  communication  was 
at  once  re-opened,  and  in  1766  both  English  and  Cana- 
dian traders  were  enabled  to  ascend  to  Green  Bay  and 
the  Mississippi. 

The  explorer,  Jonathan  Carver,  found  a  favorable 
opportunity  not  long  alter  the  close  of  Pontiac's  War 
to  visit  this  region.  He  reached  Fort  Edward 
Augustus  (Green  Bay)  September  18,  1776. 

"This  fort,  [he  wrote,]  is  situated  on- tlie  southern  ex- 
tremity of  a  bay  in  Lake  Michigan,  termed  by  the  French 
the  Bay  of  Puants,  but  which,  since  the  English  have  gained 
possession  of  all  the  settlements  on  this  part  of  the  conti- 
nent, is  called  by  them  the  Green  Bay.  The  reason  of  its 
being  thus  denominated,  is  from  its  appearance;  for  on 
leaving  Micliimackinac  in  the  Spring  season,  though  the 
trees  there  have  not  even  put  forth  their  buds,  yet  you  find 
the  country  around  La  Kaye,  notwithstanding  the  passage 
has  not  exceeded  fourteen  days,  covered  with  the  finest 
verdure,  and  vegetation  as  forward  as  it  could  be  were  it 
Summer.  Tliis  fort,  also,  is  only  surrounded  by  a  stockade, 
and  being  much  decayed  is  scarcely  defensible  against  small 
arms.  Tlie  land  adjoining  to  the  bottom  of  this  bay  is  very 
fertile,  the  country  in  general  level,  and  the  perspective 
view  of  it,  pleasing  and  extensive.  A  few  families  live  in 
the  fort,  which  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  Fox  River,  and 
opposite  to  it,  on  the  east  side  of  its  entrance,  are  some 
French  settlers  who  cultivate  the  land,  and  appear  to  live 
very  comfortably." 

The  year  after  Carver's  visit,  Sir  William  Johnson, 
British  Indian  agent  in  America,  wrote  to  the  Lords 
of  Trade,  that  the  Indians  at  the  Bay  weie  desirous  of 
having  the  post  re-established.  He  said  that  it  was  so 
well  situated  by  reason  of  water  communication  with 
the  Mississippi,  and  so  well  calculated  fin-  all  the  Indians 
west  of  Lake  Michigan,  that  it  deserved  to  be  taken 
much  notice  of.  He  also  referred  to  a  claim  laid  to  the 
post  b}'  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  William  Grant  in 
virtue  of  a  purchase  from  the  Governor  of  Canada. 
He  comduded  that  unless  some  action  was  taken  in 
the  matter,  difficulties  might  arise. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


In  June.  1780,  Jolm  Lonir,  an  Enp:lish  trader  was 
sent  from  Mackinaw  to  Prairie  du  Ciiien  to  collect  a 
quantity  of  peltries  left  at  that  place  in  charge  of  Lang- 
lade. He  spent  a  few  days  at  Green  Bay  where  he 
obtained  plenty  of  deer,  bear,  Indian  corn,  melons  and 
other  fruit; — he  saw  that  the  houses  were  covered  witli 
birch  bark,  decorated  with  bows  and  arrows  and 
weapons  of  war.  The  next  year  an  effort  was  made 
by  the  English  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Canada  to  pur- 
chase the  countr}'  of  Green  Bnj  and  much  more  terri- 
tory, of  the  savasres,  but  nothing  came  of  it. 

As  late  as  1785,  there  were  at  the  Bay  but  seven 
families,  who  with  their  assistants  and  employ(?s,  did  not 
exceed  a  half-hundred  souls.  In  1788,  an  Indian 
council  was  held  at  Green  Bay,  at  which  time  ]iermis- 
sion  was  given  Julien  Dubuque  to  work  the  lead  mines 
on  the  Mississippi  River.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1796, 
the  British  snrrendered  to  the  American  authorities 
what  posts  were  then  occupied  by  them  in  the  North- 
west, but  this  liad  little  or  no  effect  on  affairs  in  the 
vicinity  of  Green  Bay. 

Soon  after  the  declaration  of  war  in  June,  1812, 
against  Great  Biitain,  by  the  United  States,  Colonel 
Robert  Dickson,  an  Knglish  trader  at  Pi'airie  du  Chien 
and  Indian  agent,  collected  a  considerable  body  of  In- 
dians at  Green  Bay  for  the  purpose  of  rendering  as- 
sistance to  the  British  forces  in  tlieir  operations  on  the 
Great  Lakes.  After  the  taking  of  Mackinaw  by  the 
British,  Colonel  McKa}',  of  the  British  army,  proceeded 
west  to  Green  Bay,  and  passing  up  the  Fox  and  down 
the  Wisconsin,  captured  the  fort  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
In  1815,  an  United  States  trading  post  was  established 
at  Green  Bay,  and  Colonel  John  Boyer  appointed  In- 
dian agent. 

BUILDING    OF   FORT    HOWARD. 

On  the  letli  of  July,  1816,  Colonel  John  Miller 
commenced  the  erection,  at  Green  Bay,  of  Fort  How- 
ard, with  United  States  troops.  They  came  up  the 
bay  in  three  schooners,  entering  Fox  River  under  the 
American  flag,  displaying  to  the  astonished  inhabitants 
of  Green  Bay  their  decks  covered  with  United  States 
■  uniforms.  Tliey  bore  three  or  four  companies  of  troops 
of  the  Third  United  States  Infantry  whose  purpose,  as 
just  intimated,  was  the  establishment  of  a  garrison  at 
the  place.  Immediately  on  their  arrival,  the  officers 
waited  on  the  Menoraonee  Chief,  Tomali,  whose  village 
•was  near  at  hand  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  of 
whom  Colonel  Miller  asked  permission  to  build  a  fort. 
The  request  was  re.idily  complied  witli,  and  in  return 
the  chief  asked  that  his  French  brothers  should  not 
be  molested.  The  rendezvous  of  the  troops  was  upon 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  four  or  five  miles  above  the 
head  of  the  bay  and  was  called  "Camp  Smith."  Sub- 
sequently, a  delegation  of  Wiunebagoes  came  to  remon- 
strate against  tlie  occupation  of  the  place,  but  oHered 
no  violence,  and  at  the  end  of  two  months  the  garri- 
son was  established  in  barracks  enclosed  with  a  stock- 
ade. The  extent  of  French  settlement  at  this  time 
upon  the  Fox  River,  in  the  vicinity,  waslimited — fort}' 
or  fifty  French  Canadians  were  here  cultivating  tlie 
soil  ;  but  the  settlement  was  a  pi'omising  one  ;  the  res- 
idents  liavine  comfoitable   liouses,  witli   small   farms, 


under  good  cultivation.     The    entire  population  was 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

"  During  the  Summer  of  i8i6  [says  James  H.  Lock- 
wood,]  it  was  projected  to  establish  a  United  States  fort 
at  Green  Bay;  and,  in  July  of  that  year.  Colonel  John  Mil- 
ler, tlien  Colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment,  United  Stales  In- 
fantry, was  ordered  on  tliat  service,  and  soon  chartering 
three  vessels,  embarked  three  or  four  companies  of  rifle- 
men and  infantry  with  some  artillery.  Among  the  vessels 
was  the  'Washington,'  the  largest  of  the  fleet,  commanded 
by  Captain  Dobbins,  on  board  of  which  vessel  was  the 
commandant.  I  had  that  year  engaged  myself  as  a  clerk 
to  some  traders,  to  take  charge  of  an  outfit  or  trading  es- 
tablishment near  the  head  of  tlie  St.  Peters  River,  and  the 
Colonel  apprehending  difficulty  from  the  Indians  in  land- 
ing at  Green  Bay,  proposed  to  take  the  goods  of  several 
boats  in  the  vessel,  and  tow  the  boats,  and  use  them,  if 
necessary,  in  landing,  and  then  return  them  to  their 
owners. 

"  Accordingly  Augustin  Grignon,  myself  and  a  French 
clerk  by  the  name  of  Chappin  embarked  on  board  the 
'Washington,' Mr.  Grignon  and  Chappin,  acting  in  some 
measure  as  pilots.  During  the  night  of  the  second  or  third 
day  out  from  Mackinaw,  the  other  two  vessels  became  sep- 
arated from  the  '  Washington,' and  arriving  in  the  vicinity 
of  wliat  is  now  called  Washington  Island  and  Harbor,  and 
learning  from  Mr.  Grignon  that  there  was  a  good  harbor. 
Colonel  Miller  ordered  the '  Washington  '  to  put  in  there  to 
wait  for  her  consorts.  We  remained  there  nearly  two  days, 
during  which  time  the  officers  and  passengers  rambled  over 
the  island,  and  finally  in  honor  of  our  vessel,  supposed  to 
be  the  first  one  tliat  liad  entered  the  harbor,  we  gave  its 
name  to  Washington  Island  and  Harbor,  which  they  have 
eversince  retained.  Finding  the  otiier  vessels  had  got  into 
Green  Bay  ahead  of  us,  and  had  found  a  harbor  at  Ver- 
million Island,  and  were  waiting  for  us,  we  proceeded  up 
the  bay,  and  arrived  at  Green  Bay  settlement  about  two 
days  after,  when  the  troops  landed  without  the  anticipated 
opposition  from  the  Indians. 

"This  was  in  the  month  of  July,  iSi6.  Green  Bay  and 
Prairie  du  Chien  were  then  the  only  settlements  in  what  is 
now  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  if  we  CNxept  Solomon  Juneau's 
trading  house  at  Milwaukee  ;  and  they  could  not  well  be 
called  settlements  according  to  the  American  idea  of  set- 
tling and  improving  a  country.  [This  statement  is  mislead- 
ing. Juneau  did  not  go  to  Milwaukee  until  i8i8.  The 
trading  post,  however,  was  established  by  others;  and  at 
the  time  stated  the  site  was  occupied  by  Mirandeau. 
Jacques  Vieau,  of  Green  Bay,  w-as  a  trader  at  this  date,  and 
sent  Juneau  to  Milwaukee  in  iSiS. — Ed.] 

"  Green  Bay  was  a  kind  of  traders'  depot  for  the  trade 
of  that  bay,  the  Fox  and  upper  part  of  Wisconsin  Rivers, 
which  were  considered  dependents  of  it. 

"  There   then   resided  at  Green    Bay,  as  a  trader,  John 
Lawe,  and  four  or  five  at  the  Grignons.     Augustin  Grignon 
resided  and  traded  at  the  Little  Kaukalin.     Those   traders 
who  pretended  to  make  Green  Bay  their  home,  resided' gen- 
erally but  a  small    portion    of  the    year  there,  as   most  of 
them  wintered  in  the   Indian    country,  and   generally  sjient 
two  or  three  months  of  the   Summer  at   Mackinaw.     The         i 
traders   of  Green    Bay    mostly    married,   after  the  Indian         j 
manner,  women   of  the  Menomonee   tribe,  there  being  no         i 
white  women  in  the  country.     I  saw  at  this  time  but  one 
woman  in  the  settlement  tliat  pretended  to  be  white,  and 
she  had  accidentally  been  brought   there  at   an  early  day, 
but    her    history,  however,  I  do  not  now  recollect.     There 
were  at  Green  Bay  some  forty  or  fifty  Canadians  of  French 
extraction  who  T)retended   to  cultivate  the  soil;  but  thev 


HISTORY  OF  BROWX  COUNTY. 


were  generally  old  worn  out  zvjao^ei/rs  or  boatmen,  who,  hav- 
ing become  unfit  for  the  liardships  of  the  Indian  trade,  had 
taken  wives,  generally  of  the  Menomonee  tribe,  and  set- 
tled down  on  a  piece  of  land.  As  the  land  did  not  cost 
any  thing,  all  they  had  to  do,  was  to  lake  up  a  piece  not 
claimed  by  any  other  person,  and  fence  and  cultivate  it. 
But  they  had  generally  been  so  long  in  the  Indian  tribe 
that  they  had,  to  a  great  extent,  lost  the  little  knowledge 
they  had  acquired  of  farming  in  Canada,  so  that  they  were 
poor  cultivators  of  the  soil,  although  they  raised  consider- 
able wheat,  barley,  peas  and  other  crops.  Green  Bay  was 
at  that  time  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  of  which 
the  seat  of  government  was  at  Vincennes,  which  was  also 
the  county  town  of  the  county  to  which  Green  Bay  was 
attached — between  four  or  five  hundred  miles  distant  by 
the  tedious  and  circuitous  route  of  that  day." 

S.  A.  StoiTow,  Judge  Advocate  in  the  army  of  the 
United  States,  visited  in  1817  the  northwestern  posts, 
and  on  the  19th  of  September  arrived  at  Fort  Howard 
in  an  open  boat.  He  found  Major  Zachary  Taylor  in 
command,  by  whom  he  was  kindly  treated.  While 
there  he  made  observations  on  the  ebb  and  flow  of  tlie 
waters  of  the  lake.  Two  young  men  left  the  Green 
Bay  settlenient  this  year,  in  a  bark  canoe,  for  Prairie 
du  Chien,  by  way  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  at 
which  place  they  met  Major  S.  H.  Long,  and  proceeded 
with  him  up  the  Mississippi  to  tiie  Falls  of  St.  An- 
tiiony,  with  a  view  to  establish  their  right  to  lands 
claimed  to  have  been  granted  by  the  Indians  to  their 
grandfather,  Jonathan  Carver.  The  tract,  nearly  one 
hundred  miles  square,  included  large  portions  of  what 
is  now  Northern  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  It  had, 
while  under  English  supremacy,  been  refused  con- 
firmation by  the  king  and  council.  The  heirs  of  Car- 
ver, however,  after  the  change  of  government  to  the 
United  States,  continued  for  a  series  of  years  to  pre- 
sent their  claims  to  Congress,  asking  for  a  confirmation 
of  the  "  grant,"  but  the  request  has  ever  been  refused. 
For  many  years  "Carver's  Grant"  was  conspicuously 
represented  on  maps  of  the  western  country ;  but  of 
late  it  has  wholly  disappeared. 

UNDER   MICHIGAN   TERRITORY. 

Soon  after  the  district  of  country  now  embraced  in 
the  State  of  Wisconsin  was  made  a  part  of  Michigan 
Territory,  Governor  Lewis  Cass  (October  26,  1818) 
erected  the  county  of  Brown,  naming  it  in  honor  of 
Major  General  Jacob  Brown,  of  the  United  States 
army.  It  was  soon  after  organized  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  proper  ofEcers.  Those  whose  names  have 
been  preserved  were:  Matthew  Irwin,  Chief  Justice; 
Charles  Reaume  and  John  Lane,  Associate  Justices  of 
the  County  Court;  Matthew  Irwin  and  John  Bonyer, 
County  Commissioners ;  Matthew  Irwin,  Judge  of 
Probate  ;  Robert  Irwin,  Jr.,  Clerk ;  George  Johnston, 
Sheriff;  Charles  Reaume,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  After 
Matthew  Irwin  removed  from  the  place,  in  1821,  James 
Porlier  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  ;  and,  upon 
Reaume's  death,  a  little  later,  Henry  B.  Brevoort  suc- 
ceeded him  as  Associate  Justice.  In  1828  a  Territorial 
Circuit  was  established  for  judicial  purposes,  embracing 
the  counties  of  Brown,  Crawford  and  Michilimackinac 
—  to  which  James  Duane  Doty  was  assigned  as  Judge, 
ivho,  during  the  Summer  of  1824,  took  up  his  residence 


at  Green  Bay,  and  organized  the  first  term  of  his  court 
for  Brown  County  on  the  4th  of  October,  in  that  year. 
A  census  of  the  Indians  taken  in  1819  showed  that 
there  were  4,800  in  tlie  Green  Bay  Agency.  On  the 
20th  of  August,  of  the  next  year,  an  expedition  under 
Governor  Lewis  Cass,  appointed  by  the  General  Gov- 
ernment to  visit  the  Northwestern  posts,  arrived  at 
Green  Bay.  Witli  him  came  Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott, 
Captain  D.  B.  Douglas,  Lieutenant  A.  McKay,  R.  A. 
Forsyth,  C.  C.  Trowbridge,  A.  R.  Chase,  J.  D.  Doty 
and  H.  Schoolcraft.  They  found  at  tlie  Bay  over  sixty 
dwellings  and  five  hundred  inhabitants.  The  fort 
consisted  of  log  barracks,  facing  three  sides  of  a  square 
parade,  surrounded  by  a  stockade  of  timber  tiiirty  feet 
liigh,  whitewashed,  and  garrisoned  bj^  three  luindred 
men,  under  Captain  William  Whistler,  in  the  absence 
of  Colonel  J.  L.  Smith.  Tiiere  were  also  in  camp, 
three  miles  above  Fort  Howard,  three  hundred  in- 
fantry. 

In  1819,  Daniel  Whitney,  a  very  enterprising  man, 
came  to  the  Bay.  In  some  respects,  he  should  be  con- 
sidered the  first  American  settler  in  the  county.  He 
was  not  only  born  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  but 
he  came  to  the  Bay  to  make  it  his  permanent  home- 
to  invest  his  money  here  ;  in  short,  to  "  settle,"  as  it  is 
familiarly  termed  in  the  West.  Before  him  were 
Robert  Irwin,  Sr.,  and  his  son  Robert,  who  remained 
here ;  but  they  came  to  engage  in  trade,  not  with  the 
intention,  at  the  time,  of  making  it  their  permanent 
home.  During  this  year,  Isaac  Lee  visited  Green  Bay 
to  collect  evidence  of  title  and  claims  to  land  held  by 
French  and  Canadian  settlers  under  Jay's  treaty,  and 
to  report  them  to  tlie  United  States  Commissioners  at 
Detroit.  The  claims  of  none  were  allowed,  at  the 
time,  except  such  as  could  prove  occupation  on  or  be- 
fore July,  1796,  and  there  were  few  of  this  description  ; 
however,  a  subsequent  act  of  Congress  made  provision 
for  making  valid  all  such  as  were  occupied  on  or  before 
July  1,  1812. 

Ebenezer  Childs,  writing  of  Green  Bay  at  this  date, 
says: 

"  At  Mackinaw  I  engaged  with  a  man  of  the  name  ot 
Burr,  who  was  going  to  Green  Bay  with  a  stock  of  goods. 
I  took  charge  of  the  goods,  and,  placing  them  on  board  ot 
a  small  schooner,  sailed  for  Green  Bay,  where  I  arrived  on 
the  9th  of  May,  1820.  I  rented  a  store  three  miles  above 
Fort  Howard,  opened  my  goods  and  groceries,  and  com- 
menced trading.  About  that  time  a  detachment  of  troops 
was  sent  to  Green  Bay  to  build  another  fort  on  the  east  S4de 
of  Fox  River,  a  short  distance  above  where  I  was  located. 
The  soldiers  were  daily  passing  and  re-passing  from  one 
garrison  to  the  other;  and  would  frequently  call  at  my  place 
and  get  something  to  drink.  The  officers,  finding  it  out, 
forbade  the  soldiers  calling  at  my  trading  establishment. 
A  few  days  after,  an  officer  called  and  inquired  what  I  kept 
for  sale.  I  replied  that  I  kept  all  kinds  of  groceries,  and 
invited  him  to  take  a  drink  of  good  brandy.  He  did  so. 
Then,  learning  for  a  certainty  that  I  kept  liquor,  he  asked 
me  if  I  sold  any  to  the  soldiers.  I  frankly  confessed  that  I 
had  done  so,  when  he  told  me  that  I  must  not  do  so  any 
more,  and  advised  me  to  close  up  my  business  and  leave 
the  country,  or  I  would  be  sent  out.  I  asked  him  who 
would  send  me  out,  and  he  said  the  commanding  officer 
would.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  still  made  use  of  abusive 
language.     By  this  time   my  ebenezer  got  up  to  the  boiling 


96 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


point,  when  I  sprang  toward  him,  with  the  intention  of 
pulling  him  off  his  horse,  and  giving  him  a  sound  thrash- 
ing; but  he  was  too  quick  for  me,  for  he  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  and  was  soon  out  of  my  reach.  The  next  day  a 
sergeant  and  file  of  men  made  their  appearance  to  appre- 
hend me  and  convey  me  to  the  fort.  The  sergeant  was  a 
fine  fellow,  and  I  reasoned  with  him,  that  I  was  a  free-born 
Yankee,  in  my  own  castle,  and  should  not  go  to  the  fort 
alive;  and  added  that  I  did  not  wish  to  have  any  trouble 
with  him,  and  if  the  commanding  officer  wished  to  see  me, 
he  had  better  come  where  I  was.  I  then  treated  the  ser- 
geant and  his  men,  and  they  left  me  unmolested.  The 
sergeant  afterward  told  me  that  when  he  reported  to  the 
commanding  officer,  the  latter  flew  into  a  great  passion, 
charging  the  sergeant  with  cowardice,  and  declaring  that 
he  would  go  himself  and  take  me,  dead  or  alive,  and  send 
me  out  of  the  country.  I  presume,  upon  sober,  second 
thought,  he  concluded  it  would  be  the  better  part  of  valor  to 
let  me  alone,  for  I  never  heard  any  thing  more  about  send- 
ing me  out  of  the  country.  By  way  of  punishment,  he  issued 
an  order  forbidding  me  entering  the  fort  —  a  thing  I  did  not 
care  to  do.  So  the  prohibition  amounted  to  nothing.  After 
that  the  soldiers'  wives  would  come  and  buy  sugar  of  me, 
first  carefully  depositing  a  two-quart  canteen,  well  filled 
with  whisky,  in  the  bottom  of  a  large  tin  kettle,  and  pack- 
ing the  sugar  on  top,  and  smuggle  it  into  the  fort.  The 
sentinel  would  hail  them,  as  they  were  re-entering  the  fort, 
to  learn  what  they  had;  when  they  would  answer,  "Sugar," 
and,  looking  into  the  pail,  the  sentinel  would  let  them  pass. 
I  remained  unmolested  for  six  months,  while  two  other 
establishments  similar  to  mine  were  torn  down  and  their 
goods  destroyed. 

"  There  were  quite  a  number  of  very  respectable  French 
families  residing  at  the  Bay  when  I  arrived  there  :  Judge 
Lawe,  Judge  Porlier,  and  seven  brothers  and  two  sisters, 
named  Grignon.  *  *  *  They  were  all  engaged  in  the 
Indian  trade,  under  the  American  Fur  Company,  each  cul- 
tivating a  small  quantity  of  land.  Their  manners  and  cus- 
toms were  of  the  most  primitive  character.  They  never 
used  the  yoke  for  their  oxen,  but  instead,  fastened  sticks 
across  the  oxen's  horns  to  draw  by,  and  mostly  used  for 
tugs,  rope  made  out  of  bark.  Their  plows  were  very  un- 
couth, the  plowshares  being  about  as  large  as  smoothing- 
irons,  while  the  beam  was  about  twelve  feet  long,  with  a 
pair  of  wheels  near  the  fore  end  to  keep  it  sufticiently  ele- 
vated from  the  ground.  They  could  not  plow  within  fif- 
teen feet  of  their  fences.  I  made  the  first  ox  yoke  that  was 
ever  seen  at  the  Bay.  Their  principal  food  was  wild  game, 
fish  and  hulled  corn.  They  caught  large  quantities  of 
sturgeon  and  trout,  and  they  made  immense  quantities  of 
maple  sugar.  At  the  proper  season  in  the  Spring,  the  en- 
tire settlement  would  remove  to  their  sugar  camps,  often 
remain  two  months,  each  family  making  eight  or  ten  hun- 
dred ])0unds  of  the  finest  sugar  I  ever  saw. 

"  In  the  Winter  of  1820,  the  President  sent  out  a  com- 
missioner to  examine  the  land  claims  of  the  French  settlers 
at  Green  Bay.  Under  the  ancient  French  regime,  they  had 
guaranteed  to  them  as  much  land  as  they  would  cultivate. 
In  examining  these  claims,  it  was  found  that  while  they 
varied  in  extent,  they  were  very  narrow  on  the  river,  run- 
ning back  three  miles.     *     *     * 

"  The  present  State  of  Wisconsin,  although  formerly  a 
part  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  was  for  many  years 
rather  an  appendage  than  a  component  part  of  that  Terri- 
tory. Michigan  had  a  Supreme  Court,  consisting  of  three 
Judges  ;  its  sessions  were  held  but  semi-annually,  at  De- 
troit, and  this  part  of  the  Territory  derived  no  advantages 
from  that  august  and  learned  body.  Criminals  had  to  be 
conveyed  thence  for  trial,  and  controversies,  involving  large 


amounts,  were  there  adjudicated.  ')l\\^  judiciaiyQi  this  por- 
tion of  the  Territory,  at  that  period,  was  composed  ot~ 
County  Courts  and  Justices  of  the  Peace.  The  Courts 
consisted  of  three  Judges,  none  of  whom  were  lawyers; 
their  jurisdiction,  both  civil  and  criminal,  was  limited.  The 
Justices  of  the  Peace  were  such  as  could  be  selected  from 
among  those  who  were  capable  of  reading  and  writing. 
In  the  year  1823,  , Congress  passed  an  act  establishing 
what  was  called  '  The  Additional  Judicial  District,'  com- 
prising the  counties  of  Brown,  Michilimackinac  and  Craw- 
ford, and  the  Hon.  James  Duane  Doty  was  appointed 
Judge  by  President  Monroe,  and  held  the  office  for  about 
nine  years.  *  *  *  'X\\&  inhabitants  of  the  settlement, 
exclusive  of  the  native  Indians,  were  mostly  Canadian- 
French,  and  those  of  mixed  blood.  There  were  in  1824, 
at  Green  Bay,  but  six  or  eight  resident  American  families, 
and  the  families  of  the  officers  stationed  at  Fort  Howard, 
in  number  about  the  same.     The   character  of  the    people 

was  a  compound  of  civilization  and  primitive  simplicit) 

exhibiting  the  polite  and  lively  characteristics  of  the  French 
and  the  thoughtlessness  and  improvidence  of  the  abori- 
gines. Possessing  the  virtues  of  hospitality  and  the 
warmth  of  heart  unknown  to  the  residents  of  cities,  un- 
trammeled  by  the  etiquette  and  conventional  rules  of  mod- 
ern high  life,  they  were  ever  ready  to  receive  and  entertain 
their  friends,  and  more  intent  upon  the  enjoyment  of  the 
present  than  to  lay  up  store  or  make  provision  for  the 
future.  With  few  wants  and  contented  and  happy  hearts, 
they  found  enjoyment  in  the  merry  dance,  the  sleigh  ride 
and  the  exciting  horse-race,  and  doubtless  experienced 
more  true  happiness  and  contentment  than  the  plodding, 
calculating  and  money-seeking  people  of  the  present  day. 
This  was  the  character  of  the  settlers  who  occupied  this 
country  before  the  arrival  of  the  Yankees  —  a  class  now 
entirely  extinct  or  lost  sight  of  by  the  present  population  ; 
but  it  is  one  which  unites  the  present  with  the  past,  and 
for  whom  the  settlers  entertain  feelings  of  veneration  and 
respect.  They  deserve  to  be  remembered,  and  placed  on 
the  pages  of  history  as  the  first  rta\  pioneers  0/  IVisconsin." 

Albert  G.  Ellis  arrived  in  Green  Bay  in  1822.  His 
recollection  of  early  events  is  clear,  and  his  narrative 
interesting : 

"  The  Captain  of  the  '  Superior'  dropped  anchor  abreast 
Fort  Howard,  at  that  time  [1S22]  unoccupied,  and  in  a 
state  of  dilapidation ;  the  troops  having  been  removed  two 
years  before  by  the  colonel  commanding  —  one  Colonel 
Smith  —  two  and  one-half  miles  up  the  river,  to  an  emi- 
nence on  the  right  bank,  which  he  named  Camp  Smith, 
and  where  he  had  built  a  stockade,  and  indifferent  barracks. 
But  the  location  being  half  a  mile  from  the  river,  which  it 
failed  of  commanding,  was  decided  against  by  his  superiors, 
as  an  unfit  site  for  the  garrison.  Smith  was  superseded 
in  the  command,  and  the  troops  moved  back  to  Fort  How- 
ard that  Fall,  under  command  of  Colonel  Pinkney.  The 
fort  was  fully  repaired,  and  thence  forward  made  the  ren- 
dezvous for  all  tlie  troops  and  army  operations  of  the  upper 
country.  During  the  two  years  that  Colonel  Smith  had 
held  the  troops  at  Camp  Smith,  all  the  followers  of  the 
army  of  the  Bay  coimtry  amounting  to  some  hundreds,  had 
ensconced  tliemselves  along  the  river  bank,  just  below  and 
in  front  of  the  stockades,  where  they  had  erected  numer- 
ous sheds,  many  of  them  half  in  and  half  out  of  the  bank, 
and  in  which  they  had  gathered  their  various  articles  of 
commerce  and  trade.  This  little  nondescript  village  had 
obtained  the  sobriquet  of  '  Shanty  Town.'  The  rum  of 
Camp  Smith,  although  greatly  injuring  '  Shanty  Town,' did 
not  quite  destroy  it,  business  had  so  strong  a  hold  there. 
It  it  had  three  of  the  principal  traders,  wjth  their  stocks  of 


H1ST0R\    OF  13R0WN  COUNTN 


97 


goods,  and  was  fast  being  known  as  the  Inisiness  ])oint  for 
tlie  whole  vicinage.  Robert  Irwin,  Jr.,  had  buih  liim  a 
good  residence,  had  his  young  wife,  his  lather  and  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters  with  him,  and  was  engaged  in  trade. 
Daniel  Whitney,  the  most  enterprising  trader  in  the  North- 
west, had  erected  a  good  store,  and  filled  it  with  merchan- 
dise. William  Dickinson,  another  pushing  trader,  was 
building  a  store  and  dwelling-house.  Soon  after,  H.  S. 
Baird,  built  a  house  there,  and  occupied  it  with  his  young 
wife;  and  in  another  year.  Judge  Doty,  having  arrived  from 
Prairie  du  Chien,  built  a  fine  dwelling,  just  above  the  vil- 
lage, and  procured  the  establishment  of  the  seat  of  justice 
for  Brown  County,  at  this  same  'Shanty  Town,'  the  name 
of  which  he  ineffectually  attempted  to  change  to  Menomo- 
neeville.  A  court-house  and  jail,  the  first  west  of  Lake 
Michigan,  were  erected  here;  and  here  the  seat  of  justice 
continued,  and  couris  were  held,  until  some  years  after- 
wards. William  Dickinson,  Ebenezer  Childs,  and  others, 
also,  had  established  themselves,  under  the  name  of  the 
Depere  Manufacturing  Company,  procured,  through  act  of 
the  Michigan  Legislature,  and  a  vote  of  the  people,  its  re- 
moval to  Depere.  Many  other  parties  besides  those  named 
had,  as  early  as  1824,  established  themselves  at  this 
'Shanty  Town;'  and  soon  thereafter,  the  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion School,  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  Richard  F. 
Cadle,  with  extensive  buildings,  was  there  located,  followed 
ne.\t  year  by  fixing  the  Indian  Agency  at  that  point  also, 
under  Major  Brevoort.  The  erection  of  a  respectable 
church  edifice  and  school  buildings,  by  the  Catholics,  soon 
followed.  The  place  went  on  increasing  in  strength  and 
population  till  1832,  when  the  platting  of  Navarino  below 
it,  opposite  Fort  Howard,  and  of  Depere  above  it,  at  Rapid 
des  Peres,  began  to  draw  away  its  people  and  business, 
when  it  slowly  declined,  Navarino  and  Astor  absorbing 
most  of  its  trade  and  inhabitants. 

"In  1822,  not  a  shingle  had  been  ]jut  up  at  that  ])art  of 
the  town  of  Green  Bay  first  called  Navarino  —  there  were 
only  three  buildings  on  the  east  side  of  the  Fox  River,  below 
Lawe's  Point,  and  those  the  houses  which  had  been  vacated 
by  the  Langlades  —  one  occupied  by  Pierre  Grignon  ; 
and  a  house  but  just  put  up  by  some  of  Langlade's 
grandchildren,  I  think  Augustin  Grignon  ;  and  these 
Grignons  were  the  leading  families  of  the  French 
inhabitants.  There  were  some  half  dozen  houses  along 
the  river,  below  Lawe's  Point,  occupied  by  the  Grignon 
family,  and  a  new  one  just  finished,  which  after- 
ward fell  into  Judge  Arndt's  hands;  and  an  old  one,  much 
dilapidated,  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  little  slough  below. 
Arndt's  house,  only  a  part  of  which  was  still  remaining, 
was  said  to  have  been  the  building  occupied  by  Charles  de 
Langlade,  and  in  which  he  died.  Pierre  Grignon,  the  oldest 
of  the  Grignon  brothers,  was  living  in  a  house  a  few  rods 
above  Arndt's  old  place. 

"  On  the  west  side  was  the  old  fort ;  not  a  building  of  any 
kind  above,  below,  or  near  it  for  a  mile.  The  residents  on 
the  river,  except  some  half  a  dozen  Americans,  were  retired 
French  voyageurs  and  half-breed  French  and  Menomonees; 
they  had,  without  let  or  hindrance,  taken  u])  the  whole 
shore  of  the  river  above  the  fort  for  six  miles,  divided  it  off" 
into  little  strips  of  one  or  two  French  arpents  in  width, 
which  they  called  their  farms ;  they  claimed  back  at  right 
angles  from  the  river  eighty  arpents,  about  two  and  three- 
fourths  miles  in  de[)th.  They  had  reduced  most  of  the 
fronts  for  an  acre,  or  two,  or  three,  some  more,  some  less, 
deep,  to  a  state  of  cultivation,  and  had  growing  at  the  lime 
of  our  arrival,  the  ist  of  September,  very  fair  crops  of  po- 
tatoes, maize,  oats,  i)eas.  Spring  wheat,  pumpkins,  melons, 
cabbages,  onions  and  other  common   vegolnbles.       *     *     » 


American  citizens, the  following  persons  :  Robert  Irwin,  Jr.. 
Daniel  Whitney,  Alexander  J.  Irwin,  Samuel  Irwin,  Eben- 
ezer Childs,  William  Dickinson,  Mr.  Holton,  the  school-nias- 
ter  ;  William  Farnsworth,  George  Johnson,  Mr.  Brown  from 
Ohio,  to  which  he  returned  with  his  family  next  year;  Mr. 
Wheeler,  Benjamin  Smith,  David  Kelso,  Moses  Hardwick, 
Major  Matthew  Irwin, United  States  factor;  A.  G.  Bean;  these 
in  1822.  Other  Americans  came  in  soon  after:  H.  S. 
Baird,  J.  D.  Doty,  H.  B.  Brevoort,  Indian  agent ;  Lewis 
Rouse,  Linus  Thompson,  Charles  Tullar,  John  P.  Arndt 
and  family,  in  1824-5  ;  and  still  later,  John  Y.  Smith.  Of 
persons  dismissed  from  the  army  :  Captain  Curtis,  Lieu- 
tenant John  McCarty,  and  Lieutenant  Morgan.  The  officers 
of  the  army,  as  near  as  is  recollected,  in  1823  were  :  Colonel 
Pinkney,  commanding;  Captains  Wm.  Whistler,  Browning 
and  Hunt ;  Lieutenants  Dean,  Loring,  Cowan,  J.  W.  Cotton 
and  Lowe  ;  Majors  Heron  and  Whiting,  sutlers  to  the  post  ; 
Dr.  Wheaton,  surgeon  ;  and  Frank  Wheaton,  brother  of  the 
surgeon. 

"  Of  the  French  inhabitants  and  Canadians  resident,  the 
following  were  among  the  most  prominent :  John  Lawe, 
Pierre  Grignon,  Augustin  Grignon,  Amable  Grignon,  Louis 
Grignon,  Charles  Grignon,  Perrish  Grignon,  James  Porlier, 
and  Joseph  Jourdain. 

"From  1816  to  1824,  a  period  of  eight  years,  although 
Wisconsin  and  a  part  of  Michigan  Territory  were  nominally 
under  the  protection  of  the  flag  of  the  Union,  yet  but  little  of 
parental  care  was  bestowed  upon  her  citizens  in  civil  life 
by  the  General  Government.  The  rule  that  bore  sway  was 
essentially  military.  No  courts  were  organized,  and  offend- 
ers against  the  laws  were  either  sent  from  remote  parts  of 
the  settlement  to  Detroit  for  trial,  or  perhaps  more  usually 
suflered  to  escape  punishment.  The  civil  code  was  limited, 
and  but  sparingly  administered.  But  the  military  code,  such 
as  it  was,  more  than  supjilied  the  deficiencies  of  the  civil. 
While  this  state  of  things  continued,  it  occasionally  hap- 
pened that  some  military  genius,  possessed  of  more  tinsel 
than  discretion,  became  the  commanding  officer,  and  to 
mark  the  era  of  his  reign,  would  exercise  his  'little  brief 
authority'  in  an  arbitrary  manner,  and  thus  contrive  to 
render  the  condition  of  the  citizen  as  uncomfortable  as 
possible.  Instances  of  high-handed  oppression  and  in- 
justice were,  in  the  early  days  of  our  history,  frequently 
committed  by  some  military  martinet  upon  the  persons,  lib- 
erty or  property  of  those  whom  they  were  sent  to  i)rotect. 

"  It  happened  that  some  thirty  years  ago  a  gentlemen 
still  living  in  this  State,  being  then  engaged  in  the  Indian 
trade  near  Green  Bay,  became  obnoxious  to  a  Government 
agent  who  had  the  authority  to  grant  licenses  to  the  traders. 
On  applying  for  a  license,  as  usual,  the  trader  was  refused, 
on  the  alleged  ground  that  he  had  on  some  former  occasion 
violated  the  laws  of  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  Indians. 
The  trader,  therefore,  hired  two  Indians  and  their  canoes, 
and  started  for  a  distant  agency,  intending  there  to  obtain 
his  license  and  return  for  his  goods.  After  proceeding  some 
miles,  the  trader  was  overtaken  by  another  canoe,  strongly 
manned  and  armed,  having  on  board  the  United  States  In- 
dian interpreter  and  eight  or  nine  Indians.  The  interpreter 
stopped  the  trader,  and  ordered  him  to  go  on  board  of  the 
armed  canoe,  together  with  his  Indian  comrades.  This  he 
refused  to  do,  when  he  and  his  comj^anions  were  seized  and 
forcibly  carried  back  to  the  i)lace  whence  they  started  a  few 
hours  previously.  They  were  all  landed  on  a  beach  near 
the  agency  house,  and  the  trader  and  Indians  ordered  into 
the  building.  The  trader,  of  course,  refused  to  obey,  and 
went  his  way  unmolested.  But  the  poor  innocent  Indians 
fared  much  worse.  They  were  marched  as  prisoners  to  the 
garrison,  accompanied  by  the  interpreter,  with  a  polite  note 
from  the  agent,  recpiesting  the  commanding  officer  io  give 


98 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


■each  a  dozen  lashes,  and  confine  them  in  the  guard  house 
until  further  orders.  This  request  was  promptly  complied 
with,  before  the  civil  authoriy  could  interpose  to  prevent  it. 
J  need  hardly  say  that  great  excitement  prevailed,  and  much 
indignation  was  manifested  at  this  cruel  and  arbitrary  exercise 
■of  unlawful  authority.  As  soon  as  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus 
could  be  obtained,  the  poor  maltreated  Indians  were  re- 
leased. But  unable  to  comprehend  why  they  were  thus 
punished,  they  fled  as  soon  as  they  were  set  at  liberty,  and 
were  not  seen  at  the  place  of  their  suffering  for  a  long  time 
afterwards.  Civil  authority  being  then  fully  established, 
the  persons  who  so  grossly  violated  the  law  and  outraged 
every  feeling  of  humanity,  were  immediately  arrested,  and 
required  to  give  bail  for  their  appearance  to  answer  the 
complaint  at  the  ne.xt  term  of  the  court;  but  before  the 
time  for  trial,  the  guilty  parties  were  very  willing  to  settle 
the  matter  by  making  reparation,  and  paying  the  Indians 
handsome  smart  money. 

"  A  more  recent  affair  of  a  similar  character  occurred  at 
•Green  Bay,  when  two  citizens  were  arrested  by  the  sentinel 
in  open  day,  and  marched  by  the  guard  to  the  fort,  a  dis- 
tance of  half  a  mile,  charged  with  having  dared  to  land  on 
the  fort  side  of  Fox  River  without  permission  from  the  com- 
inanding  officer.  In  this  instance  the  military  was  obliged 
to  succumb  to  the  civil  authority.  The  officer  by  whose 
orders  the  parties  were  arrested  was  prosecuted  for  the  out- 
Tage,  and  considered  himself  fortunate  to  escape  with  a  fine. 
"  Many  other  instances  of  usurpation  of  authority,  al- 
though not  on  record,  are  fresh  in  the  recollection  of  the 
■early  settlers  of  Wisconsin — -such  as  demolishing  houses, 
firing  into  vessels  or  boats  attempting  to  pass  the  fort  with- 
out stopping  to  report  to  the  commandant,  etc.   " 

A  lady  who  ascetided  Fox  River  in  1825,  gives  an 
iuterestiug  account  of  Green  Bay  and  its  vicinity,  in 
that  year.  il  ^^ ,  ,^^j  .^^^  .^J^ 

"  We  took  [she  siys]  passage  on  board  the  steamer 
*  Walk-in-the-Water,'  at  Bafr_do,  on  the  tenth  day  of  July, 
1825,  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  around  the  lakes,  we  ar- 
rived at  Green  Bay  on  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month. 
We  stopped  a  day  at  Detroit,  and  another  at  Mackinac 
[MickinawJ.  .At  the  head  of  Green  Bay  we  entered  the 
Fo-t  River.  Near  the  mouth  of  this  river  is  situated  Fort 
Howard,  where  there  are  stationed  three  companies  of 
United  States  troops  under  the  command  of  Major  Meigs. 

"  The  buildings  are  all  inclosed  within  a  high  board 
fence,  whitewashed  or  painted,  and  the  whole  structure 
looks  neat  and  trim.  A  sentry  was  posted  and  kept  guard 
in  front  of  the  entrance.  The  stars  and  stripes  floated 
from  the  flag-staff,  and  the  surrounding  country  seemed  a 
■dense  forest.  Not  a  house  or  inhabitant  was  visible. 
When  we  came  abreast  of  the  fort,  our  steamer  saluted  the 
national  flag  and  stopped.  .\  boat  with  four  soldiers  and  a 
lieutenant  soon  left  the  shore,  and  the  latter  came  on  board 
and  talked  with  the  captain  and  looked  over  the  passengers 
and  cargo,  and  being  satisfied  that  we  had  nothing  on  board 
hostile  to  the  peace  or  security  of  the  country,  he  left,  and 
we  again  proceeded  on  our  way.  The  river  here  is  broad 
and  apparently  very  deep;  on  either  side  the  land  is  a  dense 
forest  down  to  the  water's  edge,  skirted  in  many  places 
with  a  rank  growth  of  wild  rice  and  reeds,  among  which 
are  innumerable  flocks  of  ducks  and  other  wild  fowl. 
Three  miles  further  up  the  river  we  arrived  at  our  destina- 
'tion,  '  the  settlement  '  known  here  as  Shanty  Town.  The 
•old  fort,  originally  built  by  the  English,  was  located  near 
■here;  it  has  now  nearly  all  disappeared.  The  new  fort  now 
•occupied,  and  which  I  have  described  as  being  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  has  been  now  in  use  over  three  years, 
-and  as  no  settlers  or  traders  will  be  allowed  near  the  new 


fort,  the  soldiers  often  come  up  here,  and  indulge  them- 
selves too  often  in  intoxicating  liquors. 

"The  uncouth  name  'Shanty  Town'  was  given  to  the 
place  by  the  soldiers  of  the  old  fort.  There  are  only  three 
or  four  American  families  here:  the  Whitneys,  the  Ir- 
wins,  and  the  Lawrences;  also,  two  or  three  English  fanji- 
lies  who  came  here  many  years  ago,  when  the  English  held 
the  old  fort. 

"All  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  are  French  Canadians 
and  their  descendants,  many  of  whom  married  Indian 
wives.  The  language  generally  spoken  is  French,  inter- 
spersed with  a  good  deal  of  Menomonee  Indian,  and  some 
English.  The  houses  do  not  exceed  one  hundred  in  num- 
ber. They  are  mostly  situated  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  are  some  distance  apart  from  each  other.  They  are  all 
built  of  logs,  one  story  high  excepting  the  tavern  or  public 
house,  which  is  two  stories  high.  This  house  is  kept  by 
Col.  Irwin,  and  is  used  at  times  for  all  kinds  of  gatherings, 
as  well  as  for  court-house  and  election  purposes.  We 
stopped  here  several  days  and  fared  comfortably.  The 
table  was  rough,  but  well  supplied  with  game  and  fish, 
which  is  very  abundant.  There  is  hardly  any  business 
going  on  here,  and  there  is  little  or  no  money  in  circulation. 
All  is  barter  with  the  Indians,  for  peltries  and  skins,  for 
which  they  get  in  exchange,  guns  and  ammunition,  blankets 
and  flannels  and  trinkets  for  female  adornment.  John 
Jacob  Astor,  of  New  York,  has  a  large  store-house  here 
and  at  several  other  trading  posts  in  the  interior  of  the 
country  ;  and  here  in  the  Spring  are  gathered  the  fruits  of 
the  Winter's  hunting  and  shipped  to  New  York. 

"  The  Indians  come  from  great  distances  to  trade. 
They  bring  with  them  their  ponies  and  squaws  and  pa- 
pooses. The  poor  squaws  haul  as  heavy  burdens  as  the 
ponies,  and  build  the  wigwams  while  their  husbands  lie 
around  in  idleness,  and  get  drunk  as  often  as  they  can  get 
whisky.  They  are  very  peaceable  and  quiet.  I  went 
among  them,  and  it  was  very  amusing  the  astonishment 
with  which  they  regarded  me.  Many  of  the  mothers  had 
their  babies  bandaged  on  to  a  piece  of  board  so  tightly 
that  the  poor  little  things  could  not  stir  body  or  limb,  and 
yet  there  was  no  crying.  It  was  a  funny  sight  to  see  the 
dear  little  things  laid  away  against  a  tree  or  something  else, 
their  bright  eyes  set  in  swarthy  complexions  of  dimpled 
innocence,  forming  a  picture  to  love.  I  yearned  to  let  them 
loose  and  hug  them,  but  did  not  dare  to.  There  is  no  post- 
office  here  yet.  The  officers  of  the  fort  and  some  others 
have  a  man  to  carry  the  mail  to  and  from  Fort  Dearborn 
at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan,  two  hundred  miles  away. 
This  trip  is  made  about  once  in  every  two  or  three  months 
during  the  Winter.  In  Summer  we  fare  a  little  better,  as 
then  the  mail  comes  by  boat.  There  is  no  church  or  pub- 
lic school  here,  and  Sunday  differs  but  little  from  the  other 
days  of  the  week. 

"There  is  a  Catholic  mission  and  church  about  six 
miles  up  the  river,  at  a  place  called  De  Pere,  and  a  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  mission  some  miles  above  that,  where  the 
Oneida,  or  New  York  Indians  are  located.  We  leave  here 
for  our  destination.  Fort  Crawford,  which  is  over  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  here.  We  are  to  make  the  journey  in  a 
bark  canoe.  There  is  not  a  white  resident  on  the  whole 
route,  and,  although  at  times  I  fear  for  our  lives,  yet  my 
duty  and  attachment  to  my  husband  will  embolden  me  to 
meet  all  dangers  without  fear  or  trembling." 

At  the  June  term  of  the  United  States  Court  for  the 
year  1826,  a  tavern  license  was  granted  to  J.  P.  Arndt, 
and  ferry  licenses  to  Arndt  and  Louis  Grignon.  From 
182-4  to  1828,  there  were  annual  sessions  of  this  Court 
in  Green  Bay ;  also  of  County  Courts,  with  but  little 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 
Belknap  WHS  indicted  in  1825,     invigorating,  dry  and  healtliy, 


business.   Captain  W.  G.  x.c.i.i,ap  whs  imuccea  in  lozo,     invigorating,  dry  and  healtliy.     Its  location  is  at  th«- 


then  commander  of  the  post,  while  he  was  taking^hi^s 
after-dinner  nap.     Prestige  was  armed  with  a  musket 


the  muzzle  of  which  he  put  to  Twiggs's  ear,  and  pulled 
the  trigger  ;  but  the  gun  missed  fire.     The  click  of  tl 
lock  waked  the  officer,  who  sprang  up 


throughout  the  county  ;  drinking  water  is  consequently 

good  and  easily  obtained.      The  Fox  and    East  rivers 

run  northeast  into  the   head    of  the    bay ;  the    north- 

le     western  portions  of  the  county  are  drained  by  the  Suam- 


un      He    t     c\  h^r  '  ?  '"^  1',^  '"f  T''^  *''^  '''  ^''''''  ''^'''^'  the  Indian  Reservation  is  watere       y 

pun.     He  stiuck  his  assailant  over  the  head  with  it.  Duck   Creek.     A  marked  ridge,   plainly  seen  in  t  J 

nflicting  a  terrible   wound,  fracturing  the  skull  and  south  of  Green   Bay,  crosses  the   coim  J  from  south 

Zuf^^yT'"''    T"    '^''^T-      P'-««tig«  I^'«^  west  to  northeast,  i£  eastern  slope  bSn/dZerin^^^^ 

about  SIX  months  more  to  serve  out  his  enlistment,  and  Lake  Michigan  and  its  western  into  G  ° 


Twiggs,  instead  of  turning  him  over  to  the  civil  autho 

ties  to  be  tried  and  punished  for  the  offense,  kept  him     usual,  the  soilis  sandy 'alo'ifg  "the  water 

teSiTabn'f '  ' "  T"  -"^-1'  -^Ject-g  Inm  to  chief  characteristics  a^e  a  dSrk  lo  ,n  ' 
teiiibie  abuse  and  suffering.  In  the  following  year, 
his  term  of  service  as  a  soldier  having  expired,  he  was 
indicted,  tried,  and  on  conviction,  sentenced  to  five 
years'  imprisonment.  But  President  Adams,  upon  rep- 
resentation of  the  brutal  treatment  the  prisoner  had 
received  at  the  command  of  Twiggs,  immediately  par- 
doned him.  As  one  of  the  acts  of  Twiggs's  cruelty  to 
tl^us  unfortunate  soldier,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  while 
Twiggs  was  at  the  Portage  establishing  Fort  Winne- 
bago, he  kept  Prestige  chained  to  a  tree,  with  no  shel- 
ter or  bedding,  and  without  comfortable  clothino-. 
During  the  year  1830,  a  delegation  of  the  New°  York 


,      ,  .  -  Bay.     Tlie 

land  IS  generally  undulating  and  well  watered.     As  is 

courses,  but  its 
m  with  a  red  clay 
subsoil.  It  therefore  makes  good,  strong  land  for 
wheat,  while  as  regards  root  crops  Brown  County  has 
no  superior  in  the  State  for  natural  advantages.  As 
to  the  geological  feature  of  the  county,  blue  or  buff 
limestone  abounds.  It  is  most  valuable  for  buildino- 
purposes  and  in  the  manufacture  of  quicklime.  In 
the  lower  strata  the  stone  is  rich  in  fossils.  In  the 
higher  formations  traces  of  iron  are  found.  Bog  iron 
is  also  abundant  in  many  swamps.  Drift  copper  pre- 
vails to  some  extent.  But  for  the  most  part  the  land 
IS  free  from  stone,  and  easily  worked.  And  it  is  most 
fortunate  for  the  county  that  such    is  the  case,   for 


T     J.  --    ,    ,  ,"  '  o "*    '■■•-   -...^x      iuin.         juiLiiiiaLe     lUL      Lie     COUntV     tliar     such      I«     t  ia     nuao       f.n. 


difficulty  settled  between  these  nations  as  to  the 
boundaries  of  their  lands.  This  year  the  population 
ot_ Brown  County  as  shown  by  the  Federal  census,  was 
l,oOO. 

In  the  Spring  of  1835,  the  Legislative  Council  of 
Michigan  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  people  of  the 
Territory  to  form  a  State  constitution,  looking  to  its  ad- 
mission into  the  Union  as  one  of  the  sisterhood  of  States  ; 
that  IS  to  say  all  tli;it  portion  including  the  upper  and 


the  country  was  covered  with  a  rich  growth  of  pine» 
oak,  basswood,  maple,  beech  and  walnut,  are  passed^ 
and  she  will,  in  future,  rely  more  upon  the  products  of 
the  farm,  the  garden  and  tlie  dairy.  Lumber  and  fur 
trading  were  formerly  almost  her  entire  sources  of 
wealth.  The  necessities  of  life  were  then  easily  met 
by  the  game  which  filled  her  woods  and  the  fish  which 
stocked  every  river  and  stream.  These  are  now,  slowly 
but  surely,  giving  place   to  manufacturing  industries 


ixE;:s:rs.in^Sf4rT:;.?f:;!rs'„^s«'  s  r^-F  f?--'-'-  ^s  ...s  ^een  ....^^  ur,;,.-:.-,! 


organization,  though  measures  were  being  taken  „i 
Congress  for  its  erection  into  Wisconsin  Territory.  On 
the  9th  of  November  of  that  year,  John  S.  Horner,  Sec- 
retary of  Michigan  Territory,  issued,  as  acting  Gov- 
ernor a  proclamation  convening  the  Legislative  Coun- 
ci  of  that  Territory  at  Green  Bay,  January  1,  1836. 
1  he  Council,  consisting  of  twelve  members  from  the  re- 
gion west  of  Lake  Michigan,  was  duly  organized  ;  but 
owing  to  the  absence  of  the  acting  Governor  and  a  doubt 
as  to  the  legality  of  the  body,  no  laws  were  attempted 
to  be  enacted.  A  memorial  to  Congress  askino-  the 
organization  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was  adopt- 
ed and  one  other  of  small  importance.  An  appropria- 
tion was  then  made  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  ses- 
sion, and  the  Council  of  Michigan  Territory  (if  such  it 
was)  adjourned  without  date. 

BROWN   COUNTY    OF    THE    PRESENT. 

Brown  County  is  in   a  latitude  little   higher  than 
the  south   of  France,  yet   its   atmosphere   is   cool  and 


atural  advantages  possessed  by  Brown  County 
insure  success  in  this  change  from  the  easy,  simple  life 
of  the  long-ago  to  the  more  artificial  but  more  intense 
work  of  to-da3\ 

In  addition  to  the  natural  advantages  which  Brown 
County  possesses  in  beauty  and  healtlifulness  of  loca- 
tion and  fertility  of  soil,  there  are  others  which  she 
has  acquired  through  the  energy  and  the  enterprise  of 
prominent  citizens. 

Fox  and  Wisconsin  Rivers  Improvements. — Very  early 
in  the  "thirties"  the  general  attention  of  the  pushino- 
pioneers  was  called  to  the  necessity  of  improvino-  the 
navigation  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1829,  the  first  convention  met  at  Green  Bay  to 
discuss  the  improvement.  The  way  was  easy  to  a'free 
communication  with  all  of  the  lake  ports,  and  as  it 
was  certain  that  railroads  would  not  reach  the  country 
around  Green  Bay  for  years  to  come,  there  seemed 
only  one  way  to  open  up  the  territory  to  the  west  and 
south — that  being  to  cut  the  poriage'of  a  little  over  a 
mile  which  separated  the  head  waters  of  the    Fox  and 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Wisconsin  rivers,  and  thus  tlirow  oj)en  tlie  Missis- 
sippi Valley  to  Nortliei'n  and  Northeastern  Wisconsin. 
So  earnest  became  the  plea  for  the  prosecution  of  such 
an  enterprise,  that  Governor  Dodge  in  his  first  message 
to  the  Territorial  Legislature  (1836)  recommended 
that  a  memorial  be  sent  to  Congress  asking  for  the 
means  to  carry  on  the  survey  and  improvement  of  the 
Fox  River  from  its  mouth  to  Fort  Winnebago.  In  18.38 
he  also  recommended  that  the  Legislature  memoralize 
Congress  for  a  grant  of  land  to  aid  in  the  improvement 
of  both  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers.  The  subject 
continued  to  be  discussed  and  pushed  practically  until 
in  September,  1845,  Morgan  L.  Martin,  one  of  the 
prime  and  most  vigorous  enthusiasts  for  the  undertak- 
ing, was  elected  as  a  Delegate  to  Congress  and  a  special 
champion  of  the  proposed  measure.  In  1846  a  bill 
was  passed  by  which  the  lands  were  granted,  the  act 
to  take  effect  when  Wisconsin  became  a  State.  Two 
years  later,  therefore,  the  grant  was  accepted,  and  a 
Board  of  Public  Works  appointed,  whose  expenditures 
were  confined  (the  State  Constitution  forbidding  the 
creation  of  debt)  to  the  proceeds  of  the  land  sales. 
This  source  of  revenue  being  far  from  sufiicient,  after 
more  than  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  had  been  ex- 
pended upon  the  improvement,  the  work  was  abandoned. 
But  the  enterprise  was  not  dead,  and  rose  again  under 
the  hands  of  the  Fox  River  Improvement  Company  in 
Julv  1853.  This  organization,  of  which  Morgan  L.  Mar- 
tin,"N.  H.  Peck,  Edgar  Conklin,  Otto  Tank,  Jos.  G.  Law- 
ton,  B.  F.  Moore  and  Mason  C.  Darling  were  directors, 
placed  itself  under  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
bonds  to  complete  the  work  in  twenty  years.  On 
October  1,  1855,  the  first  boat  passed  from  Lake  Win- 
neljago  to  Green  Bay  and  on  June  19.  1856,  the 
"Aquila,"  a  steamer  purchased  by  Green  Bay  parties 
started  from  Pittsburgh,  and  came  via  the  Ohio,  Missis- 
sippi, Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  to  discharge  its  cargo 
at  Green  Bay.  There  was  great  rejoicing,  the  banks 
of  the  Fox  between  Depere,  Green  Bay  and  Fort  How- 
ard being  crowded  by  an  excited  people,  celebrating 
the  completion  of  an  arduous  undertaking.  An  acl^ 
was  next  passed  which  conveyed  the  lands  to  three 
trustees  appointed  by  the  Governor.  In  1866  the  works 
were  sold,  the  proceeds  of  which,  with  the  receipts  of 
the  land  yet  remaining  on  their  hands,  paid  up  the  in- 
debtedness and  completed  the  improvements.  Tlie 
purchasers  were  incorporated  in  August  of  that  year 
as  the  Green  Bay  &  Mississippi  Canal  Company,  dis- 
posing of  the  work,  six  years  thereafter,  to  the  United 
States  Government  which  now  has  it  in  charge. 

LAKE   AND    RIVER     COMMUNICATION. 

In  1850  the  "  Indiana,"  Captain  Wm.  O.  Lvou. 
made  the  first  trip  of  a  regular  steamer  up  the  Fox 
River,  a  line  having  already  been  established  between 
Green  Bay  and  Buffalo,  which  lias  continued  under 
different  managements  to  this  day.  In  1854  a  company 
was  organized  and  a  daily  line  of  steamers  established. 
Otto  Tank,  president.  The  present  company  runnirg 
steamers  between  these  points  is  called  the  Buffalo  & 
Green  Bay  line.  The  Goodrich  Transportation  Com- 
pany (Captain  Goodrich,  that  is)  first  commenced  to 
run  boats  between  this  point  and  Chicago  in  1S55. 
Tlie  first  boat  was  the  steamer  "  Huron."'    In  the  Sjniiig 


of  1863  tlie  "Arrow." 'of  Detroit,  was  purchased  and 
put  on  the  Green  Bay  Transit  Company's  line.  Other 
boats  were  built  in  Fort  Howard.  For  some  time  there 
has  been  much  dissatisfaction  expressed  at  the  rates  of 
freight  which  a  combination  of  the  Goodrich  Trans- 
portation Company  and  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Company  had  been  able  to  force  upon  shippers.  Finally 
an  arrangement  was  made,  in  the  Summer  of  1881,  by 
which  the  barges  which  landed  their  freight  in  Chicago 
from  Sturgeon  Bay  should  take  as  a  return  cargo  goods 
consigned  to  this  port,  which  were  transferred  at  Stur- 
geon Bay  on  to  the  Bay  Shore  boats  and  shipped  to 
Green  Bay. 

Bridges. — Fox  and  East  rivers  are  bridged  by  a 
number  of  substantial  structures.  Three  span  the  Fox 
River  between  Green  Bay  and  Fort  Howard  —  Main 
and  Walnut  street  bridges,  and  that  built  by  the  Mil- 
waukee &  Northern  Railroad  in  1873.  Mason  street 
bridge  was  so  seriously  damaged  by  collision  with  a 
boat  in  1881,  that  travel  was  closed  over  it.  There 
are  also  three  bridges  over  East  River.  A  long  bridge 
connects  the  two  Deperes,  and  tliere  is  a  fine  structure 
at  Wrightstowii. 

Pioneer  Boats. — The  pioneer  steamer  "  Walk-in-the- 
Water"  visited  Mackinaw  for  the  first  time  in  the 
Summer  of  1819,  transporting  troops  and  supplies 
■  there.  During  1820  she  made  two  similar  trips.  July 
31,  1821,  she  left  Detroit  for  Mackinaw  and  Green 
Bay,  having  two  hundred  passengers  on  board,  among 
them  Rev.  Eleazer  Williams,  the  "Lost  Prince,"  and 
Major  Charles  Larrabee,  father  of  Hon.  C.  H.  Larra- 
bee,  of  Horicon.  T!ie  date  of  her  arrival  at  Green 
Bay  is  not  given,  but  the  Detroit  G-azette,  from  which 
this  information  is  taken,  says  that  she  made  the  round 
trip  in  thirteen  days.  In  1827  (or  possibly  1826),  an 
excursion  of  pleasure-seekers  is  said  to  have  visited 
Green  Bay  by  steamer.  These  excursions  were  made 
annually  for  several  years.  At  an  early  day,  Captain 
Oliver  Newberry,  of  Detroit,  commenced  running  ves- 
sels, and  afterwards  steamers,  between  that  city  and 
Green  Bay.  Morgan  L.  Martin  arrived  in  Green  Bay 
(1827)  on  one  of  his  boats.  In  1832  a  steamer  trans- 
ported General  Scott's  troops  to  Chicago,  which  was 
the  first  steam  entry  at  that  place.  No  steamer  visited 
Green  Bay  in  1832.  In  1833  two  steamboats  reached 
Chicago  and  one  Green  Bay.  In  1834  three  trips  were 
made  to  Chicago  and  two  to  Green  Bay.  Such  was 
the  advent  of  steamers  on  Lake  Michigan.  In  18-4. 
John  P.  Arndt  Iniilt  the  first  schooner  in  Green  Bay, 
and  called  it  the  "  Wisconsin."  The  first  steam  pro- 
peller to  navigate  the  Fox  River  was  the  "  Black 
Hawk  "  (1841),  Captain  Peter  Hotelling,  master.  She 
was  drawn  over  the  rapids  at  Depere  by  means  of 
machinery  and  ox  teams.  She  was  originally  an  Erie 
boat,  but  was  fitted  up  with  a  propeller  wheel  and  an 
engine. 

The  Harbor  Improvements. —  Scarcely  had  the  Fox 
and  Wisconsin  rivers  improvements  been  carried 
through  to  a  commendable  state  of  success,  M'hen 
the  county  turned  her  attention  more  particularly  to 
the  condition  of  the  harbor.  In  April,  1866,  petitions 
were  sent  to  Congress,  asking  for  a  suitable  appropri- 
ation —  f 30,500  —  to  improve  the  harbor  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Fox   River.     Accordino-  to  the  survey  of  1853, 


HISTORY  OF   I5R0WN  COUNTY 


the  channel  from  the  river  into  Green  Bay  varied  in 
depth  from  nine  to  eleven  feet,  passing  over  a  slioal 
and  through  a  circuitous  route  of  2,100  yards  before 
deeper  water  was  reached  off  Grassy  Point.  It  then 
crossed  another  bar  four  hundred  yards  wide.  It  thus 
made  a  swing  of  nearly  three  miles.  The  plan  was  to 
dredge  a  channel  through  Grass  Island,  at  a  point 
neai'ly  on  a  line  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  the 
lighthouse,  thus  forming  a  straight  cut.  In  May,  1867, 
work  was  commenced,  and  was  pushed  so  successfully 
that  in  Septemb.er  the  "Queen  City"  passed  through. 
Since  then  various  amounts  have  been  expended  in 
dredging,  repairs  to  piers,  docking,  etc.,  until  Green 
Bay  has  one  of  the  best  harbors  on  the  lakes.  To  be 
more  particular,  the  following  amounts  have  been  laid 
out: 


1 800 §30,500 

1867   __  45,000 

1S6S  (allotted) 17.500 

iS69(aUotted) 44-550 

1870 _.  17,500 

1871 17500 

1873 20.noo 


1874 $10,000 

1S75- --  10,000 

1876 8,000 

1878 - 5,000 

1879 4,000 

18S0 __  6,000 

18S1 5,000 


Total $240,550 

Tail  Point  Light  is  situated  five  and  one-half  miles  north 
northeast  from  the  mouth  of  Fox  River,  and  about  four 
miles  northeast  from  the  mouth  of  Duck  Creek.  This  light 
was  established  in  1848,  the  lantern  surmounting  a  solid 
stone  tower  which,  though  dismantled  in  1S59  when  the  new 
lighthouse  was  built,  still  stands  defying  all  the  attacks  of 
time,  tide,  storms  and  crowbars.  The  present  light,  crown- 
ing the  tower  surmounting  the  keeper's  house,  is  a  fixed 
white  light  of  the  fourth  order,  the  focal  plane  sixty  feet 
above  the  water,  and  has  a  visibility  of  about  fifteen  miles. 
The  lighthouse  is  twenty-seven  feet  square,  three  stories 
high,  the  ground-sills  from  which  the  tower  timbers  rise 
resting  upon  iron  piles,  eight  feet  apart.  Capt.  George  A. 
Gaylord,  the  present  keeper,  was  appointed  April  i,  1S80. 
He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  has  sailed  the  lakes  for  forty 
years,  making  his  first  voyage  to  Green  Bay  in  1861,  to 
which  place  he  removed  his  family  in  1868.  He  is  well- 
known  all  along  the  lakes,  and  as  master  both  of  steam  and 
sailing  vessels  has  loaded  and  discharged  freight  at  everv 
port  froin  Green  Bay  to  Buffalo. 

The  following  figures,  for  tiie  year  ending  Decem- 
ber 31,  1880,  prepared  by  D wight  I.  Follett,  Deputy 
Collector  of  Customs  for  the  port  of  Green  Bay,  give 
an  idea  of  the  extent  of  business  at  this  point: 


DESCRU'TIO.N. 

ARRIVALS. 

DEPARTURES. 

No. 

Tonnage 

Crews. 

No. 

Tonnage 

Crews. 

Steamers 

Sailing  Vessels... 

270 
97 

81,048 
18.888 

4.369 
545 

285 
105 

82,560 
.19.349 

4.491 
570 

Total 

367 

99936 

4.914 

390 

loi.gog 

5.061 

IIxports.—52o  cattle,  3,430  empty  barrels,  20,500 
pounds  fish,  12,017  barrels  flour,  1,702  tons  general 
merchandise,  2,712,375  feet  lumber,  10,628  tons  pig- 
iron,  545  barrels  salt,  9,224  M.  shingles,  429,000  staves, 
73,550  bushels  wheat,  520  cords  stone,  459  M.  brick. 

Imports. — 1,570  barrels  apples,  3,876  barrels  carbon 
oil,  37  barrels  cement,  12,683  tons  coal,  1,583  barrels 
fish,  4,420  tons  general  merchandise,  37,633  tons  iron 
ore,  82  packages  liquor,  82  barrels  beef,  21,578  barrels 
pork. 


ROADS    AND   KAILKOADS. 

Communication  by  land  had  in  the  meantime  been 
industriously  prosecuted.  The  first  road  in  Brown 
County  was  one  laid  out  from  Devil  Creek  to  the 
rapids  at  Depere  in  1823.  It  followed  the  river  un- 
der the  bluff  below  what  is  now  Green  Bay.  In  1827-28, 
by  the  co-operation  of  Stockbridge,  a  road  was  laid  out 
which  avoided  ravines  and  many  places  requiring 
bridges  near  tlie  river,  but  wound  around  the  hills  in 
the  lowland.  In  1830  Congress  made  an  appropriation 
for  establishing  a  military  road  from  Green  Bay  (Fort 
Howard)  to  Prairie  du  Chien  (Fort  Crawford).  Judge 
Doty,  one  of  tlie  commissioners,  superintended  the  work 
which  was  completed  several  years  afterwards.  In 
1853  a  plank  road  was  built  from  Green  Bay  to  Depere, 
and  other  roads  connecting  Brown  County  with  adja- 
cent localities  were  constructed  within  the  next  dozen 
years.  But  the  great  and  all-powerful  means  of  com- 
munication with  the  outside  world  had  yet  to  be  placed 
in  operation — the  railroads.  As  early  as  November, 
1849,  Green  Bay  had  telegrapliic  communication  for  a 
short  time.  The  line,  however,  soon  fell  into  disuse. 
Telegraphic  communication  with  St.  Paul  was  estab- 
lished August  5,  1862,  and  two  months  thereafter 
the  iron  horse  snorted  tlirougli  tiie  Lower  Fox  region 
for  the  first  time. 

The  Chicago  ^  Northwestern. — Having  extended  its 
line  to  Applston  this  company  in  December,  1861,  made 
a  proposition  to  Brown  County  to  exchange  $49,500  of 
its  stock  for  $49,500  of  bonds,  agreeing  to  equip  a  first- 
class  road  running  from  Fort  Howard  up  the  west  side 
of  the  Fox  River  to  the  former  city.  The  people  voted 
in  favor  of  the  road  on  January  30,  1862,  by  a  ma- 
jority of  731.  On  November  13,  of  the  same  year 
the  road  was  formally  opened  to  the  pul)iic.  Shortly 
after  12  m.,  a  train  of  eight  passenger  cars  and  one 
baggage  car  arrived  from  Appleton,  one  Imndred  and 
fifty  ladies  and  gentlemen,  mostly  from  Chicago,  being 
aboard.  The  Chicago  Light  Guard  Band  was  in  attend- 
ance. A  dinner  was  served  in  Klaus's  Hall,  Green  Bay. 
Senator  T.  O.  Howe  made  an  address.  Col.  C.  D.  Robin- 
son acting  as  toast-master.  Senator  Doolittle  responded 
to  "  Our  Guests,"  and  Henry  S.  Baird,  Mayor,  to  "  The 
City  of  Green  Bay."  The  occasion  marked  the  com- 
mencement of  the  era  of  a  new  civilization  in  the  his- 
tory of  Brown  Count}',  and  as  such  is  given  a  promi- 
nent place.  In  December,  1872,  the  Upper  Peninsula 
of  Michigan  was  brought  into  tlie  chain  of  connections 
by  the  extension  of  the  road  to  Escanaba — 114  miles — 
where  it  joined  the  line  which  penetrates  the  rich  iron 
region  of  Lake  Superior  at  Marquette.  This  extension 
had  a  reviving  effect,  perceptibly  so  upon  the  iron 
manufacturers  of  Depere  and  Green  Bay,  as  the  supply 
thus  became  easy  and  cheap  of  access.  The  company's 
depots  and  grounds  are  in  Fort  Howard. 

The  Green  Ba//,  Winona  ^  St.  Paul  Railroad  Com- 
pany. — The  Green  Bay  &  Lake  Pepin  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  organized  July  2,  1866.  President,  Charles 
D.  Robinson ;  Vice-President,  Andrew  Reid.  The 
survey  from  Green  Bay  to  Waubaslia,  Minnesota,  was 
made  in  1867.  The  first  five  miles  from  Green  Bay 
eastward  were  graded  in  the  Fall  of  1869,  and  work  was 
then  suspended.     In  the  Spring  of  1870,  D.  M.  Kelly 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


was  elected  a  director  and  also  made  vice-president. 
He  resigned  these  positions  July  20th  of  that  year,  and 
entered  into  a  contract  to  construct  the  entire  road 
from  Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi  River.  New  Lon- 
don, 40  miles,  was  reached  in  Decemher,  1871 ;  Mer- 
rillan,  110  miles  from  New  London,  in  December,  1872, 
the  Mississippi  River,  54  miles  further,  at  a  point  oppo- 
site Winona,  Minnesota,  in  December,  1873.  The  car- 
rying out  of  the  contract  was  entirely  successful.  On 
September  5,  1873,  the  corporate  name  of  the  com- 
pany was  changed  from  Green  Bay  &  Lake  Pepin  to 
Green  Bay  &  Mississippi  Railroad  Company.  The 
rolling  stock  was  put  in  operation,  and  trafEc  on  the 
road  extended  as  fast  as  the  track  was  completed,  the 
■whole  line,  194  miles,  being  in  working  order  by  Jan- 
uary 1,  1874.  Henry  Ketchum  was  then  president. 
U^Jon  the  completion  of  the  road  D.  M.  Kelly  was 
made  its  general  manager  and  vice-president  of  tiie 
company,  holding  these  offices  until  December,  1877, 
when  he  resigned  and  left  the  service  of  the  company. 
In  1878  the  road  went  into  the  hands  of  Timothy  Case, 
as  receiver.  The  sale  under  mortgage  foreclosure,  was 
made  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  and  the  road  bought  in  by 
the  bond-holders,  who  re-organized,  changing  the  cor- 
porate name  of  the  company  to  Green  Bay,  Winona 
&  St.  Paul,  its  directors  being  :  John  I.  Blair,  New 
Jersev  ;  Samuel  Sloan,  Theo.  Sturges,  Wm.  E.  Dodge, 
Percy  R.  Pyne,  E.  F.  Hatfield,  and  Benjamin  G.  Clark, 
New  York  ;  W.  C.  Larned,  Ch'cago  ;  W.  J.  Abrams, 
and  Rufus  B.  Kellogg,  Green  Bay.  The  directors  were 
chosen  in  May,  and  on  June  7,  the  following  officers 
were  elected :  President,  Samuel  Sloan,  New  Y^'ork ; 
Vice-President,  Timothy  Case,  Green  Bay  ;  Secretary 
and  Treasurer,  Theo.  Sturges,  New  Y'"ork ;  Assistant 
Secretary,  W.  J.  Abrams,  Green  Bay ;  Assistant 
Treasurer,  Timothy  Case,  Green  Bay ;  General  Super- 
intendent, Timothy  Case,  Green  Bay  ;  Assistant  Su- 
perintendent, Theo.  G.  Case,  Green  Bay  ;  General  So- 
licitors, E.  C.  and  W.  C.  Larned,  Chicago  ;  General 
Attorney,  Theo.  G.  Case,  Green  Bay  ;  Executive  Com- 
mittee, John  I.  Blair,  of  New  Jersey;  P.  R.  Pyne, 
Benjamin  G.  Clark  and  E.  F.  Hatfield,  Jr.,  of  New 
York.  The  road  will  remain  in  the  hands  of  Receiver 
Case  until  the  old  business  is  fully  settled  and  he  is 
discharged  by  the  court.  The  line  is  the  connecting 
link  between  the  States  west  of  the  Mississippi,  the 
immense  coal  and  iron  fields  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
great  and  rich  State  of  New  Y''ork.  It  seems  to  meet 
the  wants  of  the  people  of  Brown  County,  and  realize 
their  expectations  of  an  outlet  and  an  inlet  from  the 
West,  after  which  they  so  vigorously  grasped  in  the 
matter  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  improvements. 
It  is  with  reason  that  a  great  increase  in  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  county  is  expected  to  come  via  the  Green 
Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  Company.  Its  char- 
ter was  obtained  by  VV.  J.  Abrams,  who  at  the  time 
(1866)  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  and  who  for  years 
has  been  one  of  its  most  staunch,  enthusiastic  and  use- 
ful friends  and  officials. 

The  company  has  in  operation  221  miles  of  track, 
19  engines,  8  passenger  coaches,  375  box  cars,  149  flat 
cars,  5  caboose  cars,  and  13  miscellaneous.  Its  build- 
ings and  grounds  are  in  Fort  Howard. 

The  Milwaukee  ^  Northern  Railway  Qompamj  was 


incorporated  in  1870.  It  completed  its  road  to  Menasha, 
102  miles  from  Milwaukee,  with  a  branch  from  Hilljert 
to  Green  Bay,  27  miles,  in  1873,  and  in  that  year  (No- 
vember) leased  its  line  to  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  which  is  still  operating  it.  The  branch 
to  Green  Bay  was  completed  June  19,  1873,  and  regular 
trains  commenced  running  on  the  twenty-fifth.  With 
this  last  and  great  addition  to  her  railroad  facilities. 
Brown  County  seems  to  have  established  a  most  propi- 
tious system  of  communication.  The  buildings  and 
grounds  of  the  company  are  in  Green  Bay. 

The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  line  enters  the  town 
of  Wrightstown,  passes  in  a  northeasterly  direction 
through  the  village  of  that  name,  the  town  of  Law- 
rence, the  village  of  West  Depere,  town  of  Wanbenon, 
city  of  Fort  Howard,  and  towns  of  Howard  and  Suam- 
ico.  The  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  road  enters 
the  county  through  the  Oneida  Reservation,  and  has  its 
terminus  at  Fort  Howard.  The  Milwaukee  &  North- 
ern (Wisconsin  Central)  enters  tlie  extreme  southwest 
corner  of  the  county,  through  the  town  of  Holland, 
passing  through  Greenleaf,  Ledgeville,  etc.,  the  towns 
of  Wrightstown  and  Rockland,  village  and  towns  of 
Depere  and  Allouez  to  Green  Bay. 

Wisconsin  ^  Michigan  Railroad. —  Although  young 
in  age,  the  line  from  Green  Bay — an  extension  in  real- 
ity of  the  Milwaukee  &  Northern — to  the  Lake  Supe- 
rior region  of  Michigan,  has  assumed  large  proportions 
as  an  adjunct  to  the  city's  commercial  growth.  Build- 
ing was  immediately  commenced  upon  securing  in  the 
Winter  of  1 881  the  land  grant  of  $4,000,000  from  the 
State  of  Michigan.  The  Ontonagon  &  Brule  River 
Railroad  which  runs  from  Ontonagon  to  Green  Bay, 
and  received  its  charter  from  this  State,  will  be  con- 
solidated with  the  Wisconsin  &  Michigan  at  the  State 
line.  It  is  anticipated  that  the  enterprise  will  do  much 
toward  developing  both  the  mining  and  pine  regions 
along  the  route  of  the  road,  and  build  up  Green  Bay 
as  a  shipping  point. 

POLITICAL   ORGANIZATION. 

In  1818,  when  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union 
as  a  State  and  Wisconsin  attached  to  the  Territory  of 
Michigan,  Governor  Cass  issued  a  proclamation  organ- 
izing Brown  County.  Its  territory  then  extended  as 
far  south  as  the  Illinois  line,  as  far  east  as  Lake  Mich- 
igan, and  as  far  west  as  the  Wisconsin  River  and  Fort 
Winnebago.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  is  not  the 
Brown  County  whose  early  history  is  to  be  given  from 
1836,  where  it  lias  just  been  dropped.  In  that  year 
eleven  townships  belonging  to  the  southern  tier  were 
detached  to  form  Milwaukee  Count}^  and  the  western 
boundary  of  Brown  was  extended  to  the  Wisconsin 
River.  When  Wisconsin  became  a  Territory  in  1836, 
Brown  County  lost  that  portion  of  her  original  posses- 
sion north  of  the  Menomonee  River,  and  gained  the 
remainder  of  the  eastern  peninsula.  By  Territorial  act, 
December  7  of  that  year.  Portage,  Marquette,  Calu- 
met, Fond  du  Lac,  Manitowoc,  Sheboj^gan,  and  portions 
of  Washington  and  Dodge  counties  were  set  off.  In 
1837-38,  four  eastern  townships  were  taken  by  Portage 
County.  In  1849-50,  Brown  County  contributed  further 
to  Portage,  Marquette  and  Manitowoc.  In  1851, 
Oconto,  Outagamie,  Door  and  Waupaca  counties  were 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


103 


organized  from  her  original  territory  of  1834;  in  1852, 
Kewaunee ;  in  1853,  Ozaukee  and  Shawano.  It  was 
not  until  the  latter  year  that  her  jjresent  limits  were 
reached,  and  it  is  with  that  portion  of  the  Brown 
County  of  1836,  which  finally  dwindled  to  the  Brown 
County  of  1853,  that  is  to  be  treated  at  this  stage  of 
the  history.  Prior  to  1835  the  township  of  Green  Bay 
had  been  organized.  Daniel  Whitney  had  platted  the 
village  of  Navarino  (now  a  portion  of  Green  Bay)  in 
1829.  Gen.  Wm.  Dickinson  and  a  few  P^rench  fam- 
ilies occupied  the  present  site  of  Depere  ;  the  fur  trade 
and  traffic  with  the  soldiers  at  Shanty  Town  were 
dying  into  nothing  ;  the  lands  east  of  the  Fox  River 
had  been  surve3'ed  by  A.  G.  Ellis — the  old,  rough,  un- 
organized life  was  giving  way  to  modern  times.  In 
1885,  the  south  ward  of  Green  Bay  was  laid  out  by 
Astor,  Crooks  &  Stewart,  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany. It  was  platted  as  the  village  of  Astor,  the  land 
having  been  formerly  owned  by  the  Grignon  family 
and  Judge  Lawe,  and  was  taken  finally  to  liquidate  a 
debt  incurred  by  the  Green  Bay  Company.  Under  the 
energetic  push  of  the  proprietors  of  the  village,  John 
Jacob  Astor,  Ramsey  Crooks  and  Robert  Stewart,  quite 
a  rivalry  soon  sprang  up  with  the  village  of  Navarino. 
Depere,  also,  under  the  guidance  of  General  Dickinson, 
was  becoming  a  flourishing  point.  In  1835,  the  Depere 
Hydraulic  Company,  which  had  just  been  organized, 
platted  the  village,  and  Messrs.  Dickinson,  Charles 
TuUar  and  John  P.  Arndt  were  authorized  by  Territo- 
I'ial  sanction  to  build  a  dam,  or  in  any  way  utilize  the 
water-power  near  the  Rapide  Des  Peres.  Having  been 
incorporated  as  the  Fox  River  Hydraulic  Company  in 
the  Summer  of  1836,  they,  in  conjunction  with  other 
energetic  settlers  commenced  in  earnest  the  improve- 
ment of  the  river  at  that  point.  An  additional  advan- 
tage, which  Depere  had  gained  by  the  early  part  of 
1837,  was  the 

LOCATION  OF  THE  COUNTY  SEAT. 

In  all  new  countries  this  matter  has  been  considered 
a  worthy  subject  of  contention.  For  nearly  twenty 
years  the  powers  in  authoritj^  had  been  endeavoring  to 
bring  the  matter  to  a  settlement.  First,  Governor  Cass 
authorized  the  Justices  of  the  County  Court  to  locate 
the  seat  within  six  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the  Fox 
River.  They  neglected  to  act,  and  in  1824  the  Terri- 
torial Council  of  Michigan  passed  the  responsibility 
over  to  the  County  Commissioners.  Neither  would 
they  decide,  and  the  next  year,  arguing  no  doubt  that 
in  "union  is  strength,"  made  the  "committee  on 
decision  "  to  consist  of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace,  the 
County  Commissioners  and  the  United  States  Judge, 
whereupon  the  seat  of  justice  was  "  fixed  at  Menomo- 
neeville,"  a  short  distance  above  Green  Bay,  and  a  log 
building  erected  for  the  reception  of  the  officials. 
Some  time  before,  however,  on  October  4,  1824,  the 
first  term  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  for  the 
county  of  Brown  had  been  held  near  Camp  Smith 
(now  Shanty  Town),  Hon.  James  Duane  Doty  present- 
ing his  judicial  commission,  duly  signed  by  James 
Monroe,  President  of  the  United  States.  It  appointed 
him  an  additional  Judge  for  the  Territory  of  Michigan, 
in  the  counties  of  Miciiilimackinac  for  the  term  of  four 
years,   commencing   February    1,   1824.     Judge    Doty 


also  presented  papers  from  Lewis  Cass,  qualifying  him 
for  the  office. 

Tlie  court  was  opened  by  George  Johnston,  Sheriff, 
and  Robert  Irwin,  Jr.,  acted  as  clerk.  The  Grand 
Jury  was  as  follows  :  A.  G.  Irwin,  Michael  Dousman, 
Wm.  Dickinson,  James  Clark,  Augustin  Grignon, 
Dominick  Brunette,  Bresque  Hyatt,  Amable  Durosher, 
Pierre  Carbonneau,  Sr.,  Pierre  Carbonneau,  Jr.,  Lans 
Rouse,  Louis  Grignon,  Daniel  Curtis,  Joseph  Jourdan, 
Louis  Gravell,  Joseph  Ducharme,  Paul  Grignon,  Ama- 
ble Grignon,  John  Lawe,  James  Porlier,  Sr.,  John  Bap- 
tiste  Langevin,  Alexander  Gardepies,  John  Baptiste 
Jommine,  Daniel  Curtis,  foreman.  At  this  session 
Henry  S.  Baird  was  admitted  as  an  attorney.  Court  ad- 
journed to  October,  1824,  at  which  time  the  first  case 
tried  was  United  States  vs.  Henry  B.  Brevoort — indict- 
ment for  assault  and  battery. 

The  county  seat  question  had  not  been  settled, 
hov.ever,  for  in  April,  1837,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of 
the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  it  was  sub- 
mitted to  a  popular  vote.  Depere  carried  the  day,  and 
the  log  court-house  was  moved  from  Menomonee- 
ville  to  Depere  via  Fox  River  ice. 

The  log  house  was  outgrown,  however,  in  a  few 
years.  It  would  contain  all  the  business  transacted 
and  leave  something  to  spare,  but  as  soon  as  "  we,  the 
people,"  fairly  decided  that  Depere  was  the  county 
seat,  the  ideas  in  regard  to  a  county  building  at  once 
expanded  far  beyond  the  dimensions  of  that  little  log 
building.  In  1838  a  court-house  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $5,740.  The  contractor  was  Matthew  Washburn, 
and  the  first  term  of  court  in  it  was  held  in  1839  by 
Judge  A.  G.  Miller,  who  succeeded  Judge  W.  C. 
Fraser.  It  was  a  wooden  building,  the  upper  story 
being  used  for  the  court  room,  and  the  lower  for  the 
jail  and  living  rooms  for  the  keeper's  family.  Just  at 
this  time,  too  (strange  coincidence),  when  it  seemed 
certain  that  no  one  would  dispute  with  Depere  the 
honors  of  the  shire  town,  the  rival  villages,  Navarino 
and  Astor,  united  under  the  name  of  the  Borough  of 
Green  Bay,  forming  respectively  its  northern  and  its 
southern  portions.  Morgan  L.  Martin  was  president. 
The  strife  commenced  anew,  but  notwithstanding  the 
crushing  blow  to  Green  Bay  of  the  great  fire  of  1840, 
by  which  mucii  of  its  business  property  was  destroyed, 
it  steadily  gained  in  population,  until,  in  1849,  the 
town  of  Green  Bay  had  l,!i22,  and  the  town  of  Depere 
798.  In  1849  the  village  of  Fort  Howard  was  platted, 
and  in  1851  Tanktown  (founded  by  Otto  Tank,  a  Nor- 
wegian missionary)  was  added  to  it.  On  the  contrary, 
but  thiee  or  four  houses  had  as  yet  (1851)  been  built 
on  the  present  site  of  West  Depere.  The  Borough  of 
Green  Bay  and  its  immediate  vicinity  so  grew  in  im- 
portance, it  at  once  became  patent  to  the  most  unre- 
fiecting  that  another  move  of  the  county  seat  was  im- 
minent. And  so  it  proved.  By  the  Legislative  enact- 
ment of  February  27, 1854,  Green  Bay  was  incorporated 
as  a  city,  and  on  April  4  a  popular  vote  transferred  the 
county  seat  from  Depere.  For  a  dozen  years,  however, 
until  the  erection  of  the  new  court-house,  the  old 
building  in  Depere  was  used  as  a  county  jail.  In  April, 
1864,  the  County  Commissioners  purchased  of  Wm.  D. 
Coburn  three  lots,  corner  of  Jeff'erson  and  Cherry 
streets,  as  a  site  for  a  court-house  and  jail.      The  price 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


paid  was  $2,800.  The  building'  was  erected  and  occu- 
pied during  the  next  year.  It  is  three  stories  in  height. 
brick,  the  lower  portion  of  stone.  It  is  86x61  feet, 
walls  62  feet  high,  the  body  of  the  structure  being  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome  which  towers  116  feet  above  the 
ground.  The  basement  or  ground  floor  is  occupied  by 
the  jail  and  jailer's  quarters,  tlie  county  offices  being 
situated  on  the  second  floor.  Two  halls  cut  the  build- 
ing transversely.  The  court  room,  in  the  tliird  story, 
is  60  feet  square  and  24  feet  high.  Messrs.  Schwartz  & 
Kemnitz  secured  the  contract  for  $37,950,  the  work 
being  superintended  by  B.  C.  Gardner,  of  Green  Bay, 
the  arcliitect  of  the  building.  It  only  remains  to  trace 
the  fate  of  the  old  court-house  at  Depere  to  sliow  how 
solidly  Green  Bay  has  settled  into  her  position  of  trust 
and  lionor  as  tlie  county  seat.  WJien  the  new  court- 
house was  completed,  the  old  building  in  Depere,  in 
which  Judge  Miller  liad  so  frequently  presiiled,  was 
sold  at  auction  to  private  parties.  It  was  afterwards 
used  as  a  Good  Templars'  hall  and  a  town  jail.  In  1871 
a  poor  drunken  sot,  who  had  been  twice  arrested  by 
the  Marslial.  took  it  into  his  head,  as  a  bright  measure 
of  revenge,  to  fire  the  old  building,  and  get  "even" 
with  tlie  officer  of  the  law.  He  carried  out  his  plan, 
and  not  only  burned  down  the  court-house,  but  burned 
up  himself  and  a  fellow  prisoner. 

.lUDICIAL   ORGANIZATION. 

Ill  January,  182-3,  an  act  of  Congress  was  passed 
providing  for  a  District  Court,  having  concurrent  juris- 
diction with  the  Supreme  Court  at  Detroit,  to  which 
heretofore  causes  had  been  carried  for  trial.  On  writs 
of  error,  liowever,  appeals  could  be  taken  to  the  latter. 
As  previously  noted,  in  treating  of  the  county  seat 
question,  James  Duane  Doty  became  the  first  District 
Judge,  and  Henry  S.  Baird,  District  Attorney.  Judge 
Doty  held  the  position  until  May,  1832,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  David  Irvin.  When  the  Territory  was 
organized  in  1836,  Judge  Irvin  was  assigned  to  the 
Second  Judicial  District  (Des  Moines  and  Dubuque 
counties),  while  Judge  W.  C.  Eraser  was  given  juris- 
diction over  Brown  and  Milwaukee  counties.  This 
position  he  retained  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  Milwaukee,  October  18,  1838.  November 
8,  President  Van  Buren  appointed  Andrew  G.  Miller, 
■of  Milwaukee,  to  succeed  him. 

When  Wisconsin  became  a  State  in  1848  the  judicial 
organization  of  Biown  County  was,  of  course,  ciianged 
in  common  with  that  of  all  otlier  counties.  Brown 
County  became  a  portion  of  the  Fourtli  Judicial  Circuit 
Alexander  W.  Stow  being  elected  Judge.  January  1, 
1851,  he  was  succeeded  by  Timothy  0.  Howe,  who  took 
his  seat  as  one  of  the  Associate  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  During  the  Winter  of  1852  a  separate  Supreme 
Court  was  created,  the  Judges  of  the  Circiut  Court 
thus  losing  their  functions  as  Associate  Justices.  Of 
the  residents  of  Brown  County  who  served  their  circuit 
after  this  change  in  judicial  organization  may  be  men- 
tioned Judge  S.  R.  Cotton,  who  died  in  1867,  and 
Judge  E.  H.  Ellis.  The  former  served  from  1855  to 
186i,  and  the  latter  from  1871  to  1879.  His  successor 
is  the  present  incumbent.  Judge  George  H.  Meyers,  of 
Appleton.     Brown  County  is  now  in  the  Tenth   Judi- 


cial Circuit,  and  terms  of  court  are  held  in  Green  Bay 
on  tlie  fourth  Monday  of  January,  first  Monday  of 
March  and  third  Monday  of  Se])tember. 

Since  1821  the  ofiiee  of  Probate  Judge  has  existed, 
possessing  different  functions,  as  tlie  political  organi- 
zation and  limits  of  tlie  counti'y  changed.  Matthew 
Irwin,  John  Biddle,  James  G.  Porlier  and  Jolm  Lawe 
served  Brown  Countj',  the  latter  being  in  office  eleven 
years,  from  182'.  to  1831.  Then  came  Joel  S.  Fisk, 
Chas.  C.  P.  Arndt,  John  P.  Arndt,  Charles  Cliapman, 
David  Agry  and  John  Last.  This  brings  the  ofiiee  up 
to  its  present  character,  as  created  by  the  State  Con- 
stitution. In  1850  David  Agry  succeeded  Judge  Last, 
being  also  elected  County  Judge.  This  position  he 
held  until  his  death  January  30,  1877.  Morgan  L. 
Martin,  the  present  incumbent,  succeeded  to  both  po- 
sitions. 

THE   BAR    ASSOCIATION. 

Tlie  Brown  County  Bar  Association  was  organized 
April  4,  1857,  with  Henry  S.  Baird,  president,  and 
E.  H.  Ellis,  secretary.  Thirteen  members  signed  the 
constitution  :  D.  Agiy,  James  H.  Howe,  J.  F.  Loy,  T. 
O.  Howe,  M.  P.  Lindsley,  John  Last,  Jolm  C.  Neville, 
James  S.  Baker,  S.  B.  A.  Haynes,  Orlo  B.  Graves  and 
B.  J.  Brown.  Mr.  Baird  continued  to  preside  until  a 
short  time  before  his  death  in  April,  1875.  John  C. 
Neville  who  now  liolds  tiiat  position  was  acting  presi- 
dent during  Mr.  Baird's  absence.  The  organization 
now  numljers  about  thirty  members. 

ATTORNEYS   FROM    1818   TO    1848. 

As  an  interesting  addendum  to  the  above,  a  list  of 
the  attorneys  of  Brown  County  admitted  to  practice 
from  1818  to  1818,  is  given:  James  Duane  Doty,  No- 
vember, 1818  ;  Henry  S.  Baird,  October,  1824  ;  Morgan 
L.  Martin,  June,  1827  ;  Samuel  W.  Beal,  September, 
1829;  Joseph  Dickinson,  June,  1833;  C.  C.  P.  Arndt, 
Barlow  Shackelford,  L.  Allen,  John  S.  Howe,  George  S. 
Meredith  and  D.  W.  C.  Bancroft,  June,  1837  ;  Philip 
S.  White.  June,  1839  ;  R.  A.  Eastman,  October,  1839  ; 
David  Agry.  Joel  S.  Fisk,  H.  E.  Eastman,  J.  G.  Knapp, 
May,  1841;  Francis  C.Lee,  May,  1842;  Louis  G.  Pease, 
Stephan  P.  Cotton,  George  P.  Havens,  May,  1843  ; 
George  J.  Wallace,  May,  1844;  John  Last,  John  A. 
Eastman,  October,  1844  ;  T.  O.  Howe,  October,  1845; 
H.  C.  Hobart,  May,  1846  ;  E.  H.  Ellis,  October,  1847  ; 
William  J.  Green,  May,  1848;  James  H.  Howe, 
October,  184S. 

THE  LAND-OFFICE  AT  GKEEN  BAY. 

Land-ofBces  were  established  in  Wisconsin  by  Con- 
gressional act  of  1834.  Wisconsin,  then  a  part  of 
Michigan  Territory,  was  divided  into  two  districts  — 
tlie  Wisconsin  and  the  Green  Bay.  In  1836  the  latter 
district  was  sub-divided,  an  office  being  establisiied  in 
Milwaukee.  It  was  the  means  of  drawing  much  busi- 
ness to  this  point,  and  consequentlj'  when  the  office 
was  removed  to  Menasha  there  was  much  dissatisfac- 
tion, expressed  in  no  mild  terms.  W.  B.  Slaughter  was 
the  first  Register  of  the  Land-office.  After  liim  came 
John  S.  Horner  (1838),  John  F.  Meade  (1847), 
Joel  S.  Fisk  (1848),  H.  F.  Brown  (1849),  G.  W. 
Spaulding  (1850). 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY, 


105 


THE  OLD  SETTLERS    CLUB. 

Not  until  February  18,  1871,  did  the  pioneers  of 
the  county  form  an  oi'ganization.  Upon  that  date  a 
number  of  old  settlers  who  had  located  in  Brown 
County  previous  to  1843  met  at  the  Beaumont  House 
for  a  preliminary  meeting.  A  constitution  was  adopt- 
ed at  a  subsequent  gathering  in  Marcli,  and  the  follow- 
ing ofBcers  elected:  President.  Henry  S.  Baird  ;  First 
Vice-President,  Morgan  L.  Martin  ;  Second  Vice- 
President,  P.  B.  Grignon;  Third,  Charles  Tullar ; 
Treasurer,  E.  H.  Ellis;  Recording  Secretary,  John 
Last ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  C.  D.  Robinson 
Since  the  date  of  organization  several  prominent  mem- 
bers have  been  taken  away  by  deatli,  among  others 
President  Baird  and  the  Second  Vice-President,  P.  B. 
Grignon.  Mr.  Martin  has  succeeded-  to  the  vacancy. 
j\Iembers  of  the  club,  past  and  present,  with  dates  of 
settlement  and  death,  are  as  below:  Henry  S.  Baird 
settled  in  September,  1824,  died  April  80,  1875 ; 
Morgan  L.  Martin,  settled  May  20,  1827 ;  Nath- 
an Goodell,  June  1,  1830  ;  Charles  Tullar,  June  11, 
1830  (died  in  October,  1874);  P.  B.  Grignon,  born  in 
Greeti  Bay,  June  12,  1806  ;  John  B.  Jacobs,  a  native, 
born  March  31,  1818;    John  V.  Snydam  settled  July 

6,  1830  ;  E.  H.  Ellis,  August  2(J,  1826  ;  Joshua  Whit- 
ney (son  of  Daniel,  who  platted  Navarino),  August 
30ll829;  Fredericks.  Ellis,  January  17,  1830  (died 
May  6,  1879);  Thomas  M.  Camm,  born  in  Green  Bay, 
January  16,  18:^8;  Joel  S.  Fisk  settled  in  July,  1835 
(died  May  27,  1877);  John  Last  settled  May  29, 1833  ; 
Charles  Gibo,  June  1,  1832  (died  April  19,  1875); 
John  Parent,  June  11,  1832  ;  Wm.  Chapman,  July 
20,  1833;  Thomas  Bennett,  May  17,  1836;  E.  W. 
Follett,  May  25, 1836  (died  in  1881);  H.  H.  Albright, 
October  9,  1836;  D.  W.  King,  June  10,  1837;  Daniel 
Butler,  July,  1839  ;  H.  W.  Chapman,  a  native  of  Green 
Bay,  born  April  25,  1837  ;  Porter  Parish,  August  12, 
1835;  James  C.  Brown  settled  August  5,  1846  (died 
December  16,  1872);  Michael  B.  Smith,  September  6, 
1842  (deceased);  Tiiomas  W.  Call,  July  19,  1838  (de- 
ceased); C.  D.  Robinson,  July  4, 1846  ;  Elisha  Morrow, 
November  26,  1840;  Carlton  B.  Wheelock,  June  20, 
1833;  Charles  L.  Wheelock,  June  20,  1833;  Burley 
Follet  (died  September  14, 1877)  settled  June  1,  1830  ; 
John  F.  Lessey,  Julv  3,  1836  (deceased);  Randall  Wil- 
cox, July  1, 1836  (died  October  16, 1872);  W.  H.  B.  Gil- 
bert, September  15,  1837  ;  Charles  Leclerc,  June  7, 
1836  ;  C.  R.  Tyler,  August    15,    1843    (died    August 

7,  1872);  F.  McFayden,  June  13,  1838;  D.  H.  Grig- 
non (son  of  P.  B.)  born  in  Green  Bay,  February  17, 
1843;  Geo.  W.  Watson,  1843;  John  H.  M.  Wigman, 
June  3,  1848;  Edgar  Conklin,  September,  1841;  H. 
E.  Eastman,  June  20,  1840;  Erastus  Root,  September, 
1845  ;  A.  C.  Robinson,  July  18,  1846  ;  Naman  J.  Sweet, 
November,  1834 ;  W.  J.  Fisk,  May  1836  ;  Benjamin  F. 
Wheelock,  June  6,  1835  ;  A.  H.  Van  Nostrand,  July  12, 
1847 ;  J.  W.  Arndt,  September  25,  1824 ;  D.  Agry, 
September  30,  1840  (died  January  30,  1877);  John 
Day,  May,  1842;  M.  J.  Meade,  August  20,  1835;  T. 
0.  Howe,  October  6,  1845  ;  John  P.  Dousman  set- 
tled in  1824  (died  September  14,  1872);  Philip  Lau- 
rence, May,  1847;  E.  Sherwood,  June  12,  1837  (died 
January  25,  1880 ;  James  S.   Baker,   June   30,   1842  ; 


Anton  Burkart,  August  8,  1847  ;  Andrew  E.  Elmore, 
April,  1839;  James  H.  Elmore,  January  6,  1843; 
George  Langton,  July,  1836;  David  Covmier,  October, 
1839;  H.  G.  Freeman,  October,  1846;  Andrew  J. 
Vieau,  born  here  January  1,  1819  ;  J.  W.  Cotton, 
settled  in  May,  1824  (died  September  10,  .1878); 
Charles  H.  White,  June  5,  1836  ;  Wra.  Powell,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1810;  G.  N.  Langton,  June  18,  1842 
(died  July  9,  1878);  Jule  R.  Morris,  June,  1840  ; 
Charles  Kitchen,  June,  1836  (died  in  the  Spring  of 
1881);  Moses  Hardwick,  August  '  17,  1816  (died 
August  15, 1879);  Geo.  P.  Farnsworth,  born  in  Green 
Bay.  July  4,  1828  ;  Lewis  J.  Day  settled  in  Septem- 
ber, 1841 ;  Daniel  M.  Whitney,  August,  1833  (died 
June  7,  1878);  Leonard  Martin  (son  of  M.  L.),  born 
in  Green  Bay,  August  26,  1838;  Linns  Thompson 
settled  in  1833  (deceased):  Harry  F.  Brown,  October 
20,  1844  :  Orlo  B.  Graves,  May  22,  1838  (died  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1879)  ;  Roswell  Morris,  September,  1838 ; 
Rufus  Cheney,  September,  1839  ;  David  F.  Follett,  May 
13,  1839.  Peculiar  interest  attaches  to  the  date  of 
Moses  Hardwick's  arrival  in  Green  Ray,  coming  as  he 
did  with  the  American  troops — a  true,  patriotic  Ken- 
tuckian  he.  It  settles  the  date  of  the  military  arrival 
conclusively. 

CODNTY   ORGANIZATION    UNDER    STATE    RULE. 

The  first  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Brown  County 
after  the  organization  of  the  State,  met  in  January, 
1848 — R.  Wilcox,  Chairman ;  Col.  Samuel  Ryan, 
Robert  D.  Stewart  and  Thomas  Green.  Tiie  county 
officers  were  :  J.  F.  Lessey,  Sheriff ;  H.  F.  Brown, 
Treasurer;  John  V.  Snydam,  Clerk;  Burley  Follett, 
Register;  Edward  Outhwaite,  Clerk  of  the  Court; 
Wm.  H.  C.  Boyd,  Coroner  ;  David  Agiy,  District  At- 
torney ;  A.  G.  Ellis,  District  Surve3^or.  The  officers 
for  1881  are:  E.  R.  Smitii,  Sheriff ;  Frank  Lenz,  Treas- 
urer ;  Pat.  Ryan,  Clerk  :  B.  M.  Berendren,  Register  of 
Deeds;  E.  P.  Boland,  Clerk  of  the  Court;  Martin 
Vandenburg,  Coroner  ;  John  Crayen,  Ovei'seer  of  the 
Poor ;  Charles  E.  Vroman,  District  Attorney ;  Miss 
Minnie  H.  Kelleher,  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

LEGISLATIVE    REPRESENTATION. 

After  the  census  of  tlie  Territory  had  been  taken, 
in  the  Summer  of  1836,  Governor  Henry  Dodge  made 
the  Legislative  apportionment  for  the  several  counties. 
Brown  County's  share  was  two  councilnien  and  three 
representatives,  Henry  S.  Baird  and  John  P.  Arndt 
being,  in  October,  elected  to  the  Upper  House,  and 
Ebenezer  Childs,  Albert  G.  Ellis  and  Alex.  J.  Irwin 
to  the  House  of  Representatives.  The  first  named 
was  chosen  President  of  the  Council  when  it  convened, 
on  the  twenty-fifth  of  that  month.  Geo.  McWilliaras 
successfully  contested  the  seat  with  Mr.  Irwin.  A 
roster  follows  of  the  Legislative  representatives  of 
Brown  County,  whether  of  the  Council  and  House  of 
Representatives  in  Territorial  rule,  or  of  the  Senate 
and  Assembly  under  the  State  Constitution : 

Second  session  of  the  First  Legislative  Assembly, 
1837-8  —  Council :  John  P.  AriuUr  Joseph  Dickinson. 
(Henry  S.  Baird  resigned  to  accept  the  Attorney-Gen- 
eralship of  the  Territory.)  Representatives:  Ebene- 
zer Chihls,  Geo.  Mc Williams,  Charles  C.  Sholes. 


[o6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


First  session  of  Second  Assembly,  1838  —  Council: 
Alex.  J.  Irwin,  Morgan  L.  Martin.  Representatives: 
Ebenezer  Childs,  Chas.  C.  Slioles,  Barlow  Shackelford, 
Jacob  W.  Conroe.  Second  session,  1839 — Council 
and  Representatives  the  same.  Third  session,  1839- 
40  —  Council:  Morgan  L.  Martin,  Chas.  C.  P.  Arndt. 
Representatives  the  same.  Fourth  session,  1840  (ex- 
tra)—  Same  Council,  same  Representatives. 

First  session  of  Third  Assembly,  18-10-41  —  Same 
Council,  this  district  now  comprising  Brown,  Mani- 
towoc, Fond  du  Lac  and  Sheboygan  counties.  Repre- 
sentatives:  Wm.  H.  Bruce  (whose  seat  was  success- 
fully contested  by  Albert  G.  Ellis),  Mason  C.  Darling, 
David  Giddings.  Second  session,  1841-2  —  Same 
Council,  same  Representatives.  (C.  C.  P.  Arndt  shot 
by  James  R.  Vineyard  in  the  Council  Chamber.) 

First  session  of  Fourth  Assembly,  1842-3.— This 
district  now  comprised  Brown,  Calumet,  Fond  du  Lac, 
Manitowoc,  Marquette,  Portage,  Sheboygan  and  Win- 
nebago. Council :  Morgan  L.  Martin.  Representa- 
tives :  Speaker,  A.  G.  Ellis,  then  of  Portage ;  Mason 
C.  Darling,  David  Agry.  Second  session — Same 
Council,  same  Representatives.  Third  session,  184.5 
—  Council:  Randall  Wilcox.  Representatives:  Mason 
C.  Darling,  Abraham  Brawley,  and  Wm.  Fowler,  a 
Brotherhood  Indian.  Fourtii  session,  1846^  Same 
Council,  same  Representatives,  except  Elisha  Morrow 
in  place  of  Wm.  Fowler. 

First  Constitutional  Convention,  1846  —  Brown 
County  delegates :  David  Agry,  Henry  S.  Baird.  Sec- 
ond Convention,  1847-8,  Morgan  L.  Martin. 

First  session  of  the  FiftJi  Legislative  Assembly, 
1847  —  Council:  Mason  C.  Darling.  Representatives: 
Elislia    Morrow,    Hugh    McFarlane.     Special   session, 

1847  —  Same    Council.      Representatives:    Moses    S. 
Gibson,    G.    W.    Featherstonhaugh.     Second    session, 

1848  —  Same  Council,  same  Representatives. 

Of  the  foregoing  names  tiiere  are  but  few  which 
are  not  as  familiar  as  household  words  to  the  people  of 
Brown  County.  In  the  succeeding  roster,  the  aim  is 
to  confine  the  list  as  nearly  as  possible  to  residents  of 
Brown  County: 

First  session  of  the  State  Legislature,  1848 — As- 
sembly: David  Agry,  of  Green  Bay ;  1849,  John  F. 
Meade;  1850,  Charles  D.Robinson;  1851,  John  F. 
Lessey;  1852,  Uriah  H.  Peak  (Green  Bay),  the  dis- 
trict now  comprising  Brown,  Door,  Oconto  and  Outa- 
gamie ;  1853,  Randall  Wilcox  (Depere),  the  district 
comprising  Brown,  Door  and  Kewaunee  counties ; 
1854,  Francis  Desnoyer,  Green  Bay  ;  1855,  Morgan  L. 
Martin,  Green  Bay;  1856,  John'  Day,  Green  Bay; 
1857-8  (Brown  County  alone),  Edgar  Conklin,  Green 
Bay;  1859,  Wm.  Field,  Jr.,  Depere;  1860,  J.  C. 
Neville,  Green  Bay ;  1861-3,  Fred.  S.  Ellis,  Green 
Bay;  1864-7,  W.  J.  Abrams,  Green  Bay;  1868,  John 
B.  Eugene,  Green  Bay,  D.  Cooper  Avres,  Fort  How- 
ard ;  1869,  Joseph  S.  Curtis,  Green  Bay,  R.  Wilcox, 
Depere  ;  1870,  Ed.  Hicks,  Green  Bav,  Michael  Dockry, 
Morrison;  1871,  Jos.  S.  Curtis,  Green  Bay,  D.  Cooper 
Ayres,  Fort  Howard  ;  1872,  Christian  Woelz,  Green 
Bay,  D.  Cooper  Ayres,  Fort  Howard,  Daniel  Lee,  De- 
pere ;  1878,  Jos.  S.  Curtis,  Green  Bay,  Wm.  B.  Bart- 
ran,  Flintville,  Dennis  Dewane,  Cooperstown  ;  1874. 
Morgan  L.  Martin,  Green  Bay,  Wm.  H.  Bartran,   Fort 


Howard,  Pat.  Hobbins,  Morrison;  1875,  Thos.  R. 
Hudd,  Green  Bay,  Wm.  J.  Fisk,  Fort  Howard,  P. 
Hobbins,  Morrison  ;  1876,  Michael  Resch,  Green  Bay, 
Wm.  J.  Fisk,  Fort  Howard,  Dennis  Dewane,  Coopers- 
town  ;  1877,  D.  M.  Kelly,  Green  Bay,  Wm.  J.  Fisk, 
Fort  Howard,  Mich.  J.  Touhey,  Morrison;  1878,  D. 
M.  Kelly,  Green  Bay,  David  M.  Burns,  Fort  Howard, 
Wm.  Rice,  Morrison  ;  1879,  D.  M.  Kelly,  Green  Bay, 
Albert  L.  Gray,  Fort  Howard,  John  O'Flaherty,  Mor- 
rison ;  1880,  Benjamin  Fontaine,  Green  Bay,  David  E. 
Sedgwick,  Wrightstown,  Chester  G.  Wilcox,  Depere  ; 
1881,  Benj.  Fontaine,  Green  Bay,  J.  J.  Rasmussen, 
Fort  Howard,  M.  B.  Brennon,  Morrison. 

Residents  of  Brown  County  who  have  served  in  the 
Senate  are  as  follows:  In  1849,  H.E.Eastman  un- 
successfully contested  the  seat  of  Lemuel  Goodill,  who 
served  this  and  the  succeeding  year;  1854-5,  James  F. 
Lov,  Depere  ;  1858-9,  Morgan  L.  Martin,  Green  Bay  ; 
1862-3,  Edward  Hicks,  Green  Bay;  1864-5,  Fred.  S. 
Ellis,  Green  Bay;  1866-7,  Matt.  J.  Meade,  Green 
Bay  ;  1868-9,  W.  J.  Abrams,  Green  Bay ;  1872-3,  M. 
P.  Lindsley,  Green  Bay;  1876-9,  Thos.  R.  Hudd, 
Green  Bay  ;  1880-1,  D.  M.  Kelly,  Green  Bay. 

THE   AENDT-VINEYARD   TRAGEDY. 

The  killing  of  C.  C.  P.  Arndt,  in  the  Council 
Chamber  at  Madison  (February,  1842),  will  always 
be  remembered  in  this  county  as  a  thrilling  and  heart- 
rending tragedy.  He  was  the  son  of  Judge  John  P. 
Arndt,  an  old  and  respected  citizen.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  editor  of  the  Green  Bay  Republican, 
having  previously  held  the  office  of  Probate  Judge  for 
a  number  of  years.  Being  so  well  known  by  family 
connections  and  force  of  personal  character,  his  death 
and  the  manner  of  it  created  the  most  intense  excite- 
ment. Tiie  assailant  was  James  R.  Vineyard,  a  mem- 
ber from  Grant  County.  The  difficulty  grew  out  of  a 
debate  on  a  motion  to  lay  on  tiie  table  tlie  nomination 
of  Enos  S.  Baker  to  the  office  of  Sheriff  for  that  county. 
John  H.  Tweedy,  a  member  from  jNIihvaukee,  and 
therefore  a  witness  to  the  affray  (which  occurred  on 
the  11th  of  February),  who  would  not  be  prejudiced, 
lias  given  testimony  to  the  following  effect:  "  JMr. 
Arndt  opposed  it  [the  motion]  because  tlie  gentleman 
from  Grant  [alluding  to  Mr.  Vineyard,  I  suppose]  had 
given  the  highest  testimonials  as  to  the  character  of 
the  nominee.  I  think  upon  his  making  that  remark, 
Mr.  Vineyard  turned  partly  round  in  his  seat,  and  said 
it  was  a  falsehood.  Some  words  passed,  and  order  was 
restored.  Soon  after  a  motion  to  adjourn  was  made, 
and  a  division  had  thereon  ;  and  immediately  after  the 
members  had  arisen  in  the  negative,  before  announce- 
ment by  the  chair,  most  of  tlie  members  and  bj^standers 
rose,  and  I  saw  deceased  and  Mr.  Vineyard,  and,  I  be-  ; 
lieve,  one  or  two  others,  close  together  at  tlie  corner  j 
of  Mr.  Vineyard's  desk.  Many  words  in  a  high  key  ( 
passed ;  heard  deceased  demand  of  Mr.  Vineyard  an 
explanation.  Then  Mr.  Strong  called  'order'  twice, 
and  tlie  president  arose  and  called  tlie  house  to  order. 
Vineyard  and  deceased  were  parted  by  one  or  two  by- 
standers. Saw  deceased  then  move  about  eight  feet 
towards  the  fire-place.  He  stood  there,  and  Mr.  Vine- 
yard at  his  desk,  until  the  chair  announced  an  ad-  jl 
journment.     Mr.  Arndt  then  came  up  to  Mr.  Vineyard's         ' 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


desk.  Mr.  V.  was  standing  at  the  corner  of  it.  De- 
ceased asked  Mr.  Vine3'ard  if  he  imputed  to  him  false- 
hood in  his  remarks.  Mr.  Vineyard  answered  '  yes,' 
or  that  '  tliey  were  false;'  do  not  rememl)er  which. 
Think  I  then  saw  deceased  strike  at  Mr.  V.'s  face,  or 
forehead ;  they  were  about  three  feet  apart.  Rose  to 
go  to  them.  Did  not  see  distinctly,  but  thought  one 
or  two  blows  had  passed  ;  then  heard  an  explosion. 
Deceased  partly  reeled  around,  and  moved  several 
steps  toward  the  fire-place,  with  his  hands  on  his  breast. 
I  believe  next  moment  saw  him  in  the  arms  of  Mr.  Der- 
ring.  I  believe  in  about  five  minutes  saw  him  die.  He 
said  nothing,  and  did  not  appear  to  be  conscious  of 
any  thing."  In  regard  to  the  affair,  Moses  M.  Strong 
made  the  following  remarks  before  the  State  Historical 
Society,  February  4,  1870:  "The  testimony  of  the 
other  witnesses  was  substantially  the  same,  all  agreeing 
that  the  deceased  was  tiie  assaulting  party,  and  that 
Vineyard  was  defending  himself  against  the  assault, 
although  by  means  of  weapons  of  death,  whicli  the  oc- 
casion by  no  means  demanded.  He  immediately  sur- 
rendered himself  to  the  Sheriff,  waived  an  examination, 
and  was  committed  to  jail.  After  a  siiort  confinement, 
he  was  brought  before  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Terri- 
tory on  habeas  corpus,  and  admitted  to  bail.  He  was 
afterward  indicted  for  manslaughter,  and  was  tried  and 
acquitted.  Immediately  after  the  homicide.  Vineyard 
sent  his  resignation  to  the  Council.  The  Council  re- 
fused to  receive  it  or  have  it  read,  and  immediately 
expelled  him." 

MILITARY   HISTORY   OF   BROWN    COUNTY. 

Up  to  this  point  it  lias  been  the  aim  to  keep  strictly 
in  view  those  topics  which  may  be  said  to  concern  the 
county  at  large — its  natural  features,  its  political  and 
judicial  organization,  its  railroads  and  harbor  and  river 
improvements,  and  lastly,  this  bloody  affray  which  laid 
low  one  of  its  prominent  and  respected  representatives. 
One  other  subject  of  this  general  character,  and  yet  of 
the  particular  interest  which  attaches  to  all  personal 
suffering  or  misfortune,  is  the  record  of  the  war.  The 
military  history  of  Brown  County  previous  to  the  war 
consists  chiefly  in  the  liarboring  of  the  United  States 
soldiers  in  Fort  Howard,  and  the  raising  of  two  or 
three  local  companies.  From  July,  1833,  to  1838,  the 
Fifth  Infantry  Regiment  was  stationed  at  that  place. 
Gen.  George  M.  Brooke  in  command.  In  August, 1838, 
Gen.  Brooke  was  called  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  Capt. 
M.  E.  Merrill  took  charge  of  the  fort.  He  continued 
until  1845,  when  the  troops  were  removed,  and  the 
fort  was  placed  in  care  of  Major  Shaler,  a  retired  United 
States  officer.  The  Green  Bay  Rangers  were  organized 
in  1838,  Morgan  L.  Martin,  captain  ;  Seth  Reese,  first 
lieutenant.  It  was  a  cavalry  company.  The  Second 
Wisconsin  Militia  Regiment  was  organized  at  Green 
Bay  in  the  Fall  of  1847,  S.  Ryan,  colonel.  In  neither 
case  was  the  military  fervor  sufficient  to  maintain  very 
vigorous  organizations.  But  when  the  war  broke  out. 
Brown  County  partook  of  the  general  enthusiasm  and 
determination  of  the  country.  In  April,  1861,  relief 
committees  to  provide  for  unprotected  families  of 
soldiers  were  organized.  During  the  first  part  of  that 
month  the  Bay  City  Guards  were  formed,  Fred.  S. 
Ellis,  then  a  member  of  Assembly  fi-om  this  county, 


being  its  most  prominent  organizer  and  captain.  It 
was  drilled  for  about  a  month  by  Capt.  John  W.  Cotton, 
an  old  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  the  services  of 
the- company  tendered  liy  Assemblyman  Ellis  and  ac- 
cepted by  the  State.  They  subsequently  disbanded, 
however.  At  the  same  time  flag  raisings  and  patriotic 
meetings  were  occurring  thick  and  fast.  Major  Shaler, 
in  charge  of  the  fort,  was  presented  with  a  flag  by  the 
ladies  of  Howard,  and  it  was  flung  to  the  breeze  be- 
fore a  large  concourse  of  Union  citizens.  Fort  Howard 
gave  fortli  a  salute  of  tliirty-four  guns,  and  Green  Bay 
lustily  responded.  The  Stars  and  Stripes  increased 
daily  in  number,  floating  alike  over  jail  and  church. 
At  the  upper  Catholic  Church,  Green  Bay,  that  patri- 
otic and  lamented  priest.  Father  Bonduel,  officered 
the  ceremonies  of  a  giving  a  beautiful  flag  to  the  breeze, 
and  delivered  a  most  eloquent  and  stirring  address. 
War  meetings  were  held  every-where,  and  a  special 
effort  was  made  in  Green  Bay  to  make  the  Fourth  of 
July  blood-stirring  and  suggestive.  The  officers  of  the 
day  were  :  President,  Morgan  L.  Martin  ;  Vice-Presi- 
dents, Cliarles  Tullar  and  C.  D.  Robinson  ;  Marshal,  Dr. 
C.  E.  Crane  ;  Assistants,  J.  F.  Lessey  and  Fred.  S.  Ellis ; 
Orator,  ex-Governor  Seymour,  New  York  ;  Reader  and 
Toast-master,  Harry  E.  Eastman.  Soon  afterwards  a 
regular  recruiting  office  was  opened  by  Lyman  S.  Strick- 
land, and  the  work  went  bravely  on.  During  the  next 
month,  in  pursuance  to  a  general  order  issued  from 
the  War  Department,  authorizing  recruiting  from  the 
ranks  of  the  German  population,  Company  H,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Hesse  Gumal  was  raised  in  Green 
Bay.  It  was  attached  to  the  Southwestern  expedition 
and  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Depere 
and  the  town  of  Suamico  in  the  meantime  were  com- 
ing nobly  to  the  front.  The  latter  was  particularly 
active  in  furnishing  recruits  for  the  Green  Bay  Union 
Guards,  which  were  so  far  organized  and  ready  for 
duty  that  they  were  ordered  to  leave  for  camp  at  Mad- 
ison on  November  1.  They  left  nearly  in  full  strength, 
and  were  assigned  with  Captain  Norton's  Oconto  Com- 
pany—  the  "Sackers" — to  the  "  Marching  Twelfth." 
Their  departure  was  made  the  occasion  for  a  grand 
ovation  to  the  "  boys  in  blue."  When  the  "  Fannie 
Fisk  "  and  the  "  Queen  City"  hove  in  sight,  the  for- 
mer with  the  "  Sackers  "  on  board,  the  latter  with  their 
friends,  cannons  were  placed  on  the  dock,  which,  with 
the  Green  Bay  brass  band  and  the  lusty-voiced  Union 
Guards,  gave  the  Oconto  visitors  a  warm  and  fitting 
welcome.  A  feast  was  spread  at  Turner  Hall,  and 
manly  speeches  were  made  by  H.  S.  Baird,  Major  Sha- 
ler, Father  Bonduel  and  Senator  Howe. 

September  18,  1861,  a  rousing  war  meeting  was 
held  in  Depere,  over  twenty  volunteers  coming  forward 
on  the  spot.  This  was  the  nucleus  of  the  Depere  com- 
pany, known  as  the  Brown  County  Rifles,  and  who  for 
the  coolest  of  bravery  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  were  re- 
christened  the  "  Wisconsin  Regulars."  They  went 
into  service  at  Fond  du  Lac,  sixty-four  strong. 

Since  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  soldiers  who  went 
from  Brown  County  partook  of  the  fortunes  of  the 
"  Marching  Twelfth,"  a  brief  tracing  of  their  widely 
extended  course  will  be  given.  In  brief,  the  regiment 
marched  from  the  time  of  leaving  Madison,  January 
11,  1862,  until  the   Spring   of  1864,  one  thousand  six 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


hundred  miles,  was  transported  by  steamer  one  thous- 
and five  lumdred  and  by  railroad  six  hundred.  Re- 
porting at  Camp  Randall  in  the  Fall  of  1861,  the  wan- 
derers found  themselves  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in 
February,  1862.  Six  days  later  they  liad  marched  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  to  Fort  Scott;  twenty  days 
tliereafter  tliey  were  at  Lawrence  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen miles  from  Fort  Scott.  Within  two  weeks  an 
order  arrived  wliich  necessitated  a  move  to  Fort  Riley, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  Then  they  marched 
back  to  Leavenwortli,  tlience  down  tlie  river  to  St. 
Louis  and  to  Columbus,  Kentucky.  B}^  this  time  it 
was  June,  1862.  After  enjoying  a  season  of  compara- 
tive rest  in  repairing  railroads  and  scouting  and  guer- 
rilla warfare  the  Twelfth  struck  Bolivar,  where  they 
were  attached  to  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps.  After 
the  battle  of  Corinth  they  pursued  the  Rebels,  and 
participated  in  the  movement  which  followed  the  sur- 
render of  Holl}^  Springs.  In  February  tliey  were  on 
guard  duty  on  the  Memphis  &  Charlestown  Road ;  in 
March  were  at  Memphis  to  participate  in  the  Cold- 
water  expedition  under  Colonel  Bryant.  Indulging  in 
a  slight  skirmish  at  Hernando,  in  which  the  enemy 
were  defeated,  the  Twelfth  joined  Grant's  army,  were 
placed  on  garrison  duty,  and  finally,  in  June,  served  in 
the  trenches  before  Vicksburg.  Next  with  Sherman, 
then  back  to  Vicksburg  and  to  Natchez.  More  guer- 
rilla warfare,  more  marching  ;  then  with  General  Sher- 
man's regular  expedition. 

The  raising  of  money,  the  recruiting  for  active 
service,  and  the  agitation  of  the  Union  cause  con- 
tinued until  in  March,  1863 ;  the  passage  of  the  draft  act 
produced  wide-spread  consternation,  especially  among 
a  limited  class  who  had  avoided  the  burdens  of  the 
war.  Wisconsin  was  divided  into  six  districts,  the 
head-quarters  of  the  fifth  district  Ijeing  Green  Bay — 
C.  R.  Merrill,  Provost  Marshal ;  Wm.  A.  Bugh,  Com- 
missioner; H.  O.  Crane,  Examining  Surgeon.  Fort 
Howard  was  to  be  the  rendezvous  and  tiie  place  of 
confinement  for  deserters.  Tiie  draft  was  ordered  to 
take  place  in  November.  On  the  twenty-first  of  that 
month  it  took  place  in  the  old  court-house,  corner  of 
Adams  and  Doty  streets.  Green  Bay.  Green  Bay,  Fort 
Howard  and  Depere  were  exempt  as  they  had  already 
filled  up  their  quota.  The  draft  continued  for  a  week, 
the  number  drawn  being  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty.  In  1864,  July  18,  a  draft  of  four  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  ten  was  made  and  in  December 
of  the  same  vear  eiglit  hundred  and  forty  in  tlie 
State. 

Of  the  late  companies  wliich  went  out  during  tiie 
last  of  the  war  may  be  mentioned  the  Brown  County 
Guards,  a  company  of  young  men  who  enlisted  in  the 
Summer  of  1864,  for  the  one-hundred-day  service,  offi- 
cered by  James  Canim,and  Company  F,  Fifteenth  Reg- 
iment, Captain  Chas.  C.  Lovett.  The  latter  was  sent 
to  Dakota,  remaining  in  service  nearly  a  year. 

The  Bay  City  Light  Guard,  the  only  niilitary  organ- 
ization of  Green  Bay  or  Fort  Howard,  was  fonned  in 
the  former  city,  December  1,  1874.  Its  officers  are  as 
follows:  Captain,  E.  L.  Kendall;  First  Lieutenant, 
David  Soper;  Second  Lieutenant,  O.  C.  Davidson.  It 
,has  a  membersiiip  of  sov(Mity-t]iree. 


TOWN    HISTORY. 

A  point  is  now  readied  when  it  is  necessary  to  turn 
from  subjects  of  general  county  interest  to  those  of  a 
more  local  nature.  The  history  of  the  towns  is  there- 
fore taken  up,  and  afterwards  of  the  cities  and  villages 
of  the  county. 

Town  of  Crreen  Bay. — Soon  after  the  organization  of 
Brown  County  in  1884,  the  Town  of  Green  Bay  was 
formed;  four  years  thereafter  the  Borough  of  Green 
Bay  was  the  combined  product  of  Navarino  and  Astor. 
Up  to  1854,  when  it  became  a  city.  Green  Bay  neces- 
sarily formed  a  part  of  the  town.  Preble,  Humboldt 
and  Scott  were  cut  off  from  it  in  1858,  so  that  its  orig- 
inall}^  large  proportions  (ninety-eight  square  miles) 
were  reduced  to  eight  miles  long  by  three  miles  wide. 
The  original  settlers  of  the  town,  <as  it  now  exists, 
were  a  party  of  Belgians  who  came  from  Antwerp  in 
1853. 

Toivn  of  Howard  was  organized  in  1838,  John  Mars- 
ton,  a  fisherman,  being  the  first  settler  in  that  region, 
in  1830.  In  1836,  John  P.  Arndt  built  a  saw-mill 
upon  the  site  of  Duck  Creek  settlement,  and  in  1839, 
Francis  Irwin  and  Patrick  Cummings  were  farming  in 
that  locality.  But  the  lower  settlement  on  the  creek 
soon  became  tlie  most  thriving,  in  a  business  way,  and 
a  post-office  was  established  there  in  1860. 

The  early  history  of  the  Towns  of  Green  Bay, 
Howard,  Preble,  and  Lawrence,  or  of  the  region  which 
they  now  include,  has  been  detailed  in  preceding  pages. 

The  Town  of  Pittsfield,  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
county,  was  organized  November  17,  1849,  the  first 
town  meeting  being  held  at  the  house  of  D.  W.  Hub- 
bard. That  gentleman  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
Board.  A  formerly  flourishing  settlement  known  as 
Mill's  Center,  was  ruined  by  the  fire  of  1871,  which 
destroyed  so  much  valuable  timber  land  adjacent. 

Town  of  Bellevue  was  organized  in  1849,  and  con- 
tains 9,200  acres  of  land.  Tiie  nationality  is  princi- 
pally Belgian.  The  town  contains  two  school-houses, 
and  three  saw-mills.  A  German  by  the  name  of  Plat- 
ten  was  the  first  settler,  in  1842.  His  son  is  a  resident 
of  Howard.  The  soil  of  the  town  is  well  adapted  to 
farming  purposes,  being  well  watered  by  several  small 
streams  empt3'ing  into  East  River,  which  forms  the  line 
between  AUouez  and  Bellevue. 

Town  of  Scott  was  organized  April  1,  1850.  Tlie 
Village  of  New  Franken,  so  scathed  by  the  fire  of  1871, 
was  settled  by  the  Bavarians  in  1845.  Tiie  first  Amer- 
icans to  permanently  locate  in  the  town  came  in  1886, 
although  French  and  half-breeds  had  lived  in  the 
country  for  a  number  of  years.  Wm.  Sylvester,  John 
Campbell  and  Robert  Gibson  were  among  the  pioneers. 
The  northern  and  northwestern  portions  of  the  town 
are  washed  by  Green  Bay.  It  is  in  this  vicinity  where 
the  "  Red  Banks"  are  located  —  curious  specimens  of 
ancient  earth-works. 

Town  of  New  Denmark  was  set  off  from  Depere  in 
1855.  The  majority  of  its  population  is  Danish.  It  is 
watered  by  the  Neslioto  and  tributaries,  and  contains 
good  farming  land.  A  post-office  was  established  at 
Cooperstown  in  1848.  The  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  Denmark. 


)R\    OF   ISROWN   COUNTY. 


109 


Town  of  Rookland  was  set  off  from  the  Town  of 
Depei-e  in  1856.  James  Hobbins  and  Stephen  Joyce, 
farmers,  were  the  first  settlers,  locating  in  18i0  and 
IHoii,  respectively.  In  1854,  tlie  first  school-house  was 
erected  by  the  above  and  Thos.  Joyce,  Sr.,  P.  Mc- 
Donough  and  W.  Cashman.  The  town  now  contains 
five  district  schools.  Rockland  is  principally  settled 
by  the  Irish  and  German.  It  contains  14,000  acres  of 
land,  the  surface  being  undulating  and  timbered,  and 
the  soil  fertile.  It  is  well  xj-atered  by  the  Fox  and 
Devil  rivers,  and  smaller  streams. 

Town  of  Grlenmore  was  organized  from  the  Town  of 
Depere  in  1856.  The  first  settler  who  located  witiiin 
its  limits  was  Samuel  Harrison,  who  came  in  1846. 
The  Irish  element  predominates.  It  contains  good 
farming  land,  well  watered. 

Toivn  of  Suamico  was  a  part  of  Pittsfield  until 
March,  1858,  when  it  was  separately  organized.  The 
total  number  of  acres  of  land  in  town  is  21,942.77.  It 
contains  four  public  schools.  Suamico  is  an  excellent 
farming  country,  and  stock  raising  is  profitable.  The 
first  settlements  were  made  between  1846-50,  by 
Stephan  Burdon  and  Willard  Lamb. 

Totvn  of  Eaton  was  set  off  from  Depere  in  1860,  the 
first  settlers  being  Irish  and  Danes,  who  came  five  years 
previously.  It  is  watered  by  Neshoto  River  and  smaller 
creeks,  and  shelters  a  pretty  little  body  of  water  called 
Lilly  Lake. 

Town  of  Ashwaubenon  was  erected  by  legislative  act, 
March  16,  1872.  The  prevailing  nationalities  are 
Scandinavians,  French,  Belgians  and  Irish.  It  con- 
tains two  public  schools,  and  one  church  —  Scandi- 
navian Lutheran.  It  is  watered  by  Ashwaubenon 
Creek.  A  portion  of  West  Depere  extends  into  the 
town,  and  much  of  its  land  is  owned  by  parties  resid- 
ing in  that  village.  Green  Bay  and  Fort  Howard. 

To'wn  of  Allouez,  situated  west  of  East  River,  oppo- 
site Ashwaubenon,  was  set  off  from  Bellevue  in  187H, 
and  contains  2,896  acres  of  land.  A  majority  of  its 
settlers  are  Dutch,  and  farming  is  the  principal  occu- 
pation. It  has  no  church  and  no  post-office,  and  but 
one  school  district.  Its  first  settler  was  Joseph  Buch- 
arma,  a  Frenchman  seventy-five  years  of  age,  who  was 
born  within  the  present  confines  of  AUouez. 

Town  of  Holland  was  first  settled  by  eleven  Dutch 
families,  in  1848,  being  organized  in  the  Spring  of  1854. 
The  next  year  the  Irish  came.  It  contains  two  Cath- 
olic churches,  and  five  district  schools.  The  village  of 
HoUandtown  is  quite  a  settlement.  Tiiere  is  one  saw- 
mill in  the  town,  owned  by  John  Brown. 

Toirn  of  Morrison,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  coun- 
ty, contains  thirty-six  townships,  and  is  watered  by 
numerous  creeks.  The  soil  is  fair,  the  land  well  tim- 
bered with  hard  wood  and  pine.  A.  J.  Morrison  and 
wife  were  the  first  settlers,  in  1851.  In  1855  they  sold 
out  to  Phillip  Falck,  the  most  prominent  man  in  this 
region. 

Oneida  Reservation. — Commencing  in  1822,  and 
continuing  some  years  thereafter,  sections  of  the 
Oneidas,  Stockbridges,  Munsees  and  Brotherhood  In- 
dian tribes  emigrated  west.  This  emigration  from 
New  York  to  Wisconsin  was  principally  brought  about 
by  Rev.  Jedediah  Morse,  who  came  as  a  special  com- 
missioner of  the  Government.     A   small   tract  of  land 


was  purchased  from  the  Menomonees  and  Winuebagoes 
during  that  year,  but  the  basis  of  the  Oueida  Reserva- 
tion was  laid  when  the  former  powerful  tribe  ceded  to 
the  United  States  all  the  lands  in  their  Eastern  divis- 
ion, and  in  1832  a  tract  on  the  Fox  River  was  ceded 
to  the  New  York  tribes.  These  treaties  were  both 
held  in  Green  Bay.  In  1838  the  Oneidas  ceded  all 
their  lands  to,  the  United  States,  reserving  62,000  acres 
on  Duck  Creek,  near  Green  Bay.  The  negotiations 
wei  e  carried  on  at  Washington,  and  the  result  is  the 
"  Oneida  Reservation."  The  Stockbridge  and  Munsee 
tribes  had,  in  the  meantime,  moved  from  above  Green 
Bay,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Fox,  to  the  east  side  of 
Lake  Winnebago.  In  1839  the  Brotherhood  Indians 
became  full  citizens.     (See  history  Calumet  County.) 

The  Oneida  Reservation  lies  about  one-third  in 
Brown  and  two-thirds  in  Outagamie  counties.  The 
population  ii  about  1,500,  the  farms  ranging  from  one 
hundred  and  sixty  to  two  hundred,  and  sometimes  four 
hundred,  acres.  It  contains  three  schools  and  two 
churches  —  Episcopal  and  Methodist.  Bishop  Kemper 
consecrated  the  former  in  December,  1838.  The  pas- 
tors are  :  Revs.  E.  A.  Goodnough  (Episcopal)  and  S. 
Ford  (M.  E.).  The  Indian  Agent  is  E.  B.  Stevens,  of 
Oshkosh. 

By  decades,  the  population  of  Brown  County  has 
been:  18.50,6,215;  1860,11,795;  1870,2.5,168;  1880, 
34,035. 

The  general  county  indebtedness  is  $286,720  — 
1252,000  on  account  of  aid  voted  to  railroads,  and 
130,720  unpaid  interest. 

DISTRICT    SCHOOLS. 

The  district  schools  are  under  charge  of  Miss  Min- 
nie H.  Kelleher,  County  Superintendent,  the  actual 
attendance,  according  to  her  annual  report  ending 
August  31,  1880,  having  been  :  Ashwaubenon,  112  ; 
AUouez,  40  ;  Bellevue,  162  ;  Depere,  204 ;  Depere 
Village,  292  ;  West  Depere,  353  ;  Caton,  116  ;  Glen- 
urore,  251 ;  Green  Bay,  192;  Holland,  423  ;  Howard, 
305;  Humboldt,  253  ;  Lawrence,  181;  iVIorrison,  291 ; 
New  Denmark,  328;  Pittsfield.  Ill;  Preble,  199; 
Rockland,  232;  Scott,  392  ;  Suamico,  195  ;  Wrights- 
town,  542.  The  apportionment  of  the  school  fund  is 
on  the  basis  of  41;l  cents  per  scholar,  and  amounted  in 
the  aggregate  to  -$5,467. 20  for  1881. 

THE    CITY    OF    GREEN    BAY. 

The  history  of  Green  Bay  and  vicinity  has  been  brought 
in  all  important  requirements  up  to  the  date  of  its  municipal 
organization.  It  has  been  shown  how  Aster  and  Navarino 
finally  buried  tlieir  rivalries  to  unite  and  form  the  borough 
of  Green  Bay,  and  how  the  latter  continued  a  portion  of  the 
town  until  February  27,  1854,  when  it  was  incorporated  as 
a  city.  Green  Bay  was  first  organized  into  two  wards,  the 
former  Navarino  forming  the  North  Ward  and  .►Vstor  the 
South.  Subdivisions  and  additions  continued  until,  by 
1876,  six  wards  Iiad  lieen  formed.  In  that  year  a  portion  of 
the  town  of  Preble  was  taken  into  the  Hmits  of  the  city, 
and  three  more  wards  organized.  In  April,  1878,  Green 
Bay  was  divided  into  three  wards,  their  limits  being  defined 
by  the  private  and  local  laws  of  1880,  as  follows :  "  All  that 
part  of  the  city  south  of  a  line  commencing  in  the  center 
of  the  Fox  River  and  running  south  64°  east,  through  the 
center  of  the  tier  of  blocks  commencing  with  No.  4,  upon 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


the  recorded  plat  of  Aster,  to  the  eastern  boundary  line  of 
said  city,  shall  constitute  the  First  Ward  ;  all  that  part 
bounded  south  by  the  First  Ward,  west  by  the  center  line  of 
the  channel  of  the  Fox  River  north,  running  thence  south 
64°  east  along  the  northern  boundary  of  lots  9,  30,  47,  68 
and  83  (plat  of  Navarino),  to  the  west  line  of  Jefferson 
street,  thence  northeast  to  the  northwest  corner  of  lot  532 
on  said  plat,  thence  south  64°  east  to  the  western  boundary 
line  of  Eleventh  street,  thence  easterly  along  the  center  of 
St.  Clair  street  to  its  eastern  terminus,  south  64°  east  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  city  and  east  by  the  boundary  line, 
shall  constitute  the  Second  Ward  ;  and  all  the  remaining 
parts  of  the  city,  the  Third." 

The  first  City  Council  met  at  the  Town  Hall,  two  o'clock 
P.M.,  May  6,  1854  —  present,  T.  Desnoyer,  John  Day,  Paul 
Fox  and  Amos  Saunders,  from  the  North  ^Vard,  and  John 
P.  Arndt,  Fredrick  A.  Lathrop,  Louis  Carabin  and  Charles 
LeClair,  from  the  South  Ward.  The  meeting  was  organized 
by  electing  John  P.  Arndt,  chairman,  and  then  adjourned 
to  the  Engine-house.  E.  H.  Ellis  was  chosen  Clerk  pro 
tern.,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  John  P.  Arndt, 
President;  Wm.  C.  E.  Thomas,  Mayor;  Barley  FoUett, 
Treasurer;  Saul  Butler,  Superintendent  Public  Schools; 
Nathan  Goodell,  Marshal  and  Street  Commissioner.  Com- 
mittee appointed  on  streets  and  bridges  was  Messrs.  Arndt, 
LeCIair  and  Saunders ;  on  the  poor,  Messrs.  Desnoyer, 
Fox  and  Carabin  ;  on  accounts,  Alessrs.  Carabin,  F'ox  and 
Lathrop;  on  printing,  Messrs.  Desnoyer,  Myers,  Lathrop 
and  Arndt;  on  plank-roads,  Messrs.  Day,  Fox  and  Lathrop. 
An  arrangement  was  made  to  confer  with  Major  Shaler,  so 
as  to  confine  evil-doers  in  the  guard  house  at  Fort  Howard. 
At  a  meeting  held  May  24,  1S54,  the  plan  for  the  East  River 
bridge  was  adopted.  The  Mayor,  in  1855,  was  Francis 
Desnoyer,  and  Anton  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1S56-7,  H.  C. 
Eastman,  Mayor;  H.  H.  Albright,  Treasurer.  1858,  Barley 
Follett,  Mayor;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1S59,  Nathan 
Goodell,  Mayor;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer,  i860,  E.  H. 
Ellis,  Mayor ;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1861-62,  H.  S.  Baird, 
Mayor;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1863,  Barley  Follett, 
Mayor;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1864,  Nathan  Goodell, 
Mayor;  Philip  'Klaus,  Treasurer.  1865,  M.  P.  Lindsley, 
Ma)  or;  Philip  Klaus,' Treasurer.  1866,  Chas.  D.  Robinson, 
Mayor;  Philip  Klaus,  Treasurer.  1867,  James  S.  Marshall, 
Mayor;  Anton  Burkart,  Treasurer.  1868-9-70,  Anton 
Klaus,  Mayor;  Anton  Burkart,  Treasurer.  1871,  A.  Kim- 
ball, Mayor;  Anton  Burkart,  Treasurer.  1872,  C.  D.  Rob- 
inson, Mayor;  Anton  Burkart,  Treasurer.  1873,  A.  Kim- 
ball, Mayor,  Anton  Burkart,  Treasurer.  1874,  C.  E.  Crane, 
Mayor;  Frank  Lens,  Treasurer.  1875,0.  E.  Crane,  Mayor, 
John  D.  Williams,  Treasurer.  1876,  H.  S.  Ellis,  Mayor;'Au- 
gust  Brauns,  Treasurer.  1877,  C.  E.  Crane,  Mayor;  M.  V.  B. 
Benson, Treasurer.  1878,  C.  E.  Crane,  Mayor ;  D.W.King, 
Treasurer.  1879,  C.  E.  Crane,  Mayor;  M.  V.  B.  Benson; 
Treasurer.  1880,  J.  C.  Neville,  Mayor;  G.  Keesterman, 
Treasurer.  1881,  the  officers  are  W.  J.  Abrams,  Mayor  ; 
Wm.  Hoffman,  President  of  Council ;  Chas.  Woelz,  Treas- 
urer; A.  C.  Lehman,  Clerk;  Philip  Klaus,  Assessor;  H.  J. 
Huntington,  Attorney ;   G.   Bong,   Chief  of   Police;    O.   J. 

B.  Brice,  Police  Justice.  Members  of  Common  Council: 
First  Ward— Wm.  Hoffman,  Charles  Johannes,  Ph.  Ken- 
dall;  Second  Ward — Chas.    Harting,  E.  K.  Ansoye,   H.  T. 

C.  Bernendsen  ;  Third  Ward — D.  W  Britton,  E.  L.  Ken- 
dall, P.  J.  Van  Deusen.  Supervisors  are  :  F"irst  Ward — A. 
A.  Warren;  Second  Ward— L.  Schellar  ;  Third  Ward— R. 
W.Cook.  Board  of  Health  are:  First  Ward — R.  B.  Kel- 
log,  Chas.  Vroman  ;  Second  Ward — Dr.  B.  C.  Brett,  L. 
Schellar;  Third  Ward— L.  R.  Ducheteau,  Peter  MuUer. 
Street  Superintendent,  N.  Goodell. 


PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

Up  to  1840  there  were  no  district  schools  in  Green  Bay. 
About  that  time  David  Ward,  John  F.  Lessey  and  Henry 
Sholes,  School  Commissioners,  raised  a  school  fund  and 
opened  the  first  public  school.  Green  Bay  City  has  now 
four  public  school  buildings,  whose  total  value  is  $55,000, 
which,  added  to  the  value  of  the  grounds,  makes  the  total 
amount  of  school  property  $64,000.  There  is  a  total  attend- 
ance of  1,300,  the  enrollment  being  2,300.  The  attendance 
at  private  and  parochial  schools  would  bring  the  figures 
up  to  2,000.  The  High  Sdiool,  situated  in  the  center  of 
School  street  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  In  1881,  the 
following  was  the  corps  of  teachers  :  High  School  —  J.  C. 
Crawford,  principal;  Miss  Ida  M.  Gordon,  first  assistant; 
Miss  S.  May  Thomas,  second  assistant  ;  Grammar,  A 
department.  Miss  Alice  O.  Burnham,  principal  ;  Miss  Kate 
Gaylord,  assistant;  Grammar,  B  department,  Mrs.  C.  B. 
Fields. 

The  First  Ward  school  building,  corner  of  Madison  and 
Chicago,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $16,000,  the  corps  of 
teachers  being  as  follows  :  Miss  Sarah  E.  Patterson,  Prin- 
cipal. Assistants,  the  Misses  Helen  S.  Carswell,  Nellie  M. 
Goodhue,  Cynthia  Gardner. 

The  Pine-street  building  is  located  at  the  corner  of  that 
street  and  Webster  avenue  ;  cost  of  structure,  $30,000. 
The  teachers  are  :  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Burns,  principal.  Assist- 
ants, Mrs.  Clara  F.  Neeves,  the  Misses  Clara  Jacobi,  Alice 
Jacobi,  Rose  LeClair  and  Abbie  Young. 

The  East  River  school  building,  corner  of  Elm  and 
Twelfth  streets,  cost  -$i,ooo.  Miss  Bessie  L.  Geer  is  prin- 
cipal, and  Miss  Elsie  L.  Torrey,  assistant. 

Under  the  efficient  management  of  J.  H.  Leonard,  the 
schools  of  Green  Bay  maintain  a  good  standing. 

THE    FIRE    DEP.ARTMENT. 

The  organization  of  the  City  Government  took  place  in 
1854,  at  a  meeting  held  November  4.  The  first  Fire 
Wardens  appointed  were  H.  S.  Baird  and  Nathan  Goodell, 
for  the  North  Ward:  Alonzo  Kimball  and  Charles  Henry 
for  the  South  Ward.  An  ordinance  to  organize  the  Fire 
Department  was  approved  April  24,  185S,  and  co-opera- 
tion made  with  Fort  Howard.  The  Germania  Fire  Com- 
pany, No.  I,  was  organized  September  14,  1854,  with  a 
Button  Hand  Engine.  Fred  A.  Lathrop,  chief  engineer; 
H.  C.  Reber,  foreman ;  C.  C.  Thomegar,  secretary.  Its 
house  is  on  Washington  street,  and  it  has  1,200  feet  of 
hose.  In  1868  was  purchased  the  Steamer  Amoskeag. 
Joshua  Whitney  is  chief  engineer. 

Wide  Awake,  No.  2,  has  its  head-quarters  on  Adams 
street.  It  was  organized  October  17,  1856,  with  F.  A. 
Lathros,  chief  engineer;  Hon.  H.  S.  Baird,  assistant  engi- 
neer; L.  J.  Day,  foreman  ;  B.  C.  Gardener,  assistant  fore- 
man ;  C.  C.  Case,  secretary  ;  C.  L.  Wheelock,  treasurer. 
The  present  engine  was  purchased  in  1872.  It  is  a  Clapp 
&  Jones,  second-class.  The  company  has  1,200  feet  of 
hose.     Lindley  is  chief  engineer. 

Washington  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  i,  was 
organized  January  i,  1858,  with  Jas.  Morton,  foreman; 
F.  S.  Bay,  assistant  foreman  ;  D.  Gorham,  secretary,  and 
Lewis  Schellar,  treasurer.  M.  W.  Nuss  is  foreman.  The 
Fire  Wardens  are:  First  Ward,  A.  A.  Warren,  Second 
Ward,  L.  Deuster,  A.  W.  Kimball;  Third  Ward,  O.  Libbey, 
F.  Coal. 

The  water  supply  of  Green  Bay  is  abundant,  the  city  be- 
ing surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  Fox  and  East  rivers. 
At  intervals  where  the  streets  intersect  each  other  are  large 
tanks  connected  with  the  streams  —  thus  constituting  al- 
most never  failing  reservoirs. 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY 


THE     POST-OFFICE. 


Moses  Hardwick,  who  was  one  of  the  Ameri- 
can soldiers  landing  at  Fort  Howard  in  1816 
may  be  considered  the  pioneer  postman  of 
Green  Bay  and  the  State.  His  trips  were,  dur- 
ing the  Winter,  between  Chicago  and  Detroit, 
the  mail  being  carried  by  boat  in  the  Summer. 
His  expenses  and  salary  were  paid  by  voluntary 
subscriptions.  In  November,  1822,  a  post- 
ofifice  was  established,  and  Robert  Irwin,  Jr., 
appointed  Postmaster,  Mr.  Hardwick  continu- 
ing to  make  his  arduous  trips  until  the  next 
year.  The  first  Postmasters  just  before  the 
borough  of  Green  Bay  was  organized  in  1838 
were  Joseph  Dickinson  and  A.  J.  Irwin.  Joel 
S.  Fisk  was  appointed  in  1846,  serving  until  Ed. 
Hicks's  term  commenced.  Then  came  D  W. 
King  four  years,  Edward  Hicks  eight.  Then 
there  was  trouble  in  the  department.  W.  J. 
Green  served  a  short  time.  D.  M.  Whitney  was 
appointed,  and  removed  in  the  Fall  of  1866. 
Edward  Hicks  received  the  appointment  again 
but  did  not  get  his  papers.  In  1867  Chas.  R. 
Tyler,  who  had  served  with  credit  during  the 
war,  became  Postmaster,  and  held  it  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1872.  W.  C.  E.  Thomas 
served  up  to  the  date  of  his  death  in  1876. 
He  was  followed  by  the  present  Postmaster, 
A.  W.  Kimball,  who  was  re-appointed  in  18S1. 
The  money  order  department  has  been  estab- 
lished  since   1864. 

G.'iS    WORKS. 

In  the  Fall  of  1870  the  right  to  erect  gas 
works  was  let  to  Peter  Pupp,  and  buildings 
were  constructed  under  the  superintendency 
of  Jas.  G.  Miller,  who  built  the  Fond  du  Lac 
works.  On  June  8,  1871,  the  first  gas  came  to 
light,  a  company  having  been  organized  in 
January,  187 1.  The  original  cost  of  the  works 
was  $25,000,  and  by  subsequent  additions  this 
sum  was  increased  to  $54,000.  The  works  are 
situated  on  the  north  side  of  Elm,  between 
Madison  and  Jefferson  streets.  Samuel  D.  Hast- 
ings is  proprietor. 

SOME    NOTED    FIRES. 

On  November  12,  1863,  the  entire  block 
bounded  by  Adams  and  Washington,  Pine  and 
Cherry  streets,  was  laid  waste.  This  fire  swept 
away  two  acres  of  buildings  in  the  business 
portion  of  the  city.  Among  the  heavy  losers 
were  F.  Desnoyer,  Cormier  &  Co.  (boots  and 
shoes),  A.  Kimball  (hardware),  J.  S.  Baker 
(proprietor  of  the  United  States  Hotel,  Wash- 
ington street),  Anton  Burkard  (cabinet  manu- 
facturer) and  Philip  Klaus.  The  post-office 
building  was  destroyed  but  the  contents  were 
saved. 

The  story  of  the  terrible  fire  which  desolated 
the  region  around  the  shores  of  Green  Bay 
(October  8,  1S71),  and  which  swept  far  into  the 
interior  of  the  State  to  the  west,  has  been  often 
told  and  wept  over.  It  was  an  awful  casualty  to 
Northeastern  Wisconsin,  and  though  Brown 
■County  escaped  the  brunt  of  the  fierce  cam- 
paign, this  wide-spread  conflagration  has  a  pecu- 
liar horror  to  Green  Bay,  which  became  the 
■center   of   relief  and  the  concentration  of  suf- 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


fering  after  the  flames  had  done  their  worst.  Several  times, 
it  is  true,  sharp  tongues  of  fire  leaped  into  the  the  limits  of 
Green  Bay  and  Fort  Howard  from  the  great  body  which  en- 
compassed them,  and  they  seemed  doomed  to  the  general 
destruction.  Smoke  and  ashes  rolled  through  their  streets, 
and  live  cinders  darted  past  the  Deperes,  five  miles  to 
the  south.  Wrightstown,  further  to  the  south,  was  touched. 
The  fire  swept  through  the  towns  of  Glenmore  (destroying 
Hubbard's  mill),  Rockland,  Depere,  Bellevue,  Preble,  Ea- 
ton, Humboldt  and  Green  Bay.  The  two  last  were  the 
greatest  sufferers,  thirty-nine  buildings  being  destroyed  in 
ihe  former  and  sixty-eight  in  the  latter.  Green  Bay  itself  was 
really  saved  by  the  e.xertions  of  the  people  of  Bellevue 
'I'own  who  worked  all  of  that  wild  night  and  checked  the 
progress  of  the  flames  northward.  The  greatest  havoc  at  any 
one  point  in  this  county  was  accomplished  in  the 
village  of  New  Franken,  twelve  miles  east  of  the  city, 
in  the  town  of  Green  Bay.  The  fire  struck  the  village 
at  seven  o'clock  r.  m.,  a  heavy  gale  sweeping  it  along 
from  the  southwest.  In  five  hours  the  place  was  a 
mass  of  ruins,  the  principal  loss  being  sustained 
by  Willard  Lamb,  who  owned  the  saw-mill,  a  large 
boarding  house  and  a  number  of  tenement  houses.  The 
school-house,  the  post-office,  every  thing,  was  burned,  and 
nearly  a  hundred  people  made  homeless.  The  fire  contin- 
ued in  a  northeasterly  direction  for  twenty  miles,  taking 
every  thing  in  its  way.  No  lives  were  lost,  though  there 
were  many  narrow  escapes.  The  loss  of  life  was  invariably 
greatest  on  the  western  shore  of  the  bay,  though  the  suf- 
fering was  greatest  in  the  eastern  districts,  from  the  fact 
that  there  were  few  large  settlements  in  that  region  ;  the 
farmers  were  obliged  to  fight  the  fire  separately  almost 
(each  man  for  himself),  and  when  conquered,  relief  was  dif- 
ficult of  access.  Sufferers  flocked  into  Green  Bay  and  Fort 
Howard,  and  every  house  became  a  hospital.  The  news  of 
the  burning  of  Peshtigo  and  the  destruction  of  hundreds 
of  lives  was  brought  by  Captain  Thomas  Hawley,  of  the 
steamer  "  Union,"  from  Menomonee.  The  air  seemed  afire  ; 
east,  west  and  south,  waves  and  torrents  of  smoke  still 
rolled  around  Green  Bay.  When  the  extent  of  the  Peshti- 
go calamity  was  fully  realized,  $4,000  were  at  once  raised 
for  the  sufferers,  and  large  amounts  of  clothing,  and  pro- 
visions gathered.  Mayor  Kimball  called  a  me'eting,  and 
committees  of  relief  were  appointed  from  each  ward. 
Turner  Hall  was  transferred  into  a  relief  hospital  under 
the  care  of  Dr.  H.  O.  Crane,  and  the  old,  hopeful,  generous 
spirit  of  the  war  was  revived  in  the  breasts  of  men  and 
women  alike.  Green  Bay  was  the  center,  too,  of  the 
mournful  news  which  poured  in  from  all  sides.  Although 
money,  clothing  and  provisions  arrived  on  every  train  from 
all  quarters  of  the  country  for  weeks  it  seemed  almost  im- 
possible to  alleviate  the  wide-spread  suffering.  The  wound 
caused  by  the  loss  of  the  thousand  lives  could  never  be 
healed.  Relief  depots  were  established  in  Milwaukee  and 
Green  Bay,  and  for  months  the  work  went  on.  In  Green 
Bay  alone  the  receipts  from  October  8  to  January  15 
amounted  to  $91,085.98,  nearly  six  thousand  persons  being 
on  the  list  for  this  district. 

[For  a  history  of  the  great  fire,  see  Marinette  County.] 
On  January  27,  1873,  fire  was  discovered  in  the  gro- 
cery and  ship  chandlery  store  of  Day  &  Whitney,  corner  of 
Washington  and  Main  streets.  The  flames  soon  spread  to 
the  new  brick  building  (three  stories)  next  south,  which  was 
owned  by  F.  R.  Schettler.  Next  came  the  fine  dry  goods 
store  of  George  Sommers.  These  were  all  destroyed  with 
valuable  stocks,  and  as  the  south  wall  of  the  latter 
l)uilding  fell  it  crushed  the  wooden  gunsmith  shop  of  H. 
Hall  into  fragments.  The  jjrincipal  losers  were  George 
Sommers     $75,000,    insurance    $52,500;    Day  &    Whitney 


$68,000,  insurance  §24,700;  F.  R.  Schettler  $12,000,  in- 
surance $5,000.  The  total  loss  was  $156,000;  insurance 
$82,700. 

The  most  destructive  conflagration  which  ever  visited 
Brown  County  occurred  September  20,  1880,  and  laid  in 
ashes  one  hundred  buildings  in  the  city  of  Green  Bay.  A 
full  and  graphic  account  of  the  casualty  is  taken  from  the 
files  of  the  Advocate: 

Monday,  September  20,  iSSo,  will  always  be  referred  back  to  as  a 
terrible  day  for  Green  Bay.  During  the  prevalence  of  a  tremenduous 
gale  from  the  southwest  about  2:30  P.  M.,  the  dread  alarm  of  fire  was 
sounded.  The  fire  proved  to  be  in  the  planing  mill  on  the  bank  of 
Fox  River,  near  the  juncture  of  Washington  and  Adams  streets.  The 
engine  reached  the  scene  as  quickly  as  possible,  but  the  inflammable 
nature  of  the  building  and  its  contents  precluded  the  possibility  of  sav- 
ing it,  and  the  flames  quickly  leaped  to  the  wooden  structures  about, 
and,  fanned  by  the  gale,  swept  onward  with  resistless  energy.  The 
wooden  building  where  the  fire  started  was  but  a  mouthful,  and  the 
flames  jumped  Washington  street,  licked  up  the  old  Bank  Building  and 
Conley's  ice  house  on  Washington  and  jumped  Adams  street  to  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  and  parsonage.  The  church  roof  was  fired  by  the  burn- 
ing coals  in  many  places  at  once,  and  although  a  gallant  fight  was  made 
by  men  with  pails  of  water,  who  mounted  the  roof  by  means  of  ladders, 
it  was  doomed.  The  organ  was  saved,  but  the  men  who  saved  it  came 
near  being  crushed  by  the  falling  plaster.  From  the  church  it  swept 
over  to  Jefferson  street  westward,  still  tending  to  the  north,  and  wiped 
out  the  residences  of  John  Last,  Sr.,  and  John  Last,  Jr.,  and  those  of 
Postmaster  Kimball,  Dr.  Brett  and  Judge  Ellis.  Here  it  jumped  the 
street,  and  on  the  easterly  side  took  the  old  Follett  residence  ;  thence 
northeasterly  to  Madison  street,  taking  the  residences  of  George  Haskin- 
son,  J.  J.  Tracy,  Esq.,  and  M.  Gagnon.  Here  a  most  stubborn  fight 
was  made.  On  the  corner  of  Madison  and  Stuart  streets,  was  the  Garon 
residence.  Here  Omar  Harder  and  others  worked  vigorously  with  pails. 
This  locality  seemed  to  be  the  key  to  the  whole  situation.  The  Garon  home 
stood  on  the  corner,  and  if  it  burned,  the  coals  would  be  carried  directly 
over  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  the  north  side  of  Jackson  square. 
On  the  east  side  of  Jefferson  street,  wasthe  Baptist  Church,  in  pretty  warm 
quarters  with  the  Moravian  parsonage,  Moravian  Church  and  another 
building  near  it.  Had  these  gone,  the  fire  would  unquestionably  have 
jumped  Jackson  square,  and  taken  a  fresh  start,  sweeping  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  old  Brick  Schoolhouse,  Louis  Schellar's  residence 
and  thence  on  to  the  Cathedral  and  other  buildings  on  Monroe  street,  with 
the  Bishop's  residence,  old  German  church  and  other  buildings  on  Mad- 
ison street.  But  happily  the  fight  was  successful,  and  it  was  stopped  here, 
although  the  old  Brick  Schoolhouse  was  on  fire  several  times.  This 
ended  the  southern  section  of  the  fire. 

In  the  meantime  and  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  fire  just 
described,  the  wind,  which  amounted  almost  to  a  tornado,  carrying 
showers  of  burning  coals  with  it,  lodged  a  coal  on  the  roof  of  Charles 
Kitchen's  residence  on  Cherry  street,  which  was  speedily  fanned  into  a 
flame,  and  a  new  conflagration  started  several  blocks  distant  from  the 
first,  and  probably  the  most  disastrous  of  the  two  in  amount  of  loss  and 
buildings  destroyed.  The  fire  spread  on  both  sides,  principally  to  the 
eastward,  quickly  jumped  Cherry  street  and  burned  nearly  two  blocks 
on  the  north  side,  including  three  fine  brick  buildings.  Its  east- 
ern limit  on  this  street  was  the  residence  of  Mr.  Preble,  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  Cherry  and  Van  Buren  streets.  The  residence  of  City  Treas- 
urer Kusterman,  next  south  of  it,  was  saved  by  hard  work. 

One  of  the  most  gallant  and  successful  fights  during  the  fire  was  that 
made  at  the  Lutheran  Church,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Cherry  and 
Van  Buren.  The  church  was  saved  by  pails  of  water,  almost  without  a 
scorch ;  and  was  the  key  to  the  safety  of  a  large  number  of  other  build- 
ings. 

From  Cherry  it  swept  over  on  Pine  street,  taking  both  sides  of  the 
street,  and  including  the  residence  of  John  D.  Williams  and  J.  McDonnell. 
A  most  stubborn  fight  was  made  at  the  Pine-street  Schoolhouse  by  a  corps 
of  men  with  buckets  under  the  leadership  of  School  Superintendent  Leon- 
ard. It  caught  fire  several  times.  The  piles  of  wood  and  sidewalk  about  it 
were  partially  burned,  and  also  the  fence  surrounding  it.  These  efforts 
were  successful,  and  the  building,  which  is  the  best  schoolhouse  in  the 
city,  was  saved  almost  without  damage. 

From  Pine  street  the  fire  jumped  a  block  to  the  north  side  of  Main 
street,  strange  to  say  skipped  the  Schumacher  property  on  the  south 
side  altogether,  and  ijurned  the  north  side,  ending  on  the  bank  of  East 
River,  simply  because  the  wind  was  blowing,  and  there  was  nothing 
more  for  it  to  feed  upon.  The  nearest  approach  of  the  fire  to  Walnut 
street,  was  the  burning  of  the  barns  on  the  premises  of  J.  B.  Wing  and 
Mr.  Althof,  while  their  houses  on  the  north  side  of  Walnut  street  entirely 
escaped. 

"The  scenes  of  terror  and  confusion  beggar  description.  Many  build- 
ings were  burned  with  scarcely  an  article  removed  from  them.  Others 
removed  portions  of  their  goods,  and  some  goods  taken  into   the  street 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


were  burned  there.  Men,  women  and  children  hurried  along,  bearing 
all  sorts  of  articles  in  their  hands ;  and  teams  were  very  busy  carrying 
ofl' the  rescued  properly.  A  score  or  more  of  people  removtd  all  their 
goods  from  their  houses,  and  the  houses  escaped,  while  many  others 
packed  their  most  valuable  articles  and  let  them  remain. 

We  presume  the  origin  of  the  fire  is  not  certainly  known  ;  but  it  is 
almost  a  certainly  that  it  caught  from  a  spark  thrown  out  from  the 
smoke-stack  of  the  Goodrich  propeller  "Oconto."  which  just  passed.  The 
suspicion  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  she  set  several  fires  down  town 
the  same  evening,  which  were  fortunately  all  noticed  and  extinguished. 

Compelent  judges  place  the  total  losses  at  about  $125,000,  and  insur- 
ance  from  $60,000  10  $70,000.  Messrs.  Kimball  &  Libby  had  losses  in 
companies  represented  by  them  ol  from  $25,000  to  $30,000.  The  following 
are  among  the  losses  and  insurance  :  Presliyterian  Church  and  parson- 
age $10,000,  insurance  $5,000;  the  Crandall  House  and  barn  $4,000, 
A.  \V.  Kimball,  who  occupied  them,  insurance  on  furniture  $1,950; 
Anton  Burkard  $4,000,  insurance  $2,000;  the  Schuetie  Building  $3,000, 
insurance  $2,500;  Mrs.  Munroe  $3,500,  insurance  $2,600;  the  Avery 
property  $3,300  ;  N.  Schilling  on  three  brick  dwellings  $11,000.  insur- 
ance $4,500  ;  J.  Leisch  $5,000,  insurance  $[,500  ;  the  Irving  library  in 
the  Presbyterian  parson?ge  $2,000,  insurance  $1,300  ;  Mr.  Prebles  $2,500, 
insurance  $1,000. 

One  of  the  saddest  losses  for  Green  r>ay  is  in  the  destruction  of 
hundreds  of  its  beautiful  shade  trees,  whiih  it  will  take  a  long  time  to 
replace.  There  are  those  who  think  that  the  most  northerly  fire,  which 
originated  in  the  Kitchen  building,  did  not  come  from  the  first,  but  from 
a  defective  flue.  The  ladies  from  Fort  Howard,  as  well  as  from  Green 
Bay,  provided  abundant  refreshments  for  the  workers.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  were  cases  of  exorbitant  charges  for  carrying  goods.  The 
saving  of  Pine-street  Schoolhouse,  in  the  midst  of  a  cordon  of  fire,  was 
almost  miraculous.  It  was  on  fire  many  times,  and  put  out  entirely  by 
pails  of  water.  So  close  was  the  call,  that  ten  square  feet  of  the  roof  had 
tcrbe  reshingled  the  next  day.  The  janitor  and  his  wife  deseive  great  credit 
for  their  efforts.  Its  destruction  would  have  largely  spread  the  fire. 
The  "  Old  Brick,"  or  High  School,  also  narrowly  escaped  ;  the  fire  at  one 
time  got  under  the  threshold  and  floor,  and  was  put  out  by  making  holes 
through  the  flooring.  A  daughter  of  Charles  Kitchen,  very  sick  was  re- 
moved from  her  home  and  conveyed  to  the  Cadle  House.  Old  Mrs. 
Schumacher,  on  Main  street,  who  had  for  some  time  been  in  feeble 
health,  died  from  fright,  while  the  property  was  saved.  The  small 
building  on  School  street,  next  to  the  residence  of  Louis  Schellar,  had 
an  underpinning  of  sawdust,  which  caught  fire  several  times,  and  was 
kept  from  burning  and  spreading  by  constant  watching  and  wetting. 

The  steamers  did  all  possible,  and  the  Fort  Howard  steamers  ren- 
dered eflicient  aid  ;  but  the  fire  was  altogether  too  large  for  the  means 
at  hand  for  staying  its  ravages. 

The  escape  of  some  buildings  from  total  destruction  was  simply  won- 
derful ;  for  instance,  the  houses  of  Mrs.  Carabin,  George  Sommers,  J. 
P.  Schumacher,  L.  B.  Godfrey,  Mrs.  Lochman,  Mrs.  Garon  (Gebau 
place),  and  perhaps  others.  All  must  have  noticed  the  freedom  from 
drunkenness  on  the  streets.  Business  of  all  kinds  in  the  city  was  practi- 
cally suspended. 

•(.        THE    PRESS   OF    GREEN    EAY. 

On  the  I  ith  of  December,  1833,  Albert  G.  Ellis  and  J. 
V.  Suydam  issued  the  first  paper  which  ever  showed  its 
inky  face  within  the  present  limits  of  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin; its  name,  the  Green  Bay  InteUigencer  ;  its  size,  16x22 
inches;  period  of  publication,  semi-monthly.  It  was  the 
intention  to  make  it  a  weekly,  but  the  field  presented  was 
not  sufficiently  fruitful  of  subscribers.  Mr.  Suydam  erected 
a  little  one-story  building,  which  has  been  so  often  repro- 
duced on  paper  that  its  appearance  is  familiar  to  every  one 
who  is  interested  in  the  pioneer  life  of  the  Northwest.  A. 
G.  Ellis  became  connected  with  the  Intelligencer  at  once, 
and  came  into  possession  of  it  in  1834,  associating  with 
himself  C.  C.  P.  Arndt.  In  the  meantime  (August,  1835), 
Mr.  Stevenson  had  established  the  Wisconsin  Free  Press, 
purchased  shortly  afterwards  by  Charles  C.  Sholes.  In 
August,  1836,  the  two  papers  were  consolidated,  and  the 
Wisconsin  Democrat  mnAe  its  ajjpearance;  H.  O.  and  C.  C. 
Sholes,  proprietors.  After  the  great  fire  of  1840,  the  paper 
was  removed  to  Southport  (now  Kenosha).  In  September, 
1841,  an  association  started  the  Green  Bay  Republican,  pub- 
lished by  H.  O.  Sholes  and  edited  by  C.  C.  P.  Arndt.  In 
1844,  Samuel  Ryan,  Jr.,  became  owner  of  the  establishment, 
and  changed  the  name  to  the  Wisconsin  Republican.  The 
PhcBnix,  also  started  in  1841  by  J.  V.  Suydam  and  Judge 
J.  V.  Knapp,  was  so  badly  scorched  by  fire  in  December  of 
that  year  that  it  never  recovered. 


In  1846,  the  Green  Bay  Advocate  was  established  by 
Charles  D.  and  A.  C.  Robinson,  natives  of  Marcellus,  N.  Y. 
The  former  was  first  upon  the  ground,  and  in  a  few  days  the 
material  for  the  office  was  on  its  way  from  Buffalo,  safely 
stowed  on  the  steamer  "Columbus."  'I'he  initial  number  ap- 
peared August  13,  a  six-column  sheet.  It  so  met  the  wants  of 
the  people  that  it  has  lived  and  grown  to  this  day,  there  hav- 
ing been  but  one  change  in  the  firm,  the  admissioi.  of  Dorr 
Clark,  son-in-law  of  the  junior  partner,  A.  C.  Robinson,  on 
March  8,  1875.  During  the  latter  jiart  of  1847,  Samuel  Ryan, 
Jr.,  removed  the  Republican  to  Fond  du  Lac,  thus  leaving 
the  Advocate  a  clear  field.  With  the  exception  of  Col. 
Robinson's  service  as  Secretary  of  State  in  1852-53,  his 
absence  in  the  military  ser\ice  during  the  war,  and  his  trip 
to  Europe  for  his  health  in  1868,  the  management  of  the 
Advocate  by  the  Robinson  brothers  has  been  continuous 
and  personal.  It  was  and  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and 
during  the  Rebellion  was  a  vigorous  upholder  of  the  Union. 

In  1866,  the  Green  Bay  Gazette  was  established  by  Col. 
Geo.  C.  Ginty  and  Dwight  I.  Follett,  the  first  number  ap- 
pearing on  March  3.  In  September  Col.  Ginty  ]nirchased 
Mr.  Follett's  interest,  and  conducted  it  alone  until  1867, 
when  Wm.  B.  Tapley,  of  Racine,  became  an  equal  partner. 
Fire  destroyed  the  Gazette's  office  in  February  of  the  next 
year,  but  could  not  burn  out  the  energy  of  its  proprietors, 
who  not  only  purchased  an  entire  new  outfit  in  forty-eight 
hours  from  the  time  of  tlie  disaster,  but  soon  enlarged  the 
paper  from  six  to  eight  columns.  In  May,  D.  I.  Follett  re- 
connected himself  with  the  Gazette  by  purchasing  Col. 
Ginty 's  interest.  Under  the  management  of  Tapley  &  Fol- 
lett it  continued  for  a  year  and  a  half,  the  former  selling 
out  January  i,  1870,  to  Geo.  E.  Hoskinson.  Messrs.  Hos- 
kinson  &  Follett  changed  the  name  to  The  State  Gazette, 
and  commenced  to  issue  their  daily  in  November,  1871.  Mr. 
Hoskinson  being  ajipointed  United  States  consul  to  Kings- 
ton, Jamaica,  left  for  the  scene  of  his  labors  in  January,  1876, 
retaining  his  interest  in  the  paper.  Both  weekly  and  daily 
have  been  enlarged.  The  Gazette  has  always  been  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  the  political 
journals  of  the  State. 

Green  Bay  Globe. — This  is  a  weekly  journal,  established 
in  February,  1874,  by  Messrs.  Root  and  Kimball.  The 
former  disposed  of  his  interest  to  M.  D.  Kimball,  who  is 
its  present  editor  and  proprietor. 

Concordia  was  formerly  a  German,  Catholic,  Democratic, 
weekly  paper,  which  was  established  at  Manitowoc,  Octo- 
ber 30,  1874,  by  Rev.  Jas.  Fessler.  It  was  consolidated 
with  the  W'isconsin  Staats  Zeitiing,  of  Green  Bay,  August  5, 
1875,  and  removed  to  this  city,  Fred.  Burkard  being  its 
editor  and  juoprietor.  Mr.  Burkard  died  March  29,  1S80, 
and  the  Concordia  was  carried  on  by  his  son,  H.  A.  Burkard, 
until  May  29,  1881,  when  it  was  purchased  by  J.  Buergler, 
its  present  editor  and  proprietor.  The  Concordia  is  now 
independent  in  politics. 

Other  papers  have  lived  and  died  in  Green  Bay,  the 
foregoing  being  those  in  existence  in  1S81.  In  1828, 
Morgan  L.  Martin  made  an  attempt  to  start  a  newspaper, 
and  several  subscription  lists  were  in  circulation,  but  no 
journal  ever  came  of  it. 

The  first  printing  done  west  of  Lake  Michigan  was  ac- 
complished at  Green  Bay,  the  "  press  "  being  a  printer's 
"  planer."  This  was  in  1827,  the  job  work  being  some  , lot- 
tery tickets,  which  were  printed  by  A.  G.  Ellis  to  help  John 
P.  Arndt  out  of  losses  by  fire. 

THE   CHURCHES. 

Green  Biy  has  a  number  of  fl  )urishing  churches.  The 
Cithilic  element,  however,  decidedly  prevails,  this  city  be- 
ing the  center  of  the  diocese.  Ttie  Cithedral,  a  magnificent 
two-towered  structure  of  red  brick,  and  an   imposing  two- 


HISTmRY  (  r    iNURTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


spired  edifice  for  the  accommodation  of  the  French  Catho- 
lics, bear  testimony  to  the  wealth  and  power  of  that  denom- 
ination. 

The  diocese  of  Green  Ray  was  included  in  that  of  Mil- 
waukee until  March  3,  1S6S,  when  it  was  formally  estab- 
lished by  order  of  the  Holy  See,  the  Right  Reverend  Joseph 
Melcher  being  called  to  the  Bishopric.  Bishop  Melcher 
was  Theologian  to  the  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  and  most  prom- 
inent in  the  council  which  convened  at  Baltimore  in  1866 
and  recommended  the  formation  of  two  new  dioceses  within 
the  State.  Bishop  Melcher  was  consecrated  by  tlie  Arch- 
bishop of  St.  Louis  July  12,  1868,  and  continued  to  pre- 
side over  the  diocese  until  the  time  of  his  death,  December 
20,  1873.  Very  Rev.  Father  Francis  E.  Daems,  Vicar- 
general  of  the  diocese,  became  administrator.  The  pres- 
■ent  Bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  Francis  Xavier  Krautbauer,  formerly 
chaplain  of  the  convent  of  Notre  Dame,  Milwaukee,  was 
•consecrated  June  29,  1875,  and  immediately  commenced 
preparations  for  the  building  of  a  new  cathedral  commen- 
surate with  the  strength  and  importance  of  the  diocese. 
This  includes  all  that  region  lying  north  of  the  Fox  and 
Manitowoc  rivers  and  east  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  con- 
taining a  Catholic  population  of  64,200.  Of  the  1 10  churches 
in  the  diocese  nineteen  are  located  in  Brown  County. 

The  Cathedral  Churc/t. — The  congregation  now  worship- 
ing in  the  Cathedral  is  successor  to  that  of  the  old  St. 
Mary's  Church,  established  in  1S54,  and  which  was  an  off- 
shoot of  the  French  Church.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
fine  edifice  was  laid  October,  i,  1876,  in  the  presence  of 
Bishop  Krautbauer,  ten  priests  of  the  diocese  and  alarge  con- 
course of  people.  Located  on  the  corner  of  Monroe  and 
Doty  streets,  it  is  of  the  Romanesque  style,  built  of  red 
brick,  and  cost  $40,000.  It  is  146  feet  in  length,  transcept 
seventy-two  feet,  nave  fifty-two  feet,  side  wall  twenty-five 
feet.     It  has  two  towers,  not   yet  completed,  and  four  bells. 

Under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  and  con- 
nected with  the  Cathedral  organization,  are  the  Cathedral 
parish  and  select  schools,  200  pupils,  St.  Willibrord's 
ninety,  and  St.  John's  (French)  with  the  same  number. 

Si.  Joseph's  Orphan  Asylum  wa.^  {owwded  ]\inQ  29,  1877, 
and  incorporated  in  December,  1879.  The  building  and 
half  block  on  which  it  is  located  was  formerly  known  as 
ithe  Ursuline  Academy,  and  is  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Webster  avenue  and  Crooks  street,  the  property  being  val- 
'ued  at  117,000.  The  structure  is  of  brick,  three  stories  and 
■basement,  sixty-six  by  forty  feet.  In  the  rear  are  the 
■chapel  and  house  of  the  superintendent.  Father  Kerstan. 
Attached  to  the  asylum  is  a  farm  of  130  acres,  twenty  of 
which  are  under  cultivation.  Instruction  is  given  in  Ger- 
man and  English,  and  particular  attention  is  taken  to  form 
industrial  habits  in  the  lives  of  the  pupils.  When  first 
•established  three  sisters  were  put  in  charge  of  the  asylum 
and  had  seven  pupils.  Now  there  are  seven  sisters  and 
eighty-four  children  from  all  parts  of  the  diocese.  Sister 
Mary  Melania  is  directress. 

The  French  and  English  Catholic  Church  of  St.  John  the 
Evangelist  was  organized  about  two  hundred  years  ago. 
The  first  records  were  kept  in  1S32.  From  that  date  until 
1834  Rev.  Father  Sandrel  was  its  pastor.  From  that  time 
■until  May,  1880,  twenty-five  pastors,  at  different  periods, 
have  been  in  charge,  among  others  the  well-known  Father 
Bonduel,  who  died  in  iS5i,  and  was  sincerely  mourned  by 
Protestants  and  Catholics  alike.  Flags  all  over  the  city  and 
Fort  Howard  were  hung  at  half-mast,  and  more  than 
3,000  people  on  foot  and  in  carriages  followed  his  re- 
mains, two  miles  and  a  half,  to  Bellevue  cemetery.  In  his 
will,  made  several  years  before  his  death,  he  bequeathed  his 
Teal  estate  to  the  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum,  Milwaukee,  the 
venerable  Father  being  the  first  priest  who  ever  said  mass  in 


that  city.  In  May,  18S0,  Rev.  Joseph  J.  Fox,  the  present  pas- 
tor, commenced  his  labors.  The  first  church  building  was  lo- 
cated on  the  present  site  of  the  Astor  Engine-house,  near  the 
Fox  River  and  cemetery.  The  second  church  was  built  where 
is  now  the  cemetery,  in  the  town  of  Allouez,  three  miles 
between  Green  Bay  and  Depere.  The  third  building  was 
purchased  from  the  Methodist  denomination,  and  was  lo- 
cated on  the  same  lot  and  east  of  the  present  church  edi- 
fice, on  Milwaukee  street,  between  Madison  and  Jefferson. 
The  building  is  sixty  by  130  feet,  with  120  pews,  three 
altars  and  two  side  altars.  The  ceiling  is  vaulted  in  the 
middle  and  supported  on  the  sides  by  two  rows  of  pillars. 
A  chapel  is  attached  to  the  sanctuary.  The  church  is  built 
of  brick  in  the  Canadian  style,  with  two  steeples,  at  a  cost 
of  $25,000.  The  society  has  a  membership  of  300  families. 
The  Sabbath  school,  which  was  established  in  1880  and  has 
an  attendance  of  105,  is  in  charge  of  two  Sisters  of  Notre 
Dame  from  Milwaukee. 

The  Holland  Catholic  Church  of  St.  IVillilirord's,  was 
organized  February,  1864,  with  a  membership  of  forty-six 
families.  Rev.  H.  L.  Haffen  was  the  first  pastor.  He  was 
succeeded  in  1875  by  Rev.  C.  De  Louw.  The  present  pastor. 
Rev  N.  Kerstan,  began  his  labor  in  March,  1879.  The 
church  has  a  membership  of  200  families. 

The  church  edifice  was  originally  the  old  court-house, 
30x100  feet,  which  was  enlarged  and  improved.  It  is  lo- 
cated on  the  corner  of  Adams  and  Doty  streets.  In  1880, 
a  two  story  brick  building  was  erected  for  the  parish  school, 
on  the  same  lot  with  the  church  and  parsonage.  It  fronts  on 
Dotv  street,  and  has  an  average  attendance  of  130  scholars. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Cutting  Marsh,  of  the  Stockbridge  Mission,  January  9, 
1836,  with  twelve  members.  The  meetings  were  held  in  a 
small  frame  house  on  lot  fifty-seven,  on  the  west  side  of 
Adams  street,  and  three  lots  north  of  Doty  street.  Rev.  J. 
C.  Marsh  preached  every  two  weeks  until  October,  when 
the  pulpit  was  regularly  supplied  by  Rev.  Moses  Ordway. 
Soon  after  his  coming  the  lower  story  of  a  building  on  the 
north  side  of  Walnut  street  (lot  twenty-four  in  Navarino), 
between  Washington  and  Adams  streets,  was  fitted  up  and 
used  until  September,  1838.  In  October,  1837,  Rev. 
Stephen  Peet,  accepted  the  pastorate,  and  the  church  was 
built  and  dedicated  September  9,  the  year  following.  The 
site  was  lot  fourteen,  in  block  fifteen.  Mr.  Peet's  pastorate 
closed  in  October,  1839,  he  being  succeeded  in  June  of  the 
next  year  by  Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter,  who  remained  eighteen 
years.  From  1859  to  1869,  during  which  a  number  of 
pastors  served,  the  church  membership  continued  to  in- 
crease. On  May  20,  of  that  year.  Rev.  W.  Crawford  ac- 
cepted a  call,  and  with  the  exception  of  fourteen  months 
spent  abroad,  continued  his  pastorate  until  January,  18S1. 
On  September  preceding,  the  church  and  parsonage  were 
destroyed  in  the  great  fire,  and  the  society  at  once  secured 
Klaus's  Hall  for  a  place  of  worship.  In  the  Summer  of  1881, 
a  call  was  extended  to  Chas.  L.  Morgan,  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  the  present  pastor.  The  new  church  edifice,  nearly 
completed  on  the  old  site,  is  early  English  in  style,  the 
main  auditorium  being  66x54  feet,  with  vestry  and  class 
rooms  63x32  feet.  The  spire,  surmounted  by  a  cross,  is 
120  feet  in  hight.  The  society  is  one  of  the  most  flourish- 
ing of  the  Protestant  denominations. 

Christ  Church  w&s  organized  October  21,  1829,  and  is 
the  oldest  Episcopal  Church  in  the  State  ;  having  been  in- 
corporated by  the  Territorial  Legislature.  The  names  of 
the  incorporators  are,  David  Whitney  and  A.  G.  Ellis, 
wardens  ;  James  Doty,  Wm.  Dickinson,  John  Lawe,  .-Mex- 
ander  J.  Irwin,  John  P.  .-Vrndt,  Samuel  W.  Beall,  Robert  Ir- 
win, Jr.,  Henry's.  Baird  and  Rev.  Richard  F.  Cadle.  The 
latter  was  the  first  rector,  and  resigned  in  1837. 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNl  /. 


15 


The  mission  among  the  Menomonees  was  established  in 
1829,  and  $20,000  were  expended  in  buildings.  Camp 
Smith  was  the  site  chosen,  a  high  promontory  three  miles 
up  the  Fox  River.  In  this  work,  Mr.  Cadie  acted  as 
superintendent. 

The  Indians  then  owned  all  the  lands  ;  these  were 
sold  at  the  end  of  five  years  to  the  whites,  and  the  mission 
was  broken  u]).  In  i860,  by  which  year  the  pastcrate  had 
changed  into  the  hands  of  Rev.  Daniel  E.  Brown,  Rev.  Ben- 
jamin Ackerly,  Rev.  Wm.  Hommann  and  others,  the  church 
building  was  enlarged  to  nearly  twice  its  former  capacity. 
During  the  Rev.  Lewis  P.  Tschifely's  incumbency,  1S65  to 
1868,  the  parish  schoolhouse  was  built,  and  during  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  Wm.  P.  Tenbrccck,  1868  to  1870,  two 
chapels  were  built  as  missions,  one  at  Fort  Howard  and  the 
other  at  Duck  Creek.  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Harrod,  the  last  pas- 
tor, resigned  in  April,  1881,  having  officiated  since  De- 
cember, 1877.  The  present  congregation  number  about 
one  hundred  families  and  150  communicants;  with  an 
attendance  of  25010  300.  The  Sabbath  school  has  fifteen 
teachers  and  an  attendance  of  300. 

The  Cadk  Home  is  a  charitable  institution  under  the 
charge  of  the  parish,  belonging  to  the  church,  but  in  no  way 
sectarian,  located  in  the  rear  of  the  church  edifice,  on  the 
same  lot.  It  receives  its  support  from  the  community  at 
large,  and  is  always  open  to  the  sick,  needy  and  unfortu- 
nate, without  distinction.  There  is  constantly  an  average 
of  about  twenty  inmates.  Besides  its  hospital  department, 
it  affords  a  steady  home  for  elderly  ladies  and  young  chil- 
dren. The  average  attendance  for  one  year  is  over  one 
hundred  persons.  Connected  with  it,  and  three  miles  up 
Fox  River,  is  a  farm  of  sixty-five  acres.  The  new  hospital 
building  is  50x60  feet,  three  stories,  and  cost  $3,000.  The 
Home  and  the  hospital  are  under  tlie  control  of  a  board  of 
managers  and  trustees. 

St.  James  (Episcopal)  was  organized  December  21. 
187  I.  The  church  edifice,  which  fronts  on  Webster  square, 
corner  of  Monroe  avenue  and  Lawe  street,  was  completed 
in  1876  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  The  church  is  at  present 
without  a  pastor. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of  Green  Bay,  was  or- 
ganized December  21,  1S62,  by  Rev.  C.  G.  Reim,  with  a 
congregation  of  forty  families.  The  church  was  first  erected 
in  1862,  and  dedicated  October,  1S63.  In  1877  it  was  en- 
larged, and  the  steeple  added  in  18S0.  Its  seating  capacity 
is  between  600  and  800.  The  present  school  building  at- 
tached to  the  church,  and  on  the  same  lot  with  the  par- 
sonage, has  accommodations  for  120  pupils.  The  school 
has  two  teachers  and  is  under  the  care  of  the  present  pastor, 
Carl  E.  G.  Oppen,  who  has  filled  the  pastorate  over  five 
years.  The  property  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Cherry 
and  Van  Buren  streets.  The  church  has  a  congregation  of 
154  families,  and  the  Sabbath  school  an  average  attendance 
of  ninety  scholars. 

The  Northwestern  Orphan  Asylum.— UsLWing  long  felt  the 
need  of  an  asylum  for  the  destitute  orphans. of  Protestant 
emigrants  to  the  West,  other  than  that  furnished  by  the 
Poor  House  and  the  Reform  School,  Rev.  C.  E.  G.  Oppen 
has  recently  founded,  and  now  has  in  successful  operation, 
an  orphanage  for  boys  and  girls,  which,  while  expressly  in- 
tended for  the  children  of  Protestant  parents,  is  at  the 
same  time  fully  open  to  all. 

Madison  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  church, 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.   H.    S.   Richardson,  is  in 

I      good  condition.     The  structure,  situated  on  Madison  street, 

j      was  erected  in  1858. 

Central  Baptist  Church  was  organized  June   31.    1867. 

;      For  the  first  five    years   services  were   irregular.      In    1872 

i      E.ev.  Lewis  Raymond,  of  Chicago,  put   new   life   into  the 


society,  and  a  lot  was  purchased  on  Moravian  street  near 
the  corner  of  Madison.  The  building,  a  neat  frame  struc- 
ture, was  dedicated  in  1873,  and  since  then  services  have 
been  regular.  Rev.  L.  G.  Carr  officiates  in  this  church  in 
the  morning,  and  in  Depere  in  the  evening.  The  present 
membership  is  thirty-six. 

German  Methodist  Church. — This  society  was  organized 
in  1865,  with  fifteen  members.  The  church  building  was 
erected  in  1874,  and  fronts  on  Doty  street,  between  Stewart 
and  Clay  streets.  Rev.  Ernst  Fitzner  was  its  first  pastor, 
serving  one  year.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  A.  F.  Tuers- 
tenan  ;  membership  of  the  church  fifty-one. 

The  Moravian  Church  was  organized  in  1851  with  a 
full  membership  of  200.  The  church,  which  fronts  the 
public  square,  betwetn  Monroe  and  Madison  streets,  was 
dedicated  in  1852.  Rev.  J.  F.  Fett  organized  the  society, 
and  remained  with  it  twelve  years.  April  27,  1880,  the 
present  pastor,  Rev.  W.  H.  Hock,  began  his  term  of  service. 
The  membership  is  134. 


Green  Bay  has  a  large  number  of  secret  and  benevo- 
lent societies,  besides  those  which  do  not  come  in  this  cat- 
egory.    The  prominent  ones  are  mentioned  below. 

Masonic. — Washington  Lodge,  No.  21,  was  organized  in 
December,  1848,  with  seven  charter  members.  Henry  S. 
Baird  was  its  first  W.  M.  He  also  served  in  that  capacity 
when  it  was  re-organized  in  1852.  Oliver  Libbey  is  W.  M. 
at  present.  The  place  of  meeting  for  ten  years  has  been 
Whitney's  block,  Washington  street.  The  lodge  is  in  a 
flourishing  condition. 

Warren  Chapter,  No.  8,  was  organized  in  1852,  with 
nineteen  members;  H.  S.  Baird,  H.  P.  A.  W.  Kein  now 
fills  that  position.  The  membeiship,  January  i,  1881, 
was  sixty-eight ;  place  of  meeting,  Washington  Lodge  Hall. 

Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor. — Knights  of  Honor,  Nav- 
arino  Lodge,  No.  1384,  was  organized  February  13,  1879, 
with  twenty-nine  members,  J.  H.  Leonard,  dictator.  It 
now  numbers  seventy-nine  members,  J.  M.  Shoemaker, 
dictator. 

Ladies  and  Knights  of  Honor,  Social  Lodge,  No.  383, 
was  organized  January  6,  1S81,  with  nineteen  charter  mem- 
bers. It  now  has  twenty-seven,  J.  H.  Leonard,  protector; 
Mrs.  C.  Murch,  vice-protector. 

/.  O.  O.  F. — Green  Bay  Lodge,  No.  19. — This  is  one  of 
the  first  three  lodges  instituted  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
June  10,  1847.  H.  S.  Baird  was  elected  N.G.;  T.  O.  Howe, 
H.  O.  Scholtz,  H.  S.  Baird,  D.  W.  King,  John  Day  and  C. 
L.  Wheelock  were  charter  members. 

Hermann  Lodge,  No.  Tii,was  organized  March  7,  1866, 
with  six  members.  It  meets  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  corner 
of  Adams  and  Cherry  streets,  as  does  Green  Bay  Lodge, 
No.  19.     Present  membership,  sixty-eigfit. 

Golden  Rule  Encampment,  No.  18,  was  instituted 
April  15,  1867,  J.  A.  Pinto.  (.;.  P.,  and  with  nine  charter 
members.     Its  strength  now  is  about  forty. 

Knights  of  Pythias,  Pochequette  Lodge,  No.  26,  organ- 
ized April  28,  1879,  has  fifty-one  members;  L  H.  Leonard, 

c.  c. 

Catholic  Knights  of  America,  Branch  No.  150,  estab- 
lished in  September,  18S0,  with  fifteen  members;  has  for 
its  benefits  either  $2,000  or  $1,000  at  death,  as  full  01: 
half  rates  are  paid.     P.  Ryan   is  president. 

Benevolent  Societies.  —  St.  Joseph's  Benevolent  Society 
was  organized  in  March,  1875.  It  gives  care  and  weekly 
allowances  to  members  during  sickness  and  benefits  in  the 
event  of  death.  The  strength  of  the  society  is  fifty-two 
members,  its  hall  being  in  the  rear  of  the  Holland  Church. 
B.  M.  Berendsen  is  president. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


The  German  Benevolent  Society  was  established  Jan- 
uary I,  1850.  George  Oldenburg  has  been  its  president,  first 
and  last.  Its  present  membership  is  seventy-three.  The 
society  is  both  social  and  beneficiary. 

lenipeiancc  Societies. —  The  first  temperance  society  was 
organized  May  30,  1831,  bv  Judge  J.  D.  Doty,  John  Lawe, 
M.  L.  Martin,  Richard  F.  Cadle,  F.  Franks,  John  Y.Smith, 
John  P.  Arndt  and  J.  V.  Suydani — an  array  of  talent,  mor-' 
ality  and  solidity  seldom  brought  together. 

Green  Bay  Temjile  of  Honor,  No.  79,  was  organized 
with  thirty  charter  members.  J.  G.  Miller  is  W.  C.  T. 
The  hall  is  on  Pine  street  between  Washington  and  Adams 
streets. 

The  Green  Bay  Branch  of  the  Woman's  Temperance 
Alliance  was  organized  April  21,  1874.  Strictly  speaking, 
ttniperance  meetings  were  held  for  four  years  in  the  Pres- 
bjterian  Chuich,  and  this  organization  was  merged,  in  1S79, 
into  the  branch.  Mrs.  D.  C.  Ayers  is  president,  the  mem- 
bership having  reached  eighty.  Much  good  work,  in  an 
educa.ional  way,  is  done  among  juveniles,  and  the  cause  of 
reformation  extends  beyond  the  bars  of  the  jail,  many  of 
its  prisoners  having  joined  its  ranks. 

Philha)7iwtiic  Society. —  This  musical  society  has  not 
been  in  active  operation  for  the  last  few  years,  but  for  some 
time  it  was  considered  one  of  the  leading  organizations  of 
its  kind  in  the  State.  It  was  formed  August  3,  1872,  A. 
W.  Kimball,  president. 

Turn  Verein  Society. — The  parent  of  the  present  organ- 
ization was  born  in  1854,  with  fifteen  members.  On  Au- 
gust 16,  i860,  this  society  combined  with  the  Harmony  (dra- 
matic)and  the  Liedertafel(musical)to  form  the  present  organ- 
ization. Their  first  hall  was  built  on  Pine  street  in  that  year, 
but  the  society  so  grew  in  numbers  that  in  1870  it  was  found 
necessary  to  erect  a  more  commodious  structure,  and  the 
present  large  hall,  corner  of  Walnut  street  and  Monroe 
avenue  is  the  result  of  their  labors.  The  building  is 
60x100  feet,  three  stories,  and  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $10,000.  The  membership  of  the  Verein  is  ninety- 
six,  G.  Kesterman,  president. 

In  addition  to  the  Turner  Hall  and  the  several  lodge 
halls  mentioned  incidentally  in  the  foregoing  sketches, 
Green  Bay  has  another  which  is  patronized  principally  by 
traveling  troupes  —  Klaus's,  on  Pine  street.  The  building 
was  erected  by  Charles  Klaus  in  May,  1866. 

Hotels. — The  city  is  well  supplied  with  hotels,  about 
twenty-five  being  in  operation.  Cooke's  Hotel,  Washing- 
ton street,  is  acknowledged  to  lead.  It  was  completed  the 
latter  part  of  1875,  by  George  R.  Cooke  and  Joseph  Brown, 
its  owners.  It  was  formally  opened  to  the  public  in  April, 
1875.  The  hotel  was  at  first  in  charge  of  J.  W.  Hutchin- 
son, who  kept  it  one  year.  In  May,  i876,"M.  E.  Cozzens 
took  charge.  That  gentleman  had  been  many  years  con- 
nected with  the  Beaumont  House.  A.  Cozzens,  son  of 
M.  E.,  formerly  connected  with  the  Newhall  House,  is 
now  proprietor.  The  building  is  of  solid  brick,  four  stories 
high,  and  presents  a  substantial  appearance  generally. 

Stiohgs  Bank  of  Green  Bay,  successor  to  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Green  Bay.  This  banking  house  was 
organized  by  Henry  Strong  in  1859.  under  the  then  exist- 
ing Slate  law,  as  the  bank  of  Green  Bay,  and  so  conducted 
business  until  November  i,  1865,  when  it  was  re-organized 
as  the  First  National  Bank  of  Green  Bay.  This  organiza- 
tion was  continued  until  1877,  when  it  ceased  operations 
as  a  National  Bank,  was  re-organized  under  the  State  law, 
and  became  Sirong's  Bank  of  Green  Bay.  The  ofiicers  of 
the  bank  are  Henry  Strong,  president ;  Louise  Neese,  cash- 
ier; Hon.  David  McKelly,  M.  P.  Skeels,  L.  M.  Marshall- 
directors.  Its  capital  stock  is  $50,000,  present  surplus 
$io,cco,   aud   its  average    deposits   $450,000.      The    bank 


building,  a  two-story  brick,  fronting  twenty-two  feet  on 
Washington  street  and  eighty  feet  deep,  is  on  the  site  of 
the  original  building  in  which  banking  operations  were 
commenced  in  1859,  and  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  ten 
years  later.  The  bank  is  now  doing  a  large  business  in 
foreign  exchange,  and  as  agent  for  ocean  steamers.  It  is 
well  supplied  with  fire-proof  vaults,  time  lock,  burglar- 
proof  safe,  and  all  the  appliances  of  a  first-class  banking 
concern. 

Kellogg's  National  Bank. —  This  was  the  successor  to  the 
City  National,  and  was  established  January  i,  1874.  Its 
president  is  Rufus  B.  Kellogg,  who  has  also  a  branch  bank 
in  Depere. 

Green  Bay  is  truly  favored  in  the  quality  of  her  profes- 
sional men.  Such  lawvers  as  Hastings  &  Greene,  Judge 
E.H.  Ellis,  Hiidd  &  \Vigman,  John  C.  Neville,  and  Tracy 
&  Bailey  are  an  honor  to  any  city.  The  medical  profes- 
sion is  well  represented  by  such  names  as  Drs.  B.  C. 
Brett,  D.  Cooper  Ayers,  Henry  Rhode,  Olmsted  &  Squire, 
Crane  &  Carabin,  etc.,  etc. 

Bro'ivn  County  Medical  Association  was  founded  nearly 
two  years  ago.  The  officers  for  1881  were:  Dr.  W.  H. 
Fisk,  president ;  Dr.  O.  F.  Olmsted,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer.    The   association  numbers,  thirty  members. 


National  Furnace  Company  is  a  joint  stock  company,  and 
was    organized  as  such,  at  Depere,  in  1879.     The    corpora- 
tors were  M.  R.  Hunt  of  Depere,  H.  D.  Smith  of  Appleton, 
A.  B.  Meeker,  and  W.  L.  Brown  of  Chicago.     The  present 
officers  of  the  comi)any,  are — H.  D.  Smith,  president;  W. 
L.     Brown,     vice-president    and    treasurer;    M.    R.    Hunt, 
secretary  and  general  manager.     The  furnaces  operated  by 
this    company,  are — the    National    Furnace,    Depere,    and 
the  Green  Bay  Furnace.    The  Green  Bay  Furnace  was  origi- 
nally established,  as  the  Green  Bay  Iron  Company,  in  1870, 
and  operations  were  commenced  the  following  year.     This 
was   a   joint   stock    company,  organized  by  Anthon   Klaus, 
Philip  Earl,  Max   Resch  and  others,  who    conducted    busi- 
ness   until   1874,  when  operations  ceased,  and  the  property 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Rhodes  &  Bradley  of  Chicago,  by 
whom   business  was  carried  on  until  1877,  when  they  sold 
out    to    A.  B.  Meeker  &  Co.,  also  of  Chicago,  who  held  the 
properly  until  early  in  1879,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of    the    bondholders.      It    was    then    purchased    by    the 
National    Furnace    Company,    who   expended    $25,000    in 
improving  and  equijiping  the  furnace  for  operations,  and 
on  the  fourth  day  of  August,  of   that    year  (1879),  the  fires 
were    started,    business    actively  resumed,  and  has  so  con- 
tinued.    The  pro])erty  embraces  a  tract  of  eleven  and  one       ; 
half  acres,  lying  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Green  Bay,       | 
along  the  north  side  of  East  River,  not  far  from  its  junction       \ 
with  the  Fox.     The  property  is  amply  supplied  with  slips,       : 
and  well  docked  along  its  entire  river  front,  which  affords       ] 
1,500  feet  of  dockage,  with  fourteen  feet  of  navigable  water       j 
for  nearly  one  third  that  distance.     The  buildings,  as  they 
now  stand,  are  those  erected  by  the  original  company,  to       ; 
which    has  been   added   a  new  brick   boiler  house    34x44,       ,' 
with    solid    brick  walls,  fourteen  feet    high,  and  iron  roof.       ji 
The  main  building  is  40x40  feet,  with  walls  forty  feet  high;      »! 
the    stock  house    and    crushing  mill,    is    50x200    feet;    the      I 
casting  house,  40x60;  the  slow-stack,  forty  feet  high,  30x30      I 
at    the   base,  and    20x20  at  the  top,  has  a  capacity  of  8,coo 
tons  annually  ;  the  hot  blast  is  a  forty-five  ton  oven,  supplied 
with  twenty-four  pipes,  fourteen  feet  long,  and  eight  inches 
diameter;  the  charcoal   kilns   have   an    aggregate    caj^acity 
of  900  cords;  two  engines,  one  of  100  horse-power,  and  the 
other  forty-five,  supply  all  the  necessary  force.     Tiie  prem-     j, 
ises    are    also    fully    equijiped  with  wood  and  iron    repair     J 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


shops,  commodious  offices,  tramways,  hoisting  derricks 
for  ore,  oil  house,  stables,  warehouses  and  sheds.  The 
works  give  employment  to  one  superintendent,  one  book- 
keeper, one  founder,  one  master  machinist,  one  black- 
smith, one  carpenter,  two  engineers  and  forty-five  hands. 
The  company  have  also  a  range  of  ten  charcoal  kilns  at 
Seymour,  on  the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  "St.  Paul  R.  R., 
the  product  of  which  is  contracted  for  on  the  track,  the 
work  furnishing  employment  for  si.x  hands.  The  ore, 
which  is  principally  from  the  Menominee  range,  is  fiur- 
chased  from  the  mines,  transported  by  rail  to  the  docks  at 
Escanaba,  and  brought  to  the  furnace  in  the  company's 
steam  barge,  "  W.  L.  Brown."  The  annual  consumption  of 
wood,  is  about  20,000  cords,  and  of  ore,  about  13,500  tons. 
From  175  to  200  cords  of  limestone  are  used  annually  for 
fluxing  ore  in  the  stack.  Summer  shipments,  with  the 
exception  of  local  orders,  are  by  water;  Wuiter  shipments, 
by  rail. 

D.  W.  Britton,  general  cooperage.  This  manuHictory, 
now  a  leading  industry  of  Green  Bay,  was  established  in 
1850,  by  Solomon  Britton  &  Son,  at  the  junction  of  Fox 
and  East  rivers,  and  the  first  season  gave  employment  to 
some  four  or  five  hands.  After  one  year,  location  was 
changed  to  Fox  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Hurlburt's  docks, 
business  was  increased  and  a  force  of  eight  or  ten  hands 
employed.  In  1854,  Solomon  Britton  died,  leaving  the 
business  to  his  son,  the  present  proprietor,  then  but  twenty- 
two  years  of  age.  The  manufactory  was  continued  on  Fox 
River  until  1868,  when  a  removal  was  again  made,  and  the 
present  site  selected.  This  is  a  tract  of  about  four  acres 
lying  along  the  south  shore  of  East  River,  between  Cedar, 
Madison  and  Willow  streets.  On  removing  to  this  loca- 
tion, Mr.  Britton  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  P.  and  D. 
Ranneyof  Cleveland,  Ohio,  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  W. 
Britton  &  Co.,  for  the  manufacture  of  kits  and  wooden 
ware,  this  business  being  independent  of  the  cooper-shop, 
which  was  carried  on  by  Mr.  Britton  as  a  separate  industry. 
The  firm  of  Britton  &  Co.  was  dissolved  in  1875,  and  Mr. 
Britton,  purchasing  the  interest  of  his  partners,  discon- 
tinued that  business  and  turned  his  entire  attention  to 
general  cooperage,  utilizing  so  much  of  the  old  machin- 
ery as  was  available,  and  supplying  such  new  machinery  as 
his  rapidly  enlarging  business  demanded.  In  1878,  the 
number  of  hands  employed,  ranged  from  thirty-five  to 
forty,  and  the  weekly  product  was  about  700  pieces  with  a 
capacity  of  from  four  and  a  half  to  fifty  gallons  each.  The 
manufactory  proper,  was  destroyed  by  fire  the  same  season, 
entailing  a  net  loss  of  $7,000,  but,  in  three  days  less  than 
three  months,  the  new  building  was  erected,  machinery  put 
in  and  operations  resumed.  The  present  manufactory 
is  about  double  the  capacity  of  the  former,  and  is  provided 
with  the  latest  improved  machinery  for  work  of  this  class. 
The  buildings  as  now  standing  are — the  manufactory  proper, 
main  building,  40x72  feet,  two  stories,  with  a  brick  engine 
and  boiler  room  27x54,  supplied  with  an  engine  of  seven- 
ty-five horse-power,  the  refuse  of  the  mill  affording  an 
ample  supply  of  fuel.  Four  dry  kilns,  two  supplied  with 
hot  air  and  two  with  steam,  each  eighteen  feet  square  ; 
a  brick  cooper-shop,  72x28,  with  a  wing  40x85,  two 
stories,  the  lower  one  used  for  storage;  a  brick  storage- 
room  18x72;  two  frame  structures,  each  22x40,  also  for 
storage;  the  whole  having  a  capacity  of  about  10,000 
barrels.  These  with  the  offices  and  four  dwellings  for 
workmen,  comprise  the  principal  buildings  upon  the  lot. 
The  works  give  employment  to  a  force  of  ninety  hands; 
the  product  is  about  2,000  piiJces  a  week,  and  last  year's 
operations  aggregated  about  f68,ooo,  a  little  over  100 
per  cent,  increase  on  that  of  the  previous  year.  While  the 
business    is    that  of  general    cooperage,  the  great  body  of 


the  work  is  for  glucose  factories,  which  require  special 
ly  close  work  to  retain  the  hot  syrup  after  working. 
'I'hese  barrels  are  made  of  bass-wood  staves  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  oak  bung  stave  in  each  barrel,  the  por- 
ous nature  of  this  wood  admitting  of  the  necessary  escape 
for  the  accumulating  gas.  The  timber  supply  is  mainly 
secured  within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles  from  Green 
Bay,  and  shipments  of  product  are  made  as  far  east 
as  New  York,  as  far  south  as  Missouri,  and  throughout  the 
whole  Northwest.  Mr.  Britton  is  a  native  of  New  York  ; 
came  to  Green  Bay  in  1850,  and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  and  School  Board,  and  steward  and  trustee 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  this  city.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Frank  Piraux  is  the  oldest  brick  manufacturer  in  Green 
Bay.  His  property  consists  of  a  tract  of  forty-one  lots 
lying  along  the  west  shore  of  East  River,  in  the  south  ward, 
three  blocks  south  of  Mason-street  bridge.  The  business 
was  established  in  1867,  and  then  gave  employment  to  a 
force  of  nine  hands,  the  product  being  all  hand-molded. 
In  1870  a  Champion  machine  (horse-power)  was  set  up, 
and  a  daily  product  of  11,000  turned  out.  In  i88i  steam- 
power  was  introduced;  a  sixteen  horse-power  engine  em- 
ployed ;  Keel's  patent  molding  machine  for  tile  and  brick 
set  up;  a  force  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty  hands  employed, 
and  the  yield  for  the  season  averaged  20,000  a  day.  The 
clay  is  of  fine  quality  and  produces  both  clear  red  and 
cream-colored  brick.  Mr.  Piraux  is  a  native  of  Belgium, 
from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  Green  Bay  in  1855. 
He  was  variously  employed — in  sailing  on  the  bay  and 
trading,  previous  to  the  establishment  of  his  yards  in  1867. 
He  represented  the  first  ward  three  years  in  the  City  Coun- 
cil ;  has  five  children — now  in  attendance  at  the  city  schools. 

F.  E.  Straubel's  brick  yard  lies  along  the  East  River, 
just  north  of  the  Mason-street  bridge,  where  the  proprietor 
owns  a  tract  of  thirty  acres.  This  industry  was  established 
in  i86g,  his  first  year's  operations  employing  thirteen  hands 
and  yielding  a  daily  product  of  10,000.  In  1875  he  dis- 
carded the  Champion  machine  with  which  he  commenced 
operations,  put  in  a  steam-engine,  used  a  machine  invented 
by  himself,  and  passed  about  5,000  of  its  daily  product 
through  a  hand-pressing  machine.  In  the  Spring  of  1881 
he  fitted  up  for  the  season  with  a  Keel  tile  and  brick  ma- 
chine, and  his  daily  product  was  from  18,000  to  20,000  in  a 
run  of  eleven  hours,  with  a  force  of  21  hands.  The  clay  is 
of  a  very  fine  quality,  burns  clear  red  on  the  upper  courses 
—the  lower  strata  being  the  color  of  the  celebrated  Mil- 
waukee brick.  The  supply  of  clay  is  practically  inexhaust- 
ible, but  is  only  worked  to  a  uniform  depth  of  six  feet,  then 
covered  with  its  native  loam  and  used  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses. Mr.  Straubel  is  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to  Amer- 
icain  1846,  settling  in  Green  Bay  where  hehas  since  resided. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  volunteer  fire  department  of  the 
city  twelve  years,  was  nine  years  Engineer  of  "  No.  i,"  and 
holds  his  diploma  for  services  rendered. 

Woemmel  &:  Royalski,  brick  manufacturers.  This  busi- 
ness was  established  in  the  Spring  of  i88i,by  the  present 
proprietors  ;  gives  employment  to  a  force  of  ten  men,  who 
turn  out  about  10,000  bricks  in  a  run  of  eleven  hours,  using 
a  Joliet  horse-power  machine.  The  yard  is  on  East  River, 
Guernsey's  addition  to  the  city  of  Green  Bay,  blocks  Nos. 
I,  2,  3,  near  Mason-street  bridge.  The  members  of  the 
firm  are  Fred.  Woemmel  and  Henry  Royalski,  both 
practical  brick  makers.  Fred.  Woemmel  was  born  in  Ger- 
many; from  which  country  he  came  to  America  in  1866, 
settling  in  Green  Bay  seven  years  later.  He  owns  a  home- 
stead of  five  acres  just  outside  the  city  limits.  Henry 
Royalski  is  also  a  native  of  Germany,  in  which  country  he 
learned  his  trade,  then   came   to  .\merica   and  settled  in 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Green  Bay  in  1S70,  where  he  has  acquired  some  real  piop- 
erty. 

Kendall  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  m 
March,  18S1,  by  A.  C.  Neville,  James  Robb  and  E.  L.  Ken- 
dall, with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $5,000.  This  company  is 
successor  to  the  manufacturing  business  established  in 
1877,  by  E.  L.  Kendall,  the  present  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  concern.  Their  business  consists  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  contracting  and  building 
and  the  general  work  of  a  planing  mill.  Among  the  build- 
ings erected  by  them  the  past  season  may  be  mentioned  the 
pork-packing  house  of  F.  Hurlburt,  and  the  fine  residence 
of  A.  C.  Neville  in  this  city.  They  also  do  a  large  busi- 
ness in  prepared  material  for  building  in  the  ]\Ienominee 
iron  regions.  Their  premises  front  Adams  street  on  the 
east,  and  lie  between  Main  street  and  the  river,  covering  a 
little  over  half  a  block.  Their  planing  mill  is  a  two-story 
frame  structure  70x95  feet,  fitted  up  with  the  latest  improve- 
ments in  the  way  of  machinery,  which  is  driven  by  an 
engine  of  twenty-four  horse-power.  Their  business,  which 
is  rapidly  increasing,  gave  constant  employment  during  the 
past  season  to  a  force  of  twenty-five  hand's. 

Fox  River  Soap  Company  was  organized  in  1S77,  by 
N,  Meyer,  John  Nick,  R.  O.  Pfister,  and  L.  Larschied. 
The  premises  front  fifty-three  feet  on  Washington,  and 
run  to  the  river  in  the  rear,  150  feet.  Their  business  con- 
sists in  refining,  buying  and  selling  tallow,  and  the  manu- 
facture of  laundry  and  toilet  soaps.  The  product  averages 
about  20,000  .pounds  of  soap  a  week,  and  gives  employ- 
ment to  a  force  of  eight  hands.  R.  O.  Pfister,  superin- 
tendent of  the  manufactory,  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
State  eleven  years  and  of  this  city  nine  years.  L.  Lars- 
chied was  born  in  Green  Bay  in  1849,  and  has  been  a  con- 
stant resident  in  this  county  since. 

J.  W\  Woodruff  &  Co.,  manufacturers  and  dealers  in 
long  timber,  lumber,  lath,  shingles,  etc.  This  business  was 
established  in  1857,  by  J.  C.  Lathrop,  and  after  several 
changes,  came  into  the  possession  of  W.  L.  Candie,  by 
whom  it  was  subsequently  sold  to  W.  S.  Candie.  In  May, 
1866,  the  firm  of  J.  W.  Woodruff  &  Co.,  was  established. 
The  other  members  of  the  firm  being  H.  H.  Wheelock, 
J.  C.  Dennison  and  J.  O.  Kendall,  who  acquired  by  pur- 
chase that  same  year  the  lands  and  mill  of  W.  S.  Candie, 
consisting  of  some  2,500  acres  of  pine  land  in  Brown 
County,  lying  adjacent  to  the  mill,  which  was  situated  in 
Section  23,  Bellevue  Township,  61^  miles  southeast  of 
Green  Bay,  and  also  certain  lots  princi])ally  situated  and 
lying  along  East  River  in  the  Oak  Grove  addition  to  Green 
Bay,  comprising  in  all  about  one  acre.  In  1874,  Mr. 
Woodruff  bought  out  the  interests  of  his  partners,  and  asso- 
■ciating  his  sons  in  business  with  himself,  continued  opera- 
tions under  the  old  name  of  J.  W.  Woodruff  &  Co.  In  the 
season  of  1876,  another  mill,  known  as  the  Lily  Lake  mill, 
was  built,  about  four  miles  southeast  of  the  first,  in  Section 
32,  Township  of  Eaton.  The  extensive  fires  of  1871  had 
so  seriously  damaged  the  timber  lands  of  Brown  County,  as 
well  as  those  along  the  Peshtigo  River  and  the  western 
shores  of  Green  Bay,  destroying  large  tracts  of  valuable 
pine,  that  the  Lily  Lake  mill  suspended  operations  in  the 
Spring  of  1880,  owing  to  a  scarcity  of  timber,  and  the  mill 
was  dismantled  and  sold.  The  old  mill  continued  opera- 
tions one  year  longer  and  also  closed,  the  supply  of  timber 
being  exhausted.  The  joint  capacity  of  these  mills  was 
about  45,000  feet  of  lumber  and  140,000  shingles  in  a  daily 
run  of  twelve  hours.  The  yearly  shipments  of  the  firm, 
while  both  mills  were  in  operation,  ranged  from  2,000,000 
to  3,000,000  feet  of  lumber  and  about  4,000,000  shingles. 
During  1880  the  export  was  exceptionally  light,  and  in  1881, 
only  sufficient  was  produced  to  supply  the  home  demand. 


The  firm  have  acquired,  by  purchase  at  various  times, 
property  within  the  city  limits  until  they  now  own  thirty- 
nine  lots  lying  along  or  continuous  to  the  East  River. 
The  present  members  of  the  firm  are  ].  ^\'.  \\'oodruff,  H. 
E.  Woodruff  and  W.  H.  Woodruff,  j".  W.  Woodruff  is  a 
native  of  New  York  State.  Came  to  Wisconsin  as  early  as 
1844,  and  settled  in  Brown  County  in  1866  ;  the  same  year 
he  organized  his  lumber  firm.  H.  E.  Woodruff  and  W.  H. 
Woodruft",  his  sons,  were  born  in  this  State. 

The  fires  of  1871,  to  which  reference  has  already  been 
made,  cleared  up  a  large  tract  of  the  pine  land  of  Woodruff 
&  Co.,  leaving  it  so  suggestive  of  cultivation  that  about 
300  acres  were  seeded  down  as  an  experiment,  which  suc- 
ceeded so  well  that  more  acres  were  added  from  year  to 
year,  until  they  have  now  fully  1,000  acres  seeded  to  clover 
and  timothy.  A  herd  of  50  grade  Jerseys,  100  head  of 
pure  grade  Cotswolds,  and  about  25  head  of  horses  find 
abundant  pasturage,  in  addition  to  which,  last  season,  there 
were  cut  about  ico  acres  of  hay,  and  a  stock  herd  of  150 
head  of  rattle  found  excellent  feed.  The  dairy  product 
for  1880  was  3,692  pounds,  and  the  average  market  price 
at  home  was  21  cents  per  pound. 

^\'m.  Baptist,  lumberman;  mill  on  south  shore  of  East 
River,  between  Monroe  and  Jefferson  streets.  Green  Bay. 
Capacity  of  the  mill,  35,000  feet  of  lumber,  30,000  shingles 
and  10,000  lath  daily,  in  the  manufacture  of  which  twenty- 
five  hands  find  daily  employment.  The  property  is  that 
known  as  the  Earl  &  Case  mill,  which,  prior  to  1877,  had 
been  lying  idle  for  several  years,  and  since  then  had  been 
operated  at  intervals.  This  properly,  consisting  of  an  old 
building  80x80,  was  leased  by  Mr.  Baptist,  May  i,  1881, 
an  addition  28x30  built,  the  whole  structure  thoroughly 
overhauled  and  repaired,  the  old  machinery  refitted  and 
new  machinery  added  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000,  and  opera- 
tions commenced  early  in  June.  Mr.  Baptist  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  and  has  followed 
lumbering  ever  since,  his  operations  being  principally  at 
Sturgeon  Bay,  Little  Sturgeon  Bay  and  Pensaukee.  At 
Little  Sturgeon  Bay  he  had  charge  of  the  business  of  F.  B. 
Gardner,  and  went  to  Pensaukee  in  charge  of  that  gentle- 
man's interests,  in  1872,  becoming  his  partner  in  1877  and 
so  continued  until  starting  operations  for  himself  at  Green 
Bay  last  Spring. 

Dr.  A.  H.  Van  Nostrand,  dealer  in  coal,  lumber  and 
wood;  offices  and  yards  on  Washington  street,  just  south  ot 
the  flouring  mills.  The  premises  have  a  frontage  of  t8o 
feet,  run  to  the  river  200  feet  in  the  rear  and  have  a  dock- 
age of  200  feet,  with  eleven  feet  of  navigable  water  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  This  business  was  established  in  1870, 
and  during  the  past  year  sales  have  aggregated  :  coal,  2,000 
tons;  wood,  1,000  cords;  lumber,  500,000  feet,  and  5,000,- 
000  shingles. 

Edward  C.  Kittner,  manufacturer  of  wagons,  sleighs,  car- 
riages, and  general  blacksmith.  This  business  was  estab- 
lished in  1871  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Doty 
streets,  riverside,  and  there  continued  until  destroyed  by 
fire  on  the  28th  of  February,  1880.  He  then  purchased 
the  lots  Nos.  189  and  191  Washington  street  now  occupied 
by  him,  and  the  same  season  erected  his  manufactory  30X 
100  feet,  two  stories,  with  a  blacksmith  shop  25x70  one 
story,  all  of  brick.  The  past  season  he  gave  employment 
to  a  force  of  sixteen  men,  and  his  yearly  product  is  from 
seventy  to  eighty  lumber  wagons,  forty  to  fifty  light  car- 
riages, twenty  road  sleighs  and  cutters,  and  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  square  box  jumpers,  besides  repairs  of  which  no 
estimate  can  be  given. 

The  Green  Bay  Hide  and  Leather  Company,  organized 
in  1872,  have  their  tannery  in  Whitney's  addition,  between 
East  River  and  Main  street.     Douville  &  Basche  are  the 


HISrORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


oldest  boot  and  shoe  manufacturers  in  the  city.  Then 
there  are  the  Green  Bay  Flour  Mills  on  \Vashington  street 
near  Doty,  and  the  City  Mills  corner  of  these  two  thorough- 
fares. 

John  P.  Schumacher,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  fur- 
niture, and  professional  undertaker,  Parish's  block,  north 
side.  This  business  was  established  in  1873,  in  a  small 
way,  by  the  present  proprietor,  who  had  previously  been 
engaged  in  the  trade  in  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  Several 
partnerships  in  the  business  have  been  held  by  other  par- 
ties since  its  establishment,  but  since  1879  it  has  been 
solely  in  Mr.  Schumacher's  hands.  His  building  is  22x100 
feet,  of  brick,  three  stories  high  ;  office  and  salesroom  on 
first  floor,  undertaker's  rooms  on  second  floor,  and  cabinet- 
maker's, upholsterer's,  and  finisher's  rooms  on  third  floor,  the 
whole  giving  employment  to  a  force  of  eight  hands  and  a 
furniture  van.  Mr.  Schumacher  is  a  native  of  Luxem- 
burg; came  to  America  in  his  infancy,  learned  the  uphol- 
sterer's trade  in  Chicago  and  then  undertaking,  of  which 
he  makes  a  specialty.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Wisconsin 
State  Undertaker's  Association  and  a  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Knights  of  America  Beneficiary  Society. 

Lefebere  &  Co., cabinet  makers,  upholsterers,  undertakers 
and  dealers  in  mirrors,  etc.,  Nos.  74  and  76  Washington 
street.  Tliis  house  was  established  in  1877,  and  now  gives 
employment  to  a  force  of  eight  persons.  They  occupy  a 
two-story  brick,  fronting  forty-four  feet  on  Washington  street 
and  running  back  100  feet  to  the  alley  in  the  rear.  The 
lower  story,  occupied  exclusively  as  salesroom  and  office, 
has  a  sixteen-foot  ceiling  and  is  admirably  adapted  to  the 
display  of  furniture,  of  which  they  carry  a  complete  stock, 
including  some  elegant  chamber  sets  of  modern  pattern. 
In  the  upper  story  are  the  cabinet  shops,  upholstering  and 
finishing  rooms.  The  office  and  salesroom  is  in  charge  of 
Edward  Lefebere. 

East  River  Brewer}'.  This  business  was  established  in 
1866  by  the  present  proprietor,  Henry  Rahr,  at  wliich  time 
its  annual  product  was  2,500  barrels,  and  its  working  force 
five  men,  about  one-half  of  its  present  force  and  capacity. 
His  malt  cellars  are  60x60  feet,  two  stories  in  height,  a  dry- 
kiln  30x20  feet,  a  brew-house  30x60  feet  two  stories  in 
height,  ice-houses  with  a  capacity  of  1,500  to  1,800  tons, 
and  cellars  with  a  capacity  of  3,000  barrels.  An  artesian 
well,  150  feet  deep,  supplies  an  abundance  of  excellent 
water.  An  engine  of  twenty-five  horse-power  supplies 
power  and  steam ;  a  force  of  ten  men  and  three  double 
trucks  are  constantly  employed  in  the  manufacture  and  de- 
livery of  the  product,  which  averages  about  5,000  barrels 
per  annum,  and  finds  market  in  Brown  County  almost  ex- 
clusively. Mr.  Rahr  is  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1853  and  to  this  city  five  years  later,  from  which 
time  he  was  a  partner  with  A.  Hochgrave  in  the  Bellevue 
Brewery  until  establishing  the  East  River  Brewery  in  1866. 
Has  been  constantly  engaged  in  his  present  business  for 
the  past  thirty-five  years,  twenty-eight  of  this  in  .\merica 
and  seven  in  Europe. 

F.  Hagemeister,  proprietor  LTnion  Brewery  on  Manito- 
woc road,  just  outside  city  limits.  This  business  was  estab- 
lished in  1 866  by  Messrs.  Hagemeister,  Whitney,  Mertz  and 
Klaus,  and  became  the  sole  property  of  F.  Hagemeister  in 
1873  he  having  successively  purchased  the  interests  of  his 
partners.  The  buildings  are  a  brick  malt  house  40x80;  a 
brew  house  40x60,  and  a  store-room  40x80,  three  stories 
each;  a  refrigerator  32x80,  in  capacity  1,200  tons,  and  ice- 
houses with  additional  capacity  of  840  tons.  An  artesian 
well,  140  feet  deep,  affords  an  unfailing  supply  of  excellent 
water.  The  capacity  of  the  brewery  is  about  6,500  barrels 
per  annum,  and  its  actual  product  nearly  5,000  barrels, 
most  of  which  is  marketed  in  Green  Bay  and  vicinity.    The 


establishment  gives  constant  em\)loyment  to  a  force  of  ten 
men,  three  delivery  trucks,  and  is  connected  by  a  private 
telephone  line  with  their  office  in  the  city. 

Green  Bay  Brewery,  Mrs.  Octavia  VanDycke,  owner  and 
proprietor,  was  established  in  1872  by  Landwehr  &  Beyer, 
at  which  time  the  present  buildings  were  erected.  They 
are  substantial  brick  structures,  rising  two  stories  above 
their  solid  stone  foundations,  and  form  three  sides  of  a 
square,  140  feet  along  the  south,  132  feet  along  the  west  and 
96  feet  along  the  north  face.  The  width  of  the  west  and 
south  structures  is  40  feet,  and  that  of  the  north  one  32  feet. 
These  do  not  include  the  wash  house,  nor  the  detached  ice- 
liouse  built  last  year.  The  property  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Louis  \'anDycke  in  1876,  completely  refitted  and  stocked 
at  an  expense  of  about  $15,000,  and  operations  commenced 
the  following  year,  when  1,800  barrels  of  beer  were  manu- 
factured. The  product  last  year  was  3,200  barrels,  one- 
third  the  capacity  of  the  brewery,  and  was  mostly  marketed 
in  Northern  Wisconsin  and  the  u])per  peninsula,  and  the 
force  employed  was  seven  men  and  three  delivery  trucks. 
The  cellar  has  storage  room  for  2,000  barrels,  and  the  ice 
cut  was  about  2,100  tons. 

A  flourishing  brewery  is  also  in  operation  in  the 
town  of  Alloiiez,  on  private  claim  No.  17,  east  side  of  the 
Fox  River.  The  main  building  was  erected  about 
twenty  years  ago  by  Judge  Lawe,  and  is  80x120  feet,  two 
stories.  With  additions  since  made,  the  value  of  the 
property  has  reached  $65,000.  It  manufactures  about  450 
barrels  per  month,  Christian  Kiel  having  the  controlling 
interest  in  the  establishment. 


WHOLES.XLE    HOUSES. 

The  Butler  &  Lamb  Mercantile  Company  was  organized 
as  a  joint  stock  corporation  February  2,  1878,  with  a  cap- 
ital stock  of  $25,000,  all  of  which  is  now  paid  in.  The 
present  officers  of  the  company  are  D.  Butler,  president; 
W.  S.  Butler,  secretary,  and  G.  W.  Lamb,  treasurer.  This 
company  is  tiie  virtual  successor  of  the  dry  goods  business 
established  by  Daniel  Butler,  president  of  the  present  com- 
pany, in  1840,  and  is  thus  one  of  the  very  oldest  houses 
doing  a  dry  goods  business  in  this  State,  and  the  oldest  in 
Northern  Wisconsin.  The  present  company  do  business 
at  No.  91  Washington  street,  the  location  upon  which  Mr. 
Butler  established  his  dry  goods  house  forty-one  years 
since,  but  several  changes  in  location  have  intervened  owing 
to  fires,  etc.  Their  building  fronts  22  feet  on  Washington 
street,  is  100  feet  deep,  two  stories  in  height,  the  upper  one 
devoted  to  carpets  and  floor  cloths,  of  which  they  make  a 
specialty,  carrying  as  complete  a  stock  as  can  be  found  in 
Northern  Wisconsin.  The  force  of  the  house  is  ten  persons. 
Daniel  Butler  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  came  to  this 
city  in  1837,  and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  its 
interests  ever  since.  He  is  a  ruling  elder  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  in  this  city,  a  position  held  by  him  for  the  past 
forty-two  years.  George  W.  Lamb  was  born  in  Rome,  N.  Y.. 
where  he  was  bred  to  the  dry  goods  trade ;  came  to  this 
city  in  1866,  and  until  1872  was  engaged  in  grocery  busi- 
ness, when  he  went  to  Depere  as  agent  of  the  Goodrich 
Transportation  Company,  and  so  continued  until  1880, 
when  he  returned  to  this  city  and  assumed  charge  of  the 
cashier's  desk  in  the  mercantile  company  of  which  he  had 
l)een  an  officer  since  1S78.  William  S.  Butler  was  born  in 
Green  Bay,  was  bred  to  business  in  the  house  of  his  fatlier, 
Daniel  Butler;  became  a  member  of  the  firm  in  1872,  and 
upon  the  organization  of  the  joint  stock  company  in  1878, 
became  its  secretary. 

George  Sommers,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  dry 
goods  and  carpets,  80  Washington  street.     This  house   was 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


established  in  1863  in  the  block  south  of  its  ]jresent  loca- 
tion, and  in  1869  the  wholesale  department  was  removed  a 
few  doors  north  of  the  present  number.  The  wholesale 
house  being  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  1872,  the  retail 
business  was  sold  out,  and  the  following  season  Mr.  Soni- 
mers  erected  the  building  now  occupied  by  him,  and  of 
which  he  took  possession  the  same  Fall.  The  next  year, 
1874,  the  retail  department  was  added,  and  the  business 
has  so  continued.  The  house  gives  employment  to  a  force 
of  six  persons.  The  store  is  of  brick,  26i,xioo  feet,  two 
stories  high,  the  upper  story  devoted  to  carpets  and  floor 
cloths. 

Skeels  &  Best,  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in  dry  goods, 
notions,  boots  and  shoes.  No.  94  Washington  street.  This 
house  was  established  January  27,  ]867,  the  present  pro- 
prietors succeeding  George  E.  Hoskinson,  United  States 
Consul  at  Kingston,  Jamaica.  The  building  is  a  two-story 
brick,  fronting  twenty-four  feet  on  Washington  street,  100 
feet  deep,  and  the  operations  of  the  house  give  constant 
employment  to  a  force  of  ten  persons.  The  members  of  the 
firm  are  M.  P.  Skeels  and  T.  L.  Best. 

John  Beth,  w-holesale  and  retail  grocer  and  dealer  in 
crockery  and  glassware,  No.  83  Washington  street.  This 
business  was  established  in  1870  as  a  crockery  store,  to 
which  the  grocery  department  was  added  in  1878,  and  now 
gives  constant  employment  to  a  home  force  of  five  persons, 
sales  extending  to  Northern  Wisconsin  and  the  upper 
peninsula.  His  store,  22x100  feet,  two  stories  in  height, 
with  an  elevator  for  porting  goods,  and  a  two-story  ware- 
house, 22x32,  barely  afford  accommodation  for  his  growing 
trade.  Mr.  Beth  is  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to  Milwau- 
kee in  1852  and  to  this  city  three  years  later.  In  1S61  he 
enlisted  in  the  Twenty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  served  three 
years  and  then  returned  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  was  prin- 
cipally employed  in  clerking  in  grocery  and  crockery  stores 
until  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  Has  served  for 
two  years  as  member  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  CIreen  I^ay  Turnverein. 


Joannes  Brothers,  wholesale  and  retail  dcilci:-  m  ^^luLL-r- 
ies,  corner  of  Washington  and  Cherry  streets.  Their  build- 
ing fronts  fifty  feet  on  Washington,  is  two  stories  high,  one- 
half  the  upper  story,  and  a  warehouse  on  the  dock  in  the 
rear,  30x95,  devoted  to  storage.  They  have  also  a  building 
15x30,  in  which  is  their  apparatus  for  steam  roasting.  This 
house  was  established  in    1872   as  a  retail   grocery,  and  so 


continued  until  1877,  when  the  wholesale  branch  was 
added.  They  carry  a  large  stock  of  staple  and  fancy  gro- 
ceries, keep  two  traveling  salesmen  on  the  road,  a  force  of 
thirteen  persons  in  the  house  and  four  teams  for  freight  and 
delivery.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  Charles  Mitchell 
and  Thomas  Joannes,  and  their  sales  the  past  season  aggre- 
gated $250,000.  The  Joannes  brothers  are  natives  of  Bel- 
gium, came  to  America  wath  their  father  in  1856  and  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Brown  County  near  DePere,  but  the  family 
became  separated  shortly  after  the  death  of  their  father, 
the  same  year. 

A.  Weise  &  Holman,  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in 
china,  crockery,  cutlery,  glass  and  plated  ware,  Nos.  93  and 
95  Washington  street.  This  house  was  established  in  Jan- 
uary, 1870,  as  successors  by  purchase  to  the  firm  of  Pool  & 
Sommers.  The  retail  salesroom,  on  the  first  floor,  is  22x80; 
the  wholesale  department  44x80  is  up  stairs;  and  they  have 
a  three  story  brick  warehouse  35x44.  The  operations  of  the 
firm  give  employment  to  a  home  force  of  eight  persons  and 
two  traveling  salesmen. 

Watson  &  McLeod,  general  grocers,  wholesale  and 
retail,  Nos.  32  and  34  Pine  street.  Their  business  was 
established  May  i,  1880.  They  occupy  the  lower  story  and 
half  the  upper  of  a  two  story  brick,  44x80,  give  constant 
employment  to  a  force  of  six  hands  and  one  delivery  wagon 
for  city  trade — carriage  of  shipments  being  otherwise  pro- 
vided for. 

Cargill  &  VanValkenburgh,  grain  and  produce  dealers. 
The  members  of  this  firm  are  ^V.  \V.  Cargill,  S.  D.  Cargill  and 
B.  J.  VanValkenburgh,  and  their  operations  consist  in  han- 
dling grain  and  produce  at  various  stations  along  the  line  of 
Green  Bay, Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railway,  both  in  Northern  Wis- 
consin and  Minnesota.  The  firm  was  established  in  1871, 
and  operations  commenced  at  this  point  in  187S,  at  which 
time  they  bought  out  the  interests  of  Elmore  &  Kelly  in  the 
forwarding  and  commission  business  at  this  point,  and  leased 
their  elevator  and  warehouses  which  had  become  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  Company. 
This  elevator  stands  on  the  railway  dock,  west 
—  ide  Fox  River,  and  has  a  capacity  of  250,000  bush- 

is  Fhe  adjoining  warehouses  cover  25,000  square 
I  et  of  flooring  surface,  and  both  elevator  and 
«  irehouses  are  admirably  adapted  for  receiving 
'I  md  discharging  freight.  l"he  entire  structure  rests 
n  jules.  A  double  railway  track  extends  along 
he  west  side,  and  on  the  east  the  largest  lake  ves- 
tls  find  ample  water  along  1,000  feet  of  dock, 
lere  are  also  200  feet  of  sunken  track  within  the 
,^  ,^  w  arehouses,  for  the  receipt  and  discharge  of  freight, 
^  ^  md  all  these  are  connected  by  switch  with  the 
tiacks  of  ihe  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  the  Wiscon- 
sin Central  and  the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul 
ailway  lines.  The  company  also  own  and  occupy 
jpV|  I  warehouse  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  with  a 
r^'nl  1  opacity  of  30,000  bushels,  principally  used  for 
ical  business.  The  amounts  of  grain  received  by 
lib  company  at  this  point  for  the  year  ending 
Mi\  I,  1 88 1,  were:  Wheat,  471,475  bushels;  bar- 
ic}, 84,788  bushels;  oats,  40,000  bushels:  rye, 
3  000  bushels.  These  figures  are  for  an  excep- 
tionally short  crop,  and  scarcely  reached  50 
per  cent,  of  the  receipts  of  the  previous  year. 
Ihe  amount  of  provisions  handled  it  is  not 
necessary  to  particularize,  but  of  fish  alone  the  receipts 
were  about  100  tons  the  past  season.  The  entire  force 
employed  at  this  point  averages  fifteen  hands  and  a  small 
tug  for  handling  local  freights. 

John  Robinson,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  drugs, 
medicines,  paints,  oils  and  fancy  and  toilet  goods,  southeast 
corner  of  Washington  and   Pine   streets.     This  house  was 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTV, 


144  Washington  street.  This  house  was  established  in  1863 
and  has  been  continuously  engaged  in  trade  since  then. 
They  also  occupy  the  building  just  across  the  street,  owned 
by  W.  Parish,  and  a  warehouse  in  the  rear  of  No.  144. 
Their  fur  business  has  much  decreased  of  late  years,  but 
there  has  been  an  increase  in  their  receipts  of  hides  and 
wool.  Business  during  the  past  season  has  aggregated  from 
$75,000  to  $100,000. 

Duchateau  &  Bro.,  wholesale  dealers  in  wines,  liquors 
and  cigars,  southwest  corner  Washington  and  Main  streets. 
Trade  was  established  in  this  city  in  1870  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Main,  and  removed  to  their  present  location  in 
1874,  in  which  year  they  erected  their  building,  a  two  story 


GREEN  BAY  BUSINESS  COLLEGE. 

established  as  a  retail  drug  house  by  Drs.  Bruins  &  Burkart, 
in  1858,  and  the  following  year  came  into  possession  of  Dr. 
Henry  Rhodes  of  this  city,  who  conducted  the  business 
until  1865.  After  some  further  changes  the  present  propri- 
etor purchased  the  stock  in  1866,  and  increased  the  business 
from  year  to  year  until  the  necessities  of  his  trade  led  to  a 
removal  from  the  old  stand  on  the  opposite  corner  of  Pine 
street  to  the  present  location.  This  property  he  purchased, 
and,  after  thoroughly  refitting,  took  possession  June  i,  1881. 
The  building  is  22.X90  feet,  two  stories  higli,  all  occupied  by 
the  operations  of  the  house,  which  employs  a  force  of  three 
hands  at  home  and  one  traveling  salesman.  Mr.  Robinson 
is  a  native  of  Shropshire,  England,  acquired  a  knowledge  of 
the  drug  business  there,  in  1S57  came  to  America  and 
entered  into  business  at  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  with  his  brother 
who  had  established  a  drug  house  there  in  1853.  In  1866, 
as  before  stated,  he  succeeded  by  purchase  to  the  old  drug 
house  of  Bruins  &  Burkart  in  this  city,  and  removed  from 
Manitowoc,  still  retaining  his  interest  in  the  business  there. 
Mr.  Robinson  is  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  the  State 
Pharmaceutical  Society,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Green  Bay 
City  council  in  1878-9. 

Parish  &  Fox,  dealers  in  hides,  pelts,  furs  and  wool.  No. 


brick,  22.\ioo,  with  warehouses  on  the  dock  in  the  rear. 
The  members  of  the  firm  are  L.  Duchateau  and  A.  Ducha- 
teau, and  they  do  a  jobbing  trade  exclusively. 

Joseph  Nadeau,  inventor  and  manufacturer  of  the  Na- 
deau  washing  machine,  is  a  native  of  Quebec,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  lumbering  until  he  came  to  Florence,  Marinette 
Co.  in  1880.  From  there  he  removed  in  the  Spring  of  188 1 
to  Fort  Howard,  leased  the  old  Novelty  Iron  Works,  and 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  his  machines,  in  which 
business  he  is  now  engaged.  His  letters-patent,  bearing 
date  May,  1881,  were  issued  only  for  the  United  States; 
but  a  later  application  has  been  made  for  Canada.  His 
present  facilities  enable  him  to  put  thirty  dozen  machines  a 
month  upon  the  market,  but  the  demand  is  greater  than  his 
capacity.  He  keeps  constantly  employed  a  force  of  twenty- 
five  men  in  the  shop,  and  six  traveling  salesmen  on  the  road. 
His  testimonials  and  trade  demonstrate  that  he  has  a  wash- 
ing machine  of  genuine  merit  daily  commending  itself  to 
the  favorable  consideration  of  the  public. 

Kurtz  and  Manthey,  marble  works.  Walnut  street  near 
bridge.  Green  Bay.  The  works  were  establisned  by  Mr. 
Kurtz  in  1877,  and  conducted  by  him  until  1880,  when  Mr. 
Manthey  bought  an  interest,  and  they  are  now  prepared  to 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


do  all  kinds  of  marble  work,  monuments,  head  stones,  etc., 
etc.  It  gives  employment  to  three  men.  Mr.  Kurtz  is  a 
native  of  Weiler,  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  1S63, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  he  stopped  at  Ripon  two  years  ; 
lived  eight  years  at  Eureka,  after  which  he  came  here  1S74. 
Mr.  Manthey  is  a  native  of  Stettin,  Prussia,  and  came  to 
this  country  1S69,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  ;  after  hav- 
ing stopped  in  Chicago,  Morrison  and  Fond  du  Lac  during 
eight  years,  he  came  here,  worked  at  the  business  which  he 
finally  engaged  in.  We  find  the  firm  an  enterprising  one, 
and  deserving  the  patronage  of  the  public  generally. 

C.  A  Murch,  principal  and  proprietor  of  Green  Bay  Busi- 
ness College,  was  born  in  Appleton,  Wis.,  .\ugust  18,  1855, 


/I  Q^a^^m^^ 


his  parents  having  settled  in  that  vicinity  two  years  before 
the  city  was  platted.  They  were  from  Essex  County,  N.  Y., 
in  which  they  were  both  born  and  educated.  Young  Murch 
entered  Lawrence  University  in  1S71,  and  left  it  in  1876, 
having  during  that  time  attended  four  full  college  years, 
devoting  the  balance  of  the  time  to  teaching.  April  28' 
1877,  he  married  Miss  Marcia  J-  Southmayd,  of  Appleton, 
and  until  1879  was  engaged  in  looking  after  the  interests  of 
the  home  farm,  of  which  he  had  assumed  charge.  In  the 
Fall  of  that  year,  1879,  he  entered  Green  Bay  Business  Col- 
lege, graduated  in  the  Spring  of  1880,  when  he  became 
principal,  and  after  conducting  the  institution  successfully 
for  one  year,  purchased  the  good  will  and  fixtures  of  the 
former  proprietor,  and  established  himself  in  the  business, 
which  is  gradually  increasing  in  members  and  efficiency 
under  his  management.  The  college  is  located  at  the  corner 
of  Washington  and  Pine  streets,  Green  Bay,  and  was  estab- 
lished by  G.  M.  Devlin,  in    186S,  and  was   one  link  in  the 


chain  of  similar  institutions  established  some  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  since  throughout  Northwest  Wisconsin,  and 
known  as  Parson's  Chain  of  Business  Colleges.  This  insti- 
tution, in  1871,  passed  into  the  hands  of  A.  C.  Blackman, 
who  sold  to  Mr.  Murch  ten  years  later.  The  curriculum 
includes,  besides  the  usual  business  college  course,  thorough 
instruction  in  the  common  English  branches,  including 
algebra,  geometry,  philosophy,  also  phonography  and  teleg- 
raphy. Instructions  are  given  the  year  round,  and  from 
October  to  April  night  sessions  are  held,  offering  the  same 
advantages  as  the  day  school.  There  has  been  a  very 
marked  increase  in  the  attendance  the  past  year,  and  the 
average  enrollment  has  been  seventy-five.  Mr.  Murch  is  a 
young  gentleman  of  quiet  and  affable  manners,  and  well 
equipped  intellectually.  His  first  year  gives  promise  of 
success  in  the  field  of  educational  effort  he  has  chosen. 

laOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

W.  J.  ABRAMS,  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Green  Bay,  was  born  at  Cam- 
bridge, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  19. 1829.  Receiving  an  academic 
education,  he  entered  the  theological  school  at  Williamstovvn,  Mass., 
but  ill  health  prevented  his  completing  the  course,  and  he  spent  several 
years  in  foreign  travel  and  continuing  his  studies,  confining  them,  how- 
ever, to  history,  the  arts  and  general  literature.  In  the  field  of  litera- 
ture he  gained  considerable  celebrity  as  an  essayist,  under  various  nom- 
de-plumes;  but,  confinement  necessary  to  such  work  not  agreeing  with 
his  health,  it  had  to  be  ab.indoned  as  a  profession.  Coming  to  Green 
Bay  in  May,  1856,  he  took  part  in  the  railroad  surveys  from  the  lake 
shore  to  Ontonagon,  and  settled  in  the  city  permanently  in  1S61. 
Mr.  Abrams  became  connected  with  the  CoUingvvood,  Sarnia  and  Buf- 
falo lines  of  steamers,  and  was  most  prominent  until  1870  in  developing 
the  transportation  facilities  of  this  port — its  life  and  hope.  In  that  year 
he  continued  his  labors  in  a  new  direction.  Having  obtained  the 
charter  of  the  Lake  Pepin  Railroad  in  1866,  while  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  Assembly,  he  soon  discovered  the  possibilities  and  probabilities 
of  the  great  enterprise  of  constructing  a  line  to  the  Mississippi  River, 
and  in  1870  withdrew  from  the  transportation  busiriess,  and  gave  him- 
self, body  and  mind,  to  the  interests  of  the  railroad.  He  was  instru- 
mental in  securing  the  completion  of  the  road  to  Winona,  and  is 
still  actively  interested,  and  under  its  new  organization  is  officially  con- 
nected with  it.  Mr.  Abrams  has  served  in  the  State  Assembly  during 
the  years  1864-5-6-7,  being  elected  to  the  Senate  in  i86S-g.  During 
the  rebellion  he  was  a  war  Democrat  of  the  most  uncompromising  type, 
and  was  the  leader  of  the  so-called  war  Democrats  in  the  Legislature, 
and  was  mainly  instrumental  in  securing  a  part  of  the  vote  of  the  Demo- 
crats for  the  several  constitutional  amendments,  ''making  some  of  the 
ablest  speeches  in  their  advocacy."  In  fact,  he  has  always  been  an 
active,  progressive,  public-spirited  man — one  of  the  foremost  in  works 
of  practical  utility,  or  of  private  and  public  charity.  Mr.  Abrams  was 
married  at  Canajoharie,  N.  Y.,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Henrietta  T.  Alton; 
His  family  consists  of  three  children — two  daughters,  Kate  and  Ruth, 
and  one  son,  Winford. 

H.  H.  ALBRIGHT,  insurance  and  real  estate  agent,  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  from  which  State  he  came  direct  to  this  city  in  1836,  where 
he  was  early  employed  in  the  Indian  trade  and  river  transportation.  In 
1847  l>e  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account,  first  engaging  in  gen- 
eral merchandise,  to  which  was  afterward  added  the  agency  for  the  river, 
bay  and  lake  steamers  trading  at  this  point.  This  business  he  continued 
down  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  was  appointed  Deputv  Pro- 
vost Marshal  for  the  Fifth  District,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  the  war 
closed,  when  he  again  engaged  in  merchandising  and  lumbering,  from 
which  he  retired  in  1872."  He  then  organized  the  Green  Bay  Mining 
Company  at  Negaunee,  and  was  so  interested  when  the  financial  panic 
of  1S73  caused  a  suspension  of  operations.  In  1876  he  assumed  charge 
of  the  shoe  business  of  S.  C.  Albright,  and  continued  its  management 
until  May,  1880.  Mr.  Albright  has  had  charge,  as  resident  agent,  of 
some  of  the  heaviest  real  estate  interests  in  this  region,  some  of  which 
he  still  retains.     He  has  served  two  terms  as  Treasurer  of  the  city. 

E.  K.  ANSORGE,  notary  public,  insurance,  foreign  collection  and 
passage  agency.  This  business,  in  which  Mr.  Ansorge  has  been  engaged 
since  1868,  was  established  by  him  in  this  city  in  1873  ;  since  which  time 
he  has  given  special  attention  to  European  collections  and  insurance, 
in  which  he  represents  the  leading  companies  of  America,  Great  Britain 
and  the  Continent.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1855;  settled  in  Manitowoc  County  ;  served  with  the  45th  Wis.  I.  during 
the  late  war,  and  was  in  business  in  Oconto  prior  to  his  removal  to  this 
city.  He  represents  the  Second  Ward  in  the  City  Council;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Harmony  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Green   Bay  Turn  Verein. 

I.  ARANDS,  saloon  keeper,  Washington  street.  Green  Bay,  was 
borii  in  Manitowoc  County  in  1858.     Came  to  Green  Bay  in  1878.     Has 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


123 


been  in  the  saloon  business  for  the  last  three  years.  Was  married 
here  to  Miss  Anna  Guyer  in  18S0.  She  was  born  in  Oshkosh  in  1S61. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arands  have  one  child,  Lizzie,  born  June  i,  1881. 

D.  COOPER  AYRES,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  Graduated  from 
the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  New  York  in  1848.  Came 
to  Wisconsin  the  following  year,  and  to  Green  Bay  in  1S50.  Entering  the 
United  States  service  in  1S61  as  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  7th  Wisconsin, 
he  was  promoted  Surgeon  in  1862,  and  when  the  regiment  veteranized  in 
1S64,  he  re-entered  the  service  with  them,  and  held  his  position  as  Sur- 
geon until  they  were  mustered  out  of  service  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
During  these  four  years  he  was  attached  to  the  "Iron  Brigade."  con- 
nected with  the  1st  and  5lh  Army  Corps,  and  was  on  every  march  and 
in  every  engagement  participated  in  by  his  regiment.  Retiring  from  the 
army,  Dr.  Ayres  engaged  in  business  until  1S71,  when  he  resumed  prac- 
tice in  this  city.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  State  Medical 
Society,  and  by  request  of  that  body,  in  1854,  presented  their  memorial 
for  the  creation  of  a  State  Insane  Asylum  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1S6S-71-72.  As  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Benevolent  Institutions,  he  made  an  elaborate  report 
before  the  Legislature  of  1868,  on  the  establishment  of  schools  for  im- 
beciles. The  report  was  exhaustive.  Action  taken  on  the  subject  led 
to  the  passage  of  a  bill  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations  of  the 
report,  but  owing  to  an  inadvertency  it  was  not  signed  by  the  Governor, 
and  so  failed  to  become  law.     Office  on  Cherry  street,  near  Washington. 

WILLIAM  BAPTIST  &  SON.  owners  of  the  tug  "  H.  N.  Mar- 
tin." This  tug,  commanded  by  W.  H.  Baptist,  the  junior  partner,  was 
purchased  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  for  towing  rafts  to  their  mill  in  Green 
Bay.  Her  trip  from  the  mill  to  the  mouth  of  the  Peshtigo  River  and 
return,  with  a  float  of  400,000  feet,  is  usually  made  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Her  dimensions  are  :  Overall,  loo  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  17  feet  :  depth 
of  hold,  9  feet  6  inches  ;  engines.  2,  each  16.XI6. 

THOMAS  BENNETT,  gardener,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
from  which  State  he  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1836,  where  for  forty-five 
years  he  has  maintained  a  permanent  residence.  A  house  painter  by 
trade,  he  followed  that  business  for  three  years  after  his  arrival  here,  and 
then  opened  a  grocery  stoie,  which,  in  1857,  he  converted  into  a  general 
merchandising  establishment,  and  so  conducted  it  until  his  house 
became  exclusively  dry  goods,  and  so  remained  until  1872,  when  an  acci- 
dent, which  confined  him  to  the  house  for  months,  incapacitated  him 
for  business,  and  he  closed  out.  Recovering  his  strength  in  1874,  he 
opened  a  flour  and  feed  store,  which  he  conducted  until  1878,  then  sold 
out,  and  has  since  been  principally  engaged  in  gardening,  having 
the  past  year  about  six  acres  under  cultivation.  In  1872,  in  connection 
with  Vincent  Connoly,  of  Fort  Howard,  Mr.  Bennett  built  an  ice-house 
capable  of  holding  2,000  tons,  and  the  following  year  rented  his  interest 
to  his  partner,  who  still  conducts  the  business.  This  ice-house  was 
burned  in  the  great  fire  of  1880,  by  which  Mr.  Bennett's  house  and 
grounds  were  destroyed,  entailing  a  loss  of  $5  000  above  all  insurance. 
The  following  Spring,  lS8r,  the  present  ice-house,  having  a  capacity  ot 
3,000  tons,  was  jjuilt  and  fully  stocked.     , 

B.  M.  BERENDSEN,  Register  of  Deeds  for  Brown  County.  Office 
in  the  court-house.  He  has  held  this  office  since  Jan,  I,  1S75,  and  is  now 
servmg  his  fourth  term.  Mr.  Berendson  is  a  native  of  Holland ;  received 
his  education  at  Culenburg,  came  to  America  in  1856,  settling  in  Green 
Bay,  and  engaging  in  merchandise,  until  his  election  as  Register  of 
Brown  County. 

H.  T.  C.  BERENDSEN,  Djputy  Register  since  1875.  Came  to 
this  State  when  only  six  years  of  age,  and  has  received  his  education  in 
this  city.  Mr.  Berendsen  has  been  a  resident  of  Brown  County  since 
1856,  and  i-i  a  member  of  the  City  Council  at  the  present  time. 

T.  L.  BEST,  of  the  firm  of  Skeels  &  Best,  wholesale  dry  goods,  is  a 
native  of  Vermont,  from  which  State  he  removed  to  Wisconsin  in  1S61, 
and  to  this  city  four  years  later.  He  was  bred  to  mercantile  business 
from  his  youth,  and  has  always  been  engaged  in  that  line  of  trade. 

JOHN  P.  BOLAND,  Deputy  County  Clerk,  has  been  in  his  present 
office  since  January,  1881.  He  received  his  education  at  Plattsburg,  N. 
Y.,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Green  Bay  for  one  year. 

B.  C.  BRETT,  M.  D.,  established  practice  in  this  city  in  1872.  Dr. 
Brett  is  a  native  of  Maine.  Graduated  from  the  medical  department  of 
Dartmouth  College,  in  the  class  of  1859;  soon  afterward  entered 
Demilt  Medical  Dispensary,  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  eigh- 
teen months  engaged  in  the  study  and  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
then  removed  to  this  State.  In  the  Winter  of  1861-62,  he  was 
commissioned  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  21st  Wis.  I.;  served  with  Grant 
in  Mississippi,  and  was  then  with  Sherman  until  the  march  to  the  sea 
was  over,  when  he  declined  acommission  as  Surgeon  of  the  17th.  Came 
home  in  the  Fall  of  1864,  and  was  engaged  in  practice  at  Brookfield, 
Green  County,  until  his  removal  to  this  city  in  1S72.  Dr.  Brett  is  a 
member  of  the  State  Medical  Association,  and  also  of  the  Brown  Coun- 
ty Association.  Office  over  Schellenbeck's  drug  store,  on  Washington 
street. 

FRANK  BURGHARDT,  meat  market,  Washington  street.  Green 
Bay.     He  is  a  native  of  Milwaukee,  born  in  1S53.     He  engaged  in  this 


business  for  Mr.  Kalb.  with  whom  he  remained  for  five  years,  after 
which  he  opened  business  for  himself,  which  he  has  carried  on  success- 
fully for  the  last  four  years.  The  business  gives  employment  to  four 
men.  He  has  a  farm  rented  at  present  for  the  feedingjof  his  cattle,  hogs 
and  sheep.  A  slaughter  house  is  connected  with  farm,  rendering  the 
business  perfect  in  every  particular. 

TIMOTHY  CASE,  general  superintendent  G.  B.,  N.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.; 
is  a  native  of  Vermont ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1845  in  connection  with 
some  lumber  interests  requiring  attention,  and  returned  to  New  York 
the  following  year.  He  was  engaged  in  railroad  enterprises  at  the  East 
until  coming  to  this  State  in  1S77  as  general  superintendent  of  the  Green 
Bay  &  Minnesota  railroad,  which  position  he  held  only  one  month  and 
was  then  appointed  receiver  of  the  road,  its  affairs  having  become  in- 
volved. This  position  he  held  until  the  reorganization  of  the  road, 
June  7,  l88i,  when  he  was  again  appointed  its  general   superintendent. 

T.  B.  CATLIN,  pictorial  painter,  shop  on  Adams  street  between 
Cherry  and  Walnut  streets.     Mr.  Catlin  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 


7?-cZy^^ 


has  handled  a  brush  for  the  jiast  forty-five  year,  twenty-nine  of  ihem  in 
this  Slate.  He  studied  painting  with  his  uncle,  George  Catlin,  the 
noted  Indian  artist,  and  traveled  with  him  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the 
Continent  from  1839  to  1S46  ;  most  of  the  time  as  agent,  also,  of  Bar- 
num's  Tom  Thumb  troupe,  then  in  Europe.  Returning  to  America  in 
1846,  Mr.  Catlin  spent  six  years  as  portrait  painter  in  New  York  and 
Philadelphia.  Coming  west  in  1852  he  settled  in  Madison,  remaining 
some  years,  then  removed  to  Beaver  Dam,  at  which  place,  in  1861.  he 
recruited  for  the  United  States  service,  Co.  D,  5th  Wis.  V.  I.,  was  com- 
missioned Captain  and  took  the  field.  The  following  year  he  was 
commissioned  Lieut.  Colonel  ;  served  in  that  capacity  until  mustered 
out  of  the  service.  Returning  to  Wisconsin  he  resumed  his  brush,  and 
after  a  short  residence  in  several  cities  of  the  State,  settled  in  Green  Bay 
in  1 868,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  permanent  resident  of  the  city. 
COL.  WILLIAM  CHAPMAN  was  born  at  St.  Johns,  near  Port 
Tobacco,  Charles  Co.,  Md.,  Jan.  22,  iSio.  After  receiving  an  academic 
education,  in  1827  he  entered  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point.  Graduating  in  1831,  he  served  his  country  on  the  frontier, 
in  Mexico  and  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  almost  continually  for  a 
period  of  thirty-two  years— a  long  and  faithful  service  which  few  men 
can  have  placed  to  their  credit.  The  following  from  Collum's  Biographic 


[24 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Register  of  the  Officers  and  Graduates  of  the  United  States  Military 
Academy,  narrates  his  life  in  terms  eloquent  to  a  military  man,  because 
concise  and  orderly:  "  IVilliam  C/M/'mnii— Cadet  at  the  United  States 
Military  Academy  from  July  i,  1827.  to  July  I,  1831,  when  he  was  grad- 
uated and  promoted  in  tlie  army  to  brevet  second  lieutenant,  5th  In- 
fantry, July  I,  1831  ;  served  on  frontier  duly  at  Fort  Mackinac,  Mich., 
1831-32  ;  on  the  Black  Hawk  expedition  in  1S32.  but  not  at  the  seat  of 
war  ;  at  the  military  academy  as  assistant  instructor  of  infantry  tactics. 
Oct.  20,  1832,  to  June  29,  1S33  ;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant, 
5th  Infantry.  March  4,  1833;  on  frontier  duty  at  Fort  Howard,  Wis., 
1833;  as  adjutant,  5th  Infantry,  at  regimental  head-quarters,  Nov.  7, 
1833,  to  July  I,  183S  ;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  5th  Infantry, 
Dec.  31,  1836 ;  on  recruiting  service,  1S38-40  ;  on  frontier  duty  at  Fort 
Snelling,  Minn.,  1S40-1.  and  Fort  Mackinac,  Mich.,  1841-2,  1842-5; 
in  military  occupation  of  Texas,  1845-6;  promoted  to  captain  of  5th 
Infantry,  June  8,  1845  ;  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  1846-S,  being  engaged 
in  the  battle  of  Palo  .\Uo.  March  8,  1S46,    Reseca-de-la-Palma,  May  9, 


,y^^-^^^ 


[847 


1846,  Monterey,  Sept.  21-23,  184&;  Vera  Criu,  March  9- 
capture  of  San  Antonio,  Aug.  20,  1847,  where  he  was  wounded  ;  Cheru- 
busco,  Aug.  20,  1847;  brevet  major,  Aug.  20,  1847,  for  gallant  and 
meritorious  conduct  in  the  battles  of  Contreras  andCherubusco  ;  Molino 
del  Rey,  Sept.  8,  1847,  where,  upon  the  fall  of  his  superiors,  he  com- 
manded his  regiment ;  storming  of  Chepultepec,  Sept.  13.  1847;  assault 
and  capture  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  Sept.  13-14.  1847  ;  brevet  lieutenant 
colonel.  Sept.  8,  1847,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  battle 
of  Molino  del  Rey;  in  garrison  at  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.,  1848-9;  on 
frontier  duty  at  Fort  Gibson,  I.  T.,  1849-50 ;  conducting  recruits  to 
Texas,  1851  ;  Clear  Fork  of  the  Brazos,  Texas,  185 1-3;  Ringgold  Bar- 
racks, Texas,  1854-5  ;  march  to  Eagle  Pass,  Texas,  1855-6.  and  Ringgold 
Barracks,  Texas,  1856-7;  on  frontier  duty,  Utah  expedition,  1857-8, 
1859-60:  march  to  New  Mexico,  i860;  at  Fort  Bliss,  Texas,  1860-1; 
promoted  to  major,  2d  Infantry,  Feb.  25,  1861;  Fort  Fauntleroy, 
N.  M.,  1861,  and  Fort  Union,  N.  M.,  1861.  Served  during  the  Rebell- 
ion, in  command  of  regiment,  in  the  defenses  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
January  to  March,  1862  ;  promoted  to  lieutenant  colonel,  3d  Infantry, 
Feb.  20,  1862  ;  in  the  Virginia  Peninsula  campaign  (Arn-y  of  the  Poto- 
mac), March  to  August,  1862,  in  command  of  the  2d  Brigade  of  Regu- 
lars, being  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  April  5  to  May  4,  1862; 
battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  July  1,  1862  ;  skirmish  at  Harrison  Landing, 
July  2,  1862;  Northern  Virginia  campaign,  August  to  September,  1862, 
being  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Manassas,   Aug.  30,  1862  ;    on  sick  leave 


of  absence,   Sept.  20,    1862,  to  Dec.  3,  1863;    brevet    colonel,    Aug.  30. 

1862,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run.  Va.;  in  command  of  draft    rendezvous  at    Madison,    Wis.  Dec.  3, 

1863,  to  Feb.  23,  1865  ;  retired  from  active  service  Aug.  26,  1863,  for 
disability  resulting  from  long  and  faithful  service  and  disease  contracted 
in  the  line  of  duty ;  on  special  duty  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  28  to 
Sept.  II,  1S65  ;  unemployed  from  Sept.  11,  1865,  to  Oct.  i,  1S66;  as 
member  of  Board  of  Examination  of  officers  for  promotion  in  the  army, 
Oct.  I,  1866,  to  Jan.  9,  1S67.  Since  then  Col.  Chapman  has  been  un- 
employed." The  1st  of  July,  1881,  was  the  golden  anniversary  of  his 
marriage  to  the  United  States  army,  and  it  was  fittingly  observed  by  Col. 
Chapman,  his  family  and  hosts  of  friends.  Col.  Chapman  was  married 
in  1836  to  Miss  Abby  Ann  Wheelock,  daughter  of  Gen.  Jonathan 
Wheelock.  They  have  had  one  son  and  two  daughters— now  married. 
Such  have  been  Col.  Chapman's  constant  military  duties  that,  even  if  so 
inclined,  he  would  have  had  no  opportunity  to  serve  his  locality  in  civic 
capacities.  He  has  never  held  an  office  of  that  kind — has  never  mixed 
with  politics  in  any  way.  Col.  Chapman  springs  from  military  stock. 
His  father,  Maj.  Henry  H.  Chapman,  of  Maryland,  was  an  officer  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  He  served  during  the  latter  part  of  the  conflict, 
being  a  lieutenant  of  Diges's  Regiment  a':  the  battle  of  Yorktown. 
Maj.  Chapman  was  only  nineteen  years  old  at  the  time.  As  became  the 
spirit  of  a  patriotic  young  man,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Cincinnati,  an  organi.^ation  of  officers  of  the  American  army.  Among 
other  relics  treasured  with  merited  care  by  Col.  Chapman,  is  his  father's 
certificate  of  membership,  signed  by  George  Washington,  President,  and 
J.  Knox,  Secretary.  Maj.  Chapman's  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Davidson, 
of  Annapolis,  Md.,  Coming  from  such  parentage — their  youngest  son 
— and  having  been  schooled  in  the  life  he  was  to  follow,  it  is  no  wonder 
that  Col.  Chapman  is  a  dignified,  upright,  straight-forward  military  gen- 
tleman, both  in  personal  appearance  and  in  traits  of  character. 

W.  C.  COREY,  M.  D.,  dentist,  was  born  in  New  York;  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1847,  and  to  this  city  in  1865,  where  he 
was  route  .agent  for  the  American  Express  Company  until  1S68.  He 
commenced  study  for  the  regular  profession  of  medicine  in  1859;  un- 
listed in  the  i8th  Wis.  I.  in  1862,  and  was  soon  afterward  promoted 
to  be  hospital  steward.  In  1864,  he  was  examined  by  a  regularly  con- 
stituted board  of  medical  examiners  for  appointment  in  the  regular 
army;  passed  his  examination,  and  received  his  papers,  and  was  duly 
commissioned.  After  leaving  the  service  of  the  express  company  in 
1S6S,  he  entered  the  dental  office  of  E.  J.  Adams,  and  some  months 
afterward  purchased  the  office  and  entered  fully  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  State  Dental  Association,  and 
also  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  T.  of  H.  beneficiary  associations.  His  office 
is  under  the  Business  College. 

ALFRED  COZZENS.  lessee  and  manager  of  Cook's  Hotel,  corner 
Washington  and  Cherry  streets.  Green  Bay.  Mr.  Cozzens  was  born  in 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  removed  from  there  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he 
spent  a  good  portion  of  his  time.  From  there  he  went  to  Milwaukee 
and  was  connected  with  the  Newhall  House  for  three  years.  He  came 
to  Green  Bay  in  1870.  Mr.  Cozzens  has  been  in  the  hotel  business  all 
his  life.  This  house  is  centrally  located  in  the  most  business  part  of  the 
city,  and  is  convenient  to  boats  and  cars. 

CRANE  &  CARABIN,  physicians  and  surgeons.  No.  124  Wash- 
ington street.  The  members  of  this  firm  are  C.  E,  Crane  and  Louis 
Carabin,  and  their  partnership  was  formed  in  1S79, 

Dr.  C.  E.  Crane  is  a  native  of  Ohio  ;  graduated  from  the  medical 
department  of  Western  Reserve  College  in  the  class  of  1840  ;  came  to 
Green  Bay  and  established  practice  the  same  year,  and  has  continued 
in  practice  since  that  date  with  the  exceptions  of  three  years  spent  in 
the  medical  service  of  the  United  States.  He  entered  that  service  June 
7,  1S61,  as  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  5th  Wis.  Inf  ;  was  promoted  Sur- 
geon in  1S63,  and  served  with  his  regiment  until  it  was  mustered  out  in 
1S64.  Was  re-commissioned  but  declined  the  appointment  on  account 
of  his  health  and  returned  home.  Was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Brown 
County  Medical  Society,  and  its  president  from  l858  to  1880.  Was 
Mayor  of  the  city  of  Green  Bay  in  1874-5-7-8  and  9,  and  has  seen  his 
full  share  of  service  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board  and  the  Board 
of  Public  Health. 

Dr.  Louis  Carabin  was  born  in  Green  Bay ;  is  a  son  of  the  Dr. 
Louis  Carabin,  who  settled  here  in  1846,  and  died  in  1864.  The  present 
Dr.  Carabin  graduated  from  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  New 
York  City,  in  the  class  of  1879.  and  settling  in  Green  Bay,  formed  his 
present  partnership  with  Dr.  Crane,  who  was  a  fellow  student  with  the 
elder  Dr.  Carabin,  in  Ohio,  thirty-five  years  since. 

F.  B.  DESNOYERS,  dealer  in  hats,  caps  and  gents'  furnishing 
goods,  solely.  No.  120  Washington  street.  Mr.  Desnoyers  is  a  native 
of  Green  Bay,  and  was  for  two  years  with  the  dry  goods  house  of  Skeels 
&  Best,  before  opening  trade  on  his  own  account  last  Spring. 

C.  M.  DICKINSON,  dealer  in  all  kinds  of  farming  machinery  and 
agricultural  implements,  corner  Washington  and  Main  streets.  Mr.  D. 
is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In 
1874,  he  came   to  Green   Bay,  having  previously  been  engaged  for  ten 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


years  in  the  mercanlile  business  in  Illinois,  two  years  at  Ottawa,  and 
eight  years  at  Henry.  In  1878,  he  started  the  present  business  which 
he  has  successfully  conducted  since.  He  was  married  in  1863,  to  Miss 
Sarah  C.  llassford,  a  native  of  Illinois.  They  have  three  sons  and  two 
daughters—  Mabel  C,  Charles  Frederick,  Albert  Newtll,  Edwin  Mason 
and  Helen  K„cl<well. 

H.  &  1.  DOUGHERTY,  dealers  in  staves.  Office  same  as  McCor- 
mick&Co.  This  house  commenced  business  in  Canada  in  1864,  the 
members  of  the  firm  being  natives  of  the  Dominion,  and  transferred 
their  operaiions  to  Wisconsin  in  1872,  making  their  head-quarters  at 
Green  Bay.  Their  business  is  the  manufacture,  purchase  and  shipment 
of  staves  for  the  foreign  market,  and  has  reached  as  high  as  6,ooo,oco 
per  annum,  but  operations  have  decreased  of  late  years,  as  timber  has 
become  scarcer  and  their  transactions  now  cover  from  2,000,000  to 
2  500,000  a  year.  Their  present  working  force  is  small,  six  or  eight 
hands,  product  bting  mainly  furnished  on  contract.  Their  shipments 
are  usually  made  by  water  to  the  Atlantic  sea-board,  to  which  they  find 
outlet  through  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Erie  canals. 

A.  DUCHATEAU.  wholesale  dealer  in  liquors,  is  a  native  o 
France;  came  to  America  in  1S56,  and  was  engaged  in  the  wine  and 
liquor  trade  as  a  traveling  salesman  until  he  came  to  Green  Boy  in  1S67, 
when  he  opened  a  retail  store  which  he  kept,  until  the  establishment  of 
the  present  house  in  1S70. 

L.  Duchateau,  is  also  a  native  of  France  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
this  city  since  1864,  the  year  after  his  arrival  in  America. 

O.  ECKHARDT,  cigar  manufacturer.  Cherry  street,  Green  Bay. 
The  business  was  established  in  1S75  by  Shause  &  Eckhardt.  In  1879, 
Mr.  Eckhardt  bought  the  entire  interest  in  the  management  of  Mr. 
Shause  and  has  so  enlarged  it,  that  it  gives  employment  to  eleven  men 
and  has  an  extensive  retail  department  in  connection  with  it.  Mr.  Eck- 
hardt is  a  native  of  Germany;  came  to  this  country  in  1853,  and 
slopped  at  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  educated  and  learned  his  trade. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Christina  Baden  ;  they  have  a  family  of  four 
children  living  and  one  dead. 

A.  H.  ELLSWORTH,  dentist,  No.  123  Washington  street.  This 
business  was  established  by  the  present  proprietor  in  1854,  at  which 
date  he  came  to  this  city,  having  spent  the  previous  seven  years  in  Mil- 
waukee, in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  making  a  continual  residence 
of  thirty-four  years  in  this  State,  all  of  them  spent  in  dental  practice. 
He  is  a  native  of  Connecticut  ;  was  educated  at  Ellington  Academy,  in 
his  native  Stale,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  three  years, 
then  came  to  Cincinnati,  studied  for  his  profession,  and  practiced  it  two 
years  before  coming  to  Milwaukee,  as  previously  stated.  In  1865,  he 
was  elected  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Green  Bay,  and  held  that 
position  for  twelve  consecutive  years. 

EDWARD  ENGELS,  saloon.  Green  Bay,  was  born  in  the  province 
of  Leiges,  canton  of  London,  Belgium,  in  1839  ;  came  to  this  country 
and  State  in  1856  ;  was  married  to  Miss  Flora  Vincent,  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Dames,  in  1867,  who  was  vicar  general  of  the  diocese.  Mrs. 
Engels  %vas  born  in  Belgium  in  1844;  came  here  in  1856.  They  have 
seven  children  living  and  one  dead — six  boys  and  one  girl  living.  Mr. 
E.  commenced  business  in  1S67  in  groceries  and  provisions,  following  it 
till  1S77.  In  1872,  he  built  the  place  he  now  occupies,  and  commenced 
the  saloon  business  he  now  manages. 

REV.  JOSEPH  A.  FOX  is  a  native  of  Green  Bay;  was  for  five 
yearsa  student  at  the  St.  Francis  of  Sales  Seminary  near  Milwaukee,  after 
which  he  went  to  Europe ;  was  four  years  a  student  at  Louvain  and  or- 
dained priest  at  Mechlin  in  1879.  In  1880,  he  was  assigned  to  the 
church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  in  this  city. 

PAUL  FOX,  of  the  firm  Parish  &  Fox,  is  a  native  of  Prussia;  came 
to  this  city  in  1841,  and  has  been  actively  engaged  in  business  here  for 
over  thirty-five  years  ;  first  as  dealer  in  groceries  and  liquors  and  as 
keeper  of  a  house  of  entertainment  for  strangers  before  any  regular 
hotels  were  established.  In  1872.  he  built  the  block,  in  the  south  store- 
room of  which,  he  now  does  business.  It  is  a  substantial  three-story 
brick  building  66x80  feet,  ihe  upper  stories  of  which  now  form  part  of 
Cook's  Hotel.  Mr.  Fox  served  as  Town  Treasurer  before  the  city  of 
Green  Bay  was  incorporated,  and  since  then  has  been  several  times 
member  of  the  City  Council.  He  was  one  of  the  origin.il  members  of 
Germania  Fire  Company. 

ISRAEL  GREEN,  M.  D.,  now  ninety  years  of  age,  has  not  wholly 
abandoned  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has  followed  since 
1816.  He  was  born  in  Washington,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  27,  1792; 
was  educated  in  his  native  town  ;  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Heaton 
Plaitekill,  Ulster  Co.,  fume  Slate,  attended  leclures  in  New  York  and 
received  his  diplrma  from  the  College  (  f  the  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  that  cily  in  iai6.  He  located  for  practice  the  same  year,  in  Monroe, 
Oiange  Co.,  and  was  there  in  practice  until  1S45,  when  he  removed  to 
this  State.  Settling  in  Washington  County,  he  remained  four  years, 
when  he  became  a  resident  of  this  city,  thirty-two  years  since.  He  has 
devoted  his  life  exclusively  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  has  ever 
held  himself  aloof  (10m  political  .-ilTairs.  In  ifi7.  Dr.  Green  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Phoebe  Townsend,  of  Monroe,  Orange  Co.     In   1S75,  after 


fifty-eight  years  of  happy  married  life,  Mrs.  Green  died  in  this  city 
leaving  her  husband  and  five  married  children,  one  only  of  whom  re- 
sides here.  The  doctor  is  still  a  hale  man  for  his  years  and  one  sultry 
Summer's  day  last  season,  made  five  sick  calls  and  walked  a  distance  of 
not  less  than  twelve  miles.  His  residence  is  with  his  son-in-law,  A.  E. 
Potter,  corner  Madison  and  Spring  streets,  on  Astor  Heights,  in  the  old 
home  the  doctor  built  for  himself  twenty-four  years  since. 

GEORGE  GROEPL.  foreman  of  the  Green  Bay  Brewery,  has  been 


lablish 


into   the  hands    of  Mr 


connected  with  the 
Van  Dyke  in  1S76. 

HASTINGS  &  GREENE,   atlorneys-at-law,  successors  to  Ellis  & 
HistingS,  established    iir    1S67,   which    firm   became    Ellis,    Hastings   & 


(XuA  .^^^cuiuA 


TV 


Greene  in  1S70,  and  Hastings  &  Gieene  when  Judge  Ellis  went  upon 
the  Bench  the  following  year.  Their  offices  are  on  the  corner  of  .Adams 
and  Pine  streets,  well  furnished  with  a  law  library  of  fully  1,200  vol- 
umes. S.  D.  Hastings,  Jr.,  one  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  Green 
Bay  and  of  Northern  Wisconsin,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  June  19,  1841, 
coming  to  Wisconsin  four  years  later,  at  ihe  time  of  its  admission  as  a 
State;  a  graduate  of  Beloit  College  in  1S63,  and  ol  the  Albany  Law 
School  two  years  later.  Mr.  Hastings  practiced  l.iw  in  Madison  until 
1867,  forming  a  partnership  there  with  E.  W.  Keyes.  In  1S67  he 
removed  to  Green  Bay,  forming  a  partnership  with  E.  H.  Ellis  then. 
In  1870,  George  G.  Greene  was"  admitted  to  the  firm.  When  in  1S71, 
Mr.  Ellis  was  elected  Judge,  the  firm,  Ellis,  Hastings  &  Greene,  became 
Hastings  &  Greene,  the  present  co-partnership.  Prior  to  1S78,  the 
Supreme  Court  was  composed  of  one  Chief  Justice  and  two  .\ssociate 
Justices.  During  that  year  an  amendment  to  the  State  Constitution  took 
effect,  increasing  the  number  of  Associate  Justices  to  four.  It  was  mutu- 
ally agreed  that  there  should  be  no  political  contest  over  the  positions, 
but  that  a  Democrat  and  a  Republican  should  be  supported.  Mr.  Has- 
tings received  strong  support  from  the  Bar  and  the  Press  of  this  and 
adjoining  circuits  as  the  Republican  representative.  But  the  matter  was 
finally  settled  by  the  politicians,  the  diiTerent  parties  in  the  Legislature, 
which  was  in  session  at  ihe  time,  making  the  nominations.  In  iSSo,  by 
the  dealh  of  Chief  Justice   Ryan,  a  vacancy  occurred  in  that  office,  and 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  duty  devolved  upon  Governor  Smith  of  appointing  his  successor.  It 
was  assumed  that  the  appointee  would  be  a  Republican,  and  the  entire 
Bar  of  the  Tenth  Circuit,  as  well  as  a  majority  of  the  legal  members 
residing  in  Northeastern  Wisconsin,  and  many  of  its  most  prominent 
citizens,  united  in  urging  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Hastings  to  the  posi- 
tion. But  the  superior  claim  of  the  politician  was  again  recognized.  It 
will  thus  be  the  inference,  which  is  the  fact,  that  Mr.  Hastings  has  never 
been  a  politician ;  but  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  ranks  among 
the  foremost  of  the  State  l?ar.  Although  his  attention  is  principally 
devoted  to  real  estate  questions  and  matters  growing  out  of  the  lumber- 
ing interests,  his  range  is  not  at  all  limited  to  these  branches.  His 
mind  is  broad  and  essentially  judicial.  Although  comparatively  a  young 
man,  in  graces  of  scholarship  and  solidity  of  legal  learning,  Mr.  Hastings 
has  few  supeuois  in  the  Slate  He  is  dignified  in  deportment,  yet 
urbane  in  disposition  and  a  stiaight  foiuaid  man  of  business  as  well  as 
a  superior  lawyei  M\  Ha^cinTs  wis  mained  in  1863  to  Mary  C.  Ken- 
dall.  of  Beloit      His   first   wife  died   in   iS6b       I  wo   daughters  by  this 


,^:=fep^ 


^^r^^' 


marriage  are  still  living.  In  1S72  he  was  married  a  second  time,  to 
Hetta  Sue  Clapp,  of  Kenosha.      I'hey  have  one  daughter. 

George  G.  Greene  is  a  native  of  New  York  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1847,  and  sellled  with  his  parents  in  Jeffirson  County,  where  he 
received  his  education.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Columbia  Law  School, 
New  York  City,  class  of  1S68;  the  same  year  came  to  Green  Bay,  and 
two  years  later  became  a  member  of  tlie  firm  of  Ellis,  Hastings  & 
Greene. 

FRANZ  HAGEMEISTER.  brewer,  is  a  native  of  Germany;  came 
to  America  in  1S49,  and  the  following  year  to  Green  Bay.  He  was 
engaged  in  butchering  and  live  stock  business  in  this  city  from  1850  to 
1875,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interest  in  that  trade  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  brewing  business.  He  owns  considerable  real  estate  in 
the  city;  has  accumulated  a  fine  property,  and  represented  the  Third 
Ward  for  two  years  in  the  City  Council. 

HAGERTY  BROS.,  proprietors  of  American  House,  corner  Wash- 
ington and  Walnut  streets,  Green  Bay.  The  house  is  entirely  new 
and  is  furnished  with  all  the  conveniences  incident  to  travel,  and  is  very 
conveniently  located  to  the  business  parts  of  the  cities  of  Green 
Bay  and  Fort  Howard.  Ofhce,  sample  rooms  and  dining  room  on  first 
floor ;  sitting  room  and  parlor  on  second  floor,  and  fifty-six  sleeping 
rooms  on  second  and  third  floors.  It  is  managed  by  the  enterprising 
and  efficient  hotel  men,  the  Hagerty  Bros.,  and  is,  in  point  of  con- 
venience and  enjoyment,  second  to  none  in  this  part  of  the  State.  In 
connection  with  the  house  is  attached  a  first-class  livery,  in  which  the 
brothers  take  a  special  pride  in  furnishing  the  very  best  of  turnouts. 
The  traveling  public  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  call  upon  the 
firm,  where  they  will  receive  all  the  conveniences  connected  with  trav- 
eling and  the  most  respectful  attention.  Their  motto  is,  reasonable 
terms  and  strict  attention  to  their  business.  A  free  'bus  is  always  in 
attendance  at  the  railroad  and  sleam-hoat  depots. 


CHARLES  B.  HART,  agent  of  the  W.  C.  R.  R.,  Green  Bay  ;  is  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  In  1S54,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  came  to 
Racine,  and  took  up  the  vocation  of  farming,  which  he  followed  for  five 
years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  railroading,  accepting  a  position 
as  clerk  at  Horicon  ;  held  that  position  for  two  years;  was  then  em- 
ployed by  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.,  as  agent  at  Horic  m,  which  he  kept  for  five 
years  ;  he  then  accepted  a  position  on  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  R.  R., 
as  agent  at   Princeton,  but  stayeil  only  one  year,  when  he  removed  to 


Ripon  and  stayed  wiiii  the  compiny  eight  yei 


then 


ageni 


road,  to  Huron,  D.  T ,  which  place  he  left  shortly  after 
to  accept  his  present  po>ition.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Ellis,  a 
native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  five  children — Estella  L  ,  Millie,  Eddie, 
Bertie  and  Nona,  and  Charles  B.,  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Ripon. 

CHARLES  HARTUNG,  hardware,  tin-ware  and  farming  utensils. 
Green  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Gernnny  ;  came  here  in  1854.  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  vears,  and  located  at  Two  Rivers,  Wis.  In  1S61  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  C,  5th  Wis.V.  I.;  was  woundei  at  the  b.rttle  of  Williamsburg,  Va., 
May  5,  1S62.  Aug.  21,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  2d  lieutenant  Co.  C, 
24th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  on  the  12th  of  March,  1863,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
captaincy  of  the  same  company,  with  which  he  served  until  the  end  of 
the  war.  Was  honorably  discharged  June  10,  1865.  Alter  his  services 
in  the  war,  Mr.  Hartung  came  to  Green  Bay  and  devoted  himself  to  the 
development  of  the  business  interests  here,  undertaking  to  make  of  him- 
self as  valuable  a  citizen  as  he  w.is  a  soldier.  He  began  in  the  grocery 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  1871,  when  he  left  it  for  the  hardware 
business,  which  he  has  succes.-fully  carried  on  since.  Has  been  .-Mder- 
man  for  the  last  four  years,  being  elected  entirely  without  the  usual  style 
of  soliciting  public  patronage,  an  evidence  of  his  high  characler.  Has 
been  connected  with  the  Turner  societies  here  and  elsewhere  .since  the 
age  of  sixteen.  In  1866.  .Mr.  H.  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Bader,  in 
Green  B>y.  She  was  born  in  Germ  my,  in  1S42.  They  have  one  son 
and  three  daughters. 

HARRY  HEISEL.saioon.Washington  street.  Green  Bay.  Was  horn 
in  Chicago  in  1861  ;  went  to  Oshkosh  in  1S70  with  his  parents ;  lived 
there  till  1877,  when  they  moved  to  Lake  Superior;  lived  there  till  1879, 
when  they  moved  to  Green  Bay,  where  Harry  is  now  the  proprietor  and 
manager  of  the  Milwaukee  House,  where  he  deals  in  ihe  choicest  wines, 
liquors  and  cigars.  Mr.  Heisel's  father  has  followed  brewing  for  the  last 
twenty  years,  being  connected  with  Dreis  of  Davenport,  Iowa;  Busche 
&  Brandt,  of  Chicago;  Eckis,  of  Oshkosh;  Ivoehlers,  of  Oshkosh; 
Peninsular,  of  Negaunee,  Micli.,  and  Hocriefts,  Brevoort  Brewery.  He 
and  his  wife  are  natives  of  Germany,  and  came  here  in  1S59.  Mr.  H. 
had  been  here  in  1S45,  after  which  he  remained  in  New  York  and  Phil- 
adelphia three  years,  then  returned  to  the  Old  Country  before  coming 
here.     They  have  five  children — three  boys  and  two  girls. 

WILLIAM  HOFFMAN,  President  of  the  Common  Council,  was 
born  in  Posen,  Prussia,  December  14,  1831.  He  is  the  son  of  Louis  and 
Hannah  Hoffman,  his  father  being  a  respected  merchant  of  that  cily.  Wih 
Ham  went  to  England  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  remaining  at  New 
Castle-on-the-Tynefor  ashort  time,  when  he  came  to  New  York.  In  1852, 
when  just  about  of  age,  the  enterprising  and  persevering  young  merchant 
became  infatuated  with  California,  started  for  the  vicinity  of  San  Fran- 
cisco and  there  engaged  in  mining  besides  operating  a  general  merchan- 
dising establishment.     Five   years  in   the  golden  Slate  sufficed,  and  in 


Chi 


cago, 


hei 


ined  four  years. 


1857,   Mr-  Hoffma 

Finally  in  1S61,  twenty  years  ago,  he  settled  in  Green  Bay,  where  he  ha 
since  resided,  engaged  in  his  present  business,  merchant  tailoring.  For 
twelve  years  the  partnership  of  Hoffman  &  Lewin  continued  uninter- 
rupted, when  in  1873  the  former  bought  out  his  partner,  who  removed 
to  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Hoffman  was  married  in  1861  to  iNliss  M.  A. 
Pease,  of  Marengo,  III.  They  have  five  children,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  lodges; 
also  of  the  societies  B'nai  B'rith  and  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Treasurer 
of  Bay  City  Light  Guards.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  never  held  public  office, 
except  that  of  councilman,  having  held  that  position  five  years,  and  is  at 
present  serving  as  President  of  the  Common  Council.  He  is  popular, 
gentlemanly  and  honest,  a  favorite  as  a  public  and  business  man. 

WILLIAM  HOFFMAN,  merchant  tailor,  and  wholesale  and  re- 
tail dealer  in  clothing  and  gent's  furnishing  goods.  No.  105  Washington 
street.  The  business  was  established  in  1861  by  Hoffman  &  Lewin,  and 
so  continued  until  1868,  when  Mr.  Hoffman  became  sole  proprietor. 
His  sales-room  is  twenty-two  feet  front,  ninety  feet  deep,  with  a  manu- 
factory 20x24  in  the  rear.  His  custom  trade  is  large,  giving  constant 
employment  to  a  force  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  hands. 

HON.  TIMOTHY  O.  HOWE,  of  Green  Bay,  was  born  at  Liver- 
more,  Me.,  Feb.  24,  1816;  received  an  academic  education,  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  ;  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of 
the  State  of  Maine  in  1845,  in  the  latter  part  of  which  year  he  removed 
to  Wisconsin  ;  was  elected  a  Judge  of  the  Circuit  and  Supreme  Courts 
in  Wisconsin  in  1850,  and  held  the  office  until  he  resigned  in  1S55  ;  was 
elected  to  the  United  Slates  Senate  as  a  Union  Republican  to  succeed 
Charles  Durkee,  and  took  his  seat  in  1S61,  and   was   re-elected   in    1867 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


127 


and  1S73.     His  'erm  of 


point 


;xpired  March  3,  1879.  He  was  ap- 
iiber  of  the  International  Monetary  Conference,  at  Taris, 
held  in  April,  1881.  In  July  he  was  called  home,  shortly  before  the  ad- 
journment of  the  Conference,  by  what  proved  to  be  the  fatal  illness  of 
his  wife,  who  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Aug.  i,  ensuing.  Mrs.  Howe's 
maiden  name  of  Lindia  A.  Haynes,  daughter  of  Francis  and  Linda  Bates 
Haynes,  and  was  born  at  Livermore,  Me.,  and  married  at  same  place 
about  the  year  1840.  The  result  of  this  union  was  two  children,  both  of 
whom  are  now  living  in  Washington — Frank  H.  Howe,  attorney  at  law, 
and  Mary  H.  Totten,  wife  of  Major  Enoch  Totten. 

A.  G.  E.  HOLME.S,  dry  goo  Is,  boots,  shoes  and  groceries,  118 
Washington  street.  This  business  is  a  retail  and  jobbing  trade,  the  latter 
among  the  lumber  regions  of  the  north,  and  gives  employment  to  three 
persons.  The  house  was  established  by  the  present  proprietor  and  Ed- 
son  Sherwood  in  1852;  became  Holmes  &  Harteau  in  1876;  Marshall 
&  Holmes  in  1S78,  A.  G.  E.  Holmes  in  i88o.  Mr.  Holmes  is  also  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  L.  M.  Marshall  &  Holmes,  dealers  in  shingles, 
posts  and  lumber  in  this  city.  Their  operations  last  year  were  60,000,- 
000  shingles,  200,000  posts  and  a  limited  supply  of  lumber.  The  present 
partnership  in  this  business  was  formed  in  187S,  but  Mr.  Holmes  has 
been  engaged  in  trade  of  this  kind  almost  continuously  for  the  past 
thirty  years.  He  was  born  in  New  York  State ;  came  with  his  parents  to 
Green  Bay  in  1841,  his  father  being  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering, 
and  in  1851  commenced  business  for  himself  by  engaging  in  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber.  He  was  also  the  original  proprietor  of  the  extensive 
'brick  yards  on  Duck  Creek  now  owned  and  operated  by  William  Finne- 
gan.  He  was  nine  years  Superintendent  of  the  Poor  for  Brown 
County,  three  years  a  member  of  the  City, Council  and  three  years  a 
.member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

HUDD  &  WIGMAN,  attorneys-at-law,  office  corner  of  Washington 
and  Cberry  streets.  Their  law  partnership  was  formed  in  Appleton  in 
1863.  and  in  r86S  the  office  was  established  in  this  city  by  Mr.  Hudd, 
Mr.  Wigman  remaining  in  charge  of  the  office  at  Appleton  until  it  was 
discontinued  in  1870,  when  he  removed  to  this  city.  Their  practice  ex- 
tends to  all  the  State  and  Federal  courts,  and  their  rooms  are  furnished 
with  a  valuable  law  library  of  1,200  volumes. 

Thomas  R.  Hudd,  the  senior  of  the  firm,  is  a  native  of  New  York  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53 ;  received  his  literary  training  in  Law- 
rence University,  Appleton ;  read  law  in  that  city ;  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  in  1856;  formed  a  law  partnership  with  John  J.  Jewell, 
and  practiced  law  in  Appleton  until  his  removal  to  this  city,  thir- 
teen years  since.  He  represented  Outagamie  County  in  the  Assem- 
bly of  1856-7,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  in  1863-5  ;  was 
returned  to  the  Assembly  in  186S  and  again  in  1875.  and  was  a  member 
of  the  State  Senate  from  1876  to  1879  inclusive. 

J.  H.  M.  Wigman  was  born  in  -Amsterdam,  HolLand,  where  he  re- 
■ceived  his  education.  He  came  to  America  in  1S48  ;  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  his  partner.at  Appleton,  but  before  completing  his  studies  made 
a  trip  to  Europe  in  the  Spring  of  1863,  from  which  he  returned  the  same 
Fall ;  passed  his  examination  before  the  court  ;  was  admitted  to  practice 
and  immediately  formed  a  law  partnership  with  his  legal  instructor. 
The  following  year  he  was  elected  District  Attorney  for  Outagamie 
■County,  and  held  that  office  by  successive  election  until  his  removal  to 
this  city  in  1870. 

CHARLES  JOANNES,  wholesale  grocer.  Attended  business  col- 
lege one  year  in  Chicago,  then  entered  the  house  of  Belding  Brothers,  as 
book-keeper,  in  which  capacity  he  went  to  Cincinnati  and  remained 
.until  coming  here  in  1S72  to  engage  in  trade. 

MITCHELL  JOANNES,  of  the  firm  of  Joannes  Brothers,  grocers; 
served  one  year  in  the  United  States  Army;  came  to  Green  Bay  as  clerk 
in  the  post-office  in  1867.  and  held  that  position  nine  years,  when  he 
entered  actively  into  the  conduct  of  the  business  in  which  he  was  already 
a  partner. 

THOMAS  JOANNES,  of  the  firm  of  Joannes  Brothers,  remained 
on  the  farm  until  he  came  to  this  city  in  lS6g,and  became  a  clerk  in  the 
post-office.  This  situation  he  held  two  years  ;  was  mail  agent  two 
years,  and  then  entered  upon  his  duties  as  an  active  member  of  the  firm. 
VERY  REV.  F.  KATZER,  Vicar-general,  is  a  native  of  Austria; 
received  his  classical  education  at  Linz  Jesuit  College.—  He  took  his 
theological  course  at  .St.  Francis  Seminary,  near  Milwaukee.  Was  or- 
dained priest  in  1866.  and  was  teacher  of  philosophy  and  theology  in 
that  institution  until  his  appointment  as  diocesian  secietary  and  pastor 
in  charge  of  the  Cathedral  Church  in  1875.  On  the  death  of  Vicar-gen- 
eral Daims  in  1878,  Father  Katzer  was  appointed  his  successor. 

E.  L.  KEND.ALL,  secretary,  treasurer  and  business  manager  of 
the  Kendall  Manufacturing  Company,  is  a  native  of  New  York.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  State  about  twenty-five  years,  for  the  past 
twelve  years  a  resident  of  Green  Bay.  For  the  past  five  years  engaged 
in  building  and  contracting,  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  City  Council. 

E.  C.  KITTNER,  wagon  maker,  learned  his  trade  in  Germany,  of 
which  country  he  is  a  native.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  and  settled 
in  Peshtigo,  assuming  charge  of  the  blacksmith  shops  of  the  Peshtigo 


Lumber  Company,  which  place  he  held  for  eight  and  a  half  years.  He 
then  built  a  wagon  and  blacksmith  shop,  commenced  business  for  him- 
self, and  was  carrying  it  on  successfully,  when  the  great  fire  of  1871 
swept  over  the  country,  destroying  all  his  buildings,  and  entailing  a  loss 
of  $21,000.  He  then  came  to  Green  Bay  and  established  business,  to 
suffer  a  second  destruction  of  his  property.  With  an  indomitable  spirit 
he  has  faced  all  his  losses,  and  has  now  in  successful  operation  one  of 
the  most  extensive  manufactures  of  its  kind  in  Northern  Wisconsin. 
The  office  and  books  of  the  house  are  in-charge  of  John  L.  Kitlner,  son 
of  the  proprietor.  Mr.  Kittner  has  in  contemplation  the  erection  of  an 
engine  and  boiler  room  this  coming  season,  his  growing  business  de- 
manding the  use  of  steam-power  and  machinery  in  his  wood  shop,  which 
will  also  be  utilized  in  furnishing  his  bellows  with  air.     Mr.  Kittner  has 


/Kirr//^- 


Htyyy\^ 


been  a  member  of  Fire  Co.  No.  i  for  the  past  eight  years,  and  for  the 
past  five  has  been  its  Chief  Engineer. 

A.  KIMBALL,  hardware.  This  business  was  established  in  1854 
by  the  present  proprietor,  in  an  adjoining  block,  where  le  was  burned 
out  in  1863,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  location.  His  building  is  a 
two-story  brick,  fronts  thirty-three  feet  on  Washington  street,  and  runs 
159  feet  to  the  alley  in  the  rear.  This  house  is  the  oldest  hardware  es- 
tablishment in  Northern  Wisconsin,  and  does  a  substantial  business  in 
steel,  iron  and  nails,  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  farmers'  tools,  stoves,  tin 
and  sheet  iron  jobbing,  wagon  woods,  etc.,  giving  constant  employment 
to  a  force  of  from  five  to  seven  hands.  Mr.  Kimball  is  a  native  of  New 
York.  Came  to  this  State  from  Massachusetts  in  1S48,  located  in  Mil- 
waukee, and  removed  to  Green  Bay  the  following  year.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school,  and  in  carrying  on  a  general  mercantile  trade 
until  1853,  when  he  established  his  hardware  house.  He  has  been  Mayor 
of  the  city  two  terms,  a  member  of  the  City  Conncil  five  years,  and  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  five  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  Assessor  of  the  township  of  Green 
Bay  prior  to  the  organization  of  the  city  under  its  present  charter,  at 
which  time  the  township  of  Green  Bay  included  the  present  townships 
of  Scott,  Prebble,  Green  Bay  and  others. 

KIMBALL  &  LIBBY,  insurance  agents;  office  122  Washington 
street.     The  firm  is  composed  of  A.  W.  Kimball  and  Oliver  Libby. 

Oliver  Libby,  of  the  firm  of  Kimball  &  Libby,  was  born  in  Dover, 
N.  H.;  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College  in  the  class  of  1859;  came  to 
Wisconsin  the  same  year;  studied  law  in  Milwaukee  and  was  admitted 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


to  the  Bar,  in  that  city,  in  1S63.  The  following  Spring  he  came  to 
Green  Bay  and  after  one  year  spent  in  the  practice  of  law,  formed  a 
partnership  with  F.  S.  Ellis  (now  deceased)  in  the  insurance  business, 
which  terminated  in  1S71,  at  the  time  the  present  partnership  was 
formed.  In  1S7S,  Mr.  Libby  was  elected  G.  H.  P.  of  the  Grand  Chapter 
of  Royal  Arch  Masons  of  Wisconsin,  and  now  holds  that  office  by  re- 
election. He  is  also  a  member  of  Fond  du  Lac  Commandery  No.  5,  and 
of  Milwaukee  Consistory  No.  I.  A.  &  A.  S.  K. 

A.  \V.  Kimball,  eldest  son  of  Alonzo  Kimball,  Esq.,  was  born  in 
Lee,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  on  flie  seventh  day  of  March,  1S44  ;  remov- 
ing to  Wisconsin  in  1S4S  ;  has  lived  in  Green  Bay  continuously  till  the 
present  time.  Entered  Beloit  College  in  1S62,  p.issed  through  the 
Freshman  class,  then  enlisted  in  the  40th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.,  and  afterward 
in  the  47th.  Studied  lasv  two  years,  but  before  being  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  established  an  insurance  agency  at  Green  Bay.  Was  appointed 
Postmaster  at  Green  Bay,  by  President  Grant,  in  1S77,  and  again  by 
President  Hayes  in  lS3i.  In  187Q,  was  married  to  Myra  B,  Mahan, 
formerly  of  Oberlin.     lias  two  sons  aged  seven  and  ten  years. 


DAVIU  .M.  KELLY  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Essex  Co.,  Mass.,  Feb. 
II,  1841.  and  receive>l  his  education  at  Haverhill,  in  his  native  State,  to 
which  place  his  parents  had  removed.  His  legal  studies  were  pursued  in 
the  same  town,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar;  had  practiced  two  years, 
and  served  eighteen  months  as  a  volunteer  soldier  during  the  late  war, 
liefore  coming  to  this  State  in  1S67,  which  he  did  in  connection  with  the 
Green  Bay  &  Mississippi  Canal  Company.  Making  his  head-quarters  at 
Applelon,  he  operated  a  line  of  boats  on  the  Fox  River  for  one  year,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  time  the  Lake  and  River  Transportation  Com- 
pany was  organized,  and  he  removed  to  Green  Bay  in  charge  of  its  in- 
terests, since  which  time  he  has  had  a  permanent  residence  in  this  city. 
This  company,  of  which  Mr.  Kelly  was  vice-president  and  manager, 
had  for  its  object  the  establishment  of  a  freight  traffic  between  the  ports 
on  Lake  Winnebago  and  the  upper  Fox  River,  through  the  lower  Fox 
River,  Green  Bay  and  upper  lake<,  to  the  lower  lake  ports,  and  its 
stock  w.rs  owned  by  parties  interested  in  the  Green  Bay  &  Mississippi 
Canal  Company.  In  1871  the  bjals  of  the  Transportation  Company 
w.-re  sold,  and  its  affiirs  wound  up.     Two  years  previous  to  this,  how- 


ever, Mr.  Kellv  had  purchased  the  interest  of  Douseman,  of  the  firm  of 
Djuseman  &  Elmore,  who  were  doing  a  heavy  commission  and  shipping 
business  in  grain,  salt,  coal,  flour,  etc.,  at  Fort  Howard,  the  firm  becom- 
ing Elmore  &  Kelly,  and  so  continued  until  1878.  when  they  sold  their 
elevator,  docks  and  warehouses  to  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 
Company,  and  ceased  operations  as  a  firm.  In  1870  Mr.  Kelly  became 
interested  in  the  Green  Bay  &  Lake  Pepin  Railway,  since  known  as  the 
Green  Bay  &  Minnesota,  and  now  as  the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul, 
and  was  its  vice-president  and  a  member  of  its  directory.  These  positions 
he  resigned  July  20,  1S70,  and  took  his  first  contract  in  its  consiruction. 
New  contracts  were  subsequently  taken  by  him,  until  the  whole  distance 
of  214  miles,  fiom  Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi  River  was  constructed  ; 
forty  miles  having  been  built  in  1871,  1 10  miles  in  1872,  and  the  remain- 
ing sixty-four  miles  in  1873.  The  following  year  (1S74).  Mr.  Kelly  be- 
came vice-president  and  general  manager  of  the  road,  and  held  that 
position  until  he  resigned  it  in  1877.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in 
railway  construction  in  Iowa,  and  in  furthering  the  interests  of  the  pro- 
jected Wisconsin  Peninsular  Railroad.  Mr.  Kelly  was  a  member  of  the 
Wisconsin  Assembly  Sessions  of  1877-8-g,  and  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate,  Sessions  of  1S80-1,  and  was  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  during  his 
last  term  of  service  in  that  body. 

REV.  NORBERT  KERSTAN  is  a  native  of  Prussia;  received  his 
philosophical  and  theological  education  at  the  U  niversity  of  Innsbruck  on 
the  Tyrol,  and  was  ordained  by  the  Pope's  Nuncio  at  Munich  in  1876. 
The  same  year  he  came  to  America  and  was  assistant  to  the  Bishop  of 
this  diocese,  until  Jan.  12,  1S79.  when  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St. 
Willdrad's,  which  position  he  resigned  June  I,  iSSo,  to  give  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  the  conduct  of  the  Orphans'  Asylum. 

KING  &  GAYLORD,  insurance  agents.  This  business  was  estab- 
lished in  1S71  by  M.  V.  B.  Benson,  who  sold  out  to  King  &  Gavlord  in 
February  iSSi.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  D.  W.  King  and  George 
P.  Gaylord.  Their  agency  includes  fifteen  standard  companies,  embrac- 
ing fire,  life,  accident  and  marine  insurance. 

George  P.  Gaylord  is  a  native  of  Sandusky,  Ohio ;  came  to  this  city 
in  1870,  and  two  years  later  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Benson,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  business  nine 
years  later. 

CHARLES  KLAUS,  proprietor  Klaus's  Hall.  Pine  street.  Green 
Bay.  The  hall  is  situated  in  the  most  central  part  of  the  city,  and  is 
very  convenient  to  the  pleasure-going  people  of  Ft.  Howard  and  Green 
Bay.  It  is  on  the  second  floor,  and  one  of  the  most  popular  halls  in  the 
city.  Seating  capacity.  700;  stage,  40x25;  hall,  88x40;  four  dressing 
rooms,  etc.  The  hall  is  well  ventilated,  and  is  managed  by  Mr.  Klaus, 
in  whom  the  profession  will  find  a  very  genial  gentleman.  He  is  a 
native  of  Prussia  and  came  to  this  country  in  1S49.  After  working  at 
his  trade  of  carpentering  a  few  years,  he  engaged  in  the  merchantile  busi- 
ness, which  he  followed  in  company  with  his  brother.  After  being 
burned  out,  he  built  the  present  hall.  He  has  a  very  fine  millinery  busi- 
ness, which  he  opened  three  years  since,  under  the  superintendence  of 
his  daughter.) 

PHILIP  KLAUS,  real  estate  agent,  and  dealer  in  window  .shades, 
wall-paper  and  notions,  corner  of  W'ashington  and  Pine  streets.  Mr. 
Klaus  is  a  native  of  Prussia ;  was  educated  there  and  came  to  America 
in  1848,  locating  in  Green  Bay,  which  has  since  been  his  residence.  In 
1855,  he  commenced  business  on  his  own  account  as  dealer  in  notions 
and  fancy  goods,  in  which  business  he  has  been  more  or  less  engaged 
until  the  present  time.  In  1S60,  he  established  a  real  estate  agencv  in 
the  building  formerly  occupying  the  site  of  the  present  Advocate  office, 
known  as  Klaus's  block,  and  built  by  Philip,  and  Charles  Klaus,  his 
brother,  and  subsequently  burned.  A  move  was  then  made  to  the  loca- 
tion corner  of  Washington  and  Pine  streets,  which  was  purchased  by 
Philip  Klau5  individually,  and  has  since  been  occupied  by  him  with  the 
exception  of  about  eight  years,  during  which,  the  premises  were  rented 
to  John  Robinson,  druggist.  Mr.  Klaus  was  City  Treasurer  of  Green 
Bay  for  nine  consecutive  years,  his  last  term  closing  in  1866;  and  he  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  City  Assessor.  His  store-room  fronts 
twenty-two  feet  on  Washington,  118  feet  on  Pine  street,  and  his  business 
gives  employment  to  a  force  of  three  persons.  His  real  estate  offices  are 
in  the  second  story,  centrally  located  and  easy  of  access,  and  the  volume 
of  business  t»nsacted  shows  a  marked  improvement  in  the  condition  of 
Green  Bay  property. 

RIGHT  REV.  FRANCIS  X.WIER  KRAUPBAUER  (Bishop), 
is  a  native  of  Bavaria;  was  educated  in  Ratisbon  and  Munich,  and, 
having  be±n  ordiined  at  the  former  place,  came  to  America  in  1850. 
He  wu  fjr  eight  years  pastor  of  St.  Piter's  Church  at  Rochester.  N.  Y., 
before  oning  to  Milwaukee  as  chaplain  of  St.  Mary's  Institute  in  1S5S. 
Hi  re.n  lined  at  St.  M  iry's  until  his  election  and  consecration  as  Bishop 
of  this  diocese,  June  2q    1875. 

G.  E.  T.  K  YBER,  Notary  Public,  re.il  estate,  exchange,  passage  and 
collection  agency,  offi;eover  flaU's  jewelry  store.  Washington  street.  This 
business  was  established  by  the  proprietor  in  1863.  the  date  of  his  ap- 
piintm»nt  as  Notary  Public.  He  is  a  native  of  G-rmany  ;  emigrated  to 
Amarica  in  185  i.  and  four  years  later  settled  in  Green  Bay.     In  1864-5. 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


[29 


he  was  in  tlie  ofifice  of  the  Secretary  of  Slate,  auditing  the  accounts 
of  the  volunteer  aid  fund  of  the  State.  In  1867,  he  was  appointed 
Police  Justice,  the  first  appointment  to  that  office,  in  this  city,  and  has 
been  Jus'ice  of  the  Peace  for  twelve  years.  His  passage  agency  includes 
thirteen  lines  of  ocean  steamers,  all  the  principal  railways  leading  to  the 
sea-board  as  well  as  the  great  railway  lines  of  Great  Britain  and  the 
Continent. 

SEBASTI.AN  LANDWEHR,  proprietor  Green  Bay  House;  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1830,  and  came  to  this  country  and  city  in  1848; 
was  married  to  Miss  Kate  Burkhart,  who  was  also  born  in  Germany. 
Mr.  L.  is  among  those  who  came  here  from  Fatherland  at  an  early  time 
and  can  relate  many  privations  and  hardships  endured  by  the  German 
people  in  those  days.  He  has  been  in  the  hotel  business  for  the  last 
sixteen  years.  He  built  the  City  brewery.and  has  had  business  in  steam- 
boating  here.  The  Green  Bay  House  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Adams  streets.  The  traveling  public  will  find  good  accomodations 
and  reasonable  terms  at  this  hotel.  Passengers  carried  to  and  from  the 
steam-boats  and  railroads. 

GEORGE  LANGDON,  one  of  the  Sheriff's  deputies,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Green  Bay  forty-five  years,  and  has  been  connected  with 
the  Sherift"'s  office,  either  as  principal  or  deputy  for  thirty  years  of  that 
time. 

AUGUST  LANTZ,  grocer,  119  Washington  street.  This  house  was 
established  in  1863  by  Charles  Berner  and  purchased  by  the  present 
proprietor  in  1877.  His  store-room  is  22x100  ;  his  business  is  retail  and 
up-country  jobbing  trade,  giving  employment  to  a  force  of  four  persons. 
Mr.  LantE  was  born  in  Germany  ;  came  to  America  in  1872,  direct  to 
Green  Bay;  was  engaged  until  1S75  as  clerk  and  book-keeper  in  the 
First  National  Bank,  then  entered  into  the  grocery  business  at  Marquette, 
from  which  he  returned  two  years  later  to  engage  in  that  trade  in  this 
city.     He  is  a  charter  member  of  tlie  K.  of  P.  lodge  in  this  city. 

JOHN  B.  LEFEBERE,  furniture  manufacturer;  is  a  native  of  Bel- 
gium ;  came  to  America  in  1856.  and  settled  in  Green  Bay,  where  he  was 
principally  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  until  he  established 
his  furniture  house.     He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H. 

L.  LEFEBERE,  general  grocer  and  dealer  in  flour,  feed  and  pro- 
visions, Adams  street  near  Main.  The  flour  and  feed  business  was  es- 
tablished in  1871,  and  the  grocery  and  provision  trade  six  years  later. 
The  store  fronts  forty-four  feet  on  Adams  street,  is  100  feet  deep,  each 
business  occupying  twenty-two  feet  frontage  on  the  street,  and  the  whole 
giving  employment  to  a  force  of  three  persons  and  a  book-keeper.  The 
house  handles  about  fifty  sacks  of  flour  a  week,  and  600  tons  of  feed  in 
a  season.  Mr.  Lefebere  is  a  native  of  Belgium.  Came  to  Green  Bay  in 
1856,  and  since  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  engaged  in  clerking  until  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  1871.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  fraternity. 

FRANK  LENZ,  County  Treasurer,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  in 
which  country  he  received  his  education  prior  to  his  emigration  to 
America  in  1852.  Seven  years  after  his  arrival,  he  built  the  Green  Bay 
House,  which  he  kept  until  1865,  when  he  bought  a  saw-mill  in  the  town 
of  Suamico,  which  he  subsequently  sold,  and  returning  to  Green  Bay  ; 
was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  several  years,  seven  of  them  as  a 
member  of  the  grocery  house  of  Lenz  &  Brauns.  In  iS78,as  Deputy 
Treasurer,  he  took  charge  of  the  ofiice  for  Joseph  Kail,  whom  he  was 
elected  to  succeed.  Mr.  Lenz  is  a  member  of  the  Green  Bay  Turn  Ver- 
ein.pf  the  German  Benevolent  and  the  St.  Bonifacias  societies,  and  was 
City  Treasurer  during  1874. 

LINDLEY  &  H.\RDER,  saw  repairers  and  furnishers.  No.  114 
Washington  street.  This  industry  was  established  by  the  senior  partner 
of  the  present  firm  in  1866,  and  the  present  partnership  was  formed  with 
Mr.  Harder  in  1S78.  Their  business  is  the  repairing  of  mill  saws,  and 
furnishing  the  same,  and  extends  all  over  the  lumber  regions  of  North- 
ern Wisconsin  and  the  upper  peninsula,  theirs  being  the  only  house  of 
the  kind  in  all  that  territory  lying  north  of  Oshkosh.  The  members  of 
the  firm  are  Samuel  Lindley  and  O.  L.  Harder. 

Samuel  Lindley  is  a  native  of  Sheffield,  England,  learned  his  trade 
in  Williamsburg.  N.  Y.  Worked  in  New  York  City  twelve  years,  and 
had  traveled  all  over  the  Eastern  and  Northern  States  prior  to  coming  to 
Green  Bay  in  1S66.  Has  been  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire  Department 
several  years,  a  position  to  which  he  was  again  elected  two  years  since, 
and  which  he  now  holds.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Encampment  of 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  T.  of  H.  beneficiary  societies. 

O.  L.  Harder  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Came  to  Green  Bay  in 
1868.  Learned  his  trade  with  his  present  partner,  and  in  1878  entered 
into  business  with  him.  In  connection  with  Capt.  P.  F.  Thrall,  he  built, 
during  the  season  of  1881,  the  tug  boat  "  P.  F.  Thrall."  She  is  66  6-10 
feet  over  keel,  77  feet  over  all,  16  feet  beam,  and  9  feet  hold,  designed 
for  bay  and  harbor  service,  and  furnished  with  engines  of  250  horse- 
power. Mr.  Harder  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  T.  of  H.  benefi- 
ciary societies. 

McCORMICK  &  CO.,  shippers  and  dealers  in  flour,  feed  and  coarse 
grains,  in  which  business  they  have  been  engaged   since  January,  1878. 
Their  location  is  on  Washington  street  between  Pine  and  Cherry  streets, 
9 


with  warehouses  on  the  docks  at  the  foot  of  Pine,  which  has  a  river 
frontage  of  120  feet,  and  affords  navigable  water  for  all  lake  craft.  The 
boats  of  the  (Goodrich  Transportation  Company,  the  way  steamers 
"Hawley"  and  "Welcome,"  and  the  up  river  boat  "Brooklyn."  receive  and 
discharge  all  their  Green  Bay  freight  at  this  dock.  Their  businessisagen- 
eral  freight  and  commission,  and  dealing  in  mill  products,  of  which  they 
handle  about  900  tons  per  annum.  Their  general  freight  operations  it 
is  impossible  fairly  to  estimate,  but  its  aggregate  is  large.  The  members 
of  the  firm  are  M.  J.  McCormick.  H.  Dougherty  and  J.  Dougherty. 

M.  J.  McCormick  is  a  native  of  Brown  County.  Came  to  this  city 
in  1870,  and  was  book-keeper  for  the  N.  C.  Foster  Lumber  Company 
before  engaging  in  his  present  business. 

J.  McDonnell,  architect.  Has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  and 
engaged  in  his  profession  since  1866.  The  principal  buildings  of  the 
city  have  been  constructed  under  his  supervision;  among  them  Cook's 
Hotel.   The   ."Kmerican   House,  Chapman's    Block,  St.  James's  Church, 


/    -^ 


Shettle  Block,  etc.  The  Presbyterian  Church  just  erected  was  con- 
structed from  plans  furnished  by  him,  and  he  has  just  executed  designs 
for  the  new  court-house  at  Grand  Rapids,  Wood  Co.  The  Shawano 
County  Court-house  is  also  under  construction  from  plans  furnished  by 
him  last  year.  Mr.  McDonnell  is  a  native  of  New  York  ;  came  to  Chi- 
cago in  1838;  studied  for  his  profession  in  that  city,  and  completed  his 
course  in  New  York  in  1862.  Returning  to  Chicago,  he  praciiced  his 
profession  four  years  in  that  city,  and  then  came  to  Green  Bay.  His 
rooms  are  at  No.  127  Washington  street,  where  he  has  a  very  valuable 
library  of  works  on  architecture,  ancient,  modern  and  mediaeval.  Some 
of  his  works  are  exceedingly  rare,  and  of  one — the  "  Dictionary  of  Archi- 
tecture," published  by  the  Royal  Institute  of  British  Artists — but  two 
other  copies  are  found  in  the  United  States.  His  monography  of  the 
New  Opera  House  at  Paris,  costing  $250,  is  a  volume  of  engravings 
that  will  better  repay  a  day's  study  than  many  galleries  of  painting. 

L.  M.  MARSHALL,  descendant  of  an  old  Vermont  family,  was 
born  in  Poultney,  in  that  State,  April  13,  1825.  His  paternal  grand- 
mother was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Green  Mountain  Stated an4 
was  frequently  driven  from  her  home  by  the  incursions  of  Tories  and 
Indians  during  the  Revolutionary  struggles  of  1776.  The  birth-place  of 
young  Marshall  was  that  of  his  father  also,  who  was  a  thrifty  farmer  of 
that  vicinity,  and  gave  his  son  all  the  educational  advantages  the  place 
afforded,  until  he  was  sent  to  school  at  New  York  City  when  he  was  six- 
teen years  of  age,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  three  years.  Returning 
to  Poultney,  he  learned  the  molder's  trade,  and  worked  at  it  both  in 
Poultney  and  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  until  he  came  West  in  185 1  to  engage  in 
business  for  himself  Settling  in  Green  Bay,  he  embarked  in  general 
merchandising,  to  which  he  soon  added  dealing  in  lu  nber  and  shingles. 
In  November,  1853.  he  married  Lydia  F.  Whidden,  formerly  of  Maine, 


I30 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  their  family  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters  a  e  still  at  home  with 
them.  That  same  year  Mr.  Marshall  bought  a  shingle  mill  on  Duck 
Creek,  which  he  operated  two  years,  and  has  been  constantly  engaged 
since  then  in  furnishing  mill  supplies,  and  handling  shingles  on  com- 
mission at  this  point,  his  operations  aggregating  as  high  as  100,000,000 
shingles  in  a  season,  and  gaining  for  him  the  sobriquet  of  the  "Wiscon- 
sin Shingle  King."  In  1S75  he  built,  in  connection  with  Abram  Taylor, 
the  lumber  and  shingle  mill  at  Chelsea,  the  annual  product  of  which  is 
6,000,000  feet  of  logs  converted  into  lumber  and  shingles.  In  1879  he  took 
hold  of  the  Summit  Mill,  between  Unity  and  Colby,  on  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railroad,  stocked  it  up,  and  has  since  handled  it,  cutting  about 
4,000,000  feet  of  logs  each  season.  Besides  the  product  of  these  mills, 
he  is  constantly  purchasing  both  sawed  and  shaved  shingles  all  along  the 
line  of  the  road,  his  operations  last  season  reaching  about  10,000,000 
feet  of  lumber,  and  50,000,000  shingles.  In  the  Spring  of  1S81,  in  con- 
nection with  Henry  Strong,  banker  of  this  city,  Mr.  Marshal!  established 
the  Green  Bay  Paint  Company,  and  they  have  now  in  operation  a  mill 
grinding  about  twenty  barrels  of  paint  a  day,  the  raw  product  of  which 
is  dug  on  the  Bay  shore,  fifteen  miles  north  of  this  city.  This  product 
mixed  with  pure  white  lead,  in  the  proportion  of  one  part  lead  to  three 
parts  product,  yields  the  popular  article  known  as  "  French  Gray  Paint." 
This  industry  is  under  the  management  of  Herbert  L.  Marshall,  son  of  L. 
M.  Marshall,  and  its  product  finds  ready  market  in  all  trade  centers 
East,  West,  North  and  South. 

XAVIER  MARTIN,  real  estate  and  collection  agency.  This  busi- 
ness was  established  in  1870,  and  now  extends  all  over  Northern  Wiscon- 
sin, Southern  Minnesota  and  the  upper  peninsula,  but  the  proprietary  in- 
terests are  almost  exclusively  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  within  100 
miles  of  Green  Bay.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  native  of  Belgium.  He  received 
a  thorough  education  in  his  native  tongue  (French) ;  came  to  America 
in  1853,  settling  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  received  instruction  in  the 
English  language  and  literature  for  four  years,  and  then  came  to  this 
city,  where  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  until  l£62,  in  which  yearhs  was 
elected  Register  of  Deeds  for  Brown  County,  holding  that  office  by 
successive  re-elections  until  1870,  the  year  in  which  he  established  his 
present  business.  In  1875  he  was  elected  member  of  the  City  Council, 
and  again  in  1876.  Was  President  of  the  Council  during  his  last  term, 
and  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  during  both.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  K.  of  H.  fraternities. 

MEISTER  &  BRAUNS,  contractors  and  builders,  established  their 
partnership  in  the  Spring  of  18S1.  Christopher  Meister  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  there,  and  traveled  eight  years 
as  a  journeyman  before  coming  to  Green  Bay  in  1853.  Worked  at  his 
trade  until  1859,  ^"'^  'hen  began  business  as  a  contractor.  During  the 
twenty-two  years  that  he  has  been  engaged  in  that  business  he  has  built 
no  inconsiderable  part  of  the  present  business  blocks  of  this  city. 
Among  them.  Cook's  Hotel,  Chapman's  Block,  the  two-story  block  west 
side  Washington  street,  the  post-office  block,  engine  house  No.  i,  and 
several  of  the  best  private  residences.  In  1880  did  the  carpenter  woik 
of  the  Shawano  County  Court-house,  and  in  1881,  with  Mr.  Brauns,  built 
the  Wood  County  Court-house  at  Grand  Rapids.  Operations  last  year 
gave  employment  to  a  force  of  thirty  to  thirty-five  men.  Three  of  his 
boys  are  working  at  the  trade  with  the  father.  Served  fourteen  years  in 
the  Fire  Department,  and  four  years  in  the  City  Council. 

A.  Brauns,  of  above  firm,  is  a  native  of  Hanover  ;  completed  his 
-course  of  study  as  architect  and  civil  engineer  at  the  capital  of  that 
province  in  1864,  and,  after  two  years' practice  of  his  profession  there, 
■came  to  America,  settling  in  Green  Bay.  In  company  with  Frank  Lenz 
he  engaged,  soon  after  his  arrival  here,  in  the  grocery  and  provision 
trade.  The  business  grew  until  in  1871  it  was  exclusively  a  wholesale 
trade,  and  the  following  year,  1872,  sales  aggregated  $330,000.  The 
panic  of  1873  seriously  crippled  their  business,  but  they  continued  in 
trade  with  a  good  prospect  of  weathering  the  storm,  until  1877,  when, 
owing  to  unexpected  complications,  business  was  wound  up  and  Mr. 
Brauns  returned  to  his  old  business  of  architect  and  contractor,  in  which 
he  is  now  engaged.  He  was  for  ten  years  a  member  of  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment of  this  city  and  holds  his  diploma  as  such  ;  he  is  also  a  member 
of  the  K.  of  H.,  and  K.  &  L.  of  H.  societies.  When  the  grocery  house 
of  Brauns  &  Lenz  passed  into  the  hands  of  an  assignee,  the  claims  were 
purchased  by  Mrs.  M.  M.  Brauns  from  her  separate  estate,  and  the  man- 
agement of  the  business  entrusted  to  her  son,  E.  Van  den  Braak.  They 
own  the  store  building,  a  two-story  brick  44x100,  the  lower  story  of 
which  is  devoted  to  their  grocery  and  provision  trade. 

J.  C.  MILLER,  photographic  and  view  artist,  successor  to  C.  F. 
Schroeder,  118  Washington  street,  Green  Bay.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  native 
of  Germany  ;  came  to  this  country  in  1850;  lived  four  years  in  Milwau- 
kee, four  years  in  Waukesha,  and  twelve  years  in  Outagamie  Co., 
Wis.  Mr.  Miller  traveled  for  seven  years  through  the  States  of  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  making  views  of  im- 
portant places,  etc.  Has  had  charge  of  the  present  business  for  four 
years.  On  May  3,  18S0,  he  bought  out  the  entire  business  of  C.  F. 
Schroeder,  and  is  now  prepared  to  execute  galleiy  and  view  photo- 
graphing in  good  style. 


ALEXANDER  OPPEN,  business  m.-.nager  of  the  Green  Bay 
Brewery,  is  a  native  of  Westphalia.  He  sailed  the  high  seas  as  sailor 
and  captain  for  twenty-five  years,  and  had  been  a  resident  of  Green 
Bay  nearly  two  years  when  he  assumed  the  general  management  of  the 
brewery  business  for  Mrs.  Van  Deuke,  shortly  after  the  death  of  her 
husband. 

REV.  KARL  E.  G.  OPPEN  is  a  native  of  Westphalia,  received 
his  classical  education  at  the  Gymnasium  of  Hoexter,  his  native  city, 
and  took  his  theological  course  at  the  Seminary  of  Petershagen.  Upon 
the  completion  of  these  studies,  he  came  to  America,  and  after  one 
year  spent  in  the  Northwestern  Seminary  at  Watertown.  Wis.,  received 
and  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Colum- 
bus, and  was  there  ordained  in  1S69.  After  seven  years  pastoral  service 
with  that  people  he  accepted  a  call  to  this  city  in  1876. 

WASHINGTON  PARISH  is  a  native  of  Niagara  Co.,  N.  V.  He 
made  his  first  visit  to  Green  Bay  in  1836,  and  became  a  permanent  resi- 
dent in  1848.  Prior  to  engaging  in  his  present  business,  he  was  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  trade,  with  some  small  dealings  in  furs.  In  1871 
he  erected  the  building  known  as  Parish's  Block,  which  he  now  occu- 
pies. He  also  built  the  two-story  brick  now  owned  by  his  son,  E.  P. 
Parish.  His  residence  on  Astor  Heights  is  very  fine.  He  has 
been  Alderman  of  his  ward  several  terms  and  was  President  of  the  City 
Council  during  1879  and  1880. 

ANDREW  REIS,  JR.,  proprietor  of  Reis's  Hotel,  Green  Bay. 
Born  in  Green  Bay  in  1851,  and  married  Miss  Anna  Kellner.  She  was 
born  in  Manitowoc  County,  1857.  They  have  one  child,  J\riia,  aged 
eighteen  months.  Mr.  Reis's  parents  came  to  this  countiy  from  Bavaria 
about  thirty-three  years  ago  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  Mrs. 
Reis  died  in  1877  and  is  buried  in  Green  Bay  Cemetery.  Mr.  Reis  lives 
with  his  son  Andrew,  who  owns  the  hotel  and  can  give  good  accommo- 
dations at  reasonable  prices.  Passengers  carried  to  and  from  the  steam- 
boats and  railroads.     Two  good  stables  attached  to  the  hotel. 

M.  RESCH,  owner  and  proprietor  New  York  Saloon,  107  Wash- 
ington street.  In  1S71,  the  building,  w-hich  is  a  two-story  brick,  stucco 
finish,  22x110  feet,  with  back  store  and  closets  in  rear,  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $13,460.  The  rooms  are  occupied  with  four  billiard  tables. 
Mr.  Resch  is  a  native  of  France,  came  to  America  in  1849,  settling  in 
New  York  City,  and  was  for  ten  years  engaged  as  courier  with  American 
families  traveling  in  Europe.  He  arrived  in  Green  Bay  in  1863,  and 
has  been  engaged  in  his  present  business  ever  since ;  has  served  six 
years  in  the  Common  Council  of  this  city,  four  years  on  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1876. 

HENRY  RHODE,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  graduated  from 
the  College  of  Heiligenstadt  in  1S47,  and  from  the  medical  department 
of  the  University  of  Gottingen  in  1S51.  After  three  years  spent  in  the 
Prussian  army  as  surgeon,  he  came  to  America  in  1S54.  settled  in  Ohio 
for  practice,  and  five  years  later  established  himself  in  professional  bus- 
iness in  this  city.  In  i860  he  purchased  the  drug  store  of  Brinns  & 
Burkart  which  he  managed  in  connection  with  his  medical  practice  until 
1865  when  he  sold  out.  Dr.  Rhode  was  for  two  years  County  Physician, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Brown  County  Medical  Association.  Office  on 
Jefferson  street,  near  Main. 

COL.  CHARLES  D.  ROBINSON,  senior  editor  of  the  Green 
Bay  Advocate;  was  born  in  ^larcellus,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  22,  1S22.  Left  an 
orphan  early  in  life  by  the  death  of  his  father  in  Brockport,  N.  Y.,  he 
received  such  an  education  in  boyhood  as  the  schools  ol  his  locality  af- 
forded. The  man,  however,  was  soon  developed  in  the  boy  ;  thrown  en- 
tirely upon  his  own  resources  in  the  gaining  of  a  livelihood  and  a  place 
of  honor  in  the  world,  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  several  mercantile 
establishments,  but  his  progressive  nature  soon  turned  to  other  fields  of 
labor,  and  as  the  first  and  important  step  in  his  life's  work,  he  learned 
the  printer's  trade  thoroughly.  Remaining  in  Buffalo  until  master  of 
his  art,  he  looked  around  for  a  chance  to  establish  himself  and  chose 
Green  Bay  as  a  favorable  point.  He  and  his  younger  brother  issued  the 
first  number  of  the  Advocate  in  1846,  and  how  they  have  succeeded  in 
what  was  then  but  an  enterprise  is  best  told  in  the  sketch  of  that  jour- 
nal published  elsewhere.  By  his  long,  faithful,  and  honorable  service  as 
an  editor.  Col.  Robin.son  is  best  known  and  most  admired  throughout 
the  State;  and  as  a  journalist  should  be,  he  has  I  een  a  man  of  affairs. 
He  was  among  the  first  to  tender  his  services  to  Gov.  Randall  at 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  was  assigned  to  Gen.  Rufus  King's 
staff,  1st  Wis.  Brigade.  Col.  Robinson  followed  the  fortunes  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  until  ill  health  necessitated  his  return  home  in  the 
latter  part  of  1S62.  His  superiority  as  a  civil  engineer  was  quickly  dis- 
covered and  he  was  much  of  the  time  engaged  in  superintending  the 
building  of  bridges,  being  assigned,  among  other  important  undertak- 
ings, to  the  work  of  throwing  a  bridge  across  the  Rappahannock  at 
Fredericksburg.  Over  this  marched  the  fir.st  Northern  army  which  oc- 
cupied that  city.  Near  the  close  of  the  war,  after  Col.  Robinson  had 
partially  recovered  his  health,  he  was  tendered  a  commission  as  Colonel 
of  the  15th  Wis.  I.,  but  as  the  Rebellion  was  so  nearly  crushed  he  con- 
sidered that  his  services  at  home  were  of  the  first  importance,  and  de- 
clined.    Having  not  yet    recovered   his  old-time  energy,  in    1868  Col. 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


131 


Robinson  went  to  Europe  with  his  wife,  visiting  all  the  points  of  inter- 
est and  beauty  in  Great  Britain,  France.  Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  Bel- 
gium and  Holland.  During  his  travels  he  wrote  a  series  of  letters  to  the 
Advocate  which  were  much  admired  for  their  richness  of  material  and 
graphic  style.  In  addition  to  his  onerous  duties  as  editor  and  publisher. 
Col.  Robinson  has  during  his  residence  in  Green  Bay  been  called  to  sev- 
eral public  posts  of  honor.  He  has  served  in  the  Legislature,  was  Sec- 
retary of  State  in  1852-3,  Mayor  of  the  city  two  terms.  Clerk  of  the 
Court,  etc.,  etc..  As  a  Democratic  candidate  for  Governor  of  the  State, 
although  personally  one  of  the  most  popular  of  men,  he  was  unsuccess- 
ful. Col.  Robinson  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  of  the 
Annapolis  Naval  Academy  and  of  the  Wisconsin  State  University.  He 
has  also  been  prominent  in  all  reforms  and  charities,  chiefly  as  one  of 
the  Board  of  Management  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane. Mr.  Robinson's  first  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  A.  Wilcox,  whom  he 
married  in  1S47.  She  died  in  1852.  In  1854  he  married  Miss  Abbie  C. 
Ballou,  of  Rhode  Island. 

SCHELLENBECK  &  BECK,  druggists.  No.  117  Washington  street. 
This  house  was  established  in  1865  by  C.  V.  L.  Mounier.  and  after  sev- 
eral business  changes  passed  into  the  hands  of  Oito  Schellenbeck  in 
1S7S,  who  the  following  year  admitted  H.  M.  Beck  to  a  partnership  in 
the  house.  While  carrying  the  usual  line  of  fancy  and  toilet  goods 
found  in  drug  houses,  they  give  special  attention  to  the  compounding  of 
prescriptions,  in  which  they  have  an  established  reputation. 

Otto  Schellenbeck  is  a  native  of  this  State,  came  to  Green  Bay  in  his 
infancy,  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  this  city,  and  spent  six 
years — four  of  them  as  prescription  clerk  —  in  the  house  of  which  he  is 
now  the  head. 

H.  M.  Beck  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  received  his  classical  training 
at  Wurtzburg  and  Munich,  came  to  America  in  1876  and  entered  the 
house  of  which  he  is  now  a  partner,  as  clerk.  He  is  pursuing  a  course 
of  professional  study  at  the  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  and  pro- 
poses to  finish  his  course  at  Bellevue,  N.  Y.  the  coming  season. 

JACOB  SCHELLENBECK,  dealer  in  leather  and  findings,  Main 
street  above  Adams.  Business  established  in  1S57,  and  has  been  con- 
tinuously in  operation  since  then.  The  proprietor  is  a  native  of  Prussia  ; 
came  to  America  in  1850,  and  was  seveial  years  engaged  in  tanning, 
prior  to  1S66,  at  which  time  he  was  burned  out  and  discontinued  manu- 
facturing, devoting  himself  exclusively  to  trade.  He  has  been  quite 
prominent  in  municipal  affairs,  having  been  at  various  times  a  member 
of  the  Common  Council,  the  Board  of  Health  and  the  School  Board  of 
this  city. 

LOUIS  SCHELLER.  taxidermist,  corner  Monroe  and  School 
streets,  was  born  in  Germany,  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1849,  returned  to 
Europe  in  1852,  remaining  one  year,  during  which  time  he  learned  the 
taxidermist's  art.  Returning  to  America  in  1853,  he  spent  three  years 
traveling  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  then  settled  permanently  in  this 
city.  His  first  cases  of  birds  (native)  were  put  up  in  1S53.  From  1856 
to  1872,  he  preserved  and  mounted  about  fifty  cases,  all  native  to  this 
region,  and  these  are  now  scattered  from  Denver  to  New  York,  some 
cases  having  also  been  sent  to  England.  His  present  collection  numbers 
twenty-eight  cases,  among  them  some  rare  European  specimens  obtained 
by  exchange  from  artists  in  that  country.  He  has  put  up  over  200  varieties 
of  native  and  about  fifty  specimens  of  European  birds,  and  is  of  opinion 
that  there  are  numerous  varieties  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Green  Bay 
which  he  has  not  yet  procured.  As  his  native  specimens  are  all  from  this  city 
and  vicinity,  it  shows  Green  Bay  region  to  be  quite  prolific  in  ornitho- 
logical variety.  Mr.  Scheller  was  three  and  one-half  years  a  member  of 
the  City  Council  here,  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  City  Repre- 
sentative in  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors.  For  eight  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Green  Bay  Turn  Verein,  is  also  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  fraternities. 

L.  G.  SCHILLER,  grocer  and  packer  and  shipper  of  fresh  and 
salt  fish.  The  grocery  house  is  at  No.  46  Pine  street.  The  business  has 
been  established  nearly  six  years,  and  now  requires  the  services  of  four 
men  and  a  delivery  wagon.  The  fish-house,  42x50  feet,  is  at  the  foot  of 
Jefferson  street.  East  River,  and  the  business  of  the  house  consists  of 
packing  and  shipping  fresh  fish,  principally  for  the  Chicago  and  Kansas 
City  markets,  and  in  curing  and  packing  salt  fish  for  the  general  trade. 
This  business  was  established  in  1879,  and  now  gives  employment  to  a 
force  of  thirteen  fishermen  and  four  packers,  product  ranging  from  2,500 
to  3,000  pounds  daily.  Mr.  Schiller  is  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to 
Green  Bay  direct  from  Europe  in  1872,  and  was  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
house  of  Crandall  &  North  of  this  city  until  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self. 

F.  W.  SCHNEIDER,  photographic  copying  and  viewing  artist,  cor- 
ner Pine  and  Washington  streets.  Green  Bay —established  1858.  Mr. 
Schneider  is  a  native  of  Siegen,  Germany,  came  to  this  country  186S, 
married  Miss  EUemina  Matilda  Nuss,  June  i,  1S76.  She  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.  Have  one  child,  Alvin.  Mr.  Schneider  has  been  in 
business  for  the  last  seven  years;  has  had  control  of  galleries  in  this  city 
six  years,  and  has  owned  the  present  gallery  since  1877.  He  is  now  well 
prepared  to  furnish  pictures  of  views  on  short  notice.  Mr.  Schneider 
makes  first  class  pictures  in  all  styles. 


JOHN  M.  SHOEMAKER,  of  the  dry-goods  house  of  Shoemaker 
&  VanDyck,  is  a  native  of  Holland,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  and  to 
Green  Bay  in  1866. 

-KONRAD  SILBERSDORF,  proprietor  Bay  City  House,  comer 
Washington  and  Walnut  streets.  Green  Bay.  The  best  of  accommoda- 
tions for  the  traveling  public  ;  terms  seasonable.  Passengers  will  be 
carried  to  and  from  the  steam-boats  and  railroads. 

M.  P.  SKEELS,  of  the  firm  of  Skeels  &  Best,  wholesale  dry  goods, 
etc.,  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  prior  to  coming  to  this  city  in  1872, 
was  Deputy  United  States  Collector  of  Customs  at  Burlington,  in  his 
native  State. 

SMITH  BROTHERS,  gardeners  and  dealers  in  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles. Their  gardens  cover  an  area  of  thirty-one  acres,  and  are  situated 
on  the  old  Manitowoc  road,  three  miles  from  the  business  center  of  the 
city,  with  which  they  are  connected  by  a  private  telephone  line.     Opera- 


M^'f-- 


Au^J,^c:^ 


>^-^. 


tions  were  commenced  in  1873,  when  twenty  acres  of  ground  were  pur- 
chased, to  which  eleven  acres  of  leased  land  were  added  two  years  later. 
The  gardens  are  supplied  with  an  irrigating  apparatus  run  by  steam. 
Two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  of  iron  pipe,  with  hydrants  every  200 
feet  and  well  supplied  with  hose  have  already  been  laid,  and  as  their 
water  supply  is  inexhaustible,  every  foot  ot  their  ground  can  be  abso- 
lutely insured  against  drought.  The  soil  is  a  light  loam,  containing  a 
small  deposit  of  fine  white  sand.  It  is  warm  and  quick  and  admirably 
adapted  for  early  market  gardening.  Last  year's  crop  was  ;  onions,  six 
acres  ;  cabbage,  75,000  to  100,000  head  ;  early  potatoes,  six  acres  ;  peas, 
beans,  asparagus,  lettuce,  etc..  etc.,  almost  ad  libitutn.  Shipments  are 
regularly  made  from  May  to  November  all  through  Northern  Wiscon- 
sin and  the  upper  peninsula  and  the  surplus  marketed  wherever  the  best 
returns  are  received,  some  lots  going  as  far  east  as  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia. 

The  members  of  the  firm  are  Henry  C.  and  George  B.  Smith,  both 
natives  of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  who  came  to  Green  Bay  with  their  father's 
family  in  1854.  Henry  Smith  enlisted  in  the  20th  111.  I.  in  1861, 
and  was  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability.  Recovering 
his  health  he  re-enlisted  the  following  year,  1862,  in  the  12th  Wisconsin  ; 
was  with  Grant  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign  ;  with  Sherman  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign  ;  went  with  his  army  down  to  the  sea  and  was  captured 
on  the  march  north  from  Savannah,  and  confined  in  Libby  prison  about 
two  months.  Returning  home  he  was  variously  employed  in  lumber 
business  until  1S73,  when  he  commenced  gardening.  He  is  the  sales- 
man and  business  manager  of  the  firm.  George  B.  Smith  has  given  his 
attention  to  gardening  from  a  boy,  and  is  in  every  sense  of  the  word  a 
practical  gardener,  fully  acquainted  with  all  the  details  of  the  business. 

EUGENE  SMITH,  superintendent  National  Furnace  Company,  is 
a  native  of  Ohio,  from  which  State  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  :370,  and 


132 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


to  Depere  two  years  later,  having  accepted  the  position  of  assistant 
cashier  of  the  bank  of  Depere.  This  position  he  resigned  in  1875  to 
take  charge  of  the  books  of  the  National  Furnace  Company  at  Depere, 
and  in  April,  iSSr,  came  to  Green  Bay  as  superintendent  of  the  com- 
pany's works  at  this  point. 

E.  R.  SMITH,  Sheriff,  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  was  engaged  in 
mercanliJe  business  there  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  entered  the 
United  Slates  seivice  wiih  the  2d  Regiment  Ver.  I.,  the  first  three 
years' regiment  from  that  State.  He  served  the  full  term  of  his  enlist- 
ment, during  which  time  he  was  on  detached  service  nine  months,  and 
returning  home  served  one  year  as  property  steward  in  the  general  hos- 
pital at  Builirgton.  In  lS6g,  Mr.Smith  came  West  and  soon  afterward 
settled  at  \Viiglit.sto\\n  in  this  county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Board  there  ihrte  years;  served  two  years  as  clerk;  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace  there  eight  years,  and  entered  upon  his  present   duties  Jan.  1, 1881. 


.€®^. 


JOHN  M.  SMITH,  of  Green  Bay,  was  born  Dec.  13.  iSao,  in 
Mcrris  Co.,  N.  J.  His  father  was  a  wide-awake,  energetic  farmer,  and 
was  ore  cn.cig  ihe  first  few  to  adept  what  is  now  leimed  a  system  of 
in-picved  cultivation.  P'lcm  him  the  son  gained  much  of  that  practical 
krcwkdge  which  has  made  him  so  well-known  as  a  thorough  and  suc- 
cessful cultivator  of  the  soil.  His  early  education  was  as  gccd  as  the 
coniron  rchools  of  his  native  county  could  give,  until  he  had  nearly 
attained  manhocd,  when  he  entered  on  a  course  of  preparation  for  col- 
lege, beirg  veiy  desirous  of  enlerirg  one  of  the  learned  professions. 
Such,  however,  was  not  the  course  Providence  had  marked  out  for  him. 
Befoie  he  had  completed  his  pre]  atatoiy  course,  he  was  called  heme  to 
lake  care  of  his  father's  affairs  on  the  farm,  he  being  for  some  months 
laid  aside  by  a  severe  accident,  which  event  changed  permanently  the 
whole  course  of  his  future  life.  .Still  he  was  a  close  student,  and  all  his 
spare  time  was  devoted  to  books,  which  were  a  necessity  of  his  life. 
Books  of  history  had  for  him  a  peculiar  charm,  and  all  agricultural  infor- 
mation was  eagerly  sought  after.  He  was  passionately  fond  of  music, 
and  devoted  much  lime  to  its  study.  On  the  I4ih  of  March,  1S44,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Emily  B.  Torrey,  of  Honesdale,  Penn.  She  was 
born  Jan.  31,  1S21.  Their  married  life  has  been  an  exceptionally  happy 
one.  Nine  sons  and  two  daughters  were  given  them,  and  seven  sons  and 
one  daughter  are  still  living.     In  May,  1S54,  they  removed  from  New 


Jersey  to  Wisconsin,  and  in  July  of  the  same  year  came  to  Green  Bay  to 
make  a  home,  where  they  have  ever  since  resided.  He  has  occupied  his 
present  home  twenty-five  years.  From  the  time  of  his  marriage  until  his 
removal  to  Wisconsin  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering,  and  for  several 
years  after  coming  West,  he  was  more  or  less  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. But  the  dream  of  his  manhood,  after  being  obliged  to  give  up  his 
early  plans,  had  been  to  own  a  piece  of  land,  and  make  it  do  its  best ; 
so  when  in  1864  a  route  was  opened  to  the  iron  and  lumber  region  north 
of  us,  he  saw  that  there  was  a  chance  for  some  one  to  start  market  gardens 
to  feed  the  men  who  would  have  no  time  to  cultivate  for  themselves.  He 
went  through  the  northern  district  to  Lake  Superior,  and  came  back  so 
well  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  a  future  market,  that  he  at  once  deter- 
mined to  make  market-gardening  and  fruit-growing  a  permanent  busi- 
ness. He  commenced  with  about  three  acres,  and  with  the  yearly  in- 
creasing demand  has  enlarged  until  now  (18S1)  he  has  about  forty-five 
acres,  mostly  in  garden  crops,  and  a  constant  demand  for  nearly  every 
thing  grown.  He  is  a  ready  writer,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  agricultural  development  of  the  State.  In  1871  the  farmers 
of  Wisconsin  commenced  holding  agricultural  conventions  in  different 
parts  of  the  State.  From  the  first,  Mr.  Smith  has  been  identified  with 
them,  giving  time  and  thought  and  money,  when  necessary,  to  make  them 
a  success.  His  co-workers  seem  to  have  appreciated  his  services,  and 
have  repeatedly  chosen  him  their  leader.  Ten  years  ago  the  Brown 
County  Horticultural  Society  was  formed.  It  was  afterward  changed  to 
include  agriculture,  and  Mr.Smith  was  chosen  its  first  president,  which 
position  he  still  holds  by  the  annually  expressed  wish  of  its  members. 
In  1870  the  Northern  Wisconsin  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  /Associa- 
tion was  organized,  he  being  made  one  of  its  vice-presidents,  which  place 
he  held  until  1873,  when  he  was  made  president  until  1876,  when  he  was 
chosen  president  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Horticultural  Society,  where 
he  has  been  annually  re-elected  until  the  present  time.  In  March,  iS8r, 
was  organized  the  Fox  River  Valley  Amber  Cane-growers'  Association, 
and  Mr.  Smith  was  chosen  its  president  against  his  own  earnest  protest, 
as  he  had  already  more  than  his  share  of  that  kind  of  work,  but  the 
members  insisted,  and  he  finally  allowed  his  name  to  stand.  He  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  political  matters,  always  using  his  in- 
fluence to  secure  the  best  men  possible  for  all  places  of  public  trust.  He 
has  never  sought  office  for  himself,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  he  never  will. 
Should  his  fellow  citizens  ever  need  him  for  any  place  of  public  trust, 
they  will  have  to  seek  him. 

GEORGE  SOMERS,  wholesale  dry  goods,  etc.,  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. Came  to  America  with  his  parents  when  quite  young,  settling 
in  Pennsylvania;  came  to  this  State  in  1851  and  was  several  years  en- 
gaged in  the  diy  goods  trade  at  Racine  and  Monroe,  before  coming  to 
this  city  in  1863.  Since  that  date  he  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  Ihe  dry  goods  trade  of  the  Northwest,  having  at  various  times 
branch  stores  in  Neenah,  Depere,  Stevens  Point,  and  Winona  and 
Rochester,  Minnesota. 

J.  J.  ST.  LOUIS,  general  hardware  and  house  furnishing  goods, 
also  jobber  in  tin,  copper,  sheet  and  galvanized  iron.  No.  78  Washing- 
ton street.  This  business  was  established  in  1S62  by  the  proprietor,  in 
the  block  just  across  the  street  from  his  present  location.  In  1874  he 
purchased  the  lot  on  which  his  store  now  stands,  and  two  years  later 
erected  his  business  house,  a  two-story  brick,  2t%  x  100  feet,  the  lower 
story  used  as  a  sales  room  and  oflice,  the  rear  of  the  upper  story  as  a 
manufactory.  His  premises  are  260  feet  deep,  and  terminate  on  the 
dock,  at  which  the  largest  lake  vessels  find  ample  dockage,  and  where 
he  has  a  capacious  warehouse.  The  business  gives  constant  employment 
to  a  force  of  fiom  five  to  six  persons.  Mr.  St.  Louis  is  a  native  of 
New  York  State  ;  bred  to  business  in  Plattsburg,  and  engaged  in  trade 
in  that  vicinity  before  coming  to  Green  Bay  in  1S55.  He  was  con- 
nected with  the  house  of  A.  Kimball  of  this  city  before  engaging  in 
business  for  himself. 

HENRY  STRONG,  the  founder  of  the  bank  of  Green  Bay,  and 
its  piesident  during  all  the  various  changes  in  its  organization,  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  City  and  a  son  of  George  D.  Strong,  a  prominent 
banker  and  wholesale  merchant  of  that  city.  He  was  bred  to  business 
in  a  Wall-street  banking  house.  He  moved  from  New  York  to  Oshkosh 
in  1854;  organized  the  Commercial  Bank  of  that  city,  conducted  its  op- 
erations four  years,  and  then  went  to  Green  Bay,  where,  for  the  past 
twenty-two  years,  he  has  conducted  business  as  a  banker,  and  thor- 
oughly identified  himself  with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  city. 

GEORGE  A.  SNAVELY,  proprietor  Adams  House,  Green  Bay. 
The  house  has  a  capacity  of  thirty  sleeping-rooms  on  second  floor;  offrce, 
dining-room  and  piivate  sitting-room  on  first  floor,  and  public  sitting- 
room  on  second  floor ;  stables  accommodating  twenty-one  horses  in  rear 
of  hotel  ;  established  in  1859  by  St.  Pierao.  In  '1S69  Mr.  B.  Smith 
bought  it,  and  conducted  it  until  1875,  when  Mr.  Snavely  bought  it,  and 
has  conducted  it  since.  The  house  is  centrally  located  to  the  business 
interests  of  the  place,  and  is  convenient  to  the  railroad  and  steam-boat 
depots. 

1  RACY  &  BAILEY,  attorneys-at-law.  Office  in  post-oftice  block. 
The   members  of  this  firm  are  John  J.  Tracy   and   Willard  C.  Bailey. 


t 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


133 


1S77,  and  practice  extends  to  all 


raduate  of  Da 


Their  law  partnership  was  for 
the  State  and  Federal  courts. 

John  J.  Tracy  is  a  native  of  Vermont  anc 
College — class  of  1864.  Leaving  college  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States 
service,  was  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war,  came  to  Green  Bay  where 
for  two  years  he  was  principal  of  the  city  schools,  then  entered  the  law 
office  of  John  C.  Neville,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1868  at  the  Spring 
term  of  court.  The  same  year  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his  legal 
preceptor,  and  was  in  practice  with  him  until  1S75.  during  which  time 
he  was  twice  elected  District  Attorney.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  fraternity. 

Willard  C.  Bailey  is  a  native  Wisconsin,  served  with  the  40th  Wis.  I 
during  the  late  war,  graduated  from  Beloit  College  in  the  class  of  l86g 
and  came  to  Green  Bay  the  same  year  as  principal  of  the  city  schools, 
studied  law  during  the  two  years  he  held  that  position,  then  entered  the 
office  of  Hastings  &  Greene,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  Spring  of 
1S72,  entered  immediately  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  this 
city,  and  has  so  continued.  Mr.  Bailey  is  the  present  chairman  of  the 
Republican  Central  Committee  for  Brown  Co.  ;  takes  an  active  part  in 
temperance  matters,  and  for  ten  terms  was  presiding  officer  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.  fraternities. 

JAMES  E.  TRACY,  of  the  firm  of  Gormley  S:  Tracy,  merchant 
tailors.  123  Washington  street,  Green  Bay,  was  born  in  Ireland,  August, 
1S48.  In  July,  1863,  he  came  to  New  York.  After  spending  seven  years  at 
his  business,  and  traveling  through  the  cities  of  Illinois  for  one  year,  he 
came  here  in  the  employ  of  Richman  &  Lehman,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  five  years.  He  then  engaged  with  Mr.  Hoft'man  for  about  a  year, 
after  which  he  conducted  a  business  for  himself  up  to  the  present.  He 
has  formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr.  Gormley,  and  the  firm  are  able  to 
supply  their  patrons  with  the  most  elegant  styles  and  choicest  qualities 
of  goods.  In  1872  Mr.  Tracy  was  married  to  Miss  Flora  Rositer  of  Ft. 
Howard.     They  have  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

LOUIS  YAN  DYCKE  (deceased)  was  born  in  Antwerp  ;  came  to 
America  in  1855,  and  the  following  year  settled  in  Green  Bay.  Two 
years  later,  on  the  organization  of  Kewaunee  County,  he  removed  to 
Red  River  in  that  county.  Was  its  first  District  Attorney  and  Post- 
master, and  was  Township  Treasurer  there  for  ten  years.  Returning  to 
Green  Bay  in  1868,  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  brewing, 
and  other  industries  until  his  death  January  9,  iSSi.  In  1875,  in  con- 
nection with  John  M.  Shoemaker  he  established  the  dry  goods  house  of 
Shoemaker  &  Van  Dycke,  his  interest  in  which  as  well  as  his  brewery, 
is  now  in  the  hands  of  his  widow,  Mrs.  Olivia  Van  Dycke  (nee  Cesar), 
whom  he  married  in  1857. 

MRS.  O.  YAN  DYCKE  is  a  native  of  Belgium  :  came  to  America 
in  1856,  and  settled  in  Kewaunee  County,  where  the  following  year  she 
married  Louis  Van  Dycke,  and  by  his  death,  after  twenty-four  years  of 
happy  married  life,  was  left  a  widow  with  six  children  and  the  care  of  a 
large  estate. 

DR.  A.  H.  VAN  NORSTRAND  is  a  native  of  New  York;  pur- 
sued his  academical  studies  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.Y..  and  his  medical  studies 
in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  after  which  he  entered  the  Vermont  Medical  College 
at  Woodstock,  and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1846.  The  following  year 
he  removed  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Astalan,  Jefferson  Co., 
where,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Oshkosh,  he  remained  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1861.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  Dr.  Van  Norstrand  recruited  a  company  for  the  4th  Wis.  I.,  but  be- 
fore taking  the  field  was  commissioned  surgeon  of  the  regiment  and 
served  with  it  in  that  capacity  and  on  staff  duty  until  the  re-enlistment 
of  the  regiment  in  1864,  when  he  retired  from  the  service.  Returning 
home  he  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Hospital 
for  the  Insane  at  Madison,  which  position  he  held  until  1S6S,  a  short  time 
prior  to  his  removal  to  this  county.  In  1874,  he  was  appointed  a  Trus- 
tee of  the  State  Hospital,  serving  for  two  years,  and  before  entering  the 
military  service  of  the  United  States  had  been  twice  elected  a  member 
of  the  State  Assembly,  sessions  of  1S52  and  1855. 

B.  J.  VAN  VALKENBURGH,  the  only  resident  member  of  the 
firm  of  Cargill  &  Van  Valkenburgh,  is  a  native  of  New  York.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  185 1,  and  settled  at  Manitowoc,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  general  merchandize  until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  21st  Wis.  I., 
and  was  mustered  out  as  major  U.  S.  V.  in  the  quartermaster  depart- 
ment, after  three  years  and  three  months  active  service.  Retiring  from 
the  army,  Mr.  Van  Valkenburgh  was  engaged  in  commission  and  grain 
business  at  La  Crosse,  prior  to  coming  to  this  city. 

VROMAN  &  SALE,  attorneys  at  law,  office  on  Washington  street, 
over  Dowville  &  Basches'  store.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  C.  E. 
Vroman  and  L.  B.  Sale,  and  their  law  partnership  was  formed  in  1874. 

C.  E.  Vroman  is  a  native  of  this  State.  Gratuated  from  the  State 
University  at  Madison  in  the  class  of  1868,  from  the  Albany  Law  School 
the  following  year,  and  settled  for  practice  in  this  city  in  1872.  He 
was  elected  District  Attorney  in  1879,  still  holds  that  office,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  fraternity. 

L.  B.  Sale  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.    Served  with  the  40th  Regiment 
9* 


Wis.  I.  during  the  last  war.  Graduated  from  the  classical  department 
of  the  State  University  in  1870,  and  from  the  law  department  two  years 
later.  Was  admitted  to  practice  in  Eau  Claire  County,  then  his  residence, 
and  in  1874,  came  to  this  city  where  as  before  stated  he  established 
practice  as  law  partner  of  C.  E.  Vroman.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of 
P.  fraternity. 

A.  A.  WARREN,  insurance  agent,  office-room  No.  4  Spaulding's 
block,  is  a  native  of  Ohio  ;  came  to  this  State  in  1854,  and  to  Green 
Bay  in  i856,  since  which  time  he  has  been  thoroughly  identified  with  the 
busine.ss  interests  of  this  city  and  vicinity.  He  was  for  four  years  secre- 
tary, treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the  Monitor  Iron  Works  at 
Fort  Howard,  has  taken  an  active  part  in  all  efforts  to  increase  the 
manufacturing  industries  and  carrying  facilities  of  this  section,  and  is 
the  corresponding  secretary  of  an  association  formed  for  that  purpose. 
He  represents  the  First  Ward  of  this  city  in  the  County  Board  of 
Supervisors  for  Brown  County. 


DANIEL  WHITNEY  was  born  in  Gilsum,  N.H.,  Sept.  3, 
1795.  Settling  in  Green  Bay  in  1819,  he  established  himself  in  the 
mercantile  business,  at  once,  and  the  following  year  opened  store  at 
Shanty  Town,  built  his  log  houses,  and  became  speedily  known  as  the 
leading  trader  and  business  man  of  that  region.  Mr.  Whitney's  nature 
was  roving  and  enterprising,  and  there  was  probably  no  other  man  of 
those  times  who  was  so  intimately  acquainted  with  the  country  up  and 
down  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  and  as  far  east  as  Detroit.  In  1822, 
he  took  a  trip  to  the  latter  place  on  snow-shoes,  his  only  companions 
being  Indians.  It  was  about  the  same  time  that  Moses  Hardwick  was 
making  similar  excursions  as  a  carrier  of  the  mail  to  Detroit  and  west- 
ward to  those  lakes,  but  these  two  were  about  the  only  ones  in  this  region 
adventursorae  and  hardy  enough  to  undertake  the  weary  and  danger- 
ous journey.  Mr.  Whitney  did  not  confine  himself,  however,  to  the 
business  either  of  a  trader  or  an  explorer.  He  was  pre-eminently  a 
practical  man  of  great  energy  of  body  and  mind  and  was  never  idle.  He 
built  the  first  mill  upon  the  Wisconsin  River.  In  1821-2,  he  became  sutler 
at  Ft.  Snelling.  He  developed  into  an  extensive  lumberman,  and  built 
mill  after  mill.  Upon  the  advent  of  the  Stockbridge  Indians,  in  1827,  he 
opened  a  supply  store  at  Little  Chute  on  Fox  River,  and  operated  it  for 
many  years.  By  1829,  the  business  prospects  of  Shanty  Town  had  con- 
sidably   dimmed,    and   when    Mr.   Whitney   platted    Navarino  in   that 


134 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


year  the  place  became  almost  deserted.  The  land  comprising  the  site  of 
Navarino  was  owned  by  the  seven  Grignon  brothers.  One  of  them,  Augus- 
tus, refused  to  sell  under  any  consideration.  The  other  six  were  willing 
and  "  tossed  up  "  to  see  what  portion  of  their  possession  should  go.  The 
result  of  the  "toss-up"  determined  Mr.  Whitney's  purchase  and  the 
future  site  of  Navarino,  which  became  the  North  Ward  of  Green  Bay. 
When  the  village  was  platted  Mr.  Whitney  at  once  commenced  to  invite 
settlement  by  building  stores  and  dwelling  houses,  a  wharf,  warehouses, 
school-liouse,  hotel,  etc.  The  latter  became  known  as  the  Washington 
House  and  was  situated  where  the  Beaumont  House  now  stands.  This 
plan  of  personally  building  up  the  place  he  continued  for  ten  years, 
sometimes  even  going  so  far  as  to  give  away  land  to  those  desiring  to 
permanently  locate  in  Navarino.  By  this  time  Shanty  Town  had  almost 
fallen  out  of  sight,  Gen.  Dickinson,  who  was  clerk  for  Mr.  Whitney 
when  he  opened  store  in  1820.  removed  to  the  present  site  of  Depere. 
and  Mr.  Whitney  took  his  family  to  Jhe  more  prosperous  settlement  of 
Navarino.  There  he  continued  to  reside,  prosperous,  industrious,  re- 
spected, until  death  c.illed  him  away  Nov.  4,  1S62.  The  late  Col. 
Charles  TuUar,  who  came  to  Green  Bay  as  clerk  for  Mr.  Whitney  in 
1831,  managed  the  property  of  the  deceased,  which  was  considerable, 
until  the  lime  of  the  former's  death  in  October,  1S74.  Mr.  Whitney 
was  married  Sept.  I,  1S26,  in  Vermont,  to  Miss  E.  S.  Henshaw.  They 
have  had  six  boys  and  one  daughter.  The  latter  and  two  of  their  sons 
are  still  living.  The  widow,  a  bright  old  lady  of  seventy-seven  years, 
yet  of  vigorous  mind,  survives  her  lamented  husband,  and  now  resides 
in  the  old  homestead,  originally  built  by  Mr.  Whitney  in  1S33,  and  in- 
tended as  a  boarding-house  for  his  hands,  but  of  which  Mr.  Whitney, 
preferring  housekeeping  to  hotel  life,  took  possession.  In  1833,  Daniel 
Whitney  attempted  to  utilize  some  of  the  product  of  the  lead 
mines,  and  established  the  first  shot-tower  in  the  West,  at  a  place 
called  Helena,  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek,  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  in 
the  present  limits  of  Iowa  County.  A  detailed  history  of  this  venture  is 
given  in  the  Western  Historical  Company's  "History  of  Iowa  County, 
l88l." 

G.  W.  WATSON,  the  only  resident  member  of  the  firm  of  Watson 
&  McLeod,  is  a  native  of  New  York  ;  came  to  this  region  with  his 
parents  in  1844,  and  embarked  in  business  for  himself  in  the  lumber 
trade  in  1S61,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city.  The 
lumber  firm  of  which  he  was  a  member,  had  §80,000  of  property  in  mills 
and  lumber  swept  away  in  a  night  by  the  great  fires  of  1S71,  but  con- 
tinued in  business  until  1874,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  wholesale 
grocery  house  of  Roundy,  Peckham  &  Co.,  of  Milwaukee,  as  traveling 
salesman,  which  position  he  surrendered  to  establish  his  present  busi- 
ness in  iSSo. 

A.  WEISE,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Weise  &  Holman,  is  a 
native  of  Germany,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  America  in 
1S41,  settling  in  Green  Bay  the  following  year.  From  1842  tc  1876,  he 
followed  his  trade  as  carriage  and  wagon  maker,  which  he  had  learned 
in  Germany,  during  which  time  he  had  accumulated  a  very  valuable 
property.  In  1866,  he  built  the  house  now  occupied  by  him  as  a  crock- 
ery store,  a  two-story  brick  44x80,  and  has  erected  over  thirty  buildings 
in  this  city,  of  wliich  he  now  owns  eighteen  dwelling  houses,  four  stores 
and  the  w^agon  shop,  in  which  one  of  his  sons  is  doing  business. 

FORT    HOWARD. 

'l"he  progress  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Howard  has  been  traced  in  preceding  pages.  The 
military  reservation  upon  which  the  borough,  and  later  the 
city,  of  Fort  Howard  was  founded,  was  set  apart  by  order 
of  the  President,  March  2,  1829,  and  comprised  all  the 
lands  lying  upon  Fo.\  River  and  Green  Bay,  Township  24 
north,  Range  20  east,  being  about  4,000  acres.  Daniel 
Whitney,  M.  L.  Martin,  John  W.  Arndt,  of  Green  Bay,  and 
James  Murray,  of  New  York,  the  original  owners,  succeeded 
in  getting  the  War  Department  to  release  the  claim,  and  the 
lands  were  abandoned  for  military  purposes,  December  4, 
1850.  Through  the  courts  the  owners  obtained  a  division 
of  the  claim,  and  Joel  S.  Fisk,  Francis  Desnoyers,  James 
Callahan  and  others  bought  interests,  the  first  named  and 
Mr.  Arndt  laying  out  their  shares  in  village  lots.  Several 
additions  were  made  before  Fort  Howard  became  a  borough, 
October  3,  1856.  Previous  to  this  the  Town  Board  had 
held  sessions  at  Duck  Creek.  On  November  10,  1864,  in 
pursuance  of  a  Congressional  act,  approved  in  March,  1S63, 
the  Commissioner  of  the  general  land-office  sold  the  lands, 
including  the  site  of  the  fort,  about  half  the  entire  tract, 
stretching  two  miles  along  the  shore  of  the  river  and  bay, 
the  property  bringing  over  $25,000.     That   portion  of  the 


reservation  unsold  was  made  subject  to  private  entry.  In 
1868,  the  Land  Commissioner  issued  a  patent  to  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railroad  Company  for  eighty  acres  of  the 
land,  upon  which  are  now  located  their  buildings. 

The  place  was  first  organized  into  a  borough  in  1856, 
with  Robert  Chappell  as  president.  Oscar  Gray  served 
until  1S60,  when  Otto  Tank  was  elected.  In  1873,  Fort 
Howard  became  a  city. 

When  Fort  Howard  was  incorjiorated  as  a  city  in 
March,  1873,  Jatnes  H.  Elmore  was  elected  Mayor  and  John 
A.  Salscheider,  Treasurer.  D.  Hunt  was  Clerk,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  1S76.  In  1874,  D.  M.  Burns  was  Mayor, 
and  John  A.  Salscheider,  Treasurer ;  in  1875,  George  Rich- 
ardson and  R.  Chajipell ;  1876,  George  Richardson  and 
Joel  S.  Fisk.  C.  H.  Puerner  was  chosen  Clerk  in  that  year, 
being  the  present  incumbent.  He  had  previously  served 
the  borough  from  1865  to  1873.  In  1877-8,  George  Rich- 
ardson was  Mayor  and  .A.  L.  Gray,  Treasurer;  1879,  M.  M. 
Newald  and  Joseph  Taylor;  1880,  A.  Schwartz  and  D. 
Hunt;   1881,  A.  L.  Gray  and  D.  Hunt. 

In  1854  a  post-office  was  first  established  in  Fort  How- 
ard, Oscar  Gray  being  Postmaster.  It  was  located  corner 
of  Pearl  and  Main  streets,  at  the  end  of  Walnut  street 
bridge.  William  J.  Fisk  -  succeeded  him;  Joseph  Taylor, 
1861-78;  when  George  Richardson,  present  incumbent, 
was  appointed. 

The  first  district  school  was  established  in  1850,  The 
school-house  was  on  the  present  site  of  Hill  &  Burns's  hard- 
ware store;  a  small  frame  building,  in  which  Mr.  Shaler 
began  with  forty  scholars.  Three  years  after,  this  building 
was  moved  to  Chestnut  street,  enlarged  to  double  size, 
and,  as  the  school  increased  in  numbers,  made  two  stories 
in  height.  August  11,  1880,  the  number  of  children  be- 
tween four  and  fourteen  years  of  age  were  1,151  :  551  males 
and  560  females.     Average  attendance,  545. 

The  graded  high  school  was  put  in  operation  in  1873. 
It  is  now  a  full  graded  high  school  from  the  primary  up, 
ernbracing  eleven  separate  departments.  It  has  thirteen 
teachers,  and  occupies  six  buildings,  located  in  the  several 
wards.  The  appraisement  of  property  is  $23,000 ;  the 
high  school  building  and  site,  without  including  two  other 
buildings,  being  $14,000  at  a  low  valuation.  George  Rich- 
ardson is  Superintendent,  and  Worden  Reynolds,  First  Prin- 
ci])al. 

Fire  Company  No.  i  was  established  in  1858,  with  fifty 
charter  members.  The  officers  were :  Hiram  Hubbard, 
chief  engineer;  William  Rossiter,  assistant  engineer; 
James  A.  Beattie,  foreman;  F.  Jewell,  assistant  foreman; 
James  Camm,  treasurer;  O.  Gray,  secretary;  and  Frank 
Tierman,  hose  captain.  The  company  started  with  an  old 
engine  which  had  been  formerly  used  at  the  garrison,  and 
which  was  run  for  one  or  two  years,  when,  in  i860,  there  was 
purchased  a  Button  hand  engine.  This  was  followed  in 
1873  by  a  Button  steam  engine.  The  first  building  was  a 
one-story  frame,  on  Pearl  street.  In  1875,  a  handsome 
brick  structure  was  erected,  also  on  Pearl  street,  at  a  cost 
of  $6,000.  The  present  membership  is  twenty,  and  the 
officers  are:  A.  L.  Gray,  chief  engineer;  William  F. 
Marshall,  assistant  engineer ;  R.  F.  Peak,  foreman  ; 
Laton  Newald,  assistant  foreman ;  W.  R.  Beattie,  hose 
captain;  James  Tierman,  treasurer;  and  A.  Lucas,  secre- 
tary. The  company  have  1,600  feet  of  good  hose,  beside 
that  long  in  use.  The  water  supply,  away  from  the  river, 
is  a  very  large,  well-built  tank,  in  the  fifth  ward,  which  is 
filled  from  an  artesian  well  constantly  overflowing ;  also,  a 
sewer  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Hubbard  streets, con- 
nected directly  with  the  river. 

In  1855,  the  Fort  Howard  Era,  a  Democratic  paper,  was 
edited  by  E.  P.  Royce.     Since  then  repeated  attempts  have 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


been  made  to  maintain  a  local  journal,  and  the  Fort  How- 
ard Monitor  and  the  Fort  Howard  Herald  were  at  different 
times  the  result.  In  September,  1875,  David  M.  Burns 
commenced  a  small  monthly  paper  —  the  Fort  Howard 
Rcvinv.  This  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Review  Print- 
ing Company,  James  Kerr,  secretary,  by  whom  it  is  now 
published  weekly. 

St.    Patrick's    Church  was   organized   in    1S66    by    Rev. 


13s 
The 


men's  society,  of  which  Hugh  Doherty  is   president 
female  society  numbers  sixty-seven  members. 

Norivegian  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in  1S67  with 
170  members;  communicants,  sixty.  The  church  building 
was  erected  in  1S68,  and  additions  made  in  1874  to  com- 
plete the  structure,  which  is  located  on  Broadway,  near 
Taylor  &  Duncan's  foundry  and  machine  shop.  The 
pastorates  are  filled  from  the  Norwegian,  Lutheran  &  Dan- 


H    FORT  HOWARD. 


Father  William  Verboort,  and  the  building  completed  and 
blessed  the  same  year.  It  is  located,  corner  of  Cherry  and 
Hubbard  streets.  Father  Verboort  was  followed  by  Rev. 
E.  McGinnity,  who  served  about  six  months,  leaving  on 
the  day  the  church  was  blessed.  Rev.  Francis  McDonald 
succeeded  him,  and  remained  until  April  4,  1869,  when  the 
present  pastor,  E.  Walsh,  took  charge.  In  1870  the  church 
building  was  enlarged  to  double  its  former  capacity,  and 
four  years  afterwards  a  good  parsonage  erected.  The 
present  membership  is  105  families — about  450  souls. 
Connected  with  the  church  are  two  temperance  societies 
and  the  Altar    Society.     Fifty   members   have    joined    the 


ish  conference.  Rev.  Irwin  J.  Olson  was  in  charge  from 
date  of  organization  until  January  8,  1873,  when  Rev. 
Theodore  H.  Dahl,  the  present  pastor,  commenced  his  labors. 
The  present  membership  is  249;  communicants,  109. 

Scandinavian  and  Moravian  Church  was  organized  Sep- 
tember 21,  1866.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  A.  M.  Iverson, 
who  commenced  his  labors  in  November,  1866.  The 
church  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Wil- 
low streets,  and  was  dedicated  February,  1869.  Present 
membership  is  114.  The  history  of  this  church  is  one  01 
uninterrupted  harmony  from  its  beginning  to  the  present 
time. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli  was  organized  October  i6, 
1869,  with  a  membership  of  forty-one,  Rev.  W.  J.  Olmstead, 
pastor.  The  present  incumbent,  Rev.  G.  W.  Burtch.  began 
his  pastorate  in  October,  1880.  The  church  building  front- 
ing Hubbard  street,  between  Chestnut  and  Broadway,  was 
dedicated  May  6,  187 1,  having  been  two  years  in  building. 
A  parsonage  is  attached.     Church  membership,  eighty. 

First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Thomas  M. 
Simons,  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
May  I,  1851,  in  Green  Bay;  removed  to  Fort  Howard  in 
1854.  He  supplied  the  pulpit  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
July  5,  1852.  Rev.  James  G.  Henschall,  its  present  pas- 
tor, has  officiated  since  1876.  The  first  church  building 
was  of  wood,  20.X44  feet,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
structure,  fronting  Chestnut  street  between  Main 
and  Hubbard  ;  and  was  built  in  1873.  In  1874  it  was  placed 
to  form  part  of  a  new  edifice,  a  Gothic  building  of 
veneered  brick,  with  tower  and  spire,  at  a  complete  cost  of 
$8,000,  giving  a  fine  auditorium  of  34x64  feet  and  a  con- 
venient class-room  in  the  rear.  The  parsonage  is  on  the 
same  lot.  The  Society's  present  condition  is  one  of  thrit't 
and  prosperity,  though,  with  all  the  other  religious  organiz- 
ations, it  has  suffered  during  the  times  of  past  panic  and 
general  distress.     Its  present  membership  is  sixty-five. 

First  Congre^(:;atio>ial  Church  was  organized  January,  1855, 
with  a  membership  of  seven  persons,  by  Rev  C.  W.  Mon- 
roe, who  remained  as  its  pastor  eighteen  months.  The 
church  building  was  soon  after  this  erected  on  the  corner 
of  Fourth  avenue  and  Howe  streets.  Rev.  Jeremiah  Por- 
ter commenced  his  labors  in  January,  1857  ;  and  was  fol- 
lowed September,  1857,  by  Rev.  J.  C.  Marsh,  who  left  at  his 
wife's  death  in  December,  1858.  The  house  was  then 
closed  until  November,  1863,  at  which  time  Rev.  D.  C. 
Curtis,  the  present  pastor,  was  invited  to  its  pulpit.  The 
present  membership  is  fifty. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  March  20, 
1876,  with  fifteen  members.  The  pulpit  is  supplied  by  the 
Presbytery.  The  church  building  was  erected  in  1876  and 
fronts  on  Chestnut  street  between  Hubbard  and  Main. 
Present    membership  is  twenty-one. 

Royal  Arcanum,  Mystical  Council,  No.  519,  was  estab- 
lished September  9,  1880,  with  seventeen  members.  It  is 
a  mutual  life  insurance  company.  Charles  H.  Puerner  is 
regent. 

A.  O.  U.  IF.,  Howard  Lodge,  No.  72,  was  organized 
July  24,  1879,  with  forty-one  members.  Its  officers  are 
changed  every  six  months. 

Ansgar,a.  relief  association,  was  established  in  1S75, 
and  incorporated  in  1879.     Loren  Anderson   is  president. 

BUSINESS    INTERESTS. 

Next  to  West  Depere,  Fort  Howard  is  the  most  promi- 
nent manufacturing  point  of  Brown  County,  and  among  the 
most  important  enterprises,  if  not  the  most  important,  is 
the  elevator  business  carried  on  by  Messrs.  Cargill  &  Van 
Valkenburg.  The  building  was  erected  by  Messrs.  Elmore 
-&  Dousman  in  1862,  their  sons  subsequently  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  firm,  and  later  still,  D.  M.  Kelly.  The  ele- 
vator, which  has  a  capacity  of  300,000  bushels,  is  leased  by 
Messrs.  Cargill  &  Van  Valkenburg,  from  the  Chicago  i\: 
Northwestern  Company.  Among  the  manufacturers  of  iron 
who  are  noted  throughout  Northern  Wisconsin  and  beyond 
these  limits,  are  D.  M.  Burns,  boiler  works,  shingle  frames, 
etc.;  O'Leary  Brothers,  boiler  makers  ;  Joseph  Nadeau,  in- 
ventor and  manufacturer  of  the  "  Nadeau"  washing  machine. 
Messrs.  Eldred  &  Son  and  Schwartz  &  Voigt  operate  ex- 
tensive planing  mills.  Gerhard,  Oldenburg  &  Co.  and  A. 
Siegmund  &  Co.,  furniture;  David  McCartney,  lumber 
dealer;  Johnson  &  Havens,  marble  works;    Hall  &:  Burns, 


hardware;  J.  c\:  J.  H.  Delaney  and  Fred.  ^Vohlfarth,  cloth- 
ing, do  a  thriving  business  in  their  several  lines.  There 
are  also  numbers  of  groceries,  drug  stores,  etc.,  doing  well. 

The  general  repair  and  construction  shops  of  the  G.  B., 
W.  &  St.  P.  R.R.  Company  are  located  at  Fort  Howard,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  slough.  The  grounds  of  the  company 
extend  along  both  sides  of  their  track  a  distance  of  300 
feet,  and  cover  an  area  of  about  twenty-five  acres,  upon 
which  are  now  standing  a  brick  round-house,  with  stalls  for 
ten  engines  ;  a  brick  blacksmith-shop,  40x60  feet ;  a  machine 
shop,  45x50  feet;  a  car  shop,  40x50  feet;  an  office,  15x30 
feet,  and  an  oil  and  supply  room,  30x36  The  pay-rolls  of 
the  shops  carry  the  names  of  seventy-two  men,  working  full 
time,  exclusive  of  all  train  men.  Since  1879  about  Ss,ooo 
worth  of  new  machinery  has  been  put  into  the  sliops.  a  new 
blacksmith  shop  built,  and  the  capacity  of  the  round-house 
doubled.  The  business  of  the  road  crowds  the  capacity  of 
the  shops  to  their  fullest  extent,  and  is  constantly  enlarging 
its  volume.  The  company  intend  these  shops  shall  fully 
meet  all  requirements  of  their  road,  not  only  in  the  repair 
and  construction  of  box,  flat  and  caboose  cars,  but  also  of 
express  and  passenger  coaches.  The  machine,  car  and 
blacksmith  shops,  as  also  the  round-house,  are  each  under 
charge  of  a  competent  foreman,  and  all  under  the  skilled 
direction  of  E.  Osborn,  master  mechanic.  Mr.  Osborn  is 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  a  machinist  by  trade,  and  was  for 
ten  years  foreman  of  the  machine  shops  of  the  Sussex  & 
Blairstown  Railroad  of  that  State,  under  the  general  super- 
intendency  of  Timothy  Case,  before  accepting  his  present 
appointment  as  master  mechanic  August  i,  1879.  For 
sketch  of  the  road,  see  County  History  preceding  this. 

Fort  Howard  is  the  terminus  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Penin- 
sular divisions  of  this  road.  Their  round-house  at  this 
station,  built  ten  years  since,  has  stalls  for  ten  engines,  and 
keeps  a  constant  force  of  fourteen  men,  including  machin- 
ists, blacksmiths  and  laborers.  One  express  train,  one  mixed 
and  three  freight  trains  are  daily  dispatched  from  this  point 
over  the  Peninsular  division,  which  extends  from  this  point 
to  Escanaba,  Mich.,  a  distance  of  179  miles. 

Anson  Eldred  &  Son,  lumbermen.  Business  is  carried 
on  at  Fort  Howard,  Oconto,  Stiles  and  Little  Suamico.  At 
Fort  Howard  the  planing  mill  and  box  factory  are  located; 
at  the  other  points,  their  lumber  and  shingle  mills.  Opera- 
tions were  commenced  in  this  State  in  1842,  at  whicht  ime 
Mr.  Eldred  opened  a  lumber  yard  in  Milwaukee.  In  1S46 
he  removed  to  that  city  from  Detroit,  where  he  was  born 
and  had  been  engaged  in  lumbering  operations  prior  to 
1842.  In  1852  he  built  a  lumber  mill  at  Stiles  where  he 
owns  a  very  fine  water-power,  which  is  now  utilized  as  a 
grist-mill  and  for  other  manufacturing  purposes.  The  lum- 
ber mill  at  this  point  was  operated  from  1852  to  1876,  had 
a  capacity  of  20,000,000  feet  of  lumber  and  8,000,000  shin- 
gles annually,  and  was  in  the  center  of  a  fine  tract  of  40,- 
000  acres  of  pine  lands,  owned  and  controlled  by  the  mill 
interest.  In  1873  a  steam-mill  was  bought  at  Little  Suam- 
ico, the  control  of  50,000  acres  of  pine  land  secured,  trib- 
utary to  that  point  and  Oconto,  and  operations  commenced 
on  the  shores  of  Clreen  Bay.  Three  years  later,  in  1876, 
the  Oconto  mill  was  bought.  The  same  year  the  Stiles  mill 
was  discontinued.  'J'he  Oconto  mill  has  a  capacity  of  20,- 
000,000  feet  of  lumber,  8,000,000  shingles  and  4,000,000 
lath,  and  the  Suamico  mill  of  7,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  10,- 
000,000  shingles  and  2,500,000  lath  annually.  In  1879  the 
planing  mill  and  box  factory  at  Fort  Howard  was  erected  on 
a  tract  of  twenty- five  acres  lying  along  the  west  side  of  the 
Fox  River,  just  within  the  city  limits  on  the  south.  The 
lower  story  of  the  building,  the  planing  mill,  is  76x160  feet; 
the  upper  story,  the  box  manufactory,  is  40x160.  A  Corliss 
engine  of  iSo  horse-power  affords  double  the  power  required 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


'37 


to  drive  the  present  machinery,  and  will  soon  be  utilized 
for  other  purposes.  The  capacity  of  the  planing  mill  is 
125,000  feet  of  dressed  lumber  daily,  and  the  box  factory 
uses  from  5,000,000  to  6,000,000  annually.  The  mill  handles 
about  20,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  two-thirds  dressed,  and 
about  5,000,000  shingles  in  a  year.  Their  yards  are  sup- 
plied W'ith  excellent  docks  along  1,200  feet  of  river  front, 
and  are  connected  by  switch  with  the  tracks  of  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern,  the  Wisconsin  Central  and  the  Green  Bay, 
Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railways.  Shipments  over  these  lines 
range  from  ten  to  twenty  cars  a  day,  and  are  made  as  far 
southwest  as  New  Mexico,  as  far  west  as  Denver,  and  south- 
east to  Pittsburgh.  The  number  of  hands  employed  by 
this  firm  is  about  300,  and  of  these  from  135  to  150  are 
upon  the  pay-rolls  of  the  Fort  Howard  establishment.  The 
members  of  the  firm  are  Anson  Eldred  and  Howard  S. 
Eldred,  his  son. 

J.  P.  Laird  &  Co.,  lumbermen.  Mills  located  in  Pine 
Co.,  Minn.,  and  in  Shawano  Co.,  Wis.  The  members  of  this 
firm  are  J.  P.  Laird,  Charles  Lampson  and  L.  Rowland. 
The  Wisconsin  mill  is  located  in  the  town  of  Angelica,  Shaw- 
ano County,  twenty  miles  northwest  from  Green  Bay.  This 
mill  was  erected  in  187 1,  in  the  center  of  a  timber  tract  of 
about  S',000  acres.  The  yearly  product  for  the  first  eight 
years  was  7,000,000  feet.  Since  then  the  average  cut  has 
not  exceeded  3,000,000  annually,  and  the  operations  of  this 
mill  give  employment  to  a  force  of  100  hands.  The  bulk 
of  this  cut  in  lumber  has  been  shipped  from  Green  Bay  to 
Southern  Wisconsin  and  Northern  Illinois.  The  shingle  pro- 
duct, down  the  Mississippi  to  the  river  ports,  are  made  over 
the  line  of  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad.  L.  How- 
land,  the  only  member  of  the  firm  at  this  point,  is  a  native 
of  Kenosha,  Wis.  In  1861,  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  he  enlisted  for  the  three  months'  service  in  the  First 
Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  was  elected  second  lieutenant  of 
his  company.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  he 
re-enlisted  in  the  First  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant,  and  served  until  July,  1S65,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service  as  major,  having  seen  constant 
service,  principally  with  the  army  of  the 
Cumberland.  Retiring  from  the  servii  e,  "  -  ^  .  " 
he  was  engaged  in  contracting  along  the 
line  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad  until 
1S67,  when  he  came  to  Fort  Howard 
with  the  intention  of  resuming  his  work 
as  contractor  in  connection  with  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  Changing 
his  plans,  he  entered  into  the  lumber 
commission  business,  at  this  point,  and 
three  years  later  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber,  as  before  stated. 

Schwarz  &  Voigt,  builders  and  man- 
ufacturers of  and  dealers  in  sash,  doors, 
blinds,  flooring,  siding,  plain  and  dressed 
lumber.  This  house  was  established  in 
1865  as  C.  Schwarz  &  Co.  The  follow- 
ing year  Mr.  Voigt  became  a  member  of 
the  firm,  and  on  the  retiring  of  Theodore 
Kenmitz  in  1877  the  firm  name  became, 
as  now,  Schwarz  &  Yoigt.  The  first 
year's  business  was  conducted  in  a  build- 
ing just  south  of  their  present  location — 
an  old  saw-mill  in  which  a  planing  ma-  "' 

chine  was  set  up.  In  1866  the  present 
site  was  selected  and  purchased.  The  jiremises  front  on 
Fox  River  178  feet,  and  run  west  to  Pearl  street,  comprising 
in  all  about  two  acres.  Here  they  erected  their  original 
building — a  planing  mill,  36x50.  Additions  and  enlarge- 
ments have  been  made  from  time  to  time  as  increased  busi- 


ness demanded,  and  their  buildings  now  are  a  planing  mill 
and  manufactory,  70x70,  two  stories  and  a  half  high  ;  a 
brick  office,  20x26;  brick  boiler  and  engine  house,  14x20; 
a  barn,  18x38;  a  two-story  warehouse,  22x46,  for  the  stor- 
age of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  and  sheds  aggregating  172X 
22  feet.  Their  engine  affords  ample  power  for  this  machin- 
ery, which  is  of  the  latest  and  most  improved  patterns,  and 
the  business  gives  regular  employment  to  a  force  of  from 
twenty  to  forty  hands,  according  to  season  and  business. 
Their  premises  are  w-ell  docked  along  the  entire  river  front, 
with  eleven  feet  of  navigable  water  at  all  seasons.  During 
the  fifteen  years  that  this  firm  have  been  doing  business, 
they  have  built  no  inconsiderable  part  of  the  best  structures 
in  this  city  and  Green  Bay,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
the  Fort  Howard  High  School,  the  court-house  and  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  just  completed  at  Green  Bay.  Christian 
Schwarz  is  a  native  of  Germany,  from  which  country  he 
came  to  America  in  1852,  and  the  following  year  to  Fort 
Howard  where  he  learned  his  trade  and  established  his  busi- 
ness. John  M.  Voigt  is  also  a  Germrn  by  birth.  He  came 
to  America  in  the  same  ship  with  his  partner,  settled  in 
Buffalo,  learned  his  trade  there,  and  came  to  Fort  Howard 
in  1866.  The  same  year  he  entered  the  firm  of  which  he  is 
now  junior  partner. 

S.  Anderson,  ship  builder.  This  ship  yard  is  located 
on  Fox  River,  just  south  of  the  middle  bridge,  and  covers  a 
tract  of  two  acres  available  for  ship-yard  purposes.  The 
principal  work  the  past  season  was  the  building  of  a  light- 
draft  steam-barge,  for  river,  bay  and  lake  trade,  adapted  for 
grain  carriage  as  well  as  iron  ore  and  common  freight.  The 
force  employed  during  the  season  of  1880  was  about  forty 
hands.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  in  which 
country  he  learned  his  trade,  came  direct  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S54,  since  which  time  he  has  maintained  a  residence  in 
the  State.  Three  years  later  he  settled  in  Fort  Howard, 
where  he  has  been  engaged  in  ship  building  almost  ever 
since.  For  many  years  his  yards  were  located  in  the  south 
w^ard  where  Eldred's  planing  mill  now  stands,  the  removal 
to  his  present  location  being  made  in  1879. 


AKD    LuILEK    W"KK^.    V 


D.  M.  Burns,  boiler  manufacturer.  This  business  was 
established  by  the  present  proprietor  in  1864.  His  manu- 
factory lies  between  Pearl  and  Water  streets,  just  south  of 
Walnut  street  bridge,  and  consists  of  two  boiler  houses — 
one  for  the  manufacture  of  boiler  iron,  the  other  for  sheet 


138 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


iron — the  whole  giving  employment  to  a  force  of  about 
nineteen  hands.  In  1874  Mr.  Burns  took  charge  of  the 
Monitor  Iron  Works,  lying  a  few  lots  south  of  his  boiler 
works,  and  conducted  them  for  the  joint  stock  company  to 
which  they  belonged  and  of  which  he  was  for  some  time 
secretary  and  treasurer,  until  1876,  when  the  company 
ceased  operations.  He  then  leased  the  property  and  carried 
on  business  one  year,  when  business  depressions  compelled 
him  to  close  operations,  and  he  devoted  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  his  boiler  manufactory  which  he  had  continued  as 
a  separate  personal  industry.  Mr.  Burns  is  a  native  of 
Scotland,  learned  his  trade  in  Dundee  where  he  was  brought 
up,  came  to  America  in  1S53,  and  to  this  city  ten  years  later. 
He  is  a  practical  mechanic  of  good  inventive  powers,  and 
is  now  manufacturing  an  improved  saw  sharpener  for  mill 
saws  of  his  own  invention,  of  which  100  are  now  in  use. 
He  has  also  the  exclusive  right  of  manufacture  for  this 
State  of  Taylor's  shingle  packer,  which  is  being  generally 
adopted  in  all  the  mills  of  the  north  country.  As  a  citizen 
Mr.  Burns  has  been  [irominently  identified  with  the  munic- 
ipal offices  of  this  city.  He  has  served  several  terms  in 
the  City  Council,  is  President  of  the  City  School  Board,  was 
Mayor  of  the  city  in  1S74,  and  a  member  of  the  State 
Assembly — session  of  1877. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FRANK  AUSTIN,  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  Ft.  Howard,  was  born, 
reared  and  educated  in  Voluntown,  Conn.  In  1856  he  went  to  Cleve- 
land, from  whence  he  weni  to  Lake  Superior  and  engaged  in  sailing 
and  trading  on  the  lakes,  which  he  carried  on  four  years,  during 
which  he  began  meat  packing,  and  general  dealing  in  meats,  fruits, 
etc.,  etc.  After  a  ten  years'  service  in  the  business  there,  he  went  to 
Ishperaing,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  more  extensively,  and 
also  engaged  in  stock  dealing  generally.  In  18S0,  he  removed  to  the 
present  place,  where  besides  Iris  stock  operations,  he  carries  on  an  exten- 
sive farm.  In  1S62,  he  was  married  to  Miss  M.  J.  Spafford  of  Detroit, 
whose  people  came  from  England  and  settled  there.  They  have  four 
daughters  living,  and  one  son  buried  in  Lockland  Cemetery,  Onton- 
agon Co.,  Mich. 

■C.  J.  BLACK,  meat  market,  corner  Third  avenue  and  Clark  street. 
Ft.  Howard,  also  dealer  in  meat  cattle.  Born  in  Denmark  1S52,  came 
to  this  country  1S73,  to  Waupaca  County  ;  remained  there  about  eight 
months:  traveled  for  a  year;  was  stationed  at  Amherst  Junction,  G. 
B.  &  M.  R.  R.,  for  three  years  ;  afterwards  came  to  Ft.  Howard, 
where  he  followed  his  present  business.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Sine  Madson,  1S79.  She  was  born  in  Denmark,  May  22,  1861.  They 
have  one  child,  Oscar  J.,  born  Dec.  13,  iSSo. 

ROBERT  J.  BLACK,  meat  market  and  stock  dealer,  is  a  native 
of  Denmark,  and  came  to  this  country  1865  ;  started  in  business  for  him- 
self 1S70.  He  married  Miss  Wilson,  a  native  of  Denmark.  They 
have  four  children.  Mr.  Black's  stock-dealing  extends  all  over  this 
State  and  into  Illinois.  He  carried  on  a  business  in  Quinnesec,  Lake 
Superior,  for  the  last  three  years,  which  he  owns  at  present,  but  does 
not  conduct  it.  He  keeps  a  large  grazing  farm  which  he  keeps  well 
stocked  for  the  market. 

EDMUND  P.  BOLAND,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  and  County  Courts, 
was  elected  to  this  office,  Jan.  i,  1877,  and  has  since  held  it  by  succes- 
sive re-elections.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Yoik  ;  came  with  his  parents 
to  Ft.  Howard  in  1S36;  received  his  education  in  this  city,  and  at 
St.  Francis  College,  Milwaukee,  and  has  read  law  one  year ;  was  mem- 
ber of  the  County  Board  for  the  First  Ward  of  Ft.  Howard,  in  1876, 
and  the  same  Fall,  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Court.  For  the  past 
seven  years  he  has  been  treasurer  of  the  Catholic  Total  Abstinence 
Union  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

THOMAS  M.  CAMM,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  crockery,  etc. ; 
corner  Broadway  and  Main.  This  business  house,  the  property  of 
Mr.  Camm,  was  built  in  1S60 ;  fronts  twenty-four  on  Main,  and  sixty 
feet  on  Broadway ;  two  stories  in  height ;  both  occupied  by  the  stock  of 
the  house  whose  business  gives  employment  to  a  force  of  three  persons. 
Mr.  Camm  was  born  in  Ft.  Howard  in  1829,  his  father  being  at  that 
time  in  the  United  States  Military  service  at  this  point,  and  received 
his  education  here.  In  1S57,  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  general 
merchandising  house  of  W.  J.  Fisk,  which  then  became  Fisk  &  Co. 
Two  years  later  he  purchased  Mr.  Fisk's  interest  in  the  business,  and 
since  then  he  has  been  in  trade  on  his  own  account.  He  was  Town 
Clerk  of  the  town  of  Ft.  Howard,  before  the  borough  charter  was 
granted;  was  the  first  Superintendent  of  City  Schools,  and  Notary  Public, 
and  has  been  at  various  tunes,  a  member  of  the  City  Council. 


EPHRAIM  CROCKER,  livery  stables,  Broadway.  Ft.  Howard. 
Mr.  Crocker  is  a  thoroughly  representative  pioneer  man  and  citizen,  and 
one  devoted  to  the  advancement  of  the  developing  interests  of  the  State. 
He  was  born  in  Ma.ssachuselts,  July  16,  1S19;  in  1S50,  he  came  here  and 
has  been  connected  socially  and  politically  with  its  interest  since.  In 
1848,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  S.  Hewitt,  in  Kingsville,  Ohio. 
They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter.  His  stables  were  established  in 
1854,  and  are  the  oldest  in  this  part  of  the  State.  They  are  well  kept, 
well  conducted  and  are  in  point  of  convenience  and  capacity,  sufficiently 
ample  for  the  very  extensive  trade  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

SILAS  L.  DOVNE,  dealer  in  drugs  and  medicines,  corner  Main 
street  and  Broadway.  This  business  was  established  in  186S,  by  Harris 
&  Chappell,  became  Harris  alone  in  1S70,  and  Harris  &  Co.  by  admis- 
sion of  Mr.  Doyne  in  1871,  and  so  continued  until  the  fire  of  1872, 
since  which  time  Mr.  Doyne  has  conducted  the  business  alone.  It  is  the 
oldest  drug  house  in  the  city,  does  a  prescription  business  largely  and 
gives  employment  to  two  persons.  Mr.  Doyne  is  a  native  of  Belgium  ; 
came  to  Green  Bay  with  his  parents  in  1854.  Pursued  his  studies  in 
English  at  Robinsonville,  in  the  school  there  established  under  the  care 
of  the  W'innebago  Presbytery,  and  in  the  high  school  at  Green  Bay. 
Leaving  school  he  entered  the  drug  house  of  W.  King,  Green  Bay,  and 
has  been  in  that  business  as  clerk  and  proprietor  ever  since.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  beneficiary  society  of  this  city. 

W.  D.  FISK  &  CO.,  contractors  for  railway  supplies.  This  busi- 
ness which  was  esta-blished  in  1862,  by  W.  J.  Fisk,  and  became  W.  D: 
Fisk  &  Co.  in  1S77  ;  consists  in  the  supply  of  wood,  ties,  telegraph 
pole.  etc.  to  railway  companies.  Their  operations  extend  along  the  line 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  for  200  miles  principally  north 
of  Ft.  Howard  at  which  point  their  central  office  is  located.  Their  sup- 
plies are  mainly  purchased  from  sub-contractors  and  settlers,  the  residue 
being  supplied  by  their  own  camps.  Their  operations  give  employment 
to  a  force  of  from  250  to  300  teams,  and  from  600  to  800  laborers. 

W.  J.  Fisk  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  came  to  Ft.  Howard  in  1836, 
the  year  after  his  father,  Joel  S.  Fisk,  settled  there,  and  was  engaged  in 
general  merchandise  and  lumbering  from  1853  to  1S62,  at  which  time  he 
commenced  operations  as  contractor  for  railway  supplies.  He  is 
the  present  supply  agent  for  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  for 
650  miles  of  track,  and  during  the  season  of  1S80-I  furnished  1.000,000 
ties  for  that  corporation,  besides  other  material  in  vast  quantities.  He 
represented  this  county  in  the  Assembly  of  1S75,  '76  and  77  ;•  and  is 
vice-president  of  Kelley's  National  Bank  of  Green  Bay,  and  in  which  he 
is  a  private  stockholder. 

W.  D.  Fisk  was  born  in  Ft.  Howard  ;  received  his  education  at 
Lawrence  University,  Appleton,  and  before  entering  the  firm  of  which 
he  is  now  a  member  was  bookkeeper  for  the  National  Iron  Company  at 
Depere.  He  is  a  member  of  the  present  Board^of  Supervisors  for  Brown 
County,  and  represents  the  Third  Ward  of  Ft.  Howard  in  that  city. 

A.  L.  GRAY,  general  dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes.  Main  street,  one- 
door  from  Broadway.  This  business  house  is  located  in  the  west  store 
room  of  Gray's  Block,  a  two  story  brick,  fronting  seventy-three  feet  on 
Broadway  and  running  eighty  feet  to  the  rear,  built  in  187 1.  The  busi- 
ness was  established  as  geneneral  merchandise  in  1S61,  has  undergone 
some  changes,  and  is  now,  dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes,  and  sewing  ma- 
chines, the  sewing  machine  department  occupying  the  east  room  of  the 
block.  In  addition  to  his  regular  business  Mr.  Gray  deals  quite  ex- 
tensively on  the  street  and  in  real  estate  transactions.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  native 
of  Canada,  his  father  being  one  of  original  charterers  of  city  of  London 
in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  and  one  of  the  oldest  Masons  in  that  section- 
of  the  Dominion.  He  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1859,  and  commenced 
business  in  1861,  at  which  time  his  capital  was  only  $80.  He  is  the 
present  Mayor  of  Ft.  Howard,  represented  Brown  County  in  the  As- 
sembly of  1879,  has  held  various  city  offices  and  is  captain  of  the  Bay- 
City  Light  Guards,  a  military  organization  of  some  celebrity. 

HALL  &  BURNS,  dealers  in  general  hardware,  stoves,  farmer's 
tools,  paints  and  oils,  and  jobbers  in  tin  and  sheet  iron,  one  door  north 
of  post-office.  This  business  was  established  in  1S69,  by  James  Osborne, 
and  the  following  year  purchased  by  W.  A.  Hall,  the  senior  member  of 
the  present  firm,  who  in  1872,  formed  a  partnership  with  Thos.  H. 
Burns.  They  occupy  a  two-story  building,  22xSo,  the  upper  story  used 
as  a  tin-shop  and  store-room,  and  a  warehouse  in  the  rear,  22x36  feet, 
the  operations  of  the  firm  giving  constant  employment  to  an  average 
force  of  five  hands. 

W.  A.  Hall  is  a  native  of  Maine  ;  from  which  State  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S62,  and  was  engaged  in  blacksmithing  in  this  city  prior  to 
purchasing  his  present  business.  He  has  been  for  the  past  five  years  a- 
member  of  the  City  School  Board. 

Thos.  H.  Burns  is  a  native  of  Canada  ;  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1862, 
and  was  employed  as  a  lumberman  and  in  ship-carpenter  work  until  he 
purchased  partnership  in  his  present  business.  He  is  a  strong  temper, 
ance  man  and  is  a  member  of  the  T.  of  H.  and  Sons  of  Temperance. 

HENRY  P.  HUFFMAN,  proprietor  of"  Hufl"man  House,"  Broad- 
way and  Kellogg  street.  Ft.  Howard.  The  house  has  a  capacity  of  eight- 
een rooms,  an  office,  sitting  rocm,  and  a  cool  and  elegant  dining   rcom. 


HISTORY    OF    BROWN    COUNTY. 


139 


■on  first  floor,  sleeping  rooms  above.  A  nice  mineral  well  in  connection 
with  the  house,  also  stable  room  for  the  accommodition  of  twenty  horses. 
Mr.  H.  is  a  native  of  Alsace,  Germany,  born  in  1S26.  Came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1S33.  Lived  in  Ohio  from  1833  to  ,1846,  during  which  time  he 
learned  and  worked  at  his  trade.  In  1846  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  Went 
to  Mexico  as  a  U.  S.  soldier  in  1S47  ;  in  1S4S  he  returned  as  a  veteran. 
Followed  his  trade  here  till  185S.  when  he  commenced  the  hotel  business 
in  the  "  American  House,"  which  he  built  that  year  ;  kept  it  till  1S65, 
wh;n  he  built  the  "  Huffman  House,"  which  he  kept  for  seven  years. 
Sold  it  in  1862,  and  rented  the  "  T.  A.  House,"  kept  it  for  three  years, 
when  he  built  the  present  fine  house  which  he  now  manages.  Mr.  H. 
was  married  in  1849  '"  M'ss  Catharine  McGinnis,  who  was  born  in  Ire- 
land.    They  have  two  children. 

DOMINIC  HUNT,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  City  Treasurer,  ofiice 
corner  of  Broadway  and  Dousman  street.  Was  born  in  Ireland,  and 
received  his  education  there.  Came  to  America  in  1848,  and  four  years 
later  to  Fort  Howard,  since  which  time  he  has  resided  in  this  city,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  until  1879.  when  he  closed  out. 
He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  jn  1S57,  and  is  now  serving  his 
twenty-fifth  year  of  uninterrupted  duty  in  that  office.  Was  City  Clerk 
for  thirteen  years  prior  to  1875.  and  is  now  serving  his  second  year  as 
City  Treasurer.     He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  fraternity. 

J.  L.  JORGENSEN,  jobber  and  retail  dealer  in  dry  goods  and 
boots  and  shoes,  on  Broadway  ne.tt  to  post-office.  Salesroom  22x110 
feet ;  warehouse  16x30  feet.  Mr.  Jorgensen  commenced  business  in  this 
city  in  1876  as  a  partner  with  A.  L.  Gray  in  the  dry  goods  trade.  This 
firm  dissolved  in  1879,  M''-  Gray  retaining  the  old  stand,  and  Mr.  Jor- 
gensen removing  to  his  present  location.  His  present  force  is  five  clerks 
and  one  bookkeeper.  His  jobbing  trade  is  principally  with  the  north 
country,  and  the  region  adjacent  to  Green  Bay. 

Mr.  Jorgensen  is  a  native  of  Denmark.  Came  to  America  in  1865, 
settling  at  Neenah,  and  two  years  later  to  this  vicinity,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged as  clerk  in  dry  goods  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  Six  years 
of  that  time  with  Butler,  Lamb  &  Co.,  before  embarking  in  business  for 
himself.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  fraternity,  and  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  and  Ansgar  benevolent  societies. 

JACOB  MIKKELSEN,  farmer.  Ft.  Howard.  Is  a  native  of 
Denmark,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  came  to  this  State  in  1866,  and  followed  milling  and  lum- 
bering for  six  years,  after  which  he  took  up  farming,  and  has  followed  it 
since.  In  1871  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hanssine  Nielsen,  in  Denmark, 
Mr.  M.  having  visited  Europe  in  that  year.  They  have  one  son  and  five 
daughters. 

MICHAEL  MICKELSON.  farmer,  Ft.  Howard.  Is  a  native  of 
Denmark,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of  nineteen, 
and  in  iS6i,  he  came  to  Racine,  where  he  stopped  for  three  years.  He 
then  traveled  for  five  years,  after  which  he  came  here  and  settled  down 
to  farming,  which  he  has  successfully  carried  on  since.  In  1869  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Carrie  Olson,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  came  here  with 
her  people  in  1861.  They  have  one  son  and  three  daughters — Augusta, 
Matilda,  Mildah  Oleson   and  Eddie  McCall. 

C.  H.  N.\NSC.\WEN,  M.  D.,  druggist  and  dealer  in  notions,  books 
and  stationery,  on  Main  street  near  Bridge.     Business  was  established  in 


1S70  by  the  present  proprietor 


requ: 


res  the  services  of  two 


per- 


Dr.  Nanscawen  is  a  native  of  Waukesha  County,  where  he  re- 
ceived his  literary  training.  He  graduated  from  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College,  New  York  City,  class  of  1870,  and  then  removed  to  Ft. 
Howard,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until 
1876,  when  he  retired  from  outside  practice,  devoting  himself  to  druggist 
business  and  office  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Brown  County  Med- 
ical Association,  and  is  the  present  city  physician  and  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Health. 

THOMAS  W.  PRINGLE,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  came  here  with  his  father,  Joseph  Pringle,  who  settled  here 
in  1843.  Was  married  to  Miss  Rosa  Campbell,  daughter  of  Robert 
■Campbell,  who  settled  .in  this  county  at  an  early  day.  She  was  born  in 
Michigan.  Their  family  consists  of  Edna,  George,  Roy,  Freddie  and 
Robbie. 

H.  A.  RANOUS  has  charge  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
way at  this  point.  He  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  for  the 
■past  twenty-one  years.  Freights  from  Ft.  Howard  north  are  mostly  of 
produce,  and  for  the  past  year  were  866  tons;  southern  shipments,  2,182 
tons.  This  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  amount  of  freight  business  done 
at  this  point,  which  is  largely  a  transfer  station,  all  broken  car  lots  being 
transferred,  and  full  car  loads  made  up  for  the  long  northern  trip  over 
which  there  is  scarcely  any  local  freight.  The  Winter  traffic  south  is  simply 
immense,  in  iron  ore,  pig-iron,  lumber  and  shingles,  and  the  product  of 
■the  local  furnaces,  the  great  bulk  of  which  is  shipped  by  water  so  long 
as  navigation  remains  open.     The  work  at  this  station  calls  for  the  ser- 


vices of  the  following  stafl':  H.  A.  Ranous,  freight  and  ticket  agent  ; 
H.  E.  Evans,  cashier;  one  bill  clerk;  one  ticket  clerk, and  twenty-one 
men.  Mr.  Ranous  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  and  as  before  stated  has  been 
in  the  employ  of  the  company  twenty-one  years.  During  this  time  he  has 
been  in  charge  of  five  different  stations  for  the  company,  in  one  of  which 
he  remained  fourteen  years,  and  in  his  present  position  since  1S74. 

H.  E.  Evans  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  His  term  of  service  with 
the  company  has  been  eleven  years,  most  of  them  prior  to  1873,  at  which 
time  he  left  their  employ  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  the  first  agent  of  the  road  at  Marinette,  and  has  been  in  his  present 
position  since  1878.  Mr.  Evans  entered  the  United  States  service  with 
the  20th  Wis.  I. ;  was  between  three  and  four  years  in  the  army,  and  was 
finally  mustered  out  as  Captain  of  the  1st  Texas  Cavalry. 

GEORGE  RICHARDSON,  Postmaster.  Was  born  in  London, 
Eng.;  came  to  America  in  1S45,  and  settled  in  Waukeska  County,  where 
he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Ft.  Howard  in  1866.  He  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  elevator,  under  Dousman,  Elmore  &  Kelly's  ownership 
for  six  years  ;  purchasing  agent  of  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad 
for  six  years,  and  was  in  mercantile  business  one  year  before  receiving 
his  appointment  as  Postmaster  of  this  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
first  City  Council  of  Ft.  Howard  ;  its  president  the  second  year  ;  Mayor 
of  the  city  four  years  in  succession,  and  is  now  City  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  frater- 
nities. 

S.  F.  SMITH,  foreman  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 
round-house.  Has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  twenty-one  years, 
since  1S74  in  his  present  position.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York.  Served 
his  apprenticeship  as  a  machinist  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  took  his  first  engine 
in  1S44,  running  over  the  old  Erie  &  Kalamazoo  line,  and  for  the  thirty 
years  that  he  was  running  as  a  locomotive  engineer,  principally  with  ex- 
press trains,  he  never  had  a  serious  accident  hap;  en  his  train  or  lost  a 
life  through  any  fault  of  his.  He  came  to  this  State  in  the  employ  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Company  in  i860,  settled  at  Janesville  and  re- 
sided there  until  coming  to  this  citv.  He  is  a  member  of  Janesville 
Lodge  No.  54,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Janesville  Chapter  No.  5,  R.  A.  M. 

JOHN  SPENCE,  fruit  and  vegetable  gardener.  Ft.  Howard,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pudsey  of  Yorkshire.  England,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
In  1857,  he  came  from  Liverpool,  England,  to  Green  Bay  ;  followed  the 
vocation  of  baker  in  England  for  twenty  years  before  his  arrival  here, 
after  which  he  devoted  himself  to  his  present  pursuit.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Agnes  Hatton,  a  native  of  England.  He  has  two  sons  and  two 
daughters  living.  The  wife  and  mother  is  buried  with  two  children 
in  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  Brown  County.  Three  are  buried  in  Eng- 
land, where  the  family  were  all  born. 

JOSEPH  TAYLOR,  flour  and  feed,  corner  of  Maine  and  Chestnut 
streets.  Business  established  in  1S80.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  native  of  Gosport, 
England,  from  which  country  he  came  to  America  fifty  years  ago,  settled 
in  Morristown,  N.  Y.,  and  was  there  until  his  removal  to  Wisconsin  in 
l8ji.  Settling  at  Appleton  he  carried  on  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory 
on  the  present  site  of  the  upper  pulp  mill,  and  built  the  first  bridge 
across  the  river  in  that  vicinity  the  first  year  of  his  residence  there.  In 
1854,  he  removed  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  four  years,  then  crossed  the  river  to  Ft.  Howard  and  was  en- 
gaged in  flour  and  feed,  contracting  for  railway  supplies  and  in  general 
merchandize  until  1865,  when  his  duties  as  Postmaster  to  which  he  had 
been  appointed  in  iS6i,  demanding  his  entire  attention  he  closed  out  busi- 
ness. He  was  Postmaster  of  this  city  from  lS6i  to  1879,  was  City 
Treasurer  four  or  five  terms,  and  has  held  other  local  offices. 


JAMES  TIERMAN.  proprietor  of  Ft.  Howard  House,  corner 
Pearl  and  Main  streets.  Ft.  Howard.  Was  born  in  Ft.  Howard  1853. 
Married  Miss  Mary  A.  Sensiba,  October  i,  1879.  She  was  also  born 
here.  Mr.  Tierman  is  a  born  hotel  man,  having  been  born  in  the  hotel 
which  he  now  owns  and  manages.  His  people  are  natives  of  Ireland, 
having  come  from  that  country  here  at  an  early  day.  The  hotel  is  very 
conveniently  located  to  the  business  parts  of  Ft.  Howard  and  Green 
Bay. 

REV.  E.  WALSH,  Pastor  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Was 
born  in  Ireland,  educated  at  Mt.  Miliary  Seminary,  at  St.  John's  College 
at  Waterford  ;  came  to  America  in  1864,  and  two  years  later  was  or-^ 
dained  at  Marquette,  Mich.  April  4,  1869,  he  was  settled  over  his  pres-' 
ent  parish. 

R.  M.  WILSON,  saloon  and  billiard  hall.  Third  avenue.  Ft.  Howard; 
is  native  of  Denmark  and  came  to  this  country  in  1S65.  After  having 
traveled  through  the  Western  and  also  the  Southern  States,  he  came  here 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  has  visited  his  native  land 
twice,  and  has  gained  such  comparative  information  regarding  Europe 
and  this  country  as  to  make  him  a  representative  man  of  his  country 
here.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sophia  Rasmussen,  who  was  born  in 
Denmark.     They  have  one  son,  Edwin  M..  aged  six  years. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


THE   DEPERES. 

The  origin  of  tlie  prosperity  of  Depere  and  West  De- 
pere  is  their  magnificent  water-power.  The  villages  are 
located  five  miles  south  of  Green  Bay,  at  the  head  of  lake 
navigation,  and  built  upon  both  sides  of  bold  banks,  com- 
manding a  magnificent  view  of  the  river.  The  water  of  the 
power  falls  over  a  natural  rocky  ledge,  about  eight  feet,  the 
river  being  about  half  a  mile  wide  at  this  point.  Rapids 
des  Peres  (Rapids  of  the  Fathers)  were  at  the  site  of  the 
present  dam.  From  Lake  Winnebago  to  Depere  the  river 
has  a  fall  of  150  feet.  In  1837  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers  were  surveyed  by  United  States  engineers,  with  a 
view  of  making  navigation  continuous  from  Lake  Michigan 
to  the  Mississippi.  The  splendid  local  resources  were 
attempted  to  be  utilized,  as  has  been  noticed,  by  the  Hy- 
draulic Company,  which  was  so  thrown  upon  its  beam's  end 
by  the  hard  times  of  1836-7,  that  it  issued  bills  —  "evi- 
dences of  debt" — founded  a  bank  —  induced  the  land-office 
to  receive  them.  The  act  for  issuing  the  bills  was  repealed 
the  next  year,  and  the  bank  failed.  The  company  borrowed 
of  Randall  Wilcox,  president  of  the  bank  and  the  company, 
who  obtained  control  of  the  water-power  and  property. 
In  1S47  it  passed  to  Joshua  F.  Cox.  The  same  year  the 
dam  gave  way.  In  1S4S,  David  M.  Loy,  agent  for  Cox, 
built  the  present  dam.  Mr.  Cox  conveyed  one-half  his 
interest  to  certain  New  York  parties,  and  when  Agent  Loy 
was  about  to  make  important  improvements,  his  principal 
died.  Mr.  Cox's  interest  passed  to  Joseph  G.  Lawton, 
who,  with  others,  were  incorporated,  in  1854,33  the  Depere 
Company.  July  19,  1S81,  the  property  was  sold  under  fore- 
closure of  mortgage,  by  the  Phoenix  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company,  three  mortgages  having  been  given  by  Joseph 
G.  Lawton,  for  $50,000,  and  upon  which,  two  years  ago, 
judgment  had  been  entered  up  for  $53,000.  The  real  estate, 
buildings,  etc.,  were  bid  in  by  the  company  for  $19,945,  the 
water-power  for  $10,000. 

VILLAGE    INCORPORATION. 

Depere  was  incorporated  as  a  village  March  6,  1857, 
President,  Randall  Wilcox  ;  Justices  of  the  Peace,  William 
Wakeman,  A.  R.  Martin;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  ].  F. 
Lessey;  Clerk,  Joseph  T.  Reeve;  William  Field,  Jr.,  Village 
Trustee  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  G.  S.  Marsh  is  now 
at  the  head  of  the  village  government. 

The  first  school  at  Depere  was  taught  in  1832.  The 
present  school  buildings  were  erected  in  1S57,  and  first 
graded  by  I.  A.  Sabin  in  1872.  There  are  seven  depart- 
ments, Lewis  K.  Strong  being  Principal  of  the  High  School. 
The  attendance  is  290,  on  an  average,  and  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  private  and  parochial  schools,  which  would  increase 
these  figures  to  650. 

Badger  Fire  Company  was  organized  in  June,  1872,  and 
re-organized  in  May,  1S81.  It  consists  of  sixteen  members, 
ofiicered  as  follows:  John  H.  McDonald,  foreman;  Louis 
Minich,  assistant  foreman;  William  Bremmington,  hose 
captain  ;  Thomas  Hobbins,  secretary.  Their  building  was 
erected  in  1873  at  a  cost  of  $3,600. 

The  leading  churches  of  Depere  are  the  Catholic — Dutch 
^and  Irish.  The  latter,  which  is  the  parent  of  both  of  the 
former  and  the  society  in  West  Depere,  was  organized 
nearly  twenty  years  ago,  the  split  occurring  in  1869.  Land 
was  bought  and  a  church  edifice  erected  for  the  use  of  the 
Catholics  of  Depere,  in  1864.  Since  then  additions  to  the 
building  have  been  made.  The  membership  is  now  200 
families — some  800  souls.  The  buildings,  valued  at  $8,000, 
are  situated  on  the  corner  of  Michigan  and  Lewis  streets. 
They  include  the  church,  school-house,  dwelling-house  and 
Sisters'  residence.  Father  William  De  Kelver  has  been 
pastor  for  over  five  years. 


The  Holland  Catholic  Church  and  schoolbuildings  occupy 
a  fine  plat  of  ground  on  Superior  street,  between  George 
and  Charles  streets.  The  cost  of  grounds  and  buildings, 
erected  in  1870,  by  Father  Verboort,  was  $10,000.  Rev. 
A.  Van  Grotel  has  been  priest  in  charge  for  more  than  five 
years.  The  church  has  a  membership  of  over  1,000  souls, 
and  the  school  an  attendance  of  150. 

The  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  S.  C.  Hay,  pastor,  is  on 
Superior  street.  In  July,  1849,  Rev.  John  Stewart,  of  AVar- 
ren  Co.,  N.  J.,  commenced  the  organization  of  a  Presby- 
terian Church.  An  edifice  was  erected  in  1854.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  134. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  April  18,  1866. 
Previously  its  members  had  worshiped  in  the  Presbyterian 
edifice.  A  chapel  was  built  in  1868,  and  rebuilt  in  1875. 
The  present  strength  of  the  society  is  seventy-five;  pastor. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Carmichael. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1850,  and  an 
edifice  built  six  years  thereafter.  The  present  pastor  of 
the  church  is  Rev.  W.  H.  Sampson. 

Besides  the  religious  and  benevolent  societies  connected 
with  the  different  churches,  Depere  has  a  flourishing  Odd 
Fellows  lodge  (No.  222),  a  Masonic  lodge  (No.  85),  and 
a  Temple  of  Honor  in  connection  with  alike  organization  in 
West  Depere. 

Depere  has  a  number  of  good  hotels  —  the  California 
House,  a  large  stone  building  on  Broadway,  W.  M.  Battle, 
proprietor ;  the  Commercial,  corner  Front  and  George 
streets,  James  Shack,  proprietor ;  Manitowoc  House,  on 
Broadway,  Charles  Touhey,  proprietor. 

BUSINESS  INTERESTS. 

Depere  furnace  was  built  by  the  First  National  Iron 
Company  in  1879,  which  was  composed  of  Messrs.  B.  F. 
Smith,  G.  S.  Marsh,  Robert  Jackson,  J.  Richards  and  D. 
M.  Whitney.  The  following  year,  A.  B.  Meeker  &:  Co.,  of 
Chicago,  obtained  a  controlling  interest,  and  in  187 1  the 
"First"  was  dropped  from  the  name  of  the  corporation,  which 
continued  business  until  1876.  LTpon  the  organization  of 
the  National  Furnace  Company,  in  1S79,  by  A.  B.  Meeker  of 
Chicago,  H.  D.  Smith  of  Appleton,  W.  L.  Brown  of  Chicago, 
and  M.  R.  Hunt  of  Depere,  the  property  passed  into  the 
hands  of  that  corporation,  and  has  since  been  operated  by 
them.  Their  property  at  the  furnace  consists  of  five  acres 
of  ground,  lying  on  the  east  side  of  Fox  River,  a  short  dis- 
tance below  the  dam,  having  a  river  front  of  2,000  feet,  and 
provided  with  300  feet  of  dock,  at  which  there  is  a  minimum 
depth  of  thirteen  feet.  Upon  these  premises  there  is  now 
standing  two  stacks,  number  one  being  of  stone,  number 
two  of  iron.  The  former  was  built  in  1869,  the  latter  in 
1872,  each  having  a  capacity  of  11,000  tons  annually.  The 
buildings  are  :  The  engine  and  pump-room,  30x40  feet ; 
two  casting  houses,  each  40x80  feet ;  stock  house,  30x60 
feet,  in  which  are  the  crushing  machines  and  hoisting 
works;  boiler  sheds,  40x50  feet;  two  offices,  one  20x30 
feet,  the  other  20x40  ;  wood  and  iron  repair  shops,  weigh- 
ing house,  stables,  slieds,  etc.  Charcoal  is  furnished  from 
kilns  located  along  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road and  the  Fox  River,  which  is  brought  by  rail  and  in 
barges;  in  addition  to  which,  an  average  force  of  fifteen 
teams  daily  discharge  their  loads  of  coals  at  the  company's 
yard,  the  product  of  kilns  in  the  more  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  Depere.  The  furnaces  are  supplied  with  two  blow- 
ing engines  of  nine  horse-power  each ;  two  horizontal 
engines  for  hoisting  and  crushing,  ten  horse-power  each  ; 
one  hoisting  engine  on  dock,  fifteen  horse-power;  two  eight 
inch  Blake  pumps  and  one  six  inch  Cope  &  Maxwell;  and 
their  hot  air  pi])es  have  a  heating  capacity  of  2,800  square 
feet.     The  force  employed  at  the  works  is  one  foreman,  two 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY, 


141 


engineers,  one  founder,  one  keeper,  two  blacksmiths,  two 
carpenters  and  seventy  other  hands.  In  the  office  are  the 
general  manager  and  the  book-keeper.  Shipments  of 
product  are  made  as  far  southeast  as  \Vilmington,  Delaware, 
as  far  south  as  Missouri,  and  through  all  the  northwestern 
and  middle  States.  M.  R.  Hunt,  resident  member  of  the 
company  and  general  manager,  was  engaged  in  banking 
and  mercantile  business  previous  to  the  organization  of  the 
corporation. 

Banks. — Depere  has  two  banks,  the  First  National,  Ru- 
fus  B.  Kellogg,  president,  H.  B.  Baker,  cashier  ;  and  the 
institution  of  Herbert  R.  Jones.  The  resources  of  the 
former  are,  $36,644,47  ;  of  the  latter,  $78,632.10. 

Miscdlaneoiis  Maniifcctories. — In  this  list  may  be  men- 
tioned such  establishments  as  the  flour  mill  of  Dunham  & 
Davis  (Depere  Mill);  Fox  River  Mills,  Mathias  Reynan, 
proprietor;  Arndt  Bros.  &  Co. 's  mill,  located  front  of  James 
street;  "  Novelty  "  Manufacturing  Company,  Charles  Law- 
ton,  president ;  the  "  Champion  "  pump  factory  of  ^Villiam 
Gow  &  Co.  ;  wagon  manufactory  of  P.  H.  Mulasky  ;  the 
Armstrongs  (Samuel  and  William),  manufacturers  of  stump 
machines;  McDonald  cSi:  Wilco.x,  harness  manufacturers, 
etc.,  etc. 

General  Stores. — .Vniong  the  general  stores  doing  a  good 
business  are  A.  G.  Wells,  dry  goods,  hardware,  etc.,  on 
Broadway;  W.  W.  Winegard,  IJroadway  ;  Jackson  &  Son, 
etc.,  etc. 

Miscellaneous. — T.  E.  Sharp  has  fine  furniture  ware- 
rooms  on  Broadway ;  also,  R.  J.  McGreehan  an  agricul- 
tural implement  warehouse.  Thomas  D.  Bowring,  is  the 
leading  photogr.ipher.  George  Moffatt  has  the  leading 
blacksmith  and  wagon  shop.  William  Willis  deals  in 
pumps. 

The  leading  lawyers  are  G.  F.  Merrill,  and  E.  F.  Parker ; 
the  physicians,  Drs.  Fisk  &  Mailer,  M.  E.  Williams  and 
R.  F.  Tousley. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  Depere  was  t.\\t  Adver- 
tiser, issued  from  the  Fall  of  1S50,  to  December,  1852,  by 
Baldwin  &  Thayer. 

Tke  Depere  News  and  Brown  County  ffera/d  was  estab- 
lished April  8,  1871,  by  P.  R.  Proctor,  formerly  of  the 
Times,  Appleton.  He  is  its  present  editor  and  proprietor. 
The  Fort  Howard  Herald  was  merged  with  the  Neivs  in 
September,  1878. 

The  Depere  Facts  was  first  issued  by  J.  \.  Comerford. 
After  a  few  numbers  had  been  published,  D.  E.  Hickey, 
present  editor  and  proprietor,  commenced  to  issue  it. 

The  Depere  Standard  is  published  by  Edward  Van  De 
Casterle  and  John  B.  Heyrman. 

BIOGR.APHIC.\L    SKETCHES. 

W.  A.  BINGH.\M  &  CO.,  general  merchandise.  This  business  was 
established  in  1872,  on  Main  street,  adjoinirvg  ihe  Fo.x  River  Iron  Com- 
pany's furnaces,  they  being  the  owners  of  the  building  and  partners  in 
the  mercantile  business.  The  sales  room  has  a  frontage  of  24  feet  on 
Main  street,  rur.s  S5  feet  to  the  rear,  and  fronts  40  feet  of  Fourth  street, 
being  45x85,  with  the  exception  of  a  corner  20x40  on  Main  and  Fourth 
streets  occupied  as  an  office  by  the  furnace  company.  A  basement  the 
full  size  of  the  building  is  used  for  storage,  and  a  ware-house  24x72  feet 
is  occupied  for  flour,  feed  and  package  store-room.  The  operations  of 
the  house  give  employment  to  a  force  of  ten  hands  and  one  delivery 
wagon,  and  yearly  sales  aggregate  from  Sgo.ooo  to  $100,000. 

W.  A.  Bingham  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1849  with  his  father's  family;  was  educated  inWaterlown  ;  served  three 
years  with  the  1st  Wis.  V.  C.  during  the  late  war,  and  was  mustered  out 
as  Regimental  Quartermaster,  and  was  salesman  in  a  wholesale  hardware 
house  in  Milwaukee  prior  to  coming  to  Depere. 

SAMUEL  BL.'VKE,  lumberman  and  farmer,  Depere ;  was  born  in 
1813,  in  Derby,  Orleans  Co.,  Vt.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
At  the  age  of  thirty-one  he  emigrated  to  Kane  Co.,  111.,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years ;  and  then  on  account  of  the  unhealthfulness  of  the 
place,  he  went  to  Chicago  where  he  stopped  a  short  time,  then  came  to 
Green  Bay  on  a  vessel  named  the  "Green  Bay  Equator,"  Capt.  Sanders. 


He  started  on  a  tour  to  look  up  a  place  of  abode,  and  seeing  the  natural 
advantages  of  the  place,  took  up  his  residence  in  Depere.  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  builder's  trade  for  one  season.  In  the  Fall  of  1847,  wishing  to 
lay  in  provisions  for  the  Winter  (they  not  being  ob'anable  nearer  at 
hand),  he  walked  to  Waupun  to  get  a  supply,  there  being  no  othei  way 
of  getting  there.  His  first  occupation  in  Depere  was  hewing  timber,  for 
which  he  received  50  cents  a  day.  After  about  a  year,  he  commenced 
the  lumbering  business,  in  a  small  way  at  first,  but  with  his  characteristic 
thrift  and  industry,  soon  became  one  of  the  heaviest  lumbermen  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  But  in  the  meantime,  he  and  his  excellent  lady,  in 
1852,  entered  the  employment  of  the  contractors  on  the  Fox  River  Im- 
provement, where  they  remained  about  three  years  at  intervals,  and  laid 
the  foundation  of  their  present  competence.  Mr.  Blake  is  entitled  to 
much  credit  for  the  part  he  took  in  aiding  to  settle  and  build  up  this 
part  of  the  State.  He  laid  out  the  road  between  Depere  and  Manitowoc, 
which  still  bears  his  name.  In  one  year  he  located  eighteen  settlers  in 
the  town  of  Morrison.  He  has  probably  been  the  cause,  directly  and 
indirectly,  of  the  clearing  of  as  much  land  as  has  any  other  man  in 
northern  Wisconsin.  He  is  withal  a  man  of  great  public  spirit,  being 
identified  with  the  organization  of  the  first  Sabbath  schools  and  churches 
and  taking  part  in  many  other  matters  tending  to  the  growth  and  moral 
improvement  of  the  community.  He  has  been  in  nearly  every  kind  of 
business  since  his  residence  here,  and  whatever  he  did  seemed  to  thrive 
under  his  hands.  He  is  a  genial  old  gentleman  with  whom  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  converse,  and  he  has  many  a  joke  and  reminiscence  of  the  early 
times.  In  1S37,  he  married  Miss  Ann  Buchanan,  a  native  of  Paisley, 
Scotland.  They  had  a  family  of  four  children,  all  daughters,  two  being 
dead  and  buried,  one  in  Vermont  the  other  in  Green  Bay.  The  two  sur- 
viving ones  are  married  respectively  toC.  R.  Merrill,  Depere,  and  A.  H. 
Magoon,  Girard,  111. 

M.ATTHEW  BURNETT,  groceries,  crockery,  flour,  feed  and 
grain,  Depere,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Steuben  County;  came  here  1856  ;  followed  farming  until  1S66  when 
he  went  to  Michigan  and  engaged  in  the  meicaniile  business  which  he 
followed  until  1873  ;  he  then  came  here  and  opened  the  business  which 
he  at  present  follows  ;  carried  it  on  until  1876  when  he  took  Mr. 
Wheeler  of  the  drug  business  as  partner.  The  firm  continued  their 
already  extensive  business  until  April  19,  18S0,  when  they  concluded  to 
add  dry  goods  to  their  list  and  accepted  tHe  partnership  of  Mr.  Merrill 
in  that  line,  and  adopted  the  Depere  Mercantile  Co.  as  their  firm  name. 
It,  however,  did  not  succeed,  and  in  July,  1881,  Mr.  Burnett  re-opened 
the  present  business  so  long  and  favorably  known. 

N.  B.  CHASE,  lumberman  and  farmer,  Depere  P.  O.,  was  born  in 
the  year  iSii,  in  .Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  went  to  Michigan,  and  followed  the  business  of 
lumbering  and  farming.  He  remained  there  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years,  building  five  saw  mills,  two  of  which  were  run  by  water  and  three 
by  steam.  In  1S54,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  his  present 
farm  of  200  acres,  finely  located  on  the  east  bank  of  Fox  River.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Wisconsin  he  has  built  three  saw  mills  —  one  at 
Wrightstovvn  and  two  at  Oconto.  He  is  identified  with  the  early  settle- 
ment and  growth  o:'  the  State.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  County 
Board  of  Supervisors.  .Mr.  Chase  is  well  known  in  Northern  Wiscon- 
sin. He  was  married  in  1839.  to  Miss  Ann  .McClure.  They  had  eight 
chddren— four  sons  and  four  daughters  —  five  of  whom  are  living,  the 
others  being  buried  in  St.  Clair  Co.,  Mich.  ;i,^ 

G.  B.COLE,  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Brown  County,  Depere,  was  born 
in  X'ermont,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Wisconsin,  having  come 
here  at  the  age  of  five  years,  in  1845.  In  the  Spring  of  i36l  he  en- 
listed in  the  5th  .Missouri  Mounted  Rifles  and  remained  in  that  service 
one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  5th  disbanded  ;  he  then  enlisted 
in  the  ist  Missouri  Mounted  Rifles  and  remained  with  them  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  and  about  one-half  of  the  Ist  again  enlisted  as 
veterans  and  remained  in  it  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  his  return 
he  devoted  himself  to  the  pursuit  of  farming  which  he  followed  until 
1873,  when  he  came  to  Depere  and  engaged  with  Mr.  B.  F.  Smith  in 
the  lumbering  business,  with  whom  he  has  remained  since.  He  has 
held  the  present  county  office  for  the  last  two  terms  and  has  also  held 
the  Marshalship  of  his  town  for  the  last  two  teims.  His  wile  was  Miss 
Maiy  AUard,  of  Vermont,  They  have  one  son,  Frank,  and  two  daughters, 
Rosa  and  Jennie. 

FRANK  CRAHB,  groceries  and  saloon,  Depere.  The  business 
was  established  by  his  father  about  sixteen  years  ago.  In  1879  Frank 
toi'k  charge  of  the  business  upon  the  death  of  his  father.  Mr.  Crabb's 
parents  were  born  in  Belgium  and  came  to  this  country  about  i860. 
They  are  buried  with  the  rest  of  the  family  in  Depere  cemetery.  In  1878 
Mr.  Crabb  married  Miss  AUie  Vanderhyden.  She  was  born  in  Oconto. 
They  have  one  child,  Katie. 

REV.  WM.De  KELYER,  pastor  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  Church,  De- 
pere,  is  a  native  of  Belgium,  from  which  country  he  came  to  America  at 
eight  years  of  age.  He  was  educated  at  the  college  of  St.  Francis,  Mil- 
waukee, where  he  completed  his  theological  studies  in  1871,  and  the 
same  year  was  ordained  priest  at  Green  Bay  and  appointed  to  the  church 
at  Kilbourn  City.     He  came  to  his  present  parish  in  1S76. 


142 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


M.  FARRELL,  proprietor  livery  stables,  Depere.  The  stables  are 
the  oldest  established  in  the  place  and  in  point  of  convenience  and 
capacity  are  sufficiently  ample  for  the  extensive  trade  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  Mr.  Farrell  has  had  large  experience  in  the  business  and  is  able 
to  accommodate  the  traveling  public  with  acceptable  accommodations. 

J.A.COB  FALCK,  saloon  and  billiard  hall,  Depere,  is  a  native  of 
Washington  County,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  the  year  1864, 
Aug.  I,  Mr.  Falck  engaged  in  his  present  business,  which  he  has  carried 
on  since.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Meyer  1878.  They  have  one 
child.  Alina.  living,  and  one  buried  in  Depere  cemetery. 

FISK  &  MAILER,  physicians.  The  members  of  this  firm  are  M. 
H.  Fisk  and  A.  C.  Mailer,  and  they  have  been  associated  in  medical 
practice  since  1S7S. 

M.  H.  Fisk  was  born  in  Depere,  May  28,  1843  ;  pursued  his  literary 
studies  at  Hadley,  Mass.,  and  at  Lawrence  University,  leaving  the  latter 
institution  in  his  junior  year  to  enter  the  United  States  service  during 
the  last  year  of  the  war.  Returning  home  he  resumed  study  for  his 
profession,  to  which  he  had  previously  given  some  attention  and  grad- 
uated from  the  medical  department  of  Michigan  University  in  the 
Spring  of  1S66.  Locating  for  practice  in  Depere  he  gave  close  atten- 
tion to  his  professional  work  for  seven  years  and  then  entered  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  New  York  City,  for  a  course  of  study  in  that 
institution,  but  was  called  home  by  family  affliction  before  the  close  of  his 
term.  Since  that  time  Dr.  Fisk  has  given  exclusive  attention  to  his 
medical  practice  in  which  he  has  acquired  an  enviable  reputation.  He 
is  a  member  both  of  the  State  and  County  medical  associations,  and 
presiding  officer  of  the  latter. 

A.  C.  Mailer  is  also  a  native  ot  Depere,  born  April  4,  1853.  He 
received  his  literary-  training  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town  and  in 
Lawrence  University,  then  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  and  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  class  of  187S.  Returning  to  Depere  he  became  associated  in 
practice  with  Dr.  Fisk,  in  whose  office  he  had  previously  pursued  his 
studies. 

JAMES  H.  HARP,  proprietor  of  Commercial  House,  Depere. 
The  house  is  new  and  is  very  conveniently  located  to  the  business  cen 
ters  of  the  twin  cities  of  East  and  West  Depere,  and  is  in  point  of  con- 
venience and  comfort  the  best  in  the  place  and  second  to  none  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  Being  located  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Fox 
River,  the  tourist,  pleasure  seeker  and  traveler  find  it  very  available. 
Its  genial  landlord  and  landlady  spare  no  pains  in  catering  to  their 
guests  and  supplying  those  on  pleasure  bent  with  ample  means  for  en- 
joying the  beautiful  hunting  nnd  fishing  grounds  that  abound  in  this 
locality.  Mr.  Harp  has  added  a  new  feature  to  his  already  extensive 
enterprise  and  a  free  bus  will  always  be  in  attendance  upon  the  arrival 
and  departure  of  the  trains  and  boats.  His  motto  :i  reasonable  terras, 
good  accommodations  and  the  most  respectful  attention  to  liis  guests. 

MRS.  AUGUST  HOCHGREVE,  Bellevue  Brewery,  was  Miss 
Caroline  Kiel  a  native  of  Lippe  Detmold,  Germany,  who  came  here 
with  her  parents  in  1S52,  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  and  settled  in  Mani- 
towoc County.  In  1858  she  was  married  to  August  Hochgreve  a  native 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  here  in  1853,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years.  He  engaged  in  the  brewery  business  in  1S57  in  company 
with  Mr.  Rohr,  but  in  1865  they  dissolved  partnership  and  Mr.  Hoch- 
greve managed  the  business  exclusively  until  1877  when  he  died  ;  he  is 
buried  in  the  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  IBrown  Co.  Mrs.  Hochgreve  has 
three  sons  and  five  daughters. 

ROBERT  J.A.CKSON,  Depere,  is  a  native  of  Fifesliire,  Scotland, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  the  Spring  of  1848  he  came  to 
this  country  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  and  settled  in  Kenosha,  where  he 
followed  his  trade  of  machinist  and  blacksmithing.  In  1850  he  went  to 
Pensaukee  where  he  continued  his  business.  In  1852  he  came  to  Depere 
and  bought  a  shop  and  opened  the  blacksmithing  business  which  he 
followed  for  fifteen  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  furnace  busi- 
ness and  joined  the  company  that  built  the  second  furnace  in  Depere  ; 
he  has  since  been  connected  in  that  business  in  Menominee  and  in  the 
engineering  of  the  Kirby,  Carpenter  &  Co.  mills  there.  In  the  Spring 
ot  1880  he  went  to  Charlevoix,  Mich.,  and  built  the  furnace  for  Shery  & 
Co.  there.  In  the  Spring  of  l83r  he  engaged  with  C.  Sprong  &  Co.  to 
build  a  furnace  in  Florence.  Marinette  Co.  at  which  he  is  at  present  en- 
gaged. He  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Higgle,  in  Kenosha,  1849. 
She  was  born  in  his  native  shire.     They  have  (our  sons. 

H.  R.  JONES,  banker,  Depere.  Was  born  in  Iximia.  Jefferson 
Co.,  Oct.  5.  1845.  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Oshkosh  when  but 
three  years  of  age.  Received  hi?  education  in  the  schools  of  that  city, 
and  in  1869  entered  the  banking  house  of  R.  C.  Russell,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to  Green  Bay,  and  was  with  the 
banking  house  of  Henry  Strong  in  that  city  until  he  came  to  Depere 
Sept.  1874,  as  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Depere.  When  the 
First  National  surrendered  its  charter,  and  the  Commercial  Bank  was 
organized.  Mr.  Jones  became  cashier  of  the  new  house,  and  so  continued 
until  the  closing  of  its  doors  in  1878,  when  he  opened  the  banking  es- 
tablishment which  he  now  conducts  in  his  own  name. 


R.  B.  KELLOGG  &  CO.,  bankers.  Thisbank  was  established  in  1878, 
in  the  building  formerly  occupied  by  the  Commercial  Bank,  and  its  aver- 
age deposits  now  reach  from  $85,000  to  $go,ooo.  The  officers  of  the  com- 
pany are  R.  B.  Kellogg,  Green  Bay,  president ;  H.  B.  Baker,  of  Depere, 
cashier. 

H.  B.  Baker  is  a  native  of  Green  Bay,  and  was  with  the  National 
Bank  of  that  city  from  1S68  to  1874;  then  with  the  Kellogg  National 
Bank  until  his  coming  to  Depere  upon  the  establishment  of  the  banking 
house  here  in  187S. 

LEWIS  LEININGER,  meat  market,  Depere.  Is  a  native  of 
Washington  County,  born  Jan.  3,  1848.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  en- 
gaged at  his  business  in  Milwaukee,  which  he  followed  two  and  a  half 
years  there,  the  same  length  of  time  in  Green  Bay,  then  went  to  Lake 
Superior  and  followed  it  six  years,  after  which  he  came  to  Depere  and 
went  into  partnership  with  John  Stecker,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
three  years,  after  which  he  started  a  business  for  himself  which  he  has 
carried  on  since.  He  married  Miss  Henrietta  Raisky.  in  Negaunah. 
She  was  born  in  Europe.  They  have  three  children — Henrietta.  Mar- 
garet and  the  baby.     They  have  buried  two  in  Depere  cemetery. 

J.  N.  LANGWORTHY,  wholesale  and  retail  liquors  and  cigars, 
Depere.  Was  born  in  New  York  State,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Michigan,  having  come  to  that  State  when  he  was  but  five  years  of  age. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  where  he  remained 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  He  then  enlisted  in  Company  A.,  1st  W. 
V.  I.  for  three  months'  service,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  returned  and 
assisted  in  raising  the  7th  Battery  of  Artillery  from  Milwaukee,  which  he 
accompanied  to  the  field,  and  remained  with  it  until  the  expiration  of  the 
war.  In  1865  he  was  commissioned  lieutenant,  having  held  non-com- 
missioned offices  from  his  second  enlistment.  After  his  return  from  the 
war,  he  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business,  having  previously  to  the  war 
had  connection  in  that  line.  In  1868  he  opened  a  general  jobbing  busi- 
ness in  liquors  and  cigars  in  Green  Bay,  where  he  remained  until  1873, 
when  he  came  to  Depere.  He  married  Miss  Ophilia  Cooper  in  1868. 
She  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  two  children,  James  N.  and 
Elton  C. 

W.  R.  MATTHEWS,  ice  dealer,  Depere.  Is  a  native  of  Wisconsin, 
and  was  born  in  Green  Bay,  Nov.  6,  1849.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business,  with  which  vocation  he  has  been  identified 
since,  .t  period  of  sixteen  years.  In  1S7S  he  bought  the  entire  ice  busi- 
ness of  Henry  Watuer,  which  he  also  carries  on  In  May,  1875.  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Edith  Leroy.  who  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  Sept.  5, 
1855.     They  have  two  children— Edith  R.  and  Helen  Stewart. 

ANTHONY  A.  MENLENDYK,  general  merchandise.  Is  a  native 
of  Holland  ;  came  to  this  country  in  1S54,  and  settled  in  Cleveland,  and 
began  the  mercantile  business  therein  1859,  which  he  conducted  until 
1865,  when  he  came  to  Depere,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In  1868-g 
he  built  the  present  commodious  building,  the  upper  part  of  which  is 
used  as  the  First  National  Hotel,  being  in  point  of  location  the  best  in 
the  State.  In  1859  he  was  married  to  Miss  Theodora  Terbeck,  a  native 
of  Holland.  They  have  nine  children  living  and  three  dead.  As  an 
evidence  of  the  energy  of  Mr.  M.,  it  may  be  stated  that  when  he  landed 
in  this  country  he  was  in  debt,  and  that  in  the  short  space  of  five  years 
he  was  not  only  able  to  pay  all  demands  upon  him,  but  also  able  to 
establish  himself  in  business,  which  he  has  successfully  maintained  since. 
Mr.  M.  has  a  branch  store  in  Stephenson,  Mich.,  as  also  an  extensive 
charcoal  kiln  business. 

P.  R.  PROCTOR,  of  the  Depere  A^iws,  was  born  at  Belleville,  Ont 
in  1847.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  his  mother  came 
from  Mohawk  Dutch  parentage.  As  a  boy,  Mr.  Proctor  enjoyed  only 
such  school  privileges  as  were  available  through  common  methods,  and 
when  but  little  more  than  twelve  years  of  age  began  the  struggle  with 
life.  His  first  regular  engagement  was  in  his  father's  edge-tool  factory, 
and  he  acquired  proficiency  in  the  art  of  finishing  the  wares.  At  about 
the  age  of  nineteen  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  where  relatives  resided,  and 
undertook  the  task  of  learning  the  printer's  trade,  in  the  office  of  the 
.\ppleton  Fosi.  then  conducted  by  Messrs.  Pomeroy  &  Baker.  The 
slow  process  of  advancement  in  this  new  field  displeased  the  lad,  and 
in  June,  1S67,  he  entered  the  employ  of  J.  N.  Stone,  at  Neenah,  who 
published  the  Island  City  Times.  Here  Proctor  remained  nearly  two 
years  and  a  half,  when  the  paper  changed  owners.  He  then  went  to 
the  western  part  of  the  State,  and  filled  brief  engagements  with  Frank 
Cooper,  of  the  Badger  State  Banner^  and  W.  H.  Farnham,  of  Sparta. 
In  February,  1870,  Mr  Proctor  began  the  publication  of  the  City  Times, 
at  Appleton,  with  his  old  preceptor,  Mr.  Stone,  as  editor.  The  experi^ 
ence  acquired  was  valuable,  and  extended  to  daily  as  well  as  weekly 
publications.  Finding  the  locality  over  supplied  with  newspapers,  in 
1871  he  established  the  jVcjot,  at  Depere,  and  has  since  been  concerned 
in  its  success.  The  paper  has  attained  a  substantial  reputation  among 
more  than  local  circles  as  an  exponent  of  Republicanism,  and  as  an 
advocate  of  all  that  tends  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  Fox  Valley.  Mr. 
Proctor  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  A.,  daughter  of  Anson  E.,  and  Mary 
J.  Cross,  of  Neenah,  Oct.  7.  1S72.  A  daughter  was  born  to  them  Sept. 
8,  1S73,  and  two  vears  later  a  son  was  born,  who  lived  but  fifteen 
months. 


HISTORY    OF    BROWN    COUNTY 


143 


JOHN  SMITH,  Notary  Public,  real  estate,  passage  ai 
agent,  over  Jackson  &  Sons  dry  goods  house.  This  business  was  estab- 
lished in  1S73,  aiKJ  its  real  property  transactions  include  lands  in  Minne- 
sota, Nebraska,  Dakota  and  Michigan,  as  well  as  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  native  of  Holland,  from  which  country  he  came  to  America  twelve 
years  since.  Was  early  left  entirely  to  his  own  resources,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  education  and  his  compulsory  service  in  the  German  army, 
emigrated.  After  coming  to  this  country,  he  engaged  in  manual  labor 
until  he  had  acquired  .sufficient  acquaintance  with  the  language  to  trans- 
act business,  when  he  opened  his  insurance  office.  In  1875  he  was  ap- 
pointed Notary  Public,  and  now  has  the  agency  of  all  the  principal  lines 
of  Eastern  and  Continental  Railway  travel,  and  the  Ocean  steamships, 
represents  the  best  fire,  accident  and  life  insurance  companies,  and  keeps 
a  clerical  force  of  two  persons  constantly  employed,  He  is  a  member 
of  the  present  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  village  of  Depere. 

T.  STEWART,  Postmaster,  Depere.  This  office  supplies  mail  mat- 
ter to  a  population  of  from  4,000  to  5,000  people,  and  the  average  num- 
ber of  packages  handled  is  about  4,000  per  week.  Mr.  Stewart,  who 
received  his  first  appointment  in  i87i,and  has  since  filled  the  office  most 
acceptably,  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  from  which  State  he  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1836,  settling  in  Brown  County,  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  until  1S63  ;  the  old  farm  lying  within  the  present 
corporate  limits  of  West  Depere.  In  that  year,  1S63,  Mr.  Stewart  met 
with  an  accident  which  incapacitated  him  for  farther  farm  labor,  and  he 
then  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  after  taking  a  course  at  Bryant's 
Business  College,  until  1868.  From  that  time  until  his  appointment  as 
Postmaster,  he  was  engaged  in  clerking.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as 
Postmaster,  in  which  he  is  assisted  by  his  wife,  Mr.  Stewart  is  engaged 
in  insurance  business,  and  represents  some  of  the  staunchest  fire  insur- 
ance companies  in  Great  Britain. 

A.  G.  WELLS,  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  The  business  is  the 
oldest  existing  established  one  in  Depere,  having  been  established  by 
Mr.  Dominicus  Jordan,  and  carried  on  by  him,  and  afterward  bv  Mr.  B. 
F.  Smith,  his  son-in-law,  until  18S0.  In  that  year,  Mr.  Wells,  son-in-law 
of  Mr.  Smith,  bought  the  entire  interest  of  the  business,  and  has  con- 
ducted it  since.  Mr.  Wells  was  born  in  Port  Kent,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Attended  school  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  preparatory  to  entering  a  regular 
course  of  commercial  schooling  at  the  Goddard  Seminary,  Barril,  Vt.  In 
1872,  and  just  before  graduating,  he  was  induced  to  come  West,  and  en- 
gaged with  Mr.  B.  F.  Smith  in  the  mercantile  business,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  his  purchase  of  the  entire  business. 

JOSEPH  WEISS,  manufacturer  of  harness  and  horse  furnishing 
goods,  Depere.  Is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  in  1852,  he  came  to  this 
country  and  worked  at  his  business  in  Whitewater  until  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D.,  28th  Wis.  V.  I. ;  remained  until  1865,  when  he 
was  mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged.  After  his  war  service  he 
carried  on  business  in  Jefferson  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Depere, 
where  he  has  maintained  a  successful  businesss  since.  Mr.  Weiss  was 
married  to  Miss  Sophia  Bender,  in  Whitewater,  in  1859.  She  was  born 
in  Wurtemburg,  Germany.     They  have  seven  children. 

J.  P.  WETER,  dentist,  Depere.  Was  boin  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
came  to  this  State  at  an  early  age,  and  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  farm- 
ing. At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  22d  Wis.  V.  I.,  and 
remained  in  the  service  about  ten  months,  when  he  was  sent  home  on  a 
sick  furlough,  and  was  finally  honorably  discharged.  After  a  convales- 
cence of  two  years,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  dentistry,  and 
went  to  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  where  after  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years,  and 
eighteen  months  collegiate  study,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  precep- 
tor and  carried  on  the  business  about  two  years  and  a  half.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Walworth  County,  where  he  practiced  dentistry  about  four 
years.  In  the  Spring  of  1874,  he  came  to  Depere,  where  he  has  remained 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  since.  He  holds  the  position  of  one  of 
the  Board  of  Village  Trustees  for  West  Depere. 

R.  WEYENBERG,  millinery  and  fancy  goods,  books  and  stationery, 
sewing  machines,  toys  and  notions,  Depere.  Is  a  native  of  Holland,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  1856,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  commenced  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Appleton,  but 
left  it  to  open  business  in  boots  and  shoes  in  Oconto,  where  he  carried  it 
on  for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  continued  his 
business  three  years  more.  He  then  came  to  Depere  and  engaged  with 
Mr.  B.  F.  Smith  in  general  merchandise,  where  he  stopped  for  two  years. 
Then  he  opened  the  present  business,  which  he  has  conducted  for  the 
last  twelve  years.  Mrs.  Weyenberg  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  has  car- 
ried on  the  millinery  business  for  the  last  fifteen  years. 

H.  I.  WHEELER,  drugs,  stationery,  paints,  oils,  etc.,  etc.,  Depere, 
is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  this  State. 
He  began  the  mercantile  business  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  with  Marsh  & 
Merrill  of  Depere,  in  1S62.  In  1868  he  became  a  partner  in  the  busi- 
ness, now  controlled  by  Merrill,  and  the  firm  conducted  the  business 
until  1870,  when  Mr.  Wheeler  purchesed  the  Drug  interest  and  carried 
it  on  exclusively  until  1877.  Then  Mr  W.  (ormed  a  co-partnership  with 
Mr.  Burnett  in  the  grocery  trade,  and  they  carried  on  the  joint  business 


until  18S0,  when  they  accepted  the  partnership  of  E.  C.  Merrill  and 
added  the  dry  goods  interest  and  adopted  the  name  of  Depere  Mercan- 
tile Co.  In  July,  1881.  Mr.  Wheeler,  who  had  retired  from  the  company, 
opened  anew  the  business  of  drugs,  etc.,  etc. 

WINEGARD  &  CO.,  dealers  in  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  crock- 
ery, flour  and  feed,  and  grain,  Depere.  The  firm  consists  of  W.  W. 
Winegard  and  Dwight  Smith.  Mr.  Winegard  is  a  native  of  Montgom- 
ery Co.,  N.Y.  At  the  age  of  six  years  he  moved  with  his  people  to  Tis- 
kilwa,  Bureau  Co.,  III.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  went  to  Green  Bay  and  commenced  the  pursuit  of  farming. 
He  finally  left  it  and  went  to  Chicago  where  he  engaged  with  the  firm  of 
Smith  &  Epps,  with  whom  he  remained  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  bought  out  Mr.  Epps,  and  the  firm  was  continued  under  the  firm 
name  of  Smith  &  Winegard,  and  remained  in  the  firm  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  came  to  Depere  and  engaged  in  the  grain  business  of 
Cargill  &  Van.  He  finally  formed  a  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Mendenhall, 
and  they  bought  the  business  of  J.  L.  Titzclaff.  which  business  he  is  now 
conducting.  Dwight  Smith  is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  Monroe  Co.. 
was  educated  in  Wooster,  Ohio,  where  he  went  with  his  people  at  the 
age  of  ten  years.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  engaged  with  the  G.  B.  & 
M.  R.  R.,  in  which  employ  he  remained  for  five  years.  He  then 
engaged  with  the  I.  M.  R.  R.,  in  Missouri,  for  one  year.  He  then  en- 
gaged with  the  Nat.  Furnace  Co.  of  Depere,  but  at  the  end  of  one  year 
with  them  he  joined  the  firm  which  he  now  represents  Nov.  i,  iSSo. 

WEST   DEPERE. 

West  Depere  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  March, 
1870.  It  was  platted  years  before  by  Dr.  Louis  Carabin, 
who  died  in  Green  Bay  in  1864.  West  Depere  is  the  manu- 
facturing point  of  Brown  County. 

Willard  &  Kurd's  Steam  Forge  Works,  West  Depere. 
The  grounds  of  this  company  lie  between  the  tracks  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  Company  and  the  river 
just  west  of  the  furnace.  Business  was  established  by  the 
present  proprietors  in  1872,  and  consists  in  the  manufacture 
of  car  and  locomotive  axles,  stationary  and  marine  engine 
forging,  bolt  and  mill  shafting,  and  all  kinds  of  wrought 
iron  and  steel  shapes.  The  works  are  of  sufficient  capacity 
to  turn  out  a  six  ton  shaft,  and  their  product  in  a  daily  run 
of  nine  hours  is  about  five  tons  of  finished  work.  They 
operate  two  hammers,  the  head  and  die  of  the  larger  weigh- 
ing 2,000  pounds  and  havin_Lj  a  fall  of  four  feet ;  the  smaller 
weighing  1,700  pounds,  with  a  fall  of  three  feet.  Their 
manufactory  is  75x75  feet,  and  is  the  only  one  of 
the  kind  in  this  State  or  Minnesota.  They  fill  orders 
all  over  the  northern  States,  have  furnished  the  ma- 
terial for  six  or  seven  mills  at  Puget  Sound,  and  will  soon 
be  necessitated  to  increase  their  facilities  for  manufacturing. 
They  employ  a  force  of  twenty-five  operators,  whose  wages 
range  from  $2  to  $7  for  a  daily  run  of  nine  hours.  The 
members  of  the  firm  are  John  P.  Willard  and  L.  D.  Hurd. 
John  P.  Willard  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire;  learned  his 
trade  as  a  steam  forger  at  Dorchester,  Mass.,  and  with  his 
brother  Charles  worked  the  hammer  in  the  Bridgewater 
forge,  which  turned  out  the  armor  for  the  first  monitor,  160 
tons  of  armor  plate  for  the  "  Old  Roanoke,"  a  duplicate 
order  for  twenty-three  gun  floats,  and  various  other  Govern- 
ment orders.  In  1862  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  engaged  in 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Pynchon,  Willard  &  Co. 
In  1872  he  sold  his  interest  in  that  establishment  and  came 
to  this  city.  L.  D.  Hurd  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire. 
In  1868  he  was  appointed  Paymaster  in  the  United  States 
navy,  which  position  he  resigned  in  1872,  and  came  to 
Depere  to  establish  business  as  previously  stated. 

E.  E.  Bowles  Wooden  Ware  Company.  This  joint 
stock  company  was  incorporated  Dec.  i,  1875,  by  E.  E. 
Bowles,  R.  A.  Mieswinkle  and  C.  A.  Willard,  and  is  the 
outgrowth  and  successor  of  the  business  established  in  1865 
by  E.  E.  Bowles  and  F.  Holman,  on  the  water-power  at 
the  east  end  of  the  bridge,  and  removed  to  its  present  loca- 
tion in  1872,  at  which  time  the  foundations  for  the  main 
manufactory  were  laid.  The  present  officers  of  the  com- 
pany are :    E.    E.    Bowles,   president  ;     Samuel   W.    Willard, 


144 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


vice-president;  and  C.  A.  Willard,  secretary  and  treasurer; 
and  its  paid  up  capital  is  $60,000  The  real  property  of 
this  company  consists  of  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  land, 
lying  on  the  west  side  of  Fox  River,  below  the  furnace 
grounds;  and  ujion  it  are  the  various  shops  and  warehouses, 
all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  main  manufactory, 
have  been  built  since  the  formation  of  the  present  stock  com- 
pany. Their  operations  consist  principally  in  the  manu- 
facture of  fish  cooperage,  butter  tubs,  lard  jjails  and  lum- 
ber, of  which  latter  about  4,000,000  feet  are  produced  an- 
nually. The  yearly  manufacture  is  about  1,000,000  pack- 
ages, ranging  in  capacity  from  one  to  twenty  gallons  each, 
and  the  force  employed  about  300  hands,  200  of  whom  are 
upon  the  premises.  The  manufacture  of  glucose  kegs,  a 
recent  industry,  is  almost  entirely  the  growth  of  the  past 
eighteen  months,  yet  the  products  for  the  year  just  closed 
has  not  fallen  short  of  300,000.  Supplies  of  raw  material, 
pine  for  fish  kits,  white  oak  for  butter  tubs,  and  basswood 
for  glucose  kegs,  are  principally  drawn  from  the  shores  of 
Green  Bay,  for  a  distance  of  sixty  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  Fox  River.  Kitts  are  manufactured  exclusively  for  the 
Chicago  market,  which  does  a  very  extensive  business  in 
fish  packing.  These  supplies  are  furnished  by  team  and 
raft.  The  Winter's  operations  are  conducted  in  four  camps, 
which  each  turn  out  20,000  feet  daily,  and  require  a  force 
of  fifteen  men  and  four  teams.  The  company  have  special 
box  cars,  of  double  the  ordinary  capacity,  for  shipment  of 
manufactured  products,  which  is  exclusively  by  rail.  The 
arrangement  of  shops,  warehouses  and  finishing  rooms  are 
made  with  reference  to  the  most  economical  distribution 
of  labor  and  facility  of  shipment.  Every  precaution  is 
taken  against  fire,  and  with  the  800  feet  of  attached  hose, 
the  force  pumps  and  hand  engines,  the  premises  are  as  fully 
secured  against  loss  by  fire  as  is  practically  possible.  C. 
A.  Willard  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  twenty-five  years, 
prior  to  his  coming  to  Depere  in  1875. 

West  Depere  Agricultural  Works,  successors  to  the  De- 
pere Iron  Works,  was  organized  as  a  joint  stock  company, 
November  23,  1875.  The  original  company,  also  a  joint 
stock  company,  was  incorporated  in  1S70,  and  did  business 
as  manufacturers  of  mill  work  and  rail  cars  until  1874  when 
the  works  stopped.  The  following  October,  Messrs.  Blan- 
chard  and  Arnold  bought  the  outstanding  obligations  of  the 
old  concern,  and  the  present  company  was  formed  the  next 
month  by  D.  W.  Blanchard,  S.  D.  Arnold  and  William  Work- 
man. The  property  embraces  a  tract  of  about  two  acres 
fronting  on  Fox  River  and  running  nearly  to  the  tracks  of 
the  Northwestern  Railway,  which  corporation  has  about  300 
feet  of  switch  track  upon  the  premises  of  the  Agricultural 
Works.  The  buildings  now  standing  upon  these  grounds 
number  eleven,  viz.,  one  brick  machine  shop,  40x100  feet ; 
foundry,  40x60  ;  wood  shop,  40x60  ;  erecting  shop,  30x90; 
paint  and  car  shop,  40x150;  two  blacksmith  shops — one 
40x120,  and  one  30x40;  store-house,  35x90  ;  brick  dry  kiln, 
12x36;  upholsterer's  shop,  20x30;  office,  16x24.  The  work 
in  these  shops,  from  1875  to  commencement  of  season  of 
1881,  was  exclusively  upon  agricultural  implements,  since 
which  time  considerable  attention  has  been  given  to  the 
building  of  box  cars  for  charcoal.  The  other  work  done, 
besides  general  jobbing,  is  the  manufacture  of  the  Boss 
threshing  machine,  the  Workman  seeder  and  reversible  har- 
row, invented  and  patented  by  William  Workman,  the  super- 
intendent of  the  works.  The  force  employed  ranges  from 
forty-five  to  sixty,  and  the  market  for  agricultural  imple- 
ments is  general  throughout  the  Northwest.  AVilliam  Work- 
man, superintendent,  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  from  which 
country  he  came  to  America  in  1842,  settling  in  Wisconsin 
the  following  year.     He  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 


agricultural  implements  at  Ripon,  Wis.,  until  1873,  when  he 
came  to  Depere  as  superintendent  of  the  Depere  Iron 
Works. 

Fox  River  Iron  Company  was  organized  in  1868  by  D. 
W.  Blanchard  and  S.  D.  Arnold,  and  became  a  joint  stock 
company  in  1872,  under  the  following  management  :  D.  W. 
Blanchard,  president;  S.  D  Arnold,  vice-president  and 
business  manager;  D.  D.  Kellogg,  secretary  and  treasurer; 
C.  H.  Lovelace,  superintendent  and  founder.  -The  land 
upon  which  the  furnaces  are  built  consists  of  a  tract  of 
about  five  acres  on  the  west  side  of  Fox  River,  just  below 
the  dam,  fully  one-third  of  which  is  made  land,  reclaimed 
from  the  river  by  filling  in  with  furnace  refuse.  The  first 
stack  was  built  in  1868,  and  fires  kindled  February  i,  1869. 
Dimension  of  this  stack  is  35  feet  square  at  the  base,  29  feet 
square  at  the  top,  height  39  feet,  and  has  a  capacity  of  10,- 
000  tons  annually,  with  an  average  product  of  about  four- 
fifths  that  amount.  Stack  No.  2  was  built  in  1872,  of  same 
dimensions  and  capacity  as  stack  No.  i,  and  so  enlarged 
and  raised  in  1881  that  its  capacity  was  increased  one  half. 
The  old  hot  blast  stoves  had  each  a  heating  surface  of  1,200 
square  feet,  the  enlarged  stack  a  heating  surface  of  double 
that  area.  The  first  charcoal  kilns,  eleven  in  number,  were 
built  on  the  furnace  premises  in  1868,  and  had  a  daily 
capacity  of  1,000  bushels.  In  1869  and  again  in  1870  addi- 
tional kilns  were  constructed  in  the  timber  country  adjacent 
to  Depere,  having  a  capacity  of  1,400  bushels  daily.  A 
careful  estimate  shows  that  the  wood  from  not  less  than  one 
and  one-half  acres  of  timber  land  is  consumed  by  each 
stack  daily,  leaving  the  land  available  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses. This  rapid  consumption  of  timber  has  so  reduced 
the  area  of  available  woodlands  that  the  kilns  in  the  yard 
and  their  immediate  vicinity  have  been  practically  discon- 
tinued, the  charcoal  supply  being  now  principally  drawn 
from  kilns  located  along  the  lines  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western and  the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  railways,  at 
a  distance  of  from  twenty  to  eighty  miles  from  the  furnaces. 
Both  water-power  and  steam  are  employed  as  motors,  the 
former  being  used  for  elevating  stock  and  crushing  ore,  and 
the  latter  for  blowing.  The  grounds  are  well  adapted  for 
receiving  and  discharging  freight,  having  about  400  feet  of 
available  dock  which  can  be  largely  increased  at  will,  2,500 
feet  of  siding  track  from  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
way, and  500  feet  of  trestle  track  for  dumping  ore.  There 
are  now  standing  upon  the  premises  the  main  building,  50X 
100  feet,  14  feet  posts,  containing  the  engine  of  80  horse- 
power and  pumps  for  supplying  water  and  air ;  two  brick 
casting  houses  with  iron  roofs,  each  35x65  feet ;  an  ore  shed 
and  crushing  house,  60x130,  and  a  brick  boiler  house  with 
iron  roof,  18x40  feet;  wood  and  iron  repair  shops  ;  coal  sheds, 
etc.  The  office  and  store  of  the  company,  built  in  1872,  and 
which  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire  in  1877  and  again  in 
i88o,  as  now  enlarged,  is  a  fine  two  story  brick,  45x85,  with 
iron  roof,  the  upper  story  used  for  tenement  purposes,  and 
the  offices  well  supplied  with  fire-proof  vaults  and  safes. 
The  operations  of  the  company  give  constant  employment 
to  a  force  of  forty  furnace  hands,  and  the  production  of 
charcoal  to  an  additional  force  estimated  at  175,  to  which 
may  be  added  an  extra  force  of  twenty  men  for  the  season 
of  1881,  employed  in  rebuilding  stack  and  repairs.  D.  W. 
Blanchard  and  S.  D.  Arnold  are  both  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  ]iractical  mechanics.  They  came  to  Milwaukee 
in  1856,  built  the  Excelsior  Car  Works  that  same  year,  and 
conducted  business  in  that  manufactory  until  they  sold  out 
in  1875.  They  have  been  engaged  in  iron  manufacturing 
in  some  form  or  another  for  the  past  twenty-five  years,  and 
are  in  addition  to  these  furnace  operations  the  principal 
owners  of  the  stock  in  the  agricultural  works  in  this  city. 

Arndt  Bros.  &  Co.,  merchant  millers.     The  mill  of  this 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


com])any  is  located  on  the  basin  east  side  of  Fox  River,  and 
is  known  as  the  stone  mill.  It  is  a  solid  stone  stiucture, 
40x50  feet,  walls  38  feet  high,  with  an  addition  16x24  feet, 
and  was  built  in  1857  by  Randall  Wilcox,  grandfather  of 
the  Arndt  brothers,  and  was  run  as  a  domestic  mill  until 
1S72,  since  which  time  it  has  done  a  merchant  business  ex- 
clusively. In  1880  the  mill  was  entirely  remodeled  at  a  cost 
of  Si 2, GOO  and  converted  into  a  roller  mill,  having  a  daily 
capacity  of  200  barrels.  Its  average  product  is  150  barrels, 
in  the  manufacture  and  shipment  of  which  a  force  of  twelve 
hands  and  three  teams  is  constantly  employed.  Their  wheat 
supply  is  principally  drawn  from  this  State,  and  their  market, 
after  supply  of  local  demand  \vhich  is  large,  is  general 
throughout  the  Northwest.  The  members  ot  the  firm  are 
E.  W.  Arndt,  B.  J.  VanValkenburg  and  R.  W.  Arndt.  E. 
W.  Arndt  is  a  grandson  of  the  old  pioneer,  J.  W.  Arndt, 
who  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1824,  and  the  following  year 
located  on  the  old  Langton  property,  which  was  his  home 
until  i860.  He  was  born  at  Green  Bay  in  1845,  and  at  six- 
teen years  of  age  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth  Wisconsin  Infantry 
with  which  he  served  eighteen  months,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability.  Recover- 
ing his  health  he  re-enlisted  in  1S65  and  served  until 
mustered  out  after  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1867  he 
removed  to  Depere  and  engaged  in  milling  under  the  firm 
name  of  Wilcox  &:  Tyler,  which  became  Tyler  &  Arndt  in 
1872,  and  Arndt  Bros.  &  Co.  in  1S80. 

Novelty  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  as  a 
joint  stock  concern  in  1879,  witli  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000. 
The  officers  of  the  company  are  C.  A.  Lawton,  president  ; 
E.  W.  Arndt,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  company  are 
doing  a  general  machine  shop  business,  but  give  special 
attention  to  line  shafting,  hangings,  pulleys  and  mill  work, 
and  have  now  in  hand  the  flouring  mill  of  A.  W.  Lawrence, 
at  Sturgeon's  Bay — Kellogg's  mill  at  Wrightstown.  Their 
manufactory  is  in  the  old  frame  building,  35x50  feet,  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  wooden-ware  establishment  of  E.  E. 
Bowles  &  Co.,  at  the  east  end  of  the  bridge,  and  their 
average  force  about  eight  hands.  They  are  also  sole  man 
ufacturers  of  Mr.  Dunham's  foundation  machines,  now  in 
general  use  among  apiarists  every-where.  C.  A.  J^awton, 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  company,  son  of  J. 
G.  Lawton,  one  of  Depere's  pioneers,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  came  to  Brown  County  with  his  parents  thirty 
years  since.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this  county, 
enlisted  in  the  Forty-seventh  Wisconsin  Regiment  during 
the  late  war,  served  until  it  was  mustered  out,  and  previous 
to  engaging  in  his  present  industry  was  in  the  sash,  door 
and  blind  business.  He  is  also  proprietor  of  the  C.  A. 
Lawton  lime.kilns  at  Greenleaf,  which  give  employment  to 
a  force  of  tw^elve  men  and  have  a  capacity  of  1,000  barrels 
of  lime  each  week,  market  for  which  is  found  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State. 

John  Hockers,  brick  manufacturer,  Dutchman's  Creek, 
is  a  native  of  Holland.  Came  to  Green  Bay  in  1S68  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick,  which  he  has  carried 
on  since.  He  employs  thirty  men,  one  large  engine,  and 
averages  2,000,000  brick  per  annum.  He  makes  all  kinds 
of  red  and  white  brick,  and  the  manufactory  covers  about 
five  acres  of  ground.  He  has  a  large  trade  in  Michigan, 
and  a  good  one  in  Wisconsin. 

General  N'oUs. — The  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  of  E. 
W.  Persons,  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  combined  with  his 
general  store,  do  much  to  keep  up  \Vest  Depere  as  a  thriv- 
ing place.  Alexander  P.  Schmidt  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
brewery  near  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  depot. 

In  1871,  the  St.  Joseph  Catholic  Chuich  was  erected  by 
Father  Wermare.     It   is   quite    a    tasty   church,    on    Grant 


street.  Rev.  Leonard  Gouche,  pastor.  Attached  to  it  is  the 
priest's  house.     The  congregation  is  flourishing. 

The  Baptist  Church  has  for  its  pastor  L.  G.  Carr,  who 
officiates  partly  in  Green  Bay  and  partly  in  West  Depere. 
It  is  growing. 

There  is  also  a  Norwegian  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
(.A.  H.  Nelson,  pastor)  and  a  Lutheran  Society. 

The  West  Depere  Public  School  has  seven  departments. 
George  Clithero  is  Principal  of  the  High  School.  There 
are  no  private  schools.  The  attendance  is  over  350.  The 
schools  were  graded  in  1872. 

The  West  Depere  Union  Company  was  formed  seven 
years  ago,  Andrew  Reid,  Jr.,  foreman.  An  engine-house 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  and  the  company  is  in  good 
shape. 

The  Fox  River  Driving  Park  Association  has  a  park 
of  twenty-two  acres,  on  the  river  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north 
of  West  Depere.  It  has  a  half  mile  track,  and  the  improve- 
jnents  have  cost  $3,000.  The  association  was  formed  two 
years  ago,  and  now  has  the  following  officers  :  E.  E.  BoUes, 
president;  M.  P.  Person,  secretary;  H.  R.  Jones,  treasurer  ; 
E.  E.  Bolles,  C.  A.  Willard,  H.  R.  Jones,  W.  A.  Bingham 
and  J.  M.  Smith,  directors. 

Thomas  Jackson,  blacksmith,  founder  and  ])lo\\  maker. 
West  Depere,  on  Main  street,  near  bridge.  Mr.  Jackson  is 
a  native  of  Scotland,  where  he  learned  his  trade  as  a  black- 
smith, and  from  whence  he  came  direct  to  Depere  in  iS53,and 
started  business.  He  built  his  blacksmith  shop  about  fifteen 
years  since,  his  foundry  and  machine  shop  some  five  years 
later,  which  he  operated  about  nine  years  and  then  sold  out. 
In  1863,  in  connection  with  William  Gow,  he  built  a  iuib 
and  spoke  factory,  which  they  operated  two  years,  and  then 
leased.  It  has  since  burned  down.  Mr.  Jackson  has  been 
principally  engaged  the  past  season  in  the  manufacture  of 
plows,  and  operates  a  force  of  from  three  to  four  hands. 
He  has  served  several  terms  as  a  member  of  the  village 
Board  of  Trustees. 

William  Gow  &  Company,  pump  manufacturers,  on  dam. 
West  Depere.  This  business  was  established  in  1878,  and 
now  gives  employment  to  a  force  of  four  men  and  two 
teams,  turning  out  about  1,000  pumps  annually,  with  a 
capacity  for  fully  four  times  that  amount.  The  building  is 
40x50  feet,  two  stories,  and  well  equipped  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  all  kinds  of  wooden  suction  pumps,  for  which  a 
good  outside  demand  is  being  rapidly  made  and  shipments 
to  jobbers  are  steadily  increasing.  The  members  of  the 
firm  are  William  Gow,  Charles  Machilis  and  Fritz  Stan- 
field.  William  Gow  is  a  native  of  F'ifeshire,  Scotland,  where 
he  learned  and  followed  his  trade  as  a  wagon  maker  until 
his  coming  to  America  in  1848.  Three  years  later,  in  1851, 
he  came  to  Depere  and  was  engaged  in  wagon  making  until 
he  commenced  the  manufacture  of  pumps  three  years  since. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  village  Board  of  Trustees 
two  or  three  terms,  and  was  for  three  years  .\ssessor  of 
Depere. 

E.  W.  Persons,  sash,  doors,  blinds,  mouldings  and 
dressed  lumber,  east  side  Fox  River.  This  business  was 
established  in  1869  by  Andrew  Reid  who  conducted  opera- 
tions until  he  was  burned  out  in  July,  1S74.  Rebuilding 
was  immediately  commenced,  but  before  the  structures  were 
comijleted  the  whole  property  was  sold  to  E.  W.  Persons, 
Mr.  Reid  agreeing  to  finish  the  buildings  which  he  com- 
pleted in  October  of  that  year,  when  operations  were  begun 
by  the  present  proprietor.  The  real  property  appertaining 
to  the  manufactory  consists  of  tract  of  nine  lots  fronting  on 
Fox  River,  just  above  the  dam,  comprising  a  little  more 
than  one  acre  of  ground,  and  provided  with  about  200  feet 
of  available  dock.     Upon  this  property  are  the  following 


146 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


structures:  A  two-story  brick  manufactory,  60x120  feet, 
iron  roof,  studding  stayed,  steam-heated,  sup])lied  with  150 
feet  of  attached  liose,  and  as  nearly  fire-proof  as  is  possible  ; 
a  brick  boiler,  engine  and  shavings  house,  26x40,  iron  roof 
and  rafters  ;  two  brick  dry  kilns,  iron  roofs,  each  22x25  feet, 
with  an  aggregate  capacity  of  35,000  feet  of  lumber;  a  two- 
story  brick  warehouse,  30x72  feet,  with  iron  roof,  the  upper 
story  devoted  to  the  storage  of  glazed  sash,  the  lower  con- 
taining the  office  (14x30  feet)  and  the  store-room  for  doors 
and  blinds.  These,  with  a  small  structure  m  the  rear  of  the 
warehouse  for  storing  mouldings,  constitute  the  buildings  of 
the  manufactory,  which  are  all  fitted  up  with  special  refer- 
ence to  safety  from  fire,  and  economy  in  the  distribution  of 
labor.  The  engine  is  rated  at  seventy-five  horse-power. 
The  machinery  was  all  new  and  of  the  latest  and  most 
approved  patterns  when  operations  were  resumed,  and  the 
working  force  is  about  forty  hands.  Shi])ments  are  made 
as  far  southwest  as  Kansas.  Orders  are  received  from  as  far 
southeast  as  Pittsburgh,  and  one  Chicago  contract  for  twelve 
car  loads  was  filled  last  year,  but  the  bulk  of  sales  is  made 
north  and  northwest,  as  affording  the  most  favorable  market. 
E.  W.  Persons  is  a  native  of  New  York.  Coming  to  Wis- 
consin in  1859,  he  settled  in  Albany,  Green  Co.,  and  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  there  prior  to  his  removal 
to  Brown  County  in  1817.  He  was  then  engaged  in  lumbering 
at  the  Eureka  mill,  seven  miles  east  of  this  city,  until  1S63, 
when  he  removed  to  Brodhead,  remained  one  year,  and 
then  came  to  Depere  to  engage  in  his  present  business. 

BIOGRATHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CONSTANT  DeJONGHE,  bakery,  groceries,  crockery,  etc.,  etc., 
West  Depere,  is  a  native  of  Belgium,  came  to  this  country  in  1856  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  and  settled  in  Green  Bay.  In  1S67  he  opened  a  busi- 
ness for  himself,  which  he  conducted  until  1874,  when  he  came  to  De- 
pere and  opened  his  present  grocery  trade,  which  he  enlarged  in  1878  by 
adding  the  baking  business. 

H.  A.  HAMMOND,  agent  of  the  C.  &  N.  \V.  R.  R.,  West  Depere, 
was  born  in  New  York  State  where  he  lived  lillhe  was  nine  years  of  age. 
In  1848  his  people  came  from  Elgin,  111.,  to  Oshkosh,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated. In  i86g  he  engaged  with  the  C.  cS:  N.  W.  R.  R.  as  baggageman, 
from  which  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of  a  station.  He  finally 
came  here  in  1874,  where  he  has  remained  since.  Mr.  Hammond  has 
been  in  the  municipal  office  for  the  last  five  years,  having  held  the  posi- 
tion of  city  alderman  and  clerk  of  the  board  during  that  time.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hamilton  have  a  family  of  four  children,  one  son  being  book-keeper 
of  the  wooden-ware  manufactory  here,  and  one  is  engaged  on  the  C.  & 
N.  W.  R.  R.  as  baggageman.     The  youngest  son  is  still  at  home. 

DAVID  HARKNESS,  West  Depere,  was  born,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  the  State  of  New  York.  In  1840,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he 
went  to  Ohio,  when,  after  a  stay  of  six  years,  he  went  to  Illinois  and 
remained  two  years.  From  there  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and,  after  a 
short  stay  in  Milwaukee,  he  came  here  in  1S49  and  began  the  life  of  a 
pioneer.  He  had  previously  followed  carpentering,  but  now  he  shoul- 
dered his  ax  and  cut,  cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  the  present 
beautiful  farm  upon  which  he  lives.  He  has  also  been  connected  with 
the  lumbering  interests  here  most  of  the  time.  In  1846  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Stephenson,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State.  They 
have  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

GODFREY  MILLER,  millwright  and  farmer.  West  Depere,  was 
born  in  1814  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
He  followed  the  business  of  farming  till  fourteen  years  of  age,  then  went 
to  Eastern  Pennsylvania  where  he  engaged  in  millwrighting  till  twenty- 
one.  He  then  came  by  way  of  the  lakes  to  Wisconsin  in  1837  to  build 
a  mill — the  first  in  Fond  du  I.ac  County,  there  being  then  but  one  house 
in  Oshkosh,  one  in  Neenah  and  one  in  Fond  du  Lac.  In  the  Fall  he 
came  to  Depere  where  he  remained  till  1841.  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  beautifully-located  farm  on  the  banks  of  Fox  River,  which  he 
cleared  up  and  developed,  showing  much  energy  in  the  peifoimance  of 
the  work.  He  now  has  a  fine  farm  and  a  comfortable  residence  and  all 
the  improved  machinery  for  the  successful  pursuit  of  his  business.  He 
is  withall  an  intelligent  man  and  ha?  many  a  reminiscence  of  the  early 
settlement  of  different  parts  of  the  State.  He  built  nearly  all  of  the 
first  manufacturing  institutions  of  Depere,  and  continued  to  take  part  in 
the  construction  of  those  of  a  later  date.  In  1840  he  married  Miss  Car- 
oline Stewart.  They  had  three  daughters.  The  eldest  was  married  to 
J.  D.  Tyler,  the  second  to  G.  R.  Woodward,  the  third  to  Hon.  C.  G. 
Wilcox. 


REUBEN  MUNGER,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  West  Depere  is  a 
native  of  New  York  State  and  came  to  this  State  and  county  l866,  and 
has  followed  the  business  of  farming  since.  In  May,  1881  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  village  of  West  Depere, 
which  position  he  still  occupies.  In  1855,  Jan.  i,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Hammond.  She  was  born  in  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Munger  have  four  children,  one  son  the  oldest,  and  three  daugh- 
ters at  home,  and  one  daughter  married,  Mrs.  Alexander  Turiffe,  of 
Menasha. 

F.  J.  NEWBAUER  &  CO.,  meat  market  and  stock  dealers,  West 
Depere.  The  business  was  established  in  1S76  and  gives  employment 
to  five  men.  They  carry  in  stock  about  sixty  head  of  cattle,  twenty-fii'e 
head  of  hogs  and  seventy  head  of  sheep.  In  the  Winter  the  firm  do  a 
large  packing  business.  Mr.  Newbauer  is  a  native  of  Austria,  and  came 
to  this  country  in  1870;  after  having  stopped  in  New  York  a  short  time  he 
came  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  engaged  at  his  trade  until  he  started  the 
present  business.  Mr.  Franz,  the  Co.,  is  a  native  of  Austria  and  en- 
gaged with  Mr.  Newbauer.  forming  the  present  firm,  about  two  years 
since. 

JULIUS  NOTH,  saloon,  West  Depere,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  1855,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  lived  in  She- 
boygan until  1873,  when  he  came  here  and  opened  his  present  business 
which  he  has  carried  on  successfully  since.  He  followed  the  trade  of 
carpentering  and  traveled  through  the  Western  States  for  several  years 
working  at  his  trade  the  principal  part  of  the  time.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Rosa  Neller,  in  1874.  She  is  a  native  of  Milwaukee.  They  have 
four  children. 

LOUIS  SCHEURING,  Notary  Public.  West  Depere;  was  born 
and  reared  in  Stralsund,  Prussia,  and  was  educated  in  Berlin.  He  took 
up  the  profession  of  ornamentive  and  decorative  painting,  in  which  pro- 
fession he  held  important  positions  in  his  native  country.  In  1849,  he 
felt  induced,  in  consequence  of  the  revolution  there,  to  come  to  this 
country,  and  in  course  of  a  rather  adventurous  journey  he  arrived  in 
Green  Bay,  when,  after  a  short  stay,  he  came  to  Depere  and  took  up 
the  profession  of  farming  which  he  has  very  successfully  carried  on,  en- 
dearing himself  to  the  people  who  followed  him  by  his  many  unbounded 
acts  of  charity  and  fellow-feeling.  He  has  lived  to  see  his  adopted  land 
beautifully  developed  and  his  family  grown  up  and  situated  comfortably 
in  their  several  businesses,  the  pride  of  his  old  age.  In  1836,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Matilda  Schmolcke,  of  Berlin.  They  have  two  sons  and 
one  daughter,  all  married. 

MAX  SCHEURING,  livery  stable,  West  Depere.  The  stable  has 
a  capacity  of  fifteen  horses,  twenty-four  carriages,  a  hack  and  barouche. 
Mr.  Scheuring  is  prepared  to  furnish  all  styles  of  good  carriages  and 
buggies,  and  has  No.  i  horses.  Established  1871.  He  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  Berlin  ;  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents  who 
located  iiere  in  1848.  In  connection  with  his  livery  business  he  carries 
on  farming  quite  extensively  and  is  a  wide-awake  business  man  and 
citizen.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  Wright,  a  native  of  this  coun- 
try ;   they  have  one  son,  Lewis,  aged  four  years. 

JOHN  SHURAN,  West  Depere,  is  a  native  of  Kings  Co.,  Ireland, 
and  came  to  Racine  in  1S48.  and  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business  for 
the  first  few  years,  after  which  he  came  here  and  engaged  in  the  pur- 
suit of  farming  which  he  has  carried  on  until  recently,  when  he  retired 
from  the  business.  In  1852,  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Bird,  from  the 
County  Harlow.  Ireland. 

H.  WATERMOLEN,  Notary  Public,  West  Depere,  is  a  native  of 
Holland,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1855  and  settled  here  in  1864. 
After  having  been  engaged  with  different  firms  in  Illinois,  he  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  which  he  carried  on  for  several  years.  He  has 
been,  ;  nd  is  at  present,  in  the  official  harness,  for  several  years  having 
been  Assessor  of  West  Depere,  Member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 
County  Court  Commissioner,  Clerk  of  Lawrence  Township,  Member  of 
the  Board  of  Village  Trustees;  in  all  a  pretty  well  tried  official  and 
enjoying  the  confidence  of  the  people.  He  has  been  Notary  Public  for 
the  last  twelve  years. 

MRS.  M.  WHITESIDES,  millinery.  West  Depere,  is  a  native  of 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1865,  she 
came  to  this  countiy.  In  1866.  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Samuel  White- 
sides,  her  maiden  name  being  Miss  Maggie  Miller.  Mr.  Whitesides  is 
a  native  of  England  and  came  to  this  country  in  1S35  ;  after  having  fol- 
lowed the  carpentering  business  for  a  space  of  fifteen  years,  he  came  to 
Depere  and  engaged  in  milling  and  manufacturing,  which  he  has 
carried  on  continuously  since.  During  his  career  of  carpentering  he 
assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  most  notable  hotels  at  Niagara  Falls  and 
also  of  the  very  early  buildings  of  Milwaukee.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White- 
sides  have  three  children — Alfred  Edward,  Cora  Celia,  and  Amber 
Electra.     Mrs.  W.  cariies  on  a  millinery  and  notion  store. 

WORKMAN,  WELSH  &  CO.,  druggists,  corner  Main  and  Fourth 
streets,  West  Depere.  This  firm  is  of  recent  establishment,  having 
acquired  their  present  property  by  purchase  Jan.  I,  1881,  prior  to  which 
time  the  business  had  passed   through   several  recent   changes.     Their 


HISTORY  OF  13R0WN   COUNTY. 


147 


facilities  for  business  are  good  ;  their  sales-room  24x100  feet  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  village,  and  in  it  they  carry  a  good  stock  of  drugs, 
medicines,  oils,  paints  and  fancy  goods. 

Michael  Welsh  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis  ;  has  been  a  resident  of  De- 
pere  fourteen  years,  and  was  a  drug  clerk  in  the  town  four  years  previ- 
ous to  purchasing  an  interest  in  the  business  which  he  now  conducts. 

WRIGHTSTOWN. 

Hoel  S.  Wright  came  from  Vermont  in  1833,  and  settled 
on  the  present  site  of  Wrightstown.  He  first  gave  it  the 
name  of  Bridgeport.  Wrightstown  is  beautifully  situated 
on  the  Fo.\  River,  twelve  miles  south  of  Green  Bay.  The 
river  divides  it,  and  is  spanned  by  a  substantial  bridge.  In 
1864  C.  G.  Mueller  bought  160  acres  of  land  from  Mr.  Field, 
of  New  York,  and  when  the  village  was  platted  two  years 
later,  it  formed  one-half  of  its  territory.  F.  N.  Wright  &  Co. 
built  the  first  steam  saw-mill,  burned  in  1865.  The  ne.Kt 
year  May  &  Simms  erected  a  steam  stave  factory,  burned 
in  1867  and  rebuilt.  Otto  Gutbier  erected  a  brewery  in 
1868,  which  was  burned  in  1870  and  rebuilt. 

Wrightstown  is  now  quite  a  center  for  the  shipment  of 
wood.  J.  W.  McKessel  is  proprietor  of  a  stirring  barrel 
and  stave  factory.  The  general  store-keepers  are:  C.  G. 
Mueller,  J.  R.  Neil,  L.  C.  Burnette  and  George  Kellogg. 
Frank  Hentscher  deals  in  live  stock,  with  a  branch  store  at 
Escanaba.  Anton  Vanderheiden  &  Co.  also  keep  a  gen- 
eral store  and  deal  in  ties,  posts,  cord-wood,  etc.  There  are 
a  number  of  other  stores  and  several  good  hotels,  the  lead- 
ing one  being  the  American  House,  kept  by  Otto  Gutbier, 
an  old  settler  and  President  of  the  Town  Board.  The 
Turners  have  a  good  society  and  a  fine  hall.  There  is  also 
an  Odd  Fellows  lodge  (No.  237)  and  a  Good  Templars' 
society.  The  churches  in  existence  are:  Dutch  Catholic, 
Rev.  Elzear  De  Wilt ;  German  Lutheran,  Rev.  Christopher 
Poppe ;  Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev.  P.  Miller;  Free  Will 
Baptist,  Rev.  Augustus  Phillips. 

HIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

C.  W.  DAY,  manufacturer  of  lumber,  timber,  shingles,  lath,  tight 
barrel  staves  and  basswood  staves,  Greenleaf.  His  business 
consists  of  a  mill  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  timber,  in  connec- 
tion with  which  is  a  mill  for  almost  all  kinds  of  staves  and  shingles,  all 
run  by  an  eighty  horse-power  engine.  The  planing  mill  which  is  sepa- 
rate and  contains  a  twenty-five  horse-power  engine  and  does  all  kinds 
ot  planing,  matching,  etc.,  etc.  Mr.  Day  carries  on  farming  extensively 
and  is  also  a  prominent  mercantile  man,  having  established  the  business 
in  that  line  of  Day  &  Snyder,  here,  in  1874.  His  business  gives  em- 
ployment to  forty  men  annually.  The  mill,  which  was  established  in 
1860,  having  undergone  several  changes  since,  has  now  a  capacity  of 
25,000  feet  of  lumber,  40,000  shingles,  8, 000  lath  and  5,000  staves,  a 
day.  Mr.  Day  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1850,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  came  here  with  his  people,  and  has  made  himself  promi- 
nent with  its  industries  since.  He  married  Miss  Julia  Chase  a  native  of 
Michigan.     They  have  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

OTIS  DAY,  farmer  and  lumberman,  Greenleaf,  was  born  in  1812  in 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  removing,  when  very  young,  to  Jefferson  County.  He 
remained  in  that  State  till  1850,  when  he  removed  to  Brown  County. 
going  right  into  the  woods,  his  first  occupation  being  the  making  of 
shingles  by  hand,  which  he  carried  on  for  two  years  and  then  buiU  a 
water  saw-mill,  furnishing  all  the  lumber  required  by  early  settlers  here- 
abouts.  He  carried  on  the  milling  business  alone  for  eight  years,  and 
then,  in  connection  with  his  son,  C.  \V.  Day,  built  a  steam-mill,  which 
he  remained  in  for  three  years,  and  then  retired.  In  1835,  he  married 
Almira  Scribner,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  reared  a  family  of  three 
children,  two  sons  living,  and^one  daughter,  who  is  dead. 

N.  G.  GR.\NT,  farmer  and  dairyman  ;  Postmaster  of  East  Wrights- 
town ;  was  born  in  1834,  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  In  1856,  he  went  to  Kansas  intending  to  settle  in  that 
State.  Arriving  in  the  midst  of  the  well-known  troubles  there  at  that 
time,  he  took  an  aclive  part,  but  after  a  sojourn  of  three  months  there  he 
went  back  to  New  York.  He  remained  but  a  short  time,  when  he  came 
with  his  mother  to  Wisconsin,  and  finally  settled  on  his  present  place  in 
1857,  the  country  then  being  rough  and  wild  with  a  few  narrow  paths 
through  the  forest.  He  has  held  the  various  town  offices  at  different 
times.  He  has  also  held  office  in  the  business  enterprises  of  his  town, 
besides  the  position  of  Postmaster,  which  he  has  held  since  1866.  He 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  navy  in  1864,  serving  on  the  United  States 


steamer  "  Pittsburg"  till  the  close  of  the  war.  In  i85S,he  was  married  to 
Misi  Maria  Tyler,  a  native  of  Ohio,  by  whom  he  had  five  children,  all 
of  whom  are  living.  In  1876,  Mrs.  Grant  died,  and  was  buried  in 
Greenleaf  cemetery.  In  1877,  he  married  Miss  Susan  Gifford,  of  Water- 
town,  N.  Y. 

OTTO  GUTBIER,  proprietor  American  House,  Wrightstown;  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Prussia.  In  1859,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  he  came  to  New  York,  when,  after  a  stay  of  one  year,  he  came  to 
Madison  ;  carried  on  the  business  of  tank  cooperage  for  four  years.  He 
then  built  the  Fox  River  brewery  here  and  carried  it  on  for  three  years, 
when  it  was  burned;  he  then  went  to  Kaukauna  and  kept  hotel  there 
two  years,  after  which  he  came  back  here  and  built  a  new  Brewery,  and 
conducted  it  until  last  year,  when  he  built  his  present  hotel.  He  is  the 
present  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  Wrightstown.  He  is 
a  devoted  follower  of  the  dog  and  gun,  and  stands  prominent  in  the 
State  as  a  crack  shot  on  woodcock. 

A.  S.  HART,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Wrightstown;  was  born  and 
reared  in  Summit  Co.,  Ohio.  Tn  1S50,  he  came  here  and  settled,  his 
brother  and  himself  being  the  only  ones  here  at  that  time.  He  cut  and 
cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  a  beautiful  farm,  and  also  carried 
on  lumbering  until  recently.  In  1847,  he  was  married  to  Lousana  Tyler, 
a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Tyler.  They  have  one  son  and  four 
daughters.  He  enlisted  in  the  ist  Wis.  V.  C,  and  was  with  the  com- 
pany in  the  capture  of  the  rebJ  President.  After  a  service  of  one  year 
he  was  honorably  discharged. 

C.  F.  LUEKE,  farmer,  miller  and  stock-raiser,  Greenleaf  P.  O., 
town  of  Wrightstown  ;Vas  born  in  1822,  in  Brandenbourg,  Prussia,  where 
he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1855,  he  came  to  .\merica,  stopping  at 
Milwaukee  about  a  month,  thence  coming  to  Green  Bay  on  the  propeller 
"  Montezuma."  He  remained  in  Green  Bay  about  eight  months,  when  he 
removed  to  Depere,  and  commenced  milling  in  the  old  Depere  mill. 
He  carried  on  the  business  for  eight  years,  and  afterward  for  six  years,  run- 
ning the  stone  mill  for  Wilcox  &  Wager  and  Wager  &  Co.,  at  the  same 
time  building  and  running  Cedar  Creek  mill  two  years.  He  left  Depere 
and  went  to  Greenleaf  in  1867.  where  he  built  a  four-story  stone  grist- 
mill, and  carried  on  the  Imsiness  therein,  together  with  managing  a  farm 
ofii8acres.  In  1852,  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Hellemann.  They  have 
four  sons  and  four  daughters. 

WILLIAM  LUEKE,  proprietor  and  owner  of  the  Greenleaf  House, 
Greenleaf,  was  born  in  the  Province  of  Brandenburg,  Prussia.  At  the 
age  of  four  years  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  people  who  settled  in 
Depere.  1855.  He  engaged  in  the  milling  business  which  he  followed 
until  1S74  when  he  built  his  present  hotel.  In  1871,  he  married  Au- 
gusta W'erger  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  one  son  and  two 
daughters.  Mr.  Lueke  has  been  Clerk  of  his  town  for  the  last  three 
terms. 

WILLIAM  RICE,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Wrightstown  Tp.;  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  County  Tipperary,  Ireland.  In  1S46,  at 
the  age  of  thirty,  he  came  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  engineering  up 
to  1854,  the  principal  part  of  the  time.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Brown 
County,  and  began  the  pursuit  of  farming,  which  he  has  carried  on  since. 
In  November,  1877,  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of  State  Assembly- 
man for  the  Third  District  of  Brown  County,  and  served  as  such  in 
1878  ;  has  been  Supervisor.  Treasurer  and  Clerk  of  the  District,  and  is 
now  serving  his  seventh  year  as  Director  of  the  Wrightstown  Farmers' 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company;  has  also  been  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
In  1852,  he  married  Miss  M.  McCuskor,  a  native  of  Tyrone,  Ireland. 
They  have  two  .sons  and  five  daughters  living,  and  five  daughters  buried 
in  the  parish  cemetery  of  Morrisontown. 

TOWN  OF  PREBLE. 

JOHN  CRYAN,  Superintendent  of  the  Poor  Asylum,  Brown  Co., 
was  born  in  Lockport,  Canada,  Jan.  7,  1845.  At  an  early  age  his  family 
removed  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Washington  County,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  In  1863  he  entered  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment of  the  army,  with  which  he  remained  until  1864,  when  he  returned 
home  and  took  up  the  business  of  milling  and  lumbering,  which  he  fol- 
lowed almost  continuously  until  his  appointment  to  the  position  which 
he  now  holds.  March  g,  1S77.  He  was  married  May  i,  1871,  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Loftus,  a  native  of  Ireland. 

DUSTER  BROS.,  Cedar  Creek  mills.  The  mill  has  three  run  of 
stone,  one  set  of  rollers,  and  a  capacity  of  200  bushels  a  day.  It  was 
first  built  about  twenty  years  ago,  but  has  since  undergone  such  changes 
that  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  the  same,  the  machinery  being  all  com- 
paratively new.  The  brothers  have  an  extensive  experience  in  the  busi- 
ness having  run  the  Union  Mills,  Preble  Township,  for  sixteen  years. 
Their  patronage  consists  principally  of  custom  work,  but  are  plentifully 
prepared  for  the  general  trade.  They  are  native  Americans  and  were 
born  in  Racine.  Their  parents  came  to  this  country  from  Germany 
about  1845. 

THOMAS  JEFFERY,  farmer.  Brown  County,  is  a  native  of  Lincoln. 
shire,  England, where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1836.  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three,  he  came  to  this  country,  where  after  a  stay  in    New 


I4S 


HISTORY    OI'    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Jersey  for  a  year  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  began  farming,  which 
he  has  carried  on  since.  In  1845  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elisa  Day, 
who  was  born  in  London,  England,  and  who  came  to  this  country  with  her 
parents  in  1837  ;  her  father,  Mr.  Lewis  Day,  lives  with  them.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jeffries  have  two  sons  and  seven  daughters. 

JOHN  11.  110G.\N,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  Preble 
Township,  Brown  Co.;  was  born  in  New  York  City;  came  to  Washing- 
ton County  with  his  people,  who  finally  settled  in  Preble  Township, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  managed 
to  get  accepted  as  a  fully  proficient  soldier,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  G.,  41st 
Wis.  V.  I.  He  remained  in  the  service  about  five  months  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged.  He  has  been  elected  to  the  position  of  Super- 
visor for  the  last  three  terms.  Mr.  Hogan's  parents,  Patrick  and  Isa- 
bella liogan,  came  to  the  S.ate  about  two  years  before  its  organization, 
and  have  followed  the  pursuit  of  farniing  since,  during  which  time  he 
has  also  kept  the  inn,  of  which  he  is  at  present  proprietor.  Mrs.  Hogan 
was  formerly  Miss  Isabella  McGillan.     They  are  both  natives  of  Ireland. 

EDWARD  ROTHE,  farmer,  Preble  Township,  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1847  and  settled  in  Green  Bay  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years.  He  followed  carpentering  and  wagon  making 
for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  began  farming  which  he  has  carried  on 
almost  continuously,  and  with  it  also  carried  on  the  wagon  making  busi- 
ness. He  married  Miss  Gertrude  Miller,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  who 
came  here  in  1846  with  her  people,  her  father  being  Jacob  Miller.  They 
have  six  sons  and  three  daughters  living — Willie  W.  Charlie,  Ernest, 
Frank,  Eddie,  August,  Elina,  Carrie  and  Amanda.  Amelia,  the  oldest, 
is  buried  in  Ft.  Howard  cemetery. 

F;MIL  ROTHE,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1849,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  settled  in  Green  Bay  with  his 
parents;  has  followed  the  pursuit  of  (arming  since.  In  1878  he  built 
his  present  saloon,  and  opened  it  in  1879.  He  married  Miss  Barbara 
Fieldhausen,  in  1854.  She  is  a  native  of  (Jermany,  and  came  here  with 
her  people,  who  settled  in  Green  Ray  in  1853.  They  have  four  sons  and 
three  daughters  ;  they  are :  Bennie,  Charlie,  Joseph,  Peter,  Elizabeth, 
Mary  and  Louisa,  and  six  of  their  children  are  buried  in  the  cemetery 
in  Preble  Township. 

TOWN  OF  HOWARD. 

DAVID  CORMIER,  superintendent  of  Duck  Creek  stone-quarry, 
Velp  P.  O.,  Brown  County,  was  ■1)orn,  reared  and  educated  in  Trois 
Rivers,  Canada.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  in  1835,  he  commenced 
as  journeyman  blacksmith  and  traveled  over  the  Canadas  and  New  York 
State.  In  1839  ''^  came  to  Green  Bay  and  carried  on  his  business  for 
ten  years,  ])art  of  which  time  he  spent  in  the  employ  of  the  U.  S.  Gov. 
Indian  Dept.  In  1850  he  came  to  the  present  place  and  commenced  a 
regular  iiioneer  life  in  farming,  which  he  has  successfully  carried  on 
since.  -In  1863  he  opened  the  present  quarry  and  has  since  been  con- 
nected with  it,  firstly  as  owner,  and  lastly  as  general  superintendent  of 
it.  It  gives  employment  to  forty  five  men  annually,  and  yields  from 
8,000  to  10,000  yards  of  stone  per  annum. 

WILLIAM  FINNEGAN,  brick  manufacturer.  Duck  Creek.  Com- 
menced operations  here  in  1873,  at  which  time  he  leased  the  yards  from 
A.  G.  E.  Holmes,  of  Green  Bay,  who  opened  them  in  1870.  Mr.  Finne- 
gan  purchased  the  property,  consisting  of  sixteen  and  one  half  acres  of 
ground,  in  1879,  and  has  since  then  greatly  increased  his  facilities  for 
manufacture  and  shipment.  His  native  clay  is  of  a  very  superior  quality 
and  from  it  he  manufactures  both  red  and  cream  colored  brick.  He  has 
had  in  operation  during  the  past  season  two  of  Keels  &  Son's  machines, 
with  which  he  has  turned  out  3000,000  brick.  His  operations  were 
commenced  early  in  the  season,  the  first  kiln  of  130,000  being  fired  May 
26th.  A  tramway,  constructed  from  his  bank  to  his  brick  machine, 
along  which  cars  are  drawn  by  a  wire  cable  operated  by  a  steam  wind- 
lass, obviates  the  necessity  of  employing  horses  in  his  yard  and  lightens 
labor  materially.  His  shipments  are  made  direct  from  the  yard  to 
vessels  on  Duck  Creek,  or  by  rail  over  the  Wisconsin  Central,  with  which 
road  he  has  connections  through  a  private  switch  owned  and  constructed 
by  himself  He  has  also  shi]>ping  facilities  over  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western at  their  Duck  Creek  quarry  switch.  His  operations  last  year 
employed  a  force  of  thirtyfive  men,  and  the  daily  product  was  about 
40,000.  Mr.  Finnegan  is  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  learned  his  trade 
there  as  a  brick  maker;  worked  in  that  city  until  1S71,  when  he  came 
west  and  was  engaged  in  brick  making  in  Nebraska  for  two  years,  then 
came  to  Green  Bay  as  previously  stated,  in  1873. 

JOHN  RENNINGS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Howard  ;  is  a  native 
of  Norway,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  he  began  the  life  of  a  sailor,  and  after  several  voyages,  during  which 
he  went  to  Egypt,  China  and  America,  he  finally  came  to  Green  Bay, 
where  he  took  up  the  business  of  blacksmilhing,  which  he  followed  a  few 
years,  after  which  he  came  on  the  farm  and  has  conducted  it  since.  He 
married  Mrs.  Isabel  Gray,  who  was  formerly  Miss  Pringle.  The  family 
consists  of  Alice  Gray,  Dora,  Frank  and  Jessie  Rennings. 

MIOHAEL  SALSCHEIDER.  farmer,  Velp  P.O.;  was  born  and 
reared  in  Brown  County,  his  parents  having  come  here  from  Germany  in 


1846;  they  were  Bartholomae  and  Barbara,  who  came  here  when  this 
country  was  entirely  new.  His  father  had  a  terrible  encounter  with  a 
she  bear  which  he  finally  conquered  after  receiving  scars  which  he 
carried  with  him  to  his  grave.  He  died  in  1873,  and  is  buried  in  Duck 
Creek  cemetery.  Mr.  Salscheider  married  Miss  Louisa  Pamperin,  who 
was  born  in  this  county.  They  have  two  sons,  Willie  Bartholomae  and 
George  Joseph.  Mr.  Salscheider  lives  on  the  homestead  which  the 
father  .so  ably  developed  into  a  farm. 

TOWN  OF  LAWRENCE. 

JASON  BRIGGS,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence  Township, 
was  reared  and  educated  in  New  York  Stato.  In  1851,  he  came  west 
and  began  a  regul  ir  pioneer  course  of  life  ;  he  cut  and  cleared  his 
present  farm.  He  has  b>en  on  the  Biard  of  Supetvisors  for  several 
terms,  has  also  been  in  the  Assessor's  office  several  terms.  In  1845,  he 
was  mirried  to  Miss  Jeanette  Pliillips  a  native  of  the  State  of  New- 
York.     They  have  three  daughters  all  married. 

IL\RRY  P.  CADY,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence  Township, 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Vermont.  In  1848,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three,  he  came  to  Depere  and  located  on  his  present  land,  which 
was  then  all  woods.  He  has  succeeded  admirably  in  his  pioneer  work. 
He  wis  married  to  Miss  Loretta  L.  Johnson  of  New  York.  They 
have  buried  their  son  and  two  daughters  in  the  cemetery  here  ; 
another  son  is  buried  in  Milliken's  Bend.  La.  He  was  wounded  at 
Vicksburg  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Milliken's  Bend.  Their  son-in- 
law  and  daughter-in-law  are  Jacob  A.  and  Lydia  P.,  children  of  Mr. 
.Mex  Lindsay,  of  Sheboygan  County,  who  came  there  from  New  York 
State,  1852. 

S.  S.  CLARK,  farmer  and  lumberman,  P.  O.  Little  Rapids.  Was 
born  in  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  wheie  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  came  to  Clark's  Mills  (Manitowoc  County),  called 
so  after  Mr.  C.  and  brothers,  and  started  in  saw  and  grist  milling,  and 
keeping  a  general  store  ;  at  the  same  time  holding  office  as  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  Town  Clerk,  etc.  Here  he  remained  about  twenty  years. 
From  Clark's  Mills  he  came  to  his  present  location  on  the  banks  of  Fox 
River,  where  he  owns  a  saw-mill  and  a  tract  of  400  acres,  more  than  half 
of  which  is  cleared.  Of  late  he  has  turned  his  whole  attention  to  farm- 
ing. He  has  also  held  office  in  this  town,  though  against  his  wishes.  Mr. 
Clark  is  entitled  to  honorable  mention  as  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
the  State,  and  as  one  identified  with  its  growth  and  progress.  In  1S55 
he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Brown,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  one  of  whom 
is  living.  In  1862  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  M.  Ericksen.  They 
have  four  children — one  daughter  and  three  sons. 

JOHN  COLLINS,  farmer,  Lawrence  Township.  Was  born  in 
County  Waterford,  Ireland.  In  1S53  he  came  to  New  York,  where  he 
stopped  about  two  years,  after  which  he  came  west  to  his  present  place 
and  began  lumbering,  which  he  carried  on  for  several  years,  during  which 
time  lie  employed  himself  in  clearing  the  fine  farm  he  now  has.  In  l8(J2 
he  married  Miss  Margaret  Desmond.  They  have  five  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

CHARLES  R.  CLOUGH,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence  Town- 
ship. Was  born  in  Stanstead  Co.,  Quebec,  in  1830,  but  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Massachusetts.  In  1S55  he  came  to  this  place  as  a  pioneer. 
He  is  a  man  fully  alive  to  the  improvements  and  progress  of  the  times. 

ROBERT  CRABB,  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  Treasurer  of  Law- 
rence  Township.  Is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  this  country  at  an 
early  day  with  his  parents,  who  settled  here.  He  has  devoted  himself  to 
the  farming  industry,  which  he  has  very  successfully  carried  on.  In  1871 
he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Adelia  J.  Burdick,  who  was  formerly  Miss 
Philips,  a  native  of  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crabb  have  one  little  child, 
Janie  Estella,  and  one  daughter,  Frankie  Burdick. 

TIMOTHY  DESMOND,  farmer,  Lawrence  Township.  Was  born 
in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  in  1806,  and  came  to  this  country  about  foity 
years  ago.  After  spending  about  fifteen  years  in  Maine,  he  came  west, 
and  cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  his  present  farm.  He  married 
Miss  Margaret  Murphy  in  Ireland.  They  have  two  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, all  married,  and  one  son,  Timothy,  buried  in  Depere  cemetery. 

TRUMAN  II.  JOHNSOM,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence 
Township.  Was  born  and  reared  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  here  in 
l366,  and  took  up  the  profession  of  farming,  which  he  has  successfully 
carried  on  since.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  M.  Fair,  of  New  York. 
They  hive  two  daughters— Mrs.  Egbert  Woodward,  and  Mrs.  B.  Car- 
penter. 

JOHN  L.  MORRISON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence  Town- 
ship. Was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  New  Brunswick,  Canada.  In 
1852  he  came  to  Depere,  and  engaged  in  milling  and  lumbering  for  seven 
years,  during  which  time  he  bought  the  present  homestead,  which  by 
dint  of  hard  labor  he  has  developed  so  nicely.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
S:)phia  McCoy  of  his  native  province.  They  have  two  sons  and  two 
daughters  living,  and  one  son  buried  in  the  cemetery,  Lawrence  Town- 
ship. 

DliLOS  PHI  I, LI  PS,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Lawrence  Township. 
Is  a  native  of  New  York.     In  1S53  he  came  to  this  township.      Having 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


'4; 


followed  the  business  of  blacksmithing  for  twelve  years  previous  to  his 
arrival  here,  he  found  himself  a  pretty  efficient  pioneer,  as  between  his 
new  vocation  and  the  old,  he  succeeded  in  bringing  into  cultivation  a 
beautiful  farm  more  easily  than  those  with  only  the  one  requisite  for  it. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Eymer,  in  New  York.  Thtyhave 
four  sons  and  two  daughters. 

WILLIAM  F.  REDMAN,  farmer  and  dairy,  Lawrence  Township. 
Was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Prussia.  In  i860,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  came  to  this  Slate,  and  in  1875  commenced  his  present  busi- 
ness. In  1875  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Whitaker.a  native  of  Wis- 
consin,    They  have  two  daughters — Hattie  and  Ida. 

THOMAS  TURRIFF,  farmer,  Town  of  Lawrence,  P.O.  West  Depere; 
was  born  in  1S14,  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  At  the  age  eleven 
he  came  to  Green  Hay  with  his  parents,  therce  to  the  town  of  Lawrence, 
where  they  purchased  a  farm  and  improved  and  developed  it.  Here  Mr. 
T.  received  his  education,  remaining  with  his  parents  until  feverteen, 
when,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  he  enlisted  in  ihe  14th  Wis.  V.  I., 
serving  till  the  close  of  the  war  in  October,  1865,  when  he  was  honora- 
bly discharged.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  I'ittsburg  Landing,  Cor- 
rinth.  Red  River  Expedition,  sieges  of  Vicksburg  and  Mobile,  battles 
of  Nashville  and  Tupulo,  and  other  minor  engagements ;  and  as  a 
result  of  which  he  still  carries  a  rebel  bullet  in  his  leg.  Peace  restored, 
he  returned  to  his  chosen  business,  showing  as  much  energy  in  its  pur- 
suit as  bravery  in  the  defense  of  the  country.  He  engaged  in  logging 
and  farming,  at  which  he  has  been  quite  successful.  He  is  a  live  and 
progressive  farmer,  having  all  the  improved  machinery  for  the  successful 
discharge  of  his  calling.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  County 
Board  for  two  terms.  In  1866  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A, 
McMillen.     They  have  six  children — five  sons  and  one  daughter. 

TOWN  OF  ASHWAUBUNON. 
JAMES  CORMIER,  proprietor  of  Cormier's  Driving  Park,Ash- 
waubunon  Township,  Brown  County,  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in 
Trois  Riveres,  Canada.  After  sei-ving  for  seven  years  at  the  business  of 
shoemaking,  he  came  here,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  carried  the  busi- 
ness on  for  fifteen  years.  He  then  followed  sailing  and  trading  on  the 
lakes  for  two  seasons,  after  which  he  commenced  farming,  which  he  now 
carries  on  extensively.  In  1874,  he  built  the  present  nice  driving  park 
which  has  added  so  much  to  the  development  of  that  business  here.  He 
married  Margaret  Poquet  who  was  born  here.  They  have  two  sons  and 
one  daughter  living,  and  two  sons  buried  in  Green  Bay  Cemetery. 

TOWN  OF  ROCKLAND. 

MICHAEL  DILLON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Rockland  Town- 
ship, Brown  Co.  Was  born  in  County  Carlow,  Ireland.  At  the  age  of 
thirty-six,  in  1846,  he  came  to  New  York,  where  he  stayed  for  four  years, 
after  which  he  came  to  Brown  County,  and  in  1855,  located  on  the  pres- 
ent place  which  was  then  entirely  new.  He  has  now  a  fine  farm.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Ryan  in  County  Carlow  in  1840.  They  have 
five  sons  and  three  daughters  living,  and  one  daughter  buried  in  Depere 
cemetery.  Mr.  Dillon  has  been  a  Supervisor  of  his  township  for  ten 
years, 

J,  J.  HANNAN,  proprietor  of  Wheatland  stock  farm,  breeder  of 
Short-horn  and  high  grade  cattle,  and  Percheron-Norman  horses,  four 
miles  south  of  Depere,  Rockland  Township,  Brown  Co.  Mr.  H.  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Peterboro  Co.,  Canada.  In  1851,  he  came 
with  his  people  who  located  here.  In  1853,  he  went  to  Missouri,  but 
after  a  stay  of  seven  years  he  returned  in  i860,  and  began  the  present 
business.  He  was  married  to  M^ss  Jane  B.  Martin  in  Missouri,  in  1856. 
They  have  six  sons  and  one  daughter. 

.  STEPHEN  JOYCE,  farmer  and  .stock  raiser,  Rockland  Township, 
Brown  Co,  Is  a  native  of  the  County  Galway,  Ireland,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  In  1847,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two,  he  came  to 
Montreal,  Canada;  after  a  short  stay  he  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  stopped 
about  four  years.  He  then  came  here  and  commenced  farming,  which 
he  carried  on  so  successfully,  that  where  once  stood  the  tall  forest  now 
stands  his  dwellings  surrounded  by  beautiful  garden,  orchard  and  build- 
ings. In  April,  1851,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Duffey,  a  native 
of  County  Monahan,  Ireland.  They  have  five  sons  and  three  daughters 
living,  and  three  children  buried  in  Aloiiez  Cemetery,  Brown  Co. 

THOMAS  JOYCE,  Sr..  Clerk  of  Rockland  Township,  Brown 
Co.,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  is  a  native  of  County  Galway,  Ireland.  In 
1847,  he  came  to  Canada,  but  after  a  short  stay  went  lo  Boston,  Mass., 
when  after  a  stay  of  eight  years  he  came  to  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
located  on  the  present  place  which  was  then  a  wilderness ;  he  brought 
into  cultivation  the  present  beautiful  farm.  He  has  held  the  oflSces  of 
Supervisor,  Township  Clerk,  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Hanora  Morgan,  1841.  She  was  born  in  Ireland, 
1821.  They  have  four  sons  and  three  daughters  living,  one  son  died  in 
the  army  and  one  daughter  is  buried  in  Massachusetts. 

JOSEPH   NORTON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Rockland  Township, 
Brown  Co.,  is  a  native  of  County  Wicklow.  Ireland,  and  came  to  New 
York  in  1850.     After  a  stay  of  five  years   he  came  to   Depere   and  en- 
10* 


gaged  in  lumbering  and  milling  for  five  years,  after  which  he  began 
farming,  which  he  has  very  successfully  followed  since.  In  July,  iSjg, 
he  married  Miss  Bridget  Forestal,  a  native  of  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland. 
They  have  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

AUGUST  TETZLAFF,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Rockland  Town- 
ship, Brown  Co.,  was  born  and  reared  in  Prussia.  In  1855,  he  came 
here  and  settled  in  this  township  where  he  has  successfully  carried  on 
his  present  business.  In  1853,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Schroe- 
der  in  Prussia.  They  have  six  sons  and  five  daughters  living  and  one 
daughter  buried  on  the  homestead. 

TOWN  OF  SCOTT. 

JOHN  CAMPBELL,  Sr.,  was  born  in  1819  in  Mackinaw,  Mich., 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1837,  he  came  here  with  his 
father,  who  began  a  pioneer  life  by  developing  the  agricultural  resources 
of  this  part  of  the  country.  He  followed  it  until  his  appointment  by 
the  United  States  Government  as  blacksmith  in  the  Indian  Department ; 
he  subsequently  moved  back  and  died  here.  Mr.  Campbell,  our  sub- 
ject, took  up  the  business  his  father  began,  and  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  years  engaged  in  sailing  and  trading,  he  has  followed  it  continu- 
ously since.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Smith,  1S42.  She  was  born 
in  St.  Peters,  Minn.,  1S25,  They  have  ten  children  living  and  one  dead. 
They  are— Robert.  Joseph,  Hannah,  Eugene,  Elvira,  Fannie,  Martha, 
James,  Carrie,  Blisch  and  Lewis.  Hannah  and  his  parents  are  buried 
in  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  Scott  Township, 

H.  K.  COWLES,  lumberman,  Scott  Township,  is  a  native  of  Liv- 
ingston Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1843,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-nine,  he  came  west  to  Grand  Traverse,  Mich,,  where  for 
twelve  years  he  engaged  in  trading  with  the  Indians  ;  after  which  time 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumbering,  mercantile  and  farming  business. 
Mr,  Cowles  has  represented  his  township  in  its  councils  for  ten  years, 
being  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  most  of  the  time, 

DENIS  F.  DALY,  proprietor  of  New  Franken  flouring-mills,  Scott 
Tp,,  Brown  County,  The  mills  were  established  here  by  Smith  & 
Ebeling  about  1866,  who  carried  them  on  till  June,  1875,  when  Mr,  Daly 
took  charge  of  the  interests  of  Mr,  Smith  till  November,  lS76,when  the 
mill  was  burned.  In  the  same  year,  Mr,  Daly  in  company  with  Mr. 
Smith,  rebuilt  the  present  new  mill  upon  the  foundation  of  the  old  one, 
and  has  continued  it  since.  It  has  four  run  of  stone,  one  set  of  rollers,  and 
a  capacity  of  2,000,000  bushels  per  annum ;  he  has  a  custom  trade  of  about 
40,000  bushels  per  annum  ;  Mr.  Daly  was  born  reared  and  educated  to 
his  present  business  in  Northumberland  Co.,  Canada,  He  came  west 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  followed  lumbering  until  1S75,  when  he 
took  charge  of  the  mill.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  Hennesy  of 
Wellington  Co,,  Canada.     They  have  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

DAVID  GIBSON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  came  here  to  Brown  County,  1851.  at  an  early  age, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  His  parents,  John  and  Elizabeth 
Gibson,  were  natives  of  Berwickshire.  Scotland,  where  they  were  mar- 
ried in  April.  1831.  They  came  to  this  country  the  same  year,  to  Can- 
ada, where  after  a  stay  of  about  a  year  they  removed  to  York  State, 
where  they  lived  about  eighteen  years,  and  where  the  mother  is  buried. 
She  was  formerly  Miss  Elizabeth  Miller.  Mr.  David  Gibson  buried  his 
fither  on  the  homestead.  October,  1878,  in  Pleasant  Hill  Cemetery,  his 
three  brothers  are  buried  with  the  father. 

ROBERT  GIBSON,  farmer,  Scott  Township,  is  a  native  of  Ber- 
wickshire, Scotland,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1837,  at 
the  age  of  twenty,  he  came  to  this  country  and  after  a  year  or  so  he 
started  a  regular  pioneer  course  of  life  which  finally  developed  into  the 
beautiful  farms  which  he  now  owns.  In  1840,  he  w.is  married  to  Miss 
Ellen  Mahone  who  was  born  in  Northumberland  Co,,  England,  and 
who  came  here  with  her  people  in  1S36.  They  have  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters — David  Alexander,  John,  Annie  Elizabeth,  Robert 
Edwin,  Anderson  Porter,  James  Hook,  William  Henry,  Ellen  Isabell, 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Esther  Agnes  and  Alisia  Grant, 

PETER  MORRISON,  was  born  in  Ulster  Co,,  N,  Y,  He  came 
here  in  1853,  and  has  followed  the  pursuit  of  farming  since,  working  at 
his  trade  in  the  meanwhile.  He  has  been  in  the  official  harness  for  the 
last  sixteen  years,  having  held  the  position  of  Township  Clerk  and  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  uninterruptedly  during  that  time.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  AppaziUia  a  native  of  Belgium,  1861.  They  have  four  sons 
and  six  daughte  s  —  Robert,  Charles,  Mary,  Olive,  Bella,  Janie,  Ida, 
Edith,  Peter  and  George.  Frankie  and  Janie  are  buried  in  the  Bay 
Settlement  cemetery. 

DENIS  J.  PARENT,  was  born  at  Windsor,  Canada,  1809,  where 
he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  came  to 
Green  Bay  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  of  the  firm  of  De- 
Quintin  &  Ebarts.  after  which  he  carried  on  carpentering  and  wagon 
making  successfully  for  several  years ;  but  finally  resigned  it  for  the 
more  pleasurable  pursuit  of  farming.  He  has  been  Supervisor,  Asses- 
sor and  other  positions  which  has  marked  him  as  a  representative  man 
in  his  vicinity.  In  1836,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Jordan  a 
native  of  Wisconsin,  her  people  being  Canadians.     They  have   one  son 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  seven  daughters — Madorius,  Susan,  Frances,  Matilda,  Mary,  Agnes, 
Margaret  and  Ellen.  Julian  Parent,  father  of  Denis  J.,  was  born  in 
1757,  married  in  17S1  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  ;  died  in  iS24at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven. 

WILLIAM  ROWBOTHAM,  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Lincolnshire, 
England, where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  November,  1S44,  became 
to  New  York,  remained  there  till  the  -Summer  of  1845,  when  he  cnme  to 
Milwaukee  and  did  business  in  that  city  till  September,  1855,  when  he 
came  to  Green  Day.  Mr.  Rowbolham  carried  on  his  trade  of  merchant 
tailoring  the  most  of  the  time  up  to  1866,  when  he  was  engaged  as  over- 
seer of  the  County  Poor  Asylum,  with  which  he  was  engaged  until  1875, 
after  which  he  took  up  farming  which  he  has  followed  since.  Mr.  Row- 
botham  was  married  in  England  to  Miss  Mary  Aisthorpe  in  1S40,  who 
was  born  in  his  nalive  shire  in  1816.  They  have  two  daughters  living. 
Amos  is  buried  in  Milwaukee,  and  Lucy  Jane  and  Mary  Sophia  buried 
in  Woodlawn  cemetery.  Green  Bay. 

CASPAR  SCHAUER,  New  Franken,  Brown  County,  is  a  native 
of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country,  1846,  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years ;  his  parents  and  four  brothers  came  with  him.  His  parents 
and  two  brothers  are  buried  in  St.  Killian's  Cemetery  here.  For  the 
first  twenty-one  years  he  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business,  after  which 
he  began  farming  which  he  has  followed  successfully  since.  He  mar- 
ried, in  1S67.  EUena  Sellentein  who  was  born  in  Lunenburg.  Germany. 
They  have  five  sons — John,  Nicholas,  Lawrence,  Henry  and  Lewis. 

MELCHIOR  SCHAUER,  New  Franken,  Brown  County,  is  a  na- 
live  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country,  1845,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  with  his  parents  and  one  brother.  His  parents  are  buried  in 
St.  Killian's  Cemetery,  here.  When  Mr.  Schauer  came  to  this  place  it 
wras  entirely  new,  but  after  many  years  of  hard  work,  he  can  see  the  re- 
sults of  his  labor  crowned  with  a  successful  farming  country  around  it, 
and  a  nice  little  industrious  village  located  on  the  ground  where  once  he 
used  the  ax  and  plow.  In  1S50,  Mr.  Schauer  married  Miss  Clara  Lars- 
"  cheit  a  native  of  Rhine  Province,  Prussia,  who  came  with  her  parents 
and  settled  here,  1842,  at  the  age  of  twelve.  They  have  five  sons  and 
five  daughters.  Two  daughters  are  buried  with  his  parents.  Mr. 
Schauer  has.  in  connection  with  his  farming  industry,  kept  a  store  of 
general  merchandise  for  the  last  nine  years ;  has  been  Postmaster  here 
ten  years. 

NICHOLAS  SCHILLING,  farmer,  Scott  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  came  to  this  country,  1851.  He  stopped  in  Indiana  two 
years  after  his  arrival.  In  Chicago.  111.,  one  year,  and  then  he  came  to 
Brown  County,  where  he  carried  on  the  mason  business  for  several 
years,  during  which  time  he  bought  his  present  farm  where  he  has  car- 
ried on  farming  and  mason  contracting  extensively  since;  has  been  en- 
gaged upon  the  farm  for  the  last  four  years.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Rotha  in  Germany,  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter.  She  is  buried  in 
Green  Bay.  He  married  for  the  second  time  Miss  Nitsgar,  i860,  by 
whom  he  h.TS  three  children  living. 

JOHN  VANLAAN EN,  .Scott  Township,  is  a  native  of  Holland. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  came  here  with  his  parents,  1S51.  For  the  first 
ten  years  of  his  life  here  he  followed  farming  through  different  parts  of 
the  State,  where  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  people  and  language, 
which  has  helped  him  so  well  in  his  afterlife.  In  1S61,  he  married 
Miss  Domitil  Layianas,  who  was  born  here.  He  has  184  acres  of  nice 
land.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vanlaanen  have  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  His 
father  lives  with  him  ;  liis  mother  is  buried  in  Wequiock  Cemetery. 

TOWN  OF  MORRISON. 
NICHOLAS  ALTMAYER,  farmer  and  dairyman,  town  of  Morrison; 
was  born  in  1S35,  in  Prussia.  At  the  age  of  eight  years  he  came  to 
America  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  Washington  County,  where  he 
was  educated.  At  the  age  ol  twenty-six  he  came  to  Brown  County  and 
located  on  his  present  place,  following  farming  and  gaining  the  good 
will  of  his  neighbors,  which  they  manifested  by  electing  him  to 
Tarious  town  offices,  and  also  as  their  lepresentative  on  the  County 
Board.  Besides,  he  has  also  been  connected  with  every  enterprise 
tending  to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  his  town,  notably  the  cheese- 
making  industry  and  the  Farmer.';'  Mutual  Insurance  Company,  the 
latter  being  a  local  institution,  and  on  good  foDting.  In  March  1865, 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  soih.  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war.  In  1S60,  he  married  Miss  Susannah  Gross.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  three  daughters. 

JOHN  C.  BRILL,  general  merchant,  and  Postmaster  of  Morrison 
post-office;  was  born  in  1840,  in  Hesse  Cassel,  Prussia,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  emigiated  to  America 
with  his  parents,  settling  in  Washington  County,  where  he  remained 
about  thirteen  years,  following  carpentering  and  store-keeping.  He 
the  1  came  to  his  present  location,  and  established  himself  in  business  in 
186S.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  under  Lincoln,  and  has  ever  since 
held  that  position.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Excelsior  cheese  factory, 
and  general  manager  and  treasurer  of  the  same.  On  Jan.  i,  1S67.  he 
married  Miss  Christina  Schmilt.  They  have  a  family  of  five  children, 
four  sons  and  one  daughter. 


MAURICE  B.  BRENNAN,  farmer  and  dairyman,  Morrison  Tp. 
and  P.  O.;  was  born  in  1 842,  in  Kerry  Co.,  Ireland.  At  the  age  of  seven 
he  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Glen- 
more,  where  he  received  his  education.  He  followed  farming  with  his 
father  for  twenty-four  years,  during  which  time  he  held  several  town 
offices.  In  1874.  he  moved  upon  his  present  fine  farm  of  160 acres.  He 
possesses  all  the  improved  machinery  used  in  his  business.  He  has  held 
several  local  offices,  and  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  He  was 
identified  with  the  first  movement  for  the  manufacture  of  cheese  in  the 
town,  which  industry  has  grown  to  be  of  importance  to  the  farming 
country.  In  1865,  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Sullivan,  and  has  five 
children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

JAMES  CL.ARK,  farmer  and  dairyman,  town  of  Morrison;  was 
born  in  1827,  in  Prescolt,  Canada,  and  was  there  brought  up  and  edu- 
cated- At  the  age  of  twenty  he  came  to  this  country,  having  his  head- 
quarters at  Chicago  and  following  the  calling  of  a  sailor  for  two  years. 
In  1849,  hs  came  to  Northern  Wisconsin,  and  finally  settled  in  this 
town  in  1S50,  developing  a  faim  of  :6o  acres  on  which  he  remained  about 
seven  years,  and  then  removed  to  his  present  farm  of  2S0  acres,  which  he 
has  beautified  with  a  fine  brick  residence  and  substantial  outbuildings. 
He  has  held  at  different  times  town  and  county  offices.  In  the  year 
1S58,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Cleary.  They  have  nine  children,  six 
son*  and  three  daughters. 

JOHN  CLARK,  farmer  and  dairyman,  Morrison  Tp.;  was  born 
in  1S25  at  Prescott.  Canada,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three  he  came  to  this  country,  first  following  the  vocation 
of  a  sailor,  with  Chicago  as  headquarters,  then  coming  to  Northern  Wis- 
consin in  1849.  Finally,  in  1S52,  he  settled  on  his  present  place  of  160 
acres.  He  has  held  office  at  different  times  in  his  town.  In  1S52,  he 
married  Miss  Eleanor  Hartnett.  They  have  seven  children,  three  sons 
and  four  daughters.  The  eldest  son  was  the  first  white  male  born  in 
the  town  of  Morrison. 

PHILIP  FALCK,  farmer  and  saloon-keeper,  town  of  Morrison. 
Was  born  in  Germany  in  1S18.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  came  to 
America  with  his  father,  settling  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
five  years,  and  then  came  through  the  Slates  of  New  York,  Ohio,  Michi- 
gan, Indiana,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  He  settled  in  Washington  County, 
remaining  twelve  years,  and  then  came  to  his  present  place  in  1855,  thus 
being  one  of  the  first  settlers.  He  took  up  2S0  acres  of  land  and  partly 
cleared  it.  In  1S56,  he  began  the  business  now  conducted  by  his  sons, 
Philip  and  brother,  continuing  it  to  1S76.  when  he  sold  to  his  sons.  He 
lives  to  see  what  was  an  almost  impassable  wilderness  when  he  came, 
now  a  fine  farming  and  dairying  country.  He  is  a  genial  old  man,  and 
one  with  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  converse,  he  having  many  a  joke  and 
reminiscence  of  early  times.  In  1S46,  he  was  married  to  Catharine 
Hangen  ;  and  they  raised  a  family  of  nine  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of 
whom  aie  living. 

PHILIP  FALCK  &  BRO.,  general  dealers,  town  of  Morrison.  In 
1876,  the  firm  bought  their  present  store  and  business  from  Philip  Falck, 
Sr.,  and  ever  since  have  done  a  thriving  trade  in  general  merchandise- 
Their  trade  extends  into  parts  of  Hollandtown,  Maple  Grove,  Glenraore 
and  East  Wrightstown.  They  are  stockholders  in  the  cheese  factory 
near  their  place,  and  are  useful  citizens,  in  all  things  tending  to  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  the  town. 

JOHN  G.  GROSS,  f.irmer,  dairyman  and  lumberm-an,  Morrison 
Township.  Was  born  in  1829,  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  where  he  was 
reared  and  received  his  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one.  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  after  remaining  three  years  in  New  York,  he 
came  to  Germantown,  Washington  Co.,  and  then  came  to  his  present 
location  where  he  owns  about  320  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  he  in- 
dividually cleared  and  developed.  In  1867,  he  commenced  lumbering, 
and  prospered  so  that  in  1S75,  he  purchased  the  mill  which  he  now  man- 
ages. He  is  aKo  a  stockholder  in  the  first  cheese  factory  established  in 
the  town,  which  industry  has  become  of  so  much  profit  to  ihe  people. 
For  a  period  of  twenty-five  years  he  has  held  vaiious  town  and  county 
offices.  He  has  represented  his  town  on  the  County  Board  for  eight 
years.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  all  educational  matters.  In  1S53, 
he  married  Margaret  Moshel.  They  have  nine  children,  four  sons  and 
five  daughters. 

REV.  J.  HOLZKNECHT,  Pastor  of  St.  John's  Church,  Morrison. 
Was  born  in  1S55,  in  Green  Bay,  where  he  was  reared  and  received  his 
preliminary  education.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  study  for  the 
pristhood  at  St.  Francis  -Seminary,  Milwaukee,  remaining  there  for  ten 
years,  during  which  period  he  acquired  knowledge  of  the  classics,  mathe- 
matics, philosophy  and  theology.  He  was  ordained  in  July,  1879,  and 
in  the  Fall  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  pastorate,  which  includes  the 
church  named  and  the  mission  church  known  as  St.  Mary's  Church,  of 
East  Wrightstown,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  latter  extending  to  Greenleaf 
Station.     He  is  much  beloved  by  his  congregations. 

REV.  CHARLES  ROECK,  Pa.stor  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church,  town  of  Morrison.  Was  born  in  1836,  in  Baden.  Germany, 
where  he  was  brought  up  and  received  his  elemtntary  education.  At  the 
age   of  twenty-two   he  went   to   Basle,  Switze'land,  where  he  spent  six 


HISTORY  OF  BROWN  COUNTY. 


years  in  study  and  preparation  for  the  ministry.  At  the  conclusion  of 
his  studies  in  1864,  he  went  as  a  missionary  to  Malabar,  India,  where  he 
performed  the  duties  of  his  calling  for  twelve  years,  when  owing  to  the 
continual  sickness  of  his  wife,  he  came  to  America,  spending  a  year  in 
New  York,  thence  coming  to  Wisconsin.  After  sojourning  a  short  time 
near  Prairie  du  Chien,  he  assumed  his  present  pastorate  which  embraces 
two  congregations — one  in  Morrison,  the  other  in  BriUion,  Calumet  Co. 
In  1867.  he  married  Miss  Anna  Hahn.  They  have  had  a  family  of  seven 
children,  five  of  whom — one  son  and  four  daughters— are  living.'the 
others  being  buried  in  East  India. 

TOWN  OF  PITT.SFIEI.D.  ; 

A.  T.  BUCICMAN.  Clerk  of  Pittsfield  Township,  farmer  and  stock 
raiser.  Brown  County,  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  came  to  his  present  place  with 
his  wife  and  one  child,  and  he  began  to  cut,  clear  and  bring  into  cultiva- 
tion his  present  beautiful  farm  which  was  then  a  dense  forest.  In  early 
times  the  first  township  election  was  held  in  his  house  where  he  was 
installed  as  Clerk  which  with  the  Chairmanship  of  the  Board  and  Treas- 
urer he  has  been  kept  in  the  official  harness  for  the  last  twenty-five  years. 
In  1854,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Olive  Wilson  a  native  of  his  county 
and  State,  where  they  were  married.  They  have  two  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

THOMAS  DeLANEY,  Pittsfield  Township,  Brown  County,  is  a 
native  of  Queens  Co.,  Ireland.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  in  1849, 
he  came  to  this  country  and  stopped  in  New  Hampshire  and  Canada, 
until  1854,  when  he  came  to  Green  Bay  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  In 
1865,  he  removed  to  his  iiresent  farm.  In  1858,  he  was  married  to  Cath- 
arine Early  a  native  of  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  who  came  to  this 
country  in  1859.     They  have  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

JAMES  H.  POTTER,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Pittsfield  Township, 
Brown  County,  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  New  York  State.  In 
1852.  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  came  west  and  began  a  regular  pio- 
neer life.  He  put  under  cultivation  a  tract  of  land  which  was  finally 
developed  into  a  beautiful  farm.  He  also  followed  lumbering  for  fifteen 
years,  but  closed  his  interests  in  that  industry  some  four  years  since.  In 
1850.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  B.  Knapp,  in  Washingto  Co.,  N. 
Y.  They  have  four  sons  and  one  daughter  all  grown  up  to  man's  and 
woman's  estate.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board,  Township  Treas- 
urer and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  several  years. 

F.  W.  STRECKENBACH,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Pittsfield  Town- 
ship, Brown  County,  was  born  in  Germany.  In  1845,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  he  came  to  New  York  State  where  he  stayed  seven  years. 
In  1851,  he  came  to  Green  Bay  and  on  Jan,  2,  1852,  he  came  here  and 
cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  the  present  fine  farm.  In  i860,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Munro,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  They  have 
one  son,  Willie. 

LUTHER  WILSON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Chairman  of  the 
Boird,  Pittsfield  Township,  Brown  County,  was  born,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.  At  the  age  of  twenty. five  he  came  west 
and  after  traveling  through  Illinois.  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,  he  came 
here  and  entered  a  piece  of  land  May  3,  1851.  In  1S53,  he  returned 
with  his  wife  and  commenced  pioneer  life,  undergoing  in  the  meantime 
all  the  privations  incident  to  the  life  of  an  early  settler.  In  1853,  March 
5,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Wealthy  A.  Reynolds,  of  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  who 


was  born  in  New  York  and  is  buried  in  MillCenter  Cemetery-,  Pittsfield. 
He  was  married  a  second  time  to  Miss  Caroline  James  a  native  of  New 
York.     He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  for  several  years. 

TOWN  OF  HOLLAND. 

PATRICK  150YLAN,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Holland  Township, 
is  a  native  of  the  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  where  he  was  reared  and 
educated.  In  1847,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  came  to  this  country  and 
stopped  for  two  years  in  Oneida,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he  came  here  and 
settled  on  the  present  place  which  was  then  complete  woods.  He  cut 
and  cleared  a  tract  of  land  which  he  developed  into  the  desirable  farm 
upon  which  he  now  lives.  He  has  held  various  town  offices.  In  1858, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Meara  a  native  of  County  Tipperary. 
They  have  five  sons  and  one  daughter  living,  one  son  is  buried  in  the 
parish  cemetery,  Morristown. 

PATRICK  HOBBINS,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Holland  Town- 
ship,  was  born  and  reared  in  the  County  Tipperary,  Ireland.  In  1847, 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  came  to  New  York,  where  after  a  stay  of 
three  years  he  came  here.  In  1851.  he  returned  to  New  York,  but  came 
here  in  1854,  and  in  1856.  came  to  this  place  and  began  farming  which 
he  has  carried  on  since.  In  1873.  the  people  of  the  Third  Assembly 
District  of  Brown  County,  made  him  their  choice,  and  he  was  elected 
State  Assemblyman  for  two  lerms,  1874  and  1875.  In  1854.  he  married 
Miss  Bridget  Brown,  a  native  of  County  Mayo,  Ireland.  They  have 
two  sons  and  three  daughters  living,  and  three  sons  buried  in  the  parish 
cemetery  of  Morristown. 

TOWN  OF  SUAMICO. 

DAVID  DAVIDSON,  farmer,  Suamico  Township,  Brown  County, 
is  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  Canada  in  1828  with  his  people 
who  settled  there.  After  having  traveled  in  Vermont,  Michigan  and 
Illinois,  he  came  here  in  1853.  and  began  a  regular  pioneer  life.  He 
cut,  cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  a  tract  of  land  which  has 
finally  developed  into  a  beautiful  farm.  In  the  meantime,  took  ad- 
vantage of  tlie  lumbering  developments  and  erected  a  mill  which 
he  carried  on  for  several  years.  In  1858,  he  married  Melinda  Wilson 
a  native  of  New  Y'ork.  They  have  six  sons  and  two  daughters  living, 
and  one  son  buried  in  Fox  Hill  Cemetery,  Brown  County. 

M.  E.  TREMBLE,  dealer  and  manufacturer  in  lumber,  lath,  shingles 
and  pickets.  Big  Suamico,  Brown  County.  Mr.  Tremble  established 
the  business  here  in  1864.  It  gives  employment  to  about  seventy  men. 
In  connection  with  his  manufacturing  business  he  carries  on  an  exten- 
sive store  in  general  merchandise  etc.,  etc.  He  also  carries  on  farming 
on  a  large  scale,  owning  a  farm  of  350  acres,  250  of  which  are  under 
direct  cultivation  and  stocked  with  about  sixty  head  of  horned  stock 
and  fifty  head  of  Cotswold  sheep. 

TOWN  OF  GLENMORE. 
B  B.  BREN.VAN,  retired  farmer,  Glenmore  Township,  was  born  in 
1S06,  in  Kerry  Co.,  Ireland.  At  the  age  of  forty-five  he  emigrated  to 
America,  first  stopping  in  Massachusetts  a  short  time,  thence  coming  to 
Glenmore,  where  he  has  resided  for  over  thirty  years,  following  the  bus- 
iness of  farming.  He  cleared  up  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  In 
1831,  he  married  Miss  Julia  Dunn,  and  raised  a  family  of  five  children, 
one  son  and  two  daughters  now  living,  the  others  being  dead. 


HISTORY  OF  N3RTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


BUFFALO    COUNTY, 


LOCATION    AND    NATURAL    UESOURCES. 

This  is  one  of  the  western  counties  of  the  State. 
The  northern  boundary  of  the  county  is  the  line  l)etween 
Towns  24  and  25  ;  its  eastern  boundary  is  the  line  be- 
tween Ranges  9  and  10  west,  till  that  line  intersects  the 
Trempealeau  River  at  the  second  correction  line, 
thence  along  the  main  channel  of  that  river  till  it  enters 
the  Mississippi  River  in  Range  10,  Township  18.  Its 
western  and  southern  boundaries  are  the  Chippewd  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  The  former  flows  nearly  south- 
erly from  the  northwest  corner  of  Range  13,  Town  24, 
bearing  slightl}^  to  the  west,  till  it  enters  the  Mississippi 
in  Range  14,  Town  22.  From  this  point  the  Missis- 
sippi flows  almost  due  southeast  to  the  point  at  which 
it  receives  the  Trempealeau.  The  county  in  general 
is  trapezium-shaped,  the  oljliquity  of  the  southern  part 
being  caused  by  the  southeasterly  direction  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River.  It  presents  a  diversity  and  picturesqueness 
of  scener}'  not  excelled  by  anv  county  in  Wisconsin. 
Here  can  be  found  beautiful  valleys  of  unsurpassed  fer- 
tility, environed  by  bold  bluffs,  which  rise  in  many  places 
to  an  altitude  of  hundreds  of  feet,  and  which  in  Sum- 
mer, when  covered  with  foliage,  present  to  the  eye  of 
the  observer  a  beauty  of  scenery  rarely  equaled  in  this 
Western  country.  Through  nearly  all  the  valleys  flow 
streams  of  pure,  spring  water,  whose  liquid  depths  are 
inhabited  by  that  gamiest  of  fisli — the  speckled  trout. 
But  the  valleys  do  not  constitute  the  only  tillable  land  ; 
the  bluffs  in  man}^  places,  at  their  summits,  spread  out 
into  broad  table-lands,  with  a  gently  undulating  sur- 
face, and  upon  which  there  are  many  fine  farms.  The 
county  comprises  an  area  of  about  8t)3,278  acres,  which 
is  divided  into  sixteen  civil  townships,  two  villages 
and  one  city.  The  General  Government  and  railroad 
companies  own  about  200,000  acres,  much  of  which 
owing  to  its  bluffy  character,  can  not  be  cultivated,  but 
is  well  adapted  to  grazing.  The  remainder  is  owned 
by  actual  settlers,  about  100,000  acres  of  wiiich  is  now 
in  an  active  state  of  cultivation. 

With  the  exception  of  the  two  small  prairies,  the 
county  is  a  succession  of  hills  and  valleys,  the  former 
varying  in  height  from  mere  mounds  to  bluffs  TOO  feet 
high.  The  natural  advantages  of  the  country  are 
great,  being  surrounded  by  the  three  rivers — the  Trem- 
pealeau, Chippewa  and  Mississippi,  the  two  latter  be- 
ing navigable,  and  in  consequence  extensive  highways 
for  rafting  logs  and  lumber. 

Diagonally  from  the  northeast  corner  to  the  Missis- 
sippi River  in  Range  13,  Town  22,  ilows,  with  many  a 
crook  and  turn,  Buffalo  or  Beef  River.  The  bottoms 
adjoining  are  mostly  marshy,  containing  Jiere  and  there 
small  lakes,  nearly  all  of  which  open  into  the  river. 
On  either  side  and  at  distances  varying  from  zero  to 
half  a  mile  are  bluffs,  except  where  there  is  anojjening 
for  the  passage  of  one  of  the   numerous  small   creeks 


tiiat  find  their  way  to  the  river.  In  the  southeastern 
part  of  Range  12,  Town  24,  rises  Little  Bear  Creek, 
which  flows  westerly  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  miles 
and  empties  into  Beef  Slough.  Into  this  flow  a  num- 
ber of  smaller  streams.  The  extreme  northern  portion 
of  Ranges  12  and  13,  Town  24,  are  drained  b}'  streams 
wiiich  soon  cross  the  line  into  Pepin  County  and  find 
their  way  to  the  Chippewa  River  through  Big  Bear 
Creek.  A  large  portion  of  Range  13,  Town  24,  is  com- 
posed of  a  sand  prairie.  Years  ago  non-professional 
land-seekers,  attracted  by  the  absence  of  grubs  and  the 
ease  of  cultivating  the  soil,  settled  on  this  prairie.  A 
few  Ijy  the  force  of  their  agricultural  skill,  have  made 
for  themselves  comfortable  homes.  Others  spent  their 
follies  and  have  left  their  farms  to  the  fate  of  Sheriffs' 
and  tax  sales.  Parallel  with  the  Chippewa  River, 
flows  slowlv  a  stream  of  more  tiian  passing  importance, 
which  will  be  somewhat  extendedly  spoken  of  in  an- 
other connection.  Tliis  is  Beef  Slough.  Its  large 
number  of  branches,  expansions,  diversions,  with  all  of 
the  resuTting  islands  and  lakes  form  a  complete  net- 
work of  the  territory  between  itself  and  the  river. 
Beef  Slough  proper  empties  into  Beef  River  just  above 
its  mouth.  The  region  between  Beef  Slough  and  Beef 
River  covers  an  area  of  about  200  square  miles,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  prairie  referred  to,  is  a  suc- 
cession of  bluffs  and  narrow  valleys.  East  and  south 
of  Beef  River  the  country  is  for  the  most  part  I'ough, 
there  being  at  intervals  small  patches  of  prairie.  From 
Range  10,  Town  23,  through  Range  11  to  Beef  River 
flows  Elk  Creek.  In  Range  10,  Town  22,  rises  Big 
Waumandee  Creek,  flows  southwesterly  for  a  distance 
of  twelve  or  fourteen  miles,  when  it  joins  the  Missis- 
sippi in  Range  11,  Town  19.  Directly  north  from  the 
southern  section  of  this  stream  extends  a  somewhat 
narrow  valley  known  as  the  Little  Waumandee  Vallej'. 
Between  these  two  valleys  on  the  one  side  and  Beef 
and  Mississippi  Rivers  on  the  other,  is  a  range  of  high 
bluffs.  At  their  base  and  on  the  Mississippi  about  two 
miles  below  the  mouth  of  Beef  River,  is  situated  the  vil- 
lage of  Alma.  This  range  of  bluffs  extends  southward 
to  within  about  six  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Waumandee  Creek,  where  they  terminate,  and  from 
there  to  the  bottoms  adjoining  the  Mississippi  is  a  sand 
prairie  for  the  most  part  uncultivated.  An  arm  of  the 
prairie  extends  northwesterly,  between  the  river  and 
the  l)Iuffs  for  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  on  the  western 
side  of  which  is  Buffalo  City.  Tiie  soil  of  the  arm  of 
the  prairie  is  much  better  than  the  prairie  itself,  it  con- 
taining a  few  good  farms  and  some  timber.  Range  10, 
Towns  20  and  21,  is  drained  by  streams  which  flow 
into  Trempealeau  River ;  a  part  of  the  latter  town  is 
an  extensive  marsh.  The  other  part  is  bluffy,  except 
the  long  and  narrow  Eagle  Valley,  which  opens  into 
Big  Waumandee.  These  bluffs  extend  southward  with 
many  bends  and  branches  to  make  place  for  a  few    fer- 


HISTORY    OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


tile  valleys,  almost  to  the  angle  fonued  by  the  Trem- 
pealeau and  Mississippi  rivers.  At  their  western  base, 
on  the  Mississippi,  and  a  short  distance  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Waumandee,  is  the  village  of  Fount- 
ain City.  The  extreme  southern  part  of  the  county 
is  a  marsh.  The  bluffs  are  well  stocked  with  timber 
of  various  kinds,  oaks  of  several  species  being  in  the 
preponderance.  Poplar,  birch,  and  hickory  abound  in 
large  quantities.  The  valleys  all  furnish  more  or  less 
wild  grass  ;  while  on  many  small  streams  are  excellent 
water-powers.  Soft  woods  of  many  kinds  grow  on  the 
bottom-lands  of  the  Mississippi,  Chippewa,  Beef  and 
Trempealeau  rivers.  The  banks  of  the  smaller  streams 
put  forth  rank  growths  of  alder  and  willow  bushes. 
The  county  is  productive  of  all  the  cereals,  grasses 
and  vegetables  common  to  the  latitude  ;  wheat  being 
the  principal  crop,  with  staple  crops  of  oats,  corn,  bar- 
ley and  r^'e,  which  return  a  good  yield. 

From  the  above  description  it  will  be  noticed  that  the 
county  is  peculiarly  adapted  and  possesses  all  the  requi- 
sites for  a  fine  stock-growing,  grazing  and  dairying  dis- 
trict. The  number  of  small  streams  with  their  adjoining 
marshy  lands  and  many  springs  oozing  from  the  bases 
of  the  bluffs,  form  excellent  facilities  for  butter  and 
cheese  making,  while  the  bluffs,  with  their  heavy  tim- 
ber are  a  natural  shelter  for  cattle  from  the  Winter 
winds  and  storms.  On  the  same  farm  ma}-  be  seen  the 
spring  for  pure  water,  the  valley  for  cultivation,  the 
hills  for  grazing  and  the  timber  for  shelter.  In  later 
years  farmers  are  turning  their  attention  more  to  stock, 
and  their  results  justif}^  their  investment. 

The  onh'  good  landing-places  for  Mississippi  boats 
are  Alma  and  Fountain  City.  Above  and  back  of  both 
of  these  towns  rise  j^recipitously  for  700  feet  the  bluffs 
referred  to  above,  whose  beetling  crags  add  much  to 
the  picturesqueness  of  the  lipper  Mississijipi  River. 

Geologically  there  is  but  little  of  interest  connected 
with  Buffalo  Count}'.  It  has  not  been  made  a  field  of 
very  extensive  explorations  by  the  State  geological 
corps.  At  about  the  same  level  in  all  of  the  bluffs  are 
found  about  the  same  deposits,  which  indicate  that  this 
section  has  not  suffered  from  any  sudden  disturbances. 
The  county  has  not  been  the  seat  of  any  unhealthy 
excitement  over  the  discovery  of  minerals.  Years  ago 
it  was  reported  that  lead  was  found  at  Fountain  City. 
Occasionally  a  surveying  party  finds  that  their  com- 
passes are  seriously  disturbed  in  certain  places,  but 
neither  of  these  caused  any  system  of  mining  to  be  in- 
augurated., A  man  once  claimed  he  found  a  piece  of 
mineral  coal  on  one  of  the  bluffs,  which  being  [jut  in 
the  fire  burned  as  readily  as  the  coal  of  commerce, 
but  every  geologist  knows  that  this  section  is  not 
the  place  to  expect  a  coal  bed.  At  different  jalaces 
along  the  shores  of  Beef  Slough  and  the  mouth  of  Beef 
River  are  a  few  Indian  mounds,  but  they  have  not 
pricked  the  ambition  of  curiosity-seekers,  or  if  they  have, 
the  fruits  of  the  search  have  not  been  preserved.  In 
the  town  of  Waumandee  are  a  number  of  mounds,  ev- 
idences of  a  prehistoric  race,  but  no  satisfactory  ac- 
count has  ever  been  given  concerning  them.  A  mound 
on  the  edge  of  the  river  between  Big  Waumandee 
Creek  and  the  Mississippi  River  was  opened  a  few  years 
ago  and  was  found  to  contain  a  skeleton  of  immense 
proportions.     Further  than  this  there  is  nothing  of  any 


public  importance  connected  with  these  traces  of  former 
occupation. 

EARLY    HISTOKY. 

The  earliest  authentic  history  of  this  region  testi- 
fies that  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  "  Naudouesioux,"  or  Sioux  tribe  of  Indians,  occu- 
pied this  territory.  Passing  to  about  the  middle  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  without  detailing  the  various 
inter-tribal  contests  that  occurred  during  the  inter- 
vening period,  when  white  settlements  first  advanced 
up  the  Mississippi,  this  was  regarded  as  disputed  ter- 
ritory by  the  surrounding  tribes,  the  Winnebagoes  claim- 
ing the  land  below,  the  Chip[)ewas  the  country  north, 
and  the  Sioux  occupying  the  opposite  shore.  This 
region  was,  therefore,  the  scene  of  many  bloody  bat- 
tles between  these  three  tribes.  But  they  were  all 
peaceably  disposed  toward  the  whites.  The  stimulus 
to  early  adventures  up  the  river  was  the  fur  trade, 
some  going  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  while 
others  landed  at  intermediate  points,  as  opportunity 
would  afford  or  interest  suggest.  The  special  induce- 
ment offered  to  tarry  within  the  present  limits  of 
Buffalo  County,  was  the  trade  of  surrounding  tribes. 
Accordingly,  as  early  as  1839,  and  perhaps  much 
earlier,  Mr.  Holme  located  in  a  little  shanty  near  the 
present  site  of  the  beautiful  village  of  Fountain  City, 
and  engaged  in  traffic  with  the  Indians.  He  furnished 
fuel  to  tiie  Mississippi  boats.  Holme  was  a  genuine 
Western  pioneer.  To  him  life  in  the  wilderness  was  a 
necessity,  and  the  restraints  of  law  and  civilization  a 
burden.  Here  he  remained  until  1846,  when,  like  the 
Arab  at  nightfall,  he  "  stole  silently  away,"  and  all 
trace  of  him  is  lost.  Adam  Weber  followed  him  in 
1811.  Mr.  Holme  claimed  to  have  lived  there  fifteen 
years  previous  to  Weber's  arrival,  making  the  year 
1826  the  date  of  his  first  settlement.  Mr.  Weber  was 
happy  in  the  wilds,  actively  engaged  in  trade  with  the 
red  men.  But  when  white  faces  became  familiar,  he 
sold  his  squatter  claim  to  Henry  Georke,  and,  with  his 
squaw  and  children,  moved  toward  the  setting  sun,  in 
search  of  some  quiet  spot  where  neither  ax  nor  plow 
might  disturb  his  solitude  —  where,  it  is  not  known. 
During  these  years,  occasional  floaters  would  stop  ;  but 
not  till  1842  was  there  any  permanent  settlement 
begun.  This  was  introduced  b}  the  arrival  of  a  party 
of  Germans  from  Galena,  111.,  among  whom  were 
Henry  Georke,  Christian  Wenger,  Rudolph  Beiner, 
Victor  Probst,  John  Menzemer,  Andreas  Baertsch, 
Claus  Liesch,  and  others,  all  young  men  of  courage 
and  enterprise.  These  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  first 
white  settlement  in  Buffalo  County.  They  located  at 
the  point  now  called  Fountain  City,  built  a  row  of  log 
cabins  along  the  river  bank,  and  "  Holme's  Landing  " 
became  a  stopping  place  for  Mississippi  boats  in  Sum- 
mer, and  a  trading  point  for  supplies  of  all  kinds. 
These  men  were  all  engaged  in  cutting  cord-wood  for 
the  use  of  those  boats,  which,  at  that  time,  were 
making  monthly  trips  during  the  season  of  navigation 
between  Galena  and  Fort  Snelling.  For  a  number  of 
years  after  this,  "Holme's  Landing"  was  the  only  set- 
tlement in  Buffalo  County,  the  rest  of  the  territory 
remaining  in  undisturbed  possession  of  the  Indians. 
During    the   next   few   years,    immediately   following 


'54 


}IIST()RV    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1842,  an  occasional  man  joined  the  settlement,  and, 
in  1845,  Henry  Georke,  becoming  dissatisfied  with  the 
bachelor  community,  made  a  trip  to  Galena,  and  re- 
turned in  a  few  days,  bringing  with  him  a  bride.  Mrs. 
Georke  (now  Mrs.  Bodenstab)  was  the  pioneer 
white  woman  in  the  county.  She  still  lives  at  Fount- 
ain City,  and  delights  to  recall  the  time  when  liers 
was  the  only  hospitable  roof  between  La  Crosse  and 
Wabasha.  It  is  said  tiiat  this  act  of  Mr.  Georke  was 
regarded  favorably  by  tlie  community,  and  that  others 
imitated  the  example  with  commendable  promptness. 
In  August,  1848,  Victor  Probst  and  John  C.  Weclcer 
made  claims  where  Alma  now  stands.  In  tiie  same 
year,  Madison  Wright  opened  a  wood  yard  on  Section 
11,  Town  22,  Range  14,  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Nelson.  Peter  Shank 
settled  on  Section  3,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Cross, 
in  1850.  He  was  the  only  resident  of  Cross  for  three 
years.  J.  C.  Wecker,  J.  P.  Stein  and  Joseph  Berney 
came  to  Belvidere  in  the  Spring  of  1851.  Mr.  Wecker 
and  Berney  were  former  residents  of  Alma,  and  re- 
moved from  there  to  Belvidere.  Mr.  Stein  came  from 
Wabasha.  Mr.  Wecker  settled  on  Sections  19  and 
30,  Mr.  Stein  on  Section  33,  and  Mr.  Berney  on  Sec- 
tion 9.  Christian  Scliaublin  located  on  Section  36, 
town  23,  Range  14,  in  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Nelson,  in  1852.  Among  the  other  settlers  of  1852 
are  Anton  Fink,  Andrew  Huller,  Ferdinand  Schaf  and 
Mathew  Profutlich,  who  came  direct  from  the  Rhine 
in  German}'.  At  Milwaukee  they  purchased  ox  teams 
and  wagons,  and  wended  their  way  slowly  to  where 
they  settled,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Lincoln. 
Henry  Neukom,  Henry  Keller,  Caspar  Regley,  Jacob 
Bollinger  and  John  Miller  also  settled  in  the  lown  of 
Belvidere,  in  the  Spring  of  this  same  year,  and  began 
at  once  to  open  farms. 

In  the  year  1853  came  Francis  John,  Gustav  A. 
Kretschmer,  Fred.  Schmidt,  Francis  Ginskay,  Christian 
Sciioepp  and  Frederich  Schaub,  who  became  perma- 
nent settlers  of  Lincoln.  Adam  Weber  and  Michael 
Obermeier  opened  farms  on  Section  31,  in  the  present 
town  of  Milton,  and  a  Mr.  Piper,  after  whom  Piper's 
Valley  was  named,  settled  on  the  bluff,  on  Section  14, 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Buffalo.  In  the  Spring 
of  this  year  Andrew  Baertsch,  diaries  Pibes,  Phillip 
Menzzmer  and  George  Zimmerman  settled,  and  at  once 
began  the  opening  of  farms,  in  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Cross.  Rev.  Mr.  Aldermath  settled  on  Section  31, 
in  this  same  town,  in  the  Fall  of  1853. 

In  the  Summer  of  1854,  Christian  Boliri,  J.  Lestor, 
J.  Comstral,  C.  Buelder,  H.  Keller  and  Fred.  Tinder 
settled  in  the  town  of  Cross.  Henry  Plath  and  Henry 
Heuer  also  settled,  during  this  year,  in  little  valleys, 
which  are  yet  known  by  their  names,  in  the  town  of 
Buffalo.  The  first  settler  within  the  present  limits  of 
the  town  of  Glencoe  was  Patrick  Mulcare,  who  set- 
tled on  Section  33  in  the  Fall  of  1854.  The  first  entry 
of  land  in  Waumandee  was  made  in  September  of  that 
year,  by  Jolin  Bachler  and  Chiistian  Maserman  ;  but 
they  did  not  become  permanent  settlers  until  about  a 
year  and  a  half  afterwards.  Fred.  Zirzow,  Jacob 
Braem,  James  Hohans,  Josepli  Jalm,  George  Goll  and 
William  Jahn  made  claims  and  settled  in  the  town  of 
Lincoln  in  1854. 


In  1855  the  county  settled  very  rapidly.  On  every 
hand  were  evidences  of  civilization.  A  great  number 
of  farms  were  rapidly  cleared  and  fields  prepared  for 
crops.  A  great  number  of  the  settlers  making  their 
settlement  during  this  year  were  poor  at  the  time,  but 
now  are  among  the  most  wealth}'  and  prosperous  farm- 
ers of  the  county.  The  present  towns  of  Maxville, 
Canton,  Naples,  Gilmanton  and  Alma  were  settled 
during  this  eventful  year,  Joseph  Richard  settling  in 
the  town  of  Alma  early  in  the  Spring,  on  Section  25, 
Town  22,  Range  13.  He  was  followed  during  the 
Summer  of  the  same  year  by  Ulrich  Wald,  on  Section 
31  ;  Jacob  Meter,  Section  31 ;  Peter  Margreth,  Sec- 
tion 32,  and  Casper  Grob,  who  began  at  once  to  con- 
struct cabins  and  break  land  for  crops,  which  they  first 
planted  in  the  Spring  of  1856.  William  Bean,  John 
Lafferty,  George  King,  Abbott  Read  and  Michael 
Aaron  settled  in  the  town  of  Maxville  ;  H.  P.,  L.  D. 
and  P.  Farrington,  William  Van  Waters,  Thomas 
Glasspool  and  H.  Brown  became  settlers  of  Naples. 
What  is  now  known  as  the  "  Tuttle  Farm,"  within  the 
present  limits  of  Canton,  on  Section  2,  was  occupied 
and  improved  by  a  man  named  Quackenbos,  and  in 
August,  Samuel  Gilman  and  his  four  sons,  Frank, 
Edson,  Andrew  and  Daniel,  took  up  land  on  Sections 
8  and  17,  in  tlie  town  of  Gilmanton,  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Gilman's  Valley,  and  began  at  once  to  build 
cabins  and  cut  hay  to  winter  their  stock.  They  spent 
the  Winter  in  getting  out  rails  for  fencing.  Land  was 
broken,  and  crops  planted  the  following  Spring.  Philo 
Englesby  also  settled  in  this  town  in  the  Fall  of  1855, 
on  Section  7,  in  what  is  now  known  us  Allen's  Valley. 
In  September,  1854,  Robert  Henry  entered  land  on 
Section  30,  in  the  town  of  Waumandee,  and  returned 
at  once  to  Racine,  where  he  had  left  his  family,  and 
came  back  with  them  and  settled  on  his  land  in  May, 
1855.  Mr.  Henry  and  family  traveled  the  whole  dis- 
tance from  Racine  to  Waumandee  with  an  ox  team  and 
covered  wagon,  reaching  Waumandee  on  the  second 
day  of  May.  Any  one  acquainted  with  the  severity 
of  this  northwestern  climate  will  readily  see  that  such 
a  trip  was  any  thing  but  pleasant.  Charles  Kirchner, 
Herman  Airman  and  Charles  Hohman  settled  in  Wau- 
mandee on  the  fourth  day  of  April,  1855,  and  began 
at  once  to  make  improvements  on  their  land.  John 
Richtman,  Andrew  Beck  and  Jacob  Angst  settled  in 
tliis  town  in  the  Spring,  and  John  Mauer,  Conrad 
Ulrich  and  John  Schmidt  in  the  Fall  of  the  same 
year.  In  the  Sjjring  of  1855,  E.  Lees,  John  Burt, 
William  Burt,  J.  ^iore  and  a  few  others  settled  in 
the  town  of  Cross;  Gotlieb  Keller,  Gotlieb  Krause 
Jacob  Batzett  and  Alfred  Street  settled  in  the  town  of 
Buffalo ;  Benedict  Hanney,  Henry  Kessler,  Sebastian 
Klett,  Jacob  Blum  and  Ludwig  Mochbempak  opened 
farms  and  planted  crops  in  tiie  town  of  Milton,  and 
Carl  Kisck  settled,  in  the  Fall,  in  the  same  town,  and 
began  to  make  improvements  on  a  farm.  At  the  time 
the  preceding  settlements  were  made  in  the  town  of 
Milton,  there  were  many  Indians  belonging  to  the 
Sioux  and  Winnebago  tribes  who  annoyed  the  settlers 
very  much  by  petty  thefts.  In  the  Summer  of  1855, 
tlie  Scandinavians  began  to  settle  in  the  town  of  Nel- 
son. Among  those  who  came  were  Ole  Hanson,  who 
settled  on  Section  11 ;    Arne   Otteson,  on  Section  14  ; 


HISTORY    OF    BUFFALO    COUNTY. 


'55 


Jens  Howland,  on  Section  23.  These  settlements  were 
all  made  in  what  is  now  known  as  Norwegian  Valley. 
William  Giimbert  also  settled  on  Section  16,  on  land 
now  owned  by  the  Beef  Slough  Company. 

During  the  year  1856  the  county  was  also  largely  in- 
creased in  population  and  resources  by  the  advent  of 
numbers  of  new  settlers,  the  present  towns  of  Dover  and 
Montana  receiving  their  first  settlements,  S.  S.  Cooke 
settling  on  Section  27,  in  the  town  of  Dover,  on  the 
20th  of  August,  and  Christian  Kindschy,  Ulrich  Von- 
wald  and  August  Helwig,  with  their  families,  settling 
in  the  town  of  Montana  in  the  Spring  of  this  year. 
They  began  at  once  to  construct  rude  cabins  and  open 
farms,  Mr.  Kindschy  and  Vonwald  locating  on  Section 
36  and  Mr.  Helwig  on  Section  25.  A  number  of  the 
other  towns  received  additional  settlers  during  this 
year,  also  William  Allison,  James  Mair,  Herman  Ful- 
ler and  Barney  McDonough  locating  in  Maxville ; 
William  Loomis,  Daniel  Loomis,  A.  P.  Loomis,  Ezra 
Hutchinson,  W.  H.  H.  Amidon,  Mond  E.  Ferry,  T.  C. 
Bailey,  L.  J.  Claflin,  C.  W.  Rathbun  and  Frank  Hatch, 
locating  in  the  town  of  Gilmanton  ;  John  Burgess,  J. 
L.  Halloch,  Andrew  Dewitt,  Ira  Lawrence,  H.  Kol- 
hip[)i,  Peter  JNIathew,  William  Ives,  Elijah  Wilcox  and 
Wilson  Crippin  in  Nelson  ;  James  Faulds,  William 
Muir.  David  J.  Davis  and  J.  P.  Fernholz  settled  and 
began  the  improvement  of  farms  in  Glencoe  ;  John 
Ochsner  and  Henry  Waelty  locating  in  Waumandee, 
Mr.  Waelty  purchasing  Mauli's  claim  and  John  Ochs- 
ner a  mill-privilege,  where  he  has  now  a  fine  grist-mill. 
Rev.  B.  F.  Morse  settled  a  little  below  where  the  vil- 
lage of  Mondovi  now  stands,  in  the  town  of  Naples, 
and  held  the  first  religious  meeting  in  this  town  in  a 
log  house,  16x20,  owned  by  Luther  Eager. 

An  event  of  interest,  and  not  common  in  a  new 
country,  occurred  in  the  Summer  of  1857,  which  was 
the  settlement  of  Messrs.  Coleman  and  Maxvell  in 
the  town  of  Maxville  with  a  herd  of  over  200  cattle, 
also  three  span  of  mules  and  a  number  of  horses.  This 
stock  was  driven  from  Illinois  and  kept  on  Maxville 
prairie  until  sold.  Among  the  other  settlers  of  1857 
were  Judson  Hutchinson,  R.  E.  Fuller,  D.  C.  and  D.  D. 
Loomis  and  John  jMenill  in  the  town  of  Gilmanton  ; 
J.  S.  DeGroff,  Luther  Hewitt,  A.  Bell  and  H.  H.  Hurl- 
l)uit  in  Nelson  ;  Thomas  Courtney  and  Andrew  Cashel 
in  Glencoe  ;  John  Mahlman  on  Section  31,  John  Wind- 
andy,  or  Section  5,  John  Alleraan,  on  Section  36, 
David  Jost,  Theodore  Menli,  Conrad  Moser,  Sr.,  and 
Mathias  Hammer  settling  in  the  town  of  Alma. 

In  1858  the  first  settlement  was  made  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Modena,  on  Section  26,  in  the  month 
of  March  by  William  Odell,  Sr.,  and  his  two  sons, 
David  and  Austin,  who  were  former  residents  of  West 
Point,  Columbia  County.  David  White,  a  former  res- 
ident of  Pepin  County,  settled  at  the  same  time  on 
Section  26  also,  and  William  Odell,  Jr.,  settled  on  Section 
23.  George  W.  Wooster  located  on  Section  18,  in  the 
town  of  Dover.  During  the  Spring  of  this  year  Jacob 
and  Peter  Wald,  Julius  and  Frank  Gobar  settled  in 
tlie  town  of  Alma,  and  in  company  with  W.  H.  Gates 
built  a  mill  on  Mill  Creek,  which  was  afterwards  known 
as  the  "  Mill  Creek  Mill."  In  the  Fall  of  this  year 
Conrad  Christ  and  Andrew  Florin  settled  in  the  town 
of  Montana,  on  Section  32,  Town  22,  Range  10.    They 


were  both  former  residents  of  La  Crosse  County,  and 
came  from  there  to  Montana. 

In  1859  F.  Schneller  and  B.  Karish  located  in  the 
town  of  Montana  ;  Mr.  Schneller  on  Section  23.  and 
Mr.  Karish  on  Section  27.  J.  G.  Folmer,  Joseph  Arp- 
gaus  and  J.  Ford  settled  in  the  town  of  Alma.  There 
were  a  number  of  other  settlers  in  this  town  during 
this  year,  but  we  are  unable  to  learn  their  names. 

In  the  Spring  of  1860  J.  W.  McKay  settled  on  Sec- 
tion 24,  and  in  tiie  Fall  of  the  same  year  F.  A.  Sisson 
and  R.  P.  Goodard  settled  in  the  town  of  Modena. 
Lewis  Kniffin,  Julius  Par  and  T.  W.  Glasspool,  Sr., 
settled  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town  of  Canton, 
and  abuut  the  same  time  or  a  little  before,  came  Earle 
Ward  and  Thomas  Enscoe,  who  settled  in  the  north 
part  of  the  same  town. 

Thus  year  by  year  was  formed  the  nucleus  from 
which  has  grown  this  wealth}^  and  prosperous  com- 
monwealth. We  do  not  claim  this  a  complete  list  of 
those  who  settled  in  Buffalo  County  during  the  years 
referred  to,  but  have  mereljmiade  a  brief  record  of  the 
early  settlements,  in  different  localities  in  the  county, 
as  they  have  occurred  to  us.  From  1860  the  county 
increased  so  rapidly  in  population  and  the  development 
of  its  resources,  that  any  attempt  to  mention  more 
individual  names  would  render  this  sketch  very 
tedious. 

J.  P.  Stein  claims  to  have  grown  the  first  grain  in 
Buffalo  County.  He  broke  the  first  land  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1851,  procured  two  bushels  of  wheat  from 
Galena,  111.,  which  was  sown  in  the  Sfjring  of  1852, 
and  a  crop  of  seventy-four  and  one-half  bushels  raised. 
The  threshing  was  done  with  a  flail.  The  first  barley- 
was  also  raised  by  Mr.  Stein ;  he  secured  one  gallon 
of  seed  from  a  Frenchman  in  Wabasha,  from  which  a 
crop  of  seven  bushels  was  raised.  Mr.  Stein  also  kept 
the  first  stopping  place  between  Fountain  City  and 
Alma,  as  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  the  early  pio- 
neers. The  incidents  connected  with  the  early  settle- 
ment of  Buffalo  County  are  the  old  stories  of  bardships 
and  privations,  not  unmixed  with  pleasure.  Then,  each 
man  regarded  his  neighbor  as  a  brother,  and  was  will- 
ing to  share  with  him  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  a 
pioneer  life.  If  a  deer  was  killed,  or  other  luxury 
obtained,  to  pass  it  around  was  generally  the  first 
thought  and  act.  All  were  actuated  by  a  common 
interest — that  of  building  up  homes — and  to  this  lay 
the  foundation  of  future  prosperity.  When  we  re- 
member that  where  is  now  the  thriving  village,  or  the 
fields  of  the  husbandmen,  but  a  few  years  previous 
was  the  home  of  the  Red  Man,  covered  with  sturdy 
oaks  of  an  hundred  years,  we  are  led  to  inquire,  by 
what  process  has  this  wonderful  change  been  wrought? 
It  will  be  seen,  however,  by  the  above  dates,  that  most 
of  the  settlements  of  Buffalo  County  were  made  less 
than  thirty  years  iigo,  and  from  so  small  a  beginning 
has  grown  this  prosperous  community.  In  that  time 
the  Indian  has  disappeared.  The  land  which  he  had 
inherited  from  a  long  line  of  savage  ancestors,  has 
passed  from  his  possession.  Civil  and  savage  life 
could  not  exist  together.  The  dominion  theory  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest  prevailed.  His  game  was  fast 
disappearing  before  the  unerring  rifle  of  the  pioneer, 
and  poor  "  Lo"  was  destined  once  again   to   turn    his 


'56 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


face  toward  the  settinof  sim,  and  seek  a  new  luinting 
groniul,  amid  the  wikls  of  the  West,  beyond  the 
"  Great  Fatlier  of  Waters,"  where  the  foot  of  the  roving 
pale  face  had  never  trod.  The  tide  of  immigration 
had  set  this  way,  and  on  every  hand  were  the  crusaders 
of  a  new  civilization.  On  every  side,  on  bluff  and  in 
valley,  could  be  heard  the  sturdy  blows  of  the  pioneer, 
as  he  felled  the  oaks  for  his  rude  cabin,  or  cleared  the 
fields  for  the  golden  harvest,  and  there  laid  with  honest 
hand  the  foundation  of  success. 

Let  us  briefly  review  the  results  of  thirty  years  of 
patient  toil,  and  see  in  that  time  what  has  been  accom- 
plished. In  1851  the  first  farm  was  opened,  as  above 
stated,  and  crops  planted  the  following  Spring.  Now 
there  is  a  cultivated  area  in  Buffalo  County  of  about 
100,000  acres,  which,  according  to  the  oiBcial  leturns 
of  1881,  was  planted  to  the  following  crojis :  Wlieat, 
51,522  aci'es  ;  oats,  15,018  acres  ;  corn,  12,444  acres  ; 
cultivated  grasses,  11,719  acres  ;  barley,  3,159  acres  ; 
potatoes,  1,027  acres  ;  rye.  835  acres. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  all  personal  property  in 
the  county  is  $766,210,  and  of  real  estate  is  #1,966,- 
626. 

The  first  religious  services  were  conducted  at  the 
house  of  J.  P.  Stein,  in  the  town  of  Belvidere,  in 
1853,  the  sermon  being  preached  by  Rev.  Mr.  Alter- 
mott.  Religious  services  were  held  in  some  of  the 
different  towns  in  the  county  as  follows:  At  Fountain 
City  in  1855,  the  sermon  being  preached  in  a  school- 
house,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Richards,  a  Methodist.  In  Naples 
in  1856,  in  a  log  house  owned  by  Luther  Eager,  by 
Rev.  B.  F.  Morse.  In  Waumandee,  at  the  upper  end 
of  Waumandee  Valley,  in  1857,  by  a  Lutheran 
preacher.  In  Gilmanton,  at  the  residence  of  C.  W. 
Rathbun,  in  the  Summer  of  1857.  also  by  Rev.  B.  F. 
Morse.  In  Modena  in  the  Summer  of  1859,  in  a 
school-house  on  Section  23,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Doughty. 

The  first  post-ofiice  in  the  county  was  opened  at 
Fountain  City,  with  James  Pierce  as  Postmaster. 

The  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was  established 
at  Fountain  City,  in  1856,  by  Messrs.  Rose  &  Beeson. 

The  first  store  was  opened  at  Fountain  City,  also, 
previous  to  1854,  by  Henry  Georke.  He  also  built  the 
first  saw-mill  in  the  county  on  Eagle  Creek. 

The  first  birth  was  Fi-ederick,  a  son  of  Daniel 
Schilling,  in  1851.  The  first  death  occurred  at  the 
residence  of  J.  C.  Wecker,  in  the  Spring  of  1851,  and 
and  was  Jacob  Bollinger.  The  first  marriage  occurred 
in  April,  1853,  when  J.  C.  Wecker  and  Sabina  Keller 
joined  hands  in  matrimony.  The  ceremony  was  per- 
formed at  the  resilience  of  J.  P.  Stein,  Esquire  Pierce 
officiating  as  Magistrate. 

Religious  sects  of  all  kinds  are  at  present  repre- 
sented in  the  county,  and  every  village  and  town  lias 
its  church  s[nre  and  Sunday-school. 

There  are  now  eighty  schools  in  Buffalo  County, 
under  the  management  of  an  able  corps  of  teachers. 
The  ex-County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Lawrence 
Kessinger,  and  his  able  successor,  J.  C.  Rathbun,  are 
both  efficient  and  life-long  educators,  and  have  done 
much,  in  their  management  of  the  school  system  of 
the  county,  to  elevate  the  standard  of  scholarship. 
Tiie  comfortable  school  buildings  one  sees  on  every 
hand  prove  that  tlie  people  appreciate  the   advantages 


and  necessity  of  a  good  school  education.  The  primi- 
tive log  cabin  has  given  place  to  the  brick,  stone  or 
frame  building  ;  while  the  curriculum  of  study,  the 
ability  of  the  teacher,  and  the  requirements  of  the 
school  board,  have  all  advanced  with  equal  pace. 
The  attendance  is  good,  schools  being  kept  open  from 
six  to  nine  months  in  the  year. 

In  1864,  the  "Howard  Library  Association'"  was 
organized  in  the  town  of  Gilmanton,  and  has  been  in 
successful  operation  since.  It  is  well  patronized  by 
the  citizens  of  that  as  well  as  the  adjoining  towns. 
The  library  was  first  started  by  a  donation  of  $500  by 
Sidney  Howard.  Tliis  fund  was  to  be  kept  on  interest, 
and  the  interest  used  annually  to  jiurchase  books.  It 
now  has  in  its  possession  hundreds  of  volumes,  em- 
bracing books  from  the  pens  of  the  best  American 
and  foreign  authors.  Tiie  "  Mill  Creek  Library  Asso- 
ciation "  was  organized  about  ten  years  ago,  in  the 
town  of  Alma,  and  also  contains  a  number  of  volumes 
of  literature,  principally  from  German  authors.  These 
libraries  are  doing  much  towards  the  diffusion  of  a 
usefid  and  instructive  literature. 

Germany  is  largely  represented  in  the  citizenship 
of  the  county,  Swedes  being  next  in  numbers.  The 
customs  and  habits  of  "  Fatherland"  did  not  suffer  by 
their  passage  across  the  ocean,  and  consequently  are 
retained  in  a  great  degree  socially  and  religiously. 
The  villages  of  Alma  and  Fountain  City  might  pass 
for  villages  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  instead  of  the 
Mississippi.  Yet  an  admixture  of  these  people  makes 
a  good  community,  and  Buffalo  has  grown  and  devel- 
oped with  commendable  rapidity,  the  census  of  1880 
numbering  15,228. 

Buffalo  County  has  no  railroads  traversing  her  ter- 
ritory, except  in  the  extreme  southern  corner,  where 
the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  and  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railways  cross,  on  tlieir  way  to  the  city  of 
Winona,  Minn.  These  only  include  ten  miles  of  track, 
and  consequently  the  county  has  not  that  bonded  in- 
debtedness which  usually  accompanies  such  enterprises. 
She  depends  on  the  Father  of  AVaters  for  her  com- 
merce, which  affords  an  easy  and  cheap  outlet,  and 
down  its  broad  bosom  are  annually  carried  the  products 
of  her  soil.  On  this  account  she  has  never  felt  the 
special  need  of  a  railroad.  In  this  sketch  of  the  coun- 
try at  large,  we  have  attempted  only  a  brief  review  of 
events  and  enterprises,  to  give  a  group  of  facts  that 
will  convey  an  intelligent  idea  of  the  wonderful  strides 
the  country  has  made  in  a  little  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  from  an  unbroken  wilderness  to  a  paradise  of 
civilized  life. 

In  the  following  may  be  found  the  date  of  the 
organization  of  each  of  the  towns  in  the  county: 

Waumandee 1S55     Maxville... 1S4S 

Belvidere 185^     Milton,    1S57,   reorganized..    1870 

Alma 1S56     Glencoe 1858 

Nelson 1857     Modena 1S60 

Naples 1857 

Gilmanton 1S57 

Cross 1S57 

liuffalo 1S57 


Canton 1865 

Montana .-  1867 

Dover 1871 

Lincoln 1S71 


OFFICIAL. 

The  i)lats  of  the  United  States  survey  of  the  land  ad- 
iiinu- the  Mississippi  River,  as  far  up  as  Buffalo  River, 
■re  tiled  in  tlie  land-office  at  Mineral    Point  :  and   on 


HISTORY    OF    BUFFALO   COUNTY. 


[57 


tlie  eleventh  day  of  July  of  the  same  year,  Adam 
Weber  and  Christian  Wenger  purchased  the  land  now 
covered  by  the  plat  of  Waumandee  and  Truman's  ad- 
dition, and  consequently  became  the  first  freeholders 
in  Buffalo  Count}-.  Others  immediately  secured  titles 
to  land  at  various  points.  Every  one  was  anxious  to 
found  a  city.  Christian  Wenger,  Victor  Probst  and 
Rudolph  Beiner  chose  Alma,  then  known  as  "  Twelve 
Mile  Bluff;"  the  Pierce  brothers,  from  Ohio,  secured 
Ijossession  of  the  present  site  of  Fountain  City  ;  while 
Claus  Lietsch  selected  Belvidere,  near  the  present  site 
•of  Buffalo  City,  as  tlie  future  metropolis.  The  three 
3"ears  succeeding  this  date  are  characterized  by  indi- 
vidual struggle,  hard  blows  and  rigid  economy,  with 
nothing  of  special  interest  occurring.  In  the  Winter 
of  1852-3,  the  population  of  tlie  county  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent  that  tiiere  were  citizens  enougli  to 
fill  tlie  list  of  county  offices,  with  a  few  votes  to  spare 
to  do  tlie  cheering.  Accordingly,  a  purse  was  made 
up  for  expenses,  and  Marvin  Pierce  selected  to  lobby 
the  Legislature,  and  in  January,  Buffalo  Count}-'  was 
set  off  irom  La  Crosse  County,  organized  for  judicial 
purposes,  and  the  first  election  held  in  the  Spring  of 

1853.  The  county  as  organized  then  embraced  all  the 
territor}'  between  the  Black  and  Chippewa  rivers  on 
the  south  and  nortli,  and  from  the  Mississippi  River  on 
the  west  extended  to  about  where  the  eastern  line  of 
Trempealeau  County  now  is  on  the  east.     In  January, 

1854,  an  act  was  passed  and  approved  by  the  Legisla- 
ture adding  territory  from  Chippewa  County,  and  by 
an  act  approved  the  24th  of  March  of  the  same  year, 
that  portion  of  La  Crosse  County  lying  west  of  the 
main  channel  of  the  Trempealeau  River  was  attached 
to  Buffalo  County.  Subsequently,  a  strip  was  cut  off 
the  east  side  to  assist  in  forming  Trempealeau  County, 
leaving  Buffalo  County  in  the  shape  which  it  now  repre- 
sents and  has  since  retained. 

By  the  same  act,  which  was  passed,  and  by  which 
the  count}- was  organized,  in  January,  1 853,  the  county 
seat  was  located  on  Section  1,  Town  19,  Range  12 
west.  The  first  county  election,  as  above  stated,  was 
held  in  the  Spring  of  1853,  the  polls  being  opened  at 
"  Holme's  Landing."  Eighteen  votes  were  cast  at 
this  election,  sixteen  of  which  elected  Marvin  Pierce 
as  County  Judge.  The  remaining  officers  were  elected 
as  follows :  James  M.  Pierce,  Register  of  Deeds  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace ;  Adam  Raetsch,  District  Attor- 
ney; John  Buehler,  Sheriff;  J.  B.  Altermadt,  Clerk  of 
the  Circuit  Court ;  T.  B.  Hake,  Clerk  of  the  Board ; 
Henry  Georke,  County  Surveyor.  The  first  Board  of 
Supervisors  were  Marvin  Pierce,  Andrew  Baertsch  and 
John  P.  Stein.  The  first  meeting  of  this  Board  was 
held  on  the  second  day  of  March,  1854,  when  it  was 
■decided  that  the  building  on  Section  8,  Town  19, 
Range  11,  owned  by  Henry  Georke,  should  be  the 
temporary  court-house  until  a  building  could  be  ob- 
tained at  the  county  seat.  They  also  decided  that  the 
dwellings  of  the  county  officers  should  be  their  respec- 
tive offices  until  rooms  could  be  provided  at  the  county 
seat.  Grand  Jurors  were  also  appointed  at  this  meet- 
ing to  serve  at  the  first  term  of  court.  The  first  term 
of  the  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  the  house  owned  by 
Henry  Georke,  on  Section  8,  in  the  town  of  Buffalo,  on 
the  sixteenth  day  of  October,  1854.      Tlie   court  was 


presided  over  by  William  Knowlton,  at  that  time 
Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District.  The  attention  of 
the  court  was  first  occupied  with  two  divorce  cases. 
About  this  time  considerable  dissatisfaction  took  place 
relative  to  the  location  of  the  county  seat,  but  this 
will  be  spoken  of  to  a  greater  extent  elsewhere. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  County  Board,  March  11, 1857, 
the  boundaries  of  the  following  towns  were  defined  : 
The  town  of  Buffalo  to  contain  all  of  Townships  18, 
19  and  21,  in  Ranges  10  and  11,  west  of  the  Trempeal- 
eau River;  also  Townships  21  and  22  in  Range  10  west. 
The  town  of  Belvidere  to  contain  all  of  Townships  19, 
10  and  21  in  Range  12  west,  with  the  exception  of 
Section  25  in  Township  21,  Range  12  west.  The  town 
of  Alma  to  contain  Township  21,  Ranges  12,  13  and 
14.  The  town  of  Bear  Creek  (now  Nelsou  and  Max- 
ville)  to  contain  all  of  Townships  23  and  24,  Range 
13  :  also  that  part  of  Townships  23  and  24  lying  west 
of  the  Chippewa  River  ;  also  the  west  half  of  Town- 
ships 23  and  24,  Range  12  west.  The  town  of  Naples 
to  contain  all  of  Townships  23  and  24  of  Ranges  10 
and  11,  and  also  the  east  half  of  Townships  23  and  24, 
Range  12  west.  The  town  of  Waumandee  to  contain 
all  of  Townships  21  and  22  of  Range  1  i  west ;  also  all  of 
Section  25,  Township  21,  Range  12  west.  These  towns 
have  all  been  subdivided  since,  and  new  towns  organ- 
ized, as  the  country  was  settled,  to  meet  the  demands 
for  a  more  local  government. 

The  first  State  tax  levied  on  Buffalo  County  was  in 
1854,  and  was  15122.50.  The  county  now  pays  a  tax 
amounting  to  $5,6Ul.84. 

Previous  to  1866,  the  three  counties  of  Buffalo, 
Pepin  and  Trempealeau  constituted  an  assembly  dis- 
trict, but  during  the  year  above  mentioned  "  Buffalo 
District"  was  formed,  including  all  of  Buffalo  County 
excepting  the  three  northern  towns  of  Naples,  Can- 
ton and  Maxville,  which,  together  with  Pepin  County, 
form  an  assembly  district.  Conrad  Moser,  Jr.,  was  the 
first  Assemblyman  from  Buffalo  District,  being  elected 
in  the  Fall  of  1866,  and  serving  in  the  Legislature  in 
the  Winter  of  1866-7.  The  present  member  of  As- 
sembly from  Buffalo  District  is  Richard  R.  Kempter. 

COUNTY   SEAT   TROUBLES. 

The  business  of  the  county  was  first  attended  to  at 
Fountain  City.  Soon  after,  a  great  uproar  was  caused 
by  the  discovery  that  in  the  act  organizing  the  county, 
the  land  set  apart  for  court-house  purposes — Section  1, 
19,  12,  west — was  located  upon  the  prairie  point,  about 
three  miles  above  Fountain  City.  The  Pierce  brothers 
owned  the  land  described  in  the  act,  and  platted  the 
prairie  into  lots,  blocks,  public  squares  and  wharves. 
Providence  floated  a  stray  raft  of  lumber  to  the  sandy 
shore  of  the  embryo  city,  which  they  quickly  seized 
and  converted  into  a  court-house,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$100.  In  due  time  in  the  name  of  the  law,  the  county 
officers  were  notified  to  occupy  this  building,  on  the 
plea  that  acts  done  elsewhere  were  illegal.  Accord- 
ingly, in  1859,  with  disgusted  countenances,  the  officials 
prepared  to  attend  to  their  duties  in  the  dryest  of  all 
places,  the  place  taking  the  name  of  "  Upper  Fountain 
City."  Yet  Fountain  City  slept  not,  nor  despah'ed  of 
regaining  the  seat  of  government.  That  same  year  a 
stock  company  was  formed,  and  soon  a  stately  brick 


158 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


edifice  was  constructed  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Spring  streets,  at  a  cost  of  about  $800.  This  was  fitted 
for  public  oflSces  and  court-room,  and  upon  being  ten- 
dered to  the  County  Board,  the  question  of  its  being 
brought  back  was  submitted  to  the  people  at  the  April 
election  in  1859.  This  resulted  favorable  to  Fountain 
City,  and  the  seat  of  government  once  more  found  a 
more  congenial  home  in  the  village,  but  not  to  remain. 
The  spirit  of  rivalry  ran  high,  and  by  an  act  approved 
March  15,  1860,  the  question  of  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  to  Alma  was  submitted  to  the  people  at 
the  April  election.  The  result  of  this  election  was 
carried  to  the  Supreme  Court,  the  question  being 
whether  the  commissioners  had  the  I'ight  to  throw  out 
the  voles  of  certain  towns,  which  they  believed  had 
voted  illegall}'.  The  court  denied  them  that  privilege, 
and  an  actual  count  of  all  votes  cast  gave  Alma  the 
majority,  she  having  in  the  meantime  donated  a  $2,000 
building  to  the  county  for  court-house  purposes.  The 
itinerant  county  seat  accoidingly  moved  up  the  river 
eighteen  miles  to  the  village  of  Alma,  where  it  has 
since  remained.  The  question  of  its  removal  to  Buf- 
falo City  was  agitated  in  1861,  and  an  election  granted, 
but  the  eifort  proved  a  failure.  The  court-house  was 
built  at  Alma  in  1861,  and  the  county  now  has  build- 
ings valued  at  $10,000,  and  the  majority  of  the  people 
are  seemingly  satisfied. 

AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

This  society  was  organized  June  10,  1862,  with 
Robert  Henry,  president,  and  John  W.  DeGroif,  sec- 
retary. Their  first  fair  was  held  in  the  town  of  Lin- 
coln in  September  of  that  year,  at  which  time  $126 
were  disbursed  for  premiums.  The  total  receipts  for 
that  year  amounted  to  $1,202.15,  and  the  total  dis- 
bursements to  $1,175.  They  at  first  rented  grounds 
in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  which  they  held  for  five  years, 
when  they  rented  their  present  grounds  in  the  town  of 
Alma  for  ten  years.  The  present  officers  are  Thomas 
Shane,  of  Modena,  president ;  Frederick  Homan,  of 
Waumandee,  vice-president ;  Robert  Lees,  of  Alma, 
secretary,  and  Erik  Alme,  of  Nelson,  treasurer. 

THE   PRESS. 

The  first  paper  established  in  Buffalo  County  was 
the  Fountain  City  Beacon,  published  by  L.  M.  Rose 
and  R.  Beeson,  and  edited  by  Dr.  T.  G.  Hake.  The 
first  number  was  issued  on  Friday,  July  18,  1856. 
Beeson  remained  only  one  week,  when  his  place  was 
taken  by  Frederick  A.  Wheelock,  who  also  withdrew 
in  about  two  months.  On  the  29th  of  November  of 
the  same  year  Rose  sold  out  to  J.  Ketchum  Averill. 
The  same  year  the  Beacon  passed  into  the  hands  of  a 
stock  company,  and  August  1,  1857,  became  the  prop- 
erty of  Charles  G.  Patterson,  who  continued  its  publi- 
cation till  October,  1858,  when  it  expired,  and  the 
press  and  material  were  moved  to  Eau  Claire. 

In  September,  1857,  J.  Ketchum  Averill  started  the 
Fountain  City  Advocate  which  also  sought  the  shades 
in  about  six  months.  Tlie  attempt  was  not  again  re- 
peated until  1860,  when  the  Buffalo  County  Advertiser, 
a  small,  four-column  sheet,  made  its  appearance,  under 
the  supervision  of  Marvin  Pierce  and  C.  Bohri.  It 
lived   until    1861,    when    it  withdrew    from   the    vain 


world  and  became  a  thing  of  history.  The  next  at- 
tempt was  in  Api'il,  1861,  when  the  Buffalo  County 
Journal  was  established  at  Alma  by  James  M.  Bracket 

and Rockwell.     It  was  at  that  time  a  six    column 

folio,  and  carried  at  its  mast-head  the  name  of  Alma 
Journal,  under  which  it  lived  and  starved  alternately 
with  the  following  proprietors  :  Bracket  &  Rockwell 
from  1861  to  1863;  Dick  Copeland  from  1863  to  1865  ; 
Jacob  Iberg  &  Co.,  from  1865  to  1866;  John  Hunner 
in  1867  ;  Morse  &  Hunner  in  1868 ;  Perkins,  McBride 
&  Ostrander  in  18G9,  who  changed  its  name  to  the 
Alma  Journal  and  Beef  Slough  Advocate.  The  name 
of  the  firm  and  of  the  paper  being  alike  too  long  and 
in  a  half-starved,  jjoorly-clad  condition,  it  became  the 
property  of  George  W.  Gilkey,  who  changed  its  name 
to  the  Alma  Weekly  Uzpress.  Gilkej^'s  administration 
terminated  in  1871,  when  the  paper  was  sold  to  Hunner 
&  DeGroff.  Mr.  DeGroff  sold  out  in  less  than  a  month, 
and  C.  L.  James,  a  son  of  the  English  novelist,  became 
associated  with  Mr.  Hunner.  During  the  presidential 
campaign  of  1872,  Mr.  Hunner  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  John  W.  DeGroff,  when  the  firm  became  DeGroff 
&  James.  In  the  Spring  of  1873,  Mr.  James  sold  his 
interest  to  A.  Rockwell,  who  after  a  few  months  trans- 
ferred it  to  J.  W.  DeGroff,  who  has  since  been  its  edi- 
tor and  proprietor.  In  June,  1879,  he  changed  its 
name  to  The  Buffalo  County  Jour7ial.  He  has  also  en- 
larged its  pages  and  has  ever  since  published  a  first- 
class  country  newspaper.  The  Journal  has  had  many 
"  ups  and  downs,"  principallj'  ''downs"  but  it  has 
passed  all  the  reefs  and  rocks  in  safet}',  and  to-day 
stands  upon  a  solid  foundation.  It  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  not  of  the  "stalwart"  order,  but  a  firm 
supporter  of  the  theories  held  by  President  Garfield. 
It  is  a  newsy,  well-edited,  well-printed,  spicy  local 
paper.  It  receives  a  liberal  support  from  the  business 
men  of  the  place,  and  is  the  official  paper  of  the 
county. 

The  Buffalo  County  Repuhlikaner,  a  German  paper, 
was  established  at  Buffalo  City,  March  15,  1861,  by 
C.  Lohmann.  G.  G.  Oppliger  obtained  the  manage- 
ment of  this  paper  October  12,  1861.  May  28,  1864, 
he  moved  it  from  Buffalo  City  to  Fountain  City,  per- 
ceiving that  Fountain  City  offered  better  facilities  and 
guarantees  for  permanent  business.  Mr.  Oppliger 
remained  as  publisher  and  proprietor  until  the  1st  of 
April,  1869,  when  he  sold  out  to  Major  J.  T.  Hauser. 
Joseph  Leicht,  the  present  editor  and  publisher,  pur- 
chased the  paper  November  4,  1871,  since  which  time 
the  editorial  chair  has  been  an  honored  and  lucrative 
institution.  The  Repuhlikaner  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensively circulated  German  papers  in  the  Northwest. 
There  is  also  at  this  date  a  paper  published  at  Mon- 
dovl  under  the  name  of  Buffalo  County  Herald,  by  W. 
L.  Hauser  and  George  E.  Gilkey.  The  press  of  the 
county  is  in  able  hands,  and  is  a  most  useful  medium 
for  the  diffusion  of  local  and  general  intelligence. 

BEEF   SLOUGH. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county  is  a  body  of  water 
that  is  worthy  of  special  mention,  recognized  under  the 
name  of  "  Beef  Slough."  This  is  formed  from  the 
waters  of  the  Chippewa  River,  part  of  which,  forsak- 
ing the  main  channel  about  six  miles  from   its   conflu- 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


ence  with  the  Mississippi  River,  leads  off  across  the 
lowlands,  being  at  a  variable  distance  of  from  one  to 
three  miles  from  the  Chippewa  River.  Its  large  num- 
ber of  expansions,  diversions  and  branches  with  all  of 
the  resulting  islands  and  lakes,  form  a  complete  net- 
work of  the  territory  between  itself  and  the  river.  As 
it  nears  the  Mississippi,  some  part  of  its  waters  enters 
that  river  by  bayous,  while  tiie  main  body,  or  Beef 
Slough  proper,  passes  down  three  or  four  miles  farther, 
and  empties  into  Buffalo  or  Beef  River.  The  current 
in  the  slough  is  very  slow,  there  being  almost  none. 
On  this  account  it  is  of  incalculable  value  as  a  log  har- 
bor, and  probably  is  the  largest  and  best  log  harbor  in 
the  State.  Two  large  corporations  are  at  present  at 
work  here  in  the  booming,  sorting  and  rafting  of  logs. 
Much  legal  strategy,  legislation  and  lobbying  were 
necessary  before  these  companies  were  allowed  to  oper- 
ate. The  cities  on  the  upper  Chippewa — Eau  Claire  and 


gether  employ  from  300  to  500  hands  during  the  driv- 
ing season  at  a  daily  compensation  of  about  $700. 
They  daily  handle,  on  an  average,  between  3,000,000 
and  4,000,000  feet  of  logs.  So  far  during  this  season 
they  have  sorted  and  rafted  300,000,000  feet.  Exten- 
sive improvements  are  now  yearly  made  for  houses, 
piers,  side,  shore  and  sheer  booms,  necessitating  large 
expenditures  of  money,  and  their  operations  in  this  line 
have  become  an  extensive  source  of  wealth  to  Buffalo 
County. 

VILLAGE  OF  ALMA. 

The  village  of  Alma,  the  county  seat  of  Buffalo  County, 
comprises  within  its  present  corporate  limits  all  of  Sections 
26,  27,  28,  34  and  35,  and  all  of  Section  25  west  of  the 
Buffalo  or  Beef  River,  Town  22,  Range  13  west;  also  all  of 
Sections  2,  12,  13  and  14,  in  Town  21,  Range  13  west. 
The  village  proper,  or  platted  part,  is  one  mile  in  length, 
reaching  from  the  center  of  Section   2  on  the  north,  to  the 


^^ 


Chippewa  Falls — fought  the  project  at  every  point,  on 
the  ground  tliat  the  enterprise  would  seriously  impede, 
if  not  totally  destroy,  navigation  in  these  waters. 
However,  in  April,  1806,  an  act  was  passed  hy  the 
State  Legislature,  allowing  certain  men  as  an  organized 
comp.any  to  erect  such  piers,  wing-dams,  side,  shore 
and  glancing  booms  as  were  necessary  for  turning  in 
and  holding  logs,  provided,  that  sucii  improvements 
should  in  no  manner  hinder  or  prevent  the  free  pass- 
age of  boats  to  and  from  points  above.  Accordingly, 
the  erection  of  these  was  soon  commenced,  and  now 
the  works  extend  up  the  slough  for  a  distance  of  five 
miles,  and  represent  a  total  cost  of  construction  and 
valuation  of  perhaps  12,000,000.  The  rights  of  the 
"  Beef  Slough  Manufacturing,  Booming,  Logging  and 
Transportation  Company,"  were  further  defined  in  an 
act  passed  by  the  Legislature  and  approved  March  14, 
1870.  This  has  already  become  a  stupenduous  affair. 
It,  as  above  stated,  is  now  operated  by  two  companies 
— "The  Beef  Slough  Manufacturing,  Booming,  Logging 
and  Transportation  Company"  and  the  "Mississippi  Log- 
ging Company,"  the  officers  of  the  latter  being  Frederick 
Weyhauser,  president ;  Artemus  Lamb,  vice-president ; 
Thomas  Irvine,  secretary.     These  two  companies,    to- 


center  of  Section  12  on  the  south.  It  owes  its  peculiar 
shape  to  the  bluffs  which  rise  to  nearly  an  abrupt  altitude 
of  from  400  to  700  feet,  leaving  but  a  narrow  strip 
of  land  between  their  base  and  the  river  suitable  for 
building  purposes.  The  town  is  built  on  the  side  of  the 
bluffs  overlooking  the  Mississippi  River,  and  its  location 
might  be  easily  compared  to  a  two-story  house  ;  upon  the 
first  floor  is  found  the  business  portion  of  the  town,  while 
the  second  story  is  occupied  by  the  court-house  and  jail, 
the  school-house,  churches  and  residences.  Among  the 
early  settlers  of  Alma,  Victor  Probst  and  John  C.  Wecker 
have  the  honor  of  being  the  first.  They  came  from  Galena, 
111.,  and  reached  the  present  site  of  Alma,  on  the  twen- 
tieth day  of  August,  in  the  year  1848.  Mr.  Probst  is  still  a 
resident  of  the  county,  while  Mr.  Wecker  is  now  residing  in 
Minnesota.  Messrs.  Probst  and  Wecker  built  a  slab  shanty 
from  slabs  found  floating  in  the  river,  on  the  lot  now  owned 
and  occujjied  by  Jacob  Bollinger  as  a  residence.  They 
lived  together  for  two  years  in  this  shanty,  keei)ing  bach- 
elors' hall,  when  Victor  Probst  built  another  house  on  the 
lot  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Otmar  Probst.  .Vbout  this 
time  the  population  of  the  embryo  village  was  increased  by 
the  settlement  of  Joseph  Berney ;  this  was  in  the  Fall  of 
1849.  He  moved  into  the  same  shanty  with  Messrs.  Probst 
and  Wecker,  and  remained  with  them  during  the  Winter 
and  following  Summer.     The  next  settlers  were  John  Mar- 


i6o 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


tin  and  his  brother  Nicholas,  and  Mathias  Hammer.  They 
came  togetlier  in  April,  1851.  Rudolph  Beimer  came  in 
the  Spring  of  1853;  he  purchased  the  whole  of  Martin's 
claim,  and  lived  for  a  while  in  the  slab  shanty  first  built  by 
Probst  and  Wecker.  The  next  settler  was  Abraham 
Schmoker,  who  bought  land  of  Mr.  Beimer,  and  built  the 
house  where  Fritz  Schreiber  now  lives.  Nicholas  Oilman 
was  the  next  settler.  He  built  the  house  where  Lawrence 
Kessinger  now  lives.  This  brings  us  down  to  the  Summer 
of  1855,  when  W.  H.  Gates  settled  and  opened  the  first 
store,  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  Weber  and  Gesell, 
as  a  photograph  gallery  and  jewelry  store.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  patronage  of  the  few  settlers,  his  trade  was 
with  the  raftsmen  who  used  to  land  at  Alma,  to  repair 
damages  sustained  in  passing  through  Lake  Pepin,  and 
crossing  the  Beef  Slough  Bar.  In  the  Fall  and  Summer 
of  1852  the  population  of  the  village  was  largely  increased. 
Among  the  number  who  came  were  John  Henicrich,  John 
Hunner,  John  R.  Hurlburt,  John  Kerchner,  John  M.  Hem- 

erich,  Philip  Craft,  and Beyer,  also  G.  F.  Haisch,  William 

Briggaboos  and  others.  Among  those  who  came  in  1856 
were  M.  Ulrich,  the  Fricht  brothers  and  John  A.  Tester, 
who,  in  company  with  Peter  Polin,  opened  a  store  in  Au- 
gust, 1856.  This  was  the  second  store  opened  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Alma.  From  this  date  Alma  began  to  assume  a 
metropolitan  appearance.  Building  after  building  appeared 
in  quick  succession,  and  it  was  destined  soon  to  become 
the  commercial  center,  as  well  as  the  outlet  for  the  agricul- 
tural products,  of  the  slowly  extending  settlements,  in  the 
north  and  east  pait  of  the  county.  Included  within  the 
above  are  not  the  names  of  all  those  vvho  located  within  the 
during  the  dates  men:ioned,  as  their  names  have  dropped 
from  the  page  of  public  existence  and  the  memories  of 
their  pioneer  associates,  but  the  seeds  which  dropped  into 
their  lives  sprang  up  into  a  rich  harvest,  and  when  they 
left  their  pioneer  life  here,  they  also  left  some  good  deeds, 
as  eveiy  age  and  civilization  of  the  world,  in  departing,  leaves 
some  token  of  its  great  and  valiant  men,  its  pure  and 
noble  women,  reminding  us  that  they  have  lived,  toiled 
and  triumphed,  telling  us  of  their  sorrows,  joys  and  ambi- 
tions, which  they,  like  us,  sought  to  gratify.  But  let  us  re- 
turn to  .the  events  of  1855.  During  that  year,  W.  H. 
Gates  bought  a  piece  of  land  of  Victor  Probst,  and,  in 
company  with  him  and  Ira  Mead,  laid  out  the  plat  of 
Alma.  The  surveying  was  done  by  A.  W.  Miller,  then  a 
resident  of  Hudson,  now  of  Maxville,  in  this  county.  The 
same  gentleman  surveyed  Victor  Probst's  addition,  in  tlie 
upper  part,  and  Probst  and  Wenger's  addition  in  the 
central  part  of  the  present  village.  In  the  same  year 
Beiner  and  Marty  laid  out  the  lower  addition,  the  surveying 
being  done  by  Augustus  Finkelnburg,  then,  as  now,  a  resi- 
dent at  Fountain  City.  The  village  was  named  at  the  time 
the  survey  was  made,  by  W.  H.  Gates,  and  how  it  came 
to  be  named  Alma,  we  will  let  him  explain  in  his  own 
words ;  "  I  took  an  atlas  and  commenced  to  look  for  a 
short  name  that  could  be  spelled  and  pronounced.  I  ran 
across  the  name  '  Alma  '  on  the  map  of  Russia,  and  adopt- 
ed it  at  once". 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  Alma  in  1856,  Dr.  John 
F'hing  being  the  first  teacher.  He  received  his  certificate 
of  qualification  from  Philip  Kraft,  then  Town  Superinten- 
dent of  Schools. 

The  first  minister  who  came  to  .\lma  was  a  re])resenta- 
tive  of  the  German  Reformed  Clnin  h.  He  did  not  hold  a 
regular  meeting  but  administered  the  rite  of  baptism  to 
children. 

The  first  hotel  was  built  and  kept  by  John  Huril)urt  in 
1856.  The  house  is  still  standing  and  is  now  used  as  a 
tenement   house  and  occu[iied  by  a  number  of  families. 


The  first  post-office  was  opened  in  a  building,  now  occu- 
l>ied  by  Weber  &  Gesell  as  a  photograph  gallery  and 
jewelry  store,  in  1856,  w-ith  W.  H.  Gates  as  Postmaster. 
He  has  since  been  followed  by  Peter  Polin,  from  1857  ta 
1S63;  C.  A.  Boehme,  from  1863  to  1870;  M.  Feizer,  from 
1870  to  1872;  Julius  Ginzkey,  from  1872  to  1876;  L.  P. 
Hunner,  from  1876  to  the  present  date. 

The  first  blacksmithing  was  done  by  John  Von  Wyl 
in  1858,  who  built  a  shop  and  conducted  the  business  for  a 
number  of  years.  This  building  is  now  occupied  as  a 
dwelling-house. 

In  1857  or  1858  the  first  warehouse  was  built  by  John 
A.  Tester  and  Peter  Polin.  This  has  since  been  refitted 
and  converted  into  a  hotel, —  "The  Massasoit  House"  — 
kept  by  Emil  Leonhardy. 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  in  July, 
1856,  the  contracting  parties  being  Abraham  Schmoker  and 
a  Miss  Hang. 

In  i860,  after  a  sharp  contest  that  went  even  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  this  village  became  the  seat  of 
government  of  Buffalo  County,  and  in  t86i  the  present 
court-house  was  built  at  a  cost  of  between  $8,000  and 
i§io,ooo,  the  county  offices  in  the  meantime  occupying  the 
house  then  occupied  by  Dr.  John  Ehing. 

The  Beef  Slough  Booming,  Manufacturing  and  Tr-ins- 
portation  Company,  commenced  their  operations  in  1867, 
having  their  head-quarters  at  Alma. 

In  1868,  Alma  was  separated  from  the  township  of 
Alma  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature,  and  was  incorpora- 
tedas  a  village,  since  which  time  it  has  maintained  a  sepa- 
rate municipal  existence.  The  first  officers  of  the  village 
were  Conrad  Moser,  Jr.,  President ;  William  Ehrich,  John 
A.  Tester,  Frederick  Lane,  William  Briggaboos,  Trustees  ; 
J.  J.  Seen,  Clerk  ;  Jacob  Wirth,  Treasurer.  The  present 
officers  of  the  village  are  Einil  Leonhardy,  President; 
Charles  Peluneck,  Frederick  Fisher,  Julius  Wilk  and  Peter 
Grass,  Trustees ;  William  Hoefling,  Secretary ;  Charles 
Neumister,  Treasurer;  Charles  I'rfer,  Assessor;  George 
Vogt,  Marshal. 

The  following  have  held  the  position  of  President  of  the 
village  since  its  incorporation:  C.  Moscr,  Jr.,  two  years; 
Peter  Polin,  one  year;  Fred  Lane,  one  year;  John  A. 
Tester,  t«o    years;    John   Hunner,  one   year;   Richard  R.  I 

Kempter,  two  years;  Ferdinand  Fetter,  two   years;  J.  W.  | 

DfeGroff,  one  year;  R.  R.  Kester,  one  year,  and  Emil  Leon-  1 

hardy,  one  year. 

In  1870  a  hook  and  ladder  company  was  organized,  and 
they  soon  obtained  the  purchase  of  a  hook  and  ladder 
truck,  with  all  its  equipments.  Through  some  mismanage- 
ment and  a  little  misunderstanding,  this  organization  ex- 
pired. It  has  since,  from  time  to  time,  been  reorganized, 
but  at  present  there  is  no  regular  hook  and  ladder  com- 
pany. In  1876  a  hand  engine  com]iany  was  organized  to 
take  charge  of  a  hand  engine,  together  with  about  500 
feet  of  hose,  which  had  a  short  time  previous  been 
purchased.     This  organization,  likewise,  never  has  existed  ' 

for  any  length  of  time,  consequently  there  is  not  at  present  ! 

any  regular  organized  fire  company ;  although,  in  case  of 
any  emergency  caused  by  a  fire,  the  hand  engine  and  other  ' 

material  come  into  active  service,  and  every  one   i)uts  forth  j 

his  best  efforts  in  assistance.  \ 

The  village  constructed   a  commodious   village  hall  in  1 

1878,  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,500,  the  basement   of  which   is  | 

now  occupied  by  the  Marshal  as  a  residence,  together  with 
the  village  "  lock-up."  The  hook  and  ladder  truck  and 
eiiuipments  and   hand    fire    engine    are    kept    in    the    first  • 

story,  while  the  second  story  is  used  for  a  council-room 
and  all  public  meetings,  together  with  the  Village  Clerk's 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


MANUFACTURERS. 

In  1865,  a  saw-mill,  which  had  been  erected  at  Buffalo 
City,  1857,  by  one  Michael,  was  moved  to  Alma  on  wagons 
and  flat  boats  by  Charles  Schaettle  and  Frederick  Lane.  At 
that  lime  it  had  a  ca])acity  of  from  6,000  to  10,000  feet  per 
day,  and  its  present  capacity  is  20,000.  All  of  the  lumber, 
shingles,  etc.,  manufactured  is  retailed  here.  The  mill  is 
substantially  and  conveniently  built,  and  well  and  economic- 
ally managed,  and  in  a  fair  share  of  public  confidence  and 
patronage.  It  is  located  in  the  extreme  southern  end  of 
the  village,  and  employs  about  twenty-five  hands.  Mr. 
Lane  is  a  thorough  business  man,  and  very  far-seeing  in  the 
management  of  his  mill  and  all  its  details  looking  to  its 
success. 

In  1870,  Frederick  Fisher  built  a  saw-mill  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  the  village,  of  thirty  horse-power,  and  a 
capacity  of  20,000  feet  per  day.  In  1872  he  disposed  of  it 
to  Adam  Grams.  Mr.  Grams  did  not  operate  it,  but  in  1874 
disposed  of  it  to  a  Mr.  Williams,  of  Eau  Claire,  who  put  it 
into  operation,  and  in  1875  sold  a  half  interest  to  Godfrey 
Welthey.  They  increased  it  to  a  sixty  horse-power  and  a 
capacity  for  40,000  feet  per  day.  The  "Alma  Manufactur- 
ing Company  "  purchased  the  property  in  1876,  and  run  it 
for  a  short  time  only,  when  it  was  again  shut  down.  In 
1879,  R.  R.  Kempter  purchased  it,  and  in  1880  leased  it  to 
its  present  operators,  the  "Meridian  Mill  Company."  They 
employ  about  forty  hands,  at  a  daily  compensation  of  $60, 
and  the  lumber  is  all  rafted  to  down-river  points. 

Ci:^ar  MaiH//actoiy.—Md,y  28,  1878,  Martin  Exel  estab- 
lished a  cigar  manufactory  in  Alma,  and  now  manufactures 
annually  between  50,000  and  60,000  cigars,  from  which  his 
annual  sales  amount  to  about  $3,000.  These  cigars  are 
mostly  retailed  in  Buffalo  County. 

Union  Brewery. — In  1855  John  Heinrich  commenced 
brewing  in  Alma.  He  has  each  year  made  extensive  im- 
provements in  building  and  remodeling,  and  now  has  one 
of  the  best  breweries  in  this  section  of  the  State.  He  em- 
ploys five  hands.  The  brewery  has  a  capacity  of  4,000  bar- 
rels per  year,  and  represents  an  outlay  of  about  $15,000. 

Alma  Brnvery — Located  on  Main  street,  was  erected 
for  a  hotel  by  Philip  Kraft,  and  conducted  as  such  until 
1866,  when  the  property  was  purchased  by  William  Brigga- 
boos,  who,  after  making  various  improvements  and  putting 
in  machinery,  converted  it  to  its  present  use.  Mr.  Brigga- 
boos  manufactures  on  an  average  3,000  barrels  of  beer  an- 
nually, which  is  mostly  sold  in  this  immediate  vicinity. 


The  first  school,  as  before  stated,  was  taught  in  1856. 
Nothing  of  importance  was  connected  with  the  school  until 
1867.  At  the  annual  meeting,  held  on  September  30  of 
that  year,  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  make  an 
estimate  and  plan  for  a  new  school-house.  After  several 
meetings  of  the  Board  and  building  committee,  and  also 
several  special  and  adjourned  meetings  of  the  district,  it 
was  resolved,  in  February,  1869,  that  tiie  erection  of  a  new 
school-house  be  at  once  proceeded  with.  The  following 
Winter  the  new  house  was  occupied,  with  A.  H.  Pfund  as 
I)rincipal  and  Miss  C.  G.  Keith  as  primary  teacher.  From 
this  time  the  school  consisted  of  two  departments.  At  the 
annual  meeting  in  July,  1873,  the  district  voted  that  the 
Board  be  instructed  to  engage  three  teachers,  and  to  make 
the  necessary  accommodations  in  the  school  building.  Tlie 
town  had  so  increased  in  population,  esjjecially  school 
population,  during  the  next  few  years,  that  it  was  found 
necessary  to  enlarge  the  instructional  corjis  of  the  school. 
Accordingly,  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1877,  it  was  voted  to 
employ  four  teachers,  two  males  and   two   females.     This 


regime  is  in  vogue  at  present,  with  all  of  the  departments 
full.  In  1879  an  attempt  was  made  to  organize  the  school 
under  the  Free  High  School  Law  of  1875,  ^"^^  'lie  scheme 
failed.  The  progress  of  the  school  has  been  constant, 
especially  during  the  past  two  or  three  years.  The  course 
of  study  embraces  all  of  the  branches  required  for  a  first 
grade  certificate,  except  physical  geography,  and  in  addi- 
tion, music  and  German.  Ten  months'  school  are  taught 
each  year.  In  the  Spring  of  1877  a  series  of  letters  was 
published  in  the  Herald  of  Mondovi,  over  the  signature 
"Almaite,"  reflecting  upon  the  management  of  the  Alma 
schools,  and  censuring  the  School  Board  and  principal. 
The  letters  worked  the  authorities  up  to  such  an  extent  that 
a  special  school  meeting  was  called  to  consider  the  cause  of 
these  anonymous  communications.  Speeches  were  made  by 
members  of  the  School  Board,  the  principal  and  the  County 
Superintendent,  all  denouncing  in  unmeasured  terms  the 
course  the  author  of  these  communications  had  taken. 
Suitable  resolutions  were  subsequently  adopted,  expressing 
the  sense  of  the  district,  and  denouncing  the  method 
"Almaite"  had  adopted  in  carrying  his  complaints  to  other 
localities,  and  pronounced  them  false  and  instigated  for  no 
good  purpose.  By  looking  over  the  records,  one  will  be 
impressed  with  the  determination  of  the  district  to  continue 
the  same  individuals  in  its  offices.  This  probably  has  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  the  schools  as  much  as  any  other 
act  of  the  district.  The  people  are  interested  in  their 
schools,  and  are  determined  to  make  them  second  to  none 
in  a  town  of  its  size. 

SOCIETIES. 

Masonic. — Alma  Lodge,  No.  184.  This  order  was  organ- 
ized under  a  dispensation  in  February,  1872,  by  A.  W. 
Miller,  D.  G.  M.  The  charter  was  issued  ]nne  12,  1872. 
The  first  officers  were:  J.  M.  House.W.M.;  W."H. Gates,  S.W.; 
John  Moser,  J.  W.;  G.  R.  Frary,  secretary;  William  Muel- 
ler, treasurer.  The  present  officers  are  :  F.  Fisher,  W.  M  ; 
John  B.  Ehing,  S.  W.;  D.  W.  Hussong,  J.W.;  John  Burgess, 
secretary;  C.  A.  Boehme,  treasurer.  The  order  now  num- 
bers about  forty  members. 

A.  O.  U.  IV. — Alma  Lodge,  No.  52,  was  instituted 
January  14,  1S79,  by  Dr.  Waterman,  with  the  following  list 
of  officers  :  Richard  R.  Kempter,  P.  M.  W.;  Emil  Leon- 
hardy,  M.  W.;  Martin  Exel,  G.  F.;  Albert  Weber,  overseer; 
John  Buchley,  recorder;  William  Hoefling,  F.;  Martin 
Polin,  R.;  Matthias  Fetzer,  guide;  John  Ristow,  I.  W.; 
Conrad  Newkom,  O.  W.  The  present  officers  are :  Anton 
Braum,  P.  M.  W.;  J.  M.  Leonhardy.  M.  W.;  Conrad  New- 
kom, F.;  Julius  Wilk,  overseer;  Emil  Leonhardy,  recorder; 
H.  J.  Rick,  financier;  Joseph  Schlumjjf,  R.;  Herman 
Gripp,  G.;  Herman  Schoepp,  O.  W.;  Jacob  Battaglia,  I.  W. 

The  Shooting  Society  was  organized  in  1862,  and  imme- 
diately constructed  a  hall  and  bullet  ])arapet.  T'his  was 
demolished  by  falling  rocks  in  1881.  Previous  to  the  ruin- 
ation of  their  old  hall,  a  new  one  was  erected  in  1880  at  a 
cost  of  about  $600. 

T/ie  Concordia  was  organized  in  January,  1863,  by  Fred- 
erick G.  Whitehead.  Their  meetings  are  generally  of  a 
private  character.  Their  present  leader  is  George  Seller. 
They  have  a  good  hall,  erected  at  an  expense  of  about 
$500.     This  society  was  incorporated  in  1S75. 

T/ie  Turn-  Vereitt  was  organized  in  1864  and  reorganized 
in  1878.  The  Turners  are  strictly  a  German  society,  and 
their  object  is  social  intercourse,  and  teaching  the  youth 
morals  as  well  as  gymnastics. 

These  societies  are  all  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

CHURCHES. 

German  Catholic  was  built  in  the  Fall  of  1867,  at  the 
cost  of  $2,500.     It  now  has  a  membership  of  about    forty 


l62 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


families.  They  have  no  resident  priest,  the  pul|3it  being 
generally  supplied  by  a    minister  from  Fountain  City. 

German  Reforriied  was  built  in  187 1,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,500.  It  now  has  a  membership  of  about  thirty.  They 
also  have  no  resident  priest,  the  pulpit  being  supplied  by 
ministers  from  abroad. 

Evangelical. —  This  society  was  formed  in  1S67,  and 
their  present  church  built  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  It 
now  has  145  members.  Their  pastor  is  Rev.  Gottlieb 
Schwants. 

What  is  now  the  village  of  Alma  was  known  in  former 
years  to  Mississippi  boatmen  by  the  name  of  "  Twelve  Mile 
Bluff."  The  rock  was  situated  on  the  bold  point  of  bluff 
just  opposite  Fred  Lane's  saw-mill  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
village,  and  was  of  such  dimensions  and  stood  in  such  a 
dangerous  attitude  that  the  people  of  the  village,  especially, 
had  watched  it  for  years,  always  believing  that  some  day 
it  would  come  down.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  Mr. 
Lane  continued  to  run  his  mill,  year  after  year,  almost  at 
its  very  base,  and  the  Shooting  Society  a  few  years  previous 
had  erected  their  targets  and  bullet  parapet  almost  within 
its  shadow.  The  rock  was  a  huge  one.  No  one  knew  its 
height,  although  it  was  estimated  at  from  100  to  200  feet. 
Its  diameter  must  have  been  at  least  thirty  feet.  Imagine 
this  ponderous  rock  standing  upon  one  end,  and  without 
any  protection,  and  wonder  that  it  had  not  fallen  years 
before.  One  Monday,  April  26,  1881,  an  earthquake  sound 
was  heard,  and  those  in  the  immediate  neighborhood, 
hearing  the  sound,  looked  in  the  direction  and  saw  what 
seemed  to  them  the  whole  bluff  moving.  The  boulder 
started  at  its  base  falling  north,  when  it  broke  into  a  hun- 
dred pieces,  some  going  in  one  direction,  and  some  in 
another.  The  place  where  it  fell  was  well  marked.  It 
plowed  the  side  of  the  bluff  for  300  feet,  scooping  out  a 
regular  basin.  Three  of  the  pieces,  as  large  as  a  small 
house,  pointed  directly  toward  the  saw-mill,  but,  striking 
the  barricade  of  rock  and  timber  at  the  shooting  targets, 
were  caught  in  the  ditch,  but  completely  demolishing  the 
target  stand,  walls,  etc.  A  half  dozen  other  pieces  plowed 
down  the  hill-side  and  lodged  on  the  Shooting  Society's 
grounds,  tearing  deep  holes  as  they  plunged  along.  The 
road  runs  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  but  only  one  piece  came 
this  far,  which  stopped  just  south  of  the  saw-mill  and  had 
to  be  removed  by  blasting.  Otherwise  no  damage  was 
done,  yet  had  the  ground  not  been  soft  and  wet,  Mr. 
Lane's  mill  would  have  been  in  ruins.  Old  settlers  of 
Alma,  and  rivermen  of  years  gone  by,  well  knew  where 
"Twelve  Mile  Bluff"  was  located,  and  pilots  on  many  a 
dark  night,  had  steered  their  boats  and  rafts  for  miles  by 
its  dark  form  pointing  heavenward.  Cold,  silent  and 
alone  it  stood,  like  the  mausoleums  of  Egypt's  early  kings, 
a  memorial  of  antiquity  that  looked  back  to  when  the 
world  was  young,  and  from  whose  hoary  top,  thousands  of 
years  had  looked  down  upon  us,  but  in  an  instant  the 
doomed  rock  fell,  and  "  Twelve  Mile  Bluff"  is  no  more. 

When  we  remember  that  where  Alma  now  stands,  prior 
to  1848  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  inhabited  only  by 
wild  beasts  and  Indians  ;  it  but  shows  the  characteristic 
pluck  and  enterprise  of  its  citizens.  As  before  shown,  it 
now  contains  three  neat  little  churches  and  a  graded 
school — the  necessary  auxiliaries  of  a  refined  and  cultivat- 
ed civilization.  They  who  enjoy  these  advantages  owe 
them  to  the  hardy  pioneers,  who,  severing  the  ties  of  home 
and  kindred  and  early  association,  plunged  into  the  then 
almost  unexplored  wilderness  of  the  West,  and  carved  from 
the  rugged  forces  of  nature  tlie  comfortable  homes  they 
now  enjoy.     To  them  all  honor  is  due. 


BIOGR.APHICAL    SKETCHES. 

AVERV  T.  .\LLEN,  log  book-keeper  for  Beef  Slough  Co.,  Alma, 
was  born  in  Nantucket,  April  S,  1851.  He  has  been  quite  a  wanderer. 
He  was  a  seaman  and  has  sailed  into  nearly  all  foreign  ports.  For  the 
past  few  years  he  has  been  employed  as  clerk  in  ditferent  places.  In 
187S,  he  engaged  with  Beef  Slough  Co.,  which  position  he  still  occu- 
pies. 

ERIK  ALME,  County  Treasurer,  .Alma,  was  born  in  Bergenstift, 
Norway,  Jan.  29,  1837.  He  immigrated  to  .America  in  1S54,  and  landed 
in  New  York  City.  His  first  permanent  location  was  in  the  town  of 
Nelson,  this  county,  in  1S56,  on  Sec.  il,  23,  13,  and  his  occupation  has 
been  farming,  until  he  took  the  duties  of  County  Treasurer,  which  posi- 
tion he  was  elected  to  in  1S79.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  County 
Board  in  1S70.  He  was  not  burdened  with  cash  on  his  arrival  to  this 
country,  but  by  industry  and  economy  he  has  accumulated  considerable 
money,  and  is  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He  married  Ellen  Erik- 
son,  Oct.  6,  i860.  She  was  born  in  Norway  in  1S35.  They  have  seven 
children — Annie,  Christie,  Erik,  Carrie,  Thomas,  Emma  S.  and  John  O. 
Members  of  Lutheran  Church. 

J.  G.  AUER,  merchant,  Alma,  was  borij  in  Switzerland,  June  24, 
1S40.  In  1866,  he  came  to  America  and  his  first  location  was  in  the 
city  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  for  a  year  was  eng.iged  as  carpenter  and 
builder.  In  1867,  he  removed  to  this  town  and  continued  in  the  same 
line  of  business  until  1873,  when  he  established  himself  as  a  dealer  in 
furniture.  He  has  since  added  to  his  business  groceries  and  confection- 
ery. In  l86q,  he  married  Barbara  Moser,  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
have  six  children — George,  Lydia,  Bertha,  William,  Alice  and  Clara. 

W.  C.  AVERY,  blacksmith,  Alma,  was  born  in  England,  Jan.  17, 
1S47.  He  came  to  America  in  1854,  and  settled  in  Lake  Co.,  111.  In 
186S.  he  came  to  this  county  and  established  a  business  at  Mesha 
Mokwa.  In  1S75,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Alma.  He  has  been 
twice  married.  First,  to  Margaret  Evans,  of  Illinois.  She  died  in  1872. 
They  had  two  children,  Martha  and  Minnie.  Married  again  to  Susanna 
Lutschan,  a  native  of  Canada.  They  have  three  children— William, 
Samaria  and  Victoria. 

CHARLES  A.  BOEHME,  merchant.  Alma,  was  born  in  Muegeln, 
Saxony,  Germany,  May  27,  1823.  In  .September,  1S51,  he  landed  in  New 
York  City,  and  his  first  location  was  in  Buff'alo,  N.  Y.,  and  was  engaged 
in  tailoring.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind  ,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  same  business  until  1S59,  when  he  removed  to  Buf- 
falo County  and  settled  in  Buffalo  City.  Was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing and  also  owner  of  a  saw-mill.  He  afterwards  removed  to  this  place. 
In  :862,  he  married  Eleanor  Kempter,  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
have  eight  children  —  Flora,  Charles,  Emma,  George,  Adolph,  Julia, 
Robert  and  Alma.  Mr.  B.  has  also  been  Postmaster  in  this  village 
eight  years. 

WILLIAM  BRIGGEBOOS,  brewer.  Alma,  was  born  in  Germany, 
Jan.  30,  1S34.  When  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  he  came  to  America 
and  first  located  in  Galveston,  Texas.  The  following  year  he  came  to 
Alma  and  until  1S66,  he  was  engaged  in  the  wood  business,  when  he 
purchased  the  Alma  Brewery,  of  which,  since  been  proprietor.  He 
married  Ursilla  Menly,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  in  1S61.  They  have 
three  children— Christina,  Julia  and  Meno. 

HON.  JOHN  BURGESS,  County  Clerk  of  Buffalo  County.  Alma, 
was  born  in  Scotland,  May  26,  1S29.  When  he  was  twenty-four  years 
of  age  he  embarked  for  .America  and  landed  in  New  Orleans.  He  did 
not  make  a  permanent  location  until  1S56,  when  he  settled  in  the  town 
of  Nelson,  this  county,  and  until  his  election  to  the  position  of  County 
Clerk,  his  time  has  been  occupied  as  a  farmer.  Although  not  an  office- 
seeker  Mr.  B  has  held  quite  important  positions  ;  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature  in  1S64,  and  has  been  Chairman  of  his  town  four  years. 
He  married  Rachael  Evans,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1S60.  They 
have  six  children  —  .Ann  Jane.  William  A.,  George  E.,  Hattie,  Mary, 
and  lohn.  Mr.  Burgess  has  for  many  years  been  a  member  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church. 

M.  T.  BUTLER,  saloon  keeper.  Alma,  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia, 
July  12,  1845;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1868.  and  settled  in  the 
State  of  Maine,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  a  lumber  company  one  year. 
In  1871,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  lumbering.  In  1S77,  he  came  to  Alma  and  engaged  in  his 
present  business. 

STEPHEN  CALLAHAN,  saloon  keeper,  Alma,  was  born  in  Roch- 
ester, N.  v.,  Nov.  23,  1845;  came  to  Wisconsin  when  he  was  four  years 
of  age,  and  located  with  his  parents  in  Milwaukee.  From  thence  they 
removed  to  Green  Bay,  thence  to  Oconto.  In  1S73,  he  came  to  Alma 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  married  Mary  Phillippi,  a 
native  of  Wisconsin. 

^L\RTIN  EXEL,  Alma,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  cigars,  No. 
141,  61I1    District,  w.is  born   in    Germany,  Feb.  5,  1843.     In    1868,  he 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


came  to  America,  and  first  settled  in  Eau  Claire,  and  was  employed  as  a 
cigar  maker  for  nine  years.  In  1S77,  he  removed  to  Alma,  and  estab- 
lished his  present  business.  Married  Clara  Theisen,  in  1S74.  She  was 
born  in  this  State.  Thev  have  four  children  —  Mary,  Sopha,  Matilda 
and  Martin. 

FREDERICK  FISHER,  lumber  dealer,  Alma,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, Oct,  16,  1S35  ;  came  to  America  in  1841,  and  located  with  his 
parents  in  Maryland.  In  1866,  he  came  to  Alma  and  was  employed  for 
a  number  of  years  by  Mr.  Lane.  He  married  Jennie  Little,  in  1864,  a 
native  of  Philadelphia. 

SAMUEL  FUOTER,  saloon.  Alma,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  Nov. 
I,  1846  ;  came  to  America  in  1S68,  and  located  in  Alma.  He  married 
Margaret  Ming,  a  native  of  Switzerland.  They  have  four  children  • — 
Anton,  Christ,  Samuel  and  Lillie. 

HENRY  GINZKEY,  druggist,  of  the  firm  of  Gin/key  &  Hunner, 
Alma,  was  born  in  Austria,  Aug.  20,  1842.  He  came  to  America  in  1856, 
and  his  first  location  was  in  La  Crosse  wheie  he  attended  school  for  two 
years.  In  1S64  he  settled  in  Alma,  and  has  been  engaged  in  various 
business  since,  and  is  now  a  member  of  one  of  the  leading  fiims  in  the 
city.  In  1S71  he  married  Christena  Mann,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They 
have  four  children— Frank  C,  AuriUa,  Rosa  and  Alfred. 

JULIUS  GINZKEV,  saloon,  Alma,  was  born  in  Austria,  Jan.  23, 
1845.  He  came  to  Ameiica  in  1S57.  and  settled  at  Alma.  He  attended 
school  at  La  Crosse  two  years,  he  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  from  there  to 
Quincy,  III.,  he  was  afterwards  in  La  Crosse  three  years,  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  harness  making,  and  in  1864,  started  a  shop  in  this 
place.  He  has  been  Postmaster  two  years.  He  married  Julia  Berg,  a 
native  of  New  York.  They  have  two  children,  Raymond  and  Aima 
Nora. 

was  born  in  Swilzer- 


JOHN   HARRY,  dealer  in   grain   and 


1S47. 


1851 


to  America  and  settled 
this  county.      In  1869, 


his  parents  came 
n  Dubuque,  la.,  four  years  later  they  removed 

Mr.  Harry  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  in  which  he  has  since  con- 
tinued. He  married  Annie  Beaver,  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have 
four  children  —  Eddie,  Clara,  John  and  Frank. 

ANDREW  IIEMRICH,  butcher.  Alma,  was  born  in  Germany, 
March  25,  1832  ;  came  to  America  in  1851.  and  settled  in  New  Jersey, 
and  was  engaged  in  butchering;  in  1856,  became  10  Alma  and  continued 
in  the  same  business.  He  has  been  married,  and  has  seven  children  — 
Matilda,  Frederick,  Andrew,  Melissa,  Annie,  Lydia  and  Frank. 

WILLIAM  HOEFLING,  grain  dealer,  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan. 
5,  1S45.  He  came  to  America  in  1862,  and  went  to  Manitowoc,  and 
enlisted  in  Co.  F.  26th  Wis.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  afterwards  attended  college  in  Milwaukee,  and  then  was 
employed  as  book-keeper  in  Chicago.  In  the  Summer  of  1869. 
he  made  a  trip  to  Germany,  and  on  his  return  he  located  in  this  county. 
The  following  Spring  he  established  his  present  business.  He  has  been 
Justice  of  Peace,  two  years,  and  Village  Clerk,  four  years.  In  1874,  he 
married  Addie  Saltnian,  a  native  of  Germany.  They  have  three  child- 
ren— Elfa,  Orma  and  Luida. 

SILAS  V.  HOLSTEIN,  superintendent  of  Meridean  Mill  Go's 
mills  at  Alma,  was  born  at  Rock  Island,  111.,  Dec.  25,  1839.  He  has 
been  in  the  lumber  business  for  the  past  twenty-two  years.  He  located 
at  Alma  Feb.  :6,  18S0.  March  13.  1S70,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Emily  C.  Johnson,  a  native  of  Ohio. 

LOUIS  P.  HUNNER,  druggist,  of  the  firm  of  Ginzkey  &  Hunner, 
Alma,  the  son  of  John  and  Doratha  Hunner,  natives  of  Germany,  was 
boin  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  7,  1850.  When  he  was  fourteen  years  of 
age,  his  parents  came  to  this  county,  and  he  has  since  resided  here.  He 
established  his  present  business  in  1873,  under  the  firm  name  of  L.  P. 
Hunner  &  Co.  In  1876  he  took  Mr.  Ginzkey  for  a  partner,  and  by  close 
attention  to  business  and  good  management  they  have  enlarged  their 
business,  and  are  doing  an  exchange  banking  business.  Mr.  Hunner 
married  Lucella  Smith  in  1869.  She  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Iowa. 
They  have  three  children— Richard,  Edward  and  Adella. 

THOMAS  IRVINE,  superintendent  and  secretary  of  the  Beef 
Slough  Boom  Co.,  Alma,  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada,  July  2,  1S41. 
When  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  he  went  to  Muscatine,  Iowa,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  Mr.  Herschie.  He  is  also  sec- 
retary of  the  Chippewa  River  Improvement  Log  Driving  Co.  He  mar- 
ried Emily  A.  Hills,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  They  have  one  child, 
Horace  H. 

HON.  R.  R.  KEMPTER,  dealer  in  grain  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments. Alma,  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  Feb.  7,  1837,  came  10 
America  with  his  parents  in  1849.  and  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In 
1858  he  came  to  Alma,  and  was  employed  as  clerk  by  Charles  Schaetlle. 
In  :86i  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  9'h  Wis.  I.,  and  served  two  years.  He  was 
commissioned  second  lieutenant.  He  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Court,  and 
in  1880  was  elected  a  member  of  ihe  Legislature.  He  has  been  twice 
married— first  to  ]ulia   Huebsch,   a   native  of  Bohemia.     They  had  six 


DUNCAN  P.  KENNEDY,  agent  for  W.  &  J.  Flemming  of  Mc- 
Gregor, Iowa,  Alma,  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  March  26,  1845. 
Previous  to  his  coming  to  the  United  States  he  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  He  came  to  Alma  in  1871. 
He  was  for  some  time  foreman  for  the  Mississippi  Logging  Co.  In  the 
Fall  of  1880  he  becameagent  for  his  present  employers.  He  married 
Mary  Colburn,  a  native  of  New  York.    They  have  one  child,  Duncan  H. 


vas  born  in    Baden, 
553,  and  first  located 


children- 


-Richard  A.. 


His 


le  G: 


rnly. 


LAURENCE    KESSINGER,    teacher,  AIn 
Germany,  Aug.  10,  1826.     He  came  to  America 

in  St.  Louis.  He  remained  there  six  months.  He  then  went  to  Terre 
Haute,  Ind.,  where  he  was  employed  as  teacher  for  one  year.  In  1S55,  he 
came  to  this  county,  and  settled'  in  Buffalo  City,  and  was  still  engaged 
as  teacher  ;  in  1865,  was  elected  County  Surveyor,  which  office  he  held 
two  terms.  He  was  also  Superintendent  of  Schools  three  terms.  In 
1S70,  he  removed  to  Alma,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Meersburg  Normal  School,  Germany.  He  married  Mary 
Schneider,  a  native  of  Switzerland.  '  They  have  four  children — Alice, 
Mary,  Charles  and  Matilda. 

FRED.  LANE,  lumber  dealer.  Alma,  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  15, 
1833.  He  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  his  first  permanent  settlement 
was  in  Buffalo  City,  where  he  erected  a  steam  saw- mill.  In  1S65,  he  re- 
moved to  Alma,  where  he  built  another  extensive  mill,  and  still  contin- 
ues in  the  lumber  business.  His  mill  has  the  capacity — 25.000  feet  per 
day.  He  employs  about  twenty-five  men.  He  has  been  twice  married, 
first  to  Julia  Horst,  a  native  of  Germany.  They  had  five  children,  three 
of  whom  are  now  living — Laura,  Matilda  and  Julia.  His  second  wife 
was  Margaret  Mason,  a  native  of  Kentuckv  ;  they  have  five  children — 
Frederick.  Eddie,  William,  Adolph  and  Charles. 

C.  W.  LAWRENCE,  proprietor  of  livery  barn.  Alma,  was  born  in 
Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  April  16,  1S54;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858,  and 
located  with  his  parents  at  New  Lisbon,  where  they  remained  two  years, 
and  then  removed  to  Alma,  where  they  have  since  lived.  He  married 
Katie  Hoffer,  a  native  of  Jefferson  County. 

ROBERT  LEES,  attorney  at  law.  Alma,  was  born  in  Scotland,  July 
3,  1842.  When  he  was  lour  years  of  age,  his  parents  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, and  settled  in  Waukesha  County  ;  seven  years  later  they  removed  to 
this  county,  and  located  in  the  Town  Cross.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  6th 
Wis.  Inf.,  in  1S61,  and  was  discharged  on  the  l6thof  July,  1864.  He 
married  Mary  Baertsch,  a  native  of  Illinois.  They  have  five  children — 
Edward,  Mary,  Isabella,  Andrew  and  Alice. 

J.  M.  LEONHARDV,  Register  of  Deeds,  Alma,  was  born  in  Swit- 
zerland, Feb.  3,  1843.  When  be  was  sixteen  years  old,  his  parents  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  for  a  period  of  one  year  resided  in  Canada,  when 
they  removed  to  Sauk  County,  and  only  remained  there  a  short  time.  In 
1861,  they  located  permanently  in  the  town  of  Alma.  Mr.  Leonhardy 
had  only  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education,  but  his  early  life 
w-as  spent  in  teaching  during  the  Winter,  and  farming  in  Summer.  In 
1S69,  he  settled  in  the  village  of  Alma,  and  has  been  in  various  busi- 
nesses since.  Although  not  an  office-seeker,  he  has  been  chosen  by  the 
people  to  act  as  Sherift' one  term,  and  in  1879  was  elected  to  his  present 
position.  In  1S73,  he  married  Veronika  Fuoter,  who  was  born  in  the 
same  place,  in  1851.     They  have  one  child.  Alma. 

EMIL  LEONHARDY,  proprietor  of  Massasoit  House,  Alma,  was 
born  in  Switzerland,  Aug.  16,  1S47.  In  1859.  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  America,  and  for  a  few  months  lived  in  Canada.  They  re- 
moved from  there  to  Sauk  County.  Soon  after  they  located  in  the  town 
of  Alma,  and  his  parents  are  still  residents  of  that  town.  In  1870,  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  the  village  of  Alma,  dealing  in  agri- 
cultural implements  and  insurance.  He  was  appointed  special  agent  for 
C.  Aultman  &  Co.,  which  position  he  held  for  three  years,  when  he  pur 
chased  the  Massasoit  House.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Deputy  SherilT 
and  Register  of  Deeds,  under  his  brother.  In  1872,  he  married  Mary 
Bruegger,  born  in  this  State  in  1849.  They  have  five  children — .-Knnie 
Alma,  Paul  E.,  Clara,  Lydia,  Belle. 

D.  J.  McKENZIE,  lumber  inspector.  District  No.  9,  Alma,  was  born  in 
Glengary  County,  Canada,  July  4,  184S.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1871 
and  located  at  Chippewa  Falls,  and  engaged  in  scaling  logs.  In  1877 
he  was  appointed  by  the  government  to  fill  his  present  position.  He 
married  Catherine  E.  Horton.  a  native  of  Potter  County,  Penn.  They 
have  one  child,  Laverne  E. 

NEWTON  McVEY,  physician  and  surgeon.  Alma,  was  born  in  Ma- 
rion County,  Ind.,  Oct.  11, 1S45.  He  graduated  at  the  Indiana  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  received  his  diploma  on  the  26th  of  February,  1875.  He  had 
been  in  the  practice  of  medicine  seme  time  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis 
before  he  graduated.  In  1875  ''*  made  a  permanent  location  in  this  vil- 
lage, and  has  thereby  become  one  of  Alma's  staunch  citizens.  In  the 
same  year  he  came  to  Alma,  he  married  Nancy  L.  Furgason,  who  was 
also  born  in  Marion  Countv.  They  have  two  children,  Elsie  and  Carrie. 
Mr.  M.  was  for  a  short  tim'e  in  the  U.  S.  A.  as  drummer.  He  enlisted 
in  Co.  A.,  47th  Ind.  in  1865,  and  was  discharged  in  same  year. 

JOHN  MAILER,  blacksmith,  AUiia,  was  born  in  Perth,  Scotland, 
Oct.  3,  1S42.     In  1870  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in  the  village  of 


164 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Misha  Mokwa,  Buffalo  Co.,  and  engaged  at  his  trade  of  blacksmithing, 
which  he  continued  ten  years.  He  then  reijioved  to  Alma.  He  married 
Joanna  Peddie.  also  a  native  of  Scotland;  They  have  nine  children,  Ag- 
nes I.,  John.  William  P.,  Thomas.  Mary,  Jane.  Jessie,  James  I.,  and 
Margaret.  Mr.  Mailer  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  six  years';  elected 
Clerk  two  terms. 

,  HAUTMAN  MOOT,  butcher,  Alma,  was  born  in  Indiana  County. 
Penn.,  .^ug.  11,  1S54.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S73  and  settled  in 
Alma.     He  married  Louisa  Kirchner,  a  native  of  Germany. 

CONRAD  .MCSER,  Jr.,  County  Judge,  Alma,  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land, April  28,  1S35.  He  came  to  America  in  1S56  and  landed  in  New 
York  City  on  the  2Slh  of  April.  He  soon  after  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
studied  law  for  three  years.  In  1861  he  came  to  Alma  and  was  first  ap- 
pointed County  Clerk  to  fill  a  vacancy  and  in  1S62  was  elected  and  in  1864 
re-elected.  At  this  time  he  began  the  practice  of  law.  In  1873  he  re- 
moved to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  made  his  residence  until  1876.  when  he 
was  appointed  Chief  Quartermaster,  District  2.  and  Comptroller.  This 
not  being  a  very  lucrative  business  he  resigned  and  returned  to  Alma, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  Although  not  an  office-seeker,  he  has  been 
chosen  by  the  people  to  fill  nearly  all  county  offices  at  different  times. 
He  has  been  a  Member  of  the  Legislature  two  terms  and  elected  County 
Judge  in  1877  and  again  in  1879.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first  to 
V'erena  Dunkel,  a  native  of  Switzerland.  She  died  in  December,  1S69. 
They  h.id  four  children — Louisa,  Gustav,  Lena  and  Robert.  His  second 
wife  was  Margaret  Theisen,  a  native  of  this  State.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren—Ida, Ferdinand,  Conrad,  Charles  and  Elva. 

MARTIN  POLIN,  merchant,  Alma,  was  born  in  Switzerland.  Feb- 
13,  1840.  In  1857.  he  came  to  Alma  and  clerked  for  a  man  named 
Geeter  for  a  short  time.  He  then  went  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  and  clerked 
for  Benjamin  &  Gray.  In  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  55th  Reg.,  N. 
Y.  Inf..  and  was  discharged  in  1S63.  In  1865,  he  came  back  to  Alma; 
was  in  various  business  until  he  purchased  the  store  of  Tester  &  Folin, 
in  1873.  In  1872,  he  married  Magdalena  Polin,  a  native  of  Switzer- 
land. They  have  seven  children — Annie,  Joshua,  Elizabeth,  Rosa,  Os- 
car, Olga  and  an  infant. 

HENRY  RABBAS,  grain  dealer,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Dec.  16, 
1829.  He  came  to  America  in  1859  and  first  located  at  Two  Rivers, 
and  was  for  three  years  engaged  in  milling.  In  1862,  he  removed  to 
Alma,  and  has  since  been  in  the  grain  and  commission  business.  He 
married  Mary  Heofling,  a  native  of  Germany,  in  1864.  They  have  three 
children — Helma,  Jennie  and  Henery. 

JOHN  C.  RATHBUN,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Buffalo  County, 
Alma,  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  Dec.  19,  1854.  When  he  was 
two  years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  their  first  location 
was  in  Gilmanton,  this  county.  His  father.  C.  VV.  Ralhbun,  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  in  that  town.  Mr.  Rathbun's  early  life  was  spent  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  in  Winter  attending  school.  In  1872,  he  went  to 
Madison  and  attended  the  State  University,  and  graduated  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1877.  In  the  same  Fall  he  was  elected  County  Superintendent 
of  Schools  and  in  1879  was  re  elected.  He  married  in  187S,  Libbie 
Goldenberger,  a  native  of  Boston.     They  have  one  child,  Chauncy  B. 

H.  J.  RIECIv,  Justice  ;  born  in  Germany,  June  24,  1S36.  In  1855, 
he  came  to  America  and  settled  in  this  county,  and  for  six  years  was  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  1861,  h»  removed  to  this  town  and  has  been  in 
various  business  since.  In  1868,  he  went  into  the  saloon  keeping  which 
he  has  continued  since.  He  has  been  Justice  fourteen  years;  Town 
Clerk  and  Village  Trustee,  and  other  offi.-es.  He  married  Louisa  Wue- 
fel,  a  native  of  Prussia.  They  have  seven  children  — Odelia,  Ida,  Gus- 
tav, Olive,  Rosa,  Alfred  and  Alma. 

JOSEPH  SCHLUMPF,  .\lma,  w.as  born  in  France,  Sept.  17,  1834. 
He  emigrated  to  America  in  1853.  and  landed  in  New  Orleans,  where  he 
remained  four  years.  He  made  several  changes  afterwards,  and  in  i860 
settled  in  this  county,  and  the  first  four  years  tilled  the  soil.  In  1865, 
he  engaged  in  saloon-keeping  which  he  has  continued  since.  His  wife 
and  daughters  keep  a  millinery  establishment.  His  wife  was  Miss  Gene- 
veve  Wiegele.  a  native  of  Germany.  They  have  seven  children— Louisa, 
Josephene,  August,  Joseph,  Robert.  Emma  and  Eve.  Mr.  Schlumpf  has 
been  a  member  of  the  vill.age  Board  two  terms.  Assessor  one  term,  and  is 
Justice  of  the  Peace  at  present. 

CHARLES  SCHAETTLE,  merchant.  Alma,  was  born  in  Obern- 
dorf,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  Jan.  20.  1827.  He  came  to  America  in 
1848,  and  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  for  ten  years  was  eng,iged  in 
the  leather  business.  In  1858,  he  reinoved  to  Buffalo  City  and  engaged 
in  merchandising.  In  1866,  he  removed  to  tliis  town  and  continued  in 
the  same  line  of  business.  He  mxrried  Julia  Kempter  in  1852.  She  was 
born  in  Rottweil, 'Wurtemberg,  Germany.  They  have  five  children- 
Annie,  Charles,  Frank,  George  and  Romeo. 

J.  A.  TESTER,  merchant,  .\lma,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  March 
30,  1834.  In  1848,  his  parents  came  to  .\merica  and  located  in  St.  Louis. 
In  1855,  he  left  home  and  came  to  Alma,  and,  with  a  man  named  Palin, 
embarked  in  merchandising  with  very  little  capital.  By  close  attention 
to  business  and  good  management,  he  has  become  one  of  Buffalo  Coun- 


ty's richest  men.  In  1873,  he  went  to  Europe,  and  in  June,  1880,  he 
went  again.  He  married  Matilda  Binder  in  February,  i860.  She  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany.  They  have  three  children — Julia,  Edwin 
and  Clara. 

JOHN  W.  TESTER,  merchant.  Alma,  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
Jan.  12,  1845.  When  he  was  three  years  of  age  his  parents  came  to 
Anerica,  and  located  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  In  1861,  he  came  to  this 
village,  and  remained  two  and  a  half  years,  when  he  returned  to  St. 
Louis,  and  for  three  years  was  employed  as  clerk  for  Provost  Marshal, 
and  the  following  three  years  he  was  clerk  in  master  mechanic's  office 
for  the  North  Missouri  Railroad  Company.  In  1871,  he  came  back  to 
Alma.  Two  years  later  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  with  Mr. 
Schilling,  and  has  continued  in  it  since.  He  married  Julia  Binder,  a 
native  of  this  county.     They  have  one  child,  Irla. 

S.-VMUEL  SCHILLING,  merchant,  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Tester  &  Schilling,  was  born  in  this  county  in  1832,  Oct.  9,  of  German 
parents.  He  engaged  in  business  with  Mr.  Tester  in  1873.  Married 
."^nnie  Saxer  in  1S74.  She  was  born  in  Switzerland,  March  I,  1853. 
They  have  one  child,  Edwin. 

PHILIP  ZELLER,  harnessmaker.  Alma,  was  born  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  May  20,  1S50.  In  1S64,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  this  county 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Wamandee.  In  iS7l,he  went  to 
Fountain  City  to  learn  the  trade  of  harnessmaking,  which  he  completed 
in  the  following  three  years.  In  1875,  he  established  business  in  Alma. 
In  1874,  he  married  Mary  Weiwers,  a  native  of  Sauk  County.  They 
have  two  children — Rosetta  and  Amanda. 

PROF.  JAMES  W.  YULE,  teacher,  was  born  in  Lake  Co.,  111., 
Feb.  14,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Jessie  Yule,  natives  of  Scot- 
land. His  early  life  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm,  in  the  town  of  New- 
port, Lake  Co.,  111.  In  1873,  he  graduated  at  the  State  University  of 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  In  1876.  he  became  Principal  of  the  Alma  Public 
School,  which  position  he  still  holds.  He  married  Charlotte  E.  Skin- 
ner, a  native  of  New  York.     They  have  one  child,   George  R. 

FOUNTAIN  CITY. 

This  village  is  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county,  nestled  among  the  cliffs  on  the  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  The  place  has  the  honor  of  being  the  seat  of 
civilization  of  Buffiilo  County.  For  a  time  after  the 
first  settlement  here,  the  Indians  remained  in  undisturbed 
possession  of  the  territory,  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
county.  Tlie  place  now  occupied  by  Fountain  City,  was 
neutral  ground  to  the  surrounding  tribes, —  the  Winneba- 
gos,  Chippewas  and  Sioux.  Dangerous  ground  it  conse- 
quently proved  to  either  tribe,  for  peace  and  friendship 
were  unnatural  among  thein,  and  this  was  the  scene  of 
many  fearful  contests — a  fact  demonstrated  by  the  number 
of  skeletons  found  within  the  village,  buried  in  every 
conceivable  position.  We  may  well  credit  the  description 
given  by  the  first  settlers  of  the  last  fight  between  the 
Chippewas  and  the  Winnebagos.  The  Winnebagos  had 
brought  their  furs  to  the  log  cabin  (torn  down  by  Charles 
Neiman  in  1875)  and  were  engaged  in  trading,  when  sud- 
denly the  Chippewas  burst  from  the  thicket,  and  ,with  furi- 
ous yells  and  random  shots,  drove  their  enemies  down  the 
river.  The  informant  says  :  "The  balls  whizzed  through 
my  windows  ;  the  devils  howled  like  madmen.  It  was  get- 
ting dark,  and  things  looked  uncomfortable,  so  I  retired 
to  a  safe  corner  in  the  cellar.  In  the  morning  the  Chip- 
pewas had  disappeared,  but  we  buried  a  dozen  or  more 
scalpless  corpses.  The  very  springs  looked  bloody  to  me 
for  a  week  afterwards."  The  early  settlers  at  Fountain 
City  had  but  little  trouble  with  the  Indians;  they  did  beg 
and  steal,  and  did  occasionally  frighten  women  and  chil- 
dren away  from  their  homes  and  clear  the  pantry  of  all 
eatables;  "yet  they  were  never  dangerous  to  them  even  in 
the  bloody  time  of  the  New  Ulm  massacre. 

The  first  white  man  who  occupied  the  site  of  the  village 
of  Fountain  City  was  Holme,  a  true  western  pioneer,  to 
wiiom  a  life  in  the  wilderness  was  a  necessity,  and  the 
restraints  of  law  and  civilization  a  burden.  Adam  Weber 
found  him  here  in  1841,  trading  with  the  Indians.  Com- 
fortable and  independent  he  claims  to  have  been  here 
fifteen    years    previous  to  Weber's  arrival.     But  his  happi- 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


•6S 


ness  vanished  when  white  faces  became  familiar  in  his 
domain,  and  a  few  years  later  he  sold  his  squatter  right,  to 
Henry  Georke,  and  moved  with  his  squaw  and  children 
toward  the  setting  sun,  where  neither  ax  nor  plow  might 
disturb  his  solitude.  Captain  Harris,  of  Galena,  during 
those  days  made  monthly  trips  in  the  season  of  navi- 
gation to  Fort  Snelling,  and  he  employed  Adam  AVeber  in 
the  Winter  of  1841,  to  cut  cord  wood  for  the  use  of  his 
boats.  The  lonely  life  pleased  Mr.  Weber  and  the  next 
Winter  found  him  in  his  shanty  in  the  woods.  Soon  some 
of  his  friends  from  Galena  followed  him,  viz.:  Henry 
Georke,  John  Manzener,  Christian  Wenger,  Rudolph 
Beimer,  Victor  Probst,  Andreas  Baertsch,  and  Claus  Liesch, 
then  all  young  men  of  enterprise  and  courage,  to  whom  a 
life  in  the  wilderness  had  a  natural  charm  ;  they  built  a  row 
of  log  cabins  along  the  shore  and  "  Holme's  Landing  " 
became  a  stopping  place  for  boats  in  the  Summer,  and 
travelers  in  the  Winter,  as  well  as  the  trading  point  for 
supplies  of  all  kinds.  In  1845,  Mr.  Georke  brought  his 
bride  from  Galena,  and  Mrs.  Georke, ^now  Mrs.  Bodenstab, 
has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  white  woman  in  Buffalo 
County.  The  place  where  Henry  Teckenburg  now  lives 
was  her  first  home,  and  for  a  time,  hers  was  the  only  hos- 
pitable roof  between  Wabasha  and  LaCrosse.  Business  at 
Holme's  Landing  was  simply  the  sale  of  cord  wood  and 
furs.  Trading  with  the  Indians,  hunting  and  fishing,  provi- 
ded for  the  wants  of  the  early  settlers.  To  follow  the 
growth  and  struggles  of  this  young  community  would 
lengthen  this  sketch  to  tediousness,  but  it  would  be  incom- 
plete without  mentioning  a  few  incidents  which  at  the  time 
excited  universal  interest,  and  also  the  names  of  those  who 
were  the  first  to  aid  in  the  advancement  of  tlie  social  and 
material  welfare. 

In  1854,  the  village  ground  was  laid  out,  and  the  vener- 
able name  "  Holme's  Landing  "  thrown  aside,  and  "  Wau- 
mandee  "  adopted,  after  the  Indian  name  for  the  "beautiful 
stream  "  above  the  village;  but  the  strange  name  never  be- 
came popular,  and  was  soon  abandoned  for  the  present 
appropriate  name,  suggested  by  the  numerous  springs  found 
in  the  bluff,  in  the  rear  of  the  village.  Slowly  and  gradu- 
ally the  Indian  trails  gave  way  to  public  roads  ;  the  slippery 
log  across  the  creek  was  thrown  aside;  bridges  were  built 
and  traveling  made  comparatively  easy.  The  streets 
of  the  village  assumed  a  civilized  appearance ;  the  logs, 
and  stumps,  and  rocks  disappeared  ;  patient  and  persever- 
ing industry  were  beginning  to  tell. 

Previous  to  1854,  Henry  Georke  bought  and  opened  a 
store.  Henry  Teckenburg  ]nirchased  the  store  and  busi- 
ness of  Mr.  Georke  in  1854,  paying  for  his  stock,  the  sum 
of  $28.  Mr.  Teckenburg  brought  the  first  stock  of 
general  merchandise  to  Fountain  City. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  Winter  of  1854-5, 
in  a  log  house  owned  by  John  Beuhler;  the  teacher  being 
Mrs.  J.  R.  Penney.  The  first  school-house  was  built  of 
brick  by  Henry  Teckenburg  in   1859,  and  is  now  standing. 

Therissa  Georke,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Georke  (now 
Mrs.  Fugina),  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  place. 

The  first  brewery  was  built  and  run  by  Alois  Katler, 
in  1855. 

The  post-office  was  opened  at  this  point,  in  1854,  with 
James  M.  Pierce,  as  Postmaster.  He  has  been  succeeded 
in  the  Postmastership  by  Henry  Teckenburg,  from  1855  to 
1857  :  R.  W.  Feigl,  1857  to  1S5S;  Henry  Teckenburg,  1858 
to  1861  ;  Augustus  Finkelnburg,  1861  to  1862;  M.  W. 
Hamman,  1862  to  1863;  Selmar  Carthauser,  1863  to  1870; 
Fred  Morckel,  1870  to  1873;  John  Mauer,  1873  to  1874; 
Tobias  Yoegli,  1874  to  the  present  time. 

The  business  of  the  county  was  first  attended  to  at 
Fountain  City.     The  county  seat  was  subsequently  moved 


to  Upper  Fountain  City,  which  was  situated  on  the  prairie 
point,  about  three  miles  above  the  village.  It  did  not 
remain  long  there,  but  returned  to  Fountain  City,  and  in 
1859,  a  court-house  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $800.  This  old 
court-house  is  now  the  Eagle  Hotel.  In  i860,  the 
county  seat  was  removed  to  Alma. 

The  present  commodious  school-house,  the  largest  in 
the  county,  was  erected  in  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $7,oco.  This 
they  may  well  be  proud  of,  as  well  as  the  number  of  chil- 
dren assembled  there  in  the  four  departments,  and  the 
management  of  the  school  and  the  wise  liberality  of  the 
citizens,  who  all  seem  to  appreciate  the  value  of  a  good 
school  education.  In  1875  another  school-house  was  built 
by  the  Catholic  residents,  and  placed  under  the  care  of 
Nuns  belonging  to  the  order  of  Saint  Franciscus. 

June  I,  1861,  is  the  memorable  day  that  the  red,  white 
and  blue  flag  was  presented  to  the  brave  men  who  stepped 
forward  at  the  first  call  of  our  hero  President,  to  protect 
the  stars  and  stripes  from  southern  insult.  These  we  will 
never  forget  to  thank,  as  well  as  the  noble  boys  who  fol- 
lowed tht-ir  example  whenever  our  country  called  for  help. 

The  town  of  Buffalo  formerly  include-1  the  village  of 
Alma,  but  in  1870,  the  Legislature  granted  them  a  charter  . 
for  a  separate  municipal  organization,  and  since  then  they 
may  proudly  point  to  the  management  of  their  village 
affairs  as  a  model  of  honesty  and  prudence,  under  the  rule 
of  their  worthy  Presidents,  J.  B.  Oenning,  for  four  years; 
J.  J.  Senn,  for  two  years;  G.  G.  Oppliger,  for  two  years; 
Ferdinand  Huefner,  one  year;  Henry  Teckenburg,  two 
years;  Augustus  Finkelnburg,  two  years,  and  their  present 
President,  Henry  Roetliger. 

In  1 87 1  they  organized  a  fire  department,  con|isting  of 
a  hook  and  ladder  company,  hose  company  and  an  engine 
company.  They  now  have,  one  hook  and  ladder  truck 
and  equipments,  one  fire  engine  and  about  1500  feet  of 
hose.     The  water  supply  consists  of  two  large  cisterns. 

The  Turnveieiii  was  organized  in  April,  1858,  and  in 
1859  they  built  a  commodious  hall,  at  a  cost  of  about  $700. 
In  1877  this  hall  was  torn  down  and  rebuilt  on  its  present 
site.  A  singing  society  was  also  organized  during  this  same 
year.  .\  German  dramatic  club  was  organized  in  1859,  and 
,the  shooting  society  was  instituted  in  1863  and  incorporated 
in  1869.  The  Turner  Hall  is  now  occupied  by  both  the 
turners  and  shooting  societies.  These  societies  are  all  in 
a  prosperous  condition. 

A.  O.  U.  \V.,  Fountain  City  Lodge,  Xo.  13,  was  organized 
by  Matthias  Simon,  September  28,  1877,  with  ten  charter 
members.  It  is  now  a  thriving  institution,  and  numbers 
fifty  members.  Its  present  officers  are  :  lohn  Sclinitz,  P. 
M.  W.;  Tobias  Voegli,  M.  W.  ;  Martin  Nick,  foreman; 
Jacob  Baer,  Jr.,  O.  ;  Christian  Florin,  recorder;  Martin 
Feurhack,  financier  ;  Henry  Behlmer,  receiver  ;  Jacob  Hen- 
ney,  G. ;  Joseph  Mattausch,  I.  W.  ;  George  Fuchs,  O.  W. 

/.  O.  O.  F.,  Steuben  Lodge,  No.  280,  was  instituted  March 
8,  1878,  by  Theodore  Rodolf,  P.  G.  M.,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  German  lodge  at  Winona,  Minn.  It  was  insti- 
tuted with  five  charter  members,  and  now  has  sixty-one. 

Eagle  Brewery. — In  1873,  John  Koschuetz  established  a 
brewery,  since  which  time  he  has  added  new  buildings  and 
increased  its  capacity.  He  now  manufactures,  on  an  aver- 
age, 1,000  barrels  per  year.  This  institution  represents  an 
outlay  of  about  $8,000. 

A  Soda  Water  Manufactory  was  established  by  Fred. 
Hepp,  in  i873>  and  is  now  doing  a  thriving  and  prosperous 
business. 

Saw-Mill. — In  1854,  Edmund  Bishop  built  a  saw-mill, 
with  a  capacity  of  12,000  feet  per  day.  He  ran  it  until  1856, 
when  he  disposed  of  it  to  Slingluff,  Carpenter  &  Co.  Bohn, 
Grant  &  Co.  came  into  possession  of  it  in  1864.     Aftir  0)1- 


i66 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


erating  it  for  a  few  years,  it  was  shut  down,  and  in  1877 
purchased  by  its  present  owner,  Henry  Teckenburg.  In 
1879  lie  put  it  into  running  order,  and  now  employs  in  the 
manufacture  of  lumber,  about  sixteen  men.  The  lumber  is 
all  retailed  at  the  mill. 

Fountain  City  may  well  feel  i^roud  of  her  three  hand- 
some churches,  the  Catholic,  Lutheran,  and  Methodist. 
The  Catholic  Church  was  built  in  i860,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000, 
and  now  has  a  membership  of  about  100  families,  the 
Lutheran  was  built  in  1863,  and  has  a  membership  of  about 
180;  it  cost  about  $2,500.  The  Methodist  Society  was 
formed  in  1S65,  and  their  church  built  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of 
:$2,ooo. 

The  village  of  Fountain  City  is  compactly  built  under 
picturesque  bluffs  close  to  the  Mississippi,  and  its  substan- 
tial brick  houses,  clean  streets  and  green  gardens,  present  a 
picture  of  quiet  comfort,  and  show  what  strides  the  place 
lias  made  from  an  unbroken  wilderness  to  an  abode  of  civ- 
ilized life. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  BECHM.\NN,  merchant,  Fountain  City;  born  in  Ger- 
many, 2gth  of  .-Xugust  1834;  came  to  America  in  1857,  and  his  first  loca- 
tion was  in  Fountain  City  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  (mason)  In 
1873.  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  which  position  he  held  six 
years.  On  his  return  to  Fountain  City  from  the  county  seit,  he  and  his 
son  Charles  purchased  the  store  of  Mr.  G.  G.  Oppleger,  to  which  they 
gave  their  entire  attention.  His  son  Charles  R.  was  born  Feb.  17,  1857. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy.  Mr.  Bechmann 
Sr.,  married  Wilhelmena  Tratzscher,  a  native  of  Germany,  They  have 
five  children — Charles  R..  Emma,  Otto,  Annie  and  Pauline. 

HENRY  BEHLMER,  merchant,  Fountain  Citv,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, Jan.  20,  1S44.  In  1S51,  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
.and  settled  first  in  .Sheboygan,  where  they  lived  two  years.  From  there 
they  went -to  La  Crosse.  In  1854,  they  came  to  this  village  and  have 
since  resided  here.  The  suliject  of  this  sketch  has  been  in  various  busi- 
ness prior  to  his  present,  lie  married  Mary  Erhart,  a  native  of  Iowa. 
They  have  one  child,  Mary. 

G.  A.  BODEN.STAB,  physician  and  surgeon.  Fountain  City  ;  born 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  May  20,  1813;  came  to  America  in  1846,  and 
first  located  in  Sheboygan  County,  where  he  practiced  medicine.  He 
also  practiced  in  Milwaukee  a  short  time.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Rush 
Medical  College  in  Chicago,  and  also  a  University  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many. He  came  to  this  place  in  1S64.  and  has  been  its  leading  physi- 
cian since.  He  married  Catherine  Girka,  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
have  one  child,  Edmund. 

BOHRI  BROTHERS,  dealers  in  general  merchandise  and  grain, 
and  exchange  bank  business.     Established  in  1862. 

Frederick  Bohri,  merchant,  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Switzerland. 
March  16,  1842  ;  came  to  America  in  1854,  and  his  first  permanant  loca- 
tion was  in  this  village.  For  some  years  previous  to  his  going  into  busi- 
ness for  himself,  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk.  In  1862,  in  company 
with  his  brother  they  opened  up  their  present  establishment.  He  mar- 
ried Lena  Krundick,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany.  They  have  two 
children,  Frederick  J.  and  Edwin. 

Christian  Bohri,  merchant.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
Oct.  15,  1830;  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  for  two  years  in 
New  Philadelphia,  Ohio.  In  1854,  he  went  to  New  York  to  meet  his 
parents,  and  they  all  came  direct  to  this  county.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  employed  as  clerk  for  Bishop,  in  the  second  store  in  the  vil- 
lage until,  in  company  with  his  brother,  they  engaged  in  their  present 
business.  He  married  Victoria  Gilbert,  a  native  of  Illinois.  They  have 
five  children— Frank  (',..  Jennie,  Frederick,  Allie  and  Maud. 

C.  CARISCH,  dealer  in  grain.  Fountain  City  ;  born  in  Switzerland, 
Nov.  15,  1847.  When  he  was  two  years  old  his  parents  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  in  Sauk  City.  In  1S57,  they  went  to  La  Crosse,  and  they 
moved  again  in  1859.  to  this  county  and  settled  on  a  farm.  In  1864,  he 
in  company  with  his  brother,  opened  a  general  store  in  this  place  ;  they 
•continued  that  until  1879,  when  their  store  w.is  burned;  has  been  in 
the  grain  business  since.  He  married  Annie  Behlmer,  a  native  of  this 
•county.     They  have  four  children  —  George,  Lena,  Emil  and   Edward. 

JOHN  CLARKE,  machinist.  Fountain  City,  w.-ii  born  in  England, 
■Oct.  20,  1S24.  He  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  in  fersey 
City;  from  there  he  went  to  Howard  Co.,  Ind.,  and  from  there  to"  Fond 
du  Lac.  and  in  1855,  he  came  to  Fountain  City.  He,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Burler,  of  Alma,  built  the  steam  grist-mill  now  owned  by  Mr.  Kam- 
merer.  It  was  the  first  mill  built  in  the  county.  He  sold  his  interest 
to  Mr.  Burler  and  was  engaged  in  various  occupations  until  1865.  when 
he  began  his  present  business.     He  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  one  term 


and  District  Attorney  one  term.  He  married  Elizabeth  Waring,  a  na- 
tive of  England.  They  have  six  children — Marion,  Lillie,  Carrie.  Grace, 
Fanny  and  George. 

CLAUSEN  BROS.,  hotel  and  saloon.  Fountain  City.  This  firm 
was  established  in  the  Fall  of  1S74.  Frederick,  the  elder  brother,  was 
born  in  G.-rmany,  Njv.  23.  1S44;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S6S, 
and  to  Fountain  City  the  same  year,  where  he  worked  by  the  day  at 
different  things  until  he  started  in  business  with  his  brother  Christ,  who 
was  born  in  Germany  in  1S48,  and  came  to  America  in  1S75.  The  lat- 
ter is  a  fioe  musician,  having  traveled  with  the  Swiss  Bell  Ringers  for 
three  years.  They  are  both  members  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Steuben  Lodge, 
No.  280. 

R.  W.  FEIGL,  Notary  Public,  and  proprietor  of  billiard  and  danc- 
ing hall,  was  born  in  Bohemia,  Feb.  11,  1828.  On  the  14th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1S50,  he  landed  in  New  York  City.  Schenectady  was  his  first  loca- 
tion. In  1S55.  he  removed  from  there  here  and  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising until  1S66.  For  a  few  years  he  was  engaged  in  buying  grain.  In 
1872.  h?  began  his  present  business.  He  has  held  several  important 
town  offices ;  was  Town  Clerk  sixteen  years,  has  also  been  Chairman  of 
town.  He  married  Maria  Hellbeber,  of  Baden.  They  have  four  child- 
ren—  William,  Paulina,  Annie  and  Ferdinand. 

HENRY  FIEDLER,  butcher  and  beer  agent.  Fountain  City,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  Dae.  14,  1846  ;  came  to  America  in  1859.  and  located 
with  his  parents  in  Lafayette  County,  this  State.  In  1866,  came  to  this 
place  and  was  in  the  brewery  business  until  1880,  when  he  engaged  in 
his  present  occupation.  He  married  Catherine  Smith,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many.    They  have  two  children.  Michael  and  Hannah. 

AUGUSTUS  FINKELNBURG,  Fountain  City,  born  in  .Marien- 
linden,  Prussia,  May  8,  1830,  educated  in  the  college  at  Munstereiffel  ; 
came  to  the  United  .States  in  1S48  ;  chose  surveying  and  the  study  of 
law  as  a  profession,  while  living  in  St.  Charles,  Mo.  Crossed  the  plains 
in  185 1,  to  California,  and  followed  surveying  and  mining  there  ;  returned 
on  muleback  from  San  Diego,  in  1854  ;  built  and  stocked  the  second 
store  opened  in  Winona,  in  the  Spring  of  1S55  ;  followed  surveying  in 
Buffalo  County,  and  located  immigrants  ;  built  a  dwelling  in  Fountain 
City  in  the  Fall  of  1855;  married  and  settled  down;  helped  to  widen 
Indian  trails  till  they  were  called  roads,  to  build  bridges  where  slippery 
logs  connected  the  banks  of  the  creeks  ;  camped  in  Mondovi  and  Eau 
Claire,  hunting  up  connections,  before  corner  lots  were  known  ;  acted 
as  Clerk  at  the  first  sessions  of  Circuit  Court  and  County  Board  in  the 
county;  was  elected  the  first  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  also 
District  Attorney,  County  Judge,  member  of  Assembly,  State  Senator — 
better  than  that,  raised  a  family  of  nine  children,  and  oivns  as  comfort- 
able a  home  as  there  is  in  the  county. 

CHRIST  FLORLV,  hardivare  dealer,  Fountain  City,  born  in  Switz- 
erland, April  30,  1843,  came  to  America  in  1S68,  and  located  in  this 
town  and  engaged  in  present  business  with  Mr.  Stoll.  He  married  Miss 
Emma  Stoll,  a  native  of  this  county.  They  have  three  children — John 
J.,  Olga  and  Oscar. 

JOSEPH  FUGINA,  ofthe  firm  of  J.  &  M.  Fugina,  general  mer- 
chandise. Fountain  City.  This  firm  having  been  established  in  i860,  in 
a  small  frame  building,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Liberty  streets,  and 
in  1869  moved  into  the  brick  building  which  they  now  occupy.  They 
also  make  grain  buying  a  part  of  their  business.  In  April  of  1S75,  the 
above  firm  started  a  branch  store  at  Arcadia,  Trempealeau  Co.,  in  com- 
pany with  J.  M.  Fertig,  and  are  also  connected  with  him  in  the  brewery 
at  that  place.  They  also  own  farm  and  wood  land  to  the  amount  of  950 
acres.  They  are  both  members  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  Joseph  was 
a  liberal  contributor  to  the  Catholic  school  at  Fountain  City,  which  was 
erected  in  1871.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Austria,  March 
25.  1835,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856,  and  stopped  in  Chicago, 
where  he  lived  for  four  years.  His  brother,  Mark,  was  born  in  the  same 
country  in  1837,  coming  to  America  two  years  after  he  did,  which  was  in 
1858,  and  in  i860,  they  came  to  Fountain  City. 

MALCOLM  FYFE,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  tailor.  Fountain  City, 
was  born  in  Scotland  on  the  2Slh  of  March,  1830.  In  1868,  he  came  to 
the  United  .States  and  immediately  located, at  Fountain  City,  where  he 
has  made  his  home  since.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1S70, 
and  has  heUI  that  office  ever  since.  He  was  "married  in  Scotland  in  1865, 
to  Jane  Bryce,  a  native  of  that  country,  and  they  have  had  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  living — Mary  A.,  Elizabeth  M.  V.,  John  B., 
Margaret  and  Lorenzo.  Mr.  Fyfe  is  a  member  of  the  Fountain  City 
Lodge  No.  13,  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

AUGUST  GERLICH,  billiard  hall  and  saloon.  Fountain  City,  was 
born  in  Germany,  Dec.  10,  1829.  He  came  to  .\merica  with  his  parents 
in  1S33,  and  lived  with  them  in  Cincinnati  until  1S48,  when  he  went  to 
Dubuque,  la.,  where  lie  worked  at  tailoring,  and  also  in  Galena,  111.  In 
1853,  he  started  to  work  at  painting,  which  he  followed  until  1856,  and 
then  came  up  the  Mississippi  to  Fountain  City,  where  he  remained  but  a 
short  time  returning  to  Galena.  lie  there  married  Mrs.  Gerlich,  widow 
of  his  deceased  brother  Frederick  J.,  by  whom  she  had  two  children, 
Frederick  A.  and  Caroline  E.     After  his  marriage  he  returned  to  Foun- 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


167 


tain  City,  in  the  Fall  of  1S65.  he  has  made  it  his  home  ever  since.  He 
engaged  at  house  and  sign  painting  until  18S0,  when  he  started  his  pres- 
ent business.  He  has  nine  children  —  Fidelis,  Ludwig  W.,  George  H., 
Emma,  Lena,  John  E.,  Alford,  Nora  and  one  infant  son  unnamed. 

CASPER  F.  G.  HAHN,  shoemaker.  Fountain  City,  was  botn  in 
Germany,  June  :2,  1836;  came  to  the  United  States  in  July  of  1S71, 
and  immediately  located  in  Fountain  City,  and  commenced  to  work  at 
his  trade,  which  was  that  of  shoemaking.  He  was  married  in  Germany 
on  the  17th  of  November,  1865,  to  Wilhelmina  Langfeld,  by  whom  he 
has  six  children  — Henrietta  D.  T.,  Augusta  M.  B.,  l.ouite  W.  K, 
Magdalena  C.  C,  Karoline  M.  and  Frederick  M. 

WILLIAM  HECK,  engineer  of  the  steamer  "  Robert  Harris,"  was 
born  in  Germany,  Aug.  30,  1S43,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents,  landing  at  New  Orleans  where  they  remained  but  a  short  time. 
Then  they  moved  to  Ste.  Genevieve  Co.,  Mo.  In  1S55,  he  came  up  the 
Mississippi  River  to  Reed's  Landing,  Minn.,  v/ilh  his  father,  where  they 
remained  for  two  years  working  in  a  saw-mill,  and  in  1S57  moved  to 
Buffalo  County  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  Fall  of  1858  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  went  back  to  Missouri  and  worked  at  teaming  in  the  Iron 
Mountains  until  1S61,  at  which  time  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  com- 
menced farming  ajjain  with  his  father  in  Buffalo  County.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1867  to  Barbara  Fuches,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  they 
then  moved  into  Fountain  City  where  he  engaged  in  a  saw-mill  for  Frank 
Maultauch  for  .seven  years,  and  then  started  engineering  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, and,  in  1875,  formed  a  partnership  with  Peter  J.  Schneider,  to  run 
a  daily  boat  between  Winona  and  Fountain  Cily,  and  is  now  engineer 
and  partner  of  the  same,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F..  Steuben 
Lodge,  No.  280. 

FREDERICK  HEPP,  soda  water  manufactory  at  Fountain  City, 
was  born  in  Prussia  on  the  13th  of  February,  1832.  In  1852,  he  came  10 
the  United  States,  locating  at  Galena,  111.,  where  he  worked  in  s  flouring- 
mill,  and  afterwards  in  the  lead  mines.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Fountain 
City,  and  in  1856,  returned  to  Galena  and  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen,  which 
he  brought  up  the  river  on  a  boat  to  Fountain  Ciiy,  and  commenced 
breaking  a  farm.  In  1S5S,  he  was  mail  agent  from  Fountain  City  to  St. 
Croix,  a  distance  of  150  miles  by  land.  He  afterwards  followed  team- 
ing until  1874,  when  he  commenced  in  his  present  business.  He  has 
been  Town  Treasurer  of  Fountain  City,  also  a  member  of  Town  Board 
for  two  terms,  and  Constable,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  was  married  in  1857,  to  Sophia  Multhaup.  who  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany.  They  have  eight  children —  Matilda,  Mary,  Elizabeth, 
Tracy,  Rosa,  Adolph,  Lena  and  Ragena. 

PAUL  H  UEFNER,  grain  dealer,  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Kathea, 
Bavaria,  Germany,  June  2g,  1839.  When  he  was  eleven  years  of  age  his 
parents  came  10  .\merica  and  located  in  Southbridge,  Worcester  Co., 
Mass.,  where  they  Irved  until  i860,  when  they  came  to  Madison.  Two 
years  later  they  again  removed  to  Hastings,  Minn.  Mr.  Huefner  has 
been  permanently  located  in  this  place  since  1870.  He  has  two  ware- 
houses in  Alma  and  one  in  Buffalo  City  and  two  here.  He  married 
Louisa  Demeler,  a  native  of  England.    They  have  one  child,  Ferdinand. 

CHARLES  IRMSCHER,  foreman  of  Teekenburg'ssaw-mill,  Foun- 
tain Cily,  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  8,  1834.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1849,  first  locating  in  Manitowoc  County,  where  he  lived  for 
two  years,  then  went  to  Sheboygan  County  and  in  1854  came  to  Fount- 
ain City,  where  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since.  He  enlisted  in  March, 
1865,  in  the  48th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  K,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war  as  sergeant  of  that  company,  afterwards  returning  to  Fountain  City. 
He  was  married  in  1857  to  F'redrica  Meyer,  who  was  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  had  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living — 
Emma,  now  Mrs.  John  Smith,  of  Dakota  ;  Frederick;  Mary,  now  Mrs. 
Jacob  Erler ;  Charles,  Bernhart,  Phillip  and  Albine.  Mr.  Irmscher  has 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Fountain  City  for  one  year,  also 
Treasurer  one  year. 

S.  KAMMERER,  miller.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
Sept.  18,  1850,  came  to  America  in  1872  and  located  in  Green  Lake, 
'  Montgomery  Co.,  Penn.  He  rented  and  run  a  grist-mill  four  years.  In 
April,  1878,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  was  in  various  occupations  until 
the  Spring  of  1881,  when  he  purchased  his  present  mill.  It  is  the  first 
flouring  mill  built  in  this  county.  Mr.  Kammerer  intends  to  put  in  a  few 
improvements,  and  will  soon  have  a  capacity  of  100  barrels  per  day. 

JOHN  KOSCHUETZ.  brewer.  Fountain  Cily,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, Dec.  25,  1848;  in  1873,  came  to  America,  locating  at  Fountain 
City,  where  he  worked  in  the  brewery  for  Behlmer  &  Fiedler.  In  1874, 
he  renied  the  same,  and  run  it  for  five  years,  and  in  May  of  1880  bought 
it  for  himself.  He  now  brews  from  400  to  500  barrels  per  year.  He 
was  married  to  Louisa  Eihart,  who  was  born  in  Fountain  Cily.  They 
are  both  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  They  have  one  son, 
Frankie. 

JOHN  KROPP,  shoemaker.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Prussia, 
June  29,  1836.  In  1856,  he  came  to  lire  United  Slates,  where  he  trav- 
eled about  for  two  years,  working  at  his  trade  in  different  places.  In 
1858,  he  locateil  at  Fountain  City,  where  he  started  a  shoemaker  shop, 
his  being  the  second  one  in  that  place.     He   lias   hei-n  a  member  of  the 


band  at  Fountain  Ciiy  for  twenty-five  years,  and  was  married  in  Rock- 
ford,  111.,  to  Tracy  Mullhaulp.  They  have  had  eleven  children,  having 
now  living  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

JOSEPH  MATTAUCH,  blacksmith.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in 
Germany,  Aug.  8,  1840.  In  1857,  lie  came  to  America  with  his  parents. 
They  localed  in  La  Crosse  County  on  a  farm,  and  the  subject  of  ihis 
sketch,  having  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmithing  in  the  old  country, 
worked  at  it  here  in  different  places.  In  1863  he  came  to  Fountain 
Cily,  where  he  worked  for  Jacob  Stull  for  seven  years,  and  then  started 
a  shop  for  himself  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Fountain  City 
Lodge  No.  13.  He  was  married  to  Annie  Herdick,  who  is  also  a  native 
of  Germany.     They  have  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

MARTIN  NICK,  proprietor  of  the  Eagle  hotel  and  saloon  at  Foun- 
tain City,  was  born  in  Switzeiland,  Nov.  15.  1S28,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1855,  first  locating  in  Sauk  County,  where  he  lived  until  1858. 
He  then  removed  to  Buffalo  County.  Here  he  started  to  (arming,  on 
some  land  which  he  purchased  from  the  Government,  and  on  this  he 
lived  until  1874,  when  he  traded  his  farm  for  some  property  in  Foun- 
tain City  and  commenced  keeping  hotel.  He  was  Treasurer  of  the  town 
of  Mondovi  for  twelve  years,  and  in  1S80,  was  one  of  ihe  village  Trustees 
of  Fountain  Cily.  and  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Lodge,  No.  13, 
at  that  place.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Doratea  Pfosz,  in  Fountain 
City,  she  havirg  been  born  in  Switzerland.  They  have  eight  children^ 
two  sons  and  six  daughters. 

CHARLES  NIEMANN,  saloon.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, in  State  of  Mecklenburg,  Aug.  6,  :S23.  and  in  1853,  came  to 
America  and  first  settled  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed at  constructing  railroad.  In  August  of  1855,  he  moved  to  Foun- 
tain Cily  and  worked  in  a  sawmill,  and  in  1857,  carried  the  mail  be- 
tween Fountain  City  and  La  Crosse.  At  one  lime  was  fourteen  days 
making  the  trip  on  account  of  the  bad  roads,  and  at  another  time  when 
they  were  impassable  for  the  snow,  he  hired  C.  W.  Gilbert,  who  skated 
down  the  river  lo  La  Crosse,  and  back,  bringing  with  him  100  pounds 
of  mail.  Mr.  Niemann  continued  at  this  business  until  J869,  and  after- 
wards erected  the  large  brick  block,  where  he  now  does  business.  He 
has  been  a  member  ol  the  Lutheran  Church  for  twenty-two  years  and 
was  married  at  La  Crosse,  in  the  year  i860,  to  Margaret  Carrisch,  by 
whom  he  has  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

G.  G.  OPPLIGER,  retired  merchant.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  May  16,  1837.  In  1853,  he,  with  his  parents,  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  He  came  to  Fountain  City  in 
1858,  and  was  employed  for  a  few  years  as  clerk.  In  1861,  he  started 
The  Buffalo  County  Republican,  oi  yK\C\zh.  he  was  publisher  and  editor 
until  1870,  when  he  sold  it  to  Mr.  Leicht.  He  then  went  into  the  drug 
business;  continued  until  1870,  when  he  sold  his  stock  to  Beckman  & 
Son.     He  married  Anna  Ebner,  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany. 

MARTIN  RAHN,  cigar  manufactory,  Fountain  City,  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  Sept.  22,  184S.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  .-America  in 
1854,  and  lived  with  them  on  a  farm  in  Buffalo  County  until  1871.  when 
he  went  to  Milwaukee  and  learned  the  cigar  making  trade,  remaining 
there  two  yeurs.  He  then  returned  to  Buffalo  County  and  started  a 
cigar  manufactory  for  himself  in  Fountain  Cily,  and  has  since  followed 
that  business.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee  to  Mary  France,  who 
was  born  in  Wisconsin,  and  by  whom  he  has  four  children  —  Annie  M., 
Louisa  B..  Olka  M.  and  George  A. 

ALBERT  SCHERER,  hotel,  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Baden, 
Germany,  Nov.  16,  1831.  In  1854,  he  came  to  America  and  landed  in 
New  York  Cily  where  he  remained  one  year,  employed  as  a  baker.  In 
1857  he  came  to  Fountain  City.  In  1863,  he  opened  a  hotel  and  has 
been  in  that  for  the  past  eighteen  years.  He  married  Charlotte  Wagner 
in  1857.  She  also  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  six  childien — Char- 
lotte, Sophia,  Ferdinand,  Charles,  Lena  and  Amelia. 

PETER  J.  SCHNEIDER,  captain  and  pilot  of  the  steamer  "  Robert 
Harris,"  which  runs  daily  between  Winona,  Minn.,  and  Fountain  City,  is 
a  resident  of  the  latter  place,  having  been  born  in  Germany  on  the  19th 
of  March,  1830.  He  came  to  America  in  1854,  first  locating  in  (Galena, 
111.  He  engaged  on  lire  Mississippi  River,  first  as  deck  hand,  then  as 
watchman,  then  as  pilot,  and  finally  as  captain.  In  1S60,  he  ran  a  boat 
between  Galena  and  Bellevue,  Iowa,  and  afterwards  was  engaged  as  cap- 
tain and  pilot  with  John  Robinson  of  Winona,  on  a  boat 'which  plied 
between  Le  Claire,  low-a,  and  Ft.  Snelling,  continuing  this  for  five  years. 
He  then  was  employed  by  the  Diamond  Joe  Line,  and  in  1S75  entered 
a  partnership  wiih  William  Heck,  and  bought  the  steamer  "  Express," 
which  ihey  run  daily  between  Winona  and  Fountain  Cily  as  a  passenger 
and  freight  boat.  After  running  this  for  four  years  they  bought  lire 
steamer  "Robcrl  Harris,"  which  they  have  run  eversince.  Mr.  Schneider 
was  married  in  Germany  in  1851. 

JACOB  STOLL,  hardware  dealer,  Fountain  City,  born  in  Switzer- 
land, Feb.  2,  iS3i,came  lo  America  in  1S50,  and  first  localed  in  Madison, 
where  he  lived  two  years.  From  there  he  removed  to  New  Glarus, 
Green  County,  and  in  1853  he  went  lo  Ohio,  remained  a  short  time,  and 
in  1354  came  West  again  anil  settled  in  Galena,  111.     In  1855  he  moved 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


again,  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  this  village.  His  occupation  was 
blalcWsmilliing  until  1S69,  ■B-hen-he  went  into  the  hardware^ business  with 
Mr  Florin.  He  married  Rarbnra  Lichti,  also  a  native  of  Switzerland. 
They  have  three  children— Emma,  John  J.  and  William  G. 

HENRY  TECKF.XEURG.  merchant,  Fountain  City,  was  born  in 
Germany,  Feb.  10,  1S27.  In  1S52,  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Davenport,  Iowa.  He  staid  in  Iowa  six  months,  and,  in  1S53,  he  came 
to  La  Crosse  and  started  a  general  store.  He  only  remained  a  short 
time,  however,  when  he  removed  his  goods  to  this  place,  being  the  first 
store  in  Buffalo  County.  He  married  Margaret  Kuhan,  a  native  of 
Switzerland.  They  have  four  children  —  Emma.  Matilda,  Albert  and 
Flora. 

TOBIAS  VOEGELI,  Postmaster.  Fountain  City,  was  born  in  Switz- 
erland, Dec.  6,  1S32.  In  1855,  he  came  to  America,  and  landed  in  New 
York  City  on  the  2gth  of  April.  He  staid  for  a  few  years  in  New 
Glarus,  Green  Co.  In  1S57.  he  removed  to  this  village,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  was  employed  as  a  carpenter  and  builder  until  1S74, 
when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster.  He  married  Annie  R.  Wichser, 
also  a  native  of  Switzerland.  They  have  four  children — Thomas,  Fred. 
Kate  and  Henry.  In  1S64.  Mr.  V.  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  gth  Wis.  V.I.,  and 
was  mustered  out  June  3,  1S65. 

F.  H.  WESTERKAMP,  boot  and  shoe  store,  Fountain  City,  was 
born  in  Germany,  July  19.  181S;  came  to  America  in  1853,  and  settled 
in  Galena.  III.,  and  in  1S54,  came  to  Fountain  City,  and  has  since  been 
engiged  in  shoemaking.  He  married  Maria  Engel,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many.    They  have  four  children — Henry,  Gerhardt,  Dora  and  Lizzie. 

ZIEGENFUSS  BROTHERS,  butchers.  Fountain  City.  Christoph, 
the  elder  brother,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Dec.  13,  1S37.  He  married 
Teresa  Reid,  a  native  of  Baden.  They  have  five  children — George, 
Lena.  Mary,  William  and  Eddie.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  12th  III.  I., 
in  1861,  and  was  discharged  in  1864.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Village  Trustee  and  Marshal  of  Fountain  City.  Michael,  the  younger 
brother,  was  born  in  the  same  place,  April. 14,  1S43.  He  also  enlisted 
in  the  U.S.  A.  in  Co.  G,  19th  111.  I.,  in  i86t,  and  was  discharged  in 
1S62.  He  married  Lena  Reid,  of  Baden.  They  have  four  children — 
Aloise,  Herman,  Emma  and  Kate. 

George  Ziegenfuss,  their  father,  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1806.  In 
1852  he  came  to  America  witli  his  family,  and  their  first  location  was  in 
Galena,  111.,  where  they  lived  three  years,  when  they  removed  to  this 
place.  His  business  has  been,  and  still  is,  brewing.  He  married  Cath- 
erine Engelhart,  also  horn  in  Prussia.  They  have  four  children  living — 
Mary,  John.  Christoph  and  Michael,  the  last  two  of  whom  sketches  ap- 
pear elsewhere. 

BUFFALO    CITY. 

This  city  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
county,  on  the  Mississippi  River;  was  first  settled  by  Mat- 
thias Hammer  and  John  C.  VVecker,  in  1853,  who  erected  a 
log  shanty,  and  were  engaged  in  cutting  cord-wood  and 
trading,  on  a  small  scale,  with  the  Indians.  They  remained 
here  only  a  short  time.  In  1856,  a  Cincinnati  colony,  com- 
posed of  Frederick  Pfeiffer,  George  Messinger,  Robert 
Stromann,  and  others,  imagining  that  this  place  off.-red 
facilities  and  guarantees  for  a  thriving  and  permanent  busi- 
ness, purchased  the  land  where  Buffalo  City  now  stands, 
from    Rudolf   Kockwelp,  John  Baumann,   William  Snook, 

Jacob  Mueller,  and Vager,  and  laid  out  and   platted  a 

village  site,  Robert  Stromann  doing  the  surveying.  In  April, 
1856,  Leopold  Arndt,  now  a  resident  of  Buffalo  City,  came 
to  Buffalo  City,  and  assisted  in  laying  out  the  village  and 
making  the  contracts  for  the  land.  Mr.  Arndt  subsequently 
purchased  a  lot  and  built  the  first  frame  house  in  the  place, 
procuring  his  lumber  from  Fountain  City.  Later  in  this 
year  came  Frederick  Kirchner,  Joachim  Goettinger,  and  a 
Mr.  Becker,  who  were  engaged  in  chopping  down  the  trees 
and  clearing  out  the  streets  for  the  Cincinnati  Colony. 
When  Mr.  Yager  first  came,  and  the  village  plat  was  laid 
out,  he  built  a  log  house,  and  these  men  all  lived  in  that 
while  doing  this  work.  In  1857  came  Herman  Schraeder, 
Henry  Busdecker,  George  Reider,  Ferdinand  Horst,  and 
Franz  Huebsch.  These  men  mostly  worked  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  in  the  construction  of  new  houses.  In  1S58,  one 
Michael,  an  agent  for  Edward  Gunkle,  a  baker  in  Cincin- 
nati, arrived  in  the  embryo  city,  and  at  once  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  saw-mill,  which  was  completed  and  jnit 
into  operation  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year.  The  next  year, 
in  1859,  Edward  Gunkle  came  himself,  and  erected  a  fiour- 


ing-mill  in  connection  with  his  saw-roill,  the  same'"engine 
furnishing  the  motive  power  for  both.  From  this  date  the 
population  increased  very  rapidly,  and  on  every  hand  were 
evidences  of  civilization,  and  from  appearances  then,  this 
was  soon  to  become  the  metropolis  of  the  county. 

The  first  death  occurred  in  tlie  Winter  of  1857-8,  and 
was  Mr.  Becker.  He  was  buried  on  an  island  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi River. 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  in  1859,  by 
John  P.  Stein,  the  contracting  parties  being  .Michael  Damm 
and  Annie  Kaththaler. 

The  first  store  was  opened  by  Charles  Schaettle,  in  1859. 
The  post-office  was  also  established  during  this  year,  with 
Mr.  Schaettle  as  postmaster,  who  kept  it  in  his  store. 

The  first  blacksmithing  was  done  by  Josepli  Mattausch, 
who  built  a  shop  and  commenced  business  in  1859. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  Spring  of  1859,  in  the 
dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Schaettle.  Lawrence  Kessinger 
was  the  first  teacher.  In  the  Fall  of  1859,  the  first  school- 
house  was  built.  Their  present  school-house  was  built  in 
1876,  at  a  cost  of  $1,400. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  different  places 
in  the  village  in  i860,  by  preachers  who  came  from  else- 
where. The  place  is  at  present  supplied  with  two  neat  little 
churches — the  German  Lutheran,  built  in  r866,  at  a  cost  of 
$400.  The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Struve.  It  has  at  present  no  resident  priest,  the  pulpit  be- 
ing supplied  by  a  minister  from  Fountain  City.  The  Ger- 
man Catholic  was  built  in  1868,  at  a  cost  of  §1,200,  the 
dedicatory  sermon  being  preached  by  Rev.  Spitzelberger. 

By  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature,  approved  March  18, 
1859,  Buffalo  City  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  and  has  since 
maintained  a  separate  municipal  existence.  Frederick 
Pfeiffir  was  the  first  Mayor,  Charles  Schaettle,  Charles  Kes- 
singer, George  Schraeder,  Herman  Schraeder,  Edward  Gun- 
kle and  George  Gaat  were  the  Aldermen.  At  this  time  the 
city  was  divided  into  two  wards,  but  now  there  is  only  one. 
The  present  officers  are  Franz  Huebsch,  mayor;  Charles 
Ott,  John  Hoevel,  Jacob  Hillmann  and  Leonard  Kachen- 
doerfer,  aldermen  ;   Leopold  Arndt,  chief  of  police. 

A  city  hall  was  built  in  1862,  at  a  cost  of  §2,000.  The 
population  of  the  city  is  248. 

MONDOVI. 

The  beautiful  village  of  Mondovi  is  an  inland  village, 
situated  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county,  in  the  town 
of  Naples,  on  the  bank  of  Buffalo  River,  at  the  conflu- 
ence of  Mill  Creek,  and  has  all  the  advantages  of  a  city. 
This  creek  furnishes  ample  water-power  for  a  custom  flour- 
ing mill,  built  in  1S78  and  owned  and  operated  by  James  T. 
Brawnlee;  two  re]5airing  machine  shops — one  built  in  1871 
by  N.  K.  and  Hiram  Fislier,  and  now  owned  and  operated 
by  N.  K.  Fisher,  the  other  built  in  the  Spring  of  i88i  by 
Ezra  Myers,  and  now  operated  by  him. 

The  great  pine  regions  of  the  Cliippewa  Valley  furnish' 
a  market  for  beef,  pork  and  grain  at  better  prices  than  can 
be  obtained  in  eastern  markets.  The  village  has  a  graded 
school  building,  erected  in  1878,  and  cost  about  §4,000. 
This  building  is  not  only  an  ornament  to  the  place,  but 
proves  that  the  citizens  appreciate  the  advantages  of  good 
educational  facilities,  which  are  made  an  object  of  individ- 
ual interest  and  are  above  the  usual  average.  The  village  is 
abundantly  supplied  with  churches — containing  three,  viz., 
the  Methodist,  built  in  1865  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  and  now 
has  a  membership  of  about  one  hundred;  the  Congrega- 
tional, built  in  187  I,  and  now  has  about  sixty-five  members; 
the  Baptist,  built  in  1873  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  and  now  has 
a  membership  of  over  one  hundred.  Rev.  B.  F.  Morse  has 
been  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  and  society  for  twenty- 
four  years. 


HISTORY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


169 


Mondovi  also  has  a  newspaper,  published  weekly  and  is 
a  lively  sheet  and  fair  exponent  of  the  enterprise  and  intel- 
ligence of  the  community.  The  town  was  first  settled  by 
H.  P.,  L.  D.  and  P.  Farrington,  William  Van  Waters,  Thomas 
Glasspool  and  H.  Brown  in  1855.  Some  of  these  persons 
are  still  residents  of  the  town.  The  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lage are  principally  from  the  New  England  States — descend- 
ants from  the  good  old  Puritan  stock,  and  have  brought 
with  them  from  their  Eastern  homes  the  true  Yankee  pluck 
and  enterprise. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GILE  O.  BUMP,  wagon-maker,  Mondovi,  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton Co..  N.  Y.,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1S39.  and  came  with  his 
•parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56,  locating  in  the  town  of  Naples.  His 
step-father,  Robert  Nelson,  built  the  first  frame  house  in  this  town,  and 
was  also  the  first  Postmaster,  holding  that  position  for  fifteen  years.  He 
died  in  1S74.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  on  the 
farm  until  .August  of  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  25th  Wis.,  Co.  G. 
V.  I.,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  had  three  brothers  who 
were  also  in  the  war,  two  of  them  being  in  the  same  company  and  regi- 
ment with  himself,  and  who  served  until  the  war  closed.  O'ile  O.  was 
with  Sherman  on  his  "  march  to  the  sea,"  and  was  also  in  a  good  many 
other  important  engagements.  After  the  war,  he  returned  home 
and  learned  the  trade  of  wagon-making,  and  has  followed  that  ever 
since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mondovi  Lodge,  No.  23, 
and  of  the  Good  Templars,  being  a  temperance  man  in  every  sense  of 
the  word.  He  was  married  in  the  Spring  of  1870,  to  Miss  Minnie  Morse, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  B.  F.  Morse,  of  Mondovi.  Their  family  consists 
of  three  sons— Clayton  C,  Benjamin  F.  and  Herbert  Lee. 

FRANK  H.  DILLON,  general  merchandise,  Mondovi,  came  here 
with  his  parents  from  New  York,  in  185S,  when  one  year  old.  They 
located  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Naples,  and  here  he  remained  until 
1872,  when  he  began  to  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise  store  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Mondovi,  continuing  at  that  for  three  years.  He  then  estab- 
lished a  small  grocery  store,  near  where  he  now  does  business,  and  has 
"kept  increasing  his  stock  until  he  does  an  annual  business  of  $30,000. 
He  was  born  June  19.  1S56,  in  New  York,  and  was  married  June  24, 
1877,  to  Miss  Louisa  Smith.     She  was  also  from  the  same  State. 

STEPHEN  G.  FULLER,  Fuller  Hotel  at  Mondovi.  was  born  in 
Vermont,  March  i,  1S32  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  June,  1S61,  to  Buffalo 
County,  and  settled  in  town  of  Gilmanton  and  engaged  at  farming.  In 
1871  he  rented  his  farm  ».nd  moved  to  the  village  of  Alma,  where  he 
built  a  hotel  which  was  called  the  Fuller  House.  In  1S74,  he  moved  to 
Minneapolis,  Minn,,  and  kept  a  boarding-house  and  restaurant  for  five 
years,  then  returned  to  Alma  and  kept  the  Union  House  a  while,  and 
then  moved  to  Independence,  Trempealeau  Co.  In  1879,  he  moved  to 
Mondovi  into  his  present  house.  He  was  married  in  Vermont  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Woodward,  in  1854;  she  being  also  a  native  of  Vermont  ;  by 
whom  he  has  five  children — Ella  E.  (now  Mrs.  E.  L.  Ainswurth),  Ells- 
worth D.,  Addie  E.,  Bertha  V.  and  Frederick  L.  He  is  the  son  of 
Lenard  and  Sally  Fuller.  His  father  died  in  Vermont,  May  i,  1S60,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  His  mother  was  born  in  1806  and  is  still 
living  with  him.  He  is  a  member  of  ihe  Knights  of  Pythias,  Minneapolis 
Lodge  No.  I,  also  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Mondovi  Lodge  No.  23. 

WALTER  L.  HOUSER,  editor  and  founder  of  the  B„Jfa/o  County 
Herald,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  May  6,  1855.  In  the  year  1865,  he 
left  his  native  State  in  company  with  his  mother  and  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  with  her  in  River  Falls,  Pierce  County,  where  he  received  a  com- 
mon school  education.  He  afterwards  read  law  with  Abner  Morse,  and 
then  commenced  learning  the  printer's  trade.  In  1876  he  moved  to 
Mondovi,  his  present  home,  where  he  established  the  Buffalo  County 
Herald.  This  is  a  Republican  paper,  seven-column  folio,  and  has  a  cir- 
culation of  500  copies,  being  one  of  the  best  in  the  county,  and  is  a 
strong  advocate  of  the  temperance  cause.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  married  in  1877  to  Miss  Susie  Legore,  daughter  of  John  Legore,  one 
of  the  oldest  settleis  in  the  town  of  Naples.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .\. 
■0.  U.  W.,  Mon  iovi  Lodge,  No.  23,  and  also  of  the  Good  Templars,  be- 
ing a  strong  worker  in  that  cause,  and  was  Clerk  in  the  Senate  of  1879 
and  iSSo. 

DANIEL  B.  IDE,  of  the  firm  of  Ide  S:  Darling,  general  merchants, 
Mondovi,  was  born  in  Vermont,  Dec.  16.  1S32.  and  came  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  parents  in  1847,  locating  at  Fox  Lake.  In  the  Fall  of  1S5S  he 
opened  the  first  store  in  the  town  of  Naples  in  company  with  L.  Wast, 
in  a  small  building  near  where  the  Strong  Hotel  now  stands,  on  Main 
street.  Mr.  Ide  has  been  School  Clerk  for  one  term,  and  was  a  liberal 
contributor  to  Baptist  Church  which  was  erected  in  1S73.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  i860  to  Miss  Charlotte  A.  Wast,  .laughter  of  Charles  Wast,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  in  the  town  of  Naples.  They  have  three  children — 
■one  son  and  two  daughters. 


J.  W.  McKAY,  District  Attorney,  Mondovi,  was  born  in  Highland 
Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  27,  1828.  In  1852,  he  removed  to  Knox  Co.,  II.,  where 
he  lived  three  years,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  then  removed  again 
to  Trempeleau  County,  and  remained  until  August,  1857,  when  he  went 
to  Hastings,  Minn,  with  his  family,  with  the  expectaticm  of  getting  work 
at  his  tr.ide,  either  building  or  wagon-making.  He  was  unsuccessful, 
and  finally  came  to  Alma,  arriving  in  the  night,  with  only  fifty  cents  in 
money,  and  no  friends  or  acquaintances,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Som- 
erfield.  After  a  number  of  hardships,  such  as  are  peculiar  to  a  pioneer 
life,  he  obtained  work  and  became  prosperous.  About  the  beginning  of 
the  Rebellion  he  enlisted.  ..\ug.  15,1862,  in  Co.  G.,  25th  Wis.  Vol.,  as  a 
private,  and  served  until  June  7,  1S65,  when  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged as  a  commissioned  officer.  He  returned  to  Buffalo  County  and 
engaged  in  building  wagons.  He  sold  his  business  in  1869,  and  went  to 
Clark  County  and  went  into  lumbering.  He  made  several  changes  from 
there,  and  in  1877.  he  returned  tothis  county  and  located  in  Mondovi,  and 
began  the  practice  of  law.  He  has  held  different  offices;  for  many  years 
has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1877  he  was  elected  as  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  in  1879  he  was  re-elected.  He  has  been  twice  married, 
first  to  Isabella  Pierce,  a  native  of  F.ayette  Co.,  Ohio  ;  she  died  in  April, 
1S55.  They  had  two  children,  only  one  of  whom  is  living,  Emily  Jane. 
He  married,  for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Emily  Wood,  a  native  of  Catarau- 
gua  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  four  children — Nellie  Melissa,  Louisa  Belle, 
John  William  and  Floyd. 

EZRA  H.  MEYERS,  machine  and  blacksmith  shop,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  June  29.  1851,  and  in  1S53  came  with  his  parents  to  Dane 
County,  where  they  resided  until  1S68,  at  that  time  moving  to  Buffalo 
County  on  a  farm.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until  1870, 
when  he  commenced  to  work  at  his  trade  in  Mondovi.  He  lived 
there  one  year  and  then  engaged  with  N.  R.  Fisher  &  Co.,  where  he  re- 
mained six  years.  In  September  of  18S0  he  commenced  his  present  busi- 
ness and  employs  two  men.  and  is  now  making  preparations  to  add  a 
wagon  shop  to  his  other  business.  He  was  married,  in  1875.  to  Miss 
Frances  Le  Gore,  daughter  of  John  Le  Gore,  she  being  the  first  white 
female  child  born  in  the  town  of  Naples,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1857. 
They  h.-ive  one  son.  John  F.  Mr.  Meyers  is  a  member  of  the  A.O.  U.  W.. 
Mondovi  Lodge  No.  23. 

ROWE  &  BARROWS,  dealers  in  groceries,  glass  and  queens-ware, 
Mondovi.  This  firm  was  established  on  the  1st  of  April,  1881,  Mr. 
Barrows  having  become  a  resident  of  Mondovi  in  1S60.  He  was  born 
in  New  York,  Sept.  19,  1846,  and  after  coming  to  the  town  of  Naples, 
engaged  in  farming,  at  which  he  continued  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war.  He  enlisted  in  the  53d  Wis.,  Co.  D,  V.  I.,  in  March  of  1865, 
serving  until  the  29th  of  May,  when  he  was  disabled  for  fuither  service 
and  returned  home.  Irwin  Rowe,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania in  May  of  1849,  and  has  served  four  years  as  Under  Sheriff  of 
Buffalo  County. 

JOHN  W.  WHELAN.  lawyer,  Mondovi,  was  born  in  Waukesha 
County,  Nov.  i,  1845.  Here  he  received  a  common  school  education, 
and  in  1866  entered  upon  a  collegiate  course  in  the  State  University. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1871.  In  1872,  he 
went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  one  year,  after  which  he  went 
to  Ft.  Worth,  Texas,  where  he  read  law  with  Judge  Barkley  for  one  and 
a  half  years.  He  then  returned  to  the  North,  in  the  Winter  of  1874. 
teaching  school  at  Cedar  Creek.  In  the  Spring  of  1875.  went  to  Eau 
Claire,  where  he  studied  law  with  Ellis  &  Davis,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  the  Circuit  Court  on  the  5ih  of  April,  1876.  He  opened  his  first 
office  at  Mondovi  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  where  he  has  practiced 
ever  since.  He  was  married  in  April,  1878,  at  Mondovi,  to  Miss  Anna 
Allen,  who  was  born  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y. 

WILLIAM  W.  WYM.\N,  jeweler  and  druggist,  Mondovi;  became 
a  settler  of  the  town  of  Mondovi  in  1S60,  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  the 
6th  Wis.  Battery.  After  serving  two  years  he  was  discharged,  on  being 
disabled,  and  he  then  returned  to  Buffalo  County,  and  in  1865  opened  a 
jewelry  store  in  the  village  ol  Mondovi.  his  being  the  first  in  the  village. 
In  1S77.  added  a  stock  of  drugs  to  his  former  business.  He  is  a  general 
collecting  agent,  and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  six  years;  also 
County  Clerk  for  two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  of 
Naples,  and  also  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  Bernett  Lodge.  No.  150  and  the 
A.  O.  U.  W..  Mondovi  Lodge.  No.  23.  He  is  a  native  of  Canada,  hav- 
ing been  born  there  on  the  22d  of  June.  1842,  his  parents,  James  and 
Nancy  Wyman.  having  settled  in  Dodge  County  in  1844,  the  former  be- 
ing a  native  of  Vermont,  the  latter  of  Maine. 

CI  I, M  ANTON. 

The  post -village  of  Cilmanton  is  situated  near  the 
center  of  Section  14,  in  the  town  of  the  same  name.  About 
one  mile  northwest  of  the  village  is  an  eminence  known  as 
Mount  Tom.  which  is  noted  as  one  of  the  landmarks- of  the 
region,  while  Eagle  Peak  occupies  the  center  of  Section  28, 
and  is  another  of  those  striking  formations.     The  village  is 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


supplied   with   power  by  Elk   Creek,  a  large  branch   of  the 
Buffalo  River. 

mOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  W.  HOWARD,  merchant  and  Postmaster,  Gilmanton,  was  born 
in  Orange  County,  Vt.,  Feb.  23,  1S32.  When  old  enough,  he  went  to 
Randolph,  Mass.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  ihe  manufactory  of 
boots  and  shoes  for  fifteen  years.  In  1865,  he  came  to  Gilmanton, 
and  started  a  general  merchandise  store,  it  being  the  first  one  in  ihe 
village.  He  was  married  in  November,  1S67,  to  Miss  Irene  Marlin, 
who  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  by  whom  he  has  two  sons —  Leigh  H. 
and  Dwight  A.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  held  the  office  of  Post- 
master of  Gilmanton  for  fifteen  years,  and  has  been  Town  Treasurer 
four  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Mondovi  Lodge,  No. 
23,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Mineapolis  Lodge  No,  I,  being 
a  member  of  "Howard  Public  Library"  at  Gilmanton,  which  was 
founded  by  Sidney    Howard,    who  gave   $500  fund,     the    interest    of 


which,  was  to  purchase  books  to  establish  a  public  library.  It  now 
contains  loco  volumes. 

JOEL  MANN,  retired  farmer,  Gilmanton,  was  born  in  Orange- 
County,  Vt.,  December  iS,  1S19.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861  and 
bought  some  land  and  a  mill-site  in  Buffalo  County,  in  company  with  his 
father,  and  then  returned  to  Vermont.  In  1862  he  came  back  and 
erected  a  mill  on  the  site  which  he  had  previously  bought,  and  which  he 
still  owns,  having  made  his  home  there  ever  since.  He  now  makes  his 
home  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Kenyan,  who  was  married  in  1866  to 
W.  H.  Kenyan. 

WILLIAM  H.  MOWER,  merchant  and  farmer,  Gilmanton,  was 
born  in  Walworth  County  in  1S44  and  in  1856  went  to  Eau  Claire  with 
his  father,  who  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  although  only  a  boy,  drove  the  first  stake  in  surveying  the  city  of 
Eau  Claire,  and  also  run  the  first  ferry-boat  across  the  Chippewa  River 
at  that  point.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  late  war,  in  the  l6th  Wis.,  Co. 
G,  V.  I.,  serving  until  August  of  1865.  He  was  married  in  1880  to  the 
widow  of  D.  C.  Loomis,  of  Gilmanton. 


BURNETT  COUNTY. 


NATURAL   FEATURES. 

This  county  lies  in  the  nortliwestern  corner  of  the 
State,  its  western  line  being  the  Saint  Croix  River. 
Douglas  County  bounds  it  on  the  north,  Ashland  and 
Chippeway  on  the  east,  and  Barron  and  Polk  on  the 
south.    It  contains  about  forty-four  townships  of  land. 

The  county  is,  to  a  considerable  extent,  high  and 
rolling.  The  chief  source  of  business  is  lumbering. 
About  150,000,000  feet  of  pine  are  annually  cut  and 
sent  down  to  markets  on  the  Saint  Croix  and  Missis- 
sippi. A  large  quantity  of  hardwood  timber  is  found  in 
the  other  parts  of  the  county,  suitable  for  farming  pur- 
poses. Another  valuable  industry  might  easily  be 
carried  on,  nameljs  the  growing  of  cranberries,  as 
many  thousand  acres  of  marsh  land  are  there,  awaiting 
improvement.  Already  the  proiits  of  this  trade  are 
being  appreciated,  and  thousands  of  acres  of  marsh 
are  made  to  yield  a  handsome  return  on  moderate  in- 
vestments. The  country  is  well  drained.  The  lakes 
and  rivers  of  the  region  abound  in  choice  fish. 

Water-powers  are  to  be  found  on  Wade,  Wood, 
Clam,  Yellow  and  Namekoggan  rivers.  There  are 
numerous  lakes  of  crystal  purity  scattered  over  the 
county.  Among  these  one  called  Spirit  Lake,  because 
of  Indian  traditions  associated  with  it,  is  perhaps  as 
noted  as  any. 

Like  other  pine-growing  regions  Burnett  has  much 
light  sandy  soil,  the  western  portion  being  of  this 
character,  as  a  general  thing  ;  but  the  central  district 
is  of  a  richer  nature,  and  is  well  adapted  to  agricul- 
ture. There  are  extensive  beds  of  sandstone  in  differ- 
ent sections,  the  underlying  rock  being  of  that  forma- 
tion. 

The  greater  number  of  settlers  are  of  hardy  Nor- 
wegian stock,  and  make  thrifty  citizens.  There  is  an 
ample  local  market  for  all  that  can  be  raised  or  manu- 
factured in  the  county,  in  other  tlian  the  lumber  trade. 

This  portion  of  tlie  State  was  the  home  of  the 
Chippeway  Indians.  Tliey  were,  as  a  band,  long  since 
removed  to  Lac  Courte  Oieille  Reservation ;  but  soli- 
tary companies  of  tiiese  al)oiigines  wander  over  the 
country  to  the  present  day,  like  ghosts  of  departed 
rulers. 

The  first  white  man  whose  presence  is  remembered 


beyond  dispute  since  the  days  of  the  early  missionaries^ 
who  have  left  traces  in  many  places  of  their  piety  and 
unselfish  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Cross — was  a 
trader  named  Drake.  He  is  said  to  have  been  murdered 
by  the  Indians  in  1847.  Joseph  Covillion  traded  with 
the  Indians  in  1854.  His  post  was  at  Yellow  Lake  on 
Yellow  River. 

The  honor  attacliing  to  the  title  of  founder  of  the 
county  belongs  to  Canute  Anderson,  whose  name  at 
once  reveals  his  nativity.  The  Norwegian  blood  in  his 
veins  nerved  him  to  endure  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  life  in  the  wilderness.  He  came  to  this  county 
May,  1855,  locating  in  the  southwestern  portion  at 
what  is  now  called  after  him — Anderson.  A  small 
hamlet  marks  this  site  on  Section  2,  Township  37  north. 
Range  It'  west.  Mr.  Anderson  was  unmarried  at  the 
date  of  his  arrival,  but  afterward  married  and  became 
head  of  a  family.  Nearly  eight  years  elapsed  after  his- 
location  before  other  settlers  followed  him  ;  but  event- 
ually the  advantages  of  the  section  were  made  known, 
and  immigration  settled  thitherward.  Among  the 
earlier  arrivals  were  Magnus  Nelson — for  many  years- 
County  Judge — Ole  Berg,  Thor  Ingebrigsten. 

Canute  Anderson  built  the  first  store,  saw-mill  and 
grist-mill.  He  was  also  builder  of  the  pioneer  hotel, 
and  put  up  the  first  framed  house.  The  latter  was 
constructed  in  1856,  and  was  used  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  sparse  traveling  public — mainly  lumber- 
men. Tlie  store  was  built  in  1865,  the  mills  in  1867, 
and  the  hotel  inl870.  The  first  blacksmith  shop  was 
built  in  1862  by  A.  Byneall. 

A  stage  route  was  opened  from  Sunrise,  Minn.,  to- 
Bayfield,  over  which  tlie  Minnesota  Stage  Company 
carried  the  United  States  mails  in  1860.  That  year 
the  company  named  constructed  bridges  across  the 
Clam,  Yellow  and  Namekoggan  rivers,  they  being  the 
first  improvements  of  the  kind  made  in  the  connty.^ 
The  first  post-office  was  called  Biirdo.  It  is  now  known 
as  Anderson. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  at  Anderson,  and 
Miss  Caroline  Cooper  taught  the  first  term  therein. 

This  county  contains  tiie  site  of  a  deserted  village, 
which  once  caused  hearts  to  beat  high  in  anticipation 
of  wealtii  and  power.    In  1855  a  railroad  was  projected 


HISTORY  OF  BURNETT  COUNTY. 


through  the  wilderness,  to  be  called  the  Saint  Croix  & 
Lake  Superior  Railroad.  The  prospect  of  completing 
this  line  along  the  Saint  Croix  River  induced  specula- 
tors to  plat  a  town  at  what  would  have  been  a  very 
desirable  point,  if  the  actuating  cause  had  not  been 
removed.  The  village  of  Nesliodana  sprang  into 
sudden  being,  on  the  bank  of  Yellow  River,  one 
mile  above  its  confluence  with  the  Saint  Croix.  A 
large  saw-mill,  costing  110,000,  was  built;  a  store 
erected  and  furnished ;  several  houses,  probably  a 
dozen,  built  and  occupied  by  families,  and  all  the 
excitement  attending  the  location  of  a  new  Western 
town  and  future  railroad  city  experienced.  It  was  a 
total  failure.  This  was  the  first  village  located  in  Bur- 
nett County.  The  survey  was  made  by  A.  J.  Foster. 
"Graves  &  Co.,  of  Milwaukee,  built  the  mill  and  started 
the  store.  Others  invested  large  sums  of  money.  The 
panic  of  1857  effectually  ended  all  thought  of  the 
railroad,  and  the  bright  dreams  of  the  owners  were 
forever  dispelled.  The  name  of  this  village  was 
changed  to  Gordon,  and  in  1856,  upon  the  organization 
of  the  county,  it  was  designa,ted  as  the  county  seat. 

ORGANIZATION. 

By  an  act  approved  March  31,  1856,  the  territory 
bounded  by  a  line  beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Township  38  north,  of  Range  12  west,  from  thence 
running  north  on  the  range  line  between  Ranges  11 
and  12  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Township  43  north; 
thence  west  on  the  north  line  of  Township  43  to  the 
Minnesota  State  line  ;  thence  south  on  that  boundary 
line  to  point  where  it  intersects  the  north  line  of  Town- 
ship 37,  and  thence  east  on  that  line  to  the  place  of 
beginning,  was  set  apart  as  the  county  of  Burnett. 
By  the  same  act  the  county  seat  was  located  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  Section  37,  in  Township  41,  of 
Range  16,  at  the  same  place  afterward  known  as  the  vil- 
lage of  Gordon.     It  was  also  at  the  same  time  attached 


to  Polk  for  judicial  purposes.  In  1864  the  county  was 
fully  organized  for  county  and  judicial  purposes,  and 
the  county  seat  located,  placing  it  on  Section  14,  in 
Township  38,  of  Range  19  west,  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Grantsburg.  The  governor  was  required  to 
appoint  the  first  county  officers.  He  accordingly  desig- 
nated N.  H.  Hickerson,  County  Judge  ;  Canute  Ander- 
son, Clerk  of  the  Court ;  Peter  Anderson,  Register  of 
Deeds;  Martin  B.  Johnson,  Sheriff;  S.  Thompson, 
Treasurer ;  Jacob  Larson,  District  Attorney ;  Adam 
Seed,  Coroner ;  Michael  Johnson,  Surveyor,  and  Mag- 
nus Nelson,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  In  1866 
the  three  townships,  all  numbered  37,  but  in  Ranges 
18,  19  and  20,  were  detached  from  Polk  and  added  to 
Burnett.  In  the  same  }'ear,  by  an  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, approved  April  12,  Burnett  was  again  attached 
to  Polk  for  judicial  purposes  ;  the  act,  however,  only  to 
affect  the  Circuit  Courts,  the  County  Court  not  being 
abolished.  This  remained  in  effect  until  1871,  when 
by  an  act  approved  March  14,  Burnett  was  again  organ- 
ized for  judicial  purposes,  and  all  acts  to  the  contrary 
repealed.  The  five  towns,  numbered  37,  Ranges  10  to 
14  inclusive,  which  formed  a  part  of  Burnett,  are  now 
the  northern  tier  of  Barron  County. 

By  the  census  of  1880  the  county  contained  3,140 
population. 

CxRANTSBURG. 

The  capital  of  the  county  was  founded  by  Canute  An- 
derson, in  1869.  It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  Wood  River, 
about  three  miles  due  north  of  Mr.  Anderson's  original  site, 
and  is  platted  on  more  than  half  of  Section  14,  Township  38 
north,  Range  19  west.  It  contains  a  substantial  court- 
house, built  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  $6,000.  A  small  jail  was 
erected  in  1870. 

The  press  is  represented  by  the  Burnett  County  Sentinel^ 
established  by  Marion  Wescott,  February,  1875.  I'  is  now 
published  by  W.  E.  Talboys.  It  is  a  weekly,  and  is  Repub- 
lican in  politics. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


CALUMET   COUNTY. 


LOCATION    ANn    NATURAL   FEATURES. 

In  territorial  extent  Calumet  County  is  one  of  the 
smallest  in  the  State,  having  an  area  of  only  330  square 
miles.  Its  greatest  widtii  east  from  Lake  Winnebago 
is  fourteen  miles,  and  its  extreme  length  from  nnrlh  to 
south  twenty-four  miles.  To  the  north  lie  Outagamie 
and  Brown  counties  ;  to  the  east  Manitowoc  ;  Sheboy- 
gan and  P'ond  du  Lac  bound  it  on  the  south,  and  Lake 
Winnebago  on  the  west.  The  main  stream  of  the 
Manitowoc  River  divides  at  the  boundary  line  between 
Calumet  and  Manitowoc  counties,  the  two  branches 
drain  a  great  part  of  the  territory.  The  entire  eastern, 
northern  and  southern  portions  of  Calumet  are  thereby 
drained  indirectly  into  Lake  Michigan,  while  the  region 
bordering  the  shores  of  Lake  Winnebago  is  accommo- 
dated by  small  streams  flowing  into  that  body  of  water. 
Most  of  the  laud  has  been  so  long  cleared  of  its  former 
heavy  growth  of  pine  that  it  is  well  adapted  to  agri- 
cultural purposes,  and  is  easily  cultivated.  On  the 
shores  of  Lake  Winnebago  and  extending  some  miles 
eastward  the  usual  water  formations  are  found,  while 
along  the  Calumet  River  marsh  conifer  formations  pre- 
vail. The  general  subsoil  consists  of  a  red  marly  clay, 
while  along  the  banks  of  the  Manitowoc  River  are  quite 
marked  deposits  of  peat.  Calumet  County,  in  fact, 
differs  little  in  its  natural  features  from  Manitowoc. 
The  same  grains  thrive — wheat,  corn,  barley,  oats,  etc. 
The  working  of  the  daiiy  products  is  also  profitable. 
Valuable  stone  quarries  exist  in  the  northeast  and  the 
west,  and  will  prove  a  source  of  wealth  to  the  county. 
Considered  in  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  Calumet  is 
favorably  located,  escaping,  as  it  does,  many  of  the 
damp  and  unhealthy  winds  of  Lake  Michigan  ;  and 
yet,  having  Lake  Winnebago  to  the  west,  it  avoids  the 
hot,  dry  seasons  of  localities  farther  towards  the  inte- 
rior of  the  State.  Its  average  elevation  is  350  feet 
above  Lake  Michigan. 

Calumet  County  has  obtained  a  reputation  over  the 
State  and  Ijeyond  for  the  excellent  quality  of  her  cheese. 
Thirty  factories  are  scattered  in  her  different  towns. 
Stockbridge  takes  the  lead  in  this  industry  ;  but  the 
whole  region  bordering  the  lake  is  splendidly  adapted 
to  the  raising  of  the  dairy  products.  The  western 
slope  of  Calumet  County  toward  Lake  Winnebago  is 
in  fact  the  agricultural  district  par  excellence. 

The  Agiicultural  Society  was  organized  in  June, 
1878.  O.  R.  Potter  was  elected  president,  a  vice-pres- 
ident being  chosen  from  each  town. 

The  name  of  this  county  is  suggestive  of  peace  and 
its  attendant  arts.  Nor  is  the  suggestion  a  sjjecious 
one,  for  the  liistory  of  this  region  has  but  few,  if  any, 
counterparts  in  the  country.  The  pipe  of  peace  be- 
tween the  aboriginal  and  the  invading  races  was  smoked 
by  those  who  foresaw  tlie  inevitable  approach  of  civil- 
ization ;  and  the  county  presents  the  anomaly  of  having 
first    been    redeemed    from    native    wildness    by     the 


race   which    formerly  possessed    the   rights  of  savage- 
ownership. 

The  immediate  derivation  of  the  name  was  a  Me- 
nomonee  village,  lying  upon  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Winnebago,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Calumet  in 
Fond  du  Lac  County. 

EARLY    OCCUPANTS. 

There  are  numerous  evidences  of  a  prehistoric 
occupation  of  this  region.  In  common  with  many 
regions  contiguous  to  large  bodies  of  water,  and  which 
possess  natural  advantages -for  the  eas}'  preservation  of 
human  life,  this  county  contains  mounds  which  were 
the  work  of  a  race  long  since  extinct. 

Under  the  more  modern  divisions  of  men's  owner- 
ship, the  county  formed  a  part  of  the  Winnebago  Ter- 
ritorj',  althougii  no  Indians,  other  than  civilized  bands, 
have  occupied  the  land  since  the  advent  of  the  white 
man,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  wandering  bands  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  Chippewas,  Pottawatomies  and  Me- 
nomonees,  who  occasionally  passed  through,  remaining 
only  a  few  days.  The  last  band  of  any  consideiable 
size  who  remained  in  the  county  was  "  Littleway's 
band  "  of  fifty  Menomonee  warrioi-s,  who,  with  their 
women  and  ciiildren,  had  their  Winter  camp,  for  a 
number  of  years  i^rior  to  1848,  on  the  Manitowoc  River 
near  the  site  of  the  present  railroad  depot  at  Chilton. 

SETTLEMENT. 

As  the  first  strokes  in  the  name  of  civilization  were 
delivered  by  Indians,  it  is  necessary  to  glance  back  and 
ascertain  the  causes  which  led  up  to  this  unusual  but 
commendable  result.  The  fertile  region  was  chosen 
as  the  home  of  bauds  known  as  Brothertowns  and 
Stockbridges.  These  educated  men  selected  large 
tracts  of  land  l3'ing  on  the  east  bank  of  Lake  Winne- 
bago, and  there  cut  the  first  tree,  erected  the  first 
cal)in,  made  the  first  clearing  and  engaged  in  the  first 
agricultural  labors  in  the  count}'.  Their  supplies  were 
taken  by  boat  up  the  lower  Fox,  and  thence  wearily 
carried  on  men's  backs  to  the  places  designated  as  the 
new  homes.  Many  of  those  who  made  the  venture 
remained  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  industry',  and  they 
and  their  descendants  now  form  a  conspicuous  part  of 
the  substantial  citizens  of  the  county.  The  Broliier- 
towns  eventually  outstripped  the  Stockbridges  in  the 
march  of  improvement,  being  the  first  and  most  anx- 
ious in  their  application  for  the  rights  of  citizensiiip, 
and  otherwise  indicating  that  the}'  possessed  at  a  very 
early  day  the  true  American  spirit.  It  is  interesting  to 
trace  back  the  cause  of  this  difference  to  a  period  over 
a  hundred  years  ago.  The  cause  is  a  common  one,  and 
which  has  always  operated  favorably — a  mixture  of 
many  shades  of  blood,  which  has  always  brought 
strength.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
the  Farmington  Indians  were  settled  in  the  North  At- 
lantic States.      Bv  an  unchecked  course  of  miscegena- 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY. 


'73 


tion,  considerable  Negro  blood  had  been  poured  into 
their  veins.  Many  of  them  had  even  been  sold  into 
slavery,  and  were,  all  in  all,  brought  down  to  a  very 
low  condition.  Moving  further  north  they  were  finally 
emancipated  through  the  endeavors  of  Capt.  Hendricks, 
one  of  their  former  chiefs,  who  proved  tlieir  origin 
and  originally  pure  American  blood.  David  Fowler, 
an  educated  Montauk  Indian,  then  induced  them,  in 
compan}^  with  remnants  of  Narragansetts,  Mohegans, 
Pequoits  and  other  tribes  of  former  power,  to  migrate 
further  to  the  northwest  and  settle  upon  a  tract  of  land 
granted  by  the  Oneidas,  near  Utica,  N.  Y.  Here  a 
union  was  formed,  and  the  nation  became  Brothertown 
and  its  people  the  Brothertowns.  In  1822  they  were 
removed  to  Green  Bay,  and  commenced  the  formation 
•of  Brothertown  colony  in  Calumet  County  in  1838-34. 
Marks  of  colored  blood  crop  out  at  times  quite  prom- 
inently, even  to  this  day.  Upon  their  first  settlement 
they  seem  also  to  have  brought  with  them  the  instincts 
of  land  cultivation  and  the  love  of  some  fixed  spot, 
however  humble,  to  be  called  home,  which  traits  be- 
long to  the  colored  race  in  contrast  to  the  nomadic  dis- 
position of  the  pure  blooded  Indian.  When  the  Broth- 
ertowns settled  in  their  new  New  York  home,  the  Stock- 
bridges  had  been  torn  by  the  Oneidas  and  the  wiiites 
to  a  shred  of  their  former  power,  and  were  living  upon 
a  small  reservation  only  about  five  miles  square,  which 
the  former  liad  granted  them  in  Oneida  County.  Tliey 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  the  Brothertowns,  and  com- 
menced to  settle  in  the  town  of  Stockbridge  during  the 
same  year  as  tlie  former,  in  1833.  A  tract  of  land 
along  Lake  Winnebago  had  been  obtained  by  the 
leaders  of  the  two  tribes  in  1831,  but  the  real  settle- 
ment did  not  begin  until  two  years  later.  Since  then 
the  now  organized  towns  of  Brothertown  and  Stock- 
bridge  have  generally  kejDt  pace  with  other  portions 
of  the  county  in  material  and  even  mental  improve- 
ment, having  sent  several  representatives  to  the  Legis- 
lature, and  developed  educated  and  refined  citizens. 
Others  have  become  wealthy  and  have  sent  their 
chidren  to  college  and  university  ;  but  as  regards  gen- 
eral prosperity  the  verdict  is  that  the  Brothertowns 
have  outstripped  the  Stockbridges ;  and  the  explana- 
tion which  has  been  given  of  the  fact  is  deemed  both 
sufiBcient  and  original.  Tlie  first  settlement  formed  by 
the  Brothertowns  was  called  Deansburg,  in  honor  of 
their  former  Indian  agent,  Thomas  Dean.  It  after- 
wards became  "  Ball's  Corner."  Foremost  among 
those  who  located  were  William  Dick,  father  of  Hon. 
William  H.  Dick,  Elkanah  Dick,  Randall  Abner,  Thom- 
as Cumnock  and  S.  Adams.  Soon  after  this  settle- 
ment was  formed,  a  number  of  Stockbridges  located 
near  the  shore  of  Lake  Winnebago.  The  settlers 
were  not  citizens,  and  therefore  could  receive  no  organ- 
izing authority  from  the  Legislature  ;  but  each  tribe 
assumed  substantially  the  town  system  of  government, 
and  proceeded  like  other  pioneers  to  clear  the  country 
of  timber  and  erect  their  dwelling  houses.  The  Broth- 
ertowns, after  a  three-years  struggle  with  rough  forest 
provender,  employed  Moody  Mann,  ^  white  settler,  to 
build  them  a  mill,  tlie  cost  of  which  was  to  be  defrayed 
from  their  annuity  fund.  At  first  the  mill  ground  by 
water-power,  and  was  the  pioneer  of  its  class  for  miles 
around.     In  the  meantime  (1834)  John  Dean,  formerly 


Jeff.  Davis'  lieutenant  at  Fort  Howard,  Jesse  Mills, 
J.  B.  Horn,  and  a  few  other  comrades  in  arms,  had 
settled  among  the  Stockbridges.  During  1834-35  Rev. 
(jutting  Marsii,  who  may  be  called  the  Latter-day  mis- 
sionary of  Wisconsin  Indians,  superintended  the  ei'cc- 
tion  of  a  mission  house,  where  he  held  services  for 
sixteen  years.  Other  white  settlers  followed,  so  tliat 
both  Brotiiertown  and  Stockbridge  walked  nearly  hand 
in  hand.  If  Stockbridge  had  to  go  to  Brothertown's 
mill,  Brothertown  would  liave  to  attend  Stockbiidge's 
church,  or  none.  By  the  time  the  grist-mill  and  the 
mission  church  were  in  good  running  order,  the  mili- 
tary road  from  Green  Bay  to  Prairie  du  Chien  had  been 
cut  through  Calumet  County,  taking  in  its  route  the 
only  settlements,  Brothertown  and  Stockbridge.  Some 
of  the  workmen,  soldiers  from  the  Fort  Howard  garri- 
son, remained  to  swell  the  population  along  the  shore 
of  Lake  Winnebago.  When  Calumet  County  was 
formed  from  Brown  in  December  of  this  year  (1836),  it 
had  no  effect  upon  the  settlers.  A  majority  of  them  were 
yet  unnaturalized,  and  the  county  therefore  remained 
attached  to  Brown  for  judicial,  revenue  and  election 
purposes.  The  next  year  several  locations  were  selected 
by  "first  settlers"  further  to  the  south.  George 
C.  Bull  was  the  pioneer  of  the  town  of  Woodville, 
purchasing  land  near  "the  Beach  farm."  His  brother- 
in-law,  a  Mr.  Westfall.  started  a  tavern  still  further 
south,  in  order  to  catch  the  travel,  which  had  become 
consideiable,  over  the  military  road.  Having  finished 
the  Brothertown  mill.  Moody  Mann,  afterwards  Judge, 
erected  himself  a  house  at  Clifton  and  invited  future 
scribes  to  write  him  down  as  the  first  settler  in  the 
town  of  Harrison.  Cato  Stanton,  a  brother  of  Moses, 
the  founder  of  Chilton,  built  a  tavern  directly  on  the 
military  road  in  1838,  and  kept  it  for  years.  Under 
the  guidance  of  Thomas  McLean,  the  future  metropo- 
lis. Saint  Catherine,  to  the  nortli  of  Brothertown  and 
Stockbridge,  was  increased  in  the  persons  of  a  few 
families.  The  first  murder  had  been  committed.  The 
tragedy  occurred  July  3, 1837,  at  the  house  of  Peter  and 
Jacob  Koukopot,  two  Stockbridge  Indians.  They  had 
already  reduced  to  small  measure  an  immoderate  supply 
of  whisky,  when  Joseph  Palmer,  a  Brothertown  In- 
dian, in  company  with  another  of  his  tribe  and  a  white 
man,  entered  their  cabin.  The  latter  party  had  just 
returned  from  the  Fox  River  with  a  full  jug,  "  fire- 
water" being  then  an  unknown  commodity  of  sale  in 
Calumet  County.  They  drank  together  several  times, 
but  with  this  fresh  supply  the  Koukopots'  loud  demands 
for  more  continued  and  increased  beyond  the  bounds  of 
reason  or  considerate  fellowship.  Palmer,  therefore, 
refused  to  be  robbed  further  of  his  "  Fourth  of  July," 
whereupon  he  and  his  comrades  were  assaulted  by  their 
crazed  and  unreasonable  companions,  one  wielding  an 
ax  and  the  other  a  club.  Being  unarmed  the  former 
were  unable  to  defend  themselves.  Palmer  was  literally 
hacked  and  beaten  to  pieces.  The  other  two  escaped. 
Without  going  into  details,  the  murderers  were  arrested, 
tried  in  October  before  a  commission  chosen  from  both 
tribes,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  near  the  dividing 
line  between  the  two  reservations.  On  the  day  pre- 
ceding that  fixed  for  the  execution  (October  24),  they 
escaped  across  Lake  Winnebago  in  a  boat  furnished  by 
friends,  and  were  never  recaptured.    In  1838  a  French- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


man  killed  liis  Indian  wife,  while  under  the  influence  of 
liquor,  escaped  through  the  meshes  of  the  law,  but 
never  returned  to  claim  his  household  goods.  In  the 
Winter  of  1840,  a  Mr.  Sherman  was  murdered  in  Stock- 
bridge  by  Isaac  Littleman.  The  murderer  had  heard 
that  Sherman  possessed  quite  a  large  sum  of  mone_y, 
and  as  he  lived  alone  in  a  secluded  spot,  thought  his 
crime  could  be  committed  with  safety.  He  therefore 
supped  with  his  victim,  and,  it  is  supposed  when  they 
had  both  retired,  killed  him  with  an  ax,  in  cold  blood. 
The  murder  was  not  discovered  until  a  week  after, 
when  the  corpse,  nearly  eaten  by  rats,  was  found  by 
distant  neighbors  frozen  solidly  to  the  blood}'  floor. 
Littleman  was  ai-rested,  denied  his  guilt,  but  his  prem- 
ises were  searched  and  some  of  the  dead  man's  prop- 
erty found  in  his  possession.  He  then  admitted  his 
crime,  and  when  about  to  be  hanged,  confessed  to  a 
second  murder,  committed  at  Depere.  This  was  the 
first  murder  of  a  white  man,  the  trial  of  the  prisoner 
being  conducted  by  the  Stockbridge  Indians.  Through 
all  this  bloodshed,  the  mill  at  Brothertown  continued 
to  grind  peaceably  on.  In  1840  Daniel  Whitney,  of 
Green  Bay,  did  for  Stockbridge  what  Mr.  Mann  had 
done  for  Brothertown.  But  the  outcome  was  different. 
He  erected  a  grist-mill  and  operated  a  store  in  connec- 
tion with  it.  The  Stockbridges,  not  so  prudent  or  so 
fortunate  as  their  contemporaries  (for  they  did  not  own 
the  property),  became  involved  in  debt.  Many  of 
their  farms  were  sold  to  white  settlers,  and  in  fact  this 
seems  to  be  the  turning  point  backward  in  their  pros- 
perity as  an  Indian  tribe.  The  Brothertowns,  on  the 
other  hand,  in  March,  1839,  had  been  granted  their 
petition  to  Congress  to  be  accorded  the  rights  of  cit- 
izenship. By  the  act  passed  on  the  third  of  that  month 
their  lands  were  divided  so  that  each  person  received 
fifty  acres.  The  Stockbridges  continued  aliens  from 
the  General  Government  until  1843,  Avhen  they  likewise 
became  citizens  and  were  absorbed  into  the  body  politic 
of  the  Territory. 

Tiie  preceding  pages  have  brought  the  early  history 
of  Calumet  County  up  to  and  partially  inclusive  of  the 
year  1840.  The  close  of  this  year  may  be  said  to  have 
ended  her  pioneer  life. 

POLITICAL   AND    JUDICIAL. 

Calumet  County  was  created  from  Brown  by  Terri- 
torial act,  December  7,  1836,  remaining  attached  to  it, 
liowever,  for  all  political  and  judicial  purposes,  until 
March  4,  1840.  In  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, approved  in  January,  an  electing  at  the  house 
of  Elkanah  Dick,  Brothertown,  and  the  mission-house 
at  Stockbridge,  was  held  on  that  day  and  resulted  in 
the  selection  of  John  Johnson,  Daniel  Dick  and  David 
Fowler  as  County  Commissioners.  The  Board  held 
their  first  meeting  at  Mr.  Fowler's  house,  electing  Mr. 
Johnson,  Chairman,  and  filled  the  other  county  ofiices. 
Tills  organization  fell  to  pieces  after  a  few  months' 
trial,  and  another  was  not  attempted  until  1843.  At 
the  general  election  held  in  that  year,  William  Dick, 
Sr.,  James  Craniona  and  John  E.  Fisher  were  chosen 
Commissioners.  For  several  years  the  Board  held  their 
sessions  at  Stockbridge,  although  the  act  creating  the 
county  required  them  to  sit  at  "  White.sborough  ;"  but 
where  tliat  spot  was  and  how  they  were  to  sit  upon 
nothing,  remained  with  the  early  settlers  a  conundrum. 


The  headquarters  of  the  different  county  officers  were 
where  they  happened  to  reside  at  the  time  of  their 
election.  The  first  session  of  court  was  also  held  by 
A.  W.  Stow,  Judge  of  the  Fourth  Circuit,  in  the  mis- 
sion-house at  Stockbridge,  May  7,  1850.  Thus  matters 
continued  until  the  county  had  a  poputation  of  2,000, 
and  had  increased  proportionately  in  political  impor- 
tance. The  interior  of  the  county,  especially  at  what  is 
now  the  city  of  Chilton,  had  been  settling  up  rapidly. 
By  1852  Moses  Stanton  was  the  father  and  Mrs.  Cath- 
arine Stanton,  his  wife,  was  tire  mother  of  all  that 
region  'round.  It  boasted  both  a  saw-mill  and  a  grist- 
mill, erected  by  Mr.  Stanton,  and  quite  a  lively  settle- 
ment in  every  particular.  It  had  become,  in  a  word, 
a  rival,  and  a  formidable  one,  to  Stockbridge,  which 
from  long  continued  habit  claimed  the  county  seat  as  its 
right.  Mr.  Stanton  had  seen  his  village  wax  strong 
for  the  past  seven  yeais,  and  when  the  Fall  election  of 
1852  apijroached,  which  was  to  decide  upon  the  loca- 
tion of  the  shire  town,  he  entered  into  the  canvass 
with  vim,  and  his  energetic  "right-hand  man"  was  his 
wife.  Shortl}'  before  the  election  occurred,  which  was 
on  the  first  Tuesday  of  November,  she  mounted  a  horse 
and  in  the  face  of  a  fierce  storm  of  wind  rode  eigh- 
teen or  twenty  miles  to  canvass  the  northern  part  of 
the  county.  She  had  a  cousin  keeping  a  hotel  where 
Mr.  Beach  afterwards  lived,  and  he  accompanied  her 
to  the  polls.  There  being  no  tickets  for  Chilton,  she 
wrote  some  and  her  cousin  peddled  them.  It  was  with 
supreme  satisfaction  that  she  increased  Chilton's 
chances  by  twelve  votes.  But  this  was  not  sufficient 
to  carry  the  day  by  just  one  ballot.  The  result  of  thfe 
election  was  a  tie  ;  For  Chilton  Center,  222  ;  for  Stock- 
bridge,  158  ;  Moon's  Grove,  in  the  same  township,  61  j 
Charlestown,  3;  against  Chilton,  therefore,  222.  At  a 
special  election  in  December,  1853,  out  of  the  501 
votes  cast,  Chilton  Center,  whic)i  included  the  site  of 
the  present  depot,  received  304,  as  against  215  for 
Stockbridge  and  2  for  Chilton  proper.  In  April  1857, 
a  removal  to  the  present  site  of  the  county  buildings 
was  voted  upon  favorably.  The  county  officers  who  for 
so  long  had  been  having  their  own  sweet  will  in  regard 
to  location,  were  now  obliged  to  remove  to  the  quarters 
provided  for  them  in  Chilton. 

As  noticed  heretofore,  sessions  of  the  court  had  pre- 
viously been  held  in  Stockbridge,  Moody  Mann,  the 
builder  of  the  Brothertown  mill,  having  been  elected 
first  County  Judge,  in  1850.  In  1859  a  contract  was 
closed  with  the  Board  of  Commissioners  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  court-house  at  Chilton.  The  frame  was  raised 
that  year,  but  the  building  was  hot  entirely  completed 
until  1805,  at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  The  jail  and  Sheriff's 
residence  were  built  in  1874.  For  1881  the  county 
officers  are  as  follows :  William  Paulsen,  County  Judge  ; 
William  Mulcahy,  County  Clerk ;  Edward  Mooney, 
Register  of  Deeds  ;  Jacob  Stei)hany,  Treasurer  ;  Thom- 
as Lynch,  District  Attorney  ;  W.  B.  Minaghan.  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  ;  Anton  Miesen,  Sheriff ;  William 
J.  Mallmann,  Clerk  of  the  Court;  Jacob  Severin,  Sur- 
veyor; John  F.  Kraus,  Coroner. 

A    MAKKED   ASSIMILATION. 

In  1840,  the  southern  portion  of  Calumet  Count}\ 
embiacing  the  present  towns  of  Brothertown  and  New 
Holsteiu  was  organized  into  the  town  of  Manchester. 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY, 


The  remainder  of  the  county  was  not  organized  politi- 
cally for  three  years.  The  Indians  were  gradually 
crowded  from  the  lake  shore,  mostly  by  American 
settlers,  while  a  foreign  population,  mostly  German, 
hemmed  them  in  to  the  east.  The  Stockbridges  were 
also  being  displaced  by  tlie  more  enterprising  race. 
The  more  intelligent  of  them  commenced  to  advocate 
a  change  to  full  citizenship,  forming  what  was  called 
the  "  Citizen's  Party."  "  The  Indian  Party  "  consisted 
of  those  whose  blood  still  flowed  from  the  force  of  pure 
animal  life,  and  whose  semi-civilized  manner  of  life, 
fi-ee  from  care,  was  dearer  to  tiiem  than  material  pros- 
perity. The  result  of  a  popular  vote  polled  by  the 
Stockbriilges  was  in  favor  of  the  "Citizen's  Party,"  by 
a  small  majority.  An  act  of  Congi-ess  approved  March 
3, 1843,  granted  them  the  rights  of  citizenship,  and  the 
same  amount  of  land  per  capita  given  to  the  Brother- 
towns.  The  town  of  Stockbridge,  including  all  the 
■county  outside  of  Brothertown  and  New  Holstein,  was 
organized  the  same  year.  Those  citizens,  however,  who 
still  held  to  un-American  notions  claimed  that  tlie  decis- 
ion was  brought  about  by  fraud.  They  resisted  taxation 
and  invited  a  party  of  Oneidas  from  their  reservation  to 
assist  them  in  their  revolt.  The  rebellion,  however, 
was  met  by  such  a  determined  front  by  the  Governor 
and  private  citizens  that  the  Oneidas  returned  and  the 
Indian  party  abandoned  tlieir  reckless  determination. 
A  portion  of  them,  however,  showed  such  dissatisfac- 
tion and  disgust  that  they  were  allowed  by  the  General 
Government  to  give  up  their  lands  and  retire  to  the 
reservation  in  Shawano  County.  Those  who  remained 
were  absorbed  into  the  l)ody  called  American  citizens, 
and  became  like  the  Brothertowns,  all  that  the 
name  implies.  They  supported  schools  and  churches, 
in  common  with  their  neighbors.  Men  of  affairs,  such 
as  the  Dicks,  the  Fowlers  and  the  Johnsons,  obtained 
and  retained  respect  and  influence.  Differences  of 
blood  and  race  were  forgotten,  and  another  marked 
•example  of  political  assimilation  was  held  up  for  the 
■consternation  of  scoffers  at  republicanism  and  democ- 
racy. 

Settlement  was  remarkably  brisk  throughout  the 
county  in  1848-49,  the  villages  of  New  Holstein,  Hayton 
and  Gravesville  threatening  to  even  displace  the  older 
settlements  of  Brothertown,  Stockbridge  and  Chilton. 
The  towns  of  New  Holstein  and  Charlestown  were  or- 
ganized, and  there  seemed  to  be  a  wavering  as  to  what 
•decided  course  the  tide  of  immigration  and  of  activity 
would  take.  The  causes  which  operated  in  favor  of 
Chilton  up  to  the  time  of  tlie  war  are  detailed  in  the 
sketch  of  the  city,  and  the  particular,  and  in  some 
cases,  tiie  peculiar  history  of  these  and  other  villages, 
will  be  given  hereafter.  The  war,  as  every-where  else, 
here  makes  a  break. 

CALUMET   COUNTY   IN   THE    WAR. 

Though  by  name  and  by  nature  the  citizens  of  Cal- 
umet County  are  peaceable,  when  the  rebellion  brought 
them  to  the  test  of  bravery  they  nobly  proved  their 
metal.  The  county  raised  more  than  its  quota  of 
troops,  and  Chilton,  especially,  was  the  scene  and  the 
seat  of  the  greatest  patriotism.  Harrison  C.  Hobart, 
who  left  Chilton  in  April,  1861,  as  Captain  of  Company 
K,  Fourth  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  escaped  from 


Libby  prison,  made  a  glorious  record,  and  was  mustered 
out  as  Brigadier  General;  Benjamin  .J.  Sweet,  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  of  the  Sixth  ;  Capt.  T.  H.  Magdeburg,  of 
Company  G,  Fourteenth  Regiment ;  Capt.  J.  N.  Stone, 
Company  G,  of  the  Nineteenth  Regiment,  and  at  the 
time  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Republican  ;  Capt.  H. 
M.  Gibbs,  killed  gallantly  fighting  at  Perryville  ;  and 
Capt.  0.  F.  Waller,  Company  H,  of  the  Forty-eighth 
Regiment,  are  among  a  host  who  assisted  in  raising 
troops  and  leading  them  where  their  country  called, 
and  are  remembered  as  brave  and  loyal  men.  Tiie 
companies  mentioned  above,  besides  fragments  of  other 
organizations  were  sent  with  "  God-speed  "  from  Calu- 
met—  little  Calumet,  but  of  the  true  blue  blood. 

Those  who  remained  at  home  were  treated  to  a  sen- 
sation in  September,  1862,  which  extended  all  over  tlie 
State.  On  September  6,  of  that  year,  rumors  were  in 
circulation  that  after  having  massacred  the  inhabitants 
of  Centerville,  Manitowoc  County,  over  3,000  savages 
were  on  the  full  war  gallop  for  Holstein ;  that  some 
thousands  more  were  murdering  to  right  and  to  left  in 
Brown  County  ;  that  an  army  of  Redskins  had  invaded 
Waupaca  County,  all  egged  on  by  the  dire  spirit  of  re- 
venge which  animated  the  Confederate  States  of  Amer- 
ica. New  Holstein  migrated  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  all  able 
bodied  men  gathered  in  that  section  for  the  anticipated 
attack.  When  the  small  band  of  Indians  returning 
from  their  corn  fields  on  the  Sheboygan  River  discov- 
ered what  a  commotion  they  had  stirred,  they  were 
more  frightened  than  the  whites  themselves.  All  ex- 
citements have  an  end,  and  the  Indian  scare  of  1862, 
which  spread  over  Northern  and  Central  Wisconsin  is 
only  noteworthy  as  showing  to  what  a  fever  heat  the 
mind  of  the  North  was  raised  at  this  time,  and  what  a 
small  spark  kindled  that  heat  into  a  flame 

The  prime  factor  which  binds  Calumet  County  to- 
gether is  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Company. 
Those  villages  which  assisted  most  in  its  construction 
have  certainly  taken  the  lead  in  growth.  In  the  early 
part  of  1871,  when  the  proposition  was  before  the 
county  to  vote  $60,000  aid  for  the  construction  of  the 
Milwaukee  &  Northern  Road,  Stockbridge  and  Broth- 
ertown both  opposed  it  strongly,  unless  they  could 
have  a  guarantee  that  the  line  would  run  conveniently 
near  their  villages.  Tlie  northern  towns  also  voted 
against  the  proposition.  New  Holstein,  Charlestown 
and  Chilton  eagerly  supported  the  measure,  which  was 
decisively  defeated  in  the  county,  but  earned  for  them 
the  right  of  way  when  the  road  was  built  in  the  Fall 
of  1872.  New  Holstein  voted  $oO,000  aid  ;  Chilton, 
12.5,000,  and  Charlestown  $20,000.  The  road,  therefore, 
passes  through  these  towns  north  to  Hilbert  Junction, 
where  the  northern  branch  runs  to  Green  Bay.  and  the 
main  line  to  Menasha.  The  Milwaukee  &  Northern 
crosses  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  at  Forest 
Junction.  The  latter  road  was  built  tiirougli  the  town 
of  Brillion  in  1871-72,  being  finished  in  the  Summer 
of  the  latter  year.  By  the  construction  of  these  two 
roads  the  really  growing  villages  of  the  county  were 
brought  into  close  relationship  with  all  points  to  the 
north,  south,  east  and  west. 

The  incre-ase  in  population  of  Calumet  County  has 
been  proportionate  to  the  ability  and  care  with  which 
her  natural  advantages  have  been  improved,  and  has 


'76 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


therefore  been  steady.  According  to  the  United  States 
census,  taken  first  in  1840,  the  growth  has  been  as  fol- 
lows: In  1840  there  were  275  in  the  county;  in  1850, 
1,743;  in  1860,  7,895;  in  1870, 12,311 ;  in  1880, 15,722. 

Tlie  indebtedness  of  the  towns,  cities  and  villages 
of  Calumet  County  amounts  to  176,475,  of  which  175,- 
000  was  voted  in  aid  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Northern 
road,  and  $1,475  is  apportioned  to  the  school  districts. 

From  the  last  report  of  tlie  County  Superintendent 
of  Schools  it  is  learned  that  there  are  fiftj'-five  districts 
and  twenty-three  jsarts  of  districts  in  Calumet.  Of  the 
6,531  children  of  school  age  enrolled,  3,527  have  been 
in  attendance.  There  are  two  free  higli  schools,  one 
at  Chilton,  the  other  at  Stockbridge.  The  cash  value 
of  all  school  buildings  in  the  county  is  $36,685;  of 
sites,  14,051,  and  of  apparatus  11,919,  making  a  total 
of  $42,655.  In  addition  to  the  district  schools,  eight 
private  schools  are  maintained  by  the  people.  They 
have  a  total  attendance  of  193,  so  that  the  total  attend- 
ance throughout  the  county  is  3,720,  out  of  its  popula- 
tion of  15,722. 

CHILTON. 

Soon  after  this  absorption  and  riddance  of  an  element 
which  had  been  a  check  upon  the  advance  of  settlement,  the 
county  began  to  fill  up  in  sections  further  from  Lake  Win- 
nebago. In  January,  1845,  Moses  Stanton  located  on  the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Chilton,  and  in  May  his  daughter 
Catherine  was  born.  In  1846  he  had  a  saw-mill  and  two 
years  later  a  grist-mill  in  operation.  His  energy  soon  drew 
settlers  to  the  spot.  Frederick  Sircher  came  in  1847,  and 
Nicholas  Chesboro  in  184S.  During  this  year  also  a  number 
of  industrious  Irishmen,  who  had  been  employed  in  build- 
ing the  Sheboygan  and  Fond  du  Lac  plank  road,  became 
residents  of  Chilton  and  increased  its  claims  to  be  called  a 
village.  Through  the  influence  of  James  Robinson,  an 
honored  citizen  (since  deceased),  the  town  of  Portland, 
afterwards  Chilton,  was  organized,  by  special  legislative  act, 
in  1853.  In  December  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Chilton, 
and  every  thing  promised  well  for  its  continued  growth. 
James  Robinson,  who  had  represented  the  county  in  the 
Legislature  tlie  previous  Winter,  was  elected  Chairman 
of  the  first  Town  Board,  which  convened  at  the  hotel  of 
Otto  Schucht,  on  Sircher  street,  April  21,  1853.  Post-office 
conveniences  had  been  enjoyed  for  two  whole  years,  the 
firs:  United  States  official  in  Chilton  being  L.  Fields,  Sr. 
Chilton  certainly  promised  to  be  what  it  became,  a  thriving 
burg.  Moses  Stanton,  its  founder,  lived  here  for  over  seven- 
teen years,  universally  respected,  and  died  in  1862.  His 
wife  still  survives  him. 

Originally  the  village  was  called  Stantonville,  but  in 
1852  John  Marygold,  an  Englishman,  became  proprietor  of 
the  place  by  i)urchase,  and  began  to  plat  it.  It  was  sur- 
veyed by  A.  Merrill  in  August  of  that  year,  and  named 
"  Chilington  "  by  its  owner,  in  remembrance  of  his  native 
town.  He  sent  a  verbal  message  by  one  Patrick  Donahoe, 
to  have  the  change  in  name  recorded  at  Stockbridge,  the 
county  seat.  Such  a  burden  upon  his  brain  was  too  great 
for  Patrick  to  carry,  and  before  he  arrived  at  his  destina- 
tion he  eased  it  by  dropping  the  middle  syllable  from  Chil- 
(ing)-ton.  "Chilton  "  was  therefore  recorded  as  the  name 
of  the  new  village. 

Although  by  popular  vote  the  county  seat  had  been 
located  at  Chilton  Center,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  village, 
the  citizens  were  not  satisfied,  but  wanted  a  change  made  to 
Chilton  itself.  No  buildings  were  erected  for  tjiree  years, 
although  contracts  had  been  let  and  the  material  for  them 


was  on  the  ground.  In  1854  Harrison  C  Hobart  settled  in- 
Chilton  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  took  up  the  cause  of 
Chilton  vigorously,  and  chiefly  by  his  and  Mr.  Stanton's 
efforts  the  change  in  location  to  the  present  court-house 
s.quare  was  made,  as  previously  stated.  With  this  advant- 
age gained,  and  some  years  afterwards  the  construction  of 
the  Milwaukee  &  Northern  Railroad,  Chilton  left  such  rivals 
as  New  Holstein  and  Gravesville  far  behind. 

The  first  child  born  in  Chilton  was  the  daughter  of 
Moses  Stanton  (Catherine)  in  May,  1845  ;  the  first  death  his 
second  daughter,  Eliza,  born  in  September,  1846,  and  died 
in  January,  1848. 

Miss  Jane  Scott  taught  the  first  school  in  the  Summer 
of  1848.  The  first  religious  services  were  held  in  the  same 
building  by  a  missionary  from  the  Stockbridge  House. 

In  January,  1848,  the  first  marriage  ceremony  occurred 
between   Hugh  Wilson,  of  Racine,  and  Miss  Mary  Hume. 

The  first  Fourth-of-JuIy  oration  was  delivered  by  B.  J. 
Sweet,  then  a  law  student,  in  1852. 

Chilton  is  situated  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Manito- 
woc River,  and  contains  a  population  of  1,200,  the  prevail- 
ing nationality  being  German.  Its  people  are  industrious 
and  thriving,  a  good  general  trade  being  carried  on  in  addi- 
tion to  a  variety  of  manufactures.  The  corporate  limits  of 
the  city  embrace  a  territory  nearly  two  miles  square. 

By  act  of  the  Legislature  the  city  was  incorporated 
March  11,  1877.  The  charter  was  adopted  by  one  majority 
on  the  twentieth  of  that  month,  the  vote  being  108  to  107. 
F.  R.  Gutheil  was  elected  Mayor.  The  officers  for  1881  are 
Mayor,  Dr.  D.  La  Count;  Clerk,  H.  Arnold;  Treasurer, 
William  Rothmann.     The  city  is  divided  into  three  wards. 

J^i're  Department. — The  Fire  Department  consisting  of  a 
hand-engine  company  and  a  hook-and-ladder  company, 
was  formed  in  1875.  The  membership  of  both  organiza- 
tions  is    sixty.     D.  D.  Ebert  is   Chief  of  the   Department. 

Schools. — In  1849  Moses  Stanton  erected  a  log  building 
for  a  school-house,  on  land  near  where  the  post-office  now 
stands.  A  frame  Iniilding,  on  the  site  of  the  present  district 
school-house,  succeeded  it.  The  two-story  stone  structure 
now  occupied  was  erected  in  1870.  The  value  of  the  prop- 
erty is  $5,000.  The  school  (District  No.  i)  is  divided  into 
a  Grammar  Department  (graded)  and  a  High  School.  The 
Principal  of  the  latter  is  J.  E.  Luce,  and  of  the  former,  J. 
O.  Luce.  Out  of  a  total  enrollment  of  449.  the  attendance 
is  216.  During  the  past  Autumn  the  building  has  been 
renovated  and  improved.  Its  crowded  condition,  however, 
calls  for  an  increase  in  accommodations. 

The  Press. — There  are  no  newspapers  published  outside 
of  the  city  of  Chilton.  Of  the  seven  established  in  the  county, 
four  survive.  The  first  number  of  the  first  newspaper.  The 
Clinton  Times,  appeared  September  26,  1857,  editorially 
and  financially  under  the  management  of  John  P.  Hume. 
Charles  W.  Fitch  was  its  proprietor  until  May  27,  1858, 
when  the  former  purchased  it.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
1881,  Mr.  Hume  conducted  tiie  paper  alone,  and  became 
as  well  known  and  as  much  beloved  as  any  man  in  Calumet 
County. 

The  Times  is  now  edited  and  managed  by  his  sons,  W. 
A.  and  J.  P.  Hume,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hume  Brothers. 
It  remains  Democratic  in  jioliiics  and  issues  on  Saturday. 

The  Calumet  County  Republican  was  published  at  Graves- 
ville from  1S59  to  1862.  when  its  editor  and  proprietor,  J. 
N.  Stone,  suspended  the  pajjer  by  laying  down  the  pen  and 
taking  up  the  sword. 

The  Calumet  County  Reflector  was  established  at  Chilton 
in  1867  by  William  M.  Fogo.  Mr.  Fogo  sold  it  in  1868 
to  E.  N.  Sweet,  who,  after  publishing  the  journal  two  years, 
removed  his  office  to  Nebraska. 

The  StockDridge  Enterprise  was  established  by  the  Corn- 


ll 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY 


ing  Brothers,  Cyrus  and  Sidney,  in  ]\Iarcli,  1873,  who,  after 
a  short  time,  sold  it  to  T.  C.  Stearns.  In  a  few  weeks  both 
himself  and  wife  were  found  dead,  a  narcotic  lying  near. 
Some  held  their  deaths  to  be  suicidal,  others  accidental. 
With  them  the  Enterprise  ceased  to  exist. 

The  Stockbridge  Union  was  established  by  the  Corning 
Brothers  at  the  same  time  as  the  Enterprise.  After  editing 
it  for  a  few  months,  F.  A.  Willman  purchased  the  journal 
in  the  Summer  of  1873,  and  in  SejJtember  of  that  year  came 
into  the  possession  of  H.  Arnold,  its  present  editor  and  pro- 
prietor, who  removed  it  to  Chilton  and  changed  its  name  to 
The  Wisconsin  Denickrai.     It  is  independent  in  politics. 

T/ie  Volkshcte,  established  in  March,  1877  by  George 
Schleyer,  is  Democratic  in  politics.  He  continues  its  editor 
and  proprietor. 

The  Calumet  County  Nc7iis  was  established  in  February, 
1880.  It  is  published  at  Chilton,  edited  by  H.  ^V.  AVing, 
and  is  Republican  in  politics.     The  Ne^cs  is  issued  weekly. 

A  daily  paper  has  never  been  published  in  the  county. 

Saint  Augustine  Cy«/;r/;  (Catholic). —  Among  the  early 
settlers  of  Chilton  there  was  quite  an  admixture  of  those  pro- 
fessing Catholicism.  Their  number,  however,  was  not  great 
enough  to  command  the  attention  of  a  bishop  until  185.4, 
when  the  Rev.  Father  Debeck  paid  missionary  visits  to 
Chilton.  Father  McMahon  was  the  first  resident  pastor, 
and  commenced  to  build  a  church  in  1S55,  just  back  of  the 
present  edifice.  It  was  not  completed  till  i860.  He 
remained  for  ten  years,  and  was  followed  by  Father  Morris 
and  Father  Dulcee.  Father  Schraudenbach  continued  his 
ministry  until  i86g,  when  Father  Andelschack  succeeded 
him,  remaining  seven  years.  Father  Uerbak  built  the  present 
edifice  in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $16, coo.  The  Rev.  Father 
Lorigan  is  the  present  pastor,  and  has  over  1,000  communi- 
cants in  his  care. 

Saint  Mary's  Church  was  organized  in  1877,  and  a  build- 
ing erected  during  that  year  at  a  cost  of  $9,000.  The 
parish  school  building  in  the  rear  of  the  church  and  the 
parsonage  were  erected  in  1879.  The  school  is  in  charge 
of  the  Sisters,  and  has  an  attendance  of  about  eighty. 
Rev.  F"ather  Gaellweiler  is  the  pastor  of  the  society,  having 
under  his  charge  eighty  families. 

The  Union  Church. — This  society  was  organized  and  in- 
corporated in  the  Spring  of  1877.  The  church  building 
was  erected  on  land  donated  by  Zachariah  Stanton,  son  of 
Moses  Stanton,  and  the  first  sermon  preached  by  Elder 
Todd.  The  membership  of  the  society  is  about  thirty. 
The  Lutherans,  Methodists,  Episcopalians  and  Baptists 
worship  in  the  same  building.  The  Union  Church  is 
entirely  unsectarian. 

Societies. — Chilton  has  a  lodge  of  Masons  (No.  154)  or- 
ganized in  1866,  and  two  lodges  of  Odd  F'ellowt — No.  295 
and  No.  207. 

Chilton  Turn  Verein  was  organized  in  August,  i87i,and 
its  hall  erected  during  that  Fall  and  the  following  season 
at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  Its  membership  is  thirty  ;  first  speaker, 
H.  Arnold. 

Hotels.— Tht  Chilton  House  was  built  in  1855  by  J.  C. 
Green.  Mr.  Yicking  became  the  purchaser,  and  continued 
the  same  until  1867,  when  he  sold  it  to  Messrs.  LaCount  & 
Feind.  F.  \V.  Esser  soon  became  the  proprietor.  In  1879, 
it  was  bought  by  E.  Rossburg,  its  present  proprietor. 

The  Central  House,  situated  near  the  railroad  station, 
was  built  by  F.  Reinboldt.  It  fell  into  Charles  Koinke's 
hands  the  present  owner. 

The  Wisconsin  House. — Before  1875  the  old  building 
was  occupied  as  a  gents'  furnishing  store.  It  was  remodeled 
the  same  year  by  Mr.  Jackals  for  a  hotel,  and  in  1876  sold 
to  Joseph  Bersch  the  present  owner. 

The  Western  House  was  built  in  1874  by  Menig  &  Goed- 


dertz.     In  1875,-  Charles  Menig  became  sole  proprietor,  as 
at  present. 

The  American  House  was  built  in  1855  by  Mr.  Ortlieb. 
It  was  sold  in  1875  to  A.  Mason,  and  to  A.  McHughe.  J. 
D.  Parker  has  been  the  owner  since  1877. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Banks. — In  1859,  Col.  Bean  established  the  Shawano 
Bank  at  Chilton.  He  turned  the  institution  over  to  Meyer 
&  Sprague  in  i860.  The  hank  suspended  during  the  try- 
ing times  of  1862.  From  that  date  up  to  January,  1875, 
the  village  was  without  a  bank.  Kersten  Brothers  then 
established  the  German  Exchange  Bank,  which  is  still  do- 
ing business  under  their  management.  Its  capital  is  $7 .600; 
resources  $89,169.27. 

M.ANUFACTURING    INTERESTS. 

The  Union  Flour  Mills  were  erected  by  Mooney  &  Zech 
in  1874.  In  1S76,  Zech  Brothers  bought  the  former's  in- 
terest, and  are  the  present  proprietors.  The  manufacture 
is  forty  barrels  daily. 

Reblitz  Brothers' Flour  Mills  were  erected  in  October, 
18S0,  by  the  present  proprietors.  They  liave  four  run  of 
stone,  and  turn  out  on  an  average  thirty  barrels  ot  flour 
daily. 

Philip  Becker's  Brewery  is  the  oldest  establishment  of 
the  kind  in  the  city,  a  small  building  being  erected  by  J. 
Paulus  in  t86o.  It  was  bought  by  Mr.  Becker  in  1875.  He 
has  so  added  to  the  original  establishment  that  the  capac- 
ity of  the  brewery  is  at  present  1,200  barrels  of  beer  an- 
nually. 

F.  R.  (Vutheil's  Brewery  was  established  in  1S67,  by' its 
present  proprietor.  Its  capacity  is  about  400  barrels  of 
beer  per  annum. 

Dorschel  &  Co.'s  Sash,  Door  and  Blind  Factory  was 
erected  in  1875  by  William  Dorschel,  the  head  of  the  firm. 
The  ])artnership  with  William  Kartheaser  was  formed  in 
1878,  the  latter  being  the  "Co."  About  a  dozen  men  are 
employed  on  an  average  and  $3,500  is  the  amount  of  busi- 
ness transacted  annually. 

The  Chilton  Stave  Factory  was  built  in  1881  by  O.  D. 
Bishop,  its  present  proprietor,  and  has  a  capacity  for  turn- 
ing out  600,000  staves  per  annum. 

Stendel  &  Goesling's  Plow  Works  were  established  by 
the  present  firm  in  1875.  They  manufacture  plows,  culti- 
vators and  buggies,  and  do  an  annual  business  of  §5,000. 

Besides  the  above  A.  Vahldieck,  Junkee  Brothers  and 
L.  D.  Geisse  have  small  machine  shops,  the  second  named 
a  foundry. 

For  some  years  Benjamin  F.  Carter  and  his  son  oper- 
ated a  large  brick  yard  in  Chilton,  but  upon  the  death  of 
the  latter,  work  was  tem])orarily  suspended.  It  is  probable 
that  it  will  be  revived  again  during  the  coming  season. 

George  D.  Breed  is  about  to  establish  a  large  cheese 
factory  in  Chilton. 

BIOCJRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

li.  F.  BAGLEY,  grain  and  produce,  Cliilton,  with  D.  S.  Bagley 
&  Sons.  Born  in  Coos  Co.,  N.  H.,  June  15.  1S45.  His  parents  moved 
to  Milwaukee.  Here  lie  obtained  what  education  he  could  from  the 
ward  schools.  He  then  entered  the  commission  house  of  E.  D.  Chapin, 
wherehe  remained  till  iS63,when  he  w^entinto  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment at  Nashville,  Tenn.  From  there  he  went  into  the  machine  shops, 
and  finally  became  an  engineer.  He  followed  this  till  1868,  when  he  went 
to  milling  in  Waupetousa  with  his  father,  and  soon  after  took  a  fore- 
man's position  in  a  sash  and  blind  factory  in  Racine.  From  there  he 
went  to  Kansas,  but  returned  to  Wisconsin  to  enter  his  present  firm.  They 
now  represent  five  stations  on  the  W.  C.  R.  R.  and  two  on  the  C.  &  N. 
W.,  and  are  doing  a  large  bus'ness.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Anna 
Hennessv,  of  Sauk  Rapids,  Minn.  They  have  four  children— Georgie, 
Alice,  Mamie  and  Wallace.  Mr.  Bagley  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  of  which  he  has  been  master  for  five  years. 

HON.  GEORGE  BALDWIN,  lawyer,  Chilton.  Born  in  St.  Johns- 
bury,  Caledonia  Co.,  in  1S31.  Here  he  went  to  school,  and  in  1850 
commenced  reading. law  with  William  Dickermann,  and  afterwards  with 
S.  W.  Slade.  He  graduated  at  the  Boston  Law  School  in  1852  ;  then 
went  into  partnership  with  II.  F.  I'rentiss  in  Derby  Line.  He  afterwards 
acted  as  clerk  in  the  custom-house.  He  commenced  his  practice  in 
Stockbridge,  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853,  with  J.  B.  Deuel,  continuing 
till  1855,  when  he  was  elected  District  Attorney.  He  then  moved  to 
Chilton,  and  held  the  office  for  ten  years.     In  1877  he  retired  from  active 


practice,  and  now  deals  in  real  estate;  He  was  elected  to  the  ."Vssembly 
in  1S65,  and  was  State-Senator  in  1S70-1  ;  was  also  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools.  In  1S74  he  married  Miss  Catherine  M.  Plunkett, 
of  Chilton.  They  have  two  boys,  George  Benjamin  and  Charles  Fred- 
erick.    Mr.  Baldwin  belongs  to  both  the  Masons  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 

PHILIP  BECKER,  brewer,  Chilton.  Born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  29. 
1S43.  He  came  to  America  in  1S66,  having  learned  the  trade  o(  cooper 
in  the  fatherland.  He  went  first  to  Chicago,  and  then  to  Milwaukee, 
and  finally  to  Calvary.  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  entered  a  brewery  in 
partnership  with  William  Wolf.  In  1S74  he  sold  out,  working  for  the 
purchaser  till  1S75,  when  he  came  to  Chilton  and  bought  the  brewery 
which  he  now  operates,  having  laid  out  his  grounds  and  erected  a 
dwelling  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  In  1S71,  on  the  loth  of  July,  he  married 
Miss  Maggie  Voelker,  of  Sheboygan  County.  They  have  three  children, 
and  are  membe.s  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JOSEPH  BERSCH,  hotel,  Chilton.  Born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
April  22,  1S47.  He  came  to  America  in  1S4S;  went  to  Sheboygan 
Co.,  Wis.,  and  with  his  parents  located  on  a  farm.  In  1S67-8  he 
worked  in  the  Lake  Superior  mining  region  of  Michigan.  He  returned 
home  in  1S6S.  and  remained  till  1870,  when  he  began  farming  for  him- 
self. In  May,  1800,  he  came  to  Chilton,  and  bought  the 
hotel  called  the  Wisconsin  House.  In  1S70  he  mariied  Miss  HeUrig. 
They  h.ave  three  children,  having  lost  three.  Those  living  are  Frank, 
^^ary  and  Theresa.     They  are  Catholics. 

GEORGE  n.  BREED,  fanner.  Chilton.  Born  in  Chenango  Co..  N.Y., 
Dec.  2g,  1839  His  parents  moved  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1844, 
where  ihey  located  at  East  Troy  From  thence  they  went  to  Rochester, 
and  later  moved  to  Vienna,  where  George  attended  school.  His  father 
was  a  millwriglit,  carpenter  and  joiner,  and  when  they  moved  to  Chilton 
he  was  engaged  on  the  second  grist-mill  put  up.  He  located  on  the 
farm  where  George  D.  now  lives,  buying  eighty  acres,  which  lie  now 
wholly  within  the  city  limits.  In  1858  he  commenced  work,  and  was 
the  first  here  to  introduce  a  reaper  on  his  farm.  In  1S64  he  enlisted  in 
the  4Sih  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  H  ;  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  and  returned 
home  the  7th  of  January,  and  has  given  his  attention  to  farming  since.  In 
politics  he  has  some  interest,  being  Chairman  of  the  Republican  Con- 
vention, Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  in  i877-S,and  President  of  the 
Board  ;  was  Mayor  of  the  city  in  1S79,  ^"'i  i*  "O^^  Alderman  ;  secretary 
of  the  Agricultural  Society,  and  School  Clerk  for  three  years.  In  1S64 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Fadner,  of  Charleston.  They  have  two 
cluldren,  Frank  B.  and  Alexander  K.  Mr.  Breed  was,  in  1S77,  as- 
signed the  position  of  Enrolling  Clerk  in  the  House,  but  served  on  joint 
committee  for  enrolling  bills  as  Clerk. 

C.  G.  CONE,  farmer.  Sec.  11.  P.  O.  Chilton.  Born  in  Cayuga 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1829.  His  father,  Thomas  Cone,  was  born  in  Ot- 
sego Co.,  N.  Y..  in  179S,  and  is  now  on  the  farm,  hale  and  hearty.  The 
family  moved  from  Cayuga  County  in  1856,  and  located  on  the  farm 
where  they  now  live.  They  own  160  acres.  Before  leaving  New  York, 
C.  G.  attended  common  school,  and  then  went  to  Homer  Academy, 
finishing  in  the  Oneida  Conference  Seminary.  On  leaving  school  he 
went  to  milling,  and  then  roamed  through  the  Southern  and  Western 
States,  coming  to  Calumet  in  the  Fall  of  1S57.  In  1S64  he  went  to 
Menasha  as  foreman  of  the  Wooden  Ware  Manufacturing  Company. 
From  there  he  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  numbering  depart- 
ment of  the  Treasury,  and  was  transferred  to  the  Census  Bureau,  and  in 
1S72  he  came  home,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In  1858  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Potter,  of  Almira,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  boys — George, 
Thomas  and  Walter. 

WILLIAM  DORSCHEL,  sash  and  door  factory,  Chilton.  Born 
in  Canada.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S63.  and  to  Calumet  County  in 
1S66,  where  he  carried  on  a  carpenter's  and  joiner's  business  till  1878, 
when  he  established  himself  in  the  mill  and  lumber  yard.  In  1868  he 
married  Miss  Louisa  Rothman.  They  have  four  children,  having  lost 
one.     They  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

F.  JOSEPH  EGERER,  saloon,  Chilton.  Born  in  Fond  du  Lac 
Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  17,  1S60.  His  early  years  were  passed  on  a  farm  ;  his 
time  divided  between  school  and  home  duties  until  1S79,  when  he  came 
to  Chilton.  In  1880  he  and  Mr.  Jansen  bought  their  present  business, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Jansen  &  Egerer. 

JULIUS  FEIND,  retired,  Chilton.  Born  in  Province  of  Hanover. 
Germany,  March  21.  1828.  He  came  to  America  in  1859,  and  at  once 
came  west  to  Wisconsin,  going  to  work  in  Fond  du  Lac  County  on  a 
faini.  He  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Friendship,  but  sold  out  is 
1S64,  and  bought  in  the  town  of  Charles,  Calumet  Co..  on  which  he 
staid  but  a  short  time  because  of  sickness.  He  was  disabled  for  two 
years.  He  then  was  engaged  in  the  Fond  du  Lac  House,  but  lefl 
that  position  to  take  a  trip  south  through  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri, 
Kentucky  and  Indiana.  He  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  :866,  going 
thence  to  Marytown,  where  he  entered  a  partnership  with  Charles  F. 
Holtz  in  hotel  and  store.  Shortly  afterward  he  came  to  Chilton,  where 
he  bought  of  Henry  Hofman.  This  was  in  i866.  This  venture  held 
for  a  few  months,  when  he  sold  to  William  Paulson;  then  taking  a«  |] 
interest  with  James  LaCounte  in   the  Chilton   House,   he   became  sole 


HISrORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY. 


■79 


proprietor,  but  soon  sold  to  Frederick  Esser.  He  then  bought  a  harness 
•hop,  which  he  owned  till  1S72,  and  after  selling  this  he  entered  real 
estate  business,  and  in  1S80  built  Feind's  Block.  He  is  now  retired. 
In  Germany  he  was  manager  of  an  estate  valued  at  $500,oco,  which  he 
carried  on  successfully  for  three  years,  also  managing  the  estate  of 
Duke  Kilsmanseege  ;  this  was  for  a  short  time,  as  he  found  the  Duke  of 
an  extremely  haughty  nature.     Mr.  Feind  is  still  a  bachelor. 

THOMAS  FLATLEY,  general  store,  Chilton.  Born  in  New  York 
Nov.  15,  1849.  When  five  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin,  and  lived  in  the  town  of  Woodville,  Calumet  Co.,  till  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  into  the  lumbering  woods  of 
Oconto  County.  For  six  years  he  continued  at  this  work,  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  farm.  In  1S75  he  came  to  Chilton,  and  entered  the  store 
of  M.  Connelly,  the  firm  being  Connelly  &  Flatley,  whicli,  in  1S-9.  was 
changed  to  Thomas  Flatley.  He  carries  a  slock  of  $2,000  or  $3.C00, 
and  does  a  business  of  $7,000  a  year.  In  1875  he  married  Miss  Mary 
J.  Connelly,  of  Chilton.  They  have  four  children— John  B.,  Michael 
Henry,  Kate  Ellen  and  Andrew  H.  They  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church. 

MARTIN  FORKIN,  general  merchandise,  Chilton.  Born  in 
County  of  Roscommon,  Ireland,  Oct.  11,  1S32.  Came  to  America  in 
1845.  landing  in  Boston.  From  there  he  went  to  Crompton,  R.  I.  In 
1853  he,  with  his  parents,  came  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  in 
the  town  of  Chilton,  on  a  farm  which  they  had  purchased  in  1851.  Here 
he  lived  till  186S,  excepting  the  time  he  was  in  the  army,  having  en- 
listed in  the  i6th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  D.,  in  1864,  and  served  till  1S65.  In 
1868  he  opened  the  mercantile  house  with  which  he  is  now  identified, 
carrying  a  stock  of  about  S2,ooo  and  doing  a  business  of  $6,oco.  In  1S59 
he  married  Miss  Bridpet  Duffy,  of  Chilton.  Theyhave  six  children,  having 
lost  two — Mary  A.,  Alice.  Margaret  A.,  Martin  J.  (who  was  killed  by 
the  kick  of  a  horse.  May  23,  1878),  Frances  E.,  Ellen  L.,  William 
Patrick,  Bridget,  and  M.  L.,  deceased.  Mr.  Forkin  was  elected  School 
Treasurer  in  1S75,  and  is  now  in  that  office. 

P.  A.  GALLET,  agricultural  implement  depot,  Chilton.  Born  in 
Belgium,  Nov.  12,  1840.  Came  to  America  and  to  Wyoming  County, 
where  he  lived  with  his  parents  and  attended  school,  until  they  moved 
to  the  town  of  Russell  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  since  which  he  has  been  trav- 
eling in  the  machinery  business.  He  took  a  trip  to  California  in  1872, 
and  to  Oregon,  where  he  intended  to  stay,  but  as  the  climate  did  not  suit 
him,  he  returned  in  1S75,  and  bought  a  farm  in  town  of  Chilton.  Moving 
on  it,  he  engaged  in  the  agricultural  machinery  business,  and  finally 
sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  the  city.  He  has  a  wife  and  five  children — 
Eliza  S.,  Edward  A.,  Helen  A.,  Mary  Adeline  and  Pauline  A. 

L.  D.  GEISSE,  machinist,  Chilton.  Born  in  Fond  du  Lac  County, 
June  6,  1847.  His  father  moved  to  that  county  as  early  as  1842,  and 
settled  at  Taycheedah.  He  had  large  means,  and  carried  on  quite  an 
extensive  business,  but  failed  in  1854,  and  died  Sept.  10,  1S73.  L.  D. 
went  to  school  in  the  village  until  old  enough  to  learn  a  trade,  when  he 
went  East  into  the  machine  shops,  working  in  the  Baldwin  locomotive 
shops  in  Philadelphia.  He  then  began  a  life  of  wandering,  going  to 
Unionville,  Nevada,  to  run  the  quartz  mills,  then  back  to  Philadelphia 
to  ship  on  the  steamer  "  Tombo  "  for  a  voyage  up  the  Amazon  River  on 
a  survey  ;  returning  to  the  port  from  which  he  shipped,  and  going  into 
the  ship-jard  belonging  to  William  Cramp,  and  after  working  in  the 
United  Stales  navy  yard,  coming  back  home  to  Fond  du  Lac  County. 
In  1876  he  opened  the  machine  shops  in  Chilton.  In  1874  he  married 
Miss  Helen  Bigford.  They  have  three  children.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JAMES  CODING,  retired,  Chilton.  Born  in  Littleton.  Wilshire, 
England.  Before  leaving  Britain  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Tarrant.  This  was  in  1S45,  o"  'he  nth  of  February.  In  1849  they 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  went  into  the  then  wilderness  of  the  town  of 
Rantoul,  Calumet  Co.  There  they  found  a  brother,  Isaac  Coding,  who, 
had  located  in  1848.  He  accommodated  them  with  part  of  his  shanty 
till  they  settled  on  their  little  f.irm  on  the  Kilsnick.  Mr.  Coding  then 
went  to  Taycheedah  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and  worked  at  his  trade.  He 
afterwards  bought  a  farm  one  mile  south  of  Chilton,  and  farmed  till  his 
boys  went  to  work  for  themselves.  He  then  moved  to  Chilton  in  1S74. 
They  have  had  five  children — Sarah  (now  Mrs.  Weaver),  Lewis  (deceased). 
John,  Milton  and  Lewis. 

STEPHEN  HEALY.  retired,  Chilton.  Born  in  Brimfield.  Wor- 
cester Co.,  Mass  ,  May  15,  1S23.  The  family  moved  from  there  to  Con- 
necticut in  1839,  and  then  to  Gardiner's  Prairie.  Wis.,  where  he  re- 
mained till  1847.  He  located  on  land  in  Rocheslertown  and  then 
went  10  Vienna,  Walworth  Co.  He  came  to  Chiltc  n  June  8,  1S53.  and 
located  on  a  farm  of  twenty-five  acres,  which  he  cleared  up  and  imprcved, 
meantime  working  at  hii  trade.  In  1879  ''^  ''•'"'  •'•  s-'roke  of  jiaralvsis. 
In  1847  he  married  Miss  Maiy  R.  Breed,  of  New  Yoik.  They  have'two 
children— Albert  S.  and  Metlie  J.  Mr.  Healy  has  held  the  position  of 
Town  Clerk,  and  has  been  a  member  of  ihe  I.  O.  O.  F.  since  1873. 

OLIVER  HEBERT,  hardware,  Chilton.  Born  in  Eureka,  Winne- 
bago Co.,  Wis..  Aug.  31,  1853.  He  is  of  French  descent.  His  parents 
moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  County,  where  his  mother  still  lives.  In  1871, 
he  came  to  Chilton,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  with  the  Ebert  Bros., 


in  the  tin  trade,  and  then  went  with  Mr.  David  Ebert  to  California  in 
1875,  locating  at  Oakland,  where  they  were  stationed  for  one  month, 
when  they  sold  out  and  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac  County.  He  came  to 
Chilton,  Calumet  Co.,  in  July,  1S77,  and  worked  with  the  Ebert  Bros, 
till  January,  iSSo,  when  he  went  to  Brillion  and  opened  business,  but 
returned  with  his  stock  of  goods  to  Chilton,  in  February,  18S1.  and 
opened  a  hardware  and  tin  shop.  He  carries  a  stock  of  from  $3,000  to 
$4,000.  and  does  a  business  of  $15,000.  On  the  I7ih  of  September, 
1877.  he  married  Miss  H.  E.  Baivier,  of  Chilton.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Florence  and  Olive.  Mr.  Hebert  was  elected  City  Treasurer,  by 
special  election,  in  1878. 

JOHN  P.  HUME,  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Chilton  Times,  was  born  in  Kings  County,  Ireland,  June 
II.  1836,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Chilton,  on  Tuesday  morning,  Aug.  23, 
1S81.  His  illness  was  painful  and  lingering,  but  he  retained  his  genial 
disposition  and  kindness  of  heart  and  sunshine  of  manner  through  all 
his  long  and  keen  suffering.  He  left  a  dear  and  worthy  wife  and  seven 
children  to  mourn  his  death,  besides  the  largest  circle  of  close  friends, 
who  ever  sincerely  sorrow  ed  for  a  man's  decease,  in  Calumet  County.  The 
funeral,  which  occurred  on  the  25th  of  August,  was  therefore  largely 
attended,  and  was  solemnly  and  impressively  conducted  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  of  which  order  the  deceased  was  an  old 
and  honored  member.  Masons  were  present  from  Appleton,  Manitowoc, 
Milwaukee,  Fond  du  Lac  and  Oshkosh.  Besides  these  evidences  of  gen- 
uine grief,  which  gathered  around  the  body  of  the  beloved  editor, 
at  home,  the  press  in  all  portions  of  the  Sta'.e  overflowed  with  kind 
words  of  grief  and  condolence,  evincing  the  universal  feeling  which  per- 
vaded the  ranks  of  his  own  profession.  The  following,  from  the  Milwau- 
kee Sunday  Telegtaph.  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and  touching  eulo- 
gies which  appeared  :  "  John  P.  Hume,  the  well  known  and  much  admired 
editor  of  the  Chilton  Times,  died  at  his  home,  on  Tuesday  morning, 
Aug.  23.  He  was  born  in  Kings  County,  Ireland,  June  11,1836.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  and  soon  after  entered  the 
Hei a/ii  oS\ce,  where  he  learned  the  printer's  trade,  under  the  instruction 
of  Charles  W.  Fitch,  now  of  Washington.  The  Fall  of  1857,  soon  after 
he  had  reached  his  majority,  he  removed  to  Chilton.  Calumet  County, 
then  a  town  of  less  than  100  inhabitants,  and  started  the  ?»//«,  which 
paper  he  continued  to  publish  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  The  Fall  of 
1858,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Circuit  Court  Clerk,  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  years,  when  the  late  F.  J.  Curliss  served,  he  held  the 
position,  and  performed  the  duties  with  strict  fidelity  and  great  satisfac- 
tion, until  last  January,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  W.  J.  Mailman. 
There  was  not  a  better  known  or  more  highly  esteemed  man  in  Calumet 
County.  Those  who  watched  Mr.  Hume's  pathway  through  life  ^aw  a 
thousand  things  which  they  could  commend  where  one  appeared  that 
they  could  not  sanction.  His  heart  was  on  his  sleeve,  and  ro  man  pos- 
sesses a  more  generous  or  a  kindly  one.  It  was  rounded  with  svmpathy. 
It  felt  for  the  suffering  in  all  walks  of  life.  His  was  an  ever  ready  and 
open  hand  to  aid  the  distressed.  No  one  ever  approached  John  P.  Hume 
in  vain  for  aid  and  sympathy.  He  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen — loved 
by  thousands  and  hated  by  none.  Genial,  hospitable  and  whole-st  uled, 
he  never  wanted  for  friends.  Plain  spoken  he  was,  but  there  was  noth- 
ing harsh  and  mean  in  his  character.  He  had  a  smile  and  a  good  word 
for  all  about  him.  The  friend  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  was  a  belter 
friend  the  day  his  spirit  took  its  flight.  All  in  the  county  knew  him; 
thousands  had  been  befriended  by  him,  and  this  Sabbath  day  is  a  day 
of  mourning  in  more  than  half  of  the  homes  in  the  county  he  never 
wearied  of  praising.  A  loving  husband  and  father  has  entered  uj  1  n  his 
endless  rest.  God  alone  knows  how  great  a  light  has  ceased  to  shine  iii 
that  home  where  he  was  always  loved  and  honored.  Mr.  Hume  was  an 
easy,  graceful  writer,  and  was  without  an  enemy  in  the  editorial  fiater- 
nity  of  Wisconsin.  The  paper  will  be  continued  by  his  sons.  Mr.  Hume 
was  a  Democrat,  and  always  took  an  active  part  in  politics.  He  was 
many  times  a  Delegate  to  State  Conventions,  and,  in  JS72,  was  a  Dele- 
gate to  the  National  Convention.  The  death  of  her  husband  is  a  terrible 
blow  to  Mrs.  Hume,  but  like  him  she  has  an  army  of  friends  who  can 
never  forget  her.  .\  more  Ipveable,  pure-minded  and  noble  woman  is 
not  often  met.  She  is  surrounded  by  loving  children,  who  have  good 
heads,  warm  hearts  and  willing  hands,  and  we  mistake  them  if  anything 
is  left  undone  which  can  in  any  way  lighten  her  load  or  gladden  her 
heart." 

JACOB  KELLER,  i^aloon,  Chilton.  Born  in  canton  Zurich,  .Switz- 
erland, Feb.  8,1847.  He  came  to  America,  in  1857,  with  his  father. 
Landing  in  New  York,  they  came  10  Calumet  County,  and  located  on  a 
larm  inthe  town  of  Chillon,  where  his  father  died  in  1863.  That  year 
he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  but  afterwards  went  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
where  he  remained  two  years.  After  taking  a  trip  through  the  States, 
he  came  to  Chillon,  and  opened  a  saloon,  having  Henry  Seigrist  as  part- 
ner till  1879.  when  he  opened  his  present  business.  In  1S73,  he  married 
Miss  Augusta  Broudes.  of  Rantoul.  Theyhave  three  children— Carl, 
Louis  and  Matilda.  Mr.  Keller  was  Deputy  Sheriff  in  1873  and  1S74, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

J.  D.  KERKER.  hotel,  Chilton.  Born  in  Oswego  Co..  N.  V.,  Sept. 
15.1845.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1850.  then  locat- 
ing in  Walworth  County,  where  they  lived  till  1862,  when  they  went  to 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  UTSCONSIX. 


Ozaukee  County.  There  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1864  enlisted  in 
the  36th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  E,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  then  returned  to  Ozaukee  County,  and  followed  farming  till  1869, 
when  he  began  working  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  and  other 
lines.  In  1871,  he  tried  lumbering,  but  returned  to  the  farm,  and  re- 
mained till  lS-6,  when  he  took  a  mail  route  and  livery  stable  in  Wash- 
ington County.  He  finally  came  to  Chilton,  and  kept  the  American 
House.  In  1878,  Nov.  28,  he  married  Miss  Levoy.  They  have  one 
child,  Jesse  J. 

CHARLES  KOINKE,  hotel,  Chilton.  Born  in  Germany,  Prussia, 
Nov.  29.  1830.  In  1S68.  he  came  to  New  York,  and  from  there  went  to 
Manitowoc  County,  Wis.  On  the  10th  of  November,  lS6g,  he  came  to 
Chilton.  In  1879,  he  opened  the  Central  House,  of  which  he  is  the 
proprietor.  That  same  year  he  married  Mrs.  Reinborg,  of  Chilton,  who 
had  a  family  of  eight  children,  and  by  this  marriage  there  is  one  child, 
a  girl.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was  in  the  army  in  Ger- 
many for  five  years. 

DAVID  La  COUNTE,  M.D.,  Chilton.  Born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  the  town  of  Madrid,  May  16,  182S.  He  is  of  French  descent, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1S37.  His  father  engaged  in 
lumbering  and  farming  at  Manitowoc  Rapids.  In  1851,  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Seilly  ;  graduated  in  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, at  Chicago,  in  1S56,  and  commenced  practice  in  Calumet  County, 
at  Stockbridge.  He  removed  to  Chilton  in  1857,  and  was  married  that 
year  to  Miss  Green,  of  Chilton.  In  1S61,  enlisted  as  Assistant  Surgeon 
in  the  14th  Wis.  V.  I.,  but  his  health  failing,  he  resigned,  and  came 
home,  resuming  his  practice  in  Chilton.  He  is  LTnited  States  Examin- 
ing Surgeon  for  the  Military  Department,  and  in  18S1  was  elected 
Mayor  of  the  city.     They  have  one  daughter. 

DANIEL  LYNCH,  livery  and  sale  stable,  Chilton.  Born  in  Mil- 
waukee Co.,  Wis.,  in  I847  :  followed  farming  in  the  town  of  Chilton 
■until  1865.  when  he  came  into  the  city,  and  opened  in  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  has  the  largest  livery  in  Chilton.  In  1874,  he  married  Miss 
McLean.  They  have  two  children  living,  and  have  lost  two.  Mr. 
Lynch  is  now  Under  Sheriff  of  Calumet  County. 

HON.  THOMAS  LYNCH,  lawyer,  Chilton.  Born  in  Granville, 
Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  21,  1844.  His  youth  was  passed  upon  a 
farm.  He  came  to  Chilton  in  1864  where  he  bought  a  farm,  and,  till 
1871,  was  engaged  in  agriculture.  In  the  Fall  of  1871,  he  began  teach- 
ing, at  the  same  time  reading  law.  In  the  Spring  of  1872.  he  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  having  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  in  186S, 
i86g  and  1870.  In  1873,  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  County  and 
Town  Board  of  Supervisors.  In  1874,  he  attended  the  Law  School  at 
Madison,  and  graduated  in  1875.  Returning  to  Chilton,  he  entered  the 
firm  of  McMuIlen  &  Lynch,  and  in  1S77  opened  an  office  of  his  own. 
He  was  elected  District  Attorney  in  :878,  and  still  holds  that  position. 
In  1867,  Nov.  2,  he  married  Miss  Winnifred  Finnegan,  of  Rantoul. 
They  have  three  children  living,  having  lost  five.  They  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

J.  E.  LUCE,  teacher  Chilton  High  School.  Born  in  Coles  Co.,  111., 
Dec.  28,  1849.  While  yet  an  infant  his  parents  removed  to  Grant  Co., 
Wis.  When  of  proper  age,  he  was  sent  to  the  State  Normal  School  at 
Platteville.  His  brother  was  there  at  the  same  time,  and  graduated  with 
him  in  1873.  He  at  once  commenced  teaching,  and  went  to  Manitowoc 
County,  where  he  took  charge  of  the  Ward  School.  The  next  year  he 
went  to  Belmont,  LaFayette  Co.,  and  taught  there  for  one  year.  He 
came  to  Chilton  in  1876.  In  1879.  h^  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Vincent. 
They  have  one  child,  Mary  Maud. 

J.  O.  LUCE,  teacher  Chilton  Grammar  School.  Born  in  Grant  Co., 
Wis.,  1847  ;  received  his  education  for  the  profession  of  teaching  in  the 
Platteville  State  Normal  School,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  Spring 
of  1873.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  schools  of  Marinette,  where  he 
remained  until  he  came  to  Chilton,  in  1876.  He  is  an  earnest  lover  of 
his  profession. 

JAMES  W.  McCABE,  general  store,  Chilton.  Born  in  County 
Louth,  Ireland,  April  25,  1841  ;  came  to  New  York  in  1842  with  his 
parents.  They  settled  in  Livingston  County,  of  that  State,  and  remained 
there  until  1851,  when  they  moved  to  Greenbush,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis., 
and  located  on  a  farm  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Russell'.  He  remained 
at  home  till  1865,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  near  Chilton.  In  iS75,he,  in 
partnership  with  D.  Lynch,  erected  a  barn  and  opened  a  livery,  but  did 
not  continue  in  this  long.  He  followed  various  vocations  until  he  estab- 
lished himself,  in  1877,  in  his  present  business.  In  l866,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Mangan,  of  Chilton.  They  have  three  children  living 
— Florence  M.,  James  Emmet,  John  F.,  and  have  lost  one,  John  B.  Mr. 
McCabe  has  held  numerous  public  offices :  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board  in  1873-4;  has  been  Assessor,  and  is  now  Alderman  for  the 
Third  Ward  in  the  city  of  Chilton. 

J.  E.  MeMULLEN.  lawyer,  Chilton.  Born  in  Kingston,  Canada, 
Oct.  7,  1843.  His  father,  being  a  farmer,  his  younger  years  were  passed 
in  country  life.  In  1856,  his  father  moved  to  Calumet  County,  town  of 
Brillion.  At  this  early  day  he  endured  many  hardships.  He  and  Nu- 
gent built  the  first  mill  there,  and  the  village  was  laid  cut  on  a  part  of 


his  farm.  Having  lived  to  accomplish  this  he  died  in  i860.  J.  E. 
then  went  to  lumbering,  but  receiving  an  injury,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  teaching  school  and  studying  law.  About  this  period  of  his  life  he 
attended  Madison  University,  but  in  1S64,  enlisted  in  the  Student's 
Regiment,  40th  Wis.  V.  I.  After  being  mustered  out  he  went  to  Mani- 
towoc County,  and  filled  the  position  of  principal  in  the  First  Ward 
School.  He  was  graduated  at  the  Ann  Arbor  Law  School,  in  1868,  and 
came  to  Chilton  and  commenced  practice.  In  1868,  he  was  elected 
District  Attorney,  which  position  he  held  for  ten  years,  and  in  1880,  the 
citizens  elected  him  Mayor.  He  is  now  attending  his  law  practice  and 
dealing  in  real  estate  and  is  acting  as  attorney  for  the  Calumet  County 
Insurance  Company.  In  1871.  he  married  Miss  Clara  Ebert.  of  Chilton. 
Their  children  are  Collin  E.,  William  D.,  Corinne.  Clara  L.  and 
Edna.     He  belongs  to  both  the  Masonic  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodges. 

CHARLES  MENIG,  hotel,  Chilton.  Born  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, April  7,  1846.  He  came  to  America  in  1866,  and  went  to  San- 
dusky, Ohio,  where  he  staid  till  1S69  ;  going  from  thence,  to  Milwaukee. 
After  the  Chicago  fire,  he  went  there  and  remained  till  1S73.  He  then 
came  to  Chilton,  Calumet  Co.,  and  bought  land,  building  his  hotel  in 
1874.  In  1875,  he  married  Miss  Rothman,  of  Calumet  Harbor.  They 
have  two  boys.  Otto  and  Albert.  Mr.  Menig  is  now  holding  the  posi- 
tion of  Alderman  in  First  Ward,  for  the  second  term,  being  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Turn  Verein. 

WALTER  MILES,  City  Marshal,  Chilton.  Born  in  Norfolk, 
England,  May  11,  1850.  In  1S52,  his  parents  came  to  America,  locat- 
ing in  Lockport.  N.  Y.  In  1857,  they  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  ; 
while  here  he  attended  Oakfield's  school.  They  moved  to  Leroy,  in 
Dodge  County,  where  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  with  his  father, 
and  in  1866.  he  came  to  Chilton,  and  with  his  father,  opened  a  black- 
smith shop.  He  was  elected  City  Marshal  of  Chilton,  in  1881.  In 
1874,  July  2,  he  married,  but  lost  his  wife  on  Christmas  morning  of 
1876;  she  left  one  child,  Eda  May.  In  1878,  Mr.  Miles  made  a  tour 
of  the  western  frontier,  with  his  rifle,  exercising  a  natural  gift  for  sharp- 
shooting,  on  large  and  small  game  in  western  Missouri,  Kansas  and 
Nebraska,  where  he  was  known  as  "  Moonlight  Walt."  Mr.  Miles  is  a 
member  of  the  temperance  organization. 

EGIDIUS  NELLESSEN,  wagonmaker  and  blacksmith,  Chilton. 
Born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Feb.  12,  1822.  While  there  he  learned  his 
trade,  and  in  1843,  came  to  America,  with  his  father  and  brother.  He 
went  to  Erie  City,  Pa.,  and  after  a  short  stay  there,  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  located  in  Washington  County,  where,  in  1S4S,  they  pre-empted 
land,  the  farm  being  in  Marytown,  where  they  lived.  He  moved  to 
Chilton  in  1854.  This  country  was  then  but  thinly  settled,  and  he  was 
among  the  first.  He  started  the  second  blacksmith  shop  in  the  place, 
and  worked  on  the  first  mill  in  Chilton,  which  is  now  in  ruins.  He  is 
established  in  a  good  trade.  In  1847,  he  married  Miss  Toole,  of 
Prussia,  Germany.  They  have  five  children — Gertrude  (now  Mrs.  Ball), 
Henry  B.,  Nicholas,  Evar  and  Anna.  They  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church. 

STEWART  NEWELL,  Justice.  Chilton.     Born  in  Vermont,  Oct. 

11,  1817.  In  1821,  he  went  to  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  attended  school,  and 
afterwards  to  New  Hartford.  He  also  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  where  he 
run  the  first  engine  on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad.  He  then  went  to 
L^tica  and  stopped  in  Rochester  and  Albany,  and  finally  came  west  to 
Wisconsin  and  bought  a  farm  in  Brothertown,  Calumet  Co.  He  after- 
wards came  to  Chilton  Town,  and  bought  a  farm,  on  which  he  stayed 
until  he  took  a  position  as  master  mechanic  at  Fond  du  Lac,  on  the 
Northweslern  Railroad.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  4th  Wis.  V.  I.  In 
the  Fall  he  was  commissioned  2d  Lieutenant,  and  was  in  command  of 
the  company  at  one  time,  but  resigned  on  account  of  an  injury,  and 
came  back  to  Chilton  and  bought  the  old  farm  back.  Later,  he  moved 
to  Chilton  City,  and  is  now  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  183S,  he  married 
Miss  Cheesebro.  They  had  three  girls— Amanda  A.  (who  became  Mrs. 
J.  L.  Allen),  Harriette  (who  became  Mrs.  Elliott)  and  Gertrude  (who  be- 
came Mrs.  Pier).  All  three  daughters  are  dead,  and  their  children  live 
with  Mr.  Newell. 

ALFRED  A.  NUGENT,  lawyer,  Chilton.     Born  in   Canada,    May 

12,  1S48.  When  he  was  two  years  old  the  family  moved  to  Michigan, 
where  they  lived  till  1854,  when  they  moved  to  Calumet  Co.  In 
the  Spring  of  1863  he  enlisted  in  the  21st  Wis.  Y.  I.,  Co.  I.,  being  only 
fifteen  years  of  age.  He  participated  in  some  of  the  most  fiercely  con- 
tested battles  of  the  war  ;  was  with  Gen.  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the 
sea,  and  on  the  return  lost  his  arm  in  the  battle  of  Bentonville,  being 
the  youngest  man  from  Wisconsin  in  the  army  who  lost  an  arm.  In  L 
June,  1865,  he  returned  to  Menasha,  and  attended  the  Law-rence  Uni- 
versity. He  studied  law  with  George  Baldwin,  and  afterwards  with 
McMulIen  &  Lynch.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1877.  He  served 
as  Clerk  of  Claims  Commissioner,  and  in  1S76  was  Clerk  of  Committee 
on  Charitable  Institutions;  and  while  at  the  capital,  attended  the  lec- 
tures in  the  law  school.  He  is  now  one  of  the  Court  Commissioners  in 
Calumet  County.  In  1875  he  married  Miss  Eva  Sweet,  of  Chilton. 
They  have  two  children, William  Earl  and  Ada  S. 

J.  PAULUS,  lawyer,  Chilton.  Born  in  Calumet  Co.,  June  3. 
1857.     His  youth  was  passed  in  Chilton.     He  read  law  with  Baldwin  4 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY. 


r  in  1S78.  He  then  entered  th 
to  Cliiciigo  for  a  short  time,  bu 
menced  practice,  and  in    1S80  wa 


French,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
office  of  French  &  Paulu?.  He  we 
returned  to  Chilton  in  1879,  and  c 
elected  City  Trea!.urer. 

FRANK  ROBINSON,  general  More,  Chilton.  Born  in  Chilton, 
March  18,  1S49.  His  father,  James  Robinson,  was  closely  identified 
with  the  early  settlement  of  this  county,  and  his  son  received  his  educa- 
tion here,  wiih  the  exception  of  his  commercial  training,  which  he  re- 
ceived in  the  Fond  du  Lac  College.  In  1872  he  was  appoinied  agent 
for  the  railroad  and  express  companies  in  Chilton,  being  the  first  lesi- 
dent  agent.  He  continued  working  for  the  company  till  1876.  when  he 
purchased  a  share  fn  a  store,  the  firm  then  being  James  Robinson  (& 
Son.  The  busmess  finally  passed  into  his  own  hands.  He  carries  a 
stock  of  $5,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $15,000.  In  1875  he  married 
Miss  Eliza  McLean,  of  Stockbridge.  They  have  two  children,  Josephine 
and  Genevieve.     They  are  all  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

HENRY  ROLLMANN,  druggist,  Chilton.  Born  in  Fond  du  Lac 
Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  9,  1853.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Marsh- 
field,  and  came  to  Chilton  Oct.  7,  1S75.  In  1S76,  on  March  16,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Lena  Steiiz,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  They  have  four  children- 
George.  Mandy,  Albert  and  Lina.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  and 
also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodges.  His  father.  Otto  Rollmann,  now  living  in 
Chilton  with  him,  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Prussia,  June  22,  1818,  where 
he  remained  till  1848.  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  and  soon 
after  went  to  Fond  du  Lac  County,  where  he  located  on  a  farm,  and 
here  Henry  was  born.  The  family  remained  on  the  old  homestead 
twenty-seven  years.  He  bought  the  diug  business  for  Henry  in  1S75. 
and  now  is  occupied  at  his  trade,  that  of  book-binder.  The  family  con- 
sisted of  four  children — Henry,  Loui,  A  frida  and  Alfred.  Mr.  Otio 
Rollmann  married  in  1852.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Amelia 
Fricke. 

GEORGE  SCHLEYER,  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Volksbole. 
Chilton.  Born  in  Bavaiia,  Geimany,  May  30,  1849.  He  came  to  New 
York  in  1873,  and  from  thence  to  Santa  Anna,  Calumet  Co.,  and 
then  to  Mill,  where  he  edited  the  Columbia  in  1874.  That  )  ear  he  v\as 
married  to  Miss  Eliza  Voelker,  of  Santa  Anna.  They  have  a  daughter, 
Ernestine.  On  the  ist  of  March,  1S77,  he  established  the  Volkibote  in 
Chilton. 

J.  S.  SMITH,  saw-mill,  Chilton.  Born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Me.,  Jan. 
II,  1832.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age.  he  lost  his  father,  who  died 
in  1840,  and  when  nine  years  of  age  he  had  started  for  himself.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  ran  an  engine  on  the  Medford  &  Taunton  road,  and 
then  went  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  then  in  the  woods  lumbering.  He  fol- 
lowed that  life  till  1863,  when  he  went  east  again,  and  took  an  engine  on 
a  coal  railroad.  On  leaving  this  situation  he  went  home  to  Maine  on  a 
visit.  He  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1867,  where  he  worked  in  the 
lumber  business,  and  to  Chilton  in  1875,  entering  into  partnership  with 
D.  L.  Libby  in  the  saw-piill,  sawing  hard  wood  at  the  rate  of  8,000  feet  a 
day.  In  1S72  he  married  Miss  Reed,  of  Maine.  They  have  three  boys 
— Roy  R.,  Eugene  and  Lynn.  Mr.  Smith  was  an  Alderman  in  Chilton 
in  1878,  but  resigned,  not  taking  any  part  in  local  politics.  They 
attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

G.  F.  STOW,  railroad  and  telegraph  agent,  Chilton.  Born  in  Rock 
Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  19,  1S50.  He  lived  there  until  he  was  seven  years  of 
age,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Waupaca  County,  where  they 
remained  until  1874.  During  their  stay  there  he  attended  school,  and 
then  began  teaching.  He  occupied  himself  during  the  Summer  months 
in  farming.  In  1874  he  went  to  Medford  and  learned  telegraphy,  and 
was  employed  in  the  old  mill  at  that  place.  He  was  sent  to  Menasha 
as  night  operator  for  the  railroad  company.  In  1875  he  went  to  Random 
Lake,  and  in  i8;6  took  the  station  of  Chilton.  lie  married,  in  1877, 
Miss  Nicholson,  of  Chilton.  They  had  one  child,  Millie,  who  is  not 
living.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masons  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

NEW  HOLSTEIN. 
In  1848,1!  colony  of  seventy  persons  immigrated  direct 
from  Hambtirg,  Germany,  to  the  town  of  New  Holstein, 
and  formed  the  basis  of  tlie  present  prosperous  village  by 
that  name.  Charles  Greening,  with  two  comi)anions,  were 
the  first  settlers.  Dr.  Charles  Bock  arrived  soon  after. 
Later  Messrs.  J.  C.  M.  Pfeiffer,  Ptichner,  and  others  less 
well  known,  settled  here.  The  latter  was  appointed  Post- 
master and  resolved  hitnself  into  a  mail  carrier,  carrying 
the  bag  to  Hayton.  The  next  year  after  the  settlement  was 
formed  (1849),  New  Holstein  was  organized  as  a  town, 
Mr.  Greening  being  chosen  its  first  Chairman.  He  was 
elected  first  Clerk  of  the  Cottnty  Court  in  1850,  and  after 
serving  five  years,  was  appointed,  elected  and  re-elected 
County  Judge,  until  he  had  been  in  the  liarness  for  nearly 
twenty  years,     .\rrivals  frotn  the  Fatherland  continued,  and 


the  settlement  in  three  years  presented  so  propitious  and 
substantial  an  appearance  that  its  citizens  ventured  to  turn 
from  the  beaten  road  of  utility  into  the  pleasant  path  of 
atnusement.  Messrs.  Pfeiffer  and  William  Paulsen  organ- 
ized a  drainatic  troupe  in  1851,  and  ever  since  New  Hol- 
stein has  been  noted  among  tiie  small  villages  of  the  State 
for  its  discriminating  love  of  amusement.  Physical  train- 
ing has  also  been  a  point  to  which  much  attention  has  been 
paid,  as  witness  the  flotirishing  Turn  Verein  with  its  fine 
hall. 

The  village  of  New  Holstein  is  situated  on  the  line  of 
the  Wisconsin  Central  road  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
Calumet  County,  and  lies  comfortably  and  healthfully  upon 
high,  rolling  ground.  It  contains  about  400  inhabitants, 
all  of  whom  are  either  German  or  of  German  descent.  Its 
two  public  halls,  its  fine  residences  and  beautifully  im- 
proved cemetery  grounds  are  but  so  many  evidences  of  its 
thriving  state  of  health.  The  village  stretches  over  about 
a  mile  of  territory,  thereby  indicating  that  its  inhabitants 
are  not  cramped  for  homes.  New  Holitein  has  been  called 
"the  garden  spot  of  Wisconsin,"  and  it  certainly  deserves 
some  such  name.  Its  people  are  most  decidedly  home 
bodies,  and  make  the  village  an  agreeable  and  lively  resi- 
dence town.  Either  the  Turner  Hall  or  the  neat  little 
theater  is  continually  offering  something  in  the  way  of 
amusement.  The  New  Holstein  Turn  Verein  is  in  a  most 
nourishing  condition,  having  a  membership  of  nearly  150 
and  owning  property  to  the  value  of  $1,500.  Its  principal 
manufactory  is  the  flour  mill  of  Charles  Dumke.  It  was 
built  in  1875,  but  burned  the  same  year,  and  was  rebuilt 
by  a  stock  company,  in  which  Mr.  Dumke  has  a  controlling 
interest.  It  has  three  run  of  stone.  A  small  grist-mill 
east  of  the  village  is  operated  by  Joachim  Chilhauer.  The 
elevator,  also  near  the  railroad  station,  is  operated  by  Her- 
mann Timm.  There  are  also  two  agricultural  warehouses 
in  this  vicinity,  one  owned  by  Moeller  &  Kroenhke  and  tlie 
other  by  D.  Bagley,  of  Chilton.  The  public  is  accommo- 
dated by  three  hotels.  The  International,  John  Cramer, 
proprietor;  F.  Ltiethge's  Hotel  and  the  New  Holstein  Ho- 
tel, H.  Hinrichsen,  proprietor.  A  business  institution  of 
the  village,  which  stands  high  in  the  county,  is  the  New 
Holstein  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Conpany,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  1873,  and  has  now  nearly  $1,250,000  worth  of  prop- 
erty insured.  A  majority  of  those  who  are  now  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  New  Holstein  are  its  pioneers.  Wni. 
Paulsen,  the  present  Judge  of  Calumet  County,  settled  on 
a  tract  of  land  near  the  village  in  1848. 

St.  Anna  is  the  name  of  a  small  village  situated  on  the 
south  line  of  the  town  of  New  Holstein.  It  contains  a 
wooden  shoe  factory,  a  Catholic  Church,  several  general 
stores  and  two  hotels.  Its  settlement  dates  from  the  F'all 
1848,  when  a  number  of  German  Catholics  commenced  the 
erection  of  a  log  church.  Its  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Father 
August  Schleyer. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHtS. 

AUGUST  C.  ACKERMANN,  druggist.  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse,  Germany,  April  27,  1852.  He  was  educated 
for  the  drug  business  in  Germany,  and  was  in  the  Franco-Prussian  W'ar 
belonging  to  the  ambulance  corps,  where  he  obtained  a  good  knowledge 
of  surgery.  He  came  to  America  in  1S76;  he  went  to  Philadelphia 
where  he  engaged  in  the  drug  trade.  He  then  came  to  Milwaukee  and 
took  chaige  of  Dr.  Lotz's  diug  store  while  the  doctor  visited  Germany. 
Upon  his  return  Mr.  Ackermann  came  to  New  Holstein  and  opened 
his  present  business.     His  parents  still  remain  in  Germany. 

OTTO  ARENS.  retired,  New  Holstein.  Bom  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, Sept.  13,  1S24.  His  parents  and  self  left  the  fatherland  in  1S4S, 
and  came  to  .^meiica.  They  came  to  New  Holstein,  settling  on  a  faim 
of  160  acres,  where  they  lived  for  thiity  years.  In  1S7S.  they  moved  to 
the  village  where  they  now  live.  Mr.  Arens's  father,  now  84  years  of 
age,  is  with  him,  apparently  as  strong  and  active  as  ever.  In  1S52,  he 
married    Miss    Kicehuke.     They    have    two    children— Ina    (now    Mrs. 


l82 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Munster)  and  Dora  (now  Mrs.  Leuttige).  Mr.  Arens  was  Chairman  of 
the  Town  for  ten  years  and  Town  Clerk  for  six  or  seven. 

BARBARA  BOI.Z.  hotel  and  store.  St.  Anna.  The  widow  of  Mr. 
Bolz,  who  died  in  1S77.  Iler  maiden  name  was  Voelker.  They  came 
to  America  in  1S52,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  town  of  Russell.  Sheboy- 
gan Co.  In  1S63.  they  built  a  store  and  hotel  in  town  of  New  Hol- 
stein,  Calumet  Co.,  which  she  now  conducts.  She  has  five  children — 
Lucy,  Mary,  Nic,  Elizabeth  and  Rosa. 

CHARLES  F.  DU.MKE,  Steam  Grisl-miU  Association,  New  Hol- 
stein.  Born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  in  iSig;  came  to  America  in  1S54, 
then  west  to  Manitowoc.  Co..  Wis.,  where  he  went  on  a  farm.  He 
built  his  first  mill  in  town  of  Newton,  in  1S69,  and  then  moved  the 
mill  to  Reedsville  in  1S74  ;  staid  there  one  year  and  came  to  New  Hol- 
stein  in  1S75.  and  built  the  first  mill  here,  which  was  burned  on  Jan.  4, 
1876.  Then  the  association  was  formed  and  the  mill  rebuilt  having  a 
capacity  of  300  bushels  per  day.  Mr.  Dumke  married  in  1844,  and  has 
a  family  of  nine  children,  six  girls  and  three  boys — R.  C.  (now  in  Man- 
itowoc), John  (miller  with  his  father)  and  E.  O.  (engineer  in  the  same 
mill). 

H.  J.  FLEISCHER,  M.  D.,  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Germantown, 
Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  2(j,  1S53.  Here  he  spent  his  youth,  and  when 
seventeen  years  of  age,  attended  Ingleman's  school  in  Milwaukee.  He 
entered  the  drug  firm  of  Wirth  &  Fleischer,  in  1872,  and  in  1875,  com- 
menced reading  medicine  with  S.  S.  Clark,  of  Waukesha.  He  attended 
college  in  1S76-7,  and  read  with,  and  took  charge  of.  Dr.  Clark's  prac- 
tice during  his  absence  in  1877-S  ;  he  graduated  in  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege at  Chicago,  practiced  for  a  few  months  in  Milwaukee,  and  then 
removed  to  New  Holstein.  In  1S7S,  he  married  Miss  Hattie  Clark. 
They  have  two  children,  Amanda  and  the  babe,  not  named. 

J.  H.  FREEZE,  station  agent  and  operator.  New  Holstein.  The 
station  was  established  in  1S72,  and  Mr.  Freeze  took  charge  of  it  in 
1873.  J.  H.  Boyle  and  W.  G.  Hornefer  were  his  predecessors.  Since 
his  first  year  the  business  has  steadily  increased,  as  the  agricultural  re- 
sources of  this  section  have  developed.  He  commenced  telegraphy  in 
1870. 

WILLIAM  GREVERUS,  insurance,  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
Oldenburg,  Germany,  July  31,  1848.  He  emigrated,  in  1868.  to  Amer- 
ica, and  came  to  Milwaukee,  thence  going  to  Sheboygan,  and  finally  to 
New  Holstein.  He  had  a  college  education,  having  passed  through  the 
Gymnasium  ;  circumstances,  however,  preventing  him  from  finishing  the 
University  course.  On  arriving  at  his  present  home  he  went  to  teaching 
which  he  followed  from  1S6S  to  1871.  and  then  began  selling  agricul- 
tural implements.  In  1S79.  ^^  began  his  present  business,  and  is 
secretary  of  the  Calumet  County  Mutual  Insurance  Company.  In  1874, 
he  married  Miss  Brademeyer,  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  one  child, 
Ernst. 

HEMRY  HAYSSEN,  general  store.  New  Holstein.  Bo.n  in  Olden- 
burg, Germany,  Jan.  30,  1848.  His  parents  emigrated  to  America  in 
1859.  landing  in  New  York.  They  proceeded  at  once  to  Wisconsin, 
stopping  first  at  Theinsville,  and  afterward  located  at  Rockwell.  While 
the  family  lived  here  Henry  left  home  and  went  to  Milwaukee,  where 
he  attended  Spencerian  College  and  clerked  until  1S66,  when  he  re- 
turned home  and  stopped  with  his  father  who  was  then  engaged  in 
farming  and  mercantile  business.  In  1867,  he  started  for  Montana  to 
get  a  taste  of  western  life.  He  first  went  to  mining  but  was  not  fortu- 
nate. In  i86S,he  went  with  a  mule  team  to  Nevada.  He  was  taken  sick 
with  the  mountain  fever  and  went  to  San  Francisco  where  he  was  re- 
stored to  healih.     With  the  help  of  his  cousin  he  bought  one-half  inter- 


est : 


but  hi 


for  hii 


'  come   home 


take  charge  of  the  faim,  which  he  did.  In  1873.  his  brother-in-law,  G. 
Jensen,  was  killed  on  an  excursion  train,  and  he  was  called  from  the 
plow  to  take  charge  of  the  store  which  Mr.  Jensen  had  established  in 
1869.  When  he  took  the  business  the  firm  became  Hayssen  &Son.  He 
now  carries  a  stock  of  §12  000,  and  does  a  business  of  $25,oco  a  "year. 
In  1873,  he  married  Miss  Minnie  Paulsen,  of  Chilton.  They  have  four 
children— Eddie,  Alma,  Charles  and  Catherine  E.  Mr.  Hayss^-n  has  an 
immense  collection  of  geological  specimens  and  Indian  relics,  having 
35  copper  implements,  1,500  flint  arrowheads  of  different  varieties.  150 
stone  axes,  tomahawks  and  war  implements.  40  kinds  of  coral  forma- 
tion, an  immense  shell,  22  inches  in  length,  taken  from  a  grave  or 
mound  containing  some  40  skeletons  ;  also,  40  State  specimens,  4  cri- 
noids  and  a  large  collection  of  natural  curiosities. 

GUSTAV  HOBERG,  hardware.  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  Marcli  4,  1845  ;  came  to  America  in  i860  and  entered  the 
hardware  business  in  Chicago.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted  in  the  Ohio  Mili- 
tia and  afterwards  in  the  U.  S.  Navy,  where  he  served  till  1865,  when 
he  enlisted  in  the  nth  111.  Cav.,  Co  E.  He  served  seven  months  and 
then  went  to  Chicago  and  entered  business.  He  afterward  joined  the 
23d  U.  S.  Reg.  Army  Corps  of  Mounted  Infantry;  was  sent  on  the 
frontier  and  along  the  Pacific  coast.  Being  wounded  both  by  bullet  and 
Indian's  arrows,  he  returned  to  Chicago,  and  was  married  in  1870,  to 
Miss  Stolzenweald,  of  Holstein,  Germany.  Then  removing  to  New 
Holstein,    Calumet   Co.,    he   engaged    in    teaching,    until    1876,    when 


he  entered  the  employ  of  his  present  partner,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  firm  in  lS3r.  He  has  four  children— George,  Max,  Paul  and  Ellen. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

C.  IL  HOLST.  general  store.  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  .\pril  i,  1854.  With  his  parents,  he  emigrated  in  1S55  ;  they 
came  directly  to  Holstein,  settling  on  a  farm.  He  attended  the  O>hkosh 
Normal  School  and  taught  from  1873  to  1877  ;  his  father  then  sold  his 
farm  and  came  to  the  village.  In  1877,  C.  H.  established  his  present 
business.  He  carries  a  stock  of  $8,000  and  does  a  business  of  $15,000 
per  annum.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Turn  Verein  society. 

H.  A.  LAUSON,  of  the  firm  of  Lauson  Bros,  agricultural  depot. 
New  Holstein.  There  are  three  brothers  in  this  firm.  C.  P.  is  tiie 
machinist  and  operates  the  repair  shop  ;  D.  H.  does  the  office  business 
and  book-keeping,  an<l  H.  A.  is  a  general  manager  ;  the  last  was  born  in 
Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany,  in  1855,  and  came  over  in  1867  with  his 
parents.  Landing  at  Quebec  they  came  at  once  to  New  Holstein.  In 
1S73,  H.  A.  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Chilton  and  lived  there  till 
1875.  when  he  went  into  the  present  business.  They  do  a  business  of 
$20,000  a  year.  They  are  all  married.  H.  A.  married  Miss  Mary 
Hofifinan,  of  New  York.     They  have  one  son. 

FERD.  LUTHGE.  hotel  and  hall,  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Ger- 
many, and  emigrated  with  his  family  to  America  in  1850.  They  stopped 
in  New  York  six  years,  coming  then  to  their  present  home.  He  was 
married  in  1876  to  Miss  Adora  Arens,  of  Holstein.  They  have  two 
children,  having  lost  one. '    His  son  Paul  is  also  in  business  here. 

WILLIAM  MILHAUPT,  manufacturer  of  carriages,  wagons,  etc.. 
New  Holstein.  Born  in  Milwaukee,  July  10,  1856.  I'lis  father  having 
enlisted  in  the  26lh  Wis.  V.  I.  as  corporal,  was  killed  in  1863,  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1864,  locating  at  St.  Nazians.  Here 
William  commenced  learning  his  trade  in  1S72.  In  1S73,  he  came  to 
Holstein  and  finished  it  with  B.  Freeze.  In  1878,  he  established  his 
present  factory  employing  five  hands,  and  doing  a  business  of  $5,000  or 
16,000.  He  belongs  to  the  Turn  Verein  society  of  Holstein,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

A.  MOELLER,  merchant.  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Altoona,  Hol- 
stein, Germany,  May  20,  1828.  While  in  the  Fatherland  he  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  and  in  1848  he  joined  the  Volunteer  .Army  ; 
of  the  Revolution,  and  served  till  1851,  when  he  emigrated  to  America,  j 
coming  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.  He  went  to  farming  in  1S57.  and  bought  | 
village  property  and  opened  a  store  in  an  old  log  house,  in  which  he  1 
lived.  In  1S63,  he  built  a  store  for  general  merchandise,  and  in  1866,  | 
his  residence.  The  hardware  store  was  built  in  1S71.  He  has  an  in-  ] 
terest,  also,  in  the  firm  of  Schroeder  &  Co.,  doing  a  business  of  about  j 
1535.000  or  $40,000  a  year.  Mr.  Moeller  was  Chairman  of  Town  Board  ; 
in  1S55,  and  is  Notary  Public.  He  has  been  married  twice,  the  first  | 
time  in  1852.  His  wife  died  in  1865,  leaving  three  children,  and  he  ^ 
married  Miss  Schroeder,  by  whom  he  has  seven  children.                                       , 

CLAUS  OESAU,  farmer,  -Sec.  11,  P.  O.  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
Holstein,  Germany,  Jan.  28.  1809;  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  served  a 
while  in  the  army.  In  1848,  having  made  preparations  the  year  before, 
his  party  started  for  their  western  home.  They  arrived  in  New  York, 
and  took  a  special  boat,  there  being  sixty-seven  in  the  party,  and  finally 
landed  at  Sheboygan.  They  there  met  Mr.  Austenfeldt,  then  agent  for 
Gray  &  Bentner,  of  whom  he  bought  200  acres  of  land  on  what  are  Sees. 
10  and  II.  Here  he  settled.  He  then  started  a  store  on  the  farm,  but 
in  1850  bought  twenty-three  acres  and  a  big  log  house,  and  opened  a 
store  in  the  village  of  New  Holstein.  This  he  kept  till  1S57,  when  he 
moved  back  to  the  farm.  He  has  been  married  twice,  the  first  time  to 
Miss  Margaret  Albright,  and  then  to  the  widow  of  Mr.  Timm.  He  had 
five  children— Cecelia  (now  a  widow),  Henry,  Tyerk,  Claus  (deceased), 
Anna  M.  (deceased) ;  his  wife  h.id  two,  Fritz  and  Betta.  Mr.  Oesau 
was  a  member  of  the  first  Town  Board,  and  was  Chairman  in  1859  and 
1S60.  also  from  1864  to  i86g.  He  is  a  passive  member  of  the  Turn 
Verein,  and  started  the  Lutheran  society  in  1857.  and  helped  build  the 
church  in  1S67. 

AUGUST  PAULSE.V,  farmer,  P.  O.  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
Heide,  Duchy  of  Holstein,  Sept.  29,  1830;  with  his  brother  and  Otto 
Arens,  he  came  to  America  in  1848.  Arrived  at  Sheboygan,  they  pur- 
chaseii  each  160  acres  in  Calumet  County.  In  i860  he  married  Miss 
Edens  of  Holstein.  Thev  have  six  children — August,  Wilhelmina, 
Ernest,  Ella,  Helena  and  Otto.  Mr.  Paulsen  taught  school  in  1866  ;  was 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  for  six  years,  from  1867  to  1873,  and  has 
held  other  offices.  His  farm  is  highly  cultivated  and  improved,  having 
a  dwelling  that  cost  $4000.  He  is  now  giving  his  attention  to  raising 
fine  stock.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge.  Adolphhis  brother 
is  on  the  old  homestead  with  him. 

RUDOLPH  PUCIINER,  general  store.  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  Jan.  24.  1829.  His  grandfather  was  a  minister 
of  the  Duke,  and  his  father  a  rich  man.  In  1848  he  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic, and  arrived  in  New  York,  from  thence  he  proceeded  to  Sheboygan, 
Wis.  with  a  young  man  named  Bruckman.  He  started  for  New  Hol- 
stein, and  arriving  at  Plymouth,  met  his  future  wife.      He  continued  oa 


JIISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY. 


183 


through  the  woods  and  coire  to  his  desiiiiatior,  \vl 
first  store,  having  to  go  to  Chilton  to  get  lumber ;  this 
and  Brucktnan  kept  their  shanty  store  or  trading  post 
went  to  Chicago,  but  in  1854  returned  and  opened  1 


he  luilt  the 
in  1S49.  He 
S51,  when  he 
with  Charles 


In  1857  this  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  he  built  a  store  and 
tavern  together,  his  tavern  being  a  resort  for  all  the  early  settlers.  He 
closed  the  hotel  in  1859.  ^"d  continued  the  store  in  his  own  name  till 
1879,  when  he  took  as  a  partner  his  son  George.  He  carries  a  stock  of 
$10,000,  and  is  doing  a  business  of  $25,000  per  annum.  He  married 
Miss  Heins  of  Holsiein.  They  have  a  family  of  five  boys— George,  Ed- 
ward M.  D.,  Rudolph  (now  in  Boston),  William  (a  druggist  in  Chicago) 
and  Alfred  (still  at  home).  Mr.  Puchner  was  the  first  Posimaster  ol  New 
Holstein.     Beside  his  fine  town  residence,  he  owns  a  farm  of  fifty  acres. 

P.  AUGUST  SCHLEYER.  priest  in  St.  Anna's  Mission,  New  Hol- 
stein. Born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  May  30,  1835.  Received  his  educa- 
tion in  Wurtemberg.  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  commenced  his  church 
studies,  and  was  ordained  in  1S58.  He  entered  on  his  holy  mission  in 
Germany,  coming  to  America  in  1870.  He  first  went  to  Covington,  Ky., 
and  took  the  Missi 
120  families.     He 

H.  SEVEKIN 
ny.  Sept.  30,  1848. 
ucated  for  a  teache 
teach.     On  arriving  in  this  c 
ican   family,  and  while   doin 


:n  oii 


of  St.  Anna,  where  he  had 
served  a  mission  at  Kiel. 

cher.  New  Holstein.  Born  in  Holstein,  Geima- 
1867  he  came  to  his  present  home.  He  was  ed- 
Geimany,  and  began  at  six  etn  years  of  age  to 
this  countiy,  he  woiked  on  a  faini  wilh  an  Amer- 
so,  studied  English.  He  taught  Winter 
terms  from  l868  to  1871.  He  then  took  the  school  in  district  No.  4, 
where  he  taught  one  term,  and  then  entered  on  a  term  in  district  No.  i, 
that  has  lasted  nine  years.  His  school  has  two  departments,  having  an 
enrollment  of  120  pupils,  and  an  average  attendance  of  ninety.  In  1873 
he  married  Miss  Langemak.  They  have  two  children,  Johannes,  now 
seven  years  old,  and  Herman  H.,  two  years.  Mr.  S.  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge,  and  to  the  Turn  Verein. 

J.A.COB  SEVERIN,  County  Surveyor,  New  Holstein.  Born  in 
Holstein,  Germany,  Jan.  31,  1842.  Came  to  America  in  1867,  directly  to 
his  present  location.  While  in  the  Fatherland  he  seived  in  the  Danish 
army  in  the  engineer  corps.  On  settling  down  here  he  bought  a  faini 
in  Oconto  County,  and  went  to  lumbering  and  fainiing,  which  he  carried 
on  till  1877,  when  he  came  back  to  New  Holstein,  and  in  1878  was 
elected  County  Surveyor,  and  in  1880  was  re-elected.  He  still  owns  200 
acres  of  pine  lands,  and  a  cranberry  marsh  in  Oconto  County.  In  1870 
he  married  Miss  Tiedjens,  of  Holstein.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.O. 
F.,  and  of  the  Turn  Verein. 

CLAUS  THIESSEN,  traveling  agent,  New  Holstein,  Born  in 
Schleswig-Holstein,  Aj.ril  28,  1837.  He  came  to  America  in  1852  with 
his  parents,  coming  at  once  to  Calumet  County,  ai  d  locating  in  town  of 
Holstein,  on  a  farm  of  160  acres,  where  his  parents  still  live.  In  1859 
he  married,  and  went  on  to  a  farm  of  his  own  in  the  town  of  Eaton, 
where,  by  an  accident,  he  lost  his  right  fcot.  He  then  changed  his  oc- 
cupation to  that  of  keeping  hotel  in  Kiel,  until  1869,  when  he  took  a 
traveling  agency  for  a  grocery  house,  but  since,  travels  for  the  Milwaukee 
Distillery.  While  in  Winona,  Minn.,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1881.  he  was 
thrown  down  a  flight  of  ten  stairs,  suffering  a  complicated  fiaciute  of 
the  knee.  He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  also  the  Sons  of  Hermann. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Tarns,  of  Holstein.  They  have  had  nine  children, 
only  three  now  living.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  seventeen,  of  which 
there  are  nine  living. 

HENRY  TIM.MER,  retired.  New  Holstein.  Born  in  kingdom  of 
Hanover  March  13.  1S28.  Having  received  a  teacher's  education,  he 
left  Germany  in  1S48,  and  on  arriving  in  New  York  stayed  there  till 
June,  1849.  He  then  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Washington 
County,  and  began  farming  at  which  he  continued  until  1850.  He  then 
went  to  Milwaukee,  and  from  thence  to  Illinois,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1854 
he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  bjught  a  farm  in  Sheboygan  County,  town 
of  Lima.  While  there  he  held  a  number  of  the  town  offices;  was  com- 
missioned Notary  Public,  and  took  a  license  as  auctioneer  and  bought 
and  sold  real  estate  till  1875,  when  he  moved  to  New  Holstein.  Since 
coming  here  he  has  been  Justice  three  terms,  and  is  Notary  Public. 
In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Oleemeyer,  of  Germany,  who  lived  till  Jan. 
21,  :S8i,  when  she  died  leaving  three  children— Christina  H.,  Henry 
W.  and  Martin.  Mr.  Timmer  owns  400  acres  in  Calumet,  "ioo  in  She- 
boygan County,  besides  other  land. 

JOHN  VOELKER,  clerk  with  C.  H.  Hoist,  New  Holstein.  Born 
in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  May  23,  i860.  His  parents  had  settled  there 
in  1850,  town  of  Rassell.  and  his  father  still  lives  on  the  old  homestead. 
He  had  attended  the  school  where  his  present  employer  taught.  He  went 
to  Chilton  and  apprenticed  himself  to  George  Schleyer  (  f  the  Volksbote 
pre-s,  but  returned  home,  where  he  stayed  till  November  of  1877,  when 
he  entered  the  employ  of  C.  H.  Hoist  as  clerk.  He  is  a  member  cf  the 
Catholic  Church. 

HAYTON. 

This  village  is  near  tiie  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  two  miles  below  Gravesville,  and  the  same  dis- 


tance east  of  Chilton.    The  first  settler  upon  its  site  was 

0.  J.  Watrous,  who  located  in  June,  1849,  and  built  a  saw- 
mill. It  happened  that  the  land  u])on  which  the  village 
was  to  grow  was  State  school  property,  and  it  was  accord- 
ingly platted  by  the  Commissioners  of  the  School  Lands. 
It  was  first  called  Wallersville  in  honor  of  Parley  Waller,  a 
settler  of  prominence  ;  afterwards  went  by  the  simple  name 
of  School  Section,  and  later  Dicksville.  It  was  named 
Hayton  in  1853.  The  village  now  contains  a  population  of 
about  300  inhabitants,  has  two  hotels,  several  general  stores, 
a  tannery  (Helfrich  &  Co.),  a  saw  and  grist-mill,  with  other 
trades  represented.  The  Ormsby  Lime  Company  manufac- 
tures some  of  its  best  material  here,  having  run  a  side  track 
to  the  main  line  of  the  railroad.  Hayton  had  once  fair 
expectations  of  being  chosen  as  the  county  seat,  Mr.  Waller 
proving  a  bold  champion  in  the  cause. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  L.  BARBER,  farmer.  Sec.  22,  P.  O.  Hayton.  Born  in  New  Jer- 
sey, Oct.  10,  1S27.  In  1847  he  went  to  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  from 
there  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851,  going  first  to  Hclstein,  and  finally 
settling  here  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres.  In  1847  he  married  Miss  De 
Mouth  of  New  Jersey,  and  has  a  family  of  seven  children.  Mr.  Baiber 
has  held  most  of  the  town  offices.  He  was  Town  Cleik  for  eight  ytars 
and  District  Clerk  for  eighteen  ;  is  a  member  of  both  the  Mascnic  ledge 
and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
'  C.  N.  HUNTER,  dentist,  Hayton.  Born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  28,  1853.  When  old  enoui;h  he  attended  Woodhull  Acadtmy,  and 
afier  finishing  his  course  he  taught  in  that  institution.  In  1873-4  was 
studying  dentistry  under  his  father,  W.  R.  Hunter.  He  practiced  first 
in  Addison.  In  August,  1880,  came  to  Hayton.  In  1874  he  niauied 
Miss  I.  R.  Pulsifer.  They  have  one  child,  Mamie.  He  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  Lodge,  and  was  County  Surveyor  in  Steuben  County. 

LILLIAN  POTTER,  teacher,  Hayton.  Born  in  Calumet  County: 
daughter  of  Thomas  J.  Potter,  a  prominent  politician  of  this  county. 
During  his  life  he  interested  himself  in  the  public  school,  and  was 
County  Superintendent  for  some  years,  and  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board  of  Supervisors  ;  also  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  being 
a  lieutenant  in  the  i8lh  Wis.  V.  I.  He  died  in  the  army.  In  1849,  he 
married,  and  Lillian  is  one  of  three  children  living.  Virginia  and  Ralph 
being  the  others.  Lillian  attended  the  Normal  School  and  the  Academy 
at  Beaver  Dam,  and  adopted  the  profession  of  teacher,  having  taught 
since  1873,  and  in  Hayton  since  1S74. 

JULIUS  PUCHNER.  general  store,  Hayton.  Born  in  Wurtemburg. 
Germany,  Aug.  7,  1S31.  Emigrated  to  America  in  1S49;  on  landing, 
came  to  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  and  thence  to  HoUtein  wilh  his  brother,  and 
from  there  he  went  to  the  Lake  Superior  mines,  in  Michigan,  working 
in  the  mines  two  years,  and  ihen  as  engineer  on  one  of  the  shaft  engines. 
In  1870,  he  established  his  store  in  Hayton,  carrying  a  stock  of  some 
$3,000,  and  doing  a  business  of  about  $10,000  a  year.  In  1S65,  he 
married  Miss  Mina  Doepel,  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  five  children- 
Emma,  Helen,  Charles,  George  and  Otto.     Mr.  Puchner  belongs  to   the 

1.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  an  interest  in  the  German  Land  and  Mining  Com- 
pany, holding  1,600  acres  in  Michigan. 

GRAVESVILLE. 

Gravesville  has  about  400  inhabitants,  and  also  had  for 
several  years  strong  hopes  of  being  selected  as  the  county 
seat.  Leroy  Graves  settled  here  in  1849,  and  made  it  his 
particular  business  to  see  that  his  village  was  not  forgotten. 
In  1854  and  1S55  when  Chilton  Center  and  Chilton  were 
having  their  contention,  he  nearly  gained  his  point.  In 
1849  Mr.  Graves  erected  a  saw-mill.  He  removed  to  Fond 
du  Lac  in  1866.  Besides  several  good  general  stores 
Gravesville  contains  a  saw  and  planing  mill  and  a  furniture 
factory.  The  Charlestown  Grange  holds  its  meetings  here. 
One  of  tlie  oldest  lodges  of  Good  Templars  in  the  county 
still  flourishes  in  Gravesville. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
EDWARD  DEANS,  M.  D.,  Gravesville.  Born  in  Cumberland, 
England.  Nov.  22,  1818.  He  came  to  America  in  1842,  locating 
in  Providence,  R.  I.  From  thence  he  went  to  Portland,  Me., 
where  he  staid  for  a  short  time,  and  then  went  west  to  Keokuk,  Iowa. 
In  i860  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  graduated  from  the  medical  department 
of  Lynn's  University,  and  was  appoinltd  house  physician  in  Meicy  Hos- 
pital.      In  1862-3   was   Counlv   Physician   for  Cook   Co.,   111.     He  re- 


,84 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


mained  practicing  in  llie  city  of  Chicago  till  iS6g,  when  he  came  to 
Calumet  County  and  practiced  till  1879.  Since  that  time  he  has  dropped 
active  practice.  He  has  been  married  twice  ;  the  second  time,  in  1864, 
to  Miss  Lewis,  of  Michigan. 

J.  A.  GRAVES,  saw-mill,  Gravesville.  Born  in  Chenango  Co.,  N. 
Y..  Oct.  12.  1833.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  in 
Waukesha  County,  and  from  there  went  to  Rochester,  Racine  Co.,  where 
his  father  engaged  in  farming  and  manufacture  of  saleratus  and  potash. 
He  remained  there  till  1864,  when  he  came  to  Calumet  County,  and 
bought  forty  acres  of  land,  and  in  1S69  built  his  saw-mill  in  the  village 
of  Gravesville,  which  place  was  named  afier  his  brother  Leroy.  In  1867 
he  married  Miss  Mary  Lyons,  of  Waukesha.  They  have  five  children. 
Mr.  Graves  has  held  the  position  of  District  Clerk  and  belongs  to  the  L 
O.  O.  F. 

P.  J.  KROEHNKE.  merchant,  Gravesville.  Born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many. May  18,1844.  He  came  to  America  in  1S64,  and  immediately 
pioceeded  to  Wis:onsin.  locating  in  New  Holstein,  Calumet  Co.  He 
established  himself  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Gravesville,  having  Mr. 
P.J.  Paulsen  as  a  partner.  Since  1S77  he  has  conducted  the  business 
alone,  carrving  $6,000  or  $7,000  worth  of  stock,  and  doing  $25,000  a  year 
in  business.  In  1S74  he  married  Miss  Tina  Crawford,  of  Gravesville. 
They  have  two  children,  Lillie  and  Jessie.  Mr.  Kroehnke,  in  1S78, 
established  a  cheese  factory  in  the  vicinity  of  his  store,  and  in  one  season 
manufactured  20000  lbs.  of  cheese.     He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

CHARLES  LUTHER,  shoemaker  and  Postmaster,  Gravesville. 
Born  in  Dellafield,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  July  12,  1S43.  His  youth  was  spent 
in  the  school-room,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  enlisted  in  the  2Sth  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co. 
A.  He  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability  in  1865,  and  returned 
to  Waukesha  County.  He  went  from  there  to  Watertown  in  December 
of  that  year,  but  returned  to  Dellafield,  where  he  opened  shop  for  him- 
self, continuing  till  1S74.  when  he  removed  to  Gravesville.  In  1S74. 
Oct.  14.  he  married  Miss  Isabella  Jacques,  of  Waukesha  County.  They 
have  one  child.  Charles  Martin.  Mr.  Luther  was  appointed  Postmaster 
in  Aoril,  1879. 

C.  H.  OAKLEY,  farmer,  Sec.  30,  P.  O.  Chilton.  Born  in  Pough- 
keepsie.  Duchess  Co..  N.  Y.,  Feb.  26,  1824.  During  his  early  life  he 
lived  in  New  York  City,  and  in  1832  was  taken  over  to  England,  re- 
turning to  the  United  Stales  in  1833.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  went  into 
a  drug  siore,  and  at  the  a£re  of  seventeen  went  into  the  United  States 
navy,  shipping  on  board  the  "  Columbus"  for  the  Mediterranean  Sea; 
and  on  returning  was  ordered  on  the  "  St.  Louis"  corvette,  a  sloop  of  war, 
and  after  a  very  adventurous  voyage,  returned  to  Norfolk,  Va.,  in  1S45. 
He  then  attended  the  Annapolis  naval  school,  but  finally  left  the  service, 
and  entered  mercantile  life.  In  1848  he  came  west  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
where  he  remained  till  1851.  when  he  took  a  pre-emption  claim  in  Calu- 
met County,  where  he  now  lives,  having  a  farm  of  133  acres.  In  1S64 
he  enlisted  in  the  43th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  H.,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1865. 
In  1852  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  L.  Powers.  They  have  had  three 
children — Caroline  I.,  now  Mrs.  Wilkinson,  George  E.,  and  have  lost  a 
son  named  George.     They  are  members  of  the  Church  of  England. 

GEORGE  ORAM,  retired,  Gravesville.  Born  in  Susquehanna  Co., 
Pa.,  Nov.  29.  1819,  where  he  remained  till  1850,  when  he  came  to  Calu- 
met Co.,  Wis.,  and  bought  too  acres  in  the  town  of  Chilton,  on  which 
part  of  ihe  city  is  now  laid  out.  He  lived  on  this  farm  till  1S78,  when 
he  sold  it  and  removed  to  Gravesville,  where  he  now  resides,  having  re- 
tired from  active  life.  In  1S39  he  married  Miss  Jane  Simpson,  of  Penn- 
sylvania. They  had  five  children — Alvira,  now  Mrs. White,  and  Jennie, 
now  Mis.  Potter,  are  living ;  they  lost  the  three  sons,  John.  George  and 
William.     Mr.  Oram  has  been  Chairman  of  town  of  Chilton,   and  has 


HILBERT    JUNCTION. 

Hilbert  Junction  is  a  thriving  young  village  whose  birth 
dates  from  the  time  of  building  of  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Road.  It  is  here  that  the  Menasha  and  Green  Bay  branches 
cross.  A  short  time  before  the  line  was  completed,  O.  D. 
Bishop  built  a  saw-mill,  which  became  one  of  the  best  in 
this  section.  Hilbert  contains  a  church,  a  district  school, 
three  hotels,  a  marble  yard,  grain  elevators,  a  stave  factory, 
some  good  residences  and  business  houses.  It  is  imjiroving 
rapidly. 

Three  miles  east  of  Hilbert  on  the  north  branch  of  the 
Manitowoc  River  is  the  village  of  Rantoul  Center.  It  has 
a  population  of  about  300  inhabitants,  and  contains  a  stave 
factory,  saw  and  grist-mill,  a  hotel  and  several  stores. 

The  little  village  of  Potters  Mills  was  the  only  one  in 
the  town  of  Rantoul  before  the  Milwaukee  &  Northern 
Road  was   built  in    1872.     The  site  of  the  village  was  the 


farm  of  David  Coy.  He  sold  his  land  to  H.  N.  Smith  & 
Co.,  who  laid  out  the  village.  Joseph  Holt's  hotel  was  the 
first  building  erected.  In  1869  Bishop  Brothers  built  a  saw- 
mill just  northwest  of  the  village.  The  place  contains  a 
school  house,  a  number  of  stores,  and  other  conveniences 
of  a  small  settlenient. 


10(;R.^PHIC.\L    SKETCHES. 


lOHN  BENHNKE,  Jr.,  gene 
nd.  Wis.,  April    25,  1857.      He  ^ 


in  Potters  Mills,  Rock- 
farm,  and   in   1S75  at- 


&Keichart.  In  1880,  he  bought  grain  for  J.  E.  Benhnke  &  Bn 
iSSi,  he  took  his  present  store,  and  now  carries  about  $9,000  ;  this  with 
hisiwocheese  factories  makes  a  business  of  $55,000  a  year.  From  1875 
to  i88r,  he  was  Assistant  Postmaster.  He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

O.  D.  BISHOP,  stave  and  lumber  mill.  Hilbert.  Born  in  Brandon 
Co..  Vt.,  Jan.  27,  1837.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  started  west,  and  came 
to  Wisconsin  ;  from  Menasha,  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  he  took  the  Indian 
trail  to  Sherwood,  in  Calumet  County  ;  that  was  the  only  track  in  the 
early  days.  There  was  in  that  section  only  a  few  settlers  among  whom 
was  his  brother.  William  R.,  who  came  w^est  in  1S54.  He  built  his  first 
stave  mill  in  Sherwood  in  1863  ;  then  another  mill  in  Hilbert  in  1S71  ; 
in  1872,  he  established  one  in  Bnllion  ;  has  branches  in  Brant  and 
Chilton  ;  his  principal  mill  is  in  Hilbert,  which  has  a  capacity  of  about 
20,000  feet  of  hard  wood  lumber  and  S,ooo  staves  for  tight  work.  In 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  loth  V.  I.,  Co.  C,  and  was  discharged  on  account 
of  disability,  hut  he  re-enlisted  in  1S64.  and  was  mustered  out  in  1866. 
He  married  Miss  Celia  Ballon.     They  have  one  child.  Oriel  D.  W. 

GEORGE  DORN,  machine  agency,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Milwaukee 
Co.,  Wis.,  May  14,  1850.  When  three  years  of  age  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Calumet  County,  and  located  in  Holstein,  where  he  lived  till 
1S56.  In  1S70  he  lost  his  arm  in  a  threshing  machine.  He  came  to 
Hilbert  in  1872,  helping  to  lay  the  sills  for  the  first  hotel,  the  Farm- 
ers' Home.  In  1873,  he  married  Miss  Mary  .Somers.  Thev  have  two 
children  living,  and  have  lost  one.  He  has  been  Town  Treasurer  since 
1S79. 

HENRY  FEDERWITZ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Potters  Mills.  Born  in 
Bremen,  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1822.  He  came  to  America  in  1853 
from  London,  where  he  had  been  since  1848.  He  lived  in  New  York 
for  three  years,  and  then  came  to  Calumet  Co..  and  bought  an 
eighty,  but  now  owns  197  acres,  having  cleared  eighty.  In  iSSi,  he 
built  a  residence  on  his  farm  that  cost  $1,025.  I"  1858.  he  married  Miss 
Schellenback  ;  she  is  his  third  wife.  The  first  one  left  two  children  and 
the  last  one  has  eight.  Mr.  Federwitz  has  been  Justice,  and  is  a  member 
of  the   Lutheran  Church. 

RICHARD  GAGE,  hotel,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Feb.  25,  1822.  He  came  to  Wi.^consin  in  1S47,  settling  in  Green  Lake 
County  first,  but  removing  to  Calumet  in  1848,  he  bought  a  farm  in 
town  of  Chilton,  which  he  held  till  1873;  while  there  he  was  elected  to 
several  of  the  town  offices.  Having  bought  a  farm  in  Rantoul  Town, 
he  moved  to  Hilbert  in  1872,  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  place. 
Besides  his  farm  here  he  owns  620  acres  in  Oconto  County,  and  valuable 
property  in  the  village.  He  is  also  proprietor  of  the  Junction  House. 
In  1853,  he  married  Miss  Simmons  of  Oakfield.  They  have  a  family  of 
ten  children — Ellen,  Angy,  Lawson,  Clinton,  Ida,  Alice, Orville,  Rhoda, 
Addie  and  Henry.  Mr.  Gage  has  held  some  school  oflices  since  coming 
to  Hilbert. 

MORITZ  VON  GEYSO.  hotel,  Hilbert.  Born  in  town  of  Hermann. 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  June  8,  184S.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  en- 
listed in  the  19th  Reg.,  Co.  D,  and  served  on  the  frontier  in  special 
warfare.  He  return'-d  home  in  1S69,  after  three  years' service.  The 
family  in  the  meantime  had  moved  to  the  town  of  Rantoul.  He 
opened  a  saloon  at  Potter's  Mills,  but  returned  to  the  farm  where  he 
stayed  till  1873.  when  he  started  in  the  marble  business.  In  1S77,  he 
bought  his  present  place  called  Farmers'  Home,  having  a  livery  and  sale 
stable  in  connection  with  the  hotel.  In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Delia 
Beach,  of  Brillion.  They  have  had  six  children  and  lost  four.  The  two 
now  living  are  Oscar  and  Ida.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Adams  County. 

ANDREW  GILSDORF,  horseshoeing  and  blacksmithing,  Hilbert. 
Born  in  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  March  9,  1S51.  His  father  moved  to  She- 
boygan County,  and  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  Andrew 
went  to  Plymouth  to  learn  his  trade  when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age. 
He  has  always  worked  in  the  State.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Hilbert  and 
opened  his  shop,  which  is  carried  on  in  connection  with  the  wagon  de- 
partment managed  by  his  brother.  In  187S,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Driessel,  of  Hilbert.  They  have  two  children,  John  and  an  infani. 
They  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

J.  KUNKEL,  tailor,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Sept.  4. 
1849.  He  emigrated  in  1871  to  America  ;  landed  in  New  York,  and 
came  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  remained   till  1875,  when  he  came  t« 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUNTY 


Hilbertand  began  his  present  business.  In  1874,  he  married  Miss  Emil, 
■of  Fond  du  Lac  County.  They  have  three  children— Emma,  Charles 
and  Clara.     They  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

CLAUS  MENKE.  retired,  Potters  Mills.  Born  in  Grand  Duchy 
of  Oldenburg,  Germany,  July  2.  iSig.  He  came  to  America  in  1848, 
and  came  at  once  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.  From  there  he  went  to  Cedar- 
burg,  thence  to  the  town  of  Herman,  Sheboygan  Co.,  thence  to  Two 
Rivers,  finally  returning  to  his  farm  in  Sheboygan  County,  where  he  re- 
mained till  1833,  when  he  went  to   Franklin  and   built  a  brewery.     In 

1857,  he  went  into  a  brewery  in   Menasha,    and    also   kept   tavern.     In 

1858,  he  returned  to  Franklin,  and  was  appointed  keeper  of  a  toll-gate 
on  the  Calumet  &  Sheboygan  plank  road.  He  was  there  till  1866, 
when  he  came  here.  In  1S75.  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer.  He 
now  holds  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  ;  was  Town  Treasurer  from  1867  to 
1875.  In  1S46,  he  married  M,iss  Peterman.  They  had  nine  children, 
only  three  of  whom  are  living — Margaret  (now  Mrs.  Luedtke),  August 
and  Amiel. 

A.  OLANDER,  saloon  and  billiard  hall,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Sweden, 
Jan.  ig,  1S47,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1871.  Landing  in  New 
York,  he  proceeded  to  Chicago,  and  from  thence  to  Green  Bay,  in  the 
Fall  of  1S74,  where  he  remained  until  1S75.  when  he  came  to  Hilbert. 
In  1879,  h«  went  into  the  Central  House.  In  l8So,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Neihart,  of  the  town  of  Woodville. 

THEODORE  ORPHAL,  hotel,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Saxony.  Ger- 
many, July  18,  1849.  Coming  to  America  in  1S50,  with  the  family,  he 
stopped  in  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  a  farm,  till  1S57,  when  they  all  moved 
to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.  In  1864.  he  enlisted  in  the  39th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in 
the  hundred-day  service  ;  served  his  time,  and  enlisted  again  in  1S65,  in 
the  14th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  H,  and  was  mustered  out  inOctober,  1S65,  when 
he  came  to  Sheboygan,  and  went  into  a  hotel.  He  came  to  Hilbert  in 
1872.  He  hauled  the  lumber  for  the  first  house  there,  and  in  1875  built 
the  hotel  called  the  Central  House,  which  he  still  owns.  In  1S70,  he 
married  Miss  Charlotte  Schlinz,  of  Manitowoc  County.  Mr.  Orphal 
has  been  Constable  in  Hilbert.  His  family  are  members  of  the  Luther- 
an Church. 

CHARLES  PFLUGRADT,  druggist,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Germany, 
Aug.  6,  1854.  When  two  years  of  age  he  came,  with  his  parents,  to 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.  He  attended  school  at  Winooski,  Fond  du  Lac 
and  Plymouth,  while  living  in  those  places,  and  took  a  regular  course  in 
Silsby  College,  in  Fond  du  Lac.  He  also  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade. 
In  1875,  he  went  to  Omaha,  but  soon  returned  to  Winooski.  He  then 
came  to  Hilbert,  where  he  was  engaged  in  his  father's  store  till  1S81, 
when  he  went  into  the  drug  business,  having  been  appointed  Postmaster 
in  1880.  He  served  as  School  Clerk  in  1881.  In  1880,  he  married  Miss 
Henrietta  Sondricker,  of  Illinois. 

JOHN  PFLUGRADT,  general  store,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  March  22,1825.  Bringing  his  family  to  America  in  1S56, 
they  landed  in  New  York,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  Wisconsin,  locating 
in  Sheboygan.  He  went  to  work  at  his  trade,  shoemaking,  remaining 
there  till  1875,  when  he  came  to  Hilbert,  opening  a  general  store.  In 
1854,  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Yuss.  of  Germany.  They  have  a  family 
of  five  children,  having  lost  one— Charlie,  Hatlie  (now  Mrs.  Franzke), 
Gustoff.  Lucy  and  Loui  (deceased).  Mr.  Pflugradt  served  in  the  army 
in  his  fatherland  four  years. 

O.  R.  POTTER,  mill  owner.  Born  in  Coburg,  Upper  Canada, 
Feb.  15,  1814.  His  parents  took  him  to  New  York  in  1817,  where  they 
remained  till  1836,  when  he  learned  the  carpenter's  and  joiner's  trade. 
In  1839,  he  went  through  Wisconsin  in  a  canoe,  and  down  to  Mineral 
Point,  but  returned  to  New  York.  He  came  again  in  1846,  and  settled 
in  Taycheedah  ;  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  company  that  built  the 
Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  plank  road,  and  was  a  heavy  contractor  at 
one  time.  He  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1852,  and  to  Rantoul  in  1858, 
and  built  his  saw-mill,  and  in  1870  built  the  grist-mill.  He  has  an  in- 
terest in  the  mills  at  Colby,  under  his  son's  charge.  Mr.  Potter  has  been 
Chairman  of  the  Town.  In  1842,  he  was  married,  but  his  wife  died, 
leaving  two  children,  Legare  and  Mary  (now  Mrs.  P.  Dart).  In  1858, 
he  married  Miss  Raida.  They  have  one  child.  May  C.  Mr.  Potter  was 
the  first  Postmaster  in  Rantoul. 

J.  F.  SCHETTER,  miller,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, in  1S27  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855,  locating  on  a 
farm  eleven  miles  from  the  city.  He  moved  from  there  to  the  town  of 
Chilton,  where  he  bought  160  acres.  He  bought  the  grist-mill  in  1881, 
which  he  has  repaired  and  enlarged  the  capacity  for  grinding.  He  has 
been  married  twice,  the  first  time  to  Miss  Killyan,  and  the  second  time 
to  Miss  Brill,  of  Waukesha  County.  While  in  the  town  of  Herman  he 
held  school  offices.     The  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

J.  SCHROWEN,  saloon  and  hotel,  Hilbert.  Born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, June  18.  1S36.  In  1857.  he  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and 
from  there  went  to  Lake  Superior,  and  worked  in  the  mines  of  Michi- 
gan. He  then  came  to  Calumet  Co.,  and  bought  a  farm,  which  he 
carried  on  for  nine  years.  He  came  to  Hilliert  in  1877.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted    in   the  5th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  K,  and  was  mustered  out   in    1864. 


The  same  year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  StaflTens,  of  Fond  du  Lac 
County.  They  have  five  children  living — Mary,  John,  Katie,  Emma  and 
Francen  ;  have  lost  three  boys. 

FERD  ULLRICH,  hotel  and  saloon.  Potter's  Mills.  Born  in  Ger- 
many,  April  7,  1846,  and  came  to  America  in  1S53,  landing  in 
Baltimore.  He  came  to  Milwaukee,  with  his  parents,  at  twelve  years  of 
age,  and  went  into  Rice  &  Freedman's  store.  In  1862.  he  enlisted  in 
the  2Sth  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  B;  served  two  years  and  seven  months,  and  was 
then  mustered  out.  He  came  to  Madison,  Wis.,  and  thence  to  Milwau- 
kee, to  his  old  situation.  In  1876,  he  came  lo  his  present  location,  and 
commenced  business.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster,  March  I,  1881. 
In  1868.  he  married  Miss  Klemp.  They  have  six  children.  He  belongs 
to  the  1.0.  O.  F. 

HENRY  WELKER,  cabinet  maker  and  builder,  Hilbert.  Born  in 
Holstein,  Germany,  Jan.  14,  1848.  Emigrated  to  America  in  1870.  and 
proceeded  to  Holstein,  Calumet  Co.  He  then  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
and,  in  1S74.  to  Hilbert,  where  he  established  his  present  business.  He 
is  building  a  large  warehouse  and  salesroom.  Mr.  Welker  has  built 
many  of  the  fine  residences  in  Hilbert  and  vicinity.  In  1874,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Faikter,  of  Holstein.  They  have  three  children — Godfreid, 
Frank  and  an  infant. 

BRILLION. 

This  village  is  located  in  the  town  of  that  name,  in  the 
northeastern  i)art  of  the  county,  on  the  line  of  the  Milwau- 
kee, Lake  Shore  &  Western  Road.  In  the  Fall  of  1855  Will- 
iai;i  V.  McMtillen,  Sr.,  settled  upon  the  present  site  of  the 
village,  and  his  sons  cleared  away  the  thick  timber.  Chris. 
Horn  was  the  first  German  who  settled  in  the  town  com- 
ing in  1856,  and  in  1862  was  elected  Town  Treasurer.  In 
1872  Messrs.  Beach  &  Bishop  built  a  saw-mill.  It  burned 
in  1874,  but  was  rebuilt  in  a  month.  Besides  being  some- 
what of  a  business  point,  Brillion  has  a  thriving  lodge  of 
Odd  Fellows  (No.  270). 

Forest  Junction  and  Spring  Creek  are  the  only  other 
settlements  in  the  town  of  Brillion,  the  first  building 
erected    in   the   latter  place  being  the  saw-mill  built  by  H. 

B.  Nugent.  Forest  Junction  is  at  the  crossing  of  the  Lake 
Shore  and  Wisconsin  Central  railroads,  and  originated 
at  the  time  these  lines  were  built.  Spring  Creek  has  a 
population  of  200  people,  and  contains  two  small  saw-mills, 
a  stave  factory,  a  shingle  mill,  a  planing  mill,  and  several 
stores. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  M.  BEACH,  lumber  and  flour,  Biillion.  Born  in  Sparta, 
Sussex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  i,  1832.  He  lived  here  until  he  had  attained 
the  age  of  sixteen  and  attended  school.  When  he  was  sixteen  years 
old  he  came  west  with  his  father,  Elias  Beach,  who  opened  a  stopping 
place  known  as  Beach's  tavern,  on  the  old  Green  Bay  road.  At  that 
early  day  he  had  a  large  patronage  and  is  well  known  to  all  the  pioneers 
and  is  still  living  on  the  old  place,  he  having  commemorated  his  golden 
wedding.  In  1855,  George  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming.  Later 
he  went  to  Brillion  into  the  mill  with  Bishop,  Blanchard  &  Co.  In  1874 
the  mill  was  burned  but  rebuilt  immediately.  In  1873,  Blanchard  sold 
out  his  interest  and  in  1874,  Nickerson  his,  leaving  Bishop  &  Beach.as part- 
ners. They  built  the  grist-mill  in  i876,andin  1879,  Bishoj)  sold  his  interest 
leaving  George  M.  Beach  sole  proprietor.  The  saw-mill  has  a  capacity 
of  30,000  feet  a  day,  and  the  grist-mill  from  300  to  400  bushels  a  day. 
Mr.  Beach  has  been  married  three  times.     His  first  wife  was  Miss  Ellen 

C.  Bishop.  His  second  Miss  Laura  Bishop;  she  died  leaving  one  son, 
Mell.  He  married  a  third  in  1878,  Miss  Mary  Mailman,  of  Brillion. 
They  have  one  little  girl  named  Susie. 

CHARLES  BRUSS,  hotel  and  saloon.  Forest  Junction.  Born  in 
town  of  Rhine,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Sept.  2, 1856.  He  is  of  German  descent. 
The  family  moved  to  Rockwell  in  1S61,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
attend  school.  His  father  had  a  store  and  mill  in  Sheboygan.  Charles 
engaged  in  various  occupations  before  coming  to  Forest  Junction.  In 
1879,  February  14,  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Hansen.  They  had  one 
child,  Leonora,  who  is  not  living.  His  father  and  mother  now  live  in 
the  town  of  .Schleswick. 

EDWARD  DASKAM,  real  estate,  Brillion.  Born  in  Steuben  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1843.  Came  west  in  1857.  He  worked  on  a  farm  north  of 
the  cily  of  Chilton,  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  the  I4lh  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  G. 
Returned  to  Chilton  in  1865,  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Brillion,  where 
he  engaged  in  real  estate  and  farming.  He  also  invested  in  pine  lands. 
He  is  married  and  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  In  1S74.  Daskam  s 
first  addition  to  the  village  of  Brillion  was  made,  and  in  1S76,  Daskam 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ade  comprising  the  largest  half  of  the  place  on 

N.  A.  HARRIS,  saw-mill.  Forest  Junction.  Born  in  Saratoga  Co., 
N.  Y.  July  i6.  1S22.  In  1833.  his  people  moved  to  Ashtabula  Co., 
Ohio,  where  he  attended  school.  They  moved  to  Indiana  in  1837,  and 
toManilowoc  County  in  1853.  In  iS^C.he  went  to  Cato  and  engaged  in 
the  mill  business,  which  he  continued  until  all  the  oak  was  used,  when  he 
moved  to  Forest  Junction.  In  1S73,  he  built  boarding-house  and  mill 
and  now  emplovs  ten  men  in  the  mill,  While  in  Manitowoc  he  was 
School  Superiniendent  and  Town  Clerk.  In  1S43,  he  married  Miss 
Cleveland,  of  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio.  They  have  five  children— ]ohn  E., 
Orville  D.,  Emma  J..  Clara  P.  and  Eva.  His  brother  I.  J.,  who  is  now 
with  him,  has  been  married  three  times  ;  he  has  two  children.  N.  A.  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

JOHN  IIOFF,  with  the  Depere  Furnace  Company,  Forest  Junc- 
tion. Born  in  canton  Kerne,  Switzerland,  January  15,  1S47.  He  came 
to  America  in  1S67,  working  in  Forestville  on  Lake  Superior  for  a  fur- 
nace company,  and  in  1871  went  to  work  for  the  Depere  Furnace  Com- 
pany. He  came  to  Forest  Junction  and  built  charcoal  kilns,  having 
nine  now  and  a  capacity  of  burning  6,000  cords  per  annum.  In  1 872,  he 
married  Miss  Magpie  Filer,  of  Waukesha,  Wis.  They  have  had  four 
children — Caroline  and  Maggie,  living,  and  Mamie  and  Peter,  deceased. 

HON.  J.  HUNT,  firm  of  S.  S.  Robby  &  Co.,  general  store.  Forest 
Junction.  Born  in  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  1S19.  When  quite  young  he 
moved  into  Penobscot  County.  Here  he  attended  school,  and  in  1840  went 
to  .Saginaw.  Mich.,  then  to  the  Mississippi  River,  going  south  to  New 
Orleans.  He  relurned.  however,  in  1843,  and  began  farming  in  Fond 
du  Lac  County.  In  1S48.  he  went  to Oconomowoc.  and  from  there  to  Me- 
natha  in  1850,  where  he  helped  build  the  first  house.  In  1S52,  he  went 
to  California  by  the  overland  route  and  returned  by  water.  He  came  10 
Menasha  again  and  while  there  in  1864  he  was  sent  to  the  Legislature. 
He  was  also  Chairman  of  the  Town  Boaid  and  the  first  Justice  in 
Menasha,  and  held  the  office  of  Sheriff.  In  1S75,  he  entered  this  fiim 
in  Forest  Junction  as  one  of  the  partners  and  managers  of  the  business 
here,  carrying  a  stock  of  some  $3,000  and  doing  a  business  of  about 
$6,000.  In  1848,  he  married  Miss  Gates.  They  had  eight  children— 
Lydia  (now  Mrs.  Wells),  Alice  (now  Mrs  Williams),  Nellie.  Edna  and 
Stewart.     Three  have  died. 

D.  V.  TONES,  clerk  with  P.  Werner,  Brillion.  Born  in  Stockbridge, 
Wis.,  in  1858.  He  is  one  of  afamily  of  seven,  the  children  of  Rev.  J.  P. 
Jones  who  was  a  native  of  Carnarvonshire,  Wales,  and  came  to  Ameiica 
in  1822.  In  Stockbridge  he  married  Miss  McMullen.  They  moved  to 
Brillion  in  a  covered  wagon,  and  D.  V.  attended  school  here  till  1863, 
and  remained  in  the  village  till  1870,  when  he  went  lo  Spring  Green  to 
attend  the  Academy.  He  returned  to  Brdlion  in  1873.  The  family 
now  live  on  the  old  homestead,  his  father  still  pursuing  his  professional 
duties.  In  1876,  D.  V.  taught  school  in  Manitowoc,  then  at  Bolter's 
Mills  and  four  terms  at  Brillion,  but  left  the  profession  and  began  clerk- 
ing. In  1876,  he  and  Edward  Daskam  laid  out  Jones  &  Daskam's 
addition  to  Brillion.  He  also  owns  forty  acres  of  land  in  Marathon 
County. 

N.'KNAUF,  real  estate,  Brillion.  Born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  June  i, 
1839;  c.im  ;  to  America  in  1846,  his  parents  locating  in  Sheboygan  Co., 
Wis.  He  had  a  common  school  education  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
began  clerking.  In  1858,  he  went  to  California,  where  he  remained  till 
1862  ;  then  went  to  Idaho  where  he  stayed  till  1865,  when  he  came  back 
to  Wisconsin.  He  went  to  the  Lake  Superior  mines  ;  then  lo  Colo- 
rado, but  was  called  home  to  manage  his  sister's  business,  which  had 
been  thrown  on  her  hands  by  the  deaih  of  her  husband.  He  conducted 
this  till  1871,  when  he  opened  a  flour  and  feed  store  for  himself.  In 
1876,  he  came  to  Brillion,  having  buill  a  warehouse  here  in  1873.  He 
carried  on  a  large  business  till  1880,  when  he  sold  to  P.Werner.  In 
l86(),  he  married  Miss  Diedrieh,  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  had  eight 
children,  three  not  living— Clara,  William,  Anna  and  Amelia  (iwins) 
and  Fredie.  They  are  Catholics.  Mr.  Knaufhasa  large  liact  of  pine 
land  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 

G.  A.  LINDOW,  general  store,  Forest  Junction.  Born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  Oct.  22,  1853.  He  came  to  America  in  1868,  landing  in 
Baltimore.  From  thence  he  came  to  Calumet  County,  and  bought  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Brillion.  For  two  years  he  clerked  in  S.  S.  Robby 
&  Co.'s  store,  then  returned  to  the  farm.  In  1880  he  established  his 
present  business  in  Forest  Junction.  He  carries  a  stock  of  about 
$3,000.  and  does  a  business  of  some  $10,000  or  $12,000.  In  1866  he 
married  Miss  Holschneter.     They  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

I.  McCOMB.  M.  D.,  Brillion.  Born  in  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec. 
10,  1850.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the  High  School 
in  Hortonville,  and  afterward  took  the  scien'ific  course  in  the  Lawrence 
University,  in  Appleton,  graduating  in  1870.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  with  Dr.  Levings,  taking  his  final  course  in  the  Chicago  Medi- 
cal College  and  the  medical  department  of  the  Northwestern  University. 
Alter  leaving  college  he  commenced  practice  in  Brillion.  In  1879  he 
married  Miss  Anna  Redlofi",  of  Urillion.  They  have  one  child,  Mildred 
Ray.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


R.  H.McMULLEN,  drugstore,  Brillion.  Born  in  West  Canada, 
May  10,  185 1.  The  family  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  in  Brillion 
on  a  farm,  where  he  was  reared.  The  business  which  he  owns  was 
established  by  Dr.  Merle,  but  Mr.  McMullen  has  enlarged  the  business, 
adding  groceries  and  stationery.  He  carries  a  slock  of  S3.0.0  and  does 
a  business  of  $8,000  a  year.  In  1875  he  married  Miss  Atwood,  of  She- 
boygan.    They  have  two  children,  Mary  Vaughn  and  John  R. 

WILLIAM  V.  McMULLEN,  real  estate,  Brillion.  Born  in  West 
Canada,  May  29,  1S45.  Ctme  with  his  parents  10  Wisconsin  in  1855, 
to  Brillion,  then  the  town  of  Woodville,  where  ihey  bought  160  acres 
in  Sec.  26,  Town  20.  The  village  of  Brillion  now  lies  on  part  of  ihe  old 
homestead.  Their  father  William  V.,  died  in  1863,  but  their  mother  is 
still  living  in  Chilton.  William  stiiid  on  the  t'arm  till  1871;  he  then 
began  railroading  ;  afterwards  bought  a  farm  ;  then  exchanged  the  faim 
for  land  in  Marathon  County.  In  1S78.  he  bought  another  farm,  but 
sold  this  in  Spring  of  1879,  and  is  now  speculating  in  real  estate.  He 
also  owns  the  drug  store  building  and  his  own  dwelling,  besides  some 
320  acres  of  land  near  by.  In  1S65  he  was  elected  Justice,  and  has  held 
since,  also  holding  at  times  other  town  offices,  and  is  president  of  the 
Agricultural  Society.  In  1874  he  married  .Miss  Watress,  of  Gravesvillc,. 
Calumet  Co.  They  have  two  children.  Kiltie  and  Mary,  having  lost 
one,  William.     Mr.  McMullen  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

CHARLES  TESCH,  general  store,  Brillion.     Born  in  Prussia,  Aug. 


9.  1851.     He  came  to  America  in  1S54  with  his  ] 


ind  located  in 


Waukesha  Crunly,  on  a  farm.  Came  from  the  farm  to  Brillion  in  1874, 
and  commenced  business  as  a  grain  buyer  and  in  real  estate  ;  estab- 
lished ihe  stoie  in  1S74,  and  has  gradually  enlarged  both  store  and 
business.  He  carries  a  stock  of  $10,000,  and  does  a  business  o(  $60  ovo 
a  year.  In  1875  he  married  Miss  Rica  Kasch,  of  Brillion.  They  have 
one  boy,  Edwaid.  Her  people  located  in  Brillion  about  the  same  time 
that  Mr.  Tesch  came,  but  have  sold  the  farm,  and  now  live  with  him. 

MATHIAS  THOMSEN,  station  agent,  Brillion.  Born  in  Hol- 
tein,  Germany,  June  7,  1845.  Came  to  America  in  1S67.  going  at  once 
to  Holstein,  Calumet  Co.  On  coming  to  Brillion,  he  located  on  a  farm 
and  worked  it  till  1871,  when  he  came  lo  the  village  and  opened  a  shoe 
shop.  In  1S74  he  commenced  scaling  logs  for  the  Brillion  Stave  and 
Lumber  Company  ;  the  mill  burned  down.  In  1877  he  learned  teleg- 
raphy. In  1S76  he  was  elected  Town  Clerk,  which  office  he  still  holds, 
and  became  Notary  Public  in  iSSi.  He  has  been  School  Clerk,  also. 
In  1S67  he  married  Miss  Ahlf,  of  Holstein,  Germany.  They  have  five 
children— John  D.  C.  (deceased),  Annie,  Emma,  William  and  Otto.  Mr. 
Thomsen  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  belongs  ID  the  Lutheran 
Evangelical  Church. 

PETER  WERNER,  general  store,  Brillion.  Born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, Aug.  12,  1839.  He  came  to  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis  ,  in  1854,  locating 
at  Centreville.  He  acquired  his  entire  education  in  the  English  language 
in  eleven  evening  lessons.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was  elected 
Constable,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk,  Chairman  and  Justice. 
In  1865  he  bought  an  interest  in  F.  W.  Otto's  mercantile  business,  but 
soon  afterward  he  carried  on  the  business  alone.  He  came  to  Brillion  in 
1880  and  bought  out  N.  Knauf ;  was  appointed  Postmaster  the  same  year. 
While  in  Centreville  he  married  Miss  Fredericka  Trebrer.  They  have 
seven  children — Louisa.  Hattie,  Clelia,  Robert,  Jennie, Oito, Lydia.  He 
carries  a  slock  of  about  $12,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $40,000  a  year. 
His  grain  interests  are  large.  Brillion  being  one  of  ihe  best  markets 
along  the  road.  Mr.  Werner  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  attends 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

L.  A.  WILLIAMS,  saw-mill,  of  the  firm  of  Harris  &  Co.,  Forest 
Junction.  Born  in  Pierpont,  Ohio,  May  15,  1852.  Removed  to  Cato, 
Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1858,  with  his  parents,  and  went  to  school 
there.  As  early  as  1S66  he  commenced  working  in  mills,  and  has  followed 
that  occupation  since  coming  to  Forest  Junction  in  1873.  He  is  now 
one  of  ihe  firm.  In  1S75  he  married  Miss  Garnet.  They  have  two 
children,  Guy  and  Elmer. 

SHERWOOD. 

Sherwotid  is  ,1  st.ttion  on  the  Menasha  branch  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central  line,  and  is  (inite  an  important  shipping 
point  for  staves,  bolts,  wagon  timber,  etc.  The  village  is 
located  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  station  on  the  mili- 
tary road.  It  contains  several  stores,  two  hotels,  a  church,, 
small  saw-mill,  and  stave  factory. 

BIOGRAPHICAI.  SKETCHES.- 
F.  A.  BAILEY,  Assistant  Postmaster,  Sherwood.  Born  in  Thomp- 
son, Conn.,  in  1809.  When  a  boy  he  worked  in  the  cotton  factories,  and 
afterwards  on  a  farm.  In  1829  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at 
which  he  worked  for  a  number  of  years.  He  then  went  into  a  clock 
factory,  and  from  there  to  an  axle  factory.  Then  came  here  in  1868.  and 
settled  on  a  farm  of  thirty  acres.  In  1837  he  married  Miss  Sorina  J. 
Moses,  of  Howington,  Conn.  They  had  three  children,  only  one  now 
living,  George  O.,  now  Postmaster  and  Notary  Public. 


HISTORY  OF  CALUMET  COUN  IV. 


,8r 


W.  R.  BISHOP,  saw  and  grist-mill,  Sherwood.  He  was  born  in 
Vermont,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854,  locating  at  Sherwood.  He 
erected  a  stave-mill,  and  afterwards  a  saw-mill,  and  in  1877,  the  grist- 
mill. In  1856  he  married  Miss  Caroline  Mansfield,  whose  parents  came 
west  about  the  same  time,  and  settled  in  Sherwood.  They  have  seven 
children-Forrest  W.,  Alice  E.,  Emery  L.,  Edith,  Cassie,  Clifford  and 
Stella.     Mr.  Bishop  is  interested  in  Colorado  in  the  lumber  business. 

H.MUELLER  &  BRO..  general  store,  Sherwood.  Came  to  Amer- 
ica with  their  parents  in  1855,  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Waukesha  Co., 
Wis.;  they  moved  from  there  to  Menasha,  where  in  1S75.  the  brothers 
entered  mercantile  business.  In  1S69  the  business  in  Sherwood  was  es- 
tablished by  Frilling  &  Raute.  and  in  1879  it  became  the  above  firm, 
•carrying  a  stock  of  $10,000,  and  doing  a  business  of  from  $30,000  to 
$40,000  a  year.  They  also  established  a  cheese  factory  in  1881.  Their 
business  extends  to  grain  and  lumber.  Henry  is  Clerk  of  the  Town  for 
1881. 

STEPHEN  NICOL.\I,  retired,  Sherwood.  Born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many. Emigrated  to  America  in  1852.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1859. 
In  1873  he  built  a  store  in  Sherwood,  which  he  conducted  till  1S77  ;  he 
had  one  also  in  Hilbert,  which  he  closed  in  1880,  when  he  went  to 
Colorado.  He  was  married  twice,  in  1S56  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mott,  who 
<iied  in  1874;  then  to  Mrs,  Barbara'Shoman.  He  had  seven  children  by 
his  first  wife,  and  his  present  wife  has  three  by  her  former  husband.  Mr. 
Nicolai  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

HERMAN  STEFFEN,harness  shop  and  saloon, Sherwood.  Born 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  May  7,  1S54.  He  came  to  -America  in  1863  with 
his  parents,  and  moved  to  IVIilwaukee,  Wis.,  where  in  1872,  he  learned 
the  harness-maker's  trade.  In  1S78  he  moved  to  Sherwood,  and  began 
business  for  himself.  In  1S79  he  married  Miss  Mahlbeg,  of  Milwaukee. 
They  have  two  children. 

CLIFTON. 
The  village  of  Clifton  has  a  picturesque  position  on  the 
i;hore  of  Lake  Winnebago,  nestling  under  a  high  limestone 
cliff.  It  is  the  sliipping  point  for  this  portion  of  the  county, 
and  timber  and  bricks  in  quantity  are  annually  shipped 
across  the  lake.  B.  F.  Carter  and  Cook,  Brown  &  Co.  have 
quite  extensive  brick  yards.  The  former  is  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  county,  having  represented  it  in  the 
Legistature  several  times.  A.  H.  Hart  was  the  first  perma- 
nent settler  at  Clifton.  In  the  Fall  of  1852  Russell  Pratt 
became  a  resident. 

BIOGR-APHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HON.  B.  F.  CARTER,  manufacturer,  Clifton.  Born  in  Concord, 
N.  H.,  Nov.  20,  1824.  He  remained  in  his  native  State  till  1S61,  when 
be  moved  to  Fonddu  Lac,Wis.,  and  from  there  to  Empire,  in  same  coun- 
ty, and  settled  on  a  farm.  He  came  to  Calumet  County  in  1S66.  He  is 
now  giving  his  attention  to  lime  burning,  in  company  wuh  Cook,  Brown 
-&  Co.;  they  have  here  two  patent  kilns,  able  to  burn  250  barrels  a  day. 
They  also  burn  brick  and  tile,  having  a  brick  yaid  at  Stockbridge,  and 
he  has  one  in  Chilton,  an  individual  enterprise.  The  company  run  two 
steamers  on  Lake  Winnebago,  stopping  at  Bishop's  Landing.  They 
have  cooper  works  also,  supplying  all  the  barrels  needed.  In  1S50  he 
married  Miss  Runnels.  Th-y  have  eight  children.  Mr.  Carter  has  held 
position  of  Chairman  of  the  Town  lor  five  years,  and  in  1874  and  1877 
was  sent  to  the  Assembly,  and  in  1879  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
on  the  Democratic  ticket. 

H.  B.  NUGENT,  retired,  Clifion.  Born  in  Canada,  Dec.  11, 1810. 
He  went  to  Michigan  in  1849.  •'^"<'  tame  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1854, 
and  located  on  Sec.  36,  Lot  2.  He  built  a  saw  mill  in  town  of  Brillion 
in  1875,  which  he  sold,  and  gave  his  whole  attention  to  farming  and  town 
offices.  He  will  soon  change  his  residence  to  Doty  Island,  where  he  has 
some  five  acres  and  a  beautiful  residence.  Mr.  Nugent  has  been  married 
twice,  the  first  time  in  1832,  his  wife  dying  in  1S39.  leaving  fourchildren. 
He  was  married  again  to  Miss  Miranda  Hart  in  1840.  He  has  had  four- 
teen children  in  all,  ten  now  living— William  H.  (deceased),  John  B., 
Margaret  A,,  Jane  (now  Mrs.  Hart),  George  (deceased),  James  II.  (de- 
ceased), Nancy  (now  Mrs.  Blake),  Alfred,  Daniel,  Florence.  Mary  (now 
Mrs.  Moore),  Belle  (deceased),  Jessie  and  Fred.  They  belong  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

STOCKBRIDGE. 

The  village  of  Stockbridge  contains  a  poptilaiion  of 
450  people,  and  is  the  main  shipping  point  on  Lake  Winne- 
bago. Before  the  railroad  was  built  it  handled,  with  Broth- 
ertown,  a  large  share  of  the  grain  raised  in  the  county.  It 
contains  two  hotels,  three  churches,  a  fine  school,  etc.,  etc. 
Among  those  who  assisted  in  building  up  the  village  may 


be  named  such   as   ('.  P.  Skidmore,  H.  A.  Williams,  R.  A. 
Buxton,  etc.,  etc. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SI^ETCHES. 

J.  E.  GARREY,  M.D.,  Stockbridge.  Born  in  Chicago,  Feb.  9, 
1847,  where  he  lived  till  1852,  going  thence  to  Manitowoc  County,  where 
his  parents  located  on  a  farm.  He  attended  school,  and  then  went  to 
Milwaukee  to  advance  his  education.  In  1S63,  intended  going  into  the 
army,  but  was  taken  sick.  His  father  filled  his  place,  and  died  in  Nor. 
folk,  Va.,  Sept.  14,  1863.  J.  E.  was  teaching  school,  at  this  time,  in  the 
Winter,  and  helping  his  brother  on  the  farm  in  the  Summer.  He  com- 
menced reading  medicine  wiih  Dr.  O'Connell,  and  took  a  commercial 
course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's,  Milwaukee.  He  attended  the  Normal 
School  in  Oshkosh,  in  1871,  and  while  teaching,  studied  medicine,  and 
attended  the  Rush  Medical  College.  Chicago,  in  1S77  and  1S7S.  He 
started  practice  in  Stockbridge,  Calumet  Co.  In  1S71,  he  married  Miss 
Anderson,  who  died,  Dec.  g,  iSSo,  leaving  two  children.  Waller  and 
Georgie.     The  doctor  is  a  member  of  most  of  the  lodges. 

LOUIS  GANTHER,  hotel,  Stockbridge.  Born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
Sept.  12.  1S50.  He  learned  the  baker's  trade  of  his  father  before  leav- 
ing the  old  country.  Came  to  America  in  1868  ;  landed  in  New  York, 
and  came  at  once  to  Calumet  Co.,  stopping  with  an  uncle  in  llol- 
stein  for  some  time,  and  then  went  on  a  steamer  on  Lake  Michigan.  In 
1S71,  he  visited  the  Lake  Superior  mines,  but  returned  to  Holstein  and 
bought  a  farm.  In  1878.  he  moved  to  Stockbridge,  and  opened  the 
hotel  and  saloon  in  company  with  Joe  Ganther.  In  18S1,  he  married 
Miss  Louisa  Miller,  of  Marytown. 

J.  A.  HOWEY,  agency  business,  Stockbridge.  Born  in  the  town 
of  Bandon,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  10,  1845  ;  came  to  Stark  Co.,  111.,  with  his 
parents,  where  his  father  died  in  1S54.  The  family  returned  to  Synco, 
Canada,  but  in  1856  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and,  in  1857,  to  Calumet 
County,  and  stopped  in  Stockbridge,  on  a  farm,  till  1864,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  21st  Wis.  V.,  Co.  E  ;  served  till  July,  1865,  then  came  to 
Calumet,  and  went  to  lumbering  and  milling,  at  which  he  continued  till 
1S76,  when  he  went  into  his  present  business.  He  belongs  to  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor,  and  is  also  a  Good  Templar. 

A.  F.  HUNTER.  M.D.,  Stockbridge.  Born  in  Huntington  Co., 
Pa.,  Sept.  12,  1S42.  In  1849,  he  moved  to  While  Co.,  Ind.,  and  in  1S61 
he  enlisted  in  the  46th  Ind.  V.  I.,  Co.  E,  and  was  mustered  out  as  second 
lieutenant  in  1865.  He  then  returned  to  Burnettsville,  where  he  read 
medicine  with  Dr.  G.  W.  Smith  till  1S68,  when  he  went  to  the  Electical 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  graduated  March  30, 
1S69.  He  commenced  practice  in  his  old  home  in  Indiana,  going  from 
there  to  Lockport,  in  Carroll  County.  In  the  Fall  of  1S71,  became  to  his 
present  home,  where  he  has  a  practice  of  $2,500  per  annum.  In  1870, 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Buckley,  of  Burnettsville,  Ind.  They  have 
one  child,  Charley  F.  Dr.  Hunter  is  Examining  Surgeon  for  Pensions, 
and  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

MATHIAS  JOHNSON,  general  store  and  Postmaster.  Quinney. 
Born  in  Norway,  in  1814.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1840,  and  re- 
mained in  New  York  for  five  years,  employed  at  sail  making,  which  was 
his  trade.  He  then  moved  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  was  employed 
rigging  vessels,  and  in  a  mill.  In  1852,  he  went  to  Depere,  and  in  i860 
moved  to  Calumet  County,  and  went  to  faiming.  taking  the  post-office 
in  1867.  In  1842,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Gooder.  They  had  nine 
children,  five  now  living.  He  lost  his  wife  in  1S81.  Mr.  Johnson  be- 
longs to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

J.  M.  MERRILL,  M.D.,  Stockbridge.  Born  in  Medina  Co.,  Ohio, 
April  16,  1837.  He  came  to  Calumet  Co.,  in  185 1,  and  went  to 
farming  in  the  town  of  Chilton.  He  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  4th  Wis. 
V.  I.;  was  mustered  out  in  1864,  and  returned  to  Chilton  ;  but,  in  1865, 
sold  his  farm,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  La  Counte. 
He  attended  the  Chicago  Medical  College  in  1867-8  and  1868-9.  and 
then  returned  to  Stockbridge  and  began  practice.  He  opened  a  drug 
store  in  1S74,  but  sold  it  in  18S0.  In  1S56,  he  married  Miss  Jennie 
Thompson,  of  Stockbridge.  They  have  five  boys — Fred  William, 
Frank  D..  Charles  W.,  John  E.  and  Park  E.  Dr.  Merrill  belongs  to  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

CAPT.  R.  J.  NEEDHAM,  wagon  factory,  Stockbridge.  Born  in 
Wayiie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  8,  182S.  He  remained  in  his  native  county 
for  nine  years,  and  then  went  to  Onondaga  County,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  wagonm.aker.  He  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  in  Cal- 
umet County,  in  1850.  He  then  went  on  a  trip  through  the  Southern 
States,  and,  returning  in  1S61,  enlisted  in  the  4th  Wis.  V.  I.,  but  was 
transferred  to  the  cavalry  in  1863.  He  was  mustered  out  a  captain  in 
1865.  On  leaving  the  service,  he  returned  to  Stockbridge,  and  once 
more  resumed  business.  He  has  held  the  oflice  of  Chairman  of  the 
Town,  and  was  Treasurer  for  some  four  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F. 

C.  W.  THURSTON,  farmer.  P.  O.  Stockbridge.  Born  in  Onei- 
da Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1829.  He  lived  here  till  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age,  his  father  being  a  farmer  and  miller.  He  shared  in  the 
same  work,  attending  meantime  the  district   school,  and  afterwards  the 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Dicksville  Institute.  In  1846,  with  other  members  of  the  family,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  on  Lot  32.  In  1847,  he  taught  school, 
teaching,  in  all,  about  ten  terms.  In  1S56,  he  moved  on  to  the  lot  where 
they  live  at  present.  He  has  been  prominent  in  politics.  In  1S54,  he 
was  Sheriff  of  Calumet  County ;  has  been  Register  of  Deeds,  and  iii 
1873  was  elected  County  Judge ;  was  County  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
and  has  been  Chairman  of  both  Town  and  County  boards.  He  has 
been  married  twice — the  first  time  in  1854,  his  wife  dying  in  1871 ;  the 
second  time  in  1S73,  to  Miss  Bourne,  of  Stockbridge.  By  the  two  mar- 
riages he  has  si.\  children.  He  helped  raise  a  company  and  enlisted  in 
the  l6th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  discharged  in  1865.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

BROTHERTOWN. 

The  village  of  Brothertown,  like  Stockbridge,  is  the 
center  of  a  fine  farming  country,  and  does  a  good  general 
business.  The  people  of  tliese  two  places  were  the  earnest 
pioneers  of  Calumet,  and  as  long  as  the  county  depended 
upon  water  communication  were  the  leaders  in  its  business. 
Other  villages,  however,  which  acquired  railroad  facilities, 
have  passed  them. 

The  Holland  Settlement  was  commenced  by  Father 
Godhard  in  1848.  He  arrived  in  that  year  with  twelve 
families,  and  an  industrious  little  village  soon  extended 
over  into  what  is  now  the  town  of  Woodville,  Calumet 
County.  W.  Kempen  was  the  first  settler.  Elias  Beach 
arrived  during  the  first  year  and  opened  a  hotel  on  the 
military  road.  As  there  was  much  travel  over  that  thorough- 
fare, but  two  houses  between  Stockbridge  and  his  tavern, 
and  only  one  between  his  place  and  Wrightstown,  Brown 
County,  Mr.  Beach  was  well  patronized.  In  1S52-54  the 
Irish  commenced  to  arrive,  and  in  1855  the  Kersten  Broth- 
ers located  near  the  settlement.  When  the  Town  of  Wood- 
ville was  organized  in  1852,  George  M.  Beach  was  elected 
Chairman.  Among  others  who  greatly  aided  in  increasing 
the  prosperity  of  the  Holland  settlement  were  Nicholaus 
Frank  and  Louis  Mangold. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 
H.    HAIGHT,   general   store,    Brothertown.      Born 


Otsego 


Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  2.  1844.  He  came  to  this  town  with  his  parents  it» 
1855,  and  lived  on  a  farm.  When  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  en- 
listed  in  the  regular  army,  I5lh  Regiment,  2d  Battalion  ;  was  discharged 
on  account  of  disability.  Returning  home  in  1S63,  he  attended  school 
in  Sharon,  Canada  ;  returned  in  1S66.  In  1867  he  opened  a  store  here, 
but  went  out  of  business  in  1868.  He  again  entered  business  in  1869, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Haight  &  LaGrange.  They  carried  a  stock  of 
about  $3,coo,  and  did  a  business  of  $10,000  a  year.  He  married  in  1868^ 
and  has  two  children.  Mr.  Haight  was  elected  Town  Clerk,  and  held 
that  offrce  for  thirteen  years,  and  in  1877  was  elected  to  the  Legislature, 
and  has  the  posloffice  since  1881.  He  belongs  to  both  the  Masonic  and 
the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

A.  T.  Lagrange,  Haight  &  LaGrange,  general  store.  Brother- 
town.  Born  in  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1814.  He  had  a  ccmmon  school 
education,  and  was  reared  in  the  vicinity  of  Albany  ;  was  there  when  the 
first  locomotive  started.  He  is  of  French  desctnt.  He  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1856,  locating  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  in  Eden.  Becoming  ac- 
quainted in  1S68  with  his  present  partner,  ihey  went  into  partnership. 
In  1S36  he  married,  and  has  four  children. 

GEORGE  G.  PHILLIPS,  general  store.  Brclhertown.  Born  in 
Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  31,  1S24.  In  1S45  he  went  to  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  worked  in  the  clotl^  rooms  of  the  cotton  factories,  and 
returning  to  New  York,  he  married  in  1848,  Miss  Phcebe  Argell.  In 
l854hecame  to  Wisconsin,  andwent  to  farming  in  Cakmet  County.  He 
established  his  store  in  i£68,  as  Phillips  &  Sen.  He  has  also  a  cheese 
factory,  and  deals  in  grain  and  produce,  havirg  a  branch  store  in  Kau- 
kauna,  run  as  Wirlz,  Phillips  &  Co.  Mr.  Phillips  has  four  children. ard 
has  served  the  public  only  in  town  offices. 

MILTON  SPRAGUE,  blacksmith,  Brothertown.  Born  in  Brocme 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  22,  1821.  At  twelve  years  of  age  he  shipped  on  a  man- 
of-war,  and  for  sixteen  years  remained  in  the  U.  S.  service,  visiting  most 
of  the  ports  of  the  world.  When  he  left  the  service  he  was  a  captain  of 
forecastle.  In  1849  he  returned  to  Broome  County,  and  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Ellwood.and  in  1S57  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  in  Cal- 
umet County.  His  wife  died  in  1880,  and  two  of  his  sons.  He  has  fi\e 
childien  now  living — Milton,  Alec,  Kate,  Mary  and  Frank. 

MATHIAS  BROWN,  hotel  and  saloon,  St.  John.  Born  in  Prus- 
sia, Germany,  in  1831,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  lf48.  He  at  or  ce 
came  west,  and  stopped  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  where  he  farmed  till 
1871,  when  he  came  to  St.  John,  and  built  his  hotel.  He  was  appointed 
Postmaster  in  1S72,  which  office  he  row  holds.  In  1858  he  married  Miss 
Stine.  She  died,  leaving  a  family  of  eight  children.  He  married  again,  a 
Mrs.  Becker,  and  they  have  two  children.  They  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church. 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA   COUNTY. 


CH  I  PPEWA    CO  U  NTY 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

Geographically  the  county  is  in  latitude  45  to  46, 
and  from  Town  20  to  40  inclusive,  and  Range  1  east  to 
1.0  west,  giving  78  miles  extension  north  and  south  and 
60  east  and  west.  It  has  an  area  of  1,412,471  acres, 
and  only  125,000  under  cultivation.  The  State  owns 
30,000  acres  of  school  lands,  which  are  in  the  market 
at  $1.25  per  acre.  The  railroad  companies,  through 
the  various  land  grants  own  150,000,  which  the}-  hold 
-at  from  fS  to  $5  per  acre  or  more.  The  timber  lands 
amount  to  1,000,000  acres,  including  hard  woods.  Ciiip- 
pewa  Falls  is  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  countj^ 
which  is  bisected  by  the  river  from  northeast  to  south- 
west, and  has  a  dozen  or  more  branches  of  more  or 
less  importance  on  either  side  ;  on  the  east  there  is 
Paint,  Yellow,  Fisher,  Swift,  Flambeau,  Thorn  and 
Nail.  On  the  west  are  the  Duncan,  O'lSTeill,  Mud, 
Court  Oreilles,  West  Fork  and  Little  Chief. 

Twenty-five  miles  north  of  the  city  is  a  group  of 
numerous  lakes,  and  several  lakes  in  the  northwest 
•corner  of  the  county  quite  large  in  size,  and  still  others 
in  the  northeastern  part. 

No  very  extended  examination  of  the  formation  of 
the  county  has  ever  been  made.  What  an  exploration 
with  an  artesian  auger  would  develop  can  only  be  sur- 
mised by  the  imperfect  surface  indications.  In  general 
terms  then,  the  upper  part  of  the  county  is  underlaid 
with  the  granitic,  or  azoic  rocks,  covered  usually  with 
drift  from  the  Huronian  system.  In  the  southern  part 
the  soil  is  made  up  of  alluvium  with  the  disintegrated 
Potsdam  sand-stone  as  a  foundation. 

Hon.  Geo.  P.  Warren  has  in  his  yard  a  water-worn 
boulder,  eighteen  inches  or  more  in  diameter,  of  sand- 
stone, which  has  one  side  enameled,  half  an  inch  or  so 
in  thickness,  following  the  inequalities  of  the  surface. 
This  curious  rock,  which  is  clearly  a  sand-stone,  with 
part  of  its  substance  transformed  into  quartz,  seems  to 
strengthen  the  growing  theory  of  the  aqueous  rather 
than  the  igneous  origin  of  even  the  azoic  rocks.  No 
lime-stone  has  been  found  in  the  county  and  conse- 
quently the  water  is  soft. 

As  to  the  character  of  the  soil,  it  is  unquestionably 
rich  in  the  mineral  constituents  necessary  to  the  pro- 
duction of  good  crops,  but  it  requires  to  have  a  part  of 
its  production,  or  its  equivalent,  returned  to  its  bosom 
every  year.  The  amount  of  vegetable  mould  is  not  so 
abundant  that  one  can  go  on  cropping,  generation  after 
generation,  without  exhausting  its  fertility. 

Mr.  Allen  has  a  garden  which  he  has  treated  gener- 
ously for  many  years,  and  the  luxuriance  with  which 
corn  and  other  crops  grow  there  is  really  surprising, 
considering  the  latitude.  There  is  considerable  hard 
wood  lumber,  which,  of  course,  while  the  more  easily 
cut  pine  remains,  will  be  comparativjly  neglected ; 
when,  however,  the  scarcity  of  pine  begins  to  be  felt, 
the  hard  woods  will  gradually  take  its  place. 


Chippewa  County  is  a  great  success  so  far  as 
lumber  is  concerned,  and  as  a  farming  country  well 
watered,  and  with  a  workable  soil  it  is  even  more  val- 
uable ;  but  when  we  come  to  mineral  productions,  no 
promises  can  be  made  in  that  direction.  What  may  lie 
buried  beneath  our  feet  time  only,  in  the  restless  hands 
of  energy  and  enterprise,  can  tell.  As  to  building 
material  it  is  inexhaustible.  When  the  billions  of  feet 
of  lumber  shall  have  been  appropriated  to  man's  use, 
the  clay  and  the  rocks  will  remain. 

As  to  the  practical  geology  of  the  county  it  need 
only  be  said,  that  whether  its  place  in  the  order  of 
creation  shall  be  found  nearer  the  igneous  period,  or 
the  post  pliocene,  it  is  a  goodly  land,  for  the  most 
part  a  virgin  soil  awaiting  the  coming  of  the  husband- 
man, and  with  the  ability  to  reward  him  for  all  his  toil. 

THE   CHIPPEWAS. 

The  Indians,  having  no  literature,  and  of  course  no 
written  history  of  their  own,  have  a  remembrance  of 
events  more  clear  and  distinct  than  those  who  depend 
upon  the  written  or  printed  page  for  their  preservation. 
And  any  one  who  has  never  given  the  subject  attention 
would  be  surprised  to  see  how  long  a  time  can  be  cov- 
ered by  tradition,  through  a  single  intervening  witness 
between  the  occurrence  and  the  one  relating  the  inci- 
dent. 

To  illustrate  this  point :  the  writer  has  seen  a  man 
who  lost  his  arm  at  the  storming  of  Quebec  in  1759 
and  heard  from  his  lips  the  story  of  that  conflict  in 
1839,  when  ten  years  of  age,  the  old  soldier  being  nine- 
ty-nine years  of  age;  and  should  the  boy  who  heard  the 
story  live  to  be  ninety  and  tell  it  to  another  of  ten,  he 
living  eighty  years  afterwards  and  repeating  the 
tale  from  one  who  got  it  from  the  man  participating  in 
the  event,  it  would  be  240  years  after  the  battle,  with 
a  single  intervening  witness. 

Now  the  Indians  have  a  language  quite  complete  in 
words  representing  natural  objects  and  describing 
events  and  names  of  places,  although  deficient  in  terms 
to  describe  mechanical  works,  arts  or  science,  or  any 
of  tiie  concomitants  of  civilization  ;  and  their  tradi- 
tions must  have  a  certain  amount  of  value  to  the  his- 
torian and  a  few  of  them  will  be  here  presented.  Tiie 
name  "  Odjibewa,"  which  the  English  tongue  has  trans- 
formed into  Chippewa,  signifies,  "  the  dwellers  in  a 
contracted  place,"  evidently  applied  to  these  people 
during  their  long  residence  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Super- 
ior, or  "  le  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie."  It  is  supposed  that 
this  tribe,  coming  from  the  northern  part  of  the  New 
England  States,  struck  the  Great  Lakes  on  the  north 
of  Lake  Ontario,  following  along  Lake  Erie,  without 
having  touched  Niagara  Falls,  as  they  make  no  mention 
of  that,  and  via  the  coast  of  Lake  St.  Claire  and  Lake 
Huron  to  Mackinaw,  or  Mee-she-mee-ke-nak,  the 
"  Great  Turtle,"  as  they  called  the  Island  of  Macki- 
naw.    The  Oh-dah-wa  [Ottawa]  branch  of  the  Odjib- 


1 90 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ewa  tiibe  tnolc  its  course  up  Lake  Michigan  [Me-slie- 
gane]  the  great  lodge  of  the  Great  Turtle  or  "  Mani- 
tou."  Tlie  main  body  of  the  Odjibewas  must  have 
lingered  a  long  time  around  tlie  shores  of  Georgian 
Bay  and  Lake  Huron,  until  finally  reaching  the  Sault 
Ste.  Marie,  iiaving  been  in  a  moie  or  less  constant  state 
of  warfare  on  the  journey,  which  must  have  been  much 
slower  than  the  children  of  Israel.  The  scene  of  their 
principal  traditions  is  about  this  place  and  up  to  the 
head  of  Lake  Superior,  having  gradually  moved  along 
the  south  shore,  making  frequent  excursions  down  the 
Sauteur  or  Chippewa  River.  Another  branch,  the 
"  Bois  Forts,"  of  the  Algonquins,  as  they  were  called  by 
the  English,  whose  native  name  was  Sah-guan-da-ga- 
win-ena,  or  "men  living  in  thick  undergrowth  of  tim- 
ber," proceeded  on  the  north  of  Lake  Superior.  Their 
bands  iiad  few  warlike  experiences  compared  to  those 
south  of  the  lake,  who  encountered  the  Mis-qua-kee, 
or  Sacs,  and  the  Oda-gah-mee,  or  Foxes,  and  gradually 
crowded  their  way,  fiually  reaching  the  Apostle  Isl- 
ands. On  one  of  them,  Madiline,  they  located,  not 
daring  to  locate  on  the  main  land  for  fear  of  the  Daco- 
tas  or  Sioux.  These  people  were  at  that  time  in  what 
might  be  called  a  flourishing  condition.  It  was  many 
generations  ago.  From  the  colony  at  Madeline  Island, 
bands  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Brule  River, 
thence  down  the  St.  Croix,  and  finally  establishing 
themselves  at  various  points,  reached  Sandy  Lake, 
Leech  Lake,  and  other  places  on  the  upper  Mississippi. 
Their  finally  overcoming  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  was  evi- 
dently owing  to  their  superior  weapons,  for,  in  addition 
to  some  guns  in  the  later  period,  their  arrows  and 
spears  were  iron  or  steel  pointed.  The  reasons  for  be- 
lieving this  general  account  of  the  voluntar}'  or  forced 
migration  of  this  powerful  tribe  from  the  Atlantic 
coast,  are  that,  among  other  things,  many  names  of 
New  England  landmarks  are  found  in  the  Chippewa 
language,  and  indeed  tlie  language  itself  is  the  Algon- 
quin, with  such  contractions  and  modifications  as  time 
and  changed  surroundings  and  circumstances  would 
create. 

There  is  an  Indian  reservation,  called  the  Courte 
de  Oreilles,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county. 
The  following  is  an  enumeration  of  various  bands  of 
Indians:  Red  Cliffs,  726;  Bad  River,  7-34;  Lac 
Courte  de  Oreilles,  1,709;  Lac  De  Flambeau.  Gtiti  ; 
Fond  du  Lac,  404;  Grand  Portage,  267  ;  Boise  Forte, 
769.     Total,  4,630. 

Tliat  our  readers  may  see  a  specimen  of  the  Chip- 
pewa tongue,  the  opening  sentences  from  the  record  of 
a  talk  held  some  years  after  the  treaty  alluded  to,  will 
be  here  presented : 

"  Eji  gikendaug  isa  aw  Anichinabe  iw  o  wawiu 
damagowinan  megwa  bisan  namao  abipan  anodj  ejiwin- 
8od  Anicliinabe. 

"  Ningodingdach  madwe  gigido  aw  Ningitchi  mich- 
omisinon  madwe  sagaswead  dach  iniw  Onidjanissan 
imidi  'Gibi  Saging.'  Prairie  du  Ciiien." 

Translation. — "This  statement  made  by  the  Indians, 
according  to  the  best  of  their  knowledge,  in  regard  to 
the  promises  made  to  them  while  living  in  peace  among 
themselves. 

"  At  a  certain  time   there  came  to  us  the  word  of 


our  Great  Father,  calling  us  to  a  council  to  be  lield  at 
Prairie  du  Chien." 

The  Indian  name  for  their  own  race  is  Ani-chi-na- 
be,  and  the  name  of  the  tribe  is  Od-jib-wa,  which  the 
English  or  French,  or  both,  transformed  into  Chippewa. 
The  original  word  certainly  should  not  be  lost.  The 
accent  is  on  the  second  syllable — Od-yiJ-wa. 

By  an  act  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  approved 
February  3,  184n,  Crawford  County  was  divided.  Tlie 
part  set  off  took  the  name  of  Chippewa  County.  It 
embraced  all  of  that  district  of  country  lying  west  of 
Portage  County,  as  enlarged  by  the  act  of  February 
18,  1841 ;  all  east  of  St.  Croix  County,  as  prescribed 
by  the  Legislature  of  1840;  and  all  north  of  a  line 
commencing  at  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  River  on  the 
Mississippi ;  "  thence  up  the  main  branch  of  Buffalo 
to  its  source,  thence  along  the  dividing  ridge  between 
the  waters  of  the  Chippewa  and  Black  rivei's,  until  it 
reaches  the  head  waters  of  Black  River,  thence  in 
a  direct  line  due  east  to  the  boundar}'  line  of  Portage 
County,"  which  line  was  made  the  northern  boundary 
of  Crawford  and  the  southern  boundary  of  Chippewa. 
The  county  was  organized  from  and  after  the  first  gen- 
eral election,  which  occurred  on  the  fourth  Monday  of 
September,  1845.  At  this  election,  the  peojile  were 
required  to  select  the  various  county  officers,  and  also 
commissioners  to  locate  the  county  seat ;  the  seat  of 
government  being  fixed  temporarily  at  the  mouth  of 
tiie  Menomonie  (Red  Cedar)  River,  at  or  near  the  res- 
idence of  Mr.  Lamb.  The  county  was  attached  to 
Crawford  for  judicial  purposes.  By  an  act  approved 
March  29,  18.53,  the  county  of  Chippewa  was  organ- 
ized for  judicial  and  county  purposes,  from  and  after 
November,  1853,  at  which  time  there  was  but  one  town 
in  the  county.  By  this  act  tlie  voters  were  required 
to  elect  three  Supervisors  and  all  the  town  officers  at 
the  election  in  November,  and  also  such  county  oflScers 
as  they  were  entitled  to  by  their  organization  ;  the  lat- 
ter were  required  to  hold  two  years,  or  until  their  suc- 
cessors were  chosen.  The  county  seat  was,  by  the 
same  act,  located  at  Chippewa  Falls,  and  the  Super- 
visors were  required  to  select  the  site  for  the  buildings 
in  such  a  part  of  the  village  as  they  should  deem  most; 
conducive  to  the  interests  of  the  county,  and  should 
also  take  immediate  steps  to  secure  their  erection.  The 
first  Circuit  Judge  was  N.  S.  Fuller  ;  first  Treasurer, 
H.  S.  Allen  ;  first  District  Attorney,  H.  S.  Humphrey; 
first  Sheriff,  Blois  Hurd.  Since  the  formation  of  the 
county,  it  has  greatly  decreased  in  size,  having  given 
territory  to  the  counties  of  Buffalo,  Pepin,  Dunn,  Clark, 
Eau  Claire, Barion  and  Burnett,  but  still  embraces  a  tract 
of  country  seventy-eight  miles  long  and  sixty  miles 
wide — 3,744  square  miles,  or  about  2,396.160  acres — 
which  is  divided  into  104  townships.  Of  this  area, 
four  townships  belong  to  the  Chippewa  Indians,  in  a 
reservation  around  Lac  Courte  Oreille  in  the  northwest; 
corner.  About  two-thirds  of  the  entire  county  is 
owned  by  private  individuals;  one-fiflh  b}'  tlie 
United  States  ;  about  50,000  acres  by  the  State  of  Wis- 
consin, and  the  balance  by  the  West  Wisconsin,  the 
Wisconsin  Central  and  the  North  Wisconsin  railroads. 
There  are,  by  estimate,  over  1,500.000  acres  of  pine 
lauds  in  the  county,  which  at   the  present  rate  of  con- 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


191 


sumption  will  last  for  fifty  years.  Large  portions  of 
these  pine  lands  are  interspersed  with  groves  of  oak, 
maple,  ash  and  other  hard-wood  varieties. 

ORGANIZATION   OP   THE   COUNTY. 

The  county  was  organized  December  29,  1854. 
George  P.  Warren  was  Ciiairman  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  ;  Stephen  S.  McCann  was  the  otiier  Super- 
visor; Samuel  H.  Allison,  Clei-k.  The  first  business 
transacted  was  the  appointment  of  E.  A.  Galloway,  J. 
M.  Baxter  and  Joiin  C.  Flannegan  to  locate  a  road  to 
the  capital  of  Dunn  County.  Th.  E  Randall  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  its  construction. 

It  was  voted  to  lay  out  a  road  to  the  moutli  of  Clear 
Water  River.  William  Wiley,  Piere  Riess  and  Jesse 
S.  Gage  were  chosen  as  Commissioners,  and  J.  E.  Ran- 
dall, Superintendent.  A  petition  for  a  road  via  Dun- 
can's Mill  to  Bloomer  was  deemed  improper,  and  re- 
jected. Tlie  road  authorized  to  Eau  Claire  (Clear 
Water)  via  Frenchtown  and  the  Blue  Mill  was,  after 
mature  deliberation,  declared  "  highly  injudicious  and 
unnecessary." 

James  Ermatinger,  Henry  O'Neil  and  Daniel  Mc- 
Cann were  appointed  to  lay  out  a  road  to  Vermillion 
Falls.  Ermatinger  was  made  su[)erintendent.  The 
next  meeting  was  February  1,  1855.  James  Reed, 
who  had  been  elected  Supervisor,  having  refused  to 
serve,  Elias  W.  Galloway  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
place.  Moses  Reevis,  who,  it  seems,  had  been  elected 
Constable,  declined  the  honor,  as  also  did  William 
Riley,  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  William  J.  Young 
was  authorized  to  pi'ocure  copies  of  the  United  States 
Survey  field  notes  in  relation  to  the  county.  The 
resolve  in  relation  to  the  Duncan's  Creek  road  was 
subsequently  reconsidered.  At  a  meeting  on  February 
IG,  the  Board  provided  a  court-room  in  the  second 
story  of  H.  S.  Allen's  carpenter  shop.  On  motion  of 
S.  S.  McCann,  James  Reed  was  fined  $10  for  refusing 
to  act  as  Supervisor. 

The  outline  of  every  town  is  irregular,  and  some  of 
them  fifty  miles  in  the  longest  extent.  They  contain 
much  more  territory  than  in  a  township  of  Govern- 
ment survey. 

The  names  of  the  several  towns  are :  Anson,  Au- 
burn, Bloomer,  Big  Bend,  Flambeau,  Eagle  Point,  Ed- 
son,  Lafayette,  Sigel  and  Wheaton.  The  county  has 
for  neighbors — on  the  north,  Ashland  ;  on  the  east. 
Price,  Taylor  and  Clark;  on  the  south,  Eau  Claire ; 
on  the  west,  Dunn,  Barron  and  Burnett. 

The  growth  of  the  county  has  been  as  follows : 
1850,  population  615;  1855,838;  1860,1,895;  1865, 
8,278;  1870,  8,311  ;  1875,  13,997. 

The  census  of  the  county,  as  recorded  in  1880,  is  as 
follows  :  Chippewa  Falls,  4,003  ;  Auburn,  1,230  ;  An- 
son, 730  ;  Bloomer,  1,886 ;  Big  Bend  and  Flambeau, 
689 ;  Eagle  Point,  2,626  ;  Edson,  884  ;  La  Fayette, 
1,90S  ;  Sigel,  849  ;    Wheaton,  1,287.     Total,  15,987. 

There  are  1,794  more  males  tlian  females  in  the 
«ounty.  Of  the  whole  number,  10,048  are  natives, 
*nd  196  are  colored. 

Present  county  officers:  Sheriff,  Frank  Colburn  ; 
Under  Sheriff,  John  O.  Putnam ;  Treasurer,  E.  P. 
Hastings;  Deputy,  Angus  McDonnell;  County  Clerk, 
James   Comerford  ;    Deputy,  W.  W.  Craudall ;    Regis- 


ter of  Deeds,  Edward  Emerson;  Deputy,  U.Domi- 
nique; Clerk  of  Court,  John  Weinberger;  Deputy,  J. 
V.  Weinberger;  District  Attorney,  William  R.  Hoyt; 
School  Superintendent,  C.  D.  Tillinghast ;  County 
Judge,  R.  D.  Marshall;  Municipal  Judge,  Henry  Cole- 
man ;  Surveyor,  S.  A.  Carpenter;  Coroner,  A.  E. 
Bentley;  County  Board:  city— First  Ward,  G.  D. 
Vollaincourt ;  Second  Ward,  L.  F.  Martin;  Third 
Ward,  W.L.Pierce;  Fourth  Ward,  E.H.Everett; 
Anson,  D.  G.  McKay ;  Auburn,  Charles  Spencer ; 
Bloomer,  Henry  Lebeis  ;  Big  Bend,  E.M.  Miles;  Eagle 
Point,  Ludwig  Meyer  ;  Edson,  N.  Leith  ;  Flambeau, 
Gilbert  Swenson  ;  Lafayette,  W.  R.  Melville  ;  Sigel, 
Alexander  Sherman  ;  Wheaton,  Southmaid.  County 
Lumber  Inspector,  Duncan  L.  McKay. 

The  following  have  served  as  members  of  the  As- 
sembly from  Chippewa  Falls: 

1861,  Rodman  Palmer  ;  1864,  Thad,  C.  Pound  ;  1866, 
1867  and  1869,  Thad.  C.  Pound  ;  1871,  James  A.  Bate  ; 
1872,  John  J.  Jenkins;  1873,  Albert  E.  Pound;  1874, 
James  A.  Bingham  ;  1875,  Th.  L.  Halbert ;  187G,  C. 
J.  Wilse;  1877,  Louis  Vincent;  1878,  A.  R.  Barrows; 
1879  and  1880,  Hector  McRae ;  1881,  J.  A.  Taylor. 

Thad.  C.  Pound  was  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1870 
and  1871.  J.  M.  Bingham  was  Lieutenant  Governor 
1878  to  1881,  two  terms. 

The  Court  House  is  a  substantial  structure  of  brick 
and  was  built  in  1872,  at  a  contract  price  of  $37,500. 
It  is  situated  on  Bridge  street  in  the  center  of  a  park 
embracing  a  whole  block.  The  style  may  be  termed 
composite  ;  it  is  of  brick  60x80  feet.  The  basement 
can  be  used  in  part  as  a  jail ;  is  eight  feet  in  the  clear. 
The  first  story  fifteen  feet,  the  court  room  twenty-four 
feet.  The  hall  is  fourteen  feet  wide  below,  and  fifteen 
above.  The  offices  are  large  and  convenient.  J.  A. 
Bates  was  the  engineer. 

Big  Bend. —  The  town  of  Big  Bend  occupies  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  county,  it  consists  of  at  least 
twenty-nine  townships.  It  has  six  school  houses  be- 
sides one  on  the  reservation.  The  schools  are  taught 
by  women,  who  receive  $40  per  month.  On  the  chain 
of  lakes  near  the  big  bend  in  the  river,  is  a  steamboat 
put  there  by  Elisha  Swift  in  1880.  Mr.  Swift  also 
owns  a  shingle  mill  there.  One  of  the  old  settlers  in 
that  region  is  Joseph  Uellsile  who,  by  three  aboriginal 
wives,  has  twenty-one  children,  and  the  number  of  his 
wives'  relation  he  has  to  support  is  fabulous. 

Among  the  characters  in  that  neighborhood  is  an 
old  Indian  who  was  four  years  old  at  the  time  of  the 
storming  of  Quebec  during  the  old  French  war ;  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age  when  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  signed,  and  is  now  126.  His  hair  is  sil- 
ver white,  and  he  is  so  doubled  up  that  he  has  little 
trouble  to  make  both  ends  meet.  He  is  still  able  to 
dispose  of  a  full  ration. 

The  State  valuation  of  the  county  in  1880,  waa 
$5,514,248;  State  tax,  $9,512,163;  bonded  debt  for 
roads  and  bridges,  $50,000 ;  all  other  indebtedness 
$105,663.98.— Total  $155,663.98. 

This  county  is  in  the  Eleventii  Judicial  District. 
Henry  D.  Barron  is  the  present  Judge.  The  court  is 
held  on  the  first  Monday  in  June  and  the  fourth  Mon- 
day in  December,  at  the  Falls. 

At  the   treaty   with  the  Chippewas  in   1854,  thej 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


took  tliree  townsliips  near  Lac  Couite  de  Oreilles  as  a 
reservation,  and  they  were  to  receive  a  yearly  stipend 
for  a  term  of  3-ears. 

Water-Poiver. — The  amount  of  water-power  on  the 
Chippewa  and  its  tributaries  can  hardly  be  computed. 
At  Eau  Claire  is  the  first  fall,  then  at  Chippewa  Flails, 
at  Paint  Creek,  Eagle  Rapids,  Jims  Falls,  Cotton  Rap- 
ids, Little  Falls,  and  at  many  other  points.  These  falls 
vary  from  ten  feet  to  twenty-four,  and  must  be  utilized 
in  manufacturing  hard  wood  very  extensively  at  no 
distant  da3^ 

WAR   RECORD. 

The  voting  of  themselves  out  of  the  Union  by  the 
Southern  States,  the  firing  upon  our  flag  while  pioudly 
floating  over  Fort  Sumter,  so  promptly  followed  by  a 
call  from  Washington  for  troops,  was  supplemented 
here  by  the  usual  scenes  enacted  all  over  the  State  and 
in  every  Northern  State. 

To  put  down  the  rebellion,  Chippewa  furnished  its 
full  quota,  and  most  of  them  went  before  bounties  were 
offered,  and  they  went  to  recruit  the  army,  and  not  to  fill 
the  quota.  As  an  illustrious  example,  the  little  town  of 
Lafayette,  which  had  never  been  able  to  muster  more 
than  seventy-one  voters,  actually  sent  sixty-five  men  to 
the  front.  Large  numbers  went  and  enlisted  in  distant 
cities,  which  often  received  the  credit. 

Li  the  very  complete  work  of  Rev.  M.  Love,  on  the 
"  History  of  Wisconsin  in  the  Rebellion,"  and  other 
works,  the  valorous  deeds  of  regiments,  companies  and 
individuals  are  recorded,  and  men  from  this  county 
hold  a  conspicuous  jjlace  on  its  pages ;  and  it  is  a 
matter  of  regret  that  they  can  not  all  be  mentioned 
here. 

HISTORY   OP   THE   SETTLEMENT. 

This  busy  and  thriving  city  is  located  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river  and  falls  which  furnish  its  name. 
The  business  part  of  the  town  is  situated  in  the  valley 
of  Duncan's  Creek,  a  stream  which  supplies  valuable 
water-power  and  enters  the  Chippewa  below  the  falls, 
at  nearly  right  angles,  coming  from  a  northerly  direc- 
tion. On  either  side  of  this  stream,  there  are  blufi"s 
rising  to  table-lands,  upon  which  residences  are  found, 
and  which  must  become  more  and  more  fashionable  as 
the  city  fills  with  business  and  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. 

The  soil  is  sandy,  and  facilities  for  draining  could  not 
be  better.  As  there  is  none  of  the  magnesian  limestone 
so  abundant  in  some  other  parts  of  the  State,  the  water  is 
soft. 

There  are  many  substantial  buildings  of  brick  and 
stone  in  the  city,  but  on  account  of  the  cheapness  of 
lumber,  most  of  them  are  of  wood.  The  city  is  most 
admirably  laid  out  diagonally  with  the  four  cardinal 
points  of  the  compass.  There  is  no  north  side  to  the 
buildings.  The  sun  shines  on  two  sides  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  the  other  two  in  the  afternoon. 

When  we  remember  that  less  than  thirty  years  ago 
the  blood-curdling  war-whoop  of  the  terrible  Sioux  and 
the  sagacious  "Odjibwa"  was  heard  at  this  place 
when  these  ever-hostile  tribes  were  engaged  on  the 
banks  of  this  turbulent  river,  in  mortarcombat,  and 
remembering,  also,  the  trials,  troubles  and  tribulations, 
the  discouragements,  disasters  and  devastating  destruc- 


tion that  by  fire  and  flood  so  often  assailed  the  heroic 
pioneers,  we  are  indeed  struck  with  astonishment  at  the 
results  of  the  pluck,  perseverance  and  power  with 
which  the  obstacles  have  been  overcome,  and  a 
city  planted  where  the  restless  river  had  been  rolling 
for  ages  and  ages,  and  the  trees  growing  for  a  thousand 
years,  awaiting  the  westward  march  of  the  Caucasian 
star  of  empire. 

The  broad  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indian  have  been 
narrowed  into  constricted  reservations,  but  supple- 
mented by  the  ration  of  food  and  the  stipend  of  cloth- 
ing, his  wants  are  more  fully  met  than  when  roaming 
to  find  his  own  subsistence. 

The  city  has  an  extensive  trade  with  the  neighbor- 
ing country,  and  is  the  base  for  supplies  for  the  numer- 
ous logging  camps  sent  into  the  woods  every  Fall,  to 
remain  until  Spring.  It  is  the  headquarters  for  rafts- 
men, also  a  sturdy  class  of  men  who  take  the  lumber 
rafts  down  the  river,  returning  to  Eau  Claire  by 
steamer,  and  thence  by  rail  to  the  Falls.  The  pros- 
perity of  the  city  depends  largely  upon  the  "big  mill," 
which  certainly  merits  its  cognomen.  The  size  of  the 
mill  is  180x200  feet.  On  the  first  floor  are  the  water- 
wheels  and  propelling  works  ;  on  the  second,  the  shaft- 
ing, machinery  and  rafting  sheds ;  on  the  third,  the 
active  work  is  done.  Here  you  find  the  difi^erent  kinds 
of  saws  in  full  operation,  including  two  "line  gangs," 
one  "  flat  gang ''  and  one  "  Yankee  gang  ; "'  one  "  muly," 
three  rotaries,  six  edgers,  twelve  butters,  three  lath 
saws,  one  picket  saw  and  one  shingle  mill.  In  the 
difl'erent  gangs,  there  are  ninety  saws  in  constant 
motion.     A  visit  to  this  mill  is  worth  a  long  journey. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  city,  as  deter- 
mined b}^  the  United  States  enumeration,  was  as  fol- 
lows :  First  Ward,  1,209;  second,  1,255  ;  third,  784  ; 
fourth,  755  ;  total,  4,003.  Of  these,  1,150  were  French, 
1,061  Irish,  821  Germans,  and  the  rest  Aiuericans. 

Growth  of  the  county :  Population,  1850,  615 ; 
1855,  838;  1860,  1,895;  1865,  3,278;  1870,  8,311; 
1875,  13,995  ;  1880,  15,987. 

Settlement. — When  the  prairies  of  the  West  were 
being  settled,  and  the  cities  of  Burlington,  Davenport, 
Rock  Island  and  Galena  were  in  jjrocess  of  construc- 
tion, the  difficulties  of  procuring  lumber  were  very 
great.  Most  of  it  came  from  the  Alleghany  River  by 
raft  to  Ohio,  and  thence  by  steamboat  to  its  destina- 
tion, there  selling  for  from  $75  to  $100  a  thousand.  It 
even  paid  to  haul  lumber  from  the  Wabash  by  oxen 
over  the  untrodden  prairies,  to  supply  the  timberless 
Illinois  region. 

When  Fort  Crawford,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  required 
lumber,  Jeff.  Davis,  who  was  then  a  young  West  Point 
Lieutenant,  was  dispatched  up  the  Mississippi  and  Chip- 
pewa to  procure  it.  And  it  is  supposed  that  the  expe- 
dition was  accompanied  by  Jean  Brunet,  a  native  of 
France,  who  emigrated  to  St.  Louis  in  1818,  where  he 
was  employed  by  the  Chouteau  Brothers,  by  whom  he 
was  sent  to  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1820,  which  had  just 
been  fixed  upon  as  the  headquarters  of  the  American 
Fur  Company,  and  also  selected  as  a  military  post  by 
the  Government,  occupying  the  fort  used  by  the  British 
troops  in  1813,  '14  and  '15. 

The  English  troops  then  in  possession  of  Green 
Bay,  desired  to  occupy  a  station  on  the  Mississippi^ 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


t93 


It  was  said,  and  most  generally  believed  at  the  time, 
that  a  French  voyageur,  named  Rolette,  served  them  as 
a  pilot  in  conducting  the  expedition  up  the  Fox  and 
down  the  Wisconsin  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  receiving 
therefor  f  20,000  in  gold !  Jean  Brunet  subsequently 
married  this  man's  sister. 

The  Territory  of  Wisconsin  had  tliree  counties  in 
1836,  Brown,  Crawford  and  Milwaukee.  The  next 
year,  1837,  Jean  Brunet  was  one  of  the  Members  from 
Crawford  County,  serving  in  place  of  J.  H.  Lockwood 
during  session  of  1M37-38,  and  extra  session  of  1838. 

In  a  treaty  with  the  Indians,  held  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  in  1825,  it  was  stipulated  among  other  things 
that  a  farm  and  blacksmith  shop,  with  a  competent 
workman,  should  be  stationed  on  tlie  Cliippewa,  near 
the  falls. 

Lyman  Warren,  formerly  from  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  was 
appointed  farmer,  blacksmith  and  sub-agent,  and  he 
was  afterwards,  by  Gov.  Dodge,  commissioned  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace.  His  establishment  was  fitted  out 
and  embarked  on  a  keel  boat  to  its  destination,  which 
was  at  Chippewa  City,  five  miles  above  the  falls,  and 
was  the  first  permanent  settlement  in  the  county. 

The  Gotha  family  and  several  other  half-breeds  lo- 
cated there,  and  it  became  at  once  a  central  point  for 
an  extensive  trade  in  furs  and  goods  in  demand  at  that 
time  ;  the  business  being  under  the  management  of  the 
American  Fur  Company  through  its  agents. 

A  treaty  was  held  with  the  Indians  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing  on  the  29th  of  July,  1837.  Gov.  Dodge  repre- 
sented the  United  States,  wiiile  Hole-in-the-Day  with 
fortj'-seven  others,  represented  the  Chippewas.  A 
large  tract  of  territory  was  then  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  which  included  a  part  of  the  Chippewa  valle3% 
and  extended  a  half  day's  march  below  the  falls. 

Immediately  after  these  lands  had  thus  come  in  pos- 
session of  the  United  States,  a  number  of  the  Fur  Com- 
pany's agents,  including  H.  L.  Dousman,  Gen.  H.  A. 
Sibley,  Col.  Aiken  and  Lyman  Warren,  fitted  out  an 
expedition  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  erect  a  saw-mill  at 
the  Falls  of  the  Chippewa.  This  enterprise  was  placed 
in  charge  of  Jean  Brunet,  who  engaged  as  operatives, 
boatmen,  axmen,  loggers,  and  mechanics,  for  the  most 
part,  tlie  French  Canadian  voyageura  and  otliers,  for- 
merly in  the  employ  of  the  Fur  Companies,  together 
witii  a  number  of  half-breeds  who  had  of  course  been 
reared  on  tlie  frontier.  Among  the  number  whose 
names  are  preserved  as  the  first  settlers,  was  Louis  De 
Marie,  a  Canadian  of  Fi-ench  extraction,  with  some  In- 
dian blood,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  Deti-oit  of  a 
French  father  and  Chippewa  mother,  and  who,  with  a 
number  of  other  families,  came  from  the  Red  River 
of  the  North,  where  they  had  settled,  to  Prairie  du 
Chien. 

They  had  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  the  elder 
of  whom  were  blooming  into  maidenly  womanhood  be- 
fore leaving  Prairie  du  Ciiien  and  were  regarded  with 
great  interest  by  all  who  then  lived  in  that  outlying 
suburb  of  civilization.  It  is  well  authenticated  that 
Louis  De  Marie,  with  his  famii}',  came  up  tiie  Chippewa 
River  in  1832  and  remained  through  the  Winter  at 
what  is  now  West  Eau  Claire,  as  an  Indian  trader. 
Near  the  mouth  of  the  river  he  was  stopped  by  tiie  ter- 
rible Sioux,  who  exacted  f  300  worth  of  goods  to  allow 
13 


him  to  pass  and  refrain  from  molesting  him  after  he 
was  stationed.  He  built  a  log  house  there,  and  left  it 
in  the  Spring,  returning  to  Prairie  du  Cliien.  The 
next  two  Winters  he  spent  liigher  up  the  river  at  the 
Blue  Mills,  returning  loaded  with  furs  each  season. 
The  Winter  of  183t5-7  found  his  trading-post  at  the 
Falls. 

Angeline,  the  wife  of  Louis  De  Marie,  was  a  very 
capable  Vvoman,  and  seemed  to  be  an  almost  intuitive 
doctor,  and  her  skill  was  often  called  into  requisition 
in  those  rude  times,  and  her  remedies,  though  simple, 
were  remarkably  efficacious.  Her  work  in  this  direc- 
tion was  always  gratuitous,  and  she  is  entitled  to  great 
credit  for  bringing  up  iier  family  in  habits  of  industry, 
and  for  doing  what  she  could  in  the  interest  of  the 
community.  She  still  lives  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty- 
five,  about  two  miles  from  town,  with  her  daughter 
Rosalie, — Mrs.  George  P.  Warren.  She  speaks  French 
and  "  Odjibwa,"  as  she  calls  the  Chippewa,  and  is  an  in- 
teresting connecting  link  between  the  past  and  the 
present,  as  she  has  lived  while  civilization  was  march- 
ing from  Lake  Huron  to  the  Pacific. 

Tiie  daughters  of  De  Marie,  who  still  live,  are  pos- 
itive as  to  the  time  of  their  first  coming  up  the  river, 
as  being  early  in  August,  1832,  because  they  saw  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Axe,  tlie  bodies  of  the  Indians 
who  had  been  slain  in  that  last  battle  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  still  unburied. 

This  then  makes  De  Marie  the  first  white  man  with 
a  family  to  spend  a  season  in  Eau  Claire. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  state  that  Mary, 
who  afterwards  married  H.  S.  Allen,  was  a  daughter 
of  Mrs.  De  Marie  liya  former  husband,  an  Englishman, 
and  therefore  a  half-sister  to  the  other  children.  Their 
cabin  at  the  Falls  was  on  the  south  side   of  the  river. 

H.  S.  Allen,  who  came  to  Menomonee  in  1832,  vis- 
ited tlie  Falls  in  1834,  coming  up  with  others  in  a 
birch  canoe. 

The  building  of  the  mill  under  Brunet  proved  to 
be  a  more  tedious  process  than  was  supposed,  the  dif- 
ficulties of  handling  the  rock  to  be  excavated  had  been 
very  much  under-estimated,  its  hardness  exceeded  their 
expectations,  and  the  contractors  were  unable  to  com- 
plete the  race  for  the  original  stipulation. 

The  Spring  of  1838,  found  the  little  colony  short 
of  provisions,  and,  the  snow  having  disappeared,  sup- 
plies could  be  obtained  only  by  going  to  the  nearest 
store,  which  was  at  Menomonie,  about  tliirty  miles 
away,  and  bringing  a  limited  amount  on  horseback. 
On  this  errand  Mary  and  Rosalie  De  Marie  were  sent. 
H.  S.  Allen  kept  the  store,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  tliat  tills  enterprising  young  man  from  the  Green 
Mountains,  who  was  founding  one  city  in  the  then  far 
West,  and  who  was  about  to  be  the  practical  founder 
of  another,  should  have  been  deeply  impressed  b}-  the 
charming  Mary,  whose  coyness  and  maidenly  modesty 
was  such  a  contrast  witii  the  uncouth  roughness  so 
universal  in  that  logging  and  lumber  camp. 

Mr.  Allen,  as  a  specimen  of  a  man,  was  one  to  ex- 
cite i)ride  in  the  iieart  of  any  young  woman  in  whom 
he  might  manifest  an  unusual  interest,  and  that  his 
suit  sliould  have  been  successful,  was  to  be  expected 
from  the  very  nature  of  the  liuman  constitution. 

In  the  course  of  several  mouths  Lyman  Warren, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  only  available  Magistrate,  joined  them  together  in 
a  union  which,  after  a  lapse  of  forty-three  years,  has 
not  yet  been  broken. 

Among  tlie  employes  who  came  with  Brunet  none 
are  now  known  to  remain,  and  but  few  names  even  can 
be  rescued  from  impending  forgetfulness. 

Among  them  was  a  Mr.  Stacy,  Jim  Taylor  and 
Francis  Gonthier,  who  remained  in  Mr.  Brunet's  em- 
ploy for  forty-one  years,  or  until  the  latter's  death. 
Cadott,  who  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Warren,  and  who 
was  seven-eighths  Indian,  was  among  the  earliest  com- 
ers. John  Mede  was  another  mill  man.  Tliere  are 
perhaps  others,  but  as  they  have  not  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  settlement,  they 
are  disremembered.  A  brief  digression  will  now  be 
made  to  record  another  settlement  ante-dating  this  by 
some  years. 

The  very  first  settlement  in  the  county  was  not  on 
the  river  at  the  Falls  where  the  lodgment,  which  has 
been  so  successfully  extended,  was  subsequently  made. 

In  the  year  1802,  Alexis  Corbine,  a  French  Cath- 
olic and  an  educated  man,  settled  at  Lac  Courte  Oreil- 
les,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  He  married  a 
Chippewa  woman  and  they  had  a  large  family  of  sons 
and  daughters  who  spoke  Chippewa,  and  were  well 
educated  in  the  French  language. 

For  thirty  years  the  nearest  white  neighbors  were 
100  miles  away.  The  family  subsisted  mostly  on  fish, 
wild  rice  and  maple  sugar,  which  was  made  in  large 
quantities.  A  few  years  ago  the  old  man  was  still 
alive  and  in  the  possession  of  all  his  faculties. 

This  account  is  well  authenticated  and  makes  Mons. 
Corbine  among  the  earliest  settlers  on  Wisconsin  soil. 
The  alleged  reason  why  he  tlius  left  his  country  and 
excluded  himself  from  civilization  was  the  old  story  of 
disappointment  in  love. 

The  mill  at  the  Falls  was  not  in  operation  before 
the  Spring  of  18S9.  Meantime  the  settlers  had  erected 
comfortable  dwellings.  Mr.  Warren  had  a  house  of 
hewn  logs  two-stories  higli.  His  wife,  who  was  only 
one-eiglith  white,  was  an  excellent  cook  and  house- 
keeper ;  and,  moreover,  he  was  the  Chief  Magistrate 
of  the  place  and  sub-agent  or  '•  Father"  to  the  Chip- 
pewas.  Mr.  Warren  had  quite  a  library.  Expedi- 
tions were  sometimes  fitted  out  for  distant  points.  A 
journey  to  La  Pointe  took  ten  days,  and  was  accom- 
plished by  "  trains  "  as  tliey  were"called — a  sled  made 
from  hard  wood,  fifteen  inches  wide  and  ten  feet  long, 
turned  up  at  the  front  and  with  strips  on  the  outer 
edge,  with  holes  for  stakes  or  to  bind  on  the  load. 
These  were  drawn  by  dogs  or  a  single  horse. 

In  June,  1842,  the  exiled  people  at  the  Falls  were 
regaled  with  what  created  more  excitement  tlian  a 
circus.  It  was  nothing  less  than  an  overland  expedi- 
tion from  Prairie  du  Chien  to  the  newly  purchased 
copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  under  tlie  leadership  of 
Alfred  Brunson.  The  procession,  as  it  entered  town, 
consisted  of  three  wagons,  nine  yoke  of  oxen,  three 
horses  and  fourteen  men.  They  were  ferried  over  by 
lashing  keel  boats  together,  and  covering  them  with 
plank.  After  recuperating,  getting  a  new  guide  and  a 
few  additional  men,  tlie  expedition  moved  on,  arriving 
at  Lake  Che-tack  on  the  fourth  of  July,  where  an  ora- 
tion was  pronounced  by  the  Rev.  Doctor  in  charge. 


During  the  Winter  of  1833-4,  Mr,  Warren  died,  and 
as  five  years  had  passed  away  without  any  return  to 
Mr.  Dousman  and  others  at  Prairie  du  Chien  for  their 
investment,  the  necessity  for  a  change  in  the  manage- 
ment became  imperative.  Failing  to  secure  a  compe- 
tent person  to  take  charge,  the  whole  property,  includ- 
ing the  mill,  improvements,  teams,  tools,  boats  and 
fixtures,  was  sold  outright  to  Jacob  W.  Bass  and  Ben- 
jamin W.  Brunson,  one  the  son  and  the  other  the  son 
in-law  of  the  Lake  Superior  adventurer  just  mentioned. 
The  price  to  be  paid  was  $20,000,  in  annual  installments, 
with  interest. 

Mr.  Bass  and  his  wife  were  the  leading  spirits — a 
most  estimable  couple,  with  mutual  ambition  and  self- 
reliance  and  an  endowment  of  hope,  which  bridged 
over  many  an  unpromising  ravine  of  privation  and  toil 
and  continued  exile  which,  faith  in  the  future  could 
only  make  endurable.  Mr.  Bass  had  been  in  several 
kinds  of  business  already,  which  had  shown  his  capacity. 

By  untiring  exertion  the  new  management  had 
succeeded  in  placing  the  pi'operty,  which  had  been 
unprofitable  on  account  of  want  of  experience  by  the 
managers,  and  repeated  disasters ;  by  the  want  of 
proper  booms,  piers,  or  suitable  devices  to  secure  and 
hold  logs  for  a  season's  supply,  and  with  the  mill  and 
race  out  of  repair ;  in  an  improved  condition,  so  tliat  in 
1846,  when  H.  S.  Allen  bought  into  the  firm  and  added 
his  experience  and  capital,  the  tide  was  turned  into 
one  of  prosperity. 

Mr.  Allen  had  been  sevei'al  years  at  Menominee, 
having  bought  the  mills  of  Street  &  Lockwood  in  1835, 
which  had  been  erected  in  1828-9,  on  Wilson's  Greek. 
He  had  associated  with  him  G.  S.  Branham,  and  the 
firm  had  accumulated  considerable  capital,  and  began 
to  look  around  with  a  view  of  larger  undertakings. 

It  was  finally  decided  that  the  lower  dells  of  the 
Chippewa  was  the  proper  place  to  handle  logs  on  a 
large  scale.  A  new  firm  was  created.  Simon  and 
George  Randall  were  taken  in,  and  tlie  name  was  Allen, 
Branham  &  Randall.  It  is  most  remarkable  that  the 
plan,  although  much  beyond  the  financial  ability  of  the 
firm,  was  that  finally  carried  out  by  the  Dells  Improve- 
ment Company  more  than  thirty  years  afterwards. 
Contracts  for  lumber  were  made,  shanties  erected,  the 
work  actually  began,  and  considerable  sums  expended. 
Meantime  during  a  temporary  suspension  of  the  work, 
while  the  individual  members  of  the  firm  were  attend- 
ing to  personal  business,  Mr.  Allen  realizing  the  magni- 
tude of  the  undertaking,  and  fearing  that  the  firm  would 
be  swamped  before  its  completion  and  an  opportunity 
to  realize  on  the  investment ;  and  having  a  most  favor- 
able offer  from  Mr.  Dousman,  who  looked  with  suspicion 
upon  the  dells  improvement,  and  who  may  be  placed 
as  the  first  active  opponent  of  that  enterprise,  accepted 
the  offer,  and  a  dissoluticn  of  the  old  firm  was  the 
result,  the  Randalls  remaining  to  start  mills  on  the  Eau 
Claire,  wliile  the  strong  and  at  once  reputable  firm  of 
Allen  &  Bass  were  pitted  against  the  apparently  un- 
surmountable  natural  obstacles  at  the  Falls. 

The  water-power  at  the  Falls  is  almost  incalculable, 
there  being  a  total  fall  of  twenty-six  feet,  which 
originally  extended  over  a  distance  nearly  three-fourths 
of  a  mile.  The  difficulties,  however,  of  securing  and 
holding  logs  on  the  extensive  scale  demanded  by  the 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


'95 


present  proportions  of  the  supply,  in  a  stream  where 
rafting  logs,  as  on  less  turbulent  waters,  is  utterly 
impossible,  could  not  have  have  been  appreciated 
or  understood  by  lumberman  inexperienced  in  such 
unusual  conditions.  But  that  these  almost  insuperable 
obstacles  have  been  overcome  by  the  construction  of 
the  Paint  Creek  system  of  piers,  dams  and  booms, 
speaks  in  no  uncertain  way  of  the  indomitable  energy, 
perseverance,  abilitj'  and  confidence  of  the  men  to 
whom  civilization  itself  is  indebted  for  thus  harnessing 
the  wild  and  restless  torrent,  struggling  within  its 
rocky  confines,  and  not  infrequently  bursting  its 
barriers  and  carrying  devastation  and  death  in  its 
course,  and  making  its  power  available  in  contributing 
to  the  continual  and  ever-accumulating  wants  of  the 
great  human  family. 

When  the  new  firm  took  the  mill,  it  had  two  muley 
saws,  one  lath  and  one  shingle  mill,  the  capacity  being 
almost  16,000  feet  per  day. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1847,  the  decennial  flood  for 
which  the  valley  is  noted  came  upon  this  young  and 
struggling  firm.  The  usual  Spring  rise  in  the  river  did 
not  occur  that  year  and  the  supply  of  logs  which  had 
been  hauled  on  the  Yellow  River  were  hung  up  there. 
On  the  5th,  the  long-looked  for  rain  came,  and  in  such 
a  generous  and  copious  way  that  by  noon  the  next  da}' 
the  river  at  the  Falls  was  several  feet  higher  than  it  has 
ever  been  since,  even  in  the  memorable  freshet  of  1880 
which  carried  down  two  bridges  here.  All  the  season's 
supply  of  lumber  was  swept  away,  and  as  there  was  no 
boom  at  Beef  Slough,  with  its  capacious  maw  to  take 
it  in,  it  floated  on  and  on,  probably  most  of  it  passing 
through  the  delta  of  the  Mississippi,  to  be  borne  on  the 
bosom  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  until  finally,  water-logged, 
it  would  sink  off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  there  to 
be  covered  by  the  ever-depositing  sediment,  to  form 
coal  for  man's  use,  some  millions  of  years  from  now. 
This  thought  may  be  some  compensation  for  those  who 
witnessed  the  depressing  sight  of  seeing  their  hard 
earnings  carried  from  their  grasp  with  no  possible 
power  to  prevent  it. 

At  this  juncture  in  the  affairs  of  the  firm,  Mr.  Bass 
withdrew,  and  he  and  his  wife  went  to  St.  Paul,  an 
embryotic  city  at  that  time,  and  securing  land  on  tlie 
site  of  the  present  city,  the  legitimate  result  followed. 
He  became  one  of  tlie  heav}'  men  of  St.  Paul.  Mr. 
Allen  used  his  credit  to  rebuild  and  to  pay  for  gather- 
ing up  what  stray  logs  could  be  found  along  the  river 
bottom.  As  to  the  loss  at  the  Falls  it  is  sufficient  to 
say  that  all  the  expensive  structures  placed  in  the  river 
the  previous  season,  to  stop  and  hold  the  logs,  were 
washed  away.  Nothing  was  left  but  the  bare  mill;  its 
race  and  guard-locks  were  demolished  or  filled  with 
gravel.  Ten  thousand  logs  from  the  Yellowstone  went 
down  in  that  flood. 

In  1846  the  Sioux  came  up  on  invitation  of  the  Chip- 
pewas  and  held  a  council.  They  went  through  the 
ceremony  of  burying  the  hatchet  and  smoking  the 
pipe  of  peace.  A  dinner  was  served  the  next  day. 
Both  sides  protested  eternal  peace  and  friendship,  evi- 
dently with  mental  reservations.  Wahagha,  Big 
Thunder,  Red  Wing  and  others  were  there. 

Some  time  in  rhe  Summer  of  1848,  a  wealthy  gen- 
tleman by  the  name  of  Bloomer,  from  Galena,  which 


was  then  the  largest  city  on  the  Mississippi,  north  of 
St.  Louis,  sent  up  a  party  of  men  to  fix  a  site  for  a 
saw-mill  and  soon  came  on  himself  and  began  opera- 
tions at  the  lower  part  of  Eagle  Rapids.  He  soon 
sickened  of  the  undertaking  and  sold  out  to  Mr.  Allen 
at  the  Falls,  returning  to  Galena.  The  teams  and  sup- 
plies were  brought  to  the  Falls,  and  as  many  of  the  men 
as  chose  remained.  Among  these  men  were  the  two 
"  Tim's,"  Hurley  and  Inglar.  Hurley  was  married, 
and  he  built  a  liouse  and  a  saloon,  said  to  be  the  first 
in  the  whole  valley.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1849,  a  party 
from  the  saloon,  who  had  been  drinking  freely,  among 
them  Martial  Caznobia,  went  to  the  wigwam  of  an  In- 
dian, and  attempting  to  take  liberties  with  his  squaw, 
was  repelled  by  the  husband's  driving  a  knife  to  the 
hilt  into  his  body.  He  was  taken  to  the  Hurley  House 
and  was  supposed  to  be  dying.  As  it  was  on  Sunday 
morning,  a  large  crowd  congregated.     Some  one  yelled, 

"  Let  us  hang  the  d d  Indian."     A  rush  was  made 

for  his  place,  a  rope  was  brought,  he  was  taken  out 
and  hanged  to  the  limb  of  a  pine  tree.  Mr.  Allen  re- 
monstrated with  all  his  power  against  the  outrage,  well 
knowing  that  the  very  existence  of  the  settlement  was 
thus  placed  in  jeopardy.  The  news  spread  instantly, 
and  1,500  enraged  Indians  came  down  upon  the  place, 
resolved  to  burn  it,  unless  the  murderers  should  be 
turned  over  to  them.  The  exertions  of  George  P. 
Warren,  a  Chippewa  interpreter,  and  James  Erma- 
tinger,  and  their  confidence  in  and  respect  for  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Allen  alone  prevented  the  execution  of  the  threat, 
and  after  an  explanation  that  no  wrong  was  intended 
against  the  Chippewa  nation,  that  it  was  tlie  result  of 
fire-water,  the  chiefs  coijcluded  that  they  would  be 
satisfied  if  the  ringleaders  should  be  arrested  and  tried 
according  to  our  laws.  Tim  Inglar  and  two  others 
were  accordingly  placed  on  a  boat  to  be  sent  to  Prai- 
rie du  Chien  for  trial.  Eight  braves  volunteered  as  an 
escort.  On  reaching  the  vicinity  of  the  Sioux,  the  fear 
of  their  hereditar}'  enemies  seized  them,  notwithstand- 
ing their  late  treaty  of  peace,  and  they  returned.  The 
prisoners  kept  on  and  never  reported  in  person  again  on 
the  river.  Caznobia  recovered  and  made  no  unneces- 
sary delay  in  relieving  the  village  of  his  presence. 

Previous  to  1847,  not  a  man  came  except  in  the 
lumber  interest ;  but  that  year  a  sturdy  German — 
George  Meyer — seeing  the  cost  of  boating  up  flour  and 
feed  and  other  farm  products,  resolved  to  raise  them 
right  here.  Allen  and  Bass  assisted  him  to  get  up  his 
implements,  and  in  other  ways.  He  opened  a  farm 
with  piairie,  wood  and  water,  six  miles  northwest  from 
the  town,  and  demonstrated  tlie  value  of  the  land  for 
agricultural  purposes.  The  farm  was  afterwards  sold 
to  William  Henneman. 

Some  time  in  1848,  Capt.  Stover  Rives,  of  Maine, 
who  had  been  living  in  Janesville,  and  his  brother 
Moses,  bought  of  Mr.  Allen  an  interest  in  tlie  mill,  and 
came  on  with  his  family.  He  remained  two  years, 
when  Mr.  Allen  purchased  his  interest.  Moses  still 
remained.     The  firm  was  then  H.  S.  Allen  &  Co. 

During  this  period,  and,  indeed,  up  to  this  time  and 
years  afterwards,  Mr.  Allen  made  vigorous  efforts  to 
secure  some  means  of  transportation  up  the  river. 
Going  down  was  comparatively  easy,  but  returning  was 
a  serious  affair,  as  the  haggard  and  footsore   raftsmen, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


on  their  return  from  below,  plainly  testified.  And  up 
to  the  present  time  the  trouble  has  not  been  met  in  a 
satisfactory  way.  From  the  Mississippi  the  raftsmen 
come  up  to  Eau  Claire,  arriving  often  just  after  train 
time,  there  to  wait  for  the  cars.  The  promised  road, 
now  under  contract,  will  be  a  great  benefit  to  Chippe- 
wa Falls,  as  well  as  to  Eau  Claire. 

The  Blue  Mill,  now  operated  by  the  Badger  State 
Company,  located  down  the  river  about  six  miles,  was 
built  in  1843,  by  Arthur  McCann  and  J.  C.  Thomas, 
whose  names  appear  in  the  history  of  other  counties 
down  the  river.  The  three  brothers — Stephen,  Ar- 
thur and  Daniel  McCann — were  from  Marietta,  Ohio. 
Arthur  married  Rosalie  De  Marie. 

They  had  employed  a  man  by  the  name  of  Sawyer, 
and  one  evening  he  went  to  McCann's  house  to  settle. 
During  the  evening,  while  playing  cards  and  drinking 
freely,  they  got  into  a  scuffle.  Sawyer  went  out  into 
Philo  Stone's  cabin,  procured  his  rifle,  and  called  Mc- 
Cann to  the  door  and  shot  him  dead  on  the  spot. 
Sawyer  fled,  and  has  never  l)een  found. 

Thomas  E.  Randall  brought  his  family  to  the 
Blue  Mill  in  the  Summer  of  1846,  and,  having  been 
reared  a  Methodist,  as  was  also  his  wife,  he  made  ar- 
rangements to  preach  at  the  company's  boarding-liouse 
at  the  Falls  every  second  Sunday.  This  service  began 
in  September,  1846,  and  was  the  first  in  this  region. 

The  mill  on  Yellow  River,  erected  by  Col  ton  & 
Moser,  was  completed  in  1850,  and  not  long  after  this, 
Alexander  and  Henry  O'Neil  associated  with  Mr.  Lock- 
hart,  from  Prairie  du  Chien,  erected  the  mill  on  O'- 
Neil's  Creek,  afterwards  owned  by  Stanley  Brothers. 

Allen  &  Co.,  at  the  Falls,  had  been  constantly  en- 
larging the  mill  and  the  capacity,  in  the  Winter  or 
Spring  of  1855,  was  100,000  feet'a  day. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1855,  a  thunder  storm  could  be 
plainly  seen  up  the  river,  and  it  continued  with  great 
fury  for  thirty  hours.  Only  the  edge  of  the  storm 
reached  the  Falls.  A  little  hail  fell  here,  but  the 
storm  persistently  hung  over  the  valley  alone.  Its 
effects  were  soon  visible  in  an  awfully  destructive  rise 
in  the  river.  The  rush  of  logs  and  driftwood  was  ap- 
palling :  nothing  could  withstand  the  force  of  that 
loaded  current.  More  tlian  70,000  logs,  representing 
25,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  with  the  piers  and  booms, 
were  cleared  away  and  scattered  over  the  bottoms  and 
sloughs  of  tiie  lower  Chippewa.  The  mill-race  was 
badly  damaged.  No  more  lumber  was  cut  that  year, 
and  the  loss  can  be  imagined  when  it  is  remembered 
that  lumber  then  was  worth  -f  20  a  thousand. 

This  was  a  serious  blow,  from  which  H.  S.  Allen  & 
Co.  never  fully  recovered,  notwithstanding  the  her- 
culean efforts  that  were  made  to  recuperate  from  the 
shock. 

From  the  time  Mr.  Bass  removed,  in  1847,  until 
January,  1854,  there  had  been  no  legal  administration 
of  justice  in  the  whole  valley.  When  Jackson  County 
was  formed,  the  river  settlements  were  attached  to 
that  for  judicial  purposes.  The  expense  of  bringing 
offenders  to  justice  was  very  great,  and  the  delay  and 
uncertainty  very  annoying,  and  the  necessity  of  form- 
ing a  new  county  became  so  apparent  that,  in  1853,  the 
Legislature  created  a  new  county,  embracing  all  the 
settlements  in  the  valley  above  the  Red  Cedar.     The 


organization  was  effected  the  following  Spring,  and  a 
town  and.  county  board  organized. 

The  Eighth  Judicial  District  was  created  the  same 
year,  with  the  new  county  as  a  part  of  it. 

S.  N.  Fuller  was  elected  the  first  Judge,  and  the 
first  court  was  held  at  the  Falls,  in  January,  1854.  H. 
L.  Humphrey  was  County  Attorney. 

The  Judge  had  an  infirmity;  about  11  o'clock  each 
day,  he  would  begin  to  hitch  in  his  seat,  to  hack  and 
cough,  and  in  about  five  minutes  he  would  remark, 
"  Oh  !  hem  !  the  court  will  take  a  recess  of  five  min- 
utes." A  bee  line  would  be  taken  for  the  nearest  bar, 
and  the  lawyer  who  paid  for  the  drinks  considered  that 
his  case  was  safe  in  that  court. 

During  the  month  of  June,  1855,  several  heavy 
frosts  killed  the  grass  and  vegetation  all  through  the 
northern  part  of  the  State. 

A  large  amount  of  pine  land  was  put  in  the  market 
in  the  Fall  of  1855.  A  public  sale  took  place  in  Hud- 
son. H.  S.  Allen  &  Co.  took  pains  to  explore  the 
lands  and  select  such  as  the  company  desired.  Meas- 
ures were  taken  to  have  the  required  funds  on  hand;  a 
confidential  clerk,  a  Mr.  Murphy,  wlio  was  highly 
esteemed,  was  sent  down  the  river  to  collect  of  the 
debtors  of  the  company,  and  to  be  on  hand  at  Hud- 
son on  the  day  of  sale.  Other  bidders  allowed  Mr. 
Allen  to  select  what  he  wanted  at  tiie  minimum  price. 
Mr.  Allen  anxiously  watched  the  boats  coming  up  but 
no  Murphy  appeared  ;  he  had  collected  $6,000  and  ab- 
sconded, and  no  clue  to  him  has  ever  been  found.  This 
loss  in  addition  to  that  by  the  terrible  freshet  was  a 
serious  reverse. 

The  town  and  county  board  above  alluded  to,  were 
one  and  the  same. 

Tiie  first  officers  elected  were  E.  A.  Galloway, 
Chairman ;  William  Henneman  and  Henry  O'Neil, 
Supervisors.  H.  S.  Allen  was  Treasurer  and  B.  F. 
Manahan,  Clerk.  The  other  officers  were  appointed 
by  the  board.     Moses  Ryan  was  Sheriff. 

Tiie  white  and  unmarried  ladies  here  were  three  fine 
specimens  of  womanly  grace,  each  remarkably  beauti- 
ful ;  the  rivalry  for  their  hands  and  hearts  was  brisk 
among  the  young  gallants  of  Eau  Claire  and  the  Falls. 
Proximity  won.  in  each  case,  and  the  place  is  noted 
even  now  for  the  beauty  of  its  women  as  compared 
with  some  other  lumbering  towns. 

The  heavy  losses  sustained  by  H.  S.  Allen  &  Co. 
were  keenly  felt  by  the  whole  settlement,  as  the  entire 
county  at  this  time,  1855-6,  was  almost  entirely  de- 
pendent upon  the  mill. 

During  the  Summer  of  1856  a  change  came  over 
the  spirit  of  the  town.  The  surrounding  country  was 
rapidly  filling  up  with  farmers,  some  of  wiiom  brought 
means  of  tlieir  own.  Among  the  distinguished  arrivals 
that  year  may  lie  recorded  Elijah  Pound,  witii  his  sons 
Thaddeus  C."  and  Albert  E.,  Dr.  Alexander  McBean, 
the  first  pln-sician,  H.  L.  Humphrey  and  P.  McNally. 
Rev.  W.  W.  McNair,  the  energetic  Presliytcriaii.  Juseph 
Waterman,  I.  P.Sheldon,  A.Valker,  Frederirk  Russy, 
Rodman  Palmer,  Stephen  Brown,  W.  J.  Skinner,  Mr. 
Fuller,  S.  VanLoon,  Mr.  Loveland,  James  Woodruff. 
Waterman,  Woodruff  and  Skinner,  with  their  families, 
came  from  Winnebago.  They  had  some  horses  and 
eighteen  yoke  of  oxen,  and  they  had  to  camp  two  days 


HISI-()RV  OF  CHIPPEWA    COUNTY. 


197 


on  the  other  side  of  the  river  before  they  could  cross. 
Mr.  Allen  loaned  his  boats  but  the  cattle  had  to  swim. 

Frank  Bonnville  was  here  several  years  before,  in 
1850,  and  claims  to  have  built  the  first  frame  building. 
J.  A.  Taylor  arrived  in  1854. 

Up  to  this  jieriod  the  colony  was  without  schools  or 
churches,  or  even  newspapers,  except  at  long  intervals. 
Social  intercourse  was  reduced  to  a  minimum  for  want 
of  the  elements  of  social  life.  There  were  Yankees, 
Frenchmen,  Indians  and  squaws,  a  most  unpromising 
social  melange.  Most  of  the  white  men  took  to  them- 
selves dusky  maidens,  who  realized  how  much  better 
they  would  fare  than  with  their  own  swarthy  compan- 
ions, readily  consented  to  the  arrangement.  As  the 
white  women  appeared  on  the  scene,  many  of  these 
first  loves  were  discarded,  but  to  their  credit  it  is 
stated  that  they  were  in  every  case  provided  for  with 
the  children,  when  they  existed. 

As  to  these  half-breeds,  many  of  them  prove  to  be 
wortliy  members  of  society,  industrious  and  capable 
in  the  ordinary  walks  of  life,  but  many  of  them  seem 
to  inherit  a  spirit  of  unrest  which  often  impels  them 
on  to  the  frontier  in  an  effort  to  keep  ahead  of  the  ad- 
vancing line  of  civilization. 

It  may  safely  be  set  down  as  established,  that  a 
cross  of  this  kind  is  not  an  improvement  upon  the 
white  race.  The  second  and  third  generations,  how- 
ever, where  the  Ani-chin-a-be  blood  is  attenuated  in  a 
geometrical  ratio,  rapidly  improve  in  both  physical  and 
mental  qualities. 

Dan.  McCann  was  a  fiddler — that  is,  while  he  knew 
not  a  single  musical  note,  he  could  play  several  cotil- 
lions and  marches  and  a  waltz  "  by  ear."  And  about 
so  many  times  each  Winter  a  ball  was  held,  the  din- 
ing room  of  the  boarding  house  being  transformed  into 
a  ball  room.  On  such  occasions  all  the  women  in  the 
country  were  brought.  The  gathering  was  purely 
democratic.  The  squaws  and  white  women  were  at 
such  a  premium  that  they  had  to  dance  every  time, 
while  the  men  were  considered  fortunate  if  they  could 
join  in  "  address  partners  "  once  in  the  whole  evening. 
The  bar  was  very  convenient  on  such  occasions,  and 
there  was  turbulence  always,  and  often  fighting  and 
rioting. 

In  the  Fall  of  1856,  although  the  village  was  rapidly 
filling  up,  Mr.  Allen,  the  head  of  the  lumbering  firm 
upon  which  the  prosperity  of  the  place  depended,  was 
filled  with  apprehensions  as  to  the  future  of  his  com- 
pany. The  notes  of  the  company  were  falling  due, 
and  the  low  price  of  lumber  had  reduced  the  receipts 
so  that  there  was  not  sufiicient  funds  to  meet  them, 
and  he  foresaw  disaster  and  loss  of  everything  which 
the  inevitable  judgments  would  soon  cover.  The  firm 
consisted  at  this  time  of  H.  S.  Allen,  E.  A.  Galloway, 
John  Judge,  Eugene  Shine  and  Moses  Rives.  Steve, 
Rives  had  been  bought  out  by  Mr.  Allen  and  Jacob  Wills 
by  John  Judge.  Moses  Rives  owned  a  quarter  sec- 
tion where  the  city  is  built.  He  was  not  a  paragon  of 
sobriety  or  virtue,  his  beautiful  wife  had  been  obliged 
to  get  rid  of  him,  and  Mr.  Allen  resolved  to  do  the 
same.  He  accordingly  paid  him  110,000  for  his  inter- 
est in  the  business  and  in  the  city  lots. 

Of  all  the  methods  to  relieve  the  company,  that 
of   making   a   corporation   was   decided    upon.      The 


stock  was  fixed  at  f  100,000.  The  name  was  The  Chip- 
pewa Falls  Lumber  Company.  H.  S.  Allen  was  presi- 
dent and  John  Judge  secretary.  A  Mr.  Jordan  and 
Mr.  Shine  were  engaged  in  selling  the  lumber  for  the 
firm.  The  old  company  went  into  liquidation  and  the 
liabilities  were  assumed  by  the  new  one. 

After  running  through  the  Summer  of  1857,  the 
jaanic  in  the  Fall  which  involved  the  whole  country, 
and  was  precipitated  by  the  failure  of  the  Ohio  Loan 
&  Trust  Company  in  New  York,  was  too  much  for  Mr. 
Allen,  who  proved  to  be  handicapped  in  a  detestible 
way,  for  the  men  in  the  firm  who  had  been  selling  the 
lumber,  met  at  a  distant  point  and  declared  a  dividend 
among  themselves  ;  but  the  poor  confiding  stockholders 
— where  were  they?  And  Mr.  Allen,  of  course,  was 
the  greatest  sufferer,  for  while  he  had  been  manufac- 
turing lumber  and  sending  it  down  the  river,  the  men 
at  the  other  end  who  had  sold  it  made  no  returns, 
showing  a  balance  sheet  with  the  expenses  equalling 
the  receipts.  Mr.  Allen  estimated  the  robbery  at  $50,- 
000. 

After  a  long  struggle  to  retrieve  the  wasted  property, 
a  mortgage,  which  had  been  made  with  a  hope  of 
finally  redeeming  it,  was  foreclosed,  and  at  the  sale 
which  followed  was  bid  in  for  the  creditors  at  $95,000. 
It  may  not  be  improper  to  mention  that  Shine  went  to 
Ireland,  and  soon  after  died.  Judge  went  to  South 
Carolina,  and  Jordan  roamed  around  "  fighting  the 
tiger." 

Huson  &  Mahler  ran  the  mill  for  a  year  or  so.  It 
then  fell  into  the  hands  of  Adin  Randall,  who  manage'd 
it  a  single  year.  Pound,  Halbert  and  C.  B.  Coleman 
leased  it  for  two  years.  After  running  it  one  year,  in 
1864,  Thaddeus  C.  Pound,  Albert  E.  Pound  and  Thomas 
L.  Halbert  bought  the  property  of  the  assignees  for 
$115,000,  and  it  was  owned  by  that  firm  until  1868, 
when  the  UniouLumbering  Company  was  incorporated, 
with  Thaddeus  C.  Pound,  president,  and  A.  E.  Pound, 
secretarj'^  and  treasurer.  The  company,  in  1875,  had 
a  capital  stock  of  $1,500,000.  There  were  80,000 
acres  of  good  pine,  estimated  to  be  capable  of  yielding 
700,000,000  feet  of  lumber;  $300,000  had  been  ex- 
pended in  building  booms,  piers  and  dams.  The  mill 
could  then  cut  in  twenty-four  hours  350,000  feet,  and 
was  considered  the  largest  lumber  mill  in  the  world, 
under  one  roof. 

This  mill,  having  been  the  very  commencement  of 
the  city,  and  which  even  now  depends  upon  its  con- 
tinued operation  for  its  growth  and  prosperity,  is  pre- 
sented in  this  history  in  the  body  of  the  work,  with  the 
various  vicissitudes  it  has  encountered  up  to  the  present 
time,  because  the  city  and  the  mills  are  inseparable, 
the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  one  being  the  meas- 
ure of  the  other. 

To  continue  the  story  of  the  Union  Lumber  Com- 
pany. Such  was  the  strength  and  resources  of  the 
compan}^  that  not  until  two  years  after  the  panic  of 
1873,  was  the  concern  obliged  to  make  an  assignment, 
which  it  did,  for  the  benefit  of  its  creditors.  The  lia- 
bilities were  $680,000,  and  the  assets  $1,300,000. 

Barnard  and  Halbert  were  the  assignees,  and  the 
mill  was  leased  to  A.  E.  Pound  and  T.  L.  Halbert, 
who  operated  it  two  years,  during  a  depressed  busi- 
ness season,  and  failed.     By  the  terms  of    the  assign- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ment,  two-thirds  of  the  creditors  could  force  a  sale  of 
the  property  whenever  a  default  of  the  interest  should 
occur,  which  happened,  as  above  intimated,  in  1878. 
It  was  bought  in  by  William  A.  Wallace,  for  1150,000, 
and  the  debts  assumed,  amounting  to  $300,000.  Wal- 
lace leased  the  mill  to  Peck  &  Barnard. 

At  a  meeting  at  the  Tremont  House,  in  Chicago,  on 
the  19th  of  December,  1879,  Wallace  and  his  associates 
were  offered  $1,000,000  for  the  property. 

The  Chippewa  Lumber  and  Boom  Company  was 
then  organized.  This  company  was  represented  by 
William  A.  Wallace,  F.  Coleman,  D.  M.  Peck  and 
Stanton  Barnard.  The  interest  of  these  parties  was 
subsequent!}'  sold  to  the  present  proprietors  for  $1,- 
275,000. 

We  have  thus  seen  a  mill,  started  by  inexperienced 
enei'gy,  with  a  single  saw,  run  by  a  flutter-wheel,  ex- 
panding to  huge  proportions,  with  turbine  wheels  and 
improved  machinery  capable  of  turning  out  about  a 
half  million  of  lumber  a  day,  and  giving  employment 
to  a  thousand  or  more  hands. 

To  return  to  the  period  from  whence  this  digression 
started.  In  the  year  1856,  an  era  of  wild  speculation, 
some  of  the  enthusiastic  proprietors  of  a  rival  village 
on  the  river,  having  confidence  in  a  wild  railroad 
scheme,  which  had  received  a  land  grant  and  were 
issuing  stock  by  the  million,  and  receiving  what  they 
considered  reliable  and  certainly  confidential  informa- 
tion that  the  road  would  cross  the  Chippewa  at  the 
mouth  of  O'Neil's  Creek,  a  few  miles  above  the  Falls, 
resolved  to  profit  by  their  knowledge,  and  put  $20,000 
into  lands  at  that  point,  calling  it  Chippewa  City,  and 
a  city  was  laid  out,  with  metropolitan-sounding  names 
for  avenues,  squares  and  parks.  The  new  city,  on 
paper,  rivaled  Washington  in  the  magnificence  of  its 
grandeur  and  distances.  The  railroad  bubble  burst, 
and  Chippewa  City  was  only  built  in  the  brain  of  its 
too  confiding  projectors. 

The  Falls  of  the  Chippewa  are  at  the  commence- 
ment of  a  vast  lumber  region  extending  to  Lake  Supe- 
rior. 160  miles  north. 

The  first  ripple  of  contention,  or  antagonism,  between 
the  Falls  and  Eau  Claire  was  caused  by  the  question  of 
the  location  of  the  Land  Office.  Mr.  Washburn  had  intro- 
duced a  bill  forming  a  new  Land  District,  witli  Chippewa 
Falls  as  the  place  for  its  ofiSce ;  on  its  final  passage,  a  mo- 
tion was  made  sulistituting  Eau  Claire  for  the  Falls.  This 
started  a  rivalry  which  ended  in  tlie  matter  being  left 
to  Pi'esident  Buchanan,  who  decided  on  Eau  Claire. 
It  may  be  proper  to  state  that  an  attempt  to  remove 
the  Laud  Office  here,  since  that  time,  was  unsuccessful. 

The  depression  in  the  lumber  interest,  already 
alluded  to,  diverted  attention  to  farming,  and,  in  1868, 
about  17,000  bushels  of  wheat  were  shipped  that  year, 
and  from  that  time  the  quantity  of  wheat  sliipped 
has  constantly  increased. 

The  first  district  school  organized  in  the  county  was 
in  the  Fall  of  1855,  Miss  Irene  Drake  being  the  first 
teacher.  It  was  in  the  town  of  La  Fayette.  The  first 
district  school-house  in  tlie  village  was  erected  in  1857, 
and  was  the  general  meeting-house  for  some  time.  The 
Catholic  Church  was  commenced  the  same  3'ear,  and 
the  Presbyterian  Church  was  completed. 

Among  the  earliest  white  women  here  were  Mrs. 


Taylor,  Mrs.  Mannahan  and  Mrs.  Hendrick.  The 
Winter  of  1857  was  a  very  hard  Winter.  The  snow 
lay  many  feet  deep,  and  most  of  the  cattle  brought 
here  the  year  before  perished  for  want  of  fodder. 

Mr.  Waterman  and  his  family  located  on  a  farm  a 
few  miles  from  town,  coming  in  some  \ears  afterwards 
and  building  a  hotel,  stables,  etc. 

CITY  OF  CHIPPEWA  FALLS. 

The  city  form  of  government  was  adopted  in  1S69. 
James  A.  Taylor  was  the  first  Mayor.  Thomas  Morris, 
Treasurer.  John  F.  Hall,  City  Clerk.  William  R.  Hoyt 
was  City  Attorney.  The  early  records  are  lost.  Post-office 
— I.  B.  Taft,  Postmaster.  The  present  officers  are :  L. 
C.  Stanley,  Mayor;  L.  Gaudette,  City  Clerk;  Peter  Ber- 
genin,  Treasurer;  John  J.  Jenkins,  Attorney;  Michael 
Hogan,  Assessor;  S.  S.  Riddle,  M.  D.,  Physician;  Joseph 
Walker,  Street  Commissioner;  Policemen — J.  P.  Dipple, 
William  Anglum,  Simon  Cardinal  and  John  O'Donnell ; 
Board  of  Health — L.  M.  Newman,  President ;  B.  Gardiner, 
Vice-President;  H.  C.  McRae,  Samuel  Hill.  Board  of 
Education,  George  C.  Ginty,  President ;  Commissioner,  A. 
McBean,  George  S.  Rogers,  John  Weinberger,  James  A. 
Taylor.     The  City  Clerk  officiates  as  secretary. 

CHURCHES. 

T/ie  CiJtholic  Church.  Saint  Marys.—'Y\\t  first  relig- 
ious society  organized  at  the  Falls  was  the  Catholic.  As 
early  as  1855  Bishop  Cretin,  of  St.  Paul,  and  Father  Galtier, 
a  missionary  of  large  experience,  held  meetings  here,  encour- 
aged by  H.  S.  Allen,  whose  wife  had  been  reared  in  that 
faith.  A  lot  was  presented  that  year  by  Mr.  Allen  on  a 
spot  adjoining  the  court-house  square,  as  indicated  on  the 
first  village  plat.  The  building,  the  first  church  in  the 
whole  valley,  was  raised  in  1S56,  but  was  unfortunately 
blown  down,  and  so  its  occupation  as  a  church  was  delayed 
until  1S57,  when  services  were  first  held  therein.  In  1S59 
the  first  resident  pastor  was  located  here  in  the  person  of 
Father  Mignault,  who  was  succeeded  by  Father  Smeddinck, 
and  afterwards,  in  1868,  Father  Abbellon  was  pastor.  In 
the  year  1869  Rev.  Dr.  C.  F.  X.  Goldsmith  took  charge  as 
missionary  rector  of  Notre  Dame  parish.  The  next  year 
he  began  the  erection  of  the  present  stone  edifice — in  1870. 
It  is  a  commodious  structure,  the  nave  being  128x50,  the 
transept  80x24  feet,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  2,000.  It 
cost  about  $40,000.  Services  are  held  in  English,  French, 
and  German.  The  Rev.  Father  Goldsmith  being  an  accom- 
plished master  of  these  languages,  and  a  very  genial  public 
spirited  gentleman.  This  is  really  the  mother  church  of  the 
valley,  and  while  there  are  five  hundred  families  who  directly 
attend  upon  its  ministrations,  there  are  in  the  parish  seven 
counties  and  eight  priests.  Eighteen  churches  and  chapels 
have  sprung  from  this  one.  The  old  church  has  recently 
been  demolished — having  been  previously  used  as  a  school- 
house.  H.  S.  Allen,  Dr.  McBean,  Matthew  Cummings,  F. 
Le  Boeuf,  R.  Lego,  C.  Allen,  C.  Bergeron,  H.  Herbert  and 
others  assisted  in  its  construction  in  1856.  Two  hundred 
years  ago  Jesuit  missionaries  from  Mackinaw  or  Green  Bay 
celebrated  mass  on  the  blufTs  of  Catholic  Hill,  before  there 
was  any  settlement  at  the  Falls.  Saint  Peters  church  parish 
has  had  quarters  at  Saint  Peters  and  stations  at  V^ermillion 
and  Biushville.  Rev.  Albert  Mendel  is  the  missionary 
rector.  There  are  large  numbers  of  French  Canadians  in 
the  county,  and  the  predominating  Christian  belief  is  the 
Catholic — their  membership  at  the  Falls  outnumbers  all 
the  others. 

The  Presbyterian  Church. — This  was  the  first  Protestant 
church  organized  in  Ciiippewa  Falls.     In  the  Summer  of 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


1855  the  Rev.  William  McNair,  who  was  organizing  a  church 
in  Eau  Claire,  made  arrangements  to  visit  this  place  on 
alternate  Sundays.  He  at  first  preached  in  a  log  cabin  near 
Mr.  Van  Name's  residence,  which  was  used  on  week  days  as 
a  school-house.  Rev.  B.  Phillips,  from  Mineral  Point, 
soon  came  and  at  once  commenced  the  erection  of  the 
present  church  building,  which  was  completed  and  dedi- 
cated in  1858.  Some  of  the  means  to  erect  the  church  was 
obtained  from  the  East,  but  Mr.  H.  S.  Allen  and  other  citi- 
zens contributed  liberally,  and  seemed  unweary  in  their 
labors  to  rear  this  place  of  worship  at  that  early  day.  After 
a  ministration  of  ten  years  Mr.  Phillips  gave  place  to  Rev. 
George  W.  Wainwright,  who  with  slight  intermissions 
preached  three  years.  Rev.  A.  J.  Stead,  from  New  York 
State,  was  the  ne.xt  pastor,  his  connection  was  dissolved  in 
September,  1874,  yielding  to  Rev.  D.  W.  Evans  who  broke 
bread  for  the  church  until  August  i,  1876,  when  Rev. 
Samuel  Brown,  the  present  pastor,  was  installed.  The 
active  membership  is  now  twenty-eight. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — As  early  as  1859  Chippewa 
Falls  formed  part  of  a  circuit  established  on  the  frontier, 
but  the  denomination  was  unfortunate  in  their  first  itinerant 
in  this  locality;  a  want  of  tact  or  ability  to  accommodate 
himself  to  the  rude  surroundings  resulted  in  not  an  encour- 
aging success.  The  first  regular  appointments  were  in  the 
Borland  district,  two  miles  east  of  the  town.  Rev.  Thomas 
Harwood  was  the  first  minister  here  who  succeeded  in  gath- 
ering together  the  elements  of  future  societies.  Rev.  E.  S. 
Havens  was  next  stationed  here,  and  he  made  an  effort  to 
establish  regular  service  at  the  Falls  proper.  Next  came 
that  impetuous  English  pioneer.  Rev.  John  Hoit,  who 
labored  faithfully  his  appointed  time,  but  left  with  a  feeling 
that  the  Falls  was  a  hard  field  to  cultivate.  The  Rev. 
Richard  Cohan  was  the  next  laborer  in  this  vineyard.  His 
earnest,  faithful,  studious  and  skillful  zeal  left  its  impress 
on  the  community.  Rev.  A.  J-  Davis  was  here  in  1865  and 
1866.  The  little  society  under  him  procured  a  lot  and  he 
built,  almost  entirely  with  his  own  hands,  a  dwelling  for  a 
parsonage.  The  Rev.  Darius  Bresee,  who  afterwards  did 
business  in  Eau  Claire  as  a  real  estate  agent,  was  the  next 
minister.  In  the  Fall  of  1868  Rev.  E.  E.  Clough  was  placed 
in  charge.  He  was  a  vigorous  worker  and  erected  the 
present  place  of  worship,  leaving  it  clear  of  debt,  and  also 
secured  an  addition  to  the  parsonage.  There  was  a  marked 
increase  in  membership  and  Chippewa  Falls  was  created  a 
regular  Methodist  station  with  regular  weekly  ])reaching. 
Rev.  W.  S.  Wright,  afterwards  presiding  elder,  came  to  this 
charge  in  1871,  adding  to  the  membership,  and  procuring 
the  church  bell.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  W.  Bush- 
nell  iij  1873.  While  he  was  the  pastor  additional  ground 
was  procured  to  enlarge  the  lot,  and  the  membership 
reached  about  100.  Rev.  Bert  E.  Wheeler  was  the  next 
man  in  charge  and  he  remained  until  the  Fall  of  1877,  when 
Rev.  J.  N.  Phillips  was  appointed  to  the  station.  In  June, 
1880,  having  been  elected  Grand  Chief  Temi)lar  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor,  Rev.  Mr.  Trenor  supplied  the  pulpit  until  the 
Fall  conference,  when  Rev.  W.  Woodruff  came  to  fill  the 
place. 

The  Episcopal  Church. — Zion  Church  was  formally  incor- 
porated April  27,  1866,  with  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Hendley  min- 
ister in  charge.  Previous  to  this,  however,  service  had 
been  held  under  the  patronage  of  L.  H.  Brooks  and  his 
estimable  wife,  who  with  others  continued  their  efforts  until 
success  rewarded  their  labors.  Mr.  Hendley  did  not  re- 
main long,  and  after  a  brief  vacation  in  May,  1870,  Rev.  R. 
F.  G.  Page,  of  Eau  Claire,  took  charge  and  after  an  irregular 
service  of  about  two  years  the  parish  was  again  without 
a  minister,  receiving  lay  service  from  H.  H.  Todd,  a 
zealous  churchman  who  conducted  the  Sunday-school  with 


marked  success.  On  the  ist  of  June,  1S78,  Rev.  M.  L. 
Kern  took  charge,  inspiring  new  life  and  energy  into  its 
affairs,  and  on  the  loth  of  September,  the  same  year,  the 
corner  stone  of  the  church  was  laid.  It  is  of  wood,  sixty-two 
by  thirty-seven  feet,  chancel  twenty  by  twenty,  with  a  tower 
on  the  front  left  corner.  Bishop  Armitage  was  present.  It 
was  completed  and  opened  for  service  on  Easter,  in  1875. 
It  still   stands  and  is   a  commendable  structure.     Among 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


other  ornaments  it  has  six  memorial  windows.  Rev.  S.  J. 
Yundt  is  the  present  rector. 

Baptist. — In  June,  1875,  a  Baptist  church  was  organized. 
Mr.  O.  Knapp  was  moderator.  On  account  of  the  few 
members,  and  want  of  means,  the  society  was  suffered  to 
lapse. 

German  Lutheran,  Zion  Church. — Services  at  this  church 
are  held  every  third  Sunday,  alternating  afternoons  and 
evenings,  at  2  and  7  p.  m.  There  is  no  resident  pastor. 
Rev.  George  Plehn  officiates. 

Scandinavian  Lutheran. — Services  are  held  every  fourth 
Sunday  at  10:30  .k.  m.,  under  the  ministrations  of  Rev.  C. 
J.  Helsom. 

Fraternal  Societies — Masonic. — Chippewa  Falls  Lodge 
No.  176,  charter  dated  June  10,  1S69.  De  Witt  C.  Swan, 
M.;  George  Cross,  S.  W.;  W.  J.  Harding,  J.  W.  The  State 
G.  M.  was  Harlow  Pease.  Present  officers:  J.  J-  Jenkins, 
M. ;  R.  D.  Whittemore,  S.  W. ;  F.  M.  Clough,  J.  W. ;  Jerry 
Palmer,  secretary;   100  members. 

ChippeiL'a  Chapter,  No.  46. — Charter  dated  February  17, 
1875.  J.  M.  Bingham,  H.  P.;  Ambrose  Hoffman,  K. ;  A. 
R.  Barrows,  S.  Present  officers  :  R.  W.  Bradeen,  H.  P. ; 
seat  vacated  by  death  ;  A.  S.  Stiles,  K.  ;  J.  W.  Squires,  S. ; 
R.  D.  Whittemore,  secretary  ;  50  members. 

Chippe7va  Council,  No.  45.— Organized  May  i,  1878; 
charter  granted,  February  24,  1881.  The  officers  of  the 
Chapter  fill  the  corresponding  offices  in  the  Council.  It  has 
22  members.  The  Order  has  a  fine  hall,  corner  of  Bridge 
and  Spring  streets,  and  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

OJii  Fello7vs — Pinery  Lodge,  No.  46. — Chartered  Janu- 
ary 21,  1869.  Charter  members:  O.  N.  Stetson,  Th  W. 
Mathewson,  W.  W.  Crandall,  Stephen  Brown,  N.  S.  Warn, 
E.  E.  N.  Martin.  It  has  a  large  membership.  The  present 
officers  are:  R.  D.  Whittemore  D.  D.  G.  M.;  C.  ^.  Ceasar, 
N.  G.;  C.  F.  Smith,  V.  G.;  J.  P.  Hurlburt,  secretary;  C. 
K.  Brown,  treasurer. 

Knigliis  of  Pythias. — Charter  dated  February  12,  1874. 
Among  the  charter  members  were  J.  M.  Bingham,  S.  R. 
Miirrav,  J.  J.  Jenkins.  Present  officers:  W.  L.  Pierce,  C. 
C.  ;  A.  J.  McDonald,  K.  of  R.  &  S. 

Sons  of  Herman — Chippewa  Lodge,  No.  35,0.  D.  H.  S., 
meets  every  Thursday  evening  at  Knights  of  Pythias  Hall. 

Temple  of  Honor. — Forest  Teni))le,  No.  146,  instituted 
December  11,  1876.  John  A.  McRae,  W^  C.  T.;  B.  F. 
Millard,  W.  V.  T. 

Good  Te?nplars. — Enterprise  Lodge,  No.  100,  instituted 
February  14,  1873.  C.  L.  Webster,  W.  C.  T.  ;  Mrs.  W.  S. 
Wright,  W,  V.  T.;  Dr.  F.  A.  Burnett,  secretary.  This  has 
a  membership  of  6:;  in  good  standing. 

Harugari. — Longobarden  Lodge,  No.  431.  Regular 
meetings  second  and  fourth  Monday  of  each  month  at 
Knights  of  Pythias  Hall. 

St.  Jean  Baptiste  meets  second  Sunday  of  each  month 
at  the  Catholic  school-house.  This  is  a  popular  benevolent 
society,  witii  a  large  membership. 

Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Association. — Organized  in  1878. 
William  R.  Hoyt,  president;  J.  P.  Hurlburt,  secretary; 
Frank  Coleman,  treasurer. 

Various  Societies — The  Agricultural  Society. — Organized 
December  11,  1877.  L.  C.  Stanley  was  the  first  president; 
Wilson  Ho|)kins,  vice-president ;  W.  B.  Bartlet,  treasurer ; 
H.  C.  McRae,  secretary.  The  present  officers  are:  E.  D. 
Stanley,  president;  W.  Hopkins,  vice-])resident ;  H.  H. 
Todd,  secretary;  W.  B.  Bartlet,  treasurer.  The  transac- 
tions for  1880  were  $1,810.62. 

A  fair  has  been  held  every  year  since  the  organization, 
and  thev  are  well  patronized,  as  no  pains  are  spared  to  make 
the  exhibitions  attractive. 

Cliippewa  Falls   Driving  Association. — This    association 


has  a  half  mile  track  on  the  Glen  Mills  road,  near  the  city. 
The  officers  are  :  F.  C.  Webb,  president ;  E.  P.  Hastings, 
vice-president;  A.  S.  Stiles,  second  vice-president ;  R.  D. 
Whittemore,  secretary. 

Chippeiva  Falls  Cemetery  Association. — Organized  in 
1866.  L.  F.  Martin,  president;  D.  E.  Seymour,  treasurer; 
H.  H.  Todd,  secretary.  The  cemetery  is  within  the  city 
limits,  on  the  northeast  corner.  The  original  plot  was  five 
acres,  which  are  nearly  occupied,  and  ten  acres  have  just 
been  added.      Half  lots  12x24  sell  for  $12. 

The  Mutual  Protective  Association. — Office  at  the  First 
National  Bank  ;  meets  Tuesday  evenings.  A.  K.  Fletcher, 
president;  D.  E.  Seymour,  vice-president;  L.  M.  Newman, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mechanics'  Protection  Association. — Organized  August  27, 
1879.  A.  R.  McDonald,  president;  A.  H.  Cowles,  treas- 
urer ;  George  Shuman,  secretary. 

Hook  and  Ladder  Company. — Foreman,  R.  D.  Whitte- 
more; Assistant,  P.  W.  Jacobus;  Secretary,  J.  E.  Dempsy ; 
Treasurer,  L.  Zimmerman. 

Parnell  Land  League. — P.  Morris,  president;  S.  Brown, 
secretary  ;  W.  P.  Dodds,  treasurer. 

Pioneer  Cornet  Band. — This  band  was  first  organized  in 
1878,  by  Fred.  Bonell.  The  present  leader  is  Otto  Klein- 
heintz;  Manager  and  Treasurer,  Dr.  B.  Gardiner;  Drum 
Major,  William  Clifton.  This  band  was  employed  at  Gen. 
Bragg's  head-quarters  during  the  great  re-union  in  Mil- 
waukee. 

THE     PRESS. 

The  Chippewa  Falls  Union  and  Times  was  started  in 
1863,  the  result  of  the  consolidation  of  two  papers.  W^  J. 
Wliipple  was  proprietor.  He  soon  sold  to  J.  M.  Brackett, 
who  managed  it  until  December  7,  1S69,  when  he  sold  to 
The  Democratic  Printing  Association. 

The  Chippewa  Herald. — This  live  paper  was  started  by 
Col.  George  C.  Ginty,  on  January  i,  1870,  and  has  been 
conducted  by  him  with  great  ability  ever  since.  It  is  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  is  noted  for  its  fairness  in  discuss- 
ing political  issues.  The  paper  appears  weekly,  and  is  run 
off  by  steam  power.     Edward  Outhwait  is  associate  editor. 

Chippewa  County  Lndependent. — This  is  a  weekly  ])aper, 
started  on  March  31,  iS8r,and  is  a  six-column  quarto.  J. 
N.  Phillips,  editor  and  business  manager;  Judge  Gough 
and  A.  J.  Hayward,  associate  editors.  It  is  published  by 
the^ Chippewa  F'alls  Publishing  Company;  A.  J.  Hayward, 
president;  A.  K.  Fletcher,  vice-president;  I.  C.  Kibbe, 
secretary  ;   D.  E.  Seymour,  treasurer. 

The  Chippewa  Times. — This  paper  was  first  issued  Octo- 
ber 5,  1875,  by  Cunningham  &  Luce.  Afcer  one  year,  Mr. 
Luce  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Hoffinan,  and  the  firm  became 
Hoffinan  &  Co.,  with  Mr.  T.  J.  Cunningham  as  the  active 
editor  and  publisher.  It  is  a  nine-column  folio,  at  $2  a 
year;  is  democratic  in  its  politics. 


The  Chippeica  Falls  6^  Western  Railroad,  the  first  to  en- 
ter Cliippewa  Falls,  was  completed  in  June,  1S75,  and  the  ; 
event  was  duly  celebrated,  as  elsewhere  recorded.  It  con-  I 
nects  Eau  Claire  with  the  Falls,  and  opened  direct  com-  1 
munication  with  St.  Paul  and  Chicago,  and,  of  course,  with  j 
the  rest  of  the  world.  This  road  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  , 
Wisconsin  Central. 

The  Wisconsin  Central. — This  road,  which  has  been  so 
instrumental  in  building  up  Northern  Wisconsin,  on  No- 
vember 22,  i88o,  completed  a  branch  from  its  trunk  line  be- 
tween Abbotsford  and  Chippewa  Falls,  so  that  trains  began 
running  from  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and  Milwaukee,  via  Eau 
Claire  and  Chippewa  Falls.     The  station   is  on  the  opposite 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY, 


side   of  the   river    from    the   city.     T.    Farnsworth  is   sta- 
tion agent. 

The  Chippewa  Falls  &•  Northern  Railway  Company  is  or- 
ganized, and  the  contract  given  out  for  forty  miles  of 
its  construction  to  Rice  Lake,  and  surveying  parties 
are  in  the  field  running  a  line  to  Superior.  It  is  pro- 
posed, also,  to  extend  the  line  from  Chippewa  Falls  to  F'all 
Creek,  on  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  road,  so  as  to  have  an  air 
line  from  Chicago  to  the  terminus  of  the  Northern  Pacific. 
E.  W.  Winter  is  the  president  of  the  company,  and  C.  W. 
Porter,  secretary.  The  intention  of  the  management  is 
to  run  the  road  via  Shetek  and  Rice  Lake.  It  will  largely 
develop   a  pine  and  hard  wood  region. 

STAGE    LINES. 

Big  Bend—  Stiles  &  Co.,  proprietors.  This  stage  goes  up 
one  day  and  back  the  next.  In  the  Spring,  a  daily  line  is  put 
on.  The  stopping  places  on  the  road  are  as  follows:  Nine- 
Mile  House,  Twelve-Mile  House  ;  ten  miles  beyond  is  Camp- 
bell's, three  miles  is  the  Larrabee  House,  one  to  the  Lake 
House,  nine  to  Big  Bend,  one  beyond  is  Allen's,  three  more 
to  Oak  Grove,  twelve  to  Johnson's,  four  to  Pinkham's,  four 
to  Murray's,  twelve  to  the  Hermon  House,  six  to  the  Hall 
House,  three  to  M.  Sarrow's,  four  to  West  Bend,  and  four 
to  the  Trading  Post.  There  is  a  post-office  at  Nine-Mile 
House,  at  Big  Bend  and  Oak  Grove. 

Bloomer  Stage— '?.'\.Yi2,c\^xx.  Daily  each  way.  Car- 
ries the  mail. 

Rice  Lake  Stage — Fred.  Fox.  Runs  to  Rice  Lake,  sixty 
miles.  A  tri-weekly  service.  Carries  the  mail.  It  runs 
via  Cook's  Valley,  Sand  Creek,  Shetac,  Sumner,  Rice  Lake. 

Flambeau  Stage — Stiles  &  Co.  Mail;  thirty-two  miles. 
Runs  up  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays,  via  Eagleton, 
nine  miles;  Greenwood,  eighteen  miles,  to  Flambeau  Farm. 

Rumsey  Omnibus  Z//;f.— Runs  ro  and  from  the  passenger 
trains.     John  Rumsey,  proprietor. 

Banking. — Chippewa  Falls,  which  was  just  attracting  the 
attention  of  eastern  people,  especially  from  the  depleting 
lumber  regions,  did  not  escape  the  infliction  of  what  was 
called  the  "  Wild-cat  "  and  "Red  dog"  currency.  These 
names  were  given  on  account  of  the  designs  on  the  vignette 
of  the  "  bills,"  as  the  notes  issued  by  the  banks  were  called. 

A  bank  was  established  somewhere  on  the  river,  which 
issued  currency,  pur])orting  to  be  from  the  "Lumberman's 
Bank  of  Court  Oreilles."  Not  a  very  large  amount  of 
these  bills  were  floated. 

Then  there  was  the  "Bank  of  lUiside."  The  name  only 
has  been  preserved.  Its  local  habitation  is  as  yet  undiscov- 
ered, although  all  the  land-lookers,  and  any  itinerant  ad- 
venturers who  happened  to  be  going  up  the  river,  were  en- 
joined to  find,  if  possible,  the  place  of  redemption  for  the 
Illiside  promises  to  pay. 

Andrew  Gregg  was  the  first  legitimate  banker  here. 
His  bank  began  operations  in  1864  and  continued  till 
1870,  when  its  affairs  were  wound  up,  and  Mr.  Gregg  went 
to  California. 

On  December  i,  1870,  D.  E.  Seymour  began  a  banking 
business  in  the  east  room  of  his  residence  on  Central  street, 
very  soon  moving  into  his  bank  building  next  door,  where 
the  business  has  been  continued  since.  E.  De  Forest 
Barnett  is  cashier,  a  position  he  has  filled  for  the  past  nine 
years.  The  New  York  deposits  are  with  the  Chemical 
Bank  ;  in  Chicago,  the  Commercial  National  ;  in  Milwaukee, 
Houghton  Bros.  &  Co.  The  business  of  the  bank  amounts 
to  several  millions  each  year. 

The  First  National  Bank. — This  bank  was  organized 
August  20,  1873,  with  a  capital  of  $75,000,  which  has  since 
beeu  reduced  to  $50,000.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
stocklulders  at   that   time,  not   one   of  whom    is  now  con- 


nected with  iK  Thaddeus  C.  Pound,  A.  E.  Pound,  Th 
L.  Halbert,  William  Van  Name,  H.  S.  Allen,  Coliche  Allen 

D.  M.  Peck,  A.  S.  Stiles,  F.  B.  Le  Boeuf,  John  P.  Mitchell 
and  Joseph  Crowley.  The  original  officers  were  Th. 
L.  Halbert,  president;  H.  S.  Allen,  vice-president;  V.  W. 
Bayless,  cashier.  The  present  directors  are:  A.  K. 
Fletcher,  president;  John  B.  Kehl,  vice-president;  L. 
Schricker,  L.  M.  Newman,  R.  D.  Marshall,  F.  Weyerhauser, 
L.  D.  Brewster,  E.  Poznanski  and  C.  F.  Smith.  L.  M. 
Newman  is  cashier,  having  been  appointed  in  June,  1876, 
when  the  average  deposits  were  $30,000,  and  which  have 
risen  to  $250,000.  The  actual  disbursements  of  the  bank 
for  the  six  months  ending  July  i,  1S81,  were  $3,156,567.53. 
There  is  in  bank  a  surplus  of  undivided  profits  of  $17,183.92, 
accumulated  within  two  years,  besides  a  dividend  of  8  per 
cent.,  paid  during  that  time.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
banking  facilities  at  the  Falls  are  good. 

Hotels. — There  are  quite  a  number  of  public  houses, 
some  of  them  in  the  special  interest  of  the  different  nation- 
alities, which  assist  in  making  up  the  permanent  and  float- 
ing population.  The  tw^o  principal  hotels  are  the  Central 
and  the  Waterman. 

The  Waterman  House  is  owned  and  managed  by  Leslie 

E.  and  Luzerne  H.  Waterman.  The  night  clerk  is  Charles 
Burk;  Mrs.  Waterman,  matron.  There  are  49  sleeping 
rooms. 

The  Central  House. —  James  H.  Taylor,  proprietor ; 
clerk,  Frank  Taylor,  assisted  by  his  brothers;  niiiht  clerk, 
John  Cornwell;  matron,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Taylor.  Fiftv -six  sleep- 
ing rooms. 

INDtrSTRIAL    ENTERPRISES. 

Chippewa  Lumber  &•  Broom  Co. — One  of  the  largest  lum- 
bering establishments  in  the  world  is  the  Chippewa  Lumber 
and  Boom  Company.  Its  history,  so  intimately  connected 
with  the  city  and  county,  has  already  been  described. 
Early  in  April,  1881,  this  property  was  sold  to  its  present 
proprietors,  Weyerhauser  &  Denkman,  Demick,  Gould  & 
Co.,  of  Rock  Island  ;  W.  J.  Young,  C.  Lamb  &  Sons,  and 
S.  Joyce  of  Clinton,  Iowa;  Hersey,  Senn  &  Co.,  and  Peter 
Musser  of  Muscatine,  Iowa;  Laird,  Morton  &  Co.,  Yeo- 
mans  Bros.  &  Hodgins  of  Winona. 

This  company  was  organized  December  20,  1879,  with 
a  capital  of  $1,275,000.  The  present  officers  are  :  F.  Wey- 
erhauser, president  and  treasurer;  William  Irvine,  vice- 
president  ;  E.  W.  Culver,  general  manager.  The  mill  con- 
tains 5  gangs  of  100  saws,  3  rotaries,  i  double-block  shin- 
gle mill,  3  lath  mills,  and  2  picket  mills,  besides  machine 
shops,  etc.  From  May  i  to  October  15,  the  mill  cuts  from 
40,000,000  to  50,000,000  feet.  During  this  period  they  em- 
ploy about  550  men,  and  run  a  night  and  day  crew,  the  mill 
being  in  operation  22  hours  a  day.  and  now  cut  400,000  feet 
of  lumber  a  day,  with  100,000  shingles,  120,000  lath,  and 
5,000  pickets. 

The  company  now  owns  110,000  acres  of  pine  lands  on 
the  Chippewa  and  Yellow  rivers  and  their  tributaries.  The 
lumber  is  rafted  and  sold  principally  in  the  Mississippi 
River  markets.  Lumber  now  commands  a  good  price,  and 
as  the  company  owning  the  mill  and  other  ijroperty  is  very 
heavy,  it  is  hoped  that,  as  there  is  no  extravagance  or  mis- 
management, no  vicissitudes  will  necessitate  a  change  of 
ownership. 

The  French  Lumbering  Company. — Incorporated  Novem- 
ber 29,  1873.  First  officers  :  Louis  Vincent,  president ;  Pe- 
ter Lego,  vice-president;  Charles  Mandelert,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  J.  Mandelert  and  Charles  Langevin  were  also 
on  the  board  of  directors.     Capital,  $53,000. 

The  company  at  once  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
lumber,  the  mills  being  located  on  Grand  Island,  two  miles 
below  the  Falls.     The  capacity  of  the  mills  per  day  is  65,- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ooo  feet  of  lumber,  12,000  lath,  3,000  pickets.  Average 
number  of  men  employed,  40  in  the  mill  and  20  in  other 
departments  of  work.  In  the  Winter,  about  90  men  are 
sent  into  the  woods.  Directors  and  stockholders:  J.  Man- 
delert,  president;  W.  F.  Bailey,  vice-president;  Charles 
Mandelert,  secretary  and  treasurer ;  Charles  Langevin  and 
Mrs.  Louis  Vincent. 

Breiueries.  —  Leinenkugel  &  Miller.  —  This  brewery  is 
located  on  Duncan  Creek,  just  outside  the  present  city.  It 
has  been  in  operation  since  1867,  when  it  started  in  a  small 
way,  brewing  about  1,200  barrels  the  first  year.  Now  7,000  or 
8,000  barrels  are  annually  produced.  The  company  has 
forty  acres  of  land  with  the  numerous  buildings  connected 
with  the  establishment.  The  property  is  worth  from  §75,000 
to  $100,000.  The  bottling  department  puts  up  100  barrels 
a  month,  making  16,000  bottles. 

The  Glen  Mills.  —  These  mills  are  now  owned  and 
operated  by  J.  B.  Kehl.  There  are  si.\  run  of  stones  and 
five  sets  of  patent  rolls.  150  barrels  of  new-process  flour 
are  turned  out  daily,  the  barrels  being  made  right  there. 
This  mill  was  operated  by  A.  E.  Pound  &  Co.,  from  1876 
to  1878,  since  then  by  its  present  owner. 

Star  Flouring  Mill,  erected  in  1879  on,  Duncan  Creek,  by 
Barnett  Brothers  &  McRae  Brothers.  In  the  Spring  of  1880, 
Hector  McRae  became  sole  proprietor.  The  capacity  of 
the  mill  is  100  barrels  every  twenty-four  hours.  It  has  two 
flour  and  one  feed  run  of  stones  and  one  set  of  rolls. 

H.  C.  McRae  also  runs  a  door,  sash  and  blind  mill,  with 
planing,  etc.  Ch.  M.  Prentice  operates  the  mill  as  a  part- 
ner;  employs  thirty  men. 

The  Anchor  Consoliilated  Gold  and  Silver  Mining:  Com- 
pany, incorporated  May  18,  1881.  Directors  and  officers — 
L.  C.  Stanley,  president;  S.  B.  Strong,  vice-president;  V. 
W.  Bayless,  treasurer;  L.  W.  Waterman  ;  L.  M.  Newman, 
secretary.  The  company  has  a  mine  in  Tombstone,  Ara., 
which  is  being  actively  worked  in  paying  rock. 

SUMMARY    OF    EVENTS. 

The  following  compilation  of  important  events  is  made 
from  newspaper  files,  record  books  and  other  sources,  and 
is  intended  for  reference. 

During  the  Fall  of  i86j,  a  new  wagon  road,  to  the  Flam- 
beau, was  completed. 

Some  time  that  year,  William  Jay  Whipple  let  go  of  the 
Chippewa  Union  and  Times,  and  J.  M.  Brackett  took  hold 
of  the  concern. 

In  August,  a  plan  was  agitated,  of  so  improving  the 
falls  that  rafts  could  pass  down.  Adin  Randall  was 
interested  in  the  project. 

Gen.  Warren  and  a  corps  of  assistants,  during  the  Sum- 
mer of  1865,  made  a  survey  of  the  Mississippi,  taking  in 
the  Chippewa.     $60,000  was  expended  in  the  enterprise. 

During  the  Winter  of  1866-7,  there  ^^'^s  considerable 
suffering  among  the  Chippewas,  on  account  of  the  excessive 
rain  having  spoiled  their  crops. 

April  I,  1866,  Mr.  Waterman  sold  his  hotel  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Bay  and  Central  streets,  to  Frank  Pitman. 

A  Lodge  of  ("lood  Templars  was  instituted  on  the  first 
Saturday  in  May,  1866.  First  officers  —  O.  H.  Stilson,  W. 
C.  T.;  William  Sapp,  P.  W.  C.  T.;   E.  Wood,  W.  Sec. 

Small-pox  jjrevailed  to  the  extent  of  twenty-three  cases 
and  three  deaths,  in  1866. 

Base  ball  struck  tlie  Falls  in  1867,  so  that  a  club  was 
organized — Theodore  Coleman,  Pres.;  A.  Taylor,  V.  Pres.; 
Th.  McBean,  Sec;  E.  P.  Hastings,  T.;  O.  H.  Stilson,  Cor. 
Sec. 

In  1868,  a  band  was  organized,  with  George  Sjjencer 
leader. 

June,  1868,  a  new  bridge  was  placed  across  the  creek, 
near  Mr.  Allen's  residence. 


The  lumber  trade  at  the  Falls,  in  1868,  was — lumber, 
30,448,627;  shingles,  13,422,000;  lath,  5, 398, 000. 

A  great  fire  occurred  on  Wednesday,  February  24,  1869, 
having  caught  in  a  building  owned  by  Thomas  Phillips  and 
occupied  by  B.  F.  Carpenter.  The  total  destruction  of 
property  was  $75,000;  among  the  losers  were  Mr.  Marriner, 
Th.  Phillips,  Mrs.  Bell,  T.  L.  Halbert,  T.  W.  Martin,  Martin 
&  Swan,  E.  E.  Wood,  Th.  Hutchinson,  Pound,  Halbert  & 
Co.,  Stiles  &  Collins,  and  several  others. 

In  May,  1869,  there  was  a  big  jam  of  logs,  up  the  river, 
estimated  at  100,000,000  feet,  representing  100  acres  of 
sawed  timber,  piled  twenty  feet  high.  It  finally  gave  way 
and  came  down  without  loss. 

Late  in  the  Summer  of  1869,  a  new  road  to  the  woods 
was  laid  out. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1870,  Col.  George  C.  Ginty  be- 
gan the  publication  of  the  Chippewa  Herald,  a  paper  which 
has  since  been  noted  for  its  fairness  in  all  respects. 

A  stage  route  was  started  to  Augusta,  to  connect  with 
the  railroad  completed  to  that  point. 

The  first  charter  election  was  held  in  January,  1870. 
James  A.  Taylor  was  elected  Mayor;  Thomas  Morris, 
Treasurer;  John  Hall,  City  Clerk;  Police  Justice,  P.  H. 
Foster ;  Attorney,  William  R.  Hoyt ;  Assessor,  J.  E.  Pierce  ; 
Chief  of  Police,  Frederick  Hoenig;  Street  Commissioner, 
Louis  Nado;  Justice,  C.  L.  Dennison;  Surveyor,  R.  Pal- 
mer ;  Constables,  Louis  Vincent,  H.  Stanley,  N.  King. 

In  January,  1S70,  a  new  bridge,  across  the  Chippewa, 
was  completed,  twenty-five  feet  above  the  water,  twenty- 
three  feet  wide,  and  860  long,  at  a  cost  of  $43,500.  C.  B. 
Coleman  was  the  contractor. 

Col.  G.  A.  Henry  was  appointed  agent  by  the  Interior 
Department,  to  look  after  the  trespassers  on  the  pine  lands. 

August  25  and  26,  1870,  there  was  a  heavy  rain  and  a 
great  flood,  entailing  lieavy  losses.  The  boom  of  Mitchel 
&  Clement,  Hodgins  &  Robertsons,  Gilbert  &  Brothers,  on 
Yellow  River,  went  out.  A  large  amount  of  damage  was 
done. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  dedicated  on  September  18, 
1870.     Gen.  S.  Fallows  was  present. 

In  September,  1S70,  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a 
a  National  bank. 

October,  1870,  a  steam  fire  engine  was  procured  for  the 
city.     J.  \.  Taylor,  chief  engineer. 

The  Union  Lumber  Company,  for  the  season  of  1870, 
took  rafts  down  the  Mississippi  River,  containing  2,300,000 
feet  of  lumber,  100,000  lath,  and  40,000  pickets.  Such  a 
raft  would  cover  four  acres,  and  was  worth  $40,000. 

In  January,  187 1,  telegraph  communication  was  opened 
with  the  rest  of  the  world. 

November  22,  187 1,  there  was  a  grand  opening  of  the 
Tremont  House,  a  large  and  elegant  well-furnished  hotel, 
since  burned.  A  pleasant  party  assembled,  with  distin- 
guished guests,  supper,  toasts  and  speeches. 

Old  Settlers'  Re-union.— On  the  19th  of  December,  187 1, 
an  old  settlers'  re-union  was  held  at  the  Falls,  embracing 
the  pioneers  of  the  Chippewa  and  St.  Croix  valleys.  The 
company  was  welcomed  by  H.  S.  Allen  and  J.  M.  Bingham. 
The  response  was  made  by  Hod.  Taylor. 

At  the  election  in  April,  1872,  the  county  decided  that 
the  bridge  over  the  Chippewa  should  be  free. 

August  23,  1872,  the  Catholic  Church  was  dedicated 
with  imposing  ceremonies.  Bishop  Heiss  and  other  distin- 
guished priests  were  present,  and   inrticipated  in  the  event. 

October,  1872,  there  was  a  fearful  tornado  up  the  river, 
levelling  every  thing  in  a  tract  a  mile  or  two  wide. 

The  court-house  was  built  in  1872,  at  a  cost,  all  told,  of 
^70,000. 

The  Chippewa  Falls  &  Western  Railroad  Company  was 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


203 


organized  in  July,  1873.  Thad.  C.  Pound,  president;  J. 
B.  C.  Roberts,  vice-president;  L.  C.Stanley,  secretary;  D. 
E.  Seymour,  treasurer. 

In  September,  1873,  the  county  voted  on  the  question  of 
issuing  bonds  to  assist  the  Chippewa  Falls  &  Western  Rail- 
road. It  was  decided  in  the  negative,  the  Falls  and  town 
of  Anson  only  voting  for  it. 

»*  *  January  26,  1S74,  the  Tremont  House  was  burned. 
The  building  cost,  with  the  furnishing,  $150,000  ;  was  in- 
sured for  $55,000. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  1874,  a  meeting  of  citizens  was 
held  in  tiie  interest  of  building  a  bridge  across  the  Chip- 
pewa, just  below  the  Falls.  Thomas  F.  Leavitt  was  chair- 
man, and  A.  R.  Barrows,  secretary.  This  movement  finally 
resulted  in  the  construction  of  abridge  at  a  cost  of  $27,000, 
the  city  furnishing  *8,ooo. 

During  the  Summer  of  1874,  a  fine  iron  bridge  was  laid 
across  Duncan  Creek,  on  Central  street. 

In  September  1874,  a  medical  society  was  formed.  Dr. 
A.  McBean,  president ;  Dr.  Joseph  Fortier,  vice-president, 
who  was  also  made  secretary  and  treasurer. 

A  county  medical  society  was  organized  in  June,  1875. 
John  A.  McDonald,  M.D.,  president ;  W.W.  Bradeen,  M.D., 
vice-president;  George  Riddell,  treasurer;  S.  S.  Riddell, 
secretary. 

In  June,  1875,  the  railroad  to  Eau  Claire  was  completed, 
and  the  event  was  duly  celebrated  on  the  twenty-ninth. 
The  committee  of  arrangements  were  George  C.  Ginty,  A. 
E.  Pound,  H.  C.  McRae,  T.  F.  HoUister  and  H.  J,  God- 
dard,  and  a  committee  of  ladies.  Hon.  Thad.  C.  Pound 
was  president  of  the  day  ;  A.  S.  Stiles,  chief  marshal.  Gov. 
Pound  was  the  orator  for  the  occasion.  He  made  an  elo- 
quent address,  giving  a  cordial  welcome  to  all  who  had 
come  to  this  beautiful  valley.  Gov.  Taylor  was  present ; 
Mayor  Ludington,  of  Milwaukee;  John  Nazro  and  Dr.  O. 
W  Wight;  Gen.  .A.tvvood,  of  Madison ;  Judge  Humphrey, 
Alexander  Meggett  and  J.  G.  Thorpe,  of  Eau  Claire; 
Charles  R.  Gill,  Win  field  Smith,  Lyle  Mead,  Sat.  Clark 
and  a  large  number  of  other  distinguished  guests,  who  very 
happily  responded  to  the  appropriate  toasts  offered  on  the 
occasion,  among  them  a  delegation  of  Chippewa  Indians, 
who  were  in  the  procession,  and  excited  much  interest. 
They  came  down  with  their  interpreters,  expecting  to  have 
all  their  grievances  attended  to.  It  was  estimated  that 
12,000  people  were  in  the  city,  who  were  all  cared  for  in  a 
most  hospitable  manner.  The  procession  was  long  and 
imposing,  and  the  whole  celebration  was  one  worthy  of  the 
Falls,  and  reflecting  credit  upon  the  committee. 

The  corner-stone  of  a  new  jail  was  laid  July  25,  1875, 
and  the  following  September  the  Central  House  was  en- 
larged. 

In  the  town  of  Bloomer  a  mill  was  completed  in  1875 
by  Smith,  Brooks  &  McCauly.  It  was  32x50,  four  stories 
high,  it  had  three  Dayton  wheels,  and  was  first-class  in  ev- 
ery respect. 

The  advent  of  Leap  Year,  1876,  was  duly  celebrated 
by  the  ladies,  with  a  supper  and  ball  at  Hook's 
Hall.  It  was  a  recherche  affiiir.  The  floor  managers  were 
Mrs.  B.  E.  Reid  and  Mrs.   Thomas  L.  Halbert. 

An  ordinance  was  adopted  in  March,  1876,  authorizing 
A.  E.  Swift  and  brother  to  construct  gas-works  in  the  city, 
to  be  completed  by  the  15th  of  October. 

In  March,  1876,  the  new  post-office  was  completed  on 
Bridge  street,  and  was  occupied.  It  was  provided  with 
848  common  boxes  and  116  lock  boxes.  The  cost  of  the 
improvement  was  $1,500.  C.  M.  Prentice  superintended 
the  work.  H.  S.  Allen  is  entitled  to  great  credit  for  his 
public  s[)irit  in  thus  providinj;  for  the  postal  needs  of  the 
city. 


A  soap  factory  was  started  in  May,  1876,  by  E.  W.  Cap- 
ron  &  Co. 

July  22,  1876,  the  corner-stone  of  the  school-house  on 
the  hill  was  laid.  Rev.  Dr.  Goldsmith  delivered  an  address. 
The  contract  for  building  it  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Cum- 
niings  for  $3,300. 

In  July,  1876,  the  Chippewa  Herald  procured  steam 
machinery. 

During  the  Summer  of  1876,  the  St.  Joseph's  Mutual 
Benefit  Association  was  organized;  Dr.  Alex.  McBean, 
president. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1876,  2,500  barrels  of  flour 
were  shipped  from  the  city.  The  taxes  for  1876  were  $35,- 
995I7- 

In  the  Winter  of  1877,  the  Wisconsin  Legislature  dis- 
continued the  State  Road,  laid  out  in  1864,  between  Chip- 
pewa Falls  and  Augusta. 

A  Wisconsin  law  in  1876  created  a  municipal  judge  for 
Chippewa  County,  and  Henry  Coleman  was  elected  to  fill 
that  position. 

A  Juvenile  Temple  was  instituted  May  3,  1877,  by  Miss 
L.  J.  Robinson.  Eddie  Seymour  was  the  first  C.  T. ;  Efifie 
Morse,  V.  T.,  and  Mollie  Buckwalter,  R.  S. 

Up  to  1877,  as  many  as  thirty  different  steamers  had 
run  on  the  river  to  the  Falls. 

The  grist-mill  belonging  to  H.  S.  Allen  was  burned  in 
May,  1877,  entailing  a  loss  of  $25,000. 

A  party  of  explorers  from  Madison,  J.  D.  Butler  and 
others,  found  a  number  of  copper  implements,  tomahawks, 
spears,  arrow-heads,  etc.,  with  fifty  copper  beads. 

The  O'Toole  farm  was  purchased  by  the  Supervisors  in 
June,  1877,  for  $2,000,  as  a  poor-farm. 

The  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  receiver,  June  ri,  1877.     W.  H.  Ferry  was  the  receiver. 

In  the  Spring  of  1877,  great  excitement  prevailed  at  the 
Falls  and  on  the  river  in  relation  to  the  operations  of  the 
Beef  Slough  Company.  Public  meetings  were  held  and 
steps  taken  to  protect  the  lumbering  interest. 

The  Chippewa  Boom  and  Rafting  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  October,  1877. 

The  first  meeting  held  to  organize  an  Agricultural  So- 
ciety was  on  the  14th  of  November,  1877.  Col.  G.  C. 
Ginty  called  the  meeting  to  order.  Capt.  Wilson  Hopkins,  of 
Eagle  Prairie,  was  chosen  chairman,  and  T.  J.  Cunning- 
ham, secretary.  A  committee  headed  by  Col.  Ginty  was 
appointed  on  organization,  to  report  at  a  subsequent  meet- 
ing. The  organization  was  completed  on  December  11. 
L.  C.  Stanley  was  elected  president  ;  Wilson  Hopkins,  vice- 
president ;  W.  B.  Bartlett,  treasurer;  and  H.  C.  McRae, 
secretary,  with  a  board  of  trustees. 

A  Temple  of  Honor  was  instituted  December  11,  1877. 
John  A.  McRae  was  W.  C.  T.  There  were  thirty-seven 
charter  members. 

During  the  month  of  June,  187S,  there  was  quite  an  In- 
dian scare  in  the  valley.  A  wild  rumor  that  the  Chippewas 
and  Sioux  had  united  to  exterminate  the  white  settlers  of 
the  valley  was  caused  by  the  frequent  meetings  in  war- 
paint and  feathers  to  enjoy  a  new  dance  which  had  been 
introduced  by  a  Cheyenne  squaw  on  a  visit. 

The  firemen  went  on  an  excursion  to  a  tournament  in 
Cliicago,  taking  along  the  Chippewa  Band,  which  had  sev- 
enteen pieces,  under  the  leadership  of  Fred  Bonnell.  This 
was  early  in   December,  1878. 

There  came  very  near  being  a  lynching  in  December, 
1878.  Frank  Goodhue,  an  inoffensive  young  man,  was 
foully  murdered  for  $100,  which  he  had  in  his  pocket. 
Charles  W.  Chase  was  arrested  coming  to  the  Falls.  A 
crowd  gathered,  took  him  from  the  jail,  put  a  rope  around 
his  neck,  but  in  the  darkness  he  escaped,  was  recaptured. 


204 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  jailed  in  Eau  Claire ;  and  finally  tried,  found  guilty, 
and  sentenced  to  Waupun  for  life,  narrowly  escaping  death 
from  a  mob  the  second  time. 

The  Mechanics'  Protective  Association  was  formed  Au- 
gust 27,  1S79.  A.  R.  McDonald,  president;  George  Shan- 
non, secretary;  A.  H.  Cowles,  treasurer. 

A  public  meeting  was  held  on  the  i6th  of  February, 
1S80,  to  confer  with  a  delegation  from  Eau  Claire  in  the 
lumber  interest.  The  leading  citizens  took  part,  and  a  gen- 
eral feeling  was  manifested  that  the  two  cities  particularly 
should  act  in  harmony  in  the  management  and  develop- 
ment of  the  lumber  business,  and  that  no  projects  inimical 
to  the  prosperity  of  any  location  should  be  permitted. 

There  was  a  great  flood  on  Duncan  Creek,  March  27, 
1880.  This  was  a  local  affair,  but  it  carried  down  several 
bridges  and  two  dams.  Among  these  were  the  Glen  Flour 
Mill  Bridge.  Bender's  Bridge,  McRae  &  Co.'s  dam,  and  the 
one  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek  that  carried  the  machine 
shop.  The  loss  to  the  city  was  $1,500,  to  individuals  much 
more. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1880,  the  bridge  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Yellow  River  was  carried  away  by  a  jam  of  logs.  It 
was. built  in  1873,  by  the  towns  of  Anson  and  Sigel,  at  a 
cost  of  §29,000. 

Another  freshet  on  Duncan  Creek  occurred  on  the  4th 
and  5th  of  June,  1880.  Mills  were  damaged,  new  channels 
cut,  notably  one  near  Mr.  Allen's  house,  whicli  left  an  un- 
sightly cut  with  bare  and  jagged  rocks.  Dams,  and  even 
houses,  were  carried  down  stream,  sweeping  away  the  iron 
bridge  on  Central  street,  and  leaving  huge  islands  of  gravel 
in  mid-stream  at  several  points.  The  damage  was  estimated 
at  $20,000. 

May  13,  iSSo,  Gate  City  Council  of  Templars  was 
formed.  C.  of  C,  T-  A.  Hamilton;  Recorder,  Andreas 
Sherry. 

On  the  nth  of  June,  1880,  the  Chippewa  got  on  its  pe- 
riodical and  resistless  rise.  Following  an  unusual  amount 
of  rain,  the  volume  of  water  increased,  and  on  the  12th,  a 
jam  of  logs  which  had  accumulated  four  miles  above  the 
falls,  gave  way  and  came  thundering  down,  the  river  was  a 
surging,  tumbling,  struggling  mass  of  logs.  Some  time  in 
the  forenoon  the  logs  all  got  by.  About  noon  another  rush 
came  from  a  jam  on  the  Yellow  River.  The  river  rose  to 
sixteen  feet  above  low  water;  at  dark  the  river  had  risen 
two  feet  more.  The  rushing,  maddened  torrent  was  awful 
in  its  terrifying  grandeur.  About  10  o'clock  at  night  the 
upper  bridge  could  stand  the  pressure  no  longer  and  gave 
way.  The  collision  against  the  lower  bridge  reverberated 
through  the  town,  above  the  turmoil  and  roar  of  the  surging 
waters.  A  few  moments  of  awful  suspense,  and  the  center 
spans  began  to  sway  and  surge  and  groan,  and  soon  gave 
way,  leaving  the  two  western  spans  standing.  These  started 
to  join  their  companions  at  8  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning. 
The  other  span  stood  fast  until  Monday,  when  that  too 
joined  the  jirocession  in  its  aqueous  march  to  the  Sea. 
That  day  a  re-enforcement  of  logs  from  Little  Falls  Dam 
came  down.  The  Chippewa  Lumbering  and  Boom  Com- 
pany's logs  and  works  accepted  the  inevitable  and  were 
swept  down  with  the  current.  The  buildings  near  the  river 
south  of  Bridge  street  were  in  great  danger  of  being  washed 
away. 

A  large  force  of  men  were  set  to  work  with  brush,  sand- 
bags, and  all  available  appliances,  and  it  was  not  until  after 
forty  hours'  labor  that  the  danger  was  passed.  By  Monday 
afternoon,  the  waters  began  to  subside,  having  been  up 
twenty-four  feet.  'I"he  Chippewa  L.  &  B.  Co.  had  40,000,- 
000  and  lost  25,000,000.  It  cost  $10,000  to  put  the  mill 
running  again.  The  loss  on  bridges  was  $60,000.  Fortu- 
nately, no  lives  were  lost. 


Jiily  15,  1880,  P.  M.  Purtell,  of  Milwaukee,  received  the 
contract  for  rebuilding  the  lower  Chippewa  bridge,  for 
$10,848. 

J.  W.  Howieson  was  awarded  the  contract  for  replacing 
the  Spring  street  bridge  across  Duncan  Creek.     . 

After  the  flood,  a  free  ferry  was  started,  but  it  was  made 
a  toll  ferry  on  the  15th  of  July. 

A  new  free  ferry  was  put  on  higher  up  the  river  on  Au- 
gust 6th. 

A  connection  was  made  with  the  Wisconsin  Central  at 
Abbotsford,  November  22,  1880,  and  regular  trains  began 
running  between  St.  Paul  and  Milwaukee  via  Eau  Claire 
and  Chippewa  Falls. 

Decoration  Day,  May  30,  1881,  was  observed  with  more 
than  usual  preparation.  Gen.  Sheridan  was  present.  Gen. 
W.  D.  Whipple,  and  other  distinguished  guests.  Hollon 
Richardson  was  chief  marshal ;  Lt.-Gov.  Bingham,  orator  ; 
Rev.  Dr.  Goldsmith,  chaplain. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

H.  S.  ALLEN,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Clielsea,  Orange  Co., 
Vt.,  Sept.  18,  1806,  living  there  until  1832.  In  May  of  that  year,  he 
removed  to  Petersburg,  111.  In  1S33,  he  went  to  Galena,  and  July  4, 
1S34.  he  left  there  on  a  keel-boat,  and  poled  it  all  the  way  up  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Menomonee  River,  and  went  to  logging  in  Wisconsin; 
remained  at  Menomonee,  and  in  that  vicinity,  engaged  in  manufacturing 
lumber  until  1S46  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  engaged  in 
same  business,  which  he  continued  until  the  Fall  of  1S69  ;  continued 
to  do  more  or  less  lumbering  until  1879.  Mr.  Allen  entered  the  first 
land  here,  laid  out  the  town,  built  the  first  grist-mill,  first  flouring-mill, 
opened  the  first  farm  in  this  vicinity,  and  has  always  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  various  business  interests  of  this  place.  For  many 
years  he  carried  on  mercantile  business  in  connection  with  his  other 
enterprises.  Mr.  Allen  was  married  in  1839,  to  Mary  DeMarie.  They 
have  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 

JOHN  D.  APMANN,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  the  Fall  of  1S65,  located  at  Chippewa  Falls,  and  commenced  saloon 
and  bakery  in  partnership  with  Joseph  Muckenhausen.  They  continued 
together,  for  two  years ;  then  he  was  associated  with  Fred  Marx,  for  one 
year;  afterwards  engaged  with  "Simon  Traeger,"  for  one  year; 
since  then  he  has  been  alone.  Born  in  Germany,  1833  ;  came 
to  .\merica  in  1855,  and  farmed  in  Iowa  and  Minnesota;  married  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  Oct.  4,  1869,  to  Amelia  Hering,  born  in  Gernianv. 
They  have  two  children— Amelia  P.  and  Carl   F. 

E.  De  F.  BARNETT,  cashier  of  Seymour's  Bank,  a  son  of  Joel 
Barnett,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1852. 
They  located  in  St.  Croix  County,  where  he  resided  until  1871,  when  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  After  coming  here,  he  was  for  one  year  enga- 
ged in  insurance  business.  He  then  entered  the  banking-house  of  D. 
E.  Seymour,  as  book-keeper,  which  position  he  held  until  he  was 
appointed  cashier  of  the  same  institution,  .•\ug.  i,  18S0.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Chippewa  Falls,  May  27,  1875.  to  Marietta  Rogers.  She  was 
born  in  Madison.  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  child —  Ella  Mary, 
born  Oct.  22,  1879.  Mr.  Barnett's  parents  still  reside  in  St.  Croix 
County. 

J.  U.  BARNETT,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854. 
His  father,  Joel  Barnett,  settled  with  his  family  in  Kinnickkinnick, 
St.  Croix  Co.,  having  previously  lived  at  Cottage  Grove,  in  Minnesota, 
for  two  years.  In  May,  1871,  J.  D.  came  from  St.  Croix  County  to 
Chippewa  Falls ;  opened  an  insurance  office  here ;  conducted  that 
business  for  one  year,  then  became  cashier  of  D.  E.  Seymour's  bank ; 
remained  in  that  position  until  August,  1880,  when  he  became  connected 
with  the  Mississippi  Logging  Company,  taking  charge  of  the  buying 
and  driving  of  logs  at  this  point.  He  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Jan. 
2,  1845;  married  at  River  Falls,  Wis.,  Dec.  13  1871,  to  Mary,  daughter 
of  Hon.  B.  C.  Cox,  an  early  settler  of  St.  Croix  County.  She  is  a 
native  of  Ohio.  They  have  three  children—  Charles  Dwight,  Marga- 
ret Adelle  and  Mary  Amelia.  Mr.  Barnett  was  City  Assessor,  one  year. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Com- 
mandery.  Aug.  22,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A.  44th  Wis.  V.  I. ;  served 
in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  until  he  was  mustered  out,  July  4,  1S65. 

ANDREW  J.  BATE,  with  the  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Company, 
was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  Feb.  27.  1S42  ;  lived  in  Massachusetts 
until  he  came  to  Madison.  Wis.,  in  1868;  remained  thereabout  six  months, 
then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  employed  as  book-keeper  and 
salesman  in  mercantile  business  for  about  five  years;  was  a  member  of 
the  police  force  for  three  years.  Chief  of  Police  a  portion  of  the  time. 
:  the  Spring  of  1880,  he  has  been  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Chip- 


pewa Lumber  &  Boom  Company.     In  Apr 


1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co. 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


205 


3d  Mass.  V.  I.;  served  three  months  in  that  regiment,  and  re-enlisted  in 
Co.  C,  20th  Mass.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  December,  1864.  After  leav- 
ing the  army,  he  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  remained  there  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Jan.  — ,  1870, 
to  Florence  B.,  daughter  of  Charles  B.  and  Thersa  A.  (Bell)  Chapman. 
She  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada.  They  have  one  son,  Charles  Cole- 
man. 

ANTOIN  BERG,  contractor  of  lath-mill,  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Company,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  'in  i86g  ;  located 
at  Lafayette,  Chippewa  Co.,  and  was  employed  in  a  saw-mill  there  four 
years,  then  went  to  Badger's  Mill,  Wis.,  running  lath  mill  for  six  years; 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  iSSo,  and  engaged  in  present  business.  Mill 
cuts  from  110,000  to  120,000  lath  per  day  of  twenty-two  hours.  Is  also 
contractor  of  picket-mill  of  C.  L.  &  B.  Co.,  which  has  a  daily  capacity 
of  2,000  to  3,000  pickets.  He  employs  twenty-seven  men  in  both  mills. 
Was  born  in  Norway,  Aug.  18,  1842  ;  married  there,  Sept.  5,  1869,  to 
Margurite  Olsen,  a  native  of  that  country,  who  died  at  Chippewa  Falls, 
May  12,  1880.  Has  three  living  children— Henry,  Antoin  and  Ovidee, 
and  two  deceased. 


HON.  J.  M.  BINGHAM,  lawyer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Palmyra 
in  the  Summer  of  1854,  and  lived  there  until  1871,  when  he  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  1856,  and  has 
continued  it  ever  since.  He  was  married  Dec.  31,  1856,  in  Lester,  Liv- 
ingston Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  a  native  of  that  place — Justina  M.  Dwight,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  William  C.  Dwight,  of  Moscow,  N.  Y.  They  have 
three  children— Clifford  Dwight.  Walter  Percy  and  Catherine  Isabella. 
During  Mr.  Bingham's  residence  in  Wisconsin,  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  local  and  Stale  affairs.  At  the  present  time  (1881)  he  is 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  .State.  His  abilities  are  of  a  high  order, 
known  to  be  a  man  of  unquestioned  integrity,  and  capable  of  tilling  the 
responsible  positions  cif  his  country  with  honor  and  credit. 

PETER  BERGEVIN,  City  Treasurer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  May  3,  1866  ;  located  in  this  place,  and  was  engaged  in  clerk- 
ing in  mercantile  business  up  to  1874  ;  was  elected  City  Treasurer  in 
that  year;  re-elected  in  1875  ;  then  up  to  1880,  was  employed  in  lum- 
bering on  his  own  account.  Was  re-elected  City  Treasurer,  April  6, 
1881.  Born  in  Canada,  April  14.  1840  ;  came  to  America,  1865  ;  was  in 
Minnesota  for  one  year.  Married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  April  ig.  i86g,  to 
Celind  Billiard ;  born  in  Upper  Canada.  They  have  four  children — 
Frank,  Orelia,  Albina  and  Edward;  two  deceased. 


BARNARD  BIBEAU,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1867,  and  located  at  La  Crosse;  was  employed  at  lumbering  two 
years  ;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  i86g,  and  worked  in  the  woods  five 
years.  He  commenced  present  business  March  13,1878;  was  born  in 
Canada,  Jan.  30,  1849,  and  previous  to  coming  to  Wisconsin  was  en- 
gaged at  farming  there. 

DAVID  BLAIR,  proprietor  "Eagle  Point "  saloon,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1867;  located  at  Chippewa  Falls,  and  was  engaged  for  thir- 
teen years  in  saw-mill,  rafting,  farming,  etc.  Commenced  present  busi- 
ness April  I.  1881.  Born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  July  22,  1S53;  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1867.  Married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Oct.  6,  1877, 
to  Anna  Myrtle,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  They  have  one  child,  aged 
two  and  a  half  years. 

JAMES  A.  BLAKE,  filer  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Company, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1865;  located  at  La  Crosse,  where 
he  was  in  business  with  Martin  Jefferson  for  a  year,  and  in  the  woods 
six  months.  Then  went  to  the  pineries  on  Black  River  for  seven 
months,  and  was  rafting  on  thit  river  for  a  short  time;  went  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1868  ;  was  employed  two  months  in  saw-mill ;  engaged  build- 
ing a  dam  on  river  near  Alma,  and  rafting.  Then  went  to  Eau  Claire  in 
mills,  sawing  and  filing  for  twelve  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in 
May,  1881,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity.  Born  in  West  Virginia,  Oct. 
5,  1845  ;  enlisted  in  1S63,  in  3d  W.  Va.  C,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  principally  under  Gen.  Sheridan.  Married  at  Eau  Claire,  July 
4,1871,  to  Jennie  Hill,  who  was  born  at  Milltown,  Me.  They  have 
four  children— Marietta  E.,  Annie  E.,  Edna  M.  and  Anna  M. 

AMEDE  BONCHER,  proprietor  Woodman's  Home  (hotel),  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  m  1874;  located  at  Chippewa  Falls; 
employed  in  woods  for  some  years,  and  for  four  years  as  foreman  of  log- 
ging camp.  Commenced  present  business  June  23,  1881.  Was  born  in 
Canada  in  December,  1S49  ;  came  to  the  "United  States  in  1868,  and 
was  employed  in  various  capacities  in  the  State  of  Vermont.  Married 
in  Chippewa  Falls,  May  5,  1881,  to  Mary  Hebart,  a  native  of  that 
place. 

FRANK  BONVILLE,  lumbering  and  farming,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854  ;  located  at  this  place,  and  engaged  in  the 
lumbering  business,  and  also  farming  ;  owns  two  farms  in  Chippewa 
County,  comprising  340  acres,  185  improved.  Born  in  Canada  in  1828  ; 
employed  in  farming  and  in  woods  some  years  ;  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1S51  ;  lived  in  the  State  of  Maine  three  years,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  various  capacities.  Married  in  Quebec,  Canada,  in  July,  185S, 
to  Mary  Blair.  They  have  five  children — Mary,  Milleny,  Louisa,  Joseph 
and  Frank. 

W.  A.  BOUTELLE,  millinery,  fancy  goods  and  dress-making,  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  March,  1S77,  and  located  at  this  place, 
engaging  in  present  business;  was  born  in  Canada,  1836;  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1856;  was  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  clerking,  for  two 
years;  was  in  Vermont  for  four  years;  was  in  business  as  blacksmith  in 
California  four  years;  then  went  to  Vermont  in  1S68,  in  fancy  goods  and 
millinery  business  up  to  June,  1876;  married  at  Montpellier,  Vt.  i860;  wife 
deceased.  They  had  one  child,  Hattie  ;  married  again  in  Fall  of  1869, 
to  Selina  Philbrook,  born  in  Vermont ;  have  two  children — Gertrude  and 
Alice. 

J.  C.  BRONSKY,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Bohemia, 
July  25,  1851  ;  came  with  his  parents  to  America,  in  1852  ;  lived  in  Ra- 
cine, Wis.,  one  year,  then  in  Winona,  Minn.,  until  1871,  then  he  came  to 
Portage,  Wis.;  resided  there  until  1873,  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  ever  since  he  came  here — first  seven 
years,  in  partnership  with  W.  T.  Dalton  ;  since  then,  alone  in  business. 
He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  in  April,  1S77,  to  Anna  W.  Cum- 
mings,  daughter  of  M.  J.  Cummings,  of  this  place.  She  was  born  at 
Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  three  children — Lucy  Mary, 
John  Joseph  and  Amelia  Mary.  Mr.  Bronsky  is  a  member  of  the  St. 
Joseph's  Benevolent  Society. 

ALANSON  C.  BRUCE,  dealer  in  pine  lands,  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Newark,  Caledonia  Co.,  Vt.,  June  28,  1847, 
When  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  he  went  to  the  town  of  Industry. 
Franklin  Co.,  Maine.  That  was  his  home  until  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  Wis.,  in  1870.  Lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1876,  wlien  he  came 
to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  has  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  pine  lands  ever 
since  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  for  about  some  time  also  interested  in 
logging  operations.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  April  13,1873,10 
Mary  E.  Manter.     She  was  born  in  New  Vineyard,  Franklin  Co.,  Maine. 

DANIEL  BUCHANAN,  Jr.,  lawyer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Ft,  Winnebago.  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  July  11,  1S51.  and  lived  there  until 
i860,  when  he  moved  to  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  County,  where  he  resided 
until  1865,  when  he  went  to  Rio,  Columbia  County,  and  in  .•\pril,  1S73, 
came  from  there  to  Eau  Claire,  and  in  March,  1S77,  from  the  latter  place 
to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  attended  Wisconsin  University  for  two  years, 
graduating  from  the  law  department  of  that  institution,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  June,  1872.  He  taught  school  during  the  Winter 
of  1872-3,  and  commenced  practice  with  Bartlett  &   Hayden,  of  Eau 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Claire,  continuing  wilh  them  fui  four  years,  lie  ha^  been  in  practice 
over  eight  years. 

FRANK  M.  BUZZELL,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Shalersville,  Ohio,  Sept.  30,  1844;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1846;  located  in  what  is  now  Green  Lake  County  (then  Marquette 
County);  lived  there  until  1S65  ;  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  ;  engaged 
in  farming  in  the  town  of  Eagle  Point,  until  1877.  In  the  Fall  of  1S79, 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  in  partnership  with  F.  M.  Clougti, 
and  they  still  continue  together.  July  20,  1867,  he  was  married  in  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  to  Thurza,  daughter  of  Charles  B.  Coleman.  She  was  born 
in  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children — Eva,  Ada,  and 
an  infant  son. 

GUS.  CAESAR,  dealer  in  jewelry,  clocks,  watches,  silver  and  plated 
ware,  etc.,  Chipp.wa  Falls,  was  horn  in  Sweden,  Feb.  20,  1S45  ;  came  to 
America,  March  28.  l86g;  was  located  at  Stillwater,  Minn.,  for  one  year 
prior  to  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls,  March  20,  1S70.  He  was  married 
at  Swede  Lake,  near  Taylor's  Falls,  Minn.,  Feb,  18,  1S70,  to  Christina 
Danielson,  a  native  of  Sweden.  Theytiave  three  children  living — Jen- 
nie, Ernst  and  Amanda;  lost  one  son,  Charles,  who  died  Nov.  7,  1877, 
aged  five  years.  Mr.  Caesar  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge 
and  Chapter,  and  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  subordinate  lodge  and  encampment. 

OTIS  E.  CARD,  assistant  millwright  Chippewa  Lumber  and  Boom 
Company,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S64,  and  located  in 
Anson  -  was  employed  at  teaming  and  running  ferry-boat  for  three  years, 
then  in  farming  for  two  years,  at  Eagle  Point ;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls 
in  l86g,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since  1870;  was  born 
in  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1842,  first  business  experiences  were  in 
farming  and  milling  there  ;  married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  in  Fall  of  1866, 
to  Lucy  J.  Sheldon,  born  in  this  State.  They  have  three  children — 
AUyda,  Edward  and  Charles. 

JAMES  CARROLL,  filer  Chippewa  Lumber  and  Boom  Company, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1859,  and  located  at  this  place ; 
was  gang  sawyer  in  present  mill  for  seven  years,  and  has  been  engaged 
as  tiler  some  fifteen  years;  some  of  this  time  assisted  in  pier  and  boom 
building;  was  born  in  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick,  Canada,  Dec.  26, 
1833  ;  left  there  with  parents,  at  two  years  of  age,  and  resided  at  Ottawa, 
Canada;  was  engaged  as  sawyer  in  mill  for  four  years;  came  to  United 
States  in  1859  ;  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Aug.  15,  i860,  to  Mary  H.  Don- 
aldson, born  in  Canada.  I'hey  have  ten  children — Roger,  cook  for  C. 
L.  &  B.  Co.;  James,  employed  in  the  mill;  John,  Thomas  W.,  Jennie, 
Annie,  Ida,  Lottie,  Winnifred  and  Frances. 

PRONE  CARTER,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  l866,  located  at  this  place,  and  was  employed  in  the 
woods  one  Winter,  then  commenced  m  present  business;  has  built  some 
of  the  prominent  business  blocks  and  residences  in  tliis  city;  was  Alder- 
man of  the  Third  Ward  for  the  year  1877;  born  in  Canada,  Sept.  15, 
1847;  leained  carpentering,  etc.,  there  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
l8ti6;  married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Oct.  11,  1870,  to  Margaret  Allard, 
born  in  Canada.  They  have  four  children — Joseph,  Josephine,  Marga- 
ret and  Charles. 

TRACY  MORGAN  GARY,  assistant  cashier  First  National  Bank, 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1854,  and 
came  this  place  Oct.  4,  1873,  to  accept  a  position  in  the  First  National 
Bank,  with  which  instiiuiion  he  has  been  connected  ever  since.  He 
was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  26,  1877,  to  Mary  Gertrude  Crut- 
tenden,  who  was  born  in  Morris,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one 
child  Clara  Maria.     Mr.  Gary  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

JOSEPH  S.  CHEVINGNY,  contractor  and  builder,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  December,  :88o,  and  located  at  this  place.  Has  been  en- 
gaged in  present  capacity  since.  Born  in  Canada,  May  22,  1851; 
resided  with  father  and  assisted  him  in  farming.  Married  in  Canada, 
July  15.  1871,10  Zellie  Kissel,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  Came  to 
United  States  in  1872  and  was  in  State  of  Massachusetts  for  seven  years, 
engaged  in  building  and  contracting.  Then  traveled  through  Western 
States  for  one  year.     They  have  one  child,  Arthur,  aged  nine  years. 

TIMOTHY  CHERRIER,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.,  July  18,  1836.  Lived  there  until  1864,  when  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  Was  employed  in  the  mills  for  five  years.  He 
then  worked  as  scaler,  etc.,  in  the  woods  for  about  four  years  ;  carried 
on  liquor  business  for  several  years,  and  in  1878  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  with  his  present  partner,  Joseph  Mandelert.  Mr.  Cherrier  was 
married  in  Prairie  du  Chien,  Dec.  11,  1858,  to  Lucy  Larivier,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Prairie  du  Chien.  They  have  nine  children— Charles,  Timothy, 
Alice,  Louis,  John,  Frank,  I'cter  and  Emily.  Mr.  C.  is  vice-president  of 
the  Society  ol  St.  John  the  Baptist. 

FRANCIS  M.  CLOUGH,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Homer,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  27,  1843.  When  he  was  sLn  years  of 
age  his  mother  died,  and  he  came  with  an  uncle  to  Walworth  County, 
where  he  lived  until  1855.  He  then  came  to  Sparta  and  remained  there 
until  1859.  At  that  time  he  went  to  Tully,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
resided  until  Sept.  17,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  75th  N.  Y.  V.  I. 
He  participated  in  all  engagements  of  his  regiment,  and  was  mustered 


out  Sept.  24,  1865.  After  leaving  the  army,  he  came  to  Sparta  again, 
resided  there  and  in  that  vicinity  until  1870,  then  came  to  Chippewa 
Falls,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  until  October,  1S79.  when  he 
commenced  business  for  himself,  in  partnership  wilh  Frank  M.  Buzzell, 
who  is  still  associated  with  him.  He  was  married  in  Sparta  to  Miss  D. 
Gilbert,  who  died  in  June,  1870,  leaving  one  child,  Hettie  A.  His  pres- 
ent wife  was  Annabel  Phillips,  a  native  of  Freeport,  III.  They  were 
married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Oct.  15.  1879.  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.  His  father,  John  G.  Clough,  is  now  a  resident  of  Rice 
Lake   Barron  Co.,  Wis. 

W.  H.  CLIFTON,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1876,  and  located  in  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1877,  and 
was  employed  some  eighteen  months  in  Central  Hotel.  Commenced 
present  business  May  I,  1879.  Is  drum  major  of  Pioneer  Brass  Band, 
Chippewa  Falls,  and  also  of  Eau  Claire  Brass  Band.  Born  in  Lowell, 
Mass.,  Oct.  10,  1847.  Married  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Nov.  11,  1869,  to 
Kate  Almy,  who  was  born  in  Tiverton,  R.  I.  They  have  one  child, 
William  A.,  seven  years  old. 

GEORGE  W.  COCHRAN,  proprietor  Sherman  House  and  saloon, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1871,  located  at  La  Crosse,  and 
Was  engaged  as  steward  and  cook  on  steamboat  for  two  years.  Came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  and  remained  one  year  as  cook  in  Tremont  House. 
Returned  to  La  Crosse,  was  engaged  on  steamboat  for  two  years,  then 
in  hotel  and  other  lines  of  business  for  some  three  years,  afterwards  at 
Phillips,  Wis.,  as  cook  in  hotel  for  over  a  year.  Returned  to  Chippewa 
Falls  and  was  employed  for  some  time  in  Central  House.  Opened 
present  business,  May,  1881.  Married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Dec.  15, 1873, 
to  Adelaide  Nelson,  who  was  born  in  Maine.  They  have  two  children 
—Grace  M.  and  Harold. 

LOUIS  CODERRE,  law  student,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  Dec.  25,  1842.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  March  i, 
1866,  engaged  in  lumbering  until  1870,  when  he  went  to  California, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  then  returned  to  this  place  and  was  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  and  clerking  until  he  commenced  the  study  of  law, 
Oct.  15,  1874.  He  was  married  m  Chippewa  Falls.  Sept.  23,  1S75,  to 
C.  E.  Ella  Nire.     She  is  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Quebec. 

WILLIAM  A.  CODY,  contractor  of  shingle  mill,  Ctiippewa  Lum- 
ber &  Boom  Co.,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867.  Lo- 
cated at  Green  Bay,  and  engaged  in  manufacturing  shingles  for  four 
years,  then  went  to  Marquette,  Mich,  for  three  years  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  then  to  Warren,  Pa.  for  eighteen  monlhs,  was  afterwards 
employed  on  G.  B.  &  M.  R.  R.  at  Green  Bay  for  four  years.  Came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  in  1S80  and  engaged  in  present  business.  Capacity  of 
mill,  150,000  shingles  per  day.  Born  in  Cleveland,  N.  Y. ;  married  at 
Green  Bay,  Dec.  2S,  18S0,  to  Annie  L.  Healy.  who  was  born  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.     He  is  a  son  of  John  Cody,  merchant  at  Ft.  Howard,  Wis. 

FRANK  A.  COLBURN,  Sheriff,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Oakfield,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  17,  1842,  and  came  to  the  town  of 
Genesee,  in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S45.  He  lived  there  ten  years, 
and  moved  to  the  town  of  Newport,  Columbia  Co.,  with  his  parents, 
Alonzo  William  and  Mary  Polly  (Parker)  Colburn,  both  now  residents 
of  White  Creek,  Adams  Co.  He  moved  from  Columbia  County  to  Sauk 
County,  and  lived  there  two  years,  until  the  Fall  of  1S61,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  C,  I2th  Wis.  V.  I.  In  1S64,  he  re-enlisted  in  Co. 
H.  nth  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  finally  mustered  out  in  the  Fall 
of  1865.  Returning  to  Columbia  County,  he  lived  there  two  years,  then 
moved  to  Black  River  Falls;  was  there  one  Winter,  and  the  following 
Spring  and  Summer  was  engaged  in  piloting,  etc.,  on  the  Wisconsin 
River.  In  the  Fall  of  1868,  he  came  to  Chippewa  County,  and  worked 
in  the  woods  the  first  Winter ;  has  been  logging  and  lumbering  most  of 
the  time  since.  He  was  Sheriff  in  1875  and  1876,  the  first  Sheriff  after 
the  new  jail  was  built.  He  was  re-elected  in  the  Fall  of  1S80,  being 
the  only  Sheriff  re-elected  in  the  county.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
town  of  Sigel,  and  is  Treasurer  of  the  Chippewa  Falls  Soldiers'  &  Sail- 
ors' Association.  He  was  married  in  Kilbourn  City,  Nov.  12,  1872,  to 
Ella  F.  Norris,  who  was  born  in  Moira,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have 
two  children — Jessie  J.  and  Bert  A. 

DUDLEY  G.  COLEMAN,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  at  Flat 
Lands,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  June  18,  1849.  When  he  was  a  child,  his 
parents  removed  with  their  family  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  That  was  his 
home  until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  in  April.  1875.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  27,  1S77.  to  Clara  G.  Edkin,  a  native  of 
Williamsport,  Pa.  Mr.  Coleman  was  for  several  years  in  the  employ  of 
the  Union  Lumber  Company  and  its  successors  ;  afterwards  spent  one 
year  in  New  York,  then  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  has  since  been 
with  C.  F.  Smith,  as  salesman  in  his  grocery  store.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  mother,  Mary  W.  (.Mattock)  Coleman,  died  here 
in  1877.  His  father,  Samuel  S.Coleman,  is  now  a  resident  of  Chippewa  j 
Falls. 

EDWARD  H.  COLEMAN,  dealer  in  books  and  stationery,  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  is  a  son  of  Hon.  Henry  Coleman,  of  this  city,  who  located 
here  with  his  family  in  1857.  Edward  was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  26,   1842.     He  enlisted  in   Co.  K,  30th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Aug.  6,  1862 ; 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


207 


served  until  October,  1865.  He  served  as  Clerk  of  the  Municipal  Court 
from  1876  to  iSSi  ;  also  as  City  Clerk  from  1879  to  1S81,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  his  present  business  since  July,  1881.  Mr.  Coleman  was 
married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  June  20,  1880,  to  Mary  R.  Bowe.  She  was 
born  at  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.     They  have  one  child,  Mary  P. 

CHARLES  B.  COLEMAN  (deceased)  was  born,  1S09,  in  Ghent, 
Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.;  resided  in  Rochester,  N.  V.,  from  1826  to  1859, 
when  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  remaining  there  until  i860,  when 
he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.     Here  he  resided  until  the  Spring  of  1874, 


when,  ha 


silver  mining 


Co.,  Cal.,  he 


went  there,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  spending  much  of  his  time  in  San 
Francisco,  where  he  died  Sept.  12,  1875.  Early  in  life  he  devoted  him- 
self to  mechanical  pursuits,  and  followed  this  line  of  business  through 
life,  giving  to  his  work  an  amount  of  energy  that  was  at  times  wonder- 
ful, and  that  was  sufficient  to  place  him  in  the  front  rank  of  architects 
and  builders.  He  was  never  idle,  but,  on  the  contrary,  best  enjoyed 
undertakings  of  magnitude,  involving    much   labor  and  risk.     He  built 


some  of  the  fin 


building 


Rochester,  N.  Y.;    built  the  Seminary  ; 


Lima,  N.  Y.,  a  magnificent  church  in  Toronto,  Canada,  ana  numerous 
other  fine  edifices.  He  has  left  in  Chippewa  County  the  proofs  of  his 
mechanical  ability  in  the  shape  of  bridges  and  buildings  of  his  construc- 
tion. He  was  made  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  in  1045,  and  this 
order  was  especially  dear  to  him.  He  was  also  an  Odd  Fellow  of  many 
years  standing.  Mr,  Coleman  was  married  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  June  5, 
1848,  to  ThurEaA.  Pell,  who  was  born  in  Bethel,  Ohio,  Sept.  29,  1825. 
She  now  resides  in  Chippewa  Falls. 

HON.  HENRY  COLEMAN,  Judge  of  the  Municipal  Court,  Chip- 
pewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Ghent,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  22,  1814; 
lived  there  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  then  went  to  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  in  April, 
1857  ;  took  charge  of  H.  S.  Allen  &  Co.'s  store,  and  was  connected  with 
the  store  and  mill  until  Pound,  Halbert  &  Co.  purchased  the  property. 
He  then  took  charge  of  the  mill,  and  continued  thereuntil  1873.  He 
was  Lumber  Inspector  of  the  Sixth  District  for  two  years.  He  has  been 
Municipal  Judge  ever  since  the  office  was  created.  For  six  years  he  was 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  in  early  days  held  the  office  of  Town 
Assessor  several  years  ;  was  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  one 
term.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In  October,  1S37,  he  was 
married  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  to  Persis  Marshall,  a  native  of  Concord,  N. 
H.  They  have  five  children  living— Edward  H.,  Elizabeth  M.,  Marietta, 
Henry  B.  and  Ernest.     Lost  three  children;  they  died  in  infancy. 

URGEL  COLLETT,  druggist,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  May  16,  1856.  When  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age 
he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  with  his  parents,  Ambrose  and  Eloise  Col 
lett,  both  natives  of  Quebec,  and  are  both  residents  of  Chippewa  tails 
Mr.  C.  was  employed  as  druggist's  clerk  for  six  years  prior  to  October 
1880,  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
St.  Joseph's  Society. 

JOSEPH  E.  COLLETT,  photographer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  186S  ;  located  at  this  place,  where  he  lived  with  his  parents 
some  years  ;  has  been  employed  in  present  business  from  1879  to 
March,  1881,  and  then  began  on  his  own  account.  Was  born  in  Can 
ada,  Dec.  l6,  1861  ;  is  a  son  of  Ambrose  Collett,  farmer.  He  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1868,  with  his  parents. 

JAMES  COMERFORD,  County  Clerk,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  here 
in  April,  1866,  and  was  employed  as  a  clerk  for  about  twelve  years  In 
1878,  he  was  elected  County  Clerk,  and  re-elected  in  1S80.  He  was 
born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  Jan.  28,  1832,  and  came  to  Ameuca 
in  the  Summer  of  1854,  locating  in  New  York  City.  He  went  then  to 
Otsego  County  for  four  years.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  2d  N.  Y. 
Artillery,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  ten  months  a 
prisoner.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Feb.  3,  i86g,  to  Annote 
E.  Cruttendon,  who  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  They  have  two 
children— Annie  Mary  and  William  H. 

JOSEPH  COTA,  proprietor  "  Eau  Claire"  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861.  and  located  at  this  place  ;  was  employed  in 
the  woods  for  eight  or  nine  years,  and  was  on  the  police  force  for  six 
years;  opened  present  business  in  1S77.  He  was  born  in  Canada  in 
1835  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856,  and  was  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing in  Minnesota,  Married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  in  the  Winter  of  1869, 
to  Jane  Beyon,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  They  have  five  children- 
David,  Matilda,  Libby,  Alice  and  Charles. 

WILLIAM  W.  CRANDALL,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  June.  1857,  and  located  in  the  town  of  La  Fayette,  Chippewa  County, 
where  he  lived  until  December,  1S63,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  7th 
Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  July  13,  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at 
Madison,  and  returned  to  "La  Fayette.  He  m.-ide  that  place  his  home 
until  six  years  ago.  The  first  year  after  leaving  the  army,  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  the  second  year  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  was 
then,  for  a  year,  engaged  in  superintending  the  building  of  a  bridge 
across  the  Chippewa  River  at  ihe  mills,  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  Deputy 
Post-master  one  year.  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds  two  years,  Register  of 
Deeds    two  years,  and  since  then  has  been  Deputy  County  Clerk.     He 


was  born  in  Palmyra,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  30,  1825,  and  moved  to 
Calhoun  County,  Mich.,  with  his  parents,  in  1636.  He  lived  there  until 
1S47,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  resided  in  northern  Illinois  until  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  at  Crystal  Lake,  111..  April 
26,  1853,  to  Amy  Phillips,  who  was  born  in  Rochester,  Monroe  Co,,  N. 
Y.,  They  have  four  children — J.  Clarence,  Lily  D.,  James  Wadsworth 
and  Eugene  Vane.  Mr.  Crandall  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He 
was  a  charter  member,  and  assisted  in  organizifig  the  first  lodge  in  the 
Chippewa  Valley,  at  Eau  Claire,  and  afterwards  instituted  a  lodge  at 
Chippewa  Falls. 

HENRY  CRONK,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1869. 
He  was  born  in  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  17,  1833.  August,  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  H.  137th  N.Y.  V.  I„  served  about  one  year,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disaljility  caused  by  sickness.  After  leaving  the 
army,  he  traveled  for  some  time,  for  the  benfit  of  his  health.  Prior  to 
coming  to  Chippewa  Falls,  he  was  employed  for  about  five  years  as  con- 
ductor on  railroad  from  Meadville  to  Oil  City,  Pa.  Since  coming  here 
he  has  been  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  married  in  the 
town  of  Caroline,  Tompkins  Co.,  N.Y.,  Sept.  6, 1858,  to  Lucy  A.  Martin, 
a  native  of  Dryden  Tompkins  Co.,  N.Y.  She  died  Jan.  10,  1876,  leav- 
ing one  child,  Charles  W„  born  Feb.  II,  1863.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church  since  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age. 


E.  W.  CULVER,  general  manager  of  the  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Company,  was  born  in  .^shlabula,  Ohio,  April  15,  1839;  came  to 
Beloit,  Wis.,  in  1855  ;  lived  there  three  years,  then  went  to  Freeport, 
111.,  where  he  resided  for  about  twenty  years  ;  then  went  to  Hannibal, 
Mo.;  carried  on  lumber  business  in  Missouri  and  Kansas  until  1872; 
then  came  to  Badger  State  Mills,  and  was  afterwards  one  ol  incorpora- 
tors of  the  Badger  State  Lumber  Company,  and  continued  with  that 
organization  until  1S77,  when  he  became  connected  with  the  company 
which  he  now  represents.  In  July,  i860,  he  was  married  in  Freeport, 
111,,  to  Mary  Pencil,  a  native  of  Lewisburg,  Pa.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren living— Edgar  William,  James,  Hurbert  A.  and  Joseph  R. ;  lost 
tvyo  sons — one  aged  four  years,  the  other  two  years,  at  lime  of  death. 

M,  J.  CUM.VIINGS,  proprietor  of  planing  mill  and  manufacturer 
of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Fox  Lake.  Dodge 
Co.,  in  1S53,  and  was  engaged  in  business  there,  as  carpenter  and  builder, 
for  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  following  his  trade 
until  1872.  when  he  engaged  in  planing  mill  and  in  the  manufacture  of 
sash,  doors  and  blinds,  in  partnership  with  II.  S.  Allen.  Afler  five  years 
he   then  bought  Allen's   interest,  and  has  since  continued  the  business 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


alone,  and  continued  his  contracting  and  building.  He  employs  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  men.  He  was  born  in  Sligo,  Ireland,  Feb.  3,  1832,  and 
came  to  America  in  1846,  living  in  Canada,  New  York  and  Illinois,  be- 
fore he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Nunda  Valley,  N. 
Y.  He  was  married  in  Alton,  111.,  in  December,  1853,  to  Sarah  Cole- 
man, who  is  a  native  of  England.  They  have  six  children — Matthew, 
Thomas,  Minnie,  Annie,  Winnie  and  Lillie,  and  have  lost  two  children. 

O.  R  DAHL,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Norway,  July  19,  1S17; 
came  to  America,  July,  1854;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857.  He  grad- 
uated froifl  military  school  in  Norway,  and  for  eight  years  did  active  ser- 
vice in  the  army  there ;  was  sergeant  of  his  company.  In  the  Fall  of 
1S61,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  15th  Wis.  V.  1.;  was  first  lieutenant  of  his 
company.  After  the  battle  of  Stone  River  he  was  detailed  as  Topo- 
graphical engineer  of  the  2d  Brigade,  which  position  he  held  until 
he  was  taken  prisoner,  March  13.  1864.  He  was  not  released  from  cap- 
tivity until  tlie  close  of  the  war.  May  12,  1865,  he  was  mustered  out  of 
service.  For  ten  years  Mr.  Dahl  was  agent  for  Wisconsin  State  Lands. 
He  served  eight  years  as  Surveyor  of  Monroe  County.  For  two  years 
he  served  as  Special  Agent  of  the  General  Land  Office  of  the  United 
States,  his  duties  being  to  look  after  Government-land  trespassers  in 
Wisconsin.  He  is  now  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward.  He  was  first 
married  in  Norway,  in  Sept.  1847,  to  Bolete  Pauline  Leed.  She  died 
three  years  after  they  came  to  America.  Two  children,  by  first  marriage, 
are  now  living — Hannah  Pauline,  now  Mrs.  E.  P.  Travis,  of  Eureka, 
Nev.,  and  Anthony  Peter,  now  in  mercantile  business  at  Tomah,  Wis. 
He  served  two  years  in  the  arny,  during  the  late  rebellion.  Mr.  Dahl 
was  married  to  Ellen  Oleson,  his  present  wife,  in  Chippewa  Falls, 
March,  1S76. 

WILLIAM  T.  DALTON,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Portage,  Wis.,  in  1S71 ;  resided  there  two  years,  then  came  to  Chippewa 
Falls  ;  engaged  in  mercantile  business  ever  since  he  came  to  this  city. 
He  was  born  in  Waddington,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  g,  1S4S; 
lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  Aug.  25,  1875,  he  was  married 
in  Portage,  Wis.,  to  Miss  Gretta  Collins,  daughter  of  James  Collins,  of 
that  city.  Mr.  Collins  is  a  partner,  with  Mr.  Dalton,  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness.    Mr.  Dalton  has  three  children — Mary,  Gretta  and  Hattie. 

HERMAN  DETTLOFF,  druggist,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Tonawanda,  N.Y.,  Jan.  8,  1854,  and  came  from  there  to  Wisconsin  in 
1858,  with  his  parents,  Fred  and  Mena  Dettloff,  who  settled  in  the  town 
of  Bloomer,  Chippewa  County,  where  they  remained  about  one  year,  and 
then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  Mr.  Fred  Dettloff  was  one  of  the  earli- 
est blacksmiths  in  the  place.  He  died  in  February,  1867.  His  wife  is 
still  a  resident  of  Chippewa  Falls.  Mr.  Herman  Dettloff  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  in  September,  1S68.  He  was  for  eighteen  months  in  part- 
nership with  Oicar  Beauchene,  but,  since  1S72,  has  been  alone  in  busi- 
ness. He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  April  4,  i88o,  to  Mary  Fount- 
aine,  who  was  born  in  Canada,  and  reared  in  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Dettloff  is 
a  member  and  treasurer  of  the  Ma;nnetchor  Singing  Society. 

JAMES  S.  DEWEY,  foreman  of  planing  mill,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  February,  1879;  located  at  this  place,  and  was  engaged 
in  building  Star  grist-mills  for  about  one  year,  and  since  then  has  been 
foreman  of  planing  mill;  was  born  in  New  York,  July  26,  1S50;  went 
to  Detroit,  Mich.,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  learned  trade  there,  and  was 
employed  at  it  some  fourteen  years;  married  there,  in  1873,  to  Elizabeth 
Davenport,  born  in  Mackinaw,  Mich.  They  have  four  children — Grace 
E.,  Elmers,  Mabel  J.  and  one  infant. 

PETER  M.  DICAIRE.  hardware  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  Elk,  Ontario,  near  Ottawa  City,  June  2g,  1853.  He  is  a  son  of 
Felix  M.  and  Esther  M.  Dicaire.  His  father  died  in  Canada,  July  11, 
1856.  Peter  M.  was  stolen  from  his  mother  when  he  was  four  years  old. 
A  man  came  along  and  asked  him  to  take  a  ride  in  a  two-wheeled  cart, 
which  he  did,  and  was  taken  to  Ottawa  City  and  kept  there  eight  months. 
His  mother  recovered  him,  and  took  him.to  Prairie  du  Chien  in  July, 
1855,  where  he  was  educated,  he  living  there  twelve  years.  He  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  Aug.  26,  1S67.  His  brother  came  with  him,  and  they 
engaged  in  Pound,  llalbert  &  Co.'s  mills  until  Aug.  31,  1S71,  when  he 
commenced  learning  the  tinner's  trade,  working  in  a  tin  shop  until  he 
established  himself  in  business.  He  received  10  cents  per  day  for  his 
first  work.  After  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls  he  worked  up  to  $2.50  per 
day  and  May  i,  1879,  with  a  capital  of  $35-85,  the  assistance  of  Rev. 
Goldsmith  and  other  friends,  and  borrowing  a  set  of  tools,  he  established 
himself  in  business,  and  has  succeeded  until  his  sales  at  present  average 
$50  per  day.  He  has  no  partner,  but  employs  two  men.  His  mother 
keeps  house  lor  him.  He  has  learned  to  speak  fluently  the  English, 
French  and  German  languages,  and  understands  the  Scandinavian.  He 
has  learned  book-keeping  and   is  now  studying  vocal  and  instrumental 

CYRUS  W.  DODGE,  foreman  of  stables,  Chippewa  Lumber  and 
Boom  Company,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867.  Located 
at  Black  River,  and  was  engaged  at  carpentering  and  logging  for  seven 
years.  Came  to  this  place  in  1874,  remained  three  years,  was  engaged 
dealing  in  live  stock  and  employed  as  sawyer  in  mill.  Then  went  to 
Red  Bluff,  California,  and   followed  teaming  for  eighteen  months  and 


dealing  in  live  stock  for  eighteen  months.  Returned  to  Chippewa  Falls; 
been  engaged  in  present  capacity  three  months.  Was  born  in  State  of 
Maine  in  1840.  Married  there  Jan.  i,  1S61,  to  Celestia  Patterson,  who 
was  born  in  West  Hamlin,  Me. 

WILLIAM  DOTY,  scaler,  Chippewa  Lumber  and  Boom  Company, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  \Visconsin  in  1858  and  located  at  this  place. 
Farmed  for  two  years  and  has  been  engaged  scaling  lumber  and  logs  in 
the  boom  and  in  the  mill  for  twenty-one  years.  Was  a  Supervisor  in 
the  Chippewa  County  Board  for  three  years,  and  Deputy  Inspector  of 
Lumber  from  1865  to  1872.  Was  born  in  Canada  in  1829,  and  was  in 
lumbering  business  on  his  own  account  there  for  ten  years,  and  was  mar- 
ried there  in, 1855  to  Frances  Beverly,  born  in  Canada.  Came  to  United 
States  in  1S58.  They  have  five  children—  Edward,  William,  Cordelia, 
Lottie  and  Homer. 

ARMAND  DUCOMMUN,  jeweler  and  watchmaker,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  October,  1874.  Located  at  Eau  Claire  and 
was  employed  at  trade  for  over  two  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in 
October,  1S77,  and  commenced  present  business.  Was  born  in  Switzer- 
land, Feb.  5,  1S54,  and  learned  trade  there.  Came  to  America  in  1874, 
married  at  Chippewa  Falls  to  Miss  Louise  Peterman,  Jan.  19,  1S80.  One 
child,  Edmund. 

KELESFORD  DUSSAULT,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S54.  Located  at  this  place  and  was  engaged  in  logging 
and  manufacturing  shingles  for  about  eighteen  years.  Commenced  in 
present  business  in  1873  and  carried  it  on  for  three  years.  Then,  after 
an  interval  of  two  years,  opened  in  his  present  quarters,  and  continued 
in  it  since.  Was  Alderman  of  1st  Ward  for  1S79.  Born  in  Canada, 
Jan.  13,  1833,  came  to  United  States  in  1S54.  Married  in  Chippewa 
Falls,  Nov.  24,  1S63.  to  Philonise  Vaillancourt,  born  in  Canada.  They 
have  four  loving  children — Joseph,  Edna,  Ida  and  Albert. 

EDWARD  EMERSON,  Register  of  Deeds,  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  Norway,  April  19,  1S52,  and  came  from  his  native  country  direct 
to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1866,  locating  in  Chippewa  Falls,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  is  a  son  of  Edmund  Emerson,  now  a  resident 
of  Eagle  Point,  Chippewa  Co.,  who  took  a  homestead  in  that  town  in 
the  Fall  of  1866,  having  come  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1S66.  Mr. 
Emerson  was  employed  for  about  a  year  at  Chippewa  City.  Since  that 
time  was  employed  in  the  lumber  mills  at  this  place  as  head  sawyer  on 
double-circular,  for  about  seven  years ;  he  discontinued  work  there  in 
the  Fall  of  18S0,  at  which  time  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds.  He 
was  married  in  Bloomer,  Chippewa  Co.,  Sept.  13,  1873,  to  Johanna  Lar- 
son, who  was  born  in  Waupun.  They  have  two  children  —  Alfred  E. 
and  Rudolph  G.,  and  lost  one  son,  Alfred  Martin,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years.     Mr.  Emerson  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

PHILLIP  EULER,  bowling-alley  and  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  November,  1S66.  Located  at  La  Crosse,  and  was 
employed  in  various  capacities  for  some  thirteen  years.  Came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  March,  1S81.  Opened  present  business  in  April  of  that 
year.  Born  in  Germany,  Feb.  5,  1849;  came  to  America  in  1866  ;  mar- 
ried at  La  Crosse,  July  8.  1S74.  to  Catherine  Zimmerman,  who  was  born 
in  Austria.     They  have  two  children — Mary  and  Charles. 

ELMER  H.  EVERETT,  farming  and  lumber,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1865.  Located  at  Menomenee  for  a 
year,  and  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1S66.  Was  employed  in  the  woods 
for  four  years,  and  since  then  has  been  farming  and  logging  on  his  own 
account.  Was  Deputy-Sheriff  of  County  for  three  years ;  was  elected 
Supervisor  in  the  County  Board,  Spring  of  1S81.  Born  in  Canada  1843, 
went  to  New  York  State  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  enlisted  in  2d  N.  Y.  A. 
as  private,  served  for  three  years,  and  received  two  wounds.  Was  mar- 
ried in  Madison,  N.  Y.,  May  13,  1875,  to  Ida  M.  Richardson,  who  was 
born  in  State  of  New  York.  They  have  two  children — Lulu  May  and 
Charles  E. 

JOHN  FAEH,  carriage  maker  and  blacksmith,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854  and  located  at  this  place.  Was  employed  in 
lumber  mill  for  eighteen  years,  and  commenced  present  business  in 
1872.  Born  in  Switzerland  in  1813,  married  in  Switzerland  in  1832  to 
Mary  Romer,  who  was  a  native  of  that  country.  Came  to  America  in 
1845  ;  wife  died  June  29,  1881.  Has  three  sons  — Jacob,  who  served  in 
the  war,  and  is  now  in  the  army;  Louis,  residing  in  Cleveland,  Ohio; 
William,  who  served  in  the  war. 

THOMAS  FARNSWORTH,  agent  W.  &  M.  R.  R.,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1862.  Located  at  Baraboo,  and  was  engaged 
at  clerking  at  Portage  for  five  years,  and  for  three  years  in  employ  of 
C.  M.  &  S.  P.  R.  R.  In  1872  went  to  Camp  Douglas  and  was  bill  clerk 
in  railroad  office  for  two  year.s,  and  in  December,  1874,  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  and  engaged  in  present  capacity.  Born  in  England,  1S40, 
came  to  America  with  parents  in  1S42.  Lived  in  New  Hampshire  for 
twenty  years.  Married  in  Juneau  County,  1S67,  to  Marietta  Weed,  born 
in  Racine.     They  have  three  children — Fannie,  Harry  and  Fred. 

A.  K.  FLETCHER,presidentof  the  First  National  Bank,  Chippewa 
Falls,  became  a  stockholder  in  the  bank  in  1876,  vice-president  in  1878, 
and  April  1, 1879,  was  elected   president.     He  was   born  in  the  town  of 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


209 


Westford,  Middlesex  Co.,  Mass.,  Oct.  12, 1834.  and  resided  there,  or  in  that 
vicinity,  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  wen,t  to  Boston  and  en- 
gaged in  cabinet  work  until  January,  1S54,  when  he  went  to  California.  He 
was  in  San  Francisco  most  of  the  time  until  Feb.  3,  1S64,  when  he  went  to 
St.  Louis  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  book  and  stationery  trade.  In  July 
of  that  year  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Groton,  Mass.,  engaging  in  farm- 
ing. He  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Jan  i,  1870,  and  became  interested  in 
planing  mill  business,  which  he  continued  for  two  years,  when  he  com- 
menced mercantile  business,  which  he  disposed  of  Oct.  I,  1879.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  logging,  lumbering,  and  banking.  He  was  married  in 
Groton,  Mass.,  in  October,  1869,  to  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Nutting  (wf  Kendall), 
who  was  born  in  Lowell,  Mass.  They  have  two  children,  Lewis  A.  and 
Lucy  B.  Mr.  Fletcher  has  been  an  Alderman  since  coming  to  Chippewa 
Falls. 

WILLIAM  FOWLDS,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  this  place  in  the 
Fall  of  1865  from  Canada  West,  near  the  Ottawa  River  ;  born  in  Ster- 
lingshire,  Scotland,  Dec.  27,  1842,  and  emigrated  with  his  father's  fam- 
ily to  Canada  in  1853,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
his  father  and  lamily  moving  to  Minnesota  in  1S65.  Mr.  Fowld  has  three 
sisters  and  four  brothers,  and  death  has  never  yet  broken  the  family  cir- 
cle of  his  father's  family.  July  17,  1S81,  the  entire  family  of  brothers 
and  sisters,  with  their  families,  numbering  thirty-two  members,  met  under 
the  paternal  roof  of  Mr.  John  Fowlds,  in  Grove  Lake,  Minn.,  and  en- 
joyed a  family  reunion.  June  29,  1S69,  Mr.  Fowlds  was  married  in  Eau 
Claire  to  Miss  Margaret  Foster,  of  Canday.  They  have  four  children — 
Stewart.  Sarah  Ann,  Mariah  Maggie  and  Jessie.  Mr.  Fowlds  has  been 
engaged  in  lumbering  for  twenty-three  years,  and  for  sixteen  years  has 
been  extensively  engaged  in  that  pursuit  in  the  Chippewa  Valley. 

DR.  F.  FRADET,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1868  ;  lo- 
cated at  Prairie  du  Chien,  practicing  twelve  years.  Came  to  Chippewa 
Falls  in  1S80,  and  has  been  in  practice  since.  Was  born  in  France  Aug. 
8,  1824  ;  came  to  America  when  quite  young.  Was  educated  at  Quebec, 
graduating  there  in  1S50,  and  practicing  there  for  some  years.  Came  to 
United  States  1S62;  practiced  in  Worcester  and  Springfield,  Mass.,  for 
six  years.  Was  married  in  Canada,  1852,  to  Emily  Dauphin,  born  in 
Can.-.da.  They  have  six  children — Mary,  Ludger,  Georgiana,  Emil, 
Arthur  and   Horace. 

JACOB  L.  FRIEDERICH,  harness  maker,  born  in  Adams  County 
March  14.  1855.  He  learned  trade  in  1875  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  was 
employed  there  four  years.  Was  afterwards  at  Eau  Claire  for  about  one 
year,  and  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  September,  1880,  and  commenced 
his  present  business.  Married  at  Prairie  du  Chien  Sept.  7,  1880,  to 
Emma  Kempene,  who  was  born  in  Germany. 

JEROME  B.  GALLAHER,  photographer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1865.  Located  at  Black  River  Falls,  and  carried  on  a 
gallery  there  for  seven  and  one-half  years ;  then  went  to  Neillsville,  Wis. 
Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1875,  ^nd  has  been  engaged  in  present  busi- 
ness since.  Born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  Aug.  23,  1S33.  Went  to  Ft. 
Wayne,  Ind.,  at  twenty  years  of  age,  and  learned  trade  there  ;  then  at 
Auburn,  De  Kalb  Co..  Ind,,for  two  years;  then  at  Warsaw,  Ind  ,  up  to  1S63. 
Enlisted  in  129th  Ind.  I.;  served  until  end  of  war;  was  engaged  in  nine 
battles  ;  was  quartermaster  when  discharged.  Married  in  Auburn,  Ind., 
Aug  18,  1S58,  Margaret  Jane  Ferguson,  who  was  born  in  Ashland,  Ohio. 
They  have  two  children — Mary  M.  and  Helen  (now  Mrs.  Nicholas). 

GEORGE  W.  GANS,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  at  Friendship  Hill. 
Fayette  Co.,  Pa,  July  3.  1847.  Came  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  with  his  parents, 
William  and  Maria  (Morris)  Gans.  From  1869  to  1879  he  was  employ- 
ed a^  bookkeeper  for  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.  at  their  Eddy  Mills  ;  al.-o 
attended  to  the  general  interests  of  the  firm  there.  In  February  iSSohe 
became  connected  with  the  Chippewa  Lumber  and  Boom  Co.,  looking 
after  their  log  and  lumber  business.  Mr.  Gans'  parents  both  now  reside 
in  Eau  Claire. 

DR.  BARNEY  GARDINER,  dentist,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born 
near  Fultonville,  N.  Y.,  May  27,  1S50.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Shar- 
on, Wis.,  in  November  1850  ;  lived  there  about  twoyears  ;  thenlived  in 
Shopiere,  Rock  Co.  Wis.,  until  i860;  then  moved  to  McHenry  Co., 
111.,  and  lived  near  Richmond  until  1863,  when  he  went  to  Gloversville, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  attended  school  and  worked  in  his  uncle's  glove  factory 
until  the  Spring  of  1S64,  when  he  returned  to  Richmond,  and  two  years 
later  went  to  Fultonville,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y.  Employed  there  in 
the  canal  collector's  oflice  and  as  chief  clerk  in  the  wholesale  grocery  and 
supply  establishment  of  C.  H.  Quackenbush.  For  a  short  time  he  was 
in  the  store  of  Robert  Harrison,  at  Wauconda,  Lake  Co.,  III.  In  the 
Spring  of  1 87 1  he  went  to  Chicago  and  commenced  the  study  of  dentistry 
with  Dr.  D.  B.  F'reeman,  a  well-known  dentist  of  that  city,  and  contin- 
ued with  him  until  1874,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  com- 
menced practice.  He  has  remained  here  ever  since.  The  doctor  was 
married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  April  22,  1S79,  to  Ida  Baker.  They  have 
one  child,  Anna  E.  Dr.  G.  is  now  a  member  of  the  Common  Council ; 
he  is  vice  president  of  the  Board  of  Health.  He  has  been  manager  of 
the  band  since  its  organization.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F,  &  A. 
M.   Blue   Lodge,  Chapter,  and   Chippewa  Commandery  at  Eau  Claire  ; 


ABEL  GARDNER,  filer,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co.,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  June  16,  :857.  Located  at  Yellow  River,  and 
was  employed  in  Mason's  Mill  for  a  short  time.  Came  to  Chippewa 
Falls  in  the  Summer  of  1S57,  remaining  two  and  one-half  months  and 
returned  to  Yellow  River,  where  he  remained  eighteen  months.  Re- 
turned to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1859.  and  has  been  employed  in  present 
mill  over  twenty  years.  Ran  the  lath  mill  for  five  or  six  years,  and  fil- 
ing since.  In  Summer  of  1869  was  foreman  of  Gilbert's  Mill  at  Yellow 
River,  and  the  Summer  of  1880  in  employ  of  French  Lumbering  Co.  as 
filer.  Born  in  Bennington  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1833.  Moved  to  State  of  New 
York  with  parents;  farmed  and  was  engaged  in  milling  there  ;  then  in 
Pennsylvania  for  two  and  one-half  years  milling. 

LUDGER  GAUDET,  City  Clerk  and  attorney  at  law,  Chippewa 
Falls,  was  born  in  Gentilly,  Lower  Canada,  July  22,  1851.  In  1S68  he 
went  to  Rome,  Italy,  served  two  and  one-half  years  in  the  army  of  the 
Pope  ;  then  returned  to  Canada,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
Montreal.  In  1872  he  removed  to  Lewiston,  Maine,  where  he  remained 
until  1S76;  then  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.;  lived  there  until  Sep- 
tember, 1878.  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  elected  City 
Clerk  in  April,  1S81.  Mr.  G.  was  educated  at  Nicolett  Classical  College 
in  Lower  Canada  and  at  the  Military  School  of  Quebec. 

JOSEPH  GAY,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1866  ;  located  at  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  employed  as  car- 
penter some  two  months;  was  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  eight  months;  then 
in  Southern  States  for  about  a  year.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1S6S, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  building,  speculating  and  carpentering  since. 
Born  in  Canada  in  1843  ;  farmed  some  with  his  father,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1862,  and  was  for  some  three  years  engaged  in  mining 
and  building  in  Lake  Superior,  Mich.  Married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  in 
December.  1870,  to  Ida  Goodhue,  who  was  born  in  Illinois.  They  have 
three  children — Ida,  Alice  and  Jennie. 


member  of  the  Temple  of  He 
14 


GEO.  C.  GINTY,  biography  not  received  in  time  to  be  placed 
here,  but  will  be  found  on  page  32. 

GEORGE  A.  GILLMORE,  capitalist,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born 
in  Calais,  Me.,  Oct.  25,  1838  ;  lived  there  (except  a  short  time  in  New 
Brunswick)   until  he   came   to  Chippewa  Falls,  in    1857.     He  and  his 


210 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


brother,  Horatio  G.,  leased  the  lumber-mill  of  H.  S.  Allen  &  Co.  for 
five  years,  and  stocked  the  mill  with  manufactured  lumber.  They  also 
leased  a  mill  on  Yellow  River,  in  1858,  and  operated  that  in  1859; 
stocked  it  in  1S58  ;  continued  lumbering  and  logging  for  about  ten  years 
on  Chippewa  River  and  its  tributaries — (Horatio  G.  Gillmore  died  in 
Chippewa  Falls  in  1S64)— afterwards  commenced  looking  after  boom 
interests,  construction,  etc.,  doing  more  or  less  logging,  until  1877  ;  since 
then  he  has  given  his  attention  to  farming,  real  estate  investments  and 
money  loaning.  Mr.  G.  was  married  in  Calais,  Me.,  in  November,  1S66, 
to  Anna  M.  Hill,  a  native  of  Maine. 

MORRIS  GLUCKSMAN,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Russia  Poland,  Sept.  10,  1841,  and  came  from  Europe  to  Wisconsin  in 
1864,  locaiing  in  Milwaukee  until  1866  ;  after  being  engaged  in  business 
in  Grand  Rapids  for  six  months,  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  Febru- 
ary, 1867,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  partnership  with  Ed- 
ward Poznanski  until  1878  ;  since  then  he  has  carried  on  business  alone. 
He  was  Alderman  from  the  Fourth  Ward  for  two  terms,  and  candidate 
for  Mayor  in  the  Spring  of  iSSo.  He  was  married  in  Scranton,  Pa., 
Sept.  19,  186S,  to  Leah  Jacobs,  who  was  born  in  Russia  Poland.  They 
have  two  children — Nathan,  born  Tune  14,  1870,  and  Esther,  born  March 
15,  1873,  and  have  lost  one  son,  Ezekiel  S.,  who  died  April  8,  1881,  aged 
four  years  and  six  months.  Mr.  Glucksman  is  a  member  of  the  I.O.  O. 
F.,  Sons  of  Hermann,  and  Bnai-Brith  of  Milwaukee. 

HENRY  J.  GODDARD,  druggist,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents,  Nathaniel  and  Lucinda  Goddard,  about  the  year 
1846,  locating  at  Beloit,  where  his  father  (who  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts) died  in  February,  1S75,  aged  eighty-two  years.  His  mother  was 
born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,and  died  in  Cresco,  Iowa,  July  12, 1S81, 
aged  seventy-six  years.  Mr.  H.  J.  Goddard  lived  in  Beloit  until  1861, 
when  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
Regular  Army  about  two  years  after.  He  was  stationed  at  the  Hamp- 
ton General  Hospital,  and  afterwards  at  Fredericksburg,  and  in  the  office 
of  the  surgeon  general  a  year  and  a  half,  being  five  years  in  the  United 
States  Army  service.  He  then  entered  the  treasury  department  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  in  the  Second  Auditor's  office,  and  remained  there 
about  two  years,  and  then  came  to  Baraboo,  Sauk  Co.,  remaining  there 
three  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1S73,  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  has 
been  in  the  drug  business  ever  since  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  having 
learned  the  business  when  twelve  years  of  age.  He  was  born  in  Al- 
mond, Alleghany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  3,  1844,  and  married  at  Lima,  Liv- 
ingstone Co..  N.  Y.,  June  10,  1871,  to  Adelle  J.  Grover,  who  was  born  in 
Lima,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children— Arthur  Grover  and  Jennie 
Alvira,  and  lost  one  son,  Frank  Mills,  who  died  in  1S75,  aged  two  years. 
Mr.  Goddard  was  the  first  City  Treasurer  ever  elected  on  the  Republi- 
can ticket  in  Chippewa  Falls,  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.. 
Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  andCommandery  and  Knights  of  Pythias. 

REV.  FATHER  CHARLES  F.  X.  GOLDSMITH,  pastor  "Notre 
Dame"  Catholic  Church,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  22,  1S45,  and  lived  there  some  thirteen  years  ;  was  then  at  St.  Fran- 
cis Seminary,  near  Milwaukee,  for  five  years,  and  afterwards  went  to  Eu- 
rope and  continued  his  studies.  Graduated  at  Louvain,  Belgium,  in  1868; 
was  ordained  at  Mechlin,  by  Cardinal  Deschamps,  and  returned  to  Mil- 
waukee and  had  charge  of  Trinity  Church  there  for  a  short  time  ;  came 
to  Chippewa  Falls,  May  22,  1869;  built  present  church  edifice  and  school- 
house  ;  has,  also,  charge  of  Etfon,  Drywood,  Le  Febre,  Kopp  Settlement 
and  Springfield,  all  in  Chipiewa  County. 

ARTHUR  GOUGH,  lawyer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the 
county  of  Londonderry,  Ireland,  Feb.  11,  1826,  and  came  to  America  in 
1856.  He  was  educated  in  law  in  the  old  country,  and  is  a  graduate  of 
Queen's  University  in  Ireland,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.M.  He  came 
to  Chippewa  Falls  in  May,  1856,  and  commenced  practicing  law  the 
following  year,  which  he  has  since  continued  in  all  the  courts  of  this 
State.  He  was  engaged  in  lumbering  for  two  years,  and  in  farming  four- 
teen years.  He  lives  on  the  first  farm  opened  by  the  old  lumbering 
company.  He  was  County  Judge  one  term.  Justice  of  the  Peace  two 
terms,  School  Secretary  under  the  town  system,  and  has  been  Court 
Commissioner  since  1S67,  He  was  married  in  County  Galway,  Ireland, 
Sept.  3,  1853.  to  Mary  Ann  Cavanaugh,  who  was  born  there.  She  died 
in  i860.  They  had  four  children — Anabel,  Susan,  Hugh  and  Mary 
Ann.  Mr.  Gough  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  April  2,  1867,  to  his 
present  wife,  -Mary  Jennings,  who  was  a  native  of  County  Galway,  Ire- 
land. They  have  six  children — Arthur,  Joseph,  Dinah,  William,  Francis 
and  Walter.     They  have  lost  one  child. 

WESLEY  J.  GREGG,  foreman  of  Stiles  &  Legos's  livery  stable. 
Chippewa  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and  son  of  John  W. 
Gregg,  who  now  resides  in  the  town  of  Wheaton,  Chippewa  Co.,  Wis. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Chloe  M.  Breese.  a  native  of  Horse 
Heads,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.  Wesley  J.  was  born  in  Elmira,  Chemung 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  13,1852;  lived  thereuntil  18O7,  when  he  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  employed  in  the  woods  for  some  time,  and 
most  of  the  time  for  the  last  nine  years  he  has  been  employed  in  the 
livery  stable  which  he  is  now  connected  with.  May  8,  18S1,  he  was 
married  in  Chippewa  Falls  to  Jennie  F.  Beers.  She  was  born  in  Eau 
Claire,  Wis.     Mr.  G.  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 


JAMES  GRIFFIN,  filer,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Company, 
Chippewa  Falls,  cauie  to  Wisconsin  in  1873  ;  located  at  Eau  Claire, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  different  capacities,  filing  in  mills  and  rafting  ; 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  the  Spring  of  1880,  and  engaged  in  present 
capacity.  He  was  born  in  Canada  in  1833  ;  came  to  the  United  States 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  ;  was  employed  at  lumbering  in  Ohio  for 
four  years,  then  as  filer  in  Saginaw,  Mich.,  for  four  years,  and  at  Thun- 
der Bay,  Mich.,  for  seven  years  ;  then  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres  near 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  ran  it  for  three  years.  He  was  married  in  .-M- 
pena,  Mich.,  in  1S62,  to  .\nnie  Guild,  who  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich. 
They  have  six  children — George,  James,  Martin,  Charles,  Burt   and  Ira. 

EDWARD  GROSSMAN,  merchant  tailor,  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  Hungary,  May  10,  1S41  ;  came  to  America  in  1867;  lived  in 
New  York.  Pennsylvania  ind  Chicago  prior  to  coming  to  Chippewa 
Falls  in  1871.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Lumber  Company  for  seven 
years,  having  charge  of  the  tailoring  departn.ent  of  their  business  ;  since 
then  he  has  been  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  He  is  the  leading 
tailor  of  the  place,  giving  employment  to  eight  hands  during  the  busy 
season  of  his  business.  Mr.  G.  was  married  in  June,  1880,  to  Daisey 
Forrest,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.     They  have  one  child,   Nellie  For- 

J.  R.  H.ALL,  physician  and  surgeon,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Norwich,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  5,  1824.  removed  to  Painted  Post, 
Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1845,  and  there  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  ;  remained  in  that  county  until  he  came  to  Baraboo,  Wis  ,  in 
1857  ;  resided  there  until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  July,  1878.  The 
doctor  is  one  of  the  leaaini;  members  of  his  profession  in  Northern  Wis- 
consin. He  was  married  in  th^  town  of  Tunkhannock,  Wyoming  Co., 
Pa.,  in  November,  1844,  to  Lurancy  P.  Redfield,  who  was  born  in  Sid- 
ney, Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y. 

JOHN  HALVORSON,  shoemaker,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S69;  located  at  Black  River  Falls,  and  was  employed  there 
two  years  at  his  trade,  and  then  lived  for  two  years  at  Neilsville  ;  came 
to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1873,  and  commenced  business  in  that  year.  He 
was  born  in  Norway  in  December,  1847  ;  came  to  America  in  1869.  He 
was  married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Dec.  10,  1873,  to  Mary  Halyerson,  who 
was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  three  children — Halvo,  Hector  and 
Aaron.  ^  j 

E.  P.  HASTINGS,  County  Treasurer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  this  1 

place  in  October,  1856.  and  was  principally  engaged  in  lumbering  for  \ 

about  three  years.     For  seven  or  eight  years  he  was  with  Pound  &  Hal-  j 

bert  and  the  Union  Lumber  Co  as  bookkeeper,  and  engaged  in  specula-  1 

tion  more  or  less  afterwards.      He  was  Lumber  Inspector  of  this  district  1 

for  two  terms  of  two  years  each,  and  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in  i 

1880      He  was  born  in  Calais,  Me.,  Dec.  18,  1835,  and  lived  there  until  | 

he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  in  the  latter  place  in  1S75,  1 

to  Mary   Kimball,  who  was  born   in    Wellsboro,  Pa.     They   have  one  ( 

child,  Harrie  Niles.     Mr.  Hastings  is  a  charter  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  [ 

ANTHONY  JUD.SON   HAYWARD,    lumberman    and    dealer   in  i 

pine    lands   and  logs,  Chippewa   Falls,  was  born  in  McKean    Co.,  Pa.,  ; 

March  17,  1835  ;  lived  in  that  county  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  ' 

Came  to  Shawano,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1855,  remained  there  five  years, 
then    resided   in   Oshkosh   until   1870,  when  he  went  to  Winona.  Minn.,  ' 

where  he  built  a  saw  and  shingle  mill  in  partnership  with  Hon.  Philetus 
Sawyer,  operated  that  until  1876,  then  sold  it  and  came  to  Chippewa 
Falls,  having  located  considerable  pine  lands  on  the  Chippewa  River 
and  its  tributaries  in  1868  and  1869  ;  since  coming  here  has  been  exten-  ; 

sively  engaged  in  lumbering,  logging  and  locating  pine  lands.     In  1867,  ' 

he  built  a  saw-mill  at  Manistee,  Mich.,  in  partnership  with  R.  C.  Russell  ' 

and    Alonzo    Leach.     While   a    resident    of  Shawano    County,  he   was  , 

Treasurer   of  the    town  of  Richmond,  at    that  time  there  were  but  two         1 
towns  in  the  county  ;  since  coming  to  Chippewa   Falls,  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  School  Board.   He  takes  an  active  interest  in  educational 
matters  and  general  public  interests.     In   May.  1866,  he  was  married  in 
Oshkosh  to  Martha  E.  Bowron,  a  native   of  Ohio.     .She  is  a  daughter  of         ; 
Joseph  Bowron,  who  settled  at  Oshkosk  at  an  early  day.     Mr.  Hayward 
has   three   children — Emma    M.,    aged   twelve   years;  Myron  E.,  aged         ! 
eight  years,  and  Hallie,  aged  two  years. 

NAPOLEON     HEBERT,   foreman    Chippewa    Lumber    &    Boom  '■ 

Co.,  Chippewa   Falls,  came   to   Wisconsin  in    1856,  and  located   at  this  ; 

place,  where  he  attended  school  for  some  years.  Has  been  in  the  em-  ' 
ploy  of  the  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co.  for  seventeen  years,  as 
sawyer,  etc.,  with  the  exception  of  two  Summers,  when  he  was  engaged  i 
in  farming.  Has  been  foreman  of  mill  one  year.  Was  born  in  Canada, 
February,  1849.  Came  to  United  -States  in  1S56.  Married  at  Chippewa 
Falls,  in  February.  1870,  to  Millie  Truckey,  born  in  Canada.  They  have 
four  children — Josephine,  Millie,  Lena  and  Ida. 

FRED  HENNEMANN,  agricultural  implements,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850,  and  lived  with  parents  in  this  county,  going 
to  school,  farming  some,  and  afterwards  beginning  farming  on  his  own 
account.  Commenced  present  business  at  Chippewa  Falls  in  1S77,  in 
company  with  others.  Carried  it  on  for  a  short  time  ;  then  the  firm 
changed  to  Kraft,  lienneman  &  Co.      They  dissolved,  and  he  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


alone  in  business  since  September,  1880.  Was  born  in  Prussia  Sept.  30, 
1S4S.  Came  to  America  in  1849.  Mairied  at  Chippewa  Falls  in  1870, 
his  wife  dying  in  1871.  Married  again,  at  Chippewa  Falls,  April  14, 
1873,  to  Anna  M.  Kraft,  born  in  Prussia.  Have  two  children  living — 
Phillip  W.  and  Sarah  D. 

HENRY  HERBERT,  shoemaker,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S75.  Located  at  this  place,  and  was  emphiyed  for  one  year 
at  his  trade,  then  commenced  present  business.  Was  Alderman  of  First 
Ward  for  1880.  Has  been  a  member  of  New  York  Metropolitan  Life 
Insurance  Co.  for  nine  years.  Owns  an  improved  farm  of  forty  acres,  on 
which  he  resides,  about  one  mile  from  city.  Born  in  Canada  in  1846. 
Came  to  United  States  in  1864.  and  enlisted  in  17th  Vt.  V.  L,  and 
served  until  close  of  war.  Returned  to  Canada  and  remained  until 
1875.  Married  in  Canada,  July  13,  i86g,  to  Margaret  Kelly,  born  in 
Canada.  They  have  live  children — George  C,  Annie  E. ,  Patrick  T., 
Mary  A.  and  Margaret. 

CARL  HERING,  carriage  maker  and  blacksmith,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S63,  and  located  at  this  place.  Has  been  in 
present  business  seventeen  years  ;  was,  until  quite  recently,  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother.  Enlisted,  Dec.  ig,  1861,  in  30th  Wis.  Cavalry, 
and  served  eleven  months.  Born  in  Germany  in  1832.  Married  in 
Germany,  Jan.  27,  1855,  to  .\nnie  Goldberg,  who  is  a  native  of  Germany. 

SAMUEL  HEYLMAN,  raft  contractor,  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Co.,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849.  Located  in 
Sauk  County  and  was  engaged  in  running  saw  mill  four  years;  then 
went  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  has  been  engaged 
in  raft  building,  contracting  and  in  general  lumber  business.  Has  been 
engaged  on  present  contract  since  April,  18S1.  Was  born  in  Lycoming 
County,  Pa.,  June  13,  1829,  and  was  at  one  time  engineer  on  railroad 
there  for  three  years.  Married  at  Baraboo,  Wis.,  in  1S52,  to  Susanna 
Wilson.  She  was  born  in  Lycoming  County,  Pa.  They  have  four 
children — Warren,  attorney-at-Iaw  at  Eau  Claire;  Perry,  a  bookkeeper  ; 
Dewitt  C,  in  employ  of  American  Express  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn.; 
and  Charles,  an  engineer  at  Eau  Claire. 

SAMUEL  HILL,  of  .Samuel  Hill  &  Co.,  carriage  makers  and 
blacksmiths,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  May  29,  1869.  and 
located  at  Chippewa  Falls.  Was  in  business  for  two  years,  in  partner, 
ship  with  Thomas  Hill;  alone  for  a  short  time;  then  with  E.  K.  Farrell 
for  two  years  ;  afterwards  alone  for  a  year.  Has  been  in  business  with 
his  present  partner,  David  Russell,  since  1877.  Was  Alderman  of 
First  Ward  for  1880;  re-elected  in  1881.  Born  in  Canada,  March  28, 
1841.  Learned  trade  there.  Came  to  United  States  in  1861.  Employed 
at  trade  in  State  of  New  York  six  years,  and  in  Fillmore  County.  Minn., 
two  and  a  half  years.      Married   in   Fillmore   County,  Minn.,  May   25, 

1869,  to  Sarah  J.  Russell,  born  in  New  York  State.  Have  one  child, 
William  T. 

DANIEL  FREDERICK  HOENKi,  hardware  merchant,  Chippewa 
Falls,  was  born  in  Prussia,  June  26,  1837.  Came  with  his  parents,  An- 
drew and  Christiana  Hoenig,  to  Milwaukee  in  August,  1845;  lived 
there  until  1862;  he  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  there  and 
in  Milwaukee  until  1864.  April  28,  1864,  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
and  was  engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  wagon  making  until  1S76,  when 
he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Chippewa  County.  He  was  the  first  City 
Marshal  of  Chippewa  Falls.  Engaged  in  hardware  business  April  15, 
1880.  Mr.  Hoenig  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  in  the  Spring  of  1862,  to 
Dora  Hecht.  She  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  four  children — Otto, 
Albert,  Lucy  and  Dora. 

AMBROSE  HOFFMAN,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Chatham,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  May  i8,  1832.  His  parents  removed 
with  their  family  to  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1836.  Lived  there  until 
April,  1857,  when  he  came  to  Randolph,  Columbia  County,  Wis.;  re- 
mained there  until  July,  1S63,  then  removed  to  Portage  in  the  same 
county.  Resided  in  the  latter  city  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls.  While  in  Randolph  he  ran  a  farm  for  two  years,  and  the 
balance  of  the  time  was  dealing  in  agricultural  implements.  While  at 
Portage  he  was  engaged  in  real  estate  and  abstract  business,  which  busi- 
ness he  continued  after  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  elected 
Register  of  Deeds  in  1874.  In  1876  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer  ; 
re-elected  in  1878.  For  several  years  he  held  the  office  of  School  Com- 
missioner.    Mr.  Hoffman  was  married  in   Randolph,  Wis.,  in   February, 

1870,  to  Ardelle  I.  Knapp,  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York.  They 
have  one  child  living,  William  F.,born  April  14,  1875.  Lost  one  son, 
Earle  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years  and  four  months.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  Ft.  Winneba- 
go Commandery  and  Wisconsin  Consistory  No.  i,  of  Milwaukee. 

MARTIN  J.  HOWARD,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Kails, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850  ;  located  in  Jefferson  County,  and  was  en- 
gaged building,  etc.,  for  four  years ;  then  went  to  Eau  Claire,  for  four- 
teen years,  and  built  several  prominent  business  blocks  and  residences 
there;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1868,  and  has  been  engaged  in  con- 
tracting, building,  etc.,  for  thirteen  years.  Born  in  Otsego  County,  N. 
Y.,  June  4.  1830;  went  to  Stale  of  Illinois  in  1840,  and  remained  there 
some  ten  years.     Married    in  McHenry  County,  III.,  to  Diana  J.  Leach, 


who  was  born  in  Vermont ;  have  three  children — Rosa   L.,  Jessie  (now 
Mrs.  W.  Lamb)  and  Harry  M.  ;  two  deceased. 

WILLIAM  B.  HALL,  book-keeper  for  the  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Co.,  was  born  in  Medford,  Mass.,  June  i,  1858  ;  came  to  Still- 
water, Minn,  March  10,  1877  ;  he  was  employed  as  book-keeper  there 
for  Seymour,  Sabin  &  Co..  threshing  machine  manufacturers,  until  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Feb.  14,  1881.  Prior  to  coming  west,  he  had 
been  employed  for  one  year  in  the  office  of  the  Corbin  Banking  Co.  of 
Boston.  He  was  married  in  Stillwater,  Minn.,  Oct.  24,  1878,  to  Sabie 
S.  Anderson,  a  native  of  Virginia  ;  they  have  one  child,  James  Monroe. 
Mr.  H.  is  a  son  of  George  Dudley  Hall,  now  a  resident  of  Medford, 
Mass  ,  a  native  of  that  place  ;  mother's  maiden  name  was  Kate  Mary 
Wheeler,  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York. 

JULIUS  P.  HURLBUT,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  this  place  March 
26.  1869  and  engaged  as  time-keeper  for  the  lumber  mills,  where  he 
continued  six  years.  He  was  County  Clerk  two  terms,  and  since  then 
has  been  in  an  abstract  office.  He  was  born  in  Warren.  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  May  I,  1839,  and  lived  in  that  State  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  He  served  in  the  S4th  Ohio  V.  I.,  and  171st  Ohio  V.  I., 
about  120  days  in  each.  He  enlisted  twice  in  the  three-years  service, 
but  was  rejected  both  times.  He  was  married  in  Warren,  Ohio,  March 
21,  1864,  to  Martha  J.  Burnett,  who  was  born  in  that  place.  They  have 
three  children— Carrie  L.,  Mary  V.,  and  Gracie  L.  They  lost  two  chil- 
dren, Gertie  R.,  who  died  April  26,  1S79,  aged  nine  and  one-half  years, 
and  Edward  A.,  who  died  April  30,  1879,  aged  six  and  one-half  years. 
Mr.  Hurlbut  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  Temple  of  Honor. 

CHARLES  A.  JAQUES,  machinist,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom 
Co.,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Newburyport,  Mass.,  July  i,  1848  ; 
learned  his  trade  in  Chicago,  where  he  lived  two  years ;  went 
to  Marseilles,  111.,  and  remained  two  years  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1869;  located  at  Sheboygan,  and  was  employed  at  his  trade 
there  for  one  year ;  then  returned  to  State  of  Illinois,  and  was  there  up 
to  1876;  afterwards  at  Milwaukee  for  six  months;  came  to  Chippewa 
Falls  in  1879  ;  remained  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Eau  Claire,  and 
worked  at  trade  three  months,  returning  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  January, 
1880,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  Married  at 
Ottawa,  III.,  in  1S74,  to  Mary  Watson,  born  in  Ohio;  have  one  child 
living,  Mabel,  aged  six  years,  and  one  dead. 

NELS  JOHNSON,  merchant  tailor  and  dealer  in  pianos,  organs 
and  sewing  machines,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov.  25, 
1S47  ;  came  to  America  in  1S69  ;  located  at  Eau  Claire,  .\pril  3.  of  that 
year  ;  remained  there  about  two  and  one-half  years,  then  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls.  He  has  worked  at  tailor's  trade  most  of  the  time  since  he 
was  fourteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  Johnson  sells  ocean  steamship  tickets. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F..  and  Temple  of  Honor.  He  was 
married  in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  14.  1872,  to  Martha  Mary  Prydtz,  a  native 
of  Norway.  They  have  five  children — Nicolai  B.,  Frank  N.,  Emma  K., 
Charles  C.  and  Oscar  M. 

ALBERT  W.  JOHNSON,  physician  and  surgeon,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  near  Watertown,  Wis.,  Aug.  26,  1S53.  He  is  a  son  of  James 
Johnson,  M.  D.,  a  skillful  and  well-known  physician  of  Milwaukee.  He 
read  medicine  with  his  father,  and  graduated  in  1880  from  Long  Island 
Hospital  Medical  College,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  commenced  practice  in 
Milwaukee  ;  was  assistant  physician  of  the  Milwaukee  County  Hospital 
for  eight  months.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  Asso- 
ciation of  Wisconsin.     He  located  in  Chippewa   Falls,  June  10,  1S81. 

FRANK  A.  JOHNSON,  baker  and  confectioner,  Chippewa  Falls; 
born  near  Beloit,  May  29,  1S53  ;  went  to  Durand  with  parents  in  1855  ; 
engaged  at  farming,  etc. ;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1872  ;  learned 
trade  there,  and  worked  at  it  for  some  three  years  ;  commenced  business 
in  September,  1S77.  Married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  May  23.  1875,  to  An- 
nie Olsen,  born  in  Norway.     They  have  one  child,  Walter. 

ALBERT  KAHLER,  foreman  in  M.  J.  Cumming's  Planing  Mill, 
Chippewa  Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1845;  located  with  his  parents 
at  Milwaukee,  then  at  Watertown  for  six  years  ;  was  employed  at  mills 
in  Horicon  for  one  year  ;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1859;  employed  in 
different  mills  for  some  years  as  sawyer,  filer,  etc.,  and  in  present  capacity 
eight  years.  Was  elected  Alderman  of  Fourth  Ward  in  1S79.  and  re- 
elected in  i88i.  Born  in  Germany.  Oct.  25,  1839  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1845.  Married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Feb.  5,  1870,  to  Mary  R.  Fisher. 
She  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  five  children — Geneva,  Margaret, 
William,  Frederick  and  Caroline. 

JOHN  B.  KEHL,  proprietor  of  Glen  Flouring  Mills,  Chippewa 
Falls,  is  a  .son  of  Peter  Kehl,  who  settled  in  .Sauk  City  in  1845.  He 
lived  there  until  1855,  when  he  moved  to  the  town  of  Roxburg.  Dane 
Co.  Having  commenced  grape  culture  in  1S50.  he  became  the  pioneer 
in  that  business  in  Wisconsin.  His  father,  Peter  Kehl.  was  born  in 
Hesse  Darmstadt,  and  died  in  .August,  1871.  John  B.  Kehl  is  a  native  of 
Hesse  Darmstadt,  he  was  born  Dec.  14,  1837,  and  came  to  Milwaukee  in 
April,  iS-;5.  remaining  there  about  five  months  he  then  went  to  Sauk 
County.  In  July,  i860,  he  commenced  mercantile  business,  continuing 
it    until    1866,  when  he  engaged  in   milling  at  Blue  Mounds,  Dane  Co., 


212 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


doing  merchant  and  custom  work.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  in  1873.  representing  the  Third  District  of  Dane  County. 
In  the  Spring  of  1S74,  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  engaged  in  the 
construction  of  the  Glen  Mills,  one  and  a  half  miles  from  Chippewa 
Falls.  In  the  Winter  of  1S75-6,  he  engaged  in  logging,  and  has  con- 
tinued logging  operations  ever  since  in  connection  with  his  other  busi- 
ness. He  operated  the  Glen  Flouring  Mills  for  A.  E.  Pound  &  Co.,  from 
1876  to  1878,  when  he  purchased  the  property  and  has  conducted  the 
business  on  his  own  account  since.  In  1875,  he  became  interested  in  the 
First  National  Bank  as  stockholder  and  director,  and  has  been  vice- 
president  of  the  bank  for  the  last  two  years.  He  is  considerably  inter- 
ested in  real  estate  in  Dane  and  Sauk  counties,  and  is  also  connected 
with  the  Chippewa  Falls  Independent,  being  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
company.  He  was  married  in  Livingston,  Essex  Co.,  N.  J.,  .Sept.  9. 
1863,  to  Susie  F.  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Livingston,  N.  j.,  in  1S40. 
They  have  three  cliildren— Jessie  I.,  Ida  Stella  and  Frederick  W.  Mr. 
Kehl  is  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed  Church. 

ROBERT  KENNEOV.  of  the  firm  of  Kennedy  &  Samson,  pro- 
prietors of  flnuiin  :  111  :  ,  '  iiiipewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada, 
Sept.   24,    1S51  :  ,ind   in  that  vicinity  until  he  came  to  Eau 

Claire,  Wis.,  m  : .,  _  I  ..:,  -:  1-72,  resided  in  Eau  Claire  until  he  removed 
to  Chippewa  Falio  m  liic  -^I'liiig  of  1879. 

THOM.A.S  J.  KILEY,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Georgia,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept.  12,  1840.  Resided  there  until  1856, 
when  his  parents  removed  with  their  family  to  Milton,  Chittenden  Co., 
Vt.  Aug.  9,  1862,  Thomas  J.,  enlisted  in  Company  D,  loth  Vt.  V.  I. 
and  served  until  July  16,  1S65.  .-Kfter  leaving  the  army  he  resided  in 
Milton,  Vt.,  until  April,  1S66,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  where 
he  was  employed  for  one  Summer  as  scaler  and  book-keeper  lor  the  firm 
of  Moore  &  Sherman.  The  following  Winter  he  taught  school  in  the 
town  of  Wheaton,  being  the  first  male  teacher  ever  employed  in  that 
town.  In  the  Spring  of  1867,  he  entered  the  employ  of  H.  T.  Rumsey 
&  Co.,  at  Chippewa  City,  he  was  scaler  and  book-keeper  for  that  firm  un- 
til July,  1868,  he  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  until  October  of  the 
same  year  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  County  Treasurer  and  County 
Clerk.  He  left  the  county  offices  to  become  Principal  of  Ward  One 
School,  and  continued  in  that  school  until  July.  1879,  when  he  entered 
the  school  there  were  but  sixty  pupils,  at  the  time  he  retired  from  his 
position  he  had  an  attendance  of  497  ;  during  the  period  he  was  con- 
nected with  this  school  he  fitted  sixty-five  of  his  pupils  for  teachers. 
Prof.  Kiley  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  March  g,  1867,  to  Miss  Rosa 
Lynn.  She  was  born  in  South  Bend,  Ind.  They  have  three  children 
living — Thomas  J.  jr.,  Eugene  G.  and  Rosa  Genevieve.  Lost  two  chil- 
dren— Charles,  who  died  when  only  eight  weeks  old,  and  Eugene  who 
was  four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  death.  Mr.  Kiley  was  for  three 
years  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward,  and  was  for  two  years  President  of 
the  Common  Council,  he  was  also  Supervisor  for  one  year. 

CHARLES  LANGEVIN,  lumber  manufacturer,  Chippewa  Falls; 
was  born  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  Oct.  15,  1832,  lived  there  until  No- 
vember, 1850;  he  worked  for  others  in  the  lumbering  business  for  about 
six  years,  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering  for  himself,  and  was 
has  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  French  Lumbering  Company  and 
been  connected  with  it  since  its  organization  in  November,  1873.  He 
was  married  in  St.  Paul,  .Minn.,  April  15,  1862,  to  Vitaline  Dufort,  a 
native  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  They  have  three  children — Joseph, 
Nellie  and  Charles,  Jr.  Mr.  L.  was  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  two 
years. 

WILLIAM  O.  LAMB,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov. 
25,  1854.  When  he  was  about  five  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Eau  Claire.  (His  father,  John  T.  Lamb,  is  now  a  resident  of  Colfax, 
Dunn  Co.)  William  O.  was  for  eight  years  in  the  employ  of  West 
Wisconsin  &  C.  M.  &  O.  railways.  Now  runs  passenger  locomotive 
from  Eau  Claire  to  St.  Paul  on  Wisconsin  Central  road  ;  has  been  rail- 
roading since  1870.  He  also  carries  on  wholesale  lime,  cement  and  hair 
trade.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  June  25.  1878,  to  Jessie  S. 
Howard.  She  was  born  in  Eau  Claire.  They  have  one  child,  William 
Arthur,  born  April  24,  1881.  Lost  one  child  that  died  Sept.  7,  1879, 
aged  three  months  and  seven  days.  Mr.  Lamb  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter,  and  of  Temple  of  Honor. 

JOSEPH  G.  LA  MOTTE,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls;  born  in  Prairie 
Du  Chien,  in  1S37;  son  of  M.ijor  General  La  Motte,  G.  A.  R.  From 
1852  to  1855  was  head  pantry  man  on  steamboats  on  Mississippi  River. 
In  1856  opened  a  saloon  at  Prairie  Du  Chien  and  continued  in  that 
business  for  eleven  years,  and  was  also  for  one  year  of  that  time  in  the 
hardware  business  at  Calmar,  Iowa.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1868  ; 
began  business  in  1869  in  partnership  with  O.  B.  Blatchfield,  continued 
it  for  one  year,  and  then  opened  the  present  business.  Was  Alderman 
of  the  Fourth  Ward  for  1879,  and  re-elected  for  1881.  Married  at 
Prairie  Du  Chien,  Dec.  to,  1862,  to  Margaret  Ozoi-,  born  in  Prairie  Du 
Chien.     They  have  two  children,  Joseph  V.  B.  and  Mary. 

JAMES  LAVELL,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls;  was  born  at  Portage 
City,  March  19,  1853,  and  resided  there  with  his  parents  for  eighteen 
years;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in   1S71,  and  was  employed  teaming, 


cutting  timber  and  cooking,  in  the  woods  for  about  nine  years  ;  com- 
menced present  business  in  May,  18S0.  Is  a  son  of  Patrick  Lavell, 
farmer,  near  Portage  City. 

LOUIS  LORD,  .saloon,  Chippewa  Falls  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S69, 
and  located  at  this  place,  and  was  engaged  at  teaming  in  the  woods  for 
six  years;  then  went  to  California  and  Washington  Territory,  returning 
to  Chippewa  Falls  in  Fall  of  1879;  was  employed  for  a  short  time  lum- 
bering in  the  woods.  He  opened  the  present  business  May  2,  1881; 
was  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  21,  1850,  and  married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  June 
13,  18S1,  to  Maud  Piltsey,  born  in  Canada. 

CAVALIER  H.  LOWELL,  filer,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom 
Company.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1869;  located  at  this  place;  em- 
ployed in  mill  as  filer  for  one  year ;  was  at  Eau  Claire  as  filer  for  one 
year ;  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  was  employed  as  filer  in  mill  for 
six  years.  In  1877  went  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  but  returned  to  Chippewa 
Falls  in  1878,  remained  up  to  1880;  has  been  engaged  in  present  ca- 
pacity since  Spring  of  18S1.  Born  in  Wiscasset,  Maine  ;  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania when  quite  young  and  remained  there  eight  years  ;  was  engaged 
in  mills,  lumbering,  etc.  Is  a  son  of  Bassilo  Lowell,  farmer,  of  Wiscas- 
set, Maine. 

GUNDER  J.  LEE,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, April  24,  1847;  eame  to  Dane  County  in  the  Spring  of  1868; 
located  One  Hundred  Mile  Grove,  near  Lodi,  until  Fall  of  1869,  then 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  commenced  work  here  as  a  laborer  for  Stanley 
Bros.;  employed  in  the  woods  and  as  clerk  for  them,  between  six  and 
seven  years  ;  commenced  business  for  himself  in  the  Fall  of  1876. 
Christ  Larson  was  in  partnership  with  him  until  September.  1S7S,  Since 
then  he  has  carried  on  business  without  a  partner.  Mr.  Lee  was  mar- 
ried in  Chippewa  Falls,  Jan.  i,  187S,  to  Anna  K.  Swendby,  a  native  of 
Christiana,  Norway.  They  have  two  children  —  Kenelm  Julius  and 
Nora  May.  Mr.  Lee  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter 
and  Eau  Claire  Commandarv. 

JACOB  LEINENKUGEL,  brewer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  May  22,  1842,  and  came  to  America  in  1845,  with  his  parents. 
His  home  was  in  Sauk  City  until  1S67.  He  has  been  engaged  in  a 
brewery  ever  since  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  in  Sauk 
City,  jiily  18,  1S65,  to  Josephine  Imhoff,  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They 
have  four  children — Matthias,  William,  Rosa  and  Susanna.  Mr.  Lein- 
enkugel  is  a  member  of  the  German  Benevolent  Society,  and  has  been 
Mayor,  Alderman  and  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

J.  W.  LESLIE,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1869,  and  located  at  this  place  and  employed  himself  at 
carpentering  and  building.  In  1869,  he  built  what  is  known  as  the 
upper  bridge  over  the  falls,  and  rebuilt  it  in  187S.  Was  Street  Commis- 
sioner in  1876,  for  a  year;  born  in  North  Carolina,  near  Salem,  June 
16,  1S47  ;  came  north  to  Illinois  in  1851,  and  was  at  one  time  engaged 
in  building  bridges  for  railroads  in  that  State ;  married  at  Chippewa 
Falls,  Nov.  29,  1871,  to  Stella  M.  Smith,  born  in  Connecticut.  They 
have  five  children — Frank  N.,  William  IL,  Howard,  Edward  and  Anna. 

ALE.KANDER  McBEAN,  physician  and  surgeon,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  in  1810,  educated  in  England  and 
Scotland  ;  studied  medicine  in  Edinburgh  ;  practiced  medicine  in  Jamai- 
ca until  after  Emancipation,  when  he  came  to  America,  and  was  for 
many  years  surgeon  of  the  California  steamers,  running  fiom  New  Yoik 
to  Chagres  and  Aspinwall.  The  doctor  was  married  in  Jamaica.  He 
came  to  Chippewa  F,ills  in  1S57.  To  use  the  doctor's  own  language  : 
"  The  beauty  of  the  country,  the  abundance  of  game,  the  clear,  delight- 
ful streams  filled  with  trout  induced  me  to  pitch  my  tent  here,  and  I 
often  wish  it  were  the  same  old  place  again."  During  the  late  war  of 
the  rebellion,  he  served  as  surgeon  of  the  2d  Wis.  C.  Since  coming  to 
Wisconsin,  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with  educational  matters 
and  other  public  interests. 

WARREN  E.  McCORD,  firm  of  Hayward  &  McCord,  Chippewa 
Falls,  is  a  son  of  Myron  McCord,  of  Coras,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  who 
was  extensively  engaged  in  lumbering  on  the  Alleghany  River,  and  was 
owner  of  two  large  steam  saw-mills.  In  1853,  he  took  his  eldest  son, 
Myron,  and  came  to  Wisconsin.  After  looking  about  him,  he  decided  on 
settling  at  Shawano,  on  the  Wolf  River,  and  sent  for  the  remainder  of  the 
family.  They  reached  Fond  du  Lac,  the  terminus  of  the  Northwestern  Rail- 
road, took  a  steam  propeller  to  Oshkosh  and  up  the  Fox  and  W'olf  rivers 
to  New  London,  where  they  embarked  for  Shawano  on  an  open  barge,  pro- 
pelled up  stream  by  four  men  poling  on  each  side,  and  one  to  steer. 
They  finished  their  journey  in  nine  days,  camping  out  nights  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  reached  the  old  Powell  Landing  in  the  Autumn 
of  1854.  The  Fall  of  1S57,  their  .adopted  brother,  A.  J.  Hayward,  joined 
them,  from  the  E.ist,  and  he  and  his  partner  bought  a  piece  of  pine  and 
delivered  their  logs,  at  Fond  du  L.ic,  for  S2.50  per  thousand.  When  he 
was  fifteen  (Myron  having  given  his  attention  to  politics),  Warren  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  for  himself  taking  entire  charge  of  the 
camp.  He  attended  college  at  Appleton  in  the  Spring,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  do  Spring  and  Falls,  and  lumbering  Winters,  until  1866.  when 
having  completed  a  course  of  study  in  medicine,  he  married  his  present 
wife,  Eleanor  C.  Wily,  who  came  to   Wisconsin  with  her  parents,  from 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


213 


Argusville,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.Y.,  and  settled  at  Sharon,  but  afterwards 
moved  to  Sliawano.  Warren  then  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and  also 
carried  on  lumbering,  until  1S72,  when  he  received  a  proposition  from 
his  adopted  brother,  A.  J.  Hayward,  who  had  just  sold  his  saw-mill  at 
Winona  for  $20,000,  to  go  and  explore  the  Duluth  district  for  pine  tim- 
ber, which  they  accordingly  did.  After  spending  six  weeks  on  the  St. 
Louis  River,  finding  a  large  portion  of  the  best  lands  unsurveyed  and 
withheld  from  market  for  railroad  purposes,  they  returned  to  Chippewa, 
and  decided  to  log  a  piece  of  timber  that  Mr.  Hayward  owned,  on  the 
Little  Chief,  a  tributary  of  the  Chippewa,  in  Town  40,  Range  7  west. 
They  started  from  Winona  the  20th  of  November,  with  sixty  men,  ten 
horse  and  eight  ox  teams,  in  company  with  Laird  &  Norton's  crew  in 
charge  of  Silas  Braley.  Having  come  on  wagons,  they  changed  their 
loads  onto  sleds  at  Campbell's  and  the  Lake  House,  and  from  Big  Bend 
up  found  but  very  little  signs  of  the  present  road.  They  had  to  let  their 
loads  down  hill,  in  places,  with  two-inch  cable,  and  broke  through  several 
streams,  there  being  no  bridges  above  Campbell's.  They  reached  the 
Kelly  place,  fourteen  miles  above  Belill's  Falls,  after  having  abandoned 
their  loads  and  walking  eight  miles  after  night,  and  were  obMged  to  light 
matches  sometimes  to  show  them  the  trail.  They  found  the  proprietor, 
Red  John  Hall,  standing  by  the  side  of  a  barrel  of  whisky,  with  a  candle 
in  one  hand  and  a  tin  dipper  in  the  other,  treating  the  crowd.  1  hey 
had  nothing  to  eat  but  a  pan  of  baked  beans  and  a  pan  of  stewed  apples. 
All  this  was  perfectly  free,  as  was  also  the  whisky.  They  reached  camp 
the  day  following,  making  thirteen  days  on  the  road,  and  had  a  success- 
ful Winter.  The  next  Summer,  he  and  Mr.  Hayward,  in  company  with 
Messrs.  Laird,  Norton  &  Co.,  of  Winona,  purchased  what  was  known  as 
the  Jackson  tract  of  pine  timber,  on  the  Chippewa  and  Burnett  rivers, 
and  in  the  Spring  moved  to  Chippewa  Falls,  where  he  has  since  resided 
with  his  family,  consisting  of  Daisy  Gertrude,  aged  thirteen,  a  boy  who, 
had  he  lived,  would  be  eleven,  Grace  M..  aged  eight,  and  Ella,  aged  six. 
In  company  with  Mr.  Hayward,  he  has  handled  about  10,000,000  a  year, 
with  no  cause  to  complain  of  the  results.  He  has  gained  the  confidence 
of  the  business  men  of  the  valley,  and  secured  a  comfortable  home. 

JAMES  McCLINTOCK,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S65.  Located  at  Waukesha  for  one  year,  and 
then  worked  at  logging  at  Manistee,  Mich.,  for  several  years.  Came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  in  1S72,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  business  nine' 
years.  Was  born  in  Canada,  Sept.  I,  1840;  married  there  Feb.  20,  1865, 
to  Isabella  Watson,  who  was  born  in  Canada  and  came  to  United  States 
in  1865.     They  have  one  child,  William  A.,  aged  seven  years. 

THOMAS  McDERMOTT,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  the  par- 
ish of  Blackville,  County  of  Northumberland,  Mirimishi,  N.  B.,  Oct.  10, 
1830;  removed  from  there  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  in  Octolier,  1851 ;  worked 
in  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin,  on  Clam  River,  Namekagon  River,  St. 
Croix  River,  Yellow  River  and  its  tributaries,  until  1S62  ;  since  then  on 
the  Chippewa  River  and  its  tributaries;  exploring  and  looking  after  tim- 
ber interests  for  the  last  fifteen  years,  representing  various  lumber  firms. 
For  several  years  with  the  Chippewa  Lumber  cS;  Boom  Co.,  with  which 
he  is  now  connected.  Probably  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  State  who  has 
a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  the  pine  lands  in  Wisconsin  than  Mr. 
McD.  In  November,  1861,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  Welch,  a  native 
of  Ireland. 

ALEX.  R.  Mcdonald,  blacksmith,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  September,  1872,  and  located  at  Chippewa  Falls.  Was  in 
employ  of  Union  Lumber  Co.  for  five  years,  in  their  blacksmith  shops. 
Commenced  his  present  biusiness  in  the  Fall  of  1S77.  Was  Chairman  of 
La  Fayette,  Wis.,  Board  of  Supervisors  for  187S  and  1879.  Born  in 
Glengary,  Canada,  Feb.  13,  1847;  married  in  that  place,  Dec.  2,  1874,  to 
Emma  B.  Blair,  a  native  of  Canada.  Came  to  United  States  in  1872. 
They  have  four  children — Emma  A.,  Alfred  R.,  John  A.  and  Mary. 

ANGUS  J.  McDONELL.  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  this  place  in 
April,  1S72,  and  has  been  employed  in  the  office  of  County  Treasurer 
for  over  nine  years.  He  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Ontario,  Nov.  3,  1845  and 
came  from  there  to  this  place.  He  was  employed  in  the  AuorneyGen- 
eral's  office  in  Ontario  prior  to  removal  to  Wisconsin. 

A.  J.  McGILVRAY,  real  estate  dealer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Ontario,  in  January,  1S51,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Trempealeau 
when  only  nine  or  ten  months  old,  and  resided  there  until  1873,  when 
he  came  to  Chippewa  Palls  and  has  been  engaged  in  real  estate  and  log- 
ging business  ever  since. 

WILLIAM  D.  McGILVRAY,  real  estate  dealer,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S51  ;  he  lived  in  Portage  one  year,  and  after- 
wards in  Trempealeau  until  1S70,  when  he  spent  a  year  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  being  most  of  the  time  in  Washington  Territory.  He  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  in  1872,  and  has  dealt  in  lumber  and  real  estate  ever 
since.  He  was  Register  of  Deeds  from  Januaiy,  1S77,  to  January.  1881. 
He  was  born  in  Renfreu  County,  Ontario,  Dec.  22.  1847,  and  married 
in  Trempealeau,  May  2,  1876,  to'  Lucy  E.  Pierson,  who  was  born  in  On- 
tario. They  have  one  child— Donald  A.  Mr.  McGilray  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

FRANK  M.  McGUIRE,  proprietor  of  livery  stable,  Chippewa 
Falls,  was  born  in  the  parish  of  St.   Giles,  Canada  East,  Oct.   5,  1835  ; 


removed  from  there  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  in  1856 ;  afterwards  resided  at 
Prescott,  in  Pierce  County;  came  to  Eau  Claire,  May  I,  1858.  He  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  about  five  years,  and  was  also  engaged 
in  the  lumbering  business  until  1S80;  commenced  livery  business  May 
II,  1874  ;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  16,  1879.  In  1861,  soon  after 
the  war  broke  out,  he  and  Capt.  Perkins  raised  a  company,  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Guire  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant.  He  served  in  the  8th  Wis. 
V.  I.  for  about  a  year,  and  then  resigned.  He  is  the  man  who  purchased 
the  War  Eagle  "  Old  Abe  "  from  Daniel  McCann,  for  S3-50.  and  took 
the  eagle  to  their  company.  Mr.  McG.  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  April 
13.  1862.  to  Etha  Maria  Daniels,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  Feb.  5, 
1S33,  and  came  to  Madison,  Wis.,  in  1852  ;  resided  there  about  eight 
years,  and  then  came  to  Eau  Claire.  They  have  three  children  living — 
Louis  James,  born  Nov.  24,  1863;  Daniel  Ottin,  born  Oct.  II,  1865,  and 
Arthur,  born  Dec.  18,  1869.     Lost  one  son,  Francis  E..  their  third  child. 

D.  L.  McKAY,  Lumber  Inspector,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1867  ;  worked  for  the  Mississippi  Logging  Company  ten  years; 
then  was  Deputy  Lumber  Inspector.  Since  April,  l8So,  he  has  been 
Lumber  Inspector  for  the  Sixth  District.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  Oct.  10,  1846  ;  came  to  America  in  i860.  In  No- 
vember, iS6l,  he  enlisted  in  New  York  City  in  Co.  B,  99th  N.  Y.  V.  I. 
(When  he  entered  the  service,  his  regiment  was  known  as  the  Union 
Coast  Guards.)  Mr.  McKay  served  until  July  22,  1S65,  being  for  eight- 
een month  a  prisoner.  He  was  married  in  Dunn  Co.,  Wis.,  in  June, 
1S75,  to  Marion  F.  Drinkwine,  a  native  of  Geneva  Lake,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children — Clyde  Marshall  and  Duncan  Lawson.  Mr.  McK.  is 
a  member  of  the  A.  F.  S.-^.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JAMES  McKINNON,  log  contractor,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
WiEcon^in  in  i863  ;  located  at  this  place  ;  was  employed  in  the  woods, 
and  in  various  capacities,  up  to  1871,  and  since  then  has  been  engaged 
in  logging  on  his  own  account.  He  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  Canada, 
in  1843,  and  farmed  with  his  father  there  for  some  years  ;  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1S6S.  He  was  married  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  24, 
1875,  to  Jennie  Redman,  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  Canada.  They  have 
one  child,  Hattie  J.,  aged  five  months. 

KENNETH  A.  McLEOD,  with  the  Mississippi  Logging  Company, 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Inverneshire,  Scotland,  Dec.  13,1849; 
came  to  the  province  of  Quebec,  June  17,  1S63  ;  remained  there  until 
1 86S,  then  removed  to  Au  Sable,  Mich.,  where  he  lived  one  year,  and 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  August,  1S69  ;  worked  in  the  saw  mills  here 
until  1871,  when  he  commenced  work  for  the  company  he  now  repre- 
sents, looking  after  their  logging  interests.  He  has  charge  of  getting 
their  logs  down  the  streams,  dividing  them  for  the  diff'erent  mills,  scal- 
ing Winters,  etc.  He  also  has  charge  of  the  police  at  the  mills.  Mr. 
McL.  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  17,  187S.  to  Anabel.  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  A.  Gough,  of  this  place.  She  was  born  in  Ireland.  They 
have  two  children — Arthur  Alexander  and  Florence  Genevieve. 

HECTOR  C.  McREA,  Chippewa  Falls,  is  a  son  of  John  McRea,  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and  now  a  resident  of  Bruce  Co.,  Ontario.  He  was 
born  in  Stormont,  Ontario,  March  21,  1837,  and  lived  in  Canada,  en- 
gaging in  mercantile  business  for  several  years  before  coming  to  Wis- 
consin. In  July,  186S,  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  was  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  until  1873.  He  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in 
the  Fall  of  1872,  and  served  two  successive  terms.  In  1S78,  he  bought 
a  set  of  abstract  books,  and  has  conducted  the  only  abstract  business 
here  since.  In  1S79.  he  engaged  in  milling  business  with  his  brother, 
John  A.  McRea,  and  Barnett  Brothers.  In  iSSo,  he  took  sole  charge, 
and  carried  on  the  business  alone  until  the  Summer  of  iSSi,  when  he 
leased  it.  He  built  the  mill  and  commenced  running  it  in  October, 
1879.  Its  capacity  is  100  bushels  every  twenty-four  hours.  It  has  one 
set  of  rolls,  five  run  of  stone,  and  keeps  three  men  constantly  employed 
— six  when  running  at  its  full  capacity.  Mr.  McRea  became  the  sole 
owner  of  the  planing-mill  in  1880.  He  employs  thirty  men  m  planing, 
jobbing,  building,  etc.,  and  manufactures  sash,  doors  and  blinds.  Charles 
M.  Prentice  is  associated  with  him  in  operating  the  planing-mill.  Mr. 
McRea  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1879  and  18S0,  .and  is  now 
President  of  the  City  Council.  He  was  married  in  Martintown,  Onta- 
rio, to  Margaret  McKay,  a  native  of  that  place,  who  died  in  i86g,  leav- 
ing two  children — John  A.  and  Alexander  C.  He  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Alice  Wiltse,  in  Chippewa  Falls,  May  24,  1871.  She  is  a 
native  of  Waukesha.  Mr.  McRea  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

HUGH  McRAE,  foreman  Star  Grist-MiUs,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1879.  and  located  at  this  place,  where  he  has  since  been 
employed  in  present  capacity.  He  was  born  in  Can.ida,  April  19,  1S35  ; 
was  engaged  there  some  fifteen  years  as  carpenter  and  builder.  Married 
there,  but  lost  his  wife.  He  has  three  children — Ann,  Kate  and  John. 
He  married  again  at  Lucknow,  Canada,  in  July,  1S77,  to  Ann  Proctor, 
who  was  born  in  Goderich,  Canada, 

JOHN  A.  McR.VE,  lumbering,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1869  ;  located  at  this  place  for  two  years  ;  was  employed  in  various 
capacities  for  three  years  ;  was  Superintendent  of  Mississippi  Logging 
Company;  commenced  planing-mill  in  1874,  in  partnership  with  several 


214 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


others;    carried  it  on  for  some  two  years,  and  lastly  in  company  with  J. 

D.  Barnett.  He  was  also  interested  in  grist-mill  for  a  short  time  ;  was 
then  engaged  in  building  for  about  a  year,  and  is  now  in  the  employ  of 
John  Robson,  lumber,  Winona,  Minn.  He  was  County  Supervisor  from 
1S76  to  1880.  Born  in  Canada  in  1842  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1864,  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering  in  Michigan  for  some  years.  He 
was  married  in  that  State,  July  26,  1869,  to  Prudence  A.  Dewey,  who 
was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  four  children — Harry  J.,  Herbert 
D.,  Royal  R.  and  Gertrude  M.  He  built  six  buildings  in  the  city  in 
1S80.  on  his  own  account,  and  owns  400  acres  of  farming  land  in  Chip- 
pewa County. 

CH.A.RLES  MA.NDELERT,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  French 
Lumbering  Co..  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  France,  Dec.  6,  1826; 
came  to  America  in  1S52.  In  1856  he  came  to  the  town  of  Lafayette, 
Chippewa  Co.  lie  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming  since  he 
came  here,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  French  Lumbering  Co.  ever 
since  its  organization.  He  was  married  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  February, 
1873,  to  Louise  Tebouret,  also  a  native  of  France.  They  have  four 
children — Louis,  Alice,  Rosalie  and  Louise. 

JOSEPH  MANDELERT,  president  of  the  French  Lumbering  Co., 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  France  Oct.  15,  1835  ;  came  to  America  in 
1855.  Lived  near  Utica,  N.  Y.,  for  two  years;  then  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  in  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he  remained  for  three  years  ;  he  then 
went  to  Mississippi,  where  he  resided  for  two  years  ;  then  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  1863.  He  was  engaged  in  the  mills  for  three  or  four 
years,  and  in  1S67  he  engaged  in  lumber  business  on  his  own  account, 
and  has  been  connected  with  the  French  Lumbering  Co.  since  its  organ- 
ization in  November,  1S73.  Mr.  M.  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls 
May  18.  1869,  to  Olive  King,  a  native  of  Canada.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren— Charles,  Delia,  George,  Mary  and  Millie. 

n  HON.  R.  D.  MARSHALL,  Chippewa  Falls,  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
Marshall,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Delton,  Sauk  Co.,  in  1853,  where 
he  resided  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  had  prin- 
cipally been  engaged  in  farming,  although  he  had  been  admitted  to  the 
Bar  before  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  at  Lawrence  Univer.sity 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  in  March,  1868.  Mr.  Marshall  was 
born  in  Nashua,  N.  H.,  Dec.  27,  1S47,  and  came  from  there  to  Wiscon- 
sin. He  has  been  County  Judge  for  the  last  six  years  ;  his  term  expires 
Jan.  I,  1882.     He  was  married  in  Baraboo  in  November,  1S69,  to   Mary 

E.  Jenkins,  a  native  of  England, 

WILLIAM  MARTIN,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1859,  and  located  at  Wolf  River.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  i860. 
Was  clerk  in  dry  goods  store  for  two  years.  In  1862  opened  a  saloon; 
sold  out  in  1864,  and  went  to  Oil  Regions  in  Pennsylvania,  and  ran  a 
hotel  there  up  to  1S66  ;  then  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls.  In  1870  he 
went  into  grocery  business  in  partnership  with  Henry  Cronk;  was  in 
that  business  five  years — the  last  two  years  alone.  Afterwards  employed 
in  woods  for  two  years,  scaling  logs,  etc.,  and  has  been  in  his  present 
business  since.  Was  born  in  New  York,  April  6,  1839.  Married  there 
Sept.  18,  1870,  to  Jennie  Kurd,  born  in  that  State.  They  have  one  child, 
Nettie,  aged  eight  years. 

HANS  MASON,  filer  in  lath-mill  of  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co., 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  Spring  of  1S69.  Located  at  Eau 
Claire,  and  was  engaged  running  latli-mill  for  seven  Summers  and  saw- 
ing in  woods  during  the  Winter  ;  then  followed  farming  at  Elk  Moun- 
tain for  four  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  April,  1S81,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  Born  in  Denmark  in  1S45; 
came  to  America  in  1869.  Married  at  Eau  Claire  in  1872,  but  lost  his 
wife.  Remarried  at  Eau  Claire  to  Annie  Peterson,  born  in  Denmark. 
They  have  one  child— Charies. 

HENRY  M A XEINER.  salesman,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co., 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Eagle  Point  in  December,  1856.  Came  to 
Chippewa  Falls  in  1857,  and  resided  with  parents  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  Followed  gardening  in  the  Summer  and  teaching  school  in  the 
Winter  for  three  years,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity  in  April,  18S1. 
Is  a  son  of  G.  W.  Maxeiner,  who  has  retired  from  business  and  resides  in 
Chippewa  Falls. 

LYELL  O.  MEAD,  passenger  conductor  of  Wis.  Central  Railroad, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  May  12.  1844.  Located  at  Eagle 
Prairie,  on  a  farm,  for  five  years  ;  then  was  fireman  on  Mil.  &  M.  R.  R. 
one  year,  and  one  and  one-half  years  as  engineer.  Was  in  charge  of  first 
locomotive  engine  run  west  of  Rock  River  in  this  State.  On  the  Indiana 
R.  R.  in  1853-54;  then  on  the  Mil.  &  Lac.  R.  R.  for  seventeen  years, 
running  locomotive  and  shops  at  Portage  City  ;  then  with  the  M.  W.  R. 
R.;  master  mechanic  at  Hudson  for  two  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls 
in  1876,  and  was  running  locomotive  for  C.  F.  &  W.  R.  R.  up  to  Nov. 
22,  1880;  since  then  is  conductor  of  W.  C.  R.  R.  Born  in  New  York 
May  29,  1829.  Married  at  Eagle  Prairie,  1854,  to  Margeret  C.  Free- 
man, born  Troy,  N.  Y.    One  daughter — Ida  B.  (now  Mrs.  Jerry  Palmer) 

ALBERT  MENDL,  pastor  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church,  Eagle 
Point,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Dec.  8,  1849.  Was  educated  at  Eichstadt, 
and  came  to  America  in  1871,  remaining  for  some  time  at  St.  Francis 
Seminary,   near   Milwaukee.      Was  ordained  in   1874  by  Archbishop 


Henni.  Had  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Keysville,  Wis.,  for  nine 
months,  then  St.  Joseph's  at  Glencoe  for  fourteen  months,  and  St.  Ma- 
ry's at  Durand  for  over  two  years.  Has  had  charge  of  St.  Peter's  Church 
at  Eagle  Point  for  past  three  years ;  has  also  a  school  and  convent  and 
in  charge  of  churches  at  Bloomer  and  Brush  Prairie,  Wis. 

DAVID  E,   MILES  will  be  found  on  page  32. 

EUSEBEUS  M.  MILES,  dealer  in  real  estate,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  here  in  November,  1865,  was  employed  as  hotel  clerk  for  a  short 
time,  then  for  about  two  years  he  commenced  working  in  the  woods, 
looking  up  pine  lands,  etc. ;  afterwards,  for  four  years  he  was  engaged  in 
logging  for  himself.  He  then  carried  on  mercantile  business  for  a  year. 
After  discontinuing  mercantile  pursuits,  he  kept  hotels  at  Big  Bend  un- 
til the  Spring  of  18S1,  being  proprietor  of  the  Big  Bend  House  and  also 
of  the  Oak  Grove  House.  His  principal  business  now  is  dealing  in  pine 
lands.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  North  Henderson,  Mercer  Co.,  111., 
Feb.  15,  1847  ;  lived  there  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Co.  C,  nth  111.  C,  serving  in  that  regiment  from  Feb.  10, 
1863,  to  August,  1S65.  Mr.  Miles  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  April 
22,  1S70,  to  Geraldine  Shipman,  a  native  of  Sauk  County.  Wis.  They 
have  one  son,  Eugene  Herbert,  born  May  21,  1872.  Lost  on^  son. 
Frankie.  who  died  in  March,  1874,  aged  one  year.  Mr.  M.  has  been 
Chairman  of  the  town  of  Big  Bend  for  the  last  three  years  ;  also  held 
ofiices  of  Postmaster,  Secretary  of  School  Board  and  Chairman  of  Road 
Commissioners  of  the  same  town. 

ALPHONSE  MILLER,  contractor,  builder  and  designer,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863  ;  located  at  Menomonee  and  was  em- 
ployed at  carpenter  and  joiner  work  for  five  years.  Then  went  to  Eau 
Claire  and  was  employed  in  mills  for  three  years,  and  for  two  years  was 
finishing  cabins  in  steamboats.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1S74,  and 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  M.  J.  Cummings  in  planing  mill  for  seven 
years.  Is  a  fine  designer,  and  also  a  building  contractor.  Born  in  Can- 
ada, Aug.  17,  1845  ;  came  to  United  States  in  1S63  :  married  at  Chippewa 
Falls,  June  11.  1876,  to  Lucy  Allard,  born  in  Prairie  du  Chien.  They 
have  three  children — Elizabeth,  Virginia  and  George. 

JOHN  MILLER,  brewer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Prussia, 
Sept.  29,  1837,  and  came  to  .America  in  the  early  part  of  1854,  locating 
at  Milwaukee.  In  the  Spring  of  1855,  he  went  to  Sauk  City,  and  lived 
in  that  vicinity  until  1S65,  working  in  a  mill  near  Baraboo  for  three 
years,  and  on  a  farm  in  Sauk  County.  He  then  came  to  Eau  Claire  and 
resided  there  until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  May  22  of 
that  year  he  began  building  his  present  brewery.  He  was  married  in 
Baraboo,  May  22,  1864,  to  Susanna  Welter,  who  was  born  in  Prussia. 
They  have  five  children — Mary,  John,  Anna,  Jacob  B.  and  Susanna. 

JOHN  P.  MITCHELL  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Dec.  20,  1S56. 
He  was  employed  as  book-keeper  for  H.  S.  .\llen  &  Co. ;  afterwards  with 
Chippewa  Falls  Lumbering  Co.  and  Union  Lumbering  Co.  until  1875. 
He  was  Sheriff  for  about  eighteen  months.  Town  Assessor  seven  years. 
City  Clerk  three  and  one  half  years,  and  Clerk  of  County  Board  two 
years.  For  the  last  three  sessions  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Legislature 
he  has  been  Engrossing  Clerk  of  the  Senate.  Mr.  M.  was  born  in  Glas- 
gow, Scotland.  March  23,  1824  ;  came  to  America  in  September,  1S55. 
Resided  in  Peoria,  III.,  prior  to  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls. 

A.  MOSES,  proprietor  of  variety  store,  Chippewa  Falls,  has  a  stock 
which  is  rarely  excelled  in  Europe  or  this  country.  Such  a  variety  of 
goods  is  seldom  displayed  anywhere.  Any  thing  from  a  jewsharp  to  a 
bass  viol,  guns,  pistols,  complete  fishing  outfits,  jewelry,  silverware,  cut- 
lery, etc.,  from  the  cheapest  to  the  finest  imported  articles.  If  you  don't 
see  what  you  want,  ask  for  it,  and  Moses  will  probably  find  it  in  his 
stock  for  you.  He  was  born  in  Russia-Poland  in  1831.  He  served  for 
three  years  and  fifty  days  in  the  army  before  leaving  Europe,  was  in  the 
Crimean  War,  wounded  three  times.  He  has  traveled  over  most  of  the 
civilized  world.  He  carried  on  business  in  New  Zealand  and  the  Aus- 
tralian colonies,  and  was  married  in  Melbourne  Oct.  9,  1861,  to  Martha 
Marks,  a  native  of  London,  Eng.  In  1870  he  came  to  Chicago,  lived 
there  until  1876,  afterwards  at  Winona,  Minnesota,  for  four  years,  then 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls. 

CHARLES  G.  MULLIKIN,  millwright,  Chippewa  Lumber  & 
Boom  Company,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  Fall  of  1868  and 
was  engaged  in  contracting  and  mill  building  for  five  years.  Went  to 
Lansing,  Iowa,  invented  a  patent  water-wheel  and  manufactured  same  ; 
was  also  building  grist-mills,  etc.,  and  connected  with  the  Lansing  Ma- 
chine Shop  Company.  Came  in  1S80  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Company  as  millwright  for  a 
short  time  ;  then  went  to  Iowa  for  a  few  months.  Returned  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  June  1,  18S1,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity.  Was  born 
in  Caledonia  County,  Vt.,  Dec.  25,  1836  ;  was  engaged  at  millwrighting 
in  the  Eastern  States  and  Canada  for  some  years  ;  was  married  in  Ver- 
mont, but  lost  his  wife.  Has  two  children — Achsah  and  Charles.  Mar- 
ried again  in  Lansing,  Iowa,  Fall  of  1872,  to  Anna  Klenckie,  born  in 
Dubuque,  Iowa.     They  have  two  children — John  and  Harry. 

JOTHAM  MURRAY,  foreman  of  blacksmith  .shop  for  Chippewa 
Lumber  &  Boom  Company,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1878.     Located  at   Eau  Claire   and  was  employed   in  fcundiy  of  Noah 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY. 


2IS 


Shaw  for  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Washington  Territory  for  a  year, 
and  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  May,  iSSo,  engaging  in  present  capacity. 
Was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  jMarch  iS,  1S59;  learned  trade 
there  ;  came  to  United  States  in  1878  ;  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  July 
4,  1881,  to  Rose  Walker,  born  in  that  city. 

THOMAS  MURRAY,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
May  23.  186S.  Located  at  this  place  and  was  engaged  in  the  store  of 
Union  Lumber  Company  for  nine  years  as  salesman  ;  was  then  employed 
in  various  capacities  up  to  January,  1880,  when  he  opened  present  busi- 
ness. Was  born  in  Ireland  in  1830;  married  there  in  1855  to  Elizabeth 
Malurkey,  born  in  Ireland  ;  came  to  America  in  186S.  They  have  three 
children — Mary,  now  Mrs.  B.  McMahon,  Catherine  and  Michael. 

LORENZO  M.  NEWMAN,  cashier  First  National  Bank,  Chippe 
wa  Falls,  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Melissa  Amanda  (Norton)  Newman  ; 
he  was  born  in  Lanesboro,  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  July  8,  1851. 
When  he  was  seven  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Oak  Hill,  Green 
Co..  N.  Y.,  and  in  1862  to  Unadilla,  N.  Y.,  and  in  June,  1876,  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  to  take  the  position  of  cashier  in  the  First 
National  Bank,  having  been  previously  connected  with  the  City  National 
Bank,  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  When  he  first  came  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
the  deposits  in  the  bank  averaged  about  $30,000  ;  now  they  amount  to 
about  $200,000.  He  is  secretary  of  the  Anchor  Consolidated  Gold  and 
Silver  Mining  Co.,  which  mines  are  located  in  Tomb.stone,  Arizona. 
Mr.  Newman  was  married  in  P.ilmyra,  Wis.,  Oct.  7,  1878,  to  Etta  C. 
Squier,  who  died  in  Chippewa  Falls.  Oct.  28.  1879. 

E.  E.  NUSSLE,  physician  and  surgeon,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born 
in  Chaux  de  Fonds,  Switzerland,  July  12,  1853.  He  was  educated  in  his 
native  country,  graduated  as  physician  and  surgeon,  March  17,  1874, 
practiced  one  year  in  Dresden,  Saxony,  then  came  to  America.  He  lo- 
cated in  Jefferson,  Wis.,  in  November,  1876,  remained  there  two  and  a 
half  years,  afterwards  was  a  resident  of  Theresa,  Dodge  County,  for 
eighteen  months.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  the  Summer  of  1S80. 
He  has  been  eng.aged  in  practice  of  his  profession  ever  since  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  He  served  several  years  in  the  army  of  his  native  country, 
and  received  commission  of  ist  Lieutenant  of  General  Military  Staff  of 
Switzerland,  dated  Aug.  4,  1874.  He  speaks  French,  German  and 
English  fluently.  June  10.  18S0,  he  was  married,  in  Theresa,  Dodge 
County,  Wis.,  to  Matilda,  daughter  of  Dr.  Valentine  Miller,  of  that 
place.  She  was  born  in  There.sa.  They  have  a  pair  of  twins —  Emil 
Edward  and  Adele  Josephine,  born  March  30,  l88l. 

JOHN  PAKENHAM,  Chippewa  Falls  moved  from  Grenville, 
Lower  Canada,  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  November,  1863.  Was  married 
in  August,  1866,  to  Miss  Sarah  Foster,  whose  parents  also  lived  in 
Canada.  They  have  two  children — Agnes  Mary  and  Melissa  Ann  ;  have 
buried  three  children  —  Maggie  Jane,  died  May  2g,  1S70,  aged  one  year 
and  three  months  ;  Charles  Edward,  died  June  18,  1872,  and  Ervy,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Pakenham  since  coming  to  Wisconsin  has  acted 
in  the  various  capacities  of  a  laborer  in  the  lumbering  business,  and  for 
several  years  past  as  a  lumber  scaler.  He,  with  his  wife,  are  members 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Chippewa  Falls. 

E.  G.  PANNIER,  carriage  and  wagon  manufactory,  Chippewa 
Falls,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  July  19,  1S48.  Finished  apprenticeship 
at  carriage  making  at  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  was  then  employed  at 
trade  for  seven  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  iS6g,  and  com- 
menced pre-sent  business,  in  partnership  with  Fred  Hoenig,  in  1S71. 
Firm  dissolved  in  1876.  Was  then  in  company  with  Gus  Greenwald 
for  one  year,  since  which  time  he  has  been  alone.  Was  Alderman  of 
Second  Ward  for  1876;  re-elected  in  1878  and  in  1881.  Married  in 
Milwaukee,  Sept.  28,  1869,  to  Annie  Greenwald,  who  was  born  near 
Milwaukee.  Have  five  children  — Ida  B.,  John,  Emma,  Elsie  and 
Carrie. 

WARREN  W.  POTTER,  grain  business  and  logging,  Chippewa 
Falls.  Born  in  Milwaukee  County,  May,  1841.  Left  there  at  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  went  to  Marquette  with  parents,  where  he  resided  six 
years;  then  went  to  Dane  County,  remaining  until  1864.  Went  to 
Minnesota  in  1867,  remaining  there  ten  years,  in  Faribault  County. 
Was  farming  on  own  account,  and  one  of  the  first  settlers  there.  Came 
to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1877,  and  has  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  grain 
for  four  years,  and  also  logging.  Married  in  Dane  County,  March, 
l86g,  to  Mary  Home,  who  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  A  son  of  John 
Potter,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Milwaukee  County,  Wis. 

MRS.  S.  A.  POUND,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.  Daughter  of  N.  S.  Loomis,  lawyer,  at  that  place.  Married,  Oct. 
29,  1856,  and  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1857.  Has  two  children — 
Homer  and  Florence. 

JOHN  POWERS,  contractor  and  builder,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1869.  Located  at  this  place,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  present  business  some  twelve  years.  Has  built  some  of  the 
most  prominent  residences  here.  Was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  June  21, 
1842.  Was  employed  at  trade  some  time,  and  was  for  seven  years  at 
the  gold  mines  and  in  mercantile  business.       Married   at   Nova   Scotia, 


May  20,  1868,  to  Louise  MacDaniel,  who  was  born  there.  Came  to 
United  States  in  1S69.  They  have  four  children  —  John  S.,  Mary  L., 
William  A.  and  Carrie. 

HON.  THADDEUS  C.  POUND,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Elk,  Warren  Co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  6,  1832.  In  1S38  his 
parents,  Elijah  and  Judith  Pound,  removed  with  their  family  to  Monroe 
County,  N.Y.  Came  to  Rock  County,  Wis.,  in  1847.  Commenced 
teaching  when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  Attended  Milton  Academy 
several  terms  ;  afterwards  taught  the  high  school  at  Caledonia,  Livingston 
Co.,  N.  y.  Was  at  the  Rushford  Academy  in  Allegany  County, 
N.  Y.,  for  a  time.      Came   to  Chippewa  Falls  in  Spring  of  1856.     Com- 


menced here  as  a  book-keeper,  and  continued  to  advance  until  he  became 
the  foremost  leader  in  public  enterprises.  He  was  member  of  the 
Assembly  in  1864,  1S66,  1867  and  1869.  In  the  latter  year  he  was 
elected  Lietenant  Governor.  Since  1S76  he  has  represented  the  Eighth 
District  in  Congress,  tliis  being  his  third  term.  He  organized  and 
pushed  to  completion  the  Chippewa  Falls  and  Western  Railway. 
Mr.  Pound  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  river  and  harbor 
improvement  bills  in  Congress,  and  to  him  great  credit  is  due  for  the 
earnest  support  which  he  lias  given  to  the  present  reservoir  system  per- 
taining to  the  Mississippi  River  and  its  tributaries. 

EDWARD  POZNANSKI,  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Russia  Poland,  in  September,  1839,  and  came  to  .\merica  in  1867,  coming 
direct  to  Wisconsin.  He  lived  in  Milwaukee  about  six  months  and 
then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  has  been  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness here  since.  The  firm  was  Glucksman  &  Poznanski  for  eleven 
years;  since  then  Mr.  Poznanski  has  been  alone  in  business.  He  was 
married  in  Milwaukee  in  May,  1869,  to  Leah  Pozner,  who  was  born  in 
Russia  Poland,  and  reared  in  London,  England.  They  have  two  children, 
Morris  A.,  born  in  January,  1872,  and  Gusta,  born  April  29,  1881. 
They  have  lost  two  children,  a  son,  who  died  when  a  few  days  old,  and 
Bertha,  who  was  born  July  9,  1875,  and  died  April  30,  1881.  Mr.  Poz- 
nanski is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,the  Sons  of  Hermann,  Harugari, 
and  Bnai  Brith,  Isaac  Lodge  of  Milwaukee.  He  was  Alderman  of  the 
Fourth  Ward  one  term  and  Mayor  of  the  city  two  terms. 


2l6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN, 


M.  J.  RAYMOND,  grocer  and  confectioner,  Chippewa  Falls. 
Came  to  Omro,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1846;  lived  there  until  1S55, 
then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  and  work- 
ing in  the  woods  for  about  twelve  years  ;  he  then  run  hotel  (the  Juneau 
House)  for  two  years,  then  for  about  five  years  he  followed  the  trade  of 
painter;  since  that  time  he  has  carried  on  the  business  of  dealer  in 
groceries,  fruits,  confectionery,  etc.  He  was  born  in  Williston,  Vt., 
Dec.  28,  1836;  was  reared  in  Berkshire,  Vt.;  came  from  there  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents,  Joseph  H.  and  Edna  Raymond.  They  both 
died  in  Omro,  Wis.  Mr.  Raymond  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls, 
April  2,  1864,  to  Fanny  M.  Winn,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
They  have  three  children,  Edith  May,  Ernest  Myron,  and  Florence  Ella. 
Mr.  R.  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 

FRED  .A..  RECK.\RD,  physician  and  surgeon,  Chippewa  Falls. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1869;  located  at  Neillsville,  where  he  remained 
two  years,  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  born  in  Livonia, 
Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  26,  1845;  lived  there  until  he  was  about  ten 
years  of  age,  then  came  to  Rockford,  111.,  where  he  afterwards  read 
medicine.  He  served  as  drum  major  in  the  67th  111.  V.  1.,  and  for  a 
time  was  on  detached  service  doing  hospital  duty.  The  doctor  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Chicago  Medical  College  and  has  been  engaged  in 
practice  since  March,  1S67.  He  was  married  in  Racine,  Dec.  26,  1S69, 
to  Carrie  A.  Adams,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have 
one  son  living,  Harry  J.  Three  children  died  in  infancy.  Dr.  R.  has 
been  city  physician.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chippewa  County  Medical 
Society  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JOHN  REDMAN,  log  contractor,  Chippewa  Falls.  Came  to  Wis- 
consin in  March,  1S70  ;  located  at  this  place,  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged at  lumbering,  log  contracting,  etc.  Was  born  in  Nova  Scotia, 
Dec.  15,  1844.  Was  for  three  years  engaged  in  ship-building.  Went  to 
California  in  October,  i860.  Had  two  boot  and  shoe  factories  in  Mendo- 
cino Co.,  Cal.,  and  continued  there  up  to  1870.  Married  at  Eau  Claire 
in  June,  1872,  to  Annie  C.  Sellers,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  They 
have  three  living  children,  Ada  M.,  Josephine  M.,  and  Oney  L. ;  two 
deceased. 

GENERAL  HOLLON  RICHARDSON,  lawyer,  Chippewa  Falls. 
Was  born  in  Poland,  Mahoning  Co.,  Ohio,  Dec.  25,  1838  ;  lived  there 
until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  September,  1859.  In  July,  1861,  he 
entered  the  army  as  first  lieutenant  of  Co.  A.  7th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  pro- 
moted from  time  to  time  until  he  became  colonel  of  his  regiment,  and 
was  made  brevet  brigadier  general  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
wounded  eight  times,  but  was  in  all  general  engagements  of  his  com- 
mand except  part  of  the  Wilderness  battles.  He  and  Captain  Andrews 
were  the  only  original  officers  of  his  regiment  that  came  back  from  the 
war  alive.  He  furnished  to  General  Meade  the  information  upon  which 
he  made  the  line  of  intrenchments  which  enabled  him  to  successfully 
resist  the  attacks  of  the  rebels,  thereby  saving  his  army  the  night  of 
July  2.  1863.  When  he  entered  the  service  he  improvised  a  flat  boat  at 
his  own  expense  and  took  the  troops  from  Chippewa  Falls  to  Reed's 
Landing.  He  was  one  of  the  four  oflicers  appointed  to  organize  Indian 
regiments  in  Nebraska,  and  was  offered  a  colonelcy  in  one  of  them,  but 
declined  the  position.  He  was  finally  mustered  out  in  July,  1865. 
After  leaving  the  army  he  located  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  practiced 
law  for  six  years,  having  been  educated  at  the  Ohio  State  Union  Law 
College  at  Poland,  Ohio,  the  Degree  of  A.  B.  was  conferred  on  him  by 
that  institution  July  I,  1S57.  In  1871  he  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
where  he  has  since  continued  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  has 
been  District  Attorney  two  terms.  City  Attorney  two  terms,  and  was 
City  Clerk  one  term  while  serving  as  City  Attorney.  The  general  was 
one  of  the  delegates  to  the  National  convention  which  first  nominated 
U.  S.  Grant  to  the  presidency.  In  1868  he  was  U.  S.  Commissioner  of 
Inspection  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  and  Denver  Pacific  railways.  He  was 
appointed  U.  S.  Attorney  for  the  Territories  of  Montana  and  Washington, 
but  declined  both  places.  He  was  also  appointed  Governor  of  Utah,  but 
declined  that  honor.  In  May,  1862,  he  was  married  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  to  Leonora  C.  Robinson.  She  was  born  near  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  who  was  colonel  of  the 
7th  Wis.  V.  if.  during  the  late  rebellion,  and  is  now  U.  S.  Consul  to 
Madagascar.  The  general  has  two  children,  Leonora  and  Mary  E. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  K.  of  P. 

SANFORD  S.  RIDDELL,  physician  and  surgeon.  Chippewa  Falls. 
Was  born  on  Camp  street.  New  Orleans,  La.,  Aug.  22,  1838.  When 
five  years  of  age  he  went  to  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
in  school  for  five  years,  then  returned  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  education  in  the  University  of  Louisiana,  and  Louisiana  Col- 
lege. In  March,  i860,  he  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Louisiana.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was 
elected  a  Fellow  of  the  New  Orleans  Academy  of  .Sciences.  He  was 
for  a  time  Assistant  State  Geologist  of  Texas.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  his  native  city.  From  1866  to  1874  he  practiced 
in  Norwich,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  June  27,  1874,  he  located  at  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  and  has  continued  in  practice  here  ever  since.  He  was 
married  at  Cincinnatus,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  19,  1866,  to 
Josephine,  daughter  of  Roswell  K.  Bourne,  of  that  place.     She  was 


born  at  Pitcher  Springs,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  five  children — 
Mary  Bourne,  born  Dec.  13,  1867  ;  Josephine  Lephe,  born  in  June,  1869  ; 
Sanford  Louis,  born  June  27,  1870;  George  William,  born  Sept.  18. 
1871  ;  Louisiana,  born  June  24,  1S73-       The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the 


American  Medical  Association,  Northwestern  Medical  Society,  Wiscon- 
sin Medical  Society.  Chippewa  County  Medical  Society,  and  Chenango 
County  (N.  Y.)  Medical  Society.  He  is  now  City  Physician.  His 
father  was  Prof.  J.  L.  Riddell,  of  New  Orleans,  an  eminent  scientific 
gentleman,  who  was  born  in  Coleraine,  Mass.,  Feb.  20,  1S07,  and  died 
in  New  Orleans,  in  October,  1865.  His  wife  (mother  of  Sanford  S.) 
was  Mary  Elizabeth  Knocke,  who  was  born  in  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  March 
7,  l8l8.     She  died  in  December,  1839. 

CLAYTON   E.  ROGERS  will  be  found  ou  page  32. 

GEORGE  S.  ROGERS,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Strongsfield, 
Ohio,  June  6,  1844,  He  is  a  son  of  Lawrence  Rogers,  now  a  resident 
of  Barton  Co.,  Mo.,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1S45, 
living  in  Westport,  Dane  Co.,  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  6th 
Wis.  V.  I.  He  served  about  six  months,  when  he  was  discharged  on 
account  of  disability.  He  re-enlisted  in  1864  as  first  lieutenant  of  Co. 
F.,  48th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Re- 
turned to  Westport,  Dane  Co.,  living  there  until  1S72,  when  he  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  engaged  for  about  six  months  in  mercantile 
business  in  Poynette,  Wis.,  prior  to  coming  here.  After  locating  in 
Chippewa  Falls  he  was  employed  by  Stanley  Bros.  &  Co.,  merchants, 
until  1878,  when  he  established  business  for  himself.  He  is  also  en- 
gaged in  logging,  in  partnership  with  W.  W.  Potter.  He  was  married 
in  Vienna,  Dane  Co.,  Jan.  I,  1866,  to  Jean  Howie,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  State.  They  have  five  children— Mary  Edith,  Charles.  Herbert 
Emory,  Alice  and  Grace.  Mr.  Rogers  was  Alderman  in  187S-80.  and 
lumber  inspector  for  this  district  from  1876-80.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A  .  F.  &  A.  M  .,  Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter,  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

JOHN  R U. VISE Y,  proprietor  of  Omnibus  Line,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2,  1S2S.  Lived  there  until  he  was 
five  years  of  age.  when  his  parents — Calvin  and  Polly  McWhorter  Rum- 
sey — removed  with  their  family  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  there  one  year;  then 
they  located  in  Westfield,  N.  Y.  When  John  was  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  went  to  Buffalo  again,  and  remained  there  until  1850,  when  he 
went  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  where  he  remained  two  years;  he  after- 
wards spent  two  years  in  California.  He  located  in  Pleasant  Grove, 
Olmsted  Co.,  Minn,,  in  August,  1856  ;  remained  there  until  he  came  to 
Ramsey's  Landing,  Wis.  (fifteen  miles  below  Eau  Claire)  in  1861.  En- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  steamboating  and  milling  there.  In  1874 
he  removed  to  Chippewa  Falls  ;  carried  on  stage  and  livery  business 
until  September,  1880;  also  engaged  in  lumbering  here  until  1879.  and 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  for  two  years  at  Chippewa 
City,  prior  to  1868.  In  September,  1880,  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  live- 
ry and  stage  business  to  his  former  partners.  Stiles  &  Lego,  and  pur- 
chased the  omnibus,  dray  and  express  part  of  the  business."    He  is  also 


HISTORY  OF  CHIPPEWA  COUNTY, 


217 


agent  of  the  American  Express  Co.  at  this  point.  June  20,  1861,  he  was 
married  in  Pleasant  Grove,  Minn.,  to  Elizabeth  Barrows,  who  was  born 
in  Olean,  N.  Y.,  April  14,  1S40.  They  have  one  daughter,  Kate  Lyman  ; 
she  was  born  May  15,  1S62.  Mr.  R.'s  father,  Calvin  Rumsey,  was  born 
in  Poultney,  Vt. ;  mother  was  Mary  McWhorler  Rumsey,  a  native  of 
Granville,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  John  Rumsey's  father  was  Samuel  Burrows,  who 
was  born  in  Cornish,  N.  Y.;  mother  is  Mary  Goodspeed  Barrows.  She 
is  still  living,  and  resides  with  her  daughter  here. 

DAVID  RUSSELL,  of  Samuel  Hill  &  Co.,  carriage  makers  and 
blacksmiths,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1872,  and  located  at 
this  place,  where  he  was  employed  at  trade  for  five  years.  Commenced 
present  business  in  1877,  in  company  with  Samuel  Hill.  Was  born  in 
Indiana  Feb.  7,  1855,  and  was  reared  in  Preston,  Minn.;  is  the  only  son 
of  David  Russell,  who  was  murdered  in  Indiana  in  the  latter  part  of 
1854. 

THOMAS  A.  RYAN,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  born  in  Mukwana- 
go,  Wis.  Feb.  i.  1S45;  resided  there  with  parents  eighteen  years,  and 
then  went  to  Chicago,  and  was  employed  on  tug-boats  and  sailing  on 
the  Lake  for  three  Summers.  Was  then  at  Eau  Claire  nine  years,  em- 
ployed at  lumbering,  and  two  years  in  saloon  business.  Came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  1877,  and  opened  his  present  business  in  Spring  of  1881. 
Married  at  Chippewa  Falls  June  15.  1S80,  to  Elizabeth  Taylor,  born  in 
State  of  Wisconsin.     They  have  one  child,   William  T. 

JOHN  SAMSON,  of  Samson  &  Kennedy,  millers,  Chippewa  Falls. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S75  ;  located  at  Eau  Claire  and,  was  engaged  in 
running  the  D.  S.  C.  mills  for  three  years.  Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in 
1878,  and  commenced  milling  business  at  La  Fayette,  in  company  with 
Robert  Kennedy,  and  still  continues  that  business  ;  opened  Star  mills 
in  July,  18S1 ;  born  in  Canada,  (London.)  Spring  of  1848  ;  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  when  quite  young,  and  resided  in  Min- 
nesota, and  was  employed  in  mills  at  Minneapolis  five  vears  ;  married 
in  Clinton  Falls,  Feb,  7.  1872,  to  Mary  Banetten,  born'in  New  York 
State.     They  have  one  child  four  years  old,  Irwin  D. 

JAMES  W.  SELLERS,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  directly  to  this  place 
from  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  was  born  Nov.  13,  1843.  Was  married  Aug. 
29,  1875,  to  Miss  Diantha  Estelle  Neal,  of  Neillsville,  Clark  Co.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  lumbering  during  most  of  the  time  since  coming  to 
the  State,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  St.  James,  Minn. 
He  also  farms  extensively  on  the  Yellow  River,  near  the  pinery,  where 
he  operates  a  large  force  of  men  and  teams  each  Winter.  He  is  of 
Scotch  descent.  They  have  one  child,  Merton  Dale,  born  in  Chippewa 
Falls,  July  ti,  1S81 

SYVERT  SERLEY,  proprietor  Garfield  House,  Chippewa  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1870;  located  in  this  place,  and  was  employed  as 
cook  in  logging  camps  for  ten  years.  He  has  been  proprietor  of  present 
hotel  for  a  year  ;  is  now  opening  the  Murray  House  at  Big  Bend,  in 
partnership  with  John  Yellerberg.  This  hotel  will  accommodate  seventy- 
five  persons.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  Oct.  25,  1853 ;  came  to  America 
in  1870. 

JAMES  A.  SEYDEL,  cashier  of  the  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom 
Co.,  was  born  in  Kane  Co.,  Ill  ,  April  6,  1851.  In  1S53,  his  parents  re- 
moved with  their  family  to  Pennsylvania,  remaining  there  eighteen 
months;  then  went  to  Virginia,  where  they  lived  seven  years,  and  from 
1861  to  1866,  resided  in  Washington,  D.C.;  afterwards  in  Dauphin,  Pa., 
for  one  year,  in  Williamsport,  Pa.,  seven  years  ;  from  there  he  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  here  Nov.  5,  1877,  to  Ida  E.  Biais- 
dell,  a  native  of  Maine.  They  have  one  child,  James  Herbert,  born  in 
>      August,  187S. 

D.  E.  SEYMOUR,   banker,    Chippewa  Falls  ;    came  here  in  1861. 
He  was  with  Pound  &  Halbert,  and  alterwards  with   Pound,   Halberl  & 
Co.,  and  then  with  the   Union  Lumber  Company  ;    engaged  in   bank- 
ing eleven  years  ago,  also  dealing  in  pine  lands  and  farming  to  some  ex- 
1     tent.     He  was  botn  in  the  town  of  Butternuts,    Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
;     went  to  New  Orleans  when  twenty-one  years  old.     He  returned  to  New 
York  State,  and  was  married,  and  went  again  to  New  Orleans.     He  was 
[     there  and  in  Mississippi  for  a   year  or  two,  then  in   New    York   again. 
I     From  there  he  went  to  Illinois,  then   to  Minnesota,  and  from  the   latter 
[     State  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.     He  was  married  in  New  York  State  to 
i     Elizabeth  Halbert,  a  native  of  Butternuts,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.     They  have 
I     five  children  living — Leila,  William  L.,  Jennie,  Edwin  J.  and  Robert  M. 
1     They   lost   one   daughter,   Mary  (Mrs.   Flint),  who   died  in  Chippewa 
[    Falls. 

;  WILLIAM  L.  SEYMOUR,  son  of  D.  E.  Seymour,  book-keeper  in 

(  his  father's  bank,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Butternuts,  Otsego  Co., 
N.  Y.,  April  6,  1853  '•  lived  there  until  1855,  then  his  parents  removed 
with  their  familv  to  Minnesota ;  lived  there  seven  years,  then  came  to 
Wisconsin.  William  L.  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  trunks  here 
for  two  years ;  was  one  year  in  law  office,  and  has  been  in  the  bank  one 
year.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Dec.  15,  1S74,  to  Emma  L. 
Thompson.  She  was  born  in  Oconomowoc,  Wis.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren—Ida Madel  and  Lina  Gertrude. 

HORACE  L.  SMITH,  time-keeper  for  the   Chippewa    Lumber  & 


Boom  Co.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Triangle,  Broome  Co.,  N.  \'.,  April 
7,1838;  lived  there  until  Sept.  24,  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  E, 
137th  N.  Y.  V.  I. ;  served  until  May,  1865.  He  was  in  all  engagements 
of  his  regiment  until  he  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lookout  Moun- 
tain ;  afterwards  did  hospital  duty,  clerked,  etc.  When  he  left  the  army 
he  returned  to  Broome  County,  and  remained  there  eighteen  months; 
then  went  to  Clearfield,  Pa.,  where  he  was  employed  for  five  years  with 
the  firm  ot  William  Mengie  &  Co.,  lumbermen.  March  28,  1S71,  he 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  lumber  inter- 
ests  ever  since.  He  now  has  charge  of  hiring,  paying,  and  keeping  the 
time  of  the  Lumber  Company's  men  ;  he  also  has  charge  of  handling 
the  lumber  in  their  yards  at  this  point.  He  was  married  in  New  York 
State  in  April,  1876.  to  Emma  Merrick  ;  she  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  have  one  child,  Edna.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  has  been  interested  in  a  stave  factory  at  Cadotte,  but  has  disposed 
of  that  interest. 

CHRISTOPHER  F.  SMITH,  grocer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  Dec.  26,  1842.  Came  to  Tioga,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa., 
in  August,  1854;  lived  there  about  nine  years,  then  resided  for  seven 
years  at  Williamsport,  in  the  same  State  ;  from  there  he  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  April,  1870.  He  was  for  two  years  employed  as  sawyer 
in  the  Lumber  Company's  mill,  then  was  assistant  foreman  of  their  yards 
two  years,  and  was  manager  of  the  yards  two  years;  then  engaged  in 
grocery  business  for  himself  He  has  been  .Alderman  of  First  Ward. 
Mr.  Smith  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  First  National  Bank.  He  was 
married  at  Lock  Haven,  Pa.,  July  4,  1866,  to  Mary  A.  Schaffer,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  four  children — Edward  R.,  Carrie  L.,  An- 
nie and  Pearl  M. 

BYRON  SOUTHMAYD,  filer,  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Com- 
pany, Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1866.  Located  with  par- 
ents at  Eau  Claire  ;  lived  on  a  farm  some  years.  In  1S72  run  a  lath 
mill  for  a  year  and  then  a  shingle  mill  for  three  years.  In  1876  ran  a 
shingle  mill  at  La  Fayette,  then  for  two  years  at  Cedar  Falls.  After- 
wards came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  has  been  employed  in  present  ca- 
pacity during  the  Summer,  and  log-scaling  in  w-oods  during  the  Winter. 
Was  born  in  Alleghany  County,  N.  Y.:  married  at  Eau  Claire,  July  5, 
1879.  to  Mary  Ackerman,  born  in  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.  They  had 
one  child,  deceased. 

JOHN  W.  SQUIE1\S,  proprietor  of  meat  market,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  Liveipool,  Eng.,  March  23,  1844.  Came  to  America  in  the 
Spring  of  1864  ;  located  in  Lake  County,  111.,  where  he  remained  until 
he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  November,  1S66.  After  coming  here,  he 
was  engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering  for  about  two  years.  From  1868 
to  1872,  he  conducted  the  butchering  business  of  Pound,  Halbert  &  Co. ; 
since  then  he  has  carried  on  business  for  himself  He  is  also  engaged 
in  farming  in  the  town  of  Eagle  Point.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Al- 
derman four  years,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  fire  department 
ever  since  its  organization  ;  now  Assistant-Chief  of  that  department. 
He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  K.  of  P.  Mr.  Squiers  was  mar- 
ried in  Chippewa  Falls  in  October,  1869,  to  Leila,  daughter  ol  D.  E. 
Seymour,  of  this  city.  She  was  born  in  Butternuts,  N.  Y.  They  have 
one  son,  James  Frederick. 

HON.  WILLIAM  H.  STAFFORD,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Black  River  Falls,  W'is.,  in  1872,  attending  school  there  for  about  a 
year,  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  taught  school  one  year  after 
coming  here.  He  read  law  with  Hon.  J.  M.  Bingham  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  in  January,  1879.  He  was  Town  Clerk  of  La  Fayette  for 
three  years.  April  5,  18S1,  he  was  elected  County  Judge,  and  will  begin 
the  duties  of  that  office  Jan.  I,  1882.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Orono,  Penobscot  Co.,  Me..  March  19,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Richard  T. 
and  Margaret  (Field)  Stafford,  who  now  reside  in  the  town  of  La  Fay- 
ette, Chippewa  Co. 

EMORY  D.  STANLEY,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Canandaigua, 
Ontario  Co.,  N.Y.,  May  5,  1S36,  and  lived  there  until  his  parents,  Whit- 
ing D.  and  Maria  Stanley,  came  (with  their  family)  to  Wisconsin  in  1847, 
settling  in  Vienna,  Dane  County,  where  they  afterwards  died.  Mr. 
Stanley  came  from  Vienna  to  Chippewa  Falls,  in  1871  and  engaged  in 
mercantile  business.  He  was  married  in  Vienna,  in  February,  1S62,  to 
Isabelle  Jaques,  who  died  in  1S64,  leaving  one  son,  Lemuel  \V.  Mr. 
Stanley  was  again  married  in  Vienna,  June  5,  1871,  to  his  present  wife, 
Elizabeth  Howie,  a  native  of  Scotland.  They  have  four  children— Rol- 
and O.,  John  H.,  Mary  R.  and  Harlow  E.  Mr.  Stanley  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the  Temple  of  Honor,  and  president  of  the  County 
Agricultural  Society. 

ALEXANDER  STEWART,  scaler  for  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom 
Co.,  was  born  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  March  24,  1853;  came  to 
America  with  his  parents  when  he  was  an  infant,  lived  in  the  town  of 
Lyndon,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.Y.,  until  1871,  then  went  to  Brockwayville, 
Pa.,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1874.  In  1S75, 
he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  in  this  place,  Oct.  9,  iSSo, 
to  Carrie  M.  Kibbee,  a  native  of  Michigan.  They  have  one  child,  Edith 
Myrtle.  Mr.  Stewart  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F,  and  Temple  of 
Honor. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


AMOS  S.  STILES,  of  the  firm  of  Stiles  &  Lego,  proprietors  of  livery 
stables  and  stage  lines,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Calais,  Maine,  April 
3,  1824  ;  went  to  California  in  1S49  ;  remained  there  until  1S51,  when 
he  located  in  Minnesota  at  the  point  where  the  city  of  Minneapolis  now 
stands;  resided' there  twelve  years,  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He 
was  engaged  in  lumbering  while  in  Minnesota,  and  has  been  in  livery 
business,  running  stage  routes  and  lumbering  since  he  came  here.  He 
was  Citv  Treasurer  one  term,  and  is  now  serving  second  term  as  Alderman 
ofthe  S'econd  Ward.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  K.  of  P.,  and  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery.  Mr.  Stiles  was  mar- 
ried in  Machias,  Me.,  in  June,  1S47,  to  Susan  Palmer,  a  native  of  that 
place.     They  have  two  children,  Frank  M.  and  Nettie  H. 

ROBERT  M.  STITT,  log  contractor,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1867,  located  at  Peshtigo  and  was  engaged  logging  for 
others  for  some  seven  years  ;  then  went  to  Wolf  River  for  one  year,  and 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1S75  ;  had  charge  of  logging  camps  for  three 
years,  and  for  past  three  years  has  been  engaged  in  present  business ; 
was  also  assistant  superintendent  in  building  of  Paine  Creek  Dam  in 
1880,  and  has  also  been  in  the  employ,  for  some  time,  of  the  Chippewa 
Lumber  &  Boom  Co.,  as  inspector  of  pineries;  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  12, 
1854;  came  to  United  States  in  1S67  ;  was  the  first  successful  operator 
in  this  .State  in  what  is  known  as  "  sliding  logs." 

NATHAN  D.  STODDARD,  restaurant,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  i86g.  and  located  at  Eau  Claire;  was  employed  as  cook  in 
the  woods  for  five  Winters,  and  in  1S71,  opened  a  restaurant  and  saloon 
which  he  carried  on  for  two  years.  In  September,  1873,  opened  a  bak- 
ery, and  continued  that  for  two  years ;  was  then  in  employ  of  W.  C.  K. 
R.,  as  cook,  for  one  year,  and  in  same  capacity  in  Minnesota  and  in 
different  other  places  :  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  18S0  ;  employed  by 
Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co.,  as  cook,  for  a  few  months,  and  com- 
menced present  business  in  October,  lS8o  ;  born  in  Webster,  N.V.  Oct. 
29,  1847;  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Nov.  18,  1872,  to  Matilda  Fick,  born  in 
Michigan.     They  have  two  children — Nathan  D.  and  William  R. 

W.  H.  STODDARD,  clothing  merchant,  came  to  Chippewa  Falls 
in  April.  1879.  He  was  born  at  Chenango  Forks,  Boone  Co.,  N.Y.,  Nov. 
17,1855;  moved  to  Ouriskany  Falls,  N.Y.,  in  1873;  lived  there  two 
years,  then  went  to  Utica,  N.Y.,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  in  this  city,  Jan.  6,  1S81,  to  Jennie 
E.,  daughter  of  D.  E.  Seymour.  Mr.  Stoddard  is  a  gentleman  thoroughly 
posted  in  regard  to  the  details  of  the  clothing  business,  having  been  en- 
gaged in  its  various  departments  for  several  years. 

HOMER  C.  STRONG,  wholesale  dealer  in  wood,  coal,  lime,  etc., 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Warren,  Conn.,  Jan.  30,  1849.  He  was 
engaged  in  railroad  bridge-building,  for  two  years,  on  the  New  York  & 
New  Haven  F.oad.  In  1S72,  he  came  to  Tomah,  Wis.,  and  was  in  the 
engineering  department  of  the  company,  building  the  C.  M.  &  O.  R.  R. 
He  was  then  connected  with  the  engineering  department  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin Valley  Road,  from  Tomah  to  Wausau.   In  July,  1874,  he  came  to  Chip- 


pew 


Falls,  and  ' 


cted  with  the  building  of  the  Chippewa  Falls 


&  Western  Railway,  from  Chippewa  Falls  to  Eau  Claire.  He 
ductor  on  that  road  for  two  years,  and  since  then  has  been  connected 
with  his  brother,  S.  B  Strong,  in  his  present  business.  He  was  married 
in  Godfrey,  111.,  Nov.  4,  1879,  to  Gussie  Godfrey,  who  was  born  in  Wa- 
verly,  111. 

SEYMOUR  B.  STRONG,  wholesale  dealer  in  coal,  wood,  lime,  etc., 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Warren,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  May  18, 
1844  ;  lived  on  a  farm  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  then  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Hartford  &  New  Haven  Railway  Company  : 
was  with  that  company  for  six  years,  and  in  1870  he  came  to  Wisconsin  ; 
was  engaged  as  civil  engineer  on  the  West  Wisconsin  &  Valley  Railway, 
until  1874,  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  from  July,  1874,  to  January, 
1S75,  he  was  civil  engineer  of  the  Chippewa  Falls  &  Western  Railway. 
He  then  became  manager  of  the  road,  and  ran  on  the  road  as  conductor 
until  August,  1880.  He  had  commenced  dealing  in  coal,  lime  and  wood 
in  1S77,  and,  in  iSSo,  he  began  his  wholesale  business.  He  is  consider- 
ably in  real  estate  and  mining  operations.  Oct.  8,  1873,  he  was  married 
in  the  town  of  Orange,  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Alice  C.  Gardner,  a  native 
of  the  town  of  Laurens,  N.Y.  They  have  three  children — Charles  G., 
Charrie  E.  and  Alice. 

GEORGE  W.  SWANER,  filer  Chippewa  Lumber  &  Boom  Co., 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Dec.  31,  1877  '»  located  at  Eau 
Claire  ;  employed  in  saw-mill,  as  engineer  and  millwright,  for  two  years  ; 
came  to  this  place  in  Spring  of  1879;  employed  in  present  mill  for  a 
short  time  as  millwright,  and  since  then  as  filer  ;  born  in  F'ranklin  Coun- 
ty, Penn.,  Oct.  22,  183S;  went  to  Ohio  with  parents  when  quite  young, 
and  was  engaged  in  larming  for  some  five  years.  In  1S57,  went  to  Cedar 
County,  Iowa;  was  employed  at  farming,  etc.  In  1859,  went  to  Kosci- 
usko County,  Ind. ;  employed  as  engineer  in  mills  for  two  years,  and 
afterwards  as  sawyer  and  filer  for  sixteen  years.  Married  at  Etna  Green, 
Ind.,  Sept.  13,  1861,  to  Sarah  J.  Bin,  bom  in  Ohio.  They  have  five 
children — John,  Maria,  Joseph  E.,  Elizabeth  and  Clara. 

NELSON  O.  SWIFT,  superintendent  Chippewa  Falls  Gas  Light 
Co.,  was  born  in  South  Paris,  Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  April  4,  1842  ;  lived  there 


until  1863  ;  then  came  to  Chicago,  and  has  been  engaged  in  gas  business 
ever  since,  associated  with  his  brother,  A.  E.  Swift,  in  the  construction  of 
gas  works  in  various  places  in  Illinois,  Michigan,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  ; 
also  engaged  with  him  in  saw-mill  business  at  Cadott,  Wis.  He  was 
married  in  LaSalle,  III.,  Feb.  22,  1877,  to  Thirza  D.  Lindley.  She  was 
born  in  LaSalle.  They  have  one  son,  Harry  Lindley,  born  Jan.  21,  18S1. 
A.  TARRANT,  undertaker  and  dealer  in  furniture,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  Salisbury,  Wiltshire,  Eng.,  Jan.  7,  1S22.  Came  to  America 
with  his  parents,  Thomas  and  Mercy  (Hamilton)  Tarrant  in  1827.  They 
located  in  between  Watertown  and  Sacketts  Harbor,  Jefferson  Co., 
N.  Y.;  lived  there  five  years,  then  removed  to  Kingston,  Ontario.  Re- 
mained in  Canada  until  1863,  then  moved  to  Muskegon,  Mich.,  where 
he  resided  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1867.  June  25,  1879,  he  came 
from  Eau  Claire  to  Chippewa  Falls;  engaged  in  lumber  business  for 
seventeen  years,  prior  to  leaving  Canada  and  continued  in  that  business 
until  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  married  in  Sheffield  County, 
Canada,  Feb.  26,  1843,  to  Elizabeth  Hattrick.  She  was  born  in  Perth, 
Ontario.  They  have  two  children  living — Martha  Jane,  now  Mrs.  Jo 
seph  Bletchier,  of  Eau  Claire  ;  James  Henry,  superintendent  of  the 
Valley  Lumber  Company's  mill  at  Eau  Claire.  Lost  one  daughter, 
Mary  Elizabeth,  who  died  M.-iy  14,  1877,  aged  about  twenty-six  years. 
Mr.  T.  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

HON.  JAMES  A.  TAYLOR,  proprietor  of  the  Central  House  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Argyle,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  8, 
1835  ;  was  reared  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.  Located  at  Chippewa 
Falls.  June  27,  1854,  having  l)een  a  resident  of  Lansing.  Iowa,  prior  to 
that  time.  After  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls  he  was  employed  as  clerk 
ot  the  steamboat,  Ben.  H.  Campbell,  owned  by  H  S.  Allen  &  Co.  From 
late  in  the  Summer  of  1S54  to  the  Fall  of  1856,  he  had  charge  of  the 
store  of  H.  S.  Allen  &  Co.  In  1855,  Mr.  Taylor,  in  partnership  with 
Fred  H.  Bussy,  built  the  first  store  on  the  town  plat.  They  commenced 
mercantile  business  in  October,  1S56,  and  continued  together  until  1867. 
They  also  dealt  in  lumber,  furs,  etc.,  and  in  l86i  they  run  the  Allen 
mill  with  Adin  Randall.  In  1S64,  Taylor  &  Bussy  built  the  Grand  Isl- 
and Mill,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1865  ;  they  rebuilt  it  the  fol- 
lowing Winter.  Mr.  Taylor  purchased  his  partner's  interest  and  con- 
ducted the  mill  until  1S72,  then  leased  the  mill  to  the  French  Lumber- 
ing Company,  and  sold  the  mill  to  that  company  in  1875.  In  1876,  he 
leased  the  Central  Hotel,  and  purchased  it  in  1877.  Mr.  T.  was  the 
first  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Chippewa  Falls,  and  has  held  various  town 
and  village  oflices.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  of  W'isconsin  in 
1880.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Dec.  25,  1856,  to  Mary  M. 
Buzzell,  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren—Frank A.,  William  J.  and  John  I.  Mr.  Taylor  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  112,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

HENRY  H.  TODD,  insurance  agent,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Morris,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  31,  1S40;  resided  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  for 
two  years,  prior  to  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  February,  1S69.  Af- 
ter coming  here,  he  entered  the  store  of  the  Union  Lumber  Company  ; 
was  employed  as  clerk  for  one  year  and  five  years  cashier  of  that  estab- 
lishment. Since  then  engaged  in  fire,  life  and  accident  insurance  busi- 
ness ;  also  sells  Ocean  Steamship  tickets  to  and  from  Europe.  He  was 
City  Clerk  in  1878  and  1879,  and  has  been  secretary  of  the  Chippewa 
County  Agricultural  Society  since  its  organization  in  December,  1S7S. 
Mr.  Todd  was  married  in  Morris,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1S64,  to 
Ellen  A.  Cruttenden,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  one  child, 
George  S.,  born  Aug.  2,  1871.     Mr.  T.  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

TRUDELL  BROS.,  painters,  Chippewa  Falls.  This  firm  is  com- 
posed of  John  and  Joseph  Trudell.  They  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1880, 
located  in  Chippewa  Falls,  and  commenced  in  present  business.  They 
learned  their  trade  with  their  father,  Louis  Trudell,  of  Waddington, 
N.  v.,  and  do  the  leading  business  in  their  line  here.  John  was  born  in 
Waddington,  N.  V.,  Dec.  15,  1858,  and  some  time  previous  to  coming  to 
Wisconsin  was  employed  clerking  in  Canada  for  four  years.  Joseph 
Trudell  was  also  born  in  Waddington,  N.  Y.,  and  was  employed  at  his 
trade  there  for  some  years. 

PETER  TURCOT,  shoemaker,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1874.  Located  in  this  place  and  was  employed  at  trade  for  si.\  years, 
and  commenced  present  business  in  June,  iSSo,  in  partnership  with  John 
Thorn.  Born  in  Canada,  Sept.  14,  1849;  learned  trade  there  and  was 
employed  at  it  for  some  years;  came  to  United  States  in  1874.  Has 
been  a  member  of  Society  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  for  one  year. 

GIDEON  D.  VAILLANCOURT,  saloon,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1863.  Located  at  this  place  and  was  ergaged  lumber- 
ing for  three  years.  Opened  a  saloon  and  restaurant  in  Spring  of  1867, 
in  company  with  Moses  Hibbard,  and  they  continued  together  for  some 
years.  Has  been  in  present  business  alone  for  ten  years,  and  at  one 
time  did  a  wholesale  trade  in  connection  with  saloon.  Was  Alderman 
of  First  Ward,  elected  in  1S72  for  three  years,  clerk  in  office  of  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  State  for  one  term,  and  is  now  Supervisor  of  First  Ward. 
Born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  June  12,  1S43  ;  came  to  United  States  in  1863. 
Married  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Oct.  14,  1869,  to  Rose  A.  Fontaine,  born  in 


HISTORY   OF   CHIPPEWA    COUNTY. 


219 


Montreal,  Canada.     They  have  three  children— Charles  G.,  Maud,  three 
years  old,  and  Ida  R.,  six  years  old. 

SIMON  R  VAN  HOUTER,  proprietor  of  City  Livery,  Chippewa 
Falls,  was  born  in  Ohio,  Aug.  27,  1849  :  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S50, 
with  his  parents.  Ezekiel  and  Elizabeth  Van  Houter  ;  they  located  at 
Beloit,  and  resided  there  until  July  18,  1S61,  when  they  removed  to 
Chippewa  Falls,  where  they  now  reside.  Simon  was  employed  in  the 
livery  stable  of  Stiles  &  Co.  for  twelve  years,  and  in  January,  iSSi,  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls, 
March  24, 1S6S,  to  Jennie  Sykes.  She  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England. 
They  have  five  children— Charles,  Nettie,  Maud,  Mabel  and  Samuel  ; 
lost  one  (son).  Harvey  ;  he  died  in  1S72,  when  only  two  weeks  old. 


LOUIS  VINCENT  (deceased),  was  born  in  Canada  in  February, 
1833,  and  when  eight  years  of  age,  moved  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis. 
Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1859,  remained  some  two  years  and  was  then 
at  Menomonee  for  one  and  a  half  years.  Was  married  there.  Oct.  3, 
l85i,  to  Helen  E.  Thompson.  Returning  to  Chippewa  Falls  he  was 
employed  in  a  saw  mill  for  two  years,  and  was  afterwards  manager  of 
general  store  for  Mearitt,  Allen  &  Co.,  and  also  ran  a  saloon  in  parlnet- 
ship  with  J.  Mandalert.  Was  then  in  grocery  and  dry  goods  business 
with  G.  and  J.  Mandalert  for  some  years.  They  were  also  engaged  in 
lumbering,  and  in  1875  created  the  French  Lumbering  Co.,  and  he 
became  its  first  and  only  president.  Died  at  Wabasha.  Minn.,  May 
22,  1880.  Mr.  Vincent  was  an  influential  member  of  the  thirtieth  ses- 
sion of  the  Wisconsin  Legislature,  in  1S77,  and  Mayor  of  the  city  for 
the  year  1879.  His  widow  still  resides  at  Chippewa  Falls,  with  her  six 
children — John  L.,  Mary,  Albert,  Amelia,  Charles  and  Helen. 

CALLIX  VINETTE,  boots  and  shoes,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  Fall  of  l86g.  Located  at  this  place  and  opened  a  shoemaking 
shop,  which  he  carried  on  for  two  years.  Was  then  employed  as  shoe- 
maker for  five  years  ;  again  opened  business  on  his  own  account,  and 
continued  up  to  Spring  of  1881,  when  he  added  boots  and  shoes,  and 
opened  present  store.  Horn  in  Quebec,  Canada,  April  8,  1845.  Came 
to  United  States  1868  ;  remained  in  Chicago.  111.,  for  six  months.  Was 
married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  May  6.  1878,  to  Amada  Gaulait,  born  in 
Canada.     They  have  two  children — Mary  Alba  and  Charles  A. 

JOSEPH  WALKER,  Street  Commissioner,  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1836.  Came  to  .A.merica  when  ten  years  of  age. 
Lived  in  State  of  Minnesota  for  sixteen  years,  engaged  in  farming. 
Came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1862,  and  was  employed  in  saw  mill  for  a 
short  time.  Enlisted  in  December  of  that  year,  in  7lh  Wis.  Infantry, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  War.  Received  a  severe  wound  in  left 
leg  at  Battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls  in 
1865.  Was  Overseer  of  Highways  (or  two  years.  Watchman  in  Court 
House  building  for  four  Winters,  Street  Commissioner  in  1877  and  1878, 


and  re-elected  in  1881.  Married  at  Winona,  Minn.,  in  June,  1858,  to 
Catherine  Don,  born  in  Ireland.  They  have  ten  children — Mary,  Rose 
(now  Mrs.  Murray),  William,  Susan,  Catherine,  Joseph,  Frank,  Ellen, 
Annie,  Agnes. 

JOEL  WATERMAN,  now  a  resident  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  came 
to  Seneca,  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  in  July,  1843.  Came  to  Winnebago 
County  in  .May,  1846,  and  came  to  Eagle  Point,  Chippewa  Co.,  June  10, 
1856.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  in  the  town  of  Eagle  Point  until 
December,  1859,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  built  a  hotel 
where  the  City  Livery  Stable  now  stands.  Conducted  that  until  March, 
1S67 ;  then  engaged  in  lumber  manufacturing,  which  he  continued  until 
1870.  Mill  was  located  on  Twin  Lakes.  In  1870  he  built  hotel  on 
the  present  site  of  the  Waterman  House.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
Dec.  24,  1872,  but  he  immediately  rebuilt  it,  and  conducted  it,  »-ith  the 
assistance  of  his  sons,  Luzerne  H.  and  Leslie  E.,  until  May,  1S78,  when 
he  rented  the  house  to  them.  One  year  later  they  purchased  the 
property.  Then  Mr.  Waterman  went  to  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  where  he 
now  carries  on  hotel  business.  He  was  born  in  Royalton,  Windsor  Co., 
Vt.,  Sept.  15,  1817.  He  was  married  in  Waitsfield,  Washington  Co., 
Vt.,  Jan.  8,  1843,  to  Belinda  Joslyn,  who  was  born  in  that  place,  June 
3.  1S22.  They  have  five  children  living  —  Laura  E.  (now  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Monahan,  of  Denver,  Col.),  born  in  McHenry  County,  111.,  March  2, 
1844;  Luzerne  H.,  born  in  Waitsfield,  Vt.,  Jan.  8,  1847  ;  Leslie  E.,born 
in  Utica,  Wis.,  Nov.  9,  1849;  Eillie  May,  born -in  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept. 
8,  i860;  and  Jessie,  born  in  Chippewa  Falls,  March  30,  1867. 

LESLIE  E.  WATER.MAN,  of  the  firm  of  Waterman  Eros., 
proprietors  of  the  Waterman  House,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Utica, 
Wis.,  Nov.  9,  1849,  and  lived  in  Omro  from  infancy  until  June  10,  1856, 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Chippewa  County.  He  has  carried  on 
the  Waterman  House,  in  partnership  wuh  his  brother,  Luzerne  H.,  since 
May,  187S.  In  1S79  they  purchased  the  hotel.  Prior  to  the  lime  they 
became  proprietors  of  the  house,  they  had  been  associated  with  their 
father  in  carrying  on  the  business.  Leslie  E.  Waterman  was  married  at 
Greeu  Bay,  Sept.  30,  1875,  to  Fannie  E.  Rossiter,  a  native  of  that 
place.     They  have  one  son. 

GEORGE  P.  WARREN,  farmer,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  on  Mad- 
eline Island,  Lake  Superior,  at  the  old  fort  of  Lapointe,  Aug.  10,  1S23. 
His  father  died  when  George  was  about  two  years  of  age,  and  he  was 
left  at  Mackinac  Mission,  Mich.,  with  three  brothers.  He  remained  at 
the  mission  about  two  years,  when,  with  his  brothers,  he  was  returned 
to  Lapointe.  In  the  Summer  of  1S37,  George,  with  his  twin  brother,  was 
taken,  via  lakes  and  canal,  to  Brockport,  and  thence  to  Clarkson,  N.  V. 
In  the  Fall  of  that  year  they  were  taken  to  Whitesboro',  Oneida  Co. 
and  were  placed  in  the  Oneida  Institute,  or  Manual  Labor  School. 
There  he  entered  the  printing  office  connected  with  the  Institute,  and 
remained  until  March,  1841.  He  then  found  employment  on  the  Roch- 
ester Democrat,  Thomas  H.  Hyatt,  editor.  His  eye-sight  becoming 
much  impaired,  he  left  the  Democrat  July  13,  of  that  year,  much  dis- 
gusted with  the  world,  without  any  destination  in  view,  nor  caring  where 
he  went.  He  brought  up  in  Cleveland  and  entered  a  printing  ofllce,but 
was  obliged  to  soon  quit  it  on  account  of  his  eye-sight.  He  then  enlist- 
ed as  a  canal-driver  on  a  boat  plying  between  Cleveland  and  Portsmouth, 
Ohio,  and  continued  until  the  close  of  navigation.  He  then  went  to  St. 
Louis  and  shipped  as  second  steward  on  the  steamer  "  Pre-emption," 
making  regular  trips  between  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  where  he  re- 
mained until  April,  1842.  He  then  by  boat  ascended  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Chippewa  Rivers,  and  arrived  at  Chippewa  Falls  on  the  first  day 
of  May.  He  had  contracted  malarial  fever  and  was  suffering  from  dumb 
ague.  The  magnificent  falls  of  Chippewa  River  was  there,  but  there 
was  no  Chippewa  Falls,  He  soon  joined  a  party  on  a  trip  to  Lake  Su- 
perior, their  outfit  consisting  of  a  few  blankets,  a  small  stock  of  pro- 
visions, and  three  birch-bark  canoes.  They  poled  up  the  Chippewa 
River,  portaging  around  the  several  falls,  until  they  reached  the  junction 
of  the  Lac  Courte  Ouriells  (Lake  Coter  Ray),  when  they  ascenued  that 
river  to  Lac  Courte  Ouriells,  through  Grindstone  Lake,  till  they  reached 
the  Na-ma-ka-gan  River,  making  several  portages  from  lake  to  lake. 
Up  the  Na-ma-ka-gan  River  to  Long  Lake  by  portage,  and  then  by  port- 
age over  the  highland  dividing  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and  Lake 
Superior.  On  the  Divide  he  got  a  magical  divorce  from  the  ague,  with- 
out the  use  of  medicine,  and  he  has  never  had  a  return  of  the  disease 
since.  They  descended  a  river  then  known  as  the  Little  Pike,  and  at 
the  outlet  ol  Bad  River  they  were  upon  the  borders  of  the  great  lake, 
near  the  scene  of  his  childhood  and  youth,  and  after  an  absence  of  five 
years.  George's  father,  Truman  Warren,  was  born  in  Vermont,  March 
12,  1800,  and,  as  seen  by  the  geneology  of  the  Watren  family,  was  a  de- 
scendent  of  General  Joseph  Warren,  of  revolutionary  fame.  His  moth- 
er, Charlotte  (Cadott)  Warren,  was  the  daughter  ol  Michael  Cadott,  a 
learned  Frenchman,  who  was  fitted  for  the  priesthood  ;  but,  his  health 
failing,  he  was  sent  on  a  voyage  from  Montreal  to  Lake  Superior  for  his 
health,  in  company  with  a  party  of  the  old  French  voyagers.  He  re- 
gained his  health  and  became  fascinated  with  the  life,  and  never  return- 
ed home,  but  married  an  Indian  woman  ;  and  in  his  old  age  planted  a 
mission  on  the  beautiful  Madeline  Island,  and  there  peacefully  passed 
away   in   1785,  loved  and  honortd  by  both  whites  and  Indians,  and  a 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


prominent  figure  in  early  liistory  of  the  Northwestern  Territory.  Mr. 
Warren  was  married  on  the  15th  day  of  Dec,  1S62,  to  Mrs.  Rosalie 
Truckey.  Her  parents.  Lovison  and  Angelique  Desmaris,  were  both 
of  mixed  French  and  Indian  blood,  who  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1821 
and  opened  a  trading  post  with  the  Indians.  Their  early  lives  were 
spent  around  Lake  Superior.  Selkirk  settlement  and  Yellowstone  River, 
trading  with  the  Indians  and  Mormons.  Mr.  Warren  enlisted  in  United 
States  service  at  Chippewa  Falls  in  March,  1S64,  entering  Co.  K,  36th 
Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.  The  regiment  reached  Washington  on  the  I4lh  day  of 
May  ;  proceeded  down  the  Potomac,  and  disembarked  at  Bellplaine,and 
the  next  day  marched  to  Spottsylvania,  via  Fredericksburg,  and  on  the 
19th  joined  1st  Brigade,  2d  Division,  2d  Army  Corps,  commanded  by 
General  Hancock.  On  the  30th  they  crossed  the  Pamunkey,  where  the 
rebels  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  in  a  dense  wood,  in  front  of  an 
open  field.  On  the  1st  of  June  they  had  a  severe  engagement  along  the 
whole  line,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  make  vigorous  charges  in  front  of 
the  1st  Brigade,  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  reinfDrcing  their  left.  Com- 
panies B,  E,  F  and  G  were  ordered  forward  as  skirmishers,  forming  a 
part  of  the  line  which  was  to  advance.  The  flank  line,  composed  of 
veterans,  advanced  a  few  rods,  fired,  and  retreated  behind  the  works, 
leaving  these  four  companies  to  advance  without  support.  The  result 
was,  that  out  of  the  raw  but  brave  240  who  advanced,  more  than  one- 
half  were  killed  and  wounded,  or  taken  prisoners.  During  the  night  the 
regiment  advanced  to  Cold  Haibor,  and  at  S  o'clock,  A.  M.,  on  the  3d, 
advanced  on  the  enemy  by  brigades  and  massed  by  regiments.  The 
36th  took  the  lead  in  the  brigade,  and  lost  64  in  killed,  and  126  in 
wounded,  many  of  them  severely.  George  Warren  was  shot  through  the 
left  lung,  shattering  the  left  shoulder  blade  terribly,  He  went  to  the 
rear  and  was  helped  to  the  field-hospital,  and  for  a  time  abandoned  to 
die,  as  it  was  supposed  he  could  not  live,  but  he  subsequently  recovered, 
and  was  discharged  from  Emory  United  States  General  Hospital,  on 
the   nth  of  March,  1865. 

FRANCIS  C.  WEBB,  proprietor  of  meat  market,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  County  of  Cornwall,  England,  April  24,  1S28.  Came  to 
Vermont  with  his  parents  in  1831.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56. 
Resided  for  three  years  in  Mukwanago,  Waukesha  Co.;  afterwards  for 
four  years  in  Eagle,  same  county  ;  then  for  seven  and  a  half  years  in 
Palmyra,  Jefferson  Co.  From  the  latter  place  he  removed  to  White- 
water, where  he  resided  untd  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  in  1872.  Was 
employed  in  the  store  of  the  Union  Lumber  Co.  for  about  thirteen 
months.  Commenced  butchering  business  in  1874,  and  has  continued 
in  that  ever  since.  He  was  married  in  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  Jan.  5,  1S53,  to 
Marcia  Ann  Fales.  She  was  born  in  Brandon,  Vt.,  March  13,  1832. 
Mr.  Webb  resided  in  Brandon,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  prior  to  coming  to 
Wisconsin.  His  mother,  Sophia  Webb.,  died  in  Vermont  in  1850.  His 
father,  Francis  Webb,  died  in  Whitewater  in  1874. 

CHARLES  WEISSEXBORN,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Aug.  28,  1838,  and  came  to  America  in  1867,  locating  in  Wi- 
nona,  Minn.,  in  the  Fall  of  that  year,  and  remaining  eight  months. 
He  then  went  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  resided  three  years.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  grocery  and  liquor  business,  in  Augusta,  for  seven  and  a 
half  years,  and  in  running  a  hotel  in  Sauk  City  for  two  years  and  a  half. 
He  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  November,  1S80.  He  was  married  in 
Sauk  City,  Oct.  24,  1S70,  to  Louisa  Speer,  who  was  born  in  Sauk  City 
in  1S53.  They  have  three  children  living — Henry  Hermann,  Julius 
Robert  and  Hermina  Bertha;  and  have  lost  two  children  —  Charles 
Edward,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months,  and  Leo,  eight  days  old 
at  his  death.  Mr.  Weissenborn  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and 
of  the  German  Singing  Society. 

JOHN  WEINBERGER,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
March  i,  i82g,  and  arrived  in  America  Sept.  8,  1854,  coming  to  Galena, 
111.  He  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  January,  1855,  and  worked  in  a 
logging  camp  for  three  months  ;  then,  after  spending  three  months  in 
LaCrosse,  he  returned  to  Galena  and  engaged  in  tailoring  there  until 
March,  1876,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  engaged  in  ready- 
made  clothing  and  merchant  tailoring  business.  In  1S78  he  was  elected 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court.  He  then  ceased  dealing  in  ready-made 
clothing,  but  has  coniinued  his  merchant  tailoring.  He  was  re-elected 
Clerk  in  1S80.  He  was  married  in  (Jalena,  111.,  in  September.  1854,  to 
Teresia  Rosel,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria.  They  have  two  children — John 
v.,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  Chippewa  Fall's,  being  Deputy  Clerk  of 
Circuit  Court,  and  Edward.  Mr.  Weinberger  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JOHN  V.  WEINBERGER,  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Dec.  12,  1S52,  and  came  to  America  in  October,  1854,  living  in  Galena, 
111.,  until  the  Fall  of  that  year,  when  he  came  to  (J^hippewa  County. 
In  the  Spring  of  1855  he  went  to  LaCrosse,  and  in  the  Fall  lo  Galena, 
where  he  staid  until  July,  1S73.  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  and 
engaged  in  carriage  painting.  When  he  became  Deputy  Clerk  of  the 
Circuit  Court,  Jan.  6,  1879.  a"'!  has  continued  in  that  ofiice  ever  since. 
He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  in  April,  1876,  to  Bertha  Schultz, 
who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  three  children— Edward  C,  George 
H.  and  Laura  A.  Mr.  Weinberger  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  German  Order  of  Harugari. 


CHARLES  B.  WESSELL,  hardware  merchant,  Chippewa  Falls, 
was  born  in  Elkhorn,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  18,  1852  ;  lived  in  that 
county  until  Aug.  15,  1873,  when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  For  two 
years  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  tinsmith  for  the  Union  Lumber  Co.  He 
then  engaged  in  hardware  trade,  in  partnership  with  H.  O.  Curliss.  A 
year  and  a  half  later  he  purchased  the  entire  business,  and  has  since  car- 
ried it  on  without  a  partner.  Mr.  Wessell  was  married  in  Chippewa 
Falls,  Dee.  21,  1874,  to  Frances  E.  Sherman,  a  native  of  Wisconsin. 
They  have  three  children — Cora  Stella,  Alta  May  and  Reuben  Francis. 
Mr.  W.  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.    &    A.  M.,  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 


^••V  .  LUvXxX.cA.-^ 


NELS.  W.  WHEELER,  lawyer,  Chippewa  F.ills,  was  born  in  Stur- 
bridge,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  June  29,  1828,  being  a  son  of  Hosea 
Wheeler,  who  died  in  1862,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Mr.  Nels.  Wheeler 
was  in  Yorkshire.  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  a  year  prior  to  coming  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S41.  He  located  in  the  town  of  Somerville,  Rock  Co., 
at  the  east  end  of  Jefferson  prairie,  in  the  Spring  of  that  year.  In  1847, 
he  entered  the  office  of  Judge  Keep,  and  remained  with  him  until  the 
Spring  of  1850,  when  he  went  to  Monroe,  Green  Co.,  and  was  in  the 
office  of  Machin  cS:  Finch  until  April,  1851,  when  he  went  to  Baraboo, 
and  in  1873  came  from  there  to  Chippewa  Falls.  Mr.  Wheeler  was  Dis- 
trict Attorney  for  nine  years  in  Sauk  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  He  was  married  in  the  town  of  Greenfield,  Sauk  Co.,  in 
February,  1866,  to  Victoria  W.  Peck,  who  was  the  first  white  child  born 
in  Madison,  in  September,  1837.  Mr.  Wheeler  was  first  married  in  Jan- 
uary, 1852,  and  had  two  children  by  that  marriage,  a  son  and  daughter, 
twins,  now  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

ROBERT  D.  WHITTEMORE,  harness,  saddlery,  etc.,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1866  ;  located  in  Crawford  County,  and  in 
1867  went  to  Randolph  and  other  places  ;  opened  business  in  Sharon  in 
186S,  which  he  continued  six  months  ;  was  at  Palmyra  for  one  year,  and 
came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  July,  1S72  ;  employed  by  Union  Lumber  Co. 
for  eighteen  months ;  purchased  there  harness  shop,  and  has  been  in 
present  business  since.  In  1S62  was  news-boy  in  107th  N,  Y.  Inf.  for 
nine  months ;  was  then  in  quartermaster's  office  as  transportation 
clerk,  at  Hagerstown,  for  eighteen  months  ;  then  in  South  Carolina  for 
four  months.  Was  born  in  Union,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  24,  1S46  ;  and  in  1865 
was  in  business  there  for  a  short  time,  and  afterwards  traveled.  Mar- 
ried at  Palmyra.  Wis  ,  Sept.  21,  1871,  to  Lottie  F.,  daughter  of  Captain 
A.  S.  Porter,  who  was  born  at  Palmyra.  They  have  one  child,  Fred- 
erick E.,  born  April  i,  1S77, 

ALEXANDER  WILEY,  of  Wiley  &  Alexson,  Norway  House, 
Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1 868  ;  located  at  Stevens  Point, 
and  worked  in  woods  for  two  years ;  was  employed  in  mines  on  Lake 
Superior.  Mich.,  for  three  years;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1874;  was 
emplored  a  few  months  in  saw-mill,  then  built  present  hotel  building,  in 
partnership  with  Nels.  Alexson,  and  has  carried  it  on  since.  Born  in 
Norway,  Oct.  15,  1845;  came  to  America  in  1868  ;  married  in  Portage 
County.  Feb.  27,  1S74,  to  Sofhee  Yohenson,  born  in  Norway  ;  have  two 
children,  John  and  Ida. 


HISTORY   OF    CHIPPEWA    COUNTY. 


C.  J.  WILTSE,  lawer,  Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  Sep- 
tember, 1850;  located  in  Mukwanago,  Waukesha  Co.,  where  he  resided 
until  1862,  when  he  came  to  the  town  of  Lafayette,  Chippewa  Co.,  where 
he  purchased  a  large  farm  and  resided  on  it  until  1868,  when  he  removed 
to  Cliippewa  Falls.  He  was  County  Judge  from  1865  to  1868  ;  resigned 
that  position  in  the  latter  year.  While  in  Lafayette  he  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  Town  Clerk,  and  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 
Since  coming  to  Chippewa  Falls,  he  has  been  Member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, Justice  of  the  Peace,  District  Attorney  and  City  Attorney,  holding 
the  latter  position  for  five  years.  Ever  since  1868,  he  has  been  engaged 
in  active  practice  of  law.  He  was  born  in  Clarence,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
May  29.  1823 ;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  first  mar- 
ried to  Ellen  M.  Tanner,  a  native  of  Clarence,  N.  Y.  She  died  Jan.  21, 
1870.  Six  children  by  this  marriage  now  living— Rachael  R.  (now  Mrs. 
John  Sellers,  of  Fine  City,  Minn.),  Ellen.  Alice  (now  Mrs.  Hector  C. 
McRea).  Diana  (now  the  wife  of  Judge  William  P.  Swift,  of  Barron  Co., 
Wis.),  Thomas  and  Sarah.  The  Judge's  present  wife  was  Mary  Frances 
Billiard.     She  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

CHARLES  W.  WITHROW,  agricultural  implements,  Chippewa 
Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855  ;  located  at  Yellow  River  Mills,  where 
he  was  employed  for  one  and  one-half  years.  He  followed  farming  and 
lumbering  for  some  years;  enlisted  in  1862,  in  30th  Wis.  Inf. ;  served 
for  three  years ;  was  with  General  Pope  on  the  frontier  ;  came  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  186S  ;  commenced  grocery  business,  in  partnership  with 
J.  N.  Withrow.  He  afterward  was  in  planing  mill,  with  three  others, 
for  thirteen  months,  and  then  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1877  ;  went 
to  Black  Hills,  but  returned  in  187S,  and  opened  a  hotel  ;  went  agam  to 
Black  Hills  in  18S0,  but  remained  only  a  short  time  ;  opened  present 
business  in  May,  i8St ;  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1859,0!  Eagle 
Point  ;  held  the  ofiice  for  four  years;  was  also  Town  Assessor  of  Eagle 
Point  in  i86i.  Born  in  White  Co.,  111.,  May  19,  1833;  married  there 
June  25,  1851,  to  Jerusha  Hargrave,  who  was  born  in  White  Co.,  III. 
They  have  four  children— Mary  C.  (now  Mrs.  John  Hockenbrock), 
Charles  H.  (now  in  California),  Emma  and  John  Henry. 

LOUIS  J.  ZIMMERMANN,  cigar  factory,  Chippewa  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1867  ;  lived  at  Milwaukee  a  very  short  time,  and  then 
went  to  LaCrosse,  whei'e  he  lived  nine  years ;  learned  trade  there,  and 
was  employed  at  it  for  some  years ;  then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  in 
1876;  commenced  business  for  himself  in  1S79.  Born  in  Austria,  Aug. 
10,  1857;  came  to  America  in  1867;  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  Aug. 
25,  1879.  to  Julia  Gould,  who  was  born  in  Chippeua  Falls.  They  have 
one  child,  Frank, 

BLOOMER. 

This  is  a  thriving  village  in  the  town  of  the  same  name, 
twelve  miles  from  the  Falls.  It  has  400  inhabitants.  J.  W. 
Williams,  Postmaster.  There  is  a  saw-mill  and  grist-mill, 
owned  by  J.  W.  Smith.  The  planing,  door,  sash  and  blind 
mill  is  owned  by  George  Brooks.  These  mills  run  by  wa- 
ter, which  seldom  fails.  There  are  six  stores  with  general 
merchandise,  two  drtig  stores  and  two  confectionery  stores  ; 
three  saloons,  which  pay  a  license  of  $50  each  ;  three 
churches — Congregationalist,  Methodist  and  Catholic.  The 
Lutherans  also  have  a  missionary  station  there. 

The  oldest  settler  in  town  is  Mr.  Van  Loon.  J.  H.  Brown 
is  the  present  Town  Clerk. 

It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  good  farming  region.  Good  crops 
of  wheat,  barley,  oats  and  hay  are  raised,  with  potatoes  and 
other  vegetables. 

A  newspaper,  the  Bloomer  Workman  is  printed  here,  and 
edited  by  Mrs.  Jenny  Jones.  C.  T.  Tillinghast,  the  School 
Superintendent,  resides  here  ;  there  is  one  other  lawyer,  and 
one  doctor. 

The  town  has  just  voted  $25,000  in  aid  of  the  Chippe- 
wa Falls  &  Northern  Railway. 

In  July,  1857,  Sylvester  Van  Loon  pre-empted  the  north- 
east quarter  of  Section  8,  Town  30,  Range  9  west,  embrac- 
ing the  mill  site  and  the  present  village  of  Bloomer.  Mr. 
William  Priddy  caiiie  up  with  him.  They  came  up  on  foot, 
and  went  home  in  the  same  way.  After  finishing  up  harvest- 
ing in  Sauk  County,  they  returned  with  teams,  in  Septem- 
ber, erected  a  log  house,  14x36,  about  eight  feet  high,  with 
shingle-board  roof,  and  cut  a  quantity  of  hay.  Mr.  Van 
Loon  returned  with  a  team  for  his  family,  leaving  Mr.  Prid- 
dy to  look  after  things.  Mr.  Van  Loon  came  with  his 
family  and  set  up  housekeeping  late  in  the  Fall,  with  a  full 
stock  of  flour  and  pork;  but  a  prairie  fire  had  burned  all 


their  hay.  He  sold  one  yoke  of  his  oxen,  and  let  out  an- 
other yoke,  and  was  obliged  to  purchase  hay  at  a  high  price 
to  feed  several  head  of  cows  and  young  stock.  The  Win- 
ter following  was  noted  for  the  remarkable  depth  of  snow 
and  excessive  cold  weather,  making  travel  almost  an  impos- 
sibility. Deer  could  not  run,  and  a  great  many  were 
knocked  down  with  clubs.  Any  man,  equipped  with  a  pair 
of  snow-shoes  and  a  club,  could  kill  as  many  as  he  desired. 
Settlers  replenished  their  larders  in  that  manner. 

John  A.  Smith,  John  McCarity,  John  Ogden  and  Boun 
Ogden,  the  same  year,  but  a  little  earlier,  settled  about 
three  miles  further  up  Duncan's  Creek.  Settlers  were 
obliged  to  go  to  Eau  Claire  to  do  their  trading.  S.  H.  Allen 
had  then  a  small  grist-mill  at  Chippewa  Falls,  a  great  con- 
venience to  the  early  settlers.  At  this  time,  they  got  their 
mail  at  Chippewa  City,  where  Stephen  McCann  kept  a  sort 
of  post-office  on  his  own  account,  though  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster.  On  the  12th  day  of  August,  1863,  Mr.  Van 
Loon  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Vanilla  (afterwards 
called  Bloomer),  and  he  kept  the  office  in  his  store,  on  the 
east  side,  near  the  bridge,  until  1S71,  when  J.  I.  Brooks  was 
appointed ;  then  it  was  removed  to  the  mill  company's 
store.  Mr.  Andrew  Jackson  was  appointed  deputy,  and 
served  during  most  of  Mr.  Van  Loon's  administration. 

In  1866,  the  village  of  Bloomer  was  platted.  July  28, 
1865,  Messrs.  W.  B.  Gage  and  Andrew  Jackson  opened  a 
small  store  of  general  merchandise.  Mr.  Gage  soon  after 
died,  and  the  business  was  suspended  for  a  time.  The  same 
season,  Messrs.  Sylvester  Van  Loon  and  Leonard  Barneshen 
erected  a  store,  and  were  in  business  together  about  two 
years,  when  Mr.  Barneshen  sold  out  his  interest  to  J.  G. 
Wadsworth  A  year  and  a  half  later,  Mr.  Van  Loon  sold 
out  his  goods  and  retired  from  mercantile  life.  In  1858, 
Mr.  Van  Loon  got  out  some  timber,  intending  to  erect  a 
mill  on  the  present  site,  which  he  owned,  but  abandoned  it. 
Subsequently  he  ceded  the  mill  privilege  to  Messrs.  Good- 
rich &  Smith,  conditionally,  and  they  went  to  work  in  1865, 
erecting  the  mill,  but  before  completing  the  structure,  they 
sold  out  to  Judson  Smith,  who  completed  it,  adding  a  run 
of  mill-stones.  Subsequently,  Me'^srs.  J.  I.  Brooks  and  J. 
P.  Macauley  were  taken  in  as  partners  At  one  time.  Rev. 
I.  Phillips  owned  an  interest  in  the  mill,  which  he  sold  to 
Mr.  Macauley.  The  property  has  since  been  divided  up, 
including  a  planing  mill. 

The  Congregational  Society  erected  a  church  in  1872. 
Pastor — Rev.  Horace  Wenty;  trustees,  J.  W.  Smith  and  W. 
M.  Cobban.  The  Temple  of  Honor  have  an  organization, 
organized  in  1878. 

A  grist-mill  with  four  run  of  stones  was  erected  a  few 
years  ago,  to  which  power  is  supplied  from  the  saw-mill  and 
planing-mill  dam,  an  excellent  water-power  made  from  Dun- 
can Creek,  which  runs  through  the  village.  The  town  is 
supplied  with  two  hotels,  the  Detloff  House  and  Smith 
Hotel.  The  former  is  managed  by  Mr.  Charles  Detloff,  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  place;  the  latter,  by  Mrs.  Smith, 
widow  of  the  founder  of  the  house.  The  village  has  sev- 
eral well-filled  stores,  prominent  among  which  are  the  hard- 
ware and  furniture  store  of  P.  G.  McMartin  &  Co  ,  and 
Fred  Becker,  who  are  doing  a  thriving  and  growing  trade. 
Prominent  among  the  general  merchandise  establishments 
is  that  of  Fred  .\dler,  and  that  of  F.  W.  Stees  &  Co.  It 
has  also  the  usual  accompaniment  of  blacksmith  and  other 
shops. 

The  Bloomer  Workman,  published  by  George  L.  Jones,  a 
very  well  conducted  local  sheet,  of  Greenback  proclivities, 
first  stepped  into  tiie  arena  of  journalism  in  July,  1880. 
Mrs  Jenny  Jones,  for  many  years  familiar  with  the  editorial 
duties  of  newspaper  work,  takes  an  active  part  in  its  publi- 
cation. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  village  of  Bloomer,  located  in  the  town  of  Bloomer, 
in  a  good  farming  country,  has  a  daily  mail,  and  is  having  a 
railroad  well  under  way. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FREDERICK  ADLER,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  was  born  in  Austria,  June 
6,  1S45  ;  wlien  only  twelve  years  of  age.  unaccompanied  by  his  parents, 
he  came  to  America  ;  landing  in  New  York  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  where 
he  learned  the  trade  of  furniture  wood  carving.  He  worked  at  the  trade 
three  years  and  then  entered  a  grocery  store  where  he  staid  one  year.  In 
the  Fall  of  1861.  he  presented  himself  as  a  recruit  to  the  celebrated 
Wilson  Zouaves,  but  was  promptly  rejected  on  account  of  his  diminutive 
size.  He  then  came  to  Chicago  and  got  employment  in  a  grocery  stoie, 
where  he  stayed  until  the  Fall  of  186S,  when  he  went  to  Sparta,  and 
stayed  one  year,  engaged  in  the  same  business.  His  next  move  brought 
him  to  Bloomer.  The  place  then  consisted  of  a  combined  saw  and  erist 
mill  and  a  small  store,  owned  by  Andrew  Jackson  and  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Gage,  her  husband  having  died  shortly  after  starting  in  business.  Mr. 
Adler  opened  up  with  a  small  stock  of  groceries,  such  as  his  means  and 
credit  would  permit.  His  goods  were  mostly  hauled  by  teams  from 
Sparta,  a  distant  of  about  112  miles.  Sometimes  he  got  goods  via  La 
Crosse  up  the  Mississippi  and  Chippewa  rivers.  He  was  married  in 
Chicago.  Oct.  21,  1871,  to  Miss  Korline  Strauss  of  that  city.  The  Great 
Fire  occurred  two  days  after  his  arrival  there,  burning  ont  her  family. 
He  was  obliged  to  stay  in  the  city  three  weeks,  and  his  friends  in  Wis- 
consin supposed  he  was  burned.  Mrs.  Adler  was  born  in  Germany,  April 
iS.  1S48.  They  have  four  children— Minnie,  born  August  10,  1872; 
Julia,  July  20,  1S74  ;  Bertha,  Sept.  8,  1876,  and  Josephine,  Sept.  28, 
'1878. 

FREDERICK  BECKER.  P.  O.  Bloomer,  was  born  in  Mecklenburg. 
Germany,  June  8,  1S4S,  and  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  America  in 
the  Fall  of  1S56.  coming  to  Milwaukee  where  he  lived  with  his  parents 
about  four  years  when  he  left  home,  working  for  different  farmers  in 
Waukesha  County  for  ten  years.  Soon  after  came  to  Bloomer  and  com- 
menced work  at  the  tin  trade.  After  two  years  he  went  into  business  for 
himself,  opening  up  as'ock  of  general  hardware,  which  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed, enlarging  his  stock  and  building  up  a  good  trade.  Was  married 
in  Bloomer,  Sept.  27.  1871,  to  Miss  Sarah  N.  Dix  of  the  same  place. 
They  have  four  children —  Claude  C,  David  D.,  Griffith  Hugh  and 
Fred  I.  Mrs.  Becker  was  born  in  Plainfield,  Ind.,  Sept.  4,  1S52.  Mr. 
Becker  made  three  ineffectual  attempts  to  join  the  army  by  running  away 
from  home,  but  his  vigilant  father  caught  him  each  time,  the  last  time 
with  $900  in  his  pocket  which  he  h.id  been  paid  as  a  substitute.  He 
was  compelled  to  disgorge  and  pay  it  back  and  then  return  home.  He 
is  Town  Treasurer  and  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JOHN  H.  BROWN,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  came  with  his  father,  Stephen 
Brown,  to  Lafayette,  Chippewa  Co.,  July  16,  1865,  John  being  then  a 
little  less  than  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Together,  they  entered  120  acres 
of  land  and  subsequently  purchased  360  acres  and  commenced  farming. 
John  was  elected  SherifTof  Chippewa  County  the  same  year  that  he  came 
there,  and  was  the  third  Sheriff  elected  in  the  county.  The  duties  of 
SheriiT  at  that  date  involved  a  good  deal  of  rough,  hard  work.  He 
served  his  term  of  two  years  and  then  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff.  In 
the  Fall  of  1863.  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  7lh  Wis.  I.,  which  regiment 
formed  a  part  of  the  famous  "Iron  Brigade."  He  was  engaged  in  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  during  the  engagement  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  shoulder,  a  rifle  ball  carrying  away  a  portion  of  the 
right  shoulder  blade.  Was  discharged  with  his  regiment  at  Madison,  in 
August,  1S65.  He  resumed  farming  and  followed  it  for  two  years  and 
then  went  to  locating  pine  lands  for  other  parties,  seven  times  traversing 
the  vast,  uninhabited  wilderness  to  Lake  Superior,  and  undergoing  great 
hardship.  He  retired  from  that  business  in  the  Fall  of  1874,  and  settled 
in  Bloomer.  Was  elected  Constalile  in  1875,  and  the  year  following  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  has  held  it  since,  also  Town  Clerk  ex- 
cept one  year.  He  was  married  in  1853,  to  Miss  Mila  C.  Eaton,  of 
Cattaraugus,  Pa.  She  went  home  on  a  visit  to  her  parents  to  Leona,  N. 
Y.,  in  1856,  and  after  an  illness  of  six  months  died  there  Feb.  5,  1857, 
leaving  one  son,  Edward  H.,  who  died  in  Bloomer  in  1876,  aged  a  little 
over  fourteen  years.  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss  Ada  C.  Langdon,  of  Kil- 
bourn  City.     Have  two  children,  Edward  and  Alfretta. 

CHARLES  DETLOFF,  hotel.  Bloomer,  was  born  near  Berlin, 
Prussia,  Nov.  8,  1837.  With  his  father  came  to  America,  arriving  in  New 
York.  July  4,  1S50,  went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  there  lived  four  years, 
and  then  came  to  Madison.  He  came  to  Chippewa  County  in  October, 
1856,  passing  up  to  the  headquarters  of  Duncan  Creek,  where  parties 
were  engaged  in  logging.  There  was  not  a  house  within  many  miles  of 
Bloomer  then.  Shortly  after  he  went  to  Vicksburgh,  Miss.,  taking  a  raft 
of  lumber  to  St.  Louis.  Stopping  in  Vicksburgh  two  years  he  came  back 
to  St.  Louis,  and  enlisted  in  an  expedition  to  Salt  Lake,  sent  out  to  quell 
the  Mormon  riot.  Returning  with  his  command  in  the  Summer  of  1866, 
he  came  to  Bloomer  and  built  a  small  house  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Detloff  House,  erected  the  present  house  in  1S77,  Oct.  4,  1864,  his  son, 
Harman   was  born,  his  eldest  child  died,  and  he  was  drafted  and  taken 


away  from  his  family,  all  transpiring  in  one  day.  He  got  off  and  re- 
turned home  in  time  to  see  his  child  buried.  Mr.  Detloff  was  married  in 
Dane  County,  March  8,  to  Miss  Lena  Albrecht.  She  was  born  in 
Mecklenburg.  Germany,  April  15,  1847.  They  have  three  children — 
Harman,  Otto  and  Eddie. 

ANDREW  DIETLEIN,  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany;  born 
there  Dec.  3,  1S33,  and  emigated  to  America  when  about  nineteen  years 
of  age,  landing  in  New  York  in  July,  1852.  He  immediately  went  to 
Rochester,  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  cooper;  came  to  Milwaukee 
in  the  Fall  of  1854,  and  there  followed  his  trade  until  1S60.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1863,  he  enlisted  in  the  35th  Wisconsin  V.  I.,  Co.  C,  which  regi- 
ment was  assigned  to  the  19th  Corps,  but  subsequently  put  into  the  13th 
Corps,  which  operated  in  Louisiana.  Alabama  and  Texas.  He,  with  his 
command,  was  engaged  in  several  skirmishes,  and  took  part  in  the  light 
at  Spanish  Fort  and  Ft.  Blakely,  on  the  Mobile  Bay.  After  the  surren- 
der of  these  forts,  accompanied  his  command  up  the  Alabama  and  Tom- 
bigbee,  and  built  a  fort  at  Mcintosh  Bluff,  after  which  they  returned  to 
Mobile,  and  went  into  camp  about  three  weeks,  and  then  went  to  Browns 
ville,  Tex  ,  where  his  regiment  remained  until  April,  1S66.  His  health 
failing,  he  got  home  on  a  furlough,  and,  not  getting  better,  was  sent  to 
hospital,  at  Madison,  and  discharged  on  general  order,  Jan.  16, 
1S66.  He  came  to  Bloomer  in  1867,  and  owns  160  acres  of  farming 
land  in  the  town  of  Bloomer.  Was  married  in  Milwaukee  in  September, 
1856,  to  Miss  Katrina  Houde.  She  was  born  in  Prussia,  September  17, 
1833.  and  came  to  America  in  1855.  They  have  five  children — Mary, 
Magdelena  G.,  Katrina,  Andrew  and  Emma  F. 

PETER  D.  McMARTIN,  merchant.  Bloomer,  was  born  in  Cana- 
da, March  7,  1844;  lived  there  until  about  the  age  of  eighteen  ;  then 
went  to  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  afterwards  came  to  Chippewa  Falls, 
where  he  worked  in  the  hardware  store  of  the  Union  Lumber  Co.,  four 
years.  He  came  to  Bloomer  in  the  Fall  of  187S.  In  December  Mr. 
McMartin  formed  a  business  partnership  with  C.  D.  Tillinghast,  and 
opened  up  a  full  stock  of  general  hardware,  afterwards  adding  a  furni- 
ture department,  the  style  of  the  firm  being  McMartin  &  Co..  Mr.  Mc- 
Martin assuming  management  of  the  business.  He  was  married  in 
Martintown,  Glengary  Co.,  C.  W.,  August  13.  1868,  to  Miss  Christy  Ann 
McKay,  of  that  place.  They  have  four  children— William  J..  John  M., 
Hector  and  Peter  D,  the  eldest  born  in  Martintown,  C.  W.;  the  second 
in  Marlinsburg,  C.  W.;  the  two  latter  in  Chippewa  Falls.  Mr.  McMar- 
tin is  a  member  of  F.  A.  A.  M.,  Cornwell  Lodge,  C.  W.,  125. 

LUDOLPHUS  SMITH,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  came  to  Chippewa 
Falls.  M  ly  5,  1867.  from  Lexington,  Mich.,  where  he  was  born  March 
12,1843.  His  father,  Edmund,  and  his  mother,  Almira,  Smith,  moved 
to  Michigan  from  Vermont,  and  were  both  born  near  Burlington,  in  that 
State.  Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Dec.  2,  1 868,  to  Miss 
Alice  Knopp.  whose  parents,  Abijah  and  Jane  Knopp,  migrated  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Illinois,  and  from  there  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in 
1861.  Mr.  Smith  has  one  child,  Eugene,  born  in  Chippewa  Falls,  July 
25,  1S69.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  lumber  for  the  past  ten  years,  and  is  a  joint  owner  in  Smith's  mill  at 
Bloomer.     He  is  also  engaged  in  farming. 

FREDERICK  W.  STEES,  merchant.  Bloomer,  was  born  in  Reeds- 
burg,  Sauk  Co  ,  March  21,  1S59.  In  1S67  his  father  was  made  penni- 
less by  the  "  hop  crash,"  and  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  Fred  found 
employment  in  the  Union  Lumber  Co.'s  store,  as  a  check  boy,  and  sub- 
sequently gained  a  clerkship  in  the  store,  remaining  there  until  1874. 
The  interval  to  1877  he  spent  in  Minnesota  and  in  other  places.  He 
then  came  to  Bloomer  and  opened  a  restaurant  and  confectionery  store 
on  a  small  scale.  In  18S0  he  entered  into  business  with  W.  T.  Dalton, 
a  wealthy  merchant  in  Chippewa  Falls,  opening  a  store  in  Bloomer, 
under  the  style  of  F.  W.  Stees  &  Co.,  and  is  doing  a  flourishing  busi- 
ness in  general  merchandise.  His  mother  resides  with  him,  while  his 
father  is  engaged  at  mining  in  Arizona.  He  was  married  in  Bloomer, 
Dec.  25.  iSSo.  to  Miss  Kate  Rich,  of  North  Freedom,  Sauk  Co.  She 
was  born  in  Friendship,  Adams  Co.,  July  2g,  1S60.  Her  parents.  Elijah 
and  Mary  Rich,  reside  in  North  Freedom. 

SYLVESTER  VAN  LOON,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  was  the  first  settler 
in  the  present  site  of  Bloomer,  and  at  one  time  owned  all  the  land  on 
which  it  is  situated,  locating  it  in  July,  1847.  He  was  born  in  Sullivan, 
N.  Y.,  April  27,  1S14,  and  came  to  Lake  Co.,  111.,  in  1843,  living  there 
and  in  Milwaukee,  and  returned  East  and  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Erie,  Pa.,  for  about  three  years,  and  then  came  to  Sauk  County, 
where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Chippewa  County.  Was  married  in 
Baraboo,  November  30th,  to  Miss  Rhoda  Ann  Eddy,  of  that  place.  She 
died  in  Bloomer,  Aug.  25,  1876.  She  was  born  March  25,  1S33,  in  Gen- 
esee County,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Van  Loon  has  five  children  living— Eva  R., 
Minnie  R.,  Archibald  A.,  Kate  I.  and  Honiers  S.;  has  buried  six  chil- 
dren. He  was  again  married  to  Mrs.  Katie  A.  Parker,of  Bloomer,  April 
8,  1878.  She  was  born  near  Wurms,  Germany,  May  i,  1840.  Mr.  Van 
Loon  lives  in  Sec.  9,  Town  30  ;  is  engaged  ia farming;  owns  440  acres 
of  farming  land,  and  12c  acres  of  timber  land. 

JAMES  H.  WILLIAMS,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  has  been  a  r<!-ident  of 
Bloomer  since  the  Fall  of  1S72,  having  moved  from  ^t.  Paul.     He  open- 


HISTORY    OF   CHIPPEWA   COUNTY. 


223 


ed  up  a  stock  of  general  hardware,  and  was  appointed  Postmaster  in 
1875,  which  office  he  still  holds.  He  was  born  in  Lake  Mills,  Dec.  18. 
1846.  His  parents,  George  W.  and  Melinda  Williams,  migrated  from 
Leroy,  Genessee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1844,  and  for  more  than  twenty  years 
have  lived  in  Eau  Claire.  James  was  married  in  Cliippewa  Falls,  May 
30,  1S6S,  to  Miss  Allie  Parrott,  of  Eau  Claire.  She  was  born  in  Orange 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  Tune,  1S52.  They  have  three  children— Jay,  Samuel  and 
James.  Mr.  Williams  went  out  with  the  48th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Feb.  14,  1865, 
and,  up  to  the  discharge  of  the  regiment,  was  engiged  in  frontier  ser- 
vice. Went  out  as  second  sergeant,  and  discharged  Dec.  13,  1865, 
virith  rank  of  first  sergeant.  Was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  but  by 
some  accident  his  commission  did  not  reach  him  until  about  two  hours 
after  he  got  his  discharge. 

CHIPPEWA  CITY. 
This  city,  with  so  many  possibilities,  which  is  so  much 
larger  on  the  map  than  it  appears  when  you  get  there,  has 
a  postoffice,  with  F.  G.  Stanley  as  Postmaster,  and  there  is 
a  semi-weekly  mail.  There  is  a  saw  and  shingle  mill  owned 
by  Stanley  Bros.  &  Co.;  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  store. 

FRENCHTOWN. 

This  is  a  little  village  of  residences  a  short  distance 
down  the  river  on  the  opposite  side. 

THE    SOUTH    SIDE. 

The  depot  is  on  the  south  side,  and  there  is  a  grocery 
store,  a  butcher  shop,  and  quite  a  number  of  residences. 
With  the  accession  of  business  which  the  new  railway  will 
bring,  this  will  be  a  thriving  place  after  a  time. 

Sainfs  Jifsi,  Kismet  Lodge,  Crescent  Cottage,  Lucky  Lodge, 
etc.  —  Summer  resorts  with  the  above  names,  owned  by  Col. 
Ginty,  Gen.  Richardson,  L.  M.  Newman,  Dan  Seymour, 
and  others,  of  like  appellations,  belonging  to  various  par- 
ties at  the  Falls,  are  located  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
town,  on  the  lakes  elsewhere  alluded  to. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
WILLIAM  B.  BARTLETT,  Section  6,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  was 
born  in  Dorset,  Vt.,  Oct.  8,  1830;  was  married  in  that  town,  Feb.  22, 
1853,  to  Miss  Henrietta  E.  Dunton.  Have  four  children  living— Tru- 
man D.,  Nettie  P.,  Nora  J.  and  Henry  V.  Mrs.  Bartlett  was  born  in 
Dorset,  Nov.  17,  1831.  Her  parents,  Henry  L.  and  Clara  Dunton,  live 
with  them,  the  former  eighty-three  years  old  last  May,  and  the  latter 
eighty-five  years  old  last  May.  She  can  still  read  and  sew  without  the  aid 
of  spectacles.  Mr.  Bartlett's  father,  Buckley  M.,  and  mother,  Henrietta 
Bartlett,  the  former  aged  eighty  years  and  the  latter  seventy-five  years,  are 
both  remarkably  well  preserved,  and  live  in  Connecticut.  Mr.  B.  started 
life  in  the  West  in  a  humble  way,  living  then  in  a  small  log  house,  which 
being  the  last  house  on  the  pinery  road,  was  a  convenient  stopping-place 
and  their  little  house  often  accommodated  from  twelve  to  twenty  travel- 
ers over  night.  Mr.  Bartlett  commenced  farming  here  with  limited 
means,  but  his  skill  and  energy  has  been  crowned  with  success.  His 
farm  consists  of  320  acres  of  excellent  land,  highly  improved,  and  with 
good  buildings.  He  also  has  forty  acres  of  timber.  Since  its  organiza- 
tion, Mr.  B.  has  been  president  of  the  Town  Fire  Insurance  Co.  in  the 
town  of  Eagle  Point,  and  has  repeatedly  held  other  offices  of  trust  in 
the  town.  His  eldest  son,  Truman,  resides  at  home  and  assists  in  the 
management  of  the  farm 

JOHN  B.\TES,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  has  been  a  resident  of  Chip- 
pewa County  twenty  years.  He  came  here  from  Waitsfield,  Vt.,  in  the 
Fall  of  1861,  where  he  was  born  June  10.  1S30.  Was  married  in  Dor- 
set, Vt.,  March  27,  1S65.  to  Miss  Chloe  Ann  Bartlett,  of  the  same  town, 
and  who  was  born  there  Sept.  2,  1833.  Mr.  Bates's  father,  Ira.  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  in  February,  1S81.  They  have  six  children — Sa- 
lome M.,  William  Jonas,  Merton  Bartlett,  John  Putnam.  Harriet  C.  and 
Earle  Ira.  Mr.  Bates  has  been  one  of  the  directors  and  secretary  of  the 
Town  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  town  of  Eagle  Point,  since  its  organization,  and 
is  secretary  of  the  Pioneer  Grange,  222,  also  deputy  master.  He  owns 
192  acres  of  farming  land  on  Town  29,  Section  6,  also  forty  acres  of  tim- 
ber land. 

EDWARD  F.  BENNETT,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  came  from  Min- 
nesota to  Chippewa  County.  Was  born  in  County  Meath,  Ireland, 
March  26,  1S36.  When  two  years  of  age,  he  came  with  his  father  to 
America,  locating  in  Ohio.  In  1840,  the  family  moved  to  Illinois,  and 
when  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  moved  to  Minnesota.  In  1S63  he 
enlisted  in  the  2d  Minn.  V.  I.,  and  served  to  the  close  of  the  war,  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  around  Atlanta,  and  took  a  hand  in  the  celebrated 
"chase  after  Hood,"  after  his  attack  on  Sherman  on  the  22d  of  July, 
1864.     He  assisted  in   burying  the  brave  Gen.   McPherson,  who  fell  in 


that  memorable  battle.  Mr.  Bennett  was  discharged  from  the  United 
States  General  Hospital,  Madison,  Ind.,  in  May,  1S65.  Mr.  B.  was  mar- 
ried in  Chippewa  Falls,  Sept.  26,  187 1,  by  Rev.  Father  Goldsmith,  to 
Mrs.  Julia  Doyle,  who  h.is  three  children  by  former  marriage — Hester, 
Elizabeth  and  William.  Mr.  Bennett  has  four  children — John  M., 
Charles  Francis,  Martha  Jane  and  Mary  Catherine.  Mr.  Bennett  for 
many  years  engaged  in  lumbering,  but  now  devotes  his  entire  attention 
to  fanning.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  St.  Mary's  Church. 
Lives  in  Eagle  Point,  Town  29,  Section  20. 

LEONARD  DIBBLE,  P.O.Chippewa  Falls,  came  to  this  place 
from  Mason  City,  Iowa,  Dec.  6,  1868,  where  he  had  resided  since  the 
year  1856.  When  he  went  to  Mason  City  it  was  very  new,  and  that 
Winter  was  one  of  the  coldest  ever  experienced.  Many  froze  to  death 
in  that  section  and  many  narrowly  escaped  starvation  from  the  want  of 
nearly  inaccessible  supplies.  Mr.  Dibble  owned  a  famous  span  of  sorrel 
horses  which  he  had  purchased  of  Mr.  Kuy  Earl,  of  Eldridge,  N.  Y.,  and 
driven  through  to  Iowa,  and  it  was  the  only  team  to  be  found  that  would 
face  any  of  the  storms  and  haul  supplies  over  the  trackless  prairie  from 
Dubuque.  Their  house  was  of  the  most  primitive  kind  and  offered  but 
a  feeble  protection  against  the  rigors  of  that  terrible  Winter.  They 
were  not  able  to  keep  a  fire  much  of  the  time  on  account  of  the  snow 
that  melted  through  the  "shake"  roof.  Most  of  the  time  since  coming 
to  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Dibble  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  lumbering, 
while  he  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  A.  Dibble,  own  a  large  amount  of  farm- 
ing lands.  He  spent  a  part  of  the  season  in  the  Black  Hills  in  1870, 
hoping  to  benefit  his  shattered  health,  but  with  indifferent  success.  Has 
one  child  living,  William  Leonard,  born  Jan.  i,  1870.  They  buried 
seven  children  in  Mason  City,  Iowa. 

MILO  C.  DUNTON,  P.O.  Chippewa  Falls,  came  from  Clayton, 
Tefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Eagle  Point  in  April,  1873.  He  was  born  in 
"Dorset,  Vt.,  April  11, 1829.  and  married  in  Clayton,  July  r,  1852.  to  Miss 
Sarah  Putnam,  of  that  place,  who  was  born  July  30,  1S30.  They  have 
four  children— Athelia  A.,  Alvaro  F..  Bion  P.  and  Bertie  M.,  all  born  in 
Clayton.  Mr.  Dunton  served  in  the  late  war  as  private  in  the  1st  N.  Y. 
Light  Artillery,  going  out  in  1863;  was  on  provost  duty  in  Jefferson 
until  January,  1S64,  when,  with  his  command,  he  went  to  the  front,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  where  he  received  a  severe 
wound,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  the  third  finger  of  the  left  hand.  He  was 
soon  after  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Invalid  Corps  stationed  at  Washing- 
ton, until  December,  when  he  joined  his  command,  near  Petersburgh, 
and  remained  in  active  service  up  to  Lee's  surrender,  near  Appomattox, 
and  was  promoted  to  rank  of  corporal.  In  the  engagement  at  the  Wil- 
derness his  artillery  horses  were  all  shot  and  all  of  his  drivers  wounded, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  their  guns.  After  the  surrender,  in 
April,  1865.  they  were  ordered  to  report  at  Washington,  and  on  the 
march  accidentally  cut  his  foot  severely,  and  narrowly  escaped  the  loss 
of  his  foot  by  gangrene  getting  into  the  wound.  Was  discharged  from 
Campbell,  U.  S.  A.  Hospital,  at  Washington,  July  7,  1865.  He  is  a  mar- 
ble cutter  by  trade,  but  since  coming  to  Wisconsin  has  been  engaged  in 
farming ;  has  eighty  acres  of  good  land  in  Eagle  Point,  on  Sec.  32,  Town 
30.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chippewa  County  Veteran  Soldiers'  and 
Sailors'  Association. 

PERRY  HOPKINS.  P.O.  Eagleton,  came  from  Williamstown, 
Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  to  Chippewa  County  in  January,  1S66;  was  born  in 
Williamstown,  Feb.  23,  1S30,  and  was  married  in  that  place  to  Miss 
Elvira  M.  Simon,  March  15,  1855.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Hopkins,  James 
and  Philura  Hopkins,  were  long  residents  of  that  town.  James  Hop- 
kins was  born  in  Francistown,  N.  H.,  April  2,  1791  ;  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent,  a  large  colony  from  the  North  of  Ireland  settling  in  Fran- 
cistown, Hopkinton  and  Londonderry.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three,  she  living  to  the  age  of  eighty.  Mr.  Hopkins  has  one  child,  John  P., 
born  in  Williamstown,  May  3,  1S57.  Mrs.  Hopkins's  father,  John  P.Si- 
mons, died  Sept.  12,  1S70,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  Her  mother,  Elizabeth, 
still  lives,  and  in  the  Summer  of  1880,  at  theage  of  seventy-six  years,  made 
a  round  trip  from  Vermont  to  Wisconsin  alone.  Perry  Hopkins  enlisted 
in  the  loth  Vt.  V.  I.  in  December.  1863,  and  went  into  active  service  on 
the  Potomac,  in  January,  1864  ;  was  engaged  in  a  three  days'  fight  at  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  on  the  eighth  day  marched  to  Spottsylvania, 
and  was  engaged  in  fighting  and  skirmishing  up  to  the  thirteenth  ;  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  right  hip,  and  the  ball  afterwards  extracted 
from  ihe  left  hip.  After  five  months  in  the  Summit  Hospital,  Philadel- 
phia, and  the  hospital  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  he  joined  his  command  in 
front  of  Petersburgh  ;  fought  at  Hatche'sRun  and  at  Petersburgh.  His 
company  went  into  the  fight  with  twenty-six  men,  and  thirteen  were 
killed  and  wounded  in  the  engagement.  He  was  discharged  from  serv- 
ice July  16, 1S65  ;  is  a  member  of  the  Chippewa  County  Veteran  Soldiers" 
and  .Sailors'  Association,  and  holds  an  honorable  service  commendation, 
signed  by  the  Governor  of  Vermont.  He  has  a  homestead  of  160  acres, 
mostly  under  cultivation,  and  other  lands  near  by  to  the  amount  of  400 
acres.  He  is  proprietor  of  the  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  at  Eagleton, 
employing  a  number  of  men  ;  also  of  the  Nine-Mile  House.  He  lives 
on  Sec.  30.  Town  30. 

HORACE  A.  HUTCHINSON,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in 
Dodge  County,  Jan.  4,  1847.     When  he  was  nine  years  of  age  his  father 


224 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


moved  to  Juneau  County  and  pre-empted  the  land  upon  which  the  vil- 
lage of  Elroy  now  stands.  Here  Mr.  H.  learned  the  trade  of  miller. 
His  health  being  poor,  he  quit  his  trade  for  four  years  and  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1S72,  with  his  father,  James  Hutchinson,  he  purchased  the 
Eagle  Prairie  Flouring  Mills.  Mr.  H.  was  married  March  31,  1S76,  to 
Miss  Mary  Jordan,  of  Elroy,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Sept.  27, 
1851.  They  have  four  children— Guy  Edward,  Alta  Allison,  Orrin  E. 
and  James  E.  Hutchinson  &  Son  is  the  style  of  the  firm.  The  junior 
member  has  the    management   of  the   mill.     The  mill  has  four  run  of 

ANGUS  V.  McGILVRAY,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  left  his  native 
place,  Glengary  Co..  Canada  West,  where  he  was  born  Dec.  10, 1830,  and 
came  to  Wausau  in  the  Winter  of  1S56,  where  he  lived  seven  years,  most 
of  the  time  employed  in  lumbering.  In  1S59.  he  went  back  'o  Glen- 
gary. and  Oct.  iS,  1859,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  McDonald,  daughter 
of  Roderick  and  Ann  McDonald.  They  were  married  by  Rev.  Father 
McDonald,  of  Parish  St.  Raephel's,  Glengary,  who  died  in  March,  1879, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  103  years.  They  have  six  children — John  I., 
Isabel  Ann,  Roderick  P.,  Blena  May,  Catherine  and  Charles  F.  W. 
They  have  lost  by  death  three  children — Isabel  Ann.  died  Oct.  13,  1861; 
Donald  E..  June  27,  1879,  and  Augus  Duncan,  July  4,  1879,  both  of  the 
two  latter  dying  of  scarlet  fever.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGilvray  are  both 
members  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Chippewa  Falls,  Rev.  Faiher  Goldsmith, 
pastor.  Mr.  McGilvray  has  worked  in  the  lumber  woods  every  Winter, 
with  one  exception,  since  sixteen  years  of  age,  both  in  Canada  and  Wis- 
consin. He  has  worked  on  the  river  in  the  Spring,  driving  logs,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  experienced  drivers  on  the  Chippewa  River. 

NELSON  SELLERS,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  was  born  in  Nova 
Scotia,  July  7,  1S39.  ''^  moved  from  his  birth-place  to  Iowa  in  i860. 
Remaining  there  one  year,  he  came  to  Chippewa  County,  where  he  has 
since  remained.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  I,  1867,  to  Miss 
Christia  Ann  Stewart,  of  Chippewa  Falls,  whose  native  place  was  Dale- 
husa,  Canada  East.  They  have  six  children  living — Seth  P.,  Forest  N., 
Lillie  A.,  Elmer  E.,  Perley  M.  and  Nina,  all  born  in  the  town  of  Eagle 
Point,  Chippewa  Co.  Mr.  Sellers  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  lum- 
bering and  farming  for  many  years,  and  at  this  time  is  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. He  owns  one  of  the  finest  of  the  many  fine  farms  on  Eagle 
Prairie. 

GEORGE  R.  SHAW,  farmer,  Town  29,  Sec.  29,  Eagle  Point  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Fairlee.  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  12,  1832.  He  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1855,  and  in  May  of  that  year  came  to  Eau 
Claire  County  and  located  near  the  village,  and  engaged  in  farming, 
working  in  the  lumbering  woods  in  the  Winter  for  several  years.  He 
was  married  April  29,  1S60,  to  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  A.  Farrar,  of  Eau 
Claire,  a  native  of  Maine.  They  have  three  children — Albion  W.,  born 
in  Lafayette,  Chippewa  Co.,  Feb.  4,  l86i  ;  Perley  W.,  born  in  the  same 
town  May  27,  1S63.  and  Henry  O.,  born  in  Rock  Falls,  Dunn  Co.,  Aug. 
13,  1S67.  For  several  years  Mr.  Shaw  has  successfully  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  and  is  living  on  a  well-improved  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
two  miles  north  of  Chippewa  Falls.  He  also  owns  forty  acres  of  tim- 
ber in  the  town  of  Eagle  Point.     Postoffice  address,  Chippewa  Falls. 

EDWIN  B.  SxMITH,  P.  O.  Eagleton,  was  born  in  Richburgh,  Al- 
legany Co.,  N.  v.,  Jan.  6,  1S43,  where  he  resided  until  the  Spring  of 
1864,  when  he  went  to  Kansas,  Lyon  Co.,  and  where  his  parents  now 
live.  He  came  back  to  Wisconsin  after  a  stay  in  Kansas,  during  which 
time  the  grasshoppers  disputed  his  claims.  He  settled  in  Eagle  Point 
and  commenced  farming.  Was  married  in  Richburgh,  N.  Y.,  August  15. 
1861,  to  Miss  Garphelia  A.  Maxon,  of  that  place.  She  was  born  in  that 
place  July  26,  1843.  They  have  six  children—  Mary  E.,  Alice,  Cassius 
M.,  Arthur  S  ,  Austin  H.  and  Jessie  I.  Occupation  farm  ;  lives  on  Town 
30,  Sec.  30.  Mr.  Smith  enlisted  in  the  Ssth  N.  V.,  V.  I.  in  i860.  Com- 
pany C  in  the  6th  Corps.  The  regiment  entered  into  active  service  in 
the  Spring  of  1S61.  Mr.  S.  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Va., 
and  took  in  the  attack  of  Norfolk,  was  afterward  transferred  to  the  band 
of  85th,  and  when  that  was  disbanded  he  was  discharged  from  the  serv- 
ice.    Is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Lodge  81,  Hartford,  Kan. 

J.  HENRY  SMITH,  P.  O.  Chippewa  Falls,  moved  to  this  place 
from  Summit,  Waukesha  Co.,  in  the  Fall  of  1858, where  he  had  lived  from 
1842.  He  was  born  in  Connought,  Ohio,  Nov.  17,  1839.  His  parents, 
Moses  Reed  and  Laura  Smith,  reside  with  him.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Vermont,  born  Jan.  4,  1797.  His  (stepmother)  was  born  Sept.  4, 1810. 
They  both  are  remarkably  well  preserved,  mentally  and  physically.  His 
maternal  grandmother  is  also  a  member  of  his  household  at  the  age  of 
nearly  ninety  four  years,  mentally  strong  and  until  within  a  year  could 
see  plainly  to  read  and  sew  without  the  use  of  spectacles ;  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years  she  journeyed  from  Boston  to  Chippewa  Falls  without  com- 
plaining of  fatigue;  she  had  two  uncles  who  served  in  the  Revolution. 
Moses  Smith,  one  of  the  very  early  settler  ot  Merton,  Waukesha  Co.,  com- 
ing through  i^rom  Ohio  and  moved  into  a  small  log  house,  one  room  be- 
low and  one  above,  with  a  Mr.  Cheney  and  family  consisting  of  eleven 
members,  and  Mr.  Smith's  further  increasing  it  to  eighteen  members. 
This  was  in  December.  1843,  and  there  was  considerable  snow  on  the 
ground.     In    a    week  Mr.    Smith  got  up  a  house  of  his  own  and  moved 


into  it.  Mr.  Smith  and  his  father  carried  on  a  blacksmith  and  wagon 
shop  until  1861,  when  they  exchanged  their  property  for  real  estate — the 
place  on  which  they  now  live.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Pioneer 
Grange,  222,  Eagle  Point.  Lives  in  town  of  Eagle  Point  on  Sec.  5.  Town 
29.     Has  380  acres  of  excellent  land. 

FREDERICKG.  STANLEY,  P.O.  ChippewaCity,  wasborn  in  Can- 
andaigua,  N.  Y.,  March  I,  1824,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  went 
to  Baraboo,  Sauk  Co.,  in  this  State.  He  was  one  of  the  very  early 
pioneers  of  that  place  and  lived  there  until  May.  1870,  when  he  moved 
to  Chippewa  Falls,  his  family  following  him  in  the  Fall  of  that  year.  He 
there  purchased  the  Chippewa  City  Lumber  Mill  and  has  been  continu- 
ously engaged  in  manufacturing  lumber.  The  mill  is  located  on  O'Neil 
Creek  and  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  secure  water  powers  to  be  found, 
and  has  a  capacity  of  manufacturing  4,000,000  feet  in  the  season,  beside 
a  large  amount  of  shingle  and  lath.  A  large  farm  and  store  is  run  in 
connection  with  the  mill,  which  employs  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  hand.s. 
Mr.  Stanley  is  also    Postmaster   at    that   place.     His  son,  Charles,  ably 


seconds  him   in   the  managen 


;  of  his  business.     The 


par 


;  of  Mr. 


Stanley,  Whitney  D.  and  Mariah  Stanley,  soon  followed  their  son  west, 
and  in  1848  purchased  in  Vienna,  Dane  Co.,  700  acres  of  land,  where 
they  opened  up  a  fine  farm  and  lived  until  1877,  when  the  father  died  at 
an  advanced  age,  the  mother  preceding  him  about  two  years.  Mr. 
Stantey  was  married  in  Baraboo,  Sept.  30,  1846,  to  Miss  Julia  Netha- 
way.who  came  from  Canandaiguaby  canal  to  Buffalo  and  around  the  lakes 
to  Milwaukee  and  thence  by  stage  to  Baraboo.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Charles  Augustus,  Isabel  M.,  Clara  M.  and  Ida  May,  all  born  in 
Baraboo.     Mr.  Stanley  is  a  member  of  the  F.  A.  M.   Lodge  34.  Baraboo. 

CHARLES  V.  SWEENEY,  Chippewa  City,  is  a  native  of  that 
place,  born  there  Oct.  16,  1854.  His  father,  Simeon  C.  Sweeney,  came 
to  Chippewa  City  in  the  Spring  of  1850,  from  Black  River  Falls,  Jack- 
son Co.,  where  he  had  lived  for  several  years  previous.  His  mother, 
Elizabeth  A.,  following  in  1853.  Mf-  S.'was  married  July  4,  1876,  to 
Miss  Adeline  M.  McCann,  of  Jim's  Falls,  Chippewa  Co.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Sweeney,  Daniel  and  Margaret  McCann,  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  in  Chippewa  City,  or  the  Falls,  coming  there  from  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  in  1839.  I'  "'^s  Daniel  McCann  who  purchased  for  a  sack  of  corn 
an  eagle  of  an  Indian  at  Lake  Flambeau  on  the  Chippewa  River,  brought 
the  bird  to  Eau  Claire  and  sold  him  to  Mills  Jeffreys,  who  in  turn  pre- 
sented him  to  Capt.  Perkins  of  the  8th  Wis.  It  was  "Old  Abe"  who  fol- 
lowed the  fortunes  of  the  "Eighth"  through  the  entire  war  and  who  died 
in  Madison  in  i88r.  Mr.  Sweeney  left  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
and  from  that  period  has  constantly  been  engaged  in  the  various  depart- 
ments of  lumbering.     Is  a  lumber  scaler. 

JAMES  H.  WOODRUFF,  farmer.  Town  29,  Sec.  8,  Range  8.  Eagle 
Point,  wasborn  in  Triangle,  Broome  Co.,  N.Y.,  March  28,  1822  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1S43,  stopping  in  Waukesha  County,  and 
the  following  Spring  commenced  farming,  teaching  school  in  the  Winter. 
In  the  Spring  of  1846,  he  went  to  Winnebago  County,  and  pre-empted 
160  acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Utica,  subsequently  entering  at  the 
United  States  land  office  in  Green  Bay.  In  the  Spring  of  1856,  he  came 
to  Chippewa  County  .and  settled  on  Eagle  Prairie,  now  Eagle  Point, 
purchasing  200  acres  of  land  partially  improved  ;  subsequently  adding 
three  large  farms.  Mr.  Woodruff  entered  somewhat  extensively  into 
farming  and  lumbering  with  varying  success.  In  1868,  in  company  with 
I.  B.  Taft,  he  erected  a  saw-mill  on  Dry  wood  Creek,  a  tributary  to  Yel- 
low River,  and  manufactured  lumber  until  1871,  when  his  mill  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  He  then  retired  from  lumbering,  selling  all  his  real  es- 
tate except  forty  acres  of  his  homestead  to  his  two  sons,  Charles  and  A. 
N.  Woodruff,  embracing  320  acres  of  the  home  farm,  360  acres  of  mea- 
dow land  in  town  of  Anso  on  the  Drywood  and  320  acres  of  timber  and 
other  lands  in  the  town.  He  was  married  in  Omro,  Wis.,  March  17, 
1851,  to  Miss  Alzina  Joslin.  She  was  born  in  Waitsfield,  Vt.,  Nov.  7, 
1831.  They  have  four  children —  Charles  E.,  Adelbert  N..  Ella  D.  and 
Flora  M.,  the  latter  born  in  Eagle  Point,  the  three  former  in  Winnebago 
County. 

AUBURN. 

The  settlement  iti  the  town  of  Auburn  was  made  in 
Cook's  Valley.  In  May,  1858,  Zerah  C.  Willis  and  Jacob 
Cook  each  entered  or  pre-empted  160  acres  on  Section  2S, 
in  Town  30,  Range  10  west.  The  following  Spring,  Mr. 
Willis  broke  the  first  ground  on  his  land,  which  he  now  oc- 
cupies. William  Saves  came  into  the  valley  in  July,  and 
erected  a  cabin,  and  two  weeks  later  John  Emerick  took 
land  and  commenced  breaking,  turning  over  sixty-five  acres 
of  sod.  Mr.  Willis  plowed  forty-five  and  Mr.  Saves  twenty- 
five  acres.  William  C.  Miller  was  the  first  Postmaster,  his 
commission  bearing  date  July  23,  1870.  Mr.  Miller  resign 
ing,  Z.  C.  Willis  was  appointed  his  successor,  June  8,  1871, 
and  held  the  office  until  December,  1877,  when  he  resigned, 


HISTORY    OF    CHIPPEWA    COUNTY. 


and  Charles  E.  Smith  was  appointed.  These  changes  were 
not  on  account  of  wrangling  by  aspirants  to  get  the  office, 
but  to  get  rid  of  it.  The  town,  wliich  is  twelve  miles  long 
by  six  in  width,  lias  another  post-office,  named  Vale,  estab- 
lished in  1878,  Mr.  James  Warren  taking  the  office  May  8. 
The  early  settlers  were  somewhat  troubled  by  unseasonable 
visits  from  Indians.  At  one  time  a  large  deputation  visited 
Mr.  Willis's  house  during  his  absence  in  the  field.  He  was 
a  single  man  then,  and,  like  a  prudent  man,  when  he  went 
to  the  field  to  work,  locked  up  his  house.  The  Indians 
robbed  him  of  about  $30  worth  of  clothing  and  provisions. 
Among  other  things,  they  bagged  up  a  lot  of  corn  and  car- 
ried it  away.  Mr.  W.  and  others  of  his  neighbors  gave 
pursuit,  but,  although  getting  on  their  trail,  never  recovered 
his  property,  though  he  got  some  blankets  and  berries 
which  the  Indians  in  their  flight  had  left  on  a  bluff. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ADELBERT  P.  McWETHY,  farmer,  Sec.  16,  P.  O.  Cook's  Valley, 
was  born  in  Machias,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  11,  1847;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  his  infancy,  his  father  moving  to  Dane  County.  For  sev- 
eral years  up  to  1870,  Mr.  McWelhy  lived  in  Leon,  Monroe  Co.,  when 
he  moved  to  Auburn,  Chippewa  Co.,  where  he  has  since  resided,  pur- 
chasing 160  acres  of  unimproved  land,  which  is  now  all  in  good  state  of 
cultivation,  good  buildings,  etc.  He  was  married  April  6,  1871,  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Prill,  of  Leon.  She  was  a  native  of  Lonnenburg,  Germany, 
coming  to  America  with  her  parents  when  six  years  of  age;  born  Aug. 
23,  1846.  They  h.ive  one  child,  Dora  Blanche,  born  in  Auburn,  Aug. 
ig,  1876.  Mr.  McWethy  has  held  the  offices  of  Town  Treasurer  and 
Town  Clerk. 

WILLIAM  C.  MILLER,  farmer,  Town  30,  Sec.  28,  P.O.  Cook's 
Valley,  was  born  in  Cincinnati.  Dec.  25,  i82g  ;  left  Ohio  when  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  and  lived  in  Indiana  four  years,  then  moved  to  Minne- 
sota, where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  eleven  years.  He  enlisted  in 
Wazioga,  in  September,  1863,  entering  the  2d  Minn.  Cavalry,  Co.  K. 
This  command  went  to  Ft.  Snelling,  and  from  that  date  was  engaged  in 
frontier  duty.  On  the  fourth  day  of  January,  1S64,  he  was  commissioned 
quartermaster  sergeant  for  Co.  K.  They  were  stationed  for  a  while  at 
Ft.  Wadsworth,  and  there,  in  addition  to  his  routine  duties,  was  en- 
gaged as  clerk  in  the  Indian  Agency  ;  was  discharged  from  service  in  the 
Spring  of  1866.  He  came  to  Auburn,  Chippewa  Co.,  in  the  Fall  of 
l86g,  and  commenced  farming.  He  now  has  a  farm  of  l6o  acres,  highly 
improved  and  excellent  buildings.  He  was  the  first  Postmaster  in  Cook's 
Valley,  his  appointment  dating  July  23,  1870.  He  was  married  in  Mid- 
dletown,  Ohio,  in  1S56,  to  Miss  Charlotte  Webb,  of  that  place,  where 
she  was  born  May  g,  1S32.  They  have  four  children  living — William  E., 
Effenger,  Fernando  McMurray  and  Linda  May  ;  lost  three  children  in 
1876,  all  within  a  space  of  two  weeks,  by  diphtheria.  One  son,  William 
E.,  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Mix,  Aug.  17,  1S73. 

CHARLES  E.  SMITH,  farmer,  P.O.Cook's  Valley,  was  born  in 
Owego,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  v.,  March  8,  1843.  He  came  with  his  parents, 
J.  M.  and  Experience  Smith,  to  Sparta  in  1855,  where  the  family  lived 
until  the  death  of  his  father,  Dec.  25,  1S63,  he  dying  on  his  birth-day. 
Charles  left  home  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  to  seek  his  fortune,  going  to 
Minnesota,  and  for  most  of  the  time  up  to  August,  :86i,  was  engaged 
as  salesman  in  Austin,  Minn.  He  enlisted  in  tlie  4th  Minn.  V.  I. ;  was 
immediately  commissioned  hospital  steward,  dating  from  his  enlistment. 
He  had  studied  medicine  for  two  years,  and  was  acting  assistant  surgeon 
for  a  year  up  to  July  g,  1S63,  when  he  was  commissioned  second  lieu- 
tenant of  the  56th  U.  S.  Inf.  of  the  regular  army.  In  November  follow- 
ing, was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  and  in  April,  1864,  was  promoted 
to  captain,  acting  much  of  the  time  as  ordnance  sergeant  and  post- 
quartermaster.  While  acting  in  the  latter  capacity,  he  built  one  and  a 
half  miles  of  railroad,  near  Duvall's  Bluff,  for  government  survice.  Up 
to  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  actively  engaged  in  campaign  service  in 
the  Southwest  department.  May  16,  1864.  in  Helena,  Ark.,  Mr.  Smith 
was  married  to  Miss  Bettie  E.  Williams,  of  Huntsville,  Ala.  She  was  a 
native  of  Alabama,  born  June  Ig.  1848.  They  have  four  children — 
Willie  H..  Minnie  Jane,  Annie  and  Frank.  The  two  eldest  were  born  in 
Sparta,  the  two  youngest  in  Auburn.  He  purchased  the  homestead  In 
Sparta  in  the  Spring  of  1S64,  leaving  his  widowed  mother  on  the  place 
for  three  years.  In  the  Spring  of  1871  he  came  to  Auburn  and  pur- 
chased 200  acres  of  wild  land  in  Town  30,  Sec.  :6.  This  he  has  well 
improved  ;  also  120  acres  of  unimproved  farming  land,  and  forty  acres 
of  pine  land.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Cook's  Valley  in  Decem- 
ber, 1877.  He  is  now  holding  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  for  the  town  of 
Auburn  for  the  fifth  successive  term. 

LEONARD  VON  ESCHEN.  farmer.  Sec.  II,  P.  O.  Bloomer,  was 
born  in  Teisbnrg,  Switzerland,  on  the  banks  of  the  Upper  Rhine,  Sept. 
28,  1S28.  When  eighteen  years  of  age,  came  with  his  father  to  Amer. 
15 


ica.  going  directly  to  Sauk  County.  In  1848,  he  went  to  Jenny  Ball 
Falls,  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  there  being  only  two  houses  there  at  that 
time,  and  those  of  the  mo5t  primitive  sort.  He  lived  there  until  1856,  a 
portion  of  the  time  employed  in  the  various  c.Tpacities  as  a  lumber  work- 
man, but  latterly  manufacturer  of  lumber.  He  came  to  Auburn  in  1873, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  purchased  167 J^ 
acres  of  land,  which  is  now  w-ell  improved.  He  was  married  in  Jenny, 
Wis.,  June  18.  1854.  to  Miss  Sally  O.  Putnam,  of  that  place.  She  was 
born  in  Hyde  Park.  Vt.,  May  2g.  183S.  They  have  four  children — 
George  M.,  Esther  U.,  John  P.  and  Emma  L.     All    the  children  except 


George   were    born  in    Chippewa  County  ;    he 


is   born 


I'port. 


When  Mr.  Von  Eschen  came  to  America  he  could  not  speak  a  word  of 
English,  nor  did  he  ever  attend  school  in  this  country.  He  has  served 
four  years  as  Chairman  of  the  Board;  three  .successive  teims  Town 
Treasurer,  and  Town  Clerk  two  terms.  In  18S0,  he  was  appointed  one 
of  the  Commissioners  to  investigate  and  correct  all  the  county  records 
of  Chippewa  County.  He  was  also  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  settle 
between  Chippewa  and  Clark  counties  when  Taylor  County  was  formed 
from  them.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Auburn  Grange,  No.  270,  also  of 
Bloomer  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  201. 

CADOTT. 

This  is  a  rapidly  growing  village  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Yellow  River,  and  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad, 
about  fifteen  miles  above  Chippewa  Falls.  The  census 
of  18S0  returns  the  number  of  inhabitants  as  fifty.  At  this 
writing,  August  1,  18S1,  there  are  500. 

Mr.  Robert  Marriner  is  the  oldest  permanent  settler 
there,  and  is  the  Postmaster.  He  built  a  flour  mill  there 
fifteen  years  ago,  now  run  by  Marriner  &  Lockwood.  It 
supplies  the  local  trade.  The  capacity  of  the  mill  is — sur- 
facer,  50,000  feet  per  day;  matcher,  10,000.  Cummings  is 
also  a  contractor  and  builder. 

Melester  &^  Claik,  spoke  and  hub  factory,  employ  eighty 
men,  using  oak  and  birch  woods.  A  flouring  mill  built 
seven  years  ago  is  now  owned  by  E.  B.  Luce.  It  has  two 
run  of  stones. 

Steam  Saw  Mill,  Howeison  &  Wetherlee.  There  is  also 
a  tannery  across  the  river. 

There  are  in  the  place  three  general  merchandise  stores, 
one  flour  and  feed  store,  one  drug  store,  one  hardware 
store,  one  gunsmith,  one  boot  and  shoe  store,  two  black- 
smiths, two  hotels,  one  physician,  and  other  concomitants 
of  a  thriving  village. 

In  the  vicinity  is  an  enormous  amount  of  hard  wood. 

Manufacturing. — Planing,  sash,  door  and  blind  mill, 
Mathew  J.  Cummings,  employs  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hands. 
Is  run  by  water  ten  hours  a  day. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
SOLOMON  R.  KAISER,  merchant.  Postmaster,  Cadott,  was  born 
in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Nov,  3,  1845.  Came  to  Irving,  Jackson  Co.,  in 
i860.  He  joined  the  4'h  Wis.  Cav.,  Co.  I,  in  Gen.  Grierson's  Div., 
enlisting  in  LaCrosse,  Wis.,  in  August,  1S63.  Participated  in  Grierson's 
raid  through  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Alabama  and  Georgia,  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1S64.  From  early  in  1S63,  their  regiment  did  not  have  a  single 
continuous  week  of  rest  up  to  close  of  the  War.  Mr.  Kaiser  was  with 
his  command  all  through,  after  he  enlisted,  and  was  discharged  in  Vicks- 
burgh,  June  17,  1865,  after  which  he  returned  to  LaCrosse.  He  soon 
after  went  to  Jackson  County,  and  engaged  in  lumbering,  which  he  fol- 
lowed four  years.  He  was  married  in  Irving,  Jackson  Co.,  Aug.  18,  1S67, 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Oaks  of  that  place.  She  Was  born  in  Cleveland.  Ohio, 
Aug.  8,  1845,  and  died  in  Cadott,  July  12,  1877.  leaving  three  children 
—Clayton  P.,  Lois  Ann  and  Maggie  May.  Mr.  Kaiser  remarried,  in 
Edson,  March  16,  l87g,  to  Miss  Ninetta  Yourell,  of  Edson.  He  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  village,  locating  there  in  1S72.  There 
were,  in  all,  only  seven  buildings  in  the  place  at  that  time.  Aug.  23, 
1873,  a  Post  Office  was  established  there,  and  Robert  Marriner  was 
appointed  Postmaster,  and  Mr.  Kaiser  was  appointed  Deputy,  and  has 
had  the  entire  management  of  the  office  since.  He  was  elected  Town 
Clerk  in  1S74.  and  was  elected  four  successive  terms,  and  one  year 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board.  Soon  after  his  advent  to  Cadott,  he 
entered  into  mercantile  business  in  a  limited  way.  He  has  since  erected 
a  large  store  building,  and  opened  up  with  full  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise. He  owns  forty  acres  of  land  near  the  village,  four  business 
lots. 

E.  B.  LUCE,  manufacturer,  Cadott,  was  born  in  Circinnalus,  N. 
Y..  Dec.  5,  iS3g;  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  the  Fall  of  1S70,  and  im- 


226 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


mediately  entered  into  the  employ  of  the  Union  Lumber  Co..  as  sales- 
man in  their  store,  having  charge  of  the  boot  and  shoe  and  jewelry 
departments.  He  continued  in  their  employ  and  their  successors',  A.  E. 
Pound  &  Co.,  for  eight  years.  In  iSyg  he  purchased  of  H.  L.  Smith  & 
Co.  their  stave  factory  in  Cadott,  and  has  since  prosecuted  that  business, 
employing  a  portion  of  the  season  from  fifteen  to  twenty  men.  He  en- 
listed in  the  Fall  of  1861,  in  the  2A  N.  Y.  Light  Artillery,  which  was 
soon  changed  to  Heavy  Artillery,  doing  fort  dutv  at  Ft.  Worth  and  Ft. 
Bennet  most  of  the  time  until  the  Spring  of  1S64,  when  they  entered 
into  field  service,  doing  infantry  duty.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
Battle  of  Spottsylvania.  Talapotomy.  North  Ann,  Cold  Harbor,  Peters- 
burgh,  Deep  Bottom  and  Ream's  Station,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner 
and  confined  in  the  Old  Libby  for  about  two  weeks.  He  was  transferred 
to  Pemberton,  thence  to  Bell  Island  Prison,  remaining  prisoner  in  all 
about  three  months,  finishing  his  three  years  terra  of  service  in  prison. 
He  was  then  paroled  on  account  of  sickness,  and  afterwards  exchanged 
and  discharged,  Dec.  9,  1864.  He  was  promoted  to  corporal  in  1S62, 
and  to  sergeant  in  1864.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls,  in  June, 
1881,  to  Miss  Kate  Richardson  of  that  place. 

ROBERT  MARRINER,  Cadott,  was  born  in  Milton,  Northum- 
berland Co.,  Penn.,  June  II,  1S30,  and  came  from  Alleghany  City,  Penn., 
to  Eau  Claire  in  the"  Spring  of  1853,  He  w^as  employed  in  the  saw-mill 
of  Hope,  Stone  &  Randafl  for  about  two  months,  and  then  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls,  and  run  a  boot  and  shoe  manufactory  for  H.  S.  Allen 
for  about  a  year.  He  was  then  engaged  in  rafting  for  one  Summer,  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1S55  he  took  a  contract  to  haul  in  and  raft  logs  down  the 
river  to  Wabasha.  In  the  Summer  of  1856  he  was  employed  in  keel- 
boating  lumber  to  Wabasha  and  bringing  supplies  back  until  July,  1856, 
when  a  steamboat  was  put  on  the  river,  taking  the  place  of  a  keel-boat 
in  carrying  freights.  Mr.  Marriner  engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering 
most  of  the  time  (except  1S62,  when  he  was  in  the  boot  and  shoe  busi- 
ness), until  1866,  when  he  went  to  Cadott  Falls  and  built  a  saw-mill. 
In  the  Summer  of  1874  he  built  a  grist-mill  there,  and,  in  1875,  he  laid 
out  the  town  of  Cadott,  the  village  originally  containing  twenty-five 
acres.  Mr.  Marriner  has  since  laid  out  two  additions.  He  was  Sheriff 
in  1859-60  ;  Provost-marshal  of  Chippewa  County,  and  at  large  for  two 
years;  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  town  of  Sigel 
for  ten  years,  and  Chairman  of  the  County  Board  for  three  successive 
years.  He  was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls  in  November  i860,  to  Elanor 
Norway,  who  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child 
living — Charles — and  have  lost  three  children,  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
one  son,  William,  who  died  in  January,  18S1,  aged  sixteen  years. 

CHAUNCEY  K.  MILLIOUS,  uimberman,  Cadott,  was  born  in  El- 
bridge,  N.  Y.,  Onondaga  Co.,  Oct.  13,  1842.  Came  to  Cadott,  Wis.,  in 
December,  1874,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  lumbering.  He  enlisted 
in  the  loth  Mich.  Cav.  in  December.  1864,  in  Gen.  Loneman's  brigade, 
operating  in  Tennessee,  Alabama  and  Georgia,  chiefly,  in  action  on 
several  occasions,  and  was  discharged  with  his  regiment,  in  Jackson, 
Mich.,  in  September,  1865.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  Michigan  several 
years,  going  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  Was  married  in 
Elbridge,  N.  Y.,  July  4,  i860,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Otmun,  of  Marcellus.  N. 
Y.,  where  she  was  born  in  1S40.  She  died  Aug.  20,  1870.  leaving  four 
children— Emma  G.,  Cora  E.,  Nora  O.,  Phillip  C.  Mr.  Millious  was 
again  married,  in  Saugatuck,  Oct.  5,  1871,  to  Mrs.  Lucy  (Babbitt) 
Gatus.  Has  by  this  marriage  two  children  — Albert  C.  and  Charles  E., 
both  born  in  Cadott. 

JOHN  P.  WALL,  attorney,  Cadott,  was  born  in  Hampden,  Mass., 
Aug.  7,  1850.  His  father,  Edward  Wall,  is  an  extensive  woolen  manu- 
facturer of  that  place.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  entered  Munson 
Academy,  and,  after  three  years  preparatory  study,  entered  the  Holy 
Cross  College,  at  Worcester,  Mass..  where  he  remained  nearly  four  years, 
when  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Ashmun,  Leonard  &  Wells,  in  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  and  there  prosecuted  his  studies  until  March,  1872,  when  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  Circuit  and  Supreme  Court  of  the  States, 
and  entered  into  active  practice.  He  was  reared  in  the  old  school  of 
democracy  and  has  always  been  a  Democrat.  In  1873  he  was  a  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  the  State  Legislature  for  the  Springfield  district,  but 
was  beaten  by  five  votes  only,  though  in  a  district  largely  Republican. 
Mr.  Wall  followed  his  profession  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  until  May,  1880, 
when  he  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  there  lived  until  June,  1881, 
when  he  located  in  Cadott,  where  he  is  building  up  a  good  practice.  He 
was  married  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  Jan.  g,  1868,  to  Miss  Sally  Herrity, 
of  New  Haven,  where  she  was  born,  Aug.  25.  1852.  She  was  a  graduate 
of  St.  Mary's  Convent,  Montreal.     They  have  three  children. 

CARTWRIGHT'S  MILL. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  place  in  the  Town  of  Auburn 
was  made  by  David  W.  and  David  J.  Cartwright,  father  and 
son,  in  June,  1875.  They  began  to  erect  a  steam  saw-mill, 
which  was  completed  in  December,  of  that  year,  and  put  in 
operation.  D.  J.  Cartwriglit,  on  the  12th  of  that  month, 
pioyed  his  family  into  a  small  siianty,  most  hastily  erected. 


This  was  the  first  family  here.  The  machinery  for  the  mill 
was  purchased  in  Chicago,  of  the  Rochester  Manufacturing 
Company,  shipped  by  rail  to  Eau  Claire,  and  from  there 
hauled  by  teams  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  For  several 
miles  the  men  were  obliged  to  cut  their  road  through.  The 
place  has  a  weekly  mail  service,  established  in  May,  1S79, 
Perry  Sweet,  Postmaster.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  14.000 
of  lumber  and  20,000  shingles,  per  twelve  hours.  There  is 
also  a  spoke  factory,  with  machinery  for  cutting  felloes  at- 
tached. Two  years  ago  the  elder  Cartwright  disposed  of 
his  undivided  half  interest  in  the  mill  to  C.  M.  Tarr.  The 
style  of  the  present  firm  is  Cartwright  &  Co.  A  school  dis- 
trict has  just  been  established.  There  is  one  store  here, 
operated  by  the  company.  The  Seventh  Day  Baptist  So- 
ciety has  erected  a  church.  The  town  is  located  in  a  heavily 
timbered  country.  The  Northern  Wisconsin  Railroad  is 
being  built  through  the  place. 

BIOGR.-\PHICAL  SKETCHES. 
DAVID  J.  CARTWRIGHT,  lumberman,  Cartwright,  was  born  in 
Amity,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  12,  1836.  When  about  six  years  of 
age  he  came,  with  his  father's  family,  to  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  In  August, 
1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  recruit  in  the  1st  Wis.  Heavy  Artillery,  Co.  L,  the 
command  doing  service  at  Ft.  Lyon,  near  Alexandria,  and  other  forts  in 
that  vicinity;  was  discharged  July  13,  1S65,  atMilwaukee.  Was  married 
in  Bloomer.  April  9,  1859,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Putman.  She  was  a  native 
of  Johnstown,  Rock  Co.  They  have  six  children— H.  May,  S.  Belle, 
Paul  H.,  Frank  O.,  Ettie,  St.  Clair.  Mr.  Cartwright  is  joint  owner  of 
Cartwright  &  Co.'s  saw-mill  and  1,040  acres  of  pine  and  hardwood  lands 
in  Chippewa  and  Barron  counties. 

CHARLES  M.  TARR,  lumberman,  Cartwright,  was  born  in  Low- 
ell, Mass.,  Jan.  2.  1848.  When  six  years  old  came  with  his  father  to 
Barton,  Washington  Co.  In  1857,  his  father  moved  into  Tarr  Valley, 
Monroe  Co.,  he  being  the  first  settler  in  that  valley.  In  1878  Charles 
M.  purchased  of  David  W.  Cartwright  a  half  interest  in  Cartwright's 
mill,  and  entered  into  the  lumbering  business.  He  was  married  in 
Tunnel  City,  Jan.  19,  1872,  to  Miss  Albima  A.  Winship.  of  that  place. 
She  was  born  in  Little,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1850,  and  in 
1S54,  with  her  parents,  came  to  Wisconsin.  They  have  five  children — 
Nathan  W.,  William  J.,  Jessie  A.,  Delia  E.  and  Charles  -A.  All,  except 
Charles,  were  born  in  Monroe  County.  Mr.  Tarr  is  a  joint  owner  of 
upwards  of  1,000  acres  of  timber  land  in  Chippewa  and  Barron  counties; 
also  owns  400  acres  of  cranberry  land  in  Monroe  County,  near  Valley 
Junction. 

BADGER  MILLS. 

This  iilace,  on  the  Chippewa,  about  six  miles  down  the 
river  from  the  Falls,  was  formerly  called  the  Blue  Mills. 
The  first  mill  built  here  was  by  Arthur  McCann  and  J.  C. 
Thomas,  in  1S43. 

McCann  had  married  Rosalie  De  Marie,  and  kept  a 
public  house  at  Dunnville,  down  the  river.  He  was  shot 
by  a  fellow  by  the  name  of  Sawyer,  who  had  been  employed 
by  McCann  and  Thomas  in  building  the  mill.  Steve  S. 
McCann  took  his  brother's  interest  in  the  mill.  Mr.  T.  E. 
Randal  subsequently  owned  the  mill,  or  an  interest  in  it, 
and  his  logs  were  all  swept  away  in  the  freshet  of  1S47. 
The  mill  is  now  owned  by  the  Badger  State  Lumber  Co. 
The  mill  has  one  gang,  one  rotary,  and  a  shingle-mill.  The 
capacity  is  about  10,000,000  feet  a  year.  There  is  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store  in  the  place,  carried  on  by  the  com- 
pany ;  a  school  house  is  also  also  used  for  stated  Methodist 
preaching.  There  are  about  thirty  families,  and  seventy- 
five  men  are  employed  by  the  company,  making  a  total  pop- 
ulation of  175.  There  is  a  station  on  the  railroad  between 
Eau  Claire  and  the  Falls,  near  the  village. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
Z.  C.  WILLIS,  farmer,  P.O.  Cook's  Valley,  was  born  in  Bennington, 
N.V.,  Dec.  12,  1831,  and  came  with  his  father  to  Wisconsin  in  1844.  set- 
tling in  Delevan,  where  he  lived  five  years,  when  they  removed  to  Mar- 
quette County.  Mr.  Willis,  with  Mr.  Jacob  Cook,  came  into  what  was 
subsequently  called  Cook's  Valley,  in  Chippewa  County,-in  1858,  and 
the  next  year  moved  into  the  Valley,  entering  160  acres  of  land  where 
he  has  since  resided— him.self  and  Mr.  Cook  being  the  first  settlers  there. 
He  was  married  in   Bloomer,  Oct.  26,  1S62,  to  Miss  Sarah  8.  Storrs,  of 


HISTORY    OF    CLARK    COUNTY. 


227 


that  place.  Mrs.  Willis  is  a  native  of  Trenton,  N.Y.,  born  Oct.  29, 
1834,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847.  Her  parents,  Calvin  and  Mary 
G.  (WeUs)  Storrs,  soon  following.  Mrs.  Willis,  on  the  maternal  side,  is 
a  relative  of  Hon.  Gideon  Wells,  as  seen  by  the  "History  of  the  Wells 
Family."  Mr.  Willis'  parents,  Robert  V.  and  Eliza  Willis,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  live  on  a  small  farm  near  their  son.  Mr.  Willis  has  two 
children — Eugene  Wells  and  Frederick  Storrs,  both  born  in  Cook's  Val- 
ley. Mr.  Willis  has  2S0  acres  of  land  in  his  home  farm,  mostly  under  a 
good  state  of  cultivation,  and  excellent  buildings  ;  also  a  farm  near  by, 
containing  200  acres,  all  fenced,  and  half  of  it  improved;  and  another 
farm  of  160  acres,  well  improved,  besides  sixty  acres  of  timber.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Willis  are  charter  members  of  Auburn  Grange,  No.  270,  and 
the  entire  family  are  charter  members  of  Cook's  Valley  Good  Templar 
Lodge,  No.  339. 

A.  R.  SOUTH  MA  YD,  farmer,  town  of  Wheaton,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1866,  and  bought  present  farm,  which  he  has  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the  government  of  the 
town  ;  was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  1S21 ;  married  Aurelia  H. 
Wightman,  in  1856,  in  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  of  which  place  she  is 
a  native.     Thty  have  one  son,  Frank  M. 

IN    MEMORIAM. 

HARVEY  P.  COLEMAN.— Mr.  Coleman  came  to  the  Falls  in  1855, 
and  died  in  St.  Paul,  where  he  had  gone  for  medical  treatment,  on  Sat- 
urday, Nov.  24,  1S60.  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  leaving  a  wife  and  one 
son.  He  was  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  good  ability,  enterprising,  gen- 
erous and  genial — respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

MISS  LAURA  ALLEN,  daughter  of  Mr.  H.  S.  and  Mary  Allen.— 
This  young  woman  was  twenty-three  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her 
death,  which  was  on  the  7th  of  April,"  1S66.  She  was  an  amiable  and 
capable  young  lady,  beloved  by  all. 

MILLER  F.  THOMPSON.— Mr.  Thompson  was  a  graduate  of 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  He  came  to  the  Falls  in  1866,  and  went  into  busi- 
ness with  A.  K.  Gregg,  making  a  good  strong  law  firm.  In  1869,  he  was 
elected  County  Judge.     He  died  March  2,  1879. 


THOMAS  MORRIS.— Mr.  Morris  was  among  the  comer?  of  1857. 
He  was  a  genial,  kind-hearted  man,  whose  manly,  open  ways  won  many 
friends.  He  held  various  public  offices,  always  discharging  his  duties  in 
a  faithful  manner.  At  one  time,  he  was  City  Treasurer.  He  died  Nov. 
3.  1872. 

CHARLES  COLEMAN  was  an  early  settler,  a  master  mechanic, 
and  superintended  the  building  of  the  first  bridge  in  Chippewa  Falls. 
He  had  built  many  fine  residences  near  Rochester,  N.Y.  He  was  ambi- 
tious in  his  profession,  and  went  to  San  Francisco  in  1874,  and  died  on 
the  1 2th  of  September,  the  following  year. 

FRANCIS  GANTHIER.— This  man  came  with  Jean  Burnet,  in 
1S37,  and  was  steadily  in  his  employ  until  in  187S,  when  Burnet  died. 
He  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  first  saw-mill,  forty-four  years  ago ; 
was  always  faithful,  and  secured  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him,  for 
upon  the  labor  of  such  men  depends  the  prosperity  of  every  community. 
He  died  on  Sunday,  Jan.  24,  1S80. 

DR.  R.  W.  BRADEEN.— Dr.  Bradeen  was  born  in  Porter,  Me.;  re- 
ceived his  medical  degree  at  Bowdoin  College,  Brunswick,  Me.  He  came 
to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1874,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
and,  as  he  confined  himself  to  legitimate  methods  of  making  himself 
known,  business  was  rather  slow  in  coming;  but  as  his  value  as  a  physi- 
cian became  known,  he  had  plenty  to  do,  and  rapidly  rose  to  a  high  rank 
in  his  profession.  He  was  a  thorough  student  and  most  competent  phy- 
sician and  surgeon,  a  man  of  good  conversational  powers,  a  fluent  speaker 
and  possessed  of  general  intelligence.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  A. 
Wood. 

LOUIS  VINCENT,  born  in  Canada,  February,  1833,  when  eight 
years  of  age  was  taken  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  remained  there  twenty  years, 
then  came  to  Chippewa  Falls.  He  was  at  the  head  of  the  firm  of  Vin- 
cent, Mandalert  &  Co.  ;  was  president  of  the  French  Lumber  Co.  He 
was  an  honest  and  influential  citizen,  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1877, 
Mayor  in  1879.  He  left  a  much  loved  wife  and  six  children.  He  died 
May  22,  18S0,  of  apoplexy,  at  Manasha  while  there  on  business.  The 
whole  city  turned  out  at  his  funeral. 


CLARK    COUNTY. 


LOCATION    AND   NATURAL    FEATURES. 

Clark  County,  situated  a  little  northwest  of  the  cen- 
ter of  the  State,  settled  as  early  as  1844,  and  created 
out  of  territory  taken  from  Jackson  County,  by  act  of 
the  Legislature,  approved  July  6,  1853,  is  one  of  the 
most   valuable    if    not   the   most  valuable  lumber  dis- 
tricts   iu   the    State.     It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Chippewa  County,  on  the  east  by  Marathon  and  Wood 
counties,  on  the  south  by  Jackson  and   on    the  west 
by    Chippewa    and    Eau    Claire    counties.      Its    cen- 
tral   part    is    drained    by    the     Black  River   and    its 
branches ;  its   eastern  part   by   branches    of  the    Wis- 
consin, and  its  western   by  affluents  of  the  Chippewa 
'    River.      Black   River,  ruuning   from    north   to  south, 
;    divides  the  county  into  two  nearly  equal  parts.     The 
I    West    Wisconsin    railway  crosses  the   southwest   cor- 
;    ner  of  the  county,  the  Wisconsin  Central  along  the 
j    northern  boundary,  and  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
j    sota  &  Omaha  runs  a  branch  from  Merrillon  to  Neills- 
i    ville,  a  distance  of  about  fourteen  miles.      This  latter 
}    was  completed  and  opened  in  July,  1881.     The  county 
■   contains   twenty-two    townships   and    is   nearly  forty 
I    miles  wide. 

[  The  surface  of  the  country  is  for  the  most  part 
j  gently  undulating,  and  is  divided  naturally  into  lum- 
,  ber,  swamps  and  prairie,  the  former  predominating. 
East  of  Neillsville  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  the 
'  country  presents  a  rolling  appearance  with  a  dense 
,  growth  of  heavy  timber,  embracing  oak,  hickory,  bass- 
wood,  elm  and  butternut.      The  pineries  are  located 


along  Black  River  and  its  tributaries  and  are  sources 
of  immense  wealth  to  those  interested,  from  two  to 
three  hundred  millions  of  feet  of  lumber  being  cut  an- 
nually. In  the  Winter  the  smoke  of  the  camp  fires 
can  be  seen  for  a  distance  of  forty  miles,  it  is  said, 
along  the  Black  River,  and  the  ring  of  the  ax  and  the 
song  of  the  workman  can  be  heard  from  morn  till  night 
during  that  season  of  the  year. 

The  soil  in  the  southern  part  is  a  sandy  loam,  and 
in  the  northern  part  a  clay  loam.  It  is  admirably 
adapted  to  the  growth  of  cereals  and  vegetables,  which 
are  cultivated  as  successfully  as  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  State. 

The  water  available  in  the  county  is  abundant. 
The  Black  River,  for  nearly  its  entire  course  through 
the  county,  is  one  continuous  succession  of  rapids,  with 
a  full  averaging  for  over  forty  miles  fully  fifteen  feet  to 
the  mile.  This  power  is  susceptible  of  improvement 
Tat  any  point,  the  bed  of  the  stream  and  its  banks  being 
rocky  and  the  soil  of  such  compact  nature  as  to  render 
the  building  of  dams  a  comparatively  safe  and  easy 
operation.  When  the  material  resources  of  the  county 
are  fully  developed,  as  seems  now  to  be  the  intent,  all 
its  water  power  must  and  will  be  employed.  It  is  of 
priceless  value  and  estimated  at  its  true  worth  by  the 
inhabitants. 

The  only  one  of  the  lower  silurian  formations  oc- 
curring in  this  county  is  the  Potsdam  sandstone  which 
forms  the  basement  rock  of  its  southern  portion,  the 
primary  rising  to  the  surface  in  the  northern  portion. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  peculiar  irregularities  of  the  line  of  junction  be- 
tween the  two  formations,  the  extension  southward 
along  the  stream  valleys  of  long  strips  of  the  crystal- 
line rocks,  the  corresponding  northward  extension, 
along  the  divides  of  the  sandstone  and  the  difficulties 
met  witli  in  tracing  the  boundary  are  familiar  to  all. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  sandstone  area  in  the 
county  is  level  and  to  a  considerable  extent  occupied 
by  marshes.  Underneath  these  marshes,  which,  to  a 
lai-ge  extent,  liave  peat  bottoms,  sandstone  is  commonly 
found  at  shallow  depths.  On  some  of  the  dividing 
ridges  again,  the  sandstone  country  becomes  considera- 
bly elevated,  and  has  more  or  less  a  rolling  character. 
The  divide  between  Black  and  Yellow  Rivers  in  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  county  is  considerably  elevated 
above  the  surrounding  country,  but  is  very  heavily  cov- 
ered with  glacial  materials  and  presents  therefore  a 
much  more  even  surface.  The  larger  part  of  this  sand- 
stone area  is  within  the  region  of  heavy  timber,  chiefly 
pine  ;  usually  the  sandstone  of  these  counties  is  but  a 
thin  covering  upon  the  crystalline  rocks  which  appear 
in  all  of  the  deeper  stream  valleys.  High  bluffs  of  the 
sandstone,  however,  occur,  carrying  its  thickness  up 
into  the  hundreds  of  feet,  and  bearing  witness  to  the 
great  thickness  which  once  must  have  existed  over  all 
the  region. 

Along  Black  River  from  Neillsville  to  Black  River 
Falls,  sandstone  is  quite  frequently  exposed  in  or  near 
the  banks  of  the  river,  the  bed  of  which  is  on  the  crys- 
talline rock.  West  of  the  river  is  a  sandstone  outlier 
175  feet  high  and  about  one-third  of  a  mile  in  length  ; 
the  upper  portions  of  which  are  perpendicular  ledges 
of  bare  rock.  The  sandstone  is  heavily  bedded,  indu- 
rated, coarse  grained  and  light  colored.  From  the  sum- 
mit of  the  bluff  a  number  of  similar  outliers  can  be 
seen  dotting  the  country  to  the  west  and  south  and  one 
or  two  to  the  north. 

For  a  half  a  mile  below  French's  mill  the  Neillsville 
road  follows  the  west  bank  of  the  river  at  an  elevation 
of  thirty  feet  above  the  water.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
road,  granite  is  exposed  in  the  river  bank  and  on  the 
west  side  a  ridge  of  horizontal  sandstone  thirty  to  fifty 
feet  high.  The  sandstone  is  cross  laminated,  coarse, 
yellowish,  and  made  up  of  much  rolled  quartz  grains, 
wliich  reach  sometimes  as  much  as  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter. 

In  Town  21,  Range  4  west,  and  Town  22,  Range  4 
west,  ledges  of  sandstone  form  the  river  bank  for  long 
distances,  rising  twenty  to  forty  feet  from  the  water, 
and  are  in  a  number  of  places  to  be  seen  overlying  or 
abutting  against  primary  scliists.  This  sands"tone  is 
usually  of  a  light  yellowish  color,  coarse,  and  somewhat 
indurated,  and  includes  beds  of  red  and  green  sandy 
shade.  The  lowest  layers  are  often  affected  by  a  very 
marked  cross-lamination,  tlie  thickness  so  affected, 
being  often  as  much  as  six  to  ten  feet. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  original  incentive  to  attract  pioneers  thitherward, 
were  the  immense  pine  forests,  which  with  other  species 
of  timber  occupied  not  less  than  sixty-five  per  cent,  of 
the  surface  of  tlie  county  forty  years  ago. 

It   was  this  that  attracted    the    Mormons   into   the 


present  limits  of  Clark  County,  in  1844,  and  theirs  was 
the  first  visit  of  white  men,  with  the  exception  of  St. 
Germain.  In  the  Fall  of  1836,  the  latter,  then  in  his 
sixteenth  year,  hired  out  in  Canada,  to  the  American 
Fur  Company,  made  his  way  to  the  then  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  ijy  the  Lake  Superior  route,  and  was  sent 
south  the  same  Fall  with  a  party  of  traders,  passing  the 
ensuing  Winter  on  the  east  fork  of  Black  River,  in  the 
present  county  of  Clark.  At  the  date  above  mentioned, 
the  INIormons  came  into  Black  River  for  the  purpose  of 
cutting  logs,  and  sawing  them  into  lumber  at  Black 
River  Falls,  thence  to  be  run  down  the  Mississippi,  for 
use  at  Nauvoo  in  the  erection  of  the  Mormon  taberna- 
cle projected  at  that  point. 

The  representatives  of  Hyrum  Smith,  accomplished 
their  work  in  time,  without  endeavoring  to  proselyte  or 
preparing  to  practically  illustrate  their  peculiar  creed 
in  this  section.  For  a  year  after  their  departure,  Clark 
County,  as  it  afterwards  became,  was  uninhabited. 

In  September,  1839,  James  and  Alexander  O'Neill, 
who  had  resided  in  Prairie  du  Chien  for  a  number  of 
3'ears,  determined  to  abandon  that  point,  and  visit  the 
pineries,  skirting  Black  River  and  vicinity,  with  a  view 
to  engage  in  the  business  of  milling  at  some  available 
point  on  that  stream.  Accordingly,  having  laden  a 
canoe  with  furniture  and  provisions,  they  proceeded  up 
the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of  Black  River,  thence 
continuing  their  journey,  reached  Black  River  Falls 
late  in  the  month  of  their  departure  from  Prairie  du 
Chien.  An  examination  of  the  resources  of  the  coun- 
tiy  decided  them  to  remain,  and  selecting  a  site  three 
miles  below  the  Falls,  on  a  creek  to  the  east  of  the 
river,  erected  a  mill.  Here  they  remained  for  nearly 
six  years,  during  which  period  they  did  a  large  and  lu- 
crative business. 

In  the  Spring  of  1845,  they  decided  to  once  more 
change  their  base  of  operations,  and  in  June  of  that 
year,  James  O'Neill,  Henry  O'Neill,  who  died  in  1859, 
with  E.  L.  Brockway,  who  subsequently  became  a  res- 
ident of  Little  Falls,  in  Jackson  County,  and  Samuel 
and  William  Ferguson,  accompanied  by  a  number  of 
laborers,  removed  to  the  present  village  of  Neillsville, 
and  became  the  first  settlers  in  what  has  since  been  or- 
ganized as  Clark  County.  The  party  came  overland  in 
a  wagon,  drawn  by  an  ox  team,  cutting  their  way 
through  the  brush  and  other  obstructions,  and  were  two 
days  on  the  trip.  This  was  the  first  road  ever  made  in 
the  county. 

At  that  time  the  village  site,  as  also  a  large  portion 
of  the  county,  was  an  uninhabited  wilderness.  Game 
of  all  kind  was  abundant ;  deer,  wolves,  otter,  mink, 
beaver  and  martin  were  very  plenty.  Deer  could  be 
shot  from  the  door  of  O'Neill's  log  cabin,  and  wolves 
would  frequently  chase  them  around  into  the  clearing, 
the  deer  escaping  by  taking  refuge  in  the  dam  behind 
the  mill.  The  Indians  inhabiting  the  county  were 
principally  Chippewas.  Tiie  dividing  line  between  that 
tribe  and  the  Winnebagoes  on  the  south  was  nearly  at 
the  confluence  of  the  East  Fork  with  the  Black  River. 
They  received  the  new  comers  in  a  friendly  spirit,  and 
as  settlers  began  to  come  in,  brought  peltries  to  sell  or 
exchange  for  pork  and  flour.  They  excelled  the  Win- 
nebagoes in  cleanliness  and  intelligence,  were  neither 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


ag 


vicious  nor  dangerous,  though  given  to  stealing,  and  it 
was  the  boast  of  their  chief  that  none  of  his  tribe  ever 
shed  tlie  blood  of  a  white  man  or  his  family. 

Immediately  upon  their  arrival,  trees  were  felled, 
hewn  and  shaped,  and  within  a  brief  period,  a  rough 
cabin,  18x24,  was  erected  on  the  bank  of  O'NeilFs 
Creek,  near  where  the  mill  was  afterwards  built.  This 
was  the  first  house  raised  in  the  county.  It  was,  as  com- 
pared with  the  domiciles  which  have  since  been  substi- 
tuted, a  cheerless  abode,  but  for  the  times,  comfortable 
if  not  luxurious.  Upon  its  completion,  the  mill  was 
begun,  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  in  readiness  for 
work.  It  also  was  of  logs,  and  was  located  in  the 
present  bed  of  the  creek.  It  was  of  sufficient  dimen- 
sions for  all  business  of  that  day,  supplied  with  one 
upright  saw,  with  capacity  of  4,000  feet  every  twelve 
hours,  and  worked  continuously,  as  pine  logs  could  be 
easily  obtained  along  O'Neill's  Creek,  which  were 
floated  down  to  the  mill.  When  the  same  were  cut,  the 
lumber  was  rafted  in  platforms  at  the  foot  of  the  mill, 
run  to  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  where  ten  phitforms  were 
arranged  in  a  more  compact  and  solid  manner,  and  com- 
bined in  rafts  which  usually  contained  about  ten  thous- 
and feet.  Having  reached  the  falls,  these  rafts  were 
combined  into  large  ones  containing  from  forty  to  fifty 
thousand  feet,  and  run  to  the  JMississippi,  thence  to  Bur- 
lington, Iowa,  consigned  to  Alexander  O'Neill,  and 
sold  for  an  average  of  ten  dollars  per  thousand. 

The  year  following  it  is  said  but  few  visited  Clark 
County  to  settle  permanently.  James  O'Neill,  how- 
ever erected  a  more  commodious  house  to  live  in,  on 
present  site  of  Frank  Darling's  residence  ;  and  when 
the  old  log  house  was  vacated,  the  water  in  the  creek 
undermined  the  bank  upon  which  it  stood,  when  the 
first  building  was  precipitated  into  the  waters,  and 
floated  onward  to  the  Mississippi.  This  j^ear  Mr.  O'Neill 
became  wearied  of  housekeeping  without  the  aid  of 
female  intelligence  and  expedient,  to  remedy  which  he 
procured  the  services  of  a  Mrs.  Kennedy,  who  had 
come  into  Wisconsin  some  time  before,  from  Rock 
Island,  accompanied  by  her  husband.  She  arrived  at 
Neillsville  in  the  Summer,  and,  taking  charge  of  affairs 
in  the  O'Neill  household,  is  to-day  remembered  as  the 
first  housekeeper,  and  the  first  white  woman  to  take  up 
her  residence  in  Neillsville,  Pine  Valley  Township,  or 
Clark  County. 

At  this  time,  the  Mormons  had  not  yet  bade  adieu 
to  Black  River  and  its  vicinity,  and  a  number  of  them 
had  strayed  down  into  that  part  of  Crawford  County 
now  included  in  Clark  County,  to  log.  While  thus  en- 
gaged, one  of  the  "  latter  day  saints,"  named  Cunning- 
ham, inadvertently  slipped  into  a  creek  that  ran  through 
the  forest  wherein  himself  and  companions  were  at 
work,  and  before  assistance  could  be  afforded  him,  was 
drowned.  His  body  was  subsequently  recovered,  and 
removed  to  Black  River  Falls,  where  it  was  interred 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  Mormon  church.  His  was 
the  first  death  in  the  county,  and  the  stream  wherein 
the  rider  of  the  pale  horse  claimed  his  allegiance,  is 
still  known  as  "  Cunningham's  Creek."  In  1846,  An- 
drew Grover,  accompanied  by  Hamilton  McCullom  and 
a  man  named  Beebe,  reached  Neillsville,  and  erected  a 
mill  on  Cunningham's  Creek,  two  miles  below  the 
village,  of  dimension  and  capacity  similar  to  the  O'Neill 


mills.      Jonathan  Nichols,  John   Ferry  and  wife,  who 
located  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Weston. 

These  enterprising  speculators,  together  with  Ken- 
nedy and  wife,  composed  the  arrivals  of  1846,  and  the 
buildings  cited  the  only  improvements  completed. 

An  event  occurred  during  1846,  which  occasioned 
inestimable  enjoyment  to  the  settlers  for  miles 
ai'ound,  and  put  a  period  to  the  bachelorhood  of 
James  O'Neill,  it  might  be  added  without  benefit  of 
clergy,  for  the  union  between  himself  and  Miss  Jane 
Douglass  was  accomplished  through  the  intervention 
of  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  On  Christmas  eve,  1846, 
Mr.  O'Neill  gave  a  dancing  party  at  his  house,  to 
which  the  world  at  large,  in  Clark  County  and 
about  Black  River  Falls,  were  invited.  Among  those 
who  attended  were :  W.  T.  Price,  Jacob  Spaulding, 
Jonathan  Nichols,  Thomas  Sturges,  B.  F.  Johnson,  Levi 
Avery,  John  Perry  and  wife,  Mr.  Yeatman,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Van  Austin  and  daughter,  Joseph  Stickney,  Alon- 
zo  Stickney,  Miss  Susan  Stickney,  Benjamin  Wright, 
Samuel  Wright,  the  Misses  Wright,  Thomas  Douglass, 
Robert  Douglass,  Mark  Douglass,  the  Misses  Isabella 
and  Jane  Douglass,  Miss  Lucinda  Nichols,  and  some 
few  others.  Hudson  Nichols  and  James  Bennett  were 
the  fiddlers,  and  the  dance  was  kept  up  until  daylight 
on  Christmas  morning.  That  day  the  guests  returned 
to  their  homes,  and  Mr.  O'Neill,  hitching  up  his  team, 
accompanied  the  Douglasses  to  their  farm,  near  Mel- 
rose, going  thither  on  the  ice,  up  Black  River.  Ic  is  to 
be  presumed  that  as  the  sleighs  glided  down  beneath 
the  branches,  which,  silvered  with  frost,  over-reached 
Black  River,  on  that  lovely  Christmas  morning,  the 
maidens  were  as  happy,  and  their  lovers'  hearts  were 
as  strongh^  moved  with  the  tender  passion,  as  are  those 
of  lovers  to-day,  when  the  forests  have  given  way  to 
beautiful  farms  and  thriving  villages.  Here  began  the 
courtship  of  James  O'Neill,  which  culminated  in  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Jane  Douglass,  the  event  being  cele- 
brated on  the  7th  of  March,  1847,  at  Melrose,  now  in 
Jackson  County,  John  Valentine  oEBciating,  in  his 
capacity  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  happy  couple 
came  at  once  to  Neillsville,  where  for  many  years  they 
drifted,  hand  in  hand,  down  the  tide  of  time,  until  her 
race  had  run  its  course,  and  her  firmament  was  rolled 
up  like  a  scroll. 

The  first  marriage  within  the  present  limits  of 
Clark  County  is  claimed  to  have  occurred  this  year, 
also.  It  was  that  between  Simon  Winfield  and  a  girl 
in  the  employ  of  Mr.  O'Neill.  She  was  the  first 
"young  lady"  to  settle  in  the  county,  and  befoi-e  she 
had  been  long  established,  plighted  her  troth  and  dis- 
missed the  frivolities  of  youth,  to  assume  the  cares  of 
married  life.  A  Justice  of  the  Peace  was  called  into 
requisition,  Mr.  O'Neill  commemorated  the  event  by  a 
select  party,  after  which  they  left  the  vicinity,  and 
were  heard  of  no  more. 

Another  claim  is  made  that  William  Lewis  was 
married  prior  to  this  date.  While  in  LaCrosse,  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  an  ex-Mormon  wife,  to  whom  he 
made  overtures  that  resulted  in  her  consenting  to  return 
with  him  to  Clark  County,  as  housekeeper.  The  rela- 
tions of  the  pair,  however,  were  not  acceptable  to  their 
neighbors,  who  urged  them  to  procure  legal  sanction  to 
a  condition  of  affairs  that  existed  by  sufferance.     To 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


this  they  consented  ;  a  jiarson  and  a  jug  of  whisky  were 
obtained  at  Black  River  Falls,  the  couple  were  united, 
and  a  general  carousal  sucReeded. 

In  1847,  emigration  to  Clark  County  was  extremely 
limited.  Among  those  who  came  were  :  Samuel  Cow- 
ley, after  whom  Cowley's  Creek  is  named  ;  I.  S.  Mason, 
Thomas  LaFlesh,  Nathan  Myrick,  H.  J.  B.  (''  Scoots  ") 
Miller,  and  a  man  named  Dibble,  who  built  a  mill  on 
Cunningham's  Creek,  two  miles  below  Neillsville. 
Another  mill  was  built  this  year-,  by  Jonathan  Nichols, 
three  miles  above  the  village,  on  Cowley's  Creek. 
These  constituted  the  improvements  completed  in  1847. 

The  7th  of  June,  1847,  will  ever  be  remembered 
by  old  residents  as  the  day  when  the  most  extensive 
and  disastrous  flood  ever  known  in  Clark  County  over- 
took and  destroyed  many  of  the  material  improvements 
which  had  been  completed  at  that  time.  On  the  af- 
ternoon of  the  previous  day,  the  rain  began  to  fall  and 
a  refi'eshing  shower  was  hailed  with  delight.  With 
each  succeeding  hour  the  area  of  the  storm  was  in- 
creased, and  from  gentle  drops,  which  were  eagerly 
lapped  up  by  the  parched  earth,  it  gradually  assumed 
a  violence  never  before  witnessed.  The  rain  fell  in 
torrents  until  after  midnight,  and  when  morning 
dawned,  Black  River  had  risen  twenty-five  feet  and 
was  flooding  the  country  in  all  directions.  As  a  result, 
every  mill  on  that  stream  was  swept  off,  causing  great 
damage,  which  required  months  to  rejiair.  But  as 
day  advanced,  the  sun  came  out,  the  waters  receded, 
the  river  retired  within  its  banks,  and  within  twenty- 
four  hours  after  the  rains  had  ceased,  the  debris  of 
mills,  logs  which  had  been  left  far  in  the  woods,  and 
other  evidences  of  loss,  were  all  that  remained  to  re- 
mind one  of  the  recent  war  of  the  elements. 

About  this  time  occurred  the  first  murder  in  the 
county,  which  happened  under  the  following  circum- 
stances :  A  man  named  Bill  Flynn,  a  logger  on  Black 
River,  became  involved  in  a  row  with  one  of  the  Chip- 
pewa Indians  during  a  drunken  bout,  and  the  alterca- 
tion resulted  in  a  hand  to  hand  encounter,  during 
which  the  latter  received  injuries  which  were  speedily 
followed  by  death.  Thereupon  Flynn  fled,  and  the 
Indians  to  which  his  victim  belonged  sought  his  where- 
abouts without  avail.  He  escaped  the  penalty  of  his 
crime,  but  never  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  its  commis- 
sion. 

In  1848,  settlers  came  in  more  numerousl}'  than 
during  previous  years,  but  without  sufficient  frequency 
of  arrivals  to  materially  augment  the  number,  or  ac- 
celerate the  clearing  of  the  lands,  or  enrichment  of 
their  owners.  The  new  comers  included  J.  W.  Sturde- 
vant,  a  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  Mr.  Waterman;  Leander  Mer- 
rill, Benjamin  Merrill,  John  Morrison,  probably  Moses 
Clark,  John  Lane,  Robert  Ross,  Elijah  Eaton,  Albert 
Lambert,  and  doubtless  a  very  few  otliei's,  whose  names 
do  not  occur  to  the  informants  of  these  facts.  The 
Merrills  built  a  mill  one  mile  below  "Myrick  &  Miller's 
old  site.  Lane  another  in  the  same  vicinity,  and  Morri- 
son near  that  of  Lane's.  Van  Dusen  &  Waterman  be- 
gan milling  eighteen  miles  above  Neillsville,  in  what 
is  now  known  as  Eatontown,  as  also  did  Albert  Lam- 
bert. Somewhat  later,  Elijah  Eaton  purchased  tiie 
mill  of  Van  Dusen  &  Waterman,  and  carried  on  the 
business  for  many  years. 


The  year  1849  was  neither  characterized  by  large 
accessions  to  the  population  nor  important  events  cal- 
culated to  mould  or  concern  the  future  of  the  county. 
Benjamin  F.  French,  Allen  Bidwell,  James  French  and 
John  French  came  in  this  year  to  stay,  and  in  March 
Isabella  Jane  O'Neill,  a  daughter  to  James  and  Jane 
O'Neill,  was  born,  the  first  birth  in  the  county.  The 
event  took  place  in  a  house  on  the  site  of  which  stands 
the  residence  of  Nelson  Coviil,  to  whom  the  most  im- 
portant arrival  of  1849  was  married  in  after  years. 

The  California  fever,  it  was  thought,  was  the  cause 
of  this  absence  of  settlement,  though  stragglers,  shin- 
gle makers,  loggers,  etc.,  came  in,  but  remained  only  a 
short  time  before  seeking  other  scenes  and  engage- 
ments. 

In  1850,  there  was,  it  is  estimated,  about  fifty  acres       j 
cleared  where   Neillsville  now  stands,  begun  in  1845,       I 
when  James  O'Neill  began  razing  the  trees  and  opened       I 
the  first  farm  in  the  county,  and  continued  until  a  vil-       i 
lage  site  was  provided.     The  clearing  extended  up  the       ' 
hill  and  included  the  ground  where   the   school-house 
now  stands,  but  there  was  a  lack  of  improvements  then, 
nowhere  visible  to-day.     At  that  time,  the  settlements 
were  embraced  within  a  comparatively  small  area,  ex- 
tending to  Eaton's  mill  on  the  north  and  that  of  My- 
rick &  Miller  on  the  south,  with  no  prospect  of  break-       i 
ing  the  solitude  which  inhabited  the  eastern  and  west- 
ern portions  of  the  present  county.     During  this  year,       i 
Hamilton,  McCullom  &  Co.  added  a  small  farm  to  the      \ 
resources  of  his  mill,  the  second  resident  of  the  county      j 
to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  meeting,  it  is      i 
supposed,  with  fair  rewards  for  his  enterprise.  \ 

For  the  ensuing  two  years,  Mr.  O'Neill  is  confident      | 
no  one  came   into  the  count}^  as  a  permanent  settler.      | 
Why,  can  scarcely  be  explained.     As  already  stated,  a      I 
large  number  of  laborers  arrived  here  during  the  earlj-      J 
Fall,  but  after  engaging  all  the  Winter  in  the  lumber      i 
camps,  abandoned  their  temporary  citizenship  in  the      ' 
Spring  and  returned  to  the  cities.     Like  the  class  of      i 
men  who  were  known  as  "  suckers  "  in  the  lead  regions      j 
fifty  years  ago,  because   of  their  similitude  to  fish  of 
that  name  in  their  disposition  to  tarry  not  long  in  one 
place,  the  loggers  were  peculiarly  nomadic  and  would      i 
not  be  satisfied  to  remain  after  the  "  run  of  logs"  had 
been   started.     For  the  period  above   mentioned,  the 
prospects  of  the  future  count}'  realizing  unto  the  set-     ; 
tiers  a  fruition  of  their  hopes,  were  far  from  promising. 
The  mills  were  run  daily,  and  large  quantities  of  lum-     ; 
ber,  as  also  booms  of  logs,  were  prepared   and  shipped 
to  market.     Supplies  were  obtained  at  La  Crosse,  Bur- 
lington, St.  Louis  and  elsewhere,  landed  at  the  mouth     ,' 
of  Black  River,  and  "  poled  "  up  that  stream  in  boats  of    j 
the    most   primitive    construction   and    conveniences. 
Gradually,  of  course,  time  was  found  to  clear  up  farms     j 
and  raise  grain,  but  for  many  years  boats  "  poled  "up     j 
the  rapids  were  the  only  means  of  obtaining  supplies.     ' 

By   an    act  of  the   Legislature,   approved   July   6,     j 
1853,  Clark  County  was  created  out  of  Jackson  Coun-     ; 
ty,  and   made  to  embrace   the  same  area  it  has  since 
claimed,   except  the  north   tier  of   townships,   which 
were  set  off  to  Taylor  in  1875.    The  county  was  organ-    ' 
ized  into  a  single  town.  Pine  Valley,  and  its  first  offi- 
cers were :  James  O'Neill,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of    , 
Supervisors,  with    Hugh    Wedge  aud    James   French,    ' 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


231 


Supervisors ;  B.  F.  French,  Treasurer,  and  Samuel  C. 
Boardman,  Clerk. 

In  1853,  Samuel  Weston,  accompanied  bj'  David 
Robinson  and  others,  arrived  in  the  county  from  Maine, 
and,  locating  on  Black  River,  two  miles  above  Neills- 
ville,  established  a  village  called  Weston,  and  com- 
menced running  logs  down  the  stream.  When  the 
county  was  set  apart,  a  petition  praying  that  the  coun- 
ty seat  be  located  at  Neillsville  was  submitted  to  the 
Legislature.  While  in  transit,  or  after  the  petition 
came  into  the  possession  of  that  body,  Neillsville  was 
stricken  out  and  Weston  substituted,  in  which  condi- 
tion the  same  was  adopted.  When  this  was  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  residents  favoring  Neillsville,  it 
created  consternation,  indignation  and  determination. 
Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  correct  the  wrong,  and 
through  the  intervention  of  a  Mr.  Gibson,  at  that  time 
in  the  Legislature,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the 
people  to  vote  on  a  change  of  the  county  seat  from 
Weston  to  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  14,  Town 
24,  Range  4  west,  where  Neillsville  now  stands.  This 
took  place  in  November,  1854,  and  as  the  relative 
prominence  of  the  two  places  depended  upon  the  re- 
sult of  the  election,  a  great  struggle  took  place  be- 
tween the  rival  factions.  There  were  two  polling 
places  in  the  town :  O'Neill's  and  Parker's  tavern, 
eleven  miles  below  Neillsville,  but  at  neither  place,  it 
is  said,  were  the  ballots  of  imported  voters  rejected. 
The  vote  at  Neillsville  resulted  in  a  majority  of  four 
for  Weston,  and  of  that  cast  at  Parker's  was  twenty- 
one  in  favor  of  Neillsville,  thus  deciding  the  issue. 
The  whole  number  of  votes  cast  was  104,  making  the 
net  majority  in  favor  of  Neillsville  seventeen,  and 
while  the  latter  place  would  have  remained  the  center 
of  operations  for  lumbermen,  regardless  of  its  being  so 
selected,  there  can  be  no  question  but  that  its  prosper- 
ity has  been  largely  due  to  its  being  the  county  seat. 

At  the  election  for  county  officers  in  the  Fall  of 
1854  also,  resulted  in  the  selection  of  George  Hall 
for  Sheriff,  B.  F.  French  Treasurer,  and  S.  C.  Board- 
man  County  Clerk  and  Register  of  Deeds.  Chauncey 
Blakeslee  was  County  Judge,  but  was  succeeded  by 
R.  Dewhurst,  the  most  important  act  of  whose  official 
career  is  said  to  have  been  his  walking  from  Neillsville 
to  Loyal,  twenty  miles,  in  order  to  marry  an  impatient 
couple  pleading  at  the  altar.  This  year  a  Mr.  Howard, 
Mr.  Pope  and  family,  Mr.  Wage  and  family,  C.  W. 
Hutchinson,  and  probably  I.  S.  Mason  were  among  the 
arrivals.  The  former  settled  in  the  town  of  Grant  and 
opened  farms ;  the  latter  engaged  in  logging  on  Wedge 
Creek. 

The  county  having  been  set  apart  and  the  county 
seat  located,  it  was  determined  to  lay  out  a  village  and 
perfect  arrangements  for  projecting  improvements. 
At  that  time,  as  will  be  remembered,  the  county  con- 
tained but  one  township  —  Pine  Valley.  Since  that 
date  the  domain  has  been  a[)portioned  as  follows : 
Levis  Township  in  1857;  Weston  in  1859;  Lynn, 
1862;  Loyal,  1863;  Mentor,  1867;  Grant,  1868; 
Eaton,  1870;  Beaver,  1871;  York,  Hixon  and  Sher- 
man, 1873;  Colby,  Unity,  Maville  and  Washburn, 
1874;  Sherwood  Forest,  Hewett  and  Warner,  1875 ; 
Thorp,  1876,  and  Wether  in  1880. 

Accordingly,  James  O'Neill  appropriated  four  acres 


to  village  purposes,  and  caused  the  same  to  be  sur- 
veyed and  platted  by  Allen  Boardman,  a  practical  sur- 
veyor. The  village  then  presented  the  appearance  of 
to-day,  nor  a  promise  that  has  since  been  realized. 
There  was  two  or  three  little  cabins,  Robert  Roix's 
hotel.  Dr.  Baxter  (the  first  physician  to  settle  in  the 
county)  occupied  a  hut,  as  also  did  Nathan  Boardman, 
Nathan  Clapp,  Mr.  Dickey,  B.  F.  French  and  the  first 
settler,  James  O'Neill. 

The  was  really  the  first  village  formally  laid  off  in 
the  county. 

From  this  date  on  arrivals  were  no  more  numerous 
than  during  the  previous  years.  Some  were  coming  iu 
all  the  time,  it  is  said,  but  they  generally  located  at  or 
near  the  village,  otherwise  proceeding  to  the  lumber 
regions.  Indians  abounded  for  many  years,  and  in 
their  disputes  with  the  rough  characters  who  occasion- 
ally strayed  among  the  loggers,  were  generally  worsted. 
Along  in  1856,  two  men,  named  Pettengill  and  Page, 
known  to  be  desperate  characters,  encountered  a  half- 
breed  Indian  trading  with  a  Frenchman  named  La 
Chapelle,  themselves  being  also  traders.  They  be- 
came involved  in  a  dispute  with  the  Indians,  which 
ended  in  a  shooting  bee,  three  of  the  Indians  being 
killed,  one  of  them  roasted  on  the  fire  in  the  cabin  of 
Pettengill  and  Page.  The  latter  fled,  and  some  time 
afterward  Pettengill  met  the  half-breed  at  Hunsicker's 
tavern,  twelve  miles  north  of  Neillsville,  when  he  de- 
liberately shot  him  dead.  The  chief  visited  Mr. 
O'Neill,  who  was  County  Treasurer  at  the  time,  and 
was  by  him  directed  how  to  proceed ;  but  nothing 
came  of  the  matter,  the  accused  having  succeeded  in 
eluding  justice. 

In  1856-7,  it  is  said,  the  settlers  experienced  hard 
times  and  much  sufi^ering — proving  a  source  of  discour- 
agement to  a  majority  of  the  population,  at  least  those 
who  had  but  recently  arrived.  Wages  dropped  to  noth- 
ing, and  when  money  was  received,  there  was  no  cer- 
tainty of  its  being  worth  fifty  per  cent,  of  its  face  for 
the  payment  of  necessaries,  or  lands.  It  often  became 
worthless  in  a  day.  An  instance  is  recorded  of  a  resi- 
dent having  received  his  Winter's  wages,  with  which 
he  proceeded  to  La  Crosse  to  pay  for  lands,  and  was 
obliged  to  borrow  money  there  to  make  the  deficiency 
between  the  price  of  the  real  estate  and  the  diminished 
value  of  his  money.  But  these  days  have  long  since 
passed  away,  and  for  years  Clark  County  has  been 
making  steady  progress. 

During  the  war,  the  county  subscribed  men  and  mon- 
ey to  meet  the  levies  made  upon  her  resources  for  mate- 
rial to  be  sent  to  the  field  ;  but  between  1857  and  1865, 
the  exits  were  more  numerous  than  the  arrivals.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  war,  lumber  appreciated  in  value 
and  attracted  a  number  of  new  comers.  In  18G7,  the 
village  of  Greenwood  was  laid  out,  and  two  years  later 
Humbird  was  similarly  apportioned.  Between  1860 
and  1870,  Neillsville  improved  gradually  ;  but  until 
1876,  or  thereabouts,  the  increase  in  population,  devel- 
opment of  the  country  and  building  up  of  the  villages, 
was  so  gradual  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible.  During 
the  few  years  succeeding  1876,  remarked  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  in  the  count}',  there  have  been  more 
arrivals  and  more  business  than  during  tlie  period  of 
the  county's  growth  prior  to  that  date.     This  was  due 


232 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


to  the  railroad  and  other  improvements  which  were 
completed  in  tiiose  years,  and  attracted  a  generous  im- 
migration, principally  from  Maine  and  New  York,  who 
located  in  villages  wliere  they  became  merchants  and 
professionals — in  the  lumbar  district  and  on  farms. 

To-day,  the  population  of  tlie  county  is  not  far  from 
12,000,  and  while  there  is  a  large  number  of  towns  with- 
out permanent  residents,  there  is  no  portion  of  the  county 
available  for  agricultural  purposes,  but  what  is  utilized 
therefor.  The  facilities  for  getting  to  and  from  the 
outside  world  are  excellent,  by  turnjjike  roads  and 
railway  lines.  The  latter  include  the  Central  Wiscon- 
sin, in  the  northeast  portion  of  the  county,  the  West 
Wisconsin,  passing  the  southwest  corner,  the  Green 
Bay  &  Minnesota,  and  more  recently  the  Chicago,  Saint 
Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  wJiich  operate  a  branch 
of  their  main  line,  from  Merrillon  to  Neillsville,  fur- 
nisli  every  advantage  for  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers and  commodities. 

I  Tiie  i-eligious  element  is  largely  represented,  and  in 
an  educational  point  of  view,  tiie  county  is  fully  up  to 
the  times,  tliere  being  school-houses  in  every  nook  and 
corner  wiiere  there  are  pupils  to  avail  themselves  of 
such  advantages. 

Clark  County  possesses  an  immense  wealth  in  the 
large  pineries  to  be  found  within  its  territory,  as  also 
an  exhaustless  soil  for  farming  purposes  after  the  tim- 
ber lias  been  appropriated.  With  the  advantages  of 
good  roads  and  with  railway  lines  at  every  accessible 
point,  it  must  be  admitted  tliat  it  stands  a  fair  cliance 
of  ranking  with  the  most  desirable  counties  in  Wiscon- 
sin, at  no  distant  da}^ 

The  first  court-house  was  of  frame,  two  stories  high, 
40x50  in  dimensions,  and  erected  by  J.  &  T.  Furlong, 
on  land  donated  for  that  purpose,  in  the  center  of  vil- 
lage of  Neillsville,  by  James  O'Neill.  Its  cost  was 
$1,800.  The  building  served  its  purpose  until  1875, 
wiien  it  was  removed,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a  hard- 
ware store,  opposite  the  Reddan  House.  In  the  latter 
year,  the  present  handsome  structure  was  erected.  It 
is  of  brick,  two  stories  iiigh,  the  roof  being  surmounted 
witii  a  cupola  on  which  stands  a  statue  of  Justice.  It 
was  completed  in  the  Spring  of  1876,  under  contract 
with  C.  B.  Bradshaw,  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $35,000. 

The  county  jail  was  built  in  the  Summer  of  1881, 
by  James  Hewett,  C.  Blakeslee,  James  O'Niell,  Sr., 
and  James  Sturdevant.  who,  as  security  on  the  bonds 
of  County  Treasurer,  Allen,  were  compelled  to  make 
good  a  deficiency  discovered  in  the  funds  that  official 
held  ia  trust.  Part  of  this  obligation  was  paid,  and 
the  balance  liquidated  by  the  erection  of  the  jail  and 
Sheriff's  house.  The  former  is  of  brick,  compactly 
built  of  brick,  perfectly  secure,  well  ventilated  and 
lighted,  and  possessing  sufficient  accommodations  for 
the  times.  The  residence  of  the  Sheriff  is  of  frame. 
The  total  cost  of  the  premises  is  stated  at  $7,000. 

The  county  poor-liouse  is  located  in  the  town  of 
York,  where  it  was  erected  in  1880,  by  Chauncey 
Blakeslee,  in  payment  of  a  claim  held  by  tiie  county 
against  Mr.  Blakeslee,  wlio  was  also  security  on  the 
bonds  of  County  Treasurer,  Allen.  The  building  is  of 
frame,  with  accommodations  for  twenty-five  paupers, 
and  cost  $7,000.  Attached  to  the  poor-house  proper  is 
a  farm  of  160  acres,  upon  which  is  raised  crops,  by  the 


sale  of  which  revenue  is  derived  for  the  support  of  the 
institution.  The  house  is  now  under  the  care  of  R.  C. 
Evans,  and  shelters  four  inmates. 

THE    PRESS. 

Early  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  through  the  efforts  of 
Beriah  Brown,  at  that  time,  and  previous.  Chairman  of 
the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee,  William  C. 
Tompkins  was  persuaded  to  locate  in  Neillsville  and 
establish  the  pioneer  journal  of  the  county.  The  paper, 
which  was  of  limited  dimensions,  was  first  issued  on 
the  7th  of  March  of  the  year  in  which  its  editor 
was  persuaded  to  change  his  base  from  Weyauwega  to 
Neillsville,  under  the  name  of  the  Clark  County  Advo- 
cate, with  a  future  that  was  regarded  as  promising. 
Political  changes  the  year  of  its  establishment,  in- 
cluded the  editor  of  the  Advocate  among  those  who 
experienced  a  change  of  heart  so  to  speak,  and  upon 
his  entrance  into  the  Republican  fold,  a  spirit  of  oppo- 
sition to  the  paper  he  controlled  began  to  manifest  it- 
self very  sensibly.  In  a  brief  period  after  his  political 
apostacy,  Tompkins  sold  the  Advocate  to  J.  S.  Dore 
and  S.  W.  Dickinson.  This  change  of  ownership  was 
accomplished  through  the  efforts  of  B.  F.  French  and 
was  regarded  as  a  piece  of  strategy  of  unprecedented 
merit.  The  purchase  was  consummated,  but  upon  de- 
manding a  transfer  of  tlie  good-will  and  portables  in- 
cluded in  the  bill  of  sale,  a  tart  refusal  was  returned 
by  A.  J.  Mauley,  employed  in  the  office,  when  Dore  & 
Dickinson  departed  whence  they  came,  by  another  way, 
and  reflected  upon  the  situation  of  affairs  amid  sur- 
roundings the  reverse  of  cheerful. 

Not  to  be  defeated,  however,  the  material  of  the 
Trempealeau  Times,  which  had,  in  the  meantime,  had 
been  utilized  to  the  publication  of  the  Trempealeau 
Pioneer,  was  purchased  from  the  Utters  of  the  latter 
place,  and  removed  to  Neillsville,  where  on  the  14th  of 
October,  1861,  the  Union  and  Flag,  a  new  creation  of 
Dore  &  Dickinson,  was  flung  to  the  breeze  and  at- 
tracted considerable  notice.  In  the  Spring  of  1863, 
Tompkins  laid  down  the  paste-brush  and  scissors  to 
take  his  subscribers  by  the  hand  for  a  farewell  sliake, 
and  left  the  county.  The  Advocate,  though  owned  by 
A.  J.  Manley,  being  still  continued  by  C.  W.  Carpen- 
ter who  remained  in  charge  until  1865.  In  February, 
1864,  the  Flag  was  furled,  metaphoricall}'  speaking, 
and  the  county  was  with  but  one  paper  until  Jan.  31, 
1867,  when  J.  S.  Dore  began  the  publication  of  the 
Clark  County  Journal  with  himself  and  E.  E.  Merritt 
as  editors. 

At  this  time  there  was  considerable  rivalry  between 
the  Journal  and  the  Advocate  which  was  decided 
in  favor  of  the  former,  and  Manley  discontinuing 
the  publication  of  tlie  latter  removed  to  Minnesota, 
Merritt  at  the  same  time  dissolving  his  connection  with 
the  Journal  and  locating  in  St.  Louis.  The  Journal 
thenceforward  until  Oct.  25,  1867,  enjoyed  the  field 
solus  with  all  the  profits,  privileges,  and  appurtenan- 
ces tiiereunto  belonging,  wiien  Merritt  returned  from 
St.  Louis,  and  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Clark 
County  Republican,  l)eing  associated  in  its  editorial 
management  with  H.  H.  Hand  who  retired  after  six 
weeks  toil,  and  remained  afar  from  Neillsville  journal- 
ism until  1870. 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK   COUNTY 


233 


The  election  of  1868  was  a  triumph  of  tlie  Repub- 
lican party,  and  tlie  new  paper  began  to  dwell  in  the 
green  pastures  that  had  previously  been  occupied  by 
its  rival,  though  the  editorial  control  of  the  latter  was 
held  by  Josepii  Benedict  a  brilliant  writer  who  died  in 
1870.  Tlie  Journal  labored  hard  to  sustain  itself; 
Hand  returned  to  the  editorship  of  the  Republican  ?iX\A. 
the  two  papers  were  soon  involved  in  a  quarrel  which 
was  only  abandoned  when  Hand  resigned  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  tlie  Repuhlicans  friends  a  short  time  prior 
to  election.  The  result  of  that  event  precipitated  the 
suspension  of  the  Journal,  and  the  Republican  grew 
fat  in  the  sunsliineof  official  favor  and  local  patronage, 
(becoming  the  property  of  C.  J.  Cooper,  with  D.  T. 
Liiidley  editor,  in  March,  1873,)  until  June,  1873, 
when  the  Clark  County  Press  was  started  by  H.  J. 
Hoffman  in  the  cause  of  Reform.  These  two  papers 
continued  to  dwell  together  unawed  by  each  other 
until  April,  1876,  when  Hoffman  purchased  the -Bt'pM^- 
lican  and  began  the  publication  of  the  Republican 
Press  which  he  still  conducts,  his  brother,  E.  L.  Hoff- 
man, officiating  as  associate  editor. 

About  tlie  same  time  tlie  Enterprise  was  located  at 
Colby  in  Colby  Township,  but  succumbed  in  time,  and 
the  interior  of  the  county  remained  without  a  paper 
until  1879,  when  tiie  Colby  Phonograph  was  established 
at  that  place  by  Sliafer  Brothers  with  Samuel  Shafer 
as  editor.  On  July  7,  of  tiie  same  year,  L.  B.  Ring 
started  tlie  True  Republican  at  Neillsville,  and  on  Oct. 
8,  1880,  N.  Schultz  began  tlie  publication  of  the  G-er- 
man  American  also  at  the  latter  place,  the  only  journal 
in  tlie  county  published  in  German. 

All  these  papers  are  doing  a  paying  business,  are 
well  conducted,  and  conclusive  evidences  of  the  type 
of  enterprise  tlie  iniiabitants  of  Clark  County  illustrate. 

The  Clark  County  Agricultural  Societj*  was  organ- 
ized on  the  15th  of  March,  1873,  with  a  large  member- 
ship and  tlie  following  officers :  John  S.  Dore,  presi- 
dent ;  L.  J.  Glass,  secretary,  and  AV.  T.  Hutchinson 
treasurer,  the  vice-presidents,  being  selected,  one  from 
eacii  township.  Tlie  same  year  tiie  association  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  ground  in  Section  23,  pa^'ing 
therefor  $1,200;  and  completed  improvements  at  a  cost 
of  $2,500,  whereon  exhibitions  have  been  annually 
given  with  profitable  results.  The  present  officers  are  : 
J.  F.  Canon,  president ;  F.  J.  Vine,  secretary  ;  Charles 
Stuntzky,  assistant  secretary ;  H.  Sciiuster,  treasurer, 
and  I.  B.  Philpot,  marshal. 

PINERIES   AND   LOGGING. 

The  pineries  of  tliis  portion  of  Wisconsin,  speaking 
comprehensively,  commence  on  Black  River  and  extend 
to  Iron  Mountain,  within  twenty  miles  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, a  large  portion  of  the  way  alternating  with  iiard 
woods.  The  first  pine  down  the  river  is  gray  pine, 
and  jack  pine,  with  scattering  trees  of  red,  wiiite  and 
Norway  pine.  Proceeding  up  the  river,  gray  pine  di- 
minishes and  where  a  change  of  the  sandy  soil  to  a 
loam  clay  and  in  wet  places  to  hard  pan  occurs,  tlie  red 
pine  disappears  and  lofty  groves  of  white  pine  alter- 
nate with  splendid  tracts  of  hard  wood  timber,  com- 
posed of  sugar-maples,  ash,  oak,  etc.  It  is  estimated 
that  white  pine  covers  fully  one-fourth  of  the  soil  of 
Clark  County,  being  located  in  Hixon,  Tliorp,  Warner 


and  Mentor  towns,  the  "  cut "  from  which  is  taken  to 
the  Mississippi  River  by  way  of  Eau  Claire  River  and 
Beef  Slough,  and  in  Colby,  Mayville,  Beaver,  Weston, 
Loyal  and  Unity  towns,  whence  tlie  logs  are  run 
through  Black  River  to  La  Crosse.  The  pine  is  taken 
off  by  cutting  trees  near  to  Black  and  Eau  Claire  riv- 
ers and  their  tributaries,  in  the  season  which  com- 
mences about  the  1st  of  November  and  continues 
through  the  Winter,  hauling  the  same  to  the  streams, 
and  "  driving"  them  down  to  the  mills  at  high  water. 
The  "drive"  is  accomplished  by  starting  the  logs  into 
the  stream  and  following  them  up  to  prevent  jams  or 
break  them  ujj  when  the  logs  lodge,  which  they  at  times 
do  in  such  quantities  that  they  dam  up  the  river,  and 
so  remain  until  the  increased  volume  of  water  sweeps 
it  away  with  a  terrible  crash.  The  logs  are  run  down 
untethered  until  they  reach  the  mouths  of  the  rivers, 
where  they  are  caught  in  "booms"  or  harbors  provided 
by  the  consignees,  the  balance  being  rafted  and  run  be- 
low. The  losses  entailed  by  logs  drifting  into  sloughs, 
becoming  stranded  on  the  banks,  and  being  stolen  by 
river  thieves,  were  much  larger  in  an  earlier  day  than 
now. 

Title  to  these  lands  is  perfected  by  purchase  and 
transfer,  though  in  some  cases  lumber  dealers  contract 
for  the  lumber  as  it  stands,  and  after  a  careful  estimate 
is  paid  for  at  so  much  per  1,000  feet,  the  purchaser 
procuring  its  felling  and  delivery  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  The  principal  lumbermen  operating  in  Clark 
County  are :  N.  H.  Wilhee,  Bright  &  Withee,  D.  J. 
Spaulding,  E.  Sawyer,  C.  C.  Washburn,  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Company,  Giles  &  Helloway,  James  Hewett, 
C.  L.  Coleman,  A.  &  P.  Colburn,  Robert  Schofield, 
CuUen  Ayers  and  others  who  are  engaged  on  the  Black 
and  Eau  Claire  rivers. 

It  is  estimated  that  2,500  men  are  employed  in  the 
pineries  on  Black  River,  and  800  in  those  tributary  to 
Eau  Claire  River.  In  early  days,  lumbering  was  not  so 
extensively  carried  on.  During  the  war,  the  price  of 
lumber  appreciated  and  an  increased  force  became  nec- 
essary to  supply  the  demand.  This  ot  course  brought 
a  large  immigration  of  laborers  into  Clark  County,  few 
of  whom,  if  any,  remaining,  however,  and  by  1868, 
every  point  at  which  logs  were  accessible  was  peopled 
with  the  logger  and  his  bands.  Tiie  supply  has  gradu- 
ally grown  in  dimensions,  varying  to  some  extent,  some 
years  being  greater  than  others,  but  the  average  each 
year  since  1868  is  estimated  at  about  200,000,000  feet 
from  the  Black  River,  and  80,000,000  feet  from  the  Eau 
Claire  River  district.  All  logs  cut  are  described  b}'  a 
mark,  the  original  of  whicli  has  been  duly  claimed  and 
the  claim  attested  and  recorded,  as  also  with  tlie  own- 
ers' initials  stamped  upon  either  end  of  the  log.  The 
business  is  the  mainstay  of  this  portion  of  Wisconsin, 
and  has  been  instrumental  in  the  settlement  and  build- 
ing up  of  villages  and  hamlets  in  Clark  County. 

NEILLSVILLE. 

The  village  of  Neillsville,  and  county  seat  of  Clark 
County,  situated  near  the  junction  of  O'Neills  Creek  with 
Black  River,  is  usually  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  best 
built  villages  in  the  State.  It  has  mostly  been  built  up 
within  the  past  ten  years,  and  the  builders  have  indicated, 
in  all  that  they  have  done,  that  they  were   intent   alike  in 


234 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


tasteful  and  permanent  work.  Until  very  recently,  the  vil- 
lage has  been  cut  off,  so  to  speak,  from  the  outside  world, 
with  which  communication  was  had  only  by  means  of  a 
stage  which  connected  with  distant  railroad  stations,  and 
the  passenger,  when  he  first  visited  Neillsville,  was  surprised 
at  the  appearance  of  a  New  England  village  in  these  north- 
ern woods.  It  stands  near  where  Black  River  tears  itself 
from  confinement  among  the  hills,  to  make  a  graceful  curve 
through  rich  valleys  to  the  village  site.  The  village  itself, 
hemmed  in  on  nearly  every  side  by  hills,  limiting  the  pros- 
pect to  groves  that  climb  gentle  decliv'ties,  while  to  the  rear 
O'Neill's  Creek  rushes  complainingly  and  fretfully  onward, 
until  its  waters  are  mingled  with  those  of  Black  River. 

In  the  center  of  this  secluded  spot,  at  once  lovely  and 
romantic,  stands  the  quiet,  unpretentious,  yet  thriving  vil- 
lage, and  as  the  visitor  walks  lazily  over  its  limits,  listening 
to  the  murmurs  of  the  rippling  waters  of  the  creek  and  the 
rush  and  sometimes  roar  of  the  river,  or  watches  the  mist, 
as  it  hangs  in  twilight  curtains  about  the  hills,  it  requires  no 
poetic  imagination  to  trace  in  his  mind's  eye  a  long  caval- 
cade of  romance,  chivalry  and  heroism  proceeding  from 
this  spot  in  the  days  of  barbaric  domination,  in  its  march 
over  the  world.  And  he,  too,  will  muse  upon  the  genius 
that  once  haunted  the  neighboring  forests,  may  be,  which 
has  departed  forever,  and  a  gloom  not  unlike  superstitious 
dread  will  only  be  dissipated  when  the  past  vanishes  and 
the  present  rises  before  him  in  all  its  beauty  and  magnifi- 
cence. 

As  already  related,  the  village  was  laid  out  and  platted 
in  1855,  by  James  O'Neill,  and  named  in  his  honor.  The 
year  before,  as  will  be  remembered,  the  county  seat  was 
located  here,  after  a  lively  contest,  and  to  this  fact  is  largely 
due  its  present  prosperity. 

At  that  time,  O'Neill's  residence  and  mill,  with  Samuel 
Ferguson's  bachelor's  hall  and  his  blacksmith  shop,  which 
stood  on  the  lot  where  a  brickyard  has  of  late  years  been 
carried  on,  were  the  only  buildings  to  be  seen  on  the  four 
acres  appropriated  to  village  purposes.  Immediately  the 
news  of  Mr.  O'Neill's  action  had  been  promulgated,  settlers 
began  to  come  in,  purchase  lots  and  make  improvements. 
The  first  of  these  was  Robert  Roix,  who  erected  a  tavern 
where  the  Rossman  House  now  stands,  and  this  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  construction  of  two  frame  buildings  for  store 
and  residence  purposes.  They  were  put  up  by  Tames 
O'Neill,  and  stood,  one  opposite  the  Rossman  House,  the 
other  further  north,  near  the  creek.  The  same  Spring,  N. 
M.  Clapp  settled  in  the  village  and  built  a  house  on  the 
site  of  O'Neill's  brick  building,  wherein  the  Neillsville  bank 
is  now  located,  and  Dr.  L.  M.  Baxter  put  up  a  residence 
on  the  present  site  of  Gates's  meat-market.  "The  same  year 
Frank  Cawley  came  in,  also  W.  K.  Dickey,  who  built  a 
wagon  shop  and  residence  where  Dewhurst's  office  now  is, 
and  that  Fall,  Clinton  &  Quaile  brought  hither  a  stock  of 
goods  from  Black  River  Falls,  and  became  the  first  mer- 
chants in  the  village,  being  domiciled  and  doing  business  in 
the  building  built  by  O'Neill  opposite  the  Rossman  House. 
These  were  the  arrivals  and  improvements  of  1855. 

On  the  26ch  of  February,  1S56,  the  first  murder  to  take 
place  in  the  village  of  Neillsville  happened.  It  seems  that, 
some  time  in  the  year  1854,  Moses  Clark  and  William 
Paulley  became  involved  in  a  quarrel  at  Black  River  Falls, 
in  which  the  latter  was  brutally  treated.  On  the  date 
above  indicated,  Clark  met  B.  F.  French  in  the  store  of 
Clinton  &  Quaile,  and  a  demand  was  made  on  him  for 
a  receipt  for  moneys  advanced  by  French.  Some  argument 
followed,  and  during  its  progress  Paulley  inter])olated  an 
opinion  of  Clark,  whicli  was  far  from  comjilimcntary,  add- 
ing that  he  owed  him  money,  and  when  asked  for  it,  Clark 
beat  him  like  a  dog. 


"  Yes,  and  I'll  do  it  again,"  replied  Clark. 

"You  will,  will  you.'"  shouted  Paulley.  Upon  which 
Clark  advanced  towards  him.  He  had  nearly  reached  his 
victim  when  PauUy  drew  a  revolver  and  fired  two  shots  into 
Clark's  body,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  recovered. 
He  was  taken  to  Plattville,  in  Grant  County,  where  he 
lodged  at  the  residence  of  Gideon  Hawley,  lingering  till 
June  30  following,  when  he  died. 

Paulley  was  indicted  for  manslaughter,  tried,  convicted 
and  sentenced.  After  serving  out  his  term  at  Waupun,  he 
removed  to  Black  River  Falls,  where  he  died. 

The  arrivals  of  1856  included  R.  Dewhurst  and  G.  W. 
King,  who  were  the  first  lawyers  to  settle  in  Neillsville; 
James  Hewitt,  who  began  operations  by  working  on  the 
first  bridge  erected  across  Black  River;  W.  W.  Lemon,  who 
settled  in  the  town  of  Levis  ;  Daniel  Gates,  first  locating 
at  the  mouth  of  Wedge  Creek,  but  moving  to  Neillsville  in 
1861  ;  etc.,  etc.;  also  Robert  Douglass,  who  built  a  black- 
smith shoj)  where  Meinhold  &  Curn's  store  now  is  ;  Miles 
Murry,  who  erected  a  residence  on  the  site  of  Dudley's 
harness  shop,  and  a  blacksmith  shop  adjoining  on  the  east. 
A  Mr.  McCaleb  came  in  this  year,  and  put  up  a  little  frame, 
still  standing,  directly  north  of  Dudley's,  and  Phillip  Reiss- 
man  opened  the  first  furniture  store,  on  the  present  site  of 
Boardman's  house.  In  May,  James  and  Edmund  Furlong, 
the  former  with  a  family,  and  James  Lynch  and  family  were 
accessions  to  the  place.  The  Furlongs  built  where  now 
stands  the  Reddan  House,  and  Lynchs  oathe  lot  they  have 
since  occupied,  adjoining  their  residence  of  to-day.  Anson 
Green  purchased  Roix's  Hotel ;  Gustavus  Sterns  settled  at 
Molin's  Rapids  this  year;  Daniel  Gates  at  Wedge's  Creek, 
but  have  since  become  residents  of  tlie  village,  as  did 
Orson  Gates  the  same  year. 

The  panic  of  1857,  it  is  believed,  worked  material  in- 
jury to  the  progress  of  the  village,  as  also  to  that  of  the 
county.  Few  came  in  from  this  year  until  after  the  close 
of  the  war.  Financial  stringency  produced  a  practical  sus- 
pension of  the  lumber  interests,  and  consequent  stagnation 
of  business.  There  was  comparatively  no  farming  of  con- 
sequence, and  less  trade.  The  value  of  farm  products 
depreciated,  and  prices  of  commodities  increased  corre- 
spondingly. The  effect  of  these  anomolous  conditions  were 
perceptibly  visible,  not  alone  in  Neillsville  and  Clark  Coun- 
ty, but  also  throughout  this  portion  of  the  lumber  district. 
Impoverishment,  if  not  ruin,  stared  many  in  the  face,  and 
escape  therefrom  was  only  accomplished  after  trials  no  pen 
can  adequately  describe.  To  the  close  of  the  war,  both 
increase  in  population  and  the  number  of  improvements 
was  nominal.  As  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  facts  asserts, 
there  was  not  to  exceed  forty  heads  of  families,  who  came 
into  the  county  during  the  period  between  1857  and  1865, 
who  remained  permanently.  Others  visited  the  vicinity, 
but,  having  canvassed  the  probabilities  of  the  future,  de- 
cided against  remaining,  and  went  elsewhere.  In  the  three 
years  preceding  the  war,  among  those  who  settled  at  Neills- 
ville was  Chauncey  Blakeslee  ;  B.  F.  Chase,  who  studied 
law  with  Dewhurst  &  King;  S.  N.  Dickenson;  John  Dore; 
William  Liverman  ;  W.  B.  Berry;  a  man  named  McDonald, 
who  opened  a  furniture  store  where  the  Neillsville  Mills 
now  are,  and  probably  others  whose  names  and  adventures 
have  not  been  preserved.  George  Lord,  at  first  located 
about  twenty  miles  north  of  Neillsville,  and  Leonard  R. 
Stafford,  but  both  of  them  subsequently  became  residents 
of  the  village.  At  the  same  time,  the  improvements  com- 
prehended the  frame  building  now  occupied  by  Gates  & 
Co.,  which  was  put  up  by  Chauncey  Blakeslee;  the  O'Neill 
House  was  erected  by  James  O'Neill  as  a  private  residence; 
a  building  south  of  the  Rossman  House,  occupied  at  present 
by  F.  Klopf,  was  built  by  Anson  Green  for  commercial  pur- 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


235 


poses,  and  was  for  a  brief  period  the  office  of  the  Union 
Flag;  W.  B.  Berry  erected  a  residence  west  of  the  court- 
House,  where  Mr.  Youmans  still  resides;  King  &  Dew- 
hurst  built  residences  on  the  present  site  of  the  latter's 
home ;  Orson  Bacon,  a  residence  still  standing,  the  court- 
house, and  some  few  other  buildings. 

In  i860,  the  population  of  the  village  did  not  exceed 
250,  besides  containing  a  weekly  paper,  half  a  dozen  stores, 
and  lawyers  and  physicians  sufficiently  numerous  to  sell  or 
donate  unlimited  quantities  of  physic  and  counsel.  The 
appearance  of  the  place  is  represented  to  have  not  been 
nearly  so  attractive  as  now,  and  its  improvement  in  the  last 
fifteen  years  speaks  eloquently  of  the  enterprise  and  sub- 
stantial character  of  the  men  and  women  who  promoted  its 
subsequent  growth,  wealth  of  resources. 

From  this  period,  up  to  the  close  of  the  war,  say  old 
residents,  there  was  no  immigration  or  business  to  speak 
of.     The  same  can  be  said  of  improvements  in  the  village 


trenches.  From  Pittsburgh  Landing,  it  is  said,  when  mor- 
tality among  Clark  County  volunteers  was  particularly 
severe,  until  the  surrender,  this  was  the  rule.  As  stated, 
very  few  of  those  who  went  out  among  those  first  called, 
returned,  and  those  who  came  back  did  so  bearing  the 
marks  of  strifes  through  which  they  passed.  Twenty  years 
have  passed  since  this  epoch  in  the  history  of  American 
civilization  came  to  pass.  Years  have  passed  since  many 
of  the  leading  actors  in  this  drama  were  borne  to  the  silent 
halls  of  death.  Voices  that  were  attuned  to  mourning  at 
their  departure,  or  welcome  at  their  return,  are  silent,  and 
hands  that  once  scattered  flowers  upon  the  graves  of  heroes, 
have  lost  their  cunning. 

Along  in  1S62-3,  the  demand  for  supplies  for  the  army 
made  times  easier  throughout  the  country.  Financial  strin- 
gency which  had  dwarfed  enterprise  since  1857,  released  its 
grip,  and  capitalist,  farmer,  mechanic  and  laborer  took  a 
new  hold  and  renewed  their  several  struggles  for  supremacy. 


M-a  J.  ^l<j*j»^ 


NEILLSVILLE. 


and  adjoining.  They  were  comparatively  few  in  number, 
and  made  to  serve  unambitious  uses.  The  vast  lumber 
region  was  not  then  overrun,  as  now,  with  labor  and  enter- 
prise. The  farm  and  the  school  were  not  as  universal  as 
they  are  to-day.  Hard  times  stared  all  classes  in  the  face 
with  the  dawn  of  day,  and  only  retired  when  troubled 
sleep  shook  off  the  specter  for  a  brief  season.  This  condi- 
tion of  affairs  continued  for  quite  two  years  before  any 
change  began  to  be  manifest,  but,  since  that  day,  the  clouds 
have  been  dispelled,  and  the  light  of  fortune  restored 
throughout  the  country  to  places  where  its  visitation  only 
was  needed  to  make  them  flourish  and  grow  in  strength 
and  influence.  During  all  this  period,  there  was  little  to 
encourage,  less  to  inspire  residents,  and  Neillsville,  like  its 
neighbors,  experienced  embargoes.  No  public  buildings 
were  erected;  schools  were  barely  sustained,  and  religious 
organizations  met  for  services,  either  at  private  residences 
or  in  the  old  court-house. 

In  1861,  came  the  war,  and  Neillsville  was  not  behind 
in  her  donations  of  money  and  offer  of  recruits.  Meetings 
were  held  in  the  court-house,  at  which  James  O'Neill,  B.  F. 
French,  Chauncey  Blakeslee  and  others  delivered  speeches, 
urging  the  proffers  of  aid  to  enable  the  general  government 
to  accomplish  the  suppression  of  war.  Among  the  soldiers 
who  went  out  from  Clark  County,  Neillsville  contributed 
nearly  one  company,  which  was  attached  to  the  western 
army,  and,  serving  through  the  war,  left  the  largest  propor- 
tion of    those  who  went  from  the   village    lifeless    in  the 


The  price  of  lumber  appreciated,  and  the  demand  for  la- 
borers was  constant.  These  favorable  combinations  pro- 
duced a  train  of  events  which  culminated  within  the  ensu- 
ing three  years  in  turning  the  tide  against  which  the  coun- 
try, the  States,  Wisconsin,  Clark  County  and  Neillsville, 
had  been  beating.  The  wide  expanse  stretching  from 
either  bank  of  the  Father  of  Waters  soon  gave  abundant 
evidences  of  material  prosperity.  They  received  the  swift 
running  light  of  the  morning  and  basked  in  its  sunshine 
until  the  Rocky  Mountains  intercepted  its  brilliance  and 
darkness  gathered  over  the  scene.  Upon  their  undulating 
surfaces  oceans  poured  through  clouds  and  wind  their  fer- 
tilizing moisture,  and  broad  fields,  teeming  with  the  fatness 
of  a  fecund  soil,  satisfied  the  desire  for  bread  of  all  the 
hungry  children  of  men. 

During  this  period,  B.  F.  French  became  a  resident  of 
the  village,  removing  hither  from  his  farm.  Caleb  Hubbard 
adventured  into  Neillsville,  and  purchased  the  hotel  now 
known  as  the  Rossman  House,  up  to  that  time  owned  and 
maintained  by  Anson  Green.  Andrew  Burlingham,  with 
his  father  and  sister,  Mrs.  Morrill,  identified  themselves 
with  the  place.  Horace  Stiles  came  in  also.  A  Mr.  Barton, 
who,  after  running  the  gauntlet  of  a  checkered  experience, 
returned  to  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  came.  George  Adams 
settled  here  about  this  time,  and  opened  the  first  drug  store 
in  the  village,  while  his  brother,  wlio  accompanied  him, 
established  a  dry  goods  store  in  the  building  now  occupied 
by  John  Klopf. 


236 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Very  few  returned  from  the  war,  nor  were  accessions  to 
its  population  made  in  the  years  immediately  succeeding 
that  epoch  in  the  nation's  history.  As  with  the  population, 
so  with  improvements,  they  were  limited  in  number  as  also 
in  value;  but  since  that  day  Paul  has  planted,  Apollos  has 
watered  the  fertile  expanse,  and  God  has  given  the  in- 
crease. 

From  1865  to  1870,  affairs  remained  unchanged,  to  a 
great  extent,  though  now  and  then  a  settler  would  arrive, 
and,  having  investigated  the  natural  resources  of  Neills- 
ville,  as  the  base  of  supplies  for  a  large  section  of  the  lum- 
ber region,  would  decide  to  remain.  And  here  it  might  be 
remarked  that  no  more  law-abiding  community  was  to  be 
found  in  the  Northwest  than  the  residents  of  Clark  County 
and  Neillsville.  Upon  one  occasion  two  detectives  from 
Chicago  accompanied  the  Sheriff  of  an  adjoining  county  to 
Neillsville  to  secure  the  arrest  of  a  fugitive  from  justice 
who  had  been  indicted  for  murder.  He  was  located  in  one 
of  the  lumbering  camps,  and  when  this  was  communicated 
to  the  Chicago  thief-takers  they  were  loth  to  continue  the 
pursuit,  apprehensive  lest  the  "lumber  shovers,"  as  they 
termed  those  engaged  in  logging,  should  unite  and  prevent 
an  arrest.  A  couple  of  citizens,  to  whom  the  facts  were 
communicated,  endeavored  to  convince  them  of  their  error 
of  judgment,  and  failing,  prepared  to  undertake  the  capture 
themselves.  When  it  became  apparent  that  they  were 
about  to  lose  the  reward  for  which  they  labored,  these  ex- 
aggerated editions  of  Bob  Acres  screwed  their  courage  up 
to  the  sticking  point,  and  renewed  their  hazardous  pursuit. 
.\11  hands  reached  the  lumber  camp  as  day  was  dawning. 
The  loggers  were  aroused  from  their  sleep,  and,  upon  being 
informed  of  the  object  of  this  early  visit,  not  only  abstained 
from  attempts  at  rescue,  but  aided  the  authorities  in  secur- 
ing their  man.  The  latter  confessed  his  identity,  and  was 
delivered  to  the  detectives,  who  departed  with  their  pris- 
oner with  an  opinion  of  the  character  of  those  residing  "in 
the  woods  "  radically  differing  from  that  with  which  they 
were  so  recently  impressed.  Indeed,  no  fear  was  felt  of 
lawlessness,  as  no  lawlessness  existed  in  the  village  or  coun- 
try, and  this  condition  of  affairs  has  continued  to  exist 
almost  without  interruption. 

During  this  period,  a  daily  mail  was  established  between 
Neillsville  and  Hatfield,  and  some  improvements  of  a  sub- 
stantial character.  These  included  the  brewery,  the  school- 
house  opposite  Firemen's  Hall,  Hewett  &  Wood's  planing- 
mill,  the  handsome  residence  of  Robert  Ross,  and  others 
of  a  similar  character.  They  were  far  inferior  to  the  build- 
ings which  have  since  obtained  as  commodious  and  elabor- 
ate, but  they  served  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
erected,  and  were  regarded  as  signal  examples  of  enter- 
prise on  the  part  of  those  who  contracted  for  their  build- 
ing. Among  the  arrivals  were :  A.  K.  Stafford,  Emery 
Bonley,  Joel  Head,  James  Delane,  John  La  Shapalle,  H.  D. 
Early,  Thomas  Robinson,  James  Robinson,  Samuel  Callo- 
way, P.  S.  Dudley,  S.  F.  Joseph,  Ira  and  J.  B.  Johnson, 
Fred.  Klopf,  T.  D.  Lindsay,  Jacob  Rossman,  F.  E.  Darling, 
A.  Halverson,  Charles  Neberman  and  a  few  others,  nearly 
all  of  whom  remained,  and,  engaging  in  business,  made  such 
improvements  as  were  demanded. 

In  1870,  the  buildings  and  improvements  exceeded  those 
of  any  previous  year,  the  sound  of  the  plane,  the  hammer 
and  the  saw  were  constantly  heard,  and  buildings  were  in 
various  stages  of  completion  on  nearly  every  corner.  James 
O'Neill,  Charles  Neverman,  Andrew  Peterson,  A.  D.  Ballou 
and  others  put  up  residences,  the  Methodist  Church  was 
commenced,  the  court-house  was  regarded  as  unfit  for  occu- 
pation and  the  subject  of  building  a  new  temple  of  justice 
first  began  to  be  agitated.  The  homestead  act  had  its  in- 
fluence to  attract    settlers    to  Neillsville   and  the  adjacent 


country.  The  following  years  were  also  replete  with  en- 
couraging signs,  and  the  day  when  the  village  should  be 
more  than  a  local  habitation  and  name  was  confidently 
anticipated  in  the  near  future.  The  new  comers  for  the 
ensuing  five  years  included  George  Delane,  Edwin  Allen, 
E.  Peterson,  T.  Johnson,  E.  Tyler,  R.  Bart,  O.  P.  Wells,  C. 
Crocker,  J.  Thayer,  Mr.  Schuster,  William  Campbell,  R. 
Campbell,  A.  Brown,  Peter  Roberts,  Mr.  Crandall,  Charles 
Detz,  William  Burgess,  George  Miller,  Carlton  &  Dixon, 
George  Pruger,  J.  Brule,  James  O'Neill,  Jr.,  Thomas  Kerns, 
J.  Rineke,  the  Hoffman  brothers,  etc.,  etc. 

In  1872,  the  first  brick  building  erected  in  the  village 
was  that  of  Hewett  &:  Woods,  still  standing,  which  was  put 
up  in  1872.  This  was  followed  by  others,  including  the 
Lloyd  building,  and  to-day  some  of  the  most  prominent 
and  architecturally  handsome  of  Neillsville  structures  are 
of  brick,  as,  for  example,  the  court-house  and  school-house, 
which  were  built  in  1S74-5  at  a  total  cost  of  $50,000  ;  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  Catholic  Church,  in  addition  to  pri- 
vate residences.  In  1874,  the  residence  of  James  Hewett, 
said  to  be  the  finest  on  Black  River,  was  nearly  completed 
and  ready  for  occupation  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
entailing  a  loss  of  $12,000.  The  premises  were  immedi- 
ately rebuilt,  however,  and  can  now  be  seen  for  miles 
around,  and  are  a  landmark  to  guide  the  traveler  on  his 
journey  hither. 

The  past  few  years  has  seemed  to  intensify  the  admira- 
tion of  residents  for  Neillsville,  as  also  to  attract  accessions 
to  her  citizens.  The  beauty  of  its  location,  the  enterprise 
and  liberality  of  her  founders  and  builders  not  more  than 
their  educational  and  social  prominence:  the  superiority 
of  its  schools  and  the  high  state  of  morals  to  be  found  in 
the  village  combine  to  render  it  a  point  at  which  merit  will 
receive  encouragement  and  assistance  in  identifying  itself 
with  the  town.  A  railroad  has  recently  connected  the  vil- 
lage with  points  at  a  distance,  and  will  contribute  in  years 
to  come,  to  its  advancement,  its  wealth  and  its  population. 
It  is  the  largest  village  in  the  county,  and  the  county  seat. 
Around  it  are  gathered  abundant  evidences  of  material 
prosperity.  The  glory  of  fields,  the  bounty  of  dairies,  the 
fruit  of  trees  and  vines,  and  the  sweets  of  blossoms  pay 
tribute  to  the  beautiful  village,  and  on  every  side  the  altars 
of  the  fruitful  Pau  and  the  bountiful  Ceres  are  redolent 
with  incense  most  pleasing  to  the  husbandmen,  who  fre- 
quent her  markets  or  make  Neillsville  a  shipping  point  for 
their  products. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  first  school  to  be  opened  in  the  vicinity  of  Neills- 
ville was  commenced  about  1856,  about  eighty  rods  south 
of  Gates's  corners.  Here  were  the  children  of  the  village 
and  surrounding  country  taught  the  rudiments  of  learning 
by  John  S.  Dore,  the  present  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  and  others,  for  several  years.  When  a  new  school 
house  was  built  on  a  lot  immediately  south  of  Firemen's 
Hall.  This  did  good  service  until  the  increase  in  attend- 
ance required  an  increase  of  quarters,  when  the  present 
structure  was  erected  on  a  lot  purchased  of  James  O'Neill. 
It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  handsomely  finished  and 
cost  $15,000.  It  is  graded,  containing  six  departments, 
employing  a  competent  force  of  teachers,  and  its  course  of 
study  embraces  the  branches  and  subjects  taught  in  the 
best  schools  of  like  grade.  The  high  school  dei)artment 
was  organized  under  the  Stale  Free  High  School  law  in 
1878,  though  previously  operated  in  its  present  capacity. 
The  course  provides  for  instruction  in  the  branches  adapted 
to  the  highest  grade,  and  upon  graduation  the  student  is  pre- 
sented as  a  candidate  for  that  consideration  due  one  prac- 
tically educated.  The  average  daily  attendance  during  the 
scholastic   year  of  1880-81    was   200,   and  the  amount  ex- 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


237 


pended  for  school  purposes  in  Neillsville  during  the  year 
ending  July  11,  18S1,  was  $3,542.  The  present  Board  is 
made  up  of  F.  A.  Lee,  director;  D.  Dickenson,  treasurer, 
and  Herman  Schuster,  clerk. 

RELIGIOUS. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  etc. — The  first  religious  ser- 
vices in  Neillsville  were  held  during  1847,  by  the  Rev.  R. 
R.  Wood,  stationed  at  Black  River  Falls.  For  several 
years  thereafter  there  were  no  services  save  at  such  rare  in- 
tervals as  were  furnished  by  some  clerical  pilgrim  visiting 
the  place.  In  1858,  Neillsville  was  made  a  regular  ap- 
pointment and  preaching  occurred  once  in  three  weeks  by 
the  Rev.  James  Cody,  of  the  Alma  Circuit.  The  first 
Methodist  class  was  organized  that  year,  and  in  i860,  the 
Neillsville  Circuit  was  created.  In  1868-9,  by  the  aid  of 
friends  of  the  society,  a  plain  but  comfortable  church  edi- 
fice was  built,  which  has  since  been  occupied,  though  re- 
modeled and  improved.  The  present  congregation  is  stated 
at  100,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Webster. 

Presbyterian  Church.  —  This  denomination  was  repre- 
sented at  an  early  day  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harris,  but  the 
church  organization  was  not  perfected  until  October  27, 
1872,  when  the  same  was  accomplished  at  a  meeting  held 
in  the  court-house,  by  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Chippewa,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  B.  G.  Riley,  synodical  mis- 
sionary. Services  were  conducted  in  tlie  court-house  until 
1S75,  when  the  present  brick  church  edifice  was  completed 
at  a  cost  of  $3,600,  and  occupied.  The  present  congrega- 
tion numbers  seventy-one,  under  the  pastorship  of  the  Rev. 
W.  T.  Hendren. 

St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Mission. — Was  organized  Nov.  12, 
1877,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Ross,  of 
Black  River  Falls,  with  F.  A.  Lee,  warden ;  Samuel  Col- 
way,  secretary,  and  Stanley  F.  Chubb,  treasurer.  Worship 
has  since  been  held  in  the  chapel  of  the  school  building, 
but  in  the  Summer  of  1S81,  the  French  lot  was  purchased 
for  $400;  and  at  a  meeting  held  August  29  ultimo,  F.  A. 
Lee,  S.  F.  Chubb,  F.  D.  Lindsay,  D.  B.  R.  Dickinson  and 
James  O'Neill,  Jr.,  were  appointed  a  committee  on  building 
and  instructed  to  commence  work  at  once.  Up  to  18S1, 
the  mission  was  included  in  the  Wisconsin  diocese  ;  since 
that  date  it  has  been  a  part  of  the  diocese  of  Fond  du  Lac. 
Services  are  conducted  every  alternate  Sunday,  by  tlie  Rev. 
W.  H.  H.  Ross. 

Catholic  Mission. — Was  organized  in  1876,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Richard  Hawkes,  with  fifty  members,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bergman,  stationed  at  Humbird. 
In  1877,  a  church  of  frame,  veneered  with  brick,  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $3,500,  and  has  since  been  occupied.  The 
congregation  numbers  100  families,  and  the  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Father  Voltz,  officiates  once  in  six  weeks. 

A  Dutch  Reformed  church  was  organized  in  1879,  with 
fifty-six  members,  by  the  Rev.  H.  Bruengger,  who  still 
serves,  preaching  once  a  month  in  the  Methodist  Cliurch. 

There  is  also  a  Lutheran  Society  in  the  village,  by  which 
services  are  held  monthly  in  the  Methodist  Church. 

Banking. — The  Neillsville  Bank  is  a  private  institution, 
organized  in  August,  1879,  by  Daniel  Gates  and  J.  L.  Gates, 
who  conduct  the  business  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  L.  Gates 
&  Co.  The  bank  occupies  a  portion  of  O'Neills  brick 
building,  and,  with  sufficient  capital  for  the  transaction  of 
business,  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage  and  universal  confi- 
dence.    The  business  of  1S80-81  is  quoted  at  $500,000. 

The  Clark  County  Bank  was  organized  under  and  ac- 
cording to  the  laws  of  Wisconsin,  August  20,  1875,  with  a 
capital  of  $25,000,  for  the  purpose  of  transacting  a  general 
banking  and  exchange  business.  The  officers  at  that  time 
were:  Richard  Dewhurst,  president;  J,  F.  Kirkland,  vice- 
president;  John  Reed,  Daniel  Gates,  James  Hewett,  James 


O'Neill  and  S.  F.  Kirkland,  directors.  The  present  officers 
are  :  Levi  Archer, president ;  James  Hewett,  vice-president ; 
D.  B.  Dickinson,  cashier;  C.  Blakeslee,  Robert  Schofield, 
M.  C.  Ring  and  L.  A.  Arnold,  directors.  The  amount  of 
business  in  1880  is  stated  at  $250,000. 

NcillsviUe  &^  Merrillon  Railroad. — The  construction  of 
a  railroad  from  Neillsville  to  Merrillon  Junction,  long  con- 
templated, never  took  shape  until  within  the  past  three 
years.  Meetings  had  been  held,  however,  and  estimates 
submitted  for  the  substitution  of  means  of  communication 
between  these  points,  other  than  the  stage,  that  ancient  and 
comfortless  medium.  Early  in  1878  the  subject  was  again 
agitated,  and  on  the  26th  of  February,  of  that  year,  a  meet- 
ing of  the  citizens  of  Clark  County  was  held  at  Neillsville, 
at  which  the  Black  River  Railroad  Company  was  organized, 
with  H.  N.  Withee,  James  Hewett,  Daniel  Gates,  F.  D, 
Lindsay,  R.  J.  McBride,  J.  L.  Gates,  G.  L.  Lloyd  and  F.  S. 
Kirkland,  incorporators.  At  an  election  immediately  fol- 
lowing, H.  N.  Withee  was  chosen  president;  James  Hew- 
ett, vice-president ;  F.  S.  Kirkland,  secretary  ;  Daniel  Gates, 
treasurer ;  J.  L.  Gates,  general  manager,  and  R.  J.  Mc- 
Bride. R.  F.  KoLintz  was  subsequently  appointed  to  suc- 
ceed F.  S.  Kirkland  as  secretary.  The  capital  stock  was 
limited  to  $150,000,  and  the  survey  of  the  route  was  com- 
pleted at  once  by  O.  H.  Hoffman.  Soon  after  ground  was 
broke,  work  commenced,  and  in  a  short  time  a  major  por- 
tion of  the  road  bed  was  graded.  At  this  time  the  com- 
pany asked  the  credit  of  the  town  of  Pine  Valley  to  the  ex- 
tent of  $10,000,  to  aid  in  its  construction,  but  the  petition 
was  refused  by  a  vote  of  197  to  70,  and  work  was  tempora- 
rily suspended. 

In  1880  Pine  Valley  reversed  its  decision,  and  consented 
to  the  issue  of  $10,000  bonds,  to  aid  in  grading,  tieing  and 
ironing  the  route,  while  Grant,  Weston  and  Hewett  town- 
ships aided  to  the  extent  of  $1,000  each,  conditioned  upon 
the  road  being  completed  by  January  i,  18S1.  In  the  same 
year  the  directory  of  the  Black  River  road  contracted  with 
the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  road  to  find 
the  right  of  way,  grade  and  tie  it,  also  to  procure  depot 
grounds  in  Neillsville,  provided  that  corporation  ironed  the 
road  bed,  furnished  the  running  stock,  erected  the  depot 
buildings  and  operated  the  road.  In  the  meantime,  the 
condition  stipulated  in  the  bonds  issued  by  Pine  Valley  and 
other  townships  to  aid  in  building  the  road  having  failed  of 
execution,  Weston  and  Grant  townships  repudiated  their 
bonds,  but  Pine  Valley  and  Hewett  extended  the  time  and 
renewed  their  bonds.  The  Chicago  &  St.  Paul  road  accept- 
ed the  contract  proffered  by  the  Neillsville  company,  began 
work  on  the  unfinished  route,  and  completed  the  laying  of 
the  track,  so  that  the  first  train  of  cars  made  its  advent  into 
the  county  seat  of  Clark  County,  July  4,  1S81,  where  it  was 
received  with  appropriate  observances.  Trains  now  run 
between  the  present  terminal  points  twice  each  day,  and 
the  convenience  afforded,  as  also  the  improvements  the  com- 
pletion of  the  road  will  work,  are  of  priceless  value. 

The  Post-office  was  first  opened  in  Neillsville  during  1856, 
when  it  was  established  at  the  residence  of  Nathaniel  Clajjp, 
which  then  occupied  the  lot  now  covered  by  O'Neill's  brick 
building.  S.  C.  Boardman  was  first  Postmaster,  and  Ed- 
ward H.  Markey  the  first  mail  carrier,  going  tri-weekly  to 
Black  River  Falls^horseback  in  Summer,  and  by  "jumper  " 
during  the  Winter  months.  Mr.  Boardman  was  succeeded 
by  W.  C.  Tompkins,  and  he,  in  turn,  by  Charles  Carpenter 
and  W.  T.  Hutchinson,  the  latter  taking  charge  in  1865, 
and  removing  the  office  to  a  building  now  occupied  by 
Spence's  restaurant,  where  he  served  until  1871,  when  J. 
W.  Ferguson  was  appointed  and  qualified  as  his  successor. 
He  is  still  the  incumbent,  and  in  1872  removed  the  office  to 
its  present  location. 


238 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Fire  Department. — On  the  6th  of  May,  1874,  a  disastrous 
storm  swept  over  Neillsville,  entailing  serious  damage  in  the 
village  and  throughout  the  adjoining  country.  During  its 
progress  the  lightning  struck  the  buildings  of  Chauncey 
Blakeslee  and  W.  C.  Allen,  in  the  business  portion  of  Neills- 
ville, which  were  thereby  set  on  fire  and  narrowly  escaped 
destruction.  This  warning  of  what  might  have  been  aroused 
citizens  to  the  fact  that  the  village  was  without  proper  facil- 
ities to  extinguish  a  conflagration  should  such  a  calamity 
overtake  them,  and  resulted  in  the  convening  of  a  meeting 
at  the  Court-house,  at  which  plans  were  perfected  for  the 
organization  of  the  present  department.  The  same  Summer 
a  hook  and  ladder  truck  was  purchased  for  $550,  men  en- 
listed for  the  service,  and  R.  F.  Kountz  appointed  chief  en- 
gineer. In  March,  1S75,  a  chemical  engine  was  procured 
at  an  expense  of  $750,  and,  later  in  the  year,  the  depart- 
ment was  duly  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature. 
The  succeeding  Spring  the  engine-house  was  built,  costing 
^r,ioo,  and  since  the  happening  of  these  events  the  depart- 
ment has  been  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  reliable  branches 
of  the  village  government.  The  present  officers  are  :  R.  F. 
Kountz,  chief;  J.  W.  Holmand,  foreman;  E.  L.  Hoffman 
and  H  Furgson,  assistants;  J.  F.  Caum,  treasuter,  and  J. 
H.  Thayer,  secretary.  The  value  of  the  department  prop- 
erty is  quoted  at  $2,500. 

Secret  Societies. — Neillsville  Lodge,  No.  163,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  was  duly  organized  on  the  17th  of  September.  1S66,  and 
for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  progressed  in  a  manner  most 
gratifying  to  the  craft.  The  charter  officers  were  :  B.  F. 
French,  W.  M.;  G.  W.  King,  S.  W.  ;  E.  H.  Mcintosh,  J. 
W.;  E.  H.  Bacon,  S.  D. ;  J.  Furlong,  J.  D. ;  R.  J.  Manly, 
secretary,  and  Henry  Devit,  treasurer.  The  present  officers 
are:  S.  C.  Boardman,  W.  M.;  T-  H.  Thayer,  S.  W.  ;  S.  B. 
Colway,  J.  W. ;  S.  Coggins,  S.  D.  ;  John  Rade,  J.  D. ;  E.  H. 
Bacon,  treasurer  ;  H.  Shuster,  secretary,  and  T  V.  Carlton, 
tyler.  The  present  membership  is  fifty-five,  and  meetings 
are  held  on  the  first  and  third  Thursday  evenings  of  each 
month. 

Neillsville  Lodge,  No.  178,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  organized 
Ajjril  23,  1880,  with  twenty-two  members  and  the  following 
officers  :  J.  B.  Jones,  W.  C.  T.  ;  Mrs.  Reitz,  W.  V.  T.  ;  C. 
C.  Swartz,  chaplain;  S.  F.  Chubb  and  H.  W.  Deming,  sec- 
retaries ;  Augusta  Marshall,  treasurer;  N.  E.  Gallagher,  \V. 
M.;  M.  Fuller,  W.  I).  M.  ;  H.  Poate,  sentinel.  Since  that 
date  the  society  has  held  regular  weekly  meetings,  resulting 
in  a  continuous,  though  not  uniform,  membership.  The 
present  officers  are :  L.  Sturdevant,  W.  C.  T.  ;  Mrs.  A. 
J.  Deming,  W.  V.  T.;  Nettie  Lynch,  chaplain  ;  Nora 
Tril^p,  secretary;  Viola  French,  treasurer  ;  N.  E.  Gallagher, 
W.  M.;  Orpha  Fowler,  W.  D.  M.;  J.  B.  Jones,  P.  W.  C.  T,; 
H.  W.  Deming,  sentinel.       The  present  membership  is  loi. 

Fritz  Reuter  Lodge,  No.  36,  O.  D.  H.  S. — A  German  so- 
ciety, witii  humanitarian  objects,  was  organized  by  Jacob 
Rossman,  August  6.  1878,  with  seventeen  members.  The 
officers  were:  Jacob  Rossman,  president ;  George  Runnger 
and  Robert  Schvvarsey,  vice-presidents  ;  F.  W.  Ketel,  secre- 
tary, and  James  Lemegan,  treasurer.  The  present  officers 
are:  Herman  Ketel,  president;  Ernst  Arnstelerdoold  and 
Henry  Neyerman,  trustees ;  William  Ketel,  secretary  and 
treasurer.     The  society  now  has  thirteen  members. 

Pine  Valley  Encampment,  No.  44,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  first 
organized  at  Staffordsville,  January  18,  1871,  with  A.  K. 
Stafford,  A.  J.  Brees,  A.  W.  Clark,  John  Hoyt,  H.  D.  Eyerie, 
Robert  Scofield,  E.  J.  Rice  and  L.  A.  Stafford  as  charter 
members.  In  18 —  the  encampment  was  removed  to  Neills- 
ville, where  it  jointly  occupies  Odd  F^ellows  Hall  with  the 
Neillsville  Lodge.  The  present  officers  are:  .Andrew  Pe- 
terson, C.  P.;  Ira  I!.  Jones,  H.  P.;  M.  W,  Parker,  S.  W.;  H. 
Fuller,  J.  \\'.;  J.  II.  Thayer,  scribe,  and  L.  L.  -Vyers,  treas- 


urer. The  encampment  meets  semi-monthly;  on  Saturday 
evenings. 

Neillsville  Lodge,  No.  198,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized 
December  7,  187 1,  with  R.  C.  Elliott,  J.  A.  Kimball,  J.  B. 
Jones,  A.  L.  Wood,  H.  Parker,  A.  R.  Moffat  and  C.  H. 
Sprague  as  charter  members.  The  present  officers  are : 
J.  H.  Thayer,  N.  G.;  E.  B.  Philpot,  V.  G.;  C.  B.  Arnold, 
secretary,  and  John  B.  Jones,  treasurer.  Meetings  are 
convened  weekly,  on  Saturday  nights,  and  the  craft  own 
property  in  Neillsville  representing  a  valuation  of  $3,000. 

Diamond  Lodge,  No.  64,  Daughters  of  Rebecca,  was 
chartered  July  13.  1880,  with  upward  of  twenty  members 
and  the  following  officers  :  Ira  B.  Jones,  N.  G.;  Mrs.  M.  W. 
Parker,  V.  G.;  Mrs.  John  F.  King,  secretary;  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Burgess,  permanent  secretary,  and  Mrs.  S.  F.  Joseph,  treas- 
urer. The  present  officers  are:  Mrs.  J.  H.  Thayer,  N.  G.: 
J.  F.  King,  V.  G.;  Mrs.  E.  A.  Pierce,  secretary  ;  Mrs.  T.  B. 
Philpot,  permanent  secretary,  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Burgess,  treas- 
urer. Meetings  are  held  on  the  second  and  fourth  Tues- 
day evenings  of  each  month  in  Odd  Fellows  Hall. 

Black  River  Lodge,  No.  32,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  was  organized 
in  May,  1878,  with  nineteen  members  and  the  following 
officers  :  F.  A.  Lee,  P.  M.  W.;  Dr.  J.  G.  Lacey,  M.  W.; 
William  Campbell,  foreman;  J.  R.  Sturdevant,  guide  ;  J.  A. 
Parkhurst,  recorder;  G.  A.  Grunds,  financier.  The  present 
officers  are  :  James  A.  Parkhurst,  M.  W.;  William  Camp- 
bell, foreman  ;  George  .\.  Ludington,  overseer  ;  J.  W.  Tal- 
ford,  recorder  ;  H.  Schuster,  receiver  ;  W.  G.  Klopf,  finan- 
cier, and  O.  G.  Tripp,  guide.  Meetings  are  held  weekly, 
on    Friday  evening,  and  Lodge  property  is  valued  at  $500 

MANUFACTURES. 

Neillsville  Flour  Mills,  on  O'Neill's  Creek,  northeast  of 
the  O'Neill  House,  were  erected  by  Chauncey  Blakeslee,  in 
the  Fall  of  1862.  The  buildings  are  of  frame,  and  when 
completed  the  two  run  of  stone,  with  which  a  total  of  fifty 
barrels  of  flour  could  be  ground  in  twenty-four  hours,  were 
run  by  water  power.  The  original  cost  of  the  mills  was 
$6,000.  In  1867,  additions  were  made  to  the  mill  premises, 
an  engine  was  substituted  for  water  power,  and  other  im- 
provements were  made.  Again,  in  1S70,  were  large  sums 
expended  for  similar  objects,  including  an  additional  run 
of  stone.  .\t  present  four  hands  are  employed,  at  a  total 
weekly  compensation  of  $35.  Seventy-five  barrels  of  flour 
are  ground  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  annual  business  is 
quoted  at  $15,000. 

Neillsville  Brewery  was  established  by  William  Never- 
man,  in  1869,  at  which  time  he  erected  the  present  improve- 
ments at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  Since  that  date  he  has  made 
additions  and  improvements,  the  expense  of  which  have 
been  $4,000.  He  employs  two  hands  ;  manufactures  500 
barrels  of  beer  per  year,  and  does  a  business  of  $4,000  an- 
nually. 

G.  Sterns'  Stair  Factory,  located  on  the  Black  River 
road,  north  of  the  village,  was  first  established  as  a  planing 
mill  by  the  gentleman  whose  name  has  been  perpetuated  as 
proprietor  of  the  present  enterprise,  in  1S69.  In  1S78,  Mr. 
Sterns  made  a  change  in  his  line  of  business,  introduced 
machinery,  and  other  improvements,  at  a  cost  of  $1,200,  and 
began  the  manufacture  of  his  present  marketable  commodi- 
ty. He  employs  seven  hands,  at  a  weekly  compensation  of 
$65,  and  does  an  annual  business  estimated  at  $10,000. 

A.  S.  Leason  Pump  F"actory,  situated  north  of  the  city, 
on  the  road  to  Black  River  Trails,  is  of  recent  birth,  having 
been  established  in  the  Fall  of  1880,  when  Mr.  Leason 
erected  the  premises  now  occupied.  His  manufacture  em- 
braces all  sizes  and  styles  of  wooden  pumps,  special  refer- 
ence being  had  to  a  pattern  of  which  he  is  the  patentee. 
When  running  to  its  full  capacity  the  works  turn  out  1,000 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


pumps,  and  do  a  business  of  $10,000  per  annum.  Six 
hands  are  employed,  and,  witli  other  expenses,  require  an 
outlay  of  $25-0  per  month. 

The  Neillsville  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop,  north  of 
the  village  and  across  O'Neill's  Creek,  were  opened  for 
business  June  i,  1881,  by  Korman  &  Tuplin.  When  run- 
ning to  its  full  capacity,  five  hands  are  employed,  at  a  weekly 
compensation  of  $70.  The  shop  turns  out  plows,  saws,  and 
a  general  run  of  farming  implements,  the  sale  of  which,  it 
is  believed,  will  produce  an  income  for  the  current  year 
(1881)  of  not  less  than  $6,000. 

L.  W.  Gallaher,  Planing  Mill,  established  in  1871,  on  the 
present  site,  where  business  was  continued  until  March  10, 
1879  (a  saw-mill  having  been  added  to  the  capacity  of  the 
enterprise  in  1877),  when  the  jsremises  were  destroyed  fire, 
entailing  a  loss  of  $4,000.  Mr.  Gallaher  immediately  re- 
built, and  has  since  been  constantly  employed.  His  line  of 
manufacture  embraces  rough  and  planed  lumber,  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  mouldings,  etc.,  requiring,  when  running  full, 
the  services  of  ten  men,  at  a  total  weekly  compensation  of 
$100,  and  doing  a  business  $15,000  per  annum. 

Neillsville  Library  Association  was  organized  Septem- 
ber 23,  1879,  by  the  election  of  H.  W.  Deming,  president, 
Ira  B.  Jones,  treasurer,  and  L.  B.  Ring,  librarian  and  secre- 
tary, with  H.  N.  Withee,  C.  Blakeslee  and  Mrs.  A.  White, 
trustees,  all  of  whom  have  since  been  continued  in  office. 

The  society  now  have  250  volumes,  and  meetings  are 
held  at  stated  periods,  in  the  editorial  rooms  of  the  True 
Republican. 

Neillsville  Telegraph  Company.  In  1871,  D.  W.  Tol- 
ford  and  Alexander  Lynn  erected  a  telegraph  line  from 
Neillsville  to  Humbird,  and  operated  the  same  until  the 
Fall  of  1874,  when  it  was  sold  out  under  foreclosure  pro- 
ceedings, James  O'Neill  becoming  the  purchaser.  There- 
upon, the  present  corporatioi\  was  organized,  with  Jones 
Tompkins,  president,  George  Austin,  secretary,  and  James 
O'Neill,  treasurer,  who  still  serve.  The  capital  stock  was 
placed  at  $,000.  The  route  was  changed  from  Humbird 
to  Hatfield,  at  a  cost  of  $875,  since  when  the  line  has  been 
operated  between  the  latter  point  and  Neillsville. 

Tlie  Sherman  Guards. — May  i,  1875,  the  Clark  County 
Zouaves,  a  military  organization,  was  incorporated  in  Neills- 
ville, with  J.  W.  Tolford,  as  captain,  and  thirty  privates. 
In  February,  1878,  the  company  was  re-organized,  the  name 
changed  to  the  "  Sherman  Guards,"  and,  as  such,  became 
part  of  the  Third  Battalion  Wisconsin  State  Militia.  The 
present  officers  are  J.  W.  Ferguson,  captain;  George  A. 
Ludington  and  Samuel  Dixon,  lieutenants;  George  K.  Red- 
mond, William  Poute,  Henry  Fuller,  George  W.  Trogler, 
Louis  Schuster  and  Warren  Suthard,  sergeants;  William 
Kettel,  Robert  McAdams,  Andrew  Londgren,  Joseph  Rowe, 
F.  Burgess,  Conrad  Frantz,  Frederick  Johnson  and  Henry 
Poute,  corporals.  The  file  embraces  sixty  soldiers,  and 
meetings  are  held  weekly  for  drill. 

CINE   VALLEY   CE.METERV. 

The  first  cemetery  in  the  village  of  Neillsville  was  located 
on  a  plat  of  ground  now  owned  by  James  Hewett,  about 
thirty  rods  southeast  of  the  court-house.  In  187 1,  the 
township  of  Pine  Valley  purchased  four  acres  of  ground, 
one  mile  distant  from  the  village,  in  a  northeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  in  the  following  year  caused  the  same  to  be  plat- 
ted, James  H.  Reddan  being  the  surveyor.  The  cemetery 
contains  a  total  of  618  lots,  is  handsomely  planted  with 
trees  and  shrubbery,  and  many  handsome  monuments  dot 
the  landscape,  adding  beauty  to  the  surroundings.  The 
grounds  and  disposal  of  lots  are  under  the  control  of  the 
Board  of  Suiiervisors. 


BtOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LEVI  ARCHER,  farmer,  Sec.  34,  P.O.  Neillsville,  boin  in  Orleans 
Co  ,  N.Y„  Aug.  ig,  1835,  with  his  parents,  went  to  Indiana  in  1842, 
where  he  ran  a  saw-mill,  learned  the  blacksmith's  irade  of  Zekiel  John- 
son, came  to  the  Black  River  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and, 
in  1874,  moved  on  his  farm,  containing  270  acres,  120  of  it  cleared  and 
under  cultivation.  In  185S,  he  married  Miss  Rossissa  Straight,  of  Jack- 
son County.  They  have  one  child,  a  son,  twelve  years  of  age,  named 
P'rank.     Mr.  Archer  is  now  the  president  of  Clark  County  Bank. 

GEORGE  A.  AUSTIN,  farmer,  Sec.  18.  P.O.  Neillsville,  born  in 
Otsego  Co.,  N.Y.,  March  13,  1829.  His  parents  moved  to  Chenango 
Co.,  N.Y.,  where  they  farmed,  which  was  their  occupation  when  they 
moved  to  Wisconsin,  in  1843.  In  1849,  George  A.  was  on  the  Illinois 
&  Michigan  Canal;  taught  school  in  1850-51  ;  read  law  with  Church  & 
Willard,  of  Woodstock,  III.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S53;  he 
practiced  till  the  war  broke  out,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  15th  111.  V.  I., 
was  promoted  to  2d  lieutenant,  and,  after  serving  his  time,  re-enlisted, 
and  was  commissioned  ist  lieutenant  ;  soon  afterward, became  quarter- 
master, and  was  taken  prisoner  on  March  i,  1864,  taken  to  Anderson- 
ville,  Macon,  Milan,  and  was  exchanged  at  Wilmington,  N.  C.  Having 
enlisted  for  the  war,  they  were  sent  out  on  the  frontier  ;  but  October  i, 
1865,  they  were  ordered  back,  and  he  was  discharged  in  Springfield,  111. 
He  was  a  dealer  in  stock  until  he  came  to  Neillsville,  and  bought  a  grist 
and  saw  mill,  of  Blakeslee,  in  1871  ;  in  1874,  leased  the  saw-mill,  and 
in  1878,  moved  to  his  farm  where  he  resides  with  his  family  ;  married,  in 
1S53,  to  Miss  M.  N.  Kimball,  of  Woodstock.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren—Charles E.,  Mary  E.,now  Mrs.  J.  Thayer,  and  Ida  M.,  now  Mrs. 
Ring.  Mr.  Austin  has  held  town  offices,  and  belongs  to  the  Masons  and 
the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

ORSON  BACON,  farmer,  P.O.  Neillsville,  born  in  Jericho,  Chitten- 
den Co.,  Vt.,  July  8,  1810.  During  his  youth  he  was  reared  on  the  an- 
cestral farm,  with  his  father  worked  in  the  shop  as  carpenter  and  joiner. 
They  moved  from  their  native  county  in  1826,  came  to  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.V.;  from  there  he  went  to  Ohio,  and  then  to  Hillsdale,  Mich.,  where 
they  worked  a  farm  together,  and  here  his  father  died.  He  remained 
there  until  1855,  when  he  started  for  Wisconsin  and  bought  the  land  on 
which  he  now  lives,  now  part  of  the  village  of  Neillsville.  In  1835,  he 
married  Miss  Euretta  R.  Hastings,  of  New  York.  They  have  six  chil- 
dren living,  and  three  dead — Everet  H.,  Charles  G.,  who  died  in  Jefferson 
Barracks,  St.  Louis.  Mo. ;  was  a  member  of  Co.  I,  14th  Wis.  V.  ;  was 
Shiloh  ;  Charlotte,  deceased  ;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  C.  O.  Sturgeon  ; 


Ella  Vesta  and  Allie  V. 
aeon  has  held   the    offices   of 


chant.  Neillsville,  born  in  New 
>  Tioga  Co.,  Penn.  In  1845,  he 
ty  in    1848,  where  he  engaged 


S.  Willard,  Abbie  L, 

Allie  died  when  two  years  old.      Mr. 

County  Supervisor  and  Treasurer. 

CHAUNCEY  BLAKESLEE,  mer 
York,  April  3,  1822,  in  1S40  moved  t( 
went  to  Baltimore;  went  to  Potter  Cou 

in  the  lumber  business  ;  removed  to  Bradford  County  in  1S50,  and 
tered  the  mercantile  life,  which  he  carried  on  till  1854,  then  leaving  for 
McHenry  Co.,  111.,  going  to  the  Black  River  in  1855;  kept  a  store  on 
what  is  known  as  the  old  Barber  place.  In  1856,  came  to  Neillsville, 
and  opened  the  first  store  here  ;  moved  into  the  store  now  occupied  by 
Gates  &  Co. ;  in  1S65,  built  a  store,  now  occupied  by  Cole  &  Co.  The 
film's  name  was  Hewett,  Wood  &  Co.,  till  i86g,  when  he  run  the  store 
in  his  own  name  till  1871  ;  sold  to  his  old  partners  and  moved  to  Mon- 
roe County  and  kept  store,  but  finally  traded  his  store  for  a  mill  in  Jack- 
son County,  where  he  stayed  till  1878,  when  he  came  back  and  bought  the 
mill  which  he,  together  with  Hewett  and  Wood,  built  in  1S65.  This  he 
now  runs  in. connection  with  his  store  in  Neillsville  and  a  saw-mill  eleven 
miles  east  of  here.  In  1859,  married  Miss  Maria  Boardman,  of  Neills- 
ville. They  have  five  children — George,  Frank,  Oscar,  Minnie  and  Cora. 
Mr.  Blakeslee  has  been  County  Treasurer,  Supervisor,  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  as  well  as  other  smaller  offices. 

S.  C.  BOARDMAN,  retired,  Neillsville,  born  in  Yates  Co.,  N.Y.. 
July  10,  1849,  on  coming  West,  went  to  farming  in  Columbia  County; 
1S53,  came  to  Neillsville.  At  O'Neill's  old  tavern,  met  there  some  of 
the  men  of  those  times,  such  as  James  Sturgeon,  James  Burke  and  George 
Hill.  He  was  engaged  in  the  woods  for  the  first  few  years,  and  then 
went  into  the  land  business,  having  taken  a  Government  survey  with  E. 
Seers  previous  to  this  time.  He  went  to  surveying,  and  carried  it  on 
until  186S  ;  in  1876,  entered  the  mercantile  business  ;  retired  and  took  a 
trip  to  Colorado.  In  1862,  married  Miss  Diantha  Street,  of  Allegany 
Co.,  N.Y.  They  have  two  children,  Frankie  E.  and  S.  Clair.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Masonic  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

EMERY  BR  U  LEY,  merchant,  Neillsville,  born  in  Ottawa  City,  Can- 
ada, July  4,  1845,  in  1868,  went  to  Minneapolis.  Minn.,  and  afterwards  to 
La  Crosse,  where  he  met  Mr.  Stafl'ord  and  came  up  with  him  toStaffords- 
ville,  in  18&8  ;  came  to  Neillsville  and  started  a  blacksmith  shop,  which 
he  run  for  nine  years,  then  opened  a  clothing  store,  and  now  carries  a 
stock  of  $q,ooo,  and  does  a  business  of  $25,000  a  year.  In  September, 
1864,  married  Miss  Pliilomena  Beauchamp,  of  Ottawa  City.  He  belongs 
to  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 


2  40 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


C.  E.  BUSSELL,  surveyor  and  real  estate,  Neillsville.  Born  in 
Franklin  Co..  Maine.  Dec.  Ii,  1850.  He  attended  Holton  Seminary 
in  1S71,  and  learned  engineering;  came  to  Neillsville,  May  11,  1S74, 
and  was  elected  County  Surveyor,  which  office  he  held  from  1S75  to  1879. 
He  is  now  examiner  of  land's,  and  has  issued  a  fine  map  of  Clark 
County  ;  was  employed  in  getting  up  the  map  of  LaCrosse,  and  is  now 
making  preparations  for  mapping  all  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of 
Wisconsin. 

WILLI.-\M  CAMPBELL,  merchant,  dealer  in  boots  and  shoes- 
Born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  April  20,  1S47.  Came  to  Columbia  Co.. 
Wis.,  with  his  father  and  grand-parents.  In  1S66,  he  graduated  at  the 
high-school  in  Poynett ;  attended  the  Spencerian  College  of  Milwaukee 
in  1867-68,  and  came  here,  to  Neillsville,  where  he  has  engaged  in  keep- 
ing books  for  different  firms,  and  was  one  of  the  firm  of  Cole  &  Camp- 
bell in  1S76;  in  1S79,  sold  to  Cole;  opened  the  present  store  in  November  ; 
is  doing  a  business,  from  Sio.ooo  to  $12  000  per  vear.  In  lS6g,  married 
Miss  Myra  Youmans  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children— Jessie, 
May  and  Neill.  Mr.  Campbell  has  been  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  for  eight  years,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  general  assembly  in 

1877,  in  Chicago.  He  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  the  Temple  of 
Honor. 

J.  F.  CANON,  Clerk  of  Clark  County,  Neillsville.  Born  in  New 
York,  March  6,  1S43;  in  1849,  came  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.;  in  1852, 
returned  to  their  old  home,  where  his  father  died.  The  family  of 
mother,  six  boys  and  one  girl,  moved  to  Waushara  Co.  Wis.,  Oct.  14, 
1S71,  and  in  town  of  Plainfield  he  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmithing. 
He  built  two  shops  ;  moved  in  1S69.  to  Exira,  Audubon  Co.,  Iowa,  put 
up  a  shop,  but  on  account  of  his  brother  J.  D.'s  health,  returned.  His 
brother  died  Sept.  14,  1S70.  Mr.  C.  then  came  to  Neillsville,  Oct.  14, 
1871,  and  went  to  work  at  his  trade;  in  the  Winter  of  1872,  kept  a  log- 
ging-camp with  his  brother;  in  the  Winter  of  1873-74,  he  was  foreman 
in  the  camp  ;  farmed  his  place  in  the  Summer.  In  July,  1874,  kept 
books  for  George  L.  Lloyd;  was  elected  County  Clerk,  Jan.  I,  1875, 
and  now  holds  it.  In  .\pril  5,  1S67,  married  Miss  Kate  C.  Rozell  of 
Wash  River  County.  They  have  five  children —  Jimmie,  Henry,  Lib- 
bie,  Nellie  and  Frankie.  He  has  also  held  the  position  of  Chairman  of 
the  Town  Board  of  Supervisors. 

F.  G.  CAW  LEY,  farmer,  Sec.  23,  P.O.,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Haverill. 
N.  H.,  July  18,  1835.  Up  to  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  was  employed  at 
farming,  in  the  factories,  but  it  had  been  his  desire  to  come  west.  In 
1854,  he  came  to  Clark  County,  and  went  to  farming,  and  in  1880, 
bought  his  present  residence.  In  1855,  March  26,  married  Mrs.  Annie 
Thomson  of  Clark  County,  who  had  come  to  this  county,  as  early  as 
1851,  and  settled  on  Sec.  23,  where  she  still  holds  the  forty  acres, 
entered  in  her  maiden  name  "Annie  Clark,"  by  Mr.  O'Neill.  They 
have  five  children  living,  and  two  deceased —  Jane  E.,  deceased,  was 
Mrs.  J.  D.  Rich  of  Hag  Harbor,  died  in  18S1.  17th  M.ay ;  Sarah  E.  now 
Mrs.  Edward  Keand.  F.  Walter,  Emily  L.,  Willie  died  27th  June,  i860, 
Annie  A.,  born  in  1857,  July  I,  Samuel  G.,  born  July  4,  1872.  Mr.  C. 
has  served  as  Constable,  for  twenty-two  years. 

S.  F.  CHUBB,  general  manager  for  James  Hewett,  Neillsville. 
Born  in  Forday-Bridge,  Hampshire,  England,  Oct.  12,  1853.  When  old 
enough  to  wo  k,  began  by  being  errand  boy  ;  he  then  branched  off  into 
sail  making,  when  about  twelve  years  of  age,  also  served  in  the  grocery 
business,  with  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Cabot.  His  father's  health 
failing,  he  returned  to  Brighton  and  managed  the  grocery  for  him. 
In  1S74,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  landed  in  New  York,  and  in 
company  with  two  companions,  visited  Niagara,  Cleveland,  and  his 
Uncle  William  Philpott.  of  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  He  then  came  here  and 
entered  the  employ  of  Wells  Bros.,  and  drove  mail  stage,  from  Loyd 
to  Neillsville,  till  1875,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  Hewett  &  Wood, 
as  junior  clerk,  and  in  1878  took  charge  of  the  business.    In  December, 

1878,  he  married  Miss  Mary  L.  Phillips,  adopted  daughter  of  James 
Hewett.  They  have  one  child.  Vivian  J.,  aged  fourteen  months.  Mr. 
C.  belongs  to  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  the  encampment  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Foresters.  He  is  treasurer  for  the  Episcopal  Church, 
of  which  he  is  a  member. 

A.  W.  CLARK,  farmer.  Section  26,  P.  O.  Neillsville.  Born  in 
Boston,  Mass.,  June  22,  1830;  went  with  his  parents  to  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  then  to  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1843.  and  opened  a  tin  and  hardware 
shop.  Before  coming  to  Clark  County  in  1857,  he  paid  a  visit  to  Cali- 
fornia ;  then  he  located  on  tliis  farm  which  is  part  of  the  old  estate  owned 
by  his  brother,  who  had  come  to  Clark  County  in  1S43.  then  part  of 
Crawford  County,  and  thinks  this  county  was  named  for  him.  Mr.  C. 
had  some  400  or  500  aces  of  the  estate  and  has  built  a  saw-mill,  called 
Clirk's  Mill,  and  has  farmed  and  lumbered  up  to  the  present  time.  In 
1832,  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Vineyard,  of  Quincy.  Ill  At  the  time 
of  her  birth,  in  1832.  her  mother  was  living  in  the  midst  of  Indians  and 
during  the  Indian  War  was  removed  to  Quincy.  They  have  four  child- 
ren—Edith I.  (now  Mrs.  R.  J.  Sawyer),  G.  H.,  A.  P.  and  M.  W.  Mr. 
Clark  is  one  of  the  lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 

W.  C.  CRANDALL,  druggist.  Neillsville.  Born  at  Port  Deposit, 
Cecil  Co.,  Md.,  Nov.    1,1838.     He  went  to    Maine   July   4,    1S63.     In 


1864.  came  to  Black  River  Falls  ;  clerked  in  W.  B.  Porter's  drug  store 
until  1867  ;  formed  a  partnership  with  P.  Howell  and  at  the  end  of  1S68 
dissolved.  Began  studying  medicine  with  W.  B.  Cole,  .\ttended  Rush 
Medical  College  at  Chicago.  Came  to  Neillsville  and  entered  on  a 
good  practice,  but  gave  his  practice  to  W'.  B.  Morley  and  now  carries  on 
the  drug  store.  He  married  Miss  Almira  T.  Brown,  of  New  York,  in 
April,  1868.  They  have  three  children — Gladdys  M.,  Gertrude  E.  and 
Bessie.     They  have  lost  an  infant  child. 

HON.  R.  DEWHURST,  lumberman,  Neillsville.  Born  near  Man- 
Chester,  Lancaster  Co.,  England,  May  12,  1826.  In  1827,  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  the  family  settled  in  Bristol  Co.,  Mass.,  and  remained  till  1833  ; 
removed  to  Loraine  Co.,  Ohio.  When  twenty  years  of  age.  commenced 
studying  law  under  P.  Bliss.  In  1850,  he  left  for  Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111., 
and  worked  in  the  lead  mines.  In  1850-51,  taught  a  private  school  in 
Scales  Mound,  going  then  to  Potosi,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  ;  went  into  the 
lead  mines,  was  taken  sick,  and  went  home ;  took  up  law  again.  He 
then  went  to  teaching  school,  in  1854,  near  Platteville,  Wis.,  finding 
time  to  visit  Kansas  during  the  troubles  existing  at  that  time,  but  came 
back  to  White  Oak  Springs  in  1S56,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  Came 
to  Clark  County  May  i.  1856,  and  located  at  W'eston's  Rapids.  In  1858, 
was  elected  to  the  .Assembly;  held  the  office  of  Register  of  Deeds  in 
1859.  In  1864,  he  was  elected  again  to  the  Legislature,  and  served  the 
session  of  1S65.  He  had  held  the  position  of  County  Judge  in  1856, 
and  was  elected  again  in  1877,  he  served  until  1879,  then  resigned.  In 
1875,  he  was  the  representative  in  the  Assembly  from  this  district,  and 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  filling  the  vacancy  occasioned  by 
Mr.  Johnson's  moving  from  the  State.  Filled  vacancy  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  William  Hutchinson,  as  County  Treasurer.  He  has  served  the 
public  in  most  of  the  town  offices.  In  March  29,  1859.  married  Miss 
Maria  S.  Curtiss,  of  Madison.  They  have  one  child,  Mary,  born  Jan. 
3,  1S63.  Mr.  Dewhurst,  in  company  with  Daniel  Gates,  in  1874,  visited 
Oregon,  Washington  and  California,  and  1876.  together  with  John 
Reed,  visited  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and  the  French  Exposition. 

D.  DICKINSON,  merchant,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa., 
Nov.  20,  1836.  In  1S55,  came  to  Madison,  Wis.  In  1858.  he  started 
for  Port  Royal,  but  the  war  breaking  out  he  turned  back  to  Lock  Haven. 
In  1S61,  enlisted  in  the  45th  Pa.  Vol.;  served  till  the  close.  On  being 
mustered  out  he  returned  home  to  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  and  in  1866  came  to 
Sparta,  Wis.,  then  came  to  Neillsville  and  clerked  for  Hewett,  Wood  & 
Co.  He  then  entered  into  partnership  with  McBride  for  one  year,  since 
this  time  he  has  been  alone  in  the  business,  in  1876  moving  into  his' 
present  store  on  East  street.  Married  in  1874,  to  Miss  Kate  E.  Curtiss, 
of  Neillsville.  They  have  three  children' — Carrie,  Grace  and  Albert 
Willis. 

D.  B.  R.  DICKINSON,  cashier  Clark  County  Bank,  Neillsville. 
Born  in  Wellsboro,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  May  2,  1S43.  In  1S61,  came  to 
New  York,  clerked  for  J.  A.  Parson  &  Co.;  went  into  the  banking  house 
of  Souther,  Willis  &  Souther,  here  he  staid  until  1S70 ;  moved  to 
Phelps  County,  took  position  as  buyer  for  the  Iron  Works  of  Maramec. 
In  1874,  came  to  Sparta  and  went  in  with  Geo.  Dunn.  In  1875.  Octo- 
ber, he  came  here,  and  entered  Clark  County  Bank  Feb.  I,  1879.  He 
married  Miss  Agnes  Goodwin,  of  Sparta,  in  1866. 

HON.  L.  A.  DOOLITTLE,  Judge  of  Clark  County  Court,  Neills- 
ville. Born  in  St  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  22,  1S53.  W'hen  eighteen 
years  of  age  began  the  study  of  law,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  grad- 
uated. Taught  school  at  different  times  to  obtain  means  with  which  to 
carry  on  his  studies.  In  187S,  he  entered  the  Law  Department  of  Mad- 
ison University  and  graduated  in  1879.  which  admitted  him  to  all  the 
courts  of  the  State.  Coming  to  Neillsville,  he  had  been  here  practicing 
but  five  months,  when  he  was  appointed  Countv  Judge  to  fill  vacancy 
occasioned  by  resignation  of  Judge  Richard    Dewhurst   in   December, 

1879,  the   term   expires  Jan.    i',   1S82.     Mr.    Doolittle   married,  May  4, 

1880,  to  Miss  Bessie  A.  Weeks,  of  Rutland,  Vermont. 

P.  S.  DUDLEY,  merchant,  dealer  in  harness,  trunks,  etc.,  Neills- 
ville. Born  in  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  iS,  1839.  I"  '857,  came  to 
Walworth  County.  In  1858,  he  and  his  father  went  into  the  harness 
business,  also  carried  on  the  trade  in  Dane  County  in  1S62.  Opened 
the  first  harness  shop  in  Neillsville  Nov.  3,  1869.  In  1S61,  married 
Miss  Maria  Mc.A.rthur,  of  Woodstock,  of  the  Province  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. They  have  four  children — Bertha  A.,  born  July  4,  1864,  Ella  C, 
Nov.  22,  1865,  Mabel  C,  June  17,  1867,  Arthur  E.,  March  28,  1S69.  one 
infant  died  when  seven  weeks  of  age.  He  has  held  several  public  offices 
and  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

HON.  B.  F.  FRENCH,  attorney,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Chatau- 
qua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  10,  1832.  In  1839,  moved  to  Warren  Co.,  Pa., 
remaining  there  until  1844  ;  went  to  Jefferson  Co..  Iowa,  farmed  it  with 
his  father  for  a  time.  In  1849.  started  for  the  Black  River,  and  made  a 
claim,  which  he  now  holds.  Built  a  log  house.  In  1854-5,  studied  law 
with  his  brother,  J.  F.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1856,  in  the 
Sixth  District  Circuit  Court,  by  Judge  George  Gale  In  November.  1854, 
he  was  elected  Treasurer  of  Clark  County,  being  the  fiist  one.  Elected 
District  Attorney  in  1S56.  serving  in  that  office  until  1S66.  Has  been 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.     In  1873,  was  candidate  (or  the 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY, 


«4i 


Assembly,  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  Was  the  first  master  of 
the  masonic  order  in  Clark  County.  Was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
K.  Blown,  of  Black  Kiver  Falls,  June  8,  1854.  They  have  six  children 
—Nettie,  Elva  N.,  Viola  M.,  Dimple  T.,  Edwin  and  John  R. 

J.  \V.  FERGUSON,  Postmaster,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Erie  Co.,  Pa.. 
Aug.  16.  1S46.  In  April,  1S54,  came  to  Neillsville  with  his  uncle,  S.  F. 
Ferguson,  and  when  the  war  broke  out  enlisted  in  the  I4lh  Wis.  Vol. 
Was  mustered  out  Oct.  9,  1S65,  returned  home,  and  in  1867  worked  at 
the  tinner's  trade,  until  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1871.  Mr.  Fer- 
guson married  Miss  Amelia  Palmer,  of  Neillsville.  They  have  two 
children,  Clara  and  Edward  J. 

JAMES  FURLONG,  merchant  and  grocer,  Neillsville,  was  born 
in  Lehigh  Co.,  Penn.,  Oct.  9.  1827.  At  an  early  age,  moved  into  Arm- 
strong Couniy,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner  with 
a  Mr.  McNutt,  and  came  to  Neillsville  in  1856,  where  he  stopped  with 
Mr.  O'Neill  till  he  built  a  house  and  shop  and  took  his  brother  Edward 
into  partnership  with  him.  In  1S64,  he  opened  a  cabinet  store  in  the 
building  he  now  occupies.  In  1877,  sold  out  to  Peter  Johnson,  and 
retired  ;  October,  iSSo,  started  the  store  he  now  has.  Was  married,  in 
1849.  to  Miss  Mary  Diebler,  of  Westmoreland  Co.,  Penn.  They  have 
one  child,  Amanda — lost  three.     He  has  held  public  offices. 

L.  W.GALLAHER,  in.anufacturer,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, Conn..  April  19,  1831.  Went  to  Litchfield,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1838.  In  1846,  went  to  Wayne  County.  In  1856,  went  to  Indiana. 
Was  engaged  in  different  occupations  at  this  time,  and  in  1868  moved 
to  Black  River  Falls,  where  he  was  employed  as  pattern  maker,  coming 
to  Clark  County  in  1S71,  where  he  put  up  a  mill  and  sash  and  door  fac- 
tory, which  was  burned  down  in  1879.  He  immediately  built  again, 
and  now  is  running  the  saw  and  planing  department.  In  August,  1857, 
he  married  Miss  A.  M.  Baker,  of  Warsaw,  Ind.  They  have  a  family  of 
seven  children— Nelson  E.,  Elmer  W.,  Carrie  P.,  Charlie  Sumner,  Early 
L.,  Owen  V.  and  Reuben  H.  He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DANIEL  GATES,  banker,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.. 
July  II,  iSiS.  In  1856,  went  to  F'airfield,  Jefferson  Co.,  Iowa.  Remained 
but  a  shoit  time,  moved  to  Wedge's  Creek,  Clark  Co.,  Wis.,  and  opened 
a  hotel.  In  1861,  moved  into  a  private  residence.  Engaged  in  legging 
in  the  Winter  and  farming  in  the  Summer.  In  1869,  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Joel  Head,  in  the  grocery  business.  In  1876,  Mr.  Head  died, 
and  his  wife  still  remained.  In  October,  .Mr.  G.  started  a  meat-market, 
and  took  his  son  in  as  a  partner.  In  1878,  bought  Mrs.  Head  out,  and 
took  his  son,  J.  L.,  in  the  provision  business.  In  1879,  established  the 
Neillsville  bank.  Was  married,  in  1848,  to  Miss  Jane  Hewitt,  of  New 
York.  They  have  three  children.  M.  G.  has  held  a  number  of  public 
offices  to  the  satisfaction  of  all. 

J.  L.  GATES,  banker,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  22,  1S50.  He  came  west  with  his  parents,  who  located  about  six 
miles  south  of  Neillsville  in  1S56.  They  moved  to  this  place  in  1861. 
He  then  went  to  commercial  school,  and  commenced  business  in  1871. 
In  1872,  he  had  accumulated  enough  to  build.  Seeing  an  opportunity 
to  make  money,  he  went  into  real  estate  and  brokerage.  In  1876,  added 
a  provision  store  to  his  business,  and  realized  large  returns,  as  high  as 
$&o,ooo  in  the  Winter  of  1880.  This  store  he  sold  to  F.  D.  Lindsay, 
March,  1S81.  and  now  runs  the  bank  of  J.  L.  Gates  &  Co.,  established 
in  1879.  Married  Miss  Liddia  E.  Eyerly,  of  Neillsville,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children — Robert  L.,  six  years  of  age,  and  Edith  Temperance, 
aged  four. 

ANSEN  GREEN,  farmer.  Sec.  26,  P.  O.  Neillsville,  was  born  in 
Middleton,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  22,  1S17.  Came  right  from  his 
native  county  to  Clark  County  in  1854,  taking  an  active  part  with  the 
early  settlers  in  organizing  these  parts.  Has  always  been  interested 
more  or  less  in  lumbering,  also  in  hotels;  kept  one  in  1856  in  which  he 
cleared  $885  in  six  months.  He  then  kept  the  Neillsville  Hotel,  which 
he  sold  to  Hubbard.  Then  bought  this  farm  of  166  acres,  on  which  he 
now  lives,  in  1S64.  Is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering.  In 
1842,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Dean,  of  New  York.  They  had  seven 
children,  three  now  living— Sallie  M.,  Wilber,  Nettie,  Levi,  De  Willet, 
deceased — Anson  and  Nora.  Mr.  G.  has  held  town  office,  is  now  on 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

G.  J.  HART,  bookkeeper  for  James  Hewett,  Neillsville,  was  born  in 
Canton.  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  i,  1844.  Lived  there  and  was 
following  business  of  building  mover  in  Jefferson  County.  In  1859,  ^e 
attended  St.  Lawrence  University,  and  in  1862,  visited  the  west,  went 
back.  In  1S71,  emigrated  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  going  to  La  Fay- 
ette (bounty,  and  then  came  up  to  this  place  with  a  team  of  horses  to 
sell,  but  not  being  able  to  get  a  fair  price,  went  to  work  with  them  in 
the  pineries.  He  then  went  to  clerking  for  J.  H.  Marshall,  in  the  hard- 
ware business.  In  1S77,  was  appointed  Deputy  Treasurer  of  Clark 
County.  In  l83o,  gave  his  attention  to  telegraphy,  being  employed 
since  iSSx  with  James  Hewett.  In  1S75,  married  Miss  Mira  Caswell, 
of  Jefferoon  Co..  N.  Y. 

M  RS.  ALMI RA  HEAD,  Neillsville,  widow  of  Joel  Head,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  this  place,  and  identified  with  its  business  interests.    Mr. 


Head  was  a  miller  by  trade,  and  run  C.  Blakeslee's  mill  after  he  came  to 
Neillsville.  Afterward  going  into  the  hotel  business,  he  kept  the  Hub- 
bard House,  and  then  went  into  the  meat-market  on  shares  with  D. 
Gates.  Then  carried  on  a  provision  store  in  connection  with  the  meat- 
market.  Was  doing  a  very  fine  trade  at  the  time  of  his  death  (Dec.  2, 
1875).  Mrs.  Head  («(•<•  Almira  Payne)  was  born  in  New  York,  May  18, 
1838,  and  married  Mr.  Joel  Head.  Aug.  26.  1S56.  They  had  three  chil- 
dren— Rosa  N.,  Laura  A.  (now  Mrs.  Thomas  Morris)  and  a  son,  N.  V. 
Mrs.  Head  has  retired  from  active  business,  and  lives  on  the  estate. 


JAMES  HEWETT,  merchant,  Neillsville.  Born  in  New  York, 
Essex  County,  May  i,  1830.  Was  engaged  in  lumbering  there  up  to 
1856  ;  came  to  Neillsville,  where  he  has  carried  on  the  same  business  up 
to  the  present  time.  In  1S59,  he  went  into  the  mercantile  line  with  the 
firm  name  of  Hewett,  Wood  &  Co.,  which  continued  to  be  the  firm  name 
till  Mr.  Wood's  death,  which  occurred  in  1879  he  running  the  business  in 
his  own  hands  since.  He  also  has  a  saw-mill  on  Wedges  Creek.  His 
stock  of  merchandise  amounts  to  $10,000,  and  he  has  done  a  business  of 
$100,000  a  year.    Married   Miss   Henrietta  Brown,  of  Maine,   Oct.  17, 

1864.  They  had  three  children,  one  living— Sherman  F.,  born  Sept.  4, 

1865.  Two  deceased,  Chauncy  B.,  born  Feb.  14,  1S67,  died  April  20.  1869, 
and  an  infant.  His  wife  died  in  April,  1869.  May,  1S74.  married  Eme- 
line  Niles.  Has  served  the  public  in  numerous  official  positions,  and 
continues  to  do  so.  He  has  been  before  the  people  for  the  Assembly, 
but  was  defeated. 

PETER  JOHNSON,  merchant  and  dealer  in  furniture,  Neillsville. 
Born  in  Denmark,  Sept.  9,  1S49.  In  1871,  came  to  America,  went  to 
North  Adams,  Mass.;  in  1S72  commenced  working  at  Holbrook's  saw- 
mill at  the  foot  of  the  Green  Mountains,  going  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1874  ; 
there  learned  the  cabinet  business;  then  traveled  to  Tennessee,  and  on 
to  Chicago,  then  into  Iowa.  Finally  striking  Black  River  Falls,  where 
he  stayed  until  1877  ;  came  to  Neillsville,  bought  out  James  Furlong, 
and  commenced  doing  business.  Was  married  in  1876  to  Miss  Mary 
Postweler,  of  Black  River  Falls.  They  have  two  children,  Annie  and 
Clara.     He  belongs  to  the  Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

IRA  B.  JONES,  prescription  clerk  in  W.  C.  Crandall's  drug  store, 
Neillsville.  Born  in  Orleans  County,  N.  Y.,  July  19,  1849.  He  com- 
menced the  drug  business  with  Dr.  E.  D.  Hall  in  Knoivlesville,  Orleans 
Co.,  N.  Y.  With  his  brother,  Thomas  P.,  he  spent  the  years  of  1 868  to 
1871  in  Canada  as  U.  S.  Consul,  going  thence  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.  In 
the  Spring  of  1872,  he  married  Miss  Julia  A.  Hoyt.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Gracie  May,  and  Bessie  Floy.  Mr.  Jones  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  is  a  representaiive  to  the  Right  Worthy  Grand  Lodge  that  meets  on 
the  7th  of  June,  1881,  in  Milwaukee. 

J.  B.  JONES,  book-keeper,  with  C.  Blakeslee.  Neillsville.  Born  in 
Lew  is  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  19,  1837.  lie  \\ern  into  the  neighboring  county 
of  Orleans,  where  he  remained  till  1S57,  and  worked  on  the  farm.  In 
1857,  visited  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  but  returned  to  New  York,  where  he 
stayed  till  the  Fall  of  i860.     Came  to  Wisconsin  ;  in  1S61,  enlisted  in 


242 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


the  I2th  Wis.  Vols.,  and  was  mustered  out  as  second  lieutenant  in  1865  ;  he 
returned  to  Orleans  County,  was  appointed  U.  S.  Consul  to  the  city  of 
Hamilton,  Canada.  In  1867,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  again,  and  in  1868 
arrived  in  Neillsville  and  went  to  farming  for  a  short  time,  then  to  keep- 
ing books  for  O.  P.  Wells  cS:  Co.,  soon  after  for  Hewett  &  Wood,  and  in 
1880  took  his  present  position.  In  1S64  married  Miss  Lovilla  White,  of 
Marion,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children— Vinnie  I., 
Thomas  E.  and  J.  Earl.  Was  elected  Treasurer  in  1879,  °"  '^"^  Temper- 
ance ticket,  is  serving  in  this  capacity  now.  Was  Assessor  in  i86g,  and 
1S72.  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  He  was  the  first  Noble 
Grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge  of  this  place. 

SOLOMON  F.  JOSEPHS,  confectioner,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Ni- 
agara Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  184S.  In  1857,  went  to  Columbia  Co.,  Wis. 
In  1871,  went  to  Benton,  Minn.  In  1S72,  went  to  Poynett,  Wis., 
where  he  learned  the  harness  trade,  and  coming  to  Clark  County  in  1873, 
opened  a  harness  shop,  which  he  ran  until  1S77,  then  opened  up  in  the 
same  line  he  now  has.  He  then  built  the  store  now  occupied  by  H.  J. 
Youmans  ;  in  18S0  he  sold  this  store  to  the  firm  of  Ring  &  Youmans, 
and  on  the  eighth  of  November,  opened  his  present  place  of  business. 
Jan.  15,  1S73,  married  Miss  Nellie  E.  Dole,  of  Columbia  County.  They 
have  two  children,  Florence  E.,  aged  eight  years,  and  Lynn  Dole,  aged 
three  months.  Mr.  Joseph  belongs  to  the  following  lodges:  N.  G.  of 
I.  O.  O.  F.;  Sec.  of  Royal  Arcanum,  and  H.  C.  R.  of  Forresters.  ,  He 
is  the  State  representative  to  the  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
World  in  New  York,  June,  1881. 

F.  A.  LEE,  Town  Clerk,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Sheffield,  England, 
April  12,  1S2S.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1S43;  they  stopped 
in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  and  went  to  farming.  In  184S.  went  to  clerk- 
ing. Learned  the  trade  of  cigar  maker  in  Chicago,  went  to  Janesville 
to  work  at  the  trade.  At  Sparta  opened  up  in  ihe  mercantile  and  sta- 
tionery line,  soon  after  he  kept  nothing  but  dry  goods.  Disposing  of  his 
business  he  came  up  to  Neillsville  in  lS6g  ;  clerk  in  Hewett  &  Blakeslee's, 
but  concluded  to  set  himself  up  in  a  general  merchandise  store.  Closed 
out  and  is  now  giving  his  attention  to  his  offices,  being  Justice  of  the 
Peace  as  well  as  Town  Clerk,  which  office  he  has  held  for  the  fourth  term. 
In  1853  he  married  MissL.  E.  Chapterson  of  Philadelphia,  Pa,  They  have 
seven  children— Allie,  Kate  (now  Mrs.  David  Payne),  Frederick,  Charles, 
Jessie,  Herbert  and  Mattie.  Mr.  Lee  has  been  warden  in  the  Episcopal 
Church  for  the  last  three  years, 

HON.  F.  D.  LINDSAY,  merchant,  Neillsville.  Born  in  EssexCo., 
N.  Y  .  Feb.  17,  1S37.  He  remained  in  his  native  county  until  1S62,  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  when  the  war  broke  out  he  enlisted,  1862,  in  the 
118th  N.  Y.  Vol.,  and  served  till  1865.  When  mustered  out  ranked 
sergeant.  Went  home  then  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  came  to  Clark 
County,  Jan.  i,  1866.  Went  to  work  by  the  month  lumbering  and  farm- 
ing; kept  at  that  business  since,  doing  about  $50,000  per  year.  In  18S0, 
bought  provision  store  of  J.  L.  Gates,  which  is  connected  with  his  lum- 
bering interests.  In  1872,  married  Miss  Clara  Hubble,  of  Neillsville. 
They  have  two  children,  Bessie,  six  years  of  age  in  October,  Josie  two 
years  December,  and  one  deceased,  named  Lulu.  In  lS7l-72,he  served 
the  county  as  Sheriff;  1876-77,  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from 
Wood,  Clark,  Lincoln  and  Taylor  counties  ;  was  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board  for  1S78-79-80. 

GEORGE  L.  LLOYD,  merchant,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Willoughby, 
Lake  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  9,  1840.  When  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age  he 
went  to  Colorado,  returning  the  same  year.  Located  in  Neillsville  in 
the  year  1859,  being  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  W'orked  for  Wells 
&  Co.  up  to  1873.  Set  up  his  own  business.  Now  has  a  stock  on  hand 
of  about  $10,000,  and  his  proceeds  for  the  year  is  about  $50,000.  He 
married  Miss  Dora  Marshall,  of  Hingham,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1873. 
They  have  two  children,  Glynn  and  Clyde. 

GEORGE  A.LUDINGTON,  dealer  in  harness,  trunks,  collars,  etc., 
Neillsville,  Born  in  Circleville,  Pickaway  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  5,  1842.  He 
came  to  Illinois  in  1S57.  When  the  war  broke  out  enlisted  in  Co.  H, 
30th  Ohio  Vol.,  served  out  his  time  and  re-enlisted  in  Alabama  and  was 
mustered  out  in  1865,  attending  school  in  Indiana  that  Winter.  He 
picked  up  the  carpenter  trade  at  Warsaw,  111.  Oct.  25,  1866,  he  worked 
in  the  woods  on  Black  River.  •  Learned  the  trade  of  harness  making 
with  J.  Elliott.  A.  L.  Cuber  and  P.  S.  Dudley.  In  1877,  bought  out  S. 
F.  Josephs.  In  1869,  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Teller,  of  Black  River 
Falls.  They  have  four  children— Albert  C,  Eunice,  Carrie  and  Mary 
Teller.  Belongs  to  the  I.  O.O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  P.  G.;  lo  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  and  the  I.  O.  R.,  of  which  he  was  the  first  P.  C.  R.  in  the 
Neillsville  Lodge.  The  Guards,  a  militia  organized  1875,  as  Zouaves, 
and  reorganized  in  1878  as  the  Sherman  Guards,  have  him  for  their 
second  lieutenant. 

JAMES  LYNCH,  retired,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Allegheny  Co.,  Pa., 
March  6,  1807.  He  first  went  to  .Vrmstrong  County  in  the  year  1828, 
and  was  engaged  with  his  father  on  a  farm  till  1S56;  came  to  Neillsville 
the  same  year  and  locating  on  the  same  lot  that  his  present  dwelling 
now  occupies.  He  once  owned  a  farm  of  more  than  two  quarter  sec- 
tions, having  lately  sold  it.  In  1835,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Kirk- 
land  of  Cumberland  Co.,  Pa.     They  had  eleven  children,  seven  now  liv- 


ing—  John  H.,  Mary  Ann,  deceased,  Alice  A.  (now  Mrs.  Furlong)' 
Salina  (now  Mrs.  Sturgeon),  Mellissa  J.  and  Elizabeth,  deceased,  Lewis, 
Cordelia  (now  Mrs.  Hewett),  ].  Wick,  Sheldon  and  Byron.  Mr.  L.  has 
been  Town  Treasurer,  also  School  Treasurer,  and  held  other  offices. 

R.  J.  MAC  BRIDE,  lawyer,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
June  28,  1847.  When  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age  started  for  the 
West  and  arrived  in  Neillsville  in  October,  1S66,  and  clerked  for  Hewett, 
Woods  &  Co.,  until  1869.  He  was  giving  his  attention  to  reading  law 
in  his  spare  moments,  and  in  1870  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  Married 
Miss  Emeline  Niles,  of  Michigan.  Was  elected  County  Judge,  served 
from  1870  to  1877,  and  was  appointed  alternate  delegate  to  the  National 
Convention  that  nominated  Gen.  Hancock  for  President  of  the  United 
States. 

E.  H.  MARKEY,  liveryman,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Cambridge,  Mass., 
Dec.  25.  1S44.     He    stopped   a    while    in    Lawrence.     Came    to    Black 
River  Falls  in  1855.     When  the  war  broke  out  he  enlisted   in   the   14th       I 
Wis.  Vol.,  as  drummer  boy,  served  his   time   out  and   re-enlisted  in  the       | 
Veteran   Corps    till    mustered   out    in    1S65,  when  he  returned  to  Black 
River  Falls,  and  in  1S67  came  to  Neillsville.  Kept  a  meat  market,  then 
went  into  the  livery  business  in  1870,  making  him  the  oldest  in  the  busi- 
ness  in   the  place.     Ran  a   stage    line  in  1875,  and  at  one  time  he  ran 
coaches   from    Neillsville    to    Humbird,  Loyal   and  Hatfield.     In  1S71,       , 
he  married  Miss  Hattie  Babcock,  of  Courtiand  Co.,  N.  Y.     He  belongs       1 
to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.     Was  Clerk  of  the  County  and  Deputy  Sheriff,  be-       | 
sides  holding  some  town  offices.  , 

DR.  W.  B.  MORLEY,  physician,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Chauta-  ' 

qua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  29,  1852  ;  went  to  Viroqua,  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  where  i 

he  studied  under  Dr.  W.  A.  Gott.     In  1876.  he  graduated  at  the  Louis-  t 

ville  College,  Ky.,  and  commenced  practice  at  Leon,  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  [ 
and  came  here  in  1S79;  entered  on  Dr.  Crandall's  practice.     Mr.  Morley 

married,  in  1877,  Miss  Mary  Gilliland,  of  Leon.  I 

HENRY    MYERS,    druggist,    Neillsville,  was   born    in    Newfield,      | 
Tompkins  Co..  N.  Y.,  March  6,  1841.     Worked  in  his  father's  grist-mill      ' 
and  at  farming  ;  came  West  to  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  in  1857,  and  harvested 
for  Jerry  Patchem  ;  went  to  logging  on  the  Black  River  up  to  1879.  "hen      ', 
he  bought  Dr.  G.  C.   Lacy,  Jr.,  out,  and  is  now  carrying  on  the  drug 
store.     In  the  Fall  of  1S79,  his  brother  bought  a  half  share  and  the  firm      ; 
is  now  Myers  Bros.     In   June,  1S80,  he  commenced  a  fine  residence  at 
the  corner   of    State  and   Fourth   streets,  costing  about   $2,500.      Mr.      1 
Myers  enlisted  twice,  but  did  not  get  out  of  the  State.      He   belongs  to      ' 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.  I 

WILLIAM  NEVERMAN,  brewer,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Meek-  | 
lenburg-Schwerin,  Germany,  June  14,  1834;  arrived  in  Quebec  in  1852;  I 
came  to  Milwaukee,  going  to  work  on  a  farm;  learned  ship-building  of  | 
James  Jones  in  1856,  starting  as  deck  hand  from  Galena,  III.,  on  a  1 
steamboat  for  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  1857,  he  arrived  in  Neillsville,  where  1 
he  worked  as  house-carpenter  till  iS6l.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  14th  Wis.  I 
v.,  as  corporal.  In  1862  he  was  reduced  to  the  ranks,  and  althuugh  of  ' 
fered  promotion  again,  would  not  accept.  Served  time  out  Dec.  10,  '63; 
re-enlisted  in  the  Veterans,  and  was  promoted  from  second  to  first  ser- 
geant, December,  1864,  and  to  second  lieutenant,  July  12,  1S65.  When  j 
he  came  home,  he  commenced  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  carried  on  ■ 
till  1S70.  In  1869,  he  built  the  brewery  and  brews  about  500  or  600  | 
barrels  a  year.  Married,  Nov.  30,  1865,  to  Miss  Sophia  Sontag,  of  Jef- 
ferson County.  They  have  seven  children — Mary,  Carl,  Otto  B.,  Dora,  ' 
Rudolph  G.,  Alma  and  Eda.  He  belongs  to  the  Sons  of  Hermann  .md  ' 
the  Foresters.     He  has  been  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

HON.    JAMES  O'NEILL,   proprietor  of   the  O'Neill  House  and 
proprietor  0     ihe  village  of  Neillsville,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Lisbon, 
St.  Lawrence  Co..  N.  Y.,  May  4, 1810.    In  1836,  started  west  and  brought 
up  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.,  and   there  engaged   in   lumbering   on  the    ■ 
Black  River,  and  settled  on  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  Neillsville 
and  built  the  first  log  cabin  in  1S45  that  was  put  up  in  this  section,  also 
a  saw-mill.     In  1847,  constructed  a  frame  house  ;  built  the  first  part  of    , 
the  fine  hotel  called  the  O'Neill  House,  in  1858,  and   opened   the   hotel    , 
as  it  is  now  in  1865.      Hans  Johnson  rented  it  in  1867,  and  Johnson  &    j 
Myers  bought  it  in  186S.     However  Mr.  O'Neill  has  kept  it  s'ince.  buy- 
ing it  back  in  1878.     Mr.  O'Neill  has  been  married  twice  ;  in  1847,  to 
Miss  Jane  Douglas,  of  Scotland.     They  had  three  children— Isabella,    '1 
now   Mrs.   Coval,   Maria,   now   Mrs.  Darling,  Thomas,  deceased.     Mrs.    ; 
O'Neill  died  in  1871  and  he  married   Mrs.  Teller  in  1S73.     They  have    j 
one   child,  James.     Mr.  O'Neill  was  elected   to   the  Assembly  in    1848    , 
from  Crawford  County;  in   1867,  was  elected  again  to  the  Assembly  for    i 
Jackson  and  Clark  counties  ;  has  also  served  as  County  Treasurer  and  as 
Town  Supervisor. 

JAMES  O'NEILL,  Jr.,  attorney,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  St.  Law- 
rence Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3.  1847.  He  remained  there  till  1873,  studying 
law.  He  graduated  at  Cornell,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  then  attended  law  school  : 
at  Albany,  graduated,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1873.  He  then 
started  west  and  the  same  year  located  in  this  State  and  entered  a  steady 
practice.  In  1876.  he  married  Miss  Marion  Robinson,  of  Neillsville.  ■ 
They  have  one  child,  Ernest,  aged  four  years. 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK   COUNTY. 


REV.  HARVEY  PALMER,  P.  O.  NeiUsviUe,  was  born  in  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  v.,  Sept.  21,  iSoS.  His  parents  moved  to  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1821.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  and  learned  the  mason's  trade 
about  this  period  of  his  life.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  in 
Lafayette  County  joined  the  Wisconsin  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  filled  the  following  appointments:  Wingville. 
Beetown,  Sauk  Prairie,  Paoli,  Springfield,  Baraboo  and  Dodgeville, 
coming  herein  1863  ;  gave  his  time  to  preaching,  farming  and  lumbering. 
Now  has  a  farm  of  eighty  acres.  In  1832,  March  23,  he  married  Miss 
Emeline  Coon,  of  New  York.  They  have  six  children— Hiram,  Martha, 
deceased,  Ann,  now  Mrs.  Carnvvell,  Lorinda,  now  Mrs.  Marsh,  William 
and  Uriah.  Uriah  served  in  the  4th  Wis.  V.,  afterwards  in  Battery  B., 
U.  S.  A.  Was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Mr.  P.  has  been 
Town  Treasurer,  Supervisor,  and  has  held  other  offices.  He  lives  on 
his  farm  on  Sec.  16. 

HIRAM  PALMER,  lumberman.  Sec.  16,  P.O.  Neillsville, was  born 
in  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  25,  1833.  .At  an  early  age,  left  his  native  coun- 
ty; arrived  in  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851.  coming  to  the  Wisconsin 
River  and  to  La  Crosse  May  15,  1854,  and  started  on  foot  for  a  logging 
drive  up  at  Eden's,  where  Greenwood  now  is.  W.  B.  Hawley  had 
charge  of  the  drive.     He  was  engaged  as  pilot  on  the  Mississippi  up  to 

187 1,  and  has  of  late  years  been  engaged  in  lumbering.  For  a  few  years 
he  was  one  of  the  partners  in  the  firm  of  Boardman,  Bussell  &  Palmer 
in  the  lumber  and  mercantile  business,  but  dissolved  in  1S74  He  is  now 
lumbering  with  James  Hewett,  having  bought  his  farm.  He  now  owns 
240  acres;  140  acres  are  under  cultivation.  In  1S60,  he  married  Miss 
Rosa  Tucker,  of  Illinois.  They  have  two  children,  Morton  and  Jessie. 
He  was  elected  Sheriff  in  1S66 ;  has  been  Supervisor  and  held  other 
town  offices. 

J.  A.  PARKHURST,  Clerk  of  Clark  County  Court,  was  born  in 
Washtenaw  Co.,  Mich.,  April  11,  1842.  Went  to  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1849,  where  he  stayed  till  1S53,  ''leti  returned  to  his  native  county  and 
stopped  till  February,  1S56.  In  May,  visited  St.  Jo.,  Mo.,  and  then 
started  overland  with  a  train  of  merchandise  sent  out  by  Jones  &  Co.  to 
Salt  Lake.  Returned  to  Donophan  Co.,  Kans.,  in  1861 ;  secured  a  po 
sition  in  the  office  of  the  Register  of  Deeds.  He  then  went  to  Outaga 
mie  County;  in  March,  1S61,  enlisted  in  6th  Wis.  V.  I  ;  was  commis 
sioned  second  lieutenant  in  1S63  and  returned  home.  Stayed  till  1869 
being  elected  Clerk   in  1S67,  and  then  traveled  through  the  West.     In 

1872,  commenced  studying  law  in  the  office  of  Col.  Thorn  ;  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  June,  1S74;  practiced  law  until  February,  1S75. 
Started  the  newspaper  called  the  Enterprise  in  Colby,  Clark  Co.,  Wis, 
He  moved  the  paper  down  to  Neillsville,  and  in  187S  sold  to  Mr.  Clea 
ver.  Mr.  Parkhurst  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  County  Court  in  1S77.  He 
married  Miss  Theresa  A.  Randall,  of  Appleton,  Outagamie  Co. 
They  have  two  children,  Jessie  A.  and  Augustus  G. 

THOM.\S    B.    PHILPOTT,   Sherifi  of   Clark  County,  Neillsville. 

Born   in    Fording    Bridge,    Hampshire  Co.,    England,  April   14,   1842 

Came  to  America  in  1S56,  locating  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  and  worked  at 

the  trade  of  blacksmith  with  his  father,  till  1859,  when  he  started  across 

the  plains,  returning  to  Dodge  County  in    1S60.      When    the  civil 

broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  the  2gth  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  I,  and  was  mustered 

out  October,   1865,   at    Ft.  Leavenworth,    Kan.,    and    returned   home 

Worked  at  his  trade  until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Loyal,  Clark  Co.,  on 

Christmas  dav,  and  came  to  Neillsville.     Was  elected  Sheriff  of  Clark 

County,  in  1877,  time  expires  1883.    In  1864,  married  Miss  E.  T.  Bresee 

of  M.idison,  Wis.    They  have  four  children — Milton  J.,  Pearl  M.,  George 

;     B.  and  Guy  R.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

i    and  of  the  lodges  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of  A.  O.  U.  W. 

i  PHILIP  K.\MMINGER,  manufacturer   of  wagons  and   carriages 

!     Neillsville.     Born  in  Denmark,  Aug.  22,  1849.     He  came  to  America  ir 

\    1852.  straight  to  Sheboygan  County,   where    he   remained  until  1864 

while  here,  he  learned  his  trade  of  Peter  Kierst.      In    1870,  he  went  tc 

Plymouth  and  worked  at  the  trade  of  wagonmaker,  and  then  to  Green 

wood,  where  he  opened  in  1873.    In  1881,  sold  to  Burr  Bros.,  and  moved 

'     to  Neillsville,  opened  a  shop  here.     In  1S74,  married  Miss  Matilda   Ick. 

steadt,  of  Plymouth.      They  have  two   children,  Alfred,  born  April  13 

i     1876,  and  Cora,  born  Sept.  8,  1880. 

i  MRS.  M.  W.  REDDAN,  hotel,  Neillsville.    Born  in  -Somerset  Coun 

I  ty,  May  21,  1834,  and  was  married  to  Mr.  L.  R.  Stafford,  in  1849.  He 
i  was  a  man  that  was  eminently  fitted  to  develop  the  resources  of  this 
'  section.  Was  born  Aug.  12,  1824.  He  engaged  in  lumbering,  and 
'  brought  his  wife  and  family  out  from  LaCrosse,  in  a  wagon  drawn  by 
'  four  mules,  and  driven  by  a  man  named  Charlie  Hewett  ;  they  passed 
through  Neillsville,  and  went  on  to  Weston's  Rapids,  where  there  was 
'  a  large  hotel,  run  by  Harry  Searls  ;  here  they  stopped  until  he  had  built 
1  a  house  on  his  land,  on  Sec.  n,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Neills- 
\  ville.  He  with  great  ability,  continued  to  build,  and  finally  induced  so 
'  many  to  locale  around  him,  that  the  village  was  named  Staffordsville 
:  after  him,  and  at  this  time  it  was  more  of  a  business  place  than  the 
county  seat.  There  was  a  saw  mill,  grist  mill,  hotel,  machine  shop,  etc. 
,  The  little  village  continued  to  thrive  till  1871,  when  the  founder  died, 
'    since  then  the  settlement  has  entirely  disappeared,  nothing  is  left  but  the 


hotel,  which  was  patronized,  till,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  small  pox, 
it  was  used  as  a  pest  house,  and  is  now  rapidly  falling  to  pieces.  Mrs. 
Reddan  married  again  in  August,  1874,  to  her  present  husband,  and  now 
holds  the  old  site  of  .Staffordville,  and  a  farm  above  called  the  Cowley 
farm,  and  keeps  the  hotel  in  Neillsville.  She  had  by  her  first  marriage, 
four  children— Alice,  Albion,  Jamie  and  Maud. 

JOHN  REED,  lumberman,  Neillsville.  Born  in  Northumberland 
Co.,  England,  May  30,  1828.  Came  to  New  Orleans,  La.,  went  up  the 
Mississippi  River  to  Kentucky,  where  he  went  to  work  in  the  coal  mines. 
In  1852,  during  a  strike  of  the  miners,  went  to  Jackson  County  and 
bought  a  farm,  then  returned  to  the  coal  mines  of  LaSalle  Co.,  111.,  when 
his  health  failing,  he  went  to  Maryland.  In  1854,  was  lumbering  on  the 
Black  River.  In  1861,  enlisted  m  the  1st  Wis.  Battery,  and  served  till 
October,  1864.  Came  to  Clark  County,  and  went  to  trapping,  then  into 
logging,  and  has  been  at  it  ever  since.  He  was  staying  at  Staffordsville 
when  the  small  pox  broke  out.  In  1874,  married  Mrs.  Evaline  Fowler, 
of  Jackson  County.  They  have  two  children,  John  H.,  two  years  old, 
and  Ruby  H.,  four  years  old.     Mr.  Reed  belongs  to  the  Masons. 

M.  C.  RING,  attorney,  Neillsville.  Born  in  East  Milton,  Rock  Co., 
Wis.,  Oct.  30,  1850.  He  went  to  Cooksville,  then  to  Madison,  and  soon 
after  to  Sparta.  In  1873,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Tyler  & 
Dickinson,  went  to  Madison,  and  entered  the  law  department  of  the 
University.  After  graduating,  came  to  Neillsville,  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  C.  A.  Youmans,  and  is  now  practicing  under  the  same  name, 
that  of  Ring  &  Youmans.  In  Sept.  13,  1S77,  married  Miss  Ida  M.Aus- 
tin, of  Neillsville.  They  have  one  child,  Blanche  A.,  aged  three  years 
May  loth. 

JACOB  ROSSMAN,  proprietor  Rossman  House,  Neillsville,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  June  29,  1834.  In  1849,  he  came  to  New  York,  arriv- 
ing there  in  May,  and  going  right  on  to  .Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis;  resided 
there  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Neillsville  and  opened  the  Rossman 
House.  In  connection  with  the  hotel,  he  has  a  cigar  factory  and  saloon, 
and  does  a  business  of  $20,000  per  annum.  Mr.  Rossman  married  Miss 
Catherine  Gesserd,  of  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1856.  They  have  seven 
children  living — Louis,  George,  Frederick,  Kate,  Julius,  Amelia  and 
Ameil  ;  three  deceased — Otto,  Jacob  and  Robert.  He  served  as  Sheriff 
in  1876-7. 

HERMAN  SCHUSTER,  Register  of  Deeds.  Neillsville,  was  born 
in  Saxony,  Germany,  Feb.  28,  1833  ;  emigrated  to  .'\merica  in  Septem- 
ber, 1844,  and  landed  in  New  York  City,  Nov.  7  ;  resided  there  until 
May,  1S72,  when  he  came  to  Clark  Co.,  Wis.,  settling  on  a  farm.  In 
October,  1873,  he  engaged  with  Messrs.  Dewhurst  &  Hutchinson  in  the 
real  estate  and  abstract  office.  Was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  No- 
vember, 1876,  and  has  continued  in  ofiice  since,  being  now  in  his  third 
term.     He  is  also  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business. 

G.  STERNS,  manufacturer,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Jonkoeiping, 
Sweden,  May  2,  1821.  In  1S51,  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Wilmington,  111.,  where  he  learned  the  cabinet  trade.  He  was  troubled 
with  ague,  and  went  to  LaCrosse.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Neillsville  ; 
thence  to  Weston's  Rapids  and  worked  at  the  cabinet  trade  till  l868, 
when  he  came  to  the  county  seat  and  put  up  a  turning  lathe  and  shingle 
mill.  In  1873,  he  got  his  stave  factory  into  running  order,  which  has  a 
capacity  of  7,000  per  diem.  In  1854,  he  married  Miss  Charlotte  Medin, 
of  Sweden.  They  have  four  children — Henry,  Oscar,  Clarence  and 
Stella.     He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

J.  R.  STURDEVANT,  District  Attorney,  Neillsville,  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  Iowa,  Sept.  6,  1845.  In  1854,  he  went  to  Lee  Co.,  Iowa, 
and  then  to  Neillsville  the  same  year,  and  attended  school ;  soon  after, 
he  began  studying  law,  when,  in  1S72,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and, 
in  1S73,  was  elected  District  Attorney,  which  office  he  has  retained  until 
the  present  time.  He  was  elected  County  Judge  at  the  last  election,  and 
takes  his  place  Jan.  i,  1882.  Mr.  Sturdevant  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Johnson,  of  Wapello  Co.,  Iowa,  Oct.  19,  1S70.  They  have  one  child, 
Claudie  R.,  born  Sept.  18,  1871.  Mr.  S.  enlisted  in  the  4th  Wis.  Vol., 
Dec.  26,  1863,  and  was  mustered  out  Oct.  9,  1865. 

J.  W.  STURDEVANT,  farmer  and  bee  raiser.  Sec.  22,  P.  O.  Neills- 
ville. was  born  in  Warren  Co.,  Pa,  Sept.  «2,  1816.  He  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  lumbering  in  his  native  county,  and  hearing  of  the  fertility 
of  Iowa,  went  to  Jefferson  County  of  that  State,  in  1S44,  then  to  Lee 
County,  and,  in  1854,  came  to  Clark  County,  and  went  to  farming  and 
bee  raising.  He  began  with  one  hive  of  bees,  and  increased  until  he 
had  214  ;  at  present  he  has  but  forty,  having  lost  no  swarms  last  Win- 
ter. He  married,  in  1840,  Miss  Mary  Ann  French,  of  Vermont.  They 
have  six  children — Robert  F.,  James  F.,  J.  Rufus  and  Marshall  D.,  liv- 
ing, and  Nancy  and  Gilroy,  deceased.  Mr.  S.  has  held  most  all  of  the 
town  offices. 

H.  E.  TAYLOR,  jeweler,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Tioga  Co..  N.  Y., 
Dec.  31,  1838.  He  learned  his  trade  partly  of  D.  D.  Brown,  whom  he 
was  with  in  1864.  Previous  to  that  time,  he  had  worked  at  carpenter 
work.  In  1861,  had  enlisted  in  Company  H,  64lh  N.  Y.  V.,  but  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  being  disabled  from  rheumatism.  Relumed  to 
New  York.     Gave  his  attention  to  the  jeweler's  trade,  being  occupied  at 


Z44 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


it  in  Minnesota  till  lS6S.  Came  here  and  opened  a  store.  In  1S72.  he 
married  Miss  Nellie  Chase,  of  Jackson  Counly. 

JAMES  A.  TEMPLETON,  M.  D.,  Neillsville,  was  born  near  the 
Natural  Bridge.  Rockbridge  Co.,  Va.,  Oct.  13,  1S32.  Family  moved  to 
Henry  Co..  Ind.,  where  his  father  died,  and  his  mother,  with  himself  and 
sister,  returned  to  Augusta  Co.,  Va.  In  1S46.  attended  Washington 
College,  at  Le.\ington.  From  there  went  to  the  University  of  Virginia, 
and  entered  the  medical  department.  He  graduated  in  1S55.  Went  to 
Philadelphia;  then  to  lUue  Sulphur  Springs,  Green  P.rier  Co.,  W.  Va. 
Wlien  the  war  broke  out,  was  commissioned  sergeant  in  the  Confederate 
army,  April  17,  1S61.  He  served  during  the  war,  and  in  186S,  com- 
menced practicing  in  Bristol,  Tenn.,  where  he  remained  till  September, 
iS7g.  when  he  came  to  Neillsville,  and  is  now  following  his  profession. 
Married  Miss  Johnson,  of  Gieen  llrier  Co.,  W.  Va.,  in  1S56.  They 
have  five  children-Mary,  Howard,  Emelie,  James  A.  and  Nannie  E. 

J.  H.  TiiAVEK,  clerk,  with  C.  Blakesfee,  Neillsville,  was  born  in 
Penobscot  Co..  Maine,  Aug.  12.  1847.  In  1S66,  went  to  Wisconsin; 
then  to  Michig.m,  where  he  remained  two  years,  and  then  came  back  to 
Wisconsin.  Engaged  in  mercantile  and  lumbering  business,  and  in 
1S77,  commenced  his  present  business  with  C.  Blakeslee.  Mr.  Thayer 
married  Miss  Mary  E.  Austin,  in  1S76.  They  have  two  children,  Min- 
nie and  Bessie. 

JULIUS  TRAGSDORF.  manufacturer,  Neillsville,  was  born  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  Nov.  14,1847.  Having  his  trade  learned,  he  came 
to  this  country  in  iSfig.  going  to  Washington  County,  where  he  worked 
at  shoemaking  till  1S72.  Came  to  Clark  County,  and  opened  at  Pleas- 
ant Ridge.  Came  to  Neillsville  in  1S75,  and  now  has  his  place  of  busi- 
ness on  Third  street.  Was  married,  in  May,  l83i,  to  Miss  Julia  Camp- 
men,  of  Bohemia,  Austria.     Mr.  T.  belongs  lo  the  Lutheran  Church. 

G.  W.  TROGNER,  manufacturer,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  St.  Law- 
rence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  14,  1S47.  Moved  to  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1849. 
In  1S63.  enlisted  in  Company  H.,  3Sth  Wis.  V.  Was  mustered  out  25th 
July,  1S65,  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  carpenter  and  joiner's 
trade,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S65,  came  to  Neillsville  and  worked  for 
Hewett  &  Blakeslee.  Then  went  at  his  trade,  in  1867.  Opened  his 
present  stand  in  1871.  Feb.  14,1868,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  M. 
Smith,  of  Black  River  Falls.  They  have  four  children— Charlie,  George, 
Minnie  and  Kate.  Is  sergeant  in  the  Sherman  Guard,  belongs  to  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  a  delegate  to  Milwaukee  in  February.  iSSi  ;  is  a  mem- 
ber  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.;  also  of  the  Foresters,  Temple  of  Honor  and 
Sons  of  Temperance. 

L.  WEEKS,  merchant,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Windom  Co.,  Conn., 
April  10,  1822.  He  passed  his  youth  in  Cooperstown,  Otsego  Co.,  N. 
Y.;  then  went  to  Beaver  Dain,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  There  worked  at  the 
business  of  carpenter  and  joiner.  In  1S60,  came  to  Black  River  Falls. 
In  1879.  came  to  Neillsville.  Opened  his  present  business  in  1880;  car- 
ries a  full  line  of  furniture  and  undertaker's  goods.  In  1845,  married 
Miss  Emellne  Clatk.  of  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children 
living.  Nellie  A.  and  Robert — three  deceased,  Mary,  James  C.  and  an 
infant.  Belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  and  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

O.P.WELLS,  merchant,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn., 
Aug.  15,  1839.  He  went  to  Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.,  in  1S44,  and  to  La- 
Crosse,  Wis.,  in  1S54.  While  there  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade,  work- 
ing at  the  same  at  Black  River  Falls.  In  1865.  came  lo  Neillsville,  and 
opened  the  first  hardware  store  in  the  place.  From  186S  101871,  he  had 
a  partner,  and  the  firm  was  Wells  &  Co.  He  is  now  alone  in  the  busi- 
ness. Carries  a  stock  of  $3,000  lo  $4,000.  Was  married,  in  1859,  to 
Miss  A.  S.  Graham,  of  Black  River  Falls.  They  have  three  children— 
Imogene  (deceased),  Bertie  A.  and  Syble  A. 

H.  N.  WITHEE,  Deputy  Counly  Treasurer,  Neillsville,  was  born 
in  Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  Dec.  3,  1824.  Remained  in  his  native  county 
till  1866,  with  the  exception  ol  a  visit  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  in  1855  ; 
then  came  to  Jackson  Counly,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  was 
there  till  1878.  coming  to  Neillsville  in  ihe  Spring  of  ihe  same  year. 
Mr.  Wiihee  was  appointed  Deputy  Counly  Treasurer  in  1879.  January 
1st.  In  1854,  married  Miss  Sarah  N.  Nutting,  of  Somerset  Co.,  Maine. 
They  have  a  family  of  seven  children— John  F.,  Lyman  K.,  Charles  B., 
Henry  Alvin,  Alvin  Z.,  Levi  and  Lavisa. 

C.  A.  YOU  MANS,  attorney,  Neillsville,  was  born  in  Kenosha,  Wis., 
Oct.  14.  1847.  In  1S52,  moved  lo  Columbia  County,  where  he  read  law 
with  II.  J.  Shill.  lawyer  and  merchant,  and  also  with  Edgehart  &  You- 
mans.  In  1872,  he  came  to  Neillsville;  was  admitted  lo  the  Bar  in 
1876,  on  Ihe  ccrlificate  of  graduation  from  the  law  department  of  the 
Madison  University ;  is  now  of  ihe  firm  of  Ring  &  Youmans,  attorneys. 
In  1S77  he  was  appointed  Counly  Judge,  lo  fill  the  vacancy  created  by 
the  resign.Ttion  of  R.  J.  McBride.  Was  married  Jan.  10,  1S77,  lo  Miss 
Nellie  French,  of  Neillsville.  They  have  one  ch'ild,  seven  months  old. 
TOWN    OF    GRANT. 

CHARLES  CORNELIUS,  Postm.astcr,  merchant.  Sec.  12.  P.O. 
Maple  Works.  Born  in  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  4. 1S55  ;  moved  to  She- 
boygan County  in  1863  ;  while  there  followed  selling  sewing  machines 


and  organs;  moved  to  Maple  Works  in  1878  and  opened  a  store  of  gen- 
eral merchandise  and  farm  implemenls.  carrying  a  slock  of  SS.ooo  and 
doing  a  business  of  $35,000  a  year.  He  bought  his  store  of  Thomas 
Hover.     He  is  a  single  man. 

HENRY  COUXSELL,  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Neillsville.  Born  in 
Somersetshire,  England,  March  15.  1S35.  His  parentscame  10  America 
in  184S.  When  Henry  was  thirteen  years  of  age.  landed  in  New  York, 
and  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Waukesha  Company,  slopping  on  a 
farm  where  he  remained  until  1857;  came  to  Clark  Counly  and  bought 
a  farm  on  Sec.  20,  town  of  Grant,  where  he  is  now  living;  he  owns  160 
acres.  In  1859.  married  Miss  Susanna  Pope,  of  England.  They  have 
five  children— Ida,  William,  Josiah,  O.-car  and  Nettie  B.  Mr.  C.  has 
held  town  offices,  and  his  family  attend  ihe  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  S.  DORE,  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  farmer.  Sec. 
19,  P.  O.  Neillsville.  Born  in  Summerset  Co.,  Maine,  Dec.  2O.  1839. 
On  coming  lo  Wisconsin  he  settled  in  what  was  then  Marqueile  County, 
now  Green  Lake;  in  1851,  he  arrived  at  Mormon  Rifle  and  went  to 
work  getting  out  lies;  in  1859.  he  taught  district  school  ;  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Judge  Gale,  he  attended  the  University  of  Galesville.  In  1865, 
edited  the  Union  F/a^',  Ihe  first  number  was  published  Feb.  23,  1S65; 
on  suspending  that  paper,  started  Ihe  yomtin/,  Jitn.  31,  1S67.  S.  DicK- 
inson  was  associated  on  the  /"/n^',  and  E.  Merrill  on  Ihe  Joiinial  s\.aS. 
He  is  now  farming  when  not  attending  to  his  official  duties,  raising 
blooded  stock.  Jan.  i,  1863,  married  Miss.  L.  Jennie  Angell,  of  La 
Crosse.  They  have  five  children^Clara,  Ray,  Edna,  Earl,  deceased  ; 
Mary,  an  infant,  deceased,  and  Jennie.  Mr.  D.  belongs  lo  the  Good 
Templars. 

ARTHUR  HUTCHINSON,  farmer  and  Postmaster,  Sec.  15,  P.O. 
Pleasant  Ridge.  Born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  Aug.  15,  1S41.  Wiih  his 
parents  he  came  to  Quebec  ;  he  went  to  Centreville,  Penn.,  then  lo  Dela- 
ware, and  in  1853.  to  Waukesha  Co..  WMs ,  farmed  ihere  ;  went  to  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  arrived  here  in  1857  ;  bought  lliree  forlies,  and 
commenced  clearing.  In  1S64.  he  enlisted  in  ihe  4Sth  Wis.  Vols.;  was 
mustered  out  in  1S65,  and  came  home.  He  married  Miss  Phoebe  A. 
Buss,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1868.  They  have  five  children— Mary  Jane, 
Florence  E.,  Arthur  H.,  Bertie  A.,  and  Alfred.  He  has  held  the  offices 
of  Assessor,  Treasurer,  and  been  Postmaster  ever  since  he  came  to  the 
section.     Belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

NELSON  MARSH,  farmer.  Sec.  2.  P.  O.  Maple  Works.  Born  in 
Susquehanna  County,  Aug.  14.  1S2S.  The  family  moved  10  Bradford 
County,  and  there  he  learned  his  trade  with  his  father,  who  was  a  shoe- 
maker and  cooper.  After  his  father  died  in  1S52.  he  ran  the  shop; 
came  to  Clark  County  in  1857,  .settled  at  Maple  Works;  his  brother 
cme  out  in  1856,  and  bought  a  farm  for  him;  he  has  now  120  acres; 
they  were  the  first  settlers  at  Maple  W'orks,  Ihe  next  being  .Abram  Tay- 
lor. In  October,  1S64,  Mr.  M.  was  drafted  into  Co  B.  3d  Wis.;  being 
laid  up  in  the  hospital,  got  home  in  1865  ;  went  to  farming;  keeps  | 
strangers,  and  runs  a  shoe  shop.  In  1850.  he  married  Miss  Amanda  R.  I 
Taylor,  of  Connecticut.  They  have  six  children  living — Joseph,  Lewis, 
Malvina,  Sylvester  L.,  Alva  B,  Justin  R.,  and  Angelina  and  S  encer  M., 
deceased.  Mr.  M.  was  the  first  Postmaster  of  Maple  Works,  and  Jus- 
tice of  ihe  Peace  for  twenty  years.  I 

THOMAS  REED,   farmer.   Sec.   18,  P.   O.,  Neillsville.     Born   in       : 
Piscataquis  Co..  Maine,  July  II,  1830.     He  was  raised  on  a   farm,  and       \ 
did  not  leave  home  till  1S55.  when  he  came  to  Black  River  and  commen- 
ced lumbering  ;  in  1S56-57,  was  wilh  Mr.  Bruce.     He  has  been  in  the 
business    twenty   winters;  part  of  the   time  for   himself.     In    186 1,  he 
pre-empted  120  acres,  and  now  has  320  acres,  besides  a  large  lot  of  lum- 
ber.    The  firm  was  formerly  Reed  &  Page.     He  sold   last   Winter  to       I 
Cramer.      In    1858.  he   married    Miss    Lucrelia    Marsh,   of    Michigan. 
They  have  two   children,  Celia,   now  Mrs.   Benedict,   and    Haltie  ;  two       \ 
dead,   John  and   Emerretla.     Mr.   Reed    has   been    Counly   Supervisor,      ; 
County  Commissioner,  and   Chairman  of  the   Town   Board  for  several 
years,  and  belongs  to  the  Masons. 

HUMBIRD.  ; 

This  thriving  village  is  situated  in  tlie  southwest  portion  | 
of  tlie  county,  on  the  line  of  the  West  Wisconsin   Railroad, 

and  took  its  name  from  Jacob  Hunibird,  a  well  known  rail-  ; 

road  contractor.  ; 

The  earliest  settlers  in  this  jiart  of  tlie  county  were,  Or-  • 

vin  Wilson,  a  Mr.  Alderman,  who  owned  tlie  land  on  which  1 

the  village  was  laid  out,  Elisha,  Isaac  and  Elijah  Htul,  .4s-  ^ 

hael  Webster,  E.  Webster,  Horace  Stiles,  G.  W.   King  and  ■ 
Charles  Miller. 

In  ICS69,  Mr.  Alderman  hiid  off  forty  acres  for  a  village  , 

site,  caused   the   same  to  be  surveyed  and  platted,  and  the  ' 
place  now  known  as  Humbird,  occupied  by  graded  streets, 

Irordered   by    fine  buildings,  was   then    covered  with  heavy  1 

timber,  wliere  deer  and  wild  animals  wandered  at  will.     At  ' 


HISTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


245 


that  time  the  railroad  had  not  been  completed  ;  still  a  spirit 
of  enterprise  was  manifested  by  tliose  already  on  tlie  ground, 
and  of  adventure,  by  the  comparatively  frequent  arrivals  of 
settlers,  many  of  whom  became  permanent.  The  first  build- 
ing erected  after  the  survey  was  the  Rocky  Mound  House, 
which  was  erected  by  G.  W.  King,  and  used  as  a  hotel.  E. 
D.  Carter  and  F.  W.  Whitcomb  were  among  the  early  ar- 
rivals. They  built  residences  and  opened  the  first  store  in 
Humbird.  A  man  named  Bump  came  about  this  time  from 
Black  River  Falls  and  opened  a  store,  also.  The  arrivals 
between  1870-73  were  quite  numerous,  and  the  village  as- 
sumed an  appearance  of  age,  while  it  was  yet  young,  with 
its  mill,  brewery,  hotels,  stores,  shops,  all  commodious  and 
neatly  painted.  Among  these  was  William  Schmidt,  who 
built  the  flouring  mill;  Michael  Andrews,  who  erected  the 
brewery  ;  Edward  Freeman,  Isaac  Cross,  Robert  McElhose, 
Biswell  Alderman,  Mr.  Whipple,  the  first  carpenter;  E. 
Edwards,  the  first  wagon  maker  ;  George  Cole,  Joshua  Gore, 
David  Hoyner,  E.  D.  Travis  and  Lawrence  Sloan,  all  of 
whom  engaged  in  business,  and  have  contributed  to  the 
welfare  and  prosperity  of  their  adopted  home. 

In  the  Fall  of  1873,  the  village  was  overtaken  by  a  visi- 
tation of  the  small-po.x,  which  created  a  havoc  among  the 
inhabitants  and  retarded  its  growth  for  several  years.  In 
the  previous  year  the  railroad  had  been  completed,  and 
Humbird  had  become  a  prominent  point  for  the  shipment 
of  grain  and  lumber  from  the  surrounding  country.  In  a 
brief  period  this  was  summarily  checked,  and  for  the  en- 
suing two  years  the  shipments  were  comparatively  light. 
About  twenty- five  residents  died  during  the  continuance  of 
the  scourge,  the  corpses  being  buried  at  night;  business 
was  suspended,  and  trains  rushed  by  the  station  as  if  flee- 
ing from  wrath  in  pursuit.  All  the  Winter  of  1873-74  was 
one  of  desolation,  indescribable  ;  nor  did  the  Spring  bring 
encouragement  to  the  afflicted  residents.  As  the  year  ad- 
vanced, business,  however,  began  to  revive,  an  occasional 
traveler  would  come  in  and  decide  to  remain,  and  with  the 
dawn  of  the  Centennial  year  of  American  Independence, 
Humbird  had  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  this  tem- 
porary paralysis.  The  new  arrivals  of  that  period,  and 
since,  include,  among  others,  Henry  Clark.  O.  G.  Tripp, 
A.  E.  Holbrook,  T  Q-  A.  Bull.  Mr.  Hickox,  Frederick  Rob- 
inson, Henry  Clark,  Alfred  Stevens,  D.  B.  Travis,  Mr.  Col- 
fax, C.  Fowler,  Peter  Frances,  Christopher  Rector,  R.  D. 
Shaw,  D.  A.  Tracy,  L.  D.  Halstead,  Peter  Wilson,  and 
others. 

These  also  projected  and  completed  improvements,  and 
have  identified  themselves  with  the  growth  and  advance- 
ment of  the  village.  Humbird  cannot  help  being  a  perma- 
nent and  thriving  town,  situated,  as  it  is,  with  large  pine- 
ries on  one  side  and  on  the  other  a  rich  farming  country, 
leading  even  into  Minnesota,  from  which  large  amourts  of 
produce  are  hauled  by  farmers  to  this  place  and  exchanged 
for  manufactured  lumber.  In  addition  to  the  lumber  trade, 
there  are  extensive  growths  of  pine  timber  north  and  east, 
where  saw  and  shingle  mills  are  operated.  All  material 
manufactured  at  these  points  are  either  shipped  to  Hum- 
bird  or  pass  through,  en  rcrn/e  to  Minnesota.  The  village, 
like  many  other  thriving  villages  of  the  West,  enjoys  the 
residence  of  enterprising  citizens,  whose  courage,  ambition 
and  attention  to  business  are  a  valuable  guarantee  of  the 
future  prosperity  of  the  place. 

The  population  is  quoted  at  between  300  and  350. 

The  first  school  opened  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village 
was  taught  in  a  small  frame  which  stood  opposite  the  Webster 
House,  and  was  continued  in  that  locality  until  1870.  In 
the  latter  year,  the  number  of  pupils  was  so  in  excess  of 
the  accommodations  that  it  was  decided  to  establish  a 
graded  school,  and  the  present  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $2,500. 


At  present  two  teachers  are  employed,  the  average  daily 
attendance  is  100  pupils,  and  the  expense  incident  to  main- 
taining the  school  is  $1,300  per  annum. 

John  Stallard,  Isaac  Cross  and  Orvin  Wilson  constitute 
the  School  Board  at  present. 

Humbird  as  yet  is  without  a  church  edifice,  though  there 
are  three  church  societies,  though  each  is  limited  in  num- 
bers. The  Free  Methodists  meet  in  the  Town  Hall  weekly, 
when  they  are  addressed  by  Mrs.  Dutton  ;  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  society  are  addressed  semi-monthly  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Robinson,  services  being  held  in  Carter  &  Whitcomb's 
Hall,  and  the  Seven-Day  Advents,  at  the  residence  of  War- 
ren McClafflen,  Saturdays. 

Humbird  Lodge,  No.  191,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized 
in  April,  1874,  with  thirteen  members,  and  worked  under  a 
dispensation  until  June  following,  when  it  was  regularly 
chartered,  and  the  following  officers  elected  :  F.  W.  Whit- 
comb, W.  M.;  H.  C.  Holbrook,  S.  W.;  E.  P.  Houghton,  J. 
W. ;  A.  B.  Holbrook,  secretary;  Warren  Page,  treasurer, 
and  Oliver  Houghton,  tyler.  The  present  officers  are :  E. 
P.  Houghton,  W.  M. ;  E.  J.  McKinley,  S.  W. ;  S.  A.  Wise, 
J.  W. ;  F.  W.  Whitcomb,  secretary  ;  Oliver  Houghton,  treas- 
urer; W.  H.  Clark.  S.  D.  ;  Albert  Alderman,  J.  D. ;  W.  H. 
Colfax,  tyler.  The  present  membership  is  thirty-five ; 
meetings  are  held  on  the  first  and  third  Saturday  nights  of 
each  month,  and  lodge  property  is  valued  at  $500. 

Humbird  Lodge.  No.  252,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized 
February  10,  1876,  with  a  complement  of  members,  and  the 
following  officers  :  C.  B.  Hackney,  N.  G. ;  J.  Q.  A.  Bull, 
V.  G. ;  G.  A.  Tracy,  secretary,  and  L.  Wilder,  treasurer. 
The  present  officers  are:  R.  D.  McElhose,  N.  G. ;  A.  D. 
Stiles,  V.  G. ;  Allen  Young,  secretary,  and  E.  D.  Benson, 
treasurer.  The  present  members  number  forty;  meetings 
are  held  every  Saturday  night,  and  lodge  property  is  valued 
at  $T,ooo. 

Rocky  Mound  Lodge,  No.  190,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  organ- 
ized April  10,  1875,  with  twenty  members.  The  officers 
were  :  Calvin  Allen,  W.  C.  T. ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Toff,  W.  V.  T.; 
W.  H.  Clark  and  R.  D.  McElhose,  secretaries;  Mrs.  Emma 
Clark,  treasurer;  W.L.Stanton,  chaplain;  F.J.Simons, 
marshal;  G.  A.  Tracy,  P.  W.  C.  T.  Meetings  are  held  weekly, 
on  Wednesday  evenings;  the  present  membership  is  forty- 
two,  and  the  officers  are  :  C.  Fowler,  W.  C.  T. ;  Miss  Lou 
Cross,  W.  V.  T. ;  Miss  Inez  Holbrook  and  Mrs.  F.  L. 
Stevens,  secretaries;  David  Fitzmorris,  treasurer;  Frank 
Bockus,  chaplain,  and  William  Sloan,  marshal. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  the  village  consist  of  a 
planing-mill,  floiiring-mill  and  brewery.  The  former  was 
put  up  by  E.  D.  Carter,  in  1877,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  and  is 
supplied  with  machinery  affording  capacity  for  25,000  feet 
of  lumber  per  diem. 

The  flouring-mill  was  erected  by  William  Schmidt,  in 
1873,  and  is  three  stories  high.  It  is  supplied  with  two  run 
of  stone,  with  capacity  of  fifty  barrels  of  flour  in  twenty- 
four  hours,  and  is  operated  by  water  power  from  Hale's 
Creek.     The  cost  of   the  mill    is    estimated  to  have  been 

Eilert's  Brewery,  on  Hale's  Creek  branch,  was  erected 
in  1870,  by  Andrews  &  Gunderson.  The  following  year 
the  same  was  purchased  by  Enos  Eilert,  who  has  since 
completed  improvements  and  operated  the  business.  He 
employs  four  hands,  turns  out  1,000  barrels  of  beer,  and 
does  a  business  of  §10,000  per  year. 

The  Post-office  was  established  in  Humbird  about  1871, 
whence  it  was  removed  from  Garden  Valley,  and  D.  B. 
Travis  appointed  Postmaster.  He  is  still  in  the  service, 
and  mails  are  received  twice  daily  from  east  and  west. 

The  cemetery  is  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  vil- 
lage, in  a  northwesterly  direction,  where  it  was  laid  out,  in 
1871,   on   land    formerly  owned    by    Orvin    Wilson.       The 


246 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


grounds  are  prettily  platted,  securely  fenced  and  kept  in 
good  order. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ERNEST  EILERT,  brewer,  Humbird.  Born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, Sept.  24,  1845.  Came  to  America  in  1850,  and  stopped  in  Wauke- 
.sha  County  till  1S70,  where  he  learned  brewing  with  his  father.  In  187:, 
commenced  business  for  himself ;  owns  the  brewery  and  fine  residence, 
together  with  the  farm.  In  1S71,  married  Miss  Deane  Andrews,  of 
Waukesha  County.  They  have  five  children  living— Willie,  Mary, 
Maggie,  Louisa  and  Loui.  Mr.  Eilert  has  been  Town  Supervisor  for  the 
last  five  years. 

E.  A.  FREEMAN,  merchant,  Humbird.  Born  in  Indiana,  Porter 
County,  Aug.  29,  1853.  In  1858,  moved  to  Minnesota  ;  was  engaged  in 
the  hardware  business  there  ;  returned  home  and  while  there  worked  at 
the  tinner's  trade  ;  in  1877,  came  to  Humbird  and  went  into  the  mercan- 
tile business  with  Mr.  Cross,  the  firm's  name  being.  Cross  &  Freeman, 
now  doing  a  good  business  and  carrying  a  stock  of  $3,000  or  S4.ooo- 
In  1879.  Mr-  Freeman  married  Miss  Cora  Wells,  of  Dakota.  They 
have  one  child,  Fannie  Ora.     He  has  been  Town  Treasurer  since  1879. 

C.  F.  W.  SCHMIDT,  miller,  Humbird.  Born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
Sept.  14,  1817.  In  1S56,  came  to  America,  and  having  descended  from 
a  race  of  millers,  he  followed  the  milling  business  in  Waterloo,  Wis., 
until  1865.  In  1S71,  he  came  to  Humbird  and  built  his  present  home 
out  of  the  pine  timber,  constructed  his  dam.  and  built  his  own  mill, 
being  a  millwright.  In  1S72,  had  his  fine  mill  in  operation,  called  the 
Humbird  Mill.  The  buildinc  is  36x50,  four  stories  high,  two  run  of 
stone,  with  a  capacity  of  100  bushels  per  diem  ;  the  power  is  two  tur- 
bine wheels — one  Houston  and  one  Taylor,  with  llYz  feet  head.  In 
1842,  married  Miss  Frederica  Tenker,  of  Prussia.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Theresa  and  Anna,  both  now  married.  Mr.  Schmidt  has  been 
Town  Supervisor  for  five  years. 

GREENWOOD. 

Greenwood,  almost  equi-distant  between  Black  and  Rock 
rivers,  in  Eaton  Township,  though  of  comparatively  recent 
establishment  and  growth,  is  already  a  population  of  nearly 
250,  and  gives  evidence  in  its  improvements  and  otherwise 
of  the  character  of  the  people  who  have  located  in  that  vi- 
cinity.  It  is  seventeen  miles  from  Neillsville,  four  from 
Hemlock,  and  eight  miles  from  Longwood  Post-office,  and 
is  adjacent  to  valuable  water-powers,  as  also  the  distribut- 
ing point  for  a  rich  agricultural  region. 

The  earliest  settlers  about  Greenwood  included,  Elijah 
Eaton,  S.  C.  Honeywell,  Samuel  Lambert,  C.  W.  Carpenter, 
George  Huntzicker,  Jacob  Huntzicker,  Jones  Tompkins, 
George  Christie,  and  others,  who  ventured  into  this  section 
at  various  periods  from  1847  to  1863,  where  they  engaged 
in  farming,  lumbering  and  other  pursuits.  Stephen  C. 
Honeywell  came  in  about  1862,  and  opening  a  farm  on  the 
present  site  of  the  village,  engaged  extensively  in  agricul- 
ture and  logging,  which  he  conducted  successfully  and 
profitably.  About  1867,  the  question  of  laying  out  a  vil- 
lage contiguous  to  lumbering  operations  began  to  be  first 
mooted,  but  no  decisive  action  looking  to  that  object  was 
then  inaugurated.  This  ran  along  for  several  years  without 
efforts  being  made,  until  supplies,  which  had  been  jjre- 
viously  purchased  at  Neillsville  and  Black  River  Falls,  were 
accessible  in  the  vicinity  of  Greenwood,  when  the  long  de- 
bated subject  was  decided  favorably  to  enterprise,  and  the 
preparations  made  to  begin  the  founding  of  the  village. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1 871,  William  Welsch  surveyed  and 
platted  Greenwood,  and  with  the  dis|)osition  of  these  pre- 
liminaries, lots  were  purchased  and  improvements.  The 
number  of  domiciles  then  visible  was  limited  to  the  log 
houses  and  frame  structures  of  settlers  who  had  located 
before  a  village  was  even  remotely  considered,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  offers  made  by  owners  of  lots  were 
availed  of  by  purchasers.  In  1872,  very  few  located  here, 
and  among  these,  possible,  doubtless,  Mrs.  B.  F.  Brown, 
who  opened  the  first  store.  The  following  year,  A.  S. 
Eaton  removed  to  Greenwood  from  Black  River  Falls 
and  opened  a  hardware  store,  at  the  same  time  officiating 
as    Postmaster.      The     same    year,      l'"rank     Pfeiffer    emi- 


grated to  W'isconsin  from  Germany,  and  settled  in  Green- 
wood. A.  W^  Bailey,  who  had  carried  on  a  business 
of  manufacturing  sash,  doors,  blinds,  etc.,  at  Black 
River  Falls,  established  himself  at  Greenwood,  as  did  Louis 
Rossman,  a  mechanic  from  Sheboygan,  and  some  others. 
In  about  1874,  Dr.  G.  H.  Thomas  opened  a  drug  store. 
Warners,*  Hunts,  Bowermans  and  a  large  proportion  of  the 
inhabitants  who  have  since  remained  in  the  village  made 
their  first  advent  here.  August  6th  of  the  following  year. 
North  Greenwood,  composing  thirty-two  lots,  was  surveyed 
and  added  to  the  original  survey,  but  as  yet  is  but  indiffer- 
ently built  up.  Six  years  before,  a  religious  society  had 
been  organized  among  the  residents  of  the  surrounding 
country,  and  in  1877,  the  Methodist  Church  edifice,  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  conveniently  arranged  in  the  county 
was  built  and  dedicated.  During  this  period  services  had 
been  held  in  the  school-house,  which  is  an  inference  be- 
yond dispute,  that  the  cause  of  education  had  not  been 
neglected,  and  other  interests  had  been  conserved  and  pro- 
tected witli  equal  care  and  diligence,  the  happy  effect  of 
which  is  apparent  to  the  casual  visitor  of  to-day. 

Though  young,  Greenwood  is  claimed  to  be  most  desira- 
bly located.  In  the  center  of  a  rich  farming  country,  cov- 
ered witli  the  fruit  of  man's  labors  in  arable  fields  under 
fence,  with  more  than  ordinarily  good  buildings  and  in 
some  instances  elegant  dwellings,  erected  in  view  of  the 
passer,  the  support  thus  obtained  will  be  invaluable.  The 
same  can  be  said  of  the  logging  and  lumber  interests. 

The  first  birth  to  occur  after  the  village  was  laid  off,  is 
claimed  as  that  of  Maude  Brown;  the  first  marriage,  John 
Honeywell  and  Rachel  Hodges,  in  the  Fall  of  1S71;  and 
the  first  death,  Elijah  Eaton,  December  4,  1872. 

The  first  school  in  the  vicinity  was  taught  by  David 
Hoseley,  in  a  log  cabin,  the  site  of  which  is  now  occupied 
by  Warner's  store.  This  was  during  the  war  and  the  roster 
of  pupils  was  limited  to  children  of  the  Eaton  and  Honey- 
well families,  with  those  of  John  Dwyer's  family,  all  told, 
not  exceeding  a  baker's  dozen.  From  this  place  it  was  re- 
moved to  Robert  Schofield's  log  house,  still  standing,  and 
when  the  village  was  surveyed,  the  building  now  occupied, 
adjoining  George  Slater's  residence,  was  adopted.  During 
the  Summer  of  1881,  a  new  building  of  frame,  designed  for 
a  graded  school,  was  commenced  and  completed  that  same 
Fall,  costing,  furnished,  a  total  of  $7,000. 

For  the  scholastic  year  ending  in  June,  1 881,  the  expense 
incident  to  the  support  of  the  school  during  the  year  had 
been  $650.  One  teacher  was  employed,  and  the  Board  was 
made  up  of  Elias  Peterson,  director;  W.  F.  Armstrong, 
secretary;  and  S.  M.  Andrews,  treasurer. 

Hercules  Lodge,  No.  181,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized  in 
August,  1870,  at  Staffordville,  where  it  worked  until  1876, 
when  its  removal  to  Greenwood  was  accomplished.  At 
that  time  the  officers  were:  W.  H.  Mead,  N.  G.;  Robert 
Schofield,  V.  G.;  Henry  Peck,  secretary ;  and  John  Hoyt, 
treasurer.  In  1879,  the  lodge  erected  a  building  nearly 
opposite  the  Methodist  Church,  where  meetings,  which  are 
convened  regularly  every  Saturday  evening,  are  held.  Tlie 
present  officers  are  :  Elias  Peterson,  N.  G.;  George  McCon- 
nell,  V.  G.;  W.  J.  Armstrong,  secretary;  John  Stewart,  treas- 
urer. The  present  roster  has  sixty  menibers,  and  lodge 
property  is  represented  at  $800. 

Frontier  Lodge,  No.  372,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  organized  in 
the  Winter  of  1879  with  thirteen  members  and  the  follow- 
ing officers:  W.  J.  Armstrong,  W\  C.  T.;  Miss  Elizabeth 
Andrews,  W.  V.  T.;  H.  W.  Hunt,  W.  R.  S.;  Charles  Barber, 
chaplain  ;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hunt,  W.  T.;  Joseph  Hodges,  mar- 
shal; and  L.  M.  Stevens,  P.  W.  C.  T.  Within  the  next  two 
years,  the  order  grew  in  numbers  and  strength,  and  in  the 
Summer  of  18S1,  enjoyed  the  support  of  seventy-three  mem- 


FilSTORY  OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


247 


bers,  who  renewed  their  resolutions  to  avoid  liquor  drinking, 
on  Friday  evenings,  and  owned  property  valued  at  $100. 
At  that  period,  the  officers  were  :  L.  R.  Warner,  W.  C.  T.; 
Thomas  Miller,  Jr.,  A.  F.  McMahon  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Bailey, 
secretaries;  Mrs.  Hannah  Bowman,  chaplain ;  Miss  Hattie 
Miller,   treasurer;  and   John  Miller,  marshal. 

Greenwood  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 
in  the  Winter  of  1S69,  with  a  small  membership,  under  the 
auspices  of  tlie  Rev.  Mr.  Bushnell,  and  held  services  at 
long  intervals  in  the  school-house  until  1877.  In  that  year, 
the  present  church  edifice  was  completed  and  dedicated. 
The  cost  of  the  structure  was  $3,600.  The  congregation  at 
present  numbers  seventy-five  members,  under  the  pastorate 
of  the  Rev.  C.  C.  Swartz. 

Neillsville  Cemetery  was  laid  out,  in  about  1867  or  '68, 
on  two  acres  of  half  a  mile  west  of  the  village  and  near 
Black  River.  It  is  used  as  a  burial  place  for  the  dead  of 
Eaton  and  Warren  townships,  and  is  under  the  control  of 
the  town  officers. 

Post-office  was  first  opened  in  1873,  with  B.  F.  Brown  as 
Postmaster,  who  remained  in  charge  until  1880,  when  he 
was  relieved  by  A.  S.  Eaton.  The  latter  is  still  in  the  ser- 
vice. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

W.  J.  ARMSTRONG,  contractor  and  jobber.  Greenwood.  Born  in 
Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  Feb,  23,  1S35.  .\t  an  early  age,  moved  to  Milwaukee, 
where  he  went  to  school ;  the  next  move  was  to  Green  Bay,  Brown 
County,  where  he  remained  till  1S49;  then  to  Appleton  ;  there,  was 
employed  in  laying  plank  road,  and  in  1S52,  arrived  in  LaCrosse,  but 
found  that  the  Indians  had  small-pox,  started  to  lumbering  on  the  Black 
River,  and  been  in  the  woods  since;  his  father  died  in  California  in  1856, 
and  he  was  the  support  of  the  family  from  that  time.  He  located  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  in  1875,  just  out  of  Greenwood,  on  Sec. 
35.  He  married,  in  1856,  Miss  Julia  M.  Smith  of  LaCrosse  County 
They  have  four  children —  Addie,  now  Mrs.  J.  Broiden,  Allen,  Charles. 
and  Edith.  Mr.  A.  has  served  as  Town  Clerk  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  ; 
belongs  to  the  Good  Templars,  and  the  Temple  of  Honor.  In  1864, 
enlisted  in  53rd  Wis.  V.,  and  was  mustered  out  in  September,  1865. 

G.  B.BEGLEY,  son  of  W.  H.  Begley,  P.  O.Greenwood.  Was  born 
in  Western  Canada  in  1S54  ;  came  to  Greenwood  with  his  family  in 
l86g.  His  father  was  a  lumberman,  and  in  1870,  built  the  first  part  of 
his  hotel,  and  put  on  the  last  addition  in  1871.  In  1879,  he  went  to  the 
Black  Hills,  where  he  remains,  leaving  G.  B.  to  look  after  the  property. 
Since  coming  here,  to  Greenwood,  he  has  been  engaged  about  the  hotel, 
except  when  he  clerked  for  B.  F.  Brown.  On  this  occasion  his  health 
failed,  and  he  took  a  trip  to  the  mountains.  Coming  home  with  restored 
health,  he  clerked  for  Warner,  and  is  now  engaged  in  refitting  the  hotel. 
George  B.  has  one  brother :  Thomas  R.,  and  a  sister  ;  Eliza,  now  Mrs. 
E.  H.  Carpenter.     Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

BROWN  &  HUNT,  general  merchandise,  Greenwood.  These 
gentlemen  have  been  associated  in  business  since  1876.  The  business, 
as  a  grocery,  was  formerly  owned  by  Mr.  J.  Brown.  He  was  born  near 
Nurdorls  Glasswork,  Norway,  July  10,  1824  ;  came  to  America,  and  to 
Greenwood  in  1874;  sold  a  half  of  the  business  to  Mr.  Hunt.  H.  W. 
Hunt  was  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  5,  1852.  During  his  majority, 
he  has  been  engaged  at  different  callings;  having  learned  the  milling 
business,  he  tried  that.  He  then  went  into  the  drug-store  line  ;  after- 
ward taught  school  in  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.  This  was  in  the  Winter  of 
1874-75.  He  then  came  here  in  1876,  and  bought  in  with  Mr.  John 
Brown.  In  1873,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Joscelin,  of  Columbia  Co.,  Wis. 
They  have  two  children,  Clarence  N.,  and  the  infant,  not  yet  named. 
Mr.  H.  is  now  Notary  Public.  He  belongs  to  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor,  and  the  Good  Templars. 

A.  S.  EATON,  merchant,  Greenwood.  Born  in  Merrimac  Co, 
N.  H.,  Aug.  13,  1840.  When  the  war  broke  out,  enlisted  in  Co. 
H.,  2nd  N.  A.  Vol.  He  was  transferred  to  the  loth  N.  H..  and  was 
mustered  from  the  service  as  captain,  in  1S65.  He  then  went  to  Black 
River  Ealls,  opening  a  tin  and  hardware  shop,  where  he  remained  until 
1871,  when  his  stock  was  burned.  He  lost  $24,000.  He  then  moved 
to  Greenwood,  where  he  now  has  a  large  hardware  store,  carrying  a 
stock  of  $7,000,  and  doing  a  business  of  $20,000.  In  1868,  he  married 
Miss  Emeline  A.  Bran,  of  Black  River  Falls.  They  have  a  family  of 
two  children,  Viola  A.  and  Freddie.  Mr.  E.  has  served  as  Town 
Clerk  and  Town  Treasurer;  is  now  Notary  Public  and  Postmaster.  He 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge. 

GEORGE  HUXTZICKER,  farmer,  Sec.  22,  P.O.  Greenwood,  born 
in  Alsace,  Germany,  Aug.  29,  1831,  learned  the  weaver's  trade  before 
coming  to  .America  ;  landed  in  1850,  and  went  to  Litchfield   Co.,  Conn., 


and  worked  in  a  woolen  mill  there  for  three  years ;  then  he  paid  New 
York  a  visit,  went  back  to  Connecticut  and  worked  in  a  woolen  mill  till 
1856,  when  he  came  to  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  then  to  Clark  County 
and  bought  Government  land  for  himself  and  brother.  He  is  now 
well  established,  being  engaged  in  farming,  and,  in  1S78,  having  put  up 
a  cheese  factoi7,  which  he  now  operates.  In  1861,  he  married  Miss  Mar- 
garet Myres,  of  Germany.  They  have  four  children  —  Mary,  Frank, 
George  and  Elsie.  Mr.  Huntzicker  has  served  as  Supervisor,  and  also  in 
other  town  offices. 

HENRY  HUNTZICKER,  farmer,  Sec.  15,  P.O.  Greenwood,  born 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  Nov.  8,  1833,  learned  the  trade  of  weaver  in  his 
native  land.  When  he  came  to  America,  he  went  into  a  woolen  mill  in 
Litchfield,  Conn.  This  was  in  the  same  mill  with  his  brothers.  He 
staid  one  year  and  then  went  into  a  foundry  at  Ferryville,  and  then  into 
the  woolen  business  at  Plymouth  ;  came  to  Wisconsm  with  his  brother, 
George,  and  settled  on  the  farm  in  Clark  County,  and  cleared  sixty  of  the 
eighty  acres  which  was  then  all  timber,  and,  in  1878,  built  the  fine  house 
he  now  lives  in.  He  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Wathenphul,  of  Prussia. 
They  have  five  children— John,  Jacob,  Albion,  Clara,  and  an  infant. 
Mr.  Huntzicker  has  been  Town  Treasurer  and  Supervisor;  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

FRANK  PFEIFER,  dealer  in  groceries,  provisions  and  meat.  Green- 
wood, born  in  Bohemia,  Dec.  31,  1849.  ^"d  landed  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
in  1865,  arrived  in  Wisconsin  in  1S67,  where  he  Worked  for  James 
Lock  ;  came  to  Gieenwood  in  1868  ;  he  then  went  to  work  in  the  woods 
until  1877,  when  he  opened  this  store,  being  one  of  the  firm  of  Pfeifer  & 
Hantzicker.  In  1877,  he  married  Miss  Frances  O.  Carpenter.  They 
have  two  children,  Sadie  Armeda  and  Ludmilla.  Mr.  Pfeifer  belongs  to 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

PHILIP  ROSSMAN,  mill-owner  and  lumberman,  .See.  28,  P.O. 
Greenwood,  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany,  March  4,  1S36,  came  to 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851,  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and 
in  the  woods  till  he  went  to  Missouri  in  1857,  but,  the  war  commencing, 
was  forced  to  come  north  for  a  while  ;  he  was  engaged  by  the  Govern- 
ment  in  1864,  then  returned  to  Sheboygan  County,  and.  in  1S71,  came  to 
his  present  location  ;  that  Fall,  built  his  saw-mill  ;  in  1S72,  his  dwelling. 
He  had  Henry  Wescott  as  partner  for  awhile,  but  now  does  the  business 
alone.  He  married,  in  i860.  Miss  Angeline  Dohegen,  of  France.  They 
have  eight  children — John,  Adolph,  Mary,  Edward,  Lucy,  Lionel,  Ira 
and  Almar.  Mr.  Rossman  has  served  in  different  town  offices,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

ROBERT  SCHOFIELD,  lumberman.  Greenwood,  born  in  the  town 
of  Dryden,  Tompkins  Co.,  N.Y.,  Feb.  2,  1836.  The  family  moved  to 
Potter  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1840,  where  his  mother  now  lives,  aged  seventy- 
one  ;  his  father  died  in  1877,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-one.  Robert 
left  home  and  traveled  to  Michigan,  where  he  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  and 
for  the  ensuing  years  rambled  from  one  place  to  another ;  in  1856,  arrived 
on  the  Black  River,  and  has  worked  in  the  woods  since,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  years  1859-60,  when  he  went  South,  stopping  at  every  place 
of  note  on  the  river  ;  on  returning  to  the  North,  went  to  work  driving 
on  the  river,  and  made  his  home  at  Greenwood,  in  1S79,  having  lived  at 
Weston's  Rapids  in  1863,  wliere  he  owns  400  acres,  under  the  charge  of 
P.  J.  Schofield,  his  brother.  In  1861,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Sias,  who 
died  in  1863.  He  married  again  in  1870.  There  is  one  child  dead,  and 
they  have  three  living  —  Gracie,  Hugh,  and  an  infant — AUie  M.  Mr. 
Schofield  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  to  the  Masonic  lodge. 

PATRICK  SHEEHAN,  lumberman.  Greenwood,  born  in  Western 
Canada,  April  11,  1840.  As  early  as  1855,  worked  in  the  pineries.  He 
has  follo%ved  this  life  more  or  less  ever  since  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
worked  on  the  Black  River  for  Randall  &  McDonald,  in  about  1877. 
He  was  in  partnership  with  Thomas  Kern  ;  is  now  alone.  He  has  a 
nice  farm  in  the  town  of  Hixon,  Sec.  22,  beside  tracts  of  timber  land. 
In  1874,  he  married  Miss  Caroline  A.  Mead,  of  Watertown,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children.  F.  Ritha  and  Mary  Edna. 

H.  J.  THOMAS,  physician  and  surgeon,  Greenwood,  was  born  in 
Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  26,  1849.  At  ten  years  of  age,  the  family 
moved  to  Milwaukee,  and  he  attended  school.  His  father  was  engaged 
in  practicing  law  at  this  time,  but  his  health  failed,  and  he  finally  died 
in  Ripon,  Fond  Du  Lac  County.  H.  J.  began  studying  medicince  in 
1866,  with  Dr.  E.  B.  Wolcott,  and  was  on  the  "  Dictator,"  in  the  Navy, 
as  physician.  He  commenced  practice  in  Milwaukee,  on  the  South 
Side,  and  in  1869  attended  Rush  Medical  College,  at  Chicago;  returned 
to  practice  in  1S70,  and  in  1871  he  went  to  Havana,  Cuba,  and  went 
into  the  Ballots  Hospital.  Finally,  in  1873,  located  in  Greenwood, 
where  he  erected  a  building  and  carries  on  a  drug  store,  which,  with  a 
good  practice,  gives  a  handsome  income.  Mr.  T.  belongs  to  the  Epi.";- 
copal  Church,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JONES  THOMPKINS,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  P.  O.  Neillsville,  was  born 
in  Saratoga  Co..  N.  Y.,  June  2,  1825.  He  has  been  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing and  farming  all  his  lifetime.  Came  West  in  1S59,  but  not  to  stay. 
He  went  back  to  Saratoga  County,  and,  in  i860,  started  on  a  tramp, 
going  to  Illinois  and  Iowa.  In  1862,  came  to  Clark  County  and  worked 
for  S.  Weston.    In  1865,  took  a  claim  where  his   farm  is  now,  consisting 


248 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  z66'/i  acres,  100  cleared.  He  has  lumbered  with  C.  Blakeslee,  James 
Hewelt  and  F.  D.  Lindsay  ;  built  the  house  he  now  lives  in  in  1873.  In 
184S.  he  married  Miss  Martha  E.  [.indsay.  of  New  York.  They  have  a 
family  of  four,  one  deceased,  J.  E.  The  children  living  are  :  Elias, 
Fred  and  an  infant.  Mr.  T.  has  been  County  and  Town  Supervisor  ;  is 
a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

M.  B.  WARNER,  merchant  and  farmer,  Greenwood,  was  born  in 
Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  -\ug.  6,  1S19.  His  parents  went  to  Wadena  Co., 
Ohio,  where  they  farmed.  After  this,  for  a  period  of  years,  was  engaged 
at  different  vocations.  In  1S55,  came  to  Black  River  Falls  ;  went  to 
lumbering,  and  followed  the  business  for  twenty  years,  part  of  the  time 
in  company  with  B.  J.  Spaulding;  they  then  owned  about  8,000  acres. 
In  1S71,  he  located  on  Sec.  15.  Town  of  Warner,  where  he  has  a  fine 
residence,  living  there  and  fanning  till  he  opened  a  store  in  Greenwood. 
iniSSo;  now  living  in  the  village  and  lending  to  his  mercantile  inter- 
ests. Mr.  Warner  married  Miss  L.  Richardson,  of  Black  River  Falls,  in 
1856.  They  have  five  children — Lewy,  David,  George,  Henry  and  Ger- 
trude. William  deceased.  He  has  been  chairman  of  County  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and  others  ;  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  of  which  lodge  he  is 
vice-grand. 

HORACE  M.  WESTON,  hotel.  Greenwood,  was  born  in  Somersett 
Co.,  Maine.  June  i,  1853.  The  earlier  part  of  his  life  was  spent  on  a  farm 
owned  by  William  B.  Gillman,  his  uncle.  When  he  was  living  in  Ohio, 
in  the  city  of  Zania,  he  attended  Anlioch  College  ;  then  tried  farming  in 
Illinois,  only  to  stop  at  that  work  and  try  another;  went  to  LaCrosse  ; 
entered  on  the  river,  taking  a  clerkship  on  tow-boats,  which  he  followed 
sometime,  and  then  went  to  work  for  Robert  Schofield,  keeping  books. 
In  1S75,  he  came  to  Greenwood  and  opened  a  general  merchandise  store. 
This  business  he  disposed  of,  taking  a  livery  business  in  exchange.  He 
quit  that  and  went  to  LaCrosse  again  ;  staid  but  a  short  lime  ;  came  to 
this  place  and  opened  the  hotel,  in  1S80.  In  1S76.  he  mnrried  Miss 
Fannie  Smith,  of  NeillsviUe.  They  have  two  children,  Edna  Estelle  and 
Harry  H.  Mr.  Weston  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  has  held  the  of- 
fice of  Town  Treasurer. 

TOWN    OF    LOYAL. 

J.  C.  GWIN,  Postmaster  and  dealer  in  geneial  merchandise.  Loyal, 
born  in  Erie,  N.Y.,  April  25.  1S39.  and  when  old  enough  attended 
Springville  Seminary,  coming  west  in  1S62.  to  Black  River  Falls  ;  while 
there,  clerked  for  J.  V.  Wells,  in  the  hardware  business  ;  then,  going 
into  partnership  with  A.  Le  Clair,  in  the  hardware  business,  and  is  now 
running  a  branch  store  for  the  firm,  opening  in  Loyal  in  1S73.  A  sad 
accident  occurred  m  1880.  His  store  building  and  stock  were  destroyed 
by  fire.  He  then  opened  in  the  building  that  he  now  occupies.  He 
married,  in  i86g.  Miss  Etta  Barber,  of  Black  River  Falls.  They  have 
two  children,  Esther  E.,  aged  nine  years,  and  Katie  M.,  aged  six.  Mr. 
Gwin  has  served  as  Town  Treasurer,  and  has  been  Postmaster  since  he 
came  to  Loyal. 

M.  P.  HARTFORD,  of  the  firm  of  Hartford  &  Allen,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise.  Loyal.  M.  P.  Hartford  was  born  in  Monroe, 
Co.,  N.Y..  July  4.  l8-|4-  He  remained  in  his  native  county  until  1S48, 
when  the  family  moved  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis  ,  and  went  to  farming.  He 
attended  W.iyland  University,  in  Beaver  Dam,  and  enlisted  in  1S64,  in 
1st  Wis.  C. ;  was  mustered  out  June  5,  1865  :  returned  home  and  went 
to  school-teaching.  He  has  taught  in  Illinois  and  Iowa.  Coming  to 
Layal  in  1S75,  working  in  a  saw-mill  at  first  and  then  clerking  for  his 
brother,  F.  C.  Hartford,  till  1879,  when  he  opened  this  establishment, 
and,  in  1880,  sold  one-half  the  store  to  Mr.  Allen.  Mr.  Hartford  mar- 
ried, in  1873.  Mi!=s  Sara  J.  Butler,  of  Cedar  Falls.  They  ha%-e  two  chil- 
dren living,  Freddie  and  Sophia  ;  one,  deceased,  Sophia,  died  Aug.  16, 
1879.     He  has  served  as  Town  Clerk,  and  is  a  Free  Mason. 

HARRY  PHILPOTT,  blacksmith,  Loyal,  born  in  Hampshire,  En- 
gland. Jan.  4.  1837,  came  with  his  parents  to  America,  and  to  Dodge 
Co.,  Wis.  His  father  being  a  blacksmith,  he  picked  the  trade  up  ;  learned 
horse-shoeing  in  Dodge  County,  of  D.  S.  Brann.  He  continued  work- 
ing in  different  places  in  Dodge  County  and  vicinity  till  1S74,  when  he 
came  to  Loyal,  Clark  Co.,  and  opened  the  place  he  now  has— at  first  with 
his  brother,  T.  B.  Since  1877,  has  run  it  alone.  He  owns  a  farm  of 
■ighty  acres,  besides  the  residence  in  town.  In  i860,  April  14,  he  mar- 
;  Merrill,  of  Dodge  County.  They  have  two  children, 
Mr.  Philpott  has  served  as  Justice  of  the 
lie  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
stee  ;  belongs  to  the  Good  Templars. 

HEMLOCK. 

Is  located  twenty  miles  north  of  NeillsviUe.  in  Warner 
TowTiship,  and  is  the  location  of  the  dam  of  the  Black  River 
Logging  Company's  dam,  also  of  a  grist  and  saw-miil,  the 
latter  owned  by  N.  H.  Withee.  The  dam  was  completed 
in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $21,000,  and  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
plete works  of  improvement  in  tjie  county.  Of  the  other 
improvements,  the   grist-miil   was   finished    in    1879,  and  is 


ried  Miss  Calhe 
William  M.  and  Tom  B. 
Peace,  and  in  other  offices. 
Church,  of  which  he  is  a  tr 


supplied  with  three  run  of  stone.  It  is  of  frame,  four  stories 
high,  and  does  a  large  local  business.  The  saw-mill  is  also 
of  frame,  two  stories  high,  and  is  furnished  with  a  rotary 
and  upright  saw.  The  total  investment  is  between  $ro,ooo 
and  $15,000.  The  settlement  is  connected  with  NeillsviUe 
by  telephone,  erected  in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $Soo. 

Longwood  Post-office  is  located  eight  miles  north  of 
Greenwood,  £-nd  consists  of  a  store  and  Post-office,  kept  by 
Edward  A.  Eaton. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

E.  A.  EATON,  Postmaster  and  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  Long- 
wood.  Born  in  Merrimac  Co.,  N.  H.,  April  16,  1846.  After  attending 
school  there,  he  went  to  the  New  London  Academy,  and  graduated  in 
1865,  and  in  the  Winter  of  1S66.  taught  school  in  Black  River  Falls. 
He  continued  teaching  until  1S68.  when  he  went  to  clerking,  finally 
learning  a  trade  in  his  brother's  tin  shop  ;  moved  to  Greenwood  in  1871, 
he  staid  with  him  for  two  years,  then  opened  store  at  Lon;jwood  for  him- 
self, also  has  a  branch  at  Withee,  four  miles  north.  In  1873,  mnrried 
Miss  Maggie  McCarty.  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  one  child,  Willie. 
Mr.  E.  has  served  as  Town  Clerk  and  Notary  Public.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Black  River  Falls. 

C.  W.  CARPENTER,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  P.  O.  Greenwood,  was  born 
in  Carroll  Co.,  Ind.,  April  26,  1830.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  re- 
mained at  home  till  1850,  when  he  went  to  Jefferson  Co.,  Iowa,  where 
he  farmed  and  taught  school  till  1857,  when  he  c.ime  to  Greenwood, 
where  he  pre-empted  I20acres.  He  and  his  wife  walked  from  Weston's 
Rapids  to  his  wife's  sister,  Mrs.  Eaton's,  at  the  mill,  carrying  a  child  in 
each  of  her  arms.  He  left,  in  1859.  and  went  to  Weston's  Rapids  and 
taught  school ;  then  to  NeillsviUe  to  teach,  and  in  1S50  was  elected  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds,  which  position  he  resigned  during  his  third  term.  Hav- 
ing learned  the  printer's  trade  of  Mr.  Thompkins,  he  published  the 
C/ari  County  Advocate  from  1S63-65;  he  then  sold  out  and  went  to 
Iowa,  returning  and  settling  on  Sec.  27,  in  this  town,  which  farm  he  sold 
and  moved  to  Barron  County,  and  published  the  C/iroiiiotY/<f,  in  1S73 
or  "74,  and.  after  living  in  Cedar  Rapids,  finally  settled  on  this  farm,  in 
1877.  In  1850,  he  married  Mi^s  Sarah  E.  Pinks'ton.  of  Indiana.  They 
have  four  living,  children  and  have  lost  George  N.,  Alma  L..  deceased. 
Olive  F.,  now  Mrs.  F.  Pfeifer.  Cora  C.  and  Albert,  deceased  ;  Marv  E., 
Merta  J.,  Ida  May,  Aliie  M.  V..  John  P.  and  an  infant,  deceased.  Mr. 
Carpenter  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge. 

G.  G.  REUL,  foreman  in  C.C.Washburn's  shingle  mill,  P.O.  Hixon, 
was  born  in  Ft.  Atkinson,  Jefierson  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  10,  1S52.  His  father 
was  a  lumberman  and  had  a  sash  and  door  factory.  Moving  to  Dnne 
County,  working  in  the  factory  most  of  the  time  up  to  i86g.  he  then 
struck  out  for  Idaho,  where  he  was  engaged  in  freighting.  In  1871.  he 
went  to  Baraboo,  and.  in  1873,  opened  sash  and  door  factory,  run  by 
Reul  Brothers.  In  1874.  he  was  working  in  a  mill  in  Rockford,  III. ; 
in  1S75.  went  to  La  Crosse,  and  worked  with  George  Pierce,  and  finally 
for  C.  C.  Washburn  :  Fall  of  iSSo,  came  here— built  the  .shingle  mill, 
which  has  a  capacity  of  So.ooo  per  day.  In  1S74,  he  married  Miss  F. 
C.  Royce,  of  Litchfield.  Minn.  They  have  one  child,  George.  Mr. 
Reul  is  a  member  of  Baraboo  Masonic  lodge. 

COLBY. 

[As  part  of  this  town  is  in  Marathon  County,  some  bio- 
graphies are  placed  there.] 

This  thriving  town  is  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad, 
which  is  liere  located  on  the  line  between  Marathon  County 
on  the  east  and  Clark  County  on  the  west.  On  the  one  side 
it  is  Hull,  Marathon  Co.  ;  on  the  other,  Colby,  Clark  Co. 
And  on  account  of  this  political  bi-section  of  the  village, 
there  is  a  want  of  harmony  and  unity  of  purpose  which 
conspires  to  prevent  concord  of  action.  A  village  organ- 
ization in  the  near  future  will  correct  this  incongruity,  and 
Colby  will  spring  into  a  neat  and  well-appointed  village, 
with  a  modern  character. 

Colby  is  a  development  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road, whose  first  business  is  to  work  up  the  pine  and  hard 
wood  timber  on  every  hand.  It  is  near  the  Big  Eau  Plaine, 
which  is  a  prominent  tributary  of  the  Wisconsin. 

The  first  white  man  to  penetrate  this  northern,  almost 
impenetrable  woods,  was  Ira  S.  Graves,  who,  with  his 
brother  Leroy,  built  a  mill  a  mile  or  so  below  the  present 
site  of  Colby.  N.  J.  White  was  associated  with  them  in 
the  lumber  business. 

In  1873,  the  railroad  reached  this  point,  and  the  place 
must   be   dated  from   this  time.      Mr.    Levi  Woodberry  was 


HISTORY    OF    CLARK    COUNTY. 


an  early  settler.  The  place  received  regular  accessions  un- 
til, in  February,  1876,  Griffin  &  Co.  started  a  newsjiaper, 
the  Enterprise,  .^fter  a  while,  J.  A.  Parkhurst  alone  man- 
aged the  concern,  and,  at  the  end  of  two  years,  having  been 
elected  County  Clerk,  or  Clerk  of  the  Court,  the  people 
of  Colby  suffered  liim  to  remove  the  paper  to  Neillsville, 
where  it  soon  died  of  nostalgia. 

In  1S78,  on  the  i8th  of  September,  Samuel  J.  and  Joel 
J.  Schafer  started  the  Phonograph,  a  live  newspaper,  which 
still  lives  to  speculate  upon  and  chronicle  passing  events. 

In  October,  1S79,  the  citizens  undertook  to  build  a  town 
hall,  which  should  be  a  public  utility  and  contain  a  library. 
G.  R.  Colby,  in  whose  honor  the  town  was  named,  offered 
$500  towards  the  expense,  and  the  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  who  had  a  frame  standing,  offered  to  relin- 
quish their  claim  upon  it.  So  work  was  begun  upon  it,  and 
it  is  in  progress  as  a  public  building. 

In  December,  1879,  a  literary  association  was  formed, 
with  George  J.  Walbridge,  president;  Mrs.  D.  S.  Bullock, 
vice-president;  Ch.  F.  Grove,  librarian;  J.  B.  Carpenter, 
treasurer. 

On  Friday,  June  17,  1880,  Lars  Jacobson  was  accident- 
ally killed  in  Potter  &  Ferguson  Bros.'s  mill. 

The  business  in  Colby  is  divided  as  follows: 

Lumber-mill — Potter  &  Ferguson  Bros. 

Planing-mill — E.  Decker  &  Co.,  A.  La  Mont  being  the 
other  member  of  the  firm. 

Saw,  shingle  and  broom-handle  factory — west  of  the 
village;  J.  D.  Thomas. 

North  of  the  village  is  a  lumber  and  shingle  mill,  built 
by  Mr.  P.  R.  Edminster,  and  owned  by  Rogers  Bros.,  of 
Milwaukee,  which  is  not  running. 

Two  miles  below  the  village  is  the  saw  and  shingle  mill 
of  E.  Decker  &  Co. 

A  mill  was  built  by  Mr.  Stevens,  in  1876.  It  was  burned 
the  next  season. 

A  flouring-mill  was  built  by  Reynolds  &  Bryant,  in  1S79, 
and  has  two  run  of  stones;  a  wagon,  carriage  and  sleigh 
works  is  run  by  N.  P.  Peterman  ;  blacksmithing  by  Charles 
Holtzhousen,  Fred.  Roth  ;  "pop"  manufacturer,  M.  Kra- 
mer; shoemakers,  A.  Becherer  and  Frank  Farnstahl ;  cab- 
inet shops,  C.  R.  Taylor  and  C.  P.  Bahl ;  general  merchan- 
dise, Andrew  Flaig,  Frank  Brott,  Fred.  Bredemyer  and  B. 
F.  Walker;  hardware,  G.  J.  Walbridge  and  D.  J.  Etsell; 
drug  stores,  Henry  Seigrist  and  B.  A.  Wilms;  millinery, 
Miss  Annie  Davis  and  sister;  tailor,  William  Risch ; 
saloons — one  billiard  hall  and  four  other  saloons. 

The  churches  have  not  yet  secured  a  very  firm  footing 
in  Colby.  The  Catholics  have  a  mission  here,  supplied 
from  Medford,  Taylor  Co.,  having  bought  the  old  school- 
house  as  a  nucleus  for  future  operations. 

A  Presbyterian  organization  was  effected  in  1874,  and 
the  Rev.  R.  A.  Fuller  preached  here  in  the  school-house 
until  1877. 

The  Methodists  and  Baptists  also  have  organizations, 
but  have  not  yet  accumulated  strength  sufficient  to  go 
alone. 

Lawyers — Charles  F.  Grow,  R.  B.  Salter. 

Doctor — D.  R.  Freeman. 

Potter  &  Ferguson  Bros.'s  mill  was  twice  burned,  and 
had  a  boiler  explosion,  but,  Phoeni.x  like,  it  arose  from  its 
ashes. 

Fraternal. — Masonic — Colby  Lodge,  No.  204.  N.  J. 
White,  W.  M.;  D.  R.  Freeman,  secretary. 

Odd  Fellows — Colby  Lodge,  No.  234.  Oliver  Yerks, 
N.  G.;    F.  H.  Darling,  R.  S. 

Good  Templars — Forest  Lodge,  No.  253.  W.  E.  Col- 
lins, W.  C.  T. ;  W.  H.  Bartell,  R.  S. 

Railroad  Business. — The   transactions  at    the  depot   in 


Colby  is  $2,400  a  month,  on  an  average.  F.  L.  Dille  is  the 
station  agent. 

Post-office— G.].  Walbridge,  Postmaster;  E.  Merritt, 
assistant.     Seventy-five  dollars  a  month  in  stamps  is  sold. 

Col/iy  House — G.  W.  Ghoea,  proprietor. 

Brehm's  Hotel — Herman  Brehm,  proprietor ;  PaulZollic, 
office  clerk. 

There  is  around  Colby,  for.  miles,  large  quantities  of 
lumber,  pine  and  hard  wood,  and  with  farms  opening  up  on 
all  fides,  it  is  destined  to  be   a  village  of  large  proportions. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHARLES  PHILLIP  BAHL,  fnrniture.  Colby,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, Sept.  10.  1S44  ;  came  to  New  York  with  his  parents  when  eight 
years  of  age  ;  stopped  three  six  months  and  then  moved  to  WasliingtonCo., 
Wis.,  where  he  learned  his  trade  of  Mr.  Schmitt.  He  then  went  to 
Brown  County,  and  soon  after  taking  a  trip  to  Minnesota,  reluming  to 
Brown  County,  he  came  to  Colby  in  1S79.  Opened  his  furniture  store 
in  iSSo.  He  married  Miss  Augusta  Manegel,  of  Brown  Co.,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children,  Elezie  and  Lena.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

W.  H.  BARTELL,  land  agent  for  the  W.  C.  R.  R.,  Colby,  was  born 
in  Cuba.  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  13.  1843.  To  his  fifteenth  year  he 
remained  there,  attending  school  and  working  on  a  farm.  From  there, 
his  mother  and  family  moved  to  Madison.  Dane  Co  ,  Wis  ,  and  with  his 
work  helped  support  the  family.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B.  nth 
Wis.  V.  I.;  mustered  out  in  1865.  and,  returning  home,  canvassed  for  a 
war  history  till  1S67;  then  established  the  firm  of  Allen  &  Barlell.  books 
and  stationery.  In  1S71,  went  to  Racine  County;  took  the  post-office 
and  express  agency  in  Franksville  ;  gave  that  up  and  came  to  Colby  in 
his  present  employment,  and  has  disposed  of  as  much  as  10.000  acres 
taking  hold  of  the  business.  In  1871,  he  married  Miss  Melvina  A. 
Shaw,  of  Portage.  They  have  two  boys,  Charlie  and  Willie  D.  Mr.  B. 
is  P.  W.  in  the  (iood  Templars'  lodge. 

FRANK  BROTT,  merchant,  Colby,  was  born  in  New  York,  Aug. 
7,  1842.  The  same  vear  his  parents  moved  to  Milwaukee,  locating  on  a 
farm.  His  father  being  a  millwright  woiked  at  his  trade  :  built  the  Ce- 
darsburg  mills  for  Hilger  &  Schroeder,  those  of  Milwaukee  called  the 
city  mills,  and  others.  He  now  lives  on  a  farm  near  Saukville,  Ozau- 
kee Co.,  aged  eighty-one.  Mr.  B.  worked  on  this  farm  till  he  arrived  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two.  then  went  to  farming  in  Washington  County, 
where  he  stayed  till  coming  to  Colby,  where  he  opened  a  siore  in  Mara- 
thon  County  side  of  the  village  ;  then  moved  across  the  line  into  Clark, 
where  his  buildings  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  18S0.  He  rebuilt  in 
thirty  days,  resumed  business,  aud  now  does  a  business  of  about  S15.- 
000  a  year.  In  1S63,  he  married  Miss  Betsey  A.  Stevens,  of  Washing, 
ton  County.  They  have  two  children  ;  a  son  nine  years  of  age,  Arthur, 
and  an  adopted  daughter,  five  years  of  age,  Delia.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

J.  S.  EDMINSTER,  proprietor  of  billiard  hall  and  livery,  Colby, 
was  born  in  Newberg,  Penobscot  Co.,  Me.,  Feb.  7,  1S36.  His  parents 
moved  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852,  locating  at  Burnett,  remaining  there 
till  1S53,  then  taking  up  claim  in  the  town  of  Lynn.  While  here  his 
mother  died.  They  then  sold  out  and  went  to  Belmont  in  Portage 
County,  where  his  father  married  again.  J.  S.  attended  school  in  Ripon, 
then  going  to  the  farm  in  Portage  County;  then  went  to  lumbering  in 
the  Little  Pineries.  He  farmed  and  lumbered  up  to  1S72,  then  came 
here  and  located  two  miles  below  Colby;  went  into  the  mill  business; 
built  a  mill  of  his  own  on  Sec,  13.  In  1S74,  bought  a  farm  and  im- 
proved it.  Built  his  present  building  in  Colby  in  :SSo.  He  was  in  the 
mercantile  business  as  W.  H.  &  J.  S.  Edminster  ;  is  now  farming,  lum- 
bering, and  in  the  livery  business.  In  1863,  he  married  Miss  Phoebe  R. 
Pierce,  of  Plover.  They  h.ive  three  children — Amasa  J.,  Alvin  W.  and 
Anis  A.     Mr.  E.  was  Supervisor  one  year. 

D.  R.  FREEMAN,  physician  and  surgeon,  Colby,  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  31,  1S40,  and  on  determining  to  enter  the 
practice  of  medicine,  began  studying  with  Dr.  Isaac  Drake,  but  when 
the  war  broke  out.  he  enlisted  in  the  6th  N.  Y.  V.;  served  till  1S64;  was 
wounded  in  different  battles,  and  saw  service  in  hospital  practice.  On 
coming  home,  took  up  his  profession  and  attended  lectures  at  Vermont 
Slate  University,  at  Burlington  ;  graduated  in  1S73.  and  practiced  in 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  till  1877.  and  then  came  to  Colby  and  opened 
a  drug  store  and  practiced  medicine  and  surgery.  In  iSSi,  he  sold  his 
drug  store  to  Henry  Seigrist ;  now  is  intending  to  build  again.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Lenora  Whitehouse  of  Colby  in  iSSo.  There  are  two  chil- 
dren by  a  former  marriage,  Charles  and  Henry.  Dr.  Freeman  is  Ex- 
amining Physician  for  pensions;  is  now  Justice,  and  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sons, also  to  the  Good  Templars. 

M.  KAUDY,  fanning-mill  factory,  Colby,  was  born  in  Loraine, 
France.  Oct.  11,  182S  ;  came  to  America  in  1828;  learned  cabinet-mak- 
ing and  has  followed  the  business  since  in  its  different  branches.     While 


HISTORY  OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


in  Chicago,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Botie.  In  187S,  came  lo  Colby  ; 
buill  his  factory  and  dwelling  ;  now  makes  fanning-mills  and  milk-safes. 
lie  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  His  children  are— Nicholas  L.,  Mary, 
John,  Anna,  Garrett,  Malhias,  Barbary  and  Joseph.  His  son,  N.  L. 
Kaudy,  artist,  was  born  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  Oct.  22,  1S57;  commenced 
the  art  of  taxidermy  when  quite  young.  In  1S75,  studied  music,  in 
which  he  is  proficient,  and  now  gives  lessons  on  different  instruments. 
Since  1S79,  has  developed  fine  taste  in  portrait  painting.  His  rooms 
are  on  Spencer  street,  Colby. 

MATT  KRAMER,  hotel,  Colby,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
Aug.  5  183S  ;  came  to  America  in  1866  ;  stopped  in  New  York  but  a 
sho'rt  time,  and  then  went  to  the  Lake  Superior  mines,  in  the  State  of 
Michigan,  where  he  staid  until  1878,  when  he  came  to  Colby,  Clark  Co., 
and  opened  the  Kramer  House,  having  purchased  the  building  and  six 
lots.  In  1S6S,  he  married  Miss. Lizzie  Steffer,  of  Michigan.  They  have 
five  children — Edward  William,  Matt,  Mary,  Anna  and  Katie.  All  the 
children  were  born  in  Michigan.  Mr.  K.  belongs  to  the  Catholic 
Church. 

C.  M.  PADDOCK,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Colby,  w.as  born  in  the 
town  of  Scio,  N.  Y.,  Feb  20,  1S45,  moving  to  Plover  in  1866,  there  clerk- 
ing for  John  Holiday  ;  was  with  him  for  four  years,  off  and  on,  lumber- 
ing some  of  the  time.  He  was  also  engaged  as  clerk  in  Stevens  Point, 
by  Currn  Bros. ;  then  coming  to  Colby,  look  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres; 
has  now  cleared  twenty,  put  up  good  buildings,  and  otherwise  improved 
the  farm.  He  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  business.  In  1875, 
he  married  Miss  Mary  Russell,  of  Milwaukee.  They  have  two  children, 
Clinton,  five  years  of  age,  and  Raymond,  six  months.  Mr.  Paddock 
has  been  Constable  and  Supervisor,  and  held  other  offices.  He  belongs 
to  the  Ma.sonic  lodge  of  Piover,  No.  76. 

R.  B.  SALTER,  attorney,  Colby,  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis.. 
April  II,  1S54.  He  grew  up  and  attended  school  here;  soon  began 
teaching;  taught,  in  all,  about  thirty-one  months,  having  received  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  West  Bend  High  School  and  Mann's  Commercial  College 
of  Fond  du  Lac.  He  commenced  reading  law  with  Priest  &  Carter,  of 
Fond  du  Lac,  in  1875  ;  then  next  season  with  Frisbie,  Weil  &  Barney, 
completing  his  course  at  the  University  at  Madison  ;  this  was  in  1877. 
He  located  at  Colby  in  1878,  and  now  has  a  steadily  increasing  practice. 
In  iSSo,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Englehard. 

HENRY  SIEGRIST,  druggist,  Colby,  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
June  10,  1S43;  emigrated  to  America,  and  arrived  in  Calumet  Co..  Wis., 
in  1857,  where  he  worked  at  the  trade  of  shoemaking,  and  before  he 
moved  from  there,  was  Sheriff  of  the  county.  In  1S74,  he  came  to  this 
county  and  took  a  homestead ;  sold  his  farm  afterwards,  and  went  to 
shoemaking  in  Colby,  at  which  business  he  continued  until  iSSi,  when 
he  bought  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  Freeman.  In  1S66,  he  married  Miss 
Killer,  of  Calumet.  They  have  three  children— Edward,  Henry  and 
Herman.  Mr.  S.  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  14th  Wis.  Vol.,  and  after- 
wards in  the  26th ;  was  mustered  out  in  1865.  He  has  served  in  the 
offices  of  Deputy  Sheriff,  Town  Clerk  and  Supervisor.  He  belongs  to 
the  Masonic  lodge,  and  is  leader  of  the  Colby  I3and, 

C.  R.  TAYLOR,  cabinetmaker,  Colby,  was  born  in  Livingston  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  20, 1843,  coming  with  his  parents  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1846.  His  father  was  a  mechanic.  Moving  to  different  counties,  C.  R. 
attending  school  as  the  opportunity  presented  itself.  At  Saukville,  he 
commenced  working  in  his  brother's  saw-mill.  When  seventeen  years 
of  age,  he  learned  the  turner's  trade  with  S.  H.  Vandercook.  In  1861, 
enlisted  in  Co.  C,  ist  Wis.  Cav. ;  mustered  out  in  1S64.  returning  to 
Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  recruited  his  shattered  health  ;  then  re- 
sumed his  trade.  Coming  to  the  town  of  Hull,  he  helped  organize  the 
first  Town  Board,  taking  a  homestead  in  Town  2S,  Sec.  24.  He  then 
went  at  jobbing  work,  clerked  for  I.  C.  Ghoca,  in  the  hardware  business, 
and  for  W.  S.  Hints,  dry  goods,  finally  buying  R.  A.  Fuller  out,  and 
now  carries  on  the  cabinet  business.  In  1867,  he  married  Miss  Olive 
Gilson,  of  Washington  County.  They  have  two  boys,  Clarence  M.  and 
Roy  G.  Mr.  Taylor  belongs  to  the  Good  Templars,  and  is  Clerk  of 
School  District. 

F.  J.  TIIRUN,  merchant,  Colby,  was  born  in  Germany.  Jan.  2g, 
1859.  His  parents  moved  to  Quebec  in  1868,  then  to  Fredonia,  Ozau- 
kee Co.,  where  he  stayed  till  1877,  learning  the  machinist's  trade,  also 
the  cooper'.s.  They  then  bought  a  piece  of  land  on  .Sec.  24,  town  of  Hull, 
and  built  a  saw-mill ;  run  it  till  1880,  when  he  .sold  to  Gregory  Unhafer, 
and  then  came  to  Colby.  Here  he  opened  a  store  with  Schmitt  &  Thrun, 
but  closed  out  and  went  to  Woodbury  ;  came  back,  and  now  carries  on 
a  general  merchandi.se  store,  doing  a  business  of  about  |l,6oo  per  year. 
His  parents  are  living  with  him.  His  father  is  aged  sixty-seven,  and  his 
mother,  forty-nine.  Two  of  his  sisters  are  in  this  family,  Delia  and 
Ida.     They  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

B.  F.  WALKER,  merchant,  Colby,  was  born  in  Cumford,  Yorkshire, 
England,  Jan.  27,  1844.  At  the  early  age  of  six,  he  began  making  his 
way  by  working  for  the  navies  at  a  shilling  a  day ;  at  twelve,  he  smug- 
gled himself  aboard  a  ship,  and  when  discovered  the  captain  made  him 
cabin  boy.  He  was  striving  to  reach  his  grandfather,  who  then  lived  in 
Buffalo,   N.  Y.     He  was  soon  after  on  a  propeller  on  the  lakes,  and  on 


arriving  at  Milwaukee  went  to  work  on  Capt.  Long's  new  farm  ;  but  it 
didn't  suit  him,  so  he  changed  to  Mr.  Mane's  farm,  then  toAdolph  Win- 
chell's,  but  found  a  home  at  Mrs.  Cooley's,  in  Ozaukee  County,  where 
he  stayed  till  1S66.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  35th  Wis.  V. ;  served 
till  1865,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Ozaukee  County,  where  he  en- 
tered into  a  stave  and  butter-tub  factory,  the  firm  being  Walker  &  Coo- 
ley  ;  sold  out  and  came  here,  taking  a  homestead,  and,  in  1876,  he 
opened  his  present  business,  doing  a  business  of  about  $20,000  a  year. 
In  1866,  Oct.  15,  he  married  Miss  H.  C.  Taylor,  of  Ozaukee  County. 
No  children.     Mr.  W'alker  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge. 

DORCHESTER. 

This  is  one  of  the  towns  springing  up  on  the  line  of  the 
Wi.sconsin  Central  railway.  It  is  three  miles  north  of  Ab- 
botsford,  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  hard-wood  region,  inter- 
spersed with  pine,  which  is  rapidly  disappearing.  The 
region  is  good  farming  land,  a  clayey  loam. 

The  Eau  Pleine  River  is  three  miles  east,  and  the  Pop- 
lar three  miles  west;  the  one  running  into  the  AVisconsin, 
the  other  into  the  Black  River.  There  are  at  present,  per- 
haps, 400  people  in  the  village. 

B.  G.  Miltimore  is  Postmaster,  with  John  Miltimore  as 
assistant;  $70  a  month  is  received  for  stamps. 

R.  P.  Ruling  is  station  agent.  Amount  of  receipts  for 
freight  forwarded,  per  month,  $1,394;  freight  received,  $500  ; 
passenger  fares,  $220. 

The  American  Express  Company  and  the  Western  Union  ; 
Telegraph  Company  have  offices  here.  ; 

The  place  was  first  settled  in  1874.  1 

Sumner  Hugaboom  started  to  build  a  hotel  right  in  the 
wilderness.  Rosea  Hugaboom,  Silas  and  George  Shepard, 
Peter  Ruben,  L.  N.  Robbins,  were  atuong  the  earliest 
comers. 

In  the  future,  however,  all  those  who  are  here  now  and  | 
are  mentioned  as  in  business,  will  be  considered  as  the  pio-  | 
neers  of  Dorchester.  | 

The  saw-mill  was  built  by  R.  C.  Evans.  It  afterwards  \ 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Com-  I 
pany.  Its  cost  was  $50,000,  and  was  for  a  time  in  charge  I 
of  E.  L.  Swarthout.  It  was  burned  and  rebuilt  in  the  ^\"\r)- 
ter  of  1 880-1,  and  in  the  first  season  cut  si.x  million  feet  | 
into  lumber,  shingle  and  lath.  The  mill  has  a  double  ; 
rotary,  with  planer  and  other  dressing  machinery.  , 

General  Merchandise  Dealers. — Miltimore  Bros.,  H.  La-  ; 
borris,  Pomplitz  Bros.,  A.  F.  Stimner,  Larson  &  innen,  O.  ' 
D.  Vandttrn  &  Co.  . 

Slioe  Slwp—'N.  Reddig. 

Butcher — A.  Mezier.  ] 

Land-Agent — E.  L.  Swarthout. 

Two  hotels,  Central  House,  Stimner  Hugaboom,  proprie-  | 
tor;   Donnelly  House,  Michael  Donnelly,  proprietor. 

Religious. — There   are  as  yet  no  church  buildings,  but 
the  Catholics,  German  Lutheran,  Methodists  and  Presbyte-       I 
rians  have  adherents  and  the  place  is  considered  missionary 
ground,  to  be  supplied  from  the  neighboring  towns. 

Schools. — The  educational  interests  of  the  town  are  well  ' 
provided  for.  The  school-house  was  built  in  1876.  There  ' 
are  100  enrolled  pupils.  W.  C.  Mason  is  the  jirincipal,  and  ' 
Mrs.  Florence  May,  assistant. 

A  lodge  of  Good  Templars  is  in  town,  and  a  division  of 
the  Sons  of  Temperance.  \ 

Logs  have  to  be  hauled  from  two  to  five  miles,  that  is 
the  i)ine;  the  hard-wood  is  hardly  encroached  upon  at  all.      ■ 

The  village  is  well  laid  out,  and  certainly  has  a  promis-  ; 
ing  future. 

BIOGR.\PHICAL    SKEiCIIES. 
J.   BOULAIS,  of  the  firm  of  J.  Boulais  &  Co.,  general  merchandise. 
Dorchester.      Born  in  Lower  Canada,  Sept.  22,  1846.     In   1S67.  moved 
to  Janesville,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  and  went  to  shoemaking.     Still  following 
his  trade,  he  traveled  to  Nevada,  and  on  to  California,  coming  east  and       [ 
locating  in  Dorchester,  in  1877.   Opened  a  shoe  shop,  and  then  the  store 


HISTORY    OF  CLARK  COUNTY. 


25' 


he  now  operates  in  partnership  with  H.  LaRossier.  In  1865,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Tretovv,  who  died  in  1866.  Remarried  again  in  1S75, 
to  Miss  Philisty  Moller,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  They  have  four  children 
—Joseph,  George  H.,  Charlie  O.  D.  and  Edward  H.  Mr.  B.  has  held 
office  as  Town  Treasurer,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

BERTHIN  M.  BENSON,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Dorches- 
ter, Wis.  Came  to  the  village  in  1875.  Born  in  Stavanger,  Norway, 
March  15.  1850.  His  father  was  a  merchant  at  that  place,  and  met  some 
losses  before  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  17th  of  October,  1S59. 
Heaviest  loss,  however,  was  on  the  13th  of  March,  1S60,  when  a  great 
fire  destroyed  what  property  the  widowed  mother  had  left,  leaving  them 
penniless,  but  with  the  aid  of  friends,  and  with  all  the  help  the  little 
boys  could  render,  they  lived.  Berthin  went  to  work  when  thirteen  years 
old,  as  errand  boy,  at  fourteen,  in  a  grocery  store,  and  ai  sixteen,  entered 
with  a  dry  goods  firm,  where  he  remained  for  six  years,  leaving  Norway, 
May  16,  1872.  He  landed  in  Madison,  Wis.,  on  the  nth  of  June,  going 
to  work  for  a  farmer,  until  he  secured  a  place  in  the  drug  and  grocery 
house  of  Clark  &  Mills.  In  1874.  he  established  the  firm  of  Nelson  & 
Benson,  drugs  and  groceries.  Main  street,  Madison,  Wis. ;  a  year  after 
dissolved  partnership,  and  came  to  Dorchester   and  built   his  store  and 


QaiT^a  ^M>.  OJi 


l^uhp-yu: 


vith 


house  in  the  woods.  As  the  country  grew,  his  trade  increase 
a  stock  of  $3,000,  his  business  was  .^12,000  for  1880.  In  1876,  Berthin 
sent  for  his  mother  and  two  younger  brothers.  They  came  and  staid  but 
a  short  time,  and  getting  homesick,  went  back,  and  in  1878,  September 
6,  at  fifty-nine  years  of  age,  his  dear  mother  died.  His  brothers,  Iver 
and  Bernt,  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  stopped  at  Milwaukee,  where 
Berthin  had  secured  places  for  them.  After  about  one  year  and  a  half, 
they  located  at  LaCrosse,  where  they  now  carry  on  a  general  variety 
store,  in  the  firm  name  of  Benson  Brothers,  of  which  Berthin  is  a  mem- 
ber, and  will,  in  person,  take  active  work  therein,  September,  1881.  His 
youngest  brother,  Bernt,  died  March  28,  1S81.  The  fourth  brother, 
Emanuel,  is  living  in  San  Francisco,  where  he  has  been  working  in  a 
milk  range  for  eight  years.  On  the  21st  of  July,  1875,  Mr.  Benson  mar- 
ried Miss  Johanna  M.  Larson,  of  Madison.  They  have  one  child,  a 
daughter,  Gunda  Marie.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Synod,  and  has  served  the  public  for  three  years  as  Town  Clerk.  In  1880, 
he  was  appointed  as  Enumerator,  in  the  town  of  Mayville,  Clark 
County,  of  the  Third  Census  District  of  Wisconsin,  by  the  Government. 

JAMES  E.  BURSELL,  carpenter,  Dorchester.  Born  in  Canada, 
Dec.  9.  1834.  Oncoming  to  Waushara  Co.,  Wis.,  he  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  in  1S54.  He  then  bought  T20  acres  of  land,  and  cleared 
and  cultivated  it,  sold  it  in  1871.  Went  to  fanning  again,  but  gave  it 
up,  and  in  1877,  came  to  Dorchester,  going  to  work  at  house  building  ; 
soon  after  went  to  work  in  the  mill  there,  and  when  it  burned,  his  tools 
were  lost  in  the  fire.  After  buying  two  lots  in  1879,  he  built  his  resi- 
dence. In  1862,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Crow,  of  Waushara  County. 
They  have  three  children— Eva  Flora,  Henry  and  William  Dunn.  Mr. 
B.  is  now  School  Treasurer,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which,  in  the  Sabbath  School,  he  is  as- 
sistant superintendent.  Belongs  to  tlie  Sons  of  Temperance  and  the 
Temple  of  Honor. 


J.  J.  LANSWORTH.  farmer,  Sec.  14,  P.O.  Dorchester,  born  in  Ra- 
cine Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  10,  1842.  lived  on  a  farm  till  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  in  i86r,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  15th  Wis.  V.  I.  ;  served  three 
years  and  three  months ;  came  home  Jan.  7,  1865.  During  his  service, 
was  wounded  in  the  ankle  with  a  Minnie  ball.  He  went  to  farming  in 
Racine  County  after  leaving  the  army,  soon  removing  to  Dane  County, 
where  he  stayed  till  1872,  then  taking  up  a  homestead  on  Sec.  14,  of  160 
acres.  In  T865,  Oct.  23.  he  married  Miss  Susan  Moirland,  of  Dane 
County.  They  have  six  children — Ida  J.,  Lizzie  B.,  Annie  L.,  Louella 
A.  (deceased).  Mabel  A.  and  Cora  Alma.  Mr.  Lansworth  was  Town 
Treasurer  in  1S79-80,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church;  belongs 
to  theSons  of  Temperance,  of  which  lodge  he  is  D.  G.  W.  P. 

MILTIMORE  BROTHERS,  general  merchandise,  Dorchester, 
was  first  established  in  1876,  by  D.  O.  Miltimore  ;  afterwards  it  was 
Miltimore  &  Eastwood,  and,  in  1878,  the  firm  name  became  what  it  now 
is,  doing  a  business  of  $25,000  per  year.  John  A.  Miltimore  was  born 
in  Canada,  Oct.  5,  1849,  came  West  and  entered  business  with  his  broth- 
er in  1878.  In  December,  1880,  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Chushing,  of 
Portage.  B.  G.  Miltimore  was  born  in  Canada,  near  the  Vermont  line, 
Dec.  21,  1852,  where  he  staid  till  the  family  moved  to  Waushara  Co.. 
Wis.,  and,  in  1870.  went  to  New  York  and  attended  commercial  school 
at  Lodi.  then  clerked  for  S.  O.  Root,  of  the  same  place.  He  came  to 
Dorchester  in  1878,  with  his  brother.  He  bought  out  D.  O.  Miltimore 
&  Eastwood,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  Notary 
Public  and  Postmaster.  His  father  was  a  soldier,  and  died  in  1876,  and 
the  mother  died  in  1855,  in  Waushara  Co..  Wis. 

E.  H.  WINCHESTER,  insurance  agent,  Dorchester,  was  born  in 
Oshkosh,  Winnebago  Co.,  Sept.,  20,  1851  ;  parents  went  toWautoma.in 
Waushara  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  lived  on  a  farm,  and  E.  H.  went  to 
school.  He  then  started  for  himself.  Going  to  Chicago,  he  engaged  in 
furnishing  goods  house,  for  C.  A.  Crell.  afterwards  for  W.  L.  Cole  ;  went 
to  EauClaireand  engaged  with  Jacob  Smith,  next  Spring  going  to  Green 
Bay,  and  working  for  W.  L.  Cole  in  a  saw-mill,  where  he  remained  til! 
1S75,  when  he  came  to  Dorchester  and  went  into  a  store  for  Earl  & 
Evans.  He  then  bought  the  firm  out,  and  ran  the  business  himself  till 
1S77.  He  then  changed  the  firm  name  to  W.  H.  Blade  &  Co. ;  then  sold 
to  Mr.  Blade  and  clerked  for  him  until  1879,  going  to  book-keeping  for 
McMillan  Bros.,  ManviUe;  has  since  been  engaged  by  O.  D.  VanDusen 
&  Co.,  and  runs  an  insurance  agency  in  the  village.  April  23,  1S75,  he 
married  Miss  Ella  Evans,  of  Dorchester.  They  had  two  children,  Eddie, 
deceased,  and  Lela.  Mr.  Winchester  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Tem- 
plars, also  of  Sons  of  Temperance. 

UNITY. 
[For  History,  see  Marathon  County.] 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
A.  COOK,  furniture,  Unity.  Born  in  Canada  West,  Oct.  4,  1854; 
Came  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  to  the  town  of  Stockbridge, 
where  they  stayed  ;  in  1865,  he  took  a  trip  to  Iowa  ;  he  first  came  Unity. 
Clark  County,  on  a  visit  and  went  to  Calumet  County  to  get  a  wife; 
then  located  here  with  his  brother  S.  A.;  opened  general  merchandise 
store  ;  sold  to  his  brother  and  went  to  Stockbridge  and  commenced 
farming,  where  he  remained  till  18S0;  returned  to  Unity,  and  in  the 
Spring  opened  his  furniture  store.     In  1S60,  his  mother  and  eldest  sister 


His  father  I 


1868.     One  of 


were  drowned  on  the  Lady  Elgin, 
his  brothers  is  living  on  the  old  farm.  Two  brothers  in  Minnesota. 
Oldest  brother  and  youngest  sister  dead.  In  1873.  he  married  Miss 
Amanda  M.  Blood.  They  have  five  children— Herbert  A.,  George  S., 
Lewis  W.,  Henrietta  and  .Mabel.  Mr.  Cook  has  been  in  office  as  Super- 
visor.    Belongs  to  the  I.  O,  O.  F. 

CHARLES  G.  FLOOD,  saloon.  Unity  Born  in  Kronaberj,  Sweden, 
Dec.  24,  1850;  emigrated  to  .\merica  in  1873;  landed  in  New  York; 
came  to  Unity,  then  called  Brighton,  where  he  worked  for  the  railroad 


ipany. 


rnder  his  brother,  then  alone  ;  having  a  section  in  Dor- 
bought  some  lots  in  the  village,  and  built  residence  and  saloon 
in  1878.  In  1877,  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Bauka,  of  Waupaca 
County.  They  have  one  child,  two  years  old,  Elsie  Christina.  Mr.  F. 
is  agent  lor  the  Emigration  Bureau  ;  has  been  Constable  for  two  years. 
Both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

G.  W.  PETERSON,  farmer  and  lumberman.  Unity.  Born  in  Nor- 
thumberland Co.,  Canada,  on  Prince  Edward's  Island,  Jan.  16,  1847. 
He  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  in  1863,  went  to  New  York  ;  engaged  in 
dairy  and  cheese  factory,  coming  to  Clark  County  in  the  Fall  of  1865; 
worked  on  the  river  and  in  the  woods  until  i86g,  when  he  took  a  home- 
stead, and  together  with  his  brother,  made  what  was  known  as  the 
Peterson  settlement,  in  the  town  of  Colby.  He  left  the  farm,  and  took 
a  trip  to  California;  returned,  and  bought  ten  lots  in  village  of  Unity, 
and  built  in  1S77.  Next  year,  took  a  trip  to  Texas  ;  came  back,  and 
farms  in  the  Summer,  and  lumbers  Winters.  In  1S70,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Rausimer,  of  Loyal.  They  have  three  children— Grace  A.,  Mary 
and  Warren.  Mr.  P.  has  been  Town  Treasurer,  three  years,  and  Asses- 
sor, four  years.  He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  P.  G.  of  the 
Encampment. 


252 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


J.  A.  PETTET.  merchant,  Unity,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co..  N.  Y., 
Aug.  4,  1S43.  Ills  parents  came  to  Wisconsin,  stopping  in  .Siieboygan 
County,  town  of  Green  IUhIi,  on  a  farm,  where  lie  staid  till  lie  waseigliteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  Sth  Wis.  V.;  served  four  years,  and 
enlisted  again  inSaulsbury.  Teiin„and  in  taking  the  Spanish  Kort  in  front 
of  Mobile,  was  shot  in  the  ankle  joint  and  lost  his  foot;  nineteen  days 
afterward,  rejoined  his  regiment,  and,  in  1S65,  opened  a  restaurant  and 
grocery  in  Sheboygm  County,  but  soon  after  peddled  notions  through 
the  country.  In  1S67,  went  to  house  carpenter  work.  lie  then  opened 
a  store  in  New  Castle,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  was  till  1S78.  and 
came  to  Unity,  buying  his  properly,  and  now  carries  a  stock  of  $3  000 
to  S5.000.  and  does  a  business  of  $15,000  per  year;  also  runs  a  livery 
stable.  In  1565,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Crane,  of  Sheboysjan  County. 
She  died  June  2q.  1SO9,  leaving  two  children.  James  E.  and  Charles  S. 
He  w.as  married  again,  in  1S76,  to  Mi^s  Elizabeth  Burrell.  of  SaukviUe. 
They  have  two  chddren,  O-well  A.,  four  years  of  age,  and  Marshall,  two 
years  of  age.  Mr.  P.  was  Town  Clerk  and  Justice  in  iSSo,  and  belongs 
to  the  I.O.  O.  F.,  also  to  the  Encampment  of  Brighton,  holding  the 
position  of  C.  P.  in  the  lodge. 

N.  C.  RANSOM,  merchant,  Unity,  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  27.  1S32.  His  pirents  moved  to  Cattaraugus  County,  where  they 
were  till  1S45.  N.  C.  attending  school  and  working  on  the  farm.  He 
then  went  to  Walworth  County,  and  here  worked  at  the  carpenter  and 
j  liner's  trade.  Returning  10  his  old  home  in  New  York,  he  went  into 
the  woods  for  Franklin  &  Tape,  and  then  came  west  to  Walworth  Co., 
Wis.,  working  for  Edgar  Topping  and  Jud^e  Cotton,  and  then  with  the 
Bridge  Construction  Company  at  Dixon,  111.  Soon  after  this,  he  mar- 
ried .Miss  Catherine  Eliza  Coggins,  of  Mt.  Morris.  In  1S54,  he  went 
into  Waite  &  Bildwin's  saw-mill,  at  Farmington,  then  made  reapers  for 
Heath.  Riley  &  Donelson,  and,  in  1S59.  took  a  trip  to  Pike's  Peak  ; 
stopped  in  Kansas,  and  returned  to  Wiscoisin,  where  he  cleared  and  im- 
proveil  a  farm.  He  enliited,  in  1S63,  in  the  riuartermaster's  department; 
in  1S64,  in  Co.  H,  47ih  Wis.  V.  In  1S65,  he  sold  his  farm,  and  tried 
another  location  ;  but  his  wife  not  liking  it,  returned  and  took  a  farm 
next  to  the  old  one;  sold  out  in  1S6S,  and  went  to  Eau  Claire  in  busi- 
ness in  the  firm  of  Powell.  Ransom  &  Bros.,  and  was  employed  at  differ- 
ent things  till  October,  1S75,  when  he  came  to  Unity,  Clark  Co.;  went 
into  business  with  S.  A.  Cook  at  first,  then  into  the  business  he  now 
operates,  also  owning  the  Forest  House.  His  children  are  :  Harvey  A. 
(deceased),  Franklin  O.  (now  on  his  f.irm  in  Xel,,a^ka),  Lucy  A.  (dc 
ceased).CIara  E.,  Arthur  E.  and  Herbert  A.  ^L■  R  is  now  Toun  Clerk 
of  Unity,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Cjunty  Commissioner  of  Poor. 

ABBOTSFORD. 

This  is  in  Clark  County,  at  the  junction  of  the  Chippewa 
Falls  Railroad  with  the  \Visconsin  Central,  whicli  was  com- 
pleted in  the  Fall  of  1880.     It  is  3  miles  north  of  Colby,  218 


miles  from  Milwaukee,  and  132  from  Ashland,  the  northern 
terminus  of  the  Central. 

It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  forest,  with  a  wide  variety 
of  timber.  Several  hundred  acres  at  this  point  liave  been 
cleared,  and  a  village  laid  out  on  the  east  of  the  railroad, 
to  the  Marathon  County  line,  a  few  blocks  away.  The 
streets,  at  right  angles  with  the  railroad,  are  named,  begin- 
ning at  the  north.  Pine,  Maple,  Cedar,  Oak,  Birch,  Spruce  ; 
parallel  with  the  railroad,  the  streets  are  called.  First,  Sec- 
ond, Third  and  Division  streets. 

One  year  old,  the  village  has  a  depot,  with  an  eating 
house  seating  136,  and  with  twenty-one  sleeping  rooms,  and 
about  twenty  other  buildings. 

William  Livingston  has  a  good  hotel  on  Second  street, 
nearly  opposite  the  depot.  S.  A.  Cook  has  a  store  with  gen- 
eral merchandise.  Tlien  there  are  three  saloons  and  one 
restaurant.  John  Johnson  keeps  the  railroad  hotel,  called 
the  Abbot  Hotel.  Charles  Partridge  is  Postmaster.  Roads 
are  constructing,  and  a  lumber  yard  is  already  located  here, 
and  when  the  line  from  ^Vausau  reaches  the  place,  as  is  con- 
templated, it  must  become  the  center  of  an  active  hardwood 
manufacturing  interest,  and  ultimately  of  a  farming  one. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
J.  F.  JOHNSTON,  railroad  hotel,  Abbotsford.  Born  in  Herker- 
mer  Co.,"N.  Y..  July  S,  1S22.  Raised  on  a  farm,  where  he  remained  till 
he  came  to  Jefferson  Co..  Wis.,  locating  in  the  town  of  Lake  Mills. 
where  his  cousin,  A.  D.  Tavill.is  now  doing  an  extensive  dairy  business. 
Then  going  to  Neenah,  he  was  romantically  wedded  under  the  old  council 
tree,  and  settled  down  to  farming.  He  pioneered  to  Appleton,  Outaga- 
mie Co.,  in  184S.  living  there  til!  the  time  of  the  civil  war,  when  he  went 
into  service  with  the  21st  Wis.  V.  I.,  Col.  G.  B.  Sweet,  getting  home  in 
1S64,  and  opened  the  Johnston  House,  and  since  has  been  in  the  hotel 
business.  He  kept  the  Sherman  House  at  Minnesota  Junction,  Wis.,  in 
1S67  ;  the  Merchant's  Hotel,  of  Chicago,  just  before  it  burned  ;  opened 
Farmer's  Hall  Dining  Rooms,  then  to  his  old  hotel,  called  the  Lavake 
House  ;  was  in  the  hotel  business  in  Milwaukee,  and  in  Green  Lake.  On 
the  26th  of  July,  iSSo,  he  opened  the  Abbott  House,  where  he  is  doing 
a  good  business.  In  1846.  he  married  Miss  Jenetie  M.  Finch,  of  New 
York.  They  have  two  children,  William  IL  and  Emma  (now  Mrs.  D. 
F.  Canfield)  of  Fond  du  Lac.  Mr.  Johnston  has  served  in  various  offi- 
cial capacities  while  at  Appleton,  and  was  the  fiist  Postmaster  of  that 
place.  He  belongs  to  the  Masons,  is  high  Templar  in  the  Fond  du  Lac 
commandery.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Appleton  was  or- 
ganized in  his  house  ;  of  this  church  Mr.  Johnston  is  a  member. 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


DOOR  COUNTY. 


NATURAL   ADVANTAGES. 

Tlie  county  consists  of  the  peninsula  in  Nortlieast- 
ern  Wisconsin,  between  Green  Bay  and  Laiie  Michi- 
gan. Its  extreme  northern  town,  Washington,  is  an 
island,  sepaiated  from  tlie  main  land  by  the  legendary 
Porte  des  Morts — "the  Door  of  Death" — from  which 
the  county  takes  its  name.  Chambers  Island,  west  of 
the  county,  is  a  part  of  the  town  of  Gibralter.  Door 
County  is  sixty  miles  long  and,  on  an  average,  sixteen 
miles  in  width.  The  streams  which  water  the  county 
are  small,  but  numerous,  while  several  lakes  or  ponds, 
connected  by  creeks  with  the  big  lake,  materially  add 
to  the  water  suppl3%  and  make  the  country  good  for 
stock  raising.  Kangaroo  and  Clark  lakes,  which  are 
partly  in  the  towns  of  Bailey's  Harbor  and  Jackson- 
port  and  in  Jacksonport  and  Sevastopol,  are  the 
largest. 

Tlie  grasses  grown  in  Door  County  are  sweet  and 
nourishing,  and  sheep  raising  is  gaining  quite  a  foot- 
hold in  the  favor  of  the  farming  element.  Attention 
is,  therefore,  being  turned,  as  in  Kewaunee  County,  to 
the  products  of  the  dairy.  Last  year  over  100,000 
pounds  of  butter  were  made,  Forestville  and  Clay 
Banks,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  leading. 
Throughout  the  county  $50,000  is  invested  in  milch 
cows.  Wheat  and  oats  are  the  leading  farm  products, 
the  soil  generally  being  a  strong  clayey  loam,  which 
does  not  easily  wear  out.  Wheat,  especially,  flour- 
ishes in  the  lower  tier  of  to^vns,  though  Union  is 
grown  almost  entirely  to  corn,  and  the  town  of  Liberty 
Grove,  at  the  extreme  north  of  the  peninsula,  raises 
some  of  the  largest  crops  of  both  grains  in  the 
county. 

LUMBERING    INTERESTS. 

Particular  attention  has  been  given  to  the  agricul- 
tural advantages  and  prospects  of  Door  County,  as  of 
all  tliose  sections  of  Northern  and  Northeastern  Wis- 
consin, which  have  heretofore  depended  for  their  pros- 
perity almost  entirely  upon  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber. Under  the  never  ceasing  inroads  of  energetic 
business  men,  the  forests  in  Door  County  are  dwindl- 
ing, and  before  many  years  the  people  will  have  to 
turn  their  strength  into  the  land,  or  other  manufac- 
tures. The  bulk  of  the  supidy  of  logs  for  the  large 
mills  in  Sturgeon  Bay  is  even  now  cut  on  the  west 
shore  of  Green  Cay,  and  towed  across  that  body  of 
water  and  through  the  canal  to  their  destination.  Over 
40,000  acres  of  timber  are  yet  growing  in  Door  County, 
but  as  there  are  no  streams  of  any  size  through  which 
to  raft  the  logs,  either  to  the  lake  or  the  bay,  the  diffi- 
culty of  getting  the  home  product  to  market  is  at  once 
realized.  There  are,  therefore,  no  saw-mills  north  of 
Sturgeon  Bay,  except  two  small  establishments  in  Lib- 
eity  Grove  and  Jacksonport.  The  only  large  manu- 
factories are   located  in   that   village — the  mill  of  the 


Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Company  (A.  W.  Laurence, 
secretary  and  active  manager)  ;  the  shingle  manufac- 
tory of  jNIessrs.  Scofield  &  Co.,  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive in  Wisconsin,  and  the  mill  of  Messrs.  George  O. 
&  A.  M.  Spear,  which  turns  out  more  long  timber  than 
any  other  establishment  of  the  kind  in  Wisconsin. 
Small  saw  and  shingle  mills  are  in  operation  in  Forest- 
ville and  Clay  Banks.  More  particular  information  of 
the  extent  of  the  lumber  and  shingle  manufacturing  of 
Door  County  will  be  found  in  the  business  and  bi- 
ographical department. 

STURGEON   BAY    SHIP   CANAL. 

That  this  topic  branches  out  from  a  local  to  county 
and  even  State  interest  no  one  is  so  foolhardy  as  to 
deny.  To  the  lumbermen  of  Door  County,  and  of  all 
this  section  of  Wisconsin,  has  it  been  of  inestimable 
value. 

If  any  one  will  draw  a  short  line  from  the  head  of 
Sturgeon  Bay,  in  a  direction  slightly  south  by  east,  to 
Lake  Michigan,  he  will  trace,  on  paper,  the  Sturgeon 
Bay  Ship  Canal.  It  is  thus  now  recorded  on  maps  of 
Wisconsin,  but  before  that  short  line  could  be  printed, 
much  hard  and  unrewarded  labor  was  performetl.  The 
neck  of  land  to  be  cut,  which  separated  the  waters  of 
Sturgeon  Bay  and  Lake  Michigan,  was  one  mile  and  a 
half  in  width.  This  undertaking  accomplished,  on 
on  each  trip  from  Chicago  to  Green  Bay  ports  150  miles 
of  dangerous  travel  would  be  saved,  around  and 
through  Porte  des  Morts.  Over  twenty-one  years  ago 
a  man  of  small  physique,  but  of  true  English  pluck 
and  of  insight  into  the  requirements  of  commerce  and 
navigation,  commenced  to  agitate  what  was  then  con- 
sidered a  wild  scheme.  Joseph  Harris,  Sr.,  is  to  this 
improvement  what  JNIorgan  L.  Martin  is  to  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  Rivers'  improvement.  He  spent  the  best 
years  of  his  life  in  bring  to  completion  a  great  under- 
taking, which  brought  prosjjcrity  to  other  doors  than 
his  own.  In  1860,  Mr.  Harris  began  to  bring  the  en- 
terprise to  the  notice  of  every  one  who  he  believed 
might  forward  it,  but  he  met  with  small  encouragement 
at  home.  In  1864,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  drew  up  a  charter  of  incoi-poration,  which  passed 
as  a  harmless  act,  at  least.  The  list  of  incorporators, 
however,  precluded  any  further  scoffing  b}' unbelievers. 
They  were  William  B.  Ogden,  Freehmd  B.  Gardner, 
Thomas  H.  Beebe,  Jesse  Spalding  and  A.  E.  Goodrich, 
of  Chicago;  Alexander  Mitchell,  Anson  Eklred  and 
Daniel  Wells,  of  Milwaukee;  Joseuii  Harris  and 
George  Bennett,  of  Sturgeon  Bay  ;  A.  P.  Lynnm,  of 
Sheboygan ;  Charles  D.  Robinson,  Henry  S.  Baird, 
George  Strong,  Andrew  E.  Elmore,  H.  F.  Waring, 
James  S.  Baker  and  F.  S.  Schettler,  of  Green  Bay  ; 
Andrew  Reed,  of  Depere  ;  William  M.  Wliitconib  and 
Uri  Balcom,  of  Oconto  ;  Edwin  C.  French,  of  Peshtigo  ; 
Richard  S.  Fay,  of  Boston ;  George  P.  Smith,  of  Phil- 


234 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


adelpliia:  Elisha  Riggs,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  ;  J.  S. 
Speiigelberg  and  David  Magie,  of  New  York ;  Elias 
Gill,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  William  G.  McMaster, 
of  Lockport,  N.  Y.  The  widely  extended  territory 
indicated  h\  the  localities  mentioned  above  but  faintly 
illustrates  the  arduous  labors  perfovmed  by  Mr.  Harris 
from  the  conception  of  the  canal  in  1860  to  its  feeble 
birth  in  1864.  The  next  year  he  repaired  to  Washing- 
ton to  fight  for  a  land  grant.  The  Wisconsin  members 
of  the  Lower  House  thought  his  request — 200,000 
acres — too  large.  Senators  Howe  and  Doolittle,  how- 
ever, assisted  him  in  drawing  up  a  bill  which  passed 
the  Upper  House,  but  he  left  it  to  what  proved  its 
death  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  received 
the  comforting  news  in  Madison,  wliile  serving  out  his 
term  as  State  Senator,  that  the  bill  had  failed  to  pass 
by  two  votes.  In  1866,  he  spent  all  his  time  in  Wash- 
ington ;  the  bill  passed,  and  under  authority  from  Gov. 
Fairchild,  he  located  the  lands  during  the  same  Fall. 
On  October  4,  1866,  the  company  organized  by  elect- 
ing William  B.  Ogden,  president ;  Alexander  Mitchell, 
vice-president,  and  Joseph  Harris,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Soon  after,  the  latter  had  an  interview  with 
Messrs.  Ogden  and  Mitchell,  in  New  York  City,  and 
being  told  that  200,000  acres  was  hardly  a  sufficient 
grant  to  induce  capitalists  to  take  hold  of  the  enter- 
prise, he  introduced  bills  before  Congress,  from  1868 
to  187-3,  for  another  200,000  acres.  The  grant  time 
expired,  and  was  twice  renewed,  the  bills  failing  in  the 
House  in  1870  and  1872.  In  the  latter  year,  Congress 
declared  against  the  policy  of  land  grants,  which  put 
an  embargo  upon  the  Sturgeon  Bay  Ship  Canal,  tem- 
porarily. 

A  survey  had  already  been  made  in  1867  by  A.  E. 
Thompson,  formerly  in  the  employ  of  the  Peshtigo 
Company,  the  proposed  route  being  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  north  of  that  finally  chosen.  It  was  two  miles 
in  length.  It  would  seem,  then,  that  by  this  action  of 
Congress  five  years  later,  all  the  hard  preparatorv 
work  would  go  for  naught.  But,  though  the  first  sur- 
vey was  abandoned,  the  canal  was  to  go  through.  At 
tliis  time,  1871,  Mr.  Harris  was  secretary  to  Hon.  Phi- 
letus  Sawyer,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  River 
and  Harbor  Appropriations.  The  two  buckled  on  their 
armor,  and  an  item  was  inserted  providing  for  a  new 
survey  by  the  Government,  and  an  examination  of  the 
lake  siiore  for  a  harbor  of  refuge.  Henceforward,  Mr. 
Sawyer  was  a  faithful  and  consistent  friend  to  the  im- 
provement, and  to  his  labors  in  Congress  is  its  comple- 
tion greatly  due.  The  bill  passed,  which  opened  the 
way  for  the  -110,000  appropriation  which  quickly  fol- 
lowed. Under  the  direction  of  Capt.  W.  T.  Casgrain 
the  new  survey  was  made  in  1871,  and  the  old  route 
abandoned  ;  since  then  the  Government  has  had  charge 
of  the  harl5or  and  the  company  of  the  canal.  Since 
1872,  Capt.  Casgrain  has  acted  as  chief  engineer  of 
the  canal  company,  and  G.  H.  Sager  as  superintendent 
of  construction  since  1878.  The  provision  of  the  incorpo- 
rating act,  therefore,  still  held  good  that  the  Company 
was  to  receive  the  lands  from  the  State  in  one-quarter 
installments,  as  fast  as  the  work  was  completed. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1872,  the  first  shovelful  of  earth 
was  scooped  from  the  bed  of  the  future  canal,  by  the 
dredge,   Gutchen.     Joseph  Harris  and  Chief  Engineer 


Casgrain  were  aboard  as  the  only  "  outside  visitors." 
In  1873  the  Legislature  authorized  the  company  to 
mortgage  their  lands  to  the  extent  of  $3.50,000.  This 
would  be  security  for  bonds  which  were  to  be  issued  to 
that  amount.  Although  work  was  pushed  on  the  ca- 
nal in  1873-4,  and  one-quarter  of  the  work  completed, 
nothing  was  done  in  1875-6.  Finding  that  the  bonds 
could  not  be  negotiated,  in  1877  the  first  50,000  acres 
of  land  was  put  up  at  auction,  and,  with  the  proceeds, 
work  resumed.  During  that  A'ear,  the  second  quarter 
was  completed,  the  lands  sold  in  May,  1879,  and  the 
work  continued.  The  next  month.  Congress  appropri- 
ated -$30,000  for  the  harbor  improvement.  In  the 
meantime,  the  waters  of  the  lake  and  bay  had  rushed 
together.  Their  union  was  celebrated  privately  and 
informally,  Friday,  June  28,  at  7:30  p.  M.  Two 
dredges  under  the  control  of  Messrs.  Norman  Mathei- 
son  and  Richard  Kirby  worked  toward  each  other  until 
only  two  feet  of  earth  separated  the  waters  of  Stur- 
geon Bay  and  Lake  ^Michigan.  Superintendent  Sager 
cut  this  with  a  shovel,  and  the  current  soon  enlarged 
the  opening  so  as  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  row-boat, 
commanded  by  Capt.  Casgrain.  The  formal  celebration 
took  place  on  the  4th  of  July.  After  a  dinner  at  Mu- 
sic Hall,  the  invited  guests  and  others  proceeded  to  the 
Public  Square.  Gen.  W.  E.  Strong  presided  over  the 
ceremonies.  Speeches  were  made  by  that  gentleman, 
Sen.  T.  O.  Howe,  Gov.  William  E.  Smith,  George  B. 
Smith,  .1.  B.  Cassoday,  Jesse  Spaulding  and  T.  B.  Chy- 
noweth,  such  visitors  from  abroad  being  present  as 
Congressman  Philetus  Sawyer,  State  Senator  George 
Grummer,  William  Pitt  Lynde,  George  H.  Paul,  Perry 
H.  Smith,  P.  V.  Deuster,  James  H.  Howe,  Harrison 
Ludington,  J.  T.  Scammon,  C.  J.  L.  M3'ers,  Abner 
Kirby,  etc.  The  canal  was  thus  formally  baptized,  and 
its  useful  existence  sanctioned  by  leading  citizens 
of  Wisconsin.  But  it  was  completed  merely  in  the 
rough. 

In  the  Summer  of  1880,  three-quarters  of  the  work 
was  finished,  and  light-draft  vessels  and  larger  unloaded 
craft  passed  safely  through.  By  the  close  of  naviga- 
tion, 1882,  it  is  expected  that  the  canal  and  harbor 
will  have  been  completed,  forming  one  of  the  most  use- 
ful improvements  and  the  finest  harbors  of  refuge  for 
lake  mariners  any  where  to  be  found  on  the  Great 
Chain. 

The  canal  proper  is  7,400  feet  long  and  100  feet 
wide.  Along  its  banks  for  3,300  feet  on  each  side  from 
the  harbor  extend  protecting  piers  or  revetments.  At 
right  angles  to  these,  extending  from  the  harbor  en- 
trance, are  two  sections  of  piers,  850  feet  in  length. 
Safety  is  further  afforded  by  long  stretches  of  close 
pile  piers  and  crib-work  extending  1,350  feet  into  the 
lake.  It  is  proposed  also  to  build  an  outside  break- 
water, and  it  is  anticipated  that  the  season  of  1 882  will 
witness  passage  through  the  canal  and  their  safe  refuge 
from  storm,  of  the  lai'gest  vessels  afloat  upon  the  lakes. 
It  is  the  aim  to  obtain  a  uniform  depth  of  water,  which 
will  float  vessels  drawing  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  feet 
of  water.  Up  to  the  close  of  navigation  in  1881,  $352,- 
000  had  been  expended  upon  the  canal  and  $120,000 
upon  the  harbor. 

Before  the  entire  improvement,  or  the  series  of  im- 
provements contemplated,  is  completed,  it  is  estimated 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


'55 


that  three-quarters  of  a  million  of  dollars  will  have 
been  expended.  Much  work  upon  the  government 
piers  yet  remains  to  be  done,  and  both  sides  of  the  ca- 
nal, tiie  entire  length,  will  be  protected  with  the  sub- 
.stantially  constructed  sheet-piling  which  has  been  built 
nearly  half  the  distance.  Besides  leveling,  stone  fill- 
ing, dredging  and  a  hundred  little  things  which  yet  re- 
main, a  series. of  lights  are  in  process  of  erection  which 
will  go  far  to  make  the  Green  Bay  entrance  to  the  ca- 
nal a  harbor  of  refuge  also.  In  fact,  the  whole  length 
of  water  from  Green  Bay  to  Lake  Michigan  will  be- 
come a  grand  refuge,  the  Lighthouse  Board  having 
determined  to  erect  one  light  at  the  Green  Bay  entrance 
opposite  Sherwood  Point,  two  range  lights  on  the 
"middle  ground"  (Dunlap's  Reef)  opposite  the  village 
of  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  another  at  the  harbor  entrance. 
Every  business  man  who  owns  property  in  Sturgeon 
Bay  or  Door  County,  is  sure  to  say,  at  some  time  or 
another,  "  The  canal  has  made  us." 

THE   WAR   QUOTA. 

The  quota  of  troops  for  Door  County  was  207 ; 
total  credits,  145.  A  number  of  her  boys  in  blue  went 
into  Company  F,  Thirty-second  Infantry,  and  others 
were  scattered  in  different  hardy  Wisconsin  compa- 
nies. In  war  times  Door  County  was  but  thinly  set- 
tled, but  she  did  what  was  to  the  best  of  her  ability. 

TRADITIONAL   AND   EARLY   HISTORY. 

Porte  des  Marts — "  The  Door  of  Death  " — has  been 
closed  to  the  navigator  of  northern  Lake  Michigan  by 
the  construction  of  the  canal,  but  tradition  still  keeps 
alive  a  story  of  many  who  passed  through  never  to 
return.  When  the  Jesuit  Fatiiers  were  battling  for 
the  cross  200  ago  in  Brown  County,  it,  is  said  that  the 
Pottawatomies  made  Washington  Island  their  ren- 
dezvous, obtaining  their  game  from  the  peninsula  just 
across  the  way.  All  Indian  tribes  are  more  jealous  of 
their  hunting  grounds  than  they  are  of  their  wives, 
and  the  Pottawatomies  were  no  exception  to  the  rule. 
When  they  heard,  therefore,  that  the  Chippewas  had 
invaded  their  territory,  and  were  ruthlesslj'  cutting  off 
their  base  of  supplies,  they  assembled  their  braves  in 
a  mighty  flotilla  of  canoes,  which  drew  up  in  battle 
array  upon  the  west  shore  of  Detroit  Island,  just  south 
of  Washington.  While  midway  in  their  passage 
across  "  Death's  Door,"  but  by  that  name  then  un- 
known, a  furious  white  squall  came  galloping  over  the 
waters  from  the  south,  rushed  upon  their  frail  barks 
and  scattered  them  to  the  winds,  and  the  warriors  to 
their  graves.  For  many  days  the  bodies  were  washed 
upon  the  shores  of  Detroit  Island,  and  the  waiters  and 
watchers  there  buried  their  dead  and  deserted  the  fear- 
ful region  of  desolation.  Fate,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
Evil  Spirit,  had  favored  the  fortunes  of  the  (^iiippewas. 
It  had  rushed  from  the  bluffs  of  the  land  they  occu- 
pied and  destroyed  the  flower  of  the  Pottawatomies. 
The  place  from  whence  it  came  is  called  Evil  Spirit 
Point,  and  seldom  it  is  that  an  Indian  of  the  Potta- 
watomie tribe  will  be  found  within  a  day's  journey  of 
the  Door  of  Death. 

The  first  settlers  of  Door  County  located  along  the 
shores  of  Sturgeon  Bay.  He  who  had  the  honor  of 
being  the  chronological  father  of  them  all  was  Increase 
Claflin,  who  came  from  New  York  and   located  with 


his  family  on  what  is  known  as  Little  Sturgeon  Point. 
He  and  his  had  considerable  trouble  with  the  Indians 
at  first,  l)ut  upon  one  occasion  threatening  to  treat 
them  to  a  lighted  barrel  of  powder  when  the  redskins 
expected  merely  fire-water,  the  greatest  braves  in  all 
the  country  round  let  him  severely  alone,  at  last.  The 
date  of  his  settlement  was  May  1,  183o,  and  after 
living  nine  years  on  Little  Sturgeon  Point  he  removed 
to  Fish  Creek,  where  he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  March  o,  1867.  His  daughter,  Adelia,  married 
Robert  Stevenson,  of  Pennsylvania,  tlie  second  white 
settler,  in  May,  1837.  Mr.  Claflin's  house  was  the 
only  one  from  Sturgeon  Bay  to  Washington  Island 
until  1847,  when  William  Marshall,  of  Bay  Settlement, 
Brown  County,  came  to  Fish  Creek  and  married  an- 
other daughter.  Three  years  after  another  daughter 
was  taken  away  by  J.  E.  Thorpe.  Coming  back  to  the 
settlements  near  the  present  site  of  the  Village  of 
Sturgeon  Bay,  it  is  found  that  soon  after  Claflin  located 
on  Little  Sturgeon  Point,  a  man  by  the  name  of  P. 
Rowley  made  the  west  side  of  the  ba}%  near  Sher- 
wood's Point,  his  home.  In  1840  he  removed  to 
Two  Creeks,  Kewaunee  County.  In  18:^6  Peter  S. 
Sherwood,  from  which  the  point  takes  its  name,  com- 
menced a  clearing,  lived  alone  four  years,  then  went 
East  and  brought  back  a  wife.  Neil  McMullen,  the 
first  settler  on  the  east  shore  (1837),  also  built  his  hut 
to  live  in  as  a  hermit,  and  ended  his  determination  by 
marrying  a  daughter  of  Rowley.  In  1850,  and  for  five 
years  thereafter,  much  land  was  taken  up  by  settlers, 
who  afterward  became  prominent  in  county  and  busi- 
ness affairs.  Anton  Thompson,  the  well-known  farm- 
er, came  in  1850;  A.  W.  Laurence,  the  extensive 
lumberman,  in  1852 ;  Hon.  D.  A.  Reed,  the  first  law- 
j'er,  in  1853 ;  Joseph  Harris,  the  originator  of  the 
Sturgeon  Bay  ship  canal,  in  1855  ;  also  A.  G.  Warren, 
Deputy  County  Clerk.  Many  other  staid  and  worthy 
citizens  decided  at  this  time  to  found  homes  in  "  these 
wilds." 

POLITICAL. 

In  1851  (February  11),  Door  County,  formed  from 
Brown,  came  into  political  being,  and  was  attached  to 
Manitowoc  County  for  judicial  purposes,  the  seat  of 
government  being  fixed  at  Bailey's  Harbor.  Alanson 
Sweet,  of  Milwaukee,  who  had  invested  money  in  lands 
there,  and  built  piers  and  roads,  with  his  accustomed 
energy,  was  really  at  the  bottom  of  the  county  organ- 
ization and  the  county  seat  location.  Washington 
Town  had  been  organized  two  years  before,  by  Amos 
Sanders,  being  detached  from  Brown  County.  Al- 
though considerable  political  organization  had  been 
going  on,  exactly  what  it  amounted  to,  few  could 
explain.  When  an}-  one  was  elected  to  an  office  during 
the  first  six  or  seven  years  of  the  county's  existence, 
his  usual  course  was  to  take  a  journey  to  Green  Bay, 
often  through  trackless  woods,  in  order  to  find  out  what 
his  duties  were,  where  he  was  expected  to  perform 
them,  or  what  he  should  do,  and  where  he  should  do  it,  in 
order  to  be  officially  and  legally  stamped.  For  instance  : 
M.  E.  Lyman,  of  Egg  Harbor,  tells  how  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peac'e  of  the  town  of  Washington,  and, 
going  to  Manitowoc  to  file  his  bond,  the  Clerk  of  the 
Circuit    Court  could  not  say  positively  whether   the 


256 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


county  belonsred  to  Manitowoc  for  judicial  jiurposes  or 
not.  To  make  his  tenure  of  office  sure,  Mr.  Lyman 
went  to  Green  Bay,  and  filed  another  set  of  bonds 
there,  which  he  was  obliged  to  go  home  to  obtain.  He 
thus  traveled  over  tiiree  hundred  miles  to  make  of 
himself  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  "who  would  hold;'" 
and  this  journey  was  taken  in  face  of  the  fact  that  the 
first  road  from  Bailey's  Harbor  to  the  shore  of  Green 
Bay  was  not  cut  until  1850.  In  1855-56,  the  first  road 
was  cut  from  Green  Bay  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  A.  G. 
Warren,  Ciiairman  of  the  doubtful  town  of  Otumba 
(Sturgeon  Bay),  struck  a  bee-line  for  the  former  place 
to  find  out  where  the  county  seat  was  located  ;  but  to 
explain,  one  year  will  have  to  be  retraced.  In  the 
Winter  of  1855,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  organiz- 
ing Sturgeon  Bay  into  an  election  precinct.  Instead 
of  holding  a  general  election  in  November,  the  voters 
held  a  meeting  in  July  for  town  organization,  and 
elected  O.  P.  Graham,  Chairman.  The  town  having 
thus  been  "organized,"  in  tlie  Fall  of  the  next  year 
Mr.  Warren  was  cliosen  Chairman.  Washington  Town 
would  send  no  representative,  and  Mr.  Warren  did  not 
know  where  was  tlie  county  seat,  at  whicli  he  should 
"meet  himself."  There  was  no  way  out  of  it  but  to 
go  to  Green  Bay  and  consult  John  Last,  then  District 
Attorney  of  Brown  County.  It  was  done,  and  a  written 
opinion  given  that  Gibraltar  was  the  county  seat;  also 
that  A.  G.  Warren  and  W.  H.  Warren  and  Joiin  Gar- 
land, Justices  of  the  Peace  elect,  should  constitute  the 
board  for  the  canvass  of  returns.  Not  only  did  they 
constitute  themselves  a  Board  of  Canvassers,  but,  in 
some  manner  which  A.  G.  Warren  at  this  late  day  can 
not  explain,  resolved  themselves  into  a  "  County  Board 
of  Supervisors."  Tiie  meeting  was  held  November  11, 
1856,  and  the  following  were  declared  to  be  the  officers 
elected  on  the  4th  prox. :  Ezra  B.  Stevens,  Member  of 
Assembly;  Joseph  Harris,  Register  of  Deeds  and  Clerk 
of  the  Board;  Robert  Graham,  County  Treasurer;  H. 
Schuyler,  County  Surveyor ;  H.  S.  Schuyler,  Coroner. 
Old  settlers  generally  date  the  real  organization  of  the 
county  from  the  next  year.  Joseph  Harris  thus  writes 
to  C.  I.  Martin,  publisher  of  a  history  of  Door  County, 
from  which  a  portion  of  the  data  in  regard  to  early 
times  has  been  taken :  "  When  Sturgeon  Bay  was 
organized  into  a  town  in  1857,  by  tlie  name  of  Otumba, 
it  became  necessary,  in  order  to  assess  and  levy  taxes 
for  county  and  State  purposes,  to  hold  a  meeting  of  the 
chairmen  of  tliose  two  towns  as  a  County  Board  of 
Supervisors.  Mr.  J.  Nolan,  who  was  Chairman  of  the 
town  of  Washington,  refused  to  come  to  Sturgeon  Bay 
to  hold  the  meeting,  and  Squire  Henry  Sciiuyler,  who 
was  Chairman  of  Otumba,  and  myself  agreed  to  go  to 
Washington  Island  for  that  purpose.  It  was  late  in 
November  when  we  started  on  foot  through  the  woods 
to  Fish  Creek,  that  being  the  nearest  place  wliere  a 
sail-boat  could  be  got.  We  arrived  at  the  Island  the 
same  day.  The  next  day  the  first  meeting  of  the 
County  Board  in  Door  County  was  held.  Squire  Schuy- 
ler was  chosen  Chairman,  and  myself  Clerk  of  the 
Board.  The  tax  levy  was  made,  and  Door  County  set 
upon  its  legs."  By  act  of  the  Legislature  the  voters 
were  allowed,  in  1857,  to  formally  remove  tlie  county 
seat  from  Gibraltar  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  where  it  has 
remained.      Tiie  present  county  officers  (1881)  are  : 


County  Judge,  F.  J.  Hamilton ;  Treasurer,  Chris.  Leon- 
hardt ;  District  Attorney,  G.  W.  Allan  ;  Slieriff,  Arnold 
Wagner  ;  Register  of  Deeds,  James  Keogli,  Jr. ;  Clerk, 
George  Nelson  ;  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court ;  H.  C. 
Graham  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Chris.  Daniels  ; 
Surveyor,  A.  G.  Warren. 

STURGEON  BAY. 

By  general  consent,  and  by  the  efforts  of  the  Warrens, 
Joseph  Harris  and  John  Garland,  this  place  became  fixed 
upon  as  the  county  seat,  in  1856-57.  It  is  now  the  only 
village  of  any  prominence  in  Door  County,  and  contains  a 
creditable  $12,000  court-house,  built  in  1S78.  It  is  situ- 
ated at  the  natural  head  of  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  contains  a 
population  of  1,400  people.  Its  industries  are  chiefly  con- 
fined to  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  A  large  general  trade 
grows  out  of  this.  For  the  conveniences  of  business  a  bank 
was  established  in  November,  1880,  by  Messrs.  Shummel  & 
Kozishek.  With  its  business,  Sturgeon  B.jy  has  a  fire  de- 
partment, a  good  village  school  and  a  number  of  churches 
and  societies  to  promote  its  intelligence  and  sociability. 
The  Village  of  Sturgeon  Bay  was  incorporated  :July  15, 
1874. 

CHURCHES. 

St.  Joseph  {Catholic) — The  church  was  organized  in 
1866  and  the  building  at  once  erected.  For  several  years 
previous  to  this  time  services  had  been  held  at  the  old  court- 
house and  other  convenient  localities.  Rev.  John  L.  Adel- 
lar,  direct  from  Holland,  was  first  placed  in  charge  of  the 
church  by  Bishop  Joseph  Melcher.  St.  Joseph  is  at  pres- 
ent in  charge  of  Rev.  E.  Blume,  who  has  400  families  with- 
in his  jurisdiction,  which  includes  Sturgeon  Bay,  Egg  Har- 
bor, Bailey's  Harbor,  Clay  Banks  and  Jacksonport.  A 
church  building  is  occupied  at  Egg  Harbor,  and  one  at 
Bailey's  Harbor.  An  edifice  is  in  course  of  erection  at 
Jacksonport.  St.  Joseph  congregation  consists  of  200  fam- 
ilies, principally  English,  German  and  French  (Canadian). 
Connected  with  it  is  a  total  abstinence  society,  recently  or- 
ganized, and  the  Ladies  Altar  Society,  each  having  about 
forty  members.  Outside  of  the  central  church.  Father  Blume 
has  within  his  territory  also  quite  a  scattering  of  Belgians.  He 
came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in  April,  1876,  from  Gilman,  111.,  and 
has  gained  the  hearts  of  a  wide  circle. 

United  Brethren  of  Moravia. — This  church,  Lutheran  in 
its  general  tenets,  was  organized  in  1859  by  Rev.  A.  M. 
Iversen.  The  new  building,  erected  in  1880,  is  valued  at 
$1,300.  The  church  has  an  actual  membership  of  fifty-six, 
Rev.  C.  Madsen,  pastor.  He  took  charge  of  the  congrega- 
tion in  1873. 

M.  E.  Church,  Sturgeon  Bay  Conference,  was  organized 
in  1863  by  uniting  the  Gibrates  Mission  with  Sturgeon  Bay 
and  appointing  Rev.  B.  M.  Falmer  pastor.  The  church  and 
parsonage  are  valued  at  $2,500 ;  membership,  thirty-five, 
Rev.  P.  Burke,  pastor. 

Hope  Congregation,  Rev.  George  W.  Prescott,  commenced 
services  in  the  village  hall  in  January,  1880.  In  January, 
1 88 1,  the  congregation  removed  to  Lawrence  Hall,  and  or- 
ganized under  general  statute,  taking  the  above  name.  There 
is  no  church  organization;  membership  of  congregation, 
fifty.     The  polity  is  Congregational. 

There  is  also  a  very  small  Episcopalian  following,  hav- 
ing no  church  for  worship,  under  Rev.  F.  Moore,  and  a  few 
Seven  Day  Adventists,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Torkensen. 

Societies.— VitnxY  S.  Baird  Lodge  No.  211,  F.  &  A.  M., 
was  granted  a  dispensation  in  September,  1878.  Present 
membership,  twenty-five;  F.  J.  Hamilton,  W.  M. 

Sons  of  Hermann,  No.  3,  was  organized  November  18, 
1877,  with  twelve  charter  members.     There  are  twenty-five 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


257 


members  now.     President,  A.  Haberlie.     Chris.  Leonhardt 
is  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge. 

TJie  /';•£'«.— The  pioneer  journal  of  this  place,  the  Door 
County  Advocate,  was  established  at  Sturgeon  Bay,  March 
22,  1862,  by  Joseph  Harris,  of  that  place,  and  Myron  H. 
McCord,  of  Shawano.  The  material  was  brought  herefrom 
the  latter  locality,  where  it  had  been  used  in  printing  the 
Shawano  County  Journal.  Mr.  McCord  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  Advocate  in  the  Summer  of  1862,  and  Mr. 
Harris  continued  editorand  publisher  until  January  i,  i856. 


was  formed,  in  1866.  Its  charter  members  were:  Joseph 
Harris,  Sr.,  Henry  Schuyler,  George  Pinney,  D.  A.  Reed, 
D.  H.  Rice,  William  K.  Dresser,  G.  W.  Allen  and  E.  M. 
Squire.  The  association  at  first  took  the  nature  of  a  de- 
bating society,  but  later  assumed  the  more  useful  form  of 
an  organization  for  the  collection  of  standard  works  in  every 
department  for  the  use  of  its  members. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 
G.  W.  .\LLEN,  firm   of    Allen  &   McNally,  attorneys-at-law,  is  a 
native  of  New  London,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio.     There  he  began  to  learn  the 


IL  I  (,  TON    r\\ 


when  his  son,  Henry,  returned  from  the  war  and  became 
the  publisher,  with  J.  and  H.  Harris  as  editors.  .\pril  i, 
187s,  the  Advocate  was  purchased  by  Frank  Long,  its  pres- 
ent editor  and  proprietor.  In  1876  the  paper  was  enlarged 
from  a  five  column  to  a  seven  column  folio.  The  Advocate 
is  Republican  in  politics. 

The  Expositor  was  established  October  24,  1873,  by  Messrs. 
Pinney  &  Co.,  as  a  four  column  quarto  and  independent 
in  politics.  George  Pinney  soon  obtained  control,  and  the 
paper  became  Democratic  in  1876.  In  May,  1877,  Charles 
T.  Martin,  present  editor,  obtained  control  of  the  journal, 
and  it  became  again  independent.  In  June,  1880,  the  form 
was  changed  to  an  eight  column  folio. 

Library  Association.— ]omfi(\  to  the  power  and  educational 
influence  of  the  press,  is,  naturally,  a  good  library,  support- 
ed by  the  best  of  citizens.      Sturgeon  Bay  has  now  a  live 
association,  though  it  has,  at  times,  almost  died  out  since  it 
17 


carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  three  and  a  half  years.  In  1S57,  he 
attended  the  State  University  at  Madison,  Wis.;  completed  his  course 
of  study  in  1862.  He  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  attended 
the  Michigan  University  ;  graduated  in  tlie  -Spring  of  1S74  ;  returned  to 
Madison  and  entered  the  law  office  of  George  B.  Smith  ;  later  he  studied 
with  the  law  firm  of  W.  II.  &  K.  Tenney.  In  1S64,  came  to  Sturgeon 
Bay  and  opened  a  law  office,  and  has  since  followed  this  profession. 
In  the  Summer  of  1872,  he  removed  to  Carthage,  Mo.,  but  returned  in 
the  Spring  of  1873.  Mr.  Allen  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term  as  District 
Attorney  ;  was  a  member  of  the  .\ssembly  during  the  Winter  of  1871-2, 
representing  Door  and  Kewaunee  counties  ;  has  also  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  has  always  been  identified  with  school 
Mr.  McNally  was  admitted  as  a  partner  December,  l8So. 


AUGUST  BLIESNER,  boots  and  shoes.  Born,  Oct.  14,  1S43,  in 
Prussia.  September,  1S46,  came  to  Milwaukee  with  his  parents;  after- 
wards removed  to  Germantown,  Washington  Co.,  and  followed  farming. 
In  1855,  they  came  to  Ozaukee  County  ;  continued  farming.  In  1865,  he 
removed  to  Buffalo  County,  Wis.,  rented  a  farm,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  and  then  returned  to  Ozaukee  County,  where  he  left  his  family  ; 
and  followed  lumbering,  chopping  wood,  teaming,  besides  working  at 


258 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


shoemaking  one  year.  March,  1871,  he  started  a  shoe  sh 
till  Aug.  8,  1871,  when  he  came  to  Green  Bay  and  opened  a  shop,  which 
he  continued  about  four  years.  He  then  canvassed  for  various  indus- 
tries. He  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor.  Married  in  1S65  to 
Sophia  Kohn.  She  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  two  daughters — 
Anna  and  Sophia. 

A.  BOTTELSEN,  boot  and  shoe  maker.  Sturgeon  Bay.  A  native 
of  Norway,  born  July  8,  1S30,  he  learned  the  trade  of  boot  and  shoe 
maker  in  his  native  country.  Came  to  .\merica  in  1S64,  and  located  in 
Sturgeon  Bay.  Worked  at  his  trade,  as  journeyman,  for  some  time,  then 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  for  about  two  years.  In  1870  he  went 
to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  remained  four  years,  and  two  years  at  Harvard 
Junction,  III.  In  1876,  returned  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  worked 
at  his  trade  with  his  son-in-law  (Jacob  Dehos).  Married  in  185 1  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Mary  Bottelson.     Has  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

ANDREW  CHARLSEN,  farmer.  Sec.  9.  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay.  Born 
Dec.  31,  1S34,  in  Sweden.  Came  to  Iowa  June  24.  1S67,  and  the  fol- 
lowing October  removed  to  his  present  farm.  He  owns  forty  acres, 
which  he  has  improved.  Married,  April  3.  1867,  to  Caroline  Knudsen. 
She  was  born  in  Norway  in  1836.  They  have  had  five  children,  three 
living — Matilda,  Louisa  and  Carl  Louis.  They  lost  a  son,  Louis,  aged 
three  years.  Catharine  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  months.  Members 
of  the  .Moravian  Church. 

M.  COCHEMS.  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  Sturgeon  Bay.  Born 
March  12,  1837,  in  Prussia,  in  1853,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Mani- 
towoc County  ;  assisted  them  in  farming  till  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  H,  2d  Wis.  Cav.;  served  to  the  end  of  the  War.  In  1866.  he  went  to 
Ahnapee,  Wis.;  engaged  in  the  grist  mill  business  three  years,  then 
returned  to  Manitowoc  County.  In  1870,  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  In  1S74,  he  and  Mr.  Feldmann  opened  a'  genera! 
store,  which  they  continued  till  1879.  Since  then  Mr.  Cochems  has 
carried  on  this  business.  Married  in  1S62  to  Eliza  Wagener.  She  was 
born  in  Prussia  in  1841.  They  have  ten  children — seven  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

E.  C.  DANIELS,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay.  Born  Jan. 
26,  1835,  in  Missouri.  When  a  child,  he  went  to  Mentor,  Ohio,  with  his 
parents  ;  assisted  them  on  their  farm,  where  he  remained  till  1856,  when 
he  came  to  Sevastopol,  Wis.,  and  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  which 
he  improved  and  afterwards  sold.  In  1867  he  came  to  his  present  farm, 
which  he  has  also  improved  with  a  house,  cost  about  $1,800,  barn,  cost 
about  $400.  and  other  improvements.  Aside  from  this,  he  owns  about 
2,000  acres  of  land  in  Door  County. 

J.\COB  DEHOS,  manufacturer  of  boots  and  shoes.  Sturgeon  Bay. 
A  native  of  Germany,  born  Aug.  I,  1848.  Came  to  Amerca  in  1864,  and 
located  in  Door  County,  Wis.  Worked  at  farming  some  time,  and  in 
1866  commenced  to  work  at  boot  and  shoe  making,  and  continued  in 
that  work  till  1S71.  He  then  went  to  Missouri,  and  remained  for  three 
years,  and  returned  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in  iS74.and  opened  a  boot  and  shoe 
shop.  Was  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  for  two  years,  and  one  year 
member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Sturgeon  Bay ;  is  now  Justice  of  the 
Peace  ;  also  treasurer  of  the  Bay  Side  Cemetery  Association.  Married  in 
1869  to  Miss  Annie  Bottelsen,  of  Norway.  Has  two  daughters— Eva 
and  Agathe  ;  and  one  son,  John. 

WILLIAM  DONOVAN,  foreman  of  George  O.  Spear's  saw  mill. 
Sturgeon  Bay.  A  native  of  Northumberland  Counlv,  Ont.,  in  186S 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  went  into  eftiploy  of  Bailey  &  Vincent,  at  Little 
Sturgeon^  for  about  six  months  ;  then,  with  F.  B.  Gardner,  and  worked 
in  saw  mill  till  Mr.  Gardner  closed  out  his  business  in  Little  Sturgeon 
He  removed  to  Penaukee,  Oconto  Co.,  and  continued  in  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Gardner  one  year  longer  ;  then  engaged  with  Mr.  Spear,  and  worked 
for  him  one  year  at  Oconto,  and  in  1876  returned  to  Little  Sturgeon  with 
Mr.  Spear,  and  was  foreman  of  saw  mill  one  year.  Thence  to  Ft.  How- 
ard, and  engaged  in  hotel  business  for  a  short  time,  and  in  1878  removed 
to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  been  foreman  of  the  saw  mill  for  G  O 
Spear.  Married,  in  1878.  Miss  Louisa  Jenkin.  Has  two  sons— Edward 
and   Thomas  Joseph. 

G.  A.  DREUTZER,  Postmaster  and  general  merchandise  Sturgeon 
Bay,  is  a  native  of  Waupaca.  Wis.  His  father  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  United  States  Consul  to  Norway  in  1S62,  taking  his  family  with 
him.  where  they  remained  till  i866,then  returned  to  Waupaca.  In  i86g 
he  went  to  Chicago;  was  assistant  book-keeper  in  a  drug  house  two 
years.  In  1871,  came  to  Green  Bay  ;  was  bookkeeper  for  John  D.  Law 
three  years.     In  1874,  removed   to  Sturgeon   Bay,  was  appointed   Post 


master  in  1875.     He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Villi 


ge  and 


Boar. 


and  the  past  two  years  a  member  of  the  County  Board.  In  iSSo  he  was 
Cliairman  of  the  most  enthusiastic  and  largest  convention  ever  held  in 
Door  County.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Door  County  Committee  ■  has  al- 
ways been  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 

HON.  O.  E.  DREUTZER,  attorney  at  law,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden.  Born  Jan.  27,  1817  ;  received  his  education  in  the 
Swedish  Navy  ;  came  to  America  in  1834.  Was  corporal  in  the  Flor- 
ida War  in  1836,  then  returned   to  his  native   country  and  engaged  in 


active  naval  service  till  1S42,  when  he  returned  to  America,  remained  in 
Milwaukee  about  two  years,  reading  law,  removed  to  Portage  County  in 
1S46,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1854.  Was  appointed  County 
Judge  of  Waupaca  County  in  1857,  which  ofHce  he  held  till  1S62,  when 
he  received  the  appointment  of  Consul  to  Norway.  While  there  he  in- 
duced the  merchants,  through  his  influence  as  Consul,  to  open  a  direct 
trade  to  Chicago.  Ills.  The  brig  "Sleipner."  of  about  250  tons,  was  tilled 
out  and  loaded  with  fish  of  various  kinds  cod-liver  oil, liquor,  etc..  set 
sail  in  1863  and  discharged  her  cargo  in  Chicago,  the  first  foreign  flag 
that  ever  discharged  a  cargo  direct  in  that  port.  The  brig  returned  to 
Norway,  taking  a  load  of  the  products  of  .•\merica.  Finding  it  to  be  a  prof- 
itable business,  the  brig  was  enlarged  and  converted  into  a  barque,  and 
returned  with  another  load,  the  sloop  "Skjoldmoen"  of  about  eighty-five 
tons  coming  also.  Mr.  Dreutzer  took  a  very  active  part  in  establishing 
a  direct  commerce  between  these  two  countries.  He  held  the  oflice  of 
Consul  till  1866,  when  he  returned  to  Waupaca,  Wis.,  and  was  appointed 
Brigadier  General  of  Wisconsin  Militia  by  Gov.  Randall ;  practiced  law 
till  1874,  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  Door  Co.,  and  in  1875  w^s  elected 
District  Attorney,  and  has  since  been  in  the  constant  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

C.  FELDMANN,  general  merchandise.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born,  Nov. 
8, 1S34,  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany.  In  183S,  came  to  Door  County, 
followed  farming  thirteen  years,  was  burned  out,  then  removed  to  Sturgeon 
Bay;  was  employed  as  clerk  for  Lawrence  &  Co.  aboul  eighteen  months.  In 
1S74.  he.  with  Mr.  Cochems,  opened  a  general  store;  continued  in  part- 
nership four  years.  Since  then  he  has  carried  on  the  business  alone  and 
is  also  engaged  in  real  estate.  When  living  on  his  farm,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Village  Board,  Town  Treasurer  six  years.  School  Treasurer 
nine  years,  Assessor  two  years.  Married  in  1S58  to  Elizabeth  Wies,  of 
Hes^e  Darmstadt.  They  have  four  children — three  daughters  ard  one 
son. 

HENRY  HARLOW  FULLER,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Sawyer,  a 
native  of  Vorkville,  Racine  Co.,  Wis.  Born  July  13,  1852  ;  came  with 
his  parents  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in  1855  ;  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion. In  1871,  he  hired  his  father's  lime  kiln  and  commenced  burning 
lime.  The  following  Spring  he  bought  a  schooner,  which  was  used  in 
the  lime  business  and  trading  in  fish,  etc.  In  the  Fall  of  1S74  he  sold 
out,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1S75  engaged  in  farming.  Married  in  the  Fall 
of  1880  to  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Noble  of  Manitowoc. 

JOHN  P.  GRAASS,  saloon.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born.  Feb.  12,  1S39, 
in  Luxemburg,  Germany.  In  1S39,  came  to  Siurgeon  Bay  ;  worked  in  a 
saw-mill  three  years.  He  then  purchased  two  teams  and  worked  on  the 
canal  and  at  lumbering.  In  1874  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay.  Married 
June  24,  1S73,  to  Mena  Wagoner.  She  was  born  in  Prussia.  They 
have  four  children — one  son  and  three  daughters.  Lost  Barnard  in  the 
Fall  of  18S0,  aged  sixteen  months. 

H.  C.  GRAHAM.  Cleik  Circuit  Court,  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  two  years  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Sheboygan  County,  Wis.,  where  his  father  engaged  m  farming,  and,  when 
old  enough  to  work,  he  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  till  1858.  The 
family  removed  to  Door  County,  and  he  followed  fishing  till  1S61,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  32d  Wis.  I.,  and  served  till  the  end  of  the  war. 
He  participated  in  all  of  Sherman's  engagements.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  returned  to  Fish  Creek,  Door  County,  and  followed  fishing  till 
Fall  of  1880,  when  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  has  since  discharged  his  official  duties.  He 
has  been  Town  Clerk,  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Married  in 
186S  to  Miss  Celestia  M.  Thorp  of  Monroe  County.     Has  two  sons. 

HENRY  H.\HN,  proprietor  Northwestern  House,  Sturgeon  Bay, 
was  born  Nov.  7.  1823,  in  Prussia.  June  4,  1S49,  ^^  came  to  New  York, 
thence  to  Philadelphia,  thence  to  Columbia,  Pa.  About  1S55,  he  re- 
moved to  Lycoming  County  and  bought  an  interest  in  a  saw-mill ;  re- 
mained in  this  business  eighteen  months,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to 
Kewaunee  County  ;  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  improved,  but 
afterwards  sold.  In  1868,  he  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  opened  a 
grocery,  saloon  and  boarding-house.  The  following  year,  he  bought  his 
present  property,  which  he  has  enlarged  and  improved  ;  he  also  owms  a 
farm  of  120  acres.  He  married  in  1855,  to  Barbara  Haen,  who  was 
born  in  Prussia.  They  have  eight  children — three  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. When  in  Kewaunee  County  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  the  town  of  Casco. 

WILLI.\M  M.  HALSTEAD,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  harne.s.s, 
saddles,  etc.,  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  Sept.  20,  1830,  in  Elkhart  Co., 
Ind.  In  the  Summer  of  1S59,  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  worked  there  at 
this  trade  several  years.  He  then  enlisted,  in  1S62,  in  Co.  L,  ist  Wis. 
Cavalry  ;  served  a  short  time,  and  was  dischirged  on  account  of  physi- 
cal disability.  Returned  to  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  till 
the  Spring  of  1S63  ;  then  removed  to  Kewaunee,  and  opened  a  shop, 
which  he  run  a  short  time,  then  returned  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  worked 
about  one  year;  again  returned  to  Kewaunee,  and  continued  this  busi- 
ness from  1865  to  1876,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay. 

JUDGE  F.  J.  HAMILTON,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Genesee 
Co.,  N.   v.;    came  to  Michigan   in    1868,  and  taught  school.     He  soon 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


after  removed  to  Illinois,  thence  to  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  about 
one  year,  then  returned  to  McHenry  Co.,  111. ;  taught  school  there  six 
yeSirs.  May  q,  1871,  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  held  the  position  as 
principal  of  schools  for  six  years.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1876;  was  appointed  County  Judge,  February  5,  1S79,  assuming 
the  duties  of  the  office  April  i,  1S79.  He  was  elected  to  this  office  in 
tlie  Spring  of  1S81,  receiving  the  largest  majoriiy  <  f  votes  of  any  com- 
petitor. 

HANS  HANSEN,  farmer.  Sec.  9.  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of 
Norway,  born  March  Ig.  1815  ;  came  to  America  in  1853,  and  remained 
in  Chicago  for  two  years,  then  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  worked  a 
short  time  at  shipbuilding;  then  engaged  in  farming,  commercing  with 
comparatively  nothing.  By  his  industry  and  good  management  he  has  a 
farm  of  225  acres,  part  improved.  He  married.  Jan.  22,  1848,  Miss 
Bertha  Halena  Knudsen,  of  Norway.  They  have  one  son  and  three 
daughters.  Hans  has  always  assisted  his  father  in  the  management  of 
the  farm.     Mr.  Hansen  has  been  one  of  the  School  Directors. 

CHAUNCEY  HASKELL,  farmer.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in 
Brookfield,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  Sept.  14,  1S13;  moved  with  his 
parents  to  Ohio  in  :82I,  and  followed  farming.  He  removed  to  Boston 
in  1S30,  and  engaged  in  hotel  business  with  his  brother  for  five  or  six 
years,  then,  in  company  with  his  brother,  he  went  to  Portland,  Me.,  and 
followed  the  same  business  for  two  years  ;  thence  to  the  city  of  New- 
York,  and  engaged  in  the  provision  business  for  four  years;  therce  to 
Ohio,  and  remained  about  eighteen  months  ;  thence  to  Michigan  for  six 
months,  and,  in  company  with  hi»  brother,  moved  to  Illinois,  and  re- 
mained about  eighteen  months,  then  came  to  Wisconsin  and  followed 
fishing  for  about  twelve  years.  He  located  in  Sturgeon  Bay  in  1855,  and 
followed  hunting  and  trapping  for  about  two  years,  then  bought  sixty 
acres  of  land,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  ivas  married 
in  1859,  to  Miss  A.  Fuller,  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  two  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

J.  G.  HENDRICKS,  A.M.,  M.D..  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  ol  Mad- 
ison, Jefferson  Co.,  Ind.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  in  his  native  town  ;  graduated  at  the  St.  Louis  University 
in  1849.  and  also  in  New  York  City  in  1851.  He  then  returned  to  Mad- 
ison and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  ;  continued  till 
June  17.  1867,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  been  in 
constant  practice.  He  has  lately  opened  a  drug  store,  which  he  man- 
ages in  connection  with  his  profession. 

C.  HJORT.-\AS,  farmer  and  painter.  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was 
born  .-^pril  13.  1838.  in  Norway.  In  1S58,  became  to  New  York;  sailed 
out  of  New  York  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
where  he  served  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Chicago,  and  followed 
the  lakes  as  a  sailor  about  eight  seasons.  He  then  commenced  to  work 
at  painting;  followed  this  business  about  five  years.  In  1876,  he  came 
to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  followed  painting  and  farming.  He 
owns  thirty  two  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  improved  ;  has  a  veiy  com- 
fortable residence,  and  other  improvements  which  are  probably  the  finest 
in  this  locality.  He  was  married  in  1870  to  Miss  Henreica  Nelsen.  She 
is  a  native  of  Norway. 

W.  A.  IVES,  of  the  firm  of  W.  A.  Ives  &  Son,  foundry  and  machine 
shop.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in  New  Haven  Co.,  Conn.,  in  1S13.  At 
the  age  of  one  year  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  and  when  eighteen  years 
old  he  returned  to  Connecticut,  and  worked  at  making  combs  and  but- 
tjns  for  five  or  six  y;ars,  then  returned  to  Ohio  and  built  a  pocket-comb 
machinery,  and  remained  there  till  1S50,  when  he  went  to  California, 
and  returned  to  Ohio  in  1851.  In  1865.  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and 
bought  what  is  known  as  the  "  Middle  Mill,"  repaired  it  and  operated  it 
for  five  or  six  years,  sawing  lumber  and  shingles.  He  opened  a  foundry 
and  machine  shop  in  1877.  and  is  now  in  operation.  He  has  three  sons. 
Wallace  Leon  is  a  partner  in  the  firm. 

JAMES  KEOGH.  Jr.,  Register  of  Deeds,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native 
of  Ireland.  .  When  a  child  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and 
went  to  Canada,  where  they  remained  till  1855,  then  came  to  Door 
County,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  and  taught  school  till  1874. 
when  he  was  elected  to  this  office.  He  was  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  during  1878-9;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  a  stu- 
dent of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Oshkosh  during  1871.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1873  to  Miss  Rose  C.  Simon,  of  Nasewaupee,  Door  Co.  They 
have  three  daughters. 

A.  W.  LAWRENCE,  firm  of  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise,  is  a  native  of  Maine.  Came  to  Wisconsin  and  lo- 
cated at  Sturgeon  Bay  in  1852  ;  followed  fishing  for  three  years  ;  then 
engaged  with  Charnley  Bros.  &  Co. ;  assisted  in  building  a  saw-mill, 
which  they  completed  in  July,  1856.  He  then  superintended  their  busi- 
ness until  1878,  when  they  organized  a  stock  company,  styled  Sturgeon 
Bay  Lumber  Company,  he  becoming  one  of  the  stockholders  and  secre- 
tary of  the  company.  The  mill  has  a  sawing  capacity  of  about  70,000 
feet  a  day,  board  measure.  He  also  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business, 
in  1865,  commencing  with  a  small  stock,  and  his  business  rapidly  in- 
creased. He  took  in  a  partner  some  time  after  he  first  engaged  in  this 
business.     The  firm  of  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  in  18S0,  built  (and  com- 


pleted in  December  of  the  same  year)  a  two  story  building  and  base- 
ment. 50x120  feet,  with  all  the  modern  improvements.  They  occupy  the 
entire  lower  story,  doing  a  general  mercantile  business.  All  rooms  in 
the  building  are  heated  by  steam.  They  also  have  a  branch  store  in 
Bay  View,  opposite  the  village  of  Sturgeon  Bay.  Mr.  Lawrence  has  an 
improved  farm  of  170  acres  in  the  village  limits.  His  residence  is  lo- 
cated on  a  beauiiful  site,  commanding  a  fine  view. 

M.  E.  LAWRENCE,  meat  market.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in  Stur- 
geon Bay,  July  6.  1858  ;  attended  the  schools  in  his  native  town  ;  has  as- 
sisted his  father  in  his  business  since  twelve  years  old,  and  has  managed 
the  business  for  four  years.  Engaged  in  business  for  himself,  July,  1879, 
and,  by  honest  dealing  and  close  attention  to  business,  has  built  up  the 
largest  trade  in  his  line  in  Sturgeon  Bay.  Married,  April  21,  1880,  to 
Miss  Josie  CofTeen,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  They  have  one  daughter,  Minnie 
Estella. 

WILLIAM  B.  LAWRENCE,  farmer.  Sec.  5,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay, 
born  in  Northfield,  N.  H..  April  4,  1825.  At  the  age  of  four  years  he 
went  with  his  parents  to  Maine.  In  1848,  he  removed  to  Janesville,  Wis. 
In  1850.  came  to  Door  County,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns 
seventy-four  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  carried  on  a 
meat  market  in  Sturgeon  Bay  for  the  past  twenty  years  ;  has  lately  sold 
out  this  business  to  his  son.  He  has  been  Town  Treasurer  two  years  ; 
member  of  the  Town  Board  two  years.  Married,  in  1856,  to  Augusta 
Brooks.  She  was  born  in  Maine.  They  have  eight  children — seven 
.sons  and  one  daughter. 

JOHN  LEATHEM,  firm  of  Scofield  &  Co.,  general  merchandise 
and  manufacturers  of  lumber.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Canada  ;  came 
to  Ohio  in  1855  ;  thence  to  Michigan.  There  he  followed  lumbering 
and  'arming  till  the  Spring  of  i86r;  then  came  to  Green  Bay;  after- 
wards removed  to  Fond  du  Lac.  He  remained  there  a  short  time,  and 
returned  to  Brown  County,  following  the  lumber  business.  He  run  a 
mill  in  the  town  of  Scott  from  1S63-68,  and  then  sold  his  interest  and 
bought  an  interest  in  the  Red  River  Mill,  in  Kewaunee  County.  In 
l86g.  he  sold  out  his  interest  there  and  went  to  Racine,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  till  1871.  He  then  came  to  Door  County, 
and  built  the  Tornado  Mill,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  Fall  of 
1871.  Nine  persons  perished  in  the  flames.  He  at  once  rebuilt  this 
mill,  which  he  run  three  years,  when  it  was  again  burned.  In  1874  he 
came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  rented  the  Ives  Mill,  continuing  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber  and  shingles.  He  again  rebuilt  the  Tornado  Mill, 
and  run  it  till  1875.  In  1876,  he  built  the  Sturgeon  Bay  Mill.  He  had 
also  been  engaged  in  merchandising,  occupying  a  store  owned  by  O.  E. 
Dreutzer  about  three  years.  In  1879,  their  present  store  was  built— 27X 
100  feet,  with  two  stories.  He  held  the  office  of  Postmaster  in  Brussels, 
known  as  the  Tornado  P.  O. 

LOUIS  LEIDIGER,  firm  of  Leidiger  Bros.,  Sturgeon  Bay  Brewery, 
born  in  .Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  6,  1854.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
he  commenced  he  commenced  to  work  at  brewing  in  Sheboygan  County, 
and  remained  there  two  years  ;  thence  to  Milwaukee  till  1874,  when  he 
went  to  Omaha,  Neb.,  for  Brewer  Bemis  &  Co.,  to  superintend  their 
brewing  establishment ;  remained  there  till  1876  ;  thence  to  Sioux  City, 
Iowa ;  two  years  foreman  in  same  business  ;  then  returned  to  Milwau- 
kee, and  remained  till  1879,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  (in 
company  with  his  brother,  Ernest)  rented  the  Sturgeon  Bay  Brewery. 
Ernest  was  born  in  1857  ;  commenced  to  learn  the  machinist  trade  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  followed  it  for  six  years.  Their  sales 
amount  to  about  800  barrels  a  year. 

CHRIS.  LEONH.^RDT.  County  Treasurer,  Sturgeon  Bay,  born 
Sept.  6,  1837,  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany  ;  came  wiih  his  parents  to 
Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S43;  there  he  remained  till  1864,  when  he 
came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  opened  a  grocery  and  saloon  ;  also  kept  a 
hotel  about  seven  years.  He  w^as  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of 
the  village,  and  has  been  most  of  the  time  a  member  of  the  Village  and 
Town  Board.  He  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in  the  Fall  of  1874. 
and  is  now  serving  on  his  third  term.  He  has  represented  Door  and 
Kewaunee  counties  three  terms  in  the  Legislature. 

FRANK  LONG,  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Province  of 
Hanover,  Dec.  31,  1847  ;  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  the  Fall 
of  1853,  and  settled  in  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  where  he  resided  until  the 
Spring  of  1856,  when  he  went  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.  Removed  to  Stur- 
geon Bay  in  October,  of  that  year,  and  has  resided  there  since.  Began 
the  printing  business  in  March,  1862,  and  worked  in  the  office  of  the 
Door  Comity  AihvcaUt'hui  time,  until  he  purchased  the  type  and  fixtures 
from  Henry  Harris,  in  April,  1875. 

W.  M.  LORING,  firm  of  Loting  Bros.,  livery,  Sturgeon  Bay.  born 
Feb.  23,  1836,  in  Maine.  In  1S51,  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis. 
Followed  the  lumber  business  three  years;  in  1854,  came  to  Nashotah, 
Wis.,  also  followed  lumbering  till  1S74,  when  he  came  to  Manitowoc. 
There  started  a  livery  and  sale  stable.  In  the  Fall  of  iSSo,  removed  to 
Sturgeon  Bay,  and  he,  with  his  brother,  opened  this  stable.  Married, 
Sept.  14,  1859,  to  M'ss  Mary  Leachner,  of  Canada.  Have  ten  children, 
four  sons  and  six  daughters. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


A.  MAC  E  AC  HAM,  M.  D.,  druggist,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of 
Boston,  Mass.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
drug  business.  At  the  expiration  of  his  apprenticeship,  he  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  continuing  his  studies  from  iS6o  to  1867.  He  grad- 
uated at  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College  in  1S70.  Then  removed  to 
Sturgeon  Bay  and  commenced  practice,  which  he  continued  till  1876, 
when  he  bought  out  the  drug  store  of  John  McKenny,  now  of  Green 
Bay,  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  that. 

M.  McDonald,  general  salesman  for  Scofield  &  Co.,  Sturgeon 
Bay,  born  Aug.  27,  1849,  in  Southport,  N.  Y.  The  same  year  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Door  County.  After  attending  school  he  assisted 
his  father  in  fishing  and  farming  about  four  years.  He  then  accepted  a 
situation  with  W.  P.  &  D.  E.  Raney,  at  Washington  Island,  as  supercargo 
on  board  their  schooner.  Continued  two  years.  He  then  was  employed 
by  Chas.  D.  Ambroush,  now  of  California.  Continued  with  him  two 
years.  In  1S62,  he  returned  to  Door  County;  taught  school  nine  or  ten 
terms.  He  then  secured  employment  with  F.  B.  Gardner  as  salesman. 
Remained  there  three  years.  His  health  having  failed  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  go  south.  After  an  absence  of  two  years,  he  returned  to 
Sturgeon  Bay,  and  secured  employment  with  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co., 
where  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  accepted  the  appointment  of 
U.  S.  Numerator  for  Door  County.  In  1875  lie  entered  the  employ  of 
Scofield  &  Co.,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  was  U.  S.  Enumerator 
in  18S0  for  Sturgeon  Bay.  When  in  the  employ  of  T.  B.  Gardner,  of 
Gardner,  Wis.,  he  held  the  office  of  Postmaster. 

L.  R.  McLACKNER,  farmer,  Sec.  16,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay,  a  native 
of  Montreal,  Canada,  born  Jan.  g,  1S24,  removed  to  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1842.  Remained  several  years  engaged  in  milling.  Thence  to  Lock- 
port,  and  remained  until  1853,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  for  Mr.  D.  S.  Crandall,  and  assisted  in  building  a 
saw-mill— what  is  now  known  as  the  "Spear  mill."  In  1855,  he  bought 
a  farm  of  sixty  acres,  and  has  since  added  forty-five  acres,  since  which 
time  he  has  made  many  valuable  improvements,  and  has  always  been 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  is  also  proprietor  of  a  lime  stone 
quarry.  Mr.  McLackner  married,  in  1862,  Miss  H.  A.  Doak,  of  Brown 
Co.,  Wis. 

HENRY  M.  McNALLY,  firm  of  Allen  &  McNally,  attorneys  at 
law.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.  At  about  the 
age  of  two  years,  his  parents  removed  to  Kewaunee  County,  where  he 
was  brought  up.  He  taught  school  there  in  all  fourteen  years.  After- 
wards followed  farming  four  years,  also  reading  law.  He  attended  the 
law  school  at  Madison  in  '79  and  '80,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  April  of 
that  year.  He  then  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  was  admitted  as  a 
partner  of  this  firm  Dec.  15,  1880.  When  in  Kewaunee  County  he 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  three  years. 

CHARLES  I.  MARTIN,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  IV^ekly  Ex- 
positor.  Sturgeon  Bay,  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1857.  Came  west  to 
Illinois  i860,  and  went  to  Kentucky  in  '62,  and  lastly  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in 
Fall  of  1864.  Spent  the  years  of  1874,  '75  and  '76  at  the  printing 
business  in  western  Iowa,  returning  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  assuming  the 
proprietorship  of  the  Expositor  in  May.  1877.  In  the  Fall  of  1880  and 
Winter  of  l88o-l,  beside  his  usual  office  business,  he  wrote  and  pub- 
lished a  history  of  Door  County,  giving  biographies  of  700  families  of 
old  settlers,  and  mention  of  4,000  persons,  which  has  been  of  aid  in  the 
preparation  of  this  work. 

C.  A.  MASSE,  real  estate.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Holland. 
Came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents  in  1840,  and  they  engaged  in  farming 
in  Cook  County  for  three  years,  then  removed  to  Green  Bay.  Mr. 
Masse  taught  school  in  Brown  County,  and  has  held  many  public  offices. 
He  was  Chief  Clerk  of  the  Provost  Marshal's  office  in  Green  Bay,  during 
the  draft  of  1862  and  1863,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  In  1865  he  removed  to  town  of  Union,  Door  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
opened  a  store.  Burnt  out  in  1867,  he  engaged  in  farming  for  three 
years.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Clerk  in  Fall  of  1870, 
and  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  engaged  in  his  official  duties.  Was  re- 
elected three  successive  terms.  Then  elected  County  Treasurer,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  the  term  of  Treasurer,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  he  being  elected  to  that 
position  during  the  Winter  of  1878-9.  He  repiesenled  Door  County 
in  the  Assembly,  and  was  President  of  the  Village  Board  in  1877.  Mr. 
Masse  deals  largely  in  real  estate,  is  building  a  block  of  six  stores  on 
Cedar  street,  and  owns  a  large  quantity  of  other  property  in  the  village. 
His  father  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Brown  County  for  the 
past  twenty  years. 

HON.  EDWARD  S.  MINOR,  Sturgeon  Bay,  a  native  of  Jefferson 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  Dec.  13,  1839,  received  a  common  school  education  ;  is 
by  occupation  a  merchant.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents' in 
1844,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Greenfield,  Milwaukee  Co.  Afterward 
removed  to  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  and  thence  to  Door  County.  Was 
enrolled  on  the  twentieth  day  of  December,  1861,  in  Company  G,  2d 
Wis.  C.  Re-enlisted  Jan.  13,  1864,  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  Aug. 
I.  1865,  and  to  first  lieutenant  Oct.  21,  1865.  Participated  in  the  battles 
of   Newtonia,   Mo.,  Oct.   4,  1862;    Prairie   Grove,  Dec.  7,  1862;  Van 


Buren,  Ark.,  Dec.  28,  1862;  Hall's  Plantation,  Oct.  3,  1864;  Wood- 
ville.  Miss.,  Oct.  6,  1864  ;  near  Yazoo  City,  Dec.  I,  1864;  Egypt  Station, 
Miss.,  Dec.  26,  1864,  and  was  also  engaged  in  many  raids  and  skir- 
mishes on  the  march  through  the  States  of  Missouri,  Arknasas,  Ten- 
nessee and  Texas.  Was  Assemblyman  in  1878,  and  in  18S0  was  re- 
elected for  1881,  receiving  a  majority  of  272  votes  over  the  Dem- 
ocratic and  Greenback  candidates.  Mr.  Minor  has  always  been  prom- 
inently identified  with  the  Republican  party. 

FRED  NELSEN,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay.  Born  No- 
vember, 1857,  in  Norway.  In  1S67,  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents. 
There  he  attended  school  a  short  time.  The  family  soon  after  removed 
to  Sturgeon  Bay,  where  he  worked  at  various  kinds  of  labor  till  the 
Spring  of  1880,  when  he  bought  this  farm,  consisting  of  forty  acres,  and 
has  since  been  improving  it.  Married,  April  18,  1S81,  to  Miss  Petra 
Nelsen,  of  Sturgeon  Bay. 

GEORGE   NELSON,  County   Clerk,  Sturgeon   Bay.      A   native  of 


New  York  City,  born  in  1850. 


Chicago 


ith   hi; 


par 


:86o,  and  remained  there  about  four  months,  then  removed  to  Sturgeon 
Bay,  Wis.  In  1869  he  went  to  Appleton,  Wis.,  and  attended  the  Uni- 
■versify  for  two  or  three  years  ;  then  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  four 
years.  He  then  accepted  a  position  of  book-keeper  and  clerk  with 
Charles  Fellows,  in  Kewaunee  County,  which  he  held  for  one  year  and 
a  half.  Then  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  accepted  a  position  of  book- 
keeper with  Scofield  &  Co.  Was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Kewaunee 
County,  and  has  been  Notary  Public  for  the  past  ten  years.  Elected 
County  Clerk  in  Fall  of  1S80,  his  services  as  book-keeper  being  so  highly 
appreciated  by  his  employers,  he  still  remains  with  them,  and  appointed 
a  Deputy  to  attend  to  his  official  duty  (County  Clerkship).  Mr.  Nelson 
is  also  Village  Clerk.  Married  in  November,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary 
Madden.     Has  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

CAPT.  N.  P.  NELSON,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay.  A  na- 
tive of  Norway,  born  Aug.  14,  1816.  First  came  to  America  in  1842, 
returned  to  his  native  country  and  brought  his  family  over  in  1S45,  and 
located  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  followed  sailing.  Came  to  Sturgeon  Bay 
in  i860,  and  bought  a  farm.  He  being  captain  and  half  owner  of  the 
brig  "  Ramsey  Crook,"  he  left  the  management  of  the  farm  to  his  son, 
and  continued  to  sail  the  brig  in  the  lumber  trade  for  about  four  years, 
then  sold  out  his  interest  in  her.  Mr.  Nelson  has  sailed  other  vessels, 
and  owned  an  interest  in  them.  Married  in  Norway,  in  1839.  His  wife 
died  after  coming  to  America  (in  1848).  Had  one  son,  who  died  in  the 
late  War.  Married  again,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Olena  Aim.  Has  one  son 
and  daughter. 

JAMES  F.  PALMER,  barber,  Sturgeon  Bay.  A  native  of  St.  Jo- 
seph County,  Ind.,  born  March  4,  1855.  Came  with  his  parents  to 
Michigan,  and  remained  till  1868,  when  they  removed  to  Waupaca, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  attended  school.  In  the  Spring  of  1871, 
the  family  removed  to  Oshkosh.and  in  1872  his  father  returned  to  Wau- 
paca, made  some  improvements  on  his  farm,  and  sold  out  and  located  in 
Neenah.  In  1875,  Mr.  Palmer  commenced  to  learn  the  photograph  busi- 
ness. After  working  a  short  time,  his  health  became  impaired,  and  he 
took  a  trip  to  Indiana,  remaining  there  six  months.  Returned  to 
to  Neenah,  and  went  into  employ  of  M.  C.  Daniels,  to  learn  the  barber 
trade.  Remained  with  him  about  eight  months.  In  1877,  he  removed 
to  Ahnapee,  and  opened  a  barber  shop.  The  climate  not  agreeing  with 
him,  he  remained  but  five  months,  when  he  returned  to  Neenah  and 
remained  till  Spring  of  187S,  when  he  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and 
opened  a  barber  shop,  which  business  he  has  since  been  engaged  in,  ex- 
cept a  short  time  he  was  under  medical  treatment  in  Neenah.  Married, 
Dec.  31,  1876,  to  Miss  E.  J.  Van  Tassel,  of  Neenah,  Wis.  Has  two 
sons. 

HON.  D.  A.  REED,  attorney-at-law.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was  born  in 
Norwalk.  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  March  4,  1S22.  There  he  received  a  common 
school  education  and  studied  the  profession  of  law.  He  removed  to 
Michigan  in  1849.  located  in  Ottawa.  He  was  elected  County  Judge, 
which  office  he  held  from  1S50  to  1852.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53, 
settled  in  Manitowoc  ;  became  a  resident  of  Door  County  in  i860  ;  was 
Postmaster  of  the  Assembly  in  1857,  and  Assistant  Sergeant-at-Arms 
of  the  same  body  in  1858.  He  has  held  the  office  of  District  .\ttorney 
of  Door  County  twelve  years  ;  he  represented  Door,  Oconto  and  Sha- 
wano counties  in  the  Assembly  in  1865  ;  was  1st  lieutenant  in  R.  Q.  M. 
of  the  49th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol.,  March  18,  1865  ;  discharged,  June  I,  1865. 
He  received  649  votes,  against  531  for  Moses  Kilgore  (Dem.).  441  votes 
for  J.  R.  McDonald  (Ind.),  and  42  votes  for  E.  T.  Tillapaugh  (Farmers). 
He  was  admitted  to  pi-actice  in  the  Supreme  Court,  Jan.  13,  1874.  Has 
held  the  office  of  Court  Commissioner  of  Door  County.  In  1846  he 
assisted  in  raising  the  first  Ohio  regiment  for  the  Mexican  War. 

II.  N.  REED,  salesman  for  Scofield  &  Co.,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native 
of  LeRoy,  Mich.,  born  Dec.  28,  1849.  Is  a  son  of  Hon.  D.  A.  Reed. 
In  1 85 1,  his  parents  moved  to  Grand  Haven,  Mich.,  thence  to  Manito- 
woc, Wis.,  and  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in  1S60.  Mi".  Reed  received  a 
common  school  education  ;  attended  the  Business  College  at  Green  Bay 
during  1870  and  until  the  Spring  of  1871,  when  he  commenced  teaching 
school  in  Clay  Banks,  Door  County.     He  t.aught  till  1877.     During  this 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


26, 


time  he  bought  and  managed  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  of  which  thirty  acres 
were  improved.  Sold  his  farm  and  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in  1S77. 
Engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business  at  Bay  View,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Rice  (firm  name  Rice  &  Reed),  Mr.  Rice  went  out  of  the 
business  in  187S,  and  Mr.  Reed  sold  his  interest  March,  iSyg.  then 
taught  school  for  a  short  time,  and  in  December,  iSSo,  went  into  employ 
of  Scofield  &  Co.  as  salesman  in  general  merchandise,  which  position  he 
has  occupied  since.  Married  in  January,  1S75,  Miss  Christena  Torsten. 
They  have  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter. 

WILLIAM  REIIR,  farmer  and  dealer  in  lime.  Sec.  3,  P.  O.  Stur- 
geon Bay.  Born  April  18,  1841.  in  Prussia.  In  1S65,  came  to  Milwau- 
kee ;  scaled  lumber  about  three  years.  In  186S,  went  to  Muskegon,  and 
in  1870  removed  to  Pearson,  M  ch.,  following  scaling  there.  In  1S73, 
came  to  Sturgeon  Bay;  scaled  lumber  for  the  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Co. 
three  years.  Since  then  he  has  followed  farming.  April,  1879,  he  com- 
menced making  lime,  and  turns  out  about  1.500  barrels  a  season.  Mar- 
ried in  1S73  to  Margaret  Brost.  She  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Wis.     They  have  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

F.  X.  SAILER,  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker.  Sturgeon  Bay,  was 
born  Feb.  14,  1837.  Came  to  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1S60,  and  remained 
there  about  eight  years,  working  at  cabinet-making ;  in  186S,  removed 
to  Door  County,  Wis.,  and  followed  that  business  till  1878,  when  he  lo- 
cated in  the  village  of  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  opened  a  furniture  store  and 
undertaking.  In  the  Fall  of  1880  his  entire  stock  of  goods  and  building 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  Carrying  but  a  small  insurance,  he  met  with 
quite  a  heavy  loss.  N  itwithstanding  this  reverse  of  fortune,  Mr.  Sailer 
rebuilt  and  has  established  a  prosperous  business.  Married  Nov.  29, 
1879,  Miss  Theresa  Ranch,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  He  has  two  sons  by  a 
former  marriage. 

HENRY  SCHUYLER,  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  came  to  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  and  worked  at  the 
millwright  trade.  In  1854,  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  built  a  saw-mill  for 
Daniel  H.  Burtis,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  for  several  years  was  en- 
gaged in  repairing  and  building  mills.  He  has  held  the  office  of  County 
Surveyor  six  years,  was  the  first  Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  the  past  fifteen  years.  Mrs.  S.  opened  a  millinery 
store  in  i86g,  doing  quite  an  extensive  business,  employing  on  an  ave- 
rage six  hands.     He  owns  this  store  and  other  properly  in  the  village. 

AMASA  SHAW,  filer,  with  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Co.,  was  born 
May  18,  1831,  in  Hampden,  Penobscot  Co.,  Me.  In  1844  went  to  Catta- 
raugus County,  N.  Y.  ;  worked  at  lumbering  one  year,  then  came  to  Ju- 
neau County,  Wis.,  followed  lumbering  till  about  1865,  when  he  removed 
to  Menominee.  Mich. ;  worked  where  he  lived  two  years.  In  1867.  he 
removed  to  Green  Bay,  worked  there  in  mills  till  1876.  when  he  came  to 
Sturgeon  Bay.  Was  employed  as  filer  in  Scofield  &  Co.'s  mill  till  the 
Spring  of  1881.     Since  then  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company. 

THOMAS  H.  SMITH,  firm  of  Scofield  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of 
lumber,  and  dealers  in  general  merchandise.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native  of 
Norwich,  Conn.  Came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  in  1864;  followed  the  ma- 
chinist trade;  was  also  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Dailey,  carrying  on  a 
grist-mill  in  Brown  County.  In  the  Winter  of  1874-5,  removed  to  Stur- 
geon Bay,  and,  in  company  with  Mr.  Leathem,  built  the  mill  they  are 
now  operating.  This  firm  also  owns  a  barge  line,  consisting  of  steam 
tugs  and  barges,  plying  between  Green  Bay,  Sturgeon  Bay  and  Chi- 
cago. 

DR.  J.  H.  SOPER,  physician  and  surgeon.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Erie  County,  Pa.;  came  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  in  i860.  At  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  he  entered  the  service  as  commissary  sergeant  of 
Co.  E,  Western  Engineer  Brigade;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war,  then 
returned  to  Toledo,  and  attended  school  three  years.  In  1S68  he  came 
to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.;  studied  medicine  one  year,  then  removed  to  Chi- 
cago, and  attended  the  Bennett  Medical  College,  graduating  from  this 
institution,  March,  1876.  He  practiced  one  year  in  Chicago,  then  re- 
moved to  Waukesha  County,  where  lie  practiced  two  years.  In  1879, 
came  to  Sturgeon  Bay. 

C.  L.  SORENSON,  farmer  and  ship  carpenter.  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay, 
Sec.  9,  was  born.  May  18,  1847,  in  Norway.  In  1867,  came  to  Sturgeon 
Bay;  remained  here  a  few  months,  and  then  removed  to  Chicago,  and 
followed  the  carpenter's  trade  there.  In  1873.  he  returned  to  Sturgeon 
Bay,  and  has  since  been  employed  with  the  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Com- 
pany, in  the  capacity  of  carpenter  and  millwright.  He  owns  forty  acres 
of  land,  where  his  family  reside.  Married  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  to 
Helena  Hansen.     She  was  born  in  Norway.     They  have  four  daughters. 

KNUD  SORENSON,  farmer,  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Norway,  born  Feb.  9,  1839.  Came  to  America  in  1861,  and  fol- 
lowed sailing  out  of  Boston  and  New  \'ork  for  about  four  years.  In 
1865.  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  followed  sailing  on  the  lake  until 
1879,  when  he  bought  100  acres  of  farming  land,  and  has  since  sold  all 
but  thirty-four  and  a  half  acres,  where  he  now  resides,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. Mr.  Sorenson  has  made  some  valuable  improvements.  Married 
in  1869,  to  Miss  Amelia  Nelson,  of  Norway.     Has  one  son. 

GEORGE  O.  SPEAR,  lumber  manufacturer.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Maine.     In  1857  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.;  the  following  year 


removed  to  Missouri.  In  1861,  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  was  employed  by 
the  Peshtigo  Company  in  ship  building ;  continued  till  1864.  He  built 
a  mill  at  Red  River,  Wis.,  in  1865  ;  run  it  about  four  months,  when  it 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  which  was  a  loss  of  about  $20,000.  In  i856,came 
to  Little  Sturgeon,  and  there  engaged  in  ship  building  till  1875,  when 
he  sold  out  to  his  brother.  In  1877,  he  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and 
bought  the  McMaster  property,  consisting  of  the  mill  he  now  works  and 
about  2,000  acres  of  land.  He  also  owns  a  line  of  two  tugs  and  eight 
scows,  known  as  the  "  Dummy  Line,"  which  is  used  in  carrying  lumber 
to  Chicago. 

ANTHONE  THOMPSON,  farmer.  Sturgeon  Bay.  was  born,  Sept. 
20,  1810,  in  Fahrsiind,  Norway.  Aug.  5.  1848,  came  to  Milwaukee,  in 
1850,  went  to  Green  Bay,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  removed  to 
Sturgeon  Bay  ;  followed  the  lakes  about  six  years.  Before  leaving  his 
native  country,  he  had  followed  the  sea  thirty  years.  He  rwns  105  acres 
of  land,  which  he  entered  ;  this  land  is  located  inside  the  village  limits. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer,  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Town  Board.  His  son,  Eli  A.,  who  assists  his  father  on  this  farm, 
is  Town  Treasurer,  and  has  held  this  office  many  years.  Mr.  Thompson 
was  married,  in  1833,  to  Maren  T.  Olson,  of  Norway.  She  was  born, 
March  10,  1S02.  They  have  two  children— Eli  A.  and  Anna,  now  Mrs. 
Olsen.  His  son,  Eli  A.,  served  in  the  late  war;  enlisted  in  the  15th 
Wis.  I. 

HERBERT  J.  THOMPSON,  lumber.  Sturgeon  Bay,  is  a  native 
of  Ft.  Ann,  Washington  Co.,  N.Y.  In  i860,  he  came  to  Chicago,  the 
following  year  removed  to  Pensaukee,  Wis. ;  was  in  the  employ  of  F.  B. 
Gardner,  lumber  manufacturer,  having  general  charge  of  this  business, 
where  he  remained  till  1872,  then  came  to  Green  Bay.  In  1877,  he 
removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  lumbering, 
jobbing,  etc.     When  in  Pensaukee,  he  held  most  of  the  town  offices. 

A.  D.  THORP,  book-keeper  for  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Co.,  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  April  15,  1844.  came  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  with 
his  parents,  when  two  years  old.  They  engaged  in  farming,  and  re- 
mained there  till  1859,  when  they  removed  to  Monroe  County,  and  he 
assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  till  1S61.  He  then  enlisted  in  3d  Wis. 
C,  and  served  for  two  years;  re-enlisted  in  1863,  in  the  43d  Wis.  I., 
and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war  ;  was  ist  sergeant  during  his  service 
in  the  infantry  ;  went  to  Montana  Territory  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  remained  there  two  years  ;  then  returned  to  Tomah,  Wis.,  and  en- 
gaged in  hotel  business  for  two  years  ;  then  removed  to  Egg  Harbor, 
Door  Co.,  and  engaged  in  wood  and  lumber  business  ;  elected  Coun- 
ty Clerk  in  1876,  and  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  engaged  in  his  offi- 
cial duties  ;  re-elected,  and  served  his  second  term,  then  went  into  the 
employ  of  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Co.,  as  book-keeper  ;  married  in  1S71, 
Miss  Ellen  A.  Durkee,  of  Tomah,  Wis.;  has  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

GEORGE  H.  TIIORP,  boarding-house  for  G.  O.  Spears,  lumber 
manufacturing.  Sturgeon  Bay,  a  native  of  Oswego  Co.,  N.Y.,  came  with  his 
parents  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1845,  and  worked  till  1857,  when  he  removed 
to  Fish  Creek  and  built  a  pier  (the  first  on  the  peninsula),  and  was  also 
engaged  in  getting  out  wood  ;  thence  to  Egg  Harbor  in  lS5i,  and  fol- 
lowed fishing,  wood  business  and  making  fish  barrels,  till  1865,  when  he 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1867,  he  returned  to  Fish  Creek  and  kept 
boarding-house  till  1871,  when  be  removed  to  Little  Sturgeon,  and  went 
into  employ  of  F.  B.  Gardner  as  boarding-house  keeper,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years  and  four  months,  and  returned  again  to  Fish  Creek 
and  engaged  in  fishing  and  cedar  business  till  1880,  when  he  removed 
to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since  been  in  employ  of  George  O.  Spears. 
Mr.  Thorp  married,  in  1862,  Miss  Lucretia  Post,  of  Pennsylvania ; 
has  one  daughter,  Fannie. 

H.  A.  THORP,  manager  of  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  at  Bay  View, 
is  a  native  of  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  born  Nov.  10.  1851  ;  came  with  his 
parents  to  Door  County  in  1S56,  and  located  at  Fish  Creek  ;  received  his 
education  in  Milwaukee  and  White  Water ;  commenced  teaching  school 
in  1S71,  and  taught  five  years.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  ;  clerked  some  time  at  Fish  Creek  and  Ephraim.  In  May,  1S80, 
he  came  to  the  village  of  Sturgeon  Bay  and  went  into  the  employ  of  A. 
W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  as  clerk,  and  in  February,  1S81,  the  company 
placed  him  in  charge  of  their  general  merchandise  store  at  Bay  View, 
which  position  he  now  occupies.  Married,  June  10,  1875,  to  Miss  Nellie 
McDonald.     Has  one  son  and  daughter. 

ARNOLD  WAGENER.  Sheriff  and  firm  of  W.agener  Bros.,  brewers. 
Sturgeon  Bay,  born  Jan.  4,  1844,  'f  Prussia.  In  1852,  came  to  Manito- 
woc County,  assisted  his  father  on  their  farm  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  A,  5th  Wis.  I,  served  three  years,  returned  to  Manitowoc  where  he 
remained  a  short  time,  and  then  went  west,  traveling  through  Idaho, 
Utah,  Colorado  and  other  places,  occupying  about  eight  years.  In  1872, 
returned  to  Manitowoc,  thence  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  worked  in  Blatz 
brewery  two  years.  In  1874,  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  he,  with  his 
brother,  started  this  brewery.  He  held  the  office  of  Under  Sheriff  the 
past  four  years;  was  elected  Sheriff  in  the  Fall  of  18S0;  married  Feb. 
I,  1874.  Mrs.  Wagener  is  a  native  of  Galena,  111.  They  have  two  sons 
and  one  daughter. 

GEORGE  WALKER,  shoemaker  for  August  Bliesner,  Sturgeon 
Bay,   is   a   native   of  England,  born  in   1842;  came  to  Niagara  Co., 


262 


HISl'ORV    OF    NORIHKRX     WISCONSIN. 


N.V.,  in  1854,  with  his  parents.  In  1S57,  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  ;  re- 
turned to  Niagara  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1S60,  and  attended  school  there  sev- 
eral years— known  as  the  Lewiston  Academy.  He  enlisteS  in  1862  in 
Co.  L,  Sih  NY.  Heavv  .Artillery,  served  to  the  end  of  the  war;  was 
mu-lered  out  at  New'  York  City.  Participated  in  the  battles  of  Cold 
Harbor,  North  and  .South  .\nn.  Wilderness,  and  a  series  of  battles 
round  Pittsburgh  and  assisted  in  defending  the  city  of  Washington.  He 
returned  to  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  followed  farming  till  the  Fall  of 
1871,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  is  still  engaged  at  farming. 
He  holds  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  is  piesident  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Society  ;  has  held  this  office  the  past  two  years,  and  has  for 
manv  years  been  identified  with  the  society. 

A.  G.  WARREN,  Town  Clerk  and  Deputy  County  Clerk,  Sturgeon 
Bay,  a  native  of  New  London,  Conn.,  born  July  26,  1812.  came  to  Stur- 
geon Bay,  Wis.,  April  3,  1S55,  in  company  with  his  brother,  and  built  a 
log  house,  30x40  feet,  and  commenced  clearing  a  farm.  In  1S68,  he 
rented  his  farm,  and  went  into  employ  of  .\.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  as 
book-keeper,  which  position  he  occupied  for  several  years.  Mr.  ^Varren 
has  held  many  of  the  town  offices,  and  has  been  Town  Clerk  for  the  past 
four  terms,  and  is  also  Deputy  County  Clerk. 

N.  S.  WASH  BUR. V,  yard  foreman  of  Sturgeon  Bay  Lumber  Com- 
piiy.  B)rn  Mirch  29  1S45.  in  Piscataquis  Co,  Me.  In  1S65,  went  to 
Kansas,  and  was  engaged  in  transporting  goods  across  the  plains.  In 
1S6S.  removed  10  Fort  Smith,  Montana.  Was  in  the  employ  of  the 
United  States  Government  one  year.  In  186^,  went  to  Helena,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  freighting  goods.  In  1872,  returned  to  his  native  State, 
where  he  remained  but  a  short  time,  then  returned  to  Kansas  to  follow 
farming  and  stock  raising.  In  1874.  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  has  since 
had  charge  of  this  yard.  .Married,  in  1875,  to  Miss  Emnia  Bucknam,  of 
Minnesota.     They  have  three  sons. 

MICHAEL  WELTER,  firm  of  Masse  &  Welter,  dealers  in  agricul- 
tural implements,  sale  stable,  etc.,  Sturgeon  Say.  Mr.  Welter  is  a  native 
of  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.  Born  May  15,  1855.  He  worked  at  the  carpen- 
ter trade,  and  assisted  his  father  on  his  farm  of  123  acres  in  Ozaukee 
County,  till  1872.  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  in  1875  entered 
into  partnership  with  Mr.  Masse,  in  the  hardware  business,  which  they 
continued  for  two  years,  then  sold  out.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in 
the  sale  of  agricultural  implements,  real  estate,  building,  etc. 

CHARLES  M.  WHITESIDE,  miller  for  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co., 
Sturgeon  Hay.  .A  native  of  Ohio.  Born  June  15,  1S50.  He  worked  in 
his  father's  grist  mill  in  Ohio,  when  a  boy",  and  has  followed  the  same 
business  ever  since.  Spent  some  time  in  Indiana  at  his  tr.ide,  and  came 
to  Sturgeon  Bay,  Wis.,  in  April,  18S0,  and  has  since  been  in  charge  of 
A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.'s  grist  mill.  Married  Sept.  28,  1875,  to  Miss 
Malissa  Miller.     They  have  two  children— a  son  and  daughter. 

ADAM  HEILMANN.  farmer,  .Sec.  13,  P.  O.  Sawyer.  A  native  of 
G  rmany.  Born  .May  26.  1S32.  Came  to  America  in  1843  with  his 
parents,  and  located  in  Washington  County.  Assisted  his  father  in  farm- 
ing until  1S56.  He  then  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  (Government 
land),  and  has  since  added  f  >rty  acres  more,  making  a  farm  of  120  acres, 
mostly  improved  (on  Sec.  13).  and  owns  160  acres  in  Sec.  23.  uncultivated. 
He  enlisted  in  August,  1862  in  Co.  I.,  26th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  until 
the  end  of  the  war ;  was  orderly  serijeant  the  last  two  years ;  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  Married  in  1861,  Miss  Bar- 
bara Bellenbach.  Has  four  sons — Adam,  William,  Casp-r  and  George. 
One  son  and  four  daughters  died  December,  iSSo— Henry,  aged  nine- 
teen years,  Katie,  ten,  Mary,  eight,  Lena,  six.  and  Lizzie,  four. 

B.AY    VIEW. 

This  is  a  settlement  of  200  people,  just  across  from  Stur- 
geon Bay,  whicli  w.is  platted  over  six  years  ago  by  Joseph 
Harris,  and  within  whose  bounds  lie  lives.  It  contains  two 
holds;  one,  the  "  Bay  View  Hou.se,"  a  neat  and  well  kept 
establishment;  a  number  of  genera!  stores,  blacksmith  and 
wagon  sho])s,  an  agricultural  depot,  and  a  German  Metho- 
dist Kpiscopal  Church,  which  is  in  charge  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Pieper,  of  Kewaunee.  .\  ferry  is  constantly  running  between 
Sturgeon  Bay  and  Bay  View,  the  latter  place  getting  con- 
siderable transient  custom  from  those  pas^ing  through  to 
the  former. 

niiKiKAI-mCAI.    SKETCHES. 

E.  N.  ANDERSON,  gcner.1l  merchandise,  P.O. Sawyer  Born  May 
24.  1840,  in  Norway.  Came  to  Manitowoc.  Wis.,  in  1855'.  He  followed 
the  lakes  in  the  cipacity  of  a  sailor,  till  1S63.  and  was  then  placeil  in 
command  of  a  vessel,  and  has  since  been  master  of  vessels  till  he  rttired 
from  sailing,  which  was  in  1879.  when  '>e  engaged  in  getting  out  posts, 
lies,  etc.,  at  Ahnapee.  He  established  his  present  business  here  in 
August,  1880.  .Married  Miss  Slyverson,  of  Manitowoc.  They  have  three 
children — one  son  and  two  daughters. 


WILLIAM  F.  BARTZ,  bootsa 
lany,  born  in  September,  1857.     Ca 


shoes.  Sawyer.    A  native  of  Ger 


th  his 


Kewaune 


Wis.,  in  1S65.  and  assisted  his  father  in  farming  until  1873,  when  he 
commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  boot  and  shoe  maker,  in  Ahnapee  ; 
worked  there  unlil  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac  County, 
thence  to  Minnesota,  and  in  June,  1880,  came  to  Bay  View,  Door  Co., 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  manufacturing  boots  and  shoes.  Married  in 
October,  1877,  to  Miss  Frona  Kohaske,  of  Kewaunee.  Has  two  sons- 
Harry  and  Frank. 

C.  A.  COCAGNE.  farmer,  P.  O.  Sawyer;  born  in  France  in  1S27  ; 
came  to  America  in  the  Spring  of  1831,  with  his  parents.  They  .sealed 
in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  a  farm,  where  he  assisted  his  father.  In  1844. 
he  came  to  Cape  Vincent ;  there  learned  the  trade  of  tanner  and  cur- 
rier ;  worked  there  about  four  years.  In  1848,  went  to  Sheboygan  where 
he  remained  a  short  time  then  returned  to  New  York.  In  1850,  he  went 
to  Lockport,  111  ,  and  remained  the  Winter  ;  then  removed  to  Delaware 
Co.,  Iowa;  followed  farming  there  one  season,  then  went  to  Ca-sville. 
Wis.  In  1854.  went  to  Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  there  married 
Caroline  Benaird  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  one  son.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay.  Here  he  bought 
a  farm  of  forty  acres  where  he  now  lives,  lie  is  largely  engaged  in  get- 
ting out  evergreens. 

JOHN  GOETTELMANN,  proprietor  Bay  View  House  and  Post- 
master, Sawyer  ;  born  Aug.  I,  1843.  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany; 
came  to  America  in  1865  ;  worked  in  the  shipyard  at  Little  Sturgeon, 
till  1874,  when  he  removed  to  Bay  View  and  built  this  hotel,  which  is 
the  finest  on  the  Bay.  Cost  from  $4  000  to  $5,000.  He  also  runs  a 
livery  in  connection  with  the  house.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  in 
1S76.  Married,  in  1S70.  to  Miss  Philipena  Meyer.  She  was  born  in 
Washington  Co.,  Wis.     They  two  children,  one   son  and  one  daughter. 

HON.  JOSEPH  HARRIS,  Sr.,  land  agent.  Sawyer,  is  a  native  of 
Loniion,  England;  Ijorn  July  2$,  1S14;  came  to  New  York  City,  in 
1S49  the  follow^ing  year  removed  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.  In  l8s;,  he  came 
to  Sturgeon  B  ly,  wh.  re  he  has  since  resided  He  was  the  first  Register 
of  Deeds  and  the  fir^t  County  Clerk  of  Door  County,  and  was  the 
second  County  Trea-uter.  In  1S62,  he  establl^hed  the  Door  Coutily  Ad- 
vocats,  continued  it  several  years,  then  sold  out  to  Mr.  Frank  Long, 
who  now  carries  on  the  paper.  He  represen'ed  the  counties  of  D.^or, 
Oconto,  Shawano  and  Outagamie  in  1S64-5,  in  the  State  Senate  Mr. 
Harris  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  went  through 
some  of  the  roughest  experiences  of  pioneer  life.  The  crowning  woik 
of  his  life  was  in  organizing  the  Sturgeon  Bay  &  Lake  Michigan  Canal 
cS:  Harbor  Company,  lie  Iramed  the  charter  for  that  company  when  he 
was  in  the  State  .Senate  in  1S64.  To  his  unremitting  labor  of  near 
twenty  years.  Door  County  and  the  State  of  Wisconsin  are  indebted  for 
a  work  the  value  of  which  to  the  commerce  of  Green  Bay  and  Lake 
Michigan,  can  scarcely  be  over  estimated. 

HENRY  HEILMANN,  saloon  and  tavern.  Sawyer.  A  native  of 
Wisconsin,  born  in  Washington  County,  March  24,  1853  ;  came  to  Na- 
sewaupee.  Door  County,  in  1869,  and  followed  farming  until  May,  1879. 
when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  and  opened  a  meat  market.  In  May. 
1880,  he  removed  to  Hay  View.  Married,  June  11.  1871,  to  Miss  Lena 
Dellenback.  of  Washington  County  ;  has  three  children  living— Kaiie, 
Jacob  and  William.  Willie,  died  at  the  age  of  five  years,  and  Henry, 
at  the  age  of  two  years. 

OLOF  A.  NELSON,  with  A.  W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  Sawyer  ;  born 
in  Eagle  Hirbor,  Wis.,  Nov.  24,  1854.  When  one  year  old  his  parents 
removed  to  Waupaca,  Wis.,  remained  one  year,  then  came  to  Bay  View. 
.After  attending  school  he  sailed  one  season,  afterwards  worked  for  A. 
W.  Lawrence  &  Co.,  at  Sturgeon  Bay,  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Ray 
View  and  opened  a  meat  markit  which  he  continued  one  year.  Since 
then  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  firm  in  Hay  View. 

NOBLE  &  JOHNSON,  ferry,  agricultural  implements  and  siloon. 
Bay  View. 

Robert  Noble  was  born  in  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y..  Nov.  29  1838; 
came  with  his  parents  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  in  Spring  of  1856  ;  remained 
till  the  Fall  of  same  year,  and  removed  to  Door  County,  and  engaged 
in  the  cedar  business  for  about  three  years,  then  followed  fishing  in  Door 
and  Kewaunee  counties  for  several  years.  On  Jan.  i,  1S64,  Mr.  Noble 
was  crossing  Death's  Door,  in  a  small  boat,  when  part  way,  was  caught 
between  two  large  bodies  of  ice,  and  remained  in  that  po-sition  for  three 
days  and  two  nights.  His  hands  and  feet  being  frozen,  he  attempted 
the  hazardous  undertaking  of  gaining  the  shore  by  rolling  on  the  ice, 
three  quarters  of  a  mile.  He  finally  accomplished  it  alter  a  great  deal 
of  suffering.  There  being  no  doctors  in  that  vicinity  his  fingers  dropped 
ofT  at  the  second  joint.  Being  a  man  of  a  very  strong  constitution  he 
bravely  bore  his  suffering's  until  the  following  June,  when  he  had  his 
feet  and  legs  amputated  below  the  knees.  In  1865,  he  commenced  ped- 
dling, which  he  followed  for  two  or  three  years,  then  worked  at  well- 
drilling,  e  c,  for  several  years,  and  in  1S74  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  ami 
started  a  ferry  in  company  %vith  Mr.  Johnson;  also  dealers  in  agricul- 
tural imi:' 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTV 


263 


John  Johnson,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Oct. 
7,  1842  ;  came  to  Shebnygan,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  when  about  seven 
years  old.  His  father  opened  a  store  of  general  merchandise,  and  John 
attended  school.  Was  tally  clerk  on  pier  in  Sheboygan  for  four  years. 
In  1866,  he  removed  to  Chicago,  but  after  a  year  returned  to  Manitowoc, 
thence  to  Jacksonport,  Door  County,  and  engaged  in  cedar  business,  till 
March,  1S74,  when  he  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  engaged  in  his 
present  business,  in  company  with  Mr.  Noble.  He  married,  March  10, 
1S75,   Miss  Susan  Noble,   of  Manitowoc  ;  has  four   daughters   and  one 

A.  W.  SCHULZ.  blacksmith,  Sawyer.  A  native  of  Prussia,  born 
September,  1S49;  came  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  1864.  and  woiked  in  a 
cotton  factory  for  three  years,  then  removed  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  and 
engaged  in  blacksmith  work  ;  remained  there  until  June,  i8So«when 
he  came  to  ])oor  County,  and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  in  Bay  View. 
Married,  in  December,  1875,  to  Miss  Johannah  Radke  of  Trussia.  Has 
one  son  William. 

NASEWAUPEE. 

West  of  Sturgeon  Bay  lies  the  town  of  Nasewaupee. 
Of  this  name  Mr.  Martin  says: 

"  The  word  '  Nasewaupee  '  is  of  wide  range,  and  really 
conveys,  or  can  be  used  in  different  sense  or  meaning.  In 
one  way,  it  has  reference  to  early  dawn,  or  that  part  of  the 
day  before  sunrise.  However,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  is 
connected  with  the  township,  '  Nasewaupee  '  is  of  different 
meaning.  In  1856,  j\Ir.  Nelson  \V.  Fuller  and  otliers 
wanted  a  post-ofBce  on  the  west  side  of  the  bay.  As  to  a 
name  for  the  post-office  to  be  established,  the  post-office 
department  at  Washington  did  not  agree  with  Mr  Fuller 
and  other  parties  here,  so  the  whole  matter  concerning  the 
name  was  left  with  the  Postmaster  at  Green  Bay,  who 
thought  that  'Nasewaupee,'  the  name  of  a  Menominee  In- 
dian chief  that  once  located  thereabouts,  was  appropriate. 
Nasewaupee  ])Ost-office  flourished  under  Mr.  N.  W.  Fuller's 
administration  as  Postmaster.  At  least,  we  presume  it 
flourished,  for  his  net  earnings  the  first  three  months  were 
thirty-seven  cents.  He  finally  resigned  the  position  of 
Postmaster,  in  favor  of  his  brother,  Mr.  E.  S.  Fuller,  who 
kept  up  the  office  for  a  time,  when  the  post-office  came  to 
the  same  end  as  did  Chief  Nasewaupee — passed  from  exist- 
ence. When  the  township  was  organized,  it  was  named 
after  the  deceased  post-office,  and  now  the  name  '  Nasewau- 
pee '  lives  on." 

In  Nasewaupee  are  two  ice  companies  which  store  away 
some  of  the  finest  crystal  cut  anywhere.  Here  is  also  sitti- 
ated  a  Summer  resort,  called  "  Idlewild,"  the  propertv  of  ]. 
T.  Wright. 

BIOGR.APHICAL    SKKTCHKS. 

ANDREW  Ga:TTELMANN,  farmer.  Sec.  2.  P.O.Sawyer,  is  a 
native  of  Geimany,  born  June  i,  1828  ;  came  to  America  in  1853,  and 
worked  at  farming  in  the  State  of  New  York,  thence  to  Ohio,  thence  to 
Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  and  thence  to  Door  County,  where  he  located  on 
Sec.  2,  in  the  town  of  Nasewaupee.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in 
farming  ;  owns  180  acres,  seventy  acres  improved.  He  has  been  Town 
Treasurer  for  the  past  seven  years  ;  he  has  also  held  other  town  offices. 
He  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss  Catherine  Feldmann,  sister  of  C.  Feld- 
niann,  merchant  in  Sturgeon  Bay.  They  have  three  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter.    His  son  Charles  is  cleik  for  Mr.  Feldmann. 

JOHN  MAY,  farmer.  Sec.  7,  P.O.  Sawyer,  was  born  Jan.  28,  1854, 
in  Portage  Co.,  Ohio.  AVhen  about  six  months  old  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  there  he  was  raised  and  followed 
(aiming  till  1877,  when  he  came  to  Door  County.  He  now  owns  22  > 
acres,  about  fifty-five  acres  of  it  improved.  He  holds  the  offices  ol 
Scliool  Clerk,  Constable,  etc.  He  was  married  in  1872  to  Mary  Spen- 
himer.  She  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  They  have  three  children — two 
sons  and  one  daughter. 

PHILIP  A.  SCHAEFEK,  farmer, Sec.  2.  I'.O.  Sawyer,  isa  native  of 
C.ermany.  born  Julv  16.  1831  ;  came  to  America  in  1S52,  and  wrrked  at 
farming  in  New  Je'r«ey  ;  thence  to  Washington  Co.,  Wis.  In  185C,  he 
removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay,  Door  Co.,  and  located  on  Sec.  2,  Town  27, 
Range  25,  town  of  Na.scwaupee,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns 
:'l)Out  540  acres  of  land,  and  has  eighty-five  acres  under  cultivation. 
Mr.  Schaefer  has  held  the  offices  of  Town  Cliik  five  years.  Treasurer 
four  years,  As'jeisor  and  other  town  offices.  He  was  married  in  1855  to 
Mi>s   Elizabeth   Walter,  of  Germany.     They  have    lour  daughters   and 


two  sons.  His  daughter  Mary  died  in  1S57,  aged  ten  months;  Edward 
died  in  January,  1868,  aged  four  months ;  John  died  in  the  Fall  of  1878, 
aged  nine  years  and  two  months. 

MRS.  CATHARINE  ELIZABETH  UHL  (nee  Hassmer),  Sec. 
II,  P.  O.  Sawyer,  is  the  widow  of  Peter  Uhl,  who   died  in    September, 

1876.  She  is  a  na'.ive  of  Germany  ;  came  to  .America  in  1854,  and 
located  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis.  Her  husband  engaged  in  farming 
there  fir  two  years,  then  removed  to  Door  Countyand  located  where  she 
now  res'des,  in  the  town  of  Nasewaupee.  She  owns  160  acres  of  land, 
eighty  acres  under  cultivation.  She  has  four  daughters  and  one  son 
— Barb.ira,  married  A.  Bankner,  a  farmer  in  the  town  of  Sevastopol, 
Door  Co. ;  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Lena  and  Peter,  all  unmarried. 

FORESTVILLE. 

The  town  of  Forestville  was  the  third  in  order  of  or- 
ganization, and  included  at  the  date  of  its  erection  by  the 
Board,  in  December,  1857,  all  of  the  main  land  of  the 
county  except  Otumba  (Sturgeon  Bay).  Washington  Town, 
consisting  of  the  island  of  that  name — the  first  town  organ- 
ized— was  the  remaining  territory  embraced  in  the  county 
lines.  The  first  town  meeting  in  Forestville  was  held  in 
April,  1858,  at  the  house  of  Marcus  McCormick.  Forest- 
ville and  Maplewood  are  the  post-offices.  Martin's  History 
of  Door  County  says  : 

"The  early  settlers  of  Forestville  made  their  way  to 
that  vicinity  by  navigating  the  Ahnapee  River,  which  stream 
runs  through  a  portion  of  that  town.  The  Ahnapee  is  still 
navigated  to  considerable  extent  up  as  far  as  Van  Nor- 
strand's  saw-mill,  town  of  Forestville.  J.  Fetzer  &  Co. 
own,  and  keep  busy,  a  light-draught  steatner  and  two 
barges,  which  freight  forest  products  down  the  river.  Pub- 
lic highways,  kept  in  excellent  traveling  condition,  to  and 
from  Green  Bay,  Ahnapee  and  all  parts  of  the  county,  run 
through  the  town  of  Forestville.  Probably  no  other  town 
in  the  county,  supported  entirely  by  the  products  of  the  soil, 
has  so  many  good  houses,  barns,  etc." 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

STEPHEN  BUSCH,  firm  of  Busch  &  Co..  general  merchandise, 
Forestville,  is  a  naiiveof  Germany,  born  Aug.  26  1845  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  parents  m  1856,  and  located  in  Forestville,  and  assisted  his 
father  in  farming.  In  1864-5,  he  worked  in  copper  mines  at  Eagle 
River,  Mich.,  then  returned  to  Forestville,  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  farming  ;  owns  120  acres  of  land  ;  sixty-five  acres  improved.  In 
18S0,  he  opened  a  general  merchandise  store  (fiim,  Busch  &  Co.)  He 
was  married  in  1870  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Schnider.  They  have  two  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

JOHN  FETZER,  firm  of  Fetzer  &  Co..  general  merchandise.  For- 
estvllle,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  July  8,  1840;  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1850,  and  located  in  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.  He  enlisted 
in  i86r,  in  the  gth  Wis.  1.,  Co.  B,  and  was  mustered  out  in  December, 
1864,  and  returned  to  Manitowoc.  In  1867.  he  built  a  foundry  in  Ahna- 
pee. Kewaunee  Co.,  but  sold  out  in  July  of  the  same  year,  and  removed 
to  Forestville  and  engaged  in  the  geneial  merchandist  business,  and  in 
1872  built  a  saw-mill,  and  took  in  a  partner,  styling  the  firm  "Young  & 
Co."  In  1878,  they  discontinued  the  merchandi.se  business,  and  Fetzer 
&  Co.  started  this  firm,  which  does  an  extensive  business.  They  also 
own  a  steam  tug  and  scows,  running  from  Ahnapee  to  Forestville.  Mr. 
Fetzer  is  also  of  the  firm  of  Fetzer  &  Young,  proprietois  of  grist-mill 
in  Forestville.  He  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss  Anna  Fetzer,  of  Ger- 
many.    They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

MICHAEL  OLLINGER,  farmer.  Sec.  2,  P.O.  Maplewood,  is  a 
native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Manitowoc  County,  Aug.  28,  1S53;  com- 
menced sailing  on  the  lakes  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  (oilowtd  it 
for  six  seasons,  then  removed  to  Oconto,  Wis.,  and  worked  at  lumbeiing. 
In  January,  1877, removed  to  Forestville,  and  engaged  infarming;  owns 
120  acres  of  land,  eighteen   acres  improved.     He  was  married,  Nov.  13, 

1877,  to  Miss  Mary  Kessen,  of  Manitowoc.  They  have  one  daughter 
and  one  son. 

JOSEPH  ROBERTS,  proprietor  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop, 
Forestville,  a  native  ol  Wales,  Eng.,  born  March  2.  1844.  Came  with 
his  parents  to  America  in  1859.  and  located  in  Racine,  Wis.  From 
there  they  removed  to  Ahnapee,  Kewaunee  Co.;  in  1S60,  where  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  farming.  Being  desirous  of  making  an  independent 
living,  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  and  in  1S73,  returned 
to  Racine  and  worked  one  year,  thence  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  in  1S76,  re- 
moved to  Forestville  and  opened  his  present  business.  In  iSSo.  Mr. 
Stoneman    entered   into   co-partnership  with  him.  and   now   the  firm  is 


264 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


styled  Stoneman  &  Roberts.  Mr.  Roberts  was  married  in  July,  1S77,  to 
Miss  Bertha  Poppy,  of  Milwaukee. 

MARTIN  .SCIIMITZ,  proprietor  Forestville  House,  Forestville,  a 
native  of  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1S64,  and  located  in  Wisconsin 
the  first  two  years.  Then  removed  to  Chicago  and  passed  two  years 
there.  Returned  to  Wisconsin  in  1S6S,  and  located  in  Forestville,  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  cedar  business.  In  1874,  he  built  and  opened 
the  Forestville  House,  the  first  hotel  in  that  place.  Married,  in  1876.  to 
Theresa  Shlise,  of  Germany.     Has  two  sons,  John  and  Martin. 

JO.SEPH  SCHNEIDER,  proprietor  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop, 
Forestville,  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Forestville,  Door  Co., 
April  19,  1859.  His  father,  Antoine  Schneider,  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  Jan.  7,  1827.  Came  to  America  in  1653,  and  located  in  Forest- 
ville in  1857,  opening  a  blacksmith  shop  the  same  year.  Married  Miss 
Victoria  Hess,  of  Germany,  in  1853.  Has  three  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. Joseph  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  father,  and  bought 
his  father's  interest  in  187S.     Has  three  men  employed. 

JOHN  STONEMAN.  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Forestville,  a  native  of 
England,  born  May  19,  1808.  Came  to  America  in  1832.  Remained 
one  year  in  Canada,  then  removed  to  the  state  of  New  York,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  iron.  In  1850,  he  went  to  Racine,  Wis., 
and  followed  farming  and  making  shingles.  His  next  removal  was  to 
Forestville,  in  1S55,  where  he  has  since  lesided,  engaged  in  farming. 
Mr.  Stoneman  is  the  first  permanent  settler,  and  is  now  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  his  early  pioneer  life.  Owns  160  acres  of  farming  land,  about 
100  acres  under  cultivation,  with  many  valuable  improvements.  He 
was  Town  Clerk  for  six  or  seven  years,  and  has  been  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  Married,  in  1840,  to  Miss  Mary  Venia,  of  Canada.  Has  three 
daughters  and  four  sons. 

GIBR.ALTAR. 
In  1857,  Gibraltar  Town  was  created,  and  consisted  of 
all  that  part  of  the  present  county  north  of  what  is  now 
Sevastopol,  except  Washington  Island.  The  first  election 
was  held  in  the  Spring  of  1858,  at  the  house  of  Asa  Thorpe. 
Fish  Creek  Village  is  situated  on  Section  29.  Ephraim  is 
a  post  village,  located  on  Eagle  Bay. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

A.  ANDERSON,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  also  agent  for  the 
Goodrich  Transportation  Co.,  P.  O.  Ephraim,  born  Aug.  8,  1829  in 
Norway.  In  1848,  came  to  Milwaukee,  thence  to  Escanaba,  Mich. 
Worked  at  the  millwright  trade  about  seven  years.  In  1855,  he  removed 
to  Cedar  River,  Mich.  In  1858,  came  to  Ephraim  and  entered  300  acres 
land.  He  then  followed  farming  and  commenced  his  pier.  Remained 
here  several  years,  and  then  went  to  Chambers  Island,  also  Menominee 
until  1866,  when  he  returned  to  his  farm  and  opened  a  small  store.  His 
business  rapidly  increased,  requiring  larger  accommodations.  He  built 
his  present  store  at  the  pier.  In  the  Fall  of  1880,  part  of  his  pier  and 
warehouse,  together  with  merchandise  valued  at  $2,500,  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  sustaining  a  loss  of  aljout  $5,000.  He  has  since  rebuilt  his 
warehouse  and  pier.  Married  June  18,  1861,  to  Ann  Margaret  Hansen, 
of  Norway.  Had  eleven  children,  nine  living.  Joseph  Franklin  was 
drowned  June  28,  1881,  by  falling  from  the  pier— aged  eight  years,  seven 
months  and  two  days. 

H.  N.  ANDERSON,  vessel  owner,  Ephraim,  born  Nov.  ig,  1834  in 
Norway.  In  1871,  came  to  Chicago,  followed  the  carpenter  trade  there 
In  1873,  removed  to  Indiana,  and  in  the  Fall  came  to  Ephraim,  and 
secured  employment  as  clerk  for  A.  Anderson,  where  he  remained  four 
years.  He  then  bought  a  small  vessel  and  has  since  been  en^'aged  in 
trading  on  the  b.ay.  Married  in  the  Fall  of  1880  to  Mrs.  Valentine. 
She  IS  a  native  of  Norway,  and  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1853.  Removed 
to  Ephraim  in  1858,  v/here  he  has  since  lived.  Mr.  Valentine  died 
Sept.  4,  1877,  aged  seventy-three  years.  He  has  six  children,  four  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

F.  G.  BI.AKEFIELD,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  P.  O  Fish 
Creek.  Born  Dec.  16,  1830,  in  Norway.  Came  to  Buffalo  N  Y  with 
his  parents  in  1S51.  He  clerked  in  a  store  and  sailed  about  three  years. 
In  the  Spring  of  l854,he  went  to  California;  remained  eighteen  months 
In  1S56,  came  to  .Sheboygan,  run  a  store  there  a  .short  lime  He  was 
also  engaged  in  fishing  and  sailing  about  five  years.  In  1861,  c.ime  to 
Fish  Creek  and  continued  fishim;  till  1873,  when  he  opened  this  store 
which  he  has  since  continued,  He  has  been  School  Clerk,  Town  Trcas' 
urer,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Mem- 
ber of  the  Side  Board,  and  several  years  Fish  Inspector 

JOHN  BROWN,  Postmaster,  Fish  Creek.  Born  Aug  I2  1837  in 
McHenry  Co.,  111.  In  1859,  came  to  Fish  Creek,  Wis.,  and  has  been  en- 
gaged  in  the  cooper  trade  most  of  the  time  since.  He  took  tharne  of 
the  post-office  in  1866.  He  has  held  most  of  the  town  offices  He  en 
listed  in  1865,  from  Chicago,  Co.  D,  isth  III.  V.  I. ;  ser\ed  to  the  end  of 


the  war.  Married  in  1861  to  Mary  E.  Poppleton.  She  was  born  in 
New  York.     They  have  four  children — three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

L.  M.  GRISWOLD,  lumber.  Fish  Creek.  Is  a  native  of  Chautauqua 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  Feb.  25,  1824.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Du  Page  Co.. 
III.,  in  1834,  and  assisted  his  father  at  farming.  In  the  Spring  of  1849 
he  came  to  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  remained  a  short  time,  then  went  to 
Chicago.  In  i860,  he  went  to  Colorado,  returned  to  Chicago  in  1868.  In 
the  Fall  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  returned  to  Chicago  in  1872.  In  1S74, 
he  came  to  Fish  Creek,  and  bought  the  property  known  as  the  Selleck 
property,  consisting  of  saw  mill  and  dock  and  lands,  and  is  now  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  etc. 

H.\NS  P.  J.\COBS,  Postmaster,  Ephraim.  A  native  of  Denmark, 
born  April  24,  1817.  Came  to  America  in  1844,  and  followed  sailing  for 
several  years.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Navigation, 
in  Denmark,  and  has  passed  two  examinations.  Followed  sailing  on  the 
ocean  for  twenty  years,  and  on  the  lakes  for  ten  years.  In  the  Spring  of 
1853  he  located  at  Ephraim.  Was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1S62,  which 
office  he  still  holds.  Owns  about  sixty  acres  of  land,  of  which  twenty- 
five  is  improved.  He  was  Town  Clerk  eleven  years,  and  School  District 
Clerk  five  years.  In  1856  (by  advice  of  a  homecepathic  physician  in  New- 
York),  he  bought  a  small  case  of  medicine  and  books  ;  since  then  he  has 
given  the  profession  a  great  deal  of  study,  there  being  no  regular  physician 
within  thirty  or  forty  miles  of  his  neighborhood.  He  has  been  (and  is), 
often  called  upon  through  cases  of  necessity,  to  bring  his  knowledge  of 
medicine  into  practice,  which  he  has  done  with  a  great  deal  of  success. 

NICHOLAS  KIHL,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  O.  Fish  Creek.  Born  Dec. 
25,  1S47,  in  New  York  City.  At  the  age  of  six  years  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Port  Washington,  Wis.,  assisted  them'on  the  farm  till  1862, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  1st  Wis.  V.  I.,  afterwards  transferred  to  Co. 
K,  2lst  Wis.  V.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Participated  in  the 
battles  of  Savannah,  Atlanta,  Marietta,  and  others.  He  returned  to  Port 
Washington  in  1865  ;  soon  after  came  to  this  locality.  He  owns  forty 
acres  of  land.  Is  Constable.  Married,  in  1876,  to  Ada  Moses,  of  New 
York.     They  have  two  children — one  .son  and  one  daughter. 

JOHN  E.MARSHALL,  farmer.  Sec.  28,  P.O.  Fish  Creek.  Analive 
of  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  born  April  13,  1S36.  Came  to  Sturgeon  Bay  in 
1S55,  and  followed  lumbering  and  farming  until  1S61,  when  he  removed 
to  Fish  Creek,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming,  and  wood  and 
cedar  business.  Owns  about  240  acres,  seventy  acres  under  cultivation. 
Married,  in  January,  1S57,  to  Miss  Mary  Trukey,  of  Brown  County. 
Has  one  daughter,  Edith,  and  a  son,  William  E. 

ALEXANDER  NOBLE,  blacksmith,  P.  O.  Fish  Creek.  Born  Nov. 
29,  1829,  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  Came  to  Canada  in  1837,  with  his 
parents.  In  1S44,  removed  to  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1856,  came  to 
Chambers  Island,  and  has  since  followed  blacksmithing  and  farming. 
He  owns  200  acres  of  land.  He  has  held  about  all  the  school  and  town 
offices.  He  has  been  for  the  past  seven  years  Chairman  of  the  Town. 
Married,  in  1852,  to  Emily  Vaughn,  of  New  York.  She  died  February, 
1872,  aged  thirty-eight  years.  Have  two  daughters  and  one  son.  His 
oldest  daughter  is  now  teaching  school.  Second  marriage  to  Maria 
Campbell,  in  1873.  She  was  born  in  Mackinaw.  They  have  three 
children — two  daughters  and  one  son. 

JOHN  NORTON,  farmer.  Sec.  35,  P.  O.  Fish  Creek.  Born  Nov.  S. 
1829,  in  England.  In  1S53,  came  to  Ohio,  thence  to  Dodge  County.  In 
about  1856.  he  removed  to  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  i6oacres,  which 
he  has  improved.  Married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  Martha  Wilford.  She  is  a 
native  of  England.  They  had  sixteen  children,  twelve  living — four  sons 
and  eight  daughters. 

PETER  PETERSON,  dealer  in  general  merchandise  and  pier  own- 
er, Ephraim,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  Sept,  9.  1821,  came  to  America 
in  1846,  and  to  Milwaukee  in  1847  ;  followed  sailing  on  the  lakes  until 
1850,  thence  to  New  Denmark,  Brown  County,  and  engaged  in  farming 
for  seven  years.  In  1857,  he  removed  to  Ephraim,  in  the  town  of  Gibral- 
tar, He  owned  a  small  vessel  which  he  sailed  for  three  years,  trading, 
then  engaged  in  general  merchandise,  commencing  with  a  small  stock, 
and  is  now  doing  an  extensive  business.  He  built  a  pier  about  the  year 
1872,  and  is  also  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  wood  and  cedar,  etc. 

FRANK  ROBERTOY,  farmer,  .Sec.  8,  P.  O.  Fish  Creek,  born  in 
Detroit,  Mich.,  Aug.  22,  1843,  removed  to  the  south  part  of  Michigan  in 
l86g,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit-raising  until  1877.  Finding  that 
the  climate  did  not  agree  with  him,  he  came  to  Fish  Creek  and  bought 
a  farm  of  forty  acres,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Married,  in  the  Fall 
of  1S63,  Miss  Ellen  Minard.     Has  one  son  and  daughter. 

PETER  SHAW,  farmer,  P.O.  Fish  Creek,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
born  April  13,  1815,  came  to  America  in  1843,  and  taught  school  at 
Niagara  City  for  ten  years.  In  1853,  removed  to  Davidtown,  Canada, 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  company  with  Mr.  Lockard — 
firm,  Shaw  &  Lockard — doing  a  business  of  about  $60,000  a  year;  sold 
out  his  interest  to  Mr.  Lockard  in  1858,  and  taught  for  three  years  ; 
went  to  Chicago  in  1861.  While  there,  he  was  Superintendent  of  Union 
Park.   In  May,  1880,  removed  to  Fish  Creek,  and  has  since  been  engaged 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


265 


in  farming  ;  has  eighty  acres.     Married  in  1877,  to  Miss  Naomi  Taylor, 
of  London,  England.     He  has  ten  children  by  former  marriages. 

LEVI  VOROUS,  farmer,  Sec.  33,  P.O.  Fish  Creek,  a  native  of  Sen- 
eca Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  May  i,  1S37,  followed  lumbering  in  Allegany 
County  for  ten  years  ;  came  to  Washington  Island,  Door  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1865,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  three  small  children.  Upon  his  ar- 
rival, he  had  but  one  dollar  in  silver.  He  immediately  went  to  work, 
fishing,  which  he  followed  for  two  years  ;  then  engaged  with  W.  P.  &  D. 
Ranney,  inspector  of  fish,  for  eight  years  ;  removed  to  Fish  Creek,  and 
inspected  fish  for  the  same  firm  for  two  years.  He  is  owner  of  300  acres 
of  land,  of  which  sixty-five  acres  are  under  cultivation.  Never  having 
occasion  to  use  the  only  dollar  he  had  when  landing  on  the  Island,  he 
has  it  yet  in  his  possession.  Married,  Jan.  ig,  1859,  to  Miss  Rachel 
Magee,  of  New  York  State.  Has  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

LIBERTY  GROVE. 
This  is  the  nortliernmost  portion  of  the  main  land.  The 
town  was  organized  in  1859.  The  first  settlement  appears 
to  have  been  made  by  John  Thoresen,  who  landed  from 
Milwaukee,  by  sail-boat,  in  1853.  The  post-offices  are 
Sister  Bay  and  Ellison's  Bay. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
WILLIAM  BERNDT,  farmer.  See.  ig,  P.O.  Ephraim,  born  Nov.  3. 
1S37,  in  Prussia.  In  i366,  he  came  to  this  farm,  consisting  of  eighty 
acres  of  land  ;  married,  in  1865,  to  Augusta  Storm,  of  Prussia.  They 
have  three  children — Charles,  born  Nov.  6,  1867;  Bertha,  born  March 
28,  1S69,  and  Lizzie,  born  Feb.  ig,  1875. 

F.  DIMOND.  proprietor  of  hotel,  mills  and  pier,  P.O.  Sister  Bay, 
born  November,  1847,  in  Ireland.  The  following  year,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Jefferson  County,  Wis.  There  he  assisted  his  father,  on  the 
farm.  In  186S,  came  to  Sister  Bay,  bought  the  property  known  as  the 
Thomas  Chanall  property,  consisting  of  over  300  acres  of  land.  He, 
with  others,  built  the  saw-mill,  and  later  he  added  the  grist-mill.  He 
also  carried  on  a  general  merchandise  business,  which  he  sold  out  in 
1879.  He  also  owns  a  hotel,  three  stores,  30x50.  This  entire  property 
cost  about  $20,000.  The  mill  has  a  sawing  capacity  of  about  20,000 
feet  a  day.  The  grist-mill  has  a  capacity  of  twenty-two  barrels  of  flour 
in  twelve  hours.  Mr.  Dimond  is  doing  the  largest  pier  business  on  the 
east  shore  of  Green  Bay.  He  is  also  agent  for  the  Goodrich  line  of 
steamers. 

JAMES  HANSON,  merchant.  Sister  Bay,  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
born  Aug.  20,  1852  ;  came  to  America  when  a  child,  and  brought  up  in 
the  family  of  Mr.  P.  Petersen,  a  merchant  of  Ephraim.  Wis.  ;  received 
a  common  school  education  ;  was  three  months  at  the  Spencerian  Busi- 
ness College  in  Milwaukee.  Engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Sis- 
ter Bay,  in  1879  He  is  Notary  Pul^lic  and  Clerk  of  the  town  of  Liberty 
Grove.     Married  in  1S75,  to  Miss  Olive  Helgeson,  of  Door  County. 

FRANK  O.  NOR  LING.  Liberty  Grove  wagon  manufaciory,  P. 
O.  Sister  Bay,  was  born  in  1841,  in  Sweden.  In  the  Fall  of  1865,  he 
came  to  New  York  City  ;  in  1867,  came  to  Milwaukee.  In  the  Fall  of 
187S,  he  removed  to  this  locality,  and  established  his  present  business. 
He  is  also  engaged  in  agricultural  implements.  He  was  married,  in  1865, 
to  Anna  Dittner.  She  was  born  in  Germany.  Mr.  Norling  has  followed 
the  ocean  as  a  seaman  about  sixteen  years. 

G.  VOIGHT,  pier  and  general  merchandise,  P.  O.  Sister  Bay.  was 
born,  Jan.  16,  1S56,  in  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1875.  he  came  to  Liberty 
Grove  Township,  and  at  once  commenced  cutting  wood  and  getting  out 
bark  ;  continued  in  this  way  till  iS8o,  when  he  bought  out  this  property 
from  his  brother,  consisting  of  pier,  store  and  seventy  acres  of  land. 
Mr.  Voight  is  largely  engaged  in  getting  out  wood,  and  also  carries  on  a 
general  merchandise  business. 

CLAY  BANKS. 

The  name  of  this  village  and  town  is  derived  from  the 
geological  formation  of  the  eastern  exposure,  and  is  one  of 
long  standing,  and  originated  among  the  sailors  on  the  lake. 
The  high  clay  banks  loomed  up  wonderfully,  and  sailors 
could  readily  recognize  them  many  miles  distant.  In  pass- 
ing up  and  down  the  lake,  "clay  banks"  was  sort  of  a  point 
to  reckon  distance  from.  When  this  section  began  to  set- 
tle up,  names  for  that  portion  of  the  county  were  numerous, 
but  to  make  known  the  location,  the  words  "  Clay  Banks  " 
always  had  to  be  attached,  and  to  save  time  and  get  imme- 
diate recognition,  all  other  names  were  dro])])ed,  and  Clay 
Banks  adopted  as  the  name.  The  town  is  the  soutlieastern- 
most  in  the  county.  Warren's  Corners  is  the  name  of  a 
post-office  on  Section  5. 


?IOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


CHARLES  L  HITT.  proprietor  Eagle  Hotel,  Clay  Banks,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  State  of  New  York,  born  Sept.  ig.  1848.  He  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Canada  when  eight  years  old.  Their  next  removal  was  to 
Michigan  in  1859,  and  in  1863,  he  again,  in  company  with  them,  came  to 
Door  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  at  Clay  Banks.  His  father  bought  a  saw- 
mill, and  engaged  in  manufacturing  lumber,  etc.  ;  sold  his  mill  in  1873, 
and  died  in  the  Fall  of  1874.  Charles  assisted  his  father  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  business,  and  in  1869  bought  a  farm,  and  engaged  in 
farming;  owns  no  acres.  Opened  the  Eagle  Hotel  in  1875.  He  mar- 
ried, in  the  Spring  of  1S70,  Miss  Julia  Thyer,  of  Kewaunee.  They 
have  two  sons,  George  Daniel  and  Fredrick  L. 

F-.  PAARMANN,  merchant  and  Postmaster,  Clay  Banks,  is  a  native 
of  Germany,  born  Feb.  II,  1828;  came  to  America  in  1851,  and  re- 
mained in  New  Jersey  about  one  year,  then  removed  to  Manitowoc  Co., 
Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming.  His  next  removal  was  to  Ahnapee,  Ke- 
waunee Co. ;  there  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  In  the  Fall 
of  1876,  he  opened  a  general  merchandise  store  in  the  town  of  Clay 
Banks,  where  he  makes  his  head-quaiters  (his  family  residing  in  Ahna- 
pee). He  is  also  Postmaster  of  Clay  Banks,  and  his  daughter,  Miss 
Birdie,  is  telegraph  operator,  and  assists  her  father  in  the  duties  of  his 
office.  He  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  H.  Avert,  of  Germany.  They 
have  seven  children,  all  daughters. 

ALBERT  T.  SCHUYLER,  veterinary  surgeon  and  farmer.  Sec.  20, 
P.  O.  Clay  Banks,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  born  April  3, 
1834;  received  a  common  school  education,  and  completed  his  studies 
in  the  Union  High  School  at  Lockport,  in  his  native  State.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  and  located  in  Stur- 
geon Bav.  His  father  being  a  millwright,  he  assisted  him  in  building 
mills,  and  worked  at  circular  sawing.  He  bought  a  tract  of  State  land, 
and,  in  company  with  his  brother,  in  1858-g,  engaged  in  the  wood  busi- 
ness, and  shipped  about  1,000  cords.  In  the  F.1II  of  1861,  he  removed 
to  Clay  Banks,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering.  Mr.  Schuyler 
studied  the  profession  of  veterinary  surgeon  when  a  boy.  and  has  prac- 
ticed it  since  he  has  been  in  Door  County.  He  was  Clerk  of  the  town 
of  Sturgeon  Biy  in  1858.  and  School  Superintendent  of  the  town  of  Clay 
Banks  in  1862,  which  office  he  held  for  two  years  ;  has  been  Town  Treas- 
urer, Chairman  and  Supervisor,  and  is  now  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He 
has  a  knowledge  of  law.  and  is  often  employed  in  defending  and  trying 
cases  in  Justices  Courts.  He  was  married,  in  i860,  to  Miss  Amanda  Hitt, 
of  New  York  State.     They  have  four  sons  and  five  daughters. 

JAMES  TUFTS,  proprietor  of  saw-mill  and  pier.  Clay  Ranks,  is  a 
native  of  New  Brunswick,  born  Sept.  15,  1832;  came  to  Manitowoc, 
Wis.,  in  1850  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1S58,  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  remained  there  about  one  year,  and  then  returned  to  Mani- 
towoc. In  i860,  he  removed  to  Clay  Banks,  and  built  a  pier,  and  in 
1872.  a  saw-mill,  and  has  since  been  engaTed  in  manufacturing  lumber, 
etc.  He  was  married,  in  the  Spring  of  "1860,  to  Miss  Ellen  B.  Clark,  of 
Potsdam.  N.  Y.  She  died  in  i86g  Second  marriage  to  Miss  Sophia 
Brasch,  of  Manitowoc  County,  in  the  Fall  of  1871. 

W.  H.  WARREN.  Sr.,  farmer  and  surveyor.  P.  O.  Horn's  Pier.  A 
native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  born  Oct.  26.  1814.  When  he  was 
about  six  months  old,  his  father  was  accidentally  drowned  ;  shortly  after 
his  mother  removed  to  Norwich,  Conn.,  with  her  family.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  stone-ware  potter, 
and  continued  in  that  business  until  1855.  He  then  removed  to  Stur- 
geon Bay,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming  and  surveying.  He 
was  elected  County  Surveyor  in  i860,  and  has  been  Official  Surveyor  for 
about  fourteen  years  ;  was  the  first  Clerk  of  the  town  of  Clay  Banks,  and 
has  been  Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  also  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
Married,  in  1863,  to  Miss  Eliza  Dodge,  of  Norwich.  Conn.  ;  has  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  His  son  L.  E.,  is  now  a  traveling  salesman 
for  Leonard  &  Ellis,  New  York  City. 

SEVASTOPOL. 

The  first  white  settler  in  this  town  was  a  Mr.  Lovejoy, 
who  came  from  Canada  and  "squatted"  near  what  is  now 
called  Hibbard's  Bluff,  in  1836.  He  w-as  engaged  in  fish- 
ing. The  next  settlements  were  made  by  H.  P.  Hanson 
and  Salvi  Salvison,  in  185 1  and  1852.  In  1853,  the  (lar- 
lands  settled  on  the  Bay.  In  1856,  A.  Sackett  and  family, 
began  farming  on  the  east  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
Section  26,  Town  28  north.  Range  26  east.  Nov.  17,  1859, 
the  County  Board  set  off  from  the  township  of  Otumba, 
Town  28,  Range  26,  together  with  Town  28,  Range  27,  and 
that  part  of  Town  28,  Range  25,  being  east  of  Sturgeon 
Bay;  calling  the  township  set  off  "  Laurieville,"  and  the 
first  town  meeting  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  George  Bass- 
ford,  the  first  Tuesday  in  April,  i860.     Some  of  the  inhab- 


266 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


itants  wanted  the  name  changed,  and  a  pubh'c  meeting  of 
the  citizens  was  called.  The  object  of  the  meeting  was  to 
get  up  a  petition  to  present  to  the  County  Board,  asking 
that  the  name  of  the  townshij)  be  changed  from  "  Laurie- 
ville  "  to  that  of  "  Sebastopol."  A\.  the  February  meeting, 
i860,  the  Board  granted  the  petition.  By  some  means 
"  SeiJastopol  "  was  entered  on  the  records  as  "  Sez'astopol," 
and  it  has  gone  by  the  latter  name  ever  since.  Sevastopol 
is  now  one  of  the  most  important  towns  in  the  county,  and 
within  its  limits  are  many  good  farms. 

BIOGR.'\PHlCAL    SKETCHES. 

NICHOLAS  ARMBRUST.  farmer  Section  34,  P.  O.  Malakoff; 
born  March  8,  1S30,  in  Germany.  In  1850.  came  to  Columbia  Co.,  N. 
Y. ;  worked  at  farming  there  about  four  years,  then  came  to  Washing- 
ton County  and  worked  on  the  railroad.  In  1S56,  removed  to  Door 
Countv  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  owns  120  acres  land,  part  of 
which 'he  has  improved.  He  enlisted  in  1S63,  Co.  F,  1st  Wis.  Cavalry  ; 
seived  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Married,  in  1S52,  to  Catharine  Riley. 
She  was  born  in  Ireland.  Had  five  children — three  living,  two  sons 
and  one  daughter.  He  has  been  Town  Supervisor,  Member  of  the 
School  Board,  etc. 

JACOIi  CRASS,  farmer.  Section  27,  P.  O.  Malakoft";  born  Aug.  24, 
1826,  in  Germany.  Came  to  New  York  City  in  1S45;  worked  at  the 
locksmith  trade  there.  April  i,  1856,  he  came  to  this  locality  and  is 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  here.  He  assisted  in  laying  out  and  cutting 
the  road  from  Sturgeon  Bay  to  his  present  farm.  He  owns  over  300 
acres  land,  part  of  which  he  entered.  He  enlisted  in  1861,  Co.  H,  12th 
Wis.  Inf.  ;  served  two  years  and  seven  months,  then  re-enlisted  and 
served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Married  Margaret  Cole,  in  1870.  She 
was  born  in  Ireland.  They  have  one  son  and  cne  daughter.  He  has 
three  children  by  a  former  marriage,  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

PHII.IP  HERBOLD,  farmer.  Section  26,  P.O.  Sturgeon  B.iy;boin 
Oct.  9.  1849,  in  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  was  raised  and  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm.  June  28,  1878,  he  came  to  his  present  farm,  con- 
sisting of  120  acres,  about  twenty-six  acres  under  cultivation,  there  im- 
provements he  has  made  since  coming  here.  Married,  Dec.  28,  1877, 
to  Hermena  Geidle.  She  was  born  in  Saxony.  When  a  year  old  she 
came  with  her  parents  to  Milwaukee.     They  have  two  daughters. 

HENRY  MARTIN,  farmer.  Section  21.  P.  O.  Sevastopol;  born 
Aug.  iS,  1830,  in  Ireland;  came  to  New  York  in  1851.  In  the  Winter 
of  1854-5,  he  went  to  Cedar  River,  Mich.,  followed  lumbering  till  July, 
1857,  when  he  came  to  Sturgeon  Bay.  In  1858,  he  removed  to  his 
present  farm,  consisting  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  has  improved.  He 
has  been  Town  Treasurer  most  of  the  time  since  coming  here.  Was 
appointed  Postmaster  April,  1879.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
several  years.  Married,  Nov.  12,  1862,  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Peters  of  Stur- 
geon Bay.  Have  five  children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  .She  has 
four  children  by  former  marriages. 

EGG   HARBOR. 

The  County  Board,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1861,  set  off  of 
(libraUar  the  township  of  Egg  Harbor.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  held  in  the  school  house,  near  Mr.  J.  Thorpe's 
place.  As  to  the  origin  of  the  name  "  Egg  Harbor  "  there 
is  some  variation  in  the  statements  of  the  "  old  settlers." 
One  statement  is,  that  Mr.  tUailin  (the  first  white  settler  in 
Door  County)  so  named  it,  because,  while  coasting  along 
the  shore,  he  got  good  shelter  there,  and  on  the  beach  he 
found  a  nest  ftill  of  eggs — those  of  some  wild  fowl.  An- 
other rei)ort  is,  that  Col.  Robinson,  and  other  gentlemen 
from  Green  Bay,  many  years  ago,  took  a  cruise  in  a  small 
sail  yacht,  going  as  far  north  as  "Death's  Door."  They  vis- 
ited most  of  the  harbors  along  the  coast,  and  had  a  good 
time — in  the  old  fashion  meaning  of  the  word.  On  one 
occasion  they  got  to  throwing  eggs  at  each  other,  and  did 
not  "  let  ui)  "  until  every  egg  they  had  was  thrown,  and  the 
contestants  completely  smeared  over  with  the  shell-covered 
hen-fruit.  .Afterwards,  to  distinguish  the  "  battle-ground  " 
Irom  other  places  and  little  harbors  along  the  coast,  the 
Green  Bay  gentlemen  referred  to  it  as  "egg  harbor." 

BlOCRAl'HICAL    SKETtllES. 

J.  J.  BARINGER,  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  Egg  Harbor,  born 

M.iy  10,  1838.  in  Germany.     When  about  seven  years  old,  he  came  with 

his  parents  10  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.     As.sisted  on  their  farm.     In   1858,  went 

to  Fish  Creek.     In   1862,  he  tnlisied  in  Co.  F,  32d  Wis.  I.;  served  10 


the  end  of  the  war.  Returned  to  Fish  Creek,  and  soon  after  opened  a 
store  in  company  with  Mr.  Minor.  In  1873,  he  sold  out  his  interest  to 
Mr.  Minor,  and  removed  to  Egg  Harbor,  and  opened  this  store.  He  is 
also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  is  about  completing  a  saw- 
mill. Has  been  Town  Treasurer  five  or  six  times.  Married,  in  1875,  to 
Josephine  Labombard,  of  New  York.     They  have  three  daughters. 

D.AVID  GRAHAM,  farmer,  P.  O.  Egg  Harbor.  A  native  of  Lake 
Co.,  Ohio,  born  Feb.  23.  1S15.  Came  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S44. 
Engaged  in  millwright  work  until  185S,  when  he  removed  to  Fish 
Creek,  Door  Co.,  and  bought  I20  acres  of  land,  and  began  in  farming. 
He  shortly  after  sold  out  his  interest  in  Fish  Creek,  and  removed  to  Egg 
Harbor,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming.  Has  160  acres. 
He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  seven  or  eight  years,  and  Chair- 
man of  Egg  Harbor  for  eight  years  and  one  term,  and  Chairman  of  the 
County  Board.  Married,  in  1837,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Searles,  of  Ohio. 
They  have  four  sons  and  one  daughter. 

CAPT.  N.  W.  KIRTLAND.  pier  and  vessel  owner.  Egg  Harbor,  is 
a  native  of  Westbrook,  Conn.,  born  Aug.  23,  1S24.  Came  to  Sandusky 
in  1 85 1,  and  built  a  vessel  in  company  with  others;  fitted  her  out  for  a 
trading  expedition  to  Mackinaw,  he  going  as  master  of  her.  In  1S53, 
he,  in  company  with  W.  C.  Hulbert,  a  merchant  of  Mackinaw,  built  a 
larger  vessel  and  traded  in  that  neighborhood  until  1859.  when  he  sold 
out  his  interest,  and  went  captain  of  a  large  tug  towing  on  the  St.  Clair 
and  Detroit  rivers.  He  then  bought  a  vessel  and  freighted  in  the  grain 
trade.  In  1863,  he  engaged  in  the  wood  business  with  Mr.  Cuiti>s,  of 
Chicago.  He  came  to  Egg  Harbor,  Door  Co.,  and  carried  on  the  busi 
ness  for  about  one  year.  Then  went  captain  of  a  steamboat  for  Rice 
Bros.,  of  Milwaukee,  one  year.  Then  captain  of  the  Goodrich  boat, 
steamer  "Ottawa,"  one  year.  He  built  a  pier  at  Egg  Harbor  in  I S63, 
and  bought  160  acres  of  land,  and  has  now  100  acres  under  cultivation. 
Has  also  a  vessel  which  he  uses  in  carrying  wood,  stone,  etc.  He  was 
married,  in  1S71,  to  Miss  Effie  McKinley.     Has  one  son. 

AN  rOINE  LA  PLANT,  proprietor  La  Plant  House,  Egg  Harbor, 
was  born  May  6,  1846,  in  Canada.  August,  1S65,  came  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
Wis.;  followed  lumbering  eight  years.  In  1873,  came  to  Egg  Harbor, 
bought  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  and  followed  farming  four  years.  He  then 
bought  a  small  vessel,  and  engaged  in  trading  on  the  bay  three  seasons. 
He  sold  his  vessel  and  came  to  Egg  Harbor,  and  opened  a  saloon,  and 
in  connection  with  his  hotel,  which  he  is  about  completing.  Has 
been  engaged  in  this  business  since.  He  was  married,  in  1S73,  to  Mess 
Florence  Cota.     She  was  born  in  Canada. 

JUDGE  M.  E.  LYMAN,  attorney,  Egg  Harbor,  is  a  native  of 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  Nov.  19,  1821.  At  about  the  age  of  ten  years, 
he  went  to  Hartford  County.  Was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store  about 
four  years.  In  1836,  removed  to  New  York  City;  was  also  employed 
there  in  the  same  capacity.  In  1S42,  returned  to  Hartford.  In  1844, 
came  to  Milwaukee.  Was  engaged  in  general  merchandise  business  till 
1853,  when  he  came  to  Door  County,  and,  with  the  exception  of  three 
years  in  Green  Bay,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  since.  He  has 
served  two  terms  as  County  Judge,  two  terms  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court, 
two  terms  Superintendent  of  Common  Schools,  twenty-five  years  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  and  eighteen  years  District  Clerk. 

LYMAN  D.  MOWRY,  farmer  and  Postmaster,  Sec.  30,  P.  O.  Egg 
Harbor,  was  born  February,  1845,  in  West  Millbury,  Mass.  When  a 
boy  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  attended 
school,  afterward  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store,  where  he  remained  seven 
years.  In  1870,  came  to  Bailey's  Harbor,  engaged  in  getting  out  wood. 
In  1S72,  he  removed  to  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  160  acres.  He 
has  been  Postmaster  here  the  past  six  years.  Has  been  Town  Clerk 
from  1S72  to  18S1.  Was  School  Clerk  six  years.  He  enlisted  during  the 
too  day  call,  and  served  his  enlistment.  Married  Miss  MaryA.  Hig- 
gins,  of  Kenosha  Co.  Wis.  They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.     Lost  one  child  in  infancy. 

T.  A.  THORPE,  firm  of  L.  D.  Thorpe  &Son,  general  merchandise. 
Egg  Harbor,  was  born  Feb,  7,  1859,  in  Egg  Harbor.  After  attending 
the  usual  course  of  studies  at  common  schools,  in  1877,  he  went  to 
Oshkosh,  and  attended  the  Slate  normal  school  six  months.  Then  re- 
turned to  Egg  Harbor,  and  taught  school  fourteen  months.  In  the  Fall 
of  1S79.  they  established  this  business,  which  now  amounts  to  about 
$50,000  a  year.  They  are  also  agents  for  the  Goodrich  Transportation 
Co.  Was  elected  Town  Clerk  in  the  Spring  of  1881.  Married  Miss 
Nellie  Norton  Oct.  3,  iSSo.     She  was  born  at  Fish  Creek,  Wis. 

BAILEY'S  HARIiOR. 
Jtily  9,  1S61,  the  County  Board  set  off  a  portion  of 
Gibraltar,  and  framed  the  "settff"  portion  into  a  township, 
under  the  name  of  "  Bailey's  Harbor," — the  name  Bailey 
being  given  in  honor  of  an  old  settler  by  the  name  of  Bai- 
ley. Bailey's  Harbor  Township  was  enlarged,  in  1870.  by 
the  addition  of  another  slice  of  territory  off  of  the  town 
of  Gibraltar.     The  first  town  meeting  to  elect  town  officers 


HISTORY  OF  DOOR  COUNTY. 


267 


for  Bailey's  Harbor,  was  held  in  the  school-house  in  Dist. 
No.  2,  town  of  Gibraltar.  In  past  years,  Bailey's  Harbor 
has  been  particularly  prominent  for  its  facilities  for  ship- 
ping by  water  ;  the  grand  old  forest  cropwas  abundant,  and 
from  the  timber  yield  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  har- 
vested their  living.  In  later  days,  however,  much  attention 
has  been  given  to  farming,  and  now  large,  well-cultivated 
and  productive  fields  are  the  general  make-up,  and  main 
sui>port   of  the  township. 


DGRAPHK 


iL    SKETCHES. 


FRED  .\RLT,  proprietor  of  grist  and  saw  mill,  Bailey's  Harbor, 
was  born,  March  23,  1827,  in  Prussia.  In  1853,  came  to  Lockport,  N. 
v.;  the  following  year,  removed  to  Sturgeon  Bay.  worked  in  the  saw 
mill,  was  afterwards  one  of  the  owners  of  the  grist  mill,  which  he  run 
about  five  years,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  then  assisted  in 
rebuilding  the  mill,  and  sold  out  his  interest  in  1S77,  and  removed  to 
Bailey's  Harbor,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  running  these  mills. 
When  in  the  town  of  Nasewaupee,  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
.pervisors.  and  held  about  all  the  town  offices.  He  assisted  in  organizing 
the  village  of  Sturgeon  Bay,  and  held  most  of  the  town  offices  there. 

ROGER  EATOUGH,  proprietor  Globe  Hotel,  blacksmith  and 
wagon  shop,  and  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  Bailey's  Harbor,  is  a 
native  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  born  Dec.  27,  1S47.  Came  to  Manitowoc, 
Wis.,  with  his  parents  when  three  years  old  ;  assisted  his  father  in  farm- 
ing until  of  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he  commenced  to  learn  the 
trade  ot  blacksmith.  In  1867,  he  removed  to  Nebraska,  and  remained 
until  the  Fall  of  1S6S  ;  thence  to  Green  Biy,  Wis.,  and  remained  until 
the  Fall  of  1S69.  when  he  removed  to  Bailey's  Harbor,  In  1875.  he 
opened  the  Globe  Hotel.  Married,  in  August,  1874,  to  Miss  Ella  Ivil- 
gore,  of  Port  Washington.     Has  three  daughters. 

THOMAS  FAR  REEL,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Bailey's 
Harbor,  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  Came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents  in 
1S57.  There  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  moulder's  trade  ;  worked  at  it 
three  or  four  years.  In  1872,  he  removed  to  North  Bay,  Wis.,  and  en- 
g.iged  largely  in  lumber,  wood,  posts,  etc.,  also  in  live  stock.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S81,  came  to  Bailey's  Harbor  and  bought  the  slock  and  one- 
half  interest  in  the  store  of  F.  Wohltmann.  He  still  continues  his  busi- 
ness in  North  Bay. 

HANS  L.  HANSON,  lighthouse  keeper,  Bailey's  Harbor,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Chicago,  born  Oct.  21,  1855.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  he 
commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  wood-carver  ,  worked  at  it  several 
years.  In  1876,  he  was  appointed  First  A«:sistant  Lighthouse  Keeper  in 
Chicago  ;  held  that  position  till  June  i,  18S1,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
hi^  present  position.  Married,  in  1881,  to  Miss  Haltie  Thoreson.  .She 
is  also  a  native  of  Chicago. 

ADAM  HENDRICIC,  proprietor  Bailey's  Harbor  House,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  born  February,  182S.  Came  to  America  in  1850,  and 
located  in  Manitowoc  County,  and  followed  fishing  and  sailing.  In 
1S56,  he  removed  to  Bailey's  Harbor,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  fish- 
ing. In  1871,  built  a  hotel,  "  Bailey's  Harbor  House."  Mr.  Htndrick 
is  a  genial  landlord.  Married,  in  1858,  to  Miss  Ernestine  Schernier,  of 
Germany.     Has  two  sons  and  eight  daughters. 

THOMAS  W.  McCULLOUGH,  proprietor  National  Hotel,  Bailey's 
Harbor.  Born  Feb.  14,  1844.  in  Ireland.  The  following  year  his 
parents  emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y'., 
where  they  followed  farming  till  1856,  when  they  went  to  Chicago. 
July.  1857,  they  removed  10  Bailey's  Harbor.  In  1859,  'h^y  returned  to 
Steuben  County,  where  th-y  remained  three  years  ;  then  returned  to 
Bailey's  Harbor  and  followed  farming.  His  father  died  Aui;.  22,  1866. 
In  1870,  he  built  this  hotel.  He  also  owns  eighty  acres  land,  which  is 
under  cultivation.  He  has  been  Town  Clerk  si.x  years  ;  was  Chairrain 
of  the  Town  Board  in  1S70  ;  has  been  two  years  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
Married,  Jan.  25,  186S,  to  Mary  J.  LeRov,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.  Have 
one  son,  Francis  M..  born  November.  1875. 

JOHN  B.  ROTTMANN,  wood,  ties  and  posts,  Bailey's  Harbor. 
Born  Dec.  6,  1850,  in  Washington  County,  Wis.  .\t  about  the  age  of 
ten  years  he  came  to  Oshkosh  ;  was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter  trade  ; 
worked  at  it  about  eight  years  ;  he  then  came  to  .Sturgeon  Bay.  July  7, 
1875,  he  removed  to  Bailey's  Harbor,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  this 
business.  He  also  has  charge  of  the  Kilgore  Pier.  Married,  in  187S,  to 
Miss  M.  A.  Kilgore.  She  was  born  in  Port  Washington.  Have  two 
ch  Idren,  one  son  and  one  daughter.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Town 
Board,  and  School  Clerk  ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Herman, 
having  joined  in  I'ond  du  Lac.  in  i86g. 

WILLIAM  TOSELAND,  farmer,  Sec.  18.  P.O.Bailey's  Harbor. 
Born  Feb.  14  1S25,  in  England.  In  185S,  came  to  Racine  County, 
Wis.;  worked  at  farming  till  1S60,  when  he  went  to  California  The 
following  year  he  returned  to  Racine  County,  where  he  remained  till 
1063,  when  he  came  to  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  240  acres.  Mar- 
ried, in  1851,  to  Eliza  Panter,  of  England.  They  have  eight  children, 
two  sons  and  six  dauiihtcrs. 


JOHN  WAGNER,  boot  and  shoe  manufacturer,  and  dealer  in  har- 
ness, Bailey's  Harbor.  A  native  of  Germany,  born  in  December,  1S44. 
Came  to  America  in  1868,  and  remained  one  year  in  New  York,  working 
at  his  trade  ;  then  removed  to  Washington  County,  Wis.,  and  openc<l  a 
boot  and  shoe  shop.  In  1S75,  he  went  to  Sturgeon  B.iy,  and  removed  to 
Bailey's  Harbor  in  1876.  Married  in  1869  Has  two  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

JACKSONPORT. 
The  town  was  organized  under  a  speci,il  law,  adojited 
by  the  State  Legislature  in  1869,  approved  March  S.  The 
name  is  given  in  honor  of  a  gentleman  who  owns  large 
atiiounts  of  property  in  the  vicinity.  The  village  is  an  ad- 
vantageous point  for  shi])ping,  being  located  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  peninsula,  on  Section  14. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

R.  S.  ERSKIXE,  proprietor  Erskine  House,  Jacksonport.  Born 
Jan.  15,  1S44.  in  Rockland,  Me.  He  enlisted  in  the  U.  S.  N.Tvy.  from 
Boston,  in  1861  ;  discharged  in  1864,  at  the  Biooklyn  Navy  Yard.  In 
1866,  came  to  Chicago,  and  sailed  five  seasons.  In  1871,  came  to  Jack- 
sonport, sailed  from  here  till  1876;  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  hotel,  which  he  built  and  owns.  Married,  in  1868,  to  Ellen  McGean, 
of  Kingston,  Canada.  They  have  three  chi'dren,  one  son  and  two 
daughters. 

P.  G.  HIBBARD,  firm  of  P.  G.  Hibbard  &  Co.,  pier  owners  and 
dealers  in  general  merchandise,  Jacksonpori,  is  a  native  of  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  born  Nov.  6.  1826.  His  parents  removed  to  Michigan 
when  he  was  a  year  old.  In  1S53,  he  engaged  in  fishing  at  Big  Bay 
De  Noque,  which  he  followed  for  three  years:  thence  to  North  Bay. 
Door  Co.,  and  followed  the  same  business  there  for  five  years  ;  then 
removed  to  (what  is  now)  Jacksonport,  Door  Co.,  and  was  the  first  while 
settler  of  that  place,  and  has  been  engaged  in  fishing  more  or  less  ever 
since.  In  1S6S  he  built  a  pier  at  Jacksonpoit,  and  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  on  a  small  scale.  In  1877,  Mr.  P.  G.  Wright  was 
admitted  a  partner.  Their  merchandise  sales  now  amount  to  about 
$30,000  a  year.  They  are  also  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  cedar, 
wood,  etc.  Mr.  Hibbard  owns  an  improved  farm  of  about  100  acres. 
Held  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer  for  four  vears;  also  other  town 
offices. 

EMANUEL  HOGAN,  proprietor  Wisconsin  House,  Jacksonport. 
A  native  of  Kingston,  Canada,  born  March  22,  1837.  Removed  to 
Oswego,  N.  Y.,  in  1851,  and  followed  sailing  on  the  lakes  (or  sixteen 
seasons  ;  thence  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  the  woods.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S67,  removed  to  Manitowoc  and  remained  until  1869,  when 
he  came  to  Jacksonport  and  engaged  in  farming  about  four  years,  then 
built  a  hotel,  which  business  he  has  since  been  eng.iged  in.  Married,  in 
:86S,  to  Miss  Lena  Bishop,  of  Manitowoc,  Wis.  Has  seven  children, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

P.  W.  KIRTLAND,  fish  dealer,  Jacksonport,  is  a  native  of  Middle- 
sex, Conn.,  born  July  12,  1831.  In  1854,  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  fishing  until  1857;  thence  to  Mackinaw.  In  1861,  betook 
charge  of  the  Manitou  Light-House,  which  position  he  held  until  1S67, 
then  removed  to  Egg  Harbor,  Door  Co..  and  attended  to  his  brother's 
business,  buying  and  shipping  wood,  cedar,  etc.  until  1S70,  then  fol- 
lowed fishing  in  the  vicinity  of  Death's  Door  for  two  years,  then  re- 
moved to  Jacksoiport,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  married,  in 
1S63,  to  Miss  Jones,  of  Connecticut.     They  have  one  daughter. 

JOHN  C.  MESSENGER,  blacksmith  and  wagonm.-iker,  Jackson- 
port,  born  Oct.  19,  1834,  in  Hartford  Co.,  Conn.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted 
in  Co,  F,  nth  U.  S.  Regular  Army,  from  Boston  ;  served  two  years,  and 
was  honorably  discharged.  In  1S66,  he  came  to  Fish  Creek,  and  soon 
after  removed  to  Jacksonport,  and  established  his  present  business.  He 
married  Miss  Es'her  A.  Munger,  of  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.  They  have 
one  son  and  three  daughters.     He  has  three  sons  by  a  former  marriage. 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  cedar  wood  and  bark,  Jacksonpori,  is  a  native  of 
Canada,  born  in  1837;  came  to  Cheboygan,  Mich.,  in  1S66,  and  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  till  1S69,  when  he  returned  to  Canada.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  came  to  Door  County,  During  1S77,  he  was  a  resident 
of  Chicago,  and  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Taylor.  Batch  &  Co.  The 
net  value  of  his  shipments  from  Jacksonpori  is  S1300UO  a  year.  He 
also  owns  a  farm  of  ninety  acres  cleared,  and  about  2.000  acres  of  other 
lands  in  the  county. 

COMMUNICATION. 

.\11  of  these  settlements,  and  others  which  are  nameless, 
are  connected  with  each  other  and  with  Sturgeon  Kay  by 
State  roads  and  other  thoroughfares.  From  the  latter  place, 
mail  and  e.\press  matter  daily  readies  the  railroad  lines 
centering  in  Green  Bay.  With  southern  lake  ports,  the 
Goodrich  line  of  steamers  keej)  up  constant  communica- 
tion. Connection  by  railroad  has  been  broached,  but  no 
active,  earnest  move  vet  made. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


DOUGLAS    COUNTY 


Many  items  in  the  following  sketch  were  obtained 
from  "  An  Old  Settler's  notes,  on  Douglas  County," 
published  in  the  Ashland  Press : 

The  territory  within  the  limits  of  Douglas  County 
has  been  a  part  of  Michilimackinac  and  Chippewa 
counties  in  Michigan,  of  Crawford,  St.  Croix  and  La 
Pointe  in  Wisconsin.  It  was  set  off  from  La  Pointe 
County,  by  act  of  legislature,  approved  February  9, 
1854,  and  organized  for  judicial  purposes  in  the  Fall  of 
that  year.  The  county  seat  was  located  on  Section  30, 
Township  49  north.  Range  13,  west  of  the  fourth  meri- 
dian, at  or  near  tlie  moutli  of  St.  Louis  River. 

A  writer  says  :  "  The  early  history  of  this  region, 
commercial,  political  and  religious,  readies  back  of  Ply- 
mouth Rock  and  Pocahontas,  when  the  Fourteenth 
Louis  gave  the  laws,  and  Bourret  and  Fenelon  ap- 
pointed the  missionaries ;  and  traders  got  a  fifty  livre 
beaver  skin  for  a  ha'  penny  needle." 

It  is  the  northwestern  county  of  the  State.  Lake 
Superior  and  St.  Louis  River  form  its  northern  boun- 
dary, giving  it  a  water  frontage  of  about  sixty-five 
miles,  inclusive  of  inlets.  A  productive  belt  of  land, 
extending  from  the  shore,  some  eight  or  ten  miles 
broad,  is  of  clay  subsoil,  impregnated  with  iron  oxide. 
It  is  well  timbered  with  pine,  birch,  ash,  poplar,  tamarac, 
spruce  and  cedar.  South  of  this  belt,  the  land  is  ele- 
vated, rising  in  some  places  375  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  lake.  The  rolling  woodland  succeeding  this  range 
has  an  exceedingly  rich  and  productive  soil.  The 
county  is  inter.secled  in  all  parts  by  rivers  and  streams, 
the  Brule  Midway,  St.  Louis,  Black,  Poplar,  Aminicon 
and  Nemadji  are  the  princpal  rivers.  Bordering  on 
these  streams  are  natural  meadows  and  groves.  Along 
the  divide  between  the  lake  aud  St.  Croix  River  are 
numerous  little  lakes,  well  stocked  with  fish,  and  visited 
by  deer  and  all  varieties  of  wild  game.  On  the  north 
of  the  divide  is  found  tlie  copper-bearing  trap.  In 
1846-8,  the  American  Fur  Company  (which  maintained 
a  post  on  the  Bay  of  Superior  until"  IsoO),  sent  a  party 
of  miners  to  explore  these  exposures.  They  accom- 
plished but  little,  and  recent  attempts  have  not  been 
more  successful. 

Just  before  the  completion  of  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie 
Canal  in  1853-4,  numerous  plans  were  projected  for  the 
acquisition  of  lands  at  the  iiead  of  Lake  Superior. 
About  this  time  George  R.  Stuntz  surveyed  tlie  most  of 
Douglas  County.  "  As  the  lands  were,  as  soon  as  sur- 
veyed, subject  to  pre-emption,  his  tracks  were  seldom 
covered  before  tlie  claim  was  marked  at  every  corner 
and  quarter  post  in  sight  of  a  landing  in  bay  or  river, 
or  of  a  copper-bearing  trap  rock.  Speculators  followed 
the  pre-eraptors  and  whitewashed  tlie  strong  swearing 
by  a  tempting  advance  over  the  government  price." 

The  lands  were  first  put  in  market  at  the  Hudson 
land  office  in  the  Fall  of  1853,  and  G.  R.  Stuntz,  B. 
Brunson,  E.  F.  Ely  and  associates,  made  a  "  town  site" 


settlement  at  the  upper  end  of  the  bay,  naming  it 
"  Endion  " — the  Chippewa  for  Jiome.  The  site  em- 
braced the  ancient  French  landing  stockade  and  post. 
Rev.  E.  F.  Ely  erected  the  first  house.  The  name 
Endion  was  soon  dropped,  and  the  locality  is  now  a  part 
of  Superior. 

About  this  time.  Benjamin  Cadotte,  Francis  Roy, 
Daniel  A.  J.  Baker,  Daniel  A.  Robertson,  R.  R.  Nelson, 
C.  G.  Petteys,  E.  T.  Shelley,  O.  K.  Hall,  August 
Zachan,  Joseph  du  Bay,  Abraham  Emmitt  and  Joseph 
A.  Bullen  took  up,  by  pre-emption,  the  tracts  on  the 
bay  shore  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Nemadji 
rivers.  These,  with  purchases  made  by  W.  W.  Cor- 
coran, Edmund  Rice,  George  L.  Becker,  .Tames  Stinson, 
George  E.  and  William  Nettleton,  W.  H.  Newton,  B. 
Thompson,  H.  S.  Walbridge,  R.  J.  Walker,  George  W. 
Cass  and  Antoine  Choinier,  amounting  in  all  to  quite 
6,000  acres,  were  consolidated  ;  titles  perfected  and  con- 
veyed in  trust  to  R.  R.  Nelson  and  W.  H.  Newton. 

The  lands  were  laid  out  in  lots  and  blocks.  During 
the  years  from  1854  to  1857,  during  which  period  some 
two  thousand  lots  were  sold,  surveys  were  made, 
streets  open,  and  hotel  and  wharf  built  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sales,  and  the  remaining  money  set  off  to 
parties  in  interest.  Lands  were  laid  out  for  public 
squares  and  buildings,  and  grounds  (still  held  in  trust) 
for  any  railroad  corporation  which  may  be  disposed  to 
occupy  them.  Railroad  charters  and  corner  lots  were 
co-efficients  used  to  induce  the  settlement  of  Superior. 
The  St.  Croix  &  Lake  Superior  Company's,  and  the 
Minnesota  &  Northwest  Railroad  Companj^'s  charters 
were  employed  as  inducements  to  investment  for  the 
first  two  years.  In  1854,  Col.  Robert  Patton  surveyed 
the  route  from  Hudson  to  Superior,  for  the  St.  Croix  & 
Lake  Superior  Co.,  and  the  report  on  this  survey  vin- 
dicated tlie  application  to  Congress  for  the  St.  Croix 
Land  Grant. 

The  "Algonquin"  and  "Ward,"  at  this  time,  con- 
stituted the  merchant  navy,  bringing  emigrants,  lumber 
and  provisions  from  the  Sault  to  Superior. 

Buildings  went  up  as  by  magic.  Settlers  had  their 
choice  of  lots,  on  conditions  to  build  ;  speculators  pur- 
chased shares,  subdividing  them,  a  thirty-second  repre- 
senting six  acres,  at  $166  an  acre — the  plat  aggregating 
a  million  dollars  ;  and  about  half  the  town  changed 
owners  at  those  prices  before  the  close  of  the  second 
year. 

Ten  different  railroad  charters  performed  their  mis- 
sions in  inciting  settlers  to  come  to  Superior,  and  in 
due  time  all  collapsed,  corrupted  legislation  being  the 
alleged  chief  cause  of  the  failure.  "  Had  Wisconsin's 
statesmen  utilized  the  land  grant  trust  of  1855,  and 
fostered  to  completion  the  Hudson,  Bayfield  &  Supe- 
rior Railroad,  the  northwest  quarter  of  this  State 
would  to-day  be  a  settled  region,"  remarked  an  early 
settler  in  that  section. 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


269 


Superior  never  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the 
overthrow  of  her  railroad  projects.  Duriag  the  panic 
of  1857-8,  the  city  was  depopulated  to  scarcely  more 
than  500  inhaliitants.  The  last  knell  to  her  original 
hopes  was  rung  when  Minnesota,  by  State  aid,  land  grants 
and  the  co-operation  of  Jay  Cooke,  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  St.  Paul  &  Lake  Superior  Road  built  to  Du- 
luth.  The  waters  of  the  St.  Louis  River  were  turned 
away  from  Superior,  by  a  canal  forming  an  artificial 
basin  for  the  railroad  in  Minnesota. 

While  the  first  building  of  Superior  was  advancing, 
the  county  was  being  settled  and  farms  opened.  Among 
those  who  have  persisted  in  the  pursuit,  and  succeeded, 
are  James  Wright,  H.  W.  Shaw,  Patrick  Fay,  Bela 
Brooks,  William  Crawford,  James  S.  Ritchie.  Alex- 
ander Paul  was  succeeded  by  Messrs.  P.  E.  Bradshaw 
&  Co.,  who  have  kept  up  a  general  Indian  trade,  as 
well  as  a  general  assortment  for  all  classes  of  buyers. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  G.  Wilson  was  the  first  Congre- 
gational, and  Rev.  J.  M.  Barnett  the  first  Presbyterian, 
clergyman,  and  the  sister  of  the  latter  the  first  school- 
teacher in  the  county. 

The  first  county  officers  were :  County  Judge, 
James  A.  Markland  ;  Register  of  Deeds,  Frederick  J. 
Whittaker  ;  Sheriff,  William  Nettleton  ;  Clerk  of  Cir. 
cuit  Court,  Washington  Ashton ;  District  Attorney, 
W.  W.  McCracken. 

The  population  of  the  county  at  the  last  census 
was  655. 

SUPERIOR. 

The  site  of  Superior  City  comprises  an  area  of  about 
300  acres,  and  was  first  claimed  by  parties  in  1844,  under 
the  Pre-emption  Law  of  1841,  and  by  Messrs.  Bronson, 
Slaughter  &  Co.,  under  the  Town  Site  Law  of  1844.  It 
was  subsequently  claimed  by  parties  under  the  State  law  in 
relation  to  "  town  sites  on  the  public  lands."  In  August, 
1S5S,  an  application  was  made  by  one  Madison  Sweetzer  to 
enter  the  land  with  Sioux  scrip.  On  the  17th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1858,  the  occupants,  and  settlers  residing  on  the  land, 
organized  themselves  into  a  body  corporate,  by  choosing 
three  Trustees,  etc.,  in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Wis- 
consin Legislature  of  May  17,  1858.  In  December,  1859, 
the  land  officers  at  Superior  decided  favorable  to  the  claim 
of  Madison  Sweetzer,  which  decision  was  overruled  by  the 
General  Land  Office.  During  the  Summer  of  1859,  the 
local  officers  were  instructed  to  recognize  only  the  claims 
of  the  occupants  as  represented  by  the  "  Trustees  of  Supe- 
rior City."  The  department  also  ordered  the  admission  of 
proof  in  support  of  their  claim.  This  testimony  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Register  and  Receiver  at  Superior  in  July, 
i860,  and  forwarded  to  Washington. 

At  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  situated  on  the  Bay  of 
Superior  and  Nemadji  River,  on  an  elevation  of  thirty-four 
feet,  is  the  city  of  Superior,  possessing  a  good  site,  an  ex- 
cellent harbor  and  great  natural  advantages  for  a  commer- 
cial city.  Its  harbor  is  formed  by  a  strip  of  land  about  six 
miles  in  length,  stretching  out  from  the  Minnesota  shore, 
and  is  called  the  Bay  of  Superior.  Running  in  an  opposite 
direction,  a  similar  point  from  the  Wisconsin  shore  forms 
the  Bay  of  Allouez.  The  bays  are  separated  by  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Nemadji  River,  which,  with  the  St.  Louis  and 
Allouez  rivers,  enters  the  lake  between  the  two  points. 

A  company  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the  town  of 
Superior  was  formed  in  the  Spring  of  1854,  under  the  title 
of  "  Proprietors  of  Superior."  ISlessrs.  W.  W.  Corcoran, 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  Robert  J.  Walker,  New  York;  George 


W.  Cass,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  ;  Horace  S.  Walbridge,  Toledo, 
Ohio;  Daniel  A.J.Baker,  D.  A.  Robertson,  George  E. 
Nettleton  and  R.  R.  Nelson,  of  Superior,  and  Benjamin 
Thomson,  Edmund  Rice,  James  Stinson  and  William  H. 
Newton,  of  Minnesota. 

William  H.  Newton  was  appointed  engineer  and  agent, 
and,  assisted  by  Thomas  Clark,  second,  the  town  was  sur- 
veyed and  a  plat  made  and  recorded  by  the  6th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1S54.  Mr.  George  R.  Stuntz,  United  States  Surveyor, 
arrived  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  for  the  purpose  of 
surveying  the  lands  in  that  vicinity,  on  the  20th  of  May, 
1853.  Pme,  spruce,  fir  and  birch  trees  covered  the  present 
site  of  the  city  of  Superior.  In  an  Indian  canoe,  Mr. 
Stuntz,  with  two  companions,  made  a  voyage  around  what 
is  now  called  the  Bay  of  Superior.  Landing  on  what  is 
known  as  Conner's  Point,  they  found  Mr.  B.  H.  Conner, 
who  had  preceded  them,  engaged  in  erecting  a  house. 

Mr.  Stuntz  surveyed  the  rich  mineral  lands  upon  the 
American  and  Black  river  ranges,  as  well  as  the  present  site 
of  Superior. 

Several  settlers  came  in  small  boats  from  Ontonagon, 
Mich.,  in  the  following  June,  and  located  upon  the  mineral 
ranges.  Later  in  the  Summer,  Messrs.  Bullen,  Morgan  and 
others  arrived  from  St.  Paul.  Robertson,  Nelson  and  Ba- 
ker located  the  same  year  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nemadji 
River.  The  first  improvements  upon  the  town  site  were 
made  by  these  parties. 

Benjamin  Cadotte  and  Francis  Roy,  of  La  Pointe,  arrived 
in  September  and  erected  houses,  but  soon  after  disposed 
of  their  interest  to  W.  H.  Newton,  George  E.  Nettleton, 
Benjamin  Thompson  and  others.  The  families  of  J.  B.  St. 
John,  M.  Cadotte,  J.  B.  La  Favre,  and  W.  M.  Herbert  resided 
in  Superior  during  the  Winter  of  1853-4. 

A  number  of  single  persons,  among  whom  were  William 
Nettleton,  W.  G.  Cowell,  Charles  Kimball,  John  Parry, 
John  Lavake,  Robert  Reed,  Benjamin  and  George  Daniel- 
son,  A.  A.  Parker,  Calvin  Hood,  E.  Chase,  F.  J.  Whittaker, 
Dennis  Dean,  A.  Zachan  and  others,  occupied  several  log 
cabins. 

A  volunteer  company,  consisting  of  D.  A.  J.  Baker, 
John  Lavake,  Mr.  Emmett,  James  Harron,  William  E.  Net- 
tleton, Joseph  Hamel,  J.  H.  C.  McKinsey,  John  T.  Morgan, 
H.  Fargo,  George  and  Benjamin  Danielson,  assisted  by  sev- 
eral voyageurs  in  the  capacity  of  cooks  and  packers,  was  or- 
ganized, in  January,  1854,10  cut  out  a  road  to  the  St.  Croix, 
connecting  with  the  lumbermen's  road  to  the  south.  They 
completed  their  work  within  twenty  days. 

The  Ashland  Press,  of  Jan.  31,  1874,  in  "Notes  on 
Douglas  County,"  says: 

"  Messrs.  Nettleton  and  Culver  opened  the  first  store, 
and  O.  K.  Hall,  the  first  hotel,  in  the  unfinished  house  now 
known  as  the  Avery  House.  The  entire  second  story  was 
done  off  in  one  bed-room,  guests,  boarders,  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen, had  no  cause  for  complaint,  for  each  could  have 
his  share  of  the  best  room  in  the  house." 

S.Williams  Nelson,  in  a  letter  to  H.  O.  Fifield,  published 
in  the  Bayfield  Press,  of  March  30,  1872,  gives  an  account 
of  a  trip  to  Douglas  County  in  the  early  days,  which  may 
not  be  uninteresting.  He  says:  "In  1854,  a  party  of  ten 
left  St.  Paul  for  the  head  of  Lake  Superior.  The  mode  of 
conveyance  was  a  lumber  wagon  from  St.  Paul  to  Taylor's 
Falls,  thence  by  Latteaux  to  Chase's  Camp,  eighty  miles  up 
the  St.  Croix.  On  board  the  batteau,  which  we  "  poled  " 
against  the  strong  current,  were  one  barrel  of  flour,  one  bar- 
rel of  pork,  one  barrel  of  potatoes,  three  Colt's  revolvers 
with  a  round  of  cartridges,  several  huge  law  books,  and 
several  hampers  of  civilized  luxuries,  for  we  were  going  to 
organize  Douglas  County,  Wis.  It  took  us  three  days  to 
pole  to  Chase's  Camp,  though  we  employed,  at  big  wages, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


professional  'polists.'  Unlike  modern  hostelries,  Chase's 
Camp  was  of  primitive  order  of  architecture,  for,  be  it 
known,  Mr.  Chase,  besides  being  an  extensive  '  logger,' en- 
tertained both  man  and  Indian  in  those  days.  The  camp 
was  a  comfortable  log-cabin,  well  chinked.  The  beds  were 
constructed  after  the  pattern  of  stables ;  the  bedding  was 
straw,  and  the  covering  the  weary  traveler  provided  himself, 
which  usually  consisted  of  his  four  or  five  point  blanket. 
I  lie  tabic  at  this  time  did  not  introduce  or  groan  under  the 
weight  of  the  '  lu.xuries  of  the  season,'  nor  did  the  bar  pre- 
sent the  'choicest  liquors  and  segars.'  We  endeavored 
here  to  secure  assistance  to  transport  our  heavy  freight,  by 
easy  stages,  to  the  lake.  Several  'Injuns'  were  loafing 
around  the  camp,  but  we  tried  every  persuasion  to  convert 
them  into  pack-horses,  and  finally  gave  it  up.  They  had 
been  employed  for  a  few  days  and  had  been  paid,  and  were 
slightly  under  the  influence  of  'skudewabe.'  The  result 
was  that  we  summarily  ordered  the  chef  dc  cuisine  to  bake  a 
(juintily  of  bread,  furnish  the  party  with  smoked  beef,  tea, 
etc.,  and  all  the  first-class  pedestrians  were  to  carry  proven- 
der pro  rata.  Spending  a  night  at  the  'Fifth  Avenue'  in 
the  wilderness,  we  struck  the  blazed  trail  at  7  a.  m.,  in  sin- 
gle file.  '  Uncle  Tommy,'  so  called  on  account  of  his  be- 
ing the  eldest  in  the  party,  and  a  large  man  physically,  car- 
ried all  the  cooking  apparatus,  which,  with  his  pack,  must 
have  been  '  considerable  of  a  load ;"  and  a  Mr.  Sawyer,  if  I 
remember  correctly,  carried  .in  advance  the  pioneer  ax. 
The  '  rear  guard,'  of  which  I  was  a  prominent  member, 
slowly  dragged  their  weary  length  along.  It  was  a  hard 
tiip.  Three  days  accomplished  it,  but  the  writer  well  re- 
members his  discomforts  during  this  memorable  transit. 
-Arriving  at  the  Nemadji,  or  Left  Hand  River,  a  canoe,  op- 
erating as  a  ferry,  conveyed  us  across,  where  we  soon  found 
board  and  shelter.  Previous  to  this  period,  R.  R.  Nelson 
built  a  commodious  and  picturesque  residence;  dimensions, 
8x10;  height,  about  stovepipe  hat  rule.  This  beautifully  con- 
structed log  tenement  was  to  accommodate  ten  living, 
breathing,  pulsating,  accountable  souls,  whose  average 
weight  scaled  about  iSo  avoirdupois;  but  the  house  actu- 
ally did  it.  The  mode  of  procedure  was  unique.  The  en- 
try, i)reparing  to  lie  and  preparing  to  snore,  was  performed 
gracefully.  When  the  time  for  retiring  came,  each  man 
dropped  into  file  and  then  marched  into  this  immense 
house,  and  at  a  certain  signal  all  dropped  down  on  their 
backs  at  once,  arms  straight  down.  We  were  packed  like 
sardines,  minus  the  oil. 

"  I  well  remember  an  election  held  to  elect  three  trus- 
tees for  a  public  school,  at  which  election.  I  filled  the  office 
of  Clerk.  The  entire  vote  polled  was  nine,  and  two  out  of 
the  three  custodians  of  educational  facilities  could  neither 
read  nor  write." 

The  Ashland  Press  o{  P'ebruary  7,  1S74,  contained  the 
following  statements  : 

"The  progress  of  1854  amounted  to  a  settlement  of 
fifty  families,  two  stores— Nettleton  &  Culver's  and  Alex- 
ander Paul's;  the  hotel,  kept  by  O.  K.  Hall,  whose  '  O.  K.' 
was  not  only  his  initials,  but  meant  all  that  Young  Amer- 
ica attaches. 

"  During  the  Summer  and  Fall,  the  town  was  visited  by 
Bishop  Kemper  and  Rev.  David  Hrooks,  who  in  turn  held 
the  first  Protestant  worship,  in  Hall's' dining  -  room,  at 
Superior. 

"  James  A.  Markland  opened  and  kept  the  office  of  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds.  Dennis  Dean  was  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace;  Carlisle  Doble,  Sheriff's  offices;  arid  Markland, 
George  W.  Perry,  Hiram  Hayes  and  Marcus  W.  McCrack- 
en,  of  counsel. 

"  The  Fourth  of  July,  1854,  was  celebrated— the  ladies 
taking  upon  themselves  the  preparations.     Mrs.  Col.  Carl- 


ton, of  Fond  du  Lac  Superieur,  came  with  appropriate 
contributions  from  her  dairy  and  garden.  Mrs.  Georg  -  C. 
Nettleton,  Hall,  Post,  O.  \V.  Rice,  Misses  Metcalf,  Hall. 
Smith,  Richmond,  and  numbers  of  the  native  ones,  made 
up  the  bevy  of  merry  faces.  The  lunch  was  of  substantial 
viands,  with  coffee  and  lemonade.  The  orator,  Hiram 
Hayes,  gave  us  a  historic  and  heroic  view  of  Lake  Superi- 
or's acquisitions,  as  mostly  due  to  the  dijilomacy  of  Frank- 
lin— a  peaceful  victory. 

"The  Spring  of  1855,  Superior  was  stimulated  by  the 
free  navigation  of  the  Falls  of  the  Ste.  Marie,  the  lock  and 
canal  at  that  place  being  completed. 

"The  first  boat  through  the  head  of  the  lake,  the  jiro- 
peller  "  Manhattan,"  brought  a  full  supply  of  provisions,  im- 
migrants, laborers,  mechanics,  merchants,  and  the  very  life 
and  soul  for  the  new  town — a  press.  Washington  Ashton 
and  John  C.  Wise,  whose  skill  and  experience  were  derived 
from  services  in  Washington  City,  Baltimore  and  Richmond, 
were  the  editors  and  publishers  of  the  Superior  Chioni- 
cle.  Their  office  was  in  Col.  D.  A.  Robertson's  dwelling, 
on  iSfemadji  River,  at  the  foot  of  Third  street.  Where  it 
stood  is  now  indicated  by  fhe  tumulus  of  the  chimney. 

"  The  Superior  Chronicle  was  a  success  in  its  beginning. 
Its  first  subscription  list,  paid  up,  was  800,  and  its  circula- 
tion extended  to  Boston,  Portland,  New  York,  Baltimore, 
Washington,  Philadelphia,  Saint  Louis,  Louisville,  and 
numerous  intermediate  and  ulterior  cities.  Its  free  list, 
200,  embraced  as  many  hotels  and  reading  rooms,  selected 
where  the  sheet  could  do  the  most  good.  Its  advertising 
squares  and  business  directory,  giving  the  names  and  num- 
bers of  streets,  embraced  Superior  House,  by  O.  K.  Hall, 
soon  succeeded  by  J.  Willard,  from  Washington  ;  Stockton 
House,  by  A.  C.  Stockton  ;  George  F.  Holcomb  &  Co.,  whole- 
sale and  retail  provisions  ;  Nettleton  &  Culver,  general  mer- 
chandise; Dr.  Marcellus,  physician  and  surgeon  ;  August 
Zachan,  builder  ;  George  W.  Leicester,  carpenter  and  joiner; 
William  Conner,  blacksmith;  John  M.  Newton,  hardware 
and  stoves;  William  H.  Newton,  real  estate  office  and 
agency  for  the  proprietors  of  Superior;  William  George 
Cowell,  lumber-yard  ;  William  Mann,  saw-mill,  on  Nemadji 
River;  'Laborers  wanted,'  by  Horace  Saxton,  in  charge  of 
improvements  by  O.  W.  Rice,  contractor  on  Point  Douglas 
road  ;  Bright  &  Hayes,  M.  W.  McCracken,  attorneys  at  law  ; 
Saxton  Lyon,  Justice  of  the  Peace;  Ira  F.  Holt,  saloon; 
and  each  successive  issue  was  looked  for,  to  know  who  else 
had  come  to  add  to  the  list. 

"  Before  midsummer,  Superior  became  a  fact,  accepted, 
treated  and  valued  as  such  by  capitalists  to  the  extent  of 
their  bank  accounts,  and  by  fortune-hunters  to  the  elasticity 
of  their  credit's  inflation. 

"During  the' Summer,  about  100  buildings  of  all  sorts 
were  fabricated,  a  commodious  warehouse,  two  school-houses 
and  a  nine-pin  alley. 

"  The  Winter  of  1855-6,  at  Superior,  was  a  social  success. 
The  road  to  Saint  Paul  was  so  far  opened  that  Dennis  Dean, 
Postmaster,  received  and  distributed  a  tri-weekly  mail." 

A  pami)hlet,  published  in  1859,  makes  statements  for  the 
same  years  (partly  taken  from  "Information  for  Emigrants"), 
as  follows  : 

"  In  June,  1855,  the  vessels  engaged  in  the  trade  of  Lake 
Superior  seldom  visited  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  the  set- 
tlers obtained  their  supplies  at  great  cost  and  much  trouble, 
occasionally  bringing  them  from  Ontonagon,  Mich.,  in  small 
boats  exposed  to  the  storms  of  the  lake.  In  the  Summer  of 
1854,  the  Superior  House  and  Quebec  Pier  were  com- 
menced, and  in  the  absence  of  saw-mills,  the  lumber  used 
in  their  construction  was  ripped  out  by  hand.  Mr.  T. 
Ritchie  erected  a  large  and  liandsome  addition  to  the  Supe- 
rior House,  in  July,  1S56.     The  improvements,  prior  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


27] 


Spring  of  1855,  were  under  similar  difficulties.  The  first 
weekly  mail  to  Superior  was  commenced  in  1854,  between 
Taylor's  Falls  and  Superior,  and  carried  on  foot  by  Indian 
packers. 

"On  the  opening  of  navigation,  in  the  Spring  of  1S55, 
the  entire  number  of  houses  and  cabins  on  the  bay  front — 
most  of  the  former  in  an  unfinished  condition — did  not  ex- 
ceed thirty-five,  and  almost  the  entire  town  site  was  covered 
with  a  thick  growth  of  timber.  On  the  20th  of  JMay,  the 
first  boat  (the  steamer  "Sam  Ward")  brought  the  printing 
office  of  the  Superior  Chronicle,  the  first  number  of  which 
was  issued  on  the  12th  of  June  following.  The  first  saw 
mill,  erected  on  the  Nemadji  River  by  Mr.  William  Mann, 
commenced  work  the  latter  part  of  June,  and  about  the 
same  time  the  first  kiln  of  brick,  manufactured  in  the  vicinity 
by  Mr.  John  Shaw,  was  burned.  On  the  loth  of  June,  the 
first  sermon  in  the  English  language  at  Superior  was 
preached  by  Rev.  David  Brooks,  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
])al  Church,  in  the  present  reading  room  of  the  Superior 
House,  then  used  as  a  carpenter  shop.  On  the  19th,  the 
jjropeller  "  Manhattan  "  was  the  first  steam  craft  to  touch 
at  Quebec  Pier,  though  yet  in  an  unfinished  condition. 
Previous  to  this  period,  boats  landed  opposite  to  Minnesota 
Point,  and  passengers  and  freight  were  carried  to  Superior 
in  small  boats.  On  the  following  day,  the  "  Manhattan  " 
entered  the  Nemadji  River,  and  ascended  it  to  the  bend 
above  Third  Street,  without  the  slightest  difficulty.  On  the 
5th  of  July,  the  steamer  "  Superior,"  the  pioneer  of  an  im- 
portant trade  with  Chicago,  entered  our  harbor  for  the  first 
time,  and  the  occasion  was  celebrated  by  appropriate  fes- 
tivities. A  second  saw  mill,  erected  on  Conner's  Point  by 
Messrs.  Woodbury,  Bothwick  &  Shaylor,  commenced  work 
in  August.  In  the  Fall  of  1855,  the  lands  owned  by  the 
proprietors  of  Superior,  east  of  the  Nemadji,  were  platted, 
and  recorded  as  Superior  East,  embracing  an  area  about 
equal  to  the  original  site.  .About  the  ist  of  June,  1S55,  the 
rapid  advancement  of  Superior  commenced.  Houses  were 
built  as  if  by  magic,  streets  and  thoroughfares  penetrating 
the  surrounding  country,  were  opened,  railroads  were  pro- 
jected, and  piers  and  sidewalks  constructed.  In  January, 
1S56,  Superior  had  585  inhabitants;  dwellings,  105;  stores, 
17;  shops,  14;  offices,  15;    boarding-houses,  6;    hotels,  i  ; 


blacksmith  shops,  2  ;  shoemaker  shops,  i  ;  saw  mills,  2  ; 
brick  yards,  i ;  school  houses,  i  ;  churches  in  construction, 
2  ;  U.  S.  Land  Offices,  2  ;  drug  stores,  2." 

Again,  the  Ashland /'/yw  says:  "  The  apparent  advan- 
tages and  prospects  of  Superior  had  done  their  work. 
A  LInited  States  Land  Office  and  Indian  Agency,  and  Cus- 
toms Office,  have  been  located  here.  The  population  had 
augmented  to  about  2,000. 

"  The  Bar  had  added  to  its  roll  I.  W.  Martin,  Houser  & 
Didlake,  Beckwith  &  Hall,  C.  S.  treeborn,  E.  C.  Becker, 
James  Smith,  and  the  frequent  contests  before  George 
Hyer  and  E.  B.  Dean,  at  the  Land  Office,  brought  froni 
Hudson  and  St.  Paul,  Judges  Cooper,  Brisban,  Hollinshead, 
Meeker,  Clapp,  and  at  the  Circuit  terms.  Justice  Fuller  or 
Weatherbe. 

"The  extensive  real  estate  transactions  were  managed  and 
conducted  at  the  offices  of  E.  W.  Anderson,  Jr.,  William  H. 
Newton,  W.  R.  &  G.  W.  Perry,  Bright.  Moore  cS:  Hayes,  John 
&  Charles  Coburn,  William  Cranwell,  George  R.  Stuni/, 
Metcalf  &  Relf,  and  by  the  lawyers  generally." 

During  the  year  of  1858,  or  by  the  close  of  the  fourth 
year  after  the  commencement,  Superior  had  depojiulated  to 
scarcely  over  500  inhabitants.  From  what  may  be  called 
the  ruins  of  1857,  a  dozen  men  at  Superior  have  maintained 
a  trade  and  commerce  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  averag- 
ing little  if  any  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  an- 
nually. 

The  pursuits,  as  lumbering,  fishing  and  mining,  by  James 
Edwards  and  J.  O.  Sargent,  give  to  Superior  a  business 
character,  and  keep  up  a  lake  commerce  and  overland 
trade  with  the  productive  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  and 
St.  Croi.x. 

After  the  disorganization  of  the  .American  Fur  Company, 
the  fur  trade  in  the  vicinity  of  Superior  and  northern  Min- 
nesota was  conducted  entirely  by  private  individuals. 
Among  the  persons  engaged  in  this  business  was  Ale.x.  Paul, 
Esq.,  of  Superior,  who  for  a  number  of  years  carried  it  on 
quite  e.xtensively.  In  1856,  Mr.  Paul  had  five  different 
outfits  in  the  region  about  Superior  :  one  stationed  at  Sandy 
Lake  ;  one  at  Lake  Winnibegashish,  near  Red  Lake;  one  at 
^'ermillion  Lake;  one  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior; 
and  one  at  Lake  Couteras. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


DUNN    COUNTY. 


LOCATION    AND    RESOURCES. 

The  county  of  Dunn  was  created  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  in  March,  1856,  with  Dunnville  as  the 
county  seat. 

Several  parties,  presuming  on  the  growtli  of  a  sliire 
town  in  a  new  county,  at  once  invested  in  Dunnville 
propert}- ;  but  its  rival  up  the  river,  nearer  the  center 
of  the  count}',  had  otlier  views,  and  under  legal  provis- 
ions for  a  vote  of  the  people,  a  large  majority,  in  1859, 
designated  Menomonie,  which  liad  just  been  laid  out, 
as  the  future  head-quarters  for  the  county. 

The  county  has  Barron  on  the  north,  Chippewa  and 
Eau  Claire  on  the  east,  Pepin  on  the  south,  and  Pierce 
and  St.  Croix  on  the  west. 

It  is  six  tiers  of  government  townships  in  length, 
from  nortli  to  south,  and  four  wide,  from  east  to  west. 
The  Chippewa  River  meanders  across  the  southeast 
corner,  forming  the  northern  boundary  of  the  towns  of 
Peru  and  Rock  Creek.  The  county  is  remarkably  well 
watered,  the  Red  Cedar  coming  into  the  county  by  two 
branches  from  the  north,  the  west  branch  being  the 
Hay  River,  and  uniting  in  the  town  of  Tainter,  near 
the  center  of  the  county,  finds  its  way  in  a  southerly 
direction  to  the  Chippewa.  The  Eau  Galle  runs  across 
the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county,  through  the 
towns  of  Weston  and  Eau  Galle.  The  Chippewa  is 
navigable  for  small  steamers,  the  Red  Cedar  and  Eau 
Galle  for  rafts  only.  These  streams,  with  their  numer- 
ous tributaries,  furnish  log-driving  facilities  and  a  large 
number  of  water-powers,  many  of  which  are  still  un- 
improved. Saw-mills,  flouring  mills  and  other  manu- 
facturing establishments  are,  however,  springing  up  all 
over  the  county,  opening  new  fields  for  labor  and  capi- 
tal, and  furnishing  a  permanent  home  market  for  the 
productions  of  forest,  farm  and  garden. 

Lumbering  is  yet,  and  must  be  for  years,  the  lead- 
ing manufacturing  interest.  Every  man  able  to  work 
can  find  steady  employment  in  the  pineries,  on  the 
river,  or  at  tlie  mills.  The  immigrant  who  has  at  first 
to  depend  upon  his  hands,  will  find  this  a  favorable 
place  to  locate,  for  his  .services  will  be  in  instant  de- 
mand ;  and  the  skilled  mechanic  and  manufacturer  will 
here  iiave  an  opportunity  to  turn  their  attention  to 
other  industries,  the  development  of  which  will  prove 
remunerative. 

The  wealtii  stored  up  in  the  hard-wood  forests  of 
the  western  half  of  the  county  is  almost  untouched, 
and  awaits  energy  and  enterprise.  In  addition  to  the 
pine,  there  is  oak,  maple,  ash,  elm,  basswood  and  but- 
ternut, of  the  best  quality,  and  in  great  profusion, 
inviting  the  industrious  mechanic  with  certain  promise 
of  rich  rewards. 

Stave  mills,  hub  and  spoke  factories,  manufacturers 
of  furniture,  agricultural  implements,  wagons,  sleiglis, 
etc.,  will  here  find  material  and  never-failing  water- 


power.  Woolen  mills  would  find  a  home  market  foi 
their  products. 

A  streak  of  limestone  runs  through  a  part  of  the 
county.  Clay  banks,  with  brick-making  qualities,  are 
numerous,  but  little  developed.  Sandstone  quarries 
abound,  and,  with  the  lumber,  constitute  building  ma- 
terial at  once  cheap  and  accessible. 

The  Chicago,  Saint  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha 
Railway  runs  through  the  middle  of  the  county,  from 
east  to  west,  with  a  branch  down  to  Menomonie,  so 
that  a  dozen  hours  ride  takes  one  to  Chicago,  or  a  few 
hours  to  Saint  Paul.     Other  roads  are  projected. 

No  more  healthful  climate  can  be  found.  The  atmos- 
phere is  clear  and  dry,  and  the  general  healthfulness 
most  remarkable. 

Fish  and  game  abound  in  great  variety.  Pike, 
pickerel,  bass  and  speckled  trout  are  the  most  common 
fish.  Bear,  deer,  squirrel,  pheasant,  prairie  chicken, 
grouse,  wild  geese,  ducks,  and  other  desirable  game, 
are  here  to  tempt  the  hunter  and  sportsman  ;  and  the 
trapper  can  secure  the  beaver,  otter,  mink,  muskrat, 
and  other  fur-bearing  animals. 

Considering  all  the  points,  there  is  no  place  in  the 
Northwest  with  more  varied  inducements  to  the  home- 
seeker,  than  Dunn  County.  The  county  has  twenty- 
four  government  townships,  with  a  total  area  of  552,- 
960  acres.  The  eastern  portion  is  mostly  prairie  and 
light  openings  and  some  marsh  land,  which  makes  fine 
meadows.  It  is,  as  a  rule,  quite  level,  and  has  an 
easily-worked  and  productive  soil.  The  western  por- 
tion is  more  rolling  and  covered  almost  entirely  with 
extensive  forests,  with  excellent  soil,  producing  splen- 
did crops.  Winter  wheat  is  a  profitable  cereal,  produc- 
ing from  twenty  to  forty  bushels  to  the  acre.  Oats, 
rye,  corn,  and  potatoes  particularly,  are  fine. 

To-day  there  is  probably  not  100,000  acres  under 
cultivation,  in  the  whole  county.  About  200,000 
acres  are  owned  by  actual  settlers,  and  the  price  of 
land  in  tliese  farms  is  about  $8  an  acre. 

There  are  still  some  sections  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  subject  to  homestead  entry.  Considerable 
timber  land,  where  it  has  been  denuded  of  pine,  has 
been  suffered  to  lapse  into  the  possession  of  the  State, 
to  prevent  taxation.  Thousands  of  acres  are  owned 
by  the  mammoth  lumber  firms,  and  what  will  be  the 
final  disposition  of  these  lands  will  depend  upon  the 
character  of  the  future  owners  of  tlie  property. 

This  county,  like  some  of  its  neighbors,  is  not  a 
very  fruitful  field  for  the  student  of  geology.  This  is 
especially  so  in  the  department  of  palseontology,  as  the 
number  of  different  fossils  is  very  limited.  This  region 
lies  near  the  southern  border  of  the  first  continent 
which  was  lifted  from  the  ocean's  bed.  It  extended 
from  Labrador  southwest  along  the  margin  of  the  Saint 
Lawrence  and  the  great  lakes,  and  crossed  into  Mich- 


HISTORY    OF    DUNN   COUNTY, 


?73 


igan  and  Wisconsin,  and  thence  northwest  to  McKen- 
zie's  Rivei".  As  this  land  gradually  neared  the  surface 
with  an  ever-advancing  shore,  it  was  subject  to  the 
action  of  the  waves,  the  heat  and  cold,  and  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  that  tempestuous  period,  and  tlie  disin- 
tegration of  tlie  rock-bound  coast  followed,  pulverizing 
the  formation  and  forming  numerous  beds  and  drifts.  In 
the  process  of  time,  tliese  became  cemented  and  indu- 
rated, and  tiie  rock  produced  we  call  Potsdam  sand- 
stone, because  it  was  first  studied  at  the  village  of  that 
name.  That  this  rock  was  formed  by  the  disintegration 
of  an  older  rock,  by  aqueous  action,  is  shown  by  the 
ripple  marks  every-where  seen  on  this  formation,  and 
that  it  was  comparatively  earl}^  in  the  historj'  of  the 
rocks,  is  gathered  from  the  fact  that  so  few  animal 
remains  exist  in  it,  and  those  of  a  simple  form.  The 
trilobites  are  quite  numerous,  and  two  varieties  of  lin- 
gula— only  three  fossils  in  the  rocks  found  here.  While 
the  water  over  tliis  section  was  comparatively  shallow, 
innumerable  icebergs,  crowded  into  the  ocean  by 
glacial  action,  and  holding  in  their  frigid  embrace 
the  boulders  and  other  material,  called  the  drift, 
accumulated  in  a  more  northern  region,  deposited  their 
debris,  as  they  melted,  which  accounts  for  this  forma- 
tion that  is  found  so  generally  distributed  here. 

The  county  now  is  at  an  altitude  of  1,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  its  highest  part.  All  the 
indications  show  that,  while  what  are  called  the  coal 
measures  were  forming,  all  this  region  was  above  the 
sea,  but  long  years  afterwards  it  sunk  to  receive  other 
deposits.  Above  the  drift  alluded  to,  the  sandstone 
crops  out  wherever  the}'  have  been  denuded  by  water. 
At  the  various  falls,  so  numerous  in  the  county,  the 
sandstone  rock  is  visible,  and  the  wearing  action  of  the 
river  is  plainly  seen.  Ledges,  thus  exposed,  are  visible 
along  the  Chippewa,  Red  Cedar,  Wilson's  and  Gilbert's 
creeks,  as  well  as  on  other  branches.  The  Niagara 
limestone,  so  extensive  lower  down  in  the  State,  runs 
through  the  southern  part  of  the  county  only,  in  a 
narrow  strip,  appearing  above  the  glacial  drift  in  tlie 
towns  of  Sherman,  Eau  Galle  and  Lucas.  No  veins  of 
copper  or  iron,  or  other  metals,  are  found  in  the  county, 
and  prospecting  for  valuable  metals  or  for  coal  will  be 
a  hopeless  task ;  for  the  conditions  which  must  exist 
for  a  successful  deposition  of  metallic  treasure,  were 
wanting  here,  and  if  stray  fragments  of  copper,  or  gold, 
or  silver,  are  found,  they  come  from  a  distance,  the 
result  of  glacial  action,  and  no  time  or  money  should 
be  expended  in  a  local  searcii  for  the  mine.  The  most 
valuable  treasures  locked  up  in  the  soil  of  the  county 
will  be  discovered  by  t>he  agriculturist  in  the  vegetable, 
and  not  in  the  mineral  kingdom. 

In  the  Summer  of  1876,  Mr.  A.  MacKnight,  at  his 
jdace  near  Hay  River  bridge,  while  digging  a  well, 
found,  twenty  feet  below  the  surface,  a  white  oak  floor, 
five  inches  thick,  and  two  feet  lower  down  another  sim- 
ilar floor,  and  under  this  was  found,  quite  well  preserved, 
four  iiuman  skulls,  four  stone  axes,  a  like  number  of 
spear-heads,  stone  pipes  and  earthen  kettles.  No  solu- 
tion as  to  the  problem  of  how  these  relics  were  depos- 
ited has  been  found,  and  what  else  might  have  been 
unearthed  by  further  explorations,  is  unknown.  Some- 
time in  1877,  a  small  slab  of  sandstone  was  found  near 
the  village,  inscribed  as  follows:  "J.  S.  W.,  April  15, 


1771."  Of  course,  there  is  no  way  of  determining 
whether  this  was  a  Pickwickian  relic,  or  otherwise. 
Occasional  metallic  or  other  stray  fragments  of  natural 
or  artificial  construction,  are  found ;  but  as  a  rule, 
Dunn  County  is  not  a  fruitful  field  for  antiquarian 
search. 

SETTLEMENT  AND  GROWTH. 

There  will  ever  be  some  uncertainty  as  to  when  the 
magnificent  pineries  of  the  Red  Cedar  River  were  first 
visited  by  white  people.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
the  lumber  used  for  building  the  shanties  occupied  by 
the  old  French  settlers  at  Piairie  du  Chien,  called  Fort 
Crawford  afterwards,  was  obtained  here  a  century  or 
more  ago  ;  for  there  were  found  several  saw  pits  by  the 
early  settlers,  where  considerable  lumber  had  evidently 
been  sawed  by  hand. 

It  is  certain  that  the  American  Fur  Company,  in 
1820,  sent  sawyers  into  this  part  of  the  country  to  pro- 
cure lumber  for  the  use  of  their  trading  posts  down  the 
Mississippi.  In  1822,  Hardin  Perkins,  from  Kentucky, 
began  the  construction  of  a  mill  on  the  Red  Cedar,  and 
when  it  was  about  completed,  a  freshet  carried  it  down 
the  river.  The  Indians  made  demonstrative  threats 
concerning  a  renewal  of  the  attempt,  and  so  the  under- 
taking was  abandoned.  Some  time  in  1827,  James  H. 
Lockwood,  an  Indian  fur  trader,  visited  the  site  of  the 
mill  in  company  with  an  expedition  from  Fort  Crawford, 
and  seeing  the  value  of  the  timber  and  the  natural 
facilities  for  its  manufacture  and  conveyance  to  market 
he  returned  and  obtained  the  co-operation  of  Gen. 
Street,  of  the  United  States  Army.  They  obtained 
a  permit  from  the  great  Sioux  Chief,  Wabashaw,  and 
also  from  the  chiefs  of  the  Chippewas,  who  claimed 
the  lands  up  the  Red  Cedar,  to  build  a  saw-mill,  cut 
pine  timber  and  occupy  a  certain  amount  of  land,  in 
consideration  of  so  much  merchandise,  blankets,  beads, 
whiskey  and  other  specified  articles,  to  be  delivered — a 
part  at  what  is  now  Winona  for  Wabashaw,  and  the 
rest  at  the  mills  for  the  Chippewas. 

Government  sanction  to  this  arrangement  was  also 
obtained.  This  was  in  1828,  and  an  expedition  was 
soon  fitted  out  and  propelled  up  the  river  from  Prairie 
du  Chien.  A  mill  was  erected  on  Wilson's  Creek,  a 
short  distance  from  the  Red  Cedar  which  was  too  large 
a  stream,  and  required  too  much  capital  to  be  handled 
by  the  limited  means  of  that  firm.  This  was  the  first 
mill  put  in  operation  in  the  valley  of  the  Chippewa, 
and  it  has  practically  been  running  ever  since.  We 
can  only  realize  how  far  these  men  were  in  the  wilder- 
ness when  we  are  reminded  that  at  that  time  all  the 
territory  now  comprising  the  States  of  Iowa,  Minneso- 
ta, nearly  all  of  Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  the  northern 
half  of  Illinois  and  parts  of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  were 
claimed  and  held  by  various  Indian  tribes. 

At  that  time  there  were  military  posts  at  Green 
Bay,  Rock  Island,  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Chicago.  As 
to  the  men  who  were  employed  in  the  construction  of 
the  mills,  to  boat  the  supplies,  serve  as  operatives,  and 
raft  the  lumber,  they  were  composed  of  discharged 
soldiers  to  a  great  extent,  with  a  certain  number  of 
French  Canadians,  who  were  river  men,  and  were 
called  voyageurs.  They  were  a  hardy  race  and  mak- 
ing a  virtue  of  necessity,  in  the  absence  of  more  con- 
genial  companions  —  and    sometimes    following    the 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


example  of  their  employers  —  took  to  themselves  the 
unwashed  and  uncombed  daughters  of  the  forest,  not 
unfrequently,  however,  setting  them  adrift  when  their 
pale-faced  sisters  dawned  upon  the  scene.  As  these 
squaws  would,  of  necessity,  be  compelled  to  some 
habits  of  cleanliness,  and  to  learn  housekeeping  meth- 
ods unknown  in  the  miserable  wigwams  of  the  unkempt 
native,  they  became  in  instant  demand  by  the  chiefs 
and  braves,  and  the  schooling  thus  received  was  most 
valuable  to  them,  as  well  as  to  the  families  they  sub- 
sequently entered. 

The  superintendent  of  the  business  of  Street  & 
Lockwood  was  George  Wales,  an  ex-lieutenant  of  the 
regular  army.  As  the  business  prospered,  Mr.  Wales 
built  for  the  firm  another  mill  on  Gilbert's  Creek,  a 
mile  or  so  further  up  the  stream.  After  these  mills 
were  in  operation,  the  American  Government,  having 
resolved  to  rebuild  Fort  Crawford,  which  had  been  oc- 
cupied bj-  the  British  during  the  war  of  1812,  sent  a 
Lieut.  Davis,  with  others,  up  the  Red  Cedar  for  lum- 
ber. The  stor}',  as  told  by  the  old  settlers  is,  that  this  was 
the  redoubtable  Jeff.  Davis,  which  is  probably  true,  as 
Davis  was  located  at  the  fort. 

The  lumber  for  Fort  Crawford  was  cut  at  tlie  mill 
and  sent  down  to  the  Chippewa  in  cribs,  wliere  it  was 
united  into  a  raft,  with  an  experienced  voyageur  as  pi- 
lot, who  safely  guided  it  past  the  quicksands  and  bars 
of  the  upper  stream.  When  near  the  head  of  Beef 
Slough,  tlieold  Frenchman  gave  the  order,  "to  ze  right 
hard  I  "  "  Here,  you  scoundrel,"  said  the  dapper  little 
West  Pointer ;  "  you'll  run  this  raft  right  to  Hell.  I 
tell  you,  to  the  left,  where  the  main  channel  is  ! " 
The  men  obeyed  the  last  order,  and  the  channel  being 
completely  blocked  there,  the  whole  raft  was  lost  in 
Beef  Slough,  and  we  can  easily  imagine  that  Davis, 
when  he  got  back  to  the  fort,  wrote  a  book  to  attach 
the  blame  to  somebody  else. 

The  mills  kept  on  running  during  the  season,  and  a 
supply  of  logs  would  be  put  in  during  the  Winter. 
They  were,  iiowever,  so  convenient  that  logging  opera- 
tions did  not  require  the  expense  of  camping  equipage 
and  long  hauls,  that  eacii  succeeding  year  made  more 
imperative.  Tiie  operations  were  unmolested  by  the 
Indians,  who  could  dispose  of  their  furs  and  berries  for 
luxuries  to  them  previously  unknown.  There  were  oc- 
casional scares,  caused  by  some  savage  demonstrations 
or  personal  encounter ;  but  misunderstandings  were 
generally  amicably  arranged. 

In  the  year  1832,  Mr.  H.  S.  Allen,  who  had  come 
West  from  liis  native  State  of  Vermont,  to  Galena,  the 
largest  city  in  the  tlien  Northwest,  turned  his  attention 
to  the  Chippewa  lumber  region,  going  up  the  river  as 
far  as  tiie  Falls  of  the  Chippewa,  hut  located  finally  at 
Menomonie,  where  he  engaged  in  getting  out  square 
timber  and  logs,  soon,  however,  discovering  that 
without  booms  to  secure  the  logs,  they  must  be  sawed 
into  lumber  iiere.  In  18:55,  Mr.  Allen"  bought  an  inter- 
est in  the  Street  &  Lockwood  mills,  and  in  1837,  the 
company  built  another  mill.  Mr.  Allen  put  his  good 
business  qualities,  liis  energy  and  perseverance,  all  im- 
bued with  a  public  spirit,  into  the  business,  and  in 
1839,  he  bought  the  whole  interest  of  Street  &  Lock- 
wood,  and  associated   with   him  G.  S.    Branham.     In 


18-14,  Mr.  Green  purchased  the  upper  mill.  The  mid- 
dle mill  was  sold  to  Samuel  Gilbert  &  Son  in  1846. 

Meantime,  Capt.  George  Wales  built  a  mill  on  the 
Eau  Galle,  taking  Capt.  Dix,  a  millwright,  into  com- 
pany, with  Thomas  Savage-  This  was  in  1838-9.  As 
this  mill  went  into  operation,  two  enterprising  3'oung 
men,  one  from  Canada  and  the  other  from  New  En- 
gland, William  Carson  and  Henry  Eaton,  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance on  the  lower  Eau  Galle,  and  began,  in  a  small 
way,  to  shave  shingles  and  get  out  square  timber.  By 
hard  knocks  and  a  rigid  economy,  the  business  was  re- 
munerative. This  firm,  by  using  the  finest  timber  and 
somewhat  interfering  with  getting  down  lumber  from 
the  upper  mills,  seriously  annoyed  the  Eau  Galle  Lum- 
ber Company,  although  that  firm  liad  no  exclusive 
right  to  any  thing,  except  their  own  mill  property  and 
improvements,  and  notwithstanding  the  pressure  to  in- 
duce them  to  leave,  they  kept  on  for  several  years. 
The  company  finally  sold  an  interest  in  the  mill  to 
Carson  &  Eaton.  The  withdrawal  of  Savage  and  Dix 
soon  afterward,  left  a  strong  firm  in  the  name  of  Car- 
son, Eaton  &  Wales.  Capt.  Wales  had  his  wife  here, 
although  he  spent  most  of  his  time  below,  selling  lum- 
ber, and  is  said  to  have  involved  the  firm  in  financial 
embarrassment.  At  all  events,  there  was  considerable 
gossip  connected  with  the  affair,  and  he  retired  from 
the  concern,  while  diverse  opinions  prevailed  as  to  the 
merits  of  the  case.  About  1840,  a  Mr.  Lamb,  an  old 
soldier  who  freely  patronized  his  canteen,  came  to 
Dunnville,  which  was  considered  a  valuable  location, 
and  built  the  first  house  there.  It  soon  became  a  noted 
tavern.  He  married  Margaret  De  Mai-ie,  at  the  Falls. 
His  lack  of  business  habits  made  a  failure  of  his  at- 
tempt to  supply  the  wants  of  the  public,  and  he  sold 
his  place  to  Arthur  McCann,  who  had  just  married 
Rosalie  De  Marie.  The  three  McCanns,  Stephen,  Ar- 
thur and  Daniel,  came  upon  the  Chippewa  in  1840.  In 
1843,  Arthur,  in  company  witli  J.  C.  Thomas,  built 
the  Blue  Mill  below  the  "Falls.  He  was  killed  by  a 
man  named  Sawyer,  and  his  tavern  was  occupied  by 
Philo  Stone,  while  Rosalie  went  home  and  subse- 
([uently  married  George  P.  Wan-en,  the  first  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  at  tlie  Falls,  and  a  Chip- 
pewa interpreter. 

Pliilo  Stone  had  a  full-blooded  Chippewa  squaw  for 
a  wife,  wlio  got  along  quite  well  as  a  hotel  house- 
keeper. 

A  mill  was  built,  in  1839,  by  Mr.  Allen  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Red  Cedar,  some  two  miles  below  Gilbert's 
Creek,  making  three  mills  run  by  iiim  at  that  time. 
This  mill  was  rebuilt  in  1841,  and  about  that  time  tlie 
lower,  or  Spring  Creek  mill  was  sold  to  Stephen  Mc- 
Cann. Simon  and  George  Randall,  who  figure  largely 
in  the  early  settlement  of  Eau  Claire,  first  worked  in 
this  mill.  In  1843,  this  mill  was  burned,  and  the  loss 
fell  upon  Mr.  Allen. 

In  1841,  the  mill  on  Wilson's  Creek  was  sold  to  Mr. 
Green,  and  soon  turned  over  to  Mr.  Pearson,  who  be- 
gan the  erection  of  a  dam  across  the  Menomonie,  but 
his  means  were  inadequate,  and  he  finally  sold  out  to 
an  old  gentleman  named  David  Black. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Capt.  Wil- 
liam   Wilson,    of  Furt    Madison,    Iowa,    made  an   ex- 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN  COUNTY. 


=  75 


ploring  tour  through  the  county  to  find  a  location.  He 
came  up  tlie  Mississippi  in  a  steamboat  to  Nelson's 
Landing,  and  meeting  Mr.  Branham,  he  learned  that 
openings  were  plenty  on  the  Red  Cedar,  and  came  up 
with  him  on  foot.  Capt.  Wilson  was  rich  in  ambition, 
energ}-  and  hope,  supplemented  by  health  and  vigor, 
but  liad  little  money.  Learning  that  an  interest  in 
Black's  mill  was  for  sale,  he  made  an  exploration  up 
the  river  in  a  canoe,  with  a  single  Indian  as  a  guide, 
going  fifty  miles  to  learn  how  the  pine  would  hold  out, 
and  of  course  he  was  more  than  satisfied  on  the  supply 
question.  He  determined,  if  possible,  to  obtain  an  in- 
terest in  that  mill.  He  at  once  returned  to  Fort  Mad- 
ison, and  induced  John  H.  Knapp,  a  young  man  just 
from  an  eastern  college,  who  had  some  money,  to  look 
into  the  project,  which  was  so  enthusiastically  described 
by  the  Captain,  that  Mr.  Knapp  returned  with  him, 
and  finding  the  prospect  satisfactory,  they  returned 
down  the  river.  They  bought  a  half  interest  in  the 
property.  Mr.  Black  soon  after  died,  and  the  property 
was  in  the  possession  of  Knapp  &  Wilson. 

As  soon  as  arrangements  could  be  made,  Capt.  Wil- 
son, his  wife  and  four  children,  with  Jason  Ball  and 
wife,  made  the  trip  to  their  new  home,  going  .up  the 
Chippewa  and  Red  Cedar  in  a  keel-boat.  Three  weeks 
after  this,  Mr.  Knapp  came  up  in  like  manner,  working 
at  the  poles  or  tiller  the  whole  distance.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lorenzo  Bullard  also  came  up  on  this  boat  with  their 
son  Eugene.  They  had  been  employed  to  keep  the 
boarding-house.  Mrs.  Clair  and  son,  who  had  been  en- 
gaged as  help,  came  also  at  that  time. 

The  firm  name  was  at  first  Knapp  &  Black,  but  after 
a  settlement  with  the  administrator  of  Mr.  Black's  es- 
tate, Mr.  J.  S.  Lockwood,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  firm 
name  was  Knapp  &  Wilson.  In  September,  1850,  Capt. 
Andrew  Tainter  became  a  partner.  The  firm  was  then 
known  as  Knapp,  Tainter  &  Co.  Soon  after  the  ad- 
mission of  Capt.  Tainter,  a  new  mill  was  erected,  com- 
prising two  gang  saws  and  two  rotaries. 

In  1853,  H.  L.  Stout,  a  man  of  some  means,  bought 
an  interest  in  the  property,  and  the  firm  then  took  the 
name  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  Previous  to  this  time, 
however,  Capt.  Downs,  their  millwright,  held  an  inter- 
est in  the  mills  for  one  and  one  half  years,  but  it  was 
afterwards  sold  back.  J.  B.  Wilson,  of  Read's  Landing, 
also  had  an  interest  in  the  firm.  It  is  understood  tiiat 
the  whole  amount  paid   Mr.  Black  and  his  heirs  was 

,w,ooo. 

Such  was  the  success  of  this  firm  in  the  lumbering 
business,  that  ten  years  afterwards  the  property  was 
worth  $500,000,  and  in  March,  1878,  the  company  was 
incorporated  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $2,000,000. 

In  1850,  as  already  stated,  Capt.  Andrew  Tainter, 
who  had  been  witli  the  company  since  its  early  strug- 
gles, as  foreman,  in  charge  of  the  boating,  rafting  lum- 
ber in  the  Summer,  and  organizing  and  superintending 
logging  camps  in  the  Winter,  and  log-driving  in  the 
Spring ;  and  whose  energy,  decision,  industry  and 
fidelity  had  contributed  largely  to  tiie  success  of  the 
firm,  was  offered  a  one-fourth  interest  in  the  rapidly 
accumulating  property,  on  very  favorable  terms,  which 
were  of  course  accepted,  and  he  has  since  been  an 
honored  member  of  the  firm. 
. ,  The  present  condition  and  late   operations   of  the 


company  will  be  described  under  the  head  of  the  manu- 
facturing interests  of  the  county. 

To  return  to  the  earlier  period  in  the  history  of  the 
Red  Cedar  Settlement.  Soon  after  Wilson  and  Knapp 
came  uj),  Blois  Hurd,  a  millwright,  brought  his  wife  to 
reside  at  Gilbert's  Mill,  three  miles  below  ;  and  for 
some  time  she  was  the  only  white  woman  there.  The 
lady  is  described  as  being  refined,  beautiful  and  intelli- 
gent. 

Other  families  gradually  came  in,  and  social  affairs 
began  to  assume  form.  Mrs.  Clair,  the  charming 
widow,  who  came  up  as  housekeeper  with  Mr.  Knapp, 
was  married  by  Esquire  Bass,  who  came  down  from  the 
Falls  for  the  express  purpose,  to  William  Whitcomb. 

The  next  marriage  was  that  of  Thomas  Piercewell 
and  Margaret  Scott.  The  want  of  a  civil  magistrate 
to  sanction  the  union  was  pi-ovided  for  by  a  mutual 
conti'act  duly  signed  and  witnessed.  Even  as  late  as 
1855,  when  S.  B.  French  was  married  to  Virginia  Bul- 
lard, Capt.  Wilson,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  went 
to  Hudson  and  brought  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  to  per- 
form the  wedding  ceremony. 

Those  were  indeed  primitive  times ;  a  single  piece 
of  calico  would  make  the  best  dress  for  every  woman  in 
the  place  ;  the  mournful  tale  of  "  nothing  to  wear  "  was 
never  heard  by  the  husbands  and  fathers  of  that  period. 
The  dry  goods  side  of  the  store  could  be  carried  off  in 
a  wheelbarrow,  and  the  grocery  department  was  ex- 
ceedingly limited  in  variety.  The  staple  articles  were 
whiskey,  pork,  flour  and  beans.  If  with  a  dozen  bar- 
rels of  whiskey  there  came  two  or  three  barrels  of  flour, 
the  question  was,  "  what  in  the  dickens  is  to  be  done 
with  so  much  flour  ?  " 

For  some  time  the  nearest  post-office  was  Prairie  du 
Chien,  which  was  the  capital  of  Crawford  County, 
which  embraced  the  whole  northwestern  part  of  the 
State. 

Thei-e  was  at  this  time  usually  plenty  of  game  and 
fish,  and,  in  their  season,  wild  fruits ;  but  the  hardships 
of  pioneer  life,  while  not  perhaps  involving  actual  suf- 
fering for  food,  and  the  accustomed  comforts  of  life, 
were  nevertheless  serious,  and  the  monotony  of  exist- 
ence, sent  many  early  adventurers  back  to  the  purlieus 
of  civilization  under  more  favorable  surroundings.  It 
was  not  until  the  land  was  opened  up  for  homestead 
entry  or  purchase  that  immigration  became  active,  the 
country  began  to  fill  up,  and  the  necessity  of  a  village 
became  obvious. 

Every  thing  was  subordinate  to  the  company,  until, 
in  1859,  the  village  of  Menomonie  was  platted,  and  the 
actual  sale  of  lots  began  soon  after.  As  to  the  Indians, 
little  trouble  was  experienced  with  them.  There  were 
personal  troubles  which  sometimes  threatened  the 
peace  of  the  whole  settlement,  but  the  Indians  at  such 
times  were  placated  in  some  way  by  the  superior  tact 
and  talent  of  the  whites.  As  dams  were  thrown  across 
the  various  streams,  the  natives  were  sometimes  rest- 
less, and  complained  that  their  wild  rice  would  be  de- 
stroyed, but  no  demonstrations  beyond  words  were 
made. 

At  one  time  a  rather  good  looking  young  squaw, 
named  by  the  boys  "  Mary  Dirty  Face,"'  was  purchased 
by  a  mill  hand,  as  a  wife.  Mary  utterly  repudiated  the 
pale  face,  and  refused  to  share  his  bed  and  board,  so 


276 


HISTORY  OF  NOR  THERN  WISCONSIN. 


he  seized  the  goods  he  had  given  for  her  and  burned 
them,  and  to  have  ample  revenge  out  of  his  wife's  re- 
lations, lie  procured  a  gallon  of  wliiskey,  put  some  ipe- 
cac in  it,  and  invited  the  Indians  to  have  a  big  drunk 
with  him.  Every  available  red  sldn  put  in  an  appear- 
ance, the  whiskey  was  soon  disposed  of,  and  such  a  woe- 
begone lot  of  Chippewas  never  struggled  togetlier  to 
invert  their  stomachs.  As  soon  as  they  were  sufficiently 
recovered  for  concerted  action,  they  sounded  the  terri- 
ble war  cry,  and  started  to  hunt  him  down,  l)ut  Georue, 
realizing  wliat  he  might  expect,  and  not  being  willing 
to  become  their  victim,  escaped.  While  their  war  paint 
was  on,  vengeance  against  the  whole  white  race  was 
threatened,  but  tiie  affair  was  soon  quieted. 

There  were  several  noted  Indians  wlio  were  more 
or  less  troublesome  ;  among  them  Big  Rascal,  who  was 
one  day  prowlins:  around  the  mill-men's  sleeping  quar- 
ters. Mr.  Harris  ordered  liim  away,  and,  on  his  refusal, 
Harris  used  his  fists  and  boots  in  sucli  a  lively  way  that 
the  Indian  made  no  unnecessary  delay  in  placing  him- 
self beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  that  kind  of  law. 

Big  Rascal  induced  a  chief  by  the  name  of  Ma-sou- 
a-quet  to  take  up  his  cause,  and,  followed  hj'  a  war 
partj%  they  came  down  upon  the  settlement.  The 
sight  would  have  been  comical  to  a  disinterested  spec- 
tator. There  were  the  Indians  in  their  fantastic  paint 
and  feathers,  gesticulating  with  their  tomahawks  and 
scalping  knives,  and  their  squaws  trailing  along  be- 
hind, dismalh'  wailing,  and  begging  them  to  desist 
from  their  murderous  purpose. 

Mr.  Bullard  went  out  boldly  to  meet  the  advancing 
horde.  The  chief  halted  in  amazement  at  such  daring, 
giving  Bullard  time  to  explain.  The  chief  was  com- 
pelled to  acknowledge  that  Big  Rascal  was  served  just 
right. 

Really  the  greatest  trouble  with  the  Indians  was 
on  account  of  their  thieving  propensities.  After  one 
of  the  sugar  seasons  was  over,  the  Indians  came  down 
and  sold  their  camp-kettles.  The  next  season  they 
wanted  to  borrow  them,  on  the  promise  of  tlieir 
prompt  return,  with  a  certain  amount  of  sugar  for 
their  use.  This  was  agreed  to ;  but  when  the 
season  was  over  the  band  undertook  to  leave,  carrying 
off  the  kettles.  They  were  pursued  and  a  gun  seized 
from  a  straggler  as  a  reprisal.  The  kettles  promptly 
came  back,  with  a  denumd  for  the  gun. 

The  Sioux  and  Chippewas  had  an  occasional  skir- 
mish, but  the  old  settlers  here  never  suffered  as  did 
the  pioneers  in  other  parts  of  tiie  Union  from  the  In- 
dians. 

In  1856  the  Sioux  and  Chippewas  near  Gilbert's 
Creek  indulged  in  their  periodical  amusement  of  hold- 
ing a  treaty  of  peace.  The  usual  forms  and  feasting 
having  been  indulged  in,  they  agreed,  in  order  to 
decide  tiieir  prowess  and  show  wiiich  was  superior,  to 
select  a  brave  from  each  side  wiio  should  go  out  on  a 
hunt,  and  the  one  bringing  the  first  game,  his  tribe 
should  be  declared  the  victor,  and  it  should  settle  the 
question  of  superiority. 

The  Sioux  succeeded  in  shooting  an  elk,  and  his 
rival,  who  was  skulking  near,  then  shot  the  Sioux  and 
immediately  fled  northward.  The  Chippewas,  on 
learning  what  had  happened,  hastily  left.  A  single 
old  man  and  two  women  remained  behind,  who  were 


at  once  pounced  upon  and  murdered  by  the  Sioux, 
who  made  no  unnecessary  delay  in  getting  back  to 
their  own  hunting  grounds. 

In  making  improvements  at  the  point  where  these 
parties  were  buried,  a  few  years  ago,  their  bones  were 
disinterred. 

Some  time  in  1848,  Capt.  Wilson,  seeing  the  trouble 
caused  by  whiskey,  suggested  to  Mr.  Knapp  that  the 
next  time  he  brought  up  supplies  he  should  forget  the 
whiskey ;  which  he  did,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the 
crowd  who  were  waiting  to  see  the  stuff  unloaded. 
The}^  never  dealt  in  the  article  again. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  first  steamboat  up  the  Cb.ip- 
pewa  was  the  "  Dr.  Franklin,"  of  Galena.  This  was 
in  the  early  Spring  of  1848,  and  the  boat  was  bound 
for  the  upper  Mississippi,  which,  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Chippewa,  was  blocked  with  ice.  Mr.  Knapp  was 
on  board  with  a  crew  of  workmen,  and  considerable 
freight.  He  chartered  the  boat  to  take  him  up  the 
Chippewa,  acting  as  pilot  himself.  He  brought  the 
boat  safely  to  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Cedar.  This  set- 
tled the  question  of  navigating  the  river,  to  this  point, 
at  least.  H.  S.  Allen,  from  the  Falls,  soon  followed 
with  his  boat,  and  navigation  on  the  river,  as  far  as 
Eau  Claire,  has  been  continued  with  more  or  less  regu- 
larity ever  since. 

THE   OLD    SETTLERS. 

Only  brief  mention  can  here  be  made  of  those  who 
came  previous  to  1862.  Some  of  them  will  be  more 
fully  alktded  to  in  the  personal  sketches.  Joseph 
Benson  was  one  of  the  earliest  comers,  and  claimed  to 
have  been  with  Jeff.  Davis  in  his  ill-starred  expedition. 

Perry  Curtis  opened  the  first  farm  in  the  county  in 
1846.  It  was  near  Eau  Galle.  Frank  Ames  and  sons 
followed  in  1847.  In  1852,  B.  Fowler  settled  in  Mud 
Creek  Valley.  H.  M.  Stenes  began  the  Massey  Settle- 
ment in  1856.  Capt.  Moore  laid  out  a  farm  of  2,200 
acres  about  twelve  miles  up  the  Red  Cedar. 

John  Rogler  began  work  for  the  company  before  the 
war,  as  a  tinner;  enlisted,  served  his  time,  and  re- 
turned to  work. 

Simeon  Morugg,  the  general  outside  foreman  for 
Kna])p,  Stout  &  Co.,  came  in  1854.  He  was  the  first 
man  to  enlist  in  the  valley.  Was  wounded  at  Gettys- 
burg.    Was  elected  Sheriff  in  1864.     The  mill-wright, 

A.  J.  Depew,  arrived  in  1855. 

J.  B.  McCann's  store  was  the  first  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  and  the  second  one  in  town.  Dr.  W.  A. 
Burry  located  in  Cedar  Falls  in  1855-6. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1858,  was  Mr.  G.  M.  Fowler, 
a  mill-wright  and  surveyor.  Both  himself  and  his 
accomplished  wife  have  been  closely  identified  with 
the  prosperity  of  the  place. 

Jacob  Miller,  an  artist,  came  in  1856.  Dr.  E.  G. 
Benjamin  was  also  one  of  the  early  comers,  and  the 
first  resident  physician.  He  was  editor  of  the  Lum- 
berman, which  he  transformed  into  the  Neivs.  Was 
also  County  Judge.  S.  B.  French  located  here  in 
1853,  and  was  for  fourteen  years  book-keeper  for  the 
company.  Theodore  Nye,  mill-wright  and  machinist, 
came  about  1857. 

W.  M.  Dunn,  the  filer,  came  to  Menomonie  in  1854. 

B.  S.  Thorn  claims  1857  as  the  date  of  his  first  appear- 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN   COUNTY 


27? 


ance.     J.  B.  Sprague,  the  stage  man,  first  drove  up  in 

1856.  John  NouLan  was  here  in  1854.  William 
Schults  and  Albert  Quilling  were  among  the  1855  boys. 

James  Galloway  located  here  in  1854,  and  began 
farming  two  years  later. 

T.  S.  Heller  looked  in  on  the  place  in  18;j7  ;  per- 
manently located  here  in  1860.  A.  J.  Brunelle,  the 
millwright,  engaged  with  the  company  in  1865.  Car- 
roll Lucas  located  on  Mud  Creek  in  August,  1854. 
John  Kelly,  Jr.,  came  to  the  county  in  1850.  Mr.  Wil- 
liam McKahn,  with  his  family,  were  among  the  arrivals 
of  1857. 

To  secure  instruction  for  their  own  and  other  chil- 
dren in  the  settlement,  a  school  house  was  built  in 
1854,  and  Rev.  Joshua  Pitman  was  emplo3'ed  in  the 
double  capacity  of  teacher  and  preacher,  which  con- 
tinued several  years.  In  1856,  there  was  a  regularly 
organized  district  school. 

The  first  meeting  for  religious  services  was  in  the 
Summer  of  1855,  by  the  Rev.  Mi-.  Wayne. 

The  land  having  been  surveyed  by  the  Government, 
most  of  the  pine  lands  on  the  Red  Cedar  were  brought 
into  market,  and  large  lots  sold  to  non-residents. 
Among  others,  Hon.  C.  C.  Washburn  was  a  heavy 
buyer,  and  took  12,0, 0  acres  on  other  branches  of  the 
Chii>pewa.  The  next  year,  large  entries  were  sold  to 
Morrison  &  Woodman,  aud  transferred  to  Messrs.  D. 
Shaw  &  Clark. 

To  cut  up  his  lumber,  Mr.  Washburn  erected  a 
steam  mill  at  the  foot  of  Nine  Mile  Slough,  on  the 
Chippewa.  Mr.  Downs  about  the  same  time  placed  a 
dam  across  the  Red  Cedar,  at  Downsville,  and  built  a 
mill.     This  was  in  that  terrible  panic    stricken  j-ear, 

1857.  These  mills  never  recovered  for  their  owners 
tlie  i)roken  promises  of  their  creation,  and  in  a  few 
j-ears  they,  and  all  the  pine  lands  connected  therewith, 
were  swallowed  up  b}'  the  big  compan)'  at  Menomonie. 

From  1857  to  I86I,  there  is  little  to  be  recorded. 
The  country  was  quietly  being  filled  up,  the  mills  on 
the  Red  Cedar  were  rapidlj-  turning  out  lumber  to 
build  up  the  Western  cities  which  were  springing  up. 
Kiiapp,  Stout  &  Co.  were  every  year  getting  more  and 
more  solid,  increasing  their  possessions  and  manufac- 
turing capacit)'.  And  when  the  clarion  notes  of  war 
rang  out  in  a  call  for  troops,  patriotic  hearts  were  not 
wanting  to  respond  to  the  summons,  and  the  usual 
scenes,  so  well  remembered  by  those  who  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  armj',  or  those  whose  hearts  only  were 
enlisted  in  the  cause,  were  enacted  here  on  the  fron- 
tier, awa}'  from  the  sound  of  the  locomotive  or  steam- 
boat whistle,  or  even  stage  coach  rattle.  It  would  be 
a  pleasure  to  record  the  name  of  every  man  who  went 
from  Dunn  County,  when  the  country  was  in  danger; 
but  the  list  is  too  long,  and  a  less  extended  account 
must  be  given.  The  county  more  than  filled  its  quota. 
Many  who  survive  will  be  mentioned  in  tlie  account  of 
the  several  re-unions  which  are  presented. 

The  first  election  for  county  officers,  in  November, 
1854,  resulted  as  follows:  Supervisors,  William  Wil- 
son, J.  McCain,  William  Carson  ;  County  Judge,  Wil- 
liam Cadv  ;  Treasurer,  Henry  Eaton ;  Register  of 
Deeds,  J."  M.  Green ;  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  J.  R. 
Green  ;  Sheriff,  Amos  Colburn  ;  Surveyor,  D.  Beeman. 

The  county  has  no  debt,  which  is  a  valuable  con- 


sideration for  new  settlers.  The  valuation,  as  fixed  by 
the  State  authorities  in  1880,  was  $3,870,756,  and  the 
State  tax  was  19,085.21.  The  valuation  of  the  county 
in  1877  was  $2,927,448,  which  shows  the  extent  of 
improvements  within  the  past  few  years. 

Tlie  present  county  officers  are :  Sever  Severson, 
Sheriff;  Ch.  Swan,  Deputy  Sheriff;  W.  H.  Lan- 
don.  Clerk  ;  Carroll  Lucas,  Treasurer;  Clerk  Circuit 
Court,  W.  J.  Cowan. 

[Milton  Coleman,  the  Under  Sheriff,  was  killed  by 
the  Williams  brothers.] 

The  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  is  E.  B.  Bundy ; 
W.  J.  Cowan,  Clerk  ;  County  Judge,  Robert  McCau- 
ley.     John  Kelly,  Jr.,  is  County  Judge  elect. 

The  present  Senatorial  District  is  composed  of 
Dunn  and  Eau  Claire  counties,  M.  Griffin,  of  Eau 
Claire,  being  the  present  Senator. 

The  court-house  is  a  building  of  brick  and  stone,  in 
the  center  of  a  park  embracing  a  whole  square,  in  the 
village  of  Menomonie;  was  built  in  1871  and  1872. 
It  cost  about  •|!36,000,  although  the  contract  price  was 
$32,359.  When  the  court-house  was  built,  the  Super- 
visors were  T.  W.  Macauley,  J.  W.  Granger  and  A. 
Sherburn.  A.  J.  Kenney  was  the  architect ;  C.  Thomp- 
son, builder  ;  J.  Cavanaugh,  stone  cutter. 

Tlie  jail,  which  embraces  a  residence  and  jail,  was 
constructed  in  1875,  at  a  cost  of  $7,500,  and  additions 
and  improvements  since  that  time  have  cost  about 
$1,000  more.  Besides  the  six  iron  cells,  it  has  rooms 
for  female  prisoners,  and  a  dwelling  suite. 

The  correction  line  of  the  Government  survey  is  on 
the  lower  line  of  the  upper  tier  of  towns,  making  an 
offset  of  nearly  one  mile  to  the  west. 

There  are  few  lakes  in  the  county.  Elk  Lake,  in 
Spring  Brook,  and  another  in  Red  Cedar,  are  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  long.  The  pond  of  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.,  at  Menomonie,  for  storing  logs,  is  the 
largest  in  the  county. 

The  county  was  at  first  associated  with  several 
others,  to  form  an  Assembly  District.  As  the  popula- 
tion increased,  these  have,  from  time  to  time,  been 
dropped,  until  it  is  now  an  Assembly  District  of  itself. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  represented  the  county 
in  the  legislature  :  Wm.  Wilson  was  State  Senator  in 
1857  and  1858.  In  the  Assembly,  1863,  William  H. 
Smith,  Eau  Galle ;  1865,  Francis  R.  Church,  Menomo- 
nie; 1868,  John  W.  Hunt,  Menomonie;  1870,  Jed. 
W.  Grander,  Menomonie;  1872,  Rockwell  J.  Flint,  he 
was  also  m  the  Senate  in  1870  and  1871 ;  1876,  M.  R. 
Bump,  Rock  Falls;  1877,  Samuel  Black,  Menomonie  ; 
1878,  Fred.  C.  Barlow,  Rock  Falls;  1879,  Henry  Aus- 
mau,  Elk  Mound  ;  1880,  John  McGilton,  Cedar  Falls; 
1881,  G.  H.  Chamberlain,  Rock  Falls. 

Politically,  the  county  is  divided  into  twenty-one 
towns ;  of  these,  fourteen  are  equal  to  a  township  of 
Government  survey  in  form  and  size.  Peru  and  Rock 
Creek  are  smaller,  while  the  remainder  are  larger. 

The  names  of  the  towns  are  as  follows.:  Colfax, 
Dunn,  Eau  Galle,  Elk  Mound,  Grant,  Hay  River,  Lu- 
cas, Menomonie,  New  Haven,  Otter  Creek,  Peru,  Red 
Cedar,  Rock  Creek,  Sand  Creek,  Sheridan,  Sherman, 
Spring  Brook,  Stanton,  Tainter,  Tiffany,  and  Weston. 

There  are  several  county  societies,  among  them  the 
Bible  Society.      The  present  officers  are  R.  C.  Bierce, 


278 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


president ;  Dr.  J.R.  Branch,  secretary  ;  Mrs.  S.  M.  Mott, 
treasurer  ;  J.  Gates,  Robert  Macauley  and  A.  Quilling, 
executive  committee. 

A  most  important  and  highly  prosperous  association 
is  the  Farmers"  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  which  has 
been  in  operation  five  years,  and  now  has  insured  prop- 
erty to  the  amount  of  #828,485.  It  has  paid  for  losses 
$1,176,  being  at  the  rate  of  #8.50  on  the  cost  of  f  1,000 
insurance  for  five  years.  Tlie  officers  of  the  company 
are:  Thomas  Dixon,  president ;  Theodore  Lewis,  Ole 
Larson,  J.  J.  Merrick,  W.  H.  Landon ;  Wm.  Witcher, 
treasurer. 

The  County  Agricultural  Society  was  started  in 
1872,  and  a  single  fair  held,  but  on  account  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  transportation  only  a  single  fair  was  held. 

The  only  railroad  line  is  under  the  control  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Company, 
and  was  formerly  the  West  Wisconsin  ;  the  main  line 
passes  a  few  miles  north  of  Menomonie  and  has  a 
branch  to  the  town.  Two  passenger  trains  daily  each 
way  accommodate  the  people. 

There  are  several  mail  routes  carried  by  stage. 

The  Durant  daily  stage  runs  in  connection  with  a 
line  to  Prairie  Farm,  via  Lochard,  Tiffany  Creek  and 
Granger,  alternating  through  these  places.  Louis  Bere- 
senn,  manager. 

Fall  City  and  Menomonie,  twice  a  week ;  contractor, 
E.  W.  Parker ;  driver,  Mr.  Bradford. 

Menomonie  to  Dunnville,  twice  a  week ;  E.  W. 
Parker,  contractor;  P.  F.  Orr,  carrier. 

Menomonie  and  Lucas,  once  a  week  ;  Z.  Bliss,  pro- 
prietor. 

Menomonie,  Sand  Creek  and  Rice  Lake,  three  times 
a  week ;  F.  E.  Smith,  contractor ;  E.  L.  Doolittle, 
carrier. 

The  total  county  treasury  disbursements  for  1880 
was  about  130,000. 

One  of  the  oldest  men  who  ever  lived  in  the  county 
was  Ambrose  Edwards,  who  claims  to  have  voted  in 
1779.     He  lived  in  the  town  of  Weston. 

On  July  1,  1860,  a  new  stage  line  was  put  on  be- 
tween Eau  Claire  and  Hudson.  It  was  run  by  Bur- 
bank  &  Company.  A  previous  service  over  this  route 
had  been  run  by  Woodbridge  &  Price. 

As  late  as  July  1860,  a  large  delegation  of  Chippe- 
was,  about  fifty  in  number,  made  a  formal  call  upon 
Captain  Wilson  and  engaged  in  a  vigorous  dance  for 
bread  and  meat.  The  captain's  larder  was  equal  to  the 
occasion,  and  every  girdle  was  let  out  several  notches, 
when  they  retired. 

The  last  Sunday  in  August,  1862,  was  a  memorable 
one  in  the  history  of  tlie  whole  Chippewa  Valley. 
The  massacre  of  New  Ulm,  in  Minnesota,  had  occurred 
a  few  weeks  before,  and  the  rumor  started  that  the 
whole  Indian  population,  incited  and  supplied  bv  the 
rebel  autiiorities,  was  on  the  war-path  to  obliterate 
every  vestige  of  civilization.  As  the  rumor  flew,  con- 
gregations were  dismissed  :  men  flew  to  arms;  country 
people,  where  possible,  packed  their  valuables  and  hur- 
ried with  tiiem  to  town.  Reason  seemed  dethroned ; 
the  wildest  confusion  prevailed.  But  the  scare  was 
soon  over,  and  the  people  returned  to  their  usual  voca- 
tions. 


In  the  Summer  of  1864,  there  was  a  severe  drought 
through  all  this  region. 

There  was  a  great  freshet  on  the  Chippewa,  on  the 
27th  of  August,  1870.  The  water  rose  from  eighteen 
to  twenty  feet  above  low  water  mark.  Little  damage 
was  done  in  Dunn  County. 

In  July,  1873,  a  new  mail  route  was  put  on  be- 
tween Menomonie  and  Vanceburg,  via  Tiffany. 

The  valuation  of  Dunn  County  in  1873  was,  per- 
sonal, $528,731 ;  Real  estate,  $552",777. 

May  4,  1875,  the  school  house  at  Rock  Falls  was 
burned,  a  total  loss. 

On  the  night  of  Aug.  21,  1875,  there  was  a  most 
destructive  frost  in  the  whole  region.  The  newspapers 
of  the  time  stated  that  "  everything  freezable   froze." 

During  the  late  Fall  of  1875,  bears  were  reported 
as  being  quite  numerous. 

In  1879,  May  12th,  there  was  a  frightful  hail  storm 
across  the  county,  five  miles  wide.  It  was  estimated 
that  2,000  panes  of  glass  were  broken  in  Menomonie. 
An  immense  amount  of  damage  was  done. 

June  12,  1880,  was  the  time  of  the  great  flood  on 
the  Chippewa.  Meride^n  and  Spring  Brook  were  un- 
der water. 

A  new  bridge  at  Cedar  Falls  was  blown  down  on 
the  evening  of  Aug.  5,  1881. 

The  most  profound  excitement  was  caused  in  Me- 
nomonie, Durand  and  the  whole  vicinity  by  the  mur- 
der of  Milton  Coleman,  Under  Sheriff  of  Dunn  County, 
and  his  brother  Charles  Coleman,  Deputy  Sheriff  of 
Pepin  County,  by  Alonzo  and  Edward  Williams,  in 
the  village  of  Durand,  on  Sunda}^  the  10th  of  July, 
1881.  The  Williams  brothers  were  desperadoes,  and 
it  is  supposed  had  committed  a  burglary  in  Menomonie, 
and  the  Colemans  were  on  their  trail,  and  having  over- 
taken them,  and  being  on  the  point  of  making  the  ar- 
rest, the  men  turned  and  fired  with  fatal  effect.  The 
officers  succeeded  in  firing  one  or  two  shots  and  it  is 
thought  wounded  one  of  the  men.  They,  however, 
escaped  into  the  Eau  Galle  woods,  and  a  large  force 
was  at  once  organized  and  a  pursuit  instituted,  which 
received  recruits  from  time  to  time,  being  joined  by 
some  of  the  militia  of  the  State,  and  was  kept  up  for 
a  month  without  success.  The  rewards  offered  by  the 
several  localities,  desiring  their  apprehension,  aggre- 
gated, fl,700. 

The  population  of  the  county  as  determined  by 
State  and  United  States  census,  makes  the  following 
exhibit :  1855,  1,796  ;  1860.  2,704  ;  1865,  5,170  ;  1870, 
9,488;  1875,13,427;  1880,  16,859. 

MENOMONIE. 

This  village  of  Si^joo  people  is  in  the  town  of  the  same 
name,  and  has  no  separate  village  or  city  organization.  It 
is  on  the  Red  Cedar  River,  and  not  far  from  the  center  of 
the  county.  The  village  proper  is  laid  out  in  squares,  and 
is  on  the  bluff  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  The  squares 
arc  rather  small  and  without  alleys.  The  ground  is  mostly 
level,  and  the  soil  sandy.  A  single  square,  in  addition  to 
the  Court-house  square,  is  set  apart  as  a  park.  The  resi- 
dences of  the  proprietors  of  the  mill  are  magnificent  in  their 
construction,  appointments  and  surroimdings.  'I"he  btisi- 
ness  houses  are  rapidly  inqiroving  in   their  buildings  and 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN  COUNTY. 


279 


stocks.  The  dwellings  forming  the  greater  part  of  the  town, 
are  of  good  size  and  tastefully  built  and  surrounded.  The 
account  which  follows  of  the  schools,  churches,  and  other 
institutions,  will  furnish  a  good  idea  of  the  place,  which  is 
so  closely  identified  with  the  great  lumbering  firm  of  the  Red 
Cedar. 

The  name  of  the  town  is  spelled  with  "  ie  "  instead  of  "ee" 
for  the  terminal  letters,  as  with  the  other  places  of  like  name 
in  this  State  and  Michigan. 

Schools. — The  schools  are  in  a  highly  prosperous  condi- 
tion, having  a  regular  graded  system  and  ample  school 
room,  in  four  school  houses,  as  follows  :  The  Central,  erect- 
ed at  a  cost  of  $12,000  ;  East  School,  $4,500  ;  Coddington 
School,  S5,ooo  ;  West  Side,  $1,000.  The  High  School  has 
a  four  years' course,  including  mathematics,  through  Geom- 
etry ;   Latin,  through  Virgil,  and  German. 

There  are  100  in  tlie  High  School,  and  what  is  remark- 


informed  that  he  would  be  expected  to  preach  regularly  on 
Sunday,  teach  school  six  hours  a  day  for  five  days  in  the 
week,  and  put  in  the  rest  of  his  time,  morning,  evening  and 
Saturdays,  in  packing  shingles.  Notwithstanding  tlie  ab- 
sence of  any  day  of  rest  for  him,  and  the  sjight  drawback 
upon  his  opportunity  for  preparation  for  his  ministerial  du- 
ties or  for  intellectual  improvement,  he  engaged,  and  con- 
tinued his  labors  for  several  years.  His  affiiliations  were 
with  the  Baptists,  although  the  preaching  was  supposed  to 
be  non-sectarian. 

Methodist. — The  Methodist  Episcopalian  Church  Society 
was  organized  by  Rev.  S.  Boles,  in  the  Fall  of  1857.  The 
pastors  of  the  society  have  been  Revs.  W.  N.  Darn  well,  J. 
Gurley,  J-  Dyer  and  E.  S.  Hanens,  which  brings  the  time 
up  to  i860.  In  1861,  J.  B.  Raynolds  was  appointed,  and  he 
was  followed  by  D.  P.  Knapp,  W.  Woodley  and  W.  Haw, 
under  whose  direction,  in  connection  with  W.  Wilson  and 


able,  there  has  been  no  instance  of  tardiness  for  two  years. 
The  other  schools  are  graded  from  the  primary,  through  the 
intermediate,  to  the  Grammar,  and  embrace  seven  years  of 
study.  J.  G.  Ingalls  has  been  the  principal  and  superin- 
tendent for  six  years.  The  very  best  teachers  are  employed 
from  the  several  State  Normal  Schools.  About  600  pupils 
are  in  the  several  departments. 

Public  Library. — In  1874,  some  of  the  women  of  Menom- 
onie  became  exercised  on  the  liquor  business,  and  the  ques- 
tion of  license,  or  no  license,  was  decided  at  the  Sjiring  elec- 
tion of  that  yearin  the  negative.  So  tlie  prosecutions  began, 
and  to  provide  a  place  where  young  men  could  spend  their 
leisure  time,  a  library  and  reading  room  was  established.  It 
was  afterwards  adopted  by  the  town,  and  is  thus  supported. 
It  is  well  supplied  with  books  and  periodicals.  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Mott  has  been  tlie  librarian  from  the  first. 

Churches. — .\  school  house  was  built  in  1854,  and  the 
ever  enterprising  and  enthusiastic  Capt.  Wilson  advertised 
for  a  man  to  teach  school  and  conduct  religious  services  on 
Sunday.  In  response  to  this  call,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Pittman 
rei)orted.  His  fervor  in  the  evangelical  pioneer  work  before 
him  must  have   been  considerably  dampened  when  he  was 


A.  J.  Messenger,  as  committee,  in  1866,  the  building  of  the 
Centenary  M.  E.  Church  was  commenced.  It  was  finished 
the  following  year.  Rev.  T.  C.  Golden,  W.  W.  Bushell,  S. 
O.  Brown,  G.  D.  Brown,  John  W.  Bell  and  E.  S.  Hanens, 
again  were  pastors,  in  the  order  named.  Mr.  Hanens  re- 
mained four  months,  and  was  transferred  to  a  Texas  con- 
ference, Rev.  J.  McClane  taking  his  place.  This  was  in  the 
Fail  of  1873.  In  1875,  G.  T.  Newcombe  was  pastor,  fol- 
lowed by  S.  S.  Benedict,  in  1876.  John  Steele,  the  present 
pastor,  is  in  his  third  year.  The  membership  in  1864  was 
50;  in  1865,  67;  in  1866,  90;  in  1867,  103.  The  member- 
ship now  is  30.  The  Sunday  school  is  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  James  R.  Branch,  with  72  scholars,  and  9  offi- 
cers and  teachers.  There  are  other  Methodist  stations  in 
the  county.  One  at  Knapp,  Rev.  William  Massee  officiat- 
ing; Louisville,  Rev.  J.  T.  Ziegler;  Arkansaw,  Rev.  N.  C. 
Bradley  ;  Xanceburg  and  Connersville,  Rev.  J.  Q.  Helm, 
besides  at  other  places,  supplied  by  ministers  living  outside 
of  the  county. 

Church  0/  the  Immcuulate  Conception.— i:he^  Catholic  ser- 
vice was  held  rather  early  in  the  history  of  the  town,  but 
it  was  not  until  April,  i86i,  that  the  church  building  was 


28o 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


actually  begun.  The  funds  were  raised  by  the  young  men 
of  the  parish.  The  Rev.  Father  Smedding  was  the  pastor. 
In  1874  the  parsonage  was  erected.  Since  Father  Smed- 
ding's  time,  Father  McNault,  Arthur  Fagan,  Peter  Flor- 
ence, John  Meuss,  Peter  Nicholas,  Father  Wirtz  and  Father 
Keller  have  officiated  here.  Rev.  Anthony  Michels  is  the 
present  pastor.  Before  the  completion  of  the  parsonage 
the  priests  always  stopped  with  John  Noulan,  an  ardent 
churchman. 

Congregational. — An  agent  of  the  American  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society,  Rev.  John  C.  Sherwin,  visited  Menomonie 
in  October,  1859,  in  the  interest  of  the  establishment  of  a 
society;  but  it  was  not  until  December,  1861,  that  Rev. 
Philo  Canfield  succeeded  in  organizing  a  scciety  of  seven 
members.  In  April,  1863,  five  more  members  were  added. 
A  month  later,  Mr.  Canfield  resigned,  and  there  was  no 
shepherd  for  this  little  flock  until  the  Fall  of  1864,  when 
the  missionary  society  sent  Rev.  F.  M.  lams  to  look  after 
it.  In  November,  1865,  Mr.  lams  having  embraced  the 
Baptist  creed,  resigned.  Rev.  John  C.  Sherwin  took  charge, 
June,  1868.  The  membership  was  then  fifteen.  Service 
was  held  in  a  small  unfinished  residence.  During  the  Win- 
ter, Menomonie  Hall  was  secured  and  was  used  until  1870, 
when  the  present  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $9,000. 
Mr.  J.  H.  Knapp  was  a  prime  mover  in  the  work.  In  1874, 
Rev.  A.  McMaster  succeeded  to  the  pastorate,  and  in  Au- 
gust, 1878,  gave  place  to  Rev.  Henry  Ketcham,  the  present 
pastor.     The  membership  is  63. 

Grace  Episcopal  Mission. — Was  first  organized  by  Bisiiop 
Armitage  in  1872,  although  there  had  been  service  in  the 
place  two  years  before.  Rev.  R.  F.  G.  Page  brought  the 
society  to  a  high  degree  of  activity.  The  ladies,  that  same 
year,  organized  a  society,  Mrs.  G.  H.  Barwise,  president; 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Bundy,  vice-president;  Mrs.  F.  H.  Webber,  sec- 
retary, and  Mrs.  R.  Macauley,  treasurer.  A  lot  was  pur- 
chased by  them  in  March,  1873,  and  the  last  payment  made 
in  May,  1874.  The  corner  stone  of  the  church  was  laid 
June  9,  1875.  The  edifice  is  of  brick,  a  plain  gothic,  and 
cost  upwards  of  $3,000.  It  was  opened  for  service  Oct. 
10,  1875,  by  Bishop  Wells.  Rev.  M.  L.  Kern  took  charge 
in  August,  1876,  remaining  until  October,  1877.  Rev.  Mr. 
Mack  remained  but  a  few  months.  Rev.  Mr.  Ostensen  was 
the  next  pastor,  but  his  health  failed.  Then  came  Rev.  A. 
M.  Lewis  who,  after  a  few  months,  was  taken  sick  and  died. 
The  society  was  burdened  with  a  series  of  calamities.  In 
1879,  Rev.  Mr.  SweetJand  was  stationed  here  and  remained 
until  June  i,  1881,  when  Rev.  M.  L.  Kern  became  pastor. 
There  are  about  thirty-five  families  attendant  upon  this 
service.     The  Sunday-school  has  about  fifty  scholars. 

First  Baptist  Church.— \n  the  Winter  of  1861,  Rev. 
Amasa  Gale  held  a  protracted  meeting  here,  creating  con- 
siderable interest.  The  next  year  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards 
held  a  series  of  meetings  and  baptised  quite  a  number. 
The  church  was  organized  Dec.  18,  1864;  only  intermittent 
services  were  held  until  October.  1866,  wlren  Rev.  W.  W. 
Ames  began  his  pastorate.  This  church  had  incorporated 
in  its  covenant  an  article  disfellowshipping  secret  societies, 
and  anotlier  was  added  against  the  use  of  intoxicating 
drinks,  and  providing  for  the  use  only  of  unfermented  wine 
at  communion.  A  mission  Sunday-school  was  organized  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Vmes,  at  Sherburne  Prairie,  which  resulted  in 
a  chapel,  which  was  built  in  1870.  A  Sunday-school  was 
established  in  1869,  in  the  company's  hall,  with  Captain 
William  Wilson  as  superintendent,  which  place  he  occupied 
for  a  number  of  years.  Captain  Wilson  early  identified 
himself  witli  the  church  and  built  and  furnished  at  his  own 
expense,  a  beautiful  church  costing  $S,ooo,  which  was  dedi- 
cated March  12,  187 1,  by  Rev.  j.  W.  Fisli.  Rev.  C.  K. 
Colver  served  as  pastor  one  year  ending  in  March,  1874, 


when  Rev.  Mr.  Ames  returned,  and  remained  until  1879, 
when,  becoming  involved  in  a  very  serious  trouble,  the 
church  was  left  for  a  time  without  a  pastor.  Rev.  J.  L. 
Barlow  next  received  a  call  and  remained  until  March,  1881. 
Since  which  time  the  church  has  been  closed. 

Olivet  Baptist  Church. — A  division  took  place  in  the 
First  Baptist  Church  and  a  new  society  was  organized,  May 
12,  1874,  composed  of  persons  who  had  seceded  from 
the  old  church.  On  the  27th  of  May  it  was  recognized 
as  a  regular  Baptist  Church.  For  a  time  it  maintained 
public  worship  and  a  Bible  school  in  Olivet  Hall;  was 
opened  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  C.  K.  Colver. 
Tlie  Sunday-school  superintendent  was  S.  G.  Dean.  The 
trustees  were:  N.  Burnham,  J.  T.  Long,  and  L.  L.  Lark- 
ham.  On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Colver  the  church  sub- 
sided. 

German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — Organized  186S. 
The  following  ministers  have  been  pastors  :  Rev.  Adam 
Mueller,  H.  Singenstrue,  Daniel  Pfaff.  During  Mr.  PfafTs 
pastorate  the  church  edifice  was  built,  in  1878.  The  pres- 
ent pastor  is  Daniel  Pommerenke.  There  are  eighty-five 
members. 

German  Evangelical  Lutheran,  St.  Paul. — Incorporated 
14th  July,i87S,  after  having  had  service  for  twenty-five  years. 
The  church  was  built  in  1869.  The  trustees  were:  Fred. 
Brunn,  Wm.  Schutter,  and  August  Rowe.  The  pastors 
have  been  :  Rev.  C.  Althoff,  Eugene  Notz,  Wm.  Jager,  F. 
Friechtenicht,  and  P.  Kleinlein  the  ])resent  incumbent. 
The  menibership  is  about  sixty.  There  is  a  school  taught 
by  Miss  Anna  Kleinlein,  connected  with  the  church.  Two 
stations  are  supplied  from  here,  Cedar  Township  and  Spring 
Brook. 

Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church. — Organized  1870,  by  Rev. 
C.  J.  Helsen,  who  remained  three  years,  so  far  completing 
the  present  church  as  to  occupy  it  for  regular  service.  Rev. 
C.  Hoyne  was  pastor  two  years.  The  present  pastor,  Rev. 
L.  Lund,  took  charge  in  1876.  The  membership  is  195. 
The  Sunday-school  has  forty  scholars  and  six  teachers. 
The  church  was  completed  in  1S73. 

First  A^orwegian  Lutheran  Church. — This  society  has  a 
fine  brick  church,  built  in  1S77,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  The 
society  assisted  the  German  Lutheran  in  the  construction 
of  its  church  in  1869,  and  it  was  used  conjointly.  The  pas- 
tors have  been.  Rev.  K.  Thorstenson,  I.  L.  A.  Dietrick- 
son,  and  the  present  pastor,  Adolph  Dietrickson.  Twenty 
families  worship  there.  It  was  duly  organized  on  the  3d 
of  January,  1868.  The  Sunday-school  has  thirty-five  schol- 
ars and  six  teachers.     The  superintendent  is  N.  Michlet. 

The  Press. —  The  Dunn  County  Lumberman  was  started 
by  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  in  April,  i860,  with  C.  S.  Bundy, 
a  young  lawyer,  as  editor,  who  managed  it  with  ability  until 
the  war,  when  he  laid  down  the  pen  and  grasped  a 
sword;  his  brother,  another  able  lawyer,  taking  his  place. 
Thomas  Phillips  was  afterwards  editor  until  1S65,  when 
Dr.  Benjamin  bought  the  paper,  and  in  April,  1866,  Charles 
Mears  secured  a  half  interest  in  the  pa[)er,  when  its  name 
was  changed  to  Dunn  County  News.  In  September  of  the 
same  year  Mears  witlidrew.  In  1867,  Wilson  &  Messenger 
bought  out  the  concern  and  W.  Hunt  became  editor.  In 
187 1,  it  was  purchased  by  Flint  &  Weber,  who  are  still 
the  proprietors,  and  who  have  manifested  an  enterprise 
shown  by  comparatively  few  proprietors  of  county  news- 
papers.    It  has  always  been  Republican. 

The  Menomonie  Times. — This  paper  first  saw  the  light 
in  July,  1875.  It  was  started  by  Gardiner  &  Relph,  and  it 
was  printed,  until  the  next  year  in  October,  under  this  firm, 
when  Relph  managed  it  alone  until  July,  1879,  when  Mr. 
Gardiner,  who  held  a  mortgage  on  it,  sold  to  a  Chicago 
firm  who  foreclosed,  and  the  office  was  purchased  by  the 


HISTORY    OF    DUNN   COUNTY. 


281 


present  pi-:)prietor3,  who  now  publish  it  under  the  imper- 
sonal ni'iie  of  The  Menomonie  Times  Printing  Co.  It  is 
Democratic.  Dr.  D.  H.  Dicker  is  editor  and  part  owner, 
in  connection  with  F.  J.  McLean. 

In  1871,  an  anti-monopoly  paper  was  started  by  Rev. 
E.  Thompson,  called  the  People  s  Press.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  brilliant  and  its  existence  was  certainly  brief.  Then 
Mr.  Van  Waters  started  the  Lean  Wolf  which  continued 
lean  and  soon  expired. 

INDUSTRIAL    ENTERPRISES. 

The  Kiiapp,  Stout  &'  Co.  Company.  —  The  origin  and 
growth  of  this  firm  has  already  been  described.  It  was  in- 
corporated under  the  laws  of  the  State,  March  18,  1878, 
with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $2,000,000  The  officers  of  the 
company  are  John  H.  Knapp,  president  ;  Andrew  Tainter, 
vice-president;  Th.  B.  Wilson,  secretary ;  John  H.  Doug- 
lass, treasurer.  These  gentlemen,  with  William  Wilson  and 
Henry  L.  Stout,  constitute  the  board  of  directors  and  the 
personnel  of  the  company,  k  great  many  thousand  acres  of 
pine  and  other  lands  are  owned  by  this  corporation,  in 
Dunn  and  the  adjoining  counties.  The  company  has  quite  a 
number  of  saw  and  other  mills,  some  of  which  will  be  de- 
scribed. At  Menomonie  the  water  power  mill  cuts  on  an 
average,  of  eleven  and  one-half  hours  a  day,  300,000  feet, 
the  steam  mill  100,000,  shingle  mill  225,000.  The  Downs- 
ville  mill  cuts  in  the  season  of  eight  months,  15,000,000 
feet. 

At  St.  Louis  there  is  a  steam  mill.  At  Dubuque  a  water 
power  mill.  .\  mill  at  Rice  Lake  cuts  1,500,000  a  season. 
At  Prairie  Farm  there  is  another  mill  turning  out  500,000  a 
year.  There  is  a  steam  mill  at  Chetek,  cutting  500,000  a 
year,  to  supply  local  demand.  The  company  employs 
nearly  2,500  men  in  its  various  mills  and  departments.  It 
owns  stores  at  several  points  and  foundries,  machine  shops, 
and  flouring  mills,  and  is  an  extensive  buyer  of  wheat  and 
other  products  of  the  farm.  It  has  quite  a  number  of  very 
extensive  farms.  The  company  owns  six  steamers,  one  of 
which  plies  between  Dunnville  and  Reed's  Landing;  the 
others  between  Reed's  Landing  and  St.  Louis.  Some  idea 
of  the  present  amount  of  business,  which  has  been  con- 
stantly enlarging,  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the 
income,  as  returned  by  the  several  members  of  the  firm  in 
1877,  was  as  follows:  A.  Tainter,  $23,543;  W.  Wilson, 
$13,920;  J.  H.  Knapp,  $13,125.  In  1879,  the  tax  of  the 
company  was  $38,061.62,  exclusive  of  personal  taxes.  Most 
of  the  members  of  the  company  are  reiiidents  of  Menomo- 
nie, and  large  sums  have  been  expended  in  erecting 
and  furnishing  magnificent  residences,  preparing  beautiful 
grounds,  and  surrounding  themselves  with  all  the  modern 
luxuries  of  life,  in  strange  and  striking  contrast  with  the  log 
cabins  and  the  miserable  accommodations  they  afforded 
during  their  first  frontier  experience. 

Bankin;:^. — -The  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  Company,  have 
always  done,  and  still  do  a  banking  business. 

The  first  bank  in  town  was  started  in  May,  1867,  by  S. 
B.  French,  and  it  is  now  in  active  operation  with  a  capital 
of  $75!Ooo.  The  disbursements  are  about  $150,000  per 
quarter.  The  New  York  deposits  of  the  bank  are  with  the 
Chase  National  Bank  ;  in  Chicago,  The  Commercial  Na- 
tional ;  in  St.  Paul,  The  First  National. 

Schutte  &  Quilling  also  do  a  banking  business. 

The  Bank  of  Menomonie,  was  incorporated  July  10, 
1879.  It  has  a  capital  of  $50,000  and  a  surplus  of  $20,- 
000.  The  officers  are  F.  J.  McLean,  president;  J.  A. 
Decker,  cashier;  W.  C.  McLean,  assistant  cashier.  The 
New  York  correspondent  is  the  Imi)orters'  and  Traders' 
National  Bank;  Chicago,  First  National;  St.  Paul,  The 
Merchants'  Bank.  The  deposits  average  about  $30,000 
and  the  quarterly  disbursements  $275,000. 


Military  Organizations. —  The  survivors  of  the  war  of 
i86i,  have  had  several  reunions,  notably  one  in  1876,  when 
an  organization  was  effected. 

P.  C.  Holmes  was  chairman,  and  C.  W.  Moore  secretary, 
of  the  preliminary  meeting.  The  reunion  and  camp  fire 
was  held  on  September  8,  and  9,  1876.  The  officers — field 
and  staff— were:  Col.,  E.  L.  Doolittle  ;  Lieut.  Col.,  M.  R. 
Bump;  Maj.,  Simon  Morugg;  Q.  M.,  C.  W.  Moore;  .\dj., 
Geo.  Tonnar;  Serg.,  W.  F.  Nichols.  Line  officers  :  Co,  A, 
Capt.  Frank  Kelly;  Co.  B,  Capt.  Dan.  Harshman  ;  Co.  C, 
Capt.  R.  J.  Baker;  Cavalry  Co.,  Capt.  L.  C.  Guptil;  Artil- 
lery Co.,  Capt.  G.  C.  Soper.  About  200  men  were  in  line, 
and  the  occasion  was  an  enjoyable  one ;  a  pleasant  re- 
minder of  the  reality  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1877,  the  second  re-union  took  place  ; 
the  whole  village  participated  ;  a  dinner  was  served  by  the 
ladies,  among  whom  were  Mrs.  A.  Tainter,  Mrs.  C.  W. 
Moore,  Mrs.  Doolittle,  Mrs.  Williamson,  Mrs.  Vanderhoof 
and  Mrs.  Halfhide.  Gov.  Ludington  furnished  equipments, 
and  the  celebrated  war  eagle.  Old  Abe,  was  in  the  proces- 
sion, borne  by  David  McLane,  one  of  the  noble  band  who 
carried  him  through  the  War.  Mrs.  Lorenzo  Bullard,  who 
came  up  the  river  thirty-one  years  before  with  Mrs.  Knapp, 
made  a  patriotic  speech,  welcoming  the  veterans  to  Menom- 
onie. The  election  of  regimental  officers  resulted  as  fol- 
lows: W.  H.  Allen,  colonel ;  Thomas  Macauley,  lieutenant- 
colonel  ;  Daniel  Harshman,  major;  A.  H.  Wallace,  adju- 
tant ;  Newell  Burch,  quartermaster ;  Jackson  Welester, 
chaplain.  The  captains  were  :  Frank  Kelly,  M.  R.  Bump, 
J.  B.  Roach,  Ed.  Parkhurst,  John  Kyle  and  S.  J.  Bailey. 
In  1879,  Col.  W.  H.  Allen  having  been  promoted  to  be 
brigadier-general,  another  re-union,  upon  a  larger  scale, 
was  resolved  upon,  and  the  boys  rallied  around  the  camp- 
fire  on  the  2d,  3d  and  4th  of  October.  Organizations  were 
present  from  Pierce,  Pepin  and  Eau  Claire  counties.  The 
following  is  the  roster  of  the  officers  :  Brig.-Gen.,  George 
Tonnar;  Capt.  F.  Kelly, -A.  A.  G.;  Lt.  M.  Knight,  A.  D. 
C;  Capt.  J.  E.  Houghton,  A.  D.  C;  Lt.  John  Knoble,  A. 
D.  C;  Surg.,  E.  O.  Baker;  Asst.  Surg.,  M.  C.  Thompson. 
Regimental  Staff— Col.,  T.  W.  Macauley,  Adjt.,  C.  W.  Moore, 
Q.  M.,  Newell  Burch.  The  veterans  at  this  re-union  num- 
bered 500,  and  they  went  through  a  skirmish  drill,  a  sham 
fight,  dress  parade  and  other  exercises,  not  to  forget  a 
bountiful  banquet  spread  by  the  ladies. 

The  brigade  officers  elected  at  this  re-union  were  as 
follows:  Brig.-Gen.,  George  Tonnar;  Col.,  Victor  Wolf; 
Lt.-Col.,  F.  Kelley;  Maj.,  P.  Thomas;  Adjt.,  N.  Burch; 
Brig.  Surg.,  Dr.  E.  O.  Baker;  .\sst.  Surg.,  Dr.  Thompson; 
Regl.  Surg.,  Dr.  E.  J.  Farr;  Asst.  Surg.,  Dr.  Hutchinson  ; 
Q.  M,,  John  Kyle.  This  organization  was  very  largely 
represented  in  the  re-union  in  Milwaukee,  in  1S80. 

The  Ludington  Guard.— 'V\\\%  is  a'spirited  corps  of  young 
men  who  were  organized  as  a  cavalry  company,  forming  a 
part  of  the  Wisconsin  National  Guard. 

The  organization  was  effected  November  21,  1876.  The 
first  officers  of  the  company  were  :  T.  J.  George,  captain  ; 
Simon  Murugg,  first  lieutenant ;  W.  D.  Young,  second  lieu- 
tenant. The  present  officers  are  :  Capt.,  P.  J.  George ; 
ist  Lt.,  G.  R.  Brewer;  2d  Lt.,  H.  E.  Knapp.  The  company 
is  always  well  mounted,  and  has  an  effective  strength  of 
seventy-seven  men.  The  company  had  an  eight  days' tour 
of  duty  in  quest  of  the  Williams  brothers. 

FR.\TERNAL    SOCIETIES. 

i)/a,w/;V.— Menomonie  Lodge,  No.  164.;  instituted  1867. 
The  past  masters  are  :  J.  H.  Knapp,  J.  McCabe,  J.  H.  Ed- 
wards, J.  A.  Heller,  R.  J.  Flint,  W.  C.  Pease ;  present  offi- 
cers :  J.  A.  Heller,  W.  M.;  H.  E.  Knapp,  S.  W.;  A.  Simon, 
J.  W.;  C.  A.  Gessell,  Sec;  fifty  members;  meets  first  and 
third  Mondays.     Charles  Swan  is  district  deputy. 


2S2 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


Menomonie  Chapter,  No.  53,  instituted  1878.  R.  J- 
Flint  was  the  first  and  is  the  present  M.  E.  H.  P.;  W.  C. 
Pease  is  E.  K.;  A.  McClepoerty,  E.  S.;  A.  Fletcher,  C.  of 
H.;  George  Seeley,  V.  S.;  H.  E.  Knapp,  Sec.  Regular  con- 
vocations^ second  and  fourth  Mondays.       Thirty  members. 

Go(?./  Tc-m/'/e/s.—nopti  Lodge,  No.  219,  D.  A.  Howland, 
lodge  deputy  ;  \V.  P.  Vanderhool,  W.  C.  T.;  Ellen  Mellen, 
W.  V.  T.;  H.  A.  Wilco.x,  W.  S. 

Odd Fe/Zcru's. —Burry  Lodge,  No.  1S3  ;  instituted  August 
3,  1870.  Charter  members:  William  A.  Burry,  Levi  O. 
Flemon,  [oseph  Jin,  Milton  Graver  and  James  Murray. 
Present  officers  :  William  Warren,  N.  G.;  William  Wright, 
V.  G.;  J.  C.  Tiffany,  R.  S.;  N.  P.  Vanderbilt,  P.  S.;  S.  R. 
Bush,  T.  There  are  fifty-five  members.  Dr.  William  A. 
Burry  is  one  of  the  oldest  Odd  Fellows  now  living,  having 
been  made  in  Baltimore,  Md. 

Red  Cedar  Lodge,  No.  261.  German  Ritual,  instituted 
August  19,  1876.  Present  officers:  Jacob  Miller,  N.  G.; 
J.  Williman,  V.  G.  ;  F.  Schmidt,  R."  S.  First  officers  : 
Francis  Roleff,  N.  F.;  George  Hannemeyer,  \'.  G.;  Jacob 
Miller,  R.  S. 

A.  O.  U.  ?F'.— Pioneer  Lodge,  No.  82,  located  at  Knapp, 
N.  Pace,  P.  M.  W.;  William  Vanderhoof,  M.  W.;  J.  Gard- 
ner, Rec. 

Excelsior  Lodge,  No.  29,  J.  A.  Hill,  M.  W.;  W.  F.  Nich- 
ols, G.  F.;  W.  McNeil,  Rec;  seventy-eight  members.  O. 
K.  Ranum  was  the  first  M.  W. 

Sans  Souci  Club. — D.  H.  Decker,  president  ;  J.  G.  In- 
galls,  vice-president ;  R.  D.  Whitford,  secretary  ;  E.  Marks, 
treasurer. 

Sons  of  Hemnann. — Menomonie  Lodge,  No.  28,  organ- 
ized November  4,  1875.  Charter  members  :  Jacob  Schmehm, 
John  A.  Kreiser,  W.  L.  Fricke,  William  Beyer,  V.  Hehli, 
Joseph  Lauber,  John  Ross,  and  others. 

Menomonie  Harmonia. — Organized,  August,  1871. 
Among  the  prominent  members  were  :  Charles  Richenbach, 
John  Hess,  A.  Netzer,  Henry  Grobe  and  J.  B.  Williman. 

Driving  Park  Association. — An  organization  was  effected 
several  years  ago,  a  track  arranged,  but  it  has  gone  into 
desuetude. 

Soldiers'  Aid  Society. — During  the  War  an  association 
with  the  above  name  and  object  was  formed  and  conducted 
with  great  efficiency  by  the  best  women  in  town,  including 
Mrs.  A.  Tainter,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Winterboro,  Miss  Nellie 
Tainter,  Mrs.  French,  Mrs.  How,  Miss  Jennie  Wilson  and 
many  others. 

Bami. — Organized  in  December,  1875.  .V.  H.  Wallace, 
leader;  James  Bonell,  instructor. 

T/ie  Cemetery  Association  was  formed  in  1875;  ^Villiam 
Wilson,  president;  J.  H.  Knapp,  treasurer;  S.  B.  French, 
secretary.  There  are  forty-nine  acres  inclosed,  and  beauti- 
fully laid  out  near  the  river,  northeast  of  the  city.  Thomas 
Manley  is  the  sexton,  living  in  a  fine  house  near  the  gate. 
Lots  are  twenty  feet  square,  and  sell  for  §25. 

Scandinavian  Aid  Society. —  Officers:  John  Lundemo, 
John  Johnson,  E.  Halseth,  E.  Larson. 

German  Aid  Society. —  Officers:  Joseph  Kreiser,  George 
H.  Sanders,  J.  Schmehm,  Chris.  Fuss. 

Ladies'  Beiuvotent  Aid  Society. — Officers  and  other  mem- 
bers in  part :  Miss  Eliza  Wilson,  Mrs.  G.  H.  Barwise,  Mrs. 
S.  B.  French,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Bierce,  Mrs.  W.  Hunt,  Mrs.  J.  C. 
Sherwin,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Knapp,  Mrs.  A.  Tainter,  Mrs.  James 
Harsh,  Mrs.  Kiley,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Scott. 

Literary  Society.  —  Officers:  Robert  Macauley,  C.  E. 
Freeman,  W.  S.  Johnson,  George  Tonnar. 

S.  D.  McKahn  has  been  Postmaster  of  Menomonie  for 
the  past  eleven  years;  E.  J.  Newson,  Assistant  Postmaster. 
The  office,  in  1878,  was  fitted  up  with  Yale  lock  boxes. 
There  are  four  daily  mails,  two  east  and  two  west,  besides 


the  stage  line  service.  In  1870,  about  $300  worth  of 
stamps  and  envelo])es  were  sold  every  quarter.  Now  the 
sales  amount  to  §1,700  in  the  same  time. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  Menomonie  in  1880, 
according  to  the  United  States  census,  was  4,187.  This  is 
steadily  increasing.  The  rate  of  increase  in  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  village  may  be  seen  by  the  fact  of  the 
value  of  improvements  in  several  different  years.  In  1873, 
the  improvements  amounted  to  $102,600;  in  1875,  §79,000  ; 
in  1876,  $43,000;  in  1880,  $82,000. 

The  place  has  its  full  quota  of  lawyers  and  doctors. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  hotels,  the  Menomonie  and 
Merchants'  being  the  leading  ones. 

There  are  four  apothecaries,  with  hardware,  furniture, 
grocery,  feed  and  other  stores  sufficient  to  supply  the  local 
demand  for  country  and  village  consumption. 

U'aler-ii'orks. —  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  some  years  ago 
constructed  water-works  at  a  cost  of  §76,000,  with  a  reser- 
voir on  an  adjacent  hill,  at  an  elevation  of  iSo  feet  above 
the  river. 

THE    HONORED    nE.\D. 

ALVAN  J.  ME.SSINGER  and  his  family  were  among  the  comers  of 
1862,  having  previously  visited  the  place  while  traveling  for  his  health. 
He  was  born  in  Windham,  Portage  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  13,  1S21.  When 
eighteen  years  of  age,  his  father's  family  removed  to  Des  Moines  Co., 
Iowa.  While  there,  in  1S52,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  McAlenny. 
They  had  five  children,  two  dying  in  infancy.  Two  sons  and  one 
daughter  are  still  living.  Mr.  Messinger,  while  residing  in  Burlington, 
served  eight  years  as  Clerk  of  the  Court.  During  his  residence  in  Me- 
nomonie, he  had  charge  of  the  land  department  of  Knapp,  Stout  & 
Co.'s  business,  looking  after  the  titles,  taxes,  and  attending  to  legal 
points  and  like  matters.  He  was  County  Superintendent  one  term. 
Was  an  influential  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 
highly  respected  citizen,  identified  with  the  prosperity  of  the  town.  His 
death  was  on  the  31st  of  October,  1S80. 

WALTER  CROCKER,  M.  D.,  born  Sept.  5.  1808.  at  Augusta, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  moved  to  Ohio  when  young,  locating  in  Amherst. 
Afterward  in  Madison,  Lake  Co.,  where  he  married  May  G.  Curtis,  in 
April,  1829,  who  lived  with  him  one  year  after  their  golden  wedding, 
when  he  died,  in  January,  1S80.  After  his  marriage,  he  lived  in  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  where  he  practiced  dentistry.  Afterwards  he  went  to  Mead- 
ville.  Pa.,  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine,  having  graduated  in  1S45. 
In  1854,  he  came  west,  and  was  two  years  in  Illinois  and  Iowa,  and 
finally,  in  1S56,  came  to  Dunnville,  where  he  remained  in  business  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon  until  a  few  days  before  his  death.  He  was  a 
Mason  of  forty  years  standing,  and  his  life  was  active  and  full  of  adven- 
tures. The  rattle  of  his  buggy  could  often  be  heard  long  distances 
from  home  on  stormy  nights,  and  he  always  brought  comfort  and  con- 
solation to  the  afflicted.     He  was  sadly  missed  when  taken  away. 

WILLIAM  McKAHN,  with  his  interesting  family  of  four  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons,  came  from  Washington,  Pa.,  in  1857.  He  was  em- 
ployed as  head  clerk  in  the  company's  store.  While  still  with  the  com- 
pany, he  procured  a  tract  of  land  six  miles  from  the  city,  and  improved, 
creating  a  home,  where  he  lived  a  year.  Finding  farm  life  too  arduous, 
he  returned  to  the  village,  and  for  a  time  owned  a  livery  stable,  and  for 
two  years  kept  the  Menomonie  House.  He  died  Oct.  10,  1872,  having 
been  confined  to  his  room  by  paralysis  for  two  years. 

DR.  DAVID  HELLER  was  born  in  Northumberland  Co.,  Pa., 
July  20,  1810.  He  was  married  to  Sarah  Wilson  on  the  5th  of  Tanuary, 
1836,  in  Salina,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa.  He  early  learned  the  saddleVy  trade, 
but  subsequently  studied  dentistr)'.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1S5S. 
Mrs.  Heller  having  been  here  in  1856,  on  a  visit  to  her  brother,  Capt. 
Wilson.  He  practiced  dentistry  until  his  death,  Sept.  3,  1868.  He 
was  County  Treasurer  for  two  terms,  one  of  his  sons  performing  the 
duties  the  second  term.  Of  their  seven  children,  three  sons  are  now 
living. 

CAPT.  J.  M.  MOTT,  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15,  i8i8, 
came  to  Menomonie  in  i860,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout  & 
Co.  until  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  when  he  raised  a  company  and  was 
commissioned  captain,  going  to  the  front  and  gallantly  leading  his  men 
up  to  the  time  and  through  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  in  July,  1863,  when, 
completely  exhausted,  he  had  to  relinquish  his  command,  and  soon  after- 
ward died,  in  Frederick,  Md.,  at  the  age  of  forty-five. 

FRED.  R.  CHURCH  was  a  prominent  man,  who  came  to  Menom- 
onie in  1854.  He  was  Postmaster  at  one  time,  and  had  hosts  of  friends, 
especially  among  the  soldiers,  for  whom  he  did  a  large  amount  of  work . 
He  had  a  wife  and  one  son.  They  came  from  Iowa.  He  died  in  1865, 
on  Nov.  22d,  and  was  buried  with  Masonic  honors. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN  COUNTY. 


283 


LEVI  VANCE,  an  Indian  trader,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  State.  He  was  an  upright,  capable  man,  who  secured  the  esteem 
of  the  whole  community.  He  built  the  first  hotel  here.  He  was  pro- 
prietor of  the  Vance  House  and  Sheriff  of  Dunn  County  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  Sept.  22,  1S64. 

HENRY  GROB,  an  estimable  and  public-spirited  citizen,  was  born 
in  Zurich,  Switzerland,  in  1828.  Came  to  America  in  1858,  and  by 
energy  and  enterprise  and  economy,  secured  a  fortune.  He  died  13th 
of  February,  1872. 

PETTIS  TIFFANY  died  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  January,  1S73, 
aged  eighty-nine  years.  He  was  an  early  settler,  having  come  to  the 
county  in  1840.  He  conducted  the  first  operations  on  Tiffany  Creek. 
It  is  not  known  where  he  came  from,  or  that  he  had  any  relatives. 

FRITZ  I'AULE  died  April  20,  1874.  He  was  born  on  the  Rhine, 
at  Strausburg,  in  i8og.  Came  to  America  in  1838,  and  was  an  inmate 
of  Capt.  William  Wilson's  family  for  twenty-three  years.  He  was 
familiarly  called  "  Little  Fritz,"  on  account  of  his  diminutive  stature. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
W.  H.  ALLEN,  Menomonie.  Born  in  the  State  of  Maine.  Re- 
moved with  his  parents,  when  nine  years  of  age,  to  Lawrence,  Mass., 
where  he  lived  about  three  years,  and  thence  to  Saginaw,  thence  to 
Byron,  where  he  enlisted  .August,  1861,  in  the  5th  Regiment,  Mich.  V.  I. 
He  served  till  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  in  active  service  during  the 
whole  time.  He  was  in  McClellen's  Peninsula  campaign,  second  Bull 
Run,  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  in  Grant's  final  campaign  of  the  war. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  Detroit,  where  he  remained  till 
1874,  when  he  came  to  Menomonie  and  engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout  & 
Co.  He  now  has  charge  of  the  land  department  of  that  firm.  He  was 
married  to  Helen  Barber,  a  native  of  Michigan,  January,  1S65.  They 
had  one  daughter,  Grace,  born  Aug.  29,  1S66,  and  died  June,  1880. 


S.^/^a/^/.''^'l^ 


EDWIN  O.  BAKER,  M.  D.,  Menomonie.  Was  born  in  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1831.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Lee  Center, 
Oneida  Co.,  in  1852,  with  Dr.  Henry  N.  Porter,  of  that  place.  He 
graduated  at  Castleman  Medical  College,  Vt ,  in  1S56.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Removed  to 
Durand  in  the  Summer  of  1858.  Was  the  first  physician  of  Pepin 
County.  In  1S62.  he  joined  the  30th  Reg.,  Wis.  V.  I.,  as  assistant  sur- 
geon. During  the  last  year  of  the  war,  he  had  charge  of  the  hospital  at 
Frankfort,  Ky.  He  returned  to  Durand  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  re- 
sumed practice,  where  he  remained  till  1S75.  when  he  located  at  Lake 
City,  Minn.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1878.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. He  has  one  son  by  first  marriage — Edwin  J.,  a  practicing  physician 
at  Wilson,  St.  Croix  Co.       Has  one  son  by  second  marriage,  Norman  H. 

ROYAL  C.  HIERCE,  attorney,  Menomonie.  Born  in  the  town  of 
Cornwall,  Litchfield  Co., Conn.,  Oct.  3,  iSiS.  When  he  was  seven  years 
of  age,  he  removed  with  his  parents,  to  what  was  known  as  the  Western 
Reserve,  Portage  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  till  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
He  studied  law  in  Portage  County,  and  qualified  himself  for  admission  to 


the  Bar.  He  went  to  Iowa  in  1S44,  and  taught  school  one  year  near 
Burlington.  In  the  Spring  of  1845,  he  came  to  Grant  County,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Lancaster  in  the  same  year.  He  lived  in  that 
county  till  1853.  Engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  and  in  teaching.  He 
then  went  to  what  is  now  Vernon  County,  and  located  at  Viroqua,  and 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  elected  District  At- 
torney of  Vernon  County  in  the  Fall  of  1853.  He  came  to  Menomonie 
in  1871  ;  was  elected  District  Attorney  in  1872,  which  position  he  held 
for  six  years.  His  wife  was  Emily  K.  Green,  of  Mt.  Holyoke,  Mass. 
She  died  in  1874.  Had  three  children,  only  one  of  whom,  Arthur,  the 
youngest  child,  is  living.     He  resides  at  Madison. 

GEORGE  R.  BREWER,  Menomonie.  Is  engaged  with  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.  He  has  charge  of  the  clothing  and  furnishing  department, 
in  the  store  of  this  company,  at  Menomonie.  He  was  born  in  Canada, 
in  1852,  and  came  to  Menomonie  in  1867,  and  has  been  constantly  in  the 
employment  of  the  company  since  that  time,  connected  with  the  mercan- 
tile branch  of  the  business.  His  long  continuance  with  one  house  is 
evidence  of  his  faithfulness  and  ability  as  a  business  man.  He  has  had 
charge  of  his  present  department  for  ten  years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Alice 
French,  daughter  of  S.  B.  French,  Esq.,  of  Menomonie. 

THOMAS  J.  BRYAN,  harness  maker,  Menomonie.  Born  in  Shelby 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1830.  When  six  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to 
Indiana.  He  learned  his  trade  at  Niles,  Mich.,  and  came  to  Wisconsin 
as  early  as  1856;  but  first  settled  in  the  State  at  Durand,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  business  for  ten  years.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  May, 
1875.  He  married  Vienna  A.  McCarty.  They  have  three  children — 
Julia  A.  Charles  H.  and  Earnest  B. 

JUDGE  E.  B.  BUNDY, attorney,  Menomonie.  Born  in  Windsor, 
Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S33.  He  began  the  study  of  law  in  his  native 
county,  but  removed  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  to  Deposit,  Delaware 
Co.,  where  he  continued  his  study.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
Supreme  Court,  at  Courtlandville,  Courtland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S56.  He 
came  to  Dunn  County  in  1857,  and  located  at  the  then  county  seat,  Dunn- 
ville.  He  was  elected  County  Judge  in  the  Spring  of  :862,  and  filled 
that  office  until  the  Spring  of  1866,  when  he  resigned.  He  came  to 
Menomonie  on  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  this  village.  He  was 
elected  Circuit  Judge,  to  fill  a  vacancy,  in  the  Spring  of  1877,  and  re- 
elected for  a  full  term  the  following  year.  A  brother  of  the  Judge,  C.  S. 
Bundy,  came  to  Menomonie  in  the  Fall  of  1856.  He  was  editor  for  a 
time,  of  the  Dunn  County  Lumberman,  now  the  Dunn  County  News. 
He  is  now  a  resident  of  Washington.  Judge  Bundy  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  but  popular  with  all  political  parties.  His  wife  was  Reubena 
Macauley,  a  sister  of  Robert  Macauley,  Esq.  They  have  eight  children, 
six  sons  and  two  daughters. 

NEWELL  BURCH,  of  the  firm  of  Burch  &  Clark,  merchants, 
Menomonie.  He  was  born  in  Westfield,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1S42.  He  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  the  154th  Reg.,  N.  V.  V.  I.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  near  Gettysburg,  July  I,  1863.  He  was  a  prisoner 
for  a  greater  length  of  time  than  any  other  Union  soldier,  whose  time  is 
recorded  in  the  history  of  the  rebellion.  He  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
confederates,  a  period  of  661  days.  He  was  first  imprisoned  at  Belle 
Isle,  removed  to  Richmond,  and  thence  to  .\ndersonville.  He  was  at  the 
latter  prison  thirteen  months,  or  during  the  whole  existence  of  the 
stockade.  That  he  survived  the  terrible  sufferings  and  privations  for 
that  long  period  of  time  of  prison  life,  is  indeed  marvelous.  After  the 
close  of  the  war,  he  went  to  Pittsburgh.  Pa.,  where  he  attended  a  commer- 
cial college  for  a  time.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati  and  engaged  in 
teaching.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1S6S,  and  engaged  in 
keeping  books  for  H.  T.  Rumsy.  He  came  to  Menomonie  and  engaged 
in  the  dry  goods  department  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  was  employed 
there  for  twelve  years.  Engaged  in  present  business  with  Mr.  Clark,  in 
May,  1S78. 

NEWTO.V  F.  CARPENTER,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Kehobath,  Bristol  Co.,  Mass.,  1831.  His  parents  were  born 
in  Bristol  County,  and  resided  there  till  their  death,  which  occurred  in 
18S0.  His  father  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  and  his  mother  at  the 
age  of  ninety.  Mr.  Carpenter  lived  for  several  years  with  an  uncle  in 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  He  went  to  Chicago  in  the  Spring  of  1849  I 
he  lived  about  thirteen  years  in  the  counties  of  Bureau  and  Henry.  III., 
although  he  was  in  Kansas  in  1856  and  1857,  during  the  border  war  in 
that  State.  He  relumed  to  Illinois  and  was  elected  Deputy  Sheriff  of 
Henry  County.  He  removed  to  Vernon  County,  Wis.,  in  i860,  and  set- 
tled in  the  town  of  Wheatland.  He  was  Treasurer  of  that  town,  and 
Deputy  Sheriff  of  the  county,  and  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1S66. 
He  went  to  Kansas  again  in  i863.  Came  to  Menomonie  in  the  Spring 
of  1875.  He  lost  his  first  wife  in  Illinois.  His  present  wife  was  Esther 
Rowe,  born  in  New  York.  Has  one  daughter  by  his  first  wife,  Mrs. 
Mary  Walker;  resides  at  Holden.  Jackson  Co.,  Kansa.s.  Has  two  boys 
by  second  wife,  Fred  and  Charles.  Mr.  C.  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
since  1877. 

J.  J.  C.\RTER,  firm  of  Carter  &  Jungck,  general  merchandise,  Me- 
nomonie, was  born  in  Cambridgeshire,  Eng.,  in  1S33.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1851,  and  located  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged 


284 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


at  the  business  of  milling,  having  learned  the  trade  of  a  miller  in  En- 
gland. He  lived  in  Rochester  about  ten  years.  Came  to  Menomonie 
in  1861.  and  look  charge  of  flouring  mill  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He 
continued  in  charge  of  this  mill  till  1866,  when  he  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  with  his  present  partner,  Mr.  Jungck.  Mr.  Cartel  has 
been  twice  married.  His  first  wile  was  Mary  Jane  Langham.  She  died 
in  1866.  His  present  wife  was  Jane  Yoe.  He  has  two  children  by  his 
first  wife,  Frank  and  IJenjamin,  and  two  by  his  present  wife,  Jennie  and 
John. 

D.\MEL  P.  CHAMBERLIN,  Menomonie,  has  charge  of  the 
warehouse  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Briggs- 
viUe,  Marquette  Co.,  in  1S53.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  the  town 
of  Rock  Creek,  Dunn  Co.,  in  1S56.  His  parents  are  G.  H.  and  A. 
Chamberlin.  They  still  reside  where  ihey  settled  in  1856.  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin  assumed  his  present  duties  in  the  Spring  of  18S1.  He  married 
Miss  Belle  Parker.     They  have  two  children,  Henry  H.  and  Daniel  VV. 

DAVID  CHAPIN,  Menomonie.  Born  at  Crown  Point,  N.  Y.,  in 
1828,  where  he  lived  till  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  St. 
Lawrence  County.  In  186S,  he  came  to  Black  River  Falls,  where  he 
engaged  in  lumbering  and  milling,  in  (act,  has  been  engaged  in  lumber 
in  diHeient  capacities,  since  he  was  a  boy.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in 
1S70  and  engaged  as  filer  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  was  engaged  for 
this  firm  for  several  years  as  filer,  during  the  sawing  season,  and  as  a 
scaler  of  logs  in  the  woods,  during  the  Winter.  Is  now  employed  by  the 
lumber  company  of  Cedar  Falls.  He  lost  his  first 
His  present  wile  was  Mrs.  Elnora  E.  Morgan,  whos 
Morgan,  was  killed  in  the  army  during  the  war. 

WILLIAM  J.  COWAN,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Princeton,  111.,  in  1840.  His  father,  William  Cowan,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  but  was  brought  up  in  Ohio.  He  was  a  pioneer  in 
the  fullest  sense  of  the  term.  During  the  exciting  times  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  he  was  located  at  Ft.  Crawford,  where,  with  Mr.  Ephraim 
Tainter,  the  father  of  Mr.  Andrew  Tainter,  he  was  engaged  in  furnishing 
supplies  to  the  army.  He  settled  in  Princeton,  111.,  in  the  Winter  of 
1834-5.  Us  "ow  lives  in  Kansas.  Mr.  Cowan's  mother  was  formerly 
Miss  Emeline  Kirby,  born  in  Rome,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  Kansas  in  1876. 
W.  J.  Cowan  was  born  in  1S3S  and  was  brought  up  in  Northern  Illinois, 
and  has  resided  in  diflerent  counties  in  that  part  of  the  Stale.  He  was 
at  one  time  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Bureau  County,  and  at  another  time  act- 
ing Sherifl'  of  Du  Page  County.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1S71,  and 
engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  three  years. 
Was  afterwards  engaged  with  other  firms  in  different  capacities  ;  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Sheriff  in  1S76.  Was  elected  to  the  office  of  Clerk  of 
the  Circuit  Court  in  187S,  and  again  in  1S80.  Lost  his  first  wife  in  Illi- 
nois. His  present  wife  was  Miss  Jennie  Chapman,  daughter  of  David 
Chapman.  She  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  has  two  chil- 
dren by  first  wife,  Carrie  and  William. 

S.  G.  DEAN,  dealer  in  musical  instruments,  and  proprietor  of  rest- 
aurant, Menomonie,  was  born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1833.  He 
went  to  Illinois  in  1856.  He  worked  for  several  years  at  the  trade  of 
millwright ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  i860.  He  was  engaged  in  teaching 
for  several  years;  taught  the  public  school  at  Durand,  Pepin  Co.,  for 
three  years.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1S64.  He  has  been  engaged 
for  many  years  in  the  sale  of  musical  instruments.  His  wife  was  Eunice 
S.  Morris,  a  native  of  Illinois.     They  have  four  children. 

COL.  E.  L.  DOOLITTLE,  Menomonie;  born  in  Ontario  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  in  1826;  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  and  settled  at  Madison, 
where  he  lived  ten  years;  engaged  in  the  business  of  shoe  making,  lie 
came  to  Dunn  County  in  1856,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Dunn,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  enlisted  in  1S61  in  the  37th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.  He 
enlisted  as  a  private ;  was  made  a  third  sergeant  at  the  organization  of 
the  regiment.  He  was  engaged  in  the  assault  on  Petersburg,  which  fol- 
lowed the  explosion  of  the  mine,  when  that  city  was  being  invested.  He 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  in  this  assault ;  was  a  prisoner  about 
Ihirtydays,  when  he  was  released  on  parole;  came  home  on  a  furlough  ; 
was  at  home  several  months,  and  then  relumed  to  the  front,  and  was 
promoted  to  orderly  sergeant.  Was  in  most  of  the  battles  in  front  of 
Petersburg.  He  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenantcy  abuut  the  time  the  war 
closed.  He  has  been  Sheriff  of  Dunn  County  for  one  term,  and  Under 
Sheriff  for  many  terms.  He  was,  for  a  time,  colonel  of  the  Old  Veterans 
Association,  of  Dunn  County.  He  was  married  in  Madison  to  Naomi, 
daughter  of  Martin  LafTelmire,  an  early  settler  of  Dane  County.  They 
have  five  children — Myron  F.,  Edgar  S.,  Lida  E.,  Milton  O.  and  Sarah  A. 
JOHN  H.  EDWARDS,  firm  of  J.  F.  Edwards  &  .Son,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1833.  He  came  west  in  1853  ;  from  that 
time  till  1868  was  engaged  as  civil  engineer  on  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railroad.  Came  to  Menomonie  in  1868.  lie  married  Sophia 
Kingsley,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  have  two  children,  Susan  and 
George.  J.  F.  Edwards,  of  the  above  firm,  and  father  of  John  H.,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire,  in  1806.  He  lived  in  that  State  till  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Boston,  where  for  many  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  architecture  and  building.  He,  in  i860,  went  to  Ft.  Madison, 
Iowa,  and  was  the  architect  and  resident  superintendent  in  the  construc- 


tion of  the  penitentiary  at  that  place.  He  returned  to  Boston  in  1865. 
In  the  Fall  of  1S66  he  came  to  Menomonie,  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  etc. ;  was  burned  out  in  1870,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business.  The  firm  of  J.  F.  Edwards  &  Son  do 
an  extensive  business  in  hardware,  machinery,  and  building  material. 
Mr.  J.  F.  Edwards  lost  his  wife  in  1S68  ;  he  has  two  sons,  John  H.  and 
James  M. 

OLE  EGDAL,  Menomonie,  has  charge  of  the  water  saw-mill  of 
Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1835  ;  he  came  to  this 
country  in  1868.  Has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  firm  since  that  time, 
and  he  has  had  charge  of  his  present  department  since  1873.  He  is  a 
millwright  by  trade,  and  followed  that  i-ranch  of  business  for  a  number  of 
years.     His  wife  is  a  native  of  Norway.     They  have  one  son,  Aufen. 

MRS.  MARY  R.  FOWLER,  millinery  and  dealer  in  furnishing 
goods,  Menomonie,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  She  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  her  husband,  Mr.  G.  M.  Fowler,  in  1856.  Mr.  Fowder 
was  a  surveyor  by  occupation,  and  engaged  in  that  business  for  many 
years.  They  were  several  years  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  ;  went  to 
Minnesota  for  a  time,  and  came  to  Menomonie  in  1S58.  Mrs.  Fowler 
established  her  present  business  in  i860.  This  was  the  first  millinery 
store,  and  the  second  store  of  any  kind,  established  in  Menomonie,  proper. 
She  keeps  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  assortments  of  millinery  goods  to 
be  found  in  the  Chippewa  Valley.  She  is  also  agent  forthe  Victor  sew- 
ing machine.  Mr.  Fowler  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1862,  and 
served  three  years.  He  was  elected  County  Surveyor  in  1S62,  which 
position  he  held  for  two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  have  two  children. 
William  D.  and  Hattie  E. 

S.  B.  FRENCH,  banker,  Menomonie,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1831,  where  he  lived  till  the  Fall  of  1S53,  when  he  came  to 
Menomonie,  and  engaged  as  bookkeeper  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He 
continued  in  ihe  employment  of  this  firm  till  1S67,  when  he  opened  a 
general  store  on  the  site  of  his  present  bank.  He,  at  the  same  time, 
conducted  a  general  banking  and  real  estate  business.  He  was  burned 
out  in  1880,  and  soon  after  closed  out  his  merchandising  business.  He 
built  his  present  bank  building,  a  fine  and  substantial  brick  structure, 
immediately  after  the  destiuction  of  his  store  by  fire.  He  has  always 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters,  and  in  whatever  tends  to 
advance  the  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives.  He  was  mar- 
ried, August,  1855.  to  Mary  V.  BuUard,  daughter  of  Lorenzo  Bullard,  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Menomonie.  They  have  three  children — Alice, 
(now  Mrs.  George  R.  Brewer),  Fred  and  Samuel  B. 

CAPT.  THOMAS  J.  GEORGE,  Menomonie,  was  born  in  Trum- 
bull Co.,  Ohio,  in  1842.  He  removed  to  Wilmington,  III,  with  his 
parents,  when  he  was  a  child,  and  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S55  ;  then  to 
New  Lisbon,  where  his  father  had  a  trading  post  with  the  Winnebago 
Indians.  Here  he  learned  the  language  of  this  tribe,  which  he  spoke 
fluently,  and  has  not  yet  forgotten.  His  knowledge  of  the  language 
served  a  valuable  purpose  a  few  years  later,  when  he  was  employed  as 
interpreter,  when  troops  were  sent  to  suppress  a  reported  insurrection  of 
Indians.  He  enlisted.  May  8,  1S61,  in  Co.  D,  4th  Wis.  V.  I.,  but  was 
discharged  for  disability,  at  Ship  Island,  April  II,  1862,  and  returned  to 
Wisconsin.  But  he  still  determined  to  share  the  fortunes  of  the  army, 
although  incapacitated  for  service  as  a  soldier.  When  he  had  sufiicient- 
ly  recovered,  he  went  to  Nashville.  Htrie  he  was  pressed  into  the  ser- 
vice as  fireman  of  a  locomotive,  and  in  that  capacity  went  to  Louisville. 
Here  he  met  the  30lh  Wis.,  for  whom  he  had  acted  as  interpreter  at  the 
time  of  the  Indian  scare.  Through  the  influence  of  some  of  the  officers 
of  the  30th  a  position  was  secured  for  him  in  the  Government  works  at 
Louisville,  w-here  he  remained  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Wisconsin,  and  came  to  Menomonie  in  1874.  Was  elected 
Sher,ff  of  Dunn  County  in  the  Fall  of  that  year  ;  was  engaged  in  the  sale 
of  agricultural  implements  for  several  years  ;  re-elected  Sheriff  in  the 
Fall  of  1S76.     His  wife  was  Miss  Maggie  Long. 

S.  A.  GILLEY,  firm  of  Gilley  &  Spalding,  grocers,  bakers  and  con- 
fectioners, Menomonie,  was  bom  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1845.  He 
enlisted  in  the  Spring  of  1S63  in  the  13th  N.  Y.  Artillery,  afterward, 
served  in  the  6lh  Veteran  Artillery.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  be- 
came a  student  of  the  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  at  Lima,  N.  Y.  He 
began  preaching  in  1S67,  in  connection  with  the  Free  Methodist  Church. 
Went  to  Chicago  in  1868;  was  a  resident  of  Illinois  for  several  years, 
engaged  in  preaching.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1873.  Had  charge  of 
churches  in  Grant  and  Lafayette  counties.  He  went  to  Eau  Claire  in 
1875.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1878.  He  is  now  pastor  of  the  Wes- 
leyan Methodist  Church  in  the  town  of  .Sherman.  Is  also  with  his 
father-in-law,  Mr.  Spalding,  engaged  in  business  in  Menomonie.  Mar- 
ried Nellie  M.  Spalding;  born  in  Illinois.  They  have  three  children — 
Emma,  Amy  and  Cora. 

W.  F.  GOULD,  dentist,  Menomonie,  w-as  born  in  Madison  Co., 
Ohio,  Oct.  25,  1850.  lie  enlisted  in  an  Ohio  regiment  in  March,  1863, 
when  only  thirteen  years  of  age.  He  served  in  the  ranks  about  four 
months,  and  was  on  detached  duty  during  the  balance  of  his  term  of 
service.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  Monmouth,  111.,  where 
he   attended  school  for  one  year.     In  the  Fall  of  l86g  he  went  to  Eau 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN  COUNTY 


285 


Claire,  where  he  engaged  in  the  study  of  dentistry  with  Dr.  Sherman  of 
thit  city,  with  whom  he  remained  four  years  as  a  student  ;  he  then  be- 
came coinected  with  his  preceptor  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In 
1S77,  with  Dr.  Sherman,  he  went  to  Lake  City,  Minn.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years.  He  located  in  Menomonie  in  August,  1879.  He 
married  Miss  .\nnie,  daughter  of  Dr.  E.  O.  Gaker,  of  Menomonie. 

STEPHEN  G.  GOULD,  Jr.,  a  brother  of  the  above,  has  charge  of 
the  extensive  dry  goods  and  jewelry  department  in  the  store  of  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.,  at  Menomonie.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1855,  and  was 
educated  at  Monmouth,  111.,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  also  attended  s-chool 
for  a  time  at  Mount  Morris,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  also  engaged  as  clerk 
in  a  dry  goods  store.  Has  been  in  the  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co., 
since  September,  1878.     Was  advanced  to  his  present  position  in   1880. 

E.  H.  GRANNIS,  M.D.,  homeopathic  physician  and  surgeon,  Me- 
nomonie; born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  from  whence  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  in  1854.  where  his  pirents  still 
reside.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  1S72,  with  Dr.  A.  E.  Higby 
of  Red  Wing.  He  took  his  first  course  of  lectures  at  the  Cleveland 
Homeopathic  Hospital  College,  and  graduated  at  the  Hahnemann  Medi- 
cal College,  Chicago,  February,  1875.  He  began  practice  at  Chatfield, 
Minn.,  in  June  of  that  year.  He  came  to  Menomonie,  December,  1877, 
and  succeeded  Dr.  J.  M.  Yates,  who  had  died  a  short  time  previous. 
His  wife  was  Gertrude  Van  Vliet,  of  Lake  City,  Minn.  They  have  one 
child,  Gertrude. 

N.  W.  GREENE,  dealer  in  flour  and  feed,  firm  of  Greene  &  Co., 
Menomonie,  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  August,  1855.  Removed 
with  his  parents  to  Pennsylvania  in  1868,  where  he  lived  till  May  of  the 
present  year,  iSSi,  when  he  removed  to  Eau  Claire.  He  has  had  con- 
siderable experience  in  milling  and  in  flour  and  feed.  The  business  of  this 
firm  was  established  in  Menomonie,  July,  iSSl. 

JAMES  GROVER,  merchant,  Menomonie.  Born  in  Maine  in  1826. 
He  came  to  Dunn  County  in  the  Summer  of  1S57.  His  brothers,  Mil- 
ton and  Alexander,  came  at  the  same  time,  and  his  parents  the  following 
Autumn.  He  worked  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  for  three  years,  was 
afterward  engaged  in  logging  for  one  season  ;  he  purchased  a  farm  in 
the  town  of  Red  Cedar,  and  engaged  in  farming  till  1872,  when  he  sold 
his  farm  and  removed  to  Menomonie  and  built  the  store  he  now  occu- 
pies. He  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade  in  1876.  He  is  also  engaged 
in  selling  farm  machinery.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Henderson,  who 
came  to  Dunn  County  about  1853.  They  have  five  children —  .\grippa 
H.,  James,  Steven,  Ezra  and  May. 

L.  C.  GUPTILL,  chief  engineer  of  the  steam  mill  of  Knapp,  Stout 
&  Co.,  Menomonie.  Born  in  York  Co.,  Maine,  in  1836.  He  went  to 
Goodhui  Co.,  Minn.,  in  1856;  afterward  went  to  Emmet  Co.,  Iowa. 
He  enlisted,  August,  l86r,  in  the  7th  Iowa  Cavalry,  and  served  on  the 
frontier,  under  Gen.  Sully ;  he  was  orderly  at  the  headquarters  of  that 
general  for  two  years.  He  was  in  the  service  three  years,  .\fter  the 
war  he  went  to  Red  Wing.  Minn.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  milling  for 
Daniels  &  Howe.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  December,  1865,  as  en- 
gineer and  machinist,  for  the  company.  His  wife  was  Henrietta  W. 
White,  daughter  of  Dr.  Charles  White.  She  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire.     They  have  one  child,  Fred  L. 

HENRY  W.  HAEFNER,  of  the  firm  of  Haefner  &  Harley,  mer- 
chants, Menomonie,  was  born  in  Waukesha  County,  in  1S57,  where  he 
lived  until  the  Fall  of  1880  when  became  to  Menomonie,  and  engaged 
in  the  dry  goods  business  with  Mr.  Harley.  Mr.  Haefner's  father  was 
an  early  settler  of  Wisconsin  ;  went  to  Milwaukee  in  1846 ;  removed  to 
Waukesha  County,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1866. 

JOSEPH  HARTMANN,  saloon,  Menomonie;  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  February,  1824;  came  to  the  United  States,  August,  1847. 
He  lived  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  for  several  years  ;  came  to  Menomonie  in 
1853,  and  engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  enlisted,  October, 
1864,  and  served  till  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign  and  in  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  After  the  war  he  again 
worked  for  the  company,  for  a  time,  then  bought  a  farm  and  engaged  in 
farming.  Established  his  present  business  October,  1874.  His  wife 
was  Catharine  Rodie  ;  born  in  Hesse,  Germany.  They  have  five  child- 
ren— John,  Minnie,  Maggie,  Catharine  and  Joseph.  Lost  oldest  child, 
Frank. 

JOHN  A.  HEINTZ,  wagonmaker,  Menomonie.  Born  in  Fond  du 
Lac  County,  in  1858.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Dodge  County,  where  he 
worked  four  and  one-half  years.  He  came  to  Menomonie  and  worked 
here  at  his  trade  for  a  .short  time,  then  went  to  Eau  Claire,  thence  to 
Minnesota  and  worked  at  Pottsdam  in  that  State  for  a  time.  Came  to 
Menomonie  in  Fall  1877.  Established  his  present  business  the  year 
following. 

REV.  MICHAEL  HEISS,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  Menomonie.  Horn  at  Boehnferd,  Bavaria,  in  1833.  He 
came  to  this  country  in  1S55.  His  theological  education  began  in  Ger- 
many.    He  completed  his  studies  at  St.  Francis  College,  near  Milwau- 


kee, and  was  ordained  Dec.  16,  1859.  His  first  charge  was  in  Wash- 
ington County,  next  in  Waterford,  Racine  Co.,  and  the  next  in  Brighton, 
County.  Is  a  brother  of  Archbishop  Michael  Heiss  of  Milwaukee. 
When  the  latter  was  appointed  bishop  of  La  Crosse  diocese.  Father 
Heiss  became  a  member  of  that  diocese.  He  took  charge  of  a  church, 
St.  Mary's,  in  Monroe  County,  in  1869.  Then  went  to  Rising  Sun,  in 
Crawford  County,  where  he  remained  five  years.  Thence  to  St.  Mary's 
church  at  Keysville,  Richland  Co.,  for  three  years.  He  took  charge  of 
his  present  church  in  1878. 

Bishop  Heiss,  formerly  bi.shop  of  La  Crosse  diocese,  was  appointed 
arch-bishop  of  Milwaukee,  March  14,  i88o. 

THOMA.S  S.  HELLER,  fire  insurance  agent,  Menomonie,  was 
born  in  Clinton  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1840.  He  went  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  in  1857, 
where  he  attended  a  commercial  college.  He  went  to  Reed's  Landing 
the  following  year,  and  kept  the  books  of  T.  B.  Wilson  for  about  one 
year.  He  then  became  a  student  of  Alleghany  College  at  Meadville,  Pa., 
where  he  remained  aliout  one  year.  He  came  to  Dunnville,  then  the 
county  seat  of  Dunn  County,  in  i860,  and  kept  the  hotel  known  as  the 
Tainter  House.  He  then  went  East,  attended  the  first  inauguration  of 
Pres.  Lincoln,  in  1S61  ;  thence  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  again,  where  he  en- 
listed in  the  1st  Regt.  Iowa  C.  Served  in  the  army  three  years.  Came 
to  Menomonie  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  and  kept  the 
Menomonie  House  for  about  one  year  ;  thence  to  Chicago  for  about  one 
year.  Has  been  a  resident  of  Menomonie  since  that  time.  He  was 
Assessor  in  1870,  and  Town  Clerk  for  four  or  five  years.  He  does  a 
large  insurance  business,  representing  many  of  the  best  companies  in  this 
country  and  in  England,  including  the  Insurance  Company  of  North 
America,  Penn  Fire  Assurance  Co.  and  American,  of  Philadelphia  ;  Liv- 
erpool and  London  and  Globe,  and  Phcenix.  Continental,  and  Niagara,  of 
New  York,  and  the  American,  of  New  Jersey.  His  wife  was  Mary  H. 
Tillotson.     They  have  six  children — two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

JULIUS  A.  HILL,  filer  for  Knapp.  Stout  &  Co.,  Menomonie,  born 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  came  to  Menomonie  in  the  Fall  of  1858. 
He  entered  the  army  in  1861,  was  lieutenant  of  the  first  company  raised 
in  the  Chippewa  valley.  It  was  known  as  the  Dunn  County  Pinery 
Rifles.  It  afterwards  became  Co.  K,  of  the  5th  Wis.  V.  I.;  but  he  re- 
signed before  this  company  went  into  active  service,  and  enlisted  in  the 
Sih  Wis.  V.  I.  and  served  three  years.  He  participated  in  many  impor- 
tant battles  and  campaigns  ;  was  at  Island  No.  10,  at  the  siege  and  battle 
of  Corinth,  and  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg;  was  on  detached  service  dur- 
ing latter  part  of  the  term  of  service.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Hill  have  six 
sons,  five  of  whom  were  in  the  war,  and  two  of  whom  lost  their  lives  in 
the  service.  Sheldon  B.  Hill  was  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment 
and  was  killed  at  Newbern,  N.  C.  E.  C.  enlisted  in  an  Illinois  regiment 
and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  is  now  a  Methodist  clergyman. 
The  next  was  Julius  A.  William,  a  member  of  the  27lh  Wis.  was  killed 
at  the  explosion  of  the  mine  before  Petersburg  D.  K.  served,  also,  in 
the  27th.  The  father  of  Mr.  Hill  came  to  Wisconsin,  1856.  He  now 
lives  in  Minnesota. 

WILLIAM  HUBER,  proprietor  of  saloon,  Menomonie.  born  in 
Baden,  Germany,  in  1825,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1855;  came 
directly  to  Menomonie,  and  engaged  for  K.,  S.  &  Co.  He  is  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  and  worked  at  this  for  many  years.  Has  been  in  his  present 
business  since  1878,  His  wife  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  four 
children — Frank,  Angeline,  Oscar  and  Mary. 

PROF.  J.  G.  INGALLS,  principal  of  public  schools,  Menomonie, 
was  born  at  Palmer,  Mass.,  in  1849.  His  parents  removed  to  what  is 
now  Sauk  County  when  he  was  six  years  of  age.  He  partially  prepared 
for  college  at  Dalton,  but  enlisted,  in  1S63,  in  the  12th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and 
served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg, the  Atlanta  campaign,  in  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea,  and  the 
battle  of  Bentonville.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  entered  the  pre- 
paratory school  at  Ripon,  where  he  was  a  student  for  seven  years,  grad- 
uating in  the  class  of  :876.  He  was  engaged  in  teaching,  at  Ripon.  for 
two  years — ^from  1872  to  1874  ;  assumed  his  present  position  in  1876. 
The  Menomonie  schools  have  steadily  advanced  under  his  superintend- 
ence. The  schools  are  thoroughly  graded,  and  the  High  School  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  State. 

JACOB  JUNGCK,  of  the  firm  of  Carter  &  Jungck,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Rhenish  Bavaria.  Germany,  in  1834.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1854,  and  lived  in  Cincinnati  about  two  years.  He  came  to 
Menomonie,  April  20,  1856.  He  was  employed  by  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co., 
for  about  ten  years,  and  was  in  the  lumber  department  of  that  firm  for 
six  or  seven  years  ;  was  afterward  employed  as  clerk  in  the  flouring 
mill.  He  was  married  in  1863,  to  Margaret  Habermeier.  born  in  Ger- 
many. They  have  six  children — Anna,  Mary,  William,  Charles,  Ada 
and  Carrie. 

PETER  LAMMER,  merchant  tailor  and  dealer  in  ready-made  cloth- 
ing, hats  and  caps,  Menomonie,  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany, 
Nov.  3,  1831,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  and  lived  in  the  city  of 
New  York  about  seven  years,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  He  was  also 
a  short  time  in  Massachusetts  and  NewJersey.  He  went  to  Reed's  Land- 
ing, Minn.,  in  the  Spring  of  1861,  and  came  to  Menomonie  in  the  Fall 


286 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


of  the  same  year,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  a  merchant  tailor.    His 
wife  was  Angeline  Seifert.  born  in  Baden,  Germany. 

W.  H.  LANDON,  County  Clerk,  of  Menonionie,  liorn  in  Connect- 
icut in  1831.  His  parents  were  natives  of  that  State,  and  resided  there 
till  theirdeath.  Mr.  I.andon  went  to  HerkimerCo.,  N.V.,when  a  young 
man,  where  he  lived  for  a  time,  but  came  to  Wisconsin  m  1S54,  and  set- 
tled in  lefferson  County.  He  removed  to  the  town  of  Spring  Brook, 
Dunn  County,  in  the  Fall  of  1S5S,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Sec.  S,  which 
he  still  owns.  He  was  elected  County  Clerk  of  Dunn  County  in  the  Fall 
of  1S74  ;  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term  in  that  capacity.  His  wife  was 
Mary  Davenport.  They  have  four  children— Laura,  Jessie,  Galen  and 
M.ibel. 

JOHN  T.  LONG,  Jr..  photographer.  Menomonie,  son  of  John  T. 
Long,  Sr.,  who  came  to  Menomonie  with  his  family,  from  Illinois,  in 
1S63.  Mr.  Long  was,  for  thirteen  years,  in  the  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout 
&  Co.;  for  the  last  three  and  one-half  years  of  that  lime,  was  engaged 
in  filing.  He  learned  his  present  business  with  Mr.  E.  C.  Dickinson, 
with  whom  he  engaged  in  business.  He  bought  the  interest  of  his  part- 
ner in  1879.     His  wife  was  Celia  Renken,  born  in  Wisconsin. 

REV.  L.  LUND,  pastor  of  the  Conference  of  the  Norwegian  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church  of  North  America,  Menomonie,  was  born  in 
Vefsen,  Nordland,  Norway,  in  1845.  He  prepared  in  part  for  the  ministry 
in  Norway,  where  he  was  also  engaged  in  teaching.  Hecametothe  United 
States  in  1S6S,  and  completed  his  studies  at  Paxton,  111.,  and  at  Marshall, 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.;  was  ordained  in  1870.  He  relumed  to  Norway  in  1S71, 
and  came  back  in  the  following  year  and  settled  at  Westbrook,  Cotton- 
wood Co..  Minn.,  where  he  remained  five  years.  He  came  to  Menomonie 
in  1876.  His  wife  was  born  in  the  same  part  of  Norway,  as  her  husband. 
They  have  two  children,  Ingeborg  and  Lydia.  On  his  return  from  Nor- 
way, in  1S72,  Mr.  Lund  brought  his  parents  ftom  their  native  land,  to 
live  with  him.  He  has  also  two  brothers  and  four  sisters  in  this  country. 
His  oldest  sister  still  lives  in  Norway 

S.  D.  McKAHAN,  Postmaster,  Menomonie,  son  of  William  McKa- 
han,  who  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1807,  was  married  in 
Pennsylvania,  his  wife  being  born  the  same  year.  He  came  with  his 
family  to  this  place  from  Pennsylvania  in  August,  1S57.  They  came  by 
steamboat  from  Pittsburgh  to  Reed's  Landing,  and  thence  to  Dunnville. 
Here  he  took  charge  of  the  mercantile  department  of  the  business  of 
Knapp.  Stout  &  Co..  which  position  he  held  for  about  three  years.  He 
then  purchased  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Red  Cedar,  where  he  lived  several 
years.  Afterward  settled  in  the  village  of  Menomonie,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business,  being  the  first  who  embarked  in  that  enter- 
prise in  the  village.  Was  also  proprietor  of  the  Menomonie  House  for 
two  years.  He  died  suddenly,  on  his  way  home  from  Durand,  Oct.  10, 
1872.  His  wife  died  in  Minneapolis  a  short  time  subsequent  to  the 
death  of  her  husband.  They  had  nine  children,  two  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Three  sons  and  four  daughters  remain.  S.  D.  McKahan  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1843.  He  was  engaged  as  clerk  for  his  brother, 
J.  B.  McKahan.  for  several  years.  Was  also  in  business  for  himself 
several  years.  He  has  been  Postmaster  at  Menomonie  since  1870.  He 
was  married  to  Parnella  Neusom,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Katie  and  Matie  (twins),  Genevieve  and  Ruth. 

ROBERT  M.\CAULEY,  attorney  and  County  Judge,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  Feb.  18,  1838.  His  father,  Robert  Ma- 
cauley,  emigrated  with  his  family  to  the  United  States  in  1842,  and 
settled  in  Hancock  Co,  111.,  where  he  died  in  November,  1847.  In 
the  Spring  of  1852,  the  mother,  with  six  children,  came  to  what  is  now 
the  village  of  Menomonie.  In  the  Spring  of  1854,  they  removed  to 
Dunnville.  Robert  enlisted,  in  September,  1864,  in  the  l6th  Reg.  Wis. 
V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  Gen.  Sherman's 
final  campaigns,  including  that  of  Atlanta  and  Sherman's  march  to  the 
sea.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  studied  law  with  Judge  Bundy,  of 
Menomonie,  and  was  admitted  January,  1866.  He  was  elected  District 
Attorney  in  the  Fall  of  1868.  Held  that  office  four  years.  He  was 
elected  County  Judge  of  Dunn  County  in  1873.  Has  now  served  in 
that  capacity  eight  years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Cora  Oleson.  They  have 
two  children,  William  J.  and  Martha. 

THOMAS  MANLEY,  sexton  of  Evergreen  Cemetery,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  county  Farmanagh,  Ireland,  in  1836.  He  came  to  America 
when  fifteen  years  of  age.  His  parents,  John  and  Mary  Manley,  resided 
in  Irelandtill  theirdeath.  Mr.  Manley  firs!  went  to  Galena,  111.,  where  he 
began  learning  the  trade  of  wagon-making.  He  came  to  Menomonie 
in  September,  1855,  and  was  employed  by  K„  S.  &  Co,  During  the 
war  he  was  employed  aboard  a  transport  vessel  for  some  time.  He  was 
married,  in  Illinois,  to  Margaret  Murphy,  native  of  that  State.  Re- 
turned to  Menomonie  and  went  to  work  for  the  company  again,  by 
whom  he  has  been  employed  most  of  the  time  since.  Has  been  sexton 
of  Evergreen  Cemetery  since  1877.  They  have  four  children,  two  sons 
two  daughters. 

EGBERT  MARKS,  Menomonie,  is  the  purchasing  clerk  for  the 
extensive  mercantile  business  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  was  born  in 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1834.  He  was  brought  up  to  the  mercantile  business. 
He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1873,  and  assumed  his  present  position.     He 


attends  solely  to  buying  goods,  not  only  for  the  main  store  at  Menomo- 
nie, but  for  supplying  all  the  mercantile  branches  of  the  extensive  busi- 
ness of  this  firm.  His  wife  was  Miss  Emma  E.,  daughter  of  John  D. 
Grifiin,  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children,  Louise  and 
Nellie. 

EDWARD  MUNSKE,  proprietor  of  meat-market,  Menomonie, 
was  born  in  Prussia  in  1S47.  He  came  to  this  country  Nov.  i,  1869. 
He  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  at  Eau  Claire,  and  came  to  Me- 
nomonie August,  1861.  He  married  Mary  Geisler.  They  have  three 
children — Fred,  .A.lbert  and  an  infant. 

WALTER  McNEEL,  druggist  and  physician,  Menomonie,  has 
charge  of  the  drug  department  of  the  mercantile  business  of  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.  He  was  born  in  Lucerne  Co..  Pa  ,  in  1849.  Came  to  Wis- 
consin about  1S56.  His  parents  settled  at  Kilbourn  City,  Columbia  Co. 
.Mr.  McNeel  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  several  years.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  G.  W.  Jenkins,  of  Kilbourn 
City,  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1878.  Studied  medicine  for  a  time 
with  Dr.  D.  H.  Decker,  of  Menomonie.  Assumed  his  present  position 
in  187S. 

JOHN  NOULEN,  retired,  Menomonie,  was  born  in  county  Water- 
ford,  Ireland,  Sept.  29,  l8l2.  He  came  to  America  with  his  parents, 
Matthew  and  Ellen  (Power)  Noulen,  about  1825.  Lived  in  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia  for  several  years,  and  came  to  the  United  Slates  about  1S30.  He 
was  married  in  the  province  of  New  Brunswick,  in  1836,  to  Mary  Mash, 
born  in  Lower  Canada  in  August,  1823.  Came  to  Menomonie  in  the 
Fall  of  1854.  Was  engaged  for  K.,  S.  &  Co.  till  f86l,  when  he  enlisted 
in  the  5th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  during  the  war.  He  was  wounded  at 
the  first  battle  of  Williamsburg.  Was  in  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea, 
and  many  other  important  campaigns  of  the  war.  Since  the  war  he  has 
been  variously  engaged.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Noulen  have  two  adopted  chil- 
dren. They  are  prominent  and  devoted  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

O.  OHNSTAD,  dealer  in  boots  and  shoes,  clothing,  etc.,  Menomo- 
nie, was  born  in  Norway  in  1833.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1858. 
His  parents  came  at  same  time,  and  settled  in  Dane  County.  He 
worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  shoemaker,  in  Madison  for  fifteen  years. 
He  came  to  Menomonie  in  August,  1873,  and  engaged  in  this  business  in  a 
small  way.  By  close  and  careful  attention  to  his  business  he  has  built 
up  a  fine  trade.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Dane  County.  They  have 
four  children — Oliver,  John,  Helen  and  Levina. 

THOM.\S  ORDEMANN,  artist  and  photographer.  Menomonie, 
son  of  Gerhard  Ordemann,  who  was  born  in  Bremen  and  emigrated  to 
this  country  in  1853.  Mr.  Ordemann,  Sr.,  was  a  fresco  painter  ;  for 
which  business  he  prepared  himself  in  his  native  land.  After  coming  to 
this  country  he  lived  in  New  York  about  one  year.  He  was  also  a  min- 
ister of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  came  to  Racine  County  in  1S55,  and  to 
Dunn  County  in  1857,  and  lived  in  the  town  of  Spring  Brook.  He  set- 
tled in  Menomonie  about  1871,  where  he  died.  May  24,  1881.  He  had 
ten  children.  His  widow  and  six  children  survive  him.  One  son,  Fred- 
eric, enlisted  in  the  17th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  died  during  the  war.  Thomas 
was  born  in  Germany  in  1851.  He  began  learning  the  business  of  fres- 
co painting  Avith  his  father  when  sixteen  years  of  age.  After  a  large 
experience,  in  which  he  worked  in  many  of  the  largest  cities  of  the 
Union,  including  St.  Paul,  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis.  San  Francisco,  etc., 
he  entered  the  Art  Academy  at  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  a  student  for 
several  terms.  He  is  now  established  at  Menomonie  as  a  photographer. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  Stokes,  daughter  of  Thomas  Stokes. 

P.  H.  OSWALD,  Menomonie,  has  charge  of  the  store  of  L.  H. 
Heller  &  Son.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  182S.  When  the  war 
broke  out  in  1861,  he  became  connected  with  the  igth  Pa.  Cavalry, 
under  Col.  Cummings.  He  was  a  lieutenant  of  Co.  B.  He  was 
in  active  service  with  his  regiment  till  the  close  of  the  war  ;  he  then  pur- 
chased a  plantation  near  Alexandria,  La.,  where  he  located  with  his 
family  and  resided  till  1878.  This  was  known  as  the  Woodlawn  planta- 
tion, a  place  which  has  become  historical  as  the  scene  of  an  important 
event  in  Banks'  Red  River  expedition,  during  the  rebellion.  Mr.  Os- 
wald was  quite  prominent  as  a  citizen  of  that  portion  of  Louisiana. 
He  was  a  frequent  delegate  to  conventions  at  a  time  when  all  northern- 
ers were  looked  upon  with  suspicion.  He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  and 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B.  B.  Society,  a 
benevolent  institution  established  for  the  benefit  of  orphans.  Married 
Miss  Clara  Hess.     They  have  two  sons,  Charles  and  Edward  H. 

CHRIST  PAULY,  proprietor  of  Wisconsin  House,  Menomonie, 
Born  in  Alsace,  now  a  province  of  Germany,  in  1849.  He  came  to 
the  United  Stales  in  1870.  He  resided  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  a  short  time, 
thence  to  Fort  Madison,  Iowa ;  and  came  to  Menomonie,  December, 
:8-o.  He  worked  for  K.  S.  &  Co.,  for  two  and  a  half  years  ;  then 
built  a  bakery  and  restaurant,  which  he  kept  two  years  ;  then  engaged 
in  the  butchering  business  for  about  five  years.  He  became  proprietor 
of  the  Wisconsin  House  in  May,  18S1.  His  wife  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  of  German  parentage.     They  have  one  daughter.  Mary. 

PETER  PERRAULT,  proprietor  of  City  Hotel  and  livery  stable, 
Menomonie.  Born  in  Canada  in  1841,  where  he  lived  till  fifteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  came  to  _Menomonie,  and  went  to  work  for  Knapp, 


HISTORY    OF    DUNN    COUNTY. 


287 


Stout  &  Co.,  where  he  continued  till  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  5th 
Regt.  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  engaged 
in  many  important  battles,  among  which  were  :  Fredericksburg,  Chan- 
ccUorsville,  Gettysburg,  Grant's  campaign  through  the  Wilderness,  Sher- 
idan's campaign  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  etc.  After  the  war  resumed 
work  for  K.,  S.  &  Co.,  in  the  capacity  of  filer;  remained  with  this  com- 
pany till  1869,  wheu  he  bought  the  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  one  which 
he  now  owns,  which  was  burned  in  1S77,  and  which  he  rebuilt.  Mar- 
ried Inez  Vance.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Dunn 
County.     He  died  in  1S63.     Mr.  Perrault  has  six  children. 

SEWELL  A.  PETERSON,  Register  of  Deeds,  Menomonie.  Was 
born  in  Norway,  in  1851.  His  father,  Ole  Peterson,  came  to  this  coun- 
try with  his  family  in  1865,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Grant,  Dunn 
County.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Peterson  died  in  that  town  in  1S73,  their 
deaths  occurring  during  the  same  week.  They  left  six  children  ;  had 
lost  two.  Five  of  the  children  are  residents  of  Dunn  County,  the  other, 
of  Polk  Co.  Minn.  At  ihe  time  of  his  election  to  his  present  position, 
Mr.  Peterson  was  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Grant ;  he  taught  school  in 
that  town  for  several  terms,  and  was  treasurer  of  the  town  two  years. 
He  was  first  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  in  the  Fall  of  l875'; 
has  served  in  that  capacity  since  January.  1876. 

E.  PIXLEV,  baker,  confectioner  and  proprietor  of  restaurant,  Me- 
nomonie, is  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.  He  came  to  Portage  in 
1855.  He  enlisted  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1861,  in  the  8th  Wis.  V.  I. 
He  was  in  active  service  for  four  years,  and  participated  in  not  less  than 
eighteen  general  engagements,  including  Ft.  Donaldson  ;  was  at  siege 
of  Island  No.  10;  siege  of  Corinth,  battle  of  luka,  and  many  others  of 
equal  importance  ;  was  taken  prisoner  at  luka,  Sept.  13.  1862,  and  ex- 
changed February,  1S63.  .\fter  the  war  he  engaged  in  business  at  Green 
Bay.  He  came  to  Menomonie  and  established  his  present  business, 
July.  1881.  His  wife  was  Miss  Emily  Seely.  They  have  five  children- 
Minnie.  Cora,  Lulu,  Bertie  and  Birdie  (twins). 

REV.  WILLIAM  POMEREMKE,  pastor  of  the  German  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  Menomonie.  Was  born  in  Prussia  in  1850.  He 
was  eilucated  in  Germany,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1873.  He 
lived  for  a  time  in  Indiana  ;  then  went  to  Kansas,  where  he  preached 
one  year ;  thence  to  Minnesota,  where  he  preached  about  four  years. 
Came  to  Menomonie  in  Fall  of  1880.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Cleve- 
land. Ohio. 

O.  K.  RANUM,  druggist,  of  the  firm  of  Ranum  &  Greer,  Menomo- 
nie. Was  born  in  Norway,  in  1847.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1867,  lived  about  one  year  in  Chicago.  Early  in  life  Mr.  Ranum  turned 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  was  for  a  time  a  student  of 
the  University  of  Christiana.  After  leaving  Chicago  he  resided  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State  for  the  next  two  years  ;  he  then  went  to  Min- 
nesota and  resided  at  Wells,  about  four  years,  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness and  in  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  G.  W.  Bark,  of  that  place  ; 
thence  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  same  business  ; 
thence  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  was  engaged  with  Noyes  Bros.  &  Cutler  till 
February,  1878.  when  he  came  to  Menomonie  and  engaged  as  clerk  for 
Dr.  George  Tonnar.  He  entered  into  business  with  Mr.  Greer,  Novem- 
ber, 1880. 

SCHUTTE  &  QUILLING,  general  merchants,  bankers  and  grain 
dealers,  Menomonie.  Mr.  William  Schutte,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  January,  1841.  He  came  to  this  country  with  his 
parents  when  about  twelve  years  of  age.  The  family  settled  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  but  came  to  Wisconsin  in  l8';5.  Mr.  Schutte  has  been  a  res- 
ident of  Dunn  County  since  that  time.  He  was  for  several  years  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Menomonie  with  Mr.  Fred  Ursinus,  but  sold  his 
interest  to  his  partner  in  1873,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Quil- 
ling. He  was  married  to  Mary  Reineke,  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
have  two  children— William  and  Ida,  and  have  lost  two  children. 

Mr.  Albert  Quilling,  of  this  firm,  was  born  in  Prussia,  in  1852.  He 
is  a  relative  of  his  partner,  Mr.  Schutte.  The  parents  of  these  gentle- 
men came  to  this  country  at  the  same  time,  from  the  same  part  of  Ger- 
many, and  together  came  to  Dunn  County.  Mr.  Quilling,  like  his  part- 
ner, has  been  a  resident  of  Dunn  County  since  his  parents,  Christ  and 
Dorathy  Quilling  came  here.  He  taught  a  few  terms  of  school  in  Chip- 
pewa County  before  he  engaged  in  business  in  1873.  He  was  married 
to  Henrietta  Schmidt,  born  in  Westphalia.  They  have  one  child, 
George.  Have  lost  three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Like  a 
number  of  other  successful  business  men  of  Menomonie,  they  began 
with  small  means,  and  are  now  numbered  among  the  most  substantial 
business  firms  of  the  county. 

G.  H.  SEELY.  proprietor  of  Seely  Livery  Stable.  Menomonie.  Born 
in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  1845.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1865.  Previous 
to  engaging  in  the  livery  business,  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade. 
He  bought  the  livery  of  .Mr.  McKahan,  in  1872.  His  present  livery 
building  w.as  built  by  Mr.  Tainter.  the  father-in-law  of  Mr.  Seely.  It  is 
one  of  the  finest  buildings  of  the  kind  in  the  State.  Its  cost  was  about 
Ijto.ooo.  Mr.  Seely  married  Miss  Lottie  M.  Tainter.  They  have  three 
children— Ruth  B.,  James  T.  and  Louise  M. 


-  SEVER  SEVERSON,  Sheriff,  Menomonie.  Born  in  Norway,  in 
1834.  His  parents  had  five  children.  He  is  the  only  one  of  his  father's 
family  who  ever  came  to  America.  Father  and  one  brother  are  still  liv- 
ing. He  came  to  this  country  when  a  young  man,  believing  that  he 
would  here  find  better  opportunities  for  making  his  way  in  the  world. 
He  resided  for  a  short  time  in  Michigan,  went  thence  to  Illinois,  and 
thence  to  Wisconsin.  After  coming  to  this  State,  he  lived  for  a  short 
time  at  Wyota,  thence  in  Dunnville,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  that 
of  a  millwright  and  carpenter,  for  about  one  year.  He  then  came  to 
Menomonie,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  time,  and  soon  after  estab- 
lished the  business  of  blacksmithing  and  wagon  making,  in  which  he  is 
still  engaged.  He  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Company  K.  5th  Wis.  V.  I,,  and 
served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  served  one  year  in  the  ranks  as  a 
private,  and  the  remainder  of  his  term  as  a  wagonmaker  at  the  brigade 
headquarters.  He  was  elected  Sheriff'  of  Dunn  County  in  the  Fall  of 
1880.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  his  popularity  is  evident,  from 
the  fact  that  he  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  in  a  county  strongly  Re- 
publican. He  has  also  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  His  wife  was  Miss  Christina  Olson,  born 
in  Norway,  in  1S45.  They  have  two  children,  Julirna  and  Oscar  C. 
They  have  lost  three  boys. 

GEORGE  SHAFFER,  attorney,  firm  of  Manwarring  &  Shaffer, 
Menomonie.  Born  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1849.  Removed  with 
his  father,  Peter  Shaffer,  to  Adams  Co..  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1855.  and 
to  the  town  of  Sherman.  Dunn  Co.,  in  1863,  where  his  father  still  resides. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  Dunn  County  for 
some  time.  Was  appointed  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  the 
Fall  of  1874.  on  the  resignation  of  W.  S.  Johnson.  Was  elected  for  the 
unexpired  term,  re-elected  in  1875  and  1877,  serving  in  all  six  years  in 
this  capacity.  He  read  law  with  Judge  E.  B.  Bundy.  and  graduated  at 
the  I.1W  department  of  the  University  at  Madison,  in  June,  1880,  and 
formed  present  partnership  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year. 


GEORGE  TONNAR.  druggist.  Menomonie.  Wasborn  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Luxumberg,  Germany,  in  1843.  His  parents  came  to  this 
country  in  1858,  and  settled  at  Mankato,  Minn.,  where  they  resideduiitil 
their  death.  He  went  to  St.  Paul  in  the  Fall  of  1861,  where  he  engaged 
for  a  time  as  a  clerk.  He  enlisted  in  January.  1862.  and  continued  in 
the  service  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  for  some  time  a  member 
of  Berdan's  celebrated  corps  of  sharpshooters.  He  afterwards  joined 
the  1st  Reg.,  Minn.  V.  L  He  was  in  McClellan's  Peninsula  campaign, 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Hanover  Court  House,  Fair  Oaks,  White 
Oak  Swamp,  Peach  Orchard  and  Malvern  Hill.  He  was  taken  sick  at 
Harrison's  Landing,  and  on  his  recovery,  was  placed  on  detached  duty, 
where  he  remained  during  the  remainder  of  his  term  of  service.  Was 
clerk  in  the  war  department  for  a  time,  was  afterward  employed  as  hos- 
pital steward  in  the  regular  army.  During  the  time  that  he  was  on  de- 
tached service,  he  was  engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine,  and  attended 
lectures  at  the  Georgetown  University.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
went  to  Dubuque,  where  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  drug  store  for 
about  one  year.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  tlte  Fall  of  186S,  and  en- 
gaged as  clerk  till  1871.  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  staff  of  Gov.  Smith,  is  second  vice-president  of  the 
Wisconsin  Pharmaceutical  Association,  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Wisconsin  Veteran  Association.  Has  been  twice  Adjutant-General,  and 
is  now  Brigadier  General  of  the  Chippewa  Valley  Veteran  Reunion  As- 
sociation, and  holds  other  positions  of  a  similar  character.  Was  at  one 
time  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Dunn  County.  His  wife  was 
Nettie  Burke,  a  native  of  Canton,  Ohio. 

FREDERICK  URSINUS,  general  merchant.  Menomonie.  Born 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Saxony,  in  1829.  Came  to  the  United  States  about 
1849.  He  came  by  way  of  New  Orleans  to  St.  Louis  ;  thence  to  Illinois, 
where  he  lived  about  two  years.  He  came  to  Menomonie  in  1853.  and 
was  in  the  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  for  fifteen  years,  taking  chaige 
of  the  bakery  department  of  that  firm.  His  first  business  venture  for 
himself  was  with  Mr.  .Schutte,  which  partnership  was  dissolved  in  1873. 
His  wife  was  Minnie  Schutte.  a  .sister  of  Mr.  William  Schutte,  his  former 
partner.  Has  four  children — Erdah,  Fred,  Bennie  and  an  infant 
daughter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ursinus  lost  three  children  in  one  week,  of 
diphtheria. 

DANIEL  WAITE,  farmer,  and  present  surveyor  of  Dunn  County. 
Resides  on  Sec.  10.  Town  of  Weston;  P.  O.  Menomonie.  He  is  ihe 
son  of  Emery  Waite.  who  settled  in  Columbia  County  in  1S53.  He  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Dunn  Countv  in  1S64.  where  the  father  of  Mr. 
Waite  died  in  1879.  His  mother  lives  with  her  son,  D.aniel.  Parents 
had  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  residents  of  Dunn  County— Fran- 
ces,  now  Mrs.  G.  W.  Bird,  Daniel  and  Eleanor.  Daniel  was  born  in 
Columbia  County  in  1854.  He  prepared  for  college  at  the  High  School 
of  Menomonie,  under  Prof.  Thayer,  and  took  a  farmer's  course  in  the 
Illinois  Industrial  University,  where  he  made  a  specialty  of  surveying. 
He  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  several  years  in  Dunn  County;  elected 
County  Surveyor  in  the  Fall  of  1880.  Married  Harriet  Stevens.  They 
have  one  son. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


KNAPP. 

This  village  is  on  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  on 
Wilson's  Creek.  It  has  about  200  inhabitants,  and  is  a 
manufacturing  place. 

The  earliest  settlers  of  Knapp  were  Omer  Cole  and  John 
Bailey.  The  first  store  was  kept  by  A.  K.  Humphrey. 
The  village  is  in  the  town  of  Stanton,  and  has  no  separate 
government.  It  has  now  more  than  500  inhabitants.  Has 
a  lodge  of  United  Workmen,  instituted  in  1880,  and  one 
of  Good  Templars,  started  in  1873.  Religious  services 
are  held  in  the  scliool  house.  The  amount  of  freight  for- 
warded per  month  averages  2,500,000  pounds,  and  500,000 
received,  and  $300  is  received  for  passenger  fares.  F.  E. 
Blaser  is  station  agent. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place  are  as  follows: 
the  Hall  &  Dann  Barrel  Company,  of  Minneapolis,  manu- 
facture their  staves  and  headings,  or  a  part  of  them,  here, 
turning  out  2,500  sets  of  barrel  stock  every  day. 

Ha1i,  Dann  &  Co.  also  have  a  general  merchandise  store, 
selling  from  $30,000  to  $40,000  worth  a  year.  About  200 
men  are  employed.  The  heading  mill  will  cut  forty  cords 
a  day,  making  2,200  sets.  About  74,000  staves  are  slashed 
out.  The  wood  used  is  white  and  red  oak,  maple,  ash,  rock 
elm,  birch,  butternut  and  basswood.  Logs  at  the  mills 
bring  from  §2  to  $9  a  thousand.  The  dry  houses  kiln  dry 
the  stock  in  twenty-four  hours.  William  Kimball  is  the 
efficient  superintendent. 

Manufacturing  of  hard  woods  must  increase  at  this 
point. 

The  Bailey  Manufacturing  Company  was  incorporated 
October  18,  1880,  with  $100,000  capital.  The  firm  consists 
of  E.  P.  Bailey  and  S.  J.  Fletcher.  Manufacture  lumber, 
the  Springer  Cultivator  and  Seeder  combined,  wagons, 
trunk  slats,  etc.  The  object  of  the  firm  is  to  put  as  much 
labor  as  possible  into  the  raw  material.  There  is  a  store 
connected  with  the  firm,  selling  about  $40,000  worth  a  year. 
Eighty  hands  are  employed. 

The  village  is  quite  romantically  located,  in  a  valley 
surrounded  by  wood  covered  hills.  It  has  a  population 
of  200. 

Northwestern  Hub  and  Spoke  Factory,  E.  T.  Bond,  pro- 
prietor. First  started  in  1S76,  by  Hubbard  &  Morgan. 
About  forty  full  sets  of  hubs  and  spokes  are  turned  out 
every  day,  completely  finished  and  polished.  Some  sawed 
felloes  are  also  made.  Richard  Gregg  is  foreman,  and  about 
twenty-five  men  are  employed.  A  store  is  also  connected 
with  the  business. 

BIOGR.-^PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FRED  E.  BLASER,  station  agent  and  telegraph  operator,  Knapp. 
Was  born  in  Tomah.  in  1859.  H'^  father,  John  Blaser,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Monroe  County.  Mr.  Blaser  began  learning  his 
present  business  at  Tomah,  and  was  afterward  employed  for  a  time  at 
Camp  Douglass.  His  first  station  was  Lowrie's,  on  the  Chicago,  St. 
Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  R.  R.  His  second  station  was  Mather,  on 
the  Wisconsin  Valley  R.  R.;  thence  to  Valley  Junction.  Took  charge 
of  the  station  at  Knapp,  December,  18S0. 

DR.  J.  T.  BRIGHT,  Knapp.  Born  in  Columbia  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1837 
He  read  medicine  in  Seneca  County  with  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Vers,  and  be- 
gan practice  in  Montcalm  Co.,  Mich.  He  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  13th 
Pa.  Cavalry  ;  he  was  orderly  sergeant  of  Co.  I ;  was  afterward  promoted 
to  a  first  lieutenancy.  During  the  last  part  of  the  war,  engaged  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  2d  Brigade  2d  Div.  Cav.  Corps.  He  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Reams'  Station,  from  the  efTccts  of  which  he 
has  never  fully  recovered.  He  came  to  Dunn  County  in  August,  1873. 
His  wife  was  born  in  North  Carolina.     They  have  five  children. 

EDWARD  C.  COLEMAN,  of  the  Bailey  Manufacturing  Co., 
Knapp.  Was  born  in  Bloomington,  111.,  in  1S43.  Removed  with  his 
parents  to  HufTalo  County,  in  1857.  His  father,  Henry  Coleman,  died 
in  1869.      The  parents  of  Mr.  Coleman  had  three  sons,  besides  himself 


— Charles,  born  1841;  Milton,  born  1856;  Henry  N.,  born  i86o- 
Charles  was  a  member  of  the  12th  Wis.  V.  I.  during  the  war.  He  was 
a  gallant  soldier ;  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Perryville  ;  he 
settled  in  Pepin  County  after  the  close  of  the  war;  he  was  Sheriff  of  that 
county  one  year,  and  Under-SherifT  for  several  years.  He  and  Milton 
met  a  tragic  death  at  Durand,  July  10,  :8Si,  an  account  of  which  will 
be  found  elsewhere.  Edward  C.  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  the  Z5th  Regt.  Wis. 
V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  he  went  to 
Cedar  Falls,  Dunn  County,  and  to  Menomonie  in  1869.  He  was  in  the 
employment  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  at  Rice  Lake,  for  about  seven  years. 
He  came  to  Knapp  in  the  Fall  of  iSSo. 

DR.  W.  W.  DORRY,  Knapp.  Born  in  Hadley,  Mass.,  in  1S22. 
He  had  a  twin  brother  who  died  when  seven  years  of  age.  His  parents 
removed  to  the  State  of  Connecticut  in  1829.  and  afterward  to  Dansville, 
N.  v.,  where  they  resided  till  their  death.  Dr.  Dorry  studied  medicine 
when  a  young  man,  and  has  practiced,  more  or  less,  for  thirty  years.  He 
removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  in  1856.  He  enlisted  in  1861,  in  the 
3d  Mich.  V.  I.  He  served  as  a  private  for  about  three  months.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  ;  he  was  soon  after  detailed  for 
hospital  duty  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war  as  division  field  hos- 
pital steward.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Michigan  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  practicing  medicine.  He  removed  to  Eau 
Galle,  Dunn  County,  in  1870.  where  heslill  owns  a  farm.  He  located  at 
Knapp,  December,  1880.  He  is  at  present  engaged  in  keeping  the 
boarding  house  for  the  manufacturing  company  of  Hall,  Dann  &  Co. 
He  married  Miss  Sarah  Filkins,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  three  sons — 
William  H.,  James  A.  and  Edmond  G. 

SOLOMON  J.  FLETCHER,  of  the  Bailey  Manufacturing  Co., 
Knapp.  Born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  V.  He  lived  in  that  State  till 
1854,  when  he  went  to  Pennsylvania.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter when  a  young  man.  He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1859.  ^"d  en- 
gaged in  bridge  building.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  family,  and  by 
his  brother  Albert  and  family.  When  the  war  broke  out  in  iS6i,they 
made  their  escape  down  the  Holston  River  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  with  consid- 
erable difficulty  and  many  interesting  adventures.  In  1862,  Mr.  Fletcher 
went  to  Menomonie  and  engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  contin- 
ued with  this  firm  about  three  years.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Bailey  Manufacturing  Co.,  an  account  of  which  will  be  found  elsewhere. 
C.  H.  FRESSELL,  M.  D.,  Knapp.  Was  born  at  Lodi,  Wis.  He 
read  medicine  with  Dr.  Pease,  of  Menomonie,  and  graduated  at  Rush 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  in  iSSi.  He  located  at  Knapp,  August,  1S80. 
In  the  same  year  he  married  Miss  C.  Stockman,  a  native  of  Indiana. 

H.  W.  KELLOGG,  merchant,  Knapp.  Is  one  of  the  principal 
business  men  of  this  thriving  village.  He  was  born  in  Canada;  re- 
moved to  Ohio  when  about  fourteen  years  of  age  ;  afterwards  went  to 
Illinois,  but  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  to  Celia  Benedict ; 
afterwards  removed  to  Minnesota.  Came  to  Knapp,  March,  1874  ;  was 
telegraph  operator  here  for  about  three  years  ;  he  then  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  Was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1876.  He  is  the 
present  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board.  He  is  engaged  quite  extensively 
in  the  purchasing  of  railroad  ties,  pile  timber,  etc.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kel- 
logg have  five  children,  two  boys  and  three  girls. 

HERBERT  LUCAS,  proprietor  of  hardware  and  tin  shop,  Knapp. 
Son  of  Carroll  Lucas,  Treasurer  of  Dunn  County,  who  settled  in  the 
town  of  Spring  Brook,  in  1855,  having  been  elected  County  Treasurer  in 
the  Fall  of  1S65,  he  removed  to  Menomonie.  He  has  served  as  Coun- 
ty Treasurer  since  January,  1866.  He  wa^  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York  in  1S30.  He  married  Marcelia  Remmington.  They  have  six 
children— Herbert.  Stella.  Devillier.  Warren,  Agnes  and  Clarence. 
Herbert  was  born  in  the  town  of  Spring  Brook,  Dunn  County,  January, 
1S56.  He  learned  the  tinners'  trade  in  Menomonie  ;  was  two  years  with 
Edwards  &  Son,  and  the  same  length  of  time  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co. 
He  established  business  at  Knapp,  July,  iSSo.  Married  Jennie  Fletcher, 
daughter  of  Albert  Fletcher. 

MATHEW  McCORMIC,  proprietor  of  billiard  room,  Knapp.  Son 
of  Charles  W.  McCormic.  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  ;  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  thence  to  Dunn  Countv,  about  1857,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Red  Cedar,  and  died  in  the  town  of  Menomonie  in  1S66.  Mrs. 
McCormic  is  still  living.  There  were  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mai  hew  and  his  brother  E.  B.,  who 
lives  in  Eau  Claire,  are  the  only  ones  residing  in  this  State.  Mathew 
was  born  in  De  Kalb  Co.,  111.,  in  1852.  He  engaged  in  business  in 
Knapp  in  April,  1S81.  He  married  Mary  Maxsey.  They  have  two 
children,  Charles  and  James. 

W.  D.  YOUNG,  foreman  for  Hall  &  Dunn,  Knapp  ;  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  in  1S34.  He  came  to  the  United  States  July,  1851. 
He  lived  in  New  Jersey  about  two  years  ;  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1853  ; 
lived  in  Oconto  County  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  4lh  Wis.  Cav., 
and  served  three  years  ;  went  to  Menomonie  in  1S65,  and  engaged  for 
Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  remained  with  this  firm  till  Summer  of  1880  ; 
has  been  in  his  present  position  since  May,  iSSi.  His  wife  was  Marga- 
ret Riley;  she  was  born  in  Ireland  ;  has  one  son,  George  K. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNN  COUNTY 


This  thriving  village  is  on  the  railroad,  and  is  located 
about  five  miles  southeast  of  Menomonie.  It  has  200  in- 
habitants.    There  was  a  serious  fire  in  August,  1881. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EDWARD  K.  BRAYTON,  harness-maker,  Rusk;  born  at  Dans- 
ville,  Livingston  Co.,  N.  V.,  January,  1849.  Wlien  nine  years  of  age, 
he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Hudson,  Wis.,  where  he  learned  his  trade. 
He  has  worked  at  various  places,  at  his  trade  ;  has  also  acted  as  pilot  on 
the  Mississippi  River.  He  has  worked  at  Eau  Claire,  Wausau,  Stillwa- 
ter, Minnesota,  etc.  ;  was  also  at  work  in  Baltimore,  Md„  for  a  time. 
He  began  learning  his  trade  when  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  came  to 
Rusk  and  engaged  in  business  in  June,  1S77.  Married  Kate  Schaaf ; 
they  have  two  children,  Mabel  and  Libbie.  Mr.  Brayton  was  Town  Clerk 
for  the  year  iSSo. 

DR.  WILLIAM  A.  BURY,  occulist,  P.  O.  Menomonie,  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1814.  He  first  came  to  what  is  now  Dunn  County, 
then  a  part  of  Chippewa  County,  in  the  Spring  of  1S43.  He  remained 
in  this  part  of  the  Slate  about  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Balti- 
more. Being  in  delicate  health  at  this  period  of  his  life,  he  spent  sev- 
eral years  in  traveling.  He  went  to  California  in  1852  ;  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Dunn  County  since  1856.  He  is  prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  but  is  more  generally  and  widely  known  as  an 
oculist,  in  wliich  he  has  acquired  a  high  reputation. 

JOHN  HAUSS,  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Menomonie,  is  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Dunn  County.  He  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  in 
1S25.  He  came  to  America,  April,  1S43.  He  lived  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
about  three  and  one-half  years;  thence  to  Illinois  for  a  short  time;  thence 
to  Mississippi  City,  in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  where  he  worked  on  ma- 
chinery for  a  few  months ;  thence  to  New  Orleans  ;  then  up  the  river  to 
St.  Louis  ;  and  to  Menomonie  in  1S53.  He  worked  for  Knapp,  Stout  & 
Co.  for  about  two  years.  He  settled  where  he  now  lives  in  1855.  His 
first  wife  was  born  in  Germany;  died  1877.  His  present  wife  was  born 
in  Racine  Cuunty  ;  has  two  children  by  first  wife,  Conrad  and  Catharine. 
He  learned  the  business  of  a  brewer  when  a  young  man,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  time. 

GEORGE  D.  OWEN,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Rusk;  born  in  Steuben 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S30.  He  removed  to  Rock  County  in  the  Fall  of  1S55,  where 
he  lived  till  Fall  of  1S59,  when  he  came  to  Dunn  County,  and  settled  on 
Sec.  5,  in  the  present  town  of  Tainter.  He  located  on  his  present  farm 
in  August,  1S65.  His  wife  was  Carrie  Kent,  daughter  of  Joseph  Kent. 
They  have  five  children— Effie  May,  William  D.,  Ethel  K.,  Edith  and 
Ambrose. 

J.  F.  RONNEBERGER,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  O.  Rusk;  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1834;  came  to  America  in  1854;  settled  in  Buffalo  County, 
and  engaged  in  farming.  He  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  1876.  He 
has  240  acres.  His  farm  is  comparatively  new,  but  he  is  rapidly  making 
improvements.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Germany;  they  have  four  chil- 
dren— Anna  E.,  Benjamin  F.,  Martha  M.  and  Rebecca. 

ADELBERT  C.  SHERBURNE,  deceased,  son  of  Andrew  Miller 
Sherburne,  was  born  in  the  State  of  Maine.  Aug.  I,  1S17,  but  was 
brought  up  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.;  afterward  removed  to  Cattaraugus 
County,  where  he  was  married  to  his  present  widow.  Miss  Caroline  Ross, 
who  was  born  in  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S20.  In  1S46,  they  removed  to 
Dane  County,  and  engaged  in  farming.  They  removed  to  Burnham  Val- 
ley. LaCrosse  Co.,  in  1S52,  but  afterward  returned  to  Dane  County. 
They  came  to  Dunn  County  in  October,  1S55,  and  settled  on  Sec.  g, 
town  of  Red  Cedar.  Mr.  Sherburne  pre-empted  his  first  quarter-section 
of  land,  but  rapidly  increased  this,  till  he  had  1,500  acres  in  one  body  ; 
also  made  purchases  of  land  in  other  parts  of  Dunn  and  Buffalo  coun- 
ties, becoming  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  successful  farmers  of  that 
region.  His  widow  and  several  of  her  children  reside  at  the  homestead. 
Mrs.  Sherburne  has  five  children — Caroline  M.,  Sayles  Andrew,  Adel- 
bert  C,  WiUshire  and  May  Jane.  A.  C.  was  born  in  Dane  County,  in 
1846.  He  has  passed  several  years  on  the  plains  and  elsewhere  in  the 
far  West. 

WILLSHIRE  SHERBURNE,  farmer,  .son  of  A.  M.  Sherburne, 
was  born  at  the  homestead,  in  town  of  Red  Cedar,  in  1857.  He 
is  the  youngest  child,  but  one,  of  his  parents,  and  resides  at  the  home- 

RODOLPH  A.  ZUEHLKE,  of  the  firm  of  Zuehlke  &  Moedy,  gen- 
eral merchants.  Rusk,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1853.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1S69,  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  lived  for  a  short 
time  at  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis. ;  went  to  Eau  Claire  the  following  Febru- 
ary, where  he  lived  till  1S73.  when  he  went  to  Menomonie,  where  he 
was  engaged  as  clerk,  for  a  time,  for  Mr.  Fred.  Ursinus,  and  was  after- 
ward engaged  of  Schutte  &  Quilling  ;  took  charge  of  store  for  the  latter 
firm,  at  Rusk,  in  Spring  of  1876.  In  October  following  bought  the 
stock  of  goods  and  continued  Ijusiness  in  the  firm  name  of  Pritz  & 
Zuehlke.  His  partner,  Mr.  Pritz,  died  in  January,  18S0.  In  March  fol- 
19 


lowing,  Mr.  Moedy  engaged  with  him.  Mr.  Zuehlke  married  Mary 
Harms,  daughter  of  John  Harms ;  have  two  children,  Albert  and 
Olga. 

DOWNSVILLE. 

A  mill  was  erected  here  in  i860,  by  Capt.  Downs,  near 
the  place  where  Ebenezer  Thompson  had  begun  to  build 
ssme  years  before,  and  was  ruined  by  the  freshet.  The 
property  afterwards  fell  into  the  hands  of  Knapp,  Stout  & 
Co.,  who  enlarged  and  improved  it.  This  village  is  on  the 
Red  Cedar,  eight  miles  down  the  river  from  Menomonie, 
and  has  about  seventy-five  people  in  the  place. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

EDGAR  M.  DRAKE,  clerk  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  Downsville. 
Born  in  Massachusetts,  in  1S48;  removed  with  his  parents  to  Pepin 
County  in  1S54.  They  came  to  Dunn  County  in  1856.  and  settled  near 
Eau  Galle,  where  they  still  reside.  Mr.  Drake  engaged  for  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.  in  1873,  and  has  been  with  them  since  that  time.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Sarah  Cronk. 

JOHN  FLICK,  Jr..  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  Downsville.  Born 
in  Switzerland,  in  1S38.  Came  to  the  United  Stales  in  1S56.  Lived  in 
Dubuque  for  a  short  time,  also  in  Galena,  111.;  thence  to  La  Crosse. 
He  went  to  Menomonie  in  1857,  and  engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co., 
and  has  been  connected  with  this  company  since  that  time.  He  worked 
on  Prairie  Farm  about  two  years  ;  was  afterwards  engaged  in  the  woods. 
Was  afterwards  employed  on  the  river  during  the  Summer,  and  in  the 
woods  during  the  Winter,  for  several  years.  Came  to  Downsville  in 
1864.  He  is  at  present  engaged  in  running  lumber  from  Downsville  to 
DunnviUe  and  Waubeck.  His  wife  was  Magdalena  Kerenholz,  born  in 
Switzerland.     They  have  ten  children,  five  boys  and  five  girls. 

JACOB  HERMANN,  farmer.  Sec.  11,  P.  O.  Downsville.  Born  in 
Wartemberg,  Germany,  in  1817.  Came  to  this  country  in  June,  1848. 
He  resided  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  about  five  years,  and  then  went  to  Nor- 
folk, Va.,  thence  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  for  a  short  time.  Came  to  Dunn 
County,  November,  1855,  and  pre-empted  his  present  farm,  but  worked 
at  Downsville  for  Mr.  Thompson  about  two  years;  was  also  engaged  with 
his  successor,  Mr.  Downs.  Mr.  Hermann  was  one  of  the  prominent  early 
settlers  of  Dunn  Co.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  for  several 
years.  His  farm  contains  210  acres.  His  wife  was  Christina  Bachtle, 
born  in  Wurtemberg.  They  have  four  children,  Fred,  Caroline,  Jacob 
and  Louis. 

JOEL  HORNER,  farmer,  Sec.  I,  P.  O.  Downsville.  Born  in  Cale 
donia,  Racine  Co.,  in  1844.  His  father,  Joel  Horner,  settled  in  Racine 
County  about  1835,  where  he  resided  till  his  death.  Mr.  Horner  enlisted 
in  the  31st  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  1S62,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  in  active  service  in  the  field  during  his  entire  term  of  service.  W'as 
in  Sherman's  campaign  through  Georgia  to  the  sea.  He  went  to 
Menomonie  in  1S7S,  and  engaged  in  work  at  carpentry.  Bought  his 
farm  in  the  Spring  of  18S1. 

OLE  LARSEN,  time  keeper  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co..  Downsville. 
Born  in  Norway,  in  1840.  He  came  to  Downsville  September,  1S67,  and 
soon  after  engaged  with  the  company.  He  is  now  time  keeper,  and  also 
attends  to  the  selling  of  lumber.  Has  had  his  present  position  since 
1S71.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Norway.  Have  six  children— Christie, 
Ole,  Eliza,  Lena,  Randi  and  Louis. 

ROBERT  B.  McCULLOUGH,  foreman  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.'s 
mill  at  Downsville.  Born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Iowa,  in  1S49.  where  he 
lived  till  1S67,  when  he  came  to  Dunn  County,  and  located  at  Eau  Galle. 
He  went  to  Waubeck  the  same  season  ;  came  to  Downsville  in  1869  ;  has 
been  foreman  of  the  mill  since  1874.  Married  Louisa  Bonnell.  daughter 
of  Ulysses  Bonnell.    They  have  three  children — Jessie,  Levi  and  Leoni. 

LYMAN  S.  MASON,  superintendent  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co..  at 
Downsville,  was  born  at  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  in  1S22.  He  removed  to 
Ohio  with  his  parents,  when  a  child.  When  quite  a  young  man,  he  re- 
lumed to  Cazenovia,  and  was  a  student  of  the  Oneida  Conference  Semi- 
nary for  about  four  years,  teaching,  however,  a  part  of  this  time.  He 
went  to  Grant  County  in  1S45,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching ;  also 
worked  at  mining  for  a  time.  Afterwards  engaged  as  salesman  in  the 
store  of  Vance  Brothers,  near  Potosi.  In  the  Spring  of  1S49.  soon  after 
the  gold  fever  excitement  began,  he  joined  in  the  rush  10  California. 
He  went  by  the  overland  route,  which  in  these  days  of  rapid  transit 
would  seem  a  great  undertaking.  He  engaged  in  mining  there,  returning 
November,  1831,  and  settled  in  Grant  County.  In  March,  1852,  he  went 
to  West  Point.  Iowa,  where  he  resided  one  year;  thence  to  Keokuk,  but 
returned  to  Grant  County,  and  settled  at  Cassville,  where,  in  company 
with  his  brother-in-law,  C.  S.  Irish,  he  built  a  saw  mill  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  He  was  afterwards  engaged  there  in  sell- 
ing goods.  He  enlisted,  July,  1S62,  in  the  20th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf., 
but  was  transferred  to  the  25th  Regt.  and  made  a  second  lieutenant.  He 
remained  in  this  capacity,  and  mostly  on  detached  duty,  till  March,  1866. 
He  then  returned  to  Cassville,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  under 


290 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


the  film  name  of  Otto  Renke  &  Co.  He  remained  here  till  March, 
1871,  when  he  removed  to  Menomonie,  and  engaged  with  Knapp,  Stout 
&  Co.  He  is  at  present  superintendent  of  their  business  at  Downsville. 
His  wife  was  Almira.  daughter  of  Joshua  Sumner,  who  settled  in  Potosi 
in  1844,  where  he  removed  from  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  is  still  a  resident 
of  Grant  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  have  four  children — Anna,  W. 
A.  Sherwin,  Squire  S.  and  Nellie. 

A.  W.  MESSENGER,  bookkeeper  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  Downs- 
ville. Born  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  January,  1853.  When  ten  years  of 
age,  removed  to  Menomonie  with  his  parents,  where  his  father  resided 
till  his  death  ;  his  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  Messenger  engaged  with 
Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  in  the  Fall  of  1871,  as  clerk.  Has  occupied  the 
position  of  bookkeeper  since  1875. 

S.  C.  ROGEfiS,  superintendent  of  boarding  house  of  Knapp,  Stout 
&  Co.,  Downsville.  Was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1835,  where  he 
lived  till  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  par- 
ents, Clayton  and  Triphosa  Rogers.  The  family  settled  in  the  west  part 
of  Dane  (bounty,  in  1850.  His  parents  removed  to  Crawford  County  in 
1853,  where  they  resided  till  their  death.  Mr.  S.  C.  Rogers  enlisted,  in 
1862,  in  the  31st  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  .served  tilt  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  in  .ictive  service  during  the  whole  term  of  his  enlistment.  His  teg- 
iment  belonged  to  the  20th  Corps  during  the  last  part  of  the  war,  and 
marched  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  the  last  engagement  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated being  the  battle  of  Bentonville.  After  the  war,  he  returned  to 
Crawford  County,  afterward  moved  to  Vernon  County.  Came  to  Dunn 
County  in  1872.  He  worked  for  the  company  one  year,  then  had  charge 
of  the  boarding  house  till  18S0,  when  he  came  to  Downsville.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Emily  Pixley,  a  native  of  New  York. 

A.  J.  TIBBETTS,  larmer  and  fruit-grower.  Sec.  3,  P.  O.  Downsville, 
is  the  son  of  Stephen  Tibbetts,  who  came  to  Wisconsin  from  Jefferson 
Co.  Penn.,  in  the  Fall  of  1S55.  Mr.  Stephen  Tibbetts  was  born  in  1800. 
His  wife  is  eleven  years  younger.  They  had  five  children  when  they 
came  to  Wisconsin ;  another  was  born  in  Dunn  County.  Four  children 
are  living — A.  J.,  Priscilla  B.,  Olive,  now  Mrs.  George  K.  Ames,  and 
Oliver  S.  A.  J.  was  born  in  Jefi'erson  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1837.  He  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1855.  His  first  wife  was  Katy  Peck,  born 
in  Massachusetts.  Present  wife  was  Sophia  Coleman.  Has  three  chil- 
dren by  first  wife — Hattie,  Chauncey  and  Lottie.  Has  si.\  children  by 
present  wife — Jessie,  May,  Arthur,  .\lice,  Edna  and  Henry.  Mr.  Tib- 
betts  was  Town  Treasurer  from  1861  to  1871,  a  period  of  ten  years  ;  is 
present  Town  Clerk,  a  position  which  he  has  held  for  many  years.  Was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  nine  years,  and  assessed  the  town  of  Dunn. 
Mr.  Tibbetts  has  had  a  long  experience  in  Dunn  County,  his  family  be- 
ing among  the  very  earliest  settlers.  .\t  the  time  he  settled  here,  the 
country  abounded  in  game,  deer  especially  being  very  numerous.  He 
estimates  the  number  he  has  killed  at  400;  the  number  in  one  year  at 
seventy-three.  He  is  engaged  in  farming,  has  also  a  valuable  nursery, 
and  makes  quite  a  success  of  fruit-raising.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
Duchess  of  Oldenburg  and  the  Teteofsky,  a  valuable  apple  of  Russian 
origin,  also  all  the  varieties  of  the  crab-apple,  including  the  Hysop, 
Whitney  and  Transcendent.  He  propagates  about  thirty-five  different 
kinds  of  apple  trees.  He  also  has  a  fine  apiary,  making  a  specialty  of 
Italian  bees. 

JAMES  WILLIAMSON,  rotary  sawyer  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co., 
Downsville.  Born  in  Scotland,  in  1845.  Came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  1848,  who  settled  in  Toronto,  Canada.  Mr.  Williamson  went 
10  Minnesota  in  i860.  He  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  the  4th  Minn.  Co.  C,and 
^erved  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  many  important  battles  and 
campaigns,  including  Sherman's  march  through  Georgia.  He  came  to 
Dunn  County  in  1865,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  since 
that  time.  He  married  Eliza  Vance.  He  is  engaged  in  the  mill  at 
Downsville  during  the  sawing  season,  and  during  the  Winter  in  the 
pineries  as  head  scaler. 

1)1:NNVILLE. 
This  village  is  located  near  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Cedar, 
twelve  miles  south  of  Menomonie.  It  was  named  in  honor 
of  Judge  Dunn.  It  was  settled  in  1850,  by  Mr.  Lamb,  who 
married  Margaret  DeMarie,  who  was  understood  to  be  an 
adopted  daughter.  He  built  a  shanty,  and  Mr.  A.  Colburn 
had  a  house  which  was  dignified  by  the  name  of  hotel. 
John  Macauley  took  up  his  residence  there  in  1853.  It  was 
the  county  seat,  and  the  general  stopping  jilace  for  visitors 
and  new  comers.  To-day  it  is  mostly  owned  by  the  Knapp, 
Stout  &  Co.  Company,  and  has  fifty  residents. 

niOGRAI'mCAI-    SKETCHES. 

THOMAS   W.  M.   MACAULEY,  farmer,  Sec.   24,  P.  O.  DunnvilK 

.son   of  Robert  Macauley  (sec  biography  of  Robert  Macauley,  Jr.)     He 

was  born  in   the  city  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  June   14.  1835  ;  emigrated 

with  parents  to  Illinois  in  1852.     He  was  the  first   one  of  his   father's 


family  who  came  to  Dunn  County.  He  ca  ne  to  Menomonie,  October, 
1852,  and  engaged  with  Knapp  &  Tainter.  He  was  in  the  employ  of 
this  firm  for  two  years;  came  to  Dunnville  in  1854,  where  he  has  since 
been.  His  wife  was  Susan  Jelliso-,  born  in  Harrison  Co.,  Ind.  They 
have  five  children— Paul.  Esteila,  Maggie  E.,  Robert  H.and  Thomas  R. 
His  farm  contains  240  acres. 

Mr.  John  Macauley,  an  uncle  of  the  ab  .ve,  was  born  in  the  north  of 
Ireland  in  1798;  emigrated  to  New  Oiieans  in  1S43.  He  settled  in 
Hancock  Co.,  III.,  at  the  same  time  'as  biother  Robert  located  there. 
He  also  emigrated  to  Dunn  Coun_,,  lived  in  Menomonie  several  years, 
afterward  removed  to  Waubeck  where  he  built  a  hotel  which  he  con- 
ducted for  several  years.  He  octtled  in  Dunnville  in  1854,  where  he  still 
lives.     He  has  one  son,  Hugn,  now  a  resident  of  Oregon. 

CEDAR  FALLS. 
A  mill  was  built  at  this  point  in  1859,  by  Burry  &  Mc- 
Cormick.  It  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  Ma.xwell, 
McGilton  &  Co.  It  was  sold  some  years  ago  at  Sheriff's 
sale  to  Jewett  &  Son.  To  all  appearances,  this  place, 
which  now  contains  over  fifty  persons,  has  the  elements  of 
growth  and  prosperity.  Little  Valley  Postoffice  is  located 
on  Section  6,  Town  59. 


BIOGR.APHICAL    SKETCHES. 
JOHN   BORLAND,  farmer,  Sec.  26,  P.  O.  Rusk, 


New 


born 
Brunswick  in  1830,  where  he  lived  till  August,  1853,  when  he  went  to 
the  State  of  Maine,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering.  He  came  to 
Menomonie  in  August,  1855,  and  worked  for  a  time  for  Knapp.  Stout  & 
Co.;  afterwards  was  enga'^ed  for  the  Washburne  Co.  at  Waubeck,  and 
was  again  employed  by  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  He  enlisted  in  1S62  in  the 
5th  Wis.  V.  I.;  was  in  the  service  three  years.  He  was  wounded  at  sec- 
ond battle  of  Fredericksburg,  and  severely  wounded  in  the  leg  at  Spott- 
sylvania,  which  rendered  him  incapable  of  performing  further  service 
during  the  war.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  the 
town  of  Red  Cedar  ;  settled  where  he  now  lives  in  the  Fall  of  1874. 
His  farm  contains  160  acres.  His  wife  was  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  David 
Miller.  Has  two  children  ;  his  wife  has  three  children  by  a  former  mar- 
riage. 

JAMES  GLIDEWELL,  proprietor  of  Cedar  Falls  House,  was  born 
in  Indiana  in  1S50,  where  he  was  brought  up.  Went  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  lived  about  one  year ;  thence  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  was  fore- 
man for  an  iron  companv.  He  afterward  went  to  Michigan;  came  to 
Cedar  Falls,  August,  1S76.     His  wife  was  Miss  Kate  Collins. 

GEORGE  W.  HORTON,  merchant.  Cedar  Falls.  Was  born  Octo- 
ber, 1847.  He  came  to  Cedar  Falls  from  Keokuk,  Iowa,  in  1876.  He 
had  been  a  resident  of  that  place  since  1867.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
banking  business  in  that  city.  He  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
immediately  after  coming  to  Cedar  Falls.  In  the  Spring  of  1S81,  Mr. 
John  S.  Stevens  became  associated  with  him  under  the  firm  name  of 
Horton  &  Steven*.  He  has  been  Postmaster  at  Cedar  F.nlls  since  1S77, 
and  Notary  Public  since  1876.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Tennessee.  They 
have  two  children,  Lawrence  and  Warren. 

W.  H.  IRISH,  general  manager  of  mill.  Cedar  Falls.  Bom  in 
Nova  .Scotia  in  1S44.  Has  always  been  connected  with  the  lumbering 
business.  He  went  to  Eastport,  Maine,  in  1867,  and  to  Williamsport, 
Pa.,  in  1869;  thence  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1870.  Came  to  Cedar 
Falls  in  the  Spring  of  1876;  has  been  connected  with  this  mill  since 
that  time.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Eastport,  Maine.  Has  two  children, 
Harvey  and  Laura. 

JOHN  McGILTON,  farmer,  Sec.  23,  Tainter.  Was  born  in  Clinton 
Co.  ,N.  Y.,  in  1825.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Isabella  McGilton,  were  na- 
tives of  the  City  of  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  emigrated  to  the  State  of  New 
York  about  1818.  When  about  thirteen  years  of  age  Mr.  McGilton  re- 
moved to  Canada  with  his  parents.  He  came  to  Dunn  County,  from 
there  in  the  Spring  of  1856,  and  located  at  Eau  Galle,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade,  that  of  a  millwright.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Eau  Claire, 
but  returned  again  to  Eau  Galle.  In  1S64,  he  located  at  Cedar  Falls, 
purchasing  one-half  interest  in  the  mill  property  at  that  place,  the  firm 
becoming.  Maxwell,  McGilton  &  Co.  He  was  connected  with  the  mill- 
ing interests  at  Cedar  Falls  for  about  ten  years.  He  is  now  engaged 
extensively  in  farming.  His  farm  contains  about  Soo  acres.  He  was 
elected  to  the  Legislature  in  the  Fall  of  1S80.  Has  been  Chairman  of 
the  Town  Board  for  a  number  of  years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Gratia 
Burke,  daughter  of  Thales  Burke,  an  early  settler  of  Dunn  County. 
They  have  five  children — Emma  J,,  Edmond  G.,  Thomas  W'.,  Maggie  I. 
and  John  N. 

OLIVER  P.  McKE.SSON,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  Tainter.  Born  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  Oct.  22,  1845.  He  lived  many  years  in  Cleveland, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  office  of  the  Equitable  Life  Insurance 
Co.  W'hen  the  office  of  this  company  was  removed  to  Cincinnati,  he 
came  to  Dunn  County.     He  located  at  Downsville  and  kept  the  books 


HISTORY    OF    DUNN    COUNTY, 


of  Richards  &  Downs  ;  afterwards  was  engaged  in  the  same  capacity  for 
J.  B.  McKahan,  of  Menonionie.  Was  afterwards  engaged  with  S.  A 
Jewett  &  Co.,  at  Cedar  F'alls.  He  bought  his  present  farm  in  1875.  He 
has  about  400  acres  of  land,  240  of  which  comprises  the  farm  where  he 
lives.  His  wife  was  Mary  E.  Sampson.  Her  father  was  an  early  settler 
of  Ohio.    They  have  three  children — Edwin  A.,  Franklin,  and  an  infant. 

J.  E.  MATHEWS,  farmer.  Sec.  24,  Tainter.  Was  born  in  the 
North  of  Ireland,  of  Scotch  parentage.  His  parents  emigrated  to 
Canada  when  he  was  a  child.  When  quite  a  young  man  he  resided  in 
the  city  of  New  York  for  about  one  year  ;  went  thence  to  Milwaukee  in 
the  Spring  of  1S56,  where  he  lived  about  three  years.  He  came  to 
Dunn  County  in  the  Spring  of  i860,  and  settled  where  he  now  lives. 
He  has  1,200  acres  of  land,  and  his  improvements  in  the  way  of  build- 
ings, etc.,  are  among  the  best.  He  raises  annually  about  10,000  bushels 
of  grain.  Has  also  a  large  amount  of  stock.  He  entered  his  first  quar- 
ter section  of  land,  the  remainder  he  has  purchased  from  time  to  time, 
until  his  farm  has  reached  its  present  proportions.  Mr.  Mathews  lost 
his  first  wife  in  Canada.     Present  wife  was  Jane  Mathews. 

W.  A.  MATHEWS,  farmer,  Sec.  24,  Tainter.  Son  of  Mr.  J.  E. 
Mathews,  by  his  former  wife.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  in  1842,  and 
came  to  Dunn  County  with  his  father  in  i860.  His  wife  was  Laura 
Mann,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  He  has  240  acres  of  land.  He  is  the 
present  Chairman  of  the  Board  ol  the  town  of  Tainter,  and  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  his  town.  He  has  seven  children— four  sons  and 
three  daughters. 

JAMES  G.  NEVILLE,  farmer.  Cedar  Falls  Born  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1837.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857,  and  settled  at  Pepin,  Wis., 
where  he  lived  two  years.  He  then  went  to  Barron  County,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business.  He  was  engaged  in  lumber  business  till 
1S71,  when  he  came  to  Cedar  Falls.  Purchased  his  farm  in  1873.  His 
wife  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.     They  have  four  children. 

J.  K.  PATTEN,  with  the  Cedar  Falls  Manufacturing  Co.,  Cedar 
Falls,  was  born  at  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick,  in  1850,  where  he  was 
brought  up.  He  came  to  Cedar  Falls  and  engaged  with  this  company, 
June,  18S0.  He  kept  the  books  of  the  company  for  several  months.  Is 
now  engaged  as  general  overseer.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  St.  Johns. 
They  have  two  daughters,  Emily  and  Jennie. 

F.  W.  PITCHER,  of  the  Cedar  Falls  Manufacturing  Co.,  Cedar 
Falls,  was  born  in  Maine,  Dec.  25,  1833.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  nearly  all  his  life.  He  came  to  Cedar  Falls,  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  S.  A.  Jewett  &  Co.,  in  1S77.  Mr.  Pitcher  is  an  enterprising 
gentleman,  and  the  village  of  Cedar  Falls  owes  much  to  him,  for  its 
present  prosperous  condition,  and  its  future  promise  of  improvement. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Stevens,  daughter  of  Sanford  Stevens,  of  Pitts- 
ton,  Maine.  They  have  three  children  —  Willie  L.,  Walter  F.  and 
Mary. 

E.  R.  SHERBURNE,  farmer.  Cedar  Falls,  is  theson  of  Mrs.  Delilah  S. 
Harrington,  formerly  Mrs.  Willshire  Sherburne.  The  latter  was  a  brother 
of  Mr.  Andrew  M.  Sherburne,  and  came  to  Dunn  County  at  the  same 
time.  Was  married  in  the  State  of  New  York,  to  Mrs.  Harrington  then 
Miss  Sprague.  They  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Dunn  County, 
settling  here  in  1855,  though  Mr.  Sherburne  died  in  Dane  County, 
Mrs.  Sherburne  afterward  became  Mrs.  G.  M.  Harrington.  She  has  three 
children  —  Mrs.  C.  E.  Rogers  of  Chippewa  Falls,  Wilford  and  E.  R. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Dane  County,  October,  1849.  The  latter  has 
spent  about  ten  years  in  the  territories,  engaged  in  mining  and  other- 
wise, in  Montana,  Utah,  Nevada,  etc. 

JOHN  S.  STEVENS,  merchant,  firm  of  Horton  &  Stevens,  Cedar 
Falls,  was  born  in  Kennebec  Co.,  Maine,  in  1849.  Previous  to  coming 
to  Wisconsin,  he  was  for  some  time  a  resident  of  New  Brunswick,  where 
he  was  connected  with  the  lumber  business.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1878.  He  is  a  brother  of  Mrs.  F.  W.  Pitcher.  He  engaged  in  business 
with  Mr.  Horton  m  the  Spring  of  1881. 

EAU    GALLE. 

As  early  as  1832,  white  men  made  their  appearance  on 
the  banks  of  the  beautiful  stream  of  this  name. 

In  183s,  Mr.  N.  S.  Manning,  who  had  been  in  the  United 
States  service  and  up  the  Chippewa  and  Red  Cedar  after 
lumber  to  rebuild  Fort  Crawford,  came  to  Eau  Galle  ;  and 
in  1840,  a  firm,  called  T.  A.  Savage  &  Co.,  or  Savage,  Wales 
&  Co.,  and  built  a  mill.  In  1844,  this  property  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Carson,  Eaton  &  Wales.  Mr.  Carson,  who  is 
mentioned  elsewhere,  arrived  on  the  river  about  1837,  be- 
fore he  was  of  age,  and  he  lias  been  closely  identified  with 
the  interests  of  the  place  ever  since.  With  honesty,  diligence 
and  frugality,  the  firm  flourished.  A  fire,  however,  destroyed 
the  mill  in  i860,  leaving  the  place  desolate.  Tlie  mills 
were  at  once  rebuilt,  enlarged  and  improved,  and  are  still  in 


operation,  the  firm  having  become  Carson  &  Rand.  Mr. 
Carson  has  a  magnificent  residence,  a  beautiful  conservatory, 
which  is  presided  over  by  a  wife  every  way  worthy  of  such 
a  husband,  with  such  surroundings.  There  are  about  sev- 
ty-five  inhabitants  in  the  village. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  H.  SMITH,  superintendent  of  the  business  of  Carson 
&  Rand,  Eau  Galle,  was  born  in  Will  Co.,  111.,  in  1832,  where  he  was 
brought  up.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Vermont,  and  among  the  early 
pioneers  of  Illinois.  When  a  young  man,  Mr.  Smith  was  engaged  in 
teaching  for  some  years.  He  came  to  Eau  Galle  in  the  Spring  of  1857, 
and  engaged  in  book-keeping  for  the  firm  of  Carson  &  Eaton.  He  has 
been  connected  with  this  firm  and  their  successors  since  that  time,  and 
has  had  general  charge  of  the  business  of  Carson  &  Rand,  of  this  place, 
since  1S73.  He  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Carson.  His  wife  was  Miss 
S.  J.  Flink,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  three  sons — 
W.  B.,  C.  H.  and  A.  C. 

PATRICK  FITZGERALD,  foreman  for  Carson  &  Rand,  Eau 
Galle,  was  born  in  London,  England,  Aug.  17,  1828.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  when  about  nine  years  of  age,  with  his  parents,  who  first 
settled  in  Dubuque,  Iowa  ;  thence  to  Potosi,  Grant  Co.,  111.,  where  his 
parents,  Michael  and  Catherine,  resided  till  their  death.  Mr.  Fitzgerald 
was  engaged  in  lumbering  and  mining  before  coming  to  Eau  Galle.  He 
is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  this  place,  engaging  with  the  firm  of 
Carson  &  Eaton  in  the  early  history  of  the  business  of  this  firm  here. 
His  wife  was  Jane  Martin,  a  native  of  Ireland. 

JOHN  GAUVIN,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Eau  Galle.  Was  born  in 
Canada,  in  1826.  He  removed  to  the  State  of  Maine,  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  Engaged  in  work  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  blacksmith.  He 
afterward  moved  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  thence  to  Menomonie  about  1850, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  blacksmithing  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co..  three 
years.  He  then  went  to  Fall  City  and  engaged  in  lumbering;  also,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Oliver  Gilbert,  built  the  grist  mill  at  that  place.  He 
operated  this  mill  about  six  years.  Came  here  in  1866.  Bouaht  his 
present  farm  of  Capt.  Downs.  He  has  been  married  twice.  Has  two 
children  by  present  wife — Daniel  S.  and  John  E.  He  is  engaged  ex- 
tensively in  farming,  owning  720  acres  of  land. 

ROCK  FALLS. 
This  village  is  located  on  Rock  Creek,  in  the  town  of 
that  name,  on  Section  22.  Business  is  represented  by  M. 
R.  Bump,  grist-mill;  Weston  &  Chamberlin,  general  mer- 
chants; Harrison  Beeman,  mason,  carpenter;  William 
Stelter,  blacksmith.  The  village  is  thirteen  miles  from  Eau 
Claire,  and  has  a  tri-weekly  mail  service.  The  population 
is  about  150. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

SAMUEL  ANDREWS,  farmer.  Rock  Creek,  was  born,  1825,  in 
South  Dorchestershire,  Eng.;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1864,  and  bought 
his  present  farm,  which  he  uses  for  grain  and  stock  raising.  Married 
Mary  Melrose,  who  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1S58.  They  have  three  sons 
—George,  John  and  Daniel. 

HARRISON  BEEMAN,  mason  and  carpenter.  Rock  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  in  1855,  with  his  father,  who  entered  the  second  piece  of 
land  in  the  town  of  Rock  Creek.  He  built  the  first  house  in  it.  Mr.  B. 
enlisted,  1861,  in  the  2d  Wis.  C;  participated  in  the  battles  of  Vicksburg, 
Jackson,  Champion  Hill  and  Yazoo,  under  Curtis  and  Grant.  Mustered 
out  in  Austin,  Tex.,  in  1865.     Born,  1S42,  in  Bloomington,  111. 

M.  R.  BUMP,  miller  Rock  Falls,  came  to  Wiscon.sin  in  1856,  to 
Mondovi,  leaving  it  in  1868.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  25th  Wis.  I. 
The  principal  battles  he  engaged  in  were  Vicksburg,  Atlanta  and  Look- 
out Mountain.  In  '63,  at  Chattanooga,  he  was  made  the  first  sergeant 
of  a  provisional  corps.  Rejoined  Sherman  at  Goldsborough,  and  remained 
with  him  till  the  close  of  the  war;  mustered  out  at  W'ashington,  June  7, 
1865.  In  1868,  bought  his  mill  at  Rock  Falls  of  Mr.  George  Chamber- 
lain.  In  '78,  Aug.  23,  the  mill  was  washed  away;  Jan.  i,  '79,3  new  and 
superior  mill  was  running,  the  best  in  all  the  country  ;  patent  rollers, 
purifiers,  and  all  the  latest  mill  machinery.  Capacity  a  day  is,  fifty  bar- 
rels of  flour,  350  bushels  of  feed.  Mr.  B.  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
at  Madison,  in  1876,  from  Dunn  and  Pepin  counties;  he  served  his  term 
with  honor.  He  is  a  Freemason  and  Granger.  He  married  Eliza 
Webb,  of  Mondovi,  in  1868.  The  children  are— Maud  A.,  Grace,  Bes- 
sie and  Milan.     Mr.  B.  was  born  in  1S38,  in  Hartford,  N.  H. 

GEORGE  CHAMBERLIN,  merchant,  Rock  Falls,  was  born  in 
1827,  in  Canaan,  N.  H.  He  came  to  Walworth  Co.,  W'is.,  in  1851,  and 
to  Rock  Falls  in  1S56,  and  entered  a  large  tract  of  land.  He  built  the 
mill  sold  to  Mr.  Bump  in  '57  ;  built  his  store  in  '61.  Mr.  C.  was  instru- 
mental in  organizing  the  town,  was  its  first  Clerk,  and  continued  it  ten 
years.     He  was  member  of  the  Assembly  at  Madison  of  '81 ;  served  his 


292 


HISTORY  OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


term  with  distinction.  In  1852,  he  married  Nancy  Weston,  born  in 
Randolph  Co..  Vt..  at  Portage,  Wis.  His  family  are— D.iniel  P.,  Jehi- 
ell  W..  Frank,  George  II.  and  Nettie. 

J.  N.  CL.A.RK,  farmer,  RocI<  Creek,  was  born.  1S43.  in  Jefferson 
Co.,  Wis.  He  bought  his  present  farm  in  1S64.  He  farms  it  in  the 
most  approved  method,  and  is  rewarded  by  having  the  best  of  crops 
and  stock.     He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  seven  years  in  suc- 

M.  C.  CL.\RK,  farmer,  Rock  Creek,  was  born,  1845,  at  White- 
water, Wis.  The  family  came  here  in  1856.  Bought  his  present  farm 
in  1S71  ;  married  Eliza  Woods,  in  1S69,  born  in  Canada.  He  has  five 
children — Jamie,  Katie,  John,  Cora  and  Jasper. 

JOHN  NORRI.SH.  farmer.  Rock  Creek,  was  born  in  England  in 
1830;  came  to  this  country  in  1S54.  and  entered  his  present  farm.  Mar- 
ried Anna  Powell  in  1S56.  The  children  are  Letate,  John,  William, 
Frank,  Wallace,  Margaiet,  Elizabeth,  Lottie  and  W.aUer.  Mr.  N.  has 
been  Town  Treasurer  eleven  years  ;  District  Treasurer,  fifteen  years. 

G.  S.  PIERCE,  farmer,  Rock  Creek,  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1S23  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1S40,  to  Kenosha.  He  farmed  with  his  father  till 
1857;  then  he  came  to  Faiiplay,  Dunn  Co.  Was  a  prominent  man 
there  ;  named  the  township  and  was  Supervisor.  Clerk,  etc.,  there  till 
1S66.  Then  he  bought  his  present  farm.  It  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Married  Mahala  Stevens,  in  1S56,  at  Kenosha.  There  are 
five  children — Merwin,  Eugene,  Mary,  Ada  and  Alva. 

MARIDEAN. 

This  village  is  located  at  the  confluence  of  Fall  Creek 
and  Chippewa,  and  was  named  in  honor  of  Mary  Dean,  an 
early  settler  at  that  point.  It  is  now  a  place  of  thirty,  or 
more,  inhabitants.  A  shingle-mill  was  built  here,  by  Ira 
Mean,  in  1S63,  and  was  sold  to  Garland  &  Nichols,  in 
1864.  It  is  ott'ned  by  Chapman  &  Shoop,  and  turns  out 
75, 000  shingles  per  day.  The  property  has  been  destroyed 
three  times,  by  fire.  A  saw-mill  was  built  in  1871,  by  Gar- 
land &  Nichols,  and  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company.  The 
capacity  of  the  mill  is  18,000,000  feet  per  year.  It  has  two 
rotary,  and  one  gang  saws,  a  gang-edger,  trimmers,  lath, 
picket  and  shingle  machines. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JEROME  B.  GARLAND,  Maridean,  was  born,  1S32,  in  Chenango, 
N.  Y.;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S57  and  commenced  lumbering  with 
Chapman  &  Thorp.  In  1S64,  he  went  in  partnership  with  them  at  Mar- 
idean. In  1871,  Messrs.  Garland  &  Nichols  formed  the  Maridean  Mill 
Co.  with  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  and  built  the  present  saw  mill. 
Mr.  G.  married  Harriet  Nichols,  in  1S55,  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  The 
family  are  seven  children — Mary,  Harriet,  Edwin,  Katie,  Frankie,  Leon- 
idas  and  Cora. 

FRANCIS  H.  MORGAN,  Maridean,  came  to  Porterville,  Wis.,  in 
1874  ;  w.rs  second  engineer  in  mills  there  till  1S81.  Since  then  is  head 
engineer  at  Maridean.  Learned  his  trade  in  England.  Married  Mary 
Dulrich,  of  Eau  Claire,  in  1877.  They  have  three  children— Frances, 
Sary  and  Mary.     Mr.  M.  was  born,  in  1556,  in  Somersetshire,  Eng. 

E.  A.  NICHOLS,  Maridean,  was  born,  in  1S35,  in  New  York  ;  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1855,  In  1S57.  opened  the  first  jewelry  store  ever 
there,  on  corner  by  Galloway  House.  Sold  out  in  185S,  and  entered  the 
lumber  business  with  Mr.  Garland,  at  Durand.  In  1S61,  opened  a  liv- 
ery and  jewelry  business  at  Chippewa  Falls,  the  first  of  either  there. 
In  1864  came  to  Maridean  with  Mr.  Garland,  and  entered  into  partner- 
ship wiih  Chapman  &  Thorp  in  the  shingle  mill.  Mr.  Nichols  manages 
the  company's  stock  farm  of  1,500 acres  at  Maridean  with  ability.  Mar- 
ried Helena  I.  Wells,  1S60,  in  Eau  Claire.  They  have  two  childr 
Eva  and  Ne'--   ' 


;  A. 


FRANKLIN  WELLS,  shingle  packer,  Maridean,  came  to  Menom- 
onie  in  1S56;  clerked  there  till  1S72.  Then  he  came  to  Maridean. 
Was  born,  1852,  at  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y. 

Colfax,  in  the  town  of  that  name,  on  the  upper  Red 
Cedar,  with  a  population  of  si.\ty. 

DR.  ELI  MONTEITH,  Colfax,  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  began 
the  study  of  medicine  some  time  previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
and  was  for  several  terms  a  student  at  the  Cincinnati  Medical  Institute. 
In  1861,  he  entered  the  army  as  assistant  surgeon  in  the  1st  M.  S.  Engi- 
neers. He  served  in  this  capacity  for  three  and  one-half  years.  After 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  came  to  Dodge  County,  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine.  He  settled  at  Colfax,  October,  1876.  His  wife 
was  Miss  Anna  Ennis.     They  have  four  children. 

J.  D.  SIMONS,  merchant,  Colfax,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New- 
York,  in  1834      He  came  to  Wisconsin,  1855,  and  settled  in  the  town  of 


Waupun,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.  His  father  settled  in  that  county,  but  died 
in  Sauk  County.  Mr.  Simons  came  to  Dunn  County  in  1S61,  and  settled 
on  Sec.  18,  town  of  Colfax,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  the  first 
settler  of  the  village  of  Colfax — came  here  in  1S65.  He  owns  the  grist- 
mill which  was  built  in  1869  and  1870,  by  Mr.  Simons  and  L.  N.  Fisher. 
Mr.  Halver  Errickson  was  the  next  settler.  Mr.  J.  B.  McKahan  built 
the  store  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Simons,  in  1871.  Mr.  W.  R.  Culbertson 
had  charge  of  this  store.  Mr,  Simons  is  the  Postmaster;  the  office  was 
established  in  the  Fall  of  1S70.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Williams, 
born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

Town  of  Spring  Brook. 

WILLIAM  H.  DOANE,  farmer,  Sec.  26,  Town  27,  Range  i2,  P.O. 
Fall  City,  is  the  oldest  son  of  Sylvester  Doane,  who  was  born  in  Rut- 
land Co,,  Vt.,  Nov.  10,  iSoS.  William  H.  was  born  in  the  same  house 
in  which  his  father  and  grandfather  were  born,  July,  1S33.  His  father, 
with  his  family,  removed  to  Oswego  Co.,  N.Y.,  about  1835.  William  H. 
was  married  in  Oswego  County.  July  4,  1S57,  to  Isabel  Dow,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Dow.  They  removed  to  Sheboygan  County  immediately  after, 
and  the  following  Spring,  with  his  father's  family,  he  came  to  Dunn 
County  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Spring  Brook,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  Parents  still  live  where  they  first  settled.  They  had  six  daughters 
and  two  sons  when  they  came  to  Wisconsin.  One  daughter  was  born  in 
Wisconsin.  The  children  are  all  living.  Mr.  William  H.  Doane  served 
as  Town  Clerk  in  1859,  and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  about  fif- 
teen years.  He  has  five  children — Viola,  now  Mrs.  Glen  Hoodville, 
Benjamin  F.,  George  W.,  Susan  and  Florence.    His  farm  consists  of  140 

E.  L.  EVARTS,  merchant.  Fall  City,  born  in  Canada  in  1845,  came 
to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  in  1849.  His  parents  settled  in 
Jackson  Co.,  Iowa,  and  in  1S55.  removed  to  Minnesota.  Mr.  Evarts 
enlisted  in  the  Fall  of  1S63,  in  the  2d  Minn.  C,  Col.  Crook;  served  till 
May,  1S66  ;  was  on  duty  on  the  frontier  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
went  to  Eau  Claire  in  the  Fall  of  1S74,  and  to  Rumsey's  Landing  the 
following  Spring  ;  was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1S77.  His  wife  was 
born  in  Ohio.     They  have  one  son,  Lester. 

H.  A.  FARNHAM,  farmer.  Sec.  17,  P  O.  Waneka,  was  born  in  Cha- 
tauqua  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1S21.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1843,  and  located 
in  the  town  of  Genesee,  Waukesha  Co.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
— that  of  a  blacksmith.  He  came  to  Dunn  County  and  bought  his  pres- 
ent farm,  in  1855  ;  but  he  located  at  River  Falls,  where  he  lived  seven 
years,  settling  on  his  farm  in  1S62.  He  has  about  200  acres  of  land.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Ann  Lucas,  a  sister  of  Mr.  Carroll  Lucas,  of  Menomonie. 
They  have  two  children,  Marcus  A.  and  Cora  B. 

WILLIAM  GOERCKE,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  P.O.  Fall  City,  was  born 
in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  in  1S23.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1846,  about  the  time  the  Mexican  war  began.  He  enlisted  for  this  war 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  participated  in  nearly  all  of  the  principal  battles 
of  that  war.  He  was  at  Monterey,  Vera  Cruz,  Cerro  Gordo,  Contreras, 
Cherubusco,  Molino  del  Rey,  Chepultepec,  and  entered  the  city  of 
Mexico,  with  the  army  of  Gen,  Scott.  He  was  in  the  service  about  three 
years,  serving  for  a  time  after  the  war,  in  California,  fighting  the  Indians. 
He  then  went  to  Michigan,  but  returned  to  California  and  engaged  in 
mining.  He  came  to  Dunn  County  in  1S59,  ="id  settled  where  he  now 
lives  ;  married  Jane  Ordemann.  They  have  eight  children — four  sons 
and  four  daughters.     His  farm  contains  265  acres, 

JOHN  HARSHMAN,  farmer.  Sec.  7,  P.O.  Waneka,  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  farmers  of  Spring  Brook,  or  rather,  has  been,  as  he  has 
now  retired  from  active  business  life.  He  was  born  in  Washington  Co., 
Pa.,  in  1807.  He  went  to  the  State  of  Ohio  in  1847,  and  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S51.  He  first  located  at  Hudson,  St.  Croix  Co.,  where  he 
lived  till  the  Fall  of  1857,  when  he  made  what  proved  to  be  a  fortunate 
exchange  of  his  farm  near  Hudson,  for  his  present  one.  He  has  400 
acres  of  land.  His  wife,  formerly  Miss  Hannah  Smalley,  was  also  a 
native  of  Washington  Co.,  Pa.  They  have  had  a  large  family  of  children ; 
have  four  sons  and  eight  daughters  ;  lost  two  sons.  His  youngest  son, 
Samuel,  has  charge  of  the  farm. 

FREDERICK  STEINKEL,  miller  for  Wilson,  in  his  mill  in  the 
town  of  Spring  Brook,  P.O.  Menomonie,  came  to  this  mill  in  1S78  ;  born 
in  Posen,  Germany,  1848  ;  member  of  Odd  Fellows. 

WILLIAM  WHITCHER,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.O.  Waneka,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Topsham,  Orange  Co.,  Vt..  in  1S21.  He  lived  in  New 
England  till  1857,  when  he  came  to  Dunn  Co.,  and  settled  on  his  pres- 
ent farm,  of  whicli  he  made  a  claim,  and  purchased  the  same  when  it  came 
into  market  in  1862.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Dickson,  daughter  of  John 
Dickson.  They  h.ave  six  children — Edwin  L.,  Sarah  J.,  Agnes  A.,  Frank 
T.,  Joseph  R.  and  George  H. 

OTHER    VILLAGES. 

.\mong  the  other  villages  in  the  county  may  be  men- 
tioned 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY 


293 


Benson,  on  the  Hay  River,  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  with  a  population  of  eighty. 

CoNNORSViLLE,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county — 
population  twenty-five. 

Davis,  a  few  miles  east  of  Knapp,  having  twenty-five 
people. 

Elk  Mound,  on  the  railroad  in  that  town,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  seventy-five. 

Fall  City,  on  the  creek  a  few  miles  above  the  Chippe- 
wa, with  forty  persons. 

Granger,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county,  with 
TOO  inhabitants. 

Lucas,  six  miles  west  of  Menomonie,  having  twenty- 
five  residents. 

LocHiEL,  with  about  twenty-five  people,  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  county. 


Louisville,  in  the  lower  part  of  the  county,  with  twen- 
ty-five residents. 

Sand  Creek  is  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county, 
and  is  quite  an  important  place.  It  has  a  population  of  130. 
Peter  Peterson  has  a  flour  mill  here,  just  made  over  from  a 
feed  mill. 

Truax  is  down  the  river  from  Menomonie,  on  a  little 
stream  that  enters  the  Red  Cedar  from  the  east. 

Vanceburg  is  the  uppermost  point  on  the  Hay  River, 
and  has  about  twenty  residents. 

Most  every  one  of  these  villages  is  a  nucleus  for  future 
enterprise  and  energy,  and  as  the  county  gets  filled  up  with 
the  people  it  has  the  capacity  to  support,  thriving  villages 
must  spring  up,  particularly  when  there  is  water-power  and 
hard  wood  lumber  to  be  worked  up. 


EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


GEOLOGY. 

On  the  plains  or  comparatively  level  portions  of 
the  coun.ty  the  soil  is  of  a  sandy  character,  with  more 
vegetable  mold  in  its  composition  than  appears  by  a 
hasty  examination,  and  it  is  formed,  for  the  most  part, 
by  decomposed  or  disintegrated  Potsdam  sandstone. 
The  granitic  or  azoic  formation  occurs  up  the  Chippewa 
River,  but  terminates  as  a  surface  indication  near  the 
confluence  of  the  Eau  Claire  with  the  Chippewa.  The 
soil  on  some  of  the  hills,  which  skirt  some  of  the  rivers, 
has  a  clayey  character,  which,  when  it  comes  to  be 
cultivated,  will  be  found  to  have  sta3'ing  qualities  that 
do  not  appertain  to  that  of  the  level  countiy.  The 
particular  drawback  of  the  light  and  easily  worked 
sandy  soil,  which  usually  produces  a  good  yield  in  re- 
turn for  the  labor  and  dressing  bestowed  upon  it,  is  its 
lack  of  power  to  resist  the  effects  of  a  dry  time.  As 
the  seasons  in  which  there  is  a  severe  drought  are  not 
frequent,  this  does  not  seriously  depreciate  the  value 
of  this  soil  for  agricultural  purposes.  The  soil  and  cli- 
mate of  Eau  Claire  is  eminently  adapted  to  the  raising 
of  small  fruits  and  berries,  and  as  the  railroads  bring 
the  markets  so  near  our  doors,  this  industry  must  con- 
tinue to  increase  until  tiie  crop  becomes  a  very  large 
one.  There  are  several  indigenous  fruit  bearing  slirubs 
which  may  one  day  be  cultivated  and  produce  a  berry 
as  superior  to  the  present  product  as  the  pippin  excels 
the  crab  apple.  There  is  also  found  in  great  profusion 
the  hazelnut,  awaiting  man's  fostering  care.  There  is 
produced  on  this  soil  one  or  more  varieties  of  wild 
hemp,  and  the  milkweed,  the  inspissated  juice  of  which 
becomes  India  rubber,  grows  in  rank  profusion  where- 
ever  its  seeds  take  root.  Indeed,  most  of  the  soil  in 
the  county,  whatever  geological  parentage  it  owns,  or 
whatever  metamorphoses  it  may  have  gone  through,  is 
well  adapted  for  the  easy  cultivation  of  its  indigenous 
productions,  and  most  others  from  a  like  latitude. 
EARLY  VISITORS. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  the  General  Govern- 
ment had  great  trouble  in  fixing  the  boundary  between 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  so  late  as  1836,  on  account 
of  the  imperfection  of  the  maps,  it  seems  hardly  possi- 


ble that  this  region  could  have  been  visited  and  some- 
what carefully  described  at  so  early  a  period  as  1767, 
as  it  was  by  Jonathan  Carver. 

The  route  pursued  by  Joliet  and  Pere  Marquette  up 
the  Fox  and  down  the  Wisconsin  rivers,  of  course,  did 
not  include  the  Ciiippewa  or  any  of  its  tributaries.  So 
the  earliest  account  of  this  region  was  that  given  by 
Carver  of  his  trip  up  the  Mississippi,  beginning  in  June, 
1766,  and  he  furnishes  tlie  following  description  of  his 
journey  up  the  Chippewa  : 

"  Having  concluded  my  business  at  La  Prairie  le  Chien, 
I  proceeded  once  more  up  the  Mississippi,  as  far  as  the 
place  where  the  Chipeway  River  enters  it,  a  little  below  Lake 
Pepin.  Here,  having  engaged  an  Indian  pilot,  I  directed 
him  to  steer  towards  the  Ottawa  lakes,  which  lie  near  the 
head  of  this  river.  This  he  did,  and  I  arrived  at  them  the 
beginning  of  July  (1767).  The  Chipeway  River,  at  its  junc- 
ture with  the  Mississippi,  is  about  eighty  yards  wide,  but  it 
is  much  wider  as  you  advance  into  it.  Near  thirty  miles 
up  it  separates  into  two  branches,  and  I  took  my  course 
through  that  which  lies  to  the  eastward.  The  country  ad- 
joining to  the  river,  for  about  si.xty  miles,  is  very  level,  and 
on  its  banks  lie  fine  meadows,  where  larger  droves  of  Buffa- 
loes and  Elks  were  feeding  than  I  had  observed  in  any  other 
part  of  my  travels.  The  track  between  the  two  branches  of 
this  river  is  termed  the  Road  of  War  between  the  Chipeway 
and  Naudawessie  Indians.  The  country  to  the  Falls,  mark- 
ed in  the  plan  at  the  extent  of  the  traders'  travels,  is  almost 
without  any  timber,  and  above  that  very  uneven  and  rugged, 
and  closely  wooded  with  pines,  beech,  maple  and  birch. 
Here  a  most  remarkable  and  astonishing  sight  presented  it- 
self to  my  view.  In  a  wood,  on  the  east  of  the  river,  which 
was  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  in  depth 
farther  than  my  eye  could  reach,  I  observed  that  every  tree, 
many  of  which  were  more  than  six  feet  in  circumference, 
was  lying  flat  on  the  ground,  torn  up  by  the  roots.  This 
appeared  to  have  been  done  by  some  extraordinary  hurri- 
cane that  came  from  the  west  some  years  ago,  but  how  many 
I  could  not  learn,  as  I  found  no  inhabitants  near  it  of  whom 
I  could  gain  information.  The  coimtry  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  from  being  less  woody,  had  escaped,  in  a  great 
measure  this  havoc,  as  only  a  few  trees  were  blown  down. 
Near  the  head  of  this  river  is  a  town  of  the  Chip^ways, 
from  whence  it  takes  its  name.  It  is  situated  on  each  side 
of  the  river  (which  at  this  place  is  of  no  considerable  breadth), 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  lies  adjacent  to  the  banks  of  a  small  lake.  This  town 
contains  about  forty  houses,  and  can  send  out  upwards  of 
loo  warriors,  many  of  whom  were  fine  stout  young  men. 
The  houses  of  it  are  built  after  the  Indian  manner,  and  have 
neat  plantations  behind  them;  but,  the  inhabitants,  in  gen- 
eral, seemed  to  be  the  nastiest  people  I  had  ever  been  among. 
In  July  (1767),  I  left  this  town,  and  having  crossed  a  num- 
ber of  small  lakes  and  carrying  places  that  intervened,  came 
to  a  head  branch  of  the  River  St.  Croi.x.  This  branch  I 
descended  to  a  fork,  and  then  ascended  another  to  its  source. 
On  both  these  rivers  I  discovered  several  mines  of  virgin 
copper,  which  was  as  pure  as  that  found  in  any  other  coun- 
try." 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  mention  here  that  Mr. 
Carver's  heirs  subsequently  laid  claim  to  a  large  tract 
of  land  in  this  region  by  virtue  of  an  alleged  patent 
from  George  III.  It  was,  however,  not  allowed  by 
Congress,  though  the  cause  became  one  of  the  most 
noted  in  the  annals  of  land  adjudications  in  the  country. 

The  next  authentic  account  given  of  this  region  was 
not  until  1820,  when  Lewis  Cass  was  Governor  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  with  head-quarters  in  Detroit. 
The  Hon.  James  Duane  Doty,  in  a  communication  to 
Gov.  Cass,  under  date  of  September  27,  1820,  fur- 
nishes his  Excellency  with  all  the  information 
he  is  able  to  obtain  in  relation  to  what  is  now 
Northern  Wisconsin,  and,  although  the  particular 
region  described  lays  mostly  north  of  the  counties 
represented  in  this  work,  an  abstract  of  this  part  of 
the  history  of  Northern  Wisconsin  will  be  appropriate 
in  this  connection,  and  will  have  an  increasing  interest 
as  time  goes  on. 

At  that  time  there  were  but  three  principal  places 
of  residence  of  the  Indians  in  this  region,  at  what  was 
then  called  Leech  Lake,  Sandy  Lake  and  Lake  Supe- 
rior. The  Leech  Lake  Indians  must  have  been  fre- 
quently on  the  war-path,  for  there  were  only  about  200 
men,  while  there  were  350  women,  and  1,100  boys  and 
girls.  Their  game  was  deer,  bear,  beaver,  otter,  musk- 
rat,  martin,  fishers,  raccoon,  and  a  few  red  and  grey 
foxes.  They  only  secured  buffalo  on  the  borders  of 
the  Sioux  country.  The  otter  and  muskrat  were  found 
on  the  small  rivers,  the  beaver  on  the  larger  streams. 
The  other  game  were  found  throughout  the  region. 
Whitefish  are  spoken  of  as  being  abundant  in  the  fakes 
but  wanting  in  the  rivers.  In  both  the  lakes  and  rivers 
were  found  an  abundance  of  various  kinds  of  fish,  as 
pike,  carp,  black  bass,  catfish  and  others.  Another 
fish,  not  unlike,  but  unequal  to,  the  whitefish,  was  also 
spoken  of  as  being  very  common,  and  called  by  the 
Indians  tee-na-bee,  and  by  the  French  "  telibee."'  They 
were  taken  in  nets  sixty  to  100  fathoms  long,  and 
were,  with  wild  rice,  the  principal  food  of  the  traders. 
Indeed,  without  these  tlie  traders  could  not  have  sub- 
sisted in  the  country.  The  water  fowl  throughout  the 
region  were  identical ;  they  were  the  bustard  wild 
goose,  which  civilization  has  driven  farther  north,  sev- 
eral kinds  of  ducks,  swan,  pelican,  loon  and  the  gull. 
Another,  called  a  cormorant,  was  also  not  uncommon. 
It  lived  on  fish,  was  about  the  size  of  a  crow  and  black 
had  a  leg  like  a  loon,  a  bill  four  inches  long,  hooked 
and  pointed  at  the  end.  It  was  said  to  roost  by  sus- 
pending itself  by  the  bill.  The  birds  were  represented 
as  being  about  like  those  in  the  Eastern  States.  Moose, 


reindeer,  red  and  white  ermine,  wolverine,  lynx,  skvtnk, 
porcupine,  woodchuck  and  red  striped  squirrels  are 
found  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  wolf  only 
in  the  southern  part.  Turtles  of  various  sizes  were 
found.  The  only  snakes  were  the  common  striped 
variety.  The  government  of  the  Indians  was  through 
chieftains,  not  unlike  all  other  tribes.  The  Sandj' 
Lake  Indians  were  the  second  in  size,  and  included, 
among  three  or  four  hundred,  thirty-five  half-breeds. 
These  Indians  had  a  kind  of  ground  nut,  resembling 
the  potato.  It  was  found  in  wet,  claj'  ground,  about 
one  and  a  half  feet  deep.  It  was  called  the  waup-es- 
seepin,  was  mealy  and  palatable  when  boiled.  An- 
other root,  sometimes  three  feet  long,  called  waup-tap- 
pin-ee.  It  was  preserved  by  dr3'ing.  These  roots  and 
the  wild  rice,  with  occasional  game,  was  the  principal 
food  of  the  Indians.  In  March  every  year  the  men  go 
to  the  borders  of  the  Sioux  cotintrv  to  hunt  for  beaver, 
which  they  call  "mic."  Their  families  then  repair  to 
the  sugar  camp,  where  they  make  large  quantities  of 
maple  sugar.  This  they  could  hardly  have  made  pre- 
vious to  contact  with  the  whites,  on  account  of  the 
want  of  kettles.  The  only  boiling  they  could  do  was 
by  placing  hot  stones  in  a  wooden  trough.  In  the  Fall 
the  wild  rice  is  gathered  by  paddling  among  it  on  the 
shallow  lakes,  where  it  grows,  and  beating  it  off  into 
the  canoe.  To  tread  it  out  in  shallow  pits,  to  remove 
the  rough  hull,  required  much  labor,  which  was  not 
considered  beneath  the  men  to  perform.  The  other, 
or  Lake  Superior,  tribe  of  Indians  have  no  abiding 
place.  They  wander  around  the  lakes  and  rivers. 
Their  game  is  moose,  bear,  marten,  mink,  musk- 
rat,  lynx,  hedgehog,  otter  and  a  few  beaver.  No 
buffalo,  deer,  wolf,  raccoon,  fox  or  wolverine.  In  1820, 
there  were  forty-five  men,  sixty  women  and  240  child- 
ren, and  there  were  thirty  half-breeds  and  three  free- 
men with  their  families.  The  report  has  an  account  of 
the  rivers  and  other  geographical  features  of  the  coun- 
try, which  it  is  unnecessary  to  summarize  here.  At 
the  time  of  the  early  settlement  of  Wisconsin,  the  na- 
tive Indians  were  the  Chippewas,  Pottawatomies,  Me- 
nomonees,  and  Sacs  and  Foxes ;  and  from  New  York, 
the  Oneidas,  Stockbridges,  Munsees  and  Brothertowns. 
The  Algonquin  was  the  language  of  the  Indians  from 
Massachusetts  to  beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  from  the 
St.  Lawrence  to  the  Cumberland  in  Kentucky. 

In  1875,  T.  E.  Randall,  of  Eau  Claire,  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers,  published  a  series  of  articles  on  the 
history  of  the  Chippewa  Valley,  in  the  Free  Press. 
which  were  finally  issued  in  book  form.  Many  valu- 
able facts  for  this  history  have  been  obtained  from  that 
work.  And  to  show  Mr.  Randairs  style,  as  well  as 
for  the  intormation  contained  in  it,  a  single  chapter  of 
that  work  is  here  transcribed,  which  relates  to  the 
Indians  of  the  Chippewa  Valley : 

The  settler  on  any  of  our  western  ))rairies,  and  the  ax- 
men  who  enter  upon  the  primeval  forests,  where  no  signs  of 
man's  destructive  force  or  redeeming  power  is  seen  or  felt, 
is  frequently  the  subject  of  strange  reflections  as  he  follows 
his  plow,  turning  up  the  virgin  soil  that  through  all  the  ages 
has  remained  undisturbed,  or  liews  down  the  stately  pine 
tliat  tor  a  thousand  years  has  flourished  and  grown,  unno- 
ticed and  unt  a'ed  for  by  the  hand  of  man  ;  he  wonders  how 
it  occurs  that  he,  cf  all  the  people  that   have  lived  or  still 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


295 


live  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  swarming  as  it  does  with  so 
many  millions,  should  be  the  first  to  appropriate  to  his  com- 
fort and  convenience  the  blessings  so  long  held  in  reserve  in 
nature's  vast  store-house.  He  also  wonders  why  his  race 
should  require  all  the  resources  of  the  earth,  the  produc- 
tions of  forests,  mines,  rivers,  lakes  and  oceans,  of  the  soil, 
plowed,  planted,  cultured  and  garnered  ;  the  flocks  and 
herds  feeding  and  gamboling  on  a  thousand  hills,  for  his 
subsistence,  while  other  races  have  remained  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  in  all  the  untamed  wildness  of  the  deer 
and  elk  on  which  they  subsist.  What  of  the  race  that  but 
yesterday  was  here  .'  Have  these  rivers,  fields  and  forest, 
now  so  peaceful,  always  been  so  calm  and  still  ?  or  have 
they,  like  the  old  world,  been  the  scene  of  savage  and  san- 
guinary conflicts.'  We  speculate  almost  in  vain  on  the  long 
ago  dwellers,  upon  the  banks  of  these  pleasant  streams,  their 
war  dance  and  savage  yells  may  have  been  the  only  human 
sound  that  ever  waked  the  stillness  of  these  hills,  or  a  race 
long  extinct  may  have  plowed  and  sowed,  builded  and  loved 
and  worshiped  and  cultivated  all  the  graces  and  amenities 
of  civilized  life,  but  the  record  of  whose  deeds  and  virtues 
have  been  obliterated  by  the  convulsions  of  time's  relent- 
less changes.  Of  the  race  whose  steps  are  fast  receding, 
and  giving  place  to  ours,  we  know  comparatively  little,  as 
their  own  traditions,  and  their  history  for  the  past  200  years, 
written  by  foreigners,  is  very  imperfect ;  but  what  is  known 
as  to  the  Indians  who  occupied  this  valley,  will  now  claim 
our  attention.  The  Chippevvas  were  considered  by  the  early 
French  missionaries  as  the  bravest,  most  war-like,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  the  noblest  and  most  manly  of  all  the  tribes 
on  the  American  continent.  They  were  derived  from  the 
Algonquin  race,  or  type,  and  were  first  met  with  by  the 
French  on  the  Chippewa  River  near  Montreal,  Canada,  in 
1642,  and  were  immediately  taken  into  political  alliance 
with  them,  matrimonial  alliance  soon  followed,  and  their  re- 
lations soon  became  very  intimate.  The  Jesuit  mission- 
aries speak  of  the  language  of  the  Chippewas,  as  the  most 
refined  and  complete  of  any  Indian  tongue.  Their  terri- 
tory seems  to  have  been  confined,  at  that  time,  to  what  is 
now  the  New  Dominion  and  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michi- 
gan. Of  the  Sioux,  or  Dacotas,  still  less  is  known.  At  the 
time  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  1642,  they  seem  to  have 
been  in  possession  of  all  the  territory  south  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, west  of  lakes  Huron  and  Michigan,  south  as  far  as 
Milwaukee,  and  west  to  or  even  beyond  Missouri  River,  for 
about  this  time  they  took  a  Jesuit  priest  prisoner  at  the 
Sault  St.  Marie  and  killed  him  as  an  intruder  upon  their 
territory.  And,  in  1660,  the  Jesuits  having  established  a 
mission  at  La  Pointe,  on  Magdalene  Island,  Lake  Superior, 
were  driven  off  by  the  Sioux.  Soon  after  this,  about  1670, 
the  Chippewas  commenced  their  inroads  upon  the  territory 
of  the  Sioux,  on  the  north  and  east,  and  fought  their  way 
south  and  west  to  the  lines  hereinafter  described.  In  the 
meantime,  the  Winnebagos,  a  migratory  tribe  from  Mexico, 
to  escape  the  Spaniards,  came  among  the  Sioux,  who  gave 
them  lands  near  Green  Bay,  probably  to  shield  themselves 
from  the  Chippewas.  But  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  came  up 
from  the  south  and  took  forcible  possession  of  their  terri- 
tory, and  compelled  them  to  "  go  west,"  and  they  in  turn 
were  crowded  out  by  the  Menomonees.  In  consequence  of 
these  predatory  wars  and  immigrations,  the  claims  of  the 
several  Indian  nations  to  their  respective  territories  became 
very  complicated,  and  the  cause  of  almost  incessant  war 
amongst  them.  To  prevent  this  as  much  as  possible,  the 
Ignited  States  Government,  in  1825,  authorized  a  general 
treaty  to  be  held  at  Prairie  du  Cliien  between  all  the  tribes 
within  a  district  of  500  miles  each  way.  This  joint  treaty 
was  signed  on  the  part  of  the  government  by  Gens.  William 


Clark  and  Lewis  Cass,  and  by  Wabasha,  Red  Wing,  Little 
Crow  and  twenty-three  other  braves,  on  the  part  of  the 
Sioux,  and  by  Hole-in-the-Day  and  forty  other  chiefs  and 
braves,  for  the  Chippewas.  To  fix  the  boundaries  between 
the  various  nations  definitely  was  the  first  and  principal  ob- 
ject of  this  treaty.  The  eastern  boundary  of  the  Sioux 
commenced  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Iowa  River,  on  the 
Mississi]ipi,  runs  back  two  or  three  miles  to  the  bluffs,  fol- 
lowing the  bluffs  to  and  crossing  the  Bad  Axe  to  Black  River, 
from  which  point  the  line  described  is  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  Sioux  and  Winnebagoes,  and  extends  in  a  direc- 
tion nearly  north  to  a  point  on  the  Chippewa  River  half  a 
day's  march  from  Chippewa  Falls.  From  this  point  on  the 
Chippewa,  which  was  fixed  at  the  mouth  of  Mud  Creek, 
near  Rumsey's  Landing,  the  line  becomes  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  Chippewas  and  Sioux,  and  runs  to  the  Red  Cedar 
River,  just  below  the  falls;  from  thence  to  the  St.  Croix,  at 
a  place  called  the  Standing  Cedar,  about  a  day's  paddle  in 
a  canoe,  above  the  lake  on  that  river,  thence  passing  be- 
tween the  two  lakes  called  Green  Lakes,  from  thence  to  the 
Standing  Cedar,  and  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rum  River, 
on  the  Mississippi.  The  boundary  line  between  the  Chip- 
pewas and  Winnebagoes  was  also  defined,  as  commencing 
at  this  same  point  on  the  Chippewa  River,  half  a  day's 
march  below  the  falls,  and  thence  to  the  source  of  the  Clear 
Water,  thence  south  to  Black  River,  thence  to  a  point  where 
the  woods  project  into  the  meadows,  and  thence  to  the  Plover 
portage  of  the  Wisconsin.  The  boundaries  thus  described 
were  pretty  carefully  observed  by  the  respective  parties  to  the 
treaty,  except  when  war  parties  were  fitted  out  by  the  Sioux 
or  Chippewas,  for  the  Winnebagoes  remained  perfectly  neu- 
tral. The  intervening  territory  between  the  first  mentioned 
boundary  often  became  the  theatre  of  many  a  hard  fought 
battle,  and  hunting  there  was  considered  very  unsafe  by  all 
those  tribes.  On  the  29th  of  July,  1837,  at  Fort  Snelling, 
Gov  Dodge,  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  and  Hole-in- 
the-Day,  with  forty-seven  other  chiefs  and  braves,  on  the 
part  of  the  Chippewas,  signed  a  treaty,  ceding  to  the  United 
States  the  northwestern  part  of  Wisconsin.  In  September 
of  the  same  year,  at  Washington,  the  Secretary  of  War,  Joel 
R.  Poinset,  made  a  treaty  with  Big  Thunder  and  twenty 
other  chiefs  and  braves  belonging  to  the  Sioux,  when  the 
latter  ceded  to  the  LTnited  States  all  their  lands  east  of  the 
Mississippi  and  all  their  islands  in  the  river.  October  4, 
1842,  at  La  Pointe,  in  Lake  Superior,  Po-ga-ne-ge-shik  and 
forty  others  of  the  Chippewas,  ceded  all  their  lands  in  Wis- 
consin to  the  General  Government.  It  is  proper  to  state 
that  several  bands  of  the  Chippewas  became  very  much 
dissatisfied,  and  with  their  reservation  above  Sand  Lake,  in 
Minnesota,  and  begged  so  hard  to  come  back,  that  the  gov- 
ernment, in  1854,  gave  them  back  several  townships  and 
half  townships  on  the  Court  Oureilles  and  some  other 
branches  of  the  Chippewa,  and  located  an  agency  there  for 
the  distribution  of  part  of  the  annuities  promised  them  by 
the  terms  of  the  treaty,  as  consideration  for  the  land. 

ORGANIZATION. 
The  county  of  Eau  Claire  was  formally  established, 
witli  full  powers,  bv  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved 
October  6,  1856.  The  bill  declared'^the  village  of  Eau 
Claire  to  be  the  county  seat.  Tlie  first  election  was 
held  in  November,  I806.  On  the  second  day  of  Janu- 
ary, following,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  met  and  or- 
ganized, with  C.  M.  Seeley,  chairman,  and  Charles  F. 
Babcock,  clerk.  The  other  members  were  M.  A.  Page, 
C.  M.  Robbins  and  Henry  Huntington.  The  Clerk's 
office  was  located  in  Gleason  &  Seeley's  store,    Charles 


296 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


H.  Howard  was  Register  of  Deeds  ;  William  P.  Bart- 
lett,  District  Attorney,  and  George  A.  Buffington, 
Coroner. 

In  March,  1857,  Adin  Randall  was  authorized  by 
the  Board  to  operate  a  ferr}^  across  the  Chippewa,  the 
tolls  being  fixed  by  tlie  Board.  This  must  have  been 
an  opposition  line.  The  town  of  Half  Moon  Lake, 
now  embracing  the  west  side  of  the  city,  was  created 
at  that  session.  On  the  24th  of  February,  1857,  the 
towns  of  Bridge  Creek  and  Brunswick  were  organized. 
In  May,  1857,  the  Board  was  augmented  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  Ira  Mead,  from  Half  Moon  Lake,  and  G, 
L.  Frizsel,  of  Brunswick. 

November  17,  1867,  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors was  re-organized.  Ira  Mead,  chairman,  and 
Charles  Whipple,  clerk,  pro  tem.  For  assessment  pur- 
poses, the  land  for  the  whole  county  was  equalized  at 
l3.12i  per  acre.  The  sum  raised  that  year  for  school 
purposes  was  :  Eau  Claire  Township,  $100  ;  Half  Moon 
Lake,  $150  ;  Brunswick  and  Bridge  Creek,  $50  each. 
This  item  shows  the  relative  size  of  the  towns  at  that 
earl)^  period  in  their  history. 

An  extra  session  of  the  legislature,  of  Wisconsin,  in 
1856,  had  set  from  Chippewa  County  the  counties  of 
Dunn  and  Eau  Claire,  though  still  attached  to  that 
county,  however,  for  judicial  purposes  for  one  year,  so 
that  there  were  no, judicial  offices  for  the  county  until 
the  next  year,  when  Ira  Mead  was  elected  Judge.  The 
first  Sheriff  of  the  county  was  Moses  A.  Page  ;  Under 
Sheriff,  A.  S.  Bostwick. 

In  1858,  the  counties  of  Clark,  Chippewa  and  Dunn 
were  in  one  assembly  district,  having  been  so  appor- 
tioned before  Eau  Claire  was  created  a  county.  In 
1858,  Lucius  Cannon  represented  the  district ;  1859, 
Richard  Dewhurst,  of  Neillsville ;  1860,  William  P. 
Bartlett,  Eau  Claire  ;  1861,  Rodman  Palmer,  Chippewa 
Falls;  1862,  H.  W.  Barnes,  Eau  Claire  ;  1863,  William 
H.  Smith,  Eau  Galle  ;  1864.  Thad.  C.  Pound,  Chippewa 
Falls  ;  1865,  Francis  R.  Church,  Menoraomie  ;  1866, 
Thad.  C.  Pound  ;  in  1873,  J.  G.  Tiiorp  was  a  Senator, 
and  William  P.  Bartlett,  of  Eau  Claire,  an  Assembly- 
man ;  in  1874,  H.  P.  Graham,  of  Eau  Claire,  was  in 
the  Senate,  and  Thomas  Carmichael,  of  the  same  place, 
an  Assemblyman  ;  1875,  Mr.  Graham  of  course  held 
over  ;  Jonathan  G.  Callahan  was  in  the  lower  house  ; 
in  1876,  Hobart  M.  Stocking  carried  off  the  Assembly 
honors;  in  1877,  Tliomas  Carmichael  was  sent  to  the 
State  cajjital ;  Julius  G.  Ingram  represented  this  dis- 
trict in  1878,  and  was  returned  the  next  year  ;  in  1880, 
Michael  Griffin  was  Senator  from  Eau  Claire,  Ira  B. 
Bradford,  of  Augusta,  was  elected  to  the  Assembly. 
The  Senatorial  District  being  large,  the  choice  of  a 
Senator  has  not  fallen  upon  Eau  Claire  every  year. 

There  is  comparatively  little  of  public  interest  in 
the  doings  of  the  county  government.  Every  thing 
was  to  be  done  in  the  matter  of  erecting  public  build- 
ings, and  getting  the  county  machinery  "in  motion.  At 
one  time  there  was  North  Eau  Claire,  since  absorbed 
into  the  city.  The  town  of  Lincoln  was  organized  as 
Fall  Creek,  and  Pleasant  Valley  started  its  individu- 
ality as  Maciiias.  Oak  Grove  appears  as  a  township, 
but  in  connection  with  West  Eau  Claire  it  was  trans- 
formed into  Union. 

The  Judicial  Circuit,  in  which  Eau  Claire  is  asso- 


ciated is  composed  of  Buffalo,  Dunn,  Pepin,  Pierce, 
St.  Croix  and  Eau  Claire.  Egbert  G.  Bundy,  is  the 
judge  at  present.  The  judge  on  the  bench  at  the  crea- 
tion of  Eau  Claire  County  was  Judge  Fuller. 

The  first  school-house  was  on  the  Sparta  road  in  the 
Olin  and  Bebee  neighborhood,  in  the  Fall  of  1857. 

The  Court-Hovsf.  —  This  building  was  erected  in 
1873.  Judge  Barilett  had  general  supervision  of  its 
erection.  The  structure  is  of  stone  and  well  adapted 
to  its  purpose.  It  includes  a  jail  in  the  basement,  and 
a  room  for  female  prisoner?  in  the  second  story.  The 
question  as  to  the  location  of  the  court-house  excited 
a  lively  discussion,  conflicting  interests,  which  are  usu- 
ally overestimated,  entered  largely  into  the  contest. 
On  Monday,  Nov.  20,  1871.  the  first  public  meeting 
was  held  to  decide  the  questions  of  the  location  of  the 
county  buildings,  and  that  of  organizing  the  village 
Eau  Claire,  which  i exulted  in  a  satisfactory  of 
location  of  the  one  and  the  organization  of  the  other. 

It  was  only  in  1850  that  men  began  to  take  up 
farms,  and  from  that  time  there  has  been  a  steady  in- 
crease of  farm  products. 

In  1879  there  was  raised  : 

Wheat -- 38541  bushels. 

Coin -- 73.411 

Oats ...    .- i2,Soi 

Barley 762 

Rye 868 

Potatoes - --      666 

Add  to  this  showing  the  stock,  vegetables  and  dairy 
products,  and  there  is  a  respectable  aggregate. 

The  county  is  a  regular  parallelogram,  the  greater 
length  being  from  east  to  west.  It  is  composed  of 
the  following  named  towns  :  Union,  Eau  Claire,  Sey- 
mour, Ludington,  Brunswick,  Washington,  Lincoln, 
Bridge  Creek,  Drammen,  Pleasant  Valley,  Otter  Creek 
and  Fairchild.  Only  the  towns  of  Lrammen  and  Fair- 
child  are  identical  in  size  and  sha|)e  with  a  township 
of  government  survey. 

Brunswick,  bounded  by  the  Eau  Claire  River  on 
the  north,  has  about  the  same  number  of  acres. 

The  town  of  Seymour  is  twelve  miles  long  and 
three  wide,  having  of  course  the  same  amount  of  ter- 
ritory as  one  six  miles  square. 

Eau  Claire  Township  is  the  smallest  in  the  county, 
having  but  a  little  more  than  sixteen  square  miles — 
not  quite  half  the  size  of  a  government  town. 

Bridge  Creek  is  a  large  townsiiip  ;  it  contains  106^ 
square  miles,  nearly  three  regular  townships. 

Ludington  is  sixteen  miles  from  east  to  west, 
six  miles  wide,  and  has  ninety-four  square  miles. 

Pleasant  Valley  represents  a  whole  township,  on 
the  northwest  and  southeast,  respectively,  seventy-two 
square  miles. 

Washington  has  sixty-six  square  miles,  is  rectangu- 
lar, but  irregular  in  outline. 

Otter  Creek  has  a  length  of  nine  miles  and  a  width 
of  six,  with  fifty-four  square  miles. 

Lincoln  has  an  irregular  outline  on  the  north,  is 
nine  miles  in  the  longest  part  from  north  to  south,  and 
eight  from  east  to  west,  and  has  a  little  over  sixty 
square  miles. 

Union  is  nearly  the  size  of  a  regular  township,  hav- 
ing thirty-four  square  miles. 

As  the  towns  fill  up  with   inhabitants,  they  will  be 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


divided  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  various  locali- 
ties. 

The  whole  county  contains  648  square  miles,  414,- 
720  acres.  Tlie  length  from  east  to  west  is  thirty- 
six  miles,  and  from  north  to  south  eighteen  miles. 

There  is  a  large  amount  of  good  farming  land  in 
the  county.  It  is  well  settled  fro'm  Fall  Creek  to  be- 
low Augusta  on  the  railroad.  Otter  Creek  has  splen- 
did farms  all  over  its  territory.  Bridge  Creek  and 
Lincolu  are  good  farming  towns.  Washington  is  also 
quite  a  good  town.  Ludington  has  hard  wood  timber 
in  abundance.  A  large  part  of  the  west  center  of  the 
town  is  the  great  maple  sugar  region.  Pleasant  Val- 
ley has  good  but  light  land. 

The  post-offices  in  the  county  are  :  Eau  Claire,  Au- 
gusta, Otter  Creek,  Fairchild,  Fall  Creek,  Nooks  Hill, 
Norseville  and  Hadleyville. 

The  total  debt  of  the  county  is  only  $43,000. 

The  value  of  real  estate  as  fixed  b}'  the  State  Board 
in  1880,  was  $5,079,086. 

The  State  tax  for  the  county  in  1879,  was  $5,258.- 
42.  Total  town,  city  and  village  taxes  $121,322.06. 
Of  this  amount  $35,327.07  was  for  school  purposes. 

Tlie  State  lax  for  the  county  in  1880,  was  $9,085.21. 

The  population  of  Eau  Claire  County,  according  to 
the  Federal  and  State  census,  was :  In  1860,  3,162; 
1865,  5,281;  1870,  10,769;  1875,  15,991;  1880,  19,992. 
A  larger  proportion  than  in  many  Wisconsin  counties 
are  natives,  there  being  of  this  class  13,501,  and  6,491 
foreigners,  and  25  colored. 

The  census,  of  1880,  showed: 

Eau  Claire ._ io,li8 

Bridge  Creeli 1 ,894 

Drammen _ _ 401 

Fairchild S87 

Ludington  and  Seymour _ 727 

Lincoln 1,481 

OtterCreek _ 1,060 

Pleasant  Valley 941 

Union _. 631 

Washington _.  954 

Total  Towns. 9.847 

In  whole  County. _. 19.992 

The  present  county  officers  are:  County  Judge, 
George  C.  Teall  ;  Clerk  of  Court,  M.  B.  Hubbard ; 
Sheriff,  A.  W.  Hunger  ;  County  Clerk,  L.  P.  Hotchkiss  ; 
Treasurer.  S.  H.  Wilcox  ;  Register  of  Deeds,  L.  E. 
Strum ;  Coroner,  W.  H.  Willard. 

There  have  been  but  five  .judges  on  the  county 
bench  since  its  organization.  They  were  elected  and 
served  in  the  following  order:  Ira  Mead,  .John  E.  Still- 
man,  H.  W.  Barnes,  George  C.  Teall,  A.  C.  Ellis,  and 
George  C.  Teall  again,  the  present  incumbent. 

Eau  Claire  County  was  not  represented  in  the  State 
Legislature  until,  when,  it  having  been  associated  with 
Chippewa  and  Dunn  counties  as  an  Assembly  District, 
it  was  represented  in  the  Assembly  by  William  IL 
Smith,  of  Eau  Galle. 

EAU  CLAIRE. 

Eau  Claire  is  a  rapidly  growing  and  enterprising  city, 
situated  on  botli  banks  of  the  Chipi)ewa  River,  about  sixty 
miles  from  its  moutli.     The  river  is  navigable  to  the  Falls, 


eleven  miles  above.  It  enters  the  city  from  the  north,  hav- 
ing just  described  in  its  course  a  well  defined,  but  reversed, 
letter  S,  which  has  been  cut  across  to  secure  boomage.'The 
Eau  Claire,  a  stream  perhaps  one-third  the  size,  arises  in 
the  adjoining  counties  on  the  east,  and,  receiving  accessions 
north  and  south,  enters  the  Chippewa  at  right  angles,  near 
the  center  of  the  town. 

The  Chippewa  has  a  general  southwestern  course,  and 
has  a  dam,  a  lock,  sluice-ways,  etc.,  just  at  the  north  of  the 
town. 

The  city  is  coiuposed  of  three  villages.  The  east  side 
is  only  a  few  blocks  wide  down  the  river  from  the  Eau 
Claire,  being  skirted  on  the  east  by  a  sandy  bluff,  once  the 
bank  of  the  river.  The  north  side  gradually  ascends  a 
hundred  feet  or  so  above  the  river  bank.  The  west  side  is 
level  and  already  well  covered  with  dwellings  and  some 
business  blocks.  Most  of  the  general  business  is  on  the 
east  side,  with  some,  however,  on  the  north  side. 

It  is  well  authenticated  that  Louis  de  Marie,  a  Canadian, 
of  French  extraction,  and  his  wife,  a  woman  born  in  De- 
troit, Mich.,  of  French  father  and  Chippewa  mother,  and 
family,  consisting  of  five  30ns  and  three  daughters,  came 
up  the  Chippewa  in  .\ugust,  1S32,  and  remained  as  an  In- 
dian trader,  through  the  Winter.  This  adventurous  man 
had  previously  gone  to  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  and 
from  thence  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he,  with  others,  had 
settled.  In  the  year  above  named,  he  moved  his  family  to 
what  is  now  West  Eau  Claire,  and  erected  a  log  cabin  not 
far  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  nearly  opposite  the  mouth 
of  Eau  Claire,  to  serve  as  house  and  store.  Near  the  mouth 
of  the  river  he  was  stopped  by  hostile  Sioux,  who  demanded 
$300  worth  of  goods  from  him,  for  the  privilege  of  ascend- 
ing the  stream  and  afterward  trading  with  the  Indians  un- 
molested. He  remained  but  one  season  at  Eau  Claire, 
going  back  to  Prairie  du  Chien  in  the  Spring  of  1833.  The 
two  subsequent  Winters  were  spent  by  him  higher  up  the 
Chippewa.  He  was  very  successful  as  a  fur  trader.  In 
the  Winter  of  1836-37,  he  located  his  trading  post  at  the 
Falls.  His  wife  was  a  most  capable  woman,  and  was  greatly 
respected  by  those  whom  she  met,  both  for  her  industry  and 
her  skill  as  a  doctor.  She  attended  tlie  sick  gratuitously, 
and  was  a  welcome  visitor  to  those  wlio  were  afflicted.  She 
is  still  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five,  two  miles 
north  of  Chippewa  Falls,  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  George 
P.  Warren.  The  daughters  of  De  Marie  locale  the  year  of 
their  father's  first  trip  by  the  fact  of  noticing,  as  they  passed 
the  scene,  the  unburied  slain  on  the  battle  field  of  Bad 
Axe,  which  contest  occurred  August  2,  1832. 

This  region,  visited  by  Carver  so  long  ago  as  1767,  and 
brought  more  closely  within  the  influence  of  civilization 
by  M.  De  Marie  in  1832,  was  allowed  to  rest  undisturbed 
from  the  time  of  the  departure  of  the  trader,  until  1845, 
when  another  cabin  was  erected  on  the  present  site  of  Eau 
Claire.  The  spot  chosen  was  in  front  of  wliat  is  now  the 
property  of  the  successful  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company. 

Other  settlements  had  been  made  at  the  Falls  and  on 
the  Red  River,  but  none  at  the  junction  of  the  Chippewa 
and  Eau  Claire.  Hence  it  follows  that  Arthur  McCann, 
Stephen  S.  McCann  and  Jeremiah  Thomas  were  the  first 
actual  settlers  of  this  city.  A  shanty  was  erected,  as  above 
mentioned,  and  also  one  lower  down,  near  the  Chippewa, 
which  was  dignified  by  calling  it  a  warehouse.  Another 
was  built  by  .\rthur  McCann,  opposite  the  present  site  of 
the  Galloway  House  in  the  second  ward.  The  parties  had 
no  means  to  build  a  mill,  but  succeeded  in  putting  up  a 
couple  of  logging  camps  on  the  Eau  Claire,  for  the  Winter. 
.Arthur  McCann  was  shot  by  an  employ^,  named  Sawyer, 
the  following  year,  at  his  own  door.  \  single  frame  house 
was  built  that  year  by  Arthur  McCann,  near  where  Hart's 


298 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Hotel  now  stands.  There  was  also  a  cabin  near  the  upper 
or  water-power  mill,  on  the  Eau  Claire. 

Arthur  McCann  and  J.  C.  Thomas  had,  in  1844,  built 
a  saw-mill  on  the  river, at  what  is  now  called  the  Blue  Mill, 
a  few  miles  above  the  city. 

Stephen  McCann  died  in  1S80,  very  much  reduced  in 
circutiistances  but  for  a  pension  procured  a  short  time  be- 
fore his  death. 

Philo  Stone  and  his  brother,  Roswell,  took  up  their  res- 
idence here  at  about  that  time.  They  had  come  on  to  the 
river  in  1838,  and  were  engaged  in  hunting,  and  as  this  was 
the  neutral  or  non-fighting  ground  between  the  Chippewas 
and  Sioux,  which  was  seldom  visited  by  either  tribe,  the 
hunting  was  most  e.xcellent.  Philo  was  said  to  have  been 
a  turbident,  quarrelsome  man,  a  champion  among  the  light- 
weights, when  any  fight  was  possible.  He  had  a  squaw 
who  became  a  remarkably  good  housekeeper.  Indeed,  it 
is  the  general  testimony  that  these  Indian  women  were 
tractable,  and  readily  acquired  habits  of  industry,  giving 
their  homes  an  air  of  cotiifort  not  much  behind  their  white 
sisters. 

The  buildings  alluded  to  were  little  better  than  mere 
shanties,  to  establish  the  right  of  the  claimant  to  an  uncer- 
tain amount  of  Government  land.  McCann's  house,  how- 
ever, was  quite  a  comfortable  dwelling. 

The  object  of  these  settlers  was  not  to  till  the  soil.  Its 
sandy  character  seemed  uninviting  for  that  pursuit,  although 
a  thorough  test  of  its  quality  for  agricultural  purposes  re- 
veals a  value  altogether  unexpected  and  quite  satisfactory. 
These  men  came  here  to  build  mills  and  manufacture  lum- 
ber from  the  pine  forests  on  the  upper  branches  of  the  Eau 
Claire,  which  had  a  natural  outlet  here  and  which  could  be 
placed  upon  the  highway  of  the  Chippewa  and  floated  to  a 
market  on  the  Mississippi.  It  is  true  that  neither  of  these 
men  had  the  adequate  means  to  prosecute  such  an  enter- 
prise. They  must  have  secured  the  location  with  a  trust 
in  the  future,  realizing  that  at  no  distant  day  capital  would 
seek  the  place  where  its  enlargement  and  aggregation  must 
follow. 

The  next  year  McCann  &  Thomas  associated  themselves 
with  some  new  comers,  Simon  and  George  Randall.  They 
proceeded  to  erect  a  mill  and  build  a  dam  on  the  site  of  the 
present  mill  of  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company.  It  was 
completed  and  ready  to  commence  operations,  when  an  un- 
locked for  misfortune  came  upon  the  struggling  firm.  A 
tremendous  freshet  swept  away  the  mill,  together  with  the 
booms  and  the  logs  which  had  been  accumulated  by  so 
much  toil.  .'\11  was  gone;  nothing  was  left  for  their  sea- 
son's labor  or  the  money  invested.  Their  means  had  been 
expended,  and  to  rebuild  it  reiinired  more  capital.  Mc- 
Cann and  Thomas  retired  from  the  firm,  and  the  following 
year,  1847,  the  mill  was  rebuilt  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  where  the  flouring  mill  now  stands.  The  new  firm 
that  erected  this  mill  was  Gage,  Dix  &  Reed. 

The  Winter  of  1846-7  was  most  remarkable.  Very  lit- 
tle snow  fell,  and  the  cold  was  so  intense  that  the  water  in 
the  Chippewa,  at  the  falls,  froze  solid  to  the  bottom,  and  as 
the  water  overflowed  there  was  a  fresh  layer  of  ice  formed  ev- 
ery night,  and  this  jirocess  went  on  until  rocks  and  trees  were 
submerged  and  imbedded  twenty  feet  deep  in  the  frigid  em- 
brace. Nothing  like  this  has  since  occurred.  The  Want  of 
snow  on  the  rivers  was  seriously  felt.  But  Messrs.  Colton 
&  Moser,  on  the  Yellow  River,  for  the  Falls  Company,  and 
the  Hoosier  Logging  Company  on  the  Eau  Claire,  managed 
without  snow,  to  get  a  good  stock  of  logs  for  their  respect- 
ive companies. 

The  Spring  was  even  more  remarkable,  for  there  was 
practically  no  rain  through  .\pril  or  May,  and  not  a  log 
floated  on  the  Yellow  or  Eau   Claire  up  to  June  5,  which 


was  foggy  early  in  the  day  and  then  very  hot  and  windy. 
In  the  evening,  rain  began  to  pour  down  in  torrents,  con- 
tinuing until  S  o'clock  the  next  morning,  accompanied  with 
lightning  of  the  most  vivid  and  bewildering  kind,  and  long 
continued  reverberations  of  thunder  exceeding  anything  of 
the  kind  since  experienced  in  this  region.  The  river  rose 
twelve  feet  and  was  covered  with  logs,  lumber,  driftwood, 
and  the  debris  of  piers  and  booms  from  the  Falls,  whcic 
there  was  a  total  wreck  of  all  the  costly  improvement 
jjlaced  on  the  river  the  previous  season  to  hold  logs. 
Nothing  was  left  there  but  the  mill  ;  all  else  was  swept 
away  in  that  fearful  night.  More  than  io,coo  logs,  the  re- 
sult of  a  Winter's  hardship  and  labor,  were  a  total  loss. 
E.  T.  Randall,  the  historian  of  the  Chippewa  valley, 
in  trying  to  save  part  of  his  boom  where  were  lodged  the 
logs  to  supply  the  Blue  Mill  on  the  Chippewa,  was  carried 
down  the  river  on  the  logs,  but  fortunately  his  improvised 
raft  shot  out  of  the  mighty  current  into  an  eddy  near  the 
location  of  Sherman's  mill  before  the  flood  of  1880,  and 
grounded  so  that  he  escaped  impending  death.  It  was 
about  an  hour  after  this  adventure,  about  noon  on  the  6th, 
that  the  mill  was  carried  ahnost  bodily  down  with  the  flood 
as  already  mentioned. 

That  these  young  men,  who  had  sustained  such  a  heavy 
calamity,  were  not  entirely  discouraged,  speaks  volumes  for 
their  energy,  perseverance  and  faith  in  ultimate  success. 
Here  were  the  savings  of  years  of  toil  and  struggle,  all  in- 
vested in  these  undertakings,  and  now,  as  they  had  a  right 
to  suppose,  when  the  legitimate  reward  for  their  industry 
and  enterprise  was  wellnigh  within  their  grasp,  it  was  all 
hurled  from  their  sight  as  with  a  besom  of  destruction. 
And  perhaps  more  than  all  this,  there  were  the  heavy  lia- 
bilities that  had  been  incurred,  with  no  possible  adequate 
provision  to  meet  them.  Capital,  with  its  proverbial  timid- 
ity, could  with  difficulty  be  induced  to  locate  on  a  river 
with  such  a  reputation  for  inordinate  swelling  and  remorse- 
less bursting  of  its  confines,  with  its  destructive  results. 

Philo  Stone  and  H.  Cady  went  in  with  S.  &  G.  Randall 
and  rebuilt  the  mill  on  the  Eau  Claire  in  the  Winter  of 
1847-8. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  that  time  there  was  no 
way  of  getting  to  or  from  the  settlement  but  by  the  river. 
The  nearest  post-office  was  Prairie  du  Cliien.  and  the  mail 
came  by  private  conveyance.  In  1848,  the  State  Legisla- 
ture authorized  and  appropriated  the  funds  to  defray  the 
expense  of  building  a  road  from  Prairie  du  Chien  via  Spar- 
ta, Black  River  Falls  and  Eau  Claire  to  Hudson.  And 
while  there  were  thousands  pouring  through  this  intricate 
throughfare  to  locate  on  the  prairies  of  the  St.  Croix  and 
in  Minnesota,  the  forbidding  features  of  the  country  sur- 
rounding the  settlement  deterred  them  from  stopping  here. 

Judge  Knowlton  had  the  contract  for  building  this  road 
and  it  was  pushed  with  commendable  energy  through  the 
Winter  of  1849-50,  and  became  passable  so  that  it  was  ex- 
tensively used  as  above  mentioned. 

The  whole  valley  for  several  years  had  an  immunity 
from  serious  damage  by  floods  and  began  to  recover  from 
the  previous  disasters,  were  adding  to  their  facilities  for 
handling  and  manufacturing  lumber.  The  whole  region 
was,  however,  practically  without  laws.  Prairie  du  Chien 
was  the  nearest  place  where  the  forms  of  justice  were  ob- 
served, but  only  the  most  serious  cases  were  taken  there. 

Personal  quarrels  and  assaults  were  not  uncommon,  and 
these  were  usually  settled  by  the  decisions  of  mutual  friends. 
Offenses  against  i)roperty  were  much  less  common,  and  were 
disposed  of  without  resort  to  the  county  seat,  with  its  for- 
malities and  delays.  Previous  to  1851,  land  district  was 
com]iosed  of  the  States  of  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Minnesota. 
In  1 85 1,  a  new  district  was  designated,  with  headquarters 


HISTORY  OF    EAU    CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


299 


at  Hudson.  John  O.  Henning  was  appointed  Register, 
and  Dr.  — .  — .  Hoyt,  Receiver.  Some  twenty  townships 
along  the  river  were  soon  surveyed  and  in  the  market,  and 
the  settlers  were  thus  relieved  of  the  difficulties  attendant 
upon  their  previous  occupation  of  the  lands  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  Government  lines,  for  no  one  could  tell 
whether  his  improvements  might  not  be  thrown  into  various 
sections,  or  fortunately  be  surrounded  by  the  Government 
lines. 

The  line  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian  was  surveyed 
very  carefully  by  Henry  A.  Wiltse,  a  competent  engineer; 
it  was  for  a  standard  meridian,  from  which  the  ranges  of 
townships  across  the  State,  east  and  west,  were  numbered. 
The  terminus  was  fifteen  chains  west  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Montreal  River,  and,  according  to  the  U.  S.  Topographical 
Engineers,  seven  miles  west  of  the  starting  point. 

This  same  year  a  mail  route  was  ordered  by  Congress 
over  this  road.  This  was  a  mile  stone  in  the  early  progress 
of  the  town.  George  W.  Randall  received  the  appointment 
of  Postmaster.  The  office  was  called  Clear  Water  Post- 
office,  and  was  the  first  in  the  whole  Chippewa  Yalley,  af- 
fording mail  facilities  for  all  the  settlements  on  the  river. 
The  whole  country  between  here  and  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
then  included  in  Crawford  County.  The  lands  were  un- 
surveyed,  and,  of  course,  not  in  the  market.  In  1850,  how- 
ever, most  of  these  lands  were  placed  in  the  market,  and  an 
era  of  land  speculation  commenced.  The  United  States 
Government  now  has  the  best  system  for  surveying  land 
ever  adopted,  and  had  the  system  for  the  sale  and  settle- 
ment of  the  Government  domain  been  equally  judicious 
much  of  the  suffering  and  many  of  the  hardships  of  the  early 
pioneers  would  have  been  materially  lessened. 

The  homestead  laws,  practically  as  they  now  e.\ist,  were 
the  instruments  for  building  up  this  region,  and,  indeed,  the 
whole  northwest,  as  they  afford  every  possible  encourage- 
ment for  the  industrious  seeker  after  a  home.  From  1850 
on,  to  the  present  time,  with  fluctuations  more  or  less  dis- 
tinct, the  settlement  of  the  country  has  been  going  on. 

The  first  man  to  open  a  farm  in  Eau  Claire  County  was 
Rev.  Thomas  Barland,  who  was  the  first  man  to  appreciate 
the  climate  and  the  value  of  the  land  in  this  new  region. 
He  came  from  Illinois,  where  he  had  been  interested  in  set- 
tling that  State,  and  in  work  for  the  American  Tract  Socie- 
ty, and  in  spreading  the  Anti-Slavery  sentiment,  which  was 
of  such  interest  at  that  time.  He  arrived  in  the  Fail  of 
1852,  and  procured  about  200  acres  of  land,  on  the  Sparta 
road,  almost  two  and  one-half  miles  southeast  from  the 
city,  where  he  and  his  son,  John  C,  and  a  sister  still  re- 
side. 

His  first  neighbors,  E.  \V.  Robbins  and  David  Wyman, 
came  in  1854.  During  1852-53  Mr.  Barland  had  started 
preaching  in  Gage  and  Reed's  boarding-house,  near  the 
spot  where  the  Eau  Claire  House  now  stands.  This  was 
the  first  regular  service  in  the  place.  Mr.  Barland  was  born 
in  Scotland,  had  a  thorough  education,  is  a  man  of  ideas, 
and  has  made  many  suggestions  by  which  others  have  prof- 
ited. He  married  Margaret  Wilson,  and  they  had  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  sons  and  three  daughters  are  now  liv- 
ing. 

Having  thus  briefly  gone  over  the  history  of  Eau  Claire 
during  the  first  period  of  its  existence,  it  may  not  be  unin- 
teresting to  go  back  in  review  of  some  of  the  points  already 
alluded  to,  and  introduce  incidents  which  were  intimately 
connected  with  the  welfare  of  the  settlement. 

As  a  matter  of  speculative  interest  as  to  "what  might 
have  been,"  an  account  of  the  earliest  attempt  to  build  a 
dam  and  improve  the  "  Lower  Dell,"  which  improvement 
subsequently  excited  such  a  long  and  bitter  contest,  will  be 
here  presented. 


In  1S42,  H.  S.  Allen  and  G.  S.  Branham  were  associated 
in  business  on  Wilson's  Creek,  where  the  Menomonie  vil- 
lage now  stands,  and  having,  by  their  lumbering  operations, 
accumulated  considerable  capital,  began,  in  1845,  to  exam- 
ine the  various  points  on  the  Chippewa,  with  a  view  of  en- 
larging their  business.  Why  they  did  not  retain  their  prop- 
erty on  the  creek,  which  has  since  become  so  valuable,  is 
one  of  the  mysteries  so  often  met  with  in  business  ventures. 
After  a  careful  examination  of  numerous  locations,  they  fixed 
upon  the  Lower  Dells  as  the  place,  above  all  others,  where 
logs  could  be  controlled  in  all  stages  of  the  river.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark  that  their  plan  was  substantially  the  same 
that  so  many  years  afterwards  was  successfully  realized. 

Simon  and  George  Randall,  already  alluded  to,  were  as- 
sociated with  them,  under  the  firm  name  of  Allen,  Branham 
&  Randall.  Without  doubt,  they  expected  to  encounter 
great  opposition  from  the  lumber  companies,  located  at  the 
Falls,  in  addition  to  the  natural  obstacles  which  such  a  work 
would  involve. 

Their  plan  of  operations  included  a  dam  half  the  dis- 
tance across  at  the  foot  of  the  dells,  and  a  wing  dam  up 
along  the  raft  channel,  and  other  spurs,  so  as  to  raise  a  suf- 
ficient head  of  water,  but  not  to  interrupt  navigation.  Their 
plan  was  feasible,  and  contracts  were  made  with  E.  T.  Ran- 
dall, who  then  operated  the  Blue  Mill,  for  plank.  The  tim- 
ber was  got  out  near  Half  Moon  Lake  for  a  large  mill. 
Having  gone  so  far,  the  parties  who  had  personal  interests 
to  look  after  separated  to  look  after  them,  and  work  was  sus- 
pended, with  the  supposition  that  it  would  soon  be  resumed. 
But  the  first  news  received  from  the  parties  was  that  the 
whole  project  was  abandoned  ;  that  the  firm  had  dissolved, 
and  that  Mr.  Allen,  who  was  the  head  of  the  firm,  had  as- 
sociated himself  with  Mr.  Bass,  at  the  Falls,  constituting  a 
team  that  would  pull  through  the  necessary  force  to  over- 
come the  serious  obstacles  and  disadvantages  there. 

Had  the  original  design  been  carried  out  then  the  sub- 
sequent history  of  Eau  Claire  would  have  been  entirely  un- 
like what  it  now  is,  and  that  of  the  whole  valley  changed. 

The  first  funeral  attended  in  the  settlement  was  at  the 
death  of  a  dusky  woman,  the  wife  of  Simon  Randall,  who 
died  in  the  Winter  of  1846-7.  E.  T.  Randall  officiated, 
preaching  a  sermon  from  ist  Cor.,  xv,  21-22. 

The  first  religious  service  was  held  in  September,  1846, 
by  Mr.  Randall,  who  had  appointments  on  alternate  Sun- 
days at  the  Falls  and  Eau  Claire.  He  was  connected  with 
the  Methodists,  and  his  wife  was  also  an  earnest  worker  in 
the  same  cause.  George  W.  Randall  was  married  about  this 
time,  to  Miss  Mary  La  Point,  of  Prairie  du  Chien.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McCann  provided  a  wedding  on  a  scale  commensurate 
with  their  ability.  Mr.  Bass,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  from 
the  Falls,  with  his  commission  from  the  Territorial  Gov- 
ernor, came  down  and  solemnized  the  marriage,  assisted  by 
E.  T.  Randall,  who  invoked  the  divine  blessing  on  their 
union. 

At  the  time  of  the  flood,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1847,  a 
party  of  surveyors,  charged  with  a  geological  and  minero- 
logical  examination  of  the  northwest,  were  detained  here 
by  the  rise  of  the  rivers,  .\mong  them  was  Dr.  Gwyn,  who 
was  afterwards  known  in  political  life,  and  particularly  as  a 
Senator  from  California. 

In  1847,  provisions  were  not  high.  A  transaction  where 
provisions  were  made  the  consideration  put  mess  pork  at 
$7  a  barrel,  and  flour  at  $2.75  a  barrel,  delivered  at  Lake 
Pepin,  after  having  been  transported  from  Rock  Island. 

From  1850  to  1855,  was  an  uneventful  period  in  the 
history  of  Eau  Claire.  The  county  was  slowly  filling  up 
with  sturdy  settlers.  .All  sujiplies  came  up  the  river,  prin- 
cipally on  keel  boats,  from  Galena— which  was  a  thriving 
place  at  that  time — and  Prairie  du  Chien.     The  mills  al- 


300 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ready  erected  were  kept  in  o])eration,  the  lumber  being 
rafted  down  the  river. 

Not  a  dry-goods  store,  blacksmith  shop,  or  any  business 
outside  of  the  mills,  existed  in  the  whole  valley. 

In  a  population  of  roc,  in  1855,  it  is  said  that  there 
were  only  two  houses  owned  in  the  settlement,  and  $25,000 
would  cover  all  the  capital. 

The  first  white  man  buried  was  William  Reed,  who  died 
in  June,  1855. 

Daring  this  period,  there  were  several  encounters  be- 
tween the  Chippewas  and  Sioux.  There  was  a  constant 
succession  of  stealthy  assassinations  and  dastardly  encoun- 
ters, which  cannot  honestly  be  dignified  even  as  guerrilla 
warfare.  A  party  of  Sioux  was  encountered  on  the  Red 
Cedar,  in  1840,  and  all  cut  to  pieces — not  a  brave  was  left 
to  tell  the  tale.  The  next  year,  a  party  of  six  Chippewas 
fared  the  same.  They  afterward  met  several  times,  the  last 
in  1846,  and  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace,  evidently  distrust- 
ing each  other  all  the  while. 

The  last  war  party  in  the  vicinity  was  what  was  called 
"  Anamoose's  band."  They  camped  up  the  river,  near  the 
North  Fork.  They  built  a  fortification,  and  were  in  evi- 
dent fear  of  their  terrible  western  neighbors.  Two  men 
had  been  scalped  by  the  Sioux  down  the  river  the  Fall  be- 
fore, and  Anamoose's  band  was  probably  sent  to  punish 
them,  and  the  doughty  warriors  fortified  themselves  when 
within  fifty  or  sixty  miles  of  the  enemy!  This  was  in 
1851-2. 

The  last  battle  between  the  Chippewas  and  Sioux  in 
this  vicinity  was  fought  in  1S54. 

Of  the  100  people  who  lived  in  Eau  Claire  in  1855,  most 
of  them  were  laboring  men.  The  proprietors  were  cool- 
headed,  energetic  men,  of  tact  and  experience,  who  had 
selected  this  place  on  account  of  its  natural  advantages 
over  any  other  unoccupied  location  in  the  valley,  or,  indeed, 
any  where  in  the  northwest. 

As  already  stated,  the  history  of  Eau  Claire  from  1850 
to  1855  was  not  very  eventful.  Minnesota  was  rapidly 
filling  up.  and  California  claimed  a  prominent  place  in  the 
emigrant's  attention.  The  country  was  slowly  increasing 
in  population,  and  the  mills  at  Eau  Claire  were  turning  out 
their  products  and  solidifying  their  owners.  Some  changes 
in  mill  ownership  occurred.  Mr.  Cady  sold  his  interest  to 
Mr.  Swim,  and  Simon  Randall  sold  out  his  interest  to  Mr. 
Pope,  and  bought  out  Cupt.  Dix  in  the  mill  on  the  lower 
dam.  The  two  firms  then  here  were  Gage,  Reed  &  Ran- 
dall, and  Stone,  Swim  &  Co. 

At  this  time  the  raftsmen  had  to  walk  back  up  the  river, 
after  taking  rafts  down,  over  the  steep  hill-sides  and  along 
sandy  plains.  It  was  a  tedious  and  foot-sore  journey". 
Several  determined  efforts  were  made  to  procure  some  kind 
of  transportation.  A  steamboat  was  finally  built  by  a  Mr. 
Harlow,  from  Pittsburgh,  but  it  was  a  sad  failure;  it  drew 
too  much  witer.  The  steamer  "Dr.  Franklin,"  from  Gale- 
na, Capt.  Matt  Harris,  came  up  a  few  times;  but  she  was 
also  too  deep.  Finally,  a  stage  line  was  started  by  Col. 
Ben  Allen  and  a  Mr.  Colburn,  of  Dunnville.  The  stage 
went  down  one  day  and  back  the  next,  from  Chippewa 
Falls  to  North  Pepin.     The  fare  was  $3. 

In  1852,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference  of  Wis- 
consin sent  a  jjreacher  to  this  valley.  His  mission  was  a 
failure;  one  of  his  meetings  was  assailed  by  a  boat's  crew, 
and  he  withdrew  for  more  promising  fields.  The  freshet  of 
1855  did  not  affect  the  Eau  Claire. 

An  act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed,  in  1853,  creating 
the  county  of  Chippewa.  It  embraced  all  the  settlements 
in  the  valley  along  the  Red  Cedar.  The  Eighth  Judicial 
District  was  created  at  the  same  time,  and  the  new  county 
formed    a   part   of  it.     S.    N.  Fuller   was   elected    Circuit 


Judge.  He  opened  Court  in  the  Fall  of  1854,  at  the  Falls. 
Samuel  Allison  was  appointed  Clerk,  but  a  sudden  sickness 
carried  him  off  before  the  close  of  the  term.  Blois  Hurd, 
a  millwright,  was  Sheriff. 

It  took  nearly  every  man  in  the  county  to  fill  the  panels 
for  the  grand  and  petit  juries.  Several  criminal  cases  were 
on  the  docket,  but  few  civil  cases.  The  early  history  of 
the  judiciary  of  the  eighth  district,  if  men  who  are  now 
living  can  be  relied  upon,  was  a  travesty  upon  justice  ;  per- 
sonal considerations  often  decided  the  case,  regardless  of 
law  and  evidence.  A  prominent  lawyer  in  Eau  Claire  says, 
that  he  was  brought  to  the  verge  of  ruin  by  want  of  success 
in  that  Court,  and  in  self  defence,  organized  an  opposition 
that  elected  L.  P.  Weatherbee  Judge  of  the  Eighth  District, 
as  Fuller's  successor. 

The  Summer  of  1855  was  an  exceptional  one.  The 
Spring  opened  earlier  than  usual,  but  in  June  there  were 
three  severe  frosts,  which  killed  the  grass,  the  leaves  on  the 
trees,  and  the  whole  country  looked  like  Autumn,  while  the 
fires  on  meadow  and  prairie  swept  away  the  withered  vege- 
tation. This  havoc  extended  over  the  whole  northern  part 
of  the  State,  and  the  gloomy  view  might  have  had  some 
effect  in  suppressing  the  spirit  of  speculation,  with  which 
the  thousands  who  were  then  pouring  into  this  region  were 
afflicted;  but,  if  so,  it  was  unobservable.  A  mania  to  be- 
come suddenly  rich  became  epidemic.  The  Crimean  War 
had  carried  up  the  price  of  wheat ;  there  was  a  wild  system 
oi  free  banking;  returns  for  the  capital  and  labor  invested 
in  California  had  begun,  and  it  was  supposed  that  the  gold 
would  furnish  an  everlasting  basis  for  the  paper  currency. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  Congress  had  just  authorized  the 
issue  of  land  warrants  to  all  those  who  had  served  in  any 
war  for  the  United  States,  and  that  these  land  warrants 
immediately  fell  into  the  hands  of  speculators,  and  at  once 
absorbed  large  tracts  of  land,  to  be  held  by  non-residents 
until  adjoining  improvements  should  render  them  valuable 
— and  you  have  the  factors  that  went  to  make  up  that  era, 
and  the  cause  of  the  widespread  and  dejjressing  panic  of 
1857,  which  followed. 

During  the  Winter  following  the  crash  of  1S57,  the  set- 
tlers here  had  to  mutually  assist  each  other,  dividing  their 
rations  until  the  last  loaf  was  well  nigh  consumed. 

The  agents  of  the  State,  for  locating  the  lands  above 
mentioned  in  this  vicinity,  were  W.  H.  Gleason  and  R.  F. 
Wilson,  who  arrived  in  1855.  .\11  the  points  on  the  river 
were  critically  examined  with  a  view  of  locating  a  town 
site  where  the  natural  advantages  indicated  future  growth. 
This  place  was  selected,  and  a  negotiation  with  J.  J.  Gage 
and  James  Reed  for  a  purchase  of  one-half  of  the  plat  to 
be  then  surveyed  was  successful. 

The  village  was  recorded  at  Chippewa  Falls,  the  county 
seat  at  that  time,  as  Eau  Claire. 

Early  that  Summer  Carson,  Eaton  &  Downs,  of  Eau 
Galle,  purchased  the  mill  then  run  by  Sione,  Swim,  George 
Randall  &  Hope,  where  the  water-mill  of  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Com])any's  water-mill  now  is,  and  refitted  it  with 
turbine  wheels,  new  machinery,  etc.,  and  they  also  pur- 
chased heavily  of  the  pine  lands  up  the  river  and  its 
branches. 

Few  accessions  were  made  to  the  new  village  that  year. 
.-Xdin  Randall  came  from  Madison  and  began  the  erection 
of  the  Eau  Claire  House.  Chajjin  M.  Seeley  commenced 
the  erection  of  the  first  plastered  house  in  the  jjlace. 

Henry  Huntington  and  E.  E.  Shaw  opened  a  small 
store. 

The  following  Winter,  1856,  the  county  of  Eau  Claire 
was  formed  with  this  village  as  the  county  seat,  and  from 
that  time  there  has  been  little  interruption  in  its  growth,  as 
a  reference  to  the  census  will  show. 


HISTORY  OF  EAU    CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


Many  speculators  in  wild  lands  came  to  grief  through 
the  agency  of  unpaid  taxes  and  the  inevitable  tax  title, 
which  often  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  mill  owner.  To  se- 
cure pine  land  many  employes  pre-empted  choice  tracts, 
which  were  for  a  greater  or  less  consideration  deeded  to 
their  employers. 

Tims  the  evils  of  non-resident  ownership  were'  miti- 
gated. 

The  first  election  held  was  in  1855,  and  embraced  the 
notorious  Barstow  and  Bashford  gubernatorial  contest. 
The  bogus  returns  which  figured  so  conspicuously  in  that 
case  purported  to  have  been  from  Bridge  Creek  in  this 
county. 

In  1856  the  county  was  quite  rapidly  filling  up.  Mer- 
chants and  mechanics  began  to  arrive.  The  Eau  Claire 
House  was  finished.  The  Bank  of  Eau  Claire  went  into 
operation,  W.  H.  Gleason,  president;  C.  H.  Gleason,  cash- 
ier; C.  M.  Seeley  was  the  chief  manager.  Chapman  & 
rhorp  arrived  and  bought  the  entire  interest  of  Gage  & 
Reed  and  one-half  the  village  plat.  The  Presbyterian 
Church  was  commenced,  the  first  in  the  whole  valley. 

Daniel  Shaw  &  Co.  located  in  the  Fourth  Ward.  In- 
gram &  Kennedy  bought  the  site  for  their  first  mill,  and 
began  the  race  between  the  river  and  Half-Moon  Lake. 

These  were  the  most  prominent  events  in  that  year. 

The  year  1857  witnessed  some  changes.  Two  churches 
went  up  this  year,  the  Congregationalist  on  the  west  side, 
and  the  Catholic  on  the  north  side,  which  latter  place  was 
laid  out  as  a  town  by  Dr.  W.  T.  Galloway  and  Augustus 
Huysen.  Another  Bank  was  instituted  by  Hall  &  Brothers 
who  were  non-residents,  but  tlie  bank  was  ably  managed 
by  D.  R.  Moore.     Both  these  were  banks  of  issue. 

Congress  had  created  a  new  land  district;  Dr.  W.  T. 
Galloway  was  appointed  Register  and  N.  B.  Boyden,  Re- 
ceiver. Chapman  &  Thorp  bought  the  entire  interest  of 
Carson  &  Eaton  in  the  Eau  Claire  Mill  Water  Power  and 
pine  lands  for  $125,000,  and  began  the  erection  of  the  steam- 
mill  just  above  Dewey  street  on  the  Eau  Claire.  A  few 
hundred  bushels  of  wheat  were  shipped  that  year.  Other 
farm  productions  found  a  ready  home  market. 

Congress  had,  in  1856,  passed  an  act  giving  to  the  State 
of  Wisconsin  certain  alternate  sections  of  land  for  railroad 
purposes.  One  of  the  projected  lines  was  to  run  from  Por- 
tage via  Tomah  to  St.  Croix  County.  It  was  supposed  this 
road  would  be  built  at  once,  a  company  was  organized  and 
millions  of  stock  issued.  The  supposed  possession  of  in- 
formation as  to  where  it  would  cross  the  Chippewa,  started 
the  most  wild  and  visionary  schemes  ever  indulged  in. 
Various  routes  were  examined,  raising  local  hopes,  which 
ended  in  bitter  disappointment,  on  account  of  the  with- 
drawal of  deposits  by  some  of  the  heaviest  men  in  town  to 
invest  in  a  new  city  site  at  Neill's  Creek.  The  Eau  Claire 
Bank  became  sickly,  went  into  liquidation. 

Among  the  settlers  that  year  were  Joseph  E.  Thorp 
and  family,  Alex.  Meggett,  W.  P.  Bartlett,  George  A.  Buf- 
fington,  Ingram  and  Kennedy,  Jackson  Brothers,  Peter  Wy- 
koff  and  Rev.  A.  Kidder  and  family. 

A  party  of  Sioux  warriors  about  this  time  killed  an  old 
domesticated  Indian  near  Frenchtown.  A  party  of  Chip- 
pewas  were  ambuscaded  and  shot  near  Dunnville,  and  in 
the  same  year  the  Chippewas  secured  two  victims  and  car- 
ried their  heads  triumphantly  to  Rock  Run  and  placed  the 
ghastly  spectacle  on  poles  by  the  roadside. 

The  first  school-house  erected  in  the  village  was  on  the 
north  side. 

In  1857  there  was  a  mission-school  established  on  the 
west  side  called  the  Methodist  Institute.  For  several 
years  it  was  a  useful  school. 

In  1859  a  stage  route  was  established  between  the  vil- 
lage and  Wabasha.     H.     Godfrey  &  Co.  were  proprietors. 


302 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  period  from  this  time  to  the  opening  of  the  war  of 
iS6i,  was  marked  by  a  steady  filling  up  of  the  surrounding 
country  and  a  healthy  growth  of  the  village. 

The  dates  of  the  inception  of  various  industrial  enter- 
prises will  be  found  in  the  biographical  sketches.  Indeed 
much  of  the  history  of  the  city  will  be  found  in  these  ac- 
counts of  the  early  settlers. 

In  1859  the  lands  of  the  Fox  River  Improvement  Com- 
pany, being  in  the  market  in  a  modified  way,  extensive 
dealings  in  these  lands  were  carried  on  at  the  land  office 
here.  By  the  terms  of  the  grant  they  could  not  be  pre- 
empted by  actual  settlers,  but  could  be  covered  by  land 
warrants  which  were  extensively  uged.  N.  B.  Borden  was 
at  that  time  Receiver.  One  night  when  the  returns  were 
about  due  in  Washington,  there  was  a  safe  explosion,  and  a 
robbery  in  the  land  office.  It  is  believed  the  government 
was  never  able  to  recover  the  funds. 

THE    REBELLION. 

All  the  space  devoted  to  Eau  Claire  City  and  County 
might  easily  be  filled  with  its  war  record  and  stirring  events 
of  that  period.  Its  history  is  a  counterpart  of  what  trans- 
pired in  every  village  of  like  size  in  the  whole  North.  The 
record  is  one  of  self  sacrifice,  of  patriotism,  fortitude  and 
courage,  with  a  sublime  confidence  in  the  final  success 
which  often  seemed  so  far  off.  Eau  Claire  furnished  more 
than  her  quota  of  men,  and  there  is  no  brighter  page  in 
the  history  of  that  struggle  than  that  which  records  the 
deeds  of  the  companies  in  the  8th,  i6th,  25th,  30th,  and 
36th,  and  other  regiments  from  this  place. 

The  Eagle  Company  and  Regiment  has  a  world-wide 
reputation,  and  indeed  the  history  of  the  Wisconsin  men 
who  assisted  to  save  our  imperilled  Union  is  fully  recorded 
in  other  works  and  the  subject  is  here  reluctantly  left  with 
this  brief  allusion. 

Having  thus  reviewed  the  salient  points  in  the  early 
career  of  Eau  Claire,  the  reader  is  respectfully  referred  to 
what  follows  for  a  knowledge  of  the  city  in  its  present 
condition,  and  a  glimpse  at  many  of  the  steps  taken  to 
reach  its  present  altitude,  which  is  viewed  with  a  pardon- 
able pride  by  the  old  settlers,  but  which  may  be  looked 
upon  after  the  lapse  of  generations,  as  the  day  of  small 
things  for  this  young  metropolis  of  the  Chippewa  Valley. 

Eau  Claire  is  six  miles  from  the  Mississippi  and  being 
at  the  junction  of  the  Eau  Claire  and  Chippewa  rivers 
which  drain  a  large  region  north,  east  and  south,  at  the 
head  of  navigation  and  the  very  base  of  the  immense  pine- 
ries on  the  rivers  above,  has  unparalleled  lumbering  facili- 
ties, and  the  general  merchandise  trade  must  extend  in- 
definitely, as  the  lumber  region  becomes  devoted  to  agri- 
culture and  manufacturing  as  it  certainly  must.  The 
confidence  which  has  been  reposed  in  the  future  of  Eau 
Claire,  will  certainly  not  be  disappointing,  for  the  trade  of 
these  valleys  and  their  countless  tributaries  naturally  con- 
verges towards  and  centers  at  this  point,  and  with  proper 
railroad  facilities  there  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  future. 

The  Chippewa,  which  is  navigable  to  the  falls,  eleven 
miles  above  the  city,  enters  the  city  from  the  north,  after 
describing  a  well  defined  but  reversed  letter  S.  At  the  falls 
above  the  city,  there  is  the  Dells  dam,  with  its  log  races  and 
lock,  which  is  used  for  lumber  rafts,  but  seldom  for  boats. 
The  river  has  a  generally  southwestern  course,  having  its 
origin  in  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  Michigan. 

The  Eau  Claire,  a  stream  perhaps  one-third  its  size, 
arises  in  the  adjoining  counties  on  the  east,  and,  receiving 
numerous  accessions  north  and  south,  enters  the  Chippewa 
at  right  angles,  near  the  center  of  the  town. 

The  Chippewa  River  was  called  by  the  first  explorers. 
The  Santeur. 


The  Eau  Claire  was  named  by  the  early  French  explorers 
or  traders. 

The  lower  dam  on  the  Eau  Claire  has  a  fall  of  ten  feet, 
and  at  low  water  exhibits  400  horse  power. 

The  upper  dam,  at  the  water  mill,  has  fourteen  feet  fall, 
and  the  minimum  power  is  700  horse. 

Three  miles  above  the  city,  on  the  Eau  Claire,  is  a  fall 
of  sixteen  feet,  and  nine  miles  further  up  a  fall  of  forty  feet. 
Other  important  water-power  locations  are  found  further  up 
the  river,  and  on  its  branches. 

The  Chippewa  and  tributary  streams  are  well  stocked 
with  edible  fnsh.  The  market  at  diff"erent  seasons  has  stur- 
geon, rauskalonge,  pike,  pickerel,  catfish,  black  bass,  rock 
bass,  spotted  bass,  and  others  less  important. 

The  citizens  of  Eau  Claire,  having  procured  a  charter, 
held  their  first  election  under  its  provisions  in  the  Spring  of 
1872.  H.  P.Graham  was  elected  the  first  Mayor,  and  served 
until  April,  1873  ;  was  succeeded  by  J.  P.  Nelson,  who  held 
the  ofifice  one  year.  G.  E.  Porter  was  Mayor  from  April, 
1874,  until  April,  1875,  when  G.  A.  Buffington  was  installed 
in  that  position.  April,  1876,  L.  M.  Vilas  was  elected.  In 
1877,  W.  F.  Bailey  was  chosen;  and  in  1878,  George  W. 
Chapman,  who  was  re-elected  for  1879. 

In  1880,  J.  F.  Moore  filled  this  position. 

In  1881,  at  this  writing,  the  Mayor  is  Dr.  E.  T.  Farr. 

C.  E.  Gleason  was  the  first  City  Clerk,  and  was  re-elected 
to  that  position,  from  year  to  year,  until  1879,  when  John 
Hanner  took  his  place,  holding  the  office  two  years.  April, 
1 88 1,  George  W.  Churchill  was  elected  to  the  ofifice. 

E.  H.  Playter  was  Treasurer  from  1872  to  1878.  For 
1S79,  B.  S.  Phillips  was  chosen  Treasurer,  and  still  retains 
the  place. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  been  elected  President  of 
the  Council  :  1872,  Texas  Angel ;  1873,  George  W.  Dem- 
ming;  1874,  Donald  Kennedy;  1875,  Frank  McDonough  ; 
1S76-77,  F.W.Woodward;  1S78-79,  G.  W.  Demming;  18S0, 
(George  B.  Shaw;  1881,  W.  P.  Bartlett. 

The  City  Attorneys  have  been;  1872,  L.  M.Vilas; 
1873-4,  W.  R.  Hoyt;  1875,  Alexander  Meggett ;  1876,  H. 
H.  Hayden;  1877,  L.  R.  Larson;  187S-80,  I\I.  Griffin; 
1881,  Col.  E.  M.  Bartlett. 

Municipal  Judge,  L.  E.  Lattimer,  1S72  to  1878;  L.  R. 
Larson  from  1S78. 

William  Weissenfelds  has  been  City  Surveyor  since  the 
city  was  organized. 

Present  city  officers. — Mayor,  E.  J.  Farr  ;  Clerk,  George 
Churchill;  Treasurer,  B.  S.  Phillips  ;"  City  Attorney,  Col.  E. 
iM.  Bartlett. 

Aldermen.  —  First  Ward,  Frank  McDonough,  Frank 
Pulle;  Second  Ward,  F.  J.  McGrath,  W.  T.  Galloway; 
Third  Ward,  W.  P.  Bartlett.  N.  C.  Wilcox  ;  Fourth  Ward, 
George  B.  Shaw,  Noah  Shaw  ;  Fifth  Ward,  G.  A.  Buffing- 
ton,  G.  W.  Mason  ;  Sixth  Ward,  W.  W.  Downs,  T.  W. 
Thomas ;  Seventh  Ward,  Henry  Davis,  Chris  Carlson  ; 
Eighth  Ward,  T.  F.  Frawley,  A.  S.  Bostwick. 

Police. — Thomas  Donnelly,  Chief;  John  Higgins,  John 
Hancock,  Lafayette  Elliott,  Robert  Anderson,  Charles 
Pelka. 

Post-0 ffice. — Located  at  the  corner  of  Kelsey  and  River 
streets.  Postmaster,  James  M.  Brackett ;  .Assistant,  Jay 
C.  Bartlett.  Branch  office,  west  side.  Station  A ;  Col.  E. 
M.  Bartlett,  Postmaster. 

In  June,  1878,  when  Mr.  Brackett  was  appointed  Post- 
master, the  sale  of  stamps  and  envelopes  did  not  exceed 
$1,700  per  quarter.  Now  it  averages  $2,700  per  quarter. 
The  registered  letters,  per  quarter,  then  numbered  about 
250  ;  now  more  than  600.  Money  orders  have  increased  at 
the  same  rate.  It  is  now  a  second-class  office.  The  post- 
office   was    remodeled   and    supplied  with  Yale  lock-boxes 


HISTORY  OF  EAU    CLAIRE  COUNTY 


303 


and  modern  appliances,  and  opened  for  business  on  Janu- 
ary 6,  1875.  The  growth  of  the  city  business  has  carried  it 
far  beyond  the  postal  facilities  then  provided. 

Deputy  Collector  Internal  Revenue. — J.  F.  Moore  ;  office, 
No.  9  Kelsey  street. 

United  States  Land  Office. — Located  corner  River  and 
Kelsey  streets.  J.  G.  Callahan,  Register  ;  V.  \V.  Bayless, 
Receiver;  D.  S.  Thompson,  Clerk. 

Fire  Department.— T\\ext  are  two  steam  fire  engines  in 
the  city.  No.  i,  on  the  west  side;  this  was  procured  in 
1 87 1,  before  the  city  organization  ;  Eugene  Bullard  was  the 
first  Chief  Engineer.  No.  2,  located  under  the  City  Hall, 
was  procured  in  1873.  Wales  H.  Willard  is  Engineer,  and 
F.  Ferris,  Driver,  of  No.  i.  Charles  Cutler  is  Engineer  of 
No.  2  ;  Frank  Harmon,  Foreman.  Chief  Engineer,  J  C. 
Churchill. 

The  second  steam  fire  engine  procured  was  in  March, 
1875.  Charles  Cutler  was  the  Engineer.  This  was  during 
Mr.  Porter's  administration  as  Mayor. 

June  25,  1874,  there  was  a  firemen's  parade,  with  the 
usual  concomitants  on  such  occasions.  Three  hundred  fire- 
men from  abroad  participated  in  the  tournament. 

PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. 

A.  O.  U.  W.  Hall,  Bailey's  Hall,  City  Buildings,  Court- 
House  and  County  Jail,  Germania  Hall,  Granger's  Hall, 
Gymnasium  Hall,  west  side;  Masonic  Hall,  east  side;  Mu- 
sic Hall,  Normanna  Hall,  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  Temple  of 
Honor  Hall. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

The  Chippewa  An  eiger,\v^^V\y,  established  in  1873.  T. 
Friedlander,  editor  and  proprietor.  It  is  printed  in  the  Ger- 
man language.     Independent. 

The  Eau  Claire  Free  Press,  a  daily  and  weekly  Republi- 
can paper.  The  oldest  paper  in  the  city  ;  was  started  in 
1S57,  and,  after  a  few  months,  being  on  the  point  of  suspen- 
sion, it  was  purchased  by  Gilbert  E.  Porter,  who  took  charge 
and  successfully  managed  the  concern  until  1864.  It  then 
fell  into  the  hands  of  J.  B.  and  H.  M.  Stocking,  who  con- 
tinued the  paper  until  January  i,  1870,  when  Mr.  James  M. 
Brackett  became  editor,  and  it  was  published  under  the  firm 
name  of  Rodman  &  Brackett.  January  i,  1873,  Mr.  Rod- 
man sold  his  interest  to  John  Hunner,  and  the  new  firm 
started  the  daily.  Mr.  Brackett  continued  as  editor  until 
October,  1879,  when  failing  health  caused  him  to  retire.  A 
stock  company  was  organized,  with  a  capital  of  $15,000; 
J.  M.  Brackett,  president;  W.  A.  Rust,  vice-president;  John 
B.  Stocking,  treasurer;  George  A.  Barry,  managing  editor; 
Henry  Slinguff,  city  editor;  W.  E.  Fleming,  book-keeper. 

Eau  Claire  News. — This  is  a  weekly  Democratic  paper; 
was  started  by  Flavius  J.  Mills,  in  the  Fall  of  1869.  George 
Mills  and  R.  H.  Copeland  afterwards  owned  the  paper.  It 
is  now  owned  by  a  private  company.  Mr.  S.  S.  Kepler  is 
the  managing  editor. 

The  Leader. — This  is  a  five-column  daily,  coming  into 
e.\istence  as  an  independent  candidate  for  public  favor.  It 
is  published  by  the  "Leader  Company,"  on  the  west  side  ; 
\V.  H.  Lamb,  manager. 

Several  other  papers  have,  from  time  to  time,  been  pub- 
lished in  the  city,  among  them  the  Tribune  and  Arg^us.  For 
one  reason  or  another  they  have  been  discontinued. 


The  first  bank  was  the  Bank  of  Eau  Claire,  started  in 
1856.  W.  H.  Gleason  was  president,  and  C.  R.  Gleason,  a 
non-resident  at  that  time,  was  cashier.  C.  M.  Seeley,  who, 
in  October,  1858,  removed  to  Meadvillc,  Pa.,  did  the  busi- 
ness. Ricliard  Wilson  also  had  an  interest  in  the  bank.  In 
October,  1858,  Hall  and  Brother,  non-residents,  started  their 


bank.  Mr.  Moon  was  the  manager.  Both  of  these  institu- 
tions were  banks  of  issue. 

C.  C.  Spofford  began  banking  in  1861.  The  firm  became 
Spofford  c&  Clark  in  1866,  and  so  continued  until  January  1, 
1S73,  when  the  business  was  transferred  to  Clark  &  In- 
gram, whose  bank,  on  the  corner  of  Kelsey  and  Barstow 
streets,  is  still  a  flourishing  institution,  with  a  heavy  busi- 
ness. 

Bank  of  Eau  Claire. — The  present  bank  came  into  e.\- 
istence  in  1872.  W.  A.  Rust  and  F.  W.  Woodward  were  the 
proprietors.  In  1873,  it  was  organized  as  the  First  National 
Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $60,000.  F.  W.  Woodward  was  presi- 
dent, W.  A.  Rust  vice-president,  George  T.  Thompson 
cashier.  Its  circulation  has  since  been  surrendered,  and  it 
has  been  organized  anew,  under  the  laws  of  the  State,  with 
the  same  officers,  and  the  following  gentlemen  added  as 
directors  :  H.  H.  Hayden,  George  B.  Shaw,  B.  J.  Chur- 
chill. Capital,  $30,000,  with  a  surplus  of  §5,000.  To  show 
on  which  side  the  balance  of  exchange  rests,  it  is  stated 
that  the  bank  received  in  currency  alone  by  express,  in  one 
year,  $500,000. 

The  Chippewa  Valley  Bank. — This  bank  was  organized 
in  June,  1876,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  Henry  C.  Put- 
nam is  president,  and  V.  W.  Bayless,  secretary.  This  bank, 
in  addition  to  its  other  business,  has  large  real  estate  trans- 
actions. 

State  Stock  Bank. — This  was  one  of  the  banks  of  issue  at 
that  time  so  common.  It  was  owned  by  H.  O.  Perrin,  of 
Marshall,  Mich.  The  law  regarding  National  Banks  dis- 
posed of  this  institution. 

Lumbermen  s  Bank. — There  was  also  a  bank  purporting 
to  be  located  at  Court  Ourielles,  the  proprietors  lived  here. 

THE    LU.MBER    INTEREST. 

The  Chippewa  being  a  large  river,  with  an  immense  log- 
driving  capacity,  and  tributaries  from  the  pine  region,  with 
abundant  water-power,  it  has  extensive  lumbering  estab- 
lishments, none  of  them  more  important  than  at  Eau  Claire. 
At  this  point,  in  addition  to  the  booms  on  the  Eau  Claire 
River,  there  is  a  boom  formed  by  Half  Moon  Lake,  which 
has  a  connecting  canal  with  the  river.  This  lake  was  pos- 
sibly once  the  bed  of  the  river,  which  has  been  changed  by 
accumulating  sands  and  worn  banks.  A  company  to  ope- 
rate this  property  was  formed  in  1S59,  and  re-organized  in 
December,  1871. 

It  may  be  proper,  in  this  connection,  to  mention  the 
lowest  and  most  extensive  boom  on  the  river,  located  near 
its  mouth.  This  is  owned  by  the  Beef  Slough  Manufactur- 
ing, Booming,  Log-Driving  and  Transportation  Company. 
It  was  organized  April  27, 1867,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000. 
Its  rates  of  toll  are  seventy-five  cents  per  1,000  feet  for 
logs  and  timber,  two  cents  for  railroad  ties,  and  one  cent 
for  fence  posts.  It  has  a  capacity  of  200,000,000  feet.  So 
long  ago  as  1S74,  it  delivered  133,000,000  feet. 

At  Eau  Claire,  a  long  and  bitter  legislative  fight,  con- 
tinuing ten  years,  was  carried  on  with  the  capitalists  on  the 
river  above.  It  was  known  as  the  "Dells'  fight."  It  was 
finally  terminated  by  authority  granted  to  build  a  dam. 

In  1842,  H.  S.  Allen,  Simon  and  George  Randall,  se- 
lected the  lower  Dalles,  as  it  was  then  and  now  is  called,  as 
the  proper  and  only  place  where  lumber  could  be  rescued 
from  the  current  and  successfully  handled  with  security 
during  all  stages  of  water.  As  a  logging  stream,  it  is  of  the 
greatest  importance,  and  for  years  to  come  the  lumber  busi- 
ness will  be  paramount,  as  it  has  been  in  the  past.  In  1873, 
an  account  which  was  authentic  as  far  as  it  went,  was  pub- 
lished, showing  the  magnitude  of  the  lumber  business  as  it 
then  existed.  From  it  we  learn  that  the  Eau  Claire  Lum- 
ber Company  had   fifteen  camps,  four  iuindred  men,  one 


304 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


hundred   and   fifty   horse  teams,  and   fifty    yoke   of  oxen. 
They  secured  thirty  million  feet  of  lumber  that  season. 

Smith  &  Bufiington  had  three  camps,  one  on  the  Chip- 
pewa and  two  on  the  Flambeau.  Twelve  horse  teams, 
eleven  yoke  of  oxen,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  men, 
putting  in  six  million  feet  on  the  Chippewa  and  five  million 
on  the  Flambeau. 

D.  Swan  &  Co.  had  three  camps  of  their  own  and  nine 
of  their  "jobbers,"  making  twelve  in  all;  eight  on  the  Chip- 
pewa, one  on  the  Flambeau,  two  on  the  Thornapple  and 
one  on  another  branch.  They  employed  two  hundred  men, 
thirty-one  ox-teams,  thirty-three  horse  teams,  and  put 
afloat  twenty  million  feet  of  logs. 

Ingham  &  Kennedy  floated  forty  million  feet. 
The  business  of  these  firms  here  specified,  represented 
about  one-third  of  the  logging  interest  at  that  time. 

As  the  population  has  nearly  or  quite  doubled  since  that 
time,  in  response  to  the  increased  business,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  amount  done  then  as  compared  with  the  present 
time,  must  have  been  correctly  reported. 

An  account  published  in  187 1,  showed  that  there  were 
one  hundred  and  twelve  camps  on  the  upper  Chippewa,  and 
the  aggregate  lumber  cut  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  for  that 
year  was  as  follows  : 

On  the  St.  Croix ._ 130,000,000 

"         Chippewa 275 .000,000 

Black - 200,000,000 

Wisconsin 70.000,000 

"         Wolf  .._ -125.000,000 

Oconto _. 60,000,000 

Menomonee..- 130,000,000 

Peshtigo _  40000.000 

Total .1,030,000,000 

Lumber  cut  on  the  Chippewa  and  its  tributaries  :  1873, 
388,417,993  feet;  1874,  298,098,096  feet;  1875,  250,747,- 
936  feet. 

Rafted  at  Beef  Slough:  1S73,  91,000,000  feet;  1S74, 
133,000,000  feet;   1875,  129,000,000  feet. 

The  log  product  for  the  Winter  of  1875-6,  480,000,- 
000  feet. 

It  is  estimated  that  one-half  of  the  pine  lumber  of  Wis- 
consin is  in  the  Chippewa  Valley. 

Various  calculations  have  been  made  as  to  the  amount 
of  lumber  now  standing.  These  estimates  vary  from  eight 
to  twenty  thousand  million. 

Lumber  cut  in  1878,  in  Eau  Claire  :  lumber,  99,876,120  ; 
lath,  24,274,100;  shingle,  28,125,500;  pickets,  482,000. 

Logs  scaled  in  1879  :  Dist.No.  3,  101,422,299  ;  Dist.No.  6, 
37,000,980. 

Log  crop  of  1878-9,  of  the  Chippewa  Valley:  lumber, 
165,683,216;  shingles,  51,777,000;  lath,  43,343,550  ;  pickets, 
1,150,880. 

Crop  of  1877-8:  lumber,  99,871,120;  shingles,  28, 122,- 
500;  lath,  24,270,100;  pickets,  482,194. 

Logging  in  1880 :  amount  banked  on  the  Elk,  north 
and  south  forks  of  the  Flambeau  :   147,500,000. 

Lumber  cut  in  the  Winter  of  1878,  on  Little  Falls  Dam 
and  Taylor's  Creek  :  8,000,000. 

Drive  for  the  season  of  1881,  on  the  Chip])ewa,  was  : 
Little  Falls  Dam,  75,000,000;  Paint  Creek,  40,000,000; 
Dells  Dam  and  Half  Moon  Lake,  75,000,000;  Upjier  tribu- 
taries of  the  Chippewa,  60,000,000;  Lower  Chippew^a,  Beef 
.Slougli,  250,000,000. 

The  Valley  Lumber  Company,  at  Eaa  Claire,  in  one 
day,  with  two  rotary  and  one  gang  saw,  cut,  311,610  feet  of 
lumber  in  less  than  eleven  hours. 

Since  the  first  lumbering  operations  were  commenced 
in  this  region,  when  a  saw-mill  was  run  by  a  flutter  wheel, 
connected  directly   with   the  same  frame  by  a  crank,  at  an 


enormous  waste  of  power,  there  has  been  a  radical  change- 
Labor-saving  and  expediting  machinery  is  now  used,  which 
seems  to  possess  human  intelligence,  as  it  handles  the  logs 
and  rapidly  converts  them  into  timber,  boards,  shingles, 
lath,  or  pickets. 

The  dam  has  sixteen  feet  fall,  and  has  an  immense 
power,  which  will  one  day  be  utilized,  perhaps  by  trans- 
mitting the  power  by  means  of  condensed  air,  to  all  parts 
of  the  city. 

Lumber  piled  in  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company's 
yards  during  the  season  of  1880:  lumber,  28,260,339; 
shingles,  12,112,500;  lath,  6,693,000. 

The  Lumbermen's  Association. — A  National  convention 
of  lumbermen  was  formed  in  Williamsport  in  the  Spring  of 
1874  ;  nearly  every  point  in  the  lumbering  interest  was  rep- 
resented. Our  distinguished  townsman,  J.  G.  Thorp,  was 
elected  president. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1876,  the  convention  met  in 
Eau  Claire.  Hon.  J.  G.  Thorp,  presided,  and  presented  the 
annual  address.  The  report  of  G.  E.  Stockbridge,  the  sec- 
retary, showed  that  the  amount  of  lumber  on  hand  in  the 
States  was,  January  i,  1875,  3,256,889,689  feet.  January  i, 
1876,  3,069,595,472.  The  convention  adjourned  after  a 
profitable  session,  having  received  every  attention  from 
the  citizens. 

Assorting  Logs  on  the  Chippeii>a.  —  TW\s  assorting  and  log- 
running  business  is  not  well  understood  by  non-residents. 
It  will  here  be  briefly  explained.  On  account  of  the 
numerous  falls,  many  rapids  and  the  consequently  swift  cur- 
rent, no  logs  can  be  rafted,  as  is  done  in  more  placid 
streams,  but  the  logs,  after  being  marked  with  the  owner's 
registered  marks,  are  dumped  promiscuously  into  the  river, 
and  they  all  flow  on  together  to  be  caught  in  the  several 
booms  on  the  river. 

These  booms  are  floating  dams,  kept  in  place  by  sub- 
merged wings,  and  project  into  the  river  in  such  a  manner 
that  logs  floating  with  the  current  will  be  caught  or  turned 
aside  into  an  expansion  of  the  river  to  be  there  held  until 
men,  with  suitable  corks  on  their  boots,  can  assort  them 
out,  subject  to  the  owner's  order.  Formerly,  when  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  one  firm's  mark  had  accumulated  to  make 
two  cribs,  the  mill  took  one  for  sawing,  and  gave  the  other 
to  the  owner. 

This  was  when  any  mill  on  the  river  hauled  up  logs  as 
they  came,  regardless  of  the  ownership,  and  men  seldom  or 
never  got  the  lumber  from  the  very  logs  they  cut,  and  as 
there  is  a  very  great  difference  in  the  quality  of  lumber  cut 
in  different  camps,  much  injustice  was  done  by  the  old 
methods.  Now,  however,  an  assorting  boom  obviates  many 
of  the  old  troubles,  as  the  logs  can  be  promptly  delivered 
to  the  owners. 

Sawing  Lumber. — As  time  rolls  on,  in  the  distant  future, 
when  the  prediction  that  "  Old  things  shall  pass  away  and 
all  things  become  new  "  may  have  been  wellnigh  fulfilled, 
when  the  exhaustion  of  the  lumber  shall  have  necessitated 
new  material  for  building  purposes,  and  lumber  mills  may 
have  gone  the  way  of  the  distaff  and  spinning-wheel,  it  may 
not  be  uninteresting  to  read  even  a  brief  account  of  a  mill 
in  operation. 

As  you  stand  inside,  you  see  the  ends  of  four  huge  logs 
just  hovering  over  the  angle  on  the  log-slip.  They  are 
dripping  with  water  and  bear,  besides  the  owner's  mark, 
the  scars  and  scratches  of  a  long  drive ;  another  instant, 
and  the  dogs  that  gripped  and  hauled  them  upare  removed, 
the  outside  logs  are  rolled  by  cant-hooks  right  and  left  to 
carriages  traveling  back  and  forth  like  a  huge  piston  of  a 
steam-engine,  carrying  usually  tw^o  men  and  a  boy  to  adjust 
and  set  the  log,  which  is  driven  through  a  circular  saw,  re- 
volving with  lightning  rapidity,  to  strip  off  the  outside  or 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


305 


slab,  the  log  is  tumbled  over  automatically,  and  rapidly 
squared;  it  then  is  carried  by  a  set  of  rollers,  and  becomes 
an  easy  victim  of  tlie  great  family  gang,  that,  with  its  recip- 
rocating motion,  beckons  it  on  to  unhesitating  mastication, 
and  the  huge  logs,  that  a  few  moments  before  were  quietly 
reposing  in  the  placid  water  above  the  mill,  are  falling  down 
into  the  sheds  or  upon  a  car,  finished  boards.  More  logs 
crawling  up;  more  tumbling  over;  more  buzzing;  more 
maunchmg,  and  more  finished  lumber,  for  eleven  hours  a 
day,  realizes  the  prosperity  and  wealth  of  the  lumber  region. 
Tlie  slabs  are  rapidly  worked  up  into  pickets  and  latli. 

The  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company. — The  most  extensive 
lumbering  corporation  on  the  river,  and  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  world.  The  nucleus  of  the  immense  property  was 
purchased  by  Chapman  &  Thorp,  of  Gage  &  Reed,  in 
1856.  It  included  the  mill,  pine-lands,  and  one-half  the 
village  plat.  The  financial  crash  of  1857,  with  its  com- 
mercial convulsions,  was  a  crushing  blow  to  this  struggling 
firm,  and  notwithstanding  these  young  men  had  brought  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars  into  the  business,  the  firm  was 
in  desperate  circumstances,  and  only  the  prompt  aid  of 
powerful  friends  in  the  East  saved  it  from  impending  de- 
struction. The  company  was  reorganized  in  1866,  as  the 
Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  and  has  always  been  closely 
identified  with  the  city  and  its  interests.  Although  subject 
to  the  vicissitudes  incident  to  such"  extensive  operations  it 
has  gone  on  from  a  beginning  with  $500,000  capital  until 
now  it  employs  $3,000,000  in  its  business.  It  has  machine 
shops,  flouring  mills,  and  large  lumber  mills,  in  Eau  Claire, 
Meriden  and  Alma,  with  a  combined  capacity  of  100,000,- 
000  feet  a  year,  and  last  year  actually  cut  80,000,000  feet  of 
lumber,  and  this  year  will  cut  90,000,000  feet.  In  1874, 
the  company  erected  a  large  brick  store  for  the  retail  of 
general  merchandise,  costing  $30,000.  At  one  time  the 
business  of  the  store  amounted  to  $350,000  a  year,  that 
part  of  the  business,  however,  is  now  closing  up.  The 
losses  of  the  firm  by  fire  and  flood  at  various  times  would 
aggregate  a  large  sum.  In  November,  1877,  their  extensive 
flouring  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  loss  was  |!5o,ooo  ; 
insured  for  $27,000.  December  19,  1878,  their  machine 
shop  was  also  destroyed  by  fire.  In  December,  1S79,  the 
boiler  of  the  planing  mill  exploded,  killing  J.  Wright  Hos- 
kins,  the  engineer,  Anthony  Gallagher  and  Michael  Help- 
ing. Thomas  Hall  was  also  injured.  The  mill  was  badly 
shattered.  The  company  has  extensive  yards  in  St.  Louis, 
where  a  large  part  of  their  lumber  is  shipped.  Fifteen  hun- 
dred men  are  regularly  employed  in  all  departments  of  the 
business.  In  the  Winter  of  18S0-1  1,800  men  and  the 
necessary  teams  were  in  the  lumbering  camps.  In  addition 
to  their  own  manufacture,  20,000,000  feet  were  bought  and 
disposed  of.  The  present  officers  and  members  of  the  com- 
pany are:  J.  G.  Thorp,  president;  Richard  Schulenburg, 
vice-president;  N.  C.  Chapman,  treasurer;  W.  A.  Rust, 
secretary.  These  gentlemen  with  J.  T.  Gilbert,  George  Y. 
Gilbert  and  J.  G.  Cliapman  constitute  the  board  of  direc- 
tors. 

THE     LU.MBER    YARDS. 

These  extensive  yards  for  piling  lumber  were  laid  out 
by  George  C.  Davis,  the  present  superintendent,  on  the  14th 
of  June,  1879.  There  are  twenty-five  acres  with  nineteen 
cross  alleys.  Mr,  Davis  employs  seventy  men  and  twenty- 
one  teams,  and  ships  by  rail  2,5000,000  feet  of  lumber  a 
month.  A  good  idea  of  how  much  i,c 00,000  feet  of  lumber 
is  may  be  realized  when  it  is  stated  that  if  piled  twenty  feet 
high  an  acre  holds  1,000,000  feet,  so  the  capacity  of  these 
yards  is  25,000,000  feet. 

Empire  Luml'er  Company. — On  March  26,  1881,  the  firms 
of  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  Charles  Hor- 
ton  Lumber  Company,  Winona,  Minn.,  and  Dulany  &  Mc- 


Veigh, Hannibal,  Mo.,  became  incorporated  under  the  laws 
of  Wisconsin  under  the  name  and  style  of  Empire  Lumber 
Company,  succeeding  to  the  business  of  above-mentioned 
firms,  receiving  all  assets  and  assuming  all  liabilities.  Offi- 
cers :  O.  H.  Ingram,  president,  Eau  Claire,  Wis.;  D.  M. 
Dulany,  vice-president,  Hannibal,  Mo.;  W.  H.  Dulany, 
treasurer,  Hannibal,  Mo.;  Charles  Horton,  secretary,  Wi- 
nona, Minn.;  C.  A.  Chamberlin,  assistant  secretary,  Eau 
Claire,  Wis.  Directors  :  O.  H.  Ingram,  W.  P.  Tearse,  Eau 
Claire,  Wis.;  Charles  Horton,  Roscoe  Horton,  Winona, 
Minn.;  D.  M.  Dulany,  J.  H.  McVeigh,  G.  W.  Dulany, 
Hannibal,  Mo.  This  company  has  three  mills,  the  "big 
mill,"  the  "  little  mill  "  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  the  "  Eddy 
Mill,"  in  the  First.  The  combined  capacity  of  these  mills 
is  250,000  feet  in  eleven  hours.  The  actual  cut  for  1881 
will  be  about  50,000,000.  Two  hundred  men  on  an  aver- 
age are  employed.  The  company  also  operate  and  stock 
the  Dells  Lumber  Company's  mills,  and  have  a  general 
merchandise  store  on  Water  street,  under  the  management 
of  H.  B.  McMaster. 

The  Valley  Lumber  Company  succeeded  Smith  &  BuflF- 
ington.  It  was  incorporated  March  5,  1872,  with  a  capital 
of  $250,000,  but  was  not  organized  until  July  10,  1874. 
The  present  officers  are:  William  Carson,  president  and 
treasurer;  G.  A.  Buffington,  vice-president;  W.  H.  Smith, 
of  Eau  Galle,  secretary.  E.  D.  Rand,  of  Burlington,  and 
C.  M.  Smith,  of  Chicago,  are  also  directors. 

Daniel  Sliaiu  Lumber  Compcny. — This  company  was  in- 
corporated in  1874,  and  succeeded  Daniel  Shaw  &  Co.  On 
the  site  of  the  present  establishment,  Daniel  Shaw  and 
Charles  A.  Bullen  erected  a  mill  in  1857,  beginning  opera- 
tions in  the  Fall.  In  August,  1867,  the  mill  was  burned, 
but  was  rebuilt,  enlarged  and  improved  the  same  year.  The 
present  capacity  of  the  mill  is  150,000,000  a  year;  shingles, 
40,000,000 ;  lath,  the  same.  Employ  200  men  as  an  aver- 
age. The  capital  is  $500,000.  Officers:  D.  Shaw,  presi- 
dent; C.  A.  Bullen,  vice-president;  C.  S.  Newell,  treasu- 
rer. G.  B.  Shaw,  secretary.  In  1881,  will  cut  25,000,000 
lumber.  The  company  also  owns  and  operates  the  Crescent 
Mill,  a  roller  flouring  mill,  with  a  capacity  of  125  barrels  a 
day. 

Badger  State  Lumber  Company. — This  company  has  a 
nominal  capital  of  $180,000,  but  actually  employs  more 
than  $300,000.  The  stockholders  are:  W.  A.  Woodward, 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.;  F.  W.  Woodward,  W.  A.  Rust,  Eau 
Claire;  S.  W.  Chinn,  Badger  Mills;  Alfred  Toll,  John  Aire 
and  Joseph  Rowe,  Hannibal,  Mo.;  G.  T.  Hoagland,  St.  Jo- 
seph, Mo.  The  mill  cuts  about  12,000,000  a  year,  and  pur- 
chases as  much  more.  About  150  men  are  employed  in 
the  business.  The  company  owns  and  operates  what  was 
formerly  called  the  Blue  Mill,  which  is  spoken  of  in  the 
early  history  of  the  valley.  It  is  now  the  Badger  State 
Mill. 

The  Beef  Slough  Manufacturing,  Boom,  Log-driving  and 
Transportation  Company.  —  This  company  was  organized 
under  the  general  laws  of  Wisconsin.  The  stockholders 
are  Moses  M.  Davis,  .Appleton,  Wis.;  James  H.  Bacon,  Ypsi- 
lanti,  Mich.;  Elijah  Swift,  Falmouth,  Mass.;  C.  Moser,  Jr., 
John  Hunner,  Jr.,  Frederick  Lane,  Alma,  Wis.  Capital 
$100,000,  limited.  $300,000,  however,  are  used  in  the  busi- 
ness. From  600  to  700  men  are  employed  in  the  running 
season.  The  disbursements  are  between  $150,000  and  $ico,- 
000  a  year.  It  handles  ,$300,000,000  logs  a  year  ;  has  never 
manufactured  lumber,  as  their  charter  authorizes. 

The  Chippewa  River  Improvement  and  I^og-driving  Com- 
pany.— This  company  was  organized  February  i,  1876.  The 
patent  from  the  State  is  dated  July  8,  1876.  The  incorpo- 
rators were  F.  Weyerhauser,  of  Rock  Island,  111.;  Chancy 
Lamb,   Clinton,   Iowa;    William  J.Young,   Clinton,  Iowa ; 


3o6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Earle  S.  Yeomans,  Winona,  Minn.  The  capital  stock  of 
the  company  has  been  reduced  to  $125,000,  all  paid  in. 
The  company  has  built  a  dam  on  the  east  fork  of  the  Chip- 
pewa, a  large  dam  on  the  main  river  at  little  south  fork  of 
the  Flambeau,  two  dams  on  Elk  River,  and  have  deepened 
the  main  channel  at  various  points,  and  on  the  east  and  west 
forks  of  the  same  on  Elk  River,  and  north  and  south  forks 
of  the  Flambeau.  The  company  disburses  $100,000  a  year. 
The  present  directors  and  officers  of  the  company  are  M. 
J.  Young,  president ;  Art.  Lamb,  vice-president;  F.  Weyer- 
hauser,  D.  R.  Moon,  O.  H.  Ingram;  Th.  Erwin,  secretary 
and  treasurer;  D.  P.  Simons,  manager  and  assistant  treas- 
urer. 

C.  L.  Coleman's  Mill. —  The  saw-miil  of  Mr.  Coleman 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1875,  and  rebuilt  and  in  operation 
in  January,  1S76.  The  main  building  is  155x60  feet,  con- 
sisting of  two  stories.  Fifty-five  cords  of  stone  were  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  foundation  for  the  gang  saw. 
There  are  si.x  boilers.  The  cylinder  of  the  engine  is  thirty 
inclies  by  thirty.  The  smoke-stack  is  100  feet  high.  There 
are  two  double  circular  saws,  and  one  154-inch  gang.  The 
logs  are  handled  automatically  by  appropriate  machinery. 
The  shingle  mill  is  36x36.  The  establishment  is  complete 
in  every  respect. 

Norihwestern  Lumber  Company,  successors  to  Porter, 
Moon  &  Co.  and  S.  T.  McKnight  &  Co.,  incorporated  June 
26,  1873,  with  a  capital  of  $300,000,  since  increased  to 
$443,900.  The  original  proprietors  were  G.  E.  Porter,  D. 
R.  Moon,  S.  T.  McKnight;  present  officers,  D.  R.  Moon, 
president ;  G.  B.  Chapman,  vice-president ;  S.  T.  McKnight, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  McKnight  resides  in  Hannibal, 
Mo.,  the  distributing  point  of  the  company.  The  company 
has  a  mill  in  Wheaton,  Chippewa  Co.,  and  two  in  Porters- 
ville,  town  of  Brunswick.  Their  united  capacity  is  175,000 
lumber,  150,000  shingles,  60,000  lath  and  1,000  pickets  per 
day  of  twelve  hours.  The  mills  are  run  from  the  first  of 
May  until  some  time  in  November,  each  year.  The  com- 
pany employs  20c  men  in  Wisconsin  and  100  in  Missouri. 
The  average  yearly  product  is  30,000,000  lumber,  25,000,000 
shingles,  10,000,000  lath,  and  500,000  pickets.  At  Porters- 
ville  there  is  also  a  planing  and  a  feed  mill,  and  the  compa- 
ny has  several  general  merchandising  stores. 

Eaji  Claire  Manufacturing  Company,  instituted  in  1880, 
with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  A.  E.  Swift,  president,  E.  N.  Wil- 
son, secretary  and  treasurer,  capital  now  $85,000,  will  cut 
14,000,000  this  year,  and  employ  fifty  men. 

Sherman  (Sf  Brother. — Arthur  M.  and  John  Sherman 
were  among  the  1856-57  settlers.  They  owned  the  Eddy 
mill  from  1863  to  1866,  when  it  was  sold  to  Ingram,  Ken- 
nedy &  Co..  They  then  engaged  in  logging.  They  then 
bought  into  the  Boyd  mill,  which  went  out  with  the  flood 
of  1880,  landing  in  a  completely  demolished  condition  seven 
miles  down  the  river.  In  the  Fall  of  1880,  they  began  the 
Sherman  mill  on  Half-moon  Lake,  which  was  completed  in 
July,  1881.  It  is  a  complete  mill,  with  a  275  Corliss  engine 
and  the  latest  mill  machinery.  The  cut  will  be  100,000  a 
day. 

In  1880,  the  amount  of  lumber  cut  in  the  several 
mills  foots  up  as  follows  :  Lumber,  200,161,650;  lath,  50,- 
258,000;  shingles,  62,000,000;  pickets,  1,358,000.  Total 
3«3.777>6s°- 

THE  SAWDUST  WAR. 

On  Monday,  the  nth  of  July,  1881,  with  little  or  no  warn- 
ing as  to  their  purpose,  the  several  hundred  men  employed  by 
the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  after  the  mills  were  in 
operation,  at  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  suddenly  at 
a  given  signal  quit  work,  demanding  a  reduction  of  the 
time  of  labor  to  ten  hours  a  day.  They  formed  a  proces- 
cession  and  went  the  "grand  rounds"  of  the  several  mills, 


compelling  them  all  to  stop  and  the  men  to  join  the  ranks, 
with  the  single  exception  of  Sherman's  mill. 

Here  they  were  met  by  the  gallant  and  urbane  captain, 
who  commanded  a  lialt,  and,  on  learning  the  nature  of  the 
business  of  the  crowd,  informed  them  that  he  was  running 
on  the  ten  hour  system,  and  supplying  them  with  beer  from 
the  contiguous  brewery,  they  moved  on. 

At  some  of  the  mills  the  fires  were  put  out  and  consid- 
erable physical  persuasion  used  to  carry  their  point.  In 
the  evening,  and  for  several  days,  there  were  processions 
and  public  speeches  in  the  park,  their  banner  bearing  the 
device,  "Ten  hours,  or  no  sawdust." 

There  was  considf:rable  excitement.  A  good  many 
threats  were  made,  and,  later  in  the  week.  Gov.  William  E. 
Smith  was  informed  of  affairs,  and  he  came  in  person  and 
looked  over  the  situation,  and  finally  acted  on  the  advice  of 
the  mill-owners  and  others,  and  ordered  the  State  militia 
upon  the  scene.  Ju,t  before  their  arrival,  on  Saturday, 
several  arrests  were  made  of  the  more  boisterous  among 
the  strikers. 

The  following  companies  promptly  responded  to  the 
Governor's  call,  arriving  on  Saturday,  the  23d  of  July  : 
First  battalion.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Britton  — Company  A, 
Janesville  Guards;  company  B,  Bower  City  Rifles. 

Fourth  battalion.  Lieutenant  Colonel,  C.  P.  Chapman 
— Company  A,  Governor's  Guards ;  company  B,  Guppy 
Guards;  com]Dany  C,  Lake  City  Guards;  company  D, 
Watertown  Rifles,  embracing  about  375  men. 

They  encamped  on  the  west  side  park  and  in  the  Court- 
house, and  remained  until  the  29tli  and  30th,  having  been 
entertained  with  a  dance  by  the  strikers  and  a  supper  by 
the  ladies,  and  triumphantly  carrying  home  the  strikers' 
flag — the  result  of  a  peaceable  negotiation  instead  of  a 
sanguinary  conflict. 

OTHER  INDUSTRIAL  ENTERPRISES. 

In  addition  to  the  great  staple  business  of  lumber,  the 
city  is  rapidly  developing,  and  already  has  quite  a  number 
of  manufacturing  industries  which  must  continue  to  in- 
crease and  multiply  for  a  long  time.  Some  of  the  most 
important  of  these  will  now  be  alluded  to. 

Phmnix  Manufacturing  Company,  incorporated  October 
ij'  1875;  proprietors,  Hiram  C.  Graham,  Samuel  White, 
Robert  Toller,  Conway  B.  Daniels  ;  capital  $50,000.  This 
firm  builds  mill  machinery,  grist-mills  and  iron  work  gen- 
erally. It  also  has  a  planing  mill,  etc.  The  present  capital 
is  $100,000,  and  a  business  of  a  like  amount  is  done  an- 
nually.    Tiie  pay  roll  is  about  $4,500  a  month. 

The  Eau  Claire  Dells  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company. — W. 
S.  Easton,  president ;  A.  E.  Swift,  vice-president  and  man- 
aging director.  Incorporated  in  July,  1877.  The  works 
are  located  on  the  west  side.  It  has  twelve  and  one-half 
of  mains,  which  are  constantly  being  added  to 

Badger  State  Economist  Threshing  Machine. — This  ma- 
chine, the  invention  of  Robert  H.  Monteith,  is  manufactured 
by  a  company  consisting  of  Messrs.  Tliorp,  Gilbert,  Chap- 
man and  Rust.  Preparations  are  making  to  manufacture 
the  machine  on  a  large  scale. 

The  Telephone. — This  valuable  invention  is  extensively 
used  in  the  city. 

The  Telegraph. — The  Western  LTnion  has  an  office  here. 

Express. — The  American  Express  runs  on  the  various 
railroad  lines  and  does  a  heavy  business. 

Eau  Claire  Woolen  Mill. —  this  mill  is  located  in  Sec. 
27,  town  of  Washington;  employs  ten  hands;  manufactures 
cassimeres,  flannels  and  yarns,  and  do  a  large  amount  of 
custom  carding.  There  is  a  home  market  for  all  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  mill. 

Eau  Claire  Chilled  Plow  Company. — Incorporated  May 


HISTORY    OF    EAU   CLAIRE   COUNTY. 


307 


30,  1881;  capital,  $ro,ooo;  F.  W.  Woodward,  president; 
Noah  Shaw,  vice-president;  George  B.  Shaw,  secretary  and 
treasurer;  James  P.  Mclntyre,  superintendent.  The  firm 
began  work  July  18,  1881,  and  will  turn  out  500  or  600 
plows  this  year,  from  Mr.  Mclntyre 's  designs.  It  is  claimed 
that  the  shape  and  material  give  these  plows  light  draught, 
easy  handling  and  good  work,  and  that  they  clean  equal  to 
steel  plates.  They  are  made  of  soft  iron,  which  is  crystal- 
lized by  a  new  process,  the  invention  of  Mr.  Mclntyre. 

Noah  Shaw  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop. — It  was  built  in 
i860.  The  firm  name  was  Shaw,  Fisk  &  Co.,  iht  personnel 
being  Noah  Shaw,  J.  D.  Fisk,  D.  H.  Ferguson  and  N.  B. 
Greer.  These  men  did  all  the  work  in  the  shop.  Greer 
retired  in  1863.  Dr.  W.  T.  Galloway  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  in  1864,  Mr.  Fisk  retiring.  In  1867,  Mr.  Ferguson 
sold  to  Dr.  Galloway,  and  several  years  later  Mr.  Shaw  be- 
came sole  proprietor,  and  has  managed  the  concern  since 
then,  most  of  the  time  alone.  At  first  there  was  but  a  sin- 
gle lathe,  no  drill  or  planer.  The  business  gradually  in- 
creased, until  now  fifty  men  are  employed.  In  i860,  the 
stone  part  of  the  present  shop  was  erected.  The  shop  turns 
out  steam  engines,  rotary  saw-mills,  double  and  single  block 
shingle  mills,  grub  pin  lathes,  and  other  saw  and  planing 
mill  machinery.  About  $75,000  worth  of  work  is  done  each 
year. 

Carriage  Manufacturers  and  Blacksmiths — Bonell  Broth- 
ers. 

Boiler  Maker— P.  Lally. 

Dells  Brewery — Henry  Sommereyer,  proprietor;  E.  M. 
Hautzsch,  Trase  &  Leissaik. 

Broom  Manufacturer — D.  F.  Crabbe.  Does  exception- 
ally good  work. 

Cabinet  Makers — Norway  Furniture  Company. 
Coopers — Eau  Claire   Lumber  Company,  Fabion  Schis- 
mer. 

Feed  Mill— Mayhew  &  Co. 

Flour  Mills— P.  W.  Daniels,  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Com- 
pany, Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company. 
Marble  Works— W.  F.  Cook. 

Sash,  Door  and  Blind  Manufacturers — Bangs  &  Fish, 
Blashfield  &  Duffield. 

Soap  Manufacturers — National  Soap  Works. 
A  plan    is  maturing  to  establish  a  manufactory  of  the 
"  Monteith  Thresher." 

The  planing  mill  business  was  commenced  here  by  Ste- 
phen Marston,  in  i860,  in  the  mill  built  by  Adin  Randall. 
This  mill  was  sold  to  Ingram  &  Kennedy,  in  1872.  Mr. 
Marston's  present  mill  was  built  in  1867.  He  manufactures 
doors,  sash,  blinds,  etc.,  in  an  enlarged  and  improved  es- 
tablishment. 

The  Dells  Company  began  the  construction  of  the  canal 
on  the  thirtieth  day  of  October,  1879.  The  first  officers  of  the 
company  were  elected  November  11,  1879 — F.  W.  Wood- 
ward, president ;  J.  M.  Brackett,  vice-president ;  George  B. 
Shaw,  secretary;  V.  W.  Balies,  treasurer. 

Board  0/  trade. — The  first  meeting  to  organize  this  in- 
stitution was  held  Friday,  October  17,  1879.  F.  W.  Wood- 
ward was  the  first  president,  and  George  B.  Shaw,  secretary. 
F.  McDonoughis  now  president;  W.  L.  Kepler,  vice-presi- 
dent; V.  \V.  Bayless,  treasurer,  and  George  B.  Sliaw,  sec- 
retary.    Regular  meetings  first  Monday  in  each  month. 

Eau  Claire  Savings,  Loan  and  Building  Association. — 
This  institution  was  organized  August  7, .1877.  The  pur- 
pose and  business  of  the  association  is  to  afford  to  its  mem- 
bers a  safe  means  of  accumulating  and  investing  money,  as 
a  savings  bank,  and  to  loan  its  money  to  its  stockholders 
upon  properly  approved  securities  ;  to  aid  and  encourage 
its  members  to  build  or  purchase  homes  for  themselves. 
This  association  has  been  a  material  aid  in  building  up  the 


city.  The  transactions  for  the  year  ending  August  2,  1880, 
amounted  to  $66,336.89.  The  first  officers  of  the  associa- 
tion were:  President,  George  H.  Webster;  Treasurer,  F. 
W.Woodward;  Secretary,  John  Hunner.  The  officers  for 
1880-1  are:  G.  H.  Webster,  president;  H.  C.  Howland, 
vice-president;  F.  W.  Woodward,  Treasurer;  George  T. 
Thompson,  secretary;  George  C.  Teall,  attorney. 

Elevators. —Q,.  B.  Chapman  &  Co.  This  firm  has  a  cylin- 
drical elevator,  with  a  capacity  of  25,000  bushels.  It  has 
been  in  operation  one  season,  and  handled  about  75,000 
bushels.  l^\\e.  personnel  oi  the  firm  is  G.  B.  Chapman,  Nel- 
son Wilco.x  and  B.  J.  Churchill.  The  elevator  is  on  the 
north  side,  near  the  C,  St.  P.  &M.  R.  R.  track.  This  com- 
pany, besides  their  grain  business,  handles  about  15,000 
tons  of  hard  and  soft  coal. 

The  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  also  have  an  elevator, 
and  are  an  extensive  buyer  of  wheat. 

T.  E.  Randall  &  Son  also  have  an  elevator,  near  the  C, 
St.  P.  &  M.  depot,  and  do  a  large  business. 

The  wheat  shipped  from  Eau  Claire  has  been  steadily 
increasing,  until  now  it  amounts  to  at  least  350,000  bushels 
annually. 

Hotels. — There  are  about  twenty  hotels  in  town.  One 
of  the  oldest,  and  a  first-class  house,  is  the  Eau  Claire,  on 
the  site  of  the  first  hotel,  built  by  Adin  Randall,  in  1878, 
and  for  some  time  it  was  kept  by  Levi  Slinghkipp  &  Son. 
It  was  rebuilt  in  1879.  The  proprietor  is  William  Newton, 
who  has  occupied  it  seventeen  years,  except  two  years  when 
he  had  charge  of  the  Galloway  House.  The  hotel  started 
with  nine  rooms;  now  has  forty-eight  sleeping  rooms,  and 
eighteen  more  are  in  process  of  construction.  The  house 
was  re-opened  November  28,  1S78,  by  William  Newton. 
C.  B.  Newton  is  clerk,  and  Charley  Foster  night  clerk. 

The  Galloway  House  is  a  first-class  hotel.  This  house 
was  built  by  Dr.  William  T.  Galloway.  It  was  re-opened 
May  I,  1874,  by  William  Newton.  Its  construction  was 
commenced  in  1872,  but  it  was  not  finished  until  the  fol- 
lowing year,  when  it  was  opened  by  William  Newton.  Mr. 
Andrew  Burlap  succeeded  him.  Mr.  De  La  Verd  was  pro- 
prietor. Mr.  Fred  Hanson,  the  present  proprietor,  took 
the  house  July  28,  1879.  There  are  fifty-four  sleeping 
rooms  and  a  first-class  Turkish  bath  in  the  house.  Charles 
McDonald  is  clerk,  J.  H.  Woodbury,  night  clerk;  William 
H.  Douglass,  steward. 

The  Vinton  House. — For  a  long  time  this  was  the  lead- 
ing hotel.  At  first  it  was  the  Williams  House,  having  start- 
ed in  1869.  Mr.  Peabody,  who  afterwards  was  proprietor, 
gave  it  his  own  name.  Mr.  W.  F.  Vinton  now  is  proprietor, 
having  owned  it  since  1869.  It  has  forty-seven  sleeping 
rooms,  a  splendid  dining  room,  and  a  good  cuisine. 

The  Sherman  House  is  an  old  reliable  hostelry,  T.  F. 
Kenyon  proprietor.  Some  of  the  other  houses  are  :  The 
Britton  House,  Central  Exchange,  Hart's,  Joyce,  Kneer, 
Railroad,  Ratzinger,  Skandinavian,  Star  and  Upper  Valley. 
The  business  of  the  city  not  unfrequently  taxes  them  to  the  ut- 
most. 

The  Railroad  Hotel,  at  the  depot,  is  everything  to  be  de- 
sired by  the  traveling  public.     Frank  Pulte,  proprietor. 

Biver  Steamers.— 'Yhe  "Ida  Campbell"  is  now  the  only 
one  on  the  river;  Capt.  Monteith. 

STAGE     LINES. 

Mondoii  Line. — Leaves  the  Sherman  House  at  9  a.m., 
Tuesdays, Thursdays  and  Saturdays;  leaves  Mondovi  Post- 
office  at  7  A.M.,  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and"Fridays.  S.  L. 
Haskins,  proprietor. 

Whitehall  Line. — Leaves  Sherman  House  at  6  a.m., 
Wednesday  and  Saturday;  leaves  Whitehall  at  6  a.m., Tues- 
day and  Friday.     David  Harnden,  proprietor. 


3o8 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Rice  Lake  Line — Make  three  trips  a  week,  stopping  at 
Sand  Creek  and  Ciietek.     Tucker  &  Blyton,  proprietor. 

West  Wisconsin  U.  S.  Mail  Line.— Stage  for  Durant 
leaves  Sherman  House  at  12  m.,  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and 
Saturdays  ;  leaves  Durant  at  7  a.m.,  Mondays,  Wednesdays 
and  Fridays.     M.  D.  Prindle,  proprietor. 

There  are  several  public  squares  set  aside  for  park  pur- 
poses. 

University  Square,  on  the  hill,  on  the  eastern  border  of 
the  east  side.  One  bounded  by  Barstow,  Farewell,  Emery 
and  Earl  streets.  West  Side  Park,  between  Broadway  and 
Niagara  streets  and  Third  and  Fourth  avenues.  They  are 
without  ornament,  except  grass  and  young  trees. 

Street  Rai/wav.— The  Eau  Claire  Street  Railway  was 
begun  October  14,  1879.  Dr.  Watkins  was  the  contractor; 
Mr.  Goff,  of  Milwaukee,  had  charge  of  the  track  laying. 
The  car-house  and  stables  are  near  the  western  terminus  of 
the  Chippewa  bridge,  to  the  south.  The  cars  began  run- 
ning December  11,  1879.  Pres.  Woodward  and  Vice-Pres. 
Swift  were  on  the  first  excursion  car.  John  B.  Stocking 
was  driver;  Fred  Anthony,  conductor.  The  contractor 
was  also  aboard.  The  road  started  with  six  cars  and  thirty 
horses;  now  has  forty-seven  horses  and  seven  cars. 

Bridges. — Tiie  Chippewa  Bridge,  crossing  the  river  from 
the  foot  of  Kelsey  street,  was  opened  for  travel  April  i, 
1869.  The  contract  price  for  its  construction,  which  was 
paid  C.  C.  &  E.  G.  Smith,  the  contractors,  was  $34,946.74  ; 
other  expenses,  such  as  approaches  and  contingencies,  car- 
ried the  total  cost  to  the  city  up  to  $37,541.61.  The  struct- 
ure is  of  wood,  569  feet  in  length,  and  is  supported  by  the 
abutments  and  four  piers.  At  first  there  was  a  toll,  wliich 
is  always  a  source  of  annoyance,  and,  in  1873,  the  agitation 
for  a  free  bridge  was  carried  on  with  great  spirit,  and  after 
an  exciting  controversy  the  free  bridge  advocates  prevailed, 
and  the  collection  of  toll  was  abolished.  This  was  on 
April  5,  1873. 

The  bridge  on  Dewey  street  was  rebuilt,  in  1874,  at  a 
contract  price  of  $2,497,  by  tlie  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Com- 
pany. 

There  is  also  a  bridge  across  the  Eau  Claire,  on  Barstow 
street,  a  wooden  structure. 

The  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  have  two  foot 
bridges,  one  at  the  lower  and  another  at  their  upper  mill. 

The  Chippewa  bridge   was   swept  away  by  the  flood  of 

1880,  and  was  only  rebuilt  and  opened  for  travel  five 
months  afterwards.  Mclntire  &  Swift  were  the  contract- 
ors at  $1 1,000.  The  east  end  of  the  bridge  was  placed  on 
the  old  abutment,  but  the  west  end  was  placed  half  a  block 
up  stream,  to  connect  directly  with  Bridge  street.  Travel 
on  the  bridge  was  resumed  on  Thursday,  November  18, 
1880. 

The  iron  railroad  bridge,  to  replace  the  wooden  struct- 
ure, of  the  C,  St.  P.  &  M.  Railroad,  was  completed  May  i, 

1881.  The  spans  are  170  feet,  and  whole  length  of  bridge 
880  feet. 

Water-  Works. — The  subject  of  water-works  for  the  city 
has  been  frequently  agitated.  March  22,  iSSo,  the  City 
Council  went  so  far  as  to  authorize  a  contract  with  Messrs. 
Gray  &  Swift  for  their  construction.  The  estimated  cost, 
including  twelve  and  a  half  miles  of  mains,  was  $170,000. 
For  some  reason  the  work  was  not  entered  upon. 

The  Eau  Claire  Lumber  ('ompany  have  a  Holly  pump 
which  supplies  its  own  buildings,  the  Eau  Claire  and  Gal- 
loway houses,  and  perhaps  a  few  others. 

Water  for  domestic  purposes  is  usually  obtained  from 
wells,  which,  as  a  rule,  furnish  good  water.  At  the  depot, 
the  water  is  obtained  from  a  well  seventy-eight  feet  deep. 
On  the  plateau  above  the  depot  the  wells  are  about  100  feet 
deep,  through  sand,  loam  and  gravel. 


As  there  is  no  clay  under  the  city  between  the  surface 
and  the  water  bearing  strata,  the  filth  that  life  in  a  city  in- 
volves must  percolate  down  into  the  wells,  and,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  the  water  will  constantly  become  worse  and 
worse,  and  as  a  sanitary  measure  the  city  will  be  compelled 
to  procure  water  outside  of  its  limits. 

On  the  west  side  there  are  many  drive  wells. 

General  Trade. — To  feed  the  people,  there  are  upwards 
of  thirty  grocery  firms.  Nearly  thirty  insurance  compa- 
nies are  represented,  and  there  are  the  usual  number  of 
business  houses,  of  a  miscellaneous  character,  to  supply 
the  wants  of  the  city  and  country,  and  while  Eau  ("laire  is 
given  to  temperance  societies  and  temperance  work,  there 
are  about  forty  saloons. 

Professional. — There  are  more  tlian  twenty  lawyers  and 
a  little  less  number  of  physicians,  and  ten  or  more  minis- 
ters. According  to  Mr.  Meggett,  in  a  Fourth  of  July  ora- 
tion, the  number  is  inversely  according  to  their  usefulness. 
He,  a  leading  lawyer,  advised  the  people  "  to  go  to  the 
ministers  more,  to  the  doctors  less,  and  to  the  lawyers 
never — if  it  could  be  avoided."  The  Bar  is  able,  the  phy- 
sicians are  skillful,  and  the  ministers  are  popular.  What 
more  is  required  .' 

CHURCHES. 

The  people  of  the  city  of  Eau  Claire  are  above  the 
average  in  church  going  inclination.  The  pulpit  is  an  able 
one,  and  there  is  little  disposition  on  the  part  of  pastor  or 
people  to  sever  their  relations  for  slight  causes.  Some  of 
the  ministers  still  here  were  among  the  early  pioneers,  and 
are  firmly  established  in  the  confidence  of  their  respective 
congregations. 

First  Baptist  Chu rch—Rev .  Dr.  John  Y.  Aitchison, 
pastor.  Organized  in  1861.  Rev.  A.  B.  Green  was  the 
first  pastor.  It  began  with  seven  members;  now  has  137. 
It  has  a  good  church,  located  on  Fourth  avenue,  opposite 
the  park. 

German  Catholic  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart —  Rev. 
Joseph  Boehm,  pastor.  The  corner-stone  of  the  present 
structure  was  laid  in  June,  1880,  and  completed  in  June, 
1881.  It  is  a  fine  building,  with  a  pleasing  interior  finish. 
It  is  105x47  feet,  has  twin  spires  105  feet  high. 

St.  Patrick  Catholic  Church— 'S.ev.  Father  John  G.  Col- 
lins, rector.  This  church  has  a  school  connected  with  it. 
There  are  300  families  in  regular  attendance.  The  corner- 
stone of  a  new  church  for  this  society  was  laid  with  appro- 
priate ceremonies  on  the  26th  of  June,  1881.  It  is  located 
on  the  west  side,  and  has  a  large  congregation. 

First  Congregational  Ciitirch. — Tliis  was  started  as  a  mis- 
sion church  in  1856.  In  a  few  years  it  became  self-support- 
ing. Rev.  Mr.  Kidder  was  the  first  minister.  The  church 
is  located  opposite  the  West  Side  Park,  on  Third  avenue, 
and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about  500.  It  was  dedicated 
in  1859,  and  enlarged  in  1875.  Rev.  J.  F.  Dudley  is  pastor, 
having  come  here  twelve  years  ago.  Up  to  that  time,  the 
total  membership  was  143.  During  the  present  pastorate 
200  names  have  been  added,  making  a  total  of  343. 
Deaths  and  removals  leave  the  present  number  of  members 
250. 

Joint  Convention  of  the  St.  Croix  and  Chippewa  Congrega- 
tional Association. — This  is  an  institution  of  interest  in  Eau 
Cluire.  The  first  session  was  held  in  Hammond,  in  1879; 
in  Menomonie  in  1S80,  and  in  Eau  Claire  on  June  21,  1881. 
Eighteen  societies  make  up  the  convention.  J.  F.  Dudley 
is  clerk  of  the  Chippewa  branch,  and  W.  C.  Hicks  of  the 
St.  Croix. 

Christ  Episcopal  Church. — The  church  edifice  is  on  Fare- 
well street,  near  Jones  street,  a  gothic  structure,  still  incom- 
plete on  the  outside;  Rev.  Dr.  Joel  Clark,  rector.  There 
is   a   present   membership  of  twenty-nine,  with   a  regular 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


309 


attendance  of  250.  The  church  seems  to  be  entering  upon 
a  season  of  prosperity. 

Norwegian  Evangelical  Lutheran,  north  side,  and  the 
Norwegian  Evangelical  Lutheran,  west  side.  This  was 
dedicated  on  the  15th  of  June,  1873.  These  churches  are 
under  the  pastocal  care  of  Rev.  G.  Hoyne,  and  are  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  In  1876,  there  was  a  joint  member- 
ship of  373.     There  are  now  580  members. 

St.  Joints  German  Lutheran. — Located  on  the  corner  of 
Barstow  and  Galloivay  street?.^  Rev.  John  G.  Rocknagel, 
pastor  for  the  past  four  years.  The  congregation  is  made 
up  of  the  families  of  seventy-three  members. 

Scandinavian  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. — Norwegian 
Synod  on  the  west  side.     Rev.  H.  Hakonsen,  pastor. 

Barstow  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  church 
came  into  existence  in  1858.  William  Donnell  was  the  first 
minister.  The  present  church  was  built  in  1872,  through 
the  efforts  of  Rev.  E.  E.  Clough.  It  is  of  brick,  91x42.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  April  19,  1870.  It  was  dedicated  on 
the  i8th  of  September,  1872,  by  Bishop  Haven.  The  pastor 
was  .A.  J.  Davis,  and  there  was  a  membership  of  about  130. 
Rev.  C.  R.  Kellerman  is  the  present  pastor. 

The  Lake  Street  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  i860. 
Early  in  1S70,  the  efforts  to  raise  funds  were  so  far  success- 
ful, that  on  September  19,  the  corner-stone  was  laid,  Gen. 
Fallows  officiating.  It  was  constructed  of  wood,  and 
veneered  with  brick.  The  building  is  transept  with  corner 
tower,  standing  on  Fourth  avenue  and  Lake  street.  It  cost 
$14,000,  and  was  dedicated  September  15,  1872,  Bishop 
Haven  conducting  the  services.  Rev.  John  Tresidder  is 
the  present  pastor.     It  has  a  membership  of  140. 

The  Ladies'  Mite  Society. — Conducted  with  the  Barstow 
street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  has  been  a  valuable 
auxiliary  in  the  work  of  the  church,  especially  in  building 
operations.  The  officers  of  the  Mite  Society  are  :  Mrs.  F. 
R.  Skinner,  president;  Mrs.  B.  C.  Dunn,  vice-president; 
Mrs.  O.  Walker,  treasurer;  Mrs.  N.  S.  Buck,  secretary. 
The  church  membership  is  about  100. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Barstow  street,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Lockwood,  pastor.  This  was  an  early  church,  having  been 
instituted  in  the  Spring  of  1857.  Rev.  W.  W.  McNair  was 
the  first  pastor.  Mr.  Lockwood  has  been  here  as  pastor 
since  1864.  The  membership  is  170,  and  the  seating 
capacity  of  the  church  400. 

PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

The  schools  of  the  city  are  well  up  to  the  times,  al- 
though the  district  system,  on  account  of  local  interests,  is 
still  maintained.  There  are  three  districts,  one  in  each  di- 
vision of  the  city,  with  six  school  buildings,  and  one  leased. 
The  number  of  school  children  is  2,500,  and  of  this  num- 
ber 80  per  cent,  attend  school. 

The  schools  are  graded,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  common 
high  school,  the  higher  branches  are  taught  in  each  of  the 
districts.     The  number  of  teachers  are  thirty. 

SOCIETIES. 

Masonic. — The  members  of  this  mystic  fraternity  em- 
braces many  of  the  leading  men  of  the  city.  The  lodges, 
chapter  and  commandery  are  all  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  112,  meets  on  the  first  and  third 
Monday  of  each  month.  William  A.  Teall  is  the  present 
W.  M.  The  past  masters  are  William  H.  Bailey,  William 
Pitt  Bartlett,  Isadore  Cook,  C.  R.  Gleason,  Charles  P. 
Mosher,  Alexander  Meggett,  M.  E.  O'Connell,  George  C. 
Teall.  It  was  organized  December  30,  1858,  under  a  dis- 
pensation charter,  granted  June  15,  1859.  Alexander  Meg- 
gett was  the  first  mason  made  in  the  lodge. 

West  Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  162.  Meetings  on  the  first 
and  third  Saturdays  of  each  month.     Noah  Shaw,  W.  M. 


Past  ISIasters— M.  D.  Bartlett,  Edwin  J.  Farr,  James  S.  Hus- 
ton, James  F.  Moore,  N.  B.  Rundle,  Noah  Shaw.  This 
lodge  was  organized  .August  30,  1866. 

West  Eau  Claire  Chapter,  No.  36,  R.  A.  M.  Meets  first 
Thursdav  evening  of  each  month.  Edwin  J.  Farr,  H.  P., 
Past  H.  P.— N.  B.  Rundle,  Noah  Shaw,  Alexander  Meggett, 
M.  D.  Bartlett,  Levi  E.  Lattimer,  George  W.  James  and 
A.  L.  Jenks.     Organized  1S67. 

Chippewa  Commandery,  No.  8.  Stated  conclaves 
second  Monday  of  each  month.  George  C.  Teall,  Em.  Com. 
Past  Em.  Com.— E.  M.  Bartlett,  Edwin  J.  Farr,  N.  B.  Run- 
dle, Noah  Shaw.     Was  instituted  in  1S70. 

Odd  Fellows. — Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  129,  meets  on 
Monday  evening  at  their  hall  on  Barstow  street.  B.  F.  Teall, 
N.  G.  ;  Joel  Clark,  R.  S. ;  John  Powers,  P.  S. 

Frieden  Lodge,  No.  254,  instituted  by  B.  F.  Teall,  Dis- 
trict Deputy,  May  16,  1876,  fourteen  charter  members. 
Matthew  Kneer  was  the  first  N.  G.  Meets  on  Thursday 
evenings,  at  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall  on  Barstow  street. 
Present  officers  in  part :  H.  Rodensleben,  N.  G.  ;  H.  Scha- 
fer,  V.  G.  ;  F.  Schwahn,  R.  S. 

Chippewa  Lodge,  No.  140,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  meets  on  Sat- 
urday evening  at  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  west  side.  Organized 
in  1865,  with  nine  charter  members.  The  first  N.  G.  was 
Ed.  Davis.  Present  membership  eighty-four.  A.  G.  Friend, 
N.  G.;   Robert  Parker,  Recorder. 

Knights  of  Pythias.— V>.  W.  Day  is  the  Grand  Chancellor 
for  the  jurisdiction  of  Wisconsin,  Eau  Claire,  Wis. 

Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  16,  meets  on  Thursd<Ty  evening. 

A.O.  U.  IV. — Banner  Lodge,  No.  17,  organized  in  1879. 
Present  M.  \V.,  Dr.  E.  C.  French  ;  Recorder,  Conrad  Ender- 
line.  July  4,  18S1,  this  lodge  celebrated  the  day.  Hon. 
Alexander  Meggett  delivered  an  eloquent  and  stirring  ora- 
tion ;  there  were  refreshments,  music  and  dancing. 

Eau  Claire  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  140. — The  temple  was 
organized  in  May,  1877.  A.  M.  Childs  was  the  first  Wor- 
thy Chief  Templar.  At  one  time  it  was,  and  it  may  be  now, 
the  largest  Temple  of  Honor  in  the  world.  The  list  of 
members  embraces  675  names.  Their  hall  is  in  Chappell 
Block. 

Juvenile  Temple  of  Honor,  meets  on  Saturdays  at  Tem- 
ple of  Honor  Hall. 

A  lodge  of  the  I.  O.  of  G.  T.  was  organized  July  4, 
1879.  It  was  called  Union  Lodge,  No.  245  ;  was  instituted 
by  K.  B.  Dennison.  S.  A.  Robinson  was  the  first  W.  C.  T. 
It  meets  Saturday  evenings  in  Temple  of  Honor  Hall. 
Present  officers  in  part  are  :  J.  H.  Young,  W.  C.  T.  ;  Miss 
TiUie    Ross,  W.  R.  S. 

The  Normanna  Society. — John  Lee,  president ;  Casper 
Syverson,  secretary;  O.Sherman,  librarian.  The  library 
has  700  volumes,  Norwegian  and  English. 

The  Round  Table. — A  literary  society  organized  in  18S0. 
Rev.  Joel  Clark,  president ;  Miss  Cora  Pond,  secretary. 

Christian  Workers. — This  society  grew  out  of  a  revival 
in  the  city  several  years  ago,  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Couch. 
The  membership  included  active  men  who  felt  that  religion 
was  something  more  than  a  mere  sentiment,  that  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  also  embraced  its  corollary 
the  Brotherhood  of  man. 

Women  s  Christian  Temperance  Union. — Was  organized  in 
1879.  Mrs.  L.  Bullard  was  the  first  president;  Mrs.  J.  F. 
Dudley,  secretary.  Present  officers  :  Mrs.  George  B.  Chap- 
man, president ;  Mrs.  S.  S.  Kepler,  secretary.  Meets  the 
first  Wednesday  in  each  month. 

Ladies  Aid  Society. — This  association  has  been  in  exist- 
ence and  active  operation  eight  years,  and  has  been  the 
means  of  great  good.  Several  hundred  dollars  each  year 
are  disbursed,  in  addition  to  friendly  offices  in  large  meas- 
ure.    The  membership  is  from  the  best  society  in  the  city. 


3'c 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  present  officers  are :  Mrs.  S.  White,  president ;  Mrs. 
A.  Vincent,  vice-president;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Cass,  secretary; 
Mrs.  M.  Harris,  treasurer;  Directors — Mrs.  W.  H.Smith, 
Mrs.  R.  Anderson,  Mrs.  B.  Demorest. 

Eau  Claire  IVesleyan  Seminary,  founded  in  iS6i,  George 
E.  Fellows,  A.  B  ,  principal.  Located  on  the  corner  of 
Lake  street  and  Fourth  avenue.  The  corner-stone  of  this 
edifice  was  laid,  with  the  usual  ceremonies,  an  the  9th  of 
May,  1862. 

A  Bible  Society  was  organized  in  1S57.  Joseph  G. 
Thorp  was  president;  Rev.  A.  Kidder,  secretary;  D.  H. 
Ketcham,  treasurer.  Rev.  Mr.  Hilton  was  the  moving 
spirit  in  the  organization. 

Eau  Claire  Medical  Association. — This  society  was  or- 
ganized June  I,  1877,  under  the  laws  of  the  State.  W.  T. 
Galloway,  president;  C.  E.  Hageboon,  secretary;  D.  C. 
Spencer,  Augusta,  treasurer.     Holds  quarterly  meetings. 

Medical  Associatitm. — Some  of  the  medical  men  of  the 
Chippewa  Valley  got  together,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1S81, 
and  organized  a  medical  association.  The  following  offi- 
cers wers  chosen  :  President,  E.  J.  Farr,  M.  D.,  Eau  Claire; 
Secretary,  E.  O.  Baker,  M.  D.,  Durant;  Vice-president,  Dr. 
Hutchinson,  of  Durant;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Dr. 
Hebard,  Mondovi  ;  Censors,  Drs.  Park,  Peck  and  Hib- 
bard. 

The  Chippe7ua  Valley  VVorkingmeti  s  Association  was  or- 
ganized in  Eau  Claire,  October  9,  1879.  President,  R.  H. 
Copeland;  J.  L.  Johnson,  treasurer,  and  Charles  Warner, 
secretary. 

Old  Settlers'  Club.— On  iht  nth  of  July,  1881,  the 
first  meeting  was  held,  at  the  parlors  of  the  Galloway 
House,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  an  old  settlers'  club. 
T.  F,.  Randall  was  chairman,  and  Arthur  Smith  acted  as 
secretary.  About  thirty  of  the  pioneers  were  present.  At 
a  subsequent  meeting,  an  organization  was  completed,  the 
membersiiip  to  consist  of  those  who  have  resided  in  the 
county  twenty  years  or  more.  Alex.  Meggett,  president ; 
William  P.  Bartlett,  treasurer;  C.  R.  Gleason,  secretary. 

Agricultural  Society  was  organized  in  1859.  The  first 
fair  was  held  in  Augusta,  in  the  Autumn  of  i860,  and  was 
considered  a  great  success.  Annual  fairs  have  since  been 
held  at  various  places  in  the  county.  The  first  provisional 
officers  were:  A.  W.  Bosworth,  president;  Carlos  Clough, 
Secretary.  The  first  permanent  officers  were  :  J-  G.  Thorp, 
president;  S,  H.  Peabody,  secretary,  and  Delos  R.  Moor,' 
treasurer.  It  is  a  useful  society,  well  managed,  and  the 
receipts  and  expenditures  now  run  into  the  thousands.  In 
May,  1880,  Mr.  James  J.  Clement  leased  the  fair  grounds 
and  fitted  them  up  with  stables  for  a  training  park. 

T/ie  Eau  Claire  Sporting  Club,  organized  for  the  protec- 
tion of  game,  to  assist  in  the  execution  of  the  State  laws, 
and  for  individual  and  collective  enjoyment  in  forest  and 
stream,  came  into  existence  July  9,  1879.  T-  F.  Moore  was 
the  first  president;  C.  Hueber,  treasurer,  and  B.  J.  Phillips, 
secretary.     It  started  with  a  membership  of  fifty-seven. 

The  Eau  Claire  Irish  Land  League  was  organized  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1881.  Frank  McDonough,  president ;  Col.  John 
Kelly,  treasurer;  Thomas  F.  Frawley,  secretary. 

The  City  i?<7W.— Early  in  the  history  of  the  village,  a 
band  was  in  existence  which  had  been  organized  by  James 
Bonell.  It  was  re-organized  in  May,  1880,  by  John  F. 
Hanck.  George  Burt  is  now  the  leader.  It  has  eighteen 
pieces,  and  is  a  most  creditable  organization. 

The  City  Guard,  z.  fine  military  organization  under  Capt. 
N.  B.  Rundle,  is  a  credit  to  the  city. 

The  Eree  Library  and  Reading-room.— "YVxs  institution 
deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice.  It  is  located  on 
River  street,  in  the  post-office  building,  and  is  open  at  con- 
venient hours,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that  it  is  freely 


patronized  by  the  people  of  the  city.  It  was  founded 
under  the  laws  of  the  State,  in  October,  1875.  It  has  sev- 
eral thousand  volumes,  and  a  good  supply  of  magazines 
and  newspapers.  It  is  managed  by  nine  directors.  H.  C. 
Howland  is  president,  and  F.  W.  Woodward,  treasurer. 
Miss  C.  Edna  Sears  has  been  librarian  from  the  first. 

Cemeteries. — There  are  four  rural  cemeteries  in  Eau 
Claire :  Lakeview,  Forest  Hill,  Lutheran  and  Catholic. 
The  only  unfavorable  criticism  in  regard  to  them  is  that,  if 
the  city  continues  to  grow  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  they 
will  soon  be  uncomfortably  near. 

GENERAL    ITEMS. 

During  the  year  1880,  there  were  210  buildings  erected 
by  private  individuals,  at  a  cost  of  $215,400.  The  public 
improvements  for  the  year  aggregated  $77,000.  Total, 
$302,000. 

In  1881,  the  number  of  buildings  erected  will  approxi- 
mate 400.  Many  of  them  large  and  substantial  business 
blocks. 

To  show  the  growth  of  the  city,  the  improvements  by 
the  corporation  and  by  individuals  from  1870  to  1S75  is 
here  presented:  1870,  $538,732;  187 1,  $250,000;  1872, 
$366,000;  1873,  $593,000;   1874,  $527,000;   1875,  $314,421. 

The  valuation  of  the  city  in  1880  was  as  follows  :  real 
estate,  $2,432,165;  personal  property,  $1,025,843  —  total, 
$3,458,008.  ' 

The  bonded  debt  is  $103,000  ;  all  other  debts,  $1,442  ; 
school  district  debts,  $5,906 — total,  $110,348. 

In  1873,  the  business  of  Eau  Claire  had  reached  over 
$6,000,000. 

The  lumber  sawed  in  the  city  was  146,259,000  feet, 
which,  at  an  average  price  of  $13  per  thousand,  would  give, 
in  round  numbers,  $1,901,367.  Lath  manufactured,  -^i,- 
000,000  ;  shingles,  27,590,000 — which,  at  the  average  prices 
at  that  time,  would  foot  up  a  total  of  $2,037,162. 

Of  railway  freight,  13,627  tons  were  received,  and  3,000 
forwarded. 

In  general  business  the  aggregate  was  $5,719,202,  aside 
from  railroad,  express,  post-office  and  real  estate. 

In  1875,  the  real  and  personal  property  of  Eau  Claire 
was  valued  at  $4,044,070.25. 

Many  people  at  that  time  became  impatient  of  the  delay 
in  obtaining  authority  to  build  the  dam,  and,  hopeless  as  to 
the  future,  left  the  city,  and  in  1876,  the  total  valuation  was 
reduced  to  $3,945,413.25 

In  1881,  a  Philadelphia  firm  numbered  the  buildings  of 
the  city,  bringing  order  out  of  confusion.  Before  this  time 
several  streets  of  the  same  name  existed  in  different  divis- 
ions of  the  city.     This  was  also  remedied. 

The  streets  of  the  city  were  first  sprinkled  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  187 1,  the  last  year  of  its  village  life. 

Stephen  Marston  brought  the  first  stock  of  furniture  into 
the  valley,  and  the  first  piano. 

The  commercial  drummers  report  that  Eau  Claire  is  a 
good  town  for  trade.  The  merchants  buy  well  and  pay 
promptly. 

Tiiere  is  a  single  forty  acre  lot  of  government  land, 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  city,  not  yet  entered. 

There  is  a  month's  difference  in  the  time  that  the  boats 
are  able  to  come  up  tlie  river  in  different  years.  In  i860, 
the  first  boat  got  up  on  the  13th  of  March,  while  in  1866 
it  did  not  come  up  until  .^pril  13. 

The  mean  temperature  of  Eau  Claire  is  the  same  as  at 
Manitowoc,  on  Lake  Michigan,  forty  miles  further  south. 

The  epizootic,  which  swept  over  the  country  at  that 
time,  afflicting  so  many  horses,  was  in  Eau  Claire  during 
the  first  weeks  in  December,  1872. 

So  late  as  September,  1878,  a  large  black  bear  was  killed 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


in  the  Fourth  Ward  This  was  the  second  one  that  season, 
and  was  perhaps  cruising  about  in  quest  of  its  mate. 

So  late  as  1861,  deer-hunts  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city 
were  not  uncommon. 

Ole  Bull,  the  celebrated  violinist,  married  a  daughter 
of  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Eau  Claire. 

The  first  couple  married  in  church  in  Eau  Claire  were 
H.  C.  Putnam  and  wife,  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Tiie  Register  reports  that  there  were  225  marriages  in 
the  city  in  1880. 

Music  Hall  was  built  in  1870,  by  Mr.  P.  Truax.  M.  G. 
Nichols  was  the  architect. 

WAR    INCIDENTS. 

During  the  War,  when  recruiting  was  going  on,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1863,  a  citizen  of  Eau  Claire,  J.  Peter  Bellinger, 
was  down  at  New  Lisbon,  and  got  into  an  altercation  with 
some  soldiers  there;  they  took  exception  to  his  expressed 
sentiments,  and  finding  the  soldiers  getting  exasperated,  he 
undertook  to  escape  their  threatened  vengeance  by  running, 
but  he  was  hunted  down  and  shot  to  death. 

There  was  a  flag  and  testament  presentation  to  com- 
panies of  the  Eighth,  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments, 
on  the  22d  of  September,  1862.  Miss  Anna  ^Vells  presented 
the  flags,  and  a  gentleman  presented  the  testaments.  Capt. 
Geer  and  Lieuts.  Buckman  and  Reed  received  them  in  be- 
half of  their  commands,  and  Alex.  Meggett  responded  in 
his  usual  felicitous  manner. 

When  the  war  was  nearly  over,  a  great  sanitary  fair 
was  held  in  Chicago,  for  the  benefit  of  the  crippled  de- 
fenders of  their  country.  Old  Abe,  the  war  eagle,  was 
kindly  loaned  for  the  occasion,  and  his  pictures  sold  for 
ten  cents  each,  in  sufficient  numbers  to  realize  $10,000  to- 
ward the  object  of  the  fair. 

In  August,  1862,  a  rousing  meeting  to  encourage  recruit- 
ing raised  $3,000,  and  $2,000  more  was  raised  in  the  county 
towns. 

The  company  from  Eau  Claire  in  the  Eighth  Regi- 
ment had  eleven  killed  in  the  battle  of  Corinth. 

After  the  Seven  Days'  Fight,  Gov.  Solomons  tendered  a 
colonel's  commission  to  J.  G.  Thorp. 

A  Soldier's  Aid  Society  was  formed  by  the  ladies  in 
1S62.  Mrs.  J.  T.  Wilson  was  president,  Mrs.  S.  Brown, 
secretary.  It  did  a  large  amount  of  work,  while  the  neces- 
sity remained. 

Up  to  September,  1863,  Eau  Claire  County  had  sent  to 
the  front  337  men.  This  was  thirty-six  more  than  her  quota 
under  all  ])revious  calls  for  troops. 

Old  Abe. — The  famous  Wisconsin  war  eagle,  which  was 
kept  in  Madison  so  long  after  the  war,  having  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Governor  by  Capt.  Victor  Wolf,  of  Company 
C,  Eighth  Regiment  Wisconsin  Infantry  Volunteers,  on  the 
27th  of  September,  1874,  was,  while  Company  C  was  being 
recruited  in  Eau  Claire,  brought  down  from  the  Falls  by 
Steve  McCann,  who  had  procured  him  of  an  Indian,  who 
took  him  from  his  nest  somewhere  up  the  river.  He  was 
purchased  for  $2.50,  by  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Milch 
Cheveraux,  who  kept  a  saloon,  and  by  him  presented  to  the 
company.  The  ladies  procured  a  perch,  and  he  was  carried 
with  the  colors  wherever  the  regiment  went,  on  the  march, 
into  camp,  or  in  battle. 

This  history  would  not  be  complete  without  an  authentic 
account  of  this  famous  bird.     He  died   1881. 

The  soldiers'  families  were  cared  for  by  the  Coimty  Board, 
as  appears  from  the  minutes  of  the  Board  on  the  thirtieth  day 
of  November,  1S61,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
enquire  into  the  condition  of  the  families  of  the  defenders 
of  our  flag,  and  the  County  Clerk  was  authorized  to  draw 
his  order  on  the  Treasurer  for  such  sums  as  seemed  neces- 
sary to  make  them  comfortable. 


RAILROADS. 

If  any  one  should  undertake  to  give  a  history  of  all  the 
railroad  projects  involving  Eau  Claire  that  have  alternately 
elevated  and  depressed  the  hopes  of  its  citizens,  it  would 
fill  a  large  volume.  There  is  not  room  here  to  mention  even 
the  names  of  the  various  companies,  or  the  character  of  their 
several  schemes.  What  has  actually  been  done  can  only 
be  mentioned.  Not  until  1870,  on  August  11,  was  Eau 
Claire  connected  by  iron  bands  with  the  rest  of  the  country. 

On  that  day  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad,  from  the 
southeast,  began  regular  service.  This  road  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  Minneapolis  and  Omaha 
Railroad  Company,  and  runs  two  passenger  trains  each  day 
between  Minneapolis  and  Chicago. 

There  is  also  a  railroad  to  Chippewa  Falls,  which  was 
originally  built  and  commenced  running,  December  16,  1874, 
as  a  local  road.  This  road  is  a  part  of  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral system,  branching  from  the  main  line  at  Abbotsford,  on 
the  east  of  Clark  County. 

A  line  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad,  now  operated 
by  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Omaha,  passes 
through  the  county  diagonally,  from  southeast  to  northwest, 
passing  through  Fairchild,  Bridge  Creek,  Lincoln,  Washing- 
ton, Eau  Claire  and  Union,  with  stations  at  Fairchild,  Au- 
gusta, Fall  Creek  and  Eau  Claire,  and  being  on  the  direct 
line  between  Chicago  and  St.  Paul,  the  railroad  service  is 
prompt  and  efficient. 

The  Spur  Track. — This  is  a  local  line.  It  starts  from 
the  West  Eau  Claire  depot  of  the  Northwestern  road,  and 
runs  through  and  across  various  streets  and  avenues  until 
it  reaches  Shawtown.  It  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Sixth  Ward  particularly. 

The  cost  of  the  construction  of  this  track  was  $47,000. 
It  was  completed  in  1880.  In  the  Summer  of  1881,  it  ex- 
tended quite  a  distance  into  the  milling  district. 

In  June  of  this  year,  the  Chippewa  Valley  and  Lake 
Superior  Railroad  Company  was  organized,  and  surveyors 
placed  on  the  line  to  locate  it  between  the  city  and  the 
Mississippi  River.  The  first  directors  were  :  J.  C.  Easton, 
Minnesota;  L.  C.  Easton,  Minnesota;  John  Johnson,  Mil- 
waukee ;  John  W.  Carey,  Milwaukee ;  William  Wilson, 
Menomonie;  Daniel  Shaw,  Eau  Claire;  W.  A.  Rust,  Eau 
Claire.  The  alleged  design  being  to  build  a  road  at  once 
to  the  Mississippi,  with  a  branch  to  Menomonie,  and  ulti- 
mately on  to  Lake  Superior,  near  the  Chippewa  River,  as 
the  first  part  of  the  route. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1870,  the  completion  of  the  West 
Wisconsin  Railroad  to  Eau  Claire  was  celebrated  with  great 
enthusiasm,  in  a  style  of  magnificence  which  bewildered  the 
large  number  of  guests  from  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  and  many  other  places.  Arrangements  were 
begun  on  the  25th  of  July,  a  committee  of  thirteen  was  ap- 
pointed, special  committees  were  announced,  and  the  whole 
village  went  to  work.  The  day  was  beautiful;  the  people 
turned  out  en  masse.  J.  G.  Thorp  was  president  of  the  day. 
The  procession  was  more  than  two  miles  long.  The  whole 
valley  and  neighborhood  turned  out.  Alexander  Meggett 
was  the  orator  of  the  day,  and  his  oration  was  in  his  best  vein. 
Ten  tables  were  arranged,  with  seventy  plates  each,  the  whole 
spread  in  faultless  taste  by  the  fair  women  of  the  village, 
and  it  was  estimated  that  there  was  $20,000  worth  of  silver 
on  the  tables,  and  that  from  the  bountiful  repast  nearly 
10,000  people  were  fed.  Gov.  Fairchild  and  wife,  and  a  long 
list  of  invited  guests,  who  could  not  conceal  their  utter  as- 
tonishment at  finding  such  an  array  of  beauty  and  luxuri- 
ance in  the  backwoods  of  northern  Wisconsin.  The  toasts 
were  appropriate,  and  happily  responded  to.  This  was  only 
twenty  years  from  the  time  the  land  was  put  in  the  market 
by  the  Government.     The  opening  of  railroad  communica' 


312 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


tion  with  the  outside  world  was  indeed  a  memorable  event, 
and  most  fittingly  was  it  celebrated. 

RIVER    FLOODS. 

Since  the  white  occupation  of  the  valley  there  have 
been  several  destructive  floods.  The  first  one  recorded 
was  in  1838.  The  river  rose  fifteen  feet.  As  there  were 
few  improvements  on  its  course  little  damage  was  done. 
The  next  freshet  was  in  June,  1847,  which  has  already  been 
described.  In  1855,  on  the  7th  of  July,  after  a  thirty  hour 
rain,  the  Chippewa  had  a  sudden  and  destructive  rise. 
Booms  and  logs  at  the  Falls  were  carried  down.  Eau 
Claire  suffered  but  little.  The  last  week  in  May,  1S59, 
there  was  also  quite  a  freshet.  On  the  22d  of  .■\ugust, 
1870,  there  was  another  sudden  and  destructive  rise  in  the 
river.  Twenty  million  feet  of  lumber  was  lost.  On  Mon- 
day morning  of  the  22d,  it  commenced  raining  simultane- 
ously along  the  entire  length  of  the  river.  More  rain  fell 
than  in  the  same  length  of  time  since  the  June  freshet  of 
1847.  At  Eau  Claire  the  river  rose  fifteen  feet  and  higher 
at  narrower  points.  Several  booms  at  the  Falls  were  open 
and  without  logs,  but  The  Union  Lumber  Company  at  the 
Falls  were  completely  "  scooped,"  and  others  were  sufferers. 
Nelson  Hunter  &  Co.,  Ingram  &  Kennedy,  C.  F.  Mayhew, 
Smith  &  Buffington,  Porter  &  Moon,  Gaston  Bros,  and 
several  other  booms  were  broken.  And  in  some  of  them  _ 
all  the  logs  were  swept  away  by  the  remorseless  flood.  The ' 
only  booms  that  stood  the  pressure  were  the  Williams  & 
Barron,  at  the  Blue  Mill,  Wilkins  Island  Booming  Co.,  and 
Hugh  McLeagh.  Twenty  million  feet  of  logs  were  lost  in 
addition  to  the  other  damage. 

But  the  most  disastrous  flood  known  at  Eau  Claire  was 
in  the  first  week  in  June,  1880.  The  river  went  up  twenty- 
two  feet.  The  water  swept  through  the  lower  part  of  the 
city  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  One  hundred  and  fifty  fam- 
ilies were  driven  from  their  dwellings  and  many  others  into 
their  upper  stories.  The  city  was  flooded  ;  the  logs  seemed 
inexhaustible ;  they  came  down  in  frightful  quantities. 
Buildings  were  washed  from  their  foundations,  bridges  de- 
stroyed, and  goods  swept  away.  The  city  lost  the  Chip- 
pewa and  one  other  bridge.  The  whole  country  was  left 
covered  with  logs.  The  calamity  was  a  most  profound 
shock  to  the  city,  the  losses  being  very  heavy,  but  with  the 
receding  of  the  water  and  drying  of  the  mud  the  city  soon 
recovered.  It  seems  that  once  in  about  ten  years  a  river 
flood  may  be  expected. 

THE    DELLS    FIGHT. 

No  history  of  the  city  of  Eau  Claire  would  be  complete 
without  at  least  a  brief  allusion  to  the  long  and  bitter  con- 
test that  finally  resulted  in  the  construction  of  the  dam 
with  its  assorting  booms,  the  canal  and  tunnel  to  Half- 
Moon  Lake,  and  other  connecting  improvements.  Early  in 
the  history  of  the  place  the  project  was  contemplated 
and  the  interests  on  the  river  above  were  arrayed  against 
it.  A  satisfactory  bill  was  finally  passed  by  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  in  March,  1871.  'Governor  Fairchild  inter- 
posed a  veto  for  reasons  which  might  have  been  satisfac- 
tory to  him  and  the  opponents  of  the  measure,  but  which 
were  considered  far  otherwise  by  the  friends  of  the  bill. 

Defeated,  but  not  conquered,  the  Eau  Claireites  organ- 
ized new  campaigns,  employing  political  sappers  and  miners, 
who  by  regular  approaches,  parallels  and  zigzags,  suceeded 
in  carrying  the  enemy's  works,  and  thus  securing  the  con- 
struction of  their  own.  The  object  was  finally  obtained 
through  an  amendment  to  the  city  charter,  which  the  Leg- 
islature of  Wisconsin  is  supposed  to  always  have  a  weak- 
ness for  granting  for  the  mere  asking. 

It  is  not  proper  in  this  place  to  go  into  the   particulars 


as  to  this  contest ;  "many  persons  are  now  living  who  were 
active  partici])ants  in  the  struggle  on  either  side.  It  will 
be  sufficient  to  say  tiiat  the  controversy  was  between  the 
residents  and  owners  of  property  on  the  river,  and  the  non- 
resident owners  of  pine  lands,  who  had  no  interest  in  man- 
ufacturing lumber,  but  who  wanted  to  use  the  stream  to 
float  their  logs  unobstructed  down  the  river  as  far  as  possi- 
ble without  expense  to  them.  It  was  absenteeism  over 
again,  and  that  interest  enlisted  local  interests  and  jealous- 
ies into  the  contest. 

J.  Mclntire,  of  New  York,  had  the  contract  for  con- 
structing the  dam,  lock  and  other  work. 

The  cost  was  between  one  and  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

Some  unlocked  for  difficulties  were  encountered.  ."K 
part  of  the  coffer-dam  above  the  permanent  structure  was 
carried  away  by  a  sudden  rise  in  the  river,  Jan.  3,  1878. 
On  Saturday,  March  27,  1878,  the  dam  was  so  far  com- 
pleted that  the  water  was  shut  off,  and  a  special  train  came 
down  from  the   Falls  to   see  what  had  been   done. 

Half-Moon  Lake  is  to-day  full  of  logs  secure  from  any 
vicissitude.     The  enterprise  is  a  great  success. 

The  amount  of  freight  received  by  railroad  at  this  point 
was:  1879,  31)376,372  lbs.;  1880,  75,614,626  lbs.  For- 
warded: 1879,  38,558,804;  18S0,  58.514,475.  Showing  a 
very  healthy  increase. 

A  few  miles  east  of  Eau  Claire,  beyond  the  river  cross- 
ing, the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Company 
have  secured  a  site,  and  are  preparing  to  build  a  round 
house  and  machine  shops,  and  it  is  likely  that  this  point 
will  be  the  junction  of  the  Chippewa  Falls  &  Northern 
with  the  trunk  line.  At  all  events  this  will  be  a  thriving 
village  at  an  early  day,  and  must  be  a  very  healthy  spot  as 
it  is  high  and  dry.  No  name  has  as  yet,  to  our  knowledge, 
been  given  to  the  new  village. 

SOME    NOTABLE    PERSONS,    DECEASED. 

GILBERT  E.  PORTER,  who  was  long  and  closely  identified 
with  the  prosperity  of  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Freedonia,  N.  Y.,  July  6, 
182S.  His  youth  was  passed  in  Michigan.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  where  he  continued  to  reside.  During  that  year  he  had  charge  of 
Chapman  &  Thorp's  business.  In  1858,  he  purchased  and  took  charge  of 
the  Frfe  Press,  and  conducted  it  with  ability  and  success  for  about  six- 
teen years.  He  was  a  ready  writer,  fearless  and  outspoken  in  the  ex- 
pression of  his  convictions.  As  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Peter 
Moon  &  Co.,  he  displayed  his  peculiar  energies  in  the  lumbering  busi- 
ness. This  company  was  succeeded  by  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Com- 
pany, and  for  years  he  labored  with  tireless  fidelity  to  its  interests,  and 
from  a  small  beginning  built  up  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  strongest  lum- 
bering corporations  with  a  high  reputation  for  integrity  and  fairness.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican  and  took  lively  interest  in  the  success  of 
his  party.  He  was  Register  of  the  Land  Office  here  for  nine  years.  In 
lS7a,  he  was  chosen  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  had  implicit  confidence  in 
the  future  of  his  adopted  city,  and  on  account  of  his  being  foremost  in 
all  enterprises  looking  to  its  prosperity,  he  was  appointed  president  of 
the  Dells  Improvement  Company.  In  1S63.  Mr.  Porter  was  married  to 
Miss  Kate  Tewksbury.  They  have  had  six  sons.  The  home  of  the 
family  was  a  generous,  hospitable  and  affeclionate  one.  He  was  a  re- 
markable man,  with  the  ability  to  make  friends  by  his  cordial  warm- 
hearted greeting  to  all.  Eau  Claire  is  deeply  indebted  to  him  for  its 
position  as  a  prosperous  and  thriving  city.  While  away  from  home  he 
lay  .several  days  ill  at  Hannibal,  Mo.,  where  he  died  Nov.  15,  1S80,  in 
his  fifty-second  year.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Eau  Claire  and  he 
was  tenderly  interred  with  solemn  and  largely  attended  funeral  rites. 

NELSON  C.  CHAPMAN.  The  place  of  his  birth,  was  Durham, 
Green  Co.,  N.Y.,  thedate.  i8n.  His  father  died  when  he  was  quite  young 
and  he  was  early  thrown  on  his  own  resources.  He  had  the  advantage  of 
the  common  school  in  his  education.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  store  of  his  uncle,  Benjamin  Chapman,  in  Norwich,  N. 
Y.,  and  there  made  himself  so  useful  that  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  was 
admitted  as  a  partner  in  the  business,  which  proved  very  successful.  In 
1846,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  he  removed  to  Oxford  in  the  same  .State, 
going  into  business  with  J.  G.  Thorp.  He  continued  at  the  head  of  the 
firm,  which  afterwards  located  in  Eau  Claire,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
1873,  which  took  place  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  had  removed  in  1S57,  and 
cotttinued  to  reside.     The  busiaess  there,  of  disposing  of  the   immense 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


313 


amount  of  lumber  sent  down  the  river  by  the  firm,  was  conducted  with 
signal  ability.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  St.  Louis,  the  president 
of  a  large  railroad  company,  and  occupied  many  prominent  positions  in 
both  the  city  and  State. 

MARTIN  D.-\NIELS  was  born  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1813. 
Coming  to  maturity,  he  did  business  in  his  native  place.  He  afterward 
removed  to  Richmond,  Va.,  remaining  in  the  lumber  business  there  five 
years,  and  then  went  lo  Ottawa,  Canada,  where  for  five  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  that  point.  He  then  located  in  Min- 
neapolis, Minn.,  stopping  there  one  and  one  half  years,  and  in  1S59, 
came  to  Eau  Claire  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days.  From  April, 
1863,  until  April  2,  1S73.  he  served  as  Clerk  of  the  County  and  Circuit 
Courts.  No  man  in  the  city  was  more  univensally  respected  or  more 
tenderly  beloved.  His  untiring  eneigy  was  united  to  scrupulous  hon- 
esty, and  made  him  one  of  the  most  trusted  public  servants.  He  died, 
rather  suddenly,  on  the  2d  of  April,  1873,  aged  sixty  years.  The  Rev. 
J.  S.  Dickson  preached  the  sermon  at  the  funeral,  which  was  largely 
attended. 

ROBERT  TOLLES  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Conn.,  Aug.  14,  1826. 
In  1852,  he  removed  to  Windham,  Green  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  married 
Miss  Mary  R.  Graham.  He  then  went  to  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  remaining 
until  1S57,  when  he  located  in  Eau  Claire.  He  early  learned  the  ma- 
chinist's trade,  and  manufactured  locks,  clocks,  etc.  In  1S62.  he  formed 
a  co-partnership  with  H.  P.  Graham,  of  Eau  Claire,  for  the  manufacture 
of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  and  general  wood  work,  which  was  soon  merged 
into  the  firm  of  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  with  the  addition  of  machinery 
and  foundry  business.  Mr.  Tolles  did  much  toward  the  success  of  the 
business.  Their  works  were  burned  in  1S75,  when  a  stock  company  was 
organized,  called  the  Phoenix  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  he  was 
a  large  stock-holder.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Dells  Lumber  Co.  For 
■several  years  he  spent  much  time  at  Sand  Creek,  Dunn  Co.,  looking  after 
the  interest  of  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  who  had  bought  a  flour-mill  there. 
He  was  an  excellent  machinist  and  a  good  draughtsman,  a  close  ob- 
server, and  had  a  remarkable  memory.  Was  always  cheerful,  pleasant 
and  accommodating.  He  died  in  Eau  Claire,  Julv  7,  1S79,  aged  fifty- 
two  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  sons. 

R.B.BUELdied  at  his  residence,  in  the  Second  Ward,  Jan.  10.  1S80, 
aged  sixty-five  years.  This  announcement  chronicled  the  removal  of  one 
of  the  old  landmarks  of  Eau  Claire,  and  brought  expressions  of  heart- 
felt sorrow  from  the  large  circle  associated  with  him  in  the  city  during 
its  early  history.  He  was  born  in  Vermont,  March  i,  1815.  In  early 
life  he  removed  to  Allegany  Co..  N.  Y.  In  1857,  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Eau  Claire,  where  he  lived  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
was  widely  and  favorably  known,  and  in  his  death  the  city  lost  an  esti- 
mable citizen,  and  a  man  of  sterling  integrity. 

DR.  W.  W.  ALLEN  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  the  Spring  of  1S57,  and 
with  George  W.  Sanford  opened  the  first  shanty  store  in  the  village.  It 
was  situated  where  Ingram  &  Kennedy's  warehouse  now  stands,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Chippewa.  It  was  occupied  by  the  firm  of  Allen  &  Sanford 
until  the  completion  of  their  store  on  the  west  side,  near  the  post-oflice. 
Dr.  Allen  left  Eau  Claire  with  Capt.  Wheeler's  company,  in  the  Fall  of 
1S63,  and  on  the  re-organization  of  the  2d  Wis.  Regiment,  was  appoint- 
ed assistant  surgeon.  He  continued  with  the  regiment  until  mustered 
out,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  then  settled  in  Mason  City,  Iowa, 
where  he  died  and  was  buried,  on  the  20th  of  June,  1878.  The  news- 
papers of  Mason  City  .spoke  of  him  as  having  done  more  than  any 
other  man  for  the  permanent  improvement  of  that  town.  For  his  fine, 
genial,  social  nature,  he  was  esteemed  by  old  and  young. 

H.  J.  HANSON  came  to  the  city  in  1865  ;  was  a  grocer,  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  H.  J.  Hanson  &  Co.,  on  the  liorth  side.  He  was  highly 
resptcted  for  his  business  tact  and  fair  dealing.  In  1879,  ^^  "'^^ 
violently  thrown  from  a  buggy,  and  sustained  injuries  from  which  he 
never  fairly  recovered.  He  died  in  Chicago,  May  27,  1880.  whither  he 
had  gone  for  surgical  trealment. 

S.  B.  WILKINSwas  a  native  of  Vermont ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S56,  and  to  Eau  Cliire  in  1S58,  and  saw  the  city  grow  from  a  struggling 
hamlet  to  a  city  of  10.000.  He  was  prominent  as  a  democratic  poli- 
tician, and  was  very  generally  esteemed  by  all  classes,  and  few  men  had 
more  personal  friends.  He  was  a  man  of  integrity,  in  all  respects.  He 
died  at  sixty  years  of  age.  April  J,  1S78,  leaving  a  wife,  daughter  and 
two  grand-children  ;  was  buried  with  Masonic  honors. 

JOHN  BARRON  settled  in  Eau  Claire  in  1857  ;  purchased  a  mill 
site  on  Lowe's  Creek,  and  erected  a  flouring-mill,  which  he  operated  for 
some  time.  With  H.  Clay  Williams  he  bought  the  Blue  Mill  property, 
going  into  the  lumber  business.  The  concern  was  afterwards  merged 
into  a  stock  company,  now  called  the  Badger  Mills.  He  was  ever  a 
genial  m.an,  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  lived  a  more  exemplary 
life  than  many  who  make  more  pretensions.  He  died  at  the  age  of  fifty, 
Aug.  30.  1S77. 

HO.V.  FAYETTE  ALLEN  was  a  prominent  man,  a  former  resi- 
dent of  t.li-r  Cliipji.vi  Villey,  an  a:tive  p)litician.  He  represented  the 
Asie.n  )ly  District,  wiiich  titan  co.nprised  the  counties  of  Eau  Claire  and 


Pepin.  He  lived  some  time  in  St.  Croix  Falls,  where  he  was  appointed 
Receiver  of  the  Land  Office.  He  was  taken  suddenly  sick  while  attend- 
ing a  State  convention,  and  died  at  his  brother's,  soon  after,  in  Stough- 
ton,  Dane  Co.     This  was  in  the  Summer  of  1S71. 

G.  W.  WILSON  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  served  in  the  war  of 
1812.  In  1S34.  he  went  to  Illinois  with  his  family,  to  remove  his  child- 
ren from  the  blighting  influences  of  slavery.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to 
realize  the  evils  of  slavery,  and  acted  on  his  impressions.  He  was 
eighty-seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death  ;  had  lived  six  years 
in  the  city.  He  was  well  known  as  the  father  of  B.  F.  Wilson,  and  was 
highly  respected. 

W.  T.  DENNISON  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1857.  He  lived  just 
outside  the  cily  limits  of  the  Sixth  Ward;  was  engaged  in  farming,  and 
was  well  known  in  the  city.  He  had  three  daughters  and  one  son.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  25th  of  June,  1S77. 

FRIEND  ROSS  died  March  10,  1S79,  aged  100  years,  eight  months 
and  six  days.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  oldest  citizen  of  Eau 
Claire.  He  was  born  in  Vermont  during  the  darkest  period  of  the 
Revolution.  When  quite  a  lad,  he  went  to  Canada.  In  1849,  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Rock  Countv.  Having  three  sons  residing  in 
Eau  Claire — John,  Elisha  and  Joel — became  to  reside  with  ihem.in 
1862.  He  had  remarkable  good  health,  seldom  being  sick.  His  last 
illness  was  brief 

THOMAS  HORAN  was  born  in  Ireland,  Dec.  21.  1806;  immi- 
grated to  Canada  in  1842,  and  thence  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S63.  He  was  a 
genial  man,  with  noble  qualities,  esteemed  for  his  strict  integrity,  high 
sense  of  honor  and  deep  religious  convictions.  His  death  was  on  May 
8,  1879. 

CHARLES  LEHENTHALL  perished  in  the  flames  at  the  burn- 
ing of  the  residence  of  Hon.  J.  G.  Ingram,  March  24.  iSSo.  in  an  at- 
tempt to  remove  goods  from  the  building.  He  was  sixly-four  years  of 
age,  and  had  worked  for  twelve  years  for  Ingram  &  Kennedy,  as  a  mill- 
wright, and  was  a  faithful  and  industrious  man. 

RODMAN  PALMER  died  in  Waukesha,  in  October,  1872.  whither 
he  had  gone  for  his  health.  He  was  widely  known  in  the  Chipp'wa 
Valley,  having  represented  the  Assembly  District  then  made  up  vf  Eau 
Claire,  Dunn  and  Chippewa  counties,  in  1S61.  He  was  a  most  esiiniable 
citizen,  kind  father  and  affectionate  husband. 

EDMUND  ELLIS  was  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  Wisconsin, 
having  lived  in  the  State  since  1845.  He  was  formerly  in  the  British 
navy,  and  was  on  one  of  the  ships  that  guarded  St.  Helena  while  Napo. 
leon  was  a  prisoner  there.  His  death  transpired  in  the  Sixth  Ward, 
Sept.  27,  1S78. 

REV.  ROBERT  COBBAN,  presiding  elder  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  ;  was  a  most  excellent  man,  well  known,  and  highly 
respected,  for  he  practiced  what  he  preached.  He  resided  in  Eau  Claire 
several  years,  and  did  much  to  build  up  his  denomination.  He  died  in 
January.  1S70. 

CAPT.  DANIEL  W."HEYLMAN  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1859,  and 
soon  entered  upon  his  duties  as  pilot  on  the  Chippewa,  which  service 
he  performed  with  marked  ability,  for  fourteen  years.  He  was  a  just  and 
upright  man,  reliable  and  trustworthy,  and  highly  esteemed. 

ROBERT  FELTON  lived  in  the  city  from  1870,  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  Oct.  21,  1880. 

HENRY  SHAW  was  a  successful  logger  and  farmer.  His  death 
occurred  Aug.  15,  1S80.  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years. 

MARY  B.  S.  BROWN  (;:,v  Sawyer)  was  born  in  Baltimore.  Md., 
Jan.  18,  1819  :  received  a  liberal  education,  and  early  began  teaching 
school.  In  November,  1843.  she  was  married  to  Stephen  Brown.  They 
immediately  went  to  Shirley,  Me,,  where  they  had  a  farm  and  a  store. 
Impatient,  however,  for  wider  fields  and  better  results,  they  came  west, 
locating  in  Richland,  Wis.  Joined  by  his  brother  Ephraim,  they  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1S69,  and  putting  their  earnings  together,  they  pur- 
chased pine  land,  and  lumbering  interests.  Ephraim  soon  died,  leaving 
all  his  properly  to  Stephen,  who  soon  followed  his  brother.  Mrs. 
Brown,  a  childless  widow,  became,  under  the  laws  of  the  Stale,  sole 
heir  to  the  properly,  which,  under  the  judicious  administration  of  B.  J. 
Churchill,  realized  a  handsome  competence.  -She  continued  to  reside 
here,  spending  much  time  in  travel.  Bv  nature,  she  was  a  philanthro- 
pist ;  was  connected  with  the  Barstow  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
She  died.  May  25,  1879.  aged  sixtv  years.  The  whole  community  re- 
membered her  deeds  of  charity  and  acts  of  kindness. 

MARY  TABOR  MEGGETT.  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  Sept. 
14,  1851  ;  she  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S64,  her  father.  Alexander  Meg- 
gett,  having  preceded  her  by  nearly  ten  years.  She  came  with  her  broth- 
er, a  promising  young  man  of  sixteen,  who  was  accidenlally  shot  and 
killed  August  22d  of  that  same  year.  Mary  was  a  charming  girl,  be- 
loved wherever  known.  Oct.  8,  1873,  she  was  married  to  John  S.  Smith, 
a  thrifty  and  enterprising  young  lumberman.  The  wedding  was  a  socie- 
ty event ;  the  costumes  were  gorgeous,  and  the  presents  numerous  and 
cciatly,  and  the  marriage  feast  in  keeping  with  the  oijcasion,  and  the    re- 


314 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ception  in  the  evening  at  the  bride's  parents,  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 
After  the  bridal  tour,  the  happy  couple  .'ettled  down  to  domestic  life. 
Mrs.  Smith  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1S77.  She  was  first 
to  be  consulted,  and  to  act,  in  any  good  work.  After  a  brief  illness, 
she  died  June  23,  1S81,  leaving  a  husband,  a  babe  six  weeks  old,  and 
three  other  children,  aged  six,  four  and  two  respectively.  Her  death 
was  a  sad  blow  to  her  friends,  who  loved  her  so  well. 

MRS.  MARY  INGRAM,  wife  of  Hon.  J-  G.  Ingram,  was  long  a 
resident  here,  and  was  known  as  a  woman  faithful  and  devoted  in  her 
relations  as  a  wife  and  mother,  and  was  greatly  beloved  by  a  large  circle 
of  relatives  and  friends,  of  a  modest  and  retiring  disposition,  she  exem- 
plified the  spirit  of  a  true  Christian  woman,  and  was  firm  and  conscien- 
tious in  the  discharge  of  every  duty.  Her  death  occurred  Sept.  13,  1879. 
She  left  a  daughter  and  two  sons. 

MRS.  ELLEN  C.  VILAS,  wife  of  Hon.  L.  M.Vilas,  and  daughter  of 
Judge  Slinglufl,  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  most  respected  citizens.  This 
lady  was  known  as  one  of  the  favorites  in  Eau  Claire  society.  She  died 
August  29,  1S79.  leaving  a  husband  and  three  daughters.  Her  death 
was  universally  lamented,  as  she  had  been  so  uniformly  admired  by  the 
community  and  beloved  by  her  friends. 

MRS.  A.  CONGDON  was  among  the  early  settlers  of  Eau  Claire, 
having  made  it  her  home  in  1S57.  Her  death  was  very  sudden,  on  Feb. 
II,  iSSo.  She  was  a  highly  respected  and  venerable  woman,  and  had 
many  warm  and  sincere  friends. 

MRS.  MARY  F.  BOWLER,  wife  of  M.  S.  Bowler,  was  born  in 
Huntsville,  Ala.,  and  educated  at  Oberlin,  Ohio;  was  niariied  at  Salem, 
that  State,  and  with  her  husband  removed  10  Eau  Claire,  in  1S5S.  She 
died,  Jan.  9,  1871,  aged  thirty-five  years,  leaving  seven  children.  She 
was  doubtless  one  of  the  best  educated,  most  refined  and  unassuming 
women  in  Eau  Claire. 

MRS.  GEORGE  W.  MASON  was  well  known  as  the  wife  of  an 
esteemed  citizen  and  the  mother  of  an  interesting  family,  whose  idol  she 
was.  She  will  long  be  remembered  as  a  fond  mother  and  faithful  wife, 
and  as  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Her  death,  after  a 
brief  illness,  occurred  on  Jan.  i,  iSSl. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHARLES  ALEXANDER,  physician  and  surgeon,  Eau  Claire,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Pitlston,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  April  28,  1824.  When 
he  was  four  years  old.  he  was  removed  to  Farmington.  Franklin  Co.,  Me. 
He  was  educated  at  Yarmouth  and  Farmington  academies,  and  gradu- 
ated from  the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  March  S.  1850.  having  attended  lectures  at  Harvard,  and  at  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in 
Septeml)er,  1S66,  and  engaged  in  practice  here.  He  has  been  for  several 
years  President  of  the  School  Board.  Has  held  various  positions  in  the 
Baptist  Church  ;  was  for  four  or  five  years  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath 
school.  He  was  .Surgeon-in-Chief  in  the  5th  Army  Corps.  The  doctor 
has  one  son.  Joseph  B.  Alexander,  who  was  born  Nov.  21,  1S70. 

FRED  A.  ALLEN,  proprietor  saloon  of  Central  Hotel,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1865,  and  locstedat  Chippewa  Falls.  Kept  saloon 
for  three  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1869  ;  was  a  lath  contractor  for 
some  years.  Commenced  present  business  March  19,  1881.  Was  born 
in  Switzerland,  Sept.  i,  1S4S,  and  came  to  America  in  1862,  and  farmed 
in  Illinois  tor  several  years.  Married  in  Eau  Claire.  Oct.  12,  1876.  to 
Mary  Buellesbach.  who  was  born  in  this  place.  They  have  two  children, 
Elizabeth  and  Joseph. 

JAMES  ALLEN,  raft  contractor,  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850,  and  located  in  .Sheboygan  County,  and  was 
engaged  in  lumbering  for  nine  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  Fall  of 
1859;  was  contractor  for  booms,  etc.,  for  two  years,  and  has  been  em- 
ployed in  present  cipacity  since  1861.  Was  born  in  Halifax,  N.  S.,  1821, 
and  came  to  United  States  in  1833.  Was  married  at  Calais,  Me..  1842, 
to  Emily  G.  Pond,  who  was  born  in  Maine.  They  have  five  children- 
Edward  M.,  who  served  in  the  war,  and  is  now  in  sewing  machine  busi- 
ness in  Eau  Claire:  Fred,  served  in  the  war,  and  is  now  in  orange  busi- 
ness in  Florida;  Cora,  now  Mrs.  Frank  Ellis;  Chas.  S.,  school  teacher, 
and  Willie. 

DR.  EDWARD  LE  ROY  AMES,  surgeon  dentist, Eau  Claire,  was 
born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  Aug.  28,  1855.  His  parents.  Rev.  L.  F.  and  A. 
B.  Ames  (now  residing  in  Napoleon.  Ohio),  moved  to  Ohio  in  1S60, 
where  he  remained  until  1876,  when  he  went  to  Blissfield,  Mich.,  and 
commenced  practicing  dentistry,  having  studied  his  profession  the  two 
previous  years.  After  two  years  residence  in  Blissfield,  he  removed  to 
Marinette,  Wis.,  and  Oct.  i.  iSSo,  entered  the  senior  class  of  the  Dental 
Surgery  Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor. 
He  came  to  Eau  Claire  April  25,  1881,  and  has  since  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars' 
Lodge. 

W.  IT.  BAILEY,  painter,  born  in  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1S35  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857,  and  to  Eau  Claire  in  1859;  began  his 
present  business  as  sign  painter,  doing  most  of  the  city  work  and  vicinity. 
Married  some  years  ago,  and  has  several  children. 


W.  F.'  BAILEY,  lawyer,  was  bom  at  Carmel,  Putnam  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 

1842.  After  receiving  his  education,  he  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  38th 
N.  Y.  Vols.,  Co.  I  ;  in  1862,  was  appointed  captain  of  Co.  K,95lh  Regt; 
was  engaged  in  both  battles  of  Bull  Run,  and  other  battles;  was  wounded 
and  discharged,  on  Surg.  Gen.  Barnes's  certificate.  Was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  1S63,  in  Brooklyn  ;  practiced  in  Amenia,  N.  Y.,  till  1867,  when 
he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  practiced  with  Mr.  Latimer  for  a  time.  Mr. 
Bailey  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  pertinacity  of  purpose;  has  been 
one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Eau  Claire  from  the  first ;  was  President 
of  the  village,  four  years.  District  Attorney,  two  years,  1874  and  1S75, 
Mayor  in  1878,  and  is  now  president  of  the  French  Lumber  Co.  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  one  of  the  two  principal  mills  there.  Was  married  to 
Mercy  Cole,  of  Carmel,  N.  V.,  in  1S64.  They  have  no  children.  Mr. 
Bailey's  father  practiced  law  in  New  York  City  twenty-five  years.  ^Vas 
attorney  for  the  Harlem  Railroad  Co.  many  years.  His  only  brother. 
Elbert,  is  manager  for  the  Harlem  Railroad,  at  Mt.  Kisco,  N.  Y. 

S.  M.  BANGS,  builder,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Luzerne  County, 
Penn.,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S55,  settling  in  Marquette  Co.  After 
being  there  two  years,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1857,  and  has  remained 
since.  Engaged  in  building,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  lumber- 
ing. Married  in  Marquette  County,  March,  1S67,  to  Clarissa  Badgro. 
Have  one  son,  T.  M.  Bangs,  in  business  at  Eau  Claire. 

JOHN  C.  BARLAND,  farmer.  Town  27,  Sec.  27,  Eau  Claire  Co., 
was  born  in  Jacksonville.  III.,  Nov.  2,  1S41.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Barland,  a  native  of  Perth,  Scotland,  who  emigrated  to  America 
when  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  had  up  to  that  time  devoted  his  life 
to  the  various  departments  (f  study  at  the  schools  and  Perth  Academy, 
and  graduated  at  St.  Andrew's  College.  Edinburgh,  after  which  he  studied 
theology  with  Dr.  Dick  and  Dr.  Chalmers.  His  healih  becoming  im- 
paired, he,  with  his  wife,  came  to  America,  and  settled  in  Jackson, 
where  John  was  born.  When  about  twelve  years  of  age,  John,  with  his 
father's  family,  came  to  Eau  Claiie  County,  and  has  since  lived  on  land 
his  father  located,  except  the  Winter  of  1854  and  1856,  when  he  took 
six  months'  schooling  in  Knox  Academy,  under  the  teaching  of  President 
Blanchard.  He  entered  the  military  service  in  the  i6lh  Wis.  Vol.  Inf., 
enlisting  in  the  Fall  of  1S63.  Early  in  the  Spring  of  1S64,  the  regiment 
went  to  Vicksburgh,  where  it  remained  a  short  time,  when  it  moved  to 
Black  River.  While  in  Vicksburgh,  Mr.  Barland,  whose  health  was 
rather  delicate,  was  stricken  down  with  a  fever,  but  from  which  he  made 
a  fair  recovery.  The  regiment  was  ordered  up  the  river  to  Cairo,  and 
embarked  on  transports,  in  May,  from  Vicksburgh,  and  shortly  after, 
went  up  the  river  on  a  fleet  of  thirteen  transports,  with  a  convoy  of  gun- 
boats up  the  Ohio,  and  debarked  at  Clifton,  Tenn.  From  this  date 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  the  campaign  was  one  of  great  activity.  Mr. 
Barland  was  much  of  the  time  on  detached  service,  in  subordinate  com- 
mand of  the  train  guard,  a  most  ceaseless  and  arduous  duty,  much  of  the 
time  getting  very  little  rest  day  or  night,  and  at  one  time  during  the 
campaign  was  laid  up  a  few  days  from  sheer  exh.iustion.  However,  he 
took  an  active  part  in  several  of  the  engagements,  went  through  on  the 
March  to  the  Sea,  and  from  Savannah  to  Washington.  There  was  a 
great  strife  between  the  corps  commanders  of  the  iblh  and  17th  Corps, 
to  see  which  should  lead  the  other  into  Washington,  and  many  fell  out  by 
the  way,  unable  to  keep  up  with  their  command.  John  kept  up  with 
his  command  most  of  the  way  on  that  terrible  march,  and  finally  stripped 
for  the  march  by  throwing  away  nearly  everything  except  his  gun,  and 
was  obliged  to  yield  from  sheer  exhaustion,  but  luckily  managed  to  reach 
the  rear  of  the  army,  after  a  weary  march,  while  it  was  crossing  one  of 
the  great  rivers  on  the  line  of  march,  making  most  of  the  march  bare- 
footed. His  rank  was  that  of  corporal.  He  was  discharged  with  his 
regiment,  in  July,  1865,  and  returned  home,  and  was  immediately  forced 
into  the  "front  rank"  on  the  farm,  which  sadly  showed  the  neglect  of 
the  husbandman  during  his  term  in  the  war.  By  good  management  and 
industry,  he  has  improved  and  enlarged  his  farm,  and  keeping  a  dairy  of 
thirty-five  cows,  regularly  supplies  milk  for  a  portion  of  the  city  of  Eau 
Claire.  He  employs  a  good  force  on  his  farm,  and  is  taking  the  world 
easier,  living  near  town,  and  fortified  by  an  ample  newspaper  list,  and 
occasionally  contributinc  to  them,  by  poetry  and  sketches.  P.  O.,  Eau 
Claire. 

REV.  THOMAS  BARLAND,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Perth, 
Scotland,  in  March,  1810,  and  educated  in  Perth  Seminary,  Edinburgh 
and  Glasgow  Universities,  and  was  one  year  in  the  Glasgow  Ander- 
sonian  Medical  College.  In  Latin,  French  and  mathematics,  he  received 
high  honors.  He  came  to  America  when  about  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  and  located  in  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  engaged  in  preaching  and 
farming  there  for  nine  years  ;  then  went  to  Kane  County,  and  lived  in 
St.  Charles  and  vicinity  for  over  a  year,  teaching,  preaching  and  farm- 
ing, acting  as  missionary  preacher.  He  taught  school  in  Chicago  about 
seven  months  ;  then  received  a  commission  from  the  American  Tract 
Society  in  Central  Illinois,  and  was,  for  two  years,  engaged  in  distribut- 
ing their  religious  books.  He  then  bought  a  farm  in  Logon  Co.,  III., 
and  engagedin  farming  for  five  years.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire, 
and  has  lived  here  and  in  this  vicinity  ever  since,  preaching  more  or  less. 
He  was  the  first  preacher  here.  He  was  married  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
in  May,  1833,  to^Margaret  Wilson,  who  was  a  native  of  that  city,  and 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CI.AIRE  COUNTY. 


315 


who  died  July  23,  1877.  Mr.  Barland  has  six  children — Agnes,  now 
Mrs.  John  Keith;  John  C,  Birney  R.,  Isabella,  now  Mrs.  Fred.  Town  ; 
Margaret,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  Charles  Hodgeboom,  of  Eau  Claire,  and 
George. 

MILTON  D.  BARTLETT,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  the  town  of 
Victory.  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  3,  1833.  and  lived  in  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
after  he  was  twelve  years  old  until  the  Spring  of  1S52.  when  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  locating'  in  East  Troy,  Walworth  Co.  In  October,  1852, 
he  returned  East,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1S54,  came  to  Delavan,  re- 
maining there  one  year.  Was  then  for  a  year  in  East  Troy,  and  in  the 
Spring  of  1S56,  moved  to  Dunn  County  (now  the  town  of  Waterville, 
Pepin  Co.),  where  he  lived  until  the  Spring  of  1S60,  when  he  went 
to  Durand,  remaining  there  until  the  Winter  of  1S65  and  1866;  he  then 
went  to  Minneapolis,  and  in  1870,  came  from  there  to  Eau  Claire.  He 
studied  law  in  Auburn  and  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and  practiced  it  in  Delavan  ; 
discontinuing  it  for  a  time  while  engaged  in  farming.  In  1859,  he  re- 
sumed practice,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He  was  County  Judge 
of  Pepin  County,  and  resigned  that  position  to  go  to  the  State  Senate 
in  1S62  and  '63,  having  been  elected  in  the  Fall  of  1861.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  EUisbuigh,  Jefferson  Co..  N.  Y.,  in  August.  1S54,  to  Mary  F. 
Brewster  who  was  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  eight  children — 
Jay  Carl,  Earl  B.,  Mary  Belle,  Edward  L.,  Maud  E.,  John  W.,  Guy  Paul 
and  Ethel  Claire.  Mr.Bartlett  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the 
Temple  of  Honor,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  Good  Templars  in  the  State, 
having  joined  that  order  in  Auburn  before  coming  West. 

COLONEL  EDWARD  M.  BARTLETT.  Eau  Claire.  Came  to 
Dead  Lake  Prairie^  then  Dunn  County,  now  town  of  Frankfort.  Pepin 
Co..  in  1S55,  and  lived  there  two  Winters,  and  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  State  one  Winter.  In  1S5S.  he  settled  in  Dunn  County,  residing 
in  Dunnville  and  Menomonie  until  Oct.  21,  1S62,  when  he  was  commis- 
sioned lieutenant-colonel  of  the  30th  Wis.  I.,  serving  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  was  mustered  .out  as  lieutenant-colonel  in  October, 
1865.  He  was  the  builder  of  Ft.  Rice  and  Ft.  Sully.  He  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Victor,  Cayuga  Co..  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1839.  In  his  sixteenth 
year  he  came  to  East  Troy,  Walworth  Co.,  and  lived  there  and  at 
Delavan  until  he  moved  to  Dunn  County.  While  in  East  Troy  he  read 
law  in  the  office  of  Henry  Cousins  (now  Register  of  U.  S.  Land  office 
in  Arizona),  who  afterward  practiced  his  profession  with  his  former 
student.  Col.  Bartlett  settled  in  Eau  Claire  in  January,  1866.  and  has 
practiced  his  profession  here  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  five  years, 
when  he  served  as  Register  of  the  U.  S.  Land  Office.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  in  1S56.  being  then  not  quite  eighteen  years  old.  and  is  now 
City  Attorney.  He  resigned  the  position  of  County  Judge  of  Dunn 
County  when  he  entered  the  army  ;  he  was  at  that  time  serving  his  fourth 
year  as  Judge.  In  December.  1870,  he  was  married  in  Eau  Claire  to 
Miss  Adella  L.  French,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  They 
have  three  children— Frank  Duane.  E.  Mabel  and  Arthur.  Col.  Bart- 
lett is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  A..  F.  &  A.  M. 

WILLIAM  PITT  BARTLETT.  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Water- 
town,  Wis..  Oct.  I,  1S55  ;  taught  school  there  six  months,  and  studied 
law  in  Enos&  Skinner's  law  office.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1856, 
and  in  May,  1857,  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  has  engaged  in  active  prac- 
tice since.  He  was  the  first  lawyer  and  the  only  one  in  the  county  until 
July,  1857.  when  Alexander  Meggett  came.  Mr.  Bartlett  has  been  a 
member  of  the  School  Board  since  the  fourth  week  after  his  arrival ;  he 
w.as  elected  District  Attorney  in  the  Fall  of  1857,  and  held  that  office 
until  January.  1S60.  In  the  Fall  of  1859,  he  was  elected  member  of 
Assembly,  appointed  County  Judge  for  two  years  in  i860  ;  from  1863  to 
1S67  he  was  District  Attorney  ;  in  the  Fall  of  1872.  was  again  elected 
member  of  Assembly  ;  in  1S75.  he  was  appointed  Register  of  U.  S. 
Land  Office,  and  held  that  office  over  four  years  ;  his  name  was  sent  in 
for  re-appointment,  but  he  had  it  withdrawn.  He  is  Alderman  of  the 
Third  Ward,  having  been  elected  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  and  imme- 
diately chosen  President  of  the  Common  Council.  He  was  born  in 
Minot.  Cumberland  Co..  Me.  Aul;.  13,  1S29,  and  was  reared  in  Somerset 
County.  He  entered  Waterville  College  in  1849.  graduating  in  1853. 
He  taught  in  the  Hallowell  Academy,  pursuing  his  law  studies  ;  com- 
menced while  he  was  in  college  ;  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin  in  1S60.  and  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
in  1874.  He  was  married  in  Baraboo.  Sauk  Co..  Aug.  15.  1861.  to 
Hettie  Hart,  a  daughter  of  Edward  H.  Hart,  an  early  settler  and  still  a 
resident  of  Sauk  County.  She  was  born  in  Middlebury,  Summit  Co.. 
Ohio.  They  have  five  children— Livilla  P.,  Edward  W..  Sumner  P., 
Frank  H.  and  Stanley. 

VINCENT  W.  BAYLESS.  banker.  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in 
Broome  Co..  N.  Y..  Oct.  15.  1845,  and  moved  to  Kansas  in  1858.  locat- 
ing at  Highland,  where  he  lived  three  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1861.  he 
went  to  Dubuque.  Iowa ;  remaining  there  but  a  few  months,  he  returned 
to  New  York,  for  a  year  or  two  and  taught  school.  He  was  principal  of  the 
Commercial  College  at  Freeport,  111.,  for  some  years,  and  commenced 
his  b.rnking  career  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  he 
cime  to  Wisconsin,  in  1873.  locating  in  Chippewa  Falls.  In  the  Sum- 
mer of  1S73,  the  First  National  Bank  was  organized,  and  Mr.  Bayless 


was  made  cashier,  which  position  he  retained  until  1876.  when  he  came 
to  Eau  Claire  and  re-organized  the  Chippewa  Valley  Bank.  He  has 
been  U.  S.  Receiver  of  the  public  moneys  since  May.  1878.  He  was 
married  in  Cortland.  N.  Y..  Sept.  10,  1873.  to  Clara  T.  Pomeroy,  who 
was  born  in  Syracuse,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
T.  C.  Pomerov,  of  that  place.     They  have  one  child,  Harry  C. 

Mr.  Bayless's  father.  Gen.  John  Bayless,  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
Highland  University,  a  Presbyterian  institution,  located  in  Highland, 
Kansas.  He  was  president  of  the  board,  and  one  of  the  anti-slavery 
pioneers  of  Kansas  Gen.  Bayless  returned  to  Binghamton  in  1863,  and 
died  in  that  city  in  1873. 

JOSEPH  BEAUREGARD,builder,Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Canada. 
Resided  for  a  time  in  Vermont,  then  in  Massachusetts,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  cabinet  maker.  Came  west  with  his  parents ;  settled  in  Eau 
Claire  about  1866.  Married  in  Massachusetts,  to  Catherine  Fry. 
They  have  six  children,  of  whom  survive  Marie  E.  (married  to  C.  Mc- 
Cann,  1879).  John  C.  Frederick  and  Catherine.  Belongs  to  Temple  of 
Honor,  of  Eau  Claire. 

JOHN  BELL,  first  engineer  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861.  and  located  at  Oconto,  and  was  engaged  in 
lumber  mill  for  four  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1865,  and  has  been 
employed  in  present  capacity  for  sixteen  years.  Was  born  in  Ireland, 
Dec.  25,  1S36,  and  came  to  America  in  1859.  Was  married  in  Oconto, 
Wis.,  July  22.  1863,  to  Ellinor  J.  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Ohio.  They 
have  one  child,  Jennie  B. 

JOSEPH  BLETCHER,  lumber  dealer,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S63.  and  located  in  Eau  Claire.  Was  engaged  for  six  years 
in  stocking  mills  with  logs,  also  in  buying  and  shipping  lumber.  Ran 
a  mill  in  Faivchilds  for  two  years.  Is  now  dealing  in  lumber,  etc.  Was 
born  in  Canada,  in  1832.  and  married  there,  but  lost  his  wife.  The 
children  are  Josephine  Mary  (now  Mrs.  Geo.  B.Shaw)  and  Fred  J.  He 
again  married,  at  Eau  Claire,  Aug.  27,  1868,  Martha  Jane  Tarrant,  who 
was  born  in  Canada. 

VALENTINE  BLUM,  saloon  and  billiards,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1861,  and  located  at  Waukesha.  Was  employed  in  stone 
quarry,  and  also  farmed,  for  some  two  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  the 
Fall  of  1864.  He  piloted  for  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Co.  and  other-  for 
about  ten  years,  and,  in  1868,  had  a  saloon  in  Chandler  House,  which 
was  burned  out  May.  1868.  Also  owned  a  saloon  at  Frenchtown.  Chip- 
pewa Co.  He  was  on  Eau  Claire  Police  force  for  two  years.  After- 
ward in  employ  of  N.  W.  R.  R.  Co..  in  Polk  County,  for  two  years,  and 
while  in  that  service  received  a  severe  injury.  He  conmrenced  present 
business  in  March.  18S0.  He  was  born  in  Germany.  March  2.  1844,  and 
came  to  America  1S61.  Married,  in  Eau  Claire.  May  27.  1868.  to  Car- 
oline Lang,  a  native  of  St.  Louis.  Mo.  They  have  two  children.  George 
and  Flora  M. 

REV.  FATHER  JOSEPH  BOEHM.  pastor  German  Catholic 
Church.  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Ellangen,  kingdom  of  Wurtemburg. 
Germany.  March  13.  1846.  Came  to  America  Oct.  4.  1868.  and  located 
at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Was  ordained  at  St.  Michael's  Seminary  there,  by 
Bishop  Mullen,  of  Erie,  Pa.,  after  which  had  charge  of  St.  Alphonso's 
Church,  at  Wexford.  Pa.,  for  about  one  and  one-half  years.  Returned 
to  Pittsburgh.  Pa.,  and  had  charge  of  St.  Martin's  Church  for  two  years. 
Was  also  two  years  at  Rochester.  Pa.  Came  to  Wisconsin,  Feb.  10,  1876. 
Located  at  Home  Creek,  and  labored  in  the  Church.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire  May  20.  1877.  Has  had  charge  of  German  Catholic  Church 
during  his  residence  at  this  place.  Commenced  building  the  present 
church  in  June,  1880.  and  dedicated  the  same  June  2fi,  1881.  The 
building  is  a  very  handsome  structure,  105  feet  long  by  47  feet  wide; 
has  88  pews,  seating  400  people ;  has  two  uniform  spires,  105  feet  high. 
J.  BONELL,  photographer,  was  born  in  Staffordshire,  England, 
July  6,  1844.  His  father  came  with  his  family  to  Milwaukee  in  1850, 
and  established  the  first  wagon  and  carriage  factory  there.  He  made 
the  first  buggy  ever  built  in  Milwaukee,  and  the  first  baby-carriage  in 
Wisconsin.  The  family  went  to  Delafield  in  1853.  In  1864.  they  came 
to  Eau  Claire,  where  the  father  now  lives.  He  is  a  man  of  ability  and 
genius.  Was  a  draughtsman  there  many  vears.  Mrs.  Boneli  was  a 
woman  of  thorough  education.  Had  the  Chair  of  Latin  .and  Greek  in 
an  institution  in  England  for  fifteen  years.  Mr.  B.  began  for  himself 
at  twenty  years  of  age,  at  Fond  du  Lac.  learning  his  trade  there.  He 
has  established  galleries  at  Menomonie  City  and  Chippewa  Falls.  His 
business,  from  the  first,  has  been  highly  successful  and  remunerative. 
He  built  a  number  of  business  blocks  in  Menomonie.  and  houses.  Came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  the  Spring  of  1881.  Is  an  Odd  Fellow  of  high  degree. 
W.is  married  to  Mary  Donaldson  in  186S.  Has  one  child.  Fred,  born 
1870. 

JAMES  BONELL.  carriage  maker.  Eau  Claire,  firm  of  Boneli  Bros., 
was  born  in  Stafford.  Staffordshire,  England.  Sept.  19.  1832.  Came  to 
United  States  about  1S50.  and  located  in  Milwaukee.  After  spentiing 
some  time  in  Waukesha.  Chicago  and  Kansas  City,  moved  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1857.  and  engaged  in  wagon  making.  Ran  two  or  three  years,  then 
went  to  farming  some  two  vears.  Then  returned  to  town,  arid  com- 
menced  present  business.     Married,  April,  1S58.     Had  six  children,  of 


3i6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


whom  three  survive — Charles  William,  Benjamin  Walter  and  Roy  Gar- 
field. 

WILLIAM  BONELL,  carriage  maker,  firm  B.mell  Bros.,  came  to 
Wisconsin  about  1S50.  First  settled  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  learned 
his  trade.  Went  to  Cliicago.  and  after  a  time  moved  to  Portage  City. 
Came  to  Eau  Claire,  November,  1S66.  Enlisted  at  Portage  City  in  1st 
Wis,,  as  artificer  of  regiment.     .Served  one  year. 

ARTHUR  S.  BOSTWICK,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of  Martin  C.  and 
and  Lucy  Hathaway  Bostwick,  who  moved  to  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Marshall,  Dane  County,  in  1S44.  His  mother  died  near  Deansville,  in 
that  county,  in  1S46,  and  his  father  died  there  in  1S74.  Mr.  Bostwick 
was  born  in  what  is  now  known  as  UnderhiU  Flat.  Chittenden  Co.,  Vt., 
Dec.  5,  1S25.  and  moved  from  there  to  Illinois  in  1S43,  prior  to  the  time 
his  parents  came  west.  In  1S44,  he  was  with  them  in  Dane  County  ;  in 
1845,  he  went  to  the  pineries  and  worked  in  Grand  Rapids  about  four 
months;  then  returned  and  lived  in  Jefferson  County.  At  the  time  of 
Mexican  War  he  served  in  the  loth  U.  .S.  Regt.;  enlisting  in  August, 
1847,  serving  four  months,  and  being  discharged  near  Vera  Cruz,  on  ac- 
count of  disability.  He  returned  and  lived  in  Jefferson  County,  until 
1849,  when  he  went  to  California.  He  remained  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
until  1S55  ;  he  arrived  home  in  1S56;  after  spending  the  Summer  in 
Vermont,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  November  ig.  and  engaged  hi  black- 
smithing  here  until  he  was  elected  Sheriff'  in  the  Fall  of  1S58.  He 
summoned  his  first  jury  in  Tune,  1S57,  being  Under  Sheriff,  at  that 
time  organized  the  county.  He  served  two  years  as  Under  Sheriff',  and 
in  1S59  and  '60,  was  Sheriff,  and  Under  Sheriff  in  1S61  and  '62.  He 
has  also  been  Assessor,  and  is  now  Alderman  of  the  Eighth  Ward. 
He  has  been  with  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  since  March.  1866, 
as  general  superintendent  of  blacksmith  and  wagon  shops.  Mr. 
Bostwick  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  May  8,  1858,' to  Bridget  Gunn, 
who  was  born  in  Ireland.  They  have  had  eleven  children.  Their  son, 
Hoyt  Clark,  died  Dec.  26,  iSSo,  aged  three  years  and  ten  months.  The 
living  children  are:  Arthur  J.,  Lucy  A.,  Francis  G.,  Minnie,  Katie,  John 
M.,  Nellie,  Gertrude  F.,  May  and  Stephen  Brick.  Mr.  Bostwick  has 
been  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  since  1849,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Temple  of  Honor. 

MICHAEL  A.  BOWE,  foreman  Crescent  Flouring  Mills.  Eau  Claire, 
wa";  born  in  Dodge  County.  Dec.  23.  1S52;  learned  his  trade  with  his 
father.  Jeremiah  Bowe.  Went  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1871,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  flour  mill  up  to  1S73  ;  then  traveled  for  a  year.  From  1874-8 
was  employed  as  miller  in  Milwaukee;  was  then  at  Chippewa  Falls  and 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  for  a  short  time,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire,  May  25, 
1879,  3"<1  engaged  in  mill  ;  has  been  foreman  of  same  for  six  months. 
Was  married  in  Milwaukee,  Dec.  26,  1S7S.  to  Catherine  Dunner,  born  in 
Milwaukee.     Is  a  member  of  Knights  of  Pythias. 

THOMAS  O.  BOWMAN  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  April,  1S66,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  ten  months,  in  which  he  was  employed  by  Mcln- 
tyre  &  Co.  in  building  the  dam  at  the  Dells,  has  been  occupied  in  the 
machine  shops  of  N.  Shaw,  being  superintendent  of  the  shops  since  Feb- 
ruary, 1881.  He  was  born  in  Jackson,  Mich.,  Nov.  12,  1846,  and  went, 
with  his  parents,  to  Iowa,  in  1852.  moving  from  there  to  Hancock  Co., 
III.,  in  1S62,  where  he  enlisted,  in  March,  1864.  in  Co.  E.,  18th  111.  V.  I., 
serving  until  January,  i366,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield, 
III.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Sept.  3,  lS6q.  to  Mattie  T.  Baker, 
who  was  born  at  Elizabethtown,  Essex  Co..  N.  Y.  Thev  have  three 
children  living— William  S.,  Blanche  B.,  and  an  infant  son;  two  of  their 
children  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Bowman  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  and  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JAMES  M.  BRACKETT,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1842 
with  his  parents,  Joseph  W.  and  Lydia  M.  Brackett,  and  located  on  what 
is  now  the  town  of  Brookfield.  Waukesha  Co.  Thev  lived  there  nine 
years,  then  moved  to  Blonmington,  Grant  Co.;  in  1S61.  thev  went  to 
Alma,  Buffalo  Co.  James  M.  remained  in  Alma  until  May,  1S65,  when 
he  located  in  Chippewa  Falls,  coming  from  there  to  Eau  Claire.  Jan.  i, 
1870.  He  has  been  in  the  newspaper  business  since  1861,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  time  he  was  in  the  army.  In  the  Spring  of  1S62  he  was 
commissioned  by  Gov.  Solomon  to  raise  men  for  the  organization  of  Co. 
A.,  20th  Wis.  V.  I.  With  the  assistance  of  two  others,  he  raised  the 
company,  and  at  the  time  of  its  organization  was  commissioned  second 
lieutenant,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  as  first  lieutenant.  On  ac- 
count of  disability,  caused  by  sickness,  he  was  mustered  out  at  St.  Louis, 
after  five  months'  service.  He  started  the  Buffalo  Countv  'Journal,  at 
Alma,  in  the  Spring  of  1861.  It  was  the  first  newspaper  published  there. 
He  sold  the  paper  in  1862;  bought  it  again  in  1863;  sold  it  finally  in 
1865;  went  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  bought  the  CInf-pcwa  Valley  Union. 
afterward  called  the  Chippe^va  Union  and  Times  ;  conducted  that  until 
Jan.  I,  1870.  when  he  sold  it  and  bought  the  Eau  Claire  Free  Press,  in 
partnershi|i  with  Rodman  Palmer,  who  withdrew  from  the  paper  a  few 
months  before  he  died,  in  the  Fall  of  1S72.  Mr.  Brackett  is  now  Presi- 
dent of  the  Eau  Claire  Free  Press  Company.  He  \vas  Deputy  Provost- 
Marshal  in  Buffalo  County  for  two  years,  after  leaving  the  army.  Was 
Deputy  U.  S.  Assessor  of  Chippewa  and  Dunn  counties  for  four  years  ; 
was  Receiver  in  the  U.  S.  Land  Office,  in  Eau  Claire,  for  four  years,  and 


has  been  Postmaster  for  the  last  three  years.  He  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Huntsburg,  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  July  16,  1831,  and  lived  there  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.  His  father  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  first  State  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  and  died 
while  visiting  in  Eau  Claire,  in  1873.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  .Mas- 
sachusetts; she  died  in  1876.  Mr.  Brackett  ivas  married  in  Jo  Daviess 
Co.,  111..  March  19,  1S54.  to  Lucina  A.  Hamilton,  who  was  born  in  Al- 
legany Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  eiaht  children  living— Marion  A.  (now 
Mrs.  Andrew  L.  Tracy).  Seward  W.,  Frank  E.,  Charles  W.,  Kate  L., 
John  W.,  Harvey  J.  and  Joseph  M.  They  had  two  children  die  in  in- 
fancy. 

PAUL  BRANDSTAD,  proprietor  Wisconsin  House,  Eau  Claire, 
was  horn  in  Norway.  Oct.  15,  1S42;  came  to  America  in  1866.  and  lo- 
cated in  Rice  Co.,  Minn.  ;  was  engaged  in  farming  and  on  railroad  for 
a  year  ;  was  then  in  Moore  Co.,  Minn.,  for  one  year.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire,  .\ug.  19,  1S6S,  and  worked  for  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  and 
in  other  mills,  for  four  years.  Returned  to  Norway  in  1S72  ;  came  back 
to  Eau  Claire  in  June,  1873  ;  was  employed  in  a  general  store  for  a  year; 
started  Northwestern  Hotel,  and  ran  it  for  a  year,  and  then  engaged  in 
lumbering  for  a  year,  and  on  Police  force  for  two  years  ;  farmed  in  Bar- 
ron County  two  years  ;  returned  to  Eau  Claire  and  opened  a  boarding- 
house,  in  May,  18S0;  commenced  present  business  in  December,  1880. 
Married,  .\pril  14,  1874,  in  Enu  Claire,  to  Mary  Hansen;  have  three 
children— Oswald,  Arthur  and  Emma. 

DARIUS  BRESEE,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Berkshire,  Chittenden 
Co.,  Vt.,  June  20,  1829.  In  1834.  his  family  removed  to  Sutton,  Lower 
Canada,  where,  three  years  later,  his  father,  John  Bresee,  died,  and  Da- 
rius returned  to  Vermont  for  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Canada  for 
seven.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  carpenter's 
trade,  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  completing  it  when  twenty-one,  and  \vorking 
there  fir  a  year  longer  ;  was  employed  for  a  year  and  a  half  in  Plalts- 
burg.  N.  Y.,  and  worked  in  various  places  in  the  East  until  he  came  to 
Sheboygan  County,  where  he  remained  three  years;  was  in  Minnesota 
and  La  Crosse  one  year,  and  in  January,  1855,  came  to  Eau  Claire.  Re- 
maining but  a  few  days,  he  went  to  Chippewa  Falls,  but  after  a  year  and 
a  half  returned  to  Eau  Claire,  and  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the  first 
steam  saw-mill,  for  Chapman  &  Thorp,  and  in  building  Lockhart  & 
Underbill's  mill,  at  Waubeck.  He  returned  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  \yas 
there  for  a  year  and  a  half.  During  that  time  he  was  Town  Clerk,  As- 
sessor and  Deputy  Town  Treasurer  of  Eagle  Point.  He  spent  a  year 
in  the  Eastern  States  and  Virginia,  and  in  the  Summer  of  i860  was  em- 
ployed in  the  railroad  car  shops  at  Fond  du  Lac.  In  the  Fall  of  that 
year  he  entered  Lawrence  University,  as  a  student,  taking  a  three  years' 
academic  course,  when  he  entered  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  N.  W.  Uni- 
versity, at  Evanston,  III.,  graduating  in  October,  1865.  He  was  princi- 
pal of  the  Eau  Claire  Wesleyan  Seminary  for  one  year;  for  two  years 
serving  as  a  preacher  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ;  one  year  in 
Augusta  and  one  year  in  Chippewa  Falls.  In  1868,  he  permanently  lo- 
cated in  Eau  Claire  as  a  real  estate  dealer,  collector  and  business  agent. 
He  was  married  in  Evanston,  Oct.  12,  1865,  to  Jennie  S.  Webley,  who 
was  born  in  that  city,  and  died  in  Eau  Claire.  Dec.  9.  1877.  leaving  one 
child,  Oscar  E.,  born  Feb.  28,  1S75.  Mr.  Bresee  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor.  From  1870-75  he 
was  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  1S74.  he  was  appointed  State  Commis- 
sioner to  lay  out  a  State  road  from  Eau  Claire  to  Ashland.  He  now 
represents  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance,  of  New  York,  as  its  agent  here 
and  in  this  vicinity. 

SYVER  E.  BRIMt,  merchant,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway, 
Dec.  27,  1S53,  and  came  to  America  alone  in  1869  ;  was  in  Chicago  four- 
teen months,  and  then  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  attended  school  for  the 
first  two  years  after  his  arrival,  then  employed  in  the  store  of  the  North- 
western  Lumber  Company  for  six  months.  He  served  as  book-keeper 
in  the  office  of  the  same  company  for  six  years  and  a  half  when  he  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Christian  Larson,  dealing  in  clothing,  gents' 
furnishing  goods,  hats,  caps,  boots,  shoes,  etc.  He  was  married  in  Eau 
Claire.  Sept.  iS,  1S75  to  Lena  Larson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They 
have  four  children — Charles  E.  L.,  Louis,  Frederick  and  Mary.  Mr. 
Brimi  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

DANIEL  E.  BROWN,  hardware  merchant,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  i844with  his  parents,  locating  in  Grant  County.  In  1849, 
went  toSt.Loui.s,  and  came  from  there  to  Eau  Claire  in  October,  1S66.  He 
was  engaged  in  hardware  and  stove  business  for  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber 
Company  for  twelve  years.  Since  April,  1878,  he  has  been  engaged  in 
business  for  himself  He  was  born  in  Middletown,  Middlesex  Co.. 
Conn.,  Nov.  ig,  1832.  He  was  married  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  his  first 
wife,  Mary  E.  Tiernan,  who  died  in  that  city  in  1S60,  leaving  one  daugh- 
ter, Abbic  E.,  now  Mrs.  Albert  F.  Flint,  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  married 
in  St.  Louis,  July  8,  1S65,  to  his  piesent  wife,  Jennie  E.  Lee.  a  native 
of  North  Carolina.  Thev  have  four  children— Lulu  E.,  Elbert  L.,  Jessie 
L.  and  Joseph  Thorp.  Their  daughter,  Mabel,  died  in  March,  1S81, 
aged  four  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor.  He  served 
forty  days  in  Co.  B,  lOlh  Mo.  State  Militia  ;  was  in  active  service  during 
that  time,  following  up  Price  in  his  raids.     He  was  a  member  of  the  mi- 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


317 


litia  all  the  time,  and,  although  frequently  on  duty  in  the  city,  that  was 
the  only  time  he  was  in  the  field. 

EDWARD  J.  BRUNNER,  of  Schultze  &  Brunner,  merchant  tail- 
ors, Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Austria,  Sept.  26.  1849;  came  to  America 
in  1S72,  and  to  Wisconsin,  June  31,  1872.  Located  at  Eau  Claire; 
worked  at  trade  for  one  year.  Went  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  remained 
there  tive  years,  and  then  returned  to  Eau  Claire.  Commenced  present 
business   in   company  with    Herman  Schultze,  Sept.   8,  1S78. 

A.  BURDITT,  secretary  Dells  Lumber  Company,  Eau  Claire,  was 
born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  21,  1S34.  P'arents  were  New  York 
State  people,  formerly  from  Vermont.  Was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  con- 
tinued this  occupation  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56;  located  in 
Chippewa  Falls,  and  moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S57.  Followed  the  trade 
of  carpenter  and  joiner  until  he  engaged  with  the  firm  of  Ingram,  Ken- 
nedy &  Co.  in  general  occupations;  remained  with  them  several  years. 
Was  in  store  of  Hoffman,  Harris  &  Co.  for  some  eighteen  months  previ- 
ous to  engaging  in  business  as  Prescott  &  Burditt.  Was  married,  in  Eau 
Claire,  to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Pond,  an  adopted  daughter  of  Mr.  L.  W. 
Pond,  of  Eau  Claire.  Has  one  son,  Wilson  A.  Burditt.  Is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  West  Eau  Claire  Lodge,  Royal  Chapter  No. 
.32,  Chippewa  Commandery  No.  S. 

P.  H.  BURLINGHAM,  grain  buyer,  etc.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
Wellsville,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  3,  1S44  ;  moved  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S61  ;  located  at  Rock  County.  After  spending  two  years  in  Salt  Lake 
and  one  year  in  Iowa,  finally  located  in  Eau  Claire  in  186S  ;  engaged  in 
carpentering,  etc.,  until  1872.  when  he  took  charge  of  station  and  ware- 
house of  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O,  R.  R.  Married  in  Eau  Claire,  May  26, 
1S72,  to  Miss  Adela  A.  Jackson.  They  have  four  children— Earl  Le- 
roy,  Emmette  LeMoyne,  Edgar  Henry  and  Ada. 

E.  S.  BURROUGHS,  billiard  temperance  hall,  Eau  Claire,  was  born 
ill  Troy,  Ohio,  1S49  ;  came  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S65,  carpentering 
eleven  years.  Was  at  Lake  Superior  two  years,  running  a  store  ;  owned 
a  temperance  billiard  hall  in  Augusta  for  a  time,  then  in  Chippewa 
Falls.  Has  been  for  two  years  in  Eau  Claire  ;  has  the  finest  billiard 
hall,  outside  of  Milwaukee,  in  the  State.  It  being  a  temperance  hall, 
draws  the  best  class  of  men.  Mr.  B.  was  married  to  Kate  TuUam  in 
1879. 

R.  D.  BURROUGHS,  freight  clerk,  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S64,  and  located  at  Portage.  Wis.  Was 
first  employed  at  Reeseville  as  baggage-master,  telegraph  operator,  etc., 
on  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  for  eighteen  months.  In  1873,  went  to  Lake 
Superior  and  clerked  in  general  store  there  for  several  months,  after 
which  was  at  Humboldt,  Mich.,  employed  on  M.,  H.  &  O.  R.  R.  as  bag- 
gage-master,  freight  clerk,  etc.,  for  two  months.  Farmed  in  Iowa  for 
some  three  years;  was  then  at  Chippewa  Falls  employed  as  night  clerk 
in  Waterman  House  for  a  year;  afterward  had  charge  of  a  grocery  busi- 
ness for  eighteen  months.  Came  to  Eau  Claire,  Dec.  6,  1S80,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  present  capacity.  He  was  born  in  Troy,  Ohio, 
June  13,  1S52. 

PROF.  GEORGE  BURT,  musician,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Park- 
man,  Ohio,  1S33;  went  to  .St.  Louis  when  fourteen  years  old.  Was 
chief  musician  in  the  best  theater  in  Pittsburgh  for  four  years ;  was  leader 
of  martial  music  in  the  English  Regulars  in  St.  John,  N.  B.  Was  with 
them  in  '60  10  '63  at  Ft.  Snelling,  Minn.;  was  leader  of  a  band  for  a 
time  ;  then  went  to  San  Antonio,  Tex.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S77,  and 
has  taught  in  different  places  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1879. 

GEORGE  F.  BURTON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Westfield,  Chau- 
tauqua Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  23,  1S44.  and  when  but  two  years  old  came  to 
Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co.,  with  his  parents.  He  served  six  months  in 
Co.  B,  27th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  1865,  and  the  following  year  moved  to  Me- 
nomonie,  Dunn  Co.,  where  he  worked  at  the  trade  of  pattern-maker  for 
Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  for  eight  years.  In  August,  18S0,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  and  has  since  been  employed  as  superintendent  of  pattern  depart- 
ment of  Shaw's  foundry  and  machine  shops.  He  was  married  in  Me- 
nomonie,  July  22,  1S76,  to  his  present  wife,  Maria  J.  Irvine.  They  have 
tiiree  children— George  Howard,  William  K.and  Jesse  G.  Mr.  Burton 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

GEORGE  A.  BUFFINGTON,  vice-president  of  the  Valley  Lum- 
ber Company,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Little  Valley,  Catta- 
raugus Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  29,  1825,  and  lived  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y., 
from  his  seventh  to  his  nineteenth  year.  At  that  time,  he  came  with  his 
parents — Isaiah  and  Sophia  BuflSngton — and  settled  on  Big  Foot  Prairie, 
Walworth  Co.  His  father  died  in  Stephenson  Co.,  111.,  iniS77;  his 
mother  lives  with  her  son  George,  though  still  claiming  Stephenson 
County  as  her  home.  He  was  married  in  the  town  of  Sharon,  Walworth 
Co.,  April  12,  1S46,  to  Pluna  L.  Jones,  who  was  born  in  Ithaca,  N.  V. 
They  have  three  children— Clarence  M.,  Ida  C.  and  Byron  A.  After  his 
marriage,  he  went  to  Illinois  and  opened  a  farm  ten  miles  west  of  Free- 
port,  remaining  there  until  the  Fall  of  1849.  when  he  came  to  Oak 
Grove,  Dodge  Co.,  and  engaged  in  general  work  until  1853,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Horicon,  and  was  in  the  grocery  business  a  year  and  a  half, 
and  in  the  livery  business   until   Oct.  i,  1856,  when  he  came  to  Eau 


Claire.  In  June,  1857,  he  bought  the  Niagara  House,  running  it  at  in- 
tervals  for  ten  years.  In  the  Winter  of  1S58-9,  he  built  the  steamboat 
"Chippewa  Valley,"  and  was  captain  of  that  boat  during  the  Summer 
of  1859,  running  between  Reed's  Landing  and  Eau  Claire.  In  the  Fall 
of  1859,  he  purchased  one-half  interest  with  Fred.  L.Smith  in  the  mill, 
at  that  time  known  as  the  Ball   &  Smith  Mill.     Three   years  later,  Mr. 


ui-i i/yi^ti^ 


vas  in  the  mer- 

runs  two  farms,  and 

Company.     He  was 

became   a  part  of 

ing  his  third  term  as 


Smith  died,  and  his  brother,  C.  M.  Smith,  became  a  partner  with  Mr. 
Buflington  in  the  mill.  After  the  organization  of  the  Valley  Lumber 
Company,  they  sold  one-half  interest  to  that  company,  which  partner- 
ship still  continues.  Mr.  Buflington  has  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising several  times  since  his  arrival  in  Eau  Claire 
cantile  busine^s  from  186S  to  1S77.  He  at  present 
is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Dells  Improvement 
Chairman  of  the  town  of  West  Eau  Claire  before 
the  city.  Was  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  is  : 
Alderman. 

CHARLES  A.  BULLEN,  vice-president  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber 
Company,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Summer  of  1S57.  and 
located  at  Eau  Claire.  He  has  been  interested  in  the  Daniel  Shaw 
Lumber  Company  for  the  past  twenty-four  years.  He  was  elected  Al- 
derman of  the  first  Board  in  Eau  Claire,  and  held  the  position  for  one 
term.  Was  bnrn  in  New  Sharon,  Me.,  Oct.  8,  1S25,  and  mariied  there, 
in  1854,  to  Adeline  S.  Shaw,  who  was  born  in  Industry,  Me.  The  chil- 
dren are  Ilattie  C,  Clarie  A.,  Millie  M.  and  Charles  E.,  in  the  employ  of 
the  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company.  His  wife  died  in  September,  1S63, 
and  he  was  again  married  in  New  Sharon,  Me.,  to  Eliza  M.  Howes,  who 
was  born  in  New  Sharon.     They  have  one  daughter,  .Susie  R. 

W.  E.  BUTTERFIELD,  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Dane 
County,  March  7.  1S57.  His  parents,  Bradly  and  Eliza  (Buckley)  But- 
terfield,  came  to  Wisconsin  about  1854,  from  New  York,  and  settled  in 
Dane  County,  where  his  father  is  now  engaged  in  milling.  His  father 
was  in  the  52d  Wis..  Co.  B,  the  latter  part  of  the  war.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1880. 

CHRISTIAN  CARLSON,  of  Carlson  Brothers,  hardware  mer- 
chants, Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1870,  and  located  at  this  place. 
He  was  employed  as  gardener,  etc.,  for  six  years,  and  clerked  in  hard- 
ware business  for  a  few  months  ;  commenced  present  business  in  March, 
1877,  in  company  with  his  two  brothers,  Anton  and  Sigwart ;  is  Alder- 
man of  the  Seventh  Ward.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov.  2,  1S54,  and 
came  to  America,  June,  1S70  ;  relumed  to  Norway,  and  was  married 
there,  Oct.  i,  1879,  to  Bertha  Baarlie,  who  is  a  native  of  that  country. 


HISTORY  "^OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


JOSIAH  EDWARD  CASS,  of  the  firm  of  Cass  &  Tracy,  druggists, 
Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  Buffalo 
County  in  1S59.  He  lived  tliere  until  1S63.  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B, 
7th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1S65,  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  taught  school  in  Buffalo  County  for  two  years  after  he  left  the  army, 
and  in  1S67,  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  was  employed  in  the  stores  of 
French  &  Brown,  Barnes  &  French  and  Selh  French  &  Co.,  becoming  a 
member  of  the  latter  firm  in  1S71.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in 
January,  1S74,  to  Catlierine  Pitkin.  Mr.  Cass  conducted  the  gymnasium 
in  this  city  lor  two  years. 


byterian  Church  and  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  Temple  of  Honor- 
He  was  married  at  Niagara  Falls,  April  19,1849,  to  Maria  S.  Johns' 
who  was  born  in  Erie,  Pa.  They  have  two  children,  Kate  Gardner  (now 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Teall)  and  Denton  1. 

HENRY  C.  CHALES,  harness,  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
Feb.  14,  1S76.  Located  at  Eau  Claire.  Worked  at  harness  trade,  and 
was  in  fruit  business  some  three  months.  Commenced  present  busi- 
ness March,  1S7S.  Was  born  in  Canada  Sept.  15,  1851.  Came  to 
United  States  in  1876.  Married,  Jan.  26.  iSSo,  at  Eau  Claire,  to  Flora 
Eliza   Nauman,   who  was  born  in  Eau  Claire.     Have  one  child,  Georgi- 


^  ^^/^^a-^o-L. 


For  biography  of  William  Carson,  see  page  32. 

DR.  CHARLES  M.  CALVERT,  surgeon  dentist,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Sept.  24,  1850,  and  when  three  years  of  age 
went  with  his  father  to  Waukeslia  County,  and  lived  there  until  he  was 
twenty  years  old,  when  he  located  in  Pepin  County.  He  began  the  study 
of  dentistry  in  September,  1S67,  with  Dr.  Crary,  of  Minneapolis,  and 
remained  with  him  seven  years,  three  as  an  apprentice,  three  receiving  a 
salary,  and  the  last  year  being  his  partner.  He  was  in  Tomah  two  years, 
and  in  the  Fall  of  1S77  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  the  following  Spring.  He  was  married  in  Tomah,  in  No- 
vember, 1S77,  to  Annie  Woodley  Griggs,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  and 
had  one  child,  Hal  tie,  by  a  former  marriage. 

J.  G.  CALL.\HAN.  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Andover,  Mass.,  Sept. 
2,  1823,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1844  went  to  Niagara  Falls,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  there  until  1S53,  when  he  went  to  Oxford, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  employed  by  Chapman  &  Thorp,  merchants.  In 
April,  1857,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis,,  and  continued  in  the  employ 
of  the  same  parlies,  they  having  established  business  here  He  is  Reg- 
ister of  the  U.  S.  Land  Office,  and  was  for  a  time,  during  tlie  war,  deputy 
provost  marshal,  and  has  been  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Village  two  successive  terms;  at  the  time  of  his  first  elec- 
tion there  was  not  a  vote  cast  against  him.   He  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 


ANDREW  CHAMBERS,  lumbering  for  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co., 
Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56,  and  located  at  Baraboo. 
Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S57  and  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering  for 
some  years.  Enlisted  in  November,  1861,  in  l6ih  Infanlry  ;  served  one 
year.  Wounded  in  left  leg  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  Returned  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1S62,  and  engaged  with  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.  since. 
Was  born  in  Ireland  May  16.  1834,  and  came  to  America  when  quite 
young.  Was  married  in  Eau  Claire.  Dec.  17,  1863,  to  Jane  Hanson, 
who  was  born  in  Norway.     The  children  are  Ida  M.  and  James  H. 

C.  A.  CHAMliERLIN,  one  of  the  corporators  of  the  Empire  Lum- 
ber Company,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  Nov.  7, 
1846.  During  his  infancy  his  parenls  moved  to  Massachusetts  where  he 
lived  until  1853.  when  he  came  to  Portage,  and  in  June.  1S56,  to  Eau 
Claire.  He  was  for  several  years  clerk  of  a  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  In  1870,  he  became  connected  with  the  firm  of  In- 
gram &  Kennedy,  serving  as  bookkeeper  for  a  yea',  then  taking  charge 
of  office  work  for  eight  years,  and  afterward  attending  to  their  Missis- 
sippi River  lumber  interests  until  the  organization  of  the  Empire  Lum- 
ber Co.,  since  which  time  he  has  been  assistant  secretary  of  that  organi- 
zation. He  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Cliarles  Horton  Lumber 
Co.,  Winona,  Minn.,  for  one  year,  and  Town  Clerk  of  Eau  Claire  for 
one  term.  He  was  married  in  La  Crosse,  March  4,  1S69,  to  Alice  E. 
Black,  who  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass. 

GEORGE  B.  CHAPMAN,  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S59  and  was 
employed  in  Hall  Bros.'  Bank  until  1S60;  was  then  with  the  Jackson 
Bros.,  merchants,  until  1S64,  when  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
with  D.  R.  Moon,  under  the  firm  name  of  G.  B.  Chapman  &  Co.  In 
May,  1S66,  he  purchased  Mr.  Moon's  interest.  In  1S74,  he  and  Mr. 
Gilman,  who  was  connected  with  him  in  business,  consolidated  with  the 
N.  W.  Lumber  Co.,  which  arrangement  lasted  until  April,  iSSo,  when 
they  purchased  the  interest  of  the  Lumber  Co.,  and  re-organized  under 
the  firm  name  of  Geo.  B.  Chapman  &  Co.,  wholesale  and  retail  dealers 
in  general  merchandise.  They  h.-ive  an  elevator  at  the  depot,  a  store  in 
Chippewa  Falls,  and  deal  heavily  in  coal  and  grain  here.  Mr.  Chap- 
man is  vice-president  of  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Co.  He  was  born 
in  Morgan,  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  13,  1837  ;  went  with  his  parents 
while  an  infant  to  Morgan  Co.,  III.,  settling  first  near  Waverly,  and 
some  five  or  six  years  later  moving  to  Hancock  County.  When  he  was 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years  old  the  family  went  to  Arkansas,  and  six  years 
later  he  returned  to  Illinois,  entered  the  corps  of  civil  engineers,  and  was 
employed  in  the  United  States  and  Central  America  for  three  years.  In 
January,  I S59,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  was  married  to  Mrs. 
Cornelia  B.  Mickles  {nee  Gilman),  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  had  one 
child,  Josephine,  by  her  former  marriage.  They  have  three  children  — 
George  B.,  Sally  and  Sidley.  Mr.  Chapman  was  Mayor  two  consecu- 
tive years. 

GARRIT  P.  CHILDS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Sulli- 
van, Jefferson  Co..  Jan.  31,  1854,  and  lived  there  ten  years.  He  has 
resided  in  Eau  Claire  ever  since.  He  h.is  been  engaged  in  handling 
horses  ever  since  he  began  work  for  himself;  was  for  several  years  en- 
gaged in  training  horses,  and  is  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.,  having  charge  of  their  horses  and  barns.  They  have  134 
horses  now  in  their  stock.  Mr.  Childs  performs  all  veterinary  services 
for  the  company. 

GEORGE  W.  CHURCHILL,  City  Clerk,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of 
Nathaniel  J.  and  Aseneth  Denure  Churchill,  who  located  in  Hartford, 
Washington  Co.,  in  1S44,  where,  Sept,  6,  1S46.  George  W.  was  born. 
Four  years  later  they  removed  to  Freeport,  111.,  where  Mr.  Churchill, 
Sr.,  now  resides,  his  wife  having  died  in  1S5S.  Mr.  Churchill  enlisted 
in  Co.  A,  92d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  Sept.  19.  1S62,  serving  until  he  was  mus- 
tered out  in  July,  1865,  and  only  missed  one  engagement  of  his  com- 
mand. In  1870,  he  located  in  Chanute,  Kansas,  and  in  1S76  came  to 
Eau  Claire.  He  was  employed  by  the  Badger  State  Lumber  Company 
for  one  year  and  then  by  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.  in  their  lumber  office 
and  store  as  book-keeper,  and  was  elected  City  Clerk  in  April,  iSSi. 
He  was  married,  in  Stephenson  Co.,  111.,  Jan.  6,  1S68,  to  Jennie  E.  Cul- 
ver, who  was  born  in  Ashtabula,  Ohio.     They  have  one  child,  Ivie. 

JULIUS  C.  CHURCHILL,  Eau  Claire,  son  of  Washington 
Churchill,  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Brunswick,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Champlain,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  22,  1S4S,  and  came  from 
there  with  his  parents  to  the  town  of  Columbus,  Columbia  Co.,  in  1854. 
They  moved  to  Brunswick,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  in  the  Spring  of  1857.     Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


319 


Churchill  lived  on  a  farm  until  he  was  seventeen  years  old.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S66  he  came  to  Eau  Claire  and  worked  in  the  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory  of  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  for  four  years.  He  then  attended 
tlie  Commercial  College  in  Sparta  a  few  months,  and  received  the  first 
diploma  issued  by  that  institution.  He  was  employed  by  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.,  for  four  years,  and  was  then  engaged  in  general  mercantile 
business  for  himself  for  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.  as  manager  of  the  wood  supplies  and  shipping  department 
of  that  company.  He  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Chief  Engineer 
of  the  Fire  Department ;  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M;  secretary 
Lodge  112,  King  of  Eau  Claire  Chapter  136,  Senior  Warden  of  Chip- 
pewa Commandery  No.  8,  and  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  He  was 
married  in  Eau  Claire  Sept.  ig,  1S72,  to  Clara  A.  Parish,  who  was  born 
in  Baraboo,  April  8,  1852,  and  moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  i86g.  They  have 
one  child.  Ora  Hope,  born  Aug.  II,  1875. 

BENJAMIN  J.  CHURCHILL  was  born  in  the  town  of  Champlain, 
Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  22,  1S31,  and  lived  there  until  September,  1853, 
when  he  came  to  Columbus,  Columbia  Co.,  and  engaged  in  teaching  Win- 
ters, and  in  carpenter  work  Summers.  From  Columbus  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire  County,  in  June.  1857,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Brunswick, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  twelve  years.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  March,  iS6g,  and  engaged  in  real  estate  business  until  18S0.  He  was 
County  Treasurer  eight  years,  from  1871  until  i87g,  and  has  held  vari- 
ous city,  town  and  county  ottices.  He  was  Supervisor  and  Chairman  of 
the  town  of  Brunswick  most  of  the  time  while  there  ;  was  Town  Treas- 
urer, and  after  coming  to  Eau  Claire  was  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Eau 
Claire,  member  of  the  Village  Board,  and  Assessor  of  the  First  District 
of  the  city  of  Eau  Claire  three  years,  while  County  Treasurer.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  G.  B.  Chapman  &  Co.,  who  are  extensive  mer- 
chants and  dealers  in  grain,  coal,  etc.  He  was  married  in  Columbus, 
Oct.  25,  1S56,  to  Hannah  E.  Pratt,  who  was  born  in  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 
They  have  four  children— Jennie  E.,  Charles,  Cora  E.  and  Homer. 
Mr.  Churchill  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  Temple 
of  Honor. 

REV.  DR.  JOEL' CLARKE,  pastor  of  Christ's  Church  (Episcopal), 
Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Warsaw,  Pa.,  July  4,  1843.  Enlisted,  in 
1861,  in  105th  Penn.  V.  I.,  as  private;  received  a  wound  at  battle  of 
Chancellorsville.and  remained  for  thirteen  days  and  nights  on  battle  field 
before  being  lemoved  ;  was  in  hospital  for  some  two  years,  part  of  the 
time  as  warden  ;  was  captured  and  made  a  prisoner  at  Belle  Isle  and 
Libby  ;  received  discharge  from  army  in  1S64.  Educated  at  Philadel- 
phia, Penn.,  by  Prof  Ashton,  graduated  at  Nashotah  (Wis.)  Theological 
College,  in  1873.  Had  charge  of  Einanuel  Church,  at  Emporia,  Penn.. 
for  four  years,  then  St.  John's  Church,  Portage,  for  two  years,  and  for  one 
year  was  in  charge  of  Christ's  Church,  Delavan.  Came  to  Eau  Claire, 
April,  18S0,  and  has  charge  of  Christ's  Church.  Membership  250  to  300. 
Married,  April  28,  1866,  to  S.  V.Gill,  of  Philadelphia.  Have  three  chil- 
dren— Cyril,  Annie  and  Allen. 

JOHN  EDWARD  CODY,  lessee  of  shingle  mill  of  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Company.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66.  and  located  in  Green 
Bay.  Was  employed  in  saw  and  shingle  mill  for  five  years,  then  went 
to  Lake  Superior,  Mich.,  for  two  years,  thence  to  Warren  Co.,  Pa.,  for 
two  years,  and  in  Spencer  one  year.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S75,  and 
lias  been  engaged  in  running  shingle  mill  for  si.x  years.  Was  born  in 
Cleveland,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2g,  1848.  Married  in  Cory,  Penn.,  June  2g,  1874, 
to  Cora  Graham,  who  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  one  son,  John 
Franklin,  and  one  daughter,  deceased. 

REV.  FATHER  JOHN  G.  COLLINS,  pastor  St.  Patrick's  Catho- 
lic Church,  Eau  Claire.  Born  near  Genesee  Falls,  N.  Y.,  March  31,  1854. 
Went  to  Janesville  and  entered  the  seminary  of  St.  Francis,  near  Mil- 
waukee. Graduated,  and  was  ordained  June  24.  1878,  by  .-Vrchbishop 
Henni,  of  Milwaukee;  was  then  sent  to  Seneca  FalLs,  Crawford  Co.; 
remained  there  two  years  as  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  Church.  Came  to 
Eau  Claire,  Sept.  24,  i88o.  Has  charge  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  in  con- 
nection with  St.  Patrick's  School;  300  families  attend  the  church.  Is 
now  engaged  in  building  a  new  church  in  West  Eau  Claire,  to  seat  goo 
or  1,000  persons.     Corner-stone  was  laid  Sunday,  June  26,  1881. 

EPHRAIM  COMPO,  boots  and  shoes.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S64, 
and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  After  a  two  years'  residence,  he  commenced 
business  on  his  own  account,  and  carried  it  on  up  to  1876.  He  then 
farmed  for  four  years  in  Chippewa  County,  and  while  there  was  a  Justice 
of  the  Peace.  Commenced  present  business  in  January,  1881.  Was  at 
one  time  on  Eau  Claire  police  force  for  two  years.  He  was  born  in 
Canada,  April  8,  1845.  Was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Nov.  20,  1S67,  to 
Mary  Brennan,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  who  died  in  Eau  Claire, 
Feb.  5,  1880.  There  are  five  children — Louis,  Ida,  Maud,  Ephraim  and 
Winfred. 

W.  F.  COOK,  proprietor  of  marble  works,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in 
Manchester,  Bennington  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  21,  1837.  He  lived  there  until 
June.  1855,  when  he  came  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  remaine-i  a  year.  He 
removed  to  Oshkosh  and  opened  the  first  marble  shop  there,  in  April, 
1856  ;  two  years  later  he  went  to  Sparta,  and  came  from  there  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1871.    He  began  work  as  a  marble  cutter  in  1S53,  and  has  con- 


tinued at  it  ever  since.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Chief  of  the 
Fire  Department,  and  was  appointed  Assessor  in  May.  1881,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  was  married  in  Sparta,  June  24, 1S61,  to 
his  first  wife,  Adelia  McClure,  who  was  born  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  died  in  1865,  leaving  two  children,  Walter  and  Fannie,  both  now 
living.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  Cordelia  A.  Case  (iite 
Smith),  in  Eau  Claire,  in  October,  lS7g.  Mr.  Cook  employs  four  men  in 
his  marble  works ;  they  do  monumental  work  exclusively.  He  travels 
over  Chippewa,  Eau  Claire,  Dunn,  Pepin  and  Barron  counties. 

N.  D.  COON,  musical  merchandise,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Her- 
rick.  Pa.,  Nov.  iq,  i83g.  In  i85g.  studied  music  in  North  Reading 
Mass.,  under  Lowell  Mason  and  George  F.  Root.  In  lS6l,  enlisted  in 
the  141st  Pa.  ;  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  second  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville  ;  was  discharged  at  the  end  of  the  war.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Spring  of  1S66,  taught  music  in  the  principal  towns  in  Northwestern 
Wisconsin,  located  in  Eau  Claire  in  1873,  and  commenced  business — 
musical  merchandise — in  a  small  way;  has  by  perseverance,  integrity 
and  attention  to  business,  built  up  a  large  trade,  and  is  now  one  ol  the 
leading  responsible  business  men  of  West  Eau  Claire.  Married  at  Black 
River  Falls,  Wis.,  Nov.  10,  1S67,  to  Sarah  E.  Burnett,  born  at  Cleve- 
land.    Have  one  child,  Alice  Blanche,  born  July  12,  1S70. 

PETER  CRAMER,  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53, 
and  located  in  Dodge  County,  where  he  lived  on  a  farm  ;  then  went  to 
Dunn  County,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  woods  for  seven  years  by 
Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  i86g,  and  was  employed  in 
the  woods  for  several  years;  commenced  present  business  in  Spring  of 

1876.  He  owns  his  place  of  business;  was  born  in  Germany,  June  2g, 
1S48,  and  came  to  America  in  1S53  ;  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  July  15, 
1S70,  to  Annie  Widom,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  six 
children — Peter,  Margaret,  Elizabetli,  Mary,  Annie  and  Joseph. 

W.  R.  CULBERTSON,  carpenter.  Was  born  Jan.  17,  1S31,  in 
Georgetown,  Penn.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S57,  after  living  at  various 
places,  is  now  living  in  Eau  Claire.  Married  Delia  Berry,  in  1861,  and 
has  seven  children. 

HENRY  M.  CULBERTSON,  carriage  factoiy,  Eau  Claire,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  at  Dunnville;  worked  as  blacksmith 
for  some  SIX  years.  He  enlisted  in  1862.  in  the  i6ih  Wis.  I.,  as  a  private  ; 
served  over  three  years,  and  held  the  rank  of  captain  at  the  time  of  dis- 
charge. Opened  a  boot  and  shoe  business,  in  1S65,  at  Durand,  and 
moved  it  to  Eau  Claire  in  1866,  where  he  continued  it  for  eight  months; 
was  then  employed  in  a  foundry  for  two  years,  and  commenced  present 
business  in  iSOg.  He  was  for  a  short  time  in  partnership  with  S.  F.  Ben- 
jamin, but  has  since  been  alone.  He  employs  eight  men.  He  was  born 
in  Mercer  Co..  Pa.,  Oct.  5,  1S40,  and  married  at  Durand,  Feb,  28,  1S67, 
to  Caroline  S.  Collin,  who  was  born  at  Ravenna,  Ohio.  They  have 
three  children— Sarah  J.,  Ruth  and  Millie. 

JAMES  H.  CULBERTSON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  near  Albany, 
Whiteside  Co.,  III.,  Aug.  20,  1842,  and  lived  in  that  State  until  1851, 
when,  with  his  mother,  he  went  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  two  years  later 
moved  to  Le  Sueur,  Minn.  In  the  Spring  of  1S54,  he  removed  to  Red 
Wing,  and  from  there  to  Pepin,  in  1857,  two  years  later  going  to  Dunn- 
ville, and,  in  1861,  from  Dunnville  to  Durand,  where  he  remained  until 
186S,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  Mr,  Culbertson  was  in  the  drug 
business  while  in  Durand,  and  continued  it  in  Eau  Claire  until  1871,  in 
which  year  he  began  publishing  the  Chippevia  Valley  News.  He  con- 
tinued that  until  1874,  when  he  commenced  studying  law,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  October,  1876.  He  has  been  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  since  that  time  in  Eau  Claire.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  1870,  and  served  two  years;  was  re-elected  in  the  Spring  of 
lS8l,  and   is   now  serving   in  that   position.     He  was  married  Nov.  28, 

1877,  at  Johnstown,  Rock  Co.,  to  Annie  A.  Chickering,  who  was  born  in 
Green  Lake  County. 

CHARLES  CULLINS,  engineer  at  S.  Marston's  mill,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  at  Green  Lake,  July  9,  iS4g  ;  went  to  Berlin  in  1863,  and  was 
employed  in  mill  as  engineer  and  foreman  ;  enlisted  early  in  1865,  in  1st 
Wis.  C,  as  musician,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  ;  was  on  the 
Plains  for  two  years  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  Government ; 
then,  for  two  and  one-half  years,  fireman  on  K.  P.  R.  R. ;  was  engaged 
at  Fairchilds  and  other  places  in  Wisconsin,  as  engineer  in  mills,  for  five 
years ;  was  at  Madison  for  six  months  in  employ  of  C.  &.  N.  W.  K.  R. ; 
came  to  Eau  Claire  in  March,  iSSl,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity  ; 
has  been  a  member  of  "  Temple  of  Honor"  Temperance  Society  since 
18S0  He  was  married  at  Ft.  Howard,  March  S,  1877,  to  Mary  Kate 
Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  England.     They  have  one  child.  James. 

E.  S.  CULVER,  manager  Culver  &  Ellison,  boots  and  shoes,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Oct.  21,  1S67;  located  at  Eau  Claire;  was 
salesman  and  book-keeper  previous  to  entering  business,  in  1874,  with 
E.  Tarrant ;  did  business  for  some  two  years,  then  dissolved  ;  was  sales- 
man for  some  two  years.  In  1S79,  took  charge— for  Howell  Hoppocka, 
of  New  York  City— of  bankrupt  estate  of  D.  J.  Spaulding,  Unity,  Clark 
Co. ;  was  engaged  one  year  in  settling  the  same  ;  returned  to  Eau  Claire 
and  has  since  been  engaged  as  manager,  with  Culver  &  Ellison,  boots 


320 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  shoes:  born  at  Elkhart,  Pa.,  May  4,  184S  ;  married,  Dec.  24,  1875, 
at  Eau  Claire,  to  G.  M.  Butler,  who  is  a  native  of  Maine. 

D.  A.  CULVER,  millwright  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eiu  Claire,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1S52,  and  located  at  Black  Kiver  Falls;  was  employed 
in  saw-mill,  as  millwright,  for  ten  years;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S62, 
and  was  there  employed  in  various  mills,  and,  in  1S67,  was  in  mill  busi- 
ness for  a  year  as  Culver  &  Ingram  ;  afterward,  for  a  year,  with  William 
B.  Esterbrook  ;  has  been  in  employ  o(  Empire  Lumber  Co.  in  various 
capacities  for  eleven  years.  He  was  married  in  Black  River  Falls,  Aug. 
2,  1855,  to  Fulia  A.  Sterling,  who  was  born  in  the  State  of  Maine.  They 
have  one  son,  Frank  S.     They  have  lost  three  children. 

CHARLES  CUTLER,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1846, 
but  did  not  permanently  locate  there  until  November,  1855.  He  re- 
mained there  until  1S63.  He  has  been  engaged  in  engineering  over 
twenty  years,  on  several  of  the  Western  and  Southern  railroads.  His 
first  engineering  was  done  in  Wisconsin,  in  1S55.  From  December, 
1863,  until  February.  1865,  he  was  in  the  South.  In  1S65,  he  located  in 
Madison,  running  a  locomotive  on  the  Milwaukee  &  Prairie  du  Chien 
road,  and,  six  months  later,  returned  to  Milwaukee,  and  was  employed 
on  the  Milwaukee  &  Saint  Paul  road  until  iS63;  was  employed  on  the 
Winona  &  Saint  Peter  road,  from  1S68  to  iS6g,  residing  at  Winona, 
moving  in  the  latter  year  to  Wabasha,  running  a  stationary  engine  and 
steamboat  engineering  while  there.  In  November,  1S71,  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire,  and  ran  a  locomotive  on  the  West  Wisconsin  road,  until 
late  in  1874.  In  1S75,  he  took  charge  of  the  G.  E.  Porter  Fire  Engine, 
No.  2,  of  which  he  is  still  engineer,  besides  having  charge  of  the  City 
Hall  building  and  giving  some  of  his  attention  to  farming.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  N.Y.,  Jan.  2,  1S35,  and  lived  in  Illinois  dur- 
ing 1S49.  He  is  the  son  of  Hector  and  Permelia  Cutler,  who  came  from 
Buffalo  in  182S.  His  father  died  in  the  Fall  of  1849.  His  mother  resides 
in  St.  Louis.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  Dec.  24,  1S59,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Jackman,  who  was  born  in  England.  They  have  six  children — 
Frank,  Florence,  George  L.  J.,  Willie,  Fred  and  Harry,  the  two  latter 
being  twins. 

CONWAY  B.  DANIELS,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Richmond, 
Va.,  July  21.  1S50,  and  with  his  parents  lived  in  New  York,  Canada, 
and  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  before  coming  to  Wisconsin.  He  came  to 
Chippewa  Falls,  in  March,  iSsg,  and  in  May  of  that  year,  located  in 
Eau  Claire.  His  father,  Martin  Daniels,  was  County  Clerk  and  Clerk 
of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Eau  Claire  County  (at  the  same  time),  holding 
the  offices  for  ten  or  twelve  years.  He  died  in  the  Spring  of  1S73  ;  his 
wife,  Alice  Daniels,  died  in  1S79.  Mr.  C.  B.  Daniels  was  County  Clerk 
for  nearly  two  years  after  his  lather's  death,  and  was  employed  in  the 
office  of  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  for  two  years.  He  served  as  Assessor 
one  year,  and  took  the  State  census  for  East  Eau  Claire  Assessment  Dis- 
trict. 

H.  D.  DAVIS,  logger,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  New  Portland, 
Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  Jan.  9,  1851;  his  parents  being  from  Providence, 
N.  B.,  originally.  Came  to  Wisconsin  m  the  Spring  of  1869,  and  set- 
tled in  Eau  Claire  ;  worked  for  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.  some  rive  years 
in  raiting  shed,  then,  sawing  one  Summer,  since  in  present  business. 
Married  at  Medford,  Taylor  County,  Sept.  17,  1S7S,  to  Miss  Laura  J. 
Boyce,  of  .Stevens  Point.  Have  one  child,  Henry  Chandler.  Mr.  D.  is 
now  one  of  the  City  Aldermen. 

GEORGE  S.  DAVIS,  superintendent  of  yards,  Eau  Claire  Lumber 
Company.  Was  born  in  Fnullay,  Hancock  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  13,  1849. 
In  1850,  his  parents  moved  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  1857,  to  St.  Louis. 
George  S.  became  connected  with  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  at 
St.  Louis,  Feb.  12,  1872.  He  laid  out  the  yards  in  Eau  Claire  for  this 
company,  and  started  them  June  14,  1879,  having  charge  of  them  since 
that  time.  The  yards  cover  twenty-five  acres,  having  a  capacity  for 
piling  1,000,000  feet  to  the  acre,  in  piles  twenty  feet  high.  The  average 
shipments  from  these  yards  are  2,500,000  feet  per  month.  Mr.  Davis 
was  married  in  Georgetown,  Essex  Co.,  Mass.,  March  2,  18S0,  to  Apphia 
L.  Nelson,  a  native  of  Georgetown.  Mr.  D.  is  a  memberof  the  Temple 
of  Honor. 

DR.  DWIGIIT  W.  DAY,  physician 'and  surgeon,  Eau  Claire. 
Went  to  lowa  in  May,  1866,  and  located  at  Elkader,  Clayton  County  ; 
remained  there  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  in  October,  i868,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Eagle,  Wyoming  Co..  N.  Y.,  May  14,  1841,  and  graduated 
from  Buffalo  Medical  College,  Feb.22.  lS6t.  He  was  reside.-t  physician 
in  the  Buffalo  General  Hospital  and  Lying-in  Hospital,  and  was  surgeon 
of  the  154th  N.  V.  V.  I.  He  went  out  as  1st  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
regiment,  and  in  eighteen  months  was  promoted  to  surgeon  ol  the  regi- 
ment, then  to  acting  brigade  surgeon.  He  served  three  years  in  the 
medical  department  and  then  returned  to  Arcade,  N.  Y.,  where  he  prac- 
ticed until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa.  Dr.  Day  was  married  in 
Franklinville,  N.  Y.,  in  April,  1S67,  to  Tibb  Smith,  who  is  a  daughter  of 
William  Smith,  and  was  born  in  Ulean,  N.  Y.  They  have  lost  two  chil- 
dren. 

DR.  HENRY  DAY.  Was  horn  in  Eagle,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept,  I,  1840.     He  was  educated  in  Buffalo  Medical  College,  graduating 


in  i860.  He  commenced  practice  in  Arcade,  remaining  there  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  in  the  .State  during  1876,  in  practice  with 
his  brother,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  May,  18S1.  He  was  married  in 
Buffalo,  in  1S60,  to  Julia  L.  Currier,  a  native  of  New  York.  They  have 
one  son,  Willie  W.  Dr.  Day  was  assistant  surgeon  of  the  78th  N.  Y. 
V.  I.,  and  acting  surgeon  of  that  regiment  lor  six  months  during 
the  war. 

WILLIAM  DEAN.  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Tambleton,  Resti- 
goushe  Co.,  New  Brunswick,  Sept.  4,  1844,  and  came  from  there  to 
Oconto,  in  the  Fall  of  1865,  and  in  the  Spring  of  tS66,  to  Eau  Claire. 
He  was  employed  in  the  Graham,  White  &  Cc.  sash,  door  and  blind  fac- 
tory, in  wood  work,  and  soon  became  foreman.  When  the  Phrenix  Man- 
ufacturing Company  was  organized,  he  became  one  of  the  incorporators, 
a  member  of  the  board  of  director.-,  and  superintendent  of  the  w^ood  de- 
partment. He  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor.  He  was  married 
in  Eau  Claire,  in  February,  1878,  to  Erena  Culy.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren. Garrison  C.  and  Teressie  W. 

JACOB  BURNETT  DEMOREST,  book-keeper  for  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Company,  was  born  in  Hyde  Park,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  14, 
1839  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  April  i,  i86j.  He  was  in  the  employ  of 
Chapman  &  Thorp  until  .August.  lS6r,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Co.  C,  Sth  Wis.  V.  I.  (Eagle  Regiment.)  Served  four  years  and  twenty- 
nine  days,  never  was  sick  a  day,  and  was  in  all  the  marches  and  engage- 
ments of  his  regiment.  He  was  orderly  sergeant  of  his  company  over 
three  years.  When  he  left  the  army,  he  re-entered  the  service  of  his  for- 
mer employers,  and  remained  with  them  until  the  Autumn  of  1S69. 
From  that  time  until  1872,  he  was  engaged  in  business  for  himself;  af- 
terwards, for  about  three  years  and  a  half,  he  was  book-keeper  for  the 
Northwestern  Lumber  Company.  Then  engaged  in  steamboating  until 
1879.  when  he  became  connected  with  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company 
in  his  present  position.  He  was  first  Alderman  of  the  Sixth  Ward  of 
Eau  Claire,  after  the  city  organization.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.  May  11,  1S69,  he  was  married  in  Eau  Claire  to  Florence  A.  Wil- 
lard.  She  was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child, 
Jessie  M. 

URI  T.  DENISON.  deceased,  Eau  Claire,  born  in  Brookfield, 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  23,  182S.  Moved  from  there  to  Eau  Claire  in 
1857.  and  engaged  in  lumbering  with  Ins  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Adin  Ran- 
dall, for  a  time.  He  then  engaged  in  farming,  which  he  followed  some 
eighteen  years,  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in  June,  1877.  He  was 
married  in  Brookfield,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  2i,  1S36,  to  Miss  Mary  Randall,  by 
whom  he  had  five  children  —  Owen  T.,  Sclah  (now  Mrs.  W.  W.  Allen), 
Luela  (now  Mrs.  J.  H.  Stephens),  Almira  (married  E.  H.  Playter,  of  Eau 
Claire,  died  January,  iSSo),  and  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Denison  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elisha  Randall,  of  Madison  County,  N.  Y.  They 
were  married  Oct.  3,  T8i3,at  Brookfield.  Had  eleven  children — Cynthia 
(now  Mrs.  Paul  Burch),  .Mary  ^now  Mrs.  Denison),  Elisha,  Daniel  B., 
Betsey  (deceased,  married  Chas.  Brightman),  Joshua  (died  in  infancy), 
John,  Adin  (deceased),  Joshua,  2d,  Jabez  and  Benjamin. 

CHARLES  S.  DESIION,  plumber  and  gas  fitter,  Eau  Claire,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1868.  and  lived  with  his  parents  at  La  Crosse,  and  then 
at  Winona,  Minn  ,  for  some  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Minneapolis, 
and  was  engaged  in  business  as  pawnbroker  for  two  years.  Lived  in 
Milwaukee  for  five  years,  and  learned  his  trade  there.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1878,  and  commenced  his  present  business  Oct.  5,  18S0.  He 
was  born  in  Louisville.  Ky.,  Feb.  22,  1857.  Was  married  in  Fargo,  D. 
T.,  Sept.  25,  1S7S,  to  Jennie  L.  Vandoozer,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee. 

CHARLES  DESILETS,  lumber  pilot,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1856,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire;  was  employed  in  various  mills 
in  different  capacities  for  some  years,  and  tlien  went  West  for  two  years, 
returning  to  Eau  Claire  in  1861.  He  has  been  engaged  in  piloting  dur- 
ing the  Summer,  and  employed  in  the  woods  in  the  Winter,  for  past 
twenty  years;  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from 
Shawtown,  and  one  two  and  a  half  miles  out  of  town,  of  160  acres. 
He  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  June,  183S,  and  married  at  Eau  Claire, 
June  30,  1867,  to  Emma  Hayward,  who  was  born  in  Canada. 

A.  DONALDSON,  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  born  in  1845,  in  Canada; 
'  came  here  in  1865,  and  invested  mostly  in  lands;  opened  a  saloon  in 
1S75.  Was  married  to  Lizzie  Lintz  in  1875.  Their  children  are  Archie 
and  Clarence. 

THOMAS  DONNELLY,  Chief  of  Police,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
Pontiac,  Lower  Can.ada,  March  20,  1837,  and  went  to  Minnesota  in  No- 
vember. 1S65.  locating  in  Minneapolis.  In  the  Summer  of  1867  he  re- 
moved to  Stillwater,  and  in  1872,  came  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  engaged  in  lumbering,  logging  and  working  in  the 
mills,  until  he  was  appointed  on  the  police  force,  in  1875.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  force  since  his  first  appointment,  and  Chief  of  Police  since 
the  Spring  of  1S7S.  He  was  married  in  Pontiac  County,  Lower  Canada, 
July  10,  1858,  to  Flora  Oulett,  who  was  born  in  Quebec.  They  have 
three  living  children — John  C,  Maty  Louise,  and  Mary  Ann  Catherine. 
They  have  lost  three  children  —  .-Mfred  Edward,  William,  and  an 
infant  son. 


HISTORY  [OF    EAU   CLAIRE   COUNTY. 


32> 


W.  W.  DOWNS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Menomonie,  Dunn  Co., 
Wis.,  Nov.  7,  1851,  and  lived  there  until  1868,  when  became  to  Eau 
Claire.  He  graduated  from  the  Wisconsin  University,  in  the  law  class 
of  1S74,  and  immediately  began  the  practice  of  hi.^  profession  in  Eau 
Claire.  He  was  married  in  this  city,  June  24,  1874,  to  Alice  Daniels, 
who  was  born  in  Milan,  Ohio.  Mr.  Downs  has  been  an  Alderman  of  the 
Si.xth  Ward  since  April,  iSSo.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  the 
A.O.  U.  W.,  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

DAVID  DRUMMOND,  wholesale  and  retail  butcher  and  meat 
packer,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Canada,  Nov.  27,  1849.  Came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S70,  and  located  at  this  place.  Commenced  present  business 
in  1S72,  in  partnership  with  Hiram  Brooks,  who  died  in  March,  1877, 
and  the  business  has  since  been  carried  on  by  D.  Drummond. 

JOSEPH  LOUIS  DUPONT,  gang  sawyer.  Valley  Lumber  Co.,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1871,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  Was  em- 
ployed in  raiting  and  piloting  on  the  river  for  several  years, and  has  been 
in  his  present  capacity  for  fouryears.  Was  born  in  Canada,  Nov.  i,  1S41. 
Came  to  United  States  in  1865,  and  engaged  in  saw  mills  in  Michigan. 
Was  married  at  Eau  Claire,  April  6,  1881,  to  Mrs.  Fannie  Martin,  who 
was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio. 

JOSEPH  R.  EAGLES,  builder,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Buffalo, 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  his  trade.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S65, 
and  after  passing  some  time  in  Trempealeau  County,  and  a  short  time  in 
Minnesota,  removed  to  Eau  Claire  for  permanent  residence  in  1869. 
Married  in  Trempealeau  County,  August  28,  1S69,  to  Mrs.  Nichols,  for- 
merly from  Illinois.     Have  one  child,  Charles,  born  in  1870. 

MRS.  ELDRED,  millinery,  Eau  Claire,  does  the  best  business  in 
her  line  in  the  city-  Employs  three  assistants,  in  addition  to  appren- 
tices. Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66,  settled  in  Eau  Claire,  and  opened 
present  business.  Bom  in  Schuyler  County,  N.  Y.  Married  at  Hector, 
Schuyler  Co.,  March  20,  185S.  Has  one  child,  Fanny.  Mrs.  Eldred's  pa- 
rents, Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  Phelps,  of  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  had  seven 
children  —  Helen  (now  Mrs.  S.  J.  Eldred),  Cicero,  Harlowe,  Warren, 
Nancy  (now  Mrs.  H.  Brown),  Lucy  (now  Mrs.  L.  Chandler),  and  Augusta 
(now  Mrs.  Hy.  Smith). 

MRS.  B.  C.  ELLISON,  musician,  has  been  a  successful  teacher, 
having  a  large  number  of  pupils,  and  is  giving  entire  satisfaction.  Mrs. 
Ellison  made  a  thorough  study  of  music  for  seven  years,  under  the  best 
teachers  in  the  East.  Having  made  teaching  a  financial  success,  she  has 
retired  from  it.     Mrs.  Ellison  was  born  in  Osceola,  Penn. 

SAMUEL  ELLIS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Springfield, 
Erie  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  i.  1822,  and  when  twenty  years  of  age  came  to  La 
Grange,  Walworth  Co.,  where  he  engaged  in  carpenter  and  joiner  work, 
and  in  farming.  In  1856  or  1S57.  he  went  to  Palmyra,  and  run  an  hotel 
there  until  May  I,  1861,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  engaged  in 
the  livery  business,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He  was  married,  in 
La  Grange,  to  Amanda  Adams,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and 
died  soon  after  marriage,  leaving  one  son,  William  E..  now  of  Texas. 
He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Harriet  French,  in  Palmyra,  Jeffer- 
son Co.  They  have  three  children  living — Cora  L.,  Frank  E.  and  Harry 
S.,  and  have  lost  two  children. 

J.  F.  ELLIS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Jerusalem,  Yates 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  5,  1843.  His  father,  Hernando  C.  Ellis,  came  to  Wis- 
consin forty-five  years  ago,  but  soon  returned  to  New  York.  In  1847, 
he  brought  his  family  to  Walworth  County,  residing  there  a  while,  and 
in  Columbia  Counlv  one  year.  In  June,  1855,  they  located  at  Rock 
Creek,  Dunn  Co.,  where  Mr.  Ellis,  senior,  still  resides.  J.  F.  Ellis  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1866,  and  engaged  in  studying  law.  He  began  the 
practice  of  that  profession  in  1870.  He  was  County  School  Superin- 
tendent for  two  years  ;  is  now,  and  has  been  for  six  years,  a  member  of 
the  School  Board,  and  has  held  several  minor  offices.  He  was  married 
in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  17,  1S75,  to  Cora  E.  Allen,  who  was  born  in  Sheboy- 
gan.    They  have  one  child,  Ruth  J.,  born  in  January,  1S80. 

HON.  A.  C.  ELLIS,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  this  city  in  1861,  and  in 
May  of  that  year  enlisted  in  the  6th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  B.  Not  being  able 
to  get  in  the  army  at  Eau  Claire,  he,  with  seventeen  others,  went  to  Pres- 
cott,  Pierce  Co.  Only  three  of  the  number  lived  to  return  (they  are  all 
pensioners).  Mr.  Ellis  served  until  July,  1867,  when  he  was  mustered 
out.  He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  in  1863,  and 
transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  He  was  lieutenant  of  Co.  B  ; 
was  with  Sheridan  in  Louisiana  after  the  war.  In  the  Fall  of  1867,  he 
returned  to  Eau  Claire,  and  practiced  law  from  1870  to  iSSo;  was 
County  Judge  for  seven  years  prior  to  his  resignation  in  the  Fall  of  1880. 
Since  December,  1880.  he  has  been  connected  with  the  Northwestern 
Lumber  Company.  He  was  born  in  Licking,  near  Granville,  Ohio, 
Sept.  17,  1843,  and  moved  to  Aurora,  111.,  in  1856,  remaining  there  until 
he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married,  March  12,  1870,  to  Eliza  M. 
Potter,  a  daughter  of  N.  Potter,  of  Eau  Claire.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Hannah  and  Cornelia. 

HUGH  M.  ELLIOTT,  sawyer  Dells  Lumber  Company,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.Y.,  Junes,  1S46;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1867,  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire  ;  spent  two  years  in  D.  Shaw's  store,  and 


then  kept  books  in  and  ran  Estabrook's  mill ;  was  with  Valley  Lumber 
Company  two  years, sawing;  had  charge  of  the  Eddy  Mill,  Summer  of 
1880,  until  August ;  engaged  with  the  Dells  Lumber  Company,  October, 
18S0;  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in  1871,  to  Miss  Olivia  Curtis  ;  has 
two  children,  Jered  and  Josephine  ;  is  a  member  of  Eau  Claire  Lodge, 
No.  162,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

R.  ELWELL,  farmer,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Oleonte.  Otsego  Co., 
N.  Y.,  June  22,  1833  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1857;  taught  school  three 
Winters,  milling  Summers ;  was  clerking  for  L.  VV.  Farwell  two  years, 
then  book-keeper  for  Daniel  Shaw  &  Co.  until  1864.  On  his  return  from 
the  army  he  returned  to  Shaw  &  Co.'s,  and  was  with  them  eight  years. 
He  enlisted  in  August,  1S64,  in  Co.  K  (new  company),  5th  Wis.,  as  pri- 
vate ;  was  mustered  out  as  orderly  sergeant  in  June,  1865.  Married  in 
Eau  Claire,  June  g,  1861,  to  Martha  Boree,  of  that  place.  They  have 
four  children,  of  which  survive  Lucy,  William  Willis  and  Etta  May.  He 
belongs  to  the  orders  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Temple  of  Honor. 

MARTIN  ERICKSON,  first  molder  in  N.  Shaw's  Foundry,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1866,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire,  where  he 
has  been  employed  in  the  same  capacity  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  He 
was  born  in  Norway,  in  1841,  and  was  married  to  Annie  Anderson,  a 
a  native  of  Norway,  in  March,  1S66. 

LOUIS  EVERSON,  millwright  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  Eau 
Claire,  was  born  in  Norway,  April  30,  1S41,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1867,  and  located  at  Dunn,  where  he  was  employed  as  millwright  for 
five  years;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1872,  and  has  been  employed  in  pres- 
ent capacity  for  eight  years.  He  was  married  in  Norway,  in  April.  1867, 
to  Julia  Thompson,  who  was  born  in  that  country.  They  have  two 
children,  Theodore  and  Ida  Julia. 


'/. 


'OTTTi. 


,S- 


EDWIN  J.  FARR,  physician  and  surgeon,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Kenosha  in  1S55,  and  the  following  year  removed  to  Prairie  du  Sac, 
Sauk  Co.,  and  in  1857  to  Mauston,  Juneau  Co.,  and  in  1870  to  Eau  Claire. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Corinth,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  Aug.  24,  1832. 
He  was  educated  at  Castleton  Medical  College,  Vermont,  and  graduated 
in  1851,  and  practicing  at  White  River  Junction,  Vt.,  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  He  was  assistant  surgeon  of  the  2d  Wis.  V.  I.  for  five 
months,  and  was  with  the  30th  Wis.  V.  I.  for  nearly  three  years.  He 
was  post  surgeon  at  Ft.  Sully  from  Julv,  1863,  to  October,  1864,  and  had 
charge  of  the  prison  hospital  at  Louisville  from  January  to  August,  1865. 
He  was  married  at  White  River  Junction,  in  January,  1855,  to  Emily  L. 
Sawyer,  who  was  born  in  Stockbridge,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.  They  have  two 
children,  twins,  Edwin  B.  and  Emily  B..  born  Aug.  14,  1867.  They  lost 
one  child,  who  died  in  infancy.  Dr.  Farr  is  at  present  Mayor  of  Eau 
Claire;  he  is  railroad  surgeon  for  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  & 
Omaha  and  the  Wisconsin  &  Minnesota  Railway  Compan  es,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W. 

DAVID  H.  FERGUSON,  of  the  firm  of  Daniel  Shaw  &  Co.,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56;  became  one  of  the  firm  not  long 
since.  Married  Mary  Ivershiner,  in  1S75,  in  Eau  Claire.  She  was  born 
in  Ireland.  Mr.  F.  was  also  born  in  Ireland.  They  have  one  child, 
Blanche.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Free  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows. 


322 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


E.  B.  FINNEY,  express,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Grolon,  Tomp- 
kinsCo.,  N.Y.,  D.-c.  24,  1S27  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  llie  Fall  ol  1S4S, 
setlled  in  Columbia Countv,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S72.  Mr.  Fin- 
ney was  engaged  in  until  lie  came  to  Eau  Claire,  wall  the  excep- 
tion of  a  period  1S55  to  1S56.  when  he  kept  a  hotel  in  Princeton,  what 
is  now  Green  Lake  County.  Wa,  married  in  Waterlown,  Dec.  29,  1850, 
to  Miss  Ellen  C.  Cogaii,  of  Watertown,  formerly  from  Lowell,  Mass. 
They  have  six  children— Henrietta  (now  Mrs.  C.  M.  Clark),  Albert  II., 
William  H.,  Barnum  II.,  Ella  M.  and  Charles  S.  He  is  a  member  of 
West  Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  112,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

ASA  FLETCHER  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  October,  1S74,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering,  except  two  Winters,  and 
since  1876  in  the  livery  business.  He  was  born,  July  9,  1839. '"  '•!= 
town  of  Madison,  Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  and  resided  in  that  State  until 
1862,  when  he  went  to  California,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  in  Siski- 
you Connly  until  the  arrival  of  his  wife,  in  1S63.  Then,  with  his  fam- 
ily, he  remove<l  to  Sanla  Clara  Vallev.  In  February,  1S70,  they  settled 
near  Oilawa,  Kan,,  and  built  the  first  store  in  Princeton,  of  that  State, 
carrying  on  mercantile  and  live-stock  business.  In  1S74,  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire.  He  was  married  in  Madison,  Me.,  Jan.  19  1S62,  to  Mary 
C.  Sawyer,  who  was  born  in  Anson,  Me.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Luke 
Sawyer,  who  died  in  October,  1S7S,  and  Nancy  (MetcaU)  Sawyer,  who 
died  in  August,  1S63.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  son  of  Parrit  and  Susan  (Saw- 
yer) Fletcher.  His  fatlier  died,  April,  1S77,  and  his  mother  lives  in 
Madison,  Me.  lie  has  three  children  —  Fred  E.,  born  in  Mayfield, 
Sanla  Clara  Co.,  Cal.,  Feb.  27,  1SO4;  Alvin  L.,  born  in  Mayfield,  Cal., 
Sept.  19.  iSOS,  and  Gertrude  M.,  born  in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  18,  1875  ;  and 
has  lost  one  daughter,  Nancy  M.,  born  in  California,  Aug.  30,  IS67.  and 
died  Oct.  12,  1S67.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  and 
A.  O.  U.  W. 

JOHN  P.  FOX,  plumber  and  gas-fitter,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
Milwaukee,  Dec.  10,  1S47.  When  quite  young,  went  to  West  Bend, 
Washington  Co.  From  thence  to  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire,  in  1S78,  to  construct  the  Eau  Claire  Dells  Gas  Light  and  Coke 
Co.  Commenced  business,  plumbing  and  gas-fitting,  in  June,  1878.  and 
also  started  the  Eau  Claire  lirick  Co.  same  date.  Married  at  West 
Bend,  July  4,  186S,  to  Mary  A.  Mozanik,  who  was  born  in  Racine. 
They  have  three  children— William  Henry,  John  J.  and  Edward  E. 

M.  FO.X,  proprietor  restaurant  and  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  Jan.  17,  1S28.  Came  to  New  York  in  1S55.  Went  to 
Indiana  and  lived  one  year,  and  in  May,  1S56,  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  at  Menomonie,  where  he  remained  until  lS56,  when  he  removed 
to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has  since  resided.  While  at  Menomonie,  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.  the  first  seven  years,  after- 
ward he  carried  on  a  hoarding-house  and  saloon  business  iheie.  He 
was  married  in  Menomonie,  Oct.  25,  i860,  to  Mary  E.Schmidt.  She 
was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  Sept.  5,  1S45.  They  have  four  children 
— Edward,  Freddie,  Mary  and  Margaret.  Mr.  Fox  was  twice  Super- 
visor, while  he  was  a  resident  of  Menomonie.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  Before  coming  to  America,  he  had  been 
an  extensive  traveler  in  Europe,  and  is  among  the  well-informed  citizens 
of  the  West. 

THOMAS  F.  FRAWLEY,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  city  ol 
Troy.  N.  Y.,  March  6,  1851.  His  parents  moved  to  lanesville  in  1852. 
They  resided  there  until  1S56,  when  they  came  to  Dane  County.  He 
graduated  at  the  Wisconsin  University  in  1S75,  in  which  year  he  came 
to  Eau  Claire  and  taught  in  the  high  school  until  1S80,  having  taught  in 
various  parts  of  the  State  before  coming  heie.  He  was  married  in  Eau 
Claire,  Aug.  5,  1S77,  to  Lydia  A.  Law'ler,  who  was  born  in  Fond  du 
Lac.  Mr.  Frawley  studied  law  with  Lafayette  Smith,  in  Madison.  He 
is  Clerk  of  the  School  Board,  Alderman  of  the  Eighth  Ward,  and  mem- 
ber of  the  County  Board. 

DR.  E.  C.  FRENCH,  dentist,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Jackson,  Susquehanna  Co.,  Penn.,  May  26,  1843,  and  went  to  Iowa  in 
Aug.,  1S66,  in  which  year  he  first  engaged  in  denial  work.  He  learned 
his  profession  in  Dubuque,  with  Dr.  E.  L.  Clarke,  of  that  place,  and 
commenced  prac  ice  in  Cascade,  Dubuque  County.  He  has  been  in 
business  for  himself  twelve  years.  He  came  to  Wiscon.sin  in  July,  1873. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Iowa  Dental  Association,  and  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Wl-consin  Dental  Society,  and  one  of  the  committee  on  Den- 
tal Ethics.  He  was  married  in  Salem,  Wayne  Co.,  Penn.,  Jan.  27,  1S66, 
to  Esther  ?>.  Edward",  who  was  born  in  Green,  of  that  county.  They 
have  three  children — Myrta  May.  born  March  24.  1S6S  ;  Ernest  Edmund, 
born  March  iS,  1876,  and  Divight  Day,  born  March  22,  1878.  They 
have  lost  one  infant  daughter. 

WILLIAM  CANS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Spring  Hill,  Fayette 
Co..  Penn.,  Sept.  17,  181S.  Engaged  in  farming  till  1S54,  and  then  kept 
a  public  house  till  he  came  West,  in  1S5S.  On  his  arrival  in  Eau  Claire, 
in  that  year,  he  opened  a  hotel,  which  he  ran  two  years.  After  a  time, 
got  a  ch'arter  to  run  a  ferry,  which  he  opened  to  travel  in  Spring,  1861. 
Continued  this  until  a  bridge  was  huili,  in  1S6S.  Married,  in  Fayette 
Co.,  Penn.,  Sept.  17.  1838,  to  Miss  Maria  Morris.  Have  two  children 
living,  George  (engaged  in  Chippewa  Falls)  and  Jennie. 


DR.  W.  T.  GALLOW.-VY,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Ogdensburg, 
St.  Lawrence  Co,  N.  Y.,  April  15,  1822.  and  graduated  from  Castleton 
Medical  College,  at  Castleton,  Vt.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  1S50.  He  went  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1851.  remaining  there 
until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  in  1S57.  He  was  appointed  Register  of 
the  United  Slates  Land  Office,  and  held  that  office  until  1861.  He  is 
now,  and  has  been  for  six  years,  an  Alderman.  He  was  .Supervisor  three 
years  when  Eau  Claire  was  a  town,  and  six  years  since  it  was  a  city,  and 
still  holds  the  office.  He  has  been  a  Delegate  to  four  National  Conven- 
tions, always  identified  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  was  for  four 
years  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  on  Duncan  Creek,  near 
Chippewa  Falls,  and  for  twelve  years  in  foundry  and  machine  shops  in 
Chippewa  Falls  and  Eau  Claire,  besides  managing  a  farm.  In  1S74.  he 
built  the  Galloway  House.  He  has  built  numerous  dwelling  houses. 
He  erected  the  foundry  and  machine  shops  at  Chippewa  Falls,  which 
have  since  been  converted  into  gas  works.  He  now  stands  as  an  An- 
cient Odd  Fellow,  and  h-as  taken  all  the  degrees  in  Masonry.  He  was 
married  in  Fond  du  Lac.  in  1854,  to  Laura  Talmadge,  who  was  born  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  son,  Nathaniel  P.,  who  is  now  in 
Arizona. 

JOHN  LAWRENCE  OILMAN.  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1S66.  and  has  since  been  eng.iged  in  mercantile  business  in  Eau 
Claire,  in  partnership  with  G.  B.  Chapman,  Esq..  with  the  exception  of 
one  year.  He  was  born  i'  Granville,  Licking  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  7,  1833, 
and  lived  in  that  State  until  1S50.  Was  in  California  from  1S50  to  '54; 
was  in  Champaign,  III ,  until  1S64 ;  in  Idaho  Territory  from  1S64  10  'C6. 
He  was  married  in  Granville,  Ohio,  Sept.  10.  1856.  to  Nancy  E.  Asher, 
who  was  born  in  Granville.  Tliev  have  two  children,  Arihur  J.  and 
Helen  Pauline,  Mr.  Oilman  was'Cily  Treasurer  one  year.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


^,^.  '^^^y^ 


A.  M.  GIBBON.S,  Eru  Claire,  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and 
is  now  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his  age.  His  father  was  James  II.  Gib- 
bons, and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Mead.  He  came  at 
an  early  age  with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  His  educational  advantages 
were  in  the  main,  only  such  as  were  afforded  by  the  common  schools  of 
the  county.  He  finished  his  schooling  with  one  year  at  an  academy  at 
Granville,  111.  He  was  .1  close  student,  especially  during  this  last  year 
at  Granville.  He  read  law  with  Ira  I.  Fenn,  of  Illinois,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  1857,  by  the  Supreme  Court  at  Ottawa.  He  at 
once  opened  an  office,  and  practiced  his  profession.  In  about  two  years 
lie  concluded  to  seek  a  different  field.  He  went  first  to  Peoria  and  from 
there  to  Colorado,  where  he  found  many  people  living  in  tents  and 
w.agons.  The  resources  of  the  country  were  then  only  conjecture.  He 
at  once  pushed  on  for  Oregon.  Many  were  the  encounters  and  escapes 
he  met  with  on  the  journey.  He  arrived  in  Portland,  Oregon,  in  the 
Fall  of  1S59,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law,  which  he  continued 
until  February,  1S61,  when  he  closed  up  and  went  to  Washington.  He 
was  among  the  first  volunteers  of  the  war.  After  his  service,  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  and  again  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was 
a  delegate  to  the  "  National  Union  Convention  "at  Philadelphia  in  1SG6. 
He  is  an  active  Republican. 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


323 


R.  C  GRAHAM,  treasurer  Dells  L.  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  i,  1S31.  Engaged  in  farming  at  home  until  the 
death  of  his  parenls.  In  1S52,  moved  to  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  remained 
some  six  years  and  then  moved  to  Williamsport,  I'a.  Engaged  in  gen- 
eral occupations.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S73,  and  engaged  with  the 
present  company.  Was  married  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S54,  to  Miss 
Maggie  Cowen.  Her  parents  were  living,  at  this  time,  in  Canada,  for- 
merly from  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  where  Mrs.  Graham  was  born. 

HON.  HIRAM  PEASE  GRAHAM,  president  of  the  Phoenix  Mfg. 
Co.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Windham,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  29, 
1S20.  Resided  in  Canada  from  1S44  to  1852.  From  1S52  to  1S56  in 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He 
has  held  various  town  and  county  offices.  Was  Lumber  Inspector  five 
years,  and  was  the  first  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Eau  Claire.  Mr.  Graham 
was  member  of  Wisconsin  State  Senate  in  1S74-75. 

FRED  II.  GRAHAM,  son  of  Hiram  P.  Graham,  was  born  in  Wells- 
ville,  Allegany  Co..  N.  Y.,  Feb.  25,  1S55,  and  came  from  his  native  place 
to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Eau  Claire,  in  1857.  He  has  been  connected 
with  ihe  Phcenix  Manufacturing  Co.,  since  its  organization. 

HON.  MICHAEL  GRIFFIN,  lawyer,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in 
the  County  of  Clare,  Ireland,  Sept.  9,  1842.  Came  to  America  in  1847. 
Settled  in  Sauk  County  in  1S55.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Co.  E,  I2ih  Wis.  V.  I.  Was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  and  re- 
mained in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Participated  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  Sherman's  Atlanta  campaign  and  march  to  Ihe  sea, 
and  Sherman's  campaign  north  through  the  Carolinas.  Alter  the  war 
he  located  at  Kilbourn  City,  in  Columbia  County,  where  he  remained 
until  1S76,  when  became  to  Eau  Claire.  He  held  various  town  and 
county  offices  while  at  Kilbourn  City.  Was  member  of  the  Assembly 
from  Columbia  County  in  1S76.  He  was  appointed  City  Attorney  of 
Eau  Claire  in  1S7S  and  re-appointed  in  1S79.  Elected  State  Senator 
in  1879. 

AUGUST  GUTSH,  saloon,  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1872  and  located  at  Menomonie.  He  was  employed  as  butcher  for 
some  years,  then  carried  on  the  business  for  himself  for  about  four  years. 
Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S7S,  opened  a  butcher  shop  and  ran  it  for  two 
years.  Commenced  present  business  in  April,  1881,  and  owns  business 
building.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  25,  1S48,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1872.  Having  married  in  Germany,  Oct.  25.  1871.  He  has  five 
children — Herman,  Emma,  Gustave,  William  and  Fritz. 

CHARLES  L.  HADLEY,  filer,  Wilson  shingle-mill,  Eau  Claire. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1852  and  located  in  Waupaca  County,  where  he 
was  employed  in  saw-mill.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S54,  and  remained 
four  years.  He  then  returned  to  Waupaca  County,  and  remained  for 
seven  years.  Was  afterward  employed  for  some  years  at  mills  in  Eau 
Claire  and  at  Menomonie.  Was  then  foreman  in  saw-mill  at  Fairchilds 
for  seven  years,  and  returned  to  Eau  Claire  in  Spring  of  18S1,  and  en- 
gaged in  present  capacity.  He  is  also  in  grocery  business  at  Stanley, 
in  company  with  F.  Rabenstorm.  He  was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  30,  1835.  Was  married  in  Walworth  County,  July  17,  1863,  to 
Mary  Olverson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  Have  four  children  — Eu- 
gene (employed  in  store),  Sarah,  Benjamm  and  Harriet. 

J.  D.  HADLEY.  ferryman,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Sandy  Creek, 
Oswego  Co.,  N.Y.,  Oct.  2, 1S20.  His  parents  Benjamin  and  Miranda  (Dun- 
can)  Hadley,  being  Vermont  people.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S46, 
and  settled  at  Two  Rivers,  Manitowoc  Co.  Moved  to  Eau  Claire  County 
in  1S54,  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  farming,  then  moved  into  the 
city  and  kept  hotel.  Had  several  different  houses.  For  two  years  kept 
"  Henneberry  House."  "Eau  Claire  House"  part  of  one  year  and  the 
"  Niagara  House  "  five  or  six  years.  In  the  year  1869  he  started  the  ferry 
which  he  has  run  almost  uninterruptedly  since.  Built  a  boat  at  one 
time  which  he  run  to  Memphis.  Was  first  married  in  Cattaraugus  Co., 
N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Charity  Goodnote,  who  died  leaving  two  children.  Clark 
and  Julia  (now  Mrs.  A.  Sessions).  Was  married  to  the  sister  of  his  first 
wife  in  McHenry  County,  by  whom  he  has  three  children  living — Allen, 
Eldred  and  Frank. 

REV.  HARALD  HAKONSEN,  .Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church, 
Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov.  13,  1S4S.  Graduated  in  Military 
School,  April  i,  1S69:  served  five  years  as  lieutenant  in  army.  Edu- 
cated at  Royal  University  of  Christiania,  Norway.  Graduated  in  1S73, 
and  was  ordained  into  the  ministry  by  Bishop  Jorgen  Johan  Tandberg, 
of  Christiania.  Came  to  America  in  Fall  of  1S74,  and  located  at  Sand 
Creek,  Dunn  Co.  Was  employed  in  service  of  Norwegian  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Synod,  for  five  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  June  24,  18S0. 
Has  charge  of  "Our  Savior's"  Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church.  Mem- 
bership 150;  church  seats  500;  also  holds  service  at  Black  River  Falls, 
Beef  River,  Little  Norway,  Augusta,  Maryland,  Chippewa  Falls,  Rudds 
Mills,  Porterville  and  Prescott  Mills.  Relumed  to  Norway  in  1876, 
and  was  married  there,  June  12,  1876,  to  Ansene  Gunderson.  They  have 
three  children— Rachel,  Johanna  and  Hakom. 

FRED  HANSON,  proprietor  of  the  G.illoway  House,  Eau  Claire, 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Minerva  (Crocker)  Hanson,  now  residents  of 
Fargo,  Dakota.     He  was  born  in  Calais,  Washington  Co.,  Maine,  April 


7,  1853,  and  went,  with  his  parents,  to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  in  1854, 
and  hved  there  twelve  years  ;  then  removed  to  Red  Wing,  and  in  1874 
to  Hastings,  Minn.,  and  two  years  later  to  Mankalo,  where  he  remained 
but  three  months;  then  went  to  Fargo,  Dakota,  where  he  remained  un- 
til he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  clerk  in  the  Galloway  House  for 
three  months,  and  since  then  has  been  its  proprietor. 

CHRISTOPHER  HANSEN,  millwright,  and  foreman  of  shingle 
mills  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S68  and  lo- 
cated at  Eau  Claire.  Was  employed  two  years  rafting  lor  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Company,  and  has  been  in  present  capacity  for  eleven  years. 
Was  born  in  Norway,  June  3,  1832,  and  married  in  1S56  to  Martha  An- 
derson, born  also  in  that  country.  They  have  three  children— Charles, 
engaged  in  dry  goods  business ;  Vance,  engaged  in  clothing  business, 
and  Dikoa,  now  Mrs.  H.  Mason. 

PETER  HANSON,  of  Aanstad  &  Hanson,  grocers,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S65,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire;  was  clerk  for 
five  years  ;  then  had  charge  of  West  Eau  Claire  Post-office  for  two  years ; 
afterwaid  in  butcher  business  for  two  years  ;  clerked  two  years  for  In- 
gram, Kennedy  &  Mason,  and  commenced  his  present  business  about  a 
year  ago  in  company  with  Ole  Aanstad.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  Dec. 
12,  i84t,  and  came  to  America  in  1S65.  Married  at  Eau  Claire,  Dec. 
25,  1870,  to  Dorothy  Neilson.  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have 
three  children — Julius  Arthur,  Daniel  Norman,  Adela  Constance. 

DEWITT  C.  HARLOW,  millwright.  Valley  Lumber  Company, 
Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1845  ;  located  at  Janesville  ;  employed 
age  building  for  four  years  ;  then    at  ship-yard  in  Green  Bay  for 


engii 


some  two  years.      He  has  been  a  licensed  Go 

1S52.  He  built  the  following  steamers:  "  H.  S.  Allen,"  1855  ;  "Chip- 
pewa," 1S56  ;  "  Chippewa  Valley,"  1858,  and  also  several  barges  on  the 
Mississippi  River  ;  was  employed  on  that  river  for  eleven  years  in  the 
capacity  of  engineer,  millwright,  etc.;  was  then  employed  as  millwright 
in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  up  to  Spring  of  1876.  Afterward  built  a  planing 
mill  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  for  Bedford,  Baker  &  Boise,  and  rebuilt  mill 
of  French  Lumber  Company,  at  Chippewa  Ealls,  Wis.,  and  also  rebuilt 
mill  of  Chippewa  Falls  Lumber  &  Boom  Company.  He  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  the  Fall  of  1S79,  and  ''**  been  engaged  in  present  capacity 
since.  He  was  born,  Jan.  2,  1S26,  at  Limerick.  N.  Y.,  and  was  married 
in  Janesville,  Oct.  8,  1847,  to  Geraldine  Cobb,  who  was  born  in  Water- 
town,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children— Frank  W.,  engir.e.r  in  Colo- 
rado ;  Emma  W.,  now  Mrs.  Maddy ;  Ella  J.,  now  Mrs.  Sellers,  at  Chip- 
pewa Falls. 

T.  HARRIGAN,  agent.  Was  born  in  Canada  West,  May  16,  1845. 
Came  to  the  United  States  in  1S65,  and  went  into  the  coal  mines  at 
Blossburg,  Penn..  and  in  the  woods  one  Winter.  Returned  to  Canada 
for  a  time,  and  then  came  west,  locating  in  Winona,  Minn.,  where  he  re- 
mained about  seven  years,  engaged  in  general  occupations,  teaming 
among  the  lest.  Brought  his  teams  to  Wisconsin  in  1865,  and  settled  in 
Eau  Claire,  where  he  commenced  the  express  business,  which  he  still 
follows  Married,  in  Canada  West,  to  Miss  Auielia  Miller,  who  died  in 
1S72,  leaving  four  children— Joseph  P.,  John,  Ida  M.iy  and  William. 
Was  married  to  his  present  wile,  formerly  Miss  Lizzie  Wolf  in  Eau 
Claire,  in  1S74,  and  has  three  children— Lillie,  Cora  and  Fred.  Is  a 
member  of  Eau  Claire  Lodge,  No.  129,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  Wilderness  En- 
campment. 

MADISON  W.  HARRIS,  furniture,  etc.,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  April,  1S65,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  Engaged  in  dry  goods 
business  in  company  with  Theodore  Hoffman.  They  dissolved  partner- 
ship some  fifteen  months  later.  He  commenced  furniture  business  in 
company  with  E.  W.  Allen,  May  15,  1S67;  firm  dissolved  March,  1S77, 
and  Mr.  Harris  has  since  been  alone.  Was  born  at  Farmington,  Van 
Buren  Co.,  Iowa,  March  7,  1838  ;  married  in  Milwaukee,  Jan.  30,1871, 
to  Tillie  A.  Sivyer,  born  in  Milwaukee,  Oct.  20,1847.  Previous  to  com- 
ing to  Wisconsin,  was  engaged  in  steamboating  for  some  eighteen  years 
between  La  Crosse,  Eau  Claire,  Mendota  and  St.  Croix. 

F.  H.  HAVENS,  news  agent,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  St.  Cathe- 
rines, Canada,  Dec.  10,  lS6r.  His  parents,  Felix  and  Jennie  (Thompson) 
Havens  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S70,  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire,  where  his 
father  practiced  his  profession,  that  of  physician,  until  his  death,  in  1872. 
Mr.  Havens  was  in  the  bank  of  Clark  &  Ingram  tliiee  years,  and  was 
also  in  stores  at  times  in  town.     Commenced  present  business  in  1S7S. 

H.  H.  HAYDEN.  lawyer,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Fall  of  1S64,  locating  at  Oshkosh,  until  1S72,  when  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  associating  with  W.  P.  Barilett  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  has 
been  City  Attorney,  and  held  other  city  offices  ;  has  been  one  of  the  di- 
rectors of  the  Bank  of  Eau  Claire  since  its  organization.  He  was  born 
in  Schenectady,  N.  Y..  May  3,  1841,  and  moved  to  McHcnry  Co.,  III., 
in  1S43,  living  in  Woodstock  and  Crystal  Lake  until  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin. He  was  married  in  Woodstock,  111.,  to  Florence  Slocum;  they  have 
two  children.  Avis  and  Gorgie. 

CHARLES  E.  IIAZEN,  of  A.  &  C.  E.  Ilazen.  flouring  mills,  on 
Otter  Creek,  two  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1843,  and  located  near  Fond  du  Lac,  wlieie  he  farmed, 
etc.,  up  to  1S60  ;  he  then  moved  to  Tyrone  and  built  a  saw-mill,  in  com- 


324 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


pany  with  his  father  and  others;  shortly  afterward  he  moved  the  mill  to 
Eau  Claire  ;  ran  it  for  two  or  three  years,  and  sold  it  in  1S65.  He  built 
present  mill  in  company  with  his  father,  Alonzo  Hazen,  and  the  mill  has 
since  been  under  its  present  firm  name.  They  employ  five  men  ;  capac- 
ity of  mill  fifty  barrels  per  day.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Eau 
Claire  Woolen  Mills,  situated  on  Otter  Creek,  next  to  flouring  mills. 
This  mill  was  erected  in  1S75  by  \V.  11.  Moore  &  Co.,  of  which  firm  the 
Hazens  were  members.  It  employs  ten  men.  The  partners  are  A.  and 
C.  E.  Hazen,  D.  C.  Whipple  and  E.  Robbins.  Mr.  Hazen  was  Chairman 
of  Town  Board  of  Washington,  in  1S5S-59,  and  at  present  is  acting  en- 
gineer for  Empire  Lumber  Company  of  Eau  Claire.  He  was  born  in 
Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  17,  1S37  ;  was  married  at  Peru,  in  September, 
l86r,  to  Serapla  Bird,  who  was  born  in  New  York  City.  They  have  six 
children— William  J.,  Mary  L.  (now  Mrs.  Lockin),  Jennie,  Phoebe, 
Emma  J.  and  Ida  ^L 

HERMAN  LINE  STEAMERS,  Reed's  Landing  and  Eau  Claire. 
Organized  and  commenced  business  in  the  Spring  of  1S75.  Have  now 
two  steamers  which  make  daily  trips. 

THEODORE  HOFFMAN,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Charleston 
S.  C,  Feb.  2,  1S42.  and  when  a  child  ol  two  years  of  age  came  with  his 
father,  Frederick  HoR'man,  to  Mineral  Point.  He  lived  there  until 
1S57,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  commenced  mercantile  business, 
as  a  clerk,  in  1S56,  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  1S65,  which 
he  has  continued  ever  since.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1S66,  to  Eunice  A.  Harlow.  They  have  one  child,  Arthur  T.  Mr. 
Hoffman  held  the  office  of  Village  Trustee  for  two  years  prior  to  the  city 
organization,  and  since  then  represented  the  Fifth  Ward  one  year  as 
Alderman.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

CHARLES  E.  HOGEBOOM,  physician  and  surgeon,  came  to  Eau 
Claire  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  in  May,  1876.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  Rush  Medical  College,  class  of '69,  and  began  his  practice  at 
Blackberry  Station,  Kane  Co.,  III.  He  went  from  there  to  St.  Charles, 
in  the  .same  county,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He 
was  born  in  the  township  of  Genoa,  De  Kalb  Co.,  III.,  April  28,  1846, 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  county  and  the  High 
School,  in  Sycamore,  and  bv  piivate  instruction.  He  was  married  in 
Eau  Claire,  in  June.  1S73,  to  Maggie,  daughter  of  Thomas  Barland,  who 
was  bom  in  Illinois.  They  have  two  children,  Charles  Barland  and  El- 
sie J.,  and  have  lost  one  daughter,  Margie  Belle,  who  died  in  November, 
187S.  agedlhree  years  and  two  months. 

MISS  AGNES  HOSFORD,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Eau  Claire, 
born  at  St.  Stephens,  N.  B.;  came  to  Wisconsin,  Fall  1855,  and  settled 
in  Hudson,  St.  Croix  County.  Was  elected  to  present  position,  Jan- 
uary, 1876. 

LYMAN  P.  HOTCHKISS,  County  Clerk,  Eau  Claire,  was  born 
Oct.  24,  1841,  in  the  town  of  Homer,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  lived 
with  his  parents  until  his  thirteenth  year,  when  he  came  West.  He  re- 
turned to  New  York  in  1859.  where,  in  April,  l86l,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B, 
23d  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  serving  until  May  22,  1S63  ;  he  then  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  and  after  a  residence  here  of  fifteen  months,  returned  to  New 
York,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  iSglh  N.  Y.  V.  1.  He  was  elected  orderly 
of  the  company,  and  afterward  promoted  to  second  lieutenant.  At  the 
battle  of  Gravelly  Run,  on  March  31,  1865,  he  was  wounded  in  his  right 
ankle,  and  the  result  was  the  amputation  of  his  leg.  He  left  the  service 
July  II,  1865.  He  was  married  in  Belvidere,  N.  Y.,  June  22,  1S65,  to 
Almeda  E.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of  West,  Allegany  Co., 
N.  Y.  They  have  four  children— Hattie  M.,  Leroy,  Harry  B.  and  Wil- 
lie O.  Mr.  Hotclikiss  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  town  of  Union  ; 
Town  Clerk  of  West  Eau  Claire  before  the  city  organization,  and  Post- 
master of  West  Eau  Claire  about  three  years ;  he  was  serving  when  the 
office  was  discontinued  in  1S72.  He  was  elected  County  Clerk  in  1876, 
and  re-elected  in  1S78  and  18S0. 

HENRY  C.  HOWLAND  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  March,  1865,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  connected  with  the  Eau  Claire  schools  as  princi- 
pal of  the  East  Side  High  School.  He  has  been  President  of  the  Eau  Claire 
Free  Library,  since  its  organization  in  1875,  vice-president  of  the  Eau 
Claire  Savings,  Building  and  Loan  Association  for  the  past  two  years. 
Mr.  Howland  was  born  in  Adams,  Mass.,  Jan.  20,  1836,  and  educated 
at  Shelburne  Academy,  taking  an  advanced  academic  course.  He  com- 
menced teaching  at  Gallipjlis,  Ohio  ;  taught  five  years  there  and  one  in 
Prairie  Seminary  at  Richland,  Kalamazoo  Co.,  Mich.,  as  principal  of 
that  institution,  and  came  from  there  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married, 
Dec.  29.  1S59.  in  Ashfield,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  to  Olive  S.  Sears,  who 
was  born  in  Goshen,  Mass.  They  have  two  children,  Clarence  S.  and 
Jessie  M. 

REV.  GERMAN  HOYME,  pastor  Norwegian  Evangelical  Luther- 
an Church,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway,  Oct.  S,  1848;  came  to 
America,  1851,  and  located  at  Port  Washington.  Educated  at  Madison 
University;  theological  education,  Augustberg  Seminary,  Minneapolis, 
Minn. ;  graduated  1873,  and  was  ordained  by  the  Norwegian-Danish 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  America.  Had  charge  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  Dululh,  Minn.,  for  one  year,  and  at  Menomonie,  Wis.,  for 
two  years.     Has  had  charge   of  Norwegian   I^utheran  Churches  in   East 


and  West  Eau  Claire  since  1876.  Married  at  Duluth,  Minn.,  Nov.  15, 
1874,  to  Ida  Olsen,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  four  children 
— Aagut,  Alice,  Sigred  and  Ranghild.  In  1876,  thechurches  had  a  mem- 
bership of  373 ;  have  since  been  increased  to  580.  Seating  capacity  ol 
both  churches,  700. 

MARTIN  B.  HUBBARD,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  the  town  of  Bridge 
Creek,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  in  June,  1865.  His  home  was  in  Augusta  most 
of  the  time  until  March  I,  1876,  when  he  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the 
Circuit  Court  and  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  elected  Clerk  the  next 
Fall,  and  re-elected  in  the  Falls  of  '78  and  'So.  He  had  been  Town 
Clerk  of  Bridge  Creek,  and  was  holding  that  office  when  he  was  first  ap- 
pointed to  his  present  position.  He  was  born  in  Elgin  Co.,  Canada 
West,  Aug.  II,  1S49,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  parents,  Alfred  and  Mary  A.  (Dighton)  Hubbard,  now  residents  of 
the  city  of  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married  in  Augusta,  Eau  Claire  Co., 
March  20,  1S73.  to  Alice  A.  Muzzy,  who  was  born  in  Mayville,  Dodge 
Co.  They  have  two  children,  Archie  P,,  born  Oct.  29,  1S76,  and  Eva, 
born  Oct.  27,  1878. 

GEORGE  HUEBENER,  hardware,  firm  of  Miller  &  Huebener,  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1S65  from  Germany  ;  engaged  in  milling  two  and  one 
half  years ;  then  in  buying  wheat  for  Summermier.  Was  with  North- 
western Lumber  Company  four  years ;  began  his  present  business  in 
1876.  Was  married  to  Anna  Seidel  in  1878.  They  have  one  child, 
George,  born  March,  1879.  Mr.  H.  has  passed  all  the  honorary  degrees 
of  the  Odd  Fellows. 

IRVING  D.  HULL,  book-keeper,  with  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Cora- 
panj',  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire 
and  was  employed  by  the  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company  for  several 
years  as  book-keeper.  Went  to  New  York  and  remained  nine  years,  re- 
turning in  1873  to  Eau  Claire,  since  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  his 
present  capacity.  Was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1837,  and  married 
near  Gilbertsville,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1865.  to  Adeline  Cole,  who  was  born 
in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.     Have  one  child,  Minnie  B. 

HENRY  HUNTINGTON,  farmer,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Chel- 
sea, Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  25,  1826.  Parents,  Jonas  M.and  Mary(Blod- 
gett)  Huntington,  being  a  Vermont  family;  father  came  from  Connecti- 
cut when  a  boy.  Came  West  in  185^;,  and  located  in  Leon,  Monroe  Co., 
remaining  only  six  months;  then  moved  to  Eau  Claire.  Was  first  en- 
gaged in  merchandising,  which  he  followed  eighteen  months,  then  bought 
his  present  farm.  Was  married  in  Fairlee,  Vt.,  Jan.  20,  1S50,  to  Miss 
Eliza  Jane  Shaw.  Has  four  children— George  A.,  Clarence  H.,  Gilbert 
and  Elfrena,  now  Mrs.  R.  Calquin.  Is  a  member  of  Washington  Grange, 
No.  321.  Was  Town  Clerk  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1S56  ;  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  1857;  Board  of  Supervisors,  two  or  three  times  ;  Assessor, 
once  or  twice. 

EDWIN  W.  HURLBUTT,  sawyer,  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Com- 
pany, Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  lS67and  located  at  Eau  Claire; 
was  engaged  for  two  years  in  various  mills,  and  since  then  has  been  em- 
ployed in  his  present  capacity.  Was  born  in  Alma,  N.  Y.,  March  9, 
1S45,  and  married  at  Eau  Claire,  1S69,  to  Mary  Hunter,  who  is  a  native 
of  Maine.     They  have  one  child,  George  A.  L.,  aged  ten  years. 

GEORGE  HUNTINGTON,  dairy  farm,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of 
Mr.  Henry  Huntington.  Was  born  in  Eau  Claire  Sept.  7,  1857,  and  at- 
tended school  in  that  city.  Was  married  to  Miss  Mabel  Stocking,  and 
has  two  children,  Hobart  Henry  and  Gilbert  Arthur.  Mr.  Huntington 
keeps  ten  cows  and  supplies  Eau  Claire  with  milk. 

AUG.  HUYSSEN,  R.  E.,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  native  of  Essen,  Prussia. 
Came  to  the  United  States  in  1S4S,  and,  after  a  short  stay  in  New  York, 
moved  to  Calumet,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  built  a  steam  grist-mill 
and  engaged  in  milling  business.  About  the  year  1S54-55,  he  moved  to 
Fond  du  Lac,  and  from  there  to  Eau  Claire,  settling  in  the  latter  place 
about  1856.  Married  in  Calumet,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  to  Miss  Letitia 
Boyd.     Have  only  one  surviving  child,  William. 

ORRIN  H.  INGRAM,  president  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  in  Westfield,  Mass.,  in  1S27.  Removed  with  parents  to  Sara- 
toga  Co.,  N.Y.,  when  quite  young,  and,  later  on,  went  to  the  northern 
part  of  the  State  and  was  employed  at  lumbering  for  some  three  years. 
Afterward  went  to  Canada,  built  a  saw-mill  near  Kingston  and  three 
mills  near  Belleville,  for  others,  and  had  charge  of  them  for  some  two 
years ;  then  went  to  Ottawa,  building  and  operating  a  large  saw-mili  for 
Harris  &  Brunson.  For  several  years  previous  to  coming  to  Wisconsin, 
had  charge  of  mills  for  Gilmour  &  Co.,  Canada.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Spring  of  1S57.  Located  at  Eau  Claire,  and  commenced  lumber  business 
in  firm  of  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Dole,  in  lS6l ;  firm  changed  to  Ingram, 
&  Kennedy  in  1873.  They  took  in  two  of  their  employes,  and  style 
changed  to  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.,  and  continued  so  up  to  March, 
18S1,  when  the  Empire  Lumber  Company  was  formed,  of  which  Mr. 
Ingram  is  president.  Has  also  been  a  partner  in  firm  of  Clark  cS:  In- 
gram, bankers,  of  this  city,  since  1872,  and  has  been  president  of  the 
Eau  Claire  R.  R.  Co.  for  two  years.  Was  at  one  time  Chairman  of 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  for  three  years;  president  of  the  Eagle  Rapids 
Dam  &  Booming  Co.  for  several  years,  and  also  was  president  of  the  Dells 
Improvement  Co.  for  several  years.    He  held  the  position  of  president  of 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


325 


the  Chippewa  River  Log  and  Driving  Association  until  its  amalgama- 
tion into  the  Chippewa  River  Improvement  and  Log-driving  Co.  The 
Empire  Lumber  Co.  is  also  connected  with  the  Chippewa  Lumber  and 
Boom  Co.,  and  Chippewa  Logging  Co.  Mr.  Ingram  has  been  in  firm  of 
Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Day.  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  for  twelve  years  or  more, 
and  in  firm  of  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Gill,  Wabasha,  Minn.,  for  about  sev- 
enteen years,  and  was  also  of  the  Charles  Horton  Lumber  Co.,  Winona. 
Minn.,  and  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Mason,  general  store,  Eau  Claire,  until 
their  amalgamation  with  the  Empire  Lumber  Co.  He  was  also  of  In- 
gram, Kennedy  &  Thorpe,  who  built  the  steamer  Silas  Wright,  in   1S65, 


which  steamer  was  run  on  the  Chippewa  River  by  that  firm  one  year, 
and  two  years  by  Ingram  &  Kennedy,  and  also  for  one  Winter  by  them 
on  the  Arkansas  River.  Mr.  Ingram  was  married  at  Lake  George,  N.Y., 
in  December,  1S51,  to  Miss  Cornelia  E.  Pierce,  who  was  born  near  Lake 
George.  They  have  four  children — Charles  H.,  employed  in  the  store  of 
the  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Miriam  P.,  Fannie  G.  and  Erskine  B. 

CHARLES  H.  INGRAM,  of  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  was 
born  in  this  place  Sept.  12,  1859,  and  was  educated  at  the  high  school 
and  at  the  State  University  at  Madison  ;  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Empire 
Lumber  Co.,  and  has  been  engaged  as  book-keeper  in  the  company's 
store  since  April,  lS3l. 

ANDREW  JACKSON,  jeweler,  Eau  Claire,  born  in  Clinton  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1826,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849,  stopping  at  Beloit  for  a 
time,  then  went  to  Kilbourn  ;  was  also  at  Sparta  for  six  years;  came  to 
Eau  Claire  in  1859  and  began  the  jewelry  business.  He  now  has  the 
largest  stock  in  this  part  of  the  State.  Was  married  to  Marietta  Blood, 
of  Essex  Co.,  N.Y.,in  1S60,  and  has  two  children,  Amelia  and  Arthur. 

THOMAS  M.  JACOBSEN,  pattern  maker,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  native 
of  Norway.  He  was  born  May  i,  1S53,  and  came  to  America  in  the 
Spring  of  1872,  locating  in  Chicago.  He  removed  from  there  to  Bald- 
win in  the  Fall  of  1S73,  and  was  married  at  that  place,  Dec.  24,  1874,  to 
Carrie  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  two  children  liv- 
ing. Johanna  C.  and  Mary  B.  Their  youngest  daughter,  Carey,  died 
July  12,  iSSi,  aged  three  months  and  six  days.  Mr.  Jacobsen  lived  in 
Baldwin  about  six  years,  then  moved  to  South  Stillwater,  and  from  there 
to  Hudson,  remaining  at  each  place  about  a  year,  and  in  May,  1S81, 
came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O'.  O.  F.  and  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor. 


PIERCE  JOYCE,  proprietor  of  the  Joyce  House,  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  August  1858,  and  was  employed  in  teaming  for  Chapman  &  Thorp 
until  the  Spring  of  1S59,  when  he  entered  their  mills,  working  there 
until  the  Fall  of  1861.  From  that  time  he  was  engaged  in  draying  for 
about  three  years,  and  for  several  Winters  was  engaged  in  logging,  doing 
teaming  business  during  Summers  until  the  Fall  of  1868,  when  he 
opened  a  meat  market,  continuing  that  and  dealing  in  stock  and  pork 
packing  until  1875.  In  1870,  he  built  the  Joyce  House,  renting  it  until 
1875  when  he  took  charge  and  conducted  it  himself.  In  the  Summer  of 
iSSo,  he  improved  and  enlarged  it.  He  was  born  in  County  Carlow, 
Ireland,  March,  1S29.  and  was  married  in  Portage,  Columbia  Co.,  in 
June,  1857,  to  Mary  T.  Galven.  They  have  five  children — John  E., 
James  T.,  Mary  C,  Annie  and  Maggie.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Joyce  has  been  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  for 
two  years  and  Street  Commissioner  one  year. 

JAMES  JEFFRIES,  farmer,  Eau  Claire,  was  bom  in  Ireland,  Dec. 
25,  1834.  Came  to  United  States  with  his  widowed  mother  in  1848,  and 
located  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Came  west,  and  after  stopping  a  short  time 
in  Michigan,  settled  in  Wisconsin.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1856.  Was 
married  in  Bear  Creek,  Dunn  Co.,  Tan.  30,  1871,  to  Ann  Banning, 
of  Bear  Creek.     Has  two  children,  Wdliam  Henry  and  Mary  Ann. 

FR.\NK  JONES,  assistant  manager  of  store,  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber 
Co.,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S69,  and  located  in  Eau  Claire. 
Was  employed  by  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Co.  in  mill  for  one  season,  and 
as  salesman  in  store  for  eight  years  ;  then  on  the  river  as  lumber  sales- 
man and  clerk  on  steamer  (or  three  years.  Has  been  in  present  capac- 
ity one  year.  In  1S62,  enlisted  in  46th  111.  I.,  private,  and  served  three 
years.  Was  born  in  Stephenson  Co.,  111.,  in  1848.  Has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  Knights  of  Pythias  five  years. 

KAUFMAN,  of  the  firm  of  Kaufman  &  Bachrach.  merchant  cloth- 
ier, Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Cologne,  Prussia,  in  1854.  Graduated 
there  in  the  languages  and  sciences.  In  1S73,  he  went  to  Paris,  and 
lived  there  five  years.  Came  to  Chicago  in  1878,  and  entered  with 
his  brother  in  business.  Mr.  K.'s  brother  served  in  the  late  war  with 
distinction.  This  house  supplies  its  branch  stores — of  which  there  are 
many  in  the  west — with  all  they  have  in  stock.  Mr.  Kaufman  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  February,  18S0,  and  established  his  business.  Had 
the  building  he  now  occupies  built  expressly  for  him.  It  was  finished  in 
October.  1S80.  This  is  the  leading  clothing  and  furnishing  house  in  the 
city.     Mr.  K.  has  a  store  in  Chippewa  Falls,  which  does  a  fine  business 

SYLVESTER  S.  KEPLER,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1875, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  newspaper  and  mercantile  work  since  his  ar- 
rival. He  is  associated  with  George  O.  Mill's  estate  in  the  ownership 
of  the  Eau  Claire  News.  He  was  born  near  Meadville,  Crawford  Co., 
Pa.,  April  t5.  1832,  and  lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1855,  when  he 
came  to  La  Crosse,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1856  went  to  Waubasha,  Minn., 
where  he  resided  until  1875,  and  in  which  place  he  was  married  to  Cath- 
erine McDoug.ill,  who  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.  They  have  one 
child,  William  S. 

E.  C.  KNEELAND,  purchasing  agent  N.  W.  L.  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  in  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  10,  1836.  Parents  moved  to 
Lyons,  Cook  Co.,  III.,  and  he  followed  them  in  1S54.  Remained  in 
Cook  County,  farming,  etc.,  until  1S57,  when  he  moved  to  Wisconsin, 
settling  in  Sparta,  Monroe  County,  and  engaged  in  merchandising. 
Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  i860,  took  a  homestead,  and  farmed  until  1S66, 
when  he  engaged  with  what  is  now  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Co.  Was 
married  in  Burns,  La  Crosse  Co.,  Dec.  27,  i860,  to  Miss  Clara  Foster,  of 
that  county.  Has  four  children — William  Scott.  Addison  Marsh,  Katie 
L.  and  Jessie. 

MATTHIAS  KNEER,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, March  4,  1831,  and  came  to  America  in  1852,  residing  in  New 
Jersey  till  1S55,  when  he  came  to  Watertown.  In  April,  1856,  lie  visited 
Eau  Claire,  but  returned  to  Watertown,  and  Sept.  15, 1 85 7,  located  in  town 
of  Brunswick,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  the  Fall 
of  1828,  when  he  removed  to  Eau  Claire  and  was  employed  at  general 
work.  In  1S63,  he  opened  a  saloon,  and  .soon  began  taking  boarders. 
In  1867,  he  opened  a  hotel,  called  the  Chippewa  House,  and  in  1S73 
changed  the  name  to  the  Kneer  House.  He  now  carries  on  his  hotel 
and  a  grocery  and  liquor  business,  and  owns  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Sey- 
mour, which  he  employs  men  to  work.  Mr.  Kneer  was  Supervisor  and 
Village  Trustee  for  two  years.  He  was  married  in  Philadelphia,  April 
29,  1855,  to  Barbara  Betz,  who  was  also  born  in  Wurtemburg.  She  died 
in  December,  1864.  They  had  four  children — Louisa,  Julia,  Annie  and 
Frank.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Louisa  Hoeffner,  in  Water- 
town,  March  8,  1865.  She  is  a  native  of  Prussia.  Four  children  have 
been  born  of  this  marriage — Emma,  Dora,  Herman  and  Ernest.  Mr. 
Kneer  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Grange. 

AMUND  KNUTSON.  saloon  and  billiards,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S53,  ^f"^  located  at  Clinton.  Was  employed  one  year  in 
a  grocery  store,  and  was  afterwards,  for  some  years,  in  Werner  and 
Monroe  counties.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1863,  and  commenced  present 
business  in  1871.  Was  at  one  time  a  member  of  Eau  Claire  Cornet 
Band,  and  several  others.     He  was  born  in  Nor\vay,  June  24,  1842,  and 


326 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


came  to  America  in  1S53.  Was  married.  Oct.  22.  1864,  to  Mary  Olson, 
a  nalive  of  Norway.  They  have  two  children,  Arthur  Martineus  and 
Gunda. 

JOHN  KURZ.  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Prussia,  June  27, 
1828,  and  came  to  America  and  to  Wisconsin  in  1854.  Located  at  Mil- 
waukee for  a  short   time,  then  went  to   Madison,  and  was  employed  at 


coopering  1 


Summer  of  1S59.     Came  to  Eau  Claire  in   1S59.  and  ; 


1869  commenced  present  business,  in  partnership  with  James  Keid.  who 
withdrew  in  1870.  Married,  at  Madison,  in  November,  1856,  to  Eliza- 
beth Ewans. 

HENRY  H.  KYLE,  t"orera.-in  of  wagon  shop,  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber 
Company.  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wiscmsin  in  1851,  and  located  at 
Columbus.  He  graduated  at  Columbus  Collegiate  Institute  in  the  Spring 
of  1356.  and  was  there  employed  for  several  years  as  book-keeper  and 
salesman.  In  1S59.  he  went  to  Cleveland,  and  there  learned  his  present 
trade.  He  carried  on  business  in  Wonewoc,  Wis.,  in  ]S6l,  for  a  few 
months.  Enlisted  in  19th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  December,  1S61,  served  nearly 
four  years  ;  at  time  of  discharge,  was  hospital  steward  in  the  regular 
army.  Was  then  engaged  in  carri.tge  manufacturing  at  Wonewoc  and 
Columbus  for  some  years.  Carried  on  business  at  Lowell  for  five  years, 
and  also  at  Augusta  for  several  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  July,  iSSo, 
and  engaged  in  his  present  capacity.  He  was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  20,  1836,  and  married  at  Wonewoc.  July  4.  1S61,  to  Lizzie  Apkar,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  five  children — Rose  E.,  Elva  J., 
Winnie,  Minnie  and  Herbert  Vincent. 

WILL  H.  LAMB  came  to  Eiu  Claire  in  January,  1880.  and  was  as- 
sociated with  the  Ddilv Frei  Press, a%  business  manager,  until  December. 
iSSo.  and  commenced  publication  of  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Leader,  April 
29.  iSSi.  Mr.  Lamli  was  born  in  Woodstock.  Vt.,  July  28,  1S49.  and 
lived  there  until  185 1.  when,  with  his  parents,  Nathan  and  Ellen  Ward 
Lamb,  he  moved  to  Watab,  Minn.,  eighty-four  miles  above  St.  Paul.  His 
father  went  there  as  post  trader  among  the  Winnebago  Indians  ;  he  now 
lives  at  Eureka  Springs,  Ark. ;  his  mother  being  unable  to  endure  the 
climate  of  .\rkansas,  lives  in  .Southern  Minnesota.  Mr.  Lamb  learned 
the  printer's  trade  at  St.  Cloud,  in  1S66.  woiking  on  the  St.  Cloud  Jour- 
nal. He  afterward  purchased  the  St.  Cloud  Times,  and  was  burned  out 
within  nine  days  after  the  purchase,  but  continued  the  publication  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  single  issue.  Three  years  later  he  sold  the  paper,  and 
for  a  year  was  engaged  in  the  book  and  stationery  business.  He  started 
a  paper  at  .\noka,  Minn.,  and  in  1S75.  went  from  the  latter  place  to 
Minneapolis,  and  established  the  Daily  Evening  Journal,  but  sold  out 
soon  flfter,  and  engaged  in  job  printing  for  a  year  and  a  half;  he  then 
removed  to  Glencoe.  Minn.,  and  bought  the  IVeeklv  Glencoe  Enterprise, 
remaining  there  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  was  married 
Sept.  I.  iSSo.  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Congdon,  a  daughter  of  Alvah  Congdon, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  place. 

CHRISTIAN  LARSON,  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Black  River  Falls 
in  the  Summer  of  1871,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  and  logging  until 
Dec.  25.  of  the  same  year.  Was  then  for  a  year  unable  to  work,  on  ac- 
count of  a  broken  leg.  In  1873.  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  driving  a  team 
for  six  months,  and  then  clerking  for  A.  A.  Cutter  in  the  shoe  store  for 
two  years.  He  commenced  business  for  himself  in  October,  1877,  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  being  in  general  mercantile  business,  and  came  from 
there  to  Eau  Claire  and  established  his  present  business  in  clothing, 
gents'  furnishing  goods,  hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes.  Mr.  Larson  was 
born  in  Norway.  Jan.  2-:,  1851.  and  came  from  there  lo  Wisconsin.  He 
was  married  in  Chippewa  Falls.  Oct.  6.  1877.  to  Lena  Rostad,  who  is 
also  a  native  of  Norway.  They  have  one  child,  Florence.  Mr.  Larson 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

HON.  LEWIS  R.  L.^RSON,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  near  Bergen, 
Norway.  Sept.  i,  1849.  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Columbus,  in  the 
Spring  of  1S50.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Columbus, 
and  in  the  Wisconsin  University,  at  Madison,  graduating  from  the  latter 
institution  in  the  class  of  1S72.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  A.  G.  Cook, 
of  Columbus,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  May  20,  1S74,  at  Portage, 
and  May  28,  i83o.  to  pr.actice  in  the  Supreme  Court.  He  remained  in 
the  ofTiceof  A.  G.  Cook  until  June  14,  1875,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire 
and  began  practice  alone.  He  was  City  Attorney  from  April,  1S77,  to 
April,  1878,  when  he  was  elected  Municipal  Judge  for  a  term  of  four 
years. 

HON.  LEVI  E.  L.\TIMER  was  born  in  the  town  of  Bloomfield, 
near  Hartford.  Conn..  April  12.  1838.  and  liveil  there  until  1858,  when 
he  went  to  La  Porte,  Ind  ,  and  studied  law.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire,  in 
June,  i860,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  until  1872,  when  he  be- 
came Municipal  Judge,  which  office  he  held  for  six  years.  He  has  held 
various  town  ofTices  on  the  west  side.  Since  1878.  he  has  been  engaged 
in  real  estate  and  insurance  business.  He  was  married  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  in  April,  1863,  to  Nellie  M.  Buckingham,  who  was  born  in 
Bloomfield,  Conn.  Mr.  Latimer  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 
Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandery,  and  Wisconsin  Consistory,  etc. 

MRS.  E.  H.  LEI.AND.  authoress,  E.au  Claire.  Was  born  in  the 
State  of  Vermont,  and  came  west  with  her  parents.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
in  i860,  and  located  at  La  Crosse,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1872.   Has 


published  a  number  of  works,  the  principal  being:  "  A  Lost  Life."  a 
novel  issued  in  1869;  "  Farm  Homes."  published  in  iSSo. 

JOSEPH  MATTHIAS  LIENENKUGER.  brewer,  Eau  Claire, 
Born  in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  19,  1S5S.  His  father,  Matthias  Lienenkuger, 
commenced  brewing  business  in  1855,  and  carried  it  on  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  Oct.  17.  1S74.  The  business  is  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
Threca  Lienenkuger,  widow  of  Matthias  Lienenkuger,  and  her  children. 
Joseph  Matthias  Lienenkuger  has  managed  the  business  since  1876. 
Capacity  of  brewery  fifty  barrels  per  day ;  employs  fourteen  men  and 
five  teams. 

J.  T.  LOUKE,  Eau  Claire.  Was  bom  in  the  city  of  Biddeford,  Me., 
May  23,  1833,  and  moved  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1868;  living  there  until 
he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  May  12,  1873.  He  worked  as  carpenter  and 
builder  until  187S,  and  has  been  since  then  in  the  machinery  business. 
He  was  married  in  Biddeford,  in  Fehiu.iry.  1856,  to  Catherine  J.  New- 
ell, who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Davlon,  Maine.  She  died  in  August, 
1S66,  leaving  three  children— Winfiel'd  S.,  Ella  D.  and  Charles.  He  was 
married  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  R.S.  Warren,  in  the  town  of  Plymouth, 
Me.,  in  October,  1871.  She  was  a  native  of  that  place,  and  had  three 
children  by  her  former  marriage.  Mr.  Locke  is  a  membcrof  the  I.  O.O.  F., 
and  A.  O.  U.  W.  lie  enlisted  June  9.  1S62.  in  Co.  F,  l6lh  Me.  V.  L; 
served  two  years  and  three  months,  when  he  was  mustered  out  on  ac- 
count of  disability  caused  by  wounds  and  injuries  received  while  in  the 
service.     He  was  a  non-commissioned  officer  of  his  company. 

ROBERT  LOWREY,  sawyer.  D.  L.  Co.,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in 
Newark.  N.  J..  Feb.  ig.  1S43.  His  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin  about 
1S44,  and  settled  in  La  FayetteCounty.  where  ihey  engaged  in  faiming. 
Mr.  Lowrey  spent  about  three  years  in  Montana,  engaged  in  mining. 
Was  at  Menomonie  in  mills  there,  and  was  on  the  river  about  two 
years.  Has  been  engaged  in  his  present  occupation  the  last  six  years. 
In  the  woods  in  the  Winter. 

S.  A.  LUND,  manager  of  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company's  meat 
market.  Was  born  in  Southern  Norway,  Nov.  19.  1832,  and  came  from 
there  to  Cambridge,  Dane  Co.,  in  1S52.  He  lived  there  until  he  came 
to  Eau  Claire.  May  7,  1S57.  He  is  ihe  oldest  Norwegian  settler  now- 
living  in  this  countv.  He  at  first  engaged  in  general  work  ;  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1S57,  he  located  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Pleasant  Valley,  nhicli  he 
still  owns.  He  lived  on  his  farm  until  1858,  when  lie  commenced  work- 
ing for  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company.  He  was  superintendent  in 
the  different  departments  until  1S60.  when  he  returned  to  his  farm  for 
eight  or  nine  years;  then,  probably  in  1868.  he  re-entered  the  employ  of 
the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company,  taking  charge  of  their  meat  market, 
moving  his  family  into  his  new  house  in  the  city  in  the  Fall  of  1878.  He 
was  married  in  the  town  of  Pleasant  Valley,  Eau  Claire  Co., in  the  Win- 
ter of  1857,  to  Ciiristina  Erickson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They 
have  one  child  living,  Frank  O.,  aged  nineteen  years  ;  and  have  lost  two 
children,  Jacob  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and  Eva,  who 
died  aged  seven  years  three  months  and  seven  days. 

JOHN  V.  R.  LYMAN,  pliysician  and  surgeon.  Eau  Claire.  Was 
born  in  North  Pepin,  Pepin  Co.,  June  13.  1857  ;  was  reared  in  Ft. 
Madison,  Lee  Co.,  Iowa,  and  educated  at  Rush  Medical  College,  Chi- 
cago, graduating  in  the  Spring  of  1S80.  He  attended  lectures  at  the 
St.  Louis  Medical  College,  and  had  eighteen  months' practice  in  the  hos- 
pital at  Ft.  Madison.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  February,  iSSo,  and 
was  married  there,  June  7,  1881,  to  Maud  M.  Kepler,  who  was  born  in 
Meadville,  Penn.  The  doctor  has  been  associated  with  Dr.  W.  T.  Gallo- 
way, in  practice,  ever  since  he  came  here.  He  read  medicine  with  Dr. 
August  W.  Hofifmiester.  of  Ft.  Madison,  the  well-known  and  skillful 
physician  and  surgeon  of  that  place. 

MICHAEL  McCABE.  mason,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  County 
Monahan,  Ireland,  Sept.  18.  1835.  Came  to  the  United  States  in  1852, 
and  located  in  Palmyra,  N.  Y.  Moved  West  in  1855,  and  settled  in 
Waukesha  County,  where  he  follow-ed  shoemaking.  Moved  to  Eau 
Claire.  June,  1856.  and  first  worked  in  the  mills,  and  afterward  learned 
his  present  trade.  Married  in  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  May  6,  1855,  to  Miss 
Agnes  Karrigan.  Miss  K.,  of  Irish  parentage,  came  to  United  States 
with  her  brothers  and  sisters  in  1S50.  They  have  eight  surviving 
children— Matthew,  Julia  (now  Mrs.  J.  Murray),  Ellen.  Alice,  Mary. 
Augusta.  Katherine  and  John. 

SAMUEL  W.  McCASLIN,  attorney  at  law,  Eau  Claire,  was  born 
in  Neillsburg  (then  Venango  C0.I,  now  Forest  Co.,  Penn.,  Nov.  3, 1S44, 
and  lived  there  until  1S65.  when  he  went  to  Painesville,  Ohio.  He  read 
law,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  and  began  practicing  in  September,  1866. 
In  186S,  he  removed  to  St.  Charles,  Winona  Co.,  Minn.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  in  February.  1872.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Edinboro,  Erie  Co.,  Penn..  May  23.  1S69.  to  Helena  Compton. 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council 
for  two  year.s,  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church. 

FRANK  Mcdonough  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  February,  1862, 
and  since  his  arrival  has  been  connected  with  Chapman  &  Thorp,  and 
their  successors,  the  I'au  Claire  Lumber  Co.  He  at  first  worked  as  a 
millwright,  but  in  1869  became  general  superintendent  of  the  manufact- 


HISTORY  OF  EAU    CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


327 


uring  department.  He  was  born  in  Ingersoll,  Upper  Canada,  April 
2,  TS46,  and  commenced  llie  trade  of  millwright  in  Canada, coming  from 
there  to  Eaii  Claire.  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Town  and  County  Board, 
before  the  incorporation  of  the  city,  and  afterward  was  Alderman  and 
Supervisor  for  four  years,  and  again,  in  the  Spring  of  iSSl.  was  elected 
Alderman  and  Supervisor  for  the  First  Ward,  and  is  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trade.  He  has  been  Treasurer  of  School  District  No.  I  for 
the  past  eiglit  years.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Sept.  28,  1867.  to 
Miss  fennie  Horan,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Ingersoll,  Canada.  They 
have  "four  children— Frankie  T.,  Katie,  Gilbert  J.  and  Pansy.  Their 
first  child,  Irene,  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months,  and  their  son,  Damon, 
died  July  7,  lSSi,aged  four  and  a  half  months.  Mr.  McDonough  has 
made  many  improvements  in  saw  mill  machinery,  the  most  notable  of 
his  inventions  being  water  saw  mandrels,  gang  edgers,  automatic  gang 
trimmers,  and  an  improvement  on  log  turners. 

JOHN  J.  MCDONALD,  foreman  Wilson  Shingle  Mill,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S63,  and  located  in  Chippewa  County,  where  he 
was  employed  in  Randall's  Mills  for  three  years.  Came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1S66;  was  employed  for  some  years  in  various  mills,  as  sawyer  and 
filer;  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  for  two  years.  Was  born  in 
Canada,  in  lS.|2,  and  came  to  United  States  in  1S62.  Was  married  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  to  Willmette  McCann,  who  was  born  in  Chippewa 
County.  They  have  four  children  —  Roderick,  John,  Arthur  and 
Margaret. 

WILLIAM  McELLEGET,  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1S64.  and  was  employed  in  lumbering  for  some  years.  Opened  saloon 
in  1S69,  in  partnership  with  Martin  Caliill  ;  dissolved  in  1S74,  and  has 
since  been  alone.  Me  was  born  in  Ireland  ;  went  to  Canada  when  quite 
young;  came  to  United  States  in  :S64.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire, 
July  4,  1S69,  to  Hannah  Desmond.  They  have  two  children,  Mary  and 
William. 

WILL  H.  McENTEE.  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  AI- 
mont.  Lapeer  Co..  Mich.,  March  g,  1S57,  and  lived  in  that  State  until 
1S77.  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  manifested  artistic  talent  when 
a  child,  and  his  life  study  has  been  portrait  painting  and  crayon  work, 
in  which  he  was  engaged  in  Lapeer,  Mich.,  before  coming  to  Eau 
Claire.  He  is  now  engaged  upon  the  portrait  of  the  late  Chief  Justice 
Ryan,  for  tlie  Bar  of  Milwaukee,  and  one  of  Matt.  H.  Carpenter,  for  the 
State,  under  order  of  the  Governor. 

JOHN  F.  McGRATII,  foreman  of  steam  sawmill  for  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Company,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Sept.  23,  1S48,  and  located  at 
Fond  d«  Lac;  was  engaged  as  carpenter  and  joiner  for  ten  years;  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1S5S;  in  1S66.  was  employed   by   Eau   Claire  Lumber 


Co.  as  millwright   for  sev 


nd  then   in 


Dresent   capacity. 


Was  born  in  Ireland,  June,  lS26,and  came  to  America  in  1S42.  Ilewas 
engaged  (or  some  years  on  various  railroads,  as  carpenter,  etc.  Enlisted 
in  1S65,  in  1st  N.  Y.  Engineers,  as  private;  served  before  Richmond, 
and  at  other  pl.ices,  for  six  months  ;  at  time  of  his  discharge  he  held 
rank  of  corporal.  Was  Town  Clerk  of  North  Eau  Claire,  1859-60; 
elected  Alderman  for  1879-80,  and  re-elected  for  1SS1-S2.  Was  mar- 
ried in  Fond  du  Lac.  to  Mary  A.  Byrnes,  who  was  born  in  Boston. 
They  have  four  children — James  F.,  in  sewing  machine  business  ;  H.  J,, 
graduated  at  West  Point,  June,  1S80.  now  lieutenant  in  the  Army;  John 
E.,  formerly  in  grocery  business,  and  Mary  Jessie. 

JAMES  P.  McINTYRE,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  St.  Albans,  Vt., 
April  18.  1S36,  and  lived  there  until  1S73,  when  he  came  to  Jackson, 
Mich.,  where  he  stayed  a  few  months.  He  resided  two  years  in  Athens, 
Calhoun  Co.,  Mich,  (where  he  discovered  the  iron  which  he  now  uses  in 
the  plow  manufactory),  and  carried  on  a  foundry.  He  was  then  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  plows,  being  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Plutzman 
Bros.  &  Mclntyre,  at  Three  Rivers,  Mich.,  for  two  years.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Vermont  for  four  months,  and  from  there  came  to  Baldwin, 
remaining  fourteen  months.  From  there  he  went  to  Stillwater,  Minn., 
working  as  a  molder;  then  to  South  Stillwater,  where  he  was  general 
superintendent  of  St.  Croix  Lumber  Co.'s  Iron  Works,  until  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire,  April  20,  1S81.  He  was  married  in  Champlain,  N.  Y.,  to 
his  first  wife,  Eliza  J.  Forrest,  of  Hemming  Ford,  Canada  East,  by 
whom  he  had  two  cliildren  —  Mary  Elizal)eth  and  Edgar  F.;  and  in  St. 
Albans,  Vt.,  to  his  present  wife,  Louisa  A.  Slannard,  a  native  of  St.  Al- 
bans. They  have  five  children— Frank  E.,  Jane  Barry,  James,  Charles 
Henry  and  Archer  R.  Mr.  Mclntyre  was  the  first  man  who  enlisted  in 
the  Ransom  Guards,  a  companv  organized  m  St.  Albans,  Vt,,  in  April, 
1S61,  and  attached  to  the  1st  V't.  Vol.  Inf..  known  as  the  "  Regiment  of 
Many  Colors,"  owing  to  the  fact  that  all  the  companies  had  fancy  uni- 
forms. At  the  close  of  the  three  months'  service,  he  enlisted,  in  the  Fall 
of  1861,  in  Co.  F,  7ih  Vt.  Inf..  and  served  two  years  and  eleven  months; 
then  re-enlisled  in  the  same  company,  seiving  until  the  Spring  of  1866, 
when  he  was  mustered  out  in  Texas.  He  was  wounded  in  the  head,  at 
the  battle  of  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  in  consequence  thereof  was  in  a 
hospital  for  nineteen  weeks.  He  went  out  as  company  wagoner,  and 
was  promoted  to  brigade  wagoner,  serving  until  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 
when,  by  his  own  request,  he  was  relieved,  and  made  1st  duty  sergeant. 


JOHN  W.  McINTOSH,  farmer,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of  Mr.  B.  G. 
McIntoOi.  and  was  born  in  Farniington,  Me..  Aug.  ir,  1S60.  Came 
West  with  his  father,  went  to  school  in  Eau  Claire,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  TeiTiple  of  Honor  cf  that  city. 

HUGH  H.  B.  McMASTER,  manager  of  Empire  Lumber  Co.'s 
store,  came  to  Eau  Claire  May  2,  iSSr.  He  was  born  in  Belfast.  Ireland. 
July  2.  1S43.  and  came  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  with  his  parents  in  1849,  living 
there  until  1857,  when  he  moved  to  Reed's  Landing.  Minn.,  where  he 
resided  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  for  Knapp.  Stout  &  Co.  for  eighteen  years,  the  last  eight  years 
being  manager  of  their  store  nt  Reeds  Landing.  During  an  interval  of 
five  seasons,  he  was  engaged  in  steamboating,  three  years  on  the  Missis- 
sippi and  two  years  on  the  Chippewa  River.  He  was  for  one  year  cap- 
tain of  the  steamboat  "  Chippewa,"  and  the  rest  of  the  time  clerk  on 
boats.  Mr.  McMaster  was  married  at  Reed's  Landing,  Nov.  30. 1S63,  to 
Lena  J.  Gray,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Wesley,  Me.  They  have 
two  sons,  Harry  B.  and  Guy  L.  Mr.  McMaster  served  as  sergeant 
major  of  the  1st  Minn.  Heavy  Artillery,  from  Jan.  i,  1SC5,  until  Septem- 
ber, 1S65.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Minnesota  State  Legislature,  from 
Wabasha  County,  at  the  first  biennial  session,  and  had  held  various  vil- 
lage  offices  prior  to  his  election  to  the  Legislature. 

ARCHIBALD  McVICAR,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements.  Eau 
Claire,  is  a  son  of  Archibald  and  Jennie  McVicar,  who  came  lo  Wiscon- 
sin in  the  Summer  of  1S56.  Mr.  McVicar,  Sr.,  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  lumbering,  in  oarlnership  with  four  brothers.  Thev  were  in  Downs- 
ville,  now  the  town  of  Union,  before  coming  to  Eau  Cla  re.  He  died 
in  February,  1S7S,  his  wife  having  died  in  the  Fall  of  1E63.  Aichibald 
McVicar.  Jr..  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  May  29.  1S39.  and  lived 
there  until  became  to  Wisconsin  in  1S55.  being  in  Waukesha  County 
and  Menomonie  before  coming  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S56.  He  was  engaged 
in  farming  for  eight  years  before  coming  lo  Eau  Claire.  After  his  arri- 
val, he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  until  186S  or  1S69.  then  in  stock  buy- 
ing for  three  years,  and  agent  for  Wheeler  &  Wilson  sewing  machine  for 
three  years.  He  commenced  dealing  in  acricultural  implements  in  1874 
or  1S75  ^'id  has  since  continued  in  that  business,  dealing  extensively  in 
mill  micliinery,  agricultural  implements  and  handles  carriages.  Ilewas 
married  in  Eau  Claire,  Dec.  25,  1S6S,  to  Abbie  A.  Armstrong,  who  was 
born  in  Maine,  and  is  a  dnighter  of  Calvin  Armstrong. 

Douglas,  a  brother  of  Archibald  McVicar.  served  in  Co.  G.  i6lh  Wis. 
V.  I.,  and  died  at  Memphis.  Tenn.  His  remains  were  brought  lo  Eau 
Claire  and  interred  in  the  cemetery. 

ALONZO  D.  MAES,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  Jan.  22.  1S41.  in  Fitcli- 
ville.  Huron  Co..  Ohio;  and  lived  there  until  his  twelfth  year,  when  he 
moved  to  the  town  of  Huron,  Wayne  Co..  in  the  same  State.  He 
learned  his  trade  of  pattern-maker  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  has  worked 
at  it  ever  since,  except  the  lime  he  was  in  the  army.  He  enlisted  in  1S59 
in  Co.  G.  2d  U.  S.  A.,  serving  five  years.  Prior  lo  iS6r,  he  was  stationed 
at  Ft.  Mackinaw.  At  that  time  he  was  ordered  to  Washington,  and  de- 
tailed as  body  guard  to  President  Lincoln,  wliere  he  remained  until  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  when  he  took  pait  in  the  first  advances.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Chancellorsville,  May  4,  1S63.  and  exchanged  Sept. 
29.  of  the  same  year.  He  was  in  eleven  general  engagements  and  never 
received  a  wound  or  even  a  scratch.  Was  mustered  out  at  Washington, 
Oct.  25,  1864.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  Nov.  15.  1864.  lo  Miss 
Elizabeth  M.  Vallier,  who  was  born  in  Muskegon.  Mich.  They  have 
four  children— Chester  J.,  Rachael  Ann.  Mary  and  an  infant  daughter. 
Since  coming  to  Eau  Claire,  in  April,  1S79  Mr.  Maes  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  N.  Shaw  as  pattern-maker.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  and  A.  O.  U.  W. 

STEPHEN  MARSTON.  Eau  Claire,  w.is  born  in  Kennebec  Co., 
Me.,  Aug.  9.  1S21  ;  moved  to  Eau  Claire  from  that  State  in  1S56,  bring- 
ing his  family,  a  wife  and  one  child,  in  a  buggy  with  one  horse  attached 
the  entire  distance,  save  an  occasional  change  of  the  whole  outfit  to  boat 
and  railw.iy.  He  commenced  mercantile  business  in  Eau  Claire  in 
1857,  after  having  gone  to  Cincinnati  to  procure  a  stock  of  goods,  sev- 
enty-five tons  of  which  were  shipped  on  to  and  brought,  including  him- 
self and  family,  by  one  boat,  the  Isaac  Shelby,  from  Cincinnati  to  Eau 
Claire  direct.  Among  this  stock  was  the  first  lot  of  furniture  ever 
brought  to  the  place  for  sale.  Upon  reaching  Eau  Claire  there  were  no 
storehouses  into  which  the  goods  could  be  unloaded,  and  Ihey  had  lo  re- 
main on  the  river  bank  till  one  could  be  improvised.  In  1S60.  he 
bought  the  saw  and  pinning  mill  built  by  Adin  Randall,  the  only  plan- 
ing  mill  then  in  the  place,  which  he  operated  in  connection  with  mer- 
cantile business  until  1872,  when  he  sold  the  saw-mill  lo  Ingram  &  Ken- 
nedy, after  having  built  a  building,  into  which  he  moved  the  planing 
mill  and  sa^h  and  door  machinery,  which  is  slill  the  only  planing  mill 
on  Ihe  west  side  the  Chippewa  River,  and  which  he  is  slill  operating. 
In  1869,  he  bought  what  is  known  as  the  Dells  flour  mill,  situ-ted  three 
miles  from  Augusta,  in  Eau  Claire  County,  one-half  of  which  he  still 
owns.  Mr.  Marston  was  engaged  in  general  mercantile  business  from 
1S57  till  1S72.  He  brought,  in  1856.  from  Maine,  with  his  other  goods, 
the  first  piano  ever  brought  into  the  Chippewa  Valley.  In  :S6o,  he  built 
the  largest  store  building  in  the  county.  30x80  feet,  three  stories  and 
basement,  the  upper  story  of  which  furnished  Eau  Claire  the  only  pub- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


lie  hall  for  ten  years.  He  has  built  during  his  residence  in  Eau  Claire 
some  thirty  or  forty  dwelling  houses  which  he  now  rents  to  tenants.  Mr. 
Marston  spent  two  years  (during  the  early  gold  excitement)  in  California 
engaged  in  mining  and  trading.  He  was  married  in  1S46.  to  Susan  E. 
Wyman,  of  New  Sharon,  Maine.  They  have  one  child,  a  daughter, 
living  (Mary  Olive),  who  was  two  years  old  when  they  started  from 
Maine  to  Wisconsin,  and  who,  in  1873,  entered  the  Michigan  Univer- 
sity for  a  full  course  of  four  years,  graduating  in  1877.  She  was  the 
first  girl  10  whom  was  assigned  a  part  in  the  commencement  exercises 
of  the  University,  and  was  upon  finishing  her  course  in  the  University, 
proffered  a  position  of  assistant  professor  of  Greek  in  Wellesly  Female 
College,  Massachusetts,  which  she  occupied  for  two  years  and  then  re- 
signed to  visit  Europe  in  1880,  having  been  offered,  before  leaving  the 
college,  the  same  position  after  returning  from  Europe.  Mr.  Marston 
was  Postmaster  in  Eau  Claire,  from  1862  to  1S71,  and  was  a  candidate 
for  member  of  Congress  on  the  Greeley  ticket  in  1872,  running  ahead  of 
the  ticket  in  eight  of  the  eleven  counties  in  the  district. 

H.  P.  MARSH.-\LL,  millwright,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Bradford, 
Penobscot  Co.,  Me..  Aug.  12,  1S36  ;  educated  in  the  High  School  in 
Bradford,  and  taught  school  in  that  vicinity  for  some  ten  years.  He 
moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  October,  1S65,  and  engaged  in  the  jewelry  busi- 
ness some  four  years,  then  learned  milhvrighting,  which  he  has  followed 
since.  He  designed  and  built  a  mill  at  Rock  Falls.  He  was  married 
in  Atkinson,  Piscataquis  Co.,  Me.,  Jan.  14,  185S,  to  Miss  Aurelia  P. 
Brown.  They  have  three  children  living — Henry  Leslie,  Thaddeus 
Waldo  and  Burt  B. 

ANTON  MASON,  shoemaker,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway, 
July  18,  1855,  and  came  to  America  in  December,  1878;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  187S,  and  located  at  E.-,u  Claire  ;  worked  at  his  trade,  and 
commenced  present  business  in  January,  iSSl. 

GEORGE  W.  MASON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Columbia  Co.,  O., 
May  24,  1838.  His  parents  moved  into  West  Point,  Lee  Co.,  la.,  in 
1845.  where  his  father  died  in  1851.  He  followed  general  occupations 
some  years,  untilat  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  went  into  a  store  ;  was 
for  a  time  in  business  for  himself.  During  the  war,  was  a  sutler  in 
Tennessee  for  some  time.  He  moved  to  Menomonie  in  1S63,  and  took 
charge  of  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co. 's  stores  ;  remained  until  1873,  when  he 
went  to  Eau  Claire,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Ingram  and  Ken- 
nedy, under  the  style  of  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Mason.  The  firm  dissolved 
in  April,  1881.  He  was  married  at  West  Point,  la.,  Dec.  30,  1S58,  to 
Miss  Sarah  T.  Thurston.  Mrs.  Mason  died  in  January,  18S1,  leaving 
five  children— Mary  E.,  George  W.,  Sarah  T.,  William  S.  and  Susan  C. 
Mr.  Mason  was  elected  Alderman  in  1S78,  and  still  serves. 

W.  O.  MATTESON,  brick,  lime,  cement,  etc.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born 
in  Kent  Co.,  R.  I.,  Feb.  13,  1828  ;  was  in  the  milling  business  for  some 
years,  his  father  being  a  millwright,  etc.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years,  he  went  into  business  for  himself.  He  went  to  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  in  1872  ;  remained  one  year,  and  then  moved  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  in  Eau  Claire,  and  engaging  in  the  lumber  business,  which  he 
followed  until  1876,  when  he  commenced  his  present  business.  He  was 
married  in  Eau  Claire,  March  28,  1S76,  to  Miss  M.  Hazelgreen,  an 
adopted  daughter  of  Mr.  H.  T.  Jones.  They  have  two  children,  Bessie 
and  Henry  Olney. 

LEVI  MERRILL,  proprietor  Mt.  Washington  Stone  Quarries,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  at  North  Bend  ;  was  em- 
ployed in  a  saw-mill,  as  sawyer,  for  two  years,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1858  ;  was  employed  by  the  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company  for  six 
years,  as  sawyer,  etc.,  and  has  lieen  engaged  in  his  present  business 
seventeen  years.  He  was  born  in  Maine,  Dec.  25,  1824,  and  married  in 
Wellsville.  N.Y.,  April  13,  1S52,  to  Mercy  J.  Meservey,  who  was  born 
in  Breiver  Village,  Me.  They  have  three  living  children— Inez  A.  (now 
Mrs.  Curry),  Cora  E.  (now  Mrs.  Charles  Hall)  and  Fred.  L.,  employed 
in  the  quarries.     They  have  lost  two  children. 

ALE.XANDER  MEGGETT,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  March  26,  1824,  and  came  to  America  when  a  little  over  three 
years  old,  with  his  parents,  Alexander  and  Sarah  Meggett  (nee  MacAr- 
Ihur),  natives  of  Scotland.  They  settled  at  Uxbridge,  Mass..  living 
there  till  1S36  or  1837,  when  they  removed  to  Chicopee  Falls,  town  of 
Springfield,  Mass.,  where  they  resided  until  1841,  in  which  year  they 
located  at  Slatersville.  R.  I.,  where  his  father  died,  in  January,  1S44. 
His  mother  died  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  November,  1868.  Mr.  Meggett 
labored  in  cotton  manufactories  until  he  was  nineteen,  when  he  com- 
menced to  educate  himself.  At  Wilbraham  Academy,  Wilbraham,  Mass., 
and  at  Washington,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  he  prepared  himself  to  enter 
Middleton  (now  Wesleyan)  University.  He  was  in  that  institution  the 
college  year  of  1846-7,  having  entered  three  years  in  advance  in  the 
sciences,  two  years  in  belle  letters  and  one  year  in  mathematics.  lie 
commenced  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Slatersville  in  the  Spring 
of  1847,  and  was  married  there,  Aug.  II,  1847,  to  MaryCoIlyer  Tabor, 
who  was  born  at  that  place,  June  II,  1826,  and  died  at  Pawtucket,  March 
8,  1854,  leaving  two  children,  .\lexander  Alden,  born  June  21,  lS48,and 
accidentally  shot  by  his  own  gun,  and  killed,  at  Augusta,  Wis.,  Aug.  21, 
1864,  and  Mary  Tabor  (Mrs.   John  S.  Smith),  who  died    suddenly,  June 


23,  1S81,  at  Eau  Claire,  having  been  born  Sept.  14,  1851,  at  Pawtucket' 
Mass.  In  the  Winter  of  1847-8,  Mr.  Meggett  removed  to  Pawtucket' 
Mass.,  and  taught  in  the  public  schools  there  for  nearly  five  years.  He 
studied  law  in  1S51-2,  while  engaged  in  teaching,  with  Hon.  C.  B. 
Farnesworth,  of  Pawtucket,  and  completed  his  legal  studies  the  year 
following  with  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Jenckes,  of  the  city  of  Providence,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  March,  1S53,  in  that  city,  and  commenced 
practice  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  practiced  in  Providence  for  a  year  im- 
mediately prior  to  coming  West,  in  May.  1857.  In  June,  1857,  he  vis- 
ited Eau  Claire,  and  permanently  located  there  in  July  following,  when 
he  commenced,  and  has  ever  since  continued,  to  practice  his  profession. 
During  the  Winter  of  1857-8,  he  was  editor  of  the  Eau  Claire  Times. 
He  was  the  second  lawyer  who  settled  in  Eau  Claire  County,  W.  P.  Bart- 
lett,  Esq.,  having  preceded  him  but  a  few  weeks.  He  was  married,  June 
II,  1868,  in  Milwaukee,  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Drew,  a 
daughter  of  Archibald  McVicar,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Eau 
Claire  County.  They  have  two  children,  Arthur  Alexander,  born  June 
15,  l86q,  and  Frank  Tarrante,  born  Aug.  6,  1873.  Mf-  Meggett  has 
held  the  offices  of  Town  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  and  City  At- 
torney. He  early  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic  party,  and 
when  a  candidate  for  Congress,  in  1870,  against  Hon.  Jerry  Rusk,  re- 
duced the  usual  Repulilican  majority  in  his  district  from  8,000  to  a  little 
over  3,000  and  in  his  own  county  the  usual  700  or  800  Republican  ma- 
jority to  143.  Since  the  nomination  of  Horace  Greeley,  in  1S72,  he  has 
been  an  out-spoken  and  ardent  Republican.  In  the  Spring  of  1S75.  he 
accepted  the  call  of  the  citizens  of  Eau  Claire  and  Buffalo  counties, 
without  distinction  of  party,  to  run  as  a  candidate  forCircuit  Judge  for 
the  circuit  including  those  counties  and  Trempealeau.  The  latter 
county  voted  nearly  solid  for  its  resident  candidate,  and  he  was  elected. 
The  famous  measure  known  as  the  "  Dells  Bill,"  passed  seveial  times  by 
the  Wisconsin  Legislature,  and  once  declared  unconstitutional  by  its 
Supreme  Court,  was  not  sustained  by  that  court  as  constitutional  and 
valid,  as  it  was  in  1S76,  until  the  bill  was  passed  as  finally  revised  and 
approved  by  Mr.  Meggett,  as  City  Attorney  for  Eau  Claire,  which  office 
was  accepted  by  him  mainly  with  a  view  to  make  this  important  measure 
a  success  in  the  courts.  Mr.  Meggett  has  doubtless  been  engaged  in 
more  important  criminal  cases  than  any  other  lawyer  in  this  section  of 
the  State,  having  been  either  sole  or  leading  counsel  in  the  following 
murder  trials  :  The  State  of  Wisconsin  against  Nethers,  Fritz,  Noble, 
Murray,  Moseby.  Mrs.  Wheeler  and  Carter,  Davey,  Jump  and  Muzzy, 
besides  many  cases  of  homicide,  in  various  degrees,  and  other  important 
cases,  both  criminal  and  civil.  His  untiring  zeal  for  his  clients  cause,  his 
professional  learning  and  ability,  and  his  peculiar  forcibleness  and  suc- 
cess in  jury  trials,  both  civil  and  criminal,  have  justly  merited  him  that 
prominence  which  has  so  generously  been  accorded  him  by  members  of 
his  own  profession,  as  by  others. 

GUY  .S.  MILLER,  foreman,  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company  sta- 
bles, Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1862,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire; 
was  employed  with  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.,  for  several  years  and  has 
been  in  his  present  capacity  since  1873.  He  was  born  in  Southport, 
Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  7,  1S32,  and  married  in  AlleganyCo.,  N.  V., 
Sept.  22.  1861,  to  L.  F.  Hubbell,  who  was  born  in  New  York.  Have 
one  child,  Lizzie,  twelve  years  old. 

BENJAMIN  F.  MILLER,  millwright.  Empire  Lumber  Company. 
Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1869.  and  located  at  Badger  Mills ; 
was  employed  by  John  Barron  &  Co.  for  seven  years  as  millwright ;  then 
at  Gravel  Island  by  French  Lumber  Company  for  two  years  ;  came  to 
Eau  Claire  in  1878 ;  was  employed  in  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Co.,  for 
one  year  as  millwright,  and  then  two  years  in  same  capacity  with  Valley 
Lumber  Company;  has  been  employed  in  present  capacity  since  May, 
1881.  He  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  -^pril  16,  1843,  and  married 
there  in  September,  1863,  to  Mary  Cameron,  who  was  born  in  Canada. 
They  have  three  children — Charles  W.,  employed  by  Phcenix  Manufact- 
uring Company  ;  Hugh  L.  and  Franklin  A. 

ROBERT  HENRY  MONTEITH,  EauCkire,  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland  (of  pure  Scotch  descent).  Aug.  16,  1825,  and  came  to 
America,  with  his  parents,  when  three  years  of  age,  locating  in  Mon- 
treal, where  they  remained  until  the  Patiiot  w^ar,  when  they  moved  to 
Highgate,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  Mr.  Monteith  learned  the  trade  of  mill- 
wright, at  Hyde's  Falls,  in  the  town  of  Highgate  before  he  was  fifteen 
years  old.  In  October,  1S43,  •>£  came  to  Janesville,  and  January  I, 
1844,  went  to  Jefferson  and  built  a  small  saw-mill  for  Darling  &  Ken- 
dall ;  in  1854,  he  went  to  Richland  County,  and  in  1S59  came  to  the 
town  of  Eau  Claire,  now  Washington,  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1863, 
he  sold  out  and  cleared  another  farm  in  Chippewa  County,  eight  miles 
west  of  Chippewa  Falls.  In  1S69,  he  came  to  the  village  of  Eau  Claire, 
where  he  has  since  remained,  excepting  a  year,  in  which  he  lived  in 
Pulaski,  Mo.  He  worked  at  his  trade  most  of  the  time  until  1S76, 
when  he  began  working  on  his  patent  threshing  machine,  the  "  Badger 
State  Economist,"  which  was  patented  Feb.  14.  1S79,  and  is  acknowl- 
edged to  be  the  most  perfect  machine  now  in  use  ;  it  is  manufactured 
by  J.  G.  Thorp,  J.  F.  Gilbert,  Chapman  and  W.  A.  Rust,  they  having  a 
contract  and  paying  to  Mr.  Monteith  a  royalty.  Mr.  Monteith  was 
married  in  the  town  of  Summit,  Waukesha  Co.,  March  25,  1S50,  to  Mary 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


329 


lane  Riley,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  They  have  four  children  living — 
Emma  Jane.  Joseph  Samuel,  William  Arthur  and  Rosetta.  While  in 
Chippewa  County,  Mr.  Monteith  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  two  years, 
and  Clerk  of  a  school  district  for  six.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor.  Mr.  Monteith's  father,  Joseph  Monteith,  was  born  in 
Scotland,  and  died  in  Richland  Co.,  Wis.,  in  April,  1864.  His  moth- 
er, Jane  (Cortes)  Monteith,  was  born  in  Ireland,  of  Scotch  parents, 
and  died  in  Jefferson  County,  in  December,  1S52. 

ARCHIBALD  MONTGOMERY,  head  sawyer,  Daniel  Shaw  Lum- 
ber Company,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  located  at 
Chippewa  City,  and  was  employed  in  a  saw-mill.  He  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1868,  and  has  since  been  employed  in  his  present  capacity. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  temperance  society,  Temple  of  Honor, 
for  three  years.  He  was  born  in  Scotland,  in  1S43,  and  came  to  America 
in  the  Spring  of  1866.  Was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Dec.  6,  1870,  to 
Imogene  Cushner,  who  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  two  children, 
Jessie  and  William. 

J.  F.  MOORE,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1852,  and  en- 
gaged in  civil  engineering  on  the  Milwaukee,  Fond  du  Lac  &  Green 
Bay  Air  Line  Railroad,  spending  the  following  Winter  in  Milwaukee  and 
New  England.  From  1853  to  1856,  he  was  employed  on  the  Milwaukee 
&  La  Crosse  R.  R.,  being  resident  engineer  a  part  of  the  time.  Previous 
to  his  coming  West,  he  had  been  engaged  in  civil  engineering  on  what 
was  known  as  a  continuation  of  the  New  York  Broad  Gauge  Railway, 
from  Canandaigua  to  Niagara  Falls.  In  August,  1856,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  and  laid  out  the  west  side,  platting  it,  as  an  engineer,  for  others. 
In  the  Fall  of  1856,  he  made  a  survey  for  projected  line  of  railway  from 
La  Crosse  to  Prairie  du  Chien.  In  February,  1857,  he  returned  to  Eau 
Claire  for  permanent  residence,  opened  a  real  estate  office,  and  was 
Clerk  of  the  Court  from  Jan.  I,  1859,  to  Jan.  I,  1865  ;  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  Town  Board,  and  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  for  several  years; 
from  April,  18S0,  to  April,  lS8i,  he  was  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  was  in 
the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  from  1S65  to  1872,  and  from  1872 
until  his  resignation,  in  February,  18S0,  he  was  Deputy  Internal  Revenue 
Collector  of  die  Second  Division  of  the  Sixth  District,  embracing  eight 
counties.  Since  then,  he  has  been  engaged  in  insurance  business  and 
farming,  being  the  owner  of  two  farms.  He  was  born  Dec.  18,  1832.  in 
the  town  of  Bedford,  N.  H.,  residing  there  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  Canandaigua,  and  studied  medicine  three  years, though 
he  never  practiced  it,  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M..  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery.  He  was  Deputy 
Provost  Marshal  for  Eau  Claire  County  during  the  last  three  years  of  the 
war.     He  has  one  son,  Frank. 

DELOS  R.  MOON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  at  Ellery  Center,  Chau- 
tauqua Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  29,  1835,  and  moved  with  his  mother  to  Auro- 
ra, Kane  Co.,  111.,  in  1844,  living  there  until  1857,  and  reaching  Eau 
Claire  on  Aug.  i,  of  that  year.  He  was  employed  by  Hall  &  Bros,  to 
take  charge  of  the  bank  bearing  their  name,  which  had  been  organized 
under  State  laws  and  was  one  of  the  first  banks  in  the  place.  In  1861, 
he  left  the  bank  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  He  is  president 
of  the  Chippewa  Valley  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Co.;  is  vice-presi- 
dent of  Shell  Lake  Lumber  Co.  at  Shell  Lake,  in  Burnett  County.  He 
was  married  in  Aurora,  Oct.  12,  185S,  to  Sally  F.  Oilman,  who  was  born 
near  Granville,  Licking  Co.,  Ohio.  They  have  seven  children — L.  Gil- 
man,  Frank  H  ,  Angle,  Sumner  Gilbert,  Chester,  Pauline  and  Delos. 

HENRY  G.  MORGAN,  M.  D.,  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1S69,  and  located  at  Alma,  where  he  practiced  for  two  years.  Came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1871,  and  has  been  practicing  here  since.  He  was 
born  in  Brecksville,  Ohio,  and  was  educated  at  Chicago  Medical  Col 
lege.     Graduating  in  the  Spring  of  1868. 

EDWARD  MUNDEN,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  Nov. 
29,  1S32,  his  mother  dying  when  he  was  an  infant.  His  earliest  years  were 
spent  in  New  Yoik  City,  and  when  he  was  six  years  old  he  came  with 
his  father  to  Geneva,  Walworth  Co.  When  he  was  but  eight  years  old 
his  father  died  and  he  was  afterward  obliged  to  depend  upon  his  own 
exertions  for  a  living.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S55,  and  engaged  in 
painting.  He  was  the  first  painter  in  Eau  Claire  and  drew  the  first 
paint  brush  on  a  house  in  this  place.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in 
trading  in  produce,  etc.,  for  four  or  five  years,  then  in  the  grocery  and 
provision  trade,  until  he  was  burned  out  in  January  1870,  when  he  began 
trading  in  machinery,  wagons  and  buggies  ;  he  has  also  been  interested 
in  the  hardware  business  since  the  Spring  of  1881.  He  has  been  Dep- 
uty Sheriff.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  has  held 
various  offices  in  the  lodge.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1S56,  to  Caroline  Jones,  who  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
They  have  three  children— Ira  J.,  Nellie  L.  and  Fredk.  A. 

ARCHIE  W.  MUNGER,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
•Sharon,  Potter  Co.,  Pa.,  July  11,  1846.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  184th  Pa. 
V.  I.,  Feb.  29.  1S64,  and  served  until  Sept.  i,  1S64,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  left  arm,  the  result  of  wounds  re- 
ceived at  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  10,  1864.  He  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  in  West  Eau  Claire  in  the  Spring  of  1870,  and  engaged  in  lum- 
bering.    In  the  Fall  of  1880,  he  was  elected  Sheriff.     He  was  married 


in  Wausau,  April  21,  1876,  to  Tirseah  A.  Lancaster,  who  was  born  in 
Port  Huron,  Mich.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Leonard  L.  and  Sarah  Lan- 
caster, who  came  to  Wisconsin  at  an  early  day. 

WILLIAM  A.  MURRAY,  first  blacksmith,  of  Daniel  Shaw  Lum- 
ber Co.,  Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1868,  and  located  at  Clin- 
ton Junction  for  one  year.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1869,  and  remained 
a  short  time,  and  then  went  to  Menomonie,  in  employ  of  Knapp,  Stout 
&  Co.,  where  he  remained  for  over  three  years.  Then  he  went  into 
business  for  a  short  time  on  own  account.  Returned  to  Eau  Claire  in 
1873  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  He  also  carries 
on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the  city.  He 
was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  in  1844,  and  came  to  United  States  in  1866. 
Married,  in  Menomonie,  Dec.  17,  1870,  to  Saiah  M.  Green.  Born  in 
State  of  Iowa.  They  have  three  children  —  James  W.,  Charles  S.  and 
Frank  L. 

RICHARD  MURPHY,  farmer,  Eau  Claire.  Born  in  Canada,  March 
4,  1822,  came  to  United  States,  June,  1867.  Married  at  Dundas  Co.,  Can- 
ada, in  1847,  to  Agnes  Thompson.  Has  had  ten  children,  of  which 
eight  survive— William  R.,  Eliza  A.,  Julia  E.,  John  C,  Agnes,  Berenice 
M.,  Richard  H.  and  James  A. 

OLE  NESS,  dealer  in  furniture  of  all  kinds,  also  undertaker,  112 
Bridge  street,  W.  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway,  July  31,  1841.  Lo- 
cated in  Eau  Claire  in  July,  1869.  He  worked  in  Mayhew's  furniture 
shop  for  five  years,  and  was  for  several  years  engaged  in  carpenter  work, 
about  three  years  in  the  shop  of  Bangs  &  Fish.  In  November,  1879,  he 
commenced  furniture  business  for  himself.  Messrs.  Anderson  &  Fors- 
dahl  were  associated  with  him  at  first.  In  June,  1S80,  Mr.  Forsdahl 
sold  his  interest  to  his  partners,  and  Jan.  8,  1S81,  Mr.  Ness  purchased 
the  entire  business,  and  is  now  sole  proprietor  of  the  Norway  Furniture 
Co.  He  was  married  in  Norway  to  Martha  Johansen.  She  died  in  Eau 
Claire  in  1875,  leaving  two  children,  Richard  and  Bernard.  In  1S76, 
Mr.  Ness  was  again  married  to^Miss  P.  Peterson.  She  died  May  10, 
1881,  leaving  two  children,  Julius  and  Martin.  Mr.  N.  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

WILLIAM  NEWTON,  proprietor  of  the  Eau  Claire  House,  came 
to  Milwaukee  in  the  Spring  of  1848,  and  in  1851  went  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
where  he  remained  until  1858,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  en- 
gaged in  the  clothing  business  for  two  years,  then  conducted  a  restaur- 
ant for  six  years,  and  in  1868  became  proprietor  of  an  hotel,  at  first 
owning  but  a  half  interest  in  the  building,  but  the  following  year  pur- 
chasing the  entire  interest.  Starting  in  a  frame  building  of  twenty 
rooms,  he  has  made  improvements  from  time  to  time  and  now  has  an 
elegant  brick  structure  of  fifty-three  rooms.  The  old  building  has  been 
moved  and  is  now  called  "  Hart's  Hotel."  The  Eau  Claire  House  was 
the  first  hotel  in  the  place.  Since  purchasing  it  Mr.  Newton  has  been 
sole  proprietor.  He  was  born  in  Crogden,  Surrey  Co.,  England,  Oct.  i, 
1825,  and  came  from  there  to  Milwaukee.  He  was  married  in  1846,  in 
County  Kent,  England,  to  Mary  F.  Barnett,  who  is  also  a  native  of 
England.  They  have  four  children  —  Elizabeth  Barnett  (now  Mrs. 
Frank  Dick),  Charles  B.  (now  with  his  father),  Sarah  and  Hattie  B. 

DR.  JAMES  H.  NOBLE,  homeopathic  physician  and  surgeon,  Eau 
Claire,  was  born  in  Madison,  March  30,  1S51,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
Dvvight  and  Sarah  Titus  Noble,  both  now  living.  He  was  educated  at 
Wisconsin  University,  and  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Bowen,  of  Madi- 
son. He  graduated  fiom  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  in 
February,  1871.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire,  March  30  of  that  year,  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  married  to  his  present 
wife,  Cora  Youker,  May  29,  1879.  They  have  one  son  James  Bowen. 
Dr.  Noble  is  a  member  of  the  Hahnemann  Medical  Society. 

AUGUST  NYQUIST,  merchant  tailor,  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  the 
Summer  of  1879,  and  has  engaged  in  tailoring  work  since  he  was  four- 
teen years  old,  and  has  the  largest  establishment  of  that  kind  in  the 
city,  employing  six  men.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Dec.  22,  1S44,  and 
came  to  America  in  1S76,  locating  at  Winona,  Minn.,  where  he  lived 
until  coming  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married  at  the  former  place,  Dec. 
25,  1873,  to  Louisa  Christina  Sampson,  who  was  born  in  Winona  Co. 
(town  of  Homer),  Minn.  They  have  three  sons  —  Frank  Edward,  Carl 
Gilbert  and  Dwight  August.  Mr.  Nyquist  is  a  member  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor  and  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

GEORGE  OLESON,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  La  Crosse,  in  June,  1866, 
and  remained  there  for  two  or  three  years,  when  he  came  to  Porter's 
Mills,  and  worked  in  the  mills  for  four  years.  In  1872,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire  and  engaged  in  the  livery  business  on  the  north  side;  his  stable 
is  now  located  on  Wisconsin  street,  near  corner  of  Barslow.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  May  22,  1S45,  and  came  direct  to  La  Crosse  from  his 
native  land.  He  has  been  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  for  two  years, 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  was  married  in 
Eau  Claire,  Sept.  12,  1872,  to  Mary  Peterson,  who  w.is  also  bom  m 
Norway.     They  have  two  children,  .Mfred  L.  and  Emma. 

PETER  OLESON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Norway,  Sept.  13, 1841, 
and  came  to  America  in  1868,  locating  in  La  Crosse,  where  he  remained 
three  months.  In  the  Fall  of  1868,  came  to  E.au  Claire,  and  engaged 
in  lumbering  and  logging  until  the  Fall  of  1874,  when  he  opened  aboard- 


33° 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ing  house.  Continued  that  for  one  year,  when  he  entered  into  partner- 
ship Willi  his  brother  George,  in  the  livery  business,  in  which  he  is  now 
engaged,  lie  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in  November,  1S70.  to  Mary 
Johnson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  two  children,  Julius 
Oliver  and  Edward  Henry. 

JOHN  S.  OWEM.  lumberman  and  farmer.  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of 
John  G.  Owen,  a  lumberman  at  East  Sapinaw,  Mich.  He  was  born  in 
Clarksion,  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  May  I,  1S49,  and  lived  there  unlil  1S63, 
when  he  moved  to  Waterford.  In  1S67,  he  went  to  Saginaw,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in 
August.  1S73.  and  engaged  in  lumbering,  logging  and  farming.  He  was 
married  in  Ea't  Saginaw,  Jan.  10.  1S72,  10  Cora  M.  Rust,  a  native  of 
that  city.  Tliey  have  three  children —Almey  Rust,  John  G.  and 
Jessie  W. 

DR.  EDWARD  H.  PARICER  came  to  Eau  Claire,  July  12,  1S79. 
He  was  born  at  Harlford,  Washington  Co.,  in  November.  1854,  and 
moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  when  ihirleen  years  of  age.  In  1S76,  he  gradu- 
ated from  ihe  Fond  du  Lac  High  School :  then  read  medicine  with  Drs. 
Palchen  and  Bishop,  of  ihat  place;  he  graduated  at  Hahnemann  Med- 
ical College,  Chicago,  and  had  one  year's  experience  as  house  surgeon  of 
ahospiiaf;  he  commenced  praciice  in  Eau  Claire  in  1S79.  wilh  Dr. 
Dwight  W.  Day,  and  remained  with  him  unlil  May.  iSSl.  He  was 
married  in  Chicago,  Dec.  25,  iSSo,  to  Miss  Anna  Stella  Claike,  a  native 
of  that  cily. 

ALUERSON  C.  PECK,  passenger  engineer,  C.  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R. 
R.,  Eau  Claire,  came  10  Wisconsin  in  1S57,  and  located  at  Tomah  ;  he 
ran  a  stationary  engine  for  four  years,  and  was  then  fireman  on  M.  &  St. 
P.  R.  K.,  running  out  of  Milwaukee,  for  four  years;  afteiwaid,  pro- 
moted to  engineer,  which  position  he  filled  for  about  three  years.  He 
relumed  to  Tomah  and  opened  the  Kockwood  House,  in  llie  Fall  of 
1S67  :  carried  it  on  for  two  years,  then  .engaged  wilh  ihe  C,  St.  P.,  M. 
&  O.  R.  R.  Co.,  in  the  consUuclion  depariment  ;  aflerward,  as  passen- 
ger engineer;  Ihen  two  years  as  master  mechanic ;  llien,  again,  as  pas- 
senger engineer,  in  which  capacity  he  has  been  since.  Came  lo  Enu 
Claire  lo  reside  about  nine  years  ago.  He  was  born  in  Freedom,  N.  V., 
Sept.  7.  1S40,  and  married  some  years  ago  ;  he  has  ihree  children — Annie 
May,  Vernon  and  Ida  ISelle. 

JOHN  PETTEPIIER,  carpenter  and  builder,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  June  23,  iS^Q.and  located  at  Portage;  he  followed  farming 
and  carpcniering  up  lo  1S56,  and  then  came  lo  Eau  Claire.  He  built 
James  Reid  block,  in  1S57.  assisted  in  building  Eau  Claire  Hotel  block, 
and  several  private  residences;  owns  a  farm  of  200  acres,  mostly  im- 
proved, four  miles  out  of  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  England,  Dec.  26, 
1815  ;  married  there,  Jan.  31,  1S37.  to  Maiy  .\nn  King,  who  was  born 
in  London  ;  they  came  to  America  in  1S49. 

S.  II.  PHILLIPS,  filer.  Dells  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born 
in  Canada  West,  Feb  S,  1S31.  Came  West  wilh  his  parents,  about 
1845.  They  settled  in  Manitowoc  County.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
engaged  in  filing,  milling  and  sawing  in  Manitowoc  County,  and  from 
there  he  went  to  .Sauk  County,  remaining  about  ihree  years.  In  ihe 
year  1S69.  he  moved  to  Eau  Claire,  and  in  1S73,  engaged  in  the  mill 
where  he  is  at  present.  Was  married,  Feb.  12,  1S56,  at  Two  Rivers, 
Manitowoc  Co..  to  Martha  Kingsland.  They  have  had  nine  children  ; 
eight  survive— Eslelle  (now  Mrs.  A.  McDonald),  Annie  L..  Mary  E., 
Minnie,  Ilallie,  Eva,  Maltie,  Fred.  Is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  of 
Manitowoc. 

BENTLEY  S.  PHILLIPS  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S63,  but  at  the 
close  ol  the  Summer,  returned  to  New  York  Cily,  and  in  1S65,  came 
again  to  Eau  Claire,  engaging  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  employed 
by  Wilson  &  Foster,  by  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Co.  and  llie  Eau 
Claire  Lumber  Co.  He  left  the  employ  of  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co. 
in  January,  1S77,  and  was  elected  Cily  Treasurer  the  following  April. 
He  is  now  serving  his  filth  term  as  Cily  Treasurer,  and  is  in  the  whole- 
sale and  retail  grocery  business,  in  partnership  wilh  John  Hunner.  under 
the  firm  name  of  Phillips  &  Hunner;  they  established  this  business  in 
February,  iSSl.  Mr.  Phillips  was  born  in  Westville,  Franklin  Co.,  N. 
Y..  July  4.  1S44,  and  when  six  years  of  age,  came  wilh  his  parents  to 
Waushara  County.  In  1S54,  he  reUirned  to  Malone,  Franklin  Co,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  enlisled.  and  May  15,  1S61,  he  was  mustered  into  the  U.  S. 
service,  in  Co  I,  161I1  N.  Y.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  at  the  close  of  two  years 
service,  was  mustered  out.  Me  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Aug.  20, 
186S,  to  Isabella  Nary,  who  was  born  in  Maine.  They  have  one  child 
living,  Kate  A.;  Iheir  only  son  was  drowned,  July  7,  1S80,  aged  seven 
years.  Mr.  Phillips  is  a  member  of  the  I.O.O.  F.,  Encampment,  Knights 
of  Pylhias,  and  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

C.  A.  PIPER,  1st  engineer,  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
was  born  in  Somerset  County,  Me.,  Jan.  23,  1833  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1857  ;  located  at  Eau  Claire,  and  has  been  employed  wilh  the  Daniel 
Shaw  Lumber  Co.  since,  first  as  sawyer,  and  for  some  years  as  engineer. 
Is  a  member  of  Knighls  of  Pylhias,  of  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married 
in  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  June  12,  1S56,  to  Annie  Ilulchins,  who  was 
born  in  Maine.  They  celebrated  llie  twcniy-fifih  anniversary  of  their 
wedding,  in  June  last! 


JOHN  P.  PINKUM,  of  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S55,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  Was  employed  as  car- 
penter and  millwright  unlil  1S62  ;  then  employed  by  Dole,  Ingram  & 
Kennedy,  as  engineer  in  saw  mill  for  one  season;  assisted  in  building 
present  saw  mill,  in  the  Fall  of  1S63,  for  Ingram.  Kennedy  &  Co.;  he  was 
then  a  partner  in  the  concern.  The  firm,  in  iSSi,  formed  into  what  is 
now  called  ihe  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  and  acts 
as  manager  of  ihe  mills  for  that  company.  He  was  born  in  Starks, 
Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  Aug.  26.  1S34.  W.as  married  in  Orleans,  N.  Y.,  April 
12,  1S55,  to  Elmira  Hooker,  who  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have 
four  children  living — Nellie,  Nella,  Myra  and  Annie.      They  have  lost 

E.  IT.  PLAYTER,  druggist,  came  to  Eau  Claire.  June  S.  1S57.  and 
engaged  in  lumbering  business  wilh  Ingram  &  Kennedy  for  five  years; 
then,  after  being  in  drug  business  for  four  or  five  years,  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Ingram  &  Kennedy  again  for  seven  years.  He  was  the  first  City 
Tieasurer,  serving  five  consecutive  terms  ;  he  was  Town  Treasurer  of  the 
old  town  of  West  Eau  Claire,  in  1S62,  and  held  that  office  most  of  Ihe 
time  until  the  organization  of  the  city  ;  he  has  been  Treasurer,  for  about 
ten  years,  of  the  West  Side  Joint  School  District  No.  3.  He  established 
his  present  business  in  1S74.  in  prrtnership  with  L.  E.  Lalimer,  who  still 
continues  wilh  him.  Mr.  Playter  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada  West, 
Jan.  I,  1S39,  and  lived  there,  wilh  the  exception  of  one  year,  until  he 
came  lo  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  in  December.  1S62, 
to  Mirie  U.  Denison,  who  was  born  in  Madison  Counly,  N.  Y.,  and  died, 
Jan.  6,  iSSo,  leaving  two  children,  Charles  H.  and  Owen  D.  Mrs.  Play- 
ter was  a  daughter  of  U.  T.  and  Mary  (Randall)  Denison.  She  came 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1S57.  where  her  father  died  ;  her  mother  is  slill  living 
here.     Mr.  Playter  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

GEORGE  W.  PRESCOTT,  vice-president  Dells  Lumber  Co.,  Eau 
Claire,  was  born  in  Relknap  Co.,  N.  H.,  Sept.  13.  1S37,  and  came  West 
wilh  his  parents,  in  1855.  who  settled  in  CoUimbia  Counly.  Mr.  Pres- 
colt  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S56.  and  engaged  in  different  branches  of 
the  lumbering  business.  Two  years  previous  10  forming  firm  of  Prescott 
&  Inirdelt,  \\'as  engai^ed  in  steamboaling  on  the  river  in  the  capacity  of 
engineer.  In  the  year  1S67,  built  mills  which  were  aflerward  transferred 
to  present  company.  Married  in  the  cily  of  Fond  du  Lac.  to  Miss  Clara 
Clark.  They  have  two  children.  Matlie  and  Ida.  Mr.  P.  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  Fraternity. 

HENRY  C.  PUTNAM,  banker,  came  to  Eau  Claire  as  a  civil  en- 
gineer, and  laid  out  the  present  town.  He  was  born  in  Madison,  N.Y., 
March  6,  1S32.  and  is  a  son  of  Hamilton  and  Jeanetle  Cleavland  Put- 
nam (both  living  now,  and  residing  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.Y.)  They  are 
the  tenth  generation  from  the  original  Putnam  family,  five  removes  fiom 
Gen.  Putnam.  Mr.  II.  C.  Putnam  lived  in  Cortland  unlil  he  was  eighleen 
_years  old,  when  he  commenced  railroad  engineering,  having  graduated 
after  a  three  years  course  in  the  Gold  Engineering  .School  in  Connecticut. 
He  was  employed  Ihree  years  on  ihe  New  Yoik  railroads,  two  and  one- 
half  in  Florida.  Soulh  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  in  civil  engineering.  In 
lSs5,  he  came  to  Hudson,  and  was  connected  with  the  North  Wiscon- 
sin, and  Milwaukee  &  Prairie  du  Chien  roads  about  a  year ;  was  then 
engaged  in  surveying  and  locating  lands  in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota, 
and  came  to  Eau  Claire.  May  23.  1S57.  He  has  been  Counly  Surveyor 
fen  years,  Register  of  Deeds  eight  years;  from  1864  to  1S70.  was  acting 
Register  of  United  States  Land  Office,  and  has  held  various  other  offices. 
He  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Chippewa  Valley  Bank,  and  is  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Dells  Improvement  Co.,  besides  being  connected 
with  various  other  enterprises.  Mr.  Putnam  is  a  member  of  the  Amer- 
ican Association  of  Mining  Engineers,  and  is  Special  United  Stale  Cen- 
sus Agent,  having  charge  of  Forestry  Depariment.  He  was  married  at 
Eau  Claire,  Aug.  8.  1S58,  to  Jane  E.  Balcom.  who  was  born  in  Oxford, 
Chenango  Co.,  N.Y.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Harry  Balcom,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  that  place.  They  have  two  children  living.  Ernest  B  ,  born 
in  October,  1S60,  and  Sara  Lynn,  born  in  October,  1S62.  Lost  four 
children. 

SIGVALD  A.  QVALE,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Haugesund,  Nor- 
way, July  iS,  iS53.and  came  to  America,  July  4,  1S68,  locating  in  Roch- 
ester, Minn.  In  1871,  he  went  to  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  being  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  in  those  places.  In  ihe  Fall  of  1872,  he 
removed  to  Hudson,  and  was  clerk  and  interpreter  for  the  railway  com- 
pany there  until  1878,  when  he  went  to  Europe,  and.  returning  to  Min- 
neapolis became  a  real  estate  and  loan  agent.  In  May,  iSSi,  he  came 
to  Eau  Claire.  lie  is  slill  in  real  estate  and  loan  business,  and  is  agent 
for  the  sale  of  lands  belonging  to  the  Chicago,  -St.  Paul  &  Minneapolis, 
&  Omaha  Railway  Co. 

EDGAR  II.  RAND.\LL,  carriage  and  sign  painter,  Eau  Claire,  has 
been  in  business  since  the  Spring  of  1S79.  Em]>loys  three  assistants. 
Was  born  in  Madison,  May  5,  1S55;  came  lo  Eau  Claire  wilh  his  parents 
in  1S56.  Received  his  education  in  Eau  Claire,  with  the  exception  of 
one  term  in  St.  Paul  Business  College.  Learned  his  trade  in  Eau  Claire. 
Son  of  Mr.  Adin  Randall,  deceased. 

THOMAS  E.  RANDALL,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Parsonsfield,  York  Co.,  Me.,  June  6,  1S13.    He  was  not  quite  a  year  old 


HISTORY  OF  EAU    CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


when  his  parents,  John  and  Sarah  Hanson  Randall,  moved  to  the  town 
of  Baldwin,  now  Sebago,  Me.,  where  they  lived  until  he  was  nine  years 
old,  when  they  went  to  what  is  now  the  town  of  Maxfield.  Penobscot  Co., 
Me.,  where  he  lived  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  chiefly  engaged 
in  lumbering,  for  his  father.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
China  Academy,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  latter  institute,  which  is  situ- 
ated in  the  town  of  China,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.  After  graduating  and 
reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  went  to  Eiizabethtown,  N.  J.,  and 
taught  school  there  four  months.  He  was  then  engaged  as  foreman  of 
public  works,  grading  hills  in  Jersey  City  (or  three  months.  He  was 
employed  for  a  year  on  the  New  York  &  Erie  Railway,  doing  the  first 
work  on  that  road  as  superintendent  for  a  firm  of  contractors  employed 
in  its  construction.  In  the  Fall  of  1S36.  he  came  to  Illinois  and  engaged 
in  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  cS:  Michigan  Canal,  as  superintend- 
ent for  contractors  until  June,  1S37,  when  he  obtained  a  position  in  the 
engineering  department  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railway,  remaining  there 
(our  months.  He  was  then  employed  for  six  weeks  on  the  Northern 
Cross  railway,  from  Danville  to  Quincy.  He  afterward  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  Muscatine  Co.,  Iowa,  for  nine  years.  In  1S45,  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire  County.  He  was  married  in  Rockingham,  now  a  part  of 
Davenport,  lown,  March  17,  1S43,  to  Maria  Jane  Foster,  who  was  born 
at  Michigan  Cily,  Ind.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Foster,  and  died 
April  2r).  1S69.  They  had  seven  children,  four  of  whom  died.  The 
three  living  are  Elba  Howard,  Ma.y  A.  and  Charles  E.  Mr.  Randall's 
present  wife  was  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Hall,  iiee  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Harreford,  Lower  Canada,  and  when  eleven  years  of  age  moved 
with  her  parents  to  Vermont,  near  Burlington,  where  she  was  reared. 
Mr.  Randall  has  several  times  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  member  of 
the  School  Tioard,  and,  since  coming  here,  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  place. 

ADIN  RANDALL  (dece-ased),  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Brookfield, 
Madison  Co.,  N.Y.,  Oct.  12.  iS2q;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S54.  located 
at  Madison,  and  moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  1856.  Married  at  ISrookfiekl, 
March  S,  1S52.  to  Miss  Clemanzie  liabcock.  Had  six  children,  of  whom 
three  survive — Nellie,  widow  W.  Palmer,  Dora,  now  Mrs.  William 
Bowen.  Edgar,  in  business  in  Eau  Claire.  Mrs.  Randall  is  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ransin  Babcock,  Mrs.  Babcock's  maiden  name  being  Man- 
dana  Foole.  They  were  married  in  Madison  Co..  N.Y.,  and  had  seven 
children  —  Oscar,  Clemarzia  (Mrs.  Randall),  Sarah  (now  Mrs.  H.  Hull), 
Mary  (now  Mrs.  Dcwiit  Clark),  Celia,  Augusta  (now  Mrs.  H.  Palmer), 
Gansevoort,  died  in  infancy. 

ALLEN  P.  ROBERTS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Ashtabula,  Ohio, 
Sept.  6.  1S44.  and  resided  there  until  he  was  four  or  five  years  old,  when 
he  moved  to  Michigan,  where  he  remained  until  1855,  when  he  located 
at  Reed's  Landing.  Minn.  In  iS6t.  he  enlisted,  was  rejected,  and  went 
to  Hillsdale.  Mich.  Leaving  there  in  1S75,  he  went  to  Wabasha,  Minn., 
and  in  1S77,  cime  from  there  to  Eau  Claire.  He  has  worked  as  a  ma- 
chinist since  the  Fall  of  1S61.  He  was  married  in  Hillsdale,  Mich., 
Jan.  25.  iS6g.  to  Maltie  M.  Morris,  who  was  born  in  Hebron,  Ind.  They 
have  one  child,  Edward  M. 

WILLIAM  ROWE.  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Rowe,  Eau  Claire,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1857  with  his  parents,  Heniy  B.  and  Lucinda  (Biesick- 
er)  Rowe,  uho  locaied  in  Mondovi,  Buffalo  Co.  Mr.  Rowe  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1S67,  and  engaged  in  clerking  for  W.  H.  Smith  ;  was  with  him 
seven  years,  when  he  established  business  for  himself,  in  partnership 
with  Stillman  J.  Smith,  his  present  partner.  He  was  born  in  Brown- 
town,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa..  Dec.  31.  1849,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  He  married  in  Hemmingford,  Quebec,  Sept.  27,  1876, 
Mary  A.  Reay,  who  was  born  in  that  place.  They  have  one  son,  Clar- 
ence H.     Mr.  Rowe  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

THOMAS  H.  RUSSELL,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Bangor,  Me., 
Jan.  12,  1S41  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S64.  Prior  to  coming  West,  he 
had  been  first  mate  of  an  ocean  merchant  ship,  having  been  a  seaman 
since  he  was  thirteen  years  old.  When  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  he  com- 
menced working  in  the  woods  as  a  common  laborer.  In  1S66,  he  be- 
came foreman  of  the  logging  camps  for  Smith  &  Buffington,  and  contin- 
ued with  them  in  that  capacity  until  the  Yalley  Lumber  Co.  was  organ- 
ized, and  since  then  he  has  occupied  the  same  position  with  that  com- 
pany. He  is  the  oldest  foreman  now  running  camp  on  the  Chippewa 
waters.  With  a  crew  of  fifty-six  men  he  cut  5,600,000  feet  of  logs  dur- 
ing a  period  of  100  days  in  1S76,  that  being  the  largest  cut  on  record  for 
the  same  length  of  time  and  so  small  a  gang  of  men.  He  was  married 
in  Eau  Claire,  in  1S74,  to  Elizabeth  Horton,  a  native  of  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.  Mr.  Russell  served  in  the  U.  S.  N.  as  sailmaker's  mate,  from  Aug. 
16,  1S61,  to  September,  1862. 

W.  A.  RUST,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Saginaw,  Mich.,  and  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1S71.  Feb.  15,  1872,  the  Bank  of  Eau  Claire 
commenced  business,  with  F.  W.  Woodward,  president,  and  W.  A.  Rust, 
cashier,  these  two  gentlemen  owning  the  bank.  The  First  National  was 
organized  in  May,  1873,  and  Mr.  Rust  was  cashier  of  that  institution  un- 
til 1S75,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  elected  secretary  of  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.  in  August,  1S75,  and  has  since  continued  in  that  position. 
He  is  a  stockholder  and   director  of  the   Badger  State   Lumber  Co.,  lo- 


ELDRED  G.  SACKETT,  foreman  Mayhew  &  Co.'s  flouring  mill. 
Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855.  and  lived  with  his  parents. 
Commenced  working  in  mills  in  Chippewa  County,  in  1S75,  and  was  em- 
ployed twelve  years  with  Smith,  Brooks  &  McAuley,  millers;  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  November,  18S0,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity.  Enlisted, 
Feb.  15,  1865,  in  21st  Wis.  I. ;  served  to  May  3,  1865.  Owns,  in  con- 
nection with  sister,  Ede  C.  Raven,  200  acres  of  land,  sixty  acres  im- 
proved, in  Chippewa  County.  Was  born  in  State  of  Ohio,  December, 
1849. 

JAMES  F.  SALSBURY,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating 
in  Hudson,  in  1S76.  remaining  there  a  year.  He  came  lo  Eau  Claire, 
and  has  been  associated  with  Josepli  F.  Ellis  in  the  practice  of  law  for 
the  last  year  and  a  half  He  was  born  in  Brockport.  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  7,  1849.  His  father,  Guy  M.  Ellis,  moved,  with  his  family,  to 
Lakeland,  Washington  Co.,  Minn.,  in  1S53.  being  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  there  :  is  now  a  resident  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.  J.  F.  Salsbury  was 
educated  in  St.  Paul  and  at  Michigan  .State  University,  graduating 
from  the  latter  institution  in  1871.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S71 
and  commenced  practice  in  St.  Paul.  He  was  married  at  Hudson,  July 
16,  1876,  to  Mary  A.  White,  a  daughter  of  Delos  White,  of  that  place. 
They  have  one  child,  Mildred  V. 

CHARLES  D.  SANDERS,  superintendent  of  railroad  shipping  and 
weighing  department  of  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  was  born  in  Water- 
town,  Jefferson  Co..  N.  Y..  May  17,  1835;  came  to  Chicago  in  1S55. 
Resided  there  until  April,  18S1,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  While  in 
Chicago  he  represented  various  lumber  interests,  being  engaged  in  vari- 
ous departments  of  that  trade,  and  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  business  in  all  its  branches.  Mr.  Sanders  was  married  in  Chicago, 
luly  12,  1875,  'o  Martha  D.  Wilson.  She  was  born  in  Berrien  Co., 
Mich. 

HERMAN  SCHLEGELMILCH,  dealer  in  shelf  and  heavy  hard- 
ware, Eau  Claire,  came  to  Beaver  Dam,  Dodge  Co.,  in  July,  1855.  and 
remained  there  until  i860,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  in  the  Fall  of 
that  year  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  engaged  in  gun  making,  having  been 
a  gunsmith  since  1S44.  In  1S67.  he  added  hardware  to  his  establish- 
ment. He  was  born  in  Prussia,  May  19.  1830,  and  came  to  America  in 
1853.  He  was  in  New  York.  Pennsylvania  and  Illinois  before  coming 
to  Wisconsin.  He  was  married  at  Beaver  Dam,  March  28,  1S58,  to  Au- 
gusta Krueger,  who  was  born  in  Mecklenburg.  They  have  five  children, 
one  son  and  four  daughters. 

AUGUST  SCHMIDT,  saloon,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Jan- 
uary, 1S76,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire;  was  for  three  years  engaged  as 
bartender.  Then  commenced  saloon  business  in  partnership  with  Julius 
Stulp  ;  continued  business  together  for  some  two  years,  and  has  since 
been  alone.  Born  in  Germany,  Aug.  19.  1S47:  came  to  America,  Janu- 
ary,  1876;  married  in  Germany,  April  27.  1S71,  to  Louisa  Kaufman, 
who  was  born  in  Germany.     They  have  one  child,  Louisa. 

SAMUEL  W.  SEARLES,  foreman  of  saw  mill  for  Empire  Lumber 
Co.,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S69,  and  located  at  Portage  for 
one  year  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1870.  Was  employed  on  W.  W.  R.  R. 
bridge  building  for  one  season  ;  then  was  engaged  with  Empire  Lumber 
Co.  for  four  years  as  millwright,  and  since  then  in  his  present  capacity. 
Was  born  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  1S41;  enlisted  in  1S61  in  23rd  N.  Y.  M.  as 
quartermaster's  sergeant ;  served  two  years  and  two  months ;  re-en- 
listed in  1st  N.  Y.  V.  C;  was  in  the  army  of,  and  last  two  years  of 
service  under.  Gen.  Sheridan  ;  lime  of  service  four  years  and  two  months. 
He  was  married  in  South  Virginia,  in  1865,  to  Fannie  Archer,  who 
was  born  in  Virginia.  They  have  five  children — Charles  Archer,  Dora 
A.,  Sarah  E.,  Thomas  J.  and  Mary  F. 

J.  S.  SHAW,  assistant  foreman  in  machine  shop  of  Phcenix  Manu- 
facturing Company,  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S67,  and  worked  ten  years 
with  Noah  Shaw  ;  has  been  in  his  present  place  three  years.  Was  born 
in  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S48,  and  married  Lydia  Coffin,  in  1S76.  Has 
a  family  of  three  children. 

NOAH  SHAW,  proprietor  of  Eagle  Iron  Works,  Eau  Claire,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Hermon,  Me.,  June  19,  1831.  After  the  death  of 
his  mother,  which  occurred  when  he  was  quite  young,  he  was  taken  by 
liis  father,  Samuel  Shaw,  to  New  Hampshire,  where  he  remained  with  a 
relative  a  year  and  a  half.  He  lived  in  Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  old,  and  then  went  to  Old  Town  for  a  year,  and  then  to 
Alma,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  until  November.  1S56,  when 
he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  engineer  and  superintendent  of  the 
Shaw  &  Bullen  Mills  until  he  commenced  business  for  himself,  in  i860, 
by  establishing  foundry  and  machine  shops  in  their  present  location,  in 
a  wooden  building.  The  shops  at  first  contained  no  lathe,  no  plainer 
and  no  drill,  and  emploved  four  men.  He  gradually  increased  his  man- 
ufacturing facilities  until,  in  1866,  he  erected  the  stone  part  of  his  works 
and  at  the  present  time  emplovs  about  fiftv  men.  They  manufacture 
engines,  rotary  saw-mills,  gangedgcrs,  double  and  single  block  shingle- 
mills,  grub-pin  lathes,  and  other  saw  and  flour-mill  machinery,  nrianu- 
facturing  about  $75,000  per  year.     The  original  firm  was   Shaw,  Fisk  & 


332 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Co.,  composed  of  Noah  Shaw,  J.  D.  Fisk,  D.  H.  Ferguson  and  N.  B. 
Grier.  They  did  all  Ihe  work  originally.  In  1S63,  Griersold  out  to  re- 
maining parties.  In  1S64,  Fisk  sold  a  half  interest  to  Dr.  Galloway, 
and  a  half  to  Noah  Shaw.  In  1S67,  Ferguson  .sold  his  interest  to  Dr. 
Galloway,  and  in  1873  or  1S74,  Mr.  Shaw  bought  out  Dr.  Galloway,  and 
has  carried  on  the  business  alone  most  of  the  time  since.     Mr.  S.  was 


charge  of  the  Chippewa  River  Improvement  &  Log  Driving  Company. 
He  was  born  in  Dryden,  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3,  183S,  and  lived 
there  until  twenly-two  or  twenty-three  years  of  age.  In  the  Fall  of 
1S62,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  109th  N.  Y.  V.  I. ;  served  three  years,  and 
was  mustered  out  as  adjutant  of  his  regiment.  During  the  last  year  of 
his  service  he  was  chief  clerk  of  the  post  at  Elmira,  K.  Y.  After  leav- 
ing the  army  he  came  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  and  two  months  later  went  to 
Toledo,  Ohio,  coming  from  there  to  Eau  Claire.  He  has  been  County 
Surveyor.  He  was  married  in  Toledo,  Jan,  10,  1S71,  to  Mary  C.  Coch- 
ran, who  was  born  in  Sandusky,  Ohio.  They  have  two  children,  Charles 
Cochrane  and  Daniel,  Jr. 

F.  R.  SKINNER,  M.  D.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  April 
21,  1831.  His  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Universalist  preachers  of 
New  York  State,  and  was  editor  of  the  Universalist  Magazine  and  Cos- 
/(f/yii/i/cra/f,  a  weekly  paper  published  in  Utica,  and  had  at  one  time 
Dr.  E.  H.  Chapin  working  in  his  office.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  old  Utica  Academy ;  was  at  Clinton  Liberal 
Institute  one  year,  Utica  Academy  five  or  six  years,  and  at  Springfield 
Wesleyan  Academy  preparing  for  college.  He  entered  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  the  Fall  of  1S49,  and  graduated  in  1S52.  He  then  went  to  Cas- 
tleton,  Vt.,  to  study  medicine,  and  graduated  in  1854.  He  attended  a 
course  of  medical  lectures  in  New  York  City,  and  after  reading  awhile 
with  Prof.  Goldsmith,  and  also  Dr.  Bogg.  of  Uiica,  he  took  a  general 
tour  of  the  West  and  Southwest.  He  located  in  Stevens  Point  in  the 
Fall  of  1S55,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine;  was  taken  sick 
in  the  Spring  of  1S56,  and  returned  to  New  York.  He  left  there  and 
settled  in  Eau  Claire,  in  July,  1857,  spending  a  few  months  in  Stillwater, 
Minn.,  learning  banking  business.  In  the  interim,  built  and  started  a 
drug  store  in  Eau  Claire,  which  he  ran  until  Spring,  1S69.  when  he  sold 
out  to  Farr,  French  &  Co.  Not  in  any  business  since.  Married  in  Eau 
Claire,  Jan.  16,  1S64,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Mosier. 

M.  S.  SMITH,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  July  8, 
1S41,  and  ran  away  from  home  and  entered  the  U.  S.  navy  in  1858, 
under  the  name  of  Billy  Smith.  Went  !o  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  sloop 
of  war  "  Constellation,"  with  Commodore  Inman,  and  returned  in  store 
ship  "  Supply"  to  Brooklyn,  in  1859.  In  1S60,  he  went  to  San  Domin- 
go in  the  brig  "John  Shaw,"  of  Machias,  Me.,  returning  to  Philadelphia 
in  the  latter  part  of  October,  lS6l,  and  at  that  time  again  entered  the 
navy,  and  in  the  sloop  of  war  "Brooklyn,"  was  on  the  blockade  off  New 
Orleans.  Was  at  the  capture  of  New  Orleans  and  the  first  fight  at 
Vicksburg.  at  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson,  at  the  bombardment  of  Gal- 
veston. From  there  he  went  to  Cliarleston,  and  then  to  Brooklyn, 
where,  in  the  latter  part  of  1863.  he  left  the  service  on  account  of  dis- 
ability.     In   1864,   he   again   entered  the  service,  finally  leaving  at  the 


ng  as  : 


married  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  to  his  first  wife,  Mary  A.  Dexter.  They  had 
three  children — Ella,  Emma  and  Frank.  His  present  wife  was  Addie 
Waugh,  a  native  of  Mercer,  Somerset  Co.,  Me.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  ^L,  and  has  received  all  degrees  except  the  32d,  and  was  one 
of  the  charter  members  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  K.  of  P.  He  is  Alder- 
man of  the  Fourth  Ward,  serving  his  fourth  year  ;  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  one  term,  and  Village  Assessor  prior  to  the 
city's  incorporation. 

LOREN  A.  SIT.\W,  lumbering  and  farming,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S70,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business  since.  He  was  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Henry  Shaw,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  one  year 
ago.  He  owns  a  farm  of  200  acres,  improved,  situated  in  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, seven  miles  from  Eau  Claire.  He  was  born  in  Indu5ti7,  Me.,  May 
22,  1838,  and  married  there,  Sept.  11,  1867,  to  Anna  Luce,  also  a  native 
of  Industry.     They  have  one  d.-iughter,  Ida  A. 

MPnS.  HENRY  S.  SHAW,  widow  of  Henry  S.  Shaw,  Eau  Claire, 
is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (.Sales)  Hutchins.  Mr.  James 
Hutchins  was  born  in  Industry,  Me.,  and  came  West  in  1S51,  locating  in 
Illinois.  He  kept  the  Kewaunee  House  in  Henry  Co.,  111.,  a  number 
of  years.  After  spending  some  lime  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  he  settled  at 
Eau  Claire  about  1865.  He  engaged  in  business  as  contractor  and 
builder.  He  was  married  at  Lawrence,  Mass.,  Sept.  20,  1849.  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Sales,  of  Dover,  N.  H.,  and  diedin  Eau  Claire,  Sept.  28,  1875. 
His  children  are:  Nettie,  married  Henry  S.Shaw;  Libbie,  married 
George  Thomas  ;  Lillie,  married  A.  Dodge  ;  Edward  J.,  now  in  Dakota; 
Nellie  G.  and  Maud.  Mr.  Henry  S.  Sliaw  was  born  in  Industry,  Me., 
April  27, 1845  ;  was  in  the  lumbering  business  there  with  his  father ;  came 
to  Eau  Claire  about  1864;  engaged  in  lumbering  under  the  firm  name 
of  H.  S.  Shaw  &  Co.  He  married  Miss  Nettie  Hutchins  in  Eau  Claire, 
Oct.  26,  1875,  and  died  in  that  place  in  1880.  There  are  no  surviving 
children. 

DANIEL  PAGE  SIMONS,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
located  in  this  place  in  the  Spring  of  1870.  He  engaged  in  lumbering 
and  dealing  in  pine  lands  for  himself,  Henry  W.  Sage  &  Co..  of  Ithaca, 
N.  Y.,  and  W.  J.  Young   &  Co.,  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  and  at  present  has 


close  of  the  war.  He  came  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  in  1S70, 
cook  in  the  woods  the  Winter  after  his  arrival.  Was  then  in  a  fish  and 
oyster  market  in  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis.  In  November,  1871,  he 
came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  was  for  some  time  employed  as  cook  in  the 
woods  and  on  the  log  drives.  Sept.  I.  1S72,  he  was  married  to  Annie 
Oleson,  who  was  born  in  Rockford,  111.  After  two  season's  cooking  in 
the  woods,  he  opened  a  hotel,  and  was  proprietor  of  the  Greenman 
House  for  three  years.  In  1S75,  with  one  horse  and  buggy,  he  opened 
a  livery  stable,  and  has  now  one  of  the  best  stocked  stables  in  this 
region.  Mr.  Smith  was  for  a  time  considerably  interested  in  the  circus 
and  show  business. 

GEORGE  W.  SMITH,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mar- 
shall, Dane  Co.,  April  4,  1S51,  and  moved  to  Marquette  County  with 
his  parents  in  1S54.  In  i860,  he  went  to  Adams  County,  and  in  1864, 
came  from  tliere  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  employed  as  clerk  for  his 
brothers,  Arthur  and  Albert,  for  five  years,  and  then  became  a  partner 
with  them  in  the  grocery  business.  He  was  married  in  the  town  of 
Jackson,  Adams  Co.,  July  12,  1875,  to  Alice  Dean,  who  was  born  in 
Waverly,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias. 

ARTHUR  SMITH,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Vernon, 
Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  13,  1839.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring 
of  1S50,  locating  in  the  present  town  of  Marshall,  Dane  Co.,  and  residing 
there  until  1854.  Then,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  until  1S61,  he 
lived  in  Marquette  County.  In  April,  1S61,  he  came  to  the  town  of 
Brunswick,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  the  Fall  of  1S62,  when  he 
came  to  Eau  Claire  and  clerked  for  \V.  H.  Smith  &  Co.  In  the  Spring 
of  1865,  he  went  into  partnership  with  Seth  Fish,  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness, under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Fish.  They  had  been  in  business 
but  one  year  wlien  they  were  burned  out,  and  since  then  Mr.  Smith  has 
been  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Albert.  In  1875,  George  W.,  an- 
other brother,  became  associated  with  the  firm.  They  at  first  carried  a 
slock  of  hardware,  hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes,  but  now  devote  their 
whole  attention  to  groceries  and  crockery.  Mr.  Arthur  Smith  was  Al- 
derman of  the  Third  Ward  two  terms  of  two  yeais  each,  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  Chairman  of  the  County  Board.  He  was 
married  in  Eau  Claire,  Jan.  14,  1868,  to  Josephine,  daughter  of  Enos 
Dean,  an  early  settler  of  Adams  County.  She  was  born  in  Waverly, 
Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children,  Cornelia  Josephine 
and  .\rthur  Dean.     Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.     His 


HISTORY    OF    EAU    CLAIRE"  COUNTY. 


333 


father,  William   Smith,  resides  in   Eau  Claire.     His  mother,   Cornelia 
(Gilbert)  Smith,  died  here  in  November,  1879. 

DANIEL  SHAW,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  this  place  in  November, 
1856,  and  engaged  in  logging  during  the  Winter,  and  the  following  year 
built  and  put  into  operation  a  saw-mill  (on  the  site  of  his  present  mill), 
which  was  burned  in  August,  1867.  He  rebuilt  the  mill  in  the  Fall  and 
Winter  of  the  same   year.     Charles  A.  Bullen  was  associated  with  him. 


business  until  1875  or  1876,  except  an  interval  of  one  year,  when  he 
was  engaged  in  speculating  and  loaning  money,  etc.  Then  engaged  in 
grocery  business  under  firm  name  of  Smith,  Bushard  &  Smith.  W.  I. 
Smith  of  the  firm  retired  same  year  and  the  business  continued  under 
name  of  Smith  &  Bushard,  running  two  stores,  the  "  Union  Grocery  " 
and  the  "Chicago  Grocery."  Sold  out  the  former  February,  iSSl, 
Bushard  retiring  same  time.     Sold  out  his  other  store  June  i,  iSSl. 

FERMAN  E.  SNODGRASS,  buyer  for  store,  Daniel  Shaw  Lum- 
ber Co.,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S67,  and  located  in  Eau 
Claire,  where  he  has  been  employed  by  "  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Co."  in 
various  capacities;  has  been  buyer  for  past  five  years.  Was  born  in 
Mechanicsburg,  Ohio,  April  26,  1850,  and  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Sep- 
tember, 1873,  to  Flora  Oliver,  who  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have 
three  children — Lottie,  Marion  and  Flossy. 

A.  H.  STEVENS,  hides  and  pelts.  Born  in  Pleasant  Valley,  N.  Y., 
in  1839;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S70,  and  began  his  present  business, 
being  the  first  to  establish  the  trade.  Was  married  to  Helen  Blood,  of 
Essex  -Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1866.     Have  five  children.     Mrs.  Stevens  died  in 


y/^/  c€^ 


f^A/^^^ 


the  firm  being  Daniel  Shaw  &  Co.  The  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company 
was  incorporated  in  1874.  Mercantile  business  and  every  branch  of 
trade  is  carried  on  by  the  company.  Mr.  Shaw  was  born  in  Industry, 
Franklin  Co.,  Me.,  March  30,  1813,  and  was  married  there,  Sept.  26, 
1841,  to  Anna  F.  Hutchins,  also  a  native  of  the  same  town.  They  had 
three  sons — Eugene  and  George  B.  are  living,  and  are  associated  with 
their  father  in  business;  Charles  died  in  18O3,  aged  seventeen  years  and 
one  month.  Mr.  Shaw  moved  from  Industry  to  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1851,  residing  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin. 

STILLMAN  J.  SMITH,  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Rowe,  grocers,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1867,  and  was  employed  as  a 
clerk  for  five  years.  Was  then  for  one  year  in  Milwaukee,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Eau  Claire.  In  1875,  hs  engaged  in  present  business,  in  part- 
nership with  William  Rowe.  He  was  born  in  Calais,  Washington  Co., 
Me.,  Sept.  15,  1847,  and  was  married  in  Monroe,  Sept.  4,  1S78,  to  Helen 
D.  Morrison,  who  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 

W.  H.  SMITH,  Eau  Claire, -ivas  born  in  Calais,  Washington  Co., 
Maine,  Sept.  16,  1831,  and  lived  there  until  1S55,  when  he  went  to 
Minnesota.  He  was  at  St.  Anthonys  for  two  years,  and  March  29,  1858, 
located  in  Eau  Claire  and  engaged  in  lumbering  and  running  a  saw- 
mill for  a  year.  In  1S59,  ^e  established  a  grocery  business  which  he 
has  continued  ever  since,  and  has  also  dealt  in  grain  and  prod- 
uce. He  has  been  engaged  in  general  mercantile  business  since  i860, 
in  which  year  he  built  his  present  store.  W.  P.  Weaver  was  in  partner- 
ship with  him  until  1866,  when  Mr.  Smith  bought  his  interest  in  the 
business.  Mr.  Smith  was  Chairman  of  the  Village  Board  before  city 
organization.  Has  been  Supervisor,  etc.  He  was  married  in  Eau 
Claire,  May  8,  1S62,  to  Kate  Fox,  who  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They 
have  four  children— Addie  A.,  Herbert  W.,  William  E.  and  Allard.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

S.  E.  SMITH,  capitalist,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  native  of  Calais,  Maine. 
Was  engaged  in  milling  business  in  that  place  for  some  four  years.  Came 
West  in  1S65  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire.  Engaged  as  salesman  with  his 
brother,    W.  H.  Smith,  and   also    loaning    money.     Remained  in  this 


J.  H.  STEVENS,  store-keeper  at  Badger  Mill.  Born  in  Morgan, 
111.,  in  1847.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S70,  and  clerked  in  a  store.  In 
1873,  took  charge  of  the  company's  store  here.  Enlisted  in  1S63,  in  Illi- 
nois m  the  marine  brigade.  His  principal  engagement  was  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg;  was  mustered  out  in  1S65.  Taught  school  till  1870;  was 
married  to  Ella  Dennison  in  1874.  Their  children  are  Mable,  Tracy 
and  Chester. 

L.  A.  STILES,  cashier  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  railroad,  Eau  Claire. 
Came  to  this  place  in  April,  1S76 ;  was  employed  as  freight  clerk  in 
C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  office  up  to  June  11,  1878.  Was  then  pro- 
moted to  cashier.  He  was  born  in  Emporia,  Pa.,  June  20,  1858;  came 
to  Wisconsin,  1864;  was  located  at  Humbird  for  some  four  or  five  years  ; 
studied  in  railroad  office  there  for  about  eleven  months. 

H.  M.  STOCKING,  lumber  and  real  estate  business,  Eau  Claire. 
Born  at  Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1845.  His  father  removed 
to  Grand  Rapids.  Mich.,  in  184S.  Served  several  terms  as  Sheriff  and 
Deputy  Sheriff  of  Kent  Co.,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
city.  In  1S5S,  he  came  to  Galesville,  Wis.  Here  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  attended  the  college  for  a  time  ;  was  apprenticed  as  printer  in  the 
Tmtiscript  office  for  two  years  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S63.  and  with 
a  brother,  purchased  the  Eau  Claire  Free  Press;  they  published  it  till 
1870  ;  sold  out,  and  in  1S74,  bought  an  interest  again  in  ils  stock.  En- 
tered the  U.  S.  service  as  captain  of  Co.  I,  4Sth  Wis.  V.;  was  mustered 
out  with  the  regiment  in  1S65.  In  1869,  was  appointed  Receiver  of  the 
U.  S.  Land  Office  of  this  district,  holding  till  1873.  In  1S76,  he  repre- 
sented Eau  Claire  County  in  the  Assembly.  Was  champion  of  the 
famous  Delles  Bill,  which  for  several  years  played  a  prominent  part  in 
the  history  of  the  Legislature.  The  bill  passed  by  a  vote  ot  77  to  15. 
The  passage  of  this  bill  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  victories  ever 
obtained  in  the  Wisconsin  Legislature,  when  it  is  considered  that  the 
opposition  contested  every  inch  of  ground,  from  first  to  last.  In  1868, 
Mr.  S.  married  Gussie  Brown,  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  who  was  born  in 
1847,  in  Baldwin,  Me.  Their  children  are  three— Edith,  Edgar  and 
Frank.  Mr.  Brown  went  to  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  Minn.,  in  1853.  He 
was  one  of  the  prominent  pioneers  of  Minneapolis,  Mr.  S.  is  now  en- 
gaged in  lumbering,  farming  and  dealing  in  real  estate. 

J.  B.  STOCKING,  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  August,  1858,  with  Charles 
E.  Patterson,  and  engaging  in  newspaper  business  with  the  Free  Press, 
issued  the  first  newspaper.  He  has  been  with  it  ever  since  except  a  few 
years  early  in  the  seventies.  From  1862  till  1870,  he  and  his  brother,  H. 
M.  Stocking,  were  proprietors  of  the  paper  he  now  owns  one-third  inter- 
est in  it.  The  brothers  have  been  eng.iged  in  lumbering,  logging  and 
farming.  Mr.  J.  B.  Stocking  has  been  Deputy  U.  S.  Internal  Revenue 
Collector  of  the  Second  Div..  Sixth  District  of  Wisconsin,  since  May, 
1880.  He  was  born  in  Lisbon,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  12,  1843, 
and  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  when  seven  or  eight  years  old,  with 
his  parents,  Duncan  T.  and  Susan  Whiteside  Stocking,  both  deceased. 
He  came  from  Grand  Rapids  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  was  married  to 
Mary  Alice  Wilkins,  who  was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Edwin  C.  Wilkins,  a  resident  and  early  settler  of  Eau 
Claire.     They  have  one  daughter,  Eva  F. 

L.  E.  STRUM,  Register  of  Deeds.  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Cen- 
tral Norw.iy,  March  1,1851,  and  came  from  there  to  Wisconsin,  via  Que- 
bec, in  1869,  locating  in  Pierce  County.  After  residing  there  three 
years,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  engaging  in  general  work,  and  attending 
school  for  several  years.  He  taught  school  two  years,  and  in  the  Fall  of 
1878,  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds;  he  was  re-elected  in  the  Fall  of 
1880. 

LEONARD  D.  SULLIVAN,  machinist,  in  the  employ  of  Noah 
Shaw,  Eau  Clare.  Was  born  in  the  town  of  Sharon,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.Y., 
Jan.  13,  1833,  and  moved  to  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  his  parents  when 
but  a  child.  When  lie  was  sixteen  years  old  he  went  into  the  melodeon 
factory  of  O.  H.  Eldridge  &  Co.,  of  Cherry  Valley  Village,  Otsego  Co., 
N.  Y.     He   remained   lliere  five   years;  during  two  years  of  the  time 


334 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


having  charge  of  the  manufactory.  He  moved  from  there  to  Troy,  and 
in  1S56.  left  Troy  for  Wisconsin,  reaching  Eau  Claire,  March  5th,  of  that 
year.  lie  opened  the  first  billiard  hall  and  restaurant  in  the  place  ;  it 
was  known  as  the  Montezuma  Hall  :  he  sold  out  after  the  first  big  fire, 
and  entered  Shaw's  shop  as  machinist.  Was  employed  by  Shaw  &  Gallo- 
way ten  years,  and  by  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  two  years;  re-entered  the 
employ  of  Noah  Shaw  in  January,  1S81  ;  during  iSSo,  he  conducted  the 
"  Mineral  Spring  House,"  at  Osceola.  He  was  married  inSchoharieCo., 
N.  Y.,  to  Nancy  M.  Van  Patten,  who  was  born  in  Richmondville,  Scho- 
harie Co..  N.  V.  They  have  two  children,  Charles  and  Louis.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor. 

ELIJAH  SWIFT,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of  Oliver  C.  and  Eliza  R. 
(Jenkins)  Swift,  both  deceased.  He  was  born  in  Falmouth,  Mass.,  Nov. 
19,  1S31,  and  prepared  for  college  at  Andover,  graduating  from  Harvard 
in  the  class  of  1S52.  In  July,  1S62,  he  enlisted  in  the  sSth  Mass.  I.; 
he  was  first  lieutenant  and  quarter-master,  and  was  on  special  service 
most  of  the  time  in  engineer's  and  quarter-master's  departments.  He 
was  captured  by  the  Rebels  near  Port  Hudson  in  1S64,  and  retaken  after 
one  month's  imprisonment,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Boston  in  July  or 
August,  1S65.  After  spending  one  year  with  his  faiher  he  came  to  Osh- 
kosh,  and  since  December,  1S70,  has  been  a  resident  of  Eau  Claiie.  lie 
was  married  in  Willoughby,  Ohio.  Sept.  2S,  1S69,  to  Mrs.  Myra  J.  Bliss, 
a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Evans,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Geauga  Co., 
Ohio.  .Mrs.  Swift  died  in  Florida.  Feb.  27.  iSSr,  leaving  three  children 
— Elizi   Robinson,    Oliver    Franklin    and    Elijah  Kent,  and  one  son  by 


Bli; 


now  a  student 


her   former   marriage,  Carlton    Munr 
Beloit  College. 

AMASA  E.  SWIFT,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  South  Paris,  Maine, 
Sept.  27,  1S37,  and  lived  there  until  1S62.  Until  July,  iS77,he  was  in 
the  gas  business  in  Chicago.  He  built  the  gas  works  at  Council  Bluffs, 
Cedar  Rapids,  Ottumwa,  Sioux  City  and  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa;  Mai- 
quette,  Mich. ;  Elgin,  La  Salle,  Canton,  Evanston.  III. ;  Chippewa  Falls 
and  Eau  Claire,  Wis.  Mr.  Swift  is  president  of  the  Chippewa  Falls 
Gas  Company  ;  president  of  the  Eau  Claire  Manufacturing  Company  ; 
vice-president  and  managing  director  of  the  Eau  Claire  Dells  Gas  Light 
&  Coke  Company;  vice-president  of  the  Eau  Claire  City  Railway 
Company  and  secretary  of  the  Opera  House  Company. 

CASPER  SYVERSON,  groceries,  crockery,  etc.,  Eau  Claire,  can.e 
to  Wisconsin  in  1S71,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  Was  employed  as 
clerk  in  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  for  over  nine  years.  Commenced 
present  business  in  the  Fall  of  iSSo.  Was  born  in  Norway,  May  18, 
1S36,  and  came  to  America  in  1S69.  He  was  married  Nov.  19,  i860,  in 
Norway,  to  Mary  Olsen,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  Have  three  chil- 
dren— Josephine  .\nnie.   Rayna  and  Fritzarf. 

ELI.\S  TARRANT,  foreman  Eau  Claire  Manufacturing  Company. 
Eau  Claire.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863,  and  located  in  Eau  Claire  ; 
was  employed  by  Chapman  &  Thorp  for  seven  years,  in  mill;  ran 
present  mill  on  his  account  for  six  years,  and  since  1S76,  been  engaged 
in  present  capacity.  Was  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  I,  1844.  Came  to  the 
States  in  1857.  and  was  employed  in  lumbering  and  in  saw  mills  for 
some  years.  Was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  December,  1867,  to  Eliza  Dill; 
born  in  Manitowoc. 

GEORGE  CLINTON  TEALL,  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Seneca 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  .May  20,  1S40,  atthe  old  family  homestead,  near  the  shores  of 
Seneca  Lake,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve,  removed  with  his  father's  family 
to  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  principally  educated.  He  was  a  student 
in  Geneva  Union  and  Classical  School  four  years,  then  at  Walnut  Hill 
School,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  entered  Ilobart  College,  in  which 
he  was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1S62.  Of  his  father's  family,  ten  chil- 
dren grew  up  to  mature  years,  all  of  whom  are  now  living,  except  his 
brother  Nathan,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  late  war.  His  father,  G.  C.  P. 
Teall,  was  a  son  of  Nathan  Teall,  whose  father  was  one  of  three  polit- 
ical fugitives  from  the  oppression  of  Switzerland,  who  settled  in  Connec- 
ticut about  the  year  1730.  His  grandfather,  Nathan  Teall,  was  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  under  Gen.  Knox,  and  on  several  critical  oc- 
casions, served  as  his  messenger  to  Gen.  Washington,  and  was  trusted 
with  other  important  duties.  In  1792,  this  grandfather  settled  in  New- 
town. N.  Y.,  which  town  was  afterward  named  Elmira,  in  honor  of  a 
member  of  the  family  by  'hat  name.  On  the  side  of  his  father's  mother, 
the  family  ancestors  were  among  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  who  landed  from 
the  "  Mayfl  nver,"  at  Plymouth,  in  1620,  and  her  father  was  a  colonel 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  family  is  one  of  well-known  influence 
and  importance,  branches  of  it  being  located  at  .Mbany,  Syracuse,  Geneva, 
Rochester,  Sodus,  and  other  places  in  Central  New  York.  Judge  Teall 
studied  law  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  1862-3-4.  '"  the  offices  of  Hon. 
Theron  R.  Strong,  formerly  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  of  Hon.  Alfred 
G.  Mudge,  then  Surrogate  of  Monroe  County,  and  also  attended  a  course 
of  law  lectures  in  the  "iVinter  of  1863-4.  at  Rochester.  He  was  married, 
June  8,  1S64.  to  Miss  Helen  Pauline  Simons,  daughter  of  Hon.  Nathan 
C.  Simons,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y..  and  soon  after  came  West,  engaging  in  the 
business  of  buying  and  shipping  grain  from  Milwaukee  and  Chicago,  to 
Buffalo,  by  the  great  lakes,  during  1S64-5.  His  only  son,  Frederick 
Augustus  Teall,  was  born  at  Milwaukee,  March   16,  1865,  and  is  now  a 


youth  of  promising  talents  and  scholarship.  In  February,  1S66,  Judge 
Teall  came  to  settle  in  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has  since  resided  with  his 
family.  In  April.  1867.  he  was  elected  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in 
January,  1S6S,  he  was  appointed  County  Judge  by  Gov.  Fairchild,  in 
place  of  Hon.  H.  W.  Barnes,  who  resigned  to  take  his  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  afterward,  in  the  Spring  of  :S6g.  elected  his  own 
successor,  and  administered  that  ofiice  until  January,  1874.  He  was  from 
I £66,  for  several  years,  interested  in  the  mercantile  firm  of  George  C. 
Teall  &  Co.,  and  from  1S68  to  1873.  was  one  of  the  firm  of  William  A. 
Teall  &  Bro.,  general  insurance  agents.      He  was  always   prominently 


i^^2^^ 


8^^ 


identified  with  the  public  interests  of  his  county  and  State,  and  has  been  a 
consistent  Republican  in  politics.  He  was  admitted  to  the  practice  ot 
law  in  Wisconsin,  at  Milwaukee,  in  January,  1S72,  and  soon  afterward 
in  the  Supreme  Court  and  United  States  Courts,  at  Madison.  In  1873 
he  formed  a  partnership  ivith  Hon.  Alexander  Meggett,  and  was  a  mem 
berof  the  law  firm  of  Meggett  &  Teall,  in  the  active  practice  of  law 
until  the  Spring  of  18S1,  when  the  firm  dissolved,  and  he  thereafter  con 
tinned  in  the  practice  and  pursuit  of  his  chosen  profession,  at  Eau  Claire. 
In  December,  18S0,  he  was  again  appointed  County  Judge,  by  Gov 
Smith,  to  fill  a  vacancy,  occurring  by  the  resignation  of  Hon.  Arihur  C 
Ellis.  In  the  Spring  of  18S1,  he  was  re-elected  without  opposition,  foi 
the  term  ending  January,  1SS6.  Judge  Teall's  wife  was  born  in  Skaneate. 
les,  N.  Y.,  and  in  childhood  removed  to  Union  Springs,  in  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  where  she  was  educated,  graduating  at  Friends'  Academy,  in  1863, 
With  her  father's  family  went  to  reside  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  she  was 
married,  as  above  stated,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one. 

WILLIAM  A.  TEALL,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  this  city  in  July,  1868, 
and  eng.-iged  in  general  insurance  and  loan  business  until  1S73,  his 
brother  was  then  associated  in  business  with  him.  since  that  time  he  has 
been  alone.  He  was  born  in  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  in  Geneva 
until  i860,  when  his  father  retired  from  active  business  and  moved  to 
Seneca  Castle,  N.  Y.  In  1863,  Mr.  Teall  went  to  Rochester  engaging 
in  the  pension  and  bounty  business  ;  he  returned  home  for  a  short  time 
and  in  1S67,  entered  the  Law  School  of  Columbia  College,  and  took  a 
commercial  course  in  New  York  City,  and  came  from  New  York  to  Eau 
Claire.  He  was  married  in  September,  1873,  'o  K-^te  Gardner  Calla- 
han, a  daughter  of  J.  G.  Callahan,  of  Eau  Claire.  She  was  born  at 
Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children,  Fannv  Cotheal  and 
Gardner  Callahan.  Mr.  Teall  is  master  of  Blue  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  is  P.  C.  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


HISTORY   OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


335 


JAMES  n.  THOMAS,  Eau  Clai.e,  was  born  at  Granville,  Ohio. 
March  2S,  1S52.  He  liveil  for  a  lime  in  Illinois,  and  in  1859.  came  to 
Eau  Claire,  lie  was  employed  as  a  clerk  by  the  mercantile  firm  of  G. 
li.  Chapman  &  Co.,  and  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Company  prior  to 
April,  1S79,  «hen  he  engaged  in  the  butcher  business  in  partnership 
with  Daviil  Drummond.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Dec.  2S,  iSSo, 
to  Mary  McDougall,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers  in  Wabasha, 
Minn.  .Mr.  Thomas's  lather,  Hiram  V.  Thumas,  was  born  at  Tieasant 
Hills,  Mill  Creek  Township,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio  (six  miles  north  of 
Cincinnati),  Dec.  29,  1S22.  and  lived  in  Aurora,  111.,  four  or  five  years 
before  coming  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S59. 

THOMAS  W.  THOMAS,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Nov.  17. 
1S69,  and  located  at  Chippewa  Kails.  In  1S71,  he  came  to  Eau  Claire. 
He  has  been  in  the  insurance  business  since  June,  :S70,  and  in  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  .S.  H.  Wilco.x  in  the  general  fire  and  life  insurance  busi- 
ness. He  was  born  in  South  Wales,  Oct.  10,  1S39.  and  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1S50;  locating  in  Tioga  Co.,  I'a.,  where  he  lived  until 
he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  is  Alderman  and  Supervisor  of  the  Sixth 
Ward  of  Eau  Claire. 

GEORGE  W.  THOMAS,  manager  Crescent  Flouring  Mills,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S74.  and  located  in  Eau  Claire,  employed 
by  Daniel  .Shaw  Lumber  Company.  Was  lor  two  years  salesman  and  in 
his  present  capacity  since.  Was  born  in  Charleston.  Pa.,  Sept.  7,  1S50, 
and  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Nov.  2S,  1S73,  to  Libby  Hutchinson,  who 
was  born  in  Illinois.  Has  been  a  member  of  Knights  of  Pythias  for 
three  years. 

EVAN  Q.  THOMAS,  agent  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  W.  & 
M.  R.  R.,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  Spring  of  1S66,  and  located  at  La 
Crosse  Valley.  Farmed,  clerked,  and  also  taught  school  for  two  Winter 
terms,  and  resided  there  for  two  years.  Then  clerked  for  M.  &  St.  P. 
R.  R.,  at  Black  River  Falls,  Eau  Claire  and  Menomonie,  up  to  Summer 
of  1871.  Then  entered  the  employ  of  W.  W.  R.  R.  Co.,  as  freight 
clerk  and  telegraph  operator,  located  at  Menomonie.  Was  there  for 
nearly  four  years,  and  had  charge  of  R.  R.  station  for  three  years.  Came 
to  Eau  Claire,  December,  1874,  to  fill  present  position.  He  was  born 
at  Dundaff,  Pa.,  Feb.  26,  1S42.  He  enlisted,  September,  1S61,  as  private 
in  52d  Pa.  I.  Was  in  peninsular  campaign,  in  army  of  Potomac;  was 
at  siege  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  served  under  Gen.  Foster,  and  was  wound- 
ed in  right  hand  at  battle  of  Fair  Oaks.  Was  at  time  of  discharge,  in 
1S65,  holding  rank  of  orderly  sergeant.  He  was  married  in  Menomonie, 
Wis.,  January,  1S73,  and  has  three  children — Fred.  W.,  David  Everett 
and  Edna. 

DANIEL  S.  THOMP.SON,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Bethany,  Gen- 
esee Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  25,  1S39,  and  lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1S61, 
when  he  came  to  Durand,  Pepin  Co.,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  until  1S72,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Arkansas,  in  the 
same  county.  In  October,  1S76.  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  em- 
ployed as  book-keeper  by  Mclniyre  &  Co..  while  they  were  building  the 
Dells.  Early  in  1S79,  ''^  entered  the  office  of  Register  of  the  U.  S. 
Land  Office,  doing  all  the  business  of  the  office.  He  was  married  in 
Durand,  Nov.  20.  1S67,  to  Helen  F.  Hayes.  They  have  one  child,  Lo- 
retta  F.     Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

G.  TABOR  THOMPSON,  druggist,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  i860,  locating  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  Railway  Co.  In  1S65,  he  removed  to  Portage,  where 
he  was  employed  by  the  same  company  until  1871,  when  he  came  to 
Eau  Claire  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  was  born  in  Col- 
chester, Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  13.  1S36,  and  when  fourteen  years  of 
age  left  home.  He  was  in  New  York  City  awhile.  In  1S53,  he  com- 
menced railroading  on  the  Vermont  Central  Road,  and  continued  with 
that  company  until  i860.  He  enlisted  in  Company  F,  24th  Wis.  V.  I., 
in  August,  1862,  and  served  until  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  dis- 
ability caused  by  sickness,  in  December,  1864.  He  was  married  in  La 
Crosse,  Nov.  II,  186S,  to  Abagail  Ann  Henshaw,  who  was  born  in  Mil- 
waukee. They  have  one  child,  Cora  Agnes.  Mr.  Thompson  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

GEORGE  T.  THOMP.SON,  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Eau  Claire  Feb.  i,  1S72.  and  has  been  in  the  banking  business 
ever  since.  He  was  in  the  Merchant's  National  Bank,  of  East  Saginaw, 
Mich.,  for  several  years  before  he  came  here.  He  was  born  in  Troy, 
Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  July  6,  1S50,  and  when  quite  young  moved  with  his 
parents  to  Saginaw,  Mich.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Sept.  15, 
1875.10  Julia,  daughter  of  11.  P.  Graham,  and  a  native  of  Canada.  They 
have  two  children  living,  Graham  and  Helen  M.,  and  have  lost  one 
child,  who  died  in  infancy. 

WALTER  TIIO.MPSON,  foreman  Eau  Claire  City  Flouring  Mills, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  August,  1872,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  Has 
been  employed  with  present  company  nine  years,  six  of  which  he  has 
been  foreman.  Was  born  in  England.  Feb.  2S,  1S49.  and  learned  his 
trade  in  that  country.  Came  to  America  in  1S72,  and  was  married  at 
Eau  Claire,  Dec.  9,  1S75.  to  Bertha  Maria  Nelson,  who  was  born  in 
Norway.     She  died  Sept.  I,  1877. 


DR.  ARTHUR  THRANE,  physician  and  surgeon,  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  November,  1S75.  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  here.  He  was  born  in  Norway.  Jan.  26,  1S44,  and 
came  to  .\inerica  in  April,  1S65.  Remaining  in  New  York  City  one 
year,  he  came  to  Chicago  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  Paoli,  of  that  city,  and  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College  in 
1S68,  beginning  his  practice  in  Chicago.  He  was  married  in  Chicago, 
in  May,  1867.  to  Molly  Struck,  who  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1S50.  They 
have  five  children— Victor.  Ella,  Emma,  Marcus  and  Robert.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Chippewa  Valley  Medical  Society. 

JOSEPH  E.  THWING,  druggist,  Eau  Claire,  is  a  son  of  Joseph  P. 
and  Hannah  M.  (Hopkins)  Thwing,  now  residents  of  Farmington,  Me. 
He  was  born  in  New  Sharon,  Franklin  Co.,  Me.,  Jan.  4,  1859,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  moved  with  his  patents  to  Farmington,  in  the  same  coun- 
ty. Five  years  later,  he  went  to  Portland,  Me.,  and  spent  a  year  and  a 
half,  commencing  while  there  to  learn  the  drug  business.  He  then  took 
a  two  years'  course  in  the  Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy,  in  Bos- 
ton, remaining  in  the  drug  business  in  that  city  until  May,  1S79.  when  he 
went  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  about  three  month,  when 
he  returned  East  for  a  short  time.  He  went  to  St.  Paul  again,  and  in 
November,  1879.  came  to  E.iu  CT.iire,  purchased  property,  and,  Feb.  2, 
iSSo,  opened  a  drug  store.  He  does  jobbing  business  in  face  prepara- 
tions, in  addition  to  carrjing  on  general  drug  trade.  He  was  married, 
Dec.  7,  1880,  in  Eau  Claire,  to  Mary  A.,  a  daughter  of  D.  C.  Clark.  She 
was  born  in  that  city,  Dec.  7,  1S62. 

FRED  A.  TOWN,  salesman  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau  Claire, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S57,  and  located  at  Wheaton.  Lived  on  faim 
with  parents  for  some  years.  Went  to  Chippewa  Falls,  and  for  two 
years  was  employed  in  sorting  lumber.  He  then  returned  to  Wheaton, 
and  farmed  for  some  two  years.  Has  been  engaged  with  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.  for  several  years.  Was  married  m  Eau  Claiie,  Sept.  10, 
1S78,  to  Isabel  Barland,  who  was  born  in  Illinois.  They  have  one  child, 
Jessie  K. 

ANDREW  L.  TRACY,  of  the  firm  of  Cass  &  Tracy,  druggists 
was  born  in  Richland,  Richland  Co,  Dec.  11,  1S53,  ^"^l  lived  there  un- 
til 1S59,  when  he  m-ived  to  Osseo,  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  from  there 
came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1867.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  drug  business 
since  1S68.  The  present  firm  of  J.  E.  Cass  and  .\.  L.  Tracv  was  organ- 
ized in  1874,  and  did  business  under  the  firm  nameof  Seth  French  &  Co. 
until  January,  18S0.  Mr.  Tracy  was  married,  Jan.  31,  1877,  in  Eau 
Claire,  to  Marian  A.  Brackelt,  who  was  born  in  Grant  County,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  J.  M.  Brackett,  of  Eau  Claire.  They  have  one  child.  Jean, 
born  May  3,  i83l.     Mr.  Tracy  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

PETER  TKUAX,  logger,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N. 
Y..  Feb.  24,  1S2S.  When  young  his  parents  moved  to  Allegany  Co., 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  married  Sept.  23,  1S52,  to  Miss  Cordelia  Avery. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53,  and  settled  in  Walworth  County,  and  from 
there  moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S55,  locating  on  what  is  now  known  as 
Truax  Prairie,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1S65,  when  he  moved 


to  town  and  engaged  in   general   merchandi; 


,ng 


1S73.     Since  en- 
hMr.  Thorp,  the  first 


gaged  in  logging  and  farming.   Mr.  Truax  built. 
Opera  House  in  Eau  Claire 

CHARLES  W.  ULRICH,  cook,  for  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co., 
was  born  in  Racine,  June  23,  1S51,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  June, 
1S55.  and  has  since  been  associated  with  his  father  in  business,  and  has 
been  employed  Winters  as  cook  in  the  woods,  for  the  Eau  Claire  Lum- 
ber Co.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  20,  1S79,  to  Mary  A. 
Nichols,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin. 

WILLIAM  ULRICH,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
April  22,  1827,  and  came  to  America  in  184S,  locating  in  Racine  until 
1S54.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire,  Oct.  4  of  that  year,  and  was  employed 
by  Geo.  Randall  as  millwright  for  one  year;  he  then  worked  for  Caison 
&  Eaton  as  superintendent  of  their  mill  for  two  years.  He  then  started 
and  kept  a  bakery  for  three  or  four  years.  In  I'SjS  he  built  a  hotel  on 
the  corner  of  Gibson  and  Farwell  streets,  called  the  "Norlhwcslcrn"  and 
afterward  the  "Central  House,"  running  the  hotel  and  bakery  at  the  same 
time  for  two  years.  He  rented  the  hotel  at  different  times  for  seven 
years,  and  managed  it  himself  for  two  more ;  it  was  burned  in  1871.  He 
sold  the  bakery  in  1865,  and  scaled  logs  for  three  years.  In  1S70  he 
took  charge  of  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co. 's  boarding  house.  He  was 
married  in  Racine,  Aug.  iS.  1S50,  to  Olhelia  Fraermulh,  who  was  born 
in  Lorraine,  Fiance.  They  have  ten  children — Chas.  W.,  Carrie  D., 
Geo.  W.,  Julia,  Frederick  \Xm.,  Frank,  Amelia,  Lucy,  Edward,  Louis 
and  Laura.  They  lost  one  daughter,  Nettie,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
nine  months.  Julia  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Leonard,  Esq.,  foreman  in 
the  woods  for  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.  Carrie  is  now  Mrs.  P.  Parker, 
of  Ackley,  Iowa. 

H.  C.  VAN  MORENBURG,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Schnectady 
Co.,  N.  Y. ;  came  West  with  his  parents,  they  settling  in  Green  Lake 
Co.  in  1S42.  Remained  on  the  farm  until  at  the  age  of  20.  when  he  en- 
gaged in  business  as  carpenter  and  joiner;  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S56, 
and  followed  same  business,  added  to  that  of  millwright  for  some  five  or 
six  years,  when  he  associated  himself  with  Mr.  Mills,  and  started  the 


336 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Chippewa  Valley  News,  now  known  as  the  Eaii  Claire  News.  Commenced 
present  business  in  1869.  Married  in  Eau  Claire  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Pease:  has  five  children— Dewitl  Joseph,  Margaret,  Carl  Henry, 
Katherine,  Mary  E.  Mr.  Van  H.  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the 
West  Side  city  government :  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

CH.\S.  MILTON  VILES,  logger,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Anson, 
Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  June  7,  1S35.  Parents  and  grandparents  were 
Maine  people.  Learned  the  trade  of  millwright  with  his  father  and  en- 
gaged in  mill  and  dam  building  in  Summer;  lumbering  in  Winter. 
Came  West  in  1S63  and  located  in  Beloit,  engaged  in  farming,  and 
about  1S65  moved  to  Oshkosh,  working  as  millwright.  Came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1S70  and  engaged  in  logging  business,  which  he  has  followed 
since.  Married  in  New  Portland,  Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  October,  185S,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Cutts;  has  had  four  children,  of  whom  three  survive — 
Jennie  AL,  Frank,  Wentworth.     Is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

LEVI  M.  VILAS,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Chelsea,  Orange  Co., 
Vt„  Feb.  17,  1S44  and  lived  there  until  1851,  when  his  parents  came  to 
Madison.  He  was  educated  at  Wisconsin  University,  graduating  from 
that  institution  in  1S63,  and  from  Albany  Law  School  in  1S64.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Har  at  Albany  in  May.  :S64,  and  to  practice  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin  in  the  same  year.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  with  his  brother.  Col.  W.  F.  Vilas,  in  Madison, 
and  was  clerk  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  from  1S65  to  1S67;  in 
practice  witli  Col.  Vilas  again  from  1S67  to  1S6S.  In  the  latter  year  he 
came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  City  Attorney  by  appointment,  the  first  year 
after  his  arrival  in  Eau  Claire;  he  was  elected  Mayor  in  1876,  and  has 
been  District  Attorney  since  Jan.  I,  1878.  He  was  married  in  Eau 
Claire,  Aug.  25,  1S69.  to  Ella  C.  Slingluff,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
died  Aug.  29,  1879,  leaving  three  children — Jessie  C,  Elizabeth  D.,  and 
Katie  P. 

W.  F.  VINTON  came  to  Eau  Claire,  May  2,  1S72,  and  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  dentistry,  and  was  leader  of  the  band,  until  May,  1879, 
when  he  became  landlord  of  the  Windsor  House,  purchasing  the  hotel, 
Feb.  I,  18S1.  He  was  born  in  ElUcottville,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y., 
June  3,  183S,  and  enlisted  in  154th  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  Aug.  30.  1S62,  serv- 
ing as  principal  musician  of  the  regiment,  until  he  was  mustered  out, 
July  5,  1S65.  After  leaving  the  army,  he  located  at  Randolph  in  his 
native  country,  remaining  there  until  1072,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin. 
He  was  married  in  Randolph,  July  17,  1859,  'o  Emily  J.  Hall,  daughter 
of  Horace  and  Lydia  Rathbun  Hall,  a  native  of  Randolph.  Mr.  Vinton 
is  a  son  of  Lathrop  and  Achsah  Wliite  Vinton.  His  mother  now  resides 
in  Mansfield,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  has  three  children — Edwin 
F.,  Hattie  and  Charles  M.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
New  York  State. 

CHARLES  B.WALWORTH,  job  printer,  born  in  Osage  Mission^ 
Mo.,  in  1S50.  Came  to  Eau  Claire,  in  1874;  had  charge  of  the  Free 
Press  job  rooms,  for  six  years;  began  his  present  business  in  the  Fall 
of  1S80;  has  been  associated  with  the  publishing  business  from  an  early 
age.  Was  married  to  Cora  Ellis,  in  1878.  They  have  one  child,  Hat- 
tie  S.,  born  in  ) 880.  His  father  was  a  trader,  and  connected  with  the 
Indian  Commission. 

O.  WALKER,  logger  and  farmer,  Eau  Claire.  Born  in  1S25  in 
New  Hampshire;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  r855;  engaged  in  farming; 
took  up  the  first  land  for  farming  in  the  Chippewa  Valley  ;  built  a  ware- 
house on  his  farm,  on  the  river  bank,  and  handled  the  grain  of  the  river 
bottom  section,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1870;  married  Mary  Dunham, 
of  Brunswick,  N.  Y.,  in  1864. 

EBEN  WARD,  head  filer,  Valley  Lumber  Company,  Eau  Claire. 
Was  born  in  Pembroke,  Me.,  Oct.  13,  1836,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
the  Spring  of  1864,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire.  He  was  employed  as 
setter,  to  Daniel  Shaw  Lumber  Company's  saw-mill,  for  two  years,  and 
was  sawyer  at  Cliippewa  Falls,  for  one  year.  He  returned  to  Eau 
Claire  in  186S,  and  was  then  employed  in  various  mills  as  sawyer  ;  was 
with  Ingram,  Kennedy  &  Co.,  for  five  years,  as  filer  and  sawyer  ;  was 
one  year  filer  in  Wheaton  mill,  Wheaton  ;  was  also,  for  six  months, 
filer,  in  a  mill  in  Maine.  He  returned  to  Eau  Claire  in  1877,  and 
engaged  in  his  present  capacity.  He  has  been  a  member  of  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  since  1872.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire.  Sept.  2,  1870,  to  Sarah 
Brunk.  They  have  four  children —  Mabel  J.,  Eugene  G.,  Rutherford  B. 
and  Homer  E. 

GEORGE  WARREN,  of  Stone  &  Warren,  butchers,  Eau  Claire.  Came 
to  Wisconsin  July  5,  1S80;  located  at  Eau  Claire,  and  was  for  a  short  time 
in  the  employ  of  David  Drummond.  Commenced  present  business 
in  partnership  with  G.  W.  Stone.  He  was  born  in  England,  April  14, 
1S57 ;  went  to  Canada  in  1877,  and  came  to  United  States  in  Julv, 
1880. 

ALEXANDER  R.  WATSON.  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Browns- 
ville, Fayette  Co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  29,  1S40,  and  came  west  in  1857.  He  was 
cabin  boy  and  cook  on  a  steamer  on  the  Mississippi  for  two  se.ison5,and 
in  1858,  came  to  Eau  Claire  ;  was  cook  in  the  woods  the  following  Win- 
ter, and  cook  on  a  steamboat  in  the  Summer  of  '59.  He  attended  the 
seminary  at  Eau  Claire  during  the  Winter  of  1S60,  and  in   1S61  worked 


in  Smith  &  Buffington's  mill.  In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I. 
30th  Wis.  V.  I.,  serving  three  years,  and  was  discharged  Sept.  25,  1S65, 
and  returned  to  Eau  Claire,  and  has  since  been  associated  with  Mr. 
Buffington  and  the  Valley  Lumber  Co.,  in  the  woods  Winters,  and  on  the 
river  selling  lumber,  until  1S74,  when  he  entered  the  office,  where  he  has 
since  continued.  Mr.  Watson  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Aug.  iS,  1S67, 
to  Saluda  Van  Buskirk,  who  was  born  riear  Watertown,  and  died  in  Eau 
Claire,  May  5,  1S74.  They  had  two  children,  George  R.  and  Edith 
Saluda. 

WILLIAM  WEISSENFELS  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  July,  1867,  and 
engaged  in  taxidermist  work  and  surveying  for  two  years.  Since  1870, 
he  has  given  his  entire  attention  to  surveying,  which  he  learned  twenty- 
five  years  before  coming  to  America.  He  served  as  County  Surveyor 
one  term,  and  since  1872,  has  been  City  Surveyor.  He  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Dec.  5,  1819,  and  educated  by  private  instruction  in  Koln,  on 
the  Rhine,  and  came  to  America  in  1867. 

THOMAS  R.  WENTWORTH,  yard  master,  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R. 
R..  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  and  located  at  Koshkonong  ; 
enlisted  in  2ist  Wis.  Inf.,  Aug.  II,  1S62;  served  three  years,  and  was 
promoted  from  private  to  sergeant  ;  was  brakesman  for  three  years  on 
Wisconsin  Division  of  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  and  was  seriously  injured  by  an 
accident  ;  clerked  for  some  time  in  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  office,  at  Madison; 
in  1873,  was  appointed  joint  agent  of  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  and  W'est  Wis- 
consin R.  R. ;  held  that  position  for  some  three  years;  came  to  Eau 
Claire  in  1876,  as  yard  master  of  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  ;  was  elected 
.\lderman  in  1877.  for  one  year  ;  re-elected  in  lS7S,fL)r  two  years.  Born 
in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  24,  1840.  Married,  May  2,  1S71,  at  Fond 
du  Lac,  to  Ardie  S.  Furlong,  who  was  born  in  Greenwood,  Me.  They 
have  two  children,  Grace  S.  and  Bonnie  A. 

SAMUEL  WHITE,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England, 
Dec.  2,  1S35,  and  came  to  .-Vmerica  with  his  parents  in  1839.  locating  in 
Canada,  where  he  learned  the  machinist  trade  and  lived  until  1855,  when 
he  went  to  Ferrysburg,  near  Grand  Haven,  and  resided  there  until  Jan- 
uary, 1S62,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
was  employed  as  engineer  and  machinist  by  Chapman  &  Thorp  for  three 
years.  In  1865,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Hiram  P.  Graham  and 
Robert  ToUis,  who,  under  the  firm  name  of  Graham,  White  &  Co.,  man- 
aged a  foundry,  machine  shop,  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  lumbering, 
mercantile  business  and  flouring  mills.  They  now  run  lumbering  and  flour 
mills,  and  are  the  principal  owners  of  the  Dells  Lumber  Co.  Mills,  on 
Dells  Pond,  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Eau  Claire.  They  employ 
from  fifty-five  to  sixty  men,  and  will  cut  this  year  from  10,000,000  to  12,- 
000,000.  They  saw  logs  for  other  parties.  Their  flouring  mill  is  a  two- 
run  custom  mill,  at  Sand  Creek.  Mr.  White  has  been  vice-president  of 
the  Phcenix  Manufacturing  Co.  since  its  organization  ;  their  old  mills 
and  foundry  were  destroyed  by  fire,  Aug.  20,  1875.  He  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Building  Association  and  other  enterprises,  and  was  married  in 
Eau  Claire,  Nov.  S,  1871,  to  Clara  A.  Jordan,  who  was  bora  in  Canada. 

DARWIN  C.  WHIPPLE,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  Dec.  25,  1830,  in 
the  town  of  Pultneyville,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1835,  his  frither  moved 
to  Naperville,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  where  he  died.  Darwin  C.  lived  there 
until  1S52,  when  he  went  to  California  ;  returning  in  1S54,  he  located  in 
Black  River  Falls,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1858,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  and  was  interested  in  lumbering  for  two  years  after  his  arrival 
here.  In  1861,  he  was  elected  Sheriff,  but  resigned  in  November,  1S63, 
and  raised  Co.  H,  l6th  Wis.  V.  I.,  one  of  the  five  companies  raised  to 
fill  up  the  depleted  ranks  of  that  regiment.  He  was  mustered  out,  July 
12,  1865,  as  captain  of  the  company.  Returning  to  Eau  Claire,  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  for  two  years.  He  was  Under  SherilT  in 
1868-9;  elected  Sheriff' in  1869,  serving  two  years;  was  Under  Sheriff' in 
1872-3,  and  Sheriff  again  in  1S74-5.  Since  then  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  Eau  Claire  Woolen  Mills,  owning  one-half  interest  in  the  firm 
of  E.  W.  Robbins  &  Co.  since  1876.  Since  Jan.  I,  iSSi,  he  has  been 
Under  Sheriff,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in  the  town  of  Washington,  on 
Otter  Creek,  in  the  same  town  where  his  woolen  mills  aie  situated.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  policemen  in  Eau  Claire.  He  was  married  in  Wil- 
mington, 111.,  June  6,  1S54.  to  Nancy  A.  Elderkin,  a  native  of  Nova  Sco- 
tia.   They  have  two  sons,  Russell  J.  and  Myron  C. 

CHARLES  R.  WILCOX,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  the  town  of  Union 
(Truax  Prairie),  then  the  town  of  Half  Moon,  Oct.  8.  1859,  and  engaged 
in  farming.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Oak  Grove  Town  Board  before 
the  organization  of  Union,  and  Treasurer  of  that  town  from  the  time  of 
its  organization  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  in  1875.  He  engaged  in 
lumbering  soon  after  his  arrival,  and  then  in  making  street  improve- 
ments, and  has  been  Street  Commissioner  since  April,  1S80.  He  was 
born  in  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.Y.,  March  4,  1832,  and  lived  there 
until  he  came  to  Wisconsin;  he  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  June  20, 
1864,  to  Millie  M.  Paul,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State,  though  her 
parents  located  in  Delavan  at  an  early  day.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  son  of 
Alfred  and  Hannah  (.\kin)  Wilcox.  His  father  died  in  1833,  and  his 
mother  in  November,  1871,  in  Union,  Eau  Claire  Co.;  he  lost  two  broth- 
ers in  the  war. 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


337 


NELSON  C.  WILCOX,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  the  [town  of 
Whitestown,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  I,  1836,  and  lived  there  until  1855, 
when  for  one  year  he  resided  in  Oxford,  N.  Y.  He  came  from  there  to 
Eau  Claire,  Oct.  25,  1S56  ;  he  was  employed  in  a  saw-mill  for  a  few 
weeks;  then  entered  the  store  of  Chapman  &  Thorp,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  salesman  until  1862,  when  he  engaged  in  hardware  business 
for  two  and  a  half  years  ;  he  was  then  in  Massachusetts  a  year  and  a 
half.  Returning  to  Eau  Claire,  he  engaged  in  logging  about  two  years, 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  as  salesman, 
and  remained  with  them,  having  charge  of  their  mercantile  department, 
until  April  I,  1S80,  whenhe  became  amemberof  the  firm  of  G.  B.  Chap- 
man &  Co.  He  was  married,  in  Chicago,  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  An- 
gle T.  Bellinger,  nee  Tewkesbury.  They  have  three  children — Roy  Por- 
ter, Nelson  James  and  Joseph  Thorp.  Mr.  Wilcox  v/as  Town  Treasurer 
three  terms  ;  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  Common  Council. 

SYLVANUS  H.  WILCOX,  County  Treasurer,  Eau  Claire,  came  to 
Madison  in  1855,  and  from  there  to  Eau  Claire,  March  8,  1856,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  built  the  first  planing-mill,  sash,  door  and  blind 
factory  here,  in  the  Fall  ol  1857  and  Winter  of  1S57-8  ;  he  was  in  part- 
nership with  J.  B.  Randall  for  two  years,  and  they  then  sold  out ;  after- 
ward Mr.  Wilcox  continued  in  building  and  jobbing  business  until 
within  the  last  six  or  seven  years :  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  in- 
surance and  real  estate.  He  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in  1S78,  and 
re-elected  in  1S80.  He  was  born  in  Newport,  N.  H.,  April  30,  1835, 
and  lived  there  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  when  his  parents  died, 
and  he  went  to  Massachusetts,  living  in  Boston  most  of  the  time  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  married  in  Eau  Claire,  Nov.  24,  1S65,  to 
his  first  wife,  Huldah  M.  Harrington,  who  was  born  near  Milwaukee 
and  died  in  Eau  Claire.  They  had  two  children,  Lillian  M.  and  a  son, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months.  He  was  married  to  his  present 
wife,  Helen  M.  Granger,  a  native  of  New  York,  May  28,  1875.  They 
have  two  children  living,  Grace  P.  and  Helen,  and  have  lost  one  child, 
who  died  when  but  an  infant. 

EDWIN  C.  WILKINS,  lumber  and  logs,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S53,  and  located  near  Portage  ;  engaged  in  farming  there 
for  one  year,  and  in  Adams  County  for  two  years  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1856,  and  engaged  in  rafting  on  the  river,  and  was  raft  pilot  for  nine 
years  ;  since  then  has  been  employed  in  the  woods.  He  organized  first 
string  band  in  Eau  Claire.  Was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1824, 
and  married  there,  in  1845,  to  Lorenda  J.  Shingler,  who  was  born  in 
Ulysses,  N.  Y.  The  children  are  :  Mary  Alice  (now  Mrs.  J.  B.  Stock- 
ing), Isabella  S.  (now  Mrs.  S.  Clemmens.) 

ALLAN  WILLIAMSON,  foreman  lumber  yards  of  Phoenix  Manu- 
facturing Company,  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1869;  was  born  in  Grenville, 
Canada,  in  1S44;  served  in  the  Fenian  raid. 

GEORGE  S.  WILLIAMS,  barber,  born  in  New  York  City  in  1S52; 
came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S64  ;  was  in  the  family  of  J.  I.  Gilbert,  of  Eau 
Claire  Lumber  Company,  seven  years;  learned  his  trade,  in  1873,  in  the 
Williams  House.  By  industry  and  frugality,  he  saved  enough  to  open  a 
first-class  barber  shop,  in  187S,  on  Barstow  street,  opposite  the  Eau 
Claire  House. 

GEORGE  W.  WILLIAMS,  Eau  Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  Oc- 
tober, 1844,  locating  at  Lake  Mills,  Jefferson  Co.,  and  two  years  later 
went  to  Mayville,  Dodge  Co.,  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1853,  he  went 
to  Portland,  Dodge  Co.,  and  was  in  mercantile  business  there  until  1S56, 
when  he  went  to  Little  Dells,  seven  miles  above  Kilbourn  City.  He  was 
in  the  lumber  trade  there  until  February,  1863,  when  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire  and  kept  a  flour  and  feed  store  for  a  year,  and  was  proprietor  of  a 
livery  stable  for  eight  years.  In  1869,  he  built  the  Windsor  House,  rent- 
ing it  until  1873-4,  when  he  sold  out.  Selling  out  his  livery  establish- 
ment, in  the  Winter  of  1872-73,  he  built  a  mill  at  Alma.  After  operat- 
ing that  for  three  seasons,  he  sold  out  and  traveled  until  the  Spring  of 
iSSo.  Since  then  he  has  resided  in  Eau  Claire.  He  was  appointed  Deputy 
Sheriff  and  Jailer,  in  January,  1881,  and  has  charge  of  the  county  build- 
ings, as  janitor.  He  held  various  offices  in  other  counties  before 
coming  to  Eau  Claire.  He  was  born  in  Bannington,  Genesee  Co.,  N.Y., 
June  9,  1824,  and  married  at  Lake  Mills,  Feb.  8,  1S45,  to  Malinda  Street- 
er.  who  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.Y.  They  have  five  children 
living —  James  H.,  Postmaster  at  Vale,  Chippewa  Co.;  Thomas  E.. 
principal  of  schools  in  Augusta  ;  George  W.,  Jr.,  book-keeper  for  Stephen 
Marston,  in  Eau  Claire  ;  Ella  and  William  P. 

GEORGE  W.  WILLIAMS,  Jr.,  book-keeper  at  S.  Marston's  mill, 
Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Williamstown,  June  7,  1851 ;  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1S63.  He  was  employed  by  his  father,  in  livery  business,  and  after- 
ward in  furniture.  Commenced  furniture  business,  on  own  account,  in 
1875  ;  carried  it  on  for  two  years,  then  engaged  in  handling  a  patent- 
right  for  ditching,  for  some  years.  He  has  been  engaged  in  present 
capacity  since  March,  1881.  He  was  married  in  Ottawa,  ifl..  May  31, 
1873,  to  Ilattie  A.  Bangs.     They  have  lost  three  children. 

RICHARD   F.  WILSON  came   to  Eau   Claire   in   the   Summer  of 
1854,  and  remained  until  late  in  the  Winter,  selecting  lands  for  the  State. 
He  returned  in  1855,  and  laid  out  the  town  in  the  Fall  of  that  year,  hav- 
ing purchased  one-half  interest  in  200  acres  on  the  east  side  of  the  Chip- 
22 


pewa  and  south  side  of  the  Eau  Claire  rivers,  on  what  is  known  as  the 
original  plat  of  the  town  of  Eau  Claire.  He  purchased  in  connection 
with  W.  H.  Gleason,  Jesse  J.  Gage  and  James  Reed.  Gage  &  Reed  sold 
their  interest  to  Adin  Randall,  who  soon  afterward  transferred  his  inter- 
est to  Chapman,  Thorp  &  Burhams.  The  latter  gentleman  afterward 
sold  his  interest  to  Chapman  &  Thorp.  In  1856,  Adin  Randall  in  con- 
nection with  Ira  Mead  laid  out  the  city  of  Eau  Claire  on  the  west  side. 
They  were  the  original  proprietors  and  owned  it  for  a  considerable  time. 
Mr.  Wilson  has  never  disposed  of  his  entire  interest  in  property  acquired 
at  the  commencement  of  the  town,  but  has  a  large  property,  principally 
improved.  The  property  which  he  owns  on  the  west  side,  he  selected 
for  the  State  in  1854,  but  afterward  pre-empted  it.  He  owns  160  acres, 
known  as  R.  F.  WiLson's  Addition  to  the  village  (now  city)  of  Eau  Claire. 
Mr.  Wilson  has  dealt  in  real  estate  ever  since  his  arrival  in  Eau  Claire. 
He  was  also  in  the  lumbering  and  mercantile  business,  but  disposed  of 
the  latter  in  1870.  He,  at  present,  is  interested  in  two  mills.  The  one 
known  as  the  R.  F.  Wilson  mill  is  located  in  the  Sixth  Ward.  R.  F. 
Wilson's  Addition  to  Eau  Claire.  It  has  a  capacity  of  50,000  feet  per 
day  of  eleven  hours'  run,  and  employs  about  fifty  men. 

EDWARD  N.  WILSON,  secretary  .of  Eau  Claire  Manufacturing 
Co.,  was  born  in  Depere,  Brown  Co.,  Aug.  11,  1854,  and  came  to  Eau 
Claire  with  his  parents  in  1855.  He  engaged  in  teaching  part  of  the 
time  before  commencing  the  lumber  business.  He  resided  in  Mauston, 
Minn.,  for  five  years.  He  was  County  Surveyor  of  that  county  for  two 
years,  and  was  also  engaged  in  buying  grain  while  there.  He  has  been 
Deputy  Surveyor  in  Eau  Claire  County. 

ABBOTT  P.  WILDER  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  April,  1865,  and 
worked  in  a  saw  mill  until  Fall,  when  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business, 
continuing  that  for  about  three  years.  In  September,  l86g,  he  estab- 
lished his  present  trade  in  jewelry  and  watches.  He  was  Village  Clerk 
during  1870,  and  the  next  year  being  Deputy  Town  Clerk,  performed  the 
duties  of  Clerk.  Mr.  Wilder  was  born  in  Newfane,  Windham  Co.,  Vt.. 
Jan.  13,  1838,  and  lived  there  until  1848,  when  he  went  with  his  parents 
to  the  town  of  Gill,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  and  came  from  there  to  Wis- 
consin. He  was  married  in  Strafford,  Vt.,  in  July,  1862,  to  Adele  N. 
Brown,  a  native  of  that  place  and  daughter  of  Darius  Brown,  who  still 
resides  at  Strafford.  They  have  one  child,  Ethel  May.  Mr.  Wilder  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Kidder)  Wilder;  his  father  died  in  April,  1S61, 
and  his  mother  died  in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  in  April, 
1875.  Mr.  Wilder  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  Temple  of 
Honor,  and  a  graduate  of  the  scientific  department  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege, class  of  l86l,  and  was  a  member  of  the  college  society. 

SAMUEL  WILLS  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  December.  1820, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  to  Eau  Claire  in  the  Fall  ol  1841  ;  he 
worked  in  the  woods  and  in  saw  mills  for  two  years,  and  went  to  Chip- 
pewa Falls  in  1843  ;  engaged  in  running  saw  mills  and  in  general  work 
until  1859;  in  the  Spring  of  i860,  he  went  to  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co..  at 
Menomonie,  remaining  with  them  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  and  was  in  the  stage  office  two  years ;  he  then  took  a  trip  to  Mon- 
tana and  Utah,  and  upon  his  return  to  Eau  Claire,  was  with  the  North- 
western Lumber  Co.  for  one  year,  and  was  Street  Commissioner  for  four 
years  ;  he  is  at  present  with  Smith  &  Rowe.  Mr.  Wills  claims  his  mar- 
riage with  Margaret  Hanley  to  have  been  the  first  marriage  between  a 
white  man  and  woman  in  Eau  Claire.  Mrs.  Wills  died  in  Menomonie. 
They  had  two  children,  one  of  whom,  Mary  C,  is  living;  their  only  son 
died.  Mr.  Wills  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Kate  Barden,  in 
Eau  Claire. 

W.  H.  WILLARD  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  May,  1867,  and  worked 
at  his  trade,  as  machinist,  until  1870,  when  he  became  engineer  of  W. 
F.  Bailey  Fire  Engine,  Fire  Co.  No.  I.  He  was  born  in  Jamestown, 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  21,  1S43,  and  lived  there  until  the  Summer 
of  1866,  when  he  went  to  Detroit,  and  in  a  short  time  to  Galesburg,  111., 
where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Eau  Claire.  He  worked  lor  N. 
Shaw  for  nearly  two  years  ;  has  worked  at  his  trade  since  he  was  nine- 
teen years  old.  He  was  married  at  Uniontown,  Fayette  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov. 
13,  1872,  to  Julia  de  Yarman,  who  was  born  near  that  place.  They  have 
one  daughter,  Jessie  D.,  born  Oct.  23,  1874.  Mr.  Willard  is  a  member 
of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

VICTOR  WOLF,  livery,  stone,  etc.,  Eau  Claire,  was  born  in  Obern- 
dorf,  Baden  Baden,  Dec.  28,  1S24,  and  came  to  United  Slates  in  1846. 
Enlisted  in  U.  S.  Army,  Feb.  23,  1S47,  and  served  until  1856,  when  he 
was  discharged  on  a  pension,  on  account  of  injuries  received  mounting 
heavy  guns  in  Fort  Ontario  ;  was  orderly  sergeant  eight  years.  On  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  he  enlisted,  July  17,  1S61,  in  Sth  Wis.  Inf. 
as  private,  and  was  elected  first  lieutenant ;  served  with  distinction  in  the 
numerous  battles  in  which  the  regiment  was  engaged  ;  was  promoted  to 
the  captaincy,  on  the  death  of  Capt.  Perkins,  May,  1862.  Capt.  Wolf 
will  always  be  associated  with  the  famous  war  eagle,  "  Old  Abe,"  which 
he  had  the  honor  of  naming,  and  which,  after  p.a.ssing  through  the  war, 
was  presented  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  September,  1864.  Capt.  Wolf's 
company  (Co.  C)  was  the  color  company  ol  the  regiment,  and  the  eagle  was 
always  with  the  colors.  Capt.  Wolf  was  married  in  New  York  City,  July. 
1848,  to  Ann  McLaughlin.    Has  had  nine  children,  of  whom  these  survive 


338 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


—Lizzie  (now  Mrs.  T.  Harrigan),  John  C,  Cecilia,  Ada  (now  Mrs.  L. 
Smith).  George  T..  Maggie,  William  Joseph,  and  Lillie.  Was  Chief  of 
Police,  1S72-73-77  ;  patrolman,  1S76;  Alderman,  two  years,  1879-S0  ; 
Town  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  North  Eau  Claire,  two  years;  member 
Board  of  Supervisors,  three  years  ;  one  year,  Chairman  of  Board ;  three 
years,  Ro.idniasler ;  nine  years.  District  Clerk. 

FRANCIS  W.  WOODWARD,  president  of  the  Bank  of  E.iu  Claire, 
was  born  in  Ithaca.  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  19.  1S30,  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  received  a  thorough  business 
education.  His  first  visit  to  Wisconsin  was  made  in  1S51,  though  he  had 
land  interests  here  since  1S47.  In  1855,  he  located  in  Madison,  and  oc- 
cupied himself  in  looking  after  his  real  estate;  in  iS6i  or  1S62,  he  re- 
turned to  New  York.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  i86g,  and  commenced 
dealing  in  real  estate,  which  he  still  continues.  He  is  interested  in  saw 
mills  and  banking  business.  With  eight  others,  he  purchased  the  mills, 
and  is  secretary  of  the  Badger  State  Lumber  Co. ;  he  was  one  of  the  cor- 
porators and  is  president  of  the  Eau  Claire  Chilled  Plow  Co.,  and  has 
large  farming  interests  in  Minnesota.  He  was  married  in  Madison,  in 
October,  1S62,  to  Annie  J.  Delaplaine,  who  was  born  in  Madison,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Gen.  Geo.  P.  Delaplaine.  They  have  two  children,  Mary 
D.  and  Harriet  B. 

MISS  JANE  WYATT,  music  teacher.  A  student  and  graduate  of 
the  celebrated  Kensington  Art  School,  she  took  six  medals  in  portrait 
and  oil  painting.  Miss  Wyatt  came  to  America  in  1874,  spending  the 
Winter  in  Boston.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  March,  1S75  ;  now  has  a 
large  class  in  instrumental  music.  Miss  Wyatt  is  descended  from  Sir 
Thomas  Wyatt,  one  of  Lady  Jane  Grey's  firmest  defenders  ;  he  lost  his 
life  in  her  defense.  Miss  Wyatt's  father  was  the  most  celebrated  four- 
in-hand  driver  in  London,  in  early  times  ;  he  supplied  the  crowned  heads 
of  Europe  with  fine  horses  ;  his  funeral  was  largely  attended  from  France, 
Ireland,  Scotland  and  England,  four  of  the  parish  priests  officiating. 

LEONARD  J.  YOUNG,  ist  engineer.  Empire  Lumber  Co.,  Eau 
Claire,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S69,  and  located  at  Eau  Claire,  where  he 
has  been  employed  in  present  capacity  since.  He  was  born  in  Skow- 
hegan.  Me.,  Dec.  20,  1840.  Was  engaged,  in  capacity  of  engineer,  for 
fifteen  years  on  various  Mississippi  River  steamboats ;  took  the  first 
steamer  down  the  Red  River  to  Hudson,  in  1858.  He  was  married  at 
Minneapolis,  in  1868,  to  Mary  J.  Searles,  who  was  born  in  New  York. 
They  have  four  children  —  Clarence,  Claude  A.,  Herbert  M.  and 
Carrie  M. 

Town  of  Union. 

ALPHONSO  DODGE,  farmer,  born  in  Maine,  in  1S47.  Has 
charge  of  Daniel  Shaw's  farm  in  town  of  Union  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1855.  He  has  spent  many  Winters  in  the  woods.  Was  married  to  Le- 
ona  Hutchins  in  18S0,  in  Eau  Claire. 

N.  B.  KOLL,  farmer.  Union,  born  in  1S50  in  Wisconsin  ;  came  to 
Eau  Claire  in  1869,  and  bought  his  present  farm.  Married  Clara  Paul 
in  Eau  Claire  in  1S72.  They  have  two  children.  He  has  been  Chair- 
man of  Town  Board  many  years,  and  District  Clerk  five  years.  Mr. 
Koll  is  one  of  the   most  enterprising  and  intelligent  men  of  the  town. 

NILES  MESERVY,  farmer.  Union,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863, 
and  bought  his  present  farm.  He  lumbers  during  the  Winter.  Was 
married  to  Mary  Jackson  in  1869,  and  has  three  children— Maud,  Her- 
bert and  Eugene. 

A.  J.  ROWELL,  farmer.  Union,  was  born  in  1S32,  in  Vermont, 
enlisted,  in  1862,  in  the  104th  N.  Y.  regiment,  at  Geneseo.  W'as 
in  the  battles  of  Rappahannock,  Silver  Spring,  second  Bull's  Run, 
Chantill.-i  and  Antietam  ;  was  wounded  in  the  back  of  the  neck,  the  ball 
passing  just  in  front  of  the  spine;  was  discharged  on  Surgeon-General 
Eastman's  certificate  in  1863.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1864;  was  in 
Daniel  Shaw's  machine  shop  one  year ;  in  Badger  Mills  till  1875  ;  at 
French  Falls  from  '75  to  '78,  and  came  on  his  farm  in  '78.  Married 
Anna  Van  Dreser  in  '72.  Have  three  children— Minnie,  Fletcher  and 
Maud. 

A.  B.  RANSOM,  farmer,  Union,  born  at  Otsego,  N.  Y.,  in  1830; 
came  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1845;  farmed  there  till  1866  ;  used  the' 
first  separator  for  grain  in  Wisconsin,  in  1S47  (Hall's);  came  to  his 
present  location  in  lS56,  and  is  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  his  town. 
Married  Mary  J.  Graves  in  1852.  They  had  two  children,  Delos  and 
Ida.  Married  Lucinda  Rigal  in  1863;  they  had  three  children — Cora, 
Alice,  Eva.  In  1875,  Mr.  R.  married  Nancy  L.  Baker ;  they  have  one 
child,  Nellie. 

JOSEPH  ROACH,  farmer,  Union,  born  in  Ireland  in  1810,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  took  up  his  present  farm.  By  steady  indus- 
try, Mr.  R.  prospered  and  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  viz.:  Nich- 
olas, Johanna,  John,  James,  Mary,  Ellen,  Margaret  and  Joseph.  Was 
married  to  Mary  O'Neal  in  Ireland,  in  1S35. 

J.  A.  SOUTHM.WD,  farmer,  town  of  Union,  began  farming  here 
in  1876.,,  Enlisted  in  i6oth  N.  Y.  V.;  was  forty-two  days  at  Port  Hud- 
son ;  was  in  eighteen  battles ;  marched  7,000  miles  in  two  years.  Was 
stationed  in  Georgia,  after  the  war  closed,  to  maintain  peace ;  mustered 


out  in  1867,  with  rank  of  lieutenant.  Came  out  of  the  army  without  an 
injury  or  ill  health.  Born,  in  1836,  in  New  York;  married  Lucinda 
Philips  in  New  York  in  1862;  three  children. 

AUGUSTA. 

The  pleasant  village  of  Augusta  is  located  in  the  town 
of  Bridge  Creek,  on  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  & 
Omaha  Railroad.  It  is  on  a  level  spot,  in  a  fertile  region, 
regularly  laid  out,  with  the  buildings  detached  and  some- 
what scattered  over  quite  a  large  territory  for  a  village  of 
its  size. 

The  village  was  platted  in  September,  1857. 

The  first  white  settler  in  the  town  was  Andrew  Thomp- 
son, who  located  in  1855,  in  what  is  now  called  Thompson's 
Valley. 

Later  in  the  same  year,  E.  S.  Bills,  Charles  Buckman,C. 
L.  Chadbourn,  W.  H.  Waterbury,  and  John  F.  Stone,  with 
their  families,  located  here.  Mr.  Thompson  was  an  En- 
glishman, and  unmarried. 

Buckman  and  Bills  were  farmers.  Mr.  Stone  turned  his 
attention  to  milling,  and  built  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  val- 
ley; it  was  completed  in  the  Winter  of  1856-7. 

The  next  year,  1858,  witnessed  the  building  of  the  first 
store  and  frame  dwelling  in  town,  by  William  Maiiss. 

H.  Searl  and  brother  arrived  in  the  Spring  of  1859, 
bringing  their  families,  and,  buying  an  interest  in  Stone's 
mill  property,  they  erected  the  first  flouring  mill  in  the 
vicinity,  which  still  stands,  doing  good  work.  At  the  end 
of  three  years,  seven  or  eight  other  families  had  settled 
here. 

In  1862,  Buckman  &  Ball  built  the  Augusta  House, 
which  was  burned  in  1879. 

There  have  been  several  additions  to  the  village.  Buck- 
man's  first  addition,  September,  1S59;  Stone  &  Buckman's, 
May,  1867  ;  E.  S.  Bills',  June,  1867  ;  Buckman's  second, 
September,  1S6S;  John  F.  Stone's,  May,  1S67  ;  and  in  April, 

1870,  Germantown  was  laid  out  as  a  detached  village.     In 

187 1,  however,  the  whole  were  consolidated. 

The  village  had  a  healthy  and  steady  growth,  which  was 
retarded  during  the  war,  but  the  prospects  of  a  railroad  in- 
spired its  flagging  energies,  and  the  completion  of  the  West 
Wisconsin  to  this  point,  rapidly  developed  a  thriving  com- 
munity. 

As  the  road,  however,  went  through  to  Eau  Claire,  there 
was  a  waning  of  its  business  vitality  to  a  slight  extent;  but 
it  has  never  outgrown  the  country  upon  which  it  depends 
for  support.     All  its  business  places  are  active. 

Sc/nm/s. — Augusta,  not  unjustly,  pridfs  itself  upon  its 
graded  schools.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  village,  a  large 
school-house  was  built.  It  was  burned  in  1872.  In  1873, 
a  still  larger  one  was  built.  John  L.  Ball  was  the  architect. 
The  schools  are  under  the  care  of  Thomas  Williams. 

Bank. — There  is  a  single  private  bank.  Ira  B.  Bradford 
and  Russell  Hacket  are  the  proprietors.  It  is  a  sound  in- 
stitution, and  does  a  good  business.  It  was  started  in 
1867. 

W.  H.  Waterbury  is  the  present  Postmaster,  and  H.  Mc- 
Bain  is  Assistant  Postmaster. 

Churches.  —  The  First  Baptist  Church.  This  society 
came  into  existence  in  1857,  through  the  eff'orts  of  A.  B. 
Green.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Luther  Humphrey.  The 
present  structure  was  built  in  1S67.  The  present  pastor  is 
Rev.  J.  W.  Fish.     It  has  170  members. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in  1857, 
Elder  Clingham  being  the  first  pastor.  The  present  edifice 
was  erected  in  1870.  Rev.  John  Haw  is  pastor,  and  there 
is  a  present  membership  of  177. 

There  is  also  a  Catholic  Mission  Church  in  town. 

Mills. — J.  L.  Ball  planing  mill,  doors,  sash,  blinds,  etc. ; 
run  by  water-power  from  Bridge  Creek. 


HISTORY   OF    EAU    CLAIRE    COUNTY. 


339 


Finch  &  Plummer,  flouring  mill ;  two  run  of  stones;  run 
by  water. 

There  is  a  saw-mill  run  by  water  on  East  Coon  Fork, 
five  miles  from  town. 

There  are  several  unimproved  water  privileges  near  the 
village,  one  with  ten  feet  fall,  another  eighteen,  and  still  an- 
other of  twenty-two  feet. 

Newspaper. — The  k.\x^\x%Xs.  Eagle  was  started  by  the 
present  proprietor.  Griff.  O.  Jones,  July  ii,  1874. 

S'cieties. — Augusta  has  the  usual  variety  in  this  respect : 

Masonic. — Augusta  Lodge,  No.  181.  Isaac  Palmer  was 
the  first  Master,  and  S.  Axtell  is  the  present  one. 

Odd  Fellows,  No.  142,  has  a  membership  of  about  fifty. 
W.  H.  Waterbury  was  the  first  N.  G.  H.  S.  Baldwin  now 
fills  that  chair. 

A.  O.  U.  W.  Instituted  in  1869.  S.  A.xtell  the  first  M. 
W.     C.  A.  Kirkham  the  present  M.  W. 

There  is  also  a  Temple  of  Honor,  Good  Templars,  and 
a  Juvenile  Temple,  all  in  good  condition. 

Two  hotels  are  in  the  village,  the  Sheridan  House  and 
the  ^Varren  House. 

There  are  two  elevators  at  the  depot,  and  293,835  bush- 
els of  wheat  were  shipped  in  1880. 

The  population  of  the  village  is  1,200. 

There  are  the  usual  number  of  lawyers.  One  of  them, 
Ira  B.  Bradford,  was  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  in  1S81,  and 
the  youngest  man  ever  in  that  chair,  and  the  only  one  ever 
born  in  Wisconsin. 

Of  doctors  there  are  four,  representing  the  several  schools. 

An  artesian  well  was  sunk  200  feet,  but  the  appropria- 
tion giving  out,  it  was  suspended. 

The  streets  began  to  be  sprinkled  in  1880. 

A  Mr.  Holcomb  claims  that  he  has  discovered  iron  and 
several  other  minerals,  on  Hay  Creek,  in  the  town  of  Lud- 
ington,  on  Section  34.  E.xaminations  are  taking  place  to 
learn  the  value  of  the  rock  found  there. 

Augusta  must  continue  to  grow  as  the  country  around 
is  developed. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JOHN  ANDERSON,  blacksmith.  Was  born  in  Denmark,  March 
2,  1841.  Came  to  America  in  1S67.  After  spending  a  short  time  at 
Watertown,  he  came  to  Augusta  in  tlie  same  year.  Besides  conducting 
an  extensive  blacksmith  establishment,  he  has  a  fine  farm  in  the  town  of 
]iridge  Creek,  which  he  carries  on.  He  was  married  in  Augusta,  to  Ar- 
mintha  HicUs.  They  have  three  children — Ivis  Augusta,  Edna,  and  an 
infant  daughter.  Lost  one  daughter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 
Mr.  A.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JOHN  L.  BALL,  proprietor  of  planing  mill,  sash,  door  and  blind 
manulactory,  and  saw-mill.  Was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  Dec.  12,  1834. 
removed  from  there  to  Lorain  County,  Ohio,  in  1840,  wiih  his  father ; 
remained  in  Ohio  until  1855,  then  came  to  Monroe,  Green  Co.,  Wis.; 
there  one  year,  then  removed  to  Neillsville,  Clark  Co.,  two  years  in  the 
latter  place,  when  he  came  to  Augusta.  He  enlisted  Aug.  14,  1862.  in 
Co.  I,  30th  Wis.  V.  L  ;  served  until  November,  1865.  After  leaving  the 
army  he  returned  to  Augusta  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  Be- 
sides carrying  on  his  manufacturing  business,  he  is  an  extensive  con- 
tractor and  builder.  His  saw-mill  is  situated  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
Augusta;  it  has  a  capacity  for  cutting  20,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day. 
In  the  various  departments  of  his  business,  he  employs  about  thirty  men. 
Mr.  Ball  has  been  connected  with  the  School  Board  all  of  the  lime  since 
he  came  to  Augusta,  except  one  year;  held  office  of  Town  Treasurer 
three  years.  He  was  married  in  Fairchild,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  Aug.  24,  1862, 
to  Caroline  Clark,  a  native  of  Montpelier,  Vt.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren—Carrie J.,  Mary  H.,  and  Elsie.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M..  and  A.  O.  U.  W. 

J.  D.  BEEBE,  of  the  firm  of  J.  D.  Beebe  &  Co.,  grocers.  Was 
born  in  Randolph,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  2,  1821.  Moved  to  Massena, 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1836.  Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Mon- 
roe, Green  Co.,  Wis.,  in  i860.  Came  to  Augusta,  in  the  Spring  of  1S81. 
He  was  married  in  Massena,  N.  Y.,  in  November,  1843,  to  Amanda 
Snow.  She  died  in  the  Spring  of  1849,  leaving  two  children,  Gertrude, 
now  Mrs.  Henry  Denhart  of  I'ipestone  Co.,  Minn.,  and  Gelsomina,  now 
Mrs.  John  Bassett,  of  Augusta,  Wis.  Mr.  Beebe  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  in  Massena,  in  September,  1849  ;  her  maiden  name  was 
Polly  Rickard.     They  have  three  children— John   F.,   Charles  F.,  and 


Laura,  all  now  residing  in  Augusta.  Mr.  B.  enlisted  Aug.  21,  1862,  in 
Co.  B,  31st  Wis.  V.  L  ;  served  until  June,  1865.  He  was  in  all  the  en- 
gagements  of  his  command  except  the  last  one,  near  Goldsboro,  N.  C, 
March  79,  1S65  ;  at  that  time  he  was  detailed  for  duty  as  saddler,  and 
consequently  was  not  in  the  engagement.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business  ever  since  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  In  the  Spring 
of  18S1,  he  also  engaged  the  present  business,  with  his  son  Charles  F. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

CHARLES  F.  BEEBE,  of  the  firm  of  J.  D.  Beebe  &  Co.,  grocers, 
Was  born  in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan,  iS,  1852.  Came 
to  Monroe,  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  in  October,  i860.  Worked  at  carpenter  and 
joiner's  trade  until  1S75,  when  he  came  to  Augusta,  engaged  in  the  boot 
and  shoe  business  here  for  three  years,  then  returned  to  Monroe  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  Spring  of  1881,  wlien  he  again  came  to  Augusta 
and  engaged  in  the  present  business  in  partnership  with  his  father. 

IRA  G.  BILLS,  farmer,  and  agricultural  implements,  .Augusta. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S48;  located  at  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co.,  where  he 
resided  with  his  parents.  Came  to  Augusta  in  1856,  and  has  been 
farming  since.  He  also  taught  school  for  five  years,  and  clerked  in  a 
store  several  years  ;  also  worked  as  book-keeper  for  W.  W.  Railroad  ; 
and  has  been  dealing  in  agricultural  implements  four  years — two  years 
alone  and  two  years  in  company  with  Austin  Chrisler.  Was  Supervisor 
of  town  of  Otter  Creek,  for  1873,  '74  and  '75,  and  Town  Clerk  for  two 
years,  1876  and  '77.  Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors  for  18S0,  of 
town  of  Bridge  Creek.  Born  in  Canada,  1844.  Was  married  at  Au- 
gusta, April  19,  1869,  to  Ella  G.  Perkins,  born  in  Canada.  They  have 
four  children— Clara  V.,  Chrissie  E.,  Ella  M.,  and  Nellie  M. 

HON.  IRA  B.  BRADFORD,  lawyer  and  banker.  Was  born  in 
the  town  of  Fulton,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  June  24,  1S51.  When  he  was  but 
a  few  months  old  his  parents,  Elbridge  and  Lovina  A.  (Burnhani)  Brad- 
ford, removed  to  New  Hampshire,  with  their  family.  Ira  was  educated 
in  the  academies  and  seminaries  of  New  Hampshire.  He  read  law  in 
that  State  and  in  Erie  Co.,  Pa.  In  the  Spring  of  1S73,  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin. After  spending  a  few  weeks  at  Janesville,  in  the  office  of  Cas- 
soday  &  Carpenter,  he  went  to  Monroe,  Green  Co.,  where  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar.  He  then  came  to  .Augusta  and  began  practice  in 
April,  1S73.  In  1875,  he  commenced  the  banking  business,  in  partner- 
ship with  Russell  Hackett,  a  well-known  farmer  of  this  region;  theirs 
was  the  first  and  only  banking  institution  ever  established  in  this  place. 
Mr.  Bradford  is  manager  of  the  business.  He  has  been  village  attorney 
most  of  the  time  since  he  came  here.  In  l83o,  he  was  elected  Assem- 
blyman, and  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House,  being  the  youngest 
officer  who  ever  presided  over  that  body,  and  the  only  native  of  Wiscon- 
sin that  ever  filled  that  position.  He  was  married  in  Edinboro,  Erie  Co., 
Pa.,  Aug.  20,  1872,  to  Allie  M  Burnham.  They  have  two  children, 
Archie  E.  and  Sadie  M.  Mr.  Bradford's  parents  now  reside  in  Wash- 
ington, N.  H. 

CLINTON  E.  BRADFORD,  cashier  of  Bradford  &  Hackett's 
bank.  Was  born  in  Washington,  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  H..  Sept.  i,  1S53. 
Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Augusta,  Wis.,  Sept.  9.  1876.  Since  com- 
ing here  has  been  connected  with  the  bank,  in  his  present  capacity.  He 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  State.  Mr.  Bradford  was  mar- 
ried in  Nashua,  N.  H.,  Nov.  26,  1874.  to  Emma  C.  Fletcher,  a  native  of 
Amherst,  N.  H. 

ROSIEL  D.  CAMPBELL,  attorney  at  law.  Was  born  in  what 
is  now  the  town  of  La  Fayette.  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15,  iSlo. 
Came  to  Beloit,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S38  ;  there  and  in  that  vicinity  for 
some  years,  then  went  to  Lee  Co..  III.  ;  resided  for  two  years  in  Boone 
Co.,  111.,  and  in  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I.  46th  111. V.I.  After 
the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson,  he  w.is  promoted  to  c.iptain,  receiving  his 
commission  just  before  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  In  the  Fall  of 
1862,  he  resigned,  and  came  to  Waterloo.  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he 
resided  until  1867,  when  he  located  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Luding- 
ton,  Eau  Claire  Co.  Came  to  Augusta  in  1869.  He  is  now  President 
of  the  village,  also  holds  the  office  of  Court  Commissioner  ;  for  several 
years  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peice  here.  Mr.  Campbell  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  in  1842,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  of  Illinois  in  April,  1843.  He  was  married  in  the  town  of 
Manchester,  Boone  Co.,  111.,  to  Cornelia  Linderman,  a  native  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  They  have  five  children— Charles  R.,  Amelia  C.  James 
H..  Harriet  C.  and  Frank  R.  Lost  three  children— Cornelia  C,  Stephen 
and  R.  D.  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  the  Old  Settler's  Club,  of  .Vugusta, 
and  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

SILAS  E.  COOPER,  of  the  firm  of  Jackson  &  Sons,  merchants. 
Was  born  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Annin,  McKean  Co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  i, 
1843.  Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66.  He  was  married 
in  Annin,  Pa.,  March  26,  1865,  to  Melvina  R.  S.  Jackson;  she  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Jasper,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child,  Lilly 
D.,  born  Aug.  30,  1S67.     Mr.  Cooper  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JUDSON  C.  CRAWFORD,  lawyer.  Was  born  in  Uly.s.^es.  Tomp- 
kins Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  26,  1823  ;  lived  there  until  he  cime  to  Wisconsin, 
in  the  Fall  of  1847-  The  first  year  after  coming  to  this  State  he  taught 
school  in  Sheboygan,  then  taught  two  years  at  Waupuu,  and  one  year  at 


340 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Ceresco.  Afterward,  for  many  years,  he  was  engaged  in  general  mis- 
sionary work,  being  a  regularly  ordained  minister  of  the  Universalist 
Church.  He  preached  in  the  vicinity  of  Berlin,  I  year.  Oshkosh,  i 
year,     Prairie     du     Chien,     I     year,     Reedsburg,     i     year,     Neenah, 

1  year,  Rosendale,  i  year,  Beaver  Dam  about  2  years,  May- 
ville,   I  year,  Watertown,'  I  year,   Waupun  again  for  I  year,  Marshall, 

2  years.  Lake  Mills,  3  years,  Montello,  2  years,  Brodhead,  2  years,  again 
at  Lake  Mills  for  2  years.  Black  River  Falls,  Osseo  and  Augusta,  each 
one  year,  and  taught  school  at  Osseo  for  some  time.  In  March,  1875.  he 
settled  in  Augusta,  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice  of  law, 
having  practiced  to  some  extent  for  several  years  prior  to  locating  here. 
Mr.  Crawford  was  married  in  the  village  of  Catharine,  N.  Y.,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1S42,  to  Lucy  Maria  Beardsley,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have 
three  children  living— Ada  Estelle.  Emma  Belle  and  Carrie  Maud.  Lost 
four  children— Clarence,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years  and  two 
months;  Allen,  aged  fourteen,  and  two  sons  died  in  early  infancy.  Mr. 
Crawford  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  L  O.  O.  F.,  and  Temple  of 
Honor.  His  father,  Elisha  Crawford,  died  when  Judson  was  only  two 
years  of  age.  His  mother,  Mehitabel  (Cleveland)  Crawford,  died  about 
eighteen  years  ago. 

STEPHEN  A.  CUDDY,  agent  of  C,  .St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  Co., 
Augusta.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S6S  ;  located  in  New  Lisbon,  where 
he  resided  with  his  parents,  and  attended  school.  Went  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1S70,  and  was  employed  by  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Company  for  six 
months,  then  entered  the  employ  of  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  Co.  for  a 
year,  stationed  at  various  places.  Returned  to  New  Lisbon  and  learned 
telegraphy.  Was  employed  on  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.,  at  Kilbourn,  Colum- 
bus and  Elk  Grove,  as  telegraph  operator  for  six  months  ;  then  at  Menomo- 
nie,  as  operator  and  clerk  for  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  one  year;  then  at 
Hudson  three  months,  and  at  Merillon  Junction  for  four  months;  then 
at  Eau  Claire  as  operator  for  five  years.  Came  to  Augusta  in  Summer  of 
1880.  and  has  been  in  present  capacity  since.  Was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
December,  1856.  Came  to  .\merica  in  1863.  Was  married  in  Eau 
Claire,  June,  1880,  to  Ellen  Egan,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  one  child, 
Lucy  A. 

REV.  JOEL  W.  FISH,  pastor  of  First  Baptist  Church,  Augusta. 
Born  in  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  Feb.  I,  1817.  Graduated  at  Madison 
University  in  1843.  Was  ordained  at  Mannsville,  N.  Y.,  in  Fall  of  1845. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  same  year  ;  located  at  Geneva  ;  had  charge  of  First 
Baptist  Church  for  seven  years,  and  at  R.icine  for  two  and  a  half  years. 
Was  then  appointed  general  superintendent  for  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society  of  the  State.  Served  in  that  capacity  two  years,  residing  at 
Geneva.  Then  at  Fox  Lake  for  twenty-one  years ;  had  charge  of  First 
Baptist  Church  for  eleven  years,  and  was  again  general  superintendent 
ot  the  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  of  Wisconsin  for  ten  and  a  half 
years.  Then  at  Waupaca  for  sixteen  months,  acting  pastor  of  First 
Baptist  Church,  and  six  months  in  charge  of  Home  Mission  of 
Northern  Wisconsin.  Came  to  Augusta,  November,  1879,  and  has 
been  in  present  capacity  since.  Membership  of  church,  175.  Present 
church  edifice  was  built  in  1867,  and  was  opened  by  Mr.  Fish  at  that 
time.  He  also  preaches  at  different  parts  of  the  county.  Was  married 
at  Pulaski,  N.  Y.,  September,  1846,  to  Rachel  W.Stone,  born  in  Frank- 
lin Co.,  Mass.  They  have  one  son,  Fred  M.,  employed  as  book-keeper 
in  Chicago.  . 

GEORGE  F.  HAMILTON,  physician  and  surgeon.  Was  born  in 
Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1839.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of 
1852  ;  resided  in  Fond  du  Lac  County  until  the  Spring  of  1853,  then 
moved  to  Oakfield,  Dodge  Co.,  where  he  remained  until  1S56,  after- 
ward lived  at  Hillsboro,  Vernon  Co.  In  1862,  went  to  Sheldon,  Mon- 
roe Co.,  there  until  1866,  then  returned  to  Vernon  County,  resided  one 
year  in  Bloomingdale,  and  two  years  in  Springville,  then  for  one  year  re- 
sided at  Sparta.  In  1S70,  he  came  to  Augusta.  The  doctor  received  his 
medical  education  at  Bennett  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Chicago. 
Commenced  practice  in  1866.  After  coming  to  Augusta,  he  run  a  drug 
store  in  connection  with  the  practice  of  his  profession.  For  last  five 
years  he  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  farming.  In  December,  1S63, 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  37th  Wis.  V.  I.  ;  was  discharged  March  iS,  1S65,  on 
account  of  wounds  received  before  Petersburg,  Va.  He  was  the  first 
village  President  of  Augusta,  who  was  elected  on  the  no  license  ticket. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M  ,  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  societies.  He  was 
married  in  Sheldon,  Monroe  Co.,  Wis..  Dec.  6,  1859,10  Orra  M.Stearns, 
a  native  of  Newbury,  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio.  She  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1855.  They  have  two  children  living,  Ernest  A.,  born  Dec.  i,  1862,  and 
Claude  F.,  born  April  19,  1872.  Lost  one  son,  John  Willie,  who  was 
born  Jan.  27,  1861,  and  died  .March  12,  1877. 

RUSSELL  HACKETT,  farmer  and  banker,  was  born  in  Massena, 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28,  1842,  lived  there  until  he  came  to  the 
town  of  Bridge  Creek,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  Wis.,  in  September,  1856,  farm- 
ing ever  since  he  came  here,  except  a  short  time  when  he  was  engaged 
in  carpenter  work,  interested  in  lumbering  to  considerable  extent  prior 
to  seven  years  ago.  He  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  land  operations 
since  coming  to  Wisconsin.  Since  1875,  he  has  been  interested  in  bank- 
ing business  here,  in   partnership  with  Ira  B.  Bradford.     Mr.  Hackett 


served  over  one  year  in  Company  K,  5th  Wis.  V.  I.  He  was  County' 
Surveyor  for  eight  years.  Town  Treasurer  one  year,  several  years  Town 
Assessor,  now  serving  in  that  position.  He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Eau  Claire  Commandery,  I.  O.  O,  F.  and 
Augusta  Old  Settler's  Club. 

J.  C.  H.VCKETT,  dealer  in  hardware  and  agricultural  implements, 
was  born  in  Clarendon,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  Aug.  8,  1827.  When  he  was 
a  youth  of  ten  or  eleven  years  his  parents  moved  with  their  family  to 
Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  lived  there  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  when  he  returned  to  Vermont  and  learned  his  trade  of 
carpenter  and  joiner,  remained  in  Vermont  about  five  years,  then  re- 
turned to  Massena  where  he  resided  until  the  Spring  of  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  in  August  of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Augusta 
and  engaged  in  carpenter  and  joiner  and  millwright  business  ;  he  also 
opened  a  farm,  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  four  or  five  years,  lived  on 
his  farm  two  or  three  years,  then  purchased  an  interest  in  hardware  busi- 
ness, being  associated  with  Corilus  Stone  and  Harvey  R.  Plumley,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Stone,  Hackett  &  Co.,  which  continued  for  about  two 
years  when  Stone  and  Plumley  disposed  of  their  interest  in  the  business 
to  Brown  &  Eaton,  three  or  four  years  later  Mr.  Hackett  sold  out  to 
Brown  &  Eaton.  Afterward  the  firm  of  Hackett,  Plumley  &  Hebard 
was  organized  in  the  Fall  of  1875,  Mr.  Plumley  retired  from  the  firm, 
since  then  Messrs.  Hackett  and  Hebard  have  carried  on  the  business. 
Mr.  Hackett  was  married  Jan.  I,  1857,  to  Charlotte  F.  Stone,  a  native  of 
Massena,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children  living — Ira  S.,  Mary  and 
Elsie  L.  Lost  one  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  H.  has  held 
various  town  and  county  offices,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board,  has  held  that  position  several  years.  He  is  president  of  the 
Pioneer  Society  of  Augusta.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Besides  earring  on  business  in  town  he  has  been  quite  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  farming  and  also  lumbering  for  three  Winters. 

REV.  JOHN  HAW,  pastor  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  born  in 
the  town  of  Dishforth,  county  of  York,  England,  May  6,  1843  ;  came  to 
America  with  his  parents,  John  and  Mary  (Lasenby)  Haw,  when  he  was 
about  eighteen  months  old;  they  settled  in  Platteville,  Grant  Co.,  Wis., 
where  John  was  reared  on  a  farm,  living  there  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age,  then  went  to  Boscobel  where  he  attended  school  for  one 
year,  and  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  drug  store  for  a  year  ;  he  then  en- 
tered Lawrence  University  at  Appleton,  Wis.,  where  he  spent  two  years 
in  the  preparatory  department  and  four  years  in  classical  course,  gradu- 
ating from  the  institution  June  28,  1869;  he  was  then  engaged  in  mission- 
ary work  for  a  period  of  fourteen  months,  then  joined  the  Wisconsin 
Conference  at  Janesville,  was  appointed  to  Suamico  Church  where  he 
remained  as  pastor  for  a  year,  afterward  at  Waukaw  for  a  year,  one 
year  at  Depere,  two  years  at  Amherst ;  then  he  was  transferred  to  the 
West  Wisconsin  Conference  and  preached  first  at  Prescott  one  year. 
Osceola  Mills  three  years  ;  from  the  latter  place  he  came  to  Augusta  in 
the  Fall  of  1S79.  He  was  married  in  Northport,  Wis.,  Oct.  4,  1S76,  to 
Annie  L.  Burbank.  In  1S72,  Lawrence  University  conferred  on  Mr. 
H.  the  degree  of  A.  M.  He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Temple 
of  Honor  and  Good  Templars  societies.  His  father  and  mother  both 
died  near  P]atteville,  Wis. 

WILLIAM  D.  HEBARD,  hardware  merchant  and  dealer  in  agri- 
cultural implements,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Aztalan,  Jefferson  Co., 
Wis.,  Nov.  18,  1849.  Lived  there  about  eleven  years,  then  his  parents 
removed  with  their  family  to  Chickasaw  Co.,  Iowa;  he  lived  there  until 
1S69,  when  he  came  to  Augusta.  He  has  been  selling  farm  machinery 
for  the  last  eight  years,  been  associated  in  the  business  with  J.  C.  Hack- 
ett ;  they  added  hardware  stock  in  their  business  in  the  Fall  of  1880. 
Mr.  Hebard  was  married  ;in  Nashua,  Chickasaw  Co.,  Iowa,  in  1875,  to 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Reed.  She  was  born  in 
Budd  Town,  -N.  J.  They  have  two  children,  Roy  W.,  aged  five  years 
and  Frank,  aged  3  years,  both  born  in  Augusta,  Wis.  Besides  his  other 
business  Mr.  Hebard  is  interested  in  farming.  He  is  one  of  the  Village 
Trustees  and  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  parents,  William 
and  Killissa  H.  Hebard,  now  reside  in  Nashua,  Iowa, 

J.  M.  HACKETT,  farmer,  Augusta,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  June, 
1854,  and  located  at  Black  River,  where  he  lumbered  for  nine  years. 
Came  to  Augusta  in  1S63,  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1879,  has 
also  been  farming  for  eighteen  years.  Owns  120  acres  of  improved  land 
near  town.  Was  born  in  the  State  of  Maine,  1819,  and  resided  there 
for  thirty-five  years,  following  lumber  business  for  eighteen  years  of  that 
time';  married  at  Chippewa  Fall,  Nov.  20, 1863,  to  Orphia  Estus,  a  native 
of  Vermont.     They  have  one  boy,  Bradly  H. 

LESTER  A.  HEARD,  dr.ayman,  Augusta,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
the  Fall  of  1854,  located  at  Fountain  Prairie  ;  farmed  with  his  father 
seven  years,  then  went  to  Big  Springs,  Adams  Co.,  farming  for  five  years. 
Came  to  Augusta,  1865,  was  for  five  years  occupied  in  farming,  etc.,  and 
has  been  engaged  in  draying  since,  and  was  deliverer  for  American  Ex- 
press Company  for  about  seven  years.  Born  in  Newport,  Canada,  Oct. 
27,  1835.  Came  to  the  United  States,  and  was  married  in  Columbia 
County,  Oct.  29,  1871,  to  Eliza  J.  Babcock,  she  was  born  Aztalan,  Wis. 
They  have  one  child,  Mary. 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY, 


341 


MARION  D.  JACKSON,  of  the  firm  of  Jackson  &  Sons,  mer- 
chants, was  born  in  the  town  of  Jasper,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  11, 
1S4S.  When  he  wasabout  ten  years  of  age,  his  parents  moved  with  their 
family  to  Annin,  McKean  Co.,  Pa. ;  from  there  they  came  to  Lincoln, 
Eau  Claire  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1866  ;  one  year  later  came  to  Au- 
gusta;  run  the  Sheridan  House  one  year;  afterward  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  two  years,  in  Otter  Creek  ;  two  years  in  photograph  business,  since 
then  in  mercantile  business.  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  in  Annin,  Pa., 
April  15,  1S66,  to  Jane  E.  Terrv,  a  native  of  McKean  Co.,  Pa.  They 
have  six  children— Minnie  A.,  Davis  A.,  Effie  S.,  Daisie  A.,  Nellie  M.  and 
Pearlie  M.  Mr.  J.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Temple  of  Honor 
and  Good  Templars  societies. 

GRIFF  O.  JONES,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Augusta  Eagle, 
was  born  in  the  parish  of  Dolyddelen,  County  Carnarvonshire,  North 
Wales,  in  1836  ;  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1S47  ;  located  near 
Cambria,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.;  lived  in  that  county  until  1S71  ;  was  in 
drug  store  for  five  or  six  years  prior  to  leaving  there.  In  1871,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  newspaper  busine.ss  ;  at  that  time  he  established  the  Mar- 
quette Independent,  at  Westfield.  He  conducted  that  paper  until  July, 
1874,  when  he  came  to  Augusta  and  started  the  paper  which  he  now  owns 
and  edits.  While  in  the  drug  business  at  Cambria,  he  held  various  town 
offices.  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Town  Clerk,  etc.  Mr.  Jones  was  married 
in  Cambria,  Wis..  Nov.  7,  1866,  to  Margaret  Evans,  a  native  of  North 
Wales,  born  in  the  parish  of  Dolyddelen.  She  was  brought  to  America 
by  her  parents  when  she  was  an  infant. 

HENRY  McBAIN,  of  the  firm  of  Ober,  McBain  &  Co.,  merchants, 
was  born  in  Madrid.St.  Lawrence  Co..  N.  Y.,Sept.  3,  1851  ;  lived  there 
until  became  to  Augusta,  in  1S70.  For  five  years  prior  to  engaging  in 
present  business,  he  was  employed  in  the  post-office.  Mr.  McBain  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  societies. 

SYLVESTER  M.  MACOMBER,  livery  and  farm.  Augusta,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1862,  located  in  Eau  Claire  County,  and  was  engaged 
in  farming  for  two  and  a  half  years.  He  enlisted  in  February,  1864,  in 
the  48th  Wis.  I.;  served  until  close  of  war  ;  then  followed  farming  near 
Eau  Claire  City  for  one  year  ;  then  built  and  ran  a  saw-mill  two  or  three 
years.  Came  to  Augusta  in  1869;  has  been  engaged  in  livery  business 
since,  and  farming  since  the  Spring  of  1881.  He  was  born  in  Canada  in 
1836;  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  and  resided  with  his 
parents  in  Iowa  for  some  years.  Was  married  at  Augusta,  in  1870.  to 
Emily  Morris,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  They  have  two  children, 
Clarence  and  Maud. 

EDWIN  F.  OBER,  of  the  firm  of  Ober,  McBain  &  Co..  merchants, 
was  born  in  Bradford,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  June  27,  1845,  and  lived  in  Ver- 
mont until  he  came  to  Augusta,  Wis.,  in  1871.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business  here  for  about  six  years  ;  since  then  with  Loomis,  Gallett 
&  Breese.  in  mercantile  business.  The  present  firm  was  organized  in 
August,  1881.  Loomis,  Gallett  &  Breese  being  part  of  the  firm.  During 
the  late  rebellion,  Mr.  Ober  served  one  year  in  Co.  D,  8th  Vt.  V.  I. 

-AUGUST  C.  RICK,  proprietor  of  meat  market,  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia, Nov.  16,  185 1  ;  came  to  Ripon,  Wis,,  in  1868;  resided  there  eighteen 
months,  then  came  to  Augusta,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has  worked 
at  butchering  business  most  of  the  time  since  he  came  to  Wisconsin  ; 
for  the  last  eight  years  in  business  for  himself.  He  is  serving  his  second 
term  as  Village  Trustee,  and  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  I. 
O.  O.  F.  societies.  Besides  his  butchering  business,  he  is  engaged  in 
farming  and  dealing  in  stock.  Mr.  Rick  was  married  in  Augusta,  Dec. 
25,  1878,  to  Mary  Johnson.  They  have  had  one  child,  which  died  in 
early  infancy. 

HARLOW  E.  RICKARD,' grocer  and  boot  and  shoe  merchant, 
was  born  in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co..  N.  Y.,  May  26,  185S  ;  came  to 
Augusta  in  July,  l86i ;  was  employed  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  in 
the  Fall  of  1872,  Since  May,  1879,  he  has  been  engaged  in  business  for 
himself.  Mr.  Rickard  was  married  in  Augusta,  Dec.  25,  1S79,  to  Myra 
A.  Houghton.     Mr.  R.  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

CHARLES  RICKARD,  grocer  and  boot  and  shoe  merchant,  was 
born  in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  I.  1837  ;  lived  there  un- 
til February,  1S63,  when  he  came  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.;  resided  there  two 
years,  then  came  to  Augusta  ;  engaged  in  blacksmithing  for  five  years 
since  coming  to  Wisconsin  ;  also,  farming  some.  He  engaged  in  present 
business  in  October,  1S80.  in  partnership  with  his  nephew,  Harlow  E. 
Rickard.  He  was  married  in  Louisville,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July 
4.  i86i,  to  Maria  H.  Knip.  She  was  born  in  Canada.  Theyhave  three 
children  living — Lida  M.,  Leonard  R.  and  Pearl ;  have  lost  two  chil- 
dren, Burt  Charles,  who  died  in  1877,  aged  twelve  years,  and  one  daugh- 
ter died  in  infancy. 

P.  HERMAN  ROSE,  dentist,  Augusta,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853, 
located  at  Monroe  for  about  a  year,  teaching  school,  and  was  afieiviaid 
engaged  in  practicing  dentistry  through  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  foi  scire 
years;  came  to  Augusta  in  1874.  Was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1S33.  and 
graduated  in  medicine  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1850.  He  was  married  at 
Osseo,  Wis.,  July  15.  1877,  to  Mary  Hazelton,  who  was  bom  in  New 
York.     They  have  two  children,  Eveline  and  Elizabeth. 


ROBERT  E.  SCOTT,  retired  farmer,  Augusta,  was  born  in  Rox- 
'buryshire,  Scotland,  Dec.  22,  1S20  ;  came  to  America  in  the  Spring  of 
1844  ;  first  located  in  town  of  Oakland,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.;  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  there  until  1850,  when  he  moved  to  Cambridge,  Dane 
Co.;  there  he  carried  on  hotel  for  three  years;  afterward  in  mercantile 
business  until  he  came  to  the  town  of  Otter  Creek,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  where 
he  located  on  Sec.  9,  in  what  is  now  known  as  Scott's  Valley,  it  having 
acquired  that  name  from  the  fact  that  he  was  the  first  settler  in  that  lo- 
cality. He  resided  there  until  1877,  when  he  removed  to  Augusta.  For 
many  years  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Otter  Creek,  and 
for  eighteen  years  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  that  town. 
He  was  first  married  in  the  town  of  Oakland,  Jefferson  Co..  Wis.,  to 
Helen  Moore,  a  native  of  Dumfrieshire,  Scotland.  She  died  Oct.  i, 
1876,  leaving  two  .sons,  Charles  W.  and  John  M.  Mr.  Scott's  present 
wife  is  Charlotte  R.  Ball,  who  was  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Esther  Pearl  and  Ruby  Mary.  Mr.  Scott  started'the  Otter  Creek 
Farmers'  Insurance  Company,  which  is  a  successful  and  flourishing  insti- 
tution, now  having  a  business  of  over  $200,000. 

HARRIS  SEARLE,  born  in  Martinsburg.  N.  Y.,  July  4,  1818  ; 
moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  learned  the  millwright  business;  came  to 
Augusta  in  1859.  He  became  a  prominent  man  ;  was  Postmaster  for 
years,  and  held  various  town  and  county  offices  ;  was  Clerk  of  the  County 
Court,  and  a  worthy  Odd  Fellow.     He  died  March  13,  1876,  universally 

DUDLEY  CARLTON  SPENCER,  physician  and  surgeon,  came 
to  Augusta,  Wis.,  May  13,  1866;  he  was  bom  in  Dundee,  Province  of 
Quebec,  Nov.  17,  1828,  of  New  England  parentage,  his  father  being  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  his  mother  of  Vermont.  Dundee  was 
his  home  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  ;  he  then  went  to  Ft.  Cov- 
ington,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attended  the  academy,  and  after- 
ward commenced  the  study  of  medicine.  He  first  attended  Castleton 
Medical  College,  in  Vermont,  and  graduated  from  the  Albany  Medical 
College,  in  December,  1854.  He  began  practice  at  Hartford,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y..  in  partnership  with  Dr.  J.B.  Drummond  ;  remained  there 
one  year ;  then  located  in  Lakeville.  in  same  county,  where  he  remained 
until  the  Fall  of  1857  ;  then  he  was  in  practice  in  Cambridge,  also  in 
Washington  County,  until  the  Fall  of  1862,  when  he  entered  the  army  as 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  44th  N.  Y.  V.  I  (the  Ellsworth  Regiment) ;  was 
with  that  regiment  until  1S64;  then  he  was  on  special  staff-duty  until 
March  26.  1866.  when  he  left  the  service  and  returned  to  Cambridge, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  made  a  short  visit,  and  then  came  to  Augusta,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  practice  of  his  profession.  Since  December, 
1880,  he  has  also  been  engaged  in  the  drug  trade,  in  partnership  with 
Dr.  J.  R.  Rundlett.  The  doctor  was  married  in  Ft.  Covington,  N.  Y., 
June  4,  1855,  to  Lovina  Russell,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  four 
children  living — Francis  Wayland,  Esther  Abbie,  Hattie  Maria  and  Mary 
Agnes.     Dr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  County  Medical  Society. 

JOHN  F.  STONE,  capitalist,  was  born  in  town  of  Mt.  Holly,  Vt., 
March  9,1814;  he  was  removed  to  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  when  he 
was  four  years  of  age.  In  1S49,  he  came  to  Roxbury,  Dane  Co.,  Wis. ; 
resided  there  three  years  ;  then  settled  on  Sauk  Prairie,  where  he  remained 
until  he  came  to  Augusta,  in  the  Fall  of  1856,  he  being  the  second 
settler  here  (Charles  Buck  being  the  first).  Mr.  Stone  immediately 
commenced  building  operations,  constructing  a  saw-mill  during  the 
Winter  of  1S56-57  ;  commenced  sawing  lumber  in  April,  1857;  continued 
to  operate  it  for  about  five  years  ;  he  also  owned  a  grist-mill  at  this  place, 
which  he  ran  until  five  years  ago.  Twelve  years  ago  he  built  a  steam 
saw-mill,  which  ho  ran  until  four  years  ago.  Besides  his  manufacturing 
business,  he  was  for  several  years  extensively  engaged  in  merchandising, 
in  partnership  with  M.  Victory,  until  1880.  When  he  first  settled  here 
he  had  to  go  to  Chippewa  Falls  for  lumber,  which  required  five  days  to 
make  the  trip.  For  several  supplies  he  had  to  go  to  Sparta  and  La 
Crosse.  In  an  early  day  his  retail  lumber  business  was  large,  often 
having  from  $15,000  to  $20,000  outstanding  among  the  settlers  in  notes 
and  book  accounts.  He  was  first  married  in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  26,  1834,  to  Letitia  Hutchins,  who  was  born  Oct.  3,  1818, 
and  died  in  April,  1869.  They  had  eleven  children.  The  living  are 
as  follows;  Fernando  Decoella,  Uriah  Meeker,  Hortentie  Ranson, 
Theodore  Caple,  Carolus  Frank,  lohn  Walden.  Enimett  Montgomery. 
Aldula  Sophira  (now  Mrs.  David  Crocker,  of  Cumberland.  Wi;;).  Char- 
lotte Fredona  (now  Mrs.  J.  C.  Hackett,  of  Augusta,  Wis.);  lost  two 
children.  Morgan  L.,  who  was  born  Sept.  27,  1S57,  and  died  May  26, 
1841,  and  Carilus  Edwin,  born  M.iy  12,  1852  ;  died  in  January,  1871. 
Mr.  Stone  was  married  to  Mrs.  Hattie  A.  Pear,  his  present  wife,  Feb. 
26.  1871.  Her  maiden  name  was  Board.  She  was  born  in  England,  and 
is  an  early  settler  of  Merton,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.  She  came  to  Eau 
Claire  when  there  were  but  two  houses  there. 

URIAH  M.  STONE,  real  estate  and  loans,  was  bom  in  Massena,  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  21,  1846;  came  to  Wisconsin,  with  his  father, 
John  F.  Stone,  in  1849.  I"  August,  l863,he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  5th  Wis. 
V.  I.;  served  until  June,  1865  ;  when  he  returned  from  the  army  he  en- 
gaged in  milling  business,  in  partnership  with  his  father ;  afterward  in 
same  business  in  partnership  with  two  of  his  brothers.  He  was  man  it  d 
in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  March,  1866,   to  Alida  A.  Douglass,  a  native 


342 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  that  county.  They  have  one  child,  Gilbert  F.,  born  Feb.  18,1876. 
Mr.  Stone  has  served  two  vears  as  member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trus- 
tees. He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F  ;  he  has  been 
through  all  the  chairs  of  ihe  latter  society. 

EMERY  C.  STEVENS,  butcher  and  farmer,  Augusta,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S64;  located  at  Augusta  as  a  farmer,  in  which  he  has  since 
been  engaged,  together  with  blacksmithing,  for  four  years.  He  also 
deals  in  live-stock  and  produce.  Born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1852.     Is  a  son  of  Henry  Stevens,  farmer. 

JOHN  TEBO.  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  boots  and  shoes,  was 
born  in  Lower  Canada,  April  26,  1828.  Removed  to  Jefferson  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  resided  for  twenty  years  prior  to  coming  to  Pleasant  Prairie, 
town  of  Lincoln,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  May  3,  1S63.  Engaged  in  farming 
until  1S70,  then  went  to  Packwaukee,  Marquette  Co.,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  hotel  business  for  four  years.  In  the  Spring  of  1874,  he  came 
to  Augusta.  Engaged  in  boot  and  shoe  business  for  himself  in  the 
Spring  of  1S77.  Mr.  Teb  >  enlisted,  Dec.  8,  :864,  in  Company  B,  44th 
Wis.  V.  I.  Served  until  June,  1S65.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  Temple  of  Honor.  He  was  married  at  Three  Mile  Bay,  Jefferson 
Co..  N.  Y.,  April  30.  1849,  to  Helen  Hutchinson,  a  native  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  They  have  seven  children — Charles,  Addie,  Irvine  B., 
Emma,  Jennie,  Willie  M.  and  Archie  M. 

THOMAS  C.  WALLER,  wagon  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Upper 
Canada,  -Aug.  20,  1S51.  Came  to  Fall  Creek,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1S72.  Worked  on  a  farm  two  Summers,  one  Winter  in  the  pineries,  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1S73  he  came  to  Augusta  and  engaged  in  his  present  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  continued  since  that  time.  Mr.  Waller  also  owns  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  in  this  county.  He  was  married  in  Au- 
gusta. Nov.  8,  1S75,  to  Minnie  Leidiger.  She  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin. 
They  have  two  children,  Charles  S.  and  Clara  L. 

MRS.  CELIA  WARD,  millinery  and  dress  goods,  Augusta,  was 
born  in  Whitewater,  only  daughter  of  Albert  Woodbury,  mechanic. 
Went  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  and  was  married 
there,  Dec.  25,  1865,  to  Edwin  Ward.  He  died  in  October,  1877,  at 
Stevens  Point.  She  came  to  Augusta  in  1879,  in  July,  and  in  January, 
iSSo,  commenced  present  business.  There  are  four  persons  employed 
in  the  establishment.   She  has  two  children,  Edwin  Charles  and  Fred  E. 

WILLIAM  H.  WATERBURY,  merchant  and  postmaster,  was  born 
in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  12,  1830.  That  was  his 
home  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  May,  1850.  Lived  in  Jefferson 
County  about  two  years,  then  went  to  California,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  mining,  merchandising,  etc.,  for  seven  years.  Then  returned  to  Jef- 
ferson County,  and  after  another  year's  residence  there,  he  came  to  Eau 
Claire  County,  anrl  has  resided  in  Augusta  and  this  vicinity  ever  since. 
Since  coming  to  this  village  to  live,  he  has  been  carrying  on  mercantile 
business,  besides  dealing  in  produce  and  farm  machinery,  and  also  lum- 
bering and  farming  to  soine  extent.  For  the  last  ten  years  he  has  held 
the  offi.-e  of  Postmaster  here,  and  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  many  years.  He  was  married  in  Aztalan,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis., 
Oct.  15.  1S56,  to  Miss  Avis  White,  a  native  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
They  have  nine  children  living — Louisa  M.,  Killissa  B..  Avis  A.,  Jesse- 
mine,  Levi  P.,  Frank,  Ruth,  Henry  H.  and  an  infant  son.  Lost  one 
son,  Charles  S.,  who  died  in  May,  1S63,  aged  three  and  one  half  years. 

HENRY  WATENFULL,  carpenter  and  builder,  Augusta,  was  born 
in  Milwaukee,  in  1852.  Moved  to  Fairchild,  Wis.,  'with  parents,  and 
learned  wagon  trade  at  Humbird,  where  he  was  employed  some  four 
years,  and  afterward  at  ;Fairchild  and  other  places.  Came  to  Augusta 
and  was  married,  in  the  Fall  of  1S7S,  to  Hattie  Lambert, 
who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  two  children,  Frederick 
and  .Sophia. 

THOMAS  E.  WILLIAMS,  Principal  of  Augusta  Public  School, 
was  born  in  Mayville,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  March  23,  1849.  He  is  a  son 
of  G.  W.  Williams,  who  moved  with  his  family  to  Portland,  Dodge 
Co.,  in  1853.  Three  years  later,  they  removed  to  Plainville.  .Adams  Co., 
where  tliey  remained  until  1S63.  Then  located  in  Eau  Cl.iire,  where 
,the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1873,  when  he 
first  came  to  .\ugiista.  He  was  principal  of  the  school  here  until  the 
Fall  of  1S76.  Then,  for  one  year,  again  resided  in  Eau  Claire.  Then 
returned  to  Augusta  and  resumed  his  former  position,  and  has  remained 
in  it  ever  since.  He  was  educated  in  the  east  side  graded  school  of  Eau 
Claire  and  Cornell  College,  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Williams  was  mar- 
ried in  Eau  Claire,  Aug.  2.  1873,  to  Alida  J.  Kemp.  Mr.  W.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Temple  of  Honor  and  Good  Templar  so- 
cieties. 

L.  L.  WILLIAMS,  merchant,  was  born  in  Kirtland,  Lake  Co.,  Ohio, 
March  14,  1843-  That  was  his  home  until  he  came  to  Augusta,  Wis.,  in 
May,  1SO9.  He  first  engaged  in  book  and  stationery  business  here,  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  O.  A.  Williams,  in  the  Spring  of  1870, 
They  added  a  jewelry  stock  to  their  business  in  the  Spring  of  1874.  In 
1875.  they  erected  their  brick  store.  In  October,  1879,  L.  L.  Williams 
purchased  his  brother's  interest  in  the  business,  and  early  in  1881,  he 
added  a  stock  of  dry  goods  and  groceries  to  his  former  business.  He 
has  also  been  quite  an  e.xtensive  dealer  in  fruit.     He  has  been  agent  of 


the  American  Express  Co.  since  Aug.  25,  1876.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  County  Board  since  1877,  and  is  now  serving  his  fourth  year  as  Town 
Treasurer.  He  was  married  in  Chardon,  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  21, 
1865,  to  Elvira  A.  Searl.  She  was  born  in  LeRoy,  Lake  Co.,  Ohio. 
They  have  two  children,  Dorliska  N.  and  Albert  L.  Lost  one  daugh- 
ter, Sadie  M.,  who  died  in  August.  1S77,  aged  three  and  one  half  vears. 
Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Temple  of  Honor  and  Good 
Templars  societies. 

JOSEPH  C.  ZIMMERMAN,  barber,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  Nov. 
22,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Agnes  (Darms)  Zimmerman,  who 
came  with  their  family  to  Honey  Creek,  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  when  Joseph 
was  an  infant  of  only  eleven  months.  They  lived  in  Sauk  County  four 
years,  then  removed  to  La  Crosse  County,  being  among  the  pioneers  of 
that  locality.  Joseph  went  to  Minnesota  in  1865.  A  year  later  he  en- 
tered the  4th  Regular  Infantry,  U.  S.  Army,  as  musician.  Served  three 
years,  being  stationed  at  Ft.  Laramie  considerable  of  the  time,  also  at 
Ft.  Sedgwick  for  awhile.  In  1870,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  re- 
sided at  Tomah  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Augusta.  He  has  worked 
at  his  present  business  for  twelve  years.  He  was  married  at  0»seo, 
Wis.,  in  September,  1S75.  to  Nettie  Day.  She  was  born  in  Massena,  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child,  Agnes  M.,  born  Aug.  23, 
1876. 

FALL  CREEK 
Is  a  smart  little  place  of  nearly  200  inhabitants,  situated 
on  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Minneapolis  Railroad  at  the  cross- 
ing of  Fall  Creek,  and  ten  miles  from  Eau  Claire.  Bartz 
Bros.  &  Zemple,  J.  Jacobson  &  Co.,  have  large  general 
stores.  Cargall  &  Van  Valkenburgh,  Seminermeyer  &  Si- 
dell  are  grain  dealers.  C.  J.  Lessnor  &  Bro.  and  August 
Seigler  deal  in  hardware.  Julius  Kaplin  in  boots  and  shoes. 
William  Nierbuhr  in  furniture.  Mrs.  Otto  in  millinery. 
Gottleib  Stolp  grocer, and  Ernst  Brunski  in  harness.  Thiel 
&  E.  Gessner  have  a  saw  mill,  and  John  G.  Miller  a  grist 
mill.  Albert  Lidigin  and  Frederick  Voechting  have  each 
wagon-making  shops,  and  E.  R.  Cone,  J.  W.  Dagner 
and  E.  Zenke,  have  blacksmith  shops.  H.  Mettelstadt  con- 
ducts the  hotel  and  William  Stolp  and  Henry  Tarber  have 
hotels  and  saloons  combined.  Ed.  Wise  and  Kapplin  & 
Henning  have  saloons.  Thiel  S.  Gessner  deals  in  agricul- 
tural implements. 

The  surrounding  country  being  very  productive  gives 
good  support  to  the  business  interests  of  the  place. 

BIOGR.iPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EDWARD  R.  CONE,  blacksmith,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66;  lo- 
cated at  Eau  Claire  for  three  years,  employed  in  the  woods  ;  came  to 
Fall  Creek  in  i86g,  farmed  and  in  the  woods  for  a  year,  then  at  Augus- 
ta, employed  in  woods,  and  carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop  for  three  years. 
Returned  to  Fall  Creek  in  1875,  and  has  been  at  present  business  since. 
Was  born  in  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1844  ;  married  in  Augusta,  Aug.  6, 
1870,  to  Mary  Jane  Miller,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  have  three 
children — Ernest  E.,  Manly  M.  and  Emma  A. 

GUS  E.  B  \RTZ,  of  Bartz  Bros.  &  Zempel,  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise. Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S55;  resided  with  his  parents  in 
Marquette  for  six  years  ;  came  to  Fall  Creek  in  1S61  ;  farmed  with  his 
father  for  nine  years,  then  farmed  on  his  own  account  for  five  years. 
Commenced  business  July  i,  1876,  in  company  with  Aug.  Bartz  and  D. 
N.  Zempel,  and  has  continued  since.  Was  Town  Treasurer  for  1S77 
and  187S,  and  Overseer  of  Highways  for  three  years.  Was  born  in 
Prussia,  March  17,  1846;  came  to  America  in  1S55.  Was  married  in 
Fall  Creek,  Dec.  25,  1873,  '"  Augusta  Zemple.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Alma,  Agnes  and  one  infant. 

J.  W.  DAGNER,  blacksmith,  Fall  Creek.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
186S.  Located  at  Ripon  for  a  short  time  and  then  at  Augusta,  Wis., 
for  seven  years,  working  at  trade.  Came  to  Fall  Creek  in  1S76.  and 
been  in  present  business  since.  Born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  5,  1S37.  Came 
to  America  in  July,  1868.  Married,  in  Augusta,  Nov.  28,  1869,  to  Wil- 
heminia  Redshley,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  five  children — Hulda, 
Emil,  Paulina,  Herman  and  Gustave. 

EDWARD  GESSNER,  Postmaster  and  express  agent,  dealer  in 
agricultural  implements,  etc.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850;  located  near 
^Iilwaukee,  with  parents,  farming  for  over  two  years,  then  in  Dane 
County  three  years  ;  then  went  to  Pepin  County,  farmed  for  six  months  ; 
then  engaged  as  millwright,  carpenter,  etc.,  for  eighteen  months,  Went 
to  Eau  Claire  in  1857;  was  contracting  builder  therefor  ten  years. 
Came  to  Fall  Creek  in  1S67,  and  built  and  run  a  saw-mill,  up  to  1871. 
Was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1S71,  and  also  commenced  his  present  busi- 
ness. Was  station  master  of  W.  W.  Railroad  from  1874  to  1S7S,  and 
express  agent  since  1S76.     Has  also  been  a  member  of  Thiel  &  Gessner, 


HISTORY  OF  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


dealers  in  agricultural  implements  since  the  Spring  of  1881.  Was  Town 
Supervisor  for  one  year,  and  for  four  years  was  Town  Treasurer.  Was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  from  1878  to  18S0,  and  was  re-elected  in  i88l  ; 
iias  been  Notary  Public.  Was  born  in  Prussia,  in  1837  ;  came  to  ."Amer- 
ica in  1850.  Married,  at  Eau  Claire,  April,  1S61,  to  Rosalia  Herchlep, 
born  in  Prussia.  They  have  ten  children  —  Gus  H.,  Charles,  Henry, 
August,  Frank,  Emma,  Anna,  Edward,  Helen  and  Albert. 

JULIUS  KUEHL,  foreman  of  Fall  Creek  and  Kopplein  flour  mill. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  March,  1878  :  located  in  Warsaw  for  two  months  ; 
came  to  Fall  Creek  in  April  of  the  same  year,  and  worked  in  above 
mills  since.  Was  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  12,  1855  ;  came  to  America  in 
1877  ;  lived  in  Ohio  for  a  few  months  and  learned  his  present  business 
there. 

HERMANN  METTELSTADT,  proprietor  of  St.  Charles  House, 
Fall  Creek,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857;  resided  in  Green  Lake  County, 
farming  with  father,  for  a  few  years.  Went  to  Charles  City,  Floyd  Co., 
Iowa,  and  employed  in  brewery  there  five  or  six  years,  then  farming  for 
two  years  on  own  account.  Came  to  Fall  Creek  in  1877,  and  built  hotel 
building,  and  has  run  the  same  since.  Born  in  Germany  in  1S43  ;  came  to 
America  in  1856;  was  married  at  Charles  City,  Iowa,  September,  1872, 
to  Bertha  Kopplein,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  three  children — 
Clara,  Frank  and  Walter.  The  hotel  has  accommodations  for  twenty- 
four  guests  and  good  stabling  attached. 

JOHN  A.  O'BRIEN,  agent  of  C.  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.,  Fall  Creek. 
Born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  Oct.  15,  1S54.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858. 
Lived  at  Sparta  for  five  years  and  at  Tomah  for  twelve  years,  learned 
telegraphy  there.  Entered  the  employ  of  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R. 
at  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Was  at  Augusta,  Wilson,  Lowrie,  and 
other  places  in  Wisconsin.  Came  to  Fall  Creek,  Wis.,  May  20,  1S80, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  Married  at  Fall  Creek, 
June  23,  1S81,  to  Louisa  R.indall.     Born  in  Eau  Claire  County. 

MRS.  SIMON  RANDALL,  Fall  Creek,  born  in  Germany,  is  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Ehrman ;  came  to  America  in  1848.  Resided  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  one  and  one  half  years  ;  lived  in  Eau  Claire,  Wis., 
for  five  years,  and  was  married  there  to  Simon  Randall,  Dec.  25,  1851  ; 
then  resided  at  Augusta  for  a  long  time,  and  came  to  Fall  Creek  in  1873. 
Mr.  Randall  died  July  22,  1875.  He  was  the  first  settler  in  Eau  Claire, 
built  the  first  saw  mill  there  and  ran  it  for  several  years,  and  was  for 
many  years  prominently  connected  with  the  lumbering  interest  of  the 
county.  Built  the  only  grist  mill  at  Fall  Creek.  Mrs.  Randall  resides 
with  her  children  at  Fall  Creek.  She  has  living,  eight  children — AUie, 
Simon,  leremiah,  Olive  (now  Mrs.  E.  P.  Brown),  Louisa,  (now  Mrs.  J.  A. 
O'Brien),  Cora,  Ida,  Tamerlain,  and  there  are  two  dead,  Sarah  and 
Frank. 

AUGUST  THIEL,  of  Thiel  &  Gessner,  agricultural  implements, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S55.  Located  in  Green  Lake  County,  farming 
with  his  father  up  to  1862.  Enlisted  in  8th  Wis.  I.,  Aug.  2g;  served  one 
year  ;  was  wounded  in  right  shoulder  at  tlie  battle  of  Corinth  ;  returned 
to  Green  Lake  County  and  farmed  until  1S77.  Then  came  to  Fall 
Creek,  and  opened  business  in  agricultural  implements;  has  been  in 
company  with  E.  Gessner  since  the  Spring  of  iSSl.  Was  born  in  Ger- 
many, in  1844  ;  came  to  America  in  1855  ;  married  at  Fall  Creek,  1865, 
to  Louisa  Kading,  born  in  Germany.  Tliey  have  six  children — Her- 
man, Edward,  Louisa,  William,  Otto  and  Julius. 

FRED.  VOECHTING,  wagon-maker  and  blacksmith,  born  in 
Sheboygan  County,  April  28,  1852  ;  resided  with  parents  until  seventeen 
years  of  age.  Then  went  to  Howard's  Grove,  Wis.,  and  was  employed 
for  four  years,  learning  trade,  then  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  working 
at  trade  for  six  years.  Came  to  Fall  Creek  in  March  15,  i87q,  and  com- 
menced present  business  and  has  continued  it  since.  Married  at  She- 
boygan Falls,  Oct.  II.  1876,  to  Sophia  Dicks,  born  there.  They  have 
two  children,  Mata  and  Anthony. 

PORTERVILLE. 

This  is  a  lumber  manufacturing  village  about  six  miles 
below  Eau  Claire  on  the  Chippewa  River. 

Among  the  early  settlers  near  the  village  were  Washing- 
ton Churchill  and  Nelson  Cooley,  who  came,  the  latter  in 
1855  and  the  former  in  1856. 

The  mills,  of  which  there  are  two,  were  built  by  Charles 
Warner,  and  subsequently  bought  by  G.  E.  Porter.  The 
establishment  was  once  burned,  but  was  rebuilt.  It  is  now 
carried  on  by  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Company. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EDGAR  BRIGGS,  sawyer  N.  W.  L.  Co.,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.Y.,  Dec.  12,  1851.  His  parents,  Ambrose  and  Ann  (Eldridge) 
Briggs  were  an  old  New  York  State  family.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  l"he 
Fall  of  1S73,  and  engaged  with  Porter  &  Moon,  now  the  N.  W.  L.  Co., 
and  has  remained  with   them   since.     Married   in   Eau  Claire,  April  8. 


1876,  to  Miss  Addie  Garnett.  Has  one  son,  D wight  Briggs.  Is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Chippewa  Lodge,  No.  140,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  also  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor. 

JAMES  H.  BROWN,  engineer  N.  W.  L.  Co.,  was  born  in  Orleans 
Co.,  N.Y.,  Jan.  26,  1836.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  left  home  and 
went  to  Ellenville,  Ulster  Co.,  N.Y.,  where  he  learned  his  trade  with 
John  L.  Cox.  After  spending  three  months  in  Sullivan  Co.,  N.Y.,  he 
moved  to  Chicago.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  located  at  Green  Bay, 
in  the  employ  of  the  N.  Y.  Lumber  Co.  From  there  he  went  to  Pen- 
saukee  with  F.  B.  Gardner  &  Co.,  where  he  remained  about  eighteen 
months.  After  spending  some  time  in  Minnesota,  he  came  up  the  Chip- 
pewa River  to  Eau  Claire  in  1859,  and  eng.iged  with  the  Eau  Claire 
Lumber  Co.  On  returning  from  a  visit  to  New  York  State,  went  with 
Bussey  &  Taylor,  of  Gravel  Island,  as  engineer  one  season.  Was  also 
engineer  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  at  Waubeck.  Mr.  Brown  was  at  times 
on  boats  running  between  Eau  Claire  and  La  Crosse.  Came  to  Porter, 
ville  in  1867,  and  took  present  position.  Married  at  Oxford,  Marquette 
Co.,  to  Elenora  Fay,  of  Marquette  Co.,  who  died  in  Porterville  in  1870, 
leaving  one  son,  Charles  Lee  Brown.  Was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Faft,  at 
Portage  City,  Nov.  12,  1872,  by  whom  he  has  three  children—  Ella 
Marion,  Bertha  Mower  and  Frederick  Dill. 

WASHINGTON  CHURCHILL,  farmer,  town  of  Brunswick  ;  born 
in  1824,  in  Champlain,  N.  Y.;  there  he  spent  the  first  thirty  years  of  his 
life,  farming  ;  he  was  widely  known  for  his  noble  character,  honesty  of 
purpose,  and  industry.  He  came  to  Eau  Claire  in  1857,  and  took  up 
land,  five  miles  from  his  present  farm;  in  1863,  he  bought  the  place 
where  he  now  lives ;  it  is  one  ol  the  best  farms  on  the  river  bottom,  be- 
ing worked  in  the  most  scientific  way;  fine  buildings,  good  fences,  and 
always  the  best  of  crops.  Mr.  Churchill  has  been  unanimously  elected 
to  the  town  offices  for  twenty-three  years  ;  he  is  highly  respected  by  all 
who  know  him  ;  has  been  successful  in  business,  and  those  of  his  family 
in  business  are  prosperous.  In  1847,  Mr.  Churchill  married  Miss  Lu- 
cinda  Converse,  in  Champlain,  N.  Y.  The  children  are— Julius  Cjesar, 
Helen  Maria,  Edward  W.,  Melinda  A.,  Ferren  W.,  D.  Wilmer, 
Burne  A. 

P.  R.  CLOVER,  Porterville,  head  filer  N.  W.  Lumber  Co.,  was  born 
in  Armstrong  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  22,  1847  ;  enlisted,  in  1S63,  in  Co.  D,  2nd 
Pa.,  as  private  ;  re-enlisted.  Tan.  16,  1864,  in  3d  Pa.  H.  A.  ;  mustered 
out  Nov.  15,  1865.  Was  under  Gen.  Butler  at  Dutch  Gap,  and  at  For- 
tress  Monroe  during  confinement  of  Jeff.  Davis.  Came  West  in  1867, 
and  settled  at  Hudson,  St.  Croix  Co.  Visited  Eau  Claire,  and,  after 
spending  some  years  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  finally  located  at  Eau  Claire 
in  1876.     Has  followed  milling  and  filing  as  a  business. 

N.  HANSON,  sawyer  N.  W.  L.  Co.,  was  born  in  Christiana,  Nor- 
way, Feb.  15,  1845  ;  came  to  United  States  in  1870  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire 
in  1875.  and  engaged  with  Porter  &  Moon,  now  N.  W.  L.  Co.  Married 
in  Eau  Claire  March  27,  1878,  to  Miss  Sophia  Bowman.  Has  one  son, 
Walter  Scott  Hanson. 

B.  G.  McINTOSH,  farmer,  was  born  in  Durham,  Cumberland  Co., 
N.Y.,  Dec.  25,  1823.  His  father,  William  Mcintosh,  was  bom  in  Massa- 
chusetts,  June  15,  1796;  mother,  Nancy  (Jennings)  Mcintosh,  born  in 
Ohio,  in  1801  ;  came  to  Wisconsin.  July,  1864.  and  settled  in  his  present 
home.  Married  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.Y.,  to  Miss  Lydia  Ann  Burce,  Dec. 
II,  1852,  who  died,  leaving  four  children — Laura,  Nancv  M.  (now  Mrs. 
F.  A.  Hall),  John  W,  and  Charles  S.  Was  married  to  his  present  wife, 
formerly  Miss  Abbie  J.  Scott,  at  Arkansaw,  Pepin  Co.,  Nov.  ig.  1873. 
Mrs.  Mcintosh's  family  are  now  settled  in  Arkansaw  ;  formerly  from 
Massachusetts.  They  have  three  children — Mary  M.,  Martha  M.  and 
Wayne  Scott.     Mr.  Mcintosh  has  a  fine  farm  of  200  acres. 

SAMUEL  MITCHELL,  farmer,  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Penn., 
April  21,  1810;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1871,  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire. 
Married  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.Y.,  to  Miss  Laura  Hungerford,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children — Henry,  Miles,  Jane  (widow  S.  E.  Leonard),  Har- 
riet (now  Mrs.  H.  Olin).  Was  married  to  his  present  wife,  formerly 
Miss  A.  Lumbard,  of  Livingston  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  Livingston  County,  and 
has  by  her  four  children  —  Laura  (now  Mrs.  James  Cayton),  Squire  F., 
Thomas  and  Daniel.  Had,  formerly,  a  farm  of  170  acres  ;  now  has 
ninety  acres  in  home  farm. 

S.  F.  MITCHELL,  sawyer  N.  W.  L.  Co.,  was  born  in  Allegany  Co., 
N.Y.,  Nov.  4,  1852.  Engaged  in  lumbering  in  New  York  with  his  father. 
Came  West  in  1871.  and  settled  in  Eau  Claire.  Spent  three  years  in  the 
employ  of  D.  Shaw  Lumber  Co.,  and  from  there  went  to  his  present  em- 
ployers. Married  in  Eau  Claire.  Nov.  5,  1874,  to  Miss  Laura  Mcintosh. 
Has  two  children,  Roy  and  Russell. 

JOHN  POWELL,  Sr..  town  of  Brunswick,  born  in  Wales  in  1799, 
came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1851  ;  took  up  his  present  farm  in  1856.  He 
has  accumulated  some  wealth  by  his  industry  and  keenness ;  his  family 
are  well  settled  around  him  ;  he  worked  ten  years  for  Sir  Robert  Peele, 
on  his  farm  in  Wales.  It  was  then  sold  to  the  Duke  of  Newcastle.  Mr. 
Powell  worked  ten  years  more  on  the  same  farm.  In  1825,  he  married 
Margaret  Williams,  of  South  Wales.  The  children  are — John,  Thomas, 
Robert,  Ann,  Mary,  Edward,  Elizabeth  and  Jane. 


344 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


PETER  ABNEY  PRINCE,  superintendent  Northwestern  Lumber 
Co.,  was  born  near  Three  Rivers.  Canada  East,  June  2g,  1836.  His  father, 
John  E.  Prince,  was  born  and  raised  in  Portland.  Me.  His  mother,  An- 
gelina (Trucky)  Prince,  being  of  a  French  Canadian  family.  They  moved 
to  Canada  West  in  1845.  Mr-  Prince  learned  the  trade  of  millwright 
with  his  father,  and  moved  to  the  United  States  in  1865.  Stopped  at 
Chicago  three  months,  and  then  moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Chip- 
pewa City,  where  he  engaged  as  millwright  with  Webb&Rumsey; 
moved  to  Porteiville,  Fall  1S66,  remaining  t'ill  June,  1867.  then  engaged 
with  Mitchell  &  Co.,  of  Chippewa  Falls.  In  November,  1S67.  went  with 
the  Eaii  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  and  in  April,  1S6S,  returned  to  Porterville. 
Built  Wheaton  Mill,  now  belonging  to  the  Northwestern  Lumber  Co. 
In  1870.  built  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.'s  water  mill,  which  was  burnt  in 
1S79.  Returned  to  Porterville  in  1S71,  and  built  shingle  mill,  and  the 
same  Fall  was  appointed  to  present  position.  Married  in  Canada  West, 
Ontario  Co..  Sept.  21,  1S58,  to  Miss  Margaret  Coragan.  Has  two  chil- 
dren. John  Enoch,  in  charge  of  saw-mill,  Susan,  now  Mrs.  Peter  Eide, 
Mr.  Prince  is  Treasurer  of  School  District ;  first  elected  in  1877,  re- 
elected in  iSSo  ;  was  also  Pathmaster  from  1873  to  1878. 

VAL  RECKER,  book-keeper  N.  \V.  L.  Co.,  was  bom  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  March  11,  1842.  Parents  came  to  Ohio  from  Baltimore,  Md. 
His  father,  Frederick  Recker,  died  in  December,  1842.  Enlisted  in 
Dayton,  Aug.  5,  1S62,  in  Co.  A,  93d  Ohio,  Col.  Anderson  ;  mustered  out 
July  8.  1865;  was  in  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  in  Indiana  in  1865.  In 
1869,  moved  to  Spring  Hill,  Johnson  Co.,  Kan.  Kept  books  for  J.  C. 
Rodgers  &  Co.,  Spring  Hill,  ten  years.  Came  to  Porterville,  March. 
18S1,  and  took  present  position.  Married  in  Middletown,  Butler  Co., 
Ohio.  Aug.  10.  1S66.  to  Miss  Kate  Coons.  Has  had  five  children,  of 
which  three  survive — Doc  F.,  Fanny  and  Tillie. 

H.  C.  STAFFORD,  Porterville,  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
N.  W^  Lumber  Co,  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1844,  parents  being  formerly 
New  York  State  people.  They  moved  to  Walworth  County  in  1S46, 
and  from  there  to  Black  River  Falls,  in  1855.  Mr.  S.  enlisted  May, 
1861.  at  Sparta,  Monroe  Co.,  in  Co.  I,  4th  Wis.,  as  private,  and  was 
mustered  out  in  July.  1865,  as  lieutenant  of  special  scouts,  serving  a  to- 
tal time  of  over  four  years.  Was  taken  prisoner  at  Baton  Rouge,  Jan. 
II,  1863,  and  sent  to  Cahoba,  Ala.,  from  whence  he  made  his  escape,  get- 
ting into  the  Union  lines  at  Pensacola,  Fla.  Married  at  Baton  Rouge, 
La.,  June  5,  1865.  to  Miss  Mary  Sauchez.  Is  a  member  of  Eau 
Claire  Lodge,  No.  162  ;  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  140. 

FAIRCHILD. 

This  is  a  thriving  little  lumber  village  in  the  town  of 
the  same  name.  It  has  several  mills,  which  get  their  lumber 
supply  very  near.  Fostercook  &  Co.  and  Pedrick  &  Co. 
are  the  leading  firms.     It  has  a  Post-office. 

January  11,  i88i,  the  mill  of  Fostercook  &  Co.  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  but  it  was  at  once  rebuilt. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

BENNETT  BROTHERS,  lumbermen  and  farmers,  saw  mill  situ- 
ated  five  miles  east  of  Augusta,  where  they  own  two  sections  of  land ; 
the  mill  is  a  portable  rotary,  capacity,  2,000,000  feet  lumber ;  shingle 
product,  about  800,000 ;  lath,  500,000  or  600,000 ;  also,  planing  mill 
attached,  where  they  do  general  work;  employ  in  the  Summer  about 
eighteen  men ;  in  Winter,  thirtv-five  to  forty  in  woods,  etc.  Their  farm 
is  located  in  the  town  of  Pleasant  Valley,  Eau  Claire  Co.  ;  consists  of 
680  acres,  of  which  540  are  now  in  cultivation  ;  devoted  to  grain,  etc., 
but  intend  ultimately  going  into  stock,  of  which  they  have  a  number  of 
head  now.  Their  crops  this  year  are  estimated  at :  5,000  to  6,000  bush- 
els wheat,  2,000  bushels  oats  and  2.000  bushels  corn.  Have  a  very  com- 
plete elevator  and  granary  on  their  farm,  capacity,  8,000  bushels. 

LORENZO  BENNETT,  firm  of  Bennett  Brothers,  was  born  in 
Tioga  County,  N.  Y.,  May  14,  1826.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846;  lo- 
cated in  Columbia  County ;  engaged  in  farming  ;  came  to  Eau  Claire 
about  1856,  and  followed  same  business,  until  he  started  mill  in  1872  • 
mill  was  burned  in  1877,  and  rebuilt  same  year.  Was  married  in  Co- 
lumbia County,  in  1849,  to  Eliza  Sage,  who  died  in  1858  ;  left  two  chil- 
dren—Margaret (now  Mrs.  Wm.  Yules),  Lucretia  (now  Mrs.  E.  Crow). 
Was  married  in  Eau  Claire  County,  in  1861,  to  Martha  Barr.  They 
have  two  children,  Scott  E.  and  Rissa.  Mr.  Bennett  was  Side  Super- 
visor one  year,  Town  Treasurer  two  years;  has  been  Pathmaster  the 
last  eight  or  ten  years. 

WILLIAM  A.  BENNETT,  firm  Bennett  Brothers,  was  born  in 
Tioga  County,  N.  Y..  Sept.  30,  1830.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  and 
settled  in  Columbia  County.  In  1858,  he  moved  to  Eau  Claire  County, 
and  engaged  in  farming  ;  remained  five  years,  and  then  moved  into  Au- 
gusta, and  in  company  with  eight  other  men,  built  a  mill  ;  after  a  time 
Mr.  Bennett  retired,  and  resumed  farming,  which  he  followed  some  two 
years.  Returned  to  Augusta,  and  for  three  and  a  half  years  engaged  in 
blacksmithing,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother.  Was 
married  in  Augusta,  June,  1865,  to  Rosetta  P.  Crow,  of  Eau  Claire,  for- 


merly from  Ohio.  Has  five  children — Arthur,  Jennie,  Hosea,  Grace  and 
Edward.  Has  been  Side  Supervisor  two  or  three  years.  Chairman  Board 
one  year.  Justice  of  Peace  one  year,  Pathmaster  four  or  five  years. 

Town    of  Washington. 

W.  H.  H.  BEEBE,  farmer.  Was  born  in  Arlington,  Bennington 
Co.,  Vt.,  Dec.  25,  1839.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856.  with  parents. 
Enlisted  Oct.  11,  1S61,  in  Co.  G,  l6th  Wis.  I.  Was  wounded  in  the 
first  Shiloh  fight,  and  discharged  for  diability,  Aug.  25,  1862.  Re-en- 
listed Dec.  23,  1863.  in  the  same  regiment,  Co.  H,  Captain  Whipple, 
and  served  the  balance  of  the  war;  was  with  Gen.  Sherman  in  his 
famous  march,  all  through  to  Washington  ;  mustered  out  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  July  12.  1865;  was  orderly  sergeant  when  mustered  out.  Was 
married  in  Washington,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  Dec.  20,  1874,  to  Miss  Emma 
Neil.  Has  two  children,  Justin  E.  and  Emma  E.  Was  the  first  Town 
Treasurer  in  the  history  of  the  town,  and  has  been  so  the  last  five  years. 
Side  Supervisor  one  term.     Mr.  Beebe  has  a  fine  farm  of  200  acres. 

A.  E.  BLAKE,  farmer.  Was  born  in  Carpenter,  Chenango  Co.. 
N.  Y.,  April  29,  1821.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861,  and  settled  in  Eau 
Claire  County,  on  his  present  farm  of  160  acres.  He  was  married  in 
Carpenter,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y..  Sept.  22,  1846,  to  Miss  E.  Thorpe. 
Mr.  Blake  is  a  memfier  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  also  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor.  Was  Town  Clerk  one  year.  Is  now  and  has  been  for  a 
number  of  years.  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

THOMAS  J.  FLINN,  farmer.  Was  born  in  Watertown.  Mav  10, 
1856.  His  parents,  Patrick  and  Eliza  (Reed)  Flinn.  moved  to  Iowa,  lo- 
cated in  Mitchell  County,  and  in  1863,  came  to  Eau  Claire  County. 
They  have  a  fine  farm  of  360  acres,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  grain  and 
grass. 

JOSEPH  HOBBS,  farmer.  Married  in  Green  Lake  County,  Dec. 
25,  i860,  to  Miss  Jane  Wilson.  They  have  eight  children — Tabatha  E., 
Henry  A.,  Mary  E.,  Frank  W.,  Annie.  Laurina,  Daniel  and  Edwin. 
Mr.  Hobbs  is  a  member  of  Washington  Grange,  No.  321. 

JOHN  HOBBS,  farmer.  Was  born  in  County  Kent,  England.  Nov. 
22,  1822.  Was  engaged  in  England  as  machinist,  carpenter,  joiner, 
builder,  etc.,  and  for  a  time  was  in  business  for  himself  near  Dover. 
Came  to  the  United  States  in  1857.  and  located  in  Marquette,  now  Green 
Lake  Co.  Moved  to  Eau  Claire,  in  1859,  and  in  the  Spring  of  i860, 
settled  on  his  present  farm.  W^as  married  in  Dover,  England,  Decem- 
ber, 1S44,  to  Miss  Georgiana  Wall,  who  died  in  July,  1S74.  They  had 
five  children — Mary,  widow  of  R.  Petipher  ;  Walter,  killed  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor,  in  36th  Wis. :  Jemima  Jane,  now  Mrs.  A.  D.  Wyman  ; 
Robert  M..  Austen  T.  Was  married  to  his  present  wife,  December, 
1S75.  She  was  Miss  Celia  Wall,  sister  of  his  first  wife.  Mr.  Hobbs 
was  a  member  of  the  Druids  and  Foresters  in  England.  Was 
Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors  one  year,  and  is    now  Town  Clerk, 

CYRUS  D.  PEASE,  farmer.  Was  born  in  St.  Joseph  Co.,  Mich., 
Aug.  22,  1835.  His  father  was  born  in  Enfield,  Conn.,  in  1804;  lived  for  a 
time  in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there  moved  to  St.  Joseph  Co., 
Mich.,  in  1836.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S46,  and  located  in  Green  Lake 
County.  In  1S57,  moved  to  Eau  Claire  County,  and  settled  on  present 
farm.  Original  farm  contained  920  acres.  His  mother,  Cynthia  Ann 
(Hunt)  Pease,  was  from  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  formerly  from  Vermont.  Mr. 
C.  D.  Pease  was  oneof  twelve  children,  of  whom  four  are  living.  Hecame 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1S46,  and  to  Eau  Claire  County  in  1857. 
He  was  married  in  Pepin  County,  in  1873,  to  Mary  E.  Timblin.  They 
have  three  children — Roy  Arthur.  Florence  Aure'lia  and  Ethel  Irene. 
Mr.  P.  is  a  member  of  Washington   Grange,   No.   321.     Is  farming  140 

GEORGE  W.  RILEY,  farmer.  Was  born  in  Canada  West,  in  1838. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1846.  They  settled  in  Milwaukee, 
where  his  father  died.  Moved  to  Eau  Claire  in  1S56  ;  pre-empted  a 
piece  of  land,  which  he  lost  ;  then  bought  a  farm.  In  August,  1S61,  en- 
listed in  8th  Wis.,  Co.  C,  and  served  until  1S63.  Reenlisted  in  the 
veterans,  and  served  in  that  organization  ;  was  wounded,  and  disabled 
for  three  months.  Was  married  in  Eau  Claire.  March,  1866,  to  Mary  E. 
Owens.  They  had  four  children,  of  which  three  survive— Estelle  M., 
Imogene  M.  and  Percy  E.  Mr.  Rilev  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of 
Honor.  Was  Chairman  Town  Board  several  terms,  also  held  school 
offices. 

N.  P.  TURNER,  farmer,  Washington.  Born  in  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  1820 ;  came  from  there  to  the  town  of  Washington,  in  1865. 
Began  farming  with  160  acres,  and  by  industry  and  careful  management 
has  added  140  acres,  besides  eighty  acres  of  valuable  coal  land  in  Mis- 
souri. Married  Delili  Dibble,  of  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1845.  They 
have  six  children. 

E.  WHEELER  ROBBINS,  Washington  Township,  was  bom  in  the 
to.vn  of  Lenox,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  24,  1821,  and  at  the  age  of 
fivi  movel  with  his  parents  to  Lee,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1845.  he 
cime  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  a  vear  later  to  Green  Lake.  In  1854,  located 
on  Sec.  27,  Township  27,  Range  9,  in  Washington  (now  Eau  Claire) 
Cjiiity,  wilere  hs  has  since  en^ig^d  in  faraiing.      In    1377,  he  be^iiii 


HISTORY  OF    EAU   CLAIRE  COUNTY. 


345 


interested  in  the  Eau  Claire  Woolen  Mill,  which  is  located  on  Sec.  27, 
in  the  town  of  Washington  ;  is  a  one-set  mill,  doing  mostly  custom 
work  ;  manufactures  cassimeres,  flannels  and  yarns,  and  employs  ten 
men.  The  mill  chiefly  supplies  the  home  market.  He  was  married  in 
the  town  of  Sugar  Grove,  Warren  Co.,  Pa.,  in  January.  1846,  to  Laura 
Pond,  who  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children, 
Hubbard  T.  and  Martha  E.  (now  Mrs.  Stoddard  Field,  of  Osseo,  Trem- 
pealeau Co.)  Mr.  Robbins  was  a  member  of  the  first  Town  Board  in 
his  town,  serving  several  years  in  that  capacity  ;  was  Assessor  in  the 
town  of  Eau  Claire  one  term,  and  in  the  town  of  Washington  two  years; 
was  Side  Supervisor  several  times,  and  .Superintendent  of  the  County 
Poor  for  three  years,  in  the  early  days  of  the  county.  The  first  deed 
recorded  in  the  county  was  made  to  Mr.  Robbins,  and  recorded  by  him. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  of  the  Good  Templars. 

Town  of  Otter  Creek. 

MRS  MARTHA  FEAR  was  born  in  England,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Fear,  farmer  ;  came  to  America  in  1S55  ;  resided  in  Waukesha  Co., 
Wis.  She  was  married  there  in  October,  1S57,  to  James  Curtis  Fear; 
resided  in  Eau  Claire  about  three  years,  then  on  present  farm  near 
Augusta.  Mr.  Fear  filled  several  town  offices;  was  Deputy  Clerk  and 
Treasurer,  etc.,  for  seven  years.  Mr.  Fear  died  in  the  Fall  of  1877. 
leaving  four  children— Arthur  W.,  Edith  E.,  Edgar  J.  and  Walter  C. 
Mrs.  Fear  owns  120  improved  acres  in  Eau  Claire  County,  and  160  acres 
improved,  elsewhere. 

CHARLES  HENRY  HALE,  farmer,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855, 
located  in  Eau  Claire  County,  and  farmed  for  seven  years.  He  enlisted, 
Aug.  :4,  1862,  in  the  30th  Wis.  L;  discharged  Aug.  5,  1865  ;  was  pro- 
moted to  sergeant.  He  then  returned  to  Eau  Claire  County,  and  has 
been  farming  ever  since  ;  was  on  the  Board  of  Town  Supervisors  for 
several  years.  He  was  born  in  Waterford,  Me.,  June  15.  1830;  farmed 
there  some  years;  was  married,  in  Waterford,  to  Mary  Brown,  who  was 
born  there.  They  have  one  son,  Charles  W.,  farmer  ;  has  400  acres  im- 
proved land. 

AMOS  W.  SHEPHERD,  farmer,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  lo- 
cated  at  Green  Lake,  and  resided  there  with  parents  for  five  years.  En- 
listed in  1861.  in  nth  Wis.  L  Served  one  and  one  half  years;  was 
wounded  in  right  leg  at  Cache  River,  Ark.  Re-enlisted  in  2d  Minn.  C. 
and  served  until  close  of  war.  Came  to  Eau  Claire  County  in  1866,  and 
has  been  farming  and  lumbering  since.  Owns  280  acres  of  improved 
land.  Was  Pathmaster  of  town  of  Otter  Creek  for  some  six  years,  and 
on  School  Board  two  or  three  years.  Born  in  England,  1S46;  came  to 
America  in  1853.  Married  at  Black  River  Falls,  in  July,  1870,  to  Ellen 
Young,  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  two  children,  Ella  M. 
and  Homer. 

SETH  D.  SMITH,  farmer,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1855. 
Was  employed  at  school  teaching  in  Jefferson  County  for  six  months, 
then  in  Green  Lake  County  for  five  years  ;  employed  on  farms.     Came 


on  the  present  farm  in  i860.  Born  in  town  of  Norway,  N.  Y.,  in  1833. 
Resided  there  with  parents  and  farmed.  Married  in  Green  Lake  Co., 
Wis.,  in  Fall  of  i860,  to  Anne  Vosser,  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.  They 
have  eight  children  —  Maria,  Lizzie,  Webster,  Annie,  Albert,  Russell. 
Henry  and  Carroll.      He  owns  280  acres,  forty  of  which  is  woodland. 

WILLIAM  YOUNG,  farmer  and  physician,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1839.  Located  in  Waukesha  County,  farming,  some  two  years  ;  then  in 
Jefferson  County  for  fifteen  years,  farming  and  practicing  medicine  some. 


Came  to  Eau  Claire  County 
years,  farming  and  practicing, 
ship  for  several  years.  Born 
1828,  and  resided  in  St.  Lawr 
Philoeiia  Baas,  born  i: 
-Jane  D.  (now  Mrs.  B 


1S38, 
child 
Willi 


1,  Ellen  P.,  Harvey  E.,  Mary  H.  and  Sherm 

Town  of  Ludington. 


856,  and  has  been  there  twenty-five 
Was  Supervisor  of  Otter  Creek  Town- 
n  Scotland.  1816;  came  to  America  in 
nee  Co.,  N.  Y.  Married  there,  Dec.  i. 
State  of  New  York.  They  have  nine 
n),  Isabella  A.,  Lucinda  M.,  James, 
G. 


WILLIAM  ROSBROOK,  farmer.  Sec.  30,  town  of  Ludington,  was 
born  in  Hastings.  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  31,  1839.  Lived  there  until 
1842  ;  afterward  lived  in  Waukesha,  Washington.  Winnebago  and  Dane 
counties  until  he  came  to  Ludington,  in  the  Fall  of  1866.  Engaged  in 
farming  ever  since  he  came  here,  except  a  few  Winters'  lumbering  in 
the  pineries.  He  was  married  in  Pleasant  Springs.  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
May,  1866.  to  Amelia  C,  daughter  of  R.  D.  Campbell.  She  is  a  native 
of  Illinois.  They  have  six  children— Lilly  Belle,  Lottie  Viola.  Charles 
D.,  George  W.,  Freddie  and  Rosiel  D.  Mr.  Rosbrook  has  held  offices 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Town  Clerk  and  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board. 

GEORGE  W.  RANDALL,  lumber  manufacturer  and  farmer,  town 
of  Ludington,  was  born  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Berwick  (formerly 
Baldwin),  Cumberland  Co.,  Me.,  March  i,  1S20.  Lived  there  until 
1839.  then  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  remained  until  1840,  when  he  came 
came  to  Menomonie,  Wis.  He  was  engaged  in  working  on  the  river 
and  in  the  woods  until  1846.  Then  he,  with  his  brother  Simon,  built  a 
saw-mill  on  the  Eau  Claire  River,  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city 
of  Eau  Claire.  June  6,  1847,  that  mill  was  carried  away  by  a  freshet, 
and  they  built  another  mill  on  the  same  site.  In  1851  or  1852.  Simon 
Randall  sold  his  interest  to  Philo  Stone  and  William  Hope.  These 
gentlemen,  with  George  W.  Randall,  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber until  1857,  when  they  sold  out  to  Carson  &  Eaton.  Since  iliat  time 
Mr.  Randall  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  logging,  until  he  built 
his  present  mill,  in  1880,  on  Muskrat  Creek,  in  the  town  of  Ludington. 
Feb.  I.  1S81,  he  commenced  running  it,  and  will  cut  during  the  season 
about  1,000.000  feet  of  lumber,  considerable  of  it  being  oak  and  ash.  He 
gives  employment  to  eight  men.  Mr.  R.  was  married,  Nov.  29.  1S46.  to 
Mary  La  Point.  She  was  born  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.  They  have  ten 
children — George  W.,  Mary,  Wellington,  John.  Isaiah,  Sarah  H.,  Jose- 
phine, Abraham  Lincoln,  Thankful  and  James.  Lost  two  children; 
they  died  in  infancy. 


346 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


GREEN    LAKE    COUNTY 


NATURAL  ADVANTAGES. 

This  populous  and  prosperous  county  possesses 
natural  advantages  unsurpassed  by  any  county  of  its 
size  in  the  State,  and  is  fast  becoming  famous  as  a  Sum- 
mer resort.  It  was  set  off  from  the  county  of  Mar- 
quette and  oi'ganized  May  12,  1858.  Its  greatest 
length,  north  and  south,  is  twenty-seven  miles;  its 
greatest  breadth,  east  and  west,  eighteen  miles.  The 
county  is  situated  between  the  forty-third  and  forty- 
fourth  degrees  of  north  latitude  ;  it  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Waushara  County,  on  the  east  by  Winnebago 
and  Fond  du  Lac  counties,  on  the  south  by  Columbia 
and  Dodge,  and  on  the  west  by  Marquette  County. 
During  the  Territorial  government  of  Wisconsin  it  was 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  Brown  County  Courts,  held 
at  Green  Bay.  Marquette  County  was  established  in 
1836  and  fully  organized  in  1848,  with  the  county  seat 
at  Marquette.  The  county  of  Green  Lake  contains  at 
present  ten  towns,  viz. :  Berlin,  Brooklyn,  Green  Lake, 
Kingston,  Mackford,  Manchester,  Marquette,  Prince- 
ton, Seneca  and  St.  Marie.  These  contain  an  area  of 
247,658  acres,  of  which  number  over  20,000  are  water, 
divided  into  lakes  and  clear  winding  streams,  which 
form  the  most  prominent  features  of  this  wonderfully 
formed  region.  The  general  face  of  the  country  is  un- 
dulating, neither  hilly  nor  extensive  plains,  with  the 
exception  of  high  broken  lands  around  the  marshes  in 
the  south  part  of  the  county.  A  fine  stretch  of  prairie 
extends  along  the  eastern  part;  in  this  section  can  be 
found  some  of  the  richest  farms  in  the  State.  The  soil 
is  the  rich  brown  mold  of  the  prairies,  the  sandy  loam 
of  the  valleys,  or  the  clay  loam  of  the  high  lands. 
Although  they  may  vary  in  richness,  yet  what  is  called 
the  poorest  lands  have  realized  a  productive  crop. 
Limestone,  with  its  attendant,  sandstone,  is  abundant, 
cropping  out  at  most  every  hill-side  in  the  towns  lying 
east  of  the  Fox  River.  Doubtless,  it  underlies  the 
wliole  face  of  the  county,  varying  in  depth  below  the 
surface  from  ten  to  forty  feet.  Wheat,  rye,  corn,  oats, 
all  the  various  productions  of  the  latitude,  as  well  as 
fruits,  berries,  grapes,  etc.,  and  varieties  of  vegetables 
raised  in  more  southern  climate,  are  cultivated  with 
success.  Wheat  is  the  chief  reliance.  Winter  wheat 
is  not  considered  a  reliable  crop,  yet  such  is  the  adap- 
tation of  the  soil  to  this  much  prized  cereal  that  a  rich 
return  for  labor  invested  is  relied  upon  with  confidence. 
Corn  is  almost  a  natural  product;  needs  but  little  labor 
to  realize  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  those  who  con- 
sider it,  in  many  respects,  a  more  profitable  crop  than 
wheat. 

Sorghum  is  cultivated  with  success  and  is  fast  be- 
coming an  important  article  in  commerce.  The  farmers 
have  fine  Jiouses  and  barns,  rich  fields  and  well  filled 
granaries;  they  use  the  most  improved  machinery  and 
keep  fine  liorses  and  stock — iu  fact,  they  are  rich  and 


independent.  The  great  natural  advantages  the  farmers 
in  this  county  possess  are  described  by  an  early  writer 
as  follows :  "  Running  streams  of  water  are  near  or  at 
convenient  distance  from  nearly  everj'  farm.  Gushing 
fountains,  as  pure  and  as  healthy  as  the  fabled  Helicon, 
may  be  found  at  the  foot  of  most  every  hill."  Water 
is  readily  found  by  digging  or  boring  in  all  localities, 
varying  in  depth  as  to  situation  from  ten  to  ninety 
feet.  The  facilities  for  transportation  are  furnished  by 
the  Fox  River  and  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  and  the 
Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  railroads.  The  Fox  River 
is  navigable  its  entire  length,  from  Green  Bay  to 
Portage  City ;  it  takes  a  winding  course  through  the 
county,  from  southwest  to  northeast.  Marshes  abound 
on  one  or  both  sides,  from  one-half  to  four  miles  in 
width,  bordered  generally  with  a  prolific  growth  of 
wild  rice,  which  annually  feeds  innumerable  flocks  of 
blackbirds  and  ducks.  In  addition  to  these  are  exten- 
sive pastures  and  haying  fields  along  all  the  tributaries 
of  the  Fox,  making  Green  Lake  one  of  the  finest  stock 
growing  counties  in  the  State. 

When  the  white  man  first  ventured  to  fix  his  habita- 
tion in  Green  Lake  County  the  Winnebagoes  and  Me- 
nomonees  were  the  oidy  two  tribes  holding  possession 
of  the  Territory.  Tiiese  tribes  gave  some  attention  at 
that  time,  1828,  to  the  cultivation  of  the  Indian  corn, 
but  their  principal  subsistence  was  obtained  by  fishing 
and  hunting.  The  Indians  always  maintained  a  friendly 
feeling  for  the  whites,  giving  them  annoyance  only  by 
their  persistent  begging  and  as  their  thieving  propensi- 
ties would  get  the  better  of  them.  Considerable  jealousy 
existed  between  the  Winnebagoes  and  Menomonees, 
and  a  sort  of  rivalry  sprang  up  as  to  which  should 
appear  the  best  in  the  estimation  of  the  whites.  The 
Winnebago  would  approach  his  white  brother  with  all 
the  assurance  imaginable  when  on  a  begging  excursion. 
"  Me  Winnebago,  good  Indian  ;  Menomonee  bad  ;  Me- 
nomonee  steal  from  white  brother."  Scarcely  would 
the  dusky  form  of  the  Winnebago  have  disappeared 
with  his  rations  when  his  rival,  the  Menomonee,  on  the 
same  mission,  would  appear  on  the  scene.  "Menomo- 
nee good  Indian,  Winnebago  bad — Winnebago  steal. 
Menomonee  ask  white  brother  when  he  want  pro- 
visions." During  the  early  Territorial  days  of  Wiscon- 
sin the  Government  had  arranged  to  supply  the  Indians 
with  provisions ;  a  trading  post  was  established  on 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Bellefontain  farm,  in  the 
town  of  Kingston.  Poquette,  a  half-breed,  was  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  the  post,  on  account  of  his 
tliorougli  knowledge  of  the  Indians.  It  was  decided 
that  the  head  of  each  family  should  receive  two  bushels 
of  shell  corn,  and,  to  provide  against  issuing  to  any  one 
Indian  double  rations,  Poquette  was  stationed  to  keep 
watch  of  the  Indians  as  they  procured  their  sacks.  The 
half-breed  is  said  to  have  been  a  powerful  man,  ] 


HISTORY    OF    GREEN    LAKE   COUNTY. 


ing  the  strength  of  a  giant.  One  of  the  Indians  had 
succeeded  in  securing  the  second  sack  of  corn  and  had 
proceeded  with  it  some  twenty  yards  before  Poquette 
discovered  the  triclv.  He  made  no  attempt  to  bring 
the  Indian  bade,  but  quietly  picked  up  another  sack  of 
corn  and  hurled  it  with  all  his  force,  striking  the  Indian 
on  the  head,  knocking  him  senseless. 

Prominent  among  the  Winnebagoes  was  the  chief. 
Big  Soldier,  who  made  his  home  near  Green  Lake,  in 
the  town  of  Brooklyn;  he  was  a  man  of  considerable 
intelligence  and  rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the 
United  States  soldiers  during  the  Black  Hawk  war,  on 
several  instances  showing  great  bravery,  for  which  he 
was  awarded  a  silver  medal  by  the  Government.  Big 
Soldier  was  very  proud  of  this  medal  and  constantly 
wore  it  about  his  neck,  suspended  to  a  string  of  beads. 
Some  few  of  his  tribe  still  linger  in  the  county  and  visit 
regularly  twice  a  year  a  relative  of  Big  Soldier's,  who 
has  the  medal  in  his  possession,  where  they  view  with 
much  pride  the  relic  left  them  by  the  brave  old  warrior. 
Some  few  of  the  Indians  own  land  and  cultivate  small 
patches  of  corn  and  other  vegetables.  As  is  character- 
istic of  the  American  Indian,  they  still  adhere  to  the 
inclinations  with  which  nature  endowed  them,  refusing 
to  ape  their  superiors  in  any  of  the  advanced  ideas  of 
civilization,  and  allow  their  squaws  to  do  all  the  hard 
work. 

ANTIQUITIES. 

It  is  now  generally  conceded  by  all  historians  and 
scientists  who  have  made  the  subject  of  Wisconsin 
antiquities  a  study,  that  the  territory  was  inhabited  at 
one  time  by  a  superior  race  than  that  discovered  by  the 
early  French  missionaries.  Many  important  discover- 
ies in  the  various  works  of  antiquity  have  been  made 
in  the  past  ten  years  along  the  Fox  and  Grand  rivers 
in  this  county,  where  hundreds  of  mounds  exist,  from 
which  have  been  exhumed  pieces  of  earthenware  or  pot- 
tery, artistically  designed  ;  implements  which  bear  the 
marks  of  civilization ;  pipes  of  various  shapes  and 
sizes,  and  in  several  instances  hierogi^-phic  characters 
have  been  discovered.  Dr.  I.  A.  Lapham  suggests, 
that  the  people  who  left  these  monuments  were  the 
progenitors  of  the  fast-fading  Indian  tribes  of  North 
America,  and  that  this  is  made  probable  by  the  resem- 
blance of  the  pots  and  vases  in  figure,  etc.,  to  those 
afterward  found  in  all  Indian  villages,  and  to  those 
still  made  by  the  women  of  the  Mandan  and  other 
tribes. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  wliite  men  to  visit  this  region  were  Sieur 
Joliet  and  Father  Marquette,  who  stopped  here  on 
their  voyage  to  the  Mississippi  River  in  1673.  These 
explorers  tarried  for  several  days  to  examine  the  coun- 
try of  whicli  they  were  so  favorably  impressed,  making 
quite  a  number  of  rests  in  order  to  instruct  the  In- 
dians in  a  higher  religious  belief,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  get  relaxation  from  their  tiresome  voyage.  One  of 
the  places  visited  was  a  large  spring  near  the  Fox 
River,  which  Father  Marquette  designated  as  St.  Marie, 
and  from  which  the  town  derives  its  name.  The  Mas- 
coutin  Indians  had  a  small  village  on  the  southern 
shore  of  Lake  Puckaway,  where  Father  Marquette 
and  his  companion   remained  two  days.     Tiie  present 


village  at  that  place  and  the  town  now  bear  the  name 
of  Marquette,  as  well  as  the  county  of  which  this  was 
once  a  part,  the  parent  of  Green  Lake  County. 

The  first  permanent  white  settler  in  the  county  was 
a  Vermonter  by  the  name  of  Luther  Gleason,  who 
located  at  what  is  'now  known  as  Marquette,  on  tlie 
Fox  River,  in  1829.  He  was  an  Indian  trader  ;  kept 
a  store,  and  cultivated  a  tract  of  land.  The  remains 
of  his  stockade  were  to  be  seen  but  a  few  j-ears  ago. 
Hiram  McDonald,  formerly  soldier  of  the  United  States 
Army,  having  served  in  the  War  of  181-2,  settled  in 
the  town  of  Mackford,  in  18.36.  He  built  a  saw-mil) 
— the  first  one  in  the  county — on  Grand  River,  in  1843. 
James  Powell,  a  half-breed,  settled  in  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Green  Lake,  in  1835,  and  cultivated  a  tract 
of  land  belonging  to  a  half-breed  trader,  by  the  name 
of  Poquette.  An  old  soldier,  named  McGee,  located 
in  the  town  of  Manchester  in  the  Fall  of  1837,  where 
he  entered  land,  and  a  few  years  later,  in  company 
with  one  or  two  others,  laid  out  a  town  plat  and  en- 
deavored to  found  a  village.  In  1840,  Anson  Dart, 
William  Bazeley  and  Mr.  Beals,  settled  in  what  is  now 
known  as  the  town  of  Green  Lake.  The  first  school 
in  the  county  was  taught  in  Mr.  Bazeley's  house  in 
1842.  Anson  Dart  was  made  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  in  1840.  Satterlee  Clark,  now  Hon.  Sat.  Clark, 
of  Horicon,  was  one  of  tlie  pioneers  of  the  county, 
having  made  entries  of  Government  land  in  the  month 
of  December,  1842.  He  lived  east  of  Green  Lake,  and 
was  the  first  Postmaster  in  the  county.  The  fiist  store 
in  the  county  was  opened  by  F.  B.  Hawes,  in  1845,  at 
the  village  of  Marquette.  J.  C.  and  William  Sher- 
wood were  among  the  first  to  settle  in  the  village  of 
Dartford.  J.  C.  Siierwood  and  Anson  Dart  built  a 
saw-mill  in  1847.  Nathan  Strong,  William  D.  Strong 
and  Tiiomas  Noyes  were  the  pioneers  at  Strong's  Land- 
ing, on  the  Fox  River,  now  the  city  of  Berlin.  Gard- 
ner and  D.  M.  Green  were  prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Marquette.  They  built  large  warehouses 
and  docks  at  that  place.  D.  M.  Green  afterward  be- 
came Sheriff.  Tlie  first  religious  society  in  the  county, 
was  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Green 
Lake,  organized  during  the  year  1845,  by  Rev.  G.  W. 
Miller.  Tlie  first  church  edifice  erected  in  the  county 
was  by  tliis  society,  at  the  village  of  Dartford,  in  1850. 
Isaac  Bronson  made  the  first  entries  of  Government 
land  in  the  county,  Aug.  26,  1835.  His  four  entries 
of  that  date  include  nearly  all  the  site  of  the  village 
of  Marquette.  The  first  deed  written  in  the  county 
was  for  a  portion  of  the  same  land,  and  was  given  by 
Sherman  Page  to  Andrew  Palmer,  May  19,  1836.  The 
first  record  of  a  deed  of  land  within  the  present  county 
limits,  was  made  at  Green  Bay  long  before  the  organi- 
zation of  the  county.  The  register's  certificate  is 
dated  July  9,  1836.  Among  others  who  settled  in  the 
county  prior  to  1848,  were  Nicholas  Busli,  J.  C.  Bur- 
dick,  M.  M.  Hurlburt,  O.  J.  Fuller,  H.  Bonesteel, 
George  Cullings,  John  Nichols,  William  Seymour, 
Theo.  Wheeler,  R.  Bond,  J.  Millard,  W.  R.  Carter,  R. 
Langdon,  S.  W.  Mather,  William  Morris,  O.  Prichavd, 
E.  Steckle,  II.  W.  Swift,  L.  G.  Woodworth,  G.  J.  Will- 
iams, P.  W.  Jackson,  J.  Gibberd,  S.  Mesick,  C.  G. 
Parkhurst,  Lyman  Austin,  W.  H.  Butler,  Ira  Butler, 
William  Hare,  S.  M.  Knox,  John    Larkiu,  George  Mc- 


34S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Oraken,J.  L.  Millard,  W.  J.  Matthews,  Georcre  Pratt, 
Charles  Rogers,  William  Shaw,  Barlow  Swift,  B.  F. 
Bodle,  M.  V.  Clute.  John  Crahtree,  D.  E.  Haywood, 
S.  D.  Owen,  A.  L.  Palmer,  Fred.  Wiedmaii,  J.  S'.  Vine, 
A.  Blatchley,  Joel  Day,  D.  W.  G.  Benham,  C.  D.  Tay- 
lor, O.  Wilson,  I.  O.  Seeley,  David  Jones,  Lucius 
Clark,  Walter  Burlingame  and  R.  G.  Treat.  Mr. 
Treat  was  one  of  the  first  at  Princeton,  and  laid  out 
the  village  plat.  The  foregoing  list  was  compiled  from 
the  land  entries  hook  in  the  Register  of  .Deeds  office. 
Many  otiiers  hesides  these  settled  in  the  county,  prior 
to  the  date  ahove  mentioned,  of  whom  particular  men- 
tion will  he  made  in  the  village  and  town  histories. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  county  of  Green  Lake  was,  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  set  off  from  the  parent  county,  Marquette, 
and  fully  organized.  May  12,  1858.  Soon  after  the 
division  had  been  consummated,  the  county  seat  was 
established  at  the  city  of  Berlin.  In  the  Fall  of  1862, 
by  a  vote  of  the  people,  it  was  removed  to  Dartford, 
where  it  rested  in  peace  until  ISuG,  when  the  vexed 
subject  was  once  more  agitated,  and  a  vote  taken  to 
remove  it  to  Princeton.  This  plan  was  carried  into  ef- 
fect, although  a  majority  of  the  Board  of  Canvassers 
decided  in  favor  of  Dartford.  The  minority  reporting 
in  favor  of  Princeton  had  their  decision  supported  by 
the  opinion  of  the  Attorney  General  of  "the  State. 
The  citizens  of  Princeton  forcibly  took  possession  of 
the  records,  and,  at  a  very  early  hour  in  the  morning, 
removed  them  to  their  own  village.  An  appeal  was 
then  made  by  the  people  of  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  and  on  a 
ruling  in  their  favor,  the  county  seat  was  once  more 
removed  to  Dartford,  where  it  now  remains  in  a  state 
of  tranquillity.  The  first  county  officers  of  Green 
Lake  were  elected  as  follows :  F.  B.  Hawes,  County 
Judge ;  I.  H.  Comstock,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court ; 
C.  L.  Sargent,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  ; 
G.  De  Witt  Elwood,  Register  of  Deeds ;  Isaac  Morris, 
Sheriff:  A.  B.  Hamilton,  District  Attorney;  N.  C. 
Hoyt,  Treasurer ;  C.  M.  Phelps,  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  The  first  Board  of  Supervisors  were  :  James 
Field,  James  Bassett,  J.  H.  Turner  and  Charles  Bart- 
lett  for  the  city  of  Berlin  ;  Town  of  Berlin,  F.  B.  Peck; 
Brooklyn,  P.  H.  Prim  ;  Dayton,  M.  W.  Seeley ;  Green 
Lake,  Jesse  Thomas  ;  Kingston,  O.  W.  Bow  ;  Kingston 
Village,  P.  D.  Haywood;  Mackford,  S.  B.  Welsh; 
Manchester,  C.  A.  Millard  ;  Markesan,  John  Parker ; 
Marquette,  A.  Paterick ;  Princeton,  A.  Stevens  ;  St. 
Marie,  C.  Kilbourn ;  Seneca,  John  Ashford.  The 
growth  of  Green  Lake  County  has  been  rapid  since  the 
organization  took  effect. 

The  present  county  officers  are  :  J.  Edmund  Mil- 
lard, County  Judge;  A.  E.  Dunlap,  Clerk  of  the  Cir- 
cuit Court ;"  Henry  S.  Hunt,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors ;  Henry  B.  Lowe,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  Sam- 
uel G.  Ellis,  Sheriff;  Henr}'  S.  Comstock,  District 
Attorney ;  August  W.  Millard,  Superinteudent  of 
Schools ;  Irwin  W.  Sherwood,  Treasurer ;  R.  P.  Raw- 
son,  Coroner.  After  the  question  as  to  the  location  of 
the  county  seat  had  been  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all,  the  citizens  of  the  village  of  Dartford  erected  a 
substantial  atone  building  for  the  double  purposes  of  a 


court-house  and  jail,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  In  1869,  a 
separate  fire-proof  building  was  erected  for  the  county 
offices,  at  an  additional  cost  of  $6,000.  By  the  State 
census  of  18S0,  the  population  of  Green  Lake  County 
was  15,867.  The  Americans,  representatives  from  the 
Middle  and  New  England  States,  are  still  in  the  major- 
ity, but  at  their  present  rate  of  increase,  the  Germans 
will  soon  have  the  controlling  voice.  The  Irish  and 
other  nationalities  are  well  represented  in  the  northern 
and  western  portions  of  the  county. 

The  public  schools  of  the  county  will  compare  favor- 
ably with  those  of  larger  and  more  wealthy  counties. 
The  excellent  manner  in  which  they  are  conducted  re- 
flects great  credit  on  the  people.  It  is  from  this  stand- 
point of  education  that  the  prosperity  of  a  community 
may  be  judged.  Green  Lake  County  has  every  reason  to 
feel  proud  at  the  advancement  made  in  this  direction, 
and  at  the  grand  efforts  now  being  put  forth  to  place  her 
public  schools  on  a  still  higher  basis.  The  following 
estimates,  exclusive  of  the  city  of  Berlin,  were  taken 
from  the  County  Superintendent's  report  for  the  year 
ending  August  31,  1880:  Number  of  school-houses  in 
tlie  count3%  70;  cash  value  of  school  property,  $35,- 
201.20 ;  moneys  received  for  school  purposes  during 
the  year,  $18,9-47.34;  number  of  teachers  employed, 
male,  36  ;  female,  87  ;  number  of  children  attending 
school,  2,748. 

The  county,  though  largely  dependent  on  its  agri- 
cultural products,  by  which  to  make  a  showing  to  the 
outside  world,  has  manifested  considerable  enterprise 
in  the  way  of  utilizing  what  few  natural  advantages 
are  afforded  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Fox  River.  The 
Fox  itself,  owing  to  its  slight  fall,  which  is  barely  a 
foot  to  the  mile,  is  perfectly  useless  as  a  means  of  pow- 
er, and  serves  only  as  a  great  natural  canal  and  a  fer- 
tilizer 'of  the  grand  valley  through  which  it  silently 
finds  its  way.  Steam  mills  and  manufactories  to  sup- 
ply the  needs  of  the  population  are  extending  and  in- 
creasing as  the  wants  of  the  community  demand. 
The  tillable  lands  are  now  mostly  all  under  cultiva- 
tion. 

WAR    RECORD. 

Green  Lake  County  made  for  herself  a  brilliant  war 
record,  ranking  foremost  as  to  the  number  of  men  fur- 
nished in  proportion  to  her  population.  Public  enthu- 
siasm knew  no  bounds,  and  in  city,  town  and  hamlet 
the  demand  on  every  tongue  was  for  a  vigorous  prose- 
cution of  the  war.  Scarcely  had  the  sounds  of  strife 
burst  upon  the  country  when  the  people  of  Green 
Lake  County  rose  up  en  masse.  Meetings  were  held 
in  every  village  and  hamlet  in  the  county,  rousing  war 
speeches  were  made  by  the  orators  of  the  day,  enlist- 
ments were  made  by  men  of  all  classes  and  professions. 
The  little  city  of  Berlin  became  the  head  center,  and 
in  less  than  two  months  from  the  time  President  Lin- 
coln issued  his  first  proclamation,  the  county  had  mus- 
tered in  and  sent  to  the  front  nearly  1,000  men.  Be- 
sides this  number,  home  companies  were  raised  and  put 
under  military  discipline.  In  this  way,  the  county 
kept  full  its  quota.  Local  bounties  were  raised,  prin- 
cipally by  subscriptions  from  among  the  leading  busi- 
ness men.  In  this  manner,  volunteer  enlistments  were 
readily  obtained.     The  following  are  the  credits  for 


HISTORY    OF    GREEN    LAKE    COUNTY, 


each  town,  as  taken  from  the  Adjutant-General's  re- 
port. 

Towns.                                                        Quota.  Credits. 

Berlin  City _ i6i     iSo 

"    Town 53     59 

Brooklyn 84     _       81 

Dayton 33     37 

Green  Lake _. 69     71 

Kingston 55     -       58 

Mackford 95      loi 

Manchester 67      76 

Marquette  - 35      41 

Princeton. _    97      gS 

Seneca 16     16 

•St.   Marie--- 31      37 

Total,  796  S55 

This  number  does  not  include  the  commissioned  of- 
ficers nor  the  men  who  left  the  county  to  enlist  in  the 
towns  and  cities  in  otlier  counties. 

The  following  account  in  reference  to  the  Berlin 
Ligiit  Guards  was  given  by  tlie  Berlin  Courant,  June 
20, 1861 : 

"On  Friday  afternoon,  agreeably  to  announcement,  tlie 
Berlin  Light  Guards  turned  out  with  full  ranks  to  receive  a 
stand  of  colors  from  the  ladies  of  Berlin.  A  large  crowd 
was  in  attendance,  notwithstanding  the  high  wind,  which 
raised  clouds  of  dust,  played  provoking  antics  with  Sum- 
mer hats,  and  unmannerly  annoyed  the  fair  wearers  of  crin- 
oline who  graced  the  occasion  by  their  presence.  The  flag 
was  presented  by  Miss  Marie  Macnish,  with  the  following 
neat  and  appropriate  speech: 

"Berlin  Light  Guards— Ct-wrt-mt');— In  behalf  of  the  ladies  of 
Berlin,  I  present  you  with  our  National  Colors.  May  you  bear  them 
proudly,  and  to  the  last  preserve  them  free  from  insult.  Accept  them  as  a 
slight  tribute  of  respect  from  your  fair  friends.  Leaving,  as  you  are. 
your  friends,  your  homes  and  all  that  is  dear  to  you,  to  assist  in  this  great 
battle  for  freedom,  you  are  acting  nobly.  You  are  acting  from  principle, 
and  are  not  merely  actuated  by  ambitious  motives.  Our  government 
is  in  danger  of  being  usurped  by  the  Southern  power.  Wisconsin  has 
responded  nobly  to  the  national  call  for  volunteers,  but  among  the  nu- 
merous regiments,  no  company,  I  trust,  contains  better,  truer  or  nobler 
men,  who  are  willing  to  sacrifice  their  lives,  if  need  be,  for  their  coun- 
try's welfare,  than  this  little  band  now  before  me.  As  a  company,  we 
are  proud  of  you,  and  we  have  reason  to  be.  May  your  conduct  on  the 
battle  field  ever  be  as  exemplary  as  it  has  been  since  your  sojourn  with 
us.  We  shall  miss  you  all,  but  some  are  dearer  to  us  than  others,  being 
connected  by  the  closest  ties  of  relationship.  Having  one  dearly  be- 
loved brother  in  your  ranks,  I  trust,  for  his  sake,  that  kind  feelings  to- 
ward one  another  will  ever  reign  triumphant.  You  are  engaged  in  a 
glorious  cause.  Go  on,  and  may  He  who  '  tempers  the  wind  unto  the 
shorn  lamb '  guide  and  protect  you  all  through  the  coming  contest ;  and 
should  we  ne'er  meet  again  on  earth,  let  us  do  our  duty  here  so  as  to  be 
prepared  to  meet  in  that  spot  where  partings  are  no  more.  Accept  our 
kindest  wishes,  one  and  all,  and  ever  prove  true  to  the  'Red,  White 
AND  Blue.' 

"  Capt.  Bugh  accepted  the  colors  in  behalf  of  his  com- 
pany, and  replied  in  words  of  stirring  patriotism  and  burn- 
ing eloquence,  thanking  the  ladies  for  the  generous  and 
appropriate  gift,  and  pledging  himself  and  his  companions 
in  arms  to  return  it  untarnished  by  treason  or  cowardice. 
The  pupils  of  the  Berlin  High  School  sang  the  '  Red,  White 
and  Blue,' and  were  vociferously  applauded.  After  which, 
Capt.  Bugh  was  presented  with  a  revolver  by  Mr.  \Villiam 
Williams,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Berlin,  t^apt.  Bugh 
acknowledged  the  beautiful  gift  in  a  neat  speech,  whicli  was 
greeted  with  rounds  of  applause.  Each  volunteer  was  then 
presented  with  a  'housewife,'  a  gift  from  the  ladies,  and  an 
indispensable  article  in  camp,  where  each  soldier  has  to  re- 
pair his  own  wardrobe.  They  were  filled  with  needles, 
pins,  thread,  and  all  the  ei  cetera  of  a  work-basket.  Miss 
Macnish  and  Miss  White,  who  assisted  in  the  ceremony, 
were  beautifully  attired  in  red,  white  and  blue,  and  were 
the  admired  of  all  admirers.     The  flag  is  a  splendid  thing, 


of  full  regulation  size,  trimmed  with  gold  fringe,  and 
mounted  on  an  elegant  staff",  decorated  with  heavy  led  silk 
tassels.  A  streamer  of  white  satin  is  fastened  to  the  top, 
on  which  '  Berlin  Light  Guards  'is  lettered  in  red  and  gold. 
It  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  $70,  and  is  a  credit  alike  to 
the  generous  patriotism  and  excellent  taste  of  the  ladies  of 
this  city." 

LEGISLATIVE. 

The  Representatives  elected  to  serve  the  county 
since  its  organization  have  been  as  follows : 

Assembly — Jessie  Thomas,  1859-60  ;  James  W. 
Burt,  1860-2 ;  Alvin  L.  Flint,  1862-3 ;  Archibald 
Nicholas,  1863-4;  S.  W.  Smith,  1864-5;  James  Field, 
1865-6;  L.  J.  Braytou,  1866-7;  William  A.  Bugh, 
1867-8  ;  Charles  Kilbourn,  l«68-9  ;  Ira  Mauley,  Jr., 
1869-70  ;  Edwin  L.  Hoyt,  1870-1 ;  Joseph  C.Burdick, 
1871-2;  Archibald  Nicholas,  1872-3;  A.  D.  Foote, 
1873-4  ;  S.  M.  Knox,  1874-5  ;  W.  H.  Dakin,  1875-6  ; 
Waldo  S.  Flint,  1876-7  ;  Homer  Nelson,  1877-8  :  O. 
W.  Bow,  1878-9  ;  Samuel  Barter,  1879-80  ;  Richard 
Prichard,  1880-1. 

Senate— M.  L.  Kimball,  1858-60:  M.  W.  Seely, 
1860-8;  G.  D.  Waring,  1868-74;  Waldo  S.Flint, 
1874-6  ;  Hobart  S.  Sackett,  1877-81. 

The  following  election  returns,  giving  the  number 
of  votes  cast  for  the  Presidential  candidates,  will  show 
the  political  complexion  of  the  county  :  For  James 
A.  Garfield,  Republican,  1,764;  Winfield  S.  Hancock, 
Democrat,  1,170  ;  Weaver,  Greenback,  105.  Garfield's 
plurality,  489 ;  majority  over  Hancock,  594. 

SUMMER    ATTRACTIONS. 

Big  and  Little  Green  Lakes,  as  they  are  called,  are 
among  the  prominent  features  of  the  county,  and  are 
fast  gaining  in  popularity  as  Summer  resorts.  Big 
Green  Lake  is  a  remarkably  fine  sheet  of  water,  of  a 
greenish  color.  The  lake  takes  its  name  from  the  color 
of  its  water,  and  the  county  its  name  after  the  lake. 

This  lake  is  about  twelve  miles  in  length,  and  has 
an  average  width  of  three  miles.  The  water  is  very 
clear  and  generally  deep,  having  been  plumbed  in  some 
places  to  the  depth  of  100  feet.  The  sliores  are  high 
and  wooded,  and  are  irregular,  being  indented  by  fine 
bays.  It  is  only  within  a  few  years  tliat  this  gem  of  a 
lake  has  attracted  the  attention  of  pleasure  seekers. 
David  Greenway  was  the  first  man  to  embark  in  the 
venturesome  undertaking  of  keeping  a  Summer  resort 
hotel  at  this  place.  The  Oakwood  House  was  opened 
by  him  June  15,1867.  He  succeeded  in  getting  a  few 
guests  from  Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  the  South.  The 
fame  of  Green  Lake  spread  so  rapidly  that  he  was 
obliged  to  enlarge  and  improve  his  place  in  order  to 
accommodate  tiie  many  who  sought  a  refuge  from  the 
heat  and  dust  of  cities  in  the  cool  shades  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake.  This  year  (1881)  he  had  an  average  of 
250  guests. 

"  Clarence  Park,"  formerly  "  Sherwood  Forest," 
now  owned  by  Robert  C.  Baker,  is  situated  on  the  west- 
ern shore,  about  a  mile  from  Dartford.  This  house  was 
built  in  1874,  by  John  C.  Sherwood,  and  is  noted  for 
its  elegant  parks  and  fine  drives,  the  most  attractive 
on  the  lake. 

Pleasant  Point  House,  situated  on  the  north  side  of 
the  lake,  was  completed  in   the  month  of  April,  1880. 


350 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


George  A.  Ross,  tlie  proj)rietor,  is  from  Chicago,  and  is 
using  every  means  possible  to  make  "  Pleasant  Point 
House"  the  finest  and  most  desirable  on  the  lake. 

"  Spring  Grove  House,"  owned  by  H.  R.  Hill,  of 
Ripon,  and  the  "  Como  Bay  House,"  owned  by  C.  F. 
Dodge,  of  the  same  place,  form  the  principal  attrac- 
tions on  the  south  side  of  the  lake.  The  "  Glen,"  sit- 
uated to  the  south  and  east,  is  an  attractive  spot.  It  is 
a  second  Yosemite  Valley,  on  a  small  scale,  and  is  a 
favorite  picnic  ground.  W.  M.  Lockwood,  of  Ripon, 
has  fitted  up  two  elegant  little  steamers,  "  Camera  " 
and  "  Pallet."  Tliese  steamers  make  trips  around  the 
lake  to  accommodate  excursionists  and  pleasure  seek- 
ers. The  several  watering  places  are  provided  with 
fleets  of  sail  and  row  boats,  and  when  filled  by  their 
merry  crews,  these  boats,  as  they  flit  across  the  green 
waters  of  the  lake,  add  a  charm  to  scenes  of  unsur- 
passed grandeur.  Prominent  among  the  many  hand- 
some private  residences  .along  the  lake  are  those  of 
Gen.  M.  Braman,  ex-Governor  of  Idaho,  and  R.Lucas, 
formerly  of  St.  Louis. 

Little  Green  Lake  is  situated  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  town  of  Green  Lake,  and  has  the  same  distinct- 
ive characteristics  as  its  larger  namesake.  It  is  about 
a  mile  and  three-quarters  in  length  and  a  mile  wide. 
Lake  Puckaway,  in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  an 
expansion  of  the  Fox  River,  is  about  eight  miles  in 
length,  and  from  three-quarters  to  a  mile  wide.  The 
Indian  name  signifies  wild  rice.  During  the  duck  sea- 
son the  borders  of  the  lake  are  lined  with  hunters  from 
the  large  cities  and  surrounding  country,  while  the  no- 
ble red  man  never  fails  to  put  in  an  appearance.  Fish 
are  caught  in  abundance  during  the  season  ;  fine  spec- 
imens of  lake  trout,  pickerel,  bass  and  perch  gladden 
the  hearts  of  the  fishermen,  and  serve  to  amuse  those 
who  come  in  search  of  pleasure. 

BERLIN  CITY. 
This  little  city  is  the  metropolis  of  the  county,  and  has 
a  population  of  3,500.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  both 
sides  of  the  Fox  River,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  coun- 
ty. The  city  has  beautiful  natural  surroundings,  both  on 
the  bluff  and  in  the  valley.  Its  chief  claim,  in  earlier  days, 
as  a  desirable  spot  for  settlement,  was  owing  to  its  being  the 
only  good  crossing  or  landing  place  on  the  Fox  River,  for 
many  miles  above  or  below.  The  first  name  given  was 
Strong's  Landing.  In  1848,  Nathan  H.  Strong,  Thomas 
Noyes,  Benjamin  F.  Moore,  Joseph  Giles  and  Oscar  Wilson 
laid  out  a  town  plal,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  Strongsville. 
The  land  was  surveyed  by  Otis  H.  Capson,  and  the  entries 
made  by  Register  P.  D.  Haywood.  Nathan  H.  and  William 
D.  Strong  were  the  first  settlers.  They  originally  came  from 
Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.  Nathan  H.  Strong  built  the  first  fer- 
ry-boat, and  took  an  active  part  in  the  organization  of  the 
early  town  government.  His  death  occurred  August  23, 
1852.  William  D.  Strong  is  still  a  resident  of  the  city,  and 
is  now  living  with  his  daughter,  on  the  west  side.  His  was 
tlie  first  marriage  in  the  town,  his  sweetheart,  Tryphena 
Bignali,  having  taught  the  first  school.  The  board  shanty 
in  which  the  school  was  kept  stood  on  the  lot  where  the 
Union  Church  now  stands.     The  Baptists  were  the  first  to 


hold  services,  in  1848.  Samuel  Southard  and  William  D. 
Strong  built  them  a  board  shanty.  Rev.  R.  Manning  was 
the  pioneer  minister.  The  Methodists  and  Congregational- 
ists  organized  in  1849.  The  first  steam  saw-mill  was  built 
by  Wilson  &  Phelps,  in  1848.  The  first  steamboat  was 
the  "Badger  State;"  it  landed  in  the  Spring  of  1849,  with 
Captain  Hoetelling  at  the  helm.  The  first  Post-office  was 
kept  by  Hiram  Conant,  in  a  little  board  shanty.  Mr.  Co- 
nant  was  appointed  in  the  month  of  April,  1848.  On  being 
requested  by  the  Postmaster  General  to  find  a  name  unlike 
any  other  in  the  State,  he  selected  that  of  Berlin.  The 
mail  was  brought  once  a  week,  on  horseback.  The  first 
mail-carrier  was  Louis  W.  Strong,  son  of  Nathan  H.  Strong, 
then  only  twelve  years  of  age.  The  lad  grew  to  be  a  prom- 
ising young  lawyer  in  the  city  which  his  father  had  found- 
ed. When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  made  first  lieutenant  of 
Company  G,  of  the  Fifth  Wisconsin  Regiment.  He  was  soon 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Fredericksburg,  May  3,  1863.  C.  D.  Taylor  built  the  first 
hotel.  A  Mr.  Montague  opened  the  first  store,  and  J.  Mer- 
riman  became  the  recognized  pioneer  doctor. 

In  1S50,  the  town  of  Berlin  could  claim  only  250  inhab- 
itants ;  seven  years  later  it  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  with 
a  population  of  2,800.  The  city  has  excellent  facilities  for 
market  and  transportation.  Steamboats  arrive  and  depart 
daily  on  the  Fox  River,  making  connections  with  the  lake 
steamers  at  Green  Bay.  The  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road forms  the  connecting  link  with  the  south  and  west,  two 
passenger  trains  being  run  each  way  daily.  This  road  was 
completed  to  the  city  in  the  month  of  August,  1857,  when  a 
grand  celebration  was  held  in  commemoration  of  the  event. 
The  road  was  incorporated  and  built  under  the  name  of 
Milwaukee  &  Horicon.  The  town  of  Berlin  voted  $100,- 
000  toward  its  completion. 

The  manufactories  of  Berlin  are  being  pushed  with  con- 
siderable enterprise.  The  woolen  mill,  a  large  stone  build- 
ing, owned  by  D.  L.  Harkness  &  Co.,  was  erected  in  1S70, 
at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  The  mill  gives  employment  to  for- 
ty-five persons,  and  manufactures  $50,000  worth  of  cloths 
and  flannels  annually.  In  addition  to  the  woolen  mill,  the 
city  contains  three  steam  flouring  mills,  using  constantly 
twelve  run  of  stone;  one  furniture  and  coffin  manufactory; 
two  foundries;  two  machine  shops;  two  tanneries;  three 
saw-mills;  two  carriage  factories;  two  marble  shops;  one 
brewery  ;  one  sash  factory  ;  two  whip  factories  ;jone  glove  fac- 
tory ;  six  hotels  and  nine  churches.  The  business  houses  are 
mostly  all  substantial  stone  or  brick  buildings,  while  tlie  va- 
riety and  quality  of  goods  kept  in  stock  by  the  merchants 
are  such  as  to  command  a  large  patronage.  There  are  two 
banks  in  the  city,  both  private  institutions.  Large  quarries 
of  granite  and  limestone  rocks  are  now  being  successfully 
worked  near  the  city. 

The  first  officers  elected  to  serve  the  city  were  as  follows  : 
George  D.  Waring,  Mayor  ;  Thomas  E.  Baker,  City  Clerk  ; 
Stillman  Wright,  Treasurer;  Field,  Bassett,  Turner  and  Tay- 
lor, Aldermen.  Mr.  Waring's  successors  to  the  office  of 
Mayor  were:  John  Porter,  H.  (;.  Talbot,  O.  F.  Silver,  S.  A. 


HISTORY   OF   CxREEN    LAKE   COUNTY. 


351 


Warner,  W.  Rogers,  Mr.  Stedman,  and  the  present  Mayor, 
H.  G.  Talbot. 

The  first  meeting  was  held  in  Metropolitan  Hall,  April 
14,  1857,  when  the  organization  of  the  city  took  place. 

The  religious  societies  of  Berlin  were  organized  at  an 
early  day,  and  have  kept  equal  pace  with  the  rapid  advance- 
ment of  the  city.  Handsome  church  edifices  have  been 
erected  by  each  of  the  different  denominations.  Following 
are  the  churches  now  represented  in  the  city,  with  the  names 
of  their  pastors : 

Union  Church,  Congregational  and  Presbyterian,  Rev. 
R.  M.  Webster,  pastor;  First  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  E.  H. 
Page,  pastor;  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  S.  A.  Olin, 
pastor;  Free  Will  Baptist,  no  pastor;  Trinity  Church  (Epis- 
copal), pastor.  Rev.  C.  S.  Susan  ;  St.  Joseph's  Church  (Cath- 
olic), Father  Allen,  pastor;  Polish  Catholic  Church,  S.  Wie- 
zarick,  pastor.  Besides  these,  the  Germans  have  two 
churches.  The  German  Methodist  and  German  Lutheran 
both  are  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  have  each  a  neat 
church  edifice. 

The  fraternal  societies  are  represented  as  follows : 
Berlin  Lodge,  No.  3S,  A.  F.  &  A  M.,  meets  first  and 
third  Mondays  in  each  month.  Organized  November  27, 
1S51.  Chartered  June  11,  1852.  First  charter  members- 
John  S  Willis,  W.  M. ;  Charles  Bartlett,  S.  W. ;  Joel  New- 
ell, J  W.  Present  ofiicers— E.  G.  Blackmore,  W.  M.  ;  P. 
B.  Wightman,  S.  W.  ;  T.  W.  Hamilton,  J.  W. ;  C.  A.  Peck, 
treasurer;  John  Megran,  secretary;  A.  L.  Buell.  S.  D.  ; 
H.  D.  Slayton,  J.  D. 

Berlin  Chapter,  No.  18,  R.  A.  INL,  meets  first  and  third 
Wednesdays  in  each  month.  Organized  January  6,  1859. 
Chartered  February  11,  1859.  Charter  members— Thomas 
J.  Warner,  H.  P. ;  Joseph  Yates,  K.  ;  William  E.  Howard, 
S.  Present  officers— S.  E.  Bassett,  H.  P. ;  G.  M.  Guest, 
K. ;  D.  L.  Dewey,  Sr.,  S.  ;  C.  A.  Peck,  treasurer ;  John 
Megran,  secretary  ;  E.  G.  Blackmore,  P.  S. 

Berlin  Commandery,  No.  to,  K.  T.,  meets  second  Satur- 
day of  each  month.  Organized  November  14,  1870.  Char- 
tered January  19,  187 1.  Charter  members— Joseph  Yates, 
E.G.;  S.  Bridgman,  Gen.;  John  W.  Woodhull,  C.  Gen.  ; 
Present  officers  —  P.  B.  Wightman,  E.  S. ;  Charles  C.  Ran- 
ons.  Gen.  ;  G.  W.  Graves,  C.  Gen.  ;  C.  A.  Peck,  prelate  ; 
G.  M.  Guest,  treasurer;  John  Megran,  recorder;  P.  F. 
Whiting,  warder. 

Berlin  Lodge,  No.  56,  L  O.  O.  F.,  meets  every  Tuesday 
evening.  This  lodge  numbers  about  fifty  members.  The 
lodge  rooms  are  elegantly  furnished  throughout. 

Berlin  Lodge,  No.  7,  Knights  of  Pythias,  meets  second 
and  fourth  Wednesdays  in  each  month.  Instituted  by  the 
Grand  Lodge,  November  3,  187 1.  Charter  members— John 
W.  Woodhull,  G.  W.  Graves,  William  Kees,  E.  Hathaway, 
H.  C.  Snow  and  D.  J.  Turner.  Present  officers— J.  A. 
Collins,  P.  C. ;  E.  G.  Longcroft,  V.  C. ;  J.  H.  Guest,  C.  C. ; 
M.  Hawley,  Prel. ;  Edward  Strauss,  K.  of  R 


lodge  numbers  forty-eight  members,  all 
The  Endowment  Rank  was  added  May 


&  S.  The 
in  good  standing. 
26,  18S0.     Present 


officers— M.  E.  Osborn,  president;  E.  G.  Longcroft,  vice- 
president;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Edward  Strauss. 

John   H.   Williams   Post,   No.  4,  G.  A.  R.,  meets  every 
Thursday  evening.     Organized  September  8,  1866. 

Berlin  Lodge,  No.  53,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  meets  second  and 
fourth  Mondays  of  each  month.     Organized  in  1879. 

Berlin  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  17,  organized  in  1876, 
meets  very  Friday  evening. 

Enterprise    Lodge,  No.  34,   L   O.  G.  T.,  organized    in 

1868,  meets  every  Tuesday  evening.  W.W.  Collins,  W.  C.  T. 

Berlin  Philharmonic  Society — a  musical  club  composed 

of  a  good  corps  of  singers.    The  club  presents  successfully 

one  or  two  operas  each  season. 

Temperance  Club  Rooms,  Berlin,  were  established  by 
the  Berlin  Red  Ribbon  Club,  in  1878.  The  rooms  are  fur- 
nished with  three  billiard  tables,  cigars,  confectionery,  ice- 
cream, and  makes  a  specialty  of  its  lunch  counter  and  hot 
coffee  and  tea,  which  is  served  at  all  hours.  Lorenzo  Dow 
has  leased  the  rooms  and  conducts  the  business.  He  was 
born  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1838,  where  he  lived  until 
1S50,  when  he  came  to  this  State.  In  September,  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Tenth  Wisconsin  Infantry,  and 
served  in  the  ranks  ten  months,  when  he  was  detailed  in 
the  commissary  department,  serving  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  came  to  Berlin  in  1877,  and  engaged  as  clerk  of 
the  Dunham  Hotel.  He  was  married  April  7,  1859,  to  Miss 
Caroline  G.  Thurston,  of  Beaver  Dam,  who  was  a  native  of 
Montpelier,  Vt. 

The  Red  Ribbon  Club,  a  flourishing  temperance  organ- 
ization, has  now  300  members.  The  society  keeps  open 
doors,  day  and  evening,  Sundays  excepted.  The  club  room 
is  handsomely  furnished  throughout.  Joining  this  room  is 
large  reading  and  entertainment  hall,  tastily  fitted  up. 
Billiard  and  pool  tables  are  furnished  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  members  and  their  friends.  President,  G.  D. 
Waring  ;  Vice-president,  J.  N.  Morris. 

The  Friends  in  Council,  a  society  of  ladies — object, 
mental  improvement— have  already  completed  the  Chautau- 
qua Course. 

The  Berlin  Cattle  Fair  is  held  on  the  third  Wednesday 
of  each  month,  and  affords  excellent  facilities  for  the  sale  or 
exchange  of  live  stock  and  other  property. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  is  a  national  organiza- 
tion, e.xtending  into  every  State  in  the  Union.  It  has  been 
the  means  of  accomplishing  a  great  deal  of  good  for  the 
soldiers,  by  fostering  those  fraternal  feelings  which  were  in- 
dissolubly  welded  in  the  fire  of  battle,  in  which  so  many  of 
their  comrades  sacrificed  their  lives.  The  headquarters  of 
the  Wisconsin  Department  was  established  at  the  city  of 
Berlin,  in  1866.  Griff  J.  Thomas,  commander  ;  John  D. 
Galloway,  assistant  adjutant  general;  George  C.  Staff",  of 
Milwaukee,  S.  V.  C. ;  J.  M.  Vanderhoof,  Darien,  J.  V.  C. ; 
Thomas  P.  Russell,  Oshkosh,  medical  director;  Rev.  J.  H. 
Whitney,  Reedsburg,  chaplain ;  Ziba  C.  Hamilton,  Berlin, 
A.  Q.  M.  G. ;  H.  D.  Bullard,  Delavan,  J.  A. ;  Charles  Per- 
kins, National  Home,  inspector  ;  Henry  Fischer,  Milwau- 
kee, C.  M.O. 


352  HISTORY  OF  NORTHKRN  WISCONSIN. 

Berlin    City   Brass   Band   ranks   among   the  first    in  the  Money  expended  during  the  year 6,81787 

„  , .     .      ,  .,,,   ,,  ,  ,         ,       J-        »•  Balance  on  hand  Aueust  31,  1880 2,7";o  11 

State.    The  music  IS  skillfully  executed,  under  the  direction  ^      -^  •  '" 

of  Mr.   Hermann   Stater.     The   band  has   the  very  best  of  There  are  two  private  or  parochial  schools  in  the  city, 

instruments— eighteen  pieces  in  all.  ■>^'liich  receive  a  liberal  support. 

American  Cornet  Band,  just  newly  organized,  has  six-  The  Postmasters  who  have  been  in  charge  of  the  Berlin 
teen  pieces.  The  band  is  now  prepared  to  furnish  music  office  since  the  city  incorporation  took  effect,  were  as  fol- 
for  public  entertainments.  lows:  Chauncy  Vedder,  from  1856  to  1861 ;  MartinL.  Kira- 
The  Fire  Department  was  organized  in  1S70,  under  the  ball,  from  1S61  to  1866;  William  A.  Bugh,  1866  to  1875 
supervision  of  Eli  Buell  and  Louis  Smith.  The  department  (died  in  office);  Julius  A.  Wilcox,  from  1875  to  1877  (died 
consists  of  Berlin  Engine  Company,  No.  i— fifty  members;  in  oflfice).  The  present  incumbent,  Mr.  Griff.  J.  Thomas, 
Hose  Company,  No  i — twelve  members;  Hook  and  Ladder  was  appointed  in  1877.  The  office  was  established  in  1848, 
Company,  No.  i — thirty  members.  Mr.  Buell  still  main-  Mr.  Hiram  Conant,  then  Postmaster,  reported  that  his  re- 
tains his  place  at  the  head  of  the  department,  having  ceipts  for  the  whole  year  did  not  exceed  $100. 
been  elected  to  the  position  of  chief  when  the  company  The  first  newspaper  started  in  the  city  was  the  Mar- 
was  first  organized.  The  department  is  well  equipped  queite  Mercury,  established  by  J.  H.  Wells,  in  1850.  Two 
throughout,  has  a  substantial  brick  engine  house,  with  good  years  later  the  paper  was  purchased  by  the  late  Colonel  W. 
fire  bell.  The  water  supply  is  obtained  from  wells  and  res-  C.  Bugh,  who  changed  its  name  to  that  of  the  Berlin  Mes- 
ervoirs  and  the  Fox  River.  senger.  July  i,  1854,  the  paper  again  changed  proprietors, 
The  first  fire  to  create  a  serious  loss  of  property,  in  the  this  time  falling  into  the  hands  of  J.  G.  Tracy,  who  re- 
city  of  Berlin,  originated  in  Banes  &  Caswell's  saloon,  on  christened  it  and  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Berlin  Couranf, 
the  morning  of  January  18,  i860.  Thirteen  buildings  were  which  it  has  ever  since  maintained.  During  the  same  year, 
destroyed  ;  estimated  loss,  $30,000.  This  fire  was  supposed  T.  L.  Terry  purchased  the  paper  and  changed  its  politics 
to  be  the  work  of  an  incendiary.  The  second  fire  occurred  from  Democratic  to  Republican.  During  the  war  of  the  re- 
on  the  morning  of  March  28,  1861,  and  consumed  eleven  bellion,  it  was  published  by  Terry  &  Co.  At  the  close  of 
buildings.  It  originated  in  Peck's  store,  and  followed  the  the  war.  Captain  W.  B.  Arnold  purchased  an  interest,  when 
business  block  south  until  it  had  destroyed  property  to  the  the  firm  name  became  Terry  &  Arnold.  In  187 1,  D.  P. 
amount  of  $20,000.  The  blaze  to  cause  the  most  serious  Blackstone  purchased  T.  L.  Terry's  interest,  when  the 
loss  was  the  one  which  destroyed  the  flouring  mill  built  in  paper  was  published  under  the  name  of  Blackstone  &  Ar- 
1856.  This  fire  originated  in  the  smut-mill,  on  the  night  of  nold.  This  partnership  continued  until  September  i,  1872, 
March  11,  1870.  A  large  amount  of  grain  was  stored  in  at  which  date  the  present  publisher,  David  Junor  became 
the  mill,  which  was  entirely  consumed  by  the  fire,  the  esti-  the  sole  proprietor.  Mr.  Junor  is  a  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
mated  loss  being  $45,000.  Following  close  after  this  disas-  versity  of  Toronto,  Canada,  and  was  for  a  number  of  years 
ter,  another  large  fire  broke  out  on  the  morning  of  April  5  a  member  of  the  Canadian  Bar.  In  1S75,  Mr.  Junor  re- 
of  the  same  year,  which  destroyed  Yates,  Foote  &  Dod-  signed  his  editorial  chair  to  accept  the  principalship  of  the 
son's  block,  involving  a  loss  of  $35,000.  Fires  are  of  less  Berlin  High  School,  which  position  he  filled  for  two  years, 
frequent  occurrence  at  the  present  day.  This  is  due  in  a  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  accepted  a  similar  position  in 
great  measure  to  the  fact  that  the  business  portion  of  the  Saginaw  City,  Mich.,  where  he  remained  for  two  terms, 
city  is  now  of  brick  and  stone  buildings,  more  beautiful  During  Mr.  Junor's  absence  the  editorial  chair  of  the 
and  substantial  than  the  former  wooden  structures  that  oc-  Courant  was  filled  for  one  year  by  Griff.  J.  Thomas,  now 
cupied  the  ground.  The  excellent  fire  department  is  also  city  Postmaster,  and  for  the  remaining  three  years  by  F.  F. 
a  great  preventive  against  fires.  Livermore,  now  publisher  of  the  Gazette,  Lanark,  111.  In 
The  citizens  of  Berlin  are  justly  proud  of  their  public  1879,  Mr.  Junor  resumed  the  editorial  chair,  which  he  still 
schools.  The  graded  schools  are  among  the  best  in  the  occupies.  The  Courant  was  a  steadfast  supporter  of  the 
State;  there  are  three  school  buildings  in  the  city,  valued  Union  cause  during  the  war,  and  has  ever  since  firmly  ad- 
at  $56,000.  The  High  school  building  was  erected  in  1868  hered  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party.  The  Ber- 
at  a  cost  of  $30,000.  Hn  Journal  (weekly)  was  founded  August  30,  1870,  by  Hoyt, 
Financial  statement  for  the  year  ending  August  31,  1880  Everdale  &  Williams.  Two  months  later  it  passed  into  the 
as  taken  from  the  City  Superintendent's  report:  hands  of  C.  G.  Starks,  who  is  the  present  editor  and  pub- 
Number  of  children  attending  school,  1,119.  Number  lisher.  The  politics  of  the  Journal  have  always  been  Re- 
ef teachers  employed  :  male,  2  ;  female,  14.  Highest  salary  publican.  Mr.  Starks  seems  to  possess  the  sort  of  perse- 
paid  to  male  teachers,  $1,000.  Highest  salary  paid  to  fe-  verance  requisite  for  a  good  newspaper  man.  Encouraged 
male  teachers,  $400.  by  the  success   with  which  his  efl'orts  were  attended  in  the 

Money  on  hand  August  31,  1879 $2,577  14  publication  of  his   weekly,    Mr.    Starks  ventured    on  a   still 

County^-rrx^V!".".^!' fA^^^^^^^  ^^40  ^  broader  field  of  journalism,  and  on  January  24, 1881,  founded 

State  Tax 781  73  the  Berlin  Daily  Journal.     This  pajier  is  ably  managed  in 

From  all  other  sources -     ^63  ^9  all  its  departments  and  is   fast  gaining  the  patronage  it  so 

Total $9,567  98  well  deserves. 


HISTORY  OF  GREEN  LAKE  COUNTY. 


C.  A.  Mather  &  Co.'s  banking  house,  Berlin,  was  estab- 
lished in  1861,  by  Mr.  Mather.  In  1864,  it  merged  into  a 
National  bank,  of  which  Mr.  Mather  was  a  stockholder  and 
cashier.  In  1870,  the  company  dissolved  and  Mr.  Mather 
succeeded  to  the  business,  which  he  conducted  until  1876, 
when  he  associated  with  him  in  the  business  his  nephew, 
Mr.  J.  M.  Hawley.  Mr.  Mather  is  a  son  of  Bethel  Mather, 
who  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  of  Hulda  Smith 
Mather,  a  native  of  New  York.  He  commenced  his  busi- 
ness career  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store.  He  came  to  this 
city  in  1856,  and  commenced  the  banking  business  in  1861. 

Charles  S.  Morris,  proprietor  of  the  Third  Ward 
Steam  Flouring  Mill,  also  dealer  in  flour,  feed,  coal, 
lime,  plaster  and  cement,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Brooklyn,  this  county,  in  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and 
Jane  (Secor)  Morris,  who  were  natives  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  He  is  a  lineal  descendent  of  Gouvenour  Mor- 
ris, one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. His  parents  were  farmers,  and  came  to  this  State  in 
1842,  locating  near  Racine.  They  came  to  this  county  in 
1847.  His  father  held  the  office  of  Sheriff  of  the  county 
two  terms.  Mr.  Morris  was  educated  in  this  city,  and  at 
Ripon  College.  He  commenced  his  business  career  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  engaging  as  book-keeper  for  Forbes  Broth- 
ers, in  this  city,  remaining  with  them  one  and  one-half 
years.  He  accepted  the  position  of  Assistant  Postmaster, 
where  he  remained  for  one  year..  He  then  returned  to  the 
paternal  roof,  remaining  four  years,  teaching  school  Win- 
ters, and  working  on  the  farm  Summers.  He  then  bought 
one-half  interest  in  the  business  which  he  now  owns,  James 
MacNish  owning  the  other.  At  the  end  of  three  years  he 
bought  Mr.  MacNish's  interest.  He  is  now  serving  his 
second  term  of  Alderman  of  Second  Ward,  and  is  also 
Chairman  of  the  Republican  County  Committee.  He  was 
married,  in  1876,  to  Miss  Lucy  E.  Smith,  a  native  of  tlie 
State  of  New  York. 

Morris  &  Mann,  manufacturers  of  Berlin  solid  leather 
whips,  solid  leather  and  bone,  and  soft  leather  whips,  and 
round  and  braided  lashes.  They  employ  from  ten  to  four- 
teen hands.  Business  was  established  in  1870,  by  Lockwood 
&  Luther,  Mr.  Luther  being  the  patentee  of  the  solid  leather 
whip.  Mr.  Moiris  bought  the  business  in  1876,  which  he 
conducted  until  January  i,  i88i,  when  Mr.  Mann  took  an 
interest  in  it.  Jonathan  N.  Morris  was  born  in  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1836.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  his 
ancestors  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  State.  Mr.  Morris 
lived  with  his  parents  until  1854,  when  he  went  to  Canada, 
and  engaged  with  the  Civil  Engineer  Corps,  in  building  the 
Great  Western  Railway;  remained  one  year,  when  he  came 
to  Milwaukee,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years  in 
the  old  Menoraonie  Locomotive  Works.  The  company  failed, 
and  he  engaged  as  machinist  with  the  old  Milwaukee  & 
Horicon  Railway,  which  was  then  being  built,  remaining  in 
their  employ  as  machinist,  engineer  and  conductor,  until  en- 
gaging in  his  present  business.  He  has  served  one  term  as 
Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward,  and  is  a  member  of  Berlin 
Lodge,  No.  38,  and  of  Chapter,  18,  and  Commandery,  10. 
83 


m 


'I'l, 


He  was  married  at  Horicon,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Isabella  Wall- 
work,  a  native  of  New  York. 

Berlin  Coffin  and  Casket  Manufacturing  Company,  office 
and  salesrooms,  287   Broadway,  Milwaukee.     E.  G.  Wood- 


3S4 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


worth,  president ;  D.  R.  Johnson,  secretary  and  superintend- 
ent ;  Phil  Alexander,  treasurer.  The  company  keep  em- 
ployed twenty-five  workmen.  The  business  was  established 
in  1876,  and  is  strictly  wholesale.  Marcine  E.  Osborn,  fore- 
man, and  a  stockholder,  was  born  August  2,  1S37,  in  Dela- 
ware County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  educated  and  employed 
in  manufacturing  drugs  and  patent  medicines.  He  is  a  son 
of  Ozra  B.  and  Matilda  Flint  Osborn,  who  were  natives  of 
the  State,  and  whose  ancestors  settled  in  Connecticut  in  an 
early  day.  His  father  was  engaged  in  patent  medicines  and 
drugs,  and  after  his  death,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  succeeded  to  the  business,  which  they 
conducted  until  i860.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Adrian,  Mich., 
and  remained  three  years,  then  on  account  of  poor  health, 
he  retired  upon  a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  1875,  when  he 
came  to  this  State,  locating  at  Elkhorn,  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness. Remaining  one  year,  he  came  to  this  city,  and  es- 
tablished his  present  business.  He  was  married  at  Adrian, 
Mich.,  in  iS6i,  to  Miss  Helen  S.  Davis.  They  have  one 
son.  O.  B. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

THOMAS  E.  BASSETT,  harness-maker,  Berlin, was  born  in  Oxford 
Co.,  Me.,  in  1814.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Sally  (Smith}  Bassett, 
who  were  natives  of  Maine,  and  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  that  State.  Mr.  Bassett  was  educated  and  learned  his  trade 
in  his  native  place,  and  in  1864  established  business  for  himself  in  Pe- 
nobscot County,  where  he  remained  until  1854,  when  he  came  to  this 
city  and  began  his  present  business.  He  was  married  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  1841,  to  Miss  Ellen  Stanton.  They  have  six  children — two 
sons  :  Edgar,  who  assists  him  in  the  business,  and  Charles  Henry,  who 
is  a  mechanic,  and  employed  by  the  Berlin  Coftin  Co.  He  enlisted, 
Sept.  I,  1861,  and  was  mustered  out  Sept.  i,  1864,  at  Cartersville,  Ga., 
and  was  a  member  of  Co.  D,  1st  Wis.  C.  and  participated  in  all 
the  battles  of  the  regiment,  and  was  honorably  discharged  with  them. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  City  Clerk  one  term,  and  has  been  three  years 
in  his  present  situation.  He  was  married,  in  1870,  to  Miss  Fannie  C. 
Smith,  of  this  city,  but  born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

C.A.PT.  J.-\MES  A.  BIGGEST,  of  the  firm  Biggest  &  Blackstone, 
agricultural  implement  business,  Berlin,  established  by  Mr.  Biggest  in 
1866.  In  1S71,  Mr.  MacNish  took  an  interest  in  the  business,  which 
continued  until  1879.  when  Mr.  Blackstone  succeeded  to  the  interest  of 
MacNish.  Mr.  Biggest  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Canada,  in  1838.  In 
1840,  moved  with  his  parents  to  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  to  this  town  in 
1850,  where  they  engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  Biggest  enlisted,  Aug.  31, 
1861,  in  Co.  A,  15th  Wis.,  and  was  soon  made  orderly  sergeant  of 
the  company,  and  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  in  June,  1863,  and  the 
following  November  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  remained  in  the  serv- 
ice until  the  close  of  the  war.  The  first  engagement  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated was  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  his  company  bemg  among  the  first 
engaged.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  in  August,  1865.  He  has 
been  Sheriff  of  this  county  one  term,  and  Deputy  U.  S.  Marshal  four 
years,  and  at  present  is  School  Commissioner.  He  was  married,  in  1865, 
to  Miss  Jennie  Megran.     They  have  eight  children. 

EDGAR  T.  CHAMBERLIN,  dealer  in  fruit,  .staple  and  fancy  gro- 
ceries, flour  and  feed.  Berlin,  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y..  1836. 
He  is  a  son  of  Franklin  and  p;iiza  Basford,  who  were  American  born 
but  of  English  ancestry.  Edgar  T.  was  educated  and  lived  in  the  State 
of  New  York  until  1856,  when,  with  his  parents,  came  West,  locating  in 
this  city,  and  for  the  following  five  years,  engaged  in  farming  and  work- 
ing at  the  millwright  trade.  In  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
C.  of  the  1 8th  Wis.  V.  I.,  serving  with  the  regiment  and  participating  in 
all  the  battles  of  the  regiment,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  serv- 
ice, re-enlisting  with  them  as  a  veteran  regiment,  and  serving  until  the 
end  of  the  war.  The  first  engagement  of  the  regiment  was  at  Shiloh 
the  6th  or  7th  of  April,  1862.  The  night  of  the  5th,  he  was  on  picket 
duty,  and  at  the  time  acting  as  sergeant.  The  Union  lines  were  resting 
as  they  supposed,  in  peaceful  security.  They  were  not  suspecting,  neither 
were  they  prepared  for,  the  attack  of  the  Rebel  army,  at  daybreak, 
Sunday  morning  of  April  the  6th.  There  were  no  vidette-posts  out,  and 
nothing  to  warn  them  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The  15th  Michigan, 
which  was  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  line,  had  no  ammunition,  and  the 
attack  was  a  complete  surprise,  which  at  once  threw  the  line  into  con- 
fusion.    Mr.   Chamberlin   was  wounded   early   in   the  engagement  by  a 


musket-ball,  which  struck  him  in  his  left  bowels,  and  his  life  was  only 
saved  by  a  copy  of  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel,  published  March  29,  1862, 
which  lay  closely  folded  in  his  pocket,  and  through  which  the  ball  passed 
before  reaching  his  body.  He  was  badly  wounded,  and  left  upon  the 
field  to  die;  but  his  courage  and  indomitable  will  saved  him.  He 
crawled  into  and  secreted  himself  in  a  brush  pile,  and  so  evaded  the  en- 
emy, and  eventually  made  his  way  into  the  Union  lines;  and  afterward 
participated  in  the  following  battles  :  Corinth,  luka,  Jackson  (Miss.), 
Missionary  Ridge,  Champion  Hills,  Vicksburg,  and  others  of  lesser  note 
too  numerous  to  here  mention.  He  participated  in  Sherman's  triumphal 
march  to  the  sea  ;  also  in  the  grand  review  of  the  army,  at  Washington, 
and  afterward  was  mustered  out  with  his  regiment  at  Louisville,  Ky.. 
and  discharged  with  them  at  Milwaukee,  July  18,  1865.  During  two 
years  of  service  he  was  orderly  sergeant,  and  afterward  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant.  In  the  battle  of  Shiloh  he  was  in  Gen.  Prentiss's 
division,  who,  with  2,100  of  his  command,  were  taken  prisoners.  The 
first  two  men  killed  were  Capt.  Sax  and  John  A.  Williams,  of  the  l6th 
Wisconsin.  When  peace  again  smiled  upon  the  country,  Mr.  Chamberlin 
turned  to  civil  life  and  established  his  present  business.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1874,  to  Miss  Sarah  Hibbard,  of  this  city,  who  died  Aug.  16, 
1S77,  leaving  two  daughters.  He  has  served  one  term  as  Alderman  of 
the  Second  Ward,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army,  and  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  A.  O.  U.  W. 

II-\RRY  G.  CHILD,  groceries,  crockery,  flour  and  feed,  Berlin, 
was  born  at  Brandon,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  1830.  His  parents,  Frederick 
and  Charlotte  C.  (Sessions),  who  were  natives  of  Union,  Conn.,  and 
whose  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New  England.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  a  native  of 
France.  Mr.  Child  was  raised,  educated  and  learned  the  tiade  of 
molder  in  Vermont,  and  was  later  in  life  employed  at  his  trade  in  Troy. 
N.  Y.,  in  one  of  the  large  stove  foundries.  He  came  to  this  State  in 
1855,  and  located  at  Kingston,  Marquette  Co.,  where  he  bought  a  farm, 
remaining  there  sixteen  years,  when  he  came  to  this  city  and  established 
his  present  business.  He  was  married  in  Vermont,  in  1852,  to  Miss 
Juliet  C.  Allen.  They  have  two  sons,  Herbert  W.,  born  .-^pril  24,  1S56, 
who  lives  here  and  is  engaged  in  the  grocery  business;  and  Hiram  A., 
born  Jan.  23,  1S58,  who  assists  in  his  father's  business. 

CLARK  BROTHERS,  general  dry  goods  and  carpets,  Berlin.  Es- 
tablished in  1877,  also  a  branch  store  at  Ripon  the  same  ye.->r,  which 
was  burned  out  in  1S7S,  when  they  consolidated  their  business  here. 
Alex,  the  senior  member,  was  born  at  Niagara  Falls,  Canada,  in  1851. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Kate  McDonald  Clark,  who  were  natives  of 
Scotland.  Father  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  mother  of  Perthshire.  They 
emigrated  to  Canada  in  1837.  Mr.  Clark  commenced  his  business 
career  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y..  where  he  remained  eight  years.  In  1S74,  he 
came  to  Oshkosh.  where  he  was  employed  by  Clark  &  Foibs  two  years, 
and  one  year  for  Bigger  &  Clark,  when  in  company  with  his  brother  he 
established  business  in  Ripon.  Robert  Clark  commenced  his  business 
career  at  Niagara  Falls,  as  clerk  for  Wni.  McKay,  where  he  remained 
four  years,  when  he  went  to  Buffalo  and  graduated  at  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton's  Business  College.  Then  he  came  to  Appleton  and  remained  there 
three  years. 

WILLIAM  WORTH  COLLINS,  merchant  tailor,  Berlin.  The 
largest  business  of  the  kind  in  the  county,  employing  seventeen  men 
and  women.  It  was  established  in  1871,  by  G.  F.  Jones,  who  conducted 
the  business  very  successfully  until  February,  1877,  when  he  was  stricken 
with  paralysis,  which  resulted  in  his  death.  In  March,  1S72,  Mr.  Col- 
lins entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Jones  as  errand  boy,  at  two  dollars  per 
week,  and  remained  in  his  employ  until  the  time  of  his  death,  when  he 
rented  the  building  Mr.  J.  had  occupied  and  purchased  a  small  stock  of 
clothing,  mostly  on  credit,  and  commenced  business.  Fifteen  months 
later  he  was  joined  by  his  brother,  C.  H.  Collins,  who  remained  with 
him  two  and  one-half  years,  when  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother  who 
since,  has  conducted  the  business  alone.  Mr.  Collins  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Aurora,  Waushara  Co..  June  14,  185S.  being  the  third  child  and 
second  son  of  Hugh  J.  and  Elizabeth  B.  Wray  Collins.  The  family  of 
Collins  dates  back  to  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  in 
Germany  under  the  reign  of  Philip  II,  of  Spain,  and  Duke  of  Alva,  on 
account  of  the  prosecution  of  Protestants  by  the  Romish  Church,  they 
were  compelled  to  leave  the  land  of  their  nativity  and  take  refuge  in  the 
North  of  Ireland.  The  familyof  Vance,  to  whom  the  great-grand-mother 
of  Mr.  Collins  belonged,  were  driven  from  Scotland  because  of  their 
religious  faith,  about  the  year  1725.  and  also  settled  in  the  north  of  Ire- 
land. Here  the  direct  line  of  ancestry  is  lost,  and  nothing  but  tradi- 
tion remains  to  remind  them  of  the  early  forefathers  of  the  family. 
They  were  farmers,  and  lived  quietly,  peacefully  and  undisturbed  in 
their  religion.  Felix  Collins  is  the  first  of  whom  they  have  any  knowl- 
edge. He  married  a  Miss  McGuire,  who  was  born  in  1730.  Of  this 
union,  Hugh,  one  of  the  sons,  born  in  1760,  married  and  was  the  father 
of  seven  children,  named  respectively:  Mary,  Elizabeth.  James,  William, 
Hugh,  Joseph  and  Annie.  James  was  born  Jan.  12,  1802,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  a  Miss  Bell  Phillips.  They  had  eight  children,  viz.:  William, 
Annie,  James,  Hugh,  Mary,  Joseph,  Robert  and  Thomas.  James  Col- 
lins came  to  America  in  1842,  landing  .Vpril   2Sth.     The  youngest  son. 


HISTORY   OF   GREEN    LAKE    COUNTY. 


355 


Thomas,  was  bom  in  this  country,  and  the  family  are  all  living  at  this 
time  except  William.  Hugh  Collins  located  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  commenced  his  business  career  as  Steward  at  the  House  of  Refuge. 
In  1854,  he  came  to  this  State,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Waushara 
County,  which  he  conducted  for  ten  years,  when  he  came  to  this  city 
and  established  his  present  business,  that  of  general  produce  and  com- 
mission merchant.  He  was  married  in  Rochester,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Wray.  Two  children  were  born  to  them  there,  Maria  Isabel,  July  4. 
1853,  and  Charles  H.,  Aug.  20,  1S55.  Two  were  born  in  Waushara 
County,  William  Worth,  June  14,  1858,  and  Florence  E.,  in  Jfune  17, 
1861.  The  children  all  completed  their  education  in  this  city.  In 
June,  1877,  Maria  Bell  married  Mr.  F.  A.  Kendall,  of  this  city,  and  in 
February,  1880,  Charles  H.  married  Miss  Louisa  Barnes,  of  Winona, 
Minn.  They  now  reside  in  Waupun,  where  he  is  engaged  in  general 
clothing  business.  The  ancestry  of  Elizabeth  Wray  (Collins)  were  En- 
glish. Her  father,  Henry  Wray,  came  to  America  when  a  boy  and  set- 
tled in  New  York,  from  there  removed  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  then  to 
Rochester,  where  he,  in  1842,  established  a  brass  foundry,  which  is  still 
running,  and  carried  on  by  Henry  Wray,  Jr.  Elizabeth  B.  Wray  was 
born  in  New  York  City,  Feb.  3,  1830.  and  was  educated  at  the  Method- 
ist Seminary  at  Lima,  N.  Y..  and  was  married  to  Hugh  Collins,  at 
Rochester,  June  2,  1852,  where  she  had  spent  most  of  her  life. 

CAREY  BROTHERS,  Berlin.  The  most  extensive  cultivators  and 
raisers  of  cranberries  in  the  United  States.  Their  marsh  embraces  400 
acres  with  an  average  annual  yield  of  4,000  barrels.  The  largest  pro- 
duction of  any  one  year  was  in  1872  when  the  yield  was  10,000  barrels. 
They  coinmenced  picking  cranberries  for  market  in  1865,  but  did  not 
cultivate  the  lands  until  1868.  During  the  picking  season  they  employ 
as  high  as  1,800  pickers.  They  have  dug  a  canal  through  their  lands  at 
an  expense  of  some  $20,000,  for  the  purpose  of  flooding  them,  and  for 
other  purposes.  James  Carey  is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  Elroy 
Carey,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland,  but  emigrated  to  Canada  when  both 
were  quite  young,  locating  in  Quebec,  where  they  were  married.  They 
afterward  moved  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  James  was  born,  April  4, 
1846.  They  came  to  this  State  in  1852,  locating  upon  the  farm  which 
embraces  their  celebrated  marsh,  and  where  the  father  now  lives. 

JAMES  CROFT,  agent  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway, 
Berlin,  was  born  in  Janesville,  Rock  Co.,  in  1844,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated, and  lived  until  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G, 
8th  Wis.  Inf.,  Aug  I,  l86i.  He  served  with  the  regiment  during  its 
term  of  service,  participating  in  all  its  battles,  and  was  mustered  out 
with  them  at  Madison,  in  October,  1864.  The  regiment  was  attached  to 
the  16th  and  17th  Army  Corps.  In  1865,  he  engaged  with  the  St.  Paul 
road,  as  clerk,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  four  months,  then  took  an 
agency,  and  has  occupied  that  position  since.  He  has  been  four  years 
in  his  present  location.  He  was  married  at  Beaver  Dam,  1876,  to  Miss 
Ida  May  Dougan. 

EDWARD  F.  DANN,  homojopathic  physician  and  surgeon,  Berlin, 
was  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  in  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Salleck  and  Ann 
(Pierce)  Dann.  They  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  their  ancestors 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  that  State.  In  i8';3,  they  came  to  this 
State,  locatmg  at  Whitewater,  where  his  father  engaged  in  a  manufactur- 
ing business.  Dr.  Dann  pursued  his  medical  studies  at  New  York 
University  and  at  the  Michigan  University,  and  graduated  at  Rush 
Medical  College  and  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  in  1871  and  1872.  and 
located  here  in  practice.  He  was  married  in  October,  1872,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Forsythe,  who  died  Sept.  28,  1874,  leaving  one  daughter,  Helen. 
In  December,  1877,  he  married  Miss  Sally  McClellan,  who  is  a 
native  of  this  State,  and  whose  father  is  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the 
county.     They  have  one  daughter,  Ethel. 

CAPT.  ALBERT  G.  DINSMORE,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Perry 
County,  Ohio,  Oct.  9,  1832.  His  parents  were  William  and  Catherine 
(Higgin--)  Dinsmore,  natives  of  Washington  County,  Penn..  and  died 
when  .Mr.  Dinsmore  was  nine  months  old.  He  was  adopted  by  John 
Gaffield,  of  Licking  County,  Ohio,  and  raised  on  his  farm,  and  remained 
with  him  until  he  became  of  age,  when  he  married  Miss  Matilda  Sher- 
man, a  native  of  Ohio,  and  engaged  at  wagon  and  carriage  making, 
which  trade  he  had  previously  learned,  and  which  he  followed  until  1S61, 
when  he  enlisted,  being  the  first  man  in  the  State  to  respond  to  the  call. 
He  was  assigned  to  Co.  B,  I7lh  Ohio,  Gen.  Rosecrans's  brigade.  Gen. 
McClellan's  division.  Army  of  Western  Virginia,  where  he  served  three 
months  (his  time  of  enlistment),  when  he  returned  home,  and  again  en- 
tered the  service,  and  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  of  Co.  D, 
13th  Mo.  He  participated  with  the  regiment  in  the  battles  of  Ft.  Donel- 
son  and  Shiloh,  where  he  was  prostrated  with  sickness,  and  resigned  in 
May,  1862.  For  over  one  year  his  poor  health  would  not  allow  him  to 
eitheragain  enter  the  service  or  engage  in  business ;  but,  on  recovery  in 
1S64,  he  raised  Co.  C  of  the  41st  Wis.,  who  were  one  hundred  days  men. 
He  served  the  term  with  them,  returned,  and  raised  Co.  B  of  the  49th 
Wis.  Since  the  war,  engaged  in  carriage  and  wagon  making  for  several 
years,  and  is  now  employed  by  the  Berlin  Coffin  Co. 

BENJAMIN  F.  DOOSON,  Berlin,  w.as  born  in  Huntington,  Lu- 
zerne  Co.,  Penn.,  Jan.  23,  1832.     He  was  son  of  John  Dodson     maiden 


name  of  his  mother,  Sophronia  Monroe.  The  former  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania ;  his  ancestors  came  to  this  country  from  England  with  Wm. 
Penn,  and  settled  north  of  Philadelphia.  During  the  Revolutionary 
war,  his  grandparents  were  subject  to  great  annoyance  from  the  hostile 
Indians,  being  driven  from  their  farm  at  Mahoning  Valley,  Northampton 
Co.,  where  Abigail  Dodson,  a  girl  of  sixteen  years,  was  taken  prisoner, 
carried  into  captivity,  and  detained  a  captive  over  five  years,  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  of  Scotch 
parentage.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  lived  at  home  on  the  farm  until 
nineteen  years  of  age  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851.  Attended  the  State 
University,  at  Madison  ;  graduated  at  Cincinnati  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  in  1855,  standing  second  in  his  class;  commenced  the 
practice  of  medicine  at  Wautoma.  Waushara  Co..  March  14  of  the 
same  year,  where  he  soon  built  up  a  large  practice,  but  the  county  was 
new  and  the  people  poor,  owing  to  which  the  financial  distress  of  the 
year  1857  was  doubly  felt,  and  in  1859,  he  removed  to  Brandon,  Fond 
du  Lac  Co.  Here  he  secured  a  good  practice.  In  1863-64,  he  attended 
a  full  course  of  lectures,  at  Bellevue  College  Hospital,  New  York,  re- 
freshing his  memory  and  gaining  much  additional  information,  that  he 
might  better  serve  the  people.  In  1870,  he  came  to  Berlin,  where  he 
still  resides,  engaged  in  active  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rock 
River  Medical  Society,  also  of  the  State  Medical  Society.  In  1857,  was' 
married  to  Miss  Ella  Smith,  by  whom  he  has  three  living  children.  She 
died  in  1872.  In  1872,  was  married  again,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Sexton,  by 
whom  he  has  one  son. 

N.  MONROE  DODSON,  physician  and  surgeon,  and  proprietor  of 
Berlin  Drug  Store,  established  over  thirty  years,  and  the  oldest  in  the 
city.  Born  in  Luzerne  County,  Penn.,  in  1826;  son  of  John  and  So- 
phronia (Monroe)  Dodson,  who  were  natives  of  that  State.  He  spent 
the  early  years  of  his  life,  and  received  a  part  of  his  education,  in  his 
native  place,  and  graduated  at  Davenport,  in  the  medical  department  of 
the  Iowa  University,  in  1S50,  and  has  followed  his  profession  since  gradu- 
ation. He  first  located  at  Madison,  in  1851,  and  the  same  year  came  to 
this  city;  bought  the  drug  store  of  De  Riemer,  in  1862  ;  the  store  burned 
down  in  1870,  and  the  same  year  he  built  the  large  and  commodious 
building  which  he  now  occupies.  He  was  married  near  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  O.  Abott.  They  have  two  sons.  John  M.,  the  oldest, 
assists  in  the  business ;  Charles  i\L  is  a  student. 

WILLIAM  H.  ELMER,  Berlin,  manufacturer  of  the  Northwestern 
Improved  Water-wheel,  which  was  patented  by  Mr.  Elmer  in  1870.  He 
has  made  several  improvements  since,  which  he  has  patented.  He  was 
born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1833.  but  raised  at  Cape  Vincent.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Castor)  Elmer.  His  father  was  a  mill- 
wright, of  whom  he  partly  learned  his  trade.  He  came  to  this  State  in 
1851,  locating  in  Fairwater,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  worked  at 
the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade.  He  came  to  this  city  in  1868,  and 
worked  one  year  at  pattern-making  for  Davis  &  Bugh  ;  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  machinery  department.  His  sales  of  his  water-wheel 
extend  over  the  entire  Northwest  and  into  the  Territories.  He  was 
married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Louisa  M.  Drake,  a  native  of  New  York. 
They  have  one  daughter. 

WILLIAM  GORDON,  farmer,  also  engaged  in  manufacturing 
brick,  Berlin.  The  property  is  located  in  Sec.  9,  within  the  city  limits 
of  Berlin.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  .•^ug.  7,  1819,  and  came  to  America 
in  1831.  He  went  to  Canada  soon  after  his  arrival,  remaining  one  year. 
He  returned  to  the  Slates  and  spent  some  time  in  traveling,  locating  in 
Lewiston,  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  for  ten  years,  working 
at  the  tailor's  trade.  In  i8;o,  he  came  West,  locating  at  Oshkosh,  where 
he  remained  six  months,  when  he  came  to  this  city  and  established  gen- 
eral tailoring  business,  which  he  conducted  for  twelve  years,  when  he 
sold  his  business  and  bought  the  farm  where  be  now  lives. 

JOHN  E.  GRIFFITHS,  marble  works,  Berlin,  was  born  in  New 
York  City.  1850.  The  same  year  he  was  brought  to  this  city  by  his  par- 
ents, and  here  received  his  education  and  learned  part  of  his  trade  here, 
completing  it  with  N.  Merrill  in  Milwaukee.  From  there  he  returned 
and  for  two  years  took  charge  of  Mr.  Campbell's  shop  ;  then  established 
his  present  business  in  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  J.  G.  H.  and  Catherine 
(Jones)  Grifiiths.  They  were  natives  of  Wales.  His  father  is  now  in 
the  Government  service,  employed  on  the  "Andy  Johnson," stationed  at 
Manitowoc. 

J.  F.  &  T.  W.  HAMILTON,  dealers  in  dry  goods  and  groceries, 
Berlin.  This  business  was  established  in  1859;  's  o"e  of  'he  oldest 
houses  in  their  line  in  this  city,  and  during  the  early  years  of  its  exist- 
ence did  quite  a  wholesale  business.  In  February,  1864,  in  company 
with  their  brother,  Thomas,  and  G.  U.  Smith,  they  embarked  in  anoth- 
er branch  of  industry,  that  of  manufacturing  car.  wagon,  sleigh  and 
plow  wood-stock.  In  January,  1865,  Silas,  an  older  brother,  bought  the 
interest  of  Mr.  Smith,  when  the  business  was  conducted  by  Hamilton 
Bros.  Their  stock  is  disposed  of  mostly  in  this  State  to  manufacturers 
at  Racine  and  other  points.  In  addition  to  what  they  manufacture,  ihey 
handle  the  products  of  four  other  manufactories.  Joseph  F.  Hamilton 
was  born  in  Sheldon,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1829.  He  is  a  son 
of  Harry  and  Asenath  Harris,  who  were  farmers.     He  came  West  with 


356 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


his  parents  in  iS^o;  they  located  in  the  town  of  Waukegan,  Lake  Co., 
III.,  and  engaged  in  farming,  where  they  remained  until  1S54,  when 
they  came  to  th  s  city,  when  Mr.  Hamilton  engaged  as  clerk  for  one 
year  in  the  general  store  of  S.  F.  Baker.  The  following  year,  in  com- 
pany with  A.  C.  Rogers,  he  bought  out  Mr.  Baker,  and  during  the  year 
di-iposed  of  an  interest  in  the  business  to  Thomas  E.  Baker.  They  con- 
ducted the  business  for  one  year,  when  Mr.  Baker  bought  the  interests 
of  Messrs.  Hamilton  &  Rogers.  Mr.  Hamilton  then  engaged  as  clerk 
in  a  •Teneral  store  until  1S59.  when  he  engaged  in  present  business.  He 
was  married  in  Bloomingdale,  111.,  in  1S52.  to  Miss  C.  A.  Baker.  They 
have  one  son.  Harry  1!.,  who  assists  him  in  the  business. 

THOMAS  \V.  HAMILTON  was  born  in  Sheldon.  Genesee  Co., 
N.  Y.,  NLirch  13.  1S36.  and  came  to  Waukegan,  III.,  with  his  parents  in 
1S40,  and  lived  with  them  until  1S4S,  when  he  went  on  the  road,  selling 
notions  and  medicines,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  traveling  sales- 
man until  January,  iSSl.  He  has  been  longeron  the  road  than  any  man 
in  the  Stale,  but  during  this  time  has  had  a  moneyed  interest  in  several 
branches  of  industry,  lie  made  his  home  in  this  city  in  1S55.  He  was 
married  in  the  Spring  of  iS6j  to  Miss  Jeanelte  Hilton,  of  Baiavia,  N.Y., 
by  whim  he  has  five  children.  He  is  now  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward. 
The  Hamilton  brothers  are  self-made  men,  having  commenced  business 
with  limited  capital.  They  have  followed  a  successful  business  career 
for  over  twenty-five  years,  and  sustain  an  enviable  reputation.  They 
have  on  their  books  the  names  of  over  1,200  men  that  they  have  done 
business  with  the  past  seventeen  years,  and  they  have  never  had  any  se- 
rious misunderstanding  with  them,  neither  have  they  ever  been  sued  or 
been  troubled  in  any  way  in  their  affairs. 

S.  C.  HARMON  &  SON,  Berlin  stave  factory,  established  in  1S74, 
employing  from  five  to  twenty  men.  The  products  are  nearly  all  sold 
in  Minneapolis.  .S.  C.  Harmon  was  born  in  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  iSiS; 
is  a  son  of  Elijah  and  Lydia  (Cunningham)  Harmon,  who  were  natives 
of  the  State,  and  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  first  settlers.  They 
were  farmers;  Mr.  Harmon  was  educated  and  lived  under  the  paternal 
roof  until  1S40.  when  he  came  to  this  State  and  entered  240  acres  of 
land  in  Walwoith  County,  and  made  a  home  for  himself.  Returning  to 
New  York  in  1S45.  he  married  Miss  Esther  A.  Mills,  of  Leroy.  Genesee 
Co.,  and  brought  his  bride  to  the  farm.  He  lived  there  until  1S65,  when 
he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Racine,  remaining  two  years,  thinking 
to  retire  from  active  life;  but  his  habits  of  industry  would  not  allow  him 
to  remain  idle,  consequently  he  came  to  this  city  and  bought  the  saw 
mill  of  Ruddock  &  Palmeter,  which  he  conducted  for  eight  years,  after 
four  years  adding  ihe  manufacture  of  staves,  and  laying  the  foundations 
for  his  present  business.  He  has  one  son,  Edward  T.,  who  is  associated 
in  the  business. 

M.  S.  HOLLY,  photographer,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1S23.  His  father  was  Solomon  Holly,  a  native  of  Connecticut ;  his 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Martha  Tousey,  also  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut. Mr.  Holly  learned  his  trade  when  the  science  was  in  its  infancy, 
and  is  the  oldest  photographer  in  the  county.  He  learned  the  art  of 
taking  daguerreotypes  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Having  learned  the  trade,  he 
built  a  car,  which  was  the  first  one  of  the  kind,  and  traveled  from  one 
town  to  another.  During  the  Summer,  he  engaged  in  a  factory,  making 
woolen  cloths.  He  first  came  West  in  1844.  locating  in  Rock  County, 
where  he  stayed  one  year,  when  he  returned  East.  He  again  came  to 
the  State  in  1S58,  and  bought  a  farm  at  St.  Marie,  in  this  county.  This 
he  sold,  and  emigrated  to  Iowa  and  bought  a  farm  on  Shell-bark  River, 
Cerro  Gordo  Co.;  remaining  there  one  year,  he  returned  and  located  in 
Ripon,  where  he  followed  teaming  a  while,  afterward  engaging  in  the 
fruit  and  confectionery  business.  After  eight  years,  he  returned  to  his 
old  business,  which  he  followed  with  varying  success.  Having  been 
burned  out  some  four  times  in  Oshkosh,  he  eventually  located  here  in 
1S69  He  was  married  at  Niagara  Falls,  Dec.  25,  1847,  to  Miss  Sarah 
M.  Morris.     They  have  one  son  living. 

GEORGE  \V.  LOUNSBURY,  was  born  in  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
15,  1S26.  He  is  the  first  son  of  Purdy  and  Hester  Dewillyer  Launsbury. 
His  father's  ancestors  were  French,  and  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Ulster  County.  His  great  grandfather  participated  in  the  l^evolutionary 
War,  and  his  grandfather  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  mother's  ancestors 
were  from  Holland,  and  among  the  earliest  settlers  also  of  Ulster  County. 
There  Mr.  Lounsbury  was  raised  and  learned  his  trade,  and  carried  on 
the  business  at  Hudson  one  year,  and  at  Kinderhook  four  years.  In  the 
Fall  of  1845,  he  went  to  New  York  City,  and  followed  his  trade  there 
and  in  Boston  until  1S55  ;  in  September  of  which  year  he  came  to  this 
city.  The  first  two  years  he  worked  at  his  trade,  then  established  busi- 
ness for  himself.  In  June,  1S64,  he  entered  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment of  the  army  as  chief  artificer  in  the  harness  department,  and  was 
stationed  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned 
and  resumed  business.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Constable  two  terms. 
He  was  married  in  Boston  in  1849.  to  Miss  Jane  Bedsow,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Ann  Bedsow,  who  was  born  at  St.  John's.  New  Brunswick, 
June  II,  1833.  They  have  had  six  children — Mary  Jane,  born  in  Bos- 
ton, .March  31,  1850,  and  died  at  8.30  A.  M.  March  2,  1855.  aged  four 
years,  eleven  months  and  two  days  ;  George  W.,  bom  in  Boston,  Nov.  14, 
1851  ;  Benjamin  F.,  born  in  Boston,  June  7,  1853;  Alfred,  born  in  New 


York  City,  June  13,  1855,  and  died  in  this  city  thirty  minutes  past  three 
p.  M.,  June  23,  1S79,  aged  twenty-four  years,  one  week  and  three  days, 
Charlotte  F.,  born  in  Berlin,  Jan.  13,  iSsg;  Lillian  B.,  born  in  Berlin, 
March  29,  lS6l.  and  died  in  this  city  at  10.30  A.  M.,  July  31,  1880,  aged 
eighteen  years,  four  months  and  two  days. 

WALKER  LEAR.  Berlin  livery  stable.  Was  born  at  Sanapee, 
N.  H.,  in  182S.  His  parents  were  Asel  and  Elizabeth  Chanly  Lear. 
His  father  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith,  and  still  lives  at  Sanapee.  Mr. 
Lear  learned  the  carpenter  trade  at  Nashua,  N.  II.  He  also  engaged 
in  a  restaurant  at  Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  for  two  years  was  a  farmer  in 
his  native  .State.  In  1S50,  he  went  to  California,  by  way  of  the  Isth- 
mus, where  he  engaged  successfully  in  mining  and  keeping  a  general 
store  of  groceries,  miner's  supplies,  and  mining  machinery.  He  re- 
mained there  nearly  three  years,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  place, 
and  in  1S57,  came  to  Berlin  and  established  a  sas,h  and  door  manufac- 
tory, operated  by  steam  power.  After  one  and  one-half  years  he  took 
charge  of  a  slave  factory  for  Mr.  Carhart.  In  1S62,  with  a  party  of 
twelve,  he  went  to  Idaho,  locating  at  Bannock  City,  which  soon  became 
famous  from  the  numerous  crimes  committed  by  the  notorious  Plummcr 
gang  of  road  agents,  cut-throats  and  thieves.  The  killing  of  unoffend- 
ing citizens  without  cause  or  provocation  was  of  daily  occurrence. 
Plummer,  through  coercion,  was  elected  Sheriff;  to  oppose  his  election, 
was  to  sign  one's  own  death  warrant.  Under  this  reign  of  terror  and 
bloodshed  the  miners  became  desperate,  as  it  was  sure  death  to  leave 
the  town,  and  no  certainty  of  living  even  one  day  in  town.  A  few  of 
the  more  daring  and  determined  miners  convened  and  formed  themselves 
into  a  Vigilant  Committee,  electing  Mr.  Lear  as  their  commander  and 
chief.  He  decided  to  at  once  arrest  and  bring  to  speedy  punishment 
the  leader  and  other  members  of  the  gang.  Selecting  a  few  trusty  fol- 
lowers, he  took  to  the  road  in  the  midst  of  Winter,  and  after  many 
hardships,  succeeded  in  corralling  Plummer  and  two  of  his  men  in  a 
copse  of  willows  and  brush,  covering  about  ten  acres.  Some  friendly 
Indians  volunteering  their  services,  they  surrounded  them,  but  could  not 
discover  their  whereabouts  ;  neither  could  they  starve  them  out,  and  to 
enter  the  brush  was  sure  death.  Mr.  Leardetermined  to  enter  the  brush, 
and  did  so  with  one  of  his  men.  Riding  from  one  bunch  of  willows  to 
another,  he  finally  discovered  their  hiding-place,  and  rode  boldly  up  and 
demanded  their  surrender.  His  resolute  behavior  won.  They  threw 
down  their  arms  and  surrendered.  That  was  the  beginning  of  retribu- 
tive justice,  which  resulted  in  every  member  of  the  gang  meeting  their 
just  deserts  at  the  end  of  a  rope.  Bannock  City  had  been  the  head- 
quarters of  the  gang.  Mr.  Lear  built  the  first  cabin,  washed  the  first 
gold  in  that  region,  making  his  cradle  from  the  side-boards  of  his  wagon. 
He  returned  in  1864,  and  rendered  the  county  valuable  service  in  arrest- 
ing and  bringing  to  punishment  horse-thieves  and  other  criminals,  while 
holding  the  office  of  Deputy  Sheriff  and  Constable.  He  has  one  son, 
Charles  11.,  who  assists  him  in  the  livery  business. 

EDWARD  G.  LONGCROFT,  jeweler  and  dealer  in  musical  goods. 
Was  born  in  Elgin,  111.,  Jan.  25,  1S55.  where  he  was  raised  and  edu- 
cated. He  learned  his  trade  in  Milwaukee.  He  established  his  busi- 
ness in  1876.  He  was  married  in  1878,  to  Miss  Minnie  A.  Smith,  of 
this  city. 

JUSTUS  T.  LUTHER,  manufacturer  of  whips,  gloves  and  mit- 
tens. Mr.  Luther  was  born  in  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1833;  his  an- 
cestors settled  in  Tompkins  County,  in  1620.  He  came  west  with  his 
parents  in  1836;  they  settled  in  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, where  he  learned  the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade,  which  he  followed 
for  fifteen  years.  In  1S54,  he  came  to  Columbia  County,  in  this  State, 
and  followed  contracting  and  building.  May  22,  1S61,  enlisted  in  7th 
Wis.  I.;  he  served  two  years,  participating  in  all  the  battles  with  the 
regiment,  and  was  discharged  for  disability.  He  went  to  Minnesota 
during  the  Indian  raid,  and  raised  an  independent  company,  and  was 
afterwards  commissioned  colonel  of  the  12th  Minnesota  .State  militia. 
In  1865,  he  located  in  this  city  and  commenced  his  present  business,  his 
trade  expending  over  nearly  the  whole  United  States.  He  has  issued 
several  patents,  some  of  which  are  valuable  in  his  branch  of  industry. 
He  was  married  in  1S35,  to  Miss  Mary  Farrington,  a  native  of  New 
York.  They  have  three  daughters.  Has  been  Alderman  of  the  Third 
Ward  six  years. 

AUGUSTUS  W.  MILLARD,  County  Superintendent  of  .Schools, 
Berlin.  Is  a  son  of  \Villiam  A.  and  Sally  Pearce  Millard,  who  were 
born  in  Delhi,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  were  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and 
early  settlers  of  New  York.  Their  descendents  have  represented  nearly 
every  profession,  and  David  Millard's  History  of  his  travels  in  the  Holy 
Land,  brought  him  into  prominent  notice  as  a  historian  and  traveler. 
Mr.  Millard  had  eleven  brothers  and  sisters,  and  all  have  been  teachers. 
He  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  July  16,  1842,  and  came  to  this 
Slate  with  his  parents  in  1S45.  They  located  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Manchester,  where  his  mother  died  in  1856.  His  father  held  the  office 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Manchester,  fiom  the  time  of  his  arrival,  until 
he  died  in  November,  1S74.  Then  his  son.  Morgan  G..  was  elected  to 
the  office,  and  has  helil  it  since.  Mr.  Millard  was  educated  at  Law- 
rence University.  Appleton.  In  1S73-4,  he  engaged  in  the  express  busi- 
ness at  Racine.    In  1875-6,  he  studied  law  with  Hamillon.at  Fox  Lake, 


HISTORY  OF  GREEN  LAKE  COUNTY. 


and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  iSyg,  at  Juneau.  Dodge  Co.,  and  prac- 
ticed law  until  he  was  elected  to  his  present  office,  of  which  he  is  now 
serving  his  second  term.  He  has  also  been  principal  of  Randolph  School 
four  years,  and  of  Kingston  School  three  years. 

MILES  MIX,  retired  physician  and  farmer.  Berlin.  Born  in  Chau- 
tauqua Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1812.  His  father,  Steven  Mix.  was  a  farmer,  and 
a  native  also  of  New  York.  His  ancestors  were  German,  and  among 
the  early  settlers  of  the  State.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Patience 
Risdon  ;  she  was  of  Scotch  parentage,  but  born  in  the  same  State.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1S27.  Dr.  Mix,  with  his  family,  removed  to  La  Porte  Co  ,  Ind., 
and  engaged  in  farming.  Dr.  Mix  commenced  the  study  of  medicine 
with  L.  \V.  Blanchard,  of  Racine,  and  completed  it  with  Prof.  Meeker, 
of  La  Porte,  Ind.,  graduating  at  La  Porte  Medical  College,  in  1850,  and 
coming  to  Berlin  the  same  year.  Here  he  established  practice,  which  he 
followed  for  thirty  years,  and  is  now  the  oldest  practitioner  living  in  this 
township.  He  was  associated  with  N.  MonroeDodson,  M.  D.,  for  fifteen 
years.  He  was  married  at  La  Porte,  Ind.,  in  1849,  to  Miss  Louisa  E. 
Wheeler.     They  have  seven  children. 

JAMES  E.  MONTAGUE,  clerk  and  operator  for  the  St.  Paul  Rail- 
way, Berlin.  Has  been  employed  in  the  Berlin  office  since  i86r.  He 
was  born  in  Milwaukee,  July  23,  1836.  He  was  first  employed  by  the 
old  Milwaukee  &  Horicon  Railway,  which  came  into  the  possession  of 
the  St.  Paul  Railway,  and  he  remained  in  their  employ.  He  came  to 
this  county  with  his  parents  in  1849,  and  has  resided  here  since.  He 
was  married  at  Malone,  N.  Y.,  in  .August,  1865,  to  Miss  Carrie  C.  Bur- 
bant,  a  rcMdent  of  New  York.  They  have  two  daughters,  Eva  Bell  and 
Stella  May. 

STEPHEN  ADDISON  OLIN,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  Berlin.  Was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1837.  His  parents 
were  Amasa  and  Nancy  Brightman  Olin.  Their  ancestors  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Rhode  Island  and  New  York.  His  father  was  by 
trade  a  cooper.  Mr.  Olin  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  in  New  York, 
and  came  to  this  State  in  1855,  locating  at  Rio,  Columbia  Co.,  where 
he  engaged  in  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  ten  years.  He  entered 
the  ministry  in  1870,  locating  at  Montello,  where  he  built  a  church,  and 
remained  for  three  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Wauwatoma,  Wau- 
shara Co.,  then  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  and  then  to  Hortonville,  Outa- 
gamie Co.,  being  two  years  at  each  place.  He  was  married  in  1876,  to 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Durkee,  who  died  April  4,  1878.  He  was  again  married, 
April  23,  1879,  to  Miss  Nancy  E.  Ware. 

REV.  EMERY  H.  PAGE,  p,istor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Ber- 
lin. Was  born  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  in  i8i8,  being  a  son  of  Benjamin 
arid  Huldah  Cheney  Page.  His  father  and  paternal  ancestors  being 
early  settlers  of  Massachusetts,  and  maternal  ancestors  of  Connecticut. 
The  earlv  years  of  his  life  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen,  they  moved  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Page  graduated  at 
Brown  University,  at  Providence,  in  1847,  and  at  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary, of  New  York  City,  in  1851,  and  first  located  in  1S52,  as  pastor  of 
the  Bunker  Hill  Baptist  Church,  where  he  remained  five  years.  He  then 
went  to  St.  Louis,  remaining  but  a  short  time  ;  relumed  to  Brooklyn,  and 
took  charge  of  the  Greenwood  Baptist  Church,  remaining  five  years, 
when  he  went  to  Hudson,  Mass.,  and  was  pastor  of  church  there  three 
years  ;  from  there  he  went  to  Ayers,  Mass..  and  presided  over  the  Baptist 
Church  about  three  years,  when  he  came  to  this  State,  locating  at  Madi- 
son, as  pastor  of  Baptist  Church  there.  He  remained  two  years,  and 
came  to  Berlin,  in  1S72,  as  pastor  of  the  church  where  he  now  ofliciates. 
At  Boston,  in  1853,  he  married  Miss  Stella  A.,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  M. 
Groos.     They  have  five  children. 

THOMAS  H.  POWELL,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  dry  goods, 
silks  and  gents'  furnishing  goods,  Berlin.  Was  born  in  Wales,  in  1S45, 
where  he  was  educated,  and  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Mary  Morgan  Powell ;  they  were  natives  of  Wales. 
His  father  was  a  locomotive  engineer.  Mr.  Powell  came  to  America  in 
1865,  where  he  commenced  his  businesscareer  as  clerk  in  the  retail  store 
of  George  Keys,  remaining  with  him  two  years.  He  then  came  to  this 
city,  and  engaged  as  a  clerk  with  W.  W.  Forbes,  who  died  the  next  year, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Jones  cS:  Hughes.  He  continued  with  the  new 
firm  until  1869,  then  engaged  with  Reese  &  Whiting  until  iSSi,  when  he 
established  his  present  business.  During  the  year  1S80,  he  went  West, 
traveling  principally  through  Colorado,  prospecting,  etc.  While  at  Lead- 
ville,  he  was  a|)poinled  Enumerator,  and  took  the  census  of  the  city,  lie 
has  been  employed  in  the  dry  goods  business  since  fourteen  years  of  age. 
His  store  is  22x100  feet,  and  he  occupies  two  stories.  It  is  brilliantly 
lighted  by  Thompson's  Non-Explosive  Tubular  Light,  which  is  the  first 
of  the  kind  in  the  county. 

SAMUEL  PRIEST,  carriage  and  wagon  maker  and  blacksmithing, 
Berlin.  Established  in  1S76.  'lie  was  born  in  Ogdensburg.  N.  Y.,  in 
1841.  His  parents  were  Jerome  and  Elizabeth  Sadler  Priest,  natives  of 
England.  They  located  in  Walworth  County,  in  1S64.  Mr.  Priest 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  brother  in  Detroit.  In  1862,  he 
came  to  this  city,  and  in  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wis.  Cavaliy,  and 
served  with  them  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  makes  a  specially  of 
fine  carriages,  and  keeps  employed   six   skilled  workmen.      In   1S67,  he 


GEORGE  W.  ROBINSON,  farmer  and  livery  business,  was  born 
in  Vermont,  in  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  El)enezer  and  Harriet  Pearce,  his 
ancestors  being  early  settlers  of  Vermont.  He  came  West  in  1845,  with 
his  parents,  locating  in  Walworth  County,  where  they  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  where  his  father  died  in  1856.  They  then  moved  to  Dodge 
County.  Mr.  Robinson  enlisted,  in  .'Vugust,  1S61,  in  the  7lh  Wis.  I., 
which  was  attached  to  the  Iron  Brigade.  He  served  with  the  regiment 
until  the  second  Bull  Run  fight,  where  he  was  wounded  by  a  mime  ball 
and  disabled  for  active  service.  He  was  one  of  the  ninety — of  the  600 
that  entered  the  fight — that  came  out  alive.  He  was  married,  in  1874, 
to  Miss  Emma  Waite.     They  have  two  sons,  Harry  and  Hyatt. 

A.  D.  RUDDOCK,  farmer.  Sec.  I,  town  of  Berlin,  was  born  in 
Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  in  1822.  He  isa  son  of  Justice  and  Rhody  Bomon 
Ruddock.  Their  ancestors  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  New 
England.  His  grandfather  was  a  sea  captain,  and  lived  and  died  in 
Boston.  His  brother  made  the  world-renowned  trip,  in  an  early  day,  of 
starting  at  the  .\tlantic  coast  and  going  to  the  Pacific  and  CaIifornia,'and 
discovered  gold.  Mr.  Ruddock,  with  his  parents,  located  in  the  State  of 
New  York  in  1832,  where  they  engaged  in  farming.  He  came  to  this 
State  in  the  Spring  of  1844,  and  located  in  Kenosha  County,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming,  remaining  there  four  years,  when  he  came  to  this 
town,  and  engaged  in  making  pumps  and  wind-mills.  He  has  been  Su- 
pervisor and  Assessor,  and  for  many  years  Roadmaster.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Lake  Co.,  111.,  in  1847,  to  Miss  Julia  De  Forres,  a  native  of  Erie 
Co.,  N.  Y. 

OSCAR  F.  SILVER,  attorney  and  counselor-at-law,  Berlin,  was 
born  in  Caledonia  Co.,  Vt.,  March  29,  1834.  but  was  raised  at  Montpelier. 
His  father,  Isaiah  Silver,  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  by  occu- 
pation a  merchant.  His  mother  was  Cynthia  Austin,  and  a  native  of 
Vermont.  Her  ancestors  were  among  the  earlier  settlers  of  that  Stale. 
His  father  moved  to  Tivoli,  N.  Y.,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  where 
he  died  in  1865,  at  about  seventy-four  years  of  age.  His  mother  is  still 
living.  Mr.  Silver  completed  his  education  at  the  University  of  Ver- 
mont, in  1S42,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Lucius  B.  Peck,  of 
Montpelier,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Counlv  Court,  May  4, 
1847,  and  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  April  9,  1850,  and  in  No- 
vember of  the  same  year  came  to  this  State,  where  he  has  followed  his 
profession  since.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  Mavor,  .\lderman.  District 
Attorney.  Court  Commissioner,  and  for  twenty-five  years  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  Mr.  Silver  entered  the  army  as  first  lieutenant  of 
Co.  A,  :6th  Wis.  I.,  but  was  obliged  to  retire  from  the  service  on  account 
of  sickness.  He  was  married,  in  1855,  to  Miss  Julia  Kimball,  a  native 
of  Maine.     They  have  four  children. 

CORNELIUS  SPOOR.  Berlin,  was  born  in  Albany,  N.Y.,  in  1823. 
He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  Van  Wornier.  who  were  natives  of 
Albany,  and  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  Mo- 
hawk Valley.  Mr.  Spoor  was  educated  and  lived  in  the  Slate  of  New 
York  until  1852,  when  he  came  West,  locating  upon  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  one  mile  north  of  Berlin,  at  Spoor's  Bridge,  which  he  was  in- 
fluential in  having  built.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board,  and  Su- 
pervisor. He  was  married,  Nov.  1,  1S4S,  to  Miss  Delia  Huntsinger,  a 
native  of  New  York.  Thev  have  five  children.  His  oldest  son.  Court- 
land,  is  now  principal  of  the  school  at  Brandon.  Mr.  Spoor  enlisted 
during  the  laie  war,  but  was  rejected;  but  was  afleiward  drafted,  and 
fought  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  during  the  closing  scenes,  having  his 
clothing  several  times  pierced  with  bullets,  and  his  gun  shattered  while 
in  his  hands. 

NELSON  STERBINS.  retired  farmer,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Chautau- 
qua Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S22.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Merrilla  Griswold, 
his  father  a  native  of  the  Slate,  and  his  mother,  of  Connecticut.  He 
was  educated  there,  and  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  under  ihe 
paternal  roof.  He  came  West  in  1S42.  locating  in  Cedar  Co..  la.,  where 
he  bought  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  farming  ;  afterward  returning  to  New 
York  Slate,  where  he  remained  until  185 1,  when  he  returned  to  Iowa  and 
sold  his  farm,  and  came  to  this  town  and  bought  ihe  farm  he  now  owns, 
and  where  he  has  lived  ever  since,  except  some  time  spent  in  traveling 
through  the  Western  Slates. 

LATHAM  A.  STEWART,  farmer  and  speculator,  also  engaged  in 
stock  commission  business  and  real  estate,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  in 
1824.  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Lucy  A.  (Burrows)  Stewart.  His 
great-great-grandfather,  Robert  Stewarl,  came  over  in  the  "  .May  Flower" 
when  an  infant,  and  settled  at  Roxbury.Conn.  His  mother's  ancestors 
were  also  am ing  the  earliest  settlers  of  Connecticut.  They  settled  on 
the  south  shoie  of  the  State,  at  Reard  Groten  (ancient  name.  Old  Ft. 
Hill).  Mr.  Stewart  was  educated  in  Connecticut,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  speculating.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  elected  to  ihe  Leg- 
islature. In  1S52.  he  came  West,  locating  at  Biitle  Des  Moris  (Hills  of 
Ihe  Dead),  near  Oshkosh,  where  for  fourteen  years  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  trade.  He  came  to  this  city  in  1868.  He  was  mairitd  in  his 
native  Slate,  in  1857,  to  Miss  Anna  Hull,  of  Puritan  ancestiy.  Mr. 
Stewarl  is  a  strong   advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Greenback  patty. 


358 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and   was  their  candidate,  in  1880.  for  Conjjress,  and  took  the  stump  in 
the  interest  of  tlie  party. 

H.  G.  TALBOT,  lumberman,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  in  1S25.  He  is  a  son  of  Alvin  and  Pauline  (Hill)  Talbot,  his  father 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  mother  of  Connecticut,  and  their  ances- 
tors among  the  early  settlers  of  New  England.  His  father  was  a  mer- 
chant in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade.  Mr.  Talbot  spent  the  early  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  State,  and  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner; 
also  the  trade  of  millwright,  which  he  followed  for  several  years.  He 
came  to  this  State  about  1850,  locating  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  engaged 
in  manufacturing  threshing  machines,  and  built  the  first  complete  ma- 
chine built  in  this  State.  It  was  sold  to  Durling  &  Mills,  who  were  resi- 
dents of  this  county.  After  five  years,  he  bought  the  foundry  of  Charles 
Smith,  and  for  the  two  succeeding  years  carried  on  a  general  foundry 
business  in  connection  with  the  manufacturing  of  threshing  machines  ; 
then  went  to  Dubuque.  la.,  where  he  engaged  in  manufacturing  ma- 
chines, remaining  two  years.  He  came  to  this  city  and  carried  on  the 
same  business  until  1S62,  when  he  sold  to  Turner  Bros.,  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  his  present  business,  dealing  in  lumber.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Julia  Danrill.  They  had  five  children; 
only  son,  S.  Percy  Talbot,  assists  in  the  business.  Mr.  T.  has  been  a 
member  of  both  the  Town  and  County  Boards ;  also.  Alderman  and 
School  Commissioner,  and  Mayor  of  this  city  three  terms. 

HIRAM  TAYLOR,  farmer.  Sec.  I,  Berlin,  was  born  in  St.  Law- 
rence Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S27.  His  ancestors  were  early  settlers  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  and  his  father  a  farmer.  He  came  to  the  State  in  1848, 
locating  in  Walworth  County  ;  engaged  in  farming.  He  afterward 
moved  to  Sheboygan  and  Calumet  counties,  and  came  to  this  town  in 
1S67,  and  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  married  in  Cal- 
umet County,  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  McMulIen.  They  have  five  children. 
He  enlisted,  Aug.  15,  1862,  in  21st  Wis.  I.,  serving  and  participating 
with  the  regiment  in  all  its  battles,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in 
Milwaukee,  in  June,  1865.  He  was  once  taken  prisoner,  at  the  battle 
of  Stone  River;  but  was  paroled,  and  thus  escaped.  He  has  held  nu- 
merous town  offices. 

GRIFFITH  J.  THOMAS,  Postmaster,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Wales, 
in  1847.  He  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Mary  (Williams)  Thomas,  natives 
of  Wales.  His  father  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  engaged  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  trade  in  his  native  land.  They  emigrated  to  this  country 
in  1851,  and  located  at  Remsen.  near  Utica,  N.  Y.  They  afterward 
moved  to  Utica,  and  to  Fort  Hill,  where  Mrs.  Thomas  died,  in  April, 
1854.  In  1855,  he  came  to  this  city,  where  he  still  lives.  Griffith  J. 
came  to  this  city  with  his  father,  and  has  made  this  his  home  ever  since. 
He  attended  school  until  1859,  when  he  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer  until 
1S62.  In  August  of  that  year,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  32d  Wis.  I., 
but  was  rejected  after  one  month's  service  on  account  of  his  age.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  printing  office  of  the  Couratit,  to  learn  the  trade, 
where  he  worked  until  July  27,  1863,  when  he  went  to  Milwaukee  and 
enlisted  in  Co.  B,  1st  Wis.  H.  A.  He  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  was  discharged  at  Madison,  Sept.  4,  1865.  In  April,  1866,  he 
entered  the  revenue  service  as  quarter-master,  aboard  the  Government 
steamer,  "  John  A.  Dix,"  stationed  at  Detroit,  and  cruising  in  Lake  Su- 
perior. At  the  expiration  of  one  year,  by  his  own  request,  he  was  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  and  resumed  the  printing  trade,  which  he 
followed  until  1876.  During  five  years  of  the  time,  he  was  foreman  of 
the  office,  and  for  two  years  manager  and  editor.  Then  he  was  elected 
City  Clerk,  and  held  the  office  until  appointed  Postmaster,  in  1877, 
which  office  he  still  holds.  Since  his  return  from  the  revenue  service, 
he  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in,  and  is  an  active  member  of,  several  so- 
cieties, prominent  among  which  is  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
has  occupied  nearly  every  position  in  the  gift  of  the  order ;  was  adjutant 
of  Post  No.  4  from  1867  to  1873,  a'so  inspector  of  the  depaitment  sev- 
eral terms.  In  1879,  was  elected  commander  of  the  department,  which 
includes  three  posts.  Is  also  an  active  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, keeping  the  records  and  seals  from  1874  to  1881.  Also  recorder  of 
the  Temple  of  Honor  two  terms,  and  is  also  a  member  of  A.  O.  U.  W., 
No.  58,  and  Berlin  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  38.  He  was  married,  Nov.  i, 
1874,  to  Miss  Anna  Griffith,  a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y.  They  have  two 
sons,  George  Henry  and  Harrie  Griffith. 

JOHN  C.  TKUESDELL,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  Berlin, 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  place,  and,  excepting  Mr.  Finch,  of 
Milwaukee,  the  oldest  practitioner  in  the  State.  He  was  born  in  Sus- 
(luehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1825.  His  father.  Judge  Truesdell,  was  a  native 
of  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  after  which  he 
settled  as  a  lawyer  in  Susquehanna  Co.,  Penn.,  and  where  for  some 
twenty-five  years  he  held  the  office  of  County  Judge.  His  mother's 
name  was  Lucy  Upson.  Mr.  Truesdell  studied  law  with  Judge  Jessup. 
one  of  the  oldest  lawyers  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Sunbury,  in  1S47.  He  came  to 
Berlin  in  1845,  and  entered  some  land  where  the  city  now  stands,  re- 
turning to  Pennsylvania  the  same  year.  In  1847,  he  returned  here  and 
was  very  instrumental  in  giving  Berlin  a  start,  and  through  personal  ef- 
r>rt^  contributed  largely  in  building  up  the  adjoining  country.  He 
l)iiilt  two  steamboats— the  "  Puytona,"  which  was  afterward  sunk  on  Lake 


Poygan  ;  and  the  "  Oshkosh,"  which  he  afterward  ran  down  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  and  sold.  He  was  married  in  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  Ju- 
lietta  Smith.  Thev  have  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living — Lam- 
bert, Louis  and  Harry  Clay. 

ALFRED  L.  TUCKER,  Berlin,  was  born  at  Chardon,  Geauga  Co., 
twenty  miles  from  Cleveland.  Ohio,  April  28,  1843.  His  parents  were 
Hosea  and  Mary  (Lamed)  Tucker.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont and  a  farmer,  and  died  in  1859.  Mr.  Tucker  was  raised  and  ed- 
ucated in  Ohio,  and  completed  his  education  at  Hiram  College,  located 
in  Portage  County,  of  which  James  A.  Garfield  was  president.  He  came 
to  this  city  with  his  mother,  in  1861.  During  the  same  year,  he  enlisted 
in  the  l8th  Wis.  I.,  and  was  appointed  second  sergeant  of  his  company, 
and  served  with  the  regiment  until  August,  1862,  and  was  engaged  with 
them  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  and  at  the  siege  of  Corinth,  when  bv  a  special 
order  of  the  War  Department,  he  was  commissioned  .second  lieutenant, 
and  assigned  to  Co.  C,  32d  Wis.,  and  was  the  first  officer  commissioned 
that  way.  In  August,  1864,  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  and  served 
with  the  32d  until  the  Spring  of  1865.  when  he  was  appointed  assistant 
quarter-master  of  the  First  Div..  17th  Army  Corps,  and  filled  that 
position  one  month,  when  he  was  appointed  quarter-master  of  ord- 
nance train  of  the  17th  corps,  where  he  served  until  mustered  out  at 
Washington,  June  12,1865.  He  then  returned  to  this  city,  and,  July 
26,  1865,  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  C.  Jones,  who  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  They  have  one  daughter,  Mildred  May,  born  in 
August,  1866.  He  then  located  at  Charles  City,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  furniture  business  one  year.  He  then  returned,  and  for  four  and 
one  half  years  took  charge  of  a  spring  bed  manufactory.  Then,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Chamberlain,  established  a  pump  factory.  After  two 
years,  sold  out  and  went  to  Chicago,  April,  1873,  where  he  was  employed 
by  the  managers  of  the  Exposition  to  collect  the  subscriptions,  after- 
ward taking  charge  of  the  tickets.  He  returned  in  1874,  and  was  em- 
ployed as  Assistant  Postmaster  for  two  years.  He  then  went  to  Plain- 
field  and  opened  a  store  for  L.  S.  Walker.  In  the  Spring  of  187S,  was 
elected  City  Clerk,  and  in  .\ugust,  1S80,  established  insurance  business. 

GEORGE  D.  WARING,  general  law  business,  Berlin,  was  born  in 
Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1819.  He  is  a  son  of  Ephraim  and  Sally  Brown 
Waring ;  his  father  was  a  shoemaker,  and  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  his  ancestors  early  settlers  of  that  State,  and  participated  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Mr.  Waring's  early  years  were  spent  in  New  York, 
and  there  received  his  preliminary  education.  In  1S36,  he  came  west, 
locatii^  at  Angola,  Ind.,  where  he  studied  law  with  R.  L.  Douglas  and 
D.  E.  Palmer,  and  also  engaged  in  teaching  school.  He  established 
practice  for  himself  in  1850,  and  has  followed  it  ever  since.  He  came 
to  this  city  in  the  Fall  of  1S55  and  established  his  present  business.  Dur- 
ing the  war  was  appointed  provost  marshal,  and  was  the  first  Mayor  of 
this  city,  which  office  he  held  four  years  ;  has  also  been  District  Attor- 
ney three  terms,  and  two  years  State  Senator.  He  was  married  in  An- 
gola, Ind.,  in  1842,  to  Miss  Harriet  A.  Hopkins,  a  native  of  New  York, 
who  died  in  1S73.  He  married  Miss  Luzela  White,  formerly  of  New 
York.     They  have  one  son,  George. 

ROBERT  M.  WEBSTER,  pastor  of  the  Union  Congregational 
Church,  was  born  in  London,  Eng.,  in  1S40.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and 
Isabella  Massey,  both  natives  of  London.  He  emigrated  to  this  country, 
with  his  parents,  in  1S48.  They  located  near  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  1856,  they  moved  to  Lucas  Co.,  Iowa,  and  in 
1876  his  parents  moved  to  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  where  they  now  live.  Mr. 
Webster  received  his  preliminary  education  in  Ohio,  and  graduated  in  1864 
at  Hanover  College,  Ind.,  and  in  theology  at  Oberlin  University,  in 
1868.  A  few  months  before  graduation  he  came  to  Brandon,  Fond  du 
Lac  Co.,  and  took  charge  of  Presbyterian  Church  there.  After  gradua- 
tion he  returned,  and  remained  their  pastor  for  three  years.  In  1S71  he 
was  called  to  the  Congregational  Church,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Wood  Co., 
Wis.,  remaining  until  1875,  when  he  came  to  this  city.  He  was  married  in 
T864,  in  Iowa,  to  Miss  Margaret  Webster,  also  a  native  of  London,  Eng. 
They  have  four  girls. 

RER.  SIMON  WIECZOREK,  Berlin,  was  born  in  Russian  Po- 
land, in  1858.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  with  whom  he  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life,  and  received  his  preliininary  education.  He  pursued 
his  theological  studies  at  Orleans,  in  France,  and  completed  them  at 
the  college  in  Rome,  in  1S6S.  The  same  year  he  came  to  this  country, 
locating  in  Michigan,  where  he  remained  four  years,  building  two 
churches.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  one  year,  when 
he  came  to  Milwaukee  diocese,  and  took  charge  of  St.  Stanislaus  Church, 
of  this  city,  where  he  has  rendered  valuable  services  in  building  up  the 
church  and  increasing  its  membership. 

WILLIAM  D.  WILLIAMS,  general  wholesale  produce  dealer,  Ber- 
lin, was  born  in  Wales,  in  1S44.  He  is  a  son  of  David  D.  and  .\nn 
Evans  Williams,  whose  ancestors  were  inhabitants  of  Wales  for  many 
generations.  He  came  to  America,  with  his  parents,  in  1S57.  They 
located  in  Columbia  County,  where  they  bought  land  and  engaged  in 
farming  and  where  they  still  live.  Mr.  Williams  lived  with  them  until 
1 36 1,  when  he  went  to  Milwinkee  and  commenced  his  business  career  in 
the  cjm.nisiion  house   of  Samuel  Brown,  remaining  with  him  five  years, 


HISTORY  OF  GREEN  LAKE  COUNTY. 


359 


when  he  came  to  this  city,  and  established  his  present  business,  in  1 868.  He 
was  married  here,  in  1 869,  to  Miss  Jennie  Howell,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
They  have  three  children. 

.STILLMAN  WRIGHT,  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  Golden  Sheaf 
flouring  mill,  Berlin.  The  mill  was  built  in  1866  by  Carhart,  Dorman  & 
Co.,  Mr.  Wright  taking  an  interest  in  1868.  The  mill  is  furnished  with 
the  latest  improved  machinery,  gradual  reduction  rollers,  etc.,  and  has  a 
capacity  of  200  bushels  per  day.  Mr.  Wright  makes  his  own  cooperage 
and  employs  twenty-five  men.  The  products  are  sold  in  nearly  every 
Eastern  city,  and  also  manufactures  largely  for  export  trade,  shipping 
to  Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  The  motive  power  is  a  150  horse-power  en- 
gine. Mr.  Wright  was  born  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S27.  He  is  a 
son  of  Samuel  W.  and  Sarah  Wilkie  Wright,  who  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont. He  came  West  in  1S43,  locating  in  i  lodge  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged  in  farming.  He  came  to  this  city  in  1853,  and  kept  the  Union 
Hotel  nearly  two  years,  and  also  was  also  in  mercantile  business  three 
years  at  Marke»an,  and  for  ten  years  in  general  produce  business.  He 
was  married  in  Rock  County,  in  1854,  to  Mi.ss  Mary  D.  Humphry.  They 
have  two  sons,  Charles  H.  assists  in  the  business  ;  Frederick  is  the 
youngest.  He  was  the  first  City  Treasurer,  and  has  been  School  Com- 
missioner several  terms. 

PRINCETON. 
This  village  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Fox  River, 
ten  miles  due  west  from  the  county  seat,  and  is  the  present 
terminus  of  the  Fond  du  Lac  &  Western  Railroad.  The 
east  division  lies  on  a  neck  of  land  in  the  shape  of  a  horse- 
shoe, formed  by  the  river  which  makes  a  sharp  curve  at 
this  point.  Most  of  the  business  houses  are  in  this  part  of 
the  town,  wliile  the  principal  manufactories  are  on  the  west 
side  near  the  river.  A  number  of  fine  dwelling  houses  e.x- 
tend  back  to  the  elevations  beyond,  which  form  a  sort  of 
background,  and  are  so  located  as  to  command  an  e.xcel- 
lent  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  Princeton  is  the 
second  town  in  size  in  the  county,  and  has  a  population  of 
1,000,  three-fourths  of  which  number  are  Germans;  the  re- 
maining fourth  is  composed  of  Irish  and  Americans.  The 
town  was  first  settled  by  Yankees.  The  ground  was 'surveyed 
by  L.  G.  Wood.  Henry  B.  Treat  and  Nelson  M.  Parsons, 
were  the  first  white  settlers,  having  located  lands  as  early 
as  1848.  They  laid  out  the  town  plat  in  1849.  The  fol- 
lowing year  their  little  settlement  had  increased  from  three 
to  twenty-four  families.  Mr.  Treat  experienced  rather  hard 
times,  his  rude  shanty  furnished  but  little  protection  from 
the  thieving  propensities  of  the  Indians,  who  several  times 
committed  depredations  upon  his  flour  and  pork  barrels  ; 
not  content  with  provisions,  they  appropriated  his  bedding 
and  cooking  utensils.  A  few  of  the  old  settlers  still  remain, 
but  all  agree  that  the  palmiest  days  of  Princeton  were  when 
the  village  was  in  its  infancy,  wrestling  bravely  with  the 
obstacles  to  be  met  with  in  all  new  countries,  and  each  year 
proudly  measuring  itself  with  the  rival  pioneer  sister  lowns. 
The  village  at  one  time  succeeded  in  securing  the  county 
seat,  but  the  jealousy  existing  in  the  towns  in  the  east  part 
of  the  county  led  to  such  a  bitter  strife,  that  it  was  finally 
compelled  to  give  up  the  records  in  favor  of  Dartford. 
Princeton  has  excellent  water  power,  obtained  by  a  canal 
six  miles  long  and  ten  feet  wide,  brought  from  the  Mecan 
River.  This  canal  in  connection  with  a  substantial  stone 
grist  mill  four  stories  high,  was  built  byW.  S.  &  A.  L.Flint, 
in  1857.-  The  mill  has  at  present  a  capacity  of  100  barrels 
of  flour  per  day,  and  is  owned  by  D.  W.  Green,  who  keeps 
constantly  making  improvements.  In  addition  to  the  grist 
mill  the  village  contains  one  large  foundry  for  heavy  cast 


ings  ;  one  planing  mill ;  three  wagon  shops  ;  one  tannery  ; 
one  brewery;  one  bank  of  exchange;  two  hotels,  the  largest 
of  which  is  the  American  House,  kept  by  John  P.  Schnee- 
der,  formerly  of  Berlin  City.  The  City  Hotel  is  a  comfort- 
able inn  kept  after  the  German  fashion.  There  are  six 
churches,  one  Methodist,  one  Congregational,  one  German 
Lutheran,  and  three  Catholic,  all  of  which  have  neat  and 
cozy  church  edifices.  There  are  two  public  school  build- 
ings, one  on  each  side  of  the  river.  The  schools  are  graded 
and  are  supplied  with  a  good  corps  of  teachers.  The  Ger- 
man Lutherans  have  a  private  school  in  connection  their 
church,  which  receives  a  liberal  support,  its  enrollment  of 
pupils  numbering  over  100  during  the  past  year.  The  soci- 
eties represented  at  present  in  the  village,  are  the  Masons, 
Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Good  Templars.  The  regular  monthly 
fairs  for  the  sale  and  exchange  of  all  kinds  of  produce, 
merchandise  and  live  stock,  are  held  in  this  place  on  the 
third  Wednesday  of  every  month.  The  County  Agricult- 
ural Society,  now  established  at  Berlin,  held  its  regular 
annual  fairs  at  this  place  for  quite  a  number  of  years.  The 
merchants  of  Princeton  are  live,  wide-awake  men,  and  keep 
up  with  the  spirit  of  the  times  in  the  quality  and  style  of 
goods  purchased.  The  display  on  their  counters  embrace 
all  the  latest  novelties,  besides  a  good  supply  of  the  more 
substantial  fabrics. 

The  post-office,  established  in  1850,  is  now  in  charge  of 
Mr.  J.  C.  Thompson. 

Until  the  past  two  years  the  village  had  three  weekly 
newspapers,  one  German  and  two  English.  The  German 
paper  was  started  in  July,  1876,  by  the  German  Printing 
&  Publishing  Company,  under  the  name  of  the  Princeton 
Merkur.  In  November  of  the  same  year,  it  was  sold  to 
Messrs.  Leske,  Warnke  &  Markstadt,  who  continued  its 
publication  for  several  years,  when  it  was  discontinued. 
The  Merkur  was  ably  edited,  by  P.  S.  Warns,  and  was 
Democratic  in  politics.  The  Princeton  Independent,  was 
founded  in  1876,  during  the  same  year  the  stockholders 
changed  its  name  to  that  of  the  Green  Lake  County  Detnocrat, 
when  it  became  Democratic  in  politics,  under  the  editorial 
management  of  L.  Truesdell  and  S.  D.  Goodell.  The  paper 
was  subsequently  moved  to  the  village  of  Markesan  where 
it  now  flourishes  under  the  same  name  and  politics.  The 
Princeton  Republic,  the  oldest  paper  in  the  village,  still  holds 
its  place  foremost  among  the  many  enterprises,  and  is  the 
largest  paper  in  the  county.  The  Republic  was  established 
by  Thomas  McConnell,  Feb.  21,  1867  ;  a  few  years  later  it 
was  purchased  by  its  present  proprietors,  J.  C.  &  A.  E. 
Thompson,  who,  by  their  able  management,  have  succeeded 
in  making  it  the  leading  Republican  newspaper  in  the 
county.  Princeton,  with  her  excellent  facilities  for  trans- 
portation, both  by  rail  and  the  Fox  River,  her  fine  pastures 
and  rich  farming  lands,  and  a  water  power  unequaled  by 
any  town  in  the  county,  has  certainly  a  bright  and  promis- 
ing future. 

The  town  of  Princeton  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
the  county,  north  of  Marquette  and  south  of  St.  Marie,  in 
Town  16,  Ranges  11  and  12.     The  surface  is   rolling  and 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


partially  timbered  with  the  several  varieties  of  oak  common 
to  this  region.  In  the  central  part  of  the  town  a  chain  of 
limestone  bluffs  makes  a  prominent  feature  in  the  landscape. 
Fine  pastures  and  haying  fields  lie  along  the  banks  of  the 
Fox  River,  which  passes  through  the  center  of  the  town. 
The  town  of  Princeton  was  organized  in  connection  with 
St.  Marie  in  1849.  The  town  separated  from  St.  Marie,  in 
1852,  when  N.  P.  Smith  was  elected  Chairman  and  R.  P. 
Lawson,  Town  Clerk. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  S.  COMSTOCK,  lawyer,  of  the  firm  of  Fish  &  Comstock, 
Princeton,  was  born  at  Waupun,  Dodge  Co.,  April  7,  1S57.  His  father, 
Isaac  H.  Comstock,  was  a  native  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.  His  ancestors 
were  English,  and  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was 
one  of  tlie  first  settlers  of  this  State,  locating  at  Green  Bay.  and  after- 
ward at  Sheboygan,  where  he  was  Sheriff  two  terms  under  the  old  Ter- 
ritorial government,  and  also  Regi.sler  of  Deeds  for  Marquette  County, 
which  then  included  Green  Lake  County.  He  eventually  settled  at 
Kingston,  in  this  county,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  Clerk  of  the 
Court.  Mr.  Corastock's  mother  was  Miss  Susan  Rankin,  a  native  of 
Augusta,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  Her  ancestors  were  Scotch,  and  for  several 
generations  were  residents  of  the  Slate  of  New  York.  They  were  obliged 
to  leave  their  native  land  on  account  of  religious  persecution,  fleeing  to 
the  North  of  Ireland,  and  from  there  emigrating  to  America.  Mr  Com- 
stock was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Clerk  in  1876.  serving  in  that 
capacity  four  years,  and  at  present  holds  the  office  of  District  Attorney. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  September,  1S79. 

FREDERICK  W.  COOKE.  Deputy  Sheriff  and  live  stock  dealer, 
Princeton,  was  born  in  Quebec,  Can.nda,  in  i82g.  His  father,  John  T. 
Cooke,  was  a  farmer,  and  a  native  of  England.  His  mother's  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Glanvil,  also  a  native  of  England.  Mr.  Cooke  was 
educated  and  raised  in  Canada,  and  was  employed  at  farming  and  saw 
mill  business.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854,  and  located  at  Ripon, 
where  he  kept  the  Shepard  House  and  carried  on  livery  business  until 
he  came  to  Berlin,  in  1S60,  and  engaged  in  hotel  and  lumber  business. 
He  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Green  Lake  County  in  1871,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  years,  has  held  the  office  of  Deputy  since  the  expiration 
of  this  term  of  office  of  Sheriff.  He  was  married  in  Canada,  in  1852,  to 
Miss  Jessie  J.  Hargrave,  a  native  of  Canada.     They  have  six  children. 

T.  S.  CHITTENDEN,  of  the  firm  of  Chittenden  &  Morse,  buyers 
and  shippers  of  produce,  live  stock,  hides,  furs,  etc.,  Princeton,  was 
born  at  Granville,  Ohio,  in  184S  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in 
1855.  They  located  at  Berlin,  Wis.,  where  his  father  established  a 
general  produce  business,  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  Thomas  J.,  his 
father,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gov.  Chit- 
tenden, the  first  Governor  of  that  State.  His  mother's  maiden  name 
was  Mary  Chittenden,  who  was  also  born  in  Vermont,  and  also  a  de- 
scendant of  Gov.  Chittenden.  The  parents  both  live  in  Berlin.  T.  S. 
Chittenden  commenced  his  business  career  in  Berlin,  in  1864,  as  a  clerk 
for  Reese  &  Whiting,  remaining  with  them  three  years.  He  then  went 
to  Chicago,  and  engaged  with  Field,  Leiter  &  Co.  four  years,  when  he 
returned  to  Berlin  and  re-engaged  with  Reese  &  Whiting,  remaining 
with  them  four  years,  when  lie  came  to  Princeton,  in  1875,  and  established 
his  present  business.  He  married  in  Berlin,  Dec.  30,  1875,  Miss  Sarah 
McMillan.  They  have  three  children.  Mr.  Chittenden  is  an  industrious, 
energetic  and  successful  business  man,  and  self-made. 

ADOLPH  G.  U.  HOYER,  assistant  pastor  of  Lutheran  Church, 
Princeton,  is  a  son  of  John  August  Hoyer,  pastor,  who  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Hamburg,  Germany,  where  he  was  educated  and  graduated  in 
theology,  and  married  Miss  Agnes  Morah.  Had  ten  children  ;  four  sons 
are  living.  The  family  emigrated  to  America  in  1S65,  locating,  as  pastor 
of  Lutheran  Church,  at  Monroe  County,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  two 
years.  He  then  removed  to  El  Dorado,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  had 
charge  of  the  Lutheran  Church  two  years,  and  in  1870,  located  in  Prince- 
ton. Adolph  was  educated  at  Northwestern  University,  at  Watertown, 
Wis.,  being  there  four  years,  and  two  years  at  St.  Louis  Theological 
Seminary,  and  graduated  at  the  theological  seminary  in  Milwaukee,  when 
he  came  to  Princeton  as  assistant  pastor.  They  include  in  their  pastor- 
ate the  churches  of  Princeton.  MontcUo,  Mecan.  Dayton  and  Marquette. 
Adolph  was  born  in  the  city  of  Hamburg,  in  1856,  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Clara  Thiel,  a  native  of  Princeton,  May  ig,  1881. 

OTTO  H.  LICHTENBERG,  druggist  and  stationer,  Princeton, 
was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  Germany,  M.iy  29,  1S52.  His  father, 
William  Lichtenberg.  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  occupation  that  of 
forester.  Mr.  Lichtenberg  came  to  .\merica  in  1871,  and  commenced 
his  buiine-is  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  retail  grocery  store  at  Ripon.  lie 
came  to  Princeton  in  1875.  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  store, 
which  poiition  he  occupied  until  he  established  his  present  business,  in 


1877.  He  first  associated  in  business  with  Dr.  D.  Voe,  who  retired  from 
the  business  in  1878.  During  the  same  year,  he  married  Miss  Matilda 
Zobel. 

MESSING  &  ERNST,  proprietors  Princeton  Brewery,  have  been 
engaged  in  the  business  three  years.  John  Ernst  was  born  in  Germany, 
in  1848,  and  learned  the  business  of  brewer  in  Germany.  He  came  to 
America  in  1875,  and  since  his  arrival  has  worked  for  the  Ph.  Best  Brew, 
ing  Co.  at  Milwaukee,  and  has  also  worked  in  brewery  at  Prairie  du 
Chien.  Messrs.  Messing  &  Ernst  make  about  400  barrels  a  year,  and 
make  their  own  malt.  Mr.  Ernst  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  in  1S78, 
to  Miss  Mary  Lutz,  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  one  daughter. 
Mr.  Ernst  served  one  year  in  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  before  emigrat- 
ing to  this  country. 

ABRAM  HENRY  MYERS,  Princeton,  was  bom  in  Montgomery 
County,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  12,  1829.  His  father,  Ralph  Myers,  was  a  native  of 
Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  and  a  farmer.  His  paternal  ancestors  were 
Hollanders,  and  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Philips,  of  English  ancestry  and 
a  native  of  New  York.  Mr.  Myers  lived  with  his  parents  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
which  he  followed  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1851.  He  located  in 
this  township';  it  was  then  called  Pleasant  Valley.  He  bough;  a  farm 
and  engaged,  for  five  years,  in  teaching  school  Winters  and  working  his 
farm  Summers.  He  then  gave  up  teaching,  and  gave  his  entire  attention 
to  farming  until  the  Winter  of  1S64.  when  he  moved  to  the  village  of 
Princeton.  In  1869.  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Judge,  which 
he  held  for  four  years.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
every  year  except  three,  since  1S60,  and  nearly  all  of  the  town  oflices, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  a  general  law,  collection,  real  estate  and  convey- 
ancing business.  He  was  married  at  Fort  Plain,  N.Y.,  Nov.  3,  1850,10 
Miss  May  H.  Eygabroad,  a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  four 
daughters. 

FREDRICK  SCHENDEL.  proprietor  of  hotel,  Princeton.  His 
house  is  a  two-story  brick,  containing  sixteen  rooms  for  guests,  and  is 
very  complete  in  all  its  appointments,  containing  a  good  billiard  and 
sample  rooms,  and  centrally  located.  He  was  born  near  Berlin, 
Prussia,  in  1845,  where  he  was  raised  and  educated.  He  came  direct 
from  Berlin  to  Princeton,  in  1870,  and  engaged  at  his  trade — that  of 
mason,  which  he  learned  in  the  Old  Country.  He  was  married  in  1871, 
to  Miss  Henrietta  Krausen.  They  have  three  children.  He  is  captain 
of  the  Princeton  Schuetzen  Verein. 

JOHN  P.  SCHNEIDER,  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  American 
House,  Princeton,  was  born  in  Schleswig  Holstein,  Germany,  in  1S17. 
He  was  a  son  of  Heinrich  and  Katrina  Schullz  Schneider.  'I'hey  were 
natives  of  Germany,  and  by  occupation  farmers.  Mr.  Schneider  was 
raised,  educated,  and  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith  in  his  native  place, 
also  served  four  years  in  the  army,  and,  when  the  war  between  Denmark 
and  Schleswig  Holstein  was  declared  in  1849,  he  was  commissioned  and 
given  a  command  of  4,000  men,  in  the  Danish  Army;  but,  having  con- 
sciencious  scruples  against  fighting  against  his  own  kin  and  the  land 
of  his  birth,  he  came  to  America,  locating  in  Milwaukee  in  1850,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  one  year.  Then,  in  connection  with  Charles 
Burbach,  established  business  which  he  conducted  for  one  year,  when  he 
went  to  California,  overland  route,  locating  fifteen  miles  from  Marysville, 
at  Charlie's  Ranch  on  the  Yuba  River,  where  he  carried  on  blacksmith- 
ing  for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Milwaukee,  remaining  one  year. 
He  then  moved  to  Oshkosh,  where  he  established  a  vinegar  factory, 
which  he  conducted  for  some  thirteen  years.  While  at  Oshkosh,  he  built 
two  halls.  The  first  was  called  the  Germania,  which  he  afterward  tore 
down,  and  built  upon  the  site  a  larger  one,  called  Schneider  Hall.  He 
was  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  first  two  fire  companies  in 
Oshkosh,  which  were  organized  in  his  (Germania)  hall,  and  for  five  years 
was  foreman  of  the  Germania,  No.  2,  and  was  also  lieuten.int  of  the 
Oshkosh  Rifle  Co.  In  l87i,he  exchanged  his  0.shkosh  property  for 
Youngs  Hotel  at  Berlin.  He  assumed  the  proprietorship  and  conducted 
it  for  two  years,  when  he  sold  the  hotel,  and  in  1875,  came  to  Princeton 
and  bought  the  hotel  he  now  owns.  Mr.  Schneider  has  been  several  years 
President  of  the  Village,  and  during  his  term  of  office  made  many  valu- 
able and  substantial  improvements.  He  was  also  captain  of  the 
Schuetzen  Verein,  of  Princqton,  which  oflice  he  resigned.  He  has  been 
three  times  married,  and  has  ten  living  children.  His  present  wife  was 
Katie  Hoyer.  They  were  married  at  Oshkosh  in  i860.  She  was  a  native 
of  Baden,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1S53.  They  have  six 
children. 

FERDINAND  T.  YAHR,  general  banking,  hardware,  lumber  and 
grain,  Princeton,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Dec.  13,  1S34.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Prussia,  and  a  manufacturer  of  prints,  calicoes,  etc.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Caroline  Lielendahl,  also  a  native  of  Prussia. 
She  died  in  her  native  land.  The  family  emigrated  to  America  in  1S49, 
locating  on  a  firm  near  Watertown,  and  where  the  father  now  lives. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  commenced  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in 
a  general  store  at  \V.iterto.vn,  where  he  was  engaged  about  three  years. 
H.;  then  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  which    he  followed  for  seventeen 


HISTORY  OF  GREEN  LAKE  COUNTY. 


361 


years  in  Berlin,  Waupun  and  Chicago.  In  1861,  he  came  to  Princeton,  and 
for  five  years  was  foreman  of  the  carriage  and  wagon  manufactory  of 
Aug  Dhiel.  Then  eslablished  blacksniithing,  which  he  conducted  two 
years,  one  year  in  company  with  August  Swanke.  At  the  expiration  of 
the  two  years,  he  engaged  in  buying  grain  and  selling  farming  imple- 
ments. In  1S74,  he  bought  the  hardware  stock  of  H.  H.  Hopkins,  and, 
in  1S75,  built  the  building  he  now  occupies,  and  the  same  year  added 
banking  business,  associating  with  him  Mr.  Thompson  and  Fish,  who  is 
now  president  of  the  bank.  Mr.  Thompson  retired  from  the  firm.  Mr. 
Yalir  is  a  self-made  man,  commencing  his  business  career  without  capital 
and  working  the  first  three  years  for  $130.  April  29.  1S61,  he  married 
Miss  Amelia  C.  Schaal,  a  native  of  Prussia  and  a  resident  of  Dodge 
County.  He  has  held  nearly  all  the  town  offices,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors.  He  is  a  member  of  Princeton  Lodge, 
No.  166,  also  of  the  Berlin  Commandery. 

M.\RKESAN. 
This  country  hamlet  is  very  pleasantly  situated  on  th'e 
rather  uneven  land  lying  both  sides  of  the  Grand  River,  in 
the  town  of  Mackford,  which  forms  the  southeast  boundary 
of  the  county.  The  village  was  platted  out,  September  i, 
1S49,  by  John  Chapel  and  Charles  E.  Russell,  who  chris- 
tened it  Granville.  The  post-office  was  established  one 
year  later,  under  the  name  of  Markesan.  John  B.  Seward 
settled  here  in  1845,  and  built  a  saw  and  grist  mill.  His 
was  the  first  frame  house  erected  in  the  village.  The  Con- 
gregationalists  were  the  first  to  hold  religious  services.  The 
society  was  organized  in  1847,  by  Rev.  A.  Montgomery  and 
J.  H.  Kissom,  at  which  time  the  church  numbered  seven 
members.  In  1858,  the  congregation  erected,  on  the  high, 
elevated  ground  east  of  the  center  of  the  village,  quite  an 
imposing  and  well-built  edifice,  for  public  worship.  The 
society  has  had  no  regular  pastor  for  several  years.  The 
churches  represented  at  present  in  the  village,  are  the  Uni- 
versalists.  Episcopal  and  Methodists.  The  Universalists 
hold  services  each  alternate  Sunday,  Rev.  McNeal,  pastor. 
Rev.  J.  Dumbleton  officiates  regularly  every  Sunday  for  the 
Methodists,  while  the  Episcopal  services  are  ably  conducted 
by  the  Rev.  George  Gibson,  every  Sunday  morning. 

Lodge  No.  59,  Freemasons,  was  organized  in  1850. 
The  society  now  numbers  forty  members,  and  meets  regu- 
larly the  first  Wednesday  in  each  month.  Present  officers  : 
George  McCracken,  W.  M. ;  Thomas  Atkinson,  secretary  ; 
S.  W.  Mather,  treasurer.  The  Good  Templars  have  a  flour- 
ishing organization  of  nearly  200  members.  The  lodge  re- 
ceives a  liberal  support  from  the  farmers,  who  take  a  great 
interest  in  advancing  the  cause.  The  Temple  of  Honor 
Hall,  where  the  society  holds  its  regular  meetings,  is  a  neat 
frame  structure,  very  tastily  fitted  up,  and  serves  as  a  lect- 
ure-room and  public  auditorium.  The  hall  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  500. 

The  village  receives  its  communication  from  the  outside 
world  by  the  means  of  a  daily  stage  line,  which  makes  con- 
nections with  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  at  Bran- 
don Station,  a  point  fourteen  miles  northeast,  in  Fond  du 
Lac  County.  The  stage  arrives  in  Markesan  at  1 1  a.  m.,  and 
leaves  at  2.30  p.  m.  The  post-office  is  at  present  in  charge 
of  William  Paddock,  who  does  quite  a  large  business  in  the 
way  of  sending  money-orders.  There  being  no  banks  in  the 
village,  the  people  are  obliged  to  resort  to  post-office  orders 
as  a  safe  means  of  sending  money. 


The  manufactories  of  Markesan  consist  of  one  grist-mill 
and  cheese  factory.  The  grist-mill  is  a  large  four-story 
frame  building,  and  has  a  capacity  for  eighty  barrels  of 
flour  per  day ;  water  power  supplied  by  Grand  River.  The 
cheese  factory  ranks  as  one  of  the  important  industries,  and 
manufactures  annually  60,000  pounds  of  cheese. 

Besides  these,  the  village  contains  four  general  stores, 
one  hardware  store,  two  wagon  shops,  one  blacksmith  shop, 
two  grocery  stores,  two  barber  shops,  one  millinery  store, 
and  one  hotel,  built  by  Hiram  Potts,  now  owned  by  George 
McCracken,  who  has  succeeded  in  making  for  himself  a 
wide  reputation  as  a  genial  and  obliging  landlord. 

The  Green  Lake  Coitnly  Democrat,  published  by  S.  D. 
Goodell,  was  moved  to  Markesan  from  the  village  of  Prince- 
ton, June  I,  1881.  It  is  now  the  only  Democratic  paper 
published  in  tlie  county,  and  ranks  second  in  circulation. 

The  village  of  Markesan  is  the  third  in  importance  in 
the  county  ;  the  center  of  a  very  rich  farming  country  ;  its 
trade,  which  is  already  very  large,  is  yearly  increasing,  while 
its  business  men  are  capable,  and  have  the  means  to  supply 
the  wants  of  the  population.  A  good  district  school-house, 
built  of  stone,  two  stories  high,  is  very  pleasantly  located 
upon  a  rise  of  ground  near  the  center  of  the  village.  The 
building  is  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  county. 

The  town  of  Mackford,  from  which  the  village  derives 
its  principal  support,  was  organized  in  1849.  At  the  first 
town  meeting  there  were  seven  votes  cast.  Squire  Mc- 
Donald was  elected  Chairman  ;  L.  Wooster  and  John  S. 
Toby,  Supervisors;  John  Chapel,  Justice  of  the  Peace;  J. 
C.  Mathews,  Town  Clerk.  The  first  white  settler  was  Hiram 
McDonald,  who  located  lands  as  early  as  1837.  His  father, 
Samuel  McDonald,  came  in  soon  after.  In  1843,  Hiram 
McDonald  erected  a  saw-mill,  at  which  time  the  village  of 
Waupun  had  but  fourteen  male  inhabitants  ;  twelve  out  of 
the  fourteen  were  present  at  the  raising.  In  1844,  George 
Pratt  and  Lyman  Austin  came  to  the  town,  and  in  1845-6, 
quite  a  number  were  added  to  the  settlement.  Among 
these  were  Austin  McCracken  and  sons,  William  Butler  and 
son,  James  Densmore,  William  Hare,  S.  M.  Knox,  John 
Larkin,  J.  L.  Millard,  Abram  Moore,  William  Shaw  and 
Barlow  Swift.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Mc- 
Cracken, in  1846,  in  her  father's  log  house.  In  1848,  a 
school-house  was  built  of  slabs,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  and  public  school  organized.  Dr.  Randall,  a  Method- 
ist minister,  preached  the  first  sermon,  in  1846.  The  serv- 
ices were  held  at  the  house  of  Lyman  Austin.  The  town 
of  Mackford  is  situated  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
county,  in  Town  14,  Range  13.  The  surface  is  gently  roll- 
ing, interspersed  with  prairie  and  openings.  The  land  is 
mostly  of  a  tillable  nature,  and  is  nearly  all  under  an  ex- 
cellent state  of  cultivation.  The  farmers  are  independently 
rich,  and  are  surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  that  a  well- 
to-do  farmer  could  wish  for,  such  as  cozy  dwelling-houses, 
neatly  furnished  ;  good,  substantial  barns,  with  all  the  im- 
proved machinery  of  modern  times.  Population  of  the 
town  principally  .Americans. 


362 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  C.  DE.\N,  mercham  tailor,  Markesan,  was  born  in  Ma- 
lone,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  2S,  1847.  His  father,  John  Dean,  was  a 
native  ot  New  York,  and  born  at  North  Hero,  a  point  of  land  jutting 
into  Lake  Champlain,  May  7,  1800.  He  was  of  Irish  ancestry,  and  a 
manufacturer  of  woolen  goods.  His  wife,  Lucy  Tucker,  was  born  at 
South  Hero,  on  Lake  Champlain.  Her  ancestors  were  early  settlers  of 
Vermont.  The  subject  of  this  biography  lived  with  his  parents  until 
nearly  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  enlisted  at  the  age  of  thirteen  in  Bat- 
tery D,  1st  N.  Y.  L.  A.,  July  27,  1S61,  serving  with  the  battery  during 
the  term  of  enlistment,  three  years.  He  participated  in  thirty-two  gen- 
eral engagements,  and  was  honorably  discharged  Sept.  6,  1864,  when  he 
returned  home.  November,  1S64.  he  re-enlisted  and  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant,  and  returned  to  his  battery  and  served  with  them  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  his  native  State  and  en- 
gaged in  difl'erent  branches  of  industry  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S75.  He  located  at  Sparta;  from  there  he  went  to  St.  Louis;  remain- 
ing a  few  months,  he  returned  to  Beaver  Dam,  and  in  September,  1S78, 
came  to  Markesan  and  established  his  present  business.  He  was  mar- 
ried at  Sparta.  June  17,  1877,  to  Miss  Edith  Sloper.  They  have  one  son, 
Claud  H. 

JOHN  DUMBLETON,  pastor  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Mar- 
kesan, was  born  in  Buckinghamshire,  Eng.,  in  1S2S.  His  father.  Rev.  John 
Dumbleton,  was  a  native  of  Eneland  and  a  clergyman,  and  for  twenty- 
two  consecutive  years  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
Swanbourn,  Buckinghamshire,  where  he  died  in  1871,  after  long  years 
of  usefulness,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Sarah  Alderman.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  pursued  his  theologi- 
cal studies  under  private  tuition,  and  began  his  clerical  labors  as  pastor 
of  the  Brading  Congregational  Church,  Isle  of  Wight,  where  he  re- 
mained four  and  one-half  years,  and  was  also  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  Kent.  Then,  after  devoting  one  year  in  London,  en- 
gaged in  missionary  work.  He  moved  to  Toronto,  Canada,  and  en- 
gaged with  the  North  American  Tract  Society,  establishing  a  new  mis- 
sion among  the  lumbermen  in  Northern  Canada.  He  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1873.  locating  at  Sussex,  Waukesha  Co.,  remaining  there  one  year 
as  pastor  of  the  B.  C.  Methodist  Church,  then  labored  one  year  for  the 
B.  C.  Methodist  Church  at  Little  Prairie,  Walworth  Co.;  then  to  Bur 
lington,  Racine  Co.,  where  he  remained  two  years,  when  he  came  to 
Kingston,  Green  Lake  Co.,  remaining  there  as  pastor  of  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  one  year,  when  he  removed  to  Markesan.  His  pas- 
toral charge  includes  the  churches  of  Kingston,  Marquette.  Lake  Maria 
and  Markesan.  He  was  married  in  St.  Johns.  London,  by  Dr.  U.  Hughs 
in  1853.  to  Miss  Annie  Jordon.     They  have  eight  children. 

CHARLES  LAMBERT,  Markesan,  was  born  in  County  Surry, 
Eng..  March  27,  1S29.  He  is  a  son  of  Heniy  Lambert,  who  was  a  dry 
goods  merchant  and  Phosbe  Knight  Lambert.  They  were  both  natives 
of  England.  During  the  year  183S,  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  Mr.  Lam- 
bert came  to  America  with  a  Quaker,  by  name  John  Robinson,  and  set- 
tled with  him  on  a  farm  near  Palmyra,  N.  Y.  He  remained  with  him 
until  1S48,  when  he  engaged  with  Henry  Fellows,  living  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  to  learn  the  cooper's  trade,  with  whom  he  remained  one 
year.  In  1850,  he  came  to  Kenosha,  and  after  a  short  time,  to  Green 
Lake  County,  locating  on  160  acres  of  Indian  land  near  Princeton.  Up 
to  1863,  he  was  engaged  in  the  various  occupations  of  hotel-keeping, 
grocery  and  butchering  business.  In  that  year,  he  was  employed  by  the 
Government  as  a  mechanic,  and  attached  to  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  located  at  Nashville.  Tenn., 
where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to 
Markesan  and  established  his  present  business,  that  of  dealer  in  furni- 
ture, etc.  He  was  elected  Town  Clerk  in  1873.  and  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  1874.  and  has  held  both  offices  since.  In  1853,  he  married  Miss  Ma- 
ria A.  Crown,  a  native  of  Vermont.     They  have  eight  children. 

AUSTIN  McCRACKEN,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  Markesan, 
was  born  at  Shelburne,  Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  May  12,  1807.  His  father, 
John  McCracken,  was  aiso  born  in  the  same  county.  His  paternal  an- 
cestry are  supposed  to  have  been  Scotchmen,  and  were  among  the  earli- 
est settlers  of  Vermont.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
biography  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  assisted  in  the  capture  and 
defeat  of  Burgoyne.  He  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Gen.s.  Ethan 
Allen  and  Putnam.  His  brother.  Col.  McCracken.  also  participated  in 
the  same  war,  and  lost  an  arm  in  the  service.  Mr.  McCracken  removed 
to  Batavia,  Western  New  York,  with  his  parents,  who  were  farmers,  at 
the  age  of  four  years,  remaining  with  them  until  the  age  of  nineteen, 
when  he  went  to  Ann  .\rbor.  Mich.  Remaining  but  a  few  months,  he 
returned  to  Batavia.  In  1832,  he  went  toSaline,  Washtenaw  Co.,  Mich  , 
where  he  remained,  engaging  in  various  occupations,  until  the  Fall  of 
1835.  when  he  went  to  Chicago,  remaining  there  three  months.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin,  and  m.ade  a  claim  where  the  village  of  East  Troy  now 
stands,  which  he  located  June  I,  1836,  and  the  next  Fall  moved  his 
family  on  to  it.  He  remained  there  ten  years,  engaged  in  farming,  and 
during  that  time  was  delegated  by  Byron  Killburn  to  visit  the  Terri- 
torial Legislature,  then  in  session  near  the  Mississippi  Kiver,  and  obtain 


the  laws  whereby  to  incorporate  Milwaukee  as  a  village.  He  came  to 
this  county  (then  included  in  Marquette  County)  in  1S46.  and  located  on 
the  land  and  laid  out  the  village  plat  of  Mackford.  Being  public 
spirited,  ambitious  and  generous,  he  contributed  liberally  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  citizens  and  build  up  the  country.  He  made  a  donation  of 
a  Sabbath-school  library  to  the  Congregational  Church.  He  was  married 
at  Batavia,  N.Y.,  July  1,1830,  to  Miss  Caroline  McLard,  who  was  a  native 
of  East  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  well  preserved  man,  for  one  of  his  age. 
and  actively  engaged  in  his  profession,  and  comes  of  a  family  noted  for 
longevity,  his  grandmother  dying  in  Rochester,  N.  Y..  at  the  advanced 
age  of  one  hundred  ;  and  his  father  was  killed  by  accident,  while  attend- 
ing the  county  fair  at  Batavia,  N.  Y..  having  walked  from  his  home,  some 
two  miles,  to  attend  it,  at  the  age  of  ninety-six. 

ABRAM  MOORE,  retired  farmer,  Markesan,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Shirley,  Mass.,  June  21,  1809.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  stone 
cutter,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  his  ancestors  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  New  England,  and  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  mar- 
tied  Miss  Vina  Farr,  a  native  of  Vermont,  at  Chesterfield,  N.  H.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  at  the  age  of  two  years  moved  with  his  parents  to 
New  Hampshire,  and  lived  with  them  until  twenty-two  years  old,  when 
he  went  to  St.  Johnsbury.  Vt.,  and  learned  the  foundry  business,  remain- 
ing there  eighteen  months.  He  then  came  West,  living  in  Michigan  and 
Indiana  some  thirteen  years.  He  helped  to  build  and  start  the  first 
blast  furnace  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  located  at  Mishawaka,  St.  Joseph  Co., 
and  assisted  in  building  several  other  furnaces  in  different  localities. 
In  company  with  his  brother  Hiram,  he  built  and  conducted  the  foundry 
business  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  and  there  made  the  first  sickle  ever  used 
on  a  reaping  or  mowing  machine.  They  also  built  a  machine  that 
would  cut,  thresh,  clean,  and  put  in  bags  wheat  and  other  grain.  The 
machine  was  a  modern  w-onder,  and  performed  its  work  perfectly,  and 
would  cut,  clean,  thresh  and  put  in  bags  from  twenty  to  forty  acres  a 
day.  McCormick  attempted  to  get  possession  of  the  patent  for  the 
sickle,  and  obtain  control  of  it,  and  expended  some  $30,000  in  law  suits 
and  various  other  ways,  to  accomplish  his  end,  and  eventually,  in  con- 
sideration of  a  sum  of  money  paid  to  Hiram  Moore,  did  obtain  con- 
trol  of  it.  Mr.  Moore  came  to  Wisconsin  in  April,  1S46,  and  located 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Manchester,  Green  Lake  Co.,  and  engaged 
in  farming  He  retired  from  the  farm  in  1861,  and  moved  to  Markesan. 
He  was  married  at  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  Dec.  3,  1843.  to  Miss  Helen 
Botts,  who  was  born  at  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  July  6,  1S09.  They  have 
one  child  living,  Louisa  M.,  now  Mrs.  D.  D.  Williams. 

WILLLAM  PADDOCK,  harness  maker  and  carriage  trimmer,  and. 
Postmaster,  Markesan,  was  born  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  Jan.  6,  1832.  His 
ancestors  were  from  England.  His  father.  Benjamin  F.  Paddock,  was 
born  at  Hartford,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  and  by  trade  a  harness  maker.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Arabella  Scott,  a  native  of  Waitsfield,  Vt. 
In  1836,  Mr.  Paddock  removed  with  his  parents  to  .Albany,  N.Y.,  where 
they  lived  one  year.  They  moved  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  remaining  there 
eleven  years,  where  Mi.  Paddock  received  an  academic  education.  He 
left  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  being  advanced  in  his  studies  for 
that  age,  having  read  Virgil,  Cicero  and  Sallust.  He  came  West  with 
his  parents  in  the  Spring  of  1S4S.  They  came  up  the  lakes  from  BulTalo 
in  the  side-wheel  steamer  "  Superior."  It  was  her  first  trip,  and  she  had 
on  board  1,200  passengers.  They  located  at  Neenah.  The  following 
Winter,  they  removed  to  Green  Bay.  where  they  established  the  harness 
business.  They  made  the  trip  by  river,  on  what  was  then  called  a  Dur- 
ham boat,  passing  over  all  the  rapids  between  Neenah  and  Depere. 
They  remained  in  Green  Bay  one  and  one-half  years,  and  returned  to 
Neenah.  In  1851,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  established  a  harness  mak- 
ing business  at  Ripon.  He  remained  there  three  years,  and  then  returned 
to  Neenah,  where  he  remained  three  years,  when  he  again  returned  to 
Ripon,  and  remained  until  1864.  when  he  came  to  Markesan  and  es- 
tablished his  present  business.  He  has  held  the  various  offices  of  Post- 
master, Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  elected  member  of  Assembly  in 
1880,  defeating  his  Democratic  opponent  by  a  vote  of  1,718  to  1,264. 
Mr.  Paddock  was  married  in  the  town  of  Pomfret.  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan. 
23,  1S59,  to  Miss  Laura  J.  Harding.  They  have  two  sons.  Elmer  Ells- 
worth, the  oldest,  is  at  Oshkosh.  keeping  books.  Walter  Scott,  the 
youngest,  has  charge  of  the  Post-office  at  Markesan,  and  assists  his  father 
in  business. 

LUTHER  A.  PHELPS,  Markesan,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farm- 
ers of  Green  Lake  County.  His  farm  embraces  1,000  acres;  he  also 
owns  350  acres  in  the  town  of  Randolph.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  dairy 
business,  keeping  100  cows.  He  was  bom  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y., 
June  20.  181S.  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Woolsey)  Phelps.  They 
were  both  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Phelps  lived  upon  his  father's 
farm  until  1845.  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  in  the  town  of 
Addison.  Washington  Co.,  where  for  eight  years  he  engaged  in  farming. 
He  then  came  to  Green  Lake  and  purchased  200  acres  of  land,  which 
is  a  part  of  his  present  extensive  farm.  He  w.as  married  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1845,  to  Miss  Wealthy  Heaton,  a  native  of  New  York. 
They  have  two  sons  and  two  dau^^hters. 

CHARLES  E.  RUSSELL,  retired  farmer,  Markesan,  was  born  in 
Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  Oct.  25,  1808.     He  is  a  son  of  John   .ind  Charit/ 


HISTORY    OF    GREEN    LAKE  COUNTY. 


363 


fEvarts)  Russell.  They  were  farmers,  and  natives  of  New  York.  Mr. 
Russell  was  raised  and  educated  and  lived  in  his  native  State  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1844.  He  entered  some  land  at  what  was  known 
as  Tichora,  and  the  same  year  returned  to  Connecticut.  He  again  re- 
turned to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  sold  the  land  he  had  entered,  and  bought 
the  land  he  now  owns,  which  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  Little  Green 
Lake.  His  home  .as  been  in  Green  Lake  County  ever  since.  He  was 
married  in  Connecticut,  in  1832,  to  Miss  Catherine  C.  Deming,  a  n?tive 
of  Massachusetts.  They  have  two  sons  and  two  daughters  living.  John, 
the  oldest,  is  in  Minnesota,  and  engaged  in  farming  ;  Emmet  C,  the 
youngest,  is  living  on  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Russell  owns  490  acres 
of  land. 

DR.  CHARLES  WARE,  physician  and  surgeon,  Markesan,  was 
born  at  Middletown.  Conn.,  July2r,  1S21.  His  ancestors  were  English. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Palmer)  Ware,  who  were  both  natives 
of  Vermont,  and  their  ancestors  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  that  State. 
His  father  was  a  contractor  and  ship  carpenter,  and  a  noted  artisan  in 
his  branch  of  industry.  Dr.  Ware  received  his  preli  ninary  education  in 
Vermont,  and  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Witter,  of  Seville,  Medina  Co., 
Ohio  ;  also  attended  lectures  at  Cleveland  Medical  College,  and  gradu- 
ated at  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  in  the  class  of  184S,  having  pre- 
viously read  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  K.  Bartlett,  of  Milwaukee.  He  re- 
moved from  Connecticut  to  Ohio  in  1S40,  and  to  Milwaukee  in  1847. 
The  year  of  his  graduation,  he  came  to  Green  Lake  County  and  com- 
menced practice.  He  was  at  one  time  located  at  Ripon  and  Kingston. 
He  was  married  at  Chicago,  in  1848,  to  Miss  Martha  A.  Sheldon,  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont.  They  have  one  son,  Charles,  Jr.  Dr.  Ware  has  lived 
in  Markesan  twenty  years. 

DARTFORD. 

This  picturesque  little  village  is  situated  at  the  outlet  of 
Green  Lake,  on  a  somewhat  high  point  of  sandy  land  be- 
tween the  lake  and  the  Puckaway.  It  is  on  the  line  of  the 
Fond  du  Lac  &  Western  Railroad,  and  has  a  population  of 
400,  mostly  Americans  from  the  Middle  and  New  England 
States.  The  county  seat  was  permanently  located  at  this 
place  in  1867.  It  being  the  most  central  point  in  the 
county,  there  is  little  danger  of  it  ever  being  deprived  of 
its  well-earned  right  to  the  possession  of  the  records.  The 
village  was  named  after  Anson  Dart,  the  first  white  settler, 
he  having  located  land  as  early  as  1840.  The  town  plat  was 
laid  out  January  28,  1847,  by  John  C.  Sherwood  and  Put- 
nam C.  Dart.  Mr.  Dart  kept  the  first  post-office,  established 
in  1847.  S.  M.  Walcott  opened  the  first  stock  of  merchan- 
dise, and  B.  B.  Spalding  was  the  first  to  introduce  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  Among  others  who  took  an  active  part 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  village,  were  William  II. 
Dakin,  Giles  H.  Marshall,  D.  L.  Harkness,  William  C. 
Sherwood,  James  Catlin,  John  E.  Sheppard,  D.  R.  Thurs- 
ton, H.  A.  Buck,  John  S.  Ward,  Charles  De  Groff,  R.  J. 
Stratton,  John  S.  Root,  Charles  E.  Stacey  and  B.  D.  Eaton. 

In  the  Spring  of  1846,  Sherwood  &  Dart  built  the  first 
saw-mill,  and  the  following  year  erected  a  four-story  frame 
grist-mill,  4o.\6o.  In  1855,  John  C.  Sherwood  built  a  large 
woolen-mill,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  Mr.  Edwin  Quick  was 
given  the  management,  and  succeeded  in  doing  a  profitable 
business  until  1873,  when  the  mill  was  entirely  destroyed 
by  fire,  .\nson  Dart  was  made  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  a  Mr.  Stimpson  built  the  first  hotel.  The  first 
school  district  was  organized  April  10,  1847. 

The  Methodists  were  the  first  to  organize  a  religious 
society  in  the  town.  Their  first  services  were  held  at  pri- 
vate houses  and  the  public  school-house.  The  Church  was 
duly  organized  in  1849,  and  a  church  building  erected  in 
1850,  the  first  one  in  the  county;  a  bell  was  added  in  1851. 
Rev.  R.  S.  Hayward  was  the  pioneer  minister,  and  preaciied 


the  first  sermon  in  the  Spring  of  1848.  Present  pastor, 
Rev.  E.  A.  Wanless.  The  old  meeting-house  is  still  stand- 
ing ;  some  improvements  have  been  made  by  the  congre- 
gation.    The  Church  numbers  about  sixty  members. 

Congregational  Church. — In  1847,  this  society  num- 
bered seven  members.  Their  names  were  Horton  Beemer, 
Mary  Beemer,  Mary  Curtis,  Julius  Curtis,  Eli  Hayes,  Naomi 
Hayes  and  Jane  Owen.  Rev.  C.  Marsh  preached  the  first 
sermon.  The  Church  was  regularly  organized  July  28, 
1849.  The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1857.  The  con- 
gregation is  visited  at  present  by  the  Rev.  C.  G.  Baldwin, 
of  Ripon. 

Green  Lake  Lodge,  No.  147,  F.  &  A.  M.,  meets  second 
and  fourth  Saturdays  of  each  month  ;  organized  October 
31,1863.  Charter  members:  William  Vilet,  W.  M. ;  P.  H. 
Prime,  S.  W. ;  P.  L.  Fursin,  J.  W.  ;  D.  Hyer,  treasurer ; 
J.  N.  Brooks,  secretary;  H.  L.  Barnes,  S.  D. ;  H.  De 
Queen,  J.  D.  The  lodge  now  numbers  about  thirty  mem- 
bers. 

.A  flourishing  Temperance  organization,  numbering  some 
eighty  members,  meets  regularly  once  a  week. 

The  manufactories  of  Dartford  consist  of  one  large  four- 
story  stone  grist-mill,  with  a  capacity  of  120  barrels  of  flour 
per  day  ;  one  cheese  factory,  established  in  the  Spring  of 
1881 ;  one  creamery,  and  one  large  sorghum  manufactory. 
The  business  portion  of  the  village  contains  four  good 
stores,  two  blacksmith  and  wagon  shops,  two  boot  and  shoe 
shops,  one  drug  store,  two  hotels  and  the  post-office,  now 
in  charge  of  J.  N.  Brooks.  The  county  buildings,  substan- 
tial stone  structures,  add  largely  to  the  general  appearance 
of  the  town. 

EIOGR.APHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  H.  CAREER,  P.  O.  Dartford.  Was  born  June  10,  1S39,  in 
Onond.iga  Co.,  N.  V.  Son  of  H.  T.  and  Susan  (Brotherton)  Garber. 
Settled  at  Marquette,  in  1856,  and  followed  boating  on  Fox  River.  Af- 
terward purchased  an  interest  in  the  stern  wheel  steamer  "  Ella,"  and  a 
half  interest  in  the  steamer  "  Rushford  "  In  1S66,  he  received  certifi- 
cate as  pilot,  and  commission  as  captain,  and  in  1875,  received 
a  master's  certificate.  Runs  from  Green  Bay  to  Prairie  du  Chien. 
June  14.  l86o,  he  married  Lavina,  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  and 
Sally  (Tinker)  Parker,  of  Marquette,  Wis.  Has  two  children, 
Emma  R.,  born  June  30,  1S61,  now  teaching  school,  third  term  ;  Florence 
E.,  born  March  14,  1S66,  died  Feb.  23,  1881.  Mr.  Garber  enlisted,  Nov. 
6,  lS6i,  in  3d  Bat.  Wis.  V.  C,  for  three  years.and  served  until  June,  1S65. 
He  was  wounded  at  Baxter  Springs,  Oct.  6,  1S63,  the  ball  striking  his  left 
shoulder  and  lodging  in  right  lung,  where  it  still  remains.  He  was 
otherwise  slightly  wounded  three  times,  but  survived  to  draw  a  pension. 
Was  once  taken  prisoner.     Liberal  Republican  and  temperance  man. 

E.C.  MILLER,  proprietor  of  Miller's  Hotel,  Dartford.  Born  at 
Middletown,  Conn.,  Sept.  22,  1835.  Son  of  Samuel  C.  and  Caroline 
(Blinn)  Miller,  of  English  descent.  Came  to  Berlin  in  1867,  as  agent 
for  estate  of  John  Woolsey,  which  he  settled  in  September,  iSSo.  In 
1S77,  he  kept  the  Pleasant  Point  House,  at  Green  Lake,  and  in  187S, 
was  manager  of  the  Sherwood  Forest  House,  and  was  also  Chairman  of 
Board  of  Supervisors.  In  1S79-80,  was  Sheriff  of  Green  Lake  County. 
Is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  filled  most  of  the  offices  pertaining 
to  that  order.  His  father  died  in  May,  1S76.  aged  sixty-three  years.  His 
mother  still  lives  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  sis- 
ter is  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Wilmot,  merchant  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  Mar- 
ried, Dec.  18.  1861,  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  by  Rev.  George  Slillman 
(Methodist),  to  Emma  I.,  d.aughter  of  John  W.  and  Mary  (Boughton) 
French.  Has  a  daughter,  Carrie  May.  born  June  9.  1874-  M""S-  >Iiller 
was  born  .\pril  9,  1842.  The  Miller  House  was  built  by  Mr.  Root  about 
1S4S  ;  Deacon  G.  C.  Mills  transferred  it  to  Miller  in  April.  iSSl.  Mr. 
Miller  was  an  efficient  officer,  and  knows  howto;keep  a  hotel,  as  his 
many  friends  can  testify.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  the  town  two-thirds 
Republican. 

REV.  EDWARD  A.  WANLESS,  P.  O.  Dartford.  Bom  April  8. 
1837,  at  St.  Andrews,  County  of  Argenieuil,  Canada.     Son  of  Thomas 


364 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  Eliznbeth  (Jone=)  Wanless,  of  Scotland.  His  mother  died  aged 
sixty-four  ye.nrs,  nnd  hisf.ither  died  in  1S73,  =>'  Denver,  Col ,  aged  sev- 
enly-seven.  Mr.  W.  c.inie  to  the  United  Slates  in  1857,  and  followed  the 
milling  business  about  nine  years  at  .Sandwich.  III.,  and  other  localities. 
He  then  prosecuted  his  studies  two  years  at  Koscoe,  111.,  and  five  years 
at  lieloit  College,  for  the  church.  Having  in  course  of  studies  incurred 
a  debt  of  about  S900.  he  engaged  in  business  in  Chicago  nine  months, 
to  start  even  with  the  world,  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Missionary 
Society,  under  who>e  auspices  he  embarked  for  Turkey,  in  May,  iffiS. 
Was  one  and  one-half  years  at  Constantinople,  and  two  years  at  Kust- 
chuk.  Was  then  re-called,  and  supplied  chuich  at  Hebron.  Wis.,  in 
1S72.  at  Port  Washington  in  1S73,  then  at  Waterloo  and  Marshall  until 
1S75,  at  Watertown  in  1S76,  and  in  Ulica,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  up  to 
iSSo,  and  then  to  Darlford.  While  at  Port  Washincton  he  was  instru- 
mental in  building  up  a  church  ^and  a  fine  church  edi'fice)  and  at  Utica  a 
fine  parsonage.  Has  been  a  very  active  Temperance  worker  all  his  life. 
Married,  May  12.  1S6S,  Sarah  A.  Kinsman,  of  Beloit,  who  died  in  Tur- 
key, in  1S71,  leaving  one  daughter.  Laura  A.  T.,  who  was  born  Feb.  19, 
1871.  (For  portrait  and  extended  obituary  notice,  see  Ladies'  Keposilory 
for  June,  1S72.)  Mr.  W.  is  an  energetic  and  thorough  woiker,  and  has 
charge  of  the  church  at  Democrat  Prairie.  He  has  repeatedly  refused  a 
salary  of  $1,200  per  year,  and  is  now  receiving  onlvS400and  house  rent. 
In  May,  1S76.  he  married  .Sarah  M.,  daughter  of' Hon.  A.  R.  Earle,  of 
Azialan,  Jefferson  Co.  In  his  surroundings  may  be  i-een  abundant 
evidence  that  he  still  adheres  to  liis  principles,  /.  e..  that  it  was  not  his 
intention  to  spoil  a  first-class  miller  to  make  a  second-class  minister.  He 
reads  and  writes  several  langu.iges,  and  speaks  three  with  fluency.  In 
viewing  his  large  and  well  assorted  library,  we  find  books  of  rare  merit 
and  great  value,  in  English,  German,  Greek  and  Hebrew,  etc.,  among 
which  are  the  complete  works  of  Isaac  Watts,  Cave's  works  on  the 
"Apostles  and  Fathers,"  of  which  there  are  very  few  copies  extant ;  also 
"Sermons  uiion  the  Sondayes  and  Feastivall  Days,"  published  in  London 
in  1549.  He  has  also  several  fine  paintings,  portraits,  etc.,  by  his  wife 
(Sarah  Earle),  and  some  very  fine  views  of  ancient  buildings  in  the  coun- 
tries through  which  he  traveled,  also  a  portrait  of  his  little  girl,  painted 
by  a  German  Countess,  dolls  dressed  to  represent  Turkish  ladies  in  vari- 
ous styles,  coffee  cups  and  holders,  silks  and  fabrics  of  various  kinds, 
reed  pens,  mentioned  in  Scripture,  and  now  in  use  in  oriental  countries, 
national  cap.  wooden  spoons  and  knives,  etc.,  and  spinning  wheel  which 
consists  of  one  small  stick  of  wood  eight  inches  in  length.  He  has  also 
fine  representations  of  the  Mosque  of  St.  .Sophie,  built  by  Constantine 
the  Great,  and  rebuilt  (in  colored  marble),  by  Justinian,  about  306.  and 
for  700  years  used  as  a  Greek  church  ;  also  picture  of  Robert  College, 
where  they  teach  in  seventeen  languages,  and  all  graduate  in  English. 
He  has  fine  pictures  of  the  translators  of  the  Bible,  Briggs,  Goodell  and 
Schuffler.  He  has  a  book,  printed  by  M.  Fief  be,  for  Royfton,  book- 
seller to  his  most  Gracious  Majesty,  at  the  Aits^el  in  Amen  Comer, 
MDCLXXXIV.  Also  a  large  collection  of  antique  coins  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  Macedonian  and  Byzantian  and  Antonomo,  United  Slates,  etc., 
some  of  which  are  dated  359  B.  C,  and  so  down  to  the  seventh  century, 
also  one  (the  Istria),  of  which  there  are  only  two  known  to  be  in  this 
country,  on  which  evidence.  Prof.  Butler,  of  Madison,  wrote  an  elaborate 
criticism,  on  the  heretofore  accepted  theory  as  to  the  location  of  the 
ancient  city  of  Istria. 

GEORGE  W.  WHITNEY,  Dartford,  jeweler,  barber,  restaurant, 
ventriloquist  and  magician  ;  also  lectures  on  spiritual  manifestations 
(exposing  the  tricks  of  Davenport  biothers,  Slade  and  others).  Was 
born  April  2,  1835,  in  Springfield.  Coos  Co.,  N.  H.,  son  of  Samuel  B. 
and  Deborah  (Mansel)  Whitney.  Samuel  B.  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and 
preached  from  his  eighteenth  year  up  to  time  of  his  death,  at  forty-five 
years  of  age.  Deborah  is  still  living,  in  Iowa,  aged  eighty-seven  years 
(iSSi).  Mr.  Whitney  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S50,  and  settled  in  Wau- 
shara County  ;  then,  two  years  later,  moved  to  Mayville,  Dodge  Co.; 
then  to  Marquette  and  Kingston,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  Sept.  22, 
1S55.  married  Josephine  Ilalvenstot,  of  Kingston,  who  died  at  Mar- 
quette in  1S63.  leaving  two  children.  One  of  them  died  young,  and 
Charles  E.,  who  was  born  April  22.1857,  is  single  and  living  at  Mar- 
quette. Mr.  Whitney  transferred  his  business  interests  for  a  short  time 
to  Iowa,  and  in  1S64.  married  Jane  Parker,  of  Marquette,  by  whom  he 
has  two  children;  Ellah,  born  July  22,  1869;  Clarence,  born  April  28, 
1873.  Mr.  Whitney  formerly  traveled  wiih  Profs.  Anderson  and  Sand, 
and  is  an  expert  in  the  various  professions  mentioned.  Is  a  Liberal 
Republican  and  temperance  man. 

KINGSTON. 

The  town  of  Kingston  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Mar- 
quette, on  the  east  by  the  town  of  Manchester  ;  on  the  south 
by  Columbia  County;  on  the  west  by  Waushara  County;  it 
is  situated  in  the  southwest  corner  of  tlie  county,  in  Town- 
ship 14,  Range  11   east.      The  town,  prior  to    1850,  form- 


ed a  part  of  Marquette  Town,  at  which  time  it  was  set  off 
and  organized  under  the  name  of  Kingston. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  generally  level  or  rolling, 
with  the  exception  of  Mt.  Moriah,  which  rises  to  a  consid- 
erable height.  Among  the  first  actual  settlers  who  came  in 
1846  were  George  Bently,  Isaac  Fuller,  A.  D.  C.  Knowlton, 
-\nson  Babcock,  Harry  Dart,  Isaac  Hewett,  O.  W.  Row  and 
Thomas  Mozley.  In  1828,  a  French  half-breed  named 
Poquette  settled  on  what  is  known  as  the  Bellefontain  farm, 
in  the  western  part  of  the  town.  Poquette  was  an  Indian 
trader  and  a  Government  agent.  He  married  a  squaw  and 
was  afterward  killed  by  the  Indians  in  some  quarrel.  He 
is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  massive  proportions,  being  six 
feet  three  inches  in  height,  and  weighed  nearly  300  pounds. 
After  Poquette's  death  the  post  at  Bellefontain  was  broken 
up.  Rev.  Sergeant,  the  pioneer  Baptist  minister,  organized 
the  first  church,  in  1846.  The  first  Methodist  Church  was 
organized  the  year  following.  Elder  Stone  officiating.  The 
first  school  was  taught  by  N.  W.  Bow,  in  1846.  It  is  said 
that  his  neighbors  turned  out  and  made  fence  for  him  to 
pay  their  school  tax.  Among  other  incidents  of  interest 
which  transpired  was  the  murder  of  a  little  charity  boy  by 
a  man  named  Norton  and  his  wife.  The  boy  had  made  a 
statement  relating  to  some  transaction  of  an  uncommenda- 
ble  sort  which  had  transpired  in  the  family  which  they  un- 
dertook to  make  him  retract  and  say  he  had  lied.  The  boy 
refused  to  do  so  and  was  whipped  to  death.  Norton  and 
his  wife  were  sent  to  State  prison  for  ten  years. 

The  village  of  Kingston  has  a  population  of  400  and  is 
cozily  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Grand  River,  which 
crosses  the  eastern  corner  of  the  town.  The  village  contains 
several  good  stores;  two  wagon  shops;  one  blacksmith 
shop  ;  one  tin  shop ;  one  good  hotel,  and  two  church  edi- 
fices. The  town  plat  was  laid  out  by  E.  R.  Stevens  and  E. 
H.  Dart.  Good  water  power  is  obtained  from  Grand  River. 
This  power  was  first  utilized  by  Drummond  &  Hewett,  dur- 
ing the  year  of  1S47,  at  which  time  they  erected  a  large  four- 
story  grist  mill,  the  first  one  in  the  town.  In  1855,  the  mill 
was  purchased  by  Judge  Millard  and  W.  U.  Fox.  The 
Judge  still  retains  his  interest  in  the  mill,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  and  Henry  Peltit.  They  use  constantly 
four  run  of  stone,  and  have  a  capacity  of  120  barrels  of  flour 
per  day. 

B10GRAPHIC.-\L    SKETCHES. 

MORTIMER  W.  STEVENS,  retired  merchant,  Kingston,  was  born 
in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  30,  1S17.  His  ancestors  were  from  England, 
and  emigrated  to  America  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century,  lo- 
cating at  Taunton,  Ma-s.,  where  his  parents,  Henry  B.  and  Sarah  (Win- 
slow)  Stevens,  were  born — they  were  farmers.  The  ancestors  of  Mr. 
Stevens  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  were  loyal  to  their 
adopted  country.  Mr.  Stevens  commenced  his  business  career  as  a  drug 
clerk  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  five  consec- 
utive years,  when  he  established  a  general  merchandising  business  in 
Wales  Center,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  locating 
at  Kingston  and  engaging  in  general  merchandising.  He  built  the 
second  liuilding  in  the  village,  and  now  owns  and  occupies  as  a  residence 
the  first  building  erected  in  Kingston.  He  conducted  his  business  very 
successfully  until  i860,  when  he  retired,  and  has  since  given  his  atten- 
tion 10  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married.  May  2,  1842,  in  Ontario 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Cordelia  B.  Vandermark.  a  native  of  New  York. 
They  have  four  children. 

RUFUS  F.  BILLINGS,  drugs,  dry  goods  and  groceries,  Kingston, 
was  born  in  PouUney,  Vt.,  March  31,  1S54.     He  is  a  son  of  Carlos  and 


HISTORY  OF  GREEN  LAKE  COUNTY. 


365 


Irene  (Eddy)  Billings,  who  were  both  natives  of  Vermont,  and  whose 
ant-estors  participated  in  the  wars  of  the  Revolution  and  1812.  Mr. 
Billings  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  and  located  at  Kingston  in 
1853,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  commenced  his  business  career  as 
successor  to  the  drug  business  of  W.  R.  Wilkins  ;  commencing  without 
capital,  he  has  been  very  successful.  He  was  married,  June  6,  1875,  to 
Miss  Virginia  Clark,  a  native  of  this  State.     They  have  three  children. 

FRANK  GO.SS,  blacksmith,  Kingston,  was  born  in  town  of  Concord, 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  18,  1827.  His  paternal  ancestors  were  from  En- 
gland, and  among  the  early  settlers  of  Vermont.  His  great  grandfather 
participated  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  His  father,  Foster  T.,  w.is  a 
native  of  Brandon,  Vt.  His  mother,  Susan  (Marsh)  Goss,  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  Mr.  Goss  learned  his  trade  with  his  father.  They  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1S45.  locating  at  Fox  Lake,  where  they  remained  one  year. 
Mr.  Goss  came  to  Kingston  and  built  the  first  blacksmith  shop  erected 
in  the  village.  He  married  at  Kingston,  in  October,  184S,  Miss  Mary 
E.  Burs,  a  native  of  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children 
living. 

ELMORE  G.  BOYNTON,  general  merchandising.  Kingston,  was 
born  in  Sudbury,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  Dec.  26,  1S56.  He  is  a  son  of  Na- 
poleon B.  and  Sarah  H.  (Sanders)  lioynton,  whose  ancestors  were  among 
tlie  early  settlers  of  Vermont.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  a  celebrated 
and  successful  breeder  of  fine  wool  sheep — registered  stock — and  owned 
the  celebrated  ram,  Wisconsin,  that  took  the  prize  medal  at  the  Centen- 
nial Exhibition,  Pliiladelphia.  He  came  to  Kingston  in  1S53,  and  en- 
gaged in  same  business,  and  also  established  mercantile  business,  which 
he  conducted  successfully  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  September, 
1879.  Elmore  G.  commenced  his  business  career  in  1S69,  as  assistant 
in  Ins  father's  store,  and  in  company  with  R.  F.  Billings,  succeeded  to 
the  business,  April  i,  1873.  The  copartnership  continued  one  and  one 
half  years  ;  Mr.  Billings  went  out,  and  Parker  A.  Thayer  took  an  inter- 
est, remaining  till  October,  1S77.  since  which  time  Mr.  Boynton  has  been 
sole  proprietor.  He  has  commenced  in  a  small  way  breeding  fine  wool 
sheep.  He  was  married,  in  October,  1874,  to  Miss  Julia  Woodward,  of 
Vermont. 

Green  Lake. 

SEYMOUR  M.  KNOX,  farmer.  Green  Lake,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Russell  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  12,  1S20.  His  father,  James 
Knox,  was  a  farmer,  and  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  born  Sept.  25, 
1788.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Massachusetts. 
Miss  Betsey  (Gross)  Knox,  the  mother  of  Seymour  Knox,  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  born  at  Cooperstown,  Nov.  18,  1792.  Mr.  Knox  lived 
upon  his  father's  farm  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  until  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  Spring  of  1845.  He  stopped  during  harvest  in  Walworth 
County,  where  he  worked  for  one  dollar  a  day.  After  harvest  he  came 
to  Green  Lake  County  (then  Marquette),  and  pre-empted  160  acres  of 
land  in  Section  32,  which  is  now  in  the  town  of  Dayton,  and  before  his 
payment  became  due  sold  one-half  of  his  claim  which  gave  him  money 
to  pay  for  the  other  half;  he  then  bought  the  claim  where  he  now  lives. 
He  experienced  many  hardships,  privations  and  discouragements  during 
his  first  years  in  Wisconsin,  but  his  indomitable  will  and  perseverance 


carried  him  through  and  he  now  enjoys  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  From 
the  first  he  had  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  citizens  of  Marquette 
County,  and  was  intrusted  by  them  wiih  their  money  and  delegated  to 
go  to  Green  Bay,  the  nearest  Land  Office,  and  transact  liusiness  for 
them.  He  made  this  trip  afoot  and  alone,  following  an  Indian  trail. 
He  was  on  the  first  and  last  Grand  Juries  of  Marquette  County,  before 
the  county  was  divided,  and  was  on  the  first  Petit  Jury,  and  foreman  of 
last  Grand  Jary  of  Green  Lake  County.  He  was  Supervisor  when  three 
men  did  the  work  of  the  county,  also  Supervisor  during  four  years  of 
the  war,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  building  the  court-house.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  in  1874,  and  elected  upon  the  Republican 
ticket,  and  received  the  unanimous  vote  of  both  parties.  While  a  mem- 
ber he  caused  a  committee,  of  which  he  was  one,  to  be  appointed  to  ex- 
amine the  State  Prison,  and  if  possible  adopt  some  plan  whereby  it 
would  become  self-sustaining,  it  being  an  expense  to  the  State  of  some 
$40,000  annually.  The  committee  was  successful.  They  introduced 
the  manufacturing  of  boots  and  shoes  which  made  the  institution  en- 
tirely self-sustaining.  Mr.  Knox  has  always  been  a  public-spirited  man, 
contributing  with  a  liberal  hand  to  alL  public  enterprises.  Two  of  his 
sons  were  volunteers  in  the  late  war. 

ALBERT  STEERS,  farmer.  Green  Lake,  was  born  at  Long  Cross, 
County  Surry,  England,  in  March,  1835.  He  is  a  son  of  G.  R.  Steers, 
who  was  a  native  of  Kent  and  carried  on  in  London  the  business  of 
gilder  and  manufacturer  of  picture  frames,  looking-glasses,  etc.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Steers  was  from  Ireland,  and  was  in  gov- 
ernment employ  as  Purser's  Clerk  on  board  the  man  of  war,  "Argo- 
naut." His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Anne  Johnston,  a  native  of 
Sterlingshire,  Scotland.  Mr.  Steers  was  educated  in  London  and  at  the 
Victoria  Pensionnat  College,  Paris,  and  came  to  America  with  his  par- 
ents in  June,  1849.  They  remained  in  Milwaukee  during  the  Summer 
and  in  November  bought  and  moved  upon  the  land  Mr.  Steers  now 
owns.  It  is  now  a  beautiful  farm  of  250  acres,  and  located  on  the 
shores  of  Little  Green  Lake.  The  father  died  here  in  August,  1S64. 
Mr.  Steers  returned  to  London  in  1S62,  where  he  was  employed  as  cash- 
ier in  a  merchant  house,  conducted  by  a  Mr.  Vallentine,  until  1865. 
when  he  returned  to  the  farm.  He  was  married,  in  November,  1S70,  to 
Miss  Rebecka  Evans,  a  native  of  London,  and  who  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1850. 

Manchester. 

CLARK  S.  WALKER,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Manchester,  was 
born  in  Charlestown,  Sullivan  Co  ,  N.  H.,  Nov.  22,  182S.  He  is  a  son  of 
Steven  and  Kezia  (Convers)  Walker.  They  were  both  natives  of  Charles- 
town,  N.  H.  His  paternal  and  maternal  ancestors  were  early  settlers  of 
Connecticut.  He  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1S51. 
They  bought  120  acres  of  land  and  located  where  Mr,  Walker  now  lives 
and  where  his  mother  died,  Aug.  5, 1853,  and  father  Feb.  26,  1S6;.  But 
two  members  of  the  family  survive  the  subject  of  this  biography,  Annie 
K.  (now  Mrs.  T.  G.  Haskins).  living  in  Iowa,  Mary  E.,  having  died. 
May  2.  iSst.  and  Alice,  May  27,  1863.  Mr.  Walker  was  married  Oct. 
27,  1S53.  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Hart.  They  h.ave  five  sons.  Mrs.  Walker 
is  a  native  of  Northampton,  N.  H.  Mr.  Walker's  farm  embraces 
nearly  1,000  acres. 


366 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


JUNEAU   COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

Juneau  County  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Wood 
County,  east  by  the  Wisconsin  River,  south  by  Sauk, 
and  west  by  Vernon,  Monroe  and  Jackson  counties. 
It  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  State.  It  extends  forty-two 
miles  from  north  to  south,  and  at  its  narrowest 
point  east  and  west,  fourteen  and  one-half  miles, 
with  a  total  area  of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  square 
miles.  Throughout  the  whole  area,  except  the 
quartzite  bluff  at  Necedah  and  points  of  limestone  in 
the  southwest  portion,  the  lower  sandstone  is  the  sur- 
face rock.  The  soil  for  the  most  part  is  a  loose  sand, 
derived  directly  from  the  disintegration  of  the  lower 
sandstone,  but  showing  many  marshes  (some  of  large 
size),  and  an  occasional  prairie.  Except  on  the  marshes, 
it  is  nearl}'  everywhere  covered  with  stunted  oaks,  and 
toward  the  extreme  north  with  Jack  pines.  It  presents 
the  character  of  a  level  plain  not  worn  into  ravines,  nor 
yet  rising  abruptly  ;  the  entire  surface  is  heavily  drift- 
covered,  with  a  gradual  rise  to  the  north  and  west, 
attaining  an  altitude  of  four  hundred  feet,  on  the 
southern  edge,  and  along  the  Lemonweir  about  three 
hundred  feet.  Dotting  the  central  plain  and  rising 
abruptly  from  the  level  portions  are  isolated  mounds, 
or  castellated  peaks  of  rocks,  "outliers,"  chiefly 
constructed  of  Potsdam  sandstone,  that  constitute 
tlie  most  marked  cliaracteristic,  except  the  quartzite 
mound  of  Necedah.  None  of  these  exceed  a  height 
of  three  hundred  feet,  and  but  few  two  hundred 
feet;  they  register  a  denudation  of  fully  five  hun- 
dred feet.  The  large  outliers  show  more  or  less 
vegetation,  the  smaller,  which  are  thirty  and  one 
hundred  feet  in  height,  often  are  of  bare  rock.  There 
are  also  archean  (Huronian)  and  Lower  Magnesian 
limestone  cappings  in  the  south  portion.  The  high 
ground  that  bounds  the  plain  on  the  west,  entei's 
Juneau  County  on  the  west  side  of  Township  16,  Range 
2  east  (Fountain),  carrying  on  the  county  line  a  cap- 
ping of  Lower  Magnesian  limestone.  It  trends  it  way 
southeastward  across  Plymouth,  Lindana,  Wonewoc 
and  summit,  tlicTi  veering  more  to  the  east,  crossing  the 
townships  of  Seven  Mile  Creek  and  Lyndon,  where  it 
is  cut  through  by  the  Dalles  of  the  Wisconsin.  The 
Lemonweir  and  the  Yellow  are  the  principal  rivers,  the 
former  crossing  diagonally,  entering  at  the  middle  of 
the  west  side  and  reaching  the  Wisconsin  at  Section  24, 
Township  1;3,  Range  5  east.  The  latter  entering  the 
extreme  eastern  border  and  joining  the  Wisconsin  after 
running  nearly  parallel  with  it  at  Township  15,  Range 
4  east.  These  rivers  have  arcliean  and  sandstone  sec- 
tions ;  the  former  in  the  Yellow  exceedingly  rocky  and 
much  broken  by  rapids  and  falls.  The  sandstone  sec- 
tions are  comparatively  sluggish  and  without  rock 
rapids.  The  upper  portions  extend  into  tlie  pineries 
and  much  logging  is  done  at  times  of  higii  water. 
They  are  also  very  valuable  for  water-powers. 


SETTLEMENT. 

This  history  begins  with  the  year  1832,  at  which 
■date  John  T.  De  LaRonde,  a  native  of  France, and  an 
attache  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  came  to  the 
Lemonweir  Valley — Ca-na-man-woi-Sipe,  whicli  means 
a  child,  or  afiluent.  In  the  Summer  of  1834,  he  estab- 
lished a  trading-post,  for  the  Winter,  near  the  head  of 
the  river,  and  in  1837,  built  a  trading-post  at  To-kon- 
nee  village,  where  Mauston  is  now  situated,  a  small 
village  of  five  or  six  wigwams,  named  after  its  chief,  a 
mixed-blood  of  Winnebago  and  Menomonee  origin, 
though  his  people  were  called  Winnebagoes. 

In  the  Winter  of  1840,  De  La  Ronde  made  up  a  quan- 
tity of  square  timber  near  his  trading-post,  taking  his 
mill-site  just  where  Mauston  now  stands.  He  was  the 
first  one  to  take  square  timber  from  the  Lemonweir 
Valley,  and  also  the  first  who  undertook  to  construct 
a  wagon-road  from  Portage  to  the  Lemonweir  and 
thence  to  La  Crosse.  This  labor  was  begun  the  year 
of  his  arrival,  1840. 

Previous  to  the  treaty  of  Fort  Winnebago,  in  the 
F.ill  of  1836,  by  which  the  Winnebago  tribe  of  Indians 
ceded  all  of  their  lauds  lying  south  of  the  Lemonweir 
River  and  east  of  the  Wisconsin  to  the  General  Gov- 
ernment, the  territory  now  embraced  within  the  limits 
of  Juneau  and  Adams  counties  was  onl}-  known  to 
trappers  and  Indian  traders.  After  the  treaty,  Sauk 
and  other  counties  west  of  the  Wisconsin,  began  to  be 
settled,  but  the  country  north  remained  a  wilderness 
for  some  years ;  and  not  until  the  lumbering  interests 
began  to  call  operators  into  the  valleys  of  the  Baraboo, 
Lemonweir  and  Wisconsin,  were  any  permanent  settle- 
ments made. 

By  the  treaty  of  Lake  Poygan,  in  1848,  the  Me- 
nomonee Indians  ceded  their  lands  lying  west  of  the 
Wolf  River  and  south  of  the  Waupaca.  Tiie  political 
history  of  this  section  dates  back  to  the  organization 
of  Adams  County,  which  formerly  included  Juneau. 
Adams  County  was  established  in  1848,  by  act  of 
the  Territorial  Legislature  and  attached  to  Sauk 
County.  It  then  included  the  country  h'ing  between 
ranges  2  and  7,  embracing  the  present  counties 
of  Juneau  and  Adams  and  covering  an  area  of  fifteen 
hundred  and  sixty-six  square  miles.  At  that  date  the 
settlements  were  confined  to  the  towns  of  New  Haven 
and  Dell  Prairie,  east  of  the  Wisconsin,  and  the  Lemon- 
weir Valley  on  the  west. 

Up  to  the  year  1851,  the  lumbermen  were  the 
pioneer  settlers  west  of  the  Wisconsin.  In  1849,  the 
boundaries  of  the  county  west  of  the  Wisconsin  were 
changed — Sauk  County  borrowing,  by  act  of  Legisla- 
ture, all  of  Township  14  and  the  south  half  of  Town- 
ship 15,  from  Range  1  east  to  the  Wisconsin.  In  1853, 
Adams  County  was  organized  for  judicial  purposes  and 
attached  to  the  Third  Judicial  Circuit ;  but  later,  dur- 
ing the  same  session,  the  Seventh  Judicial  Circuit  was 


HISTORY  OF  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


367 


established,  which  included  Adams.  The  boundaries 
of  1848  were  restored,  and  the  county  seat  located  at 
Quincy. 

No  important  change  in  the  political  history  oc- 
curred until  1855,  when  Mauston,  desiring  to  become 
the  county  seat,  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  through 
the  Legislature,  submitting  the  question  of  a  division 
of  the  county  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  and 
the  creation  of  a  new  county  under  the  name  of 
Juneau.  The  proposition  of  division  was  carried  by 
vote  of  the  people,  and  New  Lisbon,  by  a  little  judi- 
cious influence,  secured  the  passage  of  an  act  formally 
organizing  the  county  and  locating  the  county  seat  at 
that  place,  the  act  to  take  effect  January  1,  1857. 
Mauston  suffered  her  defeat  for  two  years  only,  and 
then  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  submitting  the  ques- 
tion of  removal  of  the  county  seat.  A  vote  was  taken 
at  the  general  election  in  November,  1859.  The  returns 
showed  1,022  votes  for  removal  and  1,5'22  against.  New 
Lisbon  polling  570  votes  more  than  at  the  State  can- 
vass during  the  same  year.  The  returns  were  protested 
by  Hon.  John  Turner,  of  Mauston,  one  of  the  Board 
of  Canvassers  for  that  village,  on  the  ground  that  over 
500  votes  had  been  cast  fraudulently.  From  this  time 
until  1864,  the  matter  was  in  litigation,  and  was  finally 
decided  by  the  Supreme  Court,  Judge  Pane  delivering 
the  opinion  in  favor  of  Mauston.  Vide  State  ex  rel.. 
Field  vs.  Avery,  17  Wisconsin,  694-695. 

New  Lisbon,  in  1867,  succeeded  in  again  submitting 
the  question  of  removal  to  the  people  ;  but  this  time 
the  vote  was  declared  to  be  a  tie,  when,  failing  to 
secure  a  majority,  the  rival  town  gave  up  the  fight. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  made  in  the  county 
was  in  the  month  of  October,  or  November,  in  the  year 
1838.  At  this  date,  Amasa  Wilson,  C.  B.  Smith  and 
R.  V.  Allen  made  a  location  in  company,  and  built  a 
shanty  at  the  Dells  Eddy  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
out  square  timber  for  the  lower  river  market.  The 
shanty  stood  upon  the  rise  of  ground  at  the  foot  of  the 
Dells  where  the  house  of  Mr.  Allen  now  stands,  and 
where  he  has  continued  to  live  since  the  date  of  liis 
first  settlement.  Mr.  Allen  can  justly  claim  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  and  oldest  permanent  resident  in 
Juneau  County.  These  parties  continued  to  get  out 
timber  until  the  end  of  the  next  Winter,  when,  by 
that  time,  the  supply  was  about  exhausted.  The 
timber  was  rafted,  run  out  of  the  river  and  sold  at 
Galena.  Mr.  Allen  continued  to  make  his  home  at  the 
Dells  Eddy,  and  turned  his  attention  to  piloting  rafts 
through  the  Dells  in  high  stages  of  water.  His  house 
was  for  some  years  the  only  sign  of  civilization  between 
Point  Bausse  and  Fort  Winnebago  (Portage  City), 
except  Grignon's  Trading  Post — a  distance  of  seventy- 
five  miles  by  the  river — and  became  a  very  convenient 
stopping  place  for  the  raftsmen. 

One  of  the  earliest  settlers,  for  even  a  temporary 
purpose,  was  Provonsal,  the  father  of  Frank  Provonsal, 
killed  a  few  years  since  by  Bill  Dandy,  an  Indian. 
The  elder  Provonsal  built  and  for  sone  years  occupied 
a  trading  post  near  tlie  bank  of  the  Wisconsin,  about 
two  miles  above  the  Pete-en- Well  rock,  in  the  present 
town  of  Armenia.  About  the  year  1836,  he  built  and 
occupied  a  trading  post  on  the  Lemonweir,  near  the 
present  residence  of  Peter  Arntz,  in  the  town  of  Kil- 


dare.  During  ten  or  twelve  years  previous  to  his  death 
Frank  Provonsal  lived  with  his  family  at  Pete-en  Well 
Rock,  at  which  place  he  owned  and  run  the  ferry  across 
the  Wisconsin  River. 

After  the  settlement  of  Allen,  Smith  and  Wilson  in 
Lyndon,  at  the  foot  of  the  Dells,  in  1838,  Charles 
Clemence  was  the  next  settler,  locating  in  the  town  in 
1850.  Ephraim  Kingsbury  arrived  in  1852,  but  re- 
mained only  about  one  year,  when  he  sold  out  to 
Lyman  Dickens  and  located  in  the  town  of  New  Lisbon. 
Li  1854,  Charles  Leach,  Cornelius  Collins  and  David 
Truell  made  locations,  and  from  this  time  the  town 
settled  rapidly  and  became  quite  a  successful  farming 
region.  Some  of  these  early  settlers  became  quite 
prominent  in  county  politics.  Mr.  Leach  served  one 
term  as  Treasurer.  He  subsequently  removed  to  New 
Lisbon  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  remaining 
there  until  his  death.  Mr.  Truell  was  elected  Register 
of  Deeds,  holding  the  ofiQce  for  two  years ;  in  1877,  he 
served  a  term  in  the  Legislature.  He  still  resides  on 
his  farm  at  Lyndon. 

Lyndon  was  organized  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  Juneau  Count}',  November 
ls57,  and  was  formerly  included  in  the  town  of  Kil- 
dare.  The  lumbering  facilities  afforded  by  the  Lemon- 
weir Valley  called  the  first  settlers  to  Kildare.  Henrj' 
Carpenter,  of  Portage,  and  one  Randall  were  engaged 
in  logging  on  the  river  as  early  as  1848  and  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  saw-mill  on  the  river  in  1849,  in  the 
present  town  of  Kildare.  They  completed  the  mill  and 
improvements  in  1850,  and,  after  running  it  one  season, 
sold  out  their  claim  to  Jacob  Rodgers,  who  operated 
the  mill  until  the  scarcity  of  pine  timber  compelled 
liim  to  abandon  the  lumber  business  some  years  after. 
Peter  Arntz  located  in  the  town  in  the  year  1852, 
building  a  steam  saw-mill  on  the  Lemonweir.  about  two 
miles  from  its  mouth.  He  also  aljaiidoned  the  business 
for  the  same  reason  a  few  years  after.  Previous  to  tlie 
settlement  of  Mr.  Arntz,  Frank  Webster  and  George 
Walker  made  claims  and  located  on  the  Wisconsin,  at 
the  foot  of  tlie  Big  Dells. 

Jacob  Rodgers  was  at  one  time  quite  prominently 
identified  with  the  political  interests  of  the  county,  and 
was  elected  Treasurer  for  one  term.  He  removed  to 
New  Lisbon,  but  some  years  since  changed  his  resi- 
dence to  Iowa,  near  Dubuque. 

No  permanent  settlement  was  made  in  the  town 
of  Seven  Mile  Creek  until  1851,  although  William 
Green  made  a  temporary  location  in  1849.  The  only 
settlers  in  the  town,  as  now  organized,  were  William 
Taylor,  Chauncey  B.  Strong,  David  Henry,  Adam 
Stultz  and  Alonzo  Andrews. 

When  the  boundaries  of  Adams  County  were 
changed,  in  1849,  Sauk  County  included  all  of  Town- 
ship 14  and  the  south  half  of  Township  15,  extending 
from  the  west  line  of  the  present  county  of  Juneau  to 
the  Wisconsin  River.  This  strip  of  country,  nine  miles 
in  width,  north  and  south,  at  that  date  contained 
nearly  all  the  settlements  of  the  Lemonweir  Valley. 
It  was  attached  to  Sauk  County  until  the  session  of 
1853,  when  the  original  boundary  line  of  Adams  and 
Sauk  counties  was  restored.  The  first  election  of 
officers  was  held  at  Delton,  Sauk  County,  in  1851. 
Cliauncey  B.  Strong  was  chosen  Justice  of  the  Peace, 


t68 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  was  the  first  Justice  serving  in  the  vallc}',  in  what 
was  afterward  Juneau  County.  It  was  at  that  time 
that  the  town  of  Lemonweir  included  the  whole  of  the 
southern  part  of  the  present  county  of  Juneau.  From 
1851  to  18o-i  the  valley  of  the  Lemonweir  was  settled 
quite  rapidly.  Among  tlie  early  comers  after  1851 
were  L.  E.  Saxton,  C.  W.  Fosbinder,  James  Heavey,  a 
Mr.  McEntee.  Patrick  Smith,  Robert  Doyle,  Patrick 
Moylan,  John'  Furgerson,  David  Hughes,  M.  Mulloney, 
Thomas  Hyde,  John  and  Michael  Powers,  James 
Welch,  Niciiolas  Brown.  The  majority  of  these  located 
in  the  present  town  of  Seven  Mill  Creek,  the  remainder 
within  the  towns  of  Lyndon  and  Summit,  since  or- 
ganized. 

The  next  election  held  in  this  district  of  the  county 
was  at  the  Stewart  settlement.  Fosbinder  and  Heavey 
were  cliosen  members  of  the  Town  Board.  Mr.  Taylor 
was  elected  Assessor.  His  assessment  district  at  this 
date  included  the  present  towns  of  Kildare,  Summit, 
Lemonweir,  Seven  Mile  Creek  and  a  part  of  Lindina. 
The  only  main  road  leading  to  this  section  of  the 
valley  was  the  old  road  cut  by  the  early  logmen  on  the 
Lemonweir.  This  road  crossed  the  Wisconsin  at  New- 
port and  followed  along  the  valleys,  avoiding  the 
swamps  and  otiier  natural  obstructions,  but  as  the 
settlements  increased  good  roads  on  the  most  direct 
routes  were  opened.  A  State  road  was  laid  out,  lead- 
ing west  tiirough  the  county,  through  tlie  village  of 
Mauston  and  New  Lisbon,  tiience  to  La  Crosse  and  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  The  old  Troy  coach  soon  made  its 
appearance  and  continued  its  regular  trips  until  super- 
seded by  the  Milwaukee  &  La  Crosse  Railroad,  in  1857. 

The  town  of  Seven  Mill  Creek  was  organized  by 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Adams  County,  November 
16,  1655. 

The  town  of  Summit  was  organized  November  15, 
1855,  and  the  first  town  meeting  held  at  the  house  of 
Alexander  Noble.  Elias  Kingsbury,  C.  Blish  and  Mr. 
Noble  came  in  1852  or  1853;  Philo  Sterling,  J.  B.  and 
H.  F.  Potter  in  1851;  Peter  Sterling  in  1855;  H.  D. 
and  E.  T.  Boyington  in  1856.  At  the  first  town  meet- 
ing after  tiie  organization,  L.  E.  Saxton  was  chosen 
Chairman  of  the  Board,  and  J.  B.  Potter,  Clerk. 

Tlie  first  scliool  was  established  in  1855,  in  the 
"Potter  District" — afterward  known  as  "District 
No.  3."  Miss  Sterling,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Sterling, 
now  Mrs.  Charles  Huff,  of  Wonewoc,  was  the  first 
teacher.  Tlie  wages  paid  her  were  |1  per  week,  she 
boarding  herself. 

The  writer  here  acknowledges  obligations  for  assist- 
ance rendered  in  the  compilation  of  this  work  to  Hon. 
John  T.  Kingston,  of  Necedah,  Mr.  George  Willard, 
of  Wonewoc,  and  Mr.  Amasa  Wilson,  of  New  Lisbon. 


The  first  newspaper  of  Juneau  County  was  estab- 
lished in  1856,  under  the  name  of  the  New  Lisbon 
Republican.  R.  B.  Rice  was  its  editor  and  proprietor  ; 
but  its  existence  was  only  temporary,  giving  place  to 
the  Juneau  County  Aryus  in  1857,  tiie  leatling  Dem- 
ocratic journal  of  liie  county.  The  Argus  was  estab- 
lislied  in  1857,  by  James  IL  Wells,  but  the  following 
year  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Edward  Miller,  who 
published  it  until  18G2,  when  it  was  purchased  by  its 


present  proprietor,  Mr.  JL  F.  Carney.  The  Mauston 
Star  was  founded  in  1857,  by  D.  McBride.  The  fol- 
lowing year  McBride  sold  out  to  B.  E.  Stevens  and 
Hon.  John  Turner.  Mr.  Turner  subsequently  became 
sole  proprietor,  and  the  Star  continued  under  his  man- 
agement until  September  1,  1878,  at  which  date  the 
present  proprietors,  Messrs.  J.  F.  Sprague  &  Son, 
bought  him  out.  The  Elroy  Union  appeared  in  1873, 
but  lived  only  a  short  time,  failing  to  be  a  financial 
success  to  its  owners,  Messrs.  Richards  and  Powers. 
The  Elroy  Head  Light  was  established  in  1874,  by 
Messrs.  Stokey  &  Carn.  It  existed  under  different 
managements  until  May,  1876,  at  which  time  it  was 
succeeded  by  the  Elroy  Plain  Talker^  E.  C.  Ribbey, 
editor  and  proprietor.  The  Wonewoc  Reporter,  the 
only  independent  journal  of  the  county,  was  organized 
in  1876,  and  is  now  published  by  Hon.  T.  K.  Dunn. 

MAUSTON. 

In  the  Winter  of  1838-39,  John  T.  De  La  Ronde  and 
Judge  Silas  Walsworth  established  a  trading  post  on  the 
site  of  the  present  village  of  Mauston.  This  was  the  first 
settlement  or  improvement  made  by  white  men  at  this 
point.  They  had  in  their  employ  a  Canadian  by  the  name 
of  Norbert  St.  Germaine,  who  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
trading  post  until  the  following  Winter.  The  next  settle- 
ment made  at  this  point  was  in  1S42.  During  the  Sinnmer  of 
this  year,  J.  B.  McNeil  and  two  men,  named  Ebnore  and 
McAlIeister,  after  exploring  the  river  and  finding  sufficient 
timber  upon  the  stream  to  justify  it,  entered  into  a  copart- 
nership to  carry  on  the  lumber  business.  They  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  dam  and  mill,  which  they  com- 
pleted the  following  season.  After  running  the  miUing  and 
lumber  business  for  three  years,  McNeil  and  McAlIeister 
sold  out  their  interest  in  the  claim  and  improvements  to 
Joseph  Hewlett;  and  Elmore  having  died  subsequently 
without  heir,  Hewlett  became  sole  proprietor,  continuing 
the  business  until  1849. 

During  the  time  Hewlett  was  operating  the  mill,  he  be- 
came connected  in  business  with  Gen.  M.  M.  Maughs,  of 
Galena,  111.,  and  after  Hewlett's  death,  Gen.  Maughs  came 
into  possession  of  the  mill  and  improvements,  and  event- 
ually became  the  original  proprietor  of  its  village  of  Maus- 
ton—  the  village  taking  the  name  of  its  proprietor.  Gen. 
Maughs  returned  to  Galena,  leaving  the  property  in  charge 
of  his  brother,  Nichols  Moss,  who  conducted  the  business 
until  1850  or  '51  ;  at  which  time  Gen.  Maughs  moved  his 
family  from  Galena,  made  Mauston  his  future  residence, 
and  assumed  personal  charge  of  the  business,  which  he 
maintained  until  his  death,  February  18,  1863.  Gen. 
Maughs  was  widely  known,  and  was  universally  respected 
for  his  worth  and  integrity. 

Previous  to  the  incorporation  of  Mauston  as  a  village, 
it  was  included  in  the  town  of  Lemonweir,  which,  at  this 
date,  embraced  nearly  all  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  west  of  the  Wisconsin.  The  first  settler  for  other 
than  lumbering  purposes,  was  John  Gregory,  a  native  of 
England.  He  located  upon  Spring  Creek,  in  the  west  part 
of  the  town,  in  August,  1849.     The  next  year,  he  was  fol- 


HISTORY  OF   TUNEAU  COUNTY. 


369 


lowed  by  John  McNown,  John  Smith,  William  McCallum, 
E.  G.  Shutc,  William  Crane,  Charles  Minchian,  John  C. 
Webster.  During  the  same  year,  William  Stewart  settled 
in  the  present  town  of  Lindina,  at  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Stewart  settlement.  The  date  of  the  organization  of 
the  towns  of  Lemonweir  and  Lindina,  cannot  now  be  de- 
termined. The  former  was  represented  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  Adams  County,  April  12, 

1 85 3,  and  was  one  of  two  towns  represented  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Wisconsin.     At  the   annual  meeting,  Nov.  14, 

1854,  the  town  of  Lindina  was  represented  in  the  Board, 
and  the  boundaries  are  described  in  the  journal  of  proceed- 
ings on  the  16th  of  November,  but  no  date  of  organiza- 
tion appears.  Martin  Gray,  Dr.  Linos  Johnston,  Dudley 
Little,  were  among  the  first  who  settled  at  Mauston.  Mr. 
Gray  was  proprietor  of  every  important  addition  to  the 
village,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man,  and  intimately  connected  with  county  politics. 
Dudley  Little  built  the  first  tavern  of  the  place.  The  old 
building,  still  standing  upon  its  original  site,  on  Union 
street,  near  the  river.  Hon.  John  Turner  and  F.  Winsor 
were  the  first  lawyers  to  locate  at  Mauston,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  did  the  business  for  the  surrounding  country, 
coming  here  in  1854.  Mr.  Turner  was  editor  and  proprie- 
tor of  the  Mauston  Star,  for  many  years,  and  has  figured 
prominently  in  politics.  Mr.  Winsor  was  elected  first 
District  Attorney  of  Juneau  County.  From  this  time,  the 
village  began  to  grow  rapidly,  and  in  1857,  numbered  fully 
800  people. 

After  the  organization  of  Lindina,  Mauston,  for  a  time, 
was  included  in  that  town.  Lindina  was  named  in  honor 
of  Mrs.  M.  M.  Maughs,  wife  of  the  General.  General 
Maughs  platted  the  village  of  Mauston,  July  14,  1854,  and 
it  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  April,  i860. 

Mauston,  situated  on  the  Ime  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R. 
R.,  127  miles  west  of  Milwaukee,  surrounded  with  a  rich 
and  beautiful  agricultural  country,  supplied  with  abundant 
timber  and  pure  water,  settled  with  intelligent,  temperate, 
industrious  people,  making  it  a  home  for  cultured  thrift,  of 
which  its  citizens  are  justly  proud.  It  has  a  population  of 
about  1,300.  That  public  affairs  are  well  managed,  is 
proved  by  the  fact  that  the  tax  rate  for  village  purposes  is 
less  than  6%  mills  on  the  dollar  of  the  assessed  valuation. 
It  gives  every  evidence  of  being  most  thriving  and  energetic 
in  its  business  pursuits.  The  commercial  trade  report  it  as 
one  of  the  finest  of  the  many  on  this  line  of  railway. 

To  e.xhibit  its  prosperity,  we  present  the  following  syn- 
opsis in  brief  of  the  public  institutions  located  here,  show- 
ing its  interests  in  schools,  churches,  societies,  and  general 
business. 

County  Offices.  —  It  being  the  county  seat,  the  public 
offices  are  located  here.  The  county  owns  one  of  the  finest  ar- 
ranged court-houses  in  the  State.  It  is  built  of  cream-colored 
brick,  is  approached  both  rear  and  front  by  flights  of  stone 
steps,  is  finished  in  a  pleasing  style  of  architectural  art,  and 
presents  a  beautiful  and  substantial  structure,  that  gives  evi- 
dence of  the  taste  and  liberality  of  its  citizens.  It  is  located 
24 


upon  what  is  known  as  the  Public  Square,  embracing  an  en- 
tire block,  320  feet  by  200  feet,  situated  in  the  business 
part  of  the  village.  Its  grass  plots  are  crossed  by  serpen- 
tine walks,  and  the  whole  square  is  thickly  planted  with 
rapidly  growing  and  ornamental  shade  trees. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  court-house  was  laid  July  4, 
1875,  with  imposing  ceremonies,  by  the  various  Masonic 
organizations  of  the  State,  the  Grand  Lodge,  J.  P.  C.  Cot- 
trell,  Grand  Master,  having  charge  of  the  exercises ;  and 
the  building  was  completed  in  1876.  The  court-room,  jury 
and  consultation  rooms  are  on  the  upper  floor,  and  in  each 
appointment  furnish  the  most  convenient  facilities  for  the 
transaction  of  business.  On  the  lower  floor  are  the  public 
offices,  for  the  use  of  the  County  Judge,  County  Clerk, 
Treasurer,  Clerk  of  the  Courts  and  Register  of  Deeds.  All, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Treasurer's  office,  are  furnished 
with  large,  commodious  vaults,  with  double  iron  doors  and 
combination  locks,  so  that  all  deem  the  public  records  rea- 
sonably safe. 

The  county  jail  was  erected  in  1878,  and  completed  in 
January,  1879,  the  total  cost  of  the  building  and  furniture 
reaching  $11,938.24.  The  plan  was  made  by  Messrs.  H.  C 
Koch  &  Co.,  of  Milwaukee.  Situated  at  the  head  of  Hickory 
and  Mansion  streets,  to  the  eye  of  a  stranger  it  presents  the 
appearance  of  a  stately  mansion,  the  jail  proper  being  in 
the  rear  and  entirely  concealed  by  the  Sheriffs  residence. 
The  building  is  constructed  with  stone  basement,  sur- 
mounted with  three  stories  of  cream  colored  brick,  the 
architectural  style  being"  Queen  Anne."  The  entire  build- 
ing is  furnished  with  all  modern  improvements,  including 
hot  and  cold  water  baths,  and  is  warmed  throughout  by 
furnace.  It  also  is  arranged  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
insane  of  the  county.  The  prison-yard  is  surrounded  by  a 
high  wall,  and  the  grounds  by  an  iron  fence  ;  experts  deem 
it  the  most  safe  and  complete  jail  in  the  State.  Hon.  H.  H. 
Giles,  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Board  of  Charity  and  Re- 
form, recently  made  an  official  inspection,  and  in  his  report 
to  the  Legislature,  says  :  "  Arrangements  for  ventilation  and 
sewerage  seem  quite  perfect ;  considered  in  all  respects,  we 
think  it  the  most  perfect  and  complete  structure  for  jail 
purposes  in  the  State."  The  old  jail,  built  some  fifteen 
years  since,  stands  on  the  east  side  of  the  public  square;  it 
is  a  small  one  story  brick  building,  and  is  to  be  torn  down 
and  removed. 

Hon.  John  Turner,  Windsor  &  Veeder,  and  H.  W.  Bar- 
ney the  present  District  Attorney,  represent  the  legal  pro- 
fession in  Mauston.  Mr.  Turner  is  the  oldest  practitioner, 
and  stands  at  the  head  of  the  profession  in  this  county. 
He  located  here  in  1855.  From  1859  to  1878,  was  editor 
and  proprietor  of  the  Mauston  Star.  He  has  held  many 
important  offices,  among  which  are  member  of  Assembly  in 
1859,  District  Attorney  for  the  years  1871,  1872  and  1S73, 
and  was  the  first  President  of  the  village,  which  position 
he  held  five  years.  The  firm  of  Windsor  &  Veeder  are 
recognized  as  able,  honest  lawyers,  and  stand  high  in  the 
profession.  Judge  Windsor  has  received  official  recognition 
and   was   once  elected  to  the  County  Judgcshi]).     He  h^s 


57° 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


also  held  the  office  of  District   Attorney,  and    his   partner, 
Mr.  F.  S.  Veeder,  has  filled  the  same  office. 

The  pioneers  of  Lindina,  which  then  comprised  the  vil- 
lage of  Mauston,  early  turned  their  attention  to  educational 
interests  and  elected  the  first  School  Board  in  1854.  Dr. 
Linas  Johnson  (Director),  Martin  Gray  (Treasurer),  J.  M. 
Maughs  (Clerk),  G.  R.  Burritt  (Supt).  The  first  school 
organized  was  held  at  the  house  of  John  Brewer,  now  the 
Costley  Farm  ;  the  principal  object  being  to  obtain  the 
benefit  of  the  public  school  fund.  Mrs.  Luther  Atkins,  nee 
Miss  L.  A.  Heath,  of  Mauston,  was  the  first  teacher,  the 
school  numbering  twenty  pupils,  all  of  whom  are  now  scat- 
tered and  living  in  other  States.  This  Board  divided  the 
town  into  two  districts,  the  west  portion  being  called  the 
Upper  District,  that  of  the  east  or  Mauston  proper,  the 
Lower.  In  the  Upper  District  the  school  house  stood  near 
the  residence  of  Mr.  L.  C.  La  Tour ;  that  of  the  Lower,  near 
the  office  and  store  of  Judge  Windsor.  A  Winter  session 
was  held  at  the  Lower  District,  taught  by  Miss  A.  T.  Short. 
These  buildings  were  cheaply  constructed  and  little  better 
than  board  shanties,  yet  they  filled  the  demands  of  these 
early  times.  Fuel  was  provided  for  by  parents  furnishing 
one-half  cord  of  wood  for  each  scholar  instructed.  The 
teacher  "  boarded  around  "  with  each  family  pro  rata  as  to 
number  of  children  sent  to  school.  The  records  of  1855 
show  that  Isaac  Fuller  was  (Director),  Dudley  Little  (Treas), 
Ira  A.  Livetland  (Clerk),  Rev.  Harrison  B.  Train  (Supt). 
Mrs.  Atkins  taught  the  Summer  term  at  the  Lower  District, 
M.  D.  Morrison  the  Winter  term,  but  farther  than  this  they 
are  silent.  In  1856,  the  two  districts,  after  conferring 
together,  united  in  one,  appointed  a  committee,  of  which 
Hon.  John  Turner  was  chairman,  to  select  a  site  and  build 
a  new  structure  for  school  purposes,  and  appropriated  $700. 
This  committee  constructed  the  main  portion  of  the  present 
building,  which  they  completed  during  the  year,  the  total 
cost  reaching  $2,068.  This  fact  caused  much  dissatisfac- 
tion, but  it  was  accepted  on  the  first  vote  and  further  pro- 
vision made  for  the  balance  of  the  cost  over  the  appropria- 
tion. The  building  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  La  Crosse 
and  Oak  streets;  is  a  large  two-story  frame  building,  the 
main  part  sixty  by  forty  feet,  with  a  two-story  addition 
forty  by  forty  feet;  erected  in  1861.  It  has  a  seating 
capacity  sufficient  for  300  pupils,  and  is  supplied  with  a  val- 
uable library,  scientific  and  philosophical  charts  and  appara- 
tus. There  are  367  children  of  school  age  in  tl^e  district — 
267  enrolled  at  the  present  time.  Number  attending  High 
School,  sixty.  Number  of  present  graduating  class,  eight 
per  cent  of  attendance,  ninety-four.  Prof.  J.  Anderson, 
the  present  principal,  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  University, 
and  fulfills  his  duties  in  a  manner  pleasing  to  all.  Under 
his  careful  tuition  the  schools  have  made  rapid  progress  and 
show  the  advantages  of  thorough  instruction  and  good  dis- 
cipline. The  grammar  department  is  in  charge  of  Mr.  M.  S. 
Bunnell,  a  former  graduate  of  the  High  School.  Miss  Mary 
Sherwood,  of  the  intermediate  ;  Miss  Aggie  Burg,  of  the 
second  primary,  and  Mrs.  L.  A.  Cornish,  of  the  first  pri- 
mary, and  assistant  in  High  School,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Goetting, 


have  been  employed  for  a  number  of  terms,  and  have 
proved  their  ability  as  teachers. 

Among  the  teachers  worthy  of  especial  mention  are 
Prof.  H.  G.  Wood,  who  was  principal  for  many  years,  and 
Prof.  Barnes.  During  the  coming  year  the  village  expects 
to  erect  a  new  building  that  shall  cost  $10,000.  County 
Superintendent  W.  G.  Spence  has  his  office  at  Mauston. 
He  was  formerly  principal  of  the  school.  He  reports  the 
present  number  of  children  of  school  age  in  Juneau  County, 
5,930.  Present  number  attending  school,  4,348.  Per  cent, 
of  attendance,  about  90  percent.  Number  of  teachers  em- 
ployed, 116.  Value  of  school  property,  $40,306.75.  Amount 
paid  teachers,  $18,164.46.  Connected  with  the  school, 
though  in  part  supported  by  the  young  people  of  the  vil- 
lage, is  the  Lyceum.  This  society  has  grown  to  be  one  of 
the  established  institutions  of  Mauston,  and  the  value  of 
tills  kind  of  culture  can  not  easily  be  over-estimated. 

The  present  officers  are  :  President,  Judge  F.  Windsor; 
Vice-President,  Prof.  J.  Anderson  ;  Secretary,  Miss  Irma 
Grote  ;  Treasurer,  Mr.  M.  S.  Bunnell. 

In  this  village  are  six  churches,  three  of  which  have 
parsonages.  The  organizations  are  Roman  Catholic,  Meth- 
odist, Baptist,  Congregational,  German  Presbyterian  and 
German  Evangelical. 

The  first  Catholic  mission  founded  in  Juneau  County 
was  at  Kildare,  in  1854,  the  attending  priest.  Rev.  Father 
Gardner,  of  Sauk,  Sauk  Co.  The  church  of  this  mission 
was  situated  upon  the  present  site  of  St.  Bridget's  Ceme- 
tery, in  that  town,  and  was  called  St.  Bridget's  Church. 
The  first  mission  established  at  Mauston  was  in  1856,  Rev. 
Father  Steahle,  attending  priest,  then  located  at  Kildare. 
The  first  church  was  situated  on  State  street,  near  the  cor- 
ner of  Spring,  and  was  erected  in  1858.  This  was  a  small 
two-story  frame  building,  40  x  25  feet,  afterward  removed 
to  the  present  site  of  the  church,  and  an  addition  built  on, 
30x25  feet,  in  1874.  In  April,  1880,  this  structure  acci- 
dentally took  fire  and  was  so  badly  damaged  that  it  was 
torn  down,  and  the  present  handsome  brick  edifice  erected. 
The  foundation  was  laid  in  July,  1880,  and  the  church  com- 
pleted the  following  December.  Situated  at  the  head  of 
Pine  street,  on  a  sufficient  elevation  to  be  commanding,  it 
presents  a  solid,  stately  appearance.  Inside  it  is  beauti- 
fully frescoed,  and  the  sunlight,  as  it  comes  through  the 
stained  glass  windows,  sheds  a  soft,  mellow  light  over  the 
whole  interior.  The  first  resident  priest  was  Father  Mon- 
tague, who  settled  at  Mauston  in  the  Fall  of  1858.  He  re- 
mained here  about  one  year,  removing  to  Lyndon.  His 
successor  was  Father  Roach,  who  had  charge  of  the  church 
for  a  period  of  two  years.  Father  Roach  was  succeeded 
by  Father  Carrigan,  who  was  followed  by  Father  Casey  in 
November,  1865.  He  remained  here  only  two  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  purchased  the  church  property  of  Messrs. 
McCafferty  &  Adier,  being  in  turn  succeeded  by  Father 
Larin  in  1867.  His  successor  was  Father  White,  in  1S70, 
who  remained  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in  1877. 
His  remains  were  interred  in  the  church-yard,  and  the  spot 
is  marked  by  a  pure  white  marble  shaft,  emblematic  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


371 


just  and  holy  life  he  led.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Fa- 
ther Gilbert,  the  present  pastor  and  resident  priest  of  the 
parish,  who  is  also  assisted  by  Father  Gesseler.  The  juris- 
diction of  this  parish  includes  St.  Paul's  at  New  Lisbon ; 
St.  Francis  Xavier,  Necedah ;  St.  Michael's  at  Lindina. 
He  also  celebrates  a  monthly  mass  at  the  missions  of  Camp 
Douglas  and  Wernerville.  Father  Gilbert  is  one  of  those 
conscientious,  hard-working  men  who  always  command  the 
love  and  respect  of  their  people,  and  is  an  honor  to  the 


present  year,  the  church  has  been  moved  back  forty  feet 
from  the  original  site,  enlarged  and  rebuilt,  a  fine  large 
tower  added,  and  now  presents  a  fine  appearance.  It  is 
valued  at  $2,600,  and  the  parsonage,  situated  at  the  corner 
of  Docksteader  and  State  streets,  a  neat  little  cottage  house, 
at  $1,250. 

The  church  is  situated  on  State  street,  at  the  head  of 
Oak;  has  a  large  audience  room  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  350,  on  the  first  floor,  and  church  parlors,  lecture  and 


church  lie  represents.  He  is  a  native  of  Italy,  was  edu- 
cated at  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  in  1865.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Order  of  Franciscans;  completed  his  studies 
at  Allegany,  and  from  that  place  was  sent  to  Mauston. 
His  congregation  numbers  600  members,  and  he  has  a  most 
laborious  mission. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  organization  dates  back  to 
1854,  and  was  the  first  Methodist  mission  established  in  Ju- 
neau County.  It  belongs  to  the  West  Wisconsin  Confer- 
ence, and  is  the  principal  church  of  the  county,  both  in 
membership  and  wealth.  It  was  organized  by  Rev.  W.  C. 
Armstrong,  the  original  class  consisting  of  Rev.  Ira  A. 
Swetland,  wife  and  daughter  and  Rev.  W.  C.  Armstrong, 
wife  and  daughter,  from  which  time  the  church  has  had  a 
slow  but  steady  growth  up  to  the  present  time,  and  now 
numbers  140  members.  The  church  was  built  by  Rev.  R. 
Fancher  in  1857.  Intimately  connected  with  the  first  six 
years  of  mission  work  in  the  county  is  Rev.  Ira  \.  Swet- 
land, one   of  the   early  settlers  of  Mauston.     During  the 


class-room  in  the  basement.  The  pastor,  Rev.  G.  W.  L. 
Brown,  is  now  serving  his  second  year.  He  is  an  honest, 
thoughtful,  hard-working  man,  whose  only  interest  is  the 
welfare  of  his  charge.  W.  G.  Spence  is  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school,  which  numbers  fifteen  teachers,  125 
scholars,  and  has  a  library  of  300  volumes. 

The  remaining  societies  are  as  yet  in  their  infancy,  their 
membership  being  small.  Three  of  them  are  at  present 
without  pastors.     Their  property  is  valued  at  $3,500. 

The  first  and  foremost  among  Mansion's  benevolent  so- 
cieties, is  the  fraternity  of  Free  Masonry.  They  have  here 
a  Blue  Lodge  and  a  Royal  Arch  Chapter.  Their  lodge- 
rooms  are  beautifully  furnished,  and  they  occupy  a  promi- 
nent position  among  the  leading  and  best  ones  of  the  State. 
The  lodge  is  called  Northern  Light,  No.  81,  instituted  Sept. 
21,  1856,  and  has  eighty-seven  members  enrolled.  It  is 
sound  financially,  and  its  deeds  of  charity  have  many  times 
proved  to  be  more  than  empty  promises,  bringing  comfort 
to  many  distressed  homes.     The  present  officers  are:  B.  F 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Parker,  W.  M.;  S.  W.  Wilcox,  S.  W.;  C.  W.  Barney,  J.  W.; 
C.  Lyon,  treasurer ;  W.  G.  Spence,  secretary. 

The  Chapter  is  called  Mauston  Chapter,  No.  33,  was  in- 
stituted June  14,  1866,  and  its  jurisdiction  embraces  Juneau 
and  parts  of  adjoining  counties.  It  owns  a  magnificent  re- 
galia and  carries  on  its  rolls  the  names  of  eighty-six  com- 
panions. The  present  officers  are:  P.  R.  Briggs,  H.  P.; 
M.  Temple,  K. ;  W.  G.  Spence,  S.;  C.  Lyon,  treasurer;  B. 
N.  Souther,  secretary. 

Mauston  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  290,  was  instituted 
May  8,  1879,  by  District  Deputy,  C.  K.  Ervin,  of  Tomah. 
The  charter  members  were:  H.  S.  Spaulding,  G.  C.  Gard- 
ner, Abel  Brownwall,  W.  R.  Irish,  H.  C.  Strong,  P.  C  Nel- 
son, George  Cower;  forty  additional  members  have  since 
been  added,  the  lodge  now  numbering  forty-eight  members. 
The  present  officers  are:  W.  A.  Sikes,  N.  G.;  B.  C.  Dock- 
stader,  V.  G.;  William  Russell,  R.  S.;  C.  N.  Holden,  P.  S.; 
Andrew  Ely,  treasurer ;  William   Koehler,  trustee. 

The  order  of  I.  O.  G.  T.  was  introduced  into  Wiscon- 
sin in  1856.  The  Grand  Lodge  headquarters  are  located 
at  Mauston,  and  are  in  charge  of  Grand  Secretary  B.  F. 
Parker,  who  is  now  serving  his  eighth  year.  At  the  time 
of  Mr.  Parker's  election,  the  order  numbered  only  7,000 
members  and  112  lodges.  It  now  numbers  20,000  members 
and  about  500  lodges.  The  supplies  of  the  order  are  kept 
at  this  office,  and  its  receipts  and  disbursements  amount  to 
$10,000  per  year.  The  lodge  located  at  Mauston,  Advance 
Guard,  No.  261,  was  instituted  in  April,  1865,  and  has  en- 
rolled the  names  of  over  500  members. 

There  are  sixteen  lodges  in  this  county,  with  a  member- 
ship of  800.  The  officers  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Wiscon- 
sin are:  Theodore  D.  Kanouse,  G.  W.  C.  T.;  P.  Allen,  Jr., 
G.  W.  C;  Mrs.  J.  A.  Brown,  G.  V.  T.;  B.  F.  Parker,  G.  S.; 
Mrs.  L.  W.  Parker,  G.  T.;  M.  Knight,  A.  G.'  S.;  Miss  Em- 
ma Sprague,  G.  S.  J.  T.;  Rev.  L.  F.  Cole,  G.  C;  H.  L. 
Pound, G.  M.;  Miss  Eva  Goodrich,  G.  D.  M.;  Mrs.  J.  Gregg, 
G.  I.  G.;  Joseph  Becauhord,  C.  S.;  H.  Foster,  P.  G.  W.  C.  T. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  is  an  order  an- 
cient only  in  the  foundation  principles,  which  are  mutual 
aid  and  assistance  ;  was  first  organized  in  Meadville,  Pa  , 
about  twelve  years'ago,  and  has  become  so  popular  with  the 
people  that  it  has  spread  over  the  whole  United  States,  and 
numbers  nearly  100,000  members.  It  is  distinctly  an  insur- 
ance order.  Each  member  who  has  taken  the  third  degree 
is  insured  for  the  sum  of  $2,000  for  the  benefit  of  his  family 
or  friend  named.  The  order  in  any  State  numbering  more 
than  2,000  members  may,  by  request,  become  a  separate 
beneficiary  jurisdiction.  Wisconsin  became  such  in  1879. 
There  are  4,000  members  in  the  State.  ']"he  lodge  in  this 
village,  Mauston  Lodge,  No.  11,  is  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion, and  under  an  efficient  corps  of  officers. 

The  Mauston  Light  Guards  rank  second  to  none,  as  a 
military  organization,  in  the  State.  It  was  organized,  August 
31,  1869,  with  Hon.  John  Turner  as  captain,  and  was  the 
third  company  organized  in  the  State,  the  two  older  compa- 
nies being  the  Sheridan  Guards,  of  Milwaukee,  organized 
June  23,  1869,  and  the  Manitowoc  Company,  organized  July 


18,  1869.  Its  roster  carries  seventy-five  men,  and  it  holds 
itself  ready  to  drill  with  any  company  in  the  State.  The 
regular  uniform  is  navy  blue  with  white  facings,  the  same 
style  as  the  Seventh  Regiment  of  New  York  National 
Guards,  except  the  facings,  which  are  bright  red.  It  owns 
eleven  tents,  sufficient  for  the  accommodation  of  the  com- 
pany, and  a  full  set  of  camp  equipage.  It  also  possesses 
two  beautiful  silk  standards  of  national  colors,  one  of  which 
was  presented  by  the  ladies  of  Mauston.  They  also  own  a 
Zouave  uniform,  consisting  of  blue  jackets,  red  caps  and 
breeches,  with  white  leggings,  which  is  worn  on  dress  occa- 
sions and  exhibition  drills.  The  present  commissioned 
officers  are  :  B.  F.  Parker,  captain  ;  Richard  Powers,  first 
lieutenant;  G.  H.  Winsor,  second  lieutenant ;  Quarter-mas- 
ter, Hon.  John  Turner. 

The  Bank  of  Mauston  is  a  well  known,  reliable  institu- 
tion, situated  at  the  corner  of  Division  and  State  streets.  It 
was  opened  in  1869  by  J.  B.  Rosecrantz,  who  after  running 
it  a  short  time  was  taken  sick,  and  being  unable  to  continue 
the  business,  sold  out  to  Mr.  P.  R.  Briggs,  the  present  senior 
partner,  who  continued  it  until  1880,  when  he  admitted  his 
son,  Mr.  B.  W.  Briggs,  as  a  partner.  The  business  is  now 
conducted  under  the  name  of  P.  R.  Briggs  &  Son.  The 
capital  of  the  bank  is  $12,000,  with  resources  reaching 
$25,000.  The  amount  of  its  deposits  average  $25,000,  be- 
sides doing  a  [large  collection  and  exchange  business.  It 
annually  issues  drafts  and  certificates  of  deposit  amounting 
to  $300,000,  besides  paying  out  $350,000  on  checks  drawn 
by  business  men  and  depositors.  It  has  the  confidence  of 
the  public  here  as  well  as  elsewhere. 

The  Mauston  Mills  are  owned  by  B.  Boorman,  one  of 
those  energetic,  careful  business  men  who  are  always  found 
intimately  connected  with  the  prosperity  of  every  thriving 
village.  The  Lemonweir  River  furnishes  an  inexhaustible 
water  power,  and  has  a  head  often  feet  fall.  The  grist  mill 
contains  five  run  of  stone,  is  furnished  with  all  modern  im- 
provements for  the  manufacture  of  fine  grades  of  flour,  and 
has  a  capacity  of  150  barrels  per  day.  It  annually  consumes 
from  40,000  to  50,000  bushels  of  wheat,  from  30,000  to  35,- 
000  bushels  of  buckwlieat,  and  grinds  for  customers  30,000 
bushels  of  wheat.  It  manufactures  some  60,000  bushels  of 
feed,  the  bulk  of  which  goes  into  the  pineries.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  mill  reaches  $100,000  per  year,  and  gives  employ- 
ment to  twelve  men.  The  saw  mill  does  a  business  of 
$20,000,  and  when  in  operation  employs  twenty-five  men. 
In  addition  to  these  two  enterprises,  Mr.  Boorman  has  added 
a  third,  that  of  a  carding  mill,  which  also  earns  a  handsome 
income  for  its  owner,  and  is  a  valuable  auxiliary  to  the  gen- 
eral business  of  the  village. 

Tiie  New  Process  Grist  and  Flouring  Mills,  Mauston, 
White,  Train  &  Co.,  proprietors.  In  size  it  is  22x48  feet, 
with  an  engine  room  18x40;  steam  power  engine  8x18,  forty 
horse  power.  The  mill  has  three  run  of  stone  and  an  iron 
feed  mill ;  has  two  twenty  feet  bolting  reels,  and  is  furnish- 
ed with  the  most  improved  machinery,  including  one  of 
Kurth's  patent  cockle  separator  and  Richardson's  dustless 
oat  separator  combined  ;  also  Richmond's  combined  beater 


HISTORY  OF   JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


373 


and  adjustable  Brush   smut  machines,  and  one  of  Smith's 
purifiers. 

The  Mauston  Plow  and  Iron  Works,  Foundry  and  Plain- 
ing Mill,  Theodore  Carter,  proprietor,  B.  M.  Carter,  man- 
ager. These  works  were  built  in  1870  by  a  joint  stock  com- 
pany, B.  Boorman,  president.  Size  of  buildings  average 
length,  120  feet;  average  with,  sixty  feet;  employs  ten  to 
twelve  men  ;  has  a  capacity  to  turn  out  2,500  plows,  and  100 
tons  of  castings  annually  ;  manufacture  planers,  matchers, 
grist-mill  and  saw-mill  machinery,  iron  rails  and  columns, 
iron  fence  and  water-wheels,  steam  engines  built  and  re- 
paired. The  power  used  is  from  a  twenty  horse  power  en 
gine,  8x12. 

Although  Mauston  stands  at  tlie  head  of  the  county  in 
temperance  and  good  order,  the  brewery  of  Messrs.  H.  Run- 
kel  &  Co.  is  one  of  the  most  successful  business  houses  of 
tlie  village.  It  has  a  capacity  of  2,000  barrels  per  year,  and 
its  reputation  is  among  the  first  in  the  State.  It  brews  an 
average  of  700  barrels  per  year,  and  consumes  2,000  bushels 
of  barley.  It  is  a  large,  commodious  structure,  complete  in 
every  detail.  The  vaults  are  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock 
and  show  a  temperature  of  4^  below  zero.  Its  trade  com- 
mands not  only  the  immediate  vicinity  but  much  is  shipped 
to  adjoining  counties. 

Trade  in  farm  machinery  is  one  of  the  many  business  in- 
terests of  this  prosperous  little  village.  The  principal  houses 
are  those  of  Case,  Arntz  &  Co.,  and  J.  C.  Wetherby.  It  is 
estimated  that  the  receipts  of  this  branch  of  business  will 
net  fully  $75,000. 

Mr.  Sanford  Phillips  is  the  proprietor  of  an  elevator  do- 
ing a  business  of  $50,000  per  year.  It  also  furnishes  a 
market  for  all  kinds  of  farm  produce. 

The  produce  business  is  more  particularly  represented 
by  Messrs.  Plummer  &  Stewart.  They  handle  a  large  amount 
of  live  stock,  besides  dressed  beef  and  all  farm  produce; 
also  one  of  the  heavy  businesses  of  Mauston,  in  its  season, 
is  the  purchase  of  railroad  ties,  cord-wood,  piles,  etc.  Over 
60,000  ties  are  sold  annually.  In  addition  to  all  this  Maus- 
ton has  plow  and  iron  works  where  any  thing  in  the  line 
of  a  first  class  machine  shop  can  be  found,  and  castings 
are  made,  from  the  parts  of  a  sewing  machine  to  the  heav- 
iest shafting,  of  which  Mr.  B.  M.  Carter  is  proprietor.  Mr. 
William  More  is  proprietor  of  a  large  pickle  factory  which 
is  a  fast  growing  business,  and  becoming  one  of  the  perma- 
nent interests  of  the  town.  It  furnishes  employment  for 
numerous  coopers  and  barrel  makers,  a  market  for  hoop- 
poles  and  stave  bolts.  Just  outside  the  village  is  the  nur- 
sery of  Mr.  C.  M.  Potter,  which  disposes  annually  of  about 
14,000  trees  and  shrubs  of  various  kinds,  and  bids  fair  to 
become  a  large  business. 

'  To  further  show  the  business  of  Mauston,  we  here  pre- 
sent the  following  report,  taken  from  the  balance  sheet  of 
Mr.  A.  C.  Carter,  station  agent  in  charge  of  the  C,  M.  & 
St.  P.  R.  R.,  at  this  village,  showing  the  amount  of  freight 
per  different  commodities,  shipped  from  Mauston  annually: 
wheat,  52,700  lbs;  buckwheat,  246,000;  rye,  46,360;  bar- 
ley, 113,800;  oats,  239,180;  potatoes,  901,540;  beans,  24,- 


940;  grass  seed,  31,360;  hops,  88, 810;  cranberries,  25,810; 
flour,  1,324,425;  mill  feed,  567,710;  dressed  hogs,  3,155; 
hay,  60,000;  cheese,  630;  eggs,  26,310;  butter,  22,070; 
tallow,  4,380;  wool,  19,540;  hides,  22,940;  scrap  iron,  23,- 
400;  merchandise,  121,185;  agricultural,  50,840;  horses, 
56,000;  cattle,  572,000  ;  hogs,  324,000  ;  lumber,  1,245,740; 
stave  bolts,  157,600;  hoop-poles,  24,000 ;  slab  wood,  288,- 
000;  empty,  42,640;  miscellaneous,  672,155  ;  pickets,  246,- 
710.  Total,  7)592,357  lbs.  Amount  paid  for  freight  on 
same,  $9,223.74.  Amount  paid  for  tickets,  $6,565.40.  Total 
amount  of  freight  received,  3,858,633  lbs. 

In  this  age  of  intelligence,  the  post-office  is  a  sure  indi- 
cation of  the  success  of  any  village.  At  Mauston  it  is 
located  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Division  streets,  in  the 
Bank  building,  and  is  in  charge  of  Postmaster  M.  N.  Briggs. 
The  average  number  of  letters  received  in  a  day  reaches 
500,  other  matter  150.  The  salary  of  the  Postmaster  is 
$r,2oo.  The  office  has  309  private  bo.xes,  twenty-one  lock 
bo.xes,  and  does  a  business  of  $30,000  per  year. 

The  first  post-office  at  Mauston  was  situated  at  the 
junction  of  Mansion  and  Union  streets,  and  was  called 
Maughs'  Mill,  J.  M.  Maughs,  Postmaster.  It  was  kept  in 
this  part  of  the  village  until  about  the  year  i860,  when  it 
was  removed  to  its  present  location. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

JOHN  H.  ALLTSSON,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  and  County  courts, 
Juneau  County,  was  born  at  Schellsburg,  Bedford  Co..  Pa.,  Jan.  13, 
1846.  Wlien  seventeen  years  of  age.  he  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  21st  Pa. 
Cavalry,  for  six  months;  served  his  term  and  in  1864,  re-enhsted  for 
three  years  in  Co.  I,  same  regiment.  At  the  batile  of  Amelia  Springs, 
April  5,  1865,  he  receiveda  gun-shot  wound  in  the  left  thigh,  producing 
a  fracture  and  subsequent  ossification  of  the  knee  and  ankle  joints.  He 
was  transferred  from  one  hospital  to  another  until  he  finally  was  left  .it 
the  Hicks  Hospital.  Baltimore,  where  he  submitted  to  the  amputation 
of  the  leg,  Feb.  16.  1S66.  The  surgeons  deemed  this  a  case  of  such 
peculiar  interest,  that  a  report  of  it  covering  sixiy-eight  pages  of  manu- 
script was  filed  in  the  Medical  Museum  at  Washington.  In  May,  1867, 
he  moved  to  Western,  Linn  Co.,  Iowa.  Here  he  attended  the  Western 
College  for  five  years.  In  1873.  he  visited  his  native  Slate,  remaining  a 
year,  and  in  1874.  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  made  his  home  at  Elroy. 
Juneau  Co.  While  at  this  place  he  served  three  years  as  principal  of 
the  High  .School.  In  the  Fall  of  1880,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the 
Court,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office,  Jan  3.  1881.  Mr.  Allis- 
son  was  married,  Oct.  4,  1865,  at  Ontario,  Wis.,  to  Miss  Fanny  Munger, 
daughter  of  Elon  Munger.  Mrs.  AUisson  was  born  in  Oconomowoc. 
They  have  two  children,  James  W.  aged  four  years,  and  Cora  A.  aged 
two  years. 

ISAAC  L.  ALSBACHER,  of  the  firm  of  Alsbacher  &  Barker,  deal- 
ers in  general  merchandise  and  manufacturers  of,  and  dealers  in,  har- 
nesses, State  street.  Mr.  Alsbacher  is  the  son  of  A.  Louis  Alsbacher; 
was  born  in  Bavari.-i,  Germany,  May  3.  1838  ;  served  a  regular  appren- 
ticeship at  the  harnessmaker's  trade  in  his  native  country  ;  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1854,  stopping  at  Cleveland.  Ohio,  about  six  months, 
working  at  his  trade;  he  then  went  to  Coldwater,  Mich.,  where  he 
worked  about  the  same  length  of  time  ;  he  then  came  to  Wisconsin. 
After  visiting  several  cities  in  this  State,  he  finally  located  at  Mauston, 
and  opened  the  first  harness  shop  in  the  county.  He  has  since  estab- 
lished branches,  for  the  sale  of  harness,  at  Wonewoc,  New  Lisbon  and 
Lyndon.  In  1867,  in  addition  to  his  other  business,  he  opened  a  farm 
in  the  vicinity  of  Mauston,  and  engaged  in  hop  growing ;  is  now  the 
largest  hop  grower  in  the  county,  having  a  yard  of  twenty  six  acres.  He 
was  married  in  October,  1S68,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Barker,  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Statira  O.  Barker.  Mrs.  Alsbacher  was  born  in  Genesee,  Waukesha 
Co.,  Wis.  They  h.ive  two  children,  a  son,  named  Louis  I.,  .igcd  twelve 
years,  and  a  daughter,  Lena  M.,  aged  ten  years.  In  1S73.  Mr.  .-Vlsbacher 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  wife's  father,  Mr.  I'eter  Barker,  under 
the  present  firm  name  of  Alsbacher  &  Barker,  adding  a  stock  of  boots, 
shoes  and  general  merchandise  to  the  harness  business.  They  are  car- 
rying  at  this  time  a  slock  of  $7,000,  and  also  m.nnufacluring  harness, 
employing  four  men  in  that  department.  Mr.  A.  has  been  a  Trustee  of 
the  Village  several  years,  and  Treasurer  of  School  District  four  years. 
In  the  Spring  of  1881,  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  Town, 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


J.  C.  BALDWIN,  traveling  agent  for  Case  Wagon  Company,  Maus- 
ton,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  July,  1S44.  He  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  helped  his  father,  who  was  engaged  in 
lumbering.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  came  to  Mauston,  his  parents 
having  settled  there  the  year  previous,  and  engaged  in  farming,  which 
he  followed  until  the  Spring  of  1S73,  when  he  engaged  in  the  agricult- 
ural implement  business  for  two  years ;  the  following  three  years  he 
spent  traveling  in  the  interest  of  Plummer  &  Stewart.  He  then  traveled 
for  William  Ca.se  &  Co.  until  June,  1880.  since  which  time  he  has  been 
traveling  for  the  Case  Wagon  Company,  of  Wonewoc.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  In  January,  1871,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  KateCorwith,  who  was  born  in  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1856.  They 
have  three  children— Grace,  Mark  and  Bert. 


VXA       VJ 


<Xx'^J^K^^5oSw  ^ 


LUTHER  BECKWTTH,  Mauston, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
age  ;  was  married  in  Delavan.  Wis.,  Nov 


was  born  in  West  Moreland. 
when  he  was  twelve  years  of 
2g,  1850,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  M. 


E.  M.  Beckwith. 


Clute.  Mr.  Beckwith  went  to  California  in  1853,  and  remained  there 
three  years  and  seven  months.  After  his  return  he  moved  to  Mauston  ; 
enlisted  from  Juneau  County  in  the  late  war  ;  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Ju- 
neau County,  and  served  in  that  capacity  in  1S67  and  1868.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  Assessor  of  the  village  of  Mauston, 

PETER  BARKER,  merchant,  of  the  firm  of  Alsbacher  &  Barker, 
was  born  in  Schuylerville.  Saratoga  Co..  N.  Y.,  Eeb.  26,  1818  ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1840.  and  located  at  Genesee,  Waukesha  Co.  (then  Mil- 
waukee County) ;  was  engaged  in  farming  a  few  years,  and  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  J.S.  Loomis,  in  the  village  of  Genesee,  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Loomis  &  Barker.     Mr.  Loomis 


was  succeeded  by  a  Mr.  Treadway,  and  the  firm  name  changed  to  Tread- 
way  &  Barker.  Mr.  Barker  continued  this  connection  until  1S65,  when 
he  moved  to  Mauston  in  December  of  that  year.  In  1867,  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  with  Mr.  S.  Phillips,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Barker  &  Phillips,  and  continued  a  member  of  that  firm  until  1873. 
when  he  engaged  in  his  present  business  with  Mr.  Alsbacher.  Mr. 
Barker  was  married,  Jan.  14,  1840,  at  Sheridan,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Statira  O. 
Loomis,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Desdamona  (Simons)  Loomis.  Mrs. 
Barker  was  born  in  Sheridan,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  three 
children — Mary  E.  (now  Mrs.  I.  L.  Alsbacher),  of  Mauston  ;  Francis  J. 
(now  Mrs.  John  W.  Remington),  and  Carrie  D.  (now  Mrs.  W.  H.  Craine), 
of  Colorado. 

CHARLES  W.  BARNEY,  Register  of  Deeds,  Mauston,  was  born 
in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  6.  1842;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858,  with 
his  parents,  locating  at  Ripon.  In  the  Fall  of  that  year,  moved  to 
Juneau  County,  and  engaged  in  farming.  Jan.  30,  1869.  he  was  married, 
at  Wonewoc.  to  Miss  Mary  H.  Davis,  daughter  of  Hon.  R.  H.  Bavis, 
one  of  Sauk  County's  earliest  pioneers,  and  who  was  murdered  near  his 
mill,  at  Lemonweir,  on  the  night  of  Sept.  22,  1869.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bar- 
ney have  four  sons- — Charles  R.,  aged  eleven  years;  Arthur  W.,  aged 
ten ;  Robert  D.,  aged  eight,  and  Harry  W.,  aged  six.  Right  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  B.  moved  to  Mauston,  and  engaged  in  blacksmithing, 
continuing  in  business  at  that  place  till  the  Fall  of  that  year,  when  he 
moved  to  Lemonweir,  and  entered  upon  the  same  business  there,  and 
continued  it  till  the  death  of  Mr.  Davis,  when  he  engaged  as  book- 
keeper at  the  mill  for  the  heirs.  The  following  August,  he  moved  to 
Wonewoc,  and  engaged  in  a  grist  and  flouring  mill  at  that  place;  was 
there  only  a  few  months,  when,  owing  to  the  property  changing  hands, 
he  left  it  and  resumed  his  trade  of  blacksmithing.  which  he  continued 
until  the  Fall  of  1871,  when  he  moved  to  Elroy.  and  engaged  in  the 
grist  mill  at  that  place  for  a  few  months,  and  then  returned  to  Wonewoc 
and  resumed  his  trade  again,  which  he  continued  bnlva  short  time,  when 
he  engaged  with  Kieth  &  Paddock,  at  La  Valle.  In  the  Fall  of  T872. 
he  returned  to  Lemonweir,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother- 
in-law.  Robert  H.  Davis,  in  the  milling  business,  continuing  this  con- 
nection till  the  Summer  of  1875,  when  he  moved  to  Mauston  and  en- 
gaged as  clerk  for  Phillips  &  Case,  merchants,  where  he  remained  until 
elected  to  the  office  of  Register  of  Deeds,  in  the  Fall  of  1880. 

H.  W.  BARNEY,  lawyer.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840,  where  he  lived  eighteen  years,  during 
which  time  he  received  a  good  education,  attending  the  last  four  years 
at  Union  Academy,  of  Belleville,  N.  Y.  In  185S,  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Juneau  Co..  Wis.,  and  until  1S61.  was  engaged  in  teaching  school 
and  surveying,  when  he  went  to  New  York  City  and  served  as  clerk  in 
the  transcript  department  of  the  New  York  post-office  for  one  year  ;  then 
he  served  as  assistant  secretary  of  the  post-ofifice  one  year.  He  was  then 
employed  in  the  cashier  department  of  the  New  York  custom-house  un- 
til l856,  when  he  returned  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  and  again  followed 
teaching  and  surveying,  until  1869.  He  then  went  to  Menomonee  Co.. 
Mich.,  and  was  appointed  County  Surveyor,  and  served  until  Winter, 
when  he  again  came  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  and  followed  surveying  until 
1871.  In  1871,  Mr.  Barney  turned  his  attention  to  law7 reading  with  H. 
H.  Hatch,  of  New  Lisbon;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  October,  1873. 
In  Octrber.  1874.  he  came  to  Wonewoc.  where  he  has  become  one  of  the 
most  prominent  lawyers  of  the  county.  He  is  now  District  Attorney,  to 
which  office  he  was  elected  in  1879.  March,  1880,  Mr.  B.  was  married 
to  Emma  Colebourn,  born  in  England  in  1S58.  They  have  one  child, 
Godfrey  W.,  born  Dec.  17.  1880. 

BENJAMIN  BOORMAN.  proprietor  of  the  Mauston  grist,  flour- 
ing, saw  and  carding  mills,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  L.  Anderson  & 
Co.,  dealers  in  general  merchandise  ;  also  of  the  firm  of  Anderson  & 
Boornjan,  dealers  in  wood  and  railroad  ties.  Mr.  Boorman  was  born  in 
Kent  Co..  England,  in  1S30;  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
in  1840,  making  his  home  at  Avon.  Livingston  Co..  N.  Y.  At  an  early 
age  he  engaged  as  apprentice  in  the  Wadsworth  flouring  mills,  where  he 
served  several  years.  In  184S,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents, 
spending  two  years  on  his  father's  farm,  near  Delavan.  He  then  went 
to  Delton,  Sauk  Co  .  and  built  the  City  Mills,  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  flour  and  feed.  Oct.  5,  1859,  '>«  ^as  married  at  Batavia,  111., 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Gregg,  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  Gregg.  They 
have  had  seven  children  by  this  marriage,  of  whom  only  three  are  living — 
William.  Jane,  and  Winnefred  ;  Elizabeth  died  at  the  age  of  seven,  and 
the  three  others  in  infancy.  Mr.  Boorman  continued  in  business  at 
Delton  ten  years.  In  1864,  he  came  to  Mauston.  Juneau  Co.  Here  he 
bought  a  grist  mill  and  saw  mill,  which  he  ran  until  1859,  when  the  whole 
property  was  destroyed  by  fire,  by  which  he  sustained  a  loss  of  $20,000. 
The  following  year,  1870,  he  built  the  Mauston  grist  and  flouring  mills. 
These  mills  are  a  wooden  structure,  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Lemonweir  River  ;  size,  40x70  feet,  three  stories  high  ;  and  run  by  water 
power.  They  have  five  runs  of  stone,  and  have  a  capacity  of  150  barrels 
of  flour  and  twenty  tons  of  feed  daily.  The  power  is  abundant,  having 
an  eight-foot  head;  the  pond  extends  four  miles  above  the  mill,  and 
covers  2.00-)  acres.  Mr.  B.  is  making  arrangements  to  build  a  second 
n  Hiring  mill,  on  the  latest  improved  roller  plan.     In  1S73.  he  built  a  saw 


HISTORY  OF  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


375 


mill  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Lemonweir  River ;  size,  50x80  feet.  It  is 
a  double  rotary  mill,  with  complete  sets  of  edgers,  trimmers,  and  lath 
mill,  and  has  a  capacity  of  40.000  feet  per  twenty-four  hours.  The  logs 
sawed  are  from  the  Lemonweir  Valley.  He  also  built  a  building  22x40 
feet,  which  is  used  for  a  carding  mill,  and  is  situated  adjacent  to  the  saw 
mill.  The  carding  mill  is  run  by  C.  E.  Hungerford,  and  has  a  capacity 
of  200.000  pounds  a  season.  Jan.  31,  1874,  Mr.  Boorman  was  called  on 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  whose  death  occurred  at  this  date.  He 
was  married  July  19,  1S75,  at  Mauston,  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  Hall, 
d.aughter  of  George  and  Mary  Hall.  Two  children  were  born  to  them  ; 
the  eldest,  George  H.,  died  when  three  years  of  age  ;  the  second,  an 
infant  son,  is  unnamed.  In  the  Fall  of  1877,  Mr.  B.  built  a  fine  brick 
residence,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 

P.  R.  BRIGGS,  of  the  firm  of  P.  R.Briggs  &  Son,  proprietors  of  the 
Mauston  Bank,  Mauston,  and  of  the  branch  bank  at  Wonewoc.  called 
The  Juneau  County  Bank.  The  Mauston  Bank  was  established  in  the 
Fall  of  1S6S,  by  Mr.  J,  B.  Rosecrantz,  who  continued  the  business  only 
about  three  months,  when  he  sold  to  Mr.  P.  R.  Briggs,  who  re-opened 
the  bank  in  January,  1S69,  and  has  continued  the  business  up  to  this 
time.  Capital,  $12,000.  In  the  Spring  of  1S80,  he  took  his  son,  Bert 
W..  as  a  partner.  The  bank  is  located  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Divis- 
ion streets.  Mr.  P.  R.  Briggs,  son  of  Jacob  Briggs,  was  born  in  Auburn, 
N.  Y.,  in  1825.  While  quite  young,  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Yates 
County,  and  resided  there  a  few  years.  Then  to  Buffalo,  and  from  there 
to  Fredonia,  where  he  attended  the  academy  two  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  pail  factory  at  Versailles,  as  turner,  followed  that 
business  two  years.  March  16,  1851,  he  was  married  at  Versailles, 
N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Wood,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Char- 
lotte Wood.  They  have  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter.  The 
son,  Bert  \V.,  is  married  to  Mary  W.  Zuell,  and  resides  at  Wonewoc, 
where  he  is  conducting  the  branch  bank,  established  April  4.  1881.  The 
daughter,  Aha  A.,  is  now  Mrs.  A.  C.  Carter,  of  Mauston.  In  1856, 
Mr.  Briggs  moved  his  family  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  located  on  a 
farm  near  Mauston,  continuing  on  this  farm  only  two  years.  He  then 
moved  to  the  village  of  Mauston,  read  law  in  the  office  of  John  A.  Kel- 
logg :  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  elected  District  Attorney  in  l862,to 
fill  vacancy;  was  re-elected,  and  served  until  May,  1S64,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  E,  41st  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  the  100  day  service,  received  a  second 
lieutenant's  commission.  May  4,  1864,  served  unti^  Fall,  and  then  re- 
turned home,  where  he  enlisted  in  Cc.  C,  47th  Wis.  V.  I.,  of  which  he 
w»as  commissioned  captain,  Feb.  18,  1S65.  He  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  September  4,  1S65.  On  returning  from 
the  war,  he  engaged  as  pension  and  bounty  agent.  While  em- 
ployed in  this  business,  he  secured  the  adjustment  of  1,600  claims.  May. 
1866,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  under  President  Johnson.  Held  that 
position  until  187:,  when,  on  being  elected  to  the  Legislature,  he  resigned 
liis  position  as  Postmaster,  and  at  the  earnest  request  of  the  people,  his 
wife,  Mrs.  M.  W.  Briggs,  who  had  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  for 
years,  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  This  office  being  conducted  so 
satisfactory,  three  small  offices  in  the  vicinity  were  discontinued,  and  this 
made  a  salaried  office.  Mrs.  Briggs  was  re-appointed,  under  President 
Hayes.  Mr.  Briggs  has  served  as  President  of  the  village  one  year,  and 
as  one  of  the  Trustees  several  years. 

B.  M.  CARTER,  manager  of  the  Mauston  Plow  and  Iron  Works. 
Was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1835.  While  quite  young,  he  went 
with  his  parents  to  Chautauqua  County  to  live.  When  nineteen  years  of 
age,  1854,  he  came  to  Wausau,  Wis.,  remained  only  a  short  time,  when 
he  went  to  Dane  County,  and  engaged  as  teacher.  Dec.  25,  1855,  he  was 
married  to  Mary  M.  Carter,  daughter  of  David  and  Abigail  (Cooper) 
Carter.  Mrs.  C.  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  Two  daughters  were 
born  to  them,  Lillie  A.  and  Winnie  M.  After  a  residence  of  five  years 
in  Wisconsin,  he  returned  to  New  York,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  at 
Collins,  Erie  Co.;  continued  this  business  until  July,  1S62.  when  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  B,  154th  N.  Y.  V.  I.  ;  was  enrolled  July  25.  At  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  May  2,  1863,  he  received  a  gunshot  wound  that  dis- 
abled him  for  six  months ;  again  he  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lost 
Mountain.  June  15,  1864,  he  received  two  gunshot  wounds  almost  at 
the  same  instant,  one  ball  entered  the  left  side  near  the  point  of  the  hip 
and  came  out  at  the  back  ;  the  other  struck  the  left  arm,  laying  the  bone 
bare  above  the  elbow.  He  continued  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  was  mustered  out  June  25,  1865.  He  then  spent  one  year  in 
Cattaraugus  County  in  the  lumber  business.  June,  1S66,  he  came  to 
Mauston,  and  engaged  in  farming  near  Mauston.  September,  1873,  in 
company  with  his  brother,  Herman,  he  purcha.sed  the  establishment. 
Jan.  I,  1S75,  he  bought  his  brother's  interest,  and  continued  the  business 
alone  until  Nov.  22,  1877,  when  he  sold  to  the  present  proprietor,  Theda 
Carter.  Since  purchasing  the  foundry,  to  this  time,  Mr.  Carter  has  been 
its  manager. 

ROBERT  H.  DAVIS,  proprietor  of  Mauston  House,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  R.  H.  Davis  &  Co.,  millers,  Lemonweir.  Was  born  at 
Baraboo,  Wis..  March  2g,  1849.  Received  his  education  in  the  j  ubiic 
schools,  and  in  a  three  years'  course  in  the  Collegiate  Institute 
at  Baraboo.  He  learned  the  miller's  trade  with  his  father,  at  Wonewoc, 
where  he  served  two  years.     He  next  engaged  with  Mr.  Eooiman  in  the 


Mauston  Mills,  where  he  remained  three  years.  March  ig,  1867,  lie  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  his  father,  in  a  lease  of  the  Dustin  mills  at 
Lemonweir,  under  the  firm  name  of  R.  H.  Davis  &  Co.,  and  continued 
to  run  these  mills  under  the  lease  until  February,  1869,  when  they  pur- 
chased the  mill,  and  proceeded  with  the  business.  After  his  father's 
death,  which  occurred  September  22.  of  that  year,  he  continued  the  bu.si- 
ness  under  the  old  name,  though  other  parties  have  been  interested  in  it. 
The  mill  is  a  three-story  building,  40x50,  with  basement  ;  is  run  by  water- 
power  ;  has  three  run  of  stones,  with  a  daily  capacity  of  fifty  barrels.  Jan. 
I,  1881,  Mr.  Davis  purchased  the  hotel  property  at  Mauston,  known  as 
the  Mauston  House,  which  he  is  keeping  at  this  time.  He  is  perfecting 
his  plans  for  a  three-story  house,  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  one,  which 
is  to  be  moved  to  the  rear.  Mr.  Davis  was  married  in  Mauston.  Oct.  12, 
1879,  to  Miss  Louisa  Dick,  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Curran) 
Dick.  Mrs.  Davis  was  born  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  child, 
called  Charles  Keith. 

B.  C.  DOCKSTADER,  proprietor  of  meat  market  and  flour  and 
feed  store,  Mauston,  son  of  Christopher  Dockstader,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  15,  1823.  In  1844,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and 
took  up  a  claim  on  Rock  Prairie,  now  the  town  of  Richmond,  Walworth 
Co.  Remained  there  two  years,  and  then,  at  the  request  of  his  father, 
returned  East  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  boating  on  the 
Erie  Canal ;  was  proprietor  of  five  canal  boats.  In  1853,  he  went  to 
.■\lbany,  and  engaged  as  foreman  of  bridge  building  on  the  Albany  & 
Rutland  Railroad.  In  the  latter  part  of  that  year,  he  returned  to  Rock 
Prairie,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1854,  he  came  to  Adams  County  and  made 
a  claim  of  forty  acres,  on  what  is  now  a  part  of  the  village  plat  of 
Mauston,  Juneau  Co.  He  soon  platted  this  land,  and  erected  six  build- 
ings on  the  line  of  State  street.  W,as  engaged  in  this  business  and  the 
sale  of  real  estate  until  185S,  when  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Mr.  F.  Winsor,  in  the  grocery  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Winsor 
&  Dockstader.  About  1S60,  they  added  to  their  grocery  a  general  stock 
of  merchandise.  In  1S63,  they  established  a  branch  store  at  Elroy, 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Carter.  This  was  the  first 
store  established  at  that  place.  They  also  started  a  branch  store  at 
Hillsboro,  under  the  management  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Holbrook.  In  1865, 
he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Winsor  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Carter,  at 
Elroy,  in  a  general  store.  Two  years  later,  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Carter, 
and  entered  into  partnership  with  Dr.  Farr,  at  Mauston,  in  the  same 
line.  Continued  this  connection  only  eight  months,  when  he  bought  out 
the  doctor,  and  took  Mr.  A.  S.  Wetherby  as  a  partner.  At  the  end  of 
two  years,  he  bought  out  Mr.  Wetherby  and  continued  the  business 
alone  about  a  year,  when,  owing  to  causes  that  have  wrecked  so  many 
mercantile  houses,  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  business.  In  1872,-  he 
opened  the  meat  market  and  flour  and  feed  store,  which  business  he  has 
continued  to  this  time.  Mr.  Dockstader  was  married  in  Montgomery 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  2,  1844,  to  Miss  Edith  M.  Swartwout,  daughter  of 
Marvin  and  Mary  (Johnson)  Swartwout.  Six  children  were  born  to 
them — ^Maria.  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  F.  B.  Boroughs ;  Marvin  S., 
married  to  Ellen  Godale,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Godale.  and  residing  in 
Minnesota;  Louisa  L.,  now  Mrs.  P.  C.  Nelson,  of  Whitewater,  Wis.; 
Fernando  W.,  deceased,  died  in  infancy  ;  Edith  M.  and  Bennie  reside  at 
home.  Mr.  D.  has  served  as  member  of  the  Village  Board  two  terms. 
Was  elected  Village  Treasurer  in  1S76,  and  reelected  in  '77  and  '78. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  As  an  old  settler,  he  undoubt- 
edly antedates  all  residents  of  Mauston.  He  built  the  first  brick  store 
in  the  village,  also  several  other  stores.  In  company  with  Mr.  Win.sor, 
he  built  the  elevator,  now  Mr.  Phillips's.  Mr.  D.  and  three  daughters 
made  the  Centennial  trip  together,  going  via  Suspension  Bridge,  .spend- 
ing a  week  in  New  York  City  and  another  on  Long  Island  Sound,  with 
a  friend  named  Brown.  Thence  to  PhiUadelphia,  where  they  spent  two 
weeks  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition.  From  there  to  Washington  City, 
returning  via  Harper's  Ferry,  Sandusky,  Detroit  and  Milwaukee. 

GRIMMER  &  SPENCE,  dealers  in  drugs,  medicines,  perfumery, 
toilet  articles,  wall-paper,  books  and  fancy  goods,  Mauston.  Business 
established  in  1859.  Present  firm  organized  in  March,  1876.  Stock, 
$6,000. 

Frederick  E.  Grimmer,  senior  partner  of  the  above  firm,  was  bom  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  July  15,  1829.  In  1S42,  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents,  and  directly  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  learned  the  harness- 
maker's  trade,  spending  five  years  in  that  line.  He  then  went  to  Lake 
Superior,  and  spent  eight  years  in  the  mining  regions.  In  1853,  he 
moved  to  Juneau  Co..  Wis.,  and  eng.aged  in  farming  in  the  town  of  Lem- 
onweir. Continued  on  the  farm  until  1S59,  when  he  moved  to  Newport, 
Sauk  Co.  Went  in  the  drug  and  grocery  trade,  remaining  there  two 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Mauston,  and  continued  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. Leaving  this  business  in  the  care  of  an  agent,  he  enlisted,  Octo- 
ber, iS6i,  as  principal  musician  in  the  regimental  band  of  the  12th  Wis. 
V.  Served  one  year  with  the  regiment,  and  was  mustered  out  in  the 
Fall  of  1S62.  On  reluming  to  Mauston,  he  resumed  the  care  of  his 
business.  In  1S63,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Martin  Gray,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Gray  &  Grimmer.  Mr.  Gray  only  lived  a  few  months  after 
the  business  was  started.  Mr.  Grimmer  continued  the  business  alone 
about   three  years.     He   then   formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  William 


376 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Case,  as  Case  &  Co.,  and  after  two  years  he  sold  out  to  Case  &  Reming- 
ton. In  1S69.  he  bought  in  with  Mr.  Sharp  in  the  drug  business,  the 
firm  name  being  Sharp  &  Co.  During  the  next  few  years,  until  March, 
1876,  the  firm  underwent  several  changes  of  partners,  when  Mr.  William 
G.  Spence  bought  a  half  interest  in  the  business,  and  the  present  firm  of 
Grimmer  &  Spence  was  organized.  Mr.  Grimmer  was  married  at  New- 
port. Sauk  Co.,  Dec.  2,  1856,  to  Miss  Casandra  M.  Temple,  daughter  of 
William  Temple  and  Maria  Pratt.  They  have  two  daughters  and  two 
sons— Emma  R.,  Frederick  E.,  William  A.  and  Jessie  M. 

William  G.  Spence,  of  Grimmer  &  Spence,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Somers,  Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.,  June  21,  1848,  son  of  John  Spence.  Spent 
his  boyhood  on  the  farm  ;  was  a  student  at  the  Kenosha  High  School. 
Taught  several  terms  of  district  .school  in  the  county;  from  the  Fall  of 
1S73  to  June,  1874.  he  was  assistant  teacher  in  the  Kenosha  High 
School.  On  closing  the  engagement,  he  came  to  Mauston  to  accept  the 
position  of  principal  of  the  Mauston  schools.  This  arrangement  prov- 
ing mutually  satisfactory,  he  was  retained  in  that  position  four  years. 
While  filling  his  engagement  of  teacher,  he  had.  in  March,  1S76,  formed 
the  business  connection  with  Mr.  Grimmer,  as  given  above.  In  1877,  he 
entered  the  store  to  assist  in  its  management.  November,  1S79,  he  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Juneau  County,  and  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  the  office  January,  1880.  Mr.  Spence  was  married,  April 
6,  1875,  at  Somers,  Kenosha  Co.,  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Strong,  daughter  of 
Alvin  and  Melissa  (Trowbridge)  Strong.  Mrs.  Spence  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Somers,  Kenosha  Co. 

CHARLES  H.  GROTE,  County  Judge  Juneau  County,  Wis.,  son 
of  H.  G.  Grote,  was  born  in  Rhine,  Prussia,  March  i,  1829,  resided  in 
his  native  country  until  1849,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
directly  to  Wisconsin,  making  his  home  in  the  city  of  Watertown  where 
he  engaged  in  the  distilling  business.  He  erected  his  distillery  near  the 
old  Red  Mill  and  carried  on  the  business  until  1855.  He  was  married 
at  Watertown,  Jan.  11,  1854.  to  Martha  H.  Revell,  daughter  of  James 
Revell.  They  have  four  daughters,  named  respectively  Ella  E.,  Emily 
L.,  Lulu  P.  and  Irma  D.  February.  1857,  Mr.  Grote  moved  to  German- 
town,  Juneau  Co.,  and  opened  a  store  as  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise, 
continued  that  business  until  1S60,  when  he  sold  out  and  engaged  in 
farming  near  Germantown.  In  1863.  having  been  elected  to  the  ofiice 
of  Register  of  Deeds,  he  moved  to  New  Lisbon  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  the  office.  On  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Mauston,  he 
made  his  home  in  this  village  (1864).  Served  one  term  as  Register.  In 
1866.  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  re-elected  in  1868. 
While  holding  this  ofiice  he  was  elected  County  Judge,  in  the  Spring  of 
1869.  Resigning  the  position  of  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  he  accepted 
the  judgeship  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office.  .'\s  an  evidence 
of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  people,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  cite  the  fact  that  he  is  now  serving  the  fourth  term,  which,  when  com- 
pleted, will  make  sixteen  consecutive  years  in  that  office.  The  Judge  has 
a  snug  little  farm  of  sixty  acres  adjoining  the  village. 

CHARLES  HOLDEN,  J.  P.,  Mauston,  was  born  at  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, Va.,  April  30,  1832;  was  taken  by  his  parents  when  two  years  of 
age  to  Ft.  Moultrie,  Charleston,  where  he  was  educated  and  resided  until 
1849,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Columbia 
County,  where  he  followed  farming  and  clerked  in  a  store,  and  from 
1852  to  1855,  was  engaged  in  getting  up  the  abstracts  of  Columbia 
County  for  A.  B.  Alden.  He  then  went  to  JeSFerson  County  and  got  up 
the  Skinner  abstracts,  and,  in  1856,  removed  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he 
resided  about  one  year,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Juneau  County.  Mr.  Holden  served  four  years  in  the  civil  war.  Has 
been  Clerk  of  the  Court,  Court  Commissioner ;  is  at  present  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  has  held  nearly  all  local  offices. 

THOMAS  P.  NAUGHTIN,  merchant,  Mauston,  was  born  in  Kil- 
mallock,  Co.  Limerick,  Ireland,  Jan.  I,  1831.  Son  of  Patrick  Naughtin. 
In  1848.  he  came  to  the  United  States.  Traveled  through  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  the  Southern  Stales.  He  remained  two  years  at 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  July  31,  1853,  to  Miss  Bridget 
Naughtin.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them.  The  oldest,  John  M., 
is  studying  for  the  ministry  in  the  college  and  seminary  of  St.  Bonaven- 
tura,  at  Allegany,  N.Y.  The  second,  Patrick  T.,  was  married  to  Miss 
Nora  O'Brien,  and  is  a  resident  of  Nebraska.  Mary,  Bridget,  Catherine, 
Margaret  E.  and  Anastasia  are  residing  at  home.  In  1855,  Mr.  Naugh 
tin  moved  to  Wisconsin,  making  his  home  at  Madison  for  two  years. 
He  then  came  to  Mauston,  Juneau  Co.,  in  1857.  In  1S61,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Under  Sheriff  and  served  two  years.  Was  elected  Sheriff  in 
1862.  serving  in  that  office  during  1863-64.  Previous  to  the  organization 
of  the  village,  he  was  elected  Assessor  of  the  town  of  Lemonweir. 
Served  as  Village  Clerk  two  years.  In  1865,  he  made  a  trip  to  Iowa, 
remaining  one  season.  On  his  return,  he  engaged  in  the  Spring  of  1866 
in  the  mercantile  business,  as  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  and  has 
continued  it  to  this  time.  Has  served  as  Assessor  of  Mansion  ten  or 
or  twelve  years,  and  as  Supervisor  of  the  Village,  in  the  County  Board 
from  1875  to  1880.  It  was  chiefly  through  his  instrumentality  that  the 
appropriations  for  the  construction  of  the  court-house  and  jail,  at  Maus- 
ton, were  secured,  thus  clinching  the  location  of  the  county  seat.  He 
was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Building  Committee  of  both  buildings. 


Mr.  Naughtin  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  Democratic  County  Com- 
mittee twelve  years,  and  is  acknowledged  the  leader  of  that  party  in  the 
county.  He  has  also  been  an  active  member  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  aided  materially  in  advancing  its  interests  in  this  section.  Mr.  N. 
has  a  full  agency  for  the  Phojnix  of  Hartford  Insurance  Co.,  since  July 
I.  1865;  is  also  agent  of  the  Commercial  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  of  New 
York,  and  the  Mechanics"  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  Milwaukee.  He  is  also 
agent  for  the  following  steamship  lines:  Cunard,  Guion  Mail  Line,  the 
North  German  Lloyd,  American  and  Red  Star  Lines  ;  also  sells  ex- 
change on  Europe.  Was  appointed  Notary  Public  by  Gov.  Fairchild,  in 
1 868,  and  still  holds  that  commission. 

B.  F.  PARKER,  Grand  Worthy  Secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  Grand 
Lodge  of  Independent  Order  of  Good  Templars;  also  Grand  Master  of  the 
Wisconsin  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mr. 
Parker  was  born  in  Meadville,  Pa.,  July  27,  1839.  Received  an  academic 
education  at  the  Academy  ot  Meadville,  and  in  1S53  came  to  Wisconsin, 
and  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  with  his  uncle  at  Waukesha,  as  a 
carpenter.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  enlist.  Being  in  the  woods,  distant  from  mails,  he  did  not  get  the 
news  in  time  to  get  into  the  ist  regiment,  but  reached  Milwaukee  and 
enlisted,  April  21,  1S61,  in  Co.  K,  2d  Wis.  Vols.  After  pariicipatingin 
the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Co.  K  was  transferred  and  reorganized  into  Co. 
A,  1st  Wis.  Heavy  Artillery.  He  was  with  his  regiment  throughout  its 
service,  until  the  Summer  of  1863,  when  he  was  detailed  with  two  other 
sergeants  to  recruit  three  batteries  for  the  1st  Battalion  Heavy  Artillery. 
He  returned  to  Mauston,  and  recruited  Battery  C  ;  w-as  commissioned 
second  lieutenant,  and  returned  to  the  front.  He  was  promoted  to  senior 
first  lieutenant,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  without  meeting 
with  any  mishap  or  getting  on  the  sick  list.  He  was  mustered  out,  No- 
vember, 1865.  On  leaving  the  Army,  he  came  to  Mauston  and  engaged 
in  the  furniture  business.  About  this  time  he  was  admitted  to  member- 
ship in  the  Independent  Order  of  Good  Templars.  He  continued  the 
furniture  business  until  1873,  when  he  was  elected  Grand  Secretary  of 
the  above  order.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  representative  to  the 
Right  Worthy  Grand  I.odge,  and  has  been  the  representative  for 
the  past  six  years.  He  has  also  been  re-elected  to  the  office  of  Grand 
Secretary  each  year  to  this  time.  In  July,  1S77,  he  was  admitted  as  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  was  elected 
representative  to  the  first  Grand  Lodge  of  the  order,  and  to  each  suc- 
cessive one  since.  In  February,  1S81,  he  was  elected  Grand  Master,  be- 
ing the  fifth  in  the  State  to  hold  that  position.  Mr.  Parker  was  married 
Feb.  3,  1868,  at  Mauston,  to  Lucille  W.  Penniman,  daughter  of  Capt.  H. 
G.  and  Lydia  A.  (Coombs)  Penniman.  Mrs.  Parker  is  the  present  Grand 
Treasurer  of  the  I.  O.  G.  T.,  and  has  acted  in  that  capacity  two  terms. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  aged  twelve  years, 
named  Addie  M. 

CAPT.  H.  G.  PENNIMAN,  agent  of  the  American  Express  Co., 
and  dealer  in  drugs,  medicines,  paints,  oils,  jewelry,  and  toilet  articles  ; 
also  manufacturer  of  Wisconsin  oil  of  life;  Opera  block.  Mr.  Penni- 
man was  born  in  Rockland,  Me.,  Dec.  29,  1829.  When  ten  years  of  age, 
he  went  to  sea  as  cabin  boy  in  a  coasting  schooner.  When  of  a  suitable 
age,  he  was  engaged  as  seaman.  Was  next  third,  second  and  first  mate, 
in  their  usual  order,  until  he  was  made  master  of  a  vessel.  Sailed  in 
the  coasting  and  transatlantic  trade,  visiting  all  the  principal  ports  of 
Europe.  After  sailing  eighteen  years,  he  quit  the  sea,  and  came  to  Wis- 
consin, 1855,  and  located  at  Mauston.  Here  he  clerked  for  some  years. 
Getting  homesick  for  a  smell  of  the  salt  water,  he  returned  to  Maine  and 
went  to  sea  again,  and  sailed  until  the  Fall  of  i860,  when  he  returned  to 


Mauston,  and  the  Spring  of  i85l  he  • 


ippoi 


nted 


cal  agent  by  the 


American  Express  Co.,  which  position  he  has  held  for  the  past 
years.  He  also  engaged  as  dealer  in  grain,  hides,  etc.  In  1S65,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business,  having  purchased  the  stock  of  S.  W.  Field, 
and  continued  the  busine.ss  until  October,  187S,  when  he  sold  to  his  son, 
Herbert  H.  April  9,  1881,  Mr.  Penniman  repurchased  the  stock,  and 
resumed  the  business.  Average  stock,  $4,000.  In  1S75,  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  O.  F.  Temple,  and  together  they  erected  the  Opera 
block,  a  solid  stone  and  brick  structure,  fifty-one  feet  wide  by  seventy- 
five  feet  deep,  and  thirty-seven  leet  high,  in  which  they  have  two  fine 
stores  and  a  commodious  hall,  which  is  well  furnished  and  has  seating 
accommodations  for  600  people.  Mr.  Penniman  was  married  at  Rock- 
land, Me.,  July  15,  1848,  to  Miss  Lydia  Coombs,  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Susan  (Roberts)  Coombs.  Mrs.  Penniman  was  born  in  Maine.  They 
have  two  children  living:  Lucille  W..  born  in  Rockland,  Feb.  2, 1850.  now 
Mrs.  B.  F.  Parker,  of  Mauston;  and  Herbert  H.,  born  Aug.  30,  1S55, 
at  Rockland,  married  to  Mrs.  Jennie  Winchell,  also  of  Mauston.  One 
daughter,  Ella,  died  Sept.  13,  1868,  at  the  age  of  four  years  and  eight 
months. 

SANDFORD  PHILLIPS,  dealer  in  dry  goods,  groceries,  clothing, 
boots  and  shoes,  crockery  and  glassware.  Business  was  established  in 
1867;  at  this  time,  carries  a  $12,000  stock.  Mr.  Phillips  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Farmington,  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  May  8,  1S30.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age,  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  McHenry  County, 
111.,  where  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  two  and  a  half  years.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S43,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating   at    the   village  of  Bar^- 


HISTORY    OF    JUNEAU   COUNTY 


377 


boo.  Remained  there  until  1852,  when  he  came  to  Juneau  County,  and 
made  a  claim  on  unsurveyed  Government  land,  near  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  county,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Wonewoc.  Here  he  engaged 
in  farming  and  lumbering.  He  had  al.^o  secured  a  large  tract 
of  land  in  the  adjacent  township,  in  Vernon  County,  and  con- 
tinued this  business  until  1S5S,  when  he  went  to  Missouri  and  engaged 
in  the  grain,  fruit  and  stock  commission  business.  This  enterprise  not 
meeting  his  expectations,  he  discontinued  it,  after  not  quite  a  year's  ex- 
perience, and  returned  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Monroe  County,  town 
of  Portland.  Mr.  Phillips  was  married  at  Reedsburg,  Sauk  Co.,  March 
3.  1853,  to  Miss  Sarah  Payne,  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Calista  Payne. 
Two  children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  Ernest  A.,  now  aged  twenty- 
five,  and  a  daughter  who  died  in  infancy.  After  only  six  short  years  of 
married  life,  Mrs.  Phillips  was  called  to  join  her  little  one.  Her  death 
occurred  April  22,  1S59.  On  coming  to  Portland,  Mr.  Phillips  built  a 
store  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  continuing  in  this  line  two 
years.  He  then  sold  out,  and  moved  to  his  land  in  the  town  of  Glen- 
dale.  April  22,  1861,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  M.  LeRoy,  daugh- 
ter of  F.  L.  and  Mary  LeRoy.  Mrs.  Phillips  was  born  at  Brockport, 
Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  moved  to  Mauston  Dec.  s,  1863,  where  Mr. 
Phillips  was  engaged  in  the  draying  business  and  as  messenger  (or  the 
American  Express  Co.  He  continued  this  business  until  April  5,  1867, 
when  he  opened  a  general  store  with  a  ca<-h  capital  of  $3,000  and  a  stock 
of  $4,000  or  $5,000.  At  this  writing  (iSSi).  he  has  two  stores,  adjoin- 
ing, one  a  brick  structure,  the  other  of  wood,  in  which  he  carries  a 
Si'2,000  stock.  In  1878,  he  purchased  the  Mauston  Elevator,  which  has 
a  holding  capacity  of  20,000  bushels,  and  is  managed  by  his  son,  E.  A. 
Mr.  Phillips  still  retains  the  ownership  of  170  acres  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Portland,  and  sixty  acres  in  Glendale.  During  his  residence  in  the 
town  of  Glendale,  he  served  as  Supervisor  four  years.  Since  living  in 
Mauston,  he  has  served  two  years  in  the  same  capacity.  In  the  Fall  of 
1878,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Juneau  County  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, and  has  been  re-elected  each  year  since  to  this  date  (1881). 

SAMUEL  C.  PLUMMER.  Sheriff  of  Juneau  County,  was  bom  in 
the  town  of  Pittston,  Me.,  May  25,  1843.  When  five  yearsof  age  (1848)  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Fairfield,  Sauk  Co. 
Received  a  common  school  education  and  engaged  in  farming  and  deal- 
ing in  stock.  In  November,  1859.  ^^  came  to  Mauston  and  continued 
the  business  of  stock  dealer.  In  November,  18S0,  he  was  elected  Sheriff 
of  Tuneau  County  for  two  years.  He  was  married  at  Mauston  Oct.  18, 
1S6S,  to  Frances  A.  Piatt,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Miranda  (McLean) 
Piatt.  Mrs.  Plummer  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  two 
children,  sons,  Eddie  O.  and  Claude  L. 

JOHN  F.  SPRAGUE,  of  the  firm  of  J.  F.  Sprague  &  Son,  pub- 
lishers of  the  Mauston  i'irtn  was  born  at  Bath,  Maine,  Sept.  5,  1821  ; 
received  an  academic  education  ;  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  as  a 
printer;  was  the  publisher  for  eleven  years  of  a  newspaper  at  Farming- 
ton,  Me.,  called  the  CliTonicle.  In  March,  1S57.  he  went  to  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  and  in  company  with  other  parties  published  the  Daily  Sun;  re- 
mained in  Dubuque  three  years  and  then  went  to  Colorado  in  i860, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  mining  at  California  Gulch  now  Leadville  ; 
was  two  years  in  the  mountains  when  he  returned  to  the  States  and 
made  his  home  at  Mauston,  Wis.  Heopened  a  photograph  gallery  which 
he  conducted  until  1865,  when  he  engaged  with  Mr.  John  Turner  in  the 
Slar  office.  In  1S7S,  he  purchased  the  office  and  has  continued  to  pub- 
lish the  paper  to  this  time.  In  1878,  he  took  his  son  into  the  business. 
The  Mauston  Starts  a  weekly  Republican  paper,  established  in  1S57, 
has  a  good  job  office  attached.  Mr.  Sprague  was  married  at  Farming- 
ton,  Me.,  Nov.  23,  1848,  to  Mary  S.  Church,  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  Church.  The  mother,  aged  eighty-five  years,  is  now  living 
with  her  daughter.  They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter,  Gleason  J. 
and  Ella  M.  Mr.  Sprague  served  as  Village  Clerk  of  Mauston  eleven 
years. 

IRA  H.  STEWART,  Mauston,  son  of  William  Stewart  a  pioneer  of 
I S40,  proprietor  of  livery  stable  and  dealer  in  horses,  and  agricultural 
implements,  was  born  in  Rock  County  near  Janesville,  Jan.  7,  1843; 
while  quite  young  went  his  parents  to  Dane  County,  where  he  lived  nine 
years,  then  came  to  Juneau  County,  1S53,  and  located  in  what  is  known 
as  the  Stewart  Settlement,  four  miles  south  of  Mauston.  In  1873,  he 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements  at  Mauston,  being  also 
an  extensive  dealer  in  horses,  handling  upward  of  200  horses  annually.  In 
1S78,  he  established  a  livery  stable  at  Mauston.  His  stock  of  agri- 
cultural implements  includes  the  Champion  Ohio  Reaper,  Minneapolis 
Reaper,  Warrior  Mower,  Aultman  &  Taylor  Thresher,  Chicago  Pitts 
Thresher,  the  Courtland  buggies  and  wagons,  also  the  Watertown 
wagons,  Moline  plows  and  cultivators  and  Mi-shawaka  chilled  plows. 
Mr.  Stewart  was  married  at  Mauston,  Nov.  25,  1865,  to  Miss  Ellen  E. 
Harrison,  a  daughter  of  John  Harrison.  Two  children  were  born  to 
them.  Bertha  and  Allie.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  of 
Trustees,  was  a  candidate  for  Sheriff  in  18 — ,  and  lost  his  election  by 
only  thirty  votes. 

MARSENA  TEMPLE,  son  of  Barnard  and  Sally  Temple,  President 
of  the  village  of  Mauston,  farmer,  and  dealer  in  wood  and  ties,  was 
born   in    Middlefield  near  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  ti,  1812.      He  re- 


ceived an  academic  education,  and  was  married  in  April,  1840,  in  his 
native  town  to  Miss  Caroline  P.  Stillman,  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Phebe  H.  Stillman.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Morehouse 
at  Cooperstown,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at  Albany,  after  passing 
an  examination  before  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  State.  He  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  three  years 
when  he  was  elected  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Madison  County  for 
two  years.  In  1850,  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  Gov.  Seymour.  He  continued  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession until  1855,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  the  then 
flourishing  town  of  Newport,  Sauk  Co.,  now  a  "deserted  village,"  there 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  with  Dr.  Cross,  as  dealers  in  drugs, 
groceries  and  provisions.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  several 
terms  and  Chairman  of  the  town  of  New  Buffalo,  now  Dillon,  six  times 
in  succession.  In  i85o,  he  was  elected  to  the  W'isconsin  Legislature 
from  the  Northern  District  of  Sauk  County,  and  attended  the  extra  ses- 
sion at  the  opening  of  the  war,  and  was  appointed  by  the  Governor 
Draft  Commissioner  for  Sauk  County.  In  1865,  he  came  to  Mauston 
and  bought  an  interest  in  a  warehouse  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Lyon. 
They  converted  it  into  an  elevator  and  engaged  as  commission  mer- 
chants, dealing  in  hops,  grain  and  produce,  continuing  this  business  about 
four  years.  He  next  engaged  in  the  wood  and  railway  tie  trade,  and 
has  retained  his  interest  in  the  business  until  this  time,  though  for  the 
past  three  years  it  has  been  managed  by  his  sons.  On  coming  to  Maus- 
ton he  was  appointed  Justice  of  the  Peace  to  fill  a  vacancy,  subse- 
quently he  was  elected  to  the  same  office  several  times.  When  the 
county  government  was  composed  of  three  Supervisors,  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  three.  Has  served  two  terms  in  the  County  Board  as  Super- 
visor from  Mauston,  was  elected  President  of  the  village  and  re-elected 
the  second  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Temple  were  blessed  with  three  sons 
and  three  daughters.  The  eldest,  Ada,  is  now  Mrs.  J.  K.  Lillie,  of 
Mauston  ;  the  second,  Helen  M.;  third,  Marvin  F.,  is  now  in  the  employ 
of  the  A.  T.,  &  S.  F.  R.  R.  as  civil  engineer  in  New  Mexico  ;  the  fourth 
Carrie  E.,  is  now  Mrs.  M.  H.  Case  of  Wonewoc  ;  Henry  S.,  at  home; 
the  youngest  son,  Edwin  G.,  is  a  cadet  midshipman  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

O.  F.  TEMPLE,  undertaker  and  dealer  in  furniture.  Opera  Block, 
Mauston,  son  of  William  Temple,  was  born  in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  14,  1829.  When  quite  young,  moved  with  his  parents  to  Muns- 
ville,  same  county.  Here  he  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  builder. 
Was  married,  Dec.  25,  iSw  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  W^illard,  daughter  of  An- 
drew and  Jemima  (Dean)  Willard.  Mrs.  Temple  was  bnrn  in  Mary- 
land,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  four  children — the  eldest,  Elenora, 
is  now  Mrs.  H.  E.  Hoard,  of  Tawas  City,  Mich.;  May  and  Willard  are 
athome  ;  Jessie  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  In  1854.  Mr.  Temple 
moved  with  his  family  to  Newport,  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  during  the  palmy  days  of 
the  ill-fated  city.  In  1864,  he  came  to  Mauston  and  engaged  in  the 
same  business.  Among  the  many  buildings  of  his  construction,  may  be 
mentioned  the  court  house,  jail,  and  many  business  blocks  and  dwell- 
ings. In  1866,  he  opened  a  furniture  store;  carried  on  this  business 
successfully  until  March  15,  1872,  when  the  entire  property  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  by  which  he  sustained  a  moneyed  loss  of  $3,500,  besides 
being  severely  burnt  while  trying  to  save  his  books,  the  scars  of  which 
he  will  carry  through  life.  He  resumed  business  again,  and  in  1875, 
he  joined  with  Capt.  H.  G.  Penniman,  and  built  the  Opera  Block,  a 
building  51x75  feet,  thirty  eight  feet  high,  containing  two  good  stores, 
and  a  commodious  hall,  well  furnished,  and  having  a  seating  capacity  of 
600.  Mr.  Temple  was  architect  and  builder.  The  cost  of  the  building 
was  $8,500.  Mr.  Temple  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Village  Board 
six  or  eight  years;  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  two  years,  and  Treasurer  of 
the  school  district  nine  years. 

JOHN  TURNER,  attorney  at  law,  Mauston,  son  of  John  Turner, 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Kent,  England,  Nov.  3,  1S2S.  Having  at- 
tained a  suitable  age  he  became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Sir  Rich- 
ard Thornton,  of  London.  When  near  twenty  years  of  age  he  attached 
himself  to  the  Society  of  Chartists  at  Blackfriars,  London,  and  w-as 
elected  secretary  of  its  council.  He  was  subsequently  connected  with 
what  was  known  as  the  Potters'  Emigration  Society,  .^s  the  operations 
of  this  society  led  them  to  establish  a  station  in  Wisconsin,  it  is  deemed 
appropriate  to  give  some  explanation  of  the  object  of  the  organization. 
This  was  to  effect  the  deportation  of  skilled  laborers  from  Europe,  and 
to  provide  for  their  settlement  in  the  New  World,  with  a  view  of  forcing, 
by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand,  better  terms  for  those  at  home,  when 
employed.  Acting  in  the  interest  of  this  society,  Mr.  Turner  visited 
Paris.  Happening  to  hit  the  time  of  the  eineute  and  the  abdication  of 
Louis  Philippi,  though  only  a  spectator  of  the  turbulent  scenes  of  the 
day,  he  received  a  saber  cut  across  the  face  at  the  hands  of  a  careless 
trooper.  Returning  to  England  by  the  same  ship  that  carried  the  royal 
fugitive,  Louis  Philippi,  he  found  the  political  situation  such  that  his 
blackened  and  disfigured  face  was  very  much  to  his  advantage  in  con- 
cealing his  identity.  Being  assured  that  the  choice  lay  between  trans- 
portation, and  emigration,  he  chose  the  latter  and  made  his  w.ay  to  the 
United  States,  commissioned  to  act  as  book-keeper  and  store-keeper  for 
the  society.     On  reaching  Fort  Winnebago,   May  4,  184S,  he  selected  a 


378 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN, 


site,  eight  miles  below  the  fort,  and  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Fox 
River.  Here  a  store-house  was  built  on  the  unsurveyed  Indian  lands, 
and  the  town  of  Port  Hope  was  founded.  On  completion  of  the  store 
Mr.  Turner  proceeded  to  Galena,  111.,  where  a  large  stock  of  goods  was 
purchased,  and  shipped  on  the  steamers  "  Tiger  "and  "  Enterprise  "  and 
landed  at  Fort  Winnebago,  and  thence  carried  overland  to  Port  Hope. 
The  plan  was  to  give  each  immigrant  forty  acres  of  land  a  team  and 
tools,  and  credit  of  $200  at  the  store  without  security.  About  2,000 
skilled  laborers  were  so  deported,  quite  a  portion  reaching  the  station 
at  Port  Hope  and  becoming  settlers  of  the  country.  Like  many  another 
plan  that  has  been  adopted  by  earnest  enthusiasts  in  the  cause  of  over- 
worked and  poorly  paid  labor,  it  proved  a  beautiful  thing  in  theory,  l)ut 
a  failure  in  practice.  The  gigantic  efforts  of  the  few  intelligent  earnest 
workers  were  not  equal  to  carry  the  many  selfish,  shiftless,  or  indifferent 
members,  so  after  disbursing  many  thousands  of  dollars,  the  cause  was 
abandoned.  Mr.  Turner  spent  two  years  at  Port  Hope  and  then  moved 
to  Fort  Winnebago.  In  1S54.  he  came  to  Mauston  and  opened  a  law 
office.  June  10,  1S57,  he  began  the  publication  of  the  Mauston  Star,  a 
weekly  Republican  paper,  which  he  published  for  twenty-one  years  and 
then,  in  1S7S,  sold  it  to  the  present  proprietor,  Mr.  Sprague.  In  the 
Fall  of  1857,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Circuit  Court.  He  was 
elected  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  .Supervisors  of  the  town  of  Lemon- 
weir  for  several  years.  Served  one  term  as  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin 
Legislature  (1859),  and  on  the  organization  of  the  village  of  Mauston 
he  was  elected  the  first  President,  and  re-elected  eight  or  ten  times.  Jan. 
2,  1863.  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin. 
Aug.  31,  1870,  he  organized  the  first  military  company  of  this  section, 
and  was  elected  its  c.iplain.  The  company  has  retained  its  organiza- 
tion to  this  time.  The  old  captain  now  being  its  quartermaster.  He 
was  elected  District  Attorney  for  Juneau  County  for  the  years  1B73-74- 
75.  On  the  division  of  the  State  into  two  districts  he  was  appointed 
United  States  Court  Commissioner  for  the  District  and  Circuit  courts. 
Mr.  Turner  was  married  in  Portage  City,  June  14.  1S53,  to  Miss  Ann 
Towers,  of  Sterling,  Scotland,  daughter  of  Walter  and  Janet  Towers. 
Mrs.  Turner  was  born  in  Sterlingshire,  Scotland.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  them — Rose  (now  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  C.  Rogers,  of  La  Crosse), 
Louis  K.  (married  to  Mabel  Phillips,  of  Mauston),  Lilly  (now  Mrs. 
Ken  C.  Sharp,  also  of  Mauston),  Alice  (now  Mrs.  Nelson  Carter,  of 
Lisbon).  Walter  D.  McI.  (deceased),  John.  Edna  and  Richard. 

FREDERICK  S.  VEEDER,  of  the  firm  of  Winsor&  Veeder,  attor- 
neys at  law,  Mauston,  son  of  Samuel  Veeder,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
V'irgil,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  1,  1846  ;  moved  to  Illinois,  with  his 
parents,  in  1S55,  but,  not  being  suited  with  that  climate,  they  left  that 
State  the  following  September  and  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  the 
town  of  Woodland,  on  the  north  line  of  Sauk  County.  In  January,  1865, 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  47th  Wis.  Vols.;  served  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  was  mustered  out  September,  1865.  He  was  married,  Nov.  5,  1869, 
to  Miss  Rena  Horton.  Three  children  were  born  to  them— Adelbert, 
Daisy  and  Fred.  I.  In  1S70,  Mr.  V.  moved  to  Mauston,  and  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Winsor,  of  this  place  ;  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  Juneau  County,  in  May,  1S71,  and  to 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin,  April  24.  1S77,  On  Sept.  22,  1877,  he 
was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife.  He  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  District  Attorney  for  the  years  1S77-7S.  Oct.  19,  187S,  he  was 
married  at  Mauston  to  Miss  Nellie  M.  Bury,  daughter  of  Frank  Bury. 
Two  children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  Harry  and  Nellie. 

NEW  LISBON. 
In  the  Fall  of  1837,  Hon.  JohnT.  Kingston  and  Samuel 
B.  Pilkington  explored  the  Lemonweir  Valley.  They  started 
from  Racine  with  an  outfit  packed  upon  an  Indian  pony. 
Their  route  carried  them  through  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Madison.  From  the  Rock  River  they  saw  no  signs 
of  white  men,  e.xcept  a  blazed  line  of  trees,  indicating  the  road 
to  the  future  capital  of  the  State.  From  Madison  they  went 
to  Ft.  Winnebago,  now  Portage  City.  Procuring  a  supply 
of  provisions,  they  proceeded  on  their  journey  ;  passed  the 
trading  post  of  Silas  Wadsworth,  at  the  high  point  of  land 
near  the  present  railroad  bridge  over  the  canal,  and  also 
Provonsal's  trading  post,  about  two  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  On  the  morning  of  the  seventh  day  they  ate 
their  breakfast  upon  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  New 
Lisbon,  and,  on  the  29th  of  December,  started  on  their  re- 
turn journey,  reaching  the  fort  December  31st,  the  third 
day  after  turning  back,  weaker,  but  not  much  wiser,  men, 
merely  learning  that  a  supposed  extensive  pine  forest  was  a 


myth,  and  that  their  anticipated  lumber  speculations  was  a 
failure. 

It  is  shown  in  the  preceding  portion  of  this  history  that 
in  October  or  November,  1S38,  Amasa  Wilson,  C.  B.  Smith 
and  R.  V.  Allen  began  the  work  of  getting  out  square  tim- 
bers at  Dells  Eddy.  After  disposing  of  their  timber  in  the 
Spring  of  1840,  Messrs.  Smith  and  Wilson,  leaving  Mr.  Al- 
len in  possession  of  the  claim  and  shanty,  at  the  foot  of  the 
dells,  made  a  claim  in  Sauk  County,  about  two  miles  below 
the  present  village  of  Newport.  Remaining  on  the  Sauk 
County  claim  only  two  years,  they  returned  to  Juneau 
County,  in  the  Fall  of  1842,  and  logged  on  the  Lemonweir 
until  the  Spring  of  1843,  when  they  drove  the  logs  down  the 
river  and  boomed  them  at  the  present  site  of  New  Lisbon. 
Here  they  made  a  permanent  location,  and  commenced  the 
erection  of  a  saw  mill,  which  they  completed  and  put  into 
operation  the  same  season. 

In  the  Spring  of  1846,  J.  H.  Findley  and  William  Arm- 
strong caine  up  from  Portage  and  contracted  to  run  Smith 
&  Wilson's  mill  by  the  thousand,  but  they  afterward  bought 
the  property,  agreeing  to  make  certain  annual  payments, 
which  failing  to  do,  the  mill  and  other  property  reverted  to 
the  original  proprietors.  Mr.  Wilson  subsequently  became 
sole  owner  by  purchase.  He  still  resides  at  this  place.  Mr. 
Smith  removed  to  Portage  in  1846,  where  he  became  a  prom- 
inent merchant,  and  continued  to  live  there  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1855.  Mr.  Armstrong  also 
returned  to  Portage,  which  is  now  his  home.  Mr.  Findley 
subsequently  settled  on  a  claim  near  the  mill,  and  remained 
in  the  neighborhood  until  1S51,  when  he  removed  to  the 
Black  River  country,  and  settled  in  the  present  county  of 
Clark. 

In  1847,  Andrew  Dunn,  of  Portage,  made  a  claim  and 
located  on  the  Lemonweir,  in  the  town  of  Clearfield;  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  saw-mill  and  other  improvements, 
preparatory  to  engaging  in  the  lumber  business.  The  men 
who  were  employed  to  build  the  mill  tried  to  claim  it  in 
their  own  right,  but  this  course  not  suiting  the  views  of  Mr. 
Dunn,  he  obtained  a  crew  of  men  and  took  forcible  pos- 
session. Mr.  Dunn  employed  D.  L.  Ward  and  Harris 
Searles  to  run  his  mill  on  the  Lemonweir.  They  continued 
to  live  there  until  1850,  when  they  both  located  and  built 
mills  on  the  Yellow  River,  in  Wood  County. 

Andrew  Scott  and  Thomas  Buckley  came  into  the  Lem- 
onweir A^alley  in  the  Fall  of  1847;  logged  for  Mr.  Dunn 
about  four  years,  then  bought  the  mill,  running  it  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Mr.  Scott  now  lives  in  the  town  of  Lisbon, 
and  Mr.  Buckley  in  the  town  of  Clearfield.  The  first  set- 
tlement made  in  the  latter  town,  for  other  than  lumber  pur- 
poses, was  in  the  year  1854.  John  Sandford,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  town.  Mr.  Dunn  bought 
an  interest  in  the  mill  with  Mr.  W^ilson,  in  1856,  and  after- 
ward, in  1866,  Mr.  Wilson  sold  his  entire  interest  to  him 
and  Thomas  Folvey.  Mr.  Dunn  removed  his  family  to  New 
Lisbon,  and  became  prominently  identified  with  the  county 
in  business  as  well  as  politics,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
was  widely  known  through  the  State. 

In  1844,  Mr.  Wilson  built  the  first  frame  house,  black- 


HISTORY    OF  JUNEAU    COUNTY. 


379 


smith  shop,  and  barn  erected  at  New  Lisbon,  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  mills  of  J.  &  E.  Smart.  During  the  same 
year  he  broke  a  few  acres  of  land  near  the  fair  grounds, 
which  is  probably  the  first  attempt  of  farming  made  in 
Juneau  County.  In  1S50,  George  Hinton,  Peter  Webster 
and  W.  I.  Webster  located  in  the  town  of  Lisbon,  and  are 
properly  recognized  as  the  first  settlers  for  other  than  lum- 
bering purposes.  In  185 1,  Erastus  Emmons  made  a  location 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  village.  In  1852,  S.  D.  Mc- 
Comber,  H.  M.  McComber,  M.  C.  Kenyon,  J.  A.  Chase  and 
G.  Heriman  arrived  and  located  a  short  distance  outside 
of  the  present  village.  From  this  date  the  Lemonweir  Val- 
ley began  to  attract  settlers  for  agricultural  purposes,  par- 
ticularly those  portions  lying  south  and  west  of  the  river. 

New  Lisbon  was  organized  as  a  town,  April  13,  1853,  by 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  .^dams  County.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  held  in  the  house  of  J.  H.  Findley,  and  A.  P. 
Ayers  was  elected  chairman. 

In  1853,  a  post-office  called  Mill  Haven  was  established 
about  a  mile  south  of  the  present  village.  Ephraim  Kings- 
bury was  appointed  Postmaster. 

In  1855,  Amasa  Wilson  platted  the  village  of  New  Lis- 
bon. The  addition  of  J.  A.  Chase  was  platted  a  short  time 
after.  During  this  year  Wm.  McDara,  Dr.  Little,  L.  Van 
Slyke,  W.  P.  Carr,  W.  B.  Surdam,  John  Pioyler  and  several 
others  settled  in  the  village.  Next  year  the  post-office  was 
moved  to  the  village,  but  retained  for  a  long  time  the  orig- 
inal name  of  Mill  Haven.  L.  Van  Slyke  was  Postmaster 
after  the  removal. 

The  village  of  New  Lisbon  was  incorporated  by  act  of 
the  Legislature,  in  March,  1870,  and  organized  the  follow- 
ing April.  .'\t  the  first  election  under  the  charter,  E.  C. 
Sage  was  chosen  President  of  the  village. 

The  towns  of  Clearfield  and  Fountain  were  originally  a 
part  of  the  town  of  New  Lisbon,  since  changed  to  I,isbon. 
The  latter  was  organized  into  a  new  town  under  the  name 
of  Fountain,  November  16,  1855. 

The  first  settlement  made  in  the  town  was  by  Abijah 
Ayers,  in  1844.  A  few  years  afterward  he  sold  the  claim  to 
Joel  Bogart,  who  settled  in  the  town  in  May,  1848.  R.  J. 
Clark  came  to  Fountain  in  1849,  and  built  the  house  then 
known  as  Clark's  Tavern.  John  Parks  made  a  settlement 
the  same  year.  But  few  settlements  were  made  in  Fount- 
ain until  the  years  of  1852  and  '53,  when  it  began  to  fill  up, 
and  the  town  of  Orange  was  organized  by  order  of  the 
County  Board,  to  take  effect  April  i,  1857.  The  village  of 
Orange  is  a  small  place  on  Section  34. 

The  village  of  New  Lisbon  is  located  on  the  line  of  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  thirty-five  miles 
west  of  Milwaukee,  sixty  miles  east  of  La  Crosse,  and  is 
the  junction  of  the  Necedah  Branch  Railroad.  It  presents 
the  appearance  of  a  neat,  thrifty  village,  well  supplied 
witli  public  institutions,  societies  and  hotels,  and  all 
branches  of  business  are  well  represented.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  nearly  1,200,  composed  of  all  nationalities,  the 
Americans  and  Germans  being  the  leading  elements.  The 
Lemonweir  River  flows  through  the  village,  and  furnishes 
abundant  water-power  for  manufacturing  interests. 


The  assessed  valuation  reaches  $215,900,  and  the  tax 
for  village  purposes  is  two  per  cent  of  this  sum.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  composed  of  excellent  farming  land 
and  valuable  marshes,  adapted  to  the  production  of  grains 
and  the  culture  of  cranberries. 

It  has  four  churches — Methodist,  Baptist,  Presbyterian 
and  Roman  Catholic.  The  Methodist  is  the  oldest,  and 
organized  its  first  class,  with  Rev.  John  Green  as  pastor,  in 
1856.  Mr.  O.  B.  Chester,  of  New  Lisbon,  was  the  first 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school,  which  was  organized 
in  1857.  The  church  was  built  in  1856;  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  200,  and  is  valued  at  $2,000.  Its  membership 
reaches  forty,  and  at  present  the  pulpit  is  supplied. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  from  the  fol- 
lowers of  two  missions — one  Presbyterian,  the  other  Con- 
gregational— in  1865,  with  Rev.  H.  S.  Clark  as  pastor.  It 
has  a  membership  of  seventy-five,  a  Sabbath  school  num- 
bering 125  scholars  and  fifteen  teachers.  The  pastor.  Rev. 
A.  A.  Young,  is  now  serving  his  sixth  year.  Church  prop- 
erty valued  at  $2,000. 

The  Catholic  Church  has  nearly  200  members;  was 
built  in  i860,  and  is  attended  by  Rev.  Father  Gilbert,  of 
Mauston,  on  alternate  Sundays. 

The  Baptist  Church  and  Sabbath  school  were  organized 
in  1853,  with  Rev.  Mr,  Knapp  as  pastor,and  is  the  strongest 
society  of  the  village.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Cyrus 
Thomas,  and  the  church  property  is  valued  at  $2, ceo. 

New  Lisbon  can  justly  take  pride  in  her  schools.  They 
are  acknowledged  to  be  the  first  in  the  county,  and  among 
the  best  in  the  State.  Prof.  G.  T.  Foster  is  principal,  and 
in  charge  of  the  advanced  departments.  He  is  assisted 
in  the  grammar  department  by  Miss  Dedie  Beebe.  The  in- 
termediate departments  are  in  charge  of  Misses  Sarah  Mc- 
Kinstry  and  Frances  Ball,  and  the  primary  are  in  charge 
of  Misses  Helen  Vandercook  and  Roxana  Brewster.  The 
town  owns  two  large  school  buildings,  with  a  seating  capac- 
ity of  400.  Number  of  pupils  attending  school,  309  ;  num- 
of  school  age,  about  400;  number  attending  High  School, 
66  ;  number  in  graduating  class,  11  ;  average  age  of  enter- 
ing High  School,  14  ;  of  leaving,  18.  Amount  paid  teach- 
ers, $2,440.  Among  the  names  of  its  past  teachers  are  H. 
H.  Hatch,  of  New  Lisbon  ;  Prof.  Johnson,  of  the  White- 
water  Normal;   Prof.  John  Breckenage,  now  of  Iowa. 

It  has  five  charter  organizations — Juneau  Lodge,  No. 
103,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,with  sixty  members;  Siloam  Lodge,  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  No.  267,  forty-five  members  ;  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  New  Lisbon  Lodge,  No.  38,  with  about 
fifty  members  ;  New  Lisbon  Lodge  I.  O.  G.  T.,  with  forty 
members.     All  are  in  a  healthy  working  condition. 

The  principal  and  pioneer  industry  is  the  New  Lisbon 
Mills,  which  are  run  by  water  power,  furnished  by  the  Lem- 
onweir River,  and  have  a  head  of  eight  feet  fall.  They 
consume,  on  an  average,  8,000  bushels  of  wheat,  and  grind 
for  customers  15,000  bushels,  a  year.  Two  million  feet  of 
logs  are  sawed  annually.  The  proprietors,  Messrs.  J.  &  E. 
Smart,  are  gentlemen  fully  conversant  with  the  milling  busi- 
ness, and  are  energetic  men. 

It  has  three  wagon  and  sleigh  manufactories,  and  one  of 


38o 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  best  equipped  breweries  in  the  State,  owned   and   oper- 
ated by  Mr.  Henry  Bierbaiier. 

The  sash,  door  and  blind  business  is  well  represented  in 
the  manufactory  of  Mr.  William  McKnight. 


The  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  Bank  is  owned  and  con- 
ducted by  Messrs.  H.  E.  &  W.  D.  Macomber— H.  E.  Ma- 
comber,  president,  and  W.  D.  Macomber,  cashier.  This  is 
a  safe,  reliable  institution,  established  upon. a  sound  basis, 
and  possesses  the  confidence  of  all  here,  as  elsewhere,  and 
does  a  general  banking  business. 


rr  .3  //h  c^uu^^^i^J^ 


The  stock  and  produce  business  is  well  represented  by 
Mr.  Ole  Oleson  and  Messrs.  Carpenter  &  Butterfield. 
Country  products  include  hay,  grain  and  general  farm  pro- 
duce, and  stock  raising,  and  the  culture  of  cranberries  re- 
ceives special  attention. 

The  village  possesses  three  public  halls,  is  adorned  with 
many  handsome  residences,  and  the  whole  is  replete  with 
large  and  beautiful  shade  trees.  The  extension  of  the 
Necedah  Branch  Railroad  is  contemplated  north  and  south, 
and  in  the  near  future  New  Lisbon  bids  fair  to  become  an 
important  railroad  point. 


The  present  officers  of  the  village  are:  J.  M.  Barlow, 
President  of  the  Village;  Lars.  Balgord,  John  Smart,  C.  E. 
Newman,  Fred  Boynton,  Peter  Klein,  Trustees ;  John  H. 
Crandal,  Clerk;  M.  F.  Carney,  Treasurer;  William  Mc- 
Knight, Assessor;  F.  P.Butler,  William  McKay,  Justices  of 
the  Peace;  Henry  Clow,  Matthew  Horrigan,  Marshals. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  M.  BARLOW,  merchant.  A  native  of  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, born  in  1833.  was  a  resident  of  the  State  for  seventeen  years,  during 
which  time  he  received  a  good  common  school  education.  In  1850,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  first  at  East  Troy,  Walworth  Co..  where 
he  clerked  in  a  store  about  six  years.  He  then  lived  in  Waukesha 
County  until  1S64.  when  he  went  to  the  State  of  New  York  and  was  en- 
gaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  said  State  until  1870,  at  which  time 
he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  general  mercantile 
business  at  New  Lisbon.  April  18,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Miriam 
Evans,  born  at  Williamsport.  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children— Harvey 
B.,  Miriam  Lois  and  Lewis  M.  Mr.  Barlow  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in 
politics.  Has  held  various  local  offices,  and  is  at  present  serving  his 
sixth  term  as  President  of  the  ViUage  Board.  He  is  also  agent  for  the 
American  Express  Co. 

BENNETEAU  &  MACOMBER,  attorneys.  New  Lisbon.  E.  T. 
Benneteau.  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  in  1S47.  His  father,  Samuel  Benneteau,  was  an  attorney,  and 
with  him  he  commenced  the  study  of  law.  In  1863,  he  enlisted  in  the 
5th  N.  Y.  Artillery,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  as  major  of  artillery.  He  then  returned  to  the  Columbia 
Collei^e,  of  New  York,  where  he  graduated  in  1S66,  afier  which  he  prac- 
ticed law  in  the  State  of  New  York  until  1875,  at  which  time  he  went 
to  Chicago,  and  followed  law  practice  until  1879,  during  which  time,  in 
1S78,  he  was  married  to  Eliza  Hudson,  then  of  Chicago,  but  formerly  of 
Canada.  In  1879,  he  came  to  New  Lisbon,  where  he  carried  on  a  law 
practice  alone  until  March,  1881,  when  he  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  E.  C.  Macomber,  and  are  now  carrying  on  a  general  law  and  col- 
lection business.  Mr.  Benneteau  is  chairman  of  the  Republican  com- 
mittee. 

E.  C.  Macomber,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  New 
Lisbon,  Wis.,  in  1S57.  Attended  the  high  school  of  New  Lisbon  and 
the  Wayland  University  of  Beaver  Dam,  graduating  at  the  latter  in  June, 
1879,  and  in  the  Spring  of  18S0,  commenced  the  study  of  law,  reading 
with  Judge  Elwell,  of  Beaver  Dam,  about  one  year,  after  which,  in 
March,  18S1,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  He  is  a  promising  >oung 
man,  and  will  no  doubt  soon  be  among  the  leading  members  of  the  Bar. 

HENRY  BIERBAUER,  brewer.  New  Lisbon,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  and  prominent  men  of  New  Lisbon,  is  a  native  of  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  Feb.  12,  1828.  Emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1850,  and  first  settled  in  New  York  City,  where  he  worked 
at  carriage  work  about  three  years,  then  engaged  in  grocery 
business,  which  he  followed  until  1858,  at  which  time  went  to  Utica,  N. 
Y.,  learned  the  brewer's  trade  (with  his  brother  Charles),  and  in  1859, 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  after  looking  around  for  a  few  months,  concluded 
that  New  Lisbon  was  a  good  point  for  business,  and  therefore,  in  part- 
nership with  Peter  Fauerbach,  purchased  the  brewery  and  ran  the  same, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bierbauer&  Fauerbach,  about  three  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and  has  since 
carried  on  the  business  as  sole  proprietor,  and  has  met  with  marked 
success.  He  was  married  in  1850,  to  Barbara  Fauerbach,  a  native  of 
Germany.  They  have  ten  children —  Henry,  Louis,  Peter,  Louise,  Liz- 
zie, William,  Carl,  Emma,  Matilda  and  Eda. 

M.  F.  CARNEY,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  ya«^a«  County  Argus. 
published  at  New  Lisbon,  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1S36,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  while  a  lad.  Subsequently  he  became  a  resident  of  Mil- 
waukee, where  he  lived  for  several  years,  during  which  he  was  engaged 
in  active  pursuits,  as  an  employe,  but  devoted  his  leisure  to  study.  He 
located  at  New  Lisbon  in  1858,  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  at 
which  place  he  has  continued  to  reside.  He  has  frequently  been  called 
to  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  by  his  fellow-citizens.  From  i86o 
to  1S64,  he  served  as  Town  Treasurer;  in  1867,  as  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Supervisors  ;  in  1869,  he  was  elected  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools;  in  1874,  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County 
Treasurer;  in  1877-79,  he  served  as  Village  Treasurer,  and  was  again 
elected  to  the  latter  position  in  1881.  He  became  sole  proprietor  of 
the  A'gus  in  1S63,  and  has  continued  at  its  head  without  change  or  in- 
terruption since  then.  .As  a  writer,  he  is  terse  and  pointed  in  style,  and 
in  newspaper  duties  his  ability  is  acknowledged  by  the  reading  public. 
Quiet  and  unassuming  in  his  manners,  respectful  in  his  bearing,  he  aims 
at  observing  the  Golden  Rule  in  his  intercourse  with  men,  and  will  hew 
to  the  line  at  all  hazard,  let  the  chips  fall  where  they  may.  The  business 
methods  of  early  life  are  traceable  and  easily  recognized  in  his  everyday 
work. J  ^He  possesses  popular  traits  of  character  that  secure  for  him  the 


HISTORY    OF    JUNEAU    COUNTY. 


381 


esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him.  The  nuptial  ceremonies 
which  united  Mr.  Carney  and  Miss  Winifred  E.  Owens,  of  Watertown. 
Wis.,  were  duly  solemnized.  Sept.  20,  1S69.  by  Rev.  P.  F.  Petitt,  at  St. 
Bernard's  Church  in  that  city.  Of  the  seven  children  born  to  them,  four 
died  in  infancy  and  three  are  living.  The  oldest  of  the  living,  a  daugh- 
ter, named  Mary,  was  born  Sept.  22,  1873  i  'he  second,  a  son,  named 
Francis,  was  born  Jan.  iS,  1S78  ;  and  the  youngest,  a  daughter,  named 
Agnes,  was  born  Feb.  20,  18S1. 

W.  H.  H.  CASH,  speculator.  New  Lisbon,  was  born  in  Belmont  Co., 
Ohio,  in  1843,  where  he  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  received  but  a  small 
amount  of  schooling.  In  1S61,  he  car.ie  to  New  Lisbon,  and  as  he  was 
then  a  poor  boy,  he  worked  at  all  sorts  of  jobs  until  Jan.  4,  1S64,  when 
he  enlisted  in  the  loth  Wis.  L.  A.,  and  was  first  assigned  to  Kilpatrick's 
command,  of  Sherman's  army,  afterward  to  the  12th  Wis.  L.  A.,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  New  Lisbon, 
and  as  he  had  saved  a  little  money  while  in  the  army,  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  business,  keeping  a  meat  market  and  general  provision 
store  about  ten  years,  during  which  time  he  always  kept  his  eye  open  to 
.speculations,  dealing  extensively  with  the  Indians,  of  whom  he  pur-' 
chased  a  great  many  cranberries,  blueberries,  etc.  He  also  dealt  in 
grain,  and.  in  fact,  anything  he  thought  would  prove  profitable.  After 
quitting  the  mercantile  business,  he  dealt  in  live  stock,  and  in  1S77  was 
awarded  the  contract  to  build  the  Necedah  branch  of  the  C,  M.  &  St. 
P.  R.  R.,  which  he  completed  in  a  very  short  time,  and  as  the  scheme 
had  proven  a  financial  success,  he.  in  1S7S,  in  partnership  with  D.  Van- 
dercook,  under  the  firm  name  of  Cash  &  Vandercook,  concluded  to 
build  a  railroad  of  their  own  from  Sparta  to  Viroqua,  and  at  once  pro- 
cured the  right  of  way  and  commenced  work,  but  before  completion 
they  sold  the  same  to  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.,  and  by  so  doing  cleared 
quite  an  amount  of  this  world's  goods.  The  town  of  Cashton.  on  said 
road,  was  laid  out  and  started  by  Mr.  Cash,  after  whom  it  was  named. 
After  completing  the  Viroqua  branch,  Mr.  Cash.  Sept.  19,  1879,  was 
awarded  the  contract  to  build  the  extension  of  the  Wis.  Val.  R.  R.  from 
Wausaw  to  Jenny  (now  Merrill),  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  the  same 
to  be  completed  by  Jan.  i,  18S0.  He  immediately  commenced  work, 
and  at  eight  o'clock,  P.M.,  Dec.  31,  1879,  the  last  rail  was  laid  and  the 
first  locomotive  run  over  the  road — -but  not  without  encountering  con- 
siderable trouble,  as  the  month  of  December  was  a  very  cold  one,  and 
many  of  his  employes  were  badly  frozen.  One  day,  six  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  work  on  account  of  frozen  hands,  etc.  The  following 
year,  he  was  engaged  in  speculating  in  wood,  ties,  piles,  etc.,  and  in  the 
Fall  of  said  year  he  started  a  stock  ranch  in  Iowa  and  one  in  Nebraska, 
where  he  now  has  about  600  head  of  cattle  and  about  1, 000  sheep.  The 
present  year,  1881,  he  has  been  investing  in  mining  interests  in  Michi- 
igan,  Wisconsin  and  Texas,  and  general  speculation.  Mr.  Cash  is  a 
Republican  in  Politics,  was  a  Member  of  the  Assembly  of  Wisconsin  in 
1877,  has  held  various  local  offices,  and  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  was  married,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Georgia  Surdam.  then  of  New  Lisbon, 
but  formerly  of  New  York.  They  have  five  children— Charles  F.,  Adel- 
bert  B.,  Jessie  M..  John  Avery  and  William  N. 

J.  J.  HUGHES,  attorney.  New  Lisbon,  is  a  native  of  Wales,  born 
in  1841.  Emigrated  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in  1856,  and 
came  direct  to  Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  re- 
sided about  fourteen  years,  during  which  he  attended  school  at  the  Way- 
land  University,  ol  Beaver  Dam,  and  in  1865  entered  the  Lawrence 
University,  of  Appleton,  wheie  he  graduated  in  1S70.  He  then  followed 
teaching,  having  charge  of  the  schools  at  Fox  Lake  one  year.  New 
Lisbon  High  Schools  two  years  and  the  public  schools  at  Portage  City 
two  years,  after  which  he  read  law  law,  and  in  1876  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  general  law  and  collection  business.  He 
was  married,  in  1873,  'o  Nettie  F.  Beebe,  born  in  Juneau  Co.,  Wis  , 
Aug.  2,  1854  They  have  four  children— Avis  E.,  Walter  W.,  Mary  J. 
and  Eva  A. 

F.  E.  HURD,  merchant.  New  Lisbon,  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1847, 
and  at  nine  years  of  age  came  with  his  parents  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis. 
Received  an  academic  education  at  the  New  Lisbon  High  School,  and 
also  attended  commercial  college  of  Milwaukee.  In  1864,  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  E,  41st  Wis.  I.  V.,  and  served  100  days.  He  then  returned  to 
Wisconsin,  and  clerked  in  the  stores  of  William  Runkle,  W.  P.  Carr, 
Runkle  &  Ingersol  and  others  until  1S67.  He  then  wen  to  Kewaunee, 
111.,  and  worked  in  astore  about  eighteen  months  ;  then  returned  to  New 
Lisbon,  and  in  March,  1869,  in  partnership  with  C.  D.  Curtis,  engaged 
in  a  general  mercantile  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Curtis  &  Hurd, 
and  carried  on  the  same  until  the  Spring  of  1S74.  when  he  sold  out  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Curtis,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  engaged  in  a 
general  mercantile  business,  and  has  since  carried  on  the  same.  He 
was  married.  Dec.  26,  1S70,  to  Libbie  Gibbs.  born  at  Delafield.  Wis.,  in 
1850.  They  have  two  children,  Avery  L.  and  Erie  N.  Is  a  Republican 
in  politics.  Was  Postmaster  at  Camp  Douglas  two  years  —  at  which 
place  he  ran  a  branch  store  at  the  time.  Has  also  been  a  member  of 
the  Village  Board. 

PETER  LA  SARGE.  barber.  New  Lisbon,  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
born  July  7,  1844,  and  when  about  six  years  of  age  moved  with  his 
parents  to  the  State  of  New  York,  where  he  learned   the  shoemaker's 


trade.  In  November,  1867,  he  came  to  New  Lisbon,  Wis.,  and  followed 
his  tr.ide  until  the  Spring  of  1877,  during  which  time  he  learned  the 
barber's  trade,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  that  business.  He  was 
married,  Dec.  2,  1867,  to  Idell  Gunion,  a  native  of  Canada.  They  have 
one  child,  adopted,  Lizzie. 

WILLIAM  McKAV,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  is  one  of  the  oldest  set- 
tlers of  New  Lisbon.  He  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  the  county  of 
Tyrone,  Dec.  23,  1823  ;  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  worked  at 
joiner  work,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  about  two  years  ;  he  then  went  to 
New  York  City  and  followed  the  same  trade  until  1S55,  at  which  time 
he  came  to  Wisconsin,  continuing  his  trade  at  Waterloo  until  1858.  He 
then  came  to  New  Lisbon,  and  in  1864  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  sSth  WisV.  I., 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  returned  to  New  Lisbon, 
and  worked  at  his  trade  most  of  the  time  until  May,  1881,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  restaurant  business  and  attending  to  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Was  married,  in  1856,  to  Martha  J.  Ken- 
yon,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  one  child,  W.  J., 
born  in  1857.  • 

CHARLES  E.  MACOMBER,  druggist.  New  Lisbon,  was  born  in 
New  Lisbon,  Wis..  Aug.  13.  1858;  attended  New  Lisbon  High  School 
and  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Oshkosh.  during  which  time  he  taught 
two  terms  of  school  and  kept  books  in  the  Farmers'  &  Merchants' Bank, 
of  New  Lisbon,  a  short  time.  April  I,  18S1,  he  purchased  the  drug  busi- 
ness of  E.  B.  Nichols,  and  has  since  carried  on  the  same.  He  was  mar- 
ried. May  ig,  1881,  to  Miss  Gertie  Carr,  daughter  of  W.  P.  Carr,  of  New 
Lisbon.     Politics,  Republican. 

W.  D.  MACOMBER,  cashier  of  the  Farmers'  &  Merchants'  Bank, 
was  born  in  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1859  ;  received  an  academic  education 
at  the  New  Lisbon  High  School,  and  in  187S  attended  Business  College 
at  Davenport,  Iowa,  after  which  he  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Amer- 
ican Express  Company,  at  New  Lisbon,  until  Jan.  i,  18S0;  he  then  went 
to  Flandreau,  Dakota  Ter.,  and  acted  as  book-keeper  for  the  Bank  of 
Flandreau  until  September,  when  he  returned  to  New  Lisbon,  and  has 
since  acted  as  cashier  of  the  Farmers  &  Merchants'  Bank,  of  New  Lisbon. 

D.  H.  MILLS,  harness  maker.  New  Lisbon,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, born  in  Erie.  May  10,  1836 ;  w^as  brought  West  by  his  parents  while 
he  was  but  an  infant,  living  in  Illinois  until  1S43,  at  which  time  they 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Madison  ;  there  he  learned  his  trade, 
and  in  1853  removed  to  Portage  City,  where  he  followed  his  trade  until 
1 866,  during  which  time  he  .served  in  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps 
about  six  months ;  he  then  came  to  New  Lisbon,  and  has  since  been  in 
the  employ  of  Charles  Smith  as  foreman  of  the  harness  department.  Was 
married,  in  1S60,  to  Miss  P.  C.  Jackson,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  They 
have  three  children — Josephine,  Abba  and  Frances. 

JOHN  R.  NEWELL,  proprietor  of  Crosby  House,  New  Lisbon. 
This  jovial  and  accommodating  landlord  was  born  at  Brockport,  N.  Y., 
May  27,  1851  ;  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and  at  twelve 
years  of  age  entered  the  store  of  James  Whelan,  for  whom  he  clerked  two 
years  ;  then  for  George  R.  Ward  until  1866  ;  he  then  went  to  Rochester, 
and  was  employed  in  the  Ocean  Oyster  House  until  the  Spring  of  1870, 
when  he  concluded  to  try  the  West,  and  accordingly  went  to  Michigan, 
stopping  at  Coopersville,  a  few  months  alter  which  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin, and  soon  engaged  as  advance  agent  of  the  dramatic  troupe  of  Ed- 
ward Clifford,  which  situation  he  held  until  the  Fall  of  1874.  He  then 
served  in  the  same  capacity  for  Frank  E.  Aikin  about  one  year,  at  the 
end  of  which  time,  in  1S75,  he  came  to  New  Lisbon,  and  November  25th 
was  married  to  Miss  Delia  Crosby.  He  then  served  as  clerk  of  the 
Crosby  House  one  year,  after  which  he  had  the  management  of  the  house, 
and  has  been  proprietor  since  1880.  The  Crosby  House  has  a  good 
reputation  throughout  the  State,  for  it  is  the  place  where  travelers  find 
the  table  well  supplied  with  all  the  market  affords,  and  all  parts  of  the 
house  neat  and  tidy.     Mr.  Newell  is  a  Mason. 

PHILIP  RUNKEL,  merchant.  New  Lisbon  ;  a  native  of  Germany  ; 
born  Oct.  13,  1S32;  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1849,  and  came 
direct  to  Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Milwaukee,  where  he  learned  the 
carriage  trade,  and  followed  the  same  in  that  city  (with  the  exception  of 
about  eighteen  months,  when  he  was  at  Mineral  Point,  and  about  the 
same  length  of  time  at  Rochester)  until  March  1855.  at  which  time  he 
came  to  Jnneau  County  and  spent  the  Summer  at  Necedah,  where  he 
helped  build  a  warehouse.  The  following  year  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  at  Germantown,  and  continued  the  same  until  1866,  during  which 
time,  in  1864,  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  which  office  he  held  un- 
til 1S68.  In  1866,  he  moved  to  Mauston.  From  1S68-73,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming ;  he  then  came  to  New  Lisbon,  and  has  since  been 
engaged  in  grocery  business.  He  also  deals  extensively  in  cranberries, 
shipping  about  I, COO  barrels  per  year,  being  the  principal  shipper  of 
New  Lisbon.  Mr.  Runkel  was  married,  in  1S57.  to  Charlotte  Gund- 
lack.  a  native  of  Illinois.  Thev  have  seven  children— Anna  E..  Julius 
P.,  Harman  E.,  Charlotte  A..  Henry  P.,  George  W.  and  Albert  W. 

THEODORE  SERRURIER,  proprietor  Commercial  Hotel,  New 
Lisbon,  is  a  native  of  France.  His  grandfather,  Jean  Mathew  I'hillibert 
Serrurier,  was  Marshal  of  France  under  Napoleon  I,  from  1804  until  his 


38=r 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


death,  in  1819.  His  father,  Fredrick  D.  Serrurier,  was  a  State  officer  of 
France.  When  but  an  infant  Theodore  moved,  with  his  parents,  into 
Germany,  where  he  received  a  good  education,  after  which  he  served  as 
paymaster  for  a  railroad  company  about  five  years;  he  then  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  iron  and  zinc  ornaments,  at  Berlin,  and  followed  the 
same  until  1S56,  at  which  time  he  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Austra- 
lia, and  engaged  in  mining,  and  while  in  said  business  he  traveled  over 
a  great  part  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand ;  afterward  he  was  engaged 
in  hotel  business,  and  in  1867  he  came  lo  the  United  States,  and  carried 
on  a  grocery  business  in  Chicago  about  six  years,  and  in  1873  came  to 
New  Lisbon,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  hotel  business.  He  was 
married,  in  1S44.  to  Johanna  Schmidt,  a  native  of  Berlin,  Germany; 
born  in  1S25.  They  have  had  seventeen  children,  thirteen  of  whom  are 
living — William,  Cort  Richard,  Paul.  Max  F.,  Bertram,  Theodore,  Alex- 
ander, Johanna,  Theressa,  Philip,  Richard,  George  and  Edith. 


\\f\Y\W^'<ili^*' 


.^4Wuu^ 


G.  A.  SINCL.MR,  dentist,  New  Lisbon,  a  native  of  Scotland,  born 
in  1853.  and  in  1855  his  father,  Alex.  Sinclair,  emigrated  with  his  fam- 
ily to  America,  and  settled  at  Eaubu,  Canada,  where  G.  A.  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  learned  the  cabinet  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed about  five  years,  after  which,  in  1S74,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
dentistry,  and  followed  the  same  till  October,  1S77,  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  has  since  continued  his  profession  at  New  Lisbon, 
and  is  meeting  with  marked  success.  He  has  one  assistant,  J.  Hus- 
band, D.  D.  S.,  a  graduate  of  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College,  and  one 
student,  J.  H.  Ramsey,  who  has  served  since  September,  18S0. 

CHARLES  SMITH,  New  Lisbon,  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
1825;  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  and  in  1856  emigrated  to  the 
United  States;  came  direct  to  Wisconsin  and  followed  his  trade  at  Port- 
age City,  about  fifteen  months;  after  which,  in  1857,  he  came  to  New 
Lisbon,  which  place  at  that  time  consisted  of  ten  dwellings.  Here  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  also  dealing  in  boots  and  shoes,  until  Aug.  9,  1864, 
at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  the  Slh  Wis.  Battery,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  Returning  to  New  Lisbon,  he  again  resumed  his  trade 
and  boot  and  shoe  business,  to  which,  in  the  Fall  of  1865,  he  added  har- 
nesses, and  has  since  carried  on  the  same.  Is  a  Liberal  in  politics  ;  has 
held  various  town  and  school  oflices.  Was  married  in  185S  to  Mary 
Schumaker,  a  native  of  Germany.  They  have  three  children — Emma, 
Carrie  and  Otto. 

RICHARD  SMITH,  attorney.  New  Lisbon,  was  born  in  Hamburg, 
N.  Y.,  in  1818;  received  an  academic  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  law,  reading  with  James  Mul- 
let about  three  years,  when  he  w.is  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  soon  after 
came  West  and  practiced  law  at  Joliet,  111.,  when  he  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  of  all  the  courts  of  the  State,  until  the  Fall  of  1846.  He  then 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  followed  his  profession  in  Waukesha  County 
until  December,  1856,  at  which  time  he  came  to  New  Lisbon,  at  which 
place  he  was  the  first  lawyer,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  general  law  and 
collection  business.  He  was  married  in  1846  to  Miss  Maria  C.  Moore, 
a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children — Henry,  Lizzie  and 
Mellie.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat ;  has  been  Justice  of  the  I'eace  and 
District  Attorney. 


THOMAS  H.  WILCOX,  station  agent.  New  Lisbon,  was  bom  in 
Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  26,  1845.  When  four  years  of  age,  his  father 
died,  after  which  he  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Wilcox, 
with  whom  he  soon  came  to  Wisconsin  and  lived  at  .\zlalan,  Jefferson 
Co.,  about  seven  years,  during  which  time  his  grandfather  died.  He  then 
went  to  Beaver  Dam  and  lived  with  his  uncle,  O.  H.  P.  Fisher,  until 
1861.  He  then  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  29lh  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  rejected  on 
account  of  his  age,  but  served  about  a  year  as  lieutenant-colonel's  or- 
derly, after  which  he  returned  to  Wiscon.sin,  but  soon  departed  for  the 
State  of  New  York  to  visit  his  mother,  who  was  then  living  at  Palmyra, 
and  remained  about  one  year,  when  he  again  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and 
soon  afterward  re-enlisted  in  Co.  G,  40lh  Wis.  I.  V.,  and  served  100 
days,  at  the  end  of  which  lime  he  returned  to  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  and  at- 
tended school  at  the  Wayland  University  nearly  two  terms,  then  worked 
for  his  uncle  nearly  one  year,  after  which  he  followed  farming  at  Milford, 
Wis.,  about  two  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  railroading,  learned  telegraphy,  and  worked  for  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P. 
R.  R.  Co.  at  Oconomowoc  a  short  time,  then,  in  May,  1870,  came  to 
New  Lisbon,  at  which  place  he,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  when  he 
was  in  their  employ  at  Tomah,  has  since  served  them  as  telegraph  ope- 
rator, and  as  station  agent  since  Aug.  1. 1878.  He  was  married  May  12, 
1874,  to  Eliza  M.  Daily,  then  of  New  Lisbon,  but  formerly  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  have  three  children — William  M.,  born  March  27,  1875  ; 
Kittie  M.,  born  July  16,  1876;  Cecele  J.,  born  Dec.  9,  1880.  Politics, 
Republican,  and  a  Mason. 

A.  C.  WILKINSON  attorney.  New  Lisbon,  a  native  of  England, 
born  in  Wibsey,  Yorkshire,  in  1853.  Emigrated  with  his  parents  to  the 
United  States  in  the  Spring  of  1S58,  and  came  direct  to  Wisconsin,  set- 
tling first  at  Ironton,  Sauk  Co.,  and  after  about  eighteen  months  moved 
to  Lavalle,  where  he  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and  in 
1874  came  to  Mauston,  Juneau  Co.,  where  he  read  law  with  his  brother, 
R.  A.  Wilkinson,  until  1S77.  when  he  came  to  New  Lisbon,  and  has 
since  carried  on  a  general  law  and  collection  business.  He  was  married 
Dec.  31,  1878,  to  Miss  Agnes  L.  Harris,  of  New  Lisbon,  born  March 
22,  1861.  They  have  one  child,  Lorraine  Agnes,  born  July  9,  18S0.  Mr. 
Wilkinson  is  a  Democrat,  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  A.  O. 
U.  W. 


a.OVUKnJ 


A.  WILSON,  retired.  New  Lisbon,  the  first  settler  of  Juneau  Coun- 
ty, and  has  lived  in  said  county,  with  the  exception  of  about  three  years, 
since  1838.  He  was  born  in  Windsor  County,  among  the  mountains  of 
Vermont,  in  April,  1817  ;  received  a  common  school  education,  and  with 
his  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S37,  and  lived  at  Ft.  Winnebago, 
now  Portage  City,  about  one  year,  when  he  concluded  to  push  on  a  lit- 
tle farther  west,  and  the  Winter  of  1838-9  found  him  lumbering  near  the 
Dells  of  the  Wisconsin.  In  1841,  he  cut  the  first  timber  on  the  Lemon- 
weir  River,  and  in  1843.  he  built  a  saw  mill  at  what  is  now  New  Lisbon, 
and  run  the  same  until  1S47.  Up  to  this  time,  about  his  only  neighbors 
were  Winnebago  Indians,  but  they  were  very  friendly  to  Mr.  Wilson  and 
seldom  stole  anything  from  him.  Once  he  h.ad  an  ox  taken,  but  on  in- 
forming the  chief  it  was  returned.     He  then  went  to  Portage 


gaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business,  keeping  the  first  store  on  the 
north  side  of  the  canal  at  said  place,  and  continued  the  business  until 
the  Fall  of  1850,  when  he  returned  to  New  Lisbon;  built  a  new  mill  on  the 


HISTORY    OF    lUNEAU    COUNTY. 


site  of  the  old  one,  and  concluded  to  make  New  Lisbon  his  future  home. 
He  continued  in  the  lumber  business  about  twelve  years  ;  then  operated 
in  real  estate  with  considerable  success  until  about  1870,  when  he  was 
afflicted  with  sore  eyes  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  sight  in  one  eye,  and 
caused  him  much  trouble  with  the  other.  He  was  married  in  1S62  to 
Harriet  Colvin,  then  of  New  Lisbon,  but  formerly  of  Madison  Co., 
N.  Y.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  although  political 
honors  have  been  tendered  him  he  has  refused  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  politics  more  than  to  perform  his  rights  as  a  faithful  citizen. 


blind  manufactory  of  Messrs.  Fuller  &  Co.,  does  a   heavy 
business. 

In  early  times  the  lumber  was  all  rafted  down  the  Wis- 
consin to  the  Mississippi,  the  cities  of  that  valley  furnish- 
ing the  market.  Since  the  building  of  the  railroad,  the  cities 
west  and  northwest  provide  a  market. 


^^r^ 


■3  -^  ,^r     f*,^(^(f^^ 


RESIDENCE  OF  A.  WILSON,  NEW  LISBON. 


NECEDAH. 
Necedah  is  situated  at  the  base  of  a  high  bluff,  on  the 
Yellow  River,  a  few  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  opposite  the 
famous  Pete-en-Well  Rock,  a  curiously  constructed  quartz- 
ite  mound,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Wisconsin  River.  It  is 
the  important  lumbering  town  of  this  region,  and  is  first  in 
the  county  in  manufacturing  interests  and  wealth.  Its  as- 
sessed valuation  is  $366,000,  and  the  amount  paid  for  taxes 
during  present  year,  reached  $8,439.53,  besides  a  railroad 
indebtedness  of  $2,262,  making  a  total  tax  of  $10,701.53. 
The  business  of  the  town  is  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  and 
outside  of  the  different  supply  and  business  houses  of  the 
various  lumber  firms,  there  is  a  fair  representation  of  busi- 
ness. Si,\ty-five  million  feet  of  logs  are  sawed  annually, 
and  employment  is  furnished  for  one  thousand  men  in  the 
various  departments  of  this  industry.  The  logs  are  cut 
chiefly  in  the  counties  of  Wood  and  Clark,  and  driven  down 
the  Yellow  River  a  distance  of  eighty  miles.  The  arrange- 
ments for  booming  them  at  Necedah  are  perfect  and  secure 
for  all  stages  of  high  or  low  water.  The  lumber  business  is 
represented  by  the  Necedah  Lumbering  Company,  who 
manufacture  twenty  million  feet  per  year;  Lyman  &  Son, 
who  manufacture  thirteen  million  feet ;  Birch  &  Co.,  who 
turn  out  nine  million  feet,  and  J.  W.  Bradford  &  Son,  who 
have   a  large   mill.      The  planing-mill,  and  sash,  door  and 


In  the  Winter  of  1844-5,  Thomas  Weston  and  John 
Werner,  Jr.,  both  at  that  time  living  at  the  Grand  Rapids, 
explored  the  Yellow  River  from  a  point  now  embraced  in 
Wood  County  to  its  mouth.  In  1S48,  Mr.  Werner  and  Hon. 
John  T.  Kingston,  made  a  further  e.\ploration  of  the  river, 
and  laid  claims  at  points  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the 
present  site  of  the  village  of  Necedah.  Taking  formal  pos- 
session, according  to  claim  laws  and  usages,  they  returned 
to  the  Grand  Rapids  and  formed  a  company  to  operate  on 
the  Yellow  River,  under  the  firm  name  and  style  of  F.  Weston 
&  Co.  The  firm  consisted  of  Thomas  Weston,  John  Wer- 
ner, Jr.,  Hon.  John  T.  Kingston  and  E.  S.  Miner,  who  held 
an  equal  interest  with  Mr.  Werner.  They  employed  Uriah 
Hill  and  Usal  V.  Jeffreys  to  ritn  a  raft  of  lumber  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellow  River,  and  erect  a  shanty,  and  to  fur- 
ther identify  their  claim  by  fencing  in  a  small  strip  of  land 
adjoining  it.  In  November,  Weston  and  Werner  made  a 
trip  to  the  Yellow  River  country,  selecting  a  place  for 
logging  operations  for  the  ensuing  Winter.  Having  found 
a  suitable  location,  Werner  returned  to  the  Rapids,  and 
Kingston  continued  down  the  river,  meeting  Weston  at  the 
shanty. 

They  followed  up  the  river,  made  a  more  thorough  ex- 
amination of  the  pine  they  had  selected,  and  then  look  a 
direct  route  to  Point  Bousse,  the  nearest  point  for  obtaining 


384 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


supplies.  Reaching  the  Rapids,  they  commenced  their  prep- 
arations for  the  Winter's  work.  Three  yoke  of  oxen,  sleds 
and  tools  were  procured,  and  a  crew  hired,  consisting  of 
Vanbunker,  Daniel  Diigan,  Prospier  Beauchane,  John  B. 
Savoy,  Samuel  Bean,  George  A.  Peters,  Gilbert  Adams, 
Uriah  Hill  and  Usal  V.  Jeffreys.  Also  a  millwright  and  one 
or  two  assistants  were  engaged  to  build  the  wheel  and  other 
machinery  of  the  mill,  to  be  erected  the  next  season. 
Messrs.  Weston  and  Kingston  accompanied  the  expedition. 

The  party  left  the  Rapids,  December  21,  1S48,  crossing 
the  Wisconsin  at  Point  Bousse,  and  cutting  a  road  to  the 
location  of  their  camp.  The  men  employed  during  the  sea- 
son, were  .\lanson  Eaton,  Oliver  Bourbon,  Morris  Thomas, 
Edwin  Thayer,  Anthony  Philips,  Jr.,  Nichols  Bateman, 
.■\nthony  Philips,  Sr.,  William  and  Henry  Harding,  Levi 
Girneau,  Richard  Baker,  John  Pottsveign,  Uriah  Hill  and 
A.  Wiltse,  the  millwright,  in  all  twenty  men,  including 
Messrs.  Weston  and  Kingston. 

This  was  the  first  settlement  made  in  Juneau  County 
north  of  the  Lemonweir  River.     Early  in   the  Winter  of 

1849,  Burley  Philbrick,  Newell  Carleton,  M.  Larabee  and  J. 
Turner  located  on  the  Yellow  River  in  Wood  County,  get- 
ting out  square  timber  and  rafting  it  to  the  lower  markets. 
Their  rafts  were  the  first  run  out  of  this  stream.     In   May, 

1850,  E.  S.  Miner  removed  to  Necedah  with  his  family.  A 
frame  house  had  already  been  erected — a  part  of  the  pres- 
ent .Armstrong  House — and  was  the  first  built  in  Juneau 
County  north  of  the  Lemonweir  River.  Mr.  Miner's  fam- 
ily was  the  first  to  locate,  and  their  daughter  Ella,  born 
during  the  same  year,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
same  territory.  In  July  of  this  year,  Robert  Thompson 
and  family  located  at  Xecedah,  making  the  second  family 
of  the  settlement.  John  H.  Armstrong,  John  McGregor 
and  William  Adderly  located  at  Necedali  during  this  season, 
and  by  185 1  the  new  settlement  began  to  put  on  the  appear- 
ance of  a  village.  A  second  mill  had  been  erected  by  Mr. 
Werner,  which  was  one  of  the  first  steam  saw-mills  built  in 
this  region.  The  two  mills  were  in  active  operation.  A 
store  had  been  opened  by  Messrs.  Weston  &  Co.,  with  a 
stock  of  general  merchandise,  additional  houses  had  been 
put  up,  and  new  settlers  were  constantly  coming  in. 

In  1852,  an  election  precinct  was  established  at  Necedah, 
by  order  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Sauk  County,  to 
which  Juneau  and  .^dams  were  then  attached.  An  election 
for  State  and  county  officers  was  held  the  same  Fall. 

At  this  time,  the  nearest  post-office  was  at  Dell  Prairie; 
but  during  the  following  Winter,  the  mail  route  was  ex- 
tended to  Necedah,  E.  S.  Miner  was  appointed  Postmaster, 
and  Messrs.  T.  Weston  &  Co.  carried  the  mails  for  tlie  jjro- 
ceeds  of  the  several  offices  on  their  route. 

Necedah  was  organized  as  a  town,  April  5,  1853,  with 
the  following  officers:  Thomas  Weston,  Chairman;  John 
Werner,  Jr.,  and  Robert  Dawes,  Trustees  ;  Town  Clerk, 
Hon.  J.  T.  Kingston;  Treasurer,  E.  S.  Miner;  Justices  of 
the  Peace,  E.  S.  Miner,  John  Werner,  Jr.,  Edwin  S.  Knapp  ; 
Overseers  of  Highways,  Charles  Dawes  and  John  T.  Kings- 
ton; Constables,  R.  Huntley  and  E.  R.  Knapp.    The  origi- 


nal village  was  laid  out  and  platted  by  T.  Weston  &  Co.,  in 
1856,  and  incorporated  as  a  village  by  act  of  Legislature, 
February  28,  1870. 

Necedah  has  two  churches,  Methodist  and  Roman  Cath- 
olic. The  Methodist  organized  its  first  class  in  1855,  and 
held  its  services  in  the  school  building  until  the  present 
church  was  built,  which  was  dedicated  in  i858.  The  mem- 
bership reaches  seventy,  and  the  Sabbath-school  has  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  eighty  scholars.  The  present  pastor,  Rev. 
D.  D.  Brothers,  is  a  native  of  England,  born  July  10, 1830, 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1840,  was  educated  at  Lowell, 
Mass.,  entering  the  Methodist  Conference  at  Portage,  in 
1869.  The  Church  property  is  valued  at  $3,000.  and  the 
parsonage,  which  was  built  in  1855,  at  $1,000. 

The  name  of  the  Catholic  Society  is  Saint  Francis 
Xavier,  and  is  as  yet  a  mission,  attended  by  Rev.  Father 
Gilbert,  of  Mauston. 

Necedah's  schools  are  under  the  careful  charge  of  Prof. 
O.  N.  Wagley,  aided  by  an  able  corps  of  assistants.  Value 
of  school  property,  $7,200  ;  number  of  children  of  school 
age,  488  ;  number  of  children  attending  school,  344.  The 
first  school  was  opened  by  Messrs.  T.  Weston  &  Co., 
in  1852,  and  maintained  by  them  until  the  organization  of 
the  District  School.  Miss  M.  C.  Fay  was  the  first  teacher. 
On  the  23d  of  December,  1854,  the  voters  of  Necedah  met 
at  the  house  of  E.  S.  Miner,  organized  District  No.  i,  and 
chose  the  following  District  Board:  Charles  Dawes,  Director; 
John  Werner,  Jr.,  Clerk,  and  J.  T.  Kingston,  Treasurer. 
Miss  Mary  Morehouse  was  the  first  teacher  after  the  dis- 
trict was  established. 

Zero  Lodge,  No.  169,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  in 
1866.  Has  at  present  a  membership  of  about  eighty.  .\ 
Lodge  of  A.  O.  U.  W.  was  organized  in  1880. 

HIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  \V.  .A.LLAN,  foreman  Lyman  &  Son,  Necedah.  A  native  of 
Maine,  born  in  1S34  ;  worked  at  his  trade  as  carpenter,  also  followed 
lumbering  and  fishing  until  1S6S,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settled  in 
Adams  County,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  and  farming  for  three  years  ; 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to  Necedah  and  worked  in  the  mill  of 
Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co.,  doing  their  saw-filing  until  iSSo;  since  which 
time  he  has  acted  as  foreman  in  the  mill  of  Lyman  &  Son,  successors  to 
Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co.  Is  a  Republican,  and  a  membei  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  \V.,  of  which  lodge  he  was  the  first  master  at  Necedah  and  repre- 
sented the  same  in  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Madison,  in  February,  iSSl.  Is 
now  serving  his  fourth  year  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Was  married  in 
the  Fall  of  1356,  to  Harriet  M.  Davis, a  native  of  Maine;  born  in  1S37. 
They  have  five  children  living — Sofila,  now  Mrs.  Newlin ;  Ursula  I., 
Nellie  A..  Frank  W.  and  Rena  B. 

WARREN  AUDS,  attorney,  Necedah.  A  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire; born  June  18,  1850;  received  an  academic  education,  and  akso 
attended  the  liusiness  College  of  Worcester,  Mass.  Commenced  the 
study  of  law  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  continued  the  same 
until  1S79,  when  he  was  taken  sick  from  over  study,  and  after  about 
eight  months,  having  somewhat  recovered,  he,  in  accordance  with  the 
advice  of  his  physician,  concluded  to  try  the  western  climate,  and 
accordingly  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  at  Necedah.  Was  admitted  on 
the  fourteenth  day  of  February,  18S1,  to  the  IJar  of  the  Circuit  Court 
of  Juneau  County,  and  the  United  States  District  and  Circuit  Courts  for 
the  western  district  of  Wisconsin.     Politics,  Republican. 

J.  H.  ARMSTRONG,  proprietor  Armstrong  House,  Necedah.  Is 
a  native  of  New  Brunswick;  born  in  1S27;  where  he  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  and  worked  at  lumbering  until  184S.  He  then 
went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y..  and  was  in  the  employ  of  Davis  &  Sutton,  com- 
mission merchants,  acting  as  tallyman  (that  is  keeping  account  of  goods 
shipped  and  received)  for  about  two  years,  after  which  he  came  to  Ne- 
cedah and  followed  lumberinj;,  in  the  employ  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.,  for 
about  seven  years,  when  he  engaged  in  farming,  which  he  made  a  part  of 


HISTORY  OF  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


385 


his  business  until  1881.  He  has  been  clerk  of  the  Yellow  River  Im- 
provement Company  for  about  seventeen  years,  which  occupies  most  of 
his  time.  Has  held  various  local  offices,  being  at  present  Treasurer  of 
both  town  and  village,  which  offices  he  has  held  for  seven  years.  On 
the  first  day  of  April,  18S1,  he  purchased  the  Bentley  House,  changed  the 
name  to  Armstrong  House,  and  is  now  running  the  same.  Was  married 
in  the  Fall  of  1S51,  to  Mary  Ann  Young,  a  native  of  New  Brunswick. 
Born  in  1830.  They  have  seven  children  living — Anna,  William,  Dora, 
Amelia.  May,  Martha  and  Nellie. 

A.  BLAKE,  foreman  Necedah  Lumbering  Co.  A  native  of  New 
York,  born  in  Oswego  County,  in  1S30.  where  he  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  followed  farming  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin, settling  first  at  Baraboo,  Sauk  Co.,  and  worked  at  carpenter  and 
joiner  work  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to  Necedah 
and  worked  as  millwright  for  T.  Weston  &  Co.,  until  February,  1S74, 
when  he  took  charge  of  said  company's  mill,  as  foreman,  until  February, 
18S1,  when  said  firm  changed  to  the  Necedah  Lumbering  Co.,  for  which 
he  is  now  foreman.  He  was  married  in  1854,  to  Angeline  Brown,  born  ih 
Wisconsin.  They  have  eight  children  living— Emma,  George.  Alvin, 
Hulda,  William,  John,  Nellie  and  Frederick. 

J.  W.  BRADFORD,  manufacturer,  Necedah.  Was  born  in  Piscata- 
quis Co.,  Me.,  in  1S20,  where  he  learned  the  tanner's  trade,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  until  1845.  He  then  went  to  California, 
and  remained  three  years,  when  he  returned  and  settled  at  Quincy,  111.,  en- 
gaging in  the  livery  business,  which  he  carried  on  until  1S64,  when  in 
partnership  with  George  Brown  and  R.  McCoy,  he  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing in  Wisconsin,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co., 
running  mills  at  Seneca,  Wood  Co.,  continuing  under  said  firm  name 
for  three  years,  when  Mr.  Brown  sold  his  interest  to  J.  T.  Bradford, 
and  the  business  continued  under  same  name,  Bradford,  Mc- 
Coy &  Co.  (the  place  of  business  changed  to  Necedah,  purchasing  the 
mill  property  of  McDonald  Bros.)  until  1880,  when  they  sold  to  Lyman 
&  Son.  In  1S76,  Mr.  Bradford  purchased  the  Shorey  mill  property  and 
organized  the  firm  of  Bradford,  Duff  &  Co.,  and  carried  on  the  business 
two  years  when.  Mr.  Duff  retired,  leaving  the  firm,  Bradford  &  Son.  as 
it  now  exists.  Mr.  Bradford  is  a  Democrat  and  a  Knight  Templar.  He 
was  married  in  1S46,  to  Aletha  W.  Snow,  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in 
1S20.     They  have  two  children  living.  Angia  and  Joseph. 

F.  ANTES  CANFIELD,  physician,  Necadah.  A  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, born  in  1830;  received  an  academic  education  at  the  Dickenson 
Seminary  of  Williamsport,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  with  his  father(Ira  D.  Canfield)  as  preceptor,  continu- 
ing his  study  at  the  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  receiving  diploma 
in  1856,  and  diploma  at  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1872.  Practiced  medicine  at  Ridgew.ay,  Penn.,  one  year;  two 
years  at  Philipsburg,  Penn.,  and  two  years  at  Little  Falls,  Minn.;  after 
which  on  the  third  day  of  March,  1857,  he  came  to  Necedah,  where,  in 
connection  with  his  profession  he  has  carried  on  a  drug  business  since 
the  Fall  of  1862.  In  partnership  with  St.  German,  has  dealt  in  lumber 
since  1867,  under  the  firm  name  of  Canfield  &  St.  German,  and  deals 
extensively  in  real  estate.  Is  a  Democrat  in  politics ;  was  President  of 
the  Village  Board  in  1878,  but  does  not  consider  he  has  time  to  attend  to 
it,  neither  does  he  wish  to  have  public  office.  Dr.  Canfield  has  many 
friends  ;  he  has  gained  a  good  reputation  as  a  physician,  and  has  been  a 
success  financially  as  well  as  practically. 

J.  E.  DALY,  jeweler,  Necedah.  A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
in  185 1 ;  received  an  academic  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
commenced  work  at  the  jeweler's  trade,  and  in  1873  came  to  Wisconsin, 
stopping  at  Watertown  a  short  time;  when  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  about  two  and  a  half  years ;  he  then 
went  to  Spencer  for  about  nine  months,  after  which  he  went  to  New 
Lisbon  and  in  partnership  with  N.  E.  Adams  engaged  in  the  jeweler's 
business  for  about  two  and  a  half  years ;  when  he  came  to  Necedah, 
bought  out  J.  C.  Link,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  jewelry  business  alone. 
Was  married  in  1878,  to  Ella  Hurd,  a  native  of  Ohio  ;  born  in  1S56. 
Mr.  Daly  is  a  Mason,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 

W.  F.  DAWES,  lumberman  and  cranberry  grower,  Necedah  ;  a  na- 
tive of  Maine  ;  born  in  1832 ;  received  a  common  school  education,  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  with  his  parents,  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling 
in  Columbia  County,  and  in  less  than  two  years  after  coming  to  Wiscon- 
sin his  parents  died,  and  he  engaged  in  lumbering  on  the  Wisconsin 
River  for  about  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he,  with  his  two 
brothers,  Charles  F.  and  George  S.,  came  to  Necedah  and  continued 
lumbering  until  1 861,  when  he  recruited  a  company  of  100  men,  of 
which  he  was  chosen  captain,  and  assigned  to  the  i6th  Wis.  V.  I.  Was 
in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  in  many  skirmishes, 
being  with  Grant  until  after  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg,  after  which  the 
regiment  (with  but  three  exceptions;)  re-enlisted  as  veterans,  and  soon 
joined  Sherman,  with  whom  he  remained  until  January,  1865,  when  his 
time  having  expired  he  was  mustered  out  as  major.  Returning  to  Wis- 
consin he  again  followed  lumbering  for  about  five  years,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  cranberries,  of  which  he 
has  sold  as  high  as  1,400  barrels  per  year.  Is  a  Republican.  Has  l)een 
County  Treasurer,  and  held  various  local  offices.  Was  married  in  1857, 
25 


to  Ladora  P.  White,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  who  died  in  1868. 
In  1869,  he  married  as  his  second  wife,  Minervia  J.  Austin,  a  native  of 
Ohio. 

JOHN  H.  DONAGHUE,  livery,  Necedah,  was  born  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  in  1854  ;  received  a  common  school  education,  and  in  January, 
1870,  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  at  Necedah,  and  has  since  been 
dealing  in  cattle,  wood  and  real  estate.  In  May,  18S1,  in  partnership 
with  Ever  Everson,  engaged  in  livery  business  under  the  6rm  name  of 
Donaghue  .&  Everson.     Is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

M.  G.  DUSTIN,  omnibus  and  dray,  Necedah,  a  native  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  born  in  1841.  In  the  F'all  of  1851,  he  came,  with  his 
parents,  to  Wisconsin  and  lived  at  Baraboo  until  the  Spring  of  1854, 
when  he  came  to  Necedah  and  helped  his  father  who  was  engaged  in 
hotel  business  until  1S61.  He  then  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  l6th  Wis.  V.  I., 
and  served  about  one  year,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  dis- 
ability occasioned  by  sickness.  Returning  to  Necedah  he  worked  at  vari- 
ous employments  until  1867,  when  he  went  to  Baraboo  and  was  married 
to  Sylvia  Holden,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  who  died  in  May,  1872,  leav- 
ing two  children  Elizabeth  and  Edgarbott,  living  with  their  grandpar- 
ents, Henry  and  Elizabeth  Holden,  near  Baraboo.  In  1873,  M""-  Aus- 
tin returned  to  Necedah,  but  was  engaged  in  no  regular  business  until 
the  Fall  of  1S77,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  omnibus 
and  dray  business,  and  is  doing  well.     Is  a  Republican  and  a  Mason. 

ANSON  GREEN,  Jr.,  attorney,  Necedah,  was  born  in  Neillsville, 
Clark  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S5S,  and  graduated  at  the  High  School  in  1S76.  In 
the  Spring  of  1S78,  he  entered  the  Law  School  at  Madison  and  grad- 
uated in  June,  1879.  He  then  returned  to  Neillsville  and  prepared  for 
the  law  practice  until  April,  iSSo,  when  he  came  to  Necedah,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  practicing  law  with  good  success.  He  is  a 
promising  young  man.  Was  married,  October,  1880,  to  Mamie  Dawes, 
born  in  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  10,  i860.  In  politics  Mr.  Green  is  a 
Democrat. 

J.  A.  JENKINS,  foreman  J.  W.  Bradford  &  Son,  Necedah,  a  native 
of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  born  in  1836  ;  received  a  common  school 
education  and  when  not  attending  school  was  employed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber,  until  1857,  when  he  concluded  to  see  some  of  the 
country,  and  accordingly  traveled  over  the  West  and  South  of  the  Unit- 
ted  States,  for  about  two  and  one-half  years,  during  which  time  he  at- 
tended one  term  at  the  Oberlin  College,  of  Ohio,  and  in  i860,  came  to 
Necedah  and  was  in  the  employ  of  Geo.  B.  Burch  &  Co.  and  T.  Weston 
&  Co.  most  of  the  time  until  1869.  He  then  went  to  Ohio  and  acted  as 
foreman  of  a  mill  for  four  years.  Then  went  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where 
he  had  charge  of  the  mill  of  B.  P.  Faber  &  Co.,  for  nearly  six  years, 
after  which,  in  April,  1879.  he  returned  to  Necedah  and  has  since  been 
foreman  for  J.  \V.  Bradford  &  Son.  Mr.  Jenkins  is  a  hard  working  man 
who  is  faithful  to  his  employers,  and  a  man  who  understands  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber,  thoroughly.  Was  married  in  i860,  to  Sarah  Jane 
Watkins,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  1840,  and  who  died  in  No- 
vember, 1866,  leaving  one  child,  Carrie,  now  living  in  Allegany  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  and  in  May,  1874,  he  married  Mary  Mclntyre,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  in  1852.  They  have  three  children — Grace,  Glen  and  a  small  boy. 
C.  D.  LOOMIS,  merchant,  Necedah,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1S48,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education  and 
worked  in  flouring  mills  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  stop- 
ping in  Green  Lake  County  for  three  or  four  years,  then  spent  one  Sum- 
mer in  Iowa,  after  which  he  came  to  Necedah,  where  he  took  charge  of 
the  flouring  mill  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.  until  May,  1881,  since  which  time, 
in  partnership  with  Henry  Galvin,  has  been  carrying  on  a  flour  and  feed 
business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Galvin  &  Loomis.  Was  married,  in 
May,  1874,  to  Agnes  Hall,  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  have  one  child, 
Nannie.  Mr.  Loomis  is  a  Democrat.  Has  held  local  oflTices,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

C.  E.  LYMAN,  of  the  firm  of  Lyman  &  Son,  was  born  in  Sheboy- 
gan, Wis.,  in  1850.  When  about  one  year  of  age,  the  family  moved  to 
Berlin  for  a  few  years,  and  then  removed  to  Ripon,  where  they  lived 
about  fifteen  years,  C.  E.  helping  his  father,  who  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  and  pine  lands,  after  which  they  went  to  Milwaukee  and 
run  a  packing  house  for  about  two  years.  In  1874,  Mr.  Lyman,  Jr.,  went 
to  Fairchild,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  until  1877,  when  he  went  to 
Texas,  and  engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  purchasing  a  fine  cotton 
plantation  and  fancy  stock  farm  of  800  acres,  which  he  still  owns.  In 
1880,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  in  the  Fall  went  in  partnership  with 
his  father,  purchasing  the  mill  property  of  Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co., 
which  they  have  greatly  improved,  and  are  now  carrying  on  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Lyman  &  Son.  He  was  married,  in  the  Fall  of 
1878,  to  Alice  M.  Michell,  daughter  of  G.  W.  Michell,  of  Milwaukee. 
She  was  born  in  Ripon,  Wis.,  in  1855. 

E.  S.  MINER,  firm  of  Necedah  Lumbering  Company,  was  born  in 
Madison,  N.  Y.,  March  20,  1818  ;  received  a  common  school  education  ; 
came  with  his  father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  to  Green  Bay, 
Wis.,  in  1828.  In  March,  1829,  his  father  died,  when  he  returned  to 
Nevv  York,  and  remained  until  1834,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  fol- 
lowed farming   until  1842.     He   then   returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  en- 


386 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WrSCONSIN. 


gaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Grand  Rapids  until  May,  1850,  when  he 
moved  his  family  to  Necedah,  built  a  shanty  on  the  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Armstrong  House,  being  the  first  family  that  settled  at 
Necedah  ;  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering  and  mercantile  business  ever 
since.  He  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  T,  Weston  &  Co.  from  its  or- 
ganization until  18S1.  when  said  company  changed  to  the  Necedah 
Lumbering  Company,  of  which  he  is  now  a  stockholder.  He  was  the 
first  Postmaster  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  held  the  office  until  he  moved  to 
Necedah ;  is  the  first  Postmaster  of  Necedah,  having  held  the  office  the 
entire  time,  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  when  he  served  as  .State 
Senator;  is  the  oldest  merchant  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  having  been 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  the  entire  time  since  1841,  and  is,  with 
the  exception  of  one,  the  oldest  living  settler  of  Wisconsin.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Assembly  two  years,  and  a  member  ot  the  Senate 
two  years;  was  the  first  County  Judge  of  Adams  County,  when  that 
county  embraced  Juneau;  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  .Supervisors  of 
Portage  County,  when  that  county  embraced  a  vast  amount  of  territory ; 
has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Treasurer  of  Necedah  fourteen  years,  and 
in  1S70  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Fairchild  one  of  the  committee  to  visit 
the  several  State  institutions.  He  was  married  in  November,  1845,  to 
Serena  Elliot,  a  native  of  Canada.  They  have  six  children — Edward, 
Ella,  Frances,  Julius,  Mary  and  John. 

H.  L.  NYE,  druggist,  Necedah,  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1S25. 
When  but  four  years  of  age,  he  was  adopted  into  ilie  family 
of  his  uncle,  Richard  Meriam,  who  lived  in  Canada,  with 
whom  he  lived  until  he  went  to  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  en 
gaged  in  lumbering  until  about  1851.  He  then  went  lo  work  on  the  N. 
Y.  &  E.  Railroad,  which  was  then  in  construction,  working  on  the  same 
until  its  completion,  after  which  he  served  two  years  as  roadmaster  on  the 
Western  Division,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  in  1856,  he  went  to  Ohio, 
and  followed  railroading  for  one  season,  as  contractor  on  the  S.  &  H.  V. 
Railroad,  when  he  returned  to  the  State  of  New  York  for  about  one 
year;  then,  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled 
near  Watertown,  where  he  engaged  in  lumbering  for  about  one  year,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  lie  came  to  Mansion  {on  the  first  train  which  ever 
came  toMauston),  proceeded  up  the  road  to  Tomah,  near  which  place  he 
graded  two  miles  of  the  railroad.  In  the  Fall  of  1859,  he  came  to 
Necedah,  and  engaged  in  lumbering,  which  he  followed  until  iS6l,when 
he  enlisted  in  the  4th  Wis.  Cav.,  and  served  until  April,  1S63.  when  he 
resigned  his  commission  as  second  lieutenant,  on  account  of  disability, 
occasioned  by  a  gun-shot  wound,  when  he  returned  lo  Necedah,  and 
followed  lumbering  until  March  26,  iSSl.  since  which  time  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  drug  business.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics;  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  six  years,  and  held  other  local  offices.  He  has  been 
married  three  times— in  1S51,  to  Mary  Herron,  from  whom  he  was  di- 
vorced in  1S57  ;  they  had  one  child,  Minnie,  now  living  at  Addison,  N. 
Y.  In  1864,  to  Jane  Downing,  who  died  in  the  Spring  of  1875;  had 
five  children  ;  two  died  in  the  Fall  of  1874,  and  one  in  the  Spring  of 
1S75  ;    the  remaining  two  are  Lottie  and  Phcebe.     In   1S76,  to  Srintha 

A.  Barringer,  of  Reedsburg,  Wis. ;  they  have  two  children,  Truman  and 
Earl. 

WILLIAM  PECK,  engineer  and  millwright,  Necedah,  is  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  in  Allegany  County  in  1S27  ;  received  a  common 
.school  education,  and  followed  farming  until  1S45.  He  then  went  to 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  farming  during  the  Summer,  and  in  Winter 
seasons  engaged  in  lumbering  near  Watertown,  Wis.,  for  two  years,  when 
he  moved  to  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  for  about  two  years,  after  which  he  went 
to  Sauk  County,  settling  at  Reedsburg,  of  which  place  he  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers,  and  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  for  about 
four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  in  March,  1853,  he  came  to  Nece- 
dah, and  was  employed  in  the  mill  of  John  Werner  for  three 
years,  then  in  the  mill  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  an  interest  in  a  mill,  and  run  the  same  for 
three  vears,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  employed  as  foreman  in  the 
mill  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.  until  1S73.  the"  as  foreman  in  the  mill  of 
Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co.  until  the  Spring  of  1880.  He  then  spent  the 
Summer  in  the  Dilly  Shingle  Mill,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  George  P..  Burch  &  Co.  as  engineer  and  millwright.  He  was 
married,  in  the  Fall  of  184S,  to  Eliza  S.  W'ard,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
born  in  1830.  They  have  six  children — Theron,  Martha  E.,  Mary,  Ver- 
non and  Elmer.  Mr.  Peck  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  great 
joker.  The  number  of  "gianthers  and  crockajoes"  he  has  slain  is  un- 
known. 

I.  B.  PICKARD,  foreman,  Necedah.  Was  born  in  Madrid,  Me.,  in 
1846.  When  five  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  patents  to  Wisconsin, 
settling  first  in  Columbia  County.  Received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, and  in  1861,  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  18th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war;  was  a  prisoner  the  last  seven  months.  After  the  war, 
he  returned  to  his  home  in  Wisconsin,  for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  came  to  Necedah,  and  was  employed  in  the  mill  of  T.  Weston 
&  Co.  for  a  short  time;  then  in  the  mill  of  Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co.  for 
four  years,  since  which  lime  he  has  been  foreman  of  the  mill  of  George 

B.  Burch  &  Co.     Is  a  strict  Republican  in  politics.     Was  married  in  the 


Fall  of  186S,  to  C  inielia  Cone,  a  native  of  New  York,  bora  [in  1846. 
They  have  two  children,  Lottie  A.  and  Miles  A. 

J.  H.  PLUMMER,  book-keeper.  A  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1837, 
Received  a  good  education,  and  clerked  in  store  until  i860,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  the  boot  and  shoe  business,  and  carried  on  the  same  until  1865 
when  he  commenced  book-keeping.  In  1869.  he  came  to  Necedah  and 
kept  books  for  Bradford,  McCoy  &  Co.,  until  the  Fall  of  1880,  since 
which  lime  he  has  kept  books  for  Lyman  &  Son,  succe.ssors  to  Bradford, 
McCoy  &  Co.  Is  a  Republican  in  politics.  Has  been  a  member  of  the 
Town  Board  three  years.  Treasurer  of  Town  three  years,  and  Secretary 
of  high  school  six  years.  Jan.  i,  1871,  he  was  married  to  Emily  F.  Doe, 
a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1838. 

E.  D.  ROGERS,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Necedah.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  born  in  Argyle,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  June  27,  183S.  Attended  school  at  the  Argyle  Academy  until 
1850,  when  he  came  lo  Madison,  Wis.  Worked  in  a  store  and  attended 
school  at  the  State  University  of  Wisconsin  until  the  Spring  of  1855, 
when  he  came  to  Necedah.  and  at  once  engaged  as  derk  for  T.  Weston 
&  Co.,  and  served  about  six  years.  Was  the  first  County  Surveyor  of 
Juneau  County,  being  elected  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and  served  four 
years.  Has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Town  Clerk  for  the  last  four- 
teen years.  Has  also  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff.  Is  at  present  engaged 
in  insurance,  real  estate  and  cranberry  business.  Enlisted,  in  :S63.  in 
the  1st  Wis.  Artillery,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  Served  as  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1878.  and  is  a 
Mason.  Was  married,  in  1S58,  to  Hellen  A.  Woods,  born  in  Maine,  in 
1S41.  They  have  seven  children — E.  D.,  Amy,  Eva,  John,  Harry,  Mary, 
Mabel  and  Hugh. 

S.  B.  SARLES.  of  firm  of  George  B.  Burch  &  Co.,  Necedah 
A  native  of  New  York  ;  born  in  1S31.  Came  with  his  father  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1842,  settling  at  Racine,  where  he  lived  until  1850,  *hen  he  went 
to  California,  followed  mining,  and  served  in  the  Indian  wars  of  1853-5. 
Returned  to  Wisconsin  in  July,  1856,  and  has  since  made  Necedah  his 
home.  On  his  return  he  was  employed  by  T.  Weston  &Co.,  for  three  or 
four  years,  after  which,  in  1861,  hecnmmenced  keeping  hotel,  which  busi- 
ness he  followed  for  five  years.  He  then  sold  out.  and  engaged  in  logging 
one  season,  and  the  following  Spring.went  to  Sabula,  Iowa,  carrying  on 
a  lumber  business  in  co-partnership  w  ilh  George  B.  Burch  and  R.  E.  Pat- 
terson, until  the  Spring  of  1S68,  when  Mr.'  Patterson  died,  and  Mr. 
Sarles  returned  to  Necedah,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  George  B.  Burch  &  Co.  He  takes  but  little  interest  in  poli- 
tics. Was  married  in  1S60.  to  Kate  Lewis,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  They  have  two  children,  Emma  J.  and  Kate  O.,  both  attending 
school  at  the  State  University  at  Madison. 

THOMAS  WESTON,  of  the  firm  of  Necedah  Lumbering  Company. 
Is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
highly  esteemed  men  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  Born  in  Vermont,  in 
1S18  ;  was  brought  when  quite  young,  by  his  parents,  to  the  Stale  of  New 
York,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  commenced  work  in  a  woolen  mill,  and  followed  the  same  for 
three  years,  when  he  concluded  to  see  some  of  the  w-estern  country,  and 
accordingly,  traveled  over  a  great  part  of  the  United  States,  until  1S40, 
when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Grand  Rapids,  where  he 
followed  lumbering  during  the  Summers,  spending  the  Winters  South 
for  two  years.  He  then  purchased  an  interest  in  a  mill,  and  was  engaged 
in  the  same  until  1846.  In  :S48.  he  came  to  Necedah.  and  was  a  mem. 
ber  of  the  firm  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.  (of  which  a  sketch  is  found  in  other 
parts  of  this  book),  until  18S1,  when  said  firm  changed  to  the  Necedah 
Lumbering  Company,  of  which  he  is  now  a  stockholder.  Is  a  Democrat, 
and  has  held  various  local  offices,  but  takes  more  interest  in  his  business 
than  in  public  office.  He  is  a  man  who  will  long  be  remembered  in 
Necedah  as  the  friend  of  everybody;  having  no  doubt  done  more  for  the 
town  than  any  olher  one  man.  In  1S52.  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Dawes,  a  native  of  Maine.  They  have  seven  children — Helen,  Hiram, 
May.  Emma,  Laura,  Elizabeth  and  Dollie. 

JOHN  WILLIAMS,  hardware  merchant;  firm  of  W'illiams  &  Bro., 
Necedah.  Was  born  in  England,  in  May,  1846.  When  but  two  years 
of  age,  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  settling  in 
Grant  Co..  Wis.,  where  he  received  an  academic  education  at  the  State 
Normal  School  of  Plattville.  In  1862,  he  went  to  California,  and  re- 
mained four  years,  when  he  returned  to  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  In  186S,  he  went 
to  Boone  Co.,  Iowa,  and  engaged  in  hotelbusinessforabout  nine  months, 
at  the  end  of  which  time,  in  the  Fall  of  1S69,  became  to  Necedah,  and 
in  partnership  with  I.  Oates,  engaged  in  hardware  business,  under  the  firm 
name  of  I.  Oates  &  Co..  for  about  two  years,  when  Mr.  Oates  withdrew, 
Thomas  H.  Williams  taking  his  place,  since  which  time  the  business  has 
continued  under  the  firm  n.ame  of  J.  Williams  &  Bro.  Is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  ;  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  two  years,  and  held  other  local  offices. 
\Vas  married,  in  1S6S,  to  Alice  Cooper,  a  native  of  New  York.  They 
have  four  children — Ida  L.,  Emil  C,  John  and  Frank  H. 

THOMAS  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852. 
Received  a  common  school  education,  and  lived  in  said  county  until 
1871,  when  he  came  to  Necedah,  and  has  since  been  a  member  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    TUNEAU    COUNTY 


387 


firm  of  J.  Williams  &  Ero.  Was  married,  in  1874.  to  Arabella  Squires, 
a  native  of  England,  born  in  1S54.  In  politics,  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

ELROY. 

In  i860  Messrs.  James  and  John  Hutchinson  built  a 
grist  mill  in  the  town,  around  which  the  present  flourishing 
village  of  Elroy  has  sprung  up. 

This  village  is  situated  in  the  township  of  Plymouth,  on  the 
line  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  Ry.,  213  miles  from  Chicago  and  197 
miles  from  St.  Paul.  It  is  also  the  junction  of  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railway,  and  is  an  impor- 
tant railroad  town.  The  total  valuation  of  the  township 
and  village  reaches  $215,754,  and  the  tax  rate  is  three  per 
cent  of  this  sum.  The  population  of  the  township  and 
village  is  1,499.  The  Baraboo  River  flows  through  the 
town  and  furnishes  abundant  water  power.  The  principal 
business  interests  are  the  Star  and  Eagle  flouring  mills,  and 
general  business  enterprises  are  well  represented. 

The  schools  are  in  charge  of  Prof.  H.  M.  Johnston. 
Value  of  school  property  $675.  Number  of  children  attend- 
ing school  168.     Number  of  children  of  school  age  294. 

It  has  two  cliurches,  German  Evangelical  and  Catholic. 
The  former  was  built  in  1880  but  the  organization  of  the 
society  dates  back  some  fourteen  years.  The  church  prop- 
erty is  valued  at  $2,000,  and  the  pulpit  is  at  present  sup- 
plied. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  built  in  1878,  and  has  a  mem- 
bership of  nearly  500.  Rev.  Father  Keller,  of  Union  Cen- 
ter, is  attending  priest. 

It  has  six  secret  organizations:  Elroy  Lodge,  No.  202, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  organized  June  13,  1876,  with  a  membership 
of  twenty-seven  ;  Elroy  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  233,  organ- 
ized May  15,  1874,  with  thirty  members  ;  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  Elroy  Lodge,  No.  8^,  chartered  April  8, 
1880,  with  a  membership  of  twenty ;  and  Perseverance 
Lodge,  No.  556,  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  chartered  April 
30,  1881,  with  thirteen  members. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

O.  A.  BABCOCK,  merchant,  Elroy,  was  born  at  Freeport,  III.,  in 
1851.  Was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  when  eighteen  months 
old  and  lived  in  Vernon  County  for  tvventy  years,  during  which  time  lie 
received  a  common  school  education  and  followed  farming.  He  then 
came  to  Elroy  and  clerked  in  the  store  of  E.  Hart  for  about  one  year, 
after  which  he  lived  in  several  different  localities  for  a  few  years,  then 
clerked  for  Doudson  &  Co.  of  Grand  Kapids,  for  four  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  returned  to  Elroy  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  a 
grocery  business.  In  the  Spring  of  1877,  he  was  married  to  Emma  Pot- 
ter, a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  1857.  They  have  one  child,  Wert, 
born  in  February,  1879.  Mr.  Babcock  is  a  Republican  and  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

M.  E.  BARRINGER,  liveryman,  Elroy,  was  bom  in  Reedsburg, 
Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  i,  1853.  Received  a  common  school  education, 
and  followed  farming  until  the  Spring  of  1873,  when  he  came  to  Juneau 
County,  purchased  a  farm  of  100  acres,  and  worked  the  same  about  four 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  sold  eighty  acres  of  this  farm,  moved 
into  the  village  of  Elroy,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  livery  business. 
He  also  owns  a  hotel  and  a  good  house  and  lot  in  said  village.  Was 
married,  in  November,  1877,  to  Clara  M.  (daughter  of  Daniel  and  La- 
mira  Whicher),  born  in  1852,  and  died  June  3,  18S0,  leaving  one  child, 
Lois  Pearl,  born  May  13,  1878,  and  is  now  living  with  her  aunt,  Celes- 
tia  Bush,  near  Reedsburg,  Wis. 

C.  E.  BOOTHE,  M.  D.,  Elroy,  is  a  leading  physician,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  men  in  Juneau  County.  He  is  a  native  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  born  in  Dutcliess  County,  in  1840,  where  he  lived  until 
eighteen  years  of  a;.;e.  during  which  time,  when  he  was  not  attending 
scliool,  he  worked  in    his  father's  flouring  and  saw  mill.     In  1858,  con- 


cluding that  he  would  like  to  see  some  of  the  western  country,  he  went 
to  Illinois,  and  spent  the  year  in  different  localities  in  that  State,  and 
the  following  year  he  spent  in  Wisconsin,  after  which,  in  the  Fall  of 
1859,  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  to  which  place 
his  parents  had  previously  moved,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Hall,  continuing  the  same  with  Dr.  Dart,  of  Colesville, 
Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  until  September,  1S61,  when  he  joined  the  army 
as  a  non-commissioned  officer  in  the  89th  N.  Y.  V.,  and  after  reporting 
at  Washington,  was  attached  to  the  Burnside  expedition  during  his  North 
Carolina  campaign,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Roanoke  Island,  South 
Mills,  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  At  the  last  named  battle  he  re- 
ceived a  gun-shot  wound,  and  remained  upon  the  field,  without  cover, 
for  ten  days,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  conveyed  to  the  hospital 
at  Frederick  City,  where  he  remained  about  one  month,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Camden  Street  Hospital  at  Baltimore,  at  which  place  he 
remained  until  the  following  February,  in  which  month  he  was  dis- 
charged from  service  on  account  of  disability  occasioned  by  the  gun-shot 
wound.  Returning  home,  he  again  resumed  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  O.  G.  Orton,  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  (who  was  at  that  time  demon- 
strator of  anatomy  in  the  New  York  University),  as  preceptor,  and  con- 
tinued the  study  until  the  Winter  of  1863,  when,  with  rank  as  second 
lieutenant,  he  enlisted  a  company  of  100  men  for  the  14th  N.  Y.  Heavy 
Artillery,  which  at  that  time  consisted  of  only  five  companies,  stationed 
on  Rickor's  Island.  N.  Y. ;  but  on  account  of  not  applying  for  organiza- 
tion papers,  the  regiment  was  filled  by  other  parties  before  he  made  ap- 
plication to  it,  and  then,  as  the  men  were  already  mustered  into  the  State 
service,  in  order  that  they  might  draw  their  State  bounties,  w-ere  distrib- 
uted among  other  regiments.  Whereupon  Mr.  Boothe  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington,  joined  the  medical  department,  and  was  assigned 
to  Auger  General  Hospital  in  Virginia,  where  he  remained  until  the 
seventh  day  of  January,  1865,  at  which  time  he  returned  to  his  home  at 
Binghamton,  N.  Y.  After  remaining  at  home  about  two  weeks,  he 
went  to  Janesville,  Wis.,  and  obtained  a  situation  as  drug  clerk  in  the 
store  of  George  R.  Curtice,  and  in  connection  with  this  and  other  occu- 
pations, continued  the  study  of  medicine,  also  attending  lectures  at  the 
Rush  Medical  College,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1870,  located  at  Elroy,  Wis., 
as  a  practicing  physician,  graduating  in  medicine  the  following  Winter, 
since  which  time  he  has  gained  a  good  reputation  as  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon. At  the  opening  of  the  Elroy  Seminary,  he  organized  the  depart- 
ment of  physiology  (which  proved  to  be  one  of  its  chief  features),  and 
gave  the  instruction,  by  lectures  and  demonstrations,  for  five  or  six  years. 
He  was  also  president  of  the  institution  for  several  years  from  its  organ- 
ization, and  has  been  President  of  the  village  of  Elroy  ever  since  it  was 
incorporated.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  ;  was  elected  as  Assembly- 
man from  Juneau  County  in  1876,  receiving  1,531  majority,  against  a 
Democratic  majority  of  about  300  the  previous  year.  In  January,  1865, 
he  was  married  to  Helen  J.  Shumway,  of  Rock  Co.,  Wis.  They  have 
one  child,  Laura  M.,  born  in  1866. 

E.  ERICKSON,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
in  1853;  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in  1854,  and 
settled  first  at  St.  Charles,  IH.,  in  which  vicinity  he  lived  for  seventeen 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  lived  in  Grant 
County  one  Summer,  then  in  Vernon  County  about  five  years,  after  which 
he  came  to  Elroy,  and  attended  school  at  the  seminary  for  two  years, 
graduating  in  the  English  course,  in  June,  1S78.  He  then  had  charge 
of  the  public  schools  of  Elroy  one  year,  since  which  time  he  has  held 
various  agencies ;  took  the  census  of  the  town  of  Plymouth  for  iSSo,  and 
is  at  present  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  married,  in  March,  1S77,  to 
Mary  Stone,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Grant  County,  in  1S60.  They 
have  two  children,  Edith,  born  Oct.  I,  1S77,  and  Edward  E.,  born  Jan. 
I,  1879.  Mr.  E.  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  at  present  Town  and 
Village  Clerk. 

R.  A.  FOWLER,' farmer.  Sec.  29,  P.O.  Elroy.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Juneau  County.  He  was  born  in 
the  State  of  Vermont,  in  1821,  and  in  1836  the  family  moved  into  Illi- 
nois, where  they  lived  about  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  in 
1840,  they  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Racine  County,  where  Mr. 
Fowler  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  for  eight  years.  He 
then  purchased  a  saw  mill  in  Jefferson  County,  and  ran  the  same  about 
one  year,  when  he  sold  his  mill  and  removed  to  Sauk  County,  and  fol- 
lowed the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Baraboo  for  about  two  years,  after 
which,  in  the  Fall  of  1851,  he  came  to  Juneau  County,  located  where  he 
now  lives,  and  as  soon  as  surveyed,  purchased  his  present  farm  from  the 
t.     He  now  owns  100  acres  of  choice  land,  most  of  which  is 


well  improved  and  has  good  buildings.  Is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
Has  been  Postmaster  and  held  various  local  oflices.  Has  been  twice 
married:  in  1845,  to  Mar)-  A.  Pulford,  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in 
1826,  and  died  in  April,  1S62,  leaving  five  children — Dacatur,  Delos, 
Mary,  Mariah  and  Frank  ;  in  the  Fall  of  1862,  to  Mrs.  Phoebe  Pearson, 
a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  1837,  who  had  one  child,  Emma  (Mrs. 
Walsh),  now  living  at  Kendall,  Monroe  Co.  They  have  one  child,  Alice 
May,  born  Sept.  I,  1866. 

GEORGE  H.  HOPPER,  hotel  keeper,   Elroy,  is  a   native  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  born  in  Jefferson  County,  in  183S.      Was  a  resident 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


of  the  Stale  for  twenty-five  years,  during  which  time  he  attended  school, 
worked  on  the  farm,  and  learned  the  joiner's  trade.  In  1863,  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  and  was  married  to  Martha  A.  Wentworth,  born  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  in  1842,  and  the  following  Spring,  returned  to  New 
York  State,  and  remained  about  three  years,  after  which,  in  the  Fall  of 
1S66,  he  went  to  Chicago  and  remained  one  year,  when  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin, living  in  Rock  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  Jan- 
uary, 1S74,  when  he  came  to  Elroy  and  was  employed  in  the  railroad 
office  for  about  five  years,  since  which  time  he  has  been  proprietor  of 
the  Railroad  Eating  House.  Is  a  Republican,  a  member  of  the  A.O.U.W. 
and  a  Mason.     Has  one  child,  Gertrude,  born  July  7,  1S66. 

J.  MAEBY,  carpenter  and  painter,  Elroy.  A  native  of  Canada, 
born  in  1827 ;  learned  the  cabinet  maker's  trade,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1850 
came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Ripon,  where  he  worked  at  the  car- 


penter ana  jome 


trade  for  1 


years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Co- 


lumbia County  and  followed  the  same  line  of  work,  also  did  some  farm- 
ing, until  1S73,  when  he  came  to  Elroy  and  has  since  worked  at  carpenter 
work  and  pamting.  Is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Has  held  various  local 
offices.  Is  a  member  of  the  American  Legion  of  Honor,  and  a  strict 
Temperance  man,  being  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor.  Jan.  23, 
1S77,  Mr.  Maeby,  J.  W.  Pulford,  B.  F.  Nash,  H.  W.  Nash  and  John 
Allison  organized  an  association  known  as  the  Elroy  Council  of  Honor, 
for  the  purpose  of  elevating  the  laboring  classes,  for  mutual  improve- 
ment, for  charitable  and  benevolent  purposes,  and  to  better  provide  for 
the  poor  and  needy  in  all  honorable  and  legitimate  undertakings,  of 
which  Mr.  Maeby  drafted  the  constitution  and  by-laws.  He  was  married 
Sept.  5.  1851,  to  Selecta  Burlinghame,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in 
Milwaukee  in  1833.  They  have  five  children  living — Willis,  Mary  Ella, 
Albert  L.,  Emma  A.  and  Edith  L. 

T.  L.  MOE,  merchant.  Elroy,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  1852. 
Emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1872,  and  came  direct  to  Elroy,  Wis., 
and  engaged  in  railroading  about  two  years.  He  then  clerked  in  the 
store  of  E.  Hart  for  about  four  and  a  half  years,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  carrying  on  a  general  mercantile  business.  Oct.  19,  1S77,  he 
was  married  to  Julia  '1  hompson,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  1S5S. 
They  have  one  child,  Lassineus,  born  in  18S0.  Mr.  Moe  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  Village  Board. 

O.  P.  I'lERCE,  blacksmith,  Elroy,  was  born  at  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
June  7,  1S27,  and  in  1834  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  Michigan,  and 
resided  in  said  State  until  1S57,  during  which  time  he  received  a  common 
.school  education,  and  learned  the  blacksmith  trade.  He  then  came  to 
Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  Sauk  County,  working  at  his  trade,  with  the 
e.Nception  of  two  years,  when  he  was  selling  goods,  uptil  1877,  and  Dec. 
10,  of  said  year  he  came  to  Elroy,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  blacksmith 
business.  He  has  been  twice  married  :  Sept.  23,  1849,  'o  Mary  A.  Evans, 
a  native  of  Canada,  born  March  17,  1S32,  and  died  July  28,  1S50;  and 
Jan.  I,  1S51,  to  Martha  N.  Hunt,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
born  in  August,  1S36.  They  have  five  children— Anna  E.,  Mary  E., 
Major  T.,  Martha  and  Eva  Maud.  Is  a  Democrat.  Has  held  local 
offices,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  since  i860,  being 
one  of  the  charier  members  of  the  Westfield  Lodge,  No.  108,  Sauk 
County,  Wis. 

E.  S.  ROGERS,  merchant,  Elroy,  was  born  in  Keyport,  N.  J.,  in 
1842,  where  he  lived  until  1S64,  when  he  came  West  and  settled  first  at 
JanesviUe,  Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  railroading  until  the  Fall  of 
1875,  when  he  came  to  Elroy  and  loUowed  the  same  business  until  the 
Spring  of  187S,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  is  also  express  agent,  a  Republican,  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  A.  O.  U.  VV.  and  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Chapter. 
Has  held  various  local  offices.  In  1863,  he  was  married  to  Emma 
Sleeper,  boin  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1845.  They  have  two  children, 
Minnie,  born  Aug.  25,  1864,  and  Harry,  born  Oct.  30,  1868. 

B.  F.  SMITH,  hotel-keeper,  Elroy,  was  born  at  South  Hadley,  Mass., 
in  1824.  At  the  age  of  13,  he  wenl  to  Schenectady  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
lived  with  his  brother  for  three  or  four  years,  after  which  he  lived  in 
different  localities  in  the  Stale  until  about  twenty-five  yearsof  age,  when 
he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  first  in  JanesviUe,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  farming  most  of  the  time  for  five  or  six  years  ;  after  which  he  was  en- 
gaged in  staging  in  different  parts  of  .the  State  until  August,  1862, 
when  he  enlLsied  in  the  31st  Wis.  V.,  and  served  until  July,  1865.  Re- 
turning to  Wisconsin,  he  again  followed  staging  until  May  i,  1872  ; 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  at  Elroy.  Is 
a  Republican,  but  takes  little  interest  in  politics,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Legion  of  Honor.  Dec.  2,  1845,  he  was  married  to  Sarah  A. 
Soper,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Tliey  have  four  children  living 
— Anna  E.,  C.  Augusta,  William  Chauncy  and  Hattie  E. 

E.  B.  STURDIVANT,  foreman  car  repairs,  Elroy,  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  Co.,N.  Y.,  in  1829,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  removed 
with  his  parents  to  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  where  they  lived  two  years. 
Then  moved  to  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  and  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
and  worked  in  the  oil  regions  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
living  at  Monroe,  Green  Co.,  until  1S72,  during  which  lime  he  was  en- 
gaged in  drilling  wells.     He  then  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  worked 


in  the  car  shops  one  year;  at  the  end  of  which  time,  in  February,  1S73, 
he  came  to  Elroy.  and  has  since  been  foreman  of  car  repairing  for  the 
C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  at  that  place.  In  November,  1S57,  he  was  married 
to  Julia  Gray,  bom  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  in  October,  1836.  They  have 
four  children — Ida,  Clara,  Frank  and  Edith.  Mr.  S.  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

O.  C.  WATERMAN,  hotel-keeper,  Elroy,  was  born  at  Beloit,  Wis., 
in  1S3S.  Received  a  common  school  education,  and  worked  at  lumber- 
ing on  the  Wisconsin  River  until  the  Fall  of  1S73,  when  he  came  to 
Juneau  County,  and  followed  farming  near  Elroy  until  the  Spring  of 
1881,  when  he  moved  into  the  village,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
hotel  business.  Was  married  to  Hattie  C.  Elmer,  a  native  of  Wiscon- 
sin. They  have  four  children  living — William  W' .,  Herbert,  Amelia  and 
Charley. 

DANIEL  WHICHER,  dealer  in  real  estate,  Elroy,  one  of  the  oldest 
settlers  in  Juneau  County,  was  born  in  Vermont,  in  1813,  and  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  the  State  of  New  York  when  three  years  of 
age.  Was  a  resident  of  the  State  for  about  fifteen  years,  during  which 
time  he  received  a  common  school  education;  after  which,  in  1831,  he 
went  to  Indiana  and  attended  school  at  the  Institute  of  Hanover  one 
year,  after  which  he  followed  teaching  school  and  painting,  in  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  until  Nov.  13,  1836,  when  he  was  married  to  Lamira  Car- 
rier, a  native  of  Vermont,  born  May  14,  1815  ;  and  in  1838  came  to 
Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Beloit,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for 
about  fifteen  years,  after  which,  in  1853,  he  came  Juneau  County  and 
continued  farming  near  New  Lisbon — where  he  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers— until  March,  1870,  when  he  came  to  Elroy,  purchased  100  acres 
of  land,  most  of  which  he  has  since  sold  as  village  lots.  He  has  built 
fourteen  dwellings,  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  real  estate.  Has  four 
children  living — Harriet  (now  Mrs.  Fowler),  Hester  A.  (now  Mrs. 
Northcott),  Laura  A.  and  Inez  Frances. 

J.  W.  WIGHTMAN,  druggist,  Elroy,  was  born  in  New  London  Co., 
Conn.,  in  1S51,  wheie  he  lived  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  the 
family  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  at  \Verner,  Juneau  Co.,  at  which 
place  he  remained,  helping  his  father — who  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business— until  Jan.  i,  1S7S,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  which  he 
spent  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  attending  school.  At  which  time  he 
removed  to  Wonewoc,  where,  in  partnership  with  G.  W.  Bishop,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bishop  &  Wight- 
man,  continuing  the  same  until  November,  1879,  when  they  dissolved 
partnership,  and  the  following  May  Mr.  Wightman  came  to  Elroy, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  drug  trade.  He  is  a  Republican,  has 
served  two  terms  as  Superintendent  of  the  Schools  of  Juneau  County,  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Chapter. 
In  August,  1S7S,  he  was  married  to  Belle  Ager,  born  in  Sauk  Co.,  Wis. 
They  have  one  child,  Bessie,  born  Dec.  17,  1879. 

JOHN  WILCOX,  car  repairer,  Elroy,  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  1849.  Emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1863,  and  came  direct  to 
Wisconsin,  settling  first  at  Lavalie,  Sauk  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
farming  for  about  eight  years,  at  the  end  of  whicK  time  he  came  to  Elroy, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  repairing  cars  on  W.  Wis.  Div.  of  the 
C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  Feb.  i,  1874,  he  was  married  to  Miss  M.  E. 
Sprague,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  born  in  1855.  They  have 
one  child,  Ida,  born  Jan.  10,  1S76.  Is  a  Liberal  in  politics,  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

N.  B.  WILKINSON,  attorney,  Elroy,  is  a  native  of  Delaware. 
Born  Jan.  29,  1853  ;  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Pierce  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1865,  where  he  received  a  good  education,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
went  to  Michigan,  and  attended  the  State  University,  at  Ann  Arbor, 
graduating  in  the  law  department,  in  March,  1874.  He  then  returned 
to  Wisconsin,  and  attended  two  years  at  the  Stete  Univer.-ily  at  Madi- 
son, after  which  he  returned  to  Pierce  County,  and  practiced  law  at  River 
Falls  about  two  years,  when  he  came  to  Elroy,  where  we  still  find  him, 
pursuing  his  profession  in  May,  18S1,  in  partnership  with  D.  C. 
Talbot ;  purchased  the  Plain  Talker,  and  is  now  publishing  the  same. 
Is  a  Liberal  in  politics,  with  Democratic  principals,  a  member  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  and  the  I.  O.  G.  T.  Was  married,  in  1870,  to  Delia  Atwater, 
born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  1857.  They  have  three  children — 
J.,  Zillai  and  Norris. 

WONEWOC. 

George  Willard  was  the  first  settler  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Wonewoc  Village.  In  August,  1842,  in  company 
with  Don  Carlos  Barry  and  Alexander  Draper,  he  visited 
this  locality  and  explored  the  country. 

In  the  Winter  of  1S42-43,  Willard,  associated  with  J. 
Chrystie  and  Arch  Barker,  cut  a  logging  road  through  to 
Pine  Grove.  Part  of  them  worked  a  logging  camp  there, 
and  Willard  operated  a  camp  near  Rathburn's  mill.    During 


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c«i3: 


390 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  same  year,  they  rafted  the  logs  to  Sauk  City.  From  the 
Winter  of  1842-43,  Willard  ran  logging  camps  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Wonewoc,  and  in  1849  he  rolled  down  the  bluff  just 
back  of  the  residence  of  Hon.  T.  K.  Dunn  over  a  million 
feet  of  logs.  In  1851,  Mr.  Willard  cut  a  road  from  the 
State  road  in  Sauk  County  to  Wonewoc,  and  built  a  log 
house  on  the  place  now  owned  by  Samuel  Veeder,  in  Plum 
Valley.  In  the  Summer  of  this  year,  he  built  a  saw-mill  at 
Wonewoc,  and  also  a  frame  building,  now  known  as  the 
Rock  House,  and  moved  his  family  into  it.  Mrs.  Willard 
was  the  first  white  woman  who  came  to  this  vicinity.  Their 
son  Fred,  who  was  born  in  Wonewoc,  November  18,  1853, 
was  the  first  child  born  there.  In  1854,  Delando  Pratt 
came  to  Wonewoc,  purchased  a  water  power  from  Willard, 
and  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  village,  whereon  he  had 
the  site  platted.  At  that  time,  the  entire  ground  of  the 
plat  was  a  tangled  jungle  of  bushes,  trees  and  logs,  without 
a  house.  In  1855,  Pratt  purchased  additional  water 
power  from  Willard,  and  built  the  first  grist-mill.  Joel 
Bishop  arrived  in  1854.  He  built  the  first  hotel  —  a  por- 
tion of  the  Frazell  House  —  which  lie  sold  the  following 
year  to  J.  Clements.  Mr.  Clements  was  the  first  Postmas- 
ter;  he  received  his  commission  in  the  Summer  of  1856. 
The  office  was  kept  in  his  hotel,  and  Willard  carried  the 
mail  from  Reedsburg  twice  a  week  for  the  proceeds  of  the 
office.  John  Grant,  Sr.,  located  at  Willard 's  Prairie  in 
1851.  Abram  Tawney  on  the  ridge,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  village.  Messrs.  Fisher  and  Ganser  located 
at  Union  Centre  about  the  same  time.  When  the  town  was 
first  settled,  Plymouth,  Wonewoc,  Summit  and  Seven  Mile 
Creek  were  organized  into  one  town.  Then  Plymouth  and 
Wonewoc  were  consolidated,  and  in  1857,  Wonewoc  was 
organized  into  a  separate  township,  in  pursuance  to  an 
order  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Adams  County. 

The  first  election  for  town  officers  was  held  in  the  office 
of  Daniel  Schermerhorn,  then  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  after- 
ward County  Judge  of  Juneau  County.  From  that  time 
onward,  Wonewoc  steadily  increased  in  size  and  population. 
Hard  times  came  with  the  hop  decline  of  1868,  and  con- 
tinued until  the  opening  of  the  railroad,  in  1871.  Since 
then  it  has  improved  slowly,  hut  with  a  steady,  healthy 
growth. 

Thomas  Brown  and  Thomas  Riddle  made  the  first  claim 
and  settlement  in  the  town  of  Plymouth.  In  May,  D.  M. 
Fowler,  R.  A.  Fowler,  John  H.  Fowler  and  Daniel  Fowler 
made  claims  and  settled  in  the  same  neighborhood,  on 
what  is  now  known  as  Fowler's  Prairie.  In  1852,  a  public 
road  was  laid  out  from  Fowler's  Corners  to  the  Stewart 
settlement,  in  Lindina.  From  this  time  forward,  the  sec- 
tion settled  up  more  rapidly.  The  town  was  organized 
November  16,  1854.  In  1856,  J.  M.  Brintnall  built  a  saw- 
mill on  the  Baraboo  River,  at  the  east-  end  of  the  i)rairie, 
and  the  following  year,  removed  to  building  where  the 
post-office  was  located  ;  R.  A.  Fowler,  Postmaster. 

Wonewoc  is  a  thrifty  village,  nearly  surrounded  by  high 
bluffs,  situated  on  the  Madison  division  of  the  C.  &  N.  W. 
R.  R.,  in  the  southwestern  town  of  Juneau  County.     The 


Baraboo  River  runs  through  it,  which  furnishes  good  water 
power.  The  various  branches  of  business  are  well  repre- 
sented here,  the  most  important  of  which,  however,  is 

THE    CASE    WAGON    CO. 

This  factory  is  a  two-story  frame  building,  about  300X 
300  feet,  with  iron  roof,  situated  about  one  half  mile  south 
of  the  railroad  depot.  It  is  operated  by  steam  power,  and 
has  all  the  latest  improved  machinery  in  use  in  such  estab- 
lishments, both  in  the  woodworking  and  blacksmithing  de- 
partments. It  was  built  in  the  Winter  of  1877-78,  by  the 
Wonewoc  Manufacturing  Company,  and  operated  by  them 
until  their  failure,  in  February,  1880,  at  which  time  a  new 
company  was  organized,  known  as  the  Wonewoc  Wagon 
Company,  and  in  1881  it  was  incorporated  as  the  Case 
Wagon  Company  —  of  which  Nathan  Fisk  is  president; 
William  Case,  vice-president ;  R.  Fisk,  treasurer,  and  M. 
H.  Case,  secretary  —  all  of  whom  are  men  of  energy.  The 
business  is  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  last- 
named  officer,  who  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  careful, 
systematic  and  prudent  business  men  in  the  county.  The 
factory  furnishes  employment  for  about  seventy-five  men, 
and  during  the  year  1881  will  turn  out  about  3,000  wagons. 

Next  to  the  Case  Wagon  Company,  comes  the  flour-mill 
of  Cooper  &  Gary,  located  on  the  Baraboo  River.  It  has 
good  machinery,  and  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Cooper 
is  doing  a  fine  business. 

The  Bank  is  owned  by  P.  R.  Briggs  &  Son.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  the  Spring  of  1S81,  has  a  capital  of  $12,000,  and 
is  doing  a  general  banking  business  under  the  name  of  The 
Juneau  County  Bank. 

Another  important  manufacturing  interest  is  the  stave 
factory  of  S.  S.  Daun.  It  is  mostly  employed  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  tight  barrel  stock,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  of  its 
kind  in  the  State. 

There  are  two  churches  in  the  place,  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  and  German  Lutheran  Evangelical.  The  former 
was  built  in  1875,  has  a  good  membership  and  a  flourishing 
Sabbath  school.  Its  pulpit  is  a  present  supplied  by  Rev. 
H.  D.  Jencks.  The  latter  was  built  in  i88o.  Its  pastor  is 
Rev.  Christian  Sauer. 

The  Spiritualists  have  a  strong  society,  and  a  building 
of  their  own.  J.  T.  Potter  lectures  to  them  weekly  when 
at  home. 

Wonewoc  has  one  of  the  best  school  buildings  in  this 
section,  and  always  employs  a  good  corps  of  teachers.  F. 
W.  Lee  is  principal.  The  first  school  organized  was  held 
in  an  out-building  used  as  a  granary,  near  the  Rock  House, 
in  1854,  with  Elizabeth  Clements  as  teacher.  The  present 
school-house  was  built  in  1874.  Value  of  school  jiroperty, 
$5,000.  Number  of  children  of  school  age,  277.  Number 
of  children  attending  school,  225. 

The  secret  and  benevolent  societies  are  well  represented 
here.  Wonewoc  Lodge,  No.  184,  F.  &  A.  M.,  has  a  good 
membership,  and  is  constantly  adding  to  their  numbers. 

Wonewoc  Lodge,  No.  236,  and  Juneau  Encampment, 
No.  66,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  have  a  wide-awake  and  hard  working 
membership  in  both  branches. 


HISTORY  OF  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 


391 


Wonewoc  Lodge,  No.  64,  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  is  constant- 
ly increasing  its  membership,  and  as  several  thousand  dol- 
lars have  been  paid  to  families  of  deceased  brethren,  it  has 
the  entire  confidence  of  the  people. 

Harmony  Lodge,  No.  251,  of  the  I.  O.  G.  T.,  has  a 
good  membership,  is  a  flourishing  society  and  is  doing  a 
good  work. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

A.  B.  BOOR  MAN,  a  promising  young  man  born  on  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  Sept.  6.  1S62.  His  parents  lived  at  Castile.  N.  Y.,  about  six 
years,  when  they  moved  to  Homsville,  N.  Y.,  where  they  lived  about 
seven  years,  when  they  returned  to  Castile.  On  the  return  of  the  family 
to  Castile,  Mr.  Boorman,  then  thirteen  years  of  age,  was  engaged  in  a 
planing  mill,  where  he  spent  the  Summer,  and  attended  school  during 
the  Winter.  The  next  two  years  he  spent  in  school  and  in  the  employ 
of  the  "Castile  Water  Cure."  During  the  Winter  of  1879-80  he  was  in 
the  employ  of  the  N.  Y.  &  E.  R.  R.,  and  in  March,  i83o,  he  came  to 
Mauston,  Wis.,  at  which  place  his  parents  were  already  living.  The 
year  of  18S0  he  spent  working  in  the  mills  at  Mauston,  and  in  the  Spring 
of  1881  he  was  engaged  by  the  Case  Wagon  Company,  of  Wonewoc,  at 
which  place  he  is  now  working.  He  is  gaining  many  friends,  being  an 
honest  young  man,  with  good  habits. 

M.  H.  CASE,  manufacturer,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in  Waukesha 
County,  Sept.  2,  1S49.  I"  ^^^  Spring  of  1S57,  the  family  moved  to  Por- 
tage City,  Wis.,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  Mr.  Case  entered  the  railroad 
freight  office  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Minnesota  R.  R.,  now  known  as  the 
Northern  Division  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.,  where  he  had  entire 
charge  of  the  business  for  three  years,  his  father  being  freight  agent  at 
the  time.  He  then  clerked  in  the  store  of  N.  H.  Wood  &  Co.,  and  in 
January,  1S67,  he  entered  the  Commercial  College,  of  Portage  City, 
where  lie  graduated  in  March  of  the  same  year,  after  which  he  went  to 
Winona.  Minn.,  where  he  was  employed  as  book-keeper  and  cashier  in 
the  dry  goods  house  of  N.  H.  Wood,  and,  as  Mr.  Wood  was  absent  most 
of  the  time,  Mr.  Case  had  the  entire  management  of  the  business  for  one 
year.  In  March,  1868,  he  went  to  Mauston,  Wis.,  and  became  one  of 
the  partners  of  the  hardware  firm  of  S.  S.  Case  &  Son,  where  he  had  en- 
tire charge  of  the  business,  and  in  March,  1S80,  he  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest,  and  carried  on  the  business  alone  until  April,  1881,  when 
he  sold  to  J.  Marvin.  In  June,  1880,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
Wonewoc  Wagon  Company,  which  has  since  been  incorporated  as  the 
Case  Wagon  Company,  and  in  July  came  to  Wonewoc,  and  has  since 
taken  charge  of  the  office.  He  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Carrie  E.  Tem- 
ple, born  in  New  York,  in  1852.  They  have  four  children — Henry  C, 
M.  Louise,  M.  Eugene  and  Edwin  L.  Mr.  Case  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best 
business  men  in  the  Northwest. 

T.  K.  DUNN,  publisher  Wonewoc  A'^/o^fcr,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Groton,  Vt.,  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  December,  1836.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  commenced  teaching  school,  and  has  since  taught  eighteen  terms. 
He  attended  the  Caledonia  County  Grammar  School  seven  terms,  and  in 
August,  i860,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Prairie  Du  Sac,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  teaching  school  until  1870,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Wonewoc,  and  engaged  in  the  insurance,  real  estate  and  col- 
lection agency,  and  on  April  I,  1876,  went  into  partnership  with  George 
Schlosser;  started  the  W onev/oc  J^eforUr.  In  1877,  he  purchased  his 
partner's  interest,  and  edited  the  paper  alone  until  May,  1879,  when  he 
took  in  Lem  Reeves  as  a  partner  for  one  year,  since  which  time  Mr. 
Dunn  has  edited  and  published  the  Reporter  alone.  He  has  held  various 
local  offices  ;  has  been  Town  Clerk  eight  years,  and  Village  Clerk  two 
years  ;  Justice  of  the  Peace  eight  years,  and  was  elected  Assemblyman 
in  iSSl.  In  i860,  he  was  married  to  Julia  A.  Bennett,  born  in  Ver- 
mont, April  15,  1843.  They  have  six  children — Nettie,  Herbert  H. 
(who  is  now  editor  of  the  Mocking  Bird,  a  small  paper  published  in  the 
Reporter  office),  Willie,  Ivan  S.,  Charley  H.  and  Jennie  C. 

W.  H.  FILLER,  merchant,  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1850,  where  he 
received  a  common  school  education,  and  worked  at  farming  until  1875, 
when  he  came  to  Wonewoc.  Wis.,  and  clerked  in  the  store  of  J.  G.  Funk 
until  the  Fall  of  1S77,  when  J.G.  Funk  died,  and  Mr.  Filler,  in  partner- 
ship with  W.  H.  Funk,  purchased  the  stock,  and  have  since  carried  on  a 
general  mercantile  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Filler  &  Funk.  In 
June,  1S80,  Mr.  Filler  was  married  to  Sarah  Lawsha.  a  native  ol  Wis- 
consin.    He  is  a  Liberal  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

NATHAN  FISK,  manufacturer,  Wonewoc,  is  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers, as  well  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Wonewoc.  He  was 
born  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  in  1830.  In  1835,  the  family  moved  to 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  they  lived  about  twenty  years.  In  1853,  Mr.  Fisk 
was  married  to  Roda  Fuller,  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1834.  In  1855, 
he  concluded  to  try  the  Western  country,  and  accordingly  stalled  lor 
Wisconsin,  arriving  at  Wonewoc  in  July.  He  at  once  puichased  120 
acres  of  land,  to  which   he  has  since  been  adding,  so  that  he  now  owns 


about  1,500  acres.  Mr.  Fisk  is  president  of  the  Case  Wagon  Company, 
a  sketch  of  which  is  found  in  other  parts  of  the  book.  He  has  been 
Treasurer  of  Juneau  County  one  term,  and  is  a  Liberal  in  politics,  with 
Democratic  principles.  He  has  one  son,  Theodore,  who  is  married  and 
living  in  Wonewoc. 

R.  FISK,  merchant,  Wonewoc.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
in  the  State  of  Vermont,  in  1833,  and  in  1835  the  family  moved  to  Erie 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  about  twenty  years.  In  the  Spring  of  1855, 
Mr.  Fisk  was  married  to  Mary  Pierce  ;  she  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1S36.  Soon  after  their  marriage,  they  started  West,  via  the  lakes,  to 
Milwaukee  ;  thence  by  train,  arriving  at  Wonewoc,  July  5,  1855,  and 
immediately  purchased  200  acres  of  Government  land,  and  commenced 
farming,  which  business,  in  connection  with  hunting  and  trapping,  he 
followed  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  alter  which  he  worked  in  a  store,  hunt- 
ed and  trapped  until  1S76,  when  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business, 
which  he  is  still  following.  Mr.  Fisk  is  also  one  of  the  stockholders  of 
the  Case  Wagon  Company.  He  has  held  various  town  offices,  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  The  children 
living  are  Julius  B.,  Reuben  H.  and  James  W. 

JULIUS  B.  FRAZELL,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  old  residents 
of  Wonewoc.  born  in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S24,  and  was  a  resident  of 
that  State  until  1856,  during  the  latter  part  of  which  time  he  was  engaged 
in  trade  in  Chautauqua  County,  when  he  removed  to  Michigan,  and,  in 
the  Fall  of  1858,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Wonewoc,  engag- 
ing the  mercantile  business  until  after  the  "  hop  crash  "  of  1868,  after 
which  he  kept  the  Frazell  House  until  his  death,  Jan.  13.  1877.  Mr. 
Frazell  served  one  term  as  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  Juneau  County, 
under  the  County  Commissioner  system  ;  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Assembly  in  the  Fall  of  1862,  and,  during  the  session  of  1S63.  cast  the 
first  vote  Matt.  H.  Carpenter  ever  received  for  the  United  States  Senate. 
and,  although  difTeiing  from  Carpenter  in  politics,  was  a  strong  Carpen- 
ter man  during  the  Senatorial  contest  of  1875.  The  funeral  ceremonies 
were  held  on  Monday,  Jan.  15.  1877,  and,  although  a  stormy  day,  there 
was  a  large  attendance.  He  was  buried  with  the  impressive  ceremonies 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  order  he  was  for  a  long  time  a  member.  He 
left  a  wife  and  two  children,  Etta  and  Clinton.  Mrs.  Frazell  is  now 
keeping  the  Frazell  House,  whicli  is  the  leading  hotel  of  Wonewoc. 

W.  H.  FUNK,  merchant,  was  born  at  Ft.  Atkinson,  in  1S60,  and 
was  a  resident  of  said  place  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  W'onewoc  and 
attended  school  most  of  the  lime  for  about  two  years,  then  clerked  for 
his  brother.  J.  G.  Funk,  for  about  one  year,  after  which  he  attended 
school  part  of  the  time  and  helped  his  father,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
timber  business,  until  the  Fall  of  1877,  when,  in  partnership  W.  11 
Filler,  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  has  since  been  carry- 
ing on  the  same  under  the  firm  name  of  Filler  &  Funk.  Mr.  Funk  is  a 
promising  young  man,  having  a  good  start  in  life,  and  will  no  doubt  be 
a  success. 

W.  R.  HILL,  carpenter,  Wonewoc,  was  a  native  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  born  in  1835,  and,  in  1840,  went  with  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
living  near  Elgin  about  ten  years,  after  which  the  family  moved  into 
Michigan  and  remained  one  Winter,  and  in  the  Spring  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin, settling  first  in  Racine  County,  where  Mr.  Hill  received  an  academic 
education,  and,  in  the  Spring  of  1854,  came  to  Wonewoc,  built  the  Ju- 
neau County  House,  and,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  carried  on  a 
hotel  business.  He  then  sold  his  interest  and  followed  teaching  school 
and  carpenter  work  about  five  years,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in 
cabinet  business  until  1865,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  52d  Wis.  V.  I., 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war.  he  returned  to  his 
home  at  Wonewoc,  but  was  in  very  poor  health  for  three  or  four  years, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  cabinet  work.  In  September, 
1861,  he  was  married  to  Angelina  Rankin,  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They 
have  four  children  living  —  William  F.,  Lydia  .^.j  Oren  L.  and  Ellen. 
Mr.  Hill  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  has  been  Town  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  held  various  other  local  offices. 

C.  D.  HUFF,  retired  merchant,  Wonewoc.  The  subject  of  this 
.sketch  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Wonewoc.  He  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  Penn.,  on  the  2d  day  of  August.  1828.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  he  commenced  work  in  a  store,  which  he  followed  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he,  being  a  poor  boy,  concluded  he  had  better  learn 
a  trade,  and  accordingly  commenced  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed in  Philadelphia  until  1855,  when  he  concluded  to  see  some  of  the 
Western  country,  and  so  he  started  for  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  via  railroad  to 
Rock  Island,  thence  up  the  Mississippi  Kiver,  landing  at  St.  Paul,  May 
4  ;  but  as  there  were  already  too  many  mechanics  in  St.  Paul,  he  only 
remained  three  days,  when  he  descended  the  river  to  Galena,  and  started 
for  Madison.  Wis.,  as  he  had  been  told  that  was  a  good  point  for 
mechanics  ;  but  he  found  it  but  little  better  than  St.  Paul,  and  in  a  few 
days  he  met  a  man  who  advised  him  to  go  to  Baraboo,  to  which  place  he 
went  and  spent  the  Summer.  In  the  Fall,  he  came  to  Wonewoc  and 
built  the  first  frame  house  in  the  place,  he  being  the  first  carpenter  of 
Wonewoc.  Mr.  Huff  followed  his  trade  until  1S69.  when  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  which  he  followed  until  iSSo.  when  he  retired 
from  business.     Mr.  Huff  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  held  vari- 


392 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ous  town,  village  and  school  offices;  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  to 
which  order  he  has  belonged  since  1849.  In  1S51,  he  was  married  to 
Ella  Hufnal,  and  had  one  son,  William  H.,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  In  1853,  his  wife  died,  and,  in  1858,  he  married 
his  second  wife,  Helen  Starling,  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.Y.,in  1841. 
They  have  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  living,  Florence  Augusta 
and  Ruth  Devon. 


^^^^.^ 


JEFF.  T.  HEATH,  manufacturer,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in  Jefferson 
Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1839,  where  he  lived  with  his  parents,  receiving  a  good 
common-school  education,  in  connection  with  which  he  was  educated  as 
an  engineer  and  surveyor.  In  1S53,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  stopping  in 
Walworth  County  about  one  year,  after  which  became  to  Juneau  County, 
settling  at  New  Lisbon,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
ten  years.  He  then  came  to  Wonewoc  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
and  manufacturing  business,  and  is  still  following  the  same.  He  built 
the  Valley  saw-mill  in  1S73-4,  and  ran  thesame  until  1S79,  when  he  sold 
it  and  built  the  mill  at  Grossman,  which  he  is  still  running.  He  is  also 
interested  in  lumber,  produce  and  other  business,  dealing  extensively  in 
real  estate.  He  also  owns  a  stock  farm  of  500  acres,  and  other  small 
farms  and  timber  lands,  sc  that  his  real  estate  amounts  to  nearly  2,000 
acres.  Mr.  Heath  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  County  Surveyor 
and  is  at  present  President  of  the  Village  Board.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Chapter  and  Commandery.  In 
December,  186S,  he  was  married  to  Eva  Smith,  born  in  Ohio,  in  1S42. 
They  have  one  child,  Huberta,  born  Nov.  24,  1880. 

HIRAM  D.  JENCKS,  pastor  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Wone- 
woc. Is  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  born  in  Livingston  County, 
in  1826  ;  where  he  received  a  good  education,  and  in  1S51  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine,  under  Dr.  J.  H.  Way,  and  followed  the  same 
until  1854,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Dane  County,  where 
he  followed  farming  for  a  few  years.  But  as  he  worked  along  he  con- 
cluded that  farming  was  not  his  calling,  and  accordingly,  in  1S60,  he 
commenced  preaching,  and  in  1863,  entered  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Conference;  after  which  he  preached  three  years  at  Westfield,  Marquette 
Co.;  one  year  at  Strongs  Prairie,  Adams  Co.;  two  years  at  Oxford  and  Mon- 
ticello,  Marquette  Co.;  one  year  at  Poynette,  Columbia  Co.;  two  years 
at  Argyle,  La  Fayette  Co.;  two  years  at  Juda,  Monroe  Co.,  and  one  year 
at  Black  Earth,  Dane  Co.  He  was  then  in  the  Fall  of  1S74,  appointed 
by  Bishop  Ames,  as  State  Lecturer  and  Organizer  of  the  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance, which  appointment  he  held  for  about  one  year,  during  which 
time  he  organized  ninety  divisions,  receiving  the  congratulations  of  the 
press  and  people  wherever  he  went,  and  as  he  was  found  to  be  a  success, 
he  was  appointed  the  following  year,  by  Bishop  Wiley,  to  thesame  posil 
tion  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  where  he  lectured  one  year  with  grand  success. 
After  which  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  preached  two  years  at  De  Soto, 
Vernon  Co.;  then  two  years  at  Tunnel  City  and  LaGrange,  Monroe  Co., 
and  Oct.  I,  1880,  he  was  appointed  to  Wonewoc.  where  he  is  now  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  Jencks  is  an  eloquent  speaker, 
good  reasoner,  and  a  gentleman  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  He 
was  married  in  1847,  to  Ann  Mariah  Larash;  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in 


1S24.  They  have  four  children  living — Herbert  Duane,  born  Aug.  16,1850, 
and  is  now  practicing  medicine  at  Lake  Benton,  Minn.;  WalterCawasso, 
born  Oct.  7,  1852.  engaged  in  the  harness  and  saddlery  business  at 
Argyle,  Wis.;  Calvin  Judd,  born  Aug.  25.  1855,  is  employed  by  the  Case 
Wagon  Co..  of  Wonewoc  ;  Estella  May,  born  July  25.  l86i,and  is  living 
with  her  parents. 

JOHN  LAWSHA,  retired,  Wonewoc.  Is  a  native  of  New  Jersey; 
born  in  1820.  In  1840.  he  was  married  to  Lany  A.  Flickner  ;  bom  in 
New  Jersey,  in  i82l,and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1855.  became  to  Wis- 
consin and  settled  in  Sauk  County,  where  he  followed  farming  until  1865, 
when  he  gave  his  farm  to  his  two  sons,  who  had  just  returned  from  the 
war  ;  and  he  moved  into  the  village  of  Delton,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  In  1872,  when  he  came  to  Wonewoc  and  followed 
the  same  business  until  June,  1880,  when  he  sold  to  Mrs.  M.  A.  Huff, 
and  retired  from  business.  Mr.  Lawsha  is  a  Republican,  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  The  children  living  are— Jona- 
than  R.,  born  March  17,  1841  ;  George,  bom  Sept.  23,  1842  ;  Jacob, 
born  Jan.  19,  1844;  Hannah,  Oct.  3,  1S46;  Emma,  born  Aug.  i,  1849; 
Sarah,  born  Nov.  20,  1858,  and  John,  born,  Feb.  21,  1865. 

O.  F.  LEE,  merchant,  Wonewoc.  Was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.Y., 
Aug.  25,  1847.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age  the  family  came  west 
settled  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  lived  one  year;  they  then 
moved  to  Marshall,  Dane  Co.,.  where  Mr.  Lee  learned  the  harness'  trade. 
In  186S,  he  came  to  Wonewoc  and  followed  his  trade  most  of  the  time 
until  June,  iSBo,  when  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  A.  Meinhold. 
Mr.  Lee  owns  the  store  in  which  he  clerks,  and  other  real  estate  in 
Wonewoc.  He  is  a  Republican  ;  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M  ;  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  several  terms,  and  is  at  present  Village  Treasurer.  In  1872, 
he  was  married  to  Margaret  Wolfenden,  only  daughter  of  Joseph  Wolf- 
enden  ;  born  in  England,  May,  1S54.  They  have  two  children,  Bessie 
F.,  born  Feb.  15,  1S73,  and  RoUand,  bora  March  29,  1S75. 

J.  C.  McCUTCHEN,  station  and  express  agent,  Wonewoc.  Is  a 
native  of  Ohio;  born  in  Ashland  County,  in  1854.  In  1857,  the  family 
moved  to  El  Paso,  111.,  and  in  1S66,  Mr.  McCutchen  went  to  Chats- 
worth,  where  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  post-office  until  1874,  when 
he  went  to  New  Ulm,  Minn.,  and  entered  the  railroad  office,  where  he 
served  as  clerk  about  one  year;  then  at  Wa,seka  about  seven  months; 
after  which  he  went  to  Baraboo,  Wis.,  and  acted  as  time-keeper  at  the 
railroad  shops  for  two  years  ;  then  he  went  to  Elroy,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  cashier  for  the  C.  &  N.  W.  and  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.'s 
for  three  years,  after  which,  in  June,  iSSo,  he  came  to  Wonewoc.  and  has 
since  served  as  station  and  express  agent.  Mr.  McCutchen  takes  no  in- 
terest in  politics  more  than  to  perform  his  right  as  a  citizen.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  A.  O.U.  W.  At  Baraboo.  Wis., 
Dec.  19.  1879.  lis  ^^^  married  to  Ada  Hull,  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  in  1859. 

T.  E.  MATTESON,  merchant.  Wonewoc.  Is  a  native  of  Vermont. 
Born  in  1S24.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  1844.  when  he  went  to 
Boston,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  about  twelve 
years,  during  which  time,  in  1S4S,  he  was  married  to  Sarah  B.  Dudley, 
born  in  the  State  of  Maine,  in  1822.  In  1856.  Mr.  Matteson  started 
west,  arriving  at  Wonewoc  in  April,  and  at  once  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business,  and  is  still  foUowins;  the  same.  He  is  Postmaster  at  Wone- 
woc. which  office  he  has  held  since  1865.  Is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
The  children  are.  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Hampton,  and  Ulysses. 

DUANE  MO  WRY,  attorney,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  1S53,  and  in  1856  the  family  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  at 
Madison,  where  they  lived  until  1862,  when  they  moved  on  a  farm  south 
of  the  city,  and  in  1863,  moved  to  Windsor,  where  they  followed  farm- 
ing.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  Mr.  Mowry  commenced  teaching  school, 
which  he  followed  during  the  Winter  season  for  four  years,  attending 
school  at  the  University  of  Madison  during  the  Summer  seasons.  In 
September,  1874,  he  entered  the  Law  School  of  Madison,  where  he  grad- 
uated in  June,  1875.  In  1876,  he  went  to  Niellsville,  Clark  Co.,  where 
he  practiced  law  one  year;  then  he  went  to  Independence,  Iowa,  and 
followed  law  practice  until  Jan.  12,  1S78.  when  he  came  to  Wonewoc, 
and  formed  a  law  partnership  with  R.  A.  Wilkinson,  with  whrni  he 
practiced  until  August,  when  they  dissolved  partnership,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Mowry  has  been  practicing  alone.  He  is  also  agent  for  .several 
insurance  companies  ;  is  Court  Commissioner  of  Juneau  County,  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  Mason.  At  Independence, 
Iowa,  Feb.  24,  1880,  he  was  married  to  Josia  M.  En.sminger.  who  was 
born  in  Ohio.     They  have  one  child,  Don  E.,  born  Dec.  13,  18S0. 

ANTHONY  OLDFIELD,  farmer,  Sec.  6,  P.  O.  Elroy.  is  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Wonewoc  ;  was  born  in  Yorkshire.  England,  in  1S23. 
In  1853,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Brown,  born  in  Scotland  in  1831, 
and  in  1S56  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  came  direct  to  Wone- 
woc, purchased  land  and  commenced  farming.  In  1857,  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  Ig6  acres,  and  has  since  improved  one-half  of  the 
same.  .Mr.  Oldfield  has  been  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  several 
terms,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  The  children  are  :  Margaret, 
John  B.,  William,  Anthony  and  Jessie. 


HISTORY    OF    TACKSON    COUNTY. 


J.  L.  POTTER,  lecturer,  Wonewoc,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
born  in  1836,  where  he  received  a  good  common  school  education,  ard 
in  1854  commenced  lecturing  on  Spiritualism,  and  followed  the  same  in 
the  New  England  States  until  1S61,  when  he  came  West,  lecturing  in 
Iowa  until  1868,  since  which  time  he  has  been  following  his  profession 
in  Wisconsin,  living  at  W'onewoc  since  June,  1875.  He  takes  no  interest 
in  politics,  more  than  to  perform  his  right  as  a  citizen. 

JOHN  PRICE,  Jr.,  hardware  merchant,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in 
Wales,  in  1S48,  and  in  1849  the  family  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
and  came  direct  to  Portage  City,  Wis.,  where  they  lived  eight  years  ; 
they  then  moved  to  Mauston,  where  they  lived  two  years,  thence  to  New 
Lisbon.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  Mr.  Price  commenced  teaching  school, 
which  he  followed  until  1S68,  when  he  entered  the  Wayland  University, 
of  Beaver  Dam,  W^is.,  where  he  remained  eleven  terms,  when  he  gradu- 
ated and  returned  to  Juneau  County,  and  again  followed  teaching  until 
August,  1S74,  when  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  with  his  brother 
Richard,  under  the  firm  name  of  Price  Bros.,  and  is  still  carrying  on  the 
same.  -Mr.  Price  has  been  Deputy  Sherifi"  two  terms.  Supervisor  of  Vil- 
lage two  terms,  and  is  at  present  Secretary  of  the  High  School  at  Wone- 
woc. He  is  a  Republican  and  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Chapter.  In 
December,  1S73.  he  was  married  to  Hattie  A.  Babcock,  born  in  LaFay- 
ette  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  28,  1851.  They  have  one  child,  Clinton  G.,  born 
Jan.  3.  1875. 

J.  E.  SMITH,  M.  D.,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in  Washington,  Ohio,  in 
184S.  A'  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine, 
reading  with  Dr.  H.  T.  Grierfor  four  years,  during  which  time,  in  the 
Winter  of  1867-S,  he  attended  the  Medical  College  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
During  the  Winter  of  1S69-70,  he  attended  lectures  at  the  Ohio  Medical 
College  of  Cincinnati,  where  he  graduated,  March  i,  1870,  being  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age  at  that  time.  After  leaving  college,  he  returned 
to  Washington,  Ohio,  where  he  practiced  medicine,  carrying  on  a  drug 
business  at  the  same  time,  for  six  years,  when,  in  September,  1876.  he 
came  to  Wonewoc,  where  he  is  now  following  his  profession.  Dr.  Smith 
is  a  Democrat,  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  a  Mason.  On  the 
eighteenth  day  of  October,  i87l,he  was  married  to  Mary  H.  Michener, 
born  in  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio,  June  3.  1S51.  They  have  five  children — 
Charles  M.,  Frank  D.,  Bessie  Lee,  Mary  S.  and  Blanche. 

R.  A.  WILKINSON,  attorney,  Wonewoc,  was  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  in  1847;  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in 
1857,  and  came  direct  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Sauk  County.  When  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  in  1867,  he  was 
married  to  Mary  Jane  Lycan.  She  was  born  in  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1848. 
They  moved  to  Mauston,  Juneau  Co.,  in  1869,  where  Mr.  W.  followed 
the  practice  of  law  until  1877,  when  he  came  to  Wonewoc,  and  is  now 
dealing  in  general  produce,  agricultural  implements,  etc.  He  is  also 
proprietor  of  the  Juneau  House.  Mr.  Wilkinson  has  held  various  local 
offices,  has  been  District  Attorney  two  terms,  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board  one  term,  a  member  of  the  same  two  terms,  and  is  at  present 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  and  President  of  the  village  of  Wone- 
woc. He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  1.  O.  O.  F. 
The  children  are    Clarence  R.,  Samuel,  Claud  and  Mattie. 

GEORGE  WILLARD,  liveryman,  Wonewoc,  is  the  oldest  settler 
of  Wonewoc,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  at  Burlington  in  the  year  1S20. 
Moved  into  the  State  of  Michigan  in  the  year  1837,  stopping  at  Allegan 
one  year.  Then  in  the  Fall  of  1S38,  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  lived 
about  three  years.  He  then  came  into  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  living  in 
Kenosha  County  about  eighteen  months,  when  he  returned  to  Chicago 
and  spent  the  Winter,  and  the  following  Spring  came  to  Baraboo,  Sauk 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  lived  about  nine  years,  during  which  time,  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother  Edmund,  he  built  the  second  saw  mill  located 
on  the  Baraboo  River,  and  as  there  were  no  railroads  in  Wisconsin  at 
that  time,  he  hauled  the  iron  from  Chicago  with  teams,  a  distance  of  175 
miles.  In  1851,  as  they  were  getting  all  their  logs  from  up  the  river, 
they  concluded  to  build  a  mill  nearer  the  forest,  and  accordingly  came 
to  Wonewoc,  built  a  saw  mill,  and  with  the  exception  of  J.  T.  Clement, 
who  was  their  millwright,  were  the  only  settlers  of  the  place  for  two 
years.  In  1855,  the  mill  was  destroved  by  fire,  but  they  rebuilt  it,  and 
in  1858  sold  the  same,  after  which,  for  about  twelve  years,  Mr.  Willard 
followed  various  occupations,  took  a  trip  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
other  places  of  note.  In  iS6g,  he  moved  to  Mauston,  rented  an  elevator, 
and  dealt  in  general  produce  for  three  years,  when  he  returned  to 
Wonewoc,  living  on  his  farm  two  years  ;  then  he  moved  into  the  village, 
dealing  in  wood  for  the  railroad  company  about  two  years,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business,  which  he  is  still  following.  In  December, 
1847,  he  was  married  to  Lucinda  Washburn.  They  have  seven  children 
— Lucretia,  Harriet  E.,  Frederick,  Emma,  G.  M.,  Edwin  A.  and 
Chester  A. 

UNION    CENTER. 

This  thrifty  station,  located  on  Sections  16  and  21,  in 
the  town  of  Wonewoc,  is  two  miles  north  and  west  of  the 
village  of  Wonewoc.      Its  numerous  business  houses  and 


prominent  residents  are  represented  by  the  following  biog- 
raphical sketches  : 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  BARNEY,  manufacturer.  Union  Center,  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  N.  Y.,  in  May,  1852.  When  six  years  of  age,  the  family 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  stopped  at  Ripon  about  six  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  they  came  to  Juneau  County,  and  settled  at  Wonewoc, 
where  he  lived  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  they  went  to  Mauston, 
where  he  finished  his  education  and  worked  in  a  store  two  years ;  then 
ran  a  peddling  wagon  one  season  ;  then  worked  on  a  farm  one  season. 
He  next  spent  one  year  traveling  over  some  of  the  western  country,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  followed  logging  near  Wonewoc  a 
short  time  ;  then  burned  lime  two  years;  and  Feb.  22,  1877,  he  was 
married  to  Hattie  A.  Sweet,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Juneau 
County,  July  12,  i36o.  Tliey  have  one  child  living,  Ernest  Waldo,  born 
May  4,  iSSo.  He  then  followed  teaming  at  Wonewoc  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  saw  mill  of  which  he  is  now 
sole  proprietor,  and  is  doing  a  business  of  about  $7,000  a  year. 

M.  M.  CORSAW,  dealer  in  produce.  Union  Center,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  June,  1832.  In  1 844,  the  family  emigr-ted  to  Wiscon- 
sin, settling  in  the  town  of  Exeter,  Green  Co.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
Mr.  Corsaw  went  into  Dane  County,  and  worked  at  his  trade  as  carpenter 
and  joiner  for  about  seven  years,  during  which  time  he  became  a  firm 
believer  in  Spiritualism,  and  performed  some  wonderful  feats  as  a 
medium.  But  at  present  does  not  believe  in  spirits,  attributing  his  feats 
more  to  electricity.  He  then  came  to  Richland  Center,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  for  two  years,  when,  on  account  of  his  wife's  sickness,  he 
returned  to  Dane  County,  in  order  to  employ  their  family  physician,  Dr. 
Fox.  After  remaining  in  Dane  County  about  two  years,  he  went  to 
Vernon  County,  and  followed  farming  as  an  occupation  for  aliout  sixteen 
years,  when  he  sold  his  farm,  and  in  1873  came  to  Union  Center,  and 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  followed  with  .success  until 
March  19,  18S1,  when  he  sold  his  store,  and  is  now  dealing  in  general 
produce,  also  hoop  poles,  handling  about  $12,000  per  year  of  the  latter. 
Has  held  various  local  offices,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  a  Mason.  He  has  been  married  three  times:  in  1S55, 
to  Harriet  Johnson,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  died  in  August, 
1S57,  leaving  one  child,  Lillian,  now  living  near  Milwaukee  ;  Aug.  29, 
1859,  to  Martha  Custer,  born  in  Ohio,  and  died  August,  1S70,  leaving 
three  children  —  P.  Earl,  Chas.  W.  and  Lester  E.,  all  living  at  home  ; 
Aug.  21. 1872,  to  Mary  Barge,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  have  one  child, 
Carrie  M.,  Ijorn  June  18,  1879.  Mr.  Corsaw  enlisted  in  the  43d  Wis. 
Vols.,  in  1864,  and  served  until  June,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged  on 
account  of  disability  occasioned  by  a  tumor  on  the  liver. 

F.  L.  DAVIS,  station  and  express  agent,  Union  Center,  was  born 
in  Cattaraugus  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1848,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years, 
started  out  to  battle  with  the  world.  Coming  to  Wisconsin,  he  stopped 
in  Adams  County  about  six  months,  and  then  went  to  Vernon  County, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  about  six  years,  after  which 
he  attended  school  at  Jefferson  one  year,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
station  and  express  agent  at  Union  Center.  He  owns  a  fine  lot,  on 
which  he  is  building  one  of  the  best  two-story  houses  in  the  village. 
July  15,  1876,  he  was  married  to  Laura  Abbott,  a  native  of  Wisconsin, 
born  in  Vernon  County  in  1857.  They  have  two  children,  Leora  May 
and  an  infant  boy.  He  is  Republican.  Has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
two  years,  and  is  at  present  Notary  Public. 

JOB  N.  GRANT,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  O.  Union  Center,  is  one  of  the 
early  settlers  and  prominent  men  of  Juneau  County.  He  is  a  native  of 
England,  born  in  1832.  When  eight  years  of  age,  he  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  lived  in  the  State  of  New  York 
until  1850,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education  and  worked 
at  farming.  He  then  came  to  Wisconsin  ;  stopped  in  Jefferson  County 
one  Summer,  after  which  he  came  to  what  is  now  Juneau  County,  and 
in  1851  settled  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives.  In  the  Fall  of  1852, 
Ije  cut  the  road  from  his  place  to  Wonewoc,  and  also  helped  open  the 
road  to  Mauston,  over  which  he  drove  the  first  team.  In  March.  1853, 
he  went  to  California  and  remained  six  years  and  three  months,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  teaming,  and  cleared  just  one  dollar 
above  expenses  during  the  entire  time.  lie  then  returned  to  Wisconsin 
and  purchased  160  acres  of  his  present  farm,  but  he  now  owns  240,  much 
of  which  is  well  improved  and  has  good  buildings.  Nov.  17,  1S63,  he 
was  drafted  into  the  army  but  paid  $300  for  a  substitute.  Is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Assembly  one  term  and 
held  various  local  offices.  Was  married  in  1859,  to  Julia  N.  Huff,  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1840.  They  have  five  children — William  R., 
Mary  E.,  B.  H.,  Phcebe  L.  and  Charles  N. 

REV.  FATHER  GEORGE  KELLER,  Catholic  priest.  Union 
Center,  is  a  native  of  Europe,  born  in  Alsace  in  the  year  of  1S23,  where 
he  was  well  educated  in  French.  Emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1854,  and  went  direct  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  he  was  ordained  as 
priest,  and  in  1857  built  the  first  German  church  in  St.  Paul.  In  1858, 
he  went  to  Faribault,  where  he  had  charge  of  several  counties  until 


394 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1869.  He  then  went  to  Duluth,  where  he  remained  until  1873,  after 
which  he  came  to  the  La  Crosse  Diocese  and  was  located  at  Eau  Claire, 
Eagle  Point,  Menomonie,  Durand  and  El  Paso,  until  the  Fall  of  1876, 
when  he  went  to  Prairie  du  Chien  and  remained  about  six  months,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  .it  Elroy,  Union  Center,  Greenwood  and  Wood- 
land. Rev.  Keller's  principal  business  is  to  build  churches,  which  he 
has  done  at  nearly  all  places  where  he  has  been  located.  He  is  a  very 
pleasant,  sociable  gentleman,  liked  by  all  who  know  him. 

R.  G.  KINGSLEY,  merchant,  Union  Center,  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  in  1S53.  In  1S56,  the  family  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  set- 
tled first  in  Monroe,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  commenced  railroading  as  telegraph  operator  and 
station  agent  on  the  W.  W.  R.  R.  now  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.  and 
followed  the  same  about  seven  years,  being  slationed  at  St.  Paul  during 
the  last  four  years,  after  which,  in  the  Fall  of  1876,  he  went  to  Tomah 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  about  fifteen  months.  He  then 
went  to  Norvvalk  and  followed  the  same  business  at  that  place  until  the 
Fall  of  iSSo.  when  he  came  to  Union  Center  and  has  since  carried  on  a 
general  mercantile  business.  June  9,  1879,  he  was  married  to  Maggie 
M.  Moore,  a  native  of  Canada.  They  have  one  child,  Mabel  Louise, 
born  Feb.  22.  lS8i.     Politics,  Republican. 

H.  SCHUENEMAN.  hotel-keeper.  Union  Center,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, in  1840;  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1864,  settling  first  at 
Watertown,  Wis.,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  machine  shops  of  the 
C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  for  two  years,  when  he  came  to  Juneau  County, 
engaging  in  hotel-keeping  for  two  years  and  saluon  business  for  nearly 
five  years  at  N'ew  Lisbon,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Union  Center  ; 
built  the  Union  Center  Hotel  and  has  since  been  keeping  the  same. 
June  12.  1S73.  he  was  married  to  Margaret  Aegerter,  born  in  Ft.  Atkin- 
son. Wis.  They  have  one  child,  Louisa.  Mr.  S.  is  a  Democrat  in  pol- 
itics, a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  a  Mason. 

CH.-VRLES  SLEEPER,  manufacturer.  Union  Center,  was  born  in 
Vermont  in  1S33,  and  in  1837  the  family  moved  to  Erie  Co.,  N.Y.,  where 
he  received  a  common  school  education  ;  learned  the  wagon-maker's 
trade,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  concluded  to  see  some  of  the  country, 
and  accordingly  traveled  over  a  great  part  of  the  United  States  for  about 
five  years,  working  at  his  trade  in  different  localities,  after  which,  in 
1S60,  he  was  married  to  Julia  Peterson,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in 
Dane  County,  in  1S34,  and  lived  in  Illinois  until  1S64,  when  he  moved 
into  Wisconsin,  settling  first  in  Green  County,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
farming  about  one  year,  when  his  wife  died,  leaving  two  children,  Mil- 
dred and  Ira.  He  then  sold  his  farm  and  was  traveling  around  in  dif- 
ferent localities  until  January,  1876,  when  he  was  married  to  Mary  E. 
Jackson,  born  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  in  July,  1851,  and  engaged  in' the 
manufacture  of  staves  at  Lavall,  Sauk  Co.,  which  business  he  followed 
about  three  years,  when  he  sold  his  interest  and  acted  as  m.nchinist  for 
the  Wonewoc  Manufacturing  Co.  about  eighteen  months,  putting  up  all 
their  machinery  and  making  all  their  patterns  and  teaching  their  men 
how  to  build  wagons  by  machinery,  after  which  he  was  foreman  of  the 
factory  until  the  company  failed  and  changed  hands.  He  then,  in  May, 
1S80.  purchased  the  Forbs  &  Thompson  mill  property,  which  he  has 
greatly  improved,  and  is  now  running  the  same.  Is  a  Democrat,  but 
takes  little  interest  in  politics  except  to  perform  his  rights  as  a  citizen. 

GERMANTOWN. 

(iermantown  is  a  small  village,  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Wisconsin  and  Yellow  rivers.  The  important  in- 
dustries, are  the  mills  of  Messrs  J.  Arnold  and  McQueen, 
Davis  &  Co.  The  former  manufacture  annually,  5,000,000 
feet  of  lumber  and  the  latter,  7,000,000.  Outside  of  the 
supply  stores  connected  v^ith  the  mills,  there  is  the  usual 


representation  of  business.  The  lumber  manufactured  is 
run  down  the  Wisconsin  River  to  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
which  furnishes  a  market.  The  village  has  a  graded  school 
and  Masonic  lodge,  also  a  Lodge  of  Good  Templars.  The 
only  religious  institution  in  the  village  is  a  mission  of  the 
Methodist  Church. 

WERNER. 

In  the  Winter  of  i84g-5o,  John  Werner  sold  out  his  in- 
terest in  the  firm  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.,  at  Necedah,  and,  in 
1856,  located  at  the  present  village  of  Werner,  in  German- 
town,  and  subsequently  became  its  original  proprietor. 
The  first  settlement  made  in  the  village  of  Germantown 
was  in  1848,  by  Uriah  Hill  and  Usal  V.  Jeffreys,  for  T. 
Weston  &  Co.  The  shanties  and  other  improveinents  were 
situated  on  the  present  site  of  that  village.  In  1851,  Messrs. 
Weston  &  Co.  sold  all  that  part  of  their  claim  to  Walter  B. 
Gage  and  Jacob  Gundlach.  The  land  was  purchased  from 
the  Government  in  the  Fall  of  1S52,  and  subsequently 
Messrs.  Gage  and  Gundlach  laid  out  and  platted  the  village 
of  Germantown.  In  1856,  Messrs.  William  &  D.  R.  W. 
Williams  purchased  an  interest  from  Mr.  Werner,  and 
erected  a  saw-mill  at  that  place.  This  property  has  changed 
hands  several  times,  and  is  now  owned  by  McQueen,  Davis 
&  Co.  In  1859,  Mr.  Werner  built  another  saw-mill  a  short 
distance  below  the  village,  and  in  i860,  sold  it  to  its  present 
proprietor,  Mr.  J.  Arnold.  Michael  Banfield  and  Frank 
Canfield  made  the  first  settlement  in  the  town  of  .Armenia, 
near  Cranberry  Creek,  on  the  road  leading  from  Necedah 
up  the  river. 

B10GR.\PHICAI.    SKETCHES. 

E.  R.  McQUEEN,  manufacturer,  Werner,  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.. 
N.Y.,  in  1S24.  Received  a  common  school  education  and  followed  lum- 
bering in  said  county  until  1S61,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  first  settled  at  'Necedah,  where  he  acted  as  foreman  of  the  mill 
now  owned  by  J.  W.  Bradford  &  Son  until  April,  1S70.  He  then  went 
in  partnership  with  L.  F.  Davis  and  John  G.  Wightman,  purchased  the 
mill  property  at  Werner,  and  the  business  has  since  been  carried  on 
under  the  firm  name  of  McQueen,  Davis  &  Co.  The  firm  employs  on 
an  average  about  100  men,  and  manufactures  about  10,000,000  feet  of 
lumber  annually.  Mr.  McQueen  has  been  twice  married — in  1859.  to 
Elizal)eth  Hurd,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  She  died  at  Necedah,  Wis., 
in  1S63,  leaving  two  children,  .'Monzo  W.  and  Elizabeth,  both  living  in 
Allegany  Co.,  N.Y.  In  the  Fall  of  1S6S,  he  married  Abba  Haxton,  a 
native  of  Rhode  Island.     They  have  two  children,  Henry  and  Mabel. 

JOHN  G.  WIGHTMAN,  Mauston,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Ma  ch 
2,  1848;  was  a  resident  of  the  State  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
came  to  Werner  and  worked  for  the  firm  of  E.  D.  Wightman  &  Co. 
until  1S70,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Mc- 
Queen, Davis  cS;  Co.  He  was  married  in  the  Spring  of  1880  to  Miss  Nel- 
he  E.  Goodrich,  then  of  Werner,  but  formerly  of  Chicago, 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


JACKSON     COUNTY 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

This  county  is  in  the  western  part  of  the  State,  in 
the  second  tier  of  counties  from  the  Mississippi  Rrver, 
and  about  the  center  of  that  portion  bounded  by  the 
same  stream. 

The  surface  presents  great  diversity  being  divided 
by  numerous  ridges  into  high  and  low  lands.  The  soil 
in  the  central  and  eastern  portion  is  a  sandy  loam,  in- 
terspersed with  numerous  swamps  adapted  to  ha}'  grow- 
ing, where  also  are  found  extensive  cranberry  marshes. 
The  soil  of  Trempealeau  Valley  is  especially  rich  and 
the  home  of  many  of  the  wealthiest  farmers  in  the 
county. 

The  entire  region  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water, 
while  numerous  streams  furnish  complete  drainage ; 
the  Black  River  and  its  tributaries  draining  the  east- 
ern and  southern  parts,  Trempealeau  and  its  affluents 
the  western  and  northern  districts ;  Black,  Trempea- 
leau, Beaver  and  Beef  rivers  each  having  its  course 
through  the  valley  lands  and  each  separated  from  its 
neighbor  by  a  series  of  ridges,  forming  divides,  four  in 
number,  which  are  tillable  only  to  a  certain  extent. 
The  county  is  about  equally  divided  into  land  suscepti- 
ble of  the  usual  culti\ation,  that  adapted  to  hay  grow- 
ing and  cranberrv  culture,  and  a  portion  that  is  a  sand 
bed. 

The  first  is  productive  of  all  the  cereals  of  the  lati- 
tude, especially  wheat,  with  quantities  of  rye,  oats, 
barley,  hops  and  potatoes.  Grasses  grow  luxuriantly, 
while  clover,  wild  and  tame  Iiay  return  large  crops. 
Apple,  peach  and  pear  do  not  flourish  in  this  region, 
but  small  fruits  and  vegetables  grow  in  abundance.  In 
later  years  the  finer  breeds  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs, 
have  been  introduced  into  the  county,  and  considerable 
interest  has  arisen  in  that  direction.  All  kinds  of  game 
is  found,  and  wolves  are  occasionally  captured,  where- 
by sheep-folds  are  less  liable  to  be  visited  by  these 
mutton-loving  animals,  and  premiums  are  secured  for 
the  scalps  of  the  carniverous  beasts. 

Railroad  facilities  are  good,  there  being  the  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  completed  in  1869,  which  en- 
ters the  county  on  the  third  townsliip  west  of  the  south- 
east corner  and  departs  from  the  second  east  of  the 
northwest  corner,  crossing  the  county  diagonally,  with 
a  branch  line  completed  to  Neillsville,  in  Clark  County, 
during  July,  1881,  and  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota, 
finished  in  1874.  It  enters  centrally  on  the  east,  and 
describing  a  curve  two  miles  to  the  north,  enters  the 
Trempealeau  Valley  ;  passing  thence  southwest  it  de- 
parts at  a  central  point  on  the  western  limit.  The 
junction  of  the  two  roads  is  at  Merrillan. 

Tlie  only  one  of  the  Lower  Silurian  formations  oc- 
curring in  Jackson  County  is  the  Potsdam  sandstone, 
which  forms  the  basement  rock  of  the  southern  por- 
tion, the  Archaean  rocks  rising  to  the  surface  in  the 


northern  portion,  and  the  bed  of  Black  River.  The 
peculiar  irregularities  of  the  line  of  junction  between 
the  two  formation,  the  extension  southward  along  the 
stream  valleys  of  long  strips  of  crystalline  rocks,  the 
corresponding  northward  extension,  along  tlie  divides 
of  the  sandstone  and  the  difficulties  met  witli  in  trac- 
ing the  boundary  are  very  apparent. 

The  larger  portion  of  the  sandstone  area  in  eastern 
Jackson  County  is  within  the  region  of  heavy  timber, 
chiefly  pine.  In  the  western  part  small  pines  mingle 
with  the  small  oaks  that  are  characteristic  of  nearly 
all  of  central  Wisconsin,  the  growth  of  timber  in 
nearly  all  of  these  portions  being  scant  and  small  and 
associated  with  a  loose  sandy  soil.  On  the  i.orthern 
part  of  the  divide  between  Yellow  and  Black  rivers, 
however,  the  sandstone  is  deeply  buried  beneath  clay 
drift,  as  a  result  of  which  excellent  clay  soils,  and  a 
heavy  growth  of  hard  wood  timber  are  to  be  found. 

Usually  the  sandstone  of  Jackson  County  is  but  a 
thin  covering  upon  the  crystalline  rocks,  which  appear 
in  all  of  the  deeper  stream  valleys.  High  bluffs  of  llie 
sandstone,  however,  occur,  carrying  its  thickness  up 
in  to  the  hundreds  of  feet,  and  bearing  witness  to  the 
great  thickness  which  once  must  have  existed. 

Along  Black  River,  from  Neillsville  to  Black  River 
Falls,  sandstone  is  quite  frequently  exposed  in  or  near 
the  banks  of  the  river,  the  bed  of  which  is  on  the  crj^s- 
talline  rocks. 

On  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  3,  Township 
24,  Range  2  west,  west  of  the  river,  is  a  sandstone 
outlier  175  feet  high,  and  about  one-third  of  a  mile  in 
length,  the  upper  portions  of  which  are  perpendicular 
ledges  of  bare  rock.  The  sandstone  is  heavily  bedded, 
indurated,  coarse  grained  and  light  colored.  From  the 
summit  of  the  bluff  a  number  of  other  similar  outliers 
can  be  seen,  dotting  the  country  to  the  west  and  south 
and  one  or  two  to  the  north. 

At  Black  River  Falls,  the  crystalline  rocks  are 
largely  exposed,  the  river  passing  through  a  gorge  in 
the  gneiss  and  granite.  The  ground  rises  rapidly  from 
the  river  on  both  sides,  especially  the  western,  and  on 
both  sides  the  granite  and  gneiss  are  overlaid  by  sand- 
stone. At  the  top  of  the  hill  on  which  the  High 
School  building  stands,  wells  pass  through  eighty  feet 
of  sand  and  gravel  into  sandstone. 

Opposite  Ledyard's  old  mill  in  the  bend  of  the  river 
below  the  village,  twenty-five  feet  of  sandstone  over- 
lie the  gneiss.  The  sandstone  here  is  the  usuall}^ coarse 
crumbly  rock  and  includes  layers  of  greenish  and  red- 
dish shale,  the  lowest  layer  being  a  fine  conglomerate 
eight  inches  in  thickness. 

Near  the  railway  depot  on  the  west  side  of  the  river 
is  a  quarry  in  the  sandstone  layers  belonging  just  above 
those  exposed  at  the  mill.  The  quarry  face  is  fifteen 
feet  high  and  traversed  by  strong  vertical  joints.     The 


39^ 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


stone  is  heavily  bedded,  much  indurated,  of  a  light 
color,  and  composed  of  alternating  very  coarse  and 
finer  grained  layers,  all  being  composed  of  rolled  grains 
of  glassy  quartz.  Some  of  the  layers  show  cross-lam- 
ination. 

About  a  mile  southeast  of  the  depot  is  a  very  bold 
sandstone  outlier,  rising  about  'loO  feet  above  its  base. 
In  the  lower  slopes  the  sandstone  is  mostly  concealed. 
Above  is  a  perpendicular,  jagged  crest,  over  100  feet 
high,  tlie  prevailing  rock,  on  which  is  a  white  to  buff- 
colored,  fine  grained,  firm  sandstone,  composed  of  sub- 
angular  to  rounded  quartz  grains,  and  containing  near 
the  top  numerous  iron  stained  impressions  of  obolella 
polita,  but  no  sliells. 

About  one  mile  west  of  Black  River  Falls,  on  the 
road  westward  to  the  Trempealeau  Valley,  is  an  ex- 
posure of  thin  bedded,  coarse,  brownish,  crumbling 
sandstone,  with  numerous  white  fragments  of  shells, 
which,  in  some  of  the  layers,  make  up  most  of  the 
rocks.  The  outcrop  appears  to  be  130  to  150  feet  be- 
low the  obolella  sandstone  of  the  bluff  near  the  depot. 

In  the  various  exposures  in  the  vicinity  of  Black 
River  Falls  we  have  a  total  thickness  of  sandstone  of 
about  350  feet,  with  two  fossil  horizons  made  up,  one 
•200  and  the  other  300  feet  above  the  gneiss  base  upon 
which  the  pile  rests,  and  both  showing  obolella  polita. 

On  the  west  side  of  Trempealeau  Valley,  in  Jack- 
son County,  is  a  peculiar  isolated  bluff,  known  as 
"  Silver  Bluff."  At  the  east  end  the  bluff  is  165  feet 
high,  the  lower  slopes  being  covered  witli  a  talus  from 
the  ledo-es  above.  Near  the  summit  is  exposed  a  hori- 
zontally and  very  plainly  bedded,  hard,  white  quartzite 
which  rings  like  steel  when  struck  with  the  hammer. 
The  layers  are  alternately  thin  and  thick,  and  brown- 
ish weathered,  and  include  interstratified  layers  of 
variable  sandstone.  The  quartzite  shows  distinctly 
lines  of  lamination,  and  has  a  very  plain  granular  text- 
ure, being  composed  of  grains  of  vitreous  quartz  which 
appear  as  if  fused  together,  and  is  quite  translucent. 
Following  the  bluff  along  the  brow  of  its  southwest 
face,  the  quartzite  layers  are  seen  to  continue  for  about 
a  third  of  a  mile,  when  a  sudden  rise  in  the  bluff  of 
eighty  feet  exposes  thin  bedded,  firm,  dark  reddish 
brown,  highly  feriuginous  sandstone,  of  a  medium 
grain,  and  composed  of  rounded  grains  of  glassy 
quartz,  which  are  stained,  both  externally  and  inter- 
nally, by  iron  oxide.  On  the  north  flank  of  the  hill, 
at  the  same  elevation  as  the  quartzite  on  the  opposite 
side,  an  eight-inch  layer  of  hard  white  quartzite  is  seen 
between  heavy  beds  of  white  or  variable  sandstone. 

INDIAN  OCCUPATION. 
The  larger  portion  of  Jackson  County  was  origi- 
nally the  home  of  the  Wiunebagoes.  Like  most  other 
Indians,  but  little  is  known  of  their  origin  and  history. 
They  are  supposed  to  liave  come  from  somewhere  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  and  during  their  progress  eastward, 
encountered  hostile  tril)es,  with  whom  they  engaged 
in  war  until  their  numbers  were  reduced  to  less  than 
2,000.  In  1839,  they  were  visited  by  Nicollet,  on  the 
shores  of  Green  Bay.  They  afterward  occupied  the 
country  about  Winnebago  Lake,  the  Wisconsin  and 
Black  rivers.  In  1832,  a  small  portion  of  them  par- 
ticipated in  the  Black  Hawk  war.     In  1848,  they  were 


removed  to  Minnesota,  from  Iowa,  but  afterward  be 
came  possessed  of  a  reservation  in  Blue  Earth  County, 
Minn.,  soutli  of  Mankato.  They  were  well  satisfied 
there,  and  made  considerable  improvement,  but  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  whites,  in  1862,  by  the  Sioux,  put  a  veto 
upon  their  progress.  About  this  time,  tlie  antipatliy 
and  indignation  of  the  whites  against  all  Indians, 
caused  the  Government  to  repossess  itself  of  lands,  and 
remove  them  to  Crow  Creek,  in  Dakota. 

In  1872,  a  memorial  was  presented  to  the  Wiscon- 
sin Legislature,  asking  for  the  removal  of  Indians  re- 
maining in  Wisconsin  to  their  reservation.  Congress 
made  two  appropriations,  aggregating  $86,000,  for  that 
purpose,  and  the  largest  proportion  were  removed  in 
1874.  About  200  still  remain  in  Jackson  County,  liv- 
ing on  East  Fork  and  Morrison's  Creek.  Some  are 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  while  others  secure  a 
precarious  existence  by  the  sale  of  berries,  fish,  etc. 
The  number,  liowever,  is  diminishing  annually,  and 
within  the  next  quarter  of  a  century  it  is  believed  the 
race  will  become  extinct. 

SETTLEMENT. 

Tiie  earliest  accounts  of  settlements  on  Black  River 
date  liack  beyond  the  memory  of  the  proverbial  oldest 
inhabitant,  and  are  shrouded  in  obscurity.  Legendary 
lore  asserts,  that  as  early  as  1818,  an  expedition  was 
fitted  out  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  under  the  direction  of  a 
French  trader  luimed  Rolette,  and  after  many  advent- 
ures by  flood  and  field,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Black  River  Falls.  At  that  time  the  territory 
bordering  on,  and  contiguous  to.  Black  River  belonged 
to  the  Indians,  who  held  title  until  1838,  when  the  same 
was  ceded  away.  The  Wiunebagoes  claimed  the  land 
from  the  east  fork  of  Black  River  went  to  the  Wiscon- 
sin River  and  Beef  Slough,  on  the  Mississippi ;  thence 
south  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  River.  The  Me- 
nomonees  were  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  last 
named  river,  and  the  Chippewas  occupied  a  vast  extent 
of  country  north  of  the  Wiunebagoes  and  east  of  the 
Mississippi. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Rolette  at  the  Falls,  he  erected 
a  small  saw-mill  on  Town  Creek,  to  the  rear  of  Squire's 
restaurant,  but  before  it  was  fairly  in  operation  the 
Wiunebagoes  burned  the  structure,  and  drove  the  lum- 
bei'men  off  down  the  river.  From  this  date  there  was 
no  attempt  made  to  effect  a  settlement  at  the  Falls  for 
a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  In  the  earl}-  Summer 
of  1839,  an  expedition  was  organized  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  for  the  permanent  settlement  and  improvement 
of  the  water-power  at  Black  River  Falls.  The  com- 
pany, which  consisted  of  Jacob  Spaulding,  Isaac  Van 
Austin,  Hiram  Yeatman,  Josepli  Stickney,  Alonzo 
Stickney,  Robert  Wood  Andrew  Wood,  Robert  Saw- 
yer, Patrick  Linn,  Richard  Woleben,  Jeremiah  D. 
Spaulding,  John  McGarom,  Daniel  McLain,  John  P. 
Knight,  Levi  Tylson,  Joel  Lemon  and  John  Angle 
Miller — seventeen  in  all — arrived  at  the  Falls,  August 
27,  of  that  year,  and  commenced  the  building  of  a  saw- 
mill, which  was  completed  and  began  operations  the 
succeeding  Winter. 

Jacob  Spaulding  and  the  Woods  were  partners,  the 
remainder  who  came  with  them  being  employes,  and 
many  with  Mr.  Spaulding  continued  in   the  country. 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Van  Austin  subsequently  returned  to  Trempealeau 
Prairie,  west  of  the  Falls  ;  the  Stickneys  to  a  point 
within  a  brief  journey  to  the  Falls  ;  Yeatman  to  Lewis 
Valley  ;  Sawyer  to  Chippewa  River,  where  he  shot  a 
man  and  was  imprisoned,  and  Lemon  to  Lytle's,  where 
he  was  killed,  in  1852,  in  attempting  to  snub  a  raft. 

Prior  to  the  building  of  the  mill,  which  stood  on 
Town  Creek,  very  near  the  point  where  the  bridge  now 
spans  it,  the  company  began  the  erection  of,  and  in  a 
short  time  completed,  a  double  log  cabin,  located  on 
the  south  bank  of  Town  Creek,  north  and  a  little  east 
of  the  present  site  of  the  Freeman  House,  on  Water 
street. 

Late  in  the  Fall  of  1839,  James  O'Neill,  with  his 
brother  and  a  limited  number  of  assistants,  came  on  to 
tlie  river  from  Prairie  du  Chien  and  located  for  the 
Winter  in  the  bottoms  of  what  is  now  known  as  Rob- 
inson's Creek,  where  he  was  engaged  in  getting  out 
timber.  About  this  time,  Jacob  Spaulding,  accom- 
panied by  Andrew  Wood,  Joseph  Stickney  and  Hiram 
Yeatman,  departed  in  a  canoe  for  Prairie  du  Chien, 
wliere  Stickney  and  Yeatman  disembarked.  Wood  and 
Spaulding,  however,  continuing  to  Warsaw,  111.,  where 
they  purchased  the  necessaiy  irons  and  machinery  for 
the  mill  at  the  Falls.  Wood  visited  Quincy,  where  he 
remained  during  the  Winter ;  but  Spaulding  returned 
to  Prairie  du  Chien  by  steamer,  thence  hastened  to 
Black  River  for  the  keel  boat  upon  which  he  made  his 
first  journey  hither,  to  convey  the  supplies  he  had  in 
charge  ;  but  the  Indians  had  stolen  the  craft,  which 
was  recaptured  near  Decorah's  village,  a  crew  obtained 
and  a  start  made  for  the  supplies.  These  were  ob- 
tained, and  a  start  made  for  home  ;  but  upon  reaching 
Winnesheik,  the  boat  was  frozen  in,  and  Spaulding 
made  his  way  to  the  Falls  on  foot.  Here  he  rigged  up 
what  were  called  "  moose  sleds,"  in  those  days,  calcu- 
lated for  a  single  ox,  and  returned  to  Winnesheik, 
where,  procuring  the  cargo  fast  in  the  ice,  he  once  more 
started  for  the  Falls,  reaching  there  in  due  time  with- 
out serious  delay. 

Shortly  after  his  return,  Menomonee,  with  a  party 
of  forty  bucks,  arrived  at  the  Falls,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  forcing  the  whites  to  yield  their  claims  and 
depart.  They  remained  quiescent,  as  it  were,  for  a  few 
days,  living  off  the  whites,  but  finally  peremptorily 
demanded  that  Spaulding  and  his  comrades  should 
vacate  their  claims  and  leave.  The  latter,  however, 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  stay,  and  managing  to  get  the 
Indians  in  one  part  of  the  double  log-cabin,  by  strat- 
egy, armed  his  companions  and  ordered  Menomonee 
with  his  band  to  evacuate,  which  he  did  without  delay, 
and  was  afterward  a  firm  friend  of  his  whilom  foe. 

About  the  last  of  February,  1840,  the  supplies  ran 
out,  and  Robert  Wood,  accompanied  by  the  "  hands," 
sought  the  lower  country,  leaving  Spaulding  alone  in 
the  wilderness.  He  was  determined  that  his  claim 
should  not  be  abandoned,  and,  with  his  rifle,  supplied 
himself  with  what  meat  was  necessary  to  sustain  life, 
dieting  upon  upon  game,  until  the  21st  of  March. 
The  country  was  overrun  with  elk  and  deer,  tlie  creeks 
were  dammed  by  beavers  from  source  to  mouth,  and 
no  difficulty  was  experienced  by  the  self-imposed 
hermit,  in  procuring  that  which  he  sought. 

The  river  opened  in  March  and  the  Woods  brothers 


397 

returned  with  a  party  of  eight  men,  including  William 
PauUey,  who  shot  Moses  Clark  some  years  after,  at 
Neillsville.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  this  assistance, 
the  mill  on  Town  Creek  resumed  operations,  and  the 
Woods,  concluding  to  dispense  with  the  services  of 
Spaulding,  ejected  him  from  possession  and  interest  in 
the  venture.  The  latter,  however,  proceeded  to  Prai- 
rie du  Chien,  where  lie  procured  legal  process,  and, 
returning  with  the  Sheriff  of  Crawford  County,  was 
again  placed  in  possession  as  joint  tenant. 

Before  the  opening  of  Spring,  James  O'Neill  moved 
to  the  mouth  of  Perry  Creek,  wliere  he  got  out  the 
frame  of  a  mill,  and,  in  the  Summer,  Horatio  Curtis, 
with  Jonathan  Nichols,  arrived  in  the  country  and 
located  at  the  mouth  of  what  has  since  been  known  as 
"  Nichols  Creek,''  twelve  miles  below  the  Fads.  About 
this  time,  Robert  Douglas,  William  and  Thomas  Doug- 
las came  into  the  county.  Robert  and  Thomas  located 
a  farm  in  tiie  present  town  of  Melrose  and  commenced 
putting  in  a  crop — the  first  farm  opened,  and  the  first 
crop  raised  in  Jackson  County.  The  property  is  still 
owned  and  occupied  by  Robert  Douglas,  Thomas  resid- 
ing at  Danville,  Wis.,  and  William  near  Walnut  Bend, 
Ark. 

The  next  year,  Andrew  Sheppard,  with  John  Val- 
entine, arrived  and  commenced  lumbering  operations 
below  the  Falls,  and  in  the  Fall  Spaulding  and  the 
Woods  raised  the  frame  of  their  second  and  larger 
mill  on  the  present  site  of  the  saw-mill  of  D.  J.  Spauld- 
ing, which  was  not  operated,  however,  until  the  lollow- 
ing  Spring,  by  wiiicii  time  it  became  clearly  apparent 
that  Spaulding  and  the  Woods  could  not  dwell  together 
in  unity,  and  the  former  purchased  the  hitter's  interest 
in  the  business  for  -100,000  feet  of  sawed  lumber,  pay- 
able in  three  installments,  at  Quinc}",  Spaulding  assum- 
ing the  firm  debts,  which  amounted  to  about  i|5,000. 
The  W^oods  then  left  the  country,  and  were  no  more 
heard  of,  except  in  connection  with  subsequent  attempts 
to  regain  the  property  thus  transferred. 

The  years  1810-11  closed  upon  the  settlers  without 
the  occurrence  of  noteworthy  incidents  beyond  those 
happening  in  a  new  country,  excepting  the  arrival  of 
Jacob  Spaulding's  family,  which  consisted  of  a  wife 
and  Dudley  J.  Spaulding,  his  son.  She  was,  presum- 
ably, tJie  first  white  woman  to  settle  permanently  in 
Jackson  County,  and  her  daughter,  Mary  J.  Spaulding, 
who  was  born  the  same  season,  was  claimed  as  the  first 
birth  ;  but  this  is  an  error.  She  still  lives,  the  wife  of 
S.  P.  Jones,  one  of  the  prominent  merchants  of  Black 
Kiver  Falls.  The  advent  of  settlers  into  this  almost 
undiscovered  land,  as  elsewhere  in  northern  Wisconsin, 
was  not  frequent  in  those  early  days,  and  improvements 
kept  pace  with  the  arrivals.  But  the  high  price^of  pine 
lumber  became  an  inducement  in  time,  and  to  this, 
more  than  the  excellent  farming  lands  in  the  eastern 
and  western  portions  of  the  county,  is  the  building  up 
of  the  county  to  be  attributed. 

The  first  birth  is  claimed  for  the  wife  of  William 
Douglas,  who  accompanied  her  husband  on  a  raft  down 
Black  River.  When  they  reached  Snake  Bend,  she 
was  taken  ashore  and  made  as  comfortable  as  the  cii'- 
cumstaiices  would  admit,  when  the  child  was  born,  its 
advent  being  witnessed  and  the  mother  congratulated 
by  a  number  of  Mormon  women  who  came  up  the  river 


39» 


ISTORY^OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


at  the  critical  moment,  and,  landing,  contributed  their 
services  to  the  occasion.  The  patient  and  child  were 
removed  without  delay  to  the  husband's  home,  near 
North  Bend ;  but  death,  with  its  skeleton  finger, 
touched  tiie  new  dispensation  ere  it  reached  its  father's 
house,  which  became  a  house  of  mourning.  This  was, 
doubtless  tlie  first  death  in  the  county,  though  it  has 
been  heretofore  supjjosed  that  the  decease  of  Harrison 
Gillette,  who  resided  up  the  river  from  the  Falls,  in 
the  Winter  of  1846-47,  was  the  first. 

Early  in  the  Spring  of  this  year  (1841),  these  iden- 
tical Mormons  from  Naiivoo,  under  the  charge  of 
Elders  White,  Curts  and  Miller,  came  to  the  river  to 
obtain  lumber  for  their  temple,  and  a  claim  of  Jacob 
Spaulding  was  unceremoniously  jumped  by  them.  Upon 
being  informed  of  the  summary  procedure,  Spaulding 
secured  a  force  of  twent\'  men  and  came  up  with  the 
interlopers  after  they  had  felled  not  less  than  300  trees. 
Upon  interrogating  the  Elder  as  to  his  rights  on  the 
premises,  the  latter  responded  that  he  would  cut  when 
and  where  he  pleased.  Spaulding  replied  with  equal 
emphasis,  and  marshaling  his  forces,  gave  the  Mor- 
mons ten  minutes  to  vacate  their  occupation.  They 
loaded  up  tiieir  plunder  and  marched  off,  heading  down 
stream,  with  doubts  as  to  the  Lord's  supremacy  that 
high  up  Black  River.  When  this  was  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  Mormons  who  were  located  on 
Nichols  Creek,  and  had  purchased  the  interest  of  Hor- 
atio Curtis  in  the  mill  there,  they  became  exceedingly 
wrotli,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Nauvoo  for  men  and 
guns.  Spaulding  hearing  of  this,  communicated  with 
the  commander  at  Fort  Crawford  in  person,  and  asked 
for  assistance  in  case  of  trouble  with  the  Mormons. 
He  was  assured  of  aid  in  the  anticipated  emergency, 
and  the  Mormons  hearing  of  this,  suspended  prepara- 
tions for  war,  and  engaged  in  tlie  more  remunerative 
pursuits  of  peace.  The  following  Spring,  Spaulding 
sold  them  the  Falls  property  for  |i20,000,  payable 
mostly  in  lumber.  It  consisted  at  that  time  of  the  lit- 
tle mill  on  Town  Creek,  the  cabin  first  built,  a  large 
mill,  built,  but  not  furnished,  a  small  frame  boarding 
house,  one  other  log  cabin  which  stood  on  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Front  streets,  and  a  blacksmith  shop. 

These  "  Latter  Day  Saints"  were  ver}'  devout  it  is 
said  in  all  the  outward  observances  of  their  peculiar  re- 
ligion, and  had  preaching  every  Sabbath,  at  wliich  all 
the  sect  and  many  strangers  were  in  attendance.  Upon 
one  occasion,  Paul  Knight,  a  well-known  Gentile  mill- 
wright, considerably  intoxicated,  strayed  into  the 
church  at  tlie  exact  moment  when  Elder  Lyman  White 
promulgated  as  his  ultimatum  that  he  "would  rather 
go  to  hell  willingly,  tlian  be  forced  into  heaven."  This 
unexpected  conclusion  aroused  the  inebriated  Paul,  who 
raised  himself  from  the  bench  on  whicii  he  was  sitting, 
and  shouting  •'  Bully  for  you  by  G — d,' fell  prone  upon 
the  floor,  a  frigiitfui  example  of  the  effect  of  new  and 
original  theological  ideas  suddenly  developed  in  men 
of  Knight's  sensitive  nature  and  impulsive  tempera- 
ment. 

In  1844,  when  tlie  death  of  Joe  Smith  reached  the 
Falls,  the  Mormons  re-transferred  tlie  property  to 
Sj^aulding,  and  returned  to  Nauvoo  to  aid  their  brethren 
in  avenging  the  death  of  the  Prophet. 

Among  the  arrivals  iu  1841,  were  :     Thomas  Hall 


and  Peter  Hall,  brothers,  from  Canada,  and  commenced 
lumbering  about  six  miles  north  of  the  Falls,  where 
they  built  a  mill  on  what  has  since  been  known  as  Hall's 
Creek,  the  following  year.  Francis  M.  Garrett  came 
in  1842,  as  also  did  Samuel  Wright,  Benjamin  Wright, 
Augustus  Harrington,  at  present  a  resident  of  Chicago, 
where  he  is  emplo3'ed  as  counsel  for  the  Northwestern 
road,  William  K.  Levis,  Sylvester  Abbey,  George  R. 
Gillenger.  the  first  carpenter,  E.  L.  Brockway,  and  some 
others.  Few  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  those 
who  came  devoting  their  time,  capital  and  skill  in  lum- 
bering. Quite  a  number  of  mills  had  been  erected  by 
Douglas,  Levis  and  others,  and  the  Mormons  while  in 
possession  of  the  Falls  finished  up  the  larger  saw-mill 
this  year,  and  in  184S  or  1844,  erected  a  commodious 
warehouse,  besides  some  half  a  dozen  dwellings,  on  the 
property.  The  wants  of  the  people  were  few,  the  base 
of  supplies  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  160  miles  distant,  and 
these  wants,  according  to  an  old  account  book  of  a 
trader  at  the  Falls  in  1842-8,  largely  made  up  of  whis- 
ky and  tobacco.  There  is  a  legend  that  the  cargo  of  a 
keel-boat  in  those  days  would  consist  of  ten  barrels  of 
flour,  five  of  pork,  and  twenty-five  of  whisky.  All 
used  the  latter  as  a  beverage,  and  if  there  were  excep- 
tions, they  were  so  few  that  the  rule  still  held  good. 
Flour  or  pork  might  give  out  without  causing  alarm, 
but  let  the  whisky  jug  fail  to  "  gin  down,"  and  the 
camp  was  in  an  uproar,  subdued  only  by  a  fresh 
supply. 

During  1843-4,  emigration  to  the  lumber  district 
was  by  no  means  numerous;  Silas  A.  Wilcox  arrived 
with  the  Mormons.  Hamilton  McCullom  came  in  the 
former  year,  and  Joseph  Clancy,  John  Law,  who  came 
from  Maine,  and  was  accounted  the  most  expert  ox- 
driver  on  the  river,  commanding  the  highest  wages  of 
any  man  in  this  vicinity  ;  Andrew  Grover,  who  served 
as  a  lumberman,  as  also  as  a  pettifogger  in  justice's 
courts;  John  Monson,  an  honest,  genial,  quick-witted 
Irishman,  who  settled  on  what  has  since  been  known 
as  *'  Monson's  Creek,"  eight  miles  below  the  Falls,  and 
doubtless  others  whose  names,  nativity  and  character- 
istics have  not  been  preserved. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1844,  there  were  eight  saw- 
mills in  operation  on  the  river,  though  all  were  not 
within  the  present  limits  of  Jackson  County.  But  one 
of  these  was  supplied  with  other  than  an  up-and-down 
saw,  the  propelling  power  being  the  old-fashioned  flut- 
ter-wheel, by  which  the  manufacture  of  logs  into  lum- 
ber was  a  question  of  time  and  patience. 

The  Winter,  Spring  and  Summer  of  1845,  came  and 
went  without  any  particular  change  or  incident  worthy 
of  mention  occurring  to  any  of  the  settlers  in  Jackson 
County  as  at  present  described.  During  the  Summer, 
Levi  S.  Avery,  among  the  first  carpenters  to  locate  in 
the  village  arrived  ;  the  same  season,  Hon.  William  T. 
Price,  who  lias  labored  so  devotedly  in  behalf  of  his 
adopted  home,  and  accomplished  so  much  in  that  con- 
nection, anciiored  here.  Like  all  new  comers,  he  en- 
gaged in  lumbering,  and  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  has 
been  engaged  in  extensive  operations  of  that  character. 
Aside  from  this,  he  lias  been  a  successful  lawyer,  judge, 
legislator,  merchant  and  operator,  and  is  known  as  a 
man  of  the  most  undaunted  nerve,  as  also  the  most 
unimpeachable  character  and  integrity.      The  Fall  of 


HISTORY  OF    lACKSON  COUNTY. 


399 


this  year,   C.  R.  Johnson   came    up    Black    River   to 

Doughis's  Mills,  in  the  employ  of  John  S.  Lockwood,  of 
Prairie  du  Chien,  but  removed  to  the  Falls  the  follow- 
ing Spring,  when  he  engaged  as  a  hand  to  Spaulding. 
He  is  to-day  a  prominent  lawyer,  having  passed 
through  the  various  gradations  of  laborer,  school 
teacher,  student,  soldier  and  advocate.  Among  those 
who  came  in  during  1845,  in  addition  to  the  above, 
were:  Amos  Elliott,  Samuel  Papple,  Michael  C.  and 
James  Conlon,  Moses  Clark,  Zedekiah  Root,  Aaron 
Work,  Joseph  Gillinger,  Ward  and  James  Chandler, 
Abraham  Mericle,  L.  T.  Judd,  Henry  Atkinson.  John 
O'Connell,  James,  William  and  Lemuel  Hall,  and  pos- 
sibly some  few  others. 

Life  in  those  days  is  represented  as  having  been  de- 
cidedly exciting,  as  also  eccentric.  Inebriety  was  the 
rule,  sobriety  the  exception.  The  man  wlio  refused  to 
drink  was  an  enemy  of  the  human  family,  and  room 
made  for  him  as  for  a  leper.  Card  playing  supple- 
mented this  vice,  and  large  sums  of  money  were  night- 
ly lost  on  combinations  made  up  of  "  bowers  "  and 
"  high  low  jack."  Those  who  are  familiar  with  that 
condition  of  affairs  in  new  countries  will  hardly  recon- 
cile the  present  absence  of  these  agencies  in  Black 
River  Falls  with  their  frequency  forty  years  ago. 

In  1846,  the  lumber  commerce  of  Black  River  in 
Jackson  County  was  estimated  at  from  four  to  six  mill- 
ions of  feet,  part  of  whicii  was  rafted  througli  Gibbs's 
chute,  opened  this  season.  At  that  time,  the  white 
women  about  the  Falls  were  limited  to  Mrs.  Jacob 
Spaulding,  Mrs.  Hiram  Yeatman,  Mrs.  Joseph  Stickney, 
Mrs.  Joseph  Clancy  and  Mrs.  Henry  Elmer,  or  "  Bar- 
bara," as  she  was  more  familiarly  known  in  those  days. 

Mrs.  Stickney,  nee  Van  Ostrand,  was  married  this 
year  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  she  i-esided,  Mr.  Stick- 
ney going  thither  to  secure  a  wife.  His  was  the  first 
marriage  of  a  permanent  resident  of  the  county.  In 
the  Fall  of  1846,  the  first  marriage  of  residents  of  Jack- 
son County  occurred  at  the  house  of  a  man  named 
Browning  on  the  East  Fork.  William  Levis  was  one  of 
the  contracting  parties,  and  R.  R.  Wood,  a  Justice  of 
tlio  Peace,  witnessed  the  contract,  but  the  name  of  the 
happy  bride  can  not  be  recalled.  It  might  be  stated 
in  this  connection  that  the  marriage  of  James  O'Neill 
and  Isaac  S.  Mason  to  the  Misses  Douglas,  on  March 
7,  1847,  at  North  Bend,  is  claimed  as  having  been  the 
pioneer  matrimonial  ventures  in  the  county.  But  au- 
tliorities  contend  that  Levis  anticipated  their  action  by 
several  months,  and  thus  obtained  precedence. 

At  this  time,  the  improvements  at  the  Falls  consisted 
of  a  frame  boarding-house,  18  x  26,  with  a  tolerable 
high  roof,  under  which,  upon  a  double  loose  floor  there 
generally  slept  of  a  night  from  thirty  to  forty  men, 
mostly  "spoon-fashion."  Mrs.  Elmer,  or  "  Barbara," 
did  the  cooking,  and  her  bill  of  fare  was  made  up  of 
l)read  and  fried  pork  for  breakfast  a'nd  supper,  with 
bread  and  pork  boiled  for  dinner.  There  was  also  a 
double  log  house  where  Hendrick's  barber  shop  now  is, 
a  single  log  house  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Water 
streets,  a  blacksmith  shop  at  the  south  end  of  the 
bridge  over  Town  Creek,  kept  by  one  West,  whose  wife 
was  known  to  the  public,  in  the  expressive  vernacular 
of  the  times,  as  "  Short  and  dirty,"  a  frame  barn  where 
Sawyer's  clothing  store  now  is,  and  a  double  log  house 


on  property  now  occupied  by  the  Agricultural  Society 
for  exhibition  purposes.  At  North  Bend  there  was  the 
Douglas  mill,  a  boarding-house  and  small  clearing  at- 
tached. Robert  and  Thomas  Douglas  resided  near  the 
present  village  of  Melrose,  where  they  had  improvised 
some  limited  improvements.  At  other  points  where 
mills  had  been  built,  there  was  some  evidence  of  set- 
tlement and  improvements,  but  they  were  primitive. 

This  year  the  4th  of  July  was  first  celebrated  at  the 
Falls,  the  ceremonies  occurring  on  the  hill  to  the  west 
of  the  village.  A  procession  was  formed  early  in  tlie 
day,  and  headed  by  a  wheelbarrow  on  which  was  laden 
a  ten-gallon  keg  of  "  Black-strap,"  being  a  composition 
of  whisky,  syrup  and  water,  headed  for  the  grove, 
where,  after  preliminary  proceedings,  a  man  named 
Burton  read  the  Declaration  and  Andrew  Gruver  orated. 
At  the  conclusion  of  these  formalities,  the  keg  became 
an  objective  point  for  the  celebrants,  nearly  all  of  whom, 
according  to  the  chronicler  of  the  event,  became  as 
"  drunk  as  pipers." 

From  this  it  will-  be  apparent  that  the  observations 
above  made  in  regard  to  the  habit  of  drinking  through- 
out this  region  in  those  days  was  not  exaggerated.  It 
was  universal.  In  the  pineries,  in  the  settlements,  on 
the  hustings,  at  weddings,  births  and  funerals,  as  also 
in  the  courts  of  common  law  and  chancery,  toddy  was 
an  inseparable  concomitant.  Justice  Jacob  Spauld- 
ing held  court  in  his  store,  the  carule  chair  being  the 
counter,  upon  which  he  sat,  listening  to  the  impassioned 
eloquence  of  Andrew  Gruver  and  H.  McCuliom,  who 
were  alone  in  the  field  as  lawyers,  and  accustomed  to 
hurl  legal  and  rhetorical  thunderbolts  at  the  court,  be- 
tween drinks.  The  latter  were  frequent  and  always 
sweetened,  a  decanter  of  liquor  invariably  standing  on 
a  barrel  head  within  reach  of  his  honor,  counsel  and 
jury,  alongside  of  which  brown  sugar  and  tin  spoons 
were  ranged  invitingly. 

Late  this  season,  the  Shanghai  House,  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  Freeman  House,  was  completed  and  oc- 
cupied. It  was  built  by  Jacob  Spaulding,  and  was  the 
most  prominent  house  on  the  river,  having  a  frontage 
of  sixty  feet  on  Water  street,  two  stories  high,  finished 
outside  and  in  with  dressed  lumber,  and  regarded  as  a 
masterpiece  of  design  and  finish.  Its  distinguished 
name  was  not  affixed  to  it  by  the  proprietor,  but  was 
affixed  by  others  some  time  after  the  completion, 
and  on  the  principle  that  a  man  who  was  better  dressed 
than  his  neighbors  would  have  been  designated  as  a 
"Shanghai."  After  being  completed,  the  hotel  was 
opened  by  Isaac  Van  Nostrand,  who  came  to  the  Falls 
this  year  with  his  wife  and  two  daughters.  The  open- 
ing was  a  grand  affair  and  was  attended  by  people  who 
came  from  a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles  to  be  pres- 
ent. Dancing  was  kept  up  for  fifty  hours,  and  the 
quantities  of  the  "  Pike  "  brand  of  whisky  consumed 
at  the  bar  appeared  only  to  aggravate  the  intense  de- 
sire of  every  individual  to  enjoy  a  good  time  general- 
ly, and  they  did  it. 

During  this  season.  Parson  Snow  and  wife  wandered 
into  the  county,  and  located  a  claim  on  Snow's  Creek, 
embracing  what»was  afterward  known  as  tlie  farm  of 
Captain  Kitchum.  Snow  instituted  the  first  religious 
meetings  on  the  river,  which  attracted  considerable  at- 
tention.    He  preached  what  he  claimed  was  Baptist 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


theology,  and  despised  whisky  as  a  beverage,  although 
it  is  not  of  record  that  he  ever  declined  any  for  the 
stomach's  sake.  Some  years  afterward,  he  removed  to 
Iowa,  where  it  is  reported  he  was  convicted  and  sent 
to  the  penitentiary  for  horse-stealing. 

Among  others  wlio  came  in  during  1846,  was  Isaac 
S.  Mason,  who  became  part  owner  of  tlie  Periy  Creek 
mill  property ;  Ebenezer  Dickey,  Joseph  Clancy  and 
wife,  Richard  Hulett,  the  Perry  brothers,  John  Adams, 
who  had  first  made  his  appearance  in  1843,  but  went 
elsewhere,  whence  he  returned,  George  Nelson  and 
family,  Eliphalet  Hunt,  who  made  the  first  settlement 
in  Trempealeau  valley.  Where  he  took  up  laud  upon 
whicii  the  present  site  of  Alma  Center  has  since  been 
established,  W.  H.  Marshall,  etc. 

The  year  1847  is  remembered  for  the  sudden,  unex- 
pected and  remarkably  unprecedented  rise  of  tlie  Black 
River.  It  was  the  highest  ever  known  to  settlers,  be- 
ing twenty-two  feet  above  low-water  mark.  The  large 
saw  mill  of  Spaulding's  at  the  Falls  was  carried  away, 
and  the  wreck  floated  off  in  pieces  with  the  logs  in- 
tended for  Summer  use.  The  Falls  was  thus  left  with- 
out a  mill,  but  immediate  preparations  were  made  to 
erect  a  successor  on  the  site  of  the  ruins,  which  was 
completed  in  1848  by  Thomas  Patterson,  in  early  times 
well  known  as  a  member  of  the  Lower  Falls  mill  of 
Patterson  &  Brockway. 

This  year  the  first  school  enterprise  aud  efforts  to 
procure  religious  services  at  tlie  Falls  were  undertaken. 
Mr.  Spaulding  fitted  up  a  room  in  an  addition  to  the 
old  boarding  house,  which  was  opened  by  C.  R.  John- 
son with  fourteen  pupils,  sent  by  Jacob  Spaulding, 
Hiram  Yeatman,  the  Wilsons,  Henry  Elmer,  and  Isaac 
Van  Nostrand,  respectively.  The  religious  interests 
of  the  place  were  not  sought  to  be  conserved  until  the 
following  Summer,  when  the  Rev.  R.  R.  Woods  was 
stationed  at  the  Falls,  who  remained  in  the  vicinity  for 
years,  though  not  infrequently  he  was  obliged  to  send 
to  the  bar-room  adjoining  the  Shanghai  House  dining 
room,  in  which  services  were  held,  for  some  one  to  start 
the  tune  of  the  morning  hymn.  Upon  the  breaking- 
out  of  the  Mexican  war,  school  sessions  svere  discon- 
tinued, Mr.  Johnson,  the  teacher,  abandoning  the  ferule 
for  the  musket,  and  enlisting  as  a  soldier  at  Galena,  in 
Capt.  Holden's  Company  B,  Twelfth  United  States  In- 
fantry, the  only  recruit  obtained  in  Jackson  County. 

During  this  year  the  first  Government  surveys  of 
the  Black  River  country  were  commenced,  the  contract 
being  for  the  "running  out  of  township  lines." 
Inl849,  the  lands  about  the  Falls  came  into  market,  and 
Andrew  Wood  took  out  a  pre-emption,  with  which  he 
secured  a  United  States  patent  for  the  quarter  section 
of  land  covering  the  water-power  and  all  the  improve- 
ments at  the  Falls.  He  claimed  that  Spaulding  had 
failed  to  pay  liim  and  his  brother  for  the  jjroperty,  as 
agreed,  and  he  adopted  this  sumuuiry  course  of  pro- 
cedure to  recover  what  he  was  justly  entitled  to.  When 
Spaulding  heard  of  the  pre-emption  and  entry  thus 
made,  he  proceeded  to  Milwaukee,  and  caused  the 
arrest  of  Wood  for  perjury.  The  latter  was  acquitted, 
however,  when  suits  and  counter  suits  were  instituted 
by  both,  wiiich  lasted  many  years,  but  in  1860,  the 
assignees  of  Wood  comj^romised  their  claims  witli 
Spaulding,  by  which  the  latter  secured  all  his  improve- 


ments and  the  larger  share  of  the  water  power,  besides 
a  fair  moiety  of  the  land,  the  title  to  which  had  occa- 
sioned almost  endless  litigation.  The  assignees  had 
their  share  at  once  replatted,  and  for  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  the  village  a  good  paper  title  could  be 
had  for  property  therein.  Previous  to  that,  Spaulding's 
bonds  for  deeds  were  all  that  could  be  had,  and  they 
were  not  considered  a  sufficient  guarantee  to  warrant 
the  expenditure  of  much  money,  consequently  improve- 
ments in  the  village,  which  languished  along  without 
much  increase  in  wealth  and  population  until  within 
the  past  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

During  1848  and  1849,  the  village  received  but  few 
additions  to  its  population,  nor  was  the  county  more 
fortunate.  At  the  beginning  of  1850,  the  total  number 
of  inhabitants  is  said  to  not  have  exceeded  loO,  of  a 
permanent  character.  These  were  principally  as  fol- 
lows :  E.  K.  Golf,  Luther  Nelson,  Andrew  Meek  and 
family,  David  Robinson,  Mahlou  and  William  Levis, 
James  Buchanan,  his  niece.  Miss  Julia  Campbell,  now 
Mrs.  W.  T.  Price  :  Buchanan  opened  the  first  store 
after  Spaulding's  ;  Sylvester  Abbey,  James  McLaugh- 
lin, B.  F.  Johnson,  Albert  Tuttle,  Charles  and  Darwin 
Whipple,  Dr.  Gibson,  George  Cottrill,  James  Hall, 
Parker  Adams  (the  first  lawyer),  Peter  Trudell,  etc., 
all  of  whom  came  between  1847  and  1850.  In  addition 
to  these,  there  were  those  who  have  been  mentioned  as 
having  become  residents  at  an  earlier  day. 

The  village  improvements  were  chiefl}'  confined  to 
Water  and  the  eastern  end  of  Main  streets,  those  in 
the  County  being  limited  to  mills  and  accommodations 
for  lumbermen  ;  of  these  there  were  Douglas's  mill, 
the  mills  of  Nichols,  Sheppard  &  Valentine,  James 
Perry,  Brockway  &  Patterson,  Spaulding's,  T.  &  P.  ■ 
Hall's,  Hambleton's,  put  up  by  John  Adams  in 
1846,  and  maybe  one  or  two  others  that  have  been 
forgotten. 

In  1850,  a  mail  route  was  established  from  Prairie 
du  Chieu  to  Stillwater,  and  a  post-office  was  established 
at  the  Falls,  with  W.  W.  Bennett  as  Postmaster.  It 
was  kept  in  the  residence  afterward  occupied  b}'  Albert 
Tuttle,  which  was  the  first  dwelling  house  in  the  vil- 
lage ornamented  with  a  coat  of  paint.  United  States 
postage  on  a  letter  was  twenty-five  cents,  newspapers 
being  carried  for  somewhat  less. 

The  previous  year  a  State  road  had  been  surveyed 
from  Prairie  du  Chieu  to  Willow  River  (now  Hudson), 
aud  Jacob  Spaulding,  Hiram  Knowlton  and  James 
Fisher  appointed  commissioners.  During  the  latter 
part  of  that  Summer  they  began  their  work,  which 
was  concluded,  in  October,  to  the  Falls.  At  the  time 
of  their  arrival  there  was  a  perfect  dearth  of  all  kinds 
of  stimulants,  but  the  commissioners  possessed  an  un- 
tapped keg  of  whisky,  taken  with  them  as  an  antidote 
for  snake  bites.  During  the  evening,  the  keg  was 
tapped,  and  ail  became  very  merry.  [The  anecdote 
connected  with  this  event,  while  amusing,  is  hardly 
proper  for  these  pages.     Publisher. 

The  arrivals  during  1850-51-5:^,  save  those  men- 
tioned, were  not  numerous.  Among  those  who  came 
in,  however.  Dr.  M.  P.  Bennett  and  Joseph  K.  French 
must  not  be  omitted.  The  former  was  the  first  of  the 
regular  faculty  that  emigrated  to  this  section,  intending 
to  remain  in  the  country  permanently,  and  as  a  frontier 


HISTORY  OF   fACKSON  COUNTY. 


physician  he  has  always  been  regarded  as  a  success. 
The  latter  resided  at  the  Falls  until  his  death.  He  is 
represented  as  a  rough  and  ready  lawyer,  a  keen,  sharp 
practitioner,  technical  to  the  last  degree,  according  to 
the  practice  as  it  then  existed.  Had  he  lived,  he  would 
have  made  his  mark  in  the  Northwest  as  an  able  jurist 
and  successful  lawyer. 

During  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1850-51, 
Bad  Axe,  now  Vernon  and  La  Crosse  counties,  was  set 
off  from  Crawford  County,  La  Crosse  including  the 
Black  and  Chippewa  River  territory.  A  town  organi- 
zation existed  in  Albion,  which  comprised  the  present 
county  of  Jackson,  with  Jacob  Spaulding,  Chairman, 
and  Albert  Tuttle,  Clerk  of  the  Board,  and  C.  R.  John- 
son, Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  improvements  were 
not  numerous,  and  the  arrivals  equally  unsatisfactory 
in  1852,  the  most  important  event  of  tliat  year,  it  is 
said,  being  the  opening  of  a  store  at  the  Falls  by  Ho- 
ratio Gurts  and  James  M.  Garrett,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Curts  &  Garrett.  In  the  Fall  of  1852,  the  first 
county  ticket  was  nominated  at  Black  River  Falls,  in 
anticipation  of  the  organization  of  the  county,  which 
was  made  up  of  Thomas  Hall  for  Judge,  C.  R.  John- 
son for  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  H..  W.  Hick- 
ox  for  Register,  James  M.  Garrett  for  Treasurer,  P 
Adams  for  District  Attorner,  Levi  Avery  for  Sheriff, 
H.  Curts  for  Coroner,  and  P.  Adams  for  Surveyor. 
It  failed  of  an  election.  In  1853,  Jackson  County  was 
duly  organized  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in 
that  year,  with  full  j^owers  after  January  1,  1854,  and 
the  following  ticket,  in  opposition  to  the  one  cited,  was 
overwhelmingly  elected  :  William  T.  Price,  Treasurer  ; 
L.  S.  Avery,  Sheriff;  and  C.  R.  Johnson,  Clerk  of  the 
Board,  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  Register  of  Deeds. 

During  this  year  two  hotels  were  erected,  at  oppo- 
site corners  on  Main  Street,  by  M.  P.  Bennett,  M.D., 
and  occupied  by  P.  H.  Howell,  I.  S.  Masou,aud  Joseph 
Popham,  respectively;  it  was  burned  down  while  owned 
by  the  latter,  during  the  Spring  of  1879.  The  other 
was  first  kept  by  T.  J.  Hill  for  a  numl)er  of  years,  then 
used  as  a  tenement  liouse,  since  then  as  a  store-room 
for  merchandise. 

In  1854,  there  was  an  immense  emigration  to  Trem- 
pealeau Valley,  which  had  in  previous  years  attracted  at- 
tention by  reason  of  its  splendid  agricultural  resources. 
Lying  on  eitlier  side  of  Trempealeau  River,  the  valley 
extends  the  entire  length  of  that  stream  to  its  mouth,  a 
distance  of  some  forty  miles,  varying  from  one  to  three 
miles  in  width,  with  a  soil  which  is  not  surpassed  in 
t!ie  State  for  the  production  of  wheat,  oats  and  pota- 
toes. Those  settling  there  included  the  Pedrick  and 
Holmes  families,  Joseph  Berti,  Samuel  and  Peter  Hoff- 
man, Jacob  R.  Sechler,  John  Morrill,  etc.  James  and 
J.  M.  Vincent,  and  Noah  Deuel  located  in  Albion 
Township  ;  Harvey  E.  Brewer  and  William  Horswill 
in  Irving;  Hugh  B.  Mills  in  Manchester;  John  Ed- 
munds built  a  mill  three  miles  below  the  Falls,  and 
Harrison  Burchard,  Dr.  Van  Herset,  R.  D.  Squires,  H. 
A.  Buck,  W.  W.  Buck,  George  F.  Haswell,  J.  V. 
Wells  and  others  located  in  the  village  and  vicinity  in 
1855.  A  stage  line  to  La  Crosse  was  also  started  this 
year,  and  Ledyard  &  Farnam  opened  tiie  largest  stock 
of  goods  ever  brought  to  the  Falls. 

The  county  was  originally  one  town,  that  of  Albion. 


But,  in  1855,  the  apportionment  of  townships  was 
begun,  and  has  since  been  continued  up  to  the  present 
time  as  follows:  .-Vlma  and  Biistol  (now  Melrose)  were 
set  off  Novemljer  16,  1855  ;  Sjiringfield  and  Huelon, 
November  11,  1856;  Irving  changed  from  Spruce  two 
days  later;  Manchester,  March  23,  and  Northfield, 
November  13,  1857 ;  Gordon  Valley,  March  8,  1868  ; 
Millston,  June  20,  1874  ;  Franklin,  February  25,  and 
Sullivan,  December  31,  1878. 

During  1856,  many  of  the  prominent  business  men 
who  identified  themselves  with  the  material  intei'ests 
of  the  village  and  county  began  operations  at  the 
Falls.  S.  W.  Bowman  opened  a  grocery  on  Water 
Street,  in  connection  with  Oliver  Crossett ;  John  and 
H.  D.  Parsons  abandoned  farming  in  Trempealeau 
Valley,  opened  a  stock  of  goods  in  the  "  Emporium 
Store  buildings;"  James  Barber  and  family  re- 
moved to  the  Falls  and  opened  a  dry  goods 
store  ;  Carle  C.  Pope  came  in  May  and  passed  a  season 
in  the  law  ofi&ce  of  Jolinson  &  Price  —  afterward  he 
hung  out  his  shingle,  and  was  subsequently  elected 
District  Attorney  ;  the  Shanghai  House  was  this  year 
"bonifaced"  by  Trudell  &  Austin;  H.  E.  Prickett 
was  proprietor  of  a  drug  and  stationery  store  on  Water 
Street ;  Deacon  A.  J.  Smith  came  in  between  two 
nights  this  season,  but  was  in  later  years  obliged  to 
leave  the  Falls  between  two  days,  to  avoid  personal 
inconvenience  by  reason  of  scandalous  charges  against 
his  moral  character.  J.  V.  Wells,  who  located  here  the 
previous  year,  began  business  in  1856,  as  dealer  in  tin 
and  hardware.  P.  A.  Potter  settled  in  the  county  in 
the  Fall,  and  John  Specht,  Jolin  H.  Clapp  with  his 
family,  Julius  Schur,  the  first  baker,  and  others,  lo- 
cated in  the  village. 

This  season  the  Methodist  church  was  erected,  and 
the  Jackson  County  Banner,  the  first  newspaper  pub- 
lished at  the  Brails,  was  introduced  to  the  public  by 
Charles  Stewart,  its  editor  and  publisher.  The  year 
showed  a  gratifying  increase  in  population,  improve- 
ments, educational,  religious  and  miscellaneous  inter- 
ests, that  were  checked  by  the  panic  which  came  the 
3'ear  following. 

From  1857  to  1865,  the  growth  of  the  county  was 
retarded  by  financial  difficulties,  calamities  in  the 
nature  of  extensive  conflagrations  in  the  villages  and 
loss  of  crops  in  the  country,  by  the  war  and  a  combi- 
nation of  circumstances  against  which  no  defense  could 
have  been  urged.  In  1857,  a  court-house  was  com- 
menced, but  its  completion  estopped  by  a  visitation  of 
the  flames,  in  which  its  destruction  was  complete  and 
irreparable.  This  is  but  one  instance  of  the  embar- 
goes that  were  placed  upon  movements  for  building  up 
and  developing  the  county  and  village.  June  8, 
1858,  the  "Little  Frank,"  Capt.  Robert  Douglass, 
landed  at  Ledyard's  mill,  the  first  steamer  to  arrive  at 
the  Falls.  Yet  there  were  some  who  braved  the  com- 
binations and  began  business  here,  have  since  met 
with  a  success  proportionate  to  their  undertakings. 
Ulrich  Oderbolz  still  operates  the  brewery  he  opened 
that  year,  and  the  Presbyterian  church  then  erected 
still  stands.  But  there  are  few  incidents  and  fewer  facts 
regarding  progress  here  during  these  three  years  than  at 
any  previous  period.  The  arrivals  during  that  time  are 
stated   as    including:    Thomas    Stewart,   Jacob    Post- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


weiler,  P.  Roddy,  Anton  Wemglier,  Frank  Cooper, 
W.  A.  Thomas,  James  Darrow,  R.  G.  Pope,  Stephen 
Richards,  Oliver  Le  Favre  and  others,  most  of  whom 
settled  in  the  village. 

The  population  of  the  county  in  1860  is  stated  at 
4,170,  and  when  the  note  of  war  sounded  in  their  ears, 
one  year  later,  responses  to  calls  for  troops  were  lib- 
eral, and  composed  of  the  type  of  men  who  snatched 
victory  from  the  jaws  of  defeat  on  the  Potomac,  in  the 
Southwest,  at  Nasiiville,  and  with  Sherman  on  his 
march  to  the  sea.  Among  those  who  went  out  under 
the  first  call  was  Capt.  William  Moore,  W.  S.  Darrow, 
S.  A.  Wilcox, .  O'Neill, .  Hussey,  C.  P.  John- 
sou,  C.  Taft,  S.  S.  Story,  D.  Douglass,  J.  Clancy,  C. 
Franse,  C.  Shenck,  P.  Trudell,  E.  Douglass,  James  Con- 
Ian,  R.  Grange,  R.  Squires,  J.  Q.  Conlan,  S.  Kenyon, 
F.  Reitz,  C.  Reitz,  N.  M.  Clapp,  O.  H.  Clapp  and  L. 
Spaulding.  The  county  had  companies  in  the  Fourth, 
Tenth,  Fourteenth,  Fifth,  Thirty-seventh  and  Forty- 
eighth  regiments,  and  the  draft'  was  but  lightly  felt, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  quota  assigned  was,  in  near- 
ly every  instance,  filled. 

During  the  war,  but  little  occurred  to  attract  the 
attention  of  settlers  from  the  great  panorama  which 
was  passing  before  the  world  ;  those  at  the  front  were 
unfamiliar  with  facts  as  they  happened  at  home,  while 
those  at  home  took  no  note  of  time  or  circumstance 
disconnected  with  the  strife  and  struggle  in  progress, 
in  which  nearly  every  citizen  of  the  county  was  di- 
rectly or  indirectly  interested.  Beyond  a  large  dele- 
gation of  Norwegians,  who  came  about  1862,  and  set- 
tled in  Melrose,  Irving,  Franklin  and  Springfield 
townships,  it  is  not  believed  that  many  came  into 
Jackson  during  the  decade  in  which  the  war  was  the 
most  prominent  object.  During  the  past  ten  years, 
the  growth  of  the  county  has  been  gradual,  but  of  a 
character  both  substantial  and  valuable. 

To-day,  with  a  population  of  15,000  and  upward; 
with  a  total  of  615,120  acres  of  land,  of  which  but 
70,000  acres  are  under  cultivation  ;  with  a  water  power 
unsurpassed  in  the  country,  quarries  of  inexhaustible 
resources,  iron  mines  and  excellent  railroad  connec- 
tions, Jackson  County  offers  inducements  that  must  in 
the  near  future  attract  the  multitude. 

The  first  session  of  Court  held  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  Jackson  County  sat  in  a  building  used  for  school 
purposes,  located  a  short  distance  to  the  right  of  Pop- 
ham's  present  stable  site. 

This  was  in  1854.  In  1857,  the  County  Board  con- 
tracted for  the  erection  of  a  Court-house,  on  the  second 
table-land  west  of  the  present  structure.  It  was  ap- 
proaching completion,  all  remaining  to  be  done  was  to 
add  th_e__finishing  touches,  when,  on  the  morning  of  June 
30,  1857,  it  was  discovered  in  flames,  and  before  aid 
could  arrive  to  prevent  its  destruction  the  building  was 
in  ashes.  The  ])urning  of  this  improvement  v,as  the 
work  of  an  incendiary,  and  aroused,  as  well  it  might, 
the  deepest  feelings  of  sorrow  and  indignation  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  A  meeting  of  citizens  was  held 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  at  which  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  report  the  names  of  those  sus- 
pected to  be  implicated,  and  whose  presence  was  dan- 
gerous to  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  village.  The 
committee  reported  the  names  of  Calvin  Young  and 


lady,  Abe  Carr  and  lady,  and  Billy  Smith  and  lady. 
The  latter  male  was  arrested,  taken  to  a  grove  a  mile 
from  the  village  and  twice  strung  up,  with  the  hope 
that  he  would  confess,  but  without  results.  The  par- 
ties warned  immediately  left  the  vicinity,  and  were  no 
more  heard  of. 

Subsequent  to  this  calamity,  buildings  about  the 
village  were  occupied  for  Court  purposes,  until  1862, 
when  a  new  Court-house  and  jail,  the  latter  insecure 
and  unpretentious,  were  erected  near  the  present  county, 
buildings. 

In  1878,  the  Legislature  authorized  the  county  to 
borrow  $20,000  from  the  State  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing a  Court-house.  In  addition  to  that  amount,  the 
County  Board  levied  a  tax  sufiBcient  to  raise  $5,000,  to 
be  used  in  erecting  a  jail.  Work  was  commenced  at 
once,  under  the  direction  of  a  building  committee  com- 
posed of  Hon.  W.  T.  Price,  H.  B.  Cole  and  W.  S.  Dar- 
row, who  returned  a  balance  unexpended  out  of  the 
original  amount  put  into  their  hands.  The  contract 
was  let  to  Nolan  &  Wilcox,  of  Janesville,  who  sub-let 
portions  of  it,  and  completed  the  structures  the  same 
year.  It  is  two  stories  high,  with  a  neat  cupola  ;  of 
cream  brick  ornament,  with  cut  stone  facings.  The 
first  floor  is  used  as  county  ofiices,  the  second  story  be- 
ing devoted  to  the  occupation  of  the  Court  room  proper, 
neat,  cozy,  and  capable  of  being  well  lighted  and  venti- 
lated.    Its  cost,  furnished,  was  il 8,667. 

The  jail  is  two  stories  high,  of  Milwaukee  brick, 
containing  one  set  of  cells  for  female  prisoners,  one  set 
for  insane  persons,  one  set  for  prisoners  of  a  mild  type, 
and  one  set  for  prisoners  of  dangerous  and  violent  dis- 
position. It  is  conceded  by  all  to  be  one  of  the  strong- 
est, neatest  and  most  convenient  jails  in  the  State,  is 
well  ventilated  and  lighted,  and  so  situated  that  inmates 
are  able  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  pure  air  and  sun- 
light, so  necessary  to  those  living  in  confinemeut. 

Jackson  County  has  nothing  more  to  wish  for  in 
respect  to  county  buildings. 

Previous  to  1880,  the  paupers  of  the  county  were 
cared  for  by  the  authorities  of  the  town  wherein  the^' 
were  severally  to  be  found.  In  that  year  a  new  dis- 
pensatiou  was  agreed  upon,  and  in  the  Fall  the  County 
Board  negotiated  the  purchase  of  206  acres  of  land, 
situated  on  Squaw  Creek,  about  two  and  one-half  miles 
west  of  the  village,  from  W.  S.  Darrow,  for  a  consider- 
ation of  $2,500. 

The  improvements  at  that  time  consisted  of  a  sub- 
stantial farm-house,  with  the  out-buildings  usual  to 
similar  enterprises,  and  these  not  being  considered  suf- 
ficient, the  county  erected  an  addition  to  the  main 
house,  in  1881,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000. 

At  present  there  are  four  inmates,  one  of  which  is 
insane,  for  the  support  of  whom  an  average  of  $52  each 
it  is  estimated  will  be  required.  This,  together  with 
$700  paid  the  overseer  annually,  is  derived  in  part  by 
appropriations  by  the  County  Board,  and  in  part  from 
the  product  of  100  acres  of  cleared  land,  which  is  cul- 
tivated.    The  institution  is  in  charge  of  Martin  Clark. 

The  Jackson  County  Agricultural  Society  was  or- 
ganized at  a  meeting  of  citizens  convened  at  tlie  Court- 
house, in  Black  River  Falls,  on  Monday,  July  24, 
1867,  at  which  Hon.  W.  T.  Price  was  elected  presi- 
dent, F.  Simpson,  secretary  ;  J.  V.  Wells,  treasurer. 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY.  403 

and  oue  vice-president  from  each  town  in  the  county,  pulse   and  character  in  every  branch  of  business,  its 

The  association  secured   a  lease  for  ninety-nine  years  influence  permeates  every  grade  of  society  and  it  would 

of  forty  acres  of  land  from  D.  J.  Spaulding,  at  a  nomi-  be  scarcely  more    than  a  pardonable  exaggeration  to 

nal  rental,  upon  whicli  expositions  have  been  annually  assert,    that   secular    and    religious    education   has   a 

held  since  the  year  of  the  society's  organization.  "  piney  "'  flavor  about  it  that  can  be  found  nowhere 

The  present  officers  are  :  W.  T.  Murray,  president ;  else.     It  has  shaped   the  destiny  of  many  men,   who 

B.  J.  Castle,  secretary,  and  J.  H.  Mills,  treasurer.  have  emerged  from  the   surf  of  obscurity  on  its  tidal 
The  Press — The  Press  of  Jackson  County,  though  wave  and  ridden  into  wealth  and  opulence. 

limited  in  some  respects,  exerts  a  healthful  influence  The   logging   and  lumbering   interests  of  Jackson 

for  good,  and  has  been  liberally  patronized  by  the  in-  County  are  confined  to  the  townships  of  Albion,  Alma, 

habitants  since  the   first  journalistic  issue,  now  more  Sullivan  and  Millston,  and  are  conducted  on  the  most 

than  twenty-five  years  ago.  liberal  scale,  principally  by  Trow  &  Co.,  C.  N.  Paine  & 

Early  in  1856,  the  need  of  a  weekly  journal  of  cur-  Co.,   Hayden   &  Smith,   Putnam  &  Owens,  Nichols  & 

rent  events  was  experienced  throughout  the  county,  Co.,  Hugh  B.  Mills,  Elliott  &  Burchard,  Wm.  Oleson, 

and  through  the  efforts  of  Hon.  W.  T.  Price,  who  con-  E.  L.  Brockway  and  Andrew  Sheppard,  severally  of 

tributed  largely  of  his  means  for  that  object,  the  Jack-  Oshkosh,  Sparta,  Juneau  County  and  Black  River  Falls. 

son  County  Banner  was  issued  iu   May,  to  supply  the  The  aggregate  amount  of  lumber  in  the  rough  thus 

demand :  Charles  Stewart  officiated  as  editor  (though  obtained  is  not  less  than  26,000,000  feet,  requiring  the 

C.  C.  Pope,  of  the  Falls,  is  said  to  have  acted  in  that  services  of  400  men,  at  an  average  pay  of  $1  per  day 
capacity  in  limine')  until  the  ensuing  Winter,  when  the  each. 

sheet  was  sold  to  D.  J.  Spaulding  and  F.  O.  Brainerd,  The  following  table,  prepared  by  Senator  Price,  will 

the  latter  being  editor.      This  continued  until  July,  furnish  an  adequate  idea  of  the  immensity  of  the  busi- 

1865,  at  which  date   J.   A.   Watrous  secured  title  to  ness  : 

Spaulding's  moiety,  becoming  sole  owner  in  October  of  Value  of  raw  material,  26,000,000  feet  at  $1.50 per 

the  following  vear  by  the  purchaseof  George  W.Brown  thousand.....      --------- - --.--.$390,000  00 

,1       •,           J     •"    ,^                             111-        1        T?-          1        T  Value  of  same  in  lumber  at  Sio  per  thousand,  less 

the  mterest  in  the  paper  sold  him  by  Bramerd.     In  ^^,„,  „f  ,^„  ^^terial,  or  actual  value  of  the 

December,  1866,  Frank  Cooper  bought  a  half  interest,  wealth  thus  created _ 3,510,000  00 

and  the  morning  after  the  transfer  was  made  a  serious  cost  of  production. 

conflagration  damaged  his  purchase,  its  escape    from  Wages  of  men §120,00000 

total  destruction  being  accomplished  as  the  result  of  Cost  of  supplies,  including  meat,  flour, 

united  endeavor.      In   September,   1869,  Hon.  W.  T.  vegetables  and  groceries 380.000  00 

Price  purchased  Watrous's  share,  the  latter  removing  to  cost  of  creating $500,000  00 

Fond  du  Lac,  and  one  year  later  Cooper  became  sole  

owner.      In   1871,  C.   J.   Cooper  became  associated  as  Net  profit  on  26,000,000  feet  — - ..§3,010.00000 

publisher,  remaining  until  1873,  when  he  retired,  and  All  of  which  cost  of  producing  is  expended  in  the 
was  succeeded  by  George  F.  Cooper,  who  still  partici-  county,  and  $300,000  of  whicii  remains  here.  From 
pates  in  the  profits  of  the  business,  which  is  conducted  which  will  be  seen  the  value  to  the  P'alls  and  surround- 
under  the  firm  name  of  Frank  Cooper  &  Son.  iug  villages,  as  also  to  the  country  at  large,  is  some- 

The  Banner  enjoyed  the  field   without  opposition  thing  almost  beyond  belief, 

until  1875,  when  the  Independent,  which  had  been  es-  To  speak  of  the  immense  army  of  men  and  teams 

tablished  at  Viroqua,  in  1872,  by  T.  C.  Ankeney,  was  with  their  logging  supplies,  that  will  soon  throng  the 

removed  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  its  publication  be-  great  thoroughfares  to  the  pinery  regions,  is  to  mention 

gun.    On  May  5,  1877,  the  WVscoMsm  Leader  was  issued  a  single  item   in  the  great  enterprise  of   lumbering, 

at  Merrillan  by  B.  J.  Castle,  who  conducted  its  publi-  From  daylight  till  dark  this  prodigious  outlay  of  ani- 

cation  alone  for  six  months,  when  R.  H.  Gile  became  mal  and  human  physical  force  is  kept  up  with  uninter- 

a  partner.     The  same  year  Ankeney  sold  the  Independ-  riipted  flow,  when  the   woods  are  abandoned  to   the 

ent  to  F.  J.  Bowman,  and  on  June  29,  181 8,  Castle  dis-  howling  wolves  that  haunt  this  peculiar  field  of  civili- 

posing  of  his  interest  in  the  Leader  to  Gile,  purchased  zation. 

the /ntieji^ewieni,  and  thenceforward  officiated  as  editor  BLACK  RIVER  FALLS, 
and  publisher,  in  which  capacities  he  is  at  present  bus- 
ily engaged.      All  these  papers  are  Republican  in  poll-  ^''^*=  settlement  of  Black  River  Falls  as  a  village  is  so 
tics.  closely  allied  with  that  of  Jackson  County  that  it  is  difficult 

In  1880,  another  journal  was  added  to  the  list,  the  to  describe  the  line  of  demarkation  which  divides  the  one 

■Jackson  County   Democrat,  by  T.  F.  Holliday,  a  hand-  from  the  other.     It  was  here  that  the   first  landing-place 

somely  printed  and   newsy  paper.  Democratic  in  poll-  was  made  by  adventurous  men  thirty-two  years  ago  in  search 

tics,  and  giving  evidence  of  the  care  that  is  bestowed  of  homes  and  wealth.     It  was  here  that  a  few  years  later, 

upon  Its  weekly  issue.  woman  came  to  shed  her  blessed  influence,  to  encourage, 

LOGGING   AND  LUMBERING.  console  and  assist  the  opposite  sex  in  their  pursuit  of  these 

Actual  observation  is  necessary  to  give  even  a  tol-  o^J^cts.     Here  her  life  was  like  a  Summer's  day,  made  up 

erable  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  lumbering  interests  of  bright  things  only.    Here,  amid  the  warm  depths  of  azure 

in  the  Northwest.    The  capital,  talent,  energy  and  mus-  skies  where  merry  birds  afloat  on  waves  of  sunshine  poured 

cular  force  employed  is  immense,  aside  from  the  enor-  out  their  sweetest  songs,  she  baptized  the  world  in  which 

mous  amounts  invested  in  machinery.     It  has  given  ini-  she  lived,  with  melody.      Here  she  walked  with  morning  in 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  dewey  paths  that  led  through  nature's  fairest  haunts ; 
here  she  laid  her  hand  on  all  things  loveablc.  Where 
meadow-lands  now  lie  basking  in  the  sun ;  where  clover- 
blossoms  shake  their  fragrance  out  on  every  passing  breeze, 
flavoring  the  air  with  sweetness  and  delight,  she  was  wont 
to  go.  Where  laughing  brook  leaps  from  its  shady  hiding- 
place,  low  nestled  in  among  cool  grasses  growing  in  the 
dusky  woods,  where  lilies  leaned  their  wondering  faces  over 
the  brink,  where  weeping  willows  trailed  their  slender  hands 
within  the  wave  and  then  went  loitering  along  its  winding 
way,  babbling  music  as  it  went,  her  footsteps  could  be 
traced.  Her  influence  was  everywhere  for  good,  and  to- 
day her  works  do  follow  after.  After  all,  her  life  was  not  a 
dreary  Summer's  day,  but  when  she  laid  aside  her  weary 
task  and  out  across  the  "all  srolden  afternoon."  she  walked 


intervening  valleys.  No  weariness  can  come  to  one's  sense 
of  sight  or  sound  in  a  land  like  this,  where  sound  is  full  of 
rhythm  and  every  scene  a  poem.  If  there  are  those  who  are 
indiff"erent  to  the  spectacle  and  sigh  for  what  they  have  not, 
they  forget  that  in  what  they  have  there  is  enough  of  beauty 
to  fill  the  measure  of  a  fully  rounded  life. 

"History,"  says  an  old  authority,  "is  the  record  of 
wrecked  deeds  and  misfortunes,"  and  the  experience  of 
residents  at  Black  River  Falls  for  the  first  half  of  the  decade 
beginning  at  i860  would  seem  to  confirm  the  truth  of  this 
apothegmatic  assumption.  By  this  time  the  village  was, 
in  form  and  appearance,  rapidly  becoming  metropolitan  in 
appearance.  The  original  town  plat  had  been  laid  out  as 
early  as  1854,  by  Price  &  Rublee,  and  was  followed  by  that 
of  Jacob  Spaulding,  W.  L.  Mason,  D.  J.  Spaulding,  J.  Cole- 


on  and  on  into  her  Father's  open  arms,  there  fell  upon  her 
brow  the  sister  kiss  of  Heaven's  happiest  angel. 

God  bless  those  pioneers,  men  and  women  who  left  an 
heritage  of  jjriceless  value. 

The  village,  with  a  population  of  500  in  i860,  now  boasts 
of  2,000.  It  is  situated  at  the  Rapids  of  Black  River,  the 
capital  of  the  county  and  one  of  the  foremost  towns  of 
Northern  Wisconsin.  The  business  portion  of  the  village 
is  on  a  plateau,  twenty  feet  above  the  river,  while  the  court- 
house, high-school,  churches  and  residences  are  on  a  com- 
manding table-land  100  feet  above  the  river  bank.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  grand  ridges  of  trap  rock  are  to 
be  seen,  surrounded  with  weird  rocky  castles  and  towers 
that  command  the  loveliest  landscapes  for  miles  in  every 
direction.  The  musical  murmuring  of  waters  breaking  the 
river's  rocky  bed  is  an  appropriate  accompaniment  to  the 
wilderness  of  scenery  that  surrounds  this  beautiful  village. 
Farther  out  are  long  ranges  of  wooded  hills  and  charming 


man,  J.  Stickney,  Knapp  &  McLaughlin  and  Knapp  & 
Williamson.  Water  street  was  compactly  built,  the  improve- 
ments, however,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events,  proving 
to  be  the  sources  of  almost  infinite  ruin.  Main  street,  too, 
from  Water  to  Mason  streets,  was  equally  as  pleasing  to  the 
eye  of  the  visitor  and  resident,  and  Main  street,  too,  paid 
tribute  to  the  flames  while  yet  the  year  was  young.  On  the 
table  land  to  the  rear  of  the  village  center,  private  resi- 
dences, surrounded  by  yards  in  which  Flora  and  good  taste 
combined,  began  to  appear  at  briefer  intervals,  while  beyond 
were  soberer  realms,  wherein,  during  the  russet  season  of 
the  year,  the  dull  thunder  of  alternate  flails  sent  down  the 
air  a  greeting  to  the  mills  as  they  ground  their  grists.  All 
nature  smiled  upon  the  scene,  and  the  cunning  hand  of  man 
adapted  itself  to  the  building  up  and  decorating  what,  in 
those  days,  promised  to  outstrip  its  youth  and  attain  man- 
hood as  a  thriving,  wealthy  city.  This  was  the  condition 
of  affairs  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  March,  i860,  when 


HISTORY  OF   lACKSON  COUNTY. 


the  hand  of  the  incendiary  touched  the  business  portion  of 
the  town  with  the  torch  of  assassination,  and  in  one  night 
laid  seven-eighths  of  the  village  in  ashes.  The  fire  began 
in  a  bowling  alley,  on  Main  street,  near  the  present  site  of 
the  Red  Store,  and  driven  in  all  directions  by  the  hurricane 
of  wind  that  was  blowing,  swept  everything  before  it.  No 
one  can  realize  the  horrors  of  that  night,  nor  the  scene  of 
gloom  which  greeted  the  gaze  of  citizens  with  the  dawn  of 
day,  when  the  sun,  peeping  through  the  daze  and  smoke 
and  desolation  that  was  heaped  up  full  and  running  over, 
on  places  that  but  twelve  hours  previous  rejoiced  in  the 
evidences  of  man's  handiwork.  Every  house  on  Water 
street,  and  every  house  on  Main  street,  except  the  Pophani 
Hotel  and  the  building  opposite,  now  occupied  by  P. 
Roddy,  was  burned,  and  the  territory  thence  to  the  river 
was  devoted  to  vacancy. 

The  guilty  party  was  never  apprehended,  though  his 
identity  was  believed  to  have  been  established.  It  was 
asserted  that  the  crime  grew  out  of  the  troubles  between 
Spaulding  and  the  Woods,  relative  to  title  to  the  property 
burned  over,  and  that  the  author  of  this  destruction  re- 
ceived $10,000  for  the  part  he  played  in  the  action  thus  in- 
stituted to  quiet  title.  He  remained  here  but  a  short  time 
after  the  event,  and  when  last  heard  of  was  residing  some- 
where in  Minnesota. 

Notwithstanding  this  fearful  blow  to  the  business  inter- 
ests, nearly  all  the  sufferers  manifested  a  disposition  to  re- 
build. A  new  survey  of  the  village  plat  was  made,  by 
which  new  streets  were  laid  out,  and  those  already  appro- 
priated improved  by  widening  and  lengthening.  The 
effects  of  the  fire  were  contrary  to  what  it  was  anticipated 
they  would  be.  A  new  start  was  taken,  and  the  village 
seemed,  Antsus  like,  to  gather  strength  with  defeat.  New 
comers,  with  brains  and  capital  to  consult  their  direction, 
came  to  the  front,  and  the  "  burnt  district  "  was  speedily 
rebuilt  with  a  new  and  better  class  of  structures,  while  im- 
provements at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of  the  conflagra- 
tion were  of  a  superior  order.  Business  renewed  its  vitality 
and  grew  in  strength  with  each  succeeding  day,  and  the 
population  kept  pace  with  the  times,  until,  on  January  i, 
1861,  1,000  inhabitants  were  claimed  for  Black  River  Falls. 

Then  came  the  war,  and  an  age  intervened  when  the 
graces  and  amenities  of  civilized  life  were  ignored  for  the 
signal  sounds  of  strife  and  battle's  magnificently  stern  array. 
A  large  delegation  was  taken  from  the  village  to  serve  in  all 
branches  of  the  army,  the  first  year  of  the  struggle,  and 
each  succeeding  levy  gradually  drained  the  vicinity  of  very 
much  of  the  enterprise  and  public  spirit  which  had  come  in 
and  manifested  its  presence  by  works  in  later  years.  As  a 
consequence,  improvements  for  the  period  between  the  fir- 
ing upon  Fort  Sumter  and  the  surrender  at  Appomattox 
were  neither  numerous,  costly  nor  architecturally  elaborate. 
The  same  is  to  be  remembered  with  reference  to  the  advent 
of  future  citizens,  neither  were  they  numerous  or  valuable, 
save,  of  course,  in  exceptional  instances.  The  village,  as 
will  be  readily  conceded,  escaped  remarkable  growth  or 
development.     This    continued   for    the   ensuing  ten  years 


almost  without  variation.  In  1872,  some  limited  building 
was  undertaken,  and  during  this  "  spurt  "  of  progress  a 
court-house  and  jail  were  built  upon  the  first  bench  or  table 
land  on  Main  street,  going  west  from  the  river;  also,  a 
school-house,  with  accommodations  for  seventy  pupils. 
This  was  a  creditable  undertaking,  but  the  county  buildings, 
which  cost  $2,1500,  are  represented  as  having  been  decidedly 
"  off,"  particularly  the  jail.  This  was  made  of  pine  plank 
bolted  together,  and  the  price  paid  for  it,  $300,  was,  con- 
sidering its  deficiencies,  regarded  as  a  piece  of  outrageous 
extravagance.  Its  accommodations  were  so  ridiculously 
insufficient  that  the  major  portion  of  the  prisoners  refused 
to  remain,  leaving  during  the  night  through  the  side  of  the 
building,  a  window,  or  by  lifting  the  door  from  its  hinges. 
The  grand  juries  used  occasionally  to  inveigh  against  it, 
but  the  jail  remained  intact,  so  far  as  its  substitution  was 
concerned,  until  the  erection  of  the  present  edifice,  in  1878. 
After  the  war,  the  accessions  to  the  population  were 
gradual.  There  was  no  rush  to  the  village,  as  might  have 
been  anticipated  with  regard  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  was 
realized  in  other  parts  of  the  West.  Occasionally  a  build- 
ing went  up,  but  in  every  instance  was  of  frame,  and  it  was 
not  until  some  years  later  that  brick  became  a  substitute, 
though  it  is  now  coming  into  more  general  use.  The  second 
plateau  contained,  it  is  estimated,  about  a  dozen  residences. 
Since  then,  that  locality  has  been  resolved  into  a  village  of 
tasteful,  elegant  homes.  Indeed,  what  has  been  quoted  in 
connection  with  the  growth  of  the  county  applies  equally 
to  the  village.  Some  came  in,  it  is  true;  but  few  remained, 
and  those  few  have  led  lives  both  devoid  of  enterprise  and 
prominence.  There  was  always  in  the  Spring  and  Fall  a 
floating  population  of  lumbermen,  raftsmen,  etc.,  but  none 
of  them  stayed  beyond  the  period  of  service  in  the  lumber 
regions,  or  sufficiently  long  in  the  village  to  acquire  the 
rights  of  citizenship.  In  1865,  Drs.  B.  J.  Baxter  and  H. 
B.  Cole  settled  at  the  Falls,  and  began  the  practice  of  med- 
icine. They  were  followed  during  the  succeeding  year  by 
J.  W.  and  F.  W.  Cole,  who  established  a  drug  house  under 
the  firm  name  of  J.  W.  Cole  &  Co.  They  also  engaged  in 
the  jewelry  business,  and  take  the  lead  in  their  line  of 
specialties.  In  the  latter  year,  the  village  was  duly  incor- 
porated by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  the  Town  Supervis- 
ors being  ex  officio  Village  Trustees.  Since  its  organization 
there  would  be  no  extravagance  in  the  statement,  that  a 
better  governed  or  more  orderly  community,  or  a  locality 
where  there  is  less  crime  committed  by  the  same  number  of 
people  on  any  lumbering  stream  in  the  State.  The  people 
decided  some  years  ago  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  liquors  in 
the  village,  and  this  prohibition  has  worked  an  infinite  good. 
Crime  is  an  unknown  quantity  and  inebriates  unknown 
factors  in  the  make-up  of  life  at  the  Falls.  Poverty  is  no- 
where apparent,  but  in  its  stead  the  smiling  face  of  thrift 
and  prosperity  is  seen  in  the  homes  of  citizens.  To  no  one 
are  the  citizens  more  obligated  for  this  condition  of  affairs 
than  to  Hon.  William  T.  Price,  who  has  labored  with  all  the 
zeal  of  a  nature  enlisted  forever  in  the  cause  of  temper- 
ance. 


4o6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


In  1868,  the  Universalist  Church  was  completed,  and  in 
1869,  the  precedent  thus  established  was  availed  of  by  the 
Baptists  to  erect  a  house  of  worsliip.  In  the  former  year 
D.  J.  Spaulding  erected  a  block  of  brick  buildingson  South 
Water  street,  adjoining  Town  Creek,  comprising  three 
stores  below  and  a  hotel  above,  known  as  the  "Spaulding 
House."  It  was  the  first  brick  structure  in  the  village,  and 
cost  $25,000;  in  1S70  it  went  up  in  smoke  by  the  hands  of 
an  incendiary,  but  was  rebuilt  the  same  year  on  a  larger 
and  more  e.xtended  scale  after  an  outlay  of  $30,000.  It 
still  stands,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  attractive  blocks  in 
the  western  tier  of  Wisconsin  counties.  The  ground  floor 
is  used  for  commercial  purposes  and  there  are  but  few  stores 
in  the  State  more  conveniently  arranged  or  generously  fur- 
nished. 

Two  years  previous  the  foundry  of  T.  C.  Hussey  was 
established,  since  when  the  manufacturing  resources  of  the 
village  have  been  liberally  cultivated  and  largely  developed. 
The  most  important  and  interesting  event  of  this  period, 
however,  was  the  railroad  celebration,  consequent  upon  the 
completion  to  the  Falls  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad. 
It  occurred  in  December,  1868,  and  was  appropriately  re- 
cognized as  an  episode  in  the  life  of  the  town.  To  Judge 
Price  belongs  the  credit  of  this  enterprise,  as  much  at 
least  as  any  other  man,  who  was  instrumental  in  procuring 
the  needed  legislation,  right  of  way  and  county  aid  neces- 
sary to  secure  the  building  of  the  road,  and  his  active  ex- 
ertions were  in  part  recognized  by  the  stockholders  who 
elected  him  president  of  the  corporation. 

The  next  year  Bump's,  or  the  Masonic  Block,  was  erected 
on  Main  street.  It  is  of  brick,  quite  commodious,  and  an 
ornament  to  the  thoroughfare  upon  which  it  stands.  The 
ground  floor  is  occupied  for  commercial  purposes,  the 
second  floor  for  halls  and  offices  and  the  third  story  is  the 
Masonic  hall.  Originally  the  second  floor  was  devoted  to 
hall  uses,  with  a  capacity  for  seating  an  audience  of  400, 
but  this  was  subsequently  altered  to  supply  other  needs. 
The  building  cost  $30,000. 

In  1870  occurred  the  Spaulding  block  fire,  as  already 
cited,  and  in  the  Winter  the  village  authorities  organized  a 
fire  department,  at  the  same  time  contracting  for  the  Holly 
system  of  water  works,  since  the  completion  of  which,  has 
been,  twice,  without  doubt,  saved  from  destruction  by 
flames.  To  this  improvement  should  be  added  the  comple- 
tion and  dedication  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  as  the 
the  years  advanced  a  spirit  of  jjrogress  in  harmony  with 
the  times  has  seemed  to  possess  the  citizens  utterly.  A 
superior  class  of  buildings,  where  buildings  have  gone  up, 
has  been  the  rule,  and  private  residences,  equal  to  those  to 
be  seen  in  more  pretentious  municipalities,  with  surround- 
ings of  a  character  in  which  city  and  country  have  been 
happily  blended,  have  taken  the  place  of  rude  structures, 
the  primitive  times  of  the  village  gave  birth  to.  Tlie  same 
year  the  high-school,  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other 
village  in  Wisconsin  of  equal  wealth  and  pojJLilation,  was 
built,  and  the  advantages  in  an  educational  sense  here 
offered   are  nowlicrc  su|)erior.     It  is   tiiree   stories  high,  of 


imposing  design,  and  being  located  on  one  of  the  most 
commanding  sites  in  the  village,  is  the  first  building  at  the 
Falls  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  stranger. 

These  evidences  of  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  village 
inspired  citizens  to  renewed  exertions,  and  as  a  conse(iuence, 
the  Albion  Mills,  .Spaulding's  carriage  factory  and  planing 
mill,  with  other  undertakings  of  a  similar  character,  were 
conceived  and  brought  forth.  Business  continued  to  grow 
in  volume,  logging  and  milling  were  carried  on  with  in- 
creased vigor,  capital  was  made  to  pay  tribute  by  invest- 
ments and  other  features  of  excellence  w-ere  visible  at 
nearly  every  point  within  a  radius  of  several  miles  of  the 
Falls.  The  schools,  manufactories,  and  residences  were 
supplemented  by  the  erection  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
this  by  the  advent  of  men  of  intellect  and  brain  who  "  came 
to  slay,"  adding  their  mite  to  the  general  fund  of  intelli- 
gence and  enterprise,  and  soon  taking  rank  with  those  ad- 
vanced in  the  professional,  commercial,  mechanical  and 
other  walks  of  daily  life.  The  Banner  after  nearly  twenty 
years  of  undivided  possession  of  the  journalistic  field 
yielded  that  possession  in  its  entirety  to  a  new  venture  in 
the  newspaper  world  of  Black  River  Falls.  That  venture 
was  the  Independent,  established  about  1876,  by  F.  C.  An- 
keny,  and  now  owned  and  controlled  by  Byron  J.  Castle. 
Latterly  the  twain  welcomed  the  advent  of  the  Democrat, 
introduced  by  J.  F.  HoUister,  and  since  1S80,  a  trinity  of 
political  creeds  have  severally  sought  recognition  and  pat- 
ronage. 

Among  the  principal  arrivals  for  the  past  decade,  were  : 
A.  C.  Farnsworth  and  H.  M.  Thompson,  attorneys  ;  W.  R. 
O'Hearn,  banker;  F.  C.  Ankeny,  B.  J.  Castle  and  T.  F. 
Hollister,  representatives  of  the  Fourth  Estate ;  E.  F. 
Long,  dentist ;  J.  R.  Chapman,  Samuel  Freeman,  Henry 
Lake  and  Jacob  Popham,  hotel  proprietors ;  A.  E.  Sawyer, 
H.  Nelson,  N.  A.  Botcheller  and  W.  J.  Thompson,  mer- 
chants ;  J.  .\.  Eckern,  jeweler;  A.  Mohnsen  and  S.  Nom- 
dahl,  tailors,  with  others  of  various  trades  and  occupations 
added.  All  have  located  at  the  Falls  permanently,  and  all 
have  made  improvements  of  a  substantial  and  in  some  cases 
expensive  character.  During  the  past  ten  years  much  has 
been  accomplished  in  nearly  every  direction  to  indicate  the 
mettle  of  men  who  have  contributed  to  the  promotion  of 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  Falls.  The  village 
bears  the  impress  of  their  labors  and  the  country  round 
about  rejoices  in  the  results  of  their  handiwork.  Public  high- 
ways have  been  opened  and  rendered  perfect  so  far  as  in- 
dustry and  public  demand  required ;  elegant  churches  and 
school  buildings,  first  finding  expression  in  the  village,  are 
duplicated  all  over  the  county,  and  all  the  elements  of  prog- 
ress, comfort,  convenience  and  the  refinements  of  Chris- 
tian civilization  are  cultivated  to  the  highest  standard. 

Within  five  years  a  handsomely  arranged  building  of 
brick  for  banking  purposes  has  been  completed,  also  an 
opera  house,  or  hall  for  the  accommodation  of  dramatics, 
lecturers,  fairs,/c/<f.f  and  the  like,  has  been  completed.  It  is 
located  on  Main  street  in  the  most  central  jiortion  of  the 
village,  is  one  story   higli,   easy  of  access,   furnished   with 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


407 


stage,  scenery,  etc.,  and  will  comfortably  seat  an  audience 
of  over  300. 

In  conclusion  it  can  no  less  than  be  conceded  that  the 
Falls  and  Jackson  County,  the  interests  of  which  are  in- 
separable, offer  inducements  to  become  part  of  their  being. 
There  is  free  scope  for  all  energies,  advantages  which  can 
not  be  monopolized  by  the  few  are  open  to  all,  and  the 
opinion  is  ventured  that  when  these  facts  are  more  gener- 
ously disseminated  among  those  who  are  seeking  eligible 
sites  for  homes  in  the  West,  the  reapers  who  will  rejoice  at 
the  bountiful  harvest,  will  increase  beyond  reasonable  an- 
ticipation. 

Educational . — The  first  school  taught  in  Jackson  County 
was  in  a  frame  addition  to  Spaulding's  boarding-house  dur- 
ing the  Summer  of  1847.  C.  R.  Johnson  was  the  peda- 
gogue, and  he  prepared  the  way  for  the  future  instruction 
of  fourteen  pupils,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  settlers  in  the 
embryo  village.  Mr.  Johnson  remained  one  term,  when  he 
joined  the  army  of  invasion  of  Mexico,  and  scholastic  ex- 
ercises were  suspended  until  his  return  in  1S50,  when  he 
resumed  operations  in  a  log  house  on  the  bottom.  The 
next  school  was  a  frame  one,  near  the  corner  of  Mason  and 
Brainard  streets,  still  standing  at  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Brainard,  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Anton  Cuber.  This 
was  used  until  1858,  when  I.  S.  Mason  erected  a  two-story 
school-house  on  Mason  street,  two  blocks  above  Main  street. 
This  building  cost  $1,000,  but  is  now  occupied  as  a  Nor- 
wegian boarding-house.  In  the  meantime,  the  village  was 
divided  into  two  districts,  and  about  i860,  additional  ac- 
commodations being  necessary,  another  school  edifice  was 
built  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Eighth  streets.  In 
1S71,  the  districts  were  consolidated  and  the  present  brick 
structure  commenced.  The  same  was  completed  and  ready 
for  occupation  in  December  of  the  year  in  which  its  foun- 
dations were  laid.  It  is  of  brick,  60  x  So,  three  stories  high, 
with  a  mansard  roof.  It  was  designed  by  W.  H.  J.  Nich- 
olls,  of  La  Crosse,  and  built  under  the  supervision  of  Will- 
iam Van  Hoosear,  of  Black  River  Falls.  The  cost  of  the 
site,  building  and  furnishing  was  $30,000. 

The  building  is  divided  into  eight  departments,  viz.: 
kindergarten,  first  and  second  primary,  first  and  second  in- 
termediate, first  and  second  grammar,  and  high,  furnishing 
employment  to  nine  teachers  and  enjoying  an  average  an- 
nual attendance  of  350  scholars. 

The  cost  of  conducting  the  school  is  estimated  at 
$5,000  per  annum,  and  the  present  Board  is  made  up  of  C. 
F.  .Ainsworth,  Director;  H.  B.  Cole,  Treasurer;  and  R.  C. 
Jones,  Clerk. 

Black  River  Falls  Library  Association  was  established 
late  in  the  '60 's,  when  it  was  known  as  the  Young  Men's 
Literary  Association,  with  a  library  of  500  volumes.  The 
society  was  re-organized  October  14,  1872,  with  J.  C.  Hus- 
sey,  president;  W.  S.  Barrow,  vice-president;  and  E.  Le 
Claire,  secretary.  Since  that  date,  books  have  been  added 
to  the  library  from  time  to  time  until  now  there  are  1,600 
volumes.  Residents  of  the  village  enjoy  access  to  the  li- 
brary, which  is  supported   by  a  tax   of  one  mill  per  annum 


on  the  taxable  property  of  Black  River  Falls.  The  presen* 
officers  are  :  C.  R.  Johnson,  president ;  B.  J.  Castle,  secre- 
tary and  librarian  ;  also  a  Board  of  nine  directors,  elected 
annually.     The  library  property  is  valued  at  $3,500. 

The  Black  River  Falls  Dramatic  Society  was  organized 
August  I,  iSSi,  with  twelve  members.  The  object  is  a 
Winter's  entertainment,  but  at  present  writing  no  officers 
have  been  elected. 

The  Fire  Department  w&s  organized  May  20,  1872,  when 
W.  S.  Darrow  was  elected  foreman,  J.  W.  Dewey,  assist- 
ant foreman  and  Milo  Merrill,  secretary.  The  department 
originally  embraced  a  hose  company,  to  which,  however,  a 
hook  and  ladder  organization  was  subsequently  added,  an 
engine  house  erected,  and  sufficient  apparatus  obtained  to 
promise  security  against  the  ravages  of  what  has  proved  to 
have  been  an  implacable  foe  to  the  growth  and  progress  of 
Black  River  Falls.  The  department  now  numbers  thirty 
members,  officered  as  follows:  F.  Bartlet,  foreman;  A.  Er- 
rickson  and  C.  K.  Schenk,  assistants ;  W.  J.  Thompson, 
secretary;  and  J.  B.  Elmore,  treasurer.  Department  prop- 
erty is  valued  at  $3,000.  \Vater  is  supplied  by  the  Holly 
system. 

Religious. —  Methodist  Ei)iscopal  Church. —  In  1847, 
about  fifteen  citizens  of  Black  River  Falls  united  their  ef- 
forts for  the  purpose  of  building  a  church  and  parsonage. 
The  logs  were  cut  and  arrangements  completed,  by  which 
an  edifice,  16  x  20,  was  erected  the  same  season.  It  was 
completed  after  considerable  trouble,  but  not  until  Hon. 
W.  T.  Price  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  put  on  all  the 
necessary  finishing  touches.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Wood  was  the 
first  minister,  and  was  followed  by  a  Mr.  Snow,  the  Rev. 
Jesse  Pardner  and  others.  In  1856,  the  society  became 
strong  enough  to  erect  a  new  edifice,  and  the  present  church 
building,  of  frame,  30  x  40,  with  a  capacity  for  seating  a 
congregation  of  400,  was  built  on  Terrace  street.  In  1863, 
this  house  of  worship  was  re-modeled  and  improved,  and  is 
to-day  one  of  the  most  convenient  and  accessible  church 
edifices  in  the  village.  The  present  congregation  numbers 
about  100,  and  the  Rev.  Elbridge  Bradford  is  the  pastor  in 
charge. 

Presbyterian  Church  was  first  organized  as  the  Congre- 
gational Church  by  Rev.  Warren  Bigelow,  in  1855.  In  1858 
the  little  church  now  occupied  by  the  Episcopalians  was 
completed  and  occupied.  In  1862,  Mr.  Bigelow  removed 
to  Minnesota,  and  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
begins  from  this  date.  The  latter  was  organized  by  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Presbytery  of  Chippewa,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph 
G.  Wells  assumed  charge.  The  present  church  edifice  on 
Main  street  was  commenced  in  1867  and  dedicated  in  No- 
vember, 1870,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  McNally,  of  Winona,  preach- 
ing the  sermon.  From  March  to  August,  1873,  the  church 
pastorate  was  vacant,  but  in  the  latter  year  the  Rev.  D.  B. 
Jackson  was  formally  installed  the  first  regular  minister  the 
society  had  employed.  At  present  the  church  is  without  a 
pastor,  though  services  are   held  at  intervals   by  transients. 

St.  Albans  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  first  organ- 
ized in  1 87 1,  through  the   efforts  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dorsett, 


4o8 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


pastor  of  the  diocese  of  La  Crosse.  The  following  year, 
the  society  purchased  the  Congregational  Church  edifice  on 
Main  street,  and  for  some  time  after  was  in  a  prosperous 
condition.  This  continued  until  about  1873,  when  the  or- 
ganization lapsed  and  so  continued  until  1877,  when  its  re- 
organization was  effected  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Ross,  and 
has  yearly  grown  in  strength  and  importance.  The  present 
members  number  twenty,  and  services  are  held  alternate 
Sundays,  morning  and  evening. 

First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  August  15,  1858,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  sect,  convened  at  the  residence  of  J.  L. 
Loomis,  when  twelve  members  signed  the  roster,  and  P. 
Brown  was  elected  deacon,  with  J.  L.  Loomis  clerk  of  the 
society.  Services  were  first  held  in  the  residences  of  mem- 
bers and  so  continued  until  1868,  when  the  present  church 
on  Main  street,  west  of  the  Court-house,  was  completed  at 
a  cost  of  $1,500,  and  taken  possession  of.  At  present,  the 
society  has  thirty-eight  members  and  belongs  to  the  La 
Crosse  Valley  Baptist  Association,  with  the  Rev.  D.  G. 
Catchpole,  pastor. 

Universalist  Church. — The  Universalist  Society  of  Black 
River  Falls  was  informally  organized  in  the  Fall  of  1869, 
when  the  church  edifice  was  built.  In  the  Spring  of  1870, 
the  organization  was  perfected,  with  ten  members,  through 
the  efforts  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Donley.  Since  that  date  until 
January  i,  1881,  the  church  has  been  active,  with  a  regular 
pastor  and  numerous  congregation.  At  present,  there  is 
neither  pastor  nor  regular  services.  The  church  property 
s  valued  at  igi.600. 

Norwegian  Lutheran  Church. — The  society  which  be- 
came the  nucleus  of  this  Church  organization  was  gathered 
together  in  1867,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frick, 
of  La  Crosse,  and  consisted  of  six  families.  For  years  the 
members  worshiped  in  unoccupied  churches  and  the  school- 
house,  but,  in  1876,  erected  the  present  church  edifice  at  a 
cost  of  $3,000.  Since  then  it  has  been  occupied  by  the  con- 
gregation, which  now  numbers  eighteen  families,  on  alternate 
Sabbaths.  The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  H.  Hokonson,  and 
the  value  of  church  property  is  placed  at  $3,500. 

The  Auxiliary  Bible  Society  of  Black  River  Falls  was 
first  organized  in  1S54,  but  re-organized,  and  a  constitution 
adopted  December  8,  1865,  with  branches  at  Manchester, 
Irving,  Melrose,  Hueton,  Alma,  Green  Valley,  North  Bend 
and  Merrillan.  The  first  officers  were  D.  J.  Spaulding,  pres- 
ident ;  F.  O.  Brainard,  vice-president ;  J.  A.  Watrous,  sec- 
retary, and  R.  C.  Bryant,  treasurer ;  W.  T.  Price,  J.  R. 
Hoffman  and  S.  F.  S.  Wason,  directors.  Since  that  date,  the 
society  has  to  some  extent  lapsed,  and  at  present  is  regarded 
as  enduring  a  passive  existence.  The  officers  now  are  J.  C. 
Hussey,  president ;  D.  J.  Spaulding,  vice-president;  H.  L. 
Cutts,  secretary,  and  W.  C.  Jones,  treasurer.  H.  C.  Arnold, 
Joseph  Winter  and  W.  T.  Murray,  directors. 

Black  River  Falls  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  organ- 
ized, it  is  believed,  during  the  year  1857,  through  the  labors 
of  the  Rev.  Father  Kerrigan,  a  devout  minister  of  the  faith, 
formerly  from  Eau  Claire.  Services  were  held  at  occasional 
intervals  in  the  private  residences  of  members  of  the  soci- 


ety, until  1871,  when  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $1,600.  Since  that  day  the  mission  has  increased 
in  numbers,  and  is  now  one  of  the  largely  attended  places 
of  worship  in  the  village.  Services  are  now  conducted 
semi-monthly  by  the  Rev.  Father  Morse,  and  the  congrega- 
tion is  composed  of  fifty  families. 

Societies. — Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
was  chartered  June  12,  1856,  with  nine  members,  and  offi- 
cers as  follows:  E.  S.  Crossett,  W.  M.;  W.  T.  Price,  S.  W. 
and  J.  R.  Crossett,  J.  W.  Since  that  date  the  membfrship 
has  increased  to  seventy,  and  the  lodge  is  in  a  highly  satis- 
factory condition.  The  present  officers  are  J.  J.  McGillivray, 
W.  M. ;  W.  C.  Arnold,  S.  W.  ;  C.  F.  Ainsworth,  J.  W.  ;  G. 
M.  Perry,  S.  D.  ;  W.  C.  Jones,  J.  D.  ;  T.  B.  Elmore,  secre- 
tary, and  John  H.  Mills,  treasurer.  Meetings  are  held  on 
the  first  and  third  Friday  evenings  of  each  month. 

Black  River  Falls  Lodge,  No.  41,  R.  A.  M.,  was  organ- 
ized January  18,  187 1,  by  the  election  of  C.  C.  Pope,  H.  P. ; 
H.  B.  Cole,  king,  and  W.  S.  Darrow,  scribe.  The  present 
officers  are  A.  LeClaire,  H.  P.  ;  H.  B.  Cole,  king,  and  Sam- 
uel Freeman,  scribe.  The  present  members  are  stated  at 
sixty,  and  meetings  are  convened  semi-monthly,  on  the  sec- 
ond and  fourth  Friday  evenings. 

Black  River  Falls  Council,  No.  40,  was  instituted  Febru- 
ary 24,  1881,  and  has  but  few  members  at  present,  with  the 
following  officers:  A.  LeClaire,  T.  I.  M.  ;  H.  B.  Cole,  D. 
M.,  and  Samuel  Freeman,  P.  C.  W. 

Albion  Lodge,  No.  134,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  chartered  Jan- 
uary 16,  1868,  with  full  membership  and  the  following  offi- 
cers: H.  J.  Holmes,  N.  G.;  George  C.  Perry,  V.  G. ;  D.W. 
C.  Osborn,  R.  S.  ;  E.  O.  Jones,  P.  S.,  and  A.  Le  Claire, 
treasurer.  The  lodge  has  prospered,  both  in  numbers  and 
influence,  and  is  now  the  leading  lodge  of  the  order  in 
Jackson  County.  The  present  members  number  fifty,  and 
the  officers  are  Charles  Erdnian.  N.  G. ;  David  Barclay,  V. 
G. ;  J.  H.  Edmonds,  secretary,  and  Charles  C.  Wason,  treas- 
urer. Meetings  are  held  weekly,  on  Wednesday  night,  and 
lodge  property  is  valued  at  $500. 

Barnett  Encampment,  No.  26,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted 
January  19,  1869,  at  which  date  the  following  officers  were 
selected :  O.  O.  Hearn,  C.  P.  ;  S.  W.  Bowman,  H.  P.  ;  H. 
J.  Holmes,  S.  W. ;  E.  O.  Jones,  J.  W. ;  F.  H.  Allen,  scribe ; 
and  A.  Le  Claire,  treasurer.  The  present  officers  are  George 
F.  Cooper,  C.  P.  ;  G.  H.  Monish,  H.  V.  ;  Charles  Erdman, 
S.  W. ;  J.  P.  Crosby,  J.  W.  ;  L.  L.  Dimmick,  scribe,  and 
Charles  Erdman,  treasurer.  The  encampment  now  contains 
fourteen  members.  Meetings  are  held  semi-monthly,  on 
the  second  and  fourth  W^ednesdays,  and  the  property  of  the 
order  is  valued  at  $300. 

Victoria  Lodge,  No.  29,  I.  ().  O.  F.,  was  chartered  No- 
vember 23,  1879,  but  is  not  in  active  operation. 

Albion  Lodge,  No.  62,  Temple  of  Honor,  was  chartered 
July  19,  1876,  with  fifteen  members,  and  organized  immedi- 
ately by  the  election  of  1).  T.  Lindley,  W.  C.  T.  ;  G.  H. 
Perkins,  W.  V.  T. ;  N.  A.  Batcheller  and  S.  G.  Sharpless, 
secretaries;  D.  B.  Jackson,  W.  T.  ;  Rev.  G.  Haigh,  chap- 
lain ;  G.  F.  Cooper,   usher  ;    F.    Cooper,   W.   C-  Jones  and 


HISTORY    OF    JACKSON    COUNTY. 


409 


John  Parsons,  trustees.  The  present  members  number  fifty- 
si.x.  Meetings  are  held  on  Monday  evenings  of  each  week, 
and  the  officers  are  B.  E.  Wheeler,  W.  C.  T. ;  D.  Barclay, 
W.  V.  T. ;  C.  M.  Hobart  and  Frank  Johnson,  secretaries; 
George  F.  Cooper,  W.  T.  ;  J.  C.  Hussey,  W.  C. ;  S.  Sam- 
dahl,  W.  U.;  J.  C.  Hussey,  D.  T.  Lindleyand  G.W.  Miller, 
trustees.     Lodge  property  is  valued  at  $200. 

Independence. Lodge,  No.  149,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  char- 
tered May  9,  1873,  with  twelve  charter  members.  At  the 
organization,  J.  A.  Van  Schaick,  was  elected  W.  C.  T.  ; 
Mrs.  C.  J.  Cooper,  W.  V.  T.  ;  C,  J.  Cooper  and  D.  J.  Lind- 
ley,  secretaries;  Rev.  J.  D.  TuU,  W.  C. ;  Mrs.  J.  A.  Van 
Schaick,  W.  T.,  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  marshal.  The 
present  membership  is  twenty-five.  Meetings  are  held 
weekly,  on  Tuesday  evenings,  and  the  officers  are  George 
F.  Cooper,  W.  C.  T. ;  Miss  Josephine  Lindley,  W.  V.  T.  ; 
Mrs.  D.  T.  Lindley  and  F.  A.  Parsons,  secretaries  ;  Edward 
Emerson,  W.  T.  ;  Mrs.  F.  Simpson,  chaplain,  and  J.  A. 
Johnson,  marshal. 

Hope  Temple,  No.  142,  Juvenile  Templars,  was  char- 
tered April  26,  1878,  and  was  for  a  time  quite  prosperous. 
Latterly,  however,  it  is  comparatively  inactive. 

Alanufacturing. — Spa\ilding's  Planing  Mill,  erected  by 
D.  H.  Spaulding  in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000,  is  located 
near  the  bridge  across  Town  Creek,  on  the  Johnson  street 
extension,  and  is  one  of  the  most  complete  in  every  respect 
of  the  manufacturing  establishments  in  this  portion  of  the 
State.  The  venture  is  supplied  with  machinery  for  the 
framing  of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  etc.,  and  was  operated  by  its 
founder  for  many  years  very  successfully.  In  October, 
1879,  J-  J-  McGillivray  secured  possession  as  lessee,  and 
has  since  been  conducting  the  establishment.  He  employs 
a  total  of  twelve  men,  at  a  weekly  compensation  of  §144, 
and  does  a  business  of  about  $12,000  per  annum.  The 
investment  is  considered  worth  $25,000. 

Hussey  &  Wheeler's  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop  is  lo- 
cated on  Mason  street,  adjoining  Town  Creek,  where  it  was 
established  by  J.  C.  Hussey,  in  1866.  Within  five  years, 
his  business  became  extended,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
erect  a  stone  building  for  molding  purposes.  In  1879,  A. 
Wheeler  became  a  partner  in  the  venture,  and  so  continues. 
The  firm  do  a  general  foundry  and  machine  business,  em- 
ploy five  r^en  at  a  weekly  salary  of  $42,  and  turn  out  work 
estimated  at  $10,000  per  annum.  The  investment  is  rated 
at  4i2o,ooo. 

Black  River  Falls  Brewery,  the  oldest  of  its  kind  in  the 
county,  is  located  on  Spring  street,  where  it  was  established 
in  1856,  by  Ulrich  Oderbolz.  The  same  year,  he  erected 
the  frame  building  still  used  for  brewing  purposes,  at  a  cost 
of  $5,000,  and  has  since  made  improvements  as  necessity 
demanded.  He  employs  two  hands,  manufactures  500  bar- 
rels of  beer,  and  does  a  business  of  $4,000  per  annum. 

Albion  Mills  are  located  on  Black  River,  north  of  the 
village  and  contiguous  to  Town  Creek,  and  were  erected  in 
May,  1871,  through  the  enterprise  of  J.  D.  Spaulding.  The 
building  is  of  frame,  52x102,  four  stories  high,  and  was 
completed  at  a  cost  of  $30,000.     Originally,  they  were  sup- 


plied with  four  run  of  stone,  but  in  1873  three  run  of  stone 
were  added,  making  the  cajiacity  i  25  barrels  of  flour  in 
twenty-four  hours.  In  1876,  J.  G.  Heaton  assumed  charge 
of  the  enterprise,  and  has  since  conducted  the  same.  He 
employs  six  men,  at  a  weekly  compensation  of  $150;  and 
furnishes  the  market  with  the  "Albion  Cap  Sheaf"  and 
"  Snow-flake  "  brands  of  flour.  The  investment  re])resents 
a  valuation  of  $75,000. 

Jackson  County  Bank  is  located  on  Main  street,  in  Bow- 
man's building,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial financial  corporations  in  the  Northwest.  The  bank 
was  duly  organized,  under  the  laws  of  Wisconsin,  on  Jan- 
uary I,  1877,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  and  the  following 
officers  :  W.  T.  Price,  president ;  H.  B.  Mills,  vice-pre.M- 
dent;  W.  R.  O'Hearn,  cashier,  and  J.  H.  Mills,  assistant 
cashier.  In  December,  1876,  the  directory  purchased 
Bowman's  building,  which  has  since  been  occupied  by  the 
Bank,  which  has  not  changed  its  officers  since  their  election 
in  the  first  instance,  and  is  doing  a  business  which  footed 
up,  at  the  close  of  the  fiscal  year  for  1881,  a  grand  total  of 
$1,500,000. 

The  first  post-office  opened  in  the  county  was  at  the 
Falls,  during  the  Spring  of  1850.  The  office  was  located 
in  Albert  Tuttle's  residence,  and  here  W.  W.  Bennett,  as 
confidential  agent  for  the  distribution  of  the  mail,  exercised 
the  duties  thereunto  belonging.  In  1852,  C.  R.  Johnson 
was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  established  his  headquarters 
in  what  was  then  known  as  the  "  Hole  in  the  Wall,"  on 
Town  Creek.  He  was  followed  by  H.  E.  Prickett,  who 
was  in  turn  succeeded  by  John  Lockhart,  both  of  whom 
"  kept  "  on  Water  street.  Subsequently,  the  office  was  re- 
moved to  Main  street,  where  it  still  remains ;  and  after 
service  by  James  Barber  and  Dr.  S.  A.  Sheldon,  John  Par- 
sons was  commissioned  officer  in  charge.  This  was  twenty 
years  ago,  and  the  commission  then  issued  is  still  recog- 
nized. 

Two  mails  from  east  and  west  are  received  daily,  and 
mails  from  points  off  the  main  line  of  railroads  semi-  and 
tri-weekly. 

The  first  cemetery  in  the  present  village  limits  was  on 
the  second  table  land  west  of  the  Falls,  in  the  addition  sur- 
veyed and  platted  by  Price  &  Rublee.  In  1867,  the  asso- 
ciation was  organized  by  the  election  of  W.  T.  Price,  pres- 
ident; Peris  Brown,  treasurer,  and  C.  R,  Johnson,  secretary, 
with  W.  T.  Price,  Peris  Brown,  Jacob  Postweiler,  J.  Barrow, 
Capt.  McSwain  and  J.  M.  Garrett.  A  lot,  400  feet  square, 
on  the  hill  east  of  the  village,  donated  by  D.  J.  Spaulding, 
was  accepted,  platted  and  decorated,  and  has  since  been 
used  for  burial  purposes.  Recently,  an  addition  of  three 
acres  has  been  made  to  the  cemetery  proper,  and  in  July, 
1881,  the  custody  and  control  of  the  society  property  was 
transferred  to  the  town  authorities,  by  whom  the  affairs 
have  since  been  managed. 

niOGR.APHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  H.  ALLEN,  Black  River  Falls,  Sheriff  of  Jackson  County,  was 
born  in  New  York,  Jan.  13,  1839.  Came  to  State  of  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents  Oct.  15,  1853.  and  located  at  Janesville.  Remained  there  four 
months,  when  they  bought  a  farm  fifteen  miles  west  of  the  city  and  con- 


410 

tinued  on  that  until  1S55.  Then  moved  to  Jackson  County,  town  of 
Hixton,  where  they  pre-empted  160  acres,  and  bought  in  addition,  to 
make  a  farm  containing  280  acres.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  on  Jan.  21,  i860,  was  married  to  Miss  Ann 
R.  Newell.  She  was  born  in  New  Portage,  Summit  Co.,  Ohio.  In  the 
Fall  of  1870,  Mr.  A.  sold  out,  and  moved  to  Black  River  Falls,  and 
started  a  livery  stable,  which  business  he  followed  until  1875,  when  he 
disposed  of  all  the  property  there  and  moved  to  Virginia  with  his  father, 
and  farmed  for  two  years.  Returned  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  rented 
the  Merchants'  Hotel.  Was  also  appointed  Under  Sheriff,  and  in  1878 
was  elected  .Sheriff.  Has  held  several  other  offices  in  the  town  where  he 
has  lived.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River 
Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter  No.  41.  Also  the  order  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Albion 
Lodge,  No.  134.  Have  two  children  living,  Rosa  F.  and  James  H. 
Also  two  dead,  Jessie  F.  and  Edwin  N. 

H.  C.  ARNOLD,  station  agent  and  telegraph  operator.  Black  River 
Falls,  was  born  in  Maine,  Nov.  29,  1844.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1868, 
and  located  at  Boscobel ;  commenced  to  clerk  in  the  railroad  office. 
Went  to  a  station  then  called  Baldwin  in  1S71,  and  went  to  work  for  the 
Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railroad.  Went  to  Black 
River  Falls  in  1876,  and  has  remained  there  ever  since.  Has  been  en- 
gaged with  the  same  company  for  ten  years.  Mr.  Arnold  is  a  member 
of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter  No.  41.  He 
was  married,  Oct.  8,  1878,  in  Madison,  to  Alice  H.  Durrie.  She  was 
born  in  1853,  and  is  the  daughter  of  D.  L.  Durrie,  librarian  at  Madison. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  have  one  son,  Henry  C. 

N.  A.  BATCHELLER,  undertaker  and  furniture  dealer.  Black 
River  Falls,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  Came  to  Black  River  Val- 
ley with  his  parents  in  1855.  and  settled  at  Galesville.  His  father,  a 
millwright,  was  the  man  who  erected  the  first  grist  and  saw-mill  at  that 
place,  in  1855-56.  Mr.  B.  worked  with  his  father  till  1864,  and  then 
enlisted  in  the  late  war,  46th  Wis.  V.  L  Served  one  year;  then  came 
home  to  Galesville.  In  1867.  went  to  Melrose,  where  he  worked  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  till  that  Fall,  then  located  at  Black  River  Falls. 
Worked  for  D.  J.  Spaulding  until  1869.  Worked  as  book-keeper  for 
the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad.  Continued  as  such  for  two  years,  then 
engaged  with  Mr.  Spaulding,  where  he  remained  until  187S ;  then 
opened  a  furniture  store  where  tlie  Freeman  House  now  stands.  In 
October,  1879,  moved  where  he  now  is,  and  still  continues  in  the  funii- 
ture  line.  Mr.  Batcheller  married  Agnes  Wiltse,  who  was  born  in 
Platteville.  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  Have  one  son,  Hugh  W.  Mr.  B.  is  a 
member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134.  Is  also  a  member  of 
Temple  of  Honor,  and  is  at  present  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

FREDRICK  BEST,  dealer  in  meats,  etc..  Black  River  J^alls,  was 
born  in  Germany,  Feb.  15.  1846.  Came  with  his  parents  to  America. 
In  l86g.  came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.  He  started  a  meat  market 
there  in  1877.  Mr.  Best  does  a  good  business,  and  in  1880  built  an  ad- 
dition to  his  shop.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Fisher  in  June,  1878.  by 
whom  he  has  one  daughter.  His  wife  died  in  October,  1879,  and  in 
May,  i88o,  was  married  the  second  time,  to  Miss  Minnie  Peters.  She 
was  born  in  Milwaukee.  They  have  one  son,  Edward.  Mr.  Best  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

SAMUEL  D.  BLAKE,  County  Treasurerof  Jackson  County.  W'as 
born  in  town  of  Hallowell,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  in  the  year  1848.', Went 
to  New  Hampshire,  and  engaged  in  a  cotton  mill  one  year,  and  in  1857 
went  to  Chicago,  III.,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  commission  house. 
Came  out  to  Wisconsin  the  same  year,  and  settled  at  North  Bend,  Jack- 
son Co..  and  went  to  work  in  a  saw-mill  for  $26  per  month,  which  was 
being  rebuilt  by  Thomas  Douglas.  When  the  mill  was  completed, 
Samuel  engaged  as  sawyer,  where  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  1st  Light  Artillery  Battery,  Wis.  V.  I.,  at  La  Crosse,  Wis.  ; 
served  for  three  years  and  ten  months,  and  was  mustered  out  as  sergeant. 
Samuel  was  engaged  in  all  of  the  principal  battles  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
then  came  to  Irving,  Jackson  Co.,  and  in  1866,  took  charge  of  a  saw-mill 
for  Olsin  &  Tibbets,  in  town  of  Manchester,  and  in  1867,  was  elected 
Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  to  fill  vacancy,  on  resignation  of  Ira  Pope;  held 
that  office  until  1868,  when  he  was  elected  County  Sheriff  for  two  years, 
and  in  1870,  was  Assessor  of  town  of  Albia,  then  in  March,  1871.  went 
to  work  for  E.  J.  Spaulding,  at  Black  River  Falls,  and  1873,  he  was  ap- 
pointed as  Deputy  County  Treasurer,  under  Oliver  O'Hearn,  and  at  the 
death  of  O'Hearn,  was  appointed  by  County  Board  to  fill  his  vacancy, 
then  in  1875,  was  elected  to  the  office  he  now  holds.  Samuel  is  a  mem- 
ber of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  La- 
Crosse  Commandery,  No.  49.  etc.,  and  of  the  Wisconsin  Consistory,  32° 
S.  P.  R.  S.  Was  married.  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Miss  Frances  O'Hearn,  who 
was  born  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1850.  Have  had  two  children,  Henri 
D.  and  William  O.,  who  died  Aug.  16,  1878,  buried  in  Black  River 
Cemetery. 

JAMES  CHANDLER,  retired  farmer.  Bhack  River  Falls.  Was 
born  Nov.  18,  1812.  in  West  Granville,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1846,  and  settled  in  Black  River  Falls,  and  opened  the  first  grocery  store 
in  that  town  in  1858,  on  Water  street.  Continued  at  th.it  business  twelve 
years,  adding  dry  goods,  etc.,  to  his  grocery  line,  and  in   1870,  sold    out 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  started  a  store  at  Greenwood.  In  1878.  sold  out  to  E.F.Brown. 
Returned  to  Black  River  Falls  and  farmed  for  one  year.  In  1880,  he 
went  up  the  North  Wisconsin  Railroad,  and  got  a  post-office  established 
at  a  station  named  Chandler,  after  him.  Is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  174,  and  was  married  to  his  first  wife.  Miss 
Harriett  M.  Woodworth.in  1844  ;  she  was  born  in  New  York  Stale,  and 
died  Feb.  28,  1855,  leaving  two  children,  Caleb  W.  and  Nettie  G.,  now 
Mrs.  B.  F.  Brown.  Was  married  to  his  second  wife.  Mrs.  William  Her- 
riell  ;  she  was  born  in  New  York,  July  27,  1824.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Jennie,  now  Mrs.  W.  G.  Taylor,  Virgil  W.  and  George  W.,  now  in 
Florida  in  the  mercantile  business.  They  have  lost  one  child,  Jane  A., 
who  is  buried  in  the  Black  River  Cemeterj'. 

F.  R.  CH.'VPMAN,  proprietor  of  Merchant's  House,  Black  River 
Falls.  Was  born  Jan.  16,  1S28,  in  Ohio.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847. 
and  located  in  Racine  County  on  a  farm.  Staid  there  for  two  years,  then 
returned  to  Ohio,  remaining  there  four  years.  Came  to  Black  River 
Falls,  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1853,  ^n^i  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farm- 
ing until  1879,  when  he  bought  tlie  hotel  where  he  now  is.  Has  been 
Assessor  in  the  town  of  Albia,  Town  Clerk  and  Chairman  of  Town 
Supervisors.  Was  married,  in  1845,  to  Sarah  Nichols  ;  she  was  bom  in 
Ohio,  Aug.  7,  1827.  They  have  four  children — Marshall  J.,  Sarah  F.. 
Eveneene  and  Clara. 

H.  B.  COLE,  M.  D.,  Black  River  Falls.  Was  born  in  New  York 
State,  July  6,  1S3S.  Came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis..  Oct.  1, 1S65,  and 
commenced  to  practice  his  profession,  and  has  remained  there  ever  since. 
Was  a  graduate  ot  the  University  Medical  College.  New  York  City,  in 
the  class  of  1859-60,  which  class  consisted  of  150.  Dr.  Cole  read  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  J.  L.  Adams,  at  Cornell,  N.  Y.,  also  under  Dr.  P.  A. 
Aylett,  New  York  City.  He  first  practiced  at  Faribault,  in  i860,  and 
left  there  in  the  Fall  of  1862.  Was  appointed  surgeon  of  the  128th  N. 
Y.  V.  I.,  and  continued  in  the  service  until  1865,  stationed  at  New 
Orleans.  Then  came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  and  was  married  to 
Clara  A.  Baxter,  July  15,  1S66  ;  she  was  born  in  New  York.  Mays, 
1848.  They  have  two  children,  Cepha  H.  and  Halbert  B.  Dr.  Cole 
has  been  Chairman  of  County  Board  two  years,  and  of  Village  Board 
one  year,  and  a  member  of  School  Board  eight  years       Is  a   member  of 

A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  LaCrosse 
Commandery,  No.  9,  and  Wisconsin  Consistory.  S.  P.  R.  S.,  at  Mil- 
waukee. 

J.  W.  COLE  &  CO.,  druggists  and  manufacturers,  Black  River 
Falls.     The  firm  was  established  in  1865,  consisting  of  J.  W.  and  Dr.  H. 

B.  Cole,  and  Dr.  J.  B.  G.  Baxter.  Opened  their  first  store  on  the  corner 
of  Main  and  Mason  streets,  and  moved  to  the  building  they  now  occupy, 
Aug.  15,  1875,  and  have  continued  to  increase  their  stock  ever  since,  and 
now  carry  from  $18,000  to  $20,000  stock.  In  January,  1867,  Drs.  Cole 
and  Baxter  sold  out  to  F.  ^V.  Cole,  and  the  firm  still  remains  J.W.Cole 
&  Co.  J.  W.  and  F.  W.  are  both  natives  of  New  York.  ].  W.  was  born 
Oct.  15,  1843,  and  F.  W.  was  born  .■\ug.  8,  1846,  and  w"as  married  to 
Miss  Ella  Bowman,  Sept.  23.  1877,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  Feb.  16, 
1856.  They  are  also  proprietors  of  a  large  gents'  furnishing  house,  at 
Neillsville,  Wis.  Both  are  members  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River 
Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  and  also  LaCrosse  Commandery. 

JOSEPH  CLANCY,  stone  mason.  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in 
New  York,  May  22,  1823  ;  came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall 
of  1844,  and  has  lived  there  ever  since,  engaged,  most  ot  the  time,  in  the 
lumber  business,  during  the  Winter.  Enlisted  in  Co.  I,  14th  Wis.  V.  I., 
in  the  late  war,  serving  two  years,  and  was  second  lieutenant  under  Capt. 

C.  R.  Johnson.  Mr.  Clancy  was  married,  Feb.  14,  1844,  in  Grant  Co., 
Wis.,  to  Miss  Lucinda  N.  Daney.      She  was  born  in  New  York  State. 

OSCAR  F.  CLAPP,  dealer  in  books,  stationery  and  fancy  articles. 
Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  16,  1841 ;  went 
to  La  Crosse.  Wis.,  with  his  father,  in  the  Summer  of  1854;  in  the  Fall 
of  the  same  year  came  to  Black  River  Falls  and  commenced  clerking  for 
W.  B.  Porter,  druggist,  continuing  to  do  so  for  four  years,  after  which  he 
started  in  the.grocery  business  with  his  father,  the  firm  afterward  changing 
toClapp  &  Perry.  In  1872,  Clapp  sold  out  to  Perry,  and  went  to  clerk- 
ing for  D.  P.  Sp.aulding.  Remained  there  ten  months  ;  then  went  back 
to  work  for  W.  B.  Porter,  and  continued  with  him  until  he  started  in  his 
present  business.  Is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge  No. 
74.  and  also  of  Temple  of  Honor  ;  has  been  Town  Treasurer  two  years. 
Town  Clerk  one  year.  Married  to  Sophia  W.  Thorpe  ;  she  was  born  in 
Ohio,  April  21,  1S64.     Have  two  children  living,  Charlie  O.  and  MaudS- 

LUDOVICK  L.  DIMMICK,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  harness, 
saddles,  etc..  Black  River  Falls,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  having  been 
born  at  Oshen,  July  I,  1839;  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Wisconsin  at  the 
age  of  eight  years,  and  settled  in  Dane  County,  where  they  lived  six  years, 
and  went  to  Minnesota,  remaining  there  until  1859.  They  came  back 
to  Wisconsin,  first  living  in  Monroe  County  for  one  year,  and  then  re- 
moving to  Irving,  Jackson  Co.  In  1861,  Ludovick  L.  enlisted  in  Co.  I, 
loth  Wis.  Regt.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  1862,  when  he  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Perryville,  Ky.,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  his  left  leg.  He 
was  married.  Feb.  19.  1865,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Smith  ;  she  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  March  17,  1847.     They  removed  to  Black  River  Falls  in 


HISTORY    OF    TACKSON    COUNTY. 


November  of  1865,  and  have  made  that  their  home  ever  since.  They 
have  four  children — Ruby  B.,  Sarah  E.,  Inez  and  Lytton. 

CARL  F.  W.  ERDMAN,  meat  market,  Main  street,  Black  River 
Falls,  was  born  in  Germany,  Aug.  13,  1840;  came  to  America  in  1865, 
and  settled  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  by  the  day  at  farming 
until  1867, when  he  moved  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  started  to  work  for  H. 
B.  Greenly  until  1874,  when  he  started  a  meat  market  for  himself,  and  built 
the  building  which  he  now  occupies  the  same  year.  Mr.  Erdman  is  a  mem- 
ber of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134,  and  was  married  to  his  wife, 
Mary  ;  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  born  Feb.  21,  1843.  They  have 
three  children— Augusta  E.,  Pauline  W.  and  Fredrick  C.  A.  Carl. 

F.  M.  GOODENOUGH,  electro-magnetic  baths,  Black  River  Falls, 
was  born  in  New  York  State,  March  ig,  1852  ;  came,  with  his  parents, 
to  Wisconsin  in  1854  ;  settled  in  Jackson  County,  where  he  worked  on 
the  river  until  1S68  ;  then  worked  in  saw  mill  for  J.  B.  Smith,  and  at  the 
same  time  was  studying  his  profession,  which  is  electro-magnetic  baths. 
He  opened  his  first  office  Feb.  19,  i88l,at  Black  River  Falls,  and  is 
meeting  with  success  in  treating  various  diseases,  and  has  indorsements 
from  the  best  citizens  in  Jackson  to  prove  it. 

JAMES  ICE,  lumberman.  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, Dec.  2,  1831  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855  to  look  up  a  location, 
only  staying  two  months  and  then  returning  to  Pennsylvania.  In  1859, 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  the  intention  of  remaining  here,  and  settled  in 
Black  River  Falls  and  opened  a  hardware  store  in  abuildingwhichstood 
where  the  Jackson  County  Bank  now  stands,  said  store  being  destroyed 
by  fire  in  i860.  Mr.  Ice  then  opened  a  general  merchandise  store,  in 
partnership  with  Frank  Parsons,  which  he  continued  one  year,  and  then 
started  in  the  lumber  business,  but  only  followed  it  a  short  time  ;  moved 
to  Hixton,  where  he  kept  a  general  merchandise  store  in  company  with 
L.  G.  Merrill.  Remained  there  three  years,  and  then  returned  to  Black 
River  Falls,  and  started  in  the  lumber  business  again,  at  which  he  still 
continues,  and  has  made  Black  River  Falls  his  home  since.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  Assessor  and  Supervisor  in  his  town  and  county  ;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134,  and  of  the  Encampment. 
Was  married  to  his  first  wife.  Miss  Sarah  J.  Shansbook,  Dec.  25,  1852  ; 
she  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Ice  died  in  February.  1855, 
leaving  two  children,  Ella  J.,  now  Mrs.  A.  D.  Merrill,  and  Franklin  S. 
Mr.  Ice  was  married  to  his  second  wife.  Miss  Elizabeth  Southern,  April, 
1859  ;  she  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  182S,  and  by  whom  he  has  four 
children — James  S.,  Laura  J.,  Mary  and  Thuey.  Mr.  Ice  now  owns 
3,200  acres  of  land  in  Texas,  200  in  Kansas,  and  800  acres  of  pine  land 
in  Wisconsin. 

C.  R.  JOHNSON,  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Norfolk  Co., 
Mass.,  May  22,  1822  ;  his  parents  soon  after  removed  to  Holliston,  in 
Middlesex  Co.,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education,  ending 
his  school  life  with  several  terms  at  the  only  academical  institution  in 
that  vicinity.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  acting  under  the  advice  of  friends, 
and  the  better  to  develop  his  physical  powers,  which  needed  strengthen- 
ing, he  shipped  as  a  green  hand  on  board  a  New  Bediord  whaler,  and 
for  the  two  following  years  was  cruising  on  whaling  ground  in  the  Indian 
and  Pacific  Oceans,  and  returning  home,  after  a  successful  voyage,  he 
was  soon  possessed  with  a  desire  to  go  West,  and  acting  upon  the  im- 
pulse, he  was  soon  on  the  way,  reaching  Monroe  Co.,  111.,  February, 
1844,  where  he  remained,  among  relatives,  about  one  year,  in  the  mean- 
time making  several  trips  between  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  buying 
goods  below  and  disposing  of  them  above.  In  Spring  of  1845,  he  landed 
at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  after  disposing  of  some  goods  that  he  had  on 
hand,  he  was,  during  the  Summer  following,  engaged  upon  a  surveying 
contract,  covering  territory  west  of  Dubuque,  at  that  date  a  wilderness  of 
prairie. .  Returning  to  his  starting  point  about  the  middle  of  September, 
he  immediately  engaged  in  a  trip  up  the  river  to  the  present  city  of  La 
Crosse,  then  almost  a  naked  prairie  ;  from  thence  he  went  eighty  miles 
up  the  Black  River  to  Douglass  Mills,  so  called,  and  being  present  site 
of  the  village  of  North  Bend,  in  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.  The  object  of  the 
expedition  was  to  receive  a  raft  of  lumber  at  the  "  Mills,"  and  run  the 
same  down  to  Dubuque,  and,  after  accomplishing  the  contract,  Mr. 
Johnson  returned  and  spent  the  following  Winter  among  his  relatives  in 
Illinois  ;  but,  being  very  favorably  impressed  with  the  appearance  and 
prospects  of  the  Black  River  country — so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  he 
returned  to  the  river  in  the  early  Spring  of  1846,  and  located  at  the 
Falls,  which  has  been  his  home  ever  since,  with  the  exception  hereinafter 
mentioned.  That  season  he  "  roughed  it  "  among  the  rough  settlers,  and 
enjoyed  it.  The  following  Winter,  that  of  1846-7,  he  was  engaged  by 
Jacob  Spaulding,  Esq.,  the  owner  of  the  mill  property  at  the  Falls,  to 
teach  the  first  school  taught  in  Wisconsin  north  and  west  of  Prairie  du 
Chien.  In  the  Spring  of  1847.  after  assisting  to  run  a  raft  to  Galena, 
III.,  he  found  an  officer  enlisting  recruits  for  our  army,  then  battling  in 
Mexico,  and  with  his  strong  love  of  adventure,  he  was  easily  induced  to 
enlist,  and  reached  Vera  Cruz  July  4,  1847,  and  became  attached  to  the 
brigade  of  General  Franklin  Pierce  (afterward  President),  then  marching 
toward  the  City  of  Mexico.  He  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  the  Na- 
tional Bridge,  Contreras  and  Charubusco.  After  peace  was  declared, 
he  returned  from  Mexico,  and  was  discharged  at  New  Orleans,  and  made 
his  way  back  to  Black  Rivjr  Falls,  where  he  taught  school  again   several 


terms,  in  the  meantime  being  appointed  Postmaster,  elected  Town  Clerk, 
and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  At  the  organization  of  Jackson  County  he 
was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  Register  of  Deeds,  and 
was  re-elected  to  the  latter  office.  In  1852,  having  qualified  himself,  he 
was  admitted  as  an  attorney  at  law,  and  commenced  the  practice,  in  con- 
nection with  W.  T.  Price,  the  present  State  Senator  from  the  32d  Sen- 
atorial District,  and,  with  the  exception  of  nearly  three  years'  service  in 
the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion,  has,  since  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  been 
in  constant  practice  of  his  profession.  Has  served,  during  that  time,  ten 
years  as  District  Attorney,  also  two  terms  as  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin 
Legislature,  being  elected  for  his  last  term  while  in  the  army.  In  Octo- 
ber, l86l,  he  raised  a  company  in  Clark  and  Jackson  Counties,  which 
was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Fond  du  Lac,  as  Co.  I,  of  the  I4lh 
Regt.  Wis.  Vols.,  and  he  as  captain  of  the  same.  Ever  since  his  advent 
on  Black  River,  Mr.  Johnson  has  been  a  prominent  citizen,  and  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  all  educational  matters,  as  well  as  upon  others 
of  general  interest  to  the  people  ol  his  section. 

W.  C.  JONES,  grocery,  dealer  in  glassware,  crockery,  etc..  Water 
street.  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Vermont,  Sept.  30,  1844;  came  to 
Wisconsin,  April  23,  1S66,  and  settled  in  Black  River  Falls,  and  then 
first  commenced  to  clerk  for  J.  C.  Spaulding  &  Jones  until  1869,  when 
he  took  charge  of  D.  J.  Spaulding's  grocery  and  provision  store,  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  until  December,  1879,  after  which  time  started 
in  business  for  himself,  succeeding  D.  J.  Spaulding,  putting  in  an  entire 
new  stock  of  groceries,  etc.  Has  continued  to  increase  his  stock  up  to 
the  present,  and  now  owns  the  largest  grocery  store  in  Jackson  County. 
Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge, 
No.  74,  also  order  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134,  and  Temple  of 
Honor.  Was  married,  Dec.  8,  r868,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Campbell;  she 
was  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  1851.     Have  a  daughter,  Bessie. 

HENRY  LAKE,  proprietor  of  the  River  Side  Hotel,  Black  River 
Falls,  was  born  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  30,  1S23  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1849,  and,  settled  in  Walworth  County,  on  a  farm,  engaged  in 
raising  live-stock.  Continued  there  until  1855,  when  he  went  to  Trem- 
pealeau Co.,  Wis.,  and  raised  fine  Durham  stock.  In  the  Fall  of  1S74, 
sold  out  his  farm,  which  consisted  of  720  acres  of  land,  which  he  run  in 
connection  with  his  father,  and  bought  what  was  then  known  as  the 
'•  Sheppard  property,"  which  was  situated  three  miles  below  Black  River 
Falls,  and  consists  of  320  acres.  Erected  the  River  Side  Hotel  in  1875, 
and  has  run  it  since.  Was  married,  to  Miss  Elginette  Prasens,  Jan.  I, 
1855.  She  was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1831.  They  have  three 
children — Robert  Preston,  first  American  child  born  in  the  northern  half 
of  town  of  Preston,  Trempealeau  County  where  they  lived  ;  Henry  Aleck 
and  Nettie. 

ALGEROY  LeCLAIR,  hardware  store.  Main  street.  Black  River 
Falls,  was  born  in  New  York,  Nov.  25,  1827.  Came  to  Black  River 
Falls  in  l86l,  and  opened  a  hardware  store  in  the  building  he  now  oc- 
cupies. Has  held  office  of  Town  Treasurer  ;  been  a  member  of  the 
Village  Board  ;  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River 
Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  and  belongs  to  the  order  of  I.  O.  O.  F., 
Albion  Lodge,  No.  134,  and  Temple  of  Honor.  Was  married  to  Miss 
Jenette  Folson,  April  8,  1854.  She  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born 
1S35.  Have  five  children  now  living  —  Edgar  A.,  Flora,  J.  V.,  A.  F. 
and  Georgie  E. 

W.  T.  MURRAY,  hardware  and  lumber.  Black  River  Falls,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  Sept.  19,  1S38.  Came  to  Jackson  County  and 
settled  at  Black  River  Falls  in  1857.  His  first  work  was  stage  agent 
for  Price  &  Douglass,  on  the  route  from  La  Crosse  to  Black  River  Falls, 
and  in  1859  clerked  in  the  County  Treasurer's  office  under  Hugh  Doug- 
lass, after  which  he  commenced  to  study  law  with  C.  R.  Johnson,  but 
soon  gave  it  up  and  went  to  work  for  W.  P.  Price.  On  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, returned  to  Johnson's  office  and  took  charge  of  it  for  him  while  he 
was  at  Madison  in  the  Legislature,  and  in  April,  l86l,  commenced  work 
for  D.  J.  Spaulding  in  saw-mill,  and  continued  there  until  1879.  Had 
charge  of  all  Mr.  Spaulding's  business  outside  of  the  saw-mill,  finally 
going  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Spaulding.  Has  been  connected  in  the 
hardware  business  with  Mr.  R.  B.  Jones  since  1875.  Mr.  M.  was  a 
member  of  the  County  Board  for  two  years,  and  in  1863  was  United 
States  Deputy  Provost  Marshal  in  Clark  County.  Was  married,  October, 
1862,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Cutts.  She  was  born  in  New  York,  April  7,  1S42  ; 
died  Dec.  17,  1879.  Are  five  children  living  —  William  Price,  Anna, 
Maggie,  Julia  and  Warren  T.  Two  dead,  Theodore  and  Sarah,  both 
buried  in  Black  River  Cemetery. 

ULRICH  ODERBOLZ.  brewer.  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  April  19,  1819.  Came  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  at 
Canton,  Ohio,  and  worked  in  a  brewery  there  for  six  months,  then  left 
thereand  spent  six  months  traveling  down  the  Ohio.ind  Lower  Mississippi 
rivers  to  New  Orleans,  then  on  to  Texas,  and  from  there  back  up  the  Mis- 
.sissippi  to  Galena,  III.,  where  he  stopped  and  worked  in  a  brewery  unti| 
1854.  He  then  went  to  La  Crosse.  Wis.,  and  stayed  there  till  1S56  ; 
came  to  Black  River  Falls  and  erected  a  brewery  and  lived  in  a  little 
frame  house  between  his  present  home  and  the  brewery  ;  erected  a 
brick  residence  in  1S69.  Was  married  to  Anna  Helbling.  in  June,  1857. 
She  was  born,  .Sept.  14,  1837,  in  Switzerland,  and 


-Vmerica  with 


412 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


her  pareius  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  They  have  eight  children — 
Mary  L.,  Annie  M.,  George  W.,  Julia,  Frank,  Charles,  Emma  J.  and 
Edward. 

W.  R.  O'HEARN,  cashier  of  Jackson  County  Bank,  Black  River 
Falls,  was  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  15,  1843.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents,  who  settled  in  Dodge  County  in  1845,  and  moved  from  there 
to  Jackson  County  in  1S55,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since,  first  farm- 
ing with  his  father  and  going  to  school,  but  received  his  principal  educa- 
tion at  Galesville  University  ;  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business,  also  as  book-keeper  for  D.  J.  Spaulding  where  he  remained 
until  Jan.  2,  1877,  when  he  commenced  as  cashier  in  the  bank  where  he 
still  remains.  Is  a  member  of  order  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River 
Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  and  La  Crosse  Commandery,  No.  9. 
Was  married  to  Miss  Flora  Johnson,  in  1S69.  She  was  born  in  North 
Adams,  Mass.,  Nov.  24,  1S46.     Have  two  sons,  Thomas  and  Harry. 

JOHN  PARSONS,  Postmaster,  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in 
England,  April  23.  1828  Came  to  America  with  his  parents  and  set- 
tled in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.,  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
went  to  live  with  D.  C.  Brooks,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  then  went  to  La  Crosse,  remained  there  two 
years,  and  helped  to  plaster  the  first  frame  house  that  was  built  in  that 
city.  In  1853,  came  up  Black  River  to  Jackson  County  and  settled  on 
a  farm  in  the  town  of  Alma,  which  place  he  sold  out  in  1855  and  moved 
to  Black  River  Falls,  opened  a  general  merchandise  store  on  Water 
street  and  continued  at  that  until  i86i,  when  he  was  appointed  Post- 
master under  President  Lincoln  and  has  kept  that  position  to  this  date. 
Has  also  been  Town  Clerk  for  ten  years,  member  of  the  School  Board 
and  chairman  of  Republican  Committee  of  Jackson  County.  Is  a 
member  of  the  order  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  also 
order  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Temple  of  Honor  and  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  For  thirty-one  years  was  married  to  Miss  Almaria  K.  Foster, 
July  I,  1850.  She  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  April  18,  1833.  Have 
four  children  all  living — Amelia  M.  (now  Mrs.  W.  H.  Deming),  Curtis 
P.  (who  entered  the  mail  service  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  en  route  from 
Tomah  to  St.  Paul,  now  settled  in  Minnesota,  and  Clerk  of  District 
Court,  also  superintendent  of  D.  J.  Spaulding's  large  farm  of  4,000 
acres),  Erving  W.  (also  in  the  mail  service  en  route  from  Chicago  to  Ce- 
dar Rapids,  Iowa),  Frank  A.  (Assistant  Postmaster  at  Black  River  Falls). 

HON.  G.  M.  PERRY,  Judge  of  Probate  Court  of  Jackson  County, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Albia.  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  23,  1848.  Re- 
ceived his  common  school  education  at  Denmark  Academy,  Lee  Co., 
Iowa.  Was  one  year  at  the  Illinois  Industrial  University,  of  Cham- 
paign, 111.  Also  one  year  at  Howe  Seminary,  which  was  about  all  the 
high-school  education  he  received.  Studied  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar,  March  23.  1S70.  Was  elected  to  the  office  of  Clerk  of  Court 
in  1876,  re-elected  in  1S78.  Resigned  that  office  Feb.  4.  18S1,  to  accept 
the  appointment  of  County  Judge,  to  fill  vacancy  of  Judge  M.  Bump, 
deceased,  for  the  term  ending  first  Monday  in  January,  1882.  Perry  was 
also  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Judge  for  a  term  of  four  years,  com- 
mencing. January,  1872,  without  one  single  vote  against  him.  He  is 
also  County  Deputy  Clerk  and  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds.  George  en- 
listed in  the  late  war,  Co.  G,  5th  Reg.,  Wis.  V.  I.,  Aug.  22,  1864,  and 
served  for  one  year.  Was  engaged  in  the  following  battles:  Hatcher's 
Run,  Va.;  Petersburg,  first  and  second,  and  Sailor's  Creek,  at  time  of 
Gen.  Lee's  surrender.  Returned  home  and  went  to  work  for  his  father 
in  saw-mill.  Was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Martin,  who  was  born  in 
Canada,  1853.  Have  got  two  children,  Myrtie  B.  and  Harry  M.  George 
is  a  member  of  the  order  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  .Mbion  Lodge,  No.  134,  also 
member  of  A.  F.  &.  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  and  Temple  of 
Honor,  No.  62. 

T.  II.  PHILLIPS,  book-keeper  for  D.  J.  Spaulding,  Black  River 
Falls.  Born  in  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  24,  1851.  Worked  with  his 
father  on  the  farm  in  Summer,  and  went  to  school  in  Winters,  until  the 
year  i869-7o,"when  he  went  to  Madison  University,  after  that  taught 
school  in  La  Crosse  County,  until  1873,  when  he  came  to  Black  River 
Falls,  and  went  to  work  for  Mr.  Spaulding  in  the  lumber  yard,  assorting 
and  salesman,  and  in  1874,  went  into  the  office  as  assistant  book-keeper 
with  W.  R.  O'Hearn.  In  1875.  went  to  Madison,  and  attended  the 
commercial  college.  In  the  Winter  of  1875,  taught  school  in  Rock 
County,  and  in  the  Summer  of  1876,  went  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  started 
a  commercial  school,  which  he  conducted  one  year,  returned  to  Black 
River,  and  accepted  the  position  as  head  book-keeper  with  D.  J.  Spauld- 
ing. Mr.  P.  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No. 
74,  also  Temple  of  Honor.  Was  married  Sept.  10,  1879,  to  Miss 
Eugenia  Jessil ;  she  was  born  in  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  Oct.  28,  1S57. 

HON.  CARL  C.  POPE,  Black  River  Falls.  Was  born  at  Wash- 
ington, Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  July  22,  1834.  After  receiving  an  academic 
education,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Hon.  J.  P.  Kidder,  at  West  Ran- 
dolph, Vt.,  in  March,  1854,  where  he  remained  till  January,  1856,  when 
he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  He  passed  an  extra  examination  in  the  law, 
and  was  highly  complimented  by  the  examining  committee  for  his  pro- 
ficiency. In  the  Spring  of  1856,  he  left  Vermont,  and  came  to  Black 
River  Falls,  Wis.,  where  he  has  since  resided.    Soon  alter  his  settlement 


in  the  West,  he  began  to  take  a  leading  part  in  political  matters,  as  well 
as  in  professional  life.  Being  a  forcible  and  eloquent  speaker,  he  soon 
rose  to  public  notice  and  popularity.  In  the  Fall  of  i857,he\vas  elected 
District  Attorney  of  Jackson  County,  and  commenced  his  duties  as  such, 
Jan.  I.  1858,  and  held  the  ofl^ce  by  re-election  until  Jan.  1,  1862.  He 
also  held  the  same  office  by  election,  from  Jan.  i,  1S76,  to  Jan.  i,  1878. 
It  is  the  greatest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  to  the  accuracy  of  Mr. 
Pope  as  a  lawyer,  to  mention  the  fact  that  of  all  the  indictments  or  in- 
formations he  drew,  none  were  held  insufficient  by  the  courts.  He  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly  in  the  Fall  of  1861,  and  held  that  office  till  Jan. 
I,  1864,  and  was  elected  to  the  Senate  for  the  term  commencing  Jan.  i, 
1864.  Then  four  years  of  legislative  duties,  preceding  the  pendency  of 
the  civil  war,  and  the  influence  of  Mr.  Pope  was  always  on  the  side  of 
the  Union,  and  against  its  foes.  At  the  head  of  the  Committee  on  Fed- 
eral Relations  of  the  Assembly  in  1863,  and  Chairman  of  the  Senate 
Judiciary  Committee  in  1865,  he  wielded  apowerful  influence  in  behalf 
of  the  cause  of  the  Union.  In  1S64,  he  was  a  member  of  the  National 
Republican  Convention  that  nominated  Lincoln  and  Johnson,  and  after 
their  nomination,  took  a  prominent  and  active  part  upon  the  stump  to 
promote  their  election.  In  the  Fall  of  1876,  he  was  again  elected  to  the 
Assembly,  and  re-elected  in  the  Fall  of  1877.  In  the  Assembly  of  1877, 
he  was  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee,  and  the  next  year  a  mem- 
ber of  that  committee,  but  not  chairman,  as  the  Republican  party  was  in 
the  minority  in  the  Assembly.  A  leading  Democratic  paper,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  session  of  1S78,  spoke  of  Mr.  Pope  in  the  following  com- 
plimentary terms  ;  "  The  ablest  and  most  industrious  member  of  the 
last  Assembly,  or  the  last  two  for  that  matter,  is  Hon.  Carl  C.  Pope,  of 
Jackson  County,  and  this  may  be  said  without  disparagement  to  num- 
bers of  other  very  able  members  who  have  left  enviable  records.  If 
there  is  anything  lacking  in  his  character  as  a  legislator,  it  would  take  a 
very  observing  critic  to  point  it  out.  From  first  to  last,  in  appearance, 
in  ability,  in  oratory  and  in  parliamentary  knowledge,  he  is  deserving 
being  pointed  to  as  an  ideal.  Added  to  these  qualities,  he  displays  an 
untiring  industry  and  a  thorough  honesty  in  the  performance  of  his  leg- 
islative duties,  that  makes  him  invincible  on  the  floor,  and  a  host  in  the 
committee  room.  His  seat  in  the  Assembly  has  become  an  honored  one." 
Mr.  Pope  also  held  the  office  of  County  Judge  of  Jackson  County,  by 
appointment,  about  six  months,  and  was  elected  to  that  office  and  served 
about  six  months  of  his  term,  and  resigned  the  office.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Black  River  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  74,  and  of  Black  River 
Chapter,  No.  41,  of  R.  A.  M..  and  of  Ft.  Winnebago  Commandery  of 
Knights  Templar,  at  Portage  City.  He  was  for  many  years  master  o( 
Black  River  Lodge,  and  was  the  first  High  Priest  of  Black  River  Chap- 
ter, and  filled  these  responsible  positions  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
members  of  these  bodies.  He  has  ever  been  one  of  the  most  extensive 
and  critical  readers.  His  familiarity  with  the  ancient  classical  writings  is 
proverbial.  He  has  also  been  an  attentive  and  constant  reader  of 
Shakespeare,  Milton  and  Dante,  and  many  poets  of  less  celebrity.  And 
he  has  not  overlooked  in  his  reading,  the  sacred  pages  of  the  Bible. 
There  is  hardly  a  passage  of  importance  in  the  New  Testament  that  he 
cannot  repeat  from  memory ;  and  the  more  important  parts  of  Shake- 
speare and  Milton  are  as  familiar  to  him  as  household  words.  He  pos- 
sesses a  vigorous  constitution,  an  active  temperament  and  retentive 
memory.  And  he  is  emphatically  a  self-made  man.  Until  the  com- 
mencement of  the  civil  war,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party, 
but  upon  the  commencement  of  that  war,  he  became  a  firm  supporter  of 
the  administration,  in  its  effects  to  crush  the  rebellion,  and  maintain  the 
integrity  of  the  Republic.  In  this  course  he  became  estranged  from  the 
Democracy,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  zealous  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  As  a  lawyer  he  ranks  high  in  his  profession,  and  as  an  advo- 
cate is  not  excelled  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  Laborious  in  his  prepara- 
tion, and  consummate  in  his  skill  in  the  execution  of  his  plans  "  amid 
the  dust  and  heat  "  of  forensic  battle,  he  is  a  formidable  antagonist. 
Respectful  to  the  court,  and  honorable  and  obliging  to  the  members  of 
the  Bar,  he  is  universally  respected  among  the  members  of  his  own 
chosen  profession.  And  like  every  true  lawyer,  he  has  rendered  a  great 
deal  of  gratuitous  services  for  the  poor  and  oppressed.  And  such  serv. 
ices  have  not  been  rendered  grudgingly,  but  with  the  same  zeal  as 
though  he  was  working  for  a  large  fee.  He  is  now  forty-six  years  of  age, 
and  in  the  full  vigor  of  manhood. 

M.  M.  POST,  Freeman  House,  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
Oct.  14.  1845.  Came  to  Black  River  Falls  in  lS6g.  and  went  to  work 
on  the  river,  driving  logs  for  McMuUan.  Remained  with  him  one  Win- 
ter, then  went  to  work  in  the  woods  until  1S79,  when  he  went  teaming 
for  Mr.  Spaulding.  and  on  .\pril  I,  1879,  took  charge  of  the  hotel  where 
he  now  is.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  2d  Wis.  C.  V.  in  1864,  at  La  Crosse. 
Mr.  Post  was  married  to  Fannie  Freeman,  April  20,  1S80.  She  was 
born  in  Canada,  Nov.  17,  1S55,  and  is  a  daughter  of  .Samuel  Freeman, 
the  former  proprietor  of  the  Freeman  House. 

A.  A.  PRESTERMOEN,  proprietor  of  hotel.  Black  River  Falls, 
was  born  in  Norway,  April  7.  1834.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents 
in  1S56,  and  located  at  Black  River  Falls.  Went  to  work  by  the  month 
at  blacksmithing.  which  he  followed  five  years,  at  which  time  he  started 
a  shop  for  himself  and  run  it  for   two   years,  then    started   a  boarding- 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


413 


house  in  the  place  where  he  now  is.  Mr.  Prestermoen  was  Town  Super- 
visor for  one  year,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Black 
River  Falls.  Was  married,  in  i860,  to  Caroline  Anderson.  She  was 
born  in  Norway  in   1831. 

HON.  WILLIAM  THOMPSON  PRICE.  To  no  single  in- 
dividual, perhaps  is  Jackson  County  more  indebted  for  the  development 
of  its  resources  and  the  establishment  of  its  most  important  industries 
than  to  him  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He'  is  emphatically  a 
representative  man  of  the  county,  the  State  and  the  Northwest.  Senator 
Price  was  born  in  Barre'Township,  Huntingdon  Co.,  Pa.,  June  17.  1824, 
where  he  received  the  limited  educational  advantages  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  of  those  early  days.  When  he  had  run  the  gamut  of 
the  scholastic  curriculum  accessible  at  home,  he  journeyed  to  Hollidays- 
burg  in  the  vicinity,  where  he  entered  the  service  of  a  merchant  in  a 
clerical  capacity,  passing  his  evenings  in  the  study  of  the  law.  In  the 
Spring  of  1845,  t'fice  emigrated  to  the  West  and  cast  anchor  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa.  His  stay  here  was  too  short  for  the  fever  and  ague  to 
deplete  his  energies,  for  in  the  succeeding  Fall  he  removed  to  Black 
River  Falls,  where  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a  flourishing  business  and  a 
successful  career.  Immediately  upon  reaching  the  Falls  he  became  a 
partner  in  a  lumbering  camp,  six  miles  above  Neillsville,  and  that  year 
with  seven  men  and  one  yoke  of  cattle  obtained  700,000  feet  of  lumber 
in  the  rough  as  the  results  of  their  season's  labor.  In  1846,  he  entered 
the  service  of  Jacob  SpauKIingat  the  Falls,  as  business  manager,  and  in 
1847,  ran  a  logging  camp  on  Hall's  Creek  in  conjunction  with  Samuel 
Crawley,  the  latter  with  the  assistance  of  two  men  "chopping,"  Price 
serving  as  driver  and  cook.  An  invoice  of  assets  at  the  close  of  the  sea- 
son showed  that  the  company  had  cut  1,000,000  feet  of  logs.  In  1848, 
he  retired  from  Mr.  Spaulding's  employ  and  became  associated  with 
Amos  Elliot  in  a  lumber  camp  in  Clark  County,  where  Price  &  Whipple 
erected  a  mill  during  the  following  year.  Upon  the  dissolution  of  the 
firm  Mr.  Price  engaged  in  speculations,  hauled  cord  wood,  contracted, 
etc.,  with  profit,  and  in  1853,  united  with  F.  M.  Rublee  of  La  Crosse,  in 
'ogg'"g  on  Black  River.  The  next  year  he  removed  to  La  Crosse,  where 
in  addition  to  his  engagements  with  Rublee,  he  opened  a  livery  stable 
and  established  a  stage  line  between  that  city  and  Black  River  Falls. 
The  same  year  he  returned  to  the  Falls  where  he  has  since  resided,  con- 
stantly occupied  in  the  business  of  logging,  banking,  speculation  and 
politics.  In  1856,  he  furnished  means  to  establish  the  Jackson  County 
Banner,  the  first  paper  in  the  county,  since  merged  into  the  Badger  State 
Banner,  and  was  on  the  highway  to  personal  and  financial  prosperity 
when  the  panic  of  1857,  took  him  at  its  flood  and  he  was  left  as  was  sup- 
posed, hopelessly  bankrupt,  with  liabilties  aggregating  $50,000,  and  no 
available  assets.  But  unawed  by  the  outlook,  he  resumed  the  contest 
with  fate  as  he  had  begun  it  years  before,  without  capital  and  by  the 
greatest  diligence,  careful  economy  and  adherence  to  principle,  he  was 
able  seven  years  later  to  liquidate  every  claim  held  against  him,  dollar 
for  dollar,  with  ten  per  cent  interest,  an  evidence  of  integrity  character- 
istic of  the  man.  In  i860,  Mr.  Price  carried  on  the  Albion  Mills  at  the 
Falls  with  D.  J.  Spaulding,  and  upon  his  release  from  the  toils  of  debt, 
resumed  the  business  of  logging,  gradually  extending  his  field  of  opera- 
tions until  to-day  he  is  the  most  extensive  individual  operator  in  the 
Northwest.  His  logging  camps  are  located  on  Chippewa,  Black  and 
Yellow  rivers  and  their  tributaries,  where  during  the  season  of  18S0-81, 
he  employed  a  force  of  500  men  at  an  expense  of  $100,000,  for  the  sea- 
son, and  laid  by  a  crop  of  100,000,000  of  feet  of  old  and  new  logs.  In 
politics  Senator  Price  was  a  worshiper  at  the  Democratic  altar  until 
1854.  During  that  year  he  in  company  with  others  who  became  dis- 
gusted with  the  squatter  sovereignty  doctrine  of  Douglas,  and  insisted 
upon  an  enforcement  of  the  provisions  contained  in  the  Wilmot  Pro- 
viso, left  the  Locofoco  Lodge,  and  advocated  the  election  of  Moses  S. 
Gibson,  a  Free-Soiler,  to  the  State  Senate  in  place  of  W.  J.  Gibson, 
the  regular  Democratic  nominee.  And  here  it  might  be  observed  that 
this  was  the  first  movement  in  Northwestern  Wisconsin  at  least,  if  not 
in  the  State,  looking  to  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party, 
with  which  party  he  has  since  been  closely  identified,  honored  and  hon- 
oring. Almost  from  the  day  of  his  arrival  in  Jackson  County  he  has 
been  made  the  recipient  of  ofiicial  confidence,  having  served  in  the 
capacity  of  Deputy  Sheriff  in  1849  and  1855  ;  member  of  the  Assembly 
in  1851 ;  County  Judge  in  1853-4  ;  and  a  member  of  the  State  Senateal 
the  sessions  of  1S57,  '7°  and  '71,  '78  and  '79,  and  '80  and 'Si,  and 
Presidential  in  1868.  During  the  session  nf  1879,  he  introduced  a 
joint  resolution  providing  for  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  of  the 
State  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  in 
Wisconsin  except  strictly  for  use  in  the  arts  and  as  medicine.  The  mat- 
ter was  referred  to  a  select  committee,  and  Senator  Price  submitted  the 
majority  report,  supplementing  the  same  with  an  exhaustive  and  unan- 
swerable argument  in  support  of  his  position,  which  was  considered  the 
clearest  exposition  of  the  subject  ever  presented  in  the  Legislature  of 
this  State.  In  addition  to  these  political  preferments  Senator  Price  was 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  from  1S63  to  1865  ;  and  president  of  the 
Jackson  County  Agricultural  Society  for  many  years.  He  has  been 
president  of  the  Jackson  County  Bank  since  its  organization,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Black  River  Improvement  Company,  to  which  position  he 


has  been  re-elected  for  sixteen  consecutive  years.  In  person  Senator 
Price  is  below  the  medium  height,  with  strong  individuality  expressed  in 
the  lines  of  his  countenance,  which  is  full  of  expression  and  indicates  his 
capacity  to  invest  whatever  he  narrates  with  a  charm  that  is  magnetic. 
He  is  a  delightful  conversationalist,  full  of  reminiscences  and  stories  that 
sparkle  as  a  beaker  of  wine,  and  possessing  a  wonderful  capacity  to  in- 
terest an  audience,  is  considered  one  of  the  ablest  debaters  in  the  Legis- 
lature of  Wisconsin.  A  man  of  decided  convictions,  he  holds  to  that 
which  he  believes  to  be  right,  does  that  which  he  believes  to  be  right 
and  does  it  like  a  man.  All  who  know  him  speak  of  Senator  Price  as 
the  most  faithful  of  friends,  the  most  generous  of  foes,  as  a  man  whose 
integrity  is  as  unchangeable  as  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  and 
one  who  has  done  what  he  could  to  make  the  world  purer,  clearer  and 
brighter,  and  to  lift  up  the  erring,  the  fallen  or  the  weak  and  place  him 
upon  the  platform  of  an  independent  manhood.  Senator  Price  was 
married  July  10,  1851,  to  Miss  Julia  Campbell,  of  Grant  County,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children  surviving,  a  son  and  daughter. 

JAMES  ROBIE,  M.  D.,  Black  River  Falls,  was  born  in  Franklin 
Co.,  Vt.,  Aug.  23,  1830.  Came  to  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained 
a  short  time  and  then  started  for  St.  Paul,  Dec.  12,  TS55,  and  on  the 
way  he  stopped  at  Black  River  Falls,  where  Mr.  Sam  Hoffman,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Shanghai  Hotel,  had  his  leg  broken.  Dr.  Robie  stopped  to 
attend  Mr.  Hofi'man  with  no  intention  of  remaining  there,  but  finally 
stayed  until  after  the  rebellion.  In  1865  went  to  Missouri  where  he 
opened  a  drug-store  and  practiced  his  profession.  Some  time  after  he  came 
back  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  is  still  practicing  his  profession  there. 
Dr.  Robie  was  a  graduate  of  Woodstock  iSIedical  College  in  Vermont  in 
1S52.  Was  married  to  Ellen  L.  Leary,  Oct.  12,  186S  ;  she  was  born  in 
1849.  Their  family  consists  of  five  children— Nellie  L.,  Laura,  Edgar, 
Gratia    and  Alice. 

A.  E.  SAWYER,  lumberman.  Black  River  Falls.  Born  Nov.  24, 
1827,  in  New  York  State.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  Fall  of  1853,  and  set- 
tled at  Beloit  for  one  year;  in  1S54  went  to  Prairie  du  Chien  and  remained 
there  until  the  Fall  of  1S59,  then  commenced  lumbering  on  the  Chippewa 
River  until  1862,  then  came  on  the  Black  River;  in  1867  moved  to  Black 
River  Falls.  Mr.  S.  has  been  one  of  the  largest  lumbermen  on  the 
Black  River  for  a  number  of  years.  He  now  owns  twenty-five  thousand 
acres  of  pine  land  including  two  good  farms  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  He 
also  owns  a  large  gents'  furnishing  store  in  Black  River  Falls;  was  mar- 
ried in  1851  to  Miss  Lydia  Baillett;  she  is  a  native  of  New  York,  have 
one  son,  Willie  E.,  born  in  1858. 

ANDREW  SHEPPARD,  proprietor  saw-mill.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Black 
River  Falls.  Born  in  Canada,  April  25,  1S19.  Came  to  Galena,  111.,  in 
1839,  and  worked  there  until  the  Spring  ol  1S40,  came  up  the  Black  River 
to  what  was  then  known  as  O'Neill's  Creek,  but  which  has  since  been 
changed  to  Perry  Creek.  Here  he  worked  at  the  lumber  business  and 
in  the  Summer  of  1842  built  a  saw-mill  on  Squaw  Creek,  remaining 
there  over  thirty  years,  during  which  time  he  built  fifteen  saw-mills  and 
two  grist-mills  on  Black  River.  Mr.  Sheppard  is  a  member  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  and  was  married  in  Rock  Island  Co.,  111.,  to  Miss 
Arminda  Pierson ;  she  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  March, I1S28.  They 
have  three  children — Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Albert  Snow,  residing  at  Le 
Claire,  Iowa ;  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs.  Smock,  of  Davis  F'erry,  Black  River, 
and  Andrew  W.,  still  living  at  home.  They  have  lost  four  children — 
Jeremiah,   Susanna,  Arminda  and  May. 

FREDRICK  SIMPSON,  surveyor  and  woodman.  Black  River  Falls, 
was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  July  29, 1823.  Came  West  in  1S56  and 
settled  in  Springfield,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  pre-empted  a  claim  of  160 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government,  on  which  he  lived  until  the  Winter  of 
1859,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Clerk  and  moved  to 
Black  River  Falls.  Was  afterward  elected  Clerk  of  Court  for  four  years, 
after  which  he  began  working  at  his  present  occupation.  Mr.  Simpson 
is  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  also  of  the  Good  Templars 
and  the  Temple  of  Honor.  Was  married  June  3,  1851,  to  Miss  Mary 
June  ;  she  was  a  native  of  New  York.  Their  family  consists  of  six  chil- 
dren—Joel T.,  George  J.,  Fredrick  B.,  Harry  IL,  Bert  L.,  and  Mabel  J. 

CAPT.  PETER  TRUDELL,  groceries  and  provisions.  Black  River 
Falls.  Born  in  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  26,  1835.  Came  to  Territory 
of  Wisconsin,  in  1842,  and  first  settled  at  Green  Bay,  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  until  1854,  when  he  moved  to  Black  River  Falls,  and 
opened  a  store  on  Water  street,  in  a  frame  building,  since  been  destroyed 
by  fire.  In  1S56,  took  charge  of  the  Shanghai  House  for  a  year,  and 
then  started  a  grocery  store,  and  also  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness until  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  48th  Wis.  V.  I.,  as  lieutenant,  and 
afterward  became  captain  of  Co.  H.  After  he  came  home,  started  in  the 
lumber  trade  again,  and  in  1S73,  went  in  the  grocery  business  at  Black 
River  Falls,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
order  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  and  Chapter,  No.  41. 
Was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Clarke  Kenson,  who  is  a  native  of  New 
York.  They  have  two  children,  Theodore  K.,  and  Gertrude,  now  Mrs. 
E.  W.  Abbott. 

FREDRICK  WARNER,  M.  D.,  and  druggist,  Black  River  Falls. 
Was  born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  l8,  i8l8.    Came  to  America, November,  1854, 


414 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


settled  at  Springfield,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  remained  there  about  eighteen 
months,  when  he  moved  to  Sauk  City,  where  he  practiced  his  profession 
there  for  a  number  of  years;  moved  to  Eau  Claire,  stayed  there  for  three 
years,  removed  to  Black  River  Falls  in  1867,  and  started  the  drug-store 
where  he  is  now,  at  the  same  time  practicing  his  profession.  Was  married 
in  Sauk  City,  in  1856,  to  Miss  Bertha  Ilaulzseh;  was  born  in  Prussia,  Oct. 
17,  1834;  have  seven  children — Mary  A.,  Arthur,  Benjamin,  Robert, 
Fredrick  H.,  Edgar  and   William  L. 

CHARLES  C.  WASON,  farmer  and  mail-agent  from  Black  River 
Falls  to  Cataract,  was  born  in  Orange  Co.,  Vt. ,  July  28.  1836.  Came  to 
Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  has  been  there  ever  since,  with  the 
e.\ception  of  eight  years  which  he  spent  in  California  in  the  mail  service. 
After  he  came  from  California  he  commenced  keeping  a  livery  stable, 
which  he  continued  four  years  and  than  started  as  mail-agent.  Is  a  mem- 
ber of  I.  O.  O.  K.,  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134.  Married  to  Hattie  C. 
Maddock  in  Melrose,  Oct.  10,  1858;  she  was  born  in  Ohio,  183S. 
They  had  one  daughter  Eveline  who  died  in  July,  1863. 

REV.  BERT  E.  WHEELER,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  Black 
River  Falls,  was  born  in  Dane  Co..  Wis.,  Aug.  23,  1848.  Received  his 
academic  education  at  Walton,  N.  Y.,  and  attended  school  there  until  the 
Fall  of  1S68.  He  then  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  taught  school  at 
Spring  Green  for  one  year,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S70  joined  the  West  Wis- 
consin Conference  at  La  Crosse,  and  was  then  appointed  to  the  charge 
of  M.  E.  Church  at  Lake  Pippen.  He  has  since  had  several  different 
appointments,  viz.,  Mondovi,  Neillsville.  Chippewa  Falls  and  Black  River 
Falls,  coming  to  the  latter  place  in  1878;  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Neillsville  Lodge,  and  of  Eau  Claire  Commandery,  also  of  L  O. 
O.  F.  Albion  Lodge,  No.  134.  and  Encampment  at  Neillsville,  is  a  member 
of  Temple  of  Honor.  Was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Gorge,  of  Spring 
Green,  Wis.,  in  1870;  she  was  born  at  Newport,  N.  H.  Thev  have  four 
children— Floy  E.,  Lois  M.,  Berta  N.,  and  Wayne  B. 

MERRILLAN. 

Next  in  importance  to  Black  River  Falls,  is  the  village 
of  Merrillan,  located  in  the  eastern  portion  of  Alma  Town- 
ship, at  the  crossing  of  the  Green  Bay  and  Chicago,  St.  Patil, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha  railroads.  Its  population  is  stated 
at  1,200,  and  the  center  of  a  rich  lumber  and  agricultural 
country;  does  an  immense  business  as  compared  with  towns 
of  equal  size  in  other  portions  of  the  State. 

Just  twenty-five  years  ago,  L.  G.  Merrill  and  A.  S.  Hay- 
den  settled  near  the  present  village  of  Merrillan,  and  erected 
a  saw  mill  at  the  foot  of  what  is  now  Main  street.  From 
that  date  until  the  F^all  of  1876,  the  improvement  was  oper- 
ated by  Mr.  Merrill,  when  it  was  torn  down  to  make  way 
for  other  undertakings.  The  little  business  this  afforded 
was  the  only  evidence  of  civilization  for  nearly  fifteen  years. 
To-day  the  dense  forests  that  skirt  the  village,  like  an  oasis 
in  the  midst  of  a  desert,  are  the  same  that  watched  the 
founding  of  the  town,  and  the  red  man  and  the  deer  have 
scarcely  yet  abandoned  their  homes  in  its  density. 

The  Merrill  brothers  becoming  aware  of  the  superior  ad- 
vantages this  point  possessed  for  a  town,  in  the  abundance 
of  its  easily  improved  water  power,  in  its  wood  supplies  for 
railroads  and  the  adjacent  prairie  country,  in  its  facilities 
for  market,  in  its  immense  amount  of  pine  timber  lying  at  its 
very  doors,  and  being  tributary,  as  it  is,  to  the  best  farming 
lands  in  Jackson  County,  determined  to  commence  the  build- 
ing of  a  village.  Accordingly,  during  the  Summer  of  1870, 
they  erected  the  grist  mill  now  operated  by  Martin  Martens, 
also  the  frame  hotel  known  as  the  Merrillan  House,  and 
these,  together  with  a  limited  number  of  unpretentious 
dwelling  houses  erected  the  same  season,  constituted  the 
improvements  of  that  year.  Thus  was  the  nest  egg  laid, 
and  from  that  day  to  this,  the  growth  has  been  steady,  if 
not  rapid. 


In  the  Fall  of  1870,  J.  L.  Loomis  settled  in  the  village, 
and,  in  conjunction  with  the  Merrills,  built  their  store,-which 
is  still  standing  on  Main  street,  and  has  been  a  source  of 
profit  to  the  proprietors  from  the  day  its  first  stock  was 
shelved.  Early  in  the  Winter  or  late  in  the  F'all  of  the  same 
year,  John  Preston,  the  Estey  family  and  George  Harlocker 
located  on  the  village  site,  built  homes  included  among  the 
number  above  given,  and  identified  themselves  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  future  Merrillan. 

The  succeeding  Spring,  matters  thereabout  remained 
practically  unchanged.  The  West  Wisconsin  Railroad, 
since  changed  to  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.,  had  been  completed 
during  the  Winter,  but  thus  far  its  effect  upon  emigration 
and  improvement  was  not  apparent.  Very  few  came  in, 
comparatively  speaking,  and  a  majority  of  these  have  since 
removed  elsewhere.  Quite  a  number  of  houses  were  put 
up,  and  some  became  permanently  occupied ;  a  few  still 
remain.  The  major  portion  of  the  buildings,  however,  was 
in  the  township  in  which  Merrillan  is  located,  as  distinguished 
from  the  village,  and  they  were  limited  to  farm  houses,  with 
here  and  there  a  saw  inill.  In  the  Spring,  George  Trumbull 
settled  in  the  village,  and  built  a  residence  near  the  mill. 
Ole  Oleson  put  up  a  portion  of  the  present  American  House, 
which  then  occupied  a  lot  on  the  cross  street  on  which  the 
Merrillan  House  is  situated.  John  Estey  built  a  residence 
opposite  Loomis's  store,  and  there  were  other  small  buildings 
of  minor  importance  to  the  future  of  the  place,  which  dotted 
the  territory  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  During  1872,  there 
were  some  accessions  to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  as  also 
to  the  improvements  which  found  birth  in  the  village,  but 
the  most  rapid  growth  experienced  in  the  history  of  Mer- 
rillan up  to  that  period  was  reserved  for  1873,  when  the 
building  of  the  Green  Bay  road  was  being  carried  on.  This 
added  an  impetus  to  the  place,  and  was  instruinental  in  its 
growth.  Its  completion  to  the  village  was  accomplished  on 
December  24,  1873,  and  caused  general  rejoicing.  Though 
the  event  was  not  entirely  un looked  for,  its  subsequent  in- 
fluence was  such  as  to  permanently  assure  the  success  and 
prosperity  of  Merrillan,  and  business  became  "  rushing"  at 
once.  The  celebration  of  the  event  was  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  the  arrival  of  substantial  settlers,  who  began  im- 
proving, and  laid  the  foundation  for  a  future  that  has  since 
been  realized.  Seymour  Page  erected  a  residence ;  A.  Wood 
put  up  a  drug  store,  the  first  in  the  village;  A.  H.  Owens,  a 
furniture  establishment,  also  the  pioneer  in  that  line  of  busi- 
ness ;  Merrill  Brothers  built  a  hardware  store,  and  put  in  a 
stock  of  goods;  this  building  was  burned  in  March,  1881. 
The  .'\merican  House,  then  called  the  Williams  House,  was 
removed  to  the  corner  of  Main  and  Loomis  streets,  enlarged 
and  opened  as  a  hotel  by  M.  N.  Davidson,  as  a  public  house. 
The  village  was  platted  this  year,  and  the  Green  Bay  Com- 
pany put  up  the  Blair  House.  It  was  really  a  fine  building 
for  the  place,  and  its  eligible  location,  superior  appointments 
and  other  features  of  excellence  procured  for  it  no  incon- 
siderable reputation  throughout  the  country.  The  original 
building  was  burned  in  November,  1876,  but  was  erected 
at  once,  and  to-day  is  the  most  prominent  caravansary  in 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


415 


the  village.  S,  E.  Brown,  C.  N.  Paine,  Dr.  J.  W.  Hamilton 
(the  first  physician),  George  Merrill,  it  is  thought,  and  some 
others  less  prominent,  settled  in  Merrillan  this  year,  in 
addition  to  those  of  whom  mention  has  been  previously 
made. 

The  next  Summer,  the  Green  Bay  road  was  completed 
to  Winona,  and  again  an  impetus  was  given  to  the  town. 
H.  Ketchum,  president  of  the  road,  having  invested  quite 
largely  in  pine  lands,  built  a  steam  mill  three  miles  north 
of  the  village,  with  which  it  was  connected  by  railroad,  pur- 
posely built  for  conveying  lumber  to  Merrillan,  where  it 
was  shipped  to  all  points  west.  About  this  time  Jewell  & 
Lawrence  purchased  an  interest  in  the  establishment,  and 
operated  it  for  some  months,  after  which  C.  A.  Paine  &  Co. 
became  the  sole  proprietors.  It  was  a  mammoth  institution, 
giving  employment  to  from  one  to  three  hundred  hands,  and 
manufacturing  nearly  as  much  lumber  as  all  the  rest  of  the 
mills  in  Jackson  County  at  that  time.  In  1875,  it  was 
burned  up,  together  with  a  considerable  stock.  The  fire 
caught  from  the  engine,  and  flashed  like  powder  tlirough 
the  dry  dust  collected  in  the  mill,  destroying  the  structure 
before  any  effort  could  be  made  for  its  protection. 

Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246,  I.  O.  O.  F. — Was  organized 
December  3,  1875,  with  L.  E.  Bates,  A.  Wood,  H.  Thatcher, 
J.  H.  Aikins,  as  charter  members. 

Tlie  present  officers  are:  A.  Wood,  N.  G.;  George  K. 
Whitney,  V.  G.;  A.  O.  Rusco  and  E.  J.  Austin,  secretaries  ; 
J.  H.  Williams,  treasurer,  and  H.  Thatcher,  P.  G.  The 
present  membership  is  seventy-six,  with  weekly  meetings. 

La  Belle  Lodge,  No.  65,  D.  of  R.  —  Was  organized 
under  a  dispensation  issued  October  12,  1880,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :  G.  B.  Marvin,  N.  G.;  Mrs.  G.  B.  Marvin, 
V.  G.;  Mrs.  B.  H.  Darling,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  S.  E.  Brown, 
treasurer. 

The  present  officers  are  :  Mrs.  S.  Rusco,  N.  G.;  Mrs. 
B.  H.  Darling,  V.  G.;  Mrs.  G.  B.  I\Larvin,  secretary,  and 
Mrs.  L.  E.  Bates,  treasurer. 

The  membership  is  limited  as  yet,  and  meetings  are  held 
monthly  on  the  first  Tuesday  evening. 

Merrillan  Council,  No.  601,  Royal  Arcanum. —  A  be- 
nevolent organization  with  objects  similar  to  that  of  the 
United  Workingmen.  Was  instituted  during  the  Summer 
of  1881,  by  George  H.  Ingalls,  of  Green  Bay.  T^ie  officers 
elected  were  :  W.  H.  Avery,  regent ;  T.  J.  Hill,  vice-regent ; 
George  Henderson,  secretary;  E.  J.  Austin,  collector ;  L. 
A.  Comstock,  treasurer  ;  Alexander  Sires,  chaplain  ;  Dr.  J. 
W.  Hamilton,  medical  examiner;  L.  J.  Snell,  warden;  E. 
A.  Andrews,  orator;  C.  H.  Ketchum,  guide,  and  A.  H. 
Owens,  sentry. 

Meetings  are  convened  semi-monthly,  on  the  second  and 
fourth  Mondays. 

Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  36,  I.  0.  G.  T. —  Was  organized 
at  an  early  day,  and  re-organized  April  9,  1868,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :  G.  B.  Marvin,  W.  C.  T.;  A.  D.  McBride, 
\V.  V.  T.;  S.  McBride,  chaplain  ;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Purnell  and 
H.  Purnell,  secretaries;  Mrs.  O.  T.  Southworth,  treasurer, 
and  G.  Adams,  P.  W.  C.  T. 


The  present  oflicers  are  :  O.  A.  Rusco,  W;  C.  T.;  Delia 
Carpenter,  W.  V.  T.;  Dora  Burton,  W.  R.  S.;  Thomas 
Foulkes,  W.  A.  R.  S.;  Jay  Trumbull,  W.  F.  S.;  Stella  Rusco, 
W.  T.;  K.  M.  Hill,  W.  C;  T.  J.  Hill,  P.  W.  C.  T. 

The  Post-office  was  established  in  1870,  and  located 
at  the  store  of  J.  L.  Loomis,  corner  Main  and  Loomis  streets, 
with  Mr.  Loomis  as  Postmaster.  Neither  site  nor  official 
has  since  been  changed. 

The  Cemetery  was  located  soon  after  the  platting  of 
the  village,  and  on  December  23,  1S73,  occurred  the  first 
burial,  being  a  child  of  Orrin  Escey.  Tlie  tract  embraces 
five  acres,  handsomely  laid  out  and  platted. 

Fire. — On  the  5th  of  March,  1881,  there  was  a  serious 
fire  on  Main  street,  burning  out  the  buildings  on  the  west 
side  between  Pear  and  Looinis.  The  loss  was  $25,000, 
divided  among  A.  H.  Owen,  Luddell  &  Watson,  J.  B.  Emery, 
O.  T.  Southworth,  E.  Purnell,  A.  D.  Merrill,  Wm.  McBride, 
Geo.  Henderson,  W.  H.  Avery,  A.  Wood,  L.  J.  Ives,  W.  C. 
Eastman  and  some  others. 

As  a  basis  forprosperity,  Merrillan  has  six  extensive  saw- 
mills, which  employ  250  men,  and  annually  place  on  the 
market  some  18,000,000  and  20,000,000  feet  of  lumber. 

Being  at  the  union  of  the  two  main  branches  of  Hall's 
Creek,  there  is  a  fine  water-power  operating  a  part  of  these 
mills. 

C.  N.  Paine  &  Co.  The  mill  of  this  firm  is  situated 
four  miles  north  of  the  village.  It  is  operated  by  steam, 
and  has  a  tramway  to  convey  the  lumber  to  town.  Lum- 
ber, shingles  and  lath  are  manufactured.  There  is  also  a 
planing  mill  connected  with  the  establishment.  Seventy- 
five  men  are  employed  and  eight  millions  turned  out  an- 
nually. 

D.  B.  Lyon  &  Son.  This  mill  is  on  the  north  branch 
of  Hall's  Creek,  about  two  miles  west  of  the  town,  and  is 
operated  by  water.  Lumber,  lath  and  shingles  are  cut,  and 
in  the  village  the  firm  have  a  planing-mill  where  doors,  sash 
and  blinds  are  manufactured. 

Wakefield,  Trow  &  Co.  This  mill  is  a  mile  and  a  half 
east  of  Merrillan  ;  has  steam  and  water-power,  and  is  on 
Hall's  Creek  proper.  The  lumber  yard  of  the  firm  is  on 
the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  road.  The  usual  varie- 
ties of  lumber  are  manufactured. 

B.  H.  Merrill.  This  mill  is  one-half  mile  west  of  the 
village.      Lumber,  lath  and  shingles  are  manufactured. 

H.  Fuller.  This  mill  is  on  the  west  branch  of  Hall's 
Creek,  was  run  by  water  ;  the  dam,  however,  went  out  in 
the  October  freshet  in  1881,  and  is  now  idle. 

Merrill  &  Jones,  on  the  east  branch  of  Hall's  Creek. 
Lumber  and  shingles. 

Hayden's  mill,  on  the  main  branch  of  the  creek,  went 
out  with  the  freshet  of  iS8i. 

Planing  mill,  manufacturing  doors,  sash  and  blinds, 
Meldal  &  Sunde,  proprietors. 

Merrillan  flouring  mills,  Martin  Martens.  This  mill 
was  at  first  started  by  Merrill  Bros.,  in  1870.  In  1878  it 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  present  proprietor.  It  is 
located    on    Hall's    Creek,    with    a    valuable    water-power. 


4i6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Was  thoroughly  repaired  in  the  Fall  of  1881.  The  mill  is 
40x60,  three  stories  in  height  ;  patent  and  all  the  best  grades 
of  flour  are  made,  and  does  a  good  custom  business,  as  mill 
stock  brands. 

Newspaper. —  The  Wisconsin  Leader.  An  eight-column 
folio,  which  first  spread  its  light  in  May,  1877,  with  B.  J. 
Castle  as  editor  and  proprietor.  The  Winter  following,  E. 
H.  Gile  became  an  associate  on  the  paper,  and  finally  sole 
proprietor  in  July,  1878,  and  he  is  still  the  publisher. 

This  is  quite  a  railroad  center.  The  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  the  (ireen  Bay,  \Vinona  &  St.  Paul, 
and  a  branch  to  Neillsville,  constitute  the  railroad  facil- 
ities. 

There  is  a  union  depot  in  connection  with  an  eating- 
house  and  hotel,  which  was  enlarged  and  rebuilt  in  18S1. 
Uavis  &  Barker  are  proprietors  of  the  hotel  and  dining- 
rooms. 

The  station  agent  is  W.  W.  Driggs;  George  Denton, 
operator;  Samuel  A.  Markle,  W.  G.  Richardson,  clerks; 
D.  M.  McCormick,  baggage-master ;  Frank  Floutt,  assist- 
ant baggage-master.  Monthly  receipts  for  freight  on  C,  St. 
P.,  M.  &  O.,  $4,000  per  month  ;  passenger  fares,  $2,000. 
On  G.  B.,  W.  &  St.  P.,  frieght  $3,000,  passenger  $1,500. 

Water  Power. — The  water  power  in  the  vicinity  of  Mer- 
rillon  is  unrivaled.  Hall's  Creek  and  all  its  branches  have 
mill  privileges,  a  very  few  of  which  are  utilized,  and 
they  can  be  made  available  at  little  cost. 

Hotels. — Hotel  accommodations  are  ample,  and  embrace 
the  follow-ing  houses  : 

Blair  House  and  Railroad  Dining  Hall  —  Davis  &  Bar- 
ker, proprietors. 

The  American  House — M.  N.  Davidson,  proprietor;  has 
kept  this  house  and  stable  for  seven  years. 

Marshall  House  —  J-  W.  Marshall,  proprietor;  near  the 
railroad  station. 

Oriental  House — Alex.  Sires,  proprietor. 

Green  Bay  House — Joseph  Bone,  proprietor. 

Scandinavian — Martin  Sorenson,  proprietor. 

Norwegian  House — Ole  S.  Oleson,  proprietor. 

Merrillon  House — L.  A.  Comstock,  proprietor. 

Livery  and  Sale  Stables — L.  A.  Comstock. 

Real  Estate  Dealer— B.  H.  Merrill. 

Merchandising — Merrillon  is  a  good  place  in  which  to 
trade.  Stocks  are  well  kept  uji,  and  prices  are  close  to  the 
market. 

J.  L.  Loomis — This  is  the  pioneer  store,  started  by  Mer- 
rill &  Loomis  in  1870.  In  1879,  Mr.  Loomis  became  sole 
proprietor.  The  store  is  24x60,  with  a  wing  16x60.  It  has 
a  large  and  varied  stock  of  general  merchandise,  and  con- 
tains the  post-office. 

C.  N.  Paine  &  Co. — A  large  general  store,  33x100  feet, 
well  filled  with  a  varied  assortment. 

George  K.  Whitney — A  well  stocked  general  store. 

Watches,  Jewelry,  etc.  —  Sydney  E.  Brown  &  Co.  This 
house  was  started  in  1873.  The  fancy  goods  and  millinery 
department  is  under  the  supervision  of  Mrs.  Brown.  Sew- 
ing machines  are  a  large  item  in  the  business. 


.■Agricultural  Dejiot — .A.  W.  Prindle;  also  dealer  in  grain, 
produce,  etc. 

Drugs  and  Groceries  —  Mr.  .A..  Wood  established  the 
first  drug  store  in  town,  in  1878.  He  sold  out  to  Dr.  S  Mc- 
Bride.  In  the  Spring  of  1881,  Mr.  Wood  resumed  an  inter- 
est in  the  business.  They  have  a  large  stock  in  their  spe- 
cial lines  of  goods. 

Drugs  and  Medicines —  Dr.  J.  W.  Hamilton.  This 
establishment  came  into  existence  in  1875.  Paints,  oils, 
surgical  instruments,  books,  stationery,  etc.,  all  carried  on 
in  addition  to  druggists'  sundries. 

Furnishing  Goods  — W.  H.  .\very.  Millinery,  ladies'  and 
gents'  furnishing  goods  in  great  variety. 

Hardware,  Stoves  and  Tinware — E.  Purnels.  A  large 
store,  30x80,  well  stocked  ;  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  sew- 
ing machines,  etc. 

Furniture — W.  H.  Bunre  &  Co.  Complete  lines  of  fur- 
niture. 

Meat  Markets — Watson  &  Austin,  Thomas  &  Co. 

Blacksmith  and  Wagon  Shop — J.  H.  Miller.  Employs 
good  workmen  and  does  a  good  business. 

Marble  Works — J.  Cannon.  .\n  artistic  designer  and 
skillful  workman. 

Boots  and  Shoes,  Dry  Goods  and  Groceries  —  John 
Wicker. 

Confectionery  and  Restaurant — George  Hicks. 

Merchant  Tailor — O.  Madson. 

Blacksmith— J.  W.  Dye. 

Boot  and  Shoe  Manufactory — H.  C.  Troen. 

Beef  and  Poik  Packers — Thomas  &  Co. 

News  Depot — E.  H.  Gile,  Main  street. 

The  Liberal  Professions — Lawyers  :  Joseph  Roy,  George 
P.  Rossman. 

Physicians — E.  E.  Moore,  L.  L.  Crawford. 

Minister— H.  M.  Hackney. 

Schools. — The  schools  are  well  up  in  every  respect.  The 
school  building  is  a  modern  one,  two  stories  in  height,  and 
with  a  good  yard.  It  has  a  high,  grammar,  intermediate, 
and  primary  department.  Prof.  J.  B.  Emery  is  the  princi- 
pal;  Kate  M.  Snell,  teacher  grammar  school;  Estelle  Eg- 
bert, intermediate,  and  Lizzie  Carpenter,  of  the  primary. 

The  place  has  a  single  church,  the 

Methodist. — When  Benjamin  Merrill  came,  in  the  -Spring 
of  1870,  he  at  once  started  a  Methodist  prayer  meeting.  At 
first  only  four  members  could  be  rallied  :  Benjamin  Merrill, 
Mrs.  B.  Hamilton,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Horlacher. 
Mr.  Merrill  conducted  the  meetings  until  the  Fall  of  1870, 
when  Rev.  William  .NLtssey  came,  and  since  his  time  the 
following  reverend  gentlemen  have  been  stationed  here  :  A. 
W.  Clingman,  and  in  June,  1S71,  there  was  a  rousing  camp- 
meeting  here  ;  Taylor,  Waldron,  Lewis,  Hackney,  and  the 
present  pastor,  Rev.  W.  C.  Ross.  The  church  edifice  was 
started  in  1875,  and  is  not  yet  quite  completed.  There  is 
a  Sunday-school,  and  the  church  is  in  good  condition. 

Merrillan  was  incorporated  as  a  village.  May  3,  1881. 
A  census  taken  by  E.  J.  Austin,  showed  694  people  within 
the  corporate  limits.     The  first  election  was  held  May  31, 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


417 


1881,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Sydney  E. 
Brown,  President;  M.  Martens,  J.  H.  Miller,  J.  W.  Hamil- 
ton, N.  H.  Southworth,  O.  S.  Oleson,  N.  McEwen,  Trust- 
ees ;  L.  E.  Bates,  Clerk  ;  L.  A.  Comstock,  Treasurer  ;  T. 
J.  Foulks,  Jr.,  Police  Justice;  H.  Thatcher,  Marshal;  I.  E. 
Darling,  Justice  of  the  Peace;  J.  L.  Snell,  Constable;  A. 
S.  Trow,  Supervisor.     These  are  the  present  officers. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
EDWARD  J.  AUSTIN,  carpenter  and  builder,  Merrillan,  was  born 
Feb.  6,  1841.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1858  where  they 
settled  in  Manitowoc  County,  where  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  G,  14th  Wis.  V.  I.,  served  for  four  years  and  four  months,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  was  promoted  to  captain  by  the  recommendation  of 
Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  of  Wisconsin,  for  his  bravery,  shown  at  Nashville.Tenn. 
After  the  war,  came  back  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  at  Black  River  Falls, 
Jackson  Co.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  carpentering,  and 
which  he  has  followed  ever  since;  came  to  Merrillan  in  1872.  Has  held 
the  offices  of  Town  and  School  Clerk,  and  is  a  member  of  thel.O.  O.  F. 
Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246,  has  been  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars  for 
twenty-five  years.  Was  married  in  1865  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Roscoe;  she 
was  born  in  New  York  in  1842,  and  by  whom  he  has  three  children  liv- 
ing—Eva May,  Birdie  M.  and  Edna  J. 

WILLIAM  n.  BUNCE,  furniture  store,  Merrillan,  was  born,  Ocf 
2,  1813,  in  Connecticut.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1839  and  landed  at 
Milwaukee,  finally  locating  at  Menomonie  Falls.  Went  to  farming  and 
remained  there  three  years  ;  moved  to  Ozaukee  County,  where  he  farmed 
for  twelve  years;  sold  out  and  moved  to  Washington  County,  near  West 
Bend,  continuing  to  live  there  five  years,  selling  out  and  moving  to  She- 
boygan County,  where  he  lived  for  five  years,  engaged  at  farming,  also 
connected  in  a  saw  mill.  He  then  returned  to  Menomonie  Falls,  where 
he  lived  awhile;  in  1S69,  moved  to  Buffalo  County,  where  he  farmed 
for  five  years.  In  1879,  he  settled  in  Merrillan,  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  was  married  in  1835  to  Miss  Caroline  Ostrander. 
She  was  born  in  New  York. 

LESTER  H.  CLOW,  foreman  of  the  Meldal  planing  mill,  Meril- 
lan,  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.;  came  to  Merillan,  July  I,  1880,  and 
took  charge  of  the  mill  where  he  now  is,  which  was  built  in  1875  by 
George  Merrill  &  Co.;  employs  thirteen  men  the  year  round,  and  does  a 
business  of  $35,000  per  year.  Mr.  Clow  was  engaged  as  book-keeper  for 
the  Newbury-Sparla  Iron  Works  for  four  years.  Is  a  member  of  the  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Naiional  Lodge,  No.  596,  Chicago  Chapter,  No.  43.  Was 
married  to  his  first  wife,  Miss  Adeha  Toft,  in  186S,  who  died  in  1879, 
by  whom  he  had  three  children — Irma,  Byron  and  Adella;  married  his 
second  wife.  Miss  Delia  Frank,  Aug.  8,  1880.  She  was  born  in  Water- 
town  in  1S58. 

LEANDER  A.  COMSTOCK,  livery  stable,  Merrillan,  was  born  in 
Michigan,  April  3,  1853;  came  with  his  parents,  in  1861,  to  Jackson  Co., 
Wis.,  where  they  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Albia.  Started  to 
clerk  for  Merrill  &  Loomis  at  Hixton,  in  1S70  and  remained  with  them 
after  they  moved  to  Merrillan,  continuing  to  clerk  for  them  until  1875  ; 
started  a  store  for  himself  and  run  it  until  1879,  when  he  sold  out  to 
George  K.  Whitney  and  then  engaged  in  the  livery  business.  Is  a  mem- 
ber of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246.  Was  married,  Feb.  22, 
1875,  to  Miss  Emma  J.  Hardison.  They  have  two  children,  Clare  and 
Edith. 

ISAAC  E.  DARLING,  wagon-maker,  Merrillan,  was  born,  April  23, 
1834,  in  Jackson,  Ohio;  came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1864,  and  lived 
there  until  August,  1S79;  moved  to  Merrillan.  Is  a  member  of  the  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  and  has  been 
Deputy  Sherifi'  in  his  town  two  terms.  Was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  M. 
Reed  in  1S55.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1S37.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Margaret  A.,  now  Mrs.  F.  L.  Vance ;  Lizzie  A.  and  Kathleen 
Iva.     They  lost  one  son, who  died  Aug.  10,  1856. 

DAVIS  &  BARKER,  proprietors  of  the  Blair  railroad  eating-house, 
Merrillan.  Mr.  N.  Davis  was  born  in  Dexter,  Me.,  March  15,  1845.  He 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  when  a  small  child  and  they  settled 
at  Jefferson  and  started  a  hotel  known  as  the  Green  Mountain  House, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  he  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Co.  A,  1st  Wis.  C, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  returned  home  and  engaged 
at  railroading,  which  business  he  followed  until  1875,  when  he  moved  to 
Merrillan  and  commenced  keeping  hotel.  Was  married  10  Miss  Maggie 
M.  Lee,  Feb.  24,  1S67.     She  was  born  in  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  1851. 

Jerome  L.  Barker,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born  April  3,  1856.  Came 
to  Merrillan  in  1876,  and  eng,iged  with  Wakefield,  Trow  &  Co.  as  book- 
keeper and  remained  with  them  five  years  ;  went  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Davis.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No. 
246.  Was  married,  Dec.  i8,  1880,  to  Miss  Sophia  Davis.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  N.  Davis,  his  partner  in  the  hotel. 
37 


ALBRIDGE  EATON,  carpenter  and  builder,  Merrillan,  was  born 
in  New  Hampshire,  Nov.  3,  1838  ;  was  in  the  manufacturing  business. 
In  1863,  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  l8th  N.  H.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war;  was  in  nearly  all  of  the  battles  of  the  Potomac,  as  flag- 
bearer.  In  1865,  was  mustered  out  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  came  West 
in  the  Spring  and  settled  at  Black  River  Falls  and  commenced  the  man- 
ufacture  of  sash  and  doors,  which  he  continued  until  1875,  when  he 
moved  to  Merrillan,  his  present  residence.  Mr.  Eaton  is  a  member  of 
the  Temple  of  Honor,  and  was  married,  in  the  Fall  of  1S59,  to  Miss  Al- 
mira  L.  Adams,  who  was  born,  Nov.  3,  1841.  in  New  Hampshire.  They 
have  four  children— Charles  L„  Nellie  J.,  Emma  J.  and  Johnnie  L. 

ALBIAN  ESTEY,  farmer,  Sec.  13,  P.  O.  Merrillan.  was  born  in 
Maine,  May  11,  1830;  lived  in  his  native  State  until  i868,  engaged  in 
the  lumber  trade ;  came  West  and  settled  on  Green  Bay  shore,  at  Pesh- 
tigo,  where  he  lost  all  his  property  in  the  large  lire  there,  Oct.  8,  1871. 
After  that  he  removed  to  St.  Cloud,  Minn.;  in  the  Spring  of  1873  'e- 
turned  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Jackson  Co.,  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
is.  Owns  160  acres  of  good  farmland,  eighty  acres  being  in  the  town  of  Al- 
ma and  eighty  in  Hixton  ;  raises  fine  stock.  Was  married,  May  4,  1S54, 
to  Miranda  Woodworth.  She  was  born  in  New  Brunswick  in  1837. 
They  have  eight  children— William  H.,  Henry,  Liely,  Viola,  Maud,  Ben- 
jamin M.,  Eihel  and  one  daughter  unnamed. 

REV.  HARRY  M.  HACKNEY,  Merrillan,  was  born,  Aug.  22, 
1849,  in  Oakfield,  Peiry  Co.,  Ohio  ;  moved  from  there  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  parents  in  1851,  his  father  being  one  of  the  old  pioneer  ministers  of 
the  State  ;  was  a  student  of  the  Durand  Academy,  of  the  Sparta  High 
School,  and  also  of  the  Galesville  University.  He  read  law  with  the 
Hon.  G.  C.  Hazelton,  of  Boscobel,  Wis.;  he  also  attended  Madison  Law 
School  and  practiced  law  two  years  at  Boscobel.  But,  feeling  it  his  duty 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  he  entered  the  ministry  and  was  ordained  for 
that  work  by  Bishop  Andrews  as  deacon  in  1877,  at  Eau  Claire,  Wis., 
and  by  Bishop  Peck  as  elder  of  La  Crosse  in  1879.  His  first  parish  "as 
at  Plamfield,  Waushara  Co.,  where  he  remained  for  three  years,  and  at 
the  end  of  his  appointment  there,  he  removed  to  Merrillan  Junction, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  Rev.  Hackney  was  married,  April  6, 
1871,  at  Boscobel,  to  Miss  Harriet  Muffley.  She  was  born  at  Fairplay, 
Wis.,  Jan.  II,  1854,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children,  one  infant  son 
died  June  20,  1873,  and  one  daughter  now  living,  Mabel  May. 

JOHN  W.  HAMILTON,  M.  D.,  druggist,  Merrillan,  was  born  in 
Elmira,  N.Y.,  Oct.  10,  1837.  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S48,  and  settled  in 
Leroy  ;  was  a  graduate  of  Bennett  Medical  College,  at  Chicago,  in  1869, 
commencing  to  practice  immediately  afterward  at  Cold  Spring.  Jefferson 
Co.,  where  he  continued  his  profession  until  1871 ;  removed  to  Merrillon, 
Jackson  Co.,  and  was  the  first  doctor  who  settled  in  that  town.  Started 
a  drug  store  in  1S76  ;  was  married  to  his  first  wife,  Miss  Olive  A.  Bailey, 
January  I,  1858,  by  whom  he  has  three  children  living  and  one  dead; 
was  married  the  second  time,  June  10,  1875,  to  Miss  Dora  M.  Waltersj 
by  whom  he  has  one  daughter.  Vera.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F., 
Merrillon  Lodge,  No.  246,  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

C.  H.  K  ETC  HUM,  farmer  and  lumberman,  was  born  in  Boone  Co., 
N.Y.,  Jan.  30,  1847;  came  with  his  parents  to  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1855,  and  from  there  to  moved  to  New  London ;  remained  with  his 
parents  until  1872  ;  moved  to  Merrillan,  his  present  home  ;  is  proprietor 
of  the  saw  mill  at  Hatfield,  and  has  an  interest  in  about  30,000  acres  of 
farm  and  timber  land.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  blooded  stock  on  his 
farm,  raising  some  very  fine  horses,  cattle  and  sheep.  Mr.  Ketchum  was 
married  May  10,  1876,  to  Miss  Jennie  Ellis.  She  was  bom  in  Madison, 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  14,  1855.  They  have  two  children,  Truman  H. 
and  Jane. 

JAMES  L.  LOOMIS,  Postmaster  and  dealer  in  general  merchan- 
dise, Merrillan,  was  born  in  Ohio,  July  4,  1830 ;  came  West  in  1854, 
and  settled  at  Black  River  Falls,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.;  taught  school  for 
six  terms ;  commenced  clerking  for  Ledyard,  Farnum  &  Co.,  for  about 
three  years.  The  business  changed  hands  three  times.  In  1859,  Mr. 
Loomis  started  in  business  for  himself  in  company  with  L.  G.  Merrill, 
and  was  burnt  out  in  1S60,  at  the  time  of  the  big  fire  there,  then 
moved  across  the  street  and  commencd  again.  In  1S62,  sold  out  to  Mer- 
rill &  Cheney,  and  in  the  same  year  began  clerking  for  the  same  firm,  of 
which  he  had  formerly  been  a  member;  remained  there  until  1866; 
took  an  interest  with  Merrill  Bros,  in  a  store  at  Hixton,  and  continued 
thereuntil  1870;  removed  to  Merrillan  and  started  a  store  under  the 
firm  name  of  Merrill  &  Loomis,  continuing  the  same  until  Aug.  28, 
1879,  since  which  time  Mr.  Loomis  has  conducted  the  business  himself! 
He  was  married  April  6,  1857,  to  Miss  Kate  Jean,  who  was  born  in  In- 
diana, Dec.  3,  1832.  They  have  one  daughter,  Imogene;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Good  Templars  and  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Black  River 
Falls.  He  has  held  the  office  of  District  Treasurer,  since  1870,  in  Mer- 
rillan ;  was  a  member  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  at 
Hiram,  Ohio,  and  was  a  fellow-student  there  with  the  late  Pres.  James 
A.  Garfield. 

MARTIN  MARTENS,  proprietor  of  Merrillan  grist-mill,  Menillan, 
was  born  in  Germany,  Feb.  15,  1844;  came  to  America  in  1S69,  first  go- 
ing to  Chicago,  and  from  there  to  Clinton  Co.,  Iowa,  where  he  ; 


4i8 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


two  years,  working  at  his  trade,  thafof  miller,  having  learned  it  in  Ger 
many.  From  Iowa  went  to  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  remaining  eighteen  months, 
going  from  there  to  Jackson  County,  where  he  operated  a  mill  for  J.  W. 
Cole  &  Co.,  of  Black  River  Falls.  In  the  Spring  of  1S76,  he  removed 
to  Eau  Claire  County,  where  he  bought  a  mill  on  Fall  Creek,  and  after  run- 
ning it  four  years,  he  sold  out  in  November,  1S80,  and  went  back  to 
Germany;  returned  to  America,  March,  18S1,  and  bought  the  mill  which 
he  now  runs.  May  6.  iSSi,  from  Mrs.  L.  G.  Merrill,  said  mill  having  a 
capacity  of  making  100  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Mr.  Martens  has  im- 
proved his  mill  and  put  in  new  machinery.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
United  Workmen  of  Fall  Creek,  and  was  married  in  1S72,  to  Miss  Mag- 
gie Hogge.  She  was  horn  in  Scotland.  Their  family  consists  of  four 
children — Robert,  Mary,  William  and  Maggie. 

GEORGE  B.  M.\RVIN.  millwright,  Merrillan,  was  born  in  Mc- 
Henry  Co.,  111..  May  17,  1S4T  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867,  and  settled 
in  Waupaca  County,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1876  ;  removed  to 
.Merrillan.  Mr.  Marvin  has  been  in  the  employ  of  Trow  &  Co.  as  lore- 
man  ;  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246,  and 
has  been  an  active  worker  in  that  order;  is  a  member  of  Good  Tem- 
plars and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor ;  was  married  in  1S63,  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Humes.  She  was  born  in  Canada  West,  Jan.  16,  1S46.  They  have  five 
children,  viz.,  Henry  S.,  George  B.,  Sarah  E.,  Winnifred  E.  and  Harold. 
They  mourn  the  loss  of  one  daughter,  Minnie  A.,  whodled  Oct,  3,  lS6g. 

CHARLES  MERRILL,  saw  mill  and  lumberman,  Merrillan,  was 
born  in  Glenburn,  Me.,  Sept.  4,  1S39.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S59,  and 
settled  at  Sp.irta,  where  he  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1S64,  working 
in  the  woods  during  the  Winters.  Went  to  Montana  at  the  time  of  the 
mining  excitement,  and  followed  mining  until  1875.  Returned  to  Mer- 
rillan. where  he  had  an  interest  in  a  planing  mill  with  his  brother 
George,  which  was  known  as  the  Geo.  Merrill  &  Co.  Planing  Mills.  Is 
a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  order.  Was  married,  March  28,  1878, 
to  Miss  Allie  Smith.  She  was  born  in  Columbia  County,  Wis.,  in  1S55. 
They  have  two  children,  Maud  B.  and  Charles  O. 

BENJAMIN  H.  MERRILL,  farmer  and  lumberman,  P.O.  Mer- 
rillan, was  born  in  Lincoln,  Me.,  Aug.  8,  1S26.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
the  Fall  of  1849,  and  settled  on  the  east  fork  of  Black  River,  about 
fourteen  miles  above  the  Falls.  He  built  a  saw  mill,  and  also  had  a 
supply  store.  Remained  there  three  years,  then  removed  to  Black  River 
Falls,  where  he  started  a  general  merchandise  store,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued one  year.  Returned  to  Maine,  and  engaged  in  lumber  business. 
Sold  out  in  1854,  and  came  back  to  Wisconsin  ;  engaged  at  farming  and 
lumbering;  built  a  store  at  Hixton,  Jackson  Co.,  and  ran  it  for  five  years 
in  connection  with  his  other  business.  Came  to  Merrillan  in  1870,  and 
started  the  Store  where  he  now  is.  Mr.  Merrill  was  married  to  Miss 
Catherine  Riggs,  Dec.  2,  1856.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  May  6,  1835. 
They  have  five  children  —  Angelia  E.  (now  Mrs.  Dr.  E.  E.  Moore,  of 
Merrillan),  Oscar  H.,  Ida  B.,  Mary  J.  and  Charles  H.  They  mourn  the 
loss  of  a  daughter,  Carrie  M.,  who  died  Dec.  30,  1877,  aged  fifteen  years. 
Mr.  Merrill  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
twenty-two  years.  Is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor,  and  of  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  Merrillon  Lodge,  No.  246. 

JULIUS  H.  MILLER,  wagon  and  carriage  maker,  Merrillan,  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1S54.  Came  to  America  in  1870,  and  settled  in 
Baltimore,  at  which  place  he  worked  at  his  trade  one  year.  Came  West, 
and  worked  eighteen  months  at  Oshkosh,  Wis.  Started  in  business  for 
himself  in  Outagamie  County,  and  contmued  there  for  two  years,  and  in 
1876,  came  to  Merrillan,  where  he  worked  for  C.  M.  Paine  &  Co.  in  the 
lumber  business.  In  187S,  started  in  his  present  business.  Is  a  member 
of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246.  Was  married,  Dec.  25,  1S80, 
to  Miss  Mary  Hill.     She  was  born  in  New  York  in  1863. 

EDWIN  E.  MOORE,  physician,  Merrillan,  was  born  in  Jefferson 
County,  Wis.,  Feb.  9,  1855.  He  received  a  common  school  education  at 
Rome,  Jefferson  Co.,  and  then  attended  the  Milton  College.  Taught 
school  for  two  years.  Went  to  the  Chicago  Medical  College,  where  he 
graduated  March  4,  1S78,  and  since  then  has  practiced  his  profession  in 
Merrillan.  Was  married  to  Miss  Angle  E.  Merrill,  May  I,  1879.  She 
was  born  Sept.  3,  1856.  They  have  one  daughter,  Ethel  E.  Dr.  Moore 
is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246,  and  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor,  and  of  the  Northwestern  Medical  Association. 

ALONZO  H.  OWEN,  farmer,  Merrillan,  is  a  native  of  Canada. 
Left  there  in  184S,  and  came  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  worked  in  a  saw 
mill  and  at  lumbering,  in  Portage  County.  Came  from  there  to  Mer- 
rillan, Dec.  II,  1877  ;  made  it  his  residence  ever  since.  Enlisted  in  the 
late  war,  in  Co.  K,  25th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  August,  1862,  and  served 
three  years  in  the  .\rmy  of  Tennessee.  Was  married  in  August,  1865, 
to  Miss  Mary  A.  Brahn,  who  w.is  born  in  Milwaukee.  They  have  four 
children— Lettie  B.,  Charles  A.,  Paul  W.  and  Minnie  B. 

ANSON  W.  PRINDLE,  farm  machinery  agent  and  faimer,  .Mer- 
rillan, was  born  in  New  York  .State,  June  22,  1S24.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1847,  and  -settled  in  Burlington,  Walworth  Co.,  where  he  taught 
school  until  1856.  Removed  to  Black  River  Falls,  and  engaged  in  the 
lumber  and  carpenter  business  until  1S60.  Moved  on  his  farm,  contain- 
ing 120  acres,  which  he  still  owns.     Has  been  the  means  of  introducing 


a  great  deal  of  fruit  in  this  part  of  the  country,  having  written  several 


cles  for  the  press  on  the  subje 


■ng) 


the  Northwe 


He  now  raises  2,000  pounds  of  fine  grapes  per  annum  on  his  farm,  to- 
gether with  other  fruits.  Has  held  several  offices  in  town  of  Alma, 
having  been  one  of  the  Trustees  three  years.  Clerk  for  one  year,  and  As- 
sessor for  two  years,  and  also  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Has  always  been  a 
true  Temperance  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Married,  Oct.  19. 
1850,  to  Miss  Mary  V.  Packard,  at  Burlington,  Wis.  She  was  born  in 
Massachu.setts,  Feb.  11,  1835.  They  have  five  children  — William  A., 
Luther  C,  James  D.,  Ella  M.  and  Edward  R. 

REV.  WILLIAM  C.  RO.S3,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  March 
15,  1824.  His  father  came  with  his  family  to  the  United  States  in  1832, 
and  settled  at  Whiteston,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  Here  our  subject  received 
a  common  and  high  school  education  He  came  West  soon  after  he 
was  licensed  to  preach,  and  commenced  preaching  in  Columbia  Co.,  Wis., 
having  joined  the  Wisconsin  Conference,  and  afterward  connected  with 
the  West  Wisconsin  Conference.  He  was  married,  Jan.  19.  184S,  to  Miss 
Sarah  L.  Gillett,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children  living— Let- 
tie  Agnes,  Elma  L.  and  Edwin  L.  Their  son,  Nathan  C,  enlisted  first 
in  the  39th  Regt.  Wis.  V.;  afterwards  in  the  4Sth.  He  died  since  the 
war  closed,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years.  "  Elder"  Ross  spent  some 
time  "  at  the  front  "  caringforthe  sick  and  wounded  ;  also  at  the  Soldier's 
Home  in  Milwaukee,  all  at  his  own  expense. 

GEORGE  P.  ROSSMAN,  lawyer,  Merrillan.  Was  bom  in  Wis 
consin,  Aug.  14.  1856,  in  Sheboygan  CdSnty.  He  studied  law  for  eight- 
een months,  and  also  read  law  two  years  under  R.J.  McBride,  at  NeiUs- 
ville.  Mr.  Rossman  moved  to  Merrillan,  May  i,  1881,  and  started  an 
office  for  himself.     Is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  at  Neillsville. 

A.  TUTTLE,  Justiceof  the  Peace,  Merrillan.  Was  born  in  Connec- 
ticut, Oct.  13,  1815.  In  1850,  came  West  and  settled  at  Black  River 
Falls,  Jackson  Co.,  in  company  with  James  Buchanan,  as  a  clerk,  with  a 
stock  of  general  merchandise  ;  started  a  store  at  the  Falls,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years  ;  went  to  La  Crosse,  stayed  there  one  year;  re- 
turned to  Black  River  Falls,  where  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Emeline 
Goff;  she  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1S22.  Mr.  Tuttle  made  his  home  at  the 
Falls,  working  in  the  pineries  in  Winter,  scaling  logs,  etc.,  until  1S79  » 
moved  to  Merrillan  ;  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  Peace  for  two  years 
at  Black  River  Falls,  and  was  elected  to  that  office  at  Merrillan  in  the 
Spring  of  iSSo.  His  wife  died  in  January,  1881,  by  whom  he  had  two 
children,  Katie  I.  and  Albert  L. 

ALVIN  S.  TROW,  lumber  and  saw-mill,  and  farmer.  Was  born 
in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis., Sept.  15,  183S.  First  started  lumbering  in  Win- 
nebago County,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  that  and  mercantile  busi- 
ness. He  is  also  engaged  very  extensively  in  raising  cranberries,  own- 
ing between  5,000  and  6.000  acres  of  cranberry  swamp-lands  in  Winne- 
bago and  Jackson  counties.  Mr.  Trow  also  owns  5,000  acres  of  pine- 
land  and  6,000  acres  of  land  in  Dakota,  under  cultivation.  At  his  saw- 
mill in  Merrillan,  they  manufacture  6,000,000  feet  of  lumber  per  annum. 
He  is  now  Assemblyman  from  District  No.  7.  Jackson  County,  being 
elected  in  18S0,  and  has  been  Chairman  of  County  Board  in  Winnebago 
County.  Was  largely  interested  in  steamboat  business  on  Fo$  and 
Wolf  rivers,  and  was  superintendent  of  Wolf  River  Transportation 
Company  for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Ber- 
lin Lodge,  No.  121,  Green  Lake  Co.,  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Rushford 
Lodge,  No.  121. 

GEORGE  R.  WATSON,  meat  market,  of  the  firm  of  Lidell  & 
Watson,  Merrillan.  Was  born  in  Maine,  May  8,  1832.  Came  West  in 
1859,  and  settled  at  Tomah,  Wis.,  where  he  commenced  farming  and 
lumbering.  Enlisted  in  Co.  D,  25th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  his  country 
three  years,  and  was  in  all  of  the  principal  battles  of  Mississippi,  being 
drum  major  of  his  regiment.  After  the  war,  returned  to  Tomah  and 
farmed  until  1S75,  when  he  opened  a  meat  market  there  and  ran  it  until 
he  came  to  Mernllan.  Was  married  to  Miss  Amanda  F.  Gilbert,  March 
21,  1856;  she  was  born  in  Maine,  and  died  January,  1858.  They  had 
one  daughter,  Idah  L.,  died  Sept.  30,  18S0.  Mr.  Watson  was  married 
to  his  second  wife,  Miss  Charlotte  Murdock,  July  3,  1859;  '^''^  ^'^^  born 
in  Massachusetts,  May  3,  1840,  and  by  whom  he  has  one  son  living. 
n.-imed  Ora  H.,  and  one  son  who  died  in  1861. 

AS.\  WOOD,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions.  Was  born  in  Ver- 
mont, Sept.  20,  1816.  Came  West  in  1841,  and  first  settled  at  Baraboo, 
Sauk  Co.  Was  local  preacher  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  fourteen 
years,  and  was  a  member  of  Rock  River  Conference.  Enlisted  in  Co. 
F,  3d  Wis.  C,  in  1861,  and  served  one  year,  at  which  time  he  was 
obliged  to  resign  his  position  of  first  lieutenant,  on  account  of  poor 
health,  and  return  home.  In  186S,  moved  to  Lavalle,  where  he  remained 
one  year;  went  to  Merrillan,  engaging  in  the  drug  business,  his  being 
the  fir.st  drug  store  in  that  town  ;  remained  there  four  years  ;  went  to 
Montgomery  Co.,  Kansas,  for  his  health,  remaining  three  years,  and 
then  returning  to  Merrillan,  Sept.  I,  is8o,  and  commencing  in  his  pres- 
ent business.  Is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M  ,  Baraboo  Lodge,  also  of 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge,  No.  246,  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 
He  was  married  to  his  first  wife,  Miss  Jane  B.  Latta,  in  1835,  who 
died  at  Dodgeville,  in  1858.     Mrs.  Wood  had  four  children,  but  one  is 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


419 


living,  Edwin  E.  Mr.  Wood  was  married  the  second  time  to  Mrs. 
Adams,  of  Baraboo,  in  iSsg,  and  they  have  three  children  living — Asa 
C,  Emma  H.  and  Frank  H.  The  second  .Mrs.  Wood  died  in  Kansas, 
August,  1880. 

ALMA  CENTER. 

This  village  is  on  the  edge  of  the  vast  prairie  lands, 
which  are  only  interrupted  as  they  extend  toward  the  Pacific 
Ocean  by  the  Rocky  Mountains.  From  Green  Bay  to  Alma 
was  uninterrupted  forest,  and  the  line  is  sharply  defined; 
on  the  east,  heavy  timber,  on  the  west,  boundless  prairie. 

The  place  was  first  settled  about  1850.  At  this  time, 
Peter  Hall  and  his  brother  Thomas  (from  whom  the  creek 
was  named),  J.  M.  and  E.  W.  Warren,  with  E.  O.  Jones, 
went  into  the  lumber  business,  establishing  mills  with  the 
Wright  Brothers.  The  only  avenue  to  market  was  the 
Black  River.  At  first  the  lumber  was  hauled  there,  but  the 
creek  was  subsequently  iiuproved  as  a  highway  to  the 
Black. 

The  village  is  well  situated  and  in  appearance  in  remark- 
able contrast,  on  account  of  the  absence  of  stumps,  with 
other  villages  to  the  east. 

Clitoch. — The  Methodist  Church  has  had  a  foothold 
here  for  twenty-five  years,  but  the  society  is  just  now  build- 
ing a  church  edifice.     Rev.  W.  P.  Hathaway  is  the  pastor. 

Schools. — There  was  formerly  a  graded  school,  but  the 
house  having  burned,  two  were  built,  and  they  are  in  good 
condition. 

Railroad— Gxt^w  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  ;  T.  W.  Stone, 
station  agent.  Amount  received  for  freight  forwarded, 
$1,000  per  month  ;  passenger  fares,  $50. 

Post-office. — L.  B.  Johnson.     Receipts,  $30  a  month. 

Population  about  300. 

Business. — Wheat  buyers — Mr.  Cargill,  with  Joe  Floren 
as  agent. 

Hardware — J.  B.  Miller  &  Bros,  do  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. 

General  merchandise — E.  J.  Chapman  &  Co. 

Grocery — S.  S.  Avery. 

Harness  shop — Miller  Bros. 

Blacksmiths — George  Hall,  Harry  M.  Swain. 

Cabinetmaker — W.  Kenson. 

Wagon  shop — H.  W.  Northrop  &  Co. 

Shoemaker— Ch.  Hills. 

Drugs  and  Medicines — F.  Raymond. 

Hotels. — Warren  House — J.  M.  Warren,  proprietor; 
Winfield  Warren,  clerk. 

Alma  Center  House — Mr.  Miller,  Sr.,  proprietor. 

Physician. — Dr.  L.  L.  Crawford. 
=> 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MARSHAL  J.  CHAPMAN,  of  the  firm  of  E.  J.  Chapman  &  Co., 
dry  goods.  Alma  Center.  Was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Ohio,  May  29,  1851. 
Came  with  his  parents  to  Irving,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  year  1853. 
Left  home  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  clerked  at  Sparta  for  a  short  time, 
and  then  engaged  with  D.  J.  Spaulding,  of  Black  River  Falls,  for  whom 
he  clerked  three  years  ;  went  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  and  general 
merchandise  business;  remained  two  years  ;  in  1879  was  traveling  agent 
for  E.  B.  Miller,  tea  and  spice  house;  had  to  quit  traveling  on  accovmt 
of  his  health,  and  then  went  to  Dakota  and  opened  a  farm  with  his 
brother-in-law,  which  he  is  still  interested  in  ;  returned  to  Wisconsin, 
and  in  1S80  commenced  his  prc^ient  business.  Was  married  in  1873,  to 
Ella  J.Champlin;  she  was  born  in  Vermont,  1S53.  They  have  two 
children,  Freddie  R.  and  Paul  M. 


LEWIS  B.  JOHNSON,  Postmaster,  grocery  and  provision  store. 
Alma  Center,  was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9,  1S39.  Came 
West,  with  his  brother,  in  1856,  and  located  at  Black  River  Falls,  where 
he  worked  at  carpentering  for  one  year;  then  went  up  the  river  two 
miles  and  built  a  steam  saw  mill,  which  was  known  as  A.  M.  Josher  & 
Co.  Here  he  remained  twelve  years ;  moved  to  Merrillan  Junction, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  line  until  1879  ;  then  followed  the 
lumber  business  until  .\pril  i,  i88l,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster, 
under  Garfield's  administration,  and  moved  to  Alma  Center.  Mr.  John- 
son is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O,  F.,  Merrillan  Lodge  No.  294. 

CHARLES  W.  KENSON,  furniture  and  undertaker,  Alma  Center, 
was  born  April  4,  1836,  in  New  York  State;  came  West,  with  his  parents, 
in  1S47,  and  settled  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his  father  bought  a  farm 
of  240  acres.  He  then  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Jackson  County,  where 
he  worked  on  a  farm  for  his  father  for  a  time,  and  afterward  for  himself. 
In  1877,  started  a  hardware  store  at  .Vlma  Center,  which  he  sold  out  to 

E.  .A..  Miller.       In  1877,  commenced   his  present  business.      Has  been  a 
member  of  Town  Board  for  two  terms,  on  the  anti-license  ticket. 

CAPT.  DANIEL  McSWAIN,  Sec.  36,  P.  O.  Alma  Center,  was 
born  in  Canada,  Oct.  27,  181 1.  Went  across  Lake  Ontario  in  an  open 
boat,  with  his  parents,  in  iSl2,  and  landed  at  Oak  Orchard  Creek,  in 
New  York  State.  Settled  in  Chenango  County,  and  his  father  enlisted 
in  the  war  of  1812,  under  Gen.  Scott,  and  served  during  the  war.  Re- 
mained with  his  parents  uncil  1827  ;  started  to  learn  the  ship-carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  1835  ;  went  back  to  Canada  and  built  a 
vessel  for  himself,  being  captain  and  owner  of  the  same,  which  he  ran 
between  Buffalo,  Port  Dover,  Kingston  and  Montreal.  In  1S50,  sold 
his  vessel  and  built  a  steamboat,  which  was  the  first  steamboat  run  be- 
tween Brantford  and  Buffalo.  Continued  running  that  until  1853,  when, 
the  Buffalo  &  Lake  Huron  Railroad  being  built,  interfered  so  much  with 
his  passenger  trade  that  it  did  not  pay  him,  and  he  commenced  towing 
scows,  etc.,  which  he  followed  until  1861,  at  which  time  he  came  West 
and  settled  in  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  In 
1865,  went  to  Cataract  and  commenced  keeping  hotel,  where  he  remained 
until  i856  ;  moved  to  Black  River  Falls,  where  he  engaged  in  farm  ma- 
chinery business  for  C.  H.  &  L.  J.  McCormick;  continued  at  that  one 
year  ;  then  went  into  the  furniture  line  until  1868,  when  his  building 
burned  down,  and  he  moved  to  Wrightsville,  on  West  Wisconsin  Rail- 
road, and  built  a  hotel,  which  he  ran  until  1S73  ;  returned  to  his  farm 
in  Garden  Valley,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis,,  where,  as  the  sailors  say,  "he  is  now 
anchored."      Capt.  McSwain  has  always  been  a  strong  temperance  man. 

HARVEY  D.  McSWAIN,  blacksmithing,  Alma  Center,  was  born 
in  Winnebago  Co.,  111.,  Jan.  29,  1844  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867,  and 
settled  in  Hixton.  Jackson  Co.,  where  he  remained  four  years  ;  then  re- 
moved to  Clark  County,  remaining  there  until  1877,  and  going  to  Texas, 
traveling  around  and  working  some  at  his  trade.  He  then  returned  to 
Clark  County,  and  remained  there  until  1S79;  moved  to  Alma  Center; 
is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  Was  married,  in  1S75,  to  Miss  Eliza  Clark, 
who  was  born  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852.  Their  family  consists  of  two 
children,  Lilian  and  Orlo. 

GEORGE  N.  MARKS,  farmer.  Sec.  19.  P.  O.  Alma  Center,  was 
born  in  Buckinghamshire,  Eng. ;  came  to  America,  with  his  parents,  in 
1850.  Stayed  in  New  York  State  four  years  ;  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  set- 
tled ou  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  ;  owns  166  acres  of  good  farm  land. 
Was  married  to  his  first  wife.  Miss  Mary  E.  Fish,  in  i85o  ;  she  was  born 
in  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  May  3,  1840,  and  by  whom  he  has  two  children, 
Frank  E.  and  Lu  Edna.  Mrs.  Marks  died  Oct.  26,  1878.  Was  married 
to  his  second  wife,  Miss  Emma  Stockwell,  August,  1879  ;  she  was  born 
in  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1861. 

ADISON  W.  MERRILL,  P.  O.  Alma  Center,  was  born  in  Lowell, 
Mass.,  in  May,  1842  ;  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Green  County,  where  he 
lived  until  1862  ;  entered  in  war,  Co.  H,  i8th  Wis.  Regt.  I.,  and  served 
for  three  years.  Was  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea  ;  was  in  all 
of  the  principal  battles  of  the  Mississippi.  Returned  to  Wisconsin  in 
1865  ;  settled  in  Jackson  County,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  Was 
married,  in  April,  1869,  to  Miss  Nancy  Morrill ;  she  is  a  native  of  Maine. 
They  have  three  children,  Nathan  H.,  Jennie  A.  and  Agnes  J. 

J.  B.  MILLER  &  BRO.,  hardware,  paints,  oils,  and  grain  buyers. 
Alma  Center.  J.  B.  Miller,  of  the  above  n.imed  firm,  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  12,  1846;  commenced  business  with  a 
very  small  stock  of  hardware,  at  Alma  Center,  in  1S73.  A.  E.  was  born 
in  McHenry  Co.,  Ill,  July  iSth,  1856.  Came  to  Alma  Center  in  1877 
and  was  taken  in  as  a  partner.  They  have  kept  adding  to  their  stock 
and  now  have  the  largest  and  best  in  Jackson  County.  Both  belong  to  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  Alma  Center  Lodge,  No.  294.     J.  B.   is  a  member  of  the  A. 

F.  &  A.  M. 

WILLIAM  MILLER,  Alma  Center  House,  was  born  in  Cortland 
Co.,  N.  v.,  Feb.  11,  1811.  Left  New  York  State  in  1S56  and  came  to 
McHenry  Co.,  111.,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm,  remaining  there  until 
1S65.  Came  to  J.ackson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  started  farming  in  the  town  of 
Alma  ;  in  1875,  opened  a  hotel  in  Alma  Center,  where  he  still  is.  Mr. 
Miller  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in  town  of  Alma,  for  the  year  1873,  was 
married  in  June,  1836,  to  Miss  Rachael  Heath  ;  she  was  born  in  Cort- 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


land  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  nine  children— Joel  S.;  Ann,  now  Mrs. 
Oscar  Heath,  of  La  Crosse  Co.,  Wis.;  Amv  M.,  now  Mrs.  Joseph  Med- 
calf;  Jerome  B.;  Helen  A.;  Adeline  M.,  now  Mrs.  H.  Riggs,  of  Bradford, 
Penn.;  Myron  J.,  Albert  E.  and  Edwin  A. 

HENRY  \V.  NORTHROP,  wagon  maker,  Alma  Center,  was  born 
Oct.  12,  1842,  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  West  with  his  parents 
when  twelve  years  of  age,  and  settled  with  them  in  Grant  County,  going  to 
school  part  of  the  time  and  working  for  his  father  until  he  went  to  the 
war.  Enlisted  in  1S61,  in  Co.  C,  2nd  Wis.  V.  I.,  at  Bloomington  and 
served  for  three  years  and  three  months,  being  in  nearly  all  of  the  prin- 
cipal battles  of  the  Potomac.  In  June,  1864,  returned  home  to  Grant 
County,  went  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he  clerked  in  a  store  a  short 
time,  and  then  came  up  the  Black  River  and  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.  In  1876,  moved  to  Alma  Center;  is  a  member  of  the  I.O.O.F., 
Alma  Lodge,  No.  294. 

HIXTON. 

This  is  a  village  of  seventy-five  inhabitants,  on  the  rail- 
road, and  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Trempealeau  River, 
about  twelve  miles  west  of  Merrillan.  It  has  a  post-office, 
A.  Clinton  being  in  charge.  There  is  a  flouring-niill,  built 
by  Stewart  &  Hoffman,  in  1874.  It  was  purchased  by 
George  F.  Seger,  in  1878,  who  sold  it  to  William  T.  Price, 
in  1880,  who  still  operates  the  mill.  It  turns  off  forty  bar- 
rels of  fine  flour  each  day,  and  has  a  capacity  of  twenty-five 
tons  of  feed.  D.  G.  Thomas  is  miller.  There  was  formerly 
another  mill  in  the  center  of  the  village,  but  it  was  suffered 
to  go  to  decay,  and  was  finally  removed  to  Sechlersville. 

In  March,  1854,  J.  L.  Hicks,  Milton  Buell,  Adolphus 
Dart,  and  Wheeler  Robbins  arrived  in  what  is  now  the  vil- 
lage of  Hixton,  direct  from  Galesville.  Robbins  continued 
on  to  Minnesota,  and  Hicks,  after  camping  out  all  night, 
erected  a  board  shanty,  12  x  16  feet,  in  which  he  lived  for 
some  months,  the  first  building  erected  in  the  town  of  Hix- 
ton. The  same  year  came  Abner  Holmes,  P.  R.  Hoffman, 
J.  R.  Sechler,  I.  B.  Allen,  and  J.  H.  Berto,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  entire  valley  was  converted  into  farms. 

The  place  was  first  settled  in  1854.  The  persons  com- 
ing here  about  that  time  were:  J.  L.  Hicks,  J.  H.  Berto, 
H.  B.  Newell,  John  Curran,  Peter  Hoflman,  Joseph  Hoff- 
man, J.  R.  Sechler  and  Aimer  Holmes,  and  others  later. 

There  is  one  church,  the  Congregational.  It  was  organ- 
ized and  a  church  built  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  S.  S. 
Norris,  in  1875.  After  him,  Rev.  Henry  Lee  entered  upon 
the  work,  and  he  still  remains.  There  is  a  Sunday-school 
connected  with  the  church. 

Ho/eh. —RMroad  House— Joe  D.  Hoffman;  Mrs.  Hoff- 
man, matron. 

Seger  House — George  F.  Seger,  proprietor. 

Trade. — O.  F.  Hoffman,  general  merchandise. 

H.  G.  Newell,  drugs,  medicines  and  sundries. 

Aaron  Clinton,  drugs  and  groceries. 

Miss  Mabel  Rhodes,  dressmaker. 

Mrs.  Van  Waters,  millinery. 

Mr.  Van  Waters,  printer. 

Hixton  Lodge,  No.  254,/.  O.  O.F.,  instituted  April  26, 
1876  ;  Thomas  VVilloughby,  N.G.;  Henry  Hoffman,  V.  G.;  A. 
Shauble,  secretary.  Present  officers:  Frank  Newell,  N. 
G. ;  George  Dagetts,  V.  G. ;  F.  Larson,  secretary.  Meet- 
ings are  helJon  Saturday  nights,  in  a  well  furnished  hall. 

J.  T.  White  is  station  agent.     About   $400    is    received 


each  month  for  freight  forwarded,  and  $200  for  freight  re- 
ceived, and  $50  for  passengers. 

Cheese  Factory. — F.  M.  Richardson  makes  40,000  pounds 
a  season,  charging  one  and  a  half  cents  a  pound. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  BURTON,  farmer.  Sec.  6,  P.O.,  Hixton,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  in  1842.  Left  his  native  land  in  l857^and  came  to  America, 
where  he  worked  on  a  firm  near  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  eighteen  months; 
went  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1S59,  and  commenced  to  work  in  a  saw- 
mill for  Jacob  Spaulding,  the  first  settler  there.  Continued  to  work  for 
him  some  time  and  then  went  into  the  woods  and  started  to  work  for 
Thomas  Hall,  until  1S73.  Then  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives, 
and  owns  360  acres.  Was  married  July  12,  1871,  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Daurghty,  she  was  born  in  Ireland,  June  2.  1850,  and  by  whom  he  has  two 
sons,  Hugh  E.  and  William   R. 

AARON  CLINTON,  Postmaster.  Hixton,  was  born  in  West  Troy, 
Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1855.  started  a 
store,  keeping  a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  in  company  with  John  K. 
ijuail,  said  gentleman  being  drowned  on  the  "  Lady  Elgin."  Mr.  Clinton 
continued  at  the  business  until  i860,  when  he  was  burnt  out,  at  the  time 
of  the  big  fire  in  i860,  at  Black  River  Falls,  losing  the  whole  of  his 
stock.  He  then  commenced  clerking  for  Mr.  Bump,  after  which  he  came 
to  the  town  of  Hixton  and  entered  into  co-partnership  with  Merrill  &  Ice, 
and  remained  with  them  two  years,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster 
under  Grant's  administration,  and  has  held  that  office  ever  since.  Is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Hixton  Lodge,  No.  259,  and  was  married  in 
1S40.  to  Miss  Frances  J.  Hitchcock;  she  is  a  native  of  West  Troy.  They 
are  both  members  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Hixton,  and  have 
one  daughter,  Edith  A.,  now  Mrs.  C.  E.  W.  Raymond.  They  mourn  the 
loss  of  three  children,  Mary  A.,  died  Feb.  9.  1843,  Eugenia  A.,  died 
Aug.  14,  1867,  and  James  H.,  died  May  30,  1S48. 

TULLY  DORRONCE,  farmer.  Sec.  6,  P.  O.  Hixton,  was  born  in 
Vermont,  Sept.  23,  1S36.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53,  first  going  to  Fond 
du  Lac  County,  where  he  worked  one  year  for  J.  H.  Berto  on  a  farm,  then 
worked  one  year  for  Henry  Lake,  until  i860,  came  to  Hixton.  Jackson 
Co.,  and  pre-empted  a  claim  from  the  Government,  consisting  of  160  acres 
of  good  farm  land.  Mr.  Dorronce  has  been  a  member  of  Town  Board  in 
Hixton  three  terms,  also  of  District  School  Board,  for  nineteen  years.  Was 
married  Dec.  31,  1862,  to  Miss  Margaret  A.Hoffman;  she  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  March  22,  1S38.  Their  family  consists  of  three  chil- 
dren— Charles  M.,  born  March  20,  1S67,  Joseph  H.,  born  Dec.  4,  1S68, 
and  Jennie  v.,  born  May  11,1871.  They  have  also  lost  two  children 
one  infant  son,  died  May  27,  1864,  and  one  daughter,  died  Feb.  27,  1867I 

JOSEPH  D.  HOFFMAN,  hotel  and  farmer.  Hixton,  was  born  in" 
Lycoming  Co..  Penn.,  Sept.  14,  1S12.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56.  and 
settled  at  Hixton,  Jackson  Co.,  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  which 
contains  200  acres.  Being  anxious  to  see  his  country  improve,  he  donat- 
ed a  piece  of  land  on  the  Trempealeau  River,  to  James  Deval  and 
Sidney  Brow,  who  erected  a  mill  in  185S,  according  to  agreement.  This 
mill  has  since  been  destroyed  by  fire.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Town  Board  for  three  years,and  is  also  a  member  of  Congregational 
Church,  at  Hixton,  said  church  being  built  in  1876,  Mr.  Hoffman  being 
a  liberal  contributor  to  the  erection  thereof.  Was  married  to  Miss  Susan 
Vanhorne,  in  Nov.  3,  1844;  she  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  May  14,  iSlS. 
Their  family  consists  of  six  children — Margaret  A.,  now  Mrs.  Darnce; 
Charles  C.  Dabary,  now  Mrs.  Joseph  King;  Willard  C;  Norah  B.  now 
Mrs.  G.  Shaw.  They  have  lost  four  children,  Mary  E.,  died  in  1870; 
William  F.,  died  in  Pennsylvania,  1851;  Samantha,  died  1S71;  and  Eliza 
D.,  died  in  1875. 

OSCAR  F.  PIOFFMAN,  general  merchandise  store  and  stock 
buyer,  Hixton,  w,as  born  in  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa.,  April  20,  1843.  Came 
West  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  and  settled  on  a  farm 
in  Hixton,  Jackson  Co.,  which  he  bought  from  the  State  school  lands. 
Remained  with  his  parents  until  1878,  when  he  started  stock  buying, 
and  started  the  store  where  he  now  is,  April  15,  iSSl.  Mr.  Hoffman  is 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  aUo  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,, 
Hixton  Lodge,  No.  259.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Almira  B. 
Wilson.  She  w.as  born  in  Pennsylvania,  Jan.  10,  1851  ;  she  being  also  a 
member  of  Congregational  Church,  at  Hixton.  Their  family  consists 
of  four  children — Leslie  M.,  Sarah  P.,  Fred  C.  and  Jessie.  They  have 
also  lost  three  children,  Rebecca,  and  two  infant  daughters,  unnamed. 

PETER  HOFFMAN,  farmer.  Sec.  16,  P.  O.  Hixton,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1854;  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  March  14,  1817.  Himself 
and  family,  consisting  of  wife  and  three  children,  came  from  Milwaukee 
to  Jackson  County  with  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Here  he  bought  360  acres 
from  the  State  school  lands  and  erected  a  house,  which  was  nearly  on 
the  site  where  his  present  residence  stands.  When  lie  first  came  to 
Hixton,  there  was  plenty  of  game,  and  as  he  was  very  fond  of  hunting, 
he  used  to  often  have  as  many  as  twenty-six  dressed  deer  hanging  up  at 
his  home  in  the  Winter.     But  the  hunters  and  trappers,  who  made  a 


HISTORY   OF   JACKSON   COUNTY. 


business  of  it,  soon  killed  off  the  game.  Sparta  was  his  grain  market 
before  the  railroad  run  through  here  ;  he  purchased  his  first  groceries 
and  general  supplies  at  La  Crosse.  He  is  now  engaged  in  raising  hops 
on  his  farm,  and  raises  annually  from  five  to  six  tons  ;  and  has  a  natural 
trout  stream  running  through  his  farm,  which  is  situated  in  the  Trem- 
pealeau Valley,  being  one  of  the  finest  stock  farms  in  the  county.  Mr. 
Hoffman  erected  the  saw-mill  at  Merrillan.  which  is  now  operated  by 
Wakefield  &  Trow,  in  1S59.  and  has  served  three  years  as  County  Com- 
missioner in  Jackson  County. 

MATTHEW  R.  LETSON,  farmer,  Sec.  33,  town  of  Hixton,  P.  O. 
Taylor,  was  born  in  New  York,  Feb.  27,  i8lo.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S50,  and  settled  in  Marquette  County,  where  he  remained  until  1859; 
then  moved  to  Jackson  County,  which  has  been  his  home  ever  since. 
Was  married,  in  1S32,  to  his  first  wife.  Miss  Lorance  Wilcox.  She  was 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  died  June  r6,  1835,  leaving  one  son,  Calvin 
W.  In  1837,  was  married  the  second  time,  to  Clarinda  Whipple,  by 
whom  he  has  eight  children — Mary  E.,  Lucy  V.,  Juliett,  Charles  E., 
George  W.,  Edgar,  Emily  J.  and  Clarence  D. 

JOHN  PETERSON,  grain  dealer,  Hixton,  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
being  born  Jan.  29,  1S47.  Came  to  America  in  1869,  and  landed  at  La 
Crosse,  Wis.,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  May.  Remained  there  until 
1873,  engaged  with  C.J.Lambert  in  the  lumber  business  four  years; 
then  going  to  the  town  of  Hixton.  Jackson  Co.,  where  he  bought  wheat 
for  Mr.  Lambert  for  two  years.  Mr.  Peterson  then  went  to  buymg  wheat 
for  himself  until  engaged  by  Cargell  &  Wand  at  the  same  business,  also 
running  his  farm,  and  the  hotel  now  known  as  the  Seger  House.  Has 
held  the  office  of  Supervisor  four  terms,  in  town  of  Hixton,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge,  No.  259,  at  Hixton.  Was  married, 
Oct.  22,  1875,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  Dehl.  She  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born 
Sept  22,  1853.     They  have  two  children,  Edmund  R.  and  Johnnie  W. 

EDMUND  PRATT,  foreman  of  Hon.  W.  T.  Price's  farm.  Sec.  g, 
P.  O.  Hixton,  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  15,  1S26.  Has 
been  engaged  with  Mr.  Price  for  seventeen  years,  first  at  lumbering,  then 
as  road  agent,  and  in  1873  took  charce  of  the  farm,  which  consists  of 
1.963  acres,  being  nearly  all  under  cultivation.  On  it,  in  the  year  1877, 
they  raised  29,000  bushels  of  oats,  3,000  bushels  of  barley,  and  4,000  of 
wheat ;  and  this  year,  iSSi,  have  in  200  acres  of  corn,  go  acres  of  wheat, 
160  acres  of  barley  and  250  of  oats.  Have  cut  as  high  as  650  tons  of 
liay  in  one  season.  Employ  twenty-eight  men  the  year  round,  working 
them  in  the  pineries  Winters,  and  generally  employ  fifty  during  harvest, 
working  twenty  teams  They  have  a  blacksmith  shop  on  the  farm,  and 
do  all  their  own  machine  repairing  right  there.  Their  stock  consists  of 
460  hogs,  117  head  of  cattle,  175  head  of  sheep  and  96  horses.  There 
is  a  fine  trout  stream  running  through  the  farm. 

GEORGE  F.  SEGER,  hotel,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Hixton,  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  London,  Canada  West,  born  March  15,  1846.  In  1858,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  settling  in  Waukesha  County,  where 
he  lived  until  1S66,  being  engaged  with  a  surveying  party  on  western  rail- 
roads. In  1S69  moved  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  where  he  was  for  several 
years  employed  by  N.  C.  Foster,  as  general  manager  of  his  lumber  busi- 
ness, anil  in  1873  started  a  boot  and  shoe  store  at  the  same  place.  At 
this  he  continued  till  1S77,  when  he  removed  to  Hixton,  Jackson  Co.,  and 
bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Seger  also  bought  in  a  mer- 
cantile store,  with  James  Ice  as  partner,  at  the  same  time  buying  for 
himself  the  Hixton  mill,  from  Steward  &  Hoffman,  continuing  to  run  it 
until  October.  18S0,  when  he  sold  out  to  William  T.  Price.  He  then 
started  in  his  present  business,  hotel  keeping  ;  he  is  a  member  of  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  Hixton  Lodge,  No.  249.  On  Oct.  31,  1874,  was  joined  in  matri- 
mony to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Hardenbergh.  She  was  born  in  New  York  in 
l85i,and  was  a  graduate  of  Madison  University,  in  the  class  of  1871. 
Their  family  consists  of  three  children  —  Mary  E.,  Georgia  H.  and 
Sarah  H. 

WILLIAM  D.SHERWOOD,  farmer.  Sec.  27,  P.O.  Hixton,  was 
born  in  New  York,  March  2,  1837.  Left  his  native  town  in  1858,  and 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  bought  640  acres  of  land,  in  town  of  Alma, 
Jackson  Co.  Mr.  Sherwood  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  at 
Hixton,  and  has  held  that  office  for  five  years.  Is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Sechlersville,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  Lodge,  No.  259.  at  Hixton.  Was  married,  in  1S64,  to  Miss  A. 
M.  Coleman.  She  was  born  in  Illinois,  in  1838.  They  have  one  adopt- 
ed son,  Charles. 

SECHLERSVILLE. 

This  village  is  one  mile  west  of  Hi.xton,  on  the  rail- 
road. The  place  was  settled  by  J.  R.  Sechler  and  others, 
soon  after  Hixton,  as  a  rival  village.  It  is  on  the  river,  and 
has  a  good  water-power. 

Business. — A  flouring-mill,  owned  by  J.  R.  Sechler,  who 
also  has  a  store  with  general  merchandise. 


J.  H.  Lounsbury,  general  merchandise  and  farming  im- 
plements. 

Blacksmiths — James  Babcock,  Henry  Hartman. 

Wagon  Shop  and  Furniture — George  Raas. 

Shoemaker — John  Johnson. 

There  is  a  good  school-house  and  a  good  school. 

Churches. — Presbyterian.  Organized  in  1862,  by  Rev.  J. 
G.  Wells,  with  seven  members,  who  is  still  pastor.  The 
church  was  finished  in  1879;  numbers  fifty  members. 

Methodist. — The  church  was  built  in  i863.  This  soci- 
ety was  early  in  the  field,  and  the  following  ministers  are 
remembered  as  having  labored  here :  Revs.  Mr.  Cody 
Webster,  Woolley,  Cooley,  Cummings,  Woods,  Mead,  Holt, 
Springer,  Nichols,  Taylor,  Chariton,  Richardson  and  the 
present  pastor,  William  E.  Doughty. 

Sechlersville  Lodge,  No.  301,  /.  O.  O.  F.,  organized  Sept. 
15,1881.  Charter  members:  S.  H.  Van  Gordon,  N.  G. ; 
G.  M.  Hull,  V.  G. ;  F.  M.  Taylor,  secretary :  R.  W.  Upton, 
treasurer.  Monday  evening,  Sechler's  store.  Twenty 
members. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LYMAN  T.  BRANCH,  physician,  Sechlersville.  was  bom  in  Gene- 
see Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  ig.  1841 ;  was  a  graduate  at  Eclectic  Medical  Col- 
lege, at  Philadelphia,  in  1871 ;  had  read  and  practiced  medicine  with 
Dr.  Sherman  Lunn,  of  Ossian,  Iowa,  eight  years  previous  to  that  time. 
Dr.  Branch  has  practiced  his  profession  at  Dunleitli,  111.,  two  years,  and 
at  McGregor,  Iowa,  one  year,  from  there  going  to  Auburn,  Iowa,  where 
he  remained  until  1S79,  t'^^"  came  to  Sechlersville,  Wis.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  National  Eclectic  Medical  Association;  also,  of  the  Medical 
Society  of  Elgin,  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Emma 
L.  Dykens,  of  Crawford,  Wis.,  Dec.  i,  1872. 

SAMUEL  M.  CURRAN,  farmer.  Sec.  26,  P.O.  Sechlersville,  came 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  in  1848,  settling  in  Waukesha  County  ; 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  Aug.  23,  1S33.  He  remained  in  Waukesha 
County  until  1856,  farming;  then  removed  to  Jackson  County,  and  pre- 
empted a  claim  of  eighty  acres  from  the  Government,  and  has  since 
added  to  it  120  acres,  also  owning  eighty  acres  of  timber.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  October,  1876,  to  Miss  Lydia  E.  Voose.  She  was  born  in  Wau- 
kesha County.  They  have  two  children,  William  F.  and  Marv  E.  Mr. 
C.  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  48th  Wis.  Reg.  V.  I.,  in  1865,  and  served  'for  eleven 
months  on  the  frontier.  His  father,  the  Rev.  John  Curran,  died  at  the 
old  homestead,  May  18,  188 1,  aged  seventy-five  years  and  six  months. 
For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  deceased  resided  in  Jackson 
County,  and  contributed  his  share  toward  its  welfare,  prosperity  and 
development.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1805,  and  in  1847,  came 
to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Waukesha  County,  where  he  remained  eight 
years.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Jackson  County,  town  of  Hixton.  In  all 
the  relations  of  life,  the  deceased  was  most  exemplary,  a  kindly  Chris- 
tian man.  He  lived  for  others  more  than  for  himself.  The  early  settlers 
of  Trempealeau  Valley  often  shared  his  ho.spilality,  and  the  more  needy 
ones  often  called  upon  him  for  help,  which  he  was  ever  ready  to  give. 
The  deceased  spent  nearly  half  of  his  life  in  tlie  ministry  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  died  having  full  faith  in  an  immortality  be- 
yond the  grave.  A  wife  and  six  children  survived  him.  Samuel  Curran's 
mother  died  April  14,  1865,  being  fifty-seven  years  old. 

GEORGE  M.  HULL,  miller,  Sechlersville,  is  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, being  born  in  November,  1846.  Left  his  native  State  in  1866, 
and  went  to  Warsaw,  Ind.,  where  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of 
milling  with  his  brother.  He  was  married  there,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Han- 
nah Baker.  She  was  born  in  Warsaw,  Ind.,  in  184S.  In  1871.  Mr. 
Richardson  moved  to  Sechlersville,  Wis.,  which  place  has  been  his  home 
since.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  Their  family  consists  of  four 
children — George  M.,  Russell,  Maggie  and  Effie. 

JAMES  H.  LOUNSBURY,  general  merchandise  store,  .Sechlersville, 
was  born  in  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  I.  1824  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1847,  and  farmed  for  two  years  at  Madison,  Dane  Co.  He  then  went 
to  Green  Lake  County,  near  Princeton,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, at  the  same  time  buying  wheat,  until  1S62.  In  1864,  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  F,  36th  \Vis.  V.  I. :  served  his  country  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
and  then  returned  to  Princeton,  where  he  farmed  until  1867.  Mr.  Louns- 
bury then  sold  his  farm  and  went  to  Beaver  D.im,  Dodge  Co.,  where  he 
went  on  the  road  selling  farm  machinery,  at  which  he  continued  until 
1872,  when  he  moved  to  Sechlersville,  which  was  then  a  comparatively  new 
town,  and  commenced  business,  keeping  agricultural  implements,  and 


422 


[IISTORY    OF    NORTEiERN    WISCONSIN. 


in  1879,  started  the  store  where  he  now  is,  in  connection  with  his  other 
business,  and  does  a  business  of  from  $10,000  to  $15,000  per  annum. 
Mr.  Lounsbury  has  held  the  office  of  Notary  Public  for  eight  years,  in 
Sechlersville,  and  Justice  of  the  I'cace  two  years,  and  has  always  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  public  interest  of  his  town. 

THOMAS  P.  MARSH,  School  Superintendent  of  Jackson  County, 
Sechlersville,  was  born  in  New  York,  Sept.  16,  1S38  ;  left  his  native  State 
in  1S64,  and  came  to  Jackson  County,  where  he  taught  school  for  eight 
years,  being  elected  to  the  office  of  County  School  Superintendent  in 
1872,  which  position  he  has  held  ever  since.  He  was  a  student  of  Gales- 
ville  University,  Trempealeau  Co.,  Wis.,  and  was  married,  in  186S,  to 
Miss  Mary  .Mien,  by  whom  he  has  three  children  living — Thomas  E., 
Minnie  M.  and  Cora  L. ;  also  one  daughter,  Grace  I.,  who  died  in  Au- 
gust, 1879. 

HENRY  NOLOP,  farmer  and  blacksmith.  Sec.  26,  Sechlersville, 
was  born  in  Canada,  in  March,  1S34;  left  there  in  1S61,  and  came  to 
Jackson  County,  town  of  Hixton,  where  his  parents  had  come  one  year 
previous   to  his  arrival.     Henry  rented  a  farm,  on  which  he   lived  until 

1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  4th  Wis.  V.  C,  and  served  till  1865. 
He  then  returned  to  Jackson  County,  and  bought  a  farm  of  eighty-three 
acres  from  one  Mr.  Cody,  who  was  the  original  purchaser  of  the  land 
from  the  Government,  Mr.  Nolop  having  since  added  forty  acres  to  it. 
He  was  put  in  Constable  in  1866,  and  held  that  office  four  years,  being 
then  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  dffice  he  has  held  ever  since. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Templars  at  Sechlersville,  and  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  that  place.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1854,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Gard.  She  is  a  native  of  England. 
Thev  are  the  parents  of  seven  children — Fannie  M.  (now  Mrs.  E.  Morti- 
boy)',  Caroline  (now  Mrs.  C.  H.  Berto,  of  Amherst,  Portage  Co.),  George 
H.,  Hattie,  AUie,  Frank  I.  and  Minnie.  Mr.  Nolop's  father  is  now  in 
his  seventy-eighth  year,  and  his  mother  died,  in  1874,  at  the  old  home- 
stead, being  seventy-one  years  of  age. 

ISAAC  B.  RICHARDSON,  Sechlersville,  was  bom  in  Canada,  Oct. 
II,  1S14,  being  the  son  of  Joseph  Richardson  who  served  in  the  Provin- 
cial Dragoons  in  the  war  of  1S12,  under  General  Brock,  Isaac  being 
named  after  said  General.  He  left  his  native  country  in  183S,  and  came 
to  Hudson,  Mich.,  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  being  en- 
gaged part  of  the  time  in  building  railroad  bridges  on  the  Michigan 
Southern  Railroad,  and  helped  lay  the  first  mileof  superstnicture  on  that 
road.  Left  Hudson  in  1844.  and  returned  to  Canada  in  1847.  He  was  or- 
dained as  deacon  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  by  Bishop  Orlander 
Smith.at  Beverly,  being  also  ordained  as  elder  by  the  same  bishop,  in  1849. 
at  ICilsworth,  Canada.  Mr.  Richardson  was  the  founder  of  the  Progression- 
ist, a  paper  published  at  Marpeth,  Canada,  and  also  of  the  IVestern 
Union,  edited,  in  1861,  at  Chatham,  Canada,  and  which  he  sold  out  in 

1864,  to  Corman  Bros.  Mr.  Richardson  came  to  Jackson  County  in  1866, 
being  received  into  the  West  Wisconsin  Conference  by  Bishop  M.  Simp- 
son, in  1867.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance. 

SCHUYLER  H.  VAN  GORDEN,  dealer  in  pumps  and  windmills, 
Sechlersville,  was  born  in  Erin,  Chemung  Co.,  N.Y.,  Jan.  22,  1S52.  In 
l868,  left  his  native  State  and  came  West,  going  first  to  Illinois,  where 
he  worked  by  the  month  for  a  time,  leaving  there  to  go  to  Bradford, 
Iowa,  where  he  attended  school,  afterward  teaching  until  1874.  Mr. 
Van  Gorden  then  removed  to  Sechlersville,  where  he  taught  school  for  three 
Winters,  at  the  same  time  being  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  been  Treasurer  of  Hixton  Town- 
ship for  four  years  ;  was  married  in  July,  1870,  to  Miss  Clara  E.  Potter. 
She  was  born  in  Freeport,  111.,  Oct.  12,  1S51.  They  have  two  children 
living,  Burt  L.  and  Harry,  and  one  daughter  (deceased),  Nellie  May,  who 
died  March  11,  iSSi. 

MELROSE, 

Situated  in  Melrose  Township,  sixteen  miles  south  of 
the  Falls,  is  a  thriving  little  suburb  of  200  inhabitants  and 
upward,  with  little  beyond  the  natural  beauties  of  the  loca- 
tion to  commend  it  to  capitalists  or  mechanics.  It  is  but  a 
few  years  since  that  it  was,  so  to  speak,  a  backwoods  clear- 
ing, hardly  worth  the  name  of  hamlet.  It  was  settled  in 
1839,  by  Robert,  Thomas  and  William  Douglas,  a  trio  of 
the  original  party  who  first  came  into  Jackson  County  for 
permanent  settlement.  They  were  the  first  of  the  army  of 
homesteaders  who  have  located  from  time  to  time  in  that 
portion  of  the  county,  but  men  of  shrewdness  and  capacity, 
who  have  made  success  their  goal  and  attained  its  real- 
ization. 

For  nearly  six  years   these   brothers  remained  alone  in 


this  section,  engaged  in  opening  farms  and  making  such 
other  improvements  as  occasion  afforded,  or  convenience 
demanded.  But  in  1845,  they  were  joined  by  Thomas 
Douglas,  Sr.,  their  father,  who,  accompanied  by  sisters,  the 
late  Mrs.  O'Neill,  of  Neillsville,  and  Mrs.  Wason,  still 
living  at  the  Falls,  and  Mark  and  David  Douglas,  younger 
brothers,  landed  at  the  farm  of  those  who  had  preceded 
their  arrival  in  the  New  World,  from  Scotland. 

In  1852,  Hugh  Douglas  conceived  the  idea  of  surveying 
and  platting  the  present  village,  which  he  accomplished 
that  year.  There  were  then  no  improvements  of  any 
description,  but  before  1852  had  fully  waned,  Mr.  Douglas 
began  the  erection  of  a  hotel,  which  was  finished  before 
Winter  fairly  set  in,  and  for  years  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Douglas  House,"  was  known  to  all  who  ever  traveled  in 
that  direction.  The  name  selected  for  the  place  was  "  Bris- 
tol," after  the  flourishing  city  of  that  name  in  England, 
which  name  was  retained  until,  say  1854,  when  "  Melrose  " 
was  substituted,  and  has  since  been  borne. 

Soon  after  the  building  of  the  Douglas  House,  David 
Douglas  erected  a  residence  within  the  present  village 
boundaries,  to  which  a  blacksmith  shop  was  added,  the  first 
in  the  place,  and,  with  these  improvements,  Bristol,  or  more 
properly  speaking,  Melrose,  enjoyed  a  quiet,  uninteresting 
experience  until  1854.  During  that  year  a  school-house  was 
erected  near  the  village,  and  in  this  connection  it  may  not 
be  improper  to  observe  the  care  that  has  always  been  taken 
in  Jackson  County,  of  the  cause  of  education.  Correspond- 
ing to  the  enterprise  and  indomitable  energy  in  business 
affairs  displayed  by  the  early  settlers,  was  their  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  education  and  the  advancement  of  religion  ;  and 
it  is  safe  to  state  that  a  larger  per  cent  of  cultured  minds 
and  well-educated  people  were  found  among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  county  than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  new 
Western  settlements.  This  was  the  first  school  established 
in  Melrose  Township,  and  served  its  purpose  until  suc- 
ceeded by  the  new  school-house,  in  about  1870. 

In  1855,  Charles  Chaffee  located  at  Melrose,  and  erected 
the  grist  mills  now  owned  and  operated  by  Mark  Douglas ; 
the  same  year  Sullivan  White,  Jacob  Johnson  and  Henry 
Richards  were  added  to  the  population.  They  built 
a  saw-mill  one  mile  east  of  the  village  site,  and  for  several 
years  conducted  a  successful  lumber  business.  A  period 
was  put  to  their  prosperity,  however,  in  i860,  by  the  burn- 
ing of  the  mill,  which'  has  never  been  rebuilt. 

During  the  war  there  were  no  arrivals  or  improvements 
of  importance.  A  post-office  had  been  established  in  the 
village  four  ye^rs  previous,  and  with  the  buildings  men- 
tioned, constituted  the  improvements  completed  up  to  that 
time,  except  the  establishment  of  a  store  by  Joseph  and 
Julius  Maddock,  about  1862.  It  was  located  in  an  old 
building,  put  up  by  B.  S.  Brewer,  and  the  first  store  in  the 
village,  so  remaining  until  about  1870,  when  the  Newland 
family  appeared  on  the  ground,  and  compelled  a  division 
of  the  patronage  by  the  Maddock  Brothers. 

In  1870,  the  old  hotel  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the 
same  year  B.  S.  Brewer  erected  one  to  supply  its  absence. 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


423 


that  was  regarded  as  superior  in  many  respects  for  the  time 
and  place.  The  school-house  also  was  erected  this  year, 
and  the  Methodist  church,  the  Baptist  edifice  having  been 
completed  some  years  prior.  The  only  improvement  that 
has  been  made  in  latter  years,  has  been  a  handsome  dwell- 
ing house  by  B.  S.  Brewer,  the  re-building  of  the  mill  by 
Mark  Douglas,  and  some  other  accommodations  of  less 
moment  and  at  a  limited  expense. 

Melrose  is,  as  stated  above,  a  thrifty  country  hamlet,  in 
communication  with  Black  River  Falls  and  La  Crosse,  by 
stage,  and  boasts  of  upward  of  200  inhabitants.  It  has 
three  stores,  two  church  edifices,  two  blacksmith  and  wagon 
shops,  two  hotels  and  a  grist-mill.  It  is  handsomely  situated, 
and  possesses  an  abundance  of  attractions  as  a  place  of  resi- 
dence, and  some  advantages  in  a  business  point  of  view. 

Melrose  Mills  were  erected  in  1855,  by  Charles  Chaffee, 
at  which  time  they  were  46x54,  three  stories  high,  of  frame, 
supplied  with  two  run  of  stone,  and  cost  about  $4,000. 
Mr.  Chaffee  operated  the  business  successfully  until  1871, 
when  on  the  4th  of  July  of  that  year,  they  were  disposed  of 
to  Mark  Douglas,  for  a  consideration  of  $8,000.  The  lat- 
ter made  additions  and  improvements  at  a  heavy  expense, 
increased  the  capacity  to  three  run  of  stone,  and  has  been 
since  conducting  this  investment  as  a  custom  mill. 

The  capacity  of  the  mills  is  stated  at  one'hundred  bar- 
rels of  flour  daily,  and  their  value  at  $15,000. 

The  Methodist  Society  was  organized  at  an  early  day, 
before  churches  or  school-houses  were  nearly  as  plentiful 
as  at  present.  At  first,  services,  at  odd  intervals,  as  circuit 
riders  happened  along,  were  held  in  private  residences,  and 
when  the  school-house  was  built,  in  that  edifice,  the  confer- 
ence being  annually  convened  in  the  barn  of  Mark  Douglas. 
In  about  1870,  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  say  $2,500,  and  has  since  been  occupied. 

The  present  number  of  members  of  the  congregation  is 
seventy-five,  and  services  are  conducted  every  Sunday  by 
the  Rev.  James  T.  Bryan. 

The  Baptist  Society,  too,  is  of  early  date,  and  the  experi- 
ence of  this  sect  in  Melrose  is  similar  to  that  of  every  cler- 
ical effort  begun  in  a  new  country.  The  present  church  was 
built  in  1867,  at  an  expense  of  $2,500,  but  until  the  present 
writing,  services  have  been  irregular,  owing  to  the  uncer- 
tainty of  the  supply.  Recently,  however,  this  embargo  was 
removed  by  the  appointment  to  the  pulpit  of  the  Rev.  L.  G. 
Catchpole,  who  is  stationed  at  Black  River  Falls,  but 
preaches  in  Melrose  alternate  Sundays. 

The  present  congregation  numbers  forty  communicants. 

The  first  school  in  the  vicinity  of  Melrose  village  was 
erected  in  1854,  at  which  time  teachers  were  less  numerous 
than  pupils.  Here  the  young  idea  was  inducted  into  the 
mysteries  and  miseries  of  primary  and  advanced  education 
by  Mrs.  Mary  Merrill  and  others  until  1870.  During  that 
year  the  present  school-house  was  built,  $2,000  being  paid 
therefor.  Since  this  event,  Melrose  has  supported  a  graded 
school,  employing  two  teachers  and  contributing  $600  to 
the  payment  of  expenses.  The  average  daily  attendance 
has  been   forty-five,  during  1880,  when    the   School   Board 


was  composed  of  J.  H.  Willard,  director;  V.  B.  Newland, 
treasurer,  and  D.  J.  Aller,  clerk. 

The  Post  office  was  first  located  in  Melrose  when  the 
same  was  called  Bristol,  in  1854.  Mark  Douglas  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  and  served  successfully  for  a  period  of 
ten  years.  In  1858,  the  office  was  removed  to  Melrose  vil- 
lage, where  it  still  remains.  Mr.  Douglas  was  in  turn  suc- 
ceeded by  B.  S.  Brewer,  Jacob  Johnson,  V.  B.  Noonan,  and 
D.  J.  Aller  at  present  in  charge. 

Mails  east  and  west  are  tri-weekly. 

The  Cemetery  is  located  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the 
village,  where  it  was  removed  in  i860  (from  its  former  loca- 
tion on  Black  River),  by  an  association  organized  in  i860, 
and  under  whose  care  the  cemetery  grounds  still  continue 
to  be. 

Melrose  Lodge,  No.  300,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  chartered  Oc- 
tober I,  1880,  with  five  members  and  the  following  officers: 
Charles  Warren,  N.  G.;  E.  H.  Polleys,  V.  G.;  B.  H.  New- 
land,  secretary,  and  A.  D.  Polleys,  treasurer.  Tlie  present 
officers  are:  E.  H.  Polleys,  N.  G.;  V.  M.  Newland,  V.  G.; 
A.  D.  Polleys,  secretary,  and  B.  F.  Thompson,  treasurer. 
The  lodge  now  has  twenty-five  members,  and  meetings  are 
held  weekly  on  Wednesday  evenings. 

Melrose  Lodge,  No.  222,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  organized  Jan- 
uary 12,  1865,  with  forty-nine  members  and  the  usual  offi- 
cers. The  present  ofllicers  are  :  A.  K.  James,  W.  C.  T.; 
Delia  Millard,  W.  V.  T.;  W.  Sims,  Mary  Beach  and  Mark 
Beach,  secretaries ;  Mrs.  J.  A.  Johnson,  W.  T.;  Rev.  J.  T. 
Bryan,  W.  C;  John  Nimmo,  W.  S.,  and  H.  C.  Sims,  P.  W. 
C.  T.  Meetings  are  convened  weekly  on  Wednesday  even- 
ings, and  the  number  of  members  is  stated  at  seventy-eight. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
DAVID  J.  ALLER,  of  the  firm  of  Aller  &  James,  dealers  in  dry 
goods  and  groceries,  Melrose.  Was  born  in  Evansville,  Rock  Co.,  Wis., 
Oct.  31,  1852.  Came  to  Melrose  in  January,  1877  ;  started  in  his  pres- 
ent business.  Mr.  A.  is  a  very  promising  young  man,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Good  Templars.  Was  married  Oct.  17,  1880,  to  Miss  J.  D.  But- 
ton, of  Tomah  ;  she  was  born  in  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  May  17,  1S55. 

MRS.  HARRIETCHAMPLIN.Sec.S,  P.O.Melrose.  Was  born  Oct. 
28,  1S24,  in  Vermont.  Came  to  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S41,  where  she 
and  her  husband  settled  on  a  farm  ;  remained  there  twelve  years  ;  returned 
to  Vermont  and  commenced  in  the  merchandise  business,  which  they  fol- 
lowed for  seven  years;  came  back  to  Wisconsin  in  1861,  and  settled  in 
Melrose;  moved  on  the  farm  where  Mrs.  Champlin  now  lives.  Mr.  P. 
M.  Champlin  died  in  1864.  Mrs.  Champlin  built  the  house  where  she 
now  lives,  on  the  site  of  their  first  log  cabin.  She  has  five  children — 
Frank  P.,  Ellen  J.  (now  Mrs.  M  J.  Chapman),  Hiram  H.,Cora  H.  and 
Porter  M. 

NELSON  COLBURN.  miller,  Melrose.  Was  born  in  Livingston 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  17,  1835  ;  first  came  West  in  1S55,  and  worked  in  Jeffer- 
son County,  as  a  miller,  for  Nelson  Hulbert,  one  year ;  went  on  the  Yel- 
low River,  following  lumbering  one  year,  and  then  went  back  East  to 
Pennsylvania ;  remained  there  a  short  time  and  returned  to  his  native 
State.  Has  roamed  around  a  good  deal,  having  lived  at  Dunkirk.  N.Y., 
Arcadia,  Trempealeau  Co.,  Hi.\ton,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  Cataract,  Wis., 
North  Bend,  Wis.,  and  at  Salem,  La  Crosse  Co.  Mr.  C.  built  a  mill,  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  at  Arcadia,  and  ran  it  a  short  time  and 
then  sold  out.  In  1874,  moved  to  Melrose  and  took  charge  of  Mark 
Douglas's  mill,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  Was  married  Nov. 
26,  1858,  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  Rathburn;  she  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn., 
Aug.  16,  1839,  ^"<J  by  whom  he  has  four  children  living — N.  Irving.  Lily 
L.,  CuUen  and  Carrie.  They  have  lost  two  sons,  Frankie,  died  at  .Vrca- 
dia  in  1S6S,  and  fames  E.,  died  Nov.  8.  1S80.  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of 
A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74. 

FRANK  G.  DAVIS,  dealer  in  drugs  and  groceries,  P.  O.  Ir%'ing. 
was  born  in  New  York.  Jan.  4,  1832.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Jackson 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1840,  where  his  father  built  a  saw-mill  and   farmed.     Com- 


424 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


menced  business  in  the  building  where  he  now  is.  said  building  being  an 
addirion  to  the  oldest  building  now  standing  in  Jackson  County.  Enlisted 
in  Co.  F,  25th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  August,  1S62,  and  served  for  three  years.  Was 
the  last  Town  School  Superintendent  under  the  old  system  in  Irving. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  E.  Leland  in  1866;  she  was  born  in 
New  York  State,  March  6.  1829. 

MRS.  HUGH  DOUGLAS,  proprietor  of  Hotel,  Melrose,  was  bom 
in  Vermont,  May  31.  1820.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847  and  settled  in 
Melrose,  Jackson  Co.,  and  was  married,  Oct  4,  of  the' same  year,  to  Mr. 
Hugh  Douglas.  They  built  their  first  house  on  the  site  where  the  brick 
blacksmith  shop  now  stands,  and  lived  there  for  nine  yeais, ard  built  the 
house  where  she  now  lives,  in  1S56.  She  has  been  engaged  at  farming, 
and  for  the  last  four  years  has  kept  hotel.  Mrs.  Douglass  has  lived  six 
months  at  a  time  without  .seeing  a  white  woman.  She  has  four  children 
living— Mary  Jane  (now  Mrs.  Arnold),  Libbie,  Hugh,  Price,  and  one 
infant  son  who  died  .•\pril  4,  1862. 

HON.  MARK  DOUGLAS,  dealer  in  saw-logs  and  pine  lands, 
also  in  flour,  feed  and  all  kinds  of  farm  produce,  Melrose,  is  a  native  of 
Dumfries,  Scotland,  born  Sept.  19,  1S29.     He  came  to  America  in  June, 

1845,  and  located  at  Melrose,  which  place  has  ever  since  been  his  home. 
He  has  held  various  local  offices,  having  been  the  first  Postmaster  iii  his 
town,  holding  that  office  ten  years  ;  has  also  been  Town  Treasurer,  and 
Chairman  of  Town  Board  for  over  twenty  years  ;  was  elected  member 
of  Assembly  in  1S74.  and  Senator  for  the  years  1876-7  ;  was  also  a  dele- 
gate to  the  National  Convention  at  Cincinnati,  in  June,  1876 ;  was  pres- 
ident of  the  Jackson  County  Agricultural  Society  for  two  years,  and  is 
one  of  the  State  Board  of  Fish  Commissioners. 

ROBERT  DOUGLAS,  Sec.  20,  was  born  Aug.  30.  1S15,  in  Scot- 
land ;  came  to  America  in  1837.  and  was  one  of  the  eight  brothers  who 
first  settled  in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Douglas  went  to  Potosi,  Grant  Co.,  in 
the  Spring  of  1S39,  and  worked  in  a  smelting  furnace  there  for  one'year ; 
came  up  the  Black  River,  attracted  by  the  report  that  there  were  banks 
of  coal  to  be  found  along  the  river,  but  has  seen  none  up  to  this  date. 
Mr.  Douglas  pre-empted  a  claim  from  the  Government,  April  13.  1840, 
and  went  to  farming  and  lumbering ;  built  a  saw-mill  at  North  Bend,  in 
partnership  with  his  brother  Thomas,  in  the  year  1842,  and  followed  the 
lumber  business  for  twelve  years,  at  the  same  time  improving  his  farm. 
In  1858,  he  built  a  small  steamboat  for  the  purpose  of  transporting  sup- 
plies from  La  Crosse  up  the  Black  River,  but  it  did  not  prove  a  very  suc- 
cessful enterprise.  He  then  began  running  his  boat  up  the  Mississippi 
and  Root  rivers,  where  he  met  with  an  accident  which  sunk  his  boat. 
Feeling  somewhat  discouraged,  he  returned  to  his  farm  on  the  Black 
River,  with  his  boat  crew,  and  built  a  larger  steamboat  for  the  purpose 
of  running  up  and  down  the  Black  River.  This  did  not  prove  a  very 
profitable  investment.  Mr.  Douglas  was  married  to  his  first  wife.  Miss 
Louisa  Hurd,  Dec.  3,  1852.  She  was  born  June  16,  1825,  and  by  whom 
he  has  two  sons,  John  R.  and  Arthur  A.  Mrs.  Douglas  died  Feb.  13, 
1870,  and  he  was  married  again  to  Mary  M.,  widow  of  Clinton  Pardon. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Mary  Jane. 

A.  K.  JAMES,  of  the  firm  of  Aller  &  James,  dealers  in  dry  goods 
and  groceries,  and  Postmaster,  Melrose,  was  born  at  Deerfield,  N.  H. ; 
came  with  his  parents  to  Richard  Center,  where  he  worked  for  his  father 
in  a  boot  and  shoe  shop.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  began  teaching 
school,  and  in  1872  went  to  Hillsbury,  where  he  clerked  in  a  store  for 
two  years,  then  went  to  Millston  and  clerked  for  J.  Parker  until  Septem- 
ber, 1877 ;  removed  to  Melrose  and  bought  in  the  store  where  he  now 
is.  The  firm  do  a  very  good  business,  and  carry  a  stock  of  about  S3.000. 
Mr.  James  has  been  Town  Clerk,  is  a  Good  Templar,  and  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church. 

JACOB  A.  JOHNSON,  lawyer,  Melrose,  was  born  Aug.  26,  i8lg, 
in  New  York  State  ;  came  to  Melrose,  Jackson  Co..  Wis.,  May  i,  1857, 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  He  first  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, and  built  a  saw-mill  at  the  mouth  of  the  Douglass  Creek,  and  con- 
tinued to  run  it  for  three  years,  at  which  time  the  mill  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  He  then  moved  into  the  village.  Mr.  Johnson  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  in  1858.  and  has  practiced  his  profession  since  then,  also  operat- 
ing his  farm.  He  was  elected  District  Attorney  in  1861,  and  held  the 
office  four  years  :  has  been  Chairman  of  Town  Board  five  years,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Good  Templars.     Mr.  Johnson    was    married    May  3 

1846,  to  Miss  Matilda  Herkimer,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  March  9! 
1825.  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y..  was  named  after  Mrs.  Johnson's  great- 
grandfather, Henry  Herkimer,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Safely  Com- 
mittee  in  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Mr.  Johnson's  family 
consists  of  three  children— Orinda  S.  (now  Mrs.  S.  R.  Davis,  of  Clark 
County),  Mary  B.  and  Carroll  B.  He  has  held  the  position  of  State 
Organizer,  and  has  traveled  through  the  State  engaged  in  that  work,  and 
has  instituted  over  100  different  Good  Templar  Lodges ;  has  also  held 
the  positions  of  Stale  Counselor  and  State  Deputy  in  the  order. 

VINCENT  B.  NEWLAND,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Mel- 
rose, was  born  Oct.  5,  1821,  in  Hardwick,  Mass.  Came  to  Jackson  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1853,  where  he  stayed  but  a  short  time  and  then  went  back  to 
Massachusetts  and  stayed  four  years.  Returned  to  Wisconsin  in  1S57 
and  settled  in  .Melrose,  Jackson  Co.,  and  followed  farming  until  1865 


He  then  moved  into  the  village,  did  blacksmithing  two  years,  kept  hotel  1 

two  years  and  then  returned  to  his  farm  and  stayed  there  until  1S70;  re-  ' 

moved  again  to  the  village  and  opened   a  store,  which  business  he  has  ' 

been  in  ever  since.  In  January.  1857,  was  elected  to  the  Legislature 
from  .Sturbridge,  Worcester  Co..  Mass.  Has  been  a  member  of  Melrose 
Town  Board  and  was  also  Postmaster  under  Grant's  administration.  He  I 

was  married  in  March,  1844,  to  Miss  Prudence  Tuttle.     She   was  born  ' 

June  20,  1827,  in  New  York.     They  have  four  children  living —  Benja-  , 

min  H.,  Virgil  M.,  Charles  and  Wilbur  F.  There  was  another  son, 
Hiram  F.,  who  was  killed  by  a  bushwhacker  in  the  late  war.  He  was  a 
volunteer  of  Co.  D,  14th  Reg.  Wis.  Inf.,  as  a  musician,  and  at  the  battle  1 

of  Shiloh  was  promoted  to  principal  musician  of  his  regiment. 

WILLIAM   H.   POLLEYS,  farmer  and  lumberman.  Sec.    17.  P.  O.  I 

Melrose,  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia.  May  18,  1S24.  Came  to  the  United 
Stales  in  1835.  and  worked   in   a  store  in   Washington  Co.,  Maine,  for  1 

two  years,  then  went  to  lumbering  and   continued  at   that   until   1849,  ] 

then  came  to  Wisconsin.  After  exploring  the  pine  lands  in  the  northern 
counties,  he  returned  to  Maine  and  continued  his  former  business  for 
six  years.  In  1856,  moved  his  family  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  the 
Black  River,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  Owns  about  11,000 
acres  of  land,  in  timber  and  farming  land.  Has  1,000  acres  under  culti- 
vation. Runs  a  large  farm  at  Melrose  and  also  runs  three  farms  up  in 
the  pineries  ;  has  a  fine  lot  of  blooded  stock,  including  horses  and  cattle. 
Runs  a  large  saw-mill  at  La  Crosse,  and  in  18S0-81,  had  his  largest  run 
of  logs,  which  was  about  13.000,000  feet  of  timber.  Employs  200  men 
in  Winter  and  sevenly-five  in  Summer.  Married  Miss  Dora  Woodcock. 
She  was  born  in  Maine  in  September,  1829.  Mrs.  P.  is  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Black  River 
Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41. 

ELI  TIFF.ANY,  farmer.  Section  31,  P.  O.  Melrose,  was  born  in 
Yorkshire,  England.  Feb.  21,  1817.  Came  to  America  in.iS42,  and  set- 
tled in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.  In  1844.  went  to  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  and 
farmed  there  for  eleven  years.  In  1855,  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  set- 
tled in  Jackson  County,  where  he  has  since  remained.  Owns  eighty 
acres  of  good  land.  Was  married  in  P'ngland,  Dec.  25,  1S38,  to  Miss 
Mary  Turner.  She  was  born  in  England.  They  have  three  children- 
Hannah  (now  Mrs.  Harvey  Jaynes).  Joseph  and  Charles  H.  They  lost 
two  children,  John  (who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Perrvville  in  the  late 
war),  and  Ida  (who  was  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Callendar). 

WILLIAM  A.  SHOLES,  farmer.  Sec.  7,  P.  O.  Melrose,  was  bom 
in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  V..  Dec  27,  1S35.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856. 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Irving.  Remained  there  until  1S74  ;  moved 
to  Melrose  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  Enlisted  in  Co.  B,  gth  111. 
Cavalry  in  1865,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Returned  to  his 
farm  and  went  to  work.  Was  a  member  of  Town  Board  of  Irving  one 
year,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  at  Melrose.  Mr.  Sholes  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Ellen  Marvin.  December,  1857.  She  was  also  born  in  New 
York,  in  1838;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  her  parents  in  1S56.  They  have 
nine  children  living  —  Cassius  A.,  Mabel  (now  Mrs.  Peter  Simpson), 
Charles,  Ellen,  Gertrude  M.,  William.  Elizabeth,  Estell  and  Arba.  They 
had  one  daughter,  Rhoda,  who  died  Feb.  16,  1872. 

JOHN  H.  WILLARD,  retired  farmer.  P.  O.  Melrose,  was  bom  in 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  4,  1S21.  Came  West  in  1S53,  and  located  at 
Burr  Oak,  La  Crosse  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  farmed  and  kept  hotel  for 
four  years.  Moved  to  Melrose,  Jackson  Co..  in  1857,  and  farmed  until 
1S77,  at  which  time  he  moved  into  the  village  and  continues  to  live 
there.  Mr.  Willard  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  J.  Gear,  in  1842. 
She  was  born  in  Vermont,  Sept.  4.  1823.  They  have  four  children  — 
Franklin  J..  Mary  J.  (now  Mrs.  Charles  Newland),  Delia  and  Edith. 
They  have  lost  and" son,  Clifford,  who  died  in  1S53.  Mr.  W.  has  been 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  of  Melrose  ;  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  Assessor,  at  Melrose  and  Burr  Oak,  and  Postmaster  at  Burr  Oak. 

NORTH  BENIX 

A  pleasant  country  hamlet  on  Black  River  in  Melrose 
Township,  eight  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Melrose,  was 
first  settled  by  Thomas  Douglas  during  the  year  1845,  when 
he  came  into  the  county  and  erected  a  saw  mill  on  the  pres- 
ent village  site.  He  was  soon  afterward  followed  by  \V.  H. 
Marshall,  M.  K.  Pyn,  Samuel  Stevens  and  family,  Sylvester 
Abbey,  W.  A.  Thomas  and  others,  and  in  1865  the  last 
named  surveyed  the  village,  platted  the  same  and  erected  a 
grist  mill,  which  is  still  standing.  Soon  after  this  he  opened 
the  first  store  established  in  the  village,  though  Thomas 
Douglas  had  been  recognized  as  the  town  store-keeper  since 
1846,  wh;n  he  added  mercantile  to  his  business  of  farming 
and  milling. 


HISTORY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


425 


In  1866,  William  H.  Chamberlain,  who  became  a  resi- 
dent about- 1861  or  1862,  opened  a  hotel,  which  is  the  only 
house  of  entertainment  accessible  to  travelers.  In  1879, 
John  MacDonald  became  its  proprietor,  re-modeling  and 
improving  the  same  in  a  marked  degree.  The  arrivals  be- 
tween i860  and  1870  of  prominence  include  Thomas  Mc- 
Lean, the  village  Justice,  Alexander  Burr,  merchant,  Alex- 
ander Anderson,  wagon-maker,  B.  F.  Gipple,  Postmaster, 
and  others.  In  1878,  Dr.  McMurtry  came  in,  but  the  arri- 
vals previous  and  subsequent  to  the  dates  mentioned  were 
neither  numerous  nor  important. 

The  post-office  was  established  early  in  tlie  '6o's,  with 
Thomas  Douglas  as  Postmaster,  followed  by  Alexander 
Burr  and  B.  F.  Gipple,  the  latter  in  charge. 

There  is  no  school-house  in  the  village,  and  but  two 
church  edifices— the  Presbyterian,  erected  in  1863,  at  a  cost 
of  $1,000,  with  the  Rev.  Robert  Christiansen  as  pastor  at 
present,  and  the  Methodist,  built  in  1864,  at  a  similar  cost, 
with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bryan  pastor  in  charge. 

The  mill  is  supplied  with  two  run  of  stone  and  cost 
$4,000. 

In  addition  to  these  evidences  of  prosperity,  there  is  an 
Odd  Fellows' lodge,  cliartered  in  iS65,and  a  lodge  of  Good 
Templars,  instituted  in  1S66  or  '67.  The  village  contains  a 
population  of  about  125  souls. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LEWIS  F.  CRANDELL,  farmer  and  insurance  agent.  Sec.  29. 
P.  O.  North  Bend,  was  born  July  7, 1845,  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came 
West  with  his  parents  in  1S55  and  located  at  Farmington,  La  Crosse  Co., 
Wis.,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  for  his  father  until  twenty-one  years 
old,  going  to  school  during  the  W^inter  months,  removed  to  Jackson  County, 
in  the  Fall  of  1876  and  still  lives  there.  Mr.  Crandell  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace  at  Farmington,  also  at  North  Bend,  and  Postmaster  at  Burr  Oak 
for  nine  years.  Is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Salem  Lodge,  No.  125, 
andofl.O.  O.  F.,  North  Bend  Lodge,  No.  291.  He  was  married,  in  1S65, 
to  Miss  Carrie  Wilda,  she  was  born  June  24,  1845.  Their  family  consists 
of  four  children— Carrie  M.,  Herma,  Charles  F.  and  Homer.  They 
have  lost  one  son,  Lewis  H.,  who  died  .\ug.  28,  1874. 

JOHN  GLENNIE,  farmer,  Sec.  22,  P.  O.  North  Bend,  was  born  in 
Scotland,  March  22,  1828  ;  came  to  America  in  1S70,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  North  Bend,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.  He  owns  180  acres  of  land  ; 
has  been  a  member  of  Town  Board  three  years,  and  Assessor  for  one 
year.  Mr.  Glennie  kept  a  general  merchandise  store  in  Scotland,  and 
was  also  in  Australia  thirteen  years,  engaged  in  mining  and  farming,  be- 
fore he  came  to  America.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Scott,  in  Scot- 
land, in  1865.  Thev  have  seven  children— Ann  D.,  Jessie  S.,  Elizabeth 
S.,  Maggie,  John,  James  G.  and  WiUiam  W. 

BENJAMIN  F.  GIPPLE,  Postmaster  and  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise, North  Bend,  was  born  April  26,  1827,  in  Scipio,  N.  Y. ;  came 
West  in  1S56,  and  settled  in  Hokah,  Minn.,  where  he  did  carpentering 
for  one  year  ;  began  clerking  for  Anderson  &  Co.,  and  remained  eleven 
years  in  their  employ.  In  1S73,  he  went  to  La  Crosse.  Wis  ,  and  com- 
menced business  for  himself,  and  from  there  removed  to  North  Bend. 
He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Frontier  Lodge,  No.  47,  Chapter,  No. 
13.  at  La  Crosse,  and  is  also  a  member  of  I.  O,  O.  F.,  North  Bend  Lodge, 
No  291,  and  of  the  United  Workmen,  No.  2.  at  La  Crosse.  Mr.  Gipple 
was  appointed  Postmaster  under  President  Hayes,  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Sneur,  in  May,  1849,  who  died  Aug.  6,  1862,  and  by  whom 
he  has  five  children  living — John  L..  George  W.,  Harriet  A.  (now  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Heistand),  Ella  E.  fnow  Mrs.  W.  D.  Roberts)  and  Charles  M.  Mr. 
Gipple  was  married  the  second  time,  June  2,  1865,  to  Miss  Emily  R. 
Bradford.  She  was  born  Oct.  9,  1843,  in  Indiana.  The  second  family 
of  children  consists  of  Benjamin  F.,  Albert  A.,  William  B.  and  Mary  A. 

JOHN  H.  Mcdonald,  fanner  and  hotel  keeper.  North  Bend, 
was  born  in  Scotland,  March  4,  1S49  ;  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
in  1852;  remained  with  them  in  Maryland  until  185S,  when  they  came 
West  in  June  of  that  year,  and  located  in  Jackson  County.  They  then 
returned  to  Maryland  in  1872,  and  remained  there  seven  year.s.  He 
came  back  to  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  worked  at  carpentering  for  some 
time,  and  then  commenced  to  farm  and  keep  hotel.     He  was  married  to 


Miss  Eliza  Amburn,  Sept.  6,  1870.  She  was  bom  in  Germany,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1849.  They  have  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  living — Flora  B., 
Delilah,  John  R.,  Donald  J.  and  Mary  E.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  Lanacaning  Lodge,  No.  85,  in  Maryland  ;  also  a  member  of  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Free  Gardeners,  Thistle  Lodge,  No.  i,  in  Maryland. 

MILLSTON. 
This  is  a  small  station  on  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad, 
located  on  Sec.  20,  in  the  town  of  Millston. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

H.  B.  MILLS,  farmer  and  lumberman,  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Millston,  was 
born  in  Canada,  July  14,  1828.  Went  to  New  York  with  his  parents  at 
the  age  of  four  years.  Commenced  to  work  for  himself  when  fourteen 
years  old,  and  two  years  afterward  returned  to  Canada  and  went  up  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  to  Quebec.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849.  with  one 
David  Watwell,  landing  at  Sheboygan  and  walking  from  there  to  Fond 
du  Lac.  In  1849,  went  to  Lake  Shawano,  on  Wolf  River;  worked  at 
lumbering  for  two  years.  In  1S51,  went  with  a  party  of  five  up  Black 
River  to  Robinson's  Creek,  and  had  quarters  in  a  log-cabin.  It  was  the 
custom  that  if  any  one  stopped  over  night  with  them,  one  of  the  party 
would  say:  "Are  you  going  to  stop  with  us  long?  If  so,  we  will  kill  a 
large  deer;  if  not,  we  will  only  kill  a  small  one."  In  1853.  he  began  con- 
tracting for  banking  logs,  which  he  continued  for  about  four  years,  after 
which  he  erected  a  saw  mill  on  Robinson's  Creek,  in  company  with  Albert 
Wheeler  and  Charles  Kelly.  Afterward,  commenced  lumbering  for 
himself,  during  which  time  he  opened  a  farm,  and  still  owns  it.  In  1863, 
his  mill,  and  all  the  surrounding  outbuildings,  were  completely  destroyed 
by  fire.  Two  years  previous  to  the  fire,  he  started  a  hotel  on  Black 
River  Falls  and  Tomah  road,  called  Mills'  Tavern,  and  from  there  he 
returned  to  his  farm,  and  there  remained  until  1874,  when  he  built  the 
saw  mill  where  he  now  is,  at  Millston  station,  said  place  being  named 
for  him.  and  is  on  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railroad. 
Mr.  Mills  was  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  at  Manchester  a  number  of 
years  ;  also.  Town  Treasurer  of  Millston  ;  and  was  a  member  of  As- 
sembly from  Jackson  and  Clark  counties  in  1876.  Is  a  member  cf  A. 
F.  &  A.M.,  Black  River  Lodge,  No.  74,  Chapter,  No.  41,  and  of  La  Crosse 
Commandery,  No.  9.  He  was  married  in  1857,  to  Miss  Maiy  Rodgers. 
She  was  born  in  Canada,  Feb.  2,  1839.  Have  seven  children— Thomas 
B.,  lohn  H.,  Alexander,  Edward,  Hugh  B.,  Mary  M.  and  Margie  M. 
There  were  also  two  who  died,  Ira  P.  and  Dennis.  Mr.  Mills  also  ran 
the  store  at  Millston  for  three  years,  and  was  Postmaster  and  express 
agent.  Is  now  vice-president  and  director  of  the  Jackson  Bank  at  Black 
River  Falls. 

NICHOLAS  FIFER,  Millston,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Oct. 
6,  1S46.  Came  to  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  worked  on  a  farm  until 
1859;  then  went  to  Robinson's  Creek  and  worked  for  David  Robinson 
at  farming.  In  1S64,  he  enlisted  in  the  late  war,  in  Co.  G,  5th  Wis.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  served  one  year.  Came  back  to  Robinson's  Creek,  and  from 
there  went  to  Cedar  County,  Iowa.  Then  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and 
traveled  around  a  good  deal,  working  at  different  places,  and  finally 
settled  down  at  Robinson's  Creek,  in  tlie  wood  and  hotel  business,  and 
is  still  there.  Was  married  Feb.  26,  1877,  to  Mary  Orilands.  She  was 
born  in  Milwaukee  in  1857.  Have  three  children— Dora  O.,  Frederick 
A.  and  Estell  E. 

Rudd's  Station. 
J.  L.  GREEN,  of  the  firm  of  Rudd  &  Green,  Rudd's  Station,  was 
born  July  18,  1827,  at  Westerlo,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Racine 
County,  Wis.,  in  1844;  stayed  there  four  years;  went  to  Sauk  County 
and  worked  three  years,  when  he  took  up  a  homestead  and  farmed  for 
two  years.  Then  went  into  business  at  Reedsburg,  and  continued  at  that 
until  the  Spring  of  1S65,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  under  the 
administration  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  In  1S68,  commenced  business 
with  the  Rudd  Brothers.  The  firm  consists  of  D.  B.  Rudd,  E.  O.  Rudd 
and  J.  L.  Green,  dealers  in  lumber,  and  keeping  a  supply  store.  The 
firm  was  established  in  1868,  at  Rudd's  Station,  which  was  then  the  ter- 
minus of  the  railroad.  Mr.  Green  was  married  to  Lovina  Reed.  Nov. 
20,  1853.  She  was  born  in  Green  County,  N.  Y..  in  1S29.  They  h.ive 
one  daughter,  named  Mary  E.  The  firm  of  Rudd  &  Green  does  a  busi- 
ness of  about  1:50,000  per  year,  running  two  saw  mills,  one  in  Monroe 
and  one  in  Jackson  County,  employing  about  eighty  men.  They  are 
stockholders  in  the  Reedsburg  Bank,  and  also  in  the  woolen  mills. 

Town  of  Northfield. 

PETER  M.  WILSON,  farmer,  Sec.  20,  town  of  Northfield,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  Nov.  20,  1838.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and 
first  lived  in  the  town  of  Hixton.  Jackson  Co.,  moving  to  Northfield  in 
1863,  where  he  pre-empted  a  claim  from  the  Government,  on  which  he 
has  lived  ever  since.  Has  been  Town  Treasurer  of  Northfield  for  eight 
years.  Was  married  in  1S63,  to  Miss  Abigail  -A.  Humphrey.  She  was 
born  in  England,     They  have  two  children,  Phoebe  E.  and  Jane  B. 


426 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Town  of  Garden  Valley. 

NICHOLAS  ANDREWS,  farmer.  Sec.  13,  post-oflke  Alma  Cen- 
ter. Was  born  in  Bavaria,  Dec.  31,1837.  Came  with  his  parents  to 
America,  in  1850,  and  first  settled  at  Williamsburg,  Long  Island,  where 
he  worked  in  the  rope  factory  for  one  ye.ir,  when  he  came  West  with  his 
parents  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Waukesha  County,  remaining  there 
until  1S53,  when  he  came  to  Jackson  County  and  worked  at  lumbering 
for  eight  years,  on  the  Black  River  ;  then  went  logging,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1S63,  when  he  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  and  owns 
1,200  acres,  all  of  which  is  under  cultivation  except  160  acres  of  timber 
land.  Mr.  Andrews  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Alma  Lodge,  No.  294, 
Was  married  March,  1S75,  to  Miss  Margaret  Henderson,  who  was  born 
in  Scotland,  in  1S53.     They  have  two  children,  Grace  and  John. 

CHARLES  T.  GANSEL,  farmer.  Sec.  14,  Post-office  Uarrow,  was 
born  in  Germany,  April  24,  1S36  ;  came  to  America,  with  his  parents,  in 
1849,  and  settled  in   W.-ishington  County,  after  which   they  moved  to 


Jackson  County,  in  1857.  Charles  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives 
in  1867.  Was  elected  to  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  in  the  Spring  of  186S, 
and  has  held  that  office  ever  since.  His  farm  contains  400  acres  of  good 
land.  Was  married,  in  1843,  in  Germany,  to  Miss  Barbara  .'\ndrews  ; 
she  is  a  native  of  Germany.  They  have  four  children — George,  Carl  T., 
John  E.  and  Ida. 

Town  of  Sprincfield. 

JOHN  MORRILL,  farmer,  Sec.  4,  town  of  Springfield,  P.  O.  Hix- 
ton,  is  a  native  of  Maine,  being  born  Oct.  18,  1826,  in  Somerset  County. 
Left  there  in  the  Spring  of  1854,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855. 
Pre-empted  160  acres  of  land  from  the  Government,  in  Springfield,  and 
has  added  to  it  until  he  now  owns  200  acres.  Enlisted,  March,  1S65, 
and  served  ten  months,  and  in  l86g  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from 
Jackson  and.  Clark  counties.  Has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
on  Black  River  during  the  Winters.  Was  married  in  1852,  to  Miss  Lu- 
cina  W.  Merrill.     She  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greene,  Maine. 


KEWAUNEE    COUNTY. 


NATURAL  ADVANTAGES. 

This  is  one  of  the  counties  of  Northeastern  Wisconsin, 
bordering  on  the  lake,  being  bounded  north  by  Door, 
south  by  Manitowoc,  and  west  by  Brown.  The  Ke- 
waunee and  the  Ahnapee  rivers,  which  cut  the  land 
from  east  to  west,  and  flow  into  Lake  Michigan,  are  its 
chief  sources  of  water  supply.  Beech,  birch,  maple, 
hemlock,  cedar,  pine,  basswood  and  elm  abound.  The 
shipping  of  cedar  ties  and  posts  and  hemlock  bark  be- 
ing engaged  in  extensively  and  profitably.  The  geo- 
logical formation  of  Kewaunee  County  does  not  differ 
materially  from  that  of  other  lake-shore  sections  further 
south.  Underneath  the  drift,  or  soil,  is  a  formation  of 
Racine  limestone ;  beneath  that,  a  stratum  of  Niagara 
limestone  ;  next,  the  Cincinnati  shale,  a  clay  rock,  and 
beneath  that,  what  is  known  as  the  Galena  limestone. 
Tiie  general  dip  of  these  formations  is  toward  the  lake, 
so  that  the  country  is  well  drained.  The  soil  consists 
of  clay,  red,  and  a  heavy  marl  and  sand.  The  rich  sur- 
face soil  wears  out  in  localities,  but  the  heavy  marl  be- 
neath is  fertile  and  re-invigorating.  These  features 
make  the  raising  of  wheat  especially  profitable.  Oats 
also  flourish,  and  all  kinds  of  grasses.  Farmers  are 
turning  their  attention  also  to  the  dairy  products.  Last 
year  152,000  pounds  of  butter  were  made,  and  five 
cheese  factories  are  already  in  operation — one  in  the 
town  of  Carlton,  two  in  Pierce,  and  two  in  Casco. 

At  the  time  of  making  the  annual  assessment  for 
1881,  2.3,821  acres  of  wheat  were  growing,  10,863  of 
oats,  and  32,563  of  timber.  There  were  4,883  milch 
cows,  valued  at  •S60,985. 

GENERAL  COUNTY  MATTERS. 

The  total  valuation  of  property  made  by  the  local 
assessors  in  1880  was  $3,427,925.  The  indebtedness  of 
the  towns,  cities  and  villages  is  only  $1,550.  The  pop- 
ulation since  1855  has  been  :  1855,1,109;  18,50,5,530; 
1865,  7,039  ;  1870,  10,028  ;  1875,  14,405  ;  1880,  15,856. 
Population  by  towns  for  1880  : 

Ahnapee  Town 1.430 

Ahnapee  City 948 

Carlton 1,604 

Casco - 1.659 

Franklin i  ,601 

Kewaunee 1,352 


Kewaunee  Village.. 1,050 

Lincoln __. 1,146 

Montpelier _ 1.405 

Pierce _.. 1,743 

Red  River 1,582 

West  Kewaunee  (formerly  Krok) 1,336 

Total 15.856 

Within  the  bounds  of  Kewaunee  County  there  are 
6,818  children  of  school  age,  and  of  this  number  3,322 
attend  the  district  schools.  Sixtj'-four  teachers  are 
employed. 

"WAR   RECORD. 

Kewaunee  County  did  her  share  in  the  raising  of 
troops'and  sending  them  to  the  front.  She  raised  Co.  A, 
27th  Wis.  I.,  a  portion  of  Co.  E,  14th  Regt.  Some  of 
her  troops  also  went  into  the  21st  and  29th.  The  boys 
of  Co.  A,  under  Capt.,  afterward  Major,  Charles  H. 
Cunningham,  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Western  and 
Southwestern  States.  They  were  mustered  into  serv- 
ice in  March,  1863,  and  mustered  out,  at  Brownsville, 
Tex.,  August  29,  1865,  arriving  at  Madison,  September 
17th.  The  county  furnished  many  brave  men,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned  Capt.  John  Boland,  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Co.  A,  and  Capt.  Levi  Vaughn,  of  the  14th 
Wis.  I.,  who  was  killed  at  Corinth.  Hon.  R.  L.  Wing 
was  especially  active  during  those  stirring  times  in  rais- 
ing troops.  Kewaunee's  quota  was  416  ;  total  credits, 
294. 

POLITICAL. 

By  Legislature  act,  April  16, 1852,  Kewaunee  Coun- 
ty was  set  off  from  Door.  The  county  was  attached  to 
Manitowoc  for  judicial  purposes,  and  organized  into 
the  town  of  Kewaunee.  In  1856,  it  was  detached  from 
the  Tenth  and  made  a  part  of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Cir- 
cuit ;  it  still,  however,  remained  attached  to  Manitowoc. 
The  county,  however,  was  not  really  organized  until 
November  4th,  of  that  year  (1856),  when  the  first  elec- 
tion of  officers  was  held,  with  this  result :  Countv 
Treasurer,  L.  P.Fisher;  Clerk,  John  McNally  ;  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds,  Dr.  Levi  Parsons  ;  Siu-veyor,  G.  W. 
Elliott ;  Coroner,  S.  Cliapel ;  Assemblyman,  John  A. 
Daniels.  The  election  of  Messrs.  Elliott  and  Chapel 
was  unanimous.  The  highest  number  of  votes  polled 
was  301.     There  was  no  contest,  whatever,  in  regard 


HISTORY  OF  KEWAUNEE   COUNTY, 


427 


to  the  location  of  the  county  seat.      It  was  fixed  at 
Kewaunee,  and  there  remained  without  objection. 

Tlie  first  meeting  of  the  County  Board  was  held 
November  11, 1856.  Present — Abner  Cory,  Kewaunee  ; 
J.  A.  Defaut,  Wolf  (Alinapee)  ;  Jolin  H.  Scott,  Sand 
Bay.  Mr.  Cory  was  elected  chairman.  A  resolution 
was  passed,  organizing  from  and  after  April  1,  1857, 
the  towns  of  Carlton,  Frederickton,  Montpelier,  Cory- 
ville,  Casco,  Kewaunee  and  Red  River.  In  November, 
1858,  Abner  Cory  was  elected  the  first  County  Judge. 
May  10,  1859,  the  name  of  the  town  of  Wolf  was 
changed  to  Ahnapee.      The  old  county  buildings  were 


mouth  of  Kewaunee  River.  It  lies  south  of  the  river,  and 
is  buih  partly  in  its  valley  and  partly  on  the  high  ground 
overlooking  it,  the  court-house  standing  upon  the  most 
commanding  rise.  Kewaunee's  harbor  is  being  miproved 
under  Maj.  Robert,  $13,000  being  expended  upon  it  in  the 
building  of  two  piers,  during  the  season  of  1881.  Of  this 
amount,  $5,000  was  appropriated  by  the  General  Govern- 
ment. The  survey  was  made  to  comply  with  the  provisions 
of  the  river  and  harbor  act  of  June  14,  1880. 

Although  pleasantly  located  by  nature,  this  was  not  the 
attraction  which  first  drew  the  attention  of  land  buvers  to 


KEWAUNEE. 


erected  soon  after  the  county  was  organized,  the  sub- 
stantial court-house  now  occupied  being  built  in  1873, 
at  a  cost  of  fl2,000.  Two  years  later,  the  jail  and 
Sheriff's  residence  were  erected,  costing  ■'i!6,000.  The 
poor  farm — 120  acres — five  and  a  half  miles  north  of 
Kewaunee,  was  purchased,  in  1879,  for  $4,400 ;  sub- 
sequent improvements  make  the  property  worth  over 
.$5,000.  For  1881  the  county  officers  are  :  Vitalis  Mil- 
ler, Judge  ;  J.  L.  V.  Yates,  District  Attorney  ;  M.  Shil- 
bauer.  Sheriff;  Wilham  H.Timlin,  Superintendent  of 
Schools  ;  Louis  Bruemmer,  Clerk  ;  Henry  Tisch,  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds  ;  Pat.  J.  Roouey,  Clerk  of  Court ;  H.  G. 
Borgman,  Surveyor  ;  Oliver  H.  Martin,  Coroner. 

KEWAUNEE. 

This  brisk  little  village,  of  nearly  1,100  people,  is  located 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  on  the  lake,  at  the 


Kewaunee.  Some  unknown  explorer,  in  the  early  30's, 
picked  up  something  in  the  low  land  near  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  his  imagination  not  only  turned  it  into  gold, 
but  the  whole  country  round  about.  Further  examinations 
were  made  by  non-experts,  whc'  spread  the  rumor  of  rich 
gold  deposits.  In  1836,  so  much  excitement,  enforced  by 
positive  conviction,  had  been  raised,  that  preparations  were 
made  to  lay  out  a  city,  which,  ?s  a  supplier  of  the  precious 
metal,  would  rival  Chicago  as  a  supply  depct  of  precious 
grain.  There  is  no  doubt  about  it  —  strange  as  the  fact 
may  appear  in  1881  — in  1836,  much  jealousy  existed  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Kewaunee,  and  many  sharp  and  wealthy 
speculators  were  undecided  where  to  cast  their  lots.  Such 
men  as  John  Jacob  Astor,  largely  interested  in  Brown 
County  lands,  Gov.  Doty,  Gov.  Beals,  Morgan  L.  Martin, 
William  B.  Slaughter,  Hon.  Sanford  E.  Church,  Gen.  Rug- 


42S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


gles,  Joshua  Hathaway,  Col.  Hans  Crocker,  Samuel  Beards- 
ley,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  Salmon  P.  Chase,  ex-Chief 
Justice  of  the  United  States,  became  interested  in  property 
before,  or  soon  after,  the  village  was  platted.  In  1836, 
Joshua  Hathaway,  specially  deputed  by  the  District  Sur- 
veyor of  Brown  County,  laid  out  the  place  in  wide  avenues, 
averaging  seventy-five  feet,  the  lots  being  50x150  feet.  Six 
blocks  were  reserved  on  the  lake  front  for  parks,  common?, 
boulevards,  and  any  other  improvements  which  might  sug- 
gest themselves  to  public-spirited  citizens. 

In  the  Fall,  a  sale  of  lots  was  advertised,  to  take  place 
at  the  salesrooms  of  William  Montgomery,  Chicago.  The 
exact  time  was  September  5.  The  proprietors  of  the  plat 
were  Hon.  James  D.  Doty  and  William  B.  Slaughter,  of 
Brown  County,  and  Samuel  Beardsley,  of  Albany  County, 
N.  Y.  In  an  announcement  which  appeared  in  the  Mil- 
waukee Advertiser,  in  September,  Mr.  Hathaway,  as  their 
agent,  stands  "pledged  that  Kewaunee  shall,  in  due  time, 
send  forth  her  full  quota  of  all  those  valuable  minerals  so 
essential  to  the  growth  and  splendor  of  the  more  southern 
towns  " —  no  doubt  referring  to  Chicago  and  Milwaukee. 
He  also  invited  the  public  to  examine  the  premises  person- 
ally, that  they  might  not  confound  "  the  merits  of  Kewau- 
nee with  the  ephemera  of  the  day."  This  announcement, 
which  was  a  notice  of  the  sale  of  250  lots,  and  a  general 
view  of  the  splendid  prospects  of  Kewaunee,  was  dated 
"Chicago,  August  20,  1836,"  and  appeared  in  the  Adver- 
tiser, September  15.  There  was  a  grand  rush  for  the  "yel- 
low-jackets." Land  in  the  middle  of  the  swamp  sold  for 
$500  an  acre;  some  pieces  sold  as  high  as  $1,000.  Land 
owners  to  whom  the  temptation  of  such  prices  was  too 
great  to  be  resisted,  sold  their  property,  often  reserving 
some  such  fraction  as  "  one  one-hundredth  "  part  of  all 
the  minerals  found  thereon,  considering  that  by  this  fore- 
sight they  had  guaranteed  themselves  a  fortune. 

In  April,  1836,  Joshua  Hathaway  sold  a  piece  of  land 
to  Gov.  Doty  for  $15,000.  It  was  subsequently  occupied 
by  John  Leinecker,  and  is  possibly  worth  $3,000.  In  Sep- 
tember, Morgan  L.  Martin  entered  a  tract  of  eighty  acres 
from  the  Government,  and  sold  it  to  Salmon  P.  Chase  for 
$38,000.  This  was  in  the  same  vicinity.  A  portion  of  the 
property  is  now  the  site  of  the  court-house.  But  the  gold 
didn't  "  pan  out,"  and  capitalists  withdrew  their  money  and 
their  confidence  from  Kewaunee;  and  she  is  now  a  brisk 
little  village,  of  about  "one  five-hundredth"  of  the  jjopula- 
lation  of  Chicago.  Joshua  Hathaway  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding, no  fairer  and  more  amusing  illustration  of 
"the  ephemera  of  tlie  day "  can  be  unearthed  than  this 
gold  excitement  of  1836.  As  to  "  the  merits  of  Kewaunee," 
Mr.  Chamberlain,  formerly  State  Geologist,  has  given  it  as 
his  positive  and  scientific  conclusion,  that  the  geological 
formations  of  the  county  absolutely  preclude  the  existence 
of  gold,  or  of  any  precious  metal. 


John  Volk,  now  a  resident  of  Oconto  Falls,  Oconto 
County,  and  generally  accredited  with  being  the  first  actual 
settler  of  Kewaunee  County,  furnishes  the  following  ; 


The  first  settlement  in  Kewaunee  County  of  which 
there  is  any  knowledge,  was  made  by  Montgomery  &  Pat- 
terson, a  Chicago  firm.  This  was  immediately  after  the 
government  survey  by  Joshua  Hathaway,  of  Milwaukee,  in 
1837.  They  built  a  mill  on  the  Kewaunee  River,  about 
three  miles  from  its  outlet  in  Lake  Michigan.  After  it  was 
built  they  were  unable  to  stock  it  wit'i  supplies  for  the 
Winter,  and  it  was  deserted  by  the  workmen  in  the  follow- 
ing Winter.  The  mill  property  reverted  to  the  original 
owner  of  the  land,  Joshua  Hathaway,  and  remained  unin- 
habited until  1843.  In  'lis  Winter  of  1842-3,  John  Volk, 
of  Cook  County,  III.,  near  Chicago,  made  a  journey  to 
examine  this  mill  property,  bought  it,  and  moved  in  July, 
1843.  At  that  time  the  mill  dam  was  broken  down.  The 
houses  that  had  been  built  were  burned  up,  except  one  on 
the  south  of  the  river.  The  Indians  had  made  it  a  fishing 
resort  in  the  season,  built  fires  into  it  and  came  near 
burning  it  up,  and  everything  was  carried  off  that  was 
portable.  Mr.  Volk  repaired  the  mill,  hauled  the  logs  and 
got  out  a  cargo  of  lumber  in  1843.  But  he  labored  under 
every  disadvantage.  The  nearest  neighboring  towns  were 
Two  Rivers,  twenty-five  miles  south,  or  Green  Bay,  thirty 
miles  west.  '  Thus  we  labored  on.  When  we  got  a  cargo  of 
lumber,  it  was  difficult  to  get  vessels,  on  account  of  the 
river  at  the  outlet  filling  up.  Sometimes  there  would  be 
five  or  six  feet  of  water,  and  at  other  times  the  mouth 
of  the  river  would  be  completely  closed  up,  and  lumber  had 
to  be  carried  across  the  beach  and  rafted  in  the  lake  to  get 
to  the  vessel  for  shipment.  This  caused  great  delay,  and 
vessels  were  hard  to  be  got  for  Kewaunee."  At  one  time  he 
ran  short  of  provisions.  This  was  the  year  of  the  great 
famine  in  Ireland.  Freights  were  high  and  vessels  were 
scarce,  and  Mr.  V.  had  to  build  a  boat,  and  sent  her  to 
Chicago,  coasting  along  shore  over  200  miles.  These  were 
some  of  the  difficulties  in  settling  Kewaunee.  In  1851,  he 
built  the  pier  into  the  lake.  After  that,  there  was  no  more 
difficulty  in  shipping  lumber,  and  he  began  to  branch  out  a 
little,  building  a  water  mill  on  the  river,  above  the  old  one 
about  a  mile  or  more.  A  steam  mill  was  also  commenced 
at  the  lake.  When  that  was  in  running  order,  steamboats 
landed  at  the  pier,  and  weekly  and  daily  intercourse  was 
had  with  the  neighbcring  towns  In  1854,  Mr.  Volk  left 
Kewaunee. 

In  1853,  ex-State  Senator  George  Grimmer  rested  on  Ke- 
waunee soil,  and  the  next  year,  Joseph  Duvall.  They  laid 
the  foundation  of  their  business  prosperity  first  as  workmen, 
then  as  saw-mill  proprietors. 

L.  P.  Fisher,  first  County  Treasurer,  and  John  Wickiiam 
were  pioneers  of '53.  They  are  now  in  the  Far  West.  The 
Moore  brothers,  Seth  and  Joe,  settled  in  Kewaunee  in 
1853.  From  1855  to  1S58,  a  large  number  of  settlers  lo- 
cated, among  others  County  Judge  Vitalis  Miller,  ex-Coun- 
ty Judge  W.  Stransky,  Joseph  Wallender,  Charles  Deda, 
Charles  Brandes,  Frank  Chiliachek,  Val.  Hoffman,  John  Er- 
ichsen,  John  Lugen,  Fred  Johannes  and  Al.  Vibber.  During 
the  latter  year,  such  an  influx  of  Bohemians  occurred  that 
further  traces  of  individual  settlers  disappeared. 

Kewaunee  was  incorporated   as  a  village  April  30,  1873, 


HISTORY   OF    KEWAUNEE    COUNTY 


429 


R.   L.  Wing  being  elected  President  of  the  Board.     The 

Fire  Department,  which  consists  of  sixty  members,  has  an 
engine,  hook  and  ladder  and  a  house,  built  in  1870,  the  date 
of  the  organization.  The  value  of  the  property  is  $1,500. 
The  village  is  quiet  and  orderly,  and  loss  by  fire  cannot  be 
large  from  the  very  nature  of  its  location.  Kewaunee  is 
largely  composed  of  Bohemians  and  Germans. 

CHURCHES. 

Holy  Rosalie  Church  (Catholic.) — ^In  the  Summer  of 
1856,  the  first  Catholic  missionary  visited  Kewaunee,  Rev. 
Father  Smedding.  There  was  then  noplace  where  he  could 
say  mass,  e.xcept  a  temporarily  erected  hut  of  boughs. 
Rev.  Joseph  Maly  came  in  1857,  and  from  that  time  for 
three  years  different  priests  visited  the  place.  In  i860,  the 
church  edifice  was  commenced,  but  remained  three  years 
without  a  roof.  Finally,  June  26,  1863,  the  first  mass  was 
celebrated  Rev.  Charles  Exel,  the  first  resident  priest, 
came  in  that  year,  but  remained  only  three  months.  In 
1866,  Father  Steenwick  commenced  to  build  the  school, 
which  was  not  completed  until  Father  George  Brunner,  the 
present  priest  in  charge,  commenced  his  pastorate  in  187 1. 
Rev.  Joseph  Maly  succeeded  Father  Steenwick  as  resident 
priest  in  1868.  In  1870,  Rev.  Zavistovski  was  placed  in 
charge,  and  the  next  year.  Father  Brunner.  In  1872,  the 
school,  which  numbers  eighty  pupils,  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame.  The  church  numbers  120  fam- 
ilies, 600  souls.  The  foundation  of  a  new  edifice  has  been 
laid.  Bishop  Krautbauer  conducting  the  corner-stone  cere- 
monies. Connected  with  St.  Rosalie  Church  is  a  benevo- 
lent society  of  twenty-five  members.  The  building  is  situ- 
ated on  Juneau,  near  Kilbourn  street. 

Immanuel  Church  (Lutheran)  was  organized  November 
24,  1867,  by  Rev.  Gustav  Bachmann,  its  first  pastor.  The 
church  was  built  in  1867,  and  cost  $900.  The  present  pas- 
tor. Rev.  August  O.  W.  Pieper,  took  charge  in  1S79.  The 
membership  is  sixty-eight. 

The  Odd  Fellows  have  a  lodge.  No.  263,  which  has  six- 
ty-three members,  and  was  organized  in  January,  1877. 
Temple  of  Honor,  No.  168,  was  organized  in  November, 
1877,  and  has  a  membership  of  forty.  A  Bohemian  benev- 
olent society  (Radsladkovsky)  was  formed  May  i,  1880,  and 
has  twenty-four  members.  There  are  two  turner  societies. 
The  Sokol  (Bohemian)  has  a  membership  of  forty,  and 
owns  a  hall  worth  $3,500.  The  German  Turnverein,  a 
younger  organization,  is  not  so  strong,  although  it  is  grow- 
ing. 

The  village,  or  district  school,  has  five  departments,  be- 
sides a  high  school.  The  building,  a  wooden  structure,  is 
located  on  the  corner  of  Rose  and  Dodge  streets.  The  at- 
tendance of  pupils  in  the  district  is  269. 

Kewaunee  has  one  private  bank,  founded  by  John  Carel 
in  1876,  and  purchased  by  E.  Decker,  Joseph  Duvall  and 
Joseph  Wallender,  July  i,  i88i.  Cashier,  George  W.  Wing. 
The  capital  is  $15,000;  assets,  $3,500  ;  liabilities,  $20,000. 

The  Kewaunee  Enterprise  was  established  in  1859  by 
Edward  Decker  as  a  five-column  folio.  In  December,  1869, 
John  M.  Read  purchased  the  paper  and  continued  its  pub- 


lication up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  March,  1881.  The 
Enterprise  is  Democratic  in  politics,  an  eight-column  folio, 
and  published  on  Friday  by  Caroline  W.  Read,  wife  of  tlie 
former  proprietor.     It  is  the  official  paper  of  the  county. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

S.  A.  BALLERING,  firm  of  J.  A.  Ballering  &  Co.,  leather,  also 
manufacturers  of  and  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in  boots  and  shoes, 
was  born  Sept.  3,  1846,  in  Prussia.  His  father  being  engaged  in  the 
tanning  and  boot  and  shoe  trade,  his  sons  were  all  brought  up  to  this 
business.  In  1S65  the  family  came  to  Kewaunee,  since  then  they  have 
been  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  boots  and  shoes  and  are  doing  quite 
an  extensive  trade,  employing  eighteen  to  twenty  hands.  They  are  about 
completing  a  brick  store,  where  they  will  carry  on  their  business;  this 
store  is  three  stories  and  basement  26x70;  their  principal  trade  is  manu- 
facturing driving  or  lumber  boots  and  calf  skin  boots.  Mr.  Ballering 
has  been  three  years  Chairman  of  the  Town,  three  years  Town  Clerk,  and 
is  now  Foreman  of  the  fire  department  and  Village  Superviser.  The  firm 
is  composed  of  J.  A.  Ballering  and  his  three  sons. 

LOUIS  BRUEMMER,  County  Clerk,  is  a  native  of  Mecklenberg, 
Germany.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  came  to  Trenton,  N.  J.  Came  to 
Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  in  1854,  thence  to  Mishicot,  Wis.  In  1857  removed 
to  Kenosha  County,  where  he  remained  till  i860,  when  he  came  to  Milwau- 
kee, and  enlisted  in  1S61,  Co.  G,  ist  Wis.  Inf.,  served  eighteen  months,  was 
discharged  on  account  of  a  wound,  received  at  the  battle  of  Perryville, 
Ky.,  then  relumed  to  Mishicot,  when  he  was  elected  Town  Clerk,  and 
taught  school  till  i866,  then  came  to  Ahnapee,  was  engaged  in  the 
brewery,  also  in  the  hotel  and  grist  and  sawmill.  He  was  Chairman  of 
the  Town  in  1872.  He  was  elected  County  Clerk.  He  at  once  removed 
to  Kewaunee  and  has  since  held  this  position.  Married  in  1866,  to 
Amelia,  daughter  of  John  G.  Weilep,  of  Two  Rivers,  Wis. 

WM.  BRUEMER,  miller.  Sec.  14,  P.  O.  Kewaunee,  born  May  25, 
1S21,  in  Mecklenberg.  Came  to  America  in  1852,  located  in  New 
Jersey.  In  iS65,came  to  Kewaunee  County,  he  has  had  charge  of  W.  .Stran- 
sky's  grist-miU  the  past  twelve  years,  owns  sixty-five  acres  of  land.  He  is 
a  practical  miller,  having  always  followed  this  business.  Married  in  1853, 
to  Miss  Mary  Reeder;  she  was  born  in  Mecklenberg.  Have  seven 
children — four  sons  and  three  daughters. 

REV.  GEO.  BRUNNER,  pastor  of  the  Holy  Rosalie,  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  is  a  native  of  Bohemia.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he 
attended  the  gymnasium  at  Klattan,  studied  in  this  institution  seven  years. 
In  the  Fall  of  1S67.  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  where  he  remained  with 
hisbrother  till  January,  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Milwaukee  and  attended 
the  Seminary  of  Sales,  was  ordained  Dec.  17,  1870.  He  then  came  to 
Manitowoc  County,  and  had  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Franklin 
Township.  Dec.  26,  1870,  came  to  Kewaunee,  and  was  at  once  installed 
pastor  of  the  church,  where  he  has  since  remained. 

FRANK  BRUNCKHORST,  firm  of  W.  Seyk  &  Co.,  grist-mill,  born 
Sept.  16,  1834,  in  Bohemia.  May  1854,  came  to  New  York,  thence  to 
Milwaukee.  In  1S58,  he  removed  to  Good  Hope,  Wis.,  engaged  in  mill- 
ing. In  1860.  came  to  Waukesha  County,  followed  milling  till  1864,  then 
removed  to  Waterford,  Racine  Co.  In  1871,  came  to  Kewaunee,  and  at 
once  became  a  member  of  this  firm.  This  mill  has  a  capacity  of  about 
170  barrels  a  day.  Mr.  Brunckhorst  is  the  architect  of  all  the  public 
buildings  constructed  in  this  county,  he  having  learned  the  business  when 
in  Bohemia,  and  is  also  a  practical  millwright. 

CHARLES  BRUNDES,  proprietor  Kewaunee  brewery,  born 
Dec.  ig.  1832,  in  Hanover,  Germany.  About  1847,  came  to  New  York, 
followed  the  lakes  about  seven  years.  He  was  steward  on  the  steamer 
Atlantic  when  she  was  lost  on  Lake  Erie.  He,  with  six  others,  were  the 
only  ones  saved.  He  was  seven  hours  in  the  water  when  he  w.as  taken 
on  board  a  steamer,  and  taken  to  Erie,  and  entered  the  Marine  Hospital. 
In  1856,  came  to  Kewaunee  and  kept  a  hotel  about  eight  years,  he  then 
bought  this  brewery,  which  he  has  since  managed,  he  has  also  a  farm  of 
52  acres,  and  one  half  interest  in  a  grist-mill  in  the  town  of  Carlton, 
and  other  property  in  Kewaunee. 

D,  BURKE,  general  merchandise,  came  when  a  boy,  with  his  parents, 
to  Kewaunee  County.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  commenced  teaching 
school ;  taught  in  Pierce,  Ahnapee,  and  Sturgeon  Bay.  In  1876,  he  built 
the  Alaska  House,  in  Pierce  Township,  this  he  managed  and  owned  till 
the  Spring  of  1879,  when  he  sold  that  property  ;  afterward  removed  to 
Kewaunee.  In  thefall  of  1879,  he  established  this  business.  Married  Miss 
Emily,  daughter  of  Conrad  Meyer.of  PierceTownship.  one  of  the  wealthiest 
farmers  in  this  county.  They  have  thiee  children — two  daughters  and 
one  son. 

JOHN  L.  CHAPEL,  M.D.  Is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Ashtabula 
County,  April  2,  1S40.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine,  and  graduated  in  the  University  of  Buffalo,  medical 
department,  in  i860.  Returned  to  Ohio,  and  practiced  two  years,  then 
was  appointed  assistant  surgeon  of  the  27th  Ohio  V.  I.  .'Vt  the  close  of 
the  war  he  returned  to  Ohio,  and  resumed  his  practice.      In  1S67,  re- 


430 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


moved  to  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,and  practiced  there  until  July,  1869,  when  he 
removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  and  has  since  been  in  constant  practice  of 
his  profession.     Married,  in  1S67,  to  Miss  Jane  E.  Watson,  of  Ohio. 

CHARLES  DEDA,  proprietor  of  Bavaria  Hrewery.  Born  Dec.  14, 
1S24,  in  Germany.  In  1856,  came  to  Milwaukee;  the  following  year 
came  to  Kewaunee.  Kept  a  hotel  about  five  years.  Was  four  years 
Register  of  Deeds,  nine  years  District  School  Clerk,  and  Town  Clerk  six 
years.  In  1S6S,  he  bought  the  Bavarian  Brewery,  which  he  has  since 
managed.  Married,  in  1857,  to  Josephina  Cihacak,  of  Austria.  They 
have  three  children — .\nna,  now  Mrs.  H.  G.  Borgman,  Charles  and 
Carrie. 

C.  W.  DIKEMAN,  shingle-mill  and  store.  Sec.  20,  P.  O.Kewaunee. 
Is  a  native  of  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  about  sixteen  years, 
he  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  four  years.  He  then 
spent  about  four  years  in  the  Saginaw  Valley.  In  1S56,  came  to 
Kewaunee,  and  was  employed  as  clerk  for  D.  Stanson  &  Co.,  about  seven 
years.  He,  with  H.  D.  Latimer,  bought  a  tract  of  1,700  acres  of  land, 
and  at  once  built  this  mill,  which  he  has  operated  since.  Soon  afterward 
he  bought  Mr.  Latimer's  interest.  He  built  a  saw-mill,  which  was  com- 
pleted in  18S0,  soon  after  destroyed  by  fire  ;  cost  about  $6,000.  The 
following  is  taken  from  a  trade  journal :  "  A  glance  occasionally  at  a 
map,  gives  but  a  feeble  idea  of  the  many  changes  that  are  being  made 
each  season  in  various  parts  of  the  West,  for  where  only  a  few  years 
since,  was  nothing  but  a  wilderness,  can  now  be  seen  the  busy  saw-mills, 
dwelling  houses  and  stores.  Such  was  the  description  of  a  piece  of  land 
a  few  years  ago,  five  miles  from  the  village  of  Kewaunee,  when  Mr.  C. 
W.  Dikeman  purchased  it,  yet  being  endowed  with  more  than  usual 
pluck,  he  immediately  commenced  to  improve  this  wild  spot,  and,  by 
placing  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  has  been  able  to  build  up  a  village  of 
his  own,  which  now  consists  of  twenty  or  thirty  buildings,  including  a 
steam  saw-mill,  store  and  dwelling  houses  for  twelve  or  fifteen  families, 
all  of  whom  look  to  him  for  employment.  Mr.  Dikeman  counts  his  acres 
by  the  thousands,  owning  in  this  section  some  4,200  in  all ;  the  most  of 
which  is  heavily  timbered,  and  from  it  he  obtains  the  millions  of  feet  of 
logs  that  are  reauired  to  supply  his  mill,  which  has  a  capacity  of  60,000 
shingles  each  day.  The  stock  of  logs  on  hand  at  this  time  is  about  four 
millions,  that  being  the  amount  which  he  requires  during  the  Summer 
season,  to  supply  the  demand  of  his  mill  alone.  There  is  also  a  store 
owned  by  Mr.  Dikeman,  in  which  is  carried  a  general  stock  of  goods, 
comprising  all  that  is  required  both  by  himself  and  his  family,  as  well  as 
his  help.  The  population  of  this  village  is  about  eighty  persons,  of 
whom  some  thirty  or  forty  are  employed  about  the  mill,  store,  etc.  The 
rest  are  the  families  of  employes.  This  thriving  young  village  is  five 
miles  from  Kewaunee,  which  is  on  the  lake  shore,  no  miles  north  of 
Milwaukee,  and  is  reached  by  boats  of  the  Goodrich  Transportation 
Company,  three  times  each  week,  during  the  Summer,  or  via  the  Mil- 
waukee, Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad  daily.  It  is  the  county  seat 
of  the  county,  which  bears  the  same  name.  All  the  productions  of  this 
and  other  mills  in  this  section  of  country  are  shipped  from  this  point  by 
the  cargo  to  Milwaukee  and  Chicago.  Mr.  Dikeman  has  been  in  this 
section  for  about  eighteen  years,  yet  has  only  been  located  where  he  now 
resides  about  nine  years.  His  residence  was  built  by  himself,  and  is  sup- 
plied with  many  conveniences  not  usually  enjoyed  by  persons  living  so 
far  from  a  large  city.  It  is  surrounded  by  grounds,  all  nicely  laid  out, 
with  bridges,  graveled  walks,  etc.,  while  a  conservatory  supplies  him  with 
choice  flowers  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  land  in  this  county  is 
noted  for  its  wheat  raising  qualities,  as  high  as  seventy  bushels  to  the 
acre  having  been  produced,  and  even  after  the  material  of  lumber  has 
been  all  used,  then  the  country  will  just  be  entering  on  its  career  of  im- 
portance, as  wheat  raised  in  the  Northwest  takes  the  precedence  of  all 
others  in  the  market.  Thus  briefly  we  have  shown  what  energy  and  in- 
tegrity, even  in  one  man,  has  accomplished,  though  miles  from  the  rail- 
roads, or  lines  of  travel.  We  look  forward  to  this  enterprise  of  Mr. 
Dikeman,  and  predict  for  the  .settlement  in  its  future,  a  thriving  and  im- 
portant city,  reached  direct  by  lines  of  railroads,  while  the  name,  C.  W. 
Dikeman,  will  not  be  forgotten,  and  we  hope  the  village  will  bear  his 
name." 

JOSEPH  DUVALL,  firm  of  Joseph  Duvall  &  Co.,  dealers  in  general 
merchandise.  A  native  of  Canada,  born  Aug.  31,  1833;  removed  to 
Kewaunee,  Wis.,  in  1852,  having  previously  passed  two  years  in  Massa- 
chusetts. In  1862,  he  associated  with  the  firm  of  Slauson,  Grimmer  & 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  lumber.  The  following  year  their  saw  mill  burned, 
and  they  bought  Taylor,  Cunningham  &  Co.'s  lumber  interest,  and  con- 
tinued manufacturing  lumber  until  1877,  when  the  linn  divided  the 
property  and  dissolved  partnership.  Mr.  Duvall  continued  to  carry  on 
the  merchandise  department,  that  being  a  part  of  his  share  of  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  firm.  In  1878,  he  completed  a  large  brick  store,  and  the 
firm  of  Joseph  Duvall  &  Co.  is  doing  an  extensive  business  in  the  sale 
of  general  merchandise.  He  is  also  associated  with  the  banking  house 
of  Decker,  Duvall  &  Walender.  Being  endowed  with  more  than  usual 
pluck  and  energy,  he  has  risen  from  the  hardships  of  an  early  pioneer 
life  to  a  position  of  wealth  and  ease.  Married  in  1862,  to  Miss  Caroline 
Halstead,  of  Ohio.     They  have  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 


JOHN  ERICHSEN,  proprietor  Steamboat  House,  born  Feb.  24, 
1829,  in  Denmark.  Came  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1854  ;  the  following 
year,  came  to  Kewaunee  County.  Followed  farming  seven  years.  He 
then  removed  to  town,  and  has  since  kept  this  house,  which  is  the  largest 
hotel  in  the  county.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  and  other 
property  in  town.  Married  in  1858,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Grodt,  of  Ger- 
many.    They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 


HON.  GEORGE  GRIMMER,  lumberman  and  capitalist,  Kewau- 
nee. The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  St.  Davids,  New  Bruns- 
wick, born  Feb.  28,  1827.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S50,  and  remained 
about  two  years  and  six  months  in  Shawano  and  Neenah,  and  finally 
located  in  Kewaunee  in  1853,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  worked 
at  lumbering,  on  a  salary,  until  1S62,  when  he  associated  in  the  firm  of 
Slauson,  Grimmer  &  Co.,  lumber  manufacturers.  In  1877,  this  company 
dissolved  partnership.  Mr.  Grimmer  is  now  the  only  settler  living  in 
Kewaunee  that  came  here  prior  to  1S53.  His  principal  business  now 
is  loaning  money  on  real  estate.  He  represented  the  First  Senatorial 
District  in  the  State  Senate,  in  the  years  1S77-7S-79-80.  Married  in 
i860,  to  Miss  Bertha  Lorenz.     Has  one  son  and  daughter. 

FRANK  HAMACHEK,  proprietor  of  Kewaunee  foundry,  ma- 
chine shop  and  planing  mill.  A  native  of  Bohemia,  born  March  31, 
1853.  Came  to  America  in  1S66,  and  assisted  his  father  in  farming  in 
the  town  of  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  for  about  two  years  and  six  months ;  then 
removed  to  the  village  of  Kewaunee,  and  worked  at  carpenter  and  mill- 
wright work  until  1876,  when  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  foundry  and 
machine  shop  with  \Vm.  E.  Davis.  After  one  year,  he  bought  out  Mr. 
Davis's  interest,  and  March  11,  1880,  his  foundry  and  machine  shop  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  Not  daunted  by  this  reverse  in  fortune,  he  rebuilt  the 
same  Spring,  adding  a  planing  mill,  and  is  now  doing  a  flouri.shing  busi- 
ness, employing  on  an  average  fourteen  men.  Married,  Nov.  16,  r88o, 
to  Miss  Annie  Shemmil,  of  Kewaunee. 

JOHN  L.  HANEY,  firm  of  Haney  Brothers,  dealers  in  agricultural 
machinery,  sewing  m.ichines,  buggies,  w.agons,  etc.,  is  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  born  Aug.  6,  1S56.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Wis- 
consin in  1858,  and  located  in  Sheboygan.  In  the  Fall  of  i860, removed 
to  Kewaunee  and  settled  in  the  tow^n  of  Montpelier.  He  received  a 
common  school  education,  graduating  from  the  Green  B,ay  Business  Col- 
lege. Commenced  teaching  school  in  1873,  and  taught  until  1S77,  when 
he  engaged  in  his  present  business.  Two  years  later,  his  brother  Michael 
became  a  partner,  styling  the  firm  Haney  Brothers.  The  firm  does  a 
business  of  about  $35,000  a  year. 

ANDREW  HASSFL,  proprietor  shingle  and  saw  mill.  West  Ke 
waunee.  Sec.  17,  P.  O.  Kewaunee.  Born  in  Bohemia,  March  16.  1822. 
Came  to  America  in  1850,  and  located  in  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  Removed  to 
Kewaunee,  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  opened  a  general  merchandise  store  in 


HISTORY  OF  KEWAUNEE  COUNTY. 


431 


the  town  of  Carlton.  Two  years  later,  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Ke- 
waunee, and  followed  farming  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber 
in  a  water  mill.  Built  a  steam  saw  mill  in  1S76,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  shingles.  Saws  about  S.ooo 
feet  of  lumber  and  20,000  shingles  per  day.  Has  been  School  Treasurer. 
Married  in  1S54.     Has  three  daughters  and  one  son. 

VALENTINE  HOFFMAN,  saloon.  A  native  of  Saxony,  Germany, 
born  Jan.  20,  1832.  Came  to  America  in  1849,  and  located  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  where  he  remained  until  1S5S,  engaged  in  cigar  making. 
From  thence  he  removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill 
for  four  years,  then  clerked  in  a  general  merchandise  store  for  Messrs. 
Hitchcock  &  Co.  for  two  years.  Enlisted  in  1862,  in  Co.  A,  27th  Wis. 
Inf.,  and  served  three  years,  or  during  the  war.  Returned  to  Kewaunee 
and  clerked  two  years  longer  for  the  same  firm,  and  about  eight  months 
for  Slauson,  Grimmer  &  Co.  Then  bought  120  acres  of  land,  with  a  view 
of  farming,  but  sold  it  about  si.\ieen  months  after  and  opened  a  saloon, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  that  business.  Was  Town  Treasurer  two 
years,  and  Village  Trustee  two  years.  Married,  in  1S61,  to  Miss  Louisa 
Helweg,  of  Prussia.     Has  two  sons  and  five  daughters. 

FREDERICK  JOHANNES,  jeweler.  A  native  of  Prussia,  born 
March  22,  1S27.  Came  to  America  May  4,  1854,  and  located  for  two 
years  at  Two  Rivers,  Manitowoc  Co.,  then  removed  to  Kewaunee,  and 
in  i860,  he  took  a  trip  to  his  native  country,  returning  to  Wisconsin  the 
following  year,  locating  in  Kewaunee,  where,  shortly  after,  he  opened  a 
jewelry  store,  and  has  been  engaged  in  that  business  ever  since.  About 
the  year  1S65,  he  was  Register  of  Deeds,  which  office  he  filled  for  two 
successive  terms.  Elected  County  Judge  in  1873.  and  has  been  Presi- 
dent of  the  Village  Board.  Married,  in  1846,  to  Miss  Dorothea  Vashart, 
of  Prussia.     Have  six  daughters. 

A.  P.  LAUGHLIN,  Postmaster,  is  a  native  of  Putnam  Co.,  111., 
born  in  1S32.  After  attending  the  district-school,  he  removed  to  Lo- 
rain Co.,  Ohio,  where  entered  Oberlin  College  ;  pursued  his  studies  four 
years,  also  two  years  in  the  preparatory  department.  He  then  com- 
menced teaching,  which  he  continued  in  all,  about  ten  years.  In  1S70. 
he  received  the  appointment  of  Postmaster,  which  position  he  has  held 
since. 

E.  C.  MANGER,  harness  maker.  A  native  of  Germany,  born  Jan. 
15,  1S43.  Came  to  America  in  1854,  and  located  at  Two  Rivers,  Mani- 
towoc Co.,  Wis.,  and  assisted  his  father  in  farming.  In  1859,  he  learned 
the  harness  maker's  trade,  in  Dodge  County.  In  1S65,  he  removed  to 
Minnesota,  and  returned  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1869,  and  finally  set- 
tled in  Kewaunee  in  1S71,  and  established  his  present  business.  Was 
Town  Treasurer  in  1874-5.  Married,  in  1871,  to  Miss  E.  D.  Volck,  of 
Ohio.     Has  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

O.  H.  MARTIN,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  Dec. 
22,  1834  Removed  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  the  county 
of  Lee.  Having  received  a  college  education  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school.  Removed  to  Wisconsin  in  1S65,  and  again  engaged  in  teaching  ; 
was  principal  of  the  city  school  in  Manitowoc  for  two  years  and  six 
months,  then  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  ;  became  a  student  of  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  in 
1872,  and  graduated  in  1874.  Removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  March  i, 
1874,  and  has  since  been  in  con.stant  practice  there.  Married,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1857,  Miss  Kate  Whipple,  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.  Has  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

JOSEPH  MASHEK,  rectifier,  and  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in 
wines,  liquors,  etc.  A  native  of  Bohemia,  born  Feb.  27,  1S32.  Came 
to  America  in  1S67,  and  settled  in  Kewaunee,  Wis.;  worked  at  carpen- 
ter and  cabinet  work.  Opened  a  wholesale  and  retail  liquor  store  in 
1877,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1880,  added  a  stock  of  groceries.  Married,  in 
1863,  to  Miss  Rosey  Bruner,  of  Bohemia.  She  died  in  1865.  Second 
marriage,  to  Miss  Anna  Trich,  in  1866.  Has  one  daughter  by  first 
marriage. 

CHARLES  V.  MASHEK,  book-keeper  for  V.  Mashek,  pier  and 
general  merchandise  ;  born,  July  2,  1858,  in  Bohemia.  Came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1874,  and  attended  the  Commercial  Qollege  at  Chicago.  He  then 
went  to  Northport,  Mich.;  clerked  in  a  store  till  1S77,  when  he  came  to 
Kewaunee  and  entered  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  where  he  has  charge  of 
the  accounts  and  the  general  business  of  the  store. 

VITALIS  MILLER,  Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  born,  Dec.  12.  1821,  in 
Bavaiia.  July,  1847,  came  to  Milwaukee,  thence  to  Manitou,  Mich., 
where  he  remained  eighteen  months,  then  came  to  Sheboygan,  followed 
farming  about  three  years ;  thence  to  Lake  Superior,  where  he  kept 
boarding  house  four  years.  He  then  came  to  Green  Bay.  remained  but 
a  few  months,  and  returned  to  Lake  Superior;  remained  two  years.  In 
1856,  came  Kewaunee;  followed  farming,  afterward  removed  to  the 
village,  kept  the  mill  boardmg  house,  fourteen  years.  He  then  fol- 
lowed farming  about  ten  years.  Was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1S70, 
held  the  office  six  years.  Has  been  President  of  the  Village  Board  two 
years  ;  Chairman  of  the  Town  two  years  ;  seven  years  Clerk  of  the 
School  Board.     He  was  elected  County  Judge  in  the  Spring  of  1S81. 

JOSEPH  MILLER,  livery  ;  born  in  1S50,  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis. 
When  six  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Kewaunee.    In  1876, 


he  commenced  the  livery  business.  Married,  in  1874,  to  Anna  Dicken- 
shied,  of  Manitowoc.  They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

CASPER  MILLER,  wagon  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  Michigan, 
born  July  23,  1856.  About  the  year  i860,  he  came  to  Kewaunee  with 
his  parents.  In  1874,  he  learned  the  trade  of  wagonmaker.  He  worked 
over  a  >ear  in  Kewaunee,  then  removed  to  Sheboygan,  and  remained 
there  two  years,  and  finally  returned  to  Kewaunee  and  established  his 
present  business. 

REV.  AUG.  PIEPER,  pastor  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  was 
born  Sept.  27,  1S57.  in  Prussia.  In  1870,  he  came  to  Watertown  ;  at- 
tended the  Northwestern  University  six  years.  He  then  went  to  St. 
Louis  :  there  completed  his  theological  studies,  having  been  in  college 
there  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Kewaunee  ;  was  ordained  July  6, 
1S79;  since  then  he  has  been  pastor  of  this  church.  He  was  married 
July  12,  1881,  to  Miss  Emma  Kcenig.     She  is  a  native  of  Saxony. 

WASHINGTON  PRESTON,  with  C.  W.  Dikeman,  Sec.  20,  P.  O. 
Kewaunee,  is  a  native  of  Manitowoc  County,  born  in'  1852;  came  to 
Kewaunee  County  in  1871,  and  has  since  been  in  the  employ  of  C.  W. 
Dikeman.  He  was  nianied,  in  1S73,  to  Miss  Swager,  of  Kewaunee. 
She  died  in  1878,  aged  twenty-three  years,  leaving  a  daughter.  His  sec- 
ond marriage  was  in  the  Fall  of  1880,  to  Miss  Kosel,of  Carlton. 

JOHN  MILTON  READ  was  born  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  Nov.  3,  1842, 
and  moved  with  his  parents  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  the  same  year;  thence  to 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1847,  and  the  following  year  to  Manitowoc,  Wis. 
He  received  a  common  school  education.  Early  in  life  he  learned  the 
printing  business  in  a  Manitowoc  printing-office,  and  followed  that  oc- 
cupation until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  Co.  E,  14th  Wis.  V.I.  He  was  appointed  sergeant  in  his  company 
the  same  year,  and  sergeant-major  of  the  regiment  in  1862  ;  was  com- 
missioned regimental  adjutant  in  1S63;  was  detailed  A.  A.  A.  G.  of 
brigade,  February,  1864,  and  acted  as  such  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Nashville,  the  assault 
on  Vickbburg,  and  in  the  Red  River  campaign  and  movements  around 
Mobile;  was  wounded  at  Vicksburg  and  at  Spanish  Fort,  and  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Corinth.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  Warsaw,  Mo., 
where  he  was  engaged  in  publishing  a  paper,  in  company  with  Sewell  W. 
Smith,  but  returned  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  the  following  year.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1868,  he  removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  and  purchased  the  Kewaunee 
Enterprise  of  Edward  Decker,  and  continued  the  publication  of  that 
paper  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  elected  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  in  1S70,  and  held  that  office  altogether  for  nearly 
nine  years.  In  1S74,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from  the  Second 
District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Brown,  Door  and  Kewaunee,  and 
served  with  honor  to  himself  and  the  district  he  represented.  In  1880, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  Kewaunee  County,  but  did  not 
take  his  seat  on  account  of  poor  health.  Mr.  Read  had  been  in  poor 
health  for  two  years  previous  to  his  election  to  the  Assembly,  but  did  not 
think  his  end  was  so  near.  He  thought  best  to  go  to  a  milder  cli- 
mate to  spend  the  Winter.  He  spent  several  weeks  in  Albany, 
Ga.,  but  found  no  relief  for  his  malady.  He  was  advised  to  return  to  his 
home.  On  his  way  home  he  rapidly  grew  worse,  and  died  in  the  cars  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  March  9,  iSSi.  He  was  buried  at  Kewaunee,  Wis., 
March  13,  1881.  Mr.  Read  was,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  a  man.  a 
warm,  true  friend,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  a  kind  man  in  his  family, 
and  very  popular  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  suc- 
cessful publisher,  and  a  good  writer.  He  was  never  afraid  to  write  or 
speak  the  truth,  and  this  one  trait  of  his  character  won  him  the  confi- 
dence of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  In  politics  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, and  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  party.  He  was  active  in  for- 
warding public  enterprises,  and  his  counsel  was  sought  at  all  times  when 
matters  of  public  welfare  were  considered. 

P.ATRICK  J.  ROONEY,  Clerkof  Circuit  Court,  Kewaunee.  A  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  born  in  the  County  Down,  Feb.  14,  1839.  Came  to 
America  with  his  parents  about  the  year  1846.  They  passed  one  year  in 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  removed  to  Milwaukee  in  the  Fall  of  1847. 
There  he  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  he  commenced  the  printer's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1S57, 
when,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  he  removed  to   Kewaunee,  and  en- 


gaged : 


farmi 


He 


iployed  in  setting  type  on  the  first  news- 
paper published  in  Kewaunee.  Enlisted  in  1862,  in  Co.  A,  27lh  Wis. 
Inf.,  and  served  until  July  31,  1865.  Returned  to  Kewaunee,  and 
devoted  his  time  to  farming  until  1871,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  took 
a  trip  to  Minnesota  and  Nebraska,  and  returned  to  Milwaukee  in  July, 
1872,  where  he  remained  about  one  year,  and  returned  to  Kewaunee  and 
engaged  with  Mr.  Reed  to  take  charge  of  the  Kewaunee  Enterprise. 
Had  full  charge  of  the  publication  of  the  paper  for  about  three  years. 
He  has  been  Town  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Town  Clerk,  and  was 
elected  Town  Treasurer  in  i866,  which  office  he  held  until  1S71.  Elected 
Clerk  of  Circuit  Court  in  the  Fall  of  1874,  and  has  been  acting  in  that 
official  capacity,  being  re-elected  each  successive  term. 

WENZEL  SEYK,  County  Treasurer.  A  native  of  Bohemia,  born 
Oct.  28,  1840.  Came  to  America  in  1854,  accompanied  by  his  parents, 
and  remained  in  Milwaukee  ten  years.     He  removed  to  Kewaunee  in 


432 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


1864,  and  opened  a  clothing  store  ;  also  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping 
grain,  which  business  he  now  operates  quite  extensively.  He  built  the 
Northwestern  flour  mills,  in  Kewaunee,  in  1S70,  and  in  1S72  took  in  a 
partner,  styling  the  firm  \V.  Seyk  &  Co.  He  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer in  1872,  and  re-elected  in  1S74,  and  appointed,  Feb.  18,  iSSi,  to 
fill  the  vacancy  of  the  unexpired  term  of  John  Janda.  Married  in 
1S66,  to  Miss  Agnes  Rencin,  of  Bohemia.  Has  five  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

VVOJTA  .STR.^NSKY,  County  Judge,  proprietor  saw  and  grist 
mill.  Sec.  14,  West  Kewaunee,  P.  O.  Kewaunee,  is  a  native  of  Bohemia, 
born  April  13.  1S35.  Came  to  America  in  1854.  and  remained  two  years 
in  Milwaukee.  Then  removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  saw 
mill  lor  two  or  three  years,  repairing,  etc.  Then  opened  a  meat  market, 
which  he  managed  for  ten  year.s.  Then  removed  10  his  present  location, 
and  bought  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  which  he  has  operated  since;  also 
engaged  in  farming  ;  has  about  seventy  acres  under  cultivation.  His 
residence  is  surrounded  by  six  acres  of  ground,  beautifully  laid  out,  with 
graveled  walks  and  beds  of  the  choicest  plants  and  flowers,  forming  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  gardens  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  It  is  situated 
about  three  miles  from  the  village  of  Kewaunee.  He  was  elected  County 
Judge  in  1S77,  and  has  been  Postmaster,  Sheriff,  and  has  been  elected  to 
many  other  local  ofiices.  About  the  year  1S66,  he  bought  out  Fenley  & 
Conkling,  dealers  in  general  merchandise,  for  wliich  he  paid  $11,000, 
and  shortly  after  sold  to  V.  Mashek.  At  one  lime,  he  and  Ed.  Decker, 
Esq.,  owned  the  entire  village  of  Kewaunee,  except  the  mill  property. 
Married  m  January,  lS6i,  to  Miss  Mary  Stepan,  of  Bohemia.  They 
have  one  daughter. 

HENRY  TISCH,  Register  of  Deeds,  Kewaunee.  A  native  of 
Germany,  born  Feb.  9,  1S31.  Came  to  America  in  1851,  with  his  parents, 
and  remained  about  lour  months  in  Williamsburg,  N.  Y.  Then  came 
to  Manitowoc  County,  Wis.,  and  bought  eighty  acres  of  farming  land, 
and  shortly  after  returned  to  Williamsburg  and  remained  about  six  months. 
He  then  returned  to  Manitowoc,  and  built  a  house  on  the  land  that  he 
had  previously  bought,  and  about  four  months  after,  his  parents  removed 
from  New  Jersey,  and  occupied  the  dwelling  and  engaged  in  farming. 
Henry  worked  in  various  places  until  1S58,  when  he,  in  company  with 
his  brother,  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  the  village  of  Mishi- 
cot,  Manitowoc  Co.  Sold  out  his  interest  in  1862,  and  enlisted  in  Co. 
D,  27th  Wis.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war.  Then  returned 
to  Manitowoc  County.  In  1871,  he  removed  to  Kewaunee,  and  was  en- 
gineer in  a  saw  mill  until  1S73,  when  he  opened  a  hardware  store  and  tin 
shop,  which  he  sold  out  in  the  Fall  of  1879.  Elected  Register  of  Deeds  in 
187S,  and  re-elected  in  1880.  Married  in  1S60,  to  Miss  Amelia  Bruschert, 
of  Germany,  bhe  died  June  2,  1862.  Second  marriage,  in  1866,  to  Alma 
Manger,  of  Germany. 

ALFRED  VIBBER,  farmer,  Kewaunee.  Born  in  Saginaw  City, 
Mich.,  April  g.  1841  ;  removed  to  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  in  1858,  and  worked 
at  lumbering  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co,  A,  271 1  Wis.  I.,  and 
served  until  the  end  of  the  war;  then  returned  to  Kewaunee,  and  en- 
gaged in  lumbering,  which  business  he  continued  to  follow  until  1877  ; 
now  engaged  in  farming,  owning  a  farm  of  seventy-seven  acres,  with 
many  valuable  improvements.  Has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  ?nd  Co"hstable. 
Married  in  1S61,  to  Miss  Mary  Beggar,  of  Germany;  has  two  sons  and 
two  daughters. 

JOSEPH  JOHN  WALECHKA,  store  and  farmer.  Sec.  30,  P.  O 
Kewaunee.  Born  Aug.  24,  1835,  in  Bohemia.  In  1867,  came  to  Ke- 
waunee County,  worked  lor  C.  W.  Dikeman  fourteen  years.  He  owns  a 
farm  of  147  acres,  where  he  also  keeps  a  small  store.  He  removed  to 
this  locality  in  June,  iSSl.  Married  February,  1S62,  to  Anna  Boresch, 
of  Bohemia.     They  have  four  children — three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

JOSEPH  WALENDER,  general  merchandise.  Is  a  nati%-e  of  Bo- 
hemia. Born  Feb.  6, -1824.  Came  to  America  in  1853  ;  settled  in  Mani- 
towoc County,  1855,  where  he  remained  one  year;  in  1056,  came  to  Ke- 
waunee, engaged  111  buying  and  selling  lands;  removed  to  the  village  of 
Kewaunee  in  1859  ;  established  this  business  in  1863.  From  a  small 
beginning  he  has  worked  up  into  a  large  and  prosperous  trade.  He  is 
also  engaged  in  the  banking  business,  firm  of  Decker,  Duvall  &  Walen- 
der.  Married  in  1855,  to  Catherine  Bursch,  of  Bohe  nia.  Have  five 
children — one  son  and  four  daughters. 

GEORGE  W.  WING,  cashier  banking  house  of  Decker,  Duvall  & 
Walender.  Is  a  native  of  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.  After  finishing  his  com- 
mon school  studies  he  passed  three  years  in  the  Lawrence  University,  at 
Appleton,  graduating  from  the  commercial  department  in  the  Spring  of 
1873;  ''"^"  came  to  Ahnapee,  Kewaunee  Co.,  and  established  the  Ahn- 
apee  Record;  edited  this  paper  till  1877  ;  he  then  removed  to  Kewaunee 
and  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  his  father;  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  the  Fall  of  1S77.  He  then  became  a  partner  with  his  father  in 
the  profession,  continuing  till  July  i,  iSSi,  when  he  was  appointed  to 
his  present  position. 

AHNAPEE. 
This  is  a  pleasant  little  city  of  a  thousand  inhabitants, 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ahnapee  River,  in  the  porth- 


eastern  part  of  Kewaunee  County,"  thirty-five  'miles  from 
Green  Bay  and  forty-three  miles  from  Manitowoc.  It  lies 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  overlooks  Lake  Michigan. 
In  regard  to  its  harbor  the  following  appears  in  the  last 
annual  report  of  Major  H.  M.  Robert,  who  has  charge  of 
the  improvements: 

"The  present  project  was  adopted  in  1S76  and  modified 
in  1880.  Previous  to  the  present  project  $75,000  had  been 
appropriated  and  §5,000  transferred  from  Two  Rivers,  and 
nearly  all  was  applied  toward  the  extension  of  piers  for 
the  formation  of  a  harbor  to  meet  the  local  requirements  of 
Ahnapee.  The  present  project  utilizes  all  pier  construction 
under  the  previous  project.  The  object  of  the  improve- 
ment is  to  afford  a  limited  inner  harbor  and  a  navigable 
channel  of  entrance  thereto  of  not  less  than  twelve  feet  in 
depth.  The  natural  channel  was  narrow,  with  not  more 
than  one  foot  in  depth  in  the  shoalest  part.  The  amount 
expended  to  June  30,  1880,  is  $100,293.45.  Of  this,  $80,- 
000  was  applied  to  the  previous,  and  $20,293.45  to  the  pres- 
ent project,  and  the  expenditure  has  resulted  in  securing  a 
channel  fifty  feet  wide  with  a  depth  of  not  less  than  seven 
feet.  This  harbor  is  not  considered  open  to  coinmerce, 
although  it  is  used  by  small  vessels."' 

Rock  is  now  being  blasted  and  dredged  from  the  river- 
bed, and  other  improvements  going  on,  which  will  enable 
large  vessels  to  move  safely  along  the  docks.  Aside  from 
Kewaunee,  the  county-seat,  it  is  the  only  place  of  any  im- 
portance, and  is  one  of  the  prettiest  little  spots  along  the 
shore  of  the  lake. 

E.\RLY    SETTLE.MENT. 

The  country  which  is  now  the  site  of  Ahnapee,  has  not 
been  settled  for  any  great  length  of  time,  the  decided  influx 
taking  place  from  1856  to  1861.  The  very  earliest  pioneers 
came  from  Manitowoc.  Joseph  McCormick  was  the  first 
white  person,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  who  visited 
Ahnapee.  He  was  from  Manitowoc,  and  sailed  up  the 
river  nine  miles,  to  the  island  wliich  afterward  took  his 
name.  This  was  in  1S34.  After  jirospecting  several  days, 
he  returned,  like  Columbus,  to  his  native  land,  bringing 
back  with  him  enthusiastic  stories  of  the  heavily  timbered 
country,  and  the  fertility  of  its  soil.  Notwithstanding  which, 
Manitowoc  explorers  did  not  venture  into  the  Ahnapee 
region  in  any  considerable  numbers  until  1851,  when  the  first 
permanent  settlement  occurred.  On  May  27,  of  that  year, 
Edward  Tweeddale  and  John  Hues  pitched  their  fortunes 
at  Wolf  River  (Ahnapee),  and  seven  days  thereafter  came 
Oirin  Warner  with  his  family.  Messrs.  Hues  and  Warner 
had,  two  months  previously,  had  an  unpleasant  taste  of 
pioneer  life.  In  March,  they  had  come  to  "  look  around," 
had  pitched  their  tents  at  the  river's  mouth,  near  where 
Young's  dock  now  is,  returned  well  pleased  to  Manitowoc; 
came  back  to  Wolf  River  in  April  and  erected  a  shanty, 
which  caught  fire  from  some  nets  hanging  near  the  fire,  and 
burned  down.  As  stated,  the  next  month.  May,  Messrs. 
Hues  and  Tweeddale  were  drawn  back  to  the  old  spot,  and 
as  they  got  their  houses  up  before  Mr.  Warner,  who  came  a 
week   after,  may  rightly  be  called   the  first  permanent  set- 


HISTORY  OF  KEWAUNEE  COUNTY. 


43^ 


tiers.  Mr.  Hues  occupied  the  first  log  house,  now  known 
as  the  "Simon  Place,"  near  the  lake  shore.  Christmas, 
185 1,  was  celebrated  by  the  three  families,  the  festivities 
being  rounded  out  with  a  huge  salt  pork  pot-pie.  A  baby, 
the  first  one  born  in  the  county,  an  ;  christened  William  A. 
Tweeddale,  had  arrived  in  September,  to  increase  the 
strength  of  the  colony.  The  next  year,  the  "  Citizen,"  a 
Manitowoc  vessel,  commenced  to  make  regular  trips  to 
Ahnapee,  and  food  and  other  supplies  were  more  in  accord 
with  the  fresh  and  sturdy  appetites  of  the  increasing  pio- 
neer settlement.  In  May  of  this  year,  a  stirring  business 
man,  A.  Hall,  came  to  Ahnapee  to  permanently  locate.  He 
built  a  saw-mill  on  the  south  branch  of  the  river,  near  the 
lake,  a  grist-mill  being  attached.  This  building  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  Two  years  afterward,  his  brother,  Simon 
arrived.  In  1855,  they  built  the  first  general  store,  and 
stocked  it. 

In  1856,  a  large  number  settled  in  Ahnapee,  the  first 
steamboat,  the  "  Cleveland,"  of  Manitowoc,  landing  August 
8,  of  that  year.  On  board  was  Dr.  Levi  Parsons,  the  first 
physician  of  Ahnapee,  and  the  first  Register  of  Deeds  of 
the  county.  During  the  year  also  arrived  such  leading  cit- 
izens as  Samuel  Perry,  first  Mayor  of  the  city;  D.  W.  Steb- 
bins;  G.  W.  Elliott,  first  County  Surveyor;  William  Bal- 
beck,  Charles  Hanneman,  and  others.  David  Youngs  had 
built  north  pier;  a  school-house,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  was  being  filled  up  with  "  young  ideas ;"  th.  bridge 
which  was  built  the  next  Summer  was  being  discussed,  and, 
all  in  all,  the  year  1856  was  one  of  much  activity  and  ex- 
citement. The  fact  that  Kewaunee  County  had  been 
formed  this  year,  and  the  town  organized,  under  the  name 
of  Wolf  River,  sufficiently  explains  this  rush  of  energy. 
The  meeting  which  organized  the  town  was  held  in  A. 
Hall's  saw-mill,  April  i,  1856,  and  J.  A.  Defant  was  elected 
chairman.  G.  W.  Elliott,  the  County  Surveyor,  platted  the 
west  side  of  Ahnapee  in  the  Spring,  and  the  east  side  dur- 
ing the  Fall.  And  this  —  the  organization  of  the  county 
and  town,  and  the  platting  of  the  village  —  may  be  consid- 
ered the  close  of  Ahnapee's  pioneer  history.  She  has  since 
grown  to  her  present  standing  as  an  incorporated  city  of 
over  1,000  people. 

Ahnapee  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1873,  the  first 
election  being  held  July  12.  W.  N.  Perry  was  elected  as 
the  first  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees;  Trustees: 
Peter  Schiesser,  Orrin  Warner,  J.  B.  Fax,  William  Baster, 
Math.  Reinhard  ;  Clerk,  Joseph  Anderegg. 

Ahnapee  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  under  Chapter  120, 
private  and  local  laws  of  1879,  February  28.  It  is  divided 
into  three  wards.  Samuel  Perry  was  its  first  Mayor.  The 
officers  for  1881  being:  Mayor,  Frank  Kwapel  ;  Aldermen 
— First  Ward,  August  Froemming  and  J.  Ihlenfeld — Second 
Ward,  S.  Hall  and  George  Marr— Third  Ward,  Henry 
Gericke  and  William  Hobus  ;  Marshal,  John  L.Johnson; 
Treasurer,  Herman  Deljen;  City  Clerk,  Peter  Schiesser; 
Assessor,  P.  M.  Simon;  Chief  of  Fire  Dej-arlnient,  Joseph 
Knipfer. 

J^ire  Departmint  was  organized  in_i875,  under  the   vil- 


lage charter.  The  engine-house,  corner  of  Third  and 
State  streets,  was  erected  the  next  year,  at  a  cost  of  $i,roo. 
L.  Meyer  is  foreman.  The  department  has  forty  members. 
Public  Education. — The  district  school-house  is  a  fine, 
two-story,  brick  building,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth  streets, 
on  Fremont.  There  are  three  g  ades,  the  attendance  being 
ninety.     The  value  of  the  property  is  $8,000. 

CHURCHES. 

St.  Marx's  (Catholic)  Church  was  organized  eighteen 
years  ago  by  a  dozen  families,  who  built  a  small  chapel  for 
worship.  Five  years  later  this  was  enlarged.  In  1867,  the  late 
Bishop  (afterward  Archbishop)  Henni  performed  the  sacra- 
men  of  confirmation.  The  congregation  being  increased  by 
a  large  number  of  emigrants,  it  was  decided  to  build  a  new- 
church,  more  commodious  and  convenient  than  the  little 
chapel.  Up  to  this  time  Catholic  priests  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  visiting  Ahnapee  occasionally,  the  first  one  being 
Rev.  Joseph  Maly,  from  French  Creek  (Manitowoc).  He 
made  the  long  trip  on  foot,  as  even  ox-teams  were  then  al- 
most unknown  in  this  region.  For  two  years  Ahnapee  was 
a  mission  of  the  Kewaunee  congregation,  the  first  resident 
Catholic  priest  being  Rev.  Ferdinand  Stern;  the  second, 
Rev.  Bernhard  Wenning,  who  commenced  to  build  the  new 
large  church  now  occupied  by  the  congregation.  It  was 
completed  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Ruepplin,  in  1874. 
Although  numerous,  the  society  was  poor,  and  therefore 
the  church  was  liberally  assisted  to  bear  the  expenses  of 
erecting  a  new  building,  by  the  Leopoldine's  Society  of  Vi- 
enna, an  organization  formed  to  aid  needy  American  con- 
gregations. Rev.  Rhode  furnished  the  church.  The  build- 
ing was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000,  and  the  old  chapel 
transformed  into  a  school-house.  The  site  for  the  church 
building  and  the  cemetery  property  was  donated  by  Mat- 
thias Simon.  A  house  for  the  priest  was  also  purchased 
for  $1,000.  From  1870-78  nine  priests  officiated,  endeavor- 
ing to  meet  the  wants  of  the  various  nationalities  composing 
the  congregation — Bohemian,  German,  Irish,  French  and 
Polish.  Under  the  care  of  its  present  pastor,  Rev.  Father 
Capin,  the  church  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  the  building 
having  been  greatly  improved,  both  inside  and  outside. 
The  number  of  families  in  the  congregation  is  120.  Con- 
nected with  it  are  St.  Joseph's  Benevolent  Society  (Ger- 
man), founded  in  1866,  forty-four  members;  St.  Wtnces- 
laus'  Society  (Bohemian),  founded  in  1880,  twenty-one 
members;  St.  Cecelia  Society  (musical),  organized  in   1878. 

Si.  Paul's  Church  {Lutheran) — This  was  organized  in 
1862,  Rev.  J.  H.  Brockmann,  pastor,  and  the  first  building 
erected  on  the  north  bide  of  the  river  the  next  year.  The 
structure  at  present  occupied,  corner  of  State  and  Fourth 
streets,  was  built  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $2,200.  Rev.  J.  G. 
Oehlert  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the  congregation,  the 
church  membership  being  290. 

German  Atethodist Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in  i  S6 1 , 
under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  C.  G.  Becker.  The  church  edifice, 
corner  of  Fourth  and  Fremont  streets,  was  erected  in  1863-4 
at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  Rev.  August  Karnopp  is  pastor,  the 
membership  being  fifty. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Grace  Church  {Episcopal)— i:\\\s  society  was  organized 
July  I,  1878,  and  the  building,  corner  of  Cedar  and  Lake 
streets,  erected  during  the  same  year,  for  $1 ,200.  The  num- 
ber of  communicants  is  forty.  Rev.  Francis  Moore  has 
been  pastor  since  its  organization. 

First  Baptist  Church — Organized  August  20,  1873,  with 
eleven  constituent  members;  Rev.  G  P.  Guild,  of  Bush- 
nell,  111.,  pastor.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  edi- 
fice was  laid  July  4,  1874,  and  the  building  so  far  completed 
that  services  were  held  in  it  during  the  Fall.  The  property 
is  valued  at  §3,000.  The  church  has  no  settled  pastor  at 
present ;  membership  forty-five. 

Masonic  Lodge,  No.  174  (Key),  own  their  own  hall.  The 
membership  is  sixty. 

Temple  of  Honor,  No.  :ii,  has  sixty  members. 

Sons  of  Hermann,  No.  23,  twenty-seven  members,  was 
organized  in  1874. 

Iron  Band,  Lodge  No.  i,  was  formed  October  i,  1880, 
and  has  a  strength  of  thirty  members.  The  lodge  was  or- 
ganized to  propagate  the  "  anti-treating  "  idea.  An  organ- 
ization had  been  in  e.xistence  several  years  before,  and  Ah- 
napee  may  therefore  be  denominated  the  pioneer  city  in  the 
"anti-treat"  campaign. 

Ahnapee  Record. — This  paper,  the  only  one  in  the  city, 
was  established  June  12,  1S73,  by  George  W.  Wing  and 
Charles  W.  Borgman,  as  a  six-column  folio.  In  January, 
1874,  it  was  enlarged  to  seven  columns,  and  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next  year  was  changed  to  a  six-column  quarto. 
In  September,  1874,  the  paper  was  sold  to  W.  H.  Seymour. 
D.  W.  Stebbins,  George  W.  Wing  and  H.  D.  Wing  subse- 
quently had  charge  of  the  Record.  In  June,  1879,  the  form 
of  the  paper  was  changed  to  a  nine-column  folio,  and  in 
August  of  that  year,  C.  J.  Barnes  became  its  editor  and 
proprietor,  having  purchased  the  journal  from  the  latter 
gentleman.  The  paper  is  now  a  seven-column  folio,  and 
Republican  in  politics. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HUGH  ACK.ER,  proprietor  Foscoro  House,  town  of  Ahnapee,  is 
a  native  of  Canada  ;  was  tiorn  Dec.  15,  1844;  removed  to  Manitowoc  in 
1S67  and  remained  there  six  years,  working  in  saw-mills;  then  removed 
to  Ahnapee  and  took  charge  of  a  saw-mill  for  C.  L.  Fellows,  and  remained 
in  his  employ  until  the  Fall  of  1874.  He  then  built  and  opened  the 
"  Foscoro  House,"  a  large  commodious  building.  He  was  married  in 
1S71,  to  Miss  Mary  Fitzgerald,  of  Massachusetts.  Has  four  children — 
three  daughters  and  one  son. 

CHAR  LES  F.  BACON,  firm  of  McDonald  &  Bacon,  livery,  born  March 
14,  1852,  in  Canaslota,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  three  years  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Ahnapee,  Wis.,  where  he  has  since  resided.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  he  commenced  to  work  at  the  carpenter  trade,  followed  it 
two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  engaged  in  lumbering  for  several  years. 
He  sailed  on  a  tug  three  seasons,  and  three  seasons  followed  the  lakes. 
September,  18S0,  he  became  a  partner  in  this  firm. 

GEO.  BARR.\ND,  farmer.  Sec.  23, 1'.O.  Ahnapee,  born  April  11, 1833, 
in  England.  Came  to  Ahnapee  in  1S57.  Owns  eighty-eight  acres  of  land. 
Enlisted  in  18O3.  Co.  F,  1st  Wis.  V.  C,  .served  to  the  end  of  the  war,  has 
been  School  Clerk  two  terms.  Married  in  1859,  to  Adaline  Moshcr,  of 
Connecticut.     They  have  six  children — three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

EDWARD  BARRANI),  farmer,  Sec.  33,  P.  O.  Ahnapee,  born 
October,  182S,  in  England.  Came  to  America  in  1851.  In  the  Fall  of 
1S53.  came  to  Racine,  Wis.,  followed  farming  there  till  1S56,  when  he 
came  to  Ahnapee,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  owns  134  acres  of  land, 
which  he  entered;  he  has  under  cultivation  about  100  acres,  and  is  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  in  this  locality.  He  assisted  in  making  and  lay- 
ing out  the  road  from  his  farm  to  Ahnapee,  is  Town  Treasurer,  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  etc.  Married  in  the  Fall  of  1852,  to  Mary  Richmond, 
of  England.     Have  four  children — two  sons  and  two  daughters. 


CHARLES  J.  BARNES,  editor  Ahnapee  Record,  is  a  native  of  Ahna- 
pee, where  he  has  always  resided.  This  paper  was  established  in  1872,  by 
Wing  &  Borgman,  and  has  since  undergone  several  changes  in  ownership. 
Aug.  15,  1879,  Mr.  Barnes  bought  out  the  establishment  and  has  since 
been  editor  and  proprietor. 

\VM.  B.'VST.'VR.  saloon,  born  April  9,  1840  in  Bohemia.  Came  to 
New  York  City  in  1856,  thence  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.  In  the  Winter  of 
1S57,  the  family  removed  to  Lincoln  Township,  Kewaunee  Co.  Here 
he  assisted  his  parents  on  their  farm,  till  1S63  when  he  removed  lo 
Little  Sturgeon.  His  father  died  in  1869;  he  then  returned  to  the  farm, 
where  he  remained  settling  up  the  estate  till  1S70,  when  he  came  10 
Ahnapee.  He  held  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  during  1877  and  '78, 
is  now  Clerk  of  the  School  Board  and  Notary  Public.  When  in  the  town 
of  Lincoln,  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Member  of  the  School  Board,  Town 
Supervisor,  etc. 

H.  \V.  BATES,  druggist,  was  born  Feb.  2,  1857,  in  Menasha, 
Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.  After  attending  school,  he  entered  his  father's 
store,  where  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  drug  business.  He  was  after- 
ward admitted  as  a  partner,  where  he  remained  till  October,  1S78,  when 
he  came  to  Ahnapee  and  established  this  business.  Married  in  1879,10 
Miss  Theressa  Swaty,  she  was  born  in  Two  Rivers,  Wis.  They  have  one 
son. 

C.  G.  BOALT,  firm  of  Boalt  &  Stebbins,  shippers  and  forwarders, 
born  April  19,  1835,  in  Huron  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1851,  he  was  employed  as 
engineer  on  the  railroad,  worked  at  this  business  till  1854.  when  he  came 
to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  and  became  connected  with  the  Northwestern  Iron 
Company,  where  he  remained  five  years.  In  1859,  came  to  Ahnapee  and 
opened  a  general  store,  continued  this  businesstill  i86g.  when  he  engaged 
in  his  present  business.  He  was  elected  County  Judge,  which  po- 
sition he  held  about  nine  years.  Married  in  1857,  to  Miss  Agnes  Gillett,  of 
Painesville,  Ohio.  They  have  three  children — one  son  and  two 
daughters. 

WILLIAM  BOEDEKER,  proprietor  Wisconsin  House,  was  born 
Jan.  7,  1836,  in  Prussia  ;  came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  in  1855;  worked 
there  at  the  carpenter  trade  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Kewaunee. 
In  1871,  came  to  Ahnapee  and  opened  the  Wisconsin  House,  which  he 
has  since  managed.  This  house  he  built  in  1875  ;  it  is  constructed  of  brick, 
41  X  57  feet,  two  stories.  Married,  Nov.  21,  1857,  to  Mary  Bushmann, 
of  Prussia.     They  have  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living. 

HENRY  BRUEMMER;  proprietor  brick  yard  and  Ahnapee  grist 
mill  and  saw  mill,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born  April  2g,  1S28. 
He  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  remained  three  years  in  New  Jersey, 
then  removed  to  Manitowoc  County,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1863,  he  removed  to  Kewaunee  County,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Carl- 
ton and  built  a  grist  mill,  in  company  with  Charles  Teck.  About  four 
years  later,  he  removed  to  Ahnapee  and  entered  upon  his  present  busi- 
ness, beginning  the  manufacture  of  brick  in  1S76  ;  employs  fifteen  men. 
Married,  in  1855,  to  Miss  Louisa  Demzean,  of  Germany ;  has  six  daugh- 
ters and  five  sons. 

REV.  ADALBERT  CIPIN,  pastor  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church, 
was  born,  April  13,  1848,  in  Bohemia.  At  about  the  age  of  twelve  years, 
he  commenced  to  study  for  the  priesthood;  was  ordained  July  13,  1S73. 
Came  to  Milwaukee  Aug.  25,  1873.  thence  to  Carlton,  Kewaunee  Co., 
where  he  was  installed  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  and  three  missions. 
There  he  remained  till  November,  187S,  when  he  came  to  Ahnapee  and 
has  since  been  pastor  of  this  church.  He  has  also  charge  of  the  Forest- 
ville  mission. 

ANTON  DANEK,  general  merchandise,  was  born,  March  11.  1S37, 
in  Bohemia.  In  1S67.  he  came  to  Ahnapee,  and  opened  a  tailor  shop; 
has  since  carried  on  this  business,  in  connection  w-ith  general  merchan- 
dise. Married  in  1S68  to  Antonia  Rousek,  of  Bohemia.  They  have  four 
children,  one  son  and  three  daughters. 

WILLIAM  FAGG,  farmer.  Sec.  4,  town  of  Ahnapee,  is  a  native  of 
Holland  ;  was  born  July  8,  1S34  ;  came  to  America  in  1S4S  and  located 
in  Milwaukee,  where  he  followed  boating  and  sailing  until  1857,  when 
he  removed  to  Forestville,  Door  Co.  He  assisted  in  organizing  that 
town,  and  engaged  in  farming.  W'as  second  Town  Clerk  ;  enlisted,  in 
1861,  in  Co.  E,  14th  Wis.  I.,  and  served  until  April  10,  1S63,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  of  the  43d  U.  S.  C.  I.;  resigned  on 
account  of  disability.  Then  removed  to  Ahnapee,  in  December,  1S63, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming.  Has  an  improved  farm  of  fifly 
acres.  Was  the  first  Town  Clerk  and  Justice  ol  the  Peace  in  the  town 
of  Ahnapee,  also  first  School  Clerk  for  that  district.  Married  in  1857; 
second  marriage,  1877  ;  five  children  living  by  first  marriage,  and  one 
living  by  second  marriage. 

C.  L.  FELLOWS,  merchant,  and  proprietor  of  saw  mill  and  pier, 
P.  O.  Foscoro,  town  of  .\hnapee,  is  a  native  of  Vermont ;  was  born,  Aug. 
II,  1S34.  Came  to  Racine,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  at  the  age  of  six 
years.  He  first  engaged  in  fishing  and  sailing,  which  business  he  fol- 
lowed for  several  years.  He  was  captain  of  the  first  vessel  that  sailed 
into  Ahnapee,  the  schooner  "Julia  Ann,"  of  Racine.  Was  associated  in 
the  mercantile  business  with  David  Young  in  Ahnapee,  from  1856  to 
i860.     He  then  removed  from   Racine  to  Ahnapee,  and   opened  a  gene- 


HISTORY  OF  KEWAUNEE  COUNTY. 


435 


ral  mercliandise  store,  and  remained  there  until  l87l,when  he  finally  lo- 
cated at  Foscoro.  town  of  Ahnapee.  and  bought  a  saw  mil)  and  pier,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  shingles,  buy- 
ing and  shipping  wood,  cedar,  etc.,  and  dealer  in  general  merchandise. 
He  received  the  appointment  of  Postmaster  for  Foscoro  in  1S72. 

HENRY  GERICKE,  general  merchandise,  was  born.  May  5,  1834, 
in  Prussia;  came  to  .Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  24,  1853;  worked  in  a 
broom  factory  till  the  Spring  of  1854,  then  went  to  Watertown.Wis.,  and 
from  there  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  two  months,  when  he  was 
taken  sick.  He  went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  remained  in  the  hospital 
there  about  six  months,  then  went  to  Ohio,  and  from  there  to  Schenec- 
tady, and  from  there  came  again  to  Chic.igo.  In  1S56,  came  to  Ahna- 
pee; bought  eighty  acres  of  land,  worked  it  about  two  years,  then  went 
to  Neenah,  Wis.,  but  in  two  years  returned  to  his  farm,  where  he  re- 
mained one  Winter.  The  following  Fall  he  traded  this  land  for  four 
acres  in  Ahnapee,  where  he  now  resides.  He  commenced  his  present 
business  Oct.  16.  1S74  ;  built  his  store  in  the  Fall  of  iSSo.  Married,  in 
1862,  to  Anistena  Hauer.  She  was  born  in  Prussia  ;  have  six  children, 
one  son  and  five  daughters. 

CHARLES  HANNEMANN,  proprietor  Cream  City  House,  was 
born  June  16,  1827,  in  Prussia.  In  1S48,  he  came  to  New  York  City; 
worked  at  the  bakery  business  there  three  or  four  years,  then  went  to 
Buffalo.  In  1854,  came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.;  worked  at  the  ship  car- 
penter trade  and  fishing  about  eighteen  months.  In  the  Fall  of  1856, 
came  to  Ahnapee,  and  in  1866,  he  built  this  hotel,  which  he  has  since 
managed.  He  was  married,  Jan.  2,  1S53,  to  Ansteina  Daub,  who  was 
born  in  Baden.  She  died  Oct.  7,  1874,  aged  forty-four  years.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Ellen  Smith,  and  they  were  married  March  14,  1875  ;  they 
have  two  sons.     He  has  been  President    of  the  Village  Board  for  two 

E.  HERALY,  harnessmaker,  was  born  Feb.  29,  1852,  in  Belgium; 
came  to  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  in  1857,  where  they  re- 
mained about  nine  months,  thence  removed  to  Lincoln  Tp.,  Kewaunee 
Co,,  where  his  parents  now  reside.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  com- 
menced to  learn  this  trade  at  Sturgeon  Bay.  In  1S79,  he  came  to  Ah- 
napee. He  was  married,  in  1878,  to  Flora  Lacourt,  of  Green  Bay.  They 
have  two  daughters. 

JOHN  H.  JOHNSON,  blacksmith  and  wagonmaker,  was  born 
April  27,  1837,  in  Denmark.  In  June,  1863,  he  came  to  Racine,  Wis.  ; 
worked  at  this  trade  there  about  nine  years.  In  1867,  came  to  Ahnapee, 
and  in  1876,  established  this  business.  He  was  married,  in  1861.  to 
Christina  Hanser,  of  Denmark.  She  died  in  1869,  aged  twenty-nine 
years,  leaving  four  children.  His  second  marriage  was  in  1870,  to 
Amelia  Kumpf,  of  Germany.  She  died  in  1879,  aged  thirty  years,  leav- 
ing four  children.  He  was  again  married  in  November,  1880,  to  Peca 
Galga,  of  Germany.  She  came  to  America  with  her  parents  when  about 
four  years  old. 

JOHN  KUMBALEK,  of  the  firm  of  Kumbalek  &  Pies,  harness, 
furniture  and  undertakers,  was  born  Jan.  7,  1856.  in  Manitowoc.  Wis. ; 
came  to  Two  Rivers  in  1868;  there  commenced  to  learn  the  harness 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to  Ahnapee. 
Here  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Faiher,  where  he  continued  till  1876;  then 
started  a  harness  shop,  and  about  two  years  later  he  added  to  his  busi- 
ness furniture  and  undertaking.  He  was  married  in  January,  1879,  1° 
Anna  Pies.     She  was  born  in  Two  Rivers,  Wis.     They  have  one  son. 

Simon  Pies  was  admitted  a  member  of  this  firm  in  April,  1881.  He 
is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  Nov.  18,  1827  ;  came  to  New  York  in  1852 ; 
the  following  year,  came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis. ;  carried  on  the  blacksmith 
trade  till  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Ahnapee.  Here  he  followed  the 
same  trade  till  the  Summer  of  1880.  He  was  married,  in  1S58,  to  Sophia 
Gottsacker,  of  Prussia.  They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter.  He  en- 
listed, in  1864,  in  Co.  D,  48th  Wis.  I.,  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

GEORGE  MARR,  with  Boalt  &  Stebbins,  Ahnapee  Pier  &  Dock 
Company,  was  born  Dec.  26,  1845,  in  England;  came  to  Trenton,  N.J., 
in  November,  l86l.  He  entered  the  navy  at  Boston,  Mass.,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1863;  remained  in  the  service  about  sixteen  months.  In  1864,  he 
went  to  Chicago,  thence  to  South  Haven,  Mich.  In  the  Spring  of  1865, 
he  enlisted  from  Milwaukee,  in  the  6th  W'is.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the 
war,  then  came  to  Ahnapee,  where  he  has  since  resided,  except  during 
1871  and  1872,  when  he  resided  in  New  York.  Mr.  Marr  is  Alderman 
of  the  Second  Ward.  He  was  married  in  November,  1866.  to  Mary  E. 
Defaut,  of  New  York.  Her  parents  came  to  Ahnapee  in  1861.  They 
have  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

J.  L.  McDonald,  of  the  firm  of  McDonald  &  Bacon,  livery,  is  a 
native  of  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.  When  a  boy  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Ke- 
nosha, Wis.,  where  he  secured  employment  as  clerk  in  a  store  ;  con- 
tinued in  that  cap.icity  about  fourteen  years.  In  1876,  he  came  to  Ah- 
napee ;  was  engaged  in  fishing  two  years.  In  1878,  he  established  this 
business. 

M.  Mcdonald,  firm  of  Parker  &  McDonald,  attorneys  at  law. 
Is  a  native  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.  When  about  two  years  old,  came  with 
his  parents  to  Racine,  Wis.,  and  in  1856,  came  to  Ahnapee.  At  the 
breaking   out  of  the  war,  he  enlisted    in  Co.  E,  14th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and 


served  to  the  end.  Participated  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  luka,  second  bat- 
tle of  Corinth,  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea,  and 
others.  Then  returned  to  Ahnapee,  and  engaged  in  fishing  until  1875. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Constable,  Deputy  Sheriff,  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  etc. 

J.  R.  Mcdonald,  attorney  at  law.  Born  Oct.  20,  1820,  in  Litch- 
field Co.,  Conn.  When  about  two  years  old,  went  with  his  parents  to 
Erie  Co.,  Penn.  There  he  grew  up  and  assisted  his  father  on  their  farm. 
In  about  1837,  he  removed  to  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  soon  after  to 
Chautauqua  County,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law.  Was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  in  1855,  in  Kenosha,  Wis.  Came  to  Ahnapee  in  1858.  Held 
the  office  of  District  Attorney  two  years.  He  represented  Door  and 
Kewaunee  counties  in  the  Legislature.  He  holds  the  office  of  Court 
Commissioner,  and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  most  of  the  time 
he  has  resided  here.  Was  Internal  Revenue  Collector  from  1863 
to  1868. 

REV.  J.  G.  OEHLERT,  pastor  of  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 
Born  Jan.  18,  1849,  in  Saxony.  Came  to  Perry  Co.,  Mo.,  in  1859.  At- 
tended school  until  1863,  when  he  went  to  Clayton  Co.,  Iowa  ;  there  en- 
tered the  seminary,  remained  five  years.  Was  ordained  in  the  Fall  of 
186S.  He  then  came  to  Brooklyn,  Lee  Co.,  111.  Was  installed  pastor 
of  the  Lutheran  Church.  In  1870,  he  removed  to  Elkport,  Clayton  Co., 
Iowa.  Remained  there  preaching  about  two  years.  He  then  received  a 
call  to  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  preached  there  and  at  Nauvoo  about  two 
years.  In  the  Fall  of  iS75,he  received  a  call  from  Jonesboro,  Union 
Co.,  111.,  which  he  accepted,  where  he  preached  until  .November,  1S78, 
when  he  came  to  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  entered  the  Lutheran  Synod,  re- 
mained there  until  July,  18S0,  when  he  removed  to  Ahnapee,  and  has 
since  had  charge  of  this  church.  Married,  in  1871,  to  Mary  Buck,  of 
Galena.  111.     Have  five  children — two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

S.  C.  PALMER.  Deputy  Postmaster  and  general  merchandise.  Born 
Aug.  I,  182S.  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Racine,  Wis.,  in  1841.  Worked 
at  the  carpenter  trade  there  a  few  years,  then  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandise. In  1862,  came  to  ."Ahnapee,  opened  a  hotel,  which  he  kept 
about  two  years.  He  then  began  to  buy  general  produce,  and  continued 
at  this  ten  years.  For  the  past  nine  years  he  has  held  the  office  of 
Deputy  Postmaster.  Married,  in  1S53,  to  Eliza  Haskins,  of  Racine. 
They  have  one  son,  William  F.,  now  engaged  in  the  pump  and  fanning 
mill  business. 

M.  T.  PARKER,  firm  of  Parker  &  McDonald,  attorneys  at  law. 
Born  Oct.  30,  1850.  in  New  Hampshire.  Came  to  Ahnapee  with  his 
parents  in  1856.  After  receiving  a  liberal  education,  he  engaged  in 
school  teaching.  Taught  in  Door  and  Kewaunee  counties,  in  all  thirteen 
terms.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  1872  ;  was  admitted,  Octo- 
ber, 1879,  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  Kewaunee  County.  Married,  in  1880, 
to  Miss  Mary  Overbeck  ;  she  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin. 

SAMUEL  PERRY,  general  merchandise.  Is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
born  in  1833.  Came  to  New  York  in  1852,  thence  to  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years.  In  1856,  came  to  Ahnapee.  He  was  at  first  engaged 
in  getting  out  timber  and  ties,  and  clearing  up  a  farm.  In  1S62,  heopened 
a  small  store,  which  has  gradually  increased,  until  now  he  does  a  busi- 
ness of  about  $75,000  a  year.  He  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Ahnapee,  held 
the  otfice  two  terms.  Married,  in  1873,  to  Bertha  Kloth,  of  Germany. 
They  have  four  daughters.  He  has  two  children  by  a  former  marriage, 
one  son  and  one  daughter. 

HENRY  SHMILING,  firm  of  Stransky  &  Co.,  brewers.  Born  May 
4,  1845,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Ahnapee  with  his  parents  in  1857.  Fol- 
lowed farming  and  fishing  until  January,  1879,  when  he  bought  an  inter- 
est in  this  brewery,  which  he  has  since  managed.  Married,  in  1867,  to 
Rosa  Kessnar  ;  she  was  born  in  Austria.  They  have  three  children — 
Nettie,  Emma  and  Otto. 

F.  SWATY,  firm  of  F.  Swaty  &  Son,  general  merchandise.  Born 
Jan.  II,  1822,  in  Bohemia.  Came  to  Massachusetts  in  1852,  where  he 
worked  in  a  cotton  factory  about  two  and  a  half  years.  In  the  Spring 
of  1855,  came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  and  followed  farming  about  seven 
years.  In  the  Fall  of  1861,  came  to  Ahnapee  and  opened  a  small  store, 
which  has  developed  into  a  large  and  prosperous  business,  and  is  now 
managed  by  his  sop,  Wilas  ;  they  have  also  a  store  in  Forestville  and 
Foscoro.  In  1868,  he  and  W.  Stran.^ky  built  the  Ahnapee  brewery, 
which  they  carried  on  till  1S78.  He  was  also  the  first  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  bricks  in  this  locality.  In  1863,  he,  with  Mr.  Boalt, 
built  the  grist-mill  now  known  as  the  Bruemraer  mill ;  his  son  Wilas, 
manages  this  business,  graduated  at  the  Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.  V., 
in  1S74. 

TIFFT  &  HAY,  hardware.  Charles  B.  Tiflft,  a  native  of  Chester, 
Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  was  born  March  16,  1S56.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  went  to  Oshkosh,  where  he  attended  school  two  years,  and  one 
term  at  Madison.  He  taught  school  in  Manitowoc  County,  in  1874-5 
and  1877.  In  the  Fall  of  1878,  came  to  Ahnapee  and  establi.shed  this 
business.  He  married  Miss  Emma  Spencer,  of  Manitowoc  County. 
They  have  one  son. 

J.  S.  Hay  w.as  born  in  Ingham  County,  Mich.  ;  came  with  his  parents 
to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  in  1859.     He  assisted  on  their  farm  till  1862,  when 


43<5 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  2ist  Wis.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war  ;  re- 
turned to  Manitowoc.and  after  attending  school,  engaged  in  farming  and 
machinery  business  ;  continued  till  1878,  when  he  and  Mr.  Tifft  estab- 
lished this  firm. 

EDW.VRD  TWEEDDALE,  farmer,  Sec.  34,  P.  O.  Ahnapee.  Born 
May  8,  1S19.  in  England.  When  an  infant,  came  with  his  parents  to 
St.  John,  N.  11;  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  went  to  sea,  following  the  sea 
and  lakes  till  1S50,  when  he  came  to  Manitowoc  ;  May  27,  1851,'came 
to  Ahnapee,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  is  ihe  oldest  settler  in 
.■\hnapee.  The  first  fifteen  years  here  he  followed  fishing;  since  then 
has  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  owns  140  acres  of  land,  his  home- 
stead consisting  of  seventy  acres.  He  was  the  first  Assessor  of  the  town 
of  Ahnapee.  Married  in  1847,  to  Mary  A.  Clater,  of  Virginia  ;  she  died 
February,  1S63,  aged  forty-two  years.  Have  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters.  His  eldest  son,  William  .■\.,  was  born  Sept.  10, 1S51, 
and  the  first  white  child  born  in  Ahnapee.  Second  marriage  in  1869,  to 
M  rs.  Thayer,  of  Canada  ;  have  three  children ,  two  sons  and  one  daughter  ; 
she  has  six  children  by  former  marriage,  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

JOSEPH  WILLEMIN,  retired.  Born  June  I,  1801,  in  Alsace, 
France.  In  1S32.  came  to  Oswego,  N.  Y.;  October,  1836,  came  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  lived  about  thirty  years.  He  first  followed  the  black- 
smith trade  about  four  years,  his  shop  was  where  now  the  Fidelity  Sav- 
ings Bank  building  stands;  he  afterward  followed  gardening  on  the 
North  Side,  where  he  owned  a  large  quantity  of  land  ;  continued  at  that 
business  about  twenty  years.  He  was  married  in  1S26.  to  Mary  Stoquah, 
of  Alsace.  She  was  born  in  iSoS,  died  December,  1S75.  They  had 
five  children,  all  deceased.  May,  1S76.  he  removed  to  Ahnapee;  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Anderegg,  Oct.  22,  1S76  ;  she  is  a  daughter  of  C.  Cieg- 
fried,  a  native  of  Saxony  ;  she  was  born  March  22,  1839.  She  has  four 
children — Charles,  George  C,  Joseph  R.  and  Sarah.  Their  residence 
was  built  in  1877,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the  finest  in  the  county. 

EMIL  WITTE,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  P.  O.  Ahnapee.  Born  Feb.  2, 
1847,  in  Germany.  Came  to  Chicago  in  1S71  ;  removed  to  .Ahnapee  in 
1873  ;  first  rented  a  farm.  In  1S7S,  he  bought  this  farm,  consisting  of 
ninety  acres.  Married,  in  1874,  to  Caroline  Barndt ;  she  was  born  in 
Germany.  They  have  three  children — one  son  and  two  daughters.  She 
has  three  children  by  former  marriage — two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

OTHER  SETTLEMENTS. 
Scattered  throughout  the  county  are  a  number  of  small 
settlements,  which  cannot,  however,  take  on  the  dignity  of 
villages  for  some  years.  Most  of  them  are  populated  by 
Bohemians,  as  Alaska,  half  way  between  Kewaunee  and 
Ahnapee.  Casco  is  a  settlement  well-known.  Others  con- 
sist of  a  few  houses  grouped  around  a  pier  which  stretches 
out  into  the  lake.  When  a  railroad  passes  through  the 
county,  as  it  undoubtedly  will  before  long,  these  tiny  settle- 
ments will,  no  doubt,  spring  into  activity  and  request  the 
future  historian  to  record  them  as  villages  or  cities.  The 
county  now  depends  ui)on  mail  and  stage  routes,  and  the 
Goodrich  Transportation  Company,  whose  steamers  make 
frequent  trips  between  Ahnapee,  Kewaunee  and  all  southern 
and  northern  lake  and  bay  ports. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FRED  BACH,  firm  of  Taylor,  Bach  &Co.,  general  merchandise.  Sec. 
7,  P.  O.  Carlton.  Is  a  native  of  Austria  ;  born  in  1847.  Came  to  Mil- 
waukee in  1853,  with  his  parents.  The  following  year  they  removed  to 
Kewaunee  County,  where  he  assisted  his  father  on  their  form  ;  in  1868, 
he  came  to  Carlton;  worked  for  his  brother  in  this  store.  In  1874,  he 
was  admitted  as  a  partner.  This  firm  are  doing  a  very  extensive  busi- 
ness, engaged  in  ties,  posts,  bark,  and  general  merchandise  ;  they  are 
also  the  proprietors  of  the  Carlton  cheese  factory,  which  was  established 
in  1876,  when  they  made  about  17,000  lbs.  the  first  season.  Their  busi- 
ness has  increased  to  about  6o,oco  lbs.  a  season. 

GEORGE  BOTTKOL,  firm  of  George  Bottkol  &  I5ros.,  proprietors 
Three  Star  Mills,  manufacturers  and  dealers  in  lumber,  flour,  grain, 
feed,  etc.,  Lincoln,  Kewaunee  Co.,  P.  O.  Euren.  A  native  of  Prussia'; 
born,  Oct.  12,  1835.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents.  June,  1856, 
and  located  in  (what  is  now  the  town  of  Lincoln)  Kewaunee  Co.,  Wis., 
and  commenced  clearing  a  farm,  having  previously  bought  200  acres  of 
land.  They  were  about  the  first  .settlers  in  that  locality,  consequently 
there  were  no  roads,  and  they  were  compelled  to  carry  their  provisions 
on  their  backs  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles.  The  first  three  years  they 
laboied  in  clearing  their  land  without   the  assistance  of  an  animal  of 


any  description.  They  now  own  a  very  valuable  property,  120  acres  of 
land  under  cultivation.  In  1871,  they  commenced  to  build  a  saw  and 
grist  mill,  and  completed  it  in  the  Spring  of  the  following  year,  and  are 
now  doing  quite  an  extensive  business  in  manufacturing  flour,  lumber, 
etc.;  also  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business.  George  enlisted 
in  1864,  in  Co.  B,  44'h  Wis.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war. 
He  married  in  1S6S,  Miss  Agnes  Weidner  of  Wisconsin.  Has  one 
son  and  two  daughters. 

FELIX  BUNKER,  farmer.  Sec.  25,  town  of  Casco,  P.  O.  Peot.  A 
native  of  Canada,  born  in  the  year  1S26.  Removed  to  Green  Bay, 
Wis.,  when  sixteen  years  old,  remained  there  about  five  years,  thence  to 
Manitowoc,  and  about  the  year  1857  or  1858,  he  removed  to  Kewaunee 
County  and  located  in  (what  is  now)  the  town  of  Casco,  and  com- 
menced to  clear  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  He  now  owns  120 
acres  of  land,  with  many  valuable  improvements,  fifty  acres  under 
cultivation.  Married,  in  1849,  to  Miss  Christina  Mallett.  She  died  in 
1S70.  Second  marriage  to  Miss  Adelle  Thebeaudeau.  Has  four  sons 
and  one  daughter  by  first  marriage,  and  one  son  and  one  daughter  by 
second. 

HENRY  CHRISTM.\N,  farmer  and  proprietor  saw-mill,  .Sec.  34, 
Montpelier,  P.  O.  Montpelier.  A  native  of  Germany,  born  Oct.  7, 1834. 
Came  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  in  the  State  of  New  York  for 
about  four  years,  thence  to  Wisconsin.  Passed  one  year  in  Dodge 
County,  and  in  1857,  removed  to  Kewaunee  County,  and  located  in  the 
town  of  Montpelier,  and  engaged  in  farming,  which  he  has  followed 
since.  He  owns  120  acres,  partly  improved.  He  built  a  steam  saw- 
mill in  1S74,  and  run  it  three  years,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He 
immediately  re-built,  costing  him  about  $4. 000.  Engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  business  in  1865,  and  has  just  closed  out  his  stock  on 
account  of  poor  health.  Has  been  Postmaster  of  Montpelier  post-office 
for  the  last  sixteen  years.  Was  Town  Chairman  eight  years,  and  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  twelve  years.  Married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Getz,  of  Germany.     Have  six  sons  and  two  daughters. 

HON.  E.  DECKER,  Casco,  P.  O.  Casco,  is  a  native  of  Maine,  born 
May  2,  1S27.  Removed  to  Boston.  Mass.,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  re- 
maining two  years.  He  removed  to  Wisconsin  in  1845,  and  was  among 
the  first  that  lumbered  on  the  Wolf  River;  passed  several  years  in  Me- 
nasha,  engaged  in  hotel  and  livery  business.  Located  in  Kew-aunee 
County  in  1855  ('hat  part  which  is  now  known  as  Casco);  built  a  log 
cabin,  cut  his  roads,  and  moved  in  several  families  that  Winter.  He  was 
County  Clerk  from  its  organization  up  to  January,  1869.  In  fact  he 
performed  the  entire  official  duties  of  the  county  during  this  time  with 
satisfaction  to  all  viz.:  County  Judge,  Clerk  Circuit  Court,  Register 
of  Deeds,  et  al.  Has  been  largely  engaged  in  the  lumbering  interests 
in  Kewaunee  County,  and  foremost  in  all  public  enterprises.  He  owns 
a  large  saw  and  shingle  mill  at  Casco,  where  he  now  resides ;  is  also  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandise,  farming  and  real  estate;  owns  about 
6,500  acres  of  land  in  Kewaunee  County,  an^^.  large  tracts  in  Door, 
Oconto,  Brown  and  Clark  counties.  Was  engaged  in  banking  business 
in  Green  Bay,  from  1S72  until  1S75.  Opened  a  banking  house  in  the 
village  of  Kewaunee,  July  I,  1881,  with  .Messrs.  Duvall  and  Walender, 
firm  styled  Decker,  Duvall  &  Walender.  Mr.  Decker  founded  the  Ke- 
waunee Enterprise,  the  first  newspaper  published  in  the  county,  June  22, 
1859.  Sold  out  to  J.  M.  Read,  Jan.  13,  1869.  He  was  a  Representa- 
tive in  the  State  Senate  in  1860^61. 

EMANUEL  DEFNET,  farmer.  Sec.  30,  P.O.  Lincoln,  a  native  of 
Belgium,  born  Dec.  25,  1820;  came  to  America  in  1S55,  and  located  in 
Kewaunee  County  and  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming  for  about  two 
years,  and  since  has  followed  farming  exclusively  ;  now  owns  2S0  acres 
of  land,  120  acres  in  Kewaunee  Couniy  and  160  acres  in  Door  Count)  — 
seventy  acres  under  cultivation,  and  many  other  valuable  improvements. 
He  has  been  Supervisor  for  the  past  six  years,  and  School  District  Treas- 
urer for  the  past  three  or  four  years.  He  studied  the  profession  of  vet- 
erinary surgeon  in  his  native  country,  and  since  he  has  been  in  America 
has  practiced  it.  Married  Miss  Beatrice  Brabant,  of  Belgium  ;  has  four 
sons  and  two  daughters  —  Anton,  born  Nov.  2,  185S  ;  Eli,  March  26, 
1S60;  Tabien  J.,  Feb.  6,  1861 ;  Mary,  Sept.  15,  :S62  ;  Jule,  May  7,  1S65  ; 
Selina,  Oct.  iS,  1871.  His  son  Eli  was  desirous  of  receiving  more  edu- 
cational advantages  than  the  county  schools  could  aflxird,  and  his  father 
sent  him  to  the  Oshkosh  Normal  School,  where  he  has  already  spent 
four  terms. 

PETER  DRISSEN,  Overseer  Poor  Farm,  Sec.  19,  P.O.  Alaska,  born 
Feb.  iS,  1S44,  in  Prussia,  came  to  Milwaukee  with  his  parents  in  1854  ; 
two  years  later  removed  to  Pierce  Township,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
Has  been  engaged  at  various  kinds  of  business  ;  was  elected  Sheriff  in 
1874  ;  held  this  office  two  years.  April,  187S,  was  appointed  to  his  pres- 
ent position.  His  farm  consists  of  120  acres  of  land,  about  eighty  im- 
proved He  is  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Clerk  of  the  School  Board,  and  has 
Iield  most  of  the  town  offices. 

A.  J.  DWORAK,  farmer,  Sec.  21,  P.O.  Slovan,  born  April  23,  1S39. 
in  Bohemia  ;  in  1854  came  to  Milwaukee  ;  in  1S57,  removed  to  his  pres- 
ent farm,  consisting  of  eighty  acres.  About  sixty  acres  of  this  is  im 
proved.     He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Town  Clerk,  School  Clerk 


HISTORY    OF    KEWAUNEE    COUNTY. 


437 


etc.  Married,  March  9,  i860,  to  Mary  Luckes.  She  was  born  in  Bohe- 
mia.    They  have  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

C.  B.  FAY,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.O.  Ahnapee,  is  a  native  of  Warren  Co., 
N.Y. ;  came  to  Chicago  in  1865.  then  to  Little  Sturgeon,  Wis.,  where  he 
had  general  charge  of  Mr.  Gardner's  business.  Held  this  position  four 
years.  In  1869,  removed  to  Menominee,  Mich.  Was  employed  as  book- 
keeper for  l^udington,  W'ells  &  Van  Schaack  Co.  for  about  two  years. 
He  was  also  agent  for  the  Goodrich  steamers.  Afterward  engaged  in 
the  mill  business.  In  1872,  came  to  Kewaunee  County.  He,  with  Mr. 
Decker,  built  the  pier  and  carried  on  a  general  store,*doing  a  business  of 
over  $50,000  a  year.  This  store  and  pier  has  since  been  abandoned. 
He  now  owns  his  farm  where  he  resides,  consisting  of  160  acres  land. 
Mr.  Fay  has  held  the  office  of  Circuit  Court  Commissioner. 

PETER  HOWART,  farmer,  Sec.  18,  Lincoln,  a  native  of  Belgium, 
born  June  13,  1834,  came  to  .\merica  in  1S56,  accompanied  by  his  two 
sisters  and  wife.  They  located  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Lincoln, 
Kewaunee  Co.  He  bought  forty  acres  of  land,  and  commenced  to  clear 
a  farm.  He  now  owns  180  acres,  100  acres  under  cultivation,  and  many 
other  valuable  improvements.  In  company  with  Mr,  Noel,  in  i860,  he 
opened  a  general  merchandise  store,  and  continued  in  that  business  until 
Jan.  I,  1881,  when  he  sold  out  his  interest  to  Mr,  Noel.  He  was  appointed 
Postmaster  of  Lincoln  post-office,  June  18,  1877,  and  has  since  continued 
in  that  official  capacity  ;  has  been  Town  Treasurer  for  the  past  five 
years.  Married,  in  1856,  Miss  Mary  Josie  Noel,  of  Belgium.  Has  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  His  son  Amant  was  born  Jan.  8,  1859,  at- 
tended the  county  schools  until  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  then 
entered  the  Business  College  at  Green  Bay,  and  graduated  Aug.  i,  1S79. 
He  spent  one  term  in  the  Oslikosh  Normal  School.  His  father  is  now 
about  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  flour,  in  the  town  of 
Brussels,  Door  Co.,  in  company  with  George  Bottkol  &  Bros,  and  Am- 
ant will  be  the  accountant. 

CHARLES  B.  KNIGHT,  farmer.  Sec.  16,  P.O.Casco,  born  Nov.  3, 
1825,  in  Cumberland  Co.,  Me.,  September,  1864,  came  to  Kewaunee 
County,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  sixty  acres  land.  He  first 
followed  lumbering,  but  of  late  years  has  followed  farming  only.  Mar- 
ried, July,  1847,  'o  Miss  Eliza  Decker,  of  Maine.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren—Frank E.,  Clara  H.,  now  Mrs.  Fitzgibbons,  Charles  S.,  Lizzie  A., 
now  Mrs.  Meyer,  and  Annie  D. 

A.  J.  LOOZE,  farmer,  Sec.  30,  town  of  Lincoln,  P.O.  Lincoln,  a 
native  of  Belgium,  born  Sept.  ii,  1837;  came  to  America  in  1856,  and  in 
the  Fall  of  the  same  year  he  located  in  the  town  of  Red  River,  Kewaunee 
Co.,  where  he  remained,  assisting  his  father  in  clearing  a  farm,  until  1862, 
when  he  removed  to  what  is  now  the  town  of  Lincoln,  Kewaunee  Co., 
and  located  on  Sec.  30  and  commenced  to  clear  a  farm.  At  this  time,  he 
was  owing  a  debt  of  $450,  but  being  an  industrious  and  energetic  man, 
not  easily  discouraged  with  the  hardships  of  early  pioneer  life,  he  has 
succeeded  in  accumulating  a  valuable  property  ;  now  owns  400  acres  of 
land,  sixty-seven  acres  under  cultivation,  and  has  in  course  of  erection 
a  fine  dwelling.  He  was  Assessor  two  years.  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board  six  years,  and  Chairman  of  the  County  Board  in  1857,  and  is  now 
School  Clerk  and  Notary  Public  ;  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  about  ten 
years,  and  one  year  Town  Treasurer.  Married  in  May,  1S62,  to  Miss 
Justine  Lorge.     Has  five  sons  and  three  daughters, 

PATRICK  McCONVILL,  farmer.Sec.  19,  Montpelier,  P.O.  Henry- 
ville.  Brown  Co.,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  June,  1827  ;  came  to 
America  in  the  Spring  of  1843,  and  passed  one  year  in  the  city  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  going  to  school.  In  the  Summer  of  1845,  he  removed 
to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  remained  in  that  locality  until  1859,  when  he 
came  to  Kewaunee  County  and  located  on  Sec.  19  in  the  town  of  Mont- 
pelier, having  bought  240  acres  of  land,  which  was  nothing  but  a  wilder- 
ness, but  now  a  beautiful  farm  of  205  acres,  thoroughly  improved.  Mr. 
McConvill  has  been  Town  Chairman  for  five  or  six  years  and  School 
Director  for  ten  years,  was  Clerk  Circuit  Court  in  1864-5.  Married  Miss 
Mary  .\nn  Murphy,  of  New  York,  about  the  year  1847.  She  died  Dec. 
II,    1858,  age  twenty-six  years.     Has  twr   daugh'.ers  and  one  son  living. 


Mathew,  died  Jan.  2,  1881,  age  twenty-six  years.  Second  marriage  in 
1859.  to  Elizabeth   McGinnis,  of  Brown  Co.,  Wis. 

JOSEPH  OURADNIK,  store  and  saloon,  and  farming.  Sec.  2S,  P. 
O.  Slovan,  was  born  Nov.  16,  1844,  '"  Bohemia.  In  1855,  came  to 
Kewaunee  Co.,  Wis.  Owns  forty-five  acres  land.  He  opened  his  store 
in  1877.  Was  appointed  Postmaster  Sept.  i,  1878  ;  is  School  Treasurer; 
has  been  Chairman,  Town  Supervisor  and  Town  Treasurer.  Married  in 
1S61,  to  Catharine  Marshieck,  of  Bohemia.  They  have  ten  children, 
three  sons  and  seven  daughters. 

HERMAN  RATHER,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  O.  Ahnapee,  was  born 
Nov.  28,  1852,  in  Prussia.  In  1857,  came  to  Ahnapee  ;  removed  to  his 
present  farm  in  1874 ;  it  consists  of  eighty  acres.  Was  married.  May, 
1873,  to  Augusta  Heyer.  She  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  three 
children — Edward,  Gustaf  and  Theodore.  They  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

F.  W.  SCHMIDT,  farmer,  Sec.  19,  P.  O.  Alaska,  was  born  Dec.  II, 
iS4l,in  Saxony.  In  1856,  came  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  worked  at  farm- 
ing and  at  the  carpenter  trade  about  twelve  years.  In  the  Spring  of  1868, 
came  to  Pierce  Township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  owns  160  acres 
of  land.  Has  been  Town  Clerk  two  years.  Chairman  of  the  Town  four 
years.  Clerk  of  the  School  Board,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  etc.  Married  in 
1866,  to  Theressa  .Seifert  of  Saxony.  Have  five  children,  four  sons  and 
one  daughter. 

DENNIS  SULLIVAN,  farmer.  Sec.  29,  P.  O.  Alaska,  was  born 
April  27,  1841,  in  Boston,  Mass.  In  1849,  came  to  Milwaukee  with  his 
parents.  In  1S54,  they  removed  to  Ozaukee  County,  where  he  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm  till  185S,  when  he  removed  to  Winnebago  Co., 
III.  In  i860,  came  to  Kewaunee  Co.,  Wis.  Enlisted  in  1864,  in  Co.  K, 
27th  Wis.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  War.  Came  to  his  present  farm 
in  l858  ;  owns  sixty  acres  of  land.  He  is  Chairman  of  the  Town,  now 
serving  his  second  term;  has  been  Town  Supervisor  and  Constable. 

JAMES  A.  WARNER,  farmer  Sec.  10,  P.O.  Ahnapee,  was  born 
July  5.  1816,  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1844,  came  to  Lake  Co.,  111.; 
followed  farming  there  till  1856,  when  he  came  to  Ahnapee.  For  the 
past  sixteen  years  he  has  occupied  this  farm  which  he  owns,  consisting 
of  sixty  acres.  Married,  in  1842,  to  Miss  Deborah  C.  Dickinson,  of  New 
York.  Have  seven  children— Helen  O.,  George  W.,  Herman  B.,  Louisa 
I.,  J.  L.,  William  E.  and  Alice  L.  Their  oldest  son,  George  W.,  en- 
listed in  1862  ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

JOHN  A.  WHEATLEY,  farmer.  Sec.  15,  P.O.  EUisville,  born  Sept. 
18,  1817,  in  New  Hampshire.  In  1856.  came  to  Kewaunee  County, 
where  he  has  since  resided  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  owns  eighty 
acres  of  land,  mostly  improved.  He  has  been  Postmaster  here  ever  since 
the  office  was  established.  His  sons,  Sumner  H.  and  John  Otis,  are 
managing  the  farm.     Sumner  H.  is  now  Deputy  Postmaster. 

J.  F.  WILMOTT,  farmer.  Sec.  32.  P.O.  Ryan,  born  Jan.  i,  1819,  in 
Rutland  Co.,  Vt.  Sept.  5,  1S42,  came  to  Milwaukee;  in  1843,  removed 
to  Illinois,  from  1844  to  1847,  he  followed  sailing  and  lumbering.  He 
then  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  where  he  followed  farming.  No- 
vember, 1854,  he  came  to  his  present  farm,  consisting  of  290  acres;  200 
acres  of  this  land  is  under  cultivation  and  well  improved.  He  has  been 
largely  engaged  in  lumbering,  although  for  several  years  past  he  has  fol- 
lowed farming  only.  Has  held  about  all  the  town  offices,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Postmaster  the  past  sixteen  years.  Mr.  Wilmott  is  the  first 
settler  of  this  town.  Married,  June  21,  1847,  to  Eliza  Norris.  She  is  a 
native  of  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

EDWARD  WY.MAN,  farmer.  Sec.  9,  P.O.  Casco,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  1834  ;  came  with  his  parents  to  Erie  County,  N.Y.,  in 
1844,  remained  till  1S55,  when  he  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  The  follow- 
ing year  came  to  Kewaunee  County.  Has  followed  the  lumber  business 
until  the  past  few  years.  He  owns  160  acres  of  land  where  he  resides. 
He  has  been  Mail  Contractor  about  twelve  years  ;  was  United  States 
Enumerator  for  1S80,  and  had  other  offices.  Married  in  1858,  to  Miss  Ad- 
die  Decker  of  Maine.  They  have  four  children,  three  sons  and  one 
daughter. 


438 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


LANGLADE    COUNTY 


The  Legislature  of  1879  created  from  the  western 
part  of  Oconto  County  the  county  of  New,  attaching 
it  to  Shawano  for  judicial  and  county  purposes,  and 
providing  that  the  first  election  for  county  officers 
should  not  be  held  until  the  county  had  a  population 
of  1,000  inhabitants.  The  Legislature  of  1880  changed 
the  boundaries  somewhat,  and  the  name  to  Langlade. 

In  1881,  the  boundaries  were  changed  to  the  follow- 
ing :  Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  town- 
ship thirty  (30),  north  of  range  eleven  (11)  east  of 
the  fourth  principal  meridian,  running  thence  north  on 
the  range  line  between  ranges  ten  (10)  and  eleven 
(11),  to  the  third  correction  line;  thence  east  on  said 
correction  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  township 
thirty-one  (31),  of  range  eleven  (II)  east;  thence 
north  on  the  range  line  between  ranges  ten  (10)  and 
eleven  (11),  to  the  fourth  correction  line  ;  thence  west 
on  said  correction  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
township  forty-one  (41),  of  range  eleven  (11)  east; 
thence  north  on  the  range  line  between  ranges  ten 
(10)  and  eleven  (11),  to  the  boundary  line  between 
the  States  of  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  ;  thence  south- 
easterly on  said  boundary  line  to  the  range  line  be- 
tween ranges  fourteen  (14)  and  fifteen  (15)  east  of 
the  fourth  principal  meridian  ;  thence  south  on  said 
range  line  to  the  fourth  correction  line  ;  thence  east  on 
said  correction  line  to  the  southeast  corner  of  township 
forty  (40),  of  range  fourteen  (14)  east;  thence  south 
on  the  range  line  between  ranges  fourteen  (14)   and 


fifteen  (15)  to  the  southeast  corner  of  township  thirty 
four  (34),  of  range  fourteen  (14)  east ;  thence  west 
on  the  town  line  between  townships  thirty-three  (33) 
and  thirty  four  (34),  to  the  northeast  corner  of  town- 
ship thirty-three  (33),  of  range  twelve  (12)  east; 
thence  south  on  the  range  line  between  ranges  twelve 
(12)  and  thirteen  (13),  to  the  third  correction  line; 
thence  west  on  the  said  correction  line  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  township  thirty  (30),  north  of  range  twelve 
(12)  east;  thence  south  on  the  range  line  between 
ranges  twelve  (12)  and  thirteen  (13),  to  the  town  line 
between  townships  twenty-nine  (29)  and  thirty  (30)  ; 
thence  west  on  said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

At  the  same  time,  the  county  was  organized  with 
all  the  powers  and  privileges  of  other  counties,  the 
Governor  appointing  the  first  officers. 

The  county  was  divided  into  the  towns  of  Rolling, 
Norwood,  Antigo,  Gagen,  Polar  and  Carpenter. 

Langlade  County  had  a  population  of  68.5  in  1880. 
Its  surface  is  greatly  diversified,  the  northern  part  re- 
sembling the  Lake  Superior  region,  both  in  its  mineral 
productions  and  its  picturesqueness  ;  the  central  and 
southern  parts  being  timbered,  or  farming  lands. 

The  Wolf  River,  its  tributaries,  and  numerous 
smaller  streams  intersect  the  county  in  all  parts.  It  is 
dotted  with  lakes.  Lake  Vieux  Desert,  North  Twin, 
Bass,  Pine,  Sand,  Stone  and  Big  Pelican  are  the  prin- 
cipal ones.  The  timber  and  other  productions  are  the 
same  as  those  of  other  northern  counties. 


LINCOLN     COUNTY 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

Lincoln  is  one  of  the  northern  tier  of  counties,  lo- 
cated near  the  middle  of  the  northern  boundaries  of 
the  State,  with  Michigan  between  it  and  Lake  Superior, 
the  nortliwest  corner,  however,  coming  within  ten  miles 
of  the  lake  at  Oranto  Bay. 

Langlade  County  is  on  the  east,  Marathon  on  the 
south,  Taylor,  Price  and  Ashland  on  the  west.  The 
county  contains  about  100  townships  of  Government 
survey.  The  form  is  rectangular,  except  the  northern, 
or  Michigan  boundary,  which  runs  diagonally  north  of 
west,  striking  the  Montreal  River  near  the  44th  town- 
ship line,  and  following  the  river  until  the  western 
boundary  of  the  county  is  reached. 

The  upper  part  of  the  county  is  studded  with  lakes 
several  hundred  in  number,  from  iialf  a  mile  or  less  in 
diameter  to  three  or  four  miles.  More  than  one-half 
the  country  is  so  dotted,  for  they  come  down  on  tlie 
east  side  within  a  dozen  miles  of  the  Marathon  County 
line. 

About  ten  towns  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
county,  which  hang  over,  as   it  were,  into    Ashland 


County,  have  been  set  apart  as  a  State  Park,  and  the 
lands  withdrawn  from  the  market. 

Four  townships  on  the  southeast  of  this  park  are  set 
off  as  the  Lac  de  Flambeau  Indian  Reservation.  The 
Flambeau  River,  which  emptiesinto  the  Chippewa  in  that 
county,  rises  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Lincoln  County, 
and  the  numerous  lakes  there  early  received  the  name 
of  Lacs  de  Flambeaux.  Many  of  these  lakes  have  indi- 
vidual names,  such  as  Trout  Lake,  Island  Lake,  Big 
Lake,  Sand  Lake,  Swamp  Lake,  Crab  Lake,  High  Lake, 
Island  Lake,  Plum  Lake,  Lake  Lourd,  Lake  Potter, 
Sugar  Cane  Lake,  Tomahawk  Lake,  etc. 

These  lakes  constitute  the  head-waters  of  the  Wis- 
consin, which  flows  south,  into  the  Mississippi,  of  the 
Menomonee  and  its  branches,  going  eastward,  into  Lake 
Michigan ;  and  of  the  Montreal,  Presque  Isle,  On- 
tonagon, and  other  rivers,  emptying  into  Lake  Superior. 
From  tlie  divide  the  declivity  toward  Lake  Superior  is 
more  al)rupt  than  tiie  other  way.  Tlie  towns  are  all 
long  and  narrow,  running  from  south  to  north. 

Pine  is  from  two  to  twelve  miles  wide,  and  seventy- 
five  long.     Ackley  is  seventy  three  miles  long  and  from 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


439 


six  to  nine  miles  wide.  Merrill  and  Rock  Falls  are  100 
or  more  miles  in  length,  Corning  forty-two,  and  Scott  for- 
ty-eight. Of  course,  as  the  settlement  goes  up  the  county 
and  the  necessities  seem  to  require  these  towns  will 
be  subdivided.  It  was  organized  as  a  county,  October 
22, 1874,  and  contains  2,7o0,000  acres  of  land. 

Tiie  lower  range  of  towns  in  the  county,  according 
to  the  Government  survey,  is  31  north,  and  seven 
townships  wide  ;  the  most  northern  is  46  north. 

The  various  logging  stations  and  settlements  as  you 
go  up  the  county  will  be  here  mentioned.  Merrill  is 
four  and  one-lialf  miles  from  tlie  southern  boundary  of 
the  county,  twenty-five  miles  from  the  eastern  edge  of 
the  county,  and  seventeen  from  the  western.  Five 
miles  to  the  east  is  the  county  poor-house.  Pine  River 
Station  is  in  the  first  tier  of  towns  east  of  the  center,  on 
the  county  line.  Twelve  miles  west  of  the  center  is 
Corning.  In  tier  32,  the  second  from  the  southern  county 
line,  there  are  as  yet  no  stations.  In  Township  33, 
north,  we  have,  beginning  on  the  west.  Champagne 
P.  O.,  Grandfather  Falls,  Grandmother  Falls,  Inger- 
sol's  Station  and  Dudley.  In  34,  there  is  Kanadas 
Rapids,  on  the  river.  In  35,  Somo  Lake,  Blanchard's 
Station,  Tomahawk  Rapids,  Whirlpool  Rapids,  and  a 
part  of  Big  Pelican  Lake.  In  36,  is  Rice  Lake,  Peli- 
can Rapids  and  Pelican  Station.  In  37,  Willow  Lake. 
In  38,  is  McPhail's  Camp  and  Sugar  Camp.  In  39,  is 
Squirrel  Lake.  Kawaquesagon  Lake,  Tomahawk  Lake 
and  Curran's  Camp.  In  40,  is  a  part  of  the  Indian  Res- 
ervation. Crawling  Stone  Lake,  Fence  Lake,  Arbor 
Vitse  Lake,  St.  Germain  Lake.  Birch  Lake,  White  Lake, 
and  Catfish  Lake.  In  41, Shoe  Lake, the  rest  of  the  Indian 
reservation.  Trout  Lake,  Plum  and  other  lakes.  Above 
this  the  depressing  points  are  lakes.  These  lakes  begin  in 
the  third  tier  of  towns  from  the  south  and  accumulate 
in  numbers,  until  above  the  middle  of  the  county,  they 
stud  every  township  as  the  stars  dot  the  heavens,  and 
must  be  a  paradise  for  the  lone  fisherman,  or  even  for 
an  aggregation  of  the  descendants  of  Isaac  Walton. 

The  State  Park,  an  humble  imitation  of  the  great 
"  National  Yellowstone  Park,"  lays  up  here  in  its  pri- 
meval simplicity,  and  if  protected  as  it  should  be  by 
the  fostering  care  of  the  State,  will  preserve  for  com- 
ing generations  an  actual  idea  of  the  pineries  and  the 
wilderness  of  Northern  Wisconsin,  as  they  first  ap- 
peared when  the  woodman's  ax  first  reverberated, 
where  solitude  had  previously  pre-empted  its  undis- 
puted home.  The  capacity  oi  Lincoln  County  to  sup- 
port a  teeming  population,  after  the  mighty  forests  are 
laid  low,  is  now  all  appreciated,  but  it  does  not  require 
a  very  rampant  spirit  of  prophecy  to  foresee  a  thriv- 
ing population  on  its  soil  at  no  distant  day. 

POLITICAL. 

This  county  is  one  of  the  largest  in  State,  but  lias 
at  present  only  six  town  organizations  aside  from  the 
Indian  reservation  :  Corning,  Scott,  Merrill,  Pine,  Ack- 
ley  and  Rock  Falls.  The  Indian  reservation,  called 
the  Lac  du  Flambeau,  was  set  aside  for  that  purpose 
in  1866,  on  the  27th  of  June. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  county  the  following 
gentlemen  have  represented,  in  part,  Lincoln  County 
in   the   Assembly:    N.  A.  Withee,   Solomon  L.  Nason, 


Freeman  D.  Dudley,  Bartholomew  Ringle,  M.  H.  Mc- 
Cord. 

Thomas  B.  Scott  has  been  in  the  Senate  nine  years. 

County  Judges  :  F.  C.  Weed,  Judge  Donaldson,  A. 

C.  Norway. 

County  Treasurers:  Th.  P.  Matthews,  W.  H.  Swine- 
hart. 

Register  of  Deeds,  V.  R.  Willard. 

Daniel  Kline,  Surveyor. 

David  Flynn,  School  Superintendent. 

J.  T.  Adams,  Deputy  Sheriff. 

The  county  at  first  was  connected  with  Marathon 
for  judicial  purposes. 

County  Supervisors  :  Charles  Sailes,  Chairman  ;  W. 
H.  Keys,  George  Stowbridge. 

These  gentlemen  served  until  the  regular  election 
in  the  Spring  of  1875,  when  the  following  persons  were 
installed  into  their  respective  offices  : 

Sheriff,  A.  W.  Crown  ;  Attorney,  Charles  O'Neill ; 
County   Judge,   F.  C.  Ward  ;  Clerk  of  the  Court,  A. 

D.  Gorham. 

Officers  of  the  town  of  Jenny:  C.  A.  Kline,  Chair- 
man ;  Ed.    Patzer,    Treasurer  ;  Ed.  Klutz,  Clerk. 

County  Clerks :  Z.  Space,  Herman  Rusch. 

District  Attorneys  :  Charles  O'Neill,  W.  H.  Canon. 

Present  county  officers :  William  H.  Swinehart, 
County  Treasurer ;  Herman  Rusch,  County  Clerk ; 
Van  R.  Willard,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  W.  H.  Canon, 
District  Attorney ;  S.  J.  Robinson,  Clerk  of  Circuit 
Court;  George  R.  Sturdevant,  County  Surveyor;  A. 
C.  Norway,  County  Judge ;  J.  S.  Westcott,  County 
Superintendent  of  Schools  ;  William  Dereg,  Sheriff; 
Jules  Pose,  Coroner.  County  Board  of  Supervisors : 
P.  B.  Champagne,  Chairman,  town  of  Merrill  ;  Miles 
Swope,  town  of  Pine  River;  Carl  Gierhahn,  town  of 
Corning ;  P.  O'Niel,  town  of  Rock  Falls ;  Frank  Ken- 
nedy, town  of  Ackley  ;  Jacob  Weber,  town  of  Scott. 

THE   WISCONSIN   EIVEE. 

Tlie  Wisconsin  is  the  river  of  the  county,  its  north- 
ernmost branch  drawing  from  Lake  Desert,  on  the 
Michigan  border,  and  from  numerous  lakes  and  trib- 
utaries on  either  side.  It  leaves  the  county  in  the  cen- 
ter of  its  southern  boundary  a  mighty  stream,  which 
has  already  turned  a  thousand  wheels  and  started  the 
hum  of  industry  which  shall  follow  its  course  to  the 
sea. 

The  principal  tributaries  in  the  county,  on  the  west, 
are  the  Tomahawk,  Somo,  Spirit,  New  Wood,  Cooper, 
Donil  Creek  ;  on  the  east.  Noisy  Creek,  Big  Pine  Creek, 
Prairie,  Pine  and  others. 

As  this  river  rises  in  Lincoln  County  and  seems  to 
be  a  gift  to  its  sister  counties,  or  rather,  to  the  State 
itself,  it  being  the  largest  river  belonging  exclusively 
to  the  State,  an  account  of  its  peculiarities  seems  to  be 
appropriate  right  here. 

As  the  river  moves  down,  it  receives  numerous  other 
accessions.  Its  general  direction  is  south,  until  reach- 
ing Portage  City,  when  it  deflects  sharply  to  the  rigiit, 
and  finds  its  way  to  the  Mississippi  near  Prairie  du 
Chien.  At  Portage  City  it  is  witiiin  a  mile  or  so  of 
the  Fox  River,  which  runs  in  an  opposite  direction  and 
empties  into  Lake  Winnebago,  and   thence  into  Green 


440 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


Bay.  Through  a  canal  at  Portage  City  the  waters  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  are  connected  with  those  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Below  this  point  the  river  is  in  a  sandy  bed, 
with  a  slope  of  about  seventeen  inches  per  mile,  and 
as  it  is  broad,  with  sedgy  flats,  navigation  in  low  stages 
of  water  is  difficult.  The  amount  of  water  flowing  in 
the  lowest  stages  is  35,000  cubic  feet  per  second. 

Above  Kilboiirn  City  are  the  wonderful  dells,  the 
most  remarkable  scenery  of  the  kind  in  the  world,  the 
river  having  cut  its  way  through  a  long  succession  of 
rocks  leaving  the  most  fantastic  forms.  At  one  point 
it  is  narrowed  up  to  fifty-two  feet  in  width.  At  the 
foot  of  the  dells  is  the  last  fall  on  the  river.  Above 
the  dells  the  falls  and  rapids  are  numerous.  At  Co- 
nant's  Rapids,  between  Plover  and  Stevens  Point,  the 
fall  is  twenty-four  feet.  At  the  latter  place,  eight  feet 
are  utilized  for  power.  There  is  steamboat  navigation 
between  Stevens  Point  and  Mosinee,  thirty-six  miles. 
The  fall  at  this  point  is  sixteen  feet,  through  a  narrow 
gorge,  formerly  considered  the  ugliest  rapids  in  the 
river  by  the  raftsmen. 

Several  important  tributaries  join  the  river  in  Mara- 
thon County,  some  of  them  with  valuable  water  power. 

The  next  fall  above  Mosinee  or  Little  Bull  Falls, 
is  the  Big  Bull  Falls,  at  Wausau.  These  falls  are 
formed  by  a  ledge  of  granite  across  the  river,  some 
thirty  feet  high,  which  has  worn  down  to  a  fall  of  fifteen 
feet  in  one  fourth  of  a  mile.  Next  to  the  last  fall  to  be 
noticed  as  we  go  up  the  river,  is  the  first  on  the  river 
as  it  comes  down,  and  the  highest.  Here  the  water  has 
cut  through  the  trap  rock,  a  depth  of  100  feet,  and 
there  is  left  a  fall  of  eighty-seven  feet,  and  is  called  the 
Grandfather  Bull  Falls. 

The  water  power  here  is  unrivaled  anywhere  on  the 
river.  Above  this  is  Grandmother  Falls.  This  won- 
derful river  from  its  origin,  in  the  Thousand  Lake  dis- 
trict and  which  flows  with  a  sluggish  current  for  about 
ninety  miles  through  the  Lac  Vieux  Desert,as  it  is  called, 
but  which  at  no  distant  day  will  drop  the  last  word  in  the 
designation,  is  a  series  of  surprises  in  its  accessions, 
its  falls,  dells,  rice  fields  and  sand  bars  to  its  junction 
with  the  Father  of  Waters. 

According  to  the  census  of  1880,  the  population  of 
Lincoln  County  was  as  follows  :  Ackley  Town,  184  ; 
Corning  Town,  112;  Jenny  Town,  454;  Merrill,  882; 
Pine  River  Town,  278  ;  Black  Falls,  101 ;  total,  2,011. 
The  population  of  the  county  in  1875  was  895.  The 
next  census  will  show  a  marked  increase,  as  the  county 
is  rapidly  filling  up,  and  the  village  of  Merrill  has  nearly 
if  not  quite  doubled  its  population  in  a  year. 
MERRILL. 
This  young,  enterprising  and  growing  village  is  thecounly 
seat  of  Lincoln  County,  and  its  court-house,  which  is  a 
model  in  its  way,  entirely  unlike  in  its  external  appearance, 
the  conventional  court-house,  so  familiar  to  the  travelled 
eye. 

The  place  as  yet,  has  no  city  or  even  village  pretentions, 
in  a  governmental  way,  the  town  organization,  meeting  all 
the  requirements  in  this  respect. 

It  was  formerly  a  backwoods  clearing,  satisfied  witli  the 
name  of  "Jenny  Hull  Fall,"  but  finally  dropping  the  last  two 
thirds   of  its    name,  it  became  simple  "  Jenny,"  a  dashing 


young  candidate  for  outside  attention  and  favor.  The 
suitors  for  the  lily  white  hand  of  Jenny  are  numerous,  and 
finally,  to  cut  short  quite  a  romantic  story,  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  in  i88i,  enabled  S.  S.  Merrill,  the  general 
managerof  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  to 
bestow  his  name  upon  this  blushing  bride  of  the  Upper  Wis- 
consin pineries.  And  so  it  is  Jenny  no  more,  except  as  a 
remembrance  of  its  rollicking  youth. 

At  this  important  epoch  in  its  history,  touched  by  the 
magic  wand  of  capital,  it  began  to  exhibit  a  remarkable  de- 
velopment into  commercial  and  manufacturing  importance. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  the  "Jenny  Bull"  had  been  a 
sort  of  supplementary  stopping  place  for  the  lumbermen  and 
log  drivers  on  the  rivers,  and  to  piece  out  the  outfits 
obtained  below  by  the  logging  camps.  The  place  kept  up 
a  healthy  and  quiet  growth  until  after  the  railroad  arrived, 
in  the  Winter  of  i88i,  when  S.  S.  Merrill,  Alexander  Mitch- 
ell, J.  W.  Carey,  T.  B.  Scott,  C.  K.  Pier  and  M.  H.  McCord, 
well  known  business  men,  obtained  a  charter  for  a  boom, 
which  was  to  be  on  a  comprehensive  scale,  under  the  name 
of  the  Merrill  Boom  Company. 

From  that  time,  new  life  was  inspired  into  the  place,  and 
in  addition  to  the  mills  now  running,  and  which  will  be  men- 
tioned under  the  appropriate  head,  at  least  five  new  estab- 
lishments are  projected,  and  their  erection  assured  the  com- 
ing season,  to  be  ready  for  next  year's  business. 

The  town  is  very  pleasantly  located  on  an  undulating 
slope,  gradually  rising  from  the  river,  which  here  runs  only 
a  little  south  of  east.  It  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river, 
with  the  falls  opposite  the  upper  part  of  the  present  site  of 
the  settlement,  which,  however,  will  rapidly  extend  ap  the 
river  with  the  growth  of  the  place. 

It  is  regularly  laid  out,  with  an  elbow  in  the  streets  up 
and  down  the  river,  to  conform  to  the  contour  of  the 
river-bank,  and  this  brings  the  upper  part  of  the  town  on  a 
"bias,"  as  the  dressmakers  say,  with  the  cardinal  points  of 
the  compass. 

The  streets  are  a  little  wider  than  usual,  and  there  is 
plenty  of  material  to  make  good  roadways,  and  there  are 
good  plank  sidewalks.  The  business  portion  is  on  the  street 
next  to  the  river,  and  there  are  already  some  good  business 
blocks,  notably,  the  bank  building,  which  is  of  cream-col- 
ored brick,  and  has  modern  architectural  pretensions,  built 
in  i88i.  The  court-house  cost  $8,ooo,  and  the  school- 
house,  which  has  a  whole  large  squaie  for  a  yard,  is  large, 
and,  it  is  said,  cost  a  like  amount. 

There  are  two  good  large  hotels,  with  several  boarding- 
houses  and  restaurants,  nine,  or  more,  general  stores,  car- 
rying enormous  stocks  of  goods  for  the  mill  and  logging 
trade,  three  hardware  houses,  three  drug  stores,  two  jewelry 
stores,  with  bakeries,  butcher  sliops,  and  other  requisites 
for  a  village  of  i,6oo  inhabitants,  as  it  now  has  according  to 
a  careful  estimate.  Since  the  United  States  census  was 
taken,  nearly  zoo  buildings  have  been  erected. 

There  are  two  church  edifices,  the  Methodist  and  Luther- 
an, and  other  denominations  will  soon  build.  Two  print- 
ing otiices  print   two  papers  and   do  good  job   work.     The 


HISTORY   OF    LINCOLN    COUNTY. 


441 


hum  of  the  saws  of  the  mill  at  the  dam  is  heard  night  and 
day  during  the  season.  It  is,  indeed,  a  busy  place,  although 
except  for  brief  seasons — Spring  and  Fall — there  is  an  ab- 
sence of  that  standing  around  on  the  corners  it  is  so  agree- 
able to  notice. 

There  seems  to  be  no  necessity  for  any  jealousy  between 
the  towns  on  the  Upper  Wisconsin — there  is  room  for  them 
all ;  and,  as  the  land  is  brought  under  cultivation,  these  lit- 
tle cities  will  become  compact  and  be  well  supported.  Mer- 
rill is  now  the  upper  town  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  but  who 
shall  say  how  soon  another  will  spring  up  at  the  junction  of 
the  Somo  and  Tomahawk  with  the  Wisconsin .'  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  another  at  Pelican  Station  .'  and  then  still  further  up 
the  river,  as  the  county  is  opened  up  or  new  resources  dis- 
covered. 

The  new  mills  are  to  be  built  at  the  upper  end  of  the 


pointing  with  pride  to  the  past,  although  in  this  regard  it 
has  nothing  of  which  to  be  ashamed.  But  it  confidently 
looks  to  the  near  future  for  a  vindication  of  the  confidence 
which  has  been  reposed  in  its  growth  and  permanent  pros- 
perity. And  it  is  quite  certain  that  in  the  coming  years  a 
retrospective  view  of  the  town,  as  here  presented,  will  be 
contemplated  with  great  satisfaction,  and  that  the  contrast 
will  be  sufficiently  striking  for  the  most  progressive  and  en- 
thusiastic. 

An  account  of  the  early  settlement  of  Lincoln  County 
is  co-incident  with  the  history  of  Merrill,  or  Jenny  Bull 
Falls,  as  it  was  first  called,  in  deference  to  the  lady  love  of 
one  of  the  early  adventurers  who  retained  the  surname  first 
bestowed,  but  which  was  finally  dropped  for  simple,  artless 
"  Jenny,"  who  did  not  even  spell  her  name  with  the  usual 
affectionate  terminal  letters  "  ie." 


N    ^^%^1 


town,  about  where  Prairie  River  joins  the  Wisconsin  as  it 
comes  down  from  the  north,  and  ojiposite  Devil  Creek,  from 
the  south  of  west. 

The  streets  of  Merrill  are  named,  beginning  at  the  river. 
Main,  First,  Second,  etc.,  to  Ninth  street.  The  streets  at 
right  angles  with  the  river,  are,  beginning  at  the  east,  Ger- 
man, Prairie,  Corning,  Park,  Court  House,  Cedar,  Pine  and 
Poplar.  Near  the  depot,  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  there 
are  two  streets  below  Main.  Other  streets,  but  partially  oc- 
cupied, east  and  west,  are  yet  unnamed.  In  the  river,  op- 
posite the  upper  and  lower  part  of  the  city,  are  some  islands, 
the  upper  one  called  Hay  Island,  and  the  lower  one.  Potato 
Island. 

The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  track  skirts 
the  river,  and  extends  to  the  mills  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
town,  and  will  go  up  indefinitely  as  business  offers. 

Merrill,  not  without  reason,  is  in  an  expectant  attitude. 
Contemplating  its  brief  history,  its  greatest  glory  is   not  in 


The  first  permanent  settlement  made,  was  in  September, 
1847,  by  Andrew  Warren,  Jr.  Mr.  Warren  was  an  energetic 
and  persevering  man,  who  began  operations  by  throwing  a 
very  substantial  dam  across  the  river,  which  was  five  hun- 
dred feet  across,  and  nine  feet  high.  By  this  means  most 
of  the  rapids  were  obliterated,  and  the  water  thrown  into  a 
single  fall,  which  gave  a  most  valuable  water-power,  which 
was  utilized  by  the  erection  of  one  of  the  most  extensive 
lumbering  establishments  at  that  time  on  the  river.  Mr. 
Warren  made  other  extensive  improvements,  and  he  must 
be  regarded  as  the  father  of  the  town. 

The  site  was  selected  with  great  judgment,  for  aside  from 
its  obvious  advantages  of  water-power,  it  must  become  the 
center  of  a  farming  and  industrial  commun  ity. 

It  was  originally  a  logging  station,  the  heavy  growth  of 
pine  was  consigned  to  the  river  here,  for  the  mills  below. 
The  settlers  here  at  first,  were  the  mill  hands  employed  by 
Mr.  Warren. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


During  the  Winter,  however,  it  became  an  active  logging 
camp,  and  in  tlie  Winter  of  1S55,  there  were  seventeen 
board  shanties  here,  filled  with  hardy  backwoodsmen.  In 
the  Spring,  after  the  river  opened,  they  were  put  on  lumber 
rafts  and  floated  down  below,  to  be  used  at  the  various  mills 
while  sawing  up  the  logs. 

Those  who  came  at  first  were  loggers  and  lumbermen,  and 
it  was  only  after  several  seasons  that  most  of  the  early  settlers 
concluded  to  remain. 

As  to  the  mill  in  1855,  O.  B.  Smith  and  Benjamin 
Cooper  owned  one-half,  and  Mr.  Warren  the  other  half. 

George  Trowbridge  was  one  of  the  first  to  locate,  which 
he  did,  below  where  the  depot  now  is.  Orson  Russell  was 
an  early  logger.  George  Goodrich  located  his  cUnm  three 
miles  north,  and  Henry  Goodrich,  seven  miles  north,  at  Hay 
Meadow. 

Ca])t.  Space  and  his  wife,  who  was  Margaret  A.  Shankle, 
came  at  the  same  time,  to  keep  the  boarding-house  for 
Cooper  &  Smith.  They  afterward  kept  a  hotel,  which  has 
only  just  been  discontinued. 

H.  Streeter  belongs  to  the  list  of  early  settlers,  as  does 
T.  P.  Mathews,  and  others  still  here. 

In  the  time  of  the  fur  companies,  M.  Bollier  had  a  trad- 
ing-post about  one  and  a  half  miles  below  Jenny,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river.  It  was  a  huge  log  cabin,  the  chim- 
ney and  cellar  remained  long  afterward. 

A.  C.  Norway,  Henry  Goodrich,  Orville  Jones,  O.  B. 
Smith,  George  Strowbridge,  Joseph  Newcomb  and  William 
Averill  and  family  were  here  as  early  as  185  i. 

The  place  up  to  that  time,  and  for  several  years  after- 
ward, was  little  more  than  a  mill  and  its  boarding-house. 

The  advent  of  the  railroad,  and  the  organization  of  the 
Boom  Company,  mark  the  era  of  commencing  prosperity 
and  growth  of  Merrill.  There  were  those  who,  locating  in 
Jenny,  had  an  abiding  faith  in  its  future,  and  from  present 
appearances  their  faith  will  be  rewarded  by  the  works  now 
building. 

Railroad. — The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road, formerly  the  Wisconsin  Valley  road,  has  its  present 
terminus  here,  and  the  track  is  extending,  and  a  bridge 
building  above  the  town,  to  accommodate  the  new  saw  and 
other  mills  going  up  there.  At  present,  the  service  is  once 
a  day  each  way,  both  for  passengers  and  freight.  The  sta- 
tion agent  is  F.  A.  Hanover.  The  receipts  are  :  For  pas- 
sengers, $500  a  month;  in-freight,  $2,000;  out-freight, 
$5,876.88,  and  rapidly  increasing. 

Churches. — There  was  only  occasional  and  .scattering 
services  by  the  Methodists  up  to  February  15,  1S75,  when 
the  Presiding  Elder,  Rev.  George  Fellows,  organized  a 
church  here.  Rev.  T.  O.  Patridge  was  the  pastor.  The 
trustees  were:  Th.  C.  Patridge,  Ole  Gilbert,  F.  M.  An- 
drews, Payson  Patridge.  John  Mclnnis,  Van  R.  Wiihird 
and  J.  P.  Haben. 

After  this.  Rev.  W.  C.  Waldron,  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Royce  were  here. 

In  May,  1881,  Rev.  F.  L.  Wharton  was  stationed  here, 
and  he  began  the  erection  of  a  nice  little  church,  which  cost 


upwards  of  $3,000,  and   will    seat   300    people,  and  is  ar-  ,1 

ranged  for  a  vestry.    The  society  had  service  in  the  school-  ' 

house  until  the  church  was  completed,  in  the  Fall  of  1881.  I 

The  Church   seems  to  be   entering  upon  a  career  of  pros-  | 

perity.  ' 

After  various  vicissitudes,  attending  a  few  efforts  of  the  ' 

struggling  members  of  the  Presbyterian  sect,  in  1879,  on 
October  iQ,  an  organization  was  effected.   Rev.  J.  S.  Weston,  | 

who   is   now   County   Superintendent   of  Schools,   was   the  ' 

first  pastor,  having  been  here  before.  In  July,  1881,  Rev. 
Howard  S.  Talbot  came  here  from  New  York  City. 

A  pastor's  residence  has  just  been  built  near  the  court-  \ 

house,  and  the  money  raised  to  build  a  church,  on  the  plans 
presented  by  a  leading  New  York  architect.  The  design  is 
unlike  any  thing  seen  in  the  West ;  will  cost  $3,500,  and  its 
construction  will  be  an  abrupt  stepping  aside  from  the  con- 
ventional path  so  uniformly  trod  by  our  church  builders. 
It  is  quaint,  unique  and  well  adapted  to  its  purpose. 

St.  Johannes  Gemeinde  was  organized  on  the  24th  of 
April,  1874.  In  1881,  a  church  edifice  was  commenced,  to 
be  completed  before  Winter.  The  church  will  cost  $1,500, 
or  more.     Rev.  Mr.  Rehwinkel  has  been  the  only  pastor. 

Notwithstanding  there  has  been  no  distinctive  place  of 
worship  in  Merrill  until  the  Fall  of  1881,  the  audiences  as- 
sembled whenever  preaching  has  been  announced  have 
been  large,  and  always  orderly. 

Societies. — Merrill  is  as  yet  not  very  extensively  indu- 
rated with  fraternal  societies. 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1S81,  a  lodge  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.  was  instituted.  The  following,  in  part,  are  the  officers : 
Herman  Barsch,  N.  G. ;  A.  MiUspaugh,  V.  G.  ;  Ed.  Kluetz, 
R.  S.  ;  Ed.  Patzer,  treasurer.  The  institution  starts  out 
well. 

Good  Templars,  North  Star  Lodge,  instituted  January 
25,  1875.  J.  P.  Haben,  W.  C.  T. ;  Mrs.  H.  A.  Ancott,  W. 
V.  T.;  W.  H.  Swineheart,  W.  S. 

Merrill  Cemetery  Association. — The  property  of  the 
association  has  been  deeded  to  the  Town  Board  —  so  that 
the  cemetery  is  public  property. 

Early  in  the  history  of  Jenny,  a  dramatic  club  was 
formed  and  the  efforts  of  the  company  were  highly  appre- 
ciated, and  Winter  after  Winter  the  tedium  of  the  long 
evenings  was  varied  with  the  pleasing  performances  of  a  like 
company,  which  has  been  from  time  to  time  re-organized. 
The  members  for  the  Winter  of  1881-2  are:  Harry  Howe, 
J.  E.  West,  C.  F.  Hanson,  C.  E.  Hill,  Norway,  By- 
ron Dorn,  G.  Young,  Frank  Smith,  Sadie  Dorn,  Mrs.  C.  F. 
Hanson,  Lizzie  Young,  S.  J.  Robinson,  and  others. 

Schools. — The  education  of  the  children  here  has  from 
the  first  been  carefully  attended  to.  Prof.  J.  P.  Haben  was 
one  of  the  early  Superintendents  and  teachers;  Mr.  F.  Ste- 
vens, Clarence  Hamilton  and  E.  B.  Smith  were  afterward  in 
charge  of  the  schools.  There  are  five  scliools  in  three 
buildings,  one  of  them  belonging  to  the  city,  with  three  good 
rooms,  supplied  with  all  the  modern  appliances.  M.  C. 
Porter  is  the  present  principal  and  School  Superintendent 
of  the  town.     There  are  in  town  360  children  of  school  age. 


HISTORY   OF    LINCOLN   COUNTY. 


78  males  and  182  females,  with  an  actual  attendance  of 
225.  The  schools  are  graded  into  primary,  intermediate 
and  grammar.  The  other  teachers  are:  Miss  Alice  Clear, 
Miss  Alice  Dee,  Miss  Josie  O'Neill,  Miss  Kate  Smith. 
The  schools  are  well  managed  and  well  up,  in  an  education- 
al view. 

The  post-office  is  centrally  located,  and  is  well  arranged, 
with  a  prompt  distribution  and  delivery  of  the  mail.  The 
sales  of  stamps  during  the  last  quarter  of  1880  were  $228.- 
29;  the  third  quarter  in  1881  disposed  of  $477  43,  more 
than  double  in  nine  months,  which  ought  to  reveal  the  real 
growth  of  the  place.  Charles  J.  Osborne  is  Postmaster  and 
Mrs.  Nellie  Osborne,  assistant. 

The  Lumber  Business.- — Like  every  place  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin River,  tlie  pine  lumber  was,  as  it  still  is  here,  the  inspi- 
ration. Without  the  pine,  this  whole  region,  for  aught  we 
know,  would  still  be  the  howling  wilderness  the  hardy  pio- 
neer penetrated  forty  years  ago. 

The  first  mill  was  that  of  Andrew  Warren.  He  ran  it 
for  several  years  and  sold  an  interest  to  Cooper  &  Smith. 
In  1857,  Mr.  Warren,  realizing  the  necessity  of  a  railroad, 
and  having  confidence  in  the  plausible  representations  in 
regard  to  the  Horicon  Railroad  scheme,  turned  over  one- 
half  of  the  mill  property  to  the  railroad  company  and  mort- 
gaged the  other  half  in  the  same  interest,  when  this  ex- 
pansive bubble  burst.  The  owners  of  the  mill  succeeded 
in  recovering  the  part  sold,  while  the  mortgaged  part  was 
lost  to  them.  In  1870,  John  B.  Scott,  an  enterprising  citi- 
zen of  Grand  Rapids,  down  the  river,  bought  the  Smith  in- 
terest in  the  mill,  and  a  part  of  the  Cooper  interest.  From 
this  time,  the  property  has  been  steadily  improved  in  all 
respects,  large  piling  yards  have  been  prepared,  drying 
sheds  built,  railway  tracks  laid,  improved  machinery  intro- 
duced and  the  mill  in  all  its  appointments  is  first-class. 
The  firm  name  is  J.  B.  Scott  &  Co.,  and  has  a  high  reputa- 
tion in  business  circles. 

The  Jenny  Lumber  Company. — M.  H.  McCord  and  H. 
E.  Howe  built  a  mill  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village  in  the 
Winter  of  1879.  This  mill  was  operated  with  good  success 
until  July  19,  1881,  when  it  was  burned  to  ashes,  entailing 
a  loss  of  $30,000.  Each  of  the  partners  of  the  firm  will,  in 
the  Winter  of  1881,  build  a  new  mill  on  a  large  scale,  one  of 
them,  Mr.  McCord' s,  on  the  old  site,  while  Mr.  Howe  will 
build  on  the  island  opposite.  They  will  severally  associate 
themselves  with  new  partners,  and  have  strong  firms.  The 
one  will  be  McCord  &  Wright,  the  other,  H.  E.  Howe,  H. 
H.  Chandler  and  Ed.  Whitlock  :   H.  E.  Howe  &  Co. 

The  Merrill  Manufacturing  Company  is  composed  of 
capitalists  from  Fond  du  Lac,  and  the  mill  was  built  in  the 
Winter  of  1880-1,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  town.  It  is  a 
first-class  mill,  and  during  its  first  season  has  done  good 
work.  The  members  of  the  firm  are :  Col.  C.  K.  Pier, 
Charles  Mihills,  and  Mr.  Skinner,  who  is  the  manager. 
This  was  the  initial  mill  after  Jenny  became  Merrill,  and 
infused  new  life  into  the  young  city. 

Champagne   &  Woodlock  are   building  a  saw-mill  on 


what  is  called  the  old  Robinson  place,  above  "Prospect 
Park,"  the  juvenile  suburb  of  Merrill.  It  will  have  im- 
proved machinery  and  be  of  large  capacity. 

The  Lincoln  Lumber  Company,  during  the  Winter  of 
iSSi-2,  will  build  across  the  river  opposite  the  Island  above 
the  town,  a  mill  with  a  capacity  of  100,000  feet  a  day.  It 
will  have  double  rotaries  and  gangs  of  the  latest  form. 
The  building  will  be  40.X1S0  feet,  with  a  machine  shop  at- 
tached. There  will  be  six  boilers,  forty-two  inches  by 
twenty-four  feet.  Three  steam  engines  with  18-inch  cylin- 
ders, built  by  Th.  R.  Reeves,  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  who  also  con- 
structs some  of  the  other  machinery.  Planing,  re-sawing, 
and  other  dressing  machinery  will  be  extensive,  and  the 
whole  establishment  will  be  a  model  in  every  respect,  and  a 
prominent  factor  in  building  up  Merrill. 

Lincoln  County  flouring  mill,  built  in  1877  ;  was  thor- 
oughly remodeled  in  the  Summer  of  1881.  Charles  E. 
Mayer  was  the  millwright.  It  now  has  five  sets  of  Stevens' 
rollers,  a  new  bolt,  an  Eureka  packer,  and  all  the  latest  mill- 
ing improvements.  It  is  located  at  the  south  end  of  the 
dam,  and  is  driven  by  water.  It  is  owned  by  Rusch  & 
Spiegelberg. 

The  Bar  is  well  represented  in  Lincoln  County. 

E.  L.  Bump,  of  Wausau  ;  H.  Hetzel  and  W.  H.  Cannon 
are  associated  in  a  firm  under  the  name  of  Bump,  Hetzel  & 
Cannon.  They  do  a  law,  collection  and  insurance  busi- 
ness. 

D.  W.  McLeod  and  V.  R.  Willard,  constitute  the  law  firm 
of  Willard  &  McLeod. 

Hoyt  and  Meadows  are  associated  as  Hoyt  &  Meadows; 
practice  in  all  the  courts. 

Van  R.  Willard,  attorney  at  law,  real  estate,  tax-pay- 
ing, etc. 

George  Gale,  attorney  at  law. 

The  medical  profession  has  as  practitioners  :  Dr.  L.  B. 
La  Count,  Dr.  John  Wiley,  Dr.  J.  F.  Whiting,  Dr.  F.  H. 
McNeel.     Dentist,  G.  W.  Stoan. 

Ross,  McCord  &  Co.,  own  the  only  bank  in  the  place, 
and  it  has  the  full  confidence  of  the  community,  and  ample 
facilities  for  transacting  all  business  offered.  The  proprie- 
tors are  Johi;  Ross,  of  Galena,  111.;  Th.  B.  Scott,  Grand 
Rapids,  Wis.,  and  M.  H.  McCord,  Merrill,  Wis.  President, 
M.  H.  McCord ;  Cashier,  H.  C.  Ross.  The  bank  has  a 
fine  building,  with  a  secure  vault  built  up  with  the  structure, 
and  with  all  modern  requirements. 

Newspapers. — Merrill  has  two  well-appointed  newspa- 
pers ;  the  first  one  in  the  field  was  the  Lincoln  County  Ad- 
vocate, making  its  first  appearance  February  6,  1875,  with 
M.  H.  McCord,  editor,  and  A.  D.  Gorham,  publisher.  It 
is  a  well  made  up  paper. 

The  Northern  Wisconsin  A^ews,  was  the  next  candidate 
for  public  favor,  and  it  was  sent  out  the  first  time  in  1878, 
by  Finn  &  Vaughan.  June  17,  i88r,  it  was  sold  to  the 
present  proprietors.  It  is  now  published  by  W.  H.  Cannon, 
H.  C.  Hetzel  and  H.  J.  Hoffman,  and  is  an  enterprising 
sheet. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


George  H.  Ripley  is  proprietor  of  a  stage  line  running 
daily  between  Merrill  and  King's  Station  via  Rock  Falls, 
connecting  with  the  trains  both  ways. 

Merrill  and  Grandfather,  leaves  Merrill,  Tuesdays  and 
Fridays  at  i  o'clock  p.  m.     Leaves  Grandfather  same  days  at 

6  A.  M. 

There  is  at  the  present  time  such  a  "  boom"  in  Merrill, 
to  use  a  current  expression,  that  before  this  work  gets  to 
press  there  may  be  numerous  changes  and  additions  to  its 
business  ;  but  this  is  a  faithful  photograph  of  this  juvenile 
emporium  of  the  lakelet  county  of  Wisconsin,  whose 
future  must  be  in  striking  contrast  with  the  inertia  of  its 
past. 

V.ARIOUS    EVENTS. 

In  the  Winter  of  1875,  Dan  Scott  began  to  run  a  daily 
line  of  stages  to  Wausau,  having  been  tri-weekly  before  this. 

In  the  Spring  of  1875,  6,000,000  feet  of  lumber  was  run 
down  the  river  from  Merrill. 

Scott  &  Andrews'  mill  started  the   15th  of  March,  1875. 

In  June,  1875,  two  pianos  were  brought  to  town. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1S75,  the  lirst  daily-mail  service 
began. 

Land  sold  in  the  county  in  the  year  ending  September  i, 
1875,  57,672  acres,  valued  at  $175,155. 

In  the  Winter  of  1876,  hard  wood  was  worth  from  %2  to 
§3  a  cord. 

On  the  23d  of  March,  1876,  a  Ladies"  Aid  Society  was 
organized.  Mrs.  D.  h.  Klein,  president  ;  Mrs.  G.  W.  Stro- 
bridge,  secretary  ;  Mrs.  C.  B.  Donaldson,  treasurer. 

The  centennial  celebration  of  the  4th  of  July,  1876,  was 
not  neglected  in  Merrill.  Dan  A.  Klein  led  an  appropriate 
procession  o{  fantastiijues.  .\  glee  club  sang  patriotic  songs. 
M.  H.  McCord  was  the  orator  of  the  day.  E.  B.  Donald- 
son was  the  chaplain.  Charles  O'Niell  read  a  centennial 
l)oem. 

The  lumber  cut  in  1876,  was  :  Lumber,  4,1  75,135  ;  shin- 
gles, 2,040,000  ;  hard  wood,  175,000  ;  pickets,  131,000  ;  lath, 
100,000. 

In  the  Winter  of  1877,  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the 
Wisconsin  Legislature,  to  divide  Lincoln  County  and  organ- 
ize from  the  northern  part  the  county  of  Manitowoc. 

Much  excitement  prevailed  in  northern  Wisconsin, 
in  1876-7,  in  relation  to  taxing  certain  railroad  lands.  A 
law  was  finally  passed,  exemjiiing  them  from  taxation  for  a 
term  of  years. 

In  July,  1877,  the  section  of  the  temperance  cause, 
called  the  "  Murphy  movement,"  struck  Merrill,  and  had 
an  ephemeral  effect. 

An  election,  in  October,  1878,  to  see  whether  the  county 
would  give  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  Company  $110,- 
000,  was  carried  in  the  affirmative,  but  it  afterward  came  to 
naught. 

Improvements  in  Merrill,  in  1878,  about  $40,000. 

September  22,  1879,  a  dramatic  company  was  formed, 
with  Tip  Caul,  R.  F.  Vaughn,  M.  W.  Sweeney,  Harry  Howe, 
Nellie  Day,  and  others,  as  members. 

On  Thursday,  August  7,  1879,  the  county  voted,  nine  to 


one,  to  exchange  $55,000  in  bonds  for  a  like  amount  of 
railroad  stock. 

Dwellings  erected  in  1880,  35  ;  business  buildings,  6. 
1881,  dwellings,  102  ;  business  buildings,  30. 

At  the  big  fresliet  in  June,  1880,  there  was  an  enormous 
jam  of  logs  on  the  Grandfather,  which  was  broken  on 
the  16th. 

The  Jenny  Lumber  Co.'s  mill  was  burned  on  the  night 
of  July  19,  1881.  McCord  &  Howe  were  proprietors.  It 
was  a  great  loss,  $30,000,  the  insurance  being  but  §8,000. 

There  has  been  but  little  criminal  violence  in  Merrill. 
In  the  Summer  of  1881,  Owen  Lloyd  shot  and  killed  a  girl 
named  Jessie  Adams,  at  the  house  where  she  lived.  He 
was  subsequently  tried,  adjudged  guilty  of  murder,  and 
sentenced  to  State  Prison  for  life. 

February  6,  1881,  near  the  depot,  a  meat  market  was 
burned. 

The  real  estate  transfers,  in  1880,  amounted  to  167,- 
000,000  acres. 

THE    GRE.-\T    DELUGE. 

The  various  floods  on  the  Wisconsin,  the  most  notable 
of  which  are  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  counties 
below  through  which  the  river  runs,  did  comparatively  little 
damage  in  Merrill  up  to  the  time  of  the  great  June  freshet, 
in  1880.  After  a  copious  and  long  continued  rain  the  river 
began  to  rise  until  it  was  higher  than  ever  remembered  here, 
and  as  the  mighty  waters  went  rushing  onward,  a  great 
destruction  of  property  was  witnessed,  the  breaking  of 
booms,  mills  torn  from  their  foundations,  bridges  swept 
away,  and  millions  of  feet  of  logs  hurried  down  the  impetu- 
ous stream.  The  railroad  sustained  heavy  damage  by  being 
submerged,  having  washouts,  bridges  dislocated,  telegraph 
lines  disabled  and  communication  effectually  cut  off.  John 
B.  Scott's  dam  was  carried  away.  The  Jenny  Company's 
logs  were  in  imminent  danger,  but  they  stood  the  awful 
pressure.  The  bridges  on  the  Trappe  River  took  the  occa- 
sion to  make  excursions  down  stream.  The  mill  on  the 
Pine  was  considerably  damaged,  and  the  bridge  near  its 
mouth  conformed  to  the  moving  spirit  and  went  with  the 
current.  Mr.  Hazeltine  had  half  a  million  feet  of  logs  join 
their  companions  in  the  main  river.  John  Callon's  boom, 
dam  and  logs,  a  valuable  trio,  joined  in  the  chorus  of  "the 
march  to  the  sea."  A  temporary  boom  at  Mclndoe's  Island, 
containing  about  a  million  feet  of  logs,  headed  the  proces- 
sion for  the  region  down  below. 

Jenny,  or  Merrill,  as  it  now  is,  or  Jenny  Merrill  (to  re- 
tain for  a  dashing  young  city  in  her  teens  her  Christian 
name),  is  so  well  set  up  above  the  river,  with  sloping  banks 
that  greatly  magnifies  its  carrying  capacity  as  it  rises,  that 
the  highest  flood  is  enjoyed  as  a  spectacle,  the  damage  it 
may  be  doing  up  and  down  the  river  exciting  the  same  kind 
of  sympathy  given  to  the  poor  sailors  by  well  housed  peo- 
ple when  the  tempest  is  howling  without. 

The  early  Fall  of  1881  was  an  exceptionally  rainy  one, 
and  while  with  the  moving  out  of  the  ice  in  the  Spring  with 
tiie  melted  accumulation  of  ilie  snow  of  the  Winter  is 
expected,  this  flood  and    the   long  continued  stage  of  high 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


445 


water  was  entirely  a  new  experience,  and  a  like  visitation 
unremembered  by  that  widely  located  individual,  the 
"oldest  inhabitant." 

Merrill's  Honored  Dead. 

DR.  DUDLEY  E.  BLODGETT.  The  Doctor  came  here  when 
Jenny  was  young,  and  when  it  was  uncertain  whether  it  would  ever 
live  to  grow  up.  He  had  previously  lived  in  Oshkosh,  and  he  was  well 
educated,  and  a  man  o(  extraordinary  abilities,  an  extensive  reader, 
familiar  with  the  past  and  current  literature.  Originally,  he  had  a 
vigorous  constitution  which  became  greatly  undermined,  although  he 
rallied  at  times  to  evince  a  remarkable  amount  of  activity.  He  used 
stimulants  freely  with  periodical  exacerbations,  and  step  by  step,  he 
went  down,  and  at  the  age  of  ihirty-five,  on  the  31st  of  August,  1881, 
his  earthly  light  went  out.  lie  was  an  honorable,  free  and  kind  hearted 
man,  and  left  none  but  friends. 

MISS  MAY  POOR  was  for  several  years,  a  resident  of  Merrill,  as 
a  successful  music  teacher.  She  died  in  the  East,  May  7,  1S81,  aged 
twenty-six  years.     She  was  a  beloved  sister  of  Mrs.  G.  \V.  Strobridge. 

JOSEPH  S.  SNOW.  When  sixty-eight  years  of  age,  on  the  27lh 
of  August,  1S81,  Mr.  Snow  departed  this  life,  at  the  residence  of  Thomas 
Maloney.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  this  section,  having 
arrived  forty  years  before  his  death,  when  he  settled  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  but  subsequently  moved  on  to  the  west  side,  where  I'or  the 
past  twenty  years,  he  was  engaged  in  farming,  having  been  in  early 
days  a  successful  logger.  He  was  a  broad  shouldered  man  who  never 
recoiled  from  any  responsibility. 

TERESA  J.  ANDREWS  was  born  in  Middlebury,  Tioga  Co., 
Pa.,  Aug  II,  1S46.  She  was  married  with  Mr.  F.  M.  Andrews,  Aug. 
10,  186S,  and  immediately  came  West.  She  was  a  most  estimable 
woman,  kind  and  considerate,  and  with  a  quiet  dignity  and  simplicity 
that  won  all  hearts.  She  was  a  much  beloved  wife  and  mother.  Her 
departure  was  on  the  22d  of  February,  1879,  leaving  a  husband  and 
three  children  to  keenly  feel  their  great  loss. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHARLES  ARCHIBALD,  contractor  and  builder,  Merrill,  was 
born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  Dec.  10,  1850.  He  served  an  apprenticeship 
of  four  years  in  Montreal  before  beginning  his  present  occupation.  He 
first  settled  in  Green  Bay  ;  remained  there  and  in  that  vicinity  six  years, 
following  his  trade.  Then  he  went  to  Wausau  for  about  four  years,  and 
from  there  came  to  Merrill.  He  was  married  in  September,  1879,  to 
Mary  R.  Comb.     She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  AVERILL,  dry  goods,  groceries,  notions,  etc.,  Merrill, 
was  born  in  Mt.  Vernon,  N.  H.,  Oct.  8,  1807.  He  came  to  Geneva  in 
October,  1840,  where  he  lived  nine  years,  following  farming.  In  1849, 
he  came  to  Merrill,  and  lived  about  two  miles  above  the  present  site  of 
the  place;  here  he  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1865,  engaged  in  lum- 
bering and  farming;  he  then  went  to  Montello,  and  carried  the  U.S. 
mail  from  there  to  Pardeeville,  which  he  followed  about  two  years,  then 
removed  again  to  Merrill.  Two  years  after  his  return  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  He  has  served  as  Postmaster  at  Merrill  for  ten 
years.  He  was  married,  in  1842,  at  Geneva.  His  wife  died  in  the 
Spring  of  1856.  They  had  six  children— Chilli,  William,  Jr.,  and  Ella, 
living,  and  Anna,  Sarah  and  an  infant,  deceased.  He  was  again  mar- 
ried, in  the  Summer  of  1870,  to  Mrs.  Agnes  Baldwin,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land. 

HENRY  BAEH MAN,  blacksmith,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Prussia, 
Nov.  I,  1847.  He  first  settled  in  Granville,  Milwaukee  Co.,  in  1866, 
where  he  lived  about  one  year,  then  he  moved  to  Milwaukee,  in  1867, 
and  to  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1868,  and  to  St.  Paul,  soon  after,  and  went 
into  the  pine  woods,  running  a  blacksmith  shop.  He  remained  there 
one  Winter  then  he  went  to  Minneapolis.  He  relumed  to  Milwaukee  ; 
was  there  a  short  time  and  went  to  Weyauwega.  from  there  he  went  to 
Wausau,  and  came  to  Merrill  in  Fall,  1874.  He  was  married  in  town 
of  Berlin,  Marathon  Co..  October,  1873.  to  Lena  Ninow,  who  was  born 
in  Prussia,  Aug.  17,  1853.  They  have  four  children— Martha,  Edward, 
Otto  and  Henry,  Jr. 

CHARLES  H.  BARNUM,  restaurant,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Rosen- 
dale,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Oct.  15,  1854.  His  parents  lived  there  one 
year  and  moved  to  Wausau,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood.  He  after- 
ward visited  various  portions  of  the  West  and  finally  located  at  Marsh- 
field,  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  He  remained  eight  months 
in  that  place,  and  followed  his  present  occupation,  then  sold  out  and 
came  to  Merrill.  He  was  married  at  Wausau,  Oct.  17.  1877,  to  Mary 
I.  Sarvis,  who  was  born  in  East  Oasis,  Waushara  Co.,  Oct.  20,  1857. 
They  have  one  child,  named  Georgiana. 

JOHN  BORNGESSER,  proprietor  of  meat  market,  Merrill,  was 
born  in  Hartford,  Wis.,  Feb.  26,  1858.  He  lived  there  with  his  parents 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  then  they  located  in  Weyauwega. 
He  was  there  with  them,  at  different  times,  until  April  13,  1881,  at 


which  time  he  began  his  present  business  in  Merrill.  He  was  married 
in  Quinnesee,  Mich.,  Feb.  21,  1881,  to  Amanda  D.  Tourtlott,  who  was 
born  in  Oconto,  Oct.  5,  1853. 

HERMAN  C.  F.  BOETTCHER,  of  the  firm  of  Boetlcher  Bros., 
general  merchandise  and  manufacturers  of  brick.  Merrill,  first  came  to 
Wisconsin,  June  25,  1869  ;  visited  various  places  in  the  State  and  finally 
located  in  Merrill,  October,  1870.  He  engaged  in  the  pineries  sever.al 
Winters,  taking  contracts  for  piling  lumber,  etc.  He  began  business  in 
his  store.  Nov.  7,  1877.  He  was  born  in  Plathe.  Pommern,  Prussia, 
Germany,  March  2,  1844.  Married,  March  13,  1S73,  in  Caarzig.  near 
Naugard,  Prussia,  to  Friederika  Kmaack,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
place.  They  have  had  six  children  —  Otto.  Richard,  Martha,  and  an 
infant  not  yet  named  ;  also,  Robert  and  Charles,  now  deceased, 

WILLIAM.  H.  CANNON,  District  Attorney,  and  one  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Norlliern  IVisconsiit  A'ews,  Merrill,  first  settled  in 
Plainfield,  in  the  Fall  of  1858.  He  spent  his  school  days  in  the  above 
village,  and  lived  there  until  he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  Neillsville,  where  he  studied  and  practiced  law  for  about 
four  years,  when  he  came  to  Merrill  and  has  since  been  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  here.  He  was  born  in  North  Branch,  N.  V.,  Septem- 
ber, 1852.  Was  married  at  Ripon,  Wis.,  Jan.  I,  1880,  to  Maggie  E. 
Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Fond  du   Lac  County. 

DANIEL  O.  CHANDLER,  of  the  firm  of  Chandler  &  Co.,  pro- 
prietors City  Bakery  and  Restaurant,  Merrill,  was  born  at  Pitcher's 
Springs,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  23.  1848.  He  came  to  Boscobel, 
in  1858,  living  at  home  until  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  at  which  time  he 
enlisted  as  drummer  in  Co.  K,  12th  Wis.  V.  I.,  at  the  age  of  thirteen. 
He  served  out  his  enlistment,  when  he  le-enlisted  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville.  Ky.,  July  16, 
1865.  He  then  went  to  his  home  in  Boscobel  and  remained  until  No- 
vember, 1S65,  when  he  went  to  Wausau,  where  he  resided  until  1876, 
when  he  settled  in  Merrill.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  January,  1865, 
to  Mary  E.  Stephens,  who  was  born  in  Marathon  County,  Aug.  25,  1S58. 
They  have  one  child,  Garfield. 

HENRY  H.  CHANDLER,  general  merchandise,  millinery  and 
fancy  goods,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Bloomfield,  Me.,  March  i,  1836.  He 
settled  in  Milwaukee  in  the  Fall,  1857;  engaged  as  a  mechanic,  and  re- 
mained until  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion,  when  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Co.  B,  1st  Reg.,  Wis.  V.  I.  He  served  three  months  and  was 
re-enlisted  as  first  sergeant  in  Co.  D,  same  regiment,  for  three  years. 
He  served  nine  months  in  that  capacity  when  he  was  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant,  served  about  one  year  when  he  was  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant.  He  was  soon  after  appointed  captain  in  1st  U.  S.,  V.  V. 
Engs.,  under  Col.  William  E.  Merrill,  and  served  until  the  close  of  war  ; 
was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  when  he  returned  to  Milwaukee. 
From  thence  he  moved  to  Green  Bay,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  shingles,  remaining  until  the  Fall  of  1871.  He  then  moved  to  Osh- 
kosh, where  he  again  began  manufacturing  shingles,  until  the  Spring  of 
1874,  when  he  moved  to  Manville.  in  the  same  business,  also  keeping 
hotel  and  store.  In  November,  1879,  he  came  to  Merrill  and  began  his 
present  occupation.  During  the  season  of  1S80,  he  was  identified  with 
the  Jenny  Lumber  Co.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  Nov.  4,  1864, 
to  Emily  S.  Prevo,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  March  21.  1842. 

P.  B.  CHAMPAGNE,  dry  goods,  hardware,  provisions  and  lumber- 
men's supplies,  also  dealer  in  logs  and  lumber,  Merrill.  Was  born  in 
Juliette,  Canada  E.ast,  Dec.  8,  1846.  He  located  at  Grand  Rapids,  in 
December,  1863,  where  he  remained  until  1870,  in  the  lumber  business; 
from  there  he  went  to  Wausau.  where  he  was  engaged  part  of  the  time 
in  the  mercantile  business  and  lumbering  until  1S75,  at  which  time  he 
came  to  Merrill,  and  engaged  in  his  present  occupation.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Friendship,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1871,  to  Alice  G.  Coon,  who 
was  born  in  Deposit,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.  Oct.  28,  1853.  They  have 
two  children,  Percy  B.  and  Marie  E.  Mr.  Champ.igne  is  the  present 
Chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  Lincoln  County.  He  is  aUo  Chair- 
man of  Supervisors  of  his  town.  He  does  an  extensive  business  in  the 
pineries,  and  employs  150  men. 

FRED  H.  CLARK,  contractor  and  builder  and  architect,  Merrill. 
Was  born  at  New  York  Mills,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  5,  185;.  He 
came  to  Wausau,  with  his  parents  in  1S59,  where  he  spent  his  school- 
days, and  remained  until  1870;  he  then  went  to  Winnebago  City,  Minn., 
where  he  lived  three  years,  and  learned  his  trade;  he  then  returned  to 
Wausau,  where  he  remained  until  1S76;  since  that  time  he  has  been  in 
business  in  Stevens  Point.  Plainfield  and  Marslifield.  He  built  a  num- 
ber of  good  buildings  at  the  above  places.  He  came  to  Merrill  in  the 
Spring  of  1881,  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Mr.  Wm.  La  Selle,  of 
Wausau.  He  was  married  at  Plainfield.  Oct.  17,  1S80,  to  Lizzie  Cope- 
land,  who  was  born  in  the  township  of  Maine,  State  of  Maine,  July 
23,  1862. 

WILLIAM  DEREG.  SherifT  Lincoln  County.  Came  to  Merrill  in 
the  Fall  of  1870,  and  worked  in  the  pine  woods  and  at  lumbering.  He 
was  also  engaged  working  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  driving  logs  and 
running  the  river,  which  business  he  followed  about  six  years;  then  he 
began  the  lumber  business  for  himself,  which  he  followed  four  years 


446 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


until  the  Fall  of  1880,  at  which  time  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Lincoln 
County.  He  was  born  in  New  Hrunswick,  May  22,  1857,  and  spent  his 
school-days  in  Blackberry,  Kane  County,  111. 

THOMAS  DE  VALL,  contractor  and  builder.  Merrill.  Came  di- 
rect to  this  place  in  June.  1880,  from  Europe.  He  was  born  in  Here- 
fordshire, England,  April  28,  1847,  and  there  learned  his  trade.  He 
lived  in  various  portions  of  the  Southwest  for  eleven  years,  then  returned 
to  Europe  on  a  visit,  remaining  two  years,  after  which  he  came  to  Mer- 
rill. He  was  married  in  England,  November,  1878.  to  Beatrice  Yapp, 
who  was  born  in  England,  in  1852. 

MELVIN  B.  DILLE,  foreman  in  Jenny  Lumber  Company  saw- 
mills, Merrill.  First  came  to  Wisconsin  in  October,  1S49.  and  settled  in 
Lomira,  Dodge  Co.;  he  lived  there  a  greater  share  of  the  time  until  i860, 
and  from  there  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  lived  live  years,  and 
there  began  milling.  He  went  from  there  to  Green  Bay,  remaining  three 
years,  then  went  to  Oakfield,  remaining  two  years,  engaged  in  retail 
lumber  trade.  From  there  he  went  to  Necedah,  in  1870,  where  he  pur- 
chased one-half  interest  in  a  shingle  mill,  the  firm  name  being,  "The 
Shingle  .Mill  Co.,"  composed  of  T.  Weston  &  Co.,  and  M.  B.  Dille.  He 
remained  at  Necedah  for  ten  years  and  then  came  to  Merrill,  fie  was 
born  in  Madison,  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  July  27,  1833.  He  was  married  in 
Lomira,  Nov.  17,  1859.  to  Mary  J.  Wade,  who  was  born  in  New  York. 
She  died,  March  24,  1877.  They  had  three  children,  named.  Wade  M., 
Jennie  L.  and  Rosa  B.  He  was  again  married  Oct.  27,  1877,  to  Marga- 
ret Walsh,  a  native  of  New  Brunswick. 

DAVID  FINN,  contractor  and  builder,  lumberer  and  farmer,  Mer- 
rill. Settled  with  his  parents  in  Oconomowoc,  in  the  Spring  of  1S52, 
They  lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1859,  'hen  moved  into  the  town  of 
Texas,  Marathon  Co.;  they  lived  there  until  the  organization  of  Lincoln 
County,  when  the  subject  of  our  sketch  moved  into  the  town  of  Pine 
River,  where  he  at  present  resides.  He  was  elected  Superintendent  of 
Schools  in  the  Fall  of  1874,  which  office  he  held  for  six  years.  He  has 
held  several  town  offices  also.  He  was  born  in  New  York  City,  April 
23,  185 1  Mr.  Finn  established  the  Noithern  Wisconsin  A'Vw.r,  and  was 
proprietor  of  the  same  until  1S80,  at  Merrill. 

JOHN  J.  FROEULICH,  manufactuier,  cigars,  of  the  firm  of 
Neubauer  &  Froehlich,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  July  23,  1S51, 
where  he  spent  his  schooldays.  After  visiting  various  portions  of  the 
West,  he  finally  located  in  Merrill,  May  3,  iSSl. 

FRANCIS  E.  FULLER,  photographer, Merrill;  first  setlledat  Wausau 
in  the  fall  of  1S69,  at  which  place  he  began  photographing.  He  remained 
there  four  ye:!rs,  from  there  he  went  to  Manchester,  Iowa,  and  followed 
the  hotel  business,  until  January.  1879.  then  he  went  to  Wausau,  and 
again  began  photographing.  July  6,  iSSo,  he  came  to  Merrill.  He  was 
born  in  Harvard,  McHenry  Co.,  III.,  June  27,  1852.  He  has  been 
twice  married,  and  lost  both  wives,  and  also  one  boy. 

AUGUSTUS  D.  GORH.\M,  publisher,  Lincoln  County  Advocate, 
was  born  in  Green  Bay,  March  31,  1846.  He  lived  there  until  tlie  later 
part  of  1867,  and  there  learned  the  printer's  trade.  He  went  to  Shawano, 
and  followed  his  business  in  the  office  of  M.  H.  McCord,  where  he  remained 
until  Jan.  16,  1875  ;  from  there  he  came  to  .Merrill,  where  hehassince 
lived.  He  served  one  term  as  Clerk  Circuit  Court,  of  Shawano  County. 
After  coming  to  Merrill,  he  also  served  three  terms  in  the  same  capacity. 
He  was  married  in  Shawano,  May  13.  1874,  to  Kate  M.  Bridge,  who  was 
born  in  Shawano,  May  13,  1857.     They  have  one  boy,  William  A. 

JOHN  M.  GRIGNON,  in  shingle-mill  of  T.  B.  Scott,  Merrill,  was 
born  in  Green  Bay,  .May  22,  1852.  He  lived  there  and  other  places  in 
Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  until  the  Spring  of  18S1,  when  he  came  to 
Merrdl.  He  was  married  in  Green  Bay,  Nov.  27,  1880,  to  Ellen  E. 
McQuaid,  a  native  of  De  Pere,  Wis. 

H.  CLARK.  GROUT,  log  and  lumber  scaler,  Merrill.  Was  born 
Oct.  12,  1842,  in  Canada  East.  He  went  to  Omro.in  August,  187S,  and 
lived  there  a  short  time,  and  went  into  the  lumber  woods  on  the  Wolf 
River,  where  he  remained  about  four  months;  from  there  he  went  to 
Marshfield,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  a  shoittime;  he  then  went  to 
Wausau,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business;  then  he  came  to  Menill, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Oct  25, 
1878,  to  Rachael  T.  Grout,  who  was  born  near  Montreal,  Canada,  Sept. 
22,  1857. 

LOUIS  HAMMEL,  hardware  and  .igricultural  implements,  Merrill, 
was  born  in  Hamilton,  Canada.  March  g,  1862.  He  settled  in  Appleton  in 
l866,  and  lived  there  eleven  years,  and  attended  .school.  He  visited 
various  places  in  the  State  and  worked  at  the  tinner's  trade.  He  finally 
settled  in  Merrill,  March  19.  18S1. 

SIGMUND  IIEINEMAN.  general  merchandise  and  sewing  machine 
agent,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Greensfield,  Germany,  October,  1852.  Upon 
coming  to  Wisconsin,  he  first  settled  in  Stockbridge,  was  there  ashort  time, 
and  then  went  to  Appleton.  He  was  there  occupied  principally  clerking 
in  stores,  the  sewing  machine  trade,  and  also  dealt  in  live  stock.  He 
remained  in  Appleton  seven  years,  then  came  to  Merrill,  and  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business.  He  was  married  at  Appleton  in  June,  1879,  to 
Tena  Strosser,  who  was  born  in  Rome,  Wis.,  April  19,  1861.  They  have 
one  child,  Harry  Heineman. 


H.  E.  HOWE,  in  company  with  M.  H.  McCord.  style  of  firm,  Jenny  , 

Lumber  Company,  Merrill,  first  setlled  at   Weyauwega,  Wis.,  in   1868.  ' 

He  lived  there  about  one  and  one  half  years,  and  followed  the  mercan-  1 

tile  business.     From  there  he  went  to  Shawano,  where  he  was  engaged  I 

in    the   same    business,   being  one  of  the   partners  of  Potter  &   Howe. 
-Soon  after,  he  purchased  his  partner's  interest  and  assumed  control,  re-  I 

maining  there  until  the  Fall  of  1873.     Since  then,  he  has  been  engaged  | 

lumbering  and   milling,  having  been   engaged   in   that  capacity  on  the  , 

Wolf  River.     He  also  spent  some  time  in  Oshkosh.  in  the   manufacture  | 

of  lumber,   and   taking  charge  of  the  business.     In   this   enterprise  he  , 

was  in  company  with  J.  D.  Gillette,  of  Addison,  N.  Y.     In  the  Fall  of  | 

1876,  he  engaged   with  C.  M.  Upham   &   Bro.,  as  book-keeper,  and   re- 
mained with  them  until  the  Fall  of  1879.     From  there  lie  came  to  Mer-  | 
rill,  where  he  immediately  engaged   with    M.  H.  McCord   and   H.  H. 
Chandler  in  the  erection  of  the  mill,  and  formation  of  the  Jenny  Lum-  , 
ber  Company.     He   was  born   in    New   York   City,  Jan.  i,   1834.     His 
parents  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1837,  where  he  lived  with  them  eighteen 
years.     He  was  married.  May  29,  1862,  at  Willoughby,  Ohio.     His  wife  ! 
was  born  Oct.  14,  1840,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.     They  have  five  children —  | 
Ella  J.,  Mary,  Henrietta,  H.  E.,  Jr.,  and  Lewis  L.     The  capacity  of  the  ; 
mill  of  this  firm  is  40,000  in  eleven  hours;  employing  seventy  men.  I 

SAMUEL  M.  HOYT,  attorney  at  law,  of  the  firm,  Hoyt  &  Mead- 
ows,  Merrill,  was  born  at  Sparta,  March  18,  1855,  where  he  lived  until 
he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Joseph  M.  Morrow.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  Jan.  5  1878,  and  be- 
gan practicing  with  the  firm  of  Morrow  &  Masters,  continuing  with 
them  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Merrill,  where  he  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  married  in  November,  1878,  at  LaCresent, 
Minn.,  to  Christine  Peters,  who  was  born  in  Bloomingdale,  Vernon  Co., 
Wis. 

GEORGE  W.  KALLOCK,  Lincoln  House,  Merrill,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1840,  and  settled  at  Waukesha.  He  lived  there  until  1849, 
making  occasional  trips  to  the  pineries,  and  working  at  Grand  Rapids 
in  1844.  He  began  keeping  hotel  at  Little  Bull  in  1S49,  and  remained 
there  until  the  Fall  of  1S52.  He  then  went  on  a  farm  and  remained 
until  1S57.  on  what  was  afterward  known  as  the  Mclndoe  place. 
He  sold  out  and  went  again  to  Little  Bull,  and  kept  hotel  one  year ; 
then  moved  across  the  river,  and  kept  hotel  in  Mosinee  a  year.  He 
then  moved  to  Jenny,  and  took  charge  of  a  store  and  boarding-house  be- 
longing to  B.  F.  Cooper.  The  following  Fall,  he  moved  to  Wausau 
and  bought  a  farm,  and  later  went  to  Buena  Vista,  where  his  wife  died, 
in  the  W  inter  of  1S61.  He  married  a  second  time,  in  September,  1862  ; 
then  he  farmed  for  two  years  in  the  town  of  Almond.  Thence  he  went 
to  Jenny  in  the  hotel  business,  and  then  went  to  Plover,  Portage  Co., 
and  kept  the  Empire  House  for  one  year;  from  there  to  Wausau,  in  the 
hotel  known  as  the  Cramer  House,  which  burned  down.  From  there 
he  moved  to  De  Pere,  and  kept  the  National  House  for  sixteen  months. 
From  there  to  Chilton,  in  the  same  business,  two  years  ;  from  there  to 
Plymouth;  from  there  to  Princeton  for  one  year;  from  there  to  Jenny 
for  six  months;  then  to  Wausau,  in  the  Marathon  House;  from  there 
he  came  to  Jenny,  in  the  Lincoln  House  for  five  years,  where  may  still 
be  found  the  genial  host.  He  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  Dec.  15, 
1825.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  E.  A.  Beaumont.  She  is  a  native 
of  England. 

BRYANT  B.  KIMBALL,  harness  maker,  Merrill.  Was  born  in 
Gouverneur,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1828.  He  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point,  in 
1853,  and  lived  there  until  1S61,  following  his  trade.  He  then  went  to 
Plover,  and  remained  about  seven  years,  following  the  same  occupation, 
in  connection  with  a  grocery  store.  He  lived  there  five  years,  and  from 
there  he  went  to  \Vausau,  where  he  remained  until  March,  1S79.  From 
there  he  came  to  Merrill.  He  was  married,  July  4,  1853,  in  Almond, 
Wis.,  to  Eliza  Grinm  ;  she  was  born  near  the  line  of  France  and  Ger- 
many, May  19,  1836.  Has  ten  children  living— Esmeralda  E.,  Melinda 
M.,  Ida  I.,  Francis  F.,  Richard  B.,  Katey  B.,  Adaline  E.,  Emily  E.,  Nel- 
lie H.  and  Frederick  E.  Charles  W.,  William  E.  and  Mabel  L).  are  not 
living.  Married  again,  Oct.  11,  1S79.  to  Mary  Elizabeth  Ogden,  who 
was  born  in  Rochester,  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  March  4,  1844.  One  child. 
Myrtle,  by  last  marriage. 

DAN  A.  KLINE,  logging  and  lumbering,  Merrill.  He  came  to  this 
place,  Nov.  26,  1854.  He  was  here  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Michi- 
gan, on  the  Menominee  River,  and  began  the  lumber  business,  where  he 
remained  three  years,  then  went  to  Colorado.  Was  there  a  short  time, 
but  returned  to  Merrill,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  lumbering. 
He  was  born  in  Ridgebury.  Bradford  Co.,  Penn.,  Nov.  25,  1838.  He 
was  married  at  Mosinee,  Wis.,  September,  1867,  to  Cornelia  E.  Golds- 
berry,  who  was  born  in  Shorem,  Madison  Co.,  Vt.,  June  28,  1837.  They 
have  one  girl.  Belle  R. 

EDWARD  KLUETZ,  general  merchandise,  Merrill.  Was  born  in 
Prussia,  Aug.  18,  1844.  Came  to  America  in  1S71,  and  went  up  as  far 
as  Wausau,  in  the  Summer  of  the  same  year.  He  remained  there  about 
one  year,  and  taught  a  German  school  for  a  term  of  five  months,  at  the 
close  of  which,  he  clerked  in  a  store.  He  then  came  to  Merrill,  and 
clerked  there  for  James  McCrossen,  of  Wausau.  He  remained  in  the 
store  for  about  thirteen  months,  and  after  that  he   clerked   for  August 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


447 


Kickbusch,  until  Sept.  i,  1876,  then  Mr.  Kluetz  took  full  charge  of  the 
business,  bought  the  gooJs,  and  began  for  himself.  He  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace  from  1874  to  1876.  He  has  also  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk. 
He  was  married  in  Prussia,  in  iS6g,  to  Emilie  Koepps,  a  native  of  the 
same  country.  They  have  five  children — -Herman  E.,  Martha  M.,  Eliza- 
beth M.,  Emma  M.  and  Clara  E. 

GUSTAV  F.  KOEHLER,  blacksmith.  Was  born  in  Germany, 
April  ig,  i8s4.  He  came  with  his  parents  and  settled  in  Bloomfield, 
Waushara  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1859.  They  remained  there  two  years,  then  they 
moved  to  Berlin,  Marathon  Co.,  where  he  spent  his  schooldays,  until  the 
age  of  seventeen,  when  he  went  to  Weyauwega,  and  learned  the  black- 
smith trade,  lived  there  one  and  one  half  years,  and  went  to  Wausau, 
where  he  remained  about  the  same  length  of  time.  He  then  came  to 
Merrill,  bought  a  shop,  and  began  business  with  the  firm  name  of  Beh- 
nian  &  Koehler.  They  were  in  company  two  years,  then  he  went  into 
another  shop,  under  the  firm  name  of  Koehler  &  Adams  ;  they  were  to- 
gether two  years,  then  they  built  a  shop,  run  it  one  year,  and  Mr.  Koeh- 
ler bought  the  whole  interest,  and  is  now  alone.  He  was  married,  June 
9,  1S78,  at  Oshkosh,  to  Minnie  Runge.whowas  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  one  boy,  Herman  C. 

HENRY  A.  KVES,  lumberman,  Merrill.  Was  born  in  ColesviUe, 
Brown  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  10,  1834.  First  came  with  his  parents,  near 
Princeton,  in  June,  1S50.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough,  he  went  into 
the  pineries,  and  followed  lumbering  forolher  parties  until  1S61,  at  which 
time  he  began  business  on  his  own  account.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  for  some  time,  and  was  acting  in  that  capacity  at 
the  organization  of  Lincoln  County.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point, 
Jan.  3,  1869,  to  Jane  A.  Hill,  who  was  born  in  New  York;  she  died 
April  7,  1S77.  They  had  five  children— Henry  N.,  William  A.,  James 
W.,  Fred  and   Melissa  F. 

L.  B.  LA  COUNT,  M.D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Merrill,  was  born 
in  Manitowoc,  Feb.  28,  1843.  He  spent  his  school  days  in  the  above 
city,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  5ih 
Wis  Vol.  Inf.  Served  three  years,  and  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
ChancellorsviUe,  May  3,  1863.  After  he  recovered  sufficiently  from  his 
wounds,  he  was  transferred  to  Seminary  Hospital,  Georgetown,  and 
served  the  balance  of  his  time  as  clerk,  dispensing  drugs,  etc.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Washington,  July  15,  1864,  and  then  returned  to  his 
home,  and  soon  after  went  to  Chilton,  Calumet  Co.,  where  he  had  a 
brother  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  named  D.  La  Count.  He  remained 
with  him  about  three  years,  studying  medicine.  Then  he  attended  Rush 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  and  graduated  Feb.  8,  1S68.  After  that,  he 
went  into  company  with  Dr.  J.  M.  Adams,  in  Oconto,  where  he  remained 
one  year  in  practice.  From  there  he  went  to  Shawano,  and  practiced 
there  twelve  years.  Leaving  a  fine  business,  he  came  to  Merrill.  He 
was  married  at  Green  Bay,  April  12,  1869,  to  Olive  Le  Claire,  who  was 
born  in  Green  Bay,  Aug.  15,  1846.  They  have  had  two  children,  named 
Charles  J.  and  Mary  E.,  neither  of  whom  are  living. 

KNUDT  LARSON,  mason,  Merrill,  settled  in  Wausau,  May  5, 
1S73.  He  lived  there  four  years,  and  learned  his  trade.  Then  he  came 
to  Merrill,  and  is  doing  a  prosperous  business.  He  was  born  in  Koughs- 
berg,  Norway,  March  ig,  1855. 

M.  F.  LEONDUSKY,  merchant  tailor,  Merrill.  He  was  born  in 
Fond  du  Lac,  Aug.  i,  1859.  His  first  move  was  with  his  parents  to 
Stevens  Point,  and  he  alterward  went  to  Wausau,  August,  1878,  and 
there  learned  his  trade.  In  the  Spring  of  1881,  he  located  at  Mer- 
rill, and  established  his  business  in  the  firm  name  of  M.  F.  Leon- 
dusky  &  Co. 

PETER  U.  LOYSEN,  miller,  of  the  firm  of  Loysen  &  Spiegelberg, 
Merrill,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  May  31.  1850.  He  lived  there  until  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Kaukauna,  where  he  was 
employed  as  miller,  and  remained  about  two  years,  and  then  went  to 
Minnesota  and  remained  about  four  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Mary- 
land, Wis.,  and  from  there  to  Centralia ;  from  there  to  Big  Rib  Falls, 
and  from  there  to  Merrill.  He  was  married  in  Berlin  Township,  Mara- 
thon Co.,  Aug.  3r,  1879.  'o  Paulina  Plisch,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
April  15,  1855.  They  have  one  child,  Laura  A.  Mr.  Loysen  manufact- 
ured the  first  Hour  that  was  made  in  Lincoln  County. 

MYRON  H.  McCORD  was  born  in  Ceres,  McKean  Co.,  Penn., 
Nov.  26,  1S40.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  father  in  1S54,  reaching 
Oshkosh  on  the  fifth  day  of  August.  On  the  7th  of  August  he  started 
oil  the  old  steamer  "  Barlow  "  for  Shawano,  but  that  boat  was  destined 
never  to  reach  there,  for  she  had  barely  cleared  her  moorings  when  a 
boiler  exploded,  killing  the  engineer  and  fireman  and  badly  injuring  sev- 
eral of  the  passengers.  The  next  boat  that  left  for  Shawano  was  the  old 
"  Peytona,"  which  safely  made  the  trip,  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
landed  in  Shawano  on  the  eleventh  day  of  August.  He  immediately  hired 
out  to  work  on  a  farm  for  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Andrews,  which  firm 
owned  a  farm,  a  saw-mill  and  a  large  tract  of  pine  timber,  that  afterward 
became  immensely  valuable,  some  of  it  selling  as  high  as  $7  per  thousand 
feet  on  the  stump.  He  worked  for  them  during  the  Fall  and  the  follow- 
ing Winter,  for  $13  per  month.  The  next  Spring  he  went  on  the  log 
drive,  and  stayed  with  it  until  the  logs  were  rafted  out  at  the  Bay,  twelve 


miles  above  Oshkosh.  For  the  Summer's  hard  work  he  was  to  receive 
$1.50  a  day,  but  he  never  received  it,  as  the  man  he  worked  for  ran 
away  and  did  not  pay  any  of  his  men.  These  were  about  the  first  logs 
that  were  ever  driven  down  the  Wolf  River  from  Shawano.  Mr.  McCord. 
when  he  learned  that  the  man  for  whom  he  had  worked  so  long  and  hard 
had  run  away,  hailed  the  first  steamboat  that  came  up  the  river,  and  took 
passage  for  New  London,  which  was  as  near  Shawano  as  the  boats  ran 
at  that  time.  When  the  captain  called  for  his  fare,  he  was  informed  of 
the  situation,  but  only  remarked  that  he  did  not  carry  passengers  for 
nothing,  and  the  young  boy  was  put  off  at  thene.xt  landing  and  compelled 
to  make  his  way  along  the  bank  of  the  river  as  best  he  could.  He 
managed,  however,  to  get  home,  and  went  to  work  again.  From  that 
time  on,  for  the   next   five  years,  he  worked  by  the  month   in    Su 


Ml.//.  m^A^^ 


time,  and  went  to  school  in  the  Winter.  He  thus  obtained  experience 
which  was  valuable,  and  a  fair  education.  When  he  was  twenty  years 
old,  he  began  to  do  business  for  himself,  putting  in  logs  in  the  Winter, 
and  doing  public  work,  such  as  building  bridges,  roads,  etc.,  in  the  Sum- 
mer time.  He  continued  in  the  lumber  business  on  the  Wolf  River 
until  1874,  when  he  closed  up  his  business,  which  was  very  large,  and 
removed  to  Jenny,  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  with  a  view  to  engaging  in 
the  same  business  there.  He  did  not,  however,  engage  very  extensively 
in  business  at  that  place  until  after  the  completion  of  the  Wisconsin 
Valley  Railroad.  Then  he  formed  what  is  known  as  the  Jenny  Lumber 
Co.,  of  which  company  he  is  now  president,  and  owns  two-thirds  of  the 
stock.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Ross,  McCord  &  Co.,  bank- 
ers, which  is  a  solid  concern,  as  both  Mr.  Ross  and  Mr.  Scott  are  very 
wealthy  men,  while  Mr.  McCord  is  now  considered  well  off.  Mr.  Mc- 
Cord has  held  .'everal  ofiices  of  trust  and  honor,  though  he  by  no  means 
can  be  classed  as  an  office-seeker.  In  1S64,  he  was  elected  County  Su- 
perintendent of  Schools  for  Shawano  County,  but  declined  a  re-election. 
In  l86g,  he  was  elected  Treasurer  of  Shawano  County,  and  re-elected  in 
1871,  without  opposition.  In  1S72  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  served  two  sessions.  He  was  unanimously  renominated  by  his  party, 
which  was  largely  in  the  majority  in  his  district,  but  he  declined  the 
proftered  honor.  In  1S76,  he  was  elected  a  Delegate  to  the  Republican 
National  Convention,  and  ardently  supported  Mr.  Blaine's  candidacy 
until  the  very  last.  In  1880,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  was  a 
prominent  candidate  for  Speaker,  though  he  withdrew  in  the  interest  of 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


harmony  in  liis  party.  Mr.  .McCoul  has  puhhrihcd  a  iiewspajjcr  snice  he 
became  a  resident  of  Lincoln  County,  namely,  the  Lincoln  County  Advo- 
cate, and  has  done  much  to  build  up  his  town  and  county,  and  in  fact  the 
whole  Upper  Wisconsin  River  Valley.  That  this  is  fully  appreciated  by 
his  friends  and  neighbors,  cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  stating 
the  fact  that  at  the  election  for  member  of  the  Assembly,  in  iSSo,  he  re- 
ceived every  vote  but  twelve  in  the  county  where  he  lives.  His  contri- 
butions to  public  and  private  charities  are  liberal,  and  even  generous. 
He  is  a  high-minded,  honorable  gentleman,  who  has  honestly  and  con- 
scientiously discharged  every  trust,  both  public  and  private,  committed 
to  his  charge.  He  is  a  man  of  ability  and  integrity,  and  should  he  live 
and  be  inclined  to  look  after  political  distinction,  will  undoubtedly  be 
called  to  places  of  greater  distinction  than  any  heretofore  held  by  him. 

GUSTAF  II.  MARKSTRUM,  painter,  Merrill.  He  first  settled  in 
Green  Bay,  in  1S71  ;  worked  one  season  at  his  trade,  then  went  to  Osh- 
kosh,  where  he  was  occupied  one  year ;  then  he  went  to  Wausau  in  the 
same  business,  in  company  with  his  brother,  K.  S.  Marksirum,  until 
the  Spring  of  t88r,  when  he  came  to  Merrill.  He  was  born  in  Stock- 
holm, Sweden,  Oct.  I,  1850.  He  was  married  in  .Merrill,  Aug.  iS,  1879, 
to  Augusta  Dihm.  She  was  born  in  Wausau,  Dec.  iS,  1S62.  They 
have  one  child,  Edith. 

CHARLES  W.  MEADOWS,  attorney  at  law,  of  the  firm  of  Hoyt 
&  Meadows,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Trenton,  N.  J..  Feb.  24,  1847.  He 
settled  in  Leon,  Monroe  Co.,  and  lived  there  ten  years.  He  began  read- 
ing law  with  W.  J.  Hahn,  of  Lake  City,  Minn.,  and  remained  there  a 
short  time;  from  there  he  went  to  Sparta,  and  remained  until  March, 
1881,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Merrill,  where  he  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  3rd  Wis.  Cav.,  and  served 
two  years,  or  until  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  and  was  mustered  out 
Sept.  29  1865,  at  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He  was  married  at  Viro- 
qua.  Wis.,  March  3,  18S1,  to  Edna  L.  Irish,  who  was  born  in  Elizabeth, 
Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111.,  Oct.  11,  1S52. 

M.  D.  MORRIS,  druggist,  books,  stationery,  musical  instruments, 
etc.,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Delafield,  Waukesha  Co.,  Nov.  11,1848.  He 
spent  his  early  school  days  in  Allen'sGrove  Academy,  and  then  attended 
the  Beloit  College  for  about  one  year;  then  engaged  with  Dr.  G.  H. 
Briggs,  of  Delavan,  in  the  study  of  pharmacy.  He  remained  there  three 
years,  then  went  to  Beloit,  and  engaged  with  Mr.  C.  J.  G.  Collins,  re- 
maining two  years.  P'rom  there  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he 
was  employed  by  Mr.  H.  D.  McCuUoch,  in  the  capacity  of  prescription 
and  drug  clerk.  He  remained  two  years,  and  went  to  Omro,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  O.  W.  Jones,  and  purchased  the  drug  store  of  F.  F. 
Wheeler  &  Co.  They  were  in  business  four  years,  then  Mr.  Morris  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest,  and  run  the  business  until  August,  1879; 
divided  the  stock,  and  run  the  Omro  store  until  January,  iSSo;  sold  out, 
and  has  since  made  Merrill  his  permanent  place  of  business.  He  was 
married,  Feb.  24.  1S75,  to  Delia  Webster,  who  was  born  near  Omro, 
in  February,  1853.      Ihey  have  two  children,  Hiram  W.  and  Richard. 

EDWIN  W.  MOWRY,  dealer  in  real  estate  and  tax  paying  agent, 
Merrill,  first  settled  in  Waupaca,  in  1865,  where  he  lived  fourteen  years. 
From  there  he  came  to  Merrill  and  located,  April  7,  1879.  He  was 
born  in  Lawrence,  N.  Y.,  June  5,  1S29.  He  was  married  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  March,  1855,  to  Julia  Labar.  She  died,  March  23,  1863,  They 
had  two  boys,  Wilber  and  Edwin,  Jr.  He  was  again  married.  May  23, 
1864,  at  the  same  place  as  before,  to  a  sister  of  iiis  former  wife,  Mary 
Labar.     They  hive  two  children,  named  Mary  L.  and  Minnie  M. 

A.J.  NEUSBAUM,  furniture  dealer,  Merrill,  was  born  at  Lauvo, 
Alsace,  France,  April  13,  1841.  He  came  to  La  Crosse  in  1874,  where 
he  lived  six  years,  engaged  in  thefurnilure  business  ;  from  there  lie  came 
to  Merrill.  He  was  married  to  .Mrs.  Anna  Streeht,  in  July,  1876.  She 
was  born  in  Baden  on  the  Rhine,  Jan.  17,  1848.  She  had  two  children 
by  her  former  husband,  named  Augusta  and  Hulda.  They  have  one 
child,  named  John. 

CASPER  NEWBAUER,  of  the  firm  of  Newbauer  &  Frochlich,  was 
born  in  Austria,  October,  1855.  He  came  to  Schleisingerville,  Wis.,  with 
his  parents,  in  1855,  and  spent  his  school  days  there.  He  went  to  Mil- 
waukee in  1870,  and  began  the  cigar  trade.  After  living  there  some 
time,  he  went  to  Rochester,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  filteen  months, 
when  he  returned  to  Milwaukee.  In  May,  iSSr,  he  came  to  Merrill. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Anna  Froehlich,  she  was  born  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  May  6,  1857.     They  have  two  boys,  Hubert  J.  and  John  H. 

ALANSON  C.  NOR>VAY,  County  Judge  and  proprietor  of  Merrill 
House,  Merrill,  settled  at  Elk  Horn  in  1848,  and  lived  there  two  years; 
then  he  moved  into  Marathon  County,  and  lived  at  Wau.sau,  and  at 
what  is  now  Merrill,  He  was  engaged  for  fifteen  years  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  kept  hotel  two  years  during  that  time.  He  has  kept  the 
Merrill  House  about  thirteen  years  in  succession.  He  was  elected 
County  Judge  in  November,  1S78,  and  has  been  re-elected  for  the  next 
term,  to  begin  January,  18S2.  He  was  born  in  Lisbon,  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  y.,  June  11,  1825.  He  was  married,  Sept.  i,  1856,  to  Martha 
Crown,  who  was  born  in  Groton,  Caledonia  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept.  13,  1838. 
They  have  two  children  living,  Charles  A.  and  Myron  S.  The  deceased 
children  were  named  Burton  M.,  Clarissa,  Elnora  and  Homer. 


CHARLES  J.  OSBORNE,  Postmaster  and  book-keeper,  Merrill, 
was  born  Aug.  27,  1854,  in  the  town  of  Nepeuskun,  Winnebago  Co.  He 
finished  his  education  at  Madison,  in  the  classical  college  and  school  of 
B.  M.  Wortliington.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
patent  right  business  about  one  year.  Then  he  went  to  Oshkosh,  where 
he  remained  about  a  year,  employed  in  the  insane  asylum.  From  there 
came  to  .Merrill,  and  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  two  years, 
but  sold  out  and  began  the  drug  business,  which  he  followed  for  about 
two  years.  During  this  time,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  Feb.  18, 
1869.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  February,  1876,  to  Nellie  Ben- 
nett, who  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  in  June,  1856.  They  have  two  children. 
Birdie  and  an  infant  daughter. 

JOHN  PHELPS,  lumberman,  Merrill,  purchased  upon  coming  here 
a  tract  of  pine  land,  consisting  of  35,000  acres,  bordering  the  Wisconsin 
River,  and  beginning  in  Town  35,  and  ending  in  42,  in  Ranges  9,  10 
and  II,  east,  and  said  to  contain  w^hen  located  300,000.000  feet  of 
pine.  It  embraces  some  of  the  best  pine  lands  in  Wisconsin.  It  is 
owned  by  the  following  gentlemen  :  Francis  Palms,  three  quarters  inter- 
est, and  John  Phelps,  one  quarter  interest,  with  his  sons,  who  are  now 
associated  with  him.  Mr.  Phelps  settled  in  Wausau  in  May,  1878.  He 
moved  to  Merrill  in  May,  1880.  He  was  born  in  township  of  Rush, 
Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  4,  1S19.  He  moved  to  Michigan,  November, 
1S30,  and  from  there  to  Wausau.  He  was  married,  Oct.  25,  1S40,  in 
Addison,  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  to  Samantha  C.  Dudley,  who  was  born  in 
Mendon,  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  11,  1S22.  They  have  four  children — 
George  M.,  Milo  D.,  Orlo  and  a  daughter  living  at  home,  Eliza  L.  Mr, 
George  M.  Phelps  enlisted  in  Co.  A.,  9th  Reg.  Mich.  Vet.  V.  I.,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  in  October,  1S65. 

JULES  POSE,  proprietor  Lincoln  House,  Merrill,  was  born  in 
Montreal,  April  18,  1821,  and  came  to  Wausau  in  the  Spring  of  1849, 
where  he  was  occupied  in  lumbering  and  logging.  Then  moved  to 
Trapp  River,  where  he  lived  four  years,  in  the  same  business.  From 
there  he  went  to  Rock  Falls,  where  he  kept  the  stage  station,  and  re- 
mained ten  years.  He  then  moved  to  Merrill,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  lumbering  for  two  years.  Then  he  followed  the  hotel  business 
for  nine  years,  when  his  house  caught  fire  and  burned.  In  1878, 
he  erected  the  Lincoln  House,  a  fine,  large  building.  He  was  married, 
Aug.  9,  1S5S,  in  Marathon  Co.,  Texas  Tp.,  to  Ann  Kemp,  a  native  of 
Scotland,  born  October,  1S35.  They  have  five  children — James  A. 
Posey,  Julius  W.,  Jr.,  John,  Paul  and  Robert. 

GEORGE  H.  RIPLEY,  mail  carrier  between  Merrill  and  Rock 
Falls,  was  born  in  Perry,  Washington  Co.,  Me.,  Feb.  27,  1832.  He 
came  to  Point  Bois  in  1848;  lived  there  a  short  time,  and  then  went  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in  1S50,  following  the  lumber  business  until  1S66. 
From  there  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  and  followed  running  the  river  as 
pilot  for  eight  or  ten  years.  From  there  he  went  on  the  Northern  Pa- 
cific Railroad,  and  engaged  in  the  restaurant  business ;  he  was  there  one 
and  one-half  years,  trom  there  he  returned  to  Stevens  Point,  and  then 
w-ent  to  Rock  Falls,  in  the  employ  of  the  Improvement  Company.  He 
was  married  in  Grand  Rapids,  July  S,  1S54,  to  Nancy  Gordon.  She 
died  July  12,  1854. 

HERMAN  D.  RUSCH,  County  Clerk  of  Lincoln  County,  Merrill, 
was  born  in  Dodge  County,  Aug.  10,  1853.  He  spent  his  school  days  in 
Horicon,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  when  he 
went  to  Merrill,  working  at  lumbering,  which  included  rafting  and  run- 
ning the  river.  He  then  tried  lumbering  on  his  own  account,  and  con- 
tinued at  it  three  years.  He  has  been  in  the  business  occasionally  since, 
during  the  Winter.  He  was  first  elected  to  his  present  office  in  the  Fall 
of  1S76,  and  has  since  been  re  elected  for  the  terms  of  1S7S  and  iSSo. 
He  was  married,  Jan.  i,  18S0.  to  Lizzie  Kickbusch,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, born  iN'ov.  23,  1S60.      They  have  one  boy,  Walter  H. 

ULRIC  C.  ST.  AMOUR,  principal  clerk  in  dry  goods  store  of 
T.  H.  Scott,  Merrill.  He  first  settled  in  Grand  Rapids,  August,  1856. 
He  went  10  Minnesota  in  1859,  and  remained  until  1861,  when  he 
returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  of  Wood 
County.  He  served  one  term,  which  expired  Jan.  i,  1S63.  He  then 
clerked  in  a  store  until  December,  1864,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  B,  46th  Regt.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  served  one  year,  and  was  mustered  out 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.  He  returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  worked  for 
John  Edwards  &  Co.,  where  he  remained  two  years.  From  there  he 
went  to  Montreal,  Canaua,  where  he  went  into  business  for  himself,  in 
the  mercantile  trade,  and  remained  but  a  short  time.  Returned  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  stayed  a  greater  share  ol  the  lime,  though  he  went  to 
Dakota  Territory,  and  took  up  a  homestead,  returning  to  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Merrill.  He  was  bom  in  St.  Paul, 
Canada  East,  Aug.  20,  1837.  He  was  married  in  Henderson,  Sibley 
Co.,  Minn.,  Oct.  8,  1857,  to  Christe  Cormier,  born  in  St.  Charles,  Canada 
East,  June,  1841.  They  have  three  children— Albert  C,  Oswald  H.  and 
Delia  C. 

CARL  W.  SCHIELD,  of  the  firm  of  Schield  &  Kuhl.  furniture 
dealers,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Nov.  26,  1858.     He  settled  in 


HISTORY    OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


449 


Merrill  in  1866,  and  began  business.     He  was  married  Dec.  10,  1880,  at 
Merrill,  to  Amelia  Wilke,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  Dec.  19,  1858. 

JAMES  W.  SCOTT,  proprietor  Merrill  livery  stables,  was  born  in 
Canada  East,  Sept.  6,  1842.  He  first  settled  in  Oasis,  Waushara  Co.,  in 
1855,  where  he  lived  seven  years.  Then  he  went  to  Minnesota,  and 
drove  stage  for  several  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Council  Bluflfs, 
Iowa,  and  then  to  Denver,  in  the  employ  of  the  Wells  &  Fargo  Stage 
Co.  He  lived  there  three  years,  driving  between  the  latter  place  and 
Salt  Lake  City.  From  there  he  went  on  the  Cheyenne  and  Wyoming 
stage;  then  to  the  Kit  Carson  and  Lake  Station  stage  road,  and  from 
there  to  Baxter  Springs,  Ark.,  where  he  was  a  short  time  on  the  Baxter 
Springs  and  Sherman,  Texas,  route.  From  there  he  went  to  Ft.  Smith, 
Ark.,  and  drove  to  Pierce  City,  Mo.  Then  he  drove  from  Ft.  Smith  to 
Muskogee,  Ind.  Ter.  From  there  he  returned  to  Sherman,  Texas,  and 
drove  to  Gainesville,  Texas.  Then  to  Ft.  Smith,  Ark.,  where  he  rigged 
up  a  four-horse  team  and  wagon,  took  his  family,  and  came  overland  to 
Wausau.  They  were  two  months  on  the  route.  Then  he  went  to 
freighting,  to  Lake  Somo,  and  then  ran  a  freight  and  express  between 
Wausau  and  Merrill ;  also  ran  a  stage  one  and  one-half  years,  until  the 
advent  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad.  He  was  born  in  Canada  East, 
Sept.  6.  1842.  He  was  married  Sept.  i,  1872,  at  Ft.  Smith,  Ark.,  to 
Mrs.  Margaret  Campbell.  She  was  born  in  Indian  Territory,  Jan.  28, 
1845.  She  has  one  son  by  her  first  husband,  named  John  Campbell. 
They  have  one  boy,  named  Clyde  Scott. 

CHARLES  E.  SEARL,  watchmaker  and  jeweler,  Merrill,  was  born 
in  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  March  14,  1851.  He  spent  his  boyhood  in  that 
city.  Then  his  parents  moved  to  Adams  County,  where  he  lived  over  a 
year,  when  he  relumed  to  Grand  Rapids  and  learned  the  jeweler's  trade. 
He  lived  three  years  and  a  half,  then  went  to  Wautoma.  He  came  to 
Merrill,  November,  1879.  He  was  married  at  Wautoma,  Dec.  23, 
1875,  to  Emma  A.  Bean,  who  was  born  in  Wautoma,  Dec.  31,  1859. 
They  have  had  three  children— Eddie  W.,  Glen  C.  (now  deceased),  and 
Karl. 

O.  B.  SMITH,  lumberman,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Erie,  Pa.,  Sept.  10, 
1823.  He  first  settled  at  Trapp  River,  in  1844.  He  lived  there  but  a 
short  time,  then  went  to  Wausau,  and  made  that  his  headquarters  until 
1853,  dealing  in  lumber  and  logs.  Then  he  located  at  Merrill  perma- 
nently, and  has  since  followed  his  present  business.  He  was  married  at 
Kanesville,  111.,  in  1856,  to  Sophronia  Ravlin,  who  was  born  in  Clymer, 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1832.  They  have  five  children— Katie, 
Frank  and  Fred  (who  were  twins),  Dora  and  Charles. 

WILLIAM  F.  SPIEGELBERG,  miller,  of  the  firm  of  Loysen  & 
Spiegelberg,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Germany,  March  28,  1850.  He  first 
settled  in  Wolf  River  Township,  in  December,  1854,  with  his  parents, 
and  lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1877  ;  came  to  Merrill,  and  engaged  in 
his  present  business.  He  was  married,  at  Merrill,  June  14,  1880,  to  Ida 
Plisch,  who  was  born  in  Berlin  Township,  Marathon  Co..  Wis.,  Dec. 
23,  1858.  They  have  one  child,  Lenora  F.  The  mill  of  this  firm  was 
completed  in  August,  1878,  and  has  a  capacity  of  from  seventy-five  to  100 
bushels  in  twenty-four  hours. 

MITCHELL  W.  SWEENEY,  druggist,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Grand 
Island,  N.  Y.,  June,  1850.  He  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Milwaukee,  in 
the  Spring  of  1855,  remaining  there  about  one  year  ;  then  went  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Wis.,  where  he  spent  his  school-days,  he  also  learning  the  drug 
business  there.  In  1870,  he  went  to  Wausau,  first  clerking  in  a  drug 
store  three  years;  then  beginning  business  for  himself.  This  he  followed 
three  years;  then  sold  out  and  went  into  the  lumber  business.  After 
following  that  three  years,  he  came  to  Merrill,  where  he  is  in  the  drug 
trade.  He  was  married,  at  Grand  Rapids,  1871,  to  Li  11  A.  Burdick  ; 
she  was  born  in  Deposit,  Broome  Co.,  N.Y.,  Sept.  3,  1853.  They  have 
two  children,  Albert  H.  and  Ethel  B. 

WILLIAM  H.  SWINEHART,  County  Treasurer,  Merrill,  was  born 
in  Avoca,  Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  9,  1855.  He  spent  his  boyhood  days  at 
the  above  place,  and  afterward  attended  a  classical  and  musical  academy 
at  Madison.  Graduated  at  Northwestern  Business  College,  in  Madison, 
June  I,  1874.  He  went  to  Merrill,  in  December  following,  and  engaged 
in  the  employ  of  State  Senator  Thomas  B.  Scott,  as  book-keeper  until 
Jan.  I,  1881,  when  he  assumed  the  duties  of  his  present  office,  having 
been  elected  in  November,  1880.  He  was  married,  at  Merrill,  Dec.  17, 
1877,  to  Rhoda  J.  Kline  ;  she  was  born  at  Gilletts,  Bradford  Co.,  Penn., 
January,  1S62.  They  have  one  child  living,  named  Leta  T.  Lena  M., 
born  Jan.  6.  1S79,  '^  "ot  living. 

JULIUS  THIELMAN,  proprietor  City  meat  market,  Merrill,  was 
born  in  Watertown,  Sept.  21,  1858.  He  lived  there  until  seventeen  years 
of  age.  and  then  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.  June  i,  18S1,  he  came  to 
Merrill,  and  opened  his  present  market.  He  was  married,  at  Grand 
Rapids,  March  18,  1879,  to  Minnie  Plaumer.  She  was  bom  in  Berlin, 
Prussia,  March  28,  1858.     They  have  one  child,  Amanda. 

ROBERT  WEISS,  hardware,  Merrill,  was  born  in  Cassville,  Wis., 
June  28,  1857.  He  spent  his  school-days  there,  and  in  the  Spring  of 
1875  made  a  journey  to  Iowa,  and  located  at  Shell  Rock  ;  he  was  there 
nearly  two  years,  and  learned  the  tinner's  trade ;  then  he  came  to  Mer- 
rill, with  a  capital  of  $35  cash.  He  has  been  quite  successful,  as  he  car- 
29 


ries  a  good  stock  and  is  doing  a  good  trade.  He  was  married,  at  Mer- 
rill, April  g,  1880,  to  Mrs.  Martha  J.  Wells,  who  was  born  in  Yarmouth, 
N.  S.     They  have  one  boy,  Anton. 

JAMES  S.  WESCOTT,  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  and 
Deputy  Register  of  Deeds,  Merrill,  settled  in  Horicon,  in  1876.  He 
lived  there  over  one  year,  occupied  in  the  Presbyterian  pulpit.  He  came 
to  Merrill  as  Presbyterian  minister,  and  remained  in  that  capacity  until 
his  election  to  theSuperintendency  of  Schools  in  1S80.  when  he  ceased 
preaching.  He  was  born  in  Ramapo,  Rockland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  21, 
1848,  and  was  married,  in  Merrill,  April  30,  1881,  to  Eva  Walker.  She 
was  born  in  Friendship,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  11,  1864. 

JACOB  F.  WHITING,  practicing  physician  and  surgeon,  Merrill. 
Was  born  in  Bangor,  Me.,  Sept.  24,  1844.  He  came  to  Oconto  in  the 
Fall  of  1856,  with  his  parents,  where  he  remained  until  the  Fall  of  1877. 
He  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  where  he  studied  medicine  for  two 
years,  graduating  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  March  26, 
1879.  From  there  he  went  to  Medary,  D.  T.,  and  there  began  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  In  the  Fall  of  1879,  he  returned  to  Oconto,  and  in 
October,  1879,  he  came  to  Merrill,  where  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  married  at  Oconto,  Sept.  I,  1865,  to  Emma 
Lewis,  who  was  bom  at  Hillsdale,  Mich.,  Feb.  2,  1846.  They  have  four 
children— Isabel  M.,  Henry  W.,  Annie  C.  and  Jennie. 

JOHN  WILEY,  M.  D.,  Merrill.  Was  born  in  Argusville,  Mont- 
gomery Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1825.  His  parents  settled  near  the  State  line 
of  Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  in  the  latter  State,  in  184S,  where  soon  after 
their  arrival,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  Lewis  Wood.  He  continued  with  him  four  years,  during  which  he 
taught  several  terms.  He  then  practiced  a  short  time  with  Dr.  Blanchand, 
of  Delavan,  and  from  there  went  to  Waukau,  where  he  remained  about 
two  years  in  Ihe  practice  of  his  profession.  From  there  he  went  to  .Sha- 
wano, having  received  inducements  to  go  there,  by^  the  Government, 
as  physician  tor  the  Indians.  He  remained  about  thirteen  years  in  the 
above  place,  and  during  the  time,  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer  of 
Shawano  County,  which  he  held  ten  years.  He  was  also  elected  to  the 
Legislature  for  the  session  of  1859-60.  From  there  he  moved  to  within 
three  miles  of  Fond  du  Lac,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and 
farming.  He  remained  there  about  eleven  years,  then  moved  to  De  Pere, 
and  practiced  medicine.  He  remained  in  De  Pere  one  and  one  half  years, 
then  moved  to  Merrill,  where  he  is  at  present  practicing  his  profession. 
He  was  married  at  Waukau,  November,  1852,  to  Elizabeth  T.  Dousman, 
who  was  born  in  Green  Bay,  in  1827.  They  have  four  children — John 
D.,  Rosalie,  Helen  M.  and  William. 

VAN  R.  WILLARD,  dealer  in  lands,  proprietor  of  abstract  office, 
real  estate  office  and  lawyer,  Merrill.  Settled  in  this  place  in  the  Spring 
of  1874.  He  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  at  the  organization  of  Lin- 
coln County,  in  1874,  re-elected  in  1876,  1878  and  1880.  He  was  born 
in  Buffalo,  Tioga  Co.,  Penn.,  June  8,  1842.  He  lived  at  Neenah,  where 
he  spent  his  school  days,  until  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Co.  G,  3d  Wis.  V.  I.  He  served  three  years,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Ga.,  June  8,  1864.  From  there  he  re- 
turned to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  soon  afterward  attended  Bryant  c&Stratton's 
Commercial  College,  at  Milwaukee ;  graduated  the  following  Winter.  He 
afterward  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  at  Green  Bay,  in 
March,  1873.  He  was  married  at  Beaver  Dam,  May  24,  1867,  to  Cyn- 
thia E.  Perkins,  who  was  born  in  Owasco,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1849. 
They  have  one  child,  Lee  M. 

WILLIE  G.  WINCHESTER,  groceries  and  provisions,  at  the 
upper  part  of  town,  in  Prospect  Park.  Was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  Aug. 
25,  1858.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Menasha,  in  1866,  and  spent  his 
boyhood  days  there  for  eight  years,  then  he  went  to  Oshkosh  ;  was  there 
four  years,  and  attended  school,  and  clerking  in  a  store.  During  this 
time,  he  went  to  Iowa,  and  made  a  short  visit.  From  Oshkosh  he  went 
to  Manville,  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  [Railroad,  and  remained  until 
October,  1879,  employed  for  Mr.  H.  H.  Chandler,  also  acting  as  Post- 
master. From  there  he  came  to  Merrill ;  still  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  C, 
and  remained  with  him  until  May  i,  1881,  then  he  began  business  for 
himself. 

EDWARD  F.  ZASTROW,  dry  goods  and  groceries,  Merrill.  Came 
with  his  parents  to  Concord,  Jefferson  Co.,  in  1861,  where  he  spent 
his  school  days.  He  came  to  Merrill,  Feb.  l6,  1S79,  ^"<i  began  in  the 
mercantile  line  with  a  partner.  After  seven  months,  he  purchased  the 
whole  interest,  and  soon  after  closed  the  stock  out.  He  then  bought  a 
new  stock  of  merchandise,  and  again  began  trade.  He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many,  Nov.  5,  1852,  and  was  married  Feb.  29,  1876.  His  wife's  maiden 
name  was  Johanna  Oestreich,  she  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Dec.  4,  1S54. 
They  have  two  children,  Arthur  F.  and  OUie  I. 

Union.— This  settlement  is  partly  in  the  town  of  Mer- 
rill and  partly  in  Rock  Falls,  and  consists  of  a  dozen  fami- 
lies from  the  prairies  of  Illinois.  It  is  eleven  miles  to  the 
city,  and  a  road  is  to  be  built  to  the  place.  The  location  is 
on  a  ridge  of  hardwood  timber,  and  they  have  made  a  good 


450 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


beginning.  Among  the  settlers  are  S.  W.  Monroe,  W. 
Spaids,  C.  C.  Monroe,  G.  Goodier,  Sr.,  H.  J.  Monroe  and 
G.  Goodier,  Jr.  This  makes  the  twelfth  t^«w«  in  Wiscon- 
sin. 

Rock  Falls. — This  is  the  place  that  the  old  settlers  call 
Grandfather,  in  honor  of  the  falls,  which  tumble  down  a 
good  many  feet,  well  nigh  a  hundred.  The  average  histor- 
ian rejoices  over  any  name,  however  awkward  or  inappro- 
priate, if  it  is  unlike  any  other  name,  and  it  might  as  well 
be  said  right  here  that  Wisconsin  has  shown  a  want  of  in- 
vention in  this  regard  that  is  most  exasperating.  Names 
seem  so  scarce  that  three  rivers  had  to  be  called  Menomo- 
nee,  two  or  three  Fox,  not  to  mention  hundreds  of  other 
evidences  of  a  paucity,  of  names  that  can  offer  no  excuse 
for  its  existence  except  downright  stupidity.  Now  these 
remarks  are  made  for  the  benefit  of  Lincoln  County  and 
Northern  Wisconsin  generally,  which  will  have  so  many 
names  to  bestow  in  the  coming  time.     But  to  return  to 

Grandfather. — This  place  has  a  stage  line  to  Merrill, 
and  it  has  hotels  and  saloons,  and  is  logging  head-quarters 
for  the  region.     It  has  the  elements  of  growth. 

Dudley — On  Prairie  River,  eighteen  miles  northeast  of 


Merrill.  A  new  settlement.  Two  and  one-half  years  ago 
it  was  an  unbroken  wilderness;  now  it  is  dotted  with  dwel- 
lings and  openings  for  farms.  Fifty  families  already  have 
homes  here.  William  West,  Henry  Dudley,  M.  M.  East- 
man, E.  E.  Sweet  and  others  came  from  Winnebago  and 
Calumet  counties. 

."VcKLEV. — This  settlement,  eighteen  miles  from  Merrill, 
on  the  east,  is  filling  up  rapidly.  John  Nelson,  Ben.  Tyler, 
F.  P.  Kennedy,  G.  Berry,  M.  Berry,  M.  Lloyd  and  D. 
Hodgkiss  are  among  the  pioneers  here. 

PiN'E  River. — A  settlement  a  few  miles  below  Merrill, 
on  the  railroad  and  Pine  River,  with  several  hundred  peo- 
ple, and  half  as  many  transient  men  during  a  part  of  the 
time.  Large  amounts  of  cord  wood  are  delivered  at  the 
station.  There  are  good  schools,  and  improving  farms  all 
around. 

Otter  Rapids. — -The  location  of  a  lumber  camp,  well 
up  in  the  county.  Joe  Kathon,  in  iSSo,  put  in  3,000,000 
feet  of  logs,  and  G  Gumaer,  a  like  amount;  John  Wood- 
lock,  5,000,000,  and  McDonald's   lower  camp,  5,000,000. 

Prairie  River. — This  is  an  embryonic  town,  with  ele- 
ments of  a  future  prosperity,  a  few  miles  up  that  river  from 
Merrill. 


LA   CROSSE    COUNTY. 


THE  WINNEBAGO  CONFEDERACY  AND  INDIAN  OCCUPA- 
TION. 

For  this  article  we  are  indebted  to  Judge  George 
Gale's  valuable  work,  "  The  Upper  Mississippi,"  to 
whose  compilation  he  gave  j^ears  of  labor  and  research, 
and  which  was  the  crowning  effort  of  a  most  noble  and 
useful  life: 

When  Sieur  Jean  Nicolet  visited  the  0  -  chunk -o-raivs, 
or  Winnebagoes,  at  Green  Bay,  in  1639,*  lie  spoke  of 
them  as  then  "  sedentary  and  very  numerous,"  but  this 
fact  has  since  been  doubted,  as,  the  following  year,  they 
were  nearly  exterminated  by  the  Illinois,  and  if  so 
easily  exterminated,  it  was  thought  they  could  not  have 
been  very  numerous.  Again,  it  was  said  by  authors, 
that  the  Winnebagoes  were  only  an  insignificant  band 
of  the  Sioux,  speaking  a  dialect  of  the  Sioux  language. 
But  later  investigations  into  the  language  of  the  Ochunlc- 
oraws  and  several  otlier  Western  tribes,  seem  to  estab- 
lisli  the  fact  that  they  are  the  parent  nation  to  a  con- 
federacy of  an  independent  language,  reaching  from 
Lake  Superior  south  to  tlie  Red  River,  and  composed 
of  the  Winnebagoes,  Jlcnomonecs  lowas,  Missouris, 
Osages,  Kansas,  Qnapaws,  Otoes,  Omahas,  Poncas,  Man- 
dans,  and  perliaps  others. 

On  this  subject,  ]{cv.  William  Hamilton,  who  liad 
for  fifteen  years  been  a  missionary  among  the  lowas, 
and  had  published  a  grammar  of  their  language,  in  an- 

*Jean  Nicolet  visited  Green  Bay  in  1634,  not  in  1O39,  .ns  has  been 
stated  by  historiansfor  many  years.  Recent  investigation  lias  developed 
this  fact.  Vide  "  History  Northern  ^Vi^consin,"  Western  Historical  Co., 
Chicago;  "Nicolet's  Discovery  of  the  Northwest,"  by  C.W.  Butterfield  • 
Robert  Clark  &  Co.,  Cincinnati.. 


swer  to  questions  from  H.  R.  Schoolcraft,  wrote  as  fol 
lows:  "  There  is  no  more  difference  between  the  lan- 
guage of  the  lowas,  Otoes  and  Menomonees  than  be- 
tween the  language  of  a  New  Englander  and  a  South- 
erner. A  few  words  are  common  to  one  tribe  and  not 
to  anotlier.  They  sa}-  tlie  Winnebago  is  the  full  lan- 
guage. This  may  be  true ;  if  so,  the  Iowa,  Otoe  and 
Missouri  languages  would  be  one  dialect ;  the  Omaha 
and  Ponca  another  ;  the  Konza,  Osage,  Qnapaw  and 
Ajxaclies  (a  band  of  the  Osages),  another  ;  or,  perhaps, 
the  Omahas,  Poncas,  Konzas,  etc.,  might  all  be  called 
one   dialect.         «  *  *         ^\\q  Osage,  Konza, 

Quapaw,  etc.,  are  tlie  same  language.  The  Omaiia 
and  Ponca  are  tlie  same.  Many  words  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes are  the  same  in  Iowa." — ("Schoolcraft's  History 
oflhe  Indian  Tribes,"  Part  IV,  pages  405,  -lOG.) 

In  the  same  volume,  page  227,  J.  E.  Fletciier,  Esq., 
Indian  Agent  to  the  Winnebagoes,  writes:  "  Tlie  Win- 
nebagoes claim  that  they  are  an  original  stock,  and  that 
the  Missouris,  lowas,  Otoes  and  Omahas  sprang  from 
them.  These  Indians  call  the  Winnebagoes  their  elder 
brothers,  and  tiie  similarity  of  their  language  renders 
it  probable  that  they  belong  to  the  same  stock.  Even 
in  1070,  the  Winnebagoes  told  Rev.  Father  Allouez 
that  '  tliere  were  only  certain  people  of  the  Southwest 
who  spoke  as  they  did.'  " 

To  this  testimony  we  may  add  that  of  Mr.  Saterlee 
Clark,  an  old  Winnebago  trader,  and  one  of  the  few 
who  ever  learned  the  language,  that  he  could  converse 
witli  and  understand  the  lowas,  and  that  tlie  lowas 
called  themselves  O-chunk-o-raws.  Also  the  statement 
of  the  Winnebagoes  to  Gen.  Sully,  that  they  spoke  the 


HISTORY    OF  TLA    CROSSE   COtTNTY. 


same  language  as  the  Omahas ;  and  the  further  state- 
ment of  James  Reed,  Esq.,  of  Trempealeau  County, 
Wis.,  to  the  writer,  tliat  he  had  not  been  able  to  learn 
the  Winnebago  language  on  account  of  its  being  so 
deeply  gutteral,  notwithstanding  he  had  many  j'ears 
spoken  Sioux,  been  a  farmer  and  trader  among  them, 
and  had  a  cousin  of  the  chief  Wabasha  as  his  wife. 
This,  we  imagine,  makes  a  strong  case  against  the  asser- 
tion that  the  Winnebago  is  only  a  dialect  of  the  Sioux. 
When  Sieur  Nicolet  assembled  four  or  five  thous- 
and Winnebagoes,  Sioux,  Illinois  and  Pottawatomies 
at  Green  Bay,  in  1639  [1634 — see  foot  note]  for  a  gen- 
eral council,  is  it  not  probable  that  there  came  also  the 
Menomonees,  lowas,  Osages  and  other  kindred  bands 
of  the  Winnebagoes,  and  from  their  numbers  he  cor- 
rectly came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Winnebagoes 
were  "  sedentary  and  very  numerous  '?  "  They  then 
evidently  occupied  the  territory  from  near  Mackinaw, 
southwest  to  the  Red  River,  extending  east  as  far  as 
the  Illinois  River,  the  Mississippi  and  the  Lower  Ohio 
Valley.  For  over  thirty  years  later,  and  after  the  ad- 
vent of  the  fugitive  Algonquins,  the  eight  Illinois 
bauds  were  on  Illinois  River  as  their  real  homes,  al- 
though Marquette,  January  25,  1673,  found  the  Peo- 
rias  on  the  Mississippi  when  descending  the  river ;  but 
they  had  returned  to  the  Illinois  when  he  came  back, 
some  two  months  later.  Rev.  Father  Allouez  also 
found  the  Illinois  on  the  Illinois  River  in  1677.  Thus 
was  evidently  situated  in  the  Winnebago  Confereracy 
in  1634,  "sedentary  and  very  numerous." 

O-CHUNK-O-RAW. 

Tlie  tradition  of  the  0-cIiunk-o-raw  claims  that  the 
tribe  was  created  at  the  Mok-kau-shoots-raw,  on  Red 
Earth  Banks,  on  the  south  shore  of  Green  Bay.  They 
were  known  to  the  Algonquin  tribe  by  the  name  of 
"  Winnebagoec,"'  or  people  of  the  salt  water;  and  as 
the  Algonquin  word  for  salt  water  and  stinking  water 
was  the  same,  the  French  gave  them  the  name  of  La 
Puants,  or  stinkards.  They,  however,  call  themselves 
0-chunk-o-raw. 

The  tribe  was  spoken  of  by  Sieur  Champlain,  who 
visited  Lake  Huron  in  1615,  and  the  singularity  of 
their  name  probably  induced  the  French  Governor  of 
Canada  to  send  Sieur  Nicolet,  his  Indian  interpreter 
to  visit  them  in  1634,  in  hopes  of  discovering  the 
Western  ocean.*  They  continued  to  occupy  Green 
Bay,  Fox  River,  and  Lake  Winnebago  until  modern 
times,  and  were  generally  allies  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
in  the  old  Indian  wars.  Tliey  were,  after  1754,  allies 
of  tiie  French  while  they  held  Canada,  and  afterward 
of  the  British,  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  1812. 

In  1816,  the  United  States  concluded  a  treaty  of 
peace  with  the  Portage  bands,  under  the  chief  Choo- 
ke-kaw,  or  the  Ladle,  more  commonly  known  by  his 
French  name,  "  De  Cora."  This  band  agreed  to  sep- 
arate themselves  from  the  balance  of  the  tribe  until 
they  made  a  treaty  of  peace  also,  and  delivered  up 
their  prisoners.     The  0-chuuk-o-raws  joined  the  tribes 

*Nicolet's  mission  was  to  confirm  peace  between  the  Hurons  (allies 
of  the  French)  and  the  Western  tribes,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the 
trade  in  furs.  His  journey  was  not  one  of  exploration,  in  a  geographical 
sense,  but  was  commercial  in  its  character.  He  went  westward  to  with- 
in about  three  days'  travel  of  the  Wisconsin,  not  the  Mississippi,  as  has 
been  erroneously  stated. 


at  the  great  council  with  the  United  States,  held  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  August  19,  1825.  This  gave  to  the 
Winnebagoes  tiie  country  bounded  as  follows:  "South- 
easterly by  Rock  River,  from  its  source  near  the  Win- 
nebago Lake  to  the  Winnebago  village,  about  forty 
miles  above  its  mouth  ;  westerly,  by  tiie  east  line  of 
the  tract  lying  upon  the  Mississippi,  herein  secured  to 
the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Pottawatomies  of  the 
Illinois;  and  also  by  the  high  bluff  described  in  the 
Sioux  boundary,  and  running  north  to  Black  River ; 
from  this  point  the  Winnebagoes  claim  up  Black  River 
to  a  point  due  west  from  the  source  of  the  Left  Fork 
of  the  Ouisconsin  to  the  Portage,  and  across  the  Port- 
age to  Fox  River ;  thence  down  Fox  River  to  the 
Winnebago  Lake,  and  to  the  grand  Kau-kaulin,  in- 
cluding in  this  claim  the  whole  of  Winnebago  Lake." 

In  a  second  treaty,  August  11,  1827,  between  the 
United  States  and  the  Chippewas,  Menomonees  and 
Winnebagoes,  our  Government  stipulated  that  "  the 
sum  of  ■'§1,000  shall  be  annuall}-  appropriated,  for  the 
term  of  three  j-ears ;  and  tiie  sum  of  $1,500  shall  be 
annually  thereafter  appropriated  as  long  as  Congress 
thinks  proper,  for  the  education  of  the  ciiildren  of  the 
tribes,  parties  thereto,  and  of  the  New  York  Indians 
near  Green  Bay,  to  be  expended  under  the  direction 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

In  1827,  some  Winnebagoes  attacked  and  killed 
eight  Chippewas  near  Fort  Suelling,  whereupon  the 
Commandant  of  that  fort  took  four  of  the  offending 
Winnebagoes  and  delivered  them  to  the  Chippewas, 
who  immediately  put  them  to  death.  Red  Bird's  band 
soon  after  attacked  two  keel-boats  at  the  mouth  of 
Coon  Slough,  on  the  Mississippi,  killing  two  and  wound- 
ing six  whites;  while  Red  Bird  himself  killed  two 
whites  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  The  settlers  at  once  or- 
ganized for  war,  electing  Gen.  Dodge,  commander. 
Gen.  Atkinson,  witli  a  small  force  of  regular  troops, 
marched  up  the  Wisconsin,  and,  joined  by  the  forces 
of  Gen.  Dodge,  advanced  to  attack  the  Winnebagoes 
in  force  at  the  Portage  ;  but  on  their  arrival  received 
overtures  from  the  Indians,  who  delivered  up  Red  Bird 
and  six  others  as  the  guilty  parties,  which  ended  the 
difficulty. 

The  next  year,  1828,  the  United  States  made  an  un- 
successful attempt  to  purchase  the  Winnebago  lands, 
including  the  lead  mines,  and  failed. 

In  1829,  by  a  treaty  concluded  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
concluded  August  1  of  that  year,  the  tribe  ceded  their 
territory  south  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  west  of  a 
line  running  south  from  Lake  Puckaway,  by  Duck 
Creek,  Fourth  Lake,  near  Madison,  Sugar  River  and 
Pee-Jcic-tal-a-ka,  by  which  the  Winnebago  interest  in  the 
mines  was  secured  to  the  United  States.  The  consid- 
eration for  the  territory  purchased  was  $8,000,  paid 
annually  for  thirty  years ;  $30,000  in  goods  paid  down, 
and  30,000  pounds  of  tobacco,  and  fifty  barrels  of  salt, 
delivered  annually  for  thirty  years. 

By  treaty,  on  September  15,  1832,  the  Winnebagoes 
ceded  to  the  United  States  all  the  balance  of  their 
lands  south  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  for  which 
the  Government  gave  them  an  interest  in  the  "neutral 
grounds"  west  of  the  ]Mississippi,an  annual  annuity  for 
twenty-seven  successive  years  of  $10,000,  and  further 
agreed  to  establish  audjnaintaiu  a  school  at  Praiiie  du 


452 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Chien  for  twenty-seven  3'ears,  at  an  annual  expense 
not  exceeding  $3,000 ;  support  six  agriculturists  for 
twenty-seven  years ;  pay  not  exceeding  $2,000  for 
twelve  yoke  of  oxen  and  agricultural  implements  ;  pay 
the  Rock  River  band  1,500  pounds  of  tol)acco  per  an- 
num ;  and  pay  $200  per  annum  each  for  the  services  of 
two  physicians,  one  stationed  at  Fort  Winnebago  and 
the  other  at  Prairie  du  Cliien.  The  treaty  contained 
some  small  grants  of  land  to  half-breeds,  and  required 
the  surrender  of  eight  Indians,  charged  with  the  mur- 
der of  some  whites  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

By  another  treaty,  November  1,  1837,  the  Winne- 
bagoes  ceded  to  the  United  States  all  the  balance  of 
their  territory  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
and  certain  interests  on  the  west  side,  for  which  the 
Government  paid  $1,500,000.  Of  this  amount,  $100,- 
000  was  to  be  expended  in  goods,  horses,  provisions, 
opening  farms  and  expenses  of  the  removal  of  the  In- 
dians west  of  the  Mississippi,  where  the  tribe  engaged 
to  go  in  eight  months  after  the  ratification  of  the 
treaty.  However,  they  did  not  perform  that  agree- 
ment until  1840.  A  new  treaty  was  entered  into  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  October  13,  1846,  by  which  the 
tribe  surrendered  all  their  interest  in  lands  in  the 
United  States,  for  which  the  United  States  engaged  to 
give  the  tribe  800,000  acres  of  land  north  of  the  St. 
Peters,  or  Minnesota  River,  for  a  residence,  and  pay 
in  addition  $190,000.  The  chiefs  selected  a  tract  north 
of  the  Watab,  but  the  tribe  was  generally  dissatisfied 
with  the  location,  and  tlie  most  of  them  remained  scat- 
tered about  the  country. 

In  1853,  a  new  treat}'  was  made,  by  wliich  they 
were  allowed  to  change  their  location  to  tlie  Crow 
River;  but  the  ratification  of  this  treaty  was  refused 
on  the  remonstrance  of  the  people  of  Minnesota.  The 
matter  was  compromised  by  the  United  States,  and  in 
February,  1855,  the  chiefs  were  permitted  to  select 
their  land  on  tlie  Blue  Earth  River,  south  of  the  Min- 
nesota. Here  the  tribe  settled  the  same  Spring,  high- 
1}'  satisfied  with  their  land,  and  immediately  com- 
menced building  houses  and  improving  land.  So  well 
had  they  succeeded  that  the  Government  Agent  at  St. 
Paul,  in  1860,  reported  as  follows  : 

"There  have  been  raised  by  individual  Indians  as 
high  as  sixty  acres  of  wheat  on  a  single  farm.  The 
reservation  presents  the  appearance  of  as  much  im- 
provement as  the  surrounding  country,  and,  in  fact, 
when  viewing  the  comfortable  log  and  frame  houses 
that  dot  the  reservation  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  it 
presents  a  far  different  scene  than  is  usual  to  be  found 
upon  Indian  reservations,  for  wigwams  are  becoming 
as  rare  as  houses  were  but  two  years  since." 

The  same  3-ear  tlie  teachers  of  the  Indian  schools 
reported  one  hundred  and  eighteen  pupils  enrolled,  of 
which  sixty-two  were  males  and  fifty-six  females  ;  that 
they  were  instructed  in  the  ordinary  English  branches, 
and  had  "  as  much  educational  capacity  as  can  be  found 
in  any  school  of  equal  size." 

In  the  midst  of  their  prosperity,  when  their  civiliza- 
tion had  become  almost  a  certaintjs  the  occurrence  of 
the  "  Sioux  massacre,"  in  June,  1862,  dashed  their  fond 
hopes  to  the  ground.  Notwithstanding  the  Winneba- 
goes  took  no  part,  but  offered  the  services  of  their  war- 
riors to  onr  Government  to  help^  punish  that  rebellious 


nation,  yet  the  exasperated  inhabitants  of  Minnesota 
demanded  their  removal,  and  Congress,  by  a  special 
act,  directed  the  President  to  transport  them  to  the 
Missouri  River  with  the  friendly  Sioux. 

Accordingly,  in  May  and  June,  1863,  without  any 
any  treaty,  they  were  loaded  upon  steamers  and  taken 
to  the  Missouri  River,  where,  in  the  language  of  a 
missionary  to  the  writer,  "  they  were,  like  the  Sioux, 
dumped  in  the  desert  100  miles  from  Fort  Randall." 

When  the  purposes  of  the  Government  became 
known  to  the  tribe,  the  old  chiefs,  De  Cora,  Winne- 
sheik.  Dandy,  and  their  families  and  some  others,  fled 
to  Wisconsin,  where,  near  the  tunnel,  in  the  Fall  of 
1864,  the  venerable  old  chief,  De  Cora,  who  captured 
Black  Hawk  in  1832,  and  sent  him  to  the  Government 
Agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  died  in  poverty. 

Soon  after  the  Winnebagoes  were  landed  at  Crow 
Creek,  Dakota  Territory,  they  pronounced  the  countr}'- 
not  fit  for  cultivation,  and  were  generally  dissatisfied. 
They  soon  commenced  the  manufacture  of  canoes  to 
return  down  the  river.  Brig.  Gen.  Sully  visited  their 
reservation,  and  July  15,  1863,  sent  a  dispatch  to  Gen. 
Pojje,  in  which  he  remarked :  "  I  find  both  ti-ibes  (Sioux 
and  Winnebagoes)  very  discontented,  and  if  troops  are 
not  constantly  kept  here,  I  think  there  will  be  trouble. 

"  The  Winnebagoes  I  find  hard  at  work  making 
canoes,  with  the  intention  of  quitting  the  agency  and 
going  to  join  tlie  Omahas,  or  some  other  tribes  down 
the  river.  I  had  a  council  with  them  yesterdaj-,  in 
which  they  said  they  had  been  promised,  when  they 
left  their  last  reservation,  to  be  settled  on  the  Big  Sioux 
River.  How  true  that  is,  I  can  not  say.  Thev  also 
stated  that  nothing  would  grow  here.  They  dare  not 
go  out  to  hunt,  for  fear  of  the  other  ti-ibes,  and  they 
would  all  starve  to  death.  This  I  believe  to  be  true, 
without  the  Government  ihtends  to  ration  them  all  the 
time.     The  land  is  dry,  sandy  and  parched  up." 

In  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  dated 
the  following  day.  Gen.  Sully  remarked : 

"  I  state  this  from  my  own  knowledge  of  the  coun- 
try. The  land  is  poor,  a  low,  sandy  soil.  I  don't  think 
you  can  depend  on  a  crop  of  corn  even  once  in  five 
years,  as  it  seldom  rains  here  in  the  Summer.  There  is 
no  hunting  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  the  bands  of 
Sioux  near  here  are  hostile  to  them.  The  Winnebagoes 
tell  me  they  are  friends  of  the  Omahas,  and  speak 
nearly  the  same  language.  It  is  their  wish  to  be  united 
with  them  on  the  Omaha  reservation,  and,  as  they  say, 
the  Omahas  are  in  favor  of  this  also.  Their  last  removal 
from  Minnesota  was  hard  for  them,  for  they  were  not 
implicated  in  the  late  massacre." 

The  Indian  Agent  for  the  Omahas,  October  16, 
1863,  reported  the  continued  arrival  of  small  parties  of 
Winnebagoes  at  that  reservation  in  a  destitute  condi- 
tion, and  he  was  soon  after  instructed  from  Washing- 
ton to  provide  for  all  that  arrived.  In  September,  1864, 
over  1,200  had  arrived,  and  the  agent,  with  the  consent 
of  the  Omahas,  had  assigned  them  a  tract  of  land  for 
temporary  cultivation,  and  they  had  harvested  100 
acres  of  corn. 

Soon  after  this  the  Winnebagoes  contracted  with  the 
Omahas  for  nearly  one-third  of  their  reservation  at 
about  thirty-nine  cents  per  acre,  of  which  the  Indian 
Agent  said,  September  13,  1865  ;  "  If  this  arrangement 


HISTORY  OF    LA   CROSSE  COUNTY. 


be  ratified  by  the  Senate  the  coming  Winter,  they  will 
become  possessed  of  lands  (240  sections)  ample  in 
extent  for  all  the  purposes  of  the  tribe,  abounding  in 
wood  and  water,  and  for  agricidtural  purposes  equal  to 
the  best  farming  lands  in  Nebraska." 

This  contract  was  finally  ratified  by  the  United 
States  Government. 

Speaking  generally  of  the  Winnebagoes,  the  Indian 
Superintendent  of  tlie  northern  department,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  said  :  "  I  can  not  too  strongly  recommend 
this  unfortunate  and  much-abused  tribe  to  the  fostering 
care  and  protection  of  the  Department.  Hurried  from 
their  comfortable  homes  in  Minnesota,  in  1863,  and 
located  at  the  Crow  Creek  Agency,  where  it  is  impos- 
sible, one  year  in  six,  to  raise  a  crop,  either  of  corn, 
wiieat  or  potatoes,  they  have  suffered  more  than  any 
other  tribe  in  the  country.  They  are  now  subsisted 
by  the  Government  on  the  Omaha  Reservation,  in 
Nebraska,  wliither  they  have  all  sought  refuge  to  escape 
starvation,  and,  under  the  most  favorable  auspices,  they 
must  continue  a  charge  upon  the  Government  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  for  nearly  two  years  to  come." 

In  the  August  report  occur  these  remarks :  "  This 
tribe  is  characterized  by  frugality,  thrift  and  industry 
to  an  extent  unequalled  by  any  other  tribe  of  Indians  in 
the  Northwest.  Loyal  to  the  Government  and  peaceful 
toward  their  neighbors,  they  are  entitled  to  the  foster- 
ing care  of  the  General  Government." 

The  removal  and  unsettled  condition  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes broke  up  their  schools  and  religious  instruction, 
and  in  December,  1864,  thirty-eight  chiefs  and  head 
men,  at  their  Omaha  residence,  petitioned  their 
"Father,"  the  President,  among  other  things,  as  fol- 
lows: "It  is  our  sincere  desire  to  have  again  established 
among  us  such  schools  as  we  see  in  operation  among 
your  Omaha  children.  Father,  as  soon  as  you  find  a 
permanent  home  for  us,  will  you  not  do  this  for  us  ? 
And,  Father,  as  we  would  like  our  children  taught  the 
Christian  religion,  as  before,  we  would  like  our  school 
placed  under  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions.  And  last.  Father,  to  show  you  our 
sincerity,  we  desire  to  have  set  apart  for  its  establish- 
ment, erection  and  support  all  of  our  school  funds,  and 
wiiatever  more  is  necessary." 

The  population  of  this  tribe  has  been  variously 
estimated  at  different  periods.  Thus  we  find  in  a 
French  document  that  they  had  230  warriors  in  1736  ; 
according  to  Sir  William  Johnson,  in  1763  they  had 
increased  to  360  ;  Capt.  Carver,  in  1766,  reduced  the 
number  to  200.  By  a  census  of  the  tribe  in  1859,  they 
were  found  to  number  2,256  souls,  of  which  1,055  were 
males,  and  1,201  females;  but  by  the  census  of  1865 
the  whole  number  had  diminished  to  1,900.  The  latter 
census  probablj'  did  not  include  the  stragglers  in  Wis- 
consin, which  were  still  there  in  1866.  They  have  been 
a  vigorous,  athletic  race,  and  received  from  the  Sioux 
a  name — 0-ton-ta-kah — said  to  mean  "  the  large  and 
strong  people." 

In  the  Spring  of  1866,  the  Winnebagoes  finally 
settled  on  their  Omaha  reservation  and  commenced 
building  liouses,  of  which  they  had  been  destitute  these 
years;  they  also  put  on  white  men's  clothing,  and 
liave  cheerfully  settled  down,  hoping  to  have  a  perma- 
nent home. 


The  Agent,  in  his  report  of  August  20,  1866,  said: 
"  There  have  returned  to  the  tribe,  within  the  past 
few  weeks,  about  one  hundred  soldies,  who  have  served 
with  credit  to  themselves  and  to  their  tribe,  in  the  de- 
fense of  their  country.  I  consider  the  Winnebagoes 
one  of  the  best  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  country,  and 
with  proper  treatment  they  will  soon  become  a  self- 
sustaining,  prosperous  and  happy  people." 

By  the  treaty  with  the  United  States,  ratified  and 
proclaimed  March  28,  1866,  the  Winnebagoes  released 
their  Crow  Creek  Reservation,  and  accepted  their 
Omaha  Reservation,  paid  for  by  the  United  States. 
They  also  were  to  receive  100  cows,  400  horses,  20 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  wagons  ;  have  a  steam  saw  and 
grist  mill,  and  necessary  buildings  for  a  complete 
agency  erected,  and  are  to  be  paid  the  expenses  of  re- 
moval and  subsistence  for  one  year. 

In  the  account  of  Rev.  Alfred  Barenson,  of  Prairie 
du  Chien,  he  says  : 

Some  of  Shea's  authorities  found  them  at  Green  Bay  as  early  as  1639- 
Winnebago  is  the  name  given  them  by  the  Algonquins,  which  means 
"  fetid."  It  was  because  they  were  said  to  have  come  from  the  salt 
water,  which  the  Indians  style  fetid  water.  This  name,  however,  is  cor- 
rupted. IVfene  means  filthy  or  fetid,  be  water,  go  gives  its  character 
Wecnebago  is  the  name  of  the  water  in  a  marsh  that  is  scented  or  filthy 
Ouinnebago  is  the  French  of  it.  The  Algonquins  called  the  Winneba- 
goes a  Dakota  tribe,  but  as  there  is  no  analogy  between  their  languages, 
there  is  no  probability  of  such  relationship.  They  called  themselves 
Otchagias,  hut  were  nicknamed  by  the  French  voyager,  Puants,  y>//(/, 
probably  translating  the  Algic  into  French,  and  no  less  than  ten  different 
names  are  given  them  by  different  writers. 

The  various  names,  and  the  variations  of  the  same 
name,  are  thus  treated  by  an  article  relating  thereto  in 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collection  of  1856,  page  137, 
which  is  taken  in  turn  from  the  Jesuit  Relations  of 
1659-60,  1669-70 : 

They  are  a  Dakota  tribe,  and  this  name  is  that  given  by  the  Algon- 
quins, and  means  "  fetid."  The  French  translated  it  by  the  word 
Puants,  giving  it  as  a  name  to  the  tribe  and  to  Green  Bay  (Sagard).  The 
early  missionaries  (Brussana,  p.  64,  and  Marquette)  state  that  they  were 
so  called  by  the  Algonquins,  as  coming  from  the  ocean  or  salt  water, 
which  the  Indians  style  "  fetid  water."  Nicolet  called  them  more 
properly  GenJes  mer  (men  of  the  sea).  The  Hurons  called  the  tribe 
Aweatsiwaent-rhorons,  and  the  Sioux,  Otonkah  or  Sturgeon  (Schoolcraft), 
but  they  call  themselves  Otchagras  (Charlevoix),  Hochungara  or  Ochun- 
garand,  or  Trout  Nation,  or  Horogi  (fish  eaters),  Schoolcraft.  Guynon 
states  in  his  Recollections,  page  286,  that  the  name  was  given  by  the 
Menomonees,  IVin-ne-pa-go,  or  filthy.  They  were  the  original  inhabit- 
ants of  Wisconsin,  and  were  often  troublesome  and  hostile.  They  were 
allies  of  Pontiac  in  1763,  were  defeated  by  Wayne  in  1794,  and  adhered 
to  England  in  the  war  of  1812. 

From  Capt.  Carver's  North  America,  page  13, 
the  following  statement  is  given  of  his  first  meeting 
with  these  Indians : 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1766,  I  arrived  at  the  great  town  of  the 
Winnebagoes,  situated  on  a  small  island,  just  as  you  enter  the  east  end 
of  Lake  Winnebago.  Here  the  Queen  who  presided  over  this  tribe  re- 
ceived me  with  great  civility,  and  entertained  me  in  a  very  distinguished 
manner  during  the  four  days  I  continued  with  her.  The  time  I  tarried 
here  I  employed  in  making  the  best  observations  possible  on  the  country, 
and  collecting  the  most  certain  intelligence  I  could  of  the  origin,  lan- 
guage and  customs  of  this  people.  From  these  inquiries,  I  have  reason 
to  conclude  that  the  Winnebagoes  originally  resided  in  some  of  the 
provinces  belonging  to  New  Mexico,  and  being  driven  from  their  native 
country,  either  by  intestine  divisions  or  by  the  extension  of  the  Spanish 
conquests,  tliey  took  refuge  in  these  more  northern  parts  about  a 
century  ago. 

My  reasons  for  adopting  this  supposition,  are  first  from  their  unalien- 
able attachment  to  the  Mandawessie  Indians  (Sioux),  who,  they  say,  gave 
them  the  earliest  succor  during  their  emigration,  notwithstanding  their 
present  residence  is  more  than  600  miles  distant  from  that  people. 
Secondly,  that  their  dialect  differs  from  every  other  nation  yet  discovered, 
it  being  veiy  uncouth,  guttral  jargon,  which  none  of  their  neighbors  will 
attempt  to  learn.     They  converse  with  other  nations  in  the  Chippeway 


454 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


tongue,  which  is  the  prevailing  language  throughout  all  the  tribe?,  from 
the  Mohawks  of  Canada  to  those  who  inhabit  the  borders  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  from  the  Ilurons  and  Illinois  to  such  as  dwell  near  Hudson's 
Bay.  Thirdly,  from  their  inveterate  hatred  to  the  Spaniards.  Some  of 
them  informed  me  that  they  had  made  many  excursions  to  the  southwest, 
which  took  up  several  moons.  An  elderly  chief,  more  particularly  ac- 
quainted me  that,  about  forty-six  winters  ago,  he  marched  at  the  head  of 
fifty  warriors  toward  the  southwest  for  three  moons.  That  during  this 
expedition,  whilst  they  were  crossing  a  plain,  they  discovered  a  body  of 
men  on  horseback,  who  belonged  to  the  black  people,  for  so  they  call 
the  Spaniards.  As  soon  as  tliey  perceived  them,  they  proceeded  with 
caution,  and  concealed  themselves  till  night  came  on,  when  they  drew  so 
near  as  to  be  able  to  discern  the  number  and  situation  of  their  enemies. 
Fnding  they  were  not  able  to  cope  with  so  great  a  superiority  by  day- 
light, they  waited  till  they  had  retired  to  rest,  when  Ihey  rushed  upon 
them,  and  after  having  killed  the  greater  part  of  the  men,  took  eighty 
horses  loaded  with  what  they  termed  white  stone.  This  I  suppose  to 
have  been  silver;  he  told  me  the  horses  were  shod  with  it,  and  that  their 
bridles  were  ornamented  with  the  same.  When  they  had  satiated  their 
revenge,  they  carried  off  their  spoil,  and  being  got  so  far  as  to  be  out  of 
reach  of  the  Spaniards  that  had  escaped  their  fury,  they  left  the  useless 
and  ponderous  burthen  with  whicli  the  horses  were  loaded  in  the  woods, 
and  mounting  themselves  in  this  manner  returned  to  their  friends.  The 
party  they  had  thus  defeated  I  conclude  to  be  the  caravan  that  annually 
conveys  to  Mexico  its  silver  which  the  Spaniards  find  in  great  quantities 
on  the  mountains  lying  near  the  head  of  the  Colorado  River.  The 
Winnebagoes  can  raise  about  200  warriors.  Their  town  contains  about 
fifty  houses,  which  are  stronely  built  with  palisades,  and  the  island  on 
which  it  is  situated  nearly  fifty  acres.  It  lies  thirty-five  miles,  reckon- 
ing according  to  the  course  of  the  river,  from  Green  Bay. 

PRELUMINARY. 

Wisconsin  was  very  early  known,  having  been  first 
visited  by  a  white  man  in  1684,  less  than  a  score  of 
years  from  the  date  of  the  landing  at  Plymonth  Rock, 
and  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  the  colonies.  Most 
fortunately  for  the  welfare  of  the  State,  it  has  always 
been  the  home  of  freemen.  In  the  year  above  men- 
tioned, it  is  established  that  an  adventurous  French- 
man, Jean  Nicolet,  first  set  foot  witliin  the  present 
State,  and  ascended  Fox  River  to  within  three  days' 
journey  of  the  Wisconsin.  It  has  previously  been 
stated  that  lie  approached  the  Mississippi ;  but  this  is 
now  known  to  be  an  error.  It  is  painful  to  add  that 
this  venturesome  explorer  met  his  death  in  1642,  in 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  while  engaged  in  a  benevolent 
mission  to  rescue  a  defenseless  Aborigine  from  a  re- 
lentless enemy.  Nicolet  visited  Wisconsin  but  once, 
spending  the  Winter  of  1634-35  at  Green  Bay,  and 
then  returning  to  his  home  near  Quebec. 

No  State  in  the  Union,  wliose  annals  commence  at 
a  date  so  remote  from  the  present,  has  been  subject  to 
so  numerous  a  change  of  rulers  or  a  more  peaceful 
career  in  her  history  than  Wisjconsin.  From  1670  to 
1760,  the  territory  was  tributary  to  Fi'ance.  In  the 
latter  year,  Green  Bay  was  wrested  from  France  by 
the  English  giving  that  nation  virtual  control  of  all 
the  French  possessions  west  of  Lake  Michigan,  con- 
firmed by  the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763. 

During  tiieir  occupation  tlie  laws  of  Canada  were 
enforced  over  the  Northwest;  Jonathan  Carver  made 
his  explorations  ;  the  Norlhwestern  Fur  Company  was 
organized,  civil  government  established  by  the  Quebec 
act,  and  its  possession  retained  by  the  aid  of  Indians 
until  1783.  In  tliat  year,  tiie  tenitory  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  United  States,  and  by  Jay's  treaty, 
concluded  in  1795,  the  donation  was  furtiier  vested^ 
together  witli  its  forts,  trading-posts  and  dependencies. 

Until  1800,  Wisconsin  Territory  was  attaclied  to 
Virginia  and  Ohio,  afterward  transferred  to  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  Michigan  ;  its  dependence  upon  these  sev- 


eral commonwealth  continuing  one  hundred  and  sixty-  j 

six  years.  i 

BEGINNING   OF  LA   CROSSE  COUNTY.  i 

All  the  territory  now  embraced  within  the  State  of         i 
Wisconsin  was  attached  to  the  Territory  of  Micliigan  1 

as  early  as  1818.     On  the  16th  of  October  of  that  year,  i 

it  was  divided  into  two  counties.  Brown  and  Crawford,  j 

by  an  act  of  the  Legislative  Council.  j 

Brown  embraced  all  the  lands  lying  north  of  Illinois,  I 

and  east  of  a  line  running  due  north,  from  the  north-  j 

ern  boundary  of  that  State,  through  the  middle  of  the  I 

Portage,  between  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  Rivers.  Craw-  j 

ford,  all  of  the  State  lying  west  of  that  line  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  A  reference  to  the  map  will  show 
that  the  latter  county  was  probably  one-third  greater 
in  extent  than  Brown.  Within  its  limits  was  included 
the  "  Carver  Grant,"  which  excited  great  interest  in  its 
day,  the  confirmation  of  which  would  doubtless  have 
invalidated  the  titles  of  settlers  and  dispossessed  them 
of  homes. 

This  grant,  it  is  claimed,  was  made  to  Capt.  Carver, 
May,  1,  1767,  for  and  in  consideration  of  services  ren- 
dered to  the  Dakota  or  Sioux  Indians,  by  How-no-paw- 
ja-len  (Turtle),  and  O-toh-ton-goom-lisli-con  (Snake), 
two  chiefs  of  the  tribe.  It  extended  from  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthou}^  to  the  mouth  of  Lake  Pepin,  thence  east- 
ward about  one  hundred  miles  ;  thence  north  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles,  and  thence  west  on  a  direct  line 
to  the  jDlace  of  beginning,  comprehending  about  ten 
thousand  square  miles  and  six  millions  of  acres.  Every 
effort  was  made  b}'  the  heirs  of  Capt.  Carver  to  secure 
from  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  a  confirma- 
tion of  this  grant,  but  without  success. 

Thus  was  the  Territory  defined  by  metes  and  bounds 
until  October  9,  1829,  when  Crawford  County  was  di- 
vided, and  Iowa  County  created  out  of  the  land  lying 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Four  years  later,  Mil- 
waukee County  was  established  and  set  off  from  Brown 
County,  being  bounded  by  the  south  and  east  lines  of 
the  State,  the  north  line  of  Township  No.  12,  and  the 
eastern  line  of  Iowa  County.  The  District  Court  for 
these  counties  convened  once  a  year  in  each  of  them, 
the  first  term  being  held  in  October,  1824,  at  Green 
Bay,  Judge  Doty  presiding.  Among  the  cases,  there 
were  twenty-eight  for  illicit  co-habitation,  arising  from 
the  custom  of  traders  and  French  settlers  taking  squaws 
to  wife ;  upon  being  arraigned,  the  accused  pleaded 
guilty,  but  sentence  was  suspended  till  the  close  of  the 
term,  when  all  who  were  able  to  present  a  marriage 
certificate  were  released  upon  the  payment  of  a  nomi- 
nal fine,  while  those  who  failed  to  procure  the  necessa- 
ry certificate,  paid  an  assessment,  quoted  at  $50. 

The  act  of  Congress  establishing  the  Territorial 
Government  of  Wisconsin,  approved  April  20,  1836, 
provided  that  the  territory  included  in  the  present 
States  of  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  a  part  of 
Dakota  siiould  constitute  a  separate  Territory,  and  that 
all  power  and  authority  of  the  government  of  Michigan 
should  cease  from  tlie  4th  day  of  Jul}'  of  that  year. 
Territorial  oflicers  were  appointed  and  qualified,  and  a 
census  gave  a  total  of  11,683  residents,  divided  between 
Brown  County,  which  contained  2,705 ;  Crawford 
County,  850 ;    Iowa   County,  5,234,  and   Milwaukee 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


455 


County,  2,893.  The  apportionment  made  on  this  basis 
gave  Brown  and  Milwaukee  two  Council  and  three 
Legislative  members  each  ;  Iowa  County,  three  mem- 
bers of  the  Council,  and  six  members  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, and  Crawford  County  two  members  of  the  Legis- 
lature. 

At  that  time,  from  Chicago  to  the  Pacific,  there 
were  but  three  newspapers  published,  viz.,  the  Adver- 
tiser at  Milwaukee,  Green  Bay  Intelligencer,  and  Bel- 
mont Gazette,  the  locality  of  the  two  last  mentioned 
being  indicated  b}-  their  names,  all  of  them  being  born 
in  1836,  and  the  Belmont  Gazette,  in  the  hope  of  ob- 
taining the  Territorial  printing.  There  were  scarcely 
any  landings  on  the  Mississippi  north  of  St.  Louis,  and 
no  roads  save  those  established  by  the  Government  be- 
tween militar}'  posts,  communication  being  either  on 
foot  or  by  horse,  over  well-worn  Lidian  trails.  Set- 
tlers who  were  able  to  come  hither  eitlier  by  keel 
boat  or  canoe  were  fortunate,  but  limited.  Those  who 
made  their  way  by  the  slow  and  wearisome  wagon 
from  the  last  outpost  of  civilization  at  Milwaukee  and 
Cliicago,  by  no  means  numerous,  left  hope  behind  upon 
entrance  to  tlie  gloomy  forests  or  while  crossing  the 
low,  lonely  prairies.  Yet  it  is  to  the  glorious  self-de- 
nial of  these  bands  of  pioneers  that  the  present  pros- 
perity of  the  Great  West  is  due. 

On  the  l'2th  of  June,  1838,  an  act  providing  for  the 
division  of  Wisconsin  and  the  organization  of  Iowa 
Territory  was  approved  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  Tlie  census  of  iMa}',  1838,  showed  an  increase 
in  the  population  of  over  6,000,  and  a  new  apportion- 
ment was  ordered. 

In  1849,  Crawford  County  embraced  tlie  territory 
included  in  its  present  limits  in  addition  to  that  now 
contained  in  Vei'uon,  La  Salle,  Monroe,  Buffalo,  Trem- 
pealeau and  Jackson  counties,  as  also  tlie  southern  tier 
of  townships  in  Clark  County.  In  February,  1851,  the 
Legislature  of  Wisconsin  adopted  an  actproviding  that 
the  poiliou  of  Crawford  County  13'ing  north  of  Town- 
ship 14,  north  of  Ranges  2,  3,  4,  5,  6  and  7,  should  be 
organized  into  a  separate  county  to  be  known  as  La 
Crosse.  It  extended  eastward  to  within  twenty  miles 
of  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  north  ninety  miles  for  the 
entire  width  of  Clark  County.  The  election  for  town 
and  county  oflicers  was  decided  to  be  holden  on  the 
first  Tuesday  in  the  following  April.  Chippewa  Coun- 
ty was  attached  to  La  Crosse  for  judicial  purposes,  and 
the  county  seat  was  located  at  the  village  of  La  Crosse, 
upon  condition  that  the  people  of  the  township  furn- 
ished suitable  buildings  for  count}'  purposes.  On  the 
11th  of  February,  1853,  La  Crosse  County  was  divided, 
and  Jackson  County  created,  and  the  condition  of  af- 
fairs was  continued  before  that  slice  was  taken  off  un- 
til 1854. 

By  tliat  time,  the  inhabitants  of  the  original  county 
had  become  numerous,  not  to  say  crowded,  audit  was 
decided  to  cut  out  a  piece  or  parcel  of  land  of  sufficient 
dimensions  for  county  purposes  and  become  independ- 
ent. With  a  view  to  that  end,  a  bill  was  introduced 
into  the  Legislature  in  January,  1854,  providing  for 
the  creation  of  Trempealeau  County,  and  on  the  24th 
of  that  month  became  a  law.  Three  mouths  later, 
Monroe  County  was  apportioned  from  La  Crosse,  and 
on  the  3rd  of  lilarch,  1857,  the  present  boundaries  of 


La  Crosse  County  were  defined  and  legalized  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature,  approved  on  that  day.  So  much 
for  the  incorporation  of  the  county. 

ORIGIN  OP  THE  NAME  LA  OROSSE. 

The  origin  of  the  name  is  a  subject  of  interest,  and 
there  are  several  theories  and  statements  in  that  behalf 
which  will  be  referred  to  in  the  order  of  date  as  they 
occurred. 

The  first  is  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that  Cath- 
olic missionaries,  at  an  early  daj',  erected  a  cedar  cross 
near  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  on  which  a  crucifix 
was  placed  at  tlie  intersection  of  the  cross-bar,  or  be- 
low it,  protected  by  a  pane  of  glass  held  in  place  by 
wax.  The  date  of  locating  the  cross,  or  its  location, 
of  course  is  mere  conjecture.  As  is  known,  the  Span- 
iards introduced  the  custom  of  setting  up  a  cross  upon 
their  first  discover}'  or  landing,  thus  signifying  to  all 
comers  that  the  land  was  claimed  by  Spain,  which  de- 
rived its  title  direct  from  the  Holy  See.  This  custom 
also  obtained  with  the  adventurous,  self-denying  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Catholic  Church,  who  by  this  means 
indicated  that  the  land  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
Christ. 

In  a  statement  submitted  by  Henry  B.  Coons,  of 
Potosi,  published  further  along  in  tiiis  book,  it  would 
appear  that  the  village  whence  the  county  obtained  its 
name  derived  its  nomenclature  from  French  Catholic 
missionaries,  who,  en  route  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  which 
city  they  also  settled  and  named,  halted  on  tiieir  way 
down  the  Mississippi,  and  encamped  upon  the  prairie, 
where  they  erected  a  cross,  and  called  it  Piairie  la 
Crossette,  by  which  it  was  known  among  the  Indians 
and  iialf-brceds.  , 

Mr.  William  Staats  Tippetts,  of  Tippetts'  Landing, 
confirms  the  statement  regarding  the  cedar  cross,  in  a 
letter  under  date  of  May  28,  1881.  He  says :  "  In 
1840,  I  went  by  steamboat  to  La  Crosse,  which  I  found 
to  be  covered  with  knolls  and  sand  burs.  The  bank  of 
tlie  river  was  about  forty  feet  high,  and'slopcd  back 
about  100  feet  from  the  water.  Where  Lloyd  &  Clark's 
store  stands  were  five  or  six  Indian  graves,  made  in 
the  usual  manner.  At  the  head  of  one  was  a  cross 
made  of  red  cedar,  hewn  out  about  six  feet  high.  At 
the  crossing,  a  small  niche  had  been  cut  or  carved  out, 
and  a  piece  of  window  glass  had  been  inserted,  behind 
which  was  a  wooden  image  of  our  Savior,  finely  col- 
ored, like  I  have  seen  in  the  residences  of  the  Prairie 
du  Chien  people.  This  was  a  rough-hewn  cross,  very 
old  to  all  appearances.  *****  Now,  Mr. 
Henry  Coons,  of  Potosi,  is  right  about  the  cross,  as  I 
have  a  most  vivid  recollection  of  it,  and  of  its  exact 
location." 

If  set  up  as  suggested  by  Jlr.  Coons,  about  the  time 
Prairie  du  Chien  was  named,  that  would  decide  its 
erection  to  have  been  during  the  year  1728,  when  one 
Cardewell  settled  there. 

When  the  name  was  given,  as  already  hinted,  is  a 
matter  of  conjecture,  though  it  is  believed  to  have  been 
named  from  a  chief,  and  was  known  as  "Dog  Prairie," 
the  word  chien  being  the  Indian  signification  for  dog. 
It  is  incredible  a  cross  wcnild  have  been  left  undis- 
turbed so  long,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  steamers  and 
hands  on  other  craft  betrayed  no  conscientious  scru- 


456 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


pies  in  helping  themselves  to  fuel  of  any  description 
that  could  be  found  along  the  banks.  The  tradition 
may  have  originated  among  the  friends,  a  son  of  De- 
cora, who  died  in  1842,  iiaving  placed  a  cross  over  his 
grave,  which  remained  undisturbed  for  eight  or  ten 
years. 

The  similarity  of  the  name  to  the  French  word  for 
cross,  i.  e.j  croiz,  will  not  bear  investigation,  especially 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  name  was  used  by  the 
French  in  naming  the  river  St.  Croix,  the  junction  of 
which  with  the  Mississippi  is  said  to  bear  a  striking 
resemblance,  on  a  near  view,  to  that  sacred  emblem. 
Two  other  tlieories,  one  of  the  supposed  but  very  im- 
aginative likeness  of  a  cross  made  by  the  Root  River 
on  the  south  and  La  Crosse  River  on  the  north,  and 
that  this  spot  was  the  favorite  crossing  place  of  the 
Indians  ;  hence  the  place  of  the  cross  or  crossing  seems 
too  puerile  to  be  worthy  of  more  than  passing  notice. 

Before  quoting  the  final  and  most  probable  theory, 
it  may  not  be  improper  to  notice  several  of  the  Indian 
names  applied  during  aboriginal  days.  None  of  them, 
with  possibly  one  or  two  exceptions,  are  especially 
felicitous ;  but  derived  from  nature  or  their  likeness 
thereto,  are  suggestive  of  the  scenery,  for  the  beauty 
of  which  the  vicinity  of  La  Crosse  is  not  altogether  un- 
known. 

The  first  of  these  was  that  of  enook-wagera,  from 
enook,  woman,  and  wagera,  bosom,  from  the  supposed 
resemblance  of  two  bluffs  near  the  mouth  of  the  La 
Crosse  River  to  a  woman's  breast.  One  of  the  Sioux 
names  was  Tofaktaype,  from  Topa,  four,  and  Ktaype, 
killed.  The  occasion  for  this  is  not  known  to  the  gen- 
tleman who  communicates  it,  N.  Myrick,  Esq.,  but'that 
it  refers  to  the  slaughter  of  four  men  or  animals  is  evi- 
dent. Another  name  gi>en  by  the  Sioux,  according 
to  Dr.  Bunnel,  was  Wazuv/eca,'ov  strawl)erry  prairie. 
All  the  above  are  expressive,  commemorative,  and  the 
last  musical  in  its  softness,  as  also  most  expressive  in 
its  meaning. 

It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  the  great  wealth 
and  beauty  of  innumerable  Indian  names  was  not  more 
largely  drawn  upon  in  the  titling  of  towns,  villages  and 
hamlets.  It  would  have  been  a  just  and  fitting,  albeit 
a  small  recompense,  to  have  perpetuated  the  memory 
of  the  original  inhabitants. 

Coming  now  to  the  facts  in  the  case,  it  may  be  stated 
that  La  Crosse  was  the  name  by  which  it  was  known 
as  early  as  1805,  during  which  year  Maj.  Z.  M.  P.  Pike 
arrived,  at  which  he  calls  Prairie  de  la  Crosse.  In 
1823,  Lieut.  Martin  Scott  and  command,  in  a  journey 
to  the  St.  Peter's  River,  halted  there,  and  spoke  of  the 
prairie  as  "  being  very  level,  is  admirably  well  calcu- 
lated for  the  game  of  la  crosse,  wliich  is  very  much  in 
favor  with  the  Indians." 

Maj.  Pike  speaks  of  having  witnessed  tlie  game  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  nearly  twenty  years  before.  "  It  was 
doubtless  played  iiere  at  as  early  and,  in  likelihood,  at 
a  much  earlier  date,  as  tliis  was  a  noted  and  favorite 
resort  for  games  from  time  immemorial.  This  is  the 
uniform  testimony  of  all  the  earlier  settlers,  who  also 
bear  witness  that  it  was  also  that  of  the  Indians. 

The  etymology  and  signification  of  the  name  is  of 
itself  quite  sufficent  to  convince  anyone  of  the  great 
probability  of  this  derivation  of  the  name.     In  a  note 


on  page  189,  Volume  2,  "  Historical  Collections  of  Wis- 
consin," it  is  expressly  stated  that  tlie  name  originated 
from  the  French  name  of  the  game  of  ball  played  by 
the  Indians  at  this  point,  viz.,  lejeude  rrosse.  A  com- 
bination of  the  first  and  last  syllables  gives  the  modern- 
ized name. 

N.  Myrick,  who  was  made  the  first  Postmaster  in 
1844,  thus  speaks  of  his  connection  with  the  name  : 
"  The  name  of  Prairie  de  la  Crosse  was,  of  course, 
French,  and  was  clianged  by  myself  to  La  Crosse,  and 
the  post-office  so  called  at  my  suggestion."  What  is 
said  of  the  last  name  should  be  conclusive ;  but,  as 
some  strenuously  contend  for  the  other  theories,  it  is 
thought  best  to  submit  a  presentation  of  the  subject  in 
full. 

THE   GAME   OF   LA   CROSSE. 

The  earliest  notice  of  this  game  as  played  by  the 
Indians  of  Wisconsin,  is  probably  that  of  Capt.  Car- 
ver, who  visited  the  State  in  17G6,  and  may  be  found 
on  page  364  of  his  book  entitled  "  North  America," 
and  is  as  follows : 

They  amuse  themselves  at  several  sorts  of  games,  but  the  principal 
and  most  esteemed  among  them  is  that  of  the  ball,  which  is  not  unlike 
the  European  game  of  tennis.  The  balls  they  use  are  rather  larger  than 
those  made  use  of  at  tennis,  and  are  formed  of  a  piece  of  deerskin,  which 
being  moistened  to  render  it  supple,  is  stuffed  hard  with  the  hair  of  the 
same  creature,  and  sewed  with  its  sinews.  The  ball-sticks  are  about 
three  feet  long,  at  the  end  of  which  there  is  a  kind  of  racket,  resembling 
the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  fashioned  of  thongs  cut  from  a  deer  skin,  in 
these  they  catch  the  ball,  and  throw  it  to  a  great  distance,  if  they  are  not 
prevented  by  some  of  the  opposite  party,  who  fly  to  intercept  it.  This 
game  is  generally  played  by  large  companies,  that  sometimes  consist  of 
more  than  three  hundred  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  different  bands  to 
play  against  each  other. 

They  begin  by  fixing  two  poles  in  the  ground  at  about  six  hundred 
yards  apart,  and  one  of  these  goals  belongs  to  each  party  of  the  combat- 
ants. The  ball  is  thrown  up  high  in  the  center  of  the  ground,  and  in  a 
directed  line  between  the  goals,  toward  which  each  party  endeavors  to 
strike  it,  and  whichever  side  causes  it  to  reach  their  own  goal,  reckons 
toward  the  game.  They  are  so  exceeding  dextrous  in  this  manly  exer- 
cise, that  the  ball  is  usually  kept  flying  in  different  directions  by  the 
force  of  the  rackets,  without  touching  the  ground  during  the  whole  con- 
tention, for  they  are  not  allowed  to  catch  it  with  their  hands.  They  run 
with  amazing  velocity  in  pursuit  of  each  other,  and  when  one  is  on  the 
point  of  hurling  it  a  great  distance,  an  antagonist  overtakes  him,  and  by 
a  sudden  stroke  dashes  down  the  ball.  They  play  with  so  mucli 
vehemence  that  they  frequently  wound  each  other,  and  sometimes  a  bone 
is  broken  ;  but  notwithstanding  these  accidents,  there  never  appears  lo 
be  any  spite  or  wanton  exertions  of  strength  to  effect  them,  nor  do  any 
disputes  ever  happen  between  the  parties. 

BEGINNING    OP   SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlements,  perfected  by  permanent  occu- 
pation in  La  Crosse  County  were  not  undertaken,  it  is 
believed,  prior  to  1840,  though  Mr.  H.  B.  Coons,  of 
Potosi,  Grant  County,  avers  his  father  was  a  resident 
of  subsequent  La  Crosse  as  early  as  1836.  There  may 
have  been  visitors  into  the  present  county  before  1840, 
but  if  so,  they  were  made  up  of  transients  and  adven- 
turers to  whom  no  place  was  home,  and  the  pressing 
experiences  of  the  hour,  the  uncertain  lines  wherein 
their  lives  were  cast. 

Settlements  had  grown  up  in  the  regions  adjoining 
La  Crosse  at  a  date  anterior  to  that  mentioned  herein, 
notably  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  otlier  points  wliich 
afterward  became  sources  of  supplies  to  pioneer  hus- 
bandmen and  miners,  wlio  in  those  early  days  ran  the 
gauntlet  of  the  raining  district.  Indeed  it  would  seem 
strange,  btit  is  nevertheless  true,  that  the  settlement  of 
La  Crosse  was  pi'ocrastinated  beyond  tiiat  of  other 
points  possessing  no  more  fruitful  sources  of  wealtli  nor 


HISTORY    OF    LA    CROSSE    COUNTY. 


457 


advantages  for  settlers.  Roving  traders  and  agents  of 
fur  companies  who  operated  throughout  the  Northwest 
could  liardly  have  overlooked  the  value  of  sites  since 
fringed  with  flourishing  cities  and  villages  that  have 
been  built  up  and  have  become  the  residences  of  intel- 
ligence, enterprise  and  wealth.  They  may  have  come 
into  the  wilderness  annually,  and,  remaining  long 
enough  to  exchange  their  commodities  for  furs,  return 
to  their  abiding-places  without  leaving  any  trace  of 
their  aboriginal  existence  to  guide  the  historian  in  his 
pursuit  of  facts.  But  thus  far,  no  records  of  such  oc- 
cupation have  been  discovered,  and  the  only  positive 
evidence  of  settlements  available  after  decades  have 
elapsed  is  to  be  found  in  the  statements  of  those  to 
whom,  witii  but  one  exception,  the  award  is  made  by 
universal  acclamation.  In  this  connection  the  surprise 
is  expressed  that  among  those  who  came  during  the 
first  years  of  the  building  up  of  La  Crosse,  some  one  of 
them  has  not  put  in  permanent  and  enduring  form,  a 
reliable  record  of  events  as  they  transpired  here  in 
those  days.  Possessing  leisure  which  they  have  justly 
won,  literary  tastes  and  devoted  attachments  to  the 
city  to  whose  growth  and  prosperity  they  have  so  liber- 
ally contributed,  familiar  with  its  early  history,  rapidly 
passing  into  tradition,  it  is  truly  strange  that  they  have 
not  perpetuated  the  material  in  historic  form,  which 
they  can  successfully  command. 

At  the  date  when  the  first  settlement  of  La  Crosse 
was  ventured,  the  present  county  was  almost  an  unin- 
habited wilderness,  possessing,  as  would  seem  from  the 
presumed  refusal  of  traders  and  strollers  to  remain 
within  its  limits,  but  few  attractions,  and  those  few  of 
the  most  limited  character.  The  nearest  towns  were 
Prairie  du  Chien,  Dubuque  and  Galena,  at  that  time 
landings  of  some  importance,  but  struggling  for  exist- 
ence, though  comparatively  of  the  importance  as  St. 
Louis  subsequently  assumed.  The  population  of  Chi- 
cago was  then  less  than  5,000,  while  Milwaukee  was 
yet  in  its  infanc}-,  and  neither  gave  very  promising  in- 
dications from  location  or  immigration  tending  tliither- 
ward  of  what  was  reserved  for  the  future  to  disclose. 
There  was  little  then  as  compared  witii  the  present  be- 
tween the  flourishing  cities  of  the  East  and  the  im- 
promptu municipal  weaklings  in  the  Great  West  which 
has  since  reflected  back  the  star  of  empire.  The  con- 
fines of  civilization  were  then  limited  to  the  towns  and 
settlements  contiguous  to  the  lakes  on  the  west,  and  he 
who  struck  out  for  a  home  in  the  Territories  was  re- 
garded as  an  adventurous  soldier  of  fortune  whose  re- 
turn was  a  question  of  chance  rather  than  probability. 

This,  then,  was  the  condition  of  affairs  as  they  ex- 
isted forty  years  ago,  according  to  sources  of  informa- 
tion in  that  behalf,  presumably  correct.  There  was 
little  to  attract  save  the  intrinsic  merit  of  the  location 
and  surroundings,  which  combined  with  the  hopes  of  a 
future,  were  suflBcient  to  direct  the  residents  of  South- 
ern and  Eastern  States  to  Wisconsin  Territory.  To 
those  at  home  who  were  independent,  the  country  fur- 
nished inducements  that  would  enable  men  of  means 
to  add  to  their  accumulations.  To  the  imprudent  or 
impoverished,  pulling  with  steady  stroke  against  the 
current  of  an  adversity,  both  pitiless  and  uncompromis- 
ing, a  hope  for  better  days.  To  the  speculator  it  af- 
forded a  field  of  operations  incalculably  valuable ;  to 


the  scientist  an  opportunity  for  discovery ;  to  the 
scholar,  the  Christian  and  the  husbandman,  the  occa- 
sion for  labors  that  have  since  returned  to  bless  their 
inventors. 

As  a  consequent,  the  class  of  people  who  established 
themselves  in  La  Crosse  County,  and  have  since  been 
identified  with  its  growth  and  the  development  of  its 
wealth,  were  men  of  rare  excellence.  Earnest,  frank 
and  kind,  they  made  all  men  friends  by  being  the  friends 
of  all  men.  Illustrating  by  example  rather  than  pre- 
cept, they  bridged  the  brief  interval  belween  purity 
and  sin  by  the  power  of  kindness,  and  looked  with  ej^es 
of  charity  upon  the  mistakes  and  failings  of  their  fel- 
lows. Brave  but  tender,  they  were,  in  short,  the  most 
generous  of  men  who  have  ever  left  "  the  shore  touched 
by  a  mysterious  sea  that  has  never  yet  borne  on  any 
man  the  image  of  a  homeward  sail,"  theii-  deficiencies 
made  up  by  the  Recording  angel,  from  the  love  they 
bore  humanity. 

And  so,  too,  the  pioneer  women,  those  who  braved 
the  absence  of  home,  friends  and  congenial  associations 
to  accompany  their  fathers,  husbands  and  sons  into  the 
trackless  waste  of  the  Northwest,  and  contemplated 
the  present  as  also  the  future,  the  horizon  of  wliich 
was  darkened  by  discouragement  and  gloom.  And  yet 
they  faltered  not,  but  sustained  their  husbands  by  a 
trust  in  the  outlook  that  was  constant,  and  bore  an 
abundant  harvest.  As  wives,  they  were  tlie  most 
agreeable  of  companions  ;  as  friends,  the  most  faithful 
and  affectionate ;  as  mothers,  gentle  as  children  ever 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose,  who  corrected  the  most  per- 
nicious of  evils  by  the  most  tender  management.  Pru- 
dent from  affection,  though  most  liberal  of  nature,  tliey 
practiced  economy  from  the  love  they  bore  their  hus- 
bands, and  at  critical  periods,  preserved  order  in  affairs 
from  the  care  of  which  those  husbands  were  relieved ; 
she  reclaimed  her  choice  from  despair,  urged  his  indo- 
lence to  exertion,  and  constantly  admonished  him  to 
industry,  integrity  and  manhood. 

In  thet  accounts  furnished  regarding  the  first  settle- 
ment of  ehe  county,  it  is  found  that  the  principal  events 
have  evr  kept  pace  with  the  rapid  improvements  of 
the  age.  Tlie  site  of  the  city  seems  to  have  been  a 
resort  for  the  Indians  from  time  immemorial,  and  this 
is  said  to  have  induced  French  traders  to  meet  them 
there  at  an  early  day  for  the  pmrpose  of  trade.  Who 
they  were,  where  they  obtained  supplies,  and  other 
factors  of  importance  regarding  their  occupation  of  the 
present  county,  either  permanently  or  as  transients, 
are  wanting,  and  the  conclusion  seems  irresistible  to  an 
unprejudiced  juror  of  the  facts,  that  the  statements 
sprang  from  the  fertile  soil  of  romance. 

In  the  examinations  made  with  a  view  to  definitely 
determine  the  facts  regarding  the  first  settlement  of 
La  Crosse,  the  seeker  after  knowledge  has  been  made 
the  ti'ustee  of  information  in  that  behalf  botli  cumu- 
lative and  persuasive.  Mr.  H.  B.  Coons  claims  the 
distinguished  honor  for  his  father,  whom  he  alleges 
settled  in  La  Crosse  in  1836,  while  Col.  L.  Myrick  is 
equally  positive  tluit  Mr.  Coons  is  in  error,  notwith- 
standing his  statements  are  in  part  supported  by  public 
documents,  and  tliat  he  was  the  first  white  man  to  es- 
tablisli  a  permanent  occupation  of  the  county.  Tiie 
weight  of  authorities,  it  is  but  proper  to  observe,  indi- 


45  8 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


cate  Mr.  Mvrick  as  the  fjeiitleman  to  whom  this  dignity 
properl}^  belongs  ;  Morrison  McMillan,  in  his  history  of 
the  early  settlement  of  La  Crosse  and  JMonroe  counties, 
makes  the  award  to  Mr.  Myrick.  He  states  that  no 
trading-post  was  established  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Crosse 
prior  to  1840,  at  wliich  time  a  man  named  La  Batt  or 
La  Batlie  opened  a  store  one  mile  below  the  present 
city,  but  did  not  remain  long. 

Mr.  Coons  insists  that  his  father  and  Mr.  Cubbage 
opened  a  trading-post  in  1836,  witliin  the  limits  of  the 
present  city,  which  was  destroyed  by  the  Indians  in 
1837.  It  was  rebuilt,  but  again  burned,  and  in  1838 
Messrs.  Coons  &  Cubbage  made  a  claim  for  damages 
thus  sustained,  which  was  allowed  and  deducted  from 
the  annuities  due  the  Indians.  The  Interior  Depart- 
ment at  Washington  furnishes  pi'oof  tl)at  tiie  claim 
was  made,  but  casts  a  doubt  upon  the  allegation  that 
the  same  was  paid.  From  this  it  would  appear  that 
the  averment  made  by  Mr.  Coons,  in  behalf  of  his 
parents,  is  entitled  to  considerable  weight.  A  pro- 
longed correspondence  resulted  from  this  claim.  Among 
the  pioneers  of  the  county  still  living,  the  opinion  ob- 
tains that  Mr.  Myrick  was  the  first  settler  to  locate 
permanently  on  the  present  city  site,  and  that  Coons 
possibly  located  on  the  island  opposite. 

MINING    SETTLEMENTS   AND   MILITARY   POSTS. 

The  first  settlements  of  Michigan  Territory,  as  is 
known,  were  made  at  a  comparatively  early  day  by 
miners,  who  radiated  from  more  thickly  settled  sections, 
attracted  bj^  tiie  reports  of  rich  discoveries  of  mineral, 
and  this,  too,  notwithstanding  the  enforcement  of  rules 
and  regulations  formulated  by  mine  Superintendents, 
and  the  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  attacks  by 
Indians.  Neither  of  t!:ese  embargoes  dela3'ed  the 
settlement  of  La  Crosse  County  at  an  earlier  day,  as 
the  absence  of  mineral,  a  source  of  attraction  else- 
where, failed  to  woo  the  coming  of  venturesome  delvers 
in  mother  earth,  for  the  springs  of  revenue,  which  in 
other  portions  of  Wisconsin  had  been  tapped,  and 
bounteous  streams  gu.shed  forth. 

One  reason  quoted  for  the  comparative  delay  in  ef- 
fecting a  lodgment  of  settlers  about  La  Crosse  at  an 
earlier  day  than  during  the  forties,  was  the  fact  that  the 
Eastern  States,  whence  a  large  immigration  subse- 
quently proceeded,  had  not  become  over-crowded,  and 
space  by  no  means  so  contracted.  Anotiier  cause  of 
delay  is  attributed  to  the  further  fact  that  the  countries 
of  Europe,  which  now  furnish  so  lai'ge  a  proportion  of 
the  population  of  the  more  Western  States  and  Territo- 
ries, iiad  not  at  that  time  become  familiar  with  the  advan- 
tages to  be  found  here, and  preferring  to  suffer  the  ills  to 
which  they  had  been  subjected  for  generations,  rather 
than  to  encounter  others  of  which  they  were  ignorant, 
their  coming  hither  was  delayed  until  a  time  when  neces- 
sity or  inclination,  prompted  by  the  glowing  accounts  of 
life  in  the  New  World,  led  them  to  embark  their  hopes 
on  a  tide,  which  as  the  sequel  in  many  instances  has 
proved,  led  on  to  glory  and  to  fortune. 

Military  posts  were  for  years  the  only  habitations  to 
be  found  on  the  frontiers,  save  tiie  wigwams  of  the 
savage,  and  the  only  inhabitants  the  soldiers  and  ofli- 
cers  wiio  fraternized  with  the  foe  or  aided  in  the  efforts 
emploj^ed    to   accomplish  their  departure   before    the 


advance  of  a  progressive  civilization.  Wars  were  car- 
ried on  as  is  known  from  the  pages  of  histor}' ;  settlers 
were  slain  or  driven  off.  and  the  effects  of  the  Indian 
occupation  were  not  entirely  obliterated  for  j-ears  it 
might  be  said  after  the  dusky  warrior  resigned  the  con- 
test and  ceded  to  the  whites  possession  of  the  territory 
for  whicli  he  had  so  valorously  yet  fruitlessly  contended. 
When  Mr.  Myrick  came  into  the  country  forty  years 
ago,  the  Indian  was  still  in  the  field,  equally  as  treach- 
erous, equally  as  uncivilized,  and  fulh'  as  savage  as 
during  tlie  days  when  he  ran  wild  in  the  sunshine, 
unrestrained  by  law  or  the  force  of  arms.  The  dignity 
of  character  which  romancers  and  poets  are  wont  to 
ascribe  to  the  red  man,  was  nowhere  visible,  and  iiis 
capacity  for  evil  was  only  measured  by  his  opportunities. 
He  absorbed  the  vices  of  the  whites,  without  seeking 
to  emulate  any  of  the  virtues  recorded  of  the  most  un- 
conscionable in  the  book  of  life,  and  taken  all  in  all 
was  by  no  means  a  desirable  quantity  in  the  body  poli- 
tic, where  law  and  order  prevail,  and  wliere  men  are 
measured  by  their  excellencies  and  not  by  the  absence 
of  them.  A  fragment  of  these  aboriginal  occupants 
are  yet  to  be  seen  at  occasional  intervals  in  the  cities 
of  the  Far  West,  but  bear  no  impress  of  the  position 
Fiction,  rather  than  fact,  has  allotted  them  in  the  annals 
of  the  past.  Indeed,  it  might  be  said  without  trespass- 
ing upon  the  domain  of  exaggeration  or  prejudice,  that 
they  are  the  most  heterodox  samples  of  departed 
greatness  to  be  seen  without  the  pale  of  barbaric 
domination — living  testimonials  of  moral  and  intel- 
lectual deformity  and  a  standing  rebuke  to  the  caste 
of  citizens,  rapidly  becoming  extinct,  whose  felicity 
in  life  is  augmented  in  proportion  as  the}'  can  trace 
their  pedigree  to  the  daughter  of  Powhattan.  Their 
shadow  is  assimilating  with  nonenily,  so  to  speak, 
diminishing  in  a  manner  that,  in  view  of  the  facts  of 
the  case,  must  not  be  other  than  gratifying.  Many  an 
old  settler  in  the  mellow  evening  of  life  lives  to  witness 
a  fruition  of  hopes  of  earlier  years  in  the  rapid  progress 
of  the  city  and  State,  had  not  been  spared  if  his  lease 
of  life  forty  years  ago,  was  contingent  upon  the  human- 
ity of  the  Indian  who  greeted  his  advent  here  with 
threats  and  demands  for  fire-water. 

But  he  has  survived  the  trials  and  dangers  which 
attended  his  coming  into  the  undiscovered  land,  that 
to-day  teems  with  the  fruit  of  labors  he  was  instru- 
mental in  directing  hither,  conserved  and  facilitated 
through  the  system  of  education,  he  was  the  medium 
of  establishing.  The  visitor  to  the  country  compre- 
hended wiLliiuthe  present  limits  of  LaCrosse  County  as 
he  bowls  over  the  avenues  that  intersect  one  another  in 
all  directions,  or  gazes  upon  the  fields  of  ripened  grain 
ready  for  the  sickle,  or  views  the  evidences  of  thrift, 
skill,  enterprise  and  accreting  capital,  which  greets  his 
vision  whithersover  hcmay  turn,  in  city  and  county,must 
not  be  unmindful  of  the  labors  and  the  industry  which 
have  been  utilized  to  these  results.  Where  once  the 
savage  dwelt  secure  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  wilderness, 
churches  aud  schools  have  been  raised  up,  bringing  the 
fullest  fruition  of  their  objects  to  the  county  and  to  the 
founders  of  these  agencies  for  the  amelioration  and 
improvement  of  the  race  of  which  they  were  so  promi- 
nent aud  disinterested  constituents.  To  these  leading 
spirits  who  revived  discouraged  hearts,  aud  checked 


HISTORY   OF    LA    CROSSE   COUNTY. 


459 


fading  hopes  born  of  disappointments  and  apprehen- 
sions that  wei'e  by  no  means  retired  figures  in  the  days 
that  passed  away  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  is  the  present 
condition  of  affairs  wholly  due.  Long  may  they  sur- 
vive and  see  the  perfect  realization  of  works,  the  foun- 
dations of  which  were  laid  when  the  heart  of  man  was 
almost  appalled  by  the  unpromising  outlook.  A  region 
inhabited  by  savages,  jealous,  revengeful  and  degraded. 
The  nearest  place  at  which  supplies  could  be  obtained, 
or  social  amenities  cultivated,  distant  a  journey  of 
several  days.  In  health  it  must  have  been  cheerless, 
in  sickness  simply  desolating. 

KATHAN    MYRICK'S  ARRIVAL. 

This  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Nathan  Myr- 
ick,  the  pioneer  settler  of  La  Crosse  County,  landed  op- 
posite the  foot  of  Wain  street,  in  the  present  city,  on 
the  afternoon  of  November  9,  1841.  The  scene  was  by 
no  means  encouraging  to  the  enterprising  visitor,  wlio 
had,  before  attaining  his  majority,  settled  in  the  West, 
and,  after  serving  an  apprenticeship  to  B.  W.  Brisbois, 
a  fur  trader  at  Prairie  du  Cliien,  extended  his  field  of 
observations,  and  decided  to  locate  at  La  Crosse.  He 
was  confident  of  the  future  ;  no  doubt  entered  his 
mind  of  what  the  harvest  would  be,  yet  in  spite  of  his 
hopes  and  ambitions,  and  determinations  to  realize 
from  substantial  foundations,  there  was  little  to  en- 
courage in  the  appearance  of  affairs  for  the  time  being. 
The  season  of  the  j'ear,  with  its  solemn,  gloomy,  rael- 
auclioly  days,  the  landscape  that  but  a  brief  period  be- 
fore had  rejoiced  in  an  exuberance  of  flowers  and  foli- 
age, was  now  drooping,  dying,  epitomizing,  as  it  were, 
the  closing  scenes  in  a  year  that  was  cj^clmg  into  the 
irrevocable  past.  Mr.  Myrick,witiiout companionship, 
save  the  presence  of  Horatio  Curtis,  Eben  Wells,  and 
a  man  named  Reed,  who  accompanied  him,  and,  while 
there  was  much  to  inspire  him  to  acts,  there  was  much 
to  persuade  him  to  retire  whence  he  came,  and  identi- 
fy his  fortune  with  that  of  the  friends  and  associates 
nearer  the  confines  of  civilization.' 

The  prompter's  bell  has  rung  down  the  curtain  of 
forty  years  since  tliat  day,  in  the  life  of  Nathan  ]\Iyr- 
ick.  He  has  lived  to  see  the  prairies  and  bluffs  blos- 
som as  a  rose  ;  to  see  the  narrow  Indian  trails  yield 
precedence  to  roads  made  by  the  hand  of  man,  to  lines 
of  travel  connecting  with  the  East  and  West  tlirough 
the  darkness  of  tlie  night ;  to  see  a  city  created  over 
the  ruins  of  the  Indian  wigwams,  and  the  mighty  river 
overcome  and  bridged  from  shore  to  shore.  TJie 
places  lie  knew  in  those  days  primeval,  have  passed 
into  obscurity,  and  their  trials  become  as  a  tale  that  is 
told.  Tiie  lives  of  men  to-day  are  as  liolidays  com- 
pared with  those  of  men  who  were  identified  with  its 
development  and  cultivation.  Life  in  those  da3's  must 
have  been  attended  with  unlimited  hardships  and  pri- 
vations without  the  possession  of  a  compensating  num- 
ber of  blessings  and  privileges.  The  mighty  aciiieve- 
ments  that  have  since  been  made,  are  the  result  of 
small  beginnings,  supplemented  by  constant  industry, 
daring  enterprise  and  untiring  energy.  The  waste 
places  have  been  made  to  yield  abundant  harvests,  vil- 
lages and  cities  have  arisen  as  if  by  magic,  and  civiliza- 
tion and  the  arts  "soar  Phoenix-like  to  Jove."  The 
marts  of  trade  and  trafiBc,  and  the  work-shops  of  the 


artisan  are  thronged  ;  a  common  school  system  increas- 
ing in  value  and  influence  with  each  succeeding  year, 
has  been  established,  and  children  of  the  rich  and  poor 
press  forward,  eager  to  participate  in  the  benefits  there- 
by afforded.  Churches  have  been  built,  and  a  Chris- 
tian ministry  ordained  for  a  cultivation  of  a  religious 
life,  the  promotion  of  piety,  the  inculcation  of  morality 
and  virtue.  The  press,  the  Archimedean  lever  which 
moves  the  world,  sends  forth  floods  of  light,  to  illum- 
inate the  land  and  benefit  the  sons  of  men.  Railroads 
are  completed  to  facilitate  the  acquisition  of  independ- 
ence, and  the  electric  telegraph  shortens  the  intervals 
of  space  at  the  behest  of  mankind.  As  these  pages  are 
read,  bright  memories  will  blossom  out  of  the  shadowy 
past,  glorifying  and  beautifying  its  dimness.  Many 
herein  mentioned  have  long  since  gone,  like  visions  of 
the  beautiful,  to  be  seen  no  more.  Many  yet  remain 
who  have  almost  reached  the  Biblical  limits  of  human 
life,  and  are  waiting  to  say  :  "Now  let  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace,"  leaving  as  a  heritage  to  tlieir  descend- 
ants in  long  years  hence,  the  ripe  and  perfect  glory  of 
a  domain  of  which  they  laid  the  foundations,  while  a 
large  number  of  those  who  participated  in  tiie  founda- 
tion of  the  county,  sleep  after  their  labors,  and  their 
works  do  follow  them,  an  equally  large  number  remain 
who  have  survived  the  rush  of  matter  and  wreck  of 
worlds  and  contemplate  the  scene  as  a  Rock  of  Ages 
cleft  for  the  good  and  faithful  servant. 

At  the  time  of  Myrick's  arrival,  there  was  no  one 
residing  at  La  Crosse  or  on  the  islands  contiguous 
thereto.  The  only  resident  in  the  vicinity,  immediate 
or  remote,  was  La  Batt  or  La  Bathe,  a  French  trader, 
of  whom  mention  is  made  above,  but  whose  sojourn, 
as  already  hinted,  was  far  from  permanent.  The  voy- 
ageurs  had  come  from  Prairie  du  Chien  with  the  ob- 
ject of  establishing  a  trading-post,  bringing  with  them 
a  stock  for  that  purpose.  It  was  the  intention  of  Mr. 
Myrick  to  erect  a  store  at  La  Crosse  and  begin  opera- 
tions at  once;  but  the  scarcity  of  material  prevented 
this  consummation,  and  so  he  located  temporarily  on 
the  island  opposite  the  city,  where  limited  and  com- 
fortless accommodations  were  secured.  Here  he  opened 
his  kit  of  goods,  and  hither  tended  the  wanderings  of 
the  Winnebago  Indians,  who  having  received  their 
annuities,  sought  the  disposition  of  what  was  paid 
them  without  any  unnecessary  delay.  In  these  roughly 
improvised  and  contracted  quarters  Mr.  Myrick  and 
his  companions  passed  their  time,  eating,  sleeping, 
making  sales  of  goods  in  exchange  for  furs  or  their 
equivalents  in  money,  and  doubtless  dreaming  of  days 
when,  after  patient  watch  and  prolonged  vigil,  they 
would  be  rewarded  with  returns  that  should  more  than 
compensate  them  for  the  trials  they  had  endured  and 
the  deprivations  to  which  they  had  been  subjected. 
Thus  were  the  long  Winter  days  and  nights  of  tiiat 
heroic  period  passed,  and  if  the  truth  were  known, 
they  were  doubtless  the  happiest  da3's  of  lives  that 
had  not  always  been  uncheckered  or  complacent. 

THE   SETTLEMENT  ON  TBE   MAINLAND. 

In  February,  1842,  Reed  and  Wells,  who  had  ac- 
companied Mr.  Myrick  from  Prairie  du  Chien  in  No- 
vember, removed  witli  him  to  the  mainland,  where  La 
Crosse  now  is.     The  same  month,  H.  J.  B.  Miller  came 


460 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


up  the  river  and  became  an  employe  of  Mj'rick.  Dur- 
ing the  Winter  the  latter  passed  on  the  island,  he  had 
prepared  tl>e  necessary  timbers  for  a  house,  with  the 
aid  of  Reed  and  Wells,  shoved  it  across  the  Missis- 
sippi on  a  hand-sled,  and  erected  the  first  house  in 
Prairie  La  Crosse,  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Front 
streets  of  to-day.  the  site  at  present  occupied  by  the 
Minnesota  House  of  Alexander  Whelan. 

At  that  time,  Mr.  Myrick  is  positive  as  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  future  city  site,  which,  he  asserts, 
furnished  110  indications  of  what  was  reserved  in  the 
future.  There  was  no  habitation  of  any  description 
between  the  river  and  the  bluffs,  nor  a  sign  of  one,  ex- 
cept the  puncheon  protectors  put  up  by  the  soldiers  in 
1840,  as  a  means  of  safety  against  the  anticipated  raids 
of  Indians.  The  prairie  stretched  out  to  the  east, 
south  and  north,  without  the  slightest  vestige  of  civili- 
zation to  vary  the  monotony  of  the  landscape,  the  log 
cabin  of  Myrick  being  the  only  evidence  of  the  white 
man's  handiwork  visible,  far  or  near.  This  conclusion 
is  borne  out  by  the  testimony  of  many  who  came  into 
the  vicinity  soon  after,  notwithstanding  the  doubt  that 
is  sought  to  be  attached  to  his  claim  of  precedence  in 
effecting  the  settlement  of  La  Crosse. 

That  year  an  occasional  transient  passed  this  way 
and  tarried  long  enough  to  recuperate,  when  he  con- 
tinued his  journey  West,  the  majority  of  these  lieing 
bound  for  the  Black  River  country.  Jacob  Spaulding 
went  up  there  in  1839,  and  removed  his  family  thither 
two  3-ears  later.  Li  1842,  Andrew  Shepard,  William 
K.  Lewis,  John  Lewis,  Col.  Johnson,  and  a  Mr.  Valen- 
tine passed  through  La  Crosse  en  route  to  that  section 
of  the  country.  The  portion  about  La  Crosse  was  the 
central  point  and  rendezvous  of  the  Indians,  which 
may,  doubtless,  have  worked  some  delay  in  its  settle- 
ment after  Myrick  &  Miller  (who,  meantime,  had  be- 
come partners  in  trading  with  them)  had  made  a  start. 
They  gathered  about  the  store,  and  at  other  eligible 
points  in  the  vicinity  in  large  numbers  and  were  occa- 
sionally disposed  to  be  pugnacious,  especially  if  the 
least  affected  by  liquor  or  the  want  of  it.  Hand-to- 
hand  contests  were  of  frequent  occurrence  between 
travelers  and  Indians,  as  also  among  themselves,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  paucity  of  numbers,  the  Caucasian 
was  capable  of  maintaining  his  supremacy  and  become 
an  interested  spectator  of  the  squabbles  which  the  red 
men  improvised  in  their  own  homes,  when  aggravated 
by  a  continued  period  of  peace. 

THE   FIRST   SURVEY. 

As  the  year  advanced  and  Spring  was  succeeded  by 
Summer,  the  tide  of  immigration  began  to  set  thither- 
ward, and  an  occasional  settler  was  left  with  its  ebb. 
Myrick  &  Miller  procured  a  survey  of  the  town  site 
by  Ira  Bronson,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  which  remained 
unchanged  until  I80I,  when  it  was  re-surveyed. 
These  preparations  had  a  tendency  to  invite  visitations 
from  earnest,  enterprising  men,  who  were  on  the  qui 
Vive  for  opportunities,  and  largely  contributed  to  the 
future  growth  and  development  of  the  city  and 
country. 

Among  those  who  came  to  La  Crosse  during  1842, 
was  one  known  as  Dr.  Mills,  who  put  up  a  house  at 
the  corner  of  Front  and  Pearl  streets,  where  the  Inter- 


national Hotel  has  since  grown  into  prominence.  He 
remained  here  but  a  short  time,  however,  returning  to 
Dubuque,  whence  he  came,  before  the  season  closed. 
Another  who  came  in  was  one  who  sailed  under  the 
impressive  pseudonym  of  "  Scotch  Billy,"  the  why  or 
wherefore  of  tliis  nom  de  plume,  is  not  of  record,  nor 
are  the  events  in  this  vicinity  affecting  his  happiness 
and  prosperity.  These,  with  Mr.  Miller,  comprised 
tiie  roster  of  inhabitants  who  came  to  identify  them- 
selves permanently  with  La  Crosse,  and  aid  in  the 
building  of  the  citj-. 

Throughout  the  Fall  nothing  occurred  beyond  the 
routine  of  life  on  the  confines  of  civilization  to  startle 
the  nation,  or  blast  or  elevate  the  hopes  of  those 
immediately  interested ;  i.  e.,  the  limited  number  of 
inhabitants  collected  at  La  Crosse.  The  Winter  of 
1842-43  was  one  of  tlie  severest  ever  experienced  in 
this  latitude.  Its  ice  and  snow  rendered  travel  to 
distant  points  comparatively  easy,  and  its  chilling 
blasts  left  the  impress  of  their  cheerless  presence  on 
the  memories  of  those  who  were  subjected  to  their 
penetrating  influence.  The  season  was  protracted  far 
into  Spring,  goods  being  transported  on  the  ice  from 
Prairie  du  Chien  as  late  as  April. 

THE   MORMON  INVASION. 

Early  in  1843  the  Mormons  ventured  into  this  por- 
tion of  Wisconsin  under  the  charge  of  George  Miller 
and  Lyman  Wight,  who  styled  themselves  the  Trustees 
of  the  Nauvoo  House  Association  and  Elders  of  the 
church.  They  came  direct  from  Nauvoo  and  located 
at  Black  River  Falls,  where  thej'  rented  the  mill  of  .1 
Spaulding  &  Son  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber  to  be 
used  in  the  erection  of  their  temple  at  Nauvoo.  Myrick 
&  Miller  contracted  with  Miller  &  Wight  to  furnish 
them  supplies  during  the  Winter^of  1843-44,  the  same 
to  be  paid  for  in  lumber  at  La  Crosse  in  March  of  the 
latter  year.  They  ran  the  lumber  down,  and  liqui- 
dated their  obligations ;  and,  in  July  succeeding, 
transported  lumber  to  Nauvoo. 

In  September  of  the  same  year,  some  twenty  or 
thirty  families  returned  to  La  Crosse,  and  encamped 
near  the  river,  on  what  is  now  Front  street,  until  they 
could  look  around  for  a  place  to  locate  ;  and  after  some 
delay,  selected  the  cooley  at  the  lower  end  of  the  prai- 
rie, which  has  since  been  known  as  "Mormon  Cooley." 

This  party  was  under  the  charge  of  Wight,  Bird  & 
Co.,  Elders  of  the  church,  and  indulged  all  the  latitude 
of  the  sect  public^.  The  form  of  sealings  or  marriage, 
which  has  of  late  years  been  recognized  as  an  indispens- 
able precedent,  was  never  thought  of  by  the  Wiglit  & 
Bird  offshoots.  In  place  of  this,  a  revelation  tliat  a 
brother  and  sister  should  be  "  sealed"  without  any 
formal  ceremony  was  all  that  was  necessary,  and  the 
onl}'  agency  employed  to  attract  the  brothers  and  sis- 
ters into  practically  illusti'ating  the  true  theory  of 
Mormon  theology.  These  and  other  features  of  their 
lives  in  La  Crosse  vicinity  had  the  effect  of  making 
them  generally  disliked,  and  this  dislike  found  such 
frequent  expression  that  they  finally  departed  hence. 

Myrick  &  Miller  hired  quite  a  number  of  the  men 
to  chop  wood  on  the  island,  also  to  get  out  rails,  and 
another  p.arty  of  them  to  proceed  to  Black  River  to 
make  shingles.     During  the  latter  part  of  the  Winter 


HISTORY    OF    LA    CROSSE    COUNTY. 


461 


of  1843-41,  or  during  the  eariy  Spring  of  the  latter 
"'ear,  they  seized  flat-boats  on  the  slough  near  the  mouth 
i)f  Mormon  Cooley.  Thus  being  prepared,  the  choppers 
on  the  island  and  shingle  shapers  on  Black  River, rendez- 
voused at  the  Cooley,  put  their  household  goods  and  ef- 
fects on  the  tlat-boats,  tired  their  houses  and  departed  in 
the  night  for  Nauvoo.  Luckily  they  were  discovered 
before  tliey  were  out  of  reach,  and  after  some  trouble 
the  claims  held  by  settlers  against  them  were  liquidated, 
when  they  were  permitted  to  depart,  and  never  re- 
turned. 

The  experiment  of  Joseph  and  Hyram  Smith  was 
sought  to  be  established  throughout  the  West  during 
those  early  days  particularly  in  Illinois  and  portions  of 
Wisconsin.  These  efforts,  however,  were  unattended 
with  results  anticipated,  and  meeting  with  a  very  pro- 
nounced opposition  from  legitimate  settlers,  ceased  to 
be  more  than  the  incident  of  a  season.  Some  prose- 
lyting was  attempted  with  indifferent  success.  A  very 
few  converts  were  "  led  astray,"  as  is  known,  and  a 
still  more  limited  number  accompanied  the  successors 
of  the  Smiths  to  Utah  ;  but  the  people  in  the  West  at 
this  time  were  hardly  prepared  to  embrace  a  creed,  the 
corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  in  superstition  and  im- 
morality. 

mykick's  first  house. 

At  this  point  it  should  be  observed  that  during  the 
Summer  of  this  year  (1843),  Myrick  utilized  a  quanti- 
ty of  hewn  lumber  obtained  on  Black  River  to  the 
building  of  a  comfortable  dwelling,  20  x  30,  finished  on 
the  inside  with  lath  and  plaster,  and  sheltered  by  a 
roof  of  shingles.  This,  with  an  addition  12  x  16,  was 
the  first  residence  making  any  pretensions  to  comfort, 
not  to  say  rude  elegance,  erected  in  future  La  Crosse. 

THE   pioneer's    MARRIAGE. 

In  June,  Mr.  Myiick  left  his  adopted  home  and  re- 
turned to  the  home  of  his  nativity  (Westport,  N.  Y), 
and  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  E.  Ismon,  of  that 
section,  with  whom  lie  came  back  to  La  Crosse  in  Sep- 
tember, accompanied  by  Miss  Louisa  Pierson.  This 
was  the  first  marriage  wherein  a  resident  of  La  Crosse 
was  intimately  associated,  and  Mrs.  Myrick,  with  Miss 
Pierson,  were  tlie  first  ladies  to  visit  this  section  of  the 
country  with  a  view  to  remaining  either  temporarily  or 
permanently.  Society  in  the  days  whereof  mention  is 
here  made  is  not  represented  as  being  either  numerous 
or  critically  select.  There  were  no  females  in  the  coun- 
try save  squaws,  and  in  spite  of  the  poetic  license 
which  has  colored  the  character  of  the  sex,  they  were, 
if  the  statements  made  are  founded  on  fact,  the  reverse 
of  fascinating  or  attractive.  Indeed,  in  some  instances, 
if  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,  they  were  the  fur- 
thest removed  from  such  a  consummation.  Miss  Pier- 
son, it  is  said,  changed  her  coign  of  vantage  as  a  look- 
er-on in  the  west  to  Illinois,  where  she  was  married  to 
•'Scoots"  Miller  within  a  year,  but  Mrs.  Myrick  re- 
mained and  as  the  wife  of  the  first  white  settler  in 
La  Crosse,  became  part  of  the  history  of  this  section  of 
the  State. 

About  this  time,  three  small  steamers  made  pilgrim- 
ages at  very  long  intervals,  between  Galena  and  Fort 
Snelling,  landing  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Bad  Axe,  Win- 


nesheik.  Coon's  Slough,  La  Crosse,  etc.,  and  were 
sources  of  convenient  wonder  and  wonderful  conven- 
ience to  the  traders,  Indians,  and  all  who  witnessed 
their  maneuvers  while  making  or  returning  from  port. 
Their  names  were  "Argo,"  "Otter"  and  "Little  Beaver," 
to  which  was  added  the  "Lynx"  in  1845,  when  the  num- 
ber of  annual  trips  was  increased,  and  the  wonder  and 
convenience  greatly  augmented.  Travel  then  was  not 
what  it  has  since  grown  to  be  with  its  palace  cars  and 
luxuriously  furnished  steamers.  A  trip  hence  to  the 
East  or  from  outer  sections  of  the  countr}^  hither  was 
not  one  of  pleasure,  and  only  undertaken  when  every 
expedient  designed  to  avoid  it  had  failed. 

THE   FIRST   IlAFT. 

In  the  Fall  of  1844,  the  limited  number  of  settlers 
were  somewhat  surprised  at  the  venture  of  Myrick  & 
Miller  in  floating  a  raft  of  logs  from  La  Crosse  to  St. 
Louis.  These  men  were  engaged  in  every  varietj'  of 
business,  from  trading  with  the  Indians  to  entertaining 
a  traveling  colporteur.  Their  house  became  the  home 
of  all  who  visited  La  Crosse,  and  for  the  first  years  of 
the  city  in  embryo,  was  the  only  hotel  between  Prairie 
du  Chien  and  Fort  Snelling.  When  lumbering  began 
to  be  prominent  in  this  vicinity,  they  engaged  in  the 
business,  and  carried  it  on  with  such  judgment  and 
capacity  as  to  secure  them  large  returns.  In  time, 
they  began  to  consider  the  feasibility  and  prospective 
returns  that  would  attend  a  raft  voyage  to  the  "future 
great  city  of  the  West,"  as  prejudiced  residents  of  St. 
Louis  are  wont  to  fondly  term  their  city,  and  this  was 
the  inaugural  test,  besides  being  the  first  of  its  kind  to 
be  made  from  the  upper  river.  The  craft,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  data  indicating  a  contrary  result,  arrived  at 
St.  Louis  on  time,  and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  gave  the  ven- 
turesome consignors  a  liberal  profit. 

MORMON   NOTES. 

This  was  the  year  in  which  the  Mormons  returned 
and  established  themselves  in  Mormon  Cooley,  with  a 
view  of  founding  another  Mecca.  They  were  under 
the  leadership  of  Elder  Lyman  Wight,  and  erected  a 
number  of  cabins  preparatory  to  permanent  settlement 
in  this  vicinity.  The  females  are  said  to  have  num- 
bered among  them  some  Welsh  and  'English  girls  of 
rare  beauty,  good  singers  and  quite  entertaining,  but 
whose  exclusiveness  was  painfully  disagreeable  to  ad- 
miring Gentiles.  They  enjoyed  a  closer  communion 
than  any  other  sect  which  had  up  to  that  time  defined 
its  principles,  and  when  some  of  the  most  youthful, 
fascinating  and  irresistible  of  the  Gentile  residents  ex- 
tended them  harmless  attentions.  Elder  Wight  pro- 
tested, and  the  damsels  were  terrified  into  obedience. 

Wight  is  said  to  have  been  a  Mormon  and  a  sinner 
of  the  most  pronounced  type  ;  the  hardest  swearer  and 
freest  drinker  in  the  vicinity  ;  a  man  who  combined  a 
love  for  wine,  women  and  wassail  with  professions  of 
temperance  as  earnest  as  they  were  often  ill-timed  for 
the  sake  of  his  professions.  In  his  cups  he  was  not 
only  affecting  but  confidential,  and  Dr.  Bunnell  recalls 
an  incident  of  this  peculiar  characteristic  which  came 
under  his  observation.  The  Elder  upon  one  occasion, 
after  bringing  tears  to  the  eyes  of  his  audience  by  an 
eloquent  discourse  upon  the  evils  of  intemperance,  and 


462 


HISTORY  OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


drinking  a  half-pint  of  whisky  left  by  liis  own  son,  told 
tliem  that  he  was  going  to  Texas  because   tlie  climate 

about  La  Crosse  was  too cold  for  his  constitution. 

He  went  as  i^romised,  followed  by  his  neophytes  and 
converts  within  a  brief  period,  they  going  to  Salt  Lake 
while  he  went  South.  The  land  occupied  by  them  was 
subsequently  owned  by  John  Connelly,  and  now  by 
the  Oehler  brothers.  Not  many  years  ago,  the  build- 
ings erected  by  them  were  still  standing,  among  which 
a  limekiln  which  had  been  used  by  them  was  dis- 
covered, and  pieces  of  mill-stone  which  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  them  were  found  imbedded  in  a  creek. 

THE  ABSENCE  OP   SCHOOLS — TRAVEL  TO  BLACK  RIVER. 

As  yet  there  were  no  schools  to  educate  aspiring 
youth,  or  churches  to  gather  in  their  folds  the  citizens, 
Indians  and  lost  of  Isiael  generally.  Such  dispensa- 
tions were  not  of  as  frequent  occurrence,  so  to  speak, 
as  to-day,  and  their  absence  scarcely  commented  upon. 
They  did  not  exist,  and  as  blessings  they  were  all  the 
more  appreciated  when,  as  conseiwers  of  intelligence 
and  morality,  they  came  into  the  midst  of  the  village, 
and  have  since  gathered  strength  and  multiplied  in  in- 
fluence. In  tliose  days,  as  one  of  tliem  remarked  to 
the  writer,  the  citizens  were  regarded  by  tlio  world  at 
large  as  cast-off  heathens,  whose  redemption  from 
ignorance  and  sin  was  of  less  consequence  than  the 
comfort  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Timbuctoo  abo- 
rigines and  man-eaters. 

The  travel  to  Black  River,  during  1844.  was  quite 
equal  to  that  of  preceding  years,  and  made  up  of  a 
superior  class  of  men.  They  passed  through  La  Crosse, 
and  while  never  regarded  as  settlers,  were  mentioned 
as  transients,  and  made  purchases  of  the  goods  here  in 
stock.  Among  these  were  O.  B.  Chase,  a  Mr.  Miller, 
T.  Wood,  Andrew  Gruver,  J.  Chauncey  and  possibly 
some  others.  Soon  after,  that  is  to  say,  from  and  after 
this  year,  rafts  began  to  be  made  up  for  points  down 
the  river,  and  logs  in  the  rough,  as  also  lumber,  came 
to  be  regarded  as  commodities  for  the  shipment  of 
which  immense  returns  would  be  produced.  That  the 
regards  entertained  in  this  connection  were  the  re- 
verse of  Utopian,  the  present  logging  and  lumber  trade 
carried  011  from  La  Crosse  and  points  above,  has  fully 
justified. 

With  the  close  of  the  year,  the  exhibit  in  all  respects 
may  be  considered  as  by  no  means  discouraging.  Some 
accessions  had  been  made  to  the  inhabitants,  some  im- 
provements completed  in  the  future  village.  New  lines 
of  trade  had  been  extemporized,  and  upon  trial  found 
to  be  only  waiting  encouragement,  which  would  come 
with  the  flight  of  time.  The  days  were  prosperous  and 
held  out  the  inducement  of  wealth  to  those  who  perse- 
vered unto  the  end.  Communication  was  enjoyed  with 
distant  points  that  enabled  the  purchase  and  delivery 
of  commodities  at  prices  within  the  range  of  possibili- 
ties. If  schools  and  cliurches  were  absent,  there  was 
then  no  demand  ;  wlien  that  demand  arose,  they  would 
spring  up  and  bear  fruit.  Summing  up,  then,  the  facts 
and  the  evidence  admitted  of  but  one  verdict,  and  this 
verdict  was  accepted  with  results  that  become  more 
manifest  as  years  drift  into  the  past. 


FIRST    DEATH 

to  take  place  among  the  settlers.  The  death  of  a  rafts- 
man has  already  been  referred  to.  His  was  the  first 
death,  properly  speaking.  He  was  en  route  from  St. 
Louis  to  Black  River,  but,  overcone  with  a  consuming 
fever,  halted  at  the  Prairie,  in  hopes  that  rest  and  care 
would  promote  convalescence.  But  the  blessing  of  re- 
turning health  was  denied  him,  and  he  paid  the  debt 
of  mortality.  His  remains  were  enclosed  in  a  box, 
there  being  no  such  thing  as  a  coffin,  and  upon  the 
morning  of  his  interment,  some  fellow  raftsmen  visited 
the  blacksmith  shop  where  the  body  lay,  and  rajiping 
on  the  lid  of  the  box,  interrogated  the  corpse  as  to  what 
he  would  have.  Silence  was  returned,  when  they  de- 
parted with  the  commentary,  "  Well,  he  must  be  dead." 
He  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  on  the  knoll  where 
Hirsheimer's  plow  works  now  are. 

The  .Summer  of  1845  witnessed  the  first  decease 
among  the  residents.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  settlement,  death  entered  into  its  quiet,  peace- 
ful precincts,  gathered  a  young  life  within  its  chilling 
embrace,  and  departing  left  behind  it  the  mark  of  its 
visitation  on  the  door-post  of  Nathan  and  Rebecca 
Myrick.  The  home  was  made  desolate,  and  tears  and 
grief  took  the  place  of  happiness  and  contentment. 
Tiie  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myrick,  the  victim,  was  ten- 
derly shrived  for  the  tomb,  its  cofBn  covered  with  a 
piece  of  blue  Indian  clotii,  and  left  to  repose  in  the  old 
cemetery  where  the  dead  raftsman  had  been  laid.  It 
was  subsequently  removed  to  anotiier  churchyard,  pro- 
vided when  the  living  city  began  to  roar  and  swell 
around  the  one  vacated,  and  its  surf  beat  over  and  fell 
upon  tlie  sod. 

Full  many  a  cherished  memory  to-day  clings  about 
that  spot  once  sacred.  Beauty  was  doubtless  laid  tliere, 
the  tears  of  love  mingled  with  the  damps  of  death 
upon  her  brow.  Age  reposed  there,  too,  until  the 
mighty  tread  of  life  had  need  of  the  soil  ic  occupied, 
and  dust  that  was  once  rounded  into  life,  warmed  into 
love  and  folded  in  sheltering  arms,  was  herein  sepul- 
chered.  But  the  living  must  have  room,  and  the  graves 
and  the  dead  were  made  to  pay  tribute  to  the  exacting 
demands  of  the  living.  To  the  stranger  visitor  of  to- 
day, tiiere  are  no  tokens  by  which  its  identity  can  be 
established.  But  to  the  pioneers  who  laid  out  the 
grounds  and  consecrated  them  to  burial  purposes,  their 
location  and  that  of  their  contents  are  as  visible  as  they 
were  forty  years  ago.  Each  resting-j^lace  is  known  to 
them,  from  the  mound  which  rose  above  the  friendless 
stranger  to  that  which  marked  the  resting-place  of  the 
most  venerated  citizen.     Blessed  be  the  memory  of  all. 

THE  FIRST  BIRTH. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  events  of  1847  was  the 
first  birth.  This  is  always  an  important  circumstance 
in  every  newly-settled  community,  and  adds  a  cubit, 
as  it  were,  to  the  reputation  of  the  vicinity,  and  also 
to  the  stature  of  those  more  immediately  interested. 
The  case  in  point  doubtless  failed  to  prove  the  rule,  by 
proving  to  be  an  exception.  It  was  a  daughter  to  the 
family   of    H.   J.   B.  Miller,   named   Martiia. 

The  stranger  who  first  announced  her  presence  in 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


463 


La  Crosse,  in  notes  of  infant  melodj',  was  warmly  wel- 
comed, it  is  said,  and  made  to  feel  as  much  at  home  as 
the  oldest  inhabitant.  She  was  an  object  of  interest 
to  residents  and  strangers,  and  grew  to  womanhood 
under  the  name  of  Martha  ;  she  lived,  at  last  accounts, 
in  Illinois. 

George  Fetherlein,  an  industrious  German,  who  came 
in  this  year  with  a  company  of  five  of  the  same  nation- 
ality, consisting  of  Fetherlein  and  wife,  Valentine  Dinn- 
inger  and  wife,  and  a  young  man  named  Phillip. 
Diiniinger  was  employed  by  Mr.  Levy,  and  lived  in 
the  log  cabin  put  up  by  Asa  White,  near  Gund's  old 
Front  Street  brewer}-.  He  died  in  after  years,  and  his 
widow  became  Mrs.  Hogge,  who  resided  after  her 
second  marriage  on  a  farm  near  State  Road  Cooley. 
Phillip  lived  with  Fetterlein  and  wife,  passing  his  time 
during  the  Winter  in  renovating  and  mending  saddles, 
harness,  etc.,  for  settlers.  Li  the  Summer,  he  was  ac- 
customed to  supply  customers  and  passing  boats  with 
fish,  by  which  means  he  was  enabled  to  make  a  com- 
fortable living.  In  1854,  while  he,  in  company  with 
Fetherlein,  were  crossing  the  river  in  a  skiff,  the  craft 
was  swamped  by  the  swell  of  a  passing  steamer,  and 
sank,  carrying  the  occupants  of  the  frail  boat  to  the 
bottom  before  aid  could  be  provided  to  save  them  from 
a  watery  grave. 

FIRST   LAND   SALES. 

In  1848,  the  land  of  La  Crosse  County  came  into 
market,  and  entries  were  made  at  Mineral  Point.  This 
was  ultimately  the  origin  of  land  companies  organized 
elsewhere  to  purchase  lands  in  newly-settled  portions 
of  the  country,  from  whose  rapacity,  however,  La 
Crosse  was  in  a  measure  protected.  They  were,  in 
most  instances,  of  spontaneous  growth  and  develop- 
ment, without  any  solidity  or  character,  and  in  some 
cases  were  born,  matured,  and  reached  decrepitude  and 
forgetfulness  the  same  day.  In  subsequent  years,  it 
may  be,  land  speculators  and  operators  were  numerous 
about  La  Crosse,  in  the  city  and  county,  but  at  this 
period  they  had  not  made  their  wolfish  visitation,  their 
manner  of  dealing  and  the  characteristics  they  mani- 
fested when  they  did  come  being  reserved  for  the  fu- 
ture to  disclose. 

The  first  to  put  in  an  appearance  at  the  land  oiEce 
in  Mineral  Point,  upon  its  becoming  accessible  to  set- 
tlers from  this  section,  were  N.  iMyrick,  Samuel  Snow, 
Asa  White,  J.  JM.  Levy  and  Peter  Cameron,  who  went 
thither  to  prove  up  the  claims  they  had  made  at  La 
Crosse  and  vicinity.  The  route  taken  by  the  travelers 
was  hence  to  the  Ridge,  and  thence  direct  by  military 
road  to  Mineral  Point.  The  trip  then  occupied  some 
thirty-six  hours,  and  the  same  time  back,  those  going 
being  obliged  to  remain  at  Mineral  Point  two  days  be- 
fore they  could  obtain  their  turn  and  dispose  of  their 
business.  This  done,  they  returned  to  La  Crosse  se- 
cure in  the  title  to  their  several  claims,  and  more  en- 
couraged and  prepared  to  offer  inducements  to  settlers 
than  ever  before.  But  none  came  to  either  canvass, 
decline  or  accept  these  inducements.  Considering  the 
advantages  of  the  site,  it  is  somewhat  remarkable  that, 
for  two  years,  no  settlers  expressed  a  desire  to  join 
issue  with  the  situation,  and  the  case  thus  being  made 


up,  submitted  its  decision  to  the  logic  of  events  that 
brawn  and  brain  should  in  the  future  develop. 

REMOVAL    OF   THE    INDIANS. 

In  the  Spring  of  1848,  arrangements  were  inaugur- 
ated with  a  view  to  the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  some 
distant  point  where  the  aggressions  of  civilization  had 
not  yet  manifested  themselves,  and  to  which  it  might 
be  years  before  they  would  extend.  And  here  may  be 
related  an  incident  of  Indian  character  which  will  illus- 
trate one  of  the  reasons  why  their  intimate  association 
was  not  desired  by  the  whites. 

During  the  Winter,  their  removal  had  been  agitated, 
and  a  band  laden  with  furs  had  encamped  at  the  foot 
of  the  bluffs  at  some  distance  from  the  city,  preparatory 
to  negotiating  the  sale  of  their  peltries.  Having  com- 
municated their  desires  to  Mr.  Levy,  and  engaged  with 
him  to  visit  their  camp  the  succeeding  day,  they 
departed.  In  accordance  with  this  arrangement,  Mr. 
Levy  and  an  assistant  started  at  daylight  the  next 
morning,  and  traveled  all  day  in  the  direction  of  the 
camp.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  he  reached  the  objective 
point  of  his  journey,  and  halted  ata  distance  from  the 
Indian  wigwams.  It  being  late,  he  suggested  to  them 
that  they  postpone  trading  until  the  next  day.  But 
they'd  none  of  it,  and  acting  upon  the  apparent  desire 
of  the  savages,  trading  was  commenced  while  yet  the 
light  remained.  By  using  expedition  and  avoiding  dis- 
putation, the  trades  were  concluded  by  dusk,  and  each 
sought  their  camps  for  the  night — the  one  to  plan  to 
prey,  and  the  other  to  plan  an  escape  ;  for  while  the 
sales  were  in  progress,  the  companion  of  Levy  heard 
them  conspiring  to  steal  back  the  skins  while  their  pur- 
chasers slept,  and  secure  them  at  any  sacrifice.  So  as 
soon  as  the  purchases  could  be  securely  packed  on  the 
sleigh,  the  traders  hitched  up  their  team,  and  by  very 
careful  management  were  enabled  to  elude  the  vigilance 
and  cunning  of  the  savages,  and  get  out  of  their  reach. 
They  traveled  all  night,  and  reached  home  at  daylight 
the  next  morning,  happy  in  their  good  fortune,  while 
the  Indians,  on  discovering  their  escape,  as  was  after- 
ward ascertained,  pranced  about  with  fury  and  disap- 
pointment. 

When  the  decision  to  remove  the  savages  to  Crow 
River  Reservation  was  promulgated,  as  may  be  readily 
inferred,  it  was  not  accepted  with  a  spirit  of  resigna- 
tion or  willingness  to  accept  the  situation.  The  Indian 
character  is  notoriously  deficient  of  those  characteris- 
tics which  breed  these  excellent  virtues.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  swore  they  would  not  go,  and  employed 
every  means  available  or  to  be  availed  of  to  give  em- 
phaisis  to  this  determination.  Dandy  and  his  band 
were  particularly  severe  in  their  denunciation  of  the 
move,  and  specially  determined  not  to  go.  In  May, 
the  excitement  ran  high,  and  fears  of  trouble  were  ex- 
pressed. Daring  that  month,  a  number  of  the  head  men 
among  the  Indians  sought  Mr.  Levy  and  asked  permission 
to  hold  a  council  in  his  house,  which  was  granted  on  con- 
dition that  the  participants  remained  sober  and  refrained 
from  manifesting  too  much  war  spirit.  They 
accepted  those  stipulations  and  returned  to  their  camp, 
a  short  distance  up  the  river.  The  next  morning,  the 
river   was   crowded   with   canoes,  filled  with  Indians 


464 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


painted  to  represent  them  in  the  most  unamiable  mood, 
with  featiiers  in  their  hair  and  other  evidences  of  war- 
like intentions.  Tlie  spectacle,  while  aboriginal,  and  in 
some  resjDects  attractive,  was  not  calculated  to  inspire 
the  settlers  with  a  peace  of  mind  indescribable,  but  the 
boats  were  rowed  to  the  village,  where  they  unloaded 
and  the  march  to  Levy's  house  began. 

Upon  reaching  that  domicile,  tiiey  were  surprised  to 
find  it  locked,  as  Mr.  Levy  had  omitted  to  mention  the 
matter  to  his  wife,  and  she,  fearful  of  an  attack,  had 
closed  up  the  premises  and  retired  to  an  inner  room  for 
safety.  After  some  delay,  admission  was  obtained  and 
the  powwow  carried  on  in  the  dining-room  each  Lidiau 
with  a  pipe  betwixt  his  teeth,  smoking,  reflecting  and 
expectorating  with  a  solemnity  that  would  have  defied 
the  profundity  of  a  philosopher  to  imitate  or  emulate, 
and  secured  for  each  the  lasting  disgust  of  Mrs  Levy. 
Here  tlie\'  remained  for  two  hours  perhaps,  when,  hav- 
ing concluded  their  business,  they  vacated  the  premises 
and  returned  whence  they  came,  their  canoes  plowing 
the  waves  of  the  river,  the  surface  of  which  appearing 
in  the  sunlight  bright  and  sparkling  as  the  burnished 
shield  of  Achilles. 

There  was  no  trouble  resulting  from  the  council, 
neither  was  the  decision  to  move  them  affected  thereby. 
Communications  were  addressed  the  authorities  at 
Washington  by  those  kindly  disposed  toward  them,  to 
which  no  attention  was  paid,  and  in  June,  they  were 
sent  further  West  to  grow  up  with  country,  accompan- 
ied by  White,  Marks  and  Horton,  settlers  in  La  Crosse. 
In  1849,  those  who  escaped  the  first  emigration,  fol- 
lowed in  the  footsteps  of  their  brethren,  and  a  dissolu- 
tion of  the  partnership  of  Levy  &  Snow  was  decided 
and  accomplished  upon  the  following  basis  :  Snow  re- 
ceived the  farm  at  the  mouth  of  State  Road  Cooley, 
and  Levy,  the  Spaulding  claim,  while  the  goods  in  stock 
were  divided  between  them.  Subsequently,  Levy  pur- 
chased the  claim  of  Ann  While,  and  came  into  pos- 
session of  about  one-fourth  of  the  river  front. 

The  year  1849,  was  rather  more  eventful  than  1848 
had  been.  The  country  was  then  a  paradise  lost  about 
the  sources  and  tributaries  of  the  Mississij)pi.  It  has 
since  become  a  paradise  regained,  with  enchanting,  un- 
limited possibilities.  Previous  to  tiie  departure  of  the 
Indians,  a  gigantic  struggle  had  been  in  progress  be- 
tween them  and  the  whites,  between  races,  between 
the  picturesque  and  civilization  for  the  possession  of 
the  rich  uplands  and  fertile  prairies  of  the  Northwest. 
To-day,  drifting  down  the  great  water-way  on  a  radiant 
morning,  the  voyager  will  recall  nothing  in  his  travels 
more  varied  and  interesting  than  the  city  of  La  Crosse 
and  its  history.  The  home  of  the  savages  less  than  a 
half  century  ago,  it  is  now  the  iiome  of  wealth,  enter- 
prise, education,  refinement. 

New  Year's  Day,  1849,  was  celebrated  with  consid- 
erable ceremony,  and  included  among  its  attendant 
concomitants  those  usual  to  the  season  and  occasion. 
Drinking,  dancing  and  shooting  were  indulged  until 
participants  were  incapacitated  by  reason  of  exhaustion 
or  other  and  more  persuasive  influences.  The  Winter 
commenced  early,  and  the  roads  in  every  direction  be- 
came permanently  impeded  at  a  comparatively  early 
period.  Communication  was  thenceforward  during  the 
remainder  of  the  season  by  ice.    The  stores  and  empty 


rooms  in  and  about  La  Crosse  were  packed  with  goods 
and  wares,  awaiting  transportation,  and  unable,  by  rea- 
son of  the  absence  of  facilities,  to  secure  it.  In  this 
emergency,  a  party  of  French  was  obtained,  and  their 
services  employed  in  conveying  freight  and  passengers 
to  points  between  Galena  and  St.  Paul,  by  means  of 
horses  and  sleighs.  The  result  was  that  activity  was 
apparent  at  La  Crosse,  and  the  travel  near  the  present 
city  quite  large.  Indeed,  during  the  snow  blockade 
experienced  tiiis  year,  the  visitors  to  the  new  settle- 
ment were  unusually  numerous,  but  scarcely  any  of 
those  who  came  remained,  and  none  of  them  were  iden- 
tified with  the  subsequent  growth  of  the  settlement, 
village  or  city. 

The  embargo  continued  until  late  in  the  Spring, 
when  its  causes  departed  as  unexpectedlj'  and  expedi- 
tiously as  they  had  come  in.  When  the  snow  and  ice 
were  gone,  which  was  in  April,  the  river  was  opened 
and  traffic  resumed,  witli  the  arrival  of  the  "  Highland 
Mary,"  Capt.  Atchison,  a  profitable  and  elegant  steamer 
for  the  days  in  which  it  was  operated.  Thereafter,  dur- 
ing the  Spring,  the  accidents  and  incidents  of  life  on 
the  prairie  were  similar  to  those  previously  encoun- 
tered, save  that  they  may  have  been  rather  more  nu- 
merous, as  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  increased. 

On  the  5th  of  April  the  first  death  by  accident  is 
recorded,  being  that  of  William,  son  of  J.  M.  Lev)',  who 
met  his  death  under  the  following  circumstances : 
Along  on  the  evening  of  the  day  in  question,  he  guided 
his  horse  to  the  river  to  water  him,  preparatory  to  con- 
cluding the  evening's  chores.  The  spot  selected  was  at 
a  point  opposite  the  foot  of  Pearl  street,  approached 
from  an  incline,  and  to  the  water's  edge  by  a  steep 
bank.  The  lad  had  reached  the  latter  place,  which  he 
was  carefully  descending,  followed  by  the  horse,  when 
he  slipped,  and  falling,  was  tiirown  directly  under  the 
animal's  feet.  Before  he  could  regain  his  equilibrium, 
the  horse  had  stepped  on  the  head  of  his  victim,  frac- 
turing the  skull,  and  inflicting  wounds  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  died  on  the  following  morning,  and  was 
buried  the  same  afternoon. 

The  settlement  at  this  time  counted  on  its  roster  of 
inhabitants  a  shiftless  fellow  named  Napoleon  Frank, 
the  height  of  whose  ambition  seemed  to  be  to  covet  his 
neighbors'  goods,  become  pugnaciously  intoxicated,  and 
after  beating  his  wife  into  submission  and  helpless  fear, 
lie  down  to  sleep,  undisturbed  by  any  other  agencies 
than  those  indigenous  to  Bacchanalian  revels.  During 
this  Spring,  "  Scoots  "  Miller  was  robbed  of  flour  which 
had  been  landed  from  a  passing  boat  and  left  to  await 
a  purchaser,  and  the  owner  was  in  a  quandary  as  to 
whom  the  guilty  party  would  prove  to  be.  Soon  after, 
Napoleon  procured  sufficient  money  to  purchase  whisky 
enough  to  get  him  in  that  condition  of  muscular  inebriety, 
when  he  hungered  to  thrash  the  madame,  and  thus  ac- 
coutered  he  wasted  no  time  in  luinting  up  the  object 
of  his  malevolence.  She  was  found  at  home  as  usual, 
and  having  administered  a  thoroughly  subduing  course 
of  discipline  to  the  defenseless  victim,  laid  him  down  to 
contemplate  other  conquests  in  the  dim  laud  of  alcoholic 
romance. 

While  he  slept,  Mrs.  Napoleon,  out  of  all  patience  at 
his  brutality,  and  declining  longer  to  act  as  a  co-partner 
in  his  crimes,  visited  "  Scoots,"  and  after  detailing  the 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE    COUNTY. 


465 


abuse  to  which  she  was  subjected  at  brief  intervals, 
concluded  with  the  story  of  his  peculative  acts,  includ- 
ing that  by  which  he  acquired  title  to  the  flour,  the 
disappearance  of  which  had  proved  to  be  a  most  inex- 
plicable conundrum  to  its  legitimate  owner.  When 
these  dark  ways  and  not  altogether  vain  tricks  of  the 
sly  Napoleon  were  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Justice 
Miller,  there  was  not,  as  might  be  supposed,  mounting 
in  hot  haste.  On  the  contrary,  "  Scoots  "  and  his  con- 
freres conferred  for  some  time  before  deciding  upon  a 
course  of  action.  But  when  a  policy  was  adopted,  there 
were  neither  lack  or  want  of  means  employed  to  pro- 
cure its  exercise.  In  the  case  under  consideration,  di- 
plomancy  and  skill  combined  to  release  the  wife,  and 
relieve  the  settlement.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  she 
was  sent  tn  St.  Paul,  and  he  given  a  certain  length  of 
time  to  make  his  exit  in  an  opposite  direction,  which, 
candor  compels  the  admission,  he  was  not  slow  to  avail 
himself  of.  But,  embarking  in  a  canoe,  kept  con- 
veniently in  order  for  emergencies,  he  turned  its  prow 
in  the  direction  of  the  Gulf  and  sailed.  This  was  the 
first  citizen  of  La  Crosse  exiled  from  his  adopted  home, 
yet  he  was  permitted  to  return  after  a  brief  absence, 
but  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  portable  property 
never  afterward  became  frequent. 

The  foregoing  suggests  another  case  illustrating  the 
presence  of  strong-minded  women  in  La  Crosse,  as  well 
as  types  of  effeminacy  requiring  the  arm  of  something- 
stronger  than  law  to  urge  their  defense.  When  Levy 
&  Snow  dissolved,  George  Fetherlein  was  left  a  debtor 
to  the  former,  with  only  an  assurance  to  liquidate  when 
able,  to  commend  him  to  an  unlimited  indulgence. 
This  was  rather  a  discouraging  outlook,  but  the  cred- 
itor accepted  the  situation,  and  agreed  to  wait  Fether- 
lein's  convenience.  One  day  in  the  Summer,  the  latter 
unexpectedly  offered  a  cow  in  settlement,  and,  to  close 
up  the  account,  the  offer  was  accepted.  When  the 
chattle  was  delivered,  the  delivery  was  accompanied 
by  a  proposal  to  transfer  a  calf  tliereto  belonging  for 
aconsideration.  This  was  accepted,  and  the  purchaser 
(Mr.  Levy)  gathering  up  a  rope  on  tlie  following 
morning,  walked  over  to  the  vendor's  cabin  to  take 
possession  of  and  guide  the  youthful  bovine  to  his 
herd.  He  reached  tlie  Fetherlein  homestead  while  yet 
tlie  sun  was  in  the  east,  and,  announcing  the  object  of 
his  visitation,  prepared  to  bind  his  property,  to  the  ei.d 
that  its  escape  would  be  prevented.  He  had  no  sooner 
completed  the  preliminaries  in  that  behalf  before  he 
was  apprised  of  tlie  presence  of  an  opposing  force,  in 
tlie  presence  of  Mrs.  Fetherlein,  wlio  first  protested, 
and,  without  waiting  to  ascertain  the  effect  her  elo- 
quence would  have,  began  an  assault  with  such  force 
and  arms  that  retreat  was  the  only  defense  which  re- 
mained for  the  victim.  Acting  upon  this  conclusion, 
he  hesitated  not  to  lend  the  enchantment  of  distance 
to  his  oppressor,  and  fled  precipitately  across  the  prai- 
rie, followed  by  Mrs.  Fetherlein.  Both  ran  furiously 
through  the  damp  grass,  and,  for  a  time,  the  successful 
competitor  was  extremely  difficult  to  name.  Mr.  Levy 
gained  some  little  advantage  at  the  outset,  but  was 
handicapped  by  the  loss  hi  his  slipper,  and  once  it 
looked  as  though  the  "  swift-winged  "  madam  would 
overhaul  and  vanquish  her  uimble-footed  antagonist. 
But,  at  the  critical  moment  for  him,  she  abaudoaed  the 


chase,  and  he  reached  home  breathless  and  in  his  stock- 
ing feet.  When  the  coast  became  clear,  Mrs.  Levy 
ventured  out  and  secured  possession  of  the  slippers, 
and  both  acknowledged  that  a  cow  without  a  calf  was 
by  no  means  the  worst  phase  of  existence  in  a  new 
country.  They  had  become  resigned  to  the  situation, 
when,  on  the  following  morning,  the  cause  of  the  dis- 
turbance was  carted  over  to  Levy's  mansion  by  Fether- 
lein, and  delivered  to  its  legitimate  owner.  "  I'hat  was 
many  years  ago,"  observes  Mr.  Levy,  when  referring  to 
its  occurrence,  "  but  I  never  will  forget  it,  nor  Mrs. 
Cameron's  attempt  to  cause  the  arrest  and  prosecution 
of  certain  parties  for  an  alleged  assault,"'  while  Mr. 
Levy  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  for  which  that  gentle- 
man could  not  be  charmed  into  issuing  the  papers. 

At  this  time,  Mrs.  Cameron  occupied  a  position  of 
prominence,  assured,  if  not  select  or  enviable.  Scarcely 
any  event  occurred  with  which  she  was  not  identified, 
from  a  social  gathering  to  a  public  meeting,  from  a 
picnic  to  a  funeral.  The  Fourth  of  July  was  cele- 
brated with  pomp  and  circumstance  this  year,  in  a 
grove  near  the  present  cemetery,  and  largely  attended. 
Citizens,  Black  River  lumbermen  and  Mrs.  Cameron 
were  present,  and  the  latter  contributed  materially  to 
the  entertainment  and  its  conclusion.  The  speeches 
are  represented  to  have  been  pointed  and  eloquent,  the 
toasts  appropriate,  the  edibles  ajjpetizing  and  the  fluids 
inspiriting.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  at  a  moment  when 
satiety  and  surfeit  were  the  prevailing  features,  Mrs. 
Cameron  hurried  to  a  s^fe  distance  and  revived  expir- 
ing energies  by  publicly  challenging  the  males  in  at- 
tendance" to  catch  her  and  exchange  what,  it  was 
thought  at  the  time,  would  be  osculatory  compliments. 
The  crowd  accepted  the  gauge  thus  proffered,  and  ran, 
pell-mell,  in  pursuit  of  tlie  prize.  There  was  racing 
and  chasing  over  the  prairie,  into  the  forest,  across 
gullies  and  cooleys,  but,  when  the  capture  was  effected, 
Mrs.  Cameron  rewarded  her  admirers  with  kisses 
manufactured  by  candymakers,  whereupon  the  recipi- 
ents became  exercised,  and,  in  the  flush  of  disappoint- 
ment, refused  to  be  comforted.  The  crowd  dispersed 
soon  after,  the  orators  and  celebrants  of  the  male  per- 
suasion, as  a  rule,  returning  to  the  village,  where  they 
became  intoxicated,  while  the  ladies  recovered  from 
the  fatigues  of  the  day. 

ORGANIZATION   OF   LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 

In  February  of  this  year,  a  bill  was  adopted  by  the 
Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  providing  for  the  division  of 
Crawford  County,  and  the  organization  of  La  Crosse 
and  Bad  Axe  Counties,  the  former  to  be  constituted 
out  of  that  portion  of  Crawford  County  lying  north  or 
west  of  the  limits  of  Bad  Axe  County,  which  was  de- 
scribed as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  county  of  Richland,  thence  running  south  on  the 
range  line  between  Ranges  2  and  3  west,  to  tiie  north- 
east corner  of  Section  24  of  Township  11,  north  of 
Range  3  west,  thence  west  on  the  section  line  to  the 
boundary  line  of  this  State,  in  the  main  channel  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  tlience  northerly  on  the  boundary 
line  of  this  State  in  the  said  river  to  the  point  of  inter- 
section of  said  boundary  line,  and  the  township  line 
between  Townships  14  and  15  north,  thence  east  on 
said  township  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Town- 


466 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ship  14,  north  of  Ransfe  1  east,  thence  south  on  the 
range  line  between  Ranges  1  and  2  east,  to  the  south- 
east corner  of  Township  13  of  Range  1  east,  thence 
west  on  the  township  line  between  12  and  13  to  the 
place  of  beginning. 

The  act  further  provided  for  an  election  for  town 
and  county  officers  to  be  holden  on  the  first  Tuesday 
of  April  next  ensuing,  for  the  location  of  the  county 
seat  at  La  Crosse  upon  condition  that  the  people  fur- 
nish suitable  buildings,  and  for  other  purposes  of  minor 
importance. 

Accordingly,  an  election  was  held  at  the  time  des- 
ignated, when  there  were  thirty-six  votes  polled,  with 
the  result  as  follows:  Timothy  Burns  was  chosen 
Chairman;  Lloyd  L.  Lewis,  Supervisor  ;  C.A.Stevens, 
Town  Clerk ;  Robert  Looney,  J.  Bean  and  James 
Reed,  Justices  of  the  Peace ;  Lodowic  Lewis,  Treas- 
urer, and  Lorenzo  L.  Lewis,  Town  Superintendent. 
At  this  time,  as  has  already  been  noted.  La  Crosse 
County  embraced  tiie  present  counties  of  Jackson  and 
Trempealeau,  and  was  of  immense  dimensions. 

Immediatel}^  upon  the  organization  of  the  county, 
the  town  of  La  Crosse  was  surveyed  by  William  Hood, 
a  surveyor,  who  had  settled  here  late  in  1850,  or  early 
in  1851.  The  original  plat  was  made  on  land  owned 
by  Timothy  Burns  and  H.  J.  B.  Miller,  and  now  con- 
stitutes the  most  valuable  portion  of  tlie  city,  being  com- 
prehended within  Fifth,  River  and  Mount  Vernon 
streets  and  the  Mississippi  River.  There  were  origin- 
ally 34  blocks  and  266  large  lots.  While  the  survey 
was  in  progress.  Levy,  La  Due,  Stoddard  and  Cameron, 
foreseeing  that  La  Crosse  was  at  some  time  in  the  near 
future  destined  to  become  a  large  city,  endeavored  to 
procure  an  extension  of  the  streets  then  being  laid  out 
down  through  their  claims,  and  thus  make  at  the  be- 
ginning, a  village  of  straight  streets,  with  some  system, 
and  suggesting  the  river  front  be  vacated  for  levee 
purposes.  But  Burns  and  Miller  decided  to  plat  their 
own  land  only,  leaving  petitioners  to  lay  their  claims 
out  as  additions  to  the  original  plat.  This  fact  gives 
the  reason  for  whatever  lack  of  symmetry  there  may 
seem  to  be  in  the  surveys  of  some  of  the  streets. 

In  April  occurred  the  first  fire  in  the  county ;  the 
first  case  of  cholera  following  in  June,  and  that  suc- 
ceeded by  an  election  of  county  officers  in  the  course 
of  the  Summer. 

The  fire  was  the  result  of  a  defective  flue — of  late 
years  the  inevitable  cause  cited  by  experts  in  their 
efforts  to  solve  the  mystery  of  a  conflagration  when  no 
other  explanation  could  be  framed — located  in  Mr. 
Levy's  domicile,  and  extinguished  by  the  help  of  those 
attracted  to  tiie  scene,  with  water- buckets  and  pails, 
before  the  loss  was  irreparable.  As  it  was,  the  roof 
was  charred  and  the  interior  defaced ;  but  these  defi- 
ciencies were  at  once  made  up,  and  tlie  hotel  continued 
as  attractive  as  it  had  been  when  alone  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 

The  firstcase  of  cholera  occurred  in  June,  John  Col- 
lins being  the  victim.  It  was  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Levy's 
building  his  frame  house  adjoining  the  hotel  he  had  put 
up  in  1847,  and  where  now  stands  the  International. 
Tiie  weather  was  excessively  warm  and  sickly,  and  no 
surprise  was  manifested  when  Mr.  Collins  was  taken 


down,  though  it  was  not  anticipated  that  his  attack 
would  result  in  cholera.  Through  the  day,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Levy,  who  had  seen  some  of  the  phases  of  the 
disease  while  it  was  epidemic  in  the  United  States  four 
years  previous,  suspected  the  malady  was  gravitating 
in  that  direction,  directed  the  treatment  administered 
so  as  to  harmonize  with  that  recommended  when  the 
cholera  had  been  the  result  of  medical  diagnosis. 
Their  patient,  however,  seemed  not  to  rally,  but  rather 
to  grow  worse.  "  The  medicine  didn't  seem  to  ope- 
rate." remarked  Mr.  Levy,  when  detailing  the  symp- 
toms and  process  employed  to  afford  relief.  "  In  other 
words,  the  attack  was  so  violent  as  to  be  beyond  the 
reach  of  medicaments  appeared  to  us  all."  Neverthe- 
less, stronger  medicines  were  applied,  and  after  a  criti- 
cal period,  continuing  until  daylight  of  the  morning 
after  which  he  was  taken,  the  patient  perceptibly  im- 
proved. About  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  those  having 
him  in  charge  noticed  that  his  shoulders  and  spinal  col- 
umn were  very  much  discolored,  and  made  up  their 
minds  that  he  was  beyond  the  reach  of  mortal  help. 
Notwithstanding  which,  he  was  cared  for  all  the  more 
solicitously  with  results  both  gratifying  and  permanent, 
as  was  evidenced  when  Mrs.  Levy,  who  had  retired 
late  at  night,  resumed  her  watch.  He  ultimately  re- 
covered under  careful  nursing ;  but  the  effects  of"  this 
terrible  experience  were  visible  during  his  life-time, 
and  he  attributed  his  recovery,  as  do  the  surviving 
members  of  his  family,  to  the  treatment  administered 
by  and  the  attention  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levy. 

The  case  created  some  excitement  among  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  town,  yet  no  panic  followed,  as  would  be 
the  case  in  thickly  settled  communities.  But  in  those 
da3's,  men,  and  women  too,  for  that  matter,  were  cal- 
loused to  fear  and  insensible  to  circumstances  that 
would  to-day  be  regarded  as  critical.  The  type  of  men 
and  women  who  flourished  in  the  earl}-  history  of  the 
West  were  radically  different  from  those  who  came 
after,  in  many  instances;  more  of  bone  and  muscle,  and 
less  of  superfluous  matter  than  possess  types  of  suc- 
ceeding generations ;  more  of  genuine  gold  and  less  of 
gilt ;  more  common  sense  and  less  of  sugar  candy. 
As  communities  are  built  up  and  their  influence  is  ex- 
tended, they  become  wealthier  and  thereb}-  educate  an 
effeminacy  which  is  expressed  in  the  deterioration  of 
the  energies,  capacities  and  endurance  of  those  who 
are  directly  benefitted  by  these  pecuniary  accretions. 

The  case  of  cholera  was  soon  forgotten  in  the  rush 
of  events,  to  be  remembered  onl}'  by  the  beneficiary 
and  liis  relatives,  and  the  election  came  on,  resulting 
in  the  choice  of  Timothy  Burns  as  Judge  of  the  Coun- 
ty Court,  William  T.  Price  as  Register  of  Deeds, 
Clerk  of  the  Court  and  County  Treasurer,  and  Robert 
Looney,  Clerk  of  the  Board.  The  officials  had  scarcely 
qualified  before  the  regular  election,  provided  for  by 
the  act  organizing  the  county,  to  be  held  in  November, 
took  place,  with  the  following  result:  George  Gale, 
Judge;  A.  Eldred,  Sheriff;  F.  M.  Rublee,  Treasurer; 
C.  A.  Stevens,  Register  of  Deeds,  and  Robert  Loone3% 
Clerk  of  the  Court  and  Clerk  of  the  Board. 

On  the  11th  of  November,  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  County  Supervisors  was  convened,  the  Town 
Supervisors   having   met   during    the    Summer  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


467 


building  then  in  process  of  building  by  John  M. 
Levy.  At  the  latter  meeting,  Wyram  Knowltou  was 
the  Chairman. 

THE   COUNTY   SEAT. 

Tlie  conditions  under  which  the  county  seat  was 
located  at  La  Crosse  were  that  suitable  buildings  be 
erected  without  delay.  But  the  truth  is  there  was  no 
other  point  which  could  be  so  designated.  Settlements 
were  limited  to  the  village,  save,  as  already  indicated, 
on  farms  whicli  had  not  yet  become  productive.  Yet 
there  was  necessity  for  buildings  to  accommodate  the 
growing  population,  to  accommodate  i^ublic  meetings, 
to  provide  ways  and  means,  for  religious  observances 
and  educational  privileges.  To  supply  all  these  wants 
and  to  conform  to  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  organ- 
ization, it  was  decided  this  year  to  erect  a  court-house, 
and  a  court-house  was  erected  that  remained  a  monu- 
ment to  their  ambitious  and  architectural  ethics  for 
nearly  twenty  years. 

It  was  constructed  of  lumber  procured  on  Black 
River  (all  lumber  was  obtained  from  the  lumber  re- 
gions which  then  bordered  and  still  line  that  stream  of 
peculiar  color  and  eccentricities,  creeping  its  way  at 
times  sluggishly  from  the  north,  until  it  empties  into 
the  Mississippi  at  its  confluence  with  the  La  Crosse), 
late  in  1851.  The  design  had  been  prepared  though, 
and  when  the  material  was  delivered,  little  delay  was 
experienced  in  putting  it  into  shape,  raising  the  frame 
and  having  it  safely  covered  before  Winter.  Work 
was  continued  on  it  during  the  succeeding  weeks  with 
such  advantageous  results  that  a  school  was  opened 
therein  by  Abner  S.  Goddard  soon  after  the  holidays. 
The  court-house  was  26x-36  in  dimensions,  two  stories 
high,  and  became  the  scene  of  many  an  adventure  and 
other  experience  tiiat  should  have  been  preserved  for 
posterity.  It  was  proposed  and  completed  by  men 
who  have  not  passed  entirely  beyond  the  memory  of 
some  who  still  survive,  and  who  will  be  {^reserved  in 
the  history  of  that  city  on  the  banks  of  the  inland  sea, 
the  waves  of  which  glide  onward  to  the  ocean,  as  long 
as  the  city  continues. 

THE   UNITED   STATES   LAND   OFFICE. 

The  land  office  was  removed  here  in  June,  with 
Col.  Theodore  Rodolf,  Receiver,  and  the  Hon.  Cyrus 
K.  Lord,  Register.  Tliis  year,  these  gentlemen  erect- 
ed an  office  on  Third  Street,  adjoining  the  Tallmadge 
House,  and  began  business  with  no  help  but  that 
furnished  by  themselves.  But  this  did  not  last 
long.  The  entries  became  so  numerous  that  a  force  of 
from  ten  to  fifteen  clerks  was  necessary,  and  then,  al- 
though laboring  from  daylight  to  dark,  not  nearly  as 
much  was  disposed  of  as  was  hoped  for  or  expected  by 
thosew  ho  were  anxious  to  enter  claims. 

The  scenes  that  were  witnessed  about  this  office  were 
exciting,  and  of  a  character  that,  in  tiiese  days  even  of 
push  and  mercurial  uncertainty,  seem  calculated  to 
excite  the  risibles  of  the  least  excitable  persons.  The 
motto  was,  first  come  first  served,  and  tlie  applicant  who 
could  first  make  his  claim  or  present  liis  i)id,  was  tlie 
ciiief,  it  might  almost  be  said,  among  ten  tliousand.  Men 
began  their  vigil  at  the  dawn  of  the  day,  and  tarried 
late  in  the  ranks  to  accomplish  their  object,  while  those 


who  came  late,  like  the  foolish  virgins  who  had  failed 
to  trim  their  lamps,  were,  to  appropriate  the  vernacular 
of  a  later  day,  "badly  left."  Sometimes  men  remained 
in  line  all  niglit  to  secure  an  audience  when  the  office 
opened,  while  some  hired  substitutes  and  contained 
themselves  in  patience,  biding  their  time. 

In  18.53,  the  entries  were  comparatively  nominal  in 
number  until  the  latter  part  of  that  year,  but  in  1854 
they  increased  in  a  wonderful  ratio  —  became  epidemic, 
as  it  were,  without  benefit  of  clergy,  metapliorically 
speaking.  Then  it  diminished,  and  gradually  dropped 
off  until  tlie  railroads  came  in  about  June,  1856,  and 
made  their  selections  of  lands,  after  which  the  office 
was  temporarily  closed  and  the  duties  of  its  officers  sus- 
pended. Early  in  1853,  the  entries,  it  might  be  here 
observed,  of  lands  in  La  Crosse  County,  as  defined  by 
the  last  survey,  were  made  at  Mineral  Point,  through 
Washburn  &  Woodman,  Milton  Barlow,  Charles  G. 
Hanscom  and  Kramer  &  Clinton  —  the  latter,  bankers, 
and,  with  those  mentioned,  residents  of  La  Crosse. 

The  entries  of  lands  after  the  office  was  removed, 
included  those  in  the  pineries,  as  also  those  for  agri- 
cultural purposes.  Among  the  heavy  entries  made, 
those  of  the  following  for  themselves  and  the  third 
parties  for  whom  they  acted  as  agents,  were  among  the 
largest :  Samuel  Watson,  J.  T.  Spaulding,  Washburn  & 
Woodman,  W.  T.  Price,  Kramer  &  Clinton,  James 
O'Neill,  Mr.  Whitcomb,  Milton  Barlow,  Charles  G. 
Hanscom,  W.  J.  Gibson  and  others. 

From  1853  to  June,  1866,  the  total  warrant  and 
other  entries  amounted  to  2,500,614  acres,  involving 
the  outlay  of  $3,098,317,  and  these  were  the  purchases 
of  land  by  individuals,  not  including  the  entries  of  pre- 
emptioners. 

The  vast  sums  of  money  thus  received  shows  to 
what  an  extent  men  of  capital  and  character  came  to 
La  Crosse  in  response  to  the  representations  made  by 
citizens  who  had  come,  and  newspapers  which  had  been 
established,  since  the  days  when  Myrick  resented  the 
attacks  of  savages,  and  traders  supplied  the  Indian's 
craving  for  whisky  with  distillations  of  red  pepper 
dashed  with  most  execrable  tobacco  washings.  Nor  was 
the  guarding  of  these  amounts  until  they  could  be  de- 
posited at  Dubuque  attended  with  an  ease  of  mind  con- 
sequent upon  success  to  safe  depositories  as  can  be  had 
to-day.  Mr.  Rodolf  was  frequently  annoyed  with  tiie 
care  of  these  funds,  and  subjected  to  ceaseless  vigil  and 
sleepless  care  until  they  were  safely  assigned  to  the  cus- 
todian to  whom  they  were  directed. 

Upon  one  occasion,  sickness  in  his  family  made  it 
almost  impossible  for  him  to  venture  away  from  home, 
even  officially.  While  recounting  this  fact  one  day  in 
his  office,  and  regretting  the  affliction  which  had  post- 
poned his  regular  journey  to  Dubuque,  a  man  present, 
with  whom  he  was  slightly  acquainted,  explained  that 
he  was  about  to  depart  for  that  point,  and  would  be 
pleased  to  discharge  any  commission  he  might  entrust 
to  his  discretion.  Col.  Rodolf  interrogated  him  as  to 
how  he  would  go,  and  when,  and  retired  with  the  re- 
mark that  lie  would  consider  the  subject. 

It  seems  that  the  conversation  between  Col.  Rodolf 
and  the  would-be  messenger  had  been  overheard  by  a 
citizen,  and  during  the  afternoon  he  admonished  the 
colonel  not  to  trust  him  with  the  amount  to  be  depos- 


46S 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


ited,  flO,000,  which  confirmed  suspicions  that  had 
arisen  in  tiie  Receiver's  mind,  and  decided  his  action  in 
regard  to  the  matter.  Tlie  applicant  was  refused  his 
proffer,  and  Col.  Rodolf  departed  with  the  money  for 
Dubuque.  The  same  day  the  would-be  messenger  de- 
parted in  an  exceedingly  suspicious  manner,  accompa- 
nied, as  was  afterward  ascertained,  by  the  wife  of  one 
of  the  original  pioneers  and  best-known  citizens  of  this 
portion  of  tlie  State.  His  anxiety  to  carry  the  money 
became  apparent  when  his  escapade  was  discovered, 
and  the  Register  felicitated  himself  upon  the  exercise 
of  a  caution  that  spared  him  subsequent  woe.  The 
absconding  couple  were  heard  of  in  California  in  after 
.years,  whence  she  returned  and  died,  her  husband  de 
facto  remaining  there,  while  her  husband  de  jure,  who 
was  left  in  La  Crosse,  lived  to  a  hale  old  age  before  he 
was  touched  by  the  Master  of  mortality. 

This  incident  is  not  related  as  evidence  of  the  class 
who  came  to  La  Crosse  in  early  times.  In  truth,  but 
very  few,  if  anj%  of  a  questionable  character  found  an 
abiding-place  here.  The  men  who  remained  were  of  a 
different  grade — fair  types  of  a  generation  that  is  rap- 
idly assimilating  with  the  past;  of  a  grenadier  of  the 
old  regime  who  never  in  any  sudden  storm  or  rally, 
desperate  melee  or  sorrowful  encounter,  forgot  to  doff 
his  plumed  hat  to  an  adversary,  and  cry  out  through 
his  gray  mustache,  as  he  shortened  his  sword  arm,  "  En 
garde.'' 

The  improvements  this  year,  in  addition  to  those 
already  mentioned,  consisting  of  the  hotels.  Receiver's 
office,  brick  house  on  Front  street,  etc.,  also  included  a 
school-house  on  or  near  the  present  site  of  the  Third 
Ward  School-house,  numerous  dwellings,  which  num- 
bered on  January  1,  1854,  upward  of  100  in  various 
parts  of  the  village,  as  far  out  as  Fifth  street. 

NORTHWESTERN  HORTICDXTURAL  SOCIETY. 

This  society  was  organized  December  26, 1879,  with 
twelve  charter  members.  The  first  officers  of  the  so- 
ciety elected  were  :  J.  W.  Losey,  president ;  J.  S.  Har- 
ris, first  vice-president ;  John  Van  Loon,  second  vice- 
president  ;  John  Ulrich,  third  vice-president ;  L.  W. 
Brigham,  secretary  ;  L.  H.  Pammel,  treasurer. 

The  object  of  this  society  is :  "  To  improve  the  con- 
dition of  pomology,  horticulture  and  gardening  ;  to  dis- 
cuss and  disseminate  information  upon  all  "questions 
pertaining  to  horticulture." 

The  society  holds  its  annual  meetings  on  the  first 
Tuesday  in  December,  and  otherwise  provides  for  quar- 
terly meetings  occurring  in  March,  June  and  September. 

At  their  meetings  thus  far,  since  organizing,  various 
topics  have  been  discussed,  and  papers  have  been  pre- 
pared, read  and  discussed  also.  The  society  now  num- 
bers fifty-two  members  with  tiie  present  officers :  John 
S.  Harris,  La  Crescent,  president ;  A.  J.  Phillips,  West 
Salem,  first  vice-president ;  S.  S.  Luce.  Galesville,  sec- 
ond vice-president ;  Mrs.  W.  P.  Powers,  La  Crosse, 
third  vice-president ;  L.  W.  Brigham,  La  Crosse,  sec- 
retary ;  L.  H.  Pammel,  La  Crosse,  treasurer.  Their 
first  fair  was  held  in  June,  18>:^l,in  connection  witii  the 
Wisconsin  State  Horticultural  Society.  One  dollar 
procures  a  year's  membership  for  gentlemen,  ladies 
being  honorary. 

The  following  fruits,  trees  and  shrubbery  are  rec- 


ommended by  this  society  for  this  locality  and  the 
Northwest  in  general : 

Fruits — Apples :  Dutchess,  Wealthy  and  Tetofski. 
For  favorable  localities,  Fameuse,  Utter,  Price's  Sweet, 
Walbridge,  Plum  Cider,  Willow  Twig  and  Tollman 
Sweet.  For  trial,  Pewaukee,  Ben  Davis,  Alexander, 
Red  Queen  and  Haas. 

Crab  apples  :  for  general  planting.  Transcendent, 
Whitney  No.  20,  Atkin's  Winter,  Earl\^  Strawberry 
and  Maiden's  Blush.  For  trial,  Conical  and  Quaker 
Beauty. 

Grapes  :  for  general  cultivation,  Concord  and  Dela- 
ware. For  trial.  Beauty  of  Minnesota,  Worden,  Rog- 
ers No.  15  and  Brighton. 

Strawberries :  for  market,  Wilson ;  for  family  use. 
Green  Prolific  and  Downer's  Prolific.  For  trial,  Charles 
Downing. 

Raspberries,  red:  for  general  cultivation,  Turner 
and  Philadelphia  ;  black  :  Seneca  and  Doolittle. 

Plums:  De  Sota. 

Blackberries:  for  trial,  Snyder  and  Ancient  Briton. 

Trees — For  general  planting.  White  Elm,  Sugar 
Maple,  Soft  Maple,  Blue  Ash,  European  Larch,  Box 
Elder,  Basswood,  Hickory,  Mountain  Ash  and  Butter- 
nut. 

Evergreens— Norway  Spruce,  Scotch  Pine,  Hemlock. 
Red  Cedar,  Austrian  Pine,  Balsam  Fir,  American  Ju- 
niper, White  Pine  and  American  Pine. 

Hardy  shrubbery — Snowball,  Purple  Lilac,  White 
Lilac,  Bush  Honeysuckle,  Tree  Peony,  Flouring  Al- 
mond, Syringa  Grandiflora,  Barberry,  Wahoo,  Wax- 
berry  and  Hydrangea. 

Bedding  plants  —  Verbena,  Heliotrope,  Lantana, 
Pansies,  Caladinus,  Petunias,  Coleus  and   Geianiums. 

Reminiscences  and  Personal  Sketches. 

In  the  succeeding  pages  are  given  those  historical 
and  biographical  facts  which  can  be  told  only  in  con- 
nection with  the  individual  acts  of  the  .pioneers.  The 
list  contains  some  of  the  best  known,  oldest  and  most 
respected  residents  of  La  Crosse,  some  of  whom  are 
still  living  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  honest  work  well  done. 

NATHAN    MYRICK. 

This  gentleman,  who  is  universally  regarded  as  the 
pioneer  settler  of  La  Crosse,  was  born  at  Westport. 
Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  7,  1822.  His  ancestors,  both 
paternal  and  maternal,  were  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Westport,  being  pioneers  like  himself. 

He  was  educated  in  the  academy  at  Westport,  and 
was  engaged  as  an  assistant  in  the  various  woolen,  saw 
and  grist-mills  of  which  his  father  was  jjroprietor,  until 
the  age  of  nineteen,  when  lie  concluded  to  strike  out 
for  himself  and  make  a  home  in  the  Great  West.  Leav- 
ing Westport  in  May,  1841,  he  reached  Prairie  du 
Chien  in  June,  and  was  employed  by  Joseph  Brisbois 
in  the  post-office,  giving  his  services  for  his  board. 
That  Fall,  acting  on  the  advice  of  his  employer  and  his 
own  judgment,  he  decided  to  embark  in  trade  with  the 
Indians.  Procuring  a  suitable  outfit  of  goods,  obtained 
largely  upon  credit,  and  the  loan  of  a  forty-ton  keel-boat 
from  Gen.  Brooks,  commandant  of  that  post,  he  left 
Prairie  du  Chien  November  4,  taking  with  him  H.  Cur- 
tiss,  who  was  on  his  way  with  some  goods   to  Black 


HISTORY    OF    LA   CROSSE    COUNTY. 


469 


River.  Sailing  and  poling  the  boat  by  turns,  they 
reached  La  Crosse  at  sunset,  November  9.  Finding  no 
fuel  on  the  shore,  they  crossed  over  to  the  island, 
which  was  denseh'  wooded.  A  similar  reason  induced 
him  to  build  upon  it,  there  being  no  timber  upon  the 
prairie.  In  a  week  he  had  built  and  moved  into  a  dou- 
ble log  house.  At  this  time,  to  use  his  own  words, 
"there  was  no  white  man  in  the  vicinity."  The  In- 
dians were  absent  at  Turkey  River,  in  Iowa,  about 
fifty  miles  west  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  receive  their  an- 
nuities— about  S20  per  head.  Myrick  thinks  a  total  of 
$48,000  was  paid  them  in  these  yearly  payments.  If 
so,  the  Winnebagoes  must  have  numbered  2,400  souls. 
In  a  couple  of  weeks  the  Indians  returned.  Myrick 
drove  a  brisk  trade,  and  by  the  middle  of  December 
was  out  of  many  articles.  On  the  18th  of  that  month 
he  crossed  the  river,  partly  on  the  ice  and  partly  by 
canoe,  and,  taking  an  Indian  trail  under  the  bluffs, 
afoot  and  alone,  wended  his  way  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
which  he  reached  December  22,  having  laid  by  one  day 
on  the  route.  He  returned  in  January  on  the  ice,  with 
several  teams  loaded  with  goods  and  provisions.  He 
employed  two  men  during  the  Winter  in  getting  out  fuel 
for  steamers,  which  Myrick  banked,  hauling  it  with  a 
hand  sled. 

Soon  after  his  return,  he  was  attacked  by  two  In- 
dians whom  he  had  invited  to  take  breakfast  with  him, 
one  of  whom  fired  on  him  when  but  a  rod  distant,  the 
gun  fortunately  missing  fire.  Myrick  sprang  into  the 
house  and  fired  back,  the  Indians  still  firing  at  the  door 
and  window.  Myrick  and  a  companion  sallied  out  and 
fired  upon  the  Indians,  who  were  re-inforced  by  their 
red  brethren,  there  being  some  twenty  camps  or  wig- 
wams on  the  island.  The  two  white  men  re-entered 
the  house,  which  was  barricaded  and  defended  vigor- 
ously for  an  hour  or  more.  Soon  after  the  firing  ceased, 
a  rap  was  heard  at  the  door,  which  was  not  opened  till 
it  was  known  that  a  white  man  was  seeking  admission. 
This  proved  to  be  Alexis  Bailey,  on  his  return  from  a 
trip  up  the  river,  who  had  been  attracted  by  the  firing. 
He  asked  the  Indians  the  occasion  of  it,  but  could  get 
no  explanation.  As  the  originators  had  been  seen  pre- 
viously at  Mr.  La  Batts',  an  Indian  trader  four  miles 
below,  it  was  supposed  he  had  instigated  the  attack  to 
get  rid  of  a  rival.  The  actual  occasion  for  the  out- 
break was  never  definitely  ascertained.  La  Batts  on- 
ly remained  till  1842,  being  unable  longer  to  obtain 
goods  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  who  now  sold  to 
Myrick  only. 

In  February,  1842,  timber  was  hewed  for  a  house  on 
the  prairie,  and  hauled  to  its  place  witli  a  hand  sled. 
H.  J.  B.  Miller,  who  was  then  trading  thirty  miles  be- 
low, near  the  mouth  of  Coon  Slough,  came  up  with  a 
load  of  provisions  for  the  Indians,  who  were  then  en- 
camped on  Black  River  where  Onalaska  now  stands. 
On  his  return,  Myrick  got  his  help  a  few  days  to  put 
uj)  the  new  residence  and  store,  and  moved  in. 

In  the  Spring  of  1842,  Myrick  put  his  furs  on  the 
keel-boat  used  on  his  first  venture  up  the  river,  and 
started  for  Prairie  du  Chien.  On  the  way  he  overtook 
H.  J.  B.  Miller,  who  was  in  a  canoe.  Taking  him  on 
board,  they  completed  the  journey  together.  Before 
returning,  Myrick  offered  Miller  half  his  claim  and 
profits  to  become  a  partner,  an  offer  with  which  Miller 


readily  complied,  and  they  returned  together  in  a  large 
canoe.  In  June  Miller  went  down  to  Rock  River,  and 
bought  five  yoke  of  oxen.  In  his  absence  Myrick 
spaded  a  patch  of  ground  for  a  garden,  and  on  his  re- 
turn with  the  oxen  the  boundaries  of  their  claim  was 
marked  out,  and  a  piece  of  ground  plowed  which  was 
planted  with  potatoes,  on  Blocks  6,  7  and  19  of  the 
original  plat. 

In  the  Summer  of  1842-3,  Dr.  Snow  and  Philip 
Jacobs  came  and  went  into  trade.  At  the  same  time 
Myrick  had  some  hewed  pine  lumber  got  out  on 
Black  River,  and  put  up  a  comfortable  dwelling 
of  20x30,  finished  on  the  inside  with  lath  and  plaster, 
and  outside  with  siding,  and  having  a  shingle  roof. 
To  this  was  added  an  ell,  12x16,  and  a  cistern.  This 
was  the  first  good  improvement  on  the  prairie. 

In  June  1843,  Myrick  returned  to  New  York,  where 
he  bought  a  stock  of  goods,  and  in  August  was  married 
to  Miss  Rebecca  E.  Ismon,  of  Essex  County.  He  re- 
turned in  September,  bringing  with  him  Miss  Louisa 
Pierson,  who  passed  the  Winter  in  his  famil}',  and  then 
made  a  visit  to  friends  in  Illinois.  These  two  ladies 
were  the  first  white  women  to  favor  La  Crosse  with 
their  presence.  Of  his  return  Myrick  says  he  came 
via  the  Erie  Canal  from  Troy  to  Buffalo,  thence  by 
steamer  to  Chicago,  a  triji  of  five  or  six  days,  then  by 
stage  for  a  week  to  Galena,  waiting  nine  days  at  the 
latter  place  for  a  boat  to  La  Crosse,  the  entire  trip  re- 
quiring neai'ly  a  month.  The  first  draft  sent  home  to 
pay  for  goods  was  six  weeks  on  the  way,  and  did  not 
arrive  till  after  payment  was  due.  On  a  second  return 
from  the  East  in  1847,  he  made  the  trip  via  Baltimore 
to  Cumberland  by  rail,  thence  by  stage  to  Pittsburgh, 
then  by  boat  to  St.  Louis,  and  the  same  to  La  Crosse. 
Myrick  and  Miller  were  the  owners  originally  of  the 
river  front,  their  claim  extending  from  La  Crosse  River 
to  the  section  line  on  Mount  Vernon  street,  and  extend- 
ing east  to  Fifth  street.  This  plat  was  surveyed  in 
1842  by  Ira  Bronson,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  lots  be- 
ing made  60  feet  front  and  150  deep,  with  a  20-foot 
alley  in  the  rear.  Being  laid  out  to  correspond  with 
the  river,  while  the  remainder  of  the  cit}'  was  made  to 
correspond  with  the  points  of  the  compass,  produces 
the  peculiar  angle  so  noticeable  to  strangers,  which  is 
confined  wholly  to  the  section  included  between  the 
river  and  Jay  and  Sixth  streets. 

In  1847,  one  of  the  heaviest  freshets  ever  known  oc- 
curred in  Black  River.  Myrick  &  Miller  had  made  a 
large  investment  on  that  stream  in  logs,  lumber,  booms, 
etc.,  which  were  all  swept  away.  This  event  made  such 
a  change  in  Myrick's  affairs  that  he  was  induced  to  leave 
La  Crosse  and  go  to  St.  Paul.  His  losses  in  this  flood 
footed  up  a  total  of  over  $20,000.  He  left  in  1848,  giv- 
ing Miller  a  half  interest  in  the  town  site.  In  l^'51, 
he  sold  his  whole  interest  in  La  Crosse  to  Lieut  Gov. 
Burns,  viz.  :  in  the  town  site  and  the  Bunnell  claim. 
Afterwards  Burns  deeded  Myrick  one-fourth  of  the 
town  site.  At  one  time  the  whole  site  was  held  as 
follows:  Miirick,  one-fourth;  Burns,  one-fourth; 
Durand  &  Hill,  one-fourth ;  Miller,  one-fourth. 

When  Myrick  &  Miller  held  the  original  site  of  the 
first  plat,  the  adjoining  land  was  held  as  follows:  The 
Cameron  claim  extended  from  Mt.  Vernon  street  south 
to  Division  street ;  Asa  White's  claim,  from  Division 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


street  to  Mississippi  street;  Dr.  Bunnell's  claim,  tak- 
ing in  seventy  acres  at  the  lower  end  of  the  prairie, 
adjoining  White.  Myrick  has  never  ceased  to  be  a 
pioneer.  Since  going  to  St.  Paul,  lie  has  established 
trading-posts  at  Watab,  Long  Prairie,  Traversde  Sioux, 
La  Sieur,  Pembina,  etc.  He  has  also  made  several  ven- 
tures in  the  lumber  business,  and  met  with  severe  and 
repeated  losses,  both  in  his  investments  in  business  and 
in  faith  in  his  fellow-man.  His  generous  nature  has 
repeatedly  made  him  the  victim  of  misplaced  confi- 
dence ;  but  all  that  he  has  lost,  all  that  he  has  endured 
in  a  long  and  busy  life  on  the  very  outskirts  of  civiliza- 
tion, have  not  changed  his  inborn  geniality,  his  gener- 
ous disposition,  or  his  confidence  in  humanity.  In  per- 
son he  is  an  Anakim,  standing  six  feet  four  inches  in 
his  stockings,  erect  in  form,  and  of  most  kindly  ad- 
dress and  presence. 

JOHN   MEYER    LEVY, 

One  of  the  first  settlers  in  La  Crosse,  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, Eng.,  in  the  year  1820,  his  parents,  Meyer  and 
Eve  (Worms)  Levy,  being  natives  of  Germany-  His 
father  was  a  reader  in  the  synagogue,  though  not  a 
regular  rabbi.  John  spent  his  younger  days  largely  at 
school,  part  of  the  time  in  Amsterdam,  Holland.  After 
living  about  six  years  with  an  older  sister  in  Paris,  he 
emigrated  to  America,  in  1837.  A  short  time  was  spent 
in  traveling  before  he  settled  in  St.  Louis,  and  was 
there  engaged  in  a  mercantile  house  about  four  years. 
Early  in  1844,  he  went  up  the  Mississippi  River  to 
Prairie  du  Chien.  He  remained  there  till  the  next 
year,  when  he  was  induced  to  come  to  La  Crosse,  by 
Samuel  Snow,  who,  finding  him  quite  unwell  daring 
one  of  his  visits,  said :  "  If  you  will  move  up  there 
with  me,  I  will  divide  with  you,  and  am  sure  you  will 
never  get  sick  in  such  a  place."  Levy  accepted,  and, 
in  the  Summer  of  1845,  they  came  through  by  team, 
the  two  being  the  first  white  men  to  make  such  a  trip. 
On  the  way  they  passed  through  Mormon  Cooley,  of 
which  Philip  Young  and  James  Conley  were  occupants. 
They  took  a  farm  near  the  mouth  of  State  Road  Cooley. 
They  paid  Jacob  Spaulding  $100  for  his  claim  and  shanty, 
on  the  site  of  the  International  Hotel,  and  at  once  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  store  north  of  the  shanty, 
which  was  situated  on  Front  street.  They  sent  to  Prai- 
rie du  Chien  for  a  carpenter,  named  Manahan,  Levy 
meanwhile  going  to  Black  River  for  the  lumber.  The 
building  was  completed  in  1846,  and  was  the  first 
frame  dwelling  erected  between  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
Red  Wing,  on  the  river,  a  distance  of  180  miles.  At 
the  time  of  Levy's  coming,  the  total  population  was 
but  eighteen,  of  whom  thirteen  were  males  and  five 
females.  Among  the  former  were  N.  Myrich,  George 
Fetherlein,  H.  J.  B.  Miller,  Asa  White,  Samuel  Snow 
and  G.  Houghton,  the  first  three  of  whom  had  families. 
The.se  are  believed  to  have  been  all  who  lived  within 
the  present  city  limits.  For  the  first  three  years  after 
Levy's  arrival,  the  settlement  remained  almost  station- 
ary. At  this  time  barely  half  a  dozen  steamers  came 
up  the  river  yearly,  the  trips  being  made  in  the  Spring 
and  tiie  Fall,  to  carry  supplies  to  the  Indians  and  to 
the  garrison  at  Fort  Snelling. 

I'l    1847,    commissioners    came    with   surveyors    to 
locate  the  school  lands  (16th  section)  and  swamp  lands 


for  the  State.  Peter  Burns  was  one  of  those  employed 
in  this  work.  During  this  year.  Levy  and  Miller,  in 
their  capacity  as  delegates,  went  to  a  Democratic  Con- 
vention at  Liberty  Pole,  in  Crawford  County,  to  nomi- 
nate the  first  Representative  to  the  Legislature.  On 
the  way  homeward  they  became  separated  on  the  ridge, 
about  twenty  miles  from  La  Crosse,  IMiller  going  ahead, 
after  a  severe  fall,  having  been  helped  on  his  horse  by 
Levy,  whose  steed  escaped  while  engaged  in  his  Samar- 
itan work.  Levy  lost  the  way,  and  was  absent  for 
three  days,  subsisting  on  acorns  till  the  third  day,  when 
he  made  his  way  to  the  house  of  a  settler  named  Young, 
at  Bad  Axe.  nearly  a  score  of  miles  below,  in  an  almost 
famished  condition  and  nearly  naked,  his  clothing  being 
torn  to  shreds  by  the  underbrush  and  bushes  through 
which  he  was  compelled  to  make  his  way.  Miller,  in 
the  meantime,  was  called  on  to  account  for  Levy's  ab- 
sence, which,  of  course,  he  was  unable  to  do.  The  in- 
quiries became  more  pressing  and  importunate  each  day. 
and  Miller  more  and  more  dazed  and  bewildered.  Had 
Levy  never  put  in  an  appearance  there  is  no  question 
but  that  "Scoots"  would  have  been  held  accountable 
for  his  disappearance.  The  first  religious  services  were 
held  this  season  in  Levy's  house  by  Revs.  Buck,  Mer- 
rill, Wilcoxson  and  Holcomb  on  the  first  Sunday  pre- 
ceding St.  John's  Day,  an  anniversary  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  falling  upon  June  24.  Levy's  house  was 
pressed  into  service  by  his  own  free  will  and  assent,  by 
all  denominations,  and  also  for  meetings  of  a  secular 
character.  Levy  and  Snow  engaged  in  trade  with  the 
Indians  from  their  first  coming  until  1849,  when  the 
latter  were  removed  to  their  reservation  on  Crow  River, 
whither  Snow,  and  White,  the  Indian  trader,  with  a 
squaw  wife,  accompanied  them.  This  step  necessitated 
a  dissolution  of  partnership,  which  was  effected  on  this 
basis :  Snow  took  the  farm  and  Levy  the  land  claim 
purchased  of  Spaulding,  while  the  goods  and  Indian 
supplies  were  equally  divided.  At  the  same  time. 
Levy  purchased  Wiiite's  claim,  and  thus  came  into  pos- 
session of  about  one-third  of  the  river  front.  (As  this 
was  about  the  first  transaction  in  real  estate,  it  was 
deemed  desirable  to  mark  the  boundaries  of  the  various 
claims  which  was  accomplished  by  running  a  furrow 
around  the  different  tracts,  which,  it  is  needless  to  add, 
was  soon  obliterated  by  the  shifting  sand.)  About  this 
time,  Levy  built  a  frame  hotel,  containing  ten  rooms, 
on  the  corner  of  Front  and  Pearl,  called  the  "  Western 
Enterprise,"  of  which  Simeon  Kellogg  was  the  first 
landlord.  During  the  year  1847,  Levy  had  the  con- 
tract for  carrying  the  mail  from  Prairie  du  Chien  to 
Fort  Snelling.  He  made  the  trips  between  the  former 
place  and  La  Crosse,  while  a  partner.  Snow,  took  charge 
of  the  northern  end  of  the  route.  The  round  trip  took 
two  weeks,  and  the  pay  was  about  $80.  In  1851, 
Willie  Levy,  a  most  promising  child  of  seven  years, 
while  engaged  in  watering  his  horse  at  the  foot  of  Pearl 
street,  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  before  the  animal 
as  it  turned  to  leave  the  river,  and  was  instantly  killed, 
having  his  head  stepped  upon,  the  sharp  calks  of  the 
shoe  penetrating  the  brain.  It  was  all  done  in  a  mo- 
ment, in  his  father's  presence,  who  was  powerless  to 
aid.  This  was  the  first  accidental  death.  About  the 
year  1851,  the  first  wharf-boat  was  built  by  Levy  and 
kept  at  the  foot  of  Pearl  street.     It  did  nob  fully  au- 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


471 


swer  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended,  and,  in 
the  course  of  the  next  year,  he  took  off  the  upper  por- 
tion, and,  commencing  the  erection  of  a  dock,  extend- 
ing beyond  the  boat,  he  included  the  hull  in  the  work. 
This  was  the  first  dock,  and  proved  a  great  convenience 
for  years.  It  was  185  feet  in  length  on  the  river,  and 
extended  back  probably  75  to  80  feet. 

In  the  Winter  of  1850-1,  the  charter  of  the  La 
Crosse  &  Milwaukee  Railroad  having  been  granted,  the 
place  at  once  became  an  object  of  interest,  its  future 
growth  and  prosperity  now  being  regarded  as  a  fixed 
fact.  Hon.  T.  B.  Stoddard,  of  iSTew'^York,  and  A.  D. 
La  Due  came  that  Spring  and  bought  a  half  interest 
in  White's  original  claim  of  J.  M.  Levy,  which  com- 
prised sixty-three  acres.  Myrick,  Miller  and  Burns, 
who  held  the  plat  extending  fiom  La  Crosse  River  to 
Mount  Vernon  street  on  the  south,  and  nearly  to  Sixth 
street  on  the  east,  were  then  having  the  streets  run  out 
in  their  original  plat.  La  Due,  Stoddard,  Cameron  and 
Levy  tried  to  induce  them  to  extend  the  streets  through 
their  claims  also,  thus  insuring  a  uniform  system  of 
straight  streets,  and  suggesting  that  all  the  river  front 
be  vacated  for  a  levee.  These  were  admirable  sugges- 
tions and  it  is  strange  they  were  not  carried  into  effect. 
This  year  La  Crosse  made  a  wonderful  stride  forward. 
Fiom  a  dozen  shanties  in  the  Spring,  the  number  was 
doubled  in  the  Fall,  and  an  even  greater  increase  of 
inhabitants.  Among  these  were  the  most  talented  and 
prominent  citizens  who  have  ever  made  this  city  their 
residence,  as  Hon.  T.  B.  Stoddard,  Lieut.-Gov.  Burns, 
F.  M.  Rublee,  William  Hood,  Col.  Carlton,  Milton 
Barlow,  O.  F.  and  S.  T.  Smith,  George  Farnham,  Mo- 
ses Anderson,  H.  G.  Hubbard,  C.  Looney,  Hon.  George 
Gale,  Howard  Cramer,  Revs.  Sherwin,  Carr  and  Elder 
Reynolds  and  George  Howard. 

About  1853,  Levy  built  a  warehouse,  and,  becoming 
agent  for  the  steamboat  companies,  conducted  a  large 
forwarding  business.  This  he  continued  until  1857, 
when  he  opened  a  bank,  and  in  a  few  months  failed, 
with  thousands  of  other  business  men,  paying,  how- 
ever, every  dollar  which  he  owed  depositors.  In  1858, 
he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  but  afterward  sold  his 
interest  to  Charles  B.  Solberg.  He  then  engaged  in 
real  estate  operations,  which  he  continued  until  the 
Autumn  of  1876,  when  he  again  became  a  forwarding 
and  commission  merchant.  At  sundry  times  during 
these  years,  Mr.  Levy  had  many  buildings  erected, 
some  for  his  own  use  and  some  to  rent.  He  built  the 
Augusta  House  in  1857,  and  was  receiving  the  rent  of 
it,  wlien,  in  March,  1862,  it  was  swept  away,  together 
witli  a  dozen  other  buildings  owned  by  himself,  and 
three  times  as  many  owned  by  other  parties.  Altiiough 
he  has  met  with  frequent  reverses,  he  has  never  become 
disiieartened.  No  man  in  La  Crosse  is  more  plucky  or 
full  of  business.  He  saw  the  last  wigwam  disappear 
long  since,  and  where,  thirty-six  years  ago,  he  found 
but  tliree  families,  he  now  sees  a  city  of  16,000  inhab- 
itants, who  justly  look  upon  him  as  one  of  the  fathers 
of  La  Crosse,  as  he  is  at  jiresent  the  oldest  living  resi- 
dent. He  has  been  elected  Mayor  three  times,  has  been 
an  Alderman  about  eight  5'ears,  and  has  always  looked 
well  to  the  interests  of  the  city.  Though  not  partisan 
in  his  politics,  he  has  very  pronounced  views,  and  has 
been  a  firm  upholder  of  the  Democratic  faith.     He  is 


prominent  in  his  connection  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. He  was  Grand  Treasurer  of  the  Grand  Chapter 
of  Royal  Arch  Masons  eleven  years ;  has  been  treas- 
urer of  both  the  Lodge  and  Chapter  in  La  Crosse,  and 
is  the  oldest  member,  in  point  of  time  in  joining  them. 
He  is  also  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  B'nai  B'rith,  a  Jewish  secret  society. 

SAMUEL   T.    SMITH. 

Samuel  T.  Smith,  the  first  man  to  run  a  temperance 
and  anti-gambling  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi rivers,  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  Ma}- 
9,  1801.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier.  His  father,  Noah  Smith,  was  a  native  of 
Long  Island,  and  his  mother  of  Lyme,  Conn.  His 
father  lived  in  Delaware  County  until  1812,  when,  with 
six  other  families,  he  moved  to  Ohio.  Reaching  Wheel- 
ing, W.  Va.,  they  built  a  flat-boat  and  floated  down  to 
Cincinnati,  reaching  there  in  October. 

The  next  year,  he  moved  to  a  tract  of  land  three 
miles  from  the  city,  and  opened  a  farm  ;  Samuel,  at  the 
same  time,  becoming  a  clerk  in  a  store,  remaining  in 
and  near  the  city,  merchandising  and  farming,  until 
1828.  In  April  of  that  year,  he  visited  the  Galena 
lead  mines,  and,  during  the  next  month,  went  into  Wis- 
consin— at  that  time  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory. 
Stopping  about  half  way  between  the  present  sites  of 
Potosi  and  Platteville,  he  built  a  cabin,  and  engaged  in 
mining  for  one  year. 

He  afterward  went  to  Galena  and  taught  school 
two  years,  and  there,  in  1831,  organized  the  first  Sun- 
day school  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Returning  to 
Cincinnati  in  1832,  he  farmed  a  short  time,  and  subse- 
quently engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade  in  that  city, 
and  continued  it  until  1840.  He  then  built  his  "  Sun- 
day-keeping "  steamboat,  and  ran  it  and  others  for  nine 
years  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  tributa- 
ries of  the  latter. 

In  1849,  while  his  steamboat  was  at  the  St.  Louis 
Landing,  it  was  burnt,  with  twenty-two  other  steam- 
boats and  seven  blocks  of  city  buildings.  Immediately 
after  this  calamity,  he  opened  a  dry  goods  store  in  that 
city.  In  July,  1851,  he  removed  to  La  Crosse,  then  a 
village  of  about  fifty  genuine  settlers.  Here  he  con- 
tinued the  mercantile  trade  between  two  and  three 
years,  and,  in  1853,  opened  the  land  agency,  which  he 
has  continued  ever  since,  at  the  same  time  engaging 
more  or  less  in  farming.  Mr.  Smith  was  early  taught 
that  riches  take  to  themselves  wings,  and  he  was  im- 
pressed with  the  truthfulness  of  the  Scriptural  state- 
ments, when,  in  the  crash  of  1837,  he  lost  a  round 
§100,000,  and  half  that  sum  in  a  similar  visitation  in 
1857,  to  say  nothing  of  the  sudden  reduction  of  his 
steamboat  to  ashes,  just  as  he  had  painted  it  and  was 
about  to  sell  it,  and  minor  losses  in  La  Crosse  by  fires. 
Pecuniarily  Mr.  Smith  is  in  comfortable  circumstances. 
His  wealth,  however,  is  not  all  of  this  world— he  is 
"  rich  toward  God."  Few  Christian  lives  have  been 
more  consistent  or  more  noteworthy.  When  he  landed 
in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  in  1828,  he 
knelt  down  alone,  in  the  solitude  of  the  forest,  under  a 
large  oak  tree,  and  took  possession  of  the  land  in  the 
name  of  his  Master.  Shortly  after  reaching  La  Crosse  on 
the  22d  of  January,  1852,  he  gathered  the  few  Baptist 


472 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


people  (fourteen  in  all),  and  a  church  was  organized  at 
his  house.  He  brought  with  him  to  La  Crosse  three  or 
four  families,  seven  members  of  which  were  Baptists. 
He  was  chosen  the  first  Deacon,  and  has  held  that  office 
for  nearly  thirtj'  j'ears.  The  Oongregationalists  met  at 
his  house  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  hour,  and 
the  ministers  present  assisted  each  other  in  organizing 
the  two  churches.  On  the  22d  of  January,  1877,  the 
two  Christian  l)odies  again  met,  and  observed  their 
quarter-centennial,  upon  which  occasion  Deacon  Smith 
read  an  intensely  interesting  history  of  tlie  Baptist 
Church.  He  has  had  two  wives,  the  first  being  Miss 
Martha  Ellen  Longley,  of  Cheviot,  Ohio,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  1827.  She  died  in  1834,  leaving  two 
children,  one  of  whom  is  now  living.  To  his  second 
wife.  Miss  Sarah  Hildreth,  of  Cincinnati,  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1835.  They  have  had  eleven  children,  of  whom 
five  are  living.  Orrin  L.,  the  only  child  by  his  first 
wife,  now  living,  is  married  and  residing  in  La  Crosse. 
The  eldest  daughter,  widow  of  the  late  Jacob  P.  Whelp- 
ley,  with  her  three  children,  is  living  with  her  father; 
another  daughter  is  the  wife  of  W.  L.  Card,  of  La 
Crosse,  and  a  third  is  the  wife  of  Spencer  Wav,  of 
Rockford,  111. 

Of  the  many  interesting  anecdotes  of  Deacon  Smith's 
nine  j'ears  of  steamboat  life,  we  mention  the  following: 
As  he  was  starting  on  his  first  trip  from  Cincinnati  to 
Pittsburgh,  two  fast  young  Southerners  come  on  board, 
and  before  the  boat  was  fairly  under  way  began  to  in- 
quire for  the  card  table  and  the  bar.  Capt.  Smith  po- 
litely informed  them  that  there  was  nothing  of  the 
kind  on  board ;  that  neither  drinking  nor  gambling 
was  allowed  on  his  boat;  that  he  had  a  good  library, 
and  he  hoped  they  would  make  free  use  of  it,  and  that 
when  they  reached  Pittsburgh,  if  they  were  not  satis- 
fied with  tlieir  accommodations,  he  would  refund  the 
mone3^  They  used  his  books  very  liberally,  one  of 
them  reading  through  Knowles'  Life  of  Ann  H.  Jud- 
son,  and  both  becoming  thoroughly  absorbed  in  literary 
recreations.  When  near  Pittsburgh,  they  went  on  the 
hurricane  deck  and  reminded  the  captain  that  they 
were  near  the  end  of  the  voyage,  and  he  asked  them  if 
they  wanted  their  fare  refunded.  They  told  him 
frankly  that  when  they  came  on  board  and  found  no 
bar,  they  ma<le  up  their  minds  to  jump  off  at  the  first 
wood-pile  landing;  that  on  the  whole,  however,  they 
had  been  greatly  pleased,  actually  delighted  with  the 
trip,  and  that  if  tiiey  had  occasion  to  make  the  same 
trip  again,  if  necessary,  they  would  wait  three  days  for 
the  sake  of  getting  his  boat. 

PETER   CAMERON. 

Peter  Cameron,  born  in  Deerfield,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
about  1810  ;  a  son  of  Donald  Cameron.  When  young, 
about  seventeen  years  old,  he  clerked  for  Colin  McVean, 
in  Caledonia,  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.;  at  twenty-two  he 
came  West;  he  peddled  all  the  way  from  Utica,  N.  Y., 
to  the  Mississippi.  In  Michigan,  he  met  Mrs.  Emma 
Clayton,  a  woman  with  a  career  and  a  history,  even 
then,  at  that  time,  having  a  tliird  living  husband.  She 
joined  Peter,  and  together  tliey  came  to  La  Crosse. 
To  this  day,  it  is  claimed  by  many  residents,  that  tliey 
were  never  married.  The  writer  has  assurance,  from 
tlie  very  bai,  autliority,  that  they  were  married  by  H. 


J.  B.  Miller,  the  event  being  brought  about  by  pruden- 
tial reasons ;  in  other  words,  to  avoid  threatened  crim- 
inal prosecution.  In  1843,  Maj.  Coons  and  Mr.  Scott 
made  a  claim  adjoining  that  of  Myrick  and  Miller. 
Leaving  it  for  a  time,  it  was  jumped  by  Peter,  who 
succeeded  in  holding  it.  The  claim  extended  from 
Mount  Vernon,  Division  street,  to  Fifth  and  Sixth 
streets,  and  became  very  valuable.  It  is  now  occupied 
very  largely  by  mills  and  manufacturing  establishments. 
He  also  owned  land  across  the  river  in  Minnesota,  di- 
rectly opposite  ;  as  both  fronted  the  river  at  a  common 
crossing,  the  spot  became  known  as  Cameron's  Cross- 
ings. After  his  arrival  in  La  Crosse,  he  gave  his  time 
and  attention  to  real  estate.  He  died  in  1855,  at  his 
residence  below  La  Crosse,  the  old  house  still  remain- 
ing. 

JAMES   M.  GARRETT. 

An  emigrant  to  La  Crosse  in  1846,  coming  on  the 
steamer  "Falcon,"  Capt.  Morehouse  commanding.  The 
nearest  settlement  was  at  Winneshiek,  so  called  after 
an  Indian  chief,  now  known  as  De  Soto.  The  site  of 
the  city  was  most  unpromising,  consisting  of  barren 
land  for  half  a  mile  from  the  river.  The  only  residents 
here  then  were  Miller  &  Myrick,  E.  A.  Hatch,  their 
employes.  Dr.  Bunnell,  Dutch  Charley,  Husk  Carrel, 
John  Somerville,  the  two  Nagles,  and  Henry  Atchison, 
a  refugee  from  the  patriot  war  in  Canada.  The  Indians 
were  numerous,  but  the  Winnebagoes  were  the  only 
tribe  in  this  vicinity,  though  an  occasional  Sioux  came 
to  trade  or  to  fish  and  hunt.  No  trouble  arose  between 
the  settlers  and  the  Indians.  There  were  four  ladies, 
Mesdames  Myrick,  Miller  and  Cameron,  and  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  Bunnell.  The  "Falcon"  made  three  trips  during 
the  season,  from  St.  Louis  to  St.  Paul.  Capt.  Orrin  L. 
Smith,  now  of  Chicago,  was  then  runningthe  "Nominee" 
from  Galena  to  St.  Paul,  He  was  a  rigid  observer  of 
the  Sabbath,  tying  up  his  boat  at  12  p.  M.  of  Saturday 
till  the  same  time  Sunday,  regardless  of  his  stopping 
place.  Crops  were  raised  with  difficulty  and  consisted 
mostly  of  potatoes  and  Syrian  corn.  Garrett  and  Carrel 
were  hired  by  J.  M.  Levy,  at  a  dollar  a  day  and  board, 
for  two  weeks,  to  shoot  blackbirds  and  preserve  the 
corn  of  a  five-acre  field.  Charles  Solberg,  who  was  at 
work  for  Levy  at  $S  per  month,  was  put  to  the  work  of 
gatliering  it.  The  first  cemetery  was  on  the  spot  now 
occupied  by  Powers'  pump  shop,  corner  of  Third  and 
Badger  streets.  It  was  in  use  ten  years  or  more.  In 
warm  weather,  mails  came  by  steamer,  and  in  the 
Winter  were  usually  taken  to  and  from  Prairie  du  Chien 
by  some  half-breed. 

MRS.  BERKENMEYER. 

Mrs.  Berkenmeyer  came  to  La  Crosse  in  July,  1847, 
with  five  French  families  who  took  farms  in  this  vicin- 
ity. There  were  eleven  children  among  them.  None 
of  the  original  settlers  of  these  families  are  now  in  La 
Crosse.  At  the  time  of  her  coming  there  were  but  three 
log  iiouses  here,  viz  :  Myrick  &  Miller's,  near  La  Crosse 
River,  Asa  White's,  an  Indian  trader  with  a  squaw 
wife,  on  Front  street,  and  Dr.  Bunnell's,  about  where 
the  International  Hotel  now  stands.  For  a  dozen 
squares  back  from  the  river  the  land  was  a  waste  of 
sand  ridges  and  iioUows.  .Mr.  OUivier,  husband  of  Mrs. 
Berkeumeyer,  died  withiu  three  weeks  after  their  arrival. 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


There  was  no  preacher  here  or  religious  services  of  any- 
kind.  The  first  Catholic  priest  was  Father  Tappert. 
Wheat  was  raised  and  sent  to  Galena  to  mill.  It  was 
almost  impossible  to  raise  corn,  owing  to  the  depreda- 
tions of  coons,  blackbirds,  etc.  The  Nagle  Brothers 
lost  a  field  of  forty  acres  in  this  way,  about  1850,  not 
getting  baciv  from  it  tlie  amount  of  seed  planted.  The 
meal  obtained  was  so  coarse  that  they  had  to  sift  it 
through  a  mosquito  bar.  The  first  mill  was  built  in 
Mormon  Cooley  by  a  Mr.  Ehler. 

COL.  THOMAS   B.  STODDARD. 

To  none  of  the  early  settlers  is  La  Crosse  so  much 
indebted  for  making  the  advantages  of  this  location 
known  to  the  world  as  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  with 
whom  it  was  the  great  aim  and  object  of  liis  being.  He 
was  a  son  of  Richard  Stoddard,  of  Le  Roy,  Genesee 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors. He  was  the  first  Sheriff  of  Genesee  County, 
wlien  it  embraced  all  of  New  York  west  of  the  Gene- 
see River,  viz.,  Erie,  Niagara  and  Chautauqua.  He  won 
great  personal  popularity,  and  was  a  leading  politician 
of  the  Federal  party  of  that  section.  Thomas  B.  Stod- 
dard was  born  in  1800,  December  11,  at  Canandaigiia. 
His  mother  was  a  very  superior  woman,  and  had  re- 
ceived a  classical  education.  His  only  sister,  Cath- 
arine, married  John  B.  Skinner,  of  Wvoming,  Genesee 
Co.,  in  1830,  and  died  in  1833.  In  his  youth,  he 
passed  some  time  in  the  lodge  of  the  celebrated  chief. 
Red  Jacket,  where  he  learned  to  speak  the  Seneca 
tongue  most  fluently.  He  was  always  held  by  them  in 
great  esteem,  and  was  employed  by  them  to  settle  their 
claims  with  the  Government.  He  was  very  precocious, 
and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  wrote  the  play,  "Fortune 
Favors  the  Brave."  This  drama  had  a  run  of  fifty 
nights  at  one  of  the  leading  theaters  in  New  York  City ; 
at  nineteen,  he  was  a  graduate  of  Columbia  College, 
and  at  twenty,  of  Yale.  He  studied  law  in  the  office 
of  the  noted  Aaron  Burr.  He  was  on  intimate  terms 
with  such  distinguished  men  as  Chancellor  Kent  and 
Son,  Judge  Spencer,  Silas  Wright,  DeWitt  Clinton, 
and  had  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  Presidents  Jack- 
son, Van  Buren  and  Polk. 

He  practiced  law  for  a  short  time  in  Buffalo,  and 
lived  for  a  brief  time  at  Cattaraugus  Creek.  In  cast- 
ing about  for  a  location  in  the  West,  he  was  impressed 
with  the  favorable  location  of  La  Crosse  as  a  point  des- 
tined to  become  of  great  commercial  value,  and  this 
fact  he  was  never  weary  of  trying  to  impress  on  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  early  gave  it  the  name  of 
the  "Gateway  City,"  and  predicted  the  building  of  every 
railway  that  has  since  been  extended  to  this  place.  He 
came  here  in  1851,  and  was  instrumental  in  having  the 
county  organized  and  set  off  from  Crawford.  In  com- 
pany with  A.  D.  La  Due,  he  bought  a  half  interest  in 
White's  original  claim  of  sixty-three  acres,  of  J.  M. 
Levy.  '  They  sought  to  have  the  survey  made  by  Myr- 
ick  &  Miller  of  their  original  plat  extending  through 
their  land,  thus  making  continuous  and  uniform 
straight  streets.  This  was  not  done,  and  as  the  survey 
was  made  parallel  with  the  river,  wiiile  subsequent 
ones  were  made  to  run  with  the  points  of  the  compass, 
an  angle  has  been  formed  at  the  intersection  of  all 
streets,  outside  of  the  Myrick   &   Miller  plat,  extend- 


ing from  La  Crosse  River  to  Mt.  Vernon  street  on  the 
south,  and  Fifth  street  on  the  east.  He  located  a 
claim  on  what  was  known  as  the  Stevens'  Addition, 
and  left  Peter  Burns  upon  it  to  hold  it  while  absent  on 
a  trip  to  Sheboygan  for  his  family,  consisting  only  of 
his  mother  and  an  adopted  sister,  iVIiss  Susan  de  France. 
In  this  interval,  his  claim  was  jumped  by  F.  M.  Rublee 
and  C.  A.  Stevens,  who  drove  Burns  away.  A  litiga- 
tion of  three  years  ensued  before  the  Colonel  secured 
his  claim. 

He  formed  a  partnership  with  H.  E.  Hubbard,  in 
the  practice  of  the  law,  and  on  the  organization  of  the 
city  was  made  its  first  Mayor,  being  elected  thereto  by 
one  vote,  cast  for  him  by  his  opponent,  J.  M.  Levy. 
He  had  no  political  aspirations,  his  attention  being 
given  to  the  material  interests  of  the  place.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  the  Assembly  in  1862,  and  was  defeated 
by  Hanchett,  who  died  shortly  after  his  election. 

Previous  to  coming  to  La  Crosse,  he  was  interested 
in  a  mining  scheme  in  Pennsylvania,  near  Pittsburgh, 
where  the  company  of  which  he  was  a  member  had  a 
claim  of  eight  square  miles.  At  one  time,  they  had 
100  men  employed.  The  failure  of  a  prominent  capi- 
talist brought  matters  to  a  standstill. 

Col.  Stoddard  was  tall,  spare  and  straight,  fully  six 
feet  in  height,  with  brown  hair  and  eyes,  and  very 
nervous  and  quick  in  his  movements.  He  was  very 
athletic,  a  good  shot,  and  a  person  of  quick,  high  tem- 
per. He  was  a  strenuous  advocate  of  the  code,  known 
as  the  duello,  and  had  three  affairs  of  honor,  if  not 
more.  One  of  these  was  occasioned  by  some  parties 
who  spirited  his  carriage  away  while  he  was  attending 
a  theater,  with  two  ladies  in  charge.  As  was  expected 
and  designed,  the  Colonel  promptly  challenged  the 
offending  party,  who,  having  choice  of  weapons,  chose 
knives  and  a  dark  room,  probably  expecting  a  back- 
down. Stoddard  accepted  without  hesitation,  and  dis- 
abled his  rival.  In  all  these  affairs  it  is  not  known  that 
he  received  a  greater  injury  than  the  disabling  of  a 
little  finger. 

SUSAN    E.    DE    FRANCE. 

This  lady  was  the  adopted  sister  of  Col.  Thomas  B. 
Stoddard,  who  might  well  be  styled  the  benefactor  of 
La  Crosse.  Her  parents,  Christopher  and  Elizabeth 
(Fevre),  were  both  natives  of  France.  They  emi- 
grated to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born.  Her  father  died  in  November,  1840, 
at  the  early  age  of  thirty-eight,  in  Irving,  N.  Y..  while 
in  Government  employ  as  Superintendent  of  Cattarau- 
gus Harbor.  She  became  a  member  of  the  family  of 
Col.  Stoddard  in  the  Spring  of  1847.  The  Colonel 
came  to  Wisconsin  prior  to  1850  ;  his  family,  compris- 
ing only  his  mother  and  Miss  De  France,  followed  in 
1851,  going  to  Sheboygan  from  Buffalo  by  steamer, 
thence  by  team  to  Tychida,  on  the  Fox  River,  thence 
to  Portage,  on  the  Wisconsin ;  here  they  took  passage 
on  the  steamer  "  Onaota,"  having  a  very  tedious  trip, 
as,  on  account  of  low  water  and  the  many  obstructions 
in  the  river,  the  boat  was  obliged  to  lay  by  at  night. 
The  journey  from  Sheboygan  to  La  Crosse  occupied 
eleven  days.  The  first  view  of  their  future  home  was 
anything  but  inspiring ;  a  long  reach  of  glistening, 
barren  sand  skirted  the  river  front,  behind  which  was 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


a  rank  growth  of  coarse  grass,  and  innumerable  sand 
burrs  ;  closer  inspection,  however,  was  rewarded  with 
the  sight  of  prairie  flowers  in  great  variety  and  pro- 
fusion. Tlie  land  now  embraced  between  the  river 
and  Front,  Second  and  Third  streets  was  marked  by 
sand  hills  and  corresponding  hollows.  There  were 
but  five  or  six  houses  all  told  within  the  present  city 
limits. 

The  first  residence  occupied  by  Col  Stoddard  was 
the  cabin  of  Asa  White,  an  old  Indian  trader,  with  a 
most  uncoutli  sample  of  a  Winnebago  squaw  for  a  wife. 
He  and  Asa  Snow,  another  trader,  followed  the  Indians 
a  year  or  two  previous  to  their  going  to  their  reserva- 
tion on  Crow  River.  The  condition  of  the  cabin  he 
left  was  one  calculated  to  appal  the  stoutest  nerves. 
The  walls  were  black  and  grimy  with  smoke,  dirt  and 
grease,  so  tliat  it  was  necesssary  to  scrape  them  down 
with  a  lioe  to  get  at  the  original  surface  ;  it  possessed 
but  one  room  and  a  loft.  One  corner  was  partitioned 
off  for  Mrs.  Stoddard,  the  loft  was  given  to  Miss  De 
France,  and  the  remaining  room  was  in  turn  a  kitchen, 
sitting-room,  paiior,  office,  bedroom,  etc.  The  stair- 
wa}'  was  a  steep  laddei-,  and  Miss  De  France  was  often 
made  an  unwilling  prisoner  in  the  loft  by  the  pro- 
tracted call  or  visit  of  persons  who  had  business  with 
the  Colonel.  A  "  lean-to"  was  soon  added,  which 
relieved  the  pressure  upon  the  common  sitting-room  ; 
here  they  remained  for  two  years  and  a  half,  when  a 
new  residence  was  built  on  the  corner  of  Third  and 
Ferry  streets  in  1854.  It  was  built  by  A.  D.  La  Due, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  erected  out  on  the  prairie. 

HON.    GEORGE    GALE. 

This  gentleman  was  a  native  of  Burlington,  Vt., 
the  youngest  son  of  Peter  and  Hannah  Tottingham 
Gale,  and  was  born  Nov.  30,  1816.  He  had  the  advan- 
tages of  a  good  common-school  education,  and,  while 
not  a  graduate  of  any  college,  acquired  an  excellent 
knowledge  of  the  higher  branches  of  mathematics  and 
the  sciences.  Commencing  the  study  of  law  in  March, 
1839,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1841,  during  the 
last  two  years  discliarging  the  duties  of  Postmaster  of 
Waterbury  Center,  to  whicii  office  he  had  been  aja- 
pointed  in  1840.  Removing  shortlv  after  to  the  Terri- 
tory of  Wisconsin,  he  settled  at  Elkliorn,  Walworth 
County,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
thouglx  still  pursuing  his  studies  with  great  diligence. 
During  his  residence  he  was  elected  to  various  town 
offices,  being  atone  time  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board, 
and  also  of  the  Count}'  Board  of  Supervisors. 

In  the  Fall  of  1847,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Convention  to  form  a  State  Constitution,  and  served  on 
the  Judiciary  Committee.  The  same  Fall,  lie  was  also 
elected  District  Attorney  of  Walworth  County,  and, 
in  the  Fall  of  1840,  a  State  Senator  for  two  years.  The 
first  year  in  the  Senate,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Privileges  and  Elections,  and  the  second 
year.  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1851,  he  received  from  the 
Governor  of  the  State  the  appointment  of  Brigadier 
General  in  the  militia.  In  the  Fall  of  that  year  he 
removed  to  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  settled  at  La 
Crosse.  That  Fall,  he  was  elected  County  Judge  for 
the  term  of  four  years  for  the  counties  of  La  Crosse 


and  Chippewa,  the  two  being  combined  for  judicial  pur-  '■ 
poses.  Having  jurisdiction  in  common  law  as  well  as 
probate,  the  office  was  an  important  one.  This  position  I 
he  resigned  January  1,  1854,  and  in  April,  1856,  was  I 
elected  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  Circuit,  com-  ' 
posed  of  the  counties  of  Buffalo,  Clark,  Jackson,  Mon-  ' 
roe.  La  Crosse,  Vernon  and  Crawford,  for  the  judicial  ', 
term  of  six  3'ears,  commencing  January  1,  1857.  The  1  j 
duties  of  this  office  he  discharged  with  ability,  and  i 
sarved  the  constitutional  term.  '. 

During  Judge  Gale's  residence  at  La  Crosse,  he  1 
urged  very  strongly  on  the  citizens  of  that  place  the 
importance  of  establisliing  there  a  college  or  institution  ' 
of  learning  of  a  higher  order,  but  the  country  being  new, 
the  project  did  not  fiud  favor  witii  the  people,  and  ' 
nothing  was  done  to  carry  out  this  design.  He  shortly  | 
after  determined  to  found  a  town  and  college  on  his  ; 
own  responsibility.  In  1853,  he  purchased  about  2,000  ! 
acres  of  land,  including  the  present  site  of  Galesville  ; 
with  the  water-power  on  Beaver  Creek,  and  in  January,  j 
1854,  he  procured  from  the  State  Legislature  the  or-  I 
ganization  of  tlie  new  county  of  Trempealeau,  with  the 
location  of  the  county  seat  at  Galesville,  and  at  the  | 
same  time  oljtained  a  charter  for  a  university,  to  be  lo-  j 
cated  at  that  place.  A  Board  of  Trustees  was  organ- 
ized in  1855,  and  the  edifice  commenced  in  1858.  In  | 
June,  1854,  the  village  plat  of  Galesville  was  laid  out,  1 
and  subsequently  mills  were  erected.  The  building  • 
for  the  university  was  carried  through  a  monetary  [ 
crisis  by  his  great  energy  and  financial  ability.  After  : 
the  graduation  of  the  first  class  in  July,  1865,  he  re-  1 
signed  the  presidency  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  of  \ 
the  Faculty,  which  posts  he  liad  held  for  seven  years.         [ 

In  1857,  he  received  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  I 
of  Arts  from  Vermont  Universit}-,  and,  in  1863,  the  in-  | 
stitution  which  owed  to  him  its  existence,  and  to  whom  i 
it  was  indebted  for  much  of  its  success  and  prosperity,  | 
conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  | 

He  was  the  pioneer  of  the  press  in  Walworth  Coun-  1 
ty,  wliere  lie  started  the  Western  Star,  at  Elk  Horn,  ; 
August  7,  1845,  with  which  he  was  connected  nearly  a  ; 
year.  He  made  varied  and  successful  ventures  in  author-  j 
ship,  in  which  he  added  much  to  tlie  reputation  he  had  j 
acquired  in  other  fields  of  labor.  Of  these,  the  first,  • 
the  "  Wisconsin  Farm  Book,"  was  prepared  and  pub-  j 
lished  b}'  him  in  1846,  was  subsequently  revised  and 
republished  in  1848,  1850  and  1856.  It  liad  a  large  ; 
circulation,  and  nearly  6,000  copies  were  sold.  ^ 

Taking  great  interest  in  tlie  aboriginal  history  of  the         i 
Northwest,  and  in  the  State  Historical  Societj-  (of  which         ' 
he  was  an  honorary  member  and  subsequently  a  vice- 
president),  he  prepared  an  elaborate  paper  on  the  "  His- 
tory of  the  Chippewa  Nation  of  Indians,"  which  was         • 
read  before  the  societ3\  1 

In  1866,  he  published  at  Galesville  a  "  Genealogical 
Histor}'  of  the  Gale  Family  in  England  and  the  United  ■ 
States,  with  an  account  of  the  Tottingham  Family  of  j 
New  England,  and  of  the  Bogardus,  Waldron  and  Young  '[ 
Families  of  New  York,"  a  volume  of  -54  pages,  a  work  i 
requiring  a  large  amount  of  patient  and  persevering  1 
investigation. 

His  last  work,  to  the  preparation  of  which  he  de- 
voted many  j'ears,  and  to  which  the  greatest  general 
interest  attaches,  was  published  in  1867.     It  is  entitled 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


4-5 


•'  The  Upper  Mississippi ;  or  Historical  Sketclies  of  tlie 
introduction  of  Civilization  in  the  Northwest,"  a  work 
covering  the  period  from  1600  to  1866.  It  is  a  work  of 
much  research,  and  is  a  most  valuable  contribution  to 
tiie  history  of  the  West. 

His  liealth  partially  failed  him  in  the  Summer  of 
1862,  and  the  three  following  Winters  he  passed  in  the 
South  and  the  East — most  of  the  time  in  the  service  of 
the  Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions.  During  Feb- 
urary  and  March,  1863,  he  had  charge  of  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission  Depot  on  Morris  Island, 
S.  C,  during  the  siege  of  Charleston. 

REV.  BENJAMIN^W.^REYNOLDS. 

Rev.  Benjamin  W.  Re3molds  was  a  native  of  South 
Carolina,  liaving  been  born  in  that  State  in  1812.  He 
graduated  from  Middlebury  College,  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  in  1832.  From  this  same  college  were  gradu- 
ated Judge  Cameron,  of  La  Crosse,  and  Rev.  Sunder- 
land, at  one  time  Chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  graduated  in  theology 
from  Lane  Seminary,  having  Senator  Foot  for  a  pre- 
ceptor. He  went  to  Iowa  to  begin  his  ministerial 
labors  as  a  missionary,  and  was  called  upon  to  open  the 
first  Legislature  of  the  Territory  with  prayer.  From 
there  he  went  in  succession  to  IVIissouri,  and  thence  to 
Illinois.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849,  and  located 
at  Sheboygan.  He  left  that  point  in  1851,  coming  to 
La  Crosse  in  August  of  that  j-ear.  At  that  time  there 
were  but  eleven  houses  all  told,  on  the  site  of  the 
future  city,  which  was  most  unpromising  to  the  view, 
a  large,  deep  hollow,  twenty  or  more  feet  in  depth, 
marking  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  store  of  Mons. 
Anderson  and  George  Howard,  and  large  sand  hills  on 
tlie  sites  of  the  court-house  and  the  Esperson  House. 
The  latter  of  these  was  surmounted  by  the  residences 
of  Lieut.  Gov.  Burns.  He  located  his  claim  on  the 
marsh  at  tlie  mouth  of  Black  River,  near  the  present 
elevator.  Wliat  must  have  then  seemed  a  most  un- 
promising location  proved  a  most  fortunate  one.  It  was 
required  by  the  C.  &  M.  R.  R.  Co.,  who  had  it  con- 
demned for  their  use ;  and  for  a  strip  of  250  by  600 
feet,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  awarded  the  handsome  sum  of 
•$7,300.  It  was  developed  in  the  evidence  elicited  at 
this  time  that  it  fronted  the  best  landing  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  in  its  whole  length.  River  men  and 
pilots  were  quite  positive  and  unanimous  on  this  point, 
claiming  a  depth  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  of  water 
near  to  tlie  water's  edge.  Messrs.  Plankington  and 
Rogers  were  appointed  arbitrators  in  the  case. 

For  some  time  after  his  coming,  his  dwelling  was 
claimed  to  be  one  of  the  only  three  log  houses  so  occu- 
pied, the  other  two  being  those  of  Peter  Cameron  and 
Col.  T.  B.  Stoddard.  His  ardent  Republicanism  led 
him  to  warmly  espouse  the  cause  of  the  Free  State 
men  in  Kansas,  and  at  his  own  expense,  and  with  great 
inconvenience,  he  went  to  the  great  Buffalo  Convention, 
in  185G,  to  throw  his  influence  in  the  scale,  to  aid  in 
making  that  contested  region  a  free  State.  With  him, 
religion  and  politics  were  so  blended  that  tlie  distinc- 
tion was  imperceptible.  The  struggle  for  freedom, 
wherever  waged,  commanded  his  earnest  support  and 
encouragement,  and   his  influence,  purse  and  person 


were    all    freely    and    enthusiastically    given    in   its 
support. 

In  1861,  on  the  accession  of  Lincoln  to  the  Presi- 
dency, )ie  received  the  appointment  of  Receiver  of  the 
Land  Office  at  St.  Croix  Falls,  a  position  he  held  dur- 
ing Lincoln's  life.  In  1865,  he  went  to  South  Carolina, 
his  native  State,  as  a  correspondent  for  the  La  Crosse 
Repuhliean.  His  avowal  of  Republican  sentiments, 
which  he  fearlessly  proclaimed,  both  from  the  stump 
and  through  the  press,  soon  excited  such  fierce,  malig- 
nant opposition,  that  he  was  compelled  to  fly  for  his 
life,  and  seek  refuge  in  Georgia,  and  live  in  as  obscure 
and  secluded  a  manner  as  possible,  so  much  so,  indeed, 
that  for  several  months  even  his  own  family  were  igno- 
rant of  his  whereabouts.  They  knew  he  had  been  in 
deadly  peril,  and,  while  torn  with  doubts  and  fears,  had 
their  worst  anticipations  realized  by  vague,  but  all  too 
probable,  rumors  of  his  death.  Undeterred  by  his 
persecutions,  he  again  made  the  State  the  scene  of  his 
labors,  and  in  1871,  published  a  Republican  paper  at 
Abbeville.  He  also  wrote  the  biographies  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  State.  He  was  the  choice  of  many 
Republicans  for  the  position  of  United  States  Senator, 
and  it  is  claimed,  was  sure  of  an  election,  when  he 
generously  made  way  for  Patterson,  who  was  elected 
in  his  stead.  Returning  to  La  Crosse,  lie  again  put  on 
tlie  editorial  harness,  publishing  the  North  Star  in 
Nortli  La  Crosse,  in  1876.  This  was  sold  out  to  A.  S. 
Foote,  the  present  convict,  very  greatly  to  the  detri- 
ment of  Mr.  Reynolds.  The  material  is  now  claimed 
to  be  in  use  in  the  office  of  the  Sun,  at  Milwaukee.  Mr. 
Reynolds  died  in  1877. 

ORRIN   L.  SMITH. 

Orrin  L.  Smith,  born  in  Galena,  111.,  in  1830  ;  taken 
to  Ohio  at  six  months,  and  raised  at  Princeton  till  six- 
teen ;  from  there  to  New  Orleans  ;  stayed  three  years  ; 
thence  to  St.  Louis  two  years  ;  came  to  La  Crosse  in 
1851  ;  pre-empted  a  school  section  on  prairie  where 
Winona  Junction  is  located,  four  miles  from  the  city  ; 
lived  there  till  the  Fall  of  1853,  then  moved  to  the 
city  ;  clerked  in  the  mills  of  Rublee,  Smith  &  Simon- 
ton  ;  remained  there  till  the  Spring  of  1854;  became 
steamboat  clerk  on  the  "  Dr.  Franklin,"  next  "  Lady 
F.,"  next  "Royal  Arch,"  "Granite  State,"  "Falls 
City,"  "  Galena,"  Dubuque  and  Minnesota  Packet 
Company,  Capt.  Orrin  Smith,  president.  Remained  in 
the  line  till  1859.  For  ten  years,  engaged  in  running 
teams  and  selling  cordwood.  In  1869,  became  City 
Clerk;  one  3'ear  hotel  clerk  at  International  Hotel; 
one  year  in  Black  River  Implement  Company,  clerk ; 
since  with  Mr.  Law  in  'bus  and  freight  line.  On  com- 
ing to  La  Crosse,  there  were  only  six  shanties  within 
the  present  limits  of  the  city,  and  perhaps  a  dozen  in 
all  in  the  vicinity.  There  were  not  to  exceed  seventy- 
five  persons  in  the  settlement.  On  the  site  of  David 
Law's  bus  office,  on  Front  st^-eet,  was  a  sand  hill  and 
an  old  Indian  bui'ving-ground,  numbers  of  skeletons 
having  been  subsequently  exinimed.  The  place  now 
occupied  by  Mons  Anderson's  block  was  a  deep  hol- 
low, while  from  Mt.  Vernon  street  to  Badger  street 
was  a  long,  high  ridge  of  sand,  running  parallel  to  the 
river.     From   Third    street  out,  for  a  mile  and  a  half, 


476 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


there  were  no  buildings,  and  the  wolves  made  nightly- 
music  where  is  now  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  city. 

HAKVEY    E   H0BBARD, 

Police  Justice,  was  born  March  17,  1830,  at  Pompey, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  attended  district  schools 
until  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  lie  entered  Mandius 
Academy,  remaining  there  until  his  sixteenth  year, 
when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Milwaukee. 
There  he  clerked  for  a  year  or  more  in  a  grocery  store  ; 
studied  law  two  years  with  Hayden  Powers,  a  nephew 
of  Mibard  Fillmore.  He  next  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Smith  &  Palmer,  until  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
May,  1851,  at  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Removed  to 
La  (Crosse  during  the  latter  part  of  July  of  the  same 
year,  the  journey  requiring  three  days'  staging  from 
Milwaukee  to  Galena,  and  thence  to  La  Crosse  by 
steamer.  Here  he  went  into  company  with  Col. 
Thomas  B.  Stoddard.  Tliat  Winter,  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  Clerks  of  the  State  Senate.  Returning  to 
La  Crosse  in  the  Spring  of  1852,  was  appointed  Clerk 
of  the  Circuit  Court  by  Judge  KnowltOn,  to  supply 
the  place  of  Mr.  Hart,  who  had  gone  to  California. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  term,  he  was  elected  to  the 
same  position.  Li  the  Spring  of  1853,  was  appointed 
Postmaster,  and  also  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He 
first  held  the  post-office  in  a  building  owned  by  Lieut. 
Gov.  Burns,  on  Front  street,  in  which  he  put  three 
dozen  post-office  boxes.  At  tlie  expiration  of  a  year 
or  two,  he  moved  into  a  building  on  Main  street,  near 
Front  street.  He  remained  here  perhaps  two  years ; 
and  then  moved  into  a  room  under  Barron's  Hall, 
west  side  of  Front  street,  remaining  here  two  years ; 
tlience  to  Levy's  Block,  on  Pearl  street,  and  lastly  to 
tlie  corner  of  Main  and  Third  streets.  In  1856,  he 
was  elected  First  Police  Justice,  and  at  tlie  expiration 
of  his  present  term  has  lield  the  office  for  sixteen 
years.  Mr.  Hubbard  has  been  and  is  very  prominent 
in  Masonry,  having  held  the  post  of  worshipful  master 
in  Frontier  Lodge,  high  priest  of  the  Cliapter,  and 
eminent  commander  of  tlie  La  Crosse  Commandery. 
He  has  also  held  next  to  the  highest  position  in  tiie 
Grand  Lodge  of  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Hubbard  drew  the 
first  charter  of  the  La  Crosse  and  Milwaukee  Railroad, 
in  1852. 

ALEXANDER    MCMILLAN 

was  born  in  Finch,  Starmont  Co.-,  Ont.,  on  the  23d  of 
October,  1825,  and  is  the  son  of  Duncan  B.  and  Mary 
McMillan,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Inverness- 
shire,  Scotland,  whence  they  emigrated  to  Canada  in 
1815.  His  father,  who  was  a  Ruling  Elder  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  at  Fincii,  trained  liis  children  strictly 
in  the  doctrines  of  that  faitli.  His  boyhood  and  youth 
were  passed  in  his  native  place,  dividing  his  time  be- 
tween study  in  the  common  schools  and  work  on  the 
farm.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  removed  to 
the  State  of  New  York.  Here  he  passed  some  time, 
and  in  the  Spring  of  1850,  settled  in  Madison,  Wis. 
Here  he  spent  one  year  clerking,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  tiiat  time  removed  to  Portage,  at  whicli  place  also 
he  passed  one  y-ear.  In  1852,  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  Joiin,  who  died  in  1865,  he  established  himself 
in  the  lumber  trade  at  La  Crosse,  which  place  he  has 


since  made  his  home.  The  business  is  more  properly 
what  is  known  as  logging,  the  timber  and  logs  being 
cut  on  the  Black  River  and  sold  to  manufacturei-s  on 
the  Mississippi.  The  business  is  a  very  extensive  one 
tliroughout  Wisconsin,  and  especially  in  this  section  of 
the  State,  and  Mr.  McMillan  is  one  of  its  most  promi- 
nent representatives,  being  the  oldest  logger  on  the 
Black  River.  He  is  still  extensively*  engaged  in  the 
business,  although  largely  interested  in  other  enter- 
prises. 

He  has  always  held  decided  views  on  the  political 
and  municipal  affairs  of  his  State  and  citjs  and  been 
honored  by  his  fellow-citizens  with  many  positions  of 
public  trust.  He  was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the 
City  Council,  for  several  years  County  Supervisor,  and 
for  two  years  Cliaii-man  of  the  County  Board,  a  posi- 
tion to  which  he  was  re-elected  in  1875.  He  was 
Mayor  of  La  Crosse  in  1871,  and  in  1876  Chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Trade.  In  1873,  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature  on  the  Republican  ticket.  During 
the  same  year,  it  being  that  of  the  great  financial  crisis, 
he  became  President  of  the  First  Nationf-1  Bank  of  La 
Crosse. 

Aside  from  his  activity  in  political  matters,  he  has 
always  shown  a  public-spiritedness  and  been  deepl}^  in- 
terested in  the  public  enterprises  of  his  city.  In  1869, 
the  McMillan  Brothers  became  the  chief  owners  of  the 
La  Crosse  Gas  Works,  which  were  incorporated  in  1863. 
Alexander  McMillan  was  made  president,  and  Duncan 
D.  McMillan  vice-president.  He  has  always  been  an 
earnest  supporter  of  the  temperance  movement,  and  in 
1873  was  made  President  of  the  La  Crosse  Temperance 
League.  He  was  married  in  1858,  to  Miss  Sarah  L. 
Parker,  daughter  of  Mr.  Herrick  Parker,  of  La  Crosse, 
formerly  a  prominent  citizen  of  Eiyria,  Ohio.  Mrs. 
McMillan  is  a  lady  of  fine  native  endowments,  highly 
accomplished,  and  has  attained  local  celebrity  for  her 
skill  in  oil  painting,  many  of  her  pieces  having  taken 
premiums  at  various  county  and  city  expositions.  Mr. 
McMillan  possesses  excellent  personal  qualities,  social 
and  genial,  and  is  a  most  agreeable  companion.  By 
promptness  and  industry,  he  has  gained  the  reputation 
of  being  a  thorough  business  man,  and  as  a  reward  of 
his  honorable  and  fair  dealing,  has  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him,  and  lives  in  the  enjoyment 
of  an  ample  fortune. 

DUNCAN    D.    MCMILLAN. 

Mr.  McMillan,  a  native  of  Finch,  in  the  Province  of 
Ontario,  was  born  on  the  20th  of  June,  1837.  He  is 
the  son  of  Duncan  B.  and  Mary  McMillan.  After  re- 
ceiving an  ordinary  Englisli  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  place,  he  engaged  for  a  time  in 
lumbering  in  Canada  West.  His  natural  tastes  and 
inclinations  inclined  him  toward  mechanism,  but  his 
cii'cuinstances  were  not  such  as  to  admit  of  his  gratify- 
ing his  desires.  In  1859,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he 
removed  to  the  West  and  joined  his  two  elder  brothers 
at  La  Crosse,  where  they  had  previously  established 
themselves  in  the  lumbering  and  logging  trade.  He  at 
once  went  into  their  employment,  in  which  he  contin- 
ued till  1861.  The  business  not  being  congenial  to  his 
tastes,  he  abandoned  it  and  entered  the  office  of  another 
brother,  E.  H.  McMillan,  and  began  the  study  of  law. 


history:"of  la  crosse  county. 


477 


He  applied  himself  to  this  new  pursuit  with  such  dili- 
gence that  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  following 
year.  He  did  not,  however,  at  once  enter  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  but  within  a  few  months  ac- 
cepted a  clerkship  in  tlie  Quartermaster's  Department, 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  under  Col.  A.  R.  Eddy,  a  position 
he  held  during  portions  of  1863  and  1864.  Returning 
home,  lie  purchased  an  interest  in  the  lumbering  busi- 
ness of  his  brothers,  and  has  continued  in  ihe  same  up 
to  the  present  time.  Upon  the  deatli  of  his  brother 
John,  in  1865,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  that  of 
A.  &  D.  D.  McMillan.  His  attention,  however,  has  not 
been  WI10II3'  confined  to  tlie  lumbering  trade,  but  being 
a  man  of  enterprise  and  thorough  business  qualifica- 
tions, he  has  employed  his  capital  in  other  enterprises, 
not  only  remunerative  to  himself,  but  also  tending  to 
and  directly  connected  with  the  welfare  of  his  city. 
He  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders  in  the  La  Crosse 
Gas  Light  Company,  and  became  its  vice-president. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  When  he  first  became 
interested  in  political  affairs,  slavery  was  the  great 
issue  between  the  two  parties.  He  naturally  arrayed 
himself  with  what  he  deemed  the  party  of  liberty 
and  progress,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  is  not  partisan,  and  acts  with  great  inde- 
pendence, always  exalting  man  above  party  and  sup- 
porting for  office  the  one  he  deems  most  worthy  and 
the  best  qualified.  He  has  not,  however,  had  any  am- 
bition to  reap  political  honors,  finding  in  his  regular 
business  ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  liis  best  talents. 
He  accepted  position  as  member  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors, during  1873  and  1874.  His  parents  were  staunch 
Presbyterians,  and  the  principles  and  doctrines  which 
they  instilled  in  Jiis  earh'  life  have  been  strengthened 
and  confirmed  as  he  has  grown  older,  and  he  is  now  an 
active  and  worthy  member  of  that  body.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1866  to  Miss  Mary  J.  McCrea,  daughter  of 
Stephen  McCrea,  Esq.,  of  Huntingdon  County,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec. 

JOHN  S.  SIMONTON. 

Mr.  Simonton  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Oliio, 
aboutsixteen  miles  distant  from  Cincinnati, May  4, 1807  ; 
lived  in  that  and  adjoining  county  till  the  Spring  of 
1852.  Li  Warren  County,  he  was  on  the  farm  adjacent 
to  that  of  Tom  Corwin,  tlie  famous  natural  orator  and 
stump  speaker,  a  niece  of  whom  married  Joseph  Sim- 
onton, a  late  resident  of  La  Crosse,  and  who  still  resides 
in  the  city.  Mr.  Simonton  emigrated  to  this  place, 
from  Ohio  in  1852,  making  the  journey  entirely  by 
steamer  ;  from  St.  Louis,  he  came  on  the  "  Nominee," 
Capt.  Orrin  Smith,  a  pioneer  of  western  steamboating, 
being  in  command.  He  arrived  at  this  point,  April 
10,  1852.  The  present  site  of  the  city  was  diversified 
by  sand  hills  and  corresponding  hollows.  The  corner 
of  Main  and  Third  streets  was  marked  by  a  sand  hill 
fifteen  feet  high,  on  the  spot  where  the  Dunlap  Broth- 
ers erected  the  building  which  has  been  removed  to 
give  place  to  the  La  Crosse  National  Bank  ;  it  was 
built  about  1853.  They  bought  the  two  lots  on  which 
their  building  stood  for  |50.  A  high  hill  marked  the 
place  where  the  city  building  was  erected,  part  of 
which  yet  remains,  and  is  occupied  by  the  house  of 
George  Farnham.     Another  hill  existed  on  the  site  of 


the  present  court-house.  The  highest  was  one  south 
of  the  livery  stable  of  J.  Emery.  During  the  Fall  of 
1852,  he  went  into  partnership  with  F.  M.  Rublee  and 
S.  T.  Smith,  and  built  the  first  saw-mill  erected  in  La 
Crosse,  at  the  mouth  of  that  stream,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  tannery.  The  old  stack  remained  standing  till 
within  a  year  or  two.  In  a  year  he  sold  out  his  inter- 
est, and  the  firm  then  consisted  of  Messrs.  Dj'er,  White 
&  Rublee;  the  latter  also  sold  out  shprtly  after.  In 
1854,  a  grist-mill  was  added,  which  was  run  by  night. 
The  mill  was  burned  to  the  ground  in  1855  or  1856. 
While  in  the  mill,  Mr.  Simonton  had  a  third  interest 
in  a  store  on  Front  street,  the  other  parties  being 
Messrs.  Clinton  and  Smith  (S.  T.)  It  was  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Juneau  Block,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1856.  He  next  went  into  the  furniture  business,  on 
the  spot  now  occupied  by  Giles  &  Goodland.  This 
building  was  a  two-story  frame.  His  interest  was  soon 
sold  out  to  W.  Ustic.  It  had  double  store-rooms,  and 
was  for  a  while  occupied  by  Mr.  Robbins  for  a  hotel. 
This  building  was  burned  in  1857  or  1858.  Mr.  Sim- 
onton next  engaged  in  running  the  feriy.  At  first  he 
had  charge  of  the  "  Gen.  Pope,"  and  was  employed  by 
Gen.  Washburn.  He  was  also  in  the  employ  of  the 
S.  M.  R.  R.,  and  run  the  "Alice"  and  the  "  McGregor." 
In  1864,  the  "Alice"  was  sold,  and  the  "McGregor"  soon 
afterward, while  the  "Gen.  Pope"  was  taken  to  Hudson. 
The  ferry  was  below  Barron's  Island.  In  1870,  Mayor 
Rodolf  appointed  Mr.  Simonton,  Chief  of  Police.  In 
1873,  he  was  elected  Sheriff,  and  served  one  term, 
which  is  all  that  is  permitted,  without  a  term  inter- 
vening before  a  re-election.  When  the  financial  crisis 
of  1857  struck  the  country,  it  found  him  all  unpre- 
pared, and  in  one  month  the  earnings  and  savings  of  a 
life-time,  amounting  to  $10,500,  mostly  money  on  loan, 
were  swept  away. 

BY   ETHAN   KOBERTS. 

When  I  was  a  young  man,  my  business  was  teaching- 
district  schools  in  the  Winter  seasons,  and  occasionally 
clerking  in  village  stores  in  the  Summer  time.  These 
occupations  becoming  somewhat  monotonous,  I  hired 
out  to  travel  with  an  electrician,  who  was  engaged  in 
lecturing  on  Experimental  Philosophy.  My  place  was 
to  go  ahead,  make  arrangements  for  the  "  exhibitions," 
and,  when  convenient,  return  to  help  the  lecturer  during 
the  evening.  I  soon  became  quite  expert  in  handling 
the  instruments,  and  having  quite  a  "gift  of  gab," 
was  frequently  put  forward  to  do  the  talking.  In  a 
few  wrecks  I  bought  out  my  employer,  and  started  out 
on  my  own  hook.  My  parents,  who  were  steady-going 
Quakers,  and  my  brothers  and  sisters,  manifested  much 
"  concern  of  mind  "  about  this  new  venture,  but  occa- 
sionally returning  to  the  parental  roof  in  Livonia, 
Wayne  Co.,  Mich.,  and  counting  before  their  aston- 
ished eyes  the  dollars  and  dimes  I  had  cleared  in  ni}' 
absence,  they  soon  became  convinced  that  the  business 
was  legitimate.  The  Fall  of  1851  and  the  following 
Winter,  was  spent  lecturing  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  Illinois  and  the  southwestern  part  of  Wisconsin, 
giving  pleasure  to  my  patrons  and  putting  some  coin  in 
my  own  pockets.  In  the  Spring  of  ls52,  just  as  the 
frost  was  coming  out  of  the  ground,  I  concluded  to 
"  quit   all  worldly  business,"  and    take   a   trip  to    La 


478 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Crosse  County,  to  visit  my  brother-in-law,  Luther 
Downer,  and  his  family,  who  liad  settled  in  Lewis  Val- 
ley in  1848.  Crossinij;'  the  Wisconsin  River  at  a  place 
called  the  Packet,  and  leaving  my  apparatus  at  Hozen's 
Tavern,  being  assured  there  would  be  no  further  use 
for  it,  I  followed  the  ridge  which  separates  the  waters 
flowing  into  the  Kickapoo  from  those  which  flow  into 
the  Mississippi.  After  leaving  the  ridge  road  I  fol- 
lowed the  wagon  trail  leading  to  Prairie  La  Crosse, 
until  opposite  Bostwick's  Valley ;  here  leaving  the 
main  track,  and  following  a  still  blinder  one,  after  ty- 
ing the  two  wheels  on  each  side  of  the  buggy  together, 
I  took  old  Jim  by  the  bits  and  commenced  the  descent 
to  the  valley.  At  the  steepest  place  of  the  hill  my 
horse  sat  down  on  his  haunches  and  quietly  slid  to  the 
bottom.  My  intention  was  to  ford  the  La  Crosse  River 
in  the  present  town  of  Hamilton  and,  if  possible,  reach 
Lewis  Valley  before  night  set  in,  but  a  storm  which 
had  been  gathering  all  the  morning  now  threatened  to 
burst  with  violence  at  any  moment.  So  reining  up  to 
an  humble  cabin,  I  asked  shelter  for  myself  and  horse. 
The  man  was  living  alone  by  the  side  of  a  small 
stream.  His  family  was  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
State,  and  he  was  preparing  a  home  for  them.  With 
manl}'  generositjs  he  welcomed  me  to  the  best  the 
house  afforded,  and  to  one-half  of  his  bed.  His  man- 
ner of  cooking  was  new  to  me  ;  he  would  take  a  cup 
of  water  from  the  brook,  then  turn  it  into  the  flour  in 
the  barrel  and  proceed  to  mix  his  cake  ;  this  he  baked 
in  a  fr^'ing-pan  before  an  ojjen  fire.  The  same  dish 
served  to  fry  his  meat  in  ;  then  making  some  strong 
tea  in  a  tin  cup,  our  frugal  meal  was  ready.  A  sudden 
rise  in  the  streams  caused  me  to  remain  with  him  two 
nights,  and  each  succeeding  meal  was  an  exact  dupli- 
cate of  the  first. 

My  friend  informed  me  that  it  was  impossible,  at 
tliat  stage  of  water,  to  ford  the  river,  and  my  only 
chance  to  reach  Lewis  Valley  was  to  go  down  the  river 
to  a  ferry,  which  must  have  been  near  where  the 
junction  now  is.  So  bidding  my  kind  host  good-bye, 
in  a  few  hours'  time  the  ferry  was  reached ;  after  get- 
ting a  good  dinner  for  myself,  and  a  peck  of  oats  for 
my  hor»e,  I  continued  my  journey,  not  seeing  a  house 
or  human  being  until  arriving  at  Lewis  Corners,  where, 
in  a  little  wood-colored  schoolhouse,  I  found  A.  T. 
Fuller  teaching  about  one  dozen  scholars,  three  of  whom 
called  me  uncle.  Taking  them  in  my  buggy,  we  drove 
to  their  home,  two  miles  east,  near  the  present  village 
of  Newton  Center.  Here  was  a  niece  which  I  iiad  never 
seen  before,  and  my  sister  proudly  informed  me  that 
Hannah  Lorette  Downer  was  the  first  white  child  born 
in  Lewis  Valley.  There  was  but  few  families  in  the 
valley,  but  all  seemed  happy  and  contented.  During 
my  stay,  I  visited  the  Douglas'  settlement  on  Black 
River,  made  a  trip  to  Prairie  La  Crosse,  hunted  in  Black 
Walnut  Grove,  and  fished  in  Fleming's  Creek  and  its 
triliutaries.  The  majestic  hills  and  flowing  rivers 
charmed  me,  and  the  good  feelings  among  the  inhabit- 
ants served  to  make  my  visit  pleasant.  In  a  few  weeks 
the  "good-byes"  were  spoken,  and  I  returned  to 
Michigan.  In  the  Spring  of  1853,  Sarah  W.  Dana,  a 
Yankee  schoolma'am  from  Amherst  Mass.,  made  mj' 
acquaintance,  and  she  just  hinted  that  Mr.  Roberts 
t  to  stop  "  peddling  lightning  "  and  settle  down. 


I  frankly  told  her  that  if  I  could  find  a  young  woman 
who  would  do  one-half  the  sparking,  perhaps  I  might 
be  induced  to  marry.  She  as  frankly  replied  that  she 
would  willingl}'  do  two-thirds.  We  commenced  busi- 
ness on  that  basis,  and  nobly  did  she  stand  to  her 
bargain. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1853,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jackson, 
of  Milford,  received  a  marriage  fee  from  my  pocket.  I 
told  Mrs.  Roberts  of  my  travels  in  the  West,  of  the 
deep  rich  soil  in  the  valleys  of  La  Crosse  County,  of  the 
spiings  of  pure  gurgling  water,  of  the  nice  timber  on 
the  hills,  of  the  shiny  speckled  trout  in  the  streamlets, 
of  the  deer  that  roamed  over  the  mountains,  of  the  bears 
among  the  bushes,  of  the  large  3'ellow  rattlesnakes  in 
the  rocks  and  of  the  massasaugers  on  the  marshes ;  and 
she  said  :  "  Let  us  go  to  that  beautiful  land."  In  the 
Fall  of  1855  (having  previously  sent  money  to  purchase 
land  in  Lewis  Valley),  we  left  Michigan  in  an  emigrant 
wagon,  and  in  about  three  weeks'  time  we  arrived  at 
Luther  Downer's.  Leaving  wife  and  baby  with  my 
sister,  and  taking  two  men  with  me,  we  went  up  the 
valley  to  build  a  house  on  the  quarter-section,  which 
my  brother-in-law  had  selected  for  me,  about  seven 
miles  east  of  Newton  Center.  We  stuck  two  crotches 
in  the  ground,  then  laid  a  pole  across  them,  and  placed 
boards,  one  end  on  the  pole  and  the  other  end  on  the 
ground,  and  our  temporary  shelter  was  completed.  A 
log  fire  in  front  of  this  made  it  quite  pleasant.  We  .'^oon 
had  logs  cut  and  hauled  for  a  house,  20x18  feet,  and  a 
stable  14x12  feet,  and  hands  invited  to  help  put  them 
up.  On  the  morning  of  the  raising,  a  snow-storm  set 
in  which  lasted  all  day.  Of  course  no  one  came  to,  help 
us  ;  so  we  three  rolled  up  the  stable,  muddied  it  outside 
and  inside,  put  on  a  roof  of  boards,  called  it  a  house 
and  moved  in,  and  there,  as  snug  as  a  "  bug  in  a  rug," 
we  spent  our  first  Winter  in  Wisconsin,  often 
repeating — 

igh  billows, 


The  county  of  La  Crosse  had  been  settling  up  quite 
fast  during  my  stay  in  Michigan.  La  Crosse  Valley 
and  La  Crosse  City  had  improved  very  rapidly,  while 
nearer  home  the  Germans  were  locating  about  Burr 
Oak,  and  the  Norwegians  were  opening  up  some  splen- 
did farms  in  the  lower  parts  of  Lewis  Valley.  A  store, 
tavern,  blacksmith  shop  and  school-house  had  been 
built  at  Newton  Center,  and  there  were  signs  of 
thrift  and  energy  all  around. 

Luther  Downer,  who  was  a  "mighty  hunter,"  spent 
a  part  of  the  Winter  with  us  and  many  were  the  deer 
that  fell  before  his  trusty  rifle.  Little  did  we  think  at 
that  time  that  he  was  so  soon  to  fall  before  the  reaper, 
Death.  But  in  the  Spring  of  1856,  after  a  short  sick- 
ness, surrounded  by  his  weeping  family  and  a  few  friends, 
the  hardy  pioneer  peacefully  passed  away  to  that  bet- 
ter land. 

In  the  Fall  of  1859,  my  hired  man,  Thomas  Jones, 
taking  a  shotgun  and  dog  with  him,  started  out  for  the 
cows.  When  about  half  a  mile  from  home,  he  discov- 
ered a  bear  whicii  the  dog  soon  treed.  With  more  of 
rashness  than  of  prudence  he  went  almost  under  the 
bear,  and  aiming  at  the  fellow's  heart,  sent  a  charge  of 
shot  into  him.     The  bear  growled,  and  loosening  his 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY 


479 


hold  of  the  limb  with  all  but  one  paw,  he  hung  sus- 
pended in  mid  air  for  a  short  time  and  then  dropped. 
As  soon  as  he  struck  the  ground  "Peter"  jumped  upon 
him.  With  one  stroke  of  his  strong  paw,  the  bear 
threw  the  dog  to  a  respectable  distance.  The  dog  gave 
up  the  fight.  Tom  then  stepped  up  to  the  bear,  and 
with  a  powerful  blow  broke  the  bear's  skull  and  ruined 
the  gun.  Tom  was  so  elated  that  he  took  the  bear  on 
his  shoulders,  and  In-ought  him  home  in  triumph. 
When  his  excitement  was  over  he  could  not  lift  the 
animal  from  the  ground. 

During  the  many  years  of  the  hard  times,  which 
commenced  in  1857,  poverty  often  stared  us  in  the  face 
and  sometimes  came  very  near  looking  us  out  of  coun- 
tenance ;  yet,  through  all  those  long  years  of  failures 
and  successes,  of  sorrows  and  of  joys,  we  never  lost 
faith  in  the  future,  nor  once  regretted  having  made 
our  home  in  Lewis  Valley.  As  business  or  pleasure 
frequently  calls  us  to  different  parts  of  the  county,  and 
we  notice  the  great  improvements  every-where  made, 
the  easy  grades  over  the  ridges,  the  substantial  bridges 
over  the  rivers,  the  well-cultivated  farms,  the  neat  and 
comfortable  farm  houses,  the  well-built  railroads,  the 
thriving  villages,  and  the  city  of  La  Crosse,  the  pride 
of  the  western  part  of  Wisconsin,  making  a  market  for 
the  farm  products  of  all  the  surrounding  countr3% 
whose  business  men  are  the  peers  of  any  in  the  State, 
we  are  convinced  that  our  early  faith  in  the  future  of 
La  (Crosse  County  was  well  founded. 

And  now,  living  on  our  third  farm,  having  neither 
"poverty  nor  riches,"  surrounded  by  kind  friends  and 
good  neighbors,  our  greatest  ambition  is — 

"To  live  contentedly  between 
The  little  and  the  great ; 
Feel  not  the  wants  that  pinch  the  poor. 
Nor  plagues  that  haunt  the  rich  man's  door, 
Embittering  all  his  state,  until  He 
Who  notes  the  sparrow's  fall 
Shall  beckon  us  to  that  more  'beautiful  land,' 
'Just  over  the  river.'  " 

MiNDORO,  La  Crosse  County,  Wis.,  July  15,  i88r. 
JUDGE   CYRUS   K.    LORD. 

Judge  Lord  was  born  at  East  Parsonsfield,  York  Co., 
Me.,  on  the  10th  of  June,  1811.  Lived  at  home,  work- 
ing on  the  farm  during  the  Summers  and  attending 
the  common  school  and  the  chores  alike  in  the  Winter. 
In  the  Spring  of  1832,  he  went  into  the  office  of  Dr. 
Moses  Sweat  and  studied  medicine  till  in  the  Fall  of  that 
year,  when  he  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness of  an  uncle  in  the  town  of  Cornish,  who  had  been 
elected  to  the  Legislature.  In  the  Spring  of  1833,  he 
bought  out  a  stock  of  merchandise,  and  was  at  the  head 
of  a  country  store  till  1834.  He  was  in  the  business 
till  1836.  In  January  of  that  year,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Abby  Clark,  the  daughter  of  Hon.  Nathaniel 
Clark,  of  Leamington,  Me.,  a  prominent  politician,  who 
was  in  public  service  during  half  of  his  life,  mostly  in 
the  Legislature,  serving  in  both  branches.  In  the 
Spring  of  1837,  Mr.  Lord  came  to  the  West,  stopping 
for  one  season  at  Galena  ;  then  went  to  Platteville, 
where  he  engaged  in  smelting  lead  ore  in  1838,  and 
spent  two  years  and  a  half.  He  then  entered  the  law 
office  of  Benjamin  C.  Eastman,  who  afterward  became 
a  member  of  Congress,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 


.\pril,  1842.  He  opened  an  office  in  Potosi  and  re- 
mained there  till  1858.  He  was  elected  County  Judge 
of  Grant  County  in  1849,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
till  appointed  Register  of  the  land  office  at  La  Crosse 
in  April,  1853,  when  he  resigned  the  judgeship  and 
came  to  this  place.  May  16,  at  once  making  arrange- 
ments for  the  land  office,  which  was  transferred  to  this 
locality  and  opened  June  1.  He  served  as  Register 
till  July,  1856,  and  then  resumed  the  practice  of  law. 
He  has  since  kept  an  office.  In  1854,  he  joined  Col. 
Rodolf,  his  associate  in  the  land  office  as  Receiver,  in 
buying  out  the  La  Crosse  Democrat,  with  which  he  was 
associated  for  a  year.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  from  1867  to  1871.  Though  the  judge  has 
reached  the  allotted  age  of  three  score  and  ten,  he  is,  to 
all  appearances,  as  hale  and  robust  as  in  the  prime  of 
life. 

THEODORE   RODOLF. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  native  of  Switzerland, 
was  born  in  the  canton  of  Argovia,  October  17,  1815. 
He  devoted  his  earlier  years  entirely  to  educational  pur- 
suits, and  later  graduated  from  a  college  of  Aaran,  the 
capital  of  his  native  canton,  and  from  the  University 
of  Zurich.  When  he  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age, 
his  father  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  with  his 
family,  and  afterward  died  in  New  Orleans,  of  the  yel- 
low fever.  In  1834,  the  mother  and  her  children  re- 
moved to  Southern  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  a  farm 
near  Wiota,  La  Fayette  Co.  In  1840,  we  find 
Theodore  Rodolf  at  Mineral  Point,  keeping  store,  em- 
ploying miners,  and  trafficking  in  lead.  Thirteen  years 
later,  he  settled  at  La  Crosse,  and  there  assumed  the 
duties  of  Receiver  in  the  Land  Office,  under  the  ap- 
pointment of  President  Pierce,  a  position  which  he 
held,  by  re-appointment  of  President  Buchanan,  until 
1861.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been  engaged  largely  in 
insurance  and  in  real  estate  operations.  Aside  from  this, 
Mr.  Rodolf  has  held  many  other  offices — has,  in  fact, 
been  in  some  official  position  most  of  the  time  for 
thirty  3-ears.  He  was  Captain  of  the  Mineral  Point 
Guards  from  1848  to  1851,  and  of  the  La  Crosse  Rifles 
from  1856  to  1860.  He  was  Piesident  of  the  village 
of  Mineral  Point  two  yeai-s,  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  La  Crosse  County  about  four  years,  and 
Chairman  of  the  same  one  year.  He  was  Mayor  of  the 
city  in  1868  and  1870,  and  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
during  the  same  years,  and  while  in  the  Legislature  did 
good  service  on  the  Committee  on  Railroads,  Lumber, 
Manufacturers,  ntc.  He  received  tiie  Democratic  vote 
for  Speaker  the  second  time  he  was  in  the  Legislature, 
but,  the  Republicans  being  in  the  majority,  he  was  de- 
feated. He  was  Democratic  candidate  for  Presidential 
Elector  at  Large  in  1864,  and  the  same  party's  candi- 
date for  Elector  in  the  Sixth  District  in  1868,  the  Re- 
publicans in  both  instances  being  in  the  ascendant.  He 
was  Democratic  candidate  for  State  Senator  in  1876. 
He  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  for  a  long  time  one 
of  the  leaders  in  Western  Wisconsin,  and  is  well-known 
throughout  the  State.  During  the  administration  of 
Gov.  Fairchild,  he  was  appointed  by  him  a  member  of 
the  Visiting  Committee  to  the  State  institutions.  He 
has  been  for  several  years  Secretary  of  the  La  Crosse 
Board  of  Trade.     In  many  ways,  he  has  made  and 


48o 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


still  making  a  very  useful  man,  and  is  an  esteemed  and 
most  worthy  citizen.  Mr.  Rodolf  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows'  fraternit}-.  and  in  1S75  was 
Grand  Master  of  the  State.  He  was  Grand  Represen- 
tative, and  attended  the  meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  United  States,  held  in  Philadelphia  in  Septem- 
ber, 1876.  He  was  reared  in  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Switzerland,  but,  having  found  no  organized  society  of 
that  people  since  coming  to  Wisconsin,  although  hold- 
ing Christian  people  in  high  respect,  has  identified  liiin- 
self  with  no  religious  body.  His  mother,  wlio  died  at 
Mineral  Point  in  1856,  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  his  sisters  belong  to  the  same  body  in  La 
Crosse. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Rodolf  was  Miss  Marie  Thomas,  of 
New  Orleans.  Tiiey  have  had  twelve  children,  six  of 
whom  are  now  living.  Four  died,  within  as  many 
weeks,  of  diphtheria.  The  eldest  son,  Theodore  F., 
who  is  a  partner  of  liis  father  in  the  insurance  busi- 
ness, married  a  granddaughter  of  Henry  Dodge,  first 
Territorial  Governor  of  VVisconsin,  and  daughter  of 
Gov.  Clark,  ot  Iowa,  when  it  was  a  Territory.  She 
died  in  September,  1875,  leaving  two  children,  who  live 
with  their  grandfatlier.  Mr.  Rodolf  has  two  daugh- 
ters married  and  living  in  La  Crosse,  the  wives  of  Will- 
iam Servis  and  F.  A.  Copeland. 

WILLIAM   W.    CROSBY. 

Mr.  Crosby  was  born  July  26,  1818,  and  is  the  son 
of  Logan  Crosl)y  and  Sally  (_Knox)  Crosby.  The  an- 
cestors of  the  Crosby  family,  consisting  of  three  broth- 
ers, came  to  this  country  from  London,  England,  in  the 
year  1660.  One  settled  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony 
on  Cape  Cod ;  one  at  what  is  now  Portland  in  Con- 
necticut, and  the  other  in  the  Province  of  Maine.  Mr. 
Crosby's  family  sprang  from  the  Connecticut  branch, 
and  tradition  says  the  head  of  this  family's  name  was 
David,  and  that  he  was  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the 
Baptist  persuasion,  and  that  he  also  took  an  active  part 
in  the  Indian  wars  then  being  prosecuted  along  the 
banks  of  the  Connecticut  River.  William's  grandfa- 
tlier moved  from  Connecticut  to  Massachusetts,  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Blandford.  He  had  a  family  of 
ten  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  himself  with  eight  of 
his  sons  surrendered  with  Gen.  Hull's  army.  They 
•were  imprisoned  at  Detroit,  and  the  small- pox  broke 
out  among  the  prisoners  and  two  of  his  sons  died  of 
the  disease  while  yet  in  prison.  He,  with  his  remain- 
ing sons  and  some  other  persons,  succeeded  in  making 
their  escape  from  Detroit  to  Northern  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania.  His  grandfather  settled  in  Batavia,  N. 
Y.,  at  which  place  he  died.  Logan  Crosby,  the  father 
of  William,  was  born  in  BlaiuHord,  Mass.,  May  8,  1789, 
and  made  that  town  his  home  through  life.  He  served 
in  the  war  of  1812-14.  March  2,  1815,  he  married 
Sally  Knox.  She  was  born  in  the  town  of  Blandford, 
February  9, 1790,  and  belonged  to  the  celebrated  Knox 
family  who  claim  to  be  descendants  of  the  celebrated 
John  Knox,  the  great  reformer  of  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land. On  account  of  religious  persecution,  they  fled 
from  Scotland  and  settled  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  from 
whence  they  emigrated  to  America,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Blandford,  Mass.,  where  a  remnant  of  the 
Knox  family  still  remains,     The  fruits  of  their  mar- 


riage were  two  children,  Alonzo  K.  and  William  W., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Their  mother,  Sally  Cros- 
by, died  May  12,  1822,  aged  thirty-two  years,  and 
Alonzo  died  in  La  Crosse,  September  1,  1855.  Logan 
Crosby  married  his  second  wife,  and  by  her  had  two 
children,  Sarah  and  Homer.  Homer  was  killed  in  an 
accident,  and  Sarah  married  Mr.  G.  C.  Hixon,  now 
president  of  the  La  Crosse  National  Bank.  She  died 
in  1856. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married,  April  4, 
1841,  to  Sarah  M.  Wright,  of  Chester,  Mass.  They 
settled  in  La  Crosse  in  1854.  Mrs.  Crosby  was  killed 
by  lightning,  August  15,  1855.  September  8,  1856, 
he  married  Marj-  Pennell,  of  Honeoye,  N.  Y.  The 
fruits  of  this  union  are  William  Logan,  born  October 
27,  1857,  Charles  Pennell,  born  August  3,  1859,  Ho- 
mer, born  February  11, 1865,  and  Mary,  born  April  30, 
1867.  His  father,  Logan  Crosby,  died  September  29, 
1875,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  but  his  widow  is 
now  living  and  draws  a  pension,  for  his  services,  of  $96 
per  year. 

The  following,  in  the  words  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  may  prove  interesting.  "My  father  was  a 
farmer  in  a  small  way  and  resided  about  four  miles 
from  the  center  of  the  town,  which  contained  two 
stores,  two  taverns,  a  post-office  and  a  "meeting  house." 
Nothing  but  sickness  was  an  excuse  for  not  going  to 
meeting  on  Sunday.  We,  boys,  were  conducted  to 
the  gallery  by  the  "  Tything "  man,  armed  with  a 
hickory  wliip-stock  about  six  feet  long.  Here  we  were 
seated  and  not  allowed  to  look  in  an}-  direction  except 
at  the  preacher.  If  we  made  a  move  we  were  sure  to 
get  a  "  rap  "  over  the  head  with  the  hickory.  The 
older  ones  were  seated  in  the  square  pews  below,  that 
were  owned  by  them  and  deeded  the  same  as  their 
farms  were.  In  those  days  we  had  to  stand  during 
prayer,  which  was  from  half  to  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  long  ;  then  listen  to  the  long  sermon  on  the  doc- 
trine of  election  from  firstly  to  fifteenthly.  In  imagi- 
nation I  can  now  see  the  old  men  and  women,  the 
young  men  and  maidens,  and  children,  after  the  fore- 
noon servies  in  Winter,  eating  their  frozen  lunch,  and 
trying  to  keep  warm  by  whipping  their  hands  and 
stamjjing  their  feet,  so  as  to  be  able  to  endure  the 
severe  cold  for  the  afternoon  services.  This  was  from 
fifty  to  sixty  years  ago,  before  stoves  for  heating  houses 
and  churches  were  invented.  In  Winter  they  used  to 
go  to  the  meeting  from  the  outskirts  of  the  town  with 
"  ox-sleds."  In  Summer  the  husband  mounted  his 
horse,  with  a  pillion  strapped  to  the  saddle,  rode  to 
the  Iiorse  block  where  he  took  up  his  wife  and  child 
behind  him.  The  young  man  waited  on  his  sweet- 
heart in  a  similar  manner.  No  carriages  or  wagons  in 
those  days.  My  school  advantages  were  limited  to 
the  district  school,  where  the  town  appropriations  were 
small,  and  the  qualifications  of  the  teacher  were  read- 
ing, spelling,  writing  and  arithmetic,  and  the  wages 
for  male  teachers  in  Winter  were  from  ten  to  twelve 
dollars  per  month,  the  teachers  having  to  board  around. 
I  was  called  on  to  teach  when  I  was  but  sixteen  years 
old.  I  informed  the  committee  that  I  was  too  young, 
and  that  I  could  not  get  a  certificate,  but  7io  would  not 
do,  I  must  go  forward  and  be  examined.  You  can 
imagine  how  a  green,  bashful  country  boy  would  feel 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


to  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  town  committee,  who 
were  supposed  to  know  everything,  and  have  them  ask 
questions  that  they  did  not  know  whether  they  were 
being  answered  right  or  wrong,  then  issuing  certifi- 
cates to  country  blockheads  to  teach.  I  among  the 
rest  got  a  certificate  to  teach  and  followed  the  business 
for  seven  Winters  with  success." 

Mr.  Crosby  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and 
followed  that  until  the  Spring  of  18.54,  when  he  came 
to  La  Crosse,  the  then  small  village,  claiming  three 
hundred  inhabitants.  He  immediately  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  and  has  continued  the  same  with  suc- 
cess. He  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of  the 
city  ever  since  his  residence  ;  was  elected  Alderman 
in  185i)  upon  the  organization  of  the  city,  which  office 
he  hehl  for  twelve  years ;  was  also  first  United  States 
Assessor  ;  raised  the  second  company  of  militia,  called 
the  Light  Guards,  that  afterward  enlisted  in  the  late 
civil  war.  When  Mr.  Crosby  w.as  appointed  by  Gov. 
Randall  major  general  of  Militia,  Wilson  Colwell  was 
made  captain  of  the  Light  Guards.  This  company 
served  out  their  first  enlistment  of  ninety  days,  and 
again  enlisted  and  served  till  the  end  of  the  war. 
Captain  Colwell  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  South 
Mountain.  Mr.  Crosby  has  seen  the  little  village  of 
La  Crosse  grow  to  be  a  city  containing  16,000  inhabi- 
tants. 

CHARLES   GREEN   HANSCOME. 

Mr.  Hanscome,  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  attor- 
neys of  La  Crosse,  first  came  to  the  village  of  La 
Crosse  in  Maj',  1853,  with  the  intention  of  making 
this  his  home,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law,  in 
which  he  was  engaged  until  May,  1861,  when  he  made 
a  trip  of  observation  and  adventure  to  Colorado,  from 
whence  he  returned,  having  made  some  investments 
in  that  Territory,  his  intention  being  to  make  La  Crosse 
his  permanent  home,  first  securing  an  interest  in  the 
new  Western  Territories,  on  a  trip  to  which  he  fell  a 
victim  to  savage  ferocity. 

The  following  extract  'from  an  Eastern  (Maine^ 
paper  gives  so  full  an  account  of  the  life  history  of 
Mr.  Hanscome,  that  it  is  transcribed  as  just  and  reli- 
able: 

"  Of  the  Class  of  1845,  Charles  Green  Hanscome 
was  killed  on  the  Upper  Platte  River,  fifty  miles  east 
of  Fort  Laramie,  on  July  14,  1864,  aged  forty  years. 
He  was  tlie  eldest  of  five  cliildren  of  Oliver  and  Ruth 
(Rich)  Hanscome,  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  China, 
Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  on  the  13th  of  May,  1824.  He 
was  fitted  for  college  in  his  native  place,  and  entered 
Waterville  College  in  September,  1841.  After  he 
graduated,  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  about  a  year, 
and  then  studied  law  with  his  uncle,  J.  C.  Woodman, 
of  Portland,  Me.,  and  was  there  admitted  to  the  Bar. 

"  In  June,  1847,  he  left  his  home  and  removed  to 
Wisconsin,  whence,  after  three  years'  residence  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  he  returned  to  Maine.  He 
next  spent  a  year  in  Central  America,  but  returning 
again  to  the  West,  he  took  up  and  continned  his  resi- 
dence in  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  till  the  year  1863,  which 
year  he  spent  in  Colorado,  where  he  was  cliosen  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Territorial  Legislature. 

"  In  May,  1864,  he  left  La  Crosse  with  his^brother, 
31 


William  B.,  and  others,  on  an  overland  expedition  to 
Idaho.  The  tragic  end  of  his  journey  may  be  best 
narrated  in  the  words  of  a  notice  that  has  already  ap- 
peared in  the  village  newspaper  of  that  time  : 

"  'On  tlie  evening  of  the  14th  of  July,  the  party, 
increased  in  tlie  course  of  the  march  of  over  800  miles, 
to  the  number  of  eighteen  men  and  from  twenty  to 
thirty  women  and  children,  with  its  attendant  train  of 
sixty  wagons  drawn  l)y  many  horses,  cattle  and  mules, 
had  encamped  for  the  night,  when  a  party  of  well- 
mounted  Sioux  Indians,  about  twenty-five  in  number, 
made  a  dash  upon  them,  giving  them  a  flying  attack, 
and  suddenly  disappeared. 

"  '  Mr.  Hanscome  had  just  gone  over  the  hill  a  few 
rods  to  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  watering  some 
mules.  Some  of  the  party  heard  the  report  of  a  gun, 
when,  seizing  their  arms,  they  ran  to  the  river  just  in 
time  to  see  the  retreating  of  six  of  the  Indians,  who 
had  made  a  rush  upon  Mr.  Hanscome  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  the  mules,  as  was  seen  by  one  of  the  com- 
pany, who  was  some  distance  from  the  scene.  Mr. 
Hanscome,  unable  to  relinquish  them,  held  on  to  the 
ropes,  whereupon  one  of  the  Indians  raised  his  gun 
and  shot  him  through  the  head,  killing  him  instantly.'  "' 

Mr.  Hanscome  possessed  an  unusually  cheerful 
disposition  and  ready  wit,  was  a  warm  friend  and 
genial  companion  ;  his  energy,  quickness  of  repartee, 
selfreliance,  tact  and  love  ofadventure,  qualified  him  ad- 
mirably for  the  life  of  a  pioneer,  and  gave  him  an  easy 
ascendency  over  the  class  of  men  whom  he  met  in 
such  a  life.  Mr.  Hanscome  was  married,  Oct.  19, 
1853,  to  Miss  Anna  J.,  daughter  of  Abram  and  Anna 
Anderson.  Mrs.  Hanscome  and  her  two  daughters 
still  reside  in  La  Crosse. 

HARVEY  J.  PECK. 

Mr.  Peck  was  born  in  South  Bainbridge,  Chenango 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  18,  1818.  Resided  there  and  in  Cov- 
entry, same  county,  until  1826,  when  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Whitestown,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Here  he  received  a  good  common  school  education, 
and,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  getting  the  Western 
fever,  and  having  some  relatives  at  Green  Bay,  Wis., 
he  started  on  a  canal-boat  for  Buffalo  ;  then  he  took 
passage  on  the  old  steamboat  ■'  Columbus,"  which  took 
him  around  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  back 
to  Green  Bay,  where  he  landed  in  September,  1838. 
He  was  married  on  his  way  West.  Some  time  after, 
he,  with  five  others,  took  a  canoe  and  started  up  the 
Fox  River  to  see  the  country  ;  iiauling  their  canoe 
around  the  rapids  of  the  Fox  River,  they  entered  Lake 
Winnebago,  and  worked  their  way  to  Oshkosh. 

He  remained  at  Green  Bay  during  the  Fall  of  1838, 
working  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade  until  Win- 
ter, when  he  hired  out  to  go  down  the  bay  lumbering 
at  a  saw-mill,  where  they  lived  on  bread,  salt  fish  and 
potatoes,  with  no  tea,  coffee,  sugar  or  meat.  After 
staying  there  about  two  months,  he  left  and  went  to 
Fond  du  Lac;  here  he  remained  until  1851,  generally 
engaged  in  farming,  doing  some  carpenter  work,  and 
sometimes  lumbering.  During  this  period  his  wife 
died.  In  October,  1851,  he  hired  out  to  Rev.  William 
Card,  to  go  to  La  Crosse,  to  assist  him,  in  company 
with  George  Carlton,  in  building  a  store  on  Third 


482 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


street.  La  Crosse  was  then  in  its  infancy,  but  grow- 
in<T  rapidl}'.  About  the  1st  of  December  of  this  year, 
Mr.  Peck,  in  company  with  two  others,  bought  an  ox- 
team  aud  supplies,  and  started  up  the  BLack  River  to 
get  out  hewed  timber  aud  lumber ;  they  succeeded  in 
rafting  down  the  river  in  the  Spring  of  1852,  four  rafts 
of  timber  and  two  of  lumber.  They  sold  their  timber 
to  Rublee  &  Smith  in  La  Crosse,  and  the  lumber  to 
R.  C.  Van  Renssellaer  at  Onalaska.  Mr.  Peck  did  some 
work  at  La  Crosse,  and  helped  finish  a  wharf  boat  for 
J.  M.  Levy ;  then  went  to  Onalaska  to  reside,  and 
there  got  out  the  hard  timber  and  worked  on  the  first 
saw-mill  built  at  that  place,  the  owners  being  Nichols 
&  Tompkins.  That  Winter  (18.52),  he  hired  out  to 
George  Farnham  (who  put  a  crew  in  the  woods  to  get 
out  logs  for  Nichols  &  Tompkins)  to  drive  a  tole  team. 
During  this  Winter,  he  went  to  Madison  twice  for 
supplies  ;  from  Neillsville  to  Yellow  River,  he  followed 
a  new  road  for  fifty  miles,  along  which  there  were  no 
houses  nor  stojiping-places,  and  being  obliged  to  camp 
in  the  woods  alone  without  supper,  breakfast,  or  feed 
or  water  for  his  team.  After  logging  was  done,  in  the 
Spring,  he  took  charge  of  driving  Farnham's  logs. 
This  is  the  first  time  logs  were  driven  out  of  the  Black 
River,  and  the  first  year  of  Sam  Western  being  on  the 
river,  i.  e.,  185.3.  Subsequent  to  this,  he  took  up  his 
residence  at  Onalaska,  working  at  the  carpenter  and 
joiner's  trade,  in  company  with  H.  D.  Egerly.  Here 
Mv.  Peck  held  the  oiSces  of  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Town  Treasurer,  and,  for  several  years,  Postmaster. 
In  September,  1856,  he  married  his  second  wife.  Miss 
Carrie  M.  Lawrence.  In  1864,  having  been  elected 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  he  removed  to  La  Crosse 
and  held  the  office  six  years ;  then  went  into  the  insur- 
ance business,  and,  in  August,  1870,  was  appointed  by 
the  Judges  of  the  United  States  Circuit  and  District 
Courts  (Judges  Drummond  and  Hopkins)  their  Clerk, 
which  position  he  now  holds. 

A.  STEIKLEIN. 

Mr.  Steinlein  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  having  been 
born  in  the  old  city  of  Treves  in  182.3,  a  place  made 
famous  as  having  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  all  re- 
ligious relics — tiie  reputed  coat  worn  by  the  Savior, 
which  is  exhibited  with  much  pomp  and  ceremony 
once  in  fifty  years,  and  is  confidently  claimed  to  work 
miracles.  Mr.  Steinlein  was  favored  with  a  sight  of 
this  holy  vestment — a  knit  garment,  which  he  thinks  is 
renewed  as  often  as  occasion  requires.  He  received 
his  education  at  the  Gymnasium  of  that  citjs  of  which 
he  was  a  student  for  five  years.  This  institution  is 
equivalent  to  the  academy  in  this  country,  being  inter- 
mediate between  the  high  school  and  the  college.  As 
his  father  was  a  professional  teacher,  he  was  a'student 
from  his  earliest  years.  He  graduated  from  the  Gym- 
nasium at  fifteen,  and  then  spent  two  years  at  the  Nor- 
mal school  at  Breuhl,  from  which  he  graduated  at  sev- 
enteen, and  was  a  teacher  at  Treves  for  two  years,  then 
emigrated  just  in  time  to  escape  service  in  the  army. 

Mr.  Steinlein  came  to  New  York  City  in  184.3,  and 
learned  his  trade  (printing)  in  the  publishing  house  of 
Ludwig.  Came  to  La  Crosse  in  1856,  buying  a  farm 
back  of  the  bluffs  in  the  town  of  Barre.  That  Winter 
he  returned  to  La  Crosse  aud  helped  found  the  Nord- 


Stern  (North  Star),  with  which  paper  he  was  con- 
nected for  a  year,  when  he  went  back  to  his  farm  where 
he  lived  for  six  years.  Here  he  was  very  active  in  es- 
tablishing roads  and  schools.  By  great  personal  ef- 
forts, he  succeeded  in  having  the  first  school-house 
built  of  brick,  thus  insuring  a  substantial,  permanent 
structure  on  the  start,  and  also  the  most  economical, 
as  the  expense  was  almost  wholh' obviated  in  following 
his  suggestion  and  example  to  build  it  by  their  own 
joint  labors,  the  only  outlay  being  for  brick-laying. 
About  1862,  he  became  connected  with  Mr.  Ulrich  in 
publishing  the  Nord-Stern,  with  which  paper  he  was 
connected  for  two  years,  when  he  was  elected  Register 
of  Deeds,  an  office  he  held  for  four  years.  He  has 
since  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary 
Public,  Commissioner  of  the  Poor,  Commissioner  of 
Schools,  the  latter  continuously  since  1874  ;  is  also  an 
agent  for  steamboats,  land,  etc.;  has  been  Police  Jus- 
tice since  about  1864.  He  still  takes  great  interest  in  ; 
all  movements  of  a  public  character,  and  is  an  active  j 
member  of  the  German  Singing  Society,  which  has  for  ; 
its  object  the  culture  of  music,  athletic  exercises,  art,  j 
literature  and  education,  all  worthy  objects  that 
should  enlist  the  commendation  and  support  of  all 
good  citizens. 

CITY  OF  LA  CROSSE.  '' 

In  a  former  portion  of  this  work  the  endeavor  has 
been  made  to  portray  that  period  in  the  history  of  La 
Crosse  when  the  primary  steps  were  taken  to  found  a  ; 
colony  and  build  a  city,  bringing  the  record  down  to  a  , 
date  when  the  early  settlement,  emerging  from  behind  I 
clouds  of  disappointment  and  uncertainty,  took  its  al-  ' 
lotted  place  among  the  established  evidences  of  West-  ; 
ern  enterprise.  \ 

It  is  now  proposed  to  examine  into  a  later  period  in 
the   history  of  the  same    city,    when    with  resources      \ 
greatly  enlarged  and  territory  extended  by  a  brilliant 
career  of  enterprise  and  industry  it  has  progressed  to  a      ; 
degree  of  perfection,  invariably  attending  the  exercise      I 
of  these  incentives.     Such  success,  born  of  laudable 
ambition,  may  have  excited  the  jealousy  of  rivals,  but      ! 
it  has  not  bred  a  mischievous  policjs  nor  nurtured  the 
germs  of  domestic  corruption  which  gradually  culmin-      ' 
ate  in  dismemberment  and  decay. 

History  and  tradition  unite  in  ascribing  to  the  pres- 
ent city  site  a  semi-sacred  character,  as  the  resort  of 
Indians,  from  time  immemorial,  to  indulge  in  games  of      ; 
athletic  sports  and  skill.     Without  the  sanctit}'  attach- 
ing to  grounds  wholly  devoted  to  religious  usage,  it 
was  so  far  privileged  as  to  be  made  a  ground  of  neu-      ' 
trality  and  a  common  place  of  assemblage  for  the  vari-      ^ 
ous  tribes  of  a   large  section  of  the  countrj'.     Being 
easy  of  access  by  reason  of  its  contiguity  to  Black  and      ; 
La  Crosse  rivers,  both  of  which  empty  into  the   Mis- 
sissippi within  the  city  limits,  and  the  moutli  of  Root 
River  on  the  west,  but  four  miles  below,  furnished  ad- 
mittance by  canoe  for  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles. 

After  the  manner  of  the  Greeks  who,  in  ancient 
times,  contended  in  the  Olympic,  Isthmean  and  Namean 
games  at  stated  intervals,  these  red-browed  contestants 
came  from  far  and  near  to  enter  the  list  against  foemen 
of  rival  tribes.     One  who  witnessed  the  game  of  La 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


483 


484 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Crosse,  speaks  of  seeing  not  less  than  three  hundred  of 
the  most  superb  and  renowned  warriors  of  opposing 
tribes  matched  against  each  other.  To  avoid  all  in- 
cumbrances to  their  movements,  they  were  stripped 
almost  to  nudity,  and  the  efforts  made  by  the  contend- 
ing forces  called  into  exercise  every  faculty  of  the  sav- 
age nature.  Tiie  excitement  was  shared  by  friends  of 
tiie  respective  parties  who  inspired  them  to  renewed 
vigor  and  the  exercise  of  every  power  of  which  they 
were  capable,  to  the  end  that  they  might  prevail. 
These  gatherings  are  said  to  have  occurred  both  in  the 
Spring  and  Fatl,  and  the  contests  were  prolonged  and 
bitterly  conducted. 

As  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  first  retjident  of 
the  city  site  was  the  one-eyed  Decorra,  so  named  from 
a  French  ancestor.  He  was  born  about  1772,  and  set- 
tled at  La  Crosse  when  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  aided 
in  the  cajiture  of  Mackinaw,  took  part  in  the  expedi- 
tion against  Prairie  du  Chien,  participated  in  tlie  cap- 
ture of  Black  Hawk,  in  1832,  and  died  during  the 
month  of  August,  1854,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
two  years. 

THE   FIRST   VISITORS. 

The  first  account  of  visitors  to  the  city  of  La  Crosse 
relates  that  Maj.  Z.  M.  Pike  arrived  there  on  the  12th 
of  September,  1805,  while  en  route  to  discover  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi.  Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long  is 
said  to  have  reached  La  Crosse  on  the  9th  of  July, 
1817  ;  six  years  later,  Lieut.  Martin  Scott,  of  Maj. 
Long's  command,  arrived  on  the  city's  site.  In  1835, 
rails  were  left  at  La  Crosse,  according  to  the  statement 
of  Gen.  Sibley,  for  the  purpose  of  fencing  in  a  claim, 
but  nothing  came  of  it.  These  rails  were  cut  and 
hauled  on  to  the  ground  under  the  direction  of  Gen. 
Sible}',  H.  L.  Dousman  and  Frangois  La  Batt,  to  in- 
close a  considerable  portion  of  the  unsurveyed  prairie, 
but  La  Batt,  in  whose  hands  the  matter  was  intrusted 
by  his  co-laborers,  neglected  to  carry  out  the  measures 
necessary  to  secure  the  claim,  and  the  rails  were  sub- 
sequently appropriated  by  passing  steamers  for  fuel. 
During  18o5-6  and  part  of  1837,  there  are  no  evi- 
dences, beyond  the  claims  of  Coons  &  Cubbage, 
already  cited,  of  any  visitations  to  this  locality.  While 
on  a  trip  from  Mendota  to  Washington,  in  the  latter 
year,  Gen.  Sibley  was  frozen  in  at  La  Crosse  and 
obliged  to  pack  his  baggage  overland  to  Prairie  du 
Chien.  In  May,  1838,  Hon.  William  Hull  states  he 
was  encamped  for  a  night  at  a  point  near  where  the 
Bellevue  House  now  is,  and  in  1839  and  1840,  the 
Hon.  II.  M.  Rice  passed  La  Crosse  prairie.  In  the  lat- 
ter year,  siiys  Nathan  Myrick,  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company  hauled  rails  to  a  point  near  the 
river,  with  a  view  to  making  claim  to  land,  but  these 
were  taken  for  fuel  bj^  steamers.  He  states,  further, 
that  a  company  of  United  States  troops  encamped  on 
the  present  city  site  during  the  same  3'ear,  for  a  few 
weeks,  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  crossing  from  the 
west  side  of  tiie  Mississippi,  and  the  marks  of  their 
encampment  were  the  only  visible  evidences  of  occu- 
pation by  the  whites. 

It  will  be  thus  seen  that,  notwithstanding  the  ad- 
vantages of  locality  and  its  accessibilitj',  La  Crosse  was 
not  thought  of  aa  a  site  for  a  city  for  a  period  between 


the  time  when  Hennepin  first  ascended  to  the  upper 
country  and  the  3'ear  when  Nathan  Myrick  visited  the 
scene  on  that  gloomy  November  day,  and  decided  to 
establish  himself  here,  and  out  of  the  wilderness  fash- 
ion a  city  which  should  some  day  be  regarded  as  a  city 
altogether  lovely,  altogether  promising,  the  one  among 
ten  thousand  to  which  the  footsteps  of  active  enterprise 
sliould  be  directed,  and  where  the  virtues  of  this  life 
would  be  treasured  and  promoted  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  agencies  by  which  alone  the  maintenance 
of  order  and  the  perpetuity  of  nations  are  firmly 
secured. 

The  efforts  made  in  that  behalf  by  Mr.  Myrick, 
"  Scoots "  Miller,  J.  M.  Levy,  Timothy  Burns,  Col. 
Stoddard,  F.  M.  Rublee,  Col.  Rodolf  and  others  to 
build  upon  foundations  not  altogether  secure  at  the 
time,  have  been  cited.  The  failures  that  greeted  their 
initiatory  attempts,  and  the  successes  which  followed 
their  industry  and  perseverance,  have  also  been  quoted. 
To  their  constant  diligence,  indomitable  energy,  un- 
tiring zeal  and  liberal  policy  is  the  city  indebted  for  its 
location,  for  its  growth,  and  for  its  position  among 
prominent  points  in  the  Northwest  which  combinations 
and  circumstances  have  united  to  project  and  aid  in 
realizing.  The  city  is  a  monument  to  their  intelligence 
and  enterprise  that  will  survive  when  the  superficial 
tokens  of  remembrance  which  ordinarily  perpetuate 
the  virtues  of  mankind  shall  have  crumbled  into 
oblivion. 

The  early  history  of  La  Crosse  as  a  village  has  also 
been  submitted,  its  growth  into  a  city  detailed,  and  the 
features  of  that  growth. 

The  city  stands  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
660  miles  from  St.  Louis  and  197  miles  from  St.  Paul. 
It  is  located  on  a  beautiful  prairie  seven  miles  in  length 
by  two  and  one-half  miles  in  width,  with  the  Missis- 
sippi Bluffs,  which  hug  the  river  closely  on  the  Min- 
nesota side,  here  keeping  at  a  respectful  distance. 
The  lower  portion  of  the  city  is  devoted  to  business  ; 
further  east,  business  houses  are  interspersed  with  pri- 
vate residences,  schools,  parks  and  drives  of  superior 
beauty  and  excellence,  the  whole  completing  a  picture 
both  harmonious  and  attractive.  Further  east,  the 
grounds  on  which  the  city  is  built  rise  above  the  level 
of  the  Front  street  plateau,  ascended  by  admirablj' 
graded  and  macadamized  roadways,  and  adorned  with 
private  residences,  gardens  and  resorts,  the  homes  of 
intelligence,  wealth  and  liberality.  Still  further  east 
are  the  Bluffs,  from  the  summits  of  which  is  spread  out 
before  the  observer  a  landscape  rivaling  in  beauty  and 
exquisite  perfection  the  master-pieces  of  artists  who 
touched  but  to  adorn.  A  range  of  hills  bounds  tiie 
western  horizon,  between  which  and  the  Bluffs  is  a 
matchless  panorama  of  groves,  gardens,  and  gentl3'-roll- 
ing  prairies.  Nestling  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  the 
city  quietly  reposes,  while  the  majestic  Mississippi  rolls 
onward  its  mighty  volume  of  waters  from  the  bleak 
regions  of  the  North,  through  the  Missouri  and  Missis- 
sippi Valleys,  to  empty  into  the  Gulf  amid  the  cane- 
fields  and  orange-groves  of  tropic  Louisiana.  Across 
the  river,  the  wliistle  of  the  locomotive  is  constantly 
heard  as  luirrying  trains  come  and  go  ;  farther  on  are 
the  green  hills  of  Minnesota,  while  above  them  all  stand 
the  Bluffs,  looking  down  with  a  coasciousaess  of  dig- 


HISTORY  OF  T.A   CROSS?:  COUNTY 


485 


nity  that  comes  of  age  and  superiority.  The  scene  is 
grand  beyond  description,  evoking  emotions  of  the  sub- 
lime and  beautiful,  and  inspiring  the  heart  with  rever- 
ence for  nature  and  nature's  God.  Facing  each  other 
from  opposite  shores  are  immense  monuments  of  a 
former  geological  period,  that  have  braved  the  storms 
raging  about  their  summits  for  centuries.  Beside  their 
antiquity,  how  brief  is  the  span  of  historic  lore  !  States, 
kingdoms  ;uid  empires  have  risen  and  grown  through 
their  youth  and  manhood  to  old  age,  and  disappeared, 
even  from  memorjs  long  after  these  memorials  of  the 
ayes  past  reared  their  heads  above  the  earth  at  their 
base.  Through  countless  centuries  they  have  looked 
calmly  down  upon  the  Father  of  Waters  and  marked 
his  varying,  sinuous  course  as  he  rushed  heedlessly 
on,  even  to  the  opposing  battlements  of  the  opposite 
shore. 

The  site  of  the  city  is  in  latitude  43°  49',  longitude 
91°  14',  and  is  nearly  on  the  same  parallel  as  She- 
boygan, Kingston,  Ticonderoga  and  Montpelier.  It  is 
nearly  midway  of  the  continent,  and  has  nothing  to 
fear  from  rivals  within  a  distance  of  100  miles  in  any 
direction.  The  scenery  combines  the  simple  and  ro- 
mantic. The  rolling  prairie,  undulating  for  miles,  and 
embracing  within  its  limits  the  city  of  La  Crosse  and 
town  of  Onalaska  on  tlie  eastern  shore,  with  the  vil- 
lage of  La  Crescent  on  the  west,  present  a  scene  of 
quiet  beauty  hardly  to  be  surpassed.  The  bold,  lofty 
bluffs  on  either  side,  standing  like  grim  wai'dens  jealous 
of  the  trust,  present  their  rocky  bastions  to  the  sun- 
shine and  the  storm,  regardless  alike  of  the  flight  of 
years  or  the  war  of  elements,  and  seem  to  defy  the 
ravages  of  the  gnawing  tooth  of  time.  Rejoice,  oh 
hills,  in  your  strength,  but  know  that  your  lofty  heads 
shall  be  brought  low.  Every  particle  that  now  forms 
your  mighty  bulk  shall  be  disintegrated  and  become 
undistinguishable  from  the  sands  at  your  feet,  the  sport 
of  the  wind  or  prey  of  the  river,  to  be  borne  where  it 
will.  Thus  shall  the  valleys  be  exalted  and  the  hills 
brought  low. 

The  river  gives  life  and  animation  to  the  scene, 
winding  in  a  serpentine  course,  now  washing  the  bases 
of  the  inclosing  hills  or  cutting  through  the  midst  of 
an  extended  plain,  which  sometimes  parts  to  take  the 
waters  in  its  embrace ;  it  always  moves  majesti- 
cally and  triumphantly  on  its  course.  Swollen  by  the 
Spring  rains  or  melting  snows  of  Winter,  it  extends  its 
channel  to  a  distance  of  miles  on  either  sides,  till  it  be- 
comes a  long,  continuous  inland  sea.  Yielding  to  the 
Summer  heats,  it  dwindles  to  a  mere  rift  in  comparison 
with  the  mightj^  volume  it  had  so  shortly  before  borne 
in  triumph  to  the  sea.  The  Mississippi  never  for  two 
consecutive  seasons  probably  pursues  exactly  the  same 
course,  and  tiie  changes  furnish  a  variety  to  the  land- 
scape always  pleasing  to  the  sight,  though  often  des- 
tructive to  the  property  of  those  having  possessions 
within  reach  of  the  annual  floods. 

From  the  summit  of  the  bluffs,  or  any  elevation,  the 
scene  is  at  all  times  one  of  rare  beauty.  The  contrast 
of  hill  and  vale,  open  prairie  and  woodland,  of  water 
and  land,  gives  a  variety  most  grateful  to  the  eye. 
From  the  esplanade,  at  the  foot  of  Main  street,  over- 
looking the  river,  one  never  fails  to  see  a  glorious  sun- 
set, when   the   weather  is  propitious.     The  changing 


hues  are  modified  by  the  bare  tops  of  the  bluffs,  their 
wooded  slopes  and  the  plain  and  river  at  the  base,  so 
that  almost  every  varying  shade  may  be  traced  from  the 
deepest  hue  to  the  almost  inperceptible  tint.  The 
pencil  of  the  artist  and  inspiration  of  the  poet  would 
alike  fail  in  giving  an  adequate  conception  of  the  won- 
derful loveliness  of  a  La  Crosse  sunset. 

Commercially,  the  city  is  almost  admirably  situated, 
being  accessible  from  large  agricultural  regions,  east 
and  west;  on  the  direct  route  from  Chicago  and  all 
eastern  points  to  the  Black  Hills  and  other  distant 
points  in  the  Territories,  the  sale  and  direct  shipment 
of  goods  as  also  their  tran-shipment  is  simply  enormous, 
and  every  entire  mile  of  road  is  said  to  embrace  a  radius 
of  an  entire  township  in  area  that  is  added  to  La  Crosse, 
whose  advantages  of  competing  freigiits  by  car  and 
steamer,  must  make  it  the  great  distributing  point  of  all 
the  new  region  to  the  westward,  now  being  opened  to 
settlement  and  traffic.  This  pre-eminence  can  no  doubt 
will  be  held  indefinitely  by  judicious  management  on 
the  part  of  the  commercial  community. 

For  two  hundred  miles  to  the  northward,  even  to 
Lake  Superior,  is  a  vast  pine  region,  the  product  of 
of  which,  following  the  natural  highways  of  the  numer- 
ous rivers  above,  emptying  into  the  Mississippi,  must 
of  necessity  pass  La  Crosse  and  pay  tribute  to  the 
lumber  mills  which  last  year  had  a  combined  produc- 
tion of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  million  feet.  The 
traffic  on  Black  River  has  been  directed  hither  from  the 
settlement  of  the  place,  and  the  books  of  the  Black 
River  Improvement  Company  exhibit  the  immense 
traffic  of  that  stream  for  the  past  thirteen  years,  in  the 
statement  that  2,061,491,300  feet  of  pine  lumber  has 
floated  out  of  that  stream  since  the  company  was 
organized. 

There  are  now  ten  mills  at  work  in  La  Crosse,  and 
as  an  instance  of  the  work  done  by  these  mills,  it  may 
be  stated  that  in  one  of  them,  during  a  run  of  210  days 
in  1880,  with  but  two  circular  saws,  there  were  turned 
out  18,500,000  feet  of  lumber,  7,250,000  shingles,  7,500,- 
000  cords  of  slabs  and  1,000,000  lath.  There  are  three 
flouring  mills,  with  an  aggregate  capacity  of  1,500 
barrels  of  flour  daily.  The  steamboat  interests  repre- 
sent a  valuation  of  nearly  half  a  million  ;  while  the 
railroad  and  other  interests  are  estimated  at  nearly  half 
a  million. 

By  the  Winter  of  1856,  the  population  of  La  Crosse 
had  increased  to  nearly  3,000,  and  the  question  of  in- 
corporation as  a  city  was  again  seriously  mooted. 

The  subject  was  first  agitated  in  the  Fall  of  1854, 
when  it  was  suggested  that  a  meeting  be  held  to  decide 
upon  the  principal  features  which  were  wished  incor- 
porated in  a  bill  preparatory  to  becoming  a  city.  It 
was  even  then  considered  high  time  that  some  effectual 
organization  be  had,  whereby  a  system  of  ))ermament 
improvements  in  the  grading  of  streets  and  building  of 
side-walks,  etc.,  could  be  commenced.  The  matter  fell 
through,  however,  and  nothing  was  done  until  Dec.  17, 
1855,  wiien  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  court-house  to 
take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  applving  to  the 
Legislature  for  a  village  or  eity  charier.  Tiiere  was 
but  a  limited  attendance,  and  again  did  failure  attend 
the  efforts.  Finally  a  bill  was  adopted  at  the  session 
of  the  Legislature,   which   convened  in  Madison,  in 


486 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


January,  18.56,  and  La  Crosse  became  a  city  b}'  name, 
as  also  in  fact.  Tiie  ciiarter  divided  tlie  city  into  three 
wards,  eacli  ward  electing  three  Aldermen  the  first 
year,  who  lield  their  offices  for  one,  two,  and  three 
years,  respectively.  The  remaining  officers  were  a 
Mayor,  Clerk,  Treasurer,  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
Police  Justice,  Marshal  and  a  City  Attorney,  with  the 
usual  complement  of  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Assessors, 
Constables,  and  the  election  was  directed  to  be  held  on 
the  first  Tuesday  in  April  next  ensuing. 

When  the  intelligence  of  legislative  action,  in  har- 
mony with  the  ambitions  of  La  Crosseans,  was  promul- 
gated, the  citizens  became  as  enthusiastic  as  the  boy 
with  his  first  pair  of  new  boots,  and  took  immediate 
action  looking  to  an  acceptance  of  the  conditions  by 
making  provisions  for  holding  an  election  at  the  date 
specified. 

On  Friday,  March  14,  1856,  the  Democracy  assem- 
bled at  the  court-house,  where  Col.  Stoddard  was  nomi- 
nated for  Mayor ;  but  declining,  John  M.  Levy  was 
substituted  and  headed  tlie  following  ticket :  F.  A. 
Moore,  Clerk;  J.  H.  Rogers,  Treasurer;  H.  E.  Hub- 
bard, Police  Justice;  Peter  Burns,  City  Marshal;  C. 
R.  Rogers,  City  Attorney,  and  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Sherwin, 
Superintendent  of  Schools. 

The  Ward  officers  were :  Edward  Flint,  William 
Denison,  and  Moses  Clark,  Aldermen  ;  H.  E.  Hubbard' 
Justice,  and  William  Hood,  Assessor. 

Second  Ward — George  Scharpf,  W.  H.  Tucker  and 
E.  D.  Campbell,  Aldermen  ;  Z.  P.  Herrick,  Assessor, 
and  John  Clos,  Constable. 

Third  Ward — James  Whalen.  Robert  Looney  and 
Chase  A  Stevens,  Aldermen  ;  C.  Walters,  Justice  ;  J. 
S.  Harris,  Assessor,  and  F.  Boker,  Constable. 

On  the  succeeding  day  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
court-house  also,  at  which  the  following  ticket  was 
adopted  under  the  caption  "Citizens'  Nominations," 
Thomas  B.  Stoddard  for  Mayor ;  David  B.  Travis  for 
Police  Justice  ;  W.  W.  Ustick,  Treasurer;  James  M. 
Randall,  Clerk,  and  L.  A.  Ellis,  Attorney. 

First  Ward— Jonas  Mohr,  W.  W.  Crosby  and  F.  M. 
Rublee,  Aldermen  ;  D.  B.  Travis,  Justice  of  the  Peace  ; 
Elisa  Whitlesey,  Assessor,  and  Thomas  McDowall, 
Constable. 

Second  Ward — A.  W.  Webster,  Allen  Overbaugh 
and  James  W.  Polleys,  Aldermen  ;  J.  S.  Simonton, 
Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  Simeon  Kellogg,  Assessor,  and 
Abner  Polleys,  Constable. 

Third  Ward— A.  D.  La  Due,  A.  W.  Pettibone  and 
A.  W.  Shepard,  Aldermen  ;  S.  S.  Snow,  Justice  of  the 
Peace ;  F.  P.  Bradish,  Assessor,  and  J.  A.  Bowman, 
Constable. 

The  campaign,  though  brief,  was  spirited  and  not 
altogether  devoid  of  the  features  whicii  characterize 
similar  undertakings  of  the  present  day.  The  election 
was  held  on  the  day  appointed,  and  is  represented  to 
liave  l)een  quiet.  It  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Thomas  B. 
Stoddard  for  Mayor,  with  a  majority  of  tiie  Democratic 
ticket  including  the  Aldermen,  whom  tlie  o])position 
j)ress  did  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  capable  and  honest, 
wiio  would  furnisii  a  faithful  administration  and  afford 
proper  encouragement  for  all  necessary,  but  not  too 
expensive  improvements. 

The  Common  Council  convened  at  the  court-house 


on  Tuesday  morning,  April  8,  1855,  at  which  Chase  A 
Stevens  was  elected  Chairman  pro  tern.,  though  the 
Mayor  elect  presided,  and  the  preliminaries  of  organiz- 
ing a  municipal  government  were  disposed  of. 

La  Crosse,  as  a  cit}',  dates  its  beginning  at  this  point. 
As  was  expected  and  predicted,  La  Crosse  was  full  of 
strangers,  and  increased  in  numbers  daily  by  the  arri- 
vals of  from  thirty  to  eighty  ;  some  for  business  in  the 
city,  and  some  for  the  country  thereto  tributary. 
Houses  went  up  as  if  by  magic,  new  stores  were  opened, 
shops  filled  with  goods,  streets  overrun  with  business, 
business  men,  drays,  carts,  speculators,  farmers,  and  yet 
more  coming.  Rents  and  tlie  prices  of  real  estate  ap- 
preciated at  once.  Money  was  tigiit,  provisions  higher, 
labor  higher;  every  meclianic  had  all  he  could  attend 
to,  and  all  this  in  the  course  of  business  without  any 
undue  excitement.  The  hotels  were  crowded  to  reple- 
tion, and  difficulty  was  experienced  in  obtaining  a  place 
to  sleep.  There  were  no  houses  to  rent,  and  many 
families  were  obliged  to  put  up  a  shanty,  and,  covering 
it  with  boards,  occupy  this  makeshift  until  difi"erent 
arrangements  could  be  made.  Notwithstanding  the 
absence  of  houses,  it  would  be  impossible  to  notice  one- 
twentieth  part  of  the  buildings  put  up  during  that  year. 
Among  the  most  important  was  that  put  up  opposite 
the  National  Democrat  office,  which  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $20,000;  the  three-story  building  on  the  corner 
of  State  and  Second  streets  built  by  Smith  &  Francis  ; 
the  three-story  brick  put  up  b}'  John  M.  Levy,  adjoin- 
ing the  Augusta  House,  corner  of  Pearl  and  Front 
streets ;  the  banking  house  of  Lathrop  &  Co.,  adjoin- 
ing the  Democrat  office,  and  the  stores  of  Hoare  &  El- 
liott, of  Mark  Gultman  «&  Co.,  with  others,  all  of  brick, 
increased  the  facilities  for  business,  and  removed  some 
cause  for  complaint  of  a  lack  of  room. 

In  June,  what  has  since  been  known  as  North  La 
Crosse,  was  added  to  the  city,  and  now  constitutes  the 
Fifth  Ward.  It  lay  north  of  the  railroad  addition,  and 
adjoining  the  city  limits,  where  it  was  surveyed  out  of 
lands  owned  by  Messrs.  Rublee,  Gillett,  Cameron,  Sill 
and  Clinton,  and  has  become  a  valuable  and  very  con- 
siderable part  of  the  city.  At  that  time,  it  was  the 
locality  of  mills  conducted  by  Gillett  &  Co.,  Crosby, 
Hanscome  &  Co.,  Shepard  &  Valentine  and  others,  and 
during  1856  it  was  made  the  nucleus  of  tiiis  line  of  busi- 
ness, which  is  to-day  unsurpassed  in  tlie  amount  of 
lumber  cut  and  amount  of  profits  accruing  by  any  other 
point  in  the  Northwest.  It  has  become  the  principal 
place  to  manufacture  lumber  from  the  logs  cut  on  Black 
River  and  its  tributaries.  The  price  of  lots  there  was 
placed  at  a  comparatively  low  figure,  and  the  terms 
made  to  suit  those  who  desired  to  purchase.  The  re- 
sult has  been  that  North  La  Crosse  has  grown  into  a 
manufacturing  point  of  immense  resources,  tributary  to 
and  yet  a  part  of  La  Crosse  proper. 

One  great  want  said  to  have  been  felt  was  the  lack 
of  money  to  be  invested  in  mechanical,  commercial  and 
residence  investments.  As  a  commentator  observed  at 
tlie  time,  "  there  is  one  thing  the  market  here  is  sup- 
plied with,  and  that  is  whisky  shops." 

This  year  the  educational  advantages  of  the  city 
were  increased  and  enlianced.  In  May,  an  Education- 
al Convention  was  held  in  the  city,  and  a  society  or- 
ganized for  the  promotion  of  popular  education,  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


487 


free  discussion  of  all  topics  connected  with  the  success 
of  common  schools,  and  for  the  support  of  a  Teachers' 
Institute.  Other  measures  were  inaugurated  by  the 
j  city  and  county  in  belialf  of  the  cause  to  make  up  for 
I  what  had  been  left  undone  in  the  years  when  La  Crosse 
I  was  a  settlement  or  a  village.  Through  the  Spring  tlie 
I  system  bore  abundant  fruits,  and,  wlien  school  re-com- 
!  menced  in  October,  it  was  with  means  and  facilities 
to  which  the  community  had  heretofore  been  stran- 
gers. 

On  October  7,  a  union  school  was  commenced  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Kennett,  wlio  came  from  Cincin- 
i  nati  to  take  ciiarge,  while  those  not  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced in  their  studies  attended  at  the  brick  school- 
house,  in  which  studies  higher  than  elementary  were 
I  taught.  A  primary  school  was  opened  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  the  intention  of  the  Scliool  Board  was  to 
provide  all  who  desired  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
means  of  securing  a  substantial  education. 

What  was  true  of  the  schools  will  apply  with  equal 
force  to  the  churclies.  The  cause  of  religion  was  care- 
fully nurtured  and  sustained. 

Among  the  corporations  which  organized  and  went 
actively  to  work,  in  addition  to  the  railway  ventures 
that  were  projected  and  halted  this  year,  was  the  Ona- 
laska  Plank  Road  and  Bridge  Company,  of  which 
Francis  M.  Rublee  was  president ;  George  Gale,  vice- 
president  ;  D.  D.  Cameron,  secretary  ;  Albert  T.  Clin- 
ton, treasurer;  C.  A.Stevens,  attorney,  and  William 
R.  Sill,  chief  engineer.  The  company  built  the  plank 
road  from  La  Crosse  north,  and  exercised  the  trust  com- 
mitted to  it  with  fidelity. 

In  the  Spring,  the  "  Northern  Belle,"  then  and  since 
esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  elaborately  built  and  fur- 
nished, as  also  speedy,  boats  that  ever  landed  at  La 
Crosse,  reached  the  city  in  charge  of  Capt.  Lodwick, 
and  on  the  night  of  Friday,  August  6,  following,  the 
storm-cloud  Euroclydon  swooped  down  upon  the  city, 
unroofing  the  Augusta  House,  Crosby  &  Hanscome's 
saw-mill,  and  doing  considerable  damage  to  other  build- 
ings. 

One  of  the  sad  events  of  this  year,  and  which 
brought  sorrow  to  many  hearts,  was  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Emelyne  J.  Fales,  nee  Carlton,  who  will  be  remem- 
bered as  the  belle  of  the  ball  given  in  La  Ciosse,  Christ- 
mas night,  1851.  Seldom  has  death  plucked  a  fairer 
flower  or  stricken  the  hearts  of  so  many  warm  personal 
friends.     She  died  April  7,  1856,  universally  mourned. 

With  the  advent  of  another  year,  new  hopes  clus- 
tered around  the  hearts  of  the  residents  of  La  Crosse, 
and  kindled  a  new  zeal  in  the  struggle  for  life.  Im- 
provement and  progress  had  become  as  much  of  a  ne- 
cessity as  existence,  and  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and 
liberality  had  new  developments  in  every  department 
of  business  life.  The  dawn  of  the  new  year  was  the 
signal  for  new  plans  and  preparations  in  their  behalf, 
all  tending  toward  progress  and  the  realization  of  hopes 
founded  upon  reason  and  practical  common  sense. 

The  city  was  now  in  the  sixth  year  of  its  growth, 
and  contained  a  population  estimated  at  5,000.  The 
activity  apparent  on  all  sides,  the  immense  stocks 
stored  and  on  sale,  and  the  bustle  and  excitement 
al)out  her  shops  and  niaiuiracturing  establishments, 
gave  abundant  evidence  of  her  prosperity  and   thrift. 


The  city  was  well  built,  supplied  with  commodious 
stores,  warehouses  and  hotels,  two  banks  ;  supported 
two  papers,  both  wide  awake  to  everything  which  af- 
fected the  interests  of  the  city  containing  a  "lively" 
class  of  residents,  and  fully  -confirming  the  destiny 
predicted  of  her  to  become  one  of  the  leading  cities  of 
the  ujDper  Mississippi. 

Among  the  more  prominent  of  the  merchants 
established  here  at  this  period,  and  who  aided  in  pro- 
curing for  La  Crosse  the  reputation  of  being  the  sec- 
ond city  in  Wisconsin,  were  D.  F.  Harrington  &  Co., 
M.  A.  Gedney  &  Co.,  A.  A.  Stevens,  A.  G.  Bagley  & 
Co.,  Hoare  &  Elliott,  Walter  Brown,  Brodish  &  tur- 
ner. Smith  &  Ustick  Lloyd  &  Supplee,  Gutman,  Len- 
non  &  Co.,  McGil)bon  &  Pennal  and  others.  J.  S. 
Pfouts,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Finney,  M.  D.,  McArthur  &  Cam- 
eron and  P.  Brooks  officiated  as  physicians ;  D.  Shil- 
lock,  A.  Johnson,  J.  R.  Crossett,  Dennison  &  Lyndes, 
C.  G.  &  M.  G.  Hanscome,  La  Due,  Armstrong  & 
Co.,  0.  T.  Oilman  and  Price  &  Johnson  pleaded 
law  and  collected  claims ;  George  Sharpf  was  the 
fashionable  draper  and  tailor,  John  Williams  the 
barber,  and  Polleys  &  Williams  entertained  the  hun- 
gry and  famished  amusements,  as  also  supplies  for  the 
ennuied  and  thirsty;  Mrs.  Standish  taught  music; 
Mrs.  Coudry  and  Mrs.  Dennison  catered  to  the 
Eesthetic  tastes  of  ladies  of  fashion,  and  submitted 
stocks  of  laces  and  what-nots  to  their  approval  and  pur- 
chase. The  Mississippi,  La  Crosse,  Augusta  and  other 
houses  were  esteemed  hotels,  and  the  Katauyau  and 
City  Banks,  with  J.  M.  Levy,  Cramer,  Clinton  &  Co., 
and  Pike  &  Bacon,  were  advertised  as  places  of  dis- 
count and  deposit.  The  several  church  seats  were 
represented  by  advocates  of  Him  who  taught  peace  on 
earth,  good  will  to  men,  who  were  ready  to  point  the 
way  to  life  eternal,  unite  two  souls  with  but  a  single 
thought,  visit  the  sick,  comfort  the  widow  and  orphan 
and  bury  the  dead ;  and  every  creed,  profession  and 
occupation  was  m(.st  generously  represented. 

The  amusements  were  of  a  simple  and  more  unpre- 
tentious character  as  compared  with  the  class  of  enter- 
tainments to-day  submitted  to  the  judgment  and  ap- 
plause of  fastidious  audiences.  A  few  of  the  young 
men  of  the  city  formed  a  Lyceum  and  amused  them- 
selves, as  also  their  friends,  while  practicing  in  the  art 
of  speaking  and  debating  ;  a  course  of  lectures  was  at 
one  time  proposed,  but  according  to  the  Bepublican,  the 
community  delighted  altogether  too  much  in  the  "toe 
and  heel  exercise,"  and  the  project  was  abandoned. 
An  individual,  under  the  name  of  the  "North  Star" 
appeared  at  Barron's  Hall  once  or  twice  during  the 
year,  to  perform  the  difficult  feat  of  walking  forty 
hours  without  stopping,  upon  a  platform  fourteen  feet 
long  and  three  feet  wide.  At  occasional  intervals, 
the  "  Great  Western  Opera"  and  other  troupes  con- 
tributed to  the  pleasures  of  the  season,  by  negro  delin- 
eations, Irish  characterization,  etc.,  and  after  the  per- 
formance closed,  the  benches  were  usually  removed 
from  the  hall  to  afford  those  who  were  without  corns, 
an  opportunity  of  tripping  the  light  fantastic.  Balls 
and  parties  were  also  added  to  the  complement  of 
amusements  furnished,  and  were  conducted  with  a  de- 
gree of  dignity  to  be  observed  at  the  most  distivyu^ 
receptions  of  to-day.      Indeed,    the  glass   of  fashion 


488 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


was  as  frequently  consulted  by  the  fair  women  and 
amusement-loving  men  as  is  done  to-day,  and  they 
danced  the  happy  hours  away,  taking  as  little  thought 
of  the  morrow  as  the  daughters  of  fashion  of  a  later 
period  were  wont  to  do.  But  thus  far  circuses  and 
combinations,  crushed  tragedians,  Josh  Whitcombs, 
Berniiardts  and  revised  editions  of  Dr.  Landis  were 
among  the  "blessings"  yet  unborn. 

Early  in  the  year  the  project  of  widening  and  im- 
proving Fourth  street  was  broached,  and  met  with 
considerable  favor  among  those  interested.  It  was 
thought,  in  view  of  the  future  prospects  of  La  Crosse, 
the  consummation  of  this  scheme  was  earnestly  advo- 
cated. It  would  fix  Fourth  street  as  the  great  artery 
and  business  thoroughfare,  the  Broadway  of  the  com- 
mercial emporium  of  Western  Wisconsin.  It  was  urged 
that  a  width  and  grade  be  established,  also  the  distance 
at  whicli  streets  should  be  set  from  the  line  of  lots,  and 
and  that  improvements  be  undertaken  which  should 
command  public  admiration.  In  the  interest  of  this 
improvement,  a  meeting  was  called  at  the  court-house, 
on  the  evening  of  February  18,  to  talk  the  matter  over 
and  take  such  action  as  might  have  been  deemed  neces- 
sary to  secure  its  accomplishment ;  but  nothing  resulted, 
and  Fourth  street  long  since  yielded  precedence  to 
Main  sti'eet  as  the  popular  business  street  and  public 
promenade. 

But  if  this  venture  proved  the  opposite  of  success- 
ful, such  was  not  the  case  with  other  undertakings.  A 
musical  association  was  organized  and  gave  concerts 
occasionally,  by  particular  request,  at  Barron's  Hall, 
and  the  praiseworthy  efforts  of  the  society  evoked  a 
murmur  of  surprise  at  the  "  quantity  and  quality  of 
musical  talent "  that  was  wasting  in  the  city.  Another 
success  scored  during  the  Spring  was  the  organization 
of  a  fire  company,  the  first  in  the  city.  This  grew 
out  of  the  constant  alarms  of  fire  raised,  it  is  said,  al- 
most daily  within  the  city  limits.  Its  repetition  pro- 
duced an  effect  upon  the  public  mind,  and  those  who 
owned  property  began  to  fear  that  the  streets  of  La 
Crosse  would  some  day  be  made  desolate.  In  Febru- 
ary, three  buildings  caught  fire  and  were  only  saved 
by  the  greatest  exertions.  Later  in  the  month,  an 
alarm  from  opposite  portions  of  the  city  was  sounded, 
and  both  houses  were  destroyed.  The  bucket  brigade, 
with  axes,  comprised  the  department  of  that  day,  and 
their  labors  were  considered  as  feeble  in  opposition  to 
elements,  against  which  only  almost  inexhaustible  re- 
sources can  combat.  The  loss  that  would  some  day 
accrue,  if  measures  were  not  taken  without  delay  to 
prevent  it,  would  be  in  the  nature  of  a  calamity," the 
reparation  of  which  would  be  difiicult,  if  not  impossi- 
ble. There  was  material  in  the  city  out  of  which  to 
organize  hook  and  ladder  and  engine  companies,  and  be- 
fore it  was  too  late  the  citizens  decided  to  do  this.  The 
members  should  be  made  up  of  young  men,  and  for 
once  in  the  history  of  the  human  family,  to  be  youth- 
ful was  a  condition  of  felicity  super-terrestrial. 

Accordingly,  a  meeting  of  the  "  young  men  "  of  the 
city  was  convened  at  the  court-house,  on  Saturday 
evening,  February  21,  and  preparations  in  that  connec- 
tion concluded.  L.  D.  Hubbard  presided,  with  E.  P. 
Drake,  secietary.  A  constitution  and  by-laws  were 
adopted,  and  the  following  officers  elected  :  J.  G.  Ad- 


ams, foreman  ;  A.  A.  Hobart  and  J.  Turner,  assistants ; 
E.  P.  Drake,  secretary ;  D.  Sturgis,  treasurer,  and  C. 
R.  Spoffard,  hose  master. 

Tims  was  the  organization  of  the  first  fire  company, 
according  to  the  proper  meaning  of  the  appellation,  in 
La  Crosse,  carried  to  a  successful  issue.  In  time  the 
company  obtained  its  "  masheen."  The  water  buckets 
and  more  primitive  implements,  which  had  theretofore 
been  employed,  were  laid  by,  a  sad  farewell  taken  of 
their  companionship,  and  one  of  the  most  indispensable 
and  prominent  factors  of  life  in  a  city  became  one  of 
the  prominent  and  indispensable  factors  of  life  in  La 
Crosse. 

The  Winter  prolonged  its  stay  in  La  Crosse  beyond 
all  reason,  and  the  supply  of  snow  and  ice  continued 
provokingly  plentiful  until  late  in  March.  When  the 
weather  became  warm.  Winter  released  its  rigorous 
grasp  upon  town  and  country,  and  life  began  once  more 
out  of  doors.  Some  sales  of  property  were  made,  both 
in  the  vicinity  of  La  Crosse  and  over  the  river  in  Min- 
nesota, but  at  rather  lower  figures,  especially  in  the 
latter  place,  than  the  property  transferred  had  been 
previously  held.  In  the  city  the  sales  for  February 
and  part  of  March  aggregated  about  $15,000,  the  pur- 
chasers being  C.  Butler,  W.  R.  CoUett  and  McBurney 
&  Co.,  and  the  prices  regarded  as  fair.  The  sales  of 
Rublee  &  Burnell  for  one  week  in  May  amounted  to 
$20,000. 

Up  to  September,  when  the  first  shock  to  the  finan- 
cial world  was  experienced,  the  sales  of  real  estate 
were  in  keeping  with  the  history  of  former  years,  and 
the  rates  then  charged  generally  maintained.  After 
the  failure  of  the  Ohio  Life  &  Trust  Company,  which 
precipitated  the  panic,  real  estate,  like  other  subjects 
of  barter  and  exchange,  was  without  any  value. 

On  Saturday,  March  14,  the  city  was  visited  by  one 
of  the  most  disastrous  conflagrations  of  record  from 
that  date  to  this,  and  particularly  so  at  the  time  when 
the  city  was  pushing  forward  so  rapidly  and  satisfac- 
torily, and  when,  also,  the  country  was,  as  the  sequel 
proved,  on  the  eve  of  financial  complications  from  the 
effects  of  which  it  was  years  in  recovering.  Tiie 
flames  were  discovered  in  the  New  England  House 
about  11  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  notwithstanding 
the  exertions  of  citizens,  the  entire  block  on  the  east 
side  of  Front  street,  between  State  and  Main,  with  the 
exception  of  Clark's  saloon,  was  burned  to  the  ground, 
entailing  a  total  loss  of  f30,000,  part  of  which  was 
insured,  and  inflicting  a  blow  upon  the  city's  appear- 
ance that  was  almost  paralyzing.  It  had  the  effect, 
however,  of  augmenting  the  strength  of  the  depart- 
ment, and  causing  the  passage  by  the  Common  Coun- 
cil of  an  ordinance  defining  the  city  fire  limits.  The 
instrument  provided  that  none  but  tire-proof  materials 
should  be  used  in  the  erection  of  buildings  within  the 
limits  described — Second,  Mount  Vernon  and  Vine 
streets  and  the  Mississippi  River — and  imposing  the 
usual  penalties  for  failure  to  be  thereby  governed. 
This  action  was  timely,  and  ultimately  resulted  in 
much  good  to  the  business  interests  of  the  city,  and 
more  particularly  to  the  holders  of  property  within  the 
prescribed  limits.  The  fire  was  not  less  a  warning 
against  narrow  streets,  for  nothing  but  extremely 
favorable  circumstances  and  unceasing  hard  labor  pre- 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


489 


vented  the  destructioa  of  double  the  amount  of  prop- 
erty that  was  consumed. 

Among  the  leading  sufferers  by  this  unexpected 
calamity  were  Gordon  &  Loomis,  Gutman,  Lener  & 
Co.,  VVebausen  &  Hunt,  S.  T.  Smith,  Hart&  Edwards, 
N.  R.  Smith,  Daniel  Bacon,  Eclcstorm  &  Co.,  C.  Alter, 
C.  Volner,  Edwin  Flint,  George  Farnura,  Peter  Burns, 
Bidwell  &  Coons,  Walter  Brown,  Lloyd  &  Supplee, 
and  Boycott,  Summer,  Hayes  &  Co.  The  burnt  dis- 
trict was,  in  time,  restored  to  more  than  its  pristine 
elegance,  but  its  destruction  is  referred  to  as  the  first 
calamity  that  ever  swooped  down  upon  La  Crosse. 

The  fire  had  scarcely  become  part  of  the  history  of 
the  city,  when  the  location  of  county  buildings  by  the 
County  Board  was  made  public.  The  site  chosen  was 
on  the  east  side  of  La  Crosse  avenue  between  State 
and  Main  streets.  This  created  considerable  dissatis- 
faction with  a  portion  of  the  citizens,  it  was  claimed, 
and  was  acceptable  only  to  those  who  would  be  bene- 
fited by  the  rise  of  property  in  the  vicinity.  The  same 
can  be  said  of  the  proposition  to  raise  a  fund  for  the 
erection  of  a  court-house  and  jail.  There  was  intense 
opposition  in  some  quarters,  and  intense  excitement  as 
the  result.  The  site  was  subsequently  changed  to  its 
present  location,  and  the  court-iiouse  and  jail  were 
erected  and  stand  to-day  monuments  to  their  founders, 
both  pleasing  and  enduring. 

As  the  Spring  advanced,  and  tlie  river,  released 
from  ice,  was  open  to  navigation,  trade  resumed  its 
wonted  briskness,  and  boats  (beginning  on  the  1st  of 
April  with  the  "Fall  City"),  their  daily  trips  above  and 
belo  w. 

At  this  time,  the  speedy  completion  of  the  La 
Crosse  &  Milwaukee  Railroad  was  hailed  as  an  item  of 
special  importance  to  the  people  of  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi, as  also  to  those  seeking  homes  in  Wisconsin  and 
Minnesota.  The  completion  and  opening  of  this  road 
was  suggested  to  the  mercliants  of  La  Crosse,  that  they 
direct  their  attention  to  the  building  up  of  a  trade 
with  Milwaukee.  The  completion  of  the  road  would 
have  a  tendency  to  depreciate  the  price  of  freiglit,  and 
the  citizens  of  Milwaukee  would  certainly  consult 
their  interests  by  seeking  the  trade  of  La  Crosse.  But 
these  predictions  were  never  verified,  and  the  immense 
wholesale  trade  sought  to  be  monopolized  by  Milwau- 
kee was  diverted  elsewhere. 

Building  this  Spring,  in  fact  throughout  the  year, 
was  reasonably  general,  until  after  the  commencement 
of  the  panic,  when  it  diminished.  The  large  piles  of 
brick  and  stone  awaiting  the  call  of  the  artificer  at 
the  first  blush  of  Spring  gave  evidence  tluit  a  large  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  substantial  buildings  was  in 
contemplation,  and  these  tokens  of  prosperity  were 
made  the  occasion  for  much  congratulations.  But  be- 
yond what  had  been  contracted  for,  together  with 
buildings  erected  to  supply  tliose  destroyed  in  the  fire 
of  Marcli  11,  and  the  stone  building  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Front  streets,  little  else  was  accomplislied. 
The  Smith  Building,  still  standing,  was  completed 
during  the  Summer,  and  was,  at  that  time,  considered 
one  ot  tiie  finest  structures  in  design  and  arcliilecture 
on  the  Mississippi  River.  It  is  of  stone,  50x104,  two 
stories  high,  finished  and  furnished  with  every  acces- 
sory convenience  could  suggest  at  the  time,  and  was 


erected  by  Norton  R.  Smith  at  a  cost  that  was  then 
considered  large.  As  stated,  it  still  stands,  somewhat 
decrepit  in  appearance,  and  not  comparing  with  the 
handsome  edifices  which  have  gone  up  since  iu  its  im- 
mediate vicinity.  But  the  old  building  is  the  pioneer 
of  its  kind,  and  having  experienced  the  trials  and 
vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life,  and  also  participated  in  its 
subsequent  triumphs,  survives  to-day  the  mark  and 
mold  of  the  times  in  which  it  was  prominent. 

There  is  nothing  worthy  of  note  reported  as  occur- 
ring from  May  to  July.  Between  these  pei'iods,  busi- 
ness was  prosecuted  advantageously  ;  arrivals  of  emi- 
grants were  among  the  daily  quotations,  trade  flour- 
islied,  commerce  was  carried  on  briskly,  buildings  went 
up  in  places  that  were  newly  selected,  and  all  possible 
influences  contributed  their  quota  to  promote  success 
and  secure  a  successful  pursuit  of  happiness.  Rail- 
roads to  and  from  La  Crosse  were  in  process  of  incuba- 
tion, construction  and  completion,  while  the  steam- 
boating  business,  which  was  centering  at  the  city,  was 
being  husbanded  and  sustained,  as  also  extended,  for 
iu  June,  the  La  Crosse  &  Minnesota  Packet  Company, 
a  home  enterprise,  was  establislied,  with  A.  W.  Shep- 
ard,  president;  E.  B.  Pike,  vice-president;  W.  VV'. 
Webb,  secretary,  and  A.  T.  Clinton,  treasurer,  and 
arrangements  were  making  for  active  operations  when 
monetary  affairs  reached  such  a  critical  condition  as 
to  preclude  the  extension  of  lines  of  communication 
involving  the  expenditure  of  raouey. 

Tliis  was  the  appearance  ot  the  city  on  Monday 
night,  July  G,  when  the  ordinary  current  of  events 
was  violently  assailed  by  the  organization  of  a  vigilance 
committee  of  citizens,  with  a  view  to  the  destruction 
of  certain  disreputable  resorts  tliat  had  become  estab- 
lislied in  La  Crosse.  On  tlie  night  in  question,  citizens 
to  the  number  of  between  three  and  four  hundred  col- 
lected in  the  court-house  square  as  if  by  general  con- 
sent, and  perfected  a  thorough  organization.  Upon  tlie 
completion  of  this  prelimuiary,  they  proceeded  to  tlie 
lower  part  of  the  city,  where  these  infamous  places  had 
been  located,  and,  after  warning  the  inmates  of  their 
intention,  set  fire  to  the  premises  and  burned  tliem  to 
the  ground.  From  here  the  crowd  marclied  to  the 
northern  part  of  tlie  city,  and,  after  destroying  the  fur- 
niture, windows  and  doors  of  a  place  known  as  the 
"  St.  Charles,"  set  fire  to  that  resort  and  burned  it  be- 
yond repairs.  They  next  went  to  a  small  house  on 
State  street,  thence  to  a  place  on  Second  street,  below 
the  Napoleon  Hotel,  but,  upon  promises  of  the  inmates 
to  leave,  refrained  from  interference. 

By  this  time,  the  doings  of  the  self-constituted  vigi- 
lance committee  had  become  public  property,  and  the 
excitement  throughout  the  city  of  a  character  described 
as  wild.  The  streets  were  thronged.  The  Mayor  and 
city  police  and  oiBcials  sought  to  appease  the  commit- 
tee and  check  the  destruction  of  property,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  last  expedients  of  eloquence  and  promise 
were  had  recourse  to  that  the  peaceful  dispersion  of 
those  engaged,  as  well  as  the  crowd  of  onlookers,  was 
secured. 

The  property  destroyed  was  valued  at  not  less  than 
$2,000,  but  it  was  considered  by  those  engaged  iu  its 
destruction  as  the  only  effectual  way  of  ridding  the 
city  of  the  characters  which  then  infested  it.     It  should 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


be  said  that  the  proceedings  were  conducted  by  some 
of  the  leading  citizens,  and  though  severe  measures 
were  adopted  tliey  were  sucli  only,  it  was  thought,  as 
were  applicable  to  the  situation.  Everybody  was  said 
to  have  been  opposed  to  mob  law,  or  of  having  a  ne- 
cessity for  taking  the  law  in  hand  by  citizens,  but  the 
reckless  character  of  the  number  of  blacklegs,  villains, 
housebreakers,  thieves  and  rowdies  of  every  descrip- 
tion, which  tiien  sought  to  make  La  Crosse  their  liead- 
quarters,  left  no  other  alternative. 

Soon  after  the  conclusion  of  the  committee  labors 
on  that  evening,  a  meeting  of  citizens  was  convened  at 
Barron's  Hall,  presided  over  by  William  Hood,  at  which 
it  was  resolved  to  organize  a  vigilance  committee  of 
150  to  protect  the  property  and  families  of  citizens. 
The  city  officials  were  called  upon  to  execute  the  laws 
if  they  desired  to  prevent  further  trouble,  in  default  of 
which  tlie  people  would. 

The  effect  of  these  proceedings  was  as  varied  as  the 
people  whom  they  affected  or  those  who  discussed 
them.  It  would  be  no  exaggeration  of  the  situation  to 
assume  that  it  was  startling  to  all.  By  some  it  was 
considered  unworthy  the  character  of  citizens,  and  in- 
excusable, as  the  law  furnished  a  remedy  commensu- 
rate with  the  imposition  sought  to  be  checked.  There 
was  no  wrong,  it  was  argued,  that  did  not  possess  a 
legal  remedy,  and  until  all  the  remedies  provided  by 
law  had  been  exhausted,  there  should  be  no  resort  to 
violence  or  measures  in  themselves  not  only  extra- 
legal, but  of  a  type  similar  to  those  it  was  attempted 
to  suppress. 

Another  class  of  citizens  insisted  that  relief  could 
not  be  obtained — not  because  it  did  not  exist,  but  be- 
cause the  laws  were  recklessly  administered,  and  not 
always  with  regard  to  their  spirit  and  letter.  This  be- 
ing the  case,  tiiere  was  no  alternative  but  to  employ 
such  force  as  to  the  law-abiding  was  accessible,  and 
compel  the  performance  of  that  which  the  laws  pro- 
vided should  be  done,  but  which  had  been  deficient  in 
its  execution,  because  of  the  laxness  of  those  whose 
duty  it  was  to  administer  them. 

Meetings  continued  to  be  held,  and  as  threats  had 
been  launched  against  the  persons  of  those  who  had 
been  prominent  in  the  movement,  the  greatest  care  was 
necessary  to  personal  protection.  Reprisals  were  also 
promised  by  those  injured,  and,  in  one  or  two  instances, 
houses  were  set  on  tire.  Within  a  fortnight  after  the 
occurrence,  the  barn  of  Elisha  Whittlesey  was  set  on 
fire  by  incendiaries,  and  several  attempts  made  to  burn 
buildings  in  different  parts  of  tlie  city  on  tlie  same  day. 
But  happily  the  fires  were  extinguisiied,  and  the  citi- 
zens, by  watcliful  care,  were  enabled  to  avoid  tlie 
damage  that  was  attempted. 

The  responsibilitj'  for  this  state  of  affairs  was  shifted 
by  each  paper  on  tlie  party  represented  by  the  otiier, 
and  tiie  warfare  which  followed  between  the  editors  of 
the  respective  siieets,  was  something  terrific  to  witness. 
Both,  finally,  resolved  themselves  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  remedy  for  evils  complained  of,  as  also  for  mob  law, 
was  to  be  found  at  the  ballot  box,  and  the  primary 
meetings  of  political  parties,  when  candidates  are 
made.  Men  of  character  who  have  the  best  interests 
of  tiie  communit}' — as  a  comnumity  and  not  as  a  politi- 
cal faction — must  see  to  it  that  this  remedy  was  ap- 


2:)lied,  and  that  men  of  character  and  responsibilit}' 
were  selected  to  fill  public  stations.  And  in  local  mat- 
ters, this  ought  to  be  done  without  regard  to  political 
tenets  of  any  man  or  set  of  men,  but  with  a  single  eye 
to  the  public  good.  Until  it  was  done,  mob  law  might 
be  expected. 

Before  another  year  an  application  of  the  remedy 
recommended,  was  made  in  the  election  of  those  can- 
didates for  city  officers  nominated  by  the  Democratic 
party. 

The  material  interests  of  the  country  for  the  devel- 
oi^ment  of  the  internal  resources  and  communication 
with  distant  parts  were  mostly  carried  on  vigorously 
and  with  gratifying  results.  The  La  Crosse  &  Milwau- 
kee road  had  been  pushed  westwardly  with  considera- 
ble progress,  and  a  corporation  which  two  years  pre- 
vious was  considered  by  many  a  "  moonshine  opera- 
tion," was  securely  upon  the  highway  to  success.  The 
grading  was  commenced  tiiis  year  west  of  Portage,  and 
it  was  safely  predicted  that  before  another  year  the 
cars  would  be  running  into  La  Crosse.  Tlie  Southern 
Minnesota,  incorporated  in  1855,  organized  for  business 
this  year,  elected  a  board  of  officers,  and  advertised 
for  contracts  for  grading  the  route  west  of  La 
Crescent. 

Improvements  continued  to  be  made,  and  brick 
blocks  were  substituted  for  the  inconvenient  and  con- 
tracted quarters  erected  before  La  Crosse  became  a 
city.  They  were  on  a  scale  of  finish  and  capacity  al- 
most equal  to  any  east  of  the  lakes,  and  were  eminently 
adapted  to  the  displays  of  stock  made  therein.  The 
dwellings  were  also  of  a  more  modern  type  than  any  of 
moment  previously  erected,  and  added  to  the  appear- 
ance of  the  city  in  their  neatness  and  finish. 

The  schools  were  supjiorted  with  characteristic  lib- 
eralit}',  and  counted  upon  their  various  rosters  an  ag- 
gregate daily  attendance  of  500  pupils.  An  addition 
was  built  to  the  brick  school-house,  and  its  occupation 
was  commenced  in  December,  and  the  influence  that 
was  exerted  ujDon  both  scholar  and  teacher  was  of  the 
most  beneficial  character.  The  labors  of  the  one 
seemed  to  promote  tiie  true  interest  of  the  other,  to 
hi}'  broad  and  deep  a  foundation  upon  wiiicli  to  rear  a 
noble  superstructure  that  should  be  as  enduring  as 
time. 

The  mail  from  Prairie  du  Chien  to  St.  Paul  via  La 
Crosse  was  carried  by  M.  O.  Walker  this  year,  who 
received  $100  per  day,  and  delivered  a  daily  invoice 
of  1,200  pounds,  or  thereabouts,  to  be  distributed  to 
consignees  in  the  "  Gateway  City."  There  was  a  daily 
four-horse  stage  during  the  Winter  from  Prairie  du 
Chien,  Viroqua,  Winona,  St.  Paul,  Mauston,  Sparta, 
Ciiatfield  and  Black  River  Falls,  and  nearly  all  the 
travel  of  the  Northwest  remained  overnight  in  La 
Crosse. 

The  arrivals  of  boats  during  1857,  from  that  of 
"  Sam  Young,"  on  April  1,  to  that  of  the  "  Envoy," 
on  November  19,  amounted  to  1,569,  from  which  it 
will  be  apparent  tiiat  travel  was  numerous,  notwith- 
standing the  hard  times. 

Indeed,  from  the  1st  of  January  till  the  coming  of 
dark  days,  which  arrived  unexpectedly  late  in  the 
Summer,  all  interests  seemed  to  conspire  to  promote 
the  public  weal.     But  while  they  continued,  the  plans 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY.                                                            491 

of  none  were  realized ;  those  of  all  defaulted.  Warn-  at  comparatively  long  intervals,  gradually  growing  in 
ings  of  its  effects  in  the  East,  caused  by  the  suspen-  frequency,  until  during  1863  It  seemed  as  if  the  denials 
sion  of  the  Ohio  Life  and  Trust  Company  and  otlier  and  privations  to  which  the  inhabitants  had  been  corn- 
moneyed  corporations,  preceded  the  advent  of  that  mitted  for  years  were  about  to  give  way  to  an  endless 
foe  to  prosperity  on  tiie  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  And  season  of  plenty.  The  crops  were  constantly  on  the 
while  they  may  have  occasioned  speculation  among  move,  and  merchants  experienced  difficult}'  in  keeping 
reflecting  citizens  as  to  how  La  Crosse  would  weather  pace  with  the  wants  of  their  customers.  Lands  in- 
the  storm,  or  apprehension  of  the  commercial  portion  creased  in  value,  and  those  which  had  been  partially 
of  the  city  to  do  so,  no  one  was  found  bold  enough  to  abandoned  because  of  the  excessive  supply  of  produc- 
outline  the  impending  troubles,  which  reached  here  tion  were  restored  to  vigor  and  sown  lor  the  harvest. 
too  late  for  the  victims  to  even  protect  themselves  The  city,  too,  began  to  revive  under  these  benign  in- 
irom  their  violence.  It  did  not  come  gradually  as  at  fluences,  and  tiuit  better  days  had  come,  indeed,  was  a 
other  points,  emigration  was  not  checked,  and  the  can-  conclusion  both  gratifying  and  universal, 
vas-covered  wagons  of  pioneers  were  to  be  seen  upon  The  assessment  roll  in  the  city  lor  1857  was — 
evei'y  highway,  trundling  forward  to  the  rich  prairies  t,    ,     .  .                                                         ».        o 

f   ii       \\?      ..        1-1      ii        f^  •     »    1  11  j.\  Real  estate $595,235 

or  the  West,  while  the  "panic      hovered  above  them.  Personal  property ito.too 

But  the  crash  came  at  last,  and  as  the  Assj'rian  cohorts,  ■ 

it  came   "  Like  a  wolf  on  the  fold,"   and  burst  above  ^     ^°'*' — ,----. — ;--„-; S705.2S5 

T        ,^  1      !•  , ,  -111  11      ,  Excess  over  valuation  01  1850 310,979 

La  Crosse  belore  the  commercial  world  were  able  to 

check  its  approach  or  temper  its  ferocity.  The  bright  New  Year's,  1858,  was  said  to  have  been  a  happy 
dreams  of  wealth  gave  way  to  the  actuality  of  want,  season  in  La  Crosse  in  spite  of  the  hard  times,  which 
Anticipations,  bred  of  confidence  in  one's  ability  to  were  then  more  prominent  even  than  the  festivities  of 
"pull  through,"  retired  in  the  face  of  realities  no  pen  this  festal  occasion.  Everybody  seemed  to  enjoy  them- 
can  describe.  There  was  soon  less  business  transacted,  selves  in  a  manner  appropriate  to  the  day,  and  there 
and  stores  were  devoted  to  comparative  quiet,  with  was  a  marked  absence  of  that  which  has  since  become 
employes  cast  out  upon  the  world  to  wrestle  with  the  so  seemingly  indisijensable  to  its  celebration.  There 
stern  necessities  of  life.  These  signs  were  succeeded  was  a  slight  fall  of  snow  on  New  Year's  Eve,  which 
by  symptoms  peculiar  to  a  more  advanced  stage  of  the  made  possible  sleighing,  and  the  turnouts  are  described 
disease.  Corner  lots,  which  six  months  before  were  as  numerous,  and  ranging  in  appearance  from  out7-e  to 
held  at  fancy  prices,  were  scarcely  worth  the  assess-  distingue.  The  same  can  be  said  of  the  callers  and 
ment  of  taxes.  Men  who  had  constructed  air  castles  hostesses.  The  year  dawned  delightfully,  and  the  hope 
in  the  realms  of  the  bright  ideal  and  indulged  in  the  was  indulged  that  its  quiet  beauty  and  almost  trans- 
wildest  and  most  absurd  speculations,  fled  to  the  wil-  cendent  lovelinessof  the  night  which  followed  might  be 
derness,  appalled  at  the  spectacle  which  by  this  time  the  prelude  to  a  drama  from  real  life,  in  which  hard 
was  rai)idly  approaching  a  climax.  Li  October,  Cra-  times,  failures,  despondency  and  desolation  would  be 
mer,  Clinton  &  Co.,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  reliable  characters  unprovided  for  in  tiie  cast, 
of  the  banking  houses,  dissolved  and  proceeded  to  set-  Many  removals  were  made  early  in  the  year ;  new 
tie  up  its  affairs.  This  was  precipitated  by  the  flnan-  faces  were  to  be  seen  on  the  thoroughfares  and  new 
cial  epidemic  then  raging  and  the  failure  of  their  names  on  signs  depending  above  the  pavement.  The 
correspondents,  and  but  aggravated  the  condition  of  vote  polled  daring  the  Fall  of  1857,  690,  was  not  con- 
affairs.  Many  were  completely  ruined,  and  the  frag-  sidered  a  fair  criterion  to  adopt  in  estimating  the  pop- 
ments  of  the  calamity  were  for  some  years  after  visible  ulation  of  Western  towns,  particularl}'  those  which  had 
upon  the  streets,  in  the  hotel,  at  the  bar,  on  the  bust-  sprung  up  and  improved  as  rapidly  as  La  Crosse.  The 
ings  and  at  the  household  hearth.  Some  left  the  city,  population  of  the  city  was  considered  at  between  five 
improvements  were  comparatively  suspended,  business  and  six  thousand,  and  the  advantages  of  La  Crosse  had 
was  destroyed  for  the  time  being,  and  desolation  and  not  been,  it  was  claimed,  materially  diminished  by  the 
gloom  reigned  where  once  the  voice  of  triumph  had  troubles  which  were  still  in  existence.  All  projects 
resounded.  for  the  improvement  of  the  city  and  affording  addi- 
In  the  country  the  effects  of  this  untoward  visita-  tional  attractions  for  strangers  were  encouiaged,  old 
tion  were  equally  as  pronounced.  Farm  lands  lay  idle,  plans  were  revived  and  new  plans  improvised.  Trade, 
and,  in  some  instances,  unoccupied  ;  farmers  who  liar-  the  markets,  etc.,  were  fluctuating,  but  when  the  rail- 
vested  crops  were  unable  to  dispose  of  them  because  of  road  connection  with  Milwaukee  and  the  East  was  com- 
the  absence  of  circulating  medium.  While  these  afflic-  pleted,  these  fluctuations  would  not  occur.  Such  was 
tions  were  abiding,  there  was  still  a  silver  lining  to  the  the  state  of  affairs  in  La  Crosse  January  1,  1858,  and 
dark  cloud,  and,  though  all  were  pecuniarily  short  as  such  were  some  of  the  opinions  ventured  thereon  by 
pie  crust,  disease  and  death  and  the  horrors  of  starva-  optimists.  The  embarrassments  and  distresses  of  the 
tion  were  stayed.  previous  months  were  the  result  of  overdone  business. 
From  1857  to  1863  were  the  most  discouraging  years  which  caused  business  men  to  rejoice  in  an  imaginary 
experienced  in  La  Crosse  City  and  county.  In  1861,  and  not  real  prosperity.  Every  thing  thereby  bore  a 
the  breaking-out  of  the  war  revived  trade  for  a  season,  fictitious  value.  J.«ands,  products  and  all  marketable 
and  gave  a  temporary  impetus  to  business  in  the  fitting  fabrics  were  valued  above  their  actual  worth.  Sell- 
out and  provisioning  of  volunteers.  As  the  contest  ers  were  rich  in  debts  due  and  purchasers  in  their  abil- 
continued,  the  demand  for  supplies  held  by  dealers,  ity  to  contract  debts.  But  reverses  came  on  the  heels 
farmers  and  cultivators  increased.     At  first  these  were  of  excess,  as  they  always  will   to  men  who  deal  reck- 


49» 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


lessl}'  and  live  extravagantly.  The  lesson  taught  b}' 
these  expeiiences  would  make  men  wiser  and  better, 
and  the  ruin  that  had  been  wrought  would  work  out 
an  infinite  good  to  the  general  countr}'. 

PVom  indications  at  the  opening  of  Spring,  it  was 
thought  that  tlie  Sumiuer  would  be  one  of  unusual 
prosperity.  At  an  early  season  of  the  year,  extensive 
and  general  preparations  were  concluded  for  the  em- 
ployment of  mechanical  lalior,  and  steps  taken  for  the 
erection  of  a  great  many  buildings.  This  was  in  part 
due  to  the  low  price  of  materials,  and  in  part  to  the 
diminished  cost  of  labor.  As  the  season  advanced,  the 
markets  were  stocked  with  lumber,  lots  changed  hands 
daily,  passing  from  speculators  into  the  hands  of  per- 
manent settlers  ;  contracts  for  building  were  closed, 
the  mills  started  on  time,  and  the  machine  shops,  shin- 
gle factories  and  other  mechanical  branches  of  business 
which  had  been  dormant  for  months,  were  re-opened, 
and  infused  with  new  enterprise  and  energy. 

Commercial  trade  opened  brisk  with  new  facilities 
for  a  larger  and  more  extended  business,  according  to 
the  demands  of  the  increase  of  population  ;  confidence 
was  gradually  restored,  and  the  wrecks  of  the  panic 
were  cleared  away  to  make  room  for  the  energies  of 
those  who  were  not  subdued  by  a  money  revulsion. 
There  was  an  absence,  too,  of  that  reckless,  headlong 
plunging  for  a  quick,  prospective  wealth,  but  a  larger 
and  safer  business  was  commenced  to  be  done.  It  was 
clear  that  the  foundations  of  prosperity  had  not  been 
shattered,  nor  had  the  energies  and  enterprises  of  the 
people  been  strangled.  In  short,  the  citizens  protested 
that  the  destiny  of  La  Crosse  was  never  more  settled 
according  to  every  indication  than  in  the  Spring  of 
1858.  The  confidence  in  its  growth  was  never  more 
strong,  the  hard  times  were  past,  and  hopes  for  the  fu- 
ture were  buoyant.  Tiie  old  sti  ength  was  renewed  and 
additional  strength  attained,  to  concentrate  the  natural 
facilities  of  trade  and  traffic  at  La  Crosse.  With  the 
railway  communications  which  came  this  year,  the  city 
became  the  railway  center  of  the  Northwest,  and  trade 
was  increased  fourfold,  and  necessitated  the  employ- 
ment of  additional  capital. 

^One  of  the  earliest  movements  looking  to  the  re-build- 
ing of  a  prosperity  that  was  in  danger  of  being  lost, 
was  the  re-opening  of  the  land  office,  which  occurred 
early  in  April,  much  to  the  gratification  of  residents 
and  incoming  emigrants.  There  were  still  thousands  of 
acres  of  good  arable  and  timber  lands  subject  to  entr}^ 
and  many  at  the  East  who  still  desired  to  avail  them- 
selves of  this  privilege.  They  not  only  lay  in  counties 
contiguous  to  La  Crosse,  but  in  that  county  were  acres 
of  good  farming  land  yet  unclaimed.  These  were  well 
watered  and  timbered,  favorable  to  the  successful  cul- 
tivation of  all  kinds  and  varieties  of  farm  products  sus- 
ceptible of  growth,  and  markets  were  easy  of  access  and 
constantly  growing  better.  Progress  had  been  made 
in  the  matter  of  schools  and  churches  that  commended 
Northwestern  Wisconsin  as  one  of  the  most  favorable 
portions  of  the  West  to  the  intelligent  agriculturist, 
and  to  tliese  advantages  in  La  Crosse  were  added  those 
of  old  and  permanent  settlement. 

With  these  inducements,  the  reader  is  prepared  for 
a  statenient  that  times  in  La  Crosse  during  l8o8  were 
far  from   hard,  though  a  scarcity  of  money  may  have 


caused  them  to  seem  so  when  compared  with  the  flush  ! 

times  of  half  a  decade  before.     Yet  the  contrary  in  fact  j 

was  the  truth.  , 

The  great  feature  of  the  year  was  the  completion  of  i 

the  La  Crosse  and  Milwaukee  road,  passing  through  , 

La  Crosse  Valley,  and  tapping  for  the  benefit  of  the  city  i 

a  tract  of  country  containing  inexhaustible  sources  of 
wealth.  The  country  affected  by  this  improvement  had 
mostly  been  settled  within  five  years,  yet  a  large  part  | 

of  it  was  under  cultivation,    and    returned    an    ample 
reward  to  the  husbandman.  It  was  settled  b}-  an  intel- 
ligent and  enterprising  people,  many  of  whom   arrived  , 
here  in  destitute  circumstances,  and  became,  even  at  ; 
this  early  period,  men   of  wealth  who  were  ready  to  ' 
make  any  sacrifice  in  the  elaboration  of  public  improve- 
ments, like  that  under  consideration.     The   principal 
towns  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city  were  like- 
wise benefited,  and  other  valleys  which  center  at  La 
Crosse,  notably  Burnham's,  Adams',  Feak's,  Big  Creek, 
Fish  Creek,  Dutch  Creek,  etc.,  were  similarly  directly 
blessed. 

As  will  be  remembered,  during  1857  the  grading  of 
the  road  west  of  Portage  was  commenced,  and  labor  on 
the  route  prosecuted  with  a  diligence  inspired  by  the 
prospect  of  an  early  completion.  The  road  had  been 
built  in  five  years  in  spite  of  adversities  and  delays,  so 
serious  and  aggravated  that  as  late  as  January  of  that 
year,  the  proposition  was  entertained  by  all  but  one  of 
the  road  directors  to  abandon  the  enterprise  and  let  the 
bondholders  take  it. 

But  this  was  not  to  be,  and  early  in  October,  1858, 
the  last  rail  was  laid  connecting  La  Crosse  and  Milwau- 
kee with  indissoluble  ties  and  clenching  the  two  cities 
of  Wisconsin  closer  together  with  hooks  of  steel.  The 
successful  issue  out  of  the  troubles  which  had  one  time 
threatened  the  collapse  of  the  enterprise  was  made  the 
occasion  of  universal  jublication,  participated  in  by  all 
without  regard  to  political  or  personal  prejudices  or 
affiliations.  On  the  evening  of  the  14ih  of  October, 
1858,  a  train  of  fourteen  passenger  coaches,  laden  with 
citizens  and  soldiers  of  Milwaukee,  Chicago  and  else- 
where, halted  at  the  western  terminus  of  the  road,  and 
were  most  hospitably  welcomed  by  the  citizens  of  La 
Crosse.  A  procession  was  formed,  and  moved  through 
the  principal  streets  to  the  open  square,  between  Fourth 
and  Fifth  streets,  where  the}-  were  formally  welcomed 
by  Mayor  Taylor  and  Col.  Rodolf.  The  procession  was 
then  re-formed,  and  the  guests  escorted  to  the  various 
hotels,  where  they  were  entertained  by  the  city. 

In  the  evening  a  grand  banquet  was  given  at 
Barron's  Hall,  when  speeches  and  addresses  were  made 
by  Judge  Gale,  Dr.  Blakeslee,  Selah  Chamberlain,  Mr. 
Barnes,  of  New  York;  Aid.  Phelps,  of  Milwaukee; 
Byron  Kilbourn,  Mr.  Radclifl",  of  Albany,  and  others. 
The  company  separated  at  midnight,  a  portion  of  those 
from  abroad  visiting  St.  Paul,  and  the  remainder  re- 
turning home  by  the  same  train  which  bore  them  here. 
Thus  was  the  first  railroad  coming  into  La  Crosse 
celebrated. 

In  1858,  through  the  detective  skill  and  perseverance 
of  J.  11.  Coudry,  a  La  Ciosse  official,  four  murderers 
and  robbers  were  apprehended,  and  three  of  them 
brought  to  justice. 

Stated   briefly,  the    facts  are    as  follows :     In  the 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


month  of  July,  1857,  an  unknown  boy  landed  at  La 
Crosse,  and,  procui-ing  a  horse,  visited  the  country  near 
the  city.  Upon  his  return,  and  when  pavino-  for  the 
hire,  he  was  observed  by  a  man  named  William  John 
to  be  possessed  of  a  large  sum  of  money — some  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  boy  mysteriously  disappeared,  and 
two  weeks  afterward  his  naked  body  was  recovered 
from  the  river,  with  marks  plainly  showing  that  he 
came  to  his  death  by  violence. 

About  this  time  the  jewelry  store  of  A.  Patz,  of  La 
Crosse,  was  robbed  of  jewelry  worth  $8,000,  and  money 
to  the  extent  of  $800. 

At  this  point,  it  is  proper  to  state  that  there  were 
four  Germans  residing  in  La  Crosse,  named  respectively 
August  Kerchner,  Albert  Marlow,  William  John,  above 
referred  to,  and  John  Reisnei-. 

Some  time  after  these  crimes  had  been  committed, 
Marlow  was  arrested  for  firing  the  barn  of  a  butcher 
named  French,  and  upon  being  released  on  bail  ab- 
sconded. In  time  his  wife  became  reduced  to  want, 
and  pawned  some  of  the  Patz  jewelry.  A  search  warrant 
was  procured,  and  the  house  in  which  she  was  living 
with  Kerchner  searched,  when  $1,000  worth  of  jewelry 
was  obtained,  and  the  clothing  of  the  young  man  who 
wa-s  found  in  the  river  with  the  marks  of  an  assassin 
upon  his  remains. 

Mrs.  Marlow  and  Kerchner  were  arrested,  and  the 
search  commenced  for  their  accomplices.  Marlow  was 
pursued  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where  he  was  appre- 
hended and  returned  to  jail  in  La  Crosse.  Charles 
Reisner  was  arrested  at  Peoria,  with  $2,000  worth  of 
the  jewelry  in  his  possession,  and  William  John  near 
Leavenworth  City,  with  $4,000  of  the  stolen  goods  in 
his  possession.  In  March,  the  officer,  with  his  prisoner, 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Sioux  City,  bound  for  St. 
Louis.  When  between  Miami  and  DeWitt,  on  the 
Missouri  River,  he  jumped  from  the  guards,  and,  as  was 
supposed,  met  his  death  by  drowning. 

The  prisoners  were  retained  in  jail  until  June  14, 
1858,  when  they  procured  a  change  of  venue,  and  were 
taken  to  Viroqua  for  trial.  During  its  progress  Marlow 
made  a  confession  in  open  court,  in  which  lie  stated 
that  Reisner  and  John  were  the  guilty  parties  to  the 
robbery,  and  further,  that  John  was  not  drowned,  as 
was  supposed.  He  was  sent  to  Waupun  for  three 
years. 

In  May,  the  citizens  of  La  Crosse  were  thrown  into 
a  wonderful  state  of  excitement  by  the  report  that  a 
man  named  A.  Leland,  formerly  of  this  county,  had  been 
horribly  murdered  and  robbed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Lewis  Valley.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  after  the 
occurrence  was  reported,  to  appropriate  tiie  language 
of  an  active  investigator  into  the  alleged  truth  of  this 
phenomena,  a  hundred  men  in  the  city  were  on  the 
alert  for  the  murderer,  and  every  man  found  with  a 
flannel  shirt,  either  red  or  blue,  and  not  well  known, 
was  watched  from  door  to  door  and  street  to  street, 
until  he  iuid  identified  himself  to  public  satisfaction,  and 
defined  his  position  with  regard  to  attacks  in  general, 
and  that  on  Leland  in  particular. 

It  seems  that  Lahiiid  had  been  found  at  the  foit  of 
the  ridge  leading  into  Lewis  Valley  by  Mr.  Buzzell  and 
another  geutlemvn  from  O.i.ilaska,  apparently  in  the 
fiaal   pangs    of    dissolucioa,    with    his    traveling-bag 


opened,  his  pockets  rifled,  and  looking  to  all  intents 
as  though  his  experience  had  been  the  opposite  of 
cheerful  or  encouraging.  He  was  taken  to  the  nearest 
house,  when  Dr.  Heath  was  summoned,  and  when,  for 
two  days,  the  patient,  according  to  appearances,  and 
the  testimony  of  tliirt3'-five  of  those  residing  in  the 
vicinity,  hung  glimmeringly  between  life  and  death. 
The  story  he  related  was  so  exceedingly  shallow,  and 
his  return  to  consciousness  accompanied  b}^  so  much 
low  comedy,  as  to  create  the  impression  that  his  story 
was  without  foundation  in  fact.  The  extraordinary 
mystery  with  which  the  circumstances  were  sur- 
rounded, so  exasperated  the  public  credulity,  that  an 
investigation  was  instituted  by  J.  W.  Lose}',  the  then 
District  Attorney,  assisted  by  C.  W.  Marshall,  with  re- 
sults which  conlarmed  the  suspicions  that  had  gradu- 
ally become  fixed.  The  verdict  of  the  investigation 
committee  was  based  upon  the  fact  that  Leland  was  a 
chronic  fraud,  and  so  esteemed  in  parts  where  he  had 
been,  as  also  by  his  wife,  from  whom  he  was  sepa- 
rated, and  that  the  wounds  were  self-inflicted,  to  beget 
sympathy  and  create  a  demand  for  damages  against  the 
county. 

The  excitement  disappeared,  as  did  Leland  and  the 
burlesque  of  the  "  thing."  The  assurance  of  the  chief 
actor,  the  action  of  thirty-five  residents  of  Lewis  Val- 
ley, and  other  characteristics  of  the  occasion,  are  to- 
day recalled  as  the  most  ludicrous  series  of  perform- 
ances that  were  ever  thrust  before  the  intelligent  gaze 
of  the  La  Crosse  body  politic. 

While  on  criminal  facts  and  statistics,  it  may  be 
said  that  1858  was,  for  some  unexplained  reason,  the 
annual  in  which  crime  was  hardly  short  of  epidemic, 
from  the  attempt  to  rob  Lothrop,  Webb  &  Co.'s  bank- 
ing-house, in  May,  to  the  close  of  the  year.  Spiritu- 
alism, also,  first  manifested  its  existence  in  La  Crosse 
in  1858,  and  began  a  season  of  proselyting,  but  with 
what  success  no  one  of  the  present  day  seems  able  to 
decide. 

This  year,  among  the  improvements  decided  upon 
was  the  Methodist  and  Catholic  churches,  besides  the 
very  many  in  the  line  of  business  and  residence  houses 
that  were  begun  and  carried  toward  completion  as  long 
as  the  weather  permitted  the  mechanics  to  work. 

The  school  system  had  readied  a  most  gratifying 
degree  of  perfection  the  previous  year,  when  the  actual 
average  daily  attendance  at  the  union  school  was  415, 
yet  in  1858,  considerable  improvement  was  witnessed. 
This  union  school  was  held  in  what  was  known  as  the 
Brick  school-house,  and  was  divided  into  primary, 
secondary,  intermediate  and  high  school  departments, 
under  the  charge  of  Misses  Knight,  Gordon  and  Han- 
scom,  the  whole  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Green, 
Principal  of  the  High  School.  The  curriculum  em- 
braced the  studies  usual  to  graded  sciiools,  and  the 
teachers  are  represented  as  having  been  eminently 
qualified  for  the  discharge  of  their  respective  oflices. 
There  was  also  what  was  known  as  the  First  Ward 
School,  under  the  care  of  Miss  Roosevelt  and  Mr. 
Bradish,  and  the  system  was  in  a  stale  of  such  perfect 
discipline  as  to  merit  universal  approval.  Examina- 
tions were  held  at  certain  periods,  also  exhibitions,  in 
both  of  which  abualaut  evidence  was  furuished  that 
the  cause  of  eJucatioa  was  benefited  and  advanced  as 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


a  result  of  the  labors  emploj^ed  to  that  end.  The 
school  year  was  divided  into  three  terms  closing  in 
March,  July  and  December,  and  each  term  was  begun 
with  an  increased  attendance  of  scholars. 

One  of  the  most  memorable  events  of  the  closing 
year  was  tlie  establishment  of  the  electric  telegrai)h  at 
La  Crosse,  by  means  of  which  that  city  was  placed  in 
communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  The  oiSce 
was  established  in  the  second-story  corner  room  of  the 
frame  building  which  then  stood  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Front  streets,  over  the  American  Ex- 
press office,  and  forwarding  agency  of  Webb  &  Rum- 
sej.  Thus  and  then  was  La  Crosse  brouglit  into  elec- 
trical communion  with  the  greater  part  of  New  Jer- 
sey, much  of  America,  and  considerable  of  Europe. 

'  The  holidays  were  nnctiously  celebrated,  if  one  may 
be  permitted  to  coin  an  expression,  and  the  old  year, 
pausing  for  an  instant  upon  the  threshold  of  departure, 
gazed  mournfully  and  gleefully  upon  its  experiences 
and  passed  from  earth  forever.  It  had  witnessed  much 
during  its  career  of  sorrow  and  sunshine  ;  joys  and 
sorrows  had  been  linked  in  its  embrace,  and  in  its  arms 
had  nestled  friends  and  foes.  The  dreams  of  ambition 
had  been  realized  to  its  view,  and  faded  flowers  had 
been  dropped  into  the  grave  of  forgetfulness.  During 
its  race  with  humanity,  prattling  infancy,  buoyant 
youth,  vigorous  manhood  and  decrepit  age,  had  come 
in  the  pride  of  their  strength  and  yielded  up  their  lives 
a  sacrifice  to  death.  The  child  from  its  mother  had 
parted  to  accompany  the  rider  on  the  pale  horse,  and 
the  bride,  who  iiad  gone  out  hopeful  and  beautiful  as 
the  first  blush  of  the  morning,  returned  no  more.  The 
career  of  1858  was  replete  with  trials  to  the  sons  of 
men  gathered  on  the  banks  of  the  Father  of  Waters  ; 
but  time  was  not  altogether  harsh,  for  much  that 
molded  the  happiness  of  life  in  La  Crosse  in  after  years, 
was  dropped  with  no  unsparing  hand,  and  was  anchored 
in  the  memory  of  days  now  gone. 

The  new  year  was  greeted  as  he  made  his  bow  to 
the  millions  whose  destiny  he  bore  "  behind  the  curtain 
of  futurity,"  and  as  he  grew  in  strength  and  days,  the 
history  of  the  Gateway  City  was  celebrated. 

The  history  of  La  Ci'osse  for  1859,  was  the  dupli- 
cate of  its  history  during  1858.  The  previous  expe- 
rience of  her  citizens  in  periods  of  distress  and  uncer- 
tainties had  taught  them,  and  they  came  forth  from 
their  homes  and  their  work-rooms,  from  their  offices 
and  their  shops,  fully  armed  for  contest  with  the  fu- 
ture, like  Pallas  from  the  brow  of  Jove.  Many  of  the 
old  guard  have  retired  to  that  low  green  tent  whose 
curtain  never  outward  swings,  and,  departing,  left  va- 
cancies that  have  never  since  been  entirely  filled. 
Many  still  remain,  and  they  3'et  remember  the  princi- 
pal events  of  the  period  here  referred  to. 

Early  in  the  year,  the  location  of  the  county  build- 
ings was  determined,  and,  in  February,  the  county 
authorities  contracted  for  the  erection  of  a  jail  to  cost 
$18,000.  The  decisio_  regaiding  the  location  of  tiiese 
buildings  was  a  source  of  relief  to  citizens,  but  of  sor- 
row to  editors.  For  nearly  a  year  the  latter  had  been 
engaged  in  a  warfare  of  words  as  to  the  exact  spot 
upon  which  these  indispensables  should  be  built.  One 
alleged  that  the  other  was  a  member  of  a  band  of  con- 
spirators, whose  designs  were  as  deeply  mysterious  as 


the  deliberations  of  a  traverse  jury,  and  wrapped  up 
therein  were  plots  to  rob  citizens  of  everything  save 
their  good  name  and  reputation,  etc.,  etc.  Respondent 
retorted  with  sarcasms  and  reproofs  against  the  with- 
ering effects  of  which  postponement  seemed  infallible, 
and  both  agreed  that  the  other  should  be  treated  to  the 
fate  of  Guy  Fawkes.  Wlien  the  decision  was  rendered, 
their  ardor  was  temporarily  chilled.  The  flank  move- 
ment of  the  county  officers  proved  a  Waterloo  to  the 
fund  of  arguments  each  reserved  for  his  opponent. 
While  they  were  silenced,  the  people  rejoiced,  and 
the  preparations  for  the  building  were  consummated. 
Work  was  commenced  tliereon  during  the  Spring,  under 
the  direction  of  A.  W.  Shepard,  the  contractor,  and 
so  assiduously  were  the  labors  prosecuted  that  its 
couipletion  and  occupation  were  reached  on  the  12th  of 
the  following  November,  the  lower  portion  being  used 
for  jail  purposes  and  the  second  story  for  county  offices. 

Navigation  opened  this  year  on  St.  Patrick's  day, 
the  17th  of  March,  and  interest  in  this  event  was  di- 
vided with  that  experienced  in  regard  to  the  election 
of  city  officers.  The  campaign,  though  brief,  was 
sharp  and  decided.  The  candidates  of  neither  party 
equaled  the  requirements  of  the  occasion,  it  is  said, 
and,  in  this  crisis  of  affairs,  a  third  or  independent 
candidate  in  the  person  of  the  Hon.  James  I.  Lyndes, 
a  prominent  laM'yer,  and  serving  as  County  Judge  at 
the  time  of  his  nomination  to  the  Mayoralty.  He  re- 
signed the  latter  and  entered  into  the  contest  with  such 
ardor  that  liis  election  was  conceded,  and  following, 
his  induction  into  office  was  accomplished  as  provided 
by  law. 

The  Hon.  S.  S.  Burton  was  appointed  to  the  va- 
cancy created  on  the  bench  by  the  retirement  of  Judge 
Lyndes,  and  discharged  the  trust  to  which  he  was 
accredited  with  fidelity,  judgment  and  economy. 

Li  Ma}',  the  German  Lutheran  Church  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Cass  and  Fifth  streets  was  consecrated, 
and  its  construction  was  in  keeping  with  the  times. 
This  year,  the  improvements  were  general  and  of  a 
superior  order.  Business  being  good,  added  an  impe- 
tus to  all  degrees  of  enterprise  in  which  the  erection 
of  blocks,  residences  and  buildings  for  public  uses  was 
generall}-  indulged.  The  season  was  unprecedentedly 
cold  and  unpleasant — so  much  so  as  to  cause  some 
sickness  and  delay  agriculture.  As  an  incident  of  the 
eccentric  weather,  it  may  be  stated  that  on  the  Fourth 
of  July  picknickers  were  obliged  to  build  fires  in  tlie 
woods  where  they  gathered  to  keep  themselves  warm. 
Li  June  of  tliis  year,  occurred  the  death  of  Mr. 
Henry  Whitnej',  and  one  who  is  to-day  remembered  as 
the  finest  representative  and  type  of  the  "old  school 
of  gentlemen"  who  had  ever  resided  in  the  city  was 
removed  from  the  social  forces  of  La  Crosse.  He  was 
a  native  of  Westfield,  Mass.,  and  after  residing  in 
Southeastern  Wisconsin  for  several  years,  came  with 
his  family  to  La  Crosse. 

Mr.  Whitney  regarded  it  as  a  privilege  for  which 
he  was  grateful  that  he  had  lived  at  a  time  when  such 
a  man  as  the  immortal  Daniel  Webster  was  on  earth. 
On  one  occasion,  some  )"oung  friend  respectfulh'  ad- 
dressed him  as  a  venerable  gentleman,  and  inquired  at 
what  stage  of  life  he  had  experienced  the  most  happi- 
ness.    His  answer  was,  "The  present."     His  ■well-or- 


HISTORY    OF    LA   CROSSE    COUNTY. 


495 


dered  life  enabled  him  to  so  reply.  Mrs.  Whitney,  a 
native  of  Derby,  Conn.,  who  was  a  lady  of  mucli  re- 
finement, survived  her  husband  until  March  9,  1870. 
Of  the  family,  four  sons  and  two  daugliters  are  livinsf. 
Of  the  latter,  the  Rev.  Mrs.  Hayes  (formerly  Mrs.  F. 
M.  Rublee)  resides  at  West  Salem  and  Mrs.  Walter 
Brown  in  La  Crosse. 

On  the  9tii  of  August  occurred  the  tragic  death  of 
Mr.  William  Denison,  a  prominent  member  of  the  La 
Crosse  Bar,  wlio  was  killed  on  the  Kneifelfarmin  Mor- 
mon Cooley  under  the  following  circumstances:  It 
appears  that  Mr.  Denison,  who  was  extremely  foud  of 
the  sports  of  field  and  turf,  was  also  an  ardent  admirer 
of  Izaak  Walton  and  tlie  pastime  of  that  historic  celeb- 
rity. Accomj^anied  by  J.  R.  West,  who  was  visiting 
in  La  Crosse,  Mr.  Denison  visited  the  Cooley  and  cast 
his  line  into  a  stream  wliich  passed  through  the  farm 
of  Jacob  Kneifel.  The  latter  was  a  recent  importa- 
tion, and  was  informed  by  his  acquaintances — espe- 
cially a  German  Justice  of  the  Peace,  residing  in  the 
neighborhood — that  he  was  legally  authorized  to  resent 
the  intrusion  of  any  stranger  ujion  his  lands,  if  need 
be,  with  force  and  arms. 

Wlien  Mr.  Denison  was  discovered  fishing  upon  the 
Kneifel  territory,  the  old  man,  followed  by  his  wife, 
three  sons,  Martin,  Franz  and  Thomas,  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Agnes  and  Mary,  armed  themselves  with  guns 
and  clubs,  and  approacliing  the  alleged  trespasser  or- 
dered him  off.  This  Mr.  Denison  declined  to  consid- 
er, but  crossing  to  where  the  family  was  gathered  of- 
fered to  pay  them  for  the  privilege  he  sought.  During 
the  colloquy,  one  of  the  girls  raised  a  hop-pole  to 
strike  the  victim,  who  witnessed  lier  movements  and 
caught  the  blow  in  its  descent.  At  that  moment, 
Martin  Kneifel  struck  Mr.  Denison  across  the  side  of 
the  head,  crushing  in  the  skull,  and  severing  the  menin- 
geal artery.  The  unfortunate  man  was  stricken  to 
the  earth,  and  his  assassins  witnessing  the  eftect  of 
their  wicked  assault,  sought  safety  in  flight.  A  crowd 
soon  collected,  and  the  dying  man  was  removed  to  tlie 
house  of  a  farmer  named  Capstack,  where  he  was  at- 
tended by  Dr.  McArtiiur ;  but,  notwithstanding  the 
application  of  every  device  known  to  the  science  of 
surgery,  he  survived  the  blow  but  thirty  hours. 

His  remains  were  brouglit  to  the  city,  where  the  ex- 
citement upon  his  tragic  death  was  extended  and  vio- 
lent, and  buried,  while  the  Kneifel  family  were  arrest- 
ed and  lodged  in  jail. 

They  were  jointly  indicted  and  arraigned  before 
Judge  Gale  at  the  November  term,  1859,  of  the  Cir- 
cuit Court,  at  which  Messrs.  Lyndes  &  Losey  and  A. 
Cameron  appeared  for  the  State,  the  defense  being 
conducted  by  E.  F.  Cook  and  C.  K.  Lord. 

Tlie  defense  moved  for  a  separate  trial  and  change 
of  Venue  for  Martin  Kneifel  to  Juneau  County,  which 
was  refused,  but  decided  to  send  the  prisoner  to  Ju- 
neau County  for  trial. 

Accordingly,  when  the  case  was  reached  on  the 
docket  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  that  count}',  the  accused, 
except  Martin  Kneifel  appeared  and  objected  to  the 
order  of  Judge  Gale  directing  a  change  of  venue. 
Counsel  protested  tliat  they  had  sought  no  such  order 
for  an}'  of  the  defendants  save  Martin  Kneifel,  and 
were  not  bound  by  its  issue.     Judge  Gale  decided  that 


he  possessed  no  jurisdiction  in  the  premises,  except  to 
the  trial  of  Martin  Kneifel,  and  ordering  that  to  pro- 
ceed, directed  the  return  to  La  Crosse  of  his  accom- 
plices. 

The  trial  of  the  principal  resulted  in  his  conviction 
for  manslaughter,  and  sentence  to  Waupun  for  seven 
years.  He  served  four  years,  when  he  was  pardoned 
out  and  returned  to  La  Crosse. 

Some  years  after,  meeting  Mr.  W.  S.  Burroughs,  a 
lawyer  of  La  Crosse,  and  a  relative  of  the  murdered 
man,  Martin  stated  to  him  that  he  had  no  intention  of 
committing  murder,  but  that  he  acted  from  a  misap- 
prehension of  the  facts  and  his  rights.  He  added  that 
he  was  about  to  erect  a  stone  on  the  spot  where  tlie 
crime  was  committed,  and  then  leave  the  country. 
This  he  did,  having  placed  a  monument,  so  to  speak, 
on  the  ground  in  sight  of  which  the  unfortunate  gentle- 
man received  his  death  blow ;  he  left  the  vicinity,  and 
has  never  since  been  heard  from. 

When  the  family  were  remitted  to  La  Crosse  County 
for  trial.  Judge  Gale  decided  that  he  was  without  ju- 
risdiction to  adjudicate  the  facts,  which  he  reported  to 
the  Supreme  Court,  with  an  inquiry  as  to  whether  the 
Circuit  Court  had  jurisdiction  to  try  them.  That  tri- 
bunal held  that  it  could  take  no  cognizance  of  questions 
brought  before  it  in  that  manner,  and  the  prisoners 
were  released  from  custody. 

Mr.  Denison  was  in  many  respects  a  remarkable 
man.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  but  settled 
in  Neenah,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law, 
remaining  until  the  California  fever  of  184:9,  when  he 
joined  a  party  to  journey  thither.  The  adventurers 
encountered  the  most  terrible  experience,  and  all 
turned  baclc  at  various  stages  of  the  route,  but  Denison, 
who  sacrificed  everything  he  had  taken  with  him  on 
the  start,  and  landed  in  San  Francisco  shoeless  and 
penniless.  Here  he  remained  until  a  fortune  was  ac- 
quired, when  he  returned  to  La  Crosse,  where  he  re- 
sided to  the  day  of  his  death.  He  was  a  prominent 
lawj-er,  an  able  member  of  the  firm  of  Denison  & 
Lyndes,  and  extensively  known  throughout  the  State. 
His  manner  of  conducting  any  business  in  hand  was 
not  of  a  conciliatory  nature,  it  is  said.  In  court,  as 
elsewliere,  he  was  aggressive  and  unyielding.  He  was 
slain  without  reason.  It  was  a  lamentable  event,  from 
which  time  has  scarcely  succeeded  in  dispelling  as- 
perities. 

This  year,  though  still  exhibiting  signs  ot  depres- 
sion in  nearly  all  the  departments  of  commercial  and 
financi.al  progress  and  prosperity,  opened  auspiciously, 
when  tlie  great  strain  experienced  by  the  people  in 
the  preceding  two  years  is  considered.  Business  re- 
vived;  the  Hon.  Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  published  a  notice 
that  he  was  principal  owner  of  the  La  Crosse  and  La 
Crescent  Bank,  and  would  redeem  its  circulation,  and 
on  November  10,  occurred  tlie  celebration  of  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  Schiller's  birthday.  Enter- 
prises did  not  venture  into  existence  witli  unlimited 
confidence  in  the  results,  and,  to  borrow  from  the 
syllabus  of  an  orator  of  the  times,  it  was  "hard  sledg- 
ing." But  in  time,  migration  began  to  resume  a 
shadow  of  its  former  importance,  and  tiie  railroads, 
with  extended  facilities,  to  attract  the  trade  of  a  greater 
extent  of  territory,  roused  business  men  and  infused 


49<5 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


new  energies  into  corporations  that  had  become  almost 
lifeless  from  inactivity  and  embarrassments.  Tlie  city, 
within  a  few  short  years,  bes^an  to  assume  tlie  appear- 
ance of  a  metropolis,  in  the  business  blocks,  halls, 
churches  and  other  edifices  that  were  slowly  completed 
with  the  bef^inning  of  the  succeeding  decade.  All 
things  considered,  the  fate  of  La  Crosse,  previously 
held  in  the  balance,  possibly  inclined  in  favor  of  a  pros- 
perity that  has  long  since  been  realized. 

In  the  decade  commencing  with  1860,  the  whole 
country  was  convulsed  by  war  between  the  States; 
and,  while  this  portion  of  the  Union,  being  remote  from 
the  scene  of  active  hostilities,  was  not  so  sensibly  affect- 
ed as  the  States  in  immediate  proximity,  or  at  a  short 
distance  therefrom,  the  withdrawal  of  a  generous  por- 
tion of  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  city  and  county  was 
a  sacrifice  at  the  expense  of  the  material  prosperity. 
The  population  of  the  city  was  then  upward  of  7,000, 
and  but  little  reflection  is  necessary  to  an  appreciation 
of  the  effect  on  trade,  commerce,  agriculture  and  man- 
ufactures entailed  by  requisitions  made  on  its  quota  of 
troops  made  by  the  Government. 

As  elsewhere,  citizens  of  Southern  politics  and  sym- 
pathies, resided  in  La  Crosse,  and  while  all  urged  the 
enforcement  of  the  laws  and  maintenance  of  the  Union, 
there  were  many  who  differed  honestly  as  to  the  means 
to  be  employed  in  that  behalf.  While  repudiating  the 
practical  application  of  the  resolutions  of  1798,  they 
insisted  that  violations  of  the  Constitution  defeated  the 
objects  sought  to  be  gained.  One  class  labored  for  the 
Constitution  and  Union,  anotlier  for  the  Union  with 
or  without  the  Constitution.  This  division  of  senti- 
ment caused  interminable  disputations,  which  were 
characterized  by  intense  feeling  on  both  sides,  not  alto- 
gether obliterated  by  the  lapse  of  3'ears. 

For  nearly  a  year  after  the  war,  business  is  said  to 
have  been  the  reverse  of  brisk.  It  was  the  calm  that 
succeeds  the  storm.  At  the  expiration  of  that  period, 
the  city  again  grew  rapidly.  Trade  was  extended  to 
remote  settlements  in  Minnesota  and  the  Territories ; 
manufactures  increased  ;  public  and  private  improve- 
ments began  to  become  prominent  in  various  portions 
of  the  city  ;  additional  schools  were  provided  for  the 
education  of  youth  ;  new  religious  and  secular  societies 
were  organized ;  agricultural  interests  prospered  and 
increased,  and  mercantile  ventures  were  vastly  bene- 
fited ;  new  railroads  were  incorporated,  projected  and 
built  during  this  decade ;  the  bridge  and  internal  im- 
provements of  immense  value  were  mooted  and  pro- 
vided for.  As  the  years  succeeded  one  another  times 
became  better  and  better,  and,  before  tiie  dawn  of  the 
centennial  decade,  steady  progress,  witii  every  appear- 
ance of  ultimate  success,  was  made  in  the  departments 
e.ssential  to  municipal,  public  and  private  growth,  not- 
withstanding the  temporary  paralysis  of  business  caused 
by  Black  Friday.  The  year  1870  gave  bright  promise 
for  the  future,  and  the  career  to  whicii  this  was  the  in- 
troductory annual  has  not  entirely  failed  of  a  complete 
fruition  of  such  promise.  Hard  times  have  affected  La 
Crosse  as  they  did  otlier  points.  The  failure  of  .Jay 
Cooke,  followed  by  the  panic  of  1873,  left  its  mark 
throughout  the  Northwest. 


THE   PRESS. 

La  Croise  has  had  abundant  opportunities  to  test 
the  value  of  newspapers  as  aids  in  building  up  a  busi- 
ness center  ;  and,  as  a  general  thing,  its  citizens  have 
always  manifested  a  liberal  spirit  or  purpose  toward  the 
various  journalistic  enterprises  that  have  been  inaugu- 
rated in  their  midst.  It  must  be  truthfully  said  that 
in  dispensing  their  patronage  to  the  press,  the  citizens 
of  La  Crosse  have  been  tolerant  and  magnanimous,  as 
they  have  been  reasonably  generous  to  journals  of  all 
parties.  It  may  be  difficult  to  correctly  estimate  the 
advantages  derived  by  La  Crosse,  in  a  business  point  of 
view,  from  the  influence  of  the  press,  which  at  various 
times  has  called  into  requisition  respectable,  if  not  em- 
inent, talent  in  the  advocacy  of  local  interests,  which 
have  luid  a  tendency  to  inspire  its  citizens,  as  well  as 
friends,  far  and  near,  with  hope  and  confidence  in  its 
prosperity. 

In  every  community  there  are  shriveled  souls,  whose 
participation  in  the  benefits  of  enterprises  is  greater 
than  tiieir  efforts  to  promote  the  public  welfare.  These 
are  the  men  w!io  will  never  subscribe  for  a  newspaper, 
but  will  always  be  on  the  alert  to  secure,  gratuitoush% 
the  first  perusal  of  their  neighbor's  paper.  These  are 
the  croakers,  who  predict  evil,  and  disparage  enter- 
prise. But,  with  very  few  exceptions.  La  Crosse  has 
never  been  afflicted  with  such  drones.  On  the  con- 
trary, as  patrons  of  the  press.  La  Crosse  citizens  have 
established  a  good  name.  As  records  of  current  hist- 
ory, the  local  press  should  be  preserved  by  city  and 
county  governments  in  their  archives  for  reference. 
But  even  now,  it  is  difficult  or  impossible  to  find  any 
complete  files  of  the  press  of  La  Crosse.  There  should 
be  some  means  devised  by  which  press  records  might 
be  preserved  and  made  accessible,  as  part  and  parcel 
of  tlie  current  history  of  the  times.  Still,  by  diligent 
search  and  much  inquiry,  enoug-h  data  has  been  gleaned 
to  supply  a  tolerably  accurate  record  of  the  city  press , 
but  if  any  inaccuracies  or  omissions  are  noticeable, 
they  may  be  attributed  to  the  absence  of  completeness 
in  the  files. 

Nearly  all  of  the  issues  of  the  first  newspaper  pub- 
lished in  La  Crosse,  the  Spirit  of  the  Times,  have  been 
scattered  and  lost.  Several  years'  files  of  the  second 
newspaper  established  here,  the  Democrat,  have  been 
removed  from  the  State.  The  files  for  five  or  six  years 
of  the  third  newspaper  instituted  here,  the  Republican, 
were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1861.  The  presence  of  citi- 
zens who  have  been  familiar  with  the  history  of  La 
Crosse  journalism,  and  the  existence  of  many  volumes 
of  these  publications,  enable  us  to  give  not  onl}'  a  fair 
sketch  of  the  journals,  editors  and  publishers  of  tiiis 
city,  but  also  to  reproduce  some  items  of  local  inci- 
dents which  the  older  settlers  will  verify,  and  which 
new-comers  will  peruse  with  interest.  So,  in  order  to 
impart  value  to  this  department,  a  feature  of  La 
Crosse  history,  we  will  endeavor  to  call  up  recollec- 
tions of  occurrences  whicii  will  cause  man}'  of  the 
older  settlers  to  sa}',  "  that's  so ;"  while  some  of  tlie 
more  recent  comers  will  confess  that  La  Crosse  pio- 
neers were  a  lively  lot  of  delegates. 

The  Spirit  of  the  Times,  under  the  proprietorship  and 


HISTORY    OF    LA    CROSSE   COUNTY. 


497 


management  of  Messrs.  P.  A.  &  A.  D.  La  Due,  in  1852, 
was  tlie  jiioneer  enterprise  in  La  Crosse  journalism. 
Their  hand  press,  t3'pe  and  small  stock  of  materials  for 
a  newspaper  and  printing  office  were  brought  hither 
from  Prairie  du  Chien.  It  was  a  small  paper  and  ably 
edited  in  the  interest  of  Mr.  A.  D.  La  Due  and  his 
friends  in  the  Democratic  party.  Its  proprietors  and 
patrons  had  various  purposes  in  establishing  the  Times, 
and  it  soon  became  evident  that  a  conflict  was  inevit- 
able. The  village  of  La  Crosse  was  very  small,  but 
the  county,  as  then  organized,  was  very  large.  Tiie 
Assembly  District  in  which  was  La  Crosse,  in  1851 
and  1852,  reached  from  the  Wisconsin  River  to  the 
valley  of  the  Chippewa,  and  included  Black  River. 
This  Senatorial  District  was  larger  than  our  present 
Congressional  District.  Thus,  while  the  land  owners 
of  La  Crosse  Village  desired  a  journal  that  could  keep 
the  attractions  of  this  locality  prominently  before  the 
people  far  and  near,  this  large  tract  of  country  em- 
braced a  good  many  bright  and  ambitious  men,  who 
had  aspirations  for  political  and  legislative  honors.  It 
does  not  appear  tliat  the  Times  filled  the  bill  as  a  sat- 
isfactory exponent  of  local  business  enterprise ;  but 
there  is  no  doubt  it  kept  Mr.  A.  D.  La  Due's  claims 
for  political  honors  prominently  in  view,  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  his  enemies. 

Hon.  Albert  D.  La  Due  came  to  La  Crosse  from 
Eastern  Wisconsin :  he  was  a  man  of  no  ordinary 
ability.  He  had  little  or  no  property  to  back  his  efforts 
in  maintaining  a  position  of  influence  in  his  party  and 
in  the  community ;  but  his  talents  as  a  writer  and  as  a 
political  manager  called  into  requisition  a  powerful  com- 
bination of  ambitious  and  influential  men  to  keep  him 
in  check.  He  had  been  in  the  Wisconsin  Assembly  of 
1851  from  Sheboygan,  and  succeeded  in  being  elected 
in  1852,  to  represent  the  counties  of  La  Crosse  and 
Chippewa  in  the  Assembly  of  1853,- after  having  en- 
countered and  overthrown  the  combined  opposition  of 
many  able  antagonists,  including  such  men  as  County 
Judge,  subsequently  Circuit  Judge,  Hon.  George  Gale, 
who  had  removed  to  La  Crosse  from  Walworth  County, 
which  he  had  represented  in  the  Second  Constitutional 
Convention,  which  framed  the  Constitution  of  Wiscon- 
sin in  1847-48,  and  also  in  the  State  Senate  in  the  years 
1850-51  ;  Mr.  Francis  M.  Rublee,  who  came  to  La 
Crosse  in  1851,  from  Eastern  Wisconsin,  and  had  been 
Sergeant-at-Arms  in  the  Territorial  Legislative  Assem- 
bly of  1840-41 ;  Hon.  William  T.  Price,  who  had  rep- 
resented the  counties  of  Crawford  and  Chippewa  in  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  1851  ;  Col.  Chase  A.  Stevens, 
who  represented  the  counties  of  La  Crosse,  Buffalo  and 
Chippewa  in  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  1855,  and 
other  prominent  citizens  who  did  not  relish  the  onward 
march  of  Editor  La  Due,  who  was  backed  by  such  in- 
fluential men  as  Col.  Thomas  B.  Stoddard,  subsequently 
the  flrst  Mayor  of  La  Crosse  ;  Dr.  William  J.  Gibson, 
who  represented  this  Senatorial  District  in  the  Leg- 
islatures of  1855  and  1856,  and  many  other  gentle- 
men of  influence  and  ability,  who  co-operated  with  La 
Due. 

No  one  called  another  a  carpet-bagger  in  those  days, 

for   they    were   all   carpet-baggers.     But    there    were 

bright,  sharp,  energetic  and  plucky  men  among  those 

La  Crosse  pioneers  ;  and  any  adventurer  who  encount- 

3i 


ered  this  crowd  of  vigilant  citizens,  and  mistook  them 
for  unsophisticated  "  flats,"  would  soon  discover  the 
mistake  ;  for  he  would  not  be  long  at  work  before  he 
would  find  they  were  abundantly  able  to  stand  their 
hand  in  any  contest  that  tested  manhood. 

By  reference  to  Mv.  La  Due's  address  to  the  electors 
of  this  large  Assembly  District,  in  1852,  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  the  campaign  was  conducted  with 
considerable  bitterness.  He  was  accused  by  Judge 
Gale  of  violating  a  written  pledge  about  his  action  as 
to  supporting  j\Ir.  W.  T.  Price  for  the  State  Senate, 
notwitiistanding  JMr.  La  Due's  declared  preference  for 
Dr.  Gibson  for  Senator ;  and  the  result  showed  that  a 
man  from  the  south  end  of  the  district,  Mr.  Sterling, 
won  the  prize.  La  Due  cautioned  Democrats  to  "be- 
ware of  split  tickets,"  as  i\Ir.  C.  A.  Stevens  was  circu- 
lating Democratic  tickets,  with  the  name  of  Mr.  George 
Farnum,  the  Wiiig  nominee,  in  place  of  Mr.  La  Due, 
for  Assemblyman.  At  the  very  outset  of  a  truthful 
and  candid  statement  regarding  the  press  of  La  Crosse, 
the  fact  cannot  be  concealed  that,  here  as  elsewhere,  it 
is  diflicult  to  determine  to  what  extent  or  degree  the 
proverbial  industry,  civility,  docility  and  amiability  of 
the  average  editor  or  publislier  of  a  newspaper  are  at- 
tributable to  the  salutary  restraints  that  are  thrown 
around  him  by  that  blessing  in  disguise — a  chattel 
mortgage.  JMr.  La  Due  set  the  fashion  in  La  Crosse, 
or  brought  it  hither ;  and  if  his  successors,  heirs  and 
assigns  in  journalism  have  not  all  followed  his  example 
in  this  respect,  the  exceptions  have  been  so  few,  and 
the  violations  so  void  of  flagrancy,  as  to  entitle  those 
who  have  departed  from  Mr.  La  Due's  example  to 
lenient  treatment. 

A  chattel  mortgage  may  be  a  spur  to  vigilance  and 
industry,  and  perhaps  prevents  a  newspaper  from  be- 
coming arrogant,  saucy,  overbearing  and  dictatorial; 
but  it  is  an  awkward  and  troublesome  encumbrance  for 
a  poor  editor  or  publisher  to  carry,  wlien  he  has  foes 
who  are  on  the  alert  to  become  his  creditors  long 
enough  to  foreclose  the  mortgage  and  strip  him  of  his 
type  and  press.  In  thousands  of  cases,  political  vul- 
tures have  prowled  around  to  find  some  poor  fellow 
who  is  struggling  for  existence  in  a  printing  or  news- 
paper ofiSce,  and  demanded  his  servility  or  hurled  him 
to  ruin.  Mr.  La  Due's  Spirit  of  the  Times  was  squelched 
by  the  forecl(;sure  of  the  chattel  mortgage  within  a 
year  from  its  commencement.  The  late  of  interest,  or 
usury,  in  those  days,  on  land  entries  and  nearly  all 
loans  in  the  West,  ranged  from  three  to  five  per  cent, 
a  month,  three  per  cent,  a  month  having  been  regarded 
a  moderate  rate  of  usury  on  ample  security.  This 
mortgage  was  a  small  sum  for  a  political  and  local 
organ  of  its  importance. 

M.  W.  W.  Ustick,  who  was  in  no  way  identified 
with  the  contending  forces,  except  as  a  compositor  on 
the  Spirit  of  the  2 ivies,  accideniixWy  became  the  pur- 
chaser on  a  bid  that  he  regarded  safe,  and  which  he 
supposed  would  be  raised  by  the  other  bidders,  and 
sold  the  property  to  Col.  Chase  A.  Stevens,  who  found 
journalism  "  a  hard  road  to  travel."  Before  he  obtained 
possession  or  use  of  his  printing  materials,  some  por- 
tions of  the  type  and  press  suddenly  disappeared,  and 
are  supposed  to  be  yet  in  the  bottom  of  the  Mississippi. 
Truth  permits  the  statement  that  this  was  probably 


498 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  only  press  in  La  Crosse  that  ever  took  strongly  to 
water.  Mr.  La  Due,  who  had  also  held  the  office  of 
Town  Superintendent,  left  La  Crosse  for  Minnesota  in 
18">7,  and  became  engaged  in  land  business  that  yiehled 
liim  better  revenues  than  he  derived  from  the  Spirit  of 
the  Times,  which  ceased  early  in  1853.  Mr.  La  Due's 
residence  in  La  Crosse  is  now  occupied  and  owned  by 
Hon.  John  M.  Levy,  on  South  Fourth  street,  between 
Germania  Hall  and  the  dwelling  of  Messrs.  C.  &  J. 
Michel.  Mrs.  La  Due  died  at  Wells,  Minn.,  in  the 
Autumn  of  1880.     Mr.  La  Due  is  yet  in  Minneaota. 

The  La  Crosse  Democrat. — Col.  Chase  A.  Stevens  re- 
I)lenished  his  printing-office,  and  secured  in  Madison,  a 
partner  and  practical  printer,Wm.  C.  Rogers,  who  had 
been  trained  to  the  printing  business  and  political 
journalism  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  under  the  examples,  in- 
spiration and  discipline  of  the  two  jDolitical  newspaper 
giants  of  those  times,  Thurlow  Weed,  of  the  Albany 
Evening  Journal,  and  Mr.  Croswell,  of  the  Albany  Ar- 
gus. Col.  Stevens  was  a  Democrat,  and  Mr.  Rogers 
was  a  Whig.  The  La  Crosse  Democrat,  edited  by  C. 
A.  Stevens,  and  published  by  Stevens  &  Rogers,  com- 
menced May  1,  1853.  Those  were  eventful  and  stir- 
ring times  in  the  history  of  La  Crosse.  The  pioneers 
were  hopeful,  enterprising  and  persevering.  Strangers 
were  welcomed  as  long-lost  brothers.  Everybody  who 
arrived  was  cordially  embraced  by  the  residents  as  if 
he  were  just  the  person  they  were  waiting  for  to  send 
to  Congress,  or  to  become  Governor.  It  is  not  easy 
for  those  who  never  witnessed  the  process  of  starting 
a  city  to  comprehend  the  watchfulness  and  attentions 
of  its  founders  in  regard  to  visitors,  explorers  and  new- 
comers in  search  of  homes  in  a  locality  which  gives 
the  best  promise  of  growth  and  prosperity.  La  Crosse 
was  remarkably  fortunate  in  this  respect,  as  it  fell  into 
the  hands  of  bright,  prompt,  active,  resolute  men  of 
hope,  nerve  and  energy,  and  if  they  made  vivid  and 
gorgeous  pictures  of  future  greatness  for  this  city, 
they  certainly  did  their  utmost  to  achieve  success,  and 
have  their  favorable  predictions  verified.  John  M. 
Levy's  cordial  welcome  to  La  Crosse  made  strangers 
feel  that  they  had  found  a  father,  who  would  adopt 
them  as  his  children,  and  those  pleasant  greetings  were 
invariably  accompanied  by  substantial  tokens  of  genu- 
ine friendship.  "Scoots"  Miller,  from  Skaneateles,N. 
Y.,  with  his  inexiiaustible  fund  of  wit  and  humor,  was 
more  entertaining  than  a  circus.  Francis  M.  Rublee, 
who  came  to  La  Crosse  in  April,  1851,  when  there 
were  only  five  families  here,  had  no  equal  in  setting 
forth  the  glorious  prospects  of  the  "  Gateway  City.'' 
He  was  a  valuable  friend  of  La  Crosse,  iis  he  was  ever- 
lastingly engaged  in  business  enterprises  of  various 
kinds,  and  inspired  ail  who  came  in  contact  with  him 
with  hope  and  courage,  and  was  determined  this  should 
be  a  great  railroad  center  and  commercial  metropolis. 
Lieut.  Gov.  Timothy  Burns,  Judge  George  Gale,  Col. 
C.  A.  Stevens,  Deacon  S.  T.  Smith,  Revs.  J.  C.  Siier- 
win  and  W.  H.  Card,  were  among  the  vigorous  starters 
of  La  Crosse.  With  the  incoming  of  such  elements 
for  building  up  society  and  business,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing the  rapid  progress  of  settlement  in  La  Crosse  dur- 
ing the  years  1852-53-54,  sliould  have  ushered  into 
existence  newspaper  improvements  in  keejiing  with 
the  growing  resources  and  demands  of  an  ambitious 


and  progressive  community.  The  La  Crosse  Democrat, 
although  lacking  the  support  received  by  its  succes- 
sors, was  an  improvement  upon  its  predecessor;  but 
it  was  not  a  bonanza  for  its  owners,  who,  after  a  year  of 
unprofitable  experience  in  journalism,  gladly  retired 
from  the  field  of  newspaper  strife  early  in  1854,  after 
doing  valiant  service  for  the  Democratic  party,  and 
making  La  Crosse  favorably  known  throughout  the 
country. 

A  perusal  of  the  issues  of  this  paper,  during  the 
year  of  its  publication — 1853-54 — by  Messrs.  Stevens 
&  Rogers,  leaves  a  favorable  impression  of  its  ability 
and  usefulness.  Let  us  glance  at  some  of  its  contents. 
Here  is  a  choice  item : 

Married.— In  this  village,  July  2i,  1S53,  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Card,  Mr. 
Mons  Anderson  to  Miss  Jane  Halverson,  both  of  La  Crosse. 

Timber  Thieves. — From  an  article  a  column  and  a  half  long,  in  re- 
ply to  one  from  the  Minnesotian,  the  Democrat  seems  to  have  been 
favorable  to  the  timber  thieves,  and  quotes  the  report  of  Capt.  Estes, 
United  States  Superintendent  of  Public  Lands  for  Wisconsin,  to  the  effect 
that  ■■  the  interests  of  the  whole  Northwest  were  so  intimately  blended 
with  the  lumber  interests,  that  to  enforce,  to  the  full  extent,  his  authority 
and  the  present  laws,  according  to  the  old  construction  of  them,  would 
ruin  hundreds  of  our  best  and  most  enterprising  citizens,  and  destroy,  in 
many  instances,  the  growth  of  our  most  flourishing  settlements — sound, 
judicious  and  discreet." 

R.'ilLROAD. — Levi  Burnell,  secretary  of  the  La  Crosse  &  Milwaukee 
Railroad  Company,  under  date  of  Milwaukee,  July  7,  1S53,  called  in  the 
second  installment  of  $5  per  share  from  the  stockholders.  Judge  Gale 
was  also  announced  to  canvass  the  upper  country  for  stock  subscriptions. 

Mail  Stage. — Announcement  was  made  in  issue  of  August  23, 1853, 
that  Messrs.  Parish  &  Heart,  have  the  contract  for  carrying  the  mail  be- 
tween La  Crosse  and  Baraboo,  via  Sparta,  once  a  week  each  way  ;  and 
that  they  will  run  a  good  covered  wagon  on  this  route  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  passengers,  with  stages  twice  a  week  between  Baraboo  and 
Madison,  and  between  Baraboo  and  Portage. 

Only  a  few  of  the  eleven  columns  of  advertisers  are 
now  alive  and  doing  business  in  La  Crosse.  Let  us  look 
at  them.  At  the  head  of  the  first  column  on  first  page, 
stands  the  card,  and  on  the  fourth  page  stands  the  ad- 
vertisement, of  the  oldest  druggist  in  La  Crosse,  and  in 
the  Northwest,  our  genial  and  excellent  townsman, 
George  Howard,  on  Front  street,  and  here  also,  as  we 
live,  are  the  advertisements  and  cards  of  our  popular 
and  successful  City  Treasurer,  Geoige  Scharpf,  as  dra- 
per and  tailor,  on  Front  street ;  M.  M.  Manville,  as 
wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  stoves,  tinware,  etc.,  on 
Front  street;  Howard  Cramer,  attorney,  counselor  and 
solicitor,  and  general  land  agent.  Black  River  Falls, 
Jackson  Co.,  Wis. ;  W.  W.  Ustick,  dealer  in  furniture, 
stoves,  groceries,  saws,  etc.,  on  Front  street ;  T.  C. 
Fuhr,  stoves,  etc.,  on  Front  street ;  John  M.  Levy, 
forwarding,  storage  and  commission  merchant,  and 
wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  pork,  flour,  grain,  liquors, 
provisions,  dry  goods,  clothing,  boots  and  shoes,  liard- 
ware,  crockery,  stoneware,  etc.,  etc.,  on  Front  street, 
opposite  his  wharf-boat ;  S.  T.  Smith  &  Co.,  wholesale 
commission  and  forwarding  merchants.  No.  3  Front 
street ;  N.  Hintzen,  groceries,  provisions,  etc..  Front 
street ;  F.  M.  Rublee  &  Co.,  two  columns  of  announce- 
ments of  dry  goods,  groceries,  crockery,  boots  and 
shoes,  etc.,  etc..  No.  2  Front  street ;  C.  C.  Washburn 
and  C.  Woodman,  attorneys  at  law  and  land  agents 
(offering  to  locate  lands  on  credit).  Mineral  Point,  Wis. ; 
and  notice  of  United  States  Land  Office  sale,  over  the 
names  of  Cyrus  K.  Lord,  Register,  and  Theodore 
Rodolf,  Receiver. 

The  year  1854  brought   new  and  greater  demands 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


499 


upon  the  press  of  La  Crosse.  After  the  La  Crosse 
Democrat  was  discontinued  by  Messrs.  Stevens  & 
,  Rogers,  in  the  early  part  of  1854,  arrangements  were 
made  for  the  publication  of  two  newspapers  instead  of 
one.  For  the  greater  part  of  the  previous  year,  the 
Democrat  had  to  perform  double  service ;  as,  besides 
pleading  the  cause  of  the  Democracy  under  the  editor- 
ship of  Col.  Stevens,  a  portion  of  every  issue  was  at 
tlie  disposal  of  Samuel  D.  Hastings  (then  a  resident  of 
La  Crosse,  subsequently  State  Treasurer  from  1858  to 
1866  inclusive,  and  now  a  citizen  of  Madison,  Wis.), 
for  the  advocacy  of  Temperance,  and  a  mild  sort  of 
anti-slavery  Republicanism.  Each  of  the  two  parties 
needed  an  outspoken  and  reliable  party  organ.  Under 
the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Land  OiSces  and 
prominent  members  of  the  Democratic  party,  the  La 
Crosse  National  Democrat,  owned,  edited  and  published 
by  Col.  Theodore  Rodolf  and  Judge  Cyrus  K.  Lord 
(Receiver  and  Register  of  the  United  States  Land 
Office),  commenced  July  6,  1854. 

On  the  11th  of  October,  1854,  Mr.  Fred.  A.  Moore 
bought  Col.  Rodolf's  interest  in  the  National  Democrat ; 
and  Dr.  A.  P.  Blakeslee  bought  Judge  Lord's  half  of 
the  concern  on  December  12,  1855,  after  which,  until 
the  sale  of  his  interest  to  Mr.  C.  P.  S3'kes,  November 
10,  1859,  Dr.  Blakeslee  was  managing  editor,  and 
practically  the  sole  publisher,  as  Mr.  Moore  contrib- 
uted to  the  local  department  of  the  paper  at  pleasure, 
and  left  the  doctor  in  undisputed  control.  Dr.  Blakes- 
lee was  a  sharp  and  pungent  writer,  a  vigorous  speaker, 
a  great  reader,  a  keen  observer,  and  a  terrible  adver- 
sary. He  followed  jthe  political  fortunes  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  Democracy  that  recognized  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  as  leader.  When  storm}-  campaigns  were  in 
progress,  the  National  Democrat  was  "  a  scorcher," 
and  it  was  no  child's  play  to  encounter  the  vigorous 
doctor's  trenchant  pen,  or  withering  speech.  He  could 
both  write  and  talk,  and  any  adversary  who  incurred 
his  displeasure,  felt  admonished  that  the  day  of  awful 
reckoning  had  surely  come.  Those  who  remember 
Mr.  Moore's  peculiar  style  of  journalism  will  not  need 
to  be  reminded  that  local  items  were  his  jewels.  He 
cared  little  or  nothing  about  politics  ;  but  delighted  in 
"happening  around"  when  least  expected,  to  seize 
upon  occurrences  and  incidents  which  would  be  aired, 
sometimes  to  the  deep  chagrin  of  persons  who  little 
thought  he  would  dare  to  publish  the  particulars  of  af- 
fairs that  they  considered  strictly  and  sacredly  private, 
but  which  he  regarded  as  "legal  tender  "  and  public 
property. 

The  La  Crosse  Independent  Republican — This  paper, 
edited  and  published  by  William  C.  Rogers,  com- 
menced August  16,  1854.  It  was  a  thirty-two  col- 
umn weekh'  newspaper,  neatly  pi'inted,  with  new  ma- 
terials, in  the  best  style  of  the  printer's  art,  and  will 
compare  favorably  with  any  newspaper  of  its  size  and 
resources  at  the  present  day.  The  mechanical  execu- 
tion of  the  Independent  Republican  was  perfect.  The 
local  department  of  the  paper  was  fairly  and  fully 
worked  up.  Tlie  general  news  and  miscellany  received 
merited  attention  ;  but  tiie  editorials  of  the  Independ- 
ent Republican  lacked  the  vim,  clearness  and  force 
which  characterized  the  pointed  and  pungent  produc- 
tions of  the  National  Democrat.     It  was,  however,  cus- 


tomary in  those  days  to  enlist  in  editorial  service  such 
persons  as  felt  inspired  to  instruct  the  people  in  regard 
to  political  and  local  affairs  ;  and  thus  both  papers,  al- 
though somewhat  lacking  symmetry  of  purpose,  con- 
trived to  "  tell  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,"  and  some- 
times, perhaps,  more  than  the  truth.  At  any  rate,  it 
is  safe  to  say,  they  maintained  the  freedom  of  the  press 
without  mental  reservation.  Mr.  Rogers'  health  was 
not  robust.  He  was  a  practical  printer,  a  shrewd  poli- 
tician and  a  straight  Whig  Republican  ;  but  he  was  a 
quiet  and  unpretentious  man,  and  did  not  attempt  to 
splurge  in  his  writings  or  business.  He  liad  in  his  of- 
fice, as  foreman  and  assistant  for  several  years,  a  noted 
character,  who  would  attract  the  attention  of  any  mul- 
titude at  a  horse  fair,  ward  caucus  or  world's  conven- 
tion. The  older  residents  of  La  Crosse,  who  were 
here  from  1855  to  1860,  will  just  lay  down  on  the 
grass,  or  carpets,  or  floor,  and  roll  over  with  contagious 
laughter  at  the  mention  of  "  Gov.  Seward's  friend," 
Mr.  Norman  Eastman,  he  with  the  flat  nose  and  slit 
lip. 

Of  the  year  1859,  very  few  newspaper  items  can  be 
gleaned  until  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  when  three 
daily  papers  were  ushered  into  existence.  Without  go- 
ing into  particulars  as  to  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  established,  we  will  refer  to  the  closing  year 
of  the  La  Crosse  Weekly  National  Democrat,  under  tlie 
management  of  Dr.  Blakeslee  and  ownership  of  Messrs. 
Blakeslee  &  Moore,  and  the  closing  year  of  the  La 
Crosse  Weekly  Independent  Republican,  under  the  man- 
agement and  ownership  of  Mr.  W.  C.  Rogers.  Both 
of  these  papers  had  been  ably  conducted,  considering 
the  means  and  patronage  at  command  of  publishers  in 
a  new  and  sparsely  settled  country.  The  character- 
istic features  of  the  two  papers  were  as  distinct  and 
unlike  as  tiieir  publishers.  The  National  Democrat  was 
vigorous  and  stormy  ;  the  Independent  Republican  was 
steady  and  gritty.  Typographically,  Mr.  Rogers'  paper 
kept  the  lead,  while  the  localand  general  news  as  well 
as  the  literary  miscellany  of  the  Republican  had  been 
admirably  and  evenly  maintained  tiiroughout  the  six 
years  of  his  editorial  and  business  management.  Its 
patrons  stood  by  the  Republican  devotedly.  It  seems 
to  have  been  judiciously  and  conscientiousl}'  conduct- 
ed. In  the  meantime,  politics  had  assumed  an  unpre- 
cedentedly  intense  form,  and  the  Republican  party  did 
"carry  the  war  into  Africa"  by  its  determined  resist- 
ance to  the  encroachments  of  the  Pro-slavery  Democ- 
racy. Tiie  Democratic  party  became  divided  by  the 
aggressive  movements  of  the  Republican  party. 

BANKS   AND   BANKING. 

The  Batavian  Bank — Is  the  oldest  existing  banking 
institution  of  the  city.  It  was  organized  in  November, 
1861,  now  over  twenty  years  ago,  under  the  State 
banking  law  of  Wisconsin,  by  Mr.  G.  Van  Steenwyk, 
then  State  Bank  Comptroller,  who  became  its  presi- 
dent, and  lias  ever  since  been  continued  in  the  same 
office.  Mr.  E.  E.  Bentley  has  been  an  employe  of  the 
bank  for  upward  of  fifteen  years,  during  the  last  twelve 
years  as  its  cashier,  and  having  served  in  every  capac- 
ity, has  great  experience  in  the  details  as  well  as  in  the 
general  management  of  the  business  of  the  bank.  The 
bank  has,  during  all  these  eventful  years  of  varying 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


prosperity  .and  disaster,  weathered  all  financial  storms 
unharmed,  and  invariably  eiijo^ved  a  large  share  of  the 
business  patronage  of  the  city  and  surrounding  coun- 
try. It  justly  attributes  its  success  to  careful  admin- 
istration, combining  conservative  management  with  as 
great  liberality  to  its  customers  as  sound  business  prin- 
ciples do  admit.  Its  large  and  prosperous  business  is 
doubtless  the  tribute  which  an  appreciative  community 
pays  to  its  fidelity  to  sound  principles.  During  tlie 
past  years,  it  has  more  than  once  stood  a  bulwark  be- 
tween the  safety  of  the  community  and  commercial 
disaster,  ahva3-s  recognizing  that  it  owes  a  higher  duty 
to  its  patrons  and  the  community  than  to  its  stock- 
holders. Its  principal  owners  have  from  the  organiza- 
tion been  its  managers,  giving  their  personal  attention 
to  its  affairs.  Trained  for  the  business,  with  years  of 
experience,  tlie  bank  slaiuls  by  their  efforts  to-day  with 
unblemished  record  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  extraor- 
din;iry  prosjierity.  It  has  a  capital  of  §50,000  and  a 
surplus  of -SlOjOOO,  wliich  the  managers  stand  ready  to 
increase,  if  at  any  time  the  business  interests  of  the 
city,  in  their  judgment,  demand  it.  Its  deposits  are 
ranging  between  "S!iOO,000  and  S500,000.  Prospering 
as  it  does,  it  hopes  confidently,  following  its  honorable 
and  straightforward  course,  to  continue  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  confidence  experienced  during  so  many 
3'ears,  as  one  of  the  leading  financial  institutions  of  the 
Northwest,  having  been  recognized  as  such  for  many 
years,  not  onl\'  in  this  State  and  countr}',  but  also  in 
Europe,  where  it  has  extensive  and  valuable  connec- 
tions. 

The  La  Crosse  National  Bank. —  Was  established 
and  began  business  January  3,  1877,  with  a  paid-up 
capital  of  $100,000,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  re- 
sponsible monetary  corporations  in  the  State.  Tlie 
bank  pays  no  interest  on  deposits,  deeming  this  policy 
preferable  to  the  declaration  of  much  larger  dividends 
resulting  from  an  increase  of  deposits  bj-  the  payment 
of  interest  thereon,  as  it  renders  the  bank  much 
stronger,  and  absolutely  safe  in  case  of  panic.  Less 
hazard  and  less  profits  is  tlie  motto  of  the  directors ; 
security  to  depositors  their  aim.  The  bank  has  now 
about  '$20,000  in  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  and  is 
doing  a  i)rosperous  and  increasing  business.  The  pres- 
ent officers  are  :  G.  C.  Hixon,  president ;  G.  R.  Mon- 
tague, vice  president ;  S.  S.  Burton,  cashier;  G.  C. 
Hixon,  B.  B.  Healy,  G.  R.  Montague,  George  Edwards, 
Charles  Michel,  John  Pamferm  and  S.  S.  Burton,  di- 
rectors— all  being  residents  of  La  Crosse,  not  borrowers 
of  money,  and  representing  a  capital  estimated  at 
il,000,000. 

Holley  <f'  Borreson. — The  banking  house  of  Holley 
&  Bori-eson,  establisiied  Jul}',  1879,  is  composed  of 
John  M.  Holley  and  Emil  N.  Borreson.  Besides  tran- 
sacting a  general  banking  business,  the  house  effects 
first  class  fire  insurance,  and  sells  passage  tickets  to 
and  from  all  parts  of  Europe,  in  which  latter  depart- 
ment they  iiavc  already  built  up  one  of  the  most 
fiourishiig  and  reliable  agencies  in  the  Northwest. 
Both  members  of  the  firm  are  in  tiie  prime  and  vigor 
of  life,  and  by  energy,  prudence  and  sterling  integrity, 
are  establishing  such  a  business  and  rei)utation  as 
iMititle  them  to  a  prominent  place  among  the  sound  fi- 
nancial houses  of  the  city. 


RAILROADS. 

The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  jf-  St.  Paul  Railroad.— The 
Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  while  the  present  flourishing 
State  was  yet  a  Territorv,  early  took  cognizance  of  the 
inestimable  value  of  railroad  facilities,  aiul  suggested 
measures  which  have  since  cr3'stallizcd  into  corpora- 
tions. The  present  corporation  was  chartered  April 
2,  1852,  for  the  construction  of  a  road  from  Milwaukee 
to  La  Crosse.  Tiuiothy  Burns,  S.  T.  Smith  and  B. 
Healy.  of  La  Crosse,  and  others,  commissioners.  Di- 
rect communication  between  the  lakes  and  the  Missis- 
sippi was  sought  at  an  early  period  in  the  histor}'  of 
Western  railway  undertakings,  but  the  project  existed 
in  the  fertile  brains  of  men  without  capital,  and  it  was 
not  until  "after  many  days  "  that  its  complete  fruition 
was  realized. 

During  the  year  in  which  the  corporation  was  char- 
tered, a  meeting  of  the  stockliolders  was  convened  at 
La  Crosse,  at  which  the  company  was  organized,  and 
B3-ron  Kilbourn  elected  president.  Earl}'  in  the  ensu- 
ing Spring,  the  work  of  surveying  the  line  of  road  was 
commenced,  starting  at  Chestnut  street,  in  the  cit3'  of 
Milwaukee.  The  road  was  generally  regarded,  both 
at  home  and  abroad,  as  the  most  important  venture  in 
the  State.  Its  direction  from  Milwaukee  to  La  Crosse 
was  esteemed  by  surve3'ors  as  peculiarl3'  eligible,  and 
as  the  future  grand  trunk  line  of  the  AVest,  and  when 
its  completion  was  reached,  witii  tracks  diverging  from 
the  main  road  and  traversing  different  parts  of  the 
best  sections  of  the  State,  the  conclusion  seemed  irre- 
sistible tliat  the  business  would  become  immense. 
With  this  promise  in  view,  little  time  was  lost  in  com- 
pleting preparations  for  work,  but  ever}'  influence 
was  employed  to  insure  the  early  completion  of  the 
road. 

During  the  year  1853,  the  survey  to  Kilbourn  City 
was  completed,  and,  late  in  1854,  the  grading  of  the 
road  to  Germantown,  its  junction  with  the  Fond  du 
Lac  Railwa3',  was  finished,  during  which  year  the  j\Iil- 
waukee  &  La  Crosse  was  consolidated  witli  the  Jlilwau- 
kee.  Fond  du  Lac  &  Green  Bay  Road,  an  organization 
chartered  in  1853.  The  work  upon  the  road  completed 
was  of  the  heaviest  character,  costing  an  average  of 
$20,000  per  mile,  with  deep  cuts,  and  grading  in  some 
places  thirt3--five  feet  to  the  mile.  Another  incident 
which  rendered  the  work  costly  was  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  the  entire  eighteen  miles  being  through  dense 
timber  witii  a  sub-soil  of  hard  pan,  a  composition  of  fine 
gravel  blended  with  blue  cla3',  which,  in  most  cases, 
was  proof  against  plowing  and  blasting,  and  had  to  be 
loosened  by  manual  labor.  In  fact,  in  man3'  of  the 
sections  its  removal  was  attended  with  more  labor  than 
the  removal  of  solid  rock,  as  will  be  realized  when  the 
statement  that  a  cubic  foot  of  the  solid  pan  weighed 
130  pounds. 

Up  to  December,  1854,  $600,000  had  been  expended 
upon  the  road,  raised  from  cash  subscriptions,  city 
bonds  and  farm  mortgages.  At  the  time,  two-thirds  of 
the  grading  from  the  junction  to  Horicon  had  also  been 
completed,  aiul  four  miles  of  track  from  the  depot  in 
the  Second  Ward,  Milwaukee,  laid. 

Tiie  Winter  of  1854-1855  was  passed  in  the  labors 
available  at  that  season  of  the  year,  and  the  work  was 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


pushed  with  all  possible  expedition.  With  the  Spring, 
tlie  force  of  its  various  departments  was  increased  as 
necessity  demanded,  and  a  most  gratifying  progress  was 
made  throughout  the  working  season.  By  August  1, 
1855,  a  section  of  track  twenty-five  miles  in  length  had 
been  laid,  and  a  large  number  of  men  were  employed  to 
prepare  the  gradings  for  track  to  Hartford,  thirty-four 
miles  west  of  Milwaukee.  At  the  same  time,  the  grad- 
ing between  No)'es'  Corners  and  Horicon  was  progress- 
ing rapidly,  and  proposals  were  advertised  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  from  tlie  former  point  to  Newport 
on  the  Wisconsin  River,  but  eiglity  miles  from  La 
Crosse.  The  prospects  of  tiie  company,  as  will  be  ap- 
parent from  these  citations,  were  most  brilliant,  and 
those  to  be  Ijenefited  by  the  improvement  took  courage 
in  the  outlook.  This  feeling  was  furtiier  augmented 
when,  early  in  September,  1855,  the  first  train  on  the 
La  Crosse  &  Milwaukee  road  started  from  the  latter 
city  and  proceeded  on  an  excursion  to  Schlesingerville, 
a  station  twenty-six  miles  west  of  the  Cream  City. 

At  this  point,  it  would  seem  proper  to  recapitulate 
the  work  accomplislied,  as  also  wliat  the  corporation 
was  destined  to  accomplish.  Furtiier  west,  beyond 
Schlesingerville  is  Hartford,  and  thence  passing  through 
a  country  rich  in  mineral  and  agricultural  resources, 
Horicon  is  readied,  where  trains  from  Fond  da  Lac, 
from  Stevens  Point,  Berlin  and  Waupun  connect. 
Pushing  westward  again,  the  railroad  reaches  Beaver 
Dam  and  Fox  Lake,  and  stretching  over  Portage 
Prairie,  halts  at  Portage  City,  thence  toward  the  great 
river  of  the  West,  debouching  at  La  Crosse.  During 
the  remainder  of  the  year,  work  was  pushed  with  sur- 
prising energy,  more  indeed  than  at  that  period  was 
usually  manifested  in  the  progress  of  similar  enterprises. 
Its  Board  of  Managers  was  composed  of  prominent, 
influential  and  energetic  business  men,  who  were  deter- 
mined that  the  road  should  stand  second  to  none 
in  the  country,  and  in  their  efibits  they  were  ably 
seconded  by  W.  R.  Sill,  long  a  resident  of  La  Crosse, 
a  gentleman  of  practical  experience  and  unlimited 
enterprise,  to  whom  the  corporation  is  greatly  indebted 
for  the  manner  in  which  his  important  line  of  duties 
was  fulfilled. 

On  September  12,  1855,  the  company  ran  an  excur- 
sion train  to  Hartford,  tliirty-four  miles  from  Milwau- 
kee, bringing  the  road  to  a  part  of  the  route  whence  it 
subsequently  drew  large  amounts  of  revenue  from  the 
well-developed  farming  country  adjacent,  as  also  from 
the  iron  regions  contiguous  thereto.  The  advent  of 
the  road  into  the  villages  mentioned  was  at  once  felt, 
at  both  at  those  points  and  in  Milwaukee.  It  afforded 
producers  facilities  for  the  shipment  of  their  grains  and 
stock,  of  which  but  a  comparatively  brief  period  before 
they  had  scarcely  ventured  to  dream,  and  their  employ- 
ment of  these  advantages  was  in  no  degree  diminished 
by  the  knowledge  that  to  their  helping  hands  and  the 
aid  by  them  furnished  in  its  incipiency  the  railroad  was 
indebted  for  its  success. 

The  Winter  of  1855-56  witnessed  its  completion  to 
Horicon,  as  also  the  survey  of  the  road  to  La  Crosse. 
The  business  had  begun  to  increase  after  the  first  train 
left  Jlilwaukee,  in  August,  tlie  earnings  up  to  January 
1,  1856,  amounting  to  $::>'2,1:34.18,  and  the  estimated 
receipts  for  that  year,  to  $400,000. 


In  December,  1856,  the  directors  submitted  a  de- 
tailed report  of  the  cost,  condition  and  resources  of  the 
road  whicii  went  very  fully  into  the  operations  of  the 
company  for  the  year  then  closing.  The  road  was  then 
running  to  Fox  Lake,  but  completed  to  Portage,  a  dis- 
tance of  ninety-five  miles  from  Milwaukee,  or  nearly 
half  way  to  the  IMississippi  River.  Contracts  for  the 
building  of  the  road  from  Portage  to  La  Crosse,  it  was 
contemplated,  would  be  executed  in  January  next  en- 
suing, and  the  line  completed  in  eighteen  months  there- 
after. The  results  ariived  at  by  the  circular,  it  may 
be  stated  briefly,  that  the  company,  when  its  divisions 
were  completed  entire,  would  own  upward  of  400 
miles  of  track,  affording  ample  business  to  pay  good 
dividends,  even  if  built  in  the  usual  way  by  stock  and 
debt,  but  which,  by  the  sale  of  lands  granted  by  the 
State,  would  eventually  cost  the  stockholders  nothing, 
or  at  worst  33J  per  cent.,  and  paying  20  per  cent,  divi- 
dends on  par. 

Early  in  1857,  the  surveys  of  the  western  division 
of  the  road,  extending  from  Portage  to  La  Crosse, 
were  suiliciently  advanced  to  justify  putting  that  line 
under  contract  upon  favorable  terms,  with  tlic  under- 
standing that  the  same  should  be  completed  by  October 
1,  1858.  The  same  year,  the  cars  began  running  from 
Milwaukee  to  New  Lisbon,  one  day's  travel  from  La 
Crosse ;  the  contract  for  work  on  the  line  to  Tomah 
was  executed  and  labors  commenced,  after  the  comple- 
tion of  which  the  route  to  the  Mississippi  was  regarded 
as  comparatively  easy.  But  this  was  not  accomplished 
until  the  undertaking  had  been  subjected  to  difficulties 
and  embarrassments  invariably  the  attendant  concomi- 
tant of  enterprises  of  value  and  importance.  The 
affairs,  it  was  claimed,  had  been  mismanaged,  much 
money  sacrificed  in  usurious  loans  and  sales  of  stocks 
as  collaterals,  etc.,  and  other  sins  of  commission  and 
omission  been  endured,  which  had  retarded  the  build- 
ing of  the  road,  affected  the  public  confidence,  and  en- 
tailed incalculable  though  not  permanent  injury. 

Early  in  October,  1858,  the  road  was  completed  to 
La  Crosse,  the  formal  opening  occurring  on  the  14th 
of  that  month,  and  being  attended  by  guests  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  who  were  received  and  enter- 
tained by  the  military,  fire  and  civic  associations,  after 
which  the  trip  was  continued  to  St.  Paul  by  steamers. 

Selah  Chamberlain,  into  whose  hands  the  road 
passed  as  lessee,  September  27, 1857,  continued  to  ope- 
rate it  as  such  until  18G0,  when  he  surrendered  control 
to  Bionson  &  Suiter,  the  trustees  of  the  second  mort- 
gage bondholders.  At  that  time,  an  order  had  been 
made  in  the  United  States  District  Court,  appointing 
Hans  Crocker,  receiver  of  the  division  from  Portage  to 
La  Crosse  ;  he  was  subsequently  appointed  to  a  similar 
capacity  on  the  Eastern  Division,  taking  possession  of 
the  entire  road,  June  1 1,  1860.  He  remained  in  charge 
for  three  years,  when  the  Western  Division  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  a  corporation  or- 
ganized J\Iav  5, 1863,  bv  Isaac  Seymour.  Horace  Galpin, 
David  H.  Hughes,  William  P.  Gould  and  George 
Smith,  of  New^York,  and  Ashael  Finch  and  William 
H.  Wliite,  of  IMilwaukee. 

In  1865,  the  route  from  La  Crosse  to  Wmona  was 
surveyed  by  H.  I.  Bliss,  at  the  instance  of  citizens  of 
the  latter  city.     Iu-.1867,  the  Winona  cut-off  was  built 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


by  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  and  used  by  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Companies  until  1872, 
when  the  latter  built  the  line  through  Minnesota,  hence 
to  St.  Paul,  and  has  since  utilized  that  branch  in  con- 
junction with  tlieir  line  to  Portage,  Milwaukee  and 
Chicago. 

The  Southern  Minnesota  Division. — Those  convers- 
ant witli  the  facts  aver  that  there  is  no  enterprise  or 
interest  at  present  existent  to  which  La  Crosse  owes  so 
much  of  its  prosperity,  both  past  and  present,  as  the 
Southern  Minnesota  Railroad.  It  is  this  which  enables 
merciiants  to  supply  the  rich  country  thi'ough  wliich 
the  road  passes,  making  La  Crosse  its  business  town 
and  capital.  The  road  is  essentially  a  La  Crosse  en- 
terprise, the  plan  of  its  building  having  originated  witli 
Col.  T.  B.  Stoddard,  a  pioneer  citizen,  and  first  Mayor 
of  the  city.  He  intended  La  Crosse  should  be  the 
eastern  terminus,  the  depot  located  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  city,  with  a  bridge  crossing  directly  to  the 
Minnesota  shore  from  Isle  La  Plume,  the  western 
terminus  to  be  at  some  point  on  the  Missouri  River,  in 
Dakota.  This  route  was  deemed  feasible  and  valuable, 
and  the  projectors  of  the  enterprise  secured  not  only 
the  encouragement,  but  also  the  co-operation  of  all  to 
whom  the  plans  were  submitted. 

As  a  result  of  the  efforts  thus  briefly  cited  tlie  Leg- 
islative Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Minnesota 
adopted  an  act  providing  for  the  incorporation  of  tlie 
Root  River  Valley  &  Minnesota  Railroad  Company, 
bearing  date  March  2,  1855.  Edward  Thompson, 
Samuel  McPhail,  James  Smith,  Edward  Bell,  Ole 
Knudson  and  others  were  named  as  corporators,  and 
clothed  with  such  privileges  and  immunities  as  belong 
to  similar  prerogatives. 

The  same  act  provided  for  the  election  of  officers 
when  $50,000  should  have  been  subscribed  to  tlie  stock 
of  the  corporation,  and  two  per  cent,  paid  thereon  ; 
for  the  purpose  of  complying  with  this  provision,  the 
incorporators  convened  on  July  4  following,  when  the 
charter  was  accepted,  and  subscription  books  opened. 

In  1867,  the  road  reached  Rushford,  thirty  miles 
from  Grand  Crossing  ;  and,  in  1868,  Lanesboro  became 
the  temporary  terminus.  During  these  years,  the 
traffic  of  the  road  was,  of  course,  confined  to  the  coun- 
try immediately  tributary  to  Root  River;  but,  with 
every  foot  of  rail,  the  expansive  power  of  the  road 
increased  fourfold,  and  the  efforts  to  secure  capital 
to  pusli  the  road  further  west  were  amply  successful. 

In  this  connection,  it  should  be  stated  that  La 
Crosse  contributed  .$50,000  toward  building  the  road, 
at  a  time  when  it  was  creeping  with  the  feeble  tread 
of  infancy  up  the  narrow  valley  of  Root  River. 

During  the  Winter  of  1869-70,  the  gap  between 
Lanesboro  and  Kamsay  was  in  part  graded  and  pre- 
pared for  iron,  whicii  was  immediately  laid  ;  and,  in 
the  Fall  of  the  latter  year,  tiie  track  was  in  running 
order  from  Grand  Crossing  to  Wells,  a  distance  of  147° 
miles. 

Later,  it  was  completed  to  Winnebago  City  ;  but, 
as  years  advanced,  financial  and  other  troubles  crowded 
upon  the  company  with  the  usual  results.  The  work 
of  extending  the  road  westward  was  suspended,  and 
came  to  an  abrupt  termination  ;  the  stock  depreciated 
in  value  ;    foreclosure  suits  were  instituted  and  prose- 


cuted ;  a  Receiver  was  appointed,  and  its  outlook  was 
anything  but  promising.  Fortunately  for  La  Crosse, 
however,  it  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  careful  and 
honest  men,  and  they  managed  it  with  an  ability  rarely 
witnessed  in  like  cases.  Its  revenues  increased ;  its 
stock  appreciated  in  value,  and  its  stability  became  un- 
doubted. 

The  Dubuque  Division — Was  purchased  from  the 
Chicago.  Clinton,  Dubuque  &  Minnesota  corporation 
in  February,  1881,  and  luis  since  been  operated  by  the 
St.  Paul  Company.  The  road  was  commenced  in 
October,  1870,  and  grew  out  of  a  desire  on  the  part  of 
Dubuque  to  connect  that  section  with  points  in  Minne- 
sota, as  far  north  as  St.  Paul.  The  necessity  of  this 
medium  of  communication  was  apparent  to  all,  though 
it  was  not  until  discriminations  made  by  the  Illinois 
Central  against  Dubuque  became  apparent,  that  a 
decision  was  reached.  It  resulted  in  the  creation  of  a 
company  whose  object  was  the  building  of  a  road  along 
the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  to  Minnesota,  with  a 
branch  extending  south,  and  to  be  known  as  the 
Dubuque,  Bellevue  &  Mississippi  road,  having  its 
terminus  at  Chicago. 

On  October  1%  1870,  ground  for  the  former  road  was 
broken  at  Eagle  Point  near  Dubuque,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing Spring  operations  on  the  Dubuque  and  Mississippi 
route  began.  Some  time  after,  ai-rangements  were 
concluded  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quinc}'  road, 
and  tlie  corporate  name  of  Dubuque  &  Mississippi  was 
changed  to  Chicago,  Clinton  &  Dubuque,  with  a  capital 
of  $1,500,000,  and  the  Dubuque  &  Minnesota  to'  the 
Clinton,  Dul)uque  &  Minnesota,  with  a  nominal  capital 
of  170,000,000. 

In  the  Fall  of  1871,  the  roads  were  consolidated  ;  in 
1873,  it  was  purchased  under  foreclosure  proceedings 
by  the  bondholders,  re-organized  as  tlie  Chicago,  Clin- 
ton, Dubuque  &  Minnesota  Railroad,  and  completed 
tlie  same  year  to  Clinton  and  La  Crescent  with  a  branch 
up  Turkey  River  to  Elport. 

It  was  operated  by  this  organization  until  February, 
1881,  when,  as  stated,  it  was  disposed  of  to  the  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul. 

Chicago  &  North-  Western. — The  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture of  1848  chartered  the  "  Madison  &  Beloit  Railroad 
Company,"  with  authority  to  build  a  railroad  from 
Beloit  to  Madison  only.  In  1850,  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  the  company  was  authorized  to  extend  the 
road  to  the  Wisconsin  River  and  to  La  Crosse,  and  to 
a  point  on  the  Mississippi  River  near  St.  Paul,  as  well 
as  from  Janesville  to  Fond  du  Lac.  Its  name  was 
ciianged  b\'  legislative  authority  to  the  "  Rock  River 
Valley  Union  Railroad  Company."  In  1851,  the  line 
from  Janesville  not  being  pushed  as  the  people  expected, 
the  Legislature  of  Illinois  chartered  the  "  Illinois  & 
Wisconsin  Railroad  Company,"  with  authoritj-  to  con- 
solidate with  any  railroad  in  AVisconsin.  in  1855,  an 
act  of  the  Wisconsin  Legislature  consolidated  the  Illi- 
nois and  Wisconsin  Companies  with  the  Rock  River 
Valley  Union  Railroad  Company,  and  the  new  organ- 
ization took  the  name  of  the  "  Chicago,  St.  Paul  & 
Fond  du  Lac  Railroad  Compan3\"  In  1854,  and  pre- 
vious to  the  consolidation,  the  company  had  failed  and 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  bondholders,  who  foreclosed 
and  took  stock  fpr  their  bonds.     The  old  management 


HISTORY   OF    LA  CROSSE    COUNTY. 


503 


by  A.  Hyatt  Smith  and  John  B.  Macy  was  superseded, 
and  William  B.  Ogden  was  made  Pi-esident.  Chicago 
was  deeply  interested  in  reaching  the  Upper  Mississippi 
region,  then  being  peopled  rapidly,  by  a  line  of  railroad 
to  run  through  Madison  to  St.  Paul,  in  Minnesota.  Its 
favorite  road  was  started  from  Chicago  on  the  wide  (six 
feet)  gauge.  This  was  changed  to  the  usual  (four  feet 
eight  and  one-half  inches)  width,  and  the  work  was 
vigorously  pushed,  reaching  Janesville  in  18.55.  The 
partially-graded  line  on  a  direct  route  from  Janesville 
to  Madison  was  abandoned.  In  1852,  a  new  charter 
was  obtained,  and  the  "  Beloit  &  Madison  Railroad 
Company"  was  organized,  to  build  a  road  from  Beloit 
via  Janesville  to  Madison.  A  subsequent  amendment 
to  this  charter  left  out  Janesville,  and  the  Beloit  branch 
was  pushed  through  to  Madison,  reaching  that  city  in 
1864. 

The  "Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad  Company" 
had  built  a  branch  of  the  Galena  line  from  Belvidere  to 
Beloit  previous  to  1854.  In  that  year  it  leased  the 
Beloit  &  Madison  road,  and  from  1856  operated  it  in 
connection  with  other  roads  which  they  controlled. 
Tlie  consolidation  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  and 
the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac  Companies  was 
effected  and  approved  by  legislative  enactment  in  1855, 
and  a  new  organization  called  the  "  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railway  Company"  took  their  place. 

The  "  Bar.iboo  Air  Line  Railroad  Company,"  was  in- 
corporated in  1870,  to  build  a  road  from  Madison, 
Columbus  or  Waterloo  via  Baraboo  to  La  Crosse,  or  any 
point  on  the  Mississippi  River.  It  organized  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Chicago  &  North  Western,  with  which  com- 
pany it  consolidated,  and  the  work  of  building  a  con- 
necting line  between  Madison  and  Winona  Junction  was 
vigorously  pushed  forward.  Lodi  was  reached  in  1870, 
Baraboo  in  1871,  and  Winona  Junction  in  1874.  The 
ridges  between  Elroy  aud  Sparta  were  tunneled  at  a 
great  expense  and  with  much  difficulty.  In  1874,  the 
company  reported  an  expenditure  for  its  three  tunnels 
of  $476,743.32,  and  for  the  129  1-10  miles  between 
Madison  and  Winona  Junction  of  $5,342,169.96,  and  a 
large  expenditur&  yet  to  be  made  on  it.  In  1867,  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Company  bought  of  D.  N.  Bar- 
ney &  Co.  their  interest  in  the  Winona  &  St.  Peter 
Railway,  a  line  being  built  westerly  from  Winona,  in 
Minnesota,  and  of  which  105  miles  had  been  built.  It 
also  bought  of  the  same  parties  their  interest  in  the  La 
Crosse,  Trempealeau  &  Prescott  Railway,  a  line  being 
built  from  Winona  Junction,  in  La  Crosse  Count)%  to 
Winona,  Minn.  The  latter  line  was  put  in  operation 
in  1870,  and  is  twenty-nine  miles  long.  With  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Madison  branch  to  Winona  Junction  in 
1874,  it  had  in  operation  a  line  from  Chicago,  via  Mad- 
ison and  Winona  to  Lake  Kampeska,  Minn.,  a  distance 
of  623  miles.  The  "  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad" 
built  a  line  from  Onalaska,  a  station  on  the  Chicago  & 
Northwestern  road,  seven  miles  north  of  La  Crosse,  to 
the  city  of  La  Crosse  in  1876,  and  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western road  acquired  the  right  to  use  that  track,  thus 
connecting  its  road  with  the  chief  city  of  Wisconsin  on 
the  Mississippi  River.  The  first  train  of  the  North- 
western Railwa}'  ran  into  the  city  of  La  Crosse  over 
this  extension  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1876.  Albert 
Keep,  of  Chicago,  is  president  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 


western Company,  and  Marvin  Hughilt,  a  gentleman 
of  great  railroad  experience,  is  general  manager. 

Green  Bay  ^  Minnesota  Railroad. — The  line  of  road 
operated  by  this  company  extends  from  Fort  Howard 
to  the  Mississippi  River,  opposite  Winona,  Minn.  This 
line  is  216  miles  in  length,  and  was  built  through  a 
sparsely  settled  and  heavily  timbered  section  of  the 
State.  It  began  under  most  discouraging  circumstances, 
yet  was  pushed  through  bj'  the  energy  of  a  few  men  at 
Green  Bay  and  along  its  line.  It  was  originally  char- 
tered in  1866,  as  the  "  Green  Bay  &  Lake  Pepin  Rail- 
road Comjjany,"  to  luiild  a  road  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Fox  River,  near  Green  Bay,  to  the  Mississippi  River, 
opposite  Winona.  But  little  was  done  except  the 
making  of  preliminary  surveys  in  1870. 

During  1870-71,  forty  miles  were  constructed  and 
put  in  operation;  in  1872,  114  miles  were  graded,  the 
track  laid,  and  the  river,  opposite  Winona,  was  reached, 
sixty  two  miles  further,  in  1873.  In  1876,  it  acquired 
the  right  to  use  the  track  between  Winona  and  Ona- 
laska, in  La  Crosse  County,  known  as  the  "  Winona 
Cut-off,"  and  belonging  to  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Railway  Company,  and  built  a  track  from  Onalaska  to 
La  Crosse  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  thereby  connect- 
ing their  road  with  the  chief  city  of  Wisconsin  on  the 
Mississipiji  River.  The  city  of  La  Crosse  aided  in  this 
extension  by  subscribing  875,000,  and  giving  its  corpo- 
ration bonds  for  that  amount.  A  change  in  the  name 
of  the  corporation  is  contemplated,  to  take  place  at  the 
next  election  of  officers,  on  the  1st  of  September,  1881, 
when  the  corporation  will  become  the  "  Green  Bay, 
Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  Company. 

THE   LUINIBEB   INTERESTS. 

There  is  no  city  in  the  State  that  is  more  interested 
in  the  lumber  business  than  La  Crosse.  The  pine  tim- 
ber regions  of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  lie  north  of 
it,  and  are  in  a  measure  tributary,  since  all  the  logs  and 
lumber  rafted  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  St.  Croix, 
Chippewa  and  Black  rivers  must  necessaril}'  pass  it 
while  en  route  to  down-river  points.  Many  leading 
lumbermen  have  settled  here,  and  given  the  city  stand- 
ing and  reputation,  as  a  lumber  center,  of  unrivaled 
importance.  The  majority  of  the  wealthy  citizens  of 
La  Crosse  are  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade.  Their 
residences  are  among  the  finest  in  the  city,  and  they 
show  a  commendable  disposition  to  give  their  time, 
useful  labor  and  their  capital  to  intelligent  enterprise, 
unlike  the  majority  of  moneyed  men  in  the  East.  They 
are,  generally  speaking,  large-hearted  and  public- 
spirited  men,  and  whatever  conduces  to  their  interest 
contributes  also  to  the  welfare  of  the  city.  They  have 
settled  here  to  stay  ;  have  become  thoroughly  identified 
with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city,  and  are 
combining  their  operations  and  working  to  make  this 
the  distributing  point  of  lumber  for  an  area  stretching 
off  in  different  directions  for  hundreds  of  miles.  Already 
La  Crosse  has  made  a  name  for  itself,  not  only  in  Wis- 
consin and  Minnesota,  but  also  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Ne- 
braska, Missouri  and  Ai-kansas.  It  is  every-where  re- 
garded as  first-class,  and  the  ready  market  it  meets 
with  proves  that  it  has  no  superior  in  popular  favor, 
and  the  demand  for  it  is  bound  to  grow.  The  sales  of 
the  past  are  scarcely  a  third  of  what  the  sales  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


future  may  become,  providiiif^  the  supply  can  equal  the 
demand.  Wlien  we  remember  that  tliere  is  scarcely 
any  timber-land,  and,  consequently,  no  lumber,  except 
such  as  is  imported,  in  Southern  and  Western  Minne- 
sota, Western  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Dakota,  Montana,  Wyo- 
ming, Kansas,  Colorado,  etc.,  we  can  surmise  what  a 
vast  area — what  an  exhaustible  market — will  open  up 
to  the  lumbering  interests  of  this  vicinity  as  railroads 
are  built,  population  increases,  and  towns  spring  up 
throughout  that  region.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  tim- 
ber in  all  parts  of  that  vast  area,  no  lumber  can  be  had 
short  of  exorbitant  and  virtually  prohibitory  rates,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  farms  remain  unfenced,  little 
or  no  wood  can  be  obtained  for  fuel,  and  coal,  costing 
in  that  vicinity  an  enormous  price,  is  generally  substi- 
tuted. So  pleased  would  the  people  be  to  have  even 
pine  wood,  that  they  would  not  hesitate  to  pay  $4  or 
$5  per  cord  for  such  slabs  as  can  be  had  here  at  from 
fifty  cents  up. 

These  facts  sufliciently  demonstrate  what  a  great 
market  is  opening  up  to  the  west  of  here,  and  how  im- 
portant it  is  to  push  forward  to  completion  railroad  en- 
terprises that  will  give  full  control  of  it.  In  this  beiialf, 
too,  the  lumbermen  are  manifesting  commendable  zeal, 
and  they  deserve  well  of  the  community,  and  are 
hearlil}-  thanked  in  proportion  as  they  make  any  sub- 
stantial progress  in  the  matter.  These  points  show  of 
what  great  importance  the  lumber  business  is  to  Lake 
Crosse.  Comparatively  it  stands  in  the  relation  of 
mines  to  San  Francisco ;  commerce  to  New  York ; 
manufactures  to  Boston  ;  iron  to  Pittsburgli ;  cotton 
and  sugar  to  New  Orleans ;  wliisky  to  Louisville  and 
Cincinnati ;  agriculture  and  railroads  to  Chicago  and 
beer  to  Milwaukee.  The  motives  actuating  us  to  de- 
fine this  industry  are  three-fold  ;  first,  because  it  is  by 
all  means  the  largest  and  most  important  industry  in 
this  section  of  the  country;  second,  to  show  to  the 
people  of  La  Crosse  the  magnitude  and  importance  to 
which  tliese  industries  have  grown ;  third,  to  let  the 
world  abroad  know  how  important  is  the  city  of  La 
Crosse  in  a  manufacturing  point  of  view  ;  the  great 
vitality  it  possesses,  and  the  bright  future  its  manifold 
advantages  bespeak  for  it.  We  thus  aim  to  give  confi- 
dence to  those  who  have  such  interests  here  ;  pleasure 
to  such  as  were  here  of  old,  and  remember  the  men 
and  things  of  the  past,  and  a  spirit  of  inquiry,  with  a 
disposition  to  settle  here  to  those  who  contemplate  re- 
moval from  eisewliere,  whether  to  engage  in  manufac- 
turing, connnercial,  professional  or  any  other  business. 

As  the  center  and  pivot  of  the  extensive  timber  and 
lumber  operations,  that  transform  trees  into  buildings 
and  fences.  La  Crosse  uses,  manufactures,  distributes 
and  exports  over  2r)0,000,000  feet  of  pine  annually  ;  for 
it  must  be  remembered  that  besides  the  timber  from  the 
Black  River  and  its  tributaries,  as  well  as  tliat  from 
the  Chippewa  and  its  tributaries,  are  received  and 
shipped  considerable  quantitiesof  lumber  from  the  pine 
districts  east  of  the  Black  and  Chippewa  Valleys,  which 
reaches  La  Crosse  for  distribution  as  the  most  conve- 
nient distributing  point  on  the  Mississippi  River.  With 
two  exceptions,  more  lumber  is  manufactured  at  La 
Crosse  than  at  any  other  point  on  the  Mississippi  River 
and  its  tributaries;  and,  in  computing  the  value  of  this 
industry,  account  must  be  taken  of  several  firms  having 


headquarters  here,  but  owning  mills  elsewhere  ;  of  log- 
gers, who  do  not  manufacture  ;  of  the  firms  engaged  in  I 
rafting  and  towing,  and  of  the  remunerative  employ-  | 
ment  furnished  to  a  large  number  of  men  in  booming,  I 
driving  and  various  other  ways.  [ 

To  show  to  the  outside  world  the  importance  of  La  ( 
Crosse  as  a  lumbering  center,  we  will  give  some  inter-  1 
esting  facts  relative  to  this  industry  and  the  noted  saw-  i 
mills  of  the  vicinity,  dealing  with  them  in  strict  im-  \ 
partiality. 

The  first  lumbermen  in  this  vicinity  were  the  Mor-  , 
mons,  who  cut  logs  for  their  dwellings,  etc.,  at  Nauvoo,  ; 
and  persons  from  different  localities,  mostl}'  Illinois,  who  J 
were  engaged  in  this  industry  here  for  a  short  time.  j 
In  the  Summer  of  1852,  Geoi'ge  Farnham'established  a 
lumber  j-ard  in  La  Crosse,  obtaining  most  of  his  stock 
from  the  Chippewa  River.  His  first  raft,  containing 
about  200,000  feet,  he  purchased  from  one  Gilbert,  and 
was  rafted  down  to  La  Crosse  by  a  half-breed  Indian. 
In  the  following  Winter,  Mr.  Farnham  and  Samuel  Wes- 
ton engaged  in  logging  on  the  Black  River.  The  3,- 
000,000  feet  of  logs  cut  by  Mr.  Weston  were  rafted  to 
down-river  points,  while  part  of  the  2,000,000  feet  cut 
by  Mr.  Farnham  supplied  the  saw-mill  of  Nichols  & 
Tompkins,  at  Onahiska,  which  had  that  Winter  been 
erected,  the  remainder  being  also  rafted  to  down-river 
points.  Among  the  otlier  early  lumbermen  may  be 
mentioned  Timothy  Burns,  F.  I\I.  Rublee,  S.  T.  Smith, 
John  S.  Simouton,  W.  W.  Crosby  and  Messrs.  Gregory 
&  Dyer.  In  1853,  or  1854,  the  Black  River  Booming 
Log-Driving  Companj'  was  organized,  and  the  first 
boom  built  on  Black  River  in  La  Crosse  County,  at 
Onalaska,  was  by  W.  W.  Crosby  in  1855. 

This  booming  and  log-driving  companj'^  finally,  in 
1864,  were  incorporated  as  the  Black  River  Improve- 
ment Company,  witli  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  They 
now  have  im^jrovements  extending  fifty  miles  up  the 
Black  River.  The  shipments  from  the  Black  River 
each  year  since  1807,  in  feet,  are  as  follows:  1867, 
88,(J32,300  feet ;  1868,  57,370,360  feet ;  1869,100,573,- 
890  feet;  1870,  170,920,s70  feet;  LS71,  127,055,590 
feet :  1872,  125,706,190  feet ;  1873,  195,378,830  feet ; 
1874,  188,907,320  feet;  1875,  188,344,640  feet;  1870, 
197,103,820  feet;  1877,  80,434,260  feet;  1878,  112,- 
232,880  feet;  1879,  151,848,290  feet;  1880,  210,902,- 
500  feet.  For  the  decade  including  1880,  the  total 
shipment  foots  up  1,583,974,420  feet. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to 
give  a  short  historical  sketch  of  the  struggles,  reverses  ' 
and  successes  of  those  who  first  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  in  La  Crosse,  before  entering  upon  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  present  vast  lumbering  establishments.  The 
first  saw-mili  erected  in  La  Crosse  was  called  the  La 
Crosse  Lumber  Company's  Mill,  and  was  built  b}'  Tim- 
othy Burns,  F.  M.  Rublee,  John  S.  Simouton  and  S.  T. 
Smith,  in  1852.  It  was  located  where  the  lofty  brick 
chimney  stood  as  a  landmark  for  so  many  years,  and 
which  was  torn  down,  a  few  j^ears  ago,  to  give  place  to 
the  tannery  of  Davis,  Medary  &  Platz.  Tlie  mill  was 
started  late  in  the  Fall  of  1852,  and  ran  only  a  short 
time,  when  the  river  closed.  In  1853,  thfe  mill  did  a 
thriving  business,  cutting  about  30,000  feet  per  day. 
With  the  exception  of  100,000  feet,  all  the  lumber  cut 
this  season  was  readily  sold  iu  La  Crosse. 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


In  October,  1853,  the  firm  lost  one  of  its  members 
by  tlie  death  of  Mr.  Burns,  and  about  the  latter  part 
of  November  of  the  same  year  Messrs  Simonton  and 
Smith  sold  their  interests  to  Messrs.  Gregory  and  Dyer. 
The  mill  was  enlarged  by  these  gentlemen  by  the  ad- 
dition of  machinery  by  which  they  manufactured  bran, 
flour,  corn-meal,  etc.  Tlie  number  of  emplo3-es  was 
about  thirty,  and  the  average  wages  paid  about  -SI  per 
d.ay.  From  1853,  the  mill  continued  to  run  witliout 
any  noticeable  change  until  1856  or  1857,  when  it 
burned  down  and  was  not  rebuilt. 

The  second  saw-mill  established  in  the  city  was 
erected  in  1850  by  Slierman  &  Griswold,  and  was  lo- 
cated on  the  flat  below  the  city,  a  little  west  of  where 
the  Northwestern  &  Green  Bay  Railroad  depot  now 
stands.  The  mill  had  a  cutting  capacity  of  from  20,000 
to  25,000  feet  per  day.  Shortly  after  the  mill  began 
operations,  a  Mr.  Steele,  of  Waulcegan,  111.,  was  taken 
in  as  a  partner  in  the  business,  and  in  1857,  a  Mr. 
Marsh  joined  the  firm.  In  the  Fall  of  1857,  partner- 
ship was  dissolved,  and  the  business  discontinued. 

The  mill  was  erected  by  Messrs  Denton  &  Hurd  in 
1856,  and  began  operations  in  the  Spring  of  1857.  It 
had  a  capacity  of  from  20,000  to  25,000  feet  per  day. 
During  the  season  of  1857,  Jacob  Spauldingsecured  an 
interest  in  the  mill.  It  was  not  until  1858  when  busi- 
ness was  discontinued,  C.  L.  Colman  purchasing  the 
machiner3% 

Tiie  first  mill  erected  in  the  Fifth  Ward  (formerly 
North  La  Crosse)  was  built  by  R.  E.  Gillett  in  the 
Spring  of  1856.  It  had  a  cutting  capacity  of  about 
10,000  feet  per  daj-,  and  was  operated  about  four  3'ears, 
but  Mr.  Gillett  was  not  very  fond  of  competition,  and 
having  decided  hopes  that  the  railroad  would  make 
Tomah  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  and  that 
neighboring  towns  springing  up  would  afford  him  a 
greater  market  for  his  lumber,  he  moved  there,  taking 
his  mill  with  him. 

The  second  mill  was  built  by  Crosby,  Hanscome  & 
Co.,  which  was  also  erected  in  the  Spring  of  185G,  and 
its  capacity  was  12,000  feet  per  day.  It  employed  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  hands,  and  all  the  lumber  cut  was 
rafted  to  down-river  points.  It  ran  with  reasonable 
regularity  until  September,  1863,  when  it  accidentally 
took  fire  and  was  burned  to  theground. 

Shepherd  &  Valentine  built  the  third  mill,  in  the 
Spring  of  1856  also.  This  mill  had  a  capacity  of  15,000 
feet  per  day,  and  employed  about  twenty  men,  to  whom 
the  average  wages  paid  were  $1.25  per  da}-. 

The  fourth  mill  was  erected  by  Sill,  Loomis  &  Root, 
in  the  same  stining,  enter[irising  period  referred  to  in 
the  preceding  instances,  the  Spring  of  1856.  It  was 
started  up  in  April,  and  ran  seven  months.  Its  capac- 
ity was  15,000  feet  per  day,  and  eighteen  or  twenty 
men  were  employed,  receiving  as  wages  an  average  of 
$1.50  per  day.  The  lumber  was  all  rafted  down  the 
Mississippi  to  Sabula. 

Buttrick  Brothers  built  the  fifth  mill  in  1857,  near 
where  the  Washburn  Mill  now  stands.  It  had  a  ca- 
pacity from  12,000  to  15,000  feet  per  day.  It  ran  until 
the  Fall  of  1858,  when  it  burned  down. 

With  this  short  notice  of  the  mills  erected  here  in 
the  early  days  of  La  Crosse,  wc  will  endeavor  to  give 
an  idea  of  the    vastuess  and  importance  of  the   great 


mills  now  in  operation,  which  for  size,  capacity  and 
general  excellence  can  hardly  be  excelled. 

SAW-MILLS. 

C.  L.  Coleman's  Mill. — Peter  Cameron  erected  a 
saw-mill  where  Mr.  Coleman's  now  stands  in  1854,  but 
did  not  fit  it  up  with  machinery.  In  the  Spring  follow- 
ing the  mill  was  purchased  by  Messrs  Goldthwait  & 
Brown,  who  put  in  macliinerv  and  commenced  opera- 
tions with  a  capacity  of  5,000  to  7,000  feet  of  lumber 
per  daj%  which  was  then  retailed  at  $27  per  thousand. 
Tlie  mill  was  run  by  tliese  gentlemen  only  a  few 
years,  when  they  discontinued  business.  Mr.  Coleman 
erected  a  shingle-mill,  in  1854,  about  forty  rods  south 
of  tlie  present  location  of  his  saw-mill. 

For  two  years  a  horse  furnished  the  motive  power, 
and  tiie  capacity  was  from  12,000  to  14,000  shingles 
per  day.  in  1856,  an  engine  was  added  to  the  mill, 
and  its  capacity  increased  to  60,000  shinglci  per  day, 
the  price  of  which  was  then  $5  per  thousand. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Coleman  bought  the  machinery  of  the 
Denton  &  Hurd  mill,  which  increased  the  capacity  to 
350,000  shingles  per  day.  The  mill  ran  from  that  time 
until  1868,  when  it  burned  down,  and  was  never  re- 
built. In  1866,  he  purchased  his  present  site,  together 
with  the  old  Goldthwait  &  Brown  mill,  refitting  this 
so  that  it  had  a  cutting  capacity  of  30,000  feet  per  day. 
The  lumber  then  sold  for  $23  per  thousand.  In  1869, 
the  boilers  of  his  old  shingle-mill  were  added,  increas- 
ing the  capacity  of  the  saw-mill  to  50,000  feet  per  day. 
The  number  of  hands  employed  at  this  time  was  about 
seventy,  at  an  average  daily  compensation  of  $1.75. 
This  mill  burned  down  in  August.  1875,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  and  determination,  j\Ir.  Coleman  at 
once  began  the  erection  of  his  present  colossal  struct- 
ure, in  October,  which  was  completed  and  put  in  oper- 
ation in  the  following  Sirring,  and  has  run  until  the 
present  time  without  any  mishap  worthy  of  notice. 
The  capacity  of  the  mill  is  25,000,000  feet  per  j'ear. 
Everything  in  and  about  it  is  arranged  in  the  most 
complete  and  convenient  manner.  The  main  building 
is  60x227,  two  stories  high  ;  the  shingle-mill  addition, 
36x36  feet,  also  two  stories  high ;  engine  and  boiler 
house,  44x80  feet.  The  machinery  is  driven  by  one 
500-liorse  power  engine,  steam  being  furnished  b}'  six 
boilers  twenty-four  feet  long.  The  machineiy  consists 
of  two  double  rotaries,  with  Prescott's  steam  feed; 
two  gauges,  one  of  fifty-four-inch,  and  the  otiier  thirty- 
six-inch  gate  ;  three  gang  edges;  three  trimmers  and 
a  twelve-block  shingle  machine.  The  planing-niill  is 
53x110  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  a  brick  and  iron 
engine  and  boiler  house,  24x70  feet.  The  machinery 
in  this  building  is  driven  by  one  forty-horse  power  en- 
gine, and  consists  of  a  surfacer,  matcher,  molding  ma- 
chine, re-sawing  machine,  table-saw,  jig-saw,  etc.  The 
saw-mill  was  built  at  an  original  cost  of  $70,000,  and 
the  planing-mill  at  a  cost  of  $16,000,  regardless,  in 
each  instance,  of  the  lots. 

The  buildings  and  lots  occupy  now  an  area  of  thirt}-- 
one  lots.  In  and  about  the  mills  are  employed  about 
180  men,  includiug  a  number  of  bo)-s  and  girls,  who 
are  employed  in  packing  shingles.  The  stock  which 
supplies  the  mill  comes  from  both  the  Black  and  Chip- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


pewa  rivers,  and  the  average  amount  of  iiimber  on  Iiand 
amounts  to  10,000,000  feel 

The  genial  and  enterprising  proprietor  of  tliis  mill, 
Mr.  v..  L.  Coleman,  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  La  Crosse  since  1854, 
during  which  time  lie  has  done  as  much  toward  advanc- 
ing its  prosperity,  as  any  other  person  in  the  city.  He 
is  "assisted  by  his  son,  Lucius,  in  conducting  his  im- 
mense business,  whose  efBcient  services  and  good  judg- 
ment have  contributed  greatly  to  the  welfare  of  the 
establishment. 

W.  F.  ^  P.  S.  Davidson  ?  Boat- Yard  and  Lumber 
Milli<. — The  combined  interests  carried  on  by  the  David- 
son Brothers,  the  largest  individual  interests  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  State,  if  not  in  the  Northwest,  is  the  result 
of  small  beginnings,  which,  under  careful  management 
and  by  strict  attention  to  business,  have  grown  to 
almost  unlimited  dimensions.  The  successful  indus- 
tries carried  on  by  these  gentlemen  have  redounded  to 
their  several  and  collective  credits  ;  have  contributed 
to  enlarge  the  markets  and  increase  the  sale  of  com- 
modities;  to  inspire  citizens,  as,  also,  those  contem- 
plating citizenship,  with  confidence  in  the  location  of 
La  Crosse  and  its  importance  as  a  trade  center,  and  to 
attract  capital  hither  for  investment  in  the  manufactur- 
iue,  commercial  ajid  speculative  undertakings  accessible 
to^all. 

The  first  organization  ol  the  present  boat-yard  and 
1  amber  mills  was  made  about  the  year  1860.  At  that 
time  the  business  was  limited  lo  the  ImUding  and  re- 
pairing of  river  craft,  and  carried  on  under  the  name 
of  the  "Western  Union  Packet  Company's  Yards."  Li 
those  days,  notwithstanding  the  fact  tiiat  marine  inter- 
ests were  of  a  more  extended  and  remunerative  char- 
acter, comparatively  speaking,  than  at  present,  and  the 
yard  was  constantly  occupied  with  "jobs,"  etc.,  the  re- 
sources of  the  firm  was  limited  to  what  they  now  are, 
and  the  number  of  hands  employed  less  than  one-fifth 
the  present  force. 

The  improvements  consisted  of  one  mill  edifice,  sup- 
plied with  machinery  sufficient  only  for  supplying  ma- 
terials for  use  in  the  yard,  marine  railways  that  since 
have  given  place  to  improved  machinery  in  that  behalf, 
and  other  conveniences  of  a  minor,  not  to  say  unim- 
portant, pattern.  But  forty  men  were  employed,  and 
the  hours  of  labor  were  regulated  according  to  the  ex- 
igencies of  the  occasion  and  the  usage  of  the  period. 
In  less  than  twenty  years  the  enterprise  has  undergone 
a  complete  change  in  all  its  departments,  mode  of 
work,  etc.,  etc. 

During  the  war,  the  yard  was  taxed  to  its  full  capac- 
ity, and  when  tlie  surrender  estopped  further  hostil- 
ities, it  might  be  imagined  work  was  diminished,  as  re- 
gards both  quantity  and  quality.  But  the  contrary  of 
this  supposition  is  correct. 

During  1866,  George  S.  Weeks,  a  siii[)wright  and  a 
man  of  decided  executive  ability,  was  placed  in  charge 
b}'  the  Davidsons,  the  resources  of  the  undertaking 
were  increased,  and  day  and  night  tlie  yard  resounded 
to  the  songs  of  150  artificers,  mechanics  and  laborers. 
During  this  period  and  succeeding  years  tiie  yard  was 
extensivel}'  patronized  by  steamboat  companies,  and 
some  of  the  swiftest  and  most  elegant  floating  palaces 
that  ever  plowed  the  Father  of  Waters  were  fasliioned 


or  received  their  finishing  touches  on  the  ways  of  W. 
F.  &  P.  S.  Davidson.  Among  these  are  the  "Alexander 
Mitchell,"  "Belle  of  La  Crosse,"  "Marv  Barnes,"  "An- 
nie," "Grand  Pacific,"  "Alfred  Tall,"  '"Flying  Eagle" 
and  others,  in  addition  to  fleets  of  barges,  tugs  and  river 
craft  of  less  prominent  a  type. 

In  about  187.6,  the  Messrs.  Davidson  became  sole 
owners  of  the  yard,  and  supplemented  the  repairing 
and  building  of  boats  with  the  manufacture  of  lumber. 
To  do  this  successfully,  required  the  ei'ection  of  orig- 
inal improvements,  as  also  the  rebuilding  of  such  as  had 
previousl}^  existed,  necessitating  the  outlay  of  large 
sums  of  money,  and  reducing  the  business  to  an  abso- 
lute science.  Tiie  consultation  of  the  needs  of  the 
business  resulted  in  machinery  of  the  latest,  most  ap- 
proved and  expensive  in  pattern,  which  was  substitut- 
ed for  the  style  which  had  become  "stale"  in  compar- 
ison with  that  of  a  more  modern  day;  facilities  for  tlie 
rapid  preparation  and  handling  of  lumber  were  intro- 
duced, and  not  until  $25,000  iiad  been  expended  in 
buildings,  juachinery  and  equipments,  were  actual 
operations  begun  in  the  new  field  of  enterprise.  This 
dispensation  was  conducted  with  the  same  system, 
skill,  intelligence  and  industry'  that  characterized  Da- 
vidson's prior  engagements,  and  before  the  year  had 
closed  began  to  evidence  the  firm's  foresight  in  the  in- 
crease of  business  that  followed,  requiring  a  force  of 
between  two  and  three  hundred  men  occupied  daily  in 
conserving. 

In  1877,  though  work  in  that  branch  of  the  estab- 
lishment, as  already  suggested,  had  measurably  dimin- 
ished, the  old  marine  railwa3"s  were  abandoned,  re- 
moved, and  their  place  supplied  by  an  entirely  new 
line  complete  in  the  slightest  detail.  As  built,  they 
are  said  to  be  the  finest  on  the  river,  with  a  capacity 
for  unlimited  tonnage,  and  supplied  with  tackle,  ap- 
parel and  furniture  so  completely,  as  to  be  able  in  less 
than  six  hours,  to  raise  a  boat  800  feet  long,  and  of 
proportionate  capacit^s  high  and  drj'^  and  readj'  for  tl>e 
ship-carpenter  to  test  his  skill  upon.  This  re-construc- 
tion of  the  ways  was  made  at  a  cost  of  $20,000. 

If  the  business  of  boat-building  "slackened,"  that 
of  the  manufacture  of  lumber  increased.  So  much  so 
had  this  obtained,  that  in  a  few  years  after  its  com- 
mencement, it  was  found  that  the  means  of  supplying 
the  demand  were  inadequate,  and  measures  were  at 
once  inaugurated  to  make  up  the  deficiency  existing 
in  that  behalf.  In  1880,  the  erection  of  the  new  mill 
was  begun,  and  its  completion  attained  during  the 
Spring  succeeding.  The  building  is  170x50,  two  stories 
high,  with  the  basement ;  equipped  with  machinery, 
including  rotaries  and  gang  saws,  also  implements  for 
the  manufacture  of  lath  and  shingles,  and  the  product 
placed  upon  tiie  market,  includes  every  variety  of  lum- 
ber from  rough  to  finished.  The  cost  of  this  improve- 
ment is  stated  at  $30,000. 

The  location  of  this  vast  establishment  is  on  North 
Third  street  in  North  La  Crosse.  The  property  com- 
prehends a  river  front  of  1,200  feet  and  over,  by  an 
average  depth  of  550  feet  to  Third  street,  and  is  esti- 
mated to  be  worth,  with  the  impi'ovements,  not  less 
than  $250,000.  These  consist  of  the  mills,  the  marine 
ways,  machine  shop,  and  other  accessories.  It  requires 
seven  engines  of  immense  power  to   operate  the   ma- 


I 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE   COUNTY. 


507 


chinery  employed,  by  which  a  log  in  the  rough  is  sub- 
jected to  a  process,  whence  it  is  resolved  into  market- 
able lumber,  lath  and  shingles,  which  are  made  up  into 
rafts  containing  millions  of  feet,  and  are  towed  to  mar- 
kets on  the  river  and  other  routes,  principally  Du- 
buque, Quincy,  Clinton,  St.  Louis  and  elsewhere. 

The  capacity  of  these  mills  are  300,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber; 200,000  shingles,  and  100,000  laths,  each  twenty- 
four  hours,  in  which  fifty  millions  of  logs  are  annually 
worked  up,  furnishing  employment  to  300  men  at  a 
weekly  cost  of  not  less  than  $5,000,  and  doing  a  busi- 
ness of  .$5,000,000  per  year. 

Policy's  Saw  Mill. — This  mill  is  situated  on  French 
Island,  opposite  the  Fifth  Ward,  and  at  the   western 
end  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &    St.    Paul   Railway 
(  bridge  that  spans   Black    River.     The  site,  although 
somewhat  inconveniently  situated,  is  considered   one 
I  of  the  best  on  Black  River  for  milling  purposes,  it  hav- 
!  ing  a  river  frontage  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile ;  115 
I  acres  are  occupied  by  the  mill,   boarding-house,  yards, 
!  etc.     In  1870,  the  mill  was  erected  by  W.  H.  Polleys, 
j  Messrs.  Nichols  &  Jefferson  being  the  contractors.    Its 
capacity,  which  has  not  been  materially  changed  since 
I  its  erection,  is  5,000,000  feet  per  year.   When  completed 
!  in  October.  1870.  it  began  operations  and  continued  till 
I  February  of  the  following  year,  the  proprietor  having 
i  piled  a  great  number  of  logs  on  the  bank  before  Winter 
set  in.     In  1871,  the  mill  ran  about  seven  months,  cut- 
ting in  that  time  3,600,000  feet  of  lumber,  it  all  being 
rafted  down  the  river.     The  number  of  men  employed 
was   about  twenty-five,  and   the  average    wages   paid 
was  $1.30,  the  employes  being  boarded  by  the  proprie- 
tors.    In  1872,  the  mill  ran  only  five  months,  sawing 
1  something  over    2,200,000    feet.     This  year   was   also 
manufactured  60,000  pickets,  and    340,000   laths.     In 
!  1873,  about  2,200,000    feet  of  lumber   were    cut,    the 
mill  running  about  same  length  of  time  as  in  the  year 
I  previous  ;  about  300,000  laths  were  also  turned  out  this 
i  year  and  the  lumber  was  all   rafted   down   the   river. 
:  The  mill  ran  for  a  period  of  six  months  during  the  year 
i'  of  1874,  cutting  nearly  3,000,000  feet,  500,001}  feet   of 
:  which  was  retailed  and  the  remainder  rafted.     Nothing 
I  was  done  in  the  picket  line,  but  about  1,200,000  laths 
were  turned  out.     In  1875,  the  mill    was   started  the 
I  19th  of  April  and  did  not  shut  down   till  the   19th   of 
I  November.    About  4,600,000  feet  were  sawed,  together 
\  with   740,000   laths  and    235,000  pickets.     This   year 
j  1,800  cords  of  slabs  were  also  turned  out.    The  number 
j  of  employes    was  increased  to  thirty  and  the  average 
I  wages  paid  about  $1.25  per  day.     During  the  season  of 
i  1876,  the  mill  ran  nearlv  seven  months,  cutting  4,500,- 

■  000  feet  being  sawed  with  1,000,000  laths  and  40,000 
'  pickets;  1,000,000  feet  of  the  lumber  was  piled  and 
I  the  rest  rafted.  About  1,800  cords  of  slabs  were  also 
I  sold.  In  1877,  the  mill  ran  onlv  three  months  and  a 
:   half,  and  cut  during  that  time   2,100,000    feet.     Noth- 

■  ing  was  done  this  year  in  the  picket  line,  but  about 
'  1,200,000  laths  were  turned  out,  together  with  1,000 
'  cords  of  slabs.  In  1878,  the  mill  ran  only  three 
I   months,  and  cut  1,900,000  feet,  500,000  of  that  amount 

being  piled  ;  no  latlis  or  pickets  were  made,  but  1,500 
'  cords  of  slabs  were  sold  to  different  parties.  In  1879, 
I  the  mill  commenced  the  13th  of  May  and  cut  between 
;   4,000,000   and    5,000,000  feet    of  lumber,    of  which 


1,500,000  was  piled  and  sold  at  retail ;  neither  pickets 
or  laths  were  manufactured  that  year,  but  about  2,500 
cords  of  slabs  were  turned  out. 

In  1877,  W.  H.  Policy  sold  the  mill  to  his  two  sons, 
W.  E.  and  E.  H.  PoUey,  who  have  since  run  it  in  a 
verj^  proper  manner.  The  number  of  employes  is 
about  thirty,  and  the  average  wages  paid  is  about  $1 
per  day. 

Hiram  Goddarcfs  Mill. — This  mill  is  located  on 
French  Island,  about  half  a  mile  northwest  of  the  city 
limits.  Its  erection  dates  from  1875,  when  it  was  built 
by  C.  B.  Dawes,  of  Muskegon,  Mich.,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Goddard.  The  land  appurtenant  to  the 
mill,  and  used  for  a  j^ard,  etc.,  comprises  fifteen  acres. 
The  mill  has  excellent  machinery,  and  has  a  sawing 
capacity  of  5,000,000  feet  per  year.  The  first  Summer 
it  was  operated,  the  lumber  cut  reached  2,000,000  feet, 
of  which  amount  500,000  feet  were  retailed  here  and 
the  remainder  rafted  to  down-river  points. 

In  1876,  operations  were  begun  in  the  second  week 
in  April,  and  kept  up  until  September.  The  mill  ran 
to  half  its  capacity  for  a  full  season,  cutting  2,500,000 
feet  of  lumber,  all  being  rafted,  except  400,000  feet. 
In  1877,  the  third  season,  work  was  begun  May  1,  and 
continued  until  the  middle  of  September.  The  busi- 
ness done  amounted  to  about  the  same  as  the  previous 
year,  2,500,000  feet  being  cut,  which,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  300,000  feet,  was  rafted.  Of  shingles,  2,000,- 
000  were  manufactured  together  Avith  500,000  laths. 

In  1878,  work  was  begun  the  second  week  in  April, 
and  continued  120  days,  during  which  time  the  timber 
cut  aggregated  2,000,000  feet.  Of  this,  all  but  300,- 
000  feet  was  rafted.  The  laths  cut  amounted  to  400,- 
000,  and  140,000  shingles  were  also  turned  out.  In 
1879,  the  mill  started  up  on  the  10th  of  May,  and  run 
about  five  months,  turning  out  about  3,500,000  feet  of 
lumber,  which,  with  the  exception  of  500,000  feet  was 
rafted  down  the  river.  Between  500,000  and  800,000 
laths  were  turned  out  this  year  together  with  about 
2,500,000  shingles.  The  hands  in  this  mill  receive 
from  il  to  $3  per  day.  There  are  employed  around 
and  about  the  mill  about  fifty  persons,  including  a  few 
boys  and  girls.  The  mill  is  substantially  built  and  con- 
veniently arranged,  and  is  well  and  economically 
managed,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  fair  share  of  pub- 
lic confidence  and  patronage.  Mr.  Goddard  is  a  thorough 
business  man,  and  very  far-seeing  in  the  management 
of  his  mill  and  all  the  details  looking  to  its  success. 

G.  H.  Nichols  ^  Co.'s  Saw-3Iill.— This  mill  is  sit- 
uated on  the  Black  River,  about  two  miles  north  of  the 
city  limits.  Its  construction  was  commenced  in  the 
Spring  of  1856,  by  Messrs.  Royse,  Boice.  Melville  & 
Co.,  and  completed  in  June  of  that  year,  J.  S.  Nichols 
doing  the  work,  and  Peter  Sardin  was  the  first  sawyer, 
and  a  man  named  Mitchell  was  the  first  engineer. 
J.  S.  Nichols  performed  the  duties  of  superintendent 
and  manager.  The  first  year  the  mill  was  operated,  it 
showed  a  capacity  of  16,000  feet  per  day,  and  the 
amount  of  lumber  cut  was  2,500,000  feet,  all  of  which 
was  rafted  except  900,000  feet,  which  was  sold  at  retail 
in  this  market.  In  1859,  the  mill  was  sold  to  C.  M. 
Nichols,  but  it  remained  idle  until  1860,  undergoing 
repairs  in  the  meantime.  It  was  then  operated  steadily' 
until  1864,  when  it  was  not  run  at  all,  as  the  water  in 


5o8 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  Black  River  wns  unusually  low,  causing  a  great 
scarcity  in  logs.  The  average  price  of  lumber  from 
1857  to  1865  was  between  $1^3  and  $15  per  tliousand. 
The  price  gradually  increased  from  1S65  to  18G8,  which 
was  the  period  of  plentiful  currency  in  good  times, 
reaching,  in  the  latter  year,  $22  per  thousand.  In 
1873,  the  mill  was  purchased  by  C.  H.  Nichols  &  Co. 
The  "  Co."  comprises  two  names,  and  the  firm  in  full 
is  Messrs.  C.  H.  Nichols,  F.  E.  Nichols  and  Frank 
Pooler.  After  these  gentlemen  purchased  it,  they 
materially  clianged  it  and  increased  its  capacity,  ena- 
bling them  to  turn  out  45,000  feet  of  lumber,  30,000 
shingles,  and  10,000  laths  per  day.  These  were  rafted 
Soutii  as  quickly  as  manufactured,  and  sold  in  the 
down-river  markets.  But  very  little  attention  was  be- 
stowed upon  local  or  retail  trade. 

Tiie  property  was  valued  at  $25,000.  A  fifty-acre 
lot  is  owned  and  occupied  by  Messrs.  Nichols  &  Co., 
in  connection  with  the  mill.  They  have  a  vested  title 
of  the  riparian  rights  for  a  mile  along  the  east  sliore  of 
Black  River,  in  the  matter  of  handling  logs,  tying  up 
rafts,  etc.  Twelve  men  are  emplo3-ed  in  sorting  and 
rafting,  at  a  daily  compensation  of  about  $25. 

Nicliols  &  Co.  also  own  a  planing  mill,  wliich  is  run 
in  connection  witli  tlie  saw  mill.  It  is  one-eiglith  of  a 
mile  east  of  the  latter.  It  affords  employment  to  five 
men,  and  is  fitted  up  with  machinery  of  the  latest  and 
most  improved  patterns.  Tliis  mill  runs  about  three 
months  in  tlie  year. 

IMessis.  Nicliols  &  Co.'s  mill  was  entirely  consumed 
by  fire,  October  5,  1880.  About  ten  days  after  this,  a 
corps  of  carpenters  went  to  work,  in  laying  the  found- 
ation for  a  new  one,  and  tlieir  present  large  mill  was 
completed  and  the  first  sawing  done  on  the  ninth  day 
of  i\Iay,  1881.  After  running  one  and  a  half  daj-s, 
they  shut  down  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  some 
little  defects.  On  the  fourteenth  day  of  this  month, 
however,  a  full  force  of  men  went  at  work,  and  they 
have  been  in  constant  ojieration  since.  This  mill  is  in 
size  36x144,  and  has  a  capacity  of  120,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber in  twenty-four  hours. 

They  employ  102  hands  in  the  mill  —  including  a 
few  boys  and  girls  in  the  lath  and  sliingle  rooms — at  a 
daily  compensation  of  $160.  They  have  now  in  pro- 
cess of  construction  a  number  of  rafting  sheds. 
A  larger  portion  of  the  lumber  cut  is  i-afted  ;  iiowever, 
in  tlie  Fall,  about  2,000,000  feet  are  piled  in  tlie  yard 
at  tlie  mill.  The  entire  cost  of  the  mill  amounts  to 
$35,000. 

John  FaiiVs  Saw  31111. — In  1860,  John  Paul  pur- 
chased the  ground  upon  which  his  saw  mill  is  now 
built,  from  Nathan  Myrick  and  Daniel  Cameron,  and 
erected  thereon  a  saw  mill,  with  a  capacity  of  from 
10,000  to  12,000  feet  per  day.  His  whole  investment 
amounted  to  about  $2,000. 

The  mill  ran  about  five  months  the  first  season, 
cutting  800,000  feet  of  lumber,  all  of  which  was  re- 
tailed Iiere  at  about  $8  per  thousand.  The  capacity 
of  the  mill  and  its  business  gradually  increased  un- 
til 1808,  when  it  was  destro3'ed  by  bursting  of  the 
boilers. 

With  laudable  energy  and  enterprise,  Mr.  Paul  at 
once  set  to  work  to  rebuild  the  mill,  and  in  six  weeks 
from  the  time  of  the  calamity,  another  large  mill  was 


completed  and  put  into  operation.  Since  1868,  im-I 
provements  were  made  each  year,  by  the  addition  of  j 
macliinerv,  and  its  capacity  was  increased  from  130,000] 
to  150,000  feet  per  day.  In  1878,  about  14,000,000' 
feet  of  lumber  were  turned  out,  9,000,000  feet  of  which  i 
were  piled,  and  tlie  remainder  shipped.  i 

In   the  Winter  of    1880  and   1881,  new  buildings, 
throughout  were  erected,  the  dimensions  of  the  main  ' 
building  being  64x190,  with  two  additional  wings,  one  ■ 
24x120^  and  the  other,  20x32.     The  engine  and  boiler  , 
house,  constructed  of  stone  and  iron,  is  42x50.     The  ' 
motive  power  consists  of  two  engines,  each  22x24,  with  i 
a  capacity  of   600  horse-power,  and  eight  boilers,  44  ' 
inches  by  24  feet,  and   also  one  steam  double   pump,  ' 
which  feeds  the  boilers.      The  machiner\-  in  the  mill  ' 
consists  of  two  double  log  rotaries  ;  two  gangs,  one  of  for- 
t}--one  saws  and  the  other  twent}--eight  saws  ;  two,  five-  ; 
saw  edgers  ;  two,  four-saw  automatic  slat  and  edging  ' 
cutters,  with  lumber  trimmers  of  a  capacity  to  corre-  i 
spond.      The  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  lath  i 
and  shingles  has  a  sufficient  capacity  to  cut  all  the  lath  ! 
and  shingles  required  in  the  manufacture  of  150,000  | 
feet  of  lumber  per  da}-.      Connected  with   the  mill  is  i 
also  one  of  Sumner's  patent  double   dry-kilns;  a  log  ', 
slide,  which  Mr.  Paul  patented  in  1877,  and  on  account  ; 
of  its  worth  is  now  in   use  in  all  the  large  saw  mills  ' 
throughout  this  section  of  the  countr_y;  planing  and  i 
matching  machines  of  a  capacity  to  supply  all  the  de- 
mands of  his  immense  trade.     Tlie  entire  cost  of  this 
structure  amounts  to  $85,000.     Mr.  Paul  has  two  lum-  ' 
ber-yards  in  La  Crosse  ;  one  at  tlie  mill,  and  the  other  | 
on  tlie  eastern  outskirts  of  the  city.     Besides  these,  he  > 
has  also  yards   throughout   Southern   Minnesota  and  \ 
Dakota,  at  the  following  places  :   Rushford,  Lanesboro,   | 
Fountain,  Wykoff.  Spring  Valley,  Dexter,  Albert  Lea,   I 
Alden,    Wells,    J\Iapleton,    Good    Thunder,    Delevan,   1 
Huntley,  Sherburne,   Jackson,  Lakefield,  De   Forest,   ' 
Edgerton,  Pipestone,  Airlee,  in  jNIinnesota,  and  Flan-   i 
dreau,  Egan,  Dell  Rapids,  Madison  and  Wentworth,in    ! 
Dakota  Territory.     Of  the  amount  of  lumber  sawed    '■ 
yearly,  two-thirds  of  it  is  piled  in  the  La  Crosse  3-ards    | 
and  shipped  to  these  branch  j'ards,  wliile  the  remaining 
one-third  is  rafted  in  the  ^lississippi  River  to  Southern    : 
markets.     About  10,000,000  feet  is  constantly  kept  in    , 
the  La  Crosse  yards,  and  about  5,000,000  feet  at  the    ! 
branch  3-ards.     The  logs  supplying  this  mill  come  from    ; 
the  Chippewa,  Black  and  St.  Croix  rivers.      In  1880,    '. 
Mr.  Paul  sawed  30,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  manu- 
factured 12,000,000  shingles  and  6,000,000   laths,  this    '■ 
being  more  than  was  ever  before  sawed  b}-  any  individ- 
ual mill  on  the  Mississijipi  River.     In  the  manufacture 
of  such  an  enormous  ainonnt  of  lumber,  Mr.  Paul  em- 
plo3-ed  three  hundred  hands,  at  a  daih' compensation  of 
$550.     This  is  one  of  the  largest  mills  in   the  Nortli- 
west.    It  is  eveiy-whcre  regarded  as  first-class,  and  the 
ready  market  it  meets  with  proves  that  it  has  no  super- 
ior in  popular  favor. 

N.  B.  IMwaijs  Saw-Mill. — This  mill  is  situated  on 
the  Black  River,  in  North  La  Crosse,  near  the  railroad 
track  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad, 
and  its  premises  include  an  area  of  four  blocks.  It  was 
purchased  from  Robert  Ross,  by  N.  B.  Holway,  in  1876, 
and  he  worked  it  until  June,  1877,  when  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.    In  no  way  disheartened  by  the  calami- 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


5°9 


y,  he  soon  set  to  work  to  rebuild  tlie  mill,  which  was 
ompleted  and  ready  to  resume  operations  in  the  folio  w- 
iig  Spring.  The  size  of  the  mill  is  44x152,  substan- 
ially  built,  and  tiie  machinery  introduced  is  among  the 
ostliest  and  latest  improved  iu  this  part  of  the  coun- 
ry,  and  the  arrangements  throughout  the  mill  are  the 
aost  complete.  The  capacity  of  the  engine  that  drives 
he  saw-mill  and  the  sliingle-millis  gauged  at  100-horse- 
lower,  and  tliere  are  five  boilers.  The  engine  house  is 
luilt  of  brick  and  iron,  and  large  fire-proof  iron  doors 
ead  from  the  engine-room  to  the  mill.  The  saw-fibng 
com  is  on  the  second  floor,  on  the  south  side,  and  near 
lie  center  of  the  building.  There  are  two  steam  car- 
iages,  one  on  eacii  side  of  the  mill.  The  cutting 
•apacity  of  the  mill  is  ■1100,000  feet  per  day.  In  tlie 
I'all  of  1880,  water-pipe  was  laid  through  the  mill 
iremises,  and  runs  tiirough  the  two  stories  and  all  along 
lie  roof  of  the  building,  enabling  persons  to  cover  the 
utire  roof  with  water  in  case  of  fire. 
,  In  1878,  the  mill  ran  three  montiis,  during  which  time 
t  cut  about  4,000,000  feet  of  lumber.  It  would  have 
,un  longer  had  not  a  somewhat  serious  accident  hap- 
lened  to  tiie  machinery.  Early  in  June,  one  of  tlie 
lolts  of  the  engine  gave  way  and  was  carried  into  the 
iiaciiinery,  breaking  badly  and  causing  incalculable 
lamage.  This  necessitated  the  shutting  down  of  the 
Iiaciiinery  for  about  two  months.  In  li>79,  work  was 
legun  in  the  middle  of  JNIa}',  and  the  mill  run  steadily 
intil  November  11,  having  cut  about  8,000,000  feet  of 
umber,  manufactured  5,000,000  shingles,  and  about 
1,500  cords  of  slab-wood.  The  j'ear  1880  excelled  all 
)revious  years,  and  with  a  steady  run  night  and  day, 
Vom  April  6  until  November  14,  with  the  exception  of 
wo  weeks  in  June  during  high  water,  tlie  mill  turned 
lut  18,500,000  feet  of  lumber,  7, 2;jO,000  shingles,  1,000- 
100  laths  and  7,500  cords  of  slabs  and  all  of  this  with 
mly  two  circular  saws.  Nearly  all  the  lumber,  shingles 
.nd  lath  manufactured  b}^  Mr.  Holway  is  rafted  down 
he  iMississippi  River  to  all  lumber  markets  between 
^a  Crosse  and  St.  Louis,  the  principal  markets  being 
Ceokuk,  Iowa,  and  Hannibal,  J\Io.  Common  lumber  has 
old  for  all  the  way  from  !j>7.50  to  $12  per  thousand  ; 
irst  grade  of  shingles  from  12.50  to  13  ;  second  grade 
rom  11.75  to  $2.25  ;  lath,  11.50  to  11.75  per  thousand, 
fhe  cost  of  running  the  lumber  down  in  rafts  averages 
'5  cents  per  thousand.  Slabs  sell  at  the  mill 
it  11.25  per  cord  ;  11.50  to  11.75  per  cord, 
lelivered  at  liouses  or  on  steamboats.  The 
uill  employs,  150  hands,  including  the  employes  of  the 
ihingle  and  lath  mills.  The  wages  range  from  11.25 
0  15  per  day,  averaging  about  11.50.  Mr.  Holway  is 
he  only  lumberman  in  La  Crosse  that  pays  any  atten- 
ion  to  the  sale  of  saw-dust.  This  article  is  being  sifted 
iud  kept  clear  of  bark  and  sticks,  and  sell  at  5U  cents 
)er  cord  at  the  mill,  and  is  shipped  to  customers  by 
•ailroad  at  18  per  car.  The  sale  of  this  article  is  in- 
';reasing  very  rapidly. 

Withee's  Saiv-Mill. — This  was  a  large  mill,  having 
several  buildings  as  necessary  appurtenances,  all  of 
which  occupied  in  the  aggregate  an  area  of  six  acres. 
[t  was  located  on  French  Island — a  short  distance  north 
)f  the  city  and  opposite  Onalaska  on  the  west,  and  is 
•cached  by  a  bridge  which  crosses  Black  River.  It  was 
juilt  by  William    Listmau,  who    commenced  work  in 


October,  1872,  and  finished  it  the  following  May.  The 
property  was  valued  at  135,000  when  themill  was  com- 
pleted in  1873.  Hixon  &  Withee,  with  their  customary 
enterprise  and  energy,  lost  no  time  in  supplying  it  witli 
machinery  and  getting  the  mill  in  fine  working  order, 
and  active  operations  were  begun  without  delay.  They 
started  out  with  sixty  employes  in  all  departments  of 
the  mill,  who  received  an  average  of  11.75  per  day. 
During  the  Summer  of  1873,  the  lumber  sawed  amounted 
to  G,000,000  feet.  All  this  was  rafted  down  tlie  Mis- 
sissippi to  Hannibal,  where,  in  conjunction  with  Capt. 
Pettibone,  a  former  resident  and  ^layor  of  La  Crosse, 
Hixon  &  Withee  owned  another  saw-mill.  The  average 
cost  of  rafting  lumber  to  down-river  points  is  11  per 
thousand,  and  men  engaged  in  that  work  received  from 
12  to  13  per  day  in  1873. 

During  the  Summer  of  1874,  about  the  same  number 
of  hands  was  employed,  and  tlie  lumber  sawed  amounted 
to  about  5,000,000  feet ;  of  this,  3,000,000  feet  was 
rafted  to  Hannibal,  the  remainder  being  piled  up  at 
the  mill.  During  this  same  season,  William  Listman 
assumed  control  and  management  of  the  mill,  while  his 
son,  Charles  Listman,  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
superintendent  and  book-keeper.  During  the  Winter 
of  1874-75,  from  six  to  ten  men  were  employed  in  re- 
pairing the  mill  and  enlarging  the  capacity,  and  con- 
siderable new  machinery  was  put  in. 

In  1875,  logs  were  plentiful,  and  the  amount  sawed 
amounted  to  8,000,000  feet,  of  which  all  but  1,000,000 
was  rafted  to  Hannibal,  the  remainder  being  piled  in 
the  mill-yard,  as  were  also  3,000  cords  of  slabs  turned 
out  that  year.  A  like  aggregate  of  lumber  was  cut 
during  the  Summer  of  1876.  Of  this  amount,  800,000 
feet  was  piled  in  the  yard,  and  the  remainder  raited  to 
Hannibal.  During  the  Summer  of  1877,  on  account  of 
the  lowness  of  the  water,  but  few  logs  were  available, 
and  the  mill  was  in  operation  only  a  little  more  than 
two  months.  The  amount  of  lumber  cut  amounted  to 
3,000,000  feet,  all  of  which  was  rafted.  The  Summer 
of  1878,  in  all  essential  particulars,  was  a  repetitionof  the 
preceding  one,  the  mill  running  only  ten  weeks  cutting 
3,000,000  feet,  all  of  which  was  likewise  rafted.  In 
1880,  11,700,000  feet  of  lumber  was  cut. 

This  was  a  magnificent  mill  in  all  its  apartments. 
The  engine,  which  was  manufactured  at  the  shop  of 
Thornely  &  James,  in  the  city  of  La  Crosse,  is  as  fine 
a  one  as  can  be  found  any  where  in  the  East.  It  was 
put  up  in  the  Winter  of  1875,  had  four  boilers,  and  its 
capacity  was  rated  at  100-horse  power.  Tlie  mill  was 
two  stories  in  height,  and  had  a  capacity  of  00,000  feet 
of  lumber  per  day.  During  the  same  period  it  could 
turn  out  2tj,000  shingles,  or  2,500,000  per  year.  The 
aggregate  expenses  were  1100  per  day.  Tlie  boom  be- 
longing to  the  mill  is  a  large  and  strong  one,  and  can 
easily  and  safely  hold  5,000,000  feet  of  logs. 

This  mill,  a  model  of  perfection,  was  entirely  con- 
sumed by  fire  on  the  15th  day  of  Ma}%  1881.  The 
loss  amounted  to  125,000,  witii  an  insurance  of  only 
19,000.  It  is  now  being  replaced  by  a  new  one  of 
larger  dimensions,  being  48x192,  and  will,  when  fin- 
ished, cost  about  130,000,  and  will  have  a  capacitv  of 
60,000  feet  per  day. 

La  Crosse  Lumber  Company's  Mill. — This  fine  mill 
was  erected  in  1871,  the  owners  being  C.  C.  Washburn, 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Abner  Gile,  N,  B.  Holway,  Ruel  Weston,  J.  H.  Wes- 
ton and  G.  R.  Slieplierdson.  It  was  constructed  under 
the  direction  of  Samuel  Moffitt,  of  Muskegon,  Mich. 
On  June  IT,  1872,  it  was  started  up  for  the  first  time. 
A  large  number  of  hands  were  employed,  their  average 
daily  wages  being  $2.25.  But  very  little  work  was 
done  that  season  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles  and 
laths.  In  1873,  work  was  begun  in  April  and  con- 
tinued to  September.  During  that  time  the  lumber  cut 
reached  11,000,000  feet,  while  5,000,000  shingles  were 
manufactured  and  3,000,000  laths  were  turned  out. 
The  lumber  was  nearlj-  all  rafted.  About  4,000  cords 
of  edgings  and  slabs  were  sold  during  the  season,  the 
prices  ranging  from  75  cents  to  $1.50  per  cord.  The 
business  of  1874  was  almost  a  repetition  of  that  of  1873, 
and  it  would  be  superfluous  to  enlarge  upon  it  by  giv- 
ing the  items.  In  1875,  C.  C  Washburn  bought  up  all 
the  stock  and  the  mill  passed  into  his  hands. 

No  change  worthy  of  mention  was  made  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  mill  with  the  exception  of  I.  L. 
Nevins  assuming  the  management,  and  under  his  super- 
vision the  mill  has  since  been  run,  with  the  able  assist- 
ance of  F.  A.  Copeland.  In  April,  1875,  it  was  put 
into  operation  and  run  about  four  months,  cutting  9,- 
000,000  feet  of  lumber.  One-third  of  this  was  piled 
in  the  appurtenant  j'ards  and  the  remainder  rafted  to 
lumber  markets  down  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  1876,  the  lumber  cut  reached  the  aggregate  of 
15,000,000  feet,  the  season  lasting  from  the  middle  of 
April  until  the  1st  of  October.  One-third  of  this  was 
piled  and  the  remaining  10,000,000  feet  was  rafted. 
The  average  daily  wages  that  season  was  $2.  In  1877, 
work  was  begun  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  con- 
tinued until  the  middle  of  July,  when,  owing  to  scar- 
city of  logs,  it  had  to  be  discontinued.  For  this  brief 
season,  however,  the  cut  aggregated  6,000,000  feet. 

On  June  7,  of  that  year,  the  mill  had  a  very  narrow 
escape  from  destruction  by  fire,  which  originated  in  the 
ventilator  over  the  boiler,  and  consumed  the  entire  roof 
of  the  engine  house  before  it  could  be  extinguished. 
In  1878,  the  lumber  cut  was  about  7,500,000  feet,  a 
little  over  half  of  this  was  jjiled  and  the  remainder 
rafted  down  the  Mississippi  River.  About  4,000,000 
sliingles,  and  1,500,000  laths  were  also  manufactured. 
This  3"ear,  work  was  started  in  Ma}\  It  is  intended  to 
cut  10,000,000  feet,  4,000,000  of  which  will  be  piled 
and  the  remainder  rafted  down  the  river.  The  pros- 
pects for  a  big  business  are  very  flattering. 

There  are  from  150  to  175  men  employed  in  and 
about  the  mill,  with  F.  A.  Copeland,  assistant  manager 
and  book-keeper  ;  A.  G.  Nevins,  manager  of  the  yard  ; 
G.  L.  Kingsley,  superintendent  of  the  mill ;  M.  Erick- 
son,  engineer.  The  dimensions  of  the  main  building 
are  56x156,  and  it  is  two  stories  in  height.  The  ma- 
chinery consists  of  double  and  single  rotaries,  and  it 
has  two  gang-saws,  one  of  which  has  thirty  and  the 
other  forty  saws.  The  shingle  mill  is  24x48,  and  con- 
tains one  double  block  machine,  which  cuts  on  an 
average  75,000  shingles  per  day.  Three  engines  im- 
part the  necessary  motive  power  to  this  vast  labyrinth 
of  machinery.  The  largest  of  them  is  gauged  at  600- 
horse  power,  tlie  second  in  size  at  500,  and  the  third  at 
twenty.  A  double  pump,  supplies  the  necessary 
drinking  water,  and  is  also  available,  in  cases  of  emer- 


gency, to  extinguish  fires.  In  addition  to  this  is  a 
regular  fire-pump,  which  for  safety  is  kept  in  a  fireproof 
compartment.  The  planing  mill,  another  of  the  aux- 
iliary buildings,  lias  notably  fine  machinery,  consisting 
of  one  double  surfacer,  one  flooring  machine,  a  molding 
machine,  etc.  An  area  of  twentj'-seven  lots  is  occu- 
pied by  the  mill,  its  auxiliary  buildings,  and  for  j-ard 
purposes.  This  property,  as  it  now  stands,  has  cost  at 
least  •'$200,000,  and  La  Crosse  is  justly  proud  of  it. 

WHOLESALE    BUSINESS. 

Mons  Anderson,  wholesale  and  retail  dry  goods. — 
This  house,  now  generallj^  recognized  to  be  at  the  head 
of  the  wholesale  and  retail  dry  goods  trade  in  the 
Northwest,  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Sec- 
ond streets.  In  connection  with  its  wholesale  and 
retail  business,  its  extensive  millinery,  manufacturing 
and  other  departments,  almost  give  it  the  right  to  be 
classed  as  a  furnishing  house.  The  building  is  120x 
140  feet,  four  stories,  five  floors,  airy,  cheerful  and  per- 
fect in  every  detail,  affording  every  convenience  to 
employe  and  patron.  The  basement  is  used  for  domes- 
tics and  full  packages  ;  the  main  floor  for  retail  depart- 
ment; the  third  floor  for  carpets  and  offices  ;  the  fourth 
floor  for  wholesale  dry  goods  ;  fifth  floor  for  notions. 
In  1818,  the  office  building,  18x40  feet,  two-story,  was 
built  and  properly  connected  \\  ith  the  main  building. 
Although  giving  emploj'ment  in  this  estal)lishment  to 
sixty-seven  persons,  the  character  of  its  head  is  felt  in 
every  member,  and  order  and  system  prevail  through- 
out. He  is  ably  assisted  by  his  two  sons,  Alfred  H.,  as 
buyer  and  manager  of  the  wholesale  department,  and 
Samuel  W.,  book-keeper  of  the  retail  department,  who 
are  peculiarly  fitted  for  their  allotted  duties  ;  hence  it 
follows  that  there  is  never  a  lack  of  efficient  co-opera- 
tion with  the  chief  on  all  sides. 

Charles  B.  Solherf),  wholesale  dealer  in  groceries. — 
In  1861,  Mr.  Solberg  opened  his  first  stock  of  groceries, 
and  up  to  1870  conducted  that  branch  of  business  in 
the  Levy  block,  when  he  built  on  his  present  site,  on 
the  corner  of  Third  and  Pearl  streets.  The  building 
was  a  three-story  brick,  40x80.  In  1876,  a  two-story 
addition  was  built  on  in  the  rear  of  the  main  building, 
60x70,  which  is  wholly  devoted  to  the  wholesale  busi- 
ness, while  the  first  story  of  the  original  building  is 
given  to  the  retail  trade,  the  two  upper  stories  being 
rented  for  offices,  a  hall.  etc.  Mr.  Solberg  early  se- 
cured a  large  amount  of  the  Scandinavian  trade,  and 
always  doing  business  in  a  prompt  and  strictly  honor- 
able manner,  he  has  retained  his  old  customers.  Their 
indorsement  of  his  ciiaracter  brought  him  new  ones, 
and  his  business  has  gradually  increased  until  it  has 
assumed  very  large  proportions.  In  1861,  the  first 
year  of  his  business,  his  sales  amounted  to  $65,000. 
In  1880,  they  had  increased  to  $385,000,  and  for  the  year 
1881,  will  no  doubt  foot  up  $400,000. 

'/.  W.  Toms  ^  Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in  crockeiy, 
stoneware  and  glassware,  began  business  on  Front 
street  in  La  Crosse,  in  September,  1865,  occupying  one 
small  room  and  basement.  In  1"<77,  their  business  de- 
manded more  room,  and  they  secured  the  two  stories 
above  their  first  stand.  Tliree  years  later  they  moved 
to  more  commodious  and  larger  stores  on  Main  street, 
but  five  years  ago  were  compelled  to  secure  still  larger 


HISTORY    OF    LA    CROSSE    COUNTY. 


quiirters,  and  moved  into  their  present  location.  No.  36 
Main  street,  where  thej'  occupy  five  floors,  22  x  80,  and 
have  a  larger  storeroom  on  the  river  front  contiguous 
to  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  track.  They  began  buying 
goods  directly  of  the  English  potters  in  1866,  and  have 
maintained  those  relations  until  two  years  ago,  when 
the  perfection  to  which  American  pottery  had  been, 
brought,  and  the  favorable  terms  their  immense 
handling  enabled  them  to  secure,  induced  them  to  relv 


Phoenix-like,  Mr.  Rau  rose  from  the  fire  and  established 
himself  in  the  Esperson  Block  on  Main  street.  In  1868, 
he  began  the  erection  of  his  present  80x35  feet  stone 
building,  which  was  completed  in  1869.  About  1872, 
his  dry  goods  department  was  abandoned,  and  he  has 
since  given  his  whole  attention  to  crockery,  groceries 
and  feed,  at  Nos.  14  and  16  North  Tliird  street.  In 
1880,  he  opened  a  wholesale  department,  and  has  since 
establislied    an    extensive    trade    through    Wisconsin, 


MONS   ANDERSON    BUILDING. 


almost  altogether  upon  domestic  manufacture.  Their 
trade  has  steadily  grown  until  they  rank  among  the 
largest  and  best  known  China  houses  in  the  Northwest. 
Their  trade  lies  largely  in  Southern  Minnesota  and 
Eastern  Dakota,  but  they  also  cover  the  western  part 
of  Wisconsin  and  Northern  Iowa  to  a  considerable 
degree. 

John  Rau  ^  Son,  wholesale  dealers  in  crockery 
glassware  and  stoneware.  The  business  of  which  this 
is  a  continuation  was  established  in  1867,  in  the  Block 
Building  on  Third  street,  by  Rau  Brothers  under  the 
firm  name  of  John  Rau  &  Bro.  They  continued  to 
retail  groceries  and  dry  goods  until  1869,  when,  in  the 
"  Third  street  fire  "  of  that  year,  they  were  burned  out. 


Iowa  and  Minnesota.  In  1881,  John  Rau,  Jr.,  was 
admitted  as  partner,  and  the  firm  became  John  Rau  & 
Son.  Connected  with  his  store  is  a  frame  warehouse, 
20x40  feet,  and  another  on  Main  street  of  brick,  20x45 
feet. 

Hogan  ^  Cook,  wholesale  grocers.  J.  J.  Hogan, 
one  of  the  earliest  and  most  prominent  of  the  business 
men  of  La  Crosse,  commenced  his  career  in  April, 
1859,  as  a  retailer  of  groceries  and  supplies  for  steamers 
and  rafts.  Commenced  jobbing,  in  a  small  way,  the 
second  and  third  year.  He  remained  on  Main  street 
six  years.  In  1864,  removed  to  No.  12  Front  street, 
becoming  a  partner  in  the  Northwestern  Union  Packet 
Company,   of   which    he    was   the   purchasing   agent. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN 


This  company  furnished  all  kinds  of  supplies  for 
steamers,  and,  in  addition,  did  a  general  jobbing  busi- 
ness. During  the  two  years  of  liis  connection  with  the 
house  the  trade  averaged  i^200, 000  per  year,  having  the 
largest  custom  as  well  as  variety  of  goods  of  any  ex- 
isting establislnnent.  He  then  opened  business  at  No. 
16  Front  street,  jobbing  mercliandise  and  groceries 
exclusively  to  raftsmen,  and  dealing  in  raft  supplies  of 
all  kinds.  Tlie  yearly  returns  footed  up  from  $125,- 
000  to  $150,000.  This  was  the  era  of  high  prices,  as 
will  be  readily  seen  by  reference  to  the  buying  prices 
of  a  few  staples — sugar,  40  cents  per  pound  ;  coffee,  41 
to  43;  carbon  oil,  75  to  90  cents  per  gallon;  rope,  25 
cents  per  pound  ;  tea,  $2.08.  In  October,  18G9,  moved 
to  his  present  quarters,  No.  —  Front  street,  a  three- 
story  brick,  25xlu0,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  From 
the  basement,  goods  are  received  orshipped  directly  by 
car  or  steamer,  thus  saving  all  the  expense  and  delay 
of  draj-age.  In  1868,  he  became  interested  with  Dr. 
Chamberlain  in  pine  lands  in  Clark,  Marathon,  Chip- 
pewa and  Jackson  counties.  In  1875-76,  was  engaged  in 
logging  on  Black  River  and  its  tributaries,  and  brought 
out~10^000,000  feet  of  pine.  On  the  last  day  of  1876, 
his  partner,  Dr.  Chamberlain  was  killed  by  Oscav  Wis- 
senger,  who  was  afterward  adjudged  insane.  This 
occurrence  terminated  the  firm,  and,  in  the  Spring  of 
1879,  j\Ir.  Hogan  resumed  business  in  his  former  stand, 
which  had  been  leased  in  the  interval.  His  trade  has 
been  a  growing  one,  and  in  July,  1880,  his  brother-in- 
law,  F.  P.  Cook,  became  a  partner.  Sales  the  last  year 
aggregated  a  quarter  of  a  million  with  hopeful  promise 
of  increase  during  the  future. 

Davis  (f-  Medary. — The  connection  of  Mr.  Medary 
with  this  extensive  leather  and  saddlery  house  extends 
back  to  1860,  when  he  was  employed  by  Jesse  R.  Grant, 
father  of  ex-President  U.  S.  Grant,  who  was  then  its 
head.  In  1862,  Mr.  Burke  became  a  partner,  and  the 
firm  name  was  known  as  Grant  &  Burke.  It  so  contin- 
ued till  1866,  when  they  sold  out  to  Davis,  Medary  & 
Hill.  During  this  time  the  establishment  was  located 
at  No.  — Main  street,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Alex 
Forbes.  In  1867,  the  new  firm  removed  to  their  pres- 
ent location.  No.  12  Pearl  street,  into  a  building  built 
expressly  for  their  use,  23x100.  In  December,  1870, 
Mr.  Hill  retired  from  the  firm.  In  1872,  the  new  firm 
added  the  adjoining  building.  No.  14,  being  the  same 
size  as  No.  12,  each  having  two  stories  above,  all  of 
which  are  occupied,  the  two  rooms  on  the  first  floor  be- 
ing used  for  an  office  and  sales  rooms,  and  those  above 
for  manufacturing  and  storage  purposes.  The  present 
year,  1881,  on  an  adjoining  lot,  has  been  built  an  ad- 
ditional storeroom,  erected  the  same  size  as  those  now 
occupied,  22x100.  Of  this,  forty  feet  in  front  will  be 
given  up  for  office  purposes  and  sixty  for  a  store,  thus 
giving  them  a  total  of  68x100  on  tiie  first  floor,  and 
two  stories  of  46x100  for  storage  and  manufacturing. 
Their  work  consists  larg'ely  of  the  making  of  horse-col- 
lars and  lly-nets,  of  which  there  were  turned  out  of  ihe 
former  one  thousand  dozen,  and  of  the  latter  from  two 
to  three  hundred  dozen  the  past  year.  To  this  they 
have  now  added  the  making  of  riding  saddles,  which 
promises  to  grow  into  a  large  business.  The  firm  keep 
a  complete  stock  of  saddlery,  hardware,  leather  and 
shoe  findings. 


McCulloch,  McCord  ^  Co.,  wholesale  druggists. 
The  large  drug  house  of  this  firm  had  its  beginning  in 
a  small  way  on  the  27th  of  April,  1852,  whe^i  jNIessrs. 
Howard  &  Hastings  were  its  proprietors,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Howard  &  Co.  This  was  changed  in  1855  to 
that  of  S.  D.  Hastings  &  Co.  The  next  year  Bayme  & 
Wells  succeeded.  This  was  followed  by  the  firm  of 
Wells  &  Parry,  and,  in  1859  or  1800,  by  Uriah  Parry, 
Jr.  In  1864,  the  present  firm  came  into  possession,  and 
are  engaged  in  wholesaling  exclusivelv,  selling  only  to 
dealers.  Their  trade  extends  the  whole  length  of  the 
Southern  i\Iinnesota  Railroad,  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Railroad,  Clinton,  Dubuque  &  Minnesota  Railroad, 
Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad,  and  branches.  They 
have  an  extensive  river  trade  with  the  counties  adjoin- 
ing the  river,  and  witli  all  that  section  lying  eastward 
within  a  radius  of  100  miles.  Two  traveling  salesmen 
are  kept  constantly  emploj'ed,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
river.  The  rooms  occupied  include  three  stories  and  a 
basement,  on  Front  street,  of  25x100,  alwa3'S  well  filled, 
so  that  it  is  necessary  to  use  a  storage  lot  in  addi- 
tion, of  50x100.  In  addition  to  drugs,  paints,  glass, 
etc,  the  firm  make  a  specialty  of  oils,  and  are  the  sole 
agents  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  for  the  sale  of 
carbon  oil,  of  which  6,000  barrels  were  disposed  of  in 
1880,  to  which  2,000  barrels  should  be  added  of  other 
oils,  the  tonnage  of  this  single  article  alone  amounting 
to  3,200,000  pounds.  Adding  to  this  such  articles  as 
white  lead,  200,000  pounds,  an  equal  weight  in  glass, 
80,000  pounds  of  axle  grease,  etc.,  a  total  is  soon  reach- 
ed of  5,000,000  pounds  shipped  by  this  firm  yearly. 
The  two  members  were  emploj'cd  at  the  same  time  in 
the  drug  house  of  John  Price,  in  Milwaukee,  both  com- 
ing to  La  Crosse  in  1864,  and  at  once  entering  into 
their  present  business. 

Gordon  <f  Manville,  wholesale  dealers  in  foreign  and 
domestic  wines,  liquors,  etc..  No.  9  Front  street.  The 
foundation  of  this  firm  was  laid  in  1858,  by  Milton  il. 
Morse  and  Alexander  Gordon,  who  entered  into  part- 
nership under  the  firm  name  of  Morse  &  Co.,  for  the 
purpose  of  rectifying  whisky,  and  made  their  first  joint 
venture  in  business  in  the  Union  Block,  State  street. 
The  time  was  very  unpropitious  for  the  establishment 
of  any  business  enterprise,  but  they  exj^erienced  a  fair 
measure  of  success  from  the  start,  and,  two  j-ears  later, 
were  in  a  position  to  take  advantage  of  the  business 
revival  which  then  began  to  be  manifested.  They  built 
and  operated  the  first  distillery  established  in  the  State, 
a  work  which  would  have  been  largely  increased  but 
for  the  difficulty  of  procuring  a  sufficient  local  supply 
of  corn,  which  had  often  to  be  supplemented  by  pur- 
chasing in  Illinois  and  Iowa.  In  1869,  the  late  James 
D.  Lyndes  purchased  the  interest  of  jMr.  Morse,  and, 
in  enlarged  premises,  the  business  was  prosecuted  with 
increasing  success,  under  the  firm  name  of  Gordon  & 
Langdon,  till  i\Ir.  Langdon's  death  in  1874,  when  the 
present  title  was  adopted,  Mr.  IManville  having  acquired 
Mr.  Langdon's  interest.  The  firm  now  occupies  a  build- 
ing built  specially  for  this  trade,  with  all  the  facilities 
requisite  for  the  i)rosecution  of  an  extensive  business. 
The  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  firm  have  never 
experienced  interruption,  have  been  in  fact  cotempora- 
neous  with  the  growth  of  the  city  in  which  its  interests 
are  centered.     Its  business  field  covers  the  States  of 


HISTORY  OF  LA  CROSSE  COUNTY. 


5'3 


Wisconsin,  Minnesota  and  Iowa  and  the  Territory  of 
Dakota,  and  demands  the  active  services  of  three  trav- 
eling agents,  including  the  junior  member  of  the  firm. 
Their  stock  is  large  and  varied,  comprising  all  the  estab- 
lished brands  of  Kentucky  whisky,  both  free  and  in 
bond,  together  with  a  full  line  of  foreign  wines  and 
brandies,  indispensable  to  a  well-organized  establish- 
ment of  the  kind. 

Isaac  Tuteur  ^  Son,  wholesale  liquor  dealers.  In 
1856,  Isaac  Tuteur  commenced  a  wholesale  and  retail 
liquor  business  on  Front  street,  and  conducted  this  for 
about  two  years  when  he  disposed  of  it  and  went  into 
the  lumber  business.  He  soon  afterward  established  a 
liquor  trade  again,  and  subsequently  associated  himself 
with  J.  B.  Jungen,  dealing  in  wholesale  liquors  and 
groceries.  In  1868,  Mr.  Tuteur  established  his  present 
business  at  No.  13  South  Second  street.  September  8, 
1875,  he  associated  with  himself  his  son,  Joseph  Tuteur, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Isaac  Tuteur  &  Son.  They 
deal  in  all  grades  and  all  kinds  of  foreign  and  domestic 
wines  and  liquors,  their  yearly  sales  amountiog  to  $65,- 
000. 

John  B.  Jungen,  wholesale  liquor  dealer,  opened  his 
first  liquor  and  grocery  store  in  the  Fall  of  1857,  on 
Pearl  street.  He  conducted  this  business  at  different 
places  in  the  city,  meeting  with  great  success  until  1876, 
when  he  associated  himself  with  C.  B.  Solberg,  this 
partnership  existing  until  1879,  when  he  established 
his  present  business.  Mr.  Jungen  now  confines  his 
attentions  solely  to  the  local  trade,  and  accordingly 
keeps  on  hand  such  goods  as  are  used  and  will  supply 
i  that  trade.  When  doing  business  for  himself  at  first, 
his  sales  amounted  to  $75,000,  but  will  now  reach  only 
about  one-fourth  of  that  amount. 

Fred  Mueller  established  himself  in  the  wholesale 
liquor  business  in  1874,  on  Third  street,  between  Main 
and  State  streets,  one  door  north  of  his  present  place 
of  business.  The  first  j'ear  his  sales  amounted  to  be- 
tween $18,000  and  $20,000,  and  for  1880  they  amounted 
to  about  $30,000.  His  goods  are  sold  throughout  Wis- 
consin, Minnesota,  Iowa  ana  Dakota,  being  shipped 
over  all  tlie  railroads  leading  out  from  the  city  of  La 
Crosse.  He  constantly  keeps  on  hand  and  deals  in  all 
kinds  and  grades  of  both  imported  and  domestic  wines 
and  liquors. 

Ignatz  Sehierl  established  a  wholesale  liquor  house 
on  Third  street,  between  Main  and  St;;te  streets,  in 
187-1,  where  the  liquor  house  of  Fred  Mueller  now  is, 
conducting  a  business  the  first  year  of  between  $15,- 
000  and  $18,000.  In  1876,  he  moved  to  liis  present 
place  of  business,  on  the  east  side  of  Third,  between 
'  Main  and  State  streets.  His  goods,  consisting  of  all 
;  kinds  of  foreign  and  domestic  wines  and  liquors,  are 
sold  throughout  the  northern  and  western  parts  of 
Wisconsin,  eastern  and  southern  parts  of  Minnesota, 
and  the  eastern  and  northern  parts  of  Iowa.  He  sells 
j-early  about  200  barrels  of  liquors,  his  yearly  sales 
amounting  to  about  $30,000. 

i  VILLAGE    OF    WEST    SALEM. 

it  Beautifully   located  in   the  center  of  the   town  of 

'       Hamilton,  and  also  of  La  Crosse  County,  on  a  level 

strip  of  land  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul, 

and  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroads,  is  the  pleasant 

1  32 


village  of  West  Salem.  It  is  regularly  and  handsomely 
laid  out  into  alleys,  streets  and  avenues,  and  its  citi- 
zens, who  have  always  the  beauty  of  their  village  upper- 
most in  their  minds,  have  made  this  location  "  to  blos- 
som as  the  rose."  They  have  displayed  taste  in  adorn- 
ing and  beautifying  their  streets  and  highways  with 
rich  foliaged  shade-trees,  which  are  not  only  a  pride 
and  benefit  to  her  own  citizens,  but  admired  and  en- 
joyed by  visitors  and  others  who  have  the  pleasure  of 
gazing  upon  them  and  basking  in  their  luxuriant  shade 
during  the  sultry  Summer  weatlier.  From  a  business 
point  of  view,  West  Salem  stands  at  the  head  of  ship- 
ping points  in   this  portion  of  the  territory. 

in  1858,  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road was  built  through  the  town  of  Hamilton,  and  it 
was  at  this  time  that  that  public-spirited  citizen,  Thomas 
Leonard,  gave  to  the  railroad  company  the  required 
bonus  of  ten  acres  of  land  lying  east  and  northeast  of 
the  present  depot,  on  condition  that  they  locate  a  depot 
or  station  at  this  point.  The  donation  was  accepted 
and  the  depot  built.  Forthwith,  Mr.  Leonard,  in  com- 
pany with  M.  L.  Tourtelotte  and  Oscar  F.  Elwell,  laid 
out  the  "  original  plat  "  of  the  village  of  West  Salem. 
This  plat  consisted  of  twenty  acres,  and  was  surveyed 
by  H.  I.  Bliss,  of  La  Crosse,  into  alleys,  streets,  ave- 
nues and  squares.  Soon  after,  "  Leonard's  Addition  " 
was  made,  and  the  village  assumed  regular  and  hand- 
some proportions.  The  streets  were  termed.  Main, 
Franklin,  Hamilton,  Jefferson,  intersected  by  Melville, 
Church,  Leonard,  and  Mills  streets.  The  first  frame 
building  erected  in  the  village  was  built  by  Frank  Bur- 
gett,  in  1857,  and  occupied  by  him  for  a  store,  in  which 
he  conducted  a  general  mercantile  business.  He  re- 
mained but  one  year,  however,  when  he  sold  out  and 
left  for  Chicago.  The  first  hotel  in  the  village  was 
established  by  Thomas  Dutcher,  who,  in  the  Fall  of 
1857,  built  the  frame  building  still  standing  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Leonard  streets.  Here  he  catered  to 
the  taste  of  the  public  for  one  year,  when  he  sold  out 
to  Mr.  Johnson,  who  in  turn  disposed  of  the  property 
to  a  Mr.  Hickcox,  and  subsequently  Ethan  Allen  be- 
came proprietor,  and  finally  the  present  owner,  A.  El- 
dred,  took  possession  of  the  hotel  and  now  occupies  it 
for  a  residence.  The  first  saloon  in  the  village  was 
started  by  John  Hommell,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Leonard  streets.  This  was  a  favorite  resort  in  early  days. 
The  first  drug  store  was  started  in  1863,  by  A.  K. 
Viets,  and  continued  by  him  to  the  present  time.  Dr. 
AVilliam  Stanley  was  the  first  physician  to  locate  in  tlie 
village,  tlie  date  of  his  arrival  being  June,  1858.  In 
1856,  a  Dr.  Palmer  located  in  the  village  of  Neshonoc, 
and  some  years  after,  moved  to  West  Salem.  The  first 
and  only  disciple  of  Blackstone  to  locate  in  the  village, 
was  a  Mr.  Harwood,  who  came  to  this  vicinity  in  IStiO. 
He  remained  a  few  years  when  he  took  his  departure 
for  a  less  peaceable  locality.  Prior  to  1860,  the  growtli 
of  the  village  was  slow  and  uncertain,  but  during  this 
year  large  accessions  to  the  population  were  made  and 
before  Winter  and  his  aged  locks  appeared.  West 
Salem  contained  upward  of  three  hundred  inhabitants. 
The  advent  of  the  Chicago  &  Jvutii  western  Railway 
brought  others  to  this  locality,  and  the  business  and 
improvements  continued  u_itii  now  West  Salem  ranks 
among  the  leading  villages  in  this  portion  of  the  State. 


STORY  OF  NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


MANITOWOC    COUNTY. 


NATURAL  ADVANTAGES. 
Manitowoc  County  borders  the  western  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  lying  south  of  Brown  and  Kewaunee 
counties,  north  of  Sheboygan  and  east  of  Calumet.  It 
contains  an  area  of  nearly  600  square  miles.  The  land 
is  generally  undulating,  pi-esenting  the  usual  pleasant 
diversities  of  a  section  which  bears  evidence  of  never 
having  been  disturbed  by  any  unusual  convulsion  of 
nature.  The  only  marked  natural  feature  of  the 
county  is  the  existence  of  what  are  called  the  "  Potash 
Kettle  Hills,"  a  suggestive  chain  of  elevations,  in 
places  rough  and  broken,  which  extend  from  south- 
west to  northeast.  They  are  supposed  to  have  been 
formed  by  glacial  action,  and  are  from  one  to  ten  miles 
in  width.  The  underlying  strata  of  rock  are  Niagara 
limestone,  the  lower  coral  beds,  and  those  only,  being 
exposed  principally  along  the  valley  of  the  West  Twin 
River,  in  Cooperstown.  This  regularity  of  surface, 
combined  with  the  fact  that  the  prevailing  soils  are  a 
red  marly  clay,  strongly  impregnated  with  lime,  make 
the  county  a  favorable  one  for  agricultural  purposes. 
The  soil  is  generally  strong  as  well  as  fertile,  and  grows 
easily  all  the  grains,  fruits  and  grasses.  In  the  valleys 
it  is  of  a  sandy  mixture.  Oats,  wheat,  potatoes,  rye  and 
barley  are  especially  prolific,  as  will  be  seen  by  figures 
which  follow.  The  dairy  products  are  also  a  source  of 
great  revenue  to  the  farmers  of  the  county.  During 
1880,  459,565  pounds  of  cheese,  and  478,068  pounds  of 
butter  were  made.  Tlie  surface  of  the  country  is 
watered  by  the  Manitowoc  and  Twin  rivers,  the  former 
draining  over  half  the  teri'itory.  In  its  southern  and 
southwestern  portion  are  numbers  of  small  lakes,  such 
as  Prairie,  Pigeon,  Wilke  and  Cedar;  also  little  creeks 
whicli  serve  to  add  to  its  natural  attractiveness  and  to 
its  value  as  a  grazing  and  farming  country.  The  most 
valuable  of  the  pine,  oak  and  hemlock  forests  which 
formerly  covered  so  large  a  portion  of  its  surface,  have 
disappeared  before  the  ravages  of  saw-mills,  ship  yards 
and  tanneries.  There  yet  remain,  however,  for  build- 
ing purposes  inexhaustible  beds  of  limestone  and  clay 
of  a  superior  quality.  By  nature,  Manitowoc  County 
is  certainly  rich,  and  as  one  source  of  her  wealth  is 
being  exhausted,  another  springs  to  view. 
GENERAL  HISTORY. 
The  name  "  Manitowoc"  is  an  Indian  word,  or  a 
combination  of  two  Algonquin  words,  translated  "The 
Place  of  the  Manitou,"  "  Tiie  Home  of  the  Good 
Spirit,"  or  "The  Deu  of  the  Devil."  It  is  uncertain 
whether  the  good  or  the  evil  spirit  gives  Manitowoc  its 
name,  but  tradition  runs  to  the  effect  that  a  spirit  was 
wont  to  haunt  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  earliest 
tribes  said  to  have  inhabited  the  county  were  the  Mas- 
coutins,  who,  according  to  Canadian  voyageurs,  hunted 
the  country  lying  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.     Later  came  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Win- 


nebagoes,  Menomonees  and  Pottawatomies,  who  wan- 
dered over  this  region,  hunting  and  fishing.  The  Chip- 
pewas and  Menomonees  seemed  to  have  cliosen  the 
region  near  the  mouth  of  Manitowoc  River  and  along 
the  coast  for  their  "  Summer  resorts,"  and  in  Winter 
moved  further  back  into  the  interior.  The  other  tribes, 
except  the  Pottawatomies,  had  either  disappeared 
from  this  section  entirely,  or  merely  held  an  undefined 
claim  upon  the  territory,  when  the  first  white  men 
commenced  to  appear  in  force.  This  period  maj'  be 
said  to  have  commenced  in  1822,  when  the  trail  from 
the  south  along  the  lake  shore  was  first  opened  to 
Green  Bay.  Explorers  from  the  North  and  South,  and 
travelers  with  supplies  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  How- 
ard, stopped,  now  and  then,  at  different  points  in  what 
is  now  Manitowoc  County,  and  especially  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  The  Indians  were  generally  peaceable, 
and  when  travelers  stopped  to  settle  and  put  up 
their  rough  shanties,  exchanged  their  venison 
and  wild  cranberries  for  the  pork  with  which 
the  pioneers  were  supplied.  Their  brisk  and 
quite  large  settlements  at  Manitowoc  and  Mani- 
towoc Rapids  were  abandoned,  and  their  corn- 
fields abandoned.  The  Menomonees  and  Pottawato- 
mies relinquished  all  claim  upon  their  lands,  although 
in  some  portions  of  the  county  a  few  families  remained 
to  cultivate  small  tracts  of  land  and  obtain  their  living 
in  a  semi-civilized  manner.  At  Cato  Falls,  in  the  town 
of  Cato,  near  the  center  of  the  county,  a  corn-field  was 
still  in  process  of  cultivation  by  some  Chippewa  In- 
dians as  late  as  1837.  This  locality  was  the  head- 
quarters of  a  chief  of  that  tribe  named  Mexico,  who  was 
a  kind  and  re-assuring  friend  to  the  early  white  settlers. 
He  died  in  1845,  and  was  buried  at  Manitowoc  Rapids. 
In  the  town  of  Schleswig  the  Menomonee  Indians  had 
planting  grounds  as  late  as  1859.  After  the  real  set- 
tlement of  the  county  commenced  in  1835-37,  around 
Manitowoc,  Manitowoc  Rapids  and  Two  Rivers, 
through  the  Manitowoc  Land  Company,  Jacob  W. 
Conroe  and  Judge  Lowe,  neither  Chippewas  or  Me- 
nomonees were  seen  in  any  numbers.  In  1836,  Mr. 
Conroe  built  a  saw-mill  at  the  Rapids,  and  the  next 
year  a  second  one  was  erected  for  Theyer,  Rouse  & 
Thompson,  near  Two  Rivers,  Judge  Lowe,  of  Green 
Bay,  having  entered  a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  vicin- 
ity^ A  mill  was  also  built  by  G.  Conroe,  the  same 
year,  at  Neshota,  in  the  western  part  of  the  town  of 
Two  Rivers.  He  had  bought  5,000  acres  in  that  vicin- 
ity, as  a  member  of  the  Neshota  Company. 

The  panic  of  1837  stopped  work  at  all  the  mills, 
except  Conroe's,  who  purchased  the  establishment 
operated  near  Manitowoc  Rapids.  After  the  effects  of 
the  panic  had  somewhat  subsided,  mills  began  to  spring 
up  again  in  different  portions  of  the  county.  More 
attention  also  began  to  be  paid  to  farming.  The  early 
settlers  had,  of  course,  generally  raised  enough  grain 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


5T5 


and  vegetables  for  their  own  use,  but  not  until  1841 
did  the  first  farmer  really  follow  agriculture  as  a  means 
of  livelihood.  H.  Conroe  had  cultivated  a  small  farm 
previously,  and  removed  from  the  county.  In  that 
year,  Hiram  McAllister,  who  had  previously  been  en- 
gaged as  a  lumberman  and  carpenter,  purchased  a  farm 
in  the  present  town  of  Manitowoc  Rapids.  It  was 
subsequently  purchased  by  John  Landreth,  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  land  in  the  county. 
Mr.  McAllister  was  the  first  bona  fide  fanner  in  Mani- 
towoc County,  and  carried  on  his  farm  for  many  years. 
Returning  to  the  general  settlement  of  the  county,  it 
is  found  that  the  towns  of  Two  Creeks,  Cooperstown, 
Kossuth  and  Mishicott,  in  tiie  northern  portion,  were 
being  populated  quite  rapidly  by  1846. 

Capt.  Edwards,  formerly  the  mail-carrier  from  She- 
boygan to  Green  Bay,  settled  in  Cooperstown  in  1840, 
and  in  1847  a  saw-mill  for  Pierce  &  Bruce  was  erected. 
After  that,  the  growth  of  the  town  was  rapid,  although 
the  early  settlers  were  somewhat  troubled  by  Indians. 
In  1843,  Joseph  Poquin  came  to  Kossuth  Town,  and 
was  for  many  years  a  tavern  keeper.  The  influx  of 
population  took  place  in  1847,  and  two  years  later 
Michael  Kellner  settled  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
town,  and  gave  his  name  to  the  village  there.  Mishi- 
cott and  Two  Creeks,  comprising  the  then  wild  country 
to  the  northeast  of  this  vicinity,  commenced  to  be  set- 
tled about  the  same  time.  In  1843,  P.  Rowley  built 
the  first  houh'.e  in  the  latter  town,  and  K.  K.  Jones  was 
the  first  to  settle  in  the  village  of  Two  Creeks.  Daniel 
Smith,  the  pioneer  of  what  is  now  Mishicott,  built  a 
saw-mill  in  1844,  and  another  one  two  years  thereafter. 
In  1846,  Edward  Brown  settled  in  the  region  now  in- 
cluded by  the  town  of  Gibson,  and  three  or  four  years 
thereafter,  quite  a  number  of  families  had  located.  In 
1847,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Adams  located  on  what  is 
now  the  site  of  the  village  of  Centerville,  and  K.  O. 
Oppen  became  the  pioneer  of  the  town  of  Liberty. 
These  facts  of  early  settlement  are  stated  that  the 
general  remark  may  be  borne  out  that  by  1847  Mani- 
towoc County  had  been  mostly  populated  in  its  northern 
and  eastern  sections. 

From  1847  to  1850,  and  thereafter,  immigration  was 
brisk.  The  interior  of  the  county  settled  up  rapidly. 
In  1850,  Ira  Clark  built  a  saw-mill  and  a  grist-mill  on 
the  Manitowoc  River,  in  the  town  of  Cato,  which  was 
the  basis  of  the  thriving  settlement  of  Clark's  Mills. 
In  the  same  year,  D.  Able  located  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town  of  Schleswig,  and  the  villages  of 
Kiel,  Rockville  and  Millhome  sprung  up.  The  regions 
now  comprised  by  the  towns  of  Meeme,  Rockland, 
Franklin,  Newton  and  Maple  Grove  had,  between  1847 
and  1850  received  their  pioneers  and  first  settlers,  and 
were  preparing,  with  the  other  portions  of  the  county, 
to  grow  and  flourish.  One  other  important  region 
within  the  present  county  bounds  remains  to  be  ac- 
counted for — the  town  of  Eaton.  The  town  itself  re- 
ceived its  name  from  C.  Eaton,  who  engaged  in  lum- 
bering in  1849-50.  Its  prosperity,  however,  dates  from 
the  time  that  Rev.  A.  Oschwald  organized  a  colony 
from  Baden,  Germany,  and  planted  it  here  in  1854.  A 
saw-mill  and  a  grist-mill  were  erected,  a  church  and 
convent  erected  in  1858,  and  the  settlement  soon  bore 


the  marks  of  prosperity  and  growth.  Later  the  colony 
became  the  Catholic  Association  of  St.  Nazianz.  Thus, 
in  general  terms,  has  been  given  a  picture  of  the  early 
settlement  of  Manitowoc  County.  Those  details  which 
have  merely  a  local  interest,  and  have  no  bearing  upon 
the  general  county  history,  have  been  omitted. 

POLITICAL. 

Manitowoc  County  was  created  by  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature, December  7,  1836.  It  did  not  include  the 
towns  of  Gibson,  Cooperstown,  Two  Creek,  or  Town- 
ship 21,  Town  of  Mishicott,  which  were  taken  from 
Brown  County  and  attached  to  it,  by  legislative  act  of 
Februar}'  9,  1850.  The  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Man- 
itowoc Rapids,  the  county  being  attached  to  Brown  for 
judicial  purposes.  In  1837  it  was  set  off  as  the  town 
of  Conroe,  and  was  organized  for  county  purposes 
December  17,  1838,  the  whole  territory  being  included 
in  one  voting  precinct — Conroe's.  The  first  election 
was  held  at  the  house  of  P.  P.  Pierce  at  Manitowoc 
Rapids.  Benjamin  Jones  headed  the  Manitowoc  party, 
and  J.  G.  Conroe  the  Manitowoc  Rapids  faction. 
There  was  the  greatest  rivalry  between  these  places, 
and  the  canvassing  and  voting  caused  much  excitement. 
Out  of  the  thirty-three  votes  cast,  the  Conroe  element 
received  seventeen — one  majority — and  rejoiced  ex- 
ceedingly. H.  Conroe,  J.  G.  Conroe  and  John  Rigney 
were  elected  County  Commissioners ;  Peter  Johnson, 
Treasurer ;  O.  C.  Hubbard,  Assessor, and  J.  W.  Conroe, 
Register  of  Deeds.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  was 
held  at  the  house  of  J.  G.  Conroe,  Manitowoc  Rapids, 
March  15,  1839,  the  Legislature  having  set  off  the 
county  into  the  town  of  Manitowoc  during  the  pre- 
vious week.  It  was  also  divided  into  two  precincts — 
Conroe's  and  Two  Rivers.  During  the  Summer  of 
1840,  J.  W.  Conroe  completed  the  county  building,  a 
little  one-story  frame  house,  at  a  cost  of  $650.  It  was 
built  on  the  hill  to  the  north  of  the  Rapids,  and  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1852.  In  the  Fall  of  1849,  a  jail 
was  built,  which  cost  $235.  It  was  not  a  very  secure 
affair,  and  the  Jiext  year,  in  the  cause  of  public  secur- 
ity, its  timbers  had  to  be  spiked  together  and  its  win- 
dows barred  more  heavily.  When  the  county  building 
burned  down  in  1852,  Manitowoc  had  so  far  gained  the 
popular  heart  that  her  claims  to  the  county  seat  were 
soon  legalized  by  a  vote  of  498  to  60.  This  was  in 
April,  1853.  In  May  of  that  year,  the  Board  of  Coni- 
missioners  held  a  special  meeting  to  decide  upon  the 
erection  of  suitable  county  buildings.  After  some  in- 
decision, it  was  decided  to  locate  them  on  the  present 
site  on  Eighth  street.  Disagreements  with  the  owners 
of  the  property  and  contractors  delayed  the  work,  so 
that  it  was  not  fully  completed  until  1857.  John 
Meyer  was  the  contractor.  The  cost  of  the  court- 
house, jail  and  sheriff's  house,  was  $10,000.  The 
county  offices,  a  plain  brick  and  stone  structure  adjoin- 
ing, was  erected  by  Benjamin  Jones  in  1860.  The 
court-house  is  a  substantial,  conveniently  arranged 
three-story  brick  structure. 

The  county  ofiicers  for  1881  are:  Judge, M.  Kirwin; 
Sheriff,  M.  li.  Murphy ;  Clerk  of  the  Court,  Hubert 
Talge ;  District  Attorney,  W.  A.  Walker;  County 
Clerk,  Henry    C.  Buhse ;    County  Treasurer,  Gottleib 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


Damler ;  Register  of  Deeds,  A.  D.  Jones ;  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools,  Jolin  Nagle  ;  Surveyor,  John  O'Hara  ; 
Coroner,  Franz  Simon. 

As  Manitowoc  County  remained  attached  to  Brown 
for  judicial  purposes,  until  Wisconsin  became  a  State, 
no  Territorial  term  of  court  was  held  here.  On  Sep- 
tember 25,  1848,  Alex.  W.  Stow,  Judge  of  the  Fourth 
Circuit,  held  a  session  of  court  in  Manitowoc  Rapids, 
being,  under  the  State  constitution,  one  of  the  Judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court.  Nothing  was  done  further 
than  to  appoint  E.  Ricker,  Clerk,  and  O.  C.  Hubbard, 
Sheriff,  continue  one  case,  and  admit  E.  H.  Ellis,  James 
L.  Kyle  and  J.  H.  W.  Colby  to  practice.  After  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Manitowoc,  in  1853,  ses- 
sions of  the  court  were  held  in  that  city.  Manitowoc 
County  is  now  a  portion  of  the  Fourth  -Judicial  Circuit, 
Norman  S.  Gilson,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  Judge.  Sessions 
of  the  court  are  held  in  the  city  of  Manitowoc  the 
second  Monday  in  January  and  the  first  Monday  in 
June.     The  County  Judge  is  M.  Kirwin. 

EARLY   HISTORY. 

As  has  been  intimated  in  the  general  early  history 
of  the  county,  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Manito- 
woc was  occupied  at  different  times,  previous  to  the 
advent  of  white  settlers,  by  several  tribes  of  Potta- 
watomies,  Menomonees,  Chippewas  and  Winnebagoes, 
who  disputed  with  each  other  the  right  to  the  territory. 
The  Winnebagoes  had  nearly  disappeared  from  this 
locality  when  travelers  first  commenced  to  pass  over 
the  future  site  of  the  city,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mani- 
towoc River,  on  their  way  along  the  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan,  to  the  settlements  of  Fort  Howard  and 
Green  Bay.  The  Pottawatoniies,  who  are  supposed  to 
be  the  aborigines  of  this  portion  of  the  country,  held 
an  undefined  claim  upon  the  western  shore  of  the  lake, 
but  by  the  treaty  in  Chicago,  in  1833,  relinquished  it. 
Their  presence  was  little  noticed  near  the  site  of  the 
city  of  Manitowoc  for  some  years  before  that  date,  but 
the  Chippewas  and  Menomonees  were  quite  plenty, 
and  had  several  settlements  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
as  late  as  1822.  A  trail  had  been  established  by  white 
men  over  nearly  the  same  route  now  taken  by  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  and  the  Milwaukee,  Lake 
Shore  &  Western,  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee,  from 
Milwaukee  to  Sheboygan  and  Manitowoc,  and  thence 
to  Green  Bay,  the  important  difference  being  that 
Green  Bay,  and  the  settlements  which  had  grown 
around  it,  and  the  garrison  at  Fort  Howard,  were  the 
pivotal  and  starting  points  for  the  line  of  travel  which 
set  in  before  boats  ran  regularly  or  railroads  were 
thought  of.  Four  years  before  this  trail  had  been 
opened.  Col.  A.  Edwards  made  a  trip  from  Green  Bay 
to  Chicago  in  a  canoe,  exploring  the  coast  as  he  went. 
\Vhen  he  arrived  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Manitowoc 
River,  the  site  of  the  present  city,  he  found  many  In- 
dians busily  engaged  in  spearing  whitefish,  and  there 
must  have  been  quite  a  settlement  there  in  1818. 

In  1821,  Col.  Ebenezer  Childs  took  passage  from 
Chicago  on  one  of  the  Mackinaw  boats,  which  were 
then  making  irregular  trips,  landed  at  Manitowoc,  and 
then  proceeded  on  horseback  to  Green  Bay.  AUhougli 
generally  peaceable,  the  old  Indian  spirit  of  revenge 
upon  the  "pale  face"  Bometimes  cropped  out.     It  was 


about  the  same  time  that  Col.  Childs  made  his  jour- 
ney to  Green  Bay  that  Dr.  Wm.  S.  Madison,  army  sur- 
geon at  the  Fort  Howard  garrison,  obtained  a  leave  uf 
absence  to  visit  his  family  in  Kentucky.  The  party 
which  accompanied  him  was  some  distance  in  advance 
when  the  present  site  of  Manitowoc  was  reached,  and 
hearing  the  report  of  a  gun,  returned  to  find  that  a 
Chippewa  Indian  had  shot  him  from  his  horse.  Be- 
fore medical  assistance  could  arrive  from  Green  Bay, 
Dr.  Madison  had  expired.  The  Indian,  whose  name 
was  Ke-tau-kah,  could  give  no  reason  for  committing 
the  cowardly  act.  The  murder,  which  was  the  first 
to  occur  in  the  city  or  county  of  Manitowoc,  was  com- 
mitted in  the  Spring  of  1821.  Ke-tau-kah  was  taken 
to  Detroit,  and  after  a  trial  in  which  no  extenuating 
circumstances  appeared,  was  executed  December  27 
of  that  year.  After  the  trail  had  been  opened  along 
the  lake  shore  in  1822,  the  presence  of  a  white  man  to 
the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  Manitowoc  River  be- 
came less  a  rarity.  In  1825,  Col.  Wm.  S.  Hamilton, 
son  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  passed  along  the  route 
with  a  drove  of  cattle  for  the  Fort  Howard  garrison, 
and  in  1827  Col.  Childs  again  made  his  appearance  on 
his  way  to  Green  Bay.  It  would  seem  that  the  native 
tribes  began  to  understand  that  the  white  man  "had 
come  to  stay,"  for  in  February,  1831,  the  Menom- 
onees ceded  their  lands  to  the  General  Government, 
and  gradually  abondoned  their  corn  fields,  hunting  and 
fishing  grounds  at  Manitowoc.  As  stated,  in  1833  the 
Pottawatoniies  relinquished  their  claim,  and  explora- 
tions from  Green  Bay.  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  com- 
menced with  more  earnestness.  During  that  year, 
Daniel  Le  Roy,  Morgan  L.  Martin  and  P.  B.  Grignon 
explored  from  Green  Bay  south  to  Milwaukee.  Even 
then  a  small  Indian  village  stood  upon  the  present  site 
of  Manitowoc.  In  1834  a  land  office  was  established 
at  Green  Bay,  the  first  entries  being  made  by  Louis 
Fizette  and  Wm.  Jones  at  Manitowoc.  The  latter 
was  the  brotlier  of  Benjamin  Jones,  who  is  regarded 
as  the  father  of  the  village  and  city  of  Manitowoc. 
Fizette  sold  his  lands,  which  comprised  the  present  site 
of  the  city,  to  John  P.  Arndt,  of  Green  Bay.  During 
the  wild  land  speculations  of  1835-36,  the  latter  dis- 
posed of  the  property  for  f  100  an  acre.  Jones's  tract 
extended  south  three  miles  along  the  lake  shore.  The 
land  survey  of  the  county  had  been  made  by  A.  G. 
Ellis,  of  Green  Bay,  in  1835,  and  the  region  compris- 
ing and  around  Manitowoc  was  soon  alive  with  surve)'- 
ors  and  agents  of  land  speculators,  who,  in  1836,  in- 
dulged in  the  wildest  dreams  over  the  possibilities  of 
the  entire  country  lying  along  Lake  Michigan.  Rumors 
of  extensive  gold  deposits  in  Kewaunee  were  about 
on  a  par  with  a  supposititious  railroad  to  the  Pacific, 
which  was  to  directly  benefit  Manitowoc.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  John  P.  Arndt  sold  the  land  he  had  pur- 
chased from  Fizette,  and  his  was  no  isolated  case. 

In  the  Spring  of  1836,  William  and  Benjamin 
Jones,  of  Chicago,  and  other  land  speculators, 
mostly  from  the  former  city,  organized  the  Man- 
itowoc Land  Company.  All  of  the  present  site  of 
Manitowoc  had  come  into  their  possession,  being  now 
mostly  held  by  Benjamin  Jones.  The  company  was 
best  known  by  the  firm  name  of  Jones,  Clark  &  Co. 
They  at  once  made  energetic  preparations  to  establish 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Manitowoc  River. 
Mark  Howard,  E.  L.  Abbott  and  Farnham  were  sent 
to  clear  away  the  dense  forests  of  tamarack  which  ob- 
structed the  site  of  the  future  Manitowoc.  The  timber, 
principally  along  the  river  banks  near  Sixth  and  Seventh 
streets,  was  felled,  and  cut  up  into  wood  for  steam- 
boats which  had  not  yet  appeared.  The  town  was 
platted  in  the  Summer,  stakes  marking  the  sites  of 
future  cities  were  being  planted  in  the  dense  woods  all 
around,  land  was  bought  and  sold  at  fabulous  prices — 
in  fact  Manitowoc  was  taken  with  the  fever  which  rav- 
ished the  country  for  the  next  year.  The  settlement 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  was  the  particular  pet  of 
Jones,  Clark  &  Co.  They  purchased  quantities  of 
lumber  from  Jacob  W.  Conroe,  who  had  erected  a  rough 
saw-mill  at  Manitowoc  Rapids,  and  that  which  they 
did  not  use  in  the  erection  of  buildings  was  shipped  to 
Chicago,  tlie  first  exported  from  the  county.  In  April, 
1837,  the  company  sent  a  force  of  forty  laborei-s,  be- 
sides carpenters,  to  Manitowoc  to  erect  buildings, 
among  others  being  Moses  and  Oliver  Hubbard  and  D. 
S.  Munger.  A  frame  liouse  was  built  for  Benjamin 
Jones,  senior  member  of  the  firm  Jones,  Clark  &  Co., 
then  resided  in  Chicago,  a  cotemporarj'  with  William 
B.  Ogden.  It  is  still  standing  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  York  and  Seventh  streets.  At  the  time  that 
Mr.  Jones  was  about  to  make  this  important  move, 
both  for  himself  and  Manitowoc,  he  was  in  his  forty- 
third  year,  had  been  four  years  a  resident  of  Chicago, 
having  previously  lived  in  Buffalo.  When  but  a  mere 
lad,  he  had  seen  service  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  all  his 
various  experiences  had  been  such  as  to  make  him 
sturdy,  brave  and  enterprising. 

In  July,  1837,  his  dwelling  house  having  been  pre- 
pared, he  arrived  in  Manitowoc.  He  had  become  the 
owner  of  2,000  acres  of  land  comprising  the  present  site 
of  the  city,  and  immediately  commenced  its  upbuild- 
ing, which  he  made  his  work  for  forty  years.  With 
him,  on  the  schooner  "Oregon"  came  P.  P.  Smith,  then 
a  boy  of  fourteen,  whom  lie  took  into  his  family.  His 
brother  William  remained  in  Ciiicago,  became  wealthy, 
and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. The  arrival  of  the  head  of  tiie  firm  which  had 
already  accomplished  considerable  for  the  settlement, 
put  additional  life  into  it.  Building  continued,  new 
settlers  came  in,  and  lots  were  selling  before  the  finan- 
cial crash  as  high  as  i!l,000  or  $1,200.  In  the  Spring 
of  this  j'ear,  Mr.  Jones'  daughter  Addie  was  born.  She 
is  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  S.  C.  Blake,  and  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Manitowoc  and  the  county.  Mr. 
Jones  commenced  the  "National  Hotel,"  adjoining  the 
present  "Windiate  House"  during  this  year.  In  July, 
E.  L.  Abbott,  one  of  those  sent  out  by  Jones,  Clark  & 
Co.,  to  clear  away  the  town  site,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Maria  Smith,  sister  of  P.  P.  Smith,  who  was 
also  a  member  of  Mr.  Jones'  family.  Benjamin  Jones 
married  the  couple  himself,  having  been  appointed  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  the  first  judicial  officer  of 
any  kind.  But  in  the  midst  of  this  prosperity  of  a 
growing  village,  in  the  midst  of  the  joys  of  christenings 
and  marriages  the  dark  panic  of  1837  rushed  over 
Manitowoc.  Flourishing  settlements  had  grown  up  at 
Two  Rivers  and  the  Rapids,  so  that  the  population  of 
the  county  was  160.     Manitowoc  was  the  metropolis. 


however,  with  sixty  souls.  The  money  crash  came  al- 
most like  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  the  population  of  the 
whole  county  was  reduced  to  sixty.  All  the  mills  shut 
down,  with  the  exception  of  Conroe's  at  the  Rapids, 
workmen  were  leaving  in  alarm  witli  their  families,  the 
prices  of  land  fell  to  their  normal  level  and  far  below, 
and  a  general  stagnation  settled  over  the  formerly  brisk 
and  prosperous  settlement.  Only  four  families  were 
left  in  Manitowoc — those  of  Benjamin  Jones,  Oliver 
Hubbard,  D.  S.  Munger  and  Joseph  Edwards.  In  1839 
the  first  school  taught  in  the  county  opened  under  the 
tutelage  of  S.  M.  Peak.  P.  P.  Smith,  then  sixteen 
years  old  ;  was  one  of  the  dozen  scholars  in  attendance. 
The  building  was  near  Sixth  street. 

After  the  panic  up  to  184(5,  the  arrivals  practically 
ceased.  Those  who  did  come  were  mostly  lumbermen 
and  French  fishermen,  who  had  no  intention  of  making 
a  permanent  settlement.  From  1848  to  1850,  and 
thereafter  up  to  the  commencement  of  the  war,  the 
city  and  surrounding  country  rapidly  increased  in 
population.  In  1854,  Manitowoc  received  a  temporary 
set-back  in  the  form  of  the  cholera,  which  proved  unu- 
sually fatal  that  year.  It  had  been  _slightly  visited 
during  the  seasons  of  1849-50,  but  during  1854  it 
caused  much  alarm,  being  especially  prevalent  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river. 

THE   WAR   PERIOD. 

The  county  center  of  organization  and  excitement 
during  the  war  was,  of  course,  Manitowoc.  When 
the  news  from  Sumter  was  fairly  digested,  not  only  was 
a  company  of  home  guards  raised  to  keep  order  in 
town,  but  a  company  of  volunteers  was  formed.  Tem- 
ple Clark  was  elected  captain,  the  organization  becom- 
ing known  as  Co.  A,  Fifth  Regiment  Wiscou.sin  Vol- 
unteers. Co.  B,  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  (German),  F. 
Becker,  captain  ;  a  company  which  joined  the  Four- 
teenth, and  another  (Norwegian)  the  Fifteenth;  a 
fourth  which  fought  with  the  Twenty-first,  and  a  fifth 
with  the  Twenty-sixth  (German),  Henry  Baetz,  cap- 
tain ;  two  companies  for  the  Twenty-seventh,  and 
many  mustered  in  as  artillerymen  and  cavalrymen, 
marched  from  Manitowoc  during  the  early  portion  of 
the  struggle,  and  did  good  service  in  the  cause.  Later 
three  companies  were  raised  for  the  Forty-fifth,  Forty- 
eighth  and  Fifty-first  regiments.  The  large  volunteer 
force  raised  made  but  one  draft  in  the  county  neces- 
sary, and  that  took  place  in  tiie  city  of  Manitowoc. 

Among  the  iiigher  grade  of  officers  wiio  went  from 
Manitowoc  were  Maj.  Gen.  Fred.  Salomon,  now  United 
States  Surveyor  in  Utah ;  Lieut.  Col.  Ten  Eyck,  G. 
Olmsted  (deceased),  Maj.  Charles  H.  Walker  (de- 
ceased), and  Maj.  Henry  Baetz,  of  the  State  Board  of 
Emigration,  Milwaukee. 

MEANS   OF   COMMUNICATION. 

Travel  by  water  is  unimpeded  to  the  adventuresome. 
The  trail  of  1822,  along  the  lake  shore  of  Manitowoc 
County,  and  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  was 
the  first  regular  course  laid  out  tlirough  her  borders. 
Later,  private  parties  found  it  necessary  to  cut  roads 
through  the  county  for  their  own  convenience.  In 
1839,  a  county  road  was  surveyed  from  tiie  mouth  of 
the  river  to  the  Rapids  and  Two  Rivers,  J.  W.  Conroe 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


being  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  super- 
intend its  construction.  As  the  county  became  more 
thickly  settled  roads  were  extended  in  all  directions, 
and  the  subject  of  railroads  became  the  one  uppermost 
in  the  minds  of  the  pioneers.  For  twenty-two  years, 
the  people  of  Manitowoc  County  strove  to  obtain  con- 
nection by  railroad  with  soutiiern  and  western  points. 
If  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Green  Bay  pi-oject  had 
not  been  abandoned,  in  1850,  she  would  have  obtained 
connection  with  Milwaukee.  George  Reed's  schemes, 
a  few  years  later,  to  make  the  place  the  nucleus  of  a 
grand  system  of  railroads  to  connect  with  the  Pere 
Marquette  steamers,  likewise  came  to  naught.  Work 
upon  the  Manitowoc  &  Mississippi  Railroad  was  com- 
menced in  1855,  upon  the  section  between  Manitowoc 
and  Menasha,  but  the  line  was  abandoned  in  1857. 
Although  the  people  were  enthusiastic  and  confident, 
so  scant  were  their  purses  that  they  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  task  of  connecting  these  points  by  means 
of  a  plank  road.  During  all  this  period,  however,  they 
were  discussing  with  more  and  more  earnestness  the 
necessit}^  of  improving  the  harbor  and  river  of  Manito- 
woc, and  after  repeated,  but  not  disheartening,  failures 
were  enabled,  in  1866,  to  see  the  work  fairly  begun. 
This  subject  is  fully  treated  in  the  history  of  Manito- 
woc City.  Having  thus  opened  one  avenue  of  relief, 
the  county  seemed  to  have  paved  the  way  for  better 
fortune.  In  1872,  communication  was  opened  with 
Appletoii,  and  the  prosperous  section  tributary  thereto, 
while  the  next  year  by  the  extension  of  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  line  from  Sheboj'gan,  it  was 
enabled  to  receive  the  benefit  of  direct  rail  communi- 
cation with  the  Cream  City  of  the  South.  This  line  is 
now  its  most  important  means  of  communication.  TJie 
road  extends  northeast  along  the  shore  of  the  lake, 
passing  througii  Centerville  and  Manitowoc  Cit3'  ; 
tiience  northwest  and  west  through  Reedsville.  Tiie 
southwest  corner  of  the  town  of  Schleswig  is  cut  off  by 
the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  which  touches  the 
flourishing  village  of  Kiel.  There  are  forty-three  miles 
of  railroad  in  operation,  the  machine  shops  and  round 
house  of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  Com- 
pany being  located  in  Manitowoc.  Water  communica- 
tion, north  and  south,  by  means  principally  of  the  Good- 
rich Transportation  Company  and  the  Chicago  &  Lake 
Superior  lines,  gives  the  county  the  benefit,  with  the 
railroads,  of  connections  with  all  tiie  commercial  points. 
Telegraphic  communications  with  Milwaukee  was  es- 
tablished in  1864.  A  line  had  previously  been  par- 
tially established  between  Manitowoc  and  Green  Bay, 
but  was  abandoned. 

Mail  routes  were  in  existence  almost  as  soon  as  the 
first  trails  were  broken  through  the  woods.  But  the 
first  regular  post-office  was  established  at  Manitowoc 
Rapids  while  J.  W.  Conroe  was  building  his  milL 
Tiiat  gentleman  received  the  appointment  of  Postmas- 
ter. The  mail-carrier  was  one  Francis  Flinn,  a  hardy 
Irishman,  who  made  two  round  trips  a  week  from 
Green  Bay  to  Milwaukee.  This  feat  he  accomplished 
on  foot.  In  1839,  the  business  of  the  route  had  so  in- 
creased that  Capt.  Henry  Edwards  assumed  the  task  of 
keeping  tiiese  sections  of  the  State  in  communication, 
and  accomplished  it  on  horseback.  The  post-office  re- 
mained at  Manitowoc   Rapids  for  ten  years,   when  it 


was  removed  to  Manitowoc,  G.  Malmrose  receiving  his 
commission  as  Postmaster.  To  enumerate  the  offices 
established  at  all  points  in  the  county,  would  be  tire- 
some, as  well  as  uninteresting.  With  the  advent  of 
railroads,  communication  by  letter  increased  in  the 
usual  ratio. 

For  the  year  ending  December  31,  1880,  there  were 
exported  from  the  county,  614,000  of  brick ;  466,-310 
pounds  of  butter ;  161,698  dozen  eggs  ;  988  tons  of 
feed ;  2,927  tons  of  hay  ;  8,400  posts  ;  40,652  bbls.  of 
flour  ;  6,000  bushels  of  wheat ;  15,016  cords  of  wood  ; 
18,745  bbls.  of  peas. 

As  assessed  by  the  town  and  city  assessors,  and 
finally  equalized  by  the  committee  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors, in  August,  1881,  the  following  figures  repre- 
sent the  total  value  of  all  property  in  the  county  of 
Manitowoc:  Cato,  1549,335;  Centerville,  421,569; 
Cooperstown,  343,054 ;  Eaton,  335,266  ;  Franklin,  403,- 
063;  Gibson,  408,255;  Kossuth,  668,848;  Liberty, 
437,211;  Manitowoc,  422,924;  City  of  Manitowoc, 
916,175  ;  Manitowoc  Rapids,  814,751 ;  Maple  Grove, 
436,908;  Meeme,  564,799;  Mishicott,  487,189;  New- 
ton,   ;  Rockland,  295,663  ;  Schleswig,  479,175  ; 

Two  Creeks,  102,732;  Two  Rivers,  212,809;  City  of 
Two  Rivers,  201,327.     Total,  $8,863,966. 

The  bonded  indebtedness  of  Manitowoc  County 
amounts  to  $216,000,  which  sum  was  voted  to  aid  the 
construction  of  its  railroads.  Of  the  $129,818.30  in- 
debtedness incurred  by  its  towns,  cities  and  villages, 
$114,000  was  appropriated  to  the  same  purpose. 

The  Federal  census  enumeration  shows  that  the  in- 
crease in  population  from  1850,  which  practically  ends 
the  early  history  of  the  county,  has  been  as  follows : 
1850,  3,702  ;  1860,  22,416  ;  1870,33,369  ;  1880,  37,381. 
The  detailed  table  of  the  last  returns  is  found  below  : 

City  of  Manitowoc,  6,324  ;  City  of  Two  Rivers, 
2,052;  Town  of  Cato,  1,875 ;  Eaton,  1,635 ;  Franklin, 
1,867  ;  Gibson,  1,739  ;  Kossuth,  2,165  ;  Liberty,  1,385; 
Manitowoc,  1,276 ;  Manitowoc  Rapids,  2,076  ;  Maple 
Grove,  1,523;  Meeme,  1,609;  Mishicott,  1,554;  New- 
ton, 1,867 ;  Rockland,  1,236  ;  Schleswig,  1,994  ;  Two 
Creeks,  630 ;  Two  Rivers,  1,326  ;  Centerville,  1,548 ; 
Coopertown,  1,700  ;  total,  37,381. 

In  January,  1842,  the  County  Commissioners  granted 
the  petition  of  the  citizens  of  Manitowoc  Rapids,  that 
the  town  hall  be  used  as  a  school-house,  when  not  needed 
for  town  purposes.  In  July  of  the  next  year  a  tax  of 
one-half  a  mill  on  a  dollar  was  levied  throughout  the 
county  for  educational  purposes.  In  the  Fall  of  1^44, 
two  School  Commissioners,  Oliver  Clawson  and  E.  L. 
Abbott,  were  appointed.  They  divided  the  county  into 
three  districts.  No.  1,  including  Two  Rivers ;  No.  2, 
Manitowoc  Rapids,  and  No.  3,  Manitowoc.  On  Octo- 
ber 10,  1844,  elections  were  held  for  the  different  dis- 
trict officers,  and  the  school  organization  was  fully  ef- 
fected. The  system  continued  substantially  the  same 
until  the  creation  of  the  office  of  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  As  the  State  increased  in  population,  how- 
ever, the  original  three  districts  were  of  course  subdi- 
vided. 

From  the  last  report  made  to  William  C.  Whitford, 
State  Superintendent  of  Schools,  by  the  Superinten- 
dent of  Manitowoc  County,  are  taken  the  following 
statistics  which  show  the  present  condition  of  the  dis- 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


S'9 


trict  schools  better  than  could  any  general  language. 
There  are  108  school-houses  in  the  county,  and  137 
teachers  are  required.  Of  the  15,919  who  are  of  school 
age,  8,403  have  attended.  The  buildings  will  accom- 
modate 9,901  pupils.  The  total  valuation  of  school- 
houses  in  Manitowoc  County  is  $104,366  ;  of  sites,  $12- 
437,  and  of  apparatus,  $6,043.  These  figures,  it  will  be 
remembered,  represent  merely  the  district  schools  of 
the  county.  There  are  besides,  a  number  of  private 
and  parochial  institutions,  which  have  an  attendance  of 
several  hundred.  In  addition  to  the  money  raised  by 
taxation  throughout  the  county  for  the  support  of  her 
district  schools  in  1881,  the  apportionment  of  State 
money  which  has  been  made  for  this  year  amouuts  to 
$6,606.38.  The  whole  machinery  of  the  county  system 
(which  embraces  the  cit}'  schools),  glides  along  smooth- 
ly under  the  guidance  of  John  Nagle,  the  present  Su- 
perintendent. 


the  business  and  commercial  center  of  the  county.  The  in- 
dustrious and  thrifty  German  element  prevails,  and  since 
the  land  has  been  cleared  of  timber,  saw  mills  and  ship 
yards  have  given  place,  under  its  influence,  to  every  variety 
of  manufacturing.  Flour  mills,  foundries  and  machine 
shops,  breweries,  planing  mills,  tanneries,  carriage  works, 
etc.,  etc.,  have  sprung  up  on  all  sides.  Mercantile  houses, 
which  walk  side  by  side  in  thrift  with  manufactories,  are 
substantial  and  prosperous  in  Manitowoc.  The  resident 
portion  of  the  city  is  chiefly  on  the  North  Side,  where  are 
situated  many  fine  residences.  Here  is  also  its  magnificent 
public  school,  which,  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  is  one 
of  the  prominent  landmarks  of  Manitowoc.  The  grounds 
adjoining  the  buildings  form,  in  all  essentials,  a  beautiful 
park.  Two  public  parks,  Washington  Square  on  the  South 
Side,  the  North  Side  Park,  and  a  number  of  private  gardens, 


^gf^Anatl^tiSiifsw  ^A  y^a  i^et  4)^  j^igli^ffilSy^  ^      ^^^ 


h'^?--^^^^-^^i^:^^^^^1^^s^ 


<^S 


MANITOWOC. 


MANITOWOC. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  under  the 
village  charter,  was  held  May  12,  1851,  the  Supervisors  be- 
ing: John  Zinns  and  Charles  Hottelman,  First  W^ard;  M. 
Fellows,  James  Bennett  and  J.  E.  Piatt,  Second  Ward.  It 
was  ordered  that  a  set  of  by-laws  be  drafted  for  the  village 
government,  and  that  a  map  be  made  of  its  chartered  limits. 
George  Reed  was  chosen  President,  and  S.  A.  Wood,  Clerk. 
The  village  of  Manitowoc  was  first  platted  in  1856,  by  F. 
Salomon.  The  plat  was  recorded  on  May  25  of  that 
year,  and  acknowledged  by  H.  Baetz.  Manitowoc  retained 
its  village  organization  until  1870,  when  it  was  incorporated 
as  a  city. 

Manitowoc  is  a  place  of  over  6,000  inhabitants,  situated 
on  Lake  Michigan,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Manitowoc  River. 
The  city  lies  on  both  sides  of  that  river,  the  land  gradually 
rising  both  from  it  and  the  lake,  thus  providing  a  beautiful 
location  and  effective   means  for  drainage.      Manitowoc  is 


add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  city,  and  besides  its  business 
interests,  its  schools,  its  churches,  its  public  and  private 
gardens,  and  its  societies,  which  all  have  their  part  in  form- 
ing a  complete  city,  Manitowoc  has  a  public  library  of  2,000 
volumes,  which  is  a  credit  to  the  city.  Having  thus  given 
a  preliminary  and  general  sketch,  the  details  will  be  found 
following. 

The  city  of  Manitowoc  was  incorporated  March  12, 
1870,  and  the  first  meeting  of  its  Board  of  .-Mdermen  held 
April  13,  of  that  year.  Peter  Johnston  was  elected  its  first 
Mayor,  and  served  two  terms.  Charles  Luling  was  chosen 
to  the  office  in  1872.  A.  D.  Jones  was  the  incumbent 
from  1873  to  1877  inclusive,  and  John  Schuette  from  1878 
to  1881.  By  the  city  charter,  the  municipal  govern- 
ment is  managed  by  the  usual  officers  :  Mayor,  Clerk,  Treas- 
urer, City  Attorney,  the  heads  of  departments,  which  con- 
sist of  a  Board  of  Health,  Police,  Fire,  and  Public  School 
Department,  and  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  representing  four 
wards.     There  is  also  a  Harbor  Master,  Assessor  and  Street 


520 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Commissioner.  Mayor  J.  Schuette  is  one  of  the  rich  and 
popular  Germans  in  which  the  city  of  Manitowoc  abounds. 
Its  health  is  in  the  hands  of  Drs.  R.  K.  Paine  and  Frederick 
S.  Luhman,  while  peace  and  order  is  preserved  by  Hugh 
Morrison,  Chief  of  the  Police  Department  and  the  force 
under  him.  The  City  Treasurer  for  1881  is  Charles  Gelbke  ; 
City  Attorney,  C.  W.  White;  Clerk,  Fred.  Heineman;  Sur- 
veyor, Charles  Ertz. 

Fire  Department. — The  first  engine  house,  a  frame  build- 
ing, was  erected  in  1857,  on  the  North  Side.  During  the 
same  year  the  South  Side  house  was  built.  The  Third 
Ward  structure,  built  of  brick  {.'),  was  erected  in  1875,  at  a 
cost  of  $1,400.  The  department,  the  Chief  Engineer  of 
which  is  William  Stephani,  consists  of  the  Manitowoc  Steam 
Engine  Company,  No.  i  (North  Side),  the  South  Side  Steam 
Engine  Company,  No.  2,  and  the  Phoenix  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company.  A  company  was  first  formed  in  January,  1857, 
after  the  village  of  Manitowoc  had  been  incorporated  about 
six  years.  The  present  organization  was  effected  in  1872, 
the  second  steam  engine  being  purchased  in  1876.  The 
department  numbers  forty  members. 

Public  School  Department. — The  public  schools  of  Mani- 
towoc are  under  the  general  supervision  of  the  County  Su- 
perintendent, John  Nagle.  There  are  four  buildings  devoted 
to  educational  purposes,  the  most  prominent  of  which  is  the 
magnificent  edifice,  corner  of  North  Seventh  and  State 
streets,  erected  in  1872,  for  the  accommodation  of  joint 
school  district,  No.  i,  and  the  fine  building  in  the  First 
Ward,  corner  of  South  Eighth  and  Hamilton  streets,  erect- 
ed in  1871.  The  former  is  a  three-story  and  basement  brick 
building,  surmounted  by  an  elegant  and  lofty  cupola,  sur- 
rounded by  extensive  play  grounds,  and  is,  all  in  all,  one  of 
the  finest  structures  of  the  kind  in  the  State.  J.  M.  Rait  is 
principal.  The  First  Ward  building,  convenient  and  tasty, 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  Its  principal  is  F.  W.  Young. 
There  are  two  buildings  in  the  Third  Ward,  one,  corner  of 
South  Thirteenth  and  Marshall  streets,  the  other  on  South 
Twelfth  street.  The  former,  of  brick,  cost  |r,5oo;  the 
latter,  a  frame  building,  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,200.  O. 
S.  Brown  is  principal  of  the  district.  Other  salient  facts 
in  regard  to  the  general  condition  of  the  schools  of  the  city 
and  county,  have  already  appeared. 

The  Public  Library.— The  Jones  Library  was  founded 
in  1868,  through  the  liberality  of  Col.  K.  K.  Jones,  now  a 
resident  of  Quincy,  111.  His  donation  amounted  to  $2,000, 
and  the  library  was  at  first  a  private  institution.  In  1868, 
the  "Jones  Library  Association  "  was  incorporated.  It  has 
about  sevent)-five  members.  The  library  consists  of  2,000 
well  selected  volumes. 

THE    PRESS. 

Manitowoc  Pilot.— TVe.  Herald  was  established  in  1850, 
by  C.  W.  Fitch,  the  first  numbers  being  printed  in  Sheboy- 
gan. Four  years  later  the  Manitowoc  Tribune  was  estab- 
lished, and  in  August,  1858,  the  Pilot,  by  Jere  Crowley.  In 
t86i,  the  Tribune,  then  under  the  management  of  Capt. 
Smith  devoured  iht  Herald,  and  the  former  journal  was 
conroiidatid  with  tlie  Pilot,  in  1878.     The  present  editors 


and  proprietors  of  the  Manitowoi  Pilot  are  Messrs.  John 
Nagle  and  Edward  W.  Borcherdt,  they  having  assumed  the 
management  in  .4pril  of  that  year.  The  journal  is  issued 
weekly,  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  an  eight-column  folio 
in  form. 

Der  Nord-  Westen  (German)  was  established  by  Carl  H. 
Schmidt,  its  present  editor  and  proprietor,  in  1855.  Its 
publication  was  suspended  during  the  war,  but  was  resumed 
in  1865.  This  journal  is  issued  weekly,  with  a  Sunday  edi- 
tion ;  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  a  six-column  quarto  in 
form.  It  is  the  oldest  paper  published  continuously  under 
one  name  in  Manitowoc,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  Mr. 
Schmidt  has  been  longer  in  the  service  than  any  of  Wiscon- 
sin's editors. 

The  Manitowoc  Tribune  was  established  in  1879,  by  H. 
Sandford,  its  present  editor  and  proprietor.  It  is  a  weekly 
paper,  six-column  quarto,  and  is  Republican  in  politics. 

The  Manitowoc  Journal  is  a  five-column  quarto  paper, 
published  by  W.  J.  Christie,  and  is  independent  in  politics. 

The  Manitowoc  Post  (German).— In  July,  1881,  A.  Witt- 
mann,  an  old  settler  of  1848,  and  well  known  throughout 
the  county,  established  this  journal.  It  is  a  five-column 
quarto,  issued  weekly,  and  is  independent  in  politics. 

The  Wisconsin  Demokrat,  a  German  Free-Soil  paper,  was 
established  in  1852,  by  Charles  Roesser.  When  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  A.  Wallich,  some  years  afterward,  its 
name  was  changed  to  the  Union  Det7iokrat.  It  was  sus- 
pended by  him  in  1866,  and  revived  again  in  1868,  by  Otto 
Troemel,  under  the  name  of  the  Zeitung.  Fred  Heinemann 
purchased  it  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Troemel,  changed  its 
name  to  the  Journal,  And  suspended  its  publication  in  1877. 

Der  Buschhaiier  was  published  by  Carl  Pflame,  from 
1855  to  1857. 

h  religious  paper,  called  the  Concordia,  was  established 
in  1875,  published  for  about  a  year,  and  then  removed  to 
Green  Bay. 

CHURCHES. 

First  Presbyterian  Church. — A  meeting  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  society  was  held  June  26,  185 1,  at  the  house  of 
Fred  Borcherdt,  village  of  Manitowoc  Rapids.  The  meet- 
ing, as  stated  in  the  records,  was  composed  of  those  residing 
both  at  "  the  Rapids  "  and  "  at  the  mouth  of  the  river."  Fol- 
lowing are  those  who  became  members  :  Fred.  Borcherdt, 
Mrs.  Wilhelmina  Borcherdt,  James  and  Mrs.  Isabella  Patter- 
son, Mesdames  Sarah  D.  Herrit,  Mary  E.  Hall,  Margaret  Al- 
len, Abagail  Sherman,  J.  S.  Reed,  Elizabeth  .■\.  Sherman  and 
Dennis  M.  Thomas,  Moses  Tufts  and  the  Misses  Eliza  and 
Hannah  A.  Tufts.  Fred  Borcherdt  was  the  first  ruling  elder. 
Rev.  M.  Holmes  began  his  labors  as  pastor  in  June,  1855,  and 
in  November  a  house  of  worship  in  Manitowoc  was  dedicated. 
It  was  known  as  "The  Tabernacle."  Rev.  J.  M.  Craig,  the 
present  pastor,  has  been  in  charge  since  August,  1880. 
About  sixty  families  compose  the  congregation  of  the  so- 
ciety. The  elegant  church  edifice  in  which  they  worship 
was  erected  in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  the  money  being 
raised  by  subscription. 

St.  Boniface  Ckiirch  (Catholic).— This  church  was  organ- 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


ized  in  1853.  Rev.  W.  J-  Peil  is  the  present  pastor.  The 
church  has  a  membership  of  250  families.  A  school  is  con- 
ducted in  connection  with  the  church,  which  has  an  at- 
tendance of  250  pupils. 

Sf.  Mary's  Church  (Polish  Catholic). — The  society  was 
organized  in  1875,  and  a  building  purchased  the  same  year 
from  the  German  Lutheran  Congregation.  Rev.  J.  Mus- 
chelevitch  is  its  present  pastor,  and  100  families  are  under 
his  care.  The  school,  which  has  been  established  in  con- 
nection with  the  church,  has  an  attendance  of  120  pupils. 

Si.  Francis  Convent.  — A.  convent  was  organized  in  1869 
by  Rev.  Father  Joseph  Fessler.  In  1873,  a  more  commo- 
dious structure  than  had  been  occupied  was  found  neces- 
sary, and  a  large  and  beautiful  building  was  commenced  on 
a  high  eminence  overlooking  Silver  Lake,  about  four  miles 
southwest  of  the  city.  Up  to  the  time  it  was  struck  by 
lightning  and  destroyed  by  fire  (September  i,  1881),  eighty- 
seven  sisters  had  been  received  and  professed.  Twenty- 
seven  of  them  came  from  Germany  with  their  private  for- 
tunes, being  expelled  from  that  country  by  its  laws.  A 
boarding  school  was  attached,  and  about  twenty  of  the  sis- 
ters are  now  engaged  in  teaching  in  different  localities.  The 
church  building  was  erected  in  1872.  The  building  was 
the  most  costly  in  Northeastern  Wisconsin,  the  loss  upon  it 
being  $65,000,  and  the  insurance  only  $5,000.  Steps  were 
at  once  taken  to  raise  the  necessary  funds  to  rebuild. 

Si.  James'  Episcopal. — The  society  was  organized  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1848.  A  room  was  rented  for  purposes  of  worship, 
and  fitted  up  with  benches  to  accommodate  about  fifty  fam- 
ilies. Thomas  H.  A.  Edwards  and  Alden  Clark  were 
elected  the  first  wardens.  Rev.  G.  Unonius  became  the 
first  pastor  of  the  society.  By  185 1,  the  church  member- 
ship had  so  increased  that  it  became  necessary  to  erect  a 
house  of  worship.  A  subscription  of  $1,745  was  at  once 
raised,  a  lot  was  donated  by  Benjamin  Jones,  and  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year,  the  corner-stone  was  laid.  The  church 
has  at  present  no  settled  pastor. 

77/1?  First  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in 
1853,  with  about  twenty  members,  Rev.  C.  F.  Goldammer 
being  in  charge.  One  year  afterward  a  day  school  was  es- 
tablished. During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  P.  Koehler,  who 
succeeded  him,  a  second  school  was  established.  In  1873  a 
church  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $16,000.  The 
present  pastor  in  charge  is  Rev.  R.  Pieper.  The  congrega- 
tion consists  of  300  families,  and  260  pupils  attend  the  two 
day  schools. 

German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — Organized  in  Sep- 
tember, 1855,  Rev.  F.  Klueckhohn  became  the  first  pastor  of 
the  church.  The  present  congregation,  consisting  of  ninety 
members,  is  in  charge  of  Rev.  C.  Iwert. 

Nonvcgian  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was  organized 
in  September,  1849,  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Ottesen.  The  church 
was  built  in  1867,  and  the  property  is  valued  at  $2,575. 
The  present  membership  of  the  society  is  about  seventy 
families;  its  pastor  being  Rev.  C.  F.  Magelssen. 

There  are  besides  the  above,  a  small  Norwegian  Metho- 
dist, pastor.  Rev.  Hougen,  of  Sheboygan  ;  and  the  "  Augus- 


tana  Church "  (Lutheran),  consisting  of  twenty  families, 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Andersen.  A  small  German  Re- 
form "Hoffnung's"  church  is  also  in  existence,  but  without 
a  settled  pastor. 

The  Evergreen  Cemetery,  north  of  the  river,  near  the 
city  limits,  is  municipal  property,  and  is  used  as  a  park, 
although  known  under  the  above  name.  It  consists  of 
forty  acres  of  land,  the  city  having  purchased  all  but  a  small 
portion  of  this  amount  in  1873. 

The  Catholic  Cemetery  consists  of  a  tract  of  ten  acres  of 
land,  on  South  Main  street,  which  is  the  property  of  the  dif- 
ferent churches  of  that  denomination. 

SOCIETIES. 

Masonic. — The  representatives  of  this  order  are  Manito- 
woc Lodge,  No.  65,  and  Manitowoc  Chapter,  No.  16.  They 
are  in  a  flourishing  and  growing  condition. 

Odd-Fellows. — Chickerming  Lodge,  No.  55,  organized  in 
1850,  has  a  membership  of  125.  Manitowoc  Lodge,  No.  194 
(German),  organized  in  187 1,  has  a  membership  of  107. 

A.  O.  U.  W. — There  are  two  lodges  belonging  to  this 
order,  Clipper  City  Lodge,  No.  48,  and  Mozart  Lodge  (Ger- 
man), No.  73.     They  are  both  strong. 

Knights  of  Honor. — Hope  Lodge,  No.  393,  is  the  only 
organization  of  the  kind  in  the  city. 

Der  Herman  Soehne. — Thusnelda  Lodge,  No. 7,  organized 
in  1857,  has  ninety-four  members.  Keener  Lodge  is  the 
only  other  local  organization. 

Manitowoc  Turnverein. — The  society  was  incorporated 
in  i860,  and  its  hall,  corner  of  South  Seventh  and  Washing- 
ton streets,  erected  in  1865,  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  It  has  a 
membership  of  100. 

Bohemian  Turnverein  has  forty-five  members.  Its  hall 
on  North  Seventh  street  was  built  in  1864.  The  society's 
property  is  valued  at  $2,000. 

Manitowoc  Te7npie  of  Honor,  No.  69,  was  organized  in 
1876,  and  Sprague  Lodge,  J.  O.  G.  T.,  in  1850. 

The  Lake  Shore  Council  (Royal  Arcanum),  and  the  Bo- 
hemian society,  Siovanska  Lipa,  completes  the  list  of  socie- 
ties, whose  length  is  sufficient  excuse  for  a  less  particular 
mention. 

HOTELS. 

As  partaking  partly  of  the  social  and  partially  of  the 
commercial  nature,  the  chief  hotels  of  Manitowoc  may  be 
filly  placed  as  they  are  now  seen. 

IVindiate  House. — The  first  hotel  at  Manitowoc  was  com- 
menced in  1837,  by  Benjamin  Jones,  and  called  the  Na- 
tional Hotel.  The  building  was  not  fully  completed  till 
some  years  afterward.  It  is  a  three-story,  old-fashioned, 
frame  building,  and  presents  the  marks  of  old  age.  Adjoin- 
ing it  is  the  Windiate  House,  on  York  street.  This  is  a 
three-story  brick  structure;  was  commenced  by  Thomas 
Windiate,  in  1857,  and  completed  in  1864.  Mr.  Windiate 
is  still  carrying  on  the  business. 

Franklin  House.— This  house  was  the  next  hotel  built 
after  the  National,  it  being  erected  in  1841.  The  building 
then  stood  near  the  lake  shore,  but  was  moved  to  its  present 
location,  on  Franklin  street,  in  1852,      It  then  assumed  its 


522 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


present  name.  William  Nollau  has  been  proprietor  since 
1863. 

Williams  House. — Next  in  chronological  order  of  the 
early  hotels  now  standing,  comes  the  Williams  House,  built 
in  1850.  Mrs.  Williams,  the  widow  of  its  builder,  owns  the 
present  three-story  structure,  which  was  erected  by  her  in 
1867.  During  the  previous  year,  the  original  frame  build- 
ing burned.     H.  A.  Reuss  is  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 

Northwesiern  House.- — This  hotel,  a  three-story  brick 
building,  was  erected  by  M.  Kettenhofen,  its  present  pro- 
prietor, in  1S66-69.  He  had  previously  been  engaged  in 
the  hotel  business  in  Neshota,  Manitowoc  Co.,  and  as  pro- 
prietor of  the  Williams  House  in  this  city.  He  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  successful  landlords  in  Manitowoc. 

COMMERCIAL    ADVANTAGES. 

In  early  days,  Manitowoc  was  the  center  of  the  ship- 
building interests  of  the  State.  But,  as  has  been  stated, 
since  the  clearing  of  the  timber  from  the  county,  this  line 
of  industry  has  been  deteriorating.  Her  good  situation  as 
a  commercial  point  also  early  called  the  attention  of  her 
people  to  the  necessity  of  improving  her  harbor. 

Maiiiiowoc  Harbor. — The  present  project  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  harbor  was  adopted  in  1866,  and  modified 
in  1872.  The  object  of  the  improvement  is  to  afford  a 
channel  of  navigable  width,  and  of  not  less  than  twelve  feet 
in  depth  at  the  shoalest  part.  Before  the  present  project 
was  adopted,  f8,ooo  was  appropriated  by  the  General  Gov- 
ernment. Up  to  June  30,  1880,  the  amount  appropriated, 
$228,11749.  The  estimates  made  originally  and  since  to 
extend  the  piers  to  18-foot  curve,  with  dredging,  amount  to 
$248,142.54.  It  is  estimated  that  for  the  completion  of  the 
present  project,  $8,362.54  will  have  to  be  expended  for  the 
fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1882.  The  piers  of  the  harbor 
extend  1,500  feet  into  the  lake,  a  light-house  is  at  one  side 
of  the  entrance,  and  there  is  at  its  mouth  an  average  depth 
of  17  feet. 

Although  the  General  Government  has.been  liberal  in  the 
amounts  expended  upon  Manitowoc  harbor  to  bring  it  to 
its  present  good  standing  as  a  refuge  from  the  lake  storms^ 
the  city  itself  has  done  its  full  share.  Its  labors  in  this  di- 
rection are  detailed  in  the  following  extract  from  a  memo- 
rial addressed  to  Congress  by  its  Board  of  Aldermen  : 

"In  1866  the  city  built  a  dredge  and  scows  at  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $20,000,  and  allowed  the  contractor  doing 
Government  work  the  use  of  the  same  at  a  nominal  rent,  by 
reason  of  which  the  Government  was  able  to  have  the  work 
of  excavating  1 17,9 13  cubic  yards  done  at  the  rate  of  20 
cents  per  cubic  yard,  while  the  same  kind  of  work  was  paid 
for  at  other  ports  along  the  lake  shore  at  the  rate  of  40 
cents  per  cubic  yard,  being  a  net  saving  to  the  Government 
in  one  year  on  the  cost  of  excavating,  the  sum  of  $23,582.60. 
That  the  city  has,  at  its  own  expense,  done  dredging  at 
various  times  as  follows: 

"In  1868,  47,070  cubic  yards;  1869,  20,000  ;  1870, 19,000  ; 
1871,  18,000;  1872,  4i>49°;  1873,  33,665;  1874,32,700. 
That  the  city  has  also  built  about  one  mile  of  docks  at  an 
expense  of  about  $50,000." 


During  the  year  ending  December  31,  1880,  461  steam- 
ers arrived  in  the  Harbor  of  Manitowoc,  and  470  departed; 
342  sailing  vessels  arrived,  and  359  departed. 

Ship  Building. — While  the  great  oak  forests  of  Calumet 
and  Manitowoc  counties  "  held  their  own  "  against  the  in- 
roads of  ax  and  saw,  ship  building  continued  to  be  the 
leading  manufacturing  industry  of  Manitowoc.  The  bulk 
of  the  building  has  been  done  to  supply  the  wear  and  tear 
of  the  immense  traffic  carried  on  by  the  Goodrich  Trans- 
portation Company.  In  1847  the  "  Citizen  "  was  built  by 
Capt.  Joseph  Edwards.  It  was  of  but  sixty-tons  burden, 
and  is  worthy  of  notice  only  as  being  the  first  of  a  long 
line  of  descendants.  She  was  lost  on  Lake  Michigan.  In 
1860-61  the  "Union,"  the  first  propeller,  was  built  by  Bates 
&  Son  for  Capt.  Goodrich.  Its  cost  was  $25,000.  Next 
came  the  "  Sunbeam,"  by  the  same,  for  the  same,'costing 
$40,000.  G.  S.  Rand  &  Co  built  the  steamer  "  Northwest' 
for  the  Transportation  Company  in  1866.  This  was  consid- 
ered the  finest  craft  of  its  kind  on  the  lake,  was  of  1,100 
tons  burden,  and  cost  $120,000.  Since  then  the  same  yard 
(now  Rand  &  Burger)  have  built  a  dozen  steamers  for  the 
same  line,  at  an  aggregate  cost  of  nearly  $2,000,000,  besides 
numbers  of  sailing  vessels  for  other  parties. 

From  the  time  that  Capt.  Joseph  Edwards  built  the 
"  Citizen,"  in  1847  (64  tons  burden),  up  to  June  30,  1881, 
during  which  year  James  Butler  built  the  steam  barge 
"Reuben  Richards  "  {815  tons),  and  Rand  &  Burger,  the 
schooner  barge  "  A.  A.  Carpenter"  (541  tons),  123  sailing 
crafts  of  all  varieties  have  been  turned  out  from  the  ship 
yards  at  Manitowoc.  Most  of  the  schooner  barges  for  the 
large  lumber  companies  in  Marinette  and  Menomonee,  such 
as  the  "A.  A.  Carpenter,"  "  S.  M.  Stephenson,"  "Henry 
Witbeck,"  and  "J.  Stephenson,"  have  been  built  by  Messrs. 
Rand  &  Burger.  The  following  table  shows  the  number  of 
vessels,  by  classes,  which  have  been  built  in  Manitowoc  from 
1847  to  June  30,  1881 : 

Class.                                                       No.  Tonnage. 

Schooners _ 90  18,900 

Schooner-Barges _ 7  3,756 

Steam-Barges 4  1,523 

Tugs 7  240 

Propellers 6  4,log 

Side-Wheel  Steamers 9  5.6S6 

Total 123        34.214 

A  sketch  of  the  two  oldest  and  the  principal  ship-yards 
of  the  city  follows: 

RamiSs^  Burger. — The  predecessors  of  this  old  estab- 
lished yard  were  G.  S.  Rand  &  Co.,  and  G.  S.  Rand.  Mr. 
Rand  commenced  ship  building  in  Manitowoc,  in  1853. 
The  firm,  G.  S.  Rand  &  Co.,  was  formed  in  1871,  and  that 
of  Rand  &  Burger,  in  1873.  The  yard  employs  100  men. 
on  an  average,  doing  an  annual  business  to  the  amount  of 
$100,000. 

Hanson  &^  Scove.- — These  yards  were  established  in  1866. 
under  the  firm  name  of  Jones  &  Hanson.  The  present 
partnership  was  formed  in  1868.  They  employ  about  sev- 
enty men,  and  average  $60,000  worth  of  business  annually. 
The  schooner,   "Thomas  L.    Parker,"  launched   fioni  this 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


523 


yard  in  August,  1S81,  is  one  of  the  finest  vessels  which  has 
been  built  in  the  city. 

Besides  these  yards,  the  Goodrich  Transportation  Com- 
pany has  its  stocks  mostly  for  repairing  boats  of  its  own  line. 
Jonah  Richards  also  does  some  building,  but  only  for  him- 
self. 

Bridges. — Manitowoc  River  is  navigable  to  within  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  of  the  Rapids  bridge,  to  vessels  drawing  six 
feet  of  water.  Up  to  Peter  Larson's  ship-yard  it  has  an 
average  depth  of  twelve  feet.  It  is  spanned  by  a  number 
of  bridges,  the  most  substantial  of  which  are  the  Main  and 
the  Eighth  Street  bridges.  Tlie  former  was  built  in  1873,  at 
a  cost  of  $25,000,  and  the  latter  for  $12,000,  in  1875. 

BANKS. 

Richter  &  Volmer  established  the  first  private  bank  in 
1852,  carrying  on  the  business  for  several  years.  Both  of 
these  gentlemen  died  in  1857. 

William  Bach  carried  on  a  successful  private  institution 
from  1855  to  1857. 

The  Lake  Shore  Bank  was  started  by  Adams  &:  Bro., 
who  continued  in  the  business  from  1858  to  i860.  During 
the  latter  year,  the  Manitowoc  County  Bank  was  removed 
from  Two  Rivers  to  Manitowoc,  and  failed  like  its  prede- 
cessor. 

The  First  National  Bank  "^zs  established  as  a  State  in- 
stitution in  1856.  C.  C.  Barnes  became  its  president  in 
1858,  having  purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Bank 
of  Manitowoc.  In  1865,  it  was  organized  as  a  national 
bank,  under  the  above  title,  Mr.  Barnes  retaining  the  presi- 
dency. Charles  Luling  has  continued  to  act  as  its  cashier. 
It  has  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  and  a  surplus  of  $8,500. 

T.  C.  Shove's  Bank  is  a  private  establishment,  founded 
in  1858,  by  Mr.  Shove,  the  present  owner.  Its  capital  stock 
is  $25,000.  \ 

These  two  are  the  only  banking  institutions  in  the  city. 

MANUFACTORIES. 

Following  are  sketches  of  Manitowoc's  leading  manu- 
factories, bearing  out  her  claim  to  commercial  prosperity 
and  importance.  Her  important  business  houses,  and  the 
story  of  the  lives  of  her  business  men,  have  a  place  in  the 
biographical  department. 

Oriental  Mills  were  erected  in  1869,  by  John  Schuette 
and  August  Wahle.  Both  building  and  machinery  have 
undergone  many  improvements  since,  until  now  the  mills 
have  ten  run  of  stone,  and  a  capacity  of  200  barrels  of  flour 
per  day. 

Wisconsin  Central  Mills  were  erected  in  187 1-2,  by 
August  Wahle  and  L.  Haupt.  Upon  the  former's  death, 
Messrs.  Jacob  Fliegler  and  Louis  Haupt,  present  proprie- 
tors, became  the  owners.  An  eight-run  mill  was  established 
in  187S.  Two  years  afterward,  the  capacity  was  increased 
to  ten  run  of  stone.  The  mills  now  turn  out  from  50,000 
to  60,000  barrels  of  flour  annually. 

Manitowoc  Mills  were  erected  by  H.  Truman,  in  1874. 
They  are  operated  at  present  by  the  firm  of  Truman  & 
Cooper ;    capacity,  200  barrels   per  day.     Attached  to  the 


mills  is  a  hay  press.  The  dock  of  the  Chicago  &  Lake 
Superior  steamers  is  also  at  the  mills,  so  that  this  vicinity 
presents  a  scene  of  unusual  business  life. 

William  Rahr's  Malt  House  and  Brewery. — This  estab- 
lishment is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
William  Rahr,  Sr.,  erected  a  small  brewery  and  malt  house 
in  1849.  A  few  years  later  it  burned  down,  and  he  com- 
menced to  rebuild  in  the  same  modest  scale.  By  a  cau- 
tious industry,  however,  he  gradually  added  to  his  facilities, 
until,  in  1878,  he  finished  the  malt  house  and  elevators  on 
Washington  street,  which  now  present  so  striking  and  sub- 
stantial an  appearance.  The  storage  capacity  of  the  ele- 
vators is  180,000  bushels,  and  the  malting  capacity  of  the 
house  is  about  150,000  bushels  per  annum.  The  capacity  of 
the  brewery  is  5,000  barrels  of  beer  per  annum.  After  the 
death  of  William  Rahr,  Sr.,  in  1880,  William  Rahr,  Jr., 
assumed  the  management  of  the  business,  and  is  at  present 
conducting  it. 

Pautz's  Brewery  was  built  in  1849,  by  Mr.  Hottleman,  he 
being  the  first  to  brew  beer  in  the  county.  G.  Kuntz  pur- 
chased the  brewery  of  him  in  1865.  Messrs.  Fred.  Pautz 
and  John  Schreihart  became  the  owners  in  1875.  In  No- 
vember, 1878,  the  former  purchased  the  interest  of  the  lat- 
ter, and  is  now  conducting  the  business  alone.  The  capac- 
ity of  the  brewery  is  about  1,600  barrels  of  beer  per  an- 
num. 

Schreiharts's  Brewery. — In  1879,  John  Schreihart  estab- 
lished himself  in  business,  and  is  now  conducting  a  brewery 
on  Washington  street.  He  has  been  brought  up  in  the 
business  and  understands  it. 

Sherman  &  Son,  Tanners. — In  1851,  L.  Sherman  started 
a  tannery,  which  is  now  being  conducted  by  himself  and 
son.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county.  About  3,000 
hides  are  tanned  annually. 

F.  Schultz's  Tannery  was  built  in  1861,  and  he  has  since 
been  at  the  head  of  the  business.  Its  annual  product  is 
from  4,000  to  5,000  hides. 

H.  Vits's  Tannery. — M.  VoUendorf  erected  the  tannery 
in  1869,  which,  three  years  later,  came  into  the  possession 
of  Messrs.  VoUendorf  &  Vits.  In  1879,  Mr.  Vits  became 
sole  proprietor.  The  establishment  turns  out  3,000  hides 
annually. 

Charles  Dobbert's  Tannery  was  built  in  1S65,  he  coming 
into  possession  of  it  the  next  year.  It  tans,  on  an  average, 
3,000  hides  annually. 

The  Smalley  Manufacturing  Company. — In  1857,  E.  J. 
Smalley  established  a  small  manufactory  for  the  making  of 
agricultural  implements.  He  continued  to  do  a  successful 
business,  and  although  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1873,  another  was  at  once  erected.  The  territory  in  which 
the  company  operates  has  expanded  from  local  dimensions 
into  the  limits  of  several  States.  About  thirty  men  are  em- 
ployed, and  an  amount  of  business  is  transacted  aggregating 
$40,000  annually.  In  August,  i88i,the  Smalley  Manufac- 
turing Company  filed  articles  of  association  at  Madison,  the 
incorporators  being  E.  J.,  C.  F.  and  C.  C.  Smalley.  Its 
capital  stock  is  $25,000. 


524 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Richards 's  Iron  Works  and  Foundry  were  established  by 
J.  Richards,  in  1864.  The  business  is  still  conducted  by 
him  and  H.  C.  Richards,  his  son.  The  works  are  princi- 
pally employed  in  the  manufacture  of  engines  and  agricult- 
ural implements.  Some  twenty  hands  are  employed.  The 
annual  amount  of  business  transacted  is  $25,000. 

A.  F.  Dumke's  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop  was  estab- 
lished by  him  and  John  Klein  in  1865.  Charles  Haverland 
and  William  Wilharms  purchased  Mr.  Klein's  interest,  and 
business  was  continued  thus  for  five  years,  when  Mr.  Dumke 
became  sole  proprietor.  A.  C.  Dumke,  his  nephew,  is  now 
in  partnership.  As  Mr.  Dumke  is  a  practical  millwright  he 
has  made  the  building  of  engines  for  flouring  mills  a  spe- 
cialty.    His  business  amounts  to  $S,ooo. 

Willott's  Edge  Tool  Factory  is  the  only  establishment 
of  the  kind  in  the  State,  and  was  founded  by  Martin  &  Wil- 
lott  in  1872.  The  former  retired  from  the  firm,  and  the 
business  has  since  been  carried  on  by  Joseph  Willott  & 
Sons.  The  factory  turns  out  1,200  dozen  a.xes  annually,  be- 
sides other  edge  tools,  which  find  a  market  chiefly  in  Wis- 
consin and  Minnesota. 

Pankratz  &  Co.'s  saw  mill  was  built  in  187 1.  The  old 
one  on  its  site  was  erected  in  1855,  by  Lester  Bros.,  and 
burned  during  that  year.  The  mill  is  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness. 

Edward  Zander's  planing  mill  and  sash,  door  and  blind 
factory  were  built  by  him  in  1870.  He  is  conducting  a 
business  amounting  to  $10,000  annually. 

Charles  Zander's  planing  mill  and  sash,  door  and  blind 
factory  were  built  in  1866.  His  business  amounts  to  $5,000 
annually. 

Henry  Greve's  planing  mill  and  stave  factory  were  estab- 
lished by  him  in  1873.  He  employs  twenty  hands  and  trans- 
acts business  amounting  to  $25,000  annually. 

Clipper  City  Carriage  Works  are  the  only  ones  of  the 
kind  in  the  city.  Frank  Shimek  established  the  manufac- 
tory in  1872,  and  his  brother  Joseph  afterward  became  a 
partner.     The  business  is  good  and  growing. 

The  cream-colored  brick,  for  which  Milwaukee  has  be- 
come so  noted,  are  also  manufactured  in  Manitowoc. 
Ferdinand  Ostenfeld,  who  has  the  largest  yard,  established 
his  business  in  1876,  and  makes  1,250,000  annually. 
The  product  is  shipped  mostly  to  Lake  Superior  and  Mich- 
igan. Also  engaged  in  the  same  business  are  H.  Wehausen^ 
who  makes  over  500,000  annually,  and  G.  Fricke,  Adolph 
Kugler  and  Ferdinand  Veith,  who  carry  on  the  manufac- 
ture on  a  smaller  scale. 

Marble  Works  of  Manitowoc. — In  June,  1866,  John 
Mandlik  established  the  works,  and  has  conducted  them 
since.  He  has  expended  considerable  money  in  the  county 
in  searching  for  good  building  stone,  having  discovered 
some  of  superior  quality  in  the  town  of  Rockland.  His 
works  are  the  largest  in  the  city. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 
CHRISTIAN  ANDERSON,  light-housekeeper,  born  Dec.  29. 1825, 
in  Norway  ;  August,  1844,  came  to  Uacine,  Wis.;  in  1845,  came  to  Chi- 
cago ;  July  5,  1846,  came  to  Manitowoc  ;  started  a  tailor  shop  which  he 
continued  several  years.     He  afterward  bought  a  vessel  which  he  sailed 


several  seasons,  then  sold  and  bought  a  farm  where  he  worked  about 
seven  years.  He  then  removed  to  Manitowoc  and  followed  teaming 
about  two  years;  afterward  ran  a  threshing-machine  two  seasons.  He 
then  opened  a  boarding-house  which  he  continued  till  1876,  when  he  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position.  Married,  in  1866,  to  Sarah  Torrison, 
of  Norway.  They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter.  He 
has  four  children  by  a  former  marriage,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

JAMES  S.  ANDER.SON,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  Manitowoc, 
first  settled  in  Kossuth  Township,  Manitowoc  Co.,  September,  1852,  with 
his  parents.  He  lived  at  home  until  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age. 
He  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  5th  Regt.  Wis.  V.  I.,  April  22.  iS6r,  and  served 
three  years  and  four  months,  being  in  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Gettys- 
burg, and  many  of  the  important  battles  participated  in  by  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  He  received  several  slight  wounds,  but  same  out  sound, 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  August,  1S64.  He  returned  to 
Appleton  and  attended  the  Lawrence  University,  and  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  the  class  of  1870,  after  which  he  studied  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Manitowoc,  December,  1871  ;  then  he  began  the 
practice  of  law.  He  was  born  in  Kelvin  Haugh,  near  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, Dec.  25,  1842.  He  married  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  J.  T.  Mills,  of 
Grant  County,  Miss  Eva  M.  Mills,  July  17,  1873,  She  was  born  April 
15,  T846.     They  have  two  children, "Minnie  H.  and  Joseph  M. 

O.  R.  BACON,  M.  D.,  druggist,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Still- 
water, Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.  When  about  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  his 
father  removed  to  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  There  he  attended  school. 
At  the  age  of  20  he  removed  to  Rensselaer  County,  there  studied  medi- 
cine, and  graduated  at  Castleton,  Vt.  In  1S54  came  to  Manitowoc,  and 
was  engaged  in  teaching  school  several  years.  He  has  also  been  Super- 
intendent of  Schools,  Town  Clerk,  etc.  In  1865  he  established  this 
business,  which  he  has  since  continued,  being  now  the  oldest  resident 
druggist  in  the  city. 

J.  W.  BARNES,  firm  of  Barnes  &  Mendlik,  general  merchandise, 
Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Erie  County,  Pa.  At  the  age  of  seven  years 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Naperville.  Ills.  There  he  worked  at  the 
printer's  trade  about  three  years,  then  removed  to  Waukesha,  where  he 
attended  school.  In  1862  came  to  Manitowoc;  was  employed  a  short 
time  in  his  brother's  bank.  After  spending  about  a  year  in  Cincinnati 
and  St.  Louis  he  returned  to  Manitowoc  and  engaged  in  the  merchan- 
dising firm  of  Goodenow  &  Barnes.  This  partnership  continued  about 
three  years.  He  then  carried  on  the  business  alone  about  three  years. 
Then  the  firm  of  Vilas  &  Barnes  was  established,  which  was  continued 
about  six  years.  Mr.  Vilas  retired  from  the  business,  and  soon  after  Mr. 
Mendlik  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  firm,  which  now  continues.  Mr. 
Barnes  has  been  Chairman  and  Alderman  of  the  Fourth  Ward. 

ALBERT  C.  BECKER,  firm  of  Becker  &  Teitgen,  hardware, 
Manitowoc.  Born  Oct.  9,  1850,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Milwaukee 
with  his  parents  in  1855.  Two  years  later  they  removed  to  Manitowoc, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  commenced  to 
learn  the  tinner's  trade,  and  except  four  years  railroading  he  has  fol- 
lowed this  business  since.  He  established  this  business  in  1S75.  Mar- 
ried, in  1877,  to  Alvina  Teitgen  of  Manitowoc  County.  They  have  two 
sons. 

F.  BECKER,  saloon  and  billiards,  Manitowoc.  Born  March  29, 
1825,  in  Prussia.  He  emigrated  to  Milwaukee  in  1853,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  came  to  this  city  and  opened  a  bakery,  cariying  on  that  busi- 
ness until  1861,  when  he  raised  a  company,  being  himself  commissioned 
captain,  the  glh  Wis.  I.  He  remained  in  the  service  for  about  two 
years,  then  returned  to  Manitowoc  and  opened  his  present  business.  He 
has  been  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department  for  two  years.  Married,  in 
1847,  Miss  Mena  Boate  of  Prussia.  They  have  three  children,  one  son 
and  two  daugliters. 

JOHN  RIBINGER,  of  the  firm  of  Bibinger  &  Day,  wholesale  and 
retail  dealers  in  all  kinds  farm  machinery,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, July  23,  1846.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  America  in  1S4S, 
and  they  lived  in  Pennsylvania  about  eight  years.  Moved  to  Milwaukee 
and  lived  four  years.  He  went  into  business  in  1873  in  Manitowoc, 
He  was  married  in  that  city,  .Sept  22,  1S73,  to  Miss  Augusta  Teitgen. 
She  was  born  in  Newton,  Manitowoc  Co.,  1S55.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Ellma  A.,  born  Oct.  8,  1S74,  and  Arthur  J.,  born  June  9,  1876. 

SAMUEL  COLEMAN  BLAKE,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  representative 
men  of  ManitowocCounty  and  one  of  the  best  read,  and  the  most  eminent 
physician  and  surgeon  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Bath, 
Me..  July  25,  1826.  He  was  the  oldest  child  of  the  Rev.  S.  P.  Blake,  of  the 
Maine  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Maine  Wesleyan  Seminary  at  Kents  Hill,  from  which 
he  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty  with  honors.  During  this  time,  his 
father's  pecuniary  circumstances  were  such  that  he  could  give  his  son  no 
aid  in  paying  his  way  through  his  educational  course,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  earn  sufficient  money  for  that  purpose  by  his  own  efforts,  during  the 
time  that  he  was  prosecuting  his  studies.  In  1850,  he  entered  the  Tre- 
mont  Medical  School,  Boston,  where  he  read  medicine.  In  the  years 
1852-53,  he  was  "house  pupil"  in  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital, 
of  Boston,  and  July  22,  1853,  he  graduated  in  medicine  from  the  medi- 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


cal  department  of  the  Harvard  University,  having  entered  that  institu- 
tion three  years  earlier.  After  graduating.  Dr.  Blake  liecame  a  member 
of  the  Massachusetts  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  Boston  Medical 
Association,  to  gain  a  membership  in  which  required  a  most  thorough 
knowledge  of  medicine  and  surgery.  He  settled  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
where  he  practiced  his  profession  between  three  and  four  years.  In 
1856,  the  doctor  removed  to  Chicago,  and  immediately  became  a  leader 
in  his  profession  in  that  great  metropolis,  which  position  he  maintained 
through  an  active  and  extensive  practice  until  1877,  when,  on  account 
of  poor  health,  he  removed  to  ^Ianitowoc.  Since  living  here,  he  has 
also  been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  the 
second  year  after  going  to  Chicago,  he  was  connected  with  the  Spring 
course  of  lectures  in  Rush  Medical  College.  Oct.  27,  1857,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Adaline  Jones,  an  estimable  lady  of  fine 
mental  qualities,  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Benjamin  Jones,  one  of  the  earliest 


rs  received  by  him  during  and   immediately  after  his 
ill  explain  themselves. 


They 


Head-quarters  1st  Dlv 


settlers  of  Chicago,  and  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Manitowoc.  She  has 
borne  him  three  children,  who  are  all  living — the  oldest  being  Charles  C, 
born  April  i,  1859;  the  next  Benjamin  J.,  born  Aug.  22,  1S64,  and  the 
youngest  Otis  Henry  Tiffany,  born  Nov.  19,  1872.  They  were  all  born 
in  Chicago.  In  the  year  1S58,  Dr.  Blake  was  associated  with  Prof. 
Daniel  Brainard,  De  Laskie  Miller  and  J.  P.  Ross,  of  the  Rush  Medi- 
cal College,  in  organizing  the  old  City  Hospital,  of  Chicago,  and  with 
them  composed  its  medical  and  surgical  staff  until  he  entered  the 
medical  service  of  the  United  States,  at  the  commencement  of  the  late 
Rebellion.  The  outbreak  of  the  war  found  Dr.  Blake  in  the  midst  of 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  and  the  occupant  of  many  high  and  hon- 
orable positions  in  his  profession,  but  with  true  patriotism,  marked  with 
that  large-hearted  generosity  and  forgetfulness  of  self-interests  which  has 
always  characterized  his  acts  through  life,  he  abandoned  his  more  lucrative 
practice,  and  offered  his  services  to  his  country  in  her  time  of  need. 
They  were  accepted  with  alacrity,  and  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Richard 
Yates  surgeon  of  the  19th  Reg.  III.  V.  The  regiment  was  immediately 
ordered  to  Missouri,  passing  vin  Quincy,  111.  At  the  latter  place,  through 
appreciation  of  the  eminent  ability  of  the  surgeon  of  the  19th,  Gen. 
Stephen  A.  Ilurlbut  detailed  him  from  his  regiment  to  act  as  surgeon 
on  his  stall.  While  in  Quincy,  the  doctor  organized  a  large  division 
hospital,  which  remained  in  that  city  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In 
July,  1861,  Dr.  Blake  was  transferred  to  the  39th  Reg.  III.  V.,  and  with 
his  regiment  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  from  there  to  East  Virginia,  and  was 
with  Gen.  N.P.  Banks  in  his  celebrated  campaign  through  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley.  During  the  several  bloody  battles  of  this  campaign,  the 
doctor  was  always  found  promptly  on  the  ground,  ministering  to  the 
many  and  grievous  necessities  of  the  wounded.  Later  in  this  campaign, 
the  doctor  was  detailed  from  his  regiment  by  Gen.  Banks,  and  placed 
in  charge  of  the  general  hospital  of  the  division,  which  responsible  posi- 
tion he  occupied  during  the  remainder  of  that  campaign.  As  a  proof  of 
the  estimation  in  which  the  doctor  was  held  by  his  companions  in  arms, 
we  take  the  liberty  of  inserting  the  following  extracts  from  among  let- 


.  liospltal  surgeon. ; 
entioQ  bestowed  u 


I  feel  muclk 


needful  for  the  comfort  of  the 
duty  and  self-sacrifice 


DR.  SAML.  C.  BLAKE.  Surgeon  39tlr  Reg.,  I. 
ample  opportunity  of  estimating  your  services  as 
pleasure  lu  being  able  to  testify  to  the  care  and  al 
and  to  the  professional  skill  displayed  on  manj 
quired  it,  in  Held  hospitals,  where  many  tiling! 
sick  soldier  hav«  to  be  improvised,  a  faithful  devotion 
are  quulicies  emliieiitiy  needed;  lu  your  disjiiay  of  these 

and  put  on  record  here  my  complete  approval  of,  and  satisfaction  with,  your  con- 
duct at  the  Brigade  Hospital,  Hancock.    I  am,  doctor.  Yours,  Kesuectfuliy, 

THOMAS  ANTISELL, 

Brigade  .Surgeon  Vols,  and  Medical  Director  1st  Dlv.,  Dept.  of  the  Sheuaiido.ah. 

The  next,  which  will  suffice,  is  from  Gen.  Osborne,  the  first  colonel 
of  the  39th  III.  v.,  afterward  promoted  to  major  general,  and  now  Min- 
ister Plenipotentiary  from  the  United  States  to  the  Argentine   Republic. 


Head-quarters  39th  Reg. 


' Surge 

1  be  freely  given  you  for  t 

■    iiy  regiment  lu  the  medical  deiiari 
high        • 


reputatii 

ment  of  tue  ariiij 

gotten  complimei 

your  behalf,  for  J «'"  I  11  vices  wiieu  111  ciiarge  01  tue  general  nospi- 

tal. I'l-  )■.       ill, Mildest  wishesof.  Yours  truly, 

THUS.  O.  OSBORNE,  Major  General. 

In  1862,  Dr.  Blake  was  compelled  to  resign  his  position  in  the  army 
on  account  of  chronic  diarrhoea,  which  he  had  contracted  in  the  service 
during  the  severe  and  fatal  Winter  and  Spring  campaign  preceding. 
After  returning  home  to  Chicago,  the  doctor  was  incapacitated  from 
any  active  labor  in  his  profession  for  more  than  a  year.  In  1863,  hav- 
ing sufficiently  recovered  from  his  illness  to  go  into  active  practice,  he 
was  honored  with  the  appointment  of  County  Physician  of  Cook  Coun- 
ty, III.  In  1865,  he  was  appointed  City  Physician  ol  the  City  of  Chica- 
go, which  responsible  position  he  held  two  years,  discharging  the  duties 
thereof  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  city.  The  same  year  that  he 
was  appointed  City  Physician,  he  was  one  of  a  number  of  prominent 
gentlemen  and  ladies  in  Chicago  who  founded  the  present  flouiishing 
Women  and  Children's  Hospital  of  Chicago,  and  was  one  of  the  con- 
sulting physicians  and  surgeons  until  he  moved  to  Manitowoc,  in  1877. 
In  iS6g,  he,  in  association  wiih  Dr.  W.  H.  H.  Byford  and  other  promi- 
nent physicians  of  Chicago,  organized  the  Women's  Hospital  Medical 
College  of  Chicago,  and  became  one  of  its  faculty,  occupying  the  chair 
of  professor  of  the  diseases  of  the  mind  and  nervous  system,  a  position 
of  eminent  honor  and  usefulness,  for  about  seven  years.  In  iSbS,  Dr. 
Blake,  while  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  County  of 
Cook,  in  connection  with  the  late  Hon.  James  H.  Reese,  after  long  and 
faithful  urging,  prevailed  upon  the  Board  to  occupy  the  old  City  Hos- 
pital as  a  county  hospital,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  the  present 
magnificent  Cook  County  Hospital,  which  is  the  pride  of  Chicago,  and 
an  honor  to  the  State.  After  the  doctor  left  Chicago  to  live  in  Mani- 
towoc, recognizing  his  eminent  ability  in  his  profession  and  worth  as  a 
gentleman,  the  physicians  and  surgeons  of  his  old  home,  Chicago,  at  a 
meeting  of  their  society,  elected  him  an  honorary  member  thereof,  and 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  his  old  and  time-tried  friend, 
Dr.  Byford,  will  attest; 

Chicago,  111.,  Jan.  15,  1878. 

DEAR  DR.  BLAKE—  •  •  •  The  Society  of  fhysiciaus  and  Surgeons  took 
great  pleasure  in  electing  you  an  honorary  member  of  that  body.  Several  of  the 
gentlemen  spoke  in  terms  of  warm  friendship,  and  with  great  good  will  wished 
you  prosperity  and  happiness  in  your  new  home.    -    •    •    •    • 

1  am,  as  ever,  your  very  true  friend. 

W.  H.  H.  BYFORD. 

Dr.  Blake  has  been  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Medical 
Society,  Boston  Medical  Association,  Illinois  State  Medical  Society, 
Chicago  Society  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  and  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  has  many  times  been  elected  to  represent  his  profes- 
sion in  both  the  State  and  national  associations  of  physicians,  and  has 
always  been  an  active  and  loyal  member  of  his  profession.  In  religion 
he  is  a  Methodist,  h.iving  been  an  active  and  conscientious  member  of 
that  organization  since  he  was  a  young  man.  He  has  ever  sustained  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  man  of  honor  and  integrity,  as  well  as  for  rare 
skill  and  success  as  a  medical  practitioner.  No  considerations  of  policy, 
professional  or  mercenary,  affright  him  from  the  exercise  of  righteous 
judgment,  or  deter  him  from  the  expression  of  a  conscientious  opinion. 
He  sturdily  adheres  to  the  path  of  rectitude  in  his  profession,  and  looks 
upon  quackery  as  an  impious  tampering  with  human  life,  and  puts  it 
aside  with  scornful  detestation.  Such  a  course  has  its  reward,  and  gains 
the  applause  of  all  who  behold  it.  It  shames  the  mountebank,  strength- 
ens the  young  physician  and  crowns  the  profession  with  an  honorable 
reputation.  But  the  doctor  is  as  highly  esteemed  for  his  qualities  of 
heart  as  he  is  admired  for  his  qualities  of  mind,  talents  and  attainments. 
He  is  a  gentleman  of  a  kind  and  generous  nature,  with  warm  impulses, 
and  generous  to  a  fault.  His  charities  are  open-handed  as  well  as  open- 
hearted,  and  he  is  held  in  equal  estimation  by  dwellers  in  cots  and  in 
palaces.  He  mingles  with  the  latter  with  ease  and  grace,  and  associates 
with  the  former  without  endangering  his  dignity.  He  has  no  affecta- 
tion or  egotism  to  alienate  the  one,  or  haughtiness  of  behavior  to  repel 
the  other.  He  has  served  his  generation  so  well  that  its  prayers  would 
continue  his  term  of  service  for  many  years  to  come. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


P.  J.  BLESCH,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  born_Jan.  6,  1827, 
in  Germany;  in  184S,  came  to  New  York;  in  1849,  came'  to  Milwau- 
kee ;  in  1850,  removed  to  Manitowoc,  carried  on  the  business  of  cabinet 
making  three  years.  In  1S53,  he  opened  this  store,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  about  four  years,  has  continued  in  this  business  since.  Mr. 
Blesch  held  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  during  1S61  and  '62.  Hewas 
married  in  1S53,  to  Margaret  Kellner,  of  Germany.  They  have  three 
children — two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

G.  BLOQUELLE.  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of 
Germany  ;  was  born  June  27,  1S33.  Came  to  this  place  in  1S56,  and 
opened  a  gun  shop;  continued  this  business  till  iS6l,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  B,  9th  Wis.  Inf.;  served  his  enlistment  and  returned  to  Manitowoc, 
and  carried  on  a  gun  shop  till  1867,  when  he  established  this  business; 
he  has  been  City  Marshal  one  year.  Married  in  1867,  to  Kesena  Schuette, 
of  Germany  ;  she  has  one  son  by  a  former  marriage,  Emil  Bench,  now 
practicing  law. 

CHARLES  BOCK,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Dec. 
15,  1837,  in  Prussia.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  occupied  the  position  of  clerk  for  fourteen  years,  and  in 
April,  1S66,  he  established  his  present  business,  beginning  in  small  way. 
His  business  has  increased,  until  now  it  amounts  to  about  sixty  thousand 
a  year.  He  now  owns  and  occupies  a  fine  brick  building,  30^x80  feet, 
two  stories  and  basement,  which  cost  about  six  thousand  dollars.  He  was 
married  in  1858,  to  Miss  Albertine  Zumach,  of  Rockland,  Wis.  They 
have  eight  children — four  sons  and  four  daughters. 

JONAS  L.  BRANDEIS,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  born 
Nov.  14,  1836,  in  Bohemia.  In  1858,  came  to  Milwaukee.  In  i860, 
removed  to  Manitowoc;  the  foUoviirg  year  he  opened  a  small  store  and 
has  now  worked  into  a  large  and  flourishing  business,  giving  employment 
to  six  clerks.  He  was  the  first  wheat  buyer  in  Manitowoc,  paying  part 
in  cash  and  part  in  goods.  He  was  married  June,  1S61,  to  Miss  F. 
Tweles,  of  Milwaukee.  They  have  four  children — three  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

HENRY  \V.  BROWN,  Sec.  7,  Manitowoc  Tp.  Owns  80  acres, 
70  of  which  are  under  cultivation.  Mr.  B.  was  born  in  Vennor,  Madison 
Co.,  N.  v.,  Jan.  7, 1815.  He  moved  from  New  York  to  Norwich,  Pa.,  with 
his  mother,  in  1S24,  where  they  lived  until  1845,  when  they  moved  to 
Manitowoc  and  settled  en  his  farm.  There  was  only  one  board  shanty 
between  his  place  and  Manitowoc  City  at  that  date.  There  were  then 
three  small  stores  on  the  north  side  ol  Manitowoc  River,  in  what  is  now 
a  large  city.  The  country  was  all  heavily  timbered,  and  nothing  but  the 
wilds  of  vast  forests  faintly  echoed  the  sound  of  the  hardy  pioneer's  ax.  A 
number  of  years  ago,  Mr.  Brown's  mother  visited  the  East  and  shortly 
after  died  there.  Mr.  Brown  was  married,  June  26,  1845,  in  Lumber 
Township,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa.,  to  Miss  Rosanah  Richey;  she  was  born  Oct. 
12,  1824.  They  have  five  children— Sarah  E.,  married  to  Samuel  Hall, 
IS  living  in  Manitowoc  City;  Edward  R.,  married  and  living  at  Bailey's 
Harbor,  Door  Co.;  Claudius  V.  B.,  married  and  living  in  same  place  as 
his  brother;  Mary  A.,  married  to  John  A.  Smith,  and  is  at  present  at 
home,  and  William  H.,  now  living  in  the  far  West. 

F.  C.  BUERSTATTE,  druggist,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Sept.  12, 
1S46,  in  Prussia.  At  the  age  ol  four  ycats  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
this  place;  he  enlisted  December,  1S63,  Co.  F,  26th  Wis.  L,  and  served 
to  the  end  of  the  war  ;  participated  in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Ga.,  Ken- 
esaw  Mountain,  Ga..  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Siege  of  Atlanta,  and  others. 
In  1867  he  returned  to  Manitowoc,  and  at  once  commenced  to  learn  the 
druggist  trade  ;  after  serving  his  apprenticeship,  he  established  this 
business  in  1S72.  Married  in  1871,  to  Augusta  Gennrich,  of  Germany. 
They  have  lour  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

HENRY  C.  BUHSE,  County  Clerk,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of 
Mechlenbuig,  Germany;  born  July  3,  1843  ;  came  to  Milwaukee  v\iih 
his  parents  Aug.  11,  1848.  In  the  Fall  they  removed  to  Waukesha 
County,  settled  on  a  farm,  where  they  remained  till  1857,  when  he  came 
to  Two  Rivers,  where  he  attended  school;  afterward  clerk  in  the  Posc- 
office.  In  the  Spring  of  1S61  he  went  to  Madison,  where  he  also  at- 
tended school.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  gth  Wis.  I.;  served  three  years; 
was  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant,  September,  1S62,  and  in  1S64  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant,  Co.  A,  451I1  Wis.  December,  1864,  he  re- 
turned to  Two  Rivers,  followed  the  fishing  business,  then  removed  to 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  about  a  year;  returned  to  Two  Rivers,  and 
was  employed  by  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Co.  He  afterward 
went  to  California,  Oregon,  and  other  points.  In  the  Fall  of  1880  he 
was  elected  County  Clerk  ;  he  has  also  held  various  other  local  otliccs. 

HENRY  B.  BURGER,  firm  of  Rand  &  Burger,  ship  builders, 
Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  Dec.  17,  1839;  came  to  New 
York  in  1848,  with  his  parents.  In  1857  came  to  Milwaukee,  where  he 
commenced  to  learn  the  ship  building  trade,  which  he  has  since  followed. 
In  1872,  came  to  Manitowoc  ;  the  following  year  he  became  a  member 
of  this  firm.  They  are  doing  a  very  extensive  business,  and  have  built 
some  of  the  largest  vessels  on  the  lakes.  Married  in  1863,  to  Miss  Mary 
Esslinger.     She  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.     They  have  lour  children. 

BYRON  BURMEISTER,  dealer  in  fruit,  and  vessel  owner,  Mani- 
towoc, was  born  April  20,  1852,  in  Mishicott,  Wis.     In  the  Fall  of  1859, 


the  family  removed  to  Two  Rivers;  in  1863  came  to  Manitowoc.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  he  commenced  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade,  continu- 
ing about  six  years,  sailing  at  intervals.  In  1875  he  bought  the  schooner 
"Alice,"  12  tons  measurement.  Sold  her  in  the  Winter  of  1S76,  and  bought 
the  schooner  "Eliza,"  of  30  tons.  In  1879  he  traded  her  for  the  "Ellen  G. 
Cocharen,"  of  32  tons.  Jan.  4,  1881,  he,  with  his  father,  bought  the 
schooner  "Gertie  Wing,"  of  17  tons,  and  in  April,  1881,  he,  with  his 
father  and  brother,  bought  the  scow  "  W.  R.  Sloan,"  of  72  tons.  They 
are  employed  in  the  bark  and  fruit  trade.  Their  dock  is  on  the  south 
side  of  Eighth  street,  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  and  has  a  frontage  of 
150  feet.     They  have  also  a  cellar  20x30  feet,  for  the  storage  of  fruit. 

HANS  CHRISTENSEN,  wines,  liquors  and  cigars,  103  South 
Eighth  street,  Manitowoc,  was  born  March  26,  1852,  in  Denmark.  In 
1870  came  to  Milwaukee;  in  1872  removed  to  Two  Creeks  and  worked 
for  Pfister  &  Vogel,  at  their  tannery  six  years.  In  1878  came  to  Manitowoc 
and  commenced  this  business.  Married  in  1873  to  Emma  Burmaster,  of 
Manitowoc  County.     They  have  three  sons. 

GEORGE  COOPER,  firm  of  Truman  &  Cooper,  merchant  millers 
and  wholesale  dealers  in  flour,  feed,  hay,  coal,  etc.,  Manitowoc,  is  a  na- 
tive ol  England.  Emigrated  to  America  in  1855,  and  located  at  Nesho- 
ta.  Wis.  There  he  was  employed  in  the  lumber  business  till  1863,  when 
he,  with  Mr.  Jones,  bought  the  propeity,  consisting  of  one  steam  mill, 
one  water  mill,  and  a  large  quantity  ot  land,  store,  etc.,  and  continued 
in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  veiy  successfully  till  1S77,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  been  a  member  of  the  above  firm. 

GOTTLIEB  DAMLER,  County  Treasurer,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native 
of  Germany,  born  Sept.  25,  1826;  came  to  Sheboygan  June  6,  1851,  there 
he  remained  seven  months,  then  removed  to  Two  Rivers,  followed  there 
the  boot  and  shoe  business  till  1S73.  He  had  learned  this  tiade  m  his 
native  country,  having  served  there  ten  years  ;  he  has  also  been  engaged 
in  the  manulaclure  ol  brick  from  1S73  to  1876,  when  he  was  elected 
County  Treasurer,  which  position  he  continued  to  hold  during  his  resi- 
dence in  Two  Rivers.  He  held  offices  of  Assessor,  Town  Treasurer  four 
years.  School  Treasurer  sixteen  and  a  half  years,  has  been  Chairman  of 
the  i  own  and  County  Board  of  Supervisors  during  1873,  '74  and  '75,  and 
has  been  the  recipient  of  many  other  public  honors. 

JOHN  DEN  WAY,  manufacturer  of  hosiery,  etc.,  Manitowoc,  em- 
ploys forty-five  hands,  and  manulactures  on  an  average  fifty  dozen  hose 
per  day.  He  was  born  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  23,  1S45,  and  lived  there 
until  he  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  enlisted  in  1S61,  Co.  B, 
8th  Missouri  Zouaves,  and  served  four  and  a  half  years,  and  was  mustered 
out  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1S65.  He  participated  in  the  battles  Fort 
Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Arkansas  Post,  ana  the  first  charge  of  Vicks- 
burg,  under  Gen.  Sherman  ;  he  was  in  nearly  all  ot  the  western  battles  of 
any  importance  ;  after  being  mustered  out  he  went  to  Chicago,  and 
went  into  the  business  of  hose  manufacturing  for  eleven  years,  then  he 
went  to  JanesviUe  ;  was  there  some  time  in  same  business.  He  came 
to  Manitowoc  in  January,  iSSo,  and  began  his  present  occupation.  He 
was  married  in  Chicago  March  9,  1S76,  to  Miss  Minnie  Pautz ;  she  was 
born  in  Manitowoc  County,  May,  1857. 

WILLIAM  F.  DICKE,  firm  of  Lehmkuhl  &  Dicke,  general  mer- 
chandise and  sewing  machines,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Aug.  30,  1S57,  in 
New  Bremen,  Auglaize  Co.,  Ohio.  When  a  child  he  came  to  Manitowoc 
with  his  parents.  After  completing  his  schooling  he  worked  at  various 
kinds  of  employment,  was  clerk  for  J.  Schuette  &  Bros,  from  1872  till 
the  Fall  of  1877,  when  this  firm  was  established ;  married  in  the  Spring  of 
1880  to  Miss  Bertha  Wagner,  of  Manitowoc  ;  they  have  one  son,  Kurth. 

J.  DONOHUE,  assistant  superintendent  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  & 
Western  Railroad,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Ireland,  May  12,  1845.  He 
emigrated  with  his  parents  to  America,  December,  1S45,  they  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  lived  until  1853,  when  they  moved  to  bheboygan  Falls. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  lived  there  until  bpring,  1S61.  He  was  sta- 
tion agent  at  Glenbeulah  until  1S62.  He  then  went  to  Milwaukee  in  the 
employ  of  Milwaukee  &  Prairie  du  Chien  Railroad  as  fireman  until  March, 
iSbs,  and  returned  to  Sheboygan  County  and  went  in  employ  of  ihe  bhe- 
boygan &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad  as  baggage  master.  Fall,  1860,  and  bought 
grain  for  same  company  until  1S6S  ;  was  superintendent  also.  In  the 
meantime  the  railroad  went  into  the  handsof  S.  M.  Barrett,  Cincinnati,  O., 
when  Mr.  D.  went  in  his  employ  until  Spring,  1S71.  The  railroad  again 
changed  hands  to  T.  F.  Strong,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  Mr.  D.  remained  with 
him  until  August,  1S71,  after  which  he  went  into  the  employ  of  M.,  L.  S. 
&  W.,  at  Sheboygan,  taking  charge  of  the  grading  and  laying  the  iron. 
After  completing  the  same,  he  took  charge  of  the  passenger  and  freight 
train  until  Spring,  1S73,  then  took  charge  of  grading  and  laying  the  iron 
from  Sheboygan  to  Manitowoc  City ;  alter  completing  the  same  to  latter 
city,  he  was  appointed  roadmaster  and  assistant  superintendent  in 
Fall,  1S73,  and  held  the  same  until  Fall,  1S76,  since  which  time  he  has 
held  the  position  as  above  mentioned.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Abbie 
A.  Clark.  .May  X2,  1874,  in  Sheboygan  County,  She  was  born  near 
Providence,  R.  I.,  June,  1844.  They  have  two  children,  Abbie  A.  and 
Hazel  B. 

AUGUST  F.  DUMKE,  Manitowoc  Iron  Works,  .first  settled  in 
Township  Newton,  Manitowoc  Co.,  1853,  and  farmed  live  years.    In 


HISTORY   OF    MANITOWOC    COUNTY. 


527 


1858  he  moved  to  Minitovvjc  City  and  worked  at  tniUwrighting  and  as 
a  miller  in  a  grist  mill.  In  October,  1861,  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  gth  Reg. 
Wis.  V.  I.,  going  as  first  lieutenant.  In  Spring,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  captaincy  of  his  company;  heresignedin  March,  1863,  on  account  of 
failing  health ;  he  returned  home  and  built  the  machinery  for  a  planing 
mill;  put  the  same  in  operation  and  followed  the  business  until  1865, 
sold  out,  and  in  Fall,  1865,  began  his  present  large  works  in  company 
with  John  Kline.  This  partnership  continued  two  years,  and  Messrs. 
Haverland  and  Wilharms  bought  the  interest  of  Mr.  Kline.  Mr.  Dumke 
continued  in  company  five  years,  and  then  bought  the  entire  interest, 
and  has  since  operated  alone.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Dec.  8,  1824. 
He  was  married  in  1851  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Guhr  ;  she  was  a  native  of 
the  same  country,  born  June  20,  1825. 


JOHN  FRANZ,  real  estate  and  insurance,  Manitowoc,  born 
Nov.  15,  1832,  in  Prussia.  In  1S56  he  came  to  Two  Rivers,  worked 
in  the  factory  most  of  the  time  till  1863.  He  then  was  elected  to  difl"er- 
ent  local  offices,  which  he  held  till  1S67,  when  he  was  elected  Register  of 
Deeds  ;  held  this  office  till  1S77.  Since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  his 
present  business;  he  has  been  elected  twice  Alderman,  married  in  1854 
to  Catherine  Heinz  of  Prussia.  They  have  four  children,  one  son  and 
three  daughters.  Mr.  Franz  has  held  the  office  of  Notary  Public  con- 
tinuously since  1865. 

HENRY  ESCH,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of 
Prussia,  born  June,  1S30,  came  to  Vincennes,  Ind.,  in  1853,  there  worked 
at  the  gunsmith  trade  three  years;  in  1856,  came  to  Manitowoc,  worked 
at  his  trade  about  two  years  ;  he  then  opened  a  small  store,  and  by  strict 
attention  to  business  he  has  worked  into  a  large  and  flourishing  trade, 
occupying  two  large  stores  and  giving  employment  to  six  clerks.  He 
was  married,  in  1S54,  to  Elizabeth  Bierhans,  of  Prussia.  They  have 
seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

HUBERT  FALGE,  Clerk  Circuit  Court,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of 
Bohemia;  came  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1868  ;  has  been  engaged  in  school 
teaching  till  1877,  when  he  was  elected  to  his  present  position.  Married 
in  iS6o  to  Mary  Ludwig  of  Bohemia,  she  died  July  7,  1880,  aged  thirty- 
seven  years;  have  five  children,  one  son  and  four  daughters. 

JACOB  FLIEGLER,  firm  of  Fliegler  &  Haupt,  Wisconsin  Central 
Mills,  Manitowoc,  born  Nov.  6,  1837,  in  Baden,  Germany.  September, 
1844,  became  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until  1852;  he  then  re- 
moved to  Waukesha.  Sept.  16,  1S58,  became  to  Manitowoc,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  built  the  first  swing  bridge  in  Manitowoc,  which 
was  in  the  Fall  of  1858.  He  afterward  was  engaged  by  different  firms  in 
the  lumber  bu.siness  for  several  years.  In  1865,  he,  with  Mr.  Waldo, 
opened  a  flour,  feed  and  grocery  and  provision  store  ;  continuing  this 
business  till  June  5,  1869,  when  he  bought  out  the  interest  of  Walter 


Lyons,  consisting  of  saw  and  grist  mills,  lands,  etc.  Operating  this 
business  till  1873,  he  then  bought  an  interest  with  Wahle  &  Haupt,  pro- 
prietorof  the  Wisconsin  Central  Mills ;  the  firm  then  became  Fliegler 
Wahle  &  Co.,  and  in  1877  the  firm  changed  to  Fliegler  &  Haupt,  which 
it  has  since  continued. 

C.  GELBKE,  of  the  firm  of  C.  Gelbke  &  Bro.,  manufacturers  and 
dealers  in  boots  and  shoes,  was  born  in  Prussia,  March  15, 1828.  He  emi- 
grated to  America  in  June,  1857,  and  settled  in  Manitowoc  City.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  first  year  for  Mr.  Roberts,  and  five  years  for  Mr. 
Shultz.  In  1863,  they  established  their  business  as  above  noted  and 
since  continued  the  same.  He  was  married,  October,  i860,  in  Manito- 
woc County,  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Haupt,  she  was  born  in  Hessen,  Ger- 
many, 1836.     They  have  one  adopted  daughter. 

HENRY  GREVE,  planing  mill  and  sash  factory,  Manitowoc,  was 
born  Feb.  29,  1828,  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
years,  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  joiner  and  furniture  maker.  He 
followed  his  trade  until  1853,  when  he  emigrated  to  New  York,  working 
at  his  trade  for  two  years  in  that  city.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Manitowoc 
and  in  1S66  he  started  a  furniture  business,  which  he  conducted  for  nve 
years.  In  1S6S,  he  started  a  planing  mill,  and  in  1879  added  to  his  busi- 
ness the  manufacture  of  staves,  all  of  which  he  is  now  successluUy  con- 
ducting. He  enlisted  in  1S62,  Co  F,  26ih  Wis.  Inf.,  and  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  ChancellorsviUe,  Va.,  in  1S63,  and  was  discharged  on 
account  of  physical  inability.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  tioard 
of  Trustees  and  is  an  Alderman  and  member  of  the  County  Board  and 
has  been  City  Assessor,  besides  having  held  various  other  offices.  In 
1853,  he  married  Miss  Helene  Lehmann,  of  Mecklenberg.  They  have 
one  son. 

CLARENCE  E.  GRIDLEY,  .dentist,  Manitowoc  City,  was 
born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  May  7,  1S56  ;  he  left  Rochester 
in  1872,  and  traveled  through  the  West  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  having  learned  tlie  same  in  Rochester,  beginning  in 
1870  and  finishing  in  Detroit,  Mich.  He  also  attended  tlie  Detroit 
Medical  College.  He  went  from  the  latter  city  to  Winona,  Minn.,  and 
practiced  his  profession  a  short  time,  and  Irom  there  he  went  to  Manito- 
woc, Sept.  24,  1877,  and  began  business  in  company  with  Mr.  S.  N. 
Buck,  and  at  the  end  of  one  year,  Mr.  G.  bought  the  interest.  He  was 
married  in  Manitowoc,  Nov.  7,  1878,  to  Miss  Lillian  H.  Randall,  of 
Appleton;  she  was  born  in  the  latter  city,  Aug.  31,  1861.  They  lost  one 
son,  Sept.  4,  1S80.     They  now  have  an  infant  son. 

H.  GUTTMANN,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  harness,  saddles  and 
collars,  Manitowoc,  was  born  April  19,  1831,  in  Prussia.  In  1856,  he 
came  to  Two  Rivers.  He  was  employed  by  the  Wisconsin  Leather  Co. 
for  three  years,  when  he  moved  to  Manitowoc,  and  ran  a  tannery  uU 
1876.  In  1S70,  he  opened  a  leather  store,  and  two  years  later  he  added 
harness  making  to  his  other  business.  He  has  been  Alderman  two  terms. 
In  1858,  he  married  Miss  A.  Bertram,  a  native  of  Prussia,  by  whom  he 
has  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

JOHN  HALL,  Sec.  7,  Manitowoc  Township,  born  in  Ireland,  Feb.  2. 
1831.  He  emigrated  to  America  with  his  mother,  three  brothers,  and  one 
sister,  and  settled  in  Blackstone,  Mass.,  where  the  brothers  worked  two 
years  in  a  cotton  factory.  They  moved  to  Dodgeville  in  the  Fall  of  1850, 
and  worked  at  mining  the  following  Winter,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1851 
they  moved  to  Manitowoc  City,  where  they  lived  eighteen  muntns,  and 
moved  on  their  farm  in  Fall  of  1852,  where  the  family  lived  some  time, 
and  where  he  is  now  located.  Followed  lumbering  twelve  years  on  be- 
ginning life  in  Wisconsin,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in 
farming.  He  was  married  in  Manitowoc  City,  October,  1867,  to  Miss 
Jane  E.  Sniffin  ;  she  was  born  in  Kenosha,  Sept.  II,  1846.  Tliey  have 
four  children— Berlin,  born  Aug.  13,  iSbS  ;  Jay,  born  Dec.  22,  1S69; 
Gordon,  born  Sept.  3,  1872  ;  Louisa,  Dec.  1,  1876.  At  the  date  of  Mr. 
Hall's  settlement  there  were  only  two  families  between  his  farm  and 
the  city.  He  has  seen  the  county  spring  up  from  its  early  pioneer  set- 
tlement.    He  owns  227  acres  of  land,  200  under  cultivation. 

ANDREW  HANSEN,  wagon-maker,  Manitowoc,  was  born  March 
•3.  1S34.  in  Denmark.  He  learned  his  trade  of  blacksmith  and  wagon- 
maker  in  his  native  country.  July  6,  1S55,  he  came  Manitowoc,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  In  1878,  he  built  his  brick  shop  which  he  has 
since  occupied.  It  is  supplied  with  a  steam  boiler  and  engine  of  fifteen- 
horse  power,  the  first  of  the  kind  ever  used  in  the  city.  He  has  been 
Alderman  several  terms,  besides  holding  other  local  offices.  He  was 
married,  in  1S57,  to  Miss  Mary  Andersen,  of  Nonvay,  by  whom  he  has 
four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

JASPER  H.'VNSON,  firm  of  Hanson  &Scove,  ship  builders,  Manito- 
woc, was  born  in  Denmark,  Jan.  5,  1832.  In  1854  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, and  located  in  Manitowoc  during  the  same  year.  He  first  worked  in  the 
saw  mill  of  Benj.  Jones  &  Co.  The  mill  now  operated  by  this  firm  stands 
on  the  same  site  as  that  occupied  by  the  mill  in  which  he  was  first  em- 
ployed. Mr.  Hanson  continued  in  this  employment  until  1856,  when 
he  commenced  working  in  the  ship-yard,  as  a  carpenter  and  general 
workman,  continuing  until  1866,  when  he  established  business  himself 
with  A.  D.  Jones.  Mr.  Jones  retired  from  the  firm  two  years  later, 
when  H.  M.  Scove  was  admitted  as  a  partner.     The  firm  of  Hanson  & 


5*8 

Scove  has  not  changed  since.  The  yards  have  turned  out  some  of  the 
largest  craft  on  the  lakes,  both  sailing  vessels  and  steam  tugs,  among 
which  uiay  be  mentioned  "  Guido  Pfister,"  and  "Thomas  L.  Parker." 

JOHN  HARDOW,  harness,  Manitowoc,  born  in  this  place  Aug.  3, 
1854.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  commenced  working  in  a  brick  yard  ; 
continued  about  one  year  ;  in  1S70  he  commenced  to  learn  the  harness 
trade,  and  has  since  worked  at  this  trade  ;  he  established  this  business 
June,  1881  ;  married  Sept  16,  1878,  to  Frederica  Kirchner.  She  was 
born  in  Saxony;  they  have  one  son,  Charles. 

CHARLES  HAVERLAND,  Central  House  and  saloon,  Manitowoc, 
settled  at  Port  Jarvis,  N.  V.,  July  4,  1854;  lived  there  one  year  and 
moved  to  Hawley,  Pa.,  and  worked  in  a  machine  shop  of  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Co.  until  1861  ;  then  came  to  Manitowoc.  He  first  engaged  in  the 
millwright  work,  and  in  company  with  Messrs.  A.  F.  Dumke  and  Wil- 
harms, ran  the  Manitowoc  Iron  Works  five  years,  then  he  went  into  the 
milling  business  one  year  and  from  that  into  the  hotel  and  saloon  busi- 
ness. He  was  born  in  Germany,  Sept.  21,  1823.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Amelia  Birkholz,  March  26,  1854,  and  emigrated  to  America  the 
same  year.     Mrs.  H.  was  born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  2,  1830. 

CHARLES  F.  HECKER,  retired,  Manitowoc.  Born  Nov.  26, 
1819,  in  Prussia.  In  1848,  he  came  to  this  county,  engaged  in  farming 
till  about  1865  ;  he  then  removed  to  the  city  and  opened  a  general  store, 
which  he  continued  about  two  years;  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in 
real  estate.  In  1874,  he  built  the  two-story  and  basement  brick  store 
now  occupied  by  T.  C.  Buerstatte,  druggist.  Mr.  Hecker  has  held  va- 
rious local  offices.  He  was  married  in  1848,  to  Charlotte  Hecker;  she  is 
a  native  of  Prussia.  They  have  two  daughters,  Miss  Charlotte,  now  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school,  and  Miss  Augusta,  engaged  in  music  teach- 
ing. She  first  took  a  course  of  studies  with  Prof.  Buling,  of  Manito- 
woc, and  later,  two  courses  with  Prof.  Luneng,  of  Milwaukee. 

\V.  H.  HEMSCHEMEYER.  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Manitowoc.  Was 
born  May  19,  1833,  in  Hanover,  Germany.  In  1S48,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Manitowoc  County,  and  until  the  age  of  nineteen  he  attended 
school  and  assisted  on  their  farm  ;  he  then  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits till  1862,  when  he  entered  the  army  ot  ilie  rebellion.  He  held 
commissions  both  as  lieutenant  and  captain,  remaining  in  the  service 
till  July,  1865;  he  participated  in  ihe  battles  of  Fredricksburg,  Chan- 
cellorsviUe,  Gettysburg,  and  in  1S63,  their  corps  was  transferred  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Lookout 
Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea,  and  others; 
he  returned  to  Manitowoc  and  again  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  till 
1S77.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  City  Clerk,  Register  of  Deeds,  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Assembly  for  the  Third  District,  for  1879  and 
iSSo;  he  was  also  a  delegate  in  18S0,  to  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention at  Chicago,  from  the  Fifth  Congressional  District. 

CHARLES  HOVER,  merchant  tailor,  Manitowoc.  Was  born  Dec. 
24,  1829,  in  Austria.  In  1S53,  he  emigrated  to  America,  locating  in 
Milwaukee,  in  which  city  he  opened  a  merchant  tailor  store,  remaining 
in  that  business  until  1S65,  when  he  removed  to  Manitowoc  and  contin- 
ued his  business.  He  carries  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  stocks  in  this 
city.  In  1855,  he  married  Miss  Wilhelmena  Lutzer,  of  Prussia.  They 
have  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

JOSEPH  HOYER,  boarding-house  and  saloon,  Manitowoc.  Born 
March  19,  1832.  in  Austria.  In  1854,  he  went  to  Milwaukee;  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  came  to  this  city  and  opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  em- 
ploying three  or  four  men;  he  continued  this  business  until  1866,  when 
he  opened  his  present  business.  He  married,  in  1857,  Miss  Katherine 
Bourkhardt,  of  Baden,  by  whom  he  has  four  children,  two  boys  and  two 
girls. 

F.  W.  HUEBNER,  deceased,  family  residence.  Sec,  5.  P.  O.  Manito- 
woc, he  was  born,  Jan.  6,  l8og,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Manitowoc  in  1845, 
in  1848,  he  settled  on  his  farm,  consisting  of  160  acres,  which  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  best  improved  farms  in  the  township.  He  was  married  in 
the  Spring  of  1837,  to  Julia  Lissing,  of  Prussia  ;  she  was  born  March  14, 
1810;  she  has  three  children — Amelia,  Fred,  and  William  J.  He  has  two 
children  by  a  former  marriage,  MoUie  and  Hannah.  He  died  May  28, 
1881;  their  son  William  J.,  now  the  owner  of  this  property,  was  born  Oct. 
28,  1854,  on  this  farm. 

A.  D.  JONES,  Register  of  Deeds.  Born  May  25,  1835,  in  Chicago. 
The  following  year  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Manitowoc ;  here  he  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education;  in  1853,  he  went  to  Monroe,  Conn., 
and  attended  the  academy  there  three  years;  then  returned  to  Manito- 
woc and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  which  he  continued  till  1865. 
Since  this  time  he  has  been  managing  his  father's  business,  which  is  now 
principally  real  estate.  He  was  elected  Mayor  in  the  Spring  of  1872; 
this  office  he  held  till  1877 ;  was  City  Clerk  from  1878  to  18S1 ;  he  was 
appointed  to  the  office  of  Register  of  Deeds,  February,  1881,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Anton  Brusch.  His  father,  Benjamin 
Jones,  who  was  the  founder  of  Manitowoc,  died  Aug.  ii,  1881.  The 
following  is  an  extract  taken  from  one  of  the  city  papers: 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


*Benj.\mi.\  Jo.nes,  familiarly  known  to  almost  every  person  in 
this  county  as  "Uncle  Ben,"  died  last  Thursday  morning  at  4.45  at  the 
residence  of  his  son,  Hon.  A.  D.  Jones,  in  this  city,  after  a  lingering  ill- 
ness of  over  two  years.  Mr.  Jones  was  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Man- 
itowoc and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Chicago.  He  was  born  in  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  July  24,  1795,  and  was,  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
in  the  87th  year  of  his  age.  When  a  child,  his  father  moved  to  the  State 
of  New  York,  taking  his  family  with  him,  but  soon  afterward  died,  leav- 
ing young  Benjamin  almost  alone  in  the  world  to  take  care  of  himself  at 
the  tender  age  of  ten  years.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  enlisted  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war.  When  about  thirty 
years  of  age  he  was  married,  at  Pendleton,  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss 
Electa  Smith,  a  sister  of  Hon.  Perry  P.  Smith,  now  of  this  city.  By  her 
he  had  twelve  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  living.  In  theyear  1833 
he  moved  with  his  family,  then  consisting  of  a  wife  and  four  children,  to 
Chicago,  taking  with  him  a  small  stock  of  groceries.  He  sailed  from 
Buffalo  on  the  schooner  "United  States"  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Sum- 
mer of  1S33,  and  arrived  off  Chicago  in  the  month  of  October,  having 
been  six  weeks  on  the  passage.  The  vessel  came  to  anchor  off  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  then  a  mere  creek,  wiih  no  pretensions  toward  a  harbor,  and 
Mr.  Jones  went  on  shore  to  secure  a  temporary  place  lor  his  family  to  re- 
side until  he  could  provide  a  permanent  home  for  them.  During  the 
night  a  terrible  storm  arose,  and  in  the  morning  nothing  could  be  seen 
of  the  vessel  which  contained  all  of  his  earthly  treasures.  After  a  vain 
search  for  several  days  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  vessel  had  gone 
to  the  bottom,  which  however,  luckily  proved  not  to  be  the  case.  The 
vessel  was  torn  from  her  moorings  by  the  violent  gale,  and  was  drifting 
on  to  the  shore  where  Michigan  City  now  stands,  but,  by  an  opportune 
shift  of  the  wind,  she  was  enabled  to  make  St.  Joseph  harbor,  and  was 
saved  from  destruction.  After  the  gale  subsided,  she  again  set  sail  for 
Chicago,  arriving  this  time  in  safety,  bringing  to  Mr.  Jones  his  family, 
restoring  them,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  from  the  dead.  He  immediately  set 
about  building  for  himself  a  house  and  store,  choosing  for  a  site  South 
Water  street,  between  Dearborn  and  Clark,  where  he  did  a  prosperous 
business  for  several  years.  Chicago  had  then  about  3,000  inhabitants, 
and  Mr.  Jones  was  one  of  its  principal  merchants.  He  also  speculated 
some  in  real  estate,  and  when  he  left  Chicago,  a  feu  years  later,  he  had 
accumulated  a  large  property.  He  at  one  time  owned  the  block  upon 
which  the  new  Custom  House  now  stands,  and  he  sold  it  to  Capt.  Big- 
elow  for  $7,500.  Mr.  Jones  was  contemporary  in  Chicago  with  Chas. 
Walker,  Thomas  Church,  Wm.  B.  Ogden,  Geo.  W.  Snow,  B.  F.  Had- 
dock and  Bro.,  G.  S.  Hubbard,  Major  Kinzie,  Wm.  Jones,  his  brother,  and 
that  class  of  old  citizens,  and  is  among  the  last  of  them  to  pass  away 
from  earth.  In  June,  1836,  Mr.  Jones  came  to  Manitowoc,  then  a  wil- 
derness, and  purchased  about  2,000  acres  of  land  where  this  city  now 
stands,  and  adjoining,  and  has  spent  more  than  forty  years  of  his  life 
here.  He  immediately  entered  extensively  into  the  lumber  and  milling 
business,  employing  a  large  number  of  men.  In  the  Fall  of  1S37  he  put 
up  one  of  the  first  four  houses  ever  built  in  this  city,  and  in  which  his 
daughter  Adaline  (now  the  wife  of  Dr.  S.  C.  Blake,  late  of  Chicago),  was 
born,  she  being  the  first  v.'hite  child  in  Manitowoc  County.  The  house 
is  still  standing  upon  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  York  streets,  and  is  well 
preserved.  In  1854-55  Mr.  Jones  associated  with  him  Hon.  George 
Keed  and  Mr.  Jacob  Leups,  and  the  three  projected  the  Lake  Michigan 
&  Mississippi  Railroad,  intended  to  be  run  from  Manitowoc  via  Nee- 
nah  and  Menasha  west  to  the  Mississippi  River.  After  two  years'  labor 
in  grading,  etc.,  a  difficulty  arose  between  the  parties,  and  the  project 
was  abandoned,  Mr.  Jones  losing  thereby  upward  of  $100,000.  Every 
public  charity  of  this  city  or  county  has  associated  with  it  the  name  of 
Benjamin  Jones.  Nearly,  if  not  all,  of  the  churches  of  this  city  are  in- 
debted to  him  for  the  sites  they  now  occupy,  as  is  the  city  for  its  parks 
and  grounds  for  other  public  institutions.  Mr.  Jones  was  pre-eminently 
a  man  of  sterling  worth.  His  life  and  career  has  been  one  of  assiduous 
industry  and  stern  integrity.  Charitable  to  the  erring,  kind  and  gener- 
ous to  the  sick  and  needy,  and  just  to  all,  he  won  the  respect  and  love  of 
all  who  knew  him.  He  was  one  of  God's  noblemen — an  honest  man. 
In  his  long  and  extensive  business  career  here,  not  one  single  spot  is  upon 
his  record.  In  his  habits  he  was  remarkably  correct.  Stricily  temper- 
ate, he  was  never  addicted  to  the  use  of  either  liquor  or  tobacco,  and 
was  of  the  highest  morality.  Mr.  Jones  was  never  sick  until  about  three 
years  ago,  when  he  had  an  attack  of  apoplexy,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  absolutely  helpless,  and  during  all  of  which  he  has  been  faithfully 
and  tenderly  cared  for  by  his  only  son,  Hon.  A.  D.  Jones.  His  three 
children  now  living,  all  reside  here,  the  other  two  being  Mrs.  A.J.  Blake, 
wife  of  Dr.  S.  C.  Blake  and  Mrs.  Emily  J.  Colby,  the  widow  of  Manito- 
woc's first  county  judge.     He  will  be  mourned  by  them  as  a  kind,  faith- 


ful, and  indulgent  father,  and  by  the    community  as 


gene 


kind- 


rted,  sympathetic  neighbor  and  pure,  high-minded,  patriotic  citizen. 
His  remains  were  conveyed  to  Chicago  lor  interment  in  Oakwood  cem- 
etery, beside  those  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  Chicago  in  1859. 

•Portrait  of  Mr.  Jones  not  received  In  time  to  be  Inserted  In  tills  iil:ire.  It  will 
be  found  on  page  81. 


HISTORY  OF  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


529 


ERNST  KERN,  deceased,  formerly  engaged  in  general  merchandise, 
at  Manitowoc,  was  born  Feb.  14, 1828,  in  Bavaria.  Ini82l  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  located  at  Milwaukee,  where  he  resided  for  two  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Manitowoc,  where,  in  company  with  Mr.  Beer,  he 
opened  a  general  store.  The  partnership  was  continued  until  1865, 
■when  Mr.  Beer  died.  He  then  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and 
continued  ihe  business  alone  until  he  died.  May  21,  1876.  Since  his 
death  Mrs.  Kern  has  carried  on  the  business,  ably  assisted  by  her  son, 
Julius  Kern.  He  married  Miss  Minnie  Zinns,  in  1861,  who  was  a  native 
of  Alsace,  France.  They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 
M.KETTEN  HO  FEN,  proprietor  North-Western  House, Manitowoc, 
born.\pril2, 1825,  in  Prussia;came  to  thiscounty  in  1854.  Worked  at  the 
lumber  business  till  1S59,  then  clerked  in  a  store  one  year.  He  then 
opened  a  hotel  in  Neshota,  which  he  continued  three  years.  In  1863, 
he  came  to  Manitowoc  and  took  charge  of  the  Williams  House,  where 
he  remained  three  years,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  1869  he 
bought  these  premises  and  erected  this  hotel, which  he  has  since  successfully 
conducted.  When  in  his  native  country  he  served  three  years  and  four 
months  in  the  Prussian  army. 

CHRIS.  KOEBKE,  restaurant,  saloon  and  billiard  hall,  Manitowoc. 
Born  Oct.  7,  1838,  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany.  He  came  to  Manitowoc 
in  1857,  and  was  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  labor  for  about  eighteen 
months.  Then  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  worked  as  gardener  in  Shaw's 
and  O'Fallen's  and  Carter's  garden,  remaining  in  that  city  for  about  two 
years  and  one  half.  Sept.  15,  i86l,he  returned  to  Manitowoc  and  opened 
this  business,  which  is  now  one  of  the  finest  in  this  city.  He  married  in 
1876,  Miss  Bertha  Rode,  of  Hesse-Darmstadt.  They  have  one  son,  Walter 
Koebke. 

J.  A.  KOEHLER,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc.  Born  Dec.  29, 
1827,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  New  York  in  the  capacity  of  a  sailor  in  1849. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  commenced  sailing,  continuing  at  this 
business  until  1859,  when  he  retired  from  the  lakes  and  established  his 
present  business.  He  was  captain  the  last  five  years  he  followed  the 
lakes.  From  a  small  beginning  he  has  worked  into  a  large  and  pros- 
perous business.  Married  in  1857,  toFredonca-Kanser,  of  Mecklenberg. 
They  have  five  children,  one  son  and  four  daughters. 

P.  J.  KOELZER,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc.  Born  Nov.  3, 
1831,  in  Prussia.  Sept.  15,  1851,  he  came  to  New  York,  and  was 
there  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  seventeen  years.  In  i86g,  he 
came  to  Manitowoc,  and  opened  a  general  store,  which  he  has  since 
successfully  continued,  being  obliged  to  enlarge  his  store  on  account  of 
his  increasing  business.  Married  in  the  Spring  of  1S53,  to  Sarah  Doyle. 
She  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters — two  daughters  are  teaching  school.  Joseph  assists  his  father 
in  their  business. 

ALBERT  LANDRETH,  seed  grower  and  dealer  in  all  kinds  0/ 
seeds,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Bristol,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  4,  1858, 
and  at  the  age  of  five  years  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Battle  Creek, 
Mich.,  and  lived  there  about  thirteen  years.  His  father,  Mr.  John 
Landreth,  followed  the  above  business  there.  Albert  L.  came  to  Mani- 
towoc in  1876,  and  was  in  his  brother's  employ  thiee  years.  He  went 
to  Sheboygan,  and  was  there  one  year.  He  then  returned  to  Manito- 
woc, and  began  his  present  business.  He  was  married,  October,  1S80, 
in  the  latter  city,  to  Miss  Anna  F.  Hoes.  She  was  born  in  Manitowoc, 
November,  1861. 

CHARLES  LEVERENZ,  general  blacksmith  and  manufacturer  of 
wagons,  buggies,  etc.,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Germany,  May  I,  1823. 
He  came  to  America  in  1851,  and  settled  in  Manitowoc  City,  and  since 
then  has  followed  blacksmithing,  etc.,  as  above  stated.  He  was  married, 
January,  1843,  '"  Germany,  to  Miss  Sophia  Kousear.  She  was  born  in 
Germany,  Feb.  22,  1826.  They  have  seven  children  —  Fredericka,  Will- 
iam F.,  Augusta,  Henrietta,  Charles  F.,  Frank  and  Arthur. 

JOHN  A.  LIEBERT,  merchant  tailor,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Aug.  13,  1S42,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1861,  and  settled 
in  Manitowoc.  Worked  at  his  trade  eighteen  month-;,  then  went  to 
Sheboygan  a  short  time,  and  worked  at  his  trade.  He  then  enlisted  in 
Co.  L,  4th  Wis.  Cav.,  March  22,  1864.  Served  until  May  28,  1866,  and 
got  his  discharge.  He  returned  to  Manitowoc,  and  engaged  in  tailoring 
about  two  years,  and  went  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  also  followed  his 
trade  a  short  time.  He  finally  returned  to  Manitowoc,  and  began  busi- 
ness July,  1869,  with  only  |8o,  since  which  time  he  has  built  up  a  good 
trade.  He  was  married  in  Manitowoc,  Oct.  10,  1S69,  to  Miss  Amelia 
Reitz.     She  was  born  in  Germany,  Aug.  19,  1852. 

HERMANN  LOHE,  meat  market,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Dec.  3, 
1823,  in  Prussia.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1S57.  In  the  Spring  of 
185S,  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  and  engaged  in  farming  for  one 
year.  He  then  moved  to  Manitowoc,  and  opened  a  meat  market,  which 
he  has  successfully  conducted  ever  since.  He  commenced  on  a  small 
capital,  and  has  increased  his  business  until  now  he  has  the  most  exten- 
sive store  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  In  1861,  he  married  Miss  Sophia 
Reisenbichler,  of  Austria,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  one  son  and 
one  daughter. 

33 


EMANUEL  LORENZ,  of  the  firm  of  Hecker  &  Lorenz,  proprie- 
tors meat  market,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Bohemia,  Germany,  May  15, 
1851.  He  emigrated  to  America  June  9,  1877,  and  settled  in  Manitowoc 
and  began  his  present  business.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Emelia  Paulz 
May  7,  i88t.     She  was  born  Sept.  11,  1855,  in  Liberty,  Manitowoc  Co. 

JACOB  LU EPS.  deceased,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Sept.  16,  1817,  in 
Oisoy,  Prussia.  In  1849  he  emigrated  to  America  and  located  in  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  In  May,  1850,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  where  he  resided  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  April  27,  1876.  He  was  extensively  engaged 
in  buying  and  selling  lands,  and  has  owned  at  various  times  over  one 
thousand  acres,  in  and  out  of  the  city.  The  family  residence  is  located 
on  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  one  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  city  limits. 
Mr.  Lueps  began  making  meteorological  observations  in  1852,  continuing 
the  same  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  since  which  time  his  daughters  hava 
continued  making  their  reports  to  the  War  Department.  He  was  married 
November,  1846,  to  Katharina  Hagen,  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  in  1823. 
They  have  one  son,  William  G.  Lueps,  now  fitting  himself  for  the  legal 
profession,  and  five  daughters. 

DR.  F.  S.  LUHMANN,  physician  and  surgeon,  Manitowoc,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sheboygan  County,  born  May  29,  1851.  After  finishing  his 
regular  preparatory  course  of  studies,  he  went  to  Madison,  Wis.,  and 
entered  the  classical  department  of  the  State  University,  where  he 
graduated  in  1875.  He  also  graduated  from  the  Rush  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  in  1877;  he  then  removed  to  Two  Rivers,  where  he  practiced 
till  the  Spring  of  1879.  when  he  went  to  Europe  and  studied  one  year  in 
Vienna,  and  graduated  at  Ludwigs  University,  at  Munich,  with  high 
honors,  in  1S80;  married  in  1878  to  Miss  Lena,  daughter  of  Dr.  F.Simon, 
of  Manitowoc.     They  have  two  children,  both  sons. 

CHARLES  LULING,  cashier  First  National  Bank.  Manitowoc,  is  a 
native  of  Westphalia,  Germany.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  became 
to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  two  years,  then  removed  to  Naperville, 
111. ;  there  engaged  in  drugs  and  banking  business  seven  years,  then  re- 
moved to  Fox  Lake,  also  engaged  in  banking;  in  1861  came  to  Mani- 
towoc, and  has  since  been  engaged  in  banking.  Has  held  the  position 
of  cashier  of  this  bank  since  its  organization,  which  was  in  1865,  formerly 
known  as  the  State  Bank  of  Manitowoc  Mr.  Luling  was  a  Slate  Elect- 
or in  1876,  on  the  Republican  Ticket,  and  now  a  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Supervisors. 

ALFRED  MANHEIMER,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  cigars  and 
smokers'  articles,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Earfurt,  Province  Saxony, 
Prussia,  Dec.  25.  1S53.  He  emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  he  was  a  small  child,  and  they  settled  in  Milwaukee.  When  he 
arrived  at  a  suitable  age  he  visited  twenty-nine  States  of  the  Union  as 
journeyman  in  cigar  making.  He  enlisted  in  the  Navy  of  United  States 
m  1871,  and  served  three  years,  afterward  went  to  Minnesota,  lived 
there  one  year,  working  at  his  trade.  He  went  to  Oshkosh,  then  came 
to  Manitowoc,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Augusta  Fisk,  May  5, 1S76.  She 
was  born  in  the  latter  city  July  II,  1857. 

HERMAN  MARTENS,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  born 
Dec.  II.  1823,  in  Holstein,  Germany.  In  1S50,  he  came  to  New  York, 
remained  there  two  months,  he  then  came  to  Watertown,  Wis.  In  1 85 1, 
removed  to  New  Holstein,  Wis.,  remained  a  short  time,  then  went  to 
Chicago;  soon  after  returned  to  Watertown,  engaged  in  buyinggrain  and 
teaming;  continued  here  till  1855,  when  he  sold  out  his  property  and 
removed  to  New  Holstein,  he  then  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  pork, 
flour  and  other  produce.  In  the  Spring  of  1856,  he  removed  to  Manito- 
woc and  opened  a  flour  store;  he  gradually  worked  fiom  one  line  of  goods 
to  another,  and  now  carrying  a  general  stock  and  doing  a  large  and  pros- 
perous  business.  He  now  occupies  a  brick  store  25x50,  two  stories  and 
basement,  which  he  built  in  1875.  Mr.  Martens  was  the  first  shipper  of 
grain  from  Manitowoc.  Married  in  the  Fall  of  1S56,  to  Sophia  Kansier, 
of  Mecklenberg.  Germany.  They  have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

A.  B.  MELENDY,  photographer,  Manitowoc,  born  Dec.  il,  1851, 
in  Milwaukee.  When  a  child,  he  came  to  Sheboygan  County,  with  his 
parents,  there  he  worked  on  a  farm  till  1873;  he  then  commenced  10 
learn  this  trade  with  Fay  W.  Manville,  of  Sheboygan.  In  about  1874, 
he  removed  to  Manitowoc  and  opened  this  gallery.  Since  Mr.  Melendy's 
residence  here,  he  has  devoted  all  his  time  and  means,  in  making  this  a 
first-class  gallery,  and  is  now  rewarded  with  the  satisfaction  of  having  one 
of  the  finest  portrait  galleries  in  the  State.  He  was  married,  in  1872,  to 
Miss  L.  G.  Stewart,  of  Appleton.  They  have  three  children,  one  son 
and  two  daughters. 

HENRY  MENDLIK,  firm  of  Barnes  &  Mendlik,  general  merchan- 
dise, Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Bohemia.  Came  to  Racine  County  in 
1854,  with  his  parents.  In  1857,  they  removed  to  Manitowoc  County, 
where  he  assisted  his  father  on  their  farm.  On  the  death  of  his  father, 
the  family  removed  to  the  city.  lie  enlisted  in  1861.  Co.  F,  26th  Wis. 
Inf.,  served  nine  months,  was  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disabil- 
ity. He  then  came  to  Chicago,  and  clerked  in  a  flour  and  feed  store  a 
few  months,  then  returned  to  Manitowoc,  was  employed  with  Vilas  & 
Co.,  as  clerk  about  fourteen  years,  and  had  also  been  a  member  of  this 
firm.     In  1879,  he  became  a  member  ofthisfirm.  Married  May  30,  1876, 


53° 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


10  Elizabeth  Kolinsky,  of  Bohemia.  They  have  three  children,  one  son 
and  two  daughters. 

JOHN  MEXDLIK,  Manitowoc  Marble  Works,  is  a  native  of 
Bohemia,  born  May  23,  1837,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Milwaukee, 
in  1854.  He  then  removed  with  his  parents  to  Racine  County, 
where  he  assisted  his  father  in  farming  for  a  few  months.  He  next  went 
to  Racine,  where  he  entered  a  printing  office  as  an  apprentice,  working 
at  this  trade  six  months.  Going  to  Milwaukee,  he  remained  there  about 
two  years,  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  stone  cutting  trade,  when 
he  removed  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the  stone  and  marble  business 
about  nine  years,  the  latter  portion  of  which  time  being  occupied  in 
carving.  In  June,  1866,  he  settled  in  Manitowoc,  and  at  once  established 
his  present  business,  which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted,  having 
by  his  business  talent  and  industry,  built  up  a  large  and  profitable  trade. 
He  was  married,  in  April,  1S60,  to  Miss  Anna  Ferdinand,  of  Chicago. 
They  have  nine  children,  one  son  and  eight  daughters. 

H.  J.  MEYER,  general  merchandise,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  this 
place.  He  established  his  business  Nov.  i,  1879,  prior  to  which  time 
he  had  been  a  clerk  for  the  past  ten  years  for  Henry  Esch. 

J.  L.  MILLER,  proprietor  Miller  House,  Manitowoc,  was  born 
Nov.  23.  1834,  in  Austria.  He  emigrated  to  America  and  located  in 
Wisconsin  in  1853.  Engaged  in  farming  until  1858;  he  then  moved  to 
Manitowoc  County.  Followed  farming  for  about  five  years,  then  moved 
to  Neshota,  working  in  a  saw-mill  until  1873,  when  he  came  to  Mani- 
towoc and  opened  this  hotel.  In  i860,  he  married  Miss  B.  Bauer,  of 
Kossuth,  Manitowoc  Co.  They  have  had  six  children,  four  of  whom  are 
still  living,  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

L.  T.  MOHRHUSEN,  saloon  and  restaurant,  Manitowoc,  was  bom, 
March  18,  1841,  in  Oldenburg,  Germany.  In  1849,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Ozaukee  County.  Attended  school  and  worked  on  a  farm 
until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  24th  Wis.  I.,  served  to  the  end 
of  the  war  and  was  mustered  out  as  corporal.  Returned  to  Ozaukee 
County,  where  he  remained  about  six  months,  then  removed  to  Manito- 
woc County,  and  opened  a  furniture  store  in  company  with  his  brother. 
Continued  it  about  two  years,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  then 
removed  to  Chilton,  Calumet  Co.;  there  opened  a  furniture  store,  which 
he  continued  five  years.  He  then  sold  out  to  his  brother  and  came  to 
Two  Rivers,  and  accepted  a  position  as  cabinet  boss  with  the  Two  Riv- 
ers Manufacturing  Company;  held  this  position  five  years.  In  1876, 
came  to  Manitowoc  and  started  the  undertaking  business,  which  he  con- 
tinued fifteen  months.  Since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  his  present 
business.  Was  married,  Feb.  15,  1868,  to  Katharine  Shnefer,  of  Ger- 
many.    She  died  Aug.  5,  1881,  aged  thirty-two  years.     Have  three  sons. 

FRED  P.  MUELLER.  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds,  Manitowoc,  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  born  in  1S49.  Came  to  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his 
parents  in  1850.  Removed  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  1S67,  where  he  taught 
school  two  years.  In  1869,  he  went  to  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  where  he  clerked 
in  a  store,  afterward  taught  school  about  tA-o  years.     Then  removed  to 


Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  attended   Bryant   &   Str 


Commercial  Colh 


ge   si: 


months.  He  then  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  held  the  positi 
of  book-keeper  in  a  wholesale  drug  house  about  seven  years.  In  1876, 
came  to  Manitowoc.  February,  1877,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present 
position,  which  he  has  since  filled  with  marked  ability. 

M.  H.  MURPHY,  Sheriff,  Manitowoc,  was  born  May  8,  1853,  in  the 
town  of  Newton,  Manitowoc  Co.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he 
commenced  teaching  school,  which  he  continued  about  five  Winters. 
He  attended  the  Oshkosh  Normal  School  during  the  Summer  terms. 
From  1875  to  187S,  he  was  engaged  in  the  agricultural  business.  He 
held  the  office  of  Under  SheriflT  during  1879  and  '80.  Was  elected 
Sheriff  in  January,  1881. 

JOHN  NAGLE,  of  Nagle  &  Borcherdt,  publishers  of  the^Manitowoc 
Pilot,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  coming  to  this  county  with 
his  parents  when  a  child.  He  has  since  resided  liere.  From  1S73  to 
1877,  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  at  Sauk  City  and  Two  Rivers,  being 
appointed  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  18S1.  The  present  pro- 
prietors of  the  /'j'/o/ assumed  control  in  1878,  Mr.  Nagle  being  its  editor. 
He  is  a  man  of  marked  ability  in  his  own  profession,  but  is  generally 
looked  upon  as  a  leading  citizen  in  wliatever  responsibilities  he  has  taken 
upon  himself.  Although  still  comparatively  a  young  man,  he  is  looked 
up  to  and  respected  for  his  maturity  of  thought  and  force  of  action. 
Not  only  has  he  established  the  leading  paper  in  the  county,  but  has 
made  for  himself,  during  the  short  time  of  his  incumbency  as  County 
Superintendent,  a  record  which  is  the  pride  of  all  educators. 

P.  E.  NAGLE.  physician  and  surgeon,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Ireland 
in  the  year  1852;  in  September,  1861,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Mil- 
waukee. In  1864,  the  family  removed  to  .Manitowoc  County.  Eight 
years  later  he  went  to  Minnesota  to  pursue  his  medical  studies  at  the 
University.  In  1874,  he  removed  to  Mobile,  Ala.,  remaining  one  year; 
returning  to  Manitowoc,  he  taught  school  three  years,  and  next  pursued 
a  three  years'  course  at  the  University  of  Michigan.  Having  completed 
this,  he  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  Medical  Faculty,  and  assistant 
to  Prof.  Palmer  in  the  State  University.     Dr.  Nagle  settled  in  Manito- 


woc in  the  Spring  of  i83i,  and  his  since  resided  here,  practicing  his  pro. 
fession. 

JOHN  NESPOR,  proprietor  Clipper  City  Marble  Works,  Manito- 
woc, was  born  in  Bohemia,  Sept.  25,  1851,  and  emigrated  to  America  in 
1866,  and  settled  in  Manitowoc,  He  learned  his  trade  in  the  latter  city. 
He  began  business  in  1875,  beginning  in  a  small  way,  and  now  has  a 
good  business.  He  was  married  in  Manitowoc,  Sept.  28,  1873,  to  Miss 
Julia  Marish.  She  was  born  in  Kossuth  Tp.,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Dec.  24. 
1857.     They  have  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

WILLIAM  NOLLAU,  proprietor  Franklin  House,  Manitowoc, 
was  born  Feb.  11,  1826,  in  Saxony.  In  April,  1849,  became  to  Sheboy- 
gan, thence  to  Manitowoc  County  ;  worked  in  saw-mills,  and  was  fore- 
man for  B.  Jones  &  Co.  several  years.  He  then  rented  a  saw-mill,  and 
run  it  about  eighteen  months,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  then 
went  to  Mishicott,  where  he  worked  about  six  months.  In  1863,  he  ex- 
changed land  with  Mr.  Esslinger  for  this  property,  and  has  since  been 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  He  was  married,  in  1S54,  to  Miss  Lisetta 
Hacker,  of  Mecklenburg.  They  have  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters — Nellie,  now  Mrs.  Wolff,  of  Chicago  ;  Ida,  now  Mrs.  John 
A.  Root,  of  Minneapolis;  Arthur,  now  book-keeper  for  John  Schuette 
&  Bro. ;  Emma  ;  Theo.  now  learning  the  harness  trade  ;  Emil  and  Ada- 
line,  now  attending  school. 

FERD  OSTENFELDT,  brick  manufacturer,  Manitowoc,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Holstein,  Germany,  born  July  18,  1829.  When  a  boy  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  located  in  Calumet  County  ;  there  he  engaged  in 
farming.  He  cultivated  about  eighty  acres.  This  land  had  been  for- 
merly  entered  by  his  brother.  In  1862,  he  was  commissioned  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Co.  E,  2lst  Wis.  I.;  the  following  October  he  was  promoted 
to  captain,  and  resigned,  in  1863,  on  account  of  wounds  received  at  the 
battle  of  Perryville.  He  was  United  States  Assessor  in  Calumet  County 
from  1863  to  1S70;  has  been  Clerk  of  the  County  Board.  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  was  United  States  Census  Enumerator  in  18S0.  In  1876,  he 
removed  to  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  brick.  He  was  married,  Aug.  21,  1S62,  to  Maria  Friedenchsen,  of 
New  Holstein,  Calumet  Co.     They  have  two  sons. 

DR.  R.  K.  PAINE,  physician  and  surgeon,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native 
of  Washington  Co.,  Vt.,  born  in  1843.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Fond  du  Lac,  in  1S53.  After  having  received  a  good  preliminary  edu- 
cation, and  served  eight  months  in  the  army,  in  1S70,  he  removed  to 
Chicago  to  attend  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  graduating  there- 
from in  1S73.  He  then  became  resident  physician  of  the  hospital, 
which  position  he  held  two  years,  afterward  removing  to  Manitowoc, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. 

ANDREW  J.  PATCH  EN,  dentist,  Manitowoc,  was  bom  in 
Corning,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  24,  1830.  He  left  New  Y'ork,  July  4, 
1849,  and  arnved  in  Wisconsin  July  15.  same  year,  and  settled  in  Ply- 
mouth, Sheboygan  Co.,  where  he  clerked  and  followed  various  kinds  of 
business.  After  this  he  went  to  Sheboygan  and  clerked  a  short  time  in 
a  hotel  ;  from  there  to  Calumet,  following  various  kinds  of  business.  In 
the  Spring  of  1854  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  engaged  as  driver  of  a 
passenger  carriage  from  the  latter  city  to  Sheboygan.  This  lasted  one 
summer.  He  then  clerked  in  a  hotel  about  two  years,  and  in  July,  1856, 
he  went  into  the  dental  oflice  of  Dr.  A.  L.  Hoyt,  and  remained  three 
years  in  gaining  a  knowledge  of  dentistry.  He  then  traveled  and  prac- 
ticed his  profession  until  Spring,  1861,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  5th  Reg. 
Wis.  V.  I.,  as  first  sergeant ;  served  about  six  months,  and  was  discharged 
November,  1861,  on  account  of  failing  health.  In  November,  1S62,  he 
went  to  Manitowoc  and  helped  recruit  men  for  the  32d  Regiment,  his 
health  being  such  that  he  could  not  go  into  the  service  then.  In  Spring, 
1864,  he  raised  a  company  of  one  hundred  days  troops  for  39th  Regi- 
ment. Enlisted  and  served  as  captain,  being  mustered  out  at  Camp 
Washburn.  Since  then  he  has  lived  at  Manitowoc  and  followed  his 
profession,  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful,  securing  a  good  prac- 
tice and  possessing  a  fine  home.  He  was  married,  June  16,  1S49,  **' 
Monterey,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  M. 
Kellogg.  She  was  born  March  13.  1831,  in  Litchfield,  Conn.  They 
have  had  seven  children — Libbie,  George  E.,  deceased,  Ida  E.,  Terah  J., 
deceased,  Josie,  George  and  Ralph  W. 

REV.  WILLIAM  J.  PEIL  pastor  of  St.  Boniface  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Racine,  in  1849;  commenced  his 
studies  at  the  seminary  of  St.  Francis  of  Sales,  Milwaukee,  in  1862; 
graduated  in  1872;  was  assistant  at  St.  Joseph's,  in  Milwaukee,  for  ten 
months  :  removed  from  that  city  to  Caledonia,  Racine  Co.,  and  in  1881 
came  to  Manitowoc. 

ADOLPII  PIENING,  dealer  in  books,  stationery,  toys,  wall  paper, 
etc.,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Germany  Dec.  23,  1S34,  and  emigrated  to 
America  in  August,  1856,  and  settled  at  Two  Rivers,  Manitowoc  Co., 
where  he  clerked  nine  years.  In  1865  he  went  to  Manitowoc  and  en- 
gaged in  book-keeping  until  Jan.  i,  1S70,  when  he  took  the  oflice  of 
Clerk  of  Court.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office,  which  he  held  until 
Jan.  I,  1878.  In  the  meantime  he  began  his  present  business  in  the 
Fall,  1875. 


HISTORY    OF    MANITOWOC   COUNTY. 


531 


REV.  REINHOLD  PIEPER,  A.  B.,  ] 
Selical    Lutheran  Church,   Manitowoc,   is 
March  2,   1S50.      At    the   age  of  fifteen   1 
French  and  Latin,    and  studied    German 
1869  he  came  to  Watertown,  Wis. ;   there  1 


stor  of  First  German  Evan- 
native  of  Germany  ;  born 
commenced  the  study  of 
Berlin.  In  the  Spring  of 
imenced  his  regular  course 


all  the  classes  in  four  years.  Graduated  i 
1S73,  with  the  title  of  A.  B.  "lie  then  went  to  St.  Louis  and  attended  the 
Concordia  Theological  Seminary,  where  he  was  examined  for  the  minis- 
try. He  then  received  a  call  from  Wrightstown,  Wis.,  and  was  there 
ordained  pastor  in  1S76.  He  continued  in  charge  two  years  and  four 
months.  He  then  came  to  Manitowoc  and  has  since  been  pastor  of  this 
church.  He  was  married  in  1S76  to  Miss  Emily  Koehr,  of  Sheboygan. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Lizzie. 

ANTON  PROCHAZKA,  of  the  firm  of  A.  Prochazka  &  Co.,  proprie- 
tors of  foundry  and  machine  shops,  Manitowoc.  Their  business  was 
established  in  1S67.  They  employ  eight  men,  and  manufacture  grist 
mill  and  steamboat  machinery.  Mr.  P.  was  born  in  Bohemia,  Jan.  10, 
1S36.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1850,  and  settled  in  Watertown, 
Wi>..  with  his  parents ;  remained  there  about  six  months,  and  went  to 
Milwaukee,  and  lived  there  seven  years,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  ma- 
chinist. He  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  the  Summer  of  1857,  was  there 
during  the  Summer,  and  went  to  Milwaukee  in  185S,  and  to  Manitowoc 
in  December,  1S58.  First  engaged  in  grist  and  saw-mill  business  in 
Reedsville,  Manitowoc  Co.;  was  there  seven  years,  and  came  to  Mani- 
towoc in  1867.  Since  then  he  has  lived  there,  engaged  in  machinery 
business.  He  was  married  in  Reedsville.  in  i860,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Siu- 
pecky ;  she  was  born  in  Bohemia,  Jan.  26,  1S42.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Emiel,  Addie  and  Julius. 


WILLIAM  RAIIR,  deceased,  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  March  17, 
1812.  In  1849,  he  came  here,  and  at  once  commenci-d  the  business 
which  he  continued  till  his  death,  which  occurred  Oct.  5,  1S80.  Mr. 
Rahr  was  eminently  a  self-made  man,  commencing  with  a  very  small 
capital.  His  career  has  been  marked  by  gradual  growth,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  owned  and  doing  the  largest  business  in  his  line  in 
Northern  Wisconsin.  He  leaves  a  widow  and  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters.  His  eldest  son,  William,  is  the  executor  of  this 
large  estate.     He  with  his  brother  is  carrying  on  this  business. 

WILLIAM  RAHR,  Jr.,  Eagle  Brewery,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of 
this  place,  born  in  1855. 

R.  RAHR,  of  William  Rahr  Sons,  brewers  and  maltsters,  Manito- 
woc. Born  April  21,  1859,  in  this  place.  After  completing  his  studies 
in  the  high  school  of  this  city,  he  went  to  Chicago,  there  entered  the 
College  of  Pharmacy,  graduated  in  1S77  receiving  the  degree  of  phar- 
maceutical chemist;  he  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  entered  the 


high  school ;  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1878.  He  then  entered 
the  Michigan  University,  and  finished  the  sophomore  year,  and  took 
one  degree  in  chemistry.  On  account  of  his  father's  death,  he  returned 
to  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  assisted  his  brother  in  their  business. 

GOTTLIEB  RAATZ,  proprietor  of  Farmers'  Home,  Manitowoc. 
Born  February,  1843.  >"  Prussia.  There  learned  the  wagon-maker's 
trade,  which  he  worked  at  till  1871,  when  he  came  to  Manitowoc.  Here 
he  followed  the  carpenter  trade.  He  owns  this  property,  which  he  took 
charge  of  July,  1881.  Married  in  1873,  to  Wilhelmina  Schwartz,  of  Two 
Rivers.     She  died  February,  1880.  aged  twenty-two  years.    He  has  three 

J.  M.  RAIT,  principal  of  the  North  Side  school,  Manitowoc.  Is  a 
native  of  Scotland.  Came  to  New  York  City  in  1850,  where  he  re- 
mained six  years.  In  1856.  came  to  Portage  County,  assisted  his  father 
at  farming,  remaining  till  1867,  when  he  went  to  Platteville,  and  entered 
the  Normal  school,  graduating  in  1S69.  He  then  went  to  Marinette, 
and  taught  school  one  year.  In  1S70,  he  removed  to  Stevens  Point, 
there  taught  school  two  years  ;  he  then  taught  in  Sheboygan  three  years, 
and  in  Brodhead,  Green  Co.,  two  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1879.  ^^  came 
to  Two  Rivers,  where  he  taught  till  January,  1881,  when  he  removed 
te  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  held  his  present  position.  Since  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  has  been  engaged  in  teaching,  and  since  1869  he  has  taught 
in  graded  schools.  Married,  in  1874,  to  Miss  Eva  Crocker,  of  Sheboy- 
gan.    They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

CHARLES  RAMUS,  of  the  firm  of  Ramus.  Smith  &  Co.,  livery, 
and  also  road  master  on  M.,  L.  S.  &  Western  Railroad,  was  born  in 
Germany,  Dec.  14,  1844.  He  came  to  America  in  184S,  and  settled  in 
Sheboygan  County,  and  worked  as  laborer,  a  few  months,  on  Sheboygan 
and  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad,  then  as  foreman  on  grading  same  railroad. 
He  then  took  charge  of  laying  track  M.,  L.  S.  &  W.  R.R.,  after 
which  he  engaged  as  conductor  on  dift'erent  trains  on  same  railroad, 
about  four  years ;  then  he  engaged  as  walking  boss  six  months,  on 
construction  train,  and  the  following  year,  he  held  the  latter  position 
in  connection  with  that  of  road  master,  since  which  time  he  has  held 
the  position  of  road  master.  He  was  off  the  railroad  seven  months 
during  the  time,  and  began  the  livery  business.  June  I,  1879.  which  he 
also  carries  on,  as  above  noted.  He  was  married  in  Manitowoc,  March 
13,  1872,  to  Miss  Emma  Coats,  who  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.. 
Sept.  6,  1853.  They  have  three  children — Charles  C,  Ernestine  and 
Charlotte. 

E.  K.  RAND,  firm  of  Wagner,  Rand  &  Co.,  w^olesale  and  retail 
hardware,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1848,  came 
to  Chicago,  thence  to  St.  Louis,  in  1851.  He  removed  to  Manitowoc, 
engaged  in  ship  building,  about  five  years.  He  then  opened  a  general 
store,  which  he  continued  several  years.  He  then,  with  his  brother, 
fornied  a  partner.ihip,  continuing  about  four  years,  his  brother  then 
withdrawing  from  the  business.  Mr.  Reemer  became  a  member  of  the 
firm,  which  continued  till  March,  18S1,  when  the  firm  changed  to  Wag- 
ner, Rand  &  Co.  They  have  one  store  on  the  North  and  one  store  on 
lire  South  Side,  and  are  probably  doing  the  largest  business  of  any  house 
in  their  line  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Rand  represented  this  county 
in  the  Legislature  in  1S62-63;  has  been  Under  Sheriff,  Alderman,  etc. 

G.  S.  RAND,  firm  of  Rand  &  Burger,  ship  builders,  Manitowoc, 
born.  May.  1830,  in  Golden  Hill,  Conn.  When  a  boy,  he  came  to 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  his  parents;  in  1847,  came  to  Michigan,  in 
1S48,  to  Chicago,  in  1849,  removed  to  Manitowoc.  He  then  followed 
the  lakes  about  four  years.  In  1853,  he  engaged  in  ship  building, 
which  he  has  since  continued.  He  is  also  superintendent  of  the  Good- 
rich ship-yard,  having  built  all  of  their  steamers,  and  has  built  some  of 
the  largest  vessels  on  the  lakes.  He  has  held  the  position  of  Govern- 
ment Agent  of  the  harbor,  at  Manitowoc. 

HUGO  A.  REUSS,  proprietor  Williams  House,  Manitowoc,  born 
May  iS,  1335.  in  Germany.  Came  to  Connecticut  in  1853;  in  1855.  to 
New  York  ;  in  1857,  he  removed  to  Milwaukee  ;  was  clerk  for  George 
Dyer,  five  years.  In  1S62,  he  came  to  Two  Creeks,  and  was  employed 
by  Pfister  &  Vogel,  the  first  year,  as  their  book-keeper.  He  then  had 
general  charge  of  the  tannery.  This  position  he  held  till  the  Fall  of 
1877,  when  he  removed  to  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  had  charge  of  this 
house.  During  his  residence  in  Two  Creeks,  he  held  about  all  the 
local  offices.  Married.  March  29,  1857.  to  Crescenlia  Roetter,  of  Ger- 
many.    Have  two  children.  John  and  Matilda. 

A.  M.  RICIITER,  vinegar,  mustard  and  pickle  factory,  Manitowoc. 
Born  May  iS,  1822,  in  Prussia.  July,  1S50.  he  came  to  Sheboygan.  In 
1854,  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  followed  farming  four  years;  he  then 
engaged  in  school  teaching,  which  he  continued  about  ten  years  ;  he  also 
carried  on  the  drug  business,  which  he  sold  out  in  1873,  and  at  once  es- 
tablished this  business.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  City  Clerk,  City 
Treasurer,  and  was  County  Clerk  from  1872  to  1S74.  He  also  repre- 
sented the  County  in  the  County  Board.  Has  been  County  Supervisor, 
Alderman,  etc.  Married  Miss  Christina  Richter,  of  Prussia.  They  have 
three  sons  and  four  daughters. 

ADAM  ROBERTS,  general  blacksmith,  wagon  and  carriage  man- 
ufacturer, Manitowoc.    Was  born  in  Montford  Bridge,  County  Shrop- 


532 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


shire,  England,  Aug.  15,  1S14.  lie  emigrated  to  America  in  1S44,  and 
landed  in  New  York  City  July  i,  of  same  year,  and  settled  in  Racine, 
where  he  lived  about  two  years,  and  followed  his  trade.  He  moved  to 
Manitowoc.  June.  1S46.  He  built  a  shop,  and  has  followed  blacksmith- 
ing  since.  Mr.  R.  counted  the  buildings  soon  after  arriving  in  Manito- 
woc, and  found  there  were  twenty-one,  consisting  of  shanties  and  dwell- 
ing houses.  The  light  house  was  built  in  1836.  He  was  married  in 
England,  in  1S33,  to  Miss  Eliza  Worrall.  She  was  born  in  England,  and 
is  now  dead.  They  had  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  again 
married  in  Racine,  in  1S4S,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Butcher,  who  was  born  on  Isle 
Ely.  England.  July  27,  1S15.  They  have  had  eight  children,  three  sons 
and  five  daughters. 

FRITZ  RUDOLPH,  wholesale  liquors,  Manitowoc.  Born  March 
8,  1813,  in  Arnsdadt  Germany.  In  1S4S,  he  came  to  Philadelphia,  was 
clerk  in  a  drug  store  one  year,  then  came  to  Manitowoc  County  ;  fol- 
lowed farming  five  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  city,  and  was  clerk 
in  a  wholesale  liquor  store  two  years.  In  1S56.  he  opened  a  store  which 
he  has  successfully  continued  since.  He  built  his  residence  in  1869, 
which  is  beautifully  surrounded  with  shade  trees,  graveled  walks  and 
flowers,  and  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  locations  on  the  South  Side.  In 
1875  he  built  a  block  of  two  stores,  corner  of  Eighth  and  Franklin 
streets;  cost  about  $11,000.  He  was  married,  in  i860,  to  Dora  Solomon, 
sister  of  en-Governor  Solomon  of  Wisconsin.  She  was  born  in  Halber- 
stadt,  Germany.  They  have  one  adopted  son,  William,  now  employed 
in  a  wholesale  store  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Mr.  Rudolph  has  in  his  parlor  a 
very  fine  paintingof  his  grandfather,  Christopher  Rudolph,  who  was  born 
May  27,  1750,  and  died  in  1S26.  He  was  a  dyer  by  trade.  His  son 
was  also  brought  up  to  the  same  business. 

SANDER  SANDERSON,  boots  and  shoes,  Manitowoc.  Wasborn 
June  17,  182S,  in  Norway.  1S54.  he  came  to  Manitowoc  and  at  once 
opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He  man- 
ufactures to  order,  as  well  as  carries  a  line  of  ready-made  goods.  Mar- 
ried, ill  1S67.  to  Miss  Gertrude  Hansen,  a  native  of  .Mornay.  They  have 
five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

E.  SCHINDLER,  saloon,  Manitowoc.  Born  Sept.  15,  i8-,5.  in 
Prussia.  In  1S51,  he  came  to  Chicago,  went  thence  to  Milwaukee, 
thence  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  thence  to  Calumet  County.  In  1S52,  he  re- 
moved to  Manitowoc,  working  at  various  kinds  of  work  for  several  years, 
and  in  1861  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  5th  Wis.  V.  I.  Served  three  years. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Gettysburg,  of  the  Wilderness  and 
Fair  Oaks,  Spottsylvania  Court-House  and  others.  He  then  returned 
to  Manitowoc,  and  established  his  present  business  in  1867.  He  mar- 
ried, in  iS6g.  to  Margaret  Deidreich,  of  Bohemia,  by  whom  he  had  six  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

A.  J.  SCHMITZ,  attorney-at-law,  Manitowoc.  Is  a  native  of  this 
place.  After  receiving  the  usual  course  of  studies  in  the  schools  of  this 
city,  he  went  to  Madison,  and  attended  the  State  University  from  1870 
101875.  He  also  attended  the  Ripon  College  one  year.  In  1S74,  he 
commenced  a  regular  course  of  law  studies,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  1S75.  Mr.  Schmitz  was  District  Attorney  from  1876  to  iSSo.  He 
WIS  married,  December,  1877,  to  Miss  Bertha  Franz.  She  was  born  in 
Manitowoc  County.     They  have  two  children,  both  daughters. 

CARL  H.  SCHMIDT,  proprietor  of  the  Nord-Westen  (German 
newspaper),  Manitowoc,  came  to  this  place  in  December,  1S54,  'hen 
nineteen  years  old,  having  been  born  in  Luebbecke,  Province  of  West- 
phalia, in  Prussia.  Being  a  printer  by  trade,  he  was  engaged  as  foreman 
in  the  prmting  office  of  the  Daiwkrat  (German)  and  the  Ttihune,  both 
printed  in  the  same  office.  This  position  he  occupied  till  July  5.  1S55, 
when  he  bought  the  material  for  the  establishment  of  the  Nod-  Westni 
and  issued  the  first  number  of  this  paper  on  the  5th  of  .September,  1855! 
being  less  than  twenty  years  of  age,  and  only  a  little  over  a  year  in 
America.  He  continued  the  publication  of  the  A'ord.Westen  till  No- 
vember, i860,  when  he  sold  the  material  to  a  company,  who  published 
the  Union  newspaper.  After  arranging  his  business  matters,  Mr.  Schmidt 
entered  the  army,  enlisting  Sept.  6,  1861,  in  Co.  B,  gth  Wis.  Inf.,  and 
was  promoted  first  sergeant  of  said  company,  a  position  which  he  held 
with  an  interruption  of  four  months,  till  March  10.  1S63,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  second  lieutenant.  In  November,-i863,  he  was  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant,  and  in  October,  1864.  to  captain,  and  was  mustered 
out  of  service  with  his  company,  Dec.  30,  1864.  He  was  at  the  battle 
of  Newtonia,  Mo.,  Sept.  30.  1S62,  and  Prairie  Grove,  Ark.,  Dec.  7,  1862, 
and  served  one  year,  from  November,  1S63,  to  November,  1864.  as  act- 
ing regimental  quartermaster.  Returning  from  the  army,  Mr.  Schmidt 
repurchased  the  printing  material  formerly  owned  bv  him,  and  in  Febru- 
ary, 1865,  resumed  the  publication  of  the  Nord-Wesdn,  which  he  con- 
tinues yet.  In  1S67,  he  was  elected  a  Trustee  of  the  village  of  Mani- 
towoc; in  1S69,  a  member  of  Assembly;  in  1870-72,  a  Senator-  in 
1877-76,  Alderman  and  Supervisor;  and  in  1878,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
refusing  a  re-election  in  1880,  and  has  not  been  a  candidate  for  office 
since. 

HENRY  SCHMIDT,  of  Ramus,  Schmidt  &  Co.,  livery  and  sale 
stable,  Manitowoc,  was  born   Feb.  20,    1840,   in    Brunswick,  Germany. 


In  1S57,  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  and  followed  farming  until 
Sept.  23.  1S61,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  gth  Wis.  Inf.  Served  three 
years  and  three  months,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  returned  to 
Manitowoc  and  was  engaged  in  the  saloon  business  for  about  six  years, 
when  he  followed  brewing  and  soda  water  business  for  three  years;  then 
returned  to  farming  for  two  years.  In  1875,  bought  an  interest  in  his 
present  business.  Married,  Jan.  7,  1869,  to  Julia  Zinns,  of  Buff'alo,  N. 
Y.,  who  was  born  May  28,  1844,  by  whom  he  has  four  children,  one  son 
and  three  daughters. 

JOHN  SCHNORR,  firm  of  Schnorr  Bros.,  tannery,  Manitowoc,  was 
born  in  the  city  of  New  York.  March  11,  1S52.  In  about  1855,  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Manitowoc.  His  father  is  a  mason  by  trade,  and  has 
followed  that  business  about  thirty  years.  Th.s  business  was  established 
in  1876. 


/^^^  ^^^^t^i-c^^^Z^- 


HON.  J.  SCHUETTE,  firm  of  Jno.  Schuette  &  Bros,  general 
merchandise,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Oldenberg,  Germany.  Came  in 
1848,  with  his  parents  to  Ozaukee  County.  The  following  year,  they 
removed  to  Manitowoc.  His  father  then  opened  a  general  store,  which 
he  continued  till  1857,  when  the  firm  changed  to  J.  Schuette  &  Sons. 
In  1870,  the  firm  changed  to  J.  Schuette  &  Bros.  They  are  also  proprie- 
tors of  the  Oriental  flouring  mill,  which  was  established  in  1S67,  together 
with  a  plaster  mill  and  stave  factory.  This  firm  has  been  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  any  in  the  county.  Commencing  with  a  business  of  about 
$6,000  a  year,  they  are  now  doing  a  business  of  about  half  a  million  a 
year,  Mr.  Schuette  has  been  the  recipient  of  many  important  offices. 
In  1S66,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature  Harbor  Commissioner; 
in  1S74,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  served  two  years;  he  was  elected 
Mayor  for  the  city  of  Manitowoc,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  in  the 
year  1878;  re-elected  in  1879,  iSSo  and  1S81.  which  position  he  now 
holds,  and  has  held  many  other  important  ofiices. 

FRED  SCHULTZ,  tannery  and  leather  store,  Manitowoc,  wasborn 
May  5,  1830,  in  Germany;  emigrated  to  America  in  1852.  locating  in 
Manitowoc.  He  secured  employment  as  foreman  with  L.  Sherman, 
where  he  remained  till  1856;  he  then  opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store, 
which  he  continued  till  1861.  He  then  built  his  tannery,  which  he  has 
since  operated.  He  has  been  School  Treasurer  of  Dist.  No.  2  six  years, 
Town  Treasurer  in  1859-60,  and  four  years  City  Treasurer  and  other 
offices.  He  was  married,  in  1S56,  to  Matilda  Bruns  of  Hanover;  had 
six  children,  four  daughters  and  two  sons. 

HANS  M.  SCOVE,firm  Hansen  &  Scove,  ship-builders.  Manitowoc 
is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  Feb.  15,  1S37.  Having  reached  the  age  o 
manhood,  and  being  anxious  to  improve  his  circumstances,  he  emigrated 


HISTORY  OP'  MANITOWOC  COUNTY. 


to  America  ;  worked  a  short  time  on  Long  Island,  and  then  removed  to 
Manitowoc.  Mr.  Scove  has,  however,  traveled  through  many  of  the 
Southern  States,  engaged  in  the  business  of  ship-building.  During  one 
of  these  trips,  he  assisted  in  building  Porter's  squadron.  In  i86S,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  firm  Hansen  &  Scove.     From  1876  to  iSSo,  he 


Bar  in  1858.  Hehas  the  agency  for  several  fire  insurance  companies,  some 
of  which  he  has  held  since  1854.      He  soon  after  drifted  into  the  bank- 


business,  which  he  ha 


was  captain  of  the  Life-saving  Station  at  Tw 
position,  he  engaged  in  rebuilding  the  Uni 
"Andy  Johnson." 


Rivers.     Resigning  this 
States  revenue  cutter, 


^^  /^ 


For  biography  of  Dr.  Simon  see  page  32. 

FRED  SEEGER,  meat  market,  Manitowoc,  was  born  Nov.  15, 
1832,  in  Wurtemburg,  Germany.  In  1846,  he  emigrated  to  this  country 
and  located  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  remaining  in  that  city  until  1853,  when  he 
came  to  Manitowoc  and  opened  a  meat  market,  which  he  has  since  con- 
tinued. His  is  the  oldest  meat  market  in  Manitowoc.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Fire  Department  for  twenty-four  years,  and  occupied  the 
position  of  Chief  of  the  organization  for  eight  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  Order,  Sons  of  Herman,  and  also  of  the  Freier  Saenger- 
bund  since  its  organization,  and  the  Turner's  Society.  He  married,  in 
1856,  Miss  Mena  Sommer,  by  whom  he  has  six  children,  three  sons  and 
three  daughters. 

ANTON  SELSEMEIER,  saloon,  Manitowoc.  He  was  born,  Feb. 
16,  1826,  in  Prussia.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Sheboygan,  where  he  resided 
for  five  or  six  years.  He  then  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  County,  remain, 
ing  there  two  years  ;  from  thence  he  moved  to  Calumet  County,  remain- 
ing there  two  years.  About  1862.  he  again  moved  to  Newton,  Manito- 
woc Co.,  enlisting  in  1S64  in  Co.  A,  45th  Wis.  I.,  serving  until  the  ter- 
mination of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  Newton,  and  engaged  in 
farming  until  about  1S72,  when  he  removed  to  Manitowoc  and  opened 
his  present  business.  In  1854,  he  married  Miss  Clara  Zettler,  a  native 
of  Hesse- Darmstadt,  by  whom  he  has  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

LEWIS  SHERMAN,  firm  L.  Sherman  &  Son.  manufacturers  of 
leather  and  dealers  in  shoe  findings,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Walpole, 
N.  H.,  May  i,  i8ll.  In  the  Winter  of  1834-35,  he  came  to  Ashtabula 
Co.,  Ohio,  and  there  taught  a  district  school  that  season.  In  the  Spring 
of  1835,  he  removed  to  Naperville,  111.,  and  worked  at  the  millwright 
business  for  several  Winters  thereafter ;  removing  to  Essex  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  where  his  father  had  established  a  tannery.  He  and  his  brother  as- 
sisted in  the  business.  In  1840,  he  assumed  the  management  of  the 
tannery,  remaining  eight  years,  when  he  returned  to  Naperville,  III.,  and 
carried  on  the  boot  and  shoe  business  for  two  years.  In  1850,  he  went 
to  Manitowoc  Rapids,  engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  leather.  Soon 
after,  he  built  his  present  tannery  in  Manitowoc,  and  discontinued  the 
boot  and  shoe  business. 

T.  C.  SHOVE,  banker,  Manitowoc,  is  a  native  of  Onondaga,  N.  Y., 
born  June  3,  1831  ;  came  to  Manitowoc  in  1850,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided.    He  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  1853;  was  admitted  lo  the 


ontinued.      He  was  Deputy  Collector 
January,  1876.      Mr.  Shove  is  one  of 


of  Internal  Revenue  from  1869  I 

the  oldest  settlers  of  Manitowoc,  and  a  warm  friend  of  education,  and 
has  had  his  full  share  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure  in  its  growth  and  pros- 
perity. 

E.  J.  SMALLEY,  of  the  firm  of  the  Smalley  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany,  organized  July  i,  l88i,  Manitowoc.  Mr.  S.  was  born  in  Monroe 
Co.,  N.Y.,  July  6,  1817  ;  went  West  in  1847,  and  began  a  small  factory 
in  Sheboygan,  being  there,  and  in  that  vicinity,  ten  years  ;  ran  his  fac- 
tory seven  years  during  the  time,  and  farmed  three  years.  He  sold  out, 
and  moved  to  Manitowoc,  and  soon  began  his  present  business,  locating 
in  the  latter  city  in  1857.  He  was  married,  in  Erie  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1840,10 
Miss  Fannie  Frick;  she  was  born  in  same  county,  New  York,  Jan.  17, 
1821.  They  have  five  sons — P.  J,  Smalley,  married,  and  living  in  Cale- 
donia, Minn.,  is  editor  and  lawyer;  H.  D.  Smalley,  married,  and  living 
in  Manitowoc  City,  and  is  mail  agent  on  M.,  L.  Shore  &\V.  R.  R.;  C.C. 
Smalley,  married,  and  living  in  Manitowoc,  and  is  superintendent  Smalley 
Manufacturing  Company;  E.  H.  Smalley,  lawyer,  and  living  in  Dead- 
wood  City,  D.  T.,  and  C.  F.  Smalley,  married,  living  in  Manitowoc,  and 
is  secretary  and  treasurer  Smalley  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  E.  J. 
Smalley,  father  of  the  family,  is  the  founder  and  president  of  the  above 
works.     'The  stock  of  the  above  works  is  owned  within  the  family. 

FRANK  C.  SORGE,  manufacturer  and  dealerin  wagons  and  sleighs« 
Manitowoc,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  May  23,  1830.  He  emigrated 
to  America  in  May,  1849,  and  settled  in  Green  Bay;  learned  his  trade  of 
wagon  making,  and  lived  there  until  Spring,  1853  ;  then  he  went  to 
Chicago  and  followed  his  trade  a  few  months,  after  which  he  went  to 
Racine.  In  October,  1863,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  and  began  his  pres- 
ent business.  He  was  married,  in  Racine,  1S59,  to  Miss  Hannah 
Huepner  ;  she  was  born  in  Germany.  He  had  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter by  first  wife.  He  was  again  married,  in  1873,  to  Miss  Henrietta 
Hintz  ;  she  was  born  in  Prussia.    They  had  three  children,  now  deceased 


O.  TORRISON,  wholesale  and  retail  dealerin  general  merchan- 
dise, real  estate,  lumber,  tie.s,  timber,  wood,  pressed  hay  and  grain,  Man- 
itowoc, was  born  in  Norway,  March  6,  1828.  He  emigrated  and  settled 
in  Port  Washington  in  1S48,  and  attended  school  there  one  year.  He 
settled  in  Manitowoc  Rapids  1849.  which  was  then  county  seat  of  the 
county,  and  clerked  in  general  store  two  years,  after  which  he  settled  in 
Manitowoc  City,  then  in  its  infancy,  and  clerked  one  year  for  Baker  & 
Beardsley  ;  worked  for  E.  R.  &  S.  W.  Smith  in  same  store  one  year,  as 
they  had  purchased  the  same.  Mr.  Torrison.  in  company  with  H.  M. 
Nordoi,  bought  the  goods  and  rented  same  store  in  1853,  under  name  of 
O.  Torrison  &  Co.,  which  they  continued  five  years,  at  which  lime  Mr. 


534 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Torrison  bought  the  entire  interest,  the  store  being  then  located  on  York 
street,  which  he  continued  until  he  built  the  store  in  the  Fall  of  1862, 
where  he  has  since  carrieil  the  largest  stock  of  goods  in  the  city,  and 
doing  an  immense  trade.  He  was  married  in  Manitowoc,  Dec.  26,  1856, 
to  Miss  Martha  Hanson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  ten  chil- 
dren— Thomas  E.,  clerking  in  his  father's  store;  Amanda  A.,  married  to 
Rev.  A.  Bredesen,  and  living  in  Stoughton,  Dane  County  ;  Isaac  H.,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Decorah  College,  in  Iowa,  and  now  attending  a  theo- 
logical seminary  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  Oscar  M.,  a  graduate  of  the  Decorah 
College,  and  now  attending  Iowa  City  Low  .School  University;  George 
A.,  attending  the  Decorah  College  ;  Gustav  H.,  Norman  G.,  Orrin  J., 
William  L.,  and  Agnes  M.,  at  home,  attending  city  schools.  Mr.  Torrison 
has  the  finest  residence  and  grounds  to  be  seen  in  Manitowoc  County. 

P.  S.  TILLSON.  livery,  Manitowoc,  was  born  April  23.  i843,in  Wau- 
kesha County.  After  attending  school  he  assisted  on  the  farm  and  man- 
aged a  livery;  in  1868,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  bringing  with  him  his 
livery  stock,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  this  business ;  he,  with  other 
partners,  own  two  stabjes  with  about  forty  horses  ;  they  also  have  a  con- 
tract for  sprinkling  tlV5  streets  of  the  city.  Married,  April  5,  1870,  to 
Carrie  L.  Emerson,  of  Ohio  ;  they  have  four  children,  one  son  and  three 
daughters. 

J.  W.  TOOMBS,  agent  Goodrich  Transportation  Company,  Mani- 
towoc, is  a  native  of  Cumberland  Co.,  Me.  ;  came  with  his  parents  to 
New  York  when  a  boy  ;  in  1849  they  removed  to  Menasha,  Wis.  ;  Feb- 
uary,  1854,  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  was  employed  as  book  keeper  for  B. 
Jones  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  lumber,  continued  with  the  firm  till 
1861,  when  he  went  to  Nevada,  where  he  was  employed  as  cashier  in  a 
bank;  held  that  position  two  years,  then  returned  to  Manitowoc  and  was 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  one  year.  In  1865  he  was  appointed  to  his 
present  position,  having  also  held  the  position  of  clerk  on  their  steamer 
several  seasons.  Mr.  Toombs  has  held  the  office  of  District  School  Clerk 
eight  years,  and  has  also  been  County  Superintendent. 

HENRY  VITS,  tannery,  Manitowoc,  born,  Jan.  21,  1S42,  in  Prus- 
sia. The  family  immigrated  to  America  in  1856,  located  in  Manito- 
woc County.  In  1869,  he  commenced  to  learn  the  tannery  trade,  and  in 
1873,  he,  with  Mr.  Vollendorf,  formed  a  partnership  in  this  business  ;  he 
was  also  a  partner  with  Mr.  Sherman  three  years.  September,  1879,  he 
bought  out  Mr.  Vollendorf  s  interest,  and  has  since  been  alone  in  this 
business.  Mr.  Vits  was  Alderman,  Chairman  of  the  Board,  Clerk  of  the 
School  Board,  etc.  He  was  married  in  1S68,  to  Mary  Hockemeyer,  of 
Hanover  ;  they  hive  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 

ANTON  VOGT,  furniture  and  undertaking,  Manitowoc.  Was 
born  Nov.  24,  1833.  in  Prussia.  In  1855,  he  went  to  Chicago,  thence  to 
Two  Rivers,  and  was  employed  by  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Co, 
for  eight  years.  He  also  worked  four  years  in  a  ship  yard.  April  14, 
1S67,  he  removed  to  Manitowoc,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  his 
present  business.  Married  Oct.  10,  1855,  Miss  Katharine  Althen,  of 
Prussia.  She  died  Feb.  3,  1875,  aged  forty-three  years.  They  have  two 
sons  and  two  dau'^hters.  He  married  for  the  second  time  on  June  14, 
1876,  Emily  Mueller,  a  native  of  Manitowoc  County. 

WILLIAM  WILLIAMS  WALDO,  Manitowoc,  was  born  in  the 
Town  of  Pultney,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  19,  1S25.  He  received  an 
academic  education  at  Franklin  Academy, Prattsburg,  N.Y.  In  1850.  he  re- 
moved to  Manitowoc,  where  he  has  since  resided.  On  the  eighteenth  day  of 
April,  1855,  he  was  married  to  Dorothy  Florinda  Wood.  Seven  chil- 
dren have  been  the  result  of  this  union,  four  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Most  of  Mr.  Waldo's  time,  while  in  Manitowoc,  has  been  spent  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits  until  1869,  when  he  was  elected  County  Judge,  which 
office  he  held  for  the  four  succeeding  years.  He  has  served  as  Alderman 
for  his  ward  and  also  as  a  member  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors. 

HERMANN  WEHAUSEN,  brick  manufacturer,  was  born  Nov.  3, 
1820,  in  Hanover,  Germany.  He  came  to  Washington  County  in  1849  '< 
two  years  later  he  moved  to  Manitowoc,  following  the  carpenter  trade 
for  one  year;  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  business,  and 
manufactures  about  half  a  million  brick  a  year,  and  employs  twelve 
men.  In  1851  he  married  Miss  Sophia  Ehrendreich,  of  Prussia,  by 
whom  he  has  six  children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

CHARLES  WEKBKE,  merchant  tailor,  Manitowoc.  He  was  born 
in  Prussia,  Nov.  11.  1827.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1854,  a"d  set- 
tled in  Manitowoc  City,  and  began  business  as  above  noted.  He  en- 
listed in  1861  in  Co.  B,  9th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.  Served  three 
years  and  two  months,  and  was  mustered  out  in  Milwaukee.  He 
then  came  to  Manitowoc  and  began  his  present  business.  He 
was  married  in  Manitowoc,  in  1865,  to  Mrs.  Minna  Kullmann.  .She 
was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  Aug.  II,  1836.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren living,  Norbert  and  Herthe.  Mrs.  W.  does  all  kinds  of  ladies'  hair 
work. 

C.  W.  WHITE,  attorney  at  law,  Manitowoc,  born  July  4,  1826,  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  came  to  Green  Bay  with  his  parents  in  1834  ;  they 
removed  to  Lake  Winnebago,  Calumet  Co..  in  1838,  where  he  as- 
sisted at  farming.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1850.  His  father 
then  went  to  California ;  returned  in   1851   to  Calumet    County,  and    in 


1855  he  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  has  since  been  employed 
in  the  Pension  Department.  He  was  born  in  1795,  and  now  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-six  he  still  retains  a  fresh  and  vigorous  intellect. 


E.  WAGNER,  of  the  firm  of  Wagner,  Rand  &  Co.,  wholesale  and 
retail  dealers  in  hardware,  is  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  now  a  part 
of  Prussia,  was  born  in  1829.  His  parents  came  to  America  in  1849, 
and  settled  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis. ;  and  he,  having  accidentally  lost 
his  right  hand  on  his  passage  to  the  sea- board,  was  necessarily  detained 
from  coming  to  this  country  until  the  following  year,  when  he  also  came 
to  Washington  County,  and  found  his  family  in  a  miserable  condition  ;  his 
older  brother  dead,  his  father  sick  most  of  the  time,  and  two  small 
sisters.  There  they  were,  on  a  small  farm  of  forty  acres  covered  with 
woods,  and  no  one  to  work  but  himself  with  one  hand.  It  was  a  fearful 
task,  but,  "  where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way."  He  cleared  twenty-five 
acres  of  dense  forest,  working  day  and  night,  until  his  health  failed  him 
and  rheumatism  set  in.  He  was  compelled  to  seek  other  means  for 
earning  a  livelihood,  and  accordingly  came  to  Manitowoc  in  1854, 
unable  to  speak  a  word  of  the  English  language.  There  he  found  a  few 
good  souls,  who  assisted  hira  in  getting  a  lot  and  putting  up  a  small 
shanty,  where  he  opened  a  saloon,  and  soon  after  added  a  small  grocery 
store.  He  did  quite  well,  his  business  continually  increasing,  and  in 
1874  went  into  the  hardware  business  exclusively,  and  so  continues  to 
this  day.  The  firm  of  Wagner,  Rand  &  Co.  are  doing  the  largest  busi- 
ness in  their  line  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Wagner  is  the  owner  of 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  Manitowoc,  besides  owning  considerable 
other  real  estate. 

P.  W.  WIEBOLDT,  Under  Sheriff  of  Manitowoc  County,  Manitowoc, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  Feb.  11,1836.  He  emigrated  to  .America 
in  1849,  and  lived  in  New  York  City  about  eighteen  months.  He  went 
to  California  in  1851,  and  followed  steamboating  until  1854,  when  he  re- 
turned to  New  York  City,  and  from  there  came  to  Manitowoc  County  of 
same  year  and  bought  a  farm.  He  also  began  a  general  mercantile  bus- 
iness. His  store  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  was  appointed  Under 
Sheriff  in  1880.  He  was  married,  in  Manitowoc  County,  in  1855,  to  Miss 
Louisa  Saxe,  a  native  of  Germany.     They  have  two  sons  and  one  daugh- 

THOMAS  WINDIATE,  Windiate  House,  Manitowoc,  was  bom 
in  Hampshire,  England,  Jan.  9,  182S,  and  emigrated  to  .\merica  in 
1837;  settled  in  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  where  he  followed  the  livery  bus- 
iness. He  came  to  Manitowoc  in  1854  and  began  the  livery  business, 
which  he  is  yet  following.  He  purchased  the  National  Hotel  and 
grounds  in  January,  1855.  He  began  the  erection  of  his  present  large  brick 
hotel  in  1857,  and  finished  the  same  in  1864.  He  was  married  in  Pon- 
tiac,  Mich.,  Nov.  13,  1851.  Mrs.  W.  w.is  born  in  Malone,  Lower  Can- 
ada, Nov.  19,  1835.  They  have  five  children— Ida  E.,  Thomas,  Jr., 
Cornelia  D.,  Arabella,  and  Burt. 


HISTORY    OF    MANITOWOC   COUNTY. 


535 


MANITOWOC  RAPIDS. 

The  town  of  Manitowoc  Rapids  contains  the  post-villages 
of  Manitowoc  Rapids,  located  in  the  big  bend  of  the  river, 
and  Branch,  on  Section  5,  upon  the  Lake  Shore  and  West- 
ern Railroad.  The  diversified  interests  of  this  wealthy 
town  are  represented  in  the  following  personal  sketches  : 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

JAMES  CORLEW,  farmer,  Branch  Station.  Has  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Sec.  6,  forty-five  acres  improved.  He  was  born  in  Springfield, 
Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Feb.  6,  1S26.  He  lived  in  Vermont  until  he  was  sev- 
enteen years  of  age,  then  went  to  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  there, 
and  in  Crown  Point  ten  years.  He  worked  by  the  month  at  lumbering 
and  farming  and  saw-milling.  He  then  went  to  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
there  about  a  year  and  followed  sawing.  He  then  returned  to  Orwell 
Tp.,  Vt.,  and  farmed  a  year,  then  moved  to  Sun  Prairie,  Wis.,  lived 
there  a  short  time,  and  went  to  Medina  Tp.,  Dane  Co.,  and  farmed  the 
following  season,  then  moved  to  Manitowoc  Rapids  Township,  and  since 
has  followed  farming  and  lumbering.  Has  also  dealt  considerably  in  im- 
proved stock  horses.  He  was  married  in  Orwell  Tp.,  Vt.,  April  10,  1853, 
to  Miss  Evaline  Pierce.  She  was  born  in  that  place,  Dec.  12,  1828.  They 
have  three  children— Adelia  S.,  Charles  F.  and  Albert  I. 

HENRY  COUTLY,  farmer.  Sec.  10,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Township. 
Owns  63  acres,  62  improved.  He  was  born  in  Cedar,  Upper  Canada,  Nov. 
14, 1827.  He  settled  in  Neshota,  Manitowoc  Co.,  May  14, 185 1, worked  in  a 
saw  mill  and  lumbered  twelve  years  in  succession,  after  which  he  lumbered 
in  Winter,  and  in  Summer  farmed,  since  which  he  has  made  farming  his 
exclusive  business.  He  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county.  He  was 
married  in  Neshota,  Aug.  25,  i860,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Lehmann.  She 
was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Aug.  13.  1833.  They  have  three  children  liv- 
ing— Anna  M.,  Ida  M.  and  Flora  R.  Mary  J.,  the  second  daughter, 
died. 

MAGNUS  ERICKSON,  farmer.  Sec.  21,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Town- 
ship. Owns  iSoacres  land,  140  improved.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Dec. 
29, 1839,  and  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  America  in  1850,  and  settled  on 
his  present  farm.  He  lived  there  until  Fall,  1858,  he  then  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia, followed  teaming  and  lumbering  until  1863,  returned  to  his 
home  and  lived  two  years,  and  began  the  livery  business  in  Manitowoc, 
which  he  continued  about  two  years.  His  stable  burned,  causing  him 
considerable  loss.  He  then  bought  a  hotel  on  Sec.  11,  kept  the  same 
one  year,  sold  it,  moved  on  his  farm,  and  has  lived  there  since.  He  also 
began  selling  agricultural  implements  in  1875,  and  followed  selling  the 
same  until  Fall,  i88o.  in  connection  with  farming.  He  was  married  in 
Manitowoc.  Feb.  6,  1S66,  to  Miss  Sarah  S.  McAllister.  She  was  born  in 
Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  Sept.  14,  1847.  They  have  one  daughter,  Harriet  V., 
born  Sept.  12,  1878. 

ALBERT  G.  FULTON,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Township, 
has  95  acres  land  and  75  acres  under  cultivation.  He  was  born  inCotril- 
ville,  St.  Clair  Co.,  Mich.,  Feb.  28,  1832,  and  lived  there  until  he  was 
eleven  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  began  sailing  as  cabin  boy.  He 
was  promoted  to  positions  of  trust,  then  to  master  and  also  became  own- 
er. He  followed  the  business  until  1862,  after  which  he  went  in  the 
wood  and  coal  business  in  Chicago.  About  three  years  after  this  he 
moved  to  Manitowoc  Rapids,  since  which  he  has  followed  farming,  hav- 
ing made  a  purchase  of  some  of  his  land  in  1852.  He  was  married  at 
Sheboygan,  Dec.  10,  1854.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Johnson,  who  was  born  in 
Eastport,  Me.,  Oct.  16,  1836.  They  have  had  nine  children — living: 
Henry  A.,  married  and  farming  in  Cato  Tp.,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Emma  J., 
Charles  E.,  Anna  E.,  Alice  M.,  Mary  E.,  Laura  A.,  Albert  G.  (deceased), 
Daisy  E. 

CHARLES  GUSTAVESON,  farmer, Sec.  17,  Manitowoc  Rapids 
Township,  has  105  acres  of  land,  sixty-five  improved.  He  was  born  in 
south  part  of  Sweden,  Dec.  20,  1821,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1846. 
Went  to  Milwaukee  and  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  15th  Reg.  U.  S.  Vols.,  in  Spring 
1847  and  fought  in  nearly  all  the  principal  battles  until  the  capture  of 
Mexico.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Covington,  Ky.,  September,  1848;  he 
returned  to  Milwaukee  and  lived  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Manitowoc 
Rapids  and  took  up  some  land,  improved  the  same  and  sold  it.  He 
worked  in  a  saw-mill  two  years.  He  was  married  in  April,  1850.  He 
dealt  in  land  for  some  time.  He  enlisted  a  company  of  Scandinavians 
in  Fall,  l86i,  and  was  mustered  in  Jan.  14,  :862,  and  got  a  commission  as 
captain  of  Co.  F,  15th  Wis.  Vol.  He  was  at  the  bombardment  of  Island 
No.  10,  and  at  taking  of  Union  City,  Ky.,  and  at  battles,  Perryville,  Ky., 
and  Murfreesboro,  and  was  wounded  in  his  foot,  was  in  field  hospital  a 
short  time.  He  soon  joined  his  regiment,  and  was  taken  prisoner  in 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  was  held  one  year  and  ten  days  in  the' prisons 
of  Libby,  Danville,  Macon  Ga.,  and  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  liberated 
himself  and  escaped  in  company  with  a  comrade.  He  afterward  joined 
his   regiment  and   went   to  Chattanooga,  from  there  to  Bridgeport,  and 


served  until  Jan.  14,  1864,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
He  returned  to  his  home.  He  was  appointed  deputy  provost  marshal 
for  Kewaunee  County,  and  held  the  same  until  the  office  was  abolished, 
he  has  been  Supervisor  four  years  in  succession  and  was  Under  SherifTone 
term.  He  now  draws  a  pension.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Miss 
Amber  S.  Stephenson,  she  was  bom  in  Norway.  March  i,  1827.  They 
have  eight  children  living — Anna  C,  Mary  E.,  Gustavus  A.,  Christina  C, 
Charles  A  ,  Emma  C,  Herman  and  Albertina. 

CHARLES  KLINGHOLZ.  flour  mills,  Manitowoc  Rapids,  was 
born  June  27,  1812,  in  Prussia.  He  came  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1849, 
and  at  once  engaged  in  the  milling  business,  which  he  continued  until 
1874,  when  his  sons  rented  his  mill,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business. 
Soon  after  starting  his  mill,  Mr.  Klingholz  opened  a  general  supply  store, 
which  he  conducted  several  years.  He  has  served  several  years  as  Chair- 
man of  the  County  Board.  He  was  also  appointed  one  of  the  direct- 
ors and  was  agent  for  the  finance  for  the  Manitowoc  &  Mississippi  Rail- 
road. While  in  Prussia,  he  was  engaged  in  the  coal  and  iron  business, 
and  owned  ten  vessels,  which  he  used  for  the  transportation  of  these  com- 
modities on  the  Rhine.  He  was,  in  1840,  married  to  Miss  Herriette 
Augendt.  a  native  of  Wesel,  Germany.  She  was  born  in  1S27.  They 
have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  KUNZ,  proprietor  of  a  brewery.  Branch 
Station.  Her  husband's  name  was  Gottfried  Kunz.  The  brewery  was 
built  in  1858.  Mrs.  Kunz  was  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  8,  1836.  Her 
husband  was  also  born  in  Germany,  Feb.  i,  1830.  He  died  May  28, 
1878.  They  have  five  children— Louisa,  Charles  G.  L.,  Minnie  C,  Ida 
W.,  and  J.  Florian. 

EDWARD  LENERVILLE,  farmer.  Sec.  14,  Manitowoc  Rapids 
Township,  owns  100  acres,  has  eighty  acres  improved.  He  settled  in 
Manitowoc  Rapids,  in  1834,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  two  and  a  half 
years,  then  settled  on  his  present  place.  He  states  there  was  not  a  house 
in  Manitowoc  City  at  that  date,  but  one  or  two  in  Manitowoc  Rapids, 
being  no  settlement  in  the  country.  He  also  states  that  he  is  the  oldest 
settler,  excepting  Mr.  P.  Tebo,  in  Manitowoc  Rapids.  He  was  born  in 
Canada  East,  April  12,  1835.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Johnson; 
she  was  born  in  Lisbon,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  6,  1824.  They 
have  seven  children  living — Francis,  Maria,  Lizzie  R.,  Edward  L.,  Albert, 
Robert,  and  Lowa  M. 

HIRAM  MCALLISTER,  Sec.  5,  forty  acres,  Branch  Station.  He 
was  born  in  Johnson,  Vt.,  June  20,  1808.  He  settled  in  Manitowoc 
Rapids  in  Spring,  1839,  having  come  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1837.  He 
has  followed  various  kinds  of  business,  having  been  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing and  milling  in  an  early  day.  He  has  seen  the  country  develop  from 
a  wilderness  to  its  present  standing.  He  was  married  in  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.,  1839,10  Miss  Caroline  Shay  ;  she  was  born  in  same 
county  in  Vermont,  1S19.  They  had  two  sons.  Mrs.  McAllister  died 
from  an  injury  received  in  being  tipped  out  of  a  cutter  in  1849.  He  was 
again  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Burnet ;  she  was  born  in  Lockport,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  4,  1819  ;  she  died  in  May,  1S80. 

LARS  MATHISEN,  farmer,  Sec.  32,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Town- 
ship, owns  122  acres  and  sixty-five  improved.  He  was  born  in  Norway, 
Dec.  18, 1814.  He  came  to  America  September,  1849,  and  settled  on  his 
farm  in  Manitowoc  Rapids.  He  was  married  in  that  place  Feb.  11, 
1854,  to  Miss  Rosine  Hummel ;  she  was  born  in  Germany,  1838.  They 
have  eleven  children  living,  seven  daughters  and  four  sons. 


JOHN  C.  MEYER,  farmer.  Sec.  36,  P.O.  Manitowoc,  was  born 
March  4,  iSig,  in  Holstein,  Germany.  In  1848  he  came  to  Dodge 
County,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1850  he  came  to  Manitowoc  and  engaged 
in  contracting  and  building.  He  built  many  of  the  public  buildings  in 
Manitowoc,  besides  the  bridges  which  span  the  river.  He  owns  a  tract 
of  eighty-three  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  now  resides,  as  well  a  pro- 
perty in  the  city.  Married,  in  1S50,  Miss  Dora  Auga,  also  a  native  of 
Holstein.     They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

PLINY  PIERCE,  proprietor  saw  and  carding  mill,  makes  farming 
his  principal  business.  Sec.  14,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Township,  owns  120 
acres,  has  sixty  acres  improved.  He  does  a  good  business  in  carding 
wool.  He  also  conteiuplates  putting  in  machinery  for  a  flouring  mill. 
He  was  born  in  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  March,  1808,  and  moved  into  St. 
Lawrence  County  in  1830,  following  milling  there  seven  years.  He  moved 
to  Manitowoc  County  in  June,  1837,  and  located  at  Manitowoc  Rapids, 
and  kept  hotel  and  Post-office  about  four  years,  after  which  he  lo- 
cated at  his  present  home.  He  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1840,  also 
held  the  office  of  County  Clerk  and  Assessor  at  same  time.  He  made 
the  first  assessment  of  the  town  in  1839.  There  were  only  two  or  three 
families  in  the  town  when  he  first  settled  there,  consisting  of  Mr.  O.  C. 
Hubbard,  J.  W.Conroe,  and  his  own  family.  He  erected  his  saw  mill  in 
1849.  Carding  mill  1866.  He  was  married  in  Hague,  Warren  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  in  1829,  to  Miss  Susanna  Phillips,  who  was  born  in  Springfield,  Ver- 
mont, February,  1808.  They  have  six  children  living — Alonzo  C,  mar- 
ried and  living  near  his  father ;  Pliny  J.  married,  and  living  in  Mani- 
towoc City  ;  Dewit  B.;  Anson  M.  at  home;  Mary  C,  married  to  Mr.  E. 
Bailey,  and  living  at  Kaukauna,  and  Hannah  M.  at  home. 


536 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


HENRY  VOGELSANG,  farmer,  Sec.  33,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Town- 
ship, owns  120  acres,  100  acres  improved.  He  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  Feb.  2  1S35.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1S53,  and  set- 
tled on  his  farm,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  was  married  Oct.  2S, 
1857.  on  his  farm,  to  Miss  Caroline  Sieker  ;  she  was  born  in  Holland, 
Oct.  4,  1842.  They  have  nine  children  living — Mary  L,  Ida  R.,  J.  Fred- 
erick, Henry  C,  Minnie  L.,  William  H.,  Louis  G.,  Eliza  J.  and  Er- 
nest E. 

HENRY  WILLS,  farmer.  Sec.  35,  Manitowoc  Rapids  Township, 
has  120  acres  land,  seventy  acres  under  cultiv.ition.  He  was  born  in 
Upper  Canada,  April  5,  1S24,  and  lived  there  twenty-two  years.  He  then 
visited  many  portions  of  Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  and  finally  located  in 
Manitowoc  Rapids  Township,  in  184S.  He  followed  lumbering  six 
years,  since  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  When  he  settled  in 
the  country,  it  was  a  complete  wilderness,  the  largest  town  in  the 
county  being  Manitowoc  Rapids,  then  the  county  seat.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hannah  A.  Tufts,  Dec.  16,  1851  ;  she  was  born  in  St.  James, 
New  Brunswick,  Jan.  6,  1829.  Her  parents  moved  from  Maine  to 
Manitowoc  Rapids  in  1850.  They  have  had  nine  children — Millard  A. 
(deceased).  Wilmot  H.,  James  H.  Elizabeth  F.  (deceased),  Ward  B., 
Eddie  E.,  Jacob  L.,  Ettie  A.,  Millie  M.  (deceased). 

TWO  RIVERS. 

Seven  miles  north  of  Manitowoc,  on  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad,  is  the  city  of  Two  Riv- 
ers. Ii  lies  on  the  lake  shore,  at  the  junction  of  the  East 
and  West  Twin  rivers,  the  two  rivers  from  which  it  receives 
its  name.  In  early  days,  Two  Rivers  was  the  center  of  a 
flourishing  lumber  district,  and  to  this  it  owes  its  growth. 
The  extensive  forests  of  hemlock  in  this  vicinity  also  made 
the  establishment  of  the  tanning  business  profitable.  The 
waters  were  also  plentifully  stocked  with  fish,  which  was 
formerly  the  source  of  a  large  income  to  Two  Rivers.  But 
a  constant  and  vigorous  drain  of  these  sources  of  prosper- 
ity too  soon  exhausted  them.  A  number  still  engage  in  the 
fish  business,  but  it  is  not  carried  on  to  any  great  extent. 
Some  $30,000  worth  of  whitefish  is  exported  annually. 
The  sole  representative  of  the  lumber  business  in  Two 
Rivers  is  the  first  saw-mill,  and  the  first  building  erected 
here,  in  1836.  It  is  still  standing,  but  is  idle.  The  legiti- 
mate and  wealthy  successors,  however,  of  this  rough  branch 
of  manufacture  is  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Company 
and  Mann  Brothers,  who  operate  the  extensive  tub  and  pail 
and  chair  factories.  The  large  tannery,  owned  by  the  Wis- 
consin Leather  Company,  and  started  up  in  1851,  is  still  in 
operation. 

Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  S.  W.  Beal  and  Morgan  L.  Martin 
made  the  first  entries  of  land  on  the  present  site  of  the  city 
of  Two  Rivers,  September  10,  1835.  The  first  white  set- 
tler was  a  French  Canadian  by  the  name  of  Oliver  Lou- 
grine,  commonly  called  "Alonzo."  In  this  same  year,  he 
entered  320  acres  of  land  for  actual  settlement.  The  next 
year,  Robert  M.  Ebbers  and  John  Lawe,  of  Green  Bay 
erected  a  saw-mill,  which  became  the  nucleus  of  Two  Riv- 
ers. It  was  run  by  "Alonzo."  Lumber  was  plenty  and 
good,  and  soon  quite  a  settlement  sprung  up  at  the  point 
where  the  Twin  rivers  meet,  and  where  the  logs  from  the 
two  streams  come  together.  Conroe's  mill,  a  few  miles  to 
the  west,  operated  by  the  Neshota  Company,  also  assisted 
to  draw  settlers  toward  Two  Rivers.  In  1837,  the  panic 
came,  and  affected  business  at  this  point  as  it  did  the  coun- 
try's prosperity  generally.  The  prospects  of  Two  Rivers 
were  on  the  up-grade  again  when  II.  Ii.  Smith  located  here, 


in  September,  1845.  He  immediately  rented  a  saw-mill, 
and  after  running  it  for  two  years,  purchased  the  property. 
By  the  end  of  Mr.  Smith's  first  five  years'  residence  in  Two 
Rivers,  a  majority  of  the  village  was  dependent  upon  him 
and  his  business.  Then,  in  1850,  the  place  was  visited  by 
the  cholera,  and  its  prosperity  and  prospects  almost  blight- 
ed. The  scourge  first  appeared  .'\ugust  6,  1850,  on  Mon- 
day. On  Sunday,  a  party  of  Menomonee  Indians  had  been 
indulging  in  a  regular  jamboree,  drinking  fish  oil  and  per- 
haps something  stronger.  On  Monday,  they  were  taken 
with  the  usual  symptoms,  and  six  of  them  died.  Six  more 
followed  soon  after,  and  the  twelve  were  buried  in  some  pits 
near  the  lake  shore.  The  epidemic  soon  spread,  and  be- 
tween that  Monday  and  the  following.  Two  Rivers,  which 
then  was  a  village  of  about  300  people,  received  three'dis- 
tinct  shocks.  Out  of  the  300,  fifty  died  ;  many  more,  severe 
attacks  which  brought  them  nigh  unto  death.  Among 
others,  Mr.  Smith's  son  was  stricken  in  his  young  manhood, 
and  Mr.  Smith  himself  had  a  narrow  escape.  Eight  of  his 
mill  hands  died.  The  village  was  wild  with  dread.  The 
last  attack  was  a  week  from  the  first,  on  Monday.  The 
boat  Irom  Chicago  was  to  arrive  on  Tuesday,  but  it  was  de- 
layed until  Thursday.  When  it  did  pull  up  at  the  dock, 
the  village,  in  effect,  stampeded.  Some  families  did  not 
even  stop  to  collect  their  household  goods,  but  were  satis- 
fied to  get  on  board  with  their  lives.  Although  the  visita- 
tion of  the  cholera  was  a  blow  to  both  the  heart  and  purse 
of  Mr.  Smith,  he  cheerfully  assisted  in  lightening  the  bur- 
dens of  those  suffering  in  body,  soul  or  estate,  even  furnish- 
ing many  with  the  passage  money  by  which  they  could  get 
away.  It  was  several  years  before  Two  Rivers  regained 
her  former  standing. 

In  185 1,  the  firm  of  Aldrich,  Smith  &  Co.  was  formed. 
Five  years  thereafter,  William  M.  Honey  came  to  Two 
Rivers,  and  organized  the  New  England  Manufacturing 
Company,  building  a  small  chair  factory.  In  i860,  the  Two 
Rivers  Manufacturing  Company  was  formed,  at  the  head  of 
the  business  and  the  active  manager  of  the  improved  and 
enlarged  factory  being  H.  H.  Smith.  The  tub  and  pail  fac- 
tory, which  is  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  the  kind 
in  the  United  States,  was  built  in  1857.  Further  details  in 
regard  to  these  corner-stones  of  the  prosperity  of  Two  Riv- 
ers will  follow.  Among  the  early  causes  of  the  city's  growth 
was  also  the  organization  of  the  Wisconsin  Leather  Com- 
pany, in  1S50,  and  the  erection  of  one  of  the  largest  tan- 
neries in  the  West,  two  miles  north.  At  this  tiine,  the  fish- 
eries of  J.  P.  Clark,  of  Detroit,  were  in  active  operation. 
They  were  situated  here  and  at  the  point  south  of  Manito- 
woc. From  183S  to  1853  they  fairlycoined  money  for  their 
owner,  and  consequently  increased  the  commercial  impor- 
tance of  Two  Rivers.  Although  the  fish  and  the  timber 
have  about  disappeared,  in  their  stead  have  grown  up  quite 
a  variety  of  manufacturing  establishments. 

The  city  of  Two  Rivers  has  a  population  of  over  2,000 
.people,  and  was  incorporated  March  12,  1878.  Its  population 
is  mostly  German.  It  has  four  churches,  a  number  of  secret 
and   benevolent  societies,  a  good  ^high  school  and  district 


HISTORY  OF    MANITOWOC  COUNTY.  537 

school,  a  weekly  paper,  a  fire  department,  and  all  the  other  width,  and  of  not  less  than  twelve  feet  in  depth.     The  nat- 

adjuncts  of  civilized  and  growing  Western  life.  ural  channel  was  narrow,  with   not  more   than   two  feet  in 

The  Fire  Department  was  first   organized  in  1872,  but  depth  at  the  shoalest  part. 

is  now  being  re-organized  as  a  paid  department.     The  hand  "The  amount  expended  to  June  30,  1880,  is  $132,539.62, 

engine  has  been  replaced  by  a  steamer,  "Protection  No.  i."  and  has  resulted  in  securing  a  channel   100   feet  wide,  with 

There  is  also   a  hook  and  ladder  company.      The  engine  a  depth  of  not  less  than  seven  feet  over  the  bar,  and  a  depth 

house,  which   is   a  neat,  two-story  structure,  of  brick,  was  of  not  less  than  nine  feet  in  the  east  and  west  branches  of 

built  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $5,000        In  the  second  story  are  the  river.     The  harbor  is  not  yet  open  to  commerce,  though 

the  firemen's  hall.  City  Hall  and  municipal  offices,  and  in  used  by  small  vessels. 

the  basement,  the  jail.      The   present  chief  of  the  depart-  Estimated  cost  for  extending  the  piers  to  the  18-foot  curve, 

ment  is  Julius  Pelz.  with  dredging  between  the  piers  .__ 1265,588  So 

The  educational  facilities  consist  of  a  free  high  school  and      Appropriated  since - '^"■°°°  °° 

a  graded  district  school  of  six  departments.    The  average  at-      Amount  to  be  appropriated -  $105,588  80 

tendance  is  -560,  A.  Thomas  being  the  principal.    The  build-  .          ,    u-  u        u        c,  u^            aaa    ■     ,i,.fi  ^,1 

•J      '                                    .                                       .  Amount  which  can  be  profitably  expended  during  the  hscal 

ings   are  of  wood,  two-story,  with  stone   foundations,  and  year  1881-82 _ 50,00000 

surrounded  by  a  large  play  ground.  One  of  them  was  "The  operations  during  the  past  fiscal  year  have  con- 
erected  m  1865,  the  other  in  1872-3.  The  value  of  houses  ^-^^^^  -^  ^^^  completion  of  the  sand-tight  lining  to  the  pile 
and  sites  is  placed  at  $12,000.  piers 

TAe  Manitou'oc  County  Chronicle  was  established  by  a  "During  the  year,  the  United  States  dredge  removed 
stock  company,  in  1872.  H.  S.  Pierpont  was  its  editor.  f^^„,  jj,^  ^^^^^^j  ^^^^^^^^  the  piers  49.80,  cubic  yards  of 
The  journal  was  purchased  by  W.  F.  Nash,  its  present  editor  ^^^^  ^^^  ^,^y  Of  ^^j^  amount,  29,056  cubic  yards  were 
and  proprietor,  in  1875.  The  Chronicle  is  an  eight-column  removed  during  the  season  of  ,879,  and  20,245  cubic  yards 
foho,  published  weekly,  and  is  Democratic  in  politics.  ^^^j„g  ^^^  ^^^^^^  „f  May  and  June,  18S0.  [For  details 
C/.^.;r//«,-St.  Luke's  Church  (Catholic)  was  organized  ^f  jj^is  work,  see  the  tabulated  statement  under  Port  Wash- 
as  a  mission  to   Manitowoc,  July  19,  1851,  but  was  formed  Jntiton  Harbor] 

as  a  separate  society  in  1853.  Its  first  pastor  was  Rev.  "This  amount  of  dredging  has  opened  a  channel  between 
Joseph  Brunner.  The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  jj^e  piers  about  1,200  feet  in  length,  75  feet  in  width,  and 
243  families.  Attached  to  the  church  is  a  large  parochial  ^^jj^  ^  ^^^^^  ^f  „  feet  The  present  limited  extension  of 
school,  at  which  there  is  an  attendance  of  130.  Rev.  the  piers  renders  the  preservation  of  this  channel  problem- 
Father  George  I.  Veith  is  pastor  of  St.  Luke's  Church.  ^^j^^j .  ^^j  ^p^^  ^^e  completion  of  the  extension  in  progress 
German  Evangelical  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  ^^^  that  proposed,  it  is  expected  that  this  difficulty  will 
organized  in  1856,  by  Rev.  Wilham  Siekereik,  and  the  build-  disappear,  and  that  the  harbor  can  be  opened  and  main- 
ing  erected  in  1859.     The  present  membership  is  about  1 20  ^^j^ed  for  its  local  commerce." 

souls.  Rev.  George  Harm  being  its  pastor.  The  life  saving  station  at  Two  Rivers  was  established  in 

German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in  ^g^g,  a  volunteer   force  having  been  organized  two  years 

1861,  the  building  having  been  purchased  from  the  Episco-  previous       The  tasteful  building  which  now  accommodates 

pal  society.     The  present  membership  is  120  families.    The  ^^e  crew   and  their  apparatus,  was  erected  in  the  Fall  of 

church  has  no  settled  pastor.  ^g^g      ^apt.  Pilon   is  in  charge  of  the  crew  of  eight  men. 

The   Union  Congregational   Church   was  organized   in  ^he   tub  and  pail  factory,  probably  the  largest  of  the 

1851.     Its  membership  is  small.     It  has,  at  present,  no  set-  kind  in  the  United  States,  was  erected  in    1857   by   H.  H. 

tied  pastor.  Smith.     Over  $50,000  in  cash  was  expended  upon  it  the 

Two   Rivers  Turnverein  was  formed  June  21,  1857,  and  ^^st  year.     Although   twice  consumed   by  fire,  it  was  each 

the  hall  erected  m    1867.      The  property  of  the  society  is  jime  rebuilt,  enlarged  and  improved.       In   July,   1881,  Mr. 

valued  at  $5,000,  and  its  membership  is  thirty-five.  ^^^^^  ^^,^  his  interest  in  the  business  to  Mann  Brothers,  of 

There   is  also   a   large  society  of  Sons  of  Hermann,  a  Milwaukee,  for  $60,000.      The   factory  employs  about  150 

Good  Templar's  and  a  Knights  of  Honor  Lodge.  ^^^^^  ^^^  ^^e^  ^„  ^^^^^y  business  of  $200,000. 

COMMERCIAL  ADVANTAGES.  The  city,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  chair  factory,  presents  the 

Two  Rivers  is  the  northern  terminus  of  the  Milwaukee,  appearance  of  a  small  and   uniform  village,  the   two  main 

Lake   Shore  &  Western  Railway,  and  has  the  advantages  buildings  being  clustered  around  with  smaller  ones,  devoted 

which  every  terminal  point  possesses.     Its  harbor  has  also  to  their  several  specialties.     The  small  factory,  erected  in 

been  improved  at  great  expense.     From  the  report  of  Mayor  1856,  by  William    Honey,  has   grown  to  mammoth  dimen- 

H.  M.  Robert  for  the  fiscal  year  1880,  the  following  facts  sions,  and  is  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  Two  Rivers' 

are  selected,  showing  what  has  been  accomplished,  and  at  Manufacturing   Company    (Mann    Brothers).     The   annual 

what  cost:  product  of  the  factory  amounts  to  $100,000  annually,  and 

'^' The  Harbor. — The  present  project  for  the  improvement  between    150  and    200  men   are  employed.     Much   of  the 

of  this  harbor  was  adopted  in  1870,  and  modified  in  1877,  chair  seating  is  "given  out,"  so  that  really  these  figures  do 

the  object  being  to  afford  a  channel'of  entrance'of  navigable  not  represent   the  full   number.     Upon   both  of  these  im- 


538 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


mense  establishments  nearly  400  men  are  depending  for  sup- 
port. They  are  the  business  life  and  soul  of  Two  Rivers. 
Operated  in  connection  with  them  is  a  large  general  store, 
whose  business  amounts  to  $80,000  annually. 

Sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  In  1873,  a  stock  company 
was  formed  for  the  carrying  on  of  this  business.  In  18S0, 
H.  H.  Smith  obtained  control  of  it  by  purchase,  and  has 
since  carried  it  on.  The  annual  manufacture  of  the  fac- 
tory amounts  to  $80,000;  thirty-five  men  are  employed. 

Wisconsin  Leather  Company.  In  1850,  the  Wisconsin 
Leather  Company  was  formed  by  Rufus,  George  W.  and 
William  Allen,  E.  P.  Allis  and  Cyrus  M'hitcomb,  of  Milwau- 
kee. They  erected  a  tannery  two  miles  north  of  Two 
Rivers,  in  1850-51,  commencing  business  in  May  of  the 
latter  year.  It  has  since  continued  under  that  management, 
employing  at  present  seventy  men,  consuming  4,000  tons  of 
bark  annually,  and  tanning  20,000  hides.  The  main  build- 
ing is  350x45  feet.  The  bark  is  now  obtained  mostly  from 
Kewaunee  County  and  Michigan. 

Charles  Winkelmiller  and  H.  Lohmann  are  the  owners 
and  operators  of  small  tanneries  in  the  city  of  Two  Rivers. 

Flour  mills  of  A.  Wehausen.  The  large  and  substantial 
three-story  brick  building  was  erected  in  1878,  at  a  cost, 
with  machinery,  of  $24,000.  A.  Wehausen  is  the  owner 
and  proprietor.  The  mills  have  six  run  of  stone,  and  a 
capacity  of  sixty  barrels  of  flour  and  one  ton  of  feed  daily. 

R.  E.  Mueller's  brewery.  A  small  building,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  substantial  structure,  was  erected  by  Edward 
Mueller,  father  of  the  present  proprietor,  in  1848.  Upon 
his  death,  in  1871,  R.  E.  Mueller  took  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness. The  capacity  of  the  brewery  is  2,000  barrels  an- 
nually. 

Wood  Type  Manufactory.  About  a  year  ago,  J.  E.  Ham- 
ilton commenced  the  manufacture  of  type  from  holly  wood. 
He  has  since  built  up  a  profitable  business,  shipping  some 
of  his  type  to  distant  Western  States.  It  is  durable  and 
gives  a  clean  impression. 

mOGRAPHIC.\L    SKETCHES. 

ANDREW  B.\ETZ,  wagon-maker  and  bUcksmith.  Two  Rivers, 
was  born  Aug.  22,  1828,  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany  ;  July,  1S52,  he 
came  to  Two  Rivers,  and  has  since  followed  this  business,  which  he 
learned  with  his  father  when  a  boy  ;  married,  in  1853,  to  Sophia  Dep- 
ping,  of  Lippe-Detmold,  Germany  ;  they  have  seven  children,  three  sons 
and  four  daughters ;  his  brother  Henry  entered  the  army  of  the  rebel- 
lion, and  was  soon  afterward  promoted  to  major  ;  was  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg;  there  received  his  discharge;  he  has  been  four 
years  State  Treasurer,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Milwaukee. 


N.  B.^RTELL,  foreman  Two  Rivers  Chair  Factory,  was  born  July  7, 
1835,  in  Erie  Co..  N.  V.  In  1859  he  came  to  Sandusky,  O.,. where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  chair  business,  which  he  learned  from  his  father.  His 
father  went  to  Buffalo,  N.Y.,  in  1829,  and  carried  on  the  chair  and  furniture 
business  until  1S49,  when  he  fella  victim  to  the  cholera.  In  1S61,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  enlisted  in  the  army  and  served  three  months.  He  then 
went  to  Toledo.  In  1876  he  went  to  Sheboygan,  and  in  1879  he  moved  'o 
Two  Rivers,  and  was  appointed  to  his  present  position.  He  has  invented 
two  chair  patents,  which  are  now  being  manufactured  by  this  company, 
upon  which  he  receives  a  royalty.  He  married,  in  i860.  Miss  M.  Dean, 
of  Sandusky,  who  died  March  4,  1880,  aged  thirty-eight  years.  They 
have  three  children,   two  daughters  and  one  son. 

JOHN  C.  BOIIM,  deceased,  Two  Rivers,  was  born  Nov.  8, 
1830,  in  Holstein.  Germany.  In  1S50,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
settled  in  Two  Rivers,  and  followed  the  mason  trade  several  years, 
during  which  he  built  many  of  the  principal  works,  including  the  Wis- 
consin Leather  Company's  buildings,  .\bout  1856  he  opened  a  hotel, 
known  as  the  Lake  House,  which  he  conducted   up  to  the    time  of  his 


death,  which  occurred  Dec.  23,  1S77.  The  business  has  since  been  con- 
ducted by  his  widow,  who  owns  the  property.  They  were  married 
March  17,  1852.  Her  maiden  name  was  Regena  Klien,  and  she  was 
born  in  Prussia,  March  17,  1S34.  There  were  seven  children — Charles, 
Henry  E..  John  L.,  Emma,  Matilda,  Augusta,  and  Adaline. 

H.  M.  GEBHART,  druggist.  Two  Rivers,  is  a  native  of  this  place- 
In  1869  he  began  learning  the  drug  business  with  Dr.  J.  Oswald,  and 
continued  his  studies  for  three  years,  when  he  moved  to  Manitowoc, 
where  he  followed  the  drug  business  for  three  and  one-half  years,  then 
moved  to  Appleton,  where  he  remained  but  a  short  time.  On  May  10, 
1879,  he  bought  out  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  F.  S.  Luhmann,  and  has  since 
conducted  the  business. 

ALBERT  KAHLENBERG,  general  merchandise  and  meat  mar- 
ket. Two  Rivers,  born,  Oct.  II,  1826;  in  Prussia,  and  in  1852  he  came 
to  Two  Rivers  and  worked  at  various  kinds  of  labor  for  two  years.  He 
then  opened  a  meat  market  and  has  continued  in  this  business  ever 
since.  In  October.  1S80,  he  opened  a  general  store.  He  mar- 
ried, in  1856,  Miss  Katharine  Weis,  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  who 
died  in  1S6S,  aged  thirty-four  years.  They  have  three  children,  one 
son  and  two  daughters.  He  married,  the  second  time.  Bertha  Albrecht, 
in  l858,  a  native  of  Prussia,  by  whom  he  has  one  son  and  one  daugh- 
ter. 

LEOPOLD  MANN,  manager  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, was  born,  March  iS,  1834,  in  Bohemia.  In  July,  1846,  he  came  to 
Washington  County  with  his  parents,  where  he  assisted  on  his  father's 
farm,  until  1850,  and  then  moved  to  Milwaukee  and  was  employed  by 
his  brothers  in  the  grocery  and  provision  business  until  1857,  He  then 
returned  to  Washington  County  and  opened  a  general  store,  which  he 
carried  on  until  1862,  when  he  moved  to  Two  Rivers  and  was  employed 
by  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Company,  and  in  1866  he 
was  appointed  manager  of  the  company,  which  position  he  has 
since  occupied.  Married,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Clara  Neustadt,  of  Bohemia, 
who  came  to  New  York  with  her  parents  at  the  age  of  four  years.  They 
have  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

BENEDICT  MAYER,  general  merchandise.  Two  Rivers,  born, 
Dec.  28,  1833,  in  Baden,  Germany;  came  to  New  Orleans  in  1854, 
thence  to  Cincinnati  and  Rochester,  N.  Y.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Mani- 
towoc County  and  followed  farming  for  nine  years.  In  1865,  he  moved 
to  Two  Rivers  and  worked  for  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Company 
for  six  years;  in  1871,  he  est.-iblished  his  present  business.  Married,  in 
1857.  Miss  Doratha  Snidlemann,  of  Prussia.  She  died  in  1859  aged 
twenty-eight  years.  They  had  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 
He  married,  for  the  second  time,  in  i860,  Frederica  Meyer,  a  native  of 
Prussia. 

RICHARD  E.  MUELLER,  Two  Rivers  brewery,  was  born,  Jan. 
29,  1839,  in  Saxony,  Germany.  In  1847,  he  came  to  this  place  with  his 
parents;  in  1848,  his  father  built  this  brewery  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1871,  aged  sixty-three  years.  He 
then  succeeded  his  father  in  the  business.  He  has  been  .Alderman  and 
County  Supervisor.  In  1S67,  he  married  Miss  Katherine  Hobzkneight, 
who  is  a  native  of  Bavaria.     They  have  three  children. 

W.  F.  NASH,  editor  Manitowoc  County  Chronicle,  Two  Rivers,  is 
a  native  of  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  four  years,  his  parents 
moved  to  Rock  County,  where  he  remained  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  A,  13th  Wis.  I.,  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Rock  County  and  attended  the  Lawrence  University,  Apple- 
ton,  from  1867  to  1871.  In  1S74,  he  went  to  Manitowoc  and  managed 
the  Manitowoc  Pilot  yxn\\\  1875,  when  he  moved  to  Two  Riversand  pur- 
chased the  Manitowoc  County  Chronicle,  which  he  has  since  edited. 

H.  S.  PIERPONT,  railroad  express  agent,  attorney  and  Court  Com- 
missioner, Two  Rivers,  was  born,  March  3,  1823,  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
and  in  March,  1856,  came  to  Two  Rivers  and  was  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  lumber  until  1S59;  in  1S64,  he  returned  to  Rochester,  and 
in  lS66  went  to  Green  Bay;  in  1868  to  Watertown,  in  1S69  to  Chicago, 
and  in  1870  returned  to  Two  Rivers,  and  edited  the  Manitowoc  County 
Chronicle  from  1872  to  1875.  In  1S76,  he  was  appointed  agent  for  M. 
L.  S.  &  W.  R.  R.,  which  position  he  still  holds.  In  1S61,  he  was  elected 
County  Judge,  which  position  he  resigned  in  1864.  He  was,  in  1861. 
nominated  Stale  Bank  Comptroller,  but  was  defeated  by  William  Reasey. 
of  Port  Washington.  In  1872,  he  received  the  appointment  of  County 
Clerk,  and  was  on  an  investigating  committee,  holding  the  position  for 
one  year. 

CAPT.  OLIVER  PILON,  captain  of  Life-boat  Station,  Two  Riv- 
ers, was  born  in  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  12,  1842.  When  a  child,  he 
went  with  his  parents  to  Milwaukee,  and  in  1S46  moved  to  Two  Ri4'ers, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  engaged  in  fishing  and  sailing  un- 
til 1877.  when  he  entered  the  life-boat  service  as  No.  i  surfman  under 
Capt.  Scove,  who  resigned  his  position,  and  Capt.  Pilon  succeeded  him, 
receiving  his  appointment  April  I,  1880.  This  station  was  built  in  the 
Autumn  of  1876,  and  was  run  as  a  volunteer  company  for  two  years,  since 
which  time  there  has  been  a  stationary  crew,  now  consisting  of  eight 
men.  Tliey  have  two  boats,  one  a  life  and  one  a  surf  boat,  also  a  life 
car,  mortar   and  beach   apparatus.     He  was   married,  July  16.   1866,  to 


HISTORY    OF    MANITOWOC   COUNTY 


539 


Miss  Emily  La  Clair,  of  Two  Rivers.     They  have  seven  children,  six 
sons  and  one  daughter. 

B.  F.  RICHTER,  book-keeper  for  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing 
Company,  was  born,  Jan.  20,  1836,  in  Saxony,  Germany,  February,  1851, 
he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  afterward  traveled  through  California  and 
other  States.  In  1861,  he  came  to  Two  Rivers  and  obtained  employ- 
ment in  the  chair  factory,  where  he  remained  until  January,  1S65,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  48th  Wis.  I.;  served  about  thirteen  months.  After 
leaving  the  army,  he  went  to  Two  Creeks,  Wis.,  and  was  there  employed 
in  Pfister  &  Vogel's  tannery,  having  a  general  supervision  of  all  outside 
work.  April,  1S66,  he  returned  to  Two  Rivers  and  had  charge  of  the 
company's  pier,  besides  occupying  the  position  of  agent  for  the  Good- 
rich Transportation  Co.  In  December,  1874,  he  was  appointed  to  his 
present  position.  Married,  in  1862,  Miss  Bertha  Baum,  also  a  native  of 
Saxony.     Three  bright  children  gladden  their  home. 

H.  H.  SMITH,  retired  merchant,  Two  Rivers.  Was  born  in 
Windham,  Conn.,  December  2,  1798.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came 
to   St.    Lawrence   Co.,    N.  Y.,    where  he    was  married  to  Miss  Deantha 

[  Hale,  of  Putney,  Vt.  She  was  three  years  his  junior,  and  died  in  1863. 
They  had  three  daughters,  still  living.     Miss  Mary  Hendricksen,  who  is 

I  a  native  of  Denmark,  became  his  second  wife.  In  1S24  he  remaved  to 
Cape  Vincent,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  and  merchandising, 
continuing  in  that  line  four  years,  when  he  went  to  Youngstown,  Niagara 
(iiuiity,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  the  same  business.  At  both  of  these 
places  lie  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  in  lumber  with  Quebec  com- 
lu-inies.  Mr.  Smith  located  in  Two  Rivers  in  1845,  purchasing  an  old 
saw  mill  and  engaging  again  in  lumbering  and  a  general  merchandising 
business.  Thus  he  continued  alone  until  1851.  The  visitation  of 
cholera  in  1850  having  so  disorganized  his  business  that  he  formed  a 
partnership  under  the  firm  name  of  Aldrich,  Smith  &  Co.  This  connec- 
tion continued  until  i860,  when  the  Two  Rivers  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany was  formed.  This  corporation  now  has  the  controlling  interest  in 
the  extensive  tub  and  pail  and  chair  factories,  formerly  owned  and 
operated  by  Mr.  Smith.  His  interest  in  both  of  these  large  and  pros- 
perous establishments  was  disposed  of  to  Mann  Bros.,  of  Milwaukee,  in 
July,  1 88 1,  of  both  he  was  the  founder  and  the  active  manager  for  many 
years.  The  company  has  handled  and  taken  up  about  20,000  acres  of 
pine  land,  and  which  has  since  been  sold  and  cleared  for  farming.  Mr. 
Smith  is  considered  not  only  the  founder  but  the  father  of  Two  Rivers. 
For  nearly  forty  years  he  has  resided  in  this  vicinity,  a  large  portion  of 
the  village  depending  upon  him  and  the  enterprises  which  he  has  carried 
on  for  their  support  and  comfort.  Although  kind  and  generous,  and 
virtually  retired  from  business,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  Mr. 
Smith  still  retains  a  fresh  heart  and  a  bright  intellect. 

ROBERT  SUTTINGER,  hardware,  stoves  and  farming  implements, 
Two  Rivers.  Was  born  Feb.  27,  I S27,  in  Saxony,  Germany.  In  1840, 
he  went  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  where  he  worked  in  a  tin  shop  one  year 
and  a  half.  In  September,  1850,  he  came  to  Sheboygan,  going  thence 
to  Manito»-oc,  working  in  a  tin  shop  three  months.  Jan.  i,  iSsi.he 
moved  to  Two  Rivers,  and  worked  for  H.H.Smith  until  1855.  He 
then  opened  a  hardware  store  in  company  with  Joseph  Kalb,  which 
they  continued  until  1859,  since  which  time  he  has  conducted  the  busi- 
ness alone.  Married,  in  1852,  Miss  Caroline  Preschky,  of  Prussia. 
They  have  two  sons  and  five  daughters. 

ALFRED  THOMAS,  principal  Two  Rivers  Public  School,  was  born 
May  28,  1852,  in  Winnebago  County,  Wis.,  where  he  attended  school 
until  the  age  of  nineteen,  when  he  went  to  Albany,  N.Y.,  and  entered 
the  Normal  School  of  that  city,  graduating  in  1874.  He  went  to  Ft. 
Howard,  occupying  the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school  for  three 
years,  and  was  also  principal  of  the  Green  Bay  High  School  for  three 
years.  January,  1881,  he  moved  to  Two  Rivers,  and  was  appointed  to 
his  present  position.  Mr.  Thomas  married,  in  1874,  Miss  Christine  Pow- 
ers, of  Brattleboro,  Vt.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  three  love- 
ly little  daughters. 

ALBERT  WEHAUSEN,  Two  Rivers  flouring  mill,  was  born 
March  22,  1828,  in  Hanover,  Germany.  In  1850,  he  came  to  Two  Riv- 
ers, followed  the  house  carpenter's  trade  until  1858,  when  he  married 
Margaret  Dingeldein,  of  Hesse-Darmstadt.  They  have  a  family  of  two 
daughters  and  one  son.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Wehausen  engaged  in 
merchandising,  until  1S67,  when  he  sold  his  store  and  bought  a  mill  in 
Mishicot,  which  he  operated  until  1876.  He  attended  the  Centennial 
Exposition  at  Philadelphia.  He  then  returned  to  Two  Rivers  and  built 
this  mill,  which  he  has  since  conducted,  and  is  ably  assisted  by  his  son, 
George.  Mr.  Wehausen  has  been  County  Supervisor  and  Chairman  of 
the  County  Board. 

CYRUS  WHITCOMB,  superintendent  of  the  Wisconsin  Leather 
Co.,  Two  Rivers,  is  a  native  of  Windham,  Vt.,  and  was  born  Nov.  12, 
1813.  The  family  moved  to  Onondaga  Co.,  N,Y.,  in  1826,  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm  until  about  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he  commenced  to 
learn  the  tanner  and  currier's  trade.  In  the  Winter  of  1835-36,  he 
moved  to  Cazenovia,  N.Y.,  and  there  worked  at  his  trade  until  1850, 
when  he  came  to  Two  Rivers,  and  he.  with  Mr.  Allen  and  others,  organ- 
ized this  company,  since  which  time  he  has  superintended   the  business. 


In  1841,  he  married  Miss  Harriote  E.  Whipple,  a  native  of  New  York. 
They  have  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

CARL  WINKELMILLER,  proprietor  Two  Rivers  tannery,  was 
born  Jan.  4,  1825,  in  Saxony,  Germany.  In  1847,  he  came  to  New  York 
City,  and  worked  at  the  currier  trade  for  a  few  months,  then  moved  to 
Delaware  Co.,  N.Y.,  working  at  his  trade  for  about  five  years.  Then  he 
took  a  trip  to  Europe,  remaining  absent  for  two  months,  returning  to 
this  country  and  locating  in  Detroit,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
About  1854,  he  came  to  Two  Rivers,  and  was  employed  by  the  Wiscon- 
sin Leather  Co.,  for  two  years,  when  he  established  his  present  business, 
which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  Anes- 
tina  Muiller,  of  Saxony.     They  have  one  son,  Richard. 

E.  H.  YOUNG,  foreman  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  Two  Rivers, 
was  born  June  24,  1840.  in  Geneva,  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1S46,  he 
came  to  Jefferson  County  with  his  parents,  and,  in  1861,  enlisted  in  Co. 
A.  1st  Wis.  C,  and  served  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.  He  then  came  to  Neenah,  where  he  remained  three 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  moved  to  Two  Rivers  and  was 
employed  by  the  Two  Rivers  Mnfg.  Co.,  until  1874  ;  since  then  he  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  and  for  the  past 
two  years  has  been  foreman.  He  married,  in  1S71,  Miss  Mary  Conine, 
who  is  a  native  of  New  York.     They  have  one  daughter. 

CENTERVILLE. 

The  village  of  Centerville  (unincorporated)  is  situated 
near  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad, 
twelve  miles  south  of  Manitowoc.  It  has  a  population  of 
about  300  people.  The  town  contains  good  farming  land, 
and  the  village,  therefore,  carries  on  a  fair  general  trade. 
In  addition  it  has  a  brewery,  a  grist  mill  and  a  tannery. 
The  latter  is  carried  on  by  A.  Knorr. 

Christian  Scheiber's  Brewery. — In  1857  a  small  brewery 
was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  one  by  Simon  Krause. 
In  1S66  Chris.  Scheiber  removed  to  Centerville  from  Man- 
itowoc and  purchased  it.  He  has  since  been  its  sole  pro- 
prietor, erecting  the  present  building  in  1874.  The  brew- 
ery has  now  a  capacity  of  2,000  barrels  per  annum. 

A.  Mill  &  Co. — This  firm  built  a  grist  mill  in  1867  which 
they  are  still  operating.  It  has  three  run  of  stone,  and  a 
capacity  of  forty  barrels  of  flour  and  150  bushels  of  feed  per 
day. 

The  District  School  is  in  charge  of  W.  T.  Albers,  and  has 
an  attendance  of  eighty  pupils. 

The  "Turnverein"  was  formed  si.x  years  ago,  and  has 
a  membership    of    thirty.     Hugo    Knorr   is    first    speaker. 

St.  George's  Church  (Catholic),  situated  in  the  village,  is 
in  charge  of  Rev  Father  P.  Van  Trieck,  and  has  a  mem- 
bership of  about  forty  families.  He  also  is  pastor  of  the 
St.  Wendel  Church,  just  west  of  Centerville  Station,  which 
is  about  the  same  in  membership. 

The  Lutheran  Society,  formed  twenty-two  years  ago,  is 
under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Julius  Haase  and  numbers 
eighty  communicants. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

W.  T.  ALBERS,  school  teacher,  notary  public,  solicitor  and  con- 
veyancer, P.  O.  Hika.  Born,  May  22,  1840,  in  Bavaria.  Came  to  St.  Louis 
in  i860,  and  taught  school.  He  afterward  removed  to  Iowa.  In  1862 
he  entered  the  service  as  first  lieutenant,  Co.  C,  12th  Iowa,  and  soon  after 
promoted  to  captain  and  inspector  of  the  first  division,  15th  Army 
Corps.  Served  on  the  staff  of  Gens.  J.  A.  Mowrer  and  H.  A.  Smith.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  came  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
about  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Virginia  and  speculated  in  oil.  In 
1872,  came  to  Milwaukee.  In  1S75,  removed  to  Centerville,  where  he 
has  since  taught  school.  Mr.  Albers  holds  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  Town  Clerk  and  others.  Married,  Sept.  2,  1S75,  to  Matilda  Voll- 
brecht,  of  Sheboygan.     They  have  one  son  and  one  daughter. 

REV.  JULIUS  HA.\SE.  pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church, 
Hika.     Born,  December  17,  1849,  in  Schlesien,  Germany.     In  lS69came 


34° 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


to  Watertown.  Wis.  There  entered  the  North-western  University,  re- 
maining nine  months.  He  then  removed  to  St.  Louis,  and  entered  the 
Concordia  College.  After  studying  one  and  one-half  years  he  graduated 
from  this  institution.  February,  1872,  he  received  a  call  from  Freedom, 
Outagamie  Co.  There  he  remained  five  years.  In  1877  he  came  to 
Centen-ille,  having  received  a  call  here,  and  has  since  been  pastor  of 
this  church.  Married,  in  1874,  to  Miss  Anna  Popp.  She  was  born  in 
Hartford  County,  Conn.  They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

CHARLES  KEUNE,  firm  of  A.  Mill  &  Co.,  grist  and  planing  mill, 
Hika.  Born,  Sept.  14.  1836,  in  Hanover.  Came  to  Manitowoc  County 
in  i860,  removed  to  Centei-ville  in  1867,  and  assisted  in  building  this 
mill,  which  he  has  since  been  connected  with.  Married,  in  1863,  to 
Caroline  Hecker,  of  Mechlenburg.  They  have  eight  children,  five  sons 
and  three  daughters. 

A.  MILL,  of  A.  Mill  &  Co.,  grist  and  planing  mill,  Hika.  Born" 
Aug.  25,  1833,  in  Prussia.  In  l86i  he  came  to  Sheboygan  County 
and  settled  on  a  farm.  In  1854.  removed  to  Manitowoc  County,  where 
his  father  bought  a  farm  and  built  a  saw  mill.  They  continued  there  till 
1867,  when  he  came  to  CenterviUe,  and  he,  with  others,  built  this  mill. 
Enlisted  in  1864,  Co.  E,  45th  Wis.  I.  ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war. 
Has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  ;  was  the  first  Town  Clerk  and  Justice 
of  the  Peace  of  CenterviUe.  Married,  in  1862,  to  Johanna  Martins,  of 
Mechlenburg,  Germany.  Have  seven  children,  six  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

GOTTLIEB  MILL,  firm  of  A.  Mill  &  Co.,  grist  and  planing  mill, 
Hika.  Born,  March  12,  1836,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Sheboygan  County 
in  1851,  and  removed  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1854.  Was  engaged  in 
farming  and  other  pursuits.  In  1S67,  he  assisted  in  building  this  mill, 
which  he  has  since  been  connected  with.  Married,  in  1866,  to  Catharine 
Doersh,  of  Germany.  They  have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

JNO.  SACHSE,  boots  and  shoes,  Hika.  Born,  March  3,  1834,  in 
Saxon  Weimar,  Germany.  Came  to  Manitowoc  County  with  his  parents 
in  1852.  Worked  at  this  trade  four  years,  then  he  opened  a  shop,  which 
he  has  since  carried  on.  Enlisted,  in  1864,  Co.  B,  45th  Wis.  I.,  and 
served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Married,  in  1858,  to  Paulina  Rossburg, 
of  Saxony.     Have  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters, 

CHRISTIAN  SCHEIBE,  proprietor  CenterviUe  Brewery,  Hika.  He 
was  born  Dec.  7,  1823,  in  Saxony,  Germany  ;  immigrated  to  America  in 
lSs3;  the  following  year  came  to  Manitowoc,  worked  at  the  cooper's  trade 
till  1S65  ;  he  then  bought  the  Hattleman  Brewery,  ran  it  one  year.  In  1867 
came  to  CenterviUe  and  built  this  brewery,  which  he  has  since  conducted. 
Married,  in  1857,  to  Josephine  Goetzler  of  Germany ;  they  have  four 
children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

REV.  J.  P.  VAN  TREECK,  pastor  of  St.  Wendel  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  P.  O.,  St.  Wendel,  born  March  9,  1855,  in  Wilson  Township, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  September,  1877,  he  commenced  a  regular  course  of 
studies  at  St.  Francis  Seminary.  Milwaukee  ;  graduated  June,  1880;  he 
then  returned  to  Sheboygan  County,  and  was  assistant  with  the  Rev. 
Hamm,  of  St.  Nicholas  Church.  Nov.  6,  1880,  came  to  St.  Wendel, 
where  he  has  been  in  charge  since;  he  also  has  charge  of  two  other 
churches— the  St.  George's  Church  of  CenterviUe,  and  St.  Fitel's  Church 
of  Meeme. 

KIEL. 

This  is  a  pleasant  little  village  of  400  inhabitants,  situ- 
ated in  the  town  of  Schleswig,  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railroad,  a  few  miles  southeast  of  New  Holstein, 
Calumet  Co.  Located  in  the  'midst  of  as  good  a  farm- 
ing country  as  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  county.  The 
general  trade  of  the  village  is  good.  C.  Heins,  A.  Mesch 
&  Co.,  A.  Lindner,  F.  Krieger  and  others,  carry  a  large  as- 
sortment in  the  general  line.  J.  Duecker&  Co.,  and  G.  H. 
Simon,  are  the  most  prominent  dealers  in  hardware.  J.  Rup- 
penthal  operates  the  only  wagon  manufactory  in  town;  and 
other  trades  are  well  represented. 

W.  C.  Reseburg,  John  and  F.  Duecker  have  just  formed 
a  partnership  for  the  manufacture  of  syrup  from  sugar  cane, 
this  latter  branch  of  agriculture  being  carried  on  to  consid- 
erable extent  in  the  country  around  Kiel.  The  factory  and 
machinery  have  been  built  and  put  into  running  order  at  a 
cost  of  $4,500.  This  is  the  only  establishment  of  the  kind 
in  Manitowoc  County,  and  is  a   great  addition  to  the  busi- 


ness interests  of  Kiel.  During  that  portion  of  the  season 
when  the  syrup  factory  would  be  idle,  the  proprietors  will 
use  the  engine  and  machinery  for  planing  purposes. 

Gutheil  Bros.'  Brewery  was  erected  in  1858  by  Bernhard 
and  Ferdinand  Gutheil.  In  1866,  the  latter  removed  to 
Chilton,  Louis  Gutheil,  the  present  member  of  the  firm, 
being  taken  into  partnership.  The  capacity  of  the  brewery 
is  about  500  barrels  of  beer  per  annum. 

F.  Mohr's  cheese  factory  was  erected  in  1877,  and  is  one 
of  the  leading  manufactories  of  Kiel. 

Besides  her  business,  which  is  good  for  so  small  a  place, 
Kiel  has  a  district  school,  located  in  the  village,  taught  by 
A.  Wittmann.  It  consists  of  three  grades.  There  is  a  Cath- 
olic church,  in  charge  of  Rev.  Father  August  Schleyer, 
who  also  is  pastor  of  the  St.  Anna  society,  Calumet  County, 
and  a  flourishing  Lutheran  Church,  under  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  L.  Zenk. 

Among  the  old  settlers  who  have  materially  assisted  in 
the  growth  of  Kiel,  and  who  still  reside  in  the  village,  may 
be  mentioned  the  Gutheil  Brothers,  August  and  F.  Krieger, 
Charles  Heins,  J.  Ruppenthal,  John  Barth  and  A.  Guerbing. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHARLES  MATTHEWS,  proprietor  Hotel  De  Matthews,  Kiel. 
was  born  July  25,  1846,  in  Germany;  came  to  New  York  in  1867,  and 
sailed  on  the  ocean  till  1868,  when  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  followed 
the  lakes  four  seasons.  In  1872,  he  came  to  Kiel,  and  built  this  hotel, 
which  he  has  since  managed.  He  was  married,  March  1 7,  1 870,  to  Anna 
Christiansen,  of  Germany.     They  have  three  children,  all  daughters. 

FRED  DUECKER,  of  the  firm  of  John  Duecker  &  Co.,  hardware, 
stoves,  etc.,  Kiel,  was  born  March  17.  1854,  in  New  Holstein,  Calumet 
Co.,  Wis.;  there  he  attended  school,  and  assisted  on  the  farm.  In  about 
1874,  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  in  New  Holstein  ; 
held  that  position  about  two  and  a  half  years.  In  1877,  he  came  to 
Kiel,  and  has  since  been  connected  with  this  firm. 

LOUIS  GUTHEIL,  of  the  firm  of  Gutheil  &  Bro..  brewers,  Kiel, 
was  born  Aug.  31,  1842,  in  Saxony,  Germany.  In  1846,  became  with  his 
parents  to  Washington  County ;  the  family  removed  to  Kiel  in  1856,  and 
about  three  years  later  they  built  this  brewery.  He  enlisted,  in  i86i,  in 
Co.  A,  gth  Wis.  I. ;  served  three  years.  He  then  returned  to  Chicago, 
where  he  remained  about  one  year.  In  1866,  he  returned  to  Kiel,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  this  business.  He  was  married,  in  1874,  to 
Johanna  Ree,  of  New  Holstein. 

JOHN  BARTH,  farmer.  Sec.  19,  P.  O.  Kiel,  was  born  Dec.  28, 
1826.  in  Germany;  came  to  America  in  1853.  The  following  year  he 
came  to  Ozaukee  County.  In  1S55,  he  removed  to  his  present  farm, 
consisting  of  ninety  acres.  Mr.  Barth  has  been  Township  Trustee, 
Township  Supervisor,  Chairman  of  the  Board,  Assessor,  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  member  of  the  Assembly  from  the  First  District,  elected 
in  the  Fall  of  l86g,  and  served  one  year.  He  was  married,  in  1853,  to 
Catherine  Conrad,  of  Germany.  They  have  eight  children,  five  sons  and 
three  daughters. 

LOUIS  C.  LENGLAUB.  general  merchandise.  Sec.  23,  P.  O.  Louis 
Corners,  was  born  June  2,  1851,  in  Sheboygan  County.  He  attended 
school  at  Milwaukee,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  was  taken  in  as  clerk 
in  his  father's  store,  and  afterward  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  In 
1877,  he  removed  to  his  present  locality,  and  has  since  carried  on  this 
business.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary,  Township  Clerk, 
etc.  He  was  married,  in  1S73,  to  Miss  Victoria  StoU,  of  Manitowoc 
County.     They  have  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

HENRY  STOLE,  of  the  firm  of  F.  Stoll  &  Son,  saw  and  planing 
mill,  P.  O.  Kiel,  was  born  May  30,  1842.  in  Germany;  came  to  Mani- 
towoc County,  with  his  parents,  in  1850.  He  attended  school  and 
assisted  on  their  farm  till  1862;  they  then  bought  this  mill,  which  they 
have  operated  since.  He  was  married,  in  1861,  to  Mena  Wagner,  of 
Sheboygan  County.  They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter. 

C.  R.  ZORN,  farmer,  Sec.  14,  P.  O.  Louis  Corners,  was  born  Aug. 
4,  1844,  in  Prussia.  In  1854,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Manitowoc 
County,  and  located  on  this  farm,  which  he  owns,  consisting  of  160  acres. 
Mr.  Zorn  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board,  Township  Supervisor  and 
member  of  the  Assembly  during  1873-4-6.     He   was   married,  in   ifCg. 


HISTORY   OF    MANITOWOC   COUNTY. 


541 


Heiden 
ugliters. 


of  Prussia.     They  have  five  childr 


P.  O.  Miih- 
>  Mishicolt 
es  of  land, 
e  being  no 
ister.  1  own 


OTHER   -SETTLEMENTS. 

Among  the  more  prominent  post-villages  in  the  county 
is  Mishicott,  located  about  ten  miles  due  north  of  Manito- 
woc, in  the  town  of  Mishicott,  and  which  promises  to  be- 
come an  active  place.  The  business  interests  are  repre- 
sented by  Christ  Selk,  general  merchandise;  John  H.  Ter- 
ens,  hardware  ;  Julius  Lindstedt,  brewery  ;  Peter  Rau,  grist- 
mill;  A.  C.  Terens,  hotel.  Dr.  H.  M.  Hittner  is  the  resi- 
dent physician  and  surgeon. 

Reedsville  is  a  promising  place,  on  Section  35,  Maple 
Grove  Town,  at  the  crossing  of  railroad.  Manufacturing 
is  here  carried  on  by  Hubbard  &  Noble,  makers  of  sleigh 
stock.     Neahlo  &  Rusch  are  the  millers  of  the  place. 

Grimm's  is  a  station  on  Section  5,  town  of  Cato  ;  Mee- 
me  is  located  on  Section  14,  of  the  town  of  the  same  name; 
Kossuth  Town  has  Francis  Creek  for  its  post-office;  New- 
ton is  a  small  station  on  Section  34,  in  the  town  of  that 
name. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

FRED  BRA  ASCH,  farmer  and  veterinary  su'geon,  S 
icott,  was  liorn  Nov.  4,  1806,  in  Holstein,  Germany  ;  ca 
in  1S50.  and  at  once  engaged  in  farming;  he  owns  if 
When  first  coming  to  Mishicott.  he  practiced  medicine 
physician  here  at  the  time.  He  has  held  the  office  of  P. 
Supervisor  and  other  offices.  Married,  in  1853,  to  Sophia  Hansen,  of 
Holstein,  Germany.  They  have  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

LOUIS  HEYROTH,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Mishicott,  was  born 
June  10,  1S24,  in  Prussia;  in  184S.  came  to  Sheboygan  ;  in  1849.  came 
to  .Milwaukee;  thence  to  Racine  County,  where  he  worlced  on  a  farm  ; 
in  1S50,  came  to  Two  Rivers  ;  worked  for  H.  H.  Smith  about  six  months. 
In  1851,  removed  to  Mishicott  and  rented  forty  acres  land  ;  he  afterward 
bought  other  forty  acres  ;  he  then  engaged  in  hauling  lumber  for  the 
Wisconsin  Leather  Company,  and  since  1852  he  has  been  engaged  in 
farming.  Owns  180  acres  land,  about  eighty  acres  of  which  is  improved. 
In  1S72,  he  opened  a  store  in  Mishicott,  which  business  he  sold  out  to 
his  son,  in  iSyg.  Married,  in  1855,  to  Sophia  Bohlman,  of  Hanover. 
They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

DR.  H.  M.  HITTNER,  physician  and  surgeon,  Mishicott,  was  born 
April  28,  1838,  in  Bavaria  ;  came  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  1849,  with 
his  parents.  In  1858,  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  there  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine.  After  taking  his  first  course,  he  went  South,  and 
served  in  the  Confederate  army  two  years;  then  returned  to  Cincinnati 
and  completed  his  studies,  and  graduated  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College 
in  1865  ;  he  then  was  appointed  assistant  surgeon  of  the  West  End 
Military  Hospital.  Held  this  position  till  the  end  of  the  war.  He  then 
continued  his  practice  in  Cincinnati  till  1S76;  then  came  to  Milwaukee, 
where  he  practiced  about  eighteen  nionihs  ;  then  removed  to  Kiel  ;  prac- 
ticed there  till  the  Spring  of  1880,  when  he  removed  to  Mishicott.  Mar- 
ried, in  1S62,  to  Margaret  Dohcrty,  of  New  Orleans.  They  have  seven 
children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters. 

JULIUS  LINDSTEDT,  proprietor  Mishicott  Brewery,  was  born 
April  27,  1S36.  in  Holstein,  Germany.  In  1847  he  came,  with  his  par- 
ents, to  Mishicott,  and  assisted  on  a  farm.  In  i865,  he  became  con- 
nected witli  a  planing  mill;  continued  about  two  years;  he  then  came 
to  Mishicott  and  bought  out  this  brewery,  which  he  has  since  managed. 
Mr.  Lindstedt  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  the  past  seven 
years;  was  Chairman  of  the  County  Board  in  18S0,  and  has  held  most 
of  the  local  offices.  Married,  in  1S64,  to  Emma  Schmidt,  of  Holstein, 
Germany.     They  have  seven  children,  live  sons  and  two  daughters. 

PETER  RAU,  flouring  mill,  Mishicott.  Born  April  22,  1832,  in 
Prussia.  Came  to  Galena,  111.,  in  1S54,  where  he  worked  at  various 
kinds  or  labor.  In  1855,  he  went  to  .'Vllamakee  Co.,  Iowa,  following 
farming.  September,  1S56.  he  came  to  Mishicott,  worked  on  a  farm 
about  one  year.  He  then  removed  to  Stevens  Point,  worked  in  a  saw- 
mill about  six  months,  then  returned  to  Mishicott,  and  worked  on  afarm. 
In  1858,  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Charles  Kuehn,  as  his  coachman,  where 
he  worked  about  nine  months.  In  1859,  he  removed  toCirundy  Co.,  111.; 
there  he  was  married  to  Catharine  Scheuer,  of  Mishicott.  They  have  a 
family   of  seven  children,  six  sons  and  one  daughter.       In   1861,  he  re- 


turned to  Mishicott,  worked  for  the  Wisconsin  Leather  Company  three 
years,  then  worked  at  Pfister  &  Vogel's  tannery  two  and  a  half  years.  In 
1S67,  he  returned  to  Mishicott,  and  opened  a  hotel,  which  he  kept  about 
six  years,  afterward  lived  on  a  farm  about  four  years.  April,  1877.  he 
traded  this  farm  of  200  acres  for  this  mill,  which  he  has  since  operated. 

CHRIST  SELK,  general  merchandise,  Mishicott.  Born  May  31, 
1847,  in  Holstein.  Germanv.  Came  to  Manitowoc  County  in  1859,  with 
his  mother.  In  about  1865,  Mr.  A.  E.  Selk  opened  a  general  store,  his 
son  was  taken  in  as  clerk,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  admitted 
as  a  partner.  His  father  died  in  1878,  since  then  he  has  owned  and  con- 
ducted the  business.  Married,  in  1871,  to  Mary  Kohnke.  of  Paterson, 
N.  J.     They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

A.  C.  TERENS,  proprietor  of  Badger  State  House,  Mishicott.  Born 
Oct.  23,  1842,  in  Prussia.  In  lS47,came  with  his  parents  to  Sheboygan 
County.  Enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Co.  H,  2d  Wis.  V.  C. ;  served  to  the  end 
of  the  war.  In  the  Spring  of  1866.  he  entered  the  hardware  business 
with  his  brother,  continued  until  1870,  when  he  sold  out  his  interest  in 
that  business,  and  bought  this  hotel,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  Mar- 
ried,in  1S67,  to  Bertha  Meyer,  of  Mishicott.  They  have  six  children,  two 
sons  and  four  daughters. 

JOHN  H.  TERENS,  hardware,  etc.,  Mishicott.  Born  Nov. 3, 1833. 
in  Prussia.  November,  1847,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  America,  and 
located  at  Sheboygan.  In  1856,  he  went  to  California,  and  two  years 
later,  he.  with  a  partner,  opened  a  tin  shop,  plumbing,  etc.,  at  Marysville  ; 
continued  about  one  year,  then  closed  out  the  business,  and  worked  as  a 
journeyman.  In  1862,  he  came  to  Mishicott,  and  enlis'ed  in  1S64,  in  Co. 
C,  27th  Wis.  V.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Then  returned  to 
Mishicott,  and  opened  a  hotel,  also  a  hardware  store.  Two  years  later, 
he  sold  out  the  hotel  to  his  brother.  He  was  married  to  Miss  .\nn 
Malone,  in  1853;  she  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  have  one  son  and  one 
daughter. 

JAMES  NOBLE,  foreman  for  Hubbard  &  Noble,  manufacturers  of 
wood  and  sleigh  stock,  Reedsville.  Was  born  April  2, 1844,  near  Ogdens- 
burg.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  came  wiih  his  parents  to  Manito- 
woc County,  and  assisted  on  their  farm  until  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  K.  2ist  Wis.  V.  I. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Returned  to  Mani- 
towoc County,  and  worked  one  year  on  a  farm.  He  then  commenced 
working  at  the  millwright  business,  and  continued  until  the  Fall  of  1871, 
when  he  came  to  Reedsville,  and  has  been  connected  with  this  mill. 
Married,  in  1868,  to  Miss  Jane  Johnson,  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  two 
children,  both  daughters. 

JOHN  NENAtlLO,  firm  of  Nenahlo  &  Rusch,  flouring  mill. 
Reedsville.  Born  Oct.  13,  1859.  in  Manitowoc  County.  After  attending 
school,  he  assisted  on  a  farm  until  1875,  when  his  father  built  this  mill, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged.  His  father  died  in  1879.  aged  fifty-six 
years.  Since  then  he  has  had  control  of  this  business.  Married,  August, 
1880,  to  Netta  Schuster,  of  Manitowoc  County.     They  have  one  son. 

PETER  REINEMANN,  grain,  Reedsville.  Born  Jan.  30. 1S.1S,  in 
Prussia.  In  1853,  came  with  his  parents  to  Sheboygan.  In  1S74,  he 
came  to  Reedsville,  and  at  once  engaged  in  this  business.  Married,  in 
1873,  to  Miss  S.  Hermann,  of  Michigan.  They  have  four  children,  one 
son  and  three  daughters. 

JOSEPH  CHLOUPEK.  farmer,  Sec.  10,  Kossuth,  P.  O.  Francis 
Creek,  was  born,  Feb.  3,  1S33,  in  Bohemia  ;  came  to  New  York  in  184S, 
with  his  parents.  The  follDwinsj  year,  he  came  to  Milwaukee  and  worked 
at  the  harness  trade  for  seven  months.  In  1850.  he  came  to  this  locality, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  The  town  was,  in  1853,  divided  from  the  town 
of  Rapids  ;  he,  with  others,  decided  to  name  this  town  after  the  noted 
Gen.  Kossuth.  Mr.  Chloupek  was  first  employed  at  his  father's  saw-mill 
for  thirteen  years,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  He 
was  Postmaster  from  1S64  to  1S6S.  and  has  held  various  other  offices. 
He  married,  in  1856,  Mary  Sullivan,  of  Ireland,  by  whom  he  has 
five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  Their  eldest  son,  John,  is 
a  young  man  of  marked  ability  and  is  a  school  teacher. 

HENRY  SPENCER,  farmer, Sec.  24,  Kossuth,  P.  O.  Manitowoc, 
was  born  Jan.  14.  1817,  irr  England;  came  to  Rhode  Island  in  1S43. 
worked  in  a  manufactory  till  1847,  when  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County 
and  settled  on  this  farm,  which  was  entered  by  his  family.  He  now  owns 
160  acres,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  well  improved.  He  has  held  various 
local  offices,  among  which  are  Assessor,  Town  Clerk.  Town  Treasurer, 
School  Treasurer,  etc.  Married,  in  1840,  to  Eliza  Ilothersall,  of  England. 
They  have  seven  children. 

JOHN  H.  BOHNE.  farmer.  Sec.  14.  P.  O.  Meeme,  was  born  Dec. 
25,  iSlo,  in  Westphalia,  Germany  ;  in  1838,  came  to  New  York;  worked 
in  a  sugar  factory  a  short  time.  He  then  removed  to  Schenectady,  N.  Y.; 
worked  on  a  farm  four  years,  then  rented  a  farm  where  he  also  remained 
four  years.  In  1S46',  returned  to  New  York  and  opened  a  grocery 
store,  which  he  continued  about  eight  years,  then  sold  out  and  came 
to  Manitowoc  County,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  120  acres 
of  land.  Mr.  Bohne  represented  this  county  in  the  .\ssembly  in  1S6S. 
He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  several  years.     Married  in  1843,  to 


542 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Anna   Mede,  of   Heiligensladt,    Germany.     Had  twelve   children,  nine 
living,  four  sons  and  five  daughters. 

NICHOL.^S  DITTMAR,  farmer.  Sec.  29,  V.  O.  Meeme,  was  born 
April  14.  1810,  in  Prussia;  in  1S40.  came  to  Illinois;  Nov.  19,  1S47,  he 
located  this  land,  having  owned  one  .section.  He  has  since  deeded  oft 
160  acres  of  this  land  to  his  son.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Assemb'y 
during  1866-67.  Married,  May  g.  1S48,  to  Caroline  Eck.  This  was  the 
first  marriage  in  the  town  of  Meeme.  Tliey  had  three  children,  two  liv- 
ing, one  son  and  one  daughter. 


D.  ROEPKE,  firm  of  D.  Roepke  &  Bros.,  i 
34,  P.  O.  Manitowoc,  was  born,  March  23,  1853 
iher  was  a  miller,  and  he  was  brought   up  to  th 


Iver  Creek   Mill 
in  Germany.     His 
t  business,  and  has 


.Sec. 


ways  been  engaged  in  it.  His  present  mill,  built  of  stone  and  brick,  was 
erected  in  iSSo,  costing  about  $S,ooo.  They  also  have  a  saw-mill  at- 
tached to  it,  which  has  a  capacity  of  10.000  feet  a  day.  In  June,  1879, 
he  married  Miss  Annie  Wernecke,  of  Newton  Township.  They  have 
one  son. 

P.  J.  HAUCH,  produce  and  general  merchandise,  P.O.  Grimm's, 
was  born,  Feb.  18,  1S52.  in  Prussia.  At  about  the  age  of  one  and  one- 
hall  years,  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County  with  his  parents.  After  at- 
tending school,  he  assisted  on  their  farm,  and  later  followed  lumbering. 
In  1875,  he  opened  a  store  at  Reedsville  ;  continued  there  in  business 
about  one  and  one-half  years,  then  removed  to  this  locality,  where  he 
has  since  carried  on  this  business.  Married,  May  15,  1877,  to  Mary 
Schuite,  of  Manitowoc  County. 


MARATHON    COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

Tlii.s  is  one  of  tlie  Itii-ger  coiintie.s  of  the  State,  liav- 
ms;  foity-foui'  government  townships.  It  is  nine  town- 
ships Ions  fi'om  east  to  west,  and  five  from  north  to 
south.  It  would  be  a  perfect  parallelogram  but  for  the 
fact  that  a  town  on  tiie  nortliwest  corner  is  in  Ttiylor 
county,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  that  county  re- 
ferring to  its  southeast  corner. 

The  Wisconsin  River  goes  down  tlirough  the  county 
in  the  tier  of  towns  east  of  tlie  center  from  north  to 
south,  receiving  accessions  in  its  course  through  the 
county ;  on  tlie  east,  Prairie,  Pine,  Trap,  Big  Eau 
Claire,  Bull  Creek  and  others ;  on  the  west  Silver 
Creek,  Rib  River,  Big  Eau  Plaine  and  smaller  streams. 
Other  branches  in  the  county  flow  south  and  join  tlie 
river  in  the  county  below.  Most  of  these  streams  are 
huge  enough  to  float  logs,  and  there  are  mills  on  them 
doing  good  work.  Along  these  rivers  the  lumber  is 
various,  tlie  pine  predominates,  but  there  is  also  hem- 
lock, with  rock  maple,  spruce,  oak,  elm  and  bircli. 
Receding  from  the  river  the  pine  and  hemlock  disap- 
pear, and  the  htird  woods  prevail  with  walnut,  butter- 
nut und  other  valuable  trees. 

As  to  the  character  of  the  soil  there  is  no  question 
but  tiiat  it  is  of  the  finest  quality  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses, the  yield  has  exceeded  the  expectations  of  those 
who  early  began  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  The  vari- 
ous enemies  of  the  farmer  here  seem  to  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum,  as  is  sliown  by  an  experience  of  more  than 
twenty-five  years. 

The  county  was  first  organized  in  1850,  and  then 
had  160  government  townships.  As  confined  to  its 
present  limits  it  is  a  little  northeast  of  the  geographical 
center  of  Wisconsin.  Its  commercial  center  is  Wausau, 
tiie  county  seat  located  on  tlie  Wisconsin  River  at  Big 
Bull  Falls,  not  far  from  the  center  of  the  county.  Rib 
Hill  is  a  fine  mountain  near  Wau«au,  looming  up  above 
all  the  surrounding  scenery.  All  farming  products  find 
a  ready  sale  into  consumers'  hands.  No  county  in 
Wisconsin  surpasses  Marathon  in  healthfulness. 

Pulmonary  diseases  are  rare.  Fever  and  ague  and 
all  tiie  vaiious  malarial  diseases  are  not  intiigenous 
here,  and  are  unknovvn,  except  when  imported. 

The  average  temperature  for  Jiinuary  for  ten  years 
is  iiere  given  :  1865,  6  degrees  above  ;  18G6,  9  above  ; 
1867,  12  above  ;  1868,  4  above  ;  1869, 15  above  ;  1870, 


13.6  above;  1871,  15  above  ;  1872,  15.5  above;  187-3, 
7.7  above  ;  1874,  12.7  above. 

The  Winter  of  1855-6  was  a  cold  one  here,  the  ther- 
mometer showed  twenty-eight  below  zero  in  Decem- 
ber, and  thirty-two  in  Januaiy.  In  1874-5  the  tem- 
perature was  twenty-eight  below  in  December,  and 
thirty-three  in  January.  In  Januaiy,  1881,  the  glass 
revealed  the  mercury  down  to  thirty-three  below  in 
January,  and  twenty-two  in  February.  The  Winter 
of  1858  was  the  mildest  remembered,  although  1869-70 
was  comparatively  warm,  as  it  also  was  in  the  Winter 
of  1877-8. 

Tlie  geological  peculiarities  of  Marathon  County  can 
only  be  described  in  a  general  way.  Political  lines 
have  a  most  supreme  disregard  of  geological  bound- 
aries, and  the  count}'  in  this  respect  is  a  part  of  a  vast 
territory  which  has  been  more  or  less  carefully  ex- 
plored and  its  obvious  characteristics  noted.  It  may 
be  premised  that  the  country  is  an  elevated  region  of 
crystalline  rocks  900  feet  in  the  nortliern  part,  and  400 
in  the  southern,  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan. 
It  has  an  undulating  surface,  with  low  abrupt  ridges 
and  OLitcroppings  of  tilted  rocks  with  occasional  high 
points  of  quartz  rocks.  For  tiie  most  part  it  is  densel}' 
covered  with  pine  interspersed  with  marshes  and,  by 
way  of  contrast,  with  hardwood  ridges  which,  when 
cleared,  yield  excellent  farming  land,  with  rivers  full 
of  waterfalls,  awaiting  the  enterprise  wliich  is  certain 
to  realize  them  to  the  fullest  extent.  This  is  covered 
by  a  drift  material,  and  a  complete  knowledge  of  the 
history  of  a  single  pebble  composing  this  drift,  would 
give  its  possessor  more  knowledge  of  geology  than  is 
now  extant  in  the  wide  world. 

Tlie  Mosinee  Hills  are  composed  of  a  grayish  white 
quartzite  rock. 

Rib  Hill  is  feklspathic  and  quartzose. 

Tlie  Wausau  Falls  are  over  a  syenite  with  black 
hoiiiblende.  East  from  Wausau  the  country  rises 
rather  rapidly,  and  is  underlaid  with  a  porphyritic 
formation. 

The  Lower  Silurian  formation  just  touches  the 
southern  boundary  at  a  single  point.  The  rest  of  the 
county  may  be  set  down  as  lielonging  to  the  Arcliajan 
system. 

Ill  relation  to  the  soil  of  the  county  it  may  be  said 
that  on  either  side  of  the  Wisconsin  there  is  a  sandy 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


543 


belt  from  one  to  six  miles  wide  which  originally  was 
heavily  timbei'ed  with  white  and  Norway  pine.  Some 
of  the  other  streams  have  like  characteristics.  On 
leaving  this  river  belt  the  soil  is  dark  clay  loam,  which, 
to  use  a  sporting  term,  has  remarkable  "  staying  qual- 
ities." 

There  are  numerous  living  springs  and  clear  water 
brooks,  with  lakes  in  great  abundance. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  settled  policy  of  the  fur  companies  who  secured 
such  rich  rewards  by  cultivating  the  whole  region  of  the 
Northwest  with  their  trading  posts  was  to  convey  the 
impression  that  the  country  was  uninhabitable,  sterile, 
forbidding,  and  the  habitations  of  remorseless  Indians 
and  savage  beasts,  where  no  white  man  could  exist  or 
subsist. 

Adventurers  coming  up  the  Wisconsin  River  and 
striking  the  sandy  streak  which  lies  to  some  extent 
across  the  State,  at  once  concluded  that  such  was  the 
character  of  the  whole  of  Northern  Wisconsin. 

This  region  had  been  so  carefully  explored  that  in 
1836  its  value  was  thorouglily  established,  and  the 
treaty  with  the  Menomonees  extinguished  the  Indian 
title  to  a  strip  six  miles  wide  as  far  up  as  Big  Bull 
Falls,  where  Wausau  is  now  located,  and  the  valuable 
points  for  water  mills  were  soon  taken. 

It  was  not  till  1839  that  Marathon  County  was 
invaded  by  the  restless  lumberman,  John  L.  Moore. 
In  this  year  began  operations  at  Mosinee,  and  George 
Stevens,  for  whom  the  "  Point,"  was  named,  began  at 
Wausau.  The  latter  place  began  to  be  quite  rapidly 
settled,  so  that  in  1847  Mr.  Owen  estimated  the  num- 
ber at  350. 

The  strongl}'  accented  bovine  names  given  to  the 
Falls  on  the  Upper  Wisconsin  and  its  branches  were 
suggested  by  the  sound  of  the  Falls  at  Mosinee  as  it  ap- 
peared at  a  distance  through  tlie  woods  to  an  early  ex- 
ploring party  as  they  approached  it.  The  roar  struck 
the  ear  like  the  gentle  lowing  of  a  bull,  so  it  was  named 
"  Bull  Falls."  Reaching  Wausau,  which  had  a  fall  so 
much  greater,  that  it  was  named  "  Big  Bull  Fall,"  and 
of  course  the  other  became  "  Little  Bull,"  and  then 
followed,  carrying  out  the  same  conceit,  "  Grandfather 
Bull,"  "Jenny  Bull,"  "  Bull,  Jr.,"  etc. 

Among  the  settlers  who  had  located  here  in  1844 
were  Francis  Brusette  and  his  wife  Jane,  Milton  M. 
Charles,  Morgan  Coles,  Levi  Fleming,  Benj.  F.  Perry, 
John  B.  La  Fontaine,  E.  G.  Pluraer. 

The  Indians  had  kettles  in  which  to  boil  their  sap, 
obtained,  probably,  of  fur  companies'  agents,  before 
the  white  settlers  came.  And  it  is  claimed  by  Mr. 
Green,  that  the  art  of  maple  sirup  making  was  under- 
stood and  practiced  by  the  Chippewas  before  even  the 
white  race  came  to  America  at  all  ;  that  the}'  used 
birch  bark  boilers,  which  by  careful  management,  over 
a  fire  with  little  or  no  blaze,  can  be  used  to  boil  in. 

Thomas  Lynch  and  Martin  Lynch,  who  live  in  Lin- 
coln County,  are  the  oldest  living  settlers  now  known. 
They  came  to  Wausau  in  1840.  G.  G.  Greene,  now 
living  on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Jefferson  streets, 
came  in  1841,  and  is  probably  the  oldest  pioneer  now 
in  the  city.  He  relates  that  the  first  year  he  was  here, 
he  counted,  in  one  band,  800  Indians  going  up  to  make 
sugar  above  Wausau,  in  the  maple  groves. 


The  first  lumber  run  from  here  was  made  into  rafts 
only  nine  inches  deep,  and  was  run  in  the  Spring  of 
1841.  The  rafts  were  gradually  thickened,  until  they 
were  two  feet  thick. 

The  first  camp  on  the  Eau  Claire  was  put  in  by  Or- 
lan  Rood,  in  January,  1842.  The  first  man  drowned 
on  the  river  in  rafting  was  a  Frenchman,  named  Cham- 
pigne,  in  1841.  In  1842,  James  Cunningham  was 
drowned,  and  the  next  year,  John  P.  Thomas.  After 
that,  the  rafting  became  so  extensive  that  drowning 
accidents  were  common. 

The  Winter  of  1842-3  was  the  most  severe,  so  far 
as  the  amount  of  snow  is  concerned,  of  any  remem- 
bered here.  Large  numbers  of  Indians  perished  of 
hunger,  and  in  the  Spring  they  all  came  out  thin  and 
tottering.  One  of  the  chiefs,  Majdg  ( the  otter ), 
who  had  a  large  family,  killed  his  squaw,  and  he  and 
the  children  subsisted  on  her  remains.  On  the  24th 
and  25th  of  February,  1843,  several  feet  of  snow  fell 
on  top  of  a  previous  heavj'  layer.  Provisions  were  not 
to  be  spared  by  the  settlers,  and  the  poor,  miserable, 
wretched  Indians,  in  their  begging  expeditions,  had  to 
be  driven  off  with  clubs.  Among  the  old  squaws  who 
long  hovered  around  the  village  of  Wausau,  was  the 
sister  of  Little  Turtle.  She  had  some  white  blood  of 
a  Celtic  cast,  and  was  called  the  Irishwoman.  George 
J.  Moore  and  B.  F.  Berry  ran  a  mill  here,  early  in  the 
forties,  by  the  thousand.  A.  B.  Crosby  came  in  1840. 
James  Loup,  Mr.  Shepherd  and  P.  B.  Crosby  had  a 
mill  that  was  burned  when  Shepherd  pulled  out,  and 
Loup  &  Crosby  rebuilt  the  mill.  There  was  at  this 
time  little  semblance  of  law,  and  apparently  little 
need  of  it.  The  community  was  a  peaceable  one. 
Thieving  was  unknown,  although  there  was  an  occa- 
sional saloon  row,  or  street  encounter  ;  but  quarrels 
were  in  some  way  patched  up.  Resort  to  Madison,  the 
nearest  Circuit  Court,  was  very  rare.  As  one  of  the 
old  settlers  quaintly  remarked,  there  was  no  stealing, 
and  but  few  crimes,  until  tlie  lawyers  and  ministers 
arrived. 

In  the  Spring  of  1843,  there  was  a  frightful  Spring 
freshet,  probably  the  highest  on  the  river,  as  the  re- 
sult of  the  snow  of  the  previous  Winter.  In  June, 
1847,  there  was  anotiier  serious  flood. 

Among  the  most  daring  and  successful  pilots  on  the 
river  were :  Hiram  Stowe,  who  ran  the  first  lumber 
from  Wausau  ;  Joe  Kerr,  S.  M.  Woodward,  Solomon 
Leach,  and  Solomon  Story  and  Horace  Judd,  wlio  were 
the  best  Grand  Rapids  raftsmen  on  the  river. 

At  that  time,  previous  to  1845,  there  was  no  sem- 
blance of  a  road  anywiiere.  The  river  in  Summer,  and 
the  ice  on  it  in  Winter,  was  the  only  highway,  and 
then,  with  the  numerous  falls  and  rapids,  it  can  be 
seen  with  what  labor  provisions  and  supplies  were 
brought  up. 

George  Stevens  was  the  first  man  to  come  up  into 
the  pineries  and  build  a  mill  in  Wausau.  He  ran  the 
mill  at  first  and  actually  started  the  lumber  business 
here.  He  sold  out  to  Mr.  Barker,  who  operated  the 
mill  some  time.  It  was  afterward  sold  to  W.  D.  Mc- 
Indoe,  and  is  now  the  valuable  property  owned  by  J.  & 
A.  Stewart. 

Among  the  early  loggers  were,  Harvey  Polk,  John 
Forrester,  Ed.  Pierson  and  John  Wiseman. 


S44 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


In  those  days  the  Chippewa  Indians  were  very  plenty 
here,  coming  into  the  village  to  trade  their  t'urs  and 
berries,  or  to  beg.  Of  course  the  contact  of  the  two 
races,  so  unlike,  would  involve  more  or  less  friction, 
and  create  many  ludicrous  scenes  and  incidents. 

On  one  occasion,  a  gallant  j'oung  man,  now  well 
along  in  years,  undertook  to  carry  three  squaws  across 
the  river  in  a  canoe.  While  crossing:  over,  the  party 
got  in  an  altercation,  and  the  young  man  threatened  to 
tip  over  the  canoe,  and  on  making  a  feint  to  do  so,  over 
it  went;  each  of  the  squaws  struck  out  lustily  for  the 
shore,  while  the  young  man  had  to  cling  to  the  frail 
craft  as  it  floated  down  the  river,  finally  landing  a  long 
way  down. 

Among  the  early  settlers  and  successful  business 
men  may  be  mentioned,  the  Single  brothers,  Alex. 
Stewart,  J.  C.  Clark,  B.  G.  Plumer,  W.  C.  Silverthorn, 
J.  A.  Farnham,  D.  L.  Quaw,  Kelly  Bros.,  S.  H.  Alban, 
Fred.  Kickbusch,  A.  Kickbusch,  B.  Ringle  &  Sons,  J. 
McCrosseu,  Porcher  &  Mason  and  others. 

Dr.  William  Schofield  was  the  first  man  to  introduce 
rotary  saws  on  the  river.  The  first  mills  had  frame 
saws,  with  an  occasional  "  muley  ;  "  they  were  run  by 
a  flutter-wlieel. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  old  settlers,  who  were 
prominent  men  in  1857  :  Hiram  Calkins,  W.  S.  Hobart, 
William  A.  Gordon,  W.  C.  Clemson,  William  Kennedy, 
Asa  Lawrence,  Simon  Stevens,  J.  H.  Walter,  William 
Hewins,  John  C.  Clarke,  William  Gouldsberry,  Joseph 
Pas',  R.  P.  Mason,  J.  Lemessurier,  John  Tuttle,  George 
C.  Green,  J.  Bernard,  D.  W.  Fellows,  Hugli  Mclndoe, 
N.  T.  Kelly,  Ed.  Nicolls,  Charles  Winckley,  William 
Cuer,  Joseph  Taguey,  George  Silverthorn,  Ransom 
Lilly,  J.  X.  Brands,  P.  St.  Austin,  Ban  Lilly,  J.  W. 
Chubbuck,  Asa  J.  Kent,  C.  R.  Crocker,  Joshua  Wink- 
ley,  E.  G.  Chark,  S.  E.  Stoddard,  D.  L.  Plumer,  W. 
W.  DeVoe,  William  Wilson,  J.  P.  Hobart. 

Pre-historic. — A  mound  was  found  near  where  the 
Lakeside  House  now  stands,  with  a  pile  of  rocks  on 
top,  and  near  the  center  several  skeletons,  buried  head 
to  head,  in  tiie  form  of  a  star. 

Political. — In  1851,  Marathon  and  Portage  were  asso- 
ciated as  an  Assembly  district.  In  1857,  it  was  Mara- 
thon and  Wood  counties.  In  1862,  Marathon  and 
Wood.  Since  1872,  Marathon  County  has  been  a  com- 
plete Assembly  district.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
county  the  following  gentlemen  have  been  representa- 
tives in  the  Assembly  at  Madison  ;  some  of  them  the 
second  time  or  more  :  Thomas  J.  Moran,  George  W. 
Cate,  Walter  D.  Mclndoe,  Joseph  Wood,  Anson  Rood, 
Burton  Millard,  J.  S.  Young,  John  Phillips,  Orestes 
Garrison,  Levi  P.  Powers,  H.  W.  Remington,  B.  G. 
Plumer,  George  Hiles,  Henry  Reed,  Carl  Hoetlinger, 
W.  C.  Silverthorn,  Bartholomew  Ringle,  F.  W.  Kick- 
busch, John  Ringle. 

The  present  county  officers  are :  Judge,  Hon  B. 
Ringle  ;  Sheriff,  R.  P.  Mauson  ;  Treasurer,  J.  R.  Bree- 
neau ;  Clerk,  Henry  Miller  ;  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court, 
Hugo  Peters;  Register  of  Deeds,  A.  W.  Sclimidt ; 
Municipal  Judge,  Louis  Marchetti ;  District  Attorney, 
C.  F.  Eldred ;  Coroner,  F.  Neu ;  County  Surveyor, 
William  Allen. 

The  post-offices  in  the  county  are  Wausau,  Bean's 
Eddy,  Colby,  Hartsville,  Hutchinson,  Knowlton,  Maine, 


Mannville,  Marathon  City,  Mosinee,  Naugart,  Romeo, 
Rozellville,  Spencer,  Stettin,  Trapp,  Unity. 

The  population  of  Marathon  County  since  its  organ- 
ization, by  semi-decades, is  shown  to  have  been:  1850, 
489;  1855,  447;  18G0,  2,892;  1865,  3,678;  1870, 
5,885;  1875,  10,111;  1880,  17,121.  Before  1855,  the 
county  had  been  reduced  in  its  proportions. 

The  present  Senatorial  District  is  composed  of  Mar- 
athon, Waupaca  and  Portage  counties,  electing  one 
State  Senator  every  alternate  year,  to  serve  two  years. 

The  county  indebtedness,  total,  in  1880,  was  $6,- 
735.25.  The  valuation  of  property — real  estate  $3,- 
045,777  ;  personal,  13,833,352. 

The  court-house  is  on  Third  street,  Wausau,  be- 
tween Jefferson  and  Scott  streets,  on  a  public  square, 
with  an  imposing  band  stand  near  the  northwest  corner, 
and  the  jail  on  the  corner  opposite.  It  has  Grecian 
pillars  in  front,  and  is  a  good  specimen  of  a  temple  of 
justice.  Its  cost  and  the  time  of  its  construction  are 
alluded  to  in  another  place. 

The  county  jail  is  on  the  square  with  the  court-house. 
It  has  the  Sheriff's  residence,  with  offices  for  the  Dis- 
trict Attorney,  etc.  The  jail  proper  is  32x34  feet.  The 
residence  portion  is  36x40  feet.  The  cost  of  the  struc- 
ture, which  is  of  brick,  was  $11,000.  John  Mercer  was 
the  architect. 

A  special  election  under  the  act  authorizing  the  or- 
ganization of  the  new  county  was  held  on  the  2d  of 
April,  1850.  John  Stockhouse,  J.  Harrison  and  Reu- 
ben M.  Welsh  were  Inspectors ;  C.  R.  Clements  and 
John  Kenedy,  Clerks.  Tuesday,  April  9,  the  Board  of 
Canvassers  met.  Charles  Shuster,  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
John  Stockhouse  and  E.  A.  Preston,  members  present. 
The  result  was  declared  to  be  as  follows  :  Sheriff,  Will- 
iam Wezinton ;  Clerk  of  Court,  County  Clerk  and  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds,  Joshua  Fox ;  Supervisors,  Andrew 
Warren,  James  Moore,  E.  M.  Pancoast  and  John  Stock- 
house  ;  Surveyor,  Henry  E.  Goodrich  ;  Attorney,  John 
Q.  A.  Rollins  ;  Justices  for  the  town  of  Wausau,  James 
Moore,  Morril  Walrad,  E.  M.  Pancoast ;  Constables  ; 
Isaac  Gansolly,  Alva  G.  Newton  ;  Town  Clerk,  D.  R. 
Clement. 

The  regular  election  for  county  and  other  officers 
was  held  on  the  5th  of  November,  1850.  The  result 
of  tliis  election  was  as  follows :  Sheriff,  Charles  A. 
Single ;  Coroner,  Tim.  Soper ;  Clerk  Circuit  Court, 
Jchn  G.  Corsey,  who  was  also  elected  County  Clerk 
and  Register ;  Treasurer,  Morris  Walrad  ;  Surveyor, 
F.  C.  Goodrich. 

The  offices  up  to  this  time  have  been  filled  with  the 
leading  men  in  the  county,  as  a  rule,  and  the  administra- 
tion of  county  affiiirs  has  been  honest  and  economical. 

WAUSAU. 

This  is  the  sliire  town  and  is  situated  on  the  Wisconsin 
River,  in  Government  Township  29,  Range  7  east.  It  was 
first  settled  in  1845,  and  its  chief  business  has  been  the 
manufacture  of  lumber.  It  is  the  outfitting  point  for  lumber- 
men on  the  river,  and  the  amount  of  trade  for  its  size,  is 
equal  to  any  city  in  the  country.  Asa  manufacturing  point, 
it  is  not  excelled  in  its  advantages,  the  river  lias  at  this 
point  an  available  fall  of  twenty-two  feet,  only  a  fraction  of 
which  is   utilized.     The  available  horse-power  of  the  river, 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


545 


in  this  town,  at  its  low  stage,  is  between  20,000  and  30,000. 
And  the  unoccupied  power  is  always  for  sale  with  eligible 
sites  at  low  figures.  The  city  is  on  an  elevation,  rising 
gradually  from  the  river,  which  is  well  sunk  between  its 
banks  and  at  this  point  has  several  islands,  with  rocky  foun- 
dations and  well  elevated  above  the  highest  river  level. 
The  city  is  mostly  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  but  the 
larger  islands  are  occupied,  and  also,  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  is  quite  rapidly  building  up. 

The  city  is  regularly  laid  out,  very  nearly  coincident  with 
the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass.  There  are  fire  limits,  out- 
side of  which  only  wooden  buildings  can  be  erected,  parallel 
with  the  river,  the  streets  are  named  Second,  Third,  etc. 

Third  street  with  the  cross  streets  are  now  the  principal 
business  points,  and  there  are  many  fine  brick  blocks. 

Wausau  is  forty  miles  north  of  Stevens  Point,  Shawano  is 


Street  Commissioner;  C.  A.  Single,  D.  B.  Wylie,  Fire 
Wardens.  Tavern  licenses  were  fixed  at  $25,  and  saloon 
licenses  at  $50.  1862 — B.  Ringle,  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  Th.  Single,  Clerk.  1863— B.  Ringle,  President; 
M.  H.  Barnam,  Clerk.  1864— R.  P.  Mauson,  President  ; 
M.  H.  Barnam,  Clerk.  1865 — .A.ug.  Kickbusch,  Presi- 
dent; William  Wilson,  Clerk.  1866— Aug.  Kickbusch, 
President;  R.  P.  Mauson,  Clerk.  1867— Jacob  Paff,  President; 
J.  W.  Chubbuck,  Clerk.  1868— Jacob  Paff,  President ;  J.  W. 
Chubbuck,  Clerk.  I869— Jacob  Paff,  President;  J. 
W.  Chubbuck,  Clerk.  1870— C.  Woeflinger,  President;  J.  W. 
Chubbuck,  Clerk.  1871— C.  Woeflinger,  President  ;  J. 
W.  Chubbuck,  Clerk. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Wausau  was  incorporated  as  a  city  March  18,  -872.      It 
was   named  by   Hon.  W.  D.   Mclndoe,  and  signifies  "  far 


U 


.■^^'  .:r.  -4 


sixty  miles  east  of  Wausau  ;  Merrill  twenty  miles  north  ; 
Neillsville,  sixty  miles  west.  It  has  fourteen  saw-mills,  eight 
within  the  city  proper  and  the  other  six  near.  The  daily 
capacity  of  these  mills  is  10,000  ;  the  river  boom 
capacity  is  100,000,000  or  more.  It  has  door 
sash  and  blind  factories,  foundries,  machine  shops,  and  other 
manufacturing  shops  that  will  be  alluded  to  in  detail.  It  has 
brick  blocks,  railroads,  fine  schools,  good  churches,  plenty 
of  business,  no  idlers,  and  no  prevailing  diseases. 

Wausau  was  first  platted  in  1852;  it  having  been  seen  at 
that  early  day,  to  use  a  military  expression,  that  it  was  a 
strategic  point  to  capture  business  and  trade,  although  it 
it  was  not  finally  incorporated  until  1862. 

Wausau  existed  under  a  town  organization,  until  April  8, 
1 86 1,  when  in  accordance  with  the  corporate  act,  a  village 
organization  was  effected.  F.  A.  Hoffman  was  President  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees.  The  other  members  were  Charles  A. 
Single,  Jacob  Paff,  John  Irwin,  John  C.  Clarke,  Th. 
Single,  Clerk.  The  first  meeting  provided  a  village  seal.  F.  A. 
Farnham  was  appointed  Surveyor;  Henry  H.  Lawrence, 
34 


away."  On  April  9,  1872,  the  city  government  was  organ- 
ized. August  Kickbusch,  Mayor;  John  Schneider,  C.  A. 
Single,  August  Leemke,  R.  P.  Mauson  and  Fred.  New,  Al- 
dermen ;  John  Patzer,  Clerk. 

Since  that  time  the  following  men  have  been  Mayors  of 
the  city:  Jacob  Paff,  August  Kickbusch,  C.  Hoeflinger,  B. 
Ringle,  J,  C.  Clarke,  D.  E.  Plumer  and  J.  E.  Leahy,  who 
is  the  present  Mayor,  and  has  held  the  place  since  1879. 

The  following  men  have  been  City  Clerks  :  John  Patzer, 
Henry  Miller  and  J.  W.  Miller,  the  present  Clerk,  who  has 
held  position  since  1878. 

J^tri;  Depaiiment. — There  is  a  volunteer  fire  company, 
which  responds  at  an  alarm  of  fire.  The  apparatus  of  the 
department  consists  of  a  steam  fire  engine,  built  by  Ahrens, 
of  Cincinnati,  hose  carriage,  hooks  and  ladders,  etc.,  with  a 
first-class  hand  engine.  The  engine  house  is  well  appointed, 
with  horses  trained  to  the  gong.  Chief  engineer,  F.  W. 
Kickbusch  ;  engineer  of  the  steamer,  Mike  Coughlin,  who 
has  an  assistant  and  firemen. 

Polict  Department. — The  police  are  very  efficient  in  keep- 


546 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


ing  order,  with  remarkably  few  arrests,  as  they  have  the 
correct  idea  that  a  policeman's  usefulness  should  be  gauged 
by  the  fewness  of  the  arrests,  and  not  by  a  reverse  standard. 
The  Mayor,  ex  officio,  is  Chief  of  Police.  Dave  Burnett 
is  the  present  Marshal.  The  others  on  the  force,  who  are 
uniformed,  are  :  Tliomas  Dunn,  Henry  O'Brien,  Louis  Har- 
vey, Fred.  Tank. 

It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  state,  that  since  the  first 
organization  of  the  city  government  its  affairs  have  been 
honestly  and  economically  administered.  The  present 
officers  are  :  J.  E.  Leahy,  Mayor ;  J.  W.  Miller,  Clerk ; 
George  Wesheim,  Treasurer;  Phillip  Ringle,  Assessor; 
Dave  C.  Burnett,  Marshal  ;  M.  M.  Charles,  Justice;  Coon 
Seim,  Street  Commissioner  ;  Justice  of  the  Peace,  J.  Jones  ; 
Charles  W.  Nuther.  Surveyor ;  City  Attorney,  C.  H.  Miller. 

The  Rebellion — During  the  war  the  history  of  Wausaw 
and  Marathon  County  is  not  unlike  that  of  all  the  other 
counties  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  The  drum  and  fife  were 
not  unfamiliar  sounds  in  the  pineries.  The  impassioned 
eloquence  of  t'e  backwoods  orators  had  its  due  effect.  The 
enlistments  were  equal  to  the  demands.  Of  course,  at  that 
time  Wausaw  was  young;  there  were  no  railroads,  and  the 
river,  with  its  numerous  falls  and  rapids,  was  of  little  value 
as  a  thoroughfare.  The  men  who  enlisted  went  to  Stevens 
Point,  or  to  their  former  homes,  to  go  to  the  front  with  their 
friends.  The  reputation  of  the  soldiers  from  the  pineries 
was  first-class.  Among  the  most  prominent  of  those  who 
joined  the  Union  army,  and  lived  to  return  may  be  men- 
tioned the  following:  L.  B.  Folsom,  V.  Ringle,  Robert 
Johnson,  J.  W.  Lawrence,  W.  W.  DeVoe,  M.  H.  Barnum, 
Rev.  Theodore  Green,  H.  L.  Wheeler,  Levi  Fleming,  J.  E. 
Leahy,  J.  W.  Jones,  C.  A.  Single,  Th.  Youlser,  George 
Reeder,  W.  C.  Silverthorn,  M.  M.  Charles,  W.  P.  Filbrick, 
C.  Hoeflinger,  I.  A.  Kellogg,  S.  S.  Armstrong,  C.  P.  Hazel- 
tine,  D.  L.  Quaw,  Dr  W.  W.  Searls.  W.  D.  Mclndoe  was 
the  provost-marshal  here. 

HISTORICAL    EVENTS. 

April  22,  1857,  the  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was  is- 
sued, under  the  name  of  the  Central  IViseonsin,  by  J.  W. 
Chubbuck  and  John  Foster. 

About  this  time  a  division  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance 
was  organized.  It  was  numbered  140.  William  H.  Ken- 
nedy, W.  P.;   L,  W.  Slosson,  W.  A.;  and  William  Wilson,  R.  S. 

In  May,  1857,  there  was  quite  a  freshet  in  the  river. 

In  1S57,  Mr.  B.  F.  Cooper  owned  most  of  the  water- 
power  at  the  Falls  in  the  city.  The  firm  was  Cooper  & 
Smith. 

During  the  Winter  of  1857-8,  a  debating  club  was  in 
operation  in  the  village.  'I'liey  had  little  trouble  in  decid- 
ing questions  that  afterward  took  the  country  four  years  to 
settle. 

In  the  Summer  of  1858,  a  road  to  New  London  was 
completed. 

The  first  fleet  of  lumber  left  Wausau  in  the  Spring  of 
1857,  on  the  22d  of  March.  But  it  was  not  until  the  29th 
of  April,  1858,  that  the  first  fleet  got  away. 

FLarly  in   the  history  of  Wausau  and  other  river  towns, 


the  drowning  of  men  while  running  lumber  on  the  river, 
was  not  uncommon.  Wausau,  having  some  of  the  most 
dangerous  places  and  the  longest  run,  suffered  quite 
severely  in  this  regard. 

April  21,  1S66,  there  was  an  unusual  rise  in  the  river; 
bridges  were  swept  away,  logs,  lumber,  shingles,  etc.,  went 
out,  entailing  a  large  loss. 

On  the  nth  of  May,  1866,  there  was  a  serious  fire, 
which  destroyed  the  steam  mill  of  Daniels  &  Corey,  lum- 
ber, shingles,  Mr.  Corey's  barn  and  other  property  was  de- 
stroyed. Aug.  Andrews,  James  Kitchen,  John  Schneider, 
Herman  Millard  and  others  were  losers. 

In  the  early  Summer  of  1866,  important  improvements 
were  made  in  the  running  part  of  the  rapids  and  dam. 

During  the  Summer  of  1866,  there  was  a  ripple  of  ex- 
citement over  the  alleged  discovery  of  petroleum  in  the 
county. 

The  list  of  voters  in   1866,  embraced  about  200  names. 

The  court-house  was  constructed  in  the  Summer  and 
Fall  of  1867,  at  a  contract  price  of  $7,500. 

The  agricultural  show  ground  was  cleared  off  in  the 
Fall  of  1867. 

In  the  Fall  of  1867,  the  Big  Bull  Falls  were  blown  up 
at  various  points  to  facilitate  rafting. 

A  brass  band  was  organized  in  1867. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1S69,  there  was  a  destructive  fire, 
the  loss  was  at  least  $iS,ooo. 

July  4,  1S69,  the  people  had  a  celebration  of  the  day, 
with  the  usual  splendor.  Dr.  W.  H.  Searls  was  the  orator 
of  the  occasion. 

July  18,  1869,  there  was  a  severe  freshet,  the  river  rose 
a  foot  an  hour  for  eight  hours.  The  Pine  River  went  up 
nine  feet.  The  losses  in  Wausau  footed  up  $20,000 ;  di- 
vided among  J.  C.  Clarke,  W.  D.  Mclndoe,  A.  C.  Norway, 
Alex.  Stewart,  R.  E.  Parcher,  Gid.  Young  and  several  others. 

A  fire  engine  arrived  July  22,  1869.  It  was  named 
Wausau,  No.  i. 

August  27,  1869,  a  post  of  the  G.  .V.  R.  was  organized, 
with  the  following  officers  and  members  :  M.  H.  Barnam, 
W.  W.  DeVoe,  M.  M.  Charles,  Robert  Johnson,  Alphonso 
Poor,  O.  M.  Priest,  Steve  Durkee,  Charles  Miller,  L.  B.  Fol- 
som, King  Young,  T.  W.  Clark. 

October  8,  1869,  J.  C.  Clarke's  saw-mill  was  burned. 
Loss,  $12,000. 

The  Rib  Mills,  west  of  Wausau,  were  burned  in  July, 
1 87 1,  with  a  loss  of  $20,000.  Benjamin  Single  was  the 
owner. 

July  25,  1 87 1,  the  lumber  yard  of  J.  C.  Clarke  caught  fire, 
threatening  serious  loss ;  but  the  fire  company,  by  great  ex- 
ertion, stopped  it  with  little  loss. 

October  21,  1871,  at  a  special  election,  to  determine 
whether  the  county  would  assist  the  railroad,  was  decided 
in  the  affirmative. 

During  the  Winter  of  187 1,  Wausau  being  outside  of  the 
line  of  travel  of  dramatic  comp,anies,  a  dramatic  company 
was  formed,  and  it  is  presumed  that  no  candidate  for  his- 
trionic honors  ever  called  more  vehemently  for  a  horse,  with 


HISTORY    OF    MARATHON    COUNTY. 


547 


the  offer  of  his  kingdom,  than  did  the  redoubtable  Richard 
ni  of  that  ambitious  club. 

There  was  the  same  Winter  a  Pine-knot  Literary  Club, 
the  name  signifying  the  substitution  for  the  midnight  oil 
of  greater  antiquity. 

The  construction  of  a  bridge  across  the  slough  at  Clark's 
Island  was  contracted  for  with  D.  W.  C.  Mitchell  for  $2,- 
990,  in  1872. 

The  improvement  of  the  falls  in  the  Winter  of  1873,  with 
D.  W.  C.  Mitchell  as  engineer,  and  B.  F.  Cooper  as  con- 
tractor, was  entered  upon. 

A  hook  and  ladder  company  was  organized  in  1S73,  on 
the  18th  of  April.  J.  C.  Clarke  was  foreman  ;  William  Wil- 
son, second  foreman;  R.  E.  Parcher,  treasurer;  William 
Collins,  secretary. 

In  September,  1873,  a  new  bridge  across  the  Wisconsin 
River  was  completed  by  John  Brown. 

In  1873,  the  following  lumbermen  were  in  business  in 
Wausau:  J.  A.  Stewart,  Joseph  Single,  Benjamin  Single, 
Cohn  &  Curran,  Kickbusch  &  Bro.,  Lawrence  &  Peters, 
B.  G.  Plummer,  Ed.  Zastrow,  J.  Leahy,  J.  C.  Clarke,  John 
Gallon,  Robert  Parcher,  H.  Daniels,  Mclndoe  &  Co.,  Rufus 
Mason,  Kelley  Bros.,  M.  Stafford,  Herman  Miller  and  James 
McCrossen. 

The  whole  number  of  buildings  erected  in  1873  in  the 
city  was  108. 

The  amount  of  logs  in  the  boom  in  1875  was  estimated 
at  30,000,000. 

July  6,  1875,  there  was  a  fire.  The  losers  were  H.  Was- 
hauer,  August  Kickbusch  and  S.  Messeneir  to  the  amount 
of  $6,000. 

The  log  crop  for  1878  was  54,000,000  feet. 

In  the  Winter  of  1878,  Mason  &  Co.'s  mill  on  the  Mar- 
athon City  road,  eight  miles  from  the  city,  was  built.  It  has 
a  65-horse  power  engine. 

The  Forest  House  was  burned  on  the  2d  of  August, 
1878.  The  loss  was  $25,000  ;  insurance,  $5,000.  It  was 
owned  by  C.  A.  Single. 

The  Wisconsin  River  Log-driving  Company  was  organ- 
ized on  the  4th  of  October,  1878,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000. 
T.B.Scott,  president;  C.  P.  Hazeltine,  treasurer;  W.  J. 
Scriver,  secretary. 

There  was  a  fire  early  in  February,  1S79,  involving  in 
losses,  C.  H.  Mosher,  G.  W.  Casterline,  J.  C.  Gebhart,  J.  A. 
Cowan  and  Ch.  Wessner. 

June  12,  1880,  the  river  rose  thirteen  feet  above  low-wa- 
ter mark.  Railroad  communication  was  cut  off  for  several 
weeks,  and  business  for  days  was  at  a  standstill.  Much 
damage  was  done  to  the  mills,  bridges,  lumber,  etc. 

Valuation  of  the  city  in  1880:  real  estate,  $646,417  ; 
personal,  $354,453- 

August  10,  i88c,  the  whole  community  was  thrown  into 
an  intense  state  of  excitement  by  the  shooting  of  Dr.  E.  L. 
Hogle,  a  dentist  from  Stevens  Point,  who  had  just  located 
here  to  practice  his  profession,  by  Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett,  who 
had  been  for  some  time  in  business  as  a  dentist  here.  Dr. 
Hogle  was  instantly  killed  because  he  was  a  rival  as  Bennett 


alleged.  He  was  subsequently  tried  for  murder,  adjudged 
guilty  and  sent  to  Waupun  State  Prison  for  life. 

A  fire  in  September,  1880,  consumed  $4,000  worth  of 
lumber  for  the  Wausau  Lumber  Company. 

Sept.  26,  1880,  the  Central  Wisconsin  newspaper  was 
printed  for  the  first  time  on  a  power  press,  the  first  machine 
of  the  kind  in  town. 

The  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  and  /Western  Railroad  was 
completed  to  Wausau  on  the  8th  of  November,  18S0. 

Improvements  in  Wausau,  in  1880,  amounted  to  $111,- 
580. 

In  the  year  1880,  Clark,  Johnson  &  Co.  came  from  Mich- 
igan and  put  a  complete  outfit  of  Stearns's  machinery  into 
their  mill  on  the  island. 

The  lumber  cut  for  1880  in  the  county  :  Lumber,  49,000,- 
000;  shingles,   28,720,000;  lath,  5,900,000;  pickets,   480,- 

Feb.  3,  1881,  Mr.  Bardeen's  restaurant  was  burned  from 
the  explosion  of  a  kerosene  lamp. 

On  the  1 2th  of  January,  1 881,  Wausau  had  arousing  visit 
from  the  mayor  and  other  citizens  of  Oshkosh.  Mayor 
Dale  addressed  the  citizens  of  Wausau  and  Gen.  Kellogg 
responded.  The  hospitalities  of  the  city  were  freely  extend- 
ed. The  single  men  of  the  party  were  consigned  to  the 
hotels,  while  men  with  their  wives  and  the  ladies  were  en- 
tertained by  the  citizens  in  their  own  homes.  It  was  an 
enjoyable  time. 

In  October,  1881,  the  visit  was  repaid  with  interest  by 
the  people  of  Wausau,  who  came  down  upon  their  Oshkosh 
friends  in  cohorts  that  led  them  to  think  the  pineries  were 
deserted. 

Early  in  September  of  1881,  the  Wisconsin  River,  in 
consequence  of  protracted  and  unusual  rains,  rose  to  an  un- 
usual height,  but  not  enough  to  endanger  property.  Below 
at  Stevens  Point,  on  account  of  the  rise  in  the  branches 
coming  in  below  Wausau,  it  rose  relatively  higher  than  here. 
The  great  freshet  occurred  on  Thursday  and  Friday,  Sept. 
29  and  30.  The  river  was  already  up  at  ordinary  high 
water  mark,  when  three  and  one-half  inches  of  rain  fell  in  a 
few  hours,  and  the  river  rose  rapidly  during  Thursday  night, 
and  men  and  teams  were  put  to  work  on  the  guard  lock, 
weighting  it  down  with  rocks  and  filling  in  on  the  east  end 
at  3  o'clock,  A.  M.,  a  fire  alarm  was  sounded,  and  at  day- 
light 500  men  with  teams  were  at  work.  The  water  crept 
up  to  the  highest  water  mark  of  June,  1880.  The  upper 
boom  gave  way,  and  60,000,000  feet  of  logs  came  struggling, 
crushing,  jamming,  tumbling  down  upon  the  jamb  piers  by 
the  lower  divide.  They  proved  equal  to  the  emergency, 
and  stood  the  awful  pressure  of  logs  piled  twenty  feet  high 
from  the  solid  bed  of  the  river.  By  noon  the  water  was  at 
its  highest,  being  fifteen  inches  above  the  highest  point  ever 
known,  and  fourteen  feet  six  inches  above  low  water  mark. 
The  water  rushed  over  the  west  end  of  the  guard  lock  and 
cut  away  the  track  of  the  Lake  Shore  road.  The  railroad 
bridge  foundations  were  washed  out,  but  were  kept  from 
floating  awav  by  cables. 

Herchenback's  old  mill  was  undermined  and  went  down, 


548 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


his  house  was  submerged  and  the  stone  dam  carried  away 
clean.  The  boom  at  Clark,  Johnson  &  Co.'s  mill  gave  way, 
carrying  out  725,000  feet  of  logs  belonging  to  I.eahe  &  Beabe. 
The  losses  only  in  a  general  way  can  be  recounted.  The 
Railroad  Co.,  $5,000;  Frank  Hushenback,  $4,000;  Clark, 
Johnson  &  Co.,  $12,000;  Ely  Wright,  in  goods,  $2,500. 
Other  losers  by  their  buildings  toppling  over,  lumber  washed 
away,  etc.,  were  B.  G.  Plumer,  J.  &  A.  Stewart  &  Co., 
P.  B.  McKeller,  G.  Werlich  of  Big  Rib,  B.  Single  on  Lit- 
tle Rib  and  John  Callan  on  Trapp  River.  The  trains  up 
the  river  were  delayed  two  weeks  by  washouts  and  for  a 
week  below  on  the  St.  Paul  road.  One  man  was  drowned 
at  Rib  Falls.  It  was  a  mighty  flood.  The  roar  of  the 
rushing  waters  could  be  heard  for  miles.  At  the  Falls,  it 
was  a  spectacle  seldom  witnessed.  The  foam-crested  waves, 
rolling  and  tumbling,  hither  and  thither,  a  mighty  contend- 
ing force,  surging  on,  tossing  and  hurling  giant  timbers,  an 
angry  resistless  torrent. 

The  Land  Office,  formerly  at  Stevens  Point,  was  removed 
to  Wausau,  in  August,  1872.  The  land  district,  with  head- 
quarters here,  embraces  all  that  part  of  the  State  lying  north 
of  the  line  between  Townships  14  and  15,  north  of  the  base 
line;  west  of  the  line  between  Ranges  11  and  12  east  of  the 
principal  meridian,  and  east  of  the  line  between  Ranges  i 
and  2  east.  The  officers  of  the  Land  Office  are  S.  H.  Alban, 
Register,  and  D.  L.  Quaw,  Receiver.  These  gentlemen  have 
long  held  their  positions,  and  are  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  whole  land  business,  and  impart  their  information 
in  a  most  cheerful  and  accommodating  spirit,  and  any  land 
buyer  must  be,  indeed,  bewildered,  if  he  can  not  there  have 
all  the  perplexing  intricacies  of  the  subject  made  plain. 
Within  a  year  or  two  a  very  gratifying  amount  of  land  has 
been  entered  by  actual  settlers,  especially  in  the  Spring 
Brook  settlement.  After  the  panic  of  1873,  the  sales  were 
light  until  recently.  There  are  still  many  thousand  acres 
of  land  in  the  district,  subject  to  entry,  embracing  lumber 
and  farming  lands. 

K.  S.  Markstrum  presides  over  the  internal  revenue  de- 
partment, dispensing  licenses  and  stamps  to  the  anxious 
contributors  to  the  interest  on  the  public  debt. 

R.  H.  Johnson  is  Postmaster,  and  last  year  built  a  fine 
office  on  Third  street,  in  front  of  the  court-house,  which  is 
remarkably  well  adapted  to  its  purpose.  The  Central  Wis- 
consin office  is  in  the  second  story.  W.  L.  Beers  is  the 
Assistant  Postmaster.  The  business  of  the  year  1880  was 
as  follows  :  Stamps  sold,  $2,830.37  ;  money  orders  issued, 
$14,234.91;  money  orders  paid,  $14,787.94;  number  of  let- 
ters registered,  600.  Six  hundred  letters  a  day,  as  an  aver- 
age, passed  through  the  office,  besides  the  papers  and  cir- 
culars. 

Educational. —  The  schools  of  the  city  are  controlled  by 
a  lioard  of  Education  and  a  City  Superintendent,  chosen 
by  the  City  Council.  The  principal  school-house  was 
erected  in  1874,  at  a  prime  cost  of  $21,000.  It  contains 
seven  departments,  fitted  up  with  modern  improvements, 
and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  550.  It  is  in  a  central  posi- 
tion, and  will,  at  no  distant  day,  be  used   exclusively  as   a 


high  school.  The  primary  schools  occupy  two  smaller 
buildings,  well  adapted  to  the  purpose.  The  First  Ward 
School-house  is  on  the  west  side,  and  is  a  model,  built  of 
brick  in  1879.  As  the  city  increases  it  is  contemplated  to 
build  other  ward  buildings.  The  following  named  persons 
constitute  the  present  Board  of  Education  :  R.  P.  Mauson, 
President;  B.  W.  James,  Secretary;  J.  E.  Leahy,  William 
Wislon,  John  Ringle,  John  Patzer,  R.  P.  Mauson,  Herman 
Miller.  C.  D.  .\bbey,  Principal  and  Superintendent  of 
Schools. 

The  teachers  for  1881  are  : 

High  School — Principal,  C.  D.  Abbey;  Assistant,  Fanny 
Le  Gros  ;  Anna  M.  Inez,  first  grade;  Clara  Brown,  second 
grade;  x^ngie  B.  Crocker,  first  intermediate;  Lelia  V.  Arm- 
strong, second  intermediate. 

First  Ward — Mrs.  Maggie  Highes,  Lavina  E.  McCros- 
sen,  Ida  E.  Briery. 

Second  and  Third  Wards — Mrs.  M.  J.  Armstrong,  Lute 
Judson,  Alzina  Mercer,  May  B.  Remington. 

Fourth  Ward — Amelia  Hase,  Nellie  Single. 

Fifth  Ward— Nellie  L.  Wilson,  Emma  R.  Briggs. 

The  schools  were  reorganized  in  i88r,  with  the  High 
School  Principal  as  Superintendent,  and  a  graded  system 
perfected.  The  course  of  study  embraces  twelve  years — 
three  years  primary,  three  years  intermediate,  two  years 
grammar,  and  four  years  for  the  high  school,  which  fits  the 
pupil  for  the  State  University,  or  for  a  business  life.  The 
high  school  building  has  six  rooms,  well  furnished,  and  five 
departments.  It  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and 
Sixth  streets.  Number  of  scholars  in  1880,  1,130;  attend- 
ance, 868.     In  1881,  14,086;  attendance  in  1881,  1,000. 

Churches. — In  the  early  history  of  Wausau,  there  were 
but  two  English-speaking  churches,  and  these  were  very 
poorly  supported.  The  six  days'  labor  which  pioneer  life 
involved  was  compensated  for  by  a  general  deshabille.,  it 
being  too  much  like  work  to  prepare  even  for  church,  and 
the  day  was  more  of  a  general  holiday  than  a  New  England 
Sunday. 

The  Methodists  were  the  first  in  the  field,  and  built  a 
church  which  was  soon  burned ;  but  the  particulars  can  be 
gathered  in  the  special  record  at  each  church. 

The  first  minister  in  Wausau  was  Rev.  X.  Cleary,  a  Con- 
gregational colporteur.  The  next  was  Rev.  Y.  Lane.  In 
1854,  the  Rev.  Z.  Turner  organized  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
making  it  monthly  visits  from  Stevens  Point.  There  were 
four  members,  and  the  few  Methodists  here  united  with 
them ;  but  not  having  a  constant  service,  it  soon  fell  to 
pieces. 

A  Methodist  Presiding  Elder,  Rev.  W.  Yocum,  soon 
after  organized  a  church  of  that  denomination,  the  Presby- 
terians uniting  with  them  with  the  understanding  that  they 
would  withdraw  when  a  Presbyterian  minister  should  come. 

The  next  year,  the  Rev.  A.  Bartow,  of  Baraboo,  re-organ- 
ized the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  Rev.  S.  Halsey  was  pas- 
tor for  five  years.  The  society  obtained  a  room  over  a  saloon 
on  First  street,  where  Mr.  Fernald's  store  now  is.  After- 
ward the  place  of  meeting  was  moved  to  a  house  on  Forest 


HISTORY    OF    MARATHON   COUNTY. 


549 


street.  The  church  was  then  received  into  the  Fox  River 
Presbytery.  Soon  after  this,  there  being  no  minister,  the 
church  well  nigh  expired.  Mrs.  Poor  was  the  only  resident 
member,  and  with  Mrs.  Gouldsbury,  of  Mosinee,  constituted 
the  whole  membership.  During  the  following  year,  Rev.  W. 
Stevens  officiated,  followed  by  Mr.  Payne,  a  student.  The 
following  season  an  enthusiastic  clergyman  put  in  an  appear- 
ance ;  but  the  frigidity  of  the  Winter  and  the  unapprecia- 
tive  character  of  the  people  soon  cooled  his  ardent  temper- 
ament, and  he  noiselessly  withdrew. 

The  Rev.  .^ngus  McKinnon  next  undertook  the  culti- 
vation of  this  reluctant  field.  He  applied  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  for  the  use  of  their  place  of  worship,  at 
some  stated  times  when  not  in  use;  but  the  presiding  elder, 
who  happened  to  be  more  of  a  sectarian  than  a  Christian, 
said,  "  No,  we  don't  want  the  Presbyterians  here.  Stamp 
them  out,  root  and  branch."  This  excited  the  sympathy  of 
the  German  Church,  which  invited  them  to  their  building. 
Rev.  J.  Farwell  followed,  and  ministered  for  six  months. 
This  brings  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  up  to 
December,  1875,  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  Up  to  this 
time,  the  total  number  of  members  taken  into  the  Church 
was  twenty-four.  At  this  time,  through  the  recommenda- 
tion of  Rev.  B.  C.  Riley,  the  synodical  missionary,  who  rep- 
resented that  Wausau  was  the  wickedest  place  in  the  State, 
the  Rev.  J.  Winthrop  Hageman,  from  the  East,  came,  and, 
as  he  says,  found  his  friend's  statements  not  exaggerated. 
When  his  work  commenced,  meetings  were  held  in  the 
court  -  house.  Five  years  afterward,  a  fine  brick  church 
was  dedicated,  having  been  built  in  1877,  with  a  member- 
ship of  157,  against  nine  communicants  when  his  ministra- 
tions commenced.  Previous  to  Mr.  Hageman's  time,  $4,000 
had  been  expended  by  the  home  missions  to  support  this 
church,  and  there  was  serious  talk  of  discontinuing  the 
mission.  It  is  now  the  third  in  size  among  the  churches  of 
the  presbytery.  In  October,  1881,  Mr.  Hageman  left  to 
take  general  charge  of  the  forty  churches  in  the  presbytery. 

Following  the  usual  rule,  the  Methodists  early  started 
services  in  the  frontier  town  of  Wausau.  In  1854,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Greenleaf,  of  Stevens  Point,  had  started  meetings  here 
in  the  school-house.  In  1855,  the  mission  at  Mosinee  was 
organized,  with  occasional  preaching  by  Rev.  C.  Baldock. 
In  1856-7,  Rev.  M.  D.  Warner  had  a  class  organization. 
Judge  Kennedy  assisting ;  Rev.  M.  H.  Barnum,  on  a  call 
from  the  people,  preached  here  about  this  time  for  a  year. 
In  the  year  1858,  at  the  Conference  in  Beloit,  May  12, 
Bishop  Morris  made  Wausau  a  regular  appointment,  send- 
ing Rev.  R.  S.  Hayward  as  the  first  regularly  stationed 
pastor. 

Two  lots  were  secured,  on  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Grant  streets,  and  Mr.  C.  Philbrick  and  the  minister  struck 
the  first  blows  scoring  timber  for  a  church.  As  reported  to 
Conference  in  1859, the  church  and  parsonage  was  completed. 
In  1859,  Rev.  C.  D.  Cooke  was  here;  i860,  Rev.  W.  J.  Olm- 
stead  was  assigned  to  the  post,  and  had  a  successful  year. 
For  the  year  beginning  in  the  Fall  of  1861,  Rev.  C.  Baldock 
had  Wausau  and  Mosinee.     In    1862,  Rev.    Mr.   Olmstead 


was  returned,  remaining  until  1865,  when  Rev.  E.  Bassett 
came.  In  1866,  Rev.  William  Willard  was  here,  when  the 
parsonage  was  burned,  with  his  goods.  He  remained  two 
years.  In  1868,  Rev.  J,  T.  Gaskell,  who  also  preached  at 
Jenny,  was  on  this  circuit.  In  1869,  while  Mr.  Gaskell  was 
still  here,  the  church  was  burned ;  and  before  the  embers 
were  extinguished.  Dr.  W.  H.  Searles  was  on  the  street  with 
a  subscription  paper  to  rebuild.  In  1870,  Rev.  E.  T.  Briggs 
was  the  minister.  In  187 1,  Rev.  H.  B.  Crandall.  1872, 
Rev.  Thomas  Walker,  who  did  good  work  for  three  years, 
having  the  lots  graded,  fenced,  etc.  Following  him  were 
Revs.  G.  Fallows,  Jesse  Coles,  J.  T.  Chynoweth,  W.  W. 
Stevens  and  Benjamin  F.  Sanford,  the  present  pastor,  now 
on  second  year.  The  church  has  fifty-two  active  members. 
A  fine  Sunday-school,  of  which  Dr.  Searles  was  a  long  time 
superintendent;  H.  S.  Alban  is  the  present  superintendent. 
The  present  edifice  was  dedicated  March  10,  1872.  Rev. 
George  C.  Haddock  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Wilson  were  present, 
and  took  part  in  the  exercises. 

The  Evangelical  St.  Paul  German  society  has  a  good 
church,  erected  in  1863.  There  had  been  preaching  here 
in  this  faith  by  an  itinerant  preacher.  The  first  regular 
pastor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Mohldenke,  followed  by  Rev.  Mr.  C. 
Stoeffler,  Rev.  A.  Loup,  Rev.  P.  A.  Albert,  Rev.  F.  Kern. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  F.  G.  Reinicke,  who  took  charge 
in  March,  1872,  and  is  still  the  pastor  in  charge. 

Mr.  Reinicke  opened  a  school  on  coming  here,  with 
thirty  scholars;  he  now  has  ninety.  Besides  Wausau,  he  is 
a  general  missionary,  holding  occasional  service  in  the 
towns  of  Maine,  Berlin,  Texas,  town  Wausau  and  other 
places. 

The  Universalist  church  was  built  in  1869,  before 
there  had  been  a  Universalist  sermon  preached  within 
100  miles  of  the  place,  as  it  is  stated.  It  was  designed  and 
constructed  by  a  ship  carpenter,  and  had  sufficient  timber 
to  withstand  very  serious  assaults  from  the  elements,  and 
the  proportions  of  the  structure  would  be  admirable  if  one- 
third  of  it  were  submerged.  It  is  in  contemplation  to  ra' e  it 
several  feet  lower  than  it  now  is,  to  improve  its  top-heavy 
appearance.  The  first  regular  minister  was  Rev.  E.  Sultz, 
who  did  not  succeed  in  securing  the  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity to  an  alarming  extent,  although  he  was  an  able  man 
in  some  respects.  The  Rev.  Mr.  J.  S.  Fall  was  the  next  pas- 
tor. He  was  an  active  and  energetic  man,  with  positive 
opinions  which  antagonized  the  prevailing  theological  be- 
lief, and  his  doctrines  were  not  presented  with  that  per- 
suasiveness that  did  not  repel  those  who  had  conflicting 
ideas.  Mr.  Fall  was  a  man  of  blameless  character,  and  he 
had  the  full  confidence  of  the  Church,  and  of  those  who 
knew  him  best.  Since  he  left,  a  few  years  ago,  there  has 
been  no  service  in  that  church,  notwithstanding  some  of 
the  first  people  in  Wausau  are  adherents  to  that  form  of 
belief. 

It  may  be  mentioned  as  a  singular  fact,  that,  in  Northern 
Wisconsin,  there  are  very  few  of  the  so-called  "  liberal 
churches." 

The  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  Septem^ 


55° 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


ber  13,  1857.  Thomas  Youles,  senior  warden;  John  C. 
Clarke,  junior  warden  ;  Vestrymen — W.  Beer,  Jr.,  W.  Clem- 
son,  Burton  Willard,  J.  W.  lyler,  P.  N.  Calkins,  Thomas 
Single,  Benjamin  Single,  William  Kennedy;  J.  W.  Tyler, 
secretary.  Before  this,  however.  Rev.  Thomas  Green,  who 
was  at  Stevens  Point,  came  up  here  at  the  request  of  Charles 
Single,  who  had  conferred  with  Gen.  Ellis  on  the  subject, 
and  held  service  for  several  days  in  succession.  This  was 
in  March,  1854,  and  the  stage  was  six  days  on  the  road. 
On  Mr.  Green's  return,  he  had  service  at  Mosinee,  in  the 
log-house  of  Mr.  William  Blair.  The  lot  upon  which  the 
church  was  built  was  deeded  to  Bishop  Kemper  in  1857. 
The  next  year,  a  frame  was  erected,  and  it  stood  in  an  in- 
complete state  until  1863,  when,  in  a  violent  gale,  it 
was  blown  down.  After  remaining  a  time  at  Stevens 
Point,  Mr.  Green  came  here,  remaining  until  1873, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Phillip  McKim.  Since 
that  time,  the  pastors  have  been  Rev.  Joshua  Davenport, 
Rev.  W.  C.  Armstrong  and  Rev.  William  Wright,  the  pres- 
ent rector.  The  church  now  has  sixty  members.  The 
Sunday-school  twenty-five  scholars.  The  re-building  of 
the  church  was  commenced  in  1867,  and  pushed  to  comple- 
tion soon  after. 

The  Lutheran  Church  also  has  a  school  largely  attended 
by  German  children,  and  in  the  Fourth  Ward  there^is  a  large 
private  school  building  with  a  select  German  school.  Be- 
sides these,  are  several  other  select  schools  taught  by  teach- 
ers of  experience  and  ability. 

Catholic  Church,  St.  Mary's. — The  first  mass  said  in  Wau- 
sau  was  at  the  house  of  W.  D.  Mclndoe,  on  Main  street,  in 
1849,  by  Rev.  Father  Dale. 

Rev.  Father  Itchmann  afterward  officiated  at  the  resi- 
dences of  Mr.  Stafford  and  Hugh  Mclndoe's,  and  at  differ- 
ent halls.  Rev.  Father  Pollock  and  several  others.  Rev. 
Father  Richards,  as  his  first  charge,  came  here  in  1875,  and 
still  remains.  The  church  building  was  begun  in  1868,  and 
finished  in  1875,  and  dedicated.  It  is  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition. 

Marathon  County  Bible  Society,  organized  February  17, 
1867;  Thomas  Hinton,  president;  G.  A.  Lawrence,  vice- 
president  ;  Jacob  Paff,  treasurer ;  Justin  W.  West,  secretary. 

Newspapers. — The  city  is  well  supplied  with  newspapers, 
the  oldest  being  the  Central  Wisconsin,  which  was  estab- 
lished in  1857  ;  the  first  number  appearing  April  22,  with 
J.  W.  Chubbuck  &  Co.,  as  publishers.  The  number  for 
September  30th  and  October  7th,  was  issued  in  one  sheet, 
on  dark  green  paper,  no  other  being  obtainable  so  far  from 
market.  The  paper  was  discontinued  for  some  time,  but 
was  finally  resuscitated  by  R.  H.  Johnson,  who  still  pub- 
lishes it  as  a  Republican  paper. 

The  Wisconsin  Pilot,  was  started  as  a  Democratic  paper, 
in  1865,  by  V.  Ringle,  who  is  still  at  the  helm,  with  a  Ger- 
man paper,  the  Wochenbtati,!ind  a  well-appointed  job  office. 

The  Torch  of  Li/yerty,  a.'' 'i^diUona.X  Greenback"  paper, 
was  established  by  Mark  H.  Barnum,  August  9,  1877.  He 
also  published  for  a  time  the  Wccachter,  a  German  paper  of 


like  persuasion,  which  is  now  published  in  the  Centra/  office, 
as  a  Republican  sheet.  These  papers  are  weekly,  and  will 
compare  favorably  with  any  papers  in  the  pineries  of  Wis- 
consin. 

Fraternal  Orders. — The  various  fraternal  societies  now 
flourishing  in  the  country  are  well  represented  here.  Among 
the  most  prominent  may  be  mentioned  Forest  Lodge,  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  No.  130;  H.  Alban,  W.  M. ;  H.  L.  Wheeler,  sec- 
retary. 

Wausau  Chapter,  No.  51;  S.  H.  Alban,  M.  E.  H.  P.; 
W.  J.  Scriver,  secretary. 

Wausau  Lodge,  No.  115,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows;  J.  W.  Miller,  N.  G.;  L.  Marchette,  secretary. 
Moved  into  their  new  hall,  April  26,  1877. 

Wausau  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  80. 

Knights  of  Honor,  No.  871. 

Home  Lodge,  No.  20,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
ingmen,  instituted  February  14,  1878;  Pat  Delaney,  M.  W.; 
Ch.  Heppner,  secretary. 

The  Catholic  Total  Abstinence  and  Benevolent  Society. 

The  Sons  of  Hermann,  and  other  orders,  all  seem  to  be 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  a  large  membership  and  fine 
lodge  rooms,  handsomely  furnished  and  carpeted. 

The  Germans  have  a  Turn  Society,  with  a  large  member- 
ship, and  rooms  fitted  up  with  the  implements  and  parapher- 
nalia of  a  regular  gymnastic  club. 

The  Ladies'  Literary  Society  is  a  flourishing  association, 
which  has  good  rooms  on  Third  street,  opposite  the  court- 
house. Weekly  meetings  are  held,  and  there  is  a  library, 
the  use  of  which  is,  singularly  enough,  confined  to  the  use  of 
the  members.  This  society  has  acted  as  a  bureau,  to  pro- 
cure lecturers,  and  the  city  is  indebted  to  it  for  having  the 
opportunity  to  hear  some  of  the  prominent  celebrities  of 
this  prominent  field  of  literary  labor. 

The  several  church  denominations  have  ladies'  societies 
to  promote  those  interests,  denominated  Aid  Societies,  Mite 
Societies,  Sewing  Circles,  etc. 

Driving  Park  Association. — In  the  Fall  of  1881,  a  socie- 
ty, with  the  above  name,  was  organized  among  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  city.  There  is  a  race  track,  where 
meetings  are  held  to  develop  the  trotting  stock  of  the 
county. 

The  Germania  Guards,  a  regular  company  in  the  Wis- 
consin National  Guards.  The  armory  is  at  Concert  Hall. 
The  men  are  regularly  drilled  and  properly  equipped,  and 
on  occasion  turn  out  with  full  ranks.  Attempts  are  being 
made  to  organize  a  new  company. 

Catholic. — St.  Mary's  Congregation.  In  185 1,  when  there 
were  in  Wausau  but  twenty-five  families  and  100  people,  the 
first  Catholic  priest  to  visit  the  place  was  Rev.  S.  Dale,  who 
held  services  in  the  house  of  Hon.  W.  D.  Mclndoe.  In 
1852-3,  Rev.  Mr.  Itchmann,  of  Madison,  visited  Wausau 
and  said  mass.  In  1857,  Rev.  James  Stehle,  of  Stevens 
Point,  held  service  in  C.  A.  Single's  hall  every  two  months. 
His  brother,  N.  Stehle,  followed  him,  until  the  Summer  of 
i860,  when  Rev.  John  Polock  came.      He  officiated   in  B. 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


55' 


Ringle's  hall.  By  united  efforts,  a  lot  was  about  this  time 
obtained,  and  a  deed  secured  on  the  20th  of  July,  1861, 
for  $80. 

In  September,  1861,  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Henni  visited  Wau- 
sau,  on  his  way  to  Marathon  City,  to  bless  their  new  church. 

Rev.  L.  Lux  was  the  next  priest,  then  Rev.  M.  Schme- 
back;  he  had  monthly  services  in  the  engine  house.  Rev. 
Ch.  Hengin  next  officiated.  In  July,  1867,  the  corner- 
stone of  the  church  was  laid  with  proper  ceremony.  In 
1869,  the  Rev.  John  Zawistowski  was  sent  as  the  first  resi- 
dent priest.  In  1870,  he  left,  and  Wausau  was  again  a 
mission  of  Stevens  Point.  That  year,  Rev.  L.  Cornelis  was 
occasionally  here,  and  in  March,  187 1,  the  church  was  so  far 
completed  that  mass  was  said  in  it.  Rev.  L.  Spitzelberger 
was  the  next  man.  The  foundation  of  the  priest's  house 
was  laid  in  1874,  and  there  were  forty  Catholic  families  here 
then.  Rev.  W.  Gunderbach  became  the  resident  priest  in 
August,  1874.  During  1875,  Rev.  M.  July  officiated  four 
times.  March  22,  1875,  the  Rev.  Theodore  J.  Richards  was 
sent  here  as  his  first  charge,  and  he  still  remains,  respected 
by  the  town,  and  beloved  by  his  people.  He  has  finished 
and  improved  the  church  and  parsonage,  paid  off  the  debt, 
grounds  have  been  added,  and  the  congregation  put  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  Number  of  Catholic  families  now 
eighty,  or  about  400  members.  The  Sunday  school  has 
twenty  scholars.  The  present  trustees  are  John  Byrne,  John 
Joe  Sherman  and  August  Ganthier  ;  R.  A.  Johnson,  treas- 
urer. 

Wausau  Cemetery  Association  have  grounds  south  of 
the  city. 

The  Catholic  Association  also  have  a  burial  place  near 
the  same  spot. 

Railroads. — The  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  was  the  first 
to  reach  Wausau,  although  the  Wisconsin  Central  had  al- 
ready cut  across  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county,  and 
skirted  it  on  the  west  from  north  to  south.  The  Wisconsin 
Valley  road  reached  Wausau  on  the  31st  of  October,  1874, 
and  regular  trains  began  running  on  the  9th  of  November. 
The  local  celebration  on  that  occasion  is  noticed  elsewhere. 
This  road  has  since  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Company,  and  now  extends  from  their 
main  line  at  Tomah,  in  Monroe  County,  to  Merrill,  the  cap- 
ital of  Lincoln  County.  The  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  & 
Western  Railroad  Company  is  the  second  road  to  connect 
Wausau  and  Marathon  County  with  the  lower  part  of  the 
State.  It  was  formed  by  the  consolidation  of  several  roads, 
and  runs  into  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  depot  at  Mil- 
waukee. It  reached  Wausau  in  the  Fall  of  1880,  and  does 
a  very  large  lumber  business,  which  only  seems  to  be  lim- 
ited by  the  amount  of  rolling  stock.  In  the  Spring  of  1881, 
"The  Great  Northern  Timber  Belt  Railway  "  was  incor- 
porated with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000.  The  proposition  be- 
ing to  build  a  road  from  Green  Bay  through  Brown,  Ocon- 
to, Shawano,  Langdale,  Marathon,  Taylor,  Chippewa,  Lin- 
coln, Price,  Barron,  Polk,  Burnett  and  Douglas  to  the  St. 
Croix  River.  Incorporators — W.  C.  Silverthorn,  R.  E. 
Parcher,  H.  Naher,   D.   L.  Plumer,  T.  B.   McCourt  and  F. 


A.  Healey.  This  road  will  bisect  the  richest  part  of  Wis- 
consin. On  the  31st  of  October,  1874,  the  Wisconsin  Val- 
ley Railroad  reached  Wausau.  The  occasion  was  duly  cel- 
ebrated by  a  regular  gala  day,  on  Wednesday,  November 
II.  The  train,  with  the  railroad  officials,  and  a  large 
number  of  invited  guests,  was  met  at  the  depot  by  a  pro- 
cession, headed  by  the  cornet  band,  the  fire  department, 
and  the  best  the  city  could  display.  Mrs.  Winkley  got  up 
the  dinner,  Mr.  L.  Paradis  presided  at  the  tables.  The 
dinner  was  at  Forest  Hall  and  Music  Hall,  both.  Hon.  W. 
C.  Silverthorn  welcomed  the  guests;  responded  to  by  F.  O. 
Wyatt,  superintendent  of  the  road.  That  Wausau  did 
credit  to  itself  on  that  occasion,  may  be  inferred  by  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  names  of  the  committee  of  ladies  having  the 
matter  in  charge:  Mrs.  James  McCrossen,  Mrs.  George 
McCrossen,  Mrs.  Parcher,  Mrs.  French,  Mrs.  Schofield, 
Mrs.  James,  Mrs.  Peters,  Mrs.  Mormon,  Mrs.  Parenteau, 
Mrs.  McKimm,  Mrs.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  Thayer,  Mrs.  Gotche, 
Mrs.  Sullivan,  Miss  Kate  Schofield,  Miss  Lina  Williams,  Miss 
Mary  J.  Thompson,  Miss  Josie  Thayer,  Miss  Nellie  Mc- 
Crossen, Miss  Josie  Bradford,  Miss  Hattie  Meriam,  Miss 
Ida  Brightman,  Miss  Nellie  Blair,  Miss  May  Connolly,  Miss 
May  Poor. 

American  Express. — This  company  is  fortunate  in  its 
office  agent  here,  A.  C.  Clark,  who  is  uniformly  pleasant  and 
accommodating.  The  business  of  the  company  is  constant- 
ly increasing. 

Stage  Lines. — Up  to  1874,  the  river  and  stages  were  the 
sole  dependency  for  transportation,  and  a  daily  line  to 
"  Jenny  "  was  one  of  the  institutions  until  the  completion 
of  the  road  to  that  town,  now  transformed  into  Merrill. 
Now  there  are  two  weekly  lines,  one  to  Marathon  City, 
west;  the  other  to  east  to  Spring  Brook. 

Hotels. — The  city  has  quite  a  number  of  hotels,  some  of 
them  quite  large  and  well  appointed.  Up  to  the  Fall  of 
1881,  however,  it  not  unfrequently  happened  that  all  the 
rooms  were  filled,  boarding-houses  and  all,  and  considerable 
skirmishing  was  required  by  a  belated  party  to  secure  even 
a  "  cot"  or  a  "  shakedown." 

The  Bellis  House  is  a  large,  first-class  hotel,  built  by 
Bellis  &  Mosher,  in  1S81,  who  are  the  managers.  Dan 
Giles  is  chief  clerk;  Mrs.  Jane  Bellis,  housekeeper.  There 
are  forty  rooms,  with  large  dining  room,  sample  room,  and 
all  the  adjuncts  to  a  well  appointed  hotel.  It  is  of  brick, 
and  is  on  Third  street,  opposite  Court-house  square. 

77/1?  Adams  House  is  a  large  brick  building  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Fourth  and  Jackson  streets.  John  Adams  is  the 
manager.  It  has  large  and  pleasant  rooms,  and  good  ac- 
commodations. 

The  Winkley  House  is  the  oldest  and  was  the  largest  in 
the  city.  C.  Winkley  is  proprietor,  with  Mrs.  Winkley  as 
matron.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  Jackson  street,  and  is 
noted  for  its  good  cheer  and  a  free  bus.  Mr.  Winkley  be- 
gan the  hotel  business  here  in  1858. 

The  Marathon  House,  located  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Washington  streets,  owned  by  Mrs.  W.  D.  Mclndoe,  is  a 
good-sized  and  well  furnished  house.     G.  W.  Kallock  took 


552 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  house  in  1877,  and  by  careful  management  it  does  a 
good  business.  Mrs.  Kallock  is  an  amiable  landlady,  and 
gives  good  fare  and  pleasant  accommodations. 

The  Riverside  House,  formerly  the  Hunt  House,  is  on  the 
corner  of  Jackson  and  Main  streets.  It  is  managed  by  William 
H.  Deakin,  with  his  mother  as  housekeeper.  The  house 
has  been  recently  enlarged  and  improved,  and  is  in  all  re- 
spects a  comfortable  place  to  stop. 

The  Railroad  House. — This  is  on  Washington  street,  near 
the  depot.  W.  J.  Empy  is  proprietor  and  has  been  there 
since  1876.     He  is  a  pleasant  and  accommodating  landlord. 

John  Sloan  keeps  a  boarding-house  on  Jackson  street ; 
Caspar  Seim,  on  Forest  street;  A.  Scharnotta  &  Co.,  Wash- 
ington street;  P.  A.  Winneburg,  near  the  depot;  C.  Up- 
dahl,  Jefiferson  street;  M.  E.  Philbrick,  next  door  to  Bellis 
House  ;  Mrs.  Noiseux,  on  Jackson  street,  and  several  other 
boarding-houses,  all  doing  good  business. 

The  Medical  Profession,  in  numbers,  ability  and  skill,  is 
not  behind  other  northwestern  cities.  As  to  numbers,  there 
is  a  doctor  to  each  650  people,  which,  with  the  characteristic 
healthfulness,  must  make  hard  times  for  those  in  the  rear  of 
the  procession.  The  following  M.  D.'s  are  in  active  prac- 
tice :  Mrs.  Elsie  H.  Clark,  A.  T.  Koch,  S.  G.  Higgins,  W. 
H.  Searles,  T.  Smith,  I.  W.  De  Voe,  D.  B.  Wylie,  Wm.  Wy- 
lie.     Dr.  Searles  is  about  to  remove  to  Salt  Lake  City. 

There  are  two  dentists  to  supply  the  place  of  the  two  so 
summarily  disposed  of  last  year — J.  C.  Bennett  shooting  his 
rival,  E.  L.  Hogle,  and  getting  himself  into  Waupun  for  life. 
The  present  practitioners  are  E.  E.  Lawrence  and  C.  J. 
Bradley. 

The  Marathon  Bar  is  represented  by  twenty-one  lawyers, 
all  of  them  but  three  residing  in  Wausau.  They  are  an 
able  body  of  men.  Here  are  their  names  :  C.  V.  Bardeen, 
M.  H.  Barnham,  E.  L.  Bump,  Neal  Brown,  M.  M.  Charles, 
C.  F.Crosby,  C.  F.  Eldrend,  District  Attorney;  H.  H. 
Grace,  H.  B.  Huntington,  M.  Hurley,  B.  W.  James,  J.  A. 
Kellogg,  E.  B.  Lord,  Louis  Marchetti,  Municipal  Judge  ;  C. 
H.  Mueller,  B.  Ringle,  County  Judge;  T.  C.  Ryan,  W.  C. 
Silverthorn,  all  of  Wausau  ;  Charles  Grow  and  R.B.Salter 
of  Colby  ;  and  G.  I.  Follett  of  Spencer. 

There  are  four  public  halls:  Music  Hall,  Jacob  Koulter, 
proprietor;  Forest  Hall,  C.  A.  Single,  proprietor  ;  Bernard's 
Hall  and  Ruder's  Hall.  Music  Hall  is  the  largest,  has  a 
stage,  scenery,  etc. 

Banking. — The  first  regular  bank  in  Wausau  was  the 
Bank  of  the  Interior,  which  went  into  operation  on  the  ist 
of  July,  185S.  Linus  R.  Cady,  L.  A.  Richards  and  W.  H. 
Clark  were  interested  in  its  operations.  It  was  finally 
merged  in  the  Marathon  County  Bank,  with  J.  A.  Farnum  as 
president,  and  A.  Jeffry  as  vice  president. 

The  Marathon  County  Bank  was  started  in  January,  1875, 
with  a  capital  of  $25,000.  Since  that  time,  it  has  done 
a  large  banking  business.  The  banking  house  is  on  the 
corner  of  Third  and  Jefferson  streets,  and  the  vault 
is  protected  by  a  chronometer  lock.  Total  resources,  1881, 
$146,613.71.     Officers:    C.  P.  Haseltine,  president ;    C.  W. 


Harger,  cashier.  The  other  stockholders  are^Daniel  Jones, 
A.  LoUiday,  Julia  E.  Harger  and  Helen  H.  Gallup. 

Silverthorn  &  Plumer,  bankers,  began  operations  in  1866. 
They  do  a  large  land  business,  paying  taxes,  etc.  Their 
disbursements  in  the  Spring  are  $250,000  a  month.  Total 
resources,  $isq,i30. 

Wausau  Board  of  Trade  has  been  in  operation  several 
years.  A  seat  at  its  board  is  valuable,  but  not  quite  up  into 
the  thousands,  as  like  institutions  in  New  York  now  figure. 
What  it  may  be  in  1981,  no  one  can  even  conjecture.  The 
present  officers  are:  J.  M.  Smith,  president;  W.  C.  Silver- 
thorn, vice-president ;  D.  L.  Plumer,  treasurer;  T.C.Ryan, 
secretary;  John  Single,  N.  A.  Anderson,  Alex.  Stewart,  R. 
P.  Pratt,  Aug.  Kickbusch  and  William  Knox,  directors. 

BUSINESS   INTERESTS. 

Responsible  land  and  real  estate  agents  are  most  valu- 
able to  those  seeking  investments  in  a  new  country  particu- 
larly, as  well  as  to  non-residents.  The  following  list  of 
dealers  in  real  estate  will  be  of  service :  Silverthorn  & 
Plumer,  Allen  &  McEwen  (who  are  also  surveyors),  B.  W. 
James,  Henry  Miller,  J.  R.  Bruneau,  John  Ringle  and 
Charles  V.  Bardeen.  Thompson  &  Smith  are  the  agents 
for  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  lands,  which  are  held  at 
$3  per  acre  and  upward. 

The  Wausau  Boom  Company  is  perhaps  the  most  im- 
portant institution  connected  with  the  lumber  interest,  as 
its  prosperity  depends  very  largely  upon  the  success  of  its 
management.  It  was  incorporated  in  1874,  and  the  cost  of 
the  construction  of  the  booms,  which  extend  six  miles  up 
the  river,  has  been  over  $30,000.  The  stofftig  capacity  is 
30,000,000,  and  nearly  100,000,000  feet  of  logs  are  handled 
yearly.  Twenty-five  men  are  regularly  employed,  and  in 
the  Spring,  during  the  busy  season,  150  men  are  at  work 
there.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  :  R.  E.  Parcher, 
president;  J.  M.  Smith,  treasurer;  and  H.  L.  Wheeler, 
secretary. 

The  Wisconsin  River  Log  Driving  Company,  organized 
October  4,  1878.  Capital,  $50,000.  T.  B.  Scott,  president ; 
C.  P.  Hazeltine,  treasurer ;  W.  J.  Scriver,  secretary. 

The  Wisconsin  Boom  Company,  organized  October  8, 
1872.  L.  S.  Cohn,  president;  N.  T.  Kelley,  treasurer; 
H.  Beck,  secretary.     Capacity,  four  to  five  million  feet. 

John  C.  Clark  has  a  well  appointed  lumber  mill ;  can 
cut  100,000  feet  in  twelve  hours.  Employs  from  seventy- 
five  to  115  men.  The  establishment  includes  an  extensive 
planing  mill.  Mr.  Clark  owns  his  own  pine  lands.  The 
mill  has  a  double  rotary,  for  slabbing,  and  sawing  cants  for 
shingle  mill,  a  single  rotary,  a  gang  edger,  a  trimmer,  a  lath 
and  picket  mill,  a  shingle  mill,  a  planer  and  molding  ma- 
chine, a  siding  machine,  a  slab  grinder.  There  is  a  force 
pump  with  300  feet  of  hose,  besides  other  machinery  re- 
quired in  such  a  mill.  There  are  three  large  water  wheels, 
run  from  a  head  of  twelve  feet.  These  mills  are  the  oldest 
in  the  city,  but  are  now  filled  with  modern  machinery.  The 
mills  are  on  an  island  of  nine  acres,  with  plenty  of  room. 
Tlie  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  Co.  has  a  side  track  to  the  mill. 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


553 


Wausau  Lumber  Company,  incorporated  May  17,  1879. 
R.  E.  Parcher,  president;  D.  L.  Plumer,  treasurer;  V.  A. 
Anderson,  secretary ;  N.  L.  Alderson,  George  Silverthorn 
and  Alonzo  Stephens  were  the  other  directors.  Capital, 
§20,000.  Present  officers:  James  M.  Crossen,  president; 
William  A.  Knox,  secretary;  D.  L.  Plumer,  treasurer. 
Manufacture  lumber,  lath,  pickets  and  shingles.  Capacity 
of  the  mill,  Spring  to  Fall,  12,000,000  feet.  The  power  is 
derived  from  a  loo-horse  power  steam  engine.  The  mill 
has  all  kinds  of  first  class  machinery,  rotary  gang  edger, 
trimmer,  shingle,  lath  and  picket  machinery.  They  also 
have  a  planing  mill  near  the  railroad  track.  John  Langdon 
is  the  lessee  of  the  mill,  and  is  operating  it.  Seventy  men 
are  employed. 

J.  &  A.  Stewart  &  Co.'s  mill  is  located  at  the  foot  of  For- 
est street  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river.  The  power  is  fur- 
nished by  four  large  water  wheels  of  the  most  approved 
form.  The  mill  runs  two  double  rotaries  with  a  capacity 
of  75,000  feet  every  twelve  hours. 

It  also  has  gang  edger,  trimmer,  shingle,  lath  and  pick- 
et machines,  and  everything  is  kept  in  first-class  order. 
Adjoining  the  saw  mill  is  the  planing  mill,  where  lumber 
is  put  in  any  desirable  shape  for  the  market.  Employ- 
ment in  the  several  departments  is  given  to  160  men. 
The  following  represents  a  season's  cut  :  Lumber,  16,000,- 
000  feet ;  shingles,  8,000,000  ;  lath,  1,000,000  ;  pickets,  300,- 
000.  The  firm  is  composed  of  John  and  Alex.  Stewart  and 
Walter  Alexander,  substantial,  active    and  energetic  men 

Merheim  &  Kickbusch's  mill  is  located  on  Scott  street, 
near  the  railroad  track.  It  contains  the  latest  improved 
machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  doors,  sash  and  blinds, 
floorings,  siding,  moldings  and  shingles.  Large  stocks  of 
these  articles  are  constantly  carried  and  the  sales  are 
mostly  for  home  construction.  About  twenty  men  are  em- 
ployed, and  $18,000  or  ^20,000  worth  of  work  is  annually 
executed. 

B.  G.  Plumer's  mill  is  situated  on  Plumer's  Island,  be- 
tween Clark's  and  Stewart's  mills.  It  contains  a  double  ro- 
tary, gang  edger,  trimmer,  shingle  machines,  lath  and  pick- 
et mill,  planer,  siding  and  molding  machines.  The  daily 
capacity  of  the  mill  is  30,000  feet  of  lumber  and  50,000 
shingles.  The  piling  ground  is  convenient.  The  night 
and  day  run  keeps  sixty  men  on  the  alert.  Mr.  Plumer 
came  into  possession  of  the  mill  in  1863  and  has  run  it  ever 
since,  having  personal  supervision  of  the  entire  business. 

H.  Daniels's  mill  is  devoted  exclusively  to  the  produc- 
tion of  shingles.  It  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  above 
the  dam  and  is  propelled  by  steam.  The  machinery  is  of 
the  very  best.  Mr.  Daniels  started  the  business  in  1865 
and  has  kept  right  at  it  ever  since.  He  makes  7,000,000 
or  more  shingles  a  year,  which,  as  he  cuts  all  the  logs  into 
shingles  without  assorting  them  for  other  purposes,  have  a 
very  high  reputation.  When  in  full  running  trim,  thirty 
men  are  employed. 

Curtis  Bros.  &  Co.,  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  have  a  branch  in 
Wausau,  manufacturing  doors,  sash  and  blinds.  It  is  a 
mammoth  concern.     S.  E.    Anderson,  Supt.     The    repre- 


sentative of  the  firm  here  is  J.  E.  Carpenter.  Mill,  80x100, 
three  stories;  engine  room,  40x40;  wing,  20x20;  sales- 
room, SoxSo. 

Clark,  Johnson  &  Co. — This  is  a  first-class  mill  in  all 
respects,  employing  fifty-five  men,  turning  out  lumber  in  an 
unremitting  stream. 

The  Marathon  Lumber  Co.  finished  their  mill  in  June, 
1881.  It  is  40x1  20  feet;  wing,  30x30  feet ;  engine  room,  2;^x 
40  feet.  The  firm  is  C.  F.  Dunbar  and  D.  and  F.  McDonald  ; 
everything  is  first-class. 

Herchenbach's  flouring  mill  is  on  the  north  end  of 
Clark's  Island,  and  has  a  remarkably  efficient  water  power. 
The  mill  was  purchased  by  the  present  proprietor  in  1878, 
and  was  thoroughly  overhauled  and  repaired  and  put  in  ex- 
cellent running  order  with  modern  machinery,  and  the  pro- 
ductions meet  with  instant  sale  for  local  use.  The  flood  of 
September,  1881,  washed  through  the  basement  of  this  mill 
and  did  other  damage. 

Wausau  Iron  Works. — The  building  for  this  extensive 
company  was  erected  by  Ely  Wright,  in  1873,  and  he  be- 
came the  proprietor  and  operator  until  1877,  when  it  was 
sold  to  D.  J.  Murray,  the  present  proprietor.  The  location 
is  on  Third  street,  near  the  railroad.  It  is'fully  furnished 
with  the  latest  designs  in  machinery,  such  as  lathes,  jilaners, 
boring  machines,  bolt  machines,  etc.;  with  devices  and  tools 
to  prepare  patterns.  It  is  also  supplied  with  an  iron  and  a 
brass  foundry.  The  blacksmith  shop  is  well  appointed  with 
tools  for  heavy  work.  The  establishment  is  fully  prepared 
with  skilled  labor,  and  the  requisite  tools  for  building  steam 
engines  and  mill  machinery,  and  doing  all  kinds  of  casting 
in  iron  or  brass.  Rather  a  specialty  is  made  of  trimmers 
for  saw  mills.  Quite  a  large  amount  has  been  done  for  the 
railroad.  The  annual  amount  of  business  is  over  $50,000. 
Eighteen  men  are  employed.  Mr.  Murray  is  his  own  super- 
intendent, with  George  Clayton  as  book-keeper. 

J.  A.  Frenzel's  Iron  Works  is  located  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  city  ;  is  remarkably  well  equipped  with 
steam  power  and  the  requisite  appliances  for  successful 
business.  As  a  specialty,  the  shop  turns  out  plows  of  an 
excellent  pattern,  straw-cutters,  and  like  implements.  Be- 
sides this,  repairing  is  largely  attended  to.  The  business 
of  the  concern  foots  up  $10,000  a  year. 

Porter  Bros.,  of  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  established  a  tan- 
nery here,  with  seventy-two  vats,  in  the  Summer  of  1881. 
The  firm  is  J.  A.  &  J.  F.  Porter. 

C.  Althen  &  Co.  is  one  of  the  oldest  firms  in  the  city  ; 
dealers  in  general  merchandise  and  farm  produce.  Amount 
of  business,  $25,000  annually. 

R.  Bauman  established  the  hardware  business  here  in 
1867  ;  now  carries  a  stock  of  $10,000,  and  sells  $15,000  a 
year.     He  has  a  fine  store. 

M.  Duffy  started  business  in  1868;  carries  a  neat  stock 
of  groceries  on  Jackson  street. 

The  year  after  the  railroad  reached  Wausau,  in  1875, 
Mr.  Homier  came  here  and  opened  up  a  mammoth  stock 
of  dry  goods,  hardware  and  groceries.  The  stock  aggre- 
gates $20,000  in  value,  and  the  sales  foot  up  nearly,  or  quite, 


554 


HISTORY  OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


$50,000  each  year.  Farming  implements  and  a  tin-shop 
are  a  part  of  the  establishment. 

In  1873,  the  firm  of  Nathan  &  Benjamin  Heinemann 
began  business  here,  at  first  doing  a  light  business  in  cloth- 
ing. They  now  deal  in  general  merchandise,  sewing  ma- 
chines, pianos  and  organs. 

A.  Dengel  &  Co.,  formerly  Dengel  &  Sherman.  Mr. 
Dengel  commenced  business  here  in  1S75.  His  son-in-law 
is  now  associated  with  him.  They  are  in  Paff's  Block,  on 
Third  street,  and  deal  in  general  merchandise,  carrying  a 
$12,000  stock,  and  disposing  of  $25,000  worth  a  year. 

John  C.  Gebhardt  deals  in  general  merchandise,  having 
started  in  1875,  in  a  small  way,  but  now  sells  $40,000  worth 
of  goods  a  year. 

Aug.  Kickbusch  began  business  here  in  i860,  and  now 
has  a  huge  establishment,  consisting  of  a  dry  goods  and 
grocery  store  and  two  warehouses.  The  stock  is  worth  $20,- 
000,  and  sales  to  the  extent  annually  of  $75,000  are  made. 

John  Kiefer,  groceries  and  general  merchandise,  of  a 
select  variety,  for  retail  trade. 

F.  W.  Kickbusch,  in  1879,  put  up  a  fine,  large  store  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Scott  streets,  and  put  in  an  im- 
mense stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  flour,  feed,  and  crock- 
ery.    He  has  one  of  the  best  store  in  the  city. 

A.  W.  Krueger  deals  in  groceries  on  Jefferson  street  ; 
keeps  a  good  stock. 

H.  P.  Maynard,  dealer  in  groceries,  crockery,  glassware, 
and  farm  produce.  His  store  is  on  Scott  street.  His  sales 
are  $20,000  a  year. 

Mueller  &  Quandt,  corner  of  Third  and  Washington 
streets,  deal  exclusively  in  boots,  shoes  and  rubbers.  The 
sales  foot  up  $20,000  annually. 

John  Oelhafen  deals  in  general  merchandise,  on  Forest 
street,  with  a  well  stocked  store  and  large  sales. 

Parcher,  Mason  &  Fernald.  This  is  one  of  the  heaviest 
firms  in  the  city.  They  carry  a  heavy  stock  of  general 
merchandise,  and  do  a  very  large  business,  particularly  in 
supplying  logging  camps.  G.  E.  Fernald  has  general  su- 
pervision of  the  business,  which  is  located  on  Main   street. 

J.  McCrossen  &  Co.,  dealers  in  general  merchandise. 
James  McCrossen,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  estab- 
lished the  business  in  1868,  which  has  grown  to  large  pro- 
portions, amounting  to  $125,000  a  year.  They  supply  a 
large  number  of  logging  camps,  and  have  a  wide  reputation 
for  square  dealing. 

Anton  Schuetz,  corner  Fourth  and  Jackson.  Dry  goods, 
groceries,  crockery,  notions,  etc. 

M.  E.  Philbrick  &  Co.,  fruit  house,  confectionery, 
fancy  groceries,  with  restaurant  and  lodgings. 

James  Montgomery,  hardware  and  cutlery,  direct  from 
the  manufactories. 

J.  P.  Briggs  deals  in  books  and  stationery,  fancy  goods, 
albums,  toilet  articles,  paintings,  engravings,  frames,  etc. 

B.  Bick  &  Co.'s  ladies'  bazar.  Main  street,  near  tlie 
post-ofiftce. 

John  Ringle  deals  in  general  merchandise  to  the  extent 
of  $20,000  a  year. 


John  Schneider,  all  kinds  of  heavy  and  shelf  hardware, 
tinware  and  farming  implements.  His  store  is  near  the  rail- 
road track. 

Charles  Wiskow,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  boots  and 
shoes,  corner  Second  and  Washington  streets. 

C.  Althenn,  clothing,  hats,  caps,  dry  goods,  groceries 
and  general  merchandise. 

C.  F.  Dunbar,  a  fine  location  on  Third  street,  with  a 
large  stock  of  goods,  attracts  a  large  business.  He  came 
to  Wausau  in  1874. 

Will  Davenport  came  here  in  1877,  with  a  stock  of  goods 
owned  by  C.  Claflin,  of  Stevens  Point  He  afterward 
bought  out  the  concern,  and  now  has  a  fine  place  and  a 
good  business  on  Third  street. 

L.  J.  Rhodes  is  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  ^^'ashington 
streets  ;  an  experienced  man,  doing  a  good  business. 

A.  Engle,  a  practical  mechanic,  does  repairing  of  clocks, 
watches,  etc.,  at  his  place  on  South  Line  road. 

The  drug  business  is  represented  by  A.  C.  Clark,  corner 
of  Third  and  Washington  streets;  H.  O.  Beneneng,  the 
Main-street  drug  store;  Dr.  H.  A.  Frost,  Forest  City  drug 
store,  who  also  deals  in  dry  goods  and  ladies'  furnishing 
goods  ;  F.  H.  Morman,  on  Third  street,  and  Wernich  Bros., 
Main  and  Washington  streets. 

Rudolph  Felling,  a  merchant  tailor,  on  Jackson  street; 
began  in  1877  i  Jio^^'  does  a  good  business. 

D.  A.  McCullough,  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Jackson 
streets,  is  an  old  business  man  in  his  line,  carries  a  good 
line,  and  does  a  good  business. 

Charles  Woessner,  on  Washington  street ;  established  in 
1861 ;  now  does  over  $20,000  a  year.  He  has  ready-made 
clothing  and  furnishing  goods. 

Frank  Mathie  commenced  the  brewing  business  in  187  i, 
and  now  makes  about  $12,000  worth  annuall)'. 

George  Ruder  manufactures  1,500  barrels  of  beer  each 
year. 

The  livery  stables  are  owned  by  James  Edee,  proprietor 
of  the  Jackson-street  stable,  and  W.  H.  Osborn,  Washing- 
ton street,  started  in  1877. 

N.  B.  Orr,  Grant  street,  keeps  a  good  stock  of  furniture. 

Fred.  Neu  has  a  fine  stock  of  furniture  of  his  own  and 
other  manufacture. 

K.  S.  Markstrum,  painter;  established  in  1S74;  has  a 
stock  of  paints,  oils  and  glass,  and  is  a  practical  work- 
man. 

Berg  &  Nelson,  house,  sign,  fancy  and  ornamental  work. 
Mr.  Nelson  is  a  good  landscape  painter  as  well. 

A.  Dern,  Frank  Wartman,  John  Merklein  and  Whiting 
Brothers  attend  to  the  butchering  business. 

Shoemaking,  which  requires  special  skill  to  meet  the 
lumbermen's  wants,  is  well  cared  for  here.  H.  W.  Bock- 
man,  H.  Munt,  P.  iMayer,  .\nton  Mehl,  P.  Ruth,  Henry 
Seim  and  C.  Wiskow  are  the  most  prominent  among  the 
Crispins  of  Wausau. 

The  i)rincipal  sons  of  Vulcan  are  Andrews  &  Bolin, 
l'\  Bothnes,  Griietzmacher  iS:  Brandt,  Julius  Quade,  Radant 
&  Schwantes,  Otto  Schockow,  Robert  Thompson. 


HISTORY    OF    MARATHON    COUNTY. 


555 


Ernst  Felling  and  D.  B.  Wyle  do  a  good  business  as  har- 
nessmakers. 

F.  Lee  Goff,  corner  of  Third  and  Jackson  streets,  and 
M.  D.  Phelps,  on  Third  street,  make  sun  pictures  to   order. 

Mrs.  Addie  De  Voe  has  a  large  dressmaking  and  milli- 
nery establishment  on  Third  street. 

Mrs.  J.  P.  Partridge  also  carries  on  this  business  on  the 
same  street. 

C.  Oswold,  baker,  corner  Washington  and  Fourth  streets. 

Gustav  Kischel,  on  Scott  street,  also  has  confectionery, 
fruits  and  nuts. 

IVagou-iiiakers. — F.  Jamart,  on  Second  street.  Aug.  Lem- 
ke  has  been  in  the  business  since  1861.  H.  Voelz  com- 
menced wagon-making  in  1879. 

Jacob  Paff,  tanner.  His  shop  is  filled  witli  machinery 
and  appliances  in  first-class  style. 

John  Immhoff,  gunsmith.     Shop  on  Washington  street. 

Kreuger  Bros,  and  Charles  Steckmest  have  good  stocks 
of  tobacco-users'  materials,  and  manufacture  largely  of 
cigars. 

Barbers. — H.  Dern,  J.  Haskins,  J.  Dern,  and  others. 

Ne7vs-(fealer.—C.  W.  Chubbuck. 

Pictures  and  frames. — M.  M.  Partridge. 

Feed  Store.— \..  W.  Thayer,  Third  street. 

Abstract  of  Titles.— k.  W.  Schmidt. 

Contractor  and  Bridge-builder.— Y).  W.  C.  Mitchell. 

Wood-turning. — Lippel  Bros.,  West  Side. 

Architects. — J.  A.  Jones,  J.  Mercer,  F.  W.  J.  Becker,  A. 
Leslie,  O.  Lamphier,  W.  LaSalle,  A.  M.  Millard  and  T- 
Miller. 

H.  L.  Wheeler  is  one  of  the  oldest  insurance  agents  in 
town.  He  represents  ten  or  more  of  the  leading  fire  com- 
panies in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  Washing- 
ton Life,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Wheeler  is  also  lumber  in- 
spector of  the  tenth  district,  and  secretary  of  the  Boom 
Company. 

J.  A.  Kellogg  formerly  had  an  extensive  insurance 
agency,  which  was  transferred  to  E.  C.  Zimmerman.  He 
represents  the  ^tna,  of  Hartford,  and  eight  or  more  other 
companies. 

Real  Estate  Dealer. — A.  Warren,  Jr. 

Saw  Works. — James  Adams. 

From  the  account  here  given  of  the  various  business 
firms,  a  good  idea  may  be  obtained  of  Wausau  as  it  e.xisted  in 
1881,  and  it  is  hoped  that  a  comparison  with  its  condition 
in  T9S1  will  not  be  an  unpleasant  retrospect. 

The  Wausau  CoTnet  Band  and  the  Forest  City  Band 
furnish  music  for  the  city.  These  bands  are  well  up  in 
musical  proficiency. 

ILLUSTRIOUS  DEAD. 
WALTER  D.  McINDOE,  deceased,  Wausau.  Mr.  Mclndoe  went 
to  Wausau,  Wis.,  in  August,  1845,  and,  taking  some  merchandise  with 
him,  expecting  to  deal  in  cranberries,  and  calculating  to  put  tliem  on 
rafts  and  run  them  to  market  by  the  river.  lie  went  to  Wausau  again 
in  1846,  with  some  goods,  as  before.  This  time  he  bought  a  saw-mi!l  of 
Messrs.  Hoswell  &  Coleman,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  mercantile 
business.  Mrs.  Mclndoe  came  Aug.  i,  1847.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  and  mercantile  business  until  1S72.  lie  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  in  1850,  1854  and  1855.  Pfior  to  this,  in  1852,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  large  land  owners  in  that  part  of  the  State,  to  go  to 
Washington  and  labor  for  their  interests.     He  continued  in  the  Legisla- 


ture, as  lobbyist,  until  1S63.  Then  he  was  elected  as  Representative  to 
Congress,  to  succeed  Mr.  Luther  Hanchett,  who  died  before  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  office.  Mr.  Mclndoe  was  afterward  elected  for  the 
two  succeeding  terms,  after  serving  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Mr.  Han- 
chett. He  was  Pre.sidential  Elector  in  1856,  l£6o  and  1872,  casting  his 
vote,  on  these  several  occasions,  for  John  C.  Fremont,  Abraham  Lincoln 
and  U.  S.  Grant.  He  was  also  elected  as  delegate  to  the  National  Con- 
vention at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  at  the  second  nomination  of  U.  S.  Grant. 
His  health  had  been  failing  for  some  time  previous,  and  he  never  recov- 
ered. He  returned  to  his  home  June  20,  and  died  Aug.  22,  1872.  He 
was  a  man  who  was  universally  esteemed  for  his  kindness  of  heart, 
straightforwardness  in  life,  and  his  superior  ability  in  business  matters, 
and  the  citizens  of  Wausau  felt  deeply  .their  loss.  He  was  born  in 
Dunbartonshire,  Scotland,  March  28,  1S19.  and  came  to  America  in  1837, 
He  was  married  Feb.  20,  1845.  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  Miss  Catharine  H. 
Taylor.  She  was  born  in  Stafford  Co.,  Va.,  July  11,  1826.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Indoe's  parents  were  Virginians  by  birth,  and  quite  prominent  in  the 
early  history  of  that  State. 


--agSIi*.""" 


a  ^.  t//. 


/y 


.^.^^ 


April  3 

eight  years.  Was  born  in  Hartford  England,  and  came  to  America  in 
1836,  with  his  brother  Benjamin.  They  first  stopped  in  Milwaukee,  but 
in  1844,  made  their  way  into  the  Wisconsin  pineries.  He  worked  with 
his  brother  for  a  time,  but  afterward  built  the  Forest  House,  which  he 
operated  until  just  before  it  was  burned  in  1878.  He  was  frequently  in 
the  City  Council,  a  good  citizen,  with  a  fervent  love  of  his  adopted  coun- 
try, frank  and  warm  hearted,  and  an  earnest  Mason.  He  left  a  wife  and 
seven  children  in  good  circumstances. 

MARTIN  F.  KICKBUSCH  came  to  Wausau  in  1857,  with  his 
family.  He  was  an  energetic  citizen,  highly 'respected.  His  death  was 
on  the  22d  of  July,  1S73.  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He  left  a  wife, 
three  sons,  and  two  daughters. 

HENRY  DERN,  was  an  old  resident  of  the  city,  and  interested  in 
its  welfare,  and  connected  with  its  government,  was  a  member  of  the 
fire  company,  and  an  Alderman  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  was 
March  13,  1876,  after  twenty  years'  residence.  He  left  a  wife  and  six- 
children. 

BENJ.  BERRY  died  May  17,  1876,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year.  He 
was  born  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa..  Feb.  9,  1808.  While  still  a  youth  he 
went  into  lumbering.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Marathon  County, 
coming  here  in  1846.  The  first  saw  mill  on  Trapp  River  was  built  by 
him.  He  left  a  wife  and  five  children.  Was  for  a  long  time  in  poor 
health.     Was  buried  with  Masonic  honors. 

GEORGE  W.  LAWRENCE  lived  in  the  county  twenty-two  years; 
a  brother  of  J.  W.  Lawrence,  He  left  a  wife  and  one  child.  He  was 
characterized  as  having  many  good  qualities.  His  death  was  on  May 
22,  1877,  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years. 


556 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


WM.  P.  KELLEY,  came  from  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  in  1857,  and  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business.  He  was  senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Wm.  P. 
Kelley  &  Bro.  Being  engaged  in  log  driving,  he  was  severely  exposed 
to  the  vicissitudes  of  a  Wisconsin  Winter,  and  his  health  being  pre- 
carious, he  went  to  Florida  with  his  family  and  spent  the  Winter  of  1876. 
He  afterward  went  to  Colorado  and  returned  as  far  as  Chicago,  where 
he  was  overtaken  by  death  Aug.  14,1877.  He  was  a  kind  and  court- 
eous gentleman,  unassuming  and  kind.  He  left  a  wife  and  several 
children.     Was  buried  under  Masonic  rites. 

MRS.  EMILY  S.  FARNHAM.  Born  in  Wheelock,  Vt.,  and  came 
to  Wisconsin  with  her  parents  when  twelve  years  of  age.  On  the  5th  of 
March,  1S4S,  was  married  to  Dr.  H.  W.  Johnson,  and  in  1855,  removed 
to  California,  where  he  died  in  iSsg.  She  returned  to  Jefferson  County, 
where  they  had  lived,  and  in  September,  1864,  was  married  to  J.  A. 
Farnham,  and  they  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  had  previously  lived. 
In  187S.  on  account  of  her  failing  health,  they  went  to  Kansas.  A  year 
there  did  not  improve  her  case,  and  they  came  back,  and  at  first  there 
was  a  visible  improvement,  but  the  severe  Winter  carried  her  off,  April 
12,  1881.  She  was  a  woman  of  keen  perceptions,  and  more  than  ordi- 
nary intelligence,  her  impulses  were  benevolent  and  her  life  above  re- 
proach.    She  was  an  acknowledged  society  leader. 

CAPT.  SIMON  LOMBARD.  Died  at  his  residence  in  Weston, 
June  8,  1S81.  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  The  captain  was  born  in 
Turner,  Maine.  When  a  young  man  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  be- 
came a  Mississippi  steam-boat  captain.  He  then  went  to  Joliet,  III., 
and  afterward  to  the  lead  mines,  at  Galena,  and  finally  in  1848,  came 
to  Marathon  County  and  located  at  Schofield,  where  he  began  lum- 
bering quite  extensively  until  1S58,  when  he  sold  out  to  Dr.  Schofield, 
and  went  on  a  farm.  He  was  highly  respected  and  esteemed  ;  prompt 
and  energetic  in  business  affairs. 

HUGH  McINDOE.  Mr.  Mclndoe  was  born  in  Holdensmill, 
Dumbartonshire.  Scotland,  Feb.  26,  1832.  He  had  made  his  home  in 
Northern  Wisconsin,  since  1854.  His  death  was  caused  by  a  boiler 
explosion,  which  happened  in  Wausau  a  year  before  its  final  fatal  termi- 
nation. He  was  widely  known  and  leaves  a  wife  and  six  sons.  He 
died  in  September,  iSSl. 

EDWARD  JOLLY.  Born  in  Lancashire,  England,  June  17.  1819. 
Died  March  7,  1867,  of  apoplexy.  Came  to  America  while  yet  a  boy, 
and  to  Wausau  in  1856,  with  his  family.  He  was  a  good  engineer  and 
machinist,  and  found  employment  with  B.  Single.  Ai'terward  rented  a 
mill  with  G.  L.  Judson,  which  they  ran  some  time.  After  that  he  en- 
gaged in  various  kinds  of  business  ;  held  several  offices,  which  he  faith- 
fully filled.     He  was  a  good  citizen.     Left  a  wife  and  six  children. 

THOMAS  HINTON.  Born  in  Ohio,  Aug.  13,  1S13.  Came  to 
Wausau  in  1S43.  Engaged  in  lumbering.  Was  particularly  active  in 
the  early  government  of  the  county.  He  was  a  very  kind-hearted,  hon- 
est man,  and  a  year  or  so  before  his  death  exhibited  much  enthusiasm 
on  religious  subjects,  devoting  his  time  to  fighting  the  evils  visible  in  the 
community.     He  died  in  the  early  Summer  of  1867. 

WILLIAM  BEERS,  Jr.,  was  one  of  the  best  pilots  on  the  river. 
On  the  6lh  of  April,  1858,  he  was  knocked  from  a  raft  by  an  oar,  while 
running  the  Little  Bull  Falls  at  Mosinee.  The  raft  ran  over  him  and 
he  struck  out  for  life,  but  the  surging  waters  soon  engulfed  his  lifeless 
form.     He  left  a  wife  and  three  children. 

MICHAEL  STAFFORD.  Born  in  Wexford,  Ireland,  in  1S25. 
Settled  in  Wausau  June  13.  1851.  In  1853,  he  went  into  the  lumbering 
business.  He  was  drowned,  in  1874,  on  the  23d  of  April.  He  went  to 
Mosinee,  where  he  had  a  fleet  of  lumber  tied  up  that  the  boys  feared  to 
run.  On  looking  at  the  stage  of  water,  he  said,  "  I  will  run  it  myself." 
He  started  with  a  "  rapid  piece,"  and  was  knocked  overboard  by  the  oar- 
stem.     He  was  an  industrious  man. 

ALPHONSO  POOR.  Was  a  soldier  in  the  5th  Wis.  V.  I.  Born 
in  Denmark,  Me.  He  was  a  social,  kind-hearted  man,  who  was  long 
a  resident  of  Wausau.      His  death  was  on  the  3d  of  June,  1871. 

B10GR.\PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JAMES  ADAMS,  repairer  of  and  dealer  in  saws,  Wausau.  Settled 
in  {Jerlin,  Oct.  15.  1S80.  He  lived  there  a  short  time,  then  came  to 
Wausau,  Wis.,  November  I,  18S0,  and  began  his  present  occupation. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ossian,  Livingston  Co.,  N.Y.,  Oct.  17,1834. 
He  was  married  in  Cincinnati,  in  1872,  to  Anna  Leech.  .She  was  born 
in  ShelbyviUe,  Ind.,  Jan.  6,  1S56.  They  have  two  children,  James  N. 
and  Arthur.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  13th  Regt.  N.  Y.  V.  I.  He 
engaged  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  was  afterward  discharged 
on  account  of  disability. 

STEPHEN  H.  ALBAN,  Wausau,  was  liorn  in  Tuscarawas 
Township,  Starke  Co.,  Ohio,  April  7,  1836,  and  lived  there  until  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  first  at  Blue  Mound,  Dane  Co., 
late  in  1837.  Three  years  later  they  moved  to  what  is  now  Sauk  Ciiy, 
Sauk  Co.,  living  there  until  1842,  when  they  returned  to  Ohio,  and  re- 
mained six  years.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Plover  with  his  father,  James  S. 
Alban,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio,  in  October,  1810,  and  who 


was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862.       His  mother  died  in 
Prairie  du  Sac,  in  1S42.     Her  maiden  name  was  Amanda    Harris,  and 
she  was  born  in  the  same  town  as  her  son,  Stephen.     Mr.  Stephen  Alban    ' 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1857,  ^"cl  commenced  practice  at  Grand  Rap-    I 
ids  the  same  year.      A   year  later,   he   returned   to  Plover   and  was  in    1 
practice  there  until  1S61,  when  he  was  appointed  Register  of  the  United 
States  Land  Office,   which  position  he  has  held  ever  since.     Mr.   Alban 
came  to  Wausau  in  August,    1S72.       He  was  married  at  Peshtigo,  Mich., 
Sept,  29,  1S69,  to  Helen  N.  Cowan,  who  was  born  at   Fort  Covington, 
N.  Y.     They  have  three  children— Edith  L.,  Helen  L.  and  Anna  A. 

WALTER  ALEXANDER,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, June  14,  1849,  and  came  to  Wausau,  Wis.,  in  1056.  He  worked 
at  lumbering  in  his  present  mill  for  fifteen  years,  and,  in  1S76,  became  a 
member  of  the  firm.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Feb.  11,  1874,  to 
Sarah  Strol>ridge,  who  was  born  in  Jenny,  Lincoln  Co..  Wis.  They 
have  three  children — Walter  D.,  Judd  and  Jane.  Mr.  Alexander  has 
been  Alderman. 

VICTOR   A.  ALDERSON,   real  estate  and  lumber,  Wausau,  was 
born  near  Toronto,  Canada,  July  21,  1850.       He  settled  in   Wausau  in 
April,  1869,  and  first  engaged  as  cashier  in  Silverthorn  &  Plumer's  Bank. 
In  1S77,   he  bought  an  interest  in  the  Wausau  flouring  mill,   and  took 
charge  of  the  same  and  the  business  connected  with  it.      Then  he  sold 
his  interest  in  the  mill,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  real  estate,   lum- 
bering and  saw  mills.     In  the  Spring  of  1880,  he  sold  his  interest  in  the 
mills,  and  since  that  time  has   made  real  estate  his  principal   business. 
He  was  married  in  Wausau,   Oct.  3,   1872,  to  Ida  L.  Corey,  who  was    I 
born  June  S,  1S54,  in  Wausau.       They   have   two   children,   James  C,    I 
born  Sept.  5.  1873.  and  Caroline  B.,  born  Jan.  iS,  1875.      Mrs.   V.  A.     I 
Alderson  was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Montraville  D.  Corey  and  Mrs.   Britta- 
nia  Corey.     Mr.  Corey   moved  to  Wausau  in  1846,  and  engaged  in  the    j 
lumber  and   saw-mill   business,   and    followed  the  same  until   1S66,  at 
which  lime  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  engaged  in  a  flouring  mill.     ; 
He  died  Dec.  24,  1S71.      He  was  born  in  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
11,1822.     He   was  married,  .\pril   30,   1851,   to  Brittania  McLaughlin, 
who  was  born  Nov.  i,    1825.     They  had  two  children,   Mrs.  V.  A.  Al- 
derson and  Jessie  A.  Corey. 

WILLIAM  N.  ALLEN,  County  Surveyor,  Marathon  County.   Resi-     ; 
dence, Wausau.  First  settled  with  his  parents  at  Manitowoc  Rapids,  in  the     1 
Fall  of  1856.     His  parents  still   reside  there.     He    lived    there   about     | 
seven  years,  then  went  to  Marquette,  Mich.,  arriving  there  in  the  Spring     , 
of  1863.     He  engaged  in  helping  surveyors,  and  gained  a  knowledge  of    j 
the  business.     He  remained  until  1866.  when  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,     1 
also  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  back  and  forth,  and   followed  a  raftsman's     I 
life  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.     He  has  followed   the  life  of 
woodsman  and  surveyor  since.     He  is  sometimes  known   as   the  Shanty 
Boy  Poet,  and  has  the  title  of  Red   Squirrel   among  the   Indians.      He 
prides  himself  as  being  the  homliest  man  in  Wisconsin.     He  has  seen  as 
much  of  pioneer  life  as  perhaps  any  person  in  the  Northwest.     Some  of 
his  productions  of  poetry  are  claimed  to  have  received   flattering  notices 
by  the  press,  such  as  the  "  Big   Pine   Tree,"  etc.      He  was  born   in   St. 
Stephens,  N.  B.,  Dec.  20,  1843. 

CONRAD  ALTHEN,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany,  Aug.  6,  1S26,  and  came  to  America  in  1854,  living  in  Mil- 
waukee about  two  years,  and  coming  to  Wausau  in  1S56.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  tailoring  here  about  twenty-four  years.  Since  1862,  he  has 
carried  on  mercantile  business,  and  since  1874,  engaged  in  lumbering. 
He  was  married  in  Germany,  in  October,  1S53,  to  Kathrina  Schuetz, 
who  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmst.idt,  Germany.  They  have  four  children 
—Katie,  Charles,  Albert  and  Otto.  Mr.  Althen  has  been  Alderman, 
and  is  president  of  the  German  Aid  Society. 

VICTOR  ANDERSON,  foreman  in  Werheim's  planing  mill,  Wau- 
sau. First  came  to  Wausau  in  1872.  and  worked  on  the  railroad  a  short 
time ;  then  he  worked  in  the  pine  woods  about  four  months ;  then 
worked  for  Werheim  &  Kickbusch,  in  the  sash  and  door  factory,  eight 
years;  after  which  he  engaged  in  his  present  place.  He  was  born  in 
Christianople,  Sweden,  December,  1S49.  He  was  married,  in  Wausau, 
1S77,  to  Mary  Lellmquist,  who  was  born  in  Sweden,  1857.  They  have 
two  children,  John  E.  and  Frank  O. 

CHARLES  V.  BARDEEN,  lawyer,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Brook- 
field,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  23,  1S50.  and  lived  there  until  1854. 
when  his  parents,  Rasselas  and  Maria  (Palmer)  Bardeen,  came  to  Al- 
bion, Dane  Co.,  Wis.  His  father  was  accidentally  killed  in  .\Ibion,  Dec. 
8,  1874,  by  a  wagon  running  over  him  ;  his  mother  still  lives  on  the  old 
homestead,  where  Charles  Bardeen  lived  until  1S71,  when  he  went  to 
Colorado  Springs,  Col.,  staying  there  one  year;  then  in  Pueblo  six 
months,  and  in  Del  Norte  about  six  months,  when  he  returned  to  Albion, 
remaining  there  until  1874.  He  graduated  from  the  law  department 
of  Wisconsin  University,  having  attended  in  the  classical  course  prior 
to  that  time.  He  read  law  in  Edgerton,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  before  going 
to  Madison.  He  came  to  Wausau,  June  28,  1875,  with  Roger  Spooner  ; 
they  were  in  partnership  about  eight  months.  Since  October,  1878,  Mr. 
Bardeen  has  been  in  partnership  with  Gen.  J.  A.  Kellogg.  He  has  been 
District  and  City  Attorney.     Mr.  Bardeen  was  married,  in  Albion,  Dane 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


557 


Co.,  Wis.,  June  17,  1876,  to  Frankie  H.  Miller.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Eleanor  M.  and  an  infant  son.  Mrs.  Bardeen  is  a  daughter  of 
Benjamin  S.  and  Martha  (Coon)  Miller. 

MARK  H.  BARNUM,  proprietor  and  editor  of  The  Torch  of  Lib- 
■riy,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  March  14,  1834.  He  set- 
tled in  Rosendale,  Fond  du  Lac,  June,  1856,  where  he  lived  about  one 
and  one-half  years.  He  then  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  kept  a  board- 
ing house  for  one  of  the   mill   companies.      Then  he  practiced   law  for 

iabout  eighteen  years.  He  was  occupied  for  two  years  as  local  editor  of 
the  Wisconsin  River  Pilot,  and  then  he  established    The    Torch  of  Lib- 

terty.    He  was  married,  in  Glen  Aubrey ,',N.  Y.,  Dec.  6,  1854,  to   Phoeba  T. 

^Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Albany  County,  in  June,  1836.  They  have 
six  children— Charles   H.,   Ada   I.,   William    M.,    Mark    H.,    May    and 

I  Bessie  G. 

i        RICHARD    BAUMANN,   hardware  merchant,  Wausau,  was  born 

iin  Germany,  Sept.  24,  1839,  and  came  to  America  in  1859,  locating  in 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  lived  five  years.     In   1S64,  he  came  to  Wau- 

isau  (he  was  employed  as  a  tinner  in  Milwaukee);  engaged  in  hardware, 
tinware,  and  stove  trade  for  himself,  since  locating  in  Wausau.     Now  he 

■  has  the  largest  stock  of  hardware  in  Wausau.     He  was  married  in  Mil- 

iwaukee  July  9,  1864,  to  Emma  Lattermann,  who  was  born  in  Turin- 
gen,  Germany.     They  have  two  children,   Anna  and  Agnes.     Mr.  Bau- 

;  mann  was  Alderman  one  term,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  fire  depart- 

!  ment  for  a  year  and  a  half. 

1  JOHN  J.  BECKER,  general  superintendent  of  F.  W.  Kickbusch's 
planing  mill,  sash  and  door  factory,  Wausau.  He  settled  in  Oshko.sh  in 
1861,  and  followed  the  lumber  and  manufacturing  business  until  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  E,  32Q  Wis.  V.  He  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
was  mustered  out  July,  1S65,  at  Louisville,  Ky.  Then  he  returned  to 
Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  his  former  occupation,  and  remained  until  the 
great  fire  there  in  April,  1875,  at  which  time  he  suffered  the  loss,  which 
left  him  without  business.  He  came  to  Wausau  in  April,  1877,  and  has 
since  followed  his  trade  there.  He  was  born  in  France,  June  3,  1839. 
He  was  married  at  Oshkosh,  December,  1867,  to  Emma  Gustavus,  who 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  in  1845.  They  have  six  children— John 
B.,  Albert  F.,  Frederick  R.,  Alma  R.,  Mary  L.,  and  Helen  E. 

M.  P.  BEEBE,  lumberman,  Wausau,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ches- 
ter, Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  September,  1833,  and  in  1851  moved  to  Cat- 
taraugus Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  in  Portville  and  that  vicinity  for  one  year. 
In  the  Spring  of  1852,  came  to  Mineral  Point,  Wis.,  and  in  1853  came 
to  Wausau,  and  has  been  in  this  region  ever  since.  His  business  and 
residence  were  at  Pine  River  seventeen  years  of  the  time,  prior  to  four 
years  ago.  He  was  engaged  in  millwrighting  until  the  war,  since  then 
he  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering.  Mr.  Beebe  was  married  in  Wausau, 
in  March,  1874.  to  Martha  Annette  Armstrong,  who  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child  living,  Belvia  C.  Lost  three 
children  ;  Walter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months  ;  Edmond, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years  and  nine  months,  and  Frederick,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

GEORGE  F.  BELLIS,  hotel  and  restaurant,  Wausau,  came  to  Ber- 
lin, Wis.,  in  1854,  and  began  the  restaurant  business.  He  remained 
there  about  eight  years,  and  then  went  to  Plainview,  Minn.,  where  he 
lived  two  years  ;  from  there  he  returned  to  Berlin,  remaining  six  years  ; 
then  he  went  to  Waupaca,  where  he  remained  about  two  years  ;  then 
he  came  to  Wausau.  He  was  born  in  Dundee,  Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April 
21,  1829.  He  was  married  in  Weyauwega,  Sept.  10,  1858,  to  Mary 
Jane  Young;  she  was  born  in  Central  Square,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July 
15,  1S39.      Phey  have  two  sons,  Lewell  R.,  and  Mark  G. 

JAMES  D.  BOLIN,  blacksmith,  Wausaw,  came  to  this  place  the 
latter  part  of  April,  1877,  and  began  his  present  occupation.  He  lived 
in  Minnesota  from  his  boyhood  until  he  settled  in  Wausau.  He  was 
born  in  Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  April  5,  1844.  He  was  married,  April  17, 
1S70,  to  Lydia  A.  Young,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  May  2,  1850.  They 
liave  four  children — Emma  A.,  Walter  A.,  George  A.,  and  an  infant  son. 
AUGUST  BRAATZ,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  Wausau, 
c.ime  to  Berlin  with  his  parents  and  lived  there  on  a  farm  until  1S72  ; 
then  he  began  farming  for  himself,  and  soon  after  bought  a  farm  in  the 
town  Meeme.  He  moved  to  Wausau  May  23,  1881,  and  engaged  in  his 
present  business.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  August  16,  1845  ;  he  was 
ni.anied  in  Berlin  Township  July  21,  1870,  to  Mary  Jacobi ;  she  was  born 
in  Germany,  May  26,  1846;  they  have  seven  children — Ada  H.,  Otto 
H.,  Albert  A.,  Emma  E.,  Amil  F.,  Robert  R.,  and  Matilda  L 

JACOB  X.  BRANDS,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Knowlton,  Warren  Co., 
N.  J.,  March  11,  1818,  and  moved  to  Galena,  III.,  in  1846;  in  hotel 
business  there  for  two  years;  afterward  kept  what  was  known  as  the 
"Four  Mile  House,"  between  Galena  and  Hazel  Green.  In  1850,  he 
came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  for  two  years  ; 
then  built  the  "  Half  Way  House"  between  Grand  Rapids  and  Plover, 
keeping  it  for  two  years.  He  was  then  Under  Sheriff  at  Plover  for  one 
year,  and  kept  the  Twin  Island  House  at  what  is  now  known  as  Knowl- 
ton for  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  built  the  Mag- 
nolia House  and  kept  it  for  two  years.  In  1859,  he  returned  to  Plover, 
and  kept  the  American  House  for  two  years.     He  was  then  for  two  years 


United  States  Marshal  for  the  Northern  District  of  Wisconsin,  with 
headquarters  at  Plover.     The  Winter  of  1863  he  passed  in  Washington, 

D.  C.  He  then  engaged  in  farming  near  Plover  for  two  years  ;  visited 
in  the  East  and  South  about  two  years;  kept  the  Falls  City  House  at 
Mosinee,  Wis.  ;  traveled  through  the  West  with  a  team  ;  was  weigh- 
master  for  a  coal  company  at  Moingona,  Boone  Co.,  Iowa,  for  two  years, 
and  was  then  foreman  of  the  Northern  Division  of  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  from  Ashland,  Wis.,  to  Penokee,  Wis.  Mr.  Brand  came  to 
Wausau  in  1874,  and  was  in  real  estate  business  the  first  year;  Justice 
of  the  Peace  from  1876  to  the  Spring  of  1880 ;  farming  until  18S1, 
and  now  advertising  agent  of  land  department  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley 
Division  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R'y.  Mr.  Brand  was  married  in  Plover, 
in  June,  1855,  to  his  second  wife,  Jane  Bacheler,  who  died  in  April, 
1866,  leaving  four  children— David  H.,  Jacob  I.,  William  G.,  and  Belle. 
Mr.  Brand  has  one  daughter,  Mary,  by  a  former  marriage.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  August,  1876,  to  his  present  wife,  Anna  M.  Rose,  who  was  born 
in  Connecticut. 

ALBERT  BRANDT,  blacksmith,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Germany, 
May  19,  1852.  He  settled  in  Wausau  in  1874.  He  was  married  in 
Marathon  County ;  they  have  one  boy.  Otto. 

JEREMIAH  R.  BRUNEAU,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Maskinonge, 
Lower  Canada,  May  20,  1838.  and  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  Sept.  15, 
1856,  where  he  lived  until  .May  21,  1S57,  when  he  came  to  Mosinee,  Mara- 
thon Co.,  residing  there  until  the  Fall  of  1878.  He  was  elected  County 
Treasurer,  and  re-elected  in  1880.  At  Mosinee  he  was  salesman  and 
then  book-keeper  for  Joseph  Dessert,  from  1857  to  1866.  From  1866  to 
1870,  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  and  since  then  in  lumber- 
ing. He  was  Town  Treasurer  for  thirteen  years.  Mr.  Bruneau  was 
married  at  Mosinee,  July  3,  1874,  to  Ellen  M.  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
Aberdeen,  Scotland.     He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

ELISHA  L.  BUMP,  attorney  at  law,  Wausau,  was  born  July  10, 
1849,  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  reared  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  living  for 
a  time  in  New  York  City.  He  came  to  Almond,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1S63,  living  there  until  the  Summer  of  1870,  when  he  went  to  Waupaca 
and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  December  term  of  1870,  and  com 
menced  practice  in  Waupaca.  He  came  to  Wausau  in  the  Fall  of  1871, 
and  was  in  partnership  with  Willis  C.  Silverthorn,  until  1875  ;  then  with 

E.  L.  Brown,  of  Waupaca,  until  the  Spring  of  1879,  when  he  returned 
to  Wausau.  Mr  Bump  is  senior  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  Bump,  Hetzel 
&  Canon,  of  Wausau  and  Merrill.  He  was  District  Attorney  of  Mara- 
thon County  in  1873,  and  has  been  City  Attorney  of  Wausau.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  Waupaca  County.  He  is  a  son  of 
Barnet  and  Clarissa  Simons  Bump ;  his  mother  died  in  1876  and  his  father 
in  1877.  Mr.  Bump  was  married  in  Waupaca,  Wis.,  in  March,  1873,  to 
Lillie  Gurley.  They  have  three  children— Franklin  E.,  Mary  E.,  and 
Florence  M.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  cS:  A.  M.  Lodge  and  Chapter; 
he  was  educated  at  Allegany  Institute,  of  Almond,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the 
schools  of  Wisconsin. 

DAVID  C.  BURNETT,  City  Marshal,  Wausau.  First  settled  in 
Sauk  County,  with  his  parents,  in  1856,  where  they  lived  a  short  time, 
and  then  removed  to  Lodi,  and  lived  until  1864,  when  he  went  with  his 


parents  to  1 


Coldv. 


r,  Mich.,  where  they  lived  about  five  years.   Hi 


father  died  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  in  the  meantime,  having  gone  South, 
work  for  the  Government.  Then  himself  and  mother  returned  to  Lodi, 
where  he  made  it  his  home,  until  the  Fall  of  1876.  He  then  sold  his 
place,  and  moved  to  Wausau,  where  he  has  since  lived,  engaged  in 
luinbering.  He  was  elected  City  Marshal  in  the  Spring  of  iSSi.  He  was 
born  in  Gorham,  Fulton  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  i,  1849.  He  was  married  in 
Lodi,  in  the  Fall  of  1874,  to  Louise  Stahl ;  she  died  Oct.  11,  1876.  He 
was  again  married,  in  Wausau,  June  6,  1880,  to  Elnor  Haskin,  she  was 
born  in  Wisconsin,  March  29,  1849.  He  has  one  child  by  his  first  wife, 
named  Samuel  D. 

THOMAS  FRANCIS  CAFFERY,  foreman  in  J.  H.  Clark,  Johnson 
&  Co.'s  saw-mill,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Montrose,  Pa.,  Sept,  3,  1S44. 
He  settled  in  Grand  Rapids,  September,  1867,  and  lived  there  a  short 
time,  then  going  to  Pine  River  Mills;  he  worked  there  lourteen  months, 
as  mill-man;  from  there  he  went  to  Merrill,  and  worked  at  saw  filing  and 
millwrighting,  etc.,  and  remained  three  and  one-half  years;  then  he  came  to 
Wausau,  and  has  since  followed  his  trade  and  railroad  bridging.  He  was 
married  in  Preston,  Wayne  Co.,  Penn.,  Oct.  20,  1868,  to  Margaret  A. 
Kane  ;  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1S43.  They  have  four  children  living 
—Mary  B.,  Isabella,  Richard  F.,  and  Thomas  W.  Caffery;  Margaret  R. 
is  not  living 

WILLIAM  GALLON,  Wausau,  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  Feb.  24,  1833,  and  came  to  America  alone,  arriving  June  10, 
1849.  He  was  in  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  cne  year  ;  in  Clearfield  Co.,  Pa., 
two  years;  then  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.Y.,  until  October,  1S54,  when  became 
to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  for  three  years.  In 
1857,  he  came  to  Wausau,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  manufacturing 
and  dealing  in  lumber,  and  to  some  extent  farming.  Mr.  Gallon  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Weston,  and  is  now  Receiver  in  the 
United  States  Land  Office.  He  was  married  in  Lumberville,  Clearfield 
Co.,  Pa.,  in  August,  1854,  to  Nancy  Atcharson  ;  who   was   born   in    the 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


town  of  Burnside,  Clearfield  Co.,  Pa.  They  have  two  children,  Mary 
Jennie  and  William  A.  Mr.  Callon  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  K.  of  H. 

CHARLES  W.  CHUBI!UCK.  bookseller  and  stationer,  Wausau, 
ivas  born  at  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  March  21,  1856,  and  tame  to  Wausau 
with  his  parents,  Jerome  Walker  and  Caroline  S.  (Sanborn)  Chubbuck  ; 
when  less  than  a  year  old.  He  worked  with  his  father,  at  the  printer's 
trade,  for  some  time,  then  engaged  as  book-keeper  for  mercantile 
establishments  ;  for  a  lime  with  the  "  Bank  of  the  Interior."  He  com- 
menced business  for  himself  m  September,  1S76,  in  the  Post-office  build- 
ing, where  he  still  continues,  dealing  in  books,  stationery,  confectionery, 
fruits,  etc. 

JEROME  WALKER  CHUBBUCK,  Wausau,  was  born  Sept.  24, 
1S13.  Goffstown,  N.  H.  Learned  printing  at  Morrisville,  N.  Y.,  after- 
ward conilucted  newspapers  at  Hamilton  and  Cazenovia.  N.  Y.  Came  to 
Milwaukee  June  20,  1S37,  where  he  helped  as  foreman  to  establish  the 
-Milwaukee  Sentinel.  Married  to  Caroline  S.  Sanborn,  of  Jefferson,  Wis., 
June  17,  1S55,  who  was  born  in  Wheelock,  Vt.,  March  4,  1832.  Came 
to  Wausau  February,  1857,  where  he  established  the  Central  Wisconsin, 
April  22,  1857,  the  first  paper  published  in  Marathon  County;  sold  out 
10  Hoffman  &  Hoeflinger  in  1862.  Held  the  office  of  Clerk  of  Circuit 
Court  from  January  1863  to  January  1875  ;  was  also  Village  Clerk  for  a 
number  of  years.  Has  been  engaged  in  the  printing  business,  and  as 
editor  or  contributor  to  the  city  papers  up  to  January,  iS8o,  when  he  was 
stricken  with  paralysis  and  been  confined  to  his  room  ever  since.  He 
has  two  children  living,  Charles  W.,  born  March  21,  1S56,  and  Errrily 
Helen,  born  .\pril  23,  1S5S.  Lost  one  daughter,  Mary  Everetla,  who 
was  born  Nov.  iS.  i860,  and  died  M.iv  13.  1S72. 


JOHN  C.  CLARKE,  Wausau.  came  to  this  city  in  November.  1845, 
and  ran  on  the  river  as  raftsman,  etc.,  and  for  .several  years  was  cook  on 
the  drives  until  1851.  He  then  commenced  running  saw  mills,  and  was 
pilot  on  the  river  and  dcilt  in  lumber  until  i860.  Mr-.  Clarke  was  born 
on  the  Isle  of  Anglesea,  North  Wales,  Feb.  17,  1831.  and  came  from 
there  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  June,   1845.       His   parents,    William  and 


Mary  Ann  (Burwell)  Clarke  never  came  to  this  country.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Sycamore,  DeKalb  Co.,  111.,  Oct.  31,  1854,  to  Rhoda  J.  Put- 
nam, who  was  born  in  Somerset,  Co.,  Me.,  in  August,  1S30.  They 
have  four  children — Fannie  E.,  Ann  Margaret,  Rhoda  Jane  and  Mary 
Ann. 

JOHN  H.  CLARK,  of  the  firm  of  Clark,  Johnson  &  Co.,  (the 
partners  of  which  are  W.  D.  Johnson,  C.  W.  Johnson  and  Richard 
Clark)  Wausau,  was  born  in  Easton,  Md.,  Dec.  20,  1829.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin,  October,  1880.  His  residence  is  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
He  was  married  in  the  latter  city,  October,  1854,  to  Lydia  M.  Shippy 
She  was  born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  in  1828.  They  have  had  six  children — Flor- 
ence ;  Nathan,  died  April  13,  1880;  Richard,  now  at  Wausau,  engaged 
in  the  mill  ;  Jesse,  Mortimer  and  Oliver,  the  three  latter  being  at  their 
home  in  Indiana.  The  mill  of  this  firm  was  erected  in  18S1,  and  is  sit- 
uated on  the  island  opposite  the  city  in  the  Wisconsin  River.  Its  ca- 
pacity is  80,000  in  eleven  hours,  and  employs  150  men. 

RICHARD  CLARK,  firm  of  Clark,  Johnson  &  Co.,  Wausau,  was 
born  in  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  April  5,  1S60.  He  is  a  son  of  Mr.  J.  H.  and 
Mrs.  L.  M.  Clark,  of  the  latter  city.  He  went  as  far  as  the  high  school 
there,  but  preferring  business  moved  to  Greenvrlle,  Mich.,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year.  From  there  he  went  to  Coral  in  the  same  State,  and 
lived  there  about  one  year.  In  June,  1881,  he  came  to  Wausau,  where 
he  is  acting  as  book-keeper  and  general  overseer  for  the  firm,  in  which 
he  has  an  interest. 

WILLIAM  F.  COLLINS,  merchant,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Water- 
town,  Wis.,  April  8,  1849;  lived  there  three  years,  afterward  at  Lake 
Mills  five  years;  then  lived  in  the  town  of  Dayion,  Waupaca  Co.,  until 
he  came  to  Wausau,  May  6,  1871  ;  clerked  for  James  McCrossen  until 
-Aug.  25,  1876,  when  he  entered  into  partnership  with  him  and  his  son, 
Julian  Adelbert  McCrossen,  which  partnership  continues.  Mr.  Collins 
rs  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

LEOPOLD  S.  COHN,  proprietor  Cohn's  Mills,  one  mile  above 
Wausau,  on  the  Wisconsin  River.  His  mills  were  erected  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1877.  The  capacity  is  40,000  lumber,  35.000  shingles  and 
10,000  lath,  besides  pickets,  in  one  day.  They  employ  twenty-five  men 
in  the  mill  and  ten  outside.  Mr.  Cohn  was  born  in  Prussia,  Aug.  27, 
1S43.  He  was  married  at  Mayville,  Dodge  Co.,  Aug.  28,  1872,  to  Idella 
Bick.  She  was  born  in  Saukville,  June  14,  1853.  Mr.  Cohn  first  settled 
at  Berlin,  Wis.,  in  1856.  He  lived  there  two  years  with  his  parents,  then 
he  went  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then  be- 
came engaged  in  produce  business,  buying  furs,  wool,  etc.,  going  as 
far  north  as  Lake  Superior,  which  business  he  followed  until  1S69. 
Then  he  became  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  on  the  Wisconsin 
River.  He  moved  from  Berlin  to  Milwaukee  in  1876,  where  he  lived 
until  October,  1S77,  following  the  lumber  business.  From  there  he  came 
to  Wausau. 

MICHAEL  J.  COUGHLIN,  engineer  of  the  fire  department,  Wau- 
sau, was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  March,  1846.  He  came  with  his 
parents  to  Milwaukee,  in  May,  1856.  His  father  was  a  railroad  contractor 
and  worked  in  the  construction  of  several  divisions  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P. 
R.  R.  They  were  in  Milwaukee  a  short  time  and  then  went  to  Horicon, 
and  from  there  to  Ripon  where  they  remained  more  than  a  year.  From 
there  they  went  to  Holland  Township,  Brown  Co.,  and  went  to  farming, 
and  in  the  Spring  of  1S59,  Mr.  M.J.  Coughlin  went  to  Milwaukee,  and 
worked  in  the  railroad  shops  as  machinist,  September-,  1S60,  he  went  to 
Memphis,Tenn.,and  was  engaged  as  railroad  engineer.  June,  1S61,  he  left 
on  account  of  the  war,  and  returned  to  Milwaukee  on  the  Prairie  du  Chien 
division  of  the  railroad  and  run  an  engine.  In  March,  1862,  he  engaged 
in  the  fire  department  for  Milwaukee  City,  in  which  capacity  he  remained 
until  September,  1876;  he  then  became  assistant  chief  engineer  and  super- 
irrlendent  of  machinery  for  the  above  city.  In  1876,  he  went  to  Stevens 
Point,  and  run  a  steam  fire  engine  for  that  city,  until  May  1880.  Then 
he  worked  for  Mr.  John  Wicks  on  the  Big  Eau  Plaine,  in  the  capacity  of 
engineer,  and  was  there  until  August,  1880.  He  then  went  to  Stevens 
Point,  and  worked  repairing  engines  until  Sept.  I,  1880,  then  to  D. 
Hutchinson's  mill,  on  the  Little  Eau  Plaine  River,  and  run  the  engine 
there  until  he  came  to  Wausau,  November,  1S80. 

HON.  CHARLES  F.  CROSBY,  attorney  at  law,  Wausau,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Waterloo,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  12,  1847,  and 
wherr  he  was  nine  years  of  age  moved  with  his  father,  Elisha  F.  Crosby, 
to  Dell  Prairie,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  living  there  until  the  Spring  of  1871, 
when  he  went  to  Luverne,  Rock  Co.,  Minn.,  and  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  there.  Mr.  Crosby  was  educated  at  Bronson  and  Kilbourn 
Institutes, pursuing  a  collegiate cour.se expecting  to  enter  Lawrence  Uni- 
versity. He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  Fall  of  1870.  While  in 
Minnesota,  he  was  District  .Attorney,  County  Judge,  and  member  of 
Assembly.  He  came  to  Wausau  July  29,  1875,  and  was  District 
.Attorney  in  1878,  and  elected  State  Senator  in  the  Fall  of  1880.  He 
w.as  married,  Nov.  18,  1873,  in  Benton,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me.,  to  Adassah 
C.  Spencer,  a  native  of  Benton. 

JOHN  C.  CURRAN,  lumbernran,  was  born  in  .St.  Amicet,  Canada, 
Aug.  22,  1S3S.  He  settled  in  Jenny,  Lincoln  Co.  in  1855,  where  he 
followed  his  present  business,  and  remained  two  years ;  from  there  he 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


559 


moved  to  Eagle  River,  and  helped  cut  and  put  in  the  first  logs  in  that 
section  ;  he  remained  there  two  and  a  half  years,  from  there  he  moved  to 
the  mouth  of  Pelican  River  in  the  same  county  on  the  Wisconsin  River, 
where  he  still  does  business.  He  occasionally  lives  in  Wausau.  He 
was  married  September,  1S70.  to  Lizzie  S.  Sloan,  who  was  born  in  Saint 
Edwards,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  March  20,  1849.  They  have  four 
children— Mary  J.,  Thomas  B.,  Lizzie  P.,  and  Muriel  J. 

MORGAN  G.DANIELS  lumberman,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  28,  1831.  He  settled  in  Wausau  in  1854,  and 
worked  at  his  trade,  the  millwright,  for  twelve  years ;  then  he  went  into 
his  present  business.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  in  November, 
1869,  to  Lydia  E.  Clement,  who  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
She  died  Jan.  11,  1872. 

WILBUR  C.  DAVENPORT,  jeweler,  began  business  at  Stevens 
Point.  September,  1873.  and  continued  there  three  years  and  six  months 
He  afterward  located  in  Wausau,  where  he  again  engaged  in  the  same 
business.     He  was  born  in  Portage  County,  Sept.  13,  1S57. 

PATRICK  DELANY,  dealer  in  wines,  liquors  and  cigars,  settled  in 
Foud  du  Lac  in  1856  ;  lived  there  two  years,  then  went  to  O.shkosh,  and 
remained  several  years;  from  there  he  went  to  Baraboo  Valley,  Sauk 
Co.,  for  five  years,  then  returned  to  Oshkosh.  In  the  Fall  of  1872,  he 
came  to  Wausau.  He  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  March  3.  1846. 
He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  April  28,  1870,  to  Joanna  Sheehy,  who  was 
born  in  Ireland,  April,  1846.  They  have  five  children— Alva  M.,  Sarah 
B.,  Joanna  E.,  Margaret  E.,  and  Jennie  M. 

ADAM  DENGEL,  merchant,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Prussia,  June 
27,  1832,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Summer  of  1846,  with  his  par- 
ents. They  located  in  the  town  of  Addison,  Washington  Co..  living  in 
that  county  until  1866.  He  was,  for  thirteen  years,  proprietor  of  the 
Hartford  House,  at  Hartford,  one  of  the  first  hotels  in  the  place.  Re- 
moved to  Appleton  in  1S66.  He  kept  a  grocery  in  the  latter  place  un- 
til 1S76,  when  he  came  to  Wausau,  and  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising. Mr.  Dengel  was  married  in  the  town  of  Hartford,  Washingtbn 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  November,  1853,  to  Mary  Schwerbel,  who  was  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt.  They  have  two  children,  John  and  Mary,  now  Mrs. 
John  J.  Sherman.  Lost  one  daughter,  who  died  June  26,  1867,  aged 
seven  years. 

HENRY  DREWSEN,  saloon,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan. 
23,  1829.  He  settled  at  Two  Rivers  in  1856,  where  he  lived  twelve 
years,  following  the  lumber  business,  after  which  he  went  to  Manitowoc, 
and  kept  hotel  until  18S0,  when  he  came  to  Wausau,  and  began  his  pres- 
ent business.  He  was  married,  in  New  York  Ciiy,  in  1S54,  to  Dora 
Thea,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  29,  1832.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren—Tony, Charles  A.,  Amelia  E.,  Theckla,  Lewis,  Delia,  Lula  and 
George.     His  wife  died  June  24,  1S80. 

MICHAEL  DUFFY,  groceries  provisions,  liquors,  etc.,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  April,  1S66,  and,  at  first,  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  ; 
afterward  ran  a  stage  between  Wausau  and  Stevens  Point,  for  one  and 
one-half  years.  Then  he  opened  in  the  grocery  business,  and  followed 
it  until  1875,  when  he  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1878  he  returned  to 
his  present  business,  and  has  followed  it  since.  He  was  City  Alderman 
for  two  years.  He  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  New  York,  Nov.  i, 
1833.  lie  was  married  at  Wausau,  Jan.  20,  1861,  to  Paulina  A.  Kopp- 
lin,  who  was  born  July  4,  1840.  They  have  ten  children  living — Mary 
J.,  Anna,  Charles  T.,  Paulina,  Henry,  Frank  M.,  Edward,  Laura,  Mabel 
and  Florence.     They  lost  one  son,  Robert  J. 

CHARLES  F.  DUNBAR,  jeweler  and  lumber  manufacturer,  Wau- 
sau, was  born  in  Belchertown,  Mass.,  Oct.  8,  1845,  and  learned  the  jew- 
eler's trade  in  Amherst,  Mass.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867,  locating 
in  Hudson  in  186S,  engaging  in  jewelry  business  there  until  1872,  when 
he  removed  to  Menasha,  carr>ing  on  the  same  business  there  for  two 
years.  In  March,  1874,  he  came  to  Wausau,  and,  besides  his  jewelry 
business,  is  considerably  interested  in  real  estate,  having  purchased  a 
forty-acre  tract  of  land — the  northeast  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter 
of  Section  26,  Town  29,  Range  7,  East,  which  he  has  recently  platted 
and  divided  into  city  lots,  and  has  already  (June,  18S1)  sold  thirty-six 
lots.  He  has  been  in  the  lumber  business  for  about  three  years.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Dana,  Dunbar  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  "The 
National  Portable  Forge,"  and  is  one-half  owner  of  the  Marathon  Lum- 
ber Co.,  manufacturers  of  pine  lumber,  shingles,  lath,  pickets,  etc. ;  he 
owns  considerable  tracts  of  pine  lands.  Mr.  Dunbar  was  married,  in 
Wausau,  Nov.  20,  1876,  to  Letitia  Single,  who  was  born  in  Wausau. 
They  have  had  two  children,  Mary  Elizabeth,  born  March  31,  1881,  and 
Roy  Earl,  born  Dec.  25,  1877.  and  died  June  16,  1881. 

JOHN  EGELER,  boarding  house  and  saloon, Wausau.  Cameto  Wau- 
sau in  the  Fall  of  1868,  and  kept  a  tin  shop  for  nine  years,  when  he  sold  his 
interest  and  began  his  present  business.  He  was  born  in  Germany, 
March  21,  1837.  He  was  married  in  Canajoharie,  N.  Y.,  April,  1865, 
to  Margaretta  Shwariz,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  November,  1836. 
They  have  eiglit  children— Mary  S.,  Katie  M.  C,  Delia,  John,  Otlo, 
Louisa,  Caroline  and  Margaret.     They  have  lost  two,  Emma   and  Carl. 


CHARLES  F.  ELDRED,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  W^arren,  Warren 
Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  28,  1841,  and  was  reared  at  Honesdale,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa., 
coming  from  there  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  and  then  to  Wausau.  Mr. 
Eldred  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  December,  1861,  and  engaged  in 
practice  until  the  Fall  of  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  illh  N.  Y. 
Cavalry,  and  served  until  May  28,   1865.     He  entered  the  service  as  a 


private,  and  was  mustered  out  as  first  lieutenant  of  Co.  A.  Returning 
to  Honesdale,  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  there  until  he  came 
to  Wisconsin.  He  has  been  District  Attorney  of  Marathon  County  since 
January,  1880 ;  also  was  District  Attorney  of  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  for 
two  terms,  and  served  as  Assessorof  Internal  Revenue  from  1866101869. 
He  was  married  at  Honesdale,  Oct.  18,  1866,  to  Emma  A.  West,  who 
was  born  in  Bethany,  Pa.  They  have  four  children — Nathaniel  B., 
Mary  H.,  Arthur  G.,  and  Nina  O. 

GEORGE  E.  FERNALD,  merchant,  Wausau.  Came  to  Rural,  in 
the  town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1865,  and  lived  there  until 
September,  1866,  when  he  went  to  Waupaca,  and  engaged  in  clerking 
for  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Wausau  and  was  book-keeper  for  John 
C.  Clark  for  two  years,  then  ran  a  store  at  Jenny  for  James  McCrossen. 
and  kept  books  for  Scott  &  Andrews,  at  Jenny  ;  then,  for  a  year  and  a 
quarter,  with  R.  E.  Parcher,  and  with  Parcher  &  Mauson  fifteen  months. 
He  then  purchased  from  Parcher  an  interest  in  the  business,  and  the  firm 
was  Parcher,  Mauson  &  Fernald  for  four  years;  since  then  it  has  been  Mau- 
son &  Fernald.  Mr.  Fernald  was  born  December  19,  1836,  in  Portland, 
Me.  In  December,  1S62,  he  enlisted  in  the  19th  tj.  S.  Infantry.  He 
was  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  served  as  sergeant-major. 
He  was  mustered  out  in  December,  1865.  He  was  married  in  Portland, 
Me.,  in  July,  1855,  to  Eliza  S.  McCrossen,  who  was  born  in  Carrolton, 
New  Brunswick.  They  have  three  children — Clara  E.,  George  E.,  Jr., 
and  Frederick. 

ANSON  A.  FERGUSON,  millwright  and  engineer,  Wausau.  He 
first  located  at  Seven  Mile  Creek,  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.  He  remained 
there  a  short  time,  afterward  going  to  the  Town  Friendship,  where  he 
remained  four  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Stockton,  Portage  Co.,  at 
which  place  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years ;  from  there  to  Wausha- 


560 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ra  County,  where  he  lived  two  years.  From  there  to  Seneca,  Wood 
Co.,  where  he  began  business  for  himself,  and  remained  until  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  1st  Minn.  H.  A.,  where 
he  served  one  year  and  four  months.  He  was  discharged  for  general 
disability,  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Sept.  27,  1S63.  He  then  went  to  Olm- 
stead  Co.,  Minn.,  and  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  for  three  years,  when 
he  went  to  Marinette,  on  the  Bay  Shore,  where  he  was  engaged  in  build- 
ing and  working  mills.  He  remained  one  and  one-half  years,  then  he 
went  to  Sherwood,  Calumet  Co.,  and  remained  four  years,  and  then  went 
to  Colby,  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  where  he  built  a  mill  and 
ran  it  for  two  years,  and  then  began  business  for  himself.  He  was  born 
in  Cape  Vincent,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  7,  1842.  He  was  married  at 
Shiocton,  Outagamie  Co.,  July,  1S73,  to  Jennie  Foster,  who  was  born 
June  30,  1849.     They  have  two  children,  Earl  and  Perlie. 


■^<ts#^ 


JEFFERY  A.  FARNHAM,  Wausau.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  No- 
vember, 1844,  and  taught  school  the  following  Winter  in  Wauwatosa  ; 
spent  part  of  the  next  Spring  and  Summer  in  Milwaukee.  In  the  Winter 
of  1845-46,  taught  school  in  Troy,  Wis.  In  the  Spring  of  1846.  he  lo- 
cated in  Watertown,  Wis.,  and  commenced  land  surveying,  being  by 
profession  a  civil  engineer.  He  continued  surveying  until  the  Spring  of 
1848,  when  he  laid  out  and  engineered  the  construction  of  the  Milwaukee 
and  Watertown  Plank  Road  between  those  points,  which  occupied  his 
attention  about  two  and  a  half  years.  In  the  Spring  of  185 1  he  went 
on  the  Illinois  Cen  ral  road,  and  had  charge  of  division  con- 
struction in  Illinois  until  the  Fall  of  1854.  He  was  City  Engineer 
of  Watertown  until  he  constructed  the  Watertown  &  Madison 
Railroad.  He  was  in  Watertown  until  June,  1858,  employed 
as  Engineer  of  Railroads,  and  at  other  work.  He  came  to  Wausau  the 
last  day  of  June,  1858,  and  organized  and  commenced  a  banking  busi- 
ness, under  the  corporate  name  of  the  "  Bank  of  the  Interior,"  being 
himself  president  and  manager.  When  the  war  broke  out,  Mr.  Farnham 
had  virtually  become  proprietor  of  the  bank,  and  continued  the  business 
until  Jan.  i,  1875,  when  the  bank  was  merged  into  the  Marathon  County 
Bank.  Mr.  Farnham  was  president  of  the  latter  institution  until  1877, 
when,  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  himself  and  wife,  he  sold  his  bark 
stock,  and  moved  to  Clyde,  Kansas,  where  he  lived  nearly  two  years, 
returning  to  Wausau  in  the  Fall  of  1879,  ^"'-^  since  then  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  and  tax  paying  business,  dealing  in  scrip.  land 
warrants,  tax  certificates,  etc.  In  1859,  he  was  appointed  County  Treas- 
urer by  the  County  Board.  He  was  a  member  of  the  School  Board  and 
held  other  offices  before  going  to  Kansas.  Mr.  Farnham  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Scipio,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  27,  1817,  and  was  married 
in  Jefferson,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  Sept.  12,  1S64,  to  Mrs.  Emily  S.  John- 
ston (««  Sanborn),  who  was  born   in  Vermont,   and  died  April  2,  1881. 


She  had  one  son  by  her  former  marriage,  George  S.,  who  was  born  June 
iS,  1858,  and  resides  in  Wausau,  being  now  in  the  employ  of  Dunbar  & 
McDonald,  lumber  manufacturers.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools 
and  academies  of  Wisconsin. 

J.  W.  FLACK,  proprietor  of  livery  stable,  Wausau.  W'as  born  in 
Geneva,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Oct.  27,  1845,  and  lived  there  fourteen 
years,  removing  to  the  town  of  La  Fayette  in  the  same  county,  where  he 
resided  for  seven  years,  when  he  came  to  Burlington,  Wis.,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  stock  raising.  He  was  then  in  Missouri  one  year ;  in 
Ripon,  Wis.,  in  the  livery  business  one  year,  when  he  went  to  Mackford, 
Green  Lake  Co.,  and  on  a  stock  farm  of  his  own,  where  he  developed 
some  of  the  best  trotters  of  the  ages  of  one,  two,  three  and  four  years. 
Mr.  Flack  was  on  his  farm  until  1879,  when  he  was  appointed  Deputy 
United  States  Marshal,  with  headquarters  at  Sparta,  Wis.,  where  he 
lived  until  December,  18S0,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.  He  was  married 
at  Markesan,  Green  Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  June  25,  1871,  to  Esther  A.  Bedell, 
who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire.  They  have  two  sons,  Eddie  R.  and 
Bertie. 

JOHN  A.  FRENZEL,  proprietor  of  foundry,  Wausau.  Was  born  in 
Germany  Sept.  15,  1832,  and  lived  in  New  York  one  year  before  coming 
to  Wisconsin  in  1850.  He  lived  in  Sauk  City,  Sauk  Co.,  until  1873, 
when  he  came  to  Wausau  and  established  foundry  and  machine  shops. 
He  built  his  present  shops  seven  years  ago;  he  employs  from  seven  to 
eight  men,  and  does  general  work — manufactures  plows,  straw  cutters 
and  saw  machinery.  Mr.  Frenzel  has  been  in  the  foundry  and  machine 
shop  business  for  the  last  sixteen  years.  He  was  married  in  Sauk  City, 
Wis.,  in  1858,  to  Louise  .Steidmann,  a  native  of  Germany.  They  have 
eight  children — Charles,  Ida,  Lena,  Hermann,  Mena,  Emma,  Othelia 
and  Edwin. 

HENRY  FROEMMING,  mason,  contractor  and  builder,  Wausau. 
Was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  24,  1845.  He  settled  in  Wausau  in  Septem- 
ber, 1868,  and  has  followed  his  trade  there  since.  He  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing men  of  his  occupation.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  June  9,  1872, 
to  Mary  Buhse,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  April  24,  1853. 

DR.  HYATT  A.  FROST,  druggist,  Wausau,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Dix,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  22,  1838,  and  moved  from  there  to 
Hainesville,  III.,  living  there  until  1852,  when  he  came  to  Almond,  Port- 
age Co.,  Wis.;  after  residing  there  twelve  years,  he  moved  to  Waupaca, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine,  continuing  there  ten  years. 
In  1873,  he  came  to  Wausau  and  engaged  in  drug  trade  and  practice  of 
his  profession.  In  1874,  he  discontinued  all  practice  except  office  busi- 
ness, which  he  was  able  to  attend  to  in  connection  with  his  drug  trade. 
Dr.  Frost  was  married,  in  the  town  of  Almond,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov. 
12,  1862,  to  Harriet  A.  Robinson,  who  was  born  in  Conneaut,  Ohio. 
They  have  one  child  living,  Hiram  Edgar. 

JAMES  T.  FRY,  engineer  in  George  Werheim's  planing-mill.  Wau- 
sau, located  near  Stevens  Point,  and  followed  farming  one  year ;  came 
to  Wausau  in  July,  1880,  and  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  until  Jan. 
24.  l88l,  when  he  entered  his  present  position.  He  was  born  in  Iowa, 
June  26,  1847.  He  was  married,  in  December,  1S74,  to  Philleoman  Tay- 
lor, a  native  of  New  York. 

JOHN  C.  GEBHART,  general  merchandise,  lumber,  etc.,  wasborn 
seven  miles  norlh  of  Milwaukee,  in  what  is  now  Milwaukee  County, 
Jan.  17,  1849  ;  came  to  Wausau  and  clerked  five  years  in  his  present 
place  of  business.  He  then  went  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  from  his 
present  location,  and  began  business  for  himself;  followed  it  for  two 
years,  and  was  then  burned  out.  He  then  took  possession  of  his  present 
quarters.  He  was  married,  Nov.  23,  1875,  at  Wausau,  to  Maggie  Krembs. 
She  wasborn  in  Germany.     They  have  two  children,  Olka  M.  and  Alina_ 

JACOB  GEUSMANN,  dealer  in  lumber  and  saloon  keeper,  Wau- 
sau. He  lived  in  Washington  County  for  ten  years  with  his  parents, 
and  in  1863  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  followed  shoemaking  for  six 
years.  Then  he  opened  a  saloon,  and  after  three  years,  went  into  the 
lumber  business  and  saw-mill,  etc.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
Feb,  24,  1S44.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Feb.  14,  1S67,  to  Amelia 
Welde.  who  was  also  born  in  Prussia,  March  16,  1845.  They  have  eight 
children  living— Jacob  F..  William,  Emma,  Henry,  Edward,  Matilda, 
Leo  and  Ferdinand. 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  M.  GIFFORD,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Jack- 
son, Ohio,  Sept.  I,  1S29.  formerly  Mrs.  Judge  Kennedy.  She  settled  in 
Mosinee,  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  John  L.  Moore,  in  1845,  and  lived  there 
two  years.  She  was  married,  to  Mr.  William  H.  Kennedy,  Nov.  28, 
1847,  and  moved  to  Big  Rib  River,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.  After  three  years,  they  moved  to  W' ausau,  where  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy followed  the  practice  of  law,  together  with  his  lumber  interests. 
Mr.  Kennedy  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  in  1809.  He  was  elected  to  the 
second  Constitutional  Convention  from  Portage  County.  He  went  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  dispose  of  his  lumber,  in  the  season  of  1859,  and  died 
there,  August  29,  of  the  same  year.  By  their  union  in  marriage  they  had 
three  children,  Annette,  William  A.  and  James  F.  Mrs.  Kennedy  was 
again  married,  to  Mr.  Peter  Gilford,  at  Wausau,  June  15,  1S66.  Mr.Gif- 
ford  made  lumbering  his  business  for  some  time,  and  is  now  engaged  in 


HISTORY    OF    MARATHON    COUNTY. 


S6x 


a  saw-mill.     He  was  born  in  New  York,  in  1825.      They  have  one  son. 
Phillip  S. 

FRANK  L.  GOFF,  photographer,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Macomb 
Co.,  Mich.,  Feb.  28,  1852.  He  first  settled  at  Neenah,  where  he  re 
mained  three  years,  following  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade;  from  there 
he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  remained  about  five  months,  and 
learned  the  art  of  photographing  ;  from  there  he  went  to  Manitowoc,  and 
followed  this  occupation.  His  next  move  was  to  Wausau.  He  wasmar- 
ried  in  Wausau,  May  20,  1879,  '°  Fanny  Thayer,  who  was  born  in  Wau- 
sau, Nov.  30,  1857.     They  have  one  daughter,  Katie  L. 

HARRY  H.  GRACE,  attorney  at  law,  Wausau,  was  born  at  Little 
Lake  Village,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  April  I,  1856,  and  reared  at  Grand 
Rapids  from  his  second  or  third  year.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  H.and 
Caroline  L.  (Hicks)  Grace.  His  father  died  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  in 
1879.  His  mother  still  resides  at  that  place.  Mr.  Grace  attended  the 
State  University  for  five  years,  and  studied  law  with  Benton  &  Benton, 
of  Minneapolis.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Minneapolis  in  March, 
1877,  and  commenced  practice  at  Beaver  Falls,  Minn.,  remaining  there 
about  six  months,  then  coming  to  Wausau,  having  been  associate  in 
business  with  Charles  F.  Eldred  ever  since.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Grace  &  McCrossen,  proprietors  of  the  only  abstracts  in  titles 
in  Marathon  County.  Mr.  Grace  was  married  in  Wausau,  Sept.  25, 
187S,  to  Lizzie  A.  McCrossen,  who  was  born  at  Rural,  Waupaca  Co., 
Wis.     They  have  two  children,  Zoe  Agnes  and  Robert  ]. 

REV.  THOMAS  GREENE,  B.  D.  and  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  of  Marathon  Co.,  Wausau.  Mr.  Green  attended  the  Theological 
School  at  Nashotah.and  was  ordained  to  the  Holy  Ministry,  Trinity 
Sunday,  June,  1S53.  He  was  then  appointed  missionary  to  Ripon,  Ber- 
lin, Green  Lake,  Fox  Lake  and  Rosendale.  In  1854,  he  was  elected 
rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Intercession  at  Stevens  Point,  and  also  had 
a  parish  school  there,  which  was  attached  to  the  church.  In  1858,  he 
resigned  this  parish  and  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  gaihered  in  a  large 
congregation  and  built  the  church  of  St.  John  in  the  Wilderness.  In 
1861,  he  resigned  charge  of  the  church  and  removed  to  Monroe,  Mich., 
and  became  rector  of  the  Trinity  Church  there,  being  rector  from  1861 
to  1S64.  In  May,  1864.  he  became  chaplain  of  17th  Reg.  Mich. 
I.  v.,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
mustered  out  in  Tenelly  Town,  Va.,  June,  1865.  Then  he  removed  to 
Fayette,  Mo.,  and  became  rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Wausau,  Wis.,  and  was  ap- 
pointed County  .Superintendent  of  Schools.  He  was  born  in  Atherstone, 
Warwickshire,  England,  June  4,  iBig.  He  held  the  first  service  that 
was  held  in  Wausau  in  the  ball  room  of  the  Forest  House,  March  12, 
1854.  He  had  a  very  large  congregation,  people  coming  from  a  long 
distance  to  hear  him. 

CHARLES  GRITZMACHER,  blacksmhh,  Wausau.  Came  to 
Wausau  in  1859,  and  has  followed  his  trade  here  since.  He  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Germany,  March  30,  1848.  He  was  married,  Nov.  29,  1875,  to 
Katie  Mies,  who  was  born  in  Kenosha,  June  19,  i860.  They  have  two 
children,  Anna  M.  and  Libbie  L. 

CHARLES  W.  HARGER,  cashier  of  Marathon  County  Bank, 
Wausau,  was  born  at  Stone  Mills,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  11,  1S42, 
and  came  to  Wausau  from  Watertown,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  He  was 
married  in  Wausau,  Wis.,  November,  1877,  to  Kate  Scholfield,  who  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Weston,  Marathon  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  child, 
Anna  Gertrude.  Mr.  Harger  enlisted  in  Co.  B.  29th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and 
served  about  one  year  during  the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion. 

CHARLES  P.  HASELTINE,  lumberman  and  banker,  Wausau, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Sullivan,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  10,  1836. 
In  1854,  he  came  to  Lockport,  111.,  living  there  until  August,  1865,  when 
he  came  to  Wausau  and  engaged  in  milling.  He  now  cuts  from 
12,000,000  to  15,000,000  ;  formerly  from  5,000,000  lo  7,000,000;  it  is  a 
double  rotary  mill  and  employs  on  an  average  100  men.  He  has  a  plan- 
ing mill  and  a  shingle  mill.  Mr.  Haselline  lived  at  Scholfield's  Mills 
until  the  Fall  of  1877,  when  he  moved  to  Wausau.  William  Scholfield's 
widow  is  a  partner  in  the  business  ;  they  have  a  large  store  at  the  mill. 
Mr.  Haseltine  was  married  in  Lockport  in  September,  1S71,  to  Ella 
Gooding,  a  native  of  Lockport,  and  daughter  of  William  Gooding. 
They  have  four  children — Annie,  William  E.,  Emma  and  Ada. 

H.  S.  HASELTINE,  overseer  of  Scholfield's  mills,  Scholfield. 
First  located  at  Stevens  Point  in  1861,  where  he  was  employed  three 
years  as  clerk  in  a  drug  store  ;  from  there  he  went  to  Lockport,  where 
he  remained  two  years  in  the  same  capacity,  and  from  there  came  to 
Scholfield.  He  soon  after  went  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  had  charge  of  a 
lumber  yard  for  three  years.  Then  he  went  lo  New  Sharon,  in  Central 
Iowa,  and  retailed  lumber  on  his  own  account,  remaining  one  year.  He 
finally  returned  to  Scholfield.  He  was  born  in  Canaseraga,  N.  Y.,  July 
28,  1846.  He  was  married,  in  New  Sharon,  Iowa.  November,  1875,  to 
Laura  C.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Union  Springs,  N.  Y.,  July  13,  1850. 
They  have  three  children — Maria,  Richard  S.  and  Sarah. 

CHARLES  F.  HEPPNER,  clerk   for   F.  W.  Kickbusch,  Wausau. 
Was  born  in  Germany,  July  17,  1851.     He  settled  in   Wausau  in  i860, 
35 


where  he  spent  his  school  days.  He  first  clerked  for  Mr.  Otto  Siegrist, 
and  was  in  his  employ  about  five  years;  then  clerked  for  Mr.  August 
Kickbusch  about  six  years;  he  was  also  with  Mauson  &  Fernald  for  two 
years;  then  he  engaged  with  Mr.  F.  W.  Kickbusch.  He  was  married, 
at  Wausau,  October  2,  1879,  to  Anna  M.  Steltz,  who  was  born  in  Ocon- 
omowoc,  July  14,  1861.     They  have  one  daughter,  Etta  M. 


^,  a,/f^^-^ 


MICHAEL  ANGELO  HURLEY,  lawyer,  Wausau.  Son  of  Will- 
iam and  Mary  Fitz  Allen  Hurley,  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada,  Oct.  22, 
1840,  and  moved  to  Ogdensburg  with  his  parents  when  a  child.  He 
came  to  Wisconsin  originally  in  1856,  remaining  eleven  months  in  the 
vicinity  of  Wausau,  then  was  at  Stevens  Point  and  Berlin  until  the  Fall 
of  1862,  when  he  went  to  Chicago,  living  there  until  1867;  then  re- 
turned to  Berlin,  and  remained  there  until  November,  1873,  when  he 
came  to  Wausau,  having  formed  a  partnership  with  Willis  C.Silverthorn, 
his  present  partner,  fir.  Hurley  resigned  the  position  of  District  Attor- 
ney in  Green  Lake  County  when  he  came  here.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  1857,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  Wisconsin  in  1869, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  practice  ever  since.  On  account  of  failure  of 
his  health,  he  engaged  in  active  business  for  five  years  after  commencing 
the  study  of  law.  Mr.  Hurley  is  in  every  sense  a  self-made  man,  and 
ranks  among  the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  West.  He  was  married,  in 
Berlin,  June  16,  1S74,  to  Clara  H.  Leonard,  who  was  born  in  Berlin, 
Wis.,  hfer  parents  having  been  among  the  early  settlers  of  Green  Lake 
County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurley  have  two  children,  Fred  Norris  and  Jud- 
son  Byron. 

BENJAMIN  W.  JAMES,  of  the  law  firm  of  James  &  Crosby, 
Wausau.  Was  born  in  Otsego,  Columbia  Co.,  April  2,  1847.  where  his 
parents  still  reside,  having  been  among  the  first  settlers  of  that  county. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  there,  and  afterward  the  State  Univer- 
sity at  Madison,  graduating  from  the  college  proper  in  1872,  and  from 
the  law  school  in  1873  ;  alter  which  he  came  directly  to  Wausau,  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  married,  in  Lincoln,  ill., 
Sept.  15,  1S73,  to  May  Haines,  who  was  born  in  Upper  Stillwater,  Me., 
Dec.  14,  1849.  They  have  two  sons,  Benjamin  W.,  Jr.  and  Allan. 
They  lost  one  son,  Stephen. 

ROBERT  H.  JOHNSON,  proprietor  of  the  Central  Wisconsin,  ^.wA 
Postmaster,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Milwaukee,  in  1845.  He  lived  at 
home  until  the  death  of  his  parents,  which  occurred  when  he  was  about 
twelve  years  old.  He  was  sent  to  school  in  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
four  years.  In  February,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  58ih  111.  V.  I.,  at 
Chicago;  re-enlisted  in  June,  1864.  After  the  last  battle  of  Nashville, 
he  was  detailed  as  special  orderly  on  the  staff  of  Brig.  Gen.  Gerard,  of 
Pennsylvania,  brigade  commander  ;  was  afterward  detailed  as  orderly  at 
the  head  quarters  of  Maj.  Gen.  Charles  R.  Woods,  commanding  Depart- 
ment of  Alabama.  He  participated  in  the  following  battles:  Ft.  Don- 
elson,  Shiloh,  Siege  of  Corinth,  last  battle  of  Corinth,  Ft.  de  Russey,  Sa- 


562 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


bine  Cross  Roads,  Marksville,  Prairie  Hill,  Yellow  Bayou,  Nashville, 
Ft.  Blakely,  and  numerous  skirmishes,  through  all  of  which  he  went 
without  a  scratch.  He  was  discharged  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1866, 
"by  reason  services  being  no  longer  required."  On  the  eighteenth  day  of 
April,  1866,  he  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since,  work- 
ing in  saw-mills,  in  the  logging  woods,  and  running  down  the  river  on 
lumber  rafts,  until  Oct.  14,  1868,  when  he  bought  the  Central  Wisconsin 
newspaper,  then  Democratic,  and  changed  it  into  a  Republican  newspa- 
per, enlarging  and  improving  it  as  the  years  and  times  progressed.  On 
the  thirteenth  day  of  January,  1876,  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Wausau 
for  four  years.  Was  reappointed  Jan.  14,  1880.  Has  just  completed  anew 
brick  block,  with  post-oiUce  below  and  printing  office  above.  Has  a 
beautiful  new  house  in  the  best  part  of  city,  and  all  the  surroundings  to 
make  life  enjoyable.  Was  married,  in  Wausau,  Dec.  27,  r876,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Alban,  daughter  of  Col.  James  S.  Alban,  commander  of  the 
l8th  Wis.  V.  I.,  who  was  killed  at  Shiloh.  His  wife  was  born  in  Plover, 
June  23,  1856.     They  have  three  children,  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

GEN.  JOHN  A.  KELLOGG,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Bethany,  Wayne 
Co.,  Pa.,  March  16,  1828,  and  lived  there  until  1840,  when  the  family 
came  to  Prairie  du  Sac,  .Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his  father.  Nathaniel 
Kellogg,  died  in  the  Fall  of  1856,  and  his  mother,  Sarah  Quidor  Kel- 
logg, died  in  1854.  John  A.  Kellogg  lived  in  Prairie  du  Sac  most  of  the 
time  after  his  arrival  until  1857  ;  from  1853  to  1S55,  he  was  engaged  in 
studying  law  at  Madison  ;  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Baraboo,  Sauk 
County,  in  1857,  and  commenced  practice  in  Prairie  du  Sac.  In  the 
Summer  of  1857,  he  moved  to  Mauston,  Juneau  County,  living  there 
until  April,  1861,  when  he  helped  raise  Co.  K,  6th  Wis.  V.  L,  and  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant  at  the  organization  of  the  company.  May 
3d,  1861 ;  was  promoted  to  captain  Dec.  18,  1S61,  to  lieutenant  colonel 
Oct.  19,  1864  ;  colonel  Dec.  10,  1864,  and  assigned  to  command  of  the 
iron  brigade  in  February,  1865  ;  made  brigadier  general  by  brevet,  for 
highly  meritorious  service.  April  g,  1866,  with  rank  from  April  9,  1865  ; 
discharged  at  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  July  14.  1865.  He  was  in  the  battles 
of  Rappahannock  Station,  Gainesville,  second  Bull  Run,  South  Mount- 
ain, Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  first  and  second,  Chancellorsville,  Mine 
Run,  Gettysburg,  three  days,  July  I,  2,  3,  Wilderness,  May  5,  Hatcher's 
Run,  Warren's  Raid,  Boydton,  Plank  Road,  High  Bridge,  Five  Forks, 
Appomattox,  and  commanded  the  iron  brigade  that  opened  the  battle  of 
Appomattox.  At  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  he  was  wounded  and  re- 
ported dead,  but  was  taken  prisoner  May  5,  1864,  and  confined  at 
Lynchburg  Va.,  then  at  Danville,  Va.,  at  Macon,  Ga.,  then  taken  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  being  there  from  July  to  Oct.  5,  1864.  On  the  way  to 
Charleston,  he  jumped  from  the  train  in  the  endeavor  to  escape,  but  was 
pursued  by  bloodhounds  and  recaptured,  but  while  being  transferred 
from  Charleston  to  Columbia,  he,  with  four  others,  escaped  (near 
Branchville,  S.  C,  Oct.  15,  1864).  from  the  train,  and  finally  reached  the 
Federal  lines  at  Calhoun,  Ga.,  Oct.  26,  1864,  having  traveled  a  distance 
of  350  miles  from  the  place  where  they  escaped,  and  been  followed  by 
bloodhounds  for  eight  days.  General  Kello;:g  was  appointed  Pension 
Agent  at  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  in  1866,  and  remained  there  until  July,  1875, 
when  he  came  to  Wausau,  having  resigned  his  position  as  United  States 
Pension  Agent  in  April,  1875.  He  was  District  Attorney  when  he 
entered  the  service,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Senate  m 
1879  ^"<1  i^^c.  He  was  married  in  Prairie  du  Sac,  Oct.  5,  1852,  to 
-Adelaide  Worthington,  who  was  born  in  Huntington,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa., 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  B.  Worthington,  who  came  to  Wisconsin 
about  1849.     They  have  three  children— Ida  D.,  Elsie  W.,  and  Stella  L. 

NATHANIEL  T.  KELLY,  of  the  firm  of  W.  P.  Kelly  &  Bro., 
owners  of  a  saw  mill  on  the  Big  Eau  Claire  River,  six  miles  east  of  Wau- 
sau. Mr.  Kelly  first  went  to  the  Big  Eau  Claire  River  Sept.  17,  1850. 
When  he  arrived  at  Mr.  Goodhue's  mills,  on  the  above  stream,  he  had 
twenty-five  cents  as  capital,  to  begin  with.  He  worked  by  the  month 
for  eight  years,  and  having  a  speculative  mind,  he  soon  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  on  his  own  account,  and  he  now  owns  half  interest  in 
the  same  mill,  in  company  with  his  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  W.  P.  Kelly,  who 
owns  the  other  hall  interest.  Their  mill  was  erected  in  1874;  the  ca- 
pacity of  which  is  $75,000  in  twent)-four  hours.  They  employ  about 
100  men.  They  have  a  large,  fine  tract  of  pine  and  hardwood  timber 
in  that  vicinity.  Mr.  Kelly  was  born  in  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  5,  1834. 
He  was  married,  Aug.  5,  1861,  at  Stevens  Point,  to  Nellie  M.  Karner, 
who  was  born  in  Egremont,  Mass.  They  have  three  children,  Lou, 
Frank,  and  Mabel. 

AUGUST  KICKBUSCH,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Pomerania,  Prus- 
sia, Oct.  15,  1828,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to  America  in  1857, 
landing  at  Quebec,  and  coming  from  there  to  Milwaukee  by  railroad, 
and  from  Milwaukee  to  Stevens  Point  and  Wausau  on  foot.  He  re- 
mained in  the  woods,  selected  and  bought  364  acres  of  farming  lands  in 
the  present  town  of  Hamburg;  then  returned  to  Milwaukee  and  was 
engaged  in  teaming  until  i860,  when  he  came  to  Wausau  to  reside.  He 
came  here  first  with  a  load  of  merchandise  and,  disposirg  of  the  goods 
to  advantage,  decided  to  come  here  and  engage  in  mercantile  business. 
He  commenced  business  on  Clark's  Island,  building  a  .shanty,  16x28,  in 
which  he  lived  and  carried  on  trade;  it  was  situated  where  Jack  Clark's 
red  building  now  stands.     Mr.  Kickbusch  lived  for  eight  days  in  a  wagon, 


being  unable  to  find  other  shelter.  He  remained  two 'years  and  a  half 
on  the  island,  and  then  bought  his  present  store  building  on  the  comer 
of  Main  and  Washington  streets,  and  has  carried  on  business  in  that 
building  ever  since.  In  the  Spring  of  1865.  he  built  a  hardware,  stove 
and  crockery  store  next  to  his  grocery.  In  1S72,  he  built  his  brick  store 
on  Washington  street,  and  in  1878  his  feed  store  on  southwest  corner  of 
Main  and  Washington  streets.  In  March,  1867,  Mr.  Kickbusch  went 
to  Europe,  and  when  he  returned,  June  20,  1867,  he  brought  with  him 
on  the  "  American  "  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  line  of  steamers,  a  large 
number  of  German  emigrants,  every  one  of  whom  he  located  in  Wis- 
consin. He  has  been  emigrant  agent  ever  since  he  came  here,  and  has 
kept  emigrants  for  weeks  without  charge  ;  is  now  agent  for  the  Inman, 
Anchor,  White  Star,  and  North  German  Lloyd  lines,' and  is  doing  more 
to  settle  this  section  of  the  country  than  any  one  else.  He  has  had 
railroad  contracts  and  been  one  of  the  most  active  business  men  of  the 
country  ;  he  started  the  first  brick  yard  in  Marathon  County  about  1865, 
just  a  mile  east  of  his  grocery  store.  In  1867,  in  company  with  B.  G. 
Plumer,  he  bought  the  fair  grounds,  donating  them  to  the  Society,  and 
expending  considerable  money  in  making  them  what  they  are  ;  he  is  now 
president  of  the  Marathon  County  Agricultural  Society,  which  position 
he  has  held  ever  since  its  organization,  with  the  exception  of  three  years. 
He  has  been  the  Village  President  three  terms,  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board  five  years,  he  was  the  first  Mayor  after  the  incorporation,  has  been 
Mayor  two  terms,  and  is  director  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  He  started 
the  German  Guards,  a  military  company,  and  in  1867  started  the  first 
brass  band  in  Wausau,  and  still  maintains  it,  the  "Wausau  Cornet 
Band."  He  has  dealt  in  lumber  for  the  last  fourteen  years.  Mr. 
Kickbusch  was  married,  March  3,  1854,  in  Pomerania,  Germany,  to 
Matilda  Schochou,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  four  children — 
Otto,  born  in  Germany,  Martha,  now  Mrs.  Win.  Osborn,  of  Wausau; 
Robert  and  Emma.  They  lost  one  son,  Gustave,  who  died  in  Milwaukee 
in  1859,  aged  about  three  years. 


"^^^^^L^^^ 


FREDERICK  W.  KICKBUSCH,  was  born  in  Pomerania,  Prus- 
sia, Jan.  25,  1S41,  and  came  to  America  in  1S57,  living  in  Milwaukee 
until  i860,  when  he  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
engaged  in  farming  one  year,  was  in  business  with  his  brother  August 
ten  years,  and  since  then  has  been  in  the  luml  er  business  most  of  the 
time.  He  was  County  Treasurer  six  years,  serving  five.  He  has  been 
Chairman  of  the  Board  for  five  or  six  years  ;  is  now  serving  in  that 
capacity,  he  was  elected  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1878.  He  estab- 
lished a  planing  mill,  manufacturing  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  1872  ;  it  was 
the  first  mill  of  the  kind  within  forty  miles  of  Wausau;  it  employs 
twenty  men  and  manufactures  from  $12,000  to  $15,000  worth  per  year. 
In  1879,  ^^  commenced  his  present  mercanlile  business.  He  has  been 
president  of  the  State  Firemen's  Association  for  three  years.  Mr.  Kickbusch 
was  married  in  Wausau,  Oct.  28,  1864,  to  Matilda  Braatz,  who  was  born 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY, 


563 


in  Pomerania.  Prussia.  They  have  four  children— Emma  B.,  Matilda 
M.,  Frederick  W.,  and  Paulina.     Mr.  Kickbusch  is  a  member  of  the  A. 

0.  U.  W.,  and  the  American  Legion  of  Honor. 

OTTO  KICKBUSCH,  merchant,  Wausau,  came  to  America  in 
1857,  and  learned  the  mercantile  business  in  his  father's  store.  In  1872 
he  engaged  in  business  with  his  father,  August  Kickbusch,  dealing  in 
dry  goods,  gents'  furnishing  goods,  clothing,  boots  and  shoes.  He  was 
married,  March  15,  1874,  to  Emma  Schroeder,  who  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia, and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  Schroeder,  deceased.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Stella  M.,  born  in  March,  1S79.  Outside  of  his  mercantile 
business,  Mr.  Kickbusch  has  given  much  of  his  attention  to  trotting 
stock  of  the  Blue  Bull  family.  He  has  brought  many  good  horses 
to  Wisconsin  (more  than  any  other  man  in  the  State)  eight  that  have 
beaten  2:40  time,  two  of  whom  have  beaten  2.25.  He  owns  one  of  the 
best  trotters  in  the  State  ;  confines  himself  to  the  Blue  Bull  stock.  He  is 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Wausau  Driving  Club  ;  he  laid  out  and 
built  the  track,  constructed  the  stables,  etc.  Mr.  K.  ranks  among  the 
most  reliable  horsemen  of  the  West ;  being  a  business  man  of  sagacity 
and  honor,  his  judgment  can  be  relied  on. 

AUGUST  KLOSTERMAN,  mason,  contractor  and  jobber.  He 
came  to  Wausau  in  1871  ;  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  8,  1853. 

WILLIAM  H.  KNOX,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Pembroke,  Merri- 
mack Co.,  N.  H.,  Nov.  28,  1834,  and  lived  there  until  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Oxford,  Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for 
four  or  five  years,  and  then  engaged  in  farming  until  1S66.  He  com- 
menced lumbering  in  1865,  and  the  manufacture  of  lumber  in   1867   and 

1868  with  his  brother,  Sam  G.  Knox,  on  the  Wisconsin  River  at  a  point 
known  as  Crooked  Riff,  Portage  County.  They  built  a  mill  there  and 
ran  it  until  the  Spring  of  1874,  when  they  built  a  mill  at  Stevens  Point, 
beginning  operations  there  the  same  year;  selling  out  in  1877,  they 
came  to  VVausau  and  bought  a  three-eighths'  interest  in  the  Wausau 
Lumber  Co.,  of  which  he  has  been  president  and  is  now  secretary.  In 
1877  and  1878,  they  had  their  logs  sawed  at  Stevens  Point,  but  in  1879 
their  work  was  done  at  Wausau.  They  have  a  lumber  yard  at  Flan- 
dreau,  Dakota.  Mr.  Knox's  brother  lives  at  Ripon.  Mr.  William  H.  Knox 
was  married  in  Oxford,  July  14,  1S65,  to  Mary  S.  Axford,  who  was 
born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.     They  have  two  children,  Hiram  and  Gracie. 

ALBERT  T.  KOCH,  physician  and  surgeon,  Wausau,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Nov.  9,  1839,  ^"<J  came  to  America  in  1856,  living  in  Water- 
town,  Wis.,  for  four  or  five  years;  then  in  Minnesota  and  Iowa,  until 
the  Spring  of  1877,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Bennett  Eclectic  College,  and  also  attended  Rush  Medical  College,  at 
Chicago.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  about  nine 
years.  He  enlisted  in  the  2d  Minn.  C,  and  served  about  two  years.  Dr. 
Kocli  was  married  in  Owatonna,   Minn. 

JACOB  KOLTER,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Rhein,  Bavaria,  Aug.  15, 
1839,  *id  came  to  America  in  1855,  arriving  in  New  York,  May  6. 
1851,  coming  from  there  to  Wausau,  Aug.  27,  1857;  two  years  later,  he 
went  to  St.  Louis,  living  there  and  in  Belleville,  Jacksonville,  Winches- 
ter and  Griggsville  for  two  years.  He  returned  to  Wausau  and  was  for 
a  time  employed  as  a  cook.  In  1862,  he  built  and  opened  a  bakery, 
which  was  burned  down  in  1S69.     He  was  in  the  drug  business,  and   in 

1869  built  a  music  hall  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Third  streets. 
He  is  also  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering.  Mr.  K.  was  married  in 
Wausau,  Dec.  i,  1867,  to  Bertha  Janke,  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They 
have  six  children — Emma  E.,  Augusta  S.,  Bertha  M.,  Rosa  A.,  George 
R.,  and  Jacob  H. 

CHARLES  KRUEGER,  cigars,  came  to  Wisconsin,  Nov.  4,  1867, 
staying  in  Milwaukee  a  short  time.  From  there  he  came  to  Wausau, 
and  began  the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  six  years.  In 
August,  1874,  he  began  in  his  present  business,  and  has  since  followed 
it.  He  was  appointed  second  lieutenant  of  ihe  Germania  Guard,  Wis- 
cousin  National  Guards,  on  June  3,  1879.  He  was  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant,  June  28,  of  the  same  year.     He  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  Sept. 

1,  1871,  stayed  there  a  short  time,  from  there  to  Milwaukee,  and  re- 
mained until  June  8,  1874;  followed  his  trade  and  obtained  his  military 
education.  He  was  born  in  ImmenhofT,  Kreis  Kamin,  Prussia,  Dec.  6, 
1851.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Feb.  11,  1876,  to  Elizabeth  Steltz. 
She  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  April  6,  1859.  They  have  four  children — 
Matha  A.,  Theodore  W.,  Laura  M.  A.,  and  Leo  A.  W. 

WILLIAM  LASELLE,  contractor  and  builder,  Wausau,  was  born 
in  Oshkosh,  Nov  26,  1846.  He  lived  there  at  different  times  for  twelve 
years,  then  went  to  Hancock,  Waushara  Co.,  for  six  years,  then  to 
Stevens  Point,  for  one  and  one-half  years,  and  attended  school.  From 
there  he  came  to  Wausau,  and  engaged  in  his  present  occupation. 

JOHN  E.  LEAHY,  Mayor  of  Wausau,  now  serving  his  third  term, 
was  born  in  Dover,  N.  H.,  Feb.  15,  1842.  He,  with  his  parents,  settled 
near  Waterloo,  in  1849.  During  that  time  he  attended  the  State  Uni- 
versity, at  Madison,  for  five  years.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  E,  35th  Regt.,  Wis.  I.  V.,  and  was  elected  first  lieutenant  of  the 
company.  He  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy  of  the  same  company  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered  out,  in  Texas,  in  the  Spring 
of  1866.      He  intended  to  remain  in  the  South,  and  engage  in  the  pro- 


duction of  cotton,  but,  after  living  there  a  short  time,  he  came  home  on 
a  visit,  where  he  met  an  old  friend,  who  was  engaged  in  the  Wisconsin 
pineries.  He  visited  that  region,  and  finally  moved  to  Stevens  Point 
the  same  Spring.  The  following  Fall  he  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business,  which  he  has  followed  since.  He  was 
married,  in  Wausau,  Dec.  31,  1S72,  to  Mary  D.  McCrossen.  She  was 
born  in  New  Brunswick,  at  Linfield,  April  18,  1849. 

MICHAEL  LEMERE,  saloon,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, Feb.  26.  1841.  He  settled  on  the  Eau  Claire  River,  three  miles  be 
low  Wausau,  in  the  Spring  of  1S58,  and  worked  there  six  years  in  a 
sawmill.  He  came  to  Wausau,  in  October,  1864,  and  worked  in  the 
Mclndoe  &  Steward's  mill,  in  the  capacity  of  mill-man.  In  1870,  he 
worked  for  B.  G.  Plumer,  in  the  same  capacity,  for  two  years,  when  he 
met  with  an  accident,  breaking  one  of  his  limbs.  He  then  built  his 
present  place  of  business.  He  was  married,  April  19,  1863,  to  Caroline 
Zastrow,  who  was  born,  in  Germany,  in  1844.  They  have  five  children 
— Frank,  Louis,  Alice,  Clara  and  Michael,  Jr. 

HENRY  J.  LOHMAR,  editor  of  the  Wausau  Wochenblait,  Wau- 
sau, was  born  in  Hallerbach,  Prussia,  March  5,  1853.  and  came  to  Sauk 
City,  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade  there,  and, 
in  1872,  came  to  Wausau,  and,  since  1873,  has  been  connected  with  the 
Wochenhtatt.  He  was  married,  at  Sauk  City,  June  5,  1876,  to  Louise 
Clos,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  two  cliildren  living,  Ida  and 
Armin.     Mr.  Lohmar  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

WILLIAM  H.  MCVULAY,  contractor  and  builder,  Wausau,  was 
born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  June  15,  1843.  He  went  to  Sievens  Point 
November,  1871,  and  lived  there  three  years,  following  lumbering  and 
building  ;  then  he  went  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  and 
followed  his  business  there  for  one  year.  Then  went  to  the  Black  Hills, 
D.  T.  In  1878  he  returned  to  Stevens  Point,  when  he  engaged  in  his 
present  occupation,  and  remained  there  two  and  a  half  years ;  then  came 
to  Wausau  in  the  Spring  of  18S1.  He  was  married,  in  Grand  Rapids, 
May  20,  1872,  to  Helen  E.  Bremmer,  who  was  born  in  Champlain 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1846.  Mr.  McAulay  enlisted  in  the  regular  army,  at  Ban- 
gor, Me.,  in  Co.  A,  which  was  on  escort  duty. 

JULIAN  ADELBERT  McCROSSEN,  Wausau,  was  born  at 
Rural,  town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co..  Wis.,  May  21,  1854.  He  has 
been  in  mercantile  business  with  his  father  ever  since  his  youth,  and  has. 
for  the  last  four  years,  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  James  McCrossen  & 
Co.  He  was  married,  Aug.  II,  1879,  to  Carrie  G.  Woodward,  daughter 
of  George  Woodward,  a  resident  of  Greenville,  Wis.  They  have  one 
son.  Jay  W..  born  in  Wausau,  July  10,  1880.  Mr.  McCrossen  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JAMES  McCROSSEN,  merchant  and  lumberman,  Wausau,  was 
born  in  Carrolton,  New  Brunswick,  Feb.  13,  1829;  when  he  was  four- 
teen years  old,  he  went  to  Calais,  Me.,  and  was  there  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1850,  living  in  Oshkosh  until  1852,  when  he  removed  to 
Rural,  in  the  town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
mercantile  and  flouring  mill  business  until  1870,  when  he  moved  to  Wau- 
sau. having  commenced  mercantile  business  here  the  previous  year.  He 
engaged  in  lumbering  in  1S77.  and  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  in  1880. 
purchasing  a  three-eighths  interest  in  the  Wausau  Lumber  Company,  and 
is  now  president  of  the  company.  Mr.  McCrossen  was  married  at 
Rural,  Waupaca  Co..  Wis.,  July  4.  1854,  to  Cornelia  A.  Jones,  who  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Sherman,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  six 
children  living— Julian  Adelbert,  Ellen,  James  M.,  Lizzie  A.,  Charles  A., 
and  Henry  G.  Their  daughter  Kittie  died  Jan.  2, 1881,  aged  two  years, 
five  days  and  eight  days. 

J.  M.  McCROSSEN,  Wausau,  was  born  at  Rural,  town  of  Dayton, 
Waupaca  Co,.  Wis.,  Feb.  24,  1S60,  and  was  engaged  in  clerking  in  his 
father's  store  until  he  entered  the  Northwestern  Business  College  in  1878, 
graduating  from  that  institute  Feb.  i,  1881.  He  became  interested  in  the 
abstract  business  in  the  Fall  of  1880,  and  when  returned  to  Wausau,  he 
engaged  in  the  business  in  partnership  with  H.  H.  Grace,  who  had  con- 
ducted it  while  Mr.  McCrossen  was  in  Madison,  after  the  purchase  of 
the  abstracts.  They  deal  in  real  estate,  enter  homesteads,  pay  taxes  for 
non-residents,  etc. 

RANALD  D.  McDONALD.  Wausau,  was  born  in  the  Highlands 
of  Scotland,  Jan.  3,  1849,  and  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  Dun- 
can and  Mary  McDonald,  who  settled  near  Cornwall,  Province  of  Onta- 
rio when  he  was  about  five  years  old.  Mr.  McDonald  lived  in  Canada 
until  1863,  when  he  came  to  Wausau,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering. 
He  was  pilot  on  the  river,  worked  in  the  woods  ,  lumbering  for  himself 
until  1876.  In  April.  1877.  he  went  to  the  Pacific  coast;  after  spending 
about  six  months  there  he  returned  to  Wausau.  March  10,  1S79,  he 
commenced  the  liquor  business,  and  in  1880  resumed  lumbering  on  his 
own  account,  and  cuts  about  1,700,000  feet  of  logs  annually. 

FINLAY  MCDONALD,  of  the  firm  of  McDonald; Bros.,  proprie- 
tors  of  a  saw-mill,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Providence.  Nova  ScoUa.  April 
14.  1846.  He  moved  10  Fond  du  Lac  during  the  Winter  of  1863.  and  at 
fiTst  worked  at  any  thing  he  could  find  to  do.  In  the  Spring  of  1867, 
himself  and  his  brother  Daniel  began  a  jobbing  business  of  putting  in 
logs  which  they  followed  three  years.    Then  they  engaged  in  the  sash 


5^4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  door  business  at  Green  Bay,  which  they  continued  until  1872.  They 
then  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  went  into  logging  on  the  Wolf  River,  and 
followed  it  until  1875.  In  that  Winter,  he  went  with  his  brother  and 
Mr.  James  Simple  on  the  line  of  the  W.  C.  R.  R.,  and  built  a  saw-mill 
at  Medford,  Taylor  Co.,  where  they  remained  seven  months.  They  then 
sold  their  interest  and  came  to  Wausau.  Their  saw-mill  was  erected  m 
the  Spring  and  Summer  of  1881.  The  capacity  of  their  mill  is  50,000  in 
eleven  hours.     They  employ  sixty  men. 

DANIEL  Mcdonald,  of  the  firm  of  McDonald  Bros.,  owners  of 
saw-mill,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  March  22,  r83g,  of  Scottish 
parents.  He  located,  with  his  brother,  at  Fond  du  Lac  in  1863.  He 
began  working  by  the  day  in  a  shingle  mill,  owned  by  A.  C.  Merriman. 
He  hired  for  $1  per  day,  but,  on  settling,  his  employer  paid  him  $1.25 
for  his  energy  and  attention  to  business.  He  was  then  given  charge  of 
a  gang  of  men  who  were  logging,  and  i.i  the  Spring  took  charge  of  the 
log  drive.  He  then  went  into  the  shingle  mill  and  worked  for  f  50  per 
month  and  board,  and  remained  during  the  Summer,  and  from  there  he 
went  to  the  Bay  Shore  at  Dykesville  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Spear  & 
Hunter,  and  remained  a  short  time,  when  their  mill  burned  and  he  lost 
all  he  had  previously  earned.  He  then  began  logging  in  the  Bay  Settle- 
ment at  New  Franklin,  where  he  remained  one  year.  Then  he  again 
went  to  logging  for  T.  R.  Willard  of  Green  Bay,  where  he  remained  one 
season ;  afterward,  went  into  the  same  business  for  himself,  living  in  that 
vicinity  until  1868.  In  the  meantime,  his  brother  Finley  engaged  in  the 
sash  and  door  business,  i^i  which  they  were  both  interested.  From 
there,  he,  with  his  brother,  went  to  logging  on  the  Wolf  River  and  re- 
mained until  1875.  Then  they  went  in  company  with  Mr.  J.  Simple  of 
Medford,  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  where  they  erected  a  saw- 
mill and  began  business;  but  they  soon  sold  their  interest  to  Mr.  Simple. 
They  then  dealt  in  pine  lands,  in  which  they  were  very  successful.  Af- 
terward, they  engaged  in  logging  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  during  the 
Winter  of  1S78-79,  and  have  followed  it  since  during  the  logging  sea- 
sons. He  was  married,  in  Appleton,  August,  1870,  to  Mary  E.  Whirry, 
who  was  born  in  Randolph  in  1847.  They  have  one  daughter,  Marian. 
Mrs.  McDonald's  mother  was  a  sister  of  Hon.  James  Buchanan,  former 
President  of  the  United  States. 

JOSEPH  Mc.  McEW.^N,  surveyor  and  land  agent,  Wausau,  was 
born  in  Curlsville,  Pa.,  April  27,  1833.  He  settled  in  Plattville,  Grant 
Co.,  in  1851,  for  a  short  time,  and  in  the  Winter  of  1852-3  was  on  Gov- 
ernment Survey.  He  also  followed  the  lumber  business  and  remained 
there  until  the  Fall  of  1855,  when  he  moved  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  re- 
mained until  December,  1856,  when  he  went  to  Chicago.  In  1857,  he 
went  to  Manitowoc  and  followed  the  lumber  business  until  the  Fall  of 
l86l,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  the  8th  Wis.  Battery  and  served  until 
the  Fall  of  1S65.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Milwaukee.  He  traveled  in 
various  portions  of  the  South,  and  located  at  Napoleon,  Ark.,  and  en- 
gaged there  in  the  lumber  business.  He  returned  to  the  North  and 
spent  the  Winter  of  1866-7  in  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  and  came  to  Wausau  the 
following  Spring.  Was  married  in  the  Spring  of  1869  to  Helen  M.  Slos- 
son.     They  have  three  children — Georgia,  Clay  and  Wade. 

GEORGE  W.  MAUSON,  Wausau,  son  of  Rufus  P.  and  Catherine 
N.  Mauson,  was  born  in  Wausau,  Wis.,  Aug.  23.  1855,  and  has  resided 
in  that  city  ever  since.  He  was  employed  in  the  bank  of  Silverthorn  & 
Plumer,  about  one  year,  then  in  the  store  of  Parchart  &  Mauson  for  two 
years,  and  since  then  has  been  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  business. 
He  has  been  Under  Sheriff  since  Jan.  I,  l88l. 

HON.  LOUIS  MARCHETTI,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Vienna,  Aus- 
tria. Jan.  21,  1846,  and  came  to  America  in  the  Spring  of  1S67,  locating 
in  Wausau,  Wis.,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  engaged  in  lum- 
bering until  the  Fall  of  1869;  then  taught  school  until  1871  ;  was  book- 
keeper and  clerk  in  mercantile  establishments  until  1S74.  when  he  was 
elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  being  re-elected  in  1876.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S78,  he  was  elected  Municipal  Judge,  and  re-elected  in  1880. 
He  was  elected  County  Judge  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  having  been  admit- 
ted to  the  Bar  in  the  Spring  of  1880.  He  was  Alderman  from  1877 
to  1878.  Mr.  Marchetti  was  married  in  Wausau,  July  7.  1872.  to  Emma 
Blisch.  who  was  born  in  Austria.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  having  held  various  offices  in   the   lodge. 

K.  SELFRED  MARKSTKUM,  sign  and  carriage  painter.  Wausau, 
first  settled  in  Oshkosh,  September,  1 847  ;  remained  there  a  short  time,  then 
went  to  Wausau  and  began  his  present  business  in  December,  1874.  He 
was  appointed  United  States  Internal  Revenue  Collector  for  the  Sixth 
District  of  Wisconsin,  Third  Division,  July  i,  1881.  He  was  born 
Feb.  i8,  1854,  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and  came  to  America,  June  5, 
1854.  Mr.  Markstrura  is  in  company  with  his  brother,  G.  H.  Mark- 
strum,  at  Merrill,  in  the  painting  business. 

HENRY  MARTINI,  grocer,  Wausau,  was  born,  March  26,  1S46,  in 
llundheim,  Kreisbernkastel,  Regirungsbezirk  Trier,  Prussia, and  came  to 
America  in  1864.  In  the  Spring  of  1871,  he  removed  to  Wausau,  where 
he  was  engaged  clerking  until  187O.  when  he  went  into  business  for  him- 
self. In  1879.  he  was  engaged  in  tlie  store  of  Jolm  Ringle,  but  this  ar- 
rangement terminated  in  June,  1881.  He  was  married  in  Grand  Rapids, 
June  19,  1870,  to  Barbara  Paulus ;  who  was   born   in    Rupprick,  Kreis 


Saarbrucken,  Regirungsbezirk  Trier,  Prussia,  April  18,  1844.  They  have 
five  children — Susanna  Elizabeth,  born  June  30,  1871  ;  John  B.,  born 
May  8,  1873  ;  Albert  H.,  born  Oct.  30,  1875  ;  Angela  E.,  born  Feb.  3, 
1S78  ;  and  Carrie  L.,  born  April  23,  1S80.  Mr.  Martini  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Sons  of  Hermann.  His  parents,  John  and  Susanna 
Winkel  Martini,  are  both  living  at  Grand  Rapids   (June  1881). 

JOHN  .MERCER,  architect  and  builder,  Wausau.  was  born  at  Mona 
Mills.  Ontario,  Canada,  May  10,  1838.  He  settled  in  Waupaca,  in  the 
Spring  of  1864;  from  there  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  built 
many  buildings,  both  public  and  private,  as  well  as  nearly  all  of  Port 
Edwards,  about  four  miles  below  the  latter  place.  He  came  to  Wausau 
in  August,  1872,  and  has  been  here  since,  having  built  some  of  the  best 
buildings  here.  He  was  married  in  Canada,  June  12,  1859.  to  Agnes 
Moore  ;  she  was  born  in  Lisbon  Centre,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March 
2,  1839.  They  liave  three  children— Alzina  A.,  Nettie  M.,and  Tommie. 
JOHN  MERKLEIN,  Wausau.  Came  to  America  in  June,  1852, and 
was  in  New  York  about  a  year,  then  in  Chicago,  thirteen  years,  engaged 
in  the  butcher  business.  In  1866,  he  came  to  Wausau,  where  he  still  con- 
tinues to  reside.  Mr.  Merklein  was  born  in  Germany,  April  11.  1829, 
and  married  in  Chicago,  October  I  r,  1855,  to  Caroline  Meyer;  who  is  also 
a  native  of  Germany.  They  have  six  children  living — William,  George, 
John,  Charles,  Carolina,  and  Henry,  and  have  lost  two  daughters  and  one 
son. 

WILLIAM  MERKLEIN,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Chicago,  July  14, 
1856,  and  came  to  Wausau  with  his  parents  in  1866.  He  was  engaged 
with  his  father  in  business,  from  his  youth,  until  1880,  when  he  com- 
menced for  himself.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Nov.  14,  1S7S,  to 
Louise  Ringle;  who  was  born  in  Herman,  Dodge  Co  ,  Wis.,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Bartholemew  Ringle.  They  have  two  children, 
Paul  and  Amelia.  Mr.  Merklein  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of 
the  Fire  Company. 

JOHN  W.  MILLER,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Oct. 
9,  1849,  and  came  to  America  in  1865,  locating  at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in 
December  of  that  year,  a  year  later  coming  to  Wausau,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  various  kinds  of  work.  He  was  in  the  insurance  business 
five  or  six  years,  was  Assessor  one  year,  and  is  now  holding  the  oflice  of 
City  Clerk,  It  being  his  fourth  term.  He  was  married  in  Wausau.  in 
November.  1872,  to  Anna  M.  Lemcke  ;  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They 
have  five  children — Martha  E  .  Richard  C.  Laura  C,  Paul,  and  Lucy. 
Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.    and  Sons  of  Hermann. 

HENRY  MILLER,  County  Clerk,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Feb.  19.  iS49,and'came  to  America  in  June.  1868,  locatingat 
Friendship.  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  until  September,  1872,  when  he  came 
to  Wisconsin.  He  was  engaged  m  teaching  school  about  three  years.  He 
was  elected  City  Clerk  in  1875  in  1876  and  1877,  was  also  engaged  in 
clerking,  during  that  time.  In  the  Fall  of  1878,  he  was  elected  County 
Clerk  and  re-elected  in  1880,  without  opposition,  being  the  nominee  of 
both  parties.  He  was  married  at  Friendship,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  31,  1872,  to 
Helen  A.  Matthews,  a  native  of  that  town.  They  have  three  children — 
Harry  Lawrence,  Leon  Charles,  and  Nina  Viola.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member 
of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Sons  of  Hermann,  and  was  vice- 
president  of  State  Firemen's  Association  in  1879,  and  Foreman  of  the 
Fire  Company  from  1880  to   1881. 

HERMAN  MILLER,  lumber  and  real  estate,  Wausau.  Came  to 
Stevens  Point.  April.  1856.  and  removed  to  Wausau  m  November  of  the 
same  year.  He  clerked  in  a  store  until  1S64.  He  was  elected  Register 
of  Deeds,  in  the  Fall  of  that  year,  and  re-elected  in  1S66  and  1S68.  He 
was  Chairman  Supervisor  in  1S7S.  and  is  a  member  of  Supervisors  at 
present.  He  is  also  Chairman.  County  Poor  Committee,  and  a  Member 
of  School  Board.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Nov.  11,  1S36.  He 
was  married.  July  2.  1864,  at  Wausau.  to  Sarah  J.  Duffy ;  who  was  born  in 
Constableville.  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  March,  1844.  They  have  six  children 
—William  H.,  Mary,  Herman  O.,  Sarah,  Nellie   and  Maud. 

D.  W.  C.  MITCHELL,  Wausau,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Kings- 
ton, Washington  Co.,  R.  I.,  Nov.  13, 1822,  and  moved  to  Clinton  County, 
N.  Y.,  with  his  parents,  when  he  was  six  years  of  age,  and  lived  there 
until  he  came  to  Wausau,  Wis.,  in  January,  1855.  Heengaged  in  build- 
ing and  running  saw  mills  until  1S69.  when  he  commenced  bridge 
building,  constructing  dams,  piers,  booms,  and  mills  to  some  extent. 
He  has  also  been  engaged  in  lumbering.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  married  in 
Plattsburgh.  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  i,  1845,  to  Martha  Stanton,  who 
was  born  in  Plattsburgh.  and  died  Jan.  20.  1868.  leaving  two  children, 
Martha  A.  (now  Mrs.  Joseph  McBride,  of  Manchester.  Delaware  Co.. 
Iowa),  was  born  July  11,  1847;  DeWitt  Clinton,  born  May  28,  1861,  re- 
sides in  Wausau,  and  is  in  partnership  with  his  father  in  business. 

FRED  H.  MORMAN,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Hanover,  now  Prussia, 
Aug.  8,  1834.  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  when  he  was  about 
twelve  years  old.  He  lived  near  Milwaukee  about  a  year,  and  then 
lived  in  Cedarburg  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  came 
to  Wausau.  He  was  employed  in  operating  saw  mills  lor  five  or  six 
years;  then  in  teaming,  stage  driving  and  general  work  until  1861. 
lie  was  then  engaged  in  clerking  about  ten  years,  when  he  commenced 
the  hardware  business,  having  a  partner  for  a  year  and  a  half.      Then 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


565 


went  into  the  drug  business,  two  years  later  adding  groceries  to  his  stock. 
Mr.  Morman  was  married  in  Mosinee,  Wis..  July  14,  1863,  to  Lucy  P. 
Blair,  who  was  born  in  Galena,  Jo  Daviess  Co.,  III.,  Dec.  21,  1844. 
They  have  five  children  living  —  Charles  Blair,  Florence  Helen,  Fred 
H.,  Mabel  Cornelia,  and  Lucy  Inez.  They  lost  one  son,  Robert  P.,  who 
died  Jan.  5,  1881,  aged  about  six  months. 

CHARLES  H.  MOSHER,  lumberman.  Wausau,  was  born  in 
Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  March  4,  1841.  He  settled  at  Wausau  in  April,  1862.  and 
remained  there  thirteen  years,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  Then 
he  went  to  Lanesboro,  Minn.,  and  started  a  lumber  yard,  remaining  two 
years,  when  he  sold  his  interest  and  returned  to  Wausau.  In  connection 
with  lumber,  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  but  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  burned  out.  He  still  deals  in  lumber.  He  is  also  a  partner  with 
Mr.  George  F.  Bellis,  in  the  large  hotel  now  being  erected  on  Third 
street,  opposite  the  Court-house  square.  He  was  married  in  Tamero, 
111.,  Dec.  2,  1870.  to  Gertrude  A,  Halsey,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
July  17,  1849.  They  have  four  children — William  K.,  Isabelie,  Charles 
H.  and  Gertrude. 

GUSTAVE  MUELLER,  of  the  firm  of  Mueller  &  Quandt,  general 
merchandise,  Wausau.  first  settled  in  Wausau  Nov.  26,  1867,  and  was 
engaged  in  general  work  a  short  time.  Then  began  clerking  in  a  store, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  Then  entered  upon  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  was  married  in  Wausau,  April  7,  1872,  to  Elizabeth  Ringle. 
They  have  five  children — Louisa,  Ida,  Otto,  Caroline  and  Emma. 

DONALD  J.  MURRAY,  Wausau,  was  born  near  the  city  of  Wick, 
Scotland,  April  12,  1849,  and  came  from  Scotland  to  Wisconsin  in  1867. 
He  lived  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  until  1874,  when  he  came  to  Wausau. 
and  became  superintendent  of  the  Wausau  iron  works,  established  in 
April,  1874.  They  manufacture  all  kinds  of  saw-mill  machinery  and 
builders'  supplies,  and  employ  about  fifty  men.  For  the  last  three  years, 
Mr.  Murray  has  conducted  the  business  alone.  They  manufactured 
about  Si6o,coo  worth  of  goods  in  18S0,  and  ship  theii  goods  largely  to 
the  South.  Mr.  Murray  was  married  in  Dundas,  Minn.,  May  24,  1871, 
to  Ellen  R.  Van  Alstine.  who  was  born  in  Lower  Canada.  They  have 
three  children— Nellie  J.,  Gertrude  I.  and  Mollie. 

FREDERICK  NEU,  furniture  dealer,  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
April,  1858,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  for  a  short  time,  then  followed  the 
carpenter  trade  for  about  eight  years,  and  then  began  the  furniture  busi- 
ness in  company  with  Nathan  Oer,  and  continued  with  him  for  two 
years,  until  August,  1873,  when  he  assumed  the  entire  management.  He 
was  City  Alderman  for  three  or  four  years  ;  also  Assessor  in  1870.  He 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  at  Tiefenbach  by  Wetslau,  near  River 
Rhine,  Jan.  18,  1827.  He  was  married  in  St.  Clair,  Schuylkill  Co.,  Pa., 
July  15.  1856,  to  Ann  Reinhard,  who  was  born  in  Geor,  Hersochdam, 
Baden,  Germany,  Aug.  31,  1833. 

CHARLES  W.  NUTTER,  civil  engineer,  Wausau,  was  born  in 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  Sept.  4,  1833.  He  settled  m  Wausau  in  the  Fall  of 
1856,  and  has  made  civil  engineering  his  principal  business.  He  has 
occupied  the  position  of  County  Surveyor  for  about  ten  years,  and  is  at 
present  City  Engineer,  which  ofiice  he  has  held  for  the  past  four  years,  or 
since  the  first  officer  of  that  kind  was  elected.  He  was  married  in  Wau- 
sau, Sept.  22,  1867,  to  Helen  M.  Coulthurst,  who  was  born  at  Pine  River, 
Marathon  Co.,  Nov.  4,  1849.  Mrs.  Nutter  was  the  first  white  child  born 
at  Pine  River.  They  have  four  boys — Charles  A.,  George  E.,  John  L. 
and  Willie  H. 

JACOB  PAFF,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Nov.  5,  1824,  and  came 
from  Germany  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Wausau,  in  the  Fall  of  1849. 
He  was  engaged  in  building  houses  and  mills  for  seven  years,  and  then 
dealt  in  general  merchandise,  on  the  corner  where  Deugel's  store  is  now 
located.  He  owns  the  building  where  Mr.  Deugel  and  Mr.  Morman 
are,  and  is  erecting  a  large  double  brick  building,  two  stories  in  height, 
next  to  Morman's.  Mr.  Paff  was  in  the  mercantile  business  about  six- 
teen years,  then  engaged  in  insurance  and  lumbering.  In  1879,  he  dis- 
continued insurance  business,  but  is  still  interested  in  lumbering.  He 
was  County  Treasurer  for  two  years,  County  Clerk  two  years,  has  been 
Mayor  of  the  city  one  term,  and  member  of  the  County  Board  several 
times.  Mr.  PafT  was  married  in  Wausau,  Jan.  20.  1856,  to  Sophie 
Louise  Doell,  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  five  children — Ma- 
tilda. Charles,  Jacob,  Albert  and  Willie.  They  have  lost  three  children 
— Libbie.  Bertha  and  Sophie. 

ROBERT  E.  PARCHER.  Wausau.  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Spring  of  1S58,  and  lived  in  Plover  until  the  next  October,  when  he 
came  to  Wausau.  He  was  employed  as  a  clerk  for  Taylor  &  Ellis  for 
one  year  and  a  half.  Ellis  retired  about  six  months  after  Mr.  Parcher 
entered  the  store.  Mr.  Parcher  succeeded  Thomas  Taylor  in  -the  busi- 
ness, and  continued  till  .-August,  1880,  being  alone  until  1S75.  In  July, 
1876,  George  E.  Fernald  became  a  partner.  Mr.  Parcher  has  been  inter- 
ested in  lumbering  ever  since  he  came  to  Wausau  ;  he  is  now  in  the 
lumber  and  real  estate  business.  For  five  years  was  president  of  the 
Boom  Company.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Wausau  Lumber 
Company;  now  engaged  in  shingle  manufactory  on  Thorp  River,  ten 
miles  aliove  Wausau.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  50,000,000  shingles 
per   year.     The  average    number   of  men   employed    is    eighteen.     Mr. 


Parcher  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Timber  Belt  Railroad  Company. 
He  was  born  in  Troy,  Vt.,  Dec.  6,  1837,  and  reared  in  Morrisville.  La- 
moille Co.,  Vt.,  living  in  Stowe,  Vt.,  about  one  year  before  coming  to 
Wisconsin.  He  was  one  of  the  Village  Board  and  City  Assessor  one 
year.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  June  12,  1865,  to  Mary  H.  Single, 
who  was  born  in  Wisconsin. 

C.  G.  PASSALT,  an  enterprising  restless  river  man,  who  has  had  a 
varied  experience,  who  has  run  lumber,  driven  logs,  broken  almost  un- 
breakable jams,  and  been  a  useful  citizen  generally.  Born  in  New  York 
State,  Oct.  2g.  1S36 ;  came  as  far  as  Cleveland  when  young;  then  to 
Milwaukee,  attending  school  at  both  places.  When  of  age,  began  to 
branch  out  for  himself  on  a  farm,  on  the  railroad,  in  a  machine  shop, 
run  a  stationary  engine;  went  to  rafting  on  the  Wisconsin  and  on  the 
Wolf  Rivers.  Enlisted  in  the  army  in  1861,  with  Captain  Smith,  after- 
ward went  into  the  sheep-raising  business.  These  enterprises  carried 
him  to  many  points  in  the  Northwest,  finally  coming  to  Wausau,  where 
there  is  plenty  of  room  for  his  versatile  abilities.  He  was  married  in 
July,  1871,  and  has  several  children. 

JOHN  PATZER,  liquor  merchant,  Wausau.  Came  to  Wausau, 
June  28,  1866,  and  engaged  in  teaching  German  about  one  year  ;  taught 
an  English  district  school  seven  months,  clerked  in  a  general  merchan- 
dising store  one  year  and  a  half,  in  a  hardware  store  one  year,  and  in 
the  Spring  of  1S69,  engaged  in  the  liquor  business.  He  was  elected 
Register  of  Deeds  in  1870;  re-elected  in  1872,  1874  and  1876.  In  No- 
vember, 1876,  he  commenced  the  liquor  business  in  present  location. 
Mr.  Patzer  has  been  a  member  of  the  County  Board  for  the  last  two 
years.  He  was  the  first  City  Clerk  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city, 
and  served  three  successive  terms,  and  was  Alderman  one  year.  He  was 
born  in  Prussia,  April  I,  1843.  and  came  from  there  to  Wisconsin.  He 
was  married  in  Neillsville,  Wis.,  Oct.  2,  1S73,  to  Anna  Paulus.  who  was 
born  in  Germany.  Thev  have  four  children — Anna,  Otto,  John  and 
Fred.  Mr.  Patzer  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F  ,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and 
A.  O.  U.  W. 

HUGO  PETERS,  Clerk  of  the  Court,  Wausau.  Was  born  in 
Prussia,  Dec.  17,  1847,  ^nd  came  to  Wisconsin  in  November,  1863, 
living  at  Milwaukee  six  months,  and  since  that  time  at  Wausau.  He 
was  engaged  in  general  work  until  1S76,  when,  having  lost  his  left 
foot  in  a  saw  mill,  he  learned  the  photographer's  art.  In  May,  187S,  he 
was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court ;  was  elected  to  that  office  in 
the  Fall  of  1S78.  and  was  re-elected  in  1880.  Mr.  Peters  was  married 
in  Wausau,  September  21,  1868,  to  Antonia  Schnieder,  who  was  born 
in  Prussia.  They  have  six  children — .Augusta,  Emma,  Paul,  Laura, 
Elizabeth  and  Clara. 

DANIEL  L.  PLUMER,  banker.  Came  to  Wausau  in  1S57  ;  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  and  civil  engineering,  making  land  surveys,  etc.  In 
1869,  he  made  the  first  preliminary  survey  for  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railway  from  Unity  to  Bayfield,  and  was  engaged  to  some  extent  in  civil 
engineering  up  to  1S76.  He  is  now  engaged  in  banking  and  lumbering 
with  George  and  Willis  C.  Silverthorn.  and  is  also  one  of  the  directors 
and  is  treasurer  of  the  Wausau  Lumber  Co.  The  firm  of  Silverthorn  & 
Plumer  did  a  general  real  estate  business  from  the  time  they  opened  their 
banking  institution  in  1S68,  until  iSSo.  Mr.  Plumer  was  County-Surveyor 
for  twelve  years,  member  of  Assembly  in  1873,  member  of  the  County 
Board  for  several  years,  and  Member  of  the  Board  i  {  Aldermen  at  the 
same  time.  He  was  City  Surveyor  several  years,  and  in  1S7S,  was  Mayor. 
Mr.  Plumer  was  born  in  Epping.  Rockingham  Co.,  N.  H.,  July  3,  1837, 
and  came  from  Epping  to  Wisconsin,  in  1857.  He  was  educated  at 
Epping,  Nottingham  and  the  Academy  at  New  London,  N.  H.,  and 
married  at  Schenevus,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  13,  1869,  to  Mary  Jane 
Draper. 

JUDSON  A.  PORTER,  in  company  with  his  brother,  J.  F.  Porter, 
in  the  tannery,  at  Wausau.  Settled  at  Wausau,  in  November,  1880, 
and  selected  the  site  and  began  the  erection  of  their  tannery.  He  was 
born  in  Autioch,  Monroe  Co.,  Ohio,  April  20,  1854.  He  went  to  Min- 
nesota at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  engaged  in  the  tannery  business  at 
St.  Paul,  with  the  firm  of  J.  B.  Tarbox  &  Co.  From  there  he  went  to 
Red  Wing,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Wausau.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Red  Wing,  Sept.  12,  1S76,  to  Emelia  Richm.  who  was  born  in 
Traverse,  Minn..  May  21,  185S.  They  have  one  daughter,  Bessie  May. 
JOHN  F.  PORTER,  of  the  firm  of  Porter  Bros,,  proprietors  of  tan- 
nery, on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  half  a  mile  south  of  Wausau.  Mr. 
J.  F.  Porter  resides  at  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  where  he  also  owns  a  large 
tannery.  They  erected  their  tannery  and  began  business  in  Wausau  in 
the  Summer  and  Fall  of  iSSl.  The  capacity  is  22,000  sides  per  year. 
They  employ  fifty  men  during  the  year.  They  came  to  Wausau,  Novem- 
ber, 18S0,  and  selected  the  site  for  their  tannery.  Mr.  Porter  lived  in 
St.  Paul  six  years  before  going  to  Red  Wing.  Minn.  Hehas  followed 
the  tannery  business  since  he  came  West.  He  was  born  in  Antioch, 
Monroe  Co..  Ohio,  May  7.  1S43.  He  was  married  in  Winchester,  III., 
March  i,  1870,  to  Louise  Machatanz,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  June, 
1847.  They  have  lour  children — Bertha  L.,  George  F..  Edward  H., 
and  Ina. 


566 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


Run,  Jul; 


DAVID  L.  QUAW,  Wausau,  was  born  in  West  Almond,  Allegany 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  13,  1836,  and  lived  there  until  June  I,  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Friendship,  Ad.ims  Co.,  Wis.,  and,  in  partnership  with  Willard 
Burbank,  built  a  grist  mill.  In  1859.  he  went  to  Mansion,  Juneau  Co., 
and  read  law,  staying  there  until  April  20,  1861,  when,  with  Gen.  J.  A. 
Kellogs;  and  Congressman  Dawes,  of  Ohio,  he  raised  Co.  K,  6th  Wis. 
V.  I.  At  the  organization  of  the  company  he  was  elected'second  lieuten- 
ant but  relinquished  the  office  to  Mr.  Holden,  a  drilled  soldier,  and  took 
the  place  of  first  sergeant.  A  month  later  he  was  elected  second  lieutenant 
and  soon  after  appointed  first  lieutenant,  by  brevet,  of  the  Signal  Service, 
Regular  Army,  but  declined  it,  and  two  months  afterjorganization  he  was 
appointed  first  lieutenant,  and  five  months  later  he  was  detailed  to  build 
bridges  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was  appomted  captain  in  June, 
1862.  and  served  with  the  company  in  thirteen  battles.  At  the  battle  of  Bull 
~  ily  29,  1S62.  he  was  wounded  in  the  left  side  by  a  shell  explosion, 
•  examination  by  the  surgeon  general  of  the  Army  he  was  given 
indefinite  leave  of  absence,  and  in  October  he  resigned  and  was  appoint- 
ed in  the  recruiting  service  of  Wisconsin  as  Deputy  United  States  Mar- 
shal, and  continued  in  that  service  until  the  close  of  the  war,  with  head- 
quarters at  La  Crosse.  From  1S65  to  1867  he  was  in  the  western  part  of 
New  York,  settling  business  affairs.  He  then  returned  to  Friendship, 
Adams  Co.,  and  was  elected  Sheriff  of  that  county,  serving  two  years,  and 
took  the  census  of  Adams  County,  in  1870.  In  1871,  he  was  appointed 
United  States  Receiver  of  Public  Moneys  for  the  Wausau  Land  District, 
and  served  until  March,  1880,  having  resigned  the  previous  January.  Since 
1S72,  he  has  been  engaged  in  lumber  business.  Mr.  Quaw  is  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Jane  (McGibeny)  Quaw;  his  father  died  in  1864  and  his 
mother  resides  in  Wausau,  in  good  health,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
two  years.  Mr,  Ouaw  was  married  in  Friendship,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
April,  1S64,  toL^dia  E.  Hendrick,  who  was  born  in  Fulton,  N.  Y. 
They  have  three  children— Clayton  D.,  William  and  Dick. 

SAMUEL  M.  QUAW,  lumberman,  Wausau,  was  born  in  West  Al- 
mond, Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  I,  1839.  He  employs  about  sixty 
men  in  the  logging  season,  and  ten  men  during  the  Summer.  He  settled 
in  Friendship,  Adams  Co.,  in  1857.  and  lived  there  ten  years.  He  en- 
listed September,  1861,  in  Company  H,  nth  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served 
three  years  and  three  months,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Jan.  g, 
1865.  He  then  returned  to  Friendship  and  began  farming.  In  March, 
1867,  he  moved  to  Strong's  Prairie  in  same  county,  and  built  a  grist  mill 
in  company  with  a  Mr.  Woock,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then 
sold  his  interest  and  went  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  began  farming  and 
stock  raising,  which  he  continued  until  the  Fall  of  1872.  After  various 
other  business  ventures  he  came  to  Wausau.  Was  married  October,  1874, 
at  Wausau  to  Susie  H.  Mauson,  who  was  born  in  Jackson,  N.  H.,  in 
June,  1846. 

GEORGE  W.  REAY,  contractor  and  painter  was  born  in  Stafford- 
shire, England,  in  city  of  Wasil,  Dec.  8,  1836.  He  arrived  in  Baliimore, 
Md.,  May  16,  1844,  and  remained  there  until  the  Rebellion  broke  out, 
wlien  he  was  obliged  to  leave  on  account  of  his  Union  sentiments.  He 
walked  fifty-eight  miles  through  the  Rebel  country  into  our  lines.  In 
a  short  time  he  was  commissioned  by  the  Regular  Army  officers  to  raise 
volunteers.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  3rd  Md.  Vol.  He  acted  as  first  lieu- 
tenant two  years  and  was  discharged  for  physical  disability.  He  recruit- 
ed another  company  of  home  guards  and  was  elected  Captain  and  served 
sixty  days.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  Hancock  Iron  and  Steel 
Co.,  in  which  capacity  he  remained  a  year.  He  came  to  Wausru  in 
1876.     He  has  been  married  three  times. 

REV.  THEODORE  J.  RICHARD,  priest,  Wausau,  was  born  in 
Arlesheim,  Switzerland,  Dec.  17,  1851.  He  was  educated  in  Einsiedln 
and  University  of  Frieburg,  Baden,  and  graduated  from  there  in  July, 
1871,  from  there  he  emigrated  to  Saint  Francis,  near  Milwaukee,  and 
studied  in  Saint  Francis  Seminary  for  Theologians;  he  remained  there 
until  July,  1872,  and  then  attended  the  Seminary  of  Our  Lady  of  An- 
gels, at  Suspension  Bridge,  N.  Y.,  from  that  time  until  Julv,  1873.  He 
was  yet  too  young  to  be  priest,  he  therefore  went  to  Green  Bay  and  re- 
mained with  the  Rijht  Rev.  Bishop  Melcher  until  his  death,  Dec.  20,  of 
that  year.  lie  continued  there  until  March  21,  1S75.  He  was  ordained 
priest  in  Chicago,  Jan.  4.  1875,  by  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Foley.  Then  he 
was  sent  to  Wausau,  and  took  charge  of  Saint  Mary's  Congregation  there 
March  22.  1875. 

GEORGE  RIBENACK.  proprietor  Lake  Shore  House,  Wausau, 
came  to  Kilbourn  in  August,  J866,  and  located  there.  He  kept  the  Tanner 
House,  and  was  in  business  twelve  years.  He  speculated,  bought  hops  and 
farmed  for  two  years,  and  then  went  to  Wausau,  and  began  business  in 
his  present  place.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  Sept.  I2,  1834  ;  he  was 
married,  Ian.  28.  1862,  to  Henrietta  Lintner,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
Nov.  3,  1836.  They  have  six  children— George,  Henry,  Albert,  Eddie, 
Bertha,  and  Willie. 

*MON.  BARTHOLOMEW  RINGLE,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Ing- 
weiler.  Land  Comlsarlat  Zwelbrucken,  Rhein  Bairen,  Germany,  Oct  16, 
18 14,  and  received  a  common  school  education.  He  is,  by  profession,  a 
lawyer.  He  emigrated  to  Germantown,  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1846, 
living   there   about    two  years ;  he  was  then    in   Herman,    Dodge   Co. 

•Aswegotoprei-s,  notice  Is  .sontus  tUat  Mr.  Rlngledlod  In  Wausau,  Oct  27, 1881. 


until  the  Spring  of  1859,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.  He  was  Postmaster 
for  six  years.  Town  Clerk,  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  the  town  of  Herman.  He  has  been  County  Judge  for  twenty 
years  continuously.  Was  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  six  years  ; 
President  of  the  Village  ;  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Police  Justice.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1864,  1S72,  1875,  1876,  1877,  and 
since  then  his  son,  John  Ringle,  has  been  a  member  for  three  winters. 
Mr.  Ringle  is  in  the  land  agency  business,  deals  in  tax  abstracts,  tax 
paying,  etc.,  and  this  year,  for  ihe  first  time,  has  dealt  in  lumber.  He 
was  married  in  Germany,  in  June,  1834,  to  Magdelena  Pick  ;  she  is  a 
native  of  the  same  place  as  Mr.  Ringle.  They  have  eight  children  liv- 
ing — Charles,  Bartholomew  L.,  Philip,  Valentine,  John,  Elizabeth, 
Caroline  and  Louis,  and  have  lost  four  children,  two  dying  in  infancy. 

JOHN  RINGLE,  merchant,  Wausaw.  was  born  in  Herman,  Dodge 
Co..  Wis.,  Oct.  2,  1848,  and  lived  there  until  May,  1S59.  when  he  came 
to  Wausau.  He  clerked  in  the  County  Clerk's  office  several  years,  and 
in  1872,  was  elected  Clerk,  and  re-elected  in  1S74  and  1876.  Two  years 
prior  to  entering  upon  his  duties  as  County  Clerk,  he  had  engaged  in  ab- 
stract and  real  estate  business.  He  has  been  City  Assessor,  and  in  the 
Fall  of  1878,  he  was  elected  Assemblyman,  and  was  re-elected  in  1879 
and  18S0.  He  has  been  Supervisor  for  the  last  two  years,  and  is  Chair- 
man of  ihe  County  Board  at  the  present  time.  He  has  been  engaged  In 
lumbering  for  the  last  three  years.  Mr.  Ringle  was  married  in  Wausau, 
September,  1872,  to  Augusta  Engel,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  five  children — Gustav  Charles,  Edward  Bartholomew,  Annie  Louise, 
Oscar  Louis,  and  Caroline  Beatrice.  Mr.  Ringle  is  a  member  of  the  A., 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

PHILIP  RINGLE,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  July  3,  1843,  and 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents.  He  came  to  Wausau  in  1859, 
and  two  years  later  returned  to  Herman,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  living 
there  four  years;  he  then  went  to  the  town  of  Utica,  Winona  Co., 
Minn.,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  the  Fall  of  1873,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Wausau,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  for  one  year.  He  was 
Deputy  County  Clerk  from  1874  to  1878 ;  City  Surveyor  in  1S76, 
and  again  elected  in  the  Spring  of  1881.  Mr.  Ringle  was  married  in 
the  town  of  Herman,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  12, 1865,  to  Elizabeth  Neeb, 
who  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt.  They  have  six  children  living — 
Louis  B  ,  William,  Charles,  Emil,  Otto,  and  an  infant  son,  and  have  lost 
two  daughters  and  one  son. 

VALENTINE  RINGLE,  proprietor  of  the  Wisconsin  River  Pilot, 
Wausau,  was  born  in  Germantown,  Wis.,  June  8,  1S47,  and  engaged  in 
teaching  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old.  He  taught  two  terms,  and, 
in  December,  1865.  established  the  Wisconsin  River  Pilot,  and  has  been 
proprietor  of  that  paper  ever  since.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade 
when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age.  In  January,  1870,  he  established  the 
Wausau  Wochenhlatt.  Mr.  Ringle  has  been  City  Treasurer  twice,  and 
Alderman  two  terms.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Aug.  29,  1869,  to 
Aurora  E.  Engel,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  five  children 
— Aurora  E.,  Clara  L.,  Martha,  Antoinette  L.,  and  an  infant  daughter. 
Mr.  Ringle  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  of  the  Wausau  Cornet 
Band. 

GEORGE  RUDER,  brewer,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Sept.  7, 
1827,  and  came  from  Germany  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  in  1854.  living 
there  until  i860,  when  he  came  to  Wausau.  and  engaged  in  the  brewery 
business.  He  built  his  brewery  in  1S60.  began  operating  it  in  1S61,  and 
has  continued  it  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  eight  months'  time 
spent  in  lumbering.  He  employs  on  an  average  five  men  in  the  brew- 
ery, and  manufactures  about  3,000  barrels  of  beer  a  year.  Mr.  Ruder 
was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  in  April,  1857,  to  Louise  Schmidt,  who 
was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  ten  children — Louis,  Emil.  Hermann, 
Clara,  Emma,  Edward,  Henry,  William,  Helen  and  Ella.  Mr.  Ruder 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.;  he  has  been  village  President,  and  was 
Alderman  four  terms. 

LEWIS  SCHLECHT,  proprietor  Adams  House,  Wausau,  settled 
in  Milwaukee,  May  10,  1852;  lived  there  eleven  years,  and  enlisted  in 
Co.  D,  14th  Regt.,  Wis.  V.  I.,  April  26,  1863  ;  served  ten  months;  was 
mustered  out  Dec.  22,  1865.  Then  he  engaged  as  sailor,  for  two  years, 
on  the  Goodrich  Line  ;  then  went  to  the  Lake  Superior  mines,  and 
worked  six  months ;  then  to  Stevens  Point,  and  ran  the  river,  and  fol- 
lowed lumbering  until  1870.  He  then  located  at  Stevens  Point,  and 
started  a  boot  and  shoe  shop.  Followed  that  until  1881,  then  came  to 
Wausau.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria.  April  19,  1847.  He  was  married  at 
Stevens  Point,  July  2,  1869,  to  Catherine  Stenger,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  Dec.  12,  184^.     She   was  reared   in   Callicoon,  .Sullivan   Co., 


N.  Y.     They  have  four  boys 


Frank.  Willii 


and  Gi 


eorge 


AUGUST  W.  SCHMIDT,  was  bom  in  Prussia,  Sept.  15,  1830,  and 
came  to  Wisconsin  from  Germany,  arriving  at  the  town  of  Berlin,  Mar- 
athon Co..  in  September,  1S56.  living  there  until  1879.  He  was  elected 
Register  of  Deeds  in  the  Fall  of  1878.  and  re-elected  in  1880.  He  has 
has  held  various  town  offices ;  was  Town  Clerk  six  years.  County  Com- 
missioner five  years.  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  several  years,  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  number  of  terras.  He  was  married  at  the 
town  of  Berlin,  in  1859,  to  Charlotte    H.   Neimann,   who  was  bom  in 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


567 


Prussia,  They  have  four  children — Louise  M.,  Robert  F.,  Albert  H., 
William  O.     Mr.  Schmidt  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

CHARLES  SCHNEIDER,  mason,  contractorand  builder,  Wausau, 
was  born  in  the  province  of  Posen,  in  Germany,  Feb.  21,  1851.  He 
came  to  the  United  States,  in  March,  1870,  and  visited  various  portions 
of  our  country,  going  from  place  to  place  for  five  or  six  years,  finally 
settling  in  Oshkosh,  in  1S76,  where  he  lived  until  18S0.  He  then  moved 
to  Wausau. 

OTTO  SCHOCHOW,  blacksmith,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Pomern, 
Germany,  Dec.  25,  1841.  He  came  to  America,  in  June,  1867,  and 
settled  in  Wausau.  He  was  married,  in  Wausau,  January,  1869,  to  Au- 
gusta Merquardt,  who  was  born  in  his  native  place  in  Germany.  They 
have  six  children — Bertha,  Gustaf,  Martha,  Robert,  Otto  and  Emma. 


WILLIAM  SCHOLFIELD,  deceased,  first  settled  near 
Mineral  Point,  on  coming  to  Wisconsin,  about  the  year  1856.  He 
bought  a  farm,  and  went  to  what  is  now  Scholfield,  to  get  lumber  to 
to  fence  it,  being  in  company  with  Captain  Lumbard.  Up- 
on arriving  at  the  last  mentioned  place,  then  a  wilderness,  he  bought  a 
saw-mill  of  a  Mr.  Martin,  which  he  operated  for  some  time,  but  after 
having  rebuilt  the  mills,  they  were  burned.  Then  he  purchased  the 
whole  interest  and  rebuilt  them  alone.  From  that  time  until  his  death 
he  followed  the  lumber  business.  Since  his  death  the  business  has  been 
conducted  by  Mrs.  Schollield  and  her  brother,  in  the  firm  name  of  C.  P. 
Haseltine  &  Co.  Mr.  Scholfield  was  born  in  Salem,  Ohio,  March  7, 
1810.  He  was  married,  in  Joliet,  111.,  Oct.  28,  1852,  to  Mary  S.  Hasel- 
tine, who  was  born  in  Canaseraga,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1S33. 
They  had  five  children — Kate  M.,  now  married,  Wm.  B.,  deceased. 
Elizabeth  R.,  Mary  V.,  and  Margaret  A.  Scholfield. 

WILLIAM  B.  SCHOLFIELD,  book-keeper  and  general  overseer 
of  Scholfield's  mill,  Scholfield.  The  firm  name  is  C.  P.  Haseltine  &  Co. 
Scholfield's  mills  were  erected  in  1855  and  1S56.  The  capacity  is  125,- 
000  in  twenty-four  hours.  They  employ  125  men.  Mr.  William  B. 
Scholfield  was  born  in  Stevens  Point,  Nov.  15,  1856,  where  his  parents 
lived  until  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  when  they  moved  to  Scholfield,  and 
remained  about  nine  years.  They  then  moved  to  Wausau,  where  he 
attended  school  for  some  time  ;  then  he  attended  the  school  at  Jefferson 
about  five  years.  Since  then  he  has  made  his  home  at  Scholfield.  He 
was  married,  in  Wausau,  September,  1880,  to  Zoa  Mauson,  who  was  born 
in  Wausau,  Sept.  I,  1858.  Mrs.  Scholfield  is  a  daughter  of  R.  P.  Mau- 
son, of  Wausau. 

ERNEST  SCHULZE,  saloon,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Germany,  April 
16,  1S36.  He  came  to  Wausau,  July  22,  1862,  and  went  into  co-part- 
nership with  Jacob  Gensmann,   remaining  with  him  two  years,  in  the 


boot  and  shoe  business.  Then  he  worked  alone,  at  same  business,  un- 
til 1879,  when  he  began  in  his  present  occupation.  He  was  married, 
Dec.  26,  1872,  at  Wausau,  to  Augusta  Luepky,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, April  12,  1844.  They  have  four  children — Emma,  Bertha,  Ed- 
ward and  Henry. 

ALBERT  SCHWANTES,  blacksmith,  Wausau.  of  the  firm  of 
Schwantes  &  Raddant,  was  born  in  Maysville,  Dodge  Co.,  March  19, 
1855.  He  came  to  Wausau  in  1872,  but  afterwards  returned  to  Mayville 
and  learned  his  trade,  coming  to  Wausau  again  in  1877.  He  was  mar- 
ried at  Wausau,  April,  1877,  to  Caroline  Reddant,  who  was  bom  in 
Germany.     They  have  two  children.  Lizzie  and  Ottelia. 

JOHN  JOE  SHERMAN.  Mr.  Sherman  is  one  of  the  compara- 
tively late  comers  in  Wausau,  but  by  his  intelligence  and   accommodat- 


nd  enterpr 


he  is  wii 


ining 


wide  cir- 


mg  spirit,  coupled 

cle  of  friends.  He  was  born  in  Addison,  Washington  Co 
Aug.  28,  1535.  From  the  public  school  he  went  to  St.  Gall's  Academy, 
Milwaukee,  and  attended  the  Normal  at  Whitewater,  teaching,  mean- 
time in  all,  ten  terms  in  his  native  county,  and  two  seasons  in  Milwaukee, 
at  times,  keeping  an  evening  commercial  school,  afterward  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  at  Hartford  and  Schleisingerville.     Married,  Feb.  18, 

1879,  Mary  E.  Dengel.  They  had  one  son.  Went  into  business  with 
his  wife's  father,  under  the  firm  name  of  Dengle  &  Sherman.  Another 
son  of  Mr.  Dengel  is  now  in  the  firm,  which  is  A.  Dengel  &  Co.  They 
sell  general  merchandise,  dry  goods,  crockery,  and  glassware,  boots  and 
shoes,  farmer's  produce,  farming  implements,  etc.  Mr.  Sherman  is  one 
of  the  Trustees  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  a  rising  young  man. 

HON.  WILLIS  C.  SILVERTHORN,  lawyer  and  banker,  Wausau, 
was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada,  .'\ug.  30.  1838.  His  parents,  George  and 
Sarah  (Austin)  Silverthorn,  came  to  Oakland,  Jefl^erson  Co.,  Wis.,  when 
he  was  three  or  four  years  of  age,  probably  in  1842,  and  that  was  his 
home  until  he  came  to  Wausau,  in  1864.  Commenced  the  practice  of 
law  here,  having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  Fall  of  1863  He  was 
educated  at  Albion  Academy,  in  this  State,  and  the  Wisconsin  Univer- 
sity. In  1869  he  also  engaged  in  banking  business  with  D.  L. 
Plumer,  and  George  Silverthorn,  his  broher.  Mr.  Silverthorn  has  been 
District  Attorney,  twice  member  of  the  Assembly — in  1868  and  1874 — 
and  was  State  Senator  in  1875  and  1876.  He  was  first  married  in  Madi- 
son, April  20,  1865,  to  Maggie  Virginia  Myers,  who  was  born  in  Bowl- 
ing Green,  Ky.,  and  died  Jan.  29,  1878,  leaving  three  children— Willis 
v.,  Margaret  G.  and  Nellie  C.  Mr.  Silverthorn  was  married  in  Wau- 
sau. June  20,  1879,  to  his  present  wife,  Ida  M.  Single.  They  have  one 
son,  James  C. 

GEORGE  SILVERTHORN,  Wausau,  was  bom  in  Toronto  Town- 
ship, Canada,  Feb.  13,  1832,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  October,  1843, 
living  in  Oakland,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  until  the  Spring  of  1850,  when  he 
came  to  the  Big  Eau  Claire,  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering,  except  the 
time  spent  at  school  at  Baraboo,  and  later  at  Lawrence  University  in 
the  Winter  of  1856  and  1857.  In  the  Fall  of  1S58,  he  went  to  St. 
Louis  and  dealt  In  lumber  for  John  Slothower,  until  the  Spring  of  1861, 
when  he  came  to  Wausau  to  remain  permanently.  He  has  been  inter- 
ested in  the  lumber  business  ever  since  he  came  here  ;  he  has  dealt  in 
real  estate,  looking  after  his  own  interests  principally.  In  1852  or  1853, 
he  helped  put  in  the  dam.  Mr.  Silverthorn  was  married  in  .Summer- 
ville,  Canada,  Jan.  6,  1874,  to  Mary  A.  Alderson,  a  native  of  Summer- 
ville.     They  have  one  child,  Caroline  Sarah. 

BENJAMIN  SINGLE,  proprietor  saw  mills  on  the  Little  Rib 
River,  four  miles  west  of  Wausau.  The  first  mill  was  erected  in  1844, 
it  being  run  by  water.  In  1851  they  abandoned  that  mill  and  built  a 
steam  saw  mill  near  by,  which  they  operated  about  twenty  years,  when 
it  burned.  Their  present  saw  mill  was  erected  in  the  Summer  of  1873. 
the  capacity  of  which  is  40,000  in  twelve  hours.  They  employ  thirty- 
five  men.  Mr.  Single  settled  in  Milwaukee  in  June,  1836.  and  live'd 
there  and  in  that  vicinity  three  years,  and  followed  the  carpenter  and 
joiner  trade,  then  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  arriving  in  the  Winter  of 
1839.  There  he  engaged  in  lumbering,  which  he  followed  until  the 
Summer  of  1845,  at  which  time  he  settled  in  his  present  location,  except 
1850  and  1851,  when  he  resided  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  was  born  in 
Bayford,  Hertfordshire,  England,  Aug.  20,  1820.  He  was  married  in 
Wausau,  Aug.  23.  1849,  'o  Jane  S.  Boswell,  who  was  born  in  London, 
England,  May  28.  1:27.  they  have  one  daughter,  Rozetta  W.,  now 
Mrs.  Lyman  W.  Thayer. 

JACOB  SLIMMER,  dealer  in  gents'  clothing,  furnishing  goods, 
boots  and  shoes,  Wausau,  located  at  Mineral  Point,  Wis.,  May  2  1875  ; 
lived  there  one  year  and  clerked  in  a  store  ;  from  there  he  went  to  .■\ustin. 
Minn.,  where  he  remained  four  years;  then  came  to  Wausau  in  April, 

1880.  He  began  business  here  May  10.  He  was  born  in  Obersitzke, 
Germany,  March  27,  1S54.  He  was  married  at  Austin,  Minn.,  Jan.  6, 
1877,  to  Lizzie  A.  Wagner,  who  was  born  in  Springfield,  Dane  Co.,  Jan. 
4,  1854.     They  have  two  children.  Max  D.  and  Felix  R. 

JOHN  SLOAN,  proprietor  Sloan  House,  Wausau,  settled  in  Wau- 
sau, April  22,  1864,  and  labored  at  various  kinds  of  employment  for  ten 
years.  He  kept  hotel,  corner  Jackson  and  Main  streets,  until  February, 
18S1 ;  then  moved  to  his  present  locality.      He  was  a  member  of  City 


568 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Council  two  years.  He  was  born  in  St.  Edward's,  Canada,  March  i8, 
1844.  He  was  married  in  Portage  County,  July  29,  1S73  ;  his  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Lina  Brossoit ;  she  was  born  in  Bohornway,  Canada, 
June  29,  1843.     They  had  two  children,  both  of  whom  died. 

JUDSON  M.  SMITH,  Wausau,  came  to  Wausau  in  August,  1874, 
and  engaged  in  the  construction  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railway,  build- 
ing the  road  from  Knowlton  to  Wausau  in  about  sixty  days.  Mr.  Smith 
was  associated  with  William  F.  Thompson  in  the  contract  forbuilding. 
The  road  was  opened  for  business  Nov.  9,  I S74.  Since  January,  1S75,  Mr. 
Smith  has  resided  in  Wausau,  his  family  coming  here  to  reside  in  February 
of  that  year.  He  deals  extensively  in  lands  of  his  own  and  those  belonging 
to  the  railroad  company.  Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Braintree,  Orange  Co., 
Vt.,  Jan.  iS,  1827,  and  lived  in  Roxbury  and  West  Randolph,  Vt.  When 
the  Vermont  Central  Railway  was  built,  he  engaged  as  foreman  in  its 
construction,  probably  in  1S46  ;  during  the  last  half  of  that  year  until 
the  Fall  of  1847,  when  he  came  to  New  Yorii  State  and  engaged  upon 
the  Ogdensburg  and  Rouse's  Point  road  (now  a  part  of  the  Vermont 
Central);  he  was  there,  in  different  capacities,  until  1852.  when  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  construction  of  tiie  Great  Western  Road,  of  Cin- 
ada.  He  was  employed  upon  that  for  two  years  and  a  half;  he  was 
then  engaged  in  building,  as  contractor,  the  extension  from  Stamford  to 
Niagara  Falls;  was  with  the  Erie  &  Ontario  Company  one  year.  He 
then  had  a  contract  on  the  Sarnia  branch  of  the  Great  Western,  and 
built  the  Grand  Trunlc  from  Mt.  Clemens  to  Detroit.  In  1S60,  he  built 
railroad  bridges  in  Tennessee.  He  was  in  the  tannery  business  for  six 
years  in  Canada,  the  only  time  he  was  out  of  the  railroad  business  from 
1846  until  the  Fall  of  1874.  He  w.-is  connected  with  the  Buffalo  & 
Erie  road,  on  the  Chicago.  Michigan  &  Lake  Shore  line,  and  in  1872 
built  the  double  track  of  the  Michigan  Central  from  Detroit  to  Chicago. 
He  was  then  engaged  on  the  Big  Rapids  branch  of  the  Chicago,  Michi- 
gan &  Lake  Shore  road.  Then  built  the  Wisconsin  Valley,  and  several 
smaller  roads,  building  over  200  miles  through  the  woods  in  a  little  over 
two  years.  Mr.  Smith  was  married,  Sept.  15,  1858,  to  Thirza  D.  Booth, 
who  was  born  in  Brockville,  Ontario.  They  have  one  child,  Helen  E. 
They  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  Mr.  Smith  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

CHARLES  STECKMEST,  cigar  manufacturer,  Wausau,  was  born 
in  Milwaukee,  Oct.  27,  1856.  He  spent  his  school-days  in  that  city,  and 
in  1877,  went  to  Chippewa  Falls,  where  he  lived  three  years  and  worked 
at  the  cigar  trade.  He  then  came  to  Wausau,  and  began  business  for 
himself.  He  was  married,  in  June,  iSSl,  to  Ida  Butter,  who  was  born 
in  Mayville,  Do  Ige  Co. 

ALEXANDER  STEWART,  Wausau,  was  born  in  York  Co.,  Prov- 
ince of  New  Brunswick,  Sept.  12,  1S29,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849, 
locating  in  Wausau  in  May  of  that  year,  and  engaging  in  lumbering  and 
logging.  He  commenced  the  manufacture  of  lumber  in  1S71.  Hismills 
had  about  the  same  capacity  as  his  present  mills,  except  the  addition  of 
a  planing-mill.  in  1874,  and  a  shingle-mill,  in  1S75.  The  capacity  of 
the  mills  is  70,000  feet  in  eleven  hours.  The  amount  cut  in  1S79  was 
19,000.000;  in  iSSo,  16.000,000;  in  18S1,  it  will  be  from  18.000,000  to 
20,000.000.  They  employ  from  140  to  150  men,  in  all  departments,  and 
manufacture  from  S.000,000  to  10,000.000  shingles.  John  Stewart,  who 
is  a  partner  in  the  business,  was  born  in  York  Co,  New  Brunswick,  Aug. 
10,  1S25,  and  came  to  Wausau  in  1849,  residing  here  until  1S56,  when  he 
moved  to  the  town  of  Campton,  Kane  Co.,  111.  Walter  Alexander  is  a 
partner,  who  came  to  Wausau  in  1856.  Mr.  .'Alexander  Stewart  was  mar- 
ried, in  Chicago,  to  Margaret  Gray,  a  native  of  York  Co.,  N.  B.  They 
have  three  children,  Margaret  J.,  Mary  E.  and  Helen  G. 

ALONZO  C.  STEVENS,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  KnoxviUe,  Tioga 
Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  24.  1S41,  and  lived  there  until  1S63,  when  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  mill  business  with  Campbell  &  Mil- 
lard, at  Jordan.  He  came  to  Wausau  in  the  Fall  of  1865  or  1866,  and 
was  employed  in  mill  work  with  George  Alcott.  four  miles  west  of  Wau- 
sau, for  two  Winters.  Since  then,  has  been  engaged  in  the  Wausau  Mills, 
and  has  been  connected  with  the  Wausau  Lumber  Company,  and  its  pre- 
decessors for  four  years.  He  is  one  of  the  stockholders  and  a  director, 
also  superintendent  of  the  company.  He  has  been  engaged  in  milling  busi- 
ness since  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  and  worked  at  it  earlier  in  life.  Mr. 
Stevens  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  Aug.  19,  1869,  to  Mary  Conlev! 
who  was  born  in  Ireland.  They  have  two  children,  Frances  M.  and 
Joel. 

FRED  W.  STROUD,  of  the  firm  of  G.  F.  &  F.  W.  Stroud,  dealers 
in  paints,  oils,  glass,  etc.,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Aug.  4, 1857 
and  at  a  proper  age,  he  attended  the  schools  of  that  city,  and  lived  'here 
until  March,  1881,  when  he  went  to  Wausau  with  his  brother,  and  began 
in  their  present  business.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  George  F.  Stroud 
of  Oshkosh,  for  the  term  of  nine  years,  previous  to  coming  to  Wausau,' 
and  it  was  there  he  gained  a  knowledge  of  his  present  business. 

EUGENE  B.  THAYER,  printer  and  proprietor  of  the  Central  Job 
Office,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Princeton,  Green  Lake  Co.,  April  30,  1853. 
His  parents  settled  in  Green  Lake  County  at  an  early  day.  From  there 
they  moved  to  Waupaca  County,  and  lived  some  time,  then  they  moved 
to  Wausau  in  1854.      At  a  suitable  age,  Eugene  B.  attended  the  public 


schools  at  Wausau  ;  he  also  entered  the  printing  office  at  the  age  of  ten  | 

years,  and  began  learning  the  trade,  which  he  has  since  made  his  pro-  ' 

fession.      He  was  married  May  20.  1879,  to  Delia  F.  Gooding,  who  was  1 

born  at  Lockport,  111.,  Nov.  20,  1S58.     They  have  one  boy,  Robert  G.  I 

LYMAN   E.  THAYER,  Wausau.  Was  born  in  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  I 

June  23, 1849.     He  is  a  son  of  Napoleon  3.  Thayer,  who  came  to  Green  ' 

Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  when  his  son  was  about   five  years  old.       He  is  now  a  , 

resident  of  Wausau.  having  located  here  in  1862.   Mr.  Lyman  E.Thayer  , 

was  engaged  in  milling  with  his  father  until  1876,  and   since   then  has  , 

been  connected  with  the  mercantile  establishment  of  J.  McCrossen  &  | 

Co.,  as  book-keeper.       He  was  married  in  Wausau,  in  October,  1875,  to 
Ellen  I.,  daughter  of  James  McCrossen  ;  she  was  born  at  Rural,  in  the  ' 

town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.      They  have   two  children   living. 
Mack,  born   -^ug.  20,  1S76,  and   Lyman   E.,  born  Aug.  18,  18S0.      Lost  , 

one  son,  Raymond,  born  March  18,  1878,  and  died  March  8.  1879. 

JOHN  TUTTLE,  lumberman,  Wausau.    Was  born  in  Warren  Co.,  ', 

Penn.,  July  22.  1831.     Came  to  Wausau  in  1852,  and  was  employed  in  a  | 

lumber  mill  ;  has  continued  at  Wausau,  or  near  there,  ever  since,  in  the  1 

same  business.     He  was  married  Jan.  9,  1854,  to  Miss   Mary  S.  Slosson,  \ 

of  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.      They  have  five  children  — John  F.,  William  E.,  1 

George  W.,  Henr)'  A.  and  Charles. 

JOB  B.  VAUGHAN,  one  of  the  Overseers  of  the  Fire  Department, 
Wausau.  First  settled  in  Waupaca  in  the  Spring  of  1S65,  and  had 
charge  of  Walker's  stage  line,  from  Gill's  Landing  to  Stevens  Point.  He 
was  in  that  capacity  one  year,  then  clerked  in  a  store  for  about  a  year  ; 
then  he  went  to  Helena  City,  M.  T.,  and  engaged  in  mining,  where  he 
remained  one  year;  then  he  went  down  the  Missouri  River,  and  to  Min- 
nesota, and  worked  for  the  Minnesota  Stage  Company  for  six  years,  going 
into  many  portions  of  the  West  while  in  their  employ.  He  then  went  to 
Stevens  Point  and  clerked  in  the  Mansion  House  for  one  and  one-half 
years  ;  from  there  he  went  to  Plover,  in  the  Empire  House  in  the  same 
capacity  for  a  short  time  ;  then  to  Negaunee,  Mich.,  to  clerk  in  a  hotel, 
where  he  remained  one  year  ;  from  there  he  went  to  Green  Bay,  and 
worked  in  the  Fox  River  House,  remaining  but  a  short  time  ;  then  to 
Wausau,  where  he  lived  two  years;  from  there,  again  to  Montana,  where 
he  remained  two  years,  engaged  in  mining  at  Helena  City,  and  in  the 
Fall  of  1879,  he  again  returned  to  Wausau  ;  again  he  moved  to  Rock 
Falls,  Lincoln  Co.,  where  he  kept  the  hotel  one  year,  then  returned  to 
Wausau,  and  worked  in  saw-mills  until  the  Fall  of  18S0,  at  which  time 
he  engaged  in  his  present  capacity.  He  was  born  in  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y., 
April  9,  1845,  He  was  married  in  Green  Bay,  September,  1873,  to  Mary 
Marbel,  who  was  born  in  Jefli'erson,  March,  1855.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren. Nellie  and  Bently  T- 

FRED.  WARTMANN,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Oct.  9,  1836, 
and  came  to  .\merica  in  the  Fall  of  1855.  He  was  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
about  eight  months;  in  Illinois  four  months,  and  then  came  to  Wausau 
and  worked  in  saw  and  flouring  mills  for  six  or  eight  years  ;  he  was  then 
engaged  in  hauling  freight  from  Wausau  to  Berlin  and  vicinity  for  eight 
years;  since  1872,  has  been  in  the  butcher  business.  Mr.  Wartmann 
was  married  in  Wausau  twenty-three  years  ago  to  Augusta  Hartel,  a 
native  of  Germany.  They  have  eight  children — Lizzie,  Anna,  Carl, 
Lena,  Bertha,  Augusta.  Emma  and  Louis. 

GEORGE  WERHEIM,  proprietor  of  planing  mill  and  sash,  blind 
and  door  factory,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Jan.  6,  1834, 
and  came  to  America  in  1852,  living  in  New  York  City  about  one  year 
and  a  half;  then  in  Chicago  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
engaged  in  business  as  a  carpenter  and  builder  until  1872  ;  when  he  built 
a  planing  mill  with  F.  W.  Kickbusch,  continuing  with  him  until  the  Fall 
of  1880.  In  the  Spring  of  1881,  he  built  his  present  planing  mill,  em- 
ploys about  forty  men  and  manufactures  sash,  doors,  blinds  and  mold- 
dings.  Mr.  Werheim  has  been  City  Marshal,  Under  SheriflF,  Alderman 
and  Village  Trustee.  He  is  City  Treasurer  and  has  held  that  position 
for  four  terms.  He  was  married  in  Chicaeo,  in  June,  1855,  to  Theresa 
Meyer,  who  died  in  August,  1S77,  leaving  five  children — Emma,  Theresa, 
Philip,  Mary  and  George.  He  was  married  in  December,  1877,  to  his 
present  wife,  Elizabeth  Paulus,  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have 
two  children — Mallie  and  Louis.  Mr.  Werheim  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  Sons  of  Hermann. 

HENRY  L.  WHEELER,  insurance  agent,  Wausau,  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  Oct.  7,  1835,  and  in  1851  went  to  California,  remaining 
there  about  a  year.  He  engaged  in  steamboating  before  coming  to 
Wisconsin  and  was  fiist  officer  of  the  steamship  "  United  States,"  came  lo 
O'Plain,  Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  October,  1855,  and  lived  there  until 
November,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  8th  Wis.  Battery;  must- 
ered out  of  service  at  Milwaukee  in  August,  1865.  He  was  in  all  the 
battles  of  his  battery,  except  the  second  battle  of  Cornith.  In  the  Fall 
of  1865,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  flouring  mill  at  Amherst,  re- 
maining  there  until  1867,  when  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  living  there 
from  Spring  to  Fall  of  that  year,  then  coming  to  Wausau  and  manufac- 
tured  lumber  in  partnership  with  D.  B.  Wylie  until  January,  1868,  when 
the  mill  was  destroyed  by  an  explosion.  He  then  engaged  in  dealing  in 
and  running  lumber  to  market  until  he  began  the  insurance  business. 
Mr.  Wheeler  was  Lumber  Inspector  for  this  district  from   1874   to  the 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


569 


Spring  of  1880,  when  he  resigned;  he  was  Under  Sheriff  in  1879  and 
City  Assessor  in  1874  and  1875  ;  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Broom 
Company,  and  has  been  Alderman.  He  is  engaged  in  general  fire 
insurance.  Mr.  E.  C.  Zimmerman  has  been  associated  with  him  since 
the  Spring  of  1S80.  Mr.  W.,  was  mariied  at  O'Plain,  Wis.,  June  I, 
1856,  to  Lida  R.  Wylie,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  have 
three  children  living— Frank  E.,  Lida  E.,  and  a  daughter  unnamed. 
Lost  two  children,  Fanny  J.,  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  and  iheir 
son  Henry  L.,  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Wheeler  is  prominently  connected 
with  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  and  K.  of  .H 

CHARLES  WINKLEY,  propiietor  Winkley  House,  Wausau.  He 
settled  in  this  place  in  tl  e  latter  part  of  July,  1851.  His  first  work  was 
by  the  month,  and  he  then  went  10  making  shingles  and  logging  on  a 
small  scale,  which  business  he  followed,  more  or  less,  for  filteen  years. 
Then  he  built  a  part  of  the  Winkley  House,  lived  there  and  kept  hotel, 
and  was  in  the  lumber  business  until  1868.  In  that  year  he  finished  the 
hotel.  He  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  Sept.  i,  1829.  He  was 
married,  Dec.  30,  1850,  in  England,  and  emigrated  to  America,  Jan.  I, 
1851.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Susanna  R.Huckbody;  she  was 
born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  June  24.  1830.  They  have  had  six  chil- 
dren— Letitia  A.,  who  was  married  to  Mr.  G.  A.  Higgins,  in  September, 
1874,  she  is  now  living  near  Waverly,  Bremer  Co.,  Iowa  ;  John  T.  Wink- 
ley, married  in  December,  1880,  and  living  with  his  father  in  the  hotel, 
where  he  was  born  ;  four  have  died — Mary  E.,  Charles  J.,  Sarah  A.  and 
Charles  Winkley,  Jr. 

JOHN  T.  WINKLEY,  livery  and  city  bus  line,  Wausau,  was  born 
in  Wausau,  Oct.  2,  1858.  When  he  arrived  at  a  suitable  age,  he  at- 
tended the  city  schools  for  some  time,  and  afterward  attended  school  in 
St.  Paul,  Minn.  He  was  married  at  Wausau,  Nov.  24,  1880,  to  Clara  L. 
Babcock,  who  was  also  born  in  Wausau,  Aug.  12,  i860.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  H.  and  Mary  A.  Babcock. 

CARL  WCESSNER,  general  merchandise  and  tailor  shop,  Wausau, 
came  to  Cambria,  Wis.,  in  June,  1857.  He  remained  there  about  three 
years,  then  went  to  Portage,  and  remained  one  year;  then  he  went  to 
Grand  Rapids  for  a  short  time,  and  from  there  he  came  to  Wausau.  He 
busied  himself  at  various  kinds  of  labor,  tailoring,  etc.,  for  two  years, 
then  built  his  store,  and  followed  tailoring  and  dealing  in  furnishing 
goods.  In  1881,  he  added  a  large  stock  of  general  merchandise.  He 
was  Alderman  two  years,  and  City  Treasurer  in  1877.  He  was  born  in 
Braunfels,  Kris,  Wetzlar,  Rhine  Province,  Germany,  May  31,  1833.  He 
was  married  in  Wausau,  Dec.  26,  i860,  to  Juliana  Seymor,  who  was 
born  in  Villigen,  Grossherzogthun,  Hessen-Darmstadt,  Germany,  April 
18,  1841.  They  have  seven  children— George,  Maggie,  Carl,  Jr.,  Louis, 
Albert,  Bertha  and  Julia. 

ELY  WRIGHT,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  P.  G.  Murray  Iron 
Works,  Wausau,  was  born  in  Athens,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  5,  1838. 
He  came  to  Marinette  in  1864,  and  remained  there  seven  years,  en- 
gaged as  superimendent  and  cashier  of  the  Menominee  River  Lumber 
Company,  after  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  embarked  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  which  he  followed  five  years.  He  then  bought  the  Me- 
nominee Iron  Works,  and  run  that  in  connection  with  a  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory ;  he  also  kept  a  broker's  ofBce.  In  the  Winter  of  1876,  he 
moved  the  iron  works,  and  erected  them  at  Wausau.  He  was  married 
in  Marinette,  Nov.  23,  1865,  to  Ella  L.  Fairchild,  who  was  born  in 
Maysville,  Va.,  May  24,  1840.  They  have  six  children— Nellie  M.. 
Robert  E.,  Fred,  Ralph,  Jessie  F.  and  Leah. 

ERNEST  C.  ZIMMERMAN,  insurance  agent,  Wausau,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Aug.  31,  1857,  and  came  to  .\merica  in  1867  or  186S.  He  livedat 
Waterloo,  Wis.,  about  a  year  ;  then  at  Eau  Claire  until  September,  1878, 
when  he  came  to  Wausau.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  present  in- 
surance firm  of  Wheeler  &  Zimmerman  since  March,  1880,  having  been 
in  the  insurance  business  since  he  was  fourteen  years  old.  Mr.  Zimmer- 
man is  secretary  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge. 

MARATHON  CITY. 
Was      originally     settled     by     Germans     in     1S56-57. 
It    is    on  the    Big    Rib     River,    west    of     Waiisaii  ;     has 
mills  and  village  appurtenances.     The  Catholic  Church  was 
dedicated  in  October,  1877.     It  has  150  inhabitants. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EDWARD    C.  HERMAN,  grist,   Marathon    City.      Was   born    in 

Germany,  Jan.  14,  1849.     Came  with  his  parents  to  Jefferson  County  in 

l850,where  he  lived  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.    He  then  went  to 

learn  the  miller  trade  at  Waterloo,  where  he  remained  four  years.      In 

1868,  he  went  to  Watertown  one  Summer,  working  in  a  flouring  mill. 
Then  he  went  to  St.  Paul,  and  from  there  to  Manchester,  where  he  re- 
mained but  a   short    time.     He  lived  in  Wausau  during  the  Winter  of 

1869,  working  in  a  shingle  mill,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1S70,  made  a  trip 
on    the    Wisconsin    River.     Then  he  worked  at  home    two   years,  near 


Cambria,  where  his  parents  had  removed  ;  from  there  he  returned  to 
Wausau,  and  worked  in  the  mills  again,  and  went  down  the  river  in  the 
Spring  of  1873.  In  the  Fall,  he  came  to  Marathon  City,  and  worked 
in  his  father-in-law's  grist  mill,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  He 
bought  the  mill  in  June,  1879.  He  was  married,  June  25,  1878,  at 
Marathon  City,  to  Augusta  B.  Fricke,  who  was  born  at  Two  Rivers, 
April  20,  185S.  They  have  had  two  children,  Laura  A.  and  Helen  V., 
neither  of  whom  are  living. 

HENRY  C.  FRICKE,  Marathon  City.  Was  born  in  Germany. 
June  28,  1835.  He  settled  at  Two  Rivers  in  1861,  and  rented  a  grist 
mill,  which  tie  ran  one  year.  Then  he  worked  at  Mishicot  one  year  in 
a  grist  mill,  but  made  his  home  at  Two  Rivers.  He  then  moved  to  Kos- 
suth Township,  where  he  remained  three  years.  Then  lived  at  West 
Bend  a  short  time,  and  moved  to  Nashota,  where  he  rented  the  grist  mill 
for  three  years.  He  moved  to  Marathon  City  in  1870,  built  a  grist  mill, 
and  he  has  improved  and  added  to  it  a  saw-mill,  finally  selling  both  in 
1879  to  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  E.  C.  Herman.  He  was  married,  March  20, 
1862.  in  Manitowoc  Township,  to  Veronika  Simonis,  who  was  born  in 
Germanv,  Feb.  9,  1835.  She  came  to  America  alone.  They 
have  three  children— Augusta  B.,  Nellie  H.  and  Henry  A. 

SEBASTIAN  KERSTEIN,  proprietor  hotel  Marathon  City.  Was 
born  in  Germany,  Oct.  2,  1837.  He  came  to  Marathon  City  in  the  Fall 
of  1856,  where  he  lived  a  short  time,  and  went  to  Wausau,  and  followed 
shoemaking  until  the  war  broke  out.  He  then  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  12th 
Wis.  V.  I.,  Veterans.  He  served  until  the  Fall  of  1865,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  at  which  time  he  returned  to  Wausau,  and 
went  in  company  with  J.  Gensman  in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade;  they 
were  in  business  about  three  yejirs.  Then  he  followed  farming  five 
years  in  Stetten  Township,  and  then  built  his  hotel  in  Marathon  City, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  He  was  married,  Jan.  I,  1866,  to  Mary 
T.  Vogedes,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  four  children — 
Mary,  John,  Joseph  and  Charles. 

JOHN  P.  LEHMAN,  general  merchandise  and  Postmaster,  Mara- 
thon City.  Was  born  in  Westphalia,  Clinton  Co.,  Mich.,  Jan.  23, 
1852.  First  settled  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1872,  where  he 
lived  three  and  one-half  years,  and  finished  learning  the  tinner  trade. 
He  then  went  to  Barton,  Washington  Co.,  and  began  the  hardware 
and  tinner  business,  where  he  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1878.  Then 
he  went  to  Marathon  City,  and  embarked  in  general  merchandise. 
He  was  married,  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Oct.  21,  1875,  to  Maggie  Serva- 
tius,  who  was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac.  They  have  three  children  — 
Minnie,  Nora  and  Tille. 

FRANK  NOLDEN,  wagon-maker,  Marathon  City,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  on  the  River  Rhine,  April  22,  1830.  He  came  to  Marathon 
City  in  the  Spring  of  1868,  and  has  a  farm  near  the  village.  He  has  fol- 
lowed wagon-making  since,  except  two  years,  when  he  was  drafted,  July 
10,  1863.  He  was  placed  in  Co.  B,  62d  Regt.  Pa.  I.  V.;  he  was  trans- 
ferred, after  one  year's  service,  into  the  155th  Pa.  Zouaves.  He  served 
in  the  army  two  years  and  was  mustered  out  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  July  3, 
1865.  He  was  married  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  August,  1861,  to  Mary  E. 
Hahe,  who  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  August,  1S40.  They 
have  nine  children  —  Barbe,  Mary,  William,  Lizzie,  Anna,  Zezeleger. 
Charles,  Rosa  and  Frank. 

FERDINAND  QUADE,  blacksmith,  Marathon  City,  was  born  in 
Germany,  Feb.  12,  1855.  He  first  settled  with  his  parents  in  Stetten 
Township,  Marathon  Co.,  in  1S66.  He  lived  at  home  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  of  age.  Then  he  went  to  0>hkosh  and  learned  his  trade,  re- 
maining one  year,  and  went  to  Wausau  and  worked  for  his  brother  in  his 
shop  at  blacksmithing  eight  years,  and  from  there  he  came  to  Marathon 
City  and  began  his  present  business.  He  was  married  in  Berlin  Town- 
ship, in  1877,  to  Albertina  Achbrenar,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  May 
19,  1855.     They  have  two  children,  Laura  A.  and  Matilda. 

REV.  IGNATIUS  REISSER,  priest,  Marathon  City,  was  born  in 
Wurtemburg,  Germany,  Feb.  28,  1828.  He  was  educated  in  the  city  of 
his  birth,  beginning  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  went  from  there 
to  Munich  and  attended  three  years  and  graduated  from  the  school  there 
in  1856.  He  came  to  .America  and  settled  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  Nov.  6, 
1856,  and  took  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Congregation  in  Allegheny,  where  he 
remained  ten  years.  He  then  had  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Church  in  Pine 
Creek,  Pa.,  three  and  one-half  years  ;  from  there  he  went  to  East  Liber- 
ty, Pa.,  and  took  charge  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  remaining  three  years. 
From  there  he  went  to  Manchester,  now  Allegheny,  and  took  charge  of 
St.  Mary's  Church,  until  1875,  when  he  came  to  Marathon  City  and  took 
charge  of  St.  Mary's  Congregation.  Here  he  has  since  remained.  He 
was  ordained  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  Feb.  4,  1856,  by  the  Right  Rev.  D. 
O'Conner,  bishop. 

MOSINEE. 
This  place,  called  Mozinee  by  the  natives,  is  at  the  head 
of  slack  water,  above  Stevens   Point,  at  what  is  called  Lit- 
tle Bull  Falls.     Cate  &  Dessert  had  a  saw-mill  here  in  its 


S70 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


early  historj'.  Blair,  Walton  &  Phillips  laid  out  the  vil- 
lage. Joseph  Dessert's  mill  cuts  8,000,000  a  year  ;  Lawrence 
&  Peters,  4,000,000.     It  has  300  inhabitants. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  A.  H.  BACHMANN,  of  the  firm  of  Paup  &  Bachmann. 
dealers  in  general  merchandise,  drugs  and  medicines,  Mosinee,  was  born 
in  Germany,  in  April,  1857;  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of 
1875  and  settled  at  Mosinee,  where  he  began  work  for  Mr.  J.  Dessert 
and  continued  three  years.  He  took  a  job  of  logging  and  making  rail- 
road  ties  during  the  Winter  of  187S,  and  in  the  Spring  went  to  Dakota, 
where  he  remained  a  short  time,  but  returned  to  Mosinee.  He  then 
worked  in  the  pineries,  and  in  the  Spring  of  18S0  he  went  into  his  pres- 
ent business. 

CLITUS  S.  BLAIR,  proprietor  Fall  City  House,  Mosinee.  He 
was  born  in  Mosinee,  March  29,  1856.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
at  Mosinee,  and  afterward  he  entered  the  Uriversity  at  Appleton, 
where  he  remained  a  short  time,  and  was  obliged  to  discontinue  his 
contemplated  course  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  was  married  Sept.  18, 
lS-8.  to  Ella  M.  Wilcox,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  July  18,  1S53. 

WILLIAM  CUER,  dealer  in  provisions,  Mosinee,  settled  at  Wau- 
pun  in  1847,  where  he  lived  about  nine  months.  He  came  to  Mosinee 
in  January,  1S4S  where  he  worked  at  various  things  for  about  thiee 
years.  Then  he  opened  a  saloon,  but  in  1862  went  to  teaming  and 
logging.  He  was  married  July  4.  1869.  He  then  began  farming  and 
his  present  business.  He  also  followed  piloting  rafts  on  the  Little  Bull 
Falls,  from  1851  to  1876  inclusive.  These  rapids  are  said  to  be  the  most 
difficult  and  dangerous  on  the  Wisconsin  River. 

FRANK  L.  DEMERS.  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  drugs  and 
groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  Mosinee,  was  born  in  LeCadie,  Lower  Canada, 
Dec.  25.  1842.  He  c.me  to  Jenny  in  the  Fall  of  1S56.  and  spent  the 
Winter  logging,  and  in  the  Spring,  went  to  Mosinee  and  worked  in  the 
saw  mill  of  J.  Dessert,  where  he  remained  until  1865.  Then  he  rented 
a  store,  and  began  in  the  mercantile  trade,  following  it  one  year.  He 
then  worked  for  Mr.  Dessert  again,  and  continued  with  him  until  1871. 
He  then  built  a  large  store  building,  and  embarked  in  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  was  married  at  Stockton,  Portage  Co.,  November,  1870,10 
Adelia  Moyer,  who  was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1845.  They 
have  four  children— Zelda  G.,  Frank  L.,  Jr.,  Clarence  O.  and  Edward  N. 

JOSEPH  DESSERT,  saw  and  planing  mill,  Mosinee,  was  born  in 
Maskenonge,  Lower  Canada,  Jan.  8,  1S19.  He  first  came  to  the  Lake 
Superior  country,  in  the  employ  of  the  American  Fur  Co.,  in  1840, 
where  he  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1844.  He  came  to  Mosinee  in 
October,  1S44,  where  he  began  working  by  the  month  and  by  the  job  in 
the  lumber  business  until  the  Fall  of  1849.  He  then  rented  a  saw  mill, 
in  company  with  Henry  Cate  and  James  Etheridge,  and  operated  it  until 
1852,  at  which  time  they  bought  the  same  and  ran  it  until  1854,  when 
they  bought  the  interest  of  Mr.  Ethridge,  and  in  1859,  Mr.  Dessert 
bought  Mr.  Gate's  interest,  and  took  full  control,  which  mills  he  operated 
until  1880,  when  he  took  in  Mr.  Louis  Dessert,  a  nephew  of  his.  They 
are  now  doing  a  large  business.  Mr.  Dessert  was  married  in  1862,  at 
Waukesha,  to  Mary  S.  Sanford,  who  was  born  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  in  1837. 
They  have  had  two  children,  Stella  L.  Dessert  and  an  infant  now  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Dessert  died,  July  i,  :88i,  at  her  home  in  Mosinee.  Mr. 
Dessert's  saw  mill  was  erected  and  in  operation  in  1874.  The  capacity 
is  85,000  per  day.  They  manufacture  50,000  shingles,  15,000  laths  and 
8,000  pickets  in  eleven  hours.  The  planing  mill  was  erected  in  1878, 
the  capacity  of  which  is  :  surfacing,  35,000  per  day  ;  dressing,  flooring 
or  ship  lap,  15.000.  They  employ  100  men,  and  have  a  home  market 
for  all  of  their  lumber,  etc. 

WILLIAM  G.  GRAVES,  of  the  firm  of  Roberts  &  Graves,  dry 
goods,  groceries,  hardware,  etc.,  Mosinee,  was  born  in  Champlain,  N.  Y.. 
July  15,  1856.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1878,  and  settled 
in  Mosinee,  and  first  clerked  for  W.  Rannels  about  two  years.  Messrs. 
Roberts  &  Graves  bought  the  goods  Jan.  i.  1881.  He  was  married  in 
Canada,  June  7,  i88l,to  Emma  Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Hemingford, 
Canada,  Sept.  3,  1856. 

SEBASTIAN  KRONENWETTER,  proprietor  of  a  saw-mill,  one 
mile  above  Mosinee,  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  was  born  in  Germany, 
Jan.  20,  1833.  His  mill  was  built  in  1863.  the  capacity  of  which  is  18,000 
a  day.  He  came  to  Mosinee  in  1857,  and  worked  in  the  pineries  for  two 
years  ;  then  kept  hotel  at  Mosinee  two  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Wau- 
sau.  where  he  kept  hotel  two  years.  His  hotel  burned  and  he  lost  all  he 
had.  He  then  returned  to  Mosinee,  and  after  a  year  or  two  began  log. 
ging  and  lumbering  on  his  own  account.  In  1870,  he  settled  in  his  pres- 
ent location,  then  a  complete  wilderness.  He  was  married  in  St.  Marys, 
Pa.,  Oct.  13,  1856,  to  Mary  Biry.  She  was  a  native  of  Alsace,  France,' 
and  born  Dec.  24,  1S36.  They  have  seven  children  living — Helen  O., 
Carl  A.,  George  S.,  Clara  M..  Henry  M.,  Mary  T.  and  Annie  O. 

EDGAR  E.  LADU,  saw-filerin  Daniels&  Hutchins'  mill,  Hutchinson, 
Marathon   Co.     He  first  settled  in  Mosinee  in  the  Fall  of  i866,  being 


then  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Chnrch.  He 
remained  there  two  years,  but  his  health  failing,  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
continue preaching.  He  was  ordained  at  Beaver  Dam,  September, 
1867,  and  the  above  was  his  first  charge,  and,  a  portion  of  the  time  of 
1867  and  1868,  he  preached  at  Wausau,  Jennie,  Knowlton  and  Eau 
Pleine.  He  still  resides  in  the  township  of  Mosinee,  and  occasionally 
follows  preaching.  He  was  born  in  Verona,  N.Y.,  Feb.  15,  1S33.  He 
was  married  in  Richmond,  Pa..  1852,  to  Sarah  J.  Ayres.  She  was  born 
in  Penn  Van,  N.Y.,  May  I,  1S34.  They  have  five  children— Willis  F., 
William  S.,  Miles  E.,  Francenia  and  Charlie  E. 

JAMES  O.  PAUP,  of  the  firm  of  Paup  &  Bachman.  merchants. 
Mosinee,  was  born  in  Washington  Township,  Clarion  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  26, 
1846.  He  lived  there  with  his  parents  until  1871.  He  then  went  to 
Jackson  Co.,  Minn.,  and  remained  two  years,  taking  up  a  soldier's  home- 
stead, which  he  subsequently  sold.  He  came  to  Mosinee  and  worked  for 
Mr.  Kronenwetter  about  two  years.  He  then  worked  for  Mr.  J.  Dessert 
on  a  farm,  where  he  was  engaged  four  years.  Then  he  began  in  his  pres- 
ent business  in  June,  1880.  He  enlisted  at  Fryburg,  Pa.,  July  25,  1862, 
in  Co.  G.  155th  Regt.  V.  I,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  and 
was  mustered  out  at  Braddock's  Fields,  near  Pittsburgh.  Pa.,  June,  1865. 
He  was  married,  March  28,  1875,  at  Mosinee,  to  Mary  E.  Bean,  who  was 
born  in  Mosinee,  June  2,  1861.  They  have  two  children,  George  E.  and 
Homer  W. 

DAVID  ROBERTS,  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Roberts  &  Graves, 
dealers  in  ready-made  clothing,  hats,  caps,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes, 
Mosinee,  was  born  in  La  Prairie,  Canada,  near  Montreal,  June  6,  1831. 
He  came  to  Mosinee  in  1S50,  and  worked  in  the  pineries  and  in  the  saw 
mills  about  four  years.  Then  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  on  his 
own  account,  which  he  followed  ten  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the 
tannery  business  four  years,  since  which  time  he  has  followed  farming 
and  lumbering.  He,  in  company  with  Mr.  Graves,  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile trade,  Jan.  i,  1S81.  He  was  married.  May  11,  1S63,  to  Jennie 
Morrey,  who  was  b  rn  in  Milwaukee,  April  19,  1844.  They  have  one 
daughter.  Marion  E.,  who  was  born  Feb.  14.  1873.  Mrs.  Roberts  died 
July  10,  1S79.  Mr.  Roberts  was  again  married,  June  15,  18S1,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Lemmer,  a  native  of  La  Porte,  Ind.,  and  born  May  23,  1857, 

DELOS  W.  WORDEN,  foreman  in  .Mr.  J.  Dessert's  saw-mill,  Mosi- 
nee, was  born  in  Middlefield,  Otsego  Co.,  N.V.,  Feb.  15,  1S32  ;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  1856,  where  he  worked  for  C.  N.  Payne  &  Co.,  seven  years, 
in  the  capacity  of  foreman  in  their  saw-mill.  He  then  worked  for  D.  L. 
Libby,  in  the  same  capacity,  one  year.  From  there,  he  went  to  Big  Su- 
amico  ;  engaged,  as  before,  one  year  for  M.  E.  Trumbull  &  Co. ;  also 
one  year  for  J.  H.  Weed  &  Co.  He  then  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and 
worked  in  the  saw-mill,  for  the  first-named  company,  nine  years,  after 
which  he  came  to  Mosinee  and  engaged  with  Mr.  J.  Dessert.  He  was 
married  in  Tioga  Village,  Pa.,  -■\ug.  3,  1854,  to  Sarafi  J.  Drake,  who  is  a 
native  of  Steuben  Co.,  N.Y.,  born  1S34.  They  have  five  children— Na- 
thaniel J.,  Margaret  A.,  Oscar  B.,  William  H.  and  Nellie  C. 

KNOWLTON. 

This  is  a  stirring  village  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  eight- 
een miles  above  Stevens  Point.  Including  the  mill  hands 
there  are  200  inhabitants. 

It  is  a  mill  village.  The  town  is  not  yet  all  taken  up  to 
farming,  but  as  the  lumber  is  cut  up,  it  will  be  promptly 
under  cultivation. 

Stark  Bros,  have  a  saw  mill  near  the  village  cutting  2,- 
000,000  feet  a  year. 

Wallace  &  Redford's  mill  is  two  miles  south,  and  cuts 
6,000,000  feet  a  season. 

John  Redfield's  mill  is  three  miles  north,  and  cuts  3,- 
000,000  feet  a  year. 

The  village  proper  has  fifteen  dwellings,  a  hotel,  store, 
and  Catholic  Church  supplied  from  Wausau. 

Leonard  Guenther  settled  here  in  1848,  when  it  was  the 
center  of  a  very  valuable  pine  tract,  some  of  the  forties 
yielding  1,800,000  feet. 

Guenther  Brothers,  sons  of  the  old  gentleman,  who  died 
in  1876,  keep  the  hotel,  store  and  post-office. 

KNOWLTON  STATION. 
is  on  the  Wisconsin  Valley  road,  one  mile  west  of  the  vil- 
lage. 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


571 


C.  E.  &  A.  Guenther  at  this  point  are  building  a  planing 
and  a  feed  mill,  all  to  be  first-class  in  every  respect,  with 
ample  steaiji  power.     A  fine  village  must  spring  up  here. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LEONARD  GUENTHER,  the  fatherof  Charles  E.,  Anton,  Thomas, 
Mary  and  Leonard,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  Nov.  30,  1S28. 
He  settled  at  Watertown,  Wis.,  in  1844,  when  he  followed  the  bakery 
business ;  then  he  went  to  Beaver  Dam  and  was  engaged  in  the  same 
business  for  some  time;  from  there  he  went  into  the  Wisconsin  pine- 
ries about  four  miles  atiove  Knowlton.  at  Drake's  mills,  and  engaged 
as  head  sawyer,  where  he  remained  four  years.  He  afterward  went 
to  Knowlton,  made  shingles  and  followed  the  lumber  business,  run- 
ning the  river,  etc.,  for  seven  years.  He  was  married  in  1854  in  Por- 
tage Co.,  Wis.  They  moved  in  their  present  home,  and  kept  hotel  and 
began  the  mercantile  business  about  1874,  which  is  continued  by  the 
family.  Mr.  Guenther  was  the  founder  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Knowlton,  he  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  in  the  then  wilderness, 
and  did  much  to  improve  it.  He  was  a  member  of  the  County  Board 
several  years.  Mrs.  Guenther's  maiden  name  was  Rosalia  Stark.  She 
was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  Feb.  20,  1828.  The  family  consists 
of  five  children.  The  two  oldest  boys  are  married.  Charles  E.  lives 
near  the  old  homestead,  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness. Anton,  the  next  oldest,  lives  at  home  with  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily. Mr.  Leonard  Guenther,  the  father  of  the  family,  died  some  time 
ago. 

NEWTON  W.  HARVEY,  millwright  and  foreman  Wallace  & 
Radford's  saw-mill,  Knowlton,  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  I, 
1837.  He  came  to  Weyauwega,  Oct.  4.  1855,  and  worked  at  the  car- 
penter trade  for  ten  years.  He  then  went  as  repairer  in  Weed  &  Gum- 
ear's  saw-mill,  where  he  remained  one  year,  then  he  took  charge  of  the 
mill  and  remained  in  that  capacity  eight  years,  after  which  he  went  to 
Stevens  Point  and  vicinity,  and  was  employed  principally  as  foreman,  up 
to  the  present  writing.  He  was  married  in  Waupaca  County,  Oct.  31, 
1861,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Tibbits,  who  was  born  in  Gardiner,  Me.,  Feb.  13, 
1840.  They  have  three  children— Jessie  L.,  Charles  E.  and  William  N. 

ALOIS  STARK,  of  the  firm  of  Stark  Bros.,  proprietors  saw-mill, 
Knowlton,  was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  July  29,  1838.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  Knowlton  in  1S53.  They  first  began  logging  and 
the  shingle  business,  which  they  followed  until  1863  ;  then  they  began 
the  erection  of  a  saw  mill  one  mile  below  their  present  site,  which  mill 
burned  in  1870.  Mr.  A.  Stark  was  married  at  Knowlton,  October,  1S70, 
to  Josephine  Wetzel,  who  was  born  in  his  native  village  in  Germany, 
November,  1S50.  They  have  three  children— Thomas,  Helen  F.  and 
Agatha  F.  The  other  brothers,  Anthony  Stark  and  Wendell  Stark  are 
both  married,  and  have  families  living  near  their  saw-mill.  They  erect- 
ed this  mill  in  the  Summer  of  1873.  Its  capacity  is  from  15,00010  20,- 
000  in  one  day,  employing  nine  men. 

HENRY  R.  WEED,  lumberman,  Knowlton,  was  born  in  Illinois, 
May  5,  1848.  He  came  with  his  parents  and  settled  at  Bean's  Eddy, 
three  miles  north  of  Knowlton,  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  in  1856.  He 
began  work  on  his  own  account  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  working 
in  a  saw  mill  by  the  month,  and  running  a  mill  by  the  thousand  until 
lS6g.  Then  he  began  his  present  vocation.  He  was  married  July, 
1869,  to  Ricky  Pickard,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Carrie  L. 

SPRING  BROOK  AND  EAU  CLAIRE, 
virtually  one  place,  was  first  settled   by  W.  L.   Ackley,   in 
1859,  who  began  lumbering,  but  soon  settled  down  to  farm- 
ing.  Mr.  Chancy  Vaughn  came  in  1875,  followed  by  Messrs. 
Moses  Tinney,  J.  S.  Nelson  and  O.  J.  Beardsley. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ERWIN  A  REDFORD,  of  the  firm  of  Wallace  &  Redford,  saw 
mill,  Eau  Claire  River.  Mr.  R.'s  father  first  went  to  Milwaukee,  in 
1S33.  and  moved  his  family  there  in  1836.  He  kept  a  boarding  house 
and  boot  and  shoe  shop  for  three  years,  then  moved  to  Waukesha 
County,  where  his  family  were  reared,  they  being  the  first  family  that 
moved  in  the  country  from  Milwaukee,  and  raised  the  first  crops  of 
grain.  They  lived  there  until  1870,  and  followed  farming  and  made 
themselves  a  good  home.  Mr.  R.,  the  fatherof  Erwin  A.,  was  born  in 
Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  at  Monroe.  Mr.  E. 
A.  Redford  lived  in  Waukesha  until  1850,  then  he  went  to  the  Wiscon- 
sin pineries  and  worked  two  years.  Then  he  went  into  the  logging 
business  on  his  own  account,  which  he  followed  until  1861.  Then  he 
went  into  the  milling  business  in  the  cap.acity  of  engineer,  and  followed 
it  until  1869.  Then  he  went  in  company  with  Mr.  R.  G.  Wallace  and 
bought  a  saw  mill.  He  was  born  in  Perrysburg,  N.  V.,  June  5,  1831. 
He    was   married    in    Marathon  County,  October,    1856,    to  Lora  Ed- 


wards. She  died  June  2,  l86g.  They  had  two  children,  Anna  J.,  de- 
ceased ;  and  Nellie  M..  now  Mrs.  Chas.  Guenther,  of  Knowlton.  Mr. 
R.  was  married  again,  June  l8,  1S72,  at  Milwaukee,  to  Sophia  A.  Klein- 
stiber,  born  in  Germany,  May  10,  1842.  They  have  two  children,  Anna 
J.  and  Erwin  A.,  Tr. 

ROBERT  G.  WALLACE,  of  the  firm  of  Wallace  &;  Red  ford, 
saw  mill,  was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  Oct.  24,  1839.  His  mill  was 
erected  in  the  Summer  of  1871.  The  capacity  is  about  24.000  in  one 
day,  and  after  cutting  lumber  they  manufacture  usually  about  40,000 
shingles  per  day,  employing  about  twenty-four  men.  He  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  April.  1S62,  and  was  there  a  short  time,  when  he  settled 
in  his  present  place  of  business,  thirteen  and  one-half  miles  north  of 
Stevens  Point,  and  three  miles  ea.=t  of  Hutchinson,  township  Eau 
Pleine.  He  has  made  lumbering  his  principal  business  since  settling 
there.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  April  22,  1871,  to  Ann  E. 
Whitney,  who  was  born  in  Miramichi,  N.  B.,  Sept.  19,  1846.  They 
have  five  children — Sarah  J.,  born  March  13,  1873  ;  .Alexander  Y.,  born 
Aug.  29.  1874  ;  George  W.,  born  March  17.  1876;  John  H.,  born  April 
22,  187S;  Ann  G.,  born  Dec.  17,  1879.  Their  first  child,  Robert  G., 
was  born  Jan.  25,  1872,  and  died  July  22.  of  the  same  year. 

EAU    PLEINE. 

JOSEPH  P.  HANLEY,  engineer  in  the  Eau  Pleine  Saw  Mill,  Eau 
Pleine,  was  born  in  Newburg,  Ohio,  March  8,  1834.  He  came 
to  Green  Bay  in  the  Fall  of  1S75,  and  began  running  an  en- 
gine there,  where  he  served  a  part  of  his  apprenticeship.  He  lived 
there  about  two  years,  then  went  to  Oshkosh  on  a  steamboat  plying  on 
the  Wolf  River.  He  followed  this  during  the  proper  .seasons  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  went  to  Wausau,  and  engaged  a  short  time  as  en- 
gineer with  the  Wausau  Lumber  Company.  He  came  to  his  present 
place  of  business  in  the  Spring  of  1880. 

THOMAS  W.  HILTON,  fireman  in  the  Eau  Pleine  Saw  Mill, 
Eau  Pleine,  came  to  Sparta  in  1872.  and  has  followed  the  lumber  busi- 
ness  since  living  in  Wisconsin.  He  was  born  in  Boothby,  England, 
May  14,  1845.  He  came  to  America  in  1866,  and  first  settled  in  Nova 
Scotia,  where  he  lived  two  years,  occupied  as  a  forertian  on  the  railroad. 
Then  he  went  to  Canada  West  and  followed  lumbering  principally  until 
1872,  when  he  came  to  Sparta.  During  the  time  he  lived  in  Canada  he 
visited  England  and  remained  a  short  time. 

WILLIAM  H.  SKINNER,  head  savvyer  in  the  Eau  Pleineor Brick- 
ley  saw-mill,  Eau  Pleine,  was  born  in  Big  Flats,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  12,  1846.  He  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1S54,  with  his  parents,  and  lived 
there  twenty  years.  He  began  business  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  his  first  occupation  being  head  sawyer.  He  went  to  Green  Bay, 
and  engaged  in  the  same  business,  where  he  remained  two  years;  then 
to  Oconto,  where  he  followed  saw  filing  one  year;  from  there  he  went  to 
Shiocton,  where  he  remained  two  years  ;  tlien  to  Stevens  Point,  also 
for  two  years;  from  there  he  came  to  his  present  place  of  business  in  the 
Spring  of  i88i.  He  was  married  at  Neenah,  March  2g.  1870,10  Emma 
A.Jones,  who  was  born  in  Neenah,  July  24,  1849.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren—Eva M.,  Tina  E.,  Carrie  Z.,  and  Grace  M. 

HUTCHINSON 
is  on  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad,  near  south  line  of  the 
county.      It    has  two   large    lumber   and    shingle-mills,    a 
planing-mill,  a   shingle  and    lumber    yard,  and  a    general 
store.     It  is  strictly  a  lumber  town. 

HENRY  CALVERT,  operator  and  agent  Wisconsin  Valley  Rail- 
road, Hutchinson,  Mr.  Calvert  was  born  at  Salesville,  near  Waukesha, 
Wis.,  Nov.  30,  1851,  and  lived  there  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  from  there  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Durand,  Wis.,  and  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm  for  his  father,  Mr.  Alfred  Calvert,  about  four  years. 
Then  his  father  went  into  the  mercantile  business,  and  Henry  Calvert 
clerked  in  the  store  six  years;  and  from  there  he  went  to  Tomah,  and 
clerked  for  Kibby,  Vincent  &  Co.,  about  two  years  ;  then  he  went  to  Me- 
nomonee.  Wis.,  and  went  to  selling  pumps  and  wind-mills,  about  a  year 
after  which,  he  went  to  Watertown,  D.  T.,  and  took  a  homestead,  but 
not  liking  that  country,  soon  returned  to  Tomah,  where  he  remained  a 
a  short  time ;  then  went  to  Hutchinson,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He 
was  married  at  Durand,  Wis.,  in  1873;  his  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eliza 
Baker.  They  have  two  boys,  named  Eddie  and  Harry  Hutchinson, 
and  an  infant  daughter. 

JOSEPH  T.  DANIELS,  one  of  the  firm  of  Daniels  &  Hutchinson. 
Their  saw-mill  was  erected  about  185 1,  but  has  been  re-built  since.  The 
capacity  is  45,000  in  eleven  hours,  and  about  30,000  shingles.  They 
manufacture  about  6,000,000  annually,  and  employ  twenty  men.  Mr. 
Daniels  first  located  in  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  Spring,  1S68,  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  shingles  under  the  firm  of  Hungerford  &  Co.,  they 
having  bought  a  mill  there,  which  they  operated  five  years;  then  put  in 
a  rotary  saw,  at  which  time  Mr.  Daniels  sold  his  interest.  He  still  lives 
at  Neenah,  and  after  selling  his  mill  he  engaged  in  lumbering  on   the 


572 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Wolf  River  three  years,  getting  his  logs  manufactured  at  Oshkosh,  after 
which  he  went  to  Hutchinson,  Wis.,  and  bought  the  sawmill,  June  i, 
1856,  calculating  to  let  his  son,  Frank  Daniels,  run  it ;  but  after  operat- 
ing it  until  Nov.  19,  1877,  his  son  died.  Mr.  J.  T.  Daniels  was,  there- 
fore, obliged  to  take  charge  of  the  business.  Mr.  Daniels  was  born  in 
Paris,  Me.,  Aug.  16,  1816.  He  was  married,  1850,  same  village;  his 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Sarah  J.  Richard.s.  She  was  bom  in  Oxford, 
Me.,  1S23.  They  had  two  children,  named  Frank  W.,  now  dead,  and 
Alfred  D.  Daniels,  M.  D.,  now  practicing  medicine  at  Winneconne,  Wis. 

SAMUEL  M.  HUTCHINSON,  of  the  firm  of  Daniels  &  Hutch- 
inson, proprietors  saw-mill,  three-quarters  mile  east  of  Hutchinson,  a 
station  on  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad.  He  first  settled  in  his  present 
location  with  his  brothers,  Alpheus  H.  and  Cyrus  Hutchinson,  in  the 
Spring,  1S70.  where  they  bought  the  saw-mill  and  began  operating  the 
same.  After  a  time,  Mr.  Daniels  and  son  bought  the  interests  of  A.  H. 
&  C.Hutchinson,  and  Mr.  S.  M.  Hutchinson  has  continued  to  operate 
the  mill  as  mentioned  above.  He  was  born  in  Monterey,  N.  Y.,  June 
17,  1842.  He  was  married  in  Hutchinson,  Dec.  18,  1S77.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Azelia  M.  Bixby ;  she  was  born  in  Norfolk,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  17,  1851. 

GEORGE  J.  POWELL,  of  the  firm  of  Powell  &  Slothower,  propri- 
etors planing  mill,  Hutchinson,  Wis.  Their  mill  was  erected  in  1873  ; 
the  capacity  is  30,000  per  day,  in  dressing  all  kinds  of  lumber ;  they 
employ  eight  men.  Mr.  Powell  first  settled  at  Mill  Creek,  Wis.,  in  1847. 
He  assisted  to  build  the  first  wagon  bridge  across  the  Wisconsin  River 
Dells,  above  Kilbourn  City,  in  1849.  The  whole  country  at  that  time 
was  a  complete  wilderness,  inhabited  only  by  Indians  and  the  wild  ani- 
mals of  the  forest.  He  began  lumbering,  running  the  river,  etc.,  remain- 
ing at  Mill  Creek  two  years.  He  has  since  spent  his  time  in  the  lumber 
business,  except  five  years,  when  he  returned  to  England,  July  18,  1S51, 
and  returning  in  Fall,  1856.  He  spent  the  following  Winter  at  Stevens 
Point;  then  he  went  into  the  vicinity  of  his  present  location,  and 
remained  theie  until  the  Spring  of  1871,  and  visited  England  the  second 
time;  remained  a  short  time  and  returned  to  Wisconsm.  Mr.  Powell 
was  born  in  England,  July  18,  1830.  He  was  married  in  England,  Dec. 
25,  1856.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Brooks;  she  was  born  in  the 
same  vicinity.  .\ug.  iS,  1S30.  They  have  four  children,  whose  names 
are — George  J.,  Ermina  J..  Roscoe  R.,  and  Frank  J.  Powell. 

SAMUEL  WELLAND,  dealer  in  dry  goods  and  groceries  also. 
Postmaster.  He  came  with  his  parents  from  New  York  City  and  set- 
tled in  Knowlton,  Wis.,  October,  1858.  Mr.  Samuel  Welland  was  then 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  he  remembers  well  the  complete  wilderness  in 
which  they  had  taken  up  their  home.  His  father  followed  the  business 
of  bank  note  engraver,  previous  to  going  West.  On  his  arrival  he  began 
the  lumber  business,  building  a  saw-mill,  and  after  his  sons  reached  ma- 
turity they  took  charge  of  the  business.  The  father  was  born  in  Wood- 
stock, England,  in  1805.  He  died  July  4,  1871.  Mr.  Samuel  Welland 
was  born  in  Bellville,  N.  J.  He  was  married  at  Wausau,  Wis.,  in  1S71. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eveline  J.  Humphrey;  she  was  born  in 
Eldred,  Pa.,  November,  1850.  They  have  six  children,  whose  names  are 
—Thomas  H.,  Maryette,  Joseph,  Margarette,  Alicia    Coral  Wellai  d. 

TURFIELD  LEMMA,  saw  filer  in  Curren  Bros,  sawmill,  Stevens 
Point.  He  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point  in  April,  1S58,  and  has  followed  fil- 
ing during  the  Summer.  He  moved  to  Eau  Claire  River,  and  worked  for  C. 
Goodhue  &  Co.,  during  the  Winter  of  7858  and  1859;  tlien  he  went  three 
miles  above  on  the  river  and  worked  for  M.  Kelly  the  following  Summer, 
then  he  went  back  to  Scholfield's  Mills  and  worked  there,  and  for  R.  P. 
Mauson,  of  Wausau.  about  twelve  years.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been 
engaged  with  different  parties,  at  W' ausau  and  vicinity,  up  to  the  present 
time,  making  filing  his  business.  He  resides  at  Scholfield  and  keeps  a 
hotel,  known  as  the  Weston  House.  He  was  born  in  Poultney, 
Vt..  July  3,  1836.  He  was  married  at  the  village  of  his  birth.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Elmyra  Peabody  ;  she  was  born  in  Vermont. 
They  have  four  children,  named — Jennie,  Eugene,  Feely,  and 
Hugh  Lemma. 

JOHN  T.  GALLON,  lumberman  and  proprietor  saw-mill  on  the 
Trappe  River,  eight  miles  north  of  Wausau.  was  born  in  Ireland,  Sept. 
12,  1828.  He  first  settled  at  Three  Rivers,  Mich.,  and  was  there  a  short 
time  in  the  lumber  business,  in  the  Summer  of  1850.  He  then  went  to 
Stevens  Point  in  the  same  business,  and  remained  until  September,  1868, 
when  he  went  to  Wausau  and  remained  there  until  the  Fall  of  1873,  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  lumber.  From  there  he  went  to  Trapp  River, 
and  bought  a  saw-mill.  His  mill  was  erected  in  the  Fall  of  1866,  its 
capacity  is  50,000  in  twenty-four  hours.  He  employs  seventy-five  men  in 
the  Winter  and  forty  at  other  seasons  of  the  year.  He  was  married  in 
Wausau,  Oct.  7,  1866,  to  Martha  A.  Welland  ;  who  was  born  in  Bellville, 
N.  J..  Sept.  II.  1845.  They  have  two  children,  John  T.,  Jr.,  born  Aug. 
8,  1867,  and  Nellie,  born  July  7,  1876. 

SPENCER. 
The  settlement  of  this  village  dates  from  soon  after  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  to  this  point.     In  May,  1874,  the 


erection  of  the  Pioneer  House  was  begun,  and  other  build- 
ings soon  followed. 

Up  to  1874,  the  town  was  a  part  of  Hull.     It  was  then  I 

set  off  as  a  part  of  Brighton,  and  in  1877,  it  became  Spencer.  I 

April  2,  of  that  year,  the  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  M.  Waters.  It  was  voted  to  raise  $600  for  general 
town  expenses,  and  a  special  sum  of  $1,000  as  a  road  tax. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  ;  the  Inspectors  being 
J.  W.  Lowe,  H.  M.  Bennett,  with  C.  K.  Richardson,  Clerk  : 

J.  K.  Hayward,  Chairman  ;  Ch.  McMiller,  J.  H.  Mann, 
Supervisors;  Frank  Whipple,  Town  Clerk;  John  Diinond, 
Treasurer;  H.  M.  Bennett,  W.  S.  Benedict,  R.  H.  Wright, 
Justices  of  the  Peace  ;  G.  H.  Reas,  P.  Crammer,  Consta- 
bles ;  Ed.  Heath,  Assessor. 

Whole  number  of  voters  registered,  157. 

Town  officers  for  1878: 

H.  H.  Chandler,  Chairman;  John  Gardiner,  W.  O. 
Wade,  Supervisors;  Frank  Mann,  C.  K.  Richardson,  W.  S. 
Benedict,  Justices;  J.  W.  Lowe,  J.  S.  Sidmore,  Constables ; 
James  Wright,  Assessor. 

Registered  voters,  193. 

Officers  in  1879  : 

A.  J.  Brock,  Chairman  ;  F.  M.  Thompson,  D.  W.  Bodle, 
Supervisors;  Frank  Whipple,  Clerk;  John  Dimond,  Treas- 
urer; A.  J.  Wood,  F.  H.  Johnson,  Justices;  George  Houer, 
P.  Crammer,  Constables ;  James  Vought,  Assessor. 

Number  of  voters,  202. 

Officers,  1880:  P.  A.  Thayer,  Chairman  ;  J.S.Damon 
and  W.  S.  Benedict,  Supervisors  ;  C.  K.  Richardson,  Clerk  ; 
J.  Hanneywell,  Treasurer;  P.  H.  Coonon,  W.  S.  Benedict, 
H.  W.  Raymond  and  C.  H.  Richardson,  Justices  ;  George 
Hauer,  P.  Crammer  and  J.  J.  Campbell,  Constables;  F.  F. 
Damofi,  Assessor.     Number  of  votes,  228. 

Present  officers,  188 1  :  M.  C.  Clark,  Chairman  ;  John 
Dimond  and  John  Whiting,  Supervisors  ;  T.  S.  Norton, 
Clerk  ;  Frank  Whipple,  Treasurer;  B.  J.  Dent,  C.  F.  Pierce 
and  T.  S.  Norton,  Justices;  George  Hauer  and  Patsey 
Brusnihan,  Constables  ;  P.  P.  Furguson,  Assessor.  Num- 
ber of  votes,  352. 

Among  the  earliest  comers  were  Oscar  Lattin,  T.  S. 
Norton  and  J.  K.  Hayward,  who  lived  down  the  road  a 
short  distance. 

In  June,  1874,  J.  L.  Robinson  bought  the  eighty-acre  tract 
where  the  village  now  is  ;  A.  J.  Brock  started  a  hotel ;  W. 
S.  Meach,  a  butcher  shop.  Mr.  Robinson  began  the  mill  in 
June,  1874.  About  the  4th  of  July  four  blocks  were  laid 
out  of  the  village  site,  and  called  Irene,  but  this  name  has 
gone  into  desuetude. 

Patridge,  Truman  &  Co.  came  tlie  same  Fall,  built  a 
mill,  ran  it  about  one  year,  when  it  was  burned.  Blake,  Wood 
&  Co.  soon  rebuilt  the  mill,  but  it  soon  burned  again.  It 
was  rebuilt  by  W.  J.  Clifford.  This  mill  was  again  con- 
sumed by  fire  on  the  5th  of  July,  1S80,  and  reconstructed 
in  about  sixty  days. 

Frank  Whipple  came  in  the  Fall  of  1874.  Soon  after, 
John  Gardiner,  who  went  into  general  merchandising. 

In   1875,  Kerr,  Kelter  &  Co.  built  a  shingle  mill,  which 


HISTORY    OF   MARATHON  COUNTY. 


afterward  went  into  the   hands  of  L    Richardson.      W.  J. 
Clifford  now  has  the  machinery. 

Hall  &  Co.  have  a  hard  wood  saw-mill. 
P.  A.  Thayer  has  a  lumber  and  shingle  mill,  built  in  the 
Spring  of  1881. 

Joseph  Mayer,  saw-mill  east  of  the  village,  on  the  Little 
Eau  Pleine,  run  by  water-power. 

Blacksmith  and  Wao;on  Shops.— G.  W.  Wendall  and  Nel- 
son Ziegebour. 

Skoe  Sk)ps.—kn\.on  Schafer  and  William  Hasfelbring. 
fervelry,  eu. — M.  H.  Du  Cate. 

M'eat  Mxrket.  —  Miller,  Ivissing.'r  &  Co.  and  John  Eich- 
ert. 

Barber. — M.  Langdon. 
Brewery. — Knethe  &  Walter. 
Hardware  and  Tin. — Neils  Bros. 

General  Merchandise. — J.  Dimond,  John  Gardiner,  A. 
Prentice  &  Ci.,  D.  M.  Hanson  &  Co.,  W.  J.  Clifford,  W.  J. 
Hallock  &  Co. 

Millinery. ^y^x?,.  O.  K.  Richardson. 
Drugs  and  Medicines. — Frank  Whipple  and  E.  Heath. 
Physician  and  Surgeon. — J.  M.  Adams,  M.  D. 
Lawyer.— Q.  I.  Follet. 

Real  Estate  and  Collection  Agency. — Th.  S.  Norton. 
Hotels. — ^Blackstone  House.    G.  I.  Follet. 
Pioneer  House.     Mrs.  H.  Pool;   P.  J.  Brusnehan,  clerk. 
Railroad  House.     Anton  Schafer. 
Spencer  House,  James  Barber. 

Newspaper. — The  Spencer    Tribune,  A.  B.  Barney,  pro- 
prietor.    Started  in  the  Fall  of  1881. 
Churches. — There  are  three  churches. 
This  church   was  built  in    1879,  and  has  worshiping  in 
the    same   temple  the  Free  Will  Baptist,  with   Rev.  E.  W. 
Stevens  as  pastor. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  was  built  in  1878.  Rev.  Mr. 
Sweet  is  the  pastor. 

Spencer  has  good  schools.  In  the  Winter  of  1881,  the 
school-house  was  consumed  by  fire,  but  was  at  once  rebuilt, 
improved  and  enlarged.  It  has  two  rooms,  with  two  de- 
partments and  three  teachers. 

Logging  is  a  great  business  here,  and  among  the  suc- 
cessful loggers  may  be  mentioned  J.  J.  Kennedy,  Ferguson 
Bros.,  Damon  &  Son,  A.  J.  Black,  J.  W.  Lowe,  T.  H. 
March. 

The  station  agent  is  W.  E.  Young,  with  David  Van 
Kecke,  assistant. 

Spencer  is  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  in  the 
southwest  corner  town  of  Marathon  County.  It  is  a  level 
spot,  surrounded  by  heavy  pine  and  hardwood  timber,  and 
must  have,  at  this  time,  at  least  1,000  inhabitants,  and  is 
growing  rapidly. 

Mannville  is  in  the  town  of  Spencer. 
C.  J.  Kershaw  &  Co.  have  a  saw  and  shingle  mill. 
Buckstaff  Bros,  own  a  shingle  mill. 
Tyson  &  Pierce  have  a  planing  mill. 
B.    F.    McMillan  &   Bro.  have  a  mill   on  the  Little  Eau 
Pleine,  and  ship  from  Mannville. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
J. M.-'VDAMS,  physician  and  surgeon,  Spencer,  born  in  New  York, 
June  12,  1S65.  Tiie  family  moved  to  Wisconsin  in  tlie  same  year, 
first  to  Sheboygan  Falls  and  then  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  remained 
and  began  studying  medicine,  under  the  medical  firm  of  Wyatt  &  Gray. 
He  went  into  practice  in  the  Fall  of  1S77  ;  then  went  to  Medford,  in 
Taylor  County,  where  he  remained  during  the  Summer,  spending  the 
Winter  m  Phillips.  Price  County.  He  then  went  to  Negaunee,  Mich, 
and  afterward  attended  VVooster  Medical  College,  at  Cleveland.  Return- 
ing, he  practiced  in  Medford  and  Phillips  again,  and  then  went  to  Dakota. 
In  1S79,  came  to  Spencer,  where  he  practiced  till  iSSo,  when  he  went  to 
Keokuk,  and  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
there.  Returned  to  Spencer  in  i88i,and  resumed  his  practice.  He  has 
certificate  for  specialties  on  eye  and  ear,  another  on  chemistry  and  an- 
alysis of  the  urine,  also  on  anatomy  and  practice. 

D.  W.  BODLE,  boarding  house,  Spencer,  born  in  Orange  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  May  24.  1837,  and  was  raised  on  a  larm  in  Pennsylvania,  where  his 
parents  had  moved.  He  entered  the  mercantile  business,  first  in  Green 
Lake  County  and  afterward  tried  hotel  keeping,  opening  the  Adams 
House,  which  he  kept  till  coming  to  Spencer  in  1876.  He  kept  the  Max- 
well.  Wood  &  Co.'s  boarding  house,  then  went  into  the  bodle  House,  and 
froni  that  he  built  his  present  house  on  Main  street.  In  1867,  he  married 
Miss  Anna  Groff,  of  Green  Lake  County.  They  have  two  children,  Jessie, 
three  years  old;  and  Harrie,  eight.  Mr.  Bodle  served  as  Supervisor  in 
1S7S,  also  in  otlier  town  offices. 

C.  L.  CLARK,  foreman  with  W.  J.  Clifford,  Spencer,  born  in  Orleans 
Co.,  Vl.,  June  7,  1838.  Removed  to  Canada  with  his  parents,  where  his 
fitiiir  ran  .i  triiwp  irtatio.i  tram  Iro.n  Montreal  to  Stanitead  Plain  and  to 
Vermont.  C.  L.  attended  school  in  Canada,  and  upon  coming  to  She- 
boygan County,  began  farming.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  learned 
the  millwright's  trade,  and  went  to  work  in  Oshkosn.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted 
in  the  Wis.  1st  I.  V.,  Co.  I  ;  was  mustered  out  in  ihe  Fall  of  1S64.  He 
then  entered  the  quarter-master  department,  but .  later  went  to  miUwright- 
ing  and  running  mills  He  tried  farming  in  Sheboygan  County,  in  ib6S, 
and  clerked  tne  next  year  in  Green  Bay.  In  the  great  fire  that  devastated 
the  pineries  in  1871,  he  lost  everything,  scarcely  saving  the  lives  of  his 
family.  Under  the  most  distressing  necessity,  they  plunged  into  the  mill 
pond,  throwing  in  the  women  and  children,  and  there  they  were  kept  for 
ten  or  twelve  hours,  with  heads  submerged  part  of  the  time.  The  women 
never  recovered  the  shock  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  were  all  numbered 
with  the  dead.  He  then  once  more  started  in  lite  and  with  varied  experi- 
ence. At  different  times  he  worked  at  the  mills  along  the  line  ol  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  from  Chelsea  down  to,Spencer,where  he  came 
in  1876,  and  built  a  mill  for  Blake,  Wood  &  Co.  He  bought  an  interest 
which  he  soon  sold,  and  went  to  Yellow  River.  In  1S79,  he  returned  to 
Spencer  and  built  a  mill  for  Clifi'ord  and  acted  as  foremen,  in  which  po- 
sition he  is  still.  In  1866,  married  Mi.-,s  Sarah  Cady,  of  Omro  ;  who  died 
in  1872,  leaving  three  children— Frederic  C,  Bertha,  and  Blanche.  He 
married  Miss  Emily  Wood,  of  Spencer,  in  1877.  They  have  a  family  of 
two,  Elmer  and  Bell.     Mr.  ClarK  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

W.  J.  CLIFFORD,  lumber,  Spencer,  born  in  Ireland,  1836.  Came 
to  America  in  1851  and  landed  in  Canada.  Went  first  to  Boston,  Mass., 
then  in  1863,  to  Stevens  Point.  In  1S76,  he  opened  business  in  Spencer, 
running  a  saw  and  shingle  mill.  This  mill  was  burned,  July,  1879.  hut 
was  rebuilt  and  started  again.  It  was  burned  again  in  iMay,  1S81,  t>ut 
the  new  one  finished  in  July,  18S1.  His  store  was  burned  also  in  1879. 
but  he  resumed  business  at  his  present  location.  They  carry  a  stock  of 
$2,500,  and  do  a  businessincludinglumber  of  $100,000  a  year.  He  moved 
his  family  up  to  Spencer  in  1880.  In  1856,  he  married  Miss  Anna 
Nugent,  of  Ireland.  They  have  six  children— Maggie,  John  W.,  Ella, 
.Mary,  Alice,  and  Theresa  ;  all  Catholics. 

L.  CULVER,  lumberman,  Spencer,  was  born  in  Madison,  March 
29,  i860.  In  1874,  he  went  to  Bloommgton  Grove,  where  he  stayed 
till  1876;  was  then  engaged  in  lumbering  till  18S0,  when  he  came  to 
Spencer,  and  is  now  with  T.  H.  March.  His  parents,  Andrew  Jackson 
Culver  and  Asena  Bennett  Culver,  lived  in  Dane  County  on  a  farm.  His 
mother  married,  after  his  fatlier's  death,  Mr.  Grippes;  they,  with  a  sister 
and  step-brother,  make  up  the  family  now  at  the  old  place. 

J.  S.  DAMON,  farmer  and  lumberer,  Spencer,  was  born  in  town  of 
Shallott,  Washington  Co.,  Me.,  April  21,  1S27.  He  lived  in  the  State 
till  1863,  when  he  came  to  Adams  County,  bought  a  farm,  and  went  to 
lumbering  and  farming.  He  began  with  $3,  and  came  to  Spencer,  in 
1S74,  with  $1,400,  with  which  he  bought  three  village  lots  and  a  farm 
of  lorty  acres.  J.  S.  Damon  &  Sons  are  lumbering,  having  harvested  m 
the  Winter  of  iSSo-l,  1,200,000  logs.  He  married  the  first  time,  in  1S50. 
His  wife  died,  leaving  one  child.  Paulina  S.,  now  Mrs.  McLoughlm.  He 
married  again,  in  1853,  Miss  S.  S.  Clark,  of  Maine.  They  have  hve 
children— Fred  F.,  Gustus  A.,  Florence  A.,  J  abas  P.  and  Maudie  S. 
Mr.  Damon  has  been  Constable  in  Adams  County.  He  enlisted  in  1862 
in  28th  Me.  Vols.,  Co.  C;  mustered  out  m  1S63.  He  is  a  Mason,  a 
member  o(  the  Temple  of  Honor  and  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 


574 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


JOHN  DIMOND,  merchant,  Spencer,  was  born  in  Si.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  2,1843.  He  went  to  Iowa  in  186S,  and  engaged  in 
bridging  for  the  Northern  Iowa  Railroad.  In  1873,  he  began  the  man- 
ufacture of  mattresses  and  upholstering  furniture  in  Cedar  Falls,  Black 
Hawk  County.  He  then  went  to  Yankton,  Dak.,  prospecting,  but  came 
back,  and  located  in  Spencer,  in  1875.  He  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness at  first  wiih  his  brother,  but  after  six  months  took  full  charge  of  the 
store.  In  1875,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Murphy.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Catherine,  five  years  old,  and  Daniel  J.,  three  years  old.  Mr. 
Dimond  has  served  as  Town  Treasurer  and  Supervisor. 

G.  I.  FOLLETT,  lawyer,  Spencer,  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  moved  to  Upper  Canada,  where  his  father  was  engaged  in  the 
distillery  business.  He  went  to  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  in  '60,  but  returned 
to  Canada  and  stayed  till  '62.  He  then  went  to  Illinois,  and  engaged  in 
teaching.  In  '63  he  clerked  in  a  mill  store  in  Kansas  ;  he  then  returned 
to  Ohio,  where  he  attended  Mt.  Union  College.  He  enlisted  in  the 
Va.  Vol.  I..  3d  Brig.,  2d  Corps.  On  being  mustered  out,  went  to  New 
York,  and  studied  lor  the  ministry  in  Ames  University.  He  then  taught 
school  in  Missouri,  but,  returning  to  the  East,  attended  medical  school 
in  Cleveland.  He  afterward  went  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  at  Neills- 
ville,  where  he  studied  law  and  taught  school,  his  wife  teaching  with 
him.  He  then  came  to  Spencer  and  opened  law  office  and  Brighton 
Blackstone  House,  in  187S.  In  1S68,  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Wilson,  of 
Ohio.  They  have  two  children,  Pearl  and  Allie  ;  have  lost  one,  Forest. 
Mr.  FoUett  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  and  Town  Clerk.  His  wile  is  a 
Presbyterian. 

JOHN  GARDINER,  merchant,  Spencer,  was  born  in  Canada,  Dec. 
29,  1837.  His  early  youth  was  passed  at  Turtle  Creek,  seven  miles 
above  Beloit,  where  his  parents,  in  1840,  located  on  a  farm.  When  four- 
teen years  of  age,  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  worked  on  the  river 
and  teamed  till  the  time  of  his  taking  a  trip  to  Colorado.  When  he  re- 
turned to  the  Point,  he  went  to  work  in  the  woods;  was  freight  agent 
and  was  City  Marshal  at  one  time.  In  1874,  he  came  to  Spencer,  going 
into  the  lumber  and  mercantile  business,  and  now  carries  a  stock  ol  $3,- 
000  to  $4,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $15,000  a  year.  In  lS6g,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Jennie  Swan,  of  Portage.  They  have  four  children — OscarR., 
Elizabeth,  Mira  M.  and  John  VV.  Mr.  Gardiner  has  been  Assessor, 
Supervisor,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge  at  Stevens  Point. 

G.  W.  GREENMAN,  lumberman,  Spencer,  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  Jan.  21,1828.  In  1 85 1,  the  family  moved  to  Manitowoc  County,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm,  where  he  remained  till  1858.  He  then  started  for  California, 
and  arrived  in  VirgmiaCity,  when  there  were  only  twenty  men  there.  He 
went  on  to  California,  from  there  to  Virginia  City  again,  and  up  to  Oregon. 
He  had  about  fifteen  thousand  doUars.which  he  lost  in  prospecting  for  more 
in  Idaho;  he  returned  to  California  and  farmed  and  lumbered  ;  at  one 
time  owned  320  acres  in  Vera  Cruz  Co.,  Cal.  He  finally  returned  to 
his  native  county  ;  he  then  logged  on  the  Chippewa  and  Black  rivers  ; 
and  came  to  spencer  in  1874.  In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Brown, 
of  Manitowoc  County.  They  have  two  children,  Maude  L.,  and 
Archie  C. 

HENRY  HARDING,  teamster  and  jobber,  Spencer,  born  in  Birm- 
ingham, Staffordshire,  England,  July,  1851,  came  to  America  in  1867, 
landed  in  Quebec,  where  he  remained  until  '71.  He  came  to  Stevens 
Point  in  1871,  and  went  to  engineering,  then  to  farming  and  teaming. 
He  took  up  a  homestead,  but  lost  it,  and  went  to  logging.  He  now 
teams  in  Spencer,  handling  logs  for  Robinson's  saw  mill.  In  1S72  he 
married  Miss  Rosa  Miles,  of  England.  They  have  tuo  children,  jane, 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  Annie,  nine.  Mr.  Harding  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

S.  H.  HARVEY,  lumberman,  Spencer,  born  in  East  Montreal, 
Canada.  His  paients  came  to  Crawford  County,  and  located  on 
a  farm  in  1855.  In  1864,  he  traveled  through  the  South,  and 
since  coming  back  he  has,  at  various  times,  worked  in  Jackson,  Clark, 
Wood  and  Marathon,  the  latter  place  being  his  present  residence.  He 
married  Miss  L.   Wilcox  in  1879.     He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

JOHN  K.  HAYWARD,  farmer.  Sec.  8.,  P.  O.  Spencer,  born  in 
Oswegatchie,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  29,  1834,  came  to  VVisconsin  in  '49;  stayed  in 
Waupaca  County  until  1872,  working  at  lumbering  and  carpenter  trade. 
In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  2ist  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  C  ;  discharged  on  24th  of 
January,  1865,  having  received  wound  in  his  foot  during  the  charge  at 
the  battle  of  Resaca;  returned  and  worked  at  his  trade  then  for  Put- 
nam iS:  Roberts,  contractors  on  the  W.  C.  K.  R.  He  then  took  up  his 
present  farm  as  a  homestead,  and  has  been  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
since.  A  Mr.  Ring  was  the  first  settler  in  these  parts,  and  Mr.  Hay- 
ward  was  next,  and  is  now  the  oldest  living  settler  in  Spencer.  He 
helped  organize  the  town  ;  kept  the  station,  and  was  Postmaster.  In 
1855.  he  married  Miss  Rachel  Blazier,  of  Waupaca  County.  They  have 
eleven  children — Asenalh,  Etta,  Algine,  Meda,  Hattie,  Mary,  Mara- 
thon R.,  John  F.,  George  P.,  Thomas  W.,  and  a  babe  not  named. 
Mr.  Hayward  has  been  Supervisor,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge, 
of  New  London. 

J.  A.  HONEYWELL,  hardware,  Spencer,  born  in  Canada,  March 
18,   1848.     His  father,  S.  C.  Honeywell,  brought  the  family  to  Clarke 


County  in   1852    on  a  farm  Sec.  3  town  of  Eaton,  on  which  is  now  part  ] 

of  the  village  of  Greenwood.     J.  A.  was  brought  up   on  the  farm,  and  1 

took  a  commercial  course  in  the  institution  for  that  purpose,  located  in 
La  Crosse,  in  '69  and  '70.     He  then  gave  his  attention  to  farming  and  | 

lumbering  till  1879.     He  came  to  Spencer  in  1879,  and  established  him-  I 

self  in  business,  and  has  now  nearly  completed  a  fine  store  building  on  1 

Clark  street.     He  does  a  business  of  about  $15,000  a  year.     In  1873,  he  ' 

married,  but   lost   his  first  wife,  and  in   :88o,    married    Miss    Mary   J.  ' 

Hodges,  of  Greenwood.     He  has  three  children— Minnie  E.,  Atwell  J.,  \ 

and  Lottie.     Mr.  Honeywell  was  Town  Treasurer  in  1880,  and  is  a  mem-  ' 

ber  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F..  and  Temple  of  Honor.  I 

F.  W.  JOHNSTON,  lumber,  Spencer,  born  in  Upper  Canada,  eight  [ 

miles   from     Peterboro,     Jan.    I,     1851.      In    1857,   went    to   Detroit,  ' 

Mich.,   where    he   worked    in   the  woods.     He    went    to   Oshkosh   and  , 

worked  for  J.  S.  Ferson,  and  in  1S55  to  St.  Croix,  where  he  commenced  I 

jobbing  for  himself.     He  came  to  Marathon  County  in  1875,  and  went  ; 

to  teaming  in  Spencer ;  also   working  in   the  woods.     In  J875,  he  mar-  I 

ried  Miss  Edna  Miller,  of  Fond  du  Lac.     They  have  one  child,  Marshall  ' 

Lilian.     They  belong  to  the  M.  E.  Church.  1 

J.  J.  KENNEDY,    lumberman,   Spencer,   commenced    business    in  ! 

this  place  in  1877,  and  now  represents  as  large   lumbering  interests  as  ' 

any  individual  in  the  place.      He  has  been  alone,  with  the  exception  of  i 

his  brother,  who  was  interested  in  one  of  his  camps  last  Winter.     He  1 

put  in  about  eleven  million  logs  last  season — on  the  Oglemon,  five  million  ;  ' 

on  the  south  fork  of  the  Yellow  River,  four  ;  and  on  the  Eau  Plaine,  two  | 

million.      He  has  Duncan  McLennan  managing  his  business  for  him.  ■ 

Mr.  McLennan  was  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  21,  1846.      In    1868   he  went  ' 

to  New  York,  where  he  gained  his  knowledge  of  business,  while  working 
for  C.  C.  Petty,  a  contractor,  and,  in  1878,  came  to  Spencer  and  entered 
the  employ  of  Mr.  Kennedy.  He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor,  and 
a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  His  mother  is  now  living  in  Canada ;  his 
sister  is  the  wife  of  his  employer. 

KUETHE  &  WALTER,  brewers,  Spencer.  Mr.  Kuethe  was 
born  in  Verstenstund  Waldeck,  Germany,  Oct.  24,  1844.  Came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S68,  first  to  Appleton,  then  to  Menasha,  making  wagons  and 
keeping  saloon.  He  then  came  here  and  opened  the  brewery.  In  1872 
he  married  Miss  Augusta  Friska,  of  Germany.  They  have  six  children — 
Amelia,  Bertha,  Emma,  Frederick,  Matilda  and  Ameil.  Mr.  Kuethe 
belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  was  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
the  Concordia,  the  Turners,  and  Schulzen.  His  partner,  John  Walter, 
is  from  Guttenburg,  Germany.  Born  in  1853,  Aug.  19.  Came  here 
from  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  working  in  a  brewery.  In  1876,  he  mar- 
ried Mi;s  Lena  Loetcher,  of  VVisconsin.  He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran 
Church.  The  brewery  was  established  by  Kuethe,  in  1S79,  and  the  firm 
organized  in  1S81.  I'hey  manufacture  about  eight  hundred  barrels  a 
year. 

H.  A.  McCLATCHIE,  with  A.  Prentiss  &  Co.,  Spencer.  Born  in 
Walworth  County,  March  29,  1858.  His  parents  moved  to  Grand  Rap- 
ids and  opened  an  hotel,  called  the  McClatchie  House,  while  he  was  at- 
tending to  school,  under  Prof.  Chittenden.  He  then  went  into  the  flour 
and  feed  business,  but  sold  out  to  take  charge  of  A.  Prentiss  &  Co.'s 
business,  in  1S79.  ^^  ^^^  interested  himself  in  logging,  having  put  in 
about  one  million  last  Winter.     He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

T.  H.  MARCH,  lumberman,  Spencer.  Born  in  the  town  of  Albion, 
Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  2,  1839.  Until  leaving  his  native  State,  he 
was  engaged  in  milling  and  lumbering.  In  1869  he  went  to  Southern 
Illinois,  and  began  farming  in  connection  with  his  mill.  He  came  to 
Waupaca  Co.,  \Vis.,  and  went  into  his  old  occupation,  in  Stevens  Point, 
then  went  to  Manville,  and.  in  1874,  to  Spencer,  where  he  built  and  run 
J.  L.  Robinson's  mill.  In  1875  he  built  the  hotel,  calling  it  Spencer 
House ;  then  built  Blake  &  Co.'s  mill,  and  went  to  logging  and  farming. 
He  owns  480  acres.  In  i860  he  married  Miss  Almira  Cole,  of  New 
York.  They  have  five  children— Flora,  Nelson,  Herbeit.  Carrie  and 
Jennie.  He  lost  his  first  wife,  and  married  again,  in  1877,10  Miss  Mil- 
lie McGwinn,  of  Portage.  They  have  a  child  named  William  Thomas.  Mr. 
March  was  a  soldier  in  the  iioth  N.  V.  Vol.,  Co.  K.  His  son,  Nelson 
Henry,  was  born  Dec.  6,  1862,  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.;  is  now  at  home,  in 
Spencer. 

T.  S.  NORTON,  Town  Clerk  and  real  estate  agent,  Spencer.  Born 
in  Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  Jan.  18,  1S4S.  In  the  same  year  the  family 
moved  to  a  farm  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  where  he  grew  up,  attending 
O.  P.  DeLand's  commercial  school.  He  afterward  went  back  to  the 
farm,  and  gave  some  time  to  the  carpenter  trade.  He  came  to  Spencer 
in  1874,  and  opened  a  butcher  shop,  bringing  his  family  there  in  De- 
cember, same  year.  He  then  opened  his  office,  having  been  elected 
Justice  in  1875,  and  Deputy  Sheriff,  under  Phelps  first,  and  then  under 
Ghoca.  Was  elected  Clerk,  in  iSSi,  of  the  town  of  Brighton.  He  has 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  in  Clark  County.  In  1S71  he  married  Miss  Emily 
A.  Clark,  of  Fond  du  Lac  County.  They  have  two  children,  Jessie  E. 
and  Carrie  E.  Mr.  Norton  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  member  of  Masonic 
Lodge,  in  Oakville.  Was  on  the  Town  Board  in  1876,  then  the  town  of 
Hull. 


HISTORY  OF  MARATHON  COUNTY. 


575 


C.  K.  RICHARDSON,  lumber,  Spencer.  Born  in  Province  of 
Quebec,  Canada,  February  i8,  1832.  He  came  into  Sauk  County,  in 
1S50,  and  fanned,  lumbered  and  taught  school  there.  In  1861.  enlisted 
in  the  12th  Wis.  Vols.,  Co.  E,  but,  his  health  failing,  he  was  discharged 
in  1S63.  He  returned  to  Sauk  County,  and  gave  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing and  teaching,  and  then  moved  to  Adams  County,  and  followed  the 
same  livelihood.  He  went  to  Spencer,  in  1875,  to  teach  school  ;  moved 
his  family  up  in  1877,  his  wife  opening  a  millinery  establishment,  which 
she  continues  at  the  present  time.  He  has  lumbered  some,  and  is  now 
in  Robinson's  mill,  when  able  to  work,  his  health  being  still  poor.  In 
1861,  he  married  Miss  Amanda  M.  Tyler,  of  Columbia  County,  who  is  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  Amos  Tyler,  of  Newport,  same  county.  They  have 
two  children,  D.  Victor  and  Verna.  One  has  died,  Vinton.  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson served  as  Town  Clerk,  in  1880,  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  three 
years,  Chairman  of  the  Board,  while  in  Adams  County,  and  himself  and 
wife  belong  to  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 

J.L.ROBINSON,  lumberman, Spencer.  Born  in  Maine  in  1824. 
Came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1849.  From  there  he  went  to  Adams  County, 
in  1852,  where  he  engaged  in  logging  on  the  Yellow  River,  and  from 
there  came  to  Spencer  in  1S74,  where  he  built  his  saw-mill,  which  has  a 
capacity  of  30,000  of  lumber  and  40,000  of  shingles  per  day.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Irene  Dawes,  of  Maine,  May  21,  1850.  They  have  six  chil- 
dren—William J.,  Etta,  James  A.,  Rena,  Alvah  and  George  H.  Mr. 
Robinson's  business  is  conducted  by  James,  who  took  it  in  1880.  James 
A.  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Oct.  1 1,  i  S59,  and  attended  Curtiss'  Busi- 
ness College,  in  Minneapolis,  in  1878.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Temple 
of  Honor,  and  belongs  to  the  Spencer  Cornet  Band. 

S.  C.  SANFORD.  lumberman,  Spencer.  Born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  18,  1836.  He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  before  leaving  home, 
and  went  to  Portage  City,  in  1S58.  Enlisted,  in  1S61,  in  the  iSth  Wis. 
V.  I.,  Co.  E;  was  mustered  out  in  March,  :865.  On  his  return  to  Por- 
tage, he  tried  hop  farming.  He  then  followed  railroading  until  1S72. 
He  went  to  Knowlton,  and  to  Colby,  and  finally  arrived  in  Spencer  in 
1875.  Here  he  acted  as  foreman  for  Tom  March,  then  for  Robinson 
until  1878,  and  then  for  Ferguson  Brothers  until  1880,  then  for  McCurdy 
&  Loveland.  for  P.  T.  Stone,  Chicago,  and  now  for  Sanford  &  Rowell, 
Freeport,  111.  In  i860,  he  married  Miss  McGwin,  of  Marquette  County. 
They  have  two  children,  Ella  and  Carrie. 

ANTONE  SCHAFER,  hotel,  Spencer.  Born  in  Germany,  March 
14,  1855.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  where 
he  stayed  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  he  learned  his  trade, 
that  of  shoe  making.  He  then  went  to  Calumet  County,  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm,  and  going  to  Sherwood,  worked  at  his  trade ;  then  to 
Marshfield,  where  he  opened  a  shop  with  $35,  to  begin  with,  and  when 
he  sold  out  five  years  afterward,  he  had  $1,750.  He  then  came  to  Spen- 
cer, and  bought  the  Brock  House.  In  1878,  he  married  Miss  Carrie 
Schmitt,  ot  Marshfield.  They  have  one  child,  born  Oct.  24,  1879.  Mr. 
Schafer  and  wife  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

P.  A.  THAYER,  merchant  and  lumberman,  Spencer.  Born  in  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  N.  v.,  Dec.  10,  1S35.  Upon  first  coming  to  Wisconsin,  he 
went  to  Green  Lake  County,  and  commenced  business  with  E.  J.  Boyn- 
ton.  He  afterward  came  to  Marathon  County,  where  he  opened  a  mer- 
cantile store  in  1S77,  and  a  mill  in  1881.  This  mill  has  a  capacity  of 
40,000  feet  of  lumber  and  35,000  shingles.  On  the  forty  acres  he  owns 
in  Marathon  County,  he  has  platted  village  lots,  and  called  it  Thayers. 
He  was  drafted  into  the  army  during  the  late  war,  but  was  exempted. 
He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Parker,  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have 
two  children,  Mary  and  Sarah.'  Mr.  Thayer  was  Supervisor  of  Spencer 
in  1S80,  and  organized  the  Spencer  Cornet  Band  in  1879. 

W.  H.  TILDEN,  furniture,  Spencer.  Born  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio, 
May  24,  1848.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S50,  with  his  parents,  and  re- 
mained on  the  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  ;  then  went  to  work  in  the 
woods,  and  in  1866,  enlisted  in  the  regular  army,  23d  Reg.,  Co.  K. 
He  was  afterward  transferred  to  Co.  C,  and  received  his  discharge  in 
1869.  He  came  to  Jefferson  County  and  rested  awhile,  and  then  went 
to  work  on  Black  River  for  D.  W.  Spaulding  ;  returned  to  Jefferson 
County,  and  then  went  to  Clark  County.  He  worked  in  various  ways 
and  places  until  1874,  when  he  located  in  Spencer.  In  1881.  he  opened 
his  furniture  store.  In  1871,  he  married,  but  lost  his  wife ;  and  in  1878, 
he  married  Miss  Emma  J.  Leatherdale,  of  Clark  County.  They  have 
had  two  children,  but  have  lost  both,  Ida  May  and  Ethil  C.  Mr.  Tilden 
belongs  to  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor. 

FRANK  WHIPPLE,  Postmaster.  Spencer,  was  born  in  Winnebago 
County,  Veh.  26,  1849.  When  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  the  family 
moved  to  Portage  County,  where  they  located  a  farm,  Frank  attending 
Knox  College  and  the  Commercial  School  of  Galesburg,  111.  In  1871, 
returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  remained  till  October,  1874,  when  he 
came  to  Spencer  and  worked  in  Partridge  &  Freeman's  saw-mill.  In  '75 
and  '76,  for  J.  L.  Robinson  as  a  clerk  in  the  store.  Was  Assistant  Post- 
master till  22d  May,  1877,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  has 
held  the  appointment  since.  He  is  also  clerk  for  John  Dimond,  in  whose 
building  the  office  now  is.     In  1873,  he  married  Miss  Florence  Hooker, 


of  Waupaca  County.     They  have  one  son,  named  Earl.     Mr.  Whipple 
has  been  Town  Clerk  for  five  years,  and  also  holds  the  office  of  Town 

COLBY. 
[See  history  of  Clark  County.] 

A  village  on  the  dividing  line  between  Marathon  and 
Clark  counties,  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  The 
population  is  about  500,  mostly  Americans. 

It  has  two  saw-mills,  one  flouring  mill  and  one  planing- 
mill.  There  are  sixteen  stores,  one  Catholic  and  one  Meth- 
odist Church.  With  eleven  schools,  other  manufacturing 
establishments  will  center  here. 

There  was  considerable  disappointment  that  the  branch 
railroad  to  Chippewa  Falls  did  not  connect  here  instead  of 
a  few  miles  above. 

This  village  has  an  Odd  Fellows  Lodge,  Colby  Lodge, 
No.  234,  instituted  July  8,  1874.  N.  A.  Barry,  N.  G.;  J.  C. 
Gotchy,  V.  G.;  John  Eggleston,  R.  S. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

H.  J.  BLANC  HARD,  saloon,  Colby,  born  in  Canada,  Nov.  18.  1838. 
He  began  his  travels  in  1859,  ^nd  went  first  to  Pennsylvania,  then  to 
Minnesota,  working  as  stone  mason,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  and  worked 
in  sawmill  at  Stevens  Point.  In  1873,  he  came  to  Colby. lumbering  and 
working  in  mill  for  Graves.  In  '74,  opened  saloon  in  George  Ghoca's 
old  store  building.  Was  appointed  Chairman  of  Board  in  '78,  and 
elected  again  in  1879.  He  here  secured  a  loan  which  completed  the 
Wausau  road  to  Colby.  Then,  in  '79-80,  he  took  the  hotel  of  G.  Ghoca, 
then  bought  his  present  building  on  Front  street.  He  was  in  the  2d  Pa. 
v.,  and  is  S.  W.  of.the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  and 
was  Justice  for  four  years. 

J.  E.  BORDEN,  merchant,  Colby,  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  .Sept. 
I,  1828.  Parents  moved  to  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1843,  where  he  remained 
on  the  farm  till  he  had  reached  his  nineteenth  year.  At  this  period  of 
his  life,  he  visited  the  lead  mines  of  Grant  and  Iowa  counties,  but  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Plainfield, 
Waushara  Co.,  working  at  the  trade  of  joiner  and  carpenter.  When  the 
war  broke  out,  he  enlisted,  and  on  the  5lh  of  May,  1864,  in  the  battle  of 
the  Wilderness,  he  lost  an  arm.  He  got  his  discharge  at  Baltimore,  and 
visited  New  York,  Michigan  and  Indiana  on  his  way  home.  In  1872,  he 
came  to  town  of  Hull,  Marathon  Co.,  and  took  a  homestead,  where  he 
was  busy  till  opening  this  general  merchandise  store  in  1876.  In  1S75, 
he  married  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Gilford,  of  Washington  County.  They  have 
two  children,  Frank  and  Mary.  Mr.  Borden  was  the  first  Town  Treas- 
urer of  the  town  of  Hull,  which  office  he  held  four  years. 

A.  H.  BOOTH,  with  J.  E.  Borden,  Colby,  was  born  in  Wayne  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  3,  1840.  His  parents  lived  on  a  farm,  and  there  he  passed 
his  early  years,  until  1853,  when  they  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  County, 
where  they  again  located  on  a  farm.  At  the  nge  of  twenty,  he  learned 
the  mason's  trade,  and  with  that  and  by  work  on  the  farm,  maintained 
his  parents  for  seven  years.  He  lost  his  mother  in  18S0,  but  his  father, 
a  man  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  is  now  one  of  his  family.  In  1S69,  he 
opened  a  store  in  Loyal,  Clark  Co.,  under  the  name  of  Graves  &  Booth  ; 
but,  his  health  failing,  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Minnesota.  Getting 
better,  he  came  to  Loyal  and  went  into  business  as  Booth,  Gwin  &  Co. 
In  1872,  he  came  to  Colby.  In  1865,  he  married  Miss  L.'R.  Graves,  of 
Clark  County.  They  have  had  five  children — Andrew  Duane,  deceased  ; 
Francis  Ray,  deceased  :  Lulu  R.,  Claudia  C.  and  Deette.  Mr.  Booth 
belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

T.  B.  CARPENTER,  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.O.  Colby,  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  31,  184S.  When  sixteen  years  of  age.  he  came 
to  Fond  du  Lac  County.  He  enlisted  in  1865,  in  the  l6ih  Wis.  Vols., 
Co.  B  ;  was  mustered  out  in  July  of  the  same  year,  and  returned  to  Fond 
du  Lac  County,  where  he  farmed  till  1S67,  when  he  went  to  Marquette 
Co.,  Mich.,  and  clerked  in  a  store.  In  1878,  he  came  to  town  of  Hull, 
and  purchased  his  present  farm  and  home.  In  1 868,  he  married  Miss 
Aurelia  Couse,  of  Sheboygan  County.  They  have  two  children,  Freddie 
and  Florence  May.  He  has  held  office  as  Supervisor  and  Treasurer  of 
town.      Is  now  treasurer  of  Colby  Public  Library  Association. 

D.  J.  ETSELL,  hardware,  Colby,  was  born  in  Province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  Feb,  2,  1S50.  His  parents  lived  on  a  farm,  and  he  engaged  in 
that  work  until  187S,  when  he  came  to  Colby,  and  located  on  the  Mara- 
thon side  of  the  village.  He  opened  his  hardware  store  January,  1879, 
and  the  same  year  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres.  In  1877,  he  married  Miss 
Rosa  Sage,  of  Milwaukee,  a  niece  of  Peter  Engleman,  founder  of  the 


576 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


English  and  German  Academy  of  Milwaukee.     Mr.  Etsell  is  a  member 
of  the  Good  Templars.     He  does  a  business  of  $12,000  a  year. 

ANDREW  FLAIG,  merchant,  Colby,  was  born  in  Germany,  Aug- 
24,  1852.  His  parents,  on  coming  to  America,  located  in  Wisconsin  and 
went  to  farming  m  Sheboygan  County,  where  he  remained  until  1879, 
when  he  came  to  Marathon  County,  and  took  possession  of  the  stoie 
which  his  father  had  managed  previous  to  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
this  time.  Besides  this  business,  he  is  engaged  in  lumbering,  dealing  in 
tanning  bark  and  general  merchandise.  In  1S74,  he  married  Miss  Au- 
gusta L.  Fiebig,  of  Germany.  They  have  two  children,  Minnie  and 
August.     Mr.  Flaig  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

GEORGE  W.  GHOCA,  proprietor  and  landlord  of  the  Colby  House, 
Marathon,  was  born  in  Lockport,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  15,  1845. 
He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867,  locating  in  Portage  County,  at  Stevens 
Point,  where  he  remained  till  1873,  when  he  came  to  Colby,  putting  up 
the  first  store  building  in  the  place.  In  1874,  he  built  the  Colby  House, 
and  the  same  year  he  built  another  hotel  in  Spencer.  He  enlisted,  in 
1S61,  in  the  ist  X.  Y.  Light  Art.,  Bat.  C.  and  came  home  a  sergeant.  In 
1875,  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board.  In  1S77,  he  was 
elected  Chairman  of  the  Board,  and  again  in  1878.  That  Fall  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Marathon  County,  and  is  now  on  the  Board  of  1S81. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masons,  being  the  first  Master  of  the  Colby  Lodge, 
and  belongs  to  the  Chapter  and  Commandery  at  Stevens  Point.  In  l8b8, 
March  7,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Sterling.  They  had  three  chil- 
dren. Mary  N.,  Allen,  "  adopted  " ;  Edith,  deceased,  and  Ora  Merle. 

I.  C.  GHOCA,  with  G.  W.  Ghoca  in  the  Colby  House,  Colby.  Born 
in  St.  Clair  Co.,  Mich.,  June  19,  1S42.  His  parents  moved  to  Detroit, 
where  his  mother  died  in  1855.  Leaving  there  he  came  to  Fond  du  Lac 
in  1856,  lumbered  some  and  went  to  the  Green  Bay  shore,  then  north  to 
Portage  on  Lake  Superior  and  worked  in  the  mines;  returned  to  Fond 
du  Lac  and  enlisted  in  the  Ist  Wis.  Infantry,  Vol.  Co.  K.  and  in  1864 
re-enlisted  in  Tennessee,  was  transferred  to  Sherman's  headquarters  as 
special  mail  agent,  where  he  was  till  1865.  He  then  went  to  La  Crosse 
and  up  to  NeillsviUe,  went  to  work  in  the  woods,  working  in  A.  W. 
Clark's  saw  mill  till  1870.  While  there  was  Deputy  Sheriff  and  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  two  years.  He  came  to  Colby  m  1873,  went  into  busi- 
ness with  G.  W.,  then  established  a  hardware  store  and  acted  Postmaster 
till  1876  ;  sold  out  to  G.J.  Walbridge,  and  was  elected  Chairman  of  Town 
Board  of  Hull  in  1875.  He  then  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Loyal, 
but  went  west  to  Kansas,  where  he  farmed  till  18S0,  when  he  sold  his 
claim  and  came  back  overland  to  Colby,  and  is  now  in  the  hotel  with 
his  cousin,  Geo.  W.  Ghoca,  as  clerk.  In  I869  he  married  Miss  C.  S. 
Stowe  of  Loyal.  They  have  two  children,  Laura  and  Albert.  He  is  an 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  belongs  to  the  encampment  at  NeillsviUe,  also  Masons  at 
Colby. 

D.  B.  HULL,  farmer.  Sec.  20,  P.  O.  Colby.  Born,  in  New  York, 
Feb.  25,  1832.  When  about  23  years  ol  age  he  left  his  home,  his  father 
being  a  farmer  and  wheelwright.  D.  B.  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located 
at  Stevens  Point,  Portage  Co.,  where  he  worked  in  the  woods  and  farmed 
till  1S72.  In  the  meantime  he  had  enlisted,  1862,  in  the  3d  Wis.  Cav. 
Co.  H,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1863,  and  returned  to  Stevens  Point.  He 
moved  to  his  present  home  on  Sec.  20,  Town  of  Hull,  then  called  Wein. 
He  helped  organize  the  town  of  Hull  and  it  was  named  after  him  ;  he 
still  farms  his  Homestead,  and  in  1858  married  Miss  Mary  Christian  of 
Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children  living,  M.  J.,  now  Mrs. 
Parker,  and  Mary  A.  Five  have  died,  Wm.  H.,  and  Freddie,  and  three 
not  named.  Mr.  Hull  has  been  Assessor  and  Supervisor,  belongs  to 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Good  Templars. 

N.  P.  PETERSON,  blacksmith,  born  in  Denmark,  June  10,  1S40. 
Came  to  America  in  1867,  and  to  Wisconsin  and  worked  at  blacksmith- 
ing  in  the  town  of  Fairweather,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.  Went  back  to  Den- 
mark and  then  came  to  Waupun  where  he  worked  till  1869,  then  re- 
moved to  Waupaca.  His  health  failing  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  his 
trade  and  went  on  to  a  larm.  Here  he  lost  his  wile  and  sold  his  farm 
and  went  to  Wausau,  where  he  stayed  until  1872,  when  he  decided  on 
coming  to  Colby,  and  while  building  shops  here  worked  in  Spaulding's 
mill  at  Unity.  Opened  business  in  Colby  March  14,  1S73.  His  first 
marriage  was  to  Miss  Christina  Nelson,  who  died  1S71,  and  in  1872  he 
married  Miss  Gunderson  ;  they  have  two  boys  living,  twins,  Ole  and  Nels, 
lost  three,  Sirina,  Otto  and  Martin.  Had  five  by  first  marriage — Emma, 
Christian,  Mary,  Martin  and  Hans.  Mr.  Peterson  has  held  many  Town 
offices  and  is  Justice  now. 

J.  W.  WICKER,  farmer.  Sec.  30.  P.  O.  Unity.  Born  in  Onondaga 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  ig,  1S49.  Father  moved  to  Washington  County  and 
opened  a  store  and  hotel  in  the  village  of  Barton.  In  1863  the  family 
moved  to  New  York  City  ;  he  soon  followed  and  was  soon  employed  in 
a  wholesale  tea  house,  were  he  remained  till  1864,  when  his  brother 
and  himself  enlisted  in  the  78th  N.  Y.  Vol.,  and  was  transferred  to  the 
Metropolitan  Guards;  was  mustered  out  and  stayed  in  New  York  till 
1866,  then  himself  and  sister  came  to  Wisconsin  locating  at  Barton  on  a 
farm;  came  to  town  of  Hull  in  1S72,  to  Township  27,  Range  2  east, 
where  he  pre-empted  160  acres  letting  his  brother  have  eighiy  of  it.  He 
is    farming    and    lumbering,   having  stocked  La  Motte's  saw  mill  for 


four  years.  In  1870,  he  married  Mrs.  A.  Stevens  of  Washington  County. 
They  have  three  children— Oliver,  Anna  Bell,  and  Willie.  He  has  been 
constable  for  two  years  and  belongs  to  the  I.  O.O.F. 

WKSTON. 
This  place  is  on  the  Big  Eau  Claire.  It  is  known  as 
Schofield's  Mills.  The  mill  here  is  now  under  the  general 
management  of  C.  P.  Haseltine.  There  are  two  rotaries, 
two  gang  edgers,  a  shingle,  lath  and  picket  mill.  Lumber 
each  day,  75,000;  shingles,  30,000;  laths,  10,000. 

UNITY. 
[See  history  of  Clark  County.] 
Here  is  a  town  bisected  by  the  line  between  Clark  and 
Marathon  counties.  Its  population  is  German  and  Ameri- 
can, estimated  at  800.  In  the  two  towns  there  are  several 
schools.  Two  hotels  entertain  the  stream  of  drummers  and 
others  who  visit  the  twin  village,  and  there  are  two  saw  mills 
and  five  stores,  with  room  for  more. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

S.  G.  ABBOTT,  physician  and  surgeon.  Unity.  Born  in  Portage 
County,  Sept,  2,  1856,  he  was  reared  on  the  farm,  where  he  remained  till 
1869,  when  he  changed  to  a  neighboring  farm,  and  commenced  his  career 
by  studying  dentistry,  which  branch  he  still  operates  as  an  auxiliary. 
In  1876,  he  started  his  study  of  medicine,  at  Fremont,  Ind.;  read  with 
Dr.  Lyman  Abbott.  He  attended  Ft.  Wayne  Medical  College  in  1S77- 
78,  and,  graduating  in  1879,  ^^'^*  admitted  to  hospital  practice  in  St. 
Josephs.  He  then  went  into  regular  practice  in  Fremont,  but  went  to 
Strong's  Prairie,  in  Adams  County,  and  came  to  Unity  in  1881.  In  1879, 
he  married  Miss  Minnie  Fiegel,  of  Strong's  Prairie.  Dr.  Abbott  belongs 
to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

J.  H.  COOK,  druggist,  Unity.  Born  in  Toronto,  Canada,  Feb.  14, 
1841,  he  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
came  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  finally  located  in  Calumet  County,  which 
place  he  considered  his  home  till  1874.  He  enlisted  in  1S61,  in  the  5th 
Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  I,  and  served  till  1S64,  having  been  promoted  several 
times  ;  in  June,  1S61.  to  second  sergeant;  then  to  first  sergeant,  January, 
1862  ;  to  second  lieutenant  in  March,  and  first  in  May,  receiving  his 
captain's  commission  in  August,  1862.  He  was  wounded  at  Cold  Har- 
bor, and  on  this  account  was  mustered  out,  in  1S63.  He  went  to  farm- 
ing in  Calumet,  then  in  Rock  County ;  and  having  learned  something  of 
drugs  in  Canada,  he  opened  a  drug  store  in  Spencer,  in  1874.  He  was 
burned  out,  and  moved  to  Unity,  opening  a  drug  store  in  1875.  He 
married  Miss  Anna  E.  Halsted.  TJiey  have  three  children- — Jennie, 
Adel,  Harrie  W.  and  Leslie.  They  have  lost  two,  Anna  E.  and  a  babe 
named  lUa.  Mr.  Cook  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
of  Brighton  since  the  town  was  organized  in  1874,  pre>idtnt  of  the  Unity 
Literary  Society,  captain  of  the  Unity  Guards,  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  also  of  the  Encampment;  belongs  to  the  Masons.  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  R.  A.  M.  He  once  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  watery  grave,  being 
one  of  the  passengers  saved  from  the  wreck  of  the  "Lady  Elgin."  in 
1S60,  where  his  mother  and  oldest  sister  were  lost.  His  father  died 
in  1868. 

S.  A.  COOK,  merchant.  Unity,  was  born  in  Canada,  Jan.  28,  1849, 
and  with  the  rest  of  the  family  moved  to  Wisconsin,  on  a  farm  in  Calu- 
met County.  In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  2d  Wis.  Cav.;  was  mustered 
out  in  1865,  and  returned  home.  In  1866,  he  took  a  trip  around  the 
States,  looking  lor  a  homestead,  but  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  opened 
a  livery  stable.  Leaving  this,  he  worked  in  the  woods  and  in  saw  mills, 
and  then,  with  a  capital  of  $400,  he  opened  a  store  in  Unity  in  1S73. 
He  now  carries  $8,000  stock,  and  does  a  business  of  $50,000  a  year, 
having  a  branch  store  at  Abboisford  Junction  ;  is  also  interested  in 
lumbering.  In  1876,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Christie,  of  Calumet 
County.  They  have  two  children,  Maud  and  Harry.  Mr.  Cook  has 
been  Treasurer  of  the  town,  and  Notary  Public,  and  is  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  here.  Miss  Maggie  Christie  is  one  of  the 
family,  and  has  a  millinery  store. 

E.  CREED,  farmer.  Unity,  born  in  Somersetshire,  Eng.,  Feb.  3, 
1833  ;  came  to  America  in  '52  ;  stopped  in  New  York  two  years.  He 
then  came  to  Marathon  County,  locating  on  the  line  between  it  and 
Portage  County,  and  went  to  making  shingles,  which  he  sold  on  the  low- 
er river.  He  carried  on  this  business  for  a  number  of  years  and  then 
bought  stock  at  Stevens  Point ;  opened  general  merchandise  store  at 
Nelson's  Mills.  In  1871,  he  came  to  Unity,  and  put  up  the  first  house 
built  here.  He  owns  the  eighty  acres  on  which  is  part  of  the  village, 
and  laid  out  first  lot  in  1873.  He  also  operates  120  acre  farm  and  hay 
marsh.     In  1867,  he  married  Miss  Amy  Noies,  of  Plover.     They  have 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


577 


three  boys — Charles,  Willie  and  Homer.     He  has  been  Assessor  for  five 
years,  and  held  other  offices,  and  is  recording  secretary  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

F.  H.  DARLING,  carpenter,  Unity,  born'.in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y., 
June  lo,  1S33.  His  parents  went  to  Cortland  County  when  he  was 
only  four  years  old,  where  his  father,  who  was  a  carpenter,  worked  at  his 
trade.  The  son  learned  the  same  trade  and  worked  with  his  father  till 
1855.  He  then  went  to  Canada  and  from  there  came  to  Portage  Coun- 
ty. He  enlisted  in  the  Sth  Wis.  Battery;  served  till  1865  ;  re-enlisted 
at  Nashville,  but  returned  to  Waupaca  County.  In  '68,  went  to  Am- 
herst, and  in  the  Fall  of  '72  took  up  a  homestead,  and  now  the  village 
occupies  part  of  it.  He  now  follows  his  trade  and  jobbing  in  the  woods. 
In  1869.  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Lee,  of  Portage  County.  They  have 
five  children— Francis  E.,  Ellen  M.,  Elsie  G..  Etta  H.  and  Maggie  M. 
He  has  been  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  is  now  Treasurer  of  Town 
of  Brighton.     Belongs  to  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  Masons. 

G.  H.  HADDY,  physician  and  surgeon.  Unity,  bom  in  Springfield, 
111.,  Aug.  15,  1858.  At  a  very  early  age,  he  came  to  Dodge  County, 
where  his  parents  located  on  a  farm,  on  which  they,  together  with  one  of 
his  brothers,  died  of  the  small  pox.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  high  school  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Returning  home,  he  went  to 
Minnesota,  where  he  commenced  studying  medicine  under  Dr.  Wood- 
ward, of  Cannon  Falls.  He  then  attended  Wooster  Medical  College  in 
Cleveland  and  afterward  took  a  course  of  lectures  in  Miami  Medical 
College,  finishing  his  course  in  the  Louisville  Medical  College.  He  com- 
menced his  practice  in  Spencer,  taking  Dr.  J.  M.  Adams's  practice  while 
doctor  was  absent,  and  in  1881  he  located  at  Unity. 

GUS.  HOMSTED,  proprietor  of  the  Forrest  House,  Unity.  Born 
in  Maine  July  11,  1S40.  His  parents  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1852, 
and  to  Wausau  in  1854.  He  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  learned 
the  druggist's  business.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted  in  the  Navy;  went  to  Bos 
ton  and  was  transferred  to  the  2d  Me.  Cav.;  returned  to  Stevens  Point 
in  1866  and  soon  after  took  a  homestead  in  town  of  Holton.  After 
clearing  twelve  acres  and  building,  he  went  to  Colby  and  run  the  Colby 
House;  then  came  to  Unity  and  on  Aug.  3,  1880,  took  the  Forrest 
House.  In  1880,  he  married  Miss  Eva  Ferguson,  of  Colby.  He  has 
been  in  most  of  town  offices,  and  is  now  Town  Clerk  and  Justice.  He 
belongs  to  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Colby,  and  the  R.  A.  M.,  of  Stevens 
Point. 

MELVIN  B.  ORMES,  settled  in  Unity,  where  he  still  resides. 
He  was  fireman  and  engineer  for  D.  J.  Spaulding  &  Co.,  four  years; 
then  he  came  to  Wausau  in  his  present  capacity.      He  was  born  in  West 

36 


Chazy,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  2,  1832.  He  was  married  in  New 
London,  Ont.,  in  1859,  to  Jane  Steward,  who  was  born  in  Scotland. 
They  have  four  children — Martha,  May,  Eugene  and  Melvin,  Jr. 

JOSEPH  RENSIMER,  farmer  and  jobber.  Unity.  Born  in  Lehigh 
Co.,  Penn.,  February,  1830.  He  went  to  Ohio  with  his  parents,  and 
helped  clear  two  farms.  In  1852.  went  to  Michigan,  having  learned  the 
trade  of  hatter  in  Ohio,  but  on  going  to  Michigan,  he  bought  a  farm; 
and  his  health  failing,  he  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  till 
1861.  He  went  to  Christian  Co.,  111.,  and  then  to  Columbia  County  ; 
from  there  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  37th  Wis.  V.  I.;  served  until  1865. 
Came  back  to  Wisconsin,  and  went  into  the  wagon-making  business.  In 
1870,  he  took  up  a  homestead  and  remained  on  it  until  1S76,  when  he 
sold  out  and  came  to  Unity,  where  he  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  just 
out  of  the  village,  besides  his  house  and  lot,  and  ten  acres  adjoining.  In 
185 1,  he  married  Miss  Barbara  Ebinger,  of  Wooster,  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio. 
They  have  six  children — Mary,  now  Mrs.  Peterson,  John  E.,  Maggie  C, 
Corwin,  Florence  E.  and  Carrie  E.  Mr.  Rensimer  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Town  Board,  and  held  school  offices ;  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  treasurer  of  the  Encampment,  and  is  also  sergeant  of  the  Unity 
Guards. 

J.  W.  SALTER,  principal  Unity  High  School.  Born  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Feb.  5,  1852.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  attended  Lawrence 
University,  and  taught  school  the  Winter  following.  He  went  to  commer- 
cial school  in  Fond  du  Lac,  and  in  1873,  read  law  with  Norman  Gilson, 
of  Fond  du  Lac.  He  then  took  the  Saukville  school,  and  taught  till  the 
time  he  attended  the  Port  Washington  High  School.  He  afterward 
took  a  scientific  course  in  the  State  University.  He  assumed  charge  of 
the  Unity  school  in  September,  1880,  establishing  the  high  school  grade 
in  the  Fall  of  same  year;  and  now,  in  1881,  it  is  entitled  to  State  aid, 
the  school  having  a  graded  course  for  four  grades:  primary,  intermedi- 
ate, grammar  and  high  school.  The  attendance  is  96.  Mr.  Salter  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

MANVILLE. 
This  is  rather  a  new  place,  mostly  filled  with 
Americans — about  200  in  number.  It  has  two  schools, 
two  or  more  stores,  with  boarding-houses,  saw-mills,  a  shin- 
gle mill  and  a  planing  mill.  It  is  on  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  and  has  the  elements  of  growth  and  prosperity. 


578 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


MARINETTE    COUNTY. 

INCLUDING     A     HISTORY     OF     MENOMINEE,     MICH. 


GENERAL   FEATURES. 

In  March,  1879,  Marinette  County  was  set  oif  from 
the  eastern  and  southeastern  portions  of  Oconto.  It  was 
divided  into  the  towns  of  Marinette  and  Peshtigo,  and 
the  count}'  seat  located  in  the  former.  Preparations 
were  at  once  made  for  the  buildins:  of  a  court-house. 
The  site,  just  north  of  the  N.  Ludington  Company's 
store,  was  donated  by  Isaac  Stephenson,  who  had  much 
interested  himself  in  tiie  organization  of  the  new 
county.  The  sightly  two  -  story  brick  structure 
was  substantially  completed  in  the  Spring  of 
1881,  at  a  cost  of  $26,000.  The  present  county 
officers  are:  Jerre  O'Leary,  Marinette,  Sheriff; 
P.  Doyle,  Marinette,  Under  Sheriff:  John  Holgate, 
Clerk  of  the  Court :  A.  M.  Fairchild,  Marinette,  Deputy 
Clerk  ;  H.  O.  Fairchild,  Marinette,  District  Attorney; 
F.  J.  Bartels,  Peshtigo,  County  Judge ;  J.  A.  Van 
Cleve,  Marinette,  Surveyor  and  County  Clerk  ;  C.  Ross 
Johnson,  Marinette,  County  Treasurer ;  J.  K.  Wright, 
Marinette,  Register  of  Deeds;  L.  W.  VVinslow, 
Peshtigo,  Superintendent  of  Schools  ;  F.  Armstrong, 
Coroner. 

That  the  new  district  was  fairly  entitled  to  a  county 
organization  is  sustained  by  the  figures  returned  in 
1880  by  the  census  enumerators  and  assessors.  The 
population  of  Marinette  Town  was  5,412,  including  the 
following  unincorporated  villages :  Commonwealth, 
84;  Florence,  267;  Marinette,  2,750;  Menekaune, 
1,274.  Peshtigo  Village  (unincorporated)  was  not 
returned  sep.xrately.  The  town's  population  was  3,517. 
Total  population  of  the  county  for  the  year  1880, 
8,929.  The  combined  population  of  Marinette  and 
Menekaune,  which  are  one  village  except  in  name,  is 
now  placed  at  4,500,  while  the  village  of  Peshtigo 
claims  1,200.  The  assessed  valuation  of  property  "in 
the  two  towns  was,  in  1880,  #1,527,490.50. 

The  county  is  divided  into  two  school  districts, 
Marinette,  No.  1,  and  Peshtigo,  No.  2.  At  the  last  re- 
port of  the  Superintendent,  the  enrollment  of  scholars 
in  No.  1  was  1,831,  attendance  492;  in  No.  2,  enroll- 
ment 1,203,  attendance  718.  The  estimated  value  of 
school-houses  and  sites  in  the  town  of  Marinette  was 
S15,500,  and  in  the  town  of  Peshtigo,  $9,018. 

Agriculture  in  the  county  has  not  yet  assumed  im- 
portance, although  when  improved,  the  land  is  good. 
Tiie  lumber  business  is  far  too  productive,  and  gives 
employment  to  all  who  desire  work,  and  any  earnest 
tilling  of  the  land  is  some  years  off;  some  place  it  at 
ten,  some  even  at  twenty. 

Marinette  County  is  watered  by  the  Peshtigo  River, 
with  its  tributaries,  and  the  streams  flowing  into  the 
Menominee.  Along  these  water  courses  are  located 
some  of  the  great  tracts  of  pine  land  owned  by  the 
lumber  companies  of  Marinette,  Menominee  and  Pesh- 
tigo. 


The  transportation  needs  of  Marinette  County  are 
met  by  the  Goodrich  line  of  steamers,  and  by  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  which 
was  extended  from  Green  Bay  in  1871,  and  the  next 
year  from  Menominee  to  Escanaba,  Mich.,  which  there 
connects  with  the  Peninsula  Division,  and  thus  with 
the  Lake  Superior  region.  Its  facilities  are  to  be  fur- 
ther increased  by  the  construction  of  the  Wisconsin  & 
Michigan  road,  which  is  noticed  in  detail  in  the  history 
of  Brown  County,  which  locality  is  the  center  of  the 
enterprise  in  this  State.  This  road  is  to  pass  through 
its  western  towns. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

An  Indian  trader,  Louis  Chappee,  or  Chappieu,  came 
to  Menominee  in  1796,  and  as  an  agent  of  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Conipanj'  established  a  post  on  the  Wisconsin 
side  of  the  river,  near  where  Marinette's  house  now 
stands.  He  was  a  bold,  energetic  man,  a  soldier  in 
spirit  and  a  trader  by  instinct.  For  many  years  he  re- 
tained the  monopoly  of  the  trade.  When  William 
Farnsworth,  also  an  agent  of  the  company,  and  Charles 
R.  Brush,  came  in  1822,  they  saw  the  flourishing  nature 
of  the  trade,  and  effecting  the  release  from  Fort  How- 
ard of  two  chiefs  who  had  been  imprisoned  through 
Chappee's  influence,  so  obtained  the  favor  of  the  Chip- 
pewas,  that  it  was  but  a  question  of  time  and  oppor- 
tunity when  they  should  obtain  control.  One  day 
when  Chappee  was  absent,  Farnsworth  and  his  fol- 
lowers took  forcible  possession  of  the  post,  and  when 
its  proprietor  returned,  not  feeling  strong  enough  to 
resist  the  outrage,  he  loaded  his  goods  into  canoes,  bore 
them  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids  which  bear  his  name, 
and  established  himself  again. 

But  his  days  as  the  only  successful  trader  were 
numbered ;  for  when  William  Farnsworth  came  to 
Menominee,  he  brought  with  him  a  help-mate,  the 
blooming  and  intelligent  Marinette.  She  was  esteemed 
one  of  the  best  Indian  traders  in  the  Northwest,  and 
wonderful  stories  are  told  of  her  business  genius. 
Marinette  was  a  grand-daughter  of  Wabashish,  a  Men- 
ominee chief,  and  Bartholomew  Shevalier,  a  white 
man.  Her  birth  place  was  Post  Lake,  a  tributary  of 
the  Peshtigo  River,  and  the  year,  1793.  She  was  first 
married  to  John  B.  Jacobs,  a  Canadian  fur  trader,  at 
Mackinaw.  They  had  several  children,  two  of  whom 
are  now  living — John  B.  Jacobs,  of  Green  Bay,  and 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Charles  McLeod,  of  Menominee. 
She  lived  several  years  with  William  Farnsworth  at 
Mackinaw,  before  removing  to  Marinette.  To  him  she 
bore  several  children,  one  of  whom,  George  P.  Farns- 
worth, of  Green  Bay,  is  still  living.  The  young  woman 
was  brought  up  in  the  Catholic  faith,  was  kind  and 
helpful.  Hev  life  with  Jacobs  developed  in  her  a  busi- 
ness talent  seldom  possessed  by  a  woman.     It  is  stated 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


579 


that  she  would  sometimes  carry  on  the  large  business 
of  the  post  for  days  at  a  time,  during  her  husband's 
absence,  and  although  unable  to  keep  memoranda  of 
the  transactions,  be  able  to  render  an  account  to  the 
last  penn}'.  She  was  never  caught  in  a  blunder  at 
figures,  notwithstanding  she  sometimes  would  be  deal- 
ing— buying  and  selling — with  forty  or  fifty  at  a  time. 
No  wonder  that  Farnsworth  found  her  of  invaluable 
aid  to  him  in  his  business  ;  but  for  some  reason  which 
has  not  been  explained,  he  left  her,  as  did  Jacobs. 
Marinette  died  at  Green  Bay,  June  3,  1865,  while  on  a 
visit  to  Mr.  Farnsworth,  her  son.  At  the  time  of  her 
death,  she  was  in  her  seventy-third  year,  and  was  uni- 
versally respected  by  the  Indians  and  old  settlers  for 
her  good  works  and  Christian  spirit.  William  Farns- 
worth, her  second  husband,  was  lost  on  the  "  Lady 
Elgin,"  he  having  settled  in  Sheboygan.  Her  little 
house,  where  she  spent  the  latter  years  of  her  life  in 
quiet  and  benevolent  work,  is  still  standing. 

THE   FIRST   MILL. 

Although  their  mode  of  deposing  of  Chappieu  was 
not  legitimate,  Messrs.  Farnsworth  &  Brush  were  more 
like  the  business  men  of  to-day  than  the  former,  and 
the  result  itself  was,  therefore,  advantageous.  The 
scope  of  their  aims  was  much  broader  than  Chappieu's, 
and  consequently,  although  there  was  no  immediate 
market  for  lumber,  they  erected  a  saw-mill  in  1832,  the 
first  on  the  Menominee  River.  It  was  situated  on  the 
wing  dam,  above  the  Dr.  Hall  place.  John  Last,  an 
old  resident  of  Green  Bay,  worked  there  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1833.  After  going  through  several  changes  in 
proprietorship,  the  dam,  which  was  located  neai'  where 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  track  crosses 
the  river,  broke  awa}-,  and  the  mill  was  shut  up. 

Charles  McLeod  built  tlie  second  mill,  at  Twin 
Island,  in  1841,  but  it  was  abandoned  after  running  a 
few  years,  owing  to  the  low  price  of  lumber  and  the 
difficulty  of  getting  the  supply  to  market.  Dr.  J.  C. 
Hall  built  a  mill  in  1844,  on  the  Menominee  side, 
higher  up  the  rapids  than  the  Farnsworth  &  Brush  mill 
had  been  located.  Of  course,  a  dam  was  built.  John 
G.  Kittson,  who  came  to  permanently  locate  in  this 
vicinity  after  Farnsworth  and  Brush,  in  1826,  and  who 
for  many  years  lived  at  Chappee  Rapids,  when  he 
heard  of  it  was  very  wroth.  He  was  living  then  at 
Wausaukee  Bend,  where  he  operated  a  trading  post 
and  a  farm,  the  latter  being  the  first  piece  of  ground 
worked  in  the  county.  Both  he  and  Chappee  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  transporting  their  supplies  of  provisions 
and  merchandise  up  the  river,  dragging  their  boats 
after  them  over  the  rapids.  But  this  dam  seemed  to 
be  too  much  for  the  patience  of  Kittson.  He  collected 
his  post  followers,  and  cut  the  obstruction  away  suffi- 
ciently to  admit  a  passage  of  his  boats.  Farnsworth, 
one  of  the  principal  owners  of  the  mill  property, 
attempted  to  get  out  a  warrant  for  Kittson's  arrest,  at 
Green  Bay,  but  in  those  days  the  purchase  of  the  law 
was  even  more  expensive  tlian  now,  and  nothing  came 
of  it.  The  owners  of  the  mill,  however,  put  in  a  lock 
and  slide,  which  appeared  to  have  satisfied  the  irate 
Kittson,  as  no  further  trouble  occurred.  After  pass- 
ing through  a  checkered  financial  existence,  the  mill 
was   burned  in  1856.     Messrs.  Hackboue   &   Boyden 


built  a  water-power  mill  at  Cedarville,  in  1854.  A 
steam  mill  was  erected  by  Messrs.  Hamilton  &  Lynn 
about  this  time.  They  had  come  into  possession  of  the 
former,  and  when  their  steam  establishment  started 
up  the  water-power  mill  fell  into  disuse. 

THE   GREAT   FIRB   OF   OCTOBER   8,    1871. 

For  months  previous  to  that  shocking  human  sacri- 
fice of  October  8,  1871,  earth  and  air  seemed  to  have 
entered  into  a  conspiracy  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the 
altar  broad  and  raise  its  structure  high.  The  previous 
Winter  had  been  scant  of  snow,  the  Spring  had  with- 
held its  cooling  showers,  and  July,  only,  finally  vouch- 
safed a  refreshing  drought  to  the  parched  land,  which 
quicklyand  greedily  drank  it.  The  atmosphere  panted, 
and  everything  on  the  earth  right  in  sight  of  Lake 
Michigan's  grand  old  arm — Green  Bay — was  parched 
and  cracked.  The  swamps  of  tamarack  and  the 
marshes  of  cedar  which  stretched  along  both  of  its 
shores  were  black,  dry  and  cheerless.  In  September 
the  clouds  opened  and  sifted  down  a  scanty  sliower, 
which  served  rather  to  tantalize  than  to  satisfy.  The 
panting  of  air  and  earth  went  on.  One  might  almost 
imagine  that  some  fiery  atmosphere  of  judgment  from 
above  was  yoking  itself  to  the  infernal  breath  of  the 
pit  and  preparing  to  ride,  flaming  and  rough-shod,  over 
the  villages  and  forests  of  the  land.  The  swamps  and 
marshes  were  peat,  prepared  for  burning,  the  forests  of 
pine  were  tinder,  ready  and  anxious  for  a  suicide  by 
fire.  All  nature  was  so  dry  and  so  miserable  that  it 
cried  out  for  death.  The  human  victims  for  the  com- 
ing holocaust  were  not  j^et  prepared  for  death,  if  they 
ever  were.  Little  adder  tongues  of  flame  first  shot  in 
and  out,  darting  down  among  the  roots  of  trees,  steal- 
thily following  their  prey  underground,  then  springing 
up  to  the  air  and  licking  a  bush  or  a  small  tree.  Soon 
a  whole  body  came  into  sight,  the  spirit  of  destruction 
grew  bolder,  a  forest  pine  was  wrapped  in  its  folds  and 
came  tumbling  to  earth,  its  enemy  hissing  and  darting 
around  it.  Then,  as  if  by  magic,  a  whole  forest  of 
pines  was  surrounded  and  invaded,  and  eaten  by  a 
grand  mass  of  fire,  and  all  the  world  was  in  the  flames. 
To  be  more  historical,  the  local  fires  commenced  to  be 
really  noticeable  and  create  wide-spread  alarm  up  both 
shores  of  Green  Bay  in  the  early  part  of  September. 
A  dark  pall  of  smoke  alread}'  hung  over  the  pine  for- 
ests, or  was  wafted  and  wandered  slowly  over  the 
country.  Red  and  lurid  flames  were  dancing  among 
the  tree-tops  on  both  sides  of  the  baJ^  People  in  the 
farming  sections  were  commencing  to  look  with  alarm 
in  each  other's  faces,  and,  with  the  enemy  in  the  rear, 
to  take  their  families  and  their  household  goods  to  the 
settlements,  or  the  villages,  where,  they  thought,  a 
more  effective  stand  could  be  maintained.  The  large 
settlements,  such  as  those  located  in  the  "  Upper,  Mid- 
dle and  Lower  Sugar  Bushes,"  a  few  miles  southwest 
of  Peslitigo,  breathed  easily  in  comparison  witli  isolated 
farmers  scattered  over  a  broad  expanse  of  country. 
Especially  was  the  feeling  gloomy  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  the  bay,  where  the  farming  settlements  were  few 
and  small.  By  the  middle  of  the  month  the  forest 
fires  were  raging  up  and  down  the  shores  of  Green 
Bay,  encompassing  and  apparently  dooming  to  destruc- 
tion Sturgeon  Bay,  Little  Suamico,  Pensaukee,  Oconto. 


S8o 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


the  Sugar  Bushes,  Peshtigo,  and  all  the  settlements 
and  villages  where  such  crowds  were  fleeing  for  safety. 
The  whole  population  of  the  bay  counties  turned  out 
to  fight  the  flames,  and  for  the  time  they  were  driven 
back.  With  the  exception  of  the  thousands  of  acres 
of  valuable  timber  destroyed,  and  the  burning  of  rail- 
road ties,  bridges  and  camps  belonging  to  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Company,  whose  line  was  then  being 
built  from  Fort  Howard  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  up  to 
the  middle  of  September  the  loss  of  property  was 
light  and  the  loss  of  life  nothing.  After  that  date  the 
fire  drew  closer  and  closer  around  the  settlements.  It 
had  fed  upou  the  forests,  even  eating  the  upper  soil  of 
the  land,  leaving  in  its  place  nothing  but  ashes.  Like 
a  hungry  lion  which,  after  he  has  cleared  the  forests  of 
lower  game,  is  driven  by  gnawing  and  fierce  hunger  to 
rush  for  his  prey  even  into  cities  and  the  haunts  of 
men,  what  were  to  be  the  great  fires  of  October,  1871, 
raged  around  tlie  villages  of  Northeastern  Wisconsin, 
preparing  in  their  famislied  state  to  sweep  into  them 
and  bear  away  their  victims.  Twice  did  doomed  Pesh- 
tigo escape  only  by  the  brave  resistance  of  its  people. 
On  the  twenty-first.  Little  Suamico  fought  nobly. 
Oconto,  Pensaukee,  all  the  villages  on  the  west  shore 
were  being  glared  at  by  hungry  eyes.  To  add  to  the 
horror  of  the  situation,  by  the  latter  part  of  Septem- 
ber not  only  were  earth  and  heaven  in  flames,  but  tele- 
graph communication  with  Green  Bay,  and  thus  with 
the  remainder  of  the  State,  was  completely  severed. 
Anyone  who  has  observed  the  intimate  association  be- 
tween these  towns  and  settlements  on  the  western 
shore,  which  were  so  sorely  pressed,  can  realize  to  some 
extent  the  horror  of  uncertainty,  in  addition  to  the 
horror  of  reality,  which  was  born  of  this  fact.  Green 
Bay  and  Fort  Howard  also  were  entered  by  the  foe, 
and  narrowly  escaped  being  swallowed.  While  the 
cities  and  villages  were  trembling  in  doubtful  fear, 
isolated  saw-mills  and  farm-houses  were  being  de- 
stroyed throughout  Oconto,  Shawano,  Marinette, 
Brown,  Kewaunee  and  Door  counties.  A  terrible  bat- 
tle had  been  waged  and  won,  on  the  twenty-fourth,  by 
the  people  of  Peshtigo.  The  fire  finally  gave  up  the 
battle  and  swept  around  the  town,  burning  large  quan- 
tities of  hay  in  the  marshes  between  it  and  Marinette. 
The  latter  village  itself  was  threatened,  and  only  saved 
by  being  soaked  with  water  and  covered  with  wet 
blankets.  By  the  end  of  September  there  was  no 
sleep  for  the  people  of  five  counties,  wlio  rested  upon 
their  arms  and  waited  in  dread  the  approach  of  a  fear- 
ful enemy,  and  one  with  whom  they  so  seldom  had  to 
deal.  Tiius  had  the  drought  of  six  months,  which  made 
the  earth  tinder  and  the  air  gaseous  and  explosive  va- 
por ;  tlie  destruction  of  all  the  unpopulated  districts 
of  the  State  around  those  which  were  thickly  settled, 
and  the  exhaustive  conflict  with  tlie  insatiable  flames 
which  raged  for  weeks,  led  up  to  that  fatal  Sunday — 
that  fatal  union  and  onset  of  tornado  and  fire — which 
makes  the  8th  of  October,  1871,  a  sadder  day  to  the 
people  of  Northern  Wisconsin  than  to  the  business 
men  of  Northern  Illinois.  How,  in  that  immense  ocean 
of  fire  which  rolled  over  Chicago  and  bore  away  so 
much  of  its  pride  and  wealth,  so  few  souls  were  car- 
ried, too,  is  the  mystery.     But  the  blank  made  on  this 


earth  by  the  loss  of  a  thousand  souls  is  not  to  be  filled 
in  a  day. 

It  is  uncertain  when  or  where  the  tornado  first 
formed,  which  was  to  put  the  finish  upon  this  already 
desolate  region.  It  is  uncertain  whether  one  tornado 
formed  near  the  lower  waters  of  the  bay  and  there  split, 
one-half  rushing  up  its  eastern  shore  and  the  other 
along  its  westei-n  banks,  or  whether  each  was  formed 
alone  and  pursued  its  own  destructive  course.  But 
certain  it  is,  that  the  whirlwinds  drove  the  flames  to- 
gether into  one  mass  on  both  the  shores  and  then  swept 
the  newly  formed  body  swiftly  along.  As  it  passed 
over  the  peaty  swamps  and  marshes,  gases  were  there 
generated  which  it  rolled  together  and  threw  before 
it  in  great  balls.  These  exploded  and  set  fire  to  what- 
ever material  had  escaped  the  local  conflagrations,  and 
so  the  phalanx  moved  on,  pushed  from  behind  by  an 
irresistible  tornado,  and  fed  and  sustained,  and  strength- 
ened by  its  prey  before.  It  lashed  itself  and  roared, 
like  a  wild  beast.  Nothing  in  its  way  could  withstand 
it.  Oconto  escaped  its  fury.  Then  it  swept  upon  the 
settlements  of  the  Sugar  Bushes,  and  here  the  scene 
was  sickening.  Tlie  forward  movement  of  the  wind 
was  not  rapid,  but  its  rotary  motion  was  so  fearful 
that  great  trees  were  uprooted  and  twisted  like  twigs. 
It  tore  up  the  earth  ;  it  threw  fire-balls  in  all  directions ; 
it  hurled  torrents  of  fire  after  flying  families.  Houses 
and  barns  were  swept  away  like  toys.  Amid  the  war 
of  the  tempest  and  fire  and  the  falling  of  trees,  sounded 
agonizing  shouts  and  screams  for  help.  Some  fell  to 
the  earth,  and  with  their  mouth  upon  its  hot  bosom,  man- 
aged to  sustain  the  breath  of  life  until  the  fury  passed 
over  them.  Others  fled  to  the  highest  points  thev 
could  find  and  were  swept  away,  not  to  be  distinguished 
from  charred  limbs  and  trunks  of  trees.  Some  who 
escaped  fire  were  smothered  by  gases.  Others  were 
drowned  in  the  streams  to  which  they  had  fled,  and  lay 
there  with  the  dead  fish,  who  rose  to  the  surface  in 
thousands.  Fathers  became  crazed,  and  taking  their 
children  in  their  arms  ran  wildly  before  the  flames  and 
were  swallowed  up.  One  father  seeing  that  escape  was 
hopeless,  cut  his  own  throat,  and  killed  his  three  chil- 
dren in  the  same  way.  Many  suicides  occurred  in 
crouching  moments  of  the  horror  which  everyone  feels 
toward  death  by  fire.  Poor  women,  in  that  scene  of 
confusion  of  death,  gave  birth  to  life.  The  fire  passed 
over  death  and  ruin,  on  to  Peshtigo.  In  the  three 
Sugar  Bush  settlements,  consisting  of  three  hundred 
families,  but  eight  houses  remained,  those  of  A.  Phil- 
lips, A.  Place,  John  Hutchins,  and  Jacob  Empy,  in  the 
upper;  Mr.  Fetterly,  in  the  lower;  Daniel  Sage  and 
Joseph  Vallier,  in  the  middle,  and  Charles  Schwartz, 
in  the  village.  In  the  Lower  Bush  settlement  but  four 
persons  escaped  death,  and  they  by  setting  down  in  a 
shallow  pool  of  water.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  ex- 
act number  of  persons  who  perished  in  this  legion,  but 
the  number  can  not  be  less  than  three  hundred. 

It  was  now  about  9  o'clock  on  that  Sunday  night. 
As  is  usual  with  the  atmosphere  in  advance  of  a  tor- 
nado, the  air  was  oppressive  and  heavy  around  Pesh- 
tigo. Fires  in  the  woods  had  raged  around  for  weeks, 
and  this  particular  Sunday  night  was  no  exception. 
The  smoke  from  burning  and  smoldering  forests  just 


HISTORY  OF    MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


S8i 


dimmed  a  faint  illumination,  which  was  beginning  to 
spread  up  from  the  southwestern  horizon.  The  churches 
were  dismissed  ;  a  breeze  which  had  been  briskly  blow- 
ing in  the  afternoon,  had  died  away  into  a  pretentious 
calm  ;  faint  hearts  beat  fast,  and  strong  ones  were  op- 
pressed, and  some  restlessly  walked  the  streets,  to  be 
taken,  if  need  be,  at  their  best.  By  10  o'clock,  nianj^ 
had  "  retired  to  rest ; "  little  tl^ey  knew  how  long  a 
one.  There  had  come  a  great  change.  A  hot  wind 
was  blowing  strongly  from  the  southwest,  the  whole 
sky  in  that  direction  was  ablaze;  a  distant  roar  swept 
toward  the  village,  the  flames  could  now  be  plainly 
seen  galloping  and  surging  over  the  tree-tops,  then  the 
air  was  afire,  and  the  earth  and  Peshtigo  was  doomed. 
Men,  women,  children,  cattle,  horses,  every  thing, 
every  body,  were  borne  along  toward  the  river  and 
plunged  in.  Crowds  rushed  for  the  bridge,  but  found 
it  in  flames.  Many  rushed  upon  it,  notwithstanding, 
to  escape  the  flames  pursuing  them,  and  when  it  fell, 
were  drowned.  Debris  from  the  burning  town  was 
cast  upon  the  mass  of  strugglers  in  the  water,  and 
some  even  who  were  not  drowned  or  burned,  were 
killed  by  shooting  timber  and  bricks.  Burning  logs 
hissed  as  they  floated  flaming  down  the  river.  Roofs 
of  buildings  were  lifted  almost  entire  and  cast  along 
like  sheets  of  paper.  Some  seventy  persons,  who  con- 
sidered themselves  fortunate  at  the  time,  rushed  for 
the  Peshtigo  Company's  boarding-house,  and  there 
sheltered  themselves  from  the  fury  of  the  fiery  storm. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  hurricane  had  reached  them 
there,  passed  on  and  left  their  charred  bodies  there. 
In  less  than  one  hour  Peshtigo  and  800  people  were 
annihilated.  The  onl}'  building  which  escaped  in  a 
measure  was  one  unfinished  dwelling  house  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  When  Monday  moiuiing  came,  this 
stood  alone,  as  if  in  mockery,  while  the  victims  of 
the  fire,  and  the  ruins  of  the  fire,  were  heaped  together, 
oftentimes  in  inseparable  confusion.  It  is  unnecessai-y 
to  picture  the  shriveled  and  blackened  bodies  of  the 
dead,  in  detail,  or  draw  the  scenes  of  suffering  in  dis- 
tinct lines.  Every  one  is  content  to  forget  all  this,  and 
will  be  satisfied  witli  obtaining  a  general  view,  which 
is  much  more  diflicult  of  successful  and  correct  execu- 
tion. In  addition  to  the  loss  of  800  lives,  the  loss  of 
property  in  the  village  was  large.  At  the  time  of  her 
calamity,  Peshtigo  contained  a  population  of  1,500,  and 
was  one  of  the  most  brisk  places  for  business  on  the 
bay.  Among  the  principal  losers  were  the  Peshtigo 
Company,  whose  immense  factory  of  wooden  ware 
(the  largest  in  the  United  States),  lumber  mill,  machine 
shop,  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  grist  mill,  boarding 
house,  and  a  large  number  of  tenant  houses,  were  de- 
stroyed. Judge  F.  J.  Bartels,  Harter  &  Horvath, 
Charles  Johnson,  McDonald  &  Murray,  P.  J.  Marshall, 
Williams  Brothers,  who  mostly  carried  on  general 
stores  ;  Nicholas  Cavoit,  a  small  saw-mill ;  David  Lis- 
ter, foundry  and  machine  shop ;  Edward  Kittner, 
wagon  and  blacksmith  shop  ;  and  the  Congregational 
and  Roman  Catholic  societies,  which  lost  fine  churches. 
It  has  been  estimated  that  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dol- 
lars were  lo^t  in  Peshtigo  and  vicinity,  of  which  the 
Company  suffered  to  the  extent  of  one-half.  Peshtigo, 
and  half  her  people,  many  of  them  strangers  who  had 
fled  to  her  for  protection,  was  as  completely  destroyed 


as  if  by  an  earthquake,  and  in  taking  a  sad  leave  of 
her  and  following  the  path  of  the  destroyer,  it  wovild 
be  inexcusable  not  to  pay  tribute  to  the  useless  yet 
heroic  endeavors  of  such  men  as  William  A.  Ellis, 
general  manager  of  the  Peshtigo  Company,  and  Judge 
F.  J.  Bartels,  with  many  mill  hands  and  private  citi- 
zens, less  well  known,  and  who  afterward,  when  the 
worst  had  been  accomj^lished,  labored  so  earnestly  in 
the  noble  work  of  relief. 

The  fire,  after  leaving  Peshtigo,  swerved  a  little  in 
its  course  to  the  eastward,  and  sweeping  along  toward 
Marinette  and  Menominee,  half  a  dozen  miles  distant, 
was  broken  in  its  course  by  the  "  sand  hills,"  mounds 
formed  of  that  material  which  lie  midway  between  the 
Peshtigo  and  Menominee  rivers.  This  was  all  that 
saved  Marinette.  The  main  tornado  of  wind,  fire,  gas, 
sand,  and  burning  debris,  passed  along  to  the  west  of 
the  village,  taking  with  it  the  planing  mill  of  Messrs. 
Bagley  &  Curry,  and  saw-mill  of  McCartney  &  Co., 
and  the  Catholic  church.  The  branch  caused  by  the 
divide  enveloped  and  destroyed  the  village  of  Mene- 
kaune,  and  then  made  a  grand  leap  of  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  at  the  business  life  of  Menominee  across  the 
river.  From  the  large  saw-mill  of  Spalding,  Houghtel- 
ing  &  Johnson,  now  the  Menominee  River  Lumber 
Company,  leaped  the  river  and  soon  leveled  to  the 
ground  the  "  Gilmore  mill,''  owned  bj'  R.  Stephenson 
&  Co.  The  fire  then  swept  out  over  Green  Bay,  but 
as  the  shipping  there  narrowly  escaped,  its  destruction 
was  checked  at  this  point.  The  body  of  the  divided 
fire,  which  scorched  Marinette,  passed  on  to  the  west 
of  the  village  and  following  the  Menominee  River  for 
fourteen  miles,  swept  away  thousands  of  acres  of  val- 
uable timber,  making  a  drear}^  and  barren  waste  of  the 
entire  tract. 

The  total  loss  in  property  which  had  been  caused 
along  the  west  shore  of  Green  Bay  by  that  fierce 
sweep  of  fire,  of  only  a  few  hours  duration,  has  been 
placed  at  $5,000,000.  The  heaviest  loss  at  Menekau- 
ne  was  sustained  by  Spalding,  Houghteling  &  John- 
son— $116,000.  Besides  their  fine  sav.-mill,  a  large 
boarding-house  and  ten  tenement  houses  were  con- 
sumed. Two  saw-mills,  thirty-five  dwellings,  three 
stores,  one  planing-mill,  sash,  door  and  blind  factorjs 
two  hotels,  a  number  of  scows,  nearly  1,000,000  feet 
of  lumber,  the  bridge  to  Philbrook's  Island,  warehouse 
and  dock  at  the  steamboat  landing,  Philbrook's  ship- 
yard and  shops  and  the  Catholic  church  were  de- 
stroyed. So  far  as  known,  no  lives  were  lost  directly 
by  the  fire,  though  several  deaths  undoubtedly  oc- 
curred from  fright  and  exhaustion.  Had  it  not  been, 
however,  for  the  excellent  management  of  some  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  Marinette,  Menominee  and  Me- 
nekaune,  it  is  doubtful  if  either  of  the  first  two  places 
could  have  escaped  the  fate  of  the  latter.  When  Me- 
nekaunee  was  given  up  as  lost,  jMessrs.  Isaac  Stephen- 
son, A.  C.  Brown,  A.  C.  Merryman,  D.  C.  Prescott, 
Fred.  Carney  and  other  mill  owners  marshaled  their 
men,  pul  them  to  work  hauling  water,  digging 
trenches,  wetting  down  buildings  and  putting  blankets 
upon  them  for  protection  from  the  falling  cinders  and 
flying  debris,  etc.  They  and  their  co-laborers  did  alt 
that  human  strength  could  accomplish,  and  carried  the 
day.      Both  Marinette  and  Menominee   were   saved. 


HISTORY?  OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  men  worked  with  greater  coolness  and  effect  from 
the  fact  that  they  knew  their  wives  and  children  wei"e 
safe,  as  they  had  seen  the  dear  ones  on  board  the 
steamer  "  Union,"  and  pass  between  the  fires  of  Mene- 
kaune  and  Menominee  to  a  place  of  refuge  below. 
What  a  contrast  between  the  fates  of  Menekaune  and 
Peshtigo  ! 

But  the  flames  were  not  yet  satisfied.  Birch  Creek, 
to  the  northeast  of  Marinette,  about  a  dozen  of  miles, 
received  the  visitation  before  midnight  of  that  October 
Sunday.  It  was  a  farming  settlement,  of  100  people. 
Its  property  was  swept  away,  and  nineteen  persons 
perished.  Here  the  tornado  seems  to  have  exhausted 
itself  and  rested,  after  thus  desecrating  the  Sabbath 
with  its  wicked  work.  In  four  hours,  the  fire  had  cut 
a  path  forty  miles  in  length  by  ten  in  width,  destro}-- 
ing  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  property,  and  twelve 
hundred  human  lives. 

Having  followed  the  course  of  the  fire  up  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Green  Bay,  its  track  and  destruction 
should  be  traced  along  its  eastern  shore.  The  settle- 
ments here  were  fewer  and  less  populous,  and  for  that 
very  reason,  those  whose  property  was  destroyed,  and 
who  escaped  only  with  their  lives,  suffered  more  than 
those  who  were  burned  out  in  the  western  counties. 
Relief  was  longer  in  coming  to  them.  The  destruction 
at  New  Franken  and  Robinsonville,  in  Brown  County, 
northeast  of  Green  Bay,  have  been  described  in  the 
history  of  that  county,  with  the  progress  of  the  flames 
through  that  region.  The  fire  continued,  with  about 
the  same  rapidity,  up  the  eastern  shore  as  it  did  along 
the  western  shore,  the  tornado  moving  it  northeast. 
Passing  out  of  Brown  County,  it  swept  over  fullv  half 
of  Kewaunee  County,  the  loss  being  particularlv 
heavy  in  the  towns  of  Casco,  Red  Rivei',  Lincoln  and 
Ahnapee.  The  villages  escaped.  One  hundred  houses 
were  burned,  the  loss  to  property  being  estimated  at 
$250,000.  School-houses  were  burned  —  every  thing 
perishable  in  the  path  of  the  tempestuous  fire  disap- 
peared. Hundreds  of  families  were  made  homeless, 
and  many  deaths  occurred  through  fright,  as  well  as 
by  actual  l)uruing.  The  fire  sped  up  tlie  peninsula 
into  Door  County,  and  clearing  the  timbered  land  and 
scattering  liouse.s  and  barns,  and  human  and  brute  be- 
ings, before  it,  approached  VVilliamsonville.  This  was 
a  small  settlement  of  about  eighty  persons,  six  miles 
south  of  Little  Sturgeon,  which  had  been  built  up  by 
the  Williamsons,  father  and  sons,  who  were  operating 
a  flourishing  shingle  mill.  Connected  with  it  was  a 
store,  boarding-house  and  a  number  of  dwelling  houses. 
The  other  buildings  were  such  as  would  go  1;o  make 
up  a  growing  and  hopeful  little  viHage.  The  family 
of  eleven,  and  the  mill  hands,  had,  for  two  weeks 
previous  to  the  great  fire,  been  fighting  the  flames  in 
the  woods,  all  around  the  settlement,  and  had  appar- 
ently subdued  them.  A  clearing  of  ten  acres  had 
been  made,  and  around  tiiis  the  fire  continued  to  burn 
in  spots,  but  witli  no  appearance  of  concerted  action. 
On  Sunday  afternoon,  it  entered  what  was  called  the 
potato-patch,  but  was  extinguished  witliout  trouble. 
Water  was  hauled  to  tlie  mill,  as  a  measure  of  precau- 
tion, but  the  general  opinion  was  tliat  tlie  worst  of  the 
danger  liad  been  met.  Late  at  niglit,  after  tlie  same 
hush    which   preceded  the   death-blow    at    Peshtigo, 


heavy  puffs  of  wind  commenced  to  surge  up  from  the 
southwest.  Next  the  fire  balls  appeared  in  advance  of 
the  tornado  —  and  to  tiiis  phenomena  nearlj'  every  sur- 
vivor bears  witness;  then  the  rumbling  and  the  roar 
was  heard,  and  tlie  huge  bod}'  of  the  fire  came  rolling 
through  the  woods  and  over  the  trees.  Tlie  woods 
fell  and  crackled,  and  the  Williamsons,  and  the  whole 
village  of  men,  women  and  children,  were  either  bus}' 
changing  their  clothing  for  woolen  goods,  wetting 
down  the  buildings  and  covering  them  with  blankets, 
or  huddling  together  in  the  clearing.  The  women  and 
children  had  at  first  all  gathered  in  the  boarding-house, 
but  were  led  to  the  potato-patch  clearing,  when  it  be- 
came evident  that  the  fire  was  advancing  rapidly 
toward  the  settlement.  It  reached  the  village,  and  the 
scenes  of  Peshtigo  were  repeated,  only  on  a  smaller  scale. 
Men  and  women  fell  on  their  faces,  and  attempted  to  get 
a  breath  of  air  not  charged  with  blinding  fire  and  smoke 
and  stifling  vapors ;  others  rushed  wildly  on,  and  when 
they  saw  the  race  was  useless,  attempted  to  dash  out 
their  brains  against  stumps  or  trees ;  some  perished  in 
their  houses ;  groans  and  screams  of  agony  pierced 
even  the  roar  of  the  tempest ;  horses  galloped  and 
snorted,  in  speechless  terror,  through  the  whirling 
flames;  oxen  bellowed.  But  the  fury  of  the  tornado 
passed  quickly  on,  and  out  of  four  score,  only  seven- 
teen escaped.  Of  the  Williamson  family,  only  Mrs. 
Williamson  and  her  son,  Thomas,  remained.  They 
saved  themselves  by  wrapping  wet  blankets  around 
their  bodies.  Thirty-five  of  the  dead  lay  together  in 
one  heap,  in  the  center  of  the  clearing.  A  few  feet  off 
sat  Mrs.  Williamson,  badly  burned,  but  alive,  with  the 
charred  head  of  a  dead  woman  resting  upon  her  blan- 
ket. Of  seven  persons  who  jumped  into  a  well,  five 
came  out  alive.  These  fortunate  cases  were  excep- 
tions. Williamsonville  was  nothing  but  a  name.  The 
town  of  Nasewaupee  suffered  severely.  Gardner, 
Union,  Brussels,  Forestville  and  Clay  Banks  were 
swept,  and  hundreds  of  narrow  escapes  are  recorded. 
Green  Bay  and  the  drenching  rain  of  Monday  night, 
October  9,  stayed  the  further  progress  to  the  north 
of  this  awful  devastation. 

AFTER   THE   FIRE — RELIEF. 

Monday  morning  dawned  over  a  scene  of  waste  and 
death.  The  dead  lay  in  every  conceivable  posture  of 
agony  throughout  the  Sugar  Bush  district,  and  in  what 
were,  the  day  before,  the  streets  of  Peshtigo.  Surviv- 
ors flocked  into  Oconto,  Marinette  and  Menominee,  hun- 
gry, blistered,  some  with  limbs  hanging  useless,  blind 
and  heartbroken.  The  first  news  of  the  Peshtigo  ca- 
lamity reached  Marinette  through  John  Mulligan,  who 
walked  to  the  latter  place,  and  at  once  conveyed  the 
soul-sickening  news  to  Isaac  Stephenson  and  A.  C. 
Brown,  of  the  N.  Ludington  Company.  Teams  loaded 
with  provisions  were  soon  on  their  way  to  the  cold  and 
hungry  people  of  Peshtigo.  Some  on  foot,  and  others 
maimed  and  helpless  were  already  on  their  way  to  the 
settlement  at  Peshtigo  Harbor  or  Marinette.  The  Dun- 
lap  House,  its  proprietor  then  being  J.  M.  Belanger, 
was  transformed  into  a  hospital.  The  local  physicians 
volunteered  their  services  free,  private  houses  even 
were  thrown  open,  and  tiie  village  was  soon  engaged  in 
one  grand  effort  to  alleviate  the  suffering  of  the  stricken 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


583 


survivors.  At  Menominee,  also,  the  same  generosity- 
prevailed.  No  one  could  be  too  open  with  his  purse. 
Tables  were  spread  for  the  famished  at  the  Kirby 
House  and  other  hotels,  business  houses  loaded  them 
with  food,  physicians,  without  hope  of  reward,  were  en- 
gaged in  allaying  other  bodily  suffering,  and  generosity 
reigned  supreme.  At  this  point,  sjiecial  mention  is 
made  of  the  untiring  labors  of  Dr.  G.  L.  Brunschweiler, 
of  Appleton,  who  happened  to  be  in  Menominee,  and 
Dr.  Jones,  of  Marinette.  As  tales  of  suffering  and  patliet- 
ic  evidences  in  the  persons  of  tlie  victims  themselves 
continued  to  pour  into  the  two  villages,  it  became  evi- 
dent that  the  calamity  was  even  more  fearful  than  at  first 
supposed.  Through  the  suggestion  of  Isaac  Stephen- 
son, the  Mayors  of  Green  Bay,  Oshkosh,  Fond  du  Lac 
and  Milwaukee,  and  Governor  Fairchild,  were  tele- 
graphed to  for  assistance,  as  the  needs  of  the  stricken 
counties  were  greater  than  the  places  which  escaped 
the  fire  could  satisfy.  Gov.  Fairchild  was  not  in  Madi- 
son when  the  message  reached  the  city,  but  his  noble- 
hearted  wife,  seeing  tiie  terrible  urgencj'  of  the  situa- 
tion, through  her  own  individual  efforts,  had  clothes 
and  food  on  the  wa}^  to  Marinette  in  an  almost  incredi- 
ble .sliort  space  of  time. 

When  tidings  reached  the  Governor,  he  established 
a  hospital  at  the  latter  place,  and  put  it  in  charge  of 
Dr.  B.  T.  Phillips,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  He  himself  visited 
Peshtigo,  at  once,  and  proved  that  he  possessed  the 
same  kind  and  humane  spirit  which  had  animated  his 
wife.  When  news  of  the  calamity  reached  Chicago, 
William  B.  Ogden,  the  father  and  business  life  of 
Peshtigo,  took  the  first  train  for  the  desolated  village, 
and  soon  was  upon  the  ground  and  in  Marinette,  to  en- 
courage, cheer  and  assist  the  sufferers.  The  relief  com- 
mittee, which  was  organized  in  Marinette,  consisted  of 
D.  Clint.  Prescott,  chairman,  A.  C.  Brown  and  A.  C. 
Merryman,  and  what  effective  work  they  did  not  do  for 
the  next  few  days  after  the  fire,  would  be  beyond  the 
power  of  strength  and  executive  force  to  perform. 
They  had  more  than  1,200  people  under  their  care,  and 
not  only  distributed  clothing,  food,  etc.,  but  lumber  and 
building  material  to  replace  farm  houses  and  barns 
which  had  been  so  ruthlessly  destroyed.  But  even  after 
the  central  committees  of  relief  had  been  formed  in 
Green  Bay  and  Milwaukee,  and  money,  clothing  and 
food  poured  from  all  over  this  country  and  Europe,  it 
seemed  almost  impossible  to  replace  in  any  marked  de- 
gree the  loss  which  had  been  sustained  by  the  bay  coun- 
ties. The  bodies  maimed  and  burned,  and  the  hearts 
made  to  ache  could  never  be  replaced  or  healed.  The 
work  of  relief  continued  for  months,  by  private  effort. 
State  and  national  aid.  Capt.  A.  J.  Langworthy,  who 
acted  as  general  agent  for  the  burned  districts,  has  the 
praise  which  earnest  labor  merits. 

Up  to  March  1, 1872,  the  total  cash  receipts  at  Green 
Bay  and  Milwaukee  are  estimated  at  1350,000.  Large 
sums  were  also  sent  direct  to  local  relief  committees, 
and  private  charities,  which  will  only  see  the  light  of 
heaven,  were  unbounded.  The  one  compensation  which 
Providence  holds  out  for  the  raging  of  such  calamities 
as  the  Chicago  and  Northern  Wisconsin  fires,  is  that 
men's  hearts  are  softened  and  expanded  thereby.  The 
particular  work  of  relief  carried  on  at  Green  Bay,  one 
of  the  central  depots,  is  set  forth  in  detail  in  the  histo- 


ry of  Brown  County ;  also  the  progress  of  the  fire 
through  the  northern  sections  of  that  county,  and  its 
near  approach  to  Green  Bay  and  Fort  Howard.  Its 
grand  and  irresistible  sweep  of  October  8, 1871,  has 
been  sketched  as  a  continuous  narrative,  however,  to 
preserve  its  grandeur  and  present  a  general,  yet  it  is 
hoped  a  forcible  and  truthful,  account  of  its  ravages. 

MARINETTE. 

Menekaune,  which  is  considered  a  part  of  Marinette,  was 
laid  out  by  the  New  York  Lumber  Company  in  February, 
1856.  Additions  were  afterward  made  by  T.  Stephenson 
&  Co.,  N.  Ludington  Co.,  Menominee  River  Lumber  Co., 
etc.  The  latter  platted  all  below  N.  Ludington  Co.  addition 
in  1874.  Theoriginal  plat  of  Marinette  was  laid  out  and  re- 
corded'by  John  B.  Jacobs,  the  son  of  Marinette,  in  April,  1858. 
He  had  come  into  possession  of  the  site  of  the  old  Chap- 
pieu  trading  post  and  erected  a  dwelling  house  in  1846. 
Additions  have  since  been  made,  principally  by  the  differ- 
ent lumbering  companies.  The  original  plat  made  by  Mr. 
Jacobs  embraces  the  land  between  John  and  Wisconsin  and 
Third  and  Maine. 

In  the  Fall  of  1857  the  families  depending  upon  the 
Kimball  and  Brown  mill  made  an  earnest  plea  for  school 
accommodations  of  some  kind,  and,  through  the  exertions 
of  Dr.  J.  J.  Sherman,  a  class  was  opened  in  the  upper 
story  of  Burleigh  Perkin's  old  building.  During  the  next 
Suuuner  the  New  York  Lumber  Company,  operating  at 
Menekaune,  built  a  small  school-house  on  the  site  of  the 
building  erected  for  the  same  purpose  in  1879.  The 
school  districts  were  consolidated  in  i86j,  and  the  union 
school  erected.  This  is  soon  to  be  displaced  by  a  fine 
structure  costing  $16,000.  The  Ella  court-school-house 
was  erected  in  1875,  at  a  cost,  with  site,  of  $6,500.  The 
three  buildings  have  accommodations  for  9S0  pupils. 
Marinette  and  Menekaune  are  in  District  No.  i,  which 
comprises  the  Weisnaar,  Winesville,  Rawnsville,  Cook,  Flor- 
ence and  Commonwealth  districts.  The  Florence  build- 
ing accommodates   120  scholars. 

The  Marinette  Fire  Department  was  organized  in 
December,  1871.  It  is  composed  of  two  companies — one 
engine  company  and  one  hook  and  ladder — with  a  strength 
of  16  members.  A  new  engine  house  on  Main  street  is 
about  to  be  erected,  which  will  cost  $8,000. 

THE    PRESS. 

The  Marinette  and'Peshtigo  Eagle  was  established  at  Mar- 
inette in  June,  1871,  the  first  number  being  issued  June  5 
of  that  year.  It  was  first  published  as  an  eight-column, 
four-page,  folio  sheet — four  pages.  It  was  a  successful  ven- 
ture from  the  start,  and  received  a  liberal  support.  In 
June,  1875,  Luther  B.  Noyes,  its  founder  and  owner,  sold 
the  paper  to  Henry  Harris,  who  afterward  changed  the  form 
to  a  five-column  quarto.  In  January,  1880,  Mr.  Noyes,  the 
former  owner,  repurchased  the  office  and  again  assumed 
proprietorship,  enlarging  the  Eagle  the  following  Summer 
to  a  six-column  quarto  and  adding  about  $3,000  to  the 
presses  and  material  in  the  office.     The  Eagle  has  a  very 


S84 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


large  circulation  for  a  local  weekly  pajier,  is  as  neatly  print- 
ed as  any  paper  in  the  West  and  is  rated  among  the  best 
local  journals  in  Wisconsin.  One  feature  of  its  present 
management  is  particularly  noticeable,  and  that  is  its  free- 
dom from  foreign  humbug  advertisements.  It  is  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  makes  a  specialty  of  the  local  transac- 
tions of  Marinette,  Peshtigo  and  the  surrounding  country. 
From  an  insignificant  affair  in  1 87 1  it  has  grown  into  a  large, 
well  edited  and  influential  paper,  and  is  worked  off  by 
steam  weekly.  Its  enterprise  has  always  fully  kept  pace 
with  the  wonderful  development  of  the  locality  where  it  is 
published  and  it  is  justly  held  in  great  esteem  by  all  of  the 
old_settlers  and  substantial  citizens. 

T/ie  North  S/a r  \va.s  established  October  21,  1880,  by 
Russell  &  Murphy.  The  firm  continued  to  publish  the 
paper  until  June  i,  1881,  when  Mr.  Russell  sold  out  to 
Jerre  C.  Murphy,  present  editor  and  proprietor.  It  is  a 
five-column  quarto,  issued  weekly,  on  Friday,  is  crisp  and 
readable,  and  Democratic  in  politics. 

CHURCHES. 

S(.  Mary's  {Cat/iol!i:).—  ln  the  Summer  of  1868,  the 
Catholics  commenced  the  erection  of  a  church  edifice,  wliich 
was  completed  the  ne.xt  year.  In  1870,  a  priest's  house  and 
school  building  was  erected,  but  the  fire  of  1871  swept 
everything  away.  Rev.  Father  Pernin  was  then  in  charge 
of  the  Church,  and  at  once  went  to  St.  Louis  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  money  to  put  it  on  its  feet  again,  so  successful 
was  he,  that  in  the  Spring  of  1872,  the  present  fine  edifice 
was  commenced  and  completed,  ready  for  occupancy  in  1874. 
In  the  meantime  the  Sisters'  House  or  convent,  was  used  as 
a  church.  The  foundation  of  the  church  was  laid  by  Bishop 
Melcher,  in  the  Spring  of  1873.  The  entire  property,  in- 
cluding the  priest's  residence,  which  was  erected  later,  is 
valued  at  $25,000.  Father  A.  T.  Shuttlehoefer,  is  the  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation,  which  numbers  300  families.  Con- 
nected with  the  Church  is  a  Total  Abstinence  Society,  which 
is  growing  in  numbers  and  influence. 

Pioneer  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  in  1863,  by 
Rev.  John  Fairchild,  and  the  building  erected  in  1870.  A 
parsonage  was  built  in  1879,  which  with  the  land  donated 
by  the  N.  Ludington  Company,  will  make  the  value  of  the 
church  property,  $10,000.  Rev.  John  Fairchild  continued 
in  his  pastorage  until  1871,  from  which  time  to  1873,  there 
being  no  settled  pastor.  In  that  year,  Rev.  G.  S.  Woodhull, 
present  pastor,  assumed  charge,  and  has  continued  in  that 
position,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Europe 
and  the  Holy  Land.  The  present  membership  is  100,  the 
society  being  strong  and  flourishing. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  C//«rr//,  organized  April  3,  1870, 
and  the  building  erected  the  same  year  and  the  next.  Its 
first  pastor  was  Rev.  H.  B.  Crandall.  The  Church  has  a 
membership,  at  present  of  85,  Rev.  G.  S.  Hubbs  being  in 
charge.     The  value  of  the  property  is  $4,500. 

St.  Paul's  Church  {Episcopal),  organized  in  1873,  by 
Bishop  Armitage,  Rev.  F.  Moore  being  its  pastor.  The 
building  was  not  erected  until  1881,  the  value  of  the  prop- 


erty being  $3,500.  Rev.  William  Dafter,  present  pastor, 
took  charge  in  1S79.     The  membership  of  the  Church  is  60. 

The  First  Baptist  Church,  organized  in  1878,  by  Rev.  H. 
W.  Stearns,  State  Sunday  School  Missionary,  and  Dr. 
Hanshaw,  of  Fort  Howard.  In  September,  1880,  Rev.  A. 
C.  Blackman,  present  pastor,  was  put  in  charge.  The  mem- 
bership is  forty-five  and  increasing.  The  congregation 
worships  in  Temple  of  Honor  Hall,  but  money  is  being 
raised  for  the  erection  of  a  church  building. 

Our  Saviour's  Congregation  {Lutheran),  was  organized  in 
1872,  by  Rev.  John  Olsen,  and  a  church  building  erected 
in  1877,  at  a  cost  of  $1,600.  Present  membership  made  up 
of  a  varied  foreign  population,  is  no.  Rev.  T.  H.  Dahl, 
pastor. 

There  is  a  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which 
worships  in  a  neat  edifice,  and  is  increasing  in  number  and 
influence. 

SOCIETIES. 

Marinette  Lodge,  No.  182,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  organized 
June  19,  1 87 1,  receiving  its  charter  on  that  day.  D.  C. 
Prescott  was  its  first  W.  M.,  its  present  officer,  A.  I^L  Fair- 
child.     Its  membership  is  fifty-eight. 

Marinette  Lodge,  No.  189,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  organized  March 
21,  1871.  Dr.  J.  J.  Sherman  was  its  first  N.  G.,  and  John 
Dean  its  present.     Membership,  fifty. 

Temple  of  Honor,  No.  116,  organized  March  17,  1877. 
Its  present  membership  is  100.     William  Gothard,  C.  T. 

United  Workmen,  No.  50,  organized  in  December,  1879. 
Dr.  H.  E.  Mann,  M.  W.  Present  membership,  forty.  Sam- 
uel Wells,  M.  W. 

A  growing  lodge  of  Royal  Arcanum  and  several  minor 
organizations  sustain  Marinette's  reputation  as  a  locality 
fully  up  to  the  average  in  the  particular  of  possessing  the 
benevolent  and   reformatory   spirit,   outside    its    churches. 

The  free  library  is  also  getting  to  be  quite  a  social  force. 
It  is  in  charge  of  C.  M.  Fairchild. 

PRESENT    MANUFACTURES. 

Menominee  River  Lumber  Company. — A  mill  was 
erected  on  the  Menominee  River  by  the  New  York 
Lumber  Campany,  in  1856,  being  situated  near  its  mouth  at 
Menekaune.  It  is  said  $80,000  was  expended  upon  it  be- 
fore a  board  was  sawed.  In  1858,  the  company  went  into 
bankruptcy,  and  the  mill  was  run  by  various  parties  for 
three  years,  when  it  came  under  the  able  management  of 
Jesse  Spalding,  of  Chicago,  and  A.  C.  Brown,  of  Marinette. 
Philetus  Sawyer  afterward  held  a  large  interest,  and  was 
president  of  the  company.  Although  the  mills  were  totally 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1869  and  187 1,  men  were  at  the  helm 
who  could  not  be  bufieted,  and,  in  1872,  a  new  establish- 
ment was  in  operation  upon  the  same  spot  where  these  dis- 
asters occurred.  During  this  year  the  company  was  incor- 
porated, under  its  present  name,  with  the  following  officers ; 
W.  D.  lioughteling,  president;  H.  Williston,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  O.  R.  Johnson,  of  Racine,  is  now  president, 
and  Jesse  Spalding,  of  Chicago,  vice-president.  The  mill 
has  a  capacity  of  175,000  feet  of  lumber,  200,000  shingles 
and    175,000   lath  per  day.     M.   Corry  is  superintendent. 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


585 


Most  of  the  lands  of  the  company  are  situated  on  the  Me- 
nominee side. 

N.  Ludingion  Company. —  In  1856-57,  N.  Ludington  & 
Co.,  of  Chicago,  erected  the  mill  on  Mission  Point,  which 
formed  the  nucleus  of  their  immense  business  in  this  section 
of  Wisconsin.  The  firm  then  consisted  of  Nelson  Luding- 
ton, of  Chicago,  and  Harrison  Ludington  and  Daniel 
Wells,  Jr.,  of  Milwaukee.  During  the  first  year  the  mill 
was  run  under  a  contract  by  Kimball  &  Brown.  May  15, 
1858,  Isaac  Stephenson  bought  a  one-fourth  interest  from 
the  company,  which  was  then  known  as  N.  Ludington  & 
Co.,   of  Chicago,  and   I.    Stephenson  &  Co.,  of  Marinette. 


manufacture  for  this  season  is  placed  at  36,000,000,  so  that 
the  company  has  no  occasion  to  dread  a  timber  famine  for 
some  years  to  come,  even  if  no  more  land  is  bought.  This 
organization,  the  strongest  in  the  Northwest,  owns  and 
operates  a  water-power  mill  on  the  Escanaba  River,  Mich., 
four  miles  from  the  village,  which  has  a  capacity  of  50,000 
feet  per  day,  and  a  shingle  mill  at  Marinette,  of  55,000 
capacity,  beside  its  principal  establishment  at  the  latter 
place,  of  175,000  capacity.  Its  carrying  fleet  consists  of 
the  tug  "  Bismarck,"  the  largest  in  the  trade,  and  nine  barges 
of  which  the  company  owns  a  third  interest,  and  the 
schooner   "Bertha  Barnes."     This  barge  line,  the  most  ex- 


MARINETTE 


In  the  Winter  of  1863,  Harrison  Ludington  sold  one-eighth 
of  his  interest  to  Anthony  G.  Van  Schaick,  of  Chicago.  In 
1867,  Mr.  Stephenson  sold  one-eighth  of  his  interest  to  A. 
C.  Brown,  of  Marinette.  The  next  year  the  former  pur- 
chased the  interests  of  Messrs.  H.  Ludington  and  VanSchaick, 
and  the  company  was  incorporated  under  the  name  by 
which  it  has  since  been  known.  "  N.  Ludington  Company," 
with  officers  as  follows  :  N.  Ludington,  president ;  A.  C. 
Brown,  vice-president ;  E.  B.  Rice,  secretary.  Mr.  Brown 
was  superintendent  until  1872,  when  Mr.  Stephenson  pur- 
chased his  interest,  after  which  the  officers  were:  N.  Lud- 
ington, president;  I.  Stephenson,  vice-president;  E.  H. 
Denison,  secretary  ;  Caleb  Williams,'superintendent.  The  N. 
Ludington  Co.  owns  130,000  acres  of  land  in  Marinette  and 
Oconto  counties.  Wis.,  and  in  Menominee,  Delta  and  Mar- 
quette counties,  Mich.,  and  the  estimated  amount  of  timber 
"in  sight"  is   from   500,000,000  to  600,000,000  feet.     The 


tensive  on  the  lakes,  is  used  in  the  transportation  of  lumber 
to  Chicago,  and  the  transit  business,  like  every  other  de- 
partment of  the  immense  system,  has  been  so  thoroughly 
arranged  that  three  of  the  barges  are  always  loading  at 
the  mills,  three  are  unloading  at  the  yards  in  Chicago,  and 
three  are  on  their  passage  between  the  two  points.  The 
entire  product  of  the  mills  is  retailed  in  Chicago.  In  the 
carrying  on  of  the  immense  industry  and  trade  of  the  N. 
Ludington  Company,  400  men  are  employed.  To  the 
foresight  and  enterprise  of  three  men  is  the  up-building  of 
this  powerful  corporation  mostly  due — Nelson  Ludington, 
Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  and  Isaac  Stephenson. 

The  Hamilton  6^  Aferryman  Company  originated  in  the 
business  firm  of  Hamilton,  Merryman  &  Co.,  who  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  mill  in  1868.  Soon  after  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  partnership,  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Mer- 
ryman   bought  out   the   smaller  interests.      The   principal 


586 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


buildings,  which  go  now  to  make  up  the  quite  imposing  col- 
lection, were  erected  in  iS6S.  Among  others,  a  large 
boarding-house  was  built  for  the  accommodation  of  em- 
ployes and  their  families.  The  firm,  which  consisted  of  I. 
K.  and  W.  C.  Hamilton,  remained  intact  for  six  years,  when 
the  McDonalds  purchased  the  interests  of  the  remaining 
partners,  and  Messrs.  Merryman  &  Hunter  bought  what  was 
then  known  as  the  Hawkins'  Mill.  This  they  operated 
from  1861-67,  at  which  time  Mr.  Merryman  removed  to 
Marinette,  the  business  of  Hamilton,  Merryman  &  Co.  hav- 
ing been  established  several  months  previously.  His  con- 
nection with  it  since  then  will  be  traced  in  the  sketch  of 
the  corporation  given  above.  The  company  also  own,  in 
addition  to  the  mill  property,  the  Perkins  Mine,  in  the  Me- 
nominee Range,  east  of  the  Norway..  It  was  leased,  how- 
ever, to  the  Saginaw  Mining  Company,  under  whose  aus- 
pices it  was  opened  in  the  Winter  of  1878-9.  Subsequent- 
ly, the  lease  was  transferred  to  the  Cleveland  Rolling  Mill 
Company,  and  the  name  of  the  mine  changed  to  the  Perkins, 
in  honor  of  Capt.  John  Perkins,  the  superintendent.  The 
product,  this  season,  will  amount  to  60,000  tons. 

The  H.  Witbeck  Company.  —  What  was  known  as  the 
Fred.  Carney  Mill  was  erected  in  1867  by  Daniel  Wells,  Jr., 
of  Milwaukee,  Andrew  Stephenson,  of  Menominee,  and 
Louis  Gram,  of  Marinette.  The  last  two  sold  their  inter- 
ests to  Fred  Carney  and  Heniy  Witbeck,  and  in  1870  the 
company  was  incorporated  under  its  present  name,  with  of- 
ficers as  follows  :  Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  president ;  Henry  Wit- 
beck, vice-president ;  John  Witbeck,  secretary;  and  Fred- 
erick Carney,  superintendent.  The  company  owns  large 
tracts  of  pine  lands,  the  capacity  of  its  mill  being  175,000 
feet  of  lumber  daily.     About  140  men  are  employed. 

The  McCartney  MiH.  —  \n  1866,  William  McCartney 
built  a  mill  below  that  erected  by  Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  the 
Fred  Carney  Mill.  It  was  burned  in  the  fire  of  1S71,  and 
another  completed  in  the  Summer  of  1872.  In  April,  18S1, 
Edward  Scofield  leased  it  of  Mr.  McCartney,  and  is  now 
operating  it.     It  has  a  capacity  of  100,000  feet  daily. 

R.  II'.  Merryman  iJ//// was  commenced  in  April,  1878, 
and  completed  the  same  Fall.  It  is  owned  and  operated 
by  Mr.  Merryman,  who  employs  forty  men.  The  capacity 
of  the  mill  is  50,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  90,000  shin- 
gles and  18,000  lath.     It  is  running  full  force. 

Sawyer,  Goo/fman  <5f  Co. — The  mill  operated  by  this 
firm  was  erected  in  the  Summer  of  1880,  and  has  a  capacity 
of  60,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  75,000  shingles  and  15,- 
000  lath.  The  company  owns  lands  on  the  Menominee,  and 
is  officered  as  follows :  President,  Philetus  Sawyer,  Osh- 
kosh;  Vice-president.  Edgar  P.  Sawyer;  Treasurer,  Wm. 
O.  Goodman  ;  Secretary,  James  B.  Goodman. 

/awes  T7L>cedies  Planitt};  Mill.— In  1867,  William  Goth- 
ard,  W.  K.  White  and  William  A.  Ellis,  of  Peshtigo,  erected 
a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  on  the  Joe  Bart  Island.  In 
1870,  it  was  burned,  with  the  D.  Clint.  Prescott  Machine 
Shop.  Ely  Wright  purchased  the  machinery  and  built  on  a 
smaller  scale,  taking  James  Tweedie  into  partnership.  The 
mill  was  burned  again  in  1875.     The  present  structure  was 


erected  in  1879.  Thebusiness  has  been  managed  by  James 
Tweedie,  present  proprietor,  for  nearly  two  years.  The 
mill  employs  thirty  men,  and  this  season's  business  is  esti- 
mated at  $75,000. 

The  Meno?ninee  River  Manufacturing  Company  was  in- 
corporated in  1866,  its  first  ofificers,  elected  in  1867,  being: 
Harrison  Ludinglon,  president  ;  Isaac  Stephenson,  vice- 
president ;  Augustus  C.  Brown,  secretary  and  treasurer.  It 
was  organized  in  the  interest  of  the  prominent  mill  owners 
in  this  region,  for  the  purpose  of  sorting  and  dividing  their 
logs.  A  dam  at  the  head  of  the  rapids,  between  Marinette 
and  Menominee,  other  dams  below,  piers  and  dividing 
booms  were  constructed,  so  that  now  the  system  is  com- 
plete. The  company  controls  all  future  improvements  of 
this  kind.  Its  present  officers  are:  H.  Ludington,  presi- 
dent; I.  Stephenson,  vice-president;  Charles  J.  Ellis,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer;  Harrison  Ludington,  I.  Stephenson, 
F.  Carney,  A.  C.  Merryman,  S.  M.  Stephenson,  Jesse  Spald- 
ing, A.  A.  Carpenter,  W.  O.  Goodman,  board  of  directors. 

THE    IRON    INDUSTRIES. 

The  Menominee  Mining  Company  was  formed  in  Novem- 
ber, 1876.  Explorations  and  examinations,  however,  had 
been  made  four  years  previous.  With  the  advice  and  con- 
sent of  the  late  Capt.  E.  B.  Ward,  J.  J.  Hagerman,  as  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Milwaukee  Iron  Company,  took  the  first 
practical,  decisive  and  effective  steps  in  the  development  of 
the  Menominee  districts  ;  and  to  Thomas  and  Bartley  Breen, 
the  late  Judge  E.  S.  Ingalls  and  S.  P.  Saxton  belongs  the 
credit  of  having  first  aroused  the  interest  and  enthusiasm 
of  capitalists  to  the  grand  wealth  of  this  region,  the  Breen 
mine  having  been  discovered  by  the  two  brothers  named 
above,  in  1867.  The  explorations  of  1872,  put  on  foot  by 
the  Milwaukee  Iron  Company,  were  under  the  charge  of 
N.  P.  Hulst,  and  were  continued  until  early  in  1874,  with 
encouraging  results,  the  Vulcan  mine  having  been  discov- 
ered in  1873.  During  the  same  year,  John  L.  Buell  made 
explorations  which  led  to  the  opening  of  the  Quinnesec 
mine.  In  1872,  the  Iron  Company  did  some  work  at  the 
Breen,  under  an  ojition  for  a  lease,  but,  in  the  Fall,  opera- 
tions were  transferred  to  the  Vulcan,  four  miles  west.  As 
stated,  the  Mining  Company  was  formed  in  1876,  but  the 
lack  of  proper  railroad  facilities  delayed  further  advance- 
ment. Through  the  combined  efforts  of  the  Mining  Com- 
pany, generaled  by  J.  J.  Hagerman,  and  H.  H.  Porter,  a 
director  in  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  Com- 
pany, the  Menominee  River  railroad  was  built,  being  com- 
pleted to  the  Breen  and  Vulcan  mines  in  1877.  The  line 
extends  north  from  Menominee  forty  miles,  to  a  point 
within  twelve  miles  of  the  Breen  and  Emmet  mines,  and 
from  thence  east  to  Escanaba,  twenty-four  miles.  From 
this  time  dates  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Menominee  District, 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  Menominee  Mining  Company. 
From  August,  1877,  to  the  close  of  i8So,  the  product  of  the 
Vulcan  mine  was  187,343  tons.  The  Norway  mine  was 
first  worked  in  August,  1878,  under  a  lease  from  the  Portage 
Lake  &  Lake  Superior  Ship  Canal  Company,  and  since 
then  up  to  the  close  of  the  season  of  1880,  the  shipments 


HISTORY    OF    MARINETTE    COUNTY. 


587 


have  been  279,060.  The  product  of  18S0  was  198,165  tons, 
said  to  be  the  greatest  amount  ever  produced  in  the  world 
by  a  mine  so  recently  opened.  The  Cyclops  was  opened 
in   October,  1878,   and   the  shipments,  up  to  the  close  of 

,  1880,    amounted    to    66,554    tons.      Shipments    from    the 

Quinnesec  mine  were  first  made  in  the  Spring  of  1878,  and 
the  product  for  the  three  years  aggregated  120,315.  The 
first  shipments  from  the  Chapin  mine,  operated  under  a 
lease — as  is  the  Quinnesec — were  made  in  June,  1880,  and 
amounted,  that  season,  to  34,556   tons.     This  is  considered 

j  one  of  the  most  promising  mines  on  the  range.     The  Vul- 

j!  can,  Cyclops,  Norway,  Quinnesec  and  Chapin  mines  are  all 

in  Michigan.  One  only,  operated  by  the  Menominee  Min- 
ing Company,  is  in  Wisconsin — the  Florence  mine,  situated 
eighteen  miles  northwest  of  the  village  of  Quinnesec. 
Discovery  of  ore  was  originally  made  by  H.  D.  Fisher,  in 
October,  1874,  but  work  was  not  actively  commenced  until 
in  the  Winter  of  1879-80,  the  railroad  not  having  reached 
the  mine  until  October,  1S80.  About  30,000  tons  were  mined 
during  the  Winter,  and  work  is  now  actively  progressing. 
These  six  mines  are  owned  by  the  Mining  Company,  either 

j  in   fee  simple  or  by  leasehold,  and  explorations  are  being 

pushed  in  every  quarter,  under  the  able  and  energetic  su- 
perintendency  of  N.  P.  Hulst.  Since  the  incorporation  of  the 
company,  he  has  held  this  position.  A.  C.  Brown,  who  from 
the  start  has  remained  President  Hagerman's  right-hand 
supporter,  is  its  general  agent,  and  to  him  is  its  position  as 

'  one  of  the  most  successful  mining  companies  in  the  world, 

greatly  due.  J.  H.  Van  Dyke,  of  Milwaukee,  vice-presi- 
dent, has  also  given  time,  money  and  earnest  endeavor  to 
make  the  Menominee  Mining  Company  what  it  is.  The 
company,  this  season,  will  ship  500,000  tons  of  ore,  and  its 
railroad  facilities  are  being  extended  from  Florence  to 
Crystal  Falls,  seventeen  miles. 

;  The  Marinette  Iron  Works  Company.— In   1867,  D.  Clint 

Prescott,  with  Messrs.  Trumbull  and  Cruver,  erected  build- 

'■  ings  for  a  machine  shop,  the  repairs  and  manufacture  of 

saw-mill  and  mining  machinery  having  been  previously 
done  in  Green  Bay  or  Chicaga.  The  power  was  derived  from 
the  planing-mill.  The  works  were  run  under  the  firm  name 
of  D.  Clint  Prescott  &  Co.  until  1870.  When  about  to 
move  into  new  quarters,  on  Main  street,  his  shop  was 
burned,   with    the   James    Tweedie    planing-mill.      In    the 

I  same  year  (1870),  the  Marinette  Iron  Works   Company  was 

incorporated,  and  business  established  at  the  present  loca- 

,  tion.      Its  officers  are:  Austin  Cruver,  of  Chicago,   presi- 

dent; R.  H.  Trumbull,  treasurer;  D.  Clint  Prescott,  secre- 

[  tary  and  general  manager.    Saw-mill  machinery,  car  wheels, 

j  and  pumping  machinery  for  mining  operations  are  princi- 

;  pally  manufactured.     About   140  men  are  employed.     The 

large  foundry  building,  now  nearly  completed,  will  double 
he  capacity  of  the  establishment,  and  make  it  the  most 
complete  of  any  outside  of  Milwaukee — hardly  second  to 
any  there,  excepting  E.  P.  Allis's  Reliance  Works.  This  is 
one  of  the  industries  in  which  Marinette  takes  a  just  pride. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

Marinette  Paper  Company. — Although  incorporated  un 
der  this  name  in  the  Winter  of  1880,  the  works  are  situated 
on  the  Michigan  side.  The  works  were  really  first  put  in 
operation  in  the  Summer  of  that  year,  experimenting  having 
been  going  on  for  some  time  previous.  The  manufactory 
turns  out  wood  pulp  by  a  new  process,  the  patent  of  its 
superintendent,  W.  R.  Patrick.  Ten  tons  a  day  is  the 
present  amount  manufactured.  Thirty  hands  are  employed. 
The  company's  property,  buildings,  land,  water  power,  etc., 
is  valued  at  $40,000,  C.  M.  Smith,  of  Chicago,  being  presi- 
dent, and  J.  W.  French,  of  Three  Rivers,  Mich.,  vice 
president. 

McGinty,  IVa/ile  fif  McGloin,  flour  /«///^.— This  is  the 
only  establishment  of  the  kind  in  Wisconsin,  north  of 
Oconto.  The  building  was  erected  in  the  Fall  of  1879,  and 
the  mills  commenced  to  grind  in  January,  18S0.  Their 
capacity  is  100  barrels  of  flour  per  day,  and  ten  tons  of 
feed. 

BANKING    FACILITIES. 

The  Stephenson  Banking  Company. — Both  Marinette  and 
Menominee  rely  upon  the  above  company  for  their  banking 
accommodations.  It  was  organtied  October  28,  1874,  by 
Isaac  Stephenson,  Samuel  M.  Stephenson,  Augustus  Spies, 
J.  W.  P.  Lombard,  and  Robert  Stephenson,  the  present 
directors.  It  does  a  general  banking  business,  and  has  a 
capital  of  $25,000.  Present  officers:  Isaac  Stephenson, 
president ;  S.  M.  Stephenson,  vice  president ;  J.  W.  P.  Lom- 
bard, cashier. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

D.  O.  BABBITT,  foreman  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  round  house,  Mari- 
nette. Born  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  when  four  years  old  he  came  to 
Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  with  his  parents.  He  remained  at  liome  till 
the  age  of  twentv-one,  then  went  to  Pennsylvania  and  worked  at  the 
lumber  business  six  years.  He  enlisted  in  1S64,  Co.  M.  21st  Pa.  Cav, 
Served  six  months,  and  returned  to  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.  In  about 
1S6S.  came  to  Chicago;  thence  to  Marengo,  III.  Worked  on  a  farm  till 
the  Spring  of  1S74,  when  he  came  to  Marinette,  and  has  since  been  in 
the  employ  of  this  company. 

WILLIAM  S.  BAKER,  insurance,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington County,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  in  1867.  Was  em- 
ployed as  book-keeper  for  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.  till  the  Fall  of  1 871, 
when  he  came  to  Marinette.  Was  book-keeper  for  Hamilton,  Merryman 
&  Co.  till  the  Spring  of  1874,  when  he  commenced  his  present  business. 
He  has  been  four  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  two  years 
Chairman  of  the  Board.     Has  also  been  Assessor. 

ANTON  B.\RTOL,  meat  market,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Luxem- 
burg, born  in  1836.  When  two  years  and  a  half  old,  his  parents  came 
to  Port  Washington,  Wis.  There  he  was  raised.  In  lS6r,  he  came  to 
Peshtigo,  and  worked  in  a  meat  market  till  1S71,  when  he  came  to  Mene- 
kaune  and  opened  a  meat  market.  Was  burned  out  in  the  Fall.  He 
then  opened  a  shop  in  Marinette,  and  has  since  continued  this  business. 

J.  BRINN.-\N,  saloon  and  music  hall,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of 
Ireland.  Came  to  New  York  City  in  1S36,  with  his  parents.  In  1844, 
came  to  Oswego  ;  in  1859.  came  to  Chicago;  in  1861,  he  returned  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  193d  N.  Y.  Inf.  Served  two 
years  and  nine  months.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Winchester 
and  others.  In  1864,  went  to  Saginaw.  There  followed  the  lumber 
business  till  1869,  when  he  came  to  Muskegon,  Mich.  In  1870,  came  to 
Oshkosh,  Wis.;  thence  to  Green  Bay.  In  187S,  came  to  Marinette,  and 
started  this  business. 

A.  C.  BROWN,  general  agent  of  the  Menominee  Mining  Co.,  was 
born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  10,  1S33.  He  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1855,  when  he  re- 
moved to  the  West,  and  settled  in  Pensaukee.      There  he  was  employed 


S88 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


five  years  by  F.  B.  Gardner,  the  lumberman.  Coming  to  Marinette,  he 
connected  himself  with  Wells  &  Spalding,  afterwards  the  Menominee 
River  Lumber  Co.  Mr.  Brown  remained  with  them  seven  years,  next 
buying  an  interest  in  the  N.  Ludington  Co.  In  1S72  he  sold  his  inter- 
est, and  engaged  in  the  banking  business  until  March,  1S77.  Upon  be- 
coming general  agent  of  the  Menominee  Mining  Co.  he  closed  out  his 
private  business  enterprises,  and  has  since  devoted  himself  to  it  exclu- 


j^:£^^^n^ 


sively.  He  has,  however,  been  active  in  all  that  relates  to  the  growth  of 
Northern  Wisconsin,  being  largely  instrumental  in  the  extension  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Road,  from  Green  Bay  to  Marinette,  and  also  in 
building  the  line  from  Menominee  River  Junction  to  Florence.  He  has 
continued  to  be  a  stockholder  in  the  Fifth  National  Bank,  of  Chicago, 
and  has  lately  become  one  in  the  Stephenson  Banking  Co.,  of  Marinette. 
Mr.  Brown  has  also  been  honored  with  public  confidence  outside  his 
business  relations.  He  has  been  Town  Treasurer,  Register  of  Deedsof 
Oconto  County,  and  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
twelve  years.  With  all  his  success  and  prospects  of  a  greater  future 
prosperity,  he  is  unassuming  and  courteous  to  all. 

GEORGE  H.  CANNON,  Marinette  Iron  Works,  is  a  native  of 
Sussex  Co.,  Del. ;  came  to  Rochester,  III.,  in  1871  ;  taught  school  two 
terms  ;  in  1873,  he  removed  to  Blakely,  Minn. ;  there  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandise  business  about  one  year  ;  after  this  he  was  employed 
by  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  Co.,  about  five  years  at  different  stations  ;  in 
the  Spring  of  1S77  he  secured  employment  with  the  Marinette  Iron 
Works,  and  has  now  charge  of  their  store  and  office  of  the  company. 
These  works  employ  about  125  hands,  and  are  doing  a  very  extensive 
business. 

GEORGE  CI.ARK,  civil  engineer,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Lon- 
don, England.  When  a  boy  he  commenced  to  learn  this  business  with 
his  father,  where  he  worked  about  eight  years;  he  then  went  to  Calcutta, 
East  Indies,  built  the  gas  works  and  lighted  the  city,  this  being  (he  first 
gas  used  in  East  India.  He  re  naincd  there  about  five  years,  and  then 
returned  to  London.  He  then  went  to  Hong  Kong.  China,  and  Bahia, 
South  America ;  there  built  their  gas  works  and  lighted  the  city ;  re- 
turned again  to  London.     Came  to  America  in  1871  ;  was  employed  as 


civil  engineer  by  the  Union  Pacific  R.  R. ;  remained  with  this  company 
aI)Out  three  years  ;  in  1874  he  came  to  Marinette,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided ;  he  has  built  all  of  the  public  buildings  here,  consisting  of  the 
court  house,  opera  house,  school-house  and  others. 

CHAS.  C.  DAILY,  attorney  and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Marinette,  is 
a  native  of  Rome,  N.  Y.  ;  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  County  in  1865  ;  worked 
on  his  father's  farm  till  1871,  when  he  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  at- 
tended the  commercial  college  and  taught  school  three  seasons;  com- 
menced reading  law  in  1874  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S76  ;  has 
been  in  constant  practice  since  May,  1S79  i  he  came  to  Marinette,  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  April,   1800. 


'ki)A^a\?./7(-^  ^-^ 


CHARLES  J.  ELLIS.  Postmaster,  is  a  native  of  Maine,  coming  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1S63,  and  to  Marinette  in  the  Spring  of  1864. 
Mr.  Ellis  has  held  the  position  of  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Menom- 
inee River  Manufacturing  Co.  sincei870;  wasalso  Town  Treasurer  from 
1871-76.  He  received  his  appointment  as  Postmaster,  Nov.  19,  1S77. 
His  war  record,  although  short,  is  good,  as  he  retired  with  a  severe  and 
honorable  wound.  In  1S61,  on  the  first  c.iU  for  troops,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  K.,  2d  Reg.,  Maine  V.  I.,  taking  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
the  siege  of  Yorktown  and  the  Campaign  of  the  Peninsula,  attaining  the 
rank  of  sergeant-major.  Mr.  Ellis  was  discharged  in  July,  1S62,  on  ac- 
count of  disability  from  a  wound  received  at  the  battle  of  Hanover 
Court-House,  May  27,  1862. 

JOSEPH  ENDERLIN.  tallym.-in  for  Boom  Co.,  Marinette,  born 
April  iS,  1832,  in  Alsace,  France  ;  in  1S51,  came  to  Manayunk,  near 
Philadelphia,  woikcd  there  for  his  uncle  three  years  ;  in  1854  came  to 
Green  Bay,  Wis.,  worked  in  the  saw  mill  that  cut  the  plank'  for  the  first 
plank  road  built  to  Fond  du  Lac  ;  he  then  went  to  Kaukauna  ;  worked 
on  the  dam  till  the  middle  of  October  ;  then  hired  out  to  Samuel  Wright, 
of  Wrightstown,  where  he  worked  during  the  Winter  ;  in  the  Spring  re- 
turned to  Green  Bay  ;  in  1S55,  came  to  Oconto  and  worked  at  Jones' 
water  mill  till  1856,  when  he  came  to  Menekaune  ;  worked  for  the  New 
York  Lumber  Company  till  1870.  Since  then  he  has  been  with  the 
Boom  Company,  except  a  trip  taken  to  Alsace,  France,  to  visit  his  mother. 
Married  in  1859  to  Mary  J.  Delain.  She  was  born  in  Belgium.  They 
have  six  children,  one  son  and  five  daughters. 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


589 


GEO.  EVENSON,  livery,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Norway  ;  came  to 
Muskegon,  Mich.,  in  1S65;  removed  a  few  monl!:s  thence  to  Black  River, 
Wis.,  worked  at  the  lumber  business  about  fifteen  months;  here  he  was 
disabled  by  a  log,  and  was  about  two  years  in  recovering  ;  in  1 867  he  went 
to  Sparta,  Wis.,  and  clerked  in  a  store  there  about  two  years  ,  in  1870, 
came  to  Menominee;  worked  for  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.  three  years; 
he  then  started  a  livery  there  and  ran  it  three  years;  in  1876  he  came 
to  Marinette,  and  since  then  has  run   this  stable. 

C.  M.  FAIRCHILD,  firm  of  Fairchild  Bros.,  druggists,  Marinette 
is  a  native  of  Fountain  Co.,  Ind.,  came  to  Marinette  with  his  parents, 
in  1863.  His  father  is  a  native  of  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  where  he  studied 
for  the  ministry  and  graduated  at  thfe  Andover  Theological  Seminary 
in  1830;  he  afterward  removed  to  Virginia,  then  to  Indiana;  in  1863 
came  to  Marinette,  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  here  from 
1863  to  1871.  On  account  of  his  advanced  years  he  has  since  been 
living  retired.  C.  M.  associated  himself  with  his  brother  in  the  drug 
business  in  1S70;  he  has  held  the  office  of  secretary  of  the  library  board 
several  years,  also  Town  Treasurer. 


>»'V-^^^ 


(^  J^  ,y^^,iyr!^-C^//>/ 


A.  M.  FAIRCHILD,  of  the  firm  Fairchild  Hros,,  is  a  native  of 
Fountain  County.  Ind., receiving  his  education  at  Wabash  College,  Craw- 
fordsville,  Ind.  After  leaving  college  in  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  75th 
Ind.  I.,  taking  part  in  all  the  engagements  of  Sherman's  army,  including 
his  March  to  the  Sea,  and  through  the  Carolinas,  to  the  end  of  the  war. 
In  August,  1865,  Mr.  Fairchild  settled  in  Marinette  and  was  employed 
as  bookkeeper  by  the  N.  Ludington  Company  until  1868,  when  he  es- 
tablished his  present  business — the  drug.  Two  years  later  his  brother 
was  admitted  into  the  partnership.  That  the  people  of  Marinette  repose 
the  utmost  confidence  in  Mr.  Fairchild  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he 
has  held  many  local  offices.  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  been  Chief 
of  the  Fire  Department,  whose  efficiency  is  greatly  due  to  him.  He  is 
also  Treasurer  of  the  School  District,  which  position  he  has  held  nine 
years.  Mr.  Fairchild  also  served  one  term  as  Town  Clerk,  and  is  at 
present  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court.  He  is  much  interested  in 
secret,  benevolent  and  reformatory  organizations,  being  a  member  of  the 
Marinette  Lodge,  No.  182,  \.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  body  he  is  the  Wor- 
shipful Master.  He  is  connected  with  the  Warren  Chapter  of  Green 
Bay,  and  with  the  conmiandery  of  K.  T.  at  Oshkosh,  Wis.  ;  is  the 
present  Grand  Deputy  of  the  Marinette  Temple  of  Honor,  chairman  of 
its  Board  of  Trustees,  and  has  passed  the  chair  of  W.  C.  in  the  same 
organization.     He  is  also  secretary,  superintendent  and  treasurer  of  the 


Marinette  and  Menominee  Commercial  and  Fire-alarm  Telephone  Com- 
pany, and  vice-president  of  the  Marinette  Mineral  Land  Company,  of 
which  he  is  a  stockholder.  Mr.  Fairchild  is  an  enthusiastic  Republican, 
and  withal  a  good,  public-spirited  and  respected  citizen. 

ALBERT  GEARTTS,  proprietor  Travelers'  Home,  Marinette,  is  a 
native  of  Prussia;  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1848  ;  worked  at  various  kinds 
of  labor  till  1S65,  when  he  came  to  Marinette ;  followed  the  lumber  busi- 
ness about  twelve  years.  In  1S77,  he  commenced  this  business.  Mar- 
ried,  in  1867,  to  Kate  Tisen.  She  was  born  in  Brown  Co.,  Wis.  They 
have  one  child,  Mary.     Members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

W.  C.  GREEN,  proprietor  Central  House,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of 
Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  Came  to  Chicago  in  1856.  Since  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,    he   has   followed    the   railroad   business.     March,  1S80,  he  took 


ch: 


of  this  hotel.     Married,  in  1862, 


in  Michigan.     They  have  I 


P.  R.  GREENE,  proprietor  of  the  Dunlap  House,  Marinette,  was 
born  in  Plattsburg,  N.Y.,  Feb.  22,  1829;  came  to  Green  Bay  with  his 
parents  in  1833;  remained  there  till  1847,  when  he  went  to  Missouri, 
and  was  in  the  employ  of  Choteau  &  Valle.  as  salesman,  for  ten  years  ; 
then  went  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  engaged  in  mining  up  lo  1S64,  when 
he  returned  to  Green  Bay  and  entered  into  partnership  with  George  E. 
Hoskinson,  and  engaged  in  the  grain  trade  ;  continued  there  up  to  the 
Spring  of  18S1,  when  he  moved  to  Marinette  and  took  charge  of  the 
Dunlap  House,  which  he  is  renovating  and  improving,  putting  it  in  first- 
class  shape,  and  is  going  to  run  it  as  such.  He  has  good  sample  rooms 
for  the  accommodation  of  commercial  men. 

JOSH  HODGINS,  foreman  in  the  tinshop  for  Watson  Bros.,  was 
born  in  Canada,  and  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents  when  quite  young, 
and  to  Marinette  in  1873,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  that  firm  ever 
since.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

J.  P.  HODGINS,  Policeman,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Canada  ;  came 
to  Appleton,  Wis.,  in  1866;  followed  the  lumber  trade  ;  in  1873,  came  to 
Marinette,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  just  been  appointed  on 
the  police  force. 

AMOS  HOLGATE,  attorney  and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Marinette, 
is  a  native  of  Leeds,  Yorkshire,  England.  When  a  boy,  he  came  to 
Massachusetts,  thence  to  Chicago  and  to  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  where  he 
attended  school  several  years.  He  then  went  South  and  followed  steam- 
boating  and  railroading  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  then  re- 
turned to  McHenry  County  and  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  15th  III.  V.  I. ;  was 
mustered  out  in  1864,  He  then  went  to  Vicksburg  and  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business,  where  he  continued  till  1S67.  He  then  came  to  Peshtigo 
and  was  employed  by  the  Peshtigo  Company  about  one  year;  then  came 
to  Marinette  and  was  book-keeper  for  the  Marinette  Iron  Works  till 
1874  ;  since  then  he  has  followed  law  and  insurance.  He  has  been,  the 
past  six  years.  Justice  of  the  Peace;  Town  Clerk,  two  terms.  He  now 
holds  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer.  He  was^  admitted  to  the  Bar 
January,   1878. 

A.  F.  HOSKA,  firm  of  A.  F.  Hoska  &  Co.,  wholesale  saddlery, 
hardware,  whips,  etc.,  Marinette;  born  Feb.  28,  1851.  in  Chicago;  in 
1865,  came  to  Oconto;  there  learned  the  harness  trade  with  Frank 
Fisher;  in  186S,  came  to  Chicago  and  worked  at  this  trade  till  1870, 
then  to  Colorado,  where  he  remained  till  1873,  when  he  relumed  to 
Illinois.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Marinette;  opened  a  shop  with  a  very 
small  stock.  He  is  now  doing  an  extensive  wholesale  and  retail  busi- 
ness, and  is  the  only  wholesale  house  north  of  Janesville.  This  firm 
have  also  opened  stores  at  Quinnesec  and  Florence.  Married  Oct.  15, 
1S77,  to  Mary  McCue.  She  was  born  in  Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.Y.,  July  10,  1857.  They  have  two  sons,  Frank  C,  born  July  25, 
1S7S,  and  Irvin  E.,  born  Sept.  18,   1S79. 

C.  R.  JOHNSTON,  merchant  and  County  Treasurer,  Marinette. 
Is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1868,  and  to  Marinette 
in  the  .Spring  of  1872,  and  established  his  present  business  at  that  time; 
when  Marinette  County  was  organized,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor County  Treasurer,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S79,  "''s  elected  to  the 
same  office.     He  carries  a  good  stock  and  is  driving  a  fine  trade. 

GEORGE.  T.  JOHNSTONE,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions, 
flour,  feed,  stucco,  cement,  and  plastering  hair,  Marinette.  He  was  born 
in  New  Brunswick,  came  to  Marinette  in  1869,  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  up  to  1874,  when  he  established  his  present  business.  He 
served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  one  term,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
also  of  the  Masonic  order. 

ARTHUR  T.  JONES,  agent  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  Marinette.  Is  a 
native  of  Turin,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  V.  Came  to  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y..  in 
1867,  worked  for  the  O.  &  L.  C.  R.  R.,  two  and  half  years.  In  the  Fall 
of  1S69  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  was  employed  as  telegraph  operator  for 
the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  In  the  Fall  of  1875,  he  came  to  Marinette. 
Has  held  this  position  since. 

DR.  S.  P.  JONES,  physician  and  surgeon,  Marinette.  Is  a  native 
of  Oneonta,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1845.  Com- 
menced the  study  of  medicine  in  Chilton,  Wis.,  with  Dr.  D.  La  Count. 


S90 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Graduated  in  1867,  at  the  Chicago  Medical  College.  He  at  once  came 
to  Marinette,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  his  profession. 

GEORGE  L.A.  FOND,  firm  of  La  Berge  &  La  Fond,  saloon  and 
billiards,  Mannetle.  Is  a  native  of  Green  Bay,  Wis.  Came  to  Mari- 
nette in  1S70.  Worked  at  teaming,  driving  logs  and  various  kinds  of 
work,  till  March  10,  1879.  He  and  Mr.  La  Berge  opened  this  business, 
which  they  have  continued  since. 

JAMES  E.  LEESON,  steward  Boom  Co.  boarding  house,  Mari- 
nette. Is  a  native  of  Milwaukee.  When  a  child  came  to  Green  Bay. 
Worked  on  a  farm  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Came  to  Oconto,  worked 
there  three  years.  He  then  enlisted  in  Co.  F.  12th  Wis.  Inf., 
I7lh  Army  Corps.  Was  mustered  out  in  August,  1S65,  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Vicksburg,  Atlanta  and  Athens.  Returned  to  Green  Bay; 
followed  boating  one  season  and  teaming  two  seasons.  In  1868,  came 
to  Fond  du  Lac.  in  1S72,  came  to  Marinette  ;  worked  one  season  in  the 
mill.  Since  then  he  has  followed  cooking.  Since  1880,  he  has  had 
charge  of  this  boarding  house. 

J.  W.  P.  LOMBARD,  cashier  Stephenson  Banking  Company, 
Marinette.  Is  a  native  of  Cape  Cod,  Mass.  In  1S64.  came  to  Chicago, 
was  employed  with  the  Fifth  National  Bank  ;  first  served  as  messenger. 
He  left  the  employ  in  1874,  having  been  promoted  to  paying  teller.  He 
then  came  to  Marinette,  and  has  since  had  charge  of  this  bank. 

H.  M.  LONGHEAD,  jeweler,  dealer  in  clocks,  watches,  jewelry, 
etc.,  Marinette,  was  born  in  Ohio.  Came  to  Marinette  in  1876  and  es- 
tablished his  business  at  that  time.  His  means  at  that  time  were  very 
limited,  but  by  close  attention  to  business  he  has  accumulated  means  to 
build  himself  a  shop,  and  has  a  fair  stock  of  goods.  He  has  also  built 
him  a  good  residence.     This  has  all  been  done  in  the  last  five  years. 

W.M.  McCartney,  proprietor  of  saw-mill,  Marinette,  was  born  in 
Belmont  Co.,  Ohio.  Went  to  Wheeling,  Va.,  in  i860.  He  came  to  0»h- 
kosh  and  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  up  to  1S67,  when  he  sold 
out  and  moved  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  in  1868  came  to  Marinette, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  the  same  business  since. 

J.  J.  McGILLTS,  proprietor  of  post  and  tie  mill,  also  dealer  in  gro- 
ceries, Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  Marinette  in  1869 
and  was  engaged  at  contracting  and  building  up  to  1S65,  and  in  1876 
established  his  grocery  business;  before  ihe'division  of  Oconto  County  he 
served  one  year  as  constable  and  Deputy  Sheriff,  and  he  is  just  building 
and  starting  his  mill. 

JOHN  McGLOIN,  proprietor  of  Hour  mill,  Marinette,  was  born 
at  Corning,  N.  Y.;  came  to  Menasha  in  1874  and  to  Marinette  in  1879. 
and  built  his  mill  that  year.  When  fully  completed,  it  will  have  the  ca- 
pacity of  150  barrels  per  day. 

JOHN  McLENNAN,  retired,  was  born  in  .Scotland.  His  parents 
moved  to  Nova  Scotia  when  he  was  quite  young,  and  in  1856  he  came 
West  and  located  at  New  London,  Wis.,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  contracting,  building,  etc.  He  worked  on  the  first 
merchant  dock  and  the  first  ore  dock  that  was  built  at  Escanaba.  He 
came  to  Marinette  in  1867  and  run  a  billiard  hall.  He  h.TS  built  two 
good  store-rooms,  one  of  which  is  covered  with  iron,  the  other  partly  so. 
About  nine  years  ago  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  mineral  land  in  Mar- 
quette Co.,  Mich.,  in  the  Felch  Mountain  Range.  He  also  owns  other 
lands  and  some  other  improved    property    in    the  town  of  Marinette. 

Dr.  H.  E.  MANN,  was  born  April  23,  1844,  in  Braintree,  Orange 
Co.,  Vt.  When  he  was  nine  years  old,  his  father  died,  leaving  a  widow 
and  two  sons,  of  which  he  was  the  elder,  in  destitute  circumstances.  Two 
years  afterward  his  mother,  with  true  maternal  bravery,  believing  that 
the  West  possessed  opportunities  for  her  boys  not  found  in  New  En- 
gland, moved  with  them  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  Here  young  Mann  attend- 
ed school  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  was  obliged  to  discontinue 
his  studies  and  contribute  to  the  support  of  his  mother  and  brother.  Ob- 
taining a  position  in  the  Post-office,  he  continued  in  this  employment  most 
of  the  time  until  1862.  The  Rebellion  was  now  at  its  height,  and,  una- 
ble longer  to  withstand  his  patriotic  impulses,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H., 
32d  Wis.  V.  I.  While  his  regiment  was  on  provost-duty  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  he  was  detailed  for  special  service  in  the  Marshal's  office  of  that 
district.  Here  he  remained  for  sixteen  months  the  greater  portion  of 
the  time  as  Chief  Clerk  of  the  Prison  Department,  having  almost  entire 
control  of  the  famous  "Irving  Block  Military  Prison,"  with  its  hundreds 
of  inmates.  While  thus  engaged,  his  executive  ability  and  fine  military 
bearing  attracted  the  attention  of  Col.  S.  O.  Shorey,  who  was  raising  a 
battalion  of  cavalry  composed  of  Southern  Union  men,  who  had  been 
compelled  to  leave  their  homes  on  account  of  loyalty  to  the  "old  flag." 
He  was  about  to  accept  the  position  of  adjutant  to  the  regiment  known 
as  the  "1st  Mississippi  Mounted  Rifles,"  when  Gen.  Sherman,  in  the 
course  of  his  preparations  for  the  famous  "  March  to  the  Sea,"  ordered 
all  enlisted  men  absent  from  their  commands  to  report  at  Atlanta.  Not 
having  received  his  commission,  he  was,  of  course,  included  in  the  order, 
and  accordingly  reported  to  his  old  regiment,  there  stationed,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  campaign  until  the  army  reached  Beaufort,  S.  C.  There 
he  received  his  commission  from  Sec.  Stanton  as  adjutant  of  the  1st  Mis- 


sissippi Mounted  Rifles,  with  orders  to  report  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  He 
served  in  this  capacity  until  mustered  out  of  the  service,  with  his  regi- 
ment, in  June,  1865,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Fond  du  Lac.  Next 
locating  in  New  London,  he  lived  there  about  a  year,  when,  being  offered 
his  former  position  in  the  Post-office,  he  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
retaining  that  situation  six  years.      At  the  end  of   that  time  he  resigned 


ji^M^^^c^^A 


on  account  of  failing  health  and  the  requirements  of  private  business 
He  had,  in  the  meantime,  studied  medicine  under  the  advice  and  direc 
tion  of  Drs.  A.  Smead,  T.  F.  Mayhum  and  uthers,  buying  his  books  as 
he  needed  them,  and  also  investing  his  savings  in  a  drug  store  at  Me- 
nominee, Mich.  Devoting  his  attention  to  this  business,  he  removed, 
with  his  family,  to  that  place,  and  resided  one  'year,  when  he  left  the 
drugstore  in  charge  of  a  partner  to  enter  the  Rush  Medical  College,  of 
Chicago.  After  attending  one  course  of  lectures  and  hospital  clinics,  he 
finished  his  medical  studies  at  Long  Island  College  Hospital.  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  graduated  in  1874.  While  at  college  he  sold  his  inter- 
est in  the  drug  store,  and,  on  returning,  removed  to  Marinette,  where  he 
still  resides.  Dr.  Mann  is  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Medical 
Society,  and  is  especially  well  known  and  esteemed  in  northern  Wiscon- 
sin. His  library  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  selected  in  this  part  of 
the  State,  and  the  volumes  are  not  for  show,  but  are  faithfully  and  prof- 
itably read.  He  has  built  up  a  large  and  successful  practice,  which, 
like  every  other  prosperity  with  which  he  is  surrounded,  he  has  acquired 
unaided,  by  sheer  manhood  and  manly  effort. 

C.  MARCHANT,  millwright,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Montreal, 
Canada.  In  1S55  came  to  Marquette,  Mich.,  remained  there  a  few 
months,  then  came  to  Stiles,  Wis.,  and  worked  for  Balcom  &  Eldred. 
repairing  their  mill,  and  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  followed  this 
business  as  well  as  house  carpentering.  He  built  the  Stephenson 
Opera  House  and  other  build'ngs  here.  Married,  in  1S64,  to  Miss  Delia 
Coty.  She  was  born  in  Montreal.  They  have  seven  children,  two 
sons  and  five  daughters. 

FRED  F.  MARTIN,  meat  market,  Marinette,  was  born  in  Green 
Bay,  Wis.  He  first  commenced  to  work  at  this  business  with  Mr.  Hag- 
ermaster,  afterward  with  John  Koulp.  In  1875  he  came  to  I.shpeming. 
In  18^6  came  to  Marinette  and  worked  for  H.  J.  Place  till  1880,  when 
he  opened  this  market.  Married,  in  1880,  to  Louisa  Bergman.  She  was 
born  in  Fort  Howard.     Her  parents  still  reside  in  Brown  County. 

R.  W.  MERRYM.\N,  proprietor  of  saw  mill,  Marinette;  he  was 
born  in  Maine,  and  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  1S55,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  manufacturing  of  lumber  up  to  the  time  he  came  to  Marinette,  and 
built  his  present  mill.  Its  capacity  is  about  8,000,000  per  year,  day 
run,  and  he  employs  at  his  mill,  on  an  average,  sixty  men. 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


591 


A.  C.  MERRYMAN,  secretary  and  general  manager  of  the  Hamil- 
ton &  Merryman  Company,  was  born  in  Bowdoin,  Me..  Dec.  22,  1831. 
He  commenced  to  work  his  way  early  in  life,  and  was  engaged  in  ship- 
building up  to  1855,  being  employed  in  the  yard  of  J.  P.  Smith  &  Co.,  at 
Pittston,  on  the  Kennebec.  In  the  year  last  mentioned,  Mr.  Merryman 
located  in  Fond  du  Lac,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  with  J.  S.  and 
Alex.  McDonald,  R.  W.  Merryman  and  H.  Hunter,  the  style  of  the  firm 
being  McDonald,  Merryman  &  Co.  Started  in  1867  as  Hamilton,  Merry- 
man &  Co.,  in  Marinette.  Then,  in  1872,  incorporated  as  Hamilton  & 
Merryman  Company,  with  officers  as  follows:  I.  K.  Hamilton,  president 
and  treasurer;  A.C.  Merryman,  secretary  and  superintendant.  The  capital 
stock  was  fixed  at  $350,000.  The  present  officers  of  the  company  are 
the  same,  except  that  W.  C.  Hamilton  is  vice  president.  The  company 
operates  a  saw-mill — capacity  100,000  feet  ;  shingle  mill,  capacity  50,000, 


ROBERT  H.  NELSON,  blacksmith,  Marinette,  isa  native  of  Canada; 
when  a  child,  came  with  his  parents  to  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.;  there  he 
learned  this  trade  with  his  father;  workedat  it  about  thirty  years;  in  1868, 
came  to  Pensaukee,  and  run  a  shop  for  F.  B.  Gardner,  about  seven  years  ; 
then  came  to  Oconto  and  run  a  shop  there  about  two  years;  then  to 
Neenah.  where  he  remained  about  four  years  ;  in  the  Spring  of  1880, 
he  came  to  Marinette. 

N.  J.  NORDEN,  clothing,  tailoring,  and  gents'  furnishing  goods, 
Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  came  to  New  York,  October,  1870; 
remained  in  the  State  about  one  year;  in  1871,  came  to  Chicago;  in  the 
Fall  of  1872,  came  to  Marinette,  worked  for  Mr.  Ackrill  about  nine 
months.  In  1873,  he  started  business  with  a-very  small  stock,  and  is 
now  the  leading  store  in  Marinette,  doing  a  business  of  about  $30,000 
a  year;  mairied,  July,  1876,  to  Emma  C.  Johnson;  she  was  born  in 
Menekaune  ;  they  have  two  children,  Lillia  A.,  and  Ella. 


^yY^Ul//lL^L^--^yrn^t^-^^^^^ ' 


and  also  turns  out  25,000  lath.  The  season's  sawing  at  the  mill  in  Mar- 
inette will  aggregate  20,000,000  feet,  to  which  must  be  added  5,000,000 
sawed  by  outside  parties.  In  connection  with  these  establishments,  be- 
sides the  large  boarding-house,  is  a  thriving  general  store,  whose  trans- 
actions are  on  a  scale  with  all  else.  The  company  owns  62  000  acres  of 
fine  pine  land  on  the  Menomonee  and  its  tributaries,  employs  100  men, 
and  possesses  property  in  Marinette  valued  at  $100,000.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  the  Hamilton  &  Merryman  Company  is  not  only  financial 
strength  itself,  but  is  gaining  ground  daily.  Mr.  Merryman  has  never 
sought  foroffice.  He  has  not  had  time — his  business  life  having  been  filled 
with  hard  work,  to  the  very  brim.  He  served,  however,  from  1876  to 
1879.  ^5  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  ;  but  his  life,  as  a  rule,  has  been 
spent  as  a  working  man,  among  working  men,  and  his  warm  heart  and 
broad  nature  are  the  results  which  have  bound  the  community  to  him, 
and  him  to  it.  It  was  such  men  as  Mr.  Merryman  who  came  out  in 
royal  colors  during  the  terrible  havoc  and  suffering  caused  by  the  fire  of 
1871. 

JOHN  MINEAU,  proprietor  Marinette  House,  Marinette,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Canada  ;  at  about  the  age  of  twelve  years,  came  to  Oconto,  and 
has  been  working  in  the  mills  and  lumber  business;  in  1876,  came  to 
Marinette  ;  worked  in  the  mills  here  till  the  Si)ring  of  1880,  when  he 
took  charge  of  this  house;  married,  in  iSSo  to  Mrs.  Wills;  she  was 
born  in  Canada.  They  have  one  son,  John  W.  She  has  four  children 
by  a  former  marriage. 


JUDGE  LUTHER  B.  NOVES,  Marinette,  born  in  Cincinnatus 
Courtland,  Co.,  N.Y.,  Dec.  17,  1S30,  left  motherless  at  the  age  eighteen 
months,  reared  to  the  age  of  fifteen  by  his  grandfather,  Luther  Osgood, 
at  Preston,  Chenango  Co.,  N.Y.,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Summer  of 
1845,  in  company  with  his  father,  Dr.  Isaac  Noyes  and  a  younger  brother, 
and  settled  on  Du  Lac  Prairie,  at  Milton,  in  Rock  County;  attended 
school  two  terms  at  what  was  then  Milton  Academy;  taught  common 
school  several  Winters;  entered  the  law  office  of  H.  E.  Connit,  Esq.,  at 
Horicon,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1S52  ;  remained  there  till 
the  Fall  of  1853,  when  he  entered  Lawrence  University,  at  Appleton, 
Wis.,  and  continued  in  school  till  the  Winter  of  1S55  ;  was  elected  Dis- 
trict Attorney  of  Outagamie  County,  in  the  Fall  of  1855;  married  Fran- 
ces Belle  Woodward,  daughter  of  J.  W.  Woodward,  of  .'Appleton,  in 
April,  1855  ;  moved  to  Bradford,  Iowa,  in  the  Fall  of  1856  ;  returned  to 
Wisconsin  and  settled  at  Kilbourn  City,  in  the  Fall  of  1S57,  engaging 
there  in  the  practice  of  law  ;  moved  to  Sparta,  in  Monroe  County,  in  the 
Spring  of  :S6l,  engaged  as  an  editor  of  the  Sparta  Eagle,  by  William 
H.  Farnham,  publisher;  enlisted  in  the  i8th  Regiment  Wis.  V.I. ,  in  De- 
cember, 1861 ;  went  with  the  regiment  as  its  hospital  steward,  to  Pitls- 
biirg  Landing,  in  April,  1862;  was  left  in  hospital  at  Savannah,  Tenn., 
suffering  from  a  .severe  attack  of  typhoid  pneumonia,  followed  during 
convalescence  by  chronic  diarrhoea;  detailed  as  clerk  at  Halleck's  head- 
quarters, corner  of  Washington  avenue  and  Fourth  street,  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
in  June  following ;  remained  there  till  the  following  September,  when  he 
was  discharged  for  disability  ;  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Monroe  County,  in  November,  1862;  at  the  close  of  the  term,  enlisted 
in  the  36th  Regiment  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  of 
Co.  C;  was  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  17,1864,  and  honorably 
discharged  at  officers'  hospital,  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  for  wounds   received 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


in  action;  was  appointed  County  Judge  of  Monroe  County,  by  Gov. 
Lucius  Faircliild,  to  fill  vacancy  occasioned  by  resignation  of  Judge 
Pratt;  purchased  the  Shehoy::;an  County  /Arra/(/.  published  at  Sheboygan 
Falls,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  lS6S.  and  removed  the  same  to  Sheboygan  in 
the  Winter  of  1S70.  and  established  the  Sheboygan  fieralJ,  in  connec- 
tion with  one  Marsh  as  partner;  dissolved  partnership  with  Marsh  soon 
after,  and,  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  established  the  Marinette  and  I'eshtigo 
Eagtf,  at  Marinetie,  Wis.,  and  has  published  it  since,  with  the  exception 
of  four  years,  during  which  time  it  was  published  by  Henry  Harris;  is 
now  engaged  in  the  same  business. 

J.  CLEAR  Y,  Sheriff  of  Marinette  County:  he  was  born  in  Ireland, 
and  came  to  America  in  1S53,  and  located  in  Worcester,  Mass.;  in  1865, 
went  to  Oitatta.  Canada,  and  was  engaged  as  superintendent  in  a  factory 
manufacturing  woodenware,  up  to  June,  1870,  when  he  returned  to  Massa- 
chusetts ;  in  1S71,  he,  with  his  family,  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  was  en- 
gaged as  foreman  in  the  painting  and  finishing  department  of  the  Pesh- 
tigo Woodenware  Company  factory,  and  they  passed  through  the  terri- 
ble fire  of  that  year,  and  lost  everything  they  owned,  barely  escaping 
with  their  lives.  Hehas  served  four  terms  as  Deputy  Sheriff.andin  1879, 
was  elected  Sheriff  of  Marinette  County,  which  office  he  still  holds. 

PETER  OLSON,  yardmaster  at  H.  Witbeck  Company,  Marinette, 
is  a  native  of  Sweden;  came  to  New  York  City  in  1S69,  then  to 
Chicago  ;  in  1872,  came  to  Marinette,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of 
this  company  since  ;  for  the  past  three  years,  he  has  had  charge  of  their 
yards. 

GEORGE  H.  PAGE,  marble  carver,  with  MarinetteMarble  Works. 
is  a  native  of  W'e^tport,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
went  to  Clarenceville,  P.  Q,  and  at  once  commenced  to  learn  his  trade; 
has  followed  it  constantly  the  past  nine  years.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Port 
Henry.  N.  Y  ,  where  his  parents  resided,  remained  there  about  three 
years;  August,  1878,  he  came  to  Ahnapee,  Wis.,  where  he  remained 
about  fifteen  months;  part  of  the  time  when  there  he  carried  on  this 
business.  Nov.  28,  1S79.  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  carried  on  business 
there  a  short  time;  March,  1880,  came  to  Manitowoc,  was  foreman  for 
John  Mendlek  ;  remained  there  till  Nov.  i,  t88o,  when  he  came  to  Mari- 
nette. 

SAMUEL  PALMER,  Marinette,  manager  boarding  house  at  Mc- 
Cartney's mill,  came  from  England  in  1851.  locating  in  Waukesha 
County,  where  he  remained  for  about  two  years,  engaged  in  farming. 
Finding  it  unprofitable  to  continue  in  that  business,  when  oats  were  sell- 
ing for  one  shilling  a  bushel,  he  removed  to  Pensaukee,  and  took  charge 
of  the  boarding  house  owned  by  F.  B.  Gardner.  It  is  remembered  that 
the  "Fanny  Gardner"  was  then  building,  and  some  of  the  men  em- 
ployed on  her  were  obliged  to  sleep  on  the  vessel.  One  night,  a  heavy 
storm  prevailed,  and  the  mast  of  the  craft  was  struck  by  lightning.  Al- 
though the  mast  and  a  part  of  the  deck  sustained  serious  injury,  the 
shock  did  not  awaken  the  men  sleeping  below.  Mr.  Palmer  removed 
from  Pensaukee  to  Stiles;  and  thence  to  Oconto.  He  was  steward  of  the 
"Queen  City,"  the  first  steamer  that  entered  Flat  Rock  (now  Escanaba), 
in  1854.  After  working  at  Marinette  one  year,  he  returned  to  Stiles  and 
remained  there  five  and  a  half  years.  At  the  close  of  that  period  he 
engaged  with  Kirby  Carpenter  Company,  of  Menominee,  and  was  in  their 
employ  eight  years.  While  here,  Mr.  Palmer  suffered  the  loss  by  theft  of 
a  $500  Government  bond,  which  was  saved  from  his  first  earnings  ;  but 
his  employers  gave  him  a  handsome  gold  watch  and  chain,  as  evidence  of 
their  appreciation  of  his  services.  Seven  years  ago  he  went  to  Mari- 
nette, and  accepted  his  present  position  with  M.  W.  McCartney. 

W.  R.  PATRICK,  superintendent  Marinette  Paper  Company,  Ma- 
rinette, is  a  native  of  Dutchess  Co.,N.  Y.,  born  in  1845.  At  the  age  of 
about  fifteen  years  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Dover  ;  there  assisted  his 
father  in  farming  about  three  years;  he  then  went  to  Hartford,  Conn.  ; 
thence  to  New  .Milford,  Conn.,  and  was  appointed  superintendent  of  a 
a  paper  mill;  he  held  that  position  till  1872,  when  he  came  to  Mariti- 
etle;  worked  for  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.,  two  Summers.  The  following 
Winter  after  coming  here,  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  put  in  the  machin- 
ery and  superintended  running  a  mill  there  about  .si.\  months ;  then 
returned  to  Marinette,  and  h.id  charge  of  Stephenson's  steam-tug  till  Sep- 
tember, 1874,  when  he  went  to  Kankakee,  111.,  put  in  the  machinery  and 
started  the  Kankakee  PaperCompany's  Mill.  Then  he  went  to  Fond  du 
Lac  and  wasappointed  superintendent  of  the  paper  mill  there;  continued 
there  till  theSpiing  of  1875,  when  he  hired  out  to  Hamilton,  Merryman 
&  Co.,  of  Marinette,  as  their  chief  engineer;  continued  with  them  till 
187^9;  lis  'hen  erected  a  small  experimental  mill  at  the  lower  falls, 
which  has  since  been  removed  and  a  large  mill  erected  in  its  place, 
by  Bradncr  Smith  &  Co.,  of  Chicngo.  Mr.  Patrick  is  the  inventor  of  a 
great  many  valuable  patents  and  these  works  are  being  operated  under 
his  patents.  The  pulp  manufactured  here  is  unsurpassed  by  any  mill  in 
the  country. 

CHARLES  E.  PETERSON,  furniture  and  undertaker,  Marinette, 
is  a  native  of  Sweden.  Came  to  Boston,  Mass.,  i8(u  ;  came  to  Peshtigo! 
in  1864;  worked  there  at  this  business  till  1867.  when  he  came  to  Mar- 
incite;  he  commenced  this  business  with  a  small  stock.  He  now  car- 
ries on  a  very  prosperous  business.     This   is  the  first  furniture  store 


opened  in  Marinette.  Married,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Jennie  Church.  She 
was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  four  children — Mary  Maud,  Frank, 
Otto  W.  and  Clara  J.     Members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

H.  J.  PL.VCE,  meat  market,  Marinette,  is  a  native  of  Hinesburg, 
Vt.  Came  with  his  parents  to  Peshtigo,  in  1S55.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  hotel  and  farm,  till  1870,  when  he  removed  to  Marinette, 
and  at  once  opened  this  market.  His  father  died  Nov.  16,  1875,  aged 
forty-three  years. 

JOHN  PORTERFIELD,  grocery  and  hotel,  Marinette,  is  a  native 
of  New  Brunswick.  Came  to  Marinette,  June,  1858  ;  worked  at  the 
lumber  business  for  I.  Stephenson,  about  ten  years.  Since  then,  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  hotel  business.  He  has  been  Con- 
stable three  years. 

ANDREW  C.  POST,  manager  of  Mr.  Bainbridge's  store,  in  Mar- 
inette. He  was  born  in  New  jersey;  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  in 
1873,  and  has  been  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  business,  up  to  the 
Spring  of  1881,  when  he  took  charge  of  this  store.  He  was  in  the 
army;  enlisted,  August,  1861.  in  Co.  I.,  ist  N.  J.  C,  and  served  about 
four  years. 

JOHN  H.  RICHARDSON,  superintendent  Marinette  Iron 
Works.  Is  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  Co.,  Ind.  When  a  child,  his  parents 
went  to  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.  .\t  aoout  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  machinist  trade  at  the  Seneca  Falls  Iron  Works  ; 
worked  here  about  three  and  a  half  years,  then  came  to  Indiana,  and 
worked  one  season  at  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,  and  a  short  time  at 
the  La  Porte  Railroad  shops,  then  came  to  Litchfield,  111.,  and  worked 
at  the  St.  Louis  &  Terre  Haute  shops, about  three  years.  He  then  made 
a  trip  to  California  on  account  of  his  health  ;  returned  in  i860,  and 
worked  for  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  at  Chicago,  in  their  shops  and  yards. 
He.  with  Mr.  Tobias,  opened  a  machine-shop,  in  Chicago,  and  ran  it 
about  one  year  ;  then  relumed  to  the  employ  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R. 
Co.;  had  charge  of  their  shops,  about  eighteen  months.  In  1869,  he 
was  employed  by  the  Sioux  City  &  Pacific  Railroad  Company;  continued 
about  one  year;  then  returned  to  Chicago,  and  took  charge  of  the  Phoe- 
nix Iron  Works,  under  T.  K.  Holden.  May  g,  1S71,  he  came  to  Mar- 
inette, and  has  since  been  with  this  company. 

JAMES  RUSSELL,  of  Russell  &  Murphy,  editors 'of  Marinette 
North  Star,  is  a  native  of  Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  and  his  father  was 
a  farmer  in  that  town  ;  such  an  education  as  the  village  school  afforded 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  he  obtained  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of 
age.  At  that  period  of  his  life,  his  parents  removed  to  the  then  immature 
town  of  Mankato,  Minn.,  and  it  was  there  that  the  boy's  journalistic  twig 
was  inclined  as  the  tree  has  become  bent.  .^s  will  be  seen,  he  tried  to 
evade  the  spell,  but  unsuccessfully.  There  was  a  Democratic  paper  pub- 
lished in  Mankato  called  The  Record,  and  it  must  have  been  a  progress- 
ive office,  for  Russell  learned  his  trade  there  in  less  than  a  year.  Mr. 
J.  C.  Wise  was  the  editor,  and  possibly  the  same  had  something  to  do 
with  the  influences  surrounding  the  establishment.  Mr.  Russell,  now 
passing  from  boyhood  to  manhood,  was  becoming  to  be  recognized  in 
newspaper  circles.  He  was  offered,  and  accepted,  a  position  as  foreman 
and  local  reporter  upon  the  Herald,  published  at  Garden  City,  in  the 
same  State.  Mr.  Russell  counts  several  months  of  not  particularly  happy 
experience  in  that  connection.  Although  his  inclinations  had  been  in 
that  direction,  his  pecuniary  successes  had  been  few,  and  Mr.  Russell 
made  up  his  mind  to  become  a  lawyer.  With  that  object  in  view,  he 
returned  to  his  native  State,  and  entered  the  University  of  Wisconsin  for 
a  course  of  studies.  His  health  became  poor,  and  he  was  ordered  by 
medical  .advice  to  retire  from  his  class  temporarily.  He  did  .so,  and 
sought  rest  at  home  again.  In  February,  1870,  he  was  ofiered  a  posi- 
tion on  the  Fond  du  Lac  Journal,  a  weekly  newspaper,  then  conducted 
by  Messrs.  Beeson  &  Bohan,  Mr.  Bohan  being  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Russell. 
From  this  time  on,  the  gentleman's  career  is  well  known  in  Wisconsin 
newspaper  circles,  and  the  details  can  be  condensed.  Connected  indi- 
rectly with  the  Journal  office,  at  the  date  last  mentioned,  was  the  Star 
Job  Printing  Office,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  completely  equipped 
steam  printing  houses  in  the  State.  Into  this  concern  Mr.  Russell  pur- 
chased, and  the  business  was  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Leonard, 
Bohan  &  Russell.  In  September,  1873.  he  purchasedaone-half  interest  in 
the  Journanxo'm  Mr.  Bohan,  theother  half  being  sold  to  Mr.  T.  F.  Strong, 
Jr.,  and  the  firm  of  Strong  &  Russell  became  the  proprietorsof  the  publica- 
tion. The  job  department  was  at  the  same  time  re-organized  by  transfer, 
and  passed  into  the  property  of  Leonard,  Russell  &  Strong.  In  1874,  the 
stock  organization  known  as  the  Star  Printing  Company  was  chartered, 
and  on  the  following  1st  of  January,  the  job  and  nesvspaper  interests 
were  consolidated,  and  the  company  commenced  business  with  Mr.  Rus- 
sell as  a  principal  stockholder,  and  in  the  position  of  editor.  Since  then, 
until  July,  1880,  the  management  has  never  passed  from  him.  -M  that 
time,  he  sold  his  interest  to  E.  Beeson.  In  1875,  he  accepted  the  nomi- 
nation  of  the  Democratic  parly  for  State  Senator,  as  a  leader  of  a  for- 
lorn hope,  and  polled  a  vote  in  excess  of  his  party  strength  in  the  dis- 
trict, iir  the  year  following,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Court  for  the 
county,  after  a  desperate  political  fight.  He  is  now  practically  out  of 
politics,  further  than  his  journalistic  duties  lead  him.      Mr.  Russell  was 


HISTORY    OF    MARINETTE   COUNTY. 


593 


married,  on  Christmas  Day.  1878,  to  Miss  Katie  Riley,  a  society  lady  of 
Fond  du  Lac.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  are  proud  in  the  pos.session  of  one 
boy.  In  October,  iSSo,  he,  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Murphy,  established  the 
North  Star,  at  that  time.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  that  Mr. 
Russell's  rapid  rise  in  journalistic  prominence  is  due,  undoubtedly,  to 
his  keen  perception  of  human  nature,  as  established  in  his  business. 
He  does  not  allow  anybody  about  his  premises  an  hour  longer  than  he 
thinks  his  presence  is  worth  the  territory  he  occupies.  Mr.  Russell  has 
enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the  editor  of  one  of  the  oldest  news- 
papers in  Wisconsin  Territory  or  State. 

FREDERICK  SCHALE,  saloon,  Marinette.  Is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  1872,  worked  for  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.  about 
one  year,  then  came  to  Marinette  and  tended  bar  one  year.  Returned  to 
Menominee  and  tended  bar  at  the  First  National  Hotel.  June,  1876, 
he  went  to  Milwaukee,  and  enlisted  in  the  U.  S.  Cavalry,  went  to  Fort 
Abraham  Lincoln,  Dakota  Territory,  fought  the  Indians  at  Standing 
Rock  Agency,  October,  1876.  They  then  marched  to  Fort  Totten, 
where  they  were  stationed  during  the  Winter.  March  14,  1877,  they 
left  in  search  of  the  Nez  Perces  Indians,  overtook  them  in  June,  when 
Ihey  fought  this  tribe.  They  then  marched  to  the  Black  Hills  in  search 
of  the  high-way  robbers,  captured  some  of  them  at  .Sulphur  Springs,  re- 
turned to  Fort  Totten  ;  there  they  wintered.  May  24,  1878,  they  left  in 
search  of  the  Cheyenne  tribe,  fought  them  Oct.  22,  1878.  He  then  was 
sent  forty  miles  through  the  Indian  Territory  for  re-enforcements,  and  for 
this  daring  adventure  was  granted  a  furlough  of  four  months.  Returned 
to  Menominee  and  again  joined  his  regiment  April  28,  1879.  They 
started  again  in  pursuit  of  the  hostile  Indians  ;  was  disabled  June  14, 
taken  to  the  hospital  where  he  remained  till  Sept.  4,  when  he  returned 
to  Menominee.  Worked  for  Stephenson  &  Co.  till  May  I,  1881,  when 
he  bought  out  this  business. 

DR.  J.  J.  SHERMAN,  physician  and  surgeon,  Marinette.  Is  a 
native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Marinette  in  1853.  He 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  i860,  with  Dr.  J.  C.  Hall.  He 
also  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Rush  Medical  College.  Chicago, 
in  1863-64,  then  returned  to  Marinette  and  commenced  practicing  with 
Dr.  Hall,  and  has  since  been  in  constant  practice.  In  the  Fall  of  1880. 
he  again  went  to  Chicago;  there  attended  the  Rush  Medical  College, 
and  graduated  Feb.  22,  1S81.  He  has  been  Town  Assessor,  Treasurer 
and  Clerk;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace;  was  the  first  Sheriff  of  this 
county;  he  has  taught  school  here  eight  terms,  and  has  held  all  the 
school  offices;  he  was  Postmaster  at  Menekaune  from  1862  to  1871,  and 
again  appointed  in  1879.  He  was  the  U.  S.  Enumerator  for  this  dis- 
trict in  i88o.     Was  chairman  of  the  relief  committee  in  1871-72.; 

J.  D.  SMITH,  of  J.  D.Smith  &  Co.,  general  merchandise,  Mari- 
nette. Is  a  native  of  Lycoming  County,  Fa.  In  1S58,  he  came  to  Mene- 
kaune. was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  the  New  York  Lumber 
Co.  till  iS6i.  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  12th  Wis.  Inf.  In 
1S62,  he  was  transferred  to  Commissary  Department  of  the  4th  Division 
of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  ;  was  mustered  out  in  1864,  then  returned 
to  Menekaune,  and  again  worked  for  the  New  York  Lumber  Co.  till  the 
Spring  of  1872,  when  he  established  this  business.  They  also  carrv  on 
another  store  at  Quinnesec,  Mich.,  firm  name  Smith  &  Loughrey.  '  Mr. 
Smith  has  held  the  oflSce  of  Town  Treasurer  three  years  and  Town 
Clerk  one  year. 

W.  E.  SMITH,  firm  of  Woodward  &  Smith,  general  merchandise, 
Marinette.  Is  a  native  of  Boonville,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  Came  to 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  when  about  two  years  old. 
He  learned  the  printer's  trade  in  Fond  du  Lac;  worked  at  it  there 
about  four  years.  He  enlisted  in  1865,  in  the  47th  Wis.  Inf., 
afterward  transferred  to  Co.  E,  50th  Wis.  Inf.;  was  mustered 
out  April,  1866.  In  1871,  came  to  Marinette.  Was  foreman 
of  the  Aa^/i!' office  till  June,  1880,  when  this  business  was  established. 
Mr.  Woodward  became  a  member  of  this  firm  March  16,  1881.  He 
was  married  October,  1879,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.,  daughter  of  D.  E. 
Woodward,  who  was  born  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  and  graduated  at  the  Gen- 
eva Medical  College  in  1857.  He  came  to  Hortonville,  Wis.,  in  1851, 
and  practiced  his  profession  in  Wisconsin  about  seven  years,  also 
dentistry  about  seventeen  years.  He  has  also  been  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising about  twenty-one  years.  He  owns  the  finest  farm  in  Outag- 
amie County,  consisting  of  240  acres,  1 70  acres  cleared.  This  farm  is  pro- 
vided with  all  the  latest  improvements  in  watering  stock,  tilling  the  soil, 
etc.:it  has  an  orchard  of  over  900  trees.  He  built  a  house  which  cost  over 
$5,000,  which  was  burned  in  April.  1878. 

ED.  SCOFIELD,  manufacturer  of  lumber,  Marinette.  He  came  to 
Oconto  in  1868,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  Mix  &  Hall,  as  foreman,  for 
eight  years,  up  to  1876  ;  then  he  leased  the  Orr  mill,  and  ran  it  four 
years  ;  then  he  ran  the  Speice  mill  for  one  year,  and  in  the  Spring  of 
l88l  came  to  Marinette,  and  took  charge  of  the  McCartney  mill.  He 
employs  forty  hands  on  an  average,  and  cuts  about  100,000 
feet  yearly,  clear.  Feb.  10,  1878.  he  was  appointed  Timber  Agent, 
by  Gov.  Smith,  the  position  he  still  holds.  He  is  also  a  member  ol  the 
Masonic  Lodge. 

37 


ISAAC  STEPHENSON,  vice-president  of  the  N.  Ludington 
Company,  was  born  near  Frederickton,  New  Brunswick,  June  18,  1829. 
Scotch,  Irish  and  English  blood  runs  in  his  veins.  His  great-grand- 
father was  a  Scotchman,  his  father,  Isaac,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  his 
mother,  Elizabeth,  was  of  English  ancestry,  her  birth-place  being  Lon- 
don. His  father  came  to  New  Brunswick  when  nineteen  years  of  age, 
and  settled  near  Frederickton,  where  his  son  was  born.  In  1840,  Mr. 
Stephenson  emigrated  to  Maine  with  his  family,  and  hissonhad  a  chance 
(and  improved  his  opportunity)  of  receiving  a  practical  education  in  the 
forests  of  the  old  Pine  Tree  State.  Young  Stephenson  remained  in 
Maine  until  1845,  when  he  removed  to  Milwaukee,  and  entered  into 
business  relations  with  Jefferson  Sinclair,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
lumbermen    of    that    State,   and  with  whom   he   had   previously  been 


acquainted.  Mr.  Sinclair  built  the  great  Penobscot  boom,  previous  to 
locating  in  the  West,  and  superintended  it  for  six  years.  When  young 
Stephenson  arrived,  the  former  had  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Esca- 
naba  mill,  and  bought  a  fine  tract  of  farming  land  near  JanesviUe,  Wis. 
In  the  Summer  of  1846,  he  put  in  400  acres  of  wheat,  of  which  his 
sturdy  young  friend  from  Maine  broke  up  130  acres  himself.  In  the 
Fall  of  that  year,  Stephenson  is  found  at  Escanaba  driving  a  six-ox 
team  in  live,  Yankee  fashion,  putting  in  logs  and  spars.  In  the  Winter 
he  proudly  took  charge  of  an  enormous  107-foot  liberty  pole,  cut  at 
Escanaba,  and  hauled  from  Milwaukee  to  JanesviUe,  to  be  there  planted, 
where  it  remains  to  this  day.  The  huge  piece  of  timber  was  given  to 
Rock  Co.,  Wis.  Mr.  Stephenson  continued  in  Mr.  Sinclair's  employ, 
either  as  contractor  or  foreman  of  camps,  until  1854.  He  spent  most 
of  his  Summers  in  Milwaukee,  engaged  principally  in  sailing,  owning  a 
controlling  interest  in,  and  being  master  of,  a  schooner  before  he  was 
twenty-one.  In  the  Spring  of  1854,  he  went  to  Masonville,  Mich.,  for 
Holt  &  Mason,  locating  pine  lands  and  taking  a  contract  to  stock  the 
mill  with  logs  for  three  years.  In  1857,  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  the 
property,  from  Mr.  Mason,  but  the  panic  of  1857  broke  up  the  transaction, 
and  the  purchase  was  abandoned.  In  May,  1858,  as  stated,  he  bought  a 
quarter  interest  in  the  N.  Ludington  Company,  and  located  in  Marinette, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  In  the  Fall  of  1863,  he  became  one  of  the 
owners  of  the  Ludington  &  Wells,  now  the  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van 


594 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Schaick  Company.  He  had  a  sixth  interest,  but  sold  it  in  t868.  In 
1867,  Mr.  Stephenson  was  authorized  by  leading  lumbermen  to  com- 
mence the  erection  of  dams,  booms  and  piers,  now  controlled  by  the 
Menominee  River  Manuf.icturing  Company,  for  the  purpose  ol  divid- 
ing, sorting  and  handling  the  logs  which  were  cut  and  hauled  to  and  into 
the  river,  there  to  intermingle  and  cause  every  imaginable  trouble  and 
confusion  to  the  owners.  The  result  of  his  labors  is  seen  at  Marinette, 
and  the  supply  is  now  brought  to  its  destination  regularly  and  systemati- 
cally, without  jam  or  confusion.  Each  man  is  as  sure  of  his  own  as  if 
the  logs  had  been  branded.  Mr.  Stephenson  still  remains  vice-president 
and  manager  of  the  corporation,  which  controls  all  log-driving  improve- 
ments, or  those  to  be  made,  upon  the  Menominee  River  and  its  tribu- 
taries. In  1867,  he  obtained  an  interest  in  the  Peshtigo  Company,  Will- 
iam B.  Ogden,  president.  Mr.  Stephenson  was  vice-president  and  man- 
ager, and  under  his  direction  was  erected,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  one 
of  the  largest  mills  in  the  country.  He  also  built  the  immense  tub  and 
pail  factory  at  Peshtigo,  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1871.  The  barge  line 
of  the  Peshtigo  Company,  the  first  one  on  the  lakes,  and  considered  im- 
practicable on  Lake  Michigan  at  the  time,  was  established  by  him  in 
1S67.  He  was  also  one  of  the  original  promoters  of  the  Sturgeon  Bay 
Ship  Canal  Company,  and  is  one  of  the  executive  committee.  In  a  word, 
there  has  been  no  important  move  accomplished  in  the  lumbering  in- 
terests of  Northern  Wisconsin  in  which  Mr.  Stephenson  has  not  taken  a 
leading,  and  oftentimes  the  leading  part.  In  l856,  Mr  Stephenson  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly  from  the  district  comprised  of  Door, 
Oconto  and  Shawano  counties,  and  re-elected  in  1868  from  the  district 
comprising  Shawano  and  Oconto.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors,  Justice  of  tlie  Peace  for  fourteen  years,  and  held  other 
1  cal  offices.  Those  of  more  importance  have  been  within  his  reach,  but 
tlie  magnitude  of  his  business  interests,  if  not  inclination  itself,  preclude 
him  from  political  indulgence.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  Marinette  County  in  1879,  and  donated  the  site  for  the  court- 
house. As  to  his  political  faith,  he  was  originally  a  Whig,  became  a 
Republican  as  soon  as  the  party  was  created,  and  has  remained  steadfast 
ever  since.  Mr.  Stephenson's  enterprise  and  public  spirit  extends  into 
many  channels.  As  an  evidence,  he  has  recently  erected  an  opera-house, 
costing  $10,000.  His  benevolences,  however,  are  many  and  unosten- 
tatious. He  is,  especially,  a  friend  to  the  churches,  and  sites  for  their 
buildings  which  he  has  donated  are  on  both  sides  of  the  Menomonee. 
From  this  sketch  it  must  be  inferred  that  Mr.  Stephenson  is  a  self  made 
man.  In  his  business  relations,  either  as  a  member  of  his  own  firm  or  in 
his  transactions  with  others,  his  characteristics  are  integrity  and  fairness, 
sound  judgment  and  clear  perception.  He  is  a  man  of  remarkable 
memory,  and  his  mind  is  therefore  well  stored  with  that  which  both 
profits  and  entertains.  In  his  friendships  he  is  warm  and  firm,  and  his 
insight  into  character  makes  of  him  a  man  who  seldom  has  a  twinge  of 
regret  at  misplaced  confidence.  In  fact,  after  a  residence  of  twenty- 
three  years  in  Marinette  his  character  still  remains  intact  in  its  solidity 
and  probity. 

ISADORE  S.  STRASS.  proprietor  Fond  du  Lac  House,  Marinette, 
is  a  native  of  Austria.  Came  to  Escanaba,  Mich.,  in  1867;  tTiere  he 
clerked  in  a  dry  goods  store  about  one  and  one-half  years.  In  1869, 
came  to  Green  Bay.  In  1871,  came  to  Marinette,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  Me  owns  this  house,  which  he  built  in  1S78.  It  contains 
about  thirty  rooms,  and  is  doing  a  very  fine  trade. 

W.  J.  SUELFLOHN,  proprietor  of  billiard  hall  and  sample  room. 
He  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1846,  and  came  to  Marinette,  Sep- 
tember, 1879.  and  established  his  present  business.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Turner  Society. 

S.  M.  STEPHENSON,  vice-president  of  the  Kirby-Carpenter  Co., 
was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  in  the  vicinity  of  Woodstock,  Dec.  25, 
1831,  When  nine  years  of  age,  his  father  removed  with  his  family  to 
Maine,  and  until  young  Stephenson  was  seventeen  years  old  he  lived  and 
worked  in  the  pineries  of  the  Aroostook.  His  elder  brother.  Isaac,  had 
already  settled  in  the  West,  being  in  the  employ  of  Jefferson  Sinclair, 
the  noted  Maine  lumberman.  Samuel,  therefore,  was  induced  to  come 
to  Escanaba,  where  he  remained,  working  for  Mr.  Sinclair  one  year; 
then  went  to  Maine.  After  returning,  worked  for  Mr.  Sinclair  two  years, 
and  Holt  &  Mason  two  years.  Then  went  to  Menomonee,  in  1866. 
He  has  since  resided  there,  being  among  its  leading  spirits,  both 
in  business  and  public  enterprises.  His  money  finds  its  way  into 
many  channels  outside  the  business  to  which  he  has  devoted  his 
life.  He  is  now  erecting  a  fine  hotel  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Lud- 
ington  streets.  It  is  to  be  built  of  red  brick,  with  stone  trimmings,  three 
stories  in  height,  120x67  feet  with  "  L"  in  the  northeast  corner,  and  will 
be  first-class  in  all  its  furnishings  and  accommodations.  The  building, 
which  will  cost  $65,000,  is  to  be  ready  for  occupancy  by  the  Summer  of 
1882,  and  will  prove  a  most  useful  adornment  to  Menominee.  That 
Mr.  Stephenson's  sound  common-.sense  is  developed  in  more  ways  than 
those  which  make  of  him  a  successful  business  man,  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  he  has  repeatedly  been  called  upon  to  represent,  not  only  a 
home  constituency,  but  an  extensive  section  of  the  State.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  Supervisor  since  the  County  of  Menomonee  was  organized, 
in  1863.     He  represented  his  Assembly  District  in  1877,  and  served  his 


constituents  in  the  Senate  during  1878-9.  In  1S80,  Mr.  Stephenson 
was  chosen  as  an  elector  at  large  on  the  Republican  ticket.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  firm  believer  and  advocate  of  Republican  principles,  and 


^^^^^^f^^^^^^'^yi'^t^ 


means  to  die  in  the  faith.  In  short,  his  character  may  be  summed  up  in 
these  words  :  whatever  he  believes  and  whatever  he  does,  he  believes 
and  does  with  all  his  might  and  with  all  his  soul. 

EDMOND  TOBIN,  manager  and  patentee  of  the  Alarming  Combi- 
nation Sash  Holder  and  .Sash  Lock,  Marinette.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  came  to  Marquette.  Mich.,  learned  the  millwright  trade,  and 
remained  there  about  three  years.  He  then  traveled  through  Wiscon- 
sin, working  at  this  trade.  In  about  1S67,  came  to  Oconto,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  locality  since.  For  man_v  years  he  has  devoted 
his  time  to  this  patent,  and  is  now  rewarded  by  the  grandest  production 
of  inventive  genius,  having  just  sold  a  bill  of  §700  in  Marinette.  His 
sales  will  be  enormous  when  once  placed  upon  the  market. 

JAMES  TWEEDIE,  proprietor  Marinette  Planing  Mill,  M.arinette, 
is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  At  the  age  of  about  twenty-four  years, 
he  came  to  Masonville,  Mich.  There  he  wrrked  at  the  lumber  business 
till  1859,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  worked  for  the  Kirby  Carpenter 
Company  about  eleven  years.  In  1870  he,  with  Mr.  Wright,  bought 
this  mill,  and  ran  it  about  three  years,  when  it  was  consumed  by  fire. 
He  at  once  rebuilt  and  ran  it  till  1879,  when  it  was  again  destroyed  by 
fire.     He  at  once  rebuilt  it,  and  has  since  been  running  it. 

WATSON  BRO.S.,  hardware  and  stoves,  Marinette.  This  business 
was  estaljlished  in  1873  ;  first  started  in  this  store  with  a  very  small 
stock.  The  store  then  was  22x36.  They  have  now  worked  into  a  large 
and  prosperous  trade,  being  obliged  to  enlarge  their  store,  which  is  now 
22x120  feet;  doing  a  business  of  about  $70,000  a  year,  and  constantly 
increasing. 

D.  G.  WEAVER,  firm  of  Mendlek,  Weaver  &  Co.,  Marinette  Mar- 
ble Works,  is  a  native  of  Chemung  Co.,  N,  Y.  Came  to  Green  Bay  in 
1855  ;  worked  in  a  shingle  mill.  Afterward  removed  to  a  farm,  where 
he  worked  a  few  years.     He  then  followed  the  lakes  one  year.     In  1863 


HISTORY    OF    MARINETTE    COUNTY 


595 


he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  39th  Wis.  Inf. ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  He 
was  transferred,  in  1864,  to  the  gth  Wis.  Battery.  Participated  in  the 
battle  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Corinlh,  in  the  Red  River  expedition,  in 
Sherman's  march  to  the  sea  and  others.  He  then  returned  to  Oconto, 
and  followed  the  lakes  again,  about  eleven  years  in  all.  In  1876  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  marble  trade,  and  established  this  business  Nov.  22, 
1880. 
I  DR.  L.  E.  WHITMAN,  druggist,  Marinette.     Is   a  native  of  New 

York.  Came  to  Marinette,  Wis  ,  in  1867,  where  he  remained  till  1872; 
when  he  went  to  Menoninee,  Mich.,  and  opened  a  drug  store ;  continued 
it  till  iS75,when  he  again  returned  to  Marinette,  and  since  then  has  carried 
on  this  business.  He  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  Bourbon, 
Ind.,  in  1865;  practiced  till  about  1873. 

S.  J.  WHITNACK.  foreman  for  James  .Scott,  livery  and  sale  stable, 
Marinette.  Was  born  in  New  York  Stale  ;  came  to  Neenah  in  1856, 
and  was  engaged  in  farming  and  milling.  He  enlisted,  in  1864,  in  Co. 
E,  42d  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  In  August, 
1S80,  he  came  to  Marinette,  and  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  busi- 
ness since. 

CALEB  WILLIAMS,  superintendent  N.  Ludington  Company, 
Marinette.  Is  a  native  of  England.  Came  to  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  when 
a  boy.  In  1867,  came  to  Racine  County.  Worked  in  a  grist  mill  about 
one  and  one-half  years,  then  clerked  in  a  store  about  one  and  one-half 
years.  He  then,  with  his  father,  carried  on  the  commission  busi- 
ness about  one  year.  May  8,  1867,  he  came  to  Marinette;  worked  for 
Stephenson,  Gram  &  Co.,  in  the  lumber  business.  A  few  months  later 
he  took  charge  of  their  books ;  held  that  position  till  September, 
1872,  when  he  was  appointed  superintendent,  which  position  he  has 
since  held.     In  the  Fall  of  1871,  he  was  treasurer  of  the  Relief  Society. 

E.  B.  WILLIAMS,  of  the  firm  of  Williams  Bros.,  dealers  in  hard- 
ware, Marinette.  He  was  born  in  England  and  came  to  Peshtigo,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  same  business.  Burned  out  in  1871,  and  lost  every- 
thing except  some  of  their  tools,  which  they  took  and  went  to  Missouri, 
and  worked  at  the  tinner  trade  for  about  five  years.  Came  to  Marinette 
and  established  their  present  business  in  1876.  Were  burned  out  again 
in  1879,  ^"'l  immediately  rebuilt  their  present  store. 

J.  K.  WRIGHT,  one  of  the  firm  of  Wright  Bros  ,  dealers  in  general 
merchandise,  Marinette.     He  is  a  native   of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to 
Marinette    in    1867,  and  they  are   the   first  in  that  line,  aside  from  the 
lumber  company's  store  in  Marinette.     They  have  a  good  trade,  selling 
'  from  twenty-five  to  forty  thousand   dollars   per  year.      They  also  have 

two  branch  stores,  one  at  Quinnesec,  and  one  at  Cornell,  Minn.  He  en- 
listed, May  l6,  1861,  in  Co.  F,  23d  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  and  served  the  term  of 
his  enlistment ;  and  when  the  county  of  Marinelte  was  organized,  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  Register  of  Deeds,  and  in  1879  was  elected 
to  the  same  office  for  the  next  term. 

MYRON  YOUNG,  proprietor  Northwestern  Hotel,  Marinette. 
Is  a  native  of  Port  Huron,  Mich.;  there  he  was  raised,  and  followed  the 
lake  till  1876.  when  he  came  to  Green  Bay;  engaged  in  painting  till  the 
Winter  of  1879,  when  he  came  to  Marinette  and  at  once  took  charge  of 
this  hotel.  Married,  in  1877,  to  Miss  Elmira  Charles.  She  is  a  native 
of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

MENEKAUNE. 

REV.  J.  R.  ANDREWS,  pastor  Swedish  M.  E.  Church,  Mene- 
kaune,  is  a  native  of  Sweden.  At  about  the  age  of  fifteen  he  com- 
menced to  study  for  the  ministry ;  came  to  Evanston,  111.,  and  continued 
his  studies  ;  was  ordained  September,  1878  ;  he  then  came  to  Ishpeming 
and  had  charge  of  a  Church  there  two  years.  In  1S80.  he  came  to 
Menekaune,  and  has  been  pastor  of  this  Church  since  then. 

JOHN  O.  LINDQUIST,  general  merchandise,  Menekaune,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden  ;  In    1854,  came  to  Chicago  ;  in   1856,  came  to  Mene- 
kaune ;  followed  painting  about  two  seasons  ;  he  then  followed  various 
I  kinds  of  work  for   several  years;  then  bought  a  small  vessel,  and  en- 

1  gaged  '■>  furnishing  supplies  along  the  bay  and  river;  continued  at  this 

i  till   1867,  when  he  opened  a  store  with  a  very  limited  stock,  and  has 

,  now  worked  into  a  very  fine  trade,  doing  a  business  of  $25,0CX3  to  $30,- 

000  a  year.     When  he  came  to  Menekaune  he  had  nothing. 
I  CAPT.  A.  V.  LINDQUIST,  master  of  tug  "A  Burton,"  Menekaune, 

;  is  a  native  of  Sweden;  in  1854  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents;  they 

;  lost  a  daughter  there  ;  in  1855,  '''£>'  came  to  Menekaune,  where  he  has 

since  made  his  home.  His  father  removed  to  Ephraim,  Wis.,  in  i860, 
followed  farming  till  1870,  when  he  returned  to  Menekaune,  where  he 
now  lives.  Captain  Lindquist  has  been  engaged  in  boating  ever  since 
coming  to  Menekaune.  He  ran  a  tug  for  the  New  York  Company  three 
seasons,  and  the  past  ten  seasons,  he  has  commanded  this  tug  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Company.  Married  Amelia 
Hanson,  in  1871.  She  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have  four  children, 
two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

CAPT.  r.  A.  LINDQUIST,  master  of  the  tug  "Thomas  A.  Tilling- 

hast,"  Menekaune,  is  a  native  of  Sweden  ;  cameto  Chicago  in  1854.     The 

;  following  year,  the  family  came  to  Menekaune.     In   1857,  he  worked  for 


the  New  York  mills  ;  he  met  with  a  very  narrow  escape  on  one  occasion, 
his  clothes  were  caught  by  a  revolving  shaft,  which,  in  an  instant,  strip- 
ped him  of  all  he  had  on.  The  following  year  he  engaged  in  sailing  on 
the  bay,  and  so  continued  about  eight  seasons;  he  owned  a  vessel  named 
the  "  Menominee  Belle ;"  when  near  Death's  Door,  and  in  the  Fall  of 
the  year,  a  squall  suddenly  came  up  and  capsized  her;  he  remained  in 
the  water  about  six  hours,  clinging  to  the  boat;  the  wind  then  shifted, 
and  he  was  driven  ashore,  where  he  was  cared  for  by  the  settlers,  nearly 
frozen  to  death.  The  past  ten  years  he  has  been  master  of  this  tug; 
married  in  i86i,  to  Kate  Hanson  ;  she  was  born  in  Norway  ;  they  have 
seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

J.  W.  LOUGHREY,  proprietor  Exchange  Hotel,  Menekaune,  is  a 
native  of  Louisville,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.;  came  to  Cleveland,  and 
was  employed  with  Henderson,  Punderson  &  Palmer  ;  the  oldest  whole- 
sale and  retail  druggists  in  the  city  ;  was  with  the  firm  during  1847,  '48 
and  '49;  he  then  went  to  Kentucky,  and  followed  civil  engineering  about 
six  years.  In  1855,  came  to  Peshtigo,  worked  in  the  woods  for  the  Pesh- 
tigo Company,  afterward  employed  in  their  store,  where  he  remained 
one  year;  he  then  came  to  Menekaune  and  took  charge  of  John  Jacob's 
store  and  Post-office,  remained  with  him  about  three  years.  He  enlisted 
in  i86i,  Co.  F,  12th  Wis.  V.  I.,  3d  Div.  17th  Army  Corps;  served  to  the 
end  of  the  war;  in  i866,  he  was  employed  byKirby  Carpenter  Company, 
scaled  for  them  in  the  woods  ;  in  1867,  he  scaled  ("or  them  in  Iheir  mill; 
in  1868,  he  scaled  again  for  them  m  the  woods;  the  following  year,  he 
commenced  the  hotel  business,  which  he  has  since  followed  ;  has  been 
Town  Supervisor  three  years. 

LEON.^RD  MILLER,  meat  market,  Menekaune,  is  a  native  of 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  came  to  Detroit  in  1852,  with  his  parents,  they  after  re- 
moved to  Monroe  County,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  till  the  Fall  of 
1863  ;  then  came  to  Menekaune,  and  has  worked  at  the  engineer  busi- 
ness till  1880,  when  he  started  this  business;  married  in  1864  to  Mary 
Patton  ;  she  was  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  seven  children,  three  sons 
and  four  daughters. 

S.  V.  D.  PHILBROOK,  of  the  firm  of  Philbrook  Bros.,  shipyard, 
Menekaune,  is  a  native  of  Maine.  In  1859  he  came  to  Green  Bay, 
where  he  remained  about  four  years,  and  then  came  to  Peshtigo.  In 
about  1867  he  came  to  Menekaune.  They  have  worked  at  this  business 
for  the  past  thirty  years,  and  have  built  many  fine  steamers  and  vessels, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  propellor  "Boscobel"  for  the  Pesh- 
tigo Company,  and  others. 

CAPTAIN  W.  C.  RODGERS,  retired,  Menekaune,  was  born  July 
22,  1817,  in  Middlebury,  Vt.  When  a  boy  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  commenced  sailing  in  1836,  and  followed  the 
lakes  till  i860.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  had  charge  of  a  vessel,  and  since 
this  time  has  had  charge  of  many  different  vessels,  among  which  may  be 
named  the  "Harriet  Calvin,"  "Cleopatra,"  "Rocky  Mountain," 
"Mary,"  "Palmetto,"  and  others.  He  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  New 
York  mills  about  twelve  years.  Has  served  as  Constable  two  terms. 
Has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  four  years.  He  has  now  retired  from  active  du- 
ties and  has  provided  himself  with  a  very  comfortable  home,  fitted  up 
with  all  conveniences.     His  son,  George  H.,  served  in  the  late  war. 

PESHTIGO. 

Peshtigo  is  a  place  of  1,200  inhabitants,  situated  on  the 
river  by  that  name,  six  miles  south  of  Marinette.  Although 
settlements  were  made  in  its  vicinity  at  quite  an  early  day, 
there  are  no  "ancient  landmarks"  standing  to  keep  alive  an 
interest  in  its  youthful  times — all  swept  away,  with  hundreds 
of  human  lives,  in  that  awful  baptism  by  fire  in  1871.  The 
history  of  Peshtigo,  as  it  is,  dates  from  October  8,  187 1. 

The  village  is  located  on  the  Peshtigo  River,  about 
seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  six  miles  directly  south  of 
Marinette. 

BUSINESS  INTERESTS. 

The  Peshtigo  Company,  a  business  power  in  Northern 
Wisconsin,  was  organized  in  October,  1856,  as  the  Peshtigo 
Lumber  &  Manufacturing  Company.  The  name  was 
afterward  changed  to  that  by  which  it  is  at  present  known. 
When  the  company  was  organized,  a  mill  on  each  side  of 
the  river  had  been  operated  for  years.  The  one  on  the  west 
side  was  torn  down  and  a  very  large  mill  erected  on  its  site 
in  1857.  This  was  burned  in  1867.  The  old  building  on 
the  east   side  was   enlarged,  containing  finally  a   circular. 


596 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


lath,  planing  and  grist  mill,  sash  and  door  factory  and  ma- 
chine shop,  all  in  one.  It  was  burned  in  the  fire  of  1871, 
and  has  not  been  rebuilt,  but  a  saw-mill,  with  two  large  cir- 
culars, was  erected  on  the  west  side  in  1872,  and  is  now  in 
operation.  Its  capacity  is  100,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  33,- 
000  lath  per  day.  It  is  run  by  water  power  and  employs 
fifty  men.  To  facilitate  the  transportation  and  marketing 
of  this  large  manufacture,  the  Peshtigo  Company  has  con- 
structed a  railroad  line  from  Peshtigo  to  Peshtigo  Harbor, 
eight  miles,  where  it  connects  with  its  line  of  barges,  and 
thus  a  continuous  route  is  opened  to  Chicago.  At  Peshtigo 
Harbor  the  company  owns  and  operates  a  steam  saw-mill, 
the  largest  and  most  productive  in  this  section  of  the  State. 
It  was  built  in  1867-68,  going  into  operation  during  the 
Spring  of  the  latter  year.  Its  capacity  (eleven  hours  per 
day)  is  200,000  feet  of  lumber,  33,000  lath  and  40,000  shin- 
gles. The  number  of  men  employed  in  the  mill  is  125.  The 
barge  line,  mentioned  above,  consists  of  a  magnificent  $50,- 
000  tug,  "The  Boscobel,"  which  was  built  this  season,  and 
six  fine  barges.  The  company  has  also  in  operation  at  Pesh- 
tigo a  flourishing  general  store,  and  a  first-class  boarding 
house.  Its  lands  comprise  160,000  acres,  located  on  both 
sides  of  the  Peshtigo  River.  This  season's  estimated  manu- 
facture is  50,000,000  feet.  Present  officers  of  the  company  : 
President,  Wm.  E.  Strong;  Vice-president,  Isaac  Stephen- 
son ;  Secretary,  Wm.  A.  Ellis  ;  Assistant  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  George  C.  Hempstead. 

Machine  Shops  and  Planing  Mill  of  S.  G.  Lister,  is 
the  only  manufacturing  establishment  in  Peshtigo,  outside  the 
mill  and  shops  owned  by  the  Peshtigo  Company.  The  shops 
were  first  erected  in  1870,  by  David  Lister  &  Son,  but  were 
burned  in  the  great  fire.  They  were  rebuilt  the  next  year, 
the  senior  proprietor  selling  out  to  his  sons,  David  Lister, 
and  S.  G.  Lister,  who  operated  them  until  1876,  as  Lister 
Brothers.  The  former  disposed  of  his  interest  to  F.  J- 
Bartels,  who  remained  in  partnership  with  the  latter  for  a 
year,  since  which  time  S.  G.  Lister  has  been  sole  proprietor. 
About  a  dozen  hands  are  employed  in  the  foundry,  machine 
shop  and  planing  mill. 

Peshtigo  has,  of  course,  a  number  of  general  stores, 
which  do  a  good  business,  and  has  after  ten  years  grown  up 
to  be  the  only  settlement  of  importance  in  the  county,  out- 
side of  Marinette.  Its  school  accommodations,  as  the  village 
is  not  incorporated,  are  those  of  District  No.  2,  in  which  it 
is  situated.     The  figures  have  been  given. 

CHURCHES  AND    SOCIETIES. 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  (Catholic),  was  organized  in 
1863,  and  a  church  building  erected  the  same  year.  It  was 
destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1871,  and  a  second  one,  the  edifice 
now  standing,  was  erected  in  1871-72.  The  site  was  do- 
nated by  the  Peshtigo  Company,  the  value  of  the  property 
being  at  present,  §3,500.  Rev.  John  Seubert  has  been  in 
charge  of  the  Church  since  August,  1880.  The  membership 
is  100  families. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  April  3, 
1868.  The  first  house  of  worship  had  just  been  completed 
at  the  time  of  the  great  fire  and  was  destroyed  with  the  rest 


of  the  village.  Eight  of  the  members  are  known  to  have 
perished  in  the  fire  and  others  were  scattered.  All  records 
were  burned.  The  present  house  of  worship  2i  fac simile  o{ 
of  the  first,  was  built  by  money  contributed  from  difi"erent 
parts  of  the  country,  together  with  ^2,000  insurance.  Rev. 
H.  T.  Fuller,  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  (German).  Its  former 
edifice  was  burned  at  the  time  of  the  fire.  In  1871-72,  the 
present  one  was  erected.  Rev.  H.  Hillemann  is  pastor  of 
the  society,  which  numbers  about  175. 

There  is  also  a  Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church,  in  charge 
of  Rev.  J.  H.  Dahl,  of  Fort  Howard,  and  a  small  Epicopa- 
lian  Society,  which  worships  in  Temple  of  Honor  Hall,  and 
whose  pastor  is  Rev.  William  Dafter,  of  Oconto. 

Peshtigo  has  a  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  a  Masonic  Lodge, 
a  Temple  of  Honor,  and  a  band  of  Juvenile  Templars. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

EDGAR  ANNIS,  farmer,  Sec.  35,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Born  in  Chitten- 
den County,  Vt.  He  came  to  Oconto  in  the  Spring  of  1S55 ; 
he  removed  to  Shawano  County,  thence  to  Iowa,  and  Minnesota.  In  the 
Fall  of  1S56,  he  came  to  New  London,  Wis.;  in  1865,  he  came  to  his 
present  farm.  He  owns,  in  all,  200  acres  of  land.  Married,  in  1S65,  to 
Sophia  Chestnut ;  she  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  County,  N.  Y. 


JUDGE  F.  J.  BARTELS,  Postmaster,  Peshtigo,  was  born  in  Cri- 
vitz,  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  Germany,  Oct.  31,  1S32.  Coming  to  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  in  1S52,  he  worked  a  year  and  a  half  in  an  edge-tool  factory, 
and  then  settled  in  Peshtigo.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  he  en- 
listed  in  Co.  F,  12th  Wis.  V.  L,  as  a  private.  F<ir  his  soldierly  bearing 
and  bravery  in  action,  he  passed  through  the  gradations  of  promotion  up 
to  the  captaincy  of  the  same  company.  Upon  being  mustered  out  of  the 
service,  he  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business,  the  firm  being 
Marshall  &  Co.  It  afterwards  became  Marshall  &  Bartels,  and  rinally 
the  latter  obtained  entire  control  of  the  business,  managing  it  alone  un- 
til the  great  fire  of  1S71.  Although  Mr.  Bartels  suffered  himself  to  the 
of  $30,000,  he  was  among  the  foremost  in  the  work  of  relieving 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


597 


others,  serving,  for  a  time,  upon  the  committee  organized  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  next  year,  1S72,  he  became  Postmaster,  was  appointed  Coun- 
ty Judge  by  the  Governor  in  1879,  '»  fi"  »"'  '^e  term  ending  Jan.  I, 
1SS2,  and  elected  to  this  position  for  the  term  ending  Jan.  I,  1SS6. 
Judge  Bartels  has  also  held  the  position  of  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  is  a  man  of  ability  and  deter- 
mination, and  has  retained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community 
in  which  he  has  resided  for  twenty-eight  years.  This  is  circumstantial 
evidence,  which  amounts  to  proof,  of  an  unusually  strong  and  sincere 
character. 

MARCUS  H.  BICE,  filer  for  the  Peshtigo  Co.,  is  a  native  of  Canada. 
Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1S63,  and  commenced  on  the  carriage  in  the  mill 
the  second  season;  ran  one  of  the  saws  up  to  the  time  of  the  big  fire,  and 
after  the  new  mill  was  built,  took  a  saw  and  ran  it  till  August,  1879,  and 
since  that  time,  has  been  engaged  as  filer.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.K. 

MARTIN  BIES,  saloon,  Peshtigo;  he  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  and 
came  to  America  in  1867,  and  to  Peshtigo  in  1869,  and  was  employed  by 
the  Peshtigo  Co.,  and  worked  for  them  and  others  up  to  1875,  when  he 
established  himself  in  his  present  business. 

L.  C.  BROWN,  assistant  manager  at  Peshtigo  Harbor  Steam  Mill, 
is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1875,  and  has  been  in 
his  present  position  since  1878.  He  enlisted  in  1862,  in  Co.  C,  5th  Reg. 
Penn.  C,  and  served  three  years  and  three  months. 

NICHOLAS  CAVIOT,  livery  and  sale  stable,  Peshtigo,  was  born 
in  France,  Dec.  6,  1824  ;  came  to  New  York  in  1856,  stopped  there  for 
a  few  months,  then  to  Chicago.  April,  1857,  and  then  to  Peshtigo,  Nov. 
28,  185S,  and  engaged  work  with  the  Peshtigo  Company  uptothe  Spring 
of  t86i;  established  himself  in  business,  butchering  and  meat  market, 
up  to  1871,  when  the  great  fire  burned  the  entire  town.  He  had  man- 
aged by  close  application  to  business  to  accumulate  a  nice  start ;  he  con- 
sidered himself  worth  about  $20,000,  a  great  portion  was  in  improved 
property,  which  was  all  lost,  but  he  was  not  discouraged,  but  went  to 
work  and  built  the  first  house  that  was  built  after  the  fire,  and  has  a  sign 
placed  on  it  stating  the  fact;  he  also  built  a  saw  mill  four  miles  south  of 
the  N.  \V.  R.  R.  track,  and  ran  it  for  thirteen  months,  when  that  took 
fire  and  burned  down,  and  he  has  built  two  other  saw  mills  since  and 
sold  them  out  to  other  parties. 

RICHARD  CHAPMAN,  farmer,  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  has  eighty 
acres  ;  he  was  born  in  Marinette  County  ;  moved  on  his  farm  in  1880 ; 
he  was  married,  April  8,  1876,  to  Maria  A.  Sage.  She  was  born  in  New 
York  State.     They  have  two  children,  Maud  A.  and  John. 

A.  M.  CHOLETTE,  saloon  and  boarding,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, came  to  Alpena,  Mich.,  in  1865  ;  worked  at  the  lumber  business  till 
1S67,  when  he  came  to  Menominee  ;  1S6S,  came  to  Marinette  ;  in  1870, 
came  to  Peshtigo  ;  in  1S73.  went  to  Negaunee,  Mich.  ;  in  1874,  to  Chi- 
cago; came  to  Oconto  in  1875,  thence  to  Green  Bay  in  1878;  returned 
to  Peshtigo,  and  has  followed  the  hotel  business  since  1868  ;  he  was 
also  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  here  from  1872  to  1873. 

SAMUEL  CURTIN,  farmer.  Sec.  17,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Born  in 
Quebec,  Canada,  July  12,  1833.  Came  to  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1847  ;  in  1854,  he  removed  to  Upper  Canada  ;  in  1856,  he  came  to  Pesh- 
tigo, and  bought  this  farm  of  eighty  acres  of  land  ;  he  has  since  im- 
proved it  with  a  house,  barn  and  other  improvements. 

J.  B.  DAWSON,  wagon  and  blacksmith  shop,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of 
Canada;  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1862,  worked  for  the  Peshtigo  Company 
till  1S76;  since  this  time  he  has  been  carrying  on  this  business;  this 
trade  he  learned  in  Canada. 

THOMAS  DENIS,  head  sawyer,  Peshtigo  Lumber  Company,  is  a 
native  of  Canada.  In  1866  he  came  to  Lake  Superior,  where  he  re- 
mained eighteen  months,  then  came  to  Peshtigo  and  worked  in  the  mill 
two  or  three  years.  He  then  built  a  hotel,  which  he  ran  till  he  was 
burned  out  in  the  great  fire  of  1871.  He  then  followed  jobbing  for  two 
Winters.      Since  then  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company. 

HENRY  DREES,  foreman  at  the  stables  of  the  Peshtigo  Company. 
He  was  born  in  Germany ;  came  to  Chicago,  May,  185S,  and  in  Nov- 
ember of  the  same  year  to  Peshtigo  and  commenced  work  for  this  com- 
pany at  the  Harbor  up  to  i860,  when  he  took  his  present  position, 
which  he  has  occupied  ever  since;  when  he  first  took  it  he  had  in  his 
care  and  charge  about  125  head  of  horses,  harness,  wagons,  and 
e/erything  pertaining  to  the  teaming  line,  and  has  twenty-four 
men  to  assist  him  ;  he  is  an  efficient  man  for  the  company,  as 
he  can  speak,  read  and  write  three  different  languages — German, 
French  and  English,  and  also  doctors  all  of  their  horses,  besides  others  ; 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  Encampment ;  he  was  elected 
Overseer  of  the  township  roads  in  1880  and  1881. 

JOHN  DUNL.^P.  manager  of  the  Pe.shtigo  Company's  saw  mill; 
he  is  a  native  of  Ireland  ;  came  to  America  in  1856  and  located  in 
Manistee,  Mich.,  for  a  lew  months  in  1857  ;  moved  to  Peshtigo  and  was 
engaged  by  the  Peshtigo  Company  at  various  kinds  of  work  up  to  1868, 
when  he  was  placed  in  his  present  position  ;  he  has  forty-six  men  under 
his  charge. 


E.  D.  ELLIS,    book-keeper   for  Peshtigo  Co.     He  is   a  native  of 

Maine,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  when  four  years  of  age  with  his  parents, 
and  after  completing  his  education  was  employed  in  the  Company's  store 
as  clerk  up  to  1 871,  when  he  was  promoted  to  assistant  book-keeper 
under  Mr.  Shepherd,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  Town 
Treasurer. 


yh.J-.lalM 


WILLIAM  A.  ELLIS,  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Peshtigo 
Company,  at  Peshtigo,  was  born  in  Topsham,  Me..  April  23,  1828.  He 
is  the  son  of  William  and  Miranda  Ellis,  and  previous  to  his  settlement 
in  Peshtigo,  in  1857,  was  engaged  principally  in  the  mercantile  business 
at  Oldtown.  a  village  of  Upper  Stillwater,  to  which  place  his  parents  re- 
moved. There  they  resided  up  to  1875.  when  they  came  West  to  live 
near  their  son.  When  Mr.  Ellis  located  in  Peshtigo,  he  at  once  took 
charge  of  the  company's  store  and  books,  and  thus  continued  up  to 
186S.  He  then  became  general  manager  of  all  the  business  at  this  place 
and  continues  to  hold  that  responsible  position.  Mr.  Ellis  is  also  a 
dealer  and  has  considerable  interests  in  pine  lands,  and  is,  all  in  all, 
one  of  the  business  leaders  in  his  part  of  the  State.  Like  most  of  the 
substantial  men  of  this  section,  he  came  early  and  has  remained  to  see  his 
former  home  in  the  wilderness  surrounded  by  brisk  life.  He  has.  in  addi- 
tion to  his  business  engagements,  been  called  to  many  positions  of  trust. 
In  1857.  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  served  up  to  the  time  of  his 
resignation  in  1873.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer  for  eighteen 
years,  and  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  since  the  organization  of  Mari- 
nette County  in  1879.  In  1880,  Mr.  Ellis  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
for  the  term  1881-2.  That  he  has  had  his  share  of  private  and  public  con- 
fidence and  esteem,  the  above  record  shows,  even  to  those  who  do  not 
know  his  life. 

HARVEY  ENGLAND,  farmer,  Sec.  8,  Town  30.  Range  22,  P.O. 
Peshtigo,  has  160  acres.  Was  born  in  New  York  State  ;  came  to  Peshtigo 
in  1864,  and  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering.  He  was 
married  in  1870,  to  Caroline  May.  She  died  May  15.  1880,  and  left  one 
child,  Leola  M.  Mr.  England's  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  A.  R. 
Winens,  Feb.  21,  1881.     She  was  born  in  Oconto  Co.,  Wis. 

M.  H.  ENGLER,  Town  Assessor,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  Luzerne 
Co.,  Pa.  In  the  Spring  of  1868,  he  came  to  Columbus,  Iowa  ;  in  the 
Fall  of  this  year  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  where  he  remained  till  the  Spring 
of  1874,  when  he  took  a  trip  to  Califoinia,  Australia,  Japan  and  enbrac- 


598 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


'ng  the  whole  Pacific  slope;  returned  in  the  Fall  of  1876,  and  has  since 
been  employed  by  the  Peshtigo  Company  in  surveying  and  looking 
after  their  lands,  etc. 

PHILIP  FETTERLY,  farmer,  Sec.  12.  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  has  240 
acres.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1861,  and  en- 
gaged with  the  Peshtigo  Company,  lumbering  for  about  two  years  ;  then 
commenced  to  improve  his  farm.  He  has  one  of  the  finest  apple  or- 
chards in  the  county.  He  has  served  the  office  of  Treasurer  of  his  school 
district  for  three  years.  Has  eight  children— Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Charles 
Paetz),  Elias  C,  George  J.,  Allen,  William,  Charles,  Frank  and  Eddie. 

JAMES  GLASS,  farmer.  Sec.  27,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of 
Ireland  ;  born  in  1S33.  At  the  age  of  about  ten  years  he  came  to  St. 
Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.;  in  1856,  he  came  to  Ozaukee  County,  Wis., 
where  he  remained  a  short  time,  then  to  West  Bend,  Washington  Co., 
there  he  remained  three  years;  in  1859,  he  came  to  Brown  County; 
July  I,  1S60.  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming. 
He  owns  fifty-five  acres  of  land  ;  he  was  the  first  director  of  school  No. 
7  ;  held  that  office  nine  years.  He  has  been  Constable  two  or  three 
years,  and  Overseer  of  Highways  two  or  three  years. 

J.  W.  GOULD,  proprietor  of  the  Gould  House,  Peshtigo.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  county  of  Kennebec,  Me.;  came  to  Peshtigo  in  the  Spring 
of  1S60  and  engaged  in  lumbering  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  and  has 
been  their  foreman,  more  or  less,  for  the  eleven  years  up  to  October,  1875, 
when  he  contracted  for  the  house  he  now  runs,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
complete  kept  houses  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  for  the  amount  of 
business  done. 

B.  GRANDEAU,  foreman  of  the  carpenter  shop  of  the  Peshtigo 
Company,  was  born  in  Lower  Canada,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  June  7, 
1864,  and  has  been  at  work  for  this  company  ever  since.  Was  married 
in  1840,  to  Sophia  Miller  ;  she  was  born  in  Lower  Canada.  They  have 
seven  children — Elizabeth,  Amelia,  Sophia,  Annie,  Anton  and  Archie. 

ACHILLE  GRANGER,  millwright  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  is  a 
native  of  Canada.  Came  to  Menominee  in  1867,  where  he  worked  for 
three  years.  Since  this  time  he  has  been  working  the  mills.  In  about 
1876  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  has  since  been  working  for  this  company. 
Married,  in  1S76,  to  Laura  Lavoie.  She  was  born  in  Canada.  They 
have  two  children,  Charles  and  Clara. 

J.  A.  GRIFFIN,  has  charge  of  the  Peshtigo  Company's  boarding 
house  at  the  Harbor.  He  is  a  native  of  Cleveland,  Ohio  ;  came  to  Pesh- 
tigo with  his  parents  in  1848,  and  has  lived  here  most  of  the  time  ;  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  this  company  for  the  last  fifteen  years  steadily, 
and  took  charge  of  the  house  that  is  still  running,  in  the  Spring  of  1879. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Temple  of  Honor. 

LEVI  HALE,  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  When  a  boy,  his  parents  moved  to  St.  Lawrence 
County,  where  he  was  raised.  He  followed  the  lakes  a  few  years,  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1841,  he  came  to  Menominee  River,  and  was  engaged  in 
prospecting  in  the  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior  about  one  year.  In 
1846,  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  followed  lumbering  and  various  kinds  of 
work.  In  1859,  he  built  a  hotel,  and  ran  it  seven  years ;  afterward  fol- 
lowed building  and  renting  till  1871,  when  his  buildings  were  all  swept 
away  in  the  great  fire.  He  was  the  heaviest  loser,  aside  from  the  Pesh- 
tigo Company.  Married,  in  1856,  lo  Miss  Hannah,  daughter  of  John 
Windross,  formerly  of  England.  They  emigrated  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in 
1833.  She  came  to  Green  Bay  in  1836,  and  has  lived  in  Oconto  County 
since  1847.  They  have  a  family  of  three  children— Elizabeth,  now  Mrs. 
Woodward,  Martha,  now  Mrs.  Murphy,  and  Miss  Kittie. 

B.  F.  HARPER,  furniture,  and  undertaker,  Peshtigo.  Born  in 
Rockland  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1867.  When  in  New  York, 
he  learned  the  trade  of  architect  and  builder,  and  still  carries  on  this 
business.  He  has  been  foreman  carpenter  for  the  Peshtigo  Company 
since  coming  here.  He  commenced  the  undertaking  business  in  1877, 
and  two  years  later  added  furniture.  He  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  the  U.  S. 
Navy,  from  Philadelphia,  serving  in  the  Gulf  Squadron  one  year. 

DAVID  HENRY,  latmer,  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of 
Ireland.  Came  with  liis  parents  to  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  In  1858,  hj  came  to  Muskego,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.;  here  he 
held  the  office  of  Town  Superintendent  of  Schools  two  years;  Town 
Clerk  two  terms.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  refused  to 
qualify;  was  Postmaster  five  years.  In  1868,  he  came  to  his  present 
farm,  consisting  of  eighty  acres  of  land. 

ROBERT  A.  HURD.  farmer.  Sec.  35.  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  He  was 
born  in  New  York  State.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1868.  Is  a  mason  by 
trade,  and  he  has  followed  that  and  farming  since  he  has  been  in  the 
country.  He  was  married,  in  i860,  to  Emerly  Philips.  She  was  born 
in  Cornwall,  Canada  West.  They  have  four  children — William  A., 
Ella  C,  Robert  N.  and  Pearl  M.  Mrs.  Hurd  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

FRANK  JACOBS,  filer  in  the  Peshtigo  Company's  mill.  He 
is  a  native  of  Hungary.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1850.  When  he  first 
came  to  this  place,  was  engaged  with  Levenworth  &  Beebe,  and  when 
the  Peshtigo  Company  started  their  works,   Mr.  Jacobs  went  with  them, 


and  has  been  in  their  employ  ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  also  the  Encampment. 

JOHN  G.  KUSTERER,  druggist,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  Wur- 
temburg,  Germany.  In  1848,  came  to  Philadelphia;  there  learned  the 
lithograph  trade,  which  he  followed  about  six  years.  He  then  went  to 
Toronto,  Canada ;  worked  at  the  trade  there  about  two  years.  He 
came  to  Chicago  about  1S56,  where  he  remained  about  one  year; 
then  to  St.  Louis.  In  1S5S,  he  went  to  Louisville,  Ky.;  worked  at 
this  business  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army;  served 
about  four  months;  returned  to  Louisville,  where  he  remained  till  1866. 
when  he  entered  the  hospital  at  Newport,  Ky.,  as  steward,  where  he 
remained  about  fwur  years;  then  returned  to  Louisville,  and  again 
worked  at  the  lithograph  business  till  the  Spring  of  1879.  when  he 
came  to  Menekaune,  Wis.,  where  he  ran  a  drug  store  till  November, 
1879,  when  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  has  since  carried  on  this  business. 

GEORGE  LAISURE,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native 
of  Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1S68,  came  to  Peshtigo  and 
worked  for  the  Peshtigo  Company  three  or  four  years  ;  since  then  he  has 
followed  farming.  He  owns  eighty  acres,  which  he  has  improved  with  a 
barn  36x48,  built  in  1877,  cost  $600.  He  is  now  about  completing 
his  house,  cost  $700.  Married,  in  1874,  to  Mary  M.  Bucklin ;  she  was 
born  in  New  York.     They  have  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

E.  B.  LEBBOND,  salesman  at  the  Peshtigo  Company's  store. 
He  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1869,  and  was  en- 
gaged for  the  company  on  outside  work  till  1871,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  assist  in  the  store,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1879  was  placed  in 
his  present  position.     He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

LEVI  LESLIE,  farmer.  Sec.  26,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of 
Lower  Canada.  At  about  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  came  to  St. 
Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1864,  where  the  family 
have  since  lived.  He  owns  240  acres  of  land;  all  the  improvements  on 
this  farm  has  been  made  by  the  family  since  coming  here.  He  has  been 
Treasurer  of  the  School  Board.  Married  in  1851,  to  Miss  Maria  An- 
drews ;  she  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  They  have  ten 
children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters. 

S.  G.  LISTER,  foundry,  machine  shop  and  planing  mill,  Peshtigo 
Is  a  native  of  England,  and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  when 
quite  young.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  the  Fall  of  1870  and  established 
the  present  business,  and  was  burned  out  in  i87l,and  immediately  re- 
built, and  his  father  ran  the  business  for  one  year.  Then  he  took  it, 
and  has  run  it  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Encamp- 
ment, and  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs  of  both  orders,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

SAMUEL  McCULLOUGH,  with  F.  J.  Bartels,  Peshtigo.  Is  a 
native  of  Ireland.  When  an  infant,  he  came  to  Canada  with  his  parents. 
In  185S,  came  to  Milwaukee.  Followed  book-keeping,  as  well  as  hav- 
ing full  charge  of  Lansing  Bonnell's  business,  holding  this  position 
about  eight  years.  In  1S77,  he  came  to  Oconto,  was  employed  as 
book-keeper  for  .Anson  Eldred  &  Son  ;  finally  became  sole  manager  of 
their  business;  this  he  held  till  January,  18S1.  He  has  just  assumed 
charge  of  Judge  Bartels'  business. 

D.  R.  .McDonald,  Policeman,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  Canada. 
In  1863,  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Pesh- 
tigo Company  since  then,  until  the  Spring  of  18S1,  as  a  general  overseer 
of  their  business.     He  has  lately  been  appointed  Police  Ofiicer. 

WILLIAM  McFARLAND,  farmer,  Sec.  12,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Has 
120  acres.  He  was  born  in  Canada  West.  Came  to  Michigan  in  1865, 
and  in  1868,  to  Oconto,  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1871,  moved 
on  to  his  farm.  Has  been  one  of  the  School  Directors  for  four  years. 
He  was  married  in  1S69,  to  Ellen  Coopleston ';  she  was  born  in  Westport. 
They  have  one  son,  William. 

F.  E.  McGRAW,  station  agent  C.&  N.  W.  R.  R.,  Peshtigo.  Is  anative 
of  McGrawville,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  about  five  years,  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Hartford,  Wis.  When  about  ten  years  of  age, 
he  commenced  to  leatn  telegraphing,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  took 
charge  of  the  office  at  Horicon  Junction  ;  held  this  two  and  one-half 
years,  in  the  employ  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  He  soon  after  ac- 
cepted the  position  as  operator  and  clerk,  at  Jefferson,  Wis,  ;  worked 
there  two  years  and  three  months.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  and  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  wires  as  night  operator.  With 
the  exception  of  one  year,  he  has  had  charge  of  this  office  since  1873, 
and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company  for  the  past  twelve  years. 

JAMES  McGregor,  Uvery  and  sale  stable,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native 
of  Canada,  and  came  lo  Peshtigo  in  1873,  and  worked  with  the  Peshtigo 
Company  and  farming.  He  owns  a  farm  of  120  acres,  about  seven  miles 
from  the  village.  Was  elected  Constable,  and  served  some  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

JAMES  L.  MELLEN  has  charge  of  the  mechanical  department  of 
the  Peshtigo  Company  Works.  His  parents  were  located  in  Boston.  Mass., 
where  he  was  raised,  educated  and  served  his  apprenticeship  as  machin- 
ist, with  J.  &  S.  Adams,  of  South  Boston  Iron  Works.  In  1856,  he  moved 
to  Green  Bay  witli  his  family,  and  was  employed  by  Otto  Zank,  who  was 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


599 


engaged  manufacturing  machinery  ;  was  with  him  for  two  years.  In 
June,  1S5S,  came  to  Peshtigo  and  took  the  position  he  still  occupies.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  St.  John's  Church. 

CHARLES  J.  MOORE,  assistant  harbor  master  for  the  Peshtigo 
Company.  He  was  born  in  Chicago.  Attended  the  Franklin  school, 
then  graduated  at  the  hi^h  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Then  went 
into  the  office  of  C.  P.  Kellogg  &  Co.,  clothing  house,  for  two  years,  and 
then  various  other  important  positions  up  to  1871,  when  he  came  to 
Peshtigo,  and  was  employed  by  the  PeshtigoCompany  as  scaler  and  cleik 
in  the  store,  and  had  charge  of  the  Company's  store  at  the  Harbor  for 
one  year,  and  then  assistant  harbor  master  for  two  years.  Took  a  trip 
to  the  Pacific,  first,  to  Colorado,  and  took  charge  of  the  McClure  House, 
Canyon  City,  then  to  the  Pacific,  and  traveled  through  that  country  for 
three  years,  then  returned  to  Peshtigo,  and  took  his  present  position. 

CAPT.  JNO.  P.  MOORE,  harbor  master,  Peshtigo.  At  the  age 
of  twelve  years  he  resolved  to  be  a  sailor,  and  was  placed  on  board  a 
ship  at  Liverpool,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  four  years.  His  abil- 
ity as  an  able  seaman  soon  being  discovered,  he  was  soon  after  promot- 
ed to  captain  of  one  of  the  Black  Ball  Line.  He  sailed  in  this  capacity 
about  five  years.  He  then  resigned  this  position,  and,  in  l84g,  he 
came  to  New  Orleans.  Two  years  later  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  fol- 
lowed the  lakes,  most  of  the  time  as  captain,  till  1S67,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed, by  this  company,  harbor  master,  and  has  charge  of  all  their 
outside  business  at  the  Harbor.  He  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  com- 
pany since  1S59.  He  commanded  the  "Hans  Crocker"  and  others  of 
their  fleet.  He  has  owned  property  in  Chicago  ever  since  coming  there, 
and  where  part  of  his  family  still  reside. 

OTTO  NELSON,  watchmaker  and  jeweler,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native 
of  Denmark.  Came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  1S73,  there  he  commenced  to 
learn  this  trade,  where  he  worked  some  years.  He  then  commenced 
traveling,  repairing  clocks,  etc.  He  afterward  returned  to  Oshkosh  and 
finished  his  trade.  Aug.  20,  187S,  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  started  a 
repair  business;  soon  after  put  in  a  small  stock,  and  now  carries  a  very 
fine  line  of  goods,  and  doing  a  very  nice  trade.  Paul  B.Wood,  now 
making  his  headquarters  with  Mr.  Nelson,  is  a  native  of  Canada  ;  when 
a  child  of  two  years  of  age  came  to  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  In 
1855,  he  came  to  Manitowoc  County,  and  engaged  in  teaching  most  of 
the  time  from  185S  to  1867,  in  Manitowoc  and  Brown  counties.  He 
also  practiced  surveying.  Came  to  Peshtigo,  December,  1867,  was 
elected  County  Surveyor,  served  one  term,  refused  to  run  a  second  term. 
For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  been  employed  as  surveyor  for  the  Peshtigo 
Company. 

A.  NEWTON,  farmer.  Sec.  4,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  He  has  in  his  home 
farm  147  acres.  Is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  New  York  State  when 
quite  young,  and  in  1859,  came  to  Peshtigo  and  bought  his  farm  from 
the  Government  at  that  time.  Has  made  fine  improvements,  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Has  also  been  Treas- 
urer of  No.  2  school  district  one  year,  and  has  performed  the  marriage 
ceremony  of  eleven  couples.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  has  been  class  leader  since  its  or- 
ganization. Has  eighty-four  in  full  membership,  and  thirty-two  on  pro- 
bation in  his  class. 

S.  D.  D.  NEWTON,  meat  market,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  St. 
Lawrence  County  ;  born  in  1838.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  came 
to  Peshtigo,  worked  in  the  lath  mill  one  Summer.  He  then  worked  at 
Menekaune  in  the  Winter  and  followed  farming  in  Summer.  He  then 
worked  in  the  woods  and  other  kinds  of  work.  Soon  after  he  bought  a 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  and  at  once  commenced  to  clear  it  up,  following 
lumbering  in  the  Winter  and  farming  in  the  Summer,  till  1872. 
He  then  started  a  general  store  in  Peshtigo,  and  engaged  in  live 
stock  and  farming  till  the  Spring  of  18S0  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock. 
He  still  owns  this  store  building,  also  four  farms  and  other  property  in 
town.     He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Assessor  and  Constable. 

PHILLIP  NOLL,  proprietor  of  Peshtigo  House,  Peshtigo.  Is  a 
native  of  Prussia,  born  in  1831,  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1S53,  worked  for 
the  company  eighteen  years.  He  then  started  this  hotel,  which  he  built. 
Married,  in  1S59.  to  Sophia  Pristine,  who  was  born  in  Mecklenburg. 
They  have  seven  children — Henry,  John  B.  (now  in  charge  of  this 
business),  Nicholas.  Phillip,  Mary,  Sophia  and  Lena.  When  Mr.  Noll 
came  to  Peshtigo  he  had  nothing.  He  now  owns  this  hotel,  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  land,  also  340  acres  of  timber  land.  All  this  property  he 
has  acquired  by  his  constant  attention  to  business. 

W.  C.  OAKES,  firm  of  Oakes  &  Woodward,  general  mer- 
chandise, Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  Upper  Stillwater,  Me.,  in  1863,  came 
with  his  parents  to  Peshtigo.  He  worked  on  booms  and  attended  school 
Winters  about  three  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1866,  he  went  to  Appleton, 
and  attended  the  Lawrence  University  one  year,  then  returned  to  Pesh- 
tigo and  took  charge  of  the  telegraph  office  in  the  Peshtigo  store,  as  well 
as  clerk.  Held  this  position  till  the  fire  of  1871.  He  was  soon  after 
this  appointed  station  agent  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  Held  this  position 
till  the  Spring  of  1872.  when  he  accompanied  his  father's  remains  to  his 
native  Stale  for  burial.  He  there  was  taken  sick  ard  was  confined  to 
his  bed  one  year.     After  his  recovery  he  returned  to  Marinette,  remained 


there  till  the  Spring  of  1875,  when  he  returned  to  Peshtigo,  and  was  in 
the  employ  of  F.  J.  Bartels  where  he  remained  till  1878,  when  he  and 
Mr.  McGregor  started  a  grocery  store.  This  business  has  been  con- 
tinned  with  some  chans;es  till  1S80.  Since  then  the  firm  has  been  Oakes 
&  Woodward,  they  having  added  to  their  stock  a  general  line  of 
merchandise. 

JAMES  J.  O'LEARY,  billiard  hall  and  saloon,  Peshcigo.is  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1863,  and  located  in  Worcester, 
Mass.  His  trade  is  that  of  a  painter.  Came  to  Peshtigo,  April  /,  1871, 
and  worked  at  his  trade  up  to  December,  1876,  when  he  engaged  in  his 
present  business.  He  enlisted,  in  1865,  in  Co.  C,  of  the  Engineer  Corps, 
in  New  York.     The  war  coming  to  a  close,  he  was  soon  mustered  out. 

NELSON  OLSON,  farmer.  Section  4,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  has 
forty  acres  in  his  home  farm,  and  120  acres  on  Mud  Creek.  He  was 
born  in  Sweden.  Came  to  Peshtigo,  in  1869,  and  worked  in  a  saw 
mill  a  short  time ;  then  he  and  a  brotherbought  a  farm,  and  when  the  fire 
of  187 1  burned  them  out,  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother,  and  bought 
where  he  now  lives. 

SWEN  OLSON,  farmer.  Sec.  2,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Bom  March  27, 
1842,  in  Sweden,  he  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1867.  Worked  in  a  mill  a 
short  time,  then  went  to  Marinette,  where  he  worked  about  two  years. 
In  1869,  returned  to  Peshtigo,  where  he  has  followed  farming  since. 
He  owns  120  acres  of  land.  Married  in  1S74,  to  Lucinda  C.  Troutwine. 
She  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  three  children — Margaret  Ellen, 
Elizabeth  Jane  and  Clara. 

A.  M.  OTIS,  Peshtigo,  dealer  in  cedar  posts,  railroad  ties,  hard  and 
soft  lumber,  logs  ;  also  dealer  in  real  estate  ;  is  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  in  the  Fall  of  1876.  In  the  Spring  of  1881 
he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

THOMAS  PAYNE,  farmer.  Sec.  i,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of 
Scotland ;  came  to  Montreal  in  1857.  He  had  learned  the  printer's 
trade  in  Liverpool ;  worked  at  it  ab  ^ut  ten  years.  In  1863,  he  came  to 
Peshtigo,  and  worked  in  the  company's  store  as  clerk  ;  afterward  had 
full  charge  of  the  store  several  years.  Then  engaged  in  farming  about 
four  years.  Returned,  and  had  charge  again  of  this  store  six  years. 
He  ran  a  meat  market  a  few  months.  He  now  owns  355  acres  of  land  ; 
fifty  acres  of  this  are  improved. 

O.  F.  PECK,  farmer.  Sec.  10,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.  In  1840,  came  to  Milwaukee;  in  1846.  he  came  to 
Peshtigo.  At  this  time  there  were  no  frame  houses  in  the  township. 
He  worked  for  the  Peshtigo  Companv  twenty-four  and  a  half  years,  lo- 
cating lands  and  general  outdoor  work.  He  owns  a  farm  of  320  acres 
with  his  homestead,  160  acres  in  another  section,  and  a  large  tract  of 
unimproved  land.  This  property  he  has  acquired  since  coming  to 
Peshtigo.  During  the  fire  of  1871,  he  lost  buildings  on  this  farm  valued 
at  $2,000.     He  has  been  Town  Supervisor  the  past  seven  years. 

EDWARD  M.  PERKINS,  farmer.  Sec.  3,  Town  30,  P.  O.  Peshtigo, 
was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1867,  and  started  the 
first  livery  stable  in  the  town  of  Peshtigo.  In  the  fire  of  1871,  he  lost  all  he 
had  ;  then  moved  to  DePere,  and  was  engaged  in  the  restaurant  business 
for  two  years;  then  returned  to  Peshtigo,  bought  a  farm,  and  has  continued 
farming  since.  Was  married,  in  1S56,  to  Leonora  May.  She  was  born 
in  New  York  State.  They  have  four  children — Genevieve  A..  Charles 
A.,  Georgiana  C.  and  Mark  S.  Georgiana  married  Charles  H.  Seymour, 
March  30,  1879.  He  was  born  in  Michigan,  and  came  to  Peshtigo  with 
his  parents  when  young.  Is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  has  built  quite  a 
number  of  good  houses,  among  which  is  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
building.  He  enlisted  March  24,  iS64.'and  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  has  been  engaged  for  three  Winters  by  the  Peshtigo  Company, 
as  foreman  at  their  lumber  camps.     They  have  one  child,  Leonora. 

PETER  PETTERSON,  boots  and  shoes,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of 
Sweden.  There  he  learned  the  shoemaking  trade.  July,  1866,  he  came 
to  Peshtigo;  worked  for  the  company  about  one  and  one-half  years.  In 
the  Spring  of  1869  he  opened  a  boct  and  shoe  shop,  which  he  has  since 
continued.  During  the  fire  here,  in  1871,  he  saved  his  wife  and  infant 
child,  one  week  old,  by  carrying  them  from  the  flames  to  the  river. 

A.  B.  PHILLIPS,  de.iler  in  general  merchandise,  Peshtigo,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Winchenden,  Mass.  When  a  child,  his  parents  removed  to  New- 
York.  At  the  age  of  six  years  they  came  to  Naperville,  111.,  remaining 
there  two  years,  then  came  to  Chicago.  In  1S51  he  came  to  Peshtigo, 
worked  in  a  lath  mill  about  two  years,  afterward  worked  on  a  farm  a 
few  years,  then  commenced  jobbing  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  and  so 
continued  till  the  Fall  of  1S71,  when  he  and  Mr.  Johnson  built  a  hotel, 
and  ran  it  a  few  years,  which  they  afterward  sold.  He  now  owns  about 
400  acres  of  land.  One  hundred  acres  of  this  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. In  the  Spring  of  1879  he,  with  his  family,  drove  through  Iowa. 
Minnesota  and  Dakota,  with  a  view  of  locating,  and,  not  finding  any- 
thing desirable,  returned,  after  being  absent  three  months.  He  again 
commenced  jobbing  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  and  continued  through 
the  Winter.  In  the  Spring  of  1880  he  bought  out  the  stock  of  S.  D.  D. 
Newton,  and  has  since  been  carr)ing  on  this  business,  as  well  as  jobbing 
and  attending  to  his  farm,  which  is  now  being  run  on  shares. 


6oo 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


SIMON  PICHEE,  millwright  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Canada.  Came  to  Oconto  in  1859,  and  at  once  commenced  work 
in  Jones'  saw  mill,  where  he  remained  ten  or  twelve  years.  He  then 
came  to  Peshtigo,  where  he  has  since  lived.  The  past  seven  years  he 
has  had  charge  of  the  millwright  business  at  the  Harbor. 

JOHN  PLACE,  farmer.  Sec.  2,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  Bombay, 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.Y.  In  1855,  came  to  Peshtigo  and  worked  five 
years  in  a  .saw  mill,  as  sawyer.  Soon  after,  he  located  on  his  present 
farm,  consisting  of  forty-six  acres  of  land.  Married  in  1858,  to  Paulina 
Shappey.  She  was  born  in  Peshtigo.  They  have  five  children,  two 
sons  and  three  daughters. 

ABRAHAM  PLACE,  farmer,  Sec.  3.  P-  O.  Peshtigo.  Born  Jan. 
20,  1S18.  in  Chittenden  County,  Vt.;  when  about  twelve  years  old  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  In  1837,  he  came 
to  Green  Hay,  Wis.  In  the  Spring  of  1838,  he  removed  to  Peshtigo, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  first  worked  in  Bailey's  mill,  where  he 
continued  about  six  years.  Then  he  commenced  trading  with  the  In- 
dians,  and  has  followed  this  more  or  less  ever  since.  He  has  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  agent  for  the  Indians,  in  paying  and  otherwise  attending 
to  their  wants.  He  owns  over  800  acres  of  land,  which  he  entered. 
420  acres  of  this  is  in  his  homestead  farm.  He  is  largely  engaged  in 
jobbing  for  the  Peshtigo  Company.  He  has  been,  for  the  past  ten  years. 
Treasurer  of  the  School  Board. 

EDWIN  PLUMB,  farmer,  Sec.  31,  P.  O.  Peshtigo.  Born  April  5. 
1824,  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1867  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  at 
once  settled  on  this  farm,  consisting  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  has  im- 
proved since  coming  here.  He  has  been,  for  the  past  ten  years.  Clerk  of 
School  District  No.  2.  He  served  in  the  late  war  as  teamster.  Mar- 
ried, in  1870,  to  Mrs.  Weed.     She  is  a  native  of  Canada. 

W.  J.  POPE,  in  charge  of  circular  saws,  Peshtigo  Company.  Is  a 
native  of  Geneva,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Oconto,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  in 
1862  ;  he  attended  school  Winters,  and  worked  in  the  mills  Summers,  for 
several  seasons.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  H.  39th  Wis.  I. ;  served  100  days  ; 
returned  to  Oconto,  worked  in  the  mills  there  some  years  ;  he  then  re- 
moved to  Menominee  and  worked  for  R.  Stephenson  in  his  mill  four 
years;  returned  to  Oconto,  where  he  remained  one  Summer;  in  1876,  he 
came  to  Peshtigo  Harbor,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company 
since. 

JAMES  POWERS,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.O.  Peshtigo,  has  eighty  acres  } 
he  was  born  in  Ireland  ;  came  to  Canada  when  nine  years  of  age,  with 
his  parents,  and  lived  there  up  to  1865  ;  then  came  to  Chicago,  and  in 
1867,  to  Marinette,  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1875,  when  he 
went  into  business  at  Marinette,  and  in  1879  commenced  to  improve  his 
farm. 

L.  C.  R.\CE,  groceries  and  provisions,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. At  the  age  of  about  seven  years,  he  came,  with  his  parents, 
to  Peshtigo.  He  has  worked  at  farming  about  one  year  ;  was  then  taken 
sick  and  confined  to  his  bed  about  four  years.  In  1876,  he  commenced 
clerking  for  Mr.  Newton,  and  so  coi.tinued  till  May,  18S0,  when  he  com- 
menced with  a  very  small  stock,  and  is  now  doing  a  very  successful  and 
increasing  business, 

RICHARD  RALEIGH,  farmer.  Sec.  11,  P.O.  Peshtigo.  has  100 
acres.  lie  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  went  to  Chicago ;  was 
there  for  a  few  months.  In  December,  the  same  year,  came  to  Peshtigo, 
and  engaged  with  the  Peshtigo  Company,  lumbering  that  Winter  ;  then 
went  to  Minnesota  ;  was  there  for  a  short  time  ;  then  returned  to  Pesh- 
tigo and  engaged  in  lumbering,  which  he  followed  up  to  1881,  when  he 
moved  on  to  his  farm. 

JOHN  RAMSAY,  farmer,  Sec.  31,  Township  31,  Range  22.  P.O. 
Peshtigo,  has  eighty  acres.  Was  born  on  Prince  'Edward  Island  ;  came 
to  the  States  in  1864.  and  stopped  in  Maine,  and  in  1865.  to  Michigan  ; 
in  1870,  to  Peshtigo,  and  in  1872,  he  bought  his  farm,  where  he  has  since' 
lived.  While  in  Michigan,  he  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
since  here  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Assessor,  and  in  the  Spring  of 
18S1  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

GEORGE  M.  READ,  millwright  for  the  Peshtigo  Company,  is  a 
native  of  the  State  of  Maine  ;  came  to  Peshtigo  in  the  Fall  of  1S71,  and 
helped  to  build  the  company's  mill  from  its  foundation  to  completion  ; 


he  has  been  foreman   for  outside   work   for  the 


ipany. 


Built 


eighty  piers  in  the  Peshtigo  River  for  the  protection  of  booms,  and  has 
been  their  millwright  ever  since  his  arrival  into  the  county. 

REV.  JOHN  SEUBERT,  pastor  of  Sacred  Heart  Church,  Pesh- 
tigo, was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  185S,  and 
located  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  received  his  education  at  Fond  du  Lac 
and  Milwaukee,  and  completed  his  education  at  Lavalle  University,  in 
Quebec.  Canada,  and  was  ordained  at  Menasha.  July  4, 1880.  Came  to 
Peshtigo,  Aug.  18,  same  year,  and  took  his  present  charge. 

W.  T.  SEYMOUR,  farmer.  Sec.  35,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  has  eighty 
acres  ;  was  born  in  Michigan,  c.ime  to  Peshtigo  in  1856  with  his  parents, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  farming ;  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Co.  I,  3d  Wis. 
Cavalry ;  was  promoted  to  sergeant,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war  ; 


he   has   been   Treasurer   of  School    District,   and   is  one  of  the   Direc. 
tors  at  the  present  time. 

JAMES  SHAUER,  farmer.  Sec.  21,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  has  fifty-seven 
acres,  came  to  Peshtigo,  1871 ;  is  a  native  of  Canada.  He  has  been  to 
California,  Black  Hills,  and  other  places,  and  returned  in  1S77  to  Pesh- 
tigo, and  bought  his  farm,  and  has  been  engaged  on  that  since. 

DR.  O.  T.  SHENICK,  Peshtigo.  is  a  native  of  London,  Canada,  and 
comes  of  along  line  of  physicians,  nearly  all  of  his  antecedents  following 
physic  for  a  livelihood.  When  but  a  year  old,  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  the  States.  He  was  born  a  doctor,  educated  for  a  doctor,  and  will  edu- 
cate his  son  for  the  same  calling.  There  is  probably  no  physician  in 
Northern  Wisconsin  who  has  possessed  advantages  superior  to  Dr.  She- 
nick.  He  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  and  then 
took  private  clinical  instruction  in  general  diagnosis, minor  surgery,  etc., 
together  with  a  certificate  from  the  Illinois  State  Board  of  Health.  He 
also  acquired  a  vast  amount  of  knowledge  in  Cook  County  Hospital, 
Chicago,  the  finest  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  After  giving  a 
few  years  of  his  time  to  city  practice  in  Chicago,  he  removed  to  this 
place,  and  is  now  the  oldest  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  in  Pesh- 
tigo. His  reputation  for  the  treatment  of  throat  and  lung  affections  is 
justly  earned.  Honest  in  his  dealings,  skillful  in  his  profession,  kind 
and  considerate  for  the  welfare  of  his  patients,  he  makes  friends  wher- 
ever he  goes. 

WILLIAM  J.  SHEPHERD,  cashier  for  the  Peshtigo  Company;  he 
is  a  native  of  Washington  Co..  N.  Y.,  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  par- 
ents in  1844,  and  they  located  at  Racine  ;  after  completing  his  educa- 
tion in  1S62,  he  was  elected  Register  for  that  county,  and  served  four 
years,  and  then  served  six  years  as  Deputy  for  the  same  office.  April  1, 
1867,  he  landed  in  Peshtigo.  and  took  charge  of  the  outside  work  for 
the  Peshtigo  Company  as  assistant  manager,  and  in  1S74,  was  promoted 
to  the  position  he  now  occupies.  Since  his  arrival  to  this  county,  has 
served  his  town  seven  years  as  Clerk  and  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
.Supervisors  for  two  years,  and  Town  Treasurer  for  one  year. 

W.  M.  SHEPHERD,  in  charge  Peshtigo  Harborstore.  Is  a  native 
ofArgyle,  Washington  Co.,  N.Y.  Came  to  Racine,  Wis.,  in  1843;  fol- 
lowed farming  six  or  seven  years  ;  he  was  then  elected  Register  of  Deeds ; 
held  this  office  two  terms  ;  he  then  secured  an  appointment  in  the  U.S. 
service  as  postal  clerk,  his  route  was  running  between  Racine  and  Rock 
Island ;  he  held  this  position  thirteen  years.  During  this  time  he  had 
formed  the  acquaintance,  and  had  become  intimately  acquainted  with. 
Gen.  Garfield.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Peshtigo,  and  has  since  had  charge 
of  the  company's  store  at  the  Harbor.  When  in  Racine  County,  he  held 
the  office  of  Town  Clerk  and  School  Commissioner,  in  the  town  of  York- 
ville. 

H.  C.  SIBREE,  M.  D.,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  New  York  City. 
graduated  at  Chicago  Medical  College,  March  17,  1878;  came  to  Pesh- 
tigo in  March  23,  the  same  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  Encampment,  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order. 

M.  STEFFEN,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Peshtigo.  Is  a 
native  of  Luxemberg,  Germany.  Came  to  Peshtigo  in  1871,  worked  at 
the  blacksmith  trade  about  five  years.  This  business  was  started  soon 
after  the  fire  with  a  small  stock,  and  is  now  doing  the  largest  trade  in 
Peshtigo,  except  the  company's  store. 

JOHN  STUART,  proprietor  of  Stuart  House.  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native 
of  Canada  ;  he  fir.st  came  to  Peshtigo  in  1862,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  then  returned  to  Canada,  and  has  been  a  resident  here  since  1S65; 
first  carried  on  the  boot  and  shoe  trade  about  three  years,  when  in  Can- 
ada he  had  carried  on  the  grocery  and  bakery  business;  since  1868 
he  has  carried  on  the  hotel  business. 

HENRY  TROUTWINE,  farmer.  Sec.  11,  P.O.  Peshtigo;  he  has 
160  acres.  Was  born  in  the  northern  part  of  Germany  ;  came  to  America 
in  1856,  and  located  in  Vermont  for  two  years,  then  came  to  New  York 
State;  enlisted  Dec.  28,  1861,  in  Co.  D,  92d  Reg.  N.  Y.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  served  three  years.  Came  to  Peshtigo  and  commenced  to  improve 
his  farm.  Was  married  in  Vermont,  to  Lena  E.  Vandyne,  she  was  born 
in  Canada  ;  they  have  four  children — Lucinda,  Mary  J.,  Frederic  and 
Littie. 

HENRY  L.  WEED,  lumber,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  Wayne  Co.. 
Pa.;  at  the  age  of  about  twelve  years  he  came  to  Delaware  County ;  there 
he  learned  the  carpenter  trade;  in  1S53  he  came  to  Illinois,  worked  at 
his  trade  till  1S57,  when  he  returned  to  Delaware  County  ;  remained 
there  till  1863,  when  he  came  to  Peshtigo  and  has  worked  at  his  trade 
here  till  about  1873,  since  then  he  has  followed  the  lumber  busine.ss.  He 
has  just  completed  his  residence,  which  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and 
best  constructed  houses  in  town, 

CHARLES  WENZEL,  blacksmith,  in  the  employ  of  the  Peshtigo 
Co.  He  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  came  to  America  when  quite  young 
with  his  parents,  learned  his  trade  with  his  father;  he  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Peshtigo  band ;  his  father.  John  Wenzel,  is  foreman  in  the  black- 
smith shop  for  the  Peshtigo  Co.,  and  has  been  since  1S76,  and  has  been 
in  their  employ  since  the  Spring  of  1869,  being  the  year  he  landed  in 
America. 


HISTORY    OF    MARINETTE   COUNTY. 


6oi 


DR.  WM.  WINDROSS,  physician,  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  En- 
gland, came  with  his  parents  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1833 ;  in  1837,  the  family 
came  to  Green  Bay,  there  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  and  has 
been  practicing  the  past  twenty-five  years ;  he  has  lived  in  Oconto  County 
from  1S52  to  1877,  since  then  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Peshtigo.  His 
father,  Jno.  Windross,  Sr.,  died  April  28,  1859,  aged  seventy  years  ;  his 
mother  died  May  17,  186S,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

REV.  LYMAN  W.  WINSLOW,  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  New  York  State.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  parents  when  quite  young.  Took  his  preparatory  at  Han- 
over, N.  Y.,  and  graduated  at  Beloit,  and  also  graduated  at  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  at  Andover,  Mass.,  in  1867.  Was  ordained  August, 
1S69,  at  Hidesville,  California,  where  he  went,  after  completing  his  ed- 
ucation, for  his  health.  He  crossed  the  plains,  partly  by  team  and  the 
rest  horseback.  He  remained  there  a  few  years,  and  when  the  war 
broke  out,  after  his  return,  he  enlisted,  in  1864,  in  Co.  B,  40th  Regt., 
Wis.  V.  I.,  the  term  of  his  enlistment  being  one  hundred  days.  He 
came  to  Peshtigo.  in  1872,  and  took  his  present  charge.  In  the  Fall 
of  1877  he  was  elected  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  for  the  county, 
which  was  Oconto  at  that  time,  but  soon  after  the  county  was  divided, 
and  Marinette  taken  off.  He  then  resigned,  and  was  appointed  by  the 
Governor  to  serve  out  the  balance  of  the  term  in  the  new  county,  and,  in 
1879,  was  elected  to  the  same  office. 

S.  D.  WOODWARD,  firm  of  Oakes  &  Woodward,  general  mer- 
chandise, Peshtigo,  is  a  native  of  La  Crosse.  Wis.  When  about  two 
years  old,  he  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Peshtigo.  After  attending 
school,  he  was  employed  as  clerk  for  R.  O.  Philbrook,  and  afterward  for 
the  Peshtigo  Company.  September,  1880,  he,  with  Mr.  Oakes,  formed 
a  partnership,  which  they  have  since  continued. 

C.  F.  YEATON,  teacher  district  school  No.  7,  P.  O.  Peshtigo,  is  a 
native  of  Lowell,  Mass.  In  i860,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Pensau- 
kee.  Wis.  He  has  been  teaching  in  'he  town  of  Peshtigo  for  the  past 
three  years. 

MENOMINEE,    MICHIGAN. 

LOCATION. 

Menominee  is  situated  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
Upper  Peninsula  of  Michigan,  just  across  the  river  from 
Marinette,  Wis.  But  for  its  intimate  connection  with  the 
iron  region  of  Lake  Superior,  it  might  for  all  practical  pur- 
poses be  considered  in  all  its  interests  a  city  of  Northern 
Wisconsin.  To  treat  of  Marinette,  and  neglect  Menomi- 
nee, would  be  like  cutting  open  a  remarkably  plump  apple 
and  throwing  half  away.  Menominee  lies  between  the 
mouth  of  the  river  and  Green  Bay,  and  on  the  western  bank, 
similarly  situated,  is  Marinette. 

THE     HARBOR. 

Some  time  previous  to  1871,  surveys  were  made  for  the 
improvement  of  Menominee  harbor,  Michigan  and  Wiscon- 
sin, in  charge  of  Maj.  H.  M.  Roberts,  U.  S.  A.  In  that 
year,  the  south  pile  pier  was  commenced  and  1,150  feet  com- 
pleted before  the  close  of  1871-2.  Work  continued  for  the 
ne.\t  three  years  on  the  north  and  south  sides,  and  dredging 
commenced,  to  deepen  the  channel  of  the  river  and  remove 
the  bar  across  its  mouth.  Although  the  extension  of  the 
piers  and  superstructure  has  been  carried  on  more  or  less 
since  i87i,the  improvements  are  not  completed.  Up  to 
the  close  of  the  fiscal  year  1880,  $163,000  had  been  appro- 
priated for  the  work.  The  estimated  cost  of  extending 
piers  to  sixteen-foot  curve  in  Green  Bay,  with  dredging  a 
channel  fourteen  feet  deep  between  the  piers,  is  $212,000. 
Nearly  200,000  yards  of  material  have  been  dredged  from 
the  channel  already.  The  continuation  of  the  pier  exten- 
sion for  the  season  of  1881-2  is  under  the  charge  of  Col. 
Bradley,  and  is  progressing  satisfactorily.  The  present  pro- 
ject for  the  improvement  of  the  harbor  was  adopted  in  187 1, 
and  was  modified  in  1874,  the  object  being  to  afford  a  chan- 


nel of  navigable  width  and  not  less  than  twelve  feet  deep. 
The  natural  channel  was  narrow,  not  more  than  four  feet 
deep  in  its  shoalest  part. 

.\lthough  Menominee  has  a  brisk  population  of  3,500 
people,  it  has  never  been  incorporated,  even  as  a  village. 
It  evidently  does  not  long  for  municipal  honors  and  taxes. 

FIRST    PLATS. 

John  Quimby,  one  of  the  fathers  of  Menominee,  and 
who  owned  much  of  the  land  on  which  it  now  stands,  had 
his  lots  platted  near  the  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  Kirby  and 
Guy  streets,  in  February,  1862.  This  is  the  first  plat  and 
is  recorded  on  the  24th  of  that  month,  as  "  John  Quimby's 
Lots,"  by  which  it  is  now  known  from  among  the  additions 
since  made.  Main  street  cut  the  plat  in  two,  and  First, 
Second  and  Third  streets  intersected  it  into  eight  blocks. 
It  is  transcribed  from  the  Marquette  Register  Office,  Sleek- 
er County,  of  which  Menominee  was  a  part,  and  of  which  it 
remained  two  years,  as  long  as  the  county  lived.  Menom- 
inee County  was  organized  in  the  Winter  of  1863,  the  pas- 
sage of  the  act  being  due  to  the  late  Hon.  E.  S.  Ingalls. 
Although  Anson  Bangs,  of  Marinette,  had  lobbied  Bleeker 
County  through  the  Legislature  in  1861,  expecting  to  make 
some  money  out  of  his  lands  on  this  side,  as  he  did  not 
consult  Menominee,  Menominee  refused  to  organize  under 
that  name,  which  left  his  financial  schemes  high  and  dry 
from  the  tide-line  of  success.  When  Menominee  County 
was  created  and  organized  in  1863,  the  township  and  set- 
tlement of  Menominee  became  cheerfully  a  part  of  it. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  act,  the  county  seat  was  to  be 
fixed  in  Town  31  north,  Range  27  west,  and  John  Quiinby, 
Sr.,  Nicholas  Gewehr  and  E.  S.  Ingalls,  appointed  for  the 
purpose,  located  it,  in  the  Spring  of  1863,  opposite  the 
Quimby  Hotel,  afterward  the  Kirby  House.  In  1874,  the 
location  was  changed  to  the  present  one  on  Ogden  avenue, 
chosen.  A  court-house,  two  stories  and  basement,  built 
of  red  brick,  with  stone  trimmings,  was  constructed  at  a 
cost  of  $32,000,  and  is  a  decided  credit  to  Menominee. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

The  early  settlements  near  Menominee  and  Marinette 
are  so  linked  together  that  it  is  useless  to  draw  any  distinct 
line  and  say,  "This  man  belongs  to  Menominee,"  or  "  This 
woman  first  located  in  Marinette."  Before  Marinette  gave 
the  settlement  on  the  Wisconsin  side  of  the  river  its  name, 
the  region  was  all  known  as  the  Menominee.  The  first 
white  man  to  really  establish  himself  was  the  Indian  trader 
and  agent  of  the  .American  Fur  Company,  Chappieu,  who 
built  his  post  on  the  Wisconsin  side,  in  1798.  As  his  ex- 
perience is  so  closely  connected  with  Farnsworth,  the  hus- 
band of  Marinette,  his  life  here  is  depicted  somewhat  in 
detail  in  the  sketch  of  the  Wisconsin  town.  Many  of  the 
descendants  of  John  G.  Kittson,  who  came  to  Menominee 
in  1826,  four  years  after  Farnsworth  located  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  are  still  living  in  this  place.  Mr.  Kittson 
was  a  clerk  of  the  Fur  Company,  opened  the  first  farm  in 
the  county,  at  Wausaukee  Bend,  above  Grand  Rapids,  was 
all  his  life  an  energetic  business  man,  and  died  in    1872. 


6o2 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Thoughhe  escaped  instant  death  in  the  great  fire  of  1871,  it  is 
believed  the  shock  which  his  system  then  sustained  hastened 
his  death.  Next,  in  the  same  year,  came  Joseph  Duncan, 
a  packer  of  the  company.  Then  followed  Baptiste  Premeau 
and  Charles  McLeod,  in  1832,  the  latter  still  living  on  the 
Menominee  side,  the  husband  of  Marinette's  daughter, 
Elizabeth  Jacobs.  Mr.  McLeod  built  the  first  frame  house 
in  the  county,  and  still  resides  in  it.  Andrew  Eveland 
located  in  1842,  and  built  the  first  frame  house  within  the 


numbers  thirteen  members,  has  also  a  hook  and  ladder,  and 
very  complete  headquarters  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Town 
Hall,  on  Main  street.  The  building,  a  substantial  one  of 
red  brick,  was  erected  by  the  township  of  Menominee,  in 
1874,  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  The  upper  part  contains  the 
town  hall  and  office,  and  a  library  room,  stocked  with  books. 
As  far  back  as  1857,  "  school  was  kept  "  in  Henry  Na- 
son's  house,  near  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and  in  the  same  year 
Mr.  Nason,  E.  N.  Davis,  Andreas  Eveland  and  W.  G.  Bos- 


MENOMINEE,  MICH. 


present  limits  of  the  village.  John  Quimby  settled  here  in 
1845,  and  may  be  called  the  pioneer  Landlord,  the  scene  of 
this  busy  life  being  the  site  of  the  present  Kirby  House 
and  the  hotel  itself.  This  virtually  closes  the  list  of  early 
settlers. 

Although  Menominee  is  unincorporated,  it  has  all  the 
facilities,  comforts  and  appearance  of  a  city.  Its  hotel 
accommodations  are  good.  It  has  an  efficient  fire  depart- 
ment. Educational  advantages  are  within  the  reach  of  all, 
through  the  district  system.  It  has  a  well-conducted  news- 
paper, a  number  of  flourishing  churches  and  societies,  and 
its  full  share  of  the  business  and  trade  of  this  section. 

In  1872,  a  hand  engine,  the  first  one,  was  bought,  and 
George  Harter  became  foreman.  About  the  same  time,  the 
Kirby  Carpenter  Company  purchased  another.  In  1874,  an 
Amoskeag  steam  engine  was  bought.    The  company,  which 


well  built  the  first  school-house  in  the  county,  on  what  is 
now  Ogden  avenue.  School  District  No.  i,  which  embraces 
Menominee,  was  organized  in  1863,  the  year  the  county  was 
created.  Various  buildings  were  used  for  school  purposes, 
as  the  population  of  Menominee  increased,  two  wooden 
buildings  having  been  erected  by  the  town  and  one  house 
rented,  between  1864  and  1880.  During  that  year  and  1881, 
a  fine  edifice,  of  red  brick,  two  stories  and  basement,  with 
lofty  tower,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $17,000.  The  property 
is  valued,  in  all,  at  $20,000.  The  attendance  is  250,  the 
school  having  a  grammar  department,  where  the  higher 
branches  are  taught. 

The  Herald  was  established  September  10,  1863,  by  E. 
S.  Ingalls,  as  a  Republican  paper.  Andrew  R.  Bradbury 
took  charge  of  the  paper  in  1866,  and  conducted  it  until 
1 87  I,  when  James  A.  Crozier  bought   it.     In  1874,  he  sold 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


603 


out  to  Dudley  S.  Crandall,  who,  after  publishing  the  journal 
one  year,  disposed  of  it  to  Mr.  Crozier,  its  former  proprietor. 
That  gentleman,  in  June,  i88i,  sold  the  Herald  to  H.  O. 
Fifield,  an  old  and  experienced  editor.  The  paper  is  Re- 
publican in  politics,  a  nine-column  folio,  issued  weekly,  and 
has  the  field  in  Menominee  to  itself. 

Churches.— "ii.  John's  (Catholic).  This  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  the  Fall  of  1872,  under  the  late  FatherM.  A.  Fox,  and 
the  edifice  erected  in  1872-73.  A  parsonage  was  built  in  1878. 
The  value  of  the  property  is  $10,000.  Father  Hilliare, 
present  pastor,  has  in  his  keeping,  600  families,  or  3,000 
souls.  The  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  an  insurance 
society  of  a  benevolent  nature,  is  connected  with  the 
Church. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  oldest  religious 
organization  in  the  county.  The  society  was  formed  by 
Rev.  John  Fairchild,  of  Marinette,  a  home  missionary.  It 
was  through  the  enthusiastic  determination  of  Henry 
Loomis,  a  young  theological  student  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  that 
the  church  building  was  erected.  The  Kirby  Carpenter 
Company  donated  the  lot.  The  building  committee  con- 
sisted of  Samuel  M.  Stephenson,  E.  S.  Ingalls,  and  William 
P.  Newberry,  the  church  being]  dedicated  July  18,  1869. 
The  property  is  valued  at  $6,000.  Rev.  A.  W.  Bill,  the 
present  pastor,  has  charge  of  the  most  flourishing  Protestant 
congregation  in  the  city,  numbering  seventy-two  members. 
The  Episcopal  Church. — The  society  worships  in  the 
Temple  of  Honor  Hall.  Rev.  William  Dafler  is  the 
pastor. 

German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. — The  society 
was  organized  in  June,  1873,  and  the  church  building  com- 
pleted the  next  year.  The  value  of  the  property  is  $3,000, 
and  the  Church  membership  forty.  Rev.  Henry  Hilleman, 
of  Peshtigo,  is  pastor. 

German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in 
the  Fall  of  1880,  and  a  building  completed  during  the  past 
Autumn.  The  site  was  donated  by  Isaac  Stephenson.  A 
parsonage  adjoining  it  was  also  erected.  The  property  is 
valued  at  $2,000.  Rev  Michael  Entzininger  is  pastor  of  a 
congregation  of  forty  members. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  also,  has  had  an  or- 
ganization and  church  since  1874,  but  has  at  present  no 
settled  pastor. 

Societies. — Menominee  Lodge  No.  269,  F.  &  A.  M.  Its 
dispensation  was  received  Aug.  9,  1869,  William  Somerville, 
W.  M.  Its  present  membership  is  sixty,  Andrew  Gram, 
W.  M. 

Menominee  Lodge  No.  131,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Instituted 
Oct.  15,  1869.  Its  first  N.  G.  elected  in  1870,  was 
George  Hartner.  Present  membership,  thirty-seven  ;  Joseph 
Bernheim,  N.  G. 

Societe  St.  Louis  de  Secours  Mutnels  de  Menominee. — 
This  society,  composed  of  Frenchmen,  and  a  member  of  the 
union  of  the  French  Societe  of  the  United  States,  was  incor- 
porated September  13,  1874,  and  became  a  part  of  the 
national  organization  on  the  21st  of  that  month.  Its  objects 
are   purely   benevolent.     Theodolph    Trudel    was   its  first 


president.  Present  membership  of  the  society,  eighty. 
President  Joseph  Bonin. 

The  Turnverein  was  formed  in  1877,  and  a  large  hall, 
58x100  feet,  built  in  1880,  at  a  cost  with  furnishings  of  $6,000. 
Present  membership  fifty ;  president,  Jacob  Leiser.  The 
hall  is  on  Ogden  avenue,  near  Main  street. 

Stephenson  Company  s  Branch  Bank. — For  the  conven- 
ience of  the  people  of  Menominee,  the  Stephenson  Banking 
Company,  of  Marinette,  established  a  branch  here,  in  March, 
1875.  The  certificate  was  filed  as  "  The  German  Bank,"  in 
the  name  of  Jacob  Muth,  cashier,  who  conducts  the  busi- 
ness. Two  banking  institutions,  Hunt  &  Eraser's  "Men- 
ominee Bank"  and  "  The  Exchange  Bank,"  established  in 
1873,  have  since  discontinued. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The  situation  of  Menominee  and  the  education  of  its 
people  fix  it,  for  some  years  to  come,  as  a  prosperous  manu- 
facturing center.  By  common  consent,  the  Kirby  Carpenter 
Lumber  Company  is  accorded  the  first  place  in  the  list  of 
its  richest  and  most  flourishing  establishments. 

In  1856,  Abner  Kirby,  of  Milwaukee,  commenced  a  saw- 
mill, and  completed  it  the  next  year.  The  locality  was  then 
a  sand  bar,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  just  opposite  Me- 
nominee. The  land  has  since  been  filled  up  by  the  refuse 
from  the  Kirby  Carpenter  mills,  and  is  now  solid  ground. 
The  origin  '1  Kirby  mill,  however,  is  still  standing.  In  1859, 
S.  M.  Stevenson  took  entire  charge  of  the  business,  becom- 
ing a  partner  in  it.  Since  then,  he  has  continued  its  active 
manager.  In  1861,  Augustus  A.  Carpenter,  and,  soon  after, 
William  O.  Carpen'er,  entered  into  partnership,  and  the 
Kirby  Carpenter  Company  was  incorporated  April  29,  1872. 
Its  first  officers  were  :  President,  Augustus  A.  Carpenter  ; 
Vice-President,  S.  M.  Stephenson;  Secretary," S.  P.  Gibbs. 
The  new  mill,  further  down  the  river,  was  built  in  1868,  and 
has  a  capacity  of  200,000  feet  per  day  ;  the  old  one,  130,- 
000  feet.  During  the  same  year  in  which  the  new  mill  was 
erected,  a  large  boarding-house  for  the  accommodation  of 
employes  was  built,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1870  a  general  store 
was  put  in  operation.  Its  transactions  amount  to  $125,000 
annually.  The  Kirby  Carpenter  Company,  whose  capital 
stock  is  $50^,000,  owns  110,000  acres  cf  land,  located  in 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin.  It  has,  for  the  transportation  of 
the  product  of  its  mills,  a  magnificent  fleet  of  six  barges,  two 
vessels,  one  propeller,  the  "  Favorite,"  and  a  tug.  A  third 
interest  is  also  owned  in  a  dredge.  A  new  vessel  is  about 
to  be  built  in  Manitowoc,  which  ^\\\\  materially  increase  the 
carrying  caj^acity  of  the  fleet.  This  season's  sawing  will 
amount  to  70,000,000  feet,  of  which  the  mills  in  Menominee 
turned  out  55,000,000.  Besides  the  supply  from  its  own 
lands,  it  bought,  last  year,  175,000,000  feet.  Between  600,- 
000,000  and  700,000,000  feet  of  lumber  are  growing  on  its 
own  lands.  The  company  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the 
wealthiest  and  strongest  in  the  Northwest.  Its  present  offi- 
cers are  the  same  as  those  serving  when  the  company  was 
incorporated,  in  1872. 

R.   Stephenson  &   Co. — In   1863,  when  the  first  mill  of 


6o4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  now  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Company  was 
built  in  Menominee,  a  copartnership  was  formed  by  Daniel 
Wells,  Jr.,  Harrison  Ludington,  Isaac  and  Robert  Stephen- 
son. The  mill  was  known  here  as  the  R.  Stephenson  & 
Company's  mill,  and  was  the  best  on  the  river.  It  was 
burned  in  1864,  and  two  years  later  Isaac  Stephenson  sold 
his  interest  to  Anthony  G.  Van  Schaick,  of  Chicago.  In  187  i, 
the  "  Gilmore  Mi,l,"  on  the  point,  was  purchased,  and  shortly 
afterward  burned  in  the  great  fire.  In  1873,  another  and  a 
better  one  was  completed,  and  the  firm  was  incorporated  as 
a  company  the  next  year  (1874),  July  i.  Its  officers  were  : 
Harrison  Ludington,  president;  Daniel  Wells,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Anthony  G.  Van  Schaick,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and 
Robert  Stephenson,  superintendent.  The  officers  are  at 
present  the  same,  except  that  C.  S.  Burdsal  is  secretary. 
The  capacity  of  the  Bay  Shore  mill  is  160,000  feet,  and  of 
the  River  mill  120,000  feet  of  lumber,  daily.  At  the  for- 
mer, 150  men  are  employed,  and  at  the  latter,  seventy-five. 
The  season's  sawing  will  aggregate  45,000,  The  company 
own  extensive  tracts  of  land  on  the  Menominee  and  Oconto 
rivers. 

Ramsey  &  Jones's  mill. — Simon  Strauss,  who  had  for- 
merly been  a  successful  general  merchant,  erected  the  mill 
in  i860.  During  the  next  year,  he  got  it  in  running  order, 
but  it  did  not  make  any  money  for  him.  After  operating 
the  concern  two  years  he  closed  out  his  business.  Next 
came  William  McCartney,  who,  after  a  brief  season  of  en- 
deavor, sold  out  to  John  L.  Buell,  who  made  many  improve- 
ments, but  still  failed  to  make  the  enterprise  a  success.  It 
has  since  passed  through  many  hands,  until  it  came  into 
possession  of  David  H.  Jones  &  Co.,  who  went  into  bank- 
ruptcy. Charles  H.  Jones  bought  an  interest  in  1877,  and 
commenced  running  the  mill  the  next  year.  It  is  now  oper- 
ated by  Ramsey  &  Jones — B.  Ramsey  and  Charles  H.  Jones. 
It  has  a  capacity  of  from  90,000  to  100,000  feet  per  day,  and 
sixty-five  men  are  employed.  Improvements  have  been 
made,  both  within  and  without,  until  now  it  is  one  of  the 
flourishing  mills  on  the  river. 

Two  saw-mills,  of  small  capacity,  operated  by  Messrs. 
Hall  &  Croziir  and  Spies  &  Martin,  have  just  started  oper- 
ations, and  must  be  given  time  to  make  history  and  lumber. 

The  Menominee  Iron  Company  was  incorporated  in 
1872,  and  the  construction  of  the  furnace  commenced  in 
October  of  that  year.  It  went  into  blast  in  August,  1873, 
being  erected  at  a  cost  of  $140,000,  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  James  White.  It  was  incorporated  as  the  Menomi- 
nee Furnace  Company,  in  1876,  and  run  for  three  years, 
under  a  lease,  by  Culbert,  Spring  &  Co.  A.  B.  Meeker,  first 
president  of  the  iron  company,  is  at  the  head  of  the  present 
corporation  ;  W.  L.  Brown  is  secretary  and  treasurer,  and 
J.  A.  Wagg,  superintendent.  The  capacity  of  the  furnace 
is  forty  tons  of  pig  iron  per  day.  About  ^seventy  men  are 
employed.  The  company  is  pushed  and  crowded  with  busi- 
ness, and  will  turn  out  12,000  tons  this  season.  The  works 
are  situated  on  the  bay  shore,  in  North  Menominee. 

The  first  buildings  of  the  Menominee  Bay  Brewery  or,  a 
small  scale,  were  erected   in   the   Fall   of  1872.     Additions 


were  afterward  made,  but  in  May,  1878,  fire  swept  away  the 
property,  .'^three-story  structure,  the  present  one,  was  then 
erected,  which,  with  subsequent  improvements,  is  now  valued 
at  $15,000.  The  capacity  of  the  brewery,  which  is  the  only 
one  in  the  place,  is  8,000  barrels  of  beer  per  year.  Its  pro- 
duct is  sent  all  over  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  Pro- 
prietors, Messrs.  Jacob  Leisen  and  John  Henes. 

In  the  Winter  of  1880-81,  the  machine  shop  on  Ogden 
avenue,  which  had  been  for  so  long  idle,  was  put  in  working 
order  by  Matthew  Horrocks,  of  Muskegon,  Mich.  It  was 
getting  fairly  started  in  business,  when  it  was  leveled  to  the 
ground  by  fire,  in  August,  1881. 

COMMUNICATION. 

The  building  up  of  Menominee's  business  interests,  of 
which  the  above  sketches  give  an  index,  is  due  to  her  good 
commercial  situation  and  transportation  facilities,  as  much 
as  to  the  energetic  character  of  her  people — rather  it  is  due 
entirely  to  both  circumstances  combined.  In  187 1,  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  was  extended  from  Green 
Bay  to  Menominee,  and  the  next  year  continued,  by  way  of 
Escanaba,  into  the  rich  mineral  regions  of  Lake  Superior. 
From  the  time  that  the  "  New  York  "  stopped  at  Menomi- 
nee in  1836,  with  Daniel  Wells,  Jr.,  aboard,  up  to  1869,  when 
the  Goodrich  Transportation  Company  commenced  making 
regular  trips  with  its  boats,  the  point  has  been  looked  upon 
as  one  destined  to  grow  and  supply  life  for  the  transporta- 
tion business  in  this  section.  The  dock  of  the  company  is 
in  Menominee,  but  the  free  and  friendly  communication  be- 
tween this  place  and  Marinette,  draws  the  traffic  of  the  two 
places  there,  as  if  like  conveniences  had  been  provided  for 
the  Wisconsin  side.  The  bridge  which  connects  the  two 
cities,  was  built  in  1867,  by  the  N.  Ludington  Company, 
and  repaired  by  the  Hamilton  &  Merryman  Company  in 
1874-5,  each  county  bearing  one-half  the  expense.  The 
railroad  bridge  was  constructed  in  1872.  Thus  are  Menomi- 
nee and  Marinette  riveted  together  in  every  possible  way, 
short  of  being  in  one  State,  and  being  incorporated  as  one 
city. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

S.  W.  ABBOTT,  agent  American  Express  Company,  Menominee, 
born  in  1S20,  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1S30  came  to  Calhoun  Co.. 
Mich.,  with  his  parents ;  here  his  father  kept  a  tavern  and  ran  a  farm, 
and  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  business;  in  1842  returned  to  New 
York  and  worked  on  the  Erie  Canal  five  years  ;  he  then  came  to  Joliet  ; 
in  the  Spring  of  1S4S,  came  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.  ;  ran  an  ashery  and 
farm  till  1856,  when  he  came  to  Menominee ;  when  the  post-office  was 
established  here  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  which  position  he  held 
till  April,  18S1.  He  has  been  the  agent  of  the  Express  Company  since 
it  was  established  ;  he  was  the  first  County  Treasurer  of  Menominee 
County  ;  held  the  office  about  fourteen  years  ;  has  also  held  the  office  of 
Coroner. 

A.  P.  ANDERSON,  assistant  engineer  at  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van 
Schaick  Co.'s  Shore  Mill,  Menominee.  Born  Feb.  28,  1S42  in  Sweden. 
In  1867,  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  has  since  then  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  this  company ;  he  first  worked  at  various  kinds  of  labor  about 
this  mill,  and  in  1874  he  was  appointed  assistant  engineer  under  the 
supervision  of  .\lr.  Gram,  still  continuing  in  this  capacity.  Before  com- 
ing to  America  he  had  served  two  years  in  the  Swedish  army.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  ASCHEN,  blacksmith,  at  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick 
Company's  Mills.  Born  July  iS,  1837,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Menom- 
inee in  1866,  and  has  since  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company: 
first  worked  in  the  mill  a  ftw  months,  then  came  into  the  blacksmith 
shop  as  helper,  and  lor  the  past  twelve   )<iais  he  has  1  ad  full  chaige  of 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


605 


this  department.  Married,  1876,  to  Miss  Seamon  ;  she  is  a  native  of 
Mecklenburg,  Germany. 

WILLIAM  BENTHOUSE,  boarding-house  l<eeper  for  Ludington, 
Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  Menominee.  Mr.  Benthouse  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. Born  July  9,  1847  ;  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  in  1849, 
andsettledin  Milwaukee.  In  1869,  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  worked 
in  saw-mill  for  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  till  1873,  when  he 
took  charge  of  the  Realy  House  for  the  same  company,  which  position 
he  held  for  three  years  and  seven  months.  He  was  then  assigned  the 
position  of  keeper  of  their  large  boarding  house  on  the  bay  shore,  where 
the  employes  of  the  mill  are  well  cared  for  under  his'management.  Mr. 
Benthouse  married,  in  1873,  Miss  Mary  Soko,  of  Bohemia  ;  has  one 
daughter,  Hanna,  a  bright  little  girl,  six  years  old. 

A.  Z.  BIRD,  born  in  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.;  lived  on  his  father's  farm 
until,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  entered  school  at  Knoxville,  111.,  where 
he  remained  about  two  years,  teaching  during  vacation.  He  then  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  salesman  in  the  Menominee  River  Lumber  Compa- 
ny's Store,  at  Menekaune,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  a  short  time  until  the 
fire  of  1871,  when  he,  with  the  rest  of  the  Menekaune  people  was 
burned  out.barely  escaping  with  their  lives.  He  then  returned  to  Menom- 
inee, Mich.,  and  followed  the  same  business  until  the  Summer  of  1878, 
when  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Bird  Brothers,  at  its  organiza- 
tion putting  in  a  heavy  stock  of  groceries,  provisions,  crockery,  etc.,  and 
engaged  largely  in  general  mercantile  and  shipping  business. 

HARLAN  P.  BIRD,  Menominee,  Mich.  Like  many  others  living- 
near  the  State  boundary,  his  past  history  has  been  largely  identified  with 
Wisconsin.  He  left  the  homestead  in  Biadford  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1858,  to 
"  seek  his  fortune "  in  the  outside  world.  For  two  years  he  was  em- 
ployed as  an  assistant  accountant  by  the  contractor  building  the  Brooklyn 
water  works.  On  the  completion  of  this  work  in  i860,  he  was  engaged 
by  the  same  employers  to  go  to  their  lumbering  establishment  at  Mene- 
kaune, Wis.,  as  clerk  and  assistant  book-keeper — before  the  completion 
of  the  year  for  which  he  had  engaged,  the  well  remembered  call  for 
soldiers  to  defend  our  country  was  heard  throughout  the  land^and 
Mr.  Bird,  although  a  "  stranger  in  a  strange  land  "  and  barely  of  legal  age 
was  among  the  first  to  enlist.  "No  act  of  his  life"  he  stated,  was  ever  done 
under  a  deeper  sense  of  duty,  nor  at  a  greater  sacrifice  of  cherished  hopes 
and  plans  for  the  future.  His  great  aim  had  been  to  obtain  a  thorough 
education,  now  all  was  war — darkness,  nothing  to  cheer  save  liiity.  He 
was  enrolled  in  Co.  F,  12th  Wis.  Inf  as  private,  and  continued  in 
the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865.  The  history  of  the  12th 
Wis.  Regt.,  and  the  17th  Army  Corps  is  well  written  and  well  known.  In 
all  its  active  campaigns  and  engagements  Mr.  Bird  participated,  being 
off  duty  for  sixty  days  only  during  the  entire  time  of  enlistment  which  was 
caused  by  a  severe  gun  shot  wound  received  during  the  Siege  of  Vicks- 
burg.  Having  no  friends  nor  acquaintances  whatever  in  Wisconsin,  pro- 
motion in  army  life  came  slowly.  Finally  he  was  promoted  regimental 
sergeant  major,  then  second  lieutenant,  then  first  lieutenant.  He 
was  detailed  as  regimental  adjutant  and  quarter  master,  brigade 
adjutant,  acting  assistant  quarter  master  of  17th  Army  Corps  while 
commanded  by  Gen.  Frank  P.  Blair,  and  ordance  ofticer  of  3d  Div. 
17th  Army  Corps,  commanded  by  Gen.  M.  D.  Leggett.  The  most  im- 
portant army  operations  in  which  he  was  engaged  were  the  Kansas  and 
Missouri  Campaign — the  sieges  of  Vicksburg  and  Atlanta — "  .March  to 
the  Sea,"  and  from  Savannah  north  to  the  Carolinas.  At  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  after  spending  some  time  with  eastern  friends,  Mr.  Bird  re- 
turned to  the  lumbering  establishment  where  he  had  formerly  been  en- 
gaged (now  known  as  the  Menominee  River  Lumber  Co..)  and  remained 
several  years  as  accountant  and  general  assistant.  In  1871,  he  engaged 
in  mercantile  business  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  which  he  conducted  with 
characteristic  energy,  and  excellent  success,  establishing  a  large  trade 
and  very  favorable  reputation.  In  1S77,  he  was  drawn  into  financial 
difficulties  by  his  connection  with  building  a  mill  at  Stephenson  Village, 
twenty  miles  north  of  Menominee,  but  taking  hold  ol  the  matter  with  a 
determination  to  win,  he  removed  to  Stephenson,  completed  and  operated 
the  mill  until  the  last  dollar  was  paid  in  full  and  the  concern  put  on  a  good 
basis  for  future  work.  He  has  recently  leased  the  Stephenson  mill  and 
returned  to  Menominee,  where  he  now  resides.  In  spite  of  the  drawback 
mentioned,  Mr.  Bird  has  been  successful  financially,  and  has  accumu- 
lated property  of  considerable  amount,  which  yields  a  generous  income. 
He  has  long  held  the  position  of  Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
is  identified  with  moral  and  religious  work.  In  l86g,  he  married  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  John  Fairchild,  of  Marinette,  Wis.;  they  have  three 
children. 

TAMES  WESTO.V  BIRD.  Descended  from  the  Bullocks.  Mortirs, 
and"  Birds  of  New  England.  Born  in  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.  Through  boy- 
hood manipulated  a  hand  hoe  on  the  rugged  hills  of  the  Keystone  State. 
Engaged  in  teaching  school  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  in  land  survey- 
ing at  same  time.  Was  assistant  teacher  in  the  Genesee  Valley  Seminary 
at  Belfast,  N.  Y.,  during  the  .school  years  of  1865  and  1S66.  Declined 
an  associate  principalship  in  the  same  school  and  accepted  the  position 
of  superintendent  and  principal  of  the  graded  school  of  Knoxville,  111., 
in  1866.     This  position  was  held  six  years,  during  three  of  which  years 


Mr.  Bird  was  City  Surveyor.  In  the  Summer  of  1872,  he  removed  to 
Menominee,  Mich.,  where  he  had  three  brothers,  two  in  business  and  one 
a  physician,  and  here  in  this  new  lumbering  town  with  a  mass  of  scholars 
from  a  dozen  different  nations,  speaking  different  tongues,  some  rich,  some 
poor,  he  set  about  the  task  of  working  up  a  graded  school.  At  the  end 
of  four  years  the  Centennial  historian  said  ;  "  For  the  last  four  years  J. 
W.  Bird  has  had  charge  of  this  and  the  other  schools  in  this  district,  and 
we  may  safely  claim  that  our  schools  are  as  good  as  any  in  the  State." 
Centennial  History,  p.  51.  Mr.  Bird  was  County  Surveyor  one  term  of 
two  years.  Resumed  charge  of  the  Knoxville,  111.,  school  for  a  year  in 
1876,  and  then  resigned  the  position,  gave  up  teaching  after  a  service  of 
some  fifteen  years ;  returned  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  engaged  suc- 
cessfully in  the  mercantile  and  shipping  business,  and  is  now  senior  part- 
ner of  the  firm  of  Bird  Brothers.  He  m.aintains  an  active  connection 
with  the  fire  department,  with  temperance  work,  Sunday  school  and 
church.  Physically,  Mr.  Bird  says :  "  I  don't  know  what  pain  is,  and 
have  rarely  been  tired."  He  married  Miss  Eva  Twitchell  of  Pulaski, 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  8,  1879,  and  he  has  by  a  previous  marriage,  a  son  Harlan  M., 
and  a  daughter  Clara. 

WM.  BLOM,  firm  of  W.  Blom  &  P.  Sibenaler,  furniture  and  un- 
dertaking, Menominee.  Mr.  Blom  is  a  native  of  Holland,  born  Jan. 
18,  1818  ;  he  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet-maker  in  Holland.  In  1856, 
came  to  America  and  went  into  the  employ  of  John  Greenwood,  at  She- 
boygan Falls,  and  remained  with  him  for  several  years,  also  a  short  time 
at  Appleton,  then  removed  to  Menasha,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  furniture 
business,  which  he  followed  for  thirteen  years.  In  1875,  came  to  Me- 
nominee, and  kept  a  hotel  until  February,  1877,  when  It  was  destroyed 
by  fire ;  he  then  opened  a  furniture  store,  and  is  now  senior  partner  of 
the  firm  of  Wm.  Blom  &  P.  Sibenaler.  Married,  April  7,  184S,  Miss  J. 
W.  Sourmont,  of  Holland  ;  has  three  daughters  married,  W.  H.  Copp, 
conductor  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.;  J.  S.  Warner,  conductor  C.  &  N.  W.  R. 
R.,  and  John  Bushey,  of  Menominee  ;  one  single  daughter  and  son. 

W.  G.  BOSWELL,  retired,  Menominee,  born  in  New  Hampshire  in 
1819  ;  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  left  his  native  State  and  went  to  Illinois; 
in  1844,  came  to  Green  Bay  and  engaged  in  building  a  saw  mill  w-ith  Mr. 
Clark  at  White  Fish  River,  Mr.  Clark  having  the  contract  for  carrying 
the  mail  from  White  Fish  River  to  Copper  Harbor  in  1S45  ;  Mr.  Boswell 
engaged  to  him  to  carry  it  the  overland  route  ;  it  being  the  first  time  it 
had  been  taken  ihat  way  he  found  it  to  be  a  very  laborious  undertaking, 
but  being  a  strong  and  healthy  young  man  he  followed  it  for  nine  years, 
making  his  head-quarters  at  Green  Bay.  In  1850  he  drove  seventy-five 
head  ot  cattle  from  Lake  Co.,  111.,  to  Leaunts,  Lake  Superior,  making 
a  two  months'  trip.  In  185 1,  he  built  a  saw  mill  at  Leaunts  Bay, 
Lake  Superior,  which  he  continued  to  run  for  five  years ;  came  to  Men- 
ekaune, Wis.,  and  engaged  in  building  what  is  known  as  the  New  York 
mill,  and  then  engaged  in  jobbing  for  the  firm  for  some  time.  In  1S63, 
he  returned  to  Lake  Superior  and  contracted  with  the  Norihern  Iron 
Company,  Marquette  County,  to  furnish  fuel  for  five  years.  In  1868,  he 
removed  to  Brown  County  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1874,  when  he 
finally  returned  to  Menominee,  and  laid  out  Boswell's  addition  to  Me- 
nominee, consisting  of  forty  acres;  is  now  engaged  in  real  estate.  He 
was  three  years  Supervisor  in  Marquette,  and  four  years  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Menominee. 

J.  R.  BROOKS.  Under-sheriff,  Deputy  U.  S.  Marshal,  and  Special 
Police,  Menominee.  J.  R.  Brooks,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Me- 
nominee County,  Mich.,  born  in  Eastport,  Me.,  in  1833;  left  home  when 
a  boy  and  sailed  out  of  Milwaukee  for  three  years  ;  in  1850,  he  came  to 
Menominee  and  worked  at  lumbering  for  about  three  years;  then  en- 
gaged in  fishing,  which  he  followed  for  twenty  years.  He  was  Deputy 
Collector  of  Customs  for  nine  years,  and  also  engaged  in  the  fire  insur- 
ance business.  In  June,  1876,  he  resigned  his  position  of  Deputy  Col- 
lector of  Customs,  and  is  now  UnderSherifl,  Deputy  U.  S.  Marshal, 
and  Special  Police.  Married,  in  185S,  Miss  Caroline  A.  Abbott, 
daughter  of  S.  W.  Abbott,  Esq.,  of  Menominee ;  have  three  sons  and 
five  daughters. 

JOHN  B.  BUSHEY,  boarding  house  keeper  for  the  Kirby  Carpen- 
ter Company,  Menominee,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  1S35  ;  left  his  na- 
tive State  in  1865;  and  was  employed  in  the  livery  business  in  Men- 
asha, Wis.,  for  about  ten  years  ;  he  then  came  to  Menominee,  .Mich.,  and 
run  the  Kirby  House  in  company  with  W.  Blom,  Esq.,  till  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire;  he  then  engaged  with  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company, 
March,  1S74,  to  take  charge  of  one  of  their  mill  boarding  houses,  which 
position  he  has  occupied  since.  Enlisted  Aug.  23,  1861,  in  Co.  G,  5th  Reg. 
Vt.  Vet.  Vol.,  and  served  during  the  war  ;  was  orderly  sergeant,  and  be- 
fore the  fin.-il  close,  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant-major.  Mar- 
ried, in  1S74,  Miss  Mary  J.  Blom,  of  Menominee,  and  has  two  bright 
children,  a  son  and  daughter. 

LEON  COTA,  proprietor  Montreal  House,  Menominee,  born  in 
Montreal,  Feb.  24,  1823,  came  to  Green  Bay  in  184S,  came  to  Menomi- 
nee in  i860,  and  opened  this  house;  he  also  engaged  in  farming,  and 
owns  200  acres  land,  also  three  other  houses  in  French  Town.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  the  livery  business,  and  also  run  a  butcher  shop ;  has 
been  Overseer  of  Highways,  and  Treasurer  of  the  School  Board. 


6o6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


\V.  H.  CROSBY,  agent  N.  W.  R.  R.  Co.,  is  a  native  of  Belvidere, 
111.;  in  l86g,  commenced  to  learn  telegraphing  in  the  office  of  the  com- 
pany ;  worked  for  this  company  at  Chester,  Wis.,  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis., 
Boone,  Iowa.  Clinton,  Iowa,  Sac  City,  Iowa ;  there  he  was  engaged  a 
short  time  in  the  hardware  business,  then  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac,  con- 
tinuing with  this  company;  December,  1S7S,  came  to  Oconto,  was  ope- 
rator and  clerk  till  February,  1880,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  and 
has  been  agent  for  this  company  since. 

DAVID  DIVOST,  filer  at  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.'s 
Bay  Shore  Mill,  Menominee,  born,  Oct.  6,  1847,  in  Lower  Canada,  re- 
moved to  Maine  in  1867,  worked  there  in  a  hotel ;  in  lS68,  came  to 
Menominee,  worked  in  Spafford  &  Gillmore's  mill  two  years,  then 
worked  in  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.'s  mill  two  years;  in  1872,  he  se- 
cured employment  with  this  company,  where  he  has  since  worked. 
Married,  in  1873,  to  Mary  Gangraw,  of  New  York  State;  they  had  three 
children — Delia  and  David  William,  lost  Laura  November,  1878,  in  her 
second  year. 

HENRY  ERBE,  wagon  maker,  Menominee,  born  in  Germany,  in 
the  year  1840;  he  learned  the  trade  of  wagon  making  in  his  native 
country ;  came  to  America  in  1866,  and  worked  a  short  time  in  Ply- 
mouth, Sheboygan  County,  Wis.,  and  at  Watertown.  In  1867,  he  came 
to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  opened  the  first  wagon  shop  in  Menominee, 
since  which  time,  he  has  been  engaged  in  manufacturing  wagons  ;  being 
a  skilled  workman,  his  business  has  rapidly  grown.  Mr.  Erbe  married, 
in  186S,  Miss  Caroline  Kramer,  of  Germany,  they  have  two  bright  chil- 
dren, a  son  eleven  years  old,  and  a  daughter  nine  years. 

ANDRUS  EVELAND,  fish  dealer,  Menominee,  born  in  Canada, 
London  District,  Dec.  16,  1816,  came  to  Chicago  in  1836;  followed  sail- 
ing seven  seasons  ;  in  the  meantime,  he  had  removed  to  Racine,  and 
worked  on  the  Government  works  two  seasons;  in  1S42,  came  to  Me- 
nominee ;  has  been  engaged  in  fishing  and  lumbering  since.  He  has 
taken  as  high  as  1,000  barrels  of  fish  in  a  season.  He  built  the  first 
frame  building  in  Menominee,  which  is  standing  north  of  his  residence  ; 
he  also  opened  the  first  road,  and  started  the  first  school,  hiring  a 
a  teacher  at  his  own  expense. 

JOHN  J.  FARRIER,  County  Treasurer,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of 
Waukegan,  111.  He  worked  at  (arming  until  the  year  1863,  and  being 
a  young  man  of  industrious  habits,  enterprising  and  energetic,  he  only 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  subsequent  success  as  a  business  man.  He 
went  to  Cairo,  111.,  in  the  year  1863,  and  engaged  as  shipping  clerk  on 
the  wharf  boats,  which  he  continued  to  follow  until  1865,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Waukegan,  and  soon  after  broke  his  arm  ;  this  accident  caused 
him  to  be  laid  up  one  year.  In  l86g,  he  came  to  Menominee,  and 
opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store.  Sold  out  his  interest  in  1873,  and  re- 
opened again  in  1S74,  and  has  continued  in  the  same  business  since. 
He  has  been  Town  Clerk  for  the  past  nine  years,  and  on  account  of  be- 
ing elected  County  Treasurer  in  November,  18S0,  he  resigned  the  office 
of  Town  Clerk.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Brass  and  String  Band 
for  the  past  twenty  years. 

HENRY  O.  FIFIELD  was  born  in  Corinna,  Me.,  Oct.  7,  1841. 
He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1S54,  locating  at  Prescott. 
In  1858,  he  entered  the  Transcript  office,  then  the  property  of  Charles 
E.  Young,  where  he  learned  the  "art  preservative."  In  the  Spring  of 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  ist  Minn.  I.,  being  the  first  person  to  volun- 
teer in  Pierce  County.  He  served  with  his  regiment  three  years  and  six 
days,  during  which  time  he  underwent  all  the  hardships  of  active  serv- 
ice, only  being  three  days  off  duty.  His  command  joined  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  in  June  that  year,  and  participated  in  the  famous  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  losing  nearly  200  of  its  members.  It  followed  the  fortunes 
of  that  army  until  within  a  few  months  of  the  expiration  of  its  term  of 
enlistment,  when  the  command,  300  strong,  out  of  1,700  men  all  told, 
were  sent  back  to  "  whence  they  came  "  and  received  their  discharge. 
After  passing  through  twenty-three  battles  and  an  untold  number  of 
skirmishes,  he  escaped  without  being  seriously  hurt,  but  met  with  many 
narrow  escapes.  Discharged  from  the  army,  he  resumed  work  in  the 
printing  office.  He  worked  for  Lute  A.  Taylor,  one  of  Wisconsin's  no- 
blest editors,  several  months,  when  he  secured  a  "case"  in  the  St.  Paul 
/J<jj7)' /'/-<■«  office,  where  he  remained  during  tlie  Summer  of  1865.  In 
September  of  that  year,  he  joined  his  brother,  Hon.  Sam  S.  Fifield,  at 
Osceola  Mills,  Polk  Co.,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  the  publication  of  the 
Polk  County  Press.  On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  September,  1866,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Emma  L.  Walker,  of  that  place,  who  slill  lives  to  grace 
his  happy  home.  After  four  years'  residence  in  the  St.  Croix  Valley,  Mr. 
Fifield  moved  to  Bayfield,  Lake  Superior,  where  his  brother  Sam  and 
himself  established  the  i'rcss,  Henry  taking  full  charge  as  printer  and 
editor.  He  printed  a  six-column,  all-athomc  sheet,  for  one  year  and  a 
half,  when  the  brothers  decided  to  move  it  to  Ashland.  This  was  ac- 
complished in  June,  1871.  Sam  sold  his  Polk  County  paper  and  joined 
his  brother  that  year,  and  for  the  two  years  following  they  issued  the  pa- 
per as  equal  partners,  when  H.  O.  sold  his  interest  to  Sam  and  returned 
to  the  St.  Croix  Valley.  There  is  a  bit  of  pioneer  life  connected  with 
the  publication  of  the  Ashland  Press  that  may  be  of  interest  to  the 
readers  of  this  volume.     The  Bayfield  material  was  placed  upon  a  lum- 


ber-laden scow  and  was  towed  to  Ashland  late  at  night.  When  the  boat 
reached  that  point  quite  a  sea  was  raging  and  it  became  necessary  to  re- 
move the  cases  that  were  scattered  over  the  lumber.  This  was  done  suc- 
cessfully, and  before  daylight  the  following  morning  he  had  packed  the 
entire  outfit  to  his  new  quaiters,  and  promptly  at  7  o'clock  picked  up 
"stick  and  rule  "  and  "  stuck  "  the  first  type  ever  set  in  the  county. 
Previous  to  the  removal  of  the  paper  to  Ashland,  he  printed  the  first  is- 
sue in  a  barn  at  Bayfield,  and  he  was  not  joined  by  his  brother  until  he 
had  struck  off  the  second  number  in  the  new  office  in  Ashland.  Since 
his  retirement  from  the  Press,  Hon.  S.  S.  Fifield  has  continued  its  pub- 
lication. From  September,  1874,  Mr.  H.  O.  Fifield  has  been  engaged  in 
the  printing  business  in  various  capacities.  During  the  Winter  of  1879, 
he  obtained  a  clerkship  in  the  Wisconsin  Assembly,  and  in  February  of 
that  year  was  engaged  by  Mr.  James  A.  Crozer,  of.  the  Menominee 
(Mich.)  Herald,  to  take  charge  of  his  business  as  local  editor  and  busi- 
ness manager,  in  which  capacity  he  was  employed  up  to  June  8,  1881, 
when  he  purchased  the  Herald,  and  is  now  the  editor  and  proprietor. 
He  is  publishing  a  nine-column  folio,  doing  the  entire  editorial  labor 
and  much  of  the  job  work.  He  is  meeting  with  excellent  success  and 
issuing  an  able  and  interesting  paper.  He  is  a  man  of  good  abilities,  is 
a  sober  and  industrious  citizen,  and  can  always  be  found  on  the  side  of 
right  and  justice ;  is  doing  a  good  work  for  his  town  and  county,  and  pro- 
poses to  pass  his  remaining  years  in  the  home  of  his  adoption. 

JOSEPH  FLESHIEM,  insurance  and  real  estate,  Menominee. 
Born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  1867.  he  went  to  Lower  Michigan,  and 
engaged  as  journeyman  in  manufacturing  cigars,  and  remained  there 
until  1870;  and  in  April,  1S71,  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  con- 
tinued to  work  at  the  same  business  until  February,  1872.  He  being 
a  talented  young  man,  and  of  exemplary  habits,  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  Deputy  County  Clerk  and  Register  of  Deeds  under  Ed.  Leake, 
Esq.,  which  position  he  held  until  Jan.  i,  1875.  In  November,  1874, 
he  was  elected  County  Clerk  and  Register  of  Deeds,  the  duties  of 
which  he  had  faithfully  and  competently  filled  while  acting  as  Deputy 
under  Mr.  Leake.  In  January,  1875,  he  qualified  and  entered  upon  the 
new  duties  of  his  office,  and  was  re-elected  three  successive  terms,  during 
which  time  he  prepared  an  abstract  title  of  real  estate,  and  in  1S76  he 
purchased  Ed.  Leake's  abstract  and  insurance  business.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  secretary  of  Lumberman  Mining  Company.  Was  elected 
Town  Treasurer  in  Spring  of  l88l.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the  Menom- 
inee Fire  Department,  and  one  of  the  first  members.  Is  now  doing  a 
very  extensive  business  in  insurance  and  real  estate. 

MAX  FORVILLY,  proprietor  Forvilly  House,  Menominee.  Is  a 
native  of  Belgium.  In  1855,  came  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  lived  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War.  Then  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  17th  Wis.  V.  I. 
Served  three  and  one-half  years.  Participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Coiinth,  Vicksburg,  Tupelo,  Tenn.,  Nashville,  Pleasant  Hill,  La., 
Booneville,  Mo.,  Kingston,  N.  C,  and  others.  Returned  to  Green  Bay, 
and  married  Miss  Theressa  Lambert,  of  Green  Bay,  in  1866.  They 
have  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters.  In  1867,  came  to 
Menominee.  The  following  year  he  built  this  house,  which  he  has  since 
managed. 

ANDREW  GR.\M,  chief  engineer  and  machinist  for  Ludington, 
Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Company,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Denmark. 
Born  Jan.  9,  1S41.  Came  to  America  in  1855,  and  settled  at  Ft.  How- 
ard,  Vvis.  Being  desirous  of  learning  the  machinist  trade,  he  was  ap- 
prenticed at  the  Tank  Foundry,  and  remained  there  three  years.  In 
1858,  he  went  to  Milwaukee  and  worked  in  the  Watertown  &  Baraboo 
Railroad  shops  one  year.  Then  returned  to  Green  Bay  and  worked  at 
East  River  Foundry,  and  remained  there  till  ihe  breaking  out  of  the 
War.  He  enlisted,  in  iS6l,  in  Co.  H,  l2thWis.  V.  I.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  .'Vtlanta  and  others,  and  served  three 
years.  Returned  to  Green  Bay  in  1865,  and  came  to  Menominee,  Mich., 
and  went  into  employ  of  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Company, 
and  has  held  his  present  position  ever  since.  He  was  first  engineer  of 
the  Menominee  Fire  Department,  and  still  holds  the  same  position. 
Married,  in  1865,  to  Hannah  M.  Campbell,  of  Green  Bay.  She  died  in 
1869,  age  twenty-three  years.  One  son,  John  A.  Second  marriage,  in 
1875,  to  Miss  Anna  Evans,  of  Waukesha.  Has  four  children — Clinton 
W.,   Louis  M.,  Jennie  and  an  infant  not  named. 

NELS  P.  GRAM,  engineer  Fire  Department,  Menominee.  Is  a 
native  of  Denmark.  Born  May  15,  1848.  Came  to  Milwaukee  in  1864, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  In  1S67,  came  to  Menominee.  Was 
employed  .-is  engineer  for  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.  Remained  in  that  em 
ploy  seven  years.  Since  then  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Fire 
Department  as  engineer.  Married,  in  187S,  to  Netta  Thompson,  of 
Milw,iukee.     They  have  one  son,  Jesse  H. 

ROWLAND  HARRIS,  foreman  in  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company's 
saw-mill,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Wales.  Born  in  1S43.  Came  to 
America  in  1852,  and  worked  about  seven  years  in  a  saw-mill  at  Escan- 
aba,  Mich.  In  the  Spring  of  1859,  he  came  to  Menominee,  and  went 
into  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company,  as  sawyer  in  one  of 
their  mills.  His  ability  soon  became  recognized,  and  he  was  advanced 
to  position  of  foreman  of  what  is  known  as  the  old  "  K.  C.  Co.'s  saw- 


HISTORY  OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


607 


mill,"  which  position  he  has  occupied  for  the  past  twelve  years.  His 
sister  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  S.  M.  Stephenson,  of  Menominee.  Mr.  Harris 
married  Miss  Melisha  Eveland,  of  Menominee,  in  1864,  and  has  a  family 
of  five  daughters  and  three  sons. 

EDWARD  HATTON,  filer  for  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick 
Co.,  Menominee.  Is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  Sept.  14,  1844. 
Came  to  Van  Buren  Co.,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  sawing  and  filing  till 
1866,  when  he  came  to  .Menominee  and  engaged  with  Ludington,  Wells 
&  Van  Schaick  Co.,  as  circular  saw  filer,  having  remained  with  this  com- 
pany ever  since.  Married  in  1S68,  Miss  Catharine  McGuire.  They 
have  three  sons — Edward  Henry,  Thomas  and  Alfred  James. 

DR.  JOHN  F.  HICKS,  physician  and  surgeon,  Menominee.  Is  a 
native  ol  Canada,  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  Victoria, 
graduated  at  Ann  Arbor  Medical  College,  in  1865,  returned  to  Canada, 
and  again  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in 
1866.  He  came  to  Menominee  in  1877,  and  has  followed  his  profession 
since.  In  1880,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hicks  &  Hoska, 
furniture  and  undertaking.  He  has  held  the  office  of  County  Physician, 
and  is  now  Health  Officer  of  Menominee. 

A.  H.  HILL,  proprietor  Menominee  R.  R.  Planing  Mill.  Born  in 
Rhode  Island  in  1841.  He  followed  the  millwright  business  until 
1870,  when  he  went  to  Colorado  and  accepted  a  position  as  engineer 
with  the  Boston  Silver  Mining  Association  and  remained  in  their  employ 
for  two  years.  In  1873,  he  went  to  Saginaw  Valley  and  followed  milling 
until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Marinette,  Wis.,  and  engaged  with  Mr. 
Tweedie  in  the  planing  mill,  and  also  worked  a  short  time  in  employ  of 
Marinette  Paper  Co.  Being  a  practical  millwright  and  an  energetic 
man,  he  built  a  planing  mill  in  Menominee  in  the  Spring  of  iSSi,  com- 
pleting it  in  June,  which  is  styled  Menominee  Rail  Road  Planing 
Mill. 

WILLIAM  HOLMES,  woods  superintendent  "The  Kirby  Car- 
penter Co."  Is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  At  about  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  he  came  to  Maine,  there  worked  at  the  lumber  business  about 
four  years,  then  came  to  Minnesota,  where  he  lived  four  years,  then  re- 
moved to  Escanaba,  in  185S,  came  to  Menominee.  Mich.,  and  has  since 
then  been  with  "The  Kirby  Carpenter  Co."  He  first  engaged  in  job- 
bing, and  for  the  past  seventeen  years  has  been  their  outside  superin- 
tendent, locating  camps  and  overseeing  logging,  driving,  etc.  He  owns 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  Menominee,  built  in  1876,  situated  in  one 
of  the  most  pleasant  locations.  Married,  in  1859,10  Miss  Augusta  J. 
Chandler,  of  Maine.  They  have  five  children— one  daughter  and  four 
sons  ;  they  have  been  bereaved  by  the  loss  of  their  much  cherished  child, 
Hellen  J.,  who  died  in  the  Fall  of  1S80  ;  aged  eight  years. 

MATTHEW  HORROCKS,  foundry  and  machine  shop,  Meno 
minee.  Is  a  native  of  England;  in  1863,  came  to  New  Jersey,  worked 
there  at  his  trade  for  several  years,  then  came  to  Muskegon  and  was 
foreman  for  A.  Rogers  several  years.  In  1S80,  came  to  Menominee, 
and  took  charge  of  this  business.  Married,  in  1S73,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Taylor,  of  England.     They  have  two  children,  one  son  and  daughter. 

GEORGE  HORVATH,  dry  goods  and  clothing,  Menominee.  Is  a 
native  of  Austria,  in  1852,  came  to  Chicago,  was  employed  in  a  clothing 
store.  In  1867,  came  to  Menominee,  and  at  once  opened  this  business, 
commencing  with  a  stock  of  about  $1,000.  His  business  has  now  in- 
creased, requiring  a  stock,  which  he  carries,  of  $20,000,  all  of  which  he 
has  acquired  by  attention  to  business  since  coming  here.  Married,  in 
i86g,  to  Laura  Sherman.  She  was  born  in  Indiana.  They  have  one 
daughter.  Has  been  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Catholic  Church,  of 
which  he  is  a  member. 

CONRAD  L.  HOSKA,  firm  of  Hicks  &  Hoska,  Menominee.  Born 
in  1856,  in  Chicago,  111.  He  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  wood 
carver  in  1S68,  and  has  since  worked  at  this  trade.  In  the  Fall  of 
1879,  came  to  Marinette  and  opened  a  furniture  store,  firm  of  Hoska  & 
Duplen  ;  continued  it  one  year;  he  then  came  to  Menominee,  and  in 
company  with  Dr.  Hicks,  opened  this  store. 

GEORGE  INNES,  boarding-house  keeper,  for  Ludington,  Wells  & 
Van  Schaick  Co.,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Scotland  Came  to  America 
in  1S73,  and  settled  in  Menominee,  and  worked  at  mill  labor  for  about 
six  months,  and  then  went  into  the  employ  of  Menominee  Furnace  Co., 
as  "  bank  boss,"  which  position  he  held  for  three  years,  and  then  took 
charge  of  the  Realy  House,  located  on  State  road,  on  the  Menominee 
River,  for  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  which  he  continued  in 
for  one  year,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1877,  returned  to  Menominee  and 
took  charge  of  the  mill  boarding  house,  for  the  same  company,  which 
position  he  now  fills.  Married,  Nov.  29,  1872,  to  Miss  Jennie  Innis,  of 
-Scotland.     Has  one  son,  Charles  Alexander,  a  bright  young  lad. 

L.  JACKMAN,  time-keeper  for  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  Menomi- 
nee. Is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  1S54.  Came  to  America  in  1870, 
and  went  into  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  as  clerk,  which 
position  he  held  for  about  two  years;  being  an  industrious  and  talented 
young  man,  he  advanced  to  the  position  which  he  has  occupied  for  the 
past  eight  years,  having  full  charge  as  time-keeper  over  about  three 
hundred  men.  Married,  in  i88o,  to  Miss  Mary  Evans,  of  Waukesha,  a 
highly  accomplished  lady. 


C.  H.  JONES,  firm  of  Ramsey  &  Jones,  lumber  manufacturers,  Me- 
nominee. Is  a  native  of  Orange  County,  Vt.  At  about  the  age  of  six 
years,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Menasha,  Wis.  In  1S69,  he  removed 
to  Menominee,  and  has  since  been  identified  in  the  manufacturing  of 
lumber.  He  enlisted  in  1S64,  in  Co.  D,  41st  Wis.  I.;  served  his  enlist- 
ment, three  months. 

JOSEPH  JUTTNER,  retired,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Prussia, 
horn  in  1833.  Came  to  America  in  1856,  and  worked  a  short  time  in 
Chicago,  and  at  Masonville,  near  Escanaba,  Mich.  In  1S57,  came  to 
Menominee,  and  followed  mill  work  until  i860,  when  he  engaged  in  the 
fishing  business,  which  he  continued  until  1S72,  and  then  built  what  is 
now  known  as  the  First  National  Hotel,  a  three-story  building,  main  part 
24x96  feet,  and  wing  32x34  feet,  containing  about  thirty  rooms  for  guests. 
Mr.  Juttner  had  been  proprietor  of  this  hotel  until  May  2,  1881,  when 
he  leased  it  to  Mr.  Norcross.  He  was  Commissioner  of  Highways  in 
1876,  1 877  and  1878,  and  was  the  first  Commissioner  that  caused  the  streets 
in  Menominee  to  be  graveled ;  he  has  also  been  Trustee  of  Schools,  and  is 
now  Commissioner  of  Highways. 

ANTON  LADUKE,  proprietor  Lincoln  House,  Menominee.  Was 
born  near  Montreal,  Canada.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich., 
when  seventeen  years  old,  and  worked  at  lumbering  for  Dr.  Hall,  and 
continued  to  engage  in  lumbering  until  1876,  when  he  built  his  hotel, 
which  is  known  as  the  Lincoln  House.  He  has  held  the  officeof  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  three  years,  and  was  one  of  the  first  Constables  in  Me- 

GEORGE  LAW,  foreman  at  the  Bay  Shore  mill  of  Ludington, 
Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Scotland  ;  born  May 
20,  1837.  Came  to  Montreal,  Canada,  in  1851.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1859,  and  settled  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  went  into  the  em- 
ploy of  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. Being  a  practical  man  of  natural  ability,  he  advanced  to  the 
responsible  position  of  foreman  of  the  Bay  Shore  saw-mill,  which  he  has 
competently  filled  for  the  past  ten  years.  Married,  in  1868,  to  Miss 
Jennie  Stewart,  of  Wisconsin.  Three  bright  children  now  gladden  their 
home — Charles  H.,  George  S.  and  Robert. 

WILLIAM  LEHMANN,  wagon  and  blacksmith  shop,  Menominee, 
was  born  Sept.  15,  1822,  in  Prussia.  Came  to  New  York  May  5,  1852. 
The  following  year,  he  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  a  short 
time,  then  went  to  Manistee,  Mich.;  thence  to  Muskegon.  In  1S57, 
came  to  Escanaba.  Came  to  Menominee  in  1862  an<l  started  this  busi- 
ness, this  being  the  first  blacksmith  shop  started  here,  aside  Irom  the 
mill  shops.  Married,  in  1846,  to  Ernstine  Jachmann.  She  was  born  in 
Prussia.  They  have  one  son,  four  daughters  and  sixteen  grand-children. 
Mr.  L.  received  a  classical  education,  his  father  wishing  him  to  study 
law,  but  his  natural  inclinations  were  to  learn  this  trade,  which  he  has 
followed  since  a  boy.  His  father  was  engaged  in  merchandising.  His 
brother  is  now  a  Lutheran  minister,  in  his  native  country. 

LEISEN  &  HEINES,  proprietors  of  Bay  Brewery,  Menominee. 

Jacob  Leisen,  a  native  of  Prussia,  came  to  America  in  1853,  and 
worked  at  carpenter  trade  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey  until  1S54, 
when  he  came  West  and  located  at  Centeiville,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis., 
and  carried  on  the  carpenter  business  for  some  time.  He  finally  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandise,  which  business  he  continued  in  until 
1873.  While  at  Centerville,  he  held  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Town  Clerk  and  School  Treasurer  for  several  years,  and  Postmaster  for 
eleven  years.  In  1864,  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  Co.  B,  45th 
Wis.  I.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1873,  he  came  to  Me- 
nominee, Mich.,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  oop  and  root  beer 
till  1876.  when  commenced  brewing  lager  beer,  and  the  firm  is  now  do- 
ing a  business  of  about  $35,000  a  year. 

John  Heines,  a  native  of  Prussia,  came  to  America  in  1871,  and  lo- 
cated at  Seymour,  Wis.  Went  to  Milwaukee  in  1872,  and  engaged  in 
brewing,  which  business  he  followed  till  1875,  and  then  came  to  Me- 
nominee, Mich.,  and  engaged  in  the  same  business  with  Mr.  Leisen. 

ALBERT  LEONARD,  foreman  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company's 
old  mill,  Menominee,  was  born  April  23,  1844,  in  Bavaria.  In  1852, 
came  with  his  parents  to  Sheboygan.  They  settled  on  a  farm,  where  he 
assisted  his  father  in  farming,  remaining  there  till  1862,  when  he  came 
to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  secured  employment  with  the  Kirby  Carpen- 
ter Company,  remaining  in  their  employ  ever  since,  except  two  years, 
when  he  was  engaged  in  the  furniture  business.  The  past  five  years,  he 
has  held  the  important  position  of  foreman  of  this  mill. 

TOIIN  LEPAGE,  proprietor  Central  Hotel.  Menominee,  is  a  native 
o(  Quebec,  Canada,  bornin  1S55.  Came  to  Oconto  in  1874,  and  engaged  in 
cooking  in  the  lumbering  camps,  which  he  followed  until  the  Spring  of 
1879.  He  then  opened  a  "half-way  house,"  on  the  Menominee  River, 
between  Quinnesec  and  Florence,  and  ran  it  for  eighteen  months.  In 
the  Fall  o"f  1880,  he  built  and  opened  the  Central  Hotel,  where  he  can 
accommodate  about  sixty  guests.  Was  married,  in  the  Spring  of  1879, 
to  Miss  Nellie  Therien,  a  native  of  Montreal,  Canada.  They  have  a 
bright  little  daughter,  fifteen  months  old. 

LOUIS  LEVEQUE,  bakery,  groceries,  provisions,  flour,  feed,  etc.. 
Menominee,  was  born   in   France,  Oct.  16,  1824.     Came  to  America  in 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1854,  and  remained  one  year  at  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  then  removed  to  De 
Pere,  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  and  followed  farming  (or  five  years.  In  1S60, 
he  came  to  Oconto,  Oconto  Co.,  and  in  1866  and  1S67  carried  on  a  bak- 
ery. He  then  visiled  Menominee,  Mich.,  for  a  short  time,  and  returned 
to  Oconto,  and  in  company  with  I'.  T.  Williams  conducted  a  bakery 
during  1S69.  He  finally  settled  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  in  1S70,  and  es- 
tablished his  present  business,  which  consists  of  a  bakery,  groceries  and 
provisions,  flour,  feed,  etc.,  doing  a  very  extensive  business.  His  son, 
Louis,  is  in  full  charge  of  the  entire  business,  being  a  young  man  of  rare 
business  qualirications. 

PHIL  LISIECKI,  builder  and  contractor.  Menominee.  Born  in  Lake 
Co.,  111.  When  a  boy,  drove  a  delivery  wagon  in  Chicago.  Foreman  for 
Washburn  &  Walker,  of  Chicago,  for  six  years,  manufacturers  of  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  etc.  Two  years  in  Coldwater,  Mich.,  in  machine  shop; 
went  to  Waukegan  and  worked  for  Porter  Brothers,  building  and  con- 
tracting. Came  10  Menominee  in  1869,  and  engaged  in  contracting  and 
building  until  April,  iSSi,  when  he  commenced  superintending  the 
building  of  a  saw  mill  for  Spies  &  Martin.  He  is  also  owner  of  a  plan- 
ing-miU. 

PHILIP  LOEWENSTEIN,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  wines 
and  liquors,  Menominee.  Is  a  native  of  Bohemia.  Born  June  23,  1837. 
Came  to  Milw.iukee,  Aug.  I.  1867  ;  was  employed  as  traveling  agent  for 
Mr.  Steiner  two  years.      July  3,  1S69,  came  to  Menominee,  and  Sept.  4, 


he  commenced  this  business,  which  he  has  since  conti 


"ng 


a  business  of  about  $25,000  a  year.  He  was  elected  School  Superin- 
tendent, but  refused  to  serve.  Married,  May  28,  1S70,  to  Miss  Rosa 
Teller,  of  Bohemia.  They  have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

ANDREW  McIVERS,  saloon,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Iowa, 
born  in  1S36.  In  1854,  he  went  to  New  York,  and  remained  about  two 
years.  In  1856,  came  to  Menominee,  and  the  following  year  run  a  ferry- 
boat to  Menekaune,  Wis.,  which  he  followed  for  twelve  years.  During 
this  time  he  opened  a  saloon,  and  has  continued  in  the  same  business 
ever  since.  He  was  proprietor  of  the  American  House  for  about  eight 
years,  and  was  also  engaged  in  hshing  with  "  pound  "  nets,  from  1S65  to 
187S.  He  was  the  first  Coroner  after  the  town  organization.  Married, 
in  1864,  to  -Miss  Norah  Cusick,  of  Oconto  County  ;  she  died  in  the 
Spring  of  1874,  and  he  married  again  in  1S78,  and  has  a  family  of  four 
children. 

CHARLES  McLEOD,  farmer,  Menominee.  Born  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  V.  Was  engaged  in  the  stave  and  lumber  business  from  1832  to 
1836;  he  then  came  to  Menominee,  and  is  now  the  oldest  living  white 
setder  in  the  county.  He  first  worked  for  Farnsworth  &  Brush  in  their 
mill.  In  1841,  he  went  further  up  the  river,  and  built  a  water-mill,  which 
he  ran  five  years,  and  sold  it  to  Dr.  Hall.  In  1846,  he  went  to  Sheboy- 
gan, returned  in  1848.  Has  followed  jobbing  and  lumbering  until  about 
1870;  since  then  his  lime  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  has  owned 
large  quantities  of  land,  which  he  has  since  sold.  He  now  owns  forty- 
six  acres,  where  he  resides. 

HENRY  E.  MAR  TIN,  firm  of  Spies  &  Martin,  groceries,  supplies 
and  lumber,  Menominee.  Is  a  native  of  Whitehall,  Washington  Co.,  N. 
Y.  Came  to  Menominee  in  1871,  as  book-keeper  for  Ludington,  Wells 
&  Van  Schaick  Co.  Was  promoted  as  assistant  superintendent,  and  re- 
mained with  this  company  about  ten  years.  He  formed  a  partnership 
with  Mr.  A.  Spies,  November,  1880.  They  are  about  completing  a  cir- 
cular mill,  witn  a  shingle-mill,  wiih  a  view  of  building  up  a  local  trade  ; 
this  mill  is  127x36,  will  cut  about  75,000  feet  a  day. 

JAMES  A.  MORRISON,  foreman,  with  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van 
Schaick  Co.,  Menominee.  Born  near  Montreal.  Came  to  Menominee, 
Mich.,  in  1854,  followed  the  lumber  business  until  18O1,  when  he  removed 
to  Escanaba.  In  the  Fall  of  1864,  reUirned  to  Menominee,  and  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  this  company  since,  except  two  years,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  "  The  K.  C.  Co."  The  past  seven  years  he  has  been  foreman  of 
the  mill.  Married,  in  1866.  to  Jennette  McVicker;  she  was  born  in 
Canada.     They  have  two  children,  Maude'and  Hector  J. 

JACOB  MUTH,  jeweler,  Menominee.  Born  in  Austria.  Came  to 
America  with  his  parents,  at  the  age  of  six  years;  located  at  Fond  du 
Lac  ;  commenced  to  learn  the  jeweler's  trade  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  In 
the  Spring  of  1870,  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  established  this 
business,  commencing  with  a  capital  of  $800  ;  being  of  industrious 
habits,  and  close  attenlion  to  business,  he  now  carries  a  stock  of  from 
$3,000  to  $4,000.  Married,  in  1863,  to  Mary  J.  Eveland,  of  Menomi- 
nee.    They  have  four  children. 

HENRY  NASON,  Justice  of  ihe  Peace,  Menominee.  Mr.  Nason 
is  one  of  the  early  and  respected  settlers  of  Menominee;  is  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire  ;  born  in  1828.  He  left  home  in  1851,  and  engaged  in 
the  construction  of  railroads,  viz.:  Buffalo  State  Line  R.  R.,  Ohio  & 
Pennsylvania,  Buffalo,  Corning  &  New  York  City  road,  till  October,  1S53, 
when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  with  Bailey,  Broad  &  Co.,  in 
constructing  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R.,  till  Dec.  I,  1856  ;  then  came  to 
Menominee  and  engaged  in  jobbing  till  1858,  when  he  bought  a  half  in- 
terest in  a  shingle  mill  on  the  shore  of  Green  Bay,  and  in  company  with 
his  partner,   continued   to  operate   it  until  April,   1861,  a  remarkable 


shove  of  ice  on  Green  Bay  occurred,  which  piled  on  the  shore  from 
thirty  to  forty  feet  high,  and  totally  wrecked  the  mill  ;  notwithstanding 
this  rever.se  of  fortune,  Mr.  Nason  got  out  timber  in  the  Summer  of  1S61, 
and  commenced  building  another  shingle  mill  in  the  Fall.  The  mill  was 
started  in  operation  July  i,  1862,  but  it  seems  that  fate  had  decreed 
against  his  running  a  saw-mill,  for  on  the  fifleenlh  of  the  same  month, 
while  the  men  were  at  dinner,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Meeting 
with  so  much  misfortune  financially  and  otherwise,  he  removed  to  Chi- 
cago and  followed  railroading  for  about  one  year,  then  traveled  through 
Iowa,  and  returned  to  Menominee,  July  22,  1864,  since  has  been  en- 
gaged in  contracting  in  building,  house-moving,  etc.  Mr.  Nason  has 
been  Superintendent  of  Poor  for  ihe  past  five  years,  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  nine  years.  Married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Mahala  Place,  of  New 
York.     Has  a  family  of  one  son  and  three  daughters. 

FRED  S.  NORCROSS,  proprietor  First  National  Hotel,  Menomi- 
nee. Is  a  native  of  Bangor,  Me.  Came  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  in  1869; 
was  clerk  for  Eddy,  Avery  &  Co.,  lumber  business,  one  year;  he  then 
secured  the  position  as  chief  clerk  of  the  Bancroft  House,  where  he  re- 
mained seven  years,  then  removed  to  Lansing,  Mich.;  was  clerk  of  the 
Lansing  House  three  years.  May,  1S81,  came  to  Menominee,  and 
assumed  charge  of  the  "  First  National." 

JOSEPH  PECARD,  owner  of  the  Kirby  House,  Menominee.  Bom 
Dec.  I,  1S3S,  near  Montreal.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Kankakee,  111., 
thence  to  Whitehall,  where  he  remained  five  years.  In  1861,  he  re- 
turned to  Canada.  The  following  year  he  came  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
enlisted  in  the  17th  Regt.  2d  Battl'n.,  U.  S.  army;  served  to  the  end  of 
the  war;  was  mustered  out  in  New  York  City,  July,  1865;  then  came 
to  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.,  worked  at  lumbering  till  1866  ;  then  came  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Wis.;  afterward  went  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  other  points; 
in  the  Fall  of  i86g,  came  to  Menominee,  engaged  at  loading  vessels,  and 
cooking  in  camp  in  the  Winter.  In  1S71,  he  bought  the  Kirby  House, 
and  rented  the  Menominee  House;  the  Kirby  House  was  destroyed  by 
fire  soon  after.  He  then  bought  the  Menominee  House,  and  at  once 
named  it  the  Kirby  House,  which  he  now  has  rented  ;  he  retains  the 
saloon  and  billiard  room;  he  also  owns  one-half  interest  in  a  liveiy 
stable  at  Marinette. 

GEORGE  PEEP,  machinist,  foreman  for  Matthew  Horrocks,  Me- 
nominee. A  native  of  England;  came  to  America  in  1S50,  and  engaged 
in  running  a  mill  at  Green  Bay.  Went  to  Milwaukee  the  following 
Spring,  and  that  Summer  w-orked  at  his  trade.  He  then  went  to  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  remained  there  one  year.  Has  been  employed  at  Terre 
Haute,  Ind,  fur  the  Terre  Haute  &  Indianapolis  R.  R.  Co.;  then  visited 
Louisville,  and  remained  there  two  years,  and  finally  returned  to  Green 
Bay.  Some  time  before  the  fall  of  Ft.  Sumter,  he  returned  to  Louis- 
ville and  purchased  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  which  business  he  carried  on 
successfully  until  1861,  when  he  suspended  operations  and  engaged  in 
carding  wool,  which  business  he  continued  in  for  eigliteen  months;  after 
which  he  spent  three  years  in  Terre  Haute.  Since  which  time  he  has 
been  in  charge  of  machine  shops  and  engaged  as  engineer  in  saw-mills, 
and  is  now  foreman  for  the  above  named  firm. 

SAMUEL  PELTI.-^,  proprietor  Lumberman's  Home.  Menominee, 
is  a  native  of  Canada.  Came  to  Menominee  in  xS66 ;  engaged  in  lum- 
bering for  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  remaining  in  their  employ,  ten 
years.  lie  then  bought  this  hotel,  which  he  has  since  managed.  He 
also  owns  a  livery,  which  he  runs  in  connection  with  his  hotel.  He  has 
been  Highway  Commissioner,  three  years,  and  Constable,  two  years. 
Married,  in  1877,  to  Clara  Parreau.  She  is  also  a  native  of  Canada. 
Members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

WILLIAM  A.  PENGILLY,  County  Recorder,  Menominee.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Born  in  1853. 
He  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  in  1S59,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  as  clerk,  and  remained 
with  the  same  firm  for  eleven  years.  In  November,  1880,  he  was  elected 
Register  of  Deeds,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  in  January, 
1S81.  He  is  also  Clerk  of  the  Probate  Court.  Among  those  that  were 
lost  on  the  "Lady  Elgin,"  were  two  aunts  and  one  sister. 

PETER  PETERSON,  proprietor  Scandinavian  House,  Menominee, 
is  a  native  of  Denmark.  Born  Sept.  7.  1848.  In  1867,  he  left  his 
native  country,  and  came  to  Toledo,  Ohio  ;  remained  there  some  time, 
and  in  1S73,  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  various  kinds 
of  labor  until  1876,  when  he  purchased  the  hotel  which  he  is  now  pro- 
prietor of,  and  has  continued  it  up  to  the  present  time.  Being  an 
industrious  young  man,  has  accumulated  considerable  money.  He  has 
once  visited  his  native  country  since  first  coming  to  America.  Married, 
in  December,  1S75,  Miss  Mary  Thompson,  of  Denmark.  Has  one  son 
living,  Peter  C. 

DR.  B.  T.  PHILLIPS,  physician  and  surgeon,  Menominee,  is  a 
native  of  Medina  Co.,  Ohio.  Came  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  in  1845.  He 
enlisted  in  1862,  Co.  H,  32d  Wis.  I.  Was  mustered  out  as  sergeant 
major,  at  Milwaukee,  in  1865.  He  attended  the  Lawrence  University 
at  Appleton,  Wis.,  and  practiced  medicine  at  Oshkosh.  Graduated  at 
the  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  in  1869.  He  then  practiced,  two 
years,  in   Fond   du   Lac,  Wis.     In  1871,  came  to  Marinette,  and  was 


HISTORY    OF  MARINETTE  COUNTY. 


609 


detailed,  by  Governor  Fairchild,  in  charge  of  the  Relief  Hospital,  which 
was  discontinued,  May,  1872.  This  hospitable  was  established  in  con- 
sequence of  the  great  conflagration  of  1871,  known  as  the  Peshtigo  Fire. 

ALEXANDER  POYDA,  boarding-house  keeper  for  the  Kirby 
Carpenter  Co.,  Menominee,  a  native  of  Germany.  Born  Feb.  11, 
1842.  Came  to  America  in  1861,  and  worked  in  coal  mine  in  Luzerne  Co., 
Pa.,  one  year.  He  then  went  to  East  Saginaw,  Mich.,  and  clerked  in  a 
hardware  store,  for  eighteen  months.  In  1866,  he  removed  to  Menom- 
inee, and  went  into  the  employ  of  The  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  and  has 
since  been  in  charge  of  one  of  the  company's  mill  boarding-houses,  which 
is  a  guarantee  that  he  has  given  perfect  satisfaction  to  his  employers, 
as  well  as  their  mill  employes.     Mr.  Poyda  married,  Oct.  9,  1872. 

JACOB  PRIMROSE,  filer  at  The  Kirby  Carpenter  Co 's  old  mill. 
Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Flint,  Mich.,  in 
1855  ;  there  he  worked  at  filing  till  January,  1857,  when  he  removed  to 
Oconto  Wis. ;  was  in  the  employ  of  N.  VV.  Norton  &  Co.,  where  he 
remained  till  the  Fall  of  1S61,  as  foreman  of  their  mill.  He  then 
enlisted  in  Co.  F,  12th  Wis.  I. ;  17th  Army  Corps  ;  served  three  years ; 
was  mustered  out  November,  1S64,  at  Chattanooga  Tenn  ;  returned  to 
Oconto  ;  remained  there  till  1865,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich., 
and  assisted  in  building  the  Ludington,  Wells.  Van  Schaick  Co.'s  mill, 
where  he  was  foreman  for  eleven  years.  He  was  also  foreman  of  the 
mill  located  at  the  head  of  Little  Bay  de  Nock,  Mich. ;  returned  to 
Menominee,  Mich,  in  1S78,  and  has  since  then  been  in  the  employ  of 
this  company. 

W.  REINDL,  boots  and  shoes,  Menominee.  Born  July  8,  1851,  in 
Austria;  came  to  Manitowoc  in  1870;  in  1872  came  to  Menominee,  and 
established  this  business  in  1874;  he  learned  this  trade  in  his  native 
country,  and  has  followed  it  the  past  sixteen  years.  He  keeps  on  hand 
a  full  line  of  ready-made  goods  ;  also,  manufactures  to  order.  Married 
Therrissa  Ertliz,  in  1S73  ;  she  was  born  in  Austria.  They  have  six 
children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 

THOMAS  B.  RICE,  attorney,  Menominee,  isa  native  of  Franklin 
Co.,  Vt.  In  1858,  commenced  the  study  of  law  at  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y. ; 
afterward  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  graduated  March  4,  1864,  at  the 
Albany  University  Law  School;  then  came  to  Morris,  111.,  and  opened 
a  law  office,  where  he  remained  two  years ;  then  came  to  Aurora,  remain- 
ing two  years ;  then  came  to  Chicago,  and  entered  the  law  office  of  Hig- 
gins,  Swett  &  Quigg,  as  clerk;  remained  there  about  three  years;  in 
1871,  came  to  Menominee,  and  has  since  followed  his  profession  here. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  four  years,  and  Judge  of 
the  Probate  Court  eight  years. 

A.  L.  SAWYER,  attorney,  is  a  native  of  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  He  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  with  his  brother,  in  Hartford,  Wis.,  in  1S76; 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1877,  in  Washington.  Wis. ;  he  then  prac- 
ticed with  his  brother  till  June,  1878,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  and 
succeeded  the  practice  of  Judge  E.  S.  Ingalls,  now  deceased ;  he  also 
holds  the  oflSce  of  Circuit  Court  Commissioner.  Married,  April,  18S0, 
to  Miss  Josie,  daughter  of  the  late  Judge  E.  8.  Ingalls,  who  edited  the 
first  paper  published  in  Menominee. 

R.  J.  SAWYER,  druggist,  is  a  native  of  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  He  at. 
tended  school  at  Burnett,  and  afterward  taught  school  there,  in  all  twelve 
terms.  He  then  engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Neillsville,  Wis.,  and 
was  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Clark  County  three  years;  he  continued 
this  business  eight  years  in  Neillsville  ;  in  1879,  came  to  Menominee  and 
established  this  business. 

PETER  SEIDL,firm  of  Pauli  &  .Seidl,  merchant  tailors  and  gent's 
furnishing  goods,  Menominee.  Mr.  Seidl  is  a  native  of  Austria.  Come 
to  America  in  1868,  and  engaged  in  tailoring,  which  he  followed 
until  1877,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  associated  with 
George  Horvath,  Esq.,  in  the  clothing  business  for  one  year,  and  then 
formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr.  Pauli,  titled  Pauli  &  Seidl,  doing  an 
extensive  business.  Mr.  Seidl  married,  in  1873,  Miss  Mary  Zipprer,  a 
native  of  Austria.     They  have  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

JAMES  C.  SHERMAN,  Postmaster,  Menominee,  a  native  of  Ca- 
yuga Co.,  N.  Y.  When  a  boy  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents;  in 
1853  came  to  Menekaune  ;  engaged  in  the  drugbusincss  with  his  brother, 
and  became  afterward  a  partner.  In  1861,  he  enlisled  in  Co.  F,  I2th 
Wis.  I.,  17th  Army  Corps  ;  served  to  the  end  of  the  War ;  returned  to 
Menekaune,  and  continued  in  the  drug  business  till  1868,  when  here- 
moved  to  Menominee,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter 
Company  as  agent  for  the  Goodrich  Transportation  Company.  This 
position  he  held  till  he  was  appointed  Postmaster. 

PETER  SIBENALER,  firm  of  Blom  &  Sibenaler,  furniture  and 
undertaking,  Menominee,  was  born  Sept.  20,  1853,  in  Luxemburg,  Ger- 
many. In  1871  he  came  to  Menominee,  and  worked  for  R.  Stephenson 
&  Co.  two  seasons,  and  then  removed  to  Muskegon  and  worked  there  in 
a  mill  seven  years.  He  then  returned  to  Menominee,  and  on  Nov.  ig, 
1880.  associated  himself  as  the  junior  partner  of  W.  Blom  &  P.  Sib- 
enaler in  the  furniture  and  undertaking.  Married,  May  10,  1881.  to 
Miss  Gurtie  Gobelius,  of  Green  Bay,  Wis. 

PHILIP  SMITH,  engineer  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Go's  old  mill, 
Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  England.     Came   to   Waucon- 


da.  111.,  in  June,  1854,  followed  farming  till  December,  1863,  when  he 
came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Ludington, 
Wells  &  Van  Schaick,  where  he  remained  eight  years  as  engineer.  He 
then  worked  for  Fay  &  Jones  one  season.  In  the  Spring  of  1872  he 
came  into  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  where  he  has  since 
been.  Married,  in  1867,  to  Sarah  Stewart,  of  Milwaukee.  She  died  in 
iS6g.     They  had  two  children,  which  he  has  also  lost. 

JOSEPH  H.  SOMERVILLE,  agent  Goodrich  Transportation  Co., 
Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Kingston,  Ontario.  In  the  Fall  of  1809  he 
went  to  Manitoba  in  the  capacity  of  quartermaster  for  the  Canadian 
Light  Infantry,  and  returned  in  1876.  The  following  year  he  came  to 
Menominee,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company  three 
years,  and  one  year  with  H.  Bird,  in  the  mill  business.  He  was  appoint- 
ed to  his  present  position  in  May,  1881. 

WM.  SOMERVILLE  was  born  in  Kingston,  Canada, in  1837.  Re- 
ceiving a  common  school,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
J.  Carruthers  &  Co.,  wholesale  grocers.  He  continued  in  their  employ 
until  the  Spring  of  1865,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago.  The  seasons  of 
1S66  and  1867  were  spent  steamboating  on  the  Fox  River.  In  January, 
iSb8,  Mr.  Somerville  moved  to  Menominee  to  enter  the  employ  of  the 
Kirby  Carpenter  Company,  h  ith  whom  he  has  remained  ever  since,  as 
accountant  and  cashier,  besides  having  general  supervision  of  their  large 
mercantile  business.  Mr.  Somerville  has  held  many  local  offices  during 
his  residence  in  Menominee,  having  been  School  Inspector  for  several 
terms,  and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  He  was  elect- 
ed Probate  Judge  of  Menominee  County  in  the  Fall  of  1S80,  by  a  large 
majority.  Mr.  Somerville  is  also  much  interested  in  secret  and  benev- 
olent societies,  having  been  elected  W.  M.  of  Menominee  Lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  five  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  Family  of  seven  children.  Politics,  Repub- 
lican. 

C.  SPRONG,  iron  master,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Berkshire  Co., 
Mass.  In  186S  he  commenced  to  learn  the  furnace  business,  and  has 
since  followed  it.  He  came  to  Menominee  in  1873,  and  took  charge  of 
the  blast  furnace,  which  position  he  held  till  November,  1880.  In  the 
Summer  of  this  year  he  built  and  operated  a  furnace  at  Charlevoix, 
Mich.,  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  Spring  of  1S81,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
building  a  furnace  at  Florence,  Wis. 

.  HON.  R.  STEPHENSON,  of  the  firm  of  Ludington,  Wells  &  Van 
Schaick.  lumber,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Neiv  Brunswick.  Came  to 
•Jlinnesota  in  1S52,  thence  to  Escanaba,  in  1858.  Came  to  Menominee 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  commenced  in  jobbing,  which  he  contin- 
ued till  1S63.  when  this  firm  was  established,  of  which  he  has  been  a 
member  since.  They  employ  about  550  men  Winters,  and  about  250 
men  about  the  mill  Summers,  and  about  200  men  at  their  yards  in  Chi- 
cago. They  also  own  three  farms  where  ihey  employ  about  twenty-five 
men.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1880,  representing 
the  counties  of  Menominee  and  Escanaba.  Has  been  Town  Supervisor 
and  Treasurer,  and  has  held  most  of  the  local  offices. 

HON.  S.  M.  STEPHEN.SON,  vice-president  and  secretary  of  The 
Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  Menominee.  Is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  In 
the  Winter  of  1856-7,  he  came  to  Menominee  and  assisted  in  building 
what  is  known  as  the  old  K.  C.  Co.'s  mill,  located  on  the  Island.  In 
i860,  he  bought  an  interest  in  this  mill,  and  has  since  been  a  member  of 
the  firm  ;  in  1867,  they  built  a  new  mill,  which  they  are  operating  in 
connection  with  their  old  one.  About  eight  years  ago  this  firm  organized 
as  a  stock  company,  styied  "The  Kirby  Carpenter  Co."  The  sawing  ca- 
pacity of  both  mills  is  about  50,000,000  feet,  day  sawing,  a  season.  He 
was  the  first  Supervisor  of  this  county;  he  was  a  representative  for  Me- 
nominee County  in  1S76,  and  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  in  1879  ; 
he  was  elector  at  large  in  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1S80  ;  has  always 
taken  an  active  part  in  all  public  enterprises,  and  has  been  the  recipient 
of  many  public  honors ;  he  has  contributed  largely  to  all  churches  and 
other  public  buildings. 

A.  B.  STRYKER,  manufacturer  of  cigars;,  Menominee.  Is  a  native 
of  Berks  County,  Pa.  Commenced  to  learn  this  trade  at  about  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  which  he  has  since  followed.  In  1870,  became  to  Chi- 
cago ;  in  1871,  came  to  Milwaukee,  thence  to  Menominee  ;  established 
his  business  in  1873.  He  holds  the  office  of  Township  Clerk  ;  was 
elected  in  the  Spring  of  18S1. 

DR.  BYRON  TAYLOR,  physician  and  surgeon,  Menominee.  Is 
a  native  of  Iron  Ridge,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  Commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Hartford,  Wis.,  graduated  in  1S79,  at  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Chicago ;  he  then  came  to  Menominee,  where  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed this  prolession. 

J.  N.  THERIAULT,  retired,  Menominee.  A  native  of  Quebec, 
Canada.  In  1853.  he  left  home  and  spent  one  year  in  Chicago,  and 
came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  lumbering  till  1857,  then  at 
millwright  work  for  about  three  vears  ;  he  then  eng.iged  in  hotel  business. 
In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Col.  Mulligan's  brigade,  and  served  till  the  end 
of  the  war.  For  three  months  he  was  a  prisoner  of  war,  in  Libby  prison  ; 
after  his  release,  returned  to  Menominee,  and  was  mustered  out  in 
Springfield  ;  then  returned  and  went  into  the  employ  of  S.  M.  Stephen- 


6io 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


son,  as  millwright,  which  he  followed  till  1868,  when  he  built  a  brick 
block  and  opened  a  grocery  and  provision  store,  and  continued  in  busi- 
ness until  Jan.  4,  1S79. 

RICHARD  UNDERWOOD,  yard  boss.  Bay  Shore  mill  of  Lud- 
ington,  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Co.,  Menominee.  Born  May  13,  1849.  in 
England.  Came  to  Menominee  in  1868,  and  has  since  then  been  in  the 
employ  of  this  company  ;  four  years  of  this  time  he  was  night  watch- 
man ;  the  past  two  seasons  he  has  had  full  charge  of  the  yard.  Married, 
Dec.  25,  1S79,  to  Mary  E.  Beach,  of  Illinois;  she  died  November,  1S80, 
aged  twenty-two  years.     He  has  one  daughter,  Mary. 

PETER  A.  V.\N  BERGEN,  superintendent  of  The  Kirby  Car- 
penter Co.  saw-mills.  Menominee.  Born  in  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the 
year  1S26.  At  an  early  age  he  engaged  in  mechanical  work,  and  fol- 
lowed it  till  1S67,  when  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and  went  into 
the  employ  of  The  Kirby  Carpenter  Co.,  as  superintendent  of  their  saw- 
mills.  From  the  fact  that  he  has  held  this  position  for  the  past  four- 
teen years,  and  being  a  practical  mechanic,  of  wide  experience  and  nat- 
ural ability,  is  evidence  that  he  has  competently  discharged  the  duties  of 
trust  confided  in  him.  Mr.  Van  Bergen  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
County  Clerk  in  1S72,  and  held  it  one  term,  and  is  now  Supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Menominee. 

P.  VAN  HAZEN,  with  the  Menominee  Fire  Department,  born  Sept. 
4.  1S4S,  in  New  Jersey.  When  about  one  year  old,  his  parents  came 
with  him  to  Menominee  ;  when  about  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  he  en- 
gaged in  cooking  in  the  woods.  In  about  1862.  he  went  to  Chicago  ; 
there  learned  the  trade  of  house  and  sign  painting,  where  he  remained 
four  years.  Then  returned  to  Menominee,  and  at  once  secured  employ- 
ment with  the  Ludington.  Wells  &  Van  Schaick  Company,  continuing  in 
their  employ  ten  years.  April,  iSSi,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Fire 
Department.     Married,  in  iSSo,  to  Eliza  Schroader.  of  Manitowoc,  Wis. 

J.  A.  WAGG,  general  manager  Menominee  Furnace  Company,  is  a 
native  of  Maine.  In  1S66,  he  went  to  Minnesota,  and  was  engaged  as 
civil  engineer  for  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  also  Assistant  City  En- 
gineer in  Minneapolis;  came  to  Wisconsin  and  was  superintendent  of 
saw-mill  in  Brown  County  for  two  years.  He  had  a  large  contract  for 
furnishing  coal  for  the  National  Furnace  Company.  Came  to  Menomi- 
nee to  superintend  the  Menominee  Furnace  Company,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  the  directors,  held  in  Chicago,  he  was  appointed  secretary  and  general 

JAMES  H.  WALTON,  manager  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company's 
store,  was  born  in  Bloomington,  111.  He  came  to  Menominee  in  1S69, 
and  went  into  the  employ  of  R.  Stephenson  &  Co.,  and  remained  with 
that  firm  four  years  and  a  half.  In  1S72,  he  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer, and  held'  that  office  for  eight  years.  Is  now  one  of  the  Trustees 
and  Director  of  the  School  Board.  In  January.  18S1,  he  came  into  the 
employ  of  the  Kirby  Carpenter  Company.  Married,  in  1870,  to  Miss 
Flora  E.  Drum,  of  Bloomington,  III.     They  have  one  child. 

JOSEPH  WANEK,  harness-maker,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Aus- 
tria ;  born  March  13,  1S39.  He  learned  the  trade  of  harness-maker  and 
saddler  in  his  native  country,  and,  in  1S66,  came  to  America,  and  re- 
mained a  short  time  in  Boston  and  Chicago,  and  worked  at  his  trade  one 
year  in  Oconto,  Wis.  In  186S,  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and 
opened  a  harness  shop,  and  by  his  close  attention  to  business  and  supe- 


riority of  work,  has  established  a  large  trade.     Married,  in  1869,  to  Miss 
Annie  Buhman,  of  Austria.     They  have  three  sons  and  four  daughters. 

J.  W.  WELLS,  of  firm  of  Culbertson  &  Wells,  manufacturers  of  lumber 
and  shingles.  Menominee,  born  in  Davenport,  Scott  Co.,  Iowa,  in  1870, 
came  to  Menominee  and  engaged  with  the  .Menominee  River  Manufactur- 
ing Company  as  book-keeper.and  remained  one  year ;  then  general  super- 
intendent for  Carter  &  Jones,  of  Chicago  ;  in  their  interest  North,  until 
1873,  then  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Carter,  in  manufacturing 
lumber  and  shingles,  in  Oconto  County,  till  1875.  I"  'h«  Winter  of 
1875,  the  firm,  Culbertson  &  Wells,  built  their  saw  mill  in  Menominee; 
they  employ  about  sixty  men.  The  sawing  capacity  is  about  100,000  feet 
in  twelve  hours.  Mr.  Culbertson  is  from  Girard,  Pa.,  and  Mr.  Wells  is  a 
relative  of  Daniel  and  C.  K.  Wells,  of  Milwaukee. 

R.  H.  WENDT,  County  Clerk,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Chicago  ; 
and  where  he  was  raised  ;  he  served  three  years  at  the  architect  busi- 
ness, and  a  short  time  engaged  in  plumbing;  September,  1S72.  came  to 
Menominee  ;  the  balance  of  the  season  he  worked  in  a  mill,  the  follow- 
ing year  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade.  Soon  after  he  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  County  Clerk's  office,  and  in  1S74,  was  deputized  as  Deputy 
County  Clerk,  and  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds  ;  held  this  position  till  Jan. 
1, 18S1,  when  he  assumed  his  present  position,  having  been  elected  in  the 
Fall  of  1880  ;  has  also  been  Clerk  of  the  Probate  Court. 

G.  A.  WOODFORD,  jeweler,  dealer  in  watches,  clocks,  fine  jewelry, 
pianos,  organs,  etc.,  Menominee,  is  a  native  of  Hartford  Co.,  Conn., 
came  to  Kilbourn  City.  Wis.,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  engaged  in 
buying  grain  for  his  uncle.  In  1S6S.  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  jewelry  business,  and  came  to  Menominee  in  January,  1870, 
and  established  his  present  business,  which  rapidly  increased,  owing  to 
his  just  dealing  and  strict  adherence  to  business  ;  his  sales  amounting  to 
about  $28,000  yearly.  Married,  Miss  Mary  E.  Freeman,  of  Grand 
Rapids.  January,  1S71  ;  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mr.  Wood- 
ford held  the  office  of  School  Inspector  for  about  four  years. 

LOUIS  YOUNG,  proprietor  of  Menominee  Boiler  Works,  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  came  to  Chicago  in  1850,  when  he  com- 
menced to  learn  this  trade,  living  there  about  thirteen  years  ;  he  then 
came  to  Fort  Howard,  Wis.,  in  1872,  came  to  Menominee,  and  he,  with 
D.  Burns,  of  Fort  Howard,  started  these  works,  continued  till  1875, 
when  he  bought  ont  Mr.  Burns  ;  he  is  also  carr)'ing  on  a  boiler  shop  at 
Quinnesec  ;  he  enlisted  in  1S61,  in  the  three  months'  call,  and  again  re- 
enlisted  in  Co.  C,  19th  III.  Infantry,  V.  I.,  served  about  two  years,  returned 
on  account  of  sickness  ;  he  again  entered  the  service  in  1864,  and  served 
to  the  end  of  the  war. 

WILLIAM  ZIPPEL,  dealer  in  fresh  and  salt  fish,  Menominee,  a 
native  of  Germany,  born  June  20.  1S44.  In  1S63,  came  to  America,  and 
remained  in  Grand  Haven,  Mich.,  until  1S66  ;  engaged  in  business  for 
himself,  except  ten  months  ;  he  visited  St.  Louis,  and  other  large  places 
of  commercial  interest,  and  settled  in  Oconto.  Oconto  Co.,  Wis.,  Sept. 
15,  1866.  Worked  at  fishing  for  seventeen  months,  and  then  engaged  in 
business  for  himself.  May,  18S0,  he  came  to  Menominee,  Mich.,  and 
established  a  large  trade  in  fresh  and  salt  fish,  which  business  he  is  now 
engaged  in.  In  1875,  he  visited  his  native  home,  and  made  quite  an  ex- 
tended trip  through  Germany. 


HISTORY   OF   MARQUETTE   COUNTY. 


MARQUETTE    COUNTY 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES. 

Lying  between  the  counties  of  Waushara,  Green 
Lake,  Columbia  and  Adams  is  the  county  of  Mar- 
quette. The  surface  is  undulating,  and  the  soil  a 
sandy  loam,  which  becomes  clear  sand  in  certain  locali- 
ties. Marshes  are  found  near  the  streams,  and  these 
produce  hay  in  abundance ;  while,  with  proper  atten- 
tion, they  might  easily  be  redeemed  from  wildness  to  a 
condition  of  profit  by  the  introduction  of  cranberry 
culture.  The  county  may  be  generally  described  as 
one  of  oak  openings.  The  native  timber  has  been  re- 
moved from  large  areas,  and  considerable  land  is  under 
cultivation.  The  region  is  well  watered  and  supplied 
with  power.  Neenah  Creek  runs  through  Oxford, 
Douglas  Center  and  Briggsville,  with  improved  mill 
privileges  in  each  town.  The  Montello  furnishes  power 
for  mills  and  factories  at  Lawi-ence,  Westfield,  Har- 
risville  and  Montello.  The  Mecan  drives  one  mill  at 
Germania,  and  White  Creek  supplies  a  mill  and  foun- 
dry at  Neshkoro.  The  only  elevation  is  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  county,  called  Liberty  Bluff.  It  is 
several  acres  in  area,  and  rises  on  three  sides  abruptly, 
fifty  to  eighty  feet,  with  a  ragged  wall  of  sandstone. 
Norway  pines  grow  upon  its  summit,  and  are  not  found 
elsewhere  in  the  county. 

The  village  of  Montello,  the  county  seat,  has  a 
charming  location  upon  the  shore  of  the  placid  Buf- 
falo Lake,  with  towering  bluffs  and  encircling  rivers. 
A  marked  geologic  feature  of  the  place  is  the  huge 
outcrop  of  granite  rock,  projecting  boldly  upon  the 
side  of  one  of  the  main  business  streets.  Some  of  the 
surrounding  lands  are  sand}'.  Most  are  oak  openings, 
while  perhaps  one-fourth  of  the  county  is  marsh  or 
rich  alluvium. 

PRE-HISTORIC   AND    ABORIGINAL. 

This  county  is  rich  in  evidences  of  the  presence 
here,  at  some  remote  period,  of  the  race,  long  since 
extinct,  which  is  the  delight  of  antiquarian  research, 
and  the  object  of  curious  consideration  by  all.  Tiie 
Mound  Builders  have  left  innumerable  tumuli,  near  the 
river  and  lake.  The  mounds  possess  the  varied  forms 
peculiar  to  this  class  of  pre-historic  works.  Most  of 
them  are  conical  or  oblong,  but  some  are  cruciform, 
while  others  resemble  birds  and  animals.  The  age  of 
the  mounds  is  attested  by  the  growth  of  huge  trees  on 
the  summits,  and  by  remains  of  immense  tiees  thereon, 
which  have  lived,  died  and  decayed  since  the  germ 
was  first  implanted  in  the  upturned  soil  by  the  order- 
ing of  that  economy  of  Nature  wliich  is  at  once  the 
source  of  admiration  and  marvel  to  the  thoughtful 
mind.  These  mounds,  like  all  others  constructed  bi* 
this  mystic  people,  are  of  surface  soil,  yet  tlie  immedi- 
ate vicinity  sliows  no  disturbance  of  the  surrounding 
alluvium.    When,  and  how,  and  why  were  they  built? 


Exceptional  ones  on  the  bluffs  at  bends  in  the  river,  or 
on  the  promontory  on  the  lake,  were,  perhaps,  for  de- 
fense ;  some,  possibly,  for  tombs,  as  bones  exhumed 
would  indicate.  Excavation  usually  yields  little  re- 
sults, though  sometimes  are  found  pieces  of  coarse 
pottery,  and  rude  implements.  Moundville,  as  its 
name  indicates,  abounds  with  these  antiquarian  puz- 
zles. 

The  Indian  found  a  home  on  Buffalo  Lake,  which 
extends  for  over  fourteen  miles  through  this  county, 
being  a  widening  of  Fox  River.  At  an  early  day,  this 
body  of  water  was  a  iavorite  resort  for  ducks,  and  also 
abounded  with  fish.  The  facility  with  which  food 
could  be  obtained  induced  the  indolent  savage  to  pitch 
his  wigwam  here.  As  late  as  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  hundreds  of  Winnebagoes  and  Menominees  fared 
sumptuously  on  the  wild  rice  and  game  of  the  region. 
Many  Indian  graves  are  still  distinguishable  by  their 
decaying  palings.  The  pioneers  of  thirty  years  ago 
remember  the  burial  scenes  and  dance  orgies  of  the 
tribes  which  were  the  final  aboriginal  occupants  of  the 
county. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  within  the  present  county 
limits  was  made  in  the  town  of  Buff.ilo,  in  the  Spring 
of  1848,  by  H.  F.  Owen  and  J.  I.  O'Blanis.  A  school- 
house  was  built  shortly  afterward,  and  the  first  term 
of  school  was  taught  by  a  man  named  Birdsall.  The 
lands  south  of  the  lake  were  placed  in  market  by  the 
Government  several  years  j^rior  to  the  offering  of 
those  lands  situated  north  of  that  body  of  water. 
The  first  religious  services  were  conducted  by  a  Cath- 
olic priest,  who  officiated  at  a  mission  on  an  island  in 
Spring  Lake,  in  the  town  of  Shields.  This  was  as 
early  as  1848.  The  first  Protestant  clergyman  was 
Isaac  Smith,  a  Primitive  Methodist,  who  held  meetings 
in  the  different  settlements  in  the  Autumn  of  1848. 
S.  A.  Pease  came  to  this  county  in  1850,  and  was  its 
first  practicing  physician.  The  first  entry  of  govern- 
ment land  was  May  11,  18556,  by  John  Noyes,  in  the 
present  town  of  Packwaukee.  This  name  is  given  in 
honor  of  a  friendly  Winnebago  chieftain.  For  several 
years,  the  village  promised  to  become  the  chief  busi- 
ness point  of  the  county.  It  is  remembered  that  the 
Fourth  of  July  was  appropriately  celebrated  here, 
upon  the  shore  of  Buffalo  Lakei^  in  1850.  James 
Cook,  the  first  lawyer  in  the  county,  delivered  the 
oration.  The  blessing  of  the  God  of  nations  was  in- 
voked upon  the  unfurled  flag,  by  Rev.  Jonathan  Post, 
a  resident  of  the  county,  who,  with  his  wife,  was  after- 
ward murdered  and  shockingly  mutilated  by  an  insane 
son.  This  town  is  the  only  one  in  the  county  having 
both  river  and  railroad  communications ;  its  situation 
upon  the  navigable,  Fox  River,  and  also  upon  the  Wis- 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


consin  Central  Railway,  gives  it  rare  advantages  as  a 
center  for  shipping  and  exchange. 

The  first  act  of  the  Circuit  Court,  organized  Sept. 
4,  1848.  was  the  issne  of  a  document  to  Thomas  Allen, 
wherein  he  declared  his  "intention"  of  becoming  an 
American  citizen.  The  first  deed  of  land  in  Marquette 
County  (then  in  Brown  County)  was  dated  August 
22,  1836. 

The  first  steamboat  up  Fox  River  ran  in  1851,  and 
was  regarded  as  the  most  remarkable  evidence  of 
progress  and  civilization. 

The  southern  division  of  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  which  extends  from  Stevens  Point  to  Portage 
City,  passes  through  the  western  townships  of  this 
county.  It  was  completed  in  1876,  and  the  revived 
industries  and  quickened  activity  of  the  county  attest 
its  beneficial  influence. 

The  western  townships  are  peopled  mainly  by 
Americans,  while  in  the  eastern  and  northern  portions 
of  the  county  the  foreign  element  is  well  represented, 
there  being  about  equal  numbers  of  Germans,  Irish 
and  Americans.  The  chief  exports  of  the  county  are 
wheat,  corn,  rye,  pork,  butter  and  cranberries,  together 
with  the  products  of  the  various  factories.  A  large 
amount  of  fish,  pickerel  and  bass,  are  annually  caught 
•  in  the  rivers  and  lakes  within  the  county  limits.  Fire- 
wood can  be  had  for  the  cost  of  cutting  and  marketing. 
A  county  agricultural  fair  is  annually  held  at  Montello, 
upon  the  well  fitted  grounds  of  the  "  Horse  Trotting 
Association."  The  water-power  furnished  by  the  dif- 
ferent streams  is  but  partially  employed  in  profitable 
manner,  although  sufiioient  water  runs  to  waste  to  turn 
the  wheels  of  scores  of  mammoth  factories.  The  people 
of  the  county  are  largely  well-to-do,  and  a  goodly  per 
centage  are  blessed  with  a  competency.  The  prevail- 
ing sentiments  are  hospitable  and  moral  in  their  char- 
acter. 

ORGANIZATION. 

This  county  was  formed  from  Brown  by  an  act  of 
the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  approved 
December  7, 1836.  It  embraced  twenty-one  townships, 
including  a  portion  of  the  present  limits  of  the  county. 
The  county  seat  was  established  at  the  village  of 
Marquette,  and  the  county  was  attached  to  Brown  for 
judicial  purposes.  By  an  act,  approved  January  22, 
1844,  to  take  effect  the  first  of  March,  the  county  of 
Marquette  was  organized  for  county  purposes,  and  an 
election  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  S.  W.  Beall, 
on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April  following,  the  returns  to 
be  made  to  the  Town  Clerk  of  the  town  of  Marquette. 
By  one  of  the  provisions  of  an  act,  approved  February 
22,  1845,  the  county  officers  were  authorized  to  keep 
their  offices  where  best  suited  their  convenience. 
It  was  oi-ganized  for  judicial  purposes  in  1848,  and 
made  part  of  the  Third  District.  'Fhe  first  county  of- 
ficers under  the  State  constitution  were :  John  S. 
Horner,  County  Judge;  D.  R.  Shailer,  Clerk  of  the 
Board  ;  F.  B.  Hawes,  Clerk  of  Court ;  Thomas  Will- 
iams, County  Treasurer  ;  C.  Meade,  District  Attorney  ; 
Paul  D.  Hey  ward.  Register  of  Deeds  ;  J.  Luce,  Sheriff ; 
C.  H.  Larrabee,  Circuit  Judge.  The  boundaries  of 
the  county  were  enlarged  in  1849,  by  the  addition  of 
thirty-five  townships,  including  most  of  the  present 


Marquette  and  Waushara,  with  a  small  part  of  Green 
Lake  County.  As  at  present  constituted,  this  county 
contains  twelve  full  and  two  fractional  townships,  em- 
bracing 266,442  acres,  and  has  a  population  of  8,907. 
The  name  of  the  county  commemorates  the  Jesuit, 
Father  Marquette.  The  last  division  of  this  county 
was  in  1858,  whereby  Green  Lake  County  was  de- 
tached. During  their  brief  history,  the  people  of 
Marquette  County  have  been  called  upon  to  vote  seven 
times  on  the  question  of  changing  the  county  seat. 
The  coveted  prize  was  hotly  contested,  and  for  years  it 
was  the  main  issue  in  local  elections.  The  ill  passions 
engendered  have  given  place  to  an  era  of  good  feeling, 
and  the  county  seat  rests  at  Montello.  The  court- 
house is  a  plain,  substantial  building,  erected  in  1864, 
of  stone  and  brick.  The  building  for  the  county 
offices  was  erected  in  1880. 

MONTELLO. 

This  flourishing  little  town  of  8oo  inhabitants,  the  coun- 
ty seat  of  Marquette  County,  being  in  the  historic  highway 
of  the  Fox  River  Valley,  was  at  one  time  the  site  of  an 
Indian  village.  Being  so  near  the  portage,  Father  Marquette 
is  said  to  have  done  much  missionary  work  at  this  point 
when  he  landed  from  his  canoe,  preparatory  to  making  his 
voyage  to  the  Mississippi,  via  the  Wisconsin  River.  Mis- 
sionary work  by  the  Catholics  was  also  continued  when  the 
first  white  settlers  commenced  to  locate  in  1849.  Jason 
Daniels,  still  living,  was  the  first  white  settler  upon  the  site 
of  the  village,  locating  in  June,  1849.  About  the  same  time, 
the  Dartts,  J.  N.  and  Joseph  R.,  located  at  Montello,  which 
had  been  named  "  Seralvo"  by  Mr.  Daniels.  In  the  Fall  of 
1849,  a  meeting  of  half  a  dozen  villagers  was  held  at  the 
house  of  J.  N.  Dartt,  to  give  the  settlement  a  name,  as  a 
post-office  was  about  to  be  established.  Five  or  six  propo- 
sitions were  made,  but  Joseph  R.  Dartt  had  read  of  "  Mon- 
tello "  in  a  novel,  and  his  ^enthusiasm  carried  his  favorite 
through. 

Between  1S50-52,  came  John  Lewis,  Dr.  H.  J.  Pratt,  the 
Kelseys,  and  others.  Phillips  &  Giddings  erected  a  store, 
and  E.  K.  Smith  opened  a  hotel. 

July  3,  185 1,  the  first  plat  of  the  village  was  made — • 
Henry  Menton,  surveyor,  and]  G.  H.  Barstow,  E.  B.  Kelsey 
and  Henry  S.  Candell,  proprietors. 

The  village,  however,  as  now  located,  covers  the  plat 
made  December  31,  1S55 — W.  H.  Gleason,  surveyor,  and 
E.  B.  Kelsey  and  George  H.  Dartt,  proprietors. 

Montello  was  incorporated  as  a  village  by  act  of  the 
Legislature,  in  1868.  S.  D.  Perkins  is  President,  and  W.  J. 
Gorsline  is  Clerk  of  the  Village  Board. 

The  church  history  of  Montello  commenced  with  the 
missionary  labors  of  the  Catholic  priests.  Then  comes  the 
formation  of  St.  John's  (Catholic)  Society  in  1856,  when 
the  first  church  was  built.  While  the  improvement  of  the 
Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  was  going  on  in  1848-9,  and  which 
was  virtually  the  origin  of  Montello,  a  priest  traveled  on  foot 
among  the  workmen,  engaged  in  religious  labors.  Until  he 
disclosed  his  identity,  his  occupation  was  not  suspected. 
Father  A.  Fagan  was  the   first   resident   priest.     In  April, 


HISTORY  OF  MARQUETTE  COUNTY. 


613 


1876,  Rev.  John  Larmer,  the  present  pastor  in  charge,  came 
to  Montello,  and  in  August  the  commodious  and  tasteful 
structure  now  occupied  by  the  society  was  completed.  The 
church  and  priest's  house  stand  on  an  eminence  overlook- 
ing the  village  and  the  Fox  River.  From  this  locality  can 
be  obtained  as  charming  a  view  as  may  be  found  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  The  value  of  the  property  is  placed  at  $io,- 
000,  and  the  membership  of  the  church  at  800. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  was  formed  in  1869, 
the  church  built  in  1873,  and  the  membership  is  twenty  ; 
Rev.  D.  Brown,  pastor.  All  Protestant  denominations  wor- 
ship in  the  church. 

A  good  village  school  adds  to  the  advantages  of  the 
place  as  a  residence  locality. 

Within  the  past  year  Montello  has  taken  a  long  step  for- 
ward in  a  business  point  of  view.  The  Montello  Granite 
Company  has  brought  in  a  large  amount  of  general  trade, 
furnishes  employment  to  nearly  100  men,  is  about  to  draw  a 
railroad  to  the  place,  and  has  in  every  way  enlivened  and 
improved  it.  C.  B.  King,  of  Chicago,  in  looking  round  for 
good  paving  material,  heard  of  the  fine  Montello  deposit  of 
granite,  came,  saw,  and  assisted  by  James  H.  Anderson,  the 
extensive  granite  and  marble  dealer  of  that  city,  set  the 
quarries  in  successful  operation.  In  May,  i88i,they  were 
opened  and  in  addition  to  furnishing  splendid  building  blocks 
cut  on  the  ground  and  sent  to  Chicago,  the  waste  is  crushed 
into  material  for  McAdam  pavement.  Grading  is  now  pro- 
gressing so  rapidly  between  Packwaukee  and  Montello,  that 
it  is  expected  a  railroad  line  will  be  opened  during  the  Fall 
of  1881.  The  distance  is  eight  miles,  connection  is  made 
with  the  Wisconsin  Central  Road,  and  capital  furnished, 
both  by  that  company  and  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul. 

W.  B.  Dodge,  operates  a  good  flouring  mill;.  John  Lewis, 
a  grist  mill ;  and  Norcross  Brothers  (J.  F.  and  David),  a 
sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  The  Montello  Woolen  Mills 
Company  run  a  small  mill,  which  is  one  of  the  manufachir- 
ing  establishments  of  the  village,  joining  with  the  Montello 
Granite  Company,  to  make  it  a  growing  town.  C.  P.  Gors- 
line  and  Henry  North,  are  prominent  business  men.  The 
two  hotels  are  the  American  and  Fountain  houses.  E. 
McCaffery  and  Ennis  Brothers  (J.  S.  and  William),  pro- 
prietors. 

The  Montello  Express  was  removed  from  Oxford  in  the 
Spring  of  1862,  being  then  known  as  \\\q.  Marquette  Express. 
Its  editor  and  proprietor  was  Dr.  S.  A.  Pease,  this  being 
the  occasion  of  his  settlement  in  the  village.  Dr.  Pease 
conducted  the  paper  until  February,  1874,  when  it  was  sold 
to  Goodell  &  Cogan.  In  March,  1877,  the  firm  became 
Cogan  (J.  B.)  and  Bissell.  In  1879,  Bissell  (C.  H.)  and  Cogan 
(J.  T.)  assumed  control  of  the  Express,  and  are  its  present 
editors  and  proprietors.  It  is  an  eight-column  folio  and  in- 
dependent in  politics. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 
CHARLES  H.  BIS.SELL,  editor,  Montello.     Was   born    in  Chau- 
tauqua Co.,  N.Y.,  March  20,  1852.     In  1856,  he  came  wilh   his  parents 
to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  Waushara  County.     In  1858,  they  movtd  to 


the  ofEce  of  Pease  &  Goodell,  then  editors  of  the  Montello  Express.  He 
remained  there  three  and  a  half  years,  then  went  to  Winneconne,  and. 
with  W.  H.  Walker,  edited  the  Winneconne  Hems  a  year  and  a  half. 
He  then  went  to  Minnesota  and  spent  three  years  in  printing,  when  he 
returned  to  Montello  in  the  Spring  of  1877  and  bought  out  Mr.  Goodell's 
interest  in  the  Express,  and,  with  J.  B.  Cogan,  conducted  it  till  Mr.  Co- 
gan disposed  of  his  interest  to  J.  T.  Cogan.  Since  that  time,  Bissell  & 
Cogan  have  conducted  it. 

J.  T.  COGAN,  editor,  Montello.  Was  born  in  this  place  in  1855. 
His  boyhood  days  were  spent  in  attending  school.  In  1S71,  he  entered 
the  Montello  Express  office  as  an  apprentice  under  Pease  &  Goodell. 
He  has  worked  in  that  office  since  1S71.  In  1879,  he  became  one  of  its 
proprietors,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bissell  &  Cogan. 

MARK  DERHAM.  farmer  and  speculator,  Montello.  Was  born  in 
the  County  of  Sligo,  Ireland,  about  1829.  He  worked  wilh  his  father 
on  a  farm  till  he  was  eighteen,  then  commenced  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness for  himself,  and  continued  in  it  till  he  came  to  America, in  February, 
1847.  Stayed  in  New  Jersey  two  years.  Then  came  to  Marquette 
County  in  September,  1S49,  and  settled  on  200  acres  on  Sec.  21.  Re- 
mained on  it  six  years,  then  moved  into  the  American  House  at  Mon- 
tello, and  ran  it  twelve  years.  In  1866,  he  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer, and  re-elected  to  tliat  office  in  186S-70.  Has  been  Chairman  of  his 
town  twelve  years,  and  is  at  present  Chairman  of  the  village. 

WILLIAM  &  JOHN  ENNIS, proprietors  of  the  Fountain  House, 
Montello,  are  the  second  and  fifth  sons  of  John  and  Mary  Ennis,  who 
were  born  in  Ireland  in  1804  and  1816.  In  1S40,  the  parents  came  to 
Kingston,  Canada,  then  to  Marquette  County,  and  settled  on  Sec.  36, 
town  of  Buffalo,  in  October,  1849.  William  was  born  in  Ireland,  .\ug. 
20,  1839.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm  with  the  rest  of  the  family. 
By  strenuous  efforts,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  education  which  fit- 
ted him  for.  teaching,  which  occupation  he  followed  for  several  years,  in 
connection  with  his  farm  labors.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  his  town, 
and  held  various  local  offices.  John  J.  was  born  in  Canada,  June  17, 
1843.  His  younger  days  were  spent  in  labor  on  their  farm.  In  the  Fall 
of  1862,  he  enlisted,  with  his  brother  Thomas,  in  Co.  G,  32d  Wis.  V.  I.; 
shortly  after  leaving  the  State,  and  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  Thomas  died. 
John  served  with  his  gallant  regiment  in  all  its  victories  and  defeats.  In 
the  early  part  of  their  service,  they  were  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi. 
They  were  finally  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and 
served  with  Sherman  in  his  memorable  .\tlanta  campaign.  From  1865 
to  1870,  he  was  agent  for  the  Dodge  County  Insurance  Company.  He 
was  the  only  licensed  auctioneer  in  the  county.  William  and  John  have 
been  intimately  associated  in  business  from  boyhood.  In  the  Fall  of 
1S78.  they  bought  out  and  took  charge  of  the  Fountain  House, 
which,  in  connection  with  their  i,200.acre  farm,  recMves   their  time  and 


Harrisville.     In  March,  1868,  our  subject  < 


Montello,  and  enteied 


EDWARD  McCaffrey,  landlord,  Montello,  was  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts in  1833.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  one  of  the  large  cloth 
manufactories  of  his  native  State.  In  1850  he  came  to  Packwaukee. 
He  secured  a  farm  there,  and  continued  to  farm  it  till  1S75,  when  he 
moved  to  Montello  and  bought  the  American  House,  and  has  continued 
its  gentlemanly  and  obliging  landlord  ever  since.  In  1861  he  associated 
with  him  Wm.  C.  Rood,  and  bought  the  steamer  "  Lady  Jane,"  and  ran 
it,  for  three  years,  between  Portage  and  Green  Bay,  carrying  as  high  a.s 
60,000  bushels  of  wheat  a  year,  besides  general  freighting.  .  He  has  held 
various  local  offices,  and  been  Chairman  of  Packwaukee  nearly  fifteen 
years.     He  owns  a  farm  on  Sec.  9,  Packwaukee,  of  520  acres. 

A.  M.  MORRILL,  trader,  Montello,  was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  Vt., 
in  1811.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm.  When  nineteen  years  old 
he  clerked  in  a  store  awhile,  then  went  to  Massachusetts,  upon  a  rail- 
road, then  went  back  to  Vermont,  in  the  mercantile  business  for  him- 
self, and  continued  in  that  till  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1848.  He  set- 
tled at  Prairie  du  Sac.  in  Sauk  County,  and  went  into  the  mercantile 
business,  which  he  followed  till  he  bought  an  interest  in  a  flouring  mill. 
That  burned,  and  he  lost  nearly  all  his  means.  He  then  went  to  West 
Canada,  and  engaged  in  boring  oil  wells.  From  there  he  went  to  Mad- 
ison, and,  in  1872,  came  to  Montello,  and  entered  mercantile  business. 
In  1854  or  '55he  was  one  of  the  stock-holders  of,  and  helped  to  build,  the 
bridge  across  the  Wisconsin  River,  at  Prairie  du  Sac. 

HON.  S.  A.  PEASE,  lawyer,  Montello,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Spaf- 
ford,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  23,  1S17.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
went  to  the  village  (now  city)  of  Auburn,  and  attended  school  there  till  the 
age  of  twenty.  In  the  Spring  of  1836  he  came  West,  coming  to  Bufi'alo 
on  the  canal,  thence  by  steamboat  to  Detroit,  then  by  a  new  stage  line 
to  Lal'orte.  Ind.,  where  he  remained  till  January,  1837,  when  he  come  to 
the  town  of  Salem.  Kenosha  Co.,  where  he  remained  till  1S49.  While 
in  Kenosha  he  studied  medicine  with  his  brother-in-law.  Dr.  Paddock. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago.  In  June,  1850, 
he  came  to  Marquette  County  and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Packwaukee.  In  1859,  moved  to  Oxford,  and  commenced  publishing 
the  Marquette  Express,  in  connection  with  his  profession,  till  1862, 
when  he  moved  to  Montello,  and  continued  his  practice,  in  connection 
with  the  publishing  of  the  Montello  ExpesswW  1875,  when  he  disposed 


6 14 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


of  that  paper.  In  1S56,  while  Marquette  and  Green  Lake  counties  were 
one,  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer.  In  1S65-6-9  and  70  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Wisconsin  Assembly.  In  1866  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Philadelphia  Convention.  In  1S68,  was  a  delegate  to  the  National 
Convention,  at  New  York,  that  nominated  Seymour  for  President;  and, 
again,  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention  at  Baltimore, 
that  nominated  Greeley  fot  President.  In  1S61  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  law,  though  he  had  studied  and  practiced  it  before  commenc- 
ing the  study  of  medicine. 

JUDGE  W.  H.  PETERS,  lawyer,  Montello,  was  born  at  Summer- 
hill,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  26,  1825.  Till  seventeen  years  old,  he 
worked  on  a  farm,  then  worked  on  the  Erie  Canal  till  '48,  when  he  came 
to  Wisconsin.  He  stopped  at  Milwaukee  a  short  time,  then  with  his 
family  came  to  Montello,  forded  the  Fox,  and  proceeded  to  Packwaukee 
and  settled  on  a  farm  on  Sec.  15.  He  read  law  with  E.  B.  Kellsie,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  September,  1857,  Judge  Charles  H.  Larribee 
presiding.  He  and  Capt.  Walker  formed  a  law  partnership  and  opened 
an  office  in  Harrisville,  hanging  out  the  first  shingle  in  the  county.  In 
'58,  he  was  elected  District  Attorney,  the  first  one  in  the  county.  In 
i860,  was  elected  County  Judge;  in  '78,  was  elected  to  the  Assembly. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and 
farming.  He  has  a  farm  of  177  acres  of  fine  land,  which  is  bounded  on 
three  sides  by  lakes. 

JUDGE  S.  R.  ROOD,  Montello,  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Vt., 
in  1S20.  He  had  only  the  advantages  of  a  common  school,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  terms  at  a  select  school.  In  '44,  he  moved  to  Janesville  ; 
remained  there  till  September,  1848,  when  he  went  to  Stanton.  In  '51, 
went  to  Packwaukee  ;  in  '54.  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  ;  in  '57,  was 
deputized  County  Treasurer,  and  moved  to  Marquette  County  ;  remained 
there  till  the  division  in  the  county  in  '58,  when  he  moved  to  Mon- 
tello. In  the  Fall  of '58,  was  elected  County  Treasurer;  in  '65,  was 
elected  County  Judge,  and  again  in  '69.  Has  been  Chairman  of  the 
County  Board  three  years  in  succession,  and  held  various  local  offices. 

ASH  SPENCER,  merchant,  Montello,  was  born  in  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  ]  836.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  commenced  running  a  grocery  store. 
In  1854,  he,  with  his  parents,  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  at  Mar- 
quette. His  parents  soon  after  returned  East,  while  our  subject  remained 
and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  In  a  few  years  he  bought  out  hi^ 
employer  and  conducted  the  business  for  himself  five  years.  At  that 
time  Marquette  was  the  most  lively  town  in  the  county,  and  Mr.  Spencer 
has  sold  1,500,000  feet  of  lumber  a  year.  He  also  carried  on  a  general 
merchandise  business  in  connection  with  it.  In  the  Winter  011864-5, 
he  was  at  Nashville  in  the  Quartermaster's  department.  In  '77,  he  dis- 
posed of  his  lumber  and  bought  the  Lake  House  at  that  place  and  ran 
it  till  the  Spring  of '81,  when  he  moved  to  Montello  and  opened  a  store 
at  the  old  stand  of  Perkins,  Newhall  &  Perkins. 

WESTFIELD. 

This  is  a  small  village  (unincorporated),  of  about  400 
people,  situated  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Com- 
pany, in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  twelve  miles  from 
Montello.  It  is  the  center  of  a  large  agricultural  district, 
and  is  comparatively  a  large  shipping  point  for  produce  and 
stock.  Its  general  trade  is  good  for  a  village  of  its  size.  In 
the  nature  of  manufactories  are  the  wagon  shops  of  Philo 
Lackey,  and  Fuller  &  Bissell,  and  the  cabinet  shop  of 
I.awton  &  Pond. 

Westfield  has  a  fine  graded  village  school,  whose  princi- 
pal is  E.  H.  Phillips.  There  are  three  churches — the  Con- 
gregational, about  thirty  members,  Rev.  Mr.  Dugan,  pastor ; 
the  German  Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev.  Mr.  Reichardt ;  and 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  W.  P.  Hill.  The 
latter  society  was  formed  in  1857,  the  church  built  in  1863, 
and  the  present  tnembership  is  sixty. 

The  Central  Union,  a  Republican  journal  in  its  si.xth 
volume,  is  edited  by  S.  D.  Forbes. 

The  village  was  platted  in  1856,  by  Pickens  Boynton  for 
Robert  Cochrane,  who  witii  his  brother,  H.  B.,  was  the  first 
settler  within  the  limits  of  the  town.  They  came  in  1849, 
and  located  on  the  site  of  the  present  village.  When  the 
town  was  organized  in  1854,  H.  B.  Cochrane  became  one  of 


the  three  supervisors.  After  the  Cochranes  came  Samuel 
Crockett,  Austin  Stone,  William  Phillips  and  others,  to  settle 
in  the  village.  The  Cochranes  built  a  house  on  the  bank  of 
Duck  Creek,  just  south  of  the  saw-mill  in  the  village.  It 
was  a  log  structure  16x24  feet,  with  an  addition  in  which 
the  proprietors  lived.  They  boarded  fifteen  mill  hands  and 
kept  hotel.  This  was  the  first  house  erected  in  town.  In 
1850,  the  saw-mill  was  built ;  the  post-office  was  also  estab- 
lished this  year  and  Robert  Cochrane  appointed  Postmaster. 
He  brought  the  first  mail-bag,  containing  one  letter  on  his 
back,  from  Packwaukee.  There  were  no  wagon  roads  in 
those  days.  In  1853,  Joseph  Wood  built  the  first  hotel  in 
the  village.  Among  the  earliest  general  merchants  were 
Aldrich  &  Olden. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ROBERT  COCHRANE,  proprietor  grist  and  saw  mills,  and  dealer 
in  grain  and  farmers'  produce,  Westfield.  Settled  at  Waupun,  in  1845, 
and  lived  there  until  September,  1849.  at  which  time  he  went  to  West- 
field,  Wis.,  and  made  his  claim  of  land  and  began  the  erection  of  a  saw 
mill,  that  being  in  Spring,  1850.  He  built  his  grist  mill  in  the  Summer 
of  1853,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile,  grain 
and  milling  business.  He  was  also  present  at  the  organization  of  the 
township  of  Westfield,  taking  part  in  the  same.  He  made  the  first 
town  plat  of  the  village  of  Westfield,  July  19,  1S56.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Legislature,  in  1864,  and  has  done  much  to  make  Westfield  the 
thriving  village  it  is.  He  was  born  in  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  25, 
1822.  He  married  Miss  Lucy  R.  Emerton,  January,  1858,  at  Ft.  Win- 
nebago, Columbia  Co.  She  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  in  1838. 
They  have  four  children.  Jennie  E.,  Lucy  A.,  Robert  L.  and  Thomas 
H.,  all  living  at  home  in  Portage  City.  Mr.  C.  also  made  another  vil- 
lage plat,  Oct.  23.  1876.     The  village  is  having  a  healthy  growth. 

ARCHIBALD  CRAWFORD,  of  the  firm  of  Winkie  &  Crawford, 
lumber  and  farmers'  produce,  Westfield.  Was  born  in  Henryville, 
Canada  East,  Aug.  9,  1855.  He  came  West  with  his  parents  in  1S61, 
and  settled  at  Oxford,  Marquette  Co.  He  lived  there  twelve  years  with 
his  parents  on  a  farm,  and  then  followed  teaching  for  four  years;  after 
which  he  learned  telegraphy  at  Westfield.  He  entered  the  office,  April, 
1878,  and  after  learning  the  art  he  was  employed  as  agent  at  Bancroft. 
White  River,  and  at  Westfield,  for  about  two  years.  He  finally  resigned 
his  position  and  began  business  for  himself  He  was  married,  Aug. 
25,  1879,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Lawson.  They  have  two  children,  Elva  I.,  and 
Edith  B. 

SAMUEL  CROCKETT,  general  merchandise,  Westfield.  Was 
born  in  Manchester,  England,  May  10,  1821.  He  came  to  America  in 
1843,  and  settled  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1849,  he  went  to  Wisconsin, 
and  remained  a  few  months,  and  returned  to  New  York  City.  In  1850, 
went  to  Easton,  Pa.,  and  in  Fall,  1851,  to  Stewardsville,  N.  J.,  where  he 
lived  until  March,  1S56.  He  followed  his  trade  of  tailor  in  the  above 
cities.  He  was  married  in  the  latter  place  in  September,  1852.  He 
moved  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Westfield,  April  19,  1856,  and  has 
since  resided  there.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1S77.  He 
has  served  as  County  Coroner  sixteen  years.  He  went  to  Europe  in 
Summer  of  1874,  to  visit  to  the  city  of  his  nalivity.  While  abroad,  he 
visited  Scotland,  France  and  Belgium,  and  returned  home  in  the  Fall  of 
1874.  He  is  one  of  the  early'pioneers  of  Marquette  County,  and  thecoun- 
try  on  every  hand  was  a  comparative  wilderness  at  the  time  of  his  settle- 
ment. Mrs.  Crockett's  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Snyder  She  was  born 
in  Stewardsville,  N.  J.,  June  I,  iSiS.  They  have  one  son  living,  named 
George  B.,  born  Oct.  g,  1858,  in  Westfield.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Oshkosh   Business  College,  and  assists  his  father  in  their  store. 

SELOFTUS  D.  FORBES,  editor  Central  6>H(7«,  Westfield,  settled 
at  Sun  Prairie,  in  1S48,  with  his  parents,  where  they  lived  about  one 
year,  and  then  moved  to  Mayville,  Dodge  County.  In  i860  he  went  to 
Marquette  County  and  taught  school ;  in  August,  1S62,  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
G,  32d  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  I. ;  served  about  eighteen  months  in  that  regiment, 
going  as  sergeant  and  being  promoted  to  second  lieutenant ;  he  resigned 
in  December,  1S63,  on  account  of  his  health.  He  afterward  re-enlisted  in 
Fall  of  1864,  in  Co.  I,  1st  Heavy  .\rtillery,  and  at  the  organization  he  was 
appointed  orderly  sergeant,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  second  lieutenant. 
He  was  mustered  out  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  June,  1S65.  He  returned  to  Pack- 
waukee. and  lived  there  until  1S67,  when  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  and  was 
engaged  on  thestaff  of  the  Evening  Wtsconshi  as  commercial,  news  and  as- 
sociate editor,  but  on  account  of  ill  health  he  resigned  his  position  and  re- 
turned to  P.ickwaukee  and  was  principal  of  the  Montello  school  in  the  Win- 
ter of  1 870-7 1 ;  in  the  Fall  he  was  elected  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 
in  Marquette  County,  where  he  served  one  term.     He  followed  teaching 


HISTORY  OF  MARQUETTE  COUNTY. 


6r5 


Winters  until  1877,  and  in  the  Spring  he  established  his  newspaper,  as 
above  noted.  He  was  born  in  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  May  12,  1836,  and  was 
married  at  Horicon,  June  30,  i860,  to  Smilde  E.  Pond,  who  was  born  in 
Addison,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  12,  1840.  They  have  five  children 
—Annie  E.,  Wilber  E.,  Florence  E.,  Clarence  A.,  and  Frederick  L. 

CALEB  F.  FULLER,  Postmaster,  Westfield,  was  born  in  Smith- 
field,  R.  L,  Feb.  2,  1829.  He  settled  in  Newton  Township,  Marquette 
Co.,  in  1S56,  and  lived  there  about  three  years  and  followed  farming. 
He  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  moved  to  Mon- 
tello  in  i860;  he  held  the  office  four  years.  In  1S63,  he  erected  a  woolen 
mill  at  Harrisville,  and  moved  there  January,  1S65,  where  he  lived  until 
1S74.  He  made  the  first  cloth  manufactured  in  the  county  on  a  power 
loom.  He  moved  to  Westfield  afterward,  and  has  lived  there  since. 
He  was  appointed  Postmaster  Feb.  ig.    1881. 

PHILO  LACKEY,  manufacturer  of  wagons,  carriages  and  sleighsi' 
and  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  Westfield,  settled  in  Newton, 
Marquette  Co.,  in  1S53  ;  lived  there  about  five  years  and  followed  farm- 
ing and  carpeTiter  work.  He  then  moved  to  Westfield  and  lived  until 
1S61,  following  carpenter  and  wagon  work.  He  enlisted  in  December, 
1862,  in  Co.  A.  34th  Reg.  Wis.  Y.  I,,  and  served  until  the  close  ol  his 
term  of  enlistment,  which  was  nine  months  and  twenty  days,  and  was 
mustered  out  in  Fall  of  1863  at  Milwaukee.  His  health  was  impaired 
in  the  army,  and  he  was  sick  for  some  time.  On  being  able  to  resume 
labor  he  built  the  Westfield  House,  etc.,  and  kept  hotel  about  four  years, 
or  until  1869.  He  sold  his  hotel  and  visited  the  States  of  Missouri  and 
Kansas  in  November  and  December,  1869,  remaining  a  short  time. 
In  1S70,  he  returned  to  Westfield  ;  visited  Northern  \Visconsin  now  on 
the  line  of  the  Central  Wisconsin  R.  R.  Took  the  first  homestead  in 
Hull  Township,  Marathon  Co.  He  soon  gave  up  his  claim  and  bought 
the  lots  he  now  occupies.  In  1872,  he  erected  his  blacksmith  and  wagon 
shops.  In  iSSi,  he  built  another  shop  in  connection  with  his  increasing 
business.  He  was  born  in  Stanbridge,  Lower  Canada,  Jan.  27,  1830. 
He  was  married  in  Waukesha  County,  May  2,  1852,  to  Mary  Stuart, 
born  in  Vermont,  June  14,  1828.  They  had  six  children — named  Ara- 
minta  C,  married  to  E.  W.  Lowe,  and  living  in  Minnesota;  Ada  L., 
married  to  George  A.  Whitney,  living  in  Minnesota  ;  Thomas  H.  B., 
also  married  and  living  in  Minnesota;  Lillian  F.,  married  to  Mr.  Sam- 
uel E.  Smart,  and  living  in  Minnesota  ;  William  II.,  assisting  his  father  ; 
Zelia  M.,  at  home.  Mrs.  L.  died  March  3,  1S75,  and  he  was  again  mar- 
ried Oct.  21,  1875,  to  Miss  Jane  Stuart,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Canada  East,  May  29,  1850.  Mr.  Lackey  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  his  county  in  the  Fall  of  1877,  and  served  one  term.  He  has 
also  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  etc. 

WILLIAM  PHILLIPS,  insurance  and  real  estate,  Westfield,  set- 
tled in  Waukesha  in  1S44,  and  lived  there  about  seventeen  years,  two 
years  of  which  he  was  engaged  as  jobber  in  timber.  He  then  moved  to 
Oshkosh,  and  lived  there  until  1850 ;  from  there  he  went  to  Wrights- 
town,  Brown  Co.  In  the  Spring  of  1S53,  he  moved  from  the  place, 
but  returned  and  spent  the  Winter  of  1854-55,  and  in  March  he  went  to 
Beloit,  and  was  there  married,  March  15,  1S55.  He  then  moved  to 
Marquette  County,  and  has  since  lived  there.  He  followed  jobbing  in 
timber  until  1S64  ;  then  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business,  keep- 
ing a  general  store.  He  continued  in  that  for  eight  years,  and  met  with 
the  loss  of  his  store,  goods  and  dwelling,  including  all  his  personal  effects, 
by  fire,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  as  noted  above.  He  was 
ordained  a  minister  of  the  Free  Baptist,  in  April,  1873,  and  was  a  pastor 
of  that  denomination  six  years.  He  was  born  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May 
10,  1827.  Mrs.  Phillips's  maiden  name  was  Isabella  Watson  ;  she  was 
born  in  .^rgyleshire,  Scotland,  Oct.  8,  1831.  They  have  three  children — 
Frank  W.,  born  Aug.  12,  1S56,  and  now  married  and  living  in  Chicago  ; 
Merritt  W.,  born  Aug.  13.  1858,  now  a  student  at  Ripon  College,  and 
George  W.,  born  Nov.  9,  i860,  now  fireman  on  the  railroad  at  Monroe. 

HENRY  R.  ROBERTS,  of  the  firm  of  E.  Roberts  &  Sons,  hard- 
ware, Westfield,  was  born  in  Friendship,  .\dams  Co.,  Jan  31,  1856.  He 
lived  with  his  parents  until  August,  1877,  at  which  time  he  moved  to 
Westfield,  and  began  the  business  in  which  he  is  now  engaged. 

OTHER   SETTLEMENTS. 
A  number  of  towns  were  settled  about  the  time  Mon- 
tello  was  founded.      Moundville  is  one  year  older,  having 


been  settled  by  men  sent  out  by  the  Potters'  Society,  of 
England.  The  association  paid  the  expenses  of  emigration 
to  this  country  of  a  certain  number  of  potters,  in  order  that 
those  who  remained  in  the  old  home  might  derive  benefit 
from  increased  wages,  incident  to  the  decrease  in  skilled 
hands.  It  appears  that  Isaac  Brown,  W.  L.  Gaylord,  H. 
Brown,  L.  Felton,  R.  Wells  and  D.  Coon  had  settled  there 
prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  English  colony. 

Packwaukee  was  settled  in  1849  by  E.  Pettengill,  E.  T. 
Older,  C.  G.  Barker,  Jesse  Older,  William  Ewen,  David 
Phelps,  S.  A.  Pease,  John  Chapman,  E.  King  and  Samuel 
Wayman. 

In  1855,  F.  A.  Hoffman  established  the  Montello  F^z/jf 
American.  E.  B.  &  C.  S.  Kelsey  afterward  became  the  pro- 
prietors, and  changed  its  name  to  Montello  Ledger.  C.  K. 
Simonds  acted  as  editor,  in  1858.  In  1S62,  publication  was 
suspended.  S.  A.  Pease  purchased  the  press  on  which  the 
pioneer  journal  was  printed,  using  it  in  the  publication  of 
the  Express,  nt  Oxford,  which  was  begun  in  1858,  and  moved 
to  Montello  in  1862. 

B10GR.4PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MARTIN  G.  ELLISON,  Jr.,  County  Clerk  of  Marquette  Co., 
Moundville.  Was  born  in  England,  in  1S41.  His  father,  Martin  G. 
Ellison,  was  born  in  England,  March  8,  iSoS.  He  was  an  engraver  by 
trade,  and  followed  it  through  life.  In  1849,  ^^  "''^  his  family  came  to 
Marquette  County,  and  settled  on  120  acres,  town  of  Moundville. 
He  afterward  went  to  Dover,  N.  H.     He  died  in  Moundville,  Jan.   5, 

1878.  Our  subject  remained  on  the  farm  and  helped  to  improve  it,  and 
has  now  500  acres  of  land,  200  of  which  are  improved.  In  1S53,  he 
went  to  Dover,  N.  H.,  and  entered  the  Dover  Academy,  where  he  re- 
mained five  years.  He  then  returned  to  Moundville  ;  in  January.  1S62, 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  2d  Wis.  Cavalry.  He  was  captured  near  Yazoo, 
Miss.,  Dec.  I,  1864;  was  exchanged  in  March  1865,  joined  his  regiment 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Austin,  Texas,  Nov.  16,  1865.  He  returned 
home,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S76,  was  elected  County  Clerk,  and  re-elected 
to  that  office  in  1878  and  i8So.  He  is  now  drawing  pension  from 
Government. 

CHESTER  FRINK,  farmer.  Sec.  34.  P.  O.  Packwaukee.  Was 
born  in  Connecticut,  in  1S44.  His  parents  are  natives  of  the  same 
State,  and  came  to  Marquette  County  and  settled  on  their  present  farm 
in  1857.  By  hard  labor  and  good  management,  they  have  secured  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  county.  They  have  200  acres  of  fine  land  with 
excellent  buildings.  In  October.  iSSo,  the  father  of  our  subject  died, 
being  eighty-one  years  old.  Chester  assumed  charge  of  the  farm,  and  is 
the  support  of  his  aged  mother  who  lives  at  the  homestead  with  him. 
He  has  been  Chairman  of  this  town  and  held  various  local  offices. 

TOWNSEND  W.  WHITSON,  farmer,. Sec.  28,  P.  O.  Packwaukee, 
Was  born  in  New  York  City,  July  2,  184S.  He  is  a  son  of  Abraham 
U.  and  Hannah  C.  Whitson,  who  were  born  on  Long  Island,  in  1 8 10. 
The  family  spent  five  years  in  New  York  City  previous  to  coming  to 
Wisconsin,  in  August,  1851.  They  settled  on  their  present  place  and 
began  active  operation  for  making  a  home.  They  now  have  over  250 
acres  of  fine  land,  140  acres  of  which  are  improved  and  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  with  fine  buildings  upon  it.      Mr.  Whitson  died  in  October, 

1879,  and  the  splendid  farm  he  left  is  a  monument  to  his  untiring  energy. 
His  widow  is  still  living  with  her  son  Townsend,  who  has  charge  of  the 
farm.  He  has  been  on  the  farm  since  its  settlement,  with  the  exception 
of  the  time  he  was  attending  the  Portage  Business  College,  from  which 
he  received  a  diploma. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


MONROE    COUNTY. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  DESCRIPTION. 

Monroe  County  is  nearly  thirty  miles  square.  It 
abounds  in  fertile  valleys  in  the  southwestern  section, 
and  has  a  rolling  prairie  in  the  central  portions,  while 
in  the  northern  and  eastern  parts  there  are  extensive 
cranberry  marshes,  where  the  berry  grows  in  its  native 
state,  though  there  has  been  in  some  instances,  consider- 
able attention  paid  to  its  cultivation.  A  range  of  hills 
runs  from  the  southern  boundary  to  the  northern,  divid- 
ing the  county  and  turning  the  course  of  the  streams 
east  and  west.  These  hills  presented  such  a  formidable 
obstruction  to  the  builders  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul,  and  the  Northwestern  railroads,  that  they 
were  obliged  to  tunnel  them  ;  the  former  road  having 
one  tunnel,  about  1,200  feet  long,  three  miles  west  of 
Tomah,  the  latter  three,  the  longest  of  which  is  over 
-3,800  feet  in  length.  The  Baraboo  and  Lemonweir 
rivers  each  has  its  source  in  this  county,  upon  the  east 
side  of  the  range,  while  upon  the  west  side  are  the  La 
Crosse  and  Little  La  Crosse  rivers.  The  Kickapoo,  run- 
ning toward  the  south,  also  rises  in  this  county.  In 
addition  to  these  there  are  a  number  of  creeks  and 
brooks,  which  are  well  stocked  with  the  choicest 
speckled  trout.  The  farming  lands  of  this  county  are 
very  fine.  Beaver  Creek,  La  Ci-osse  and  Leon  valleys 
are  settled  by  a  thrifty  class  of  farmers,  who  have  many 
of  them  realized  wealth  from  patient  cultivation  of  the 
soil  in  these  valleys.  The  general  product  is  wheat, 
oats  and  corn,  while  in  some  localities  the  hop  culture 
is  quite  extensive.  Tiie  quantity  of  berries  which  are 
gathered  yearly,  form  quite  an  article  of  export,  the 
villages  of  Tomah  and  Tunnel  City  having  shipped  the 
past  year  over  twenty-four  car  loads  of  blueberries 
alone.  The  soil  is  in  the  south  and  southwestern  portions 
of  the  county,  a  rich  loam  slightly  mixed  with  sand. 
Along  the  northern  sections  of  the  county  there  are  a 
great  multitude  of  swamps  of  more  or  less  extent,  upon 
which  the  cranberries  grow  wild. 

Tiie  surface  of  the  county  is  drained  by  La  Crosse, 
Little  La  Crosse,  Lemonweir  and  the  Baraboo  rivers. 
The  two  latter,  as  already  explained,  having  their 
source  in  the  county,  upon  the  east  side.  The  Kicka- 
poo running  toward  the  south,  also  rises  in  this  county. 
The  Baraboo  heads  in  this  county,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  four  hundred  feet ;  runs  southeastward  through 
Sauk  County,  where  it  breaks  into  the  valley  between 
the  two  east  and  west  ranges,  through  a  narrow  gorge 
in  the  northern  range.  Turning  then  east,  it  runs 
along  the  middle  of  the  valley,  between  the  two  ranges 
for  about  fifteen  miles,  and  then  breaking  again  north- 
ward, through  tlie  north  range,  follows  its  northern 
side  east  to  the  Wisconsin,  into  which  it  empties  on 
Section  28,  of  Township  12  north.  Range  9  east,  in  the 
town  of  Caledonia,  Columbia  Co.  The  Baraboo  is  a 
stream  of  considerable  size,  audyielda  a  number  of  very 


excellent  water-powers.  The  three  different  kinds  of  sur- 
face in  Monroe  County,  as  to  vegetation  are  the  prairies, 
marshes  and  timber  lands.  The  prairies  or  treeless  por- 
tions, are  not  the  same  in  extent  now,  as  when  the 
county  was  first  settled,  for  the  reason  that  in  some 
places,  once  prairie,  there  has  been  an  invasion  of  tim- 
ber growtli,  this  formerly  being  checked  by  the  annual 
prairie  fires.  The  prairie  areas  are  not  always  flat,  in- 
deed the  flat  prairies  are  the  exception,  and  are  seen 
oftener  along  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Wisconsin  River. 
The  prairie  ordinarily  is  very  rolling,  commonly 
showing  abrupt  changes  of  level,  even  up  to  fifty  or  a 
hundred  feet.  These  changes  are  generally  caused  by 
unequal  denudation  of  the  rocky  strata.  The  marshes 
of  Monroe  County  are  usually  small.  With  regard  to 
forest  trees,  it  may  be  said  that  the  whole  of  the  county 
outside  the  prairie  region,  is  covered  by  a  prevailing 
growth  of  small  oaks  of  different  varieties,  frequently 
interspersed  with  other  forest  trees.  There  are  a  few 
groves  of  heavj'  oak  in  different  parts  of  the    county. 

INDIANS. 

In  the  middle  of  tlie  18th  century,  this  region  of 
country  was  occupied  by  the  Fox  tribe  of  Indians  as 
their  hunting  ground.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  the 
century,  however,  they  moved  southward  from  their 
homes  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  possessed  territory 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi.  As  they  withdrew,  the 
Winnebagoes  came  in  from  the  east,  and  have  ever 
since  been  recognized  and  mentioned  as  the  rightful 
owners  of  the  lands  in  this  part  of  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin. The  Winuebagoes  occupied  the  lands  until  tiie 
year  1837,  when  they  parted  with  all  that  portion 
east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  were  removed  to  Turkey 
River,  Iowa,  in  18-10.  Many  of  them,  however,  soon 
returned  to  their  old  hunting  grounds,  and  lived  in  a 
half  civilized  condition,  subsisting  by  hunting  and  fish- 
ing, some  few  of  them  by  cultivating  small  portions  of 
ground.  They  have  never,  since  their  return,  com- 
bined against  the  settlers,  although  the  early  settlers 
claim  that  they  have  just  cause  to  complain  of  the 
predatory  bands.  Franklin  Petit,  the  first  settler  in  the 
La  Crosse  Valley  (afterward  settling  in  Sparta),  had 
to  leave  the  valley  on  account  of  them.  They  fre- 
quently visited  his  house  at  night  and  upon  one  oc- 
casion turned  the  whole  household  from  their  comfort- 
able beds,  which  they  occupied  themselves  until  morn- 
ing. Mr.  Petit  feeling  liimself  powerless  to  avoid  their 
insolence,  was  compelled  to  leave.  This  was  as  late  as 
1849. 

At  the  present  time  they  cause  no  complaint,  other 
than  is  induced  by  their  lazy,  indolent  manner  of  life. 

SETTLEMENT. 

.Monroe  County  is  an  offshoot  from  La  Crosse  Coun- 
ty.    The  first  settler  was  Esau  Johiisou,   who  located. 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


617 


on  the  Kickapoo,  near  where  Oil  City  now  is,  in  the 
town  of  Sheldon.  On  the  first  day  of  October,  1842, 
he,  with  his  family,  stopped  about  two  miles  above  Oil 
City,  and  built  there  a  house.  Mr.  Johnson  says  :  ''In 
the  year  18-42,  I  came  with  my  family  down  the  Wis- 
consin River,  on  a  log  raft,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kick- 
apoo, and  went  to  what  was  then  known  as  Haneys,  in 
Richland  County.  We  stayed  there,  I  working  on  his 
land  until  the  Fall  of  same  year,  when  I  took  an  ax 
and  some  provisions  and  started  on  a  prospecting  trip 
up  the  Kickapoo,  until  I  came  to  the  mouth  of  Moore's 
Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe  County.  Was  very  fa- 
vorably impressed  with  the  locality,  and  determined 
to- return  and  bring  my  family  up.  Not  wishing  to 
walk  back  to  the  farm,  I  hollowed  out  a  tree,  made 
myself  a  couple  of  good  paddles,  and  sailed  down  in 
my  improvised  boat.  I  reached  the  farm  next  day, 
and  soon  had  the  boat  in  good  condition  for  moving 
my  family  and  what  few  household  goods  I  had  up 
to  our  new  home.  I  finally  left  the  Haney  Farm, 
Sept.  10,  1842,  and  hired  two  brothers  named  Clark 
to  help  me  move,  they  agreeing  for  a  consideration 
to  stay  with  me  until  I  had  my  house  built.  On 
the  first  day  of  October,  we  reached  the  location  I 
had  fixed  upon,  and  we  arranged  a  temporary  shelter 
for  my  family  until  we  could  cut  the  logs  necessary 
for  the  new  house;  three  of  us  getting  to  work  at  it, 
we  soon  had  it  under  way,  and  on  the  sixth  day  of 
October,  just  five  days  after  landing,  myself  and  fam- 
ily moved  in.  This  I  positively  assert  was  the  first 
house,  and  me  and  my  family  the  first  white  people 
to  make  a  permanent  settlement  in  Monroe  County. 
The  two  Clarks  stayed  with  me  until  the  next  day, 
when  they  took  the  boat  and  returned  to  Haney's 
Farm."  Mr.  Johnson  also  states  tiiat  on  the  tenth  day 
of  October  he  started  for  the  mouth  of  the  Kickapoo 
to  get  four  head  of  oxen  that  he  had  left  there,  from 
there  to  Prairie  du  Chien  where  he  got  a  load  of  pro- 
visions and  hired  two  men  to  return  and  work  for  him. 
In  this  trip  Mr.  Johnson  claims  to  have  been  the  first 
to  make  the  present  road  between  Oil  City  and  Prairie 
du  Cliien.  Mr.  Johnson  was  "monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed" until  1846.  In  the  Spring  of  that  year  he  was 
joined  by  Sylvester  Bacon  and  William  Clark,  who 
worked  for  him  until  Spring  of  1849.  Sliortly  after 
this,  in  the  same  year,  Thomas  Lewis  and  Thompson 
Hazen  came  and  built  them  a  house  in  tiie  pines  about 
one  mile  and  a  half  from  Johnson,  and  went  to  lum- 
bering. Tliey  stayed  until  May,  1847,  when  they  sold 
out  to  Mr.  A.  J.  Martin.  Lewis  leaving  this,  and  set- 
tling in  Grant  County.  Hazen  left  the  pines  and  set- 
tled about  five  miles  south  of  Cashton,  wliere  he  took 
up  a  farm  and  opened  a  tavern. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  by  Mr.  Johnson  in  1849. 
Tlie  first  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  the  county 
was  that  of  Mr.  Johnson's  two  daughters.  One  was 
married  to  James  Hoover,  and  the  other  to  B.  Rhodes. 
The  double  ceremony  was  performed  by  a  traveling 
missionary,  in  the  Winter  of  1850.  The  first  birth  was 
a  son  of  Esau  and  Mrs.  Jolinson,  September,  1846.  In 
1849  a  State  road  was  opened  between  Hudson  and 
Prairie  du  Chien,  passing  by  the  way  of  Eau  Claire 
(then  Clear  Water  P.  O.),  Black  River  Falls  and  the 
point  where  Sparta  now  is.     Subsequently  a  road  was 


laid  out  between  Portage  and  La  Crosse.  The  latter 
road  followed  a  well-worn  Indian  trail,  which  led  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  Previous  to  laying  out  the  road  be- 
tween Hudson  and  Prairie  du  Chien,  there  had  been  no 
means  of  ingress  or  egress  to  the  settlements  in  West- 
ern Wisconsin,  except  by  the  rivers.  No  post-ofBce 
nearer  than  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  lands  unsurveyed, 
and  consequently  not  in  the  market. 

Upon  the  laying  out  of  the  road,  post-oflSces  were 
established  at  Eau  Claire,  Black  River  Falls,  La  Crosse 
and  at  one  or  two  other  points.  During  the  years  of 
1849-50,  the  lands  were  surveyed  and  brought  into 
market,  which  caused  a  tide  of  immigration  to  flow  in- 
to this  section,  Monroe  County  taking  its  share.  In 
1850  Charles  Clute  came  with  his  family,  and  went  to 
work  for  Mr.  Johnson,  at  his  saw-mill  on  the  Kicka- 
poo. He  afterward  took  up  land  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  county.  In  1851  E.  E.  Shaw,  Frank  and  Will- 
iam Petit,  Nelson  Currier,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Metzgar  settled  in  the  county.  In  July  of  the  same 
year  R.  S.  Kingman  and  his  two  brothers,  twins  named 
Rosalvo  and  Alvarado  came  to  the  county  from  Ash- 
tabula, Ohio,  and  settled  with  E.  E.  Shaw  and  Nelson 
Currier,  in  Leon  Valley.  R.  S.  Kingman  is  at  present 
a  very  prominent  citizen  of  Sparta,  being  one  of  the 
banking  firm  of  Thayer  &  Kingman.  Tlie  first  regu- 
larly laid  out  highway  or  road  Monroe  County  liad  was 
the  State  road,  running  from  Prairie  duChien  to  Hud- 
son, through  the  present  village  of  Sparta.  Tliis  road 
was  run  through  early  in  1849.  Two  years  subsequent 
to  this  the  "Portage"  road  was  laid  out,  following  the 
Indian  trail  from  Portage  to  La  Crosse.  Previous  to 
the  laying  out  of  the  former  road,  there  had  been  no 
means  of  ingress  or  egress  to  the  settlements  in  West- 
ern Wisconsin  except  by  the  rivei's. 

Records  of  the  olden  time  are  very  interesting,  and 
are  not  without  their  lessons  of  instruction.  By  the 
light  of  the  past,  we  follow  in  the  footprints  of  the 
enterprising  pioneer.  We  see  him  amid  the  labors  and 
struggles  necessary  to  convert  the  wilderness  into  a 
fruitful  field.  We  sit  by  his  cabin  fire,  partaking  of 
his  homely,  but  cheerfully  granted,  fare,  and  listen  to 
the  accounts  he  gives  of  frontier  life  ;  of  the  dangers, 
trials,  hardships  and  suiferings  of  himself  and  others, 
in  their  struggles  to  make  for  themselves  homes  in  le- 
gions still  unexplored,  save  by  wandering  Indians  and 
wild  beasts.  Through  these  old  records,  we  make  our 
way  along  to  the  present,  showing  the  mighty  aeliieve- 
ments  of  industry,  the  daring  enterprise,  the  creative 
energy  and  untiring  perseverance  ot  the  early  pioneer. 
Following  on  in  the  path  of  progress  and  improvement, 
we  see  once  waste  places  rejoicing  under  the  kindly 
care  of  the  husbandman ;  beautiful  farms  are  spread 
out  before  us ;  villages  and  cities  have  arisen,  as  if  by 
magic ;  common  schools,  academies  and  colleges  have 
sprung  up  ;  young  and  ardent  minds  may  press  for- 
ward in  the  acquisition  of  science  ;  chiu-ches  are  built, 
and  a  Christian  ministry  sustained  ;  the  press  is  estab- 
lished ;  railroads  are  built,  to  bring  the  products  of 
every  clime,  and  the  people  from  afar,  to  our  doors. 

Let  the  records  of  olden  time  be  preserved  ;  in  after 
years,  our  children's  children  will  look  over  them  with 
pleasure  and  profit.  The  first  important  business  of  a 
pioneer  settler  is  to  build  him  a  house.     Until  this  is 


6i8 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


done,  he  has  to  camp  on  the  ground,  or  live  in  his  emi- 
grant  wagon,  perhaps  the  only  shelter  he  has  known 
for  weeks.  The  style  of  house  is  of  very  small  mo- 
ment —  it  is  shelter  he  wants  ;  "a  roof  over  his  head  ;" 
a  sometliing  to  pi-otect  himself  and  family  from  the  stress 
of  weather,  and  wearing  exposure.  The  poor  settler 
very  rarely  has  either  money,  or  the  necessary  mechani- 
cal apjdiances  for  building  himself  a  house.  The  pros- 
pect of  a  house,  however  small — one  to  be  erected  by 
himself — a  future  home — gives  courage  to  the  rough 
toil,  and  zest  to  the  heavy  labors.  He  is  content,  in 
most  cases,  to  have  a  mere  cabin,  or  log  hut.  Some  of 
the  most  primitive  constructions  of  this  kind  were 
half  faced,  or,  as  they  were  sometimes  called,  "  cat- 
faced"  sheds,  or  "  wike-ups,"  the  Indian  term  for 
house  or  tent.  The  better  class  of  houses  were  termed 
"  claim  cabins,"  and  were  a  little  more  in  the  shape  of 
a  human  habitation,  made,  as  it  was,  of  round  logs, 
light  enougli  for  two  men  to  "  lay  up,"  about  fourteen 
feet  square — sometimes  larger,  and  sometimes  smaller 
— roofed  with  bark  or  clapboards,  and  floored  with 
puncheons  (logs  split  in  two,  flat  side  being  laid  up). 
Sometimes  the  flooring  was  made  of  earth.  The  fire- 
place was  usually  composed  of  a  wall  of  stones  and 
earth.  Sometimes  they  built  these  fire-places  so  large 
as  to  occupy  the  entire  width  of  the  house.  Any  con- 
trivance tliat  would  convey  the  smoke  out  of  the 
building,  answered  as  a  chimney.  Some  were  built  of 
sod,  plastered  upon  the  inside  with  clay;  and  others 
were  made  of  clay  and  sticks,  or,  as  they  were  some- 
times called,  "  cat  in  clay."  For  doors  and  windows, 
the  most  simple  contrivances  that  would  serve  the  pur- 
poses were  brought  into  requisition.  The  door  most 
in  use  was  composed  of  split  boards  put  together,  hung 
upon  wooden  hinges,  and  held  shut  by  a  wooden  pin, 
inserted  in  an  auger  hole.  Greased  paper,  pasted  over 
sticks  crossed  in  the  shape  of  sash,  sometimes  was  sub- 
stituted for  window  glass.  This  admitted  the  light, 
but,  of  course,  lacked  transparencj-. 

The  furniture  of  a  cabin  in  those  days  varied  in  pro- 
portion to  the  ingenuity  of  the  occupants,  unless  it 
was  where  settlers  had  brought  with  them  their  old 
household  supply,  which  was  very  seldom  done,  owing 
to  the  great  distance  that  most  of  them  came.  Tables 
and  chairs  were  made  of  split  logs.  Tiie  bedstead  was 
a  very  important  article  of  furniture,  necessary  to  the 
comfort  of  a  family,  and  was  made  thus:  a  forked 
stick  was  driven  into  the  ground  diagonally  from  the 
corner  of  the  room,  and  at  a  proper  distance,  upon 
which  poles  reacliing  from  each  were  laid.  The  wall 
ends  of  the  poles  were  either  driven  into  auger  holes, 
or  rested  in  the  cracks  between  the  logs.  After  the 
house  had  reached  this  stage,  it  was  left  to  the  care 
and  deft  devices  of  the  wife  to  complete  its  comforts, 
and  the  head  of  the  house  was  free  to  superintend  out- 
of-door  affairs. 

The  first  year's  farming  consists  generally  of  a 
"  truck  patch,"  planted  with  corn,  potatoes,  turnips 
and  otlier  vegetables.  Sometimes  the  crop  fell  far 
short  of  the  supply  needed,  and  the  most  rigid  econ- 
omy would  have  to  be  observed.  Sucli  articles  as 
flour,  bacon,  coffee  and  tea  the  settlers  usually  brought 
with  them,  in  quantities  sufficient  to  last  for  several 
months.     The  game,  in  the  days  of  the  early  settlers, 


was  very  plentiful,  and  helped  to  eke  out  their  limited 
supplies.  The  mills  for  grinding  the  corn  were  usually 
at  such  long  distances,  that  the  people  were  compelled 
to  resort  to  more  primitive  means  for  bringing  it  to  a 
state  fit  for  consumption.  Some  grated  it,  and  others 
used  a  coffee-mill  for  grinding  it. 

Not  the  least  of  the  early  settler's  tribulations  was 
the  going  to  mill.  The  almost  total  absence  of  bridges 
and  roads,  added  to  the  fact  that  they  had  to  use  ox 
teams,  made  it  very  slow,  the  distance  traveled  often 
exceeding  forty  miles.  In  dr}^  weather  it  was  rendered 
comparatively  easy,  but  during  floods  was  proved  very 
troublesome,  as  well  as  being  dangerous. 

To  become  stuck  in  a  swamp  or  slough,  and  be  de- 
layed for  two  or  three  hours,  was  by  no  means  unusual. 
In  regard  to  roads,  they  were  very  uncommon,  and 
until  1849,  were  none  worihy  of  the  name  in  the 
county.  The  Indian  trails  were  followed,  but  were 
unfit  to  travel  on  with  vehicles.  They  were  mere 
paths,  about  two  or  three  feet  in  width,  this  being  all 
that  was  required  to  accommodate  the  single  file  man- 
ner of  Indian  traveling.  The  innumerable  trials  and 
deprivations  of  the  pioneer  might  fill  a  volume  of  no 
ordinary  size.  The  struggle  was  not  for  ease  or  lux- 
ury, but  a  constant  one  for  the  means  necessary  for 
sustaining  life. 

ORGANIZATION. 

On  the  twenty-first  day  of  March,  1854,  an  act  of 
the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  was  approved  by  the 
Governor  to  divide  the  county  of  La  Crosse  and  organ- 
ize the  county  of  Monroe.  This  comprised  all  the 
present  county  boundary  except  the  northern  tier  of 
townships,  which  were  added  from  Jackson  County  to 
Monroe  by  an  act  of  Oct.  14,  1856. 

By  the  organic  act,  it  was  provided  that  the  county 
should  be  organized  for  all  the  purposes,  both  of  coun- 
ty and  judicial  government,  and  that  it  should  enjoy 
all  the  rights,  privileges,  immunities  and  powers  of  the 
other  counties  of  tlie  Territory.  It  was  further  provided 
that  an  election  should  be  held  in  the  several  towns 
of  the  county,  such  as  were  then,  or  miglit  thereafter  be, 
established  by  law,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April  of 
that  year  for  the  election  of  all  such  town  or  county 
ofiicers  as  the  county,  by  virtue  of  its  organization 
and  the  provisions  of  the  organic  act,  should  be  enti- 
tled to,  who  were  severally  to  hold  their  ofiices  until 
the  next  general  election  and  until  their  successors 
were  duly  elected  and  qualified,  provided  that  nothing 
in  the  act  should  be  so  construed  as  to  render  the  Sher- 
iff of  the  county  to  be  elected,  ineligible  to  a  re-elec- 
tion at  the  ensuing  annual  election.  It  was  further 
provided  by  the  act  just  mentioned  that  the  first  elec- 
tion to  be  held  in  the  count}'  should  be  conducted  in 
all  respects  in  the  manner  then  provided  by  law  for 
holding  general  elections,  and  the  votes  cast  were  to 
be  returned  and  canvassed  as  therein  provided ;  and 
the  judges  of  the  election  were  authorized  to  issue 
certificates  of  election  to  any  person  duly  elected  to 
ofiice  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Clerks  of  the  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  were  authorized  to  do  in 
other  counties.  The  county  seat  was  located  at  Sparta, 
and  the  first  officers  elected  were  :  A.  H.  Blake,  Coun- 
ty Judge;  E.  Wali-ath,  Sheriff;  W.  Fisk,  Register  of 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


619 


Deeds;  John  Barker,  Clerk  of  Court;  Samuel  Hoyt, 
County  Treasurer,  and  A.  B.  Cornell,  District  Attor- 
ney. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  opposition  to  the  division 
of  La  Crosse  County  and  the  establishment  of  the 
county  of  Monroe,  many  of  the  opposition  party  re- 
siding within  the  precincts  of  Sparta.  There  was 
also  a  great  deal  of  feeling  evinced,  which  culminated 
in  a  contest  between  Sparta  and  Leon  in  regard  to  the 
county  seat.  The  latter,  however,  were  defeated,  and 
the  seat  established  at  Sparta. 

Court-house. —  The  question  regarding  the  county 
seat  having  been  definitely  settled  by  locating  it  at 
Sparta,  tiie  next  thing  in  order  was  to  supply  suitable 
buildings  for  the  public  ofiSces.  The  officials  occupied 
the  upper  part  of  Mr.  Allen's  store,  on  the  north  side 
of  Oak  street,  between  what  is  now  Water  and  Court 
streets.  The  old  building  is  still  in  existence,  and  still 
occupied  by  Mr.  Allen  as  a  dwelling  and  store.  In 
1863,  the  subject  of  a  county  building  was  agitated, 
but  the  report  was  laid  on  the  table. 

In  1864,  it  was  brought  before  the  Board  again  and 
a  resolution  to  make  an  appropriation  for  a  court-house 
not  to  exceed  $25,000  put  and  passed.  In  the  follow- 
ing year,  the  present  large  and  iiandsome  brick  build- 
ing, including  the  court-house.  Sheriff's  dwelling  and 
jail,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $22,000.  The  site  was 
presented  to  the  county  by  the  citizens  of  Sparta.  The 
building  is  a  model  of  architectural  neatness  and  sim- 
plicity. Its  dimensions  are  about  80  x  60  feet,  con- 
structed of  cream-colored  brick,  with  dark  trimmings. 
It  is  two  stories  high,  with  a  well-proportioned  dome, 
and  stands  in  beautifully  laid  out  grounds.  To  tlie 
right  of  it,  upon  entering  the  square,  is  a  beautiful 
fountain  of  mineral  water.  Entering  at  the  front  of 
the  court-house,  the  visitor  finds  himself  in  the  spa- 
cious hallway,  leading  through  the  building.  The  first 
door  on  the  left  and  near  the  entrance,  is  the  room  ot 
the  County  .Judge,  the  next  office  on  the  same  side  is 
tliat  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court.  Following 
tliis  is  one  bearing  the  ominous  inscription  of  "■  Sher- 
iff." Directly  opposite  the  room  of  the  Judge  are  the 
offices  of  County  Treasurer  and  County  Clerk ;  back 
of  tliis  office  is  the  vault  and  Register  of  Deeds'  of- 
fice. On  the  same  floor  are  the  court-room  and  jury- 
room,  the  former  being  very  comfortably  furnislied, 
with  seating  capacity  for  -350. 

County  Jail. — Within  the  walls  of  this  institution 
are  placed  individuals  of  a  retiring  disposition,  who 
forego  the  pleasures  of  freedom  and  out-door  exercise 
for  definite  periods,  unless  death  or  the  Governor  in- 
terferes. The  County  Jail,  as  before  stated, is  included 
in  the  court-house  and  is  situated  at  the  western  end 
of  the  building.  It  is  well  ventilated,  neat  and  com- 
fortable, has  two  departments,  one  for  male  and  the 
other  for  female  prisoners,  each  department  containing 
eight  cells.  The  jail  is  under  the  control  of  the  Sher- 
iff and  one  Jailer. 

Tlie  Political  Divisions  of  the  county  are  the  town, 
city  and  village.  The  town  government  is  intrusted 
to  a  town  board  of  supervisors,  consisting  of  three 
members,  elected  annually  at  a  town  meeting.  The 
other  town  officers  are :  town  clerk,  town  treas- 
urer, one  or  more  assessors,  four  justices  of  the  peace, 


overseers  of  highways  and  constables,  not  more  than 
three. 

The  justices  of  the  peace  hold  office  for  two  years, 
two  being  elected  at  each  annual  town  meeting.  The 
other  officers  are  elected  annually  at  the  town  meeting. 

The  form  of  city  government  depends  upon  the  char- 
ter granted  by  the  State  Legislature.  There  are  gen- 
erally a  mayor,  the  chief  executive  officer;  a  common 
council,  consisting  of  one  or  more  representatives  from 
each  ward  in  the  city,  and  the  city  officers — a  city  clerk, 
city  treasurer,  city  attorney,  chief  of  police,  fire  mar- 
shal and  city  surveyor. 

A  village  is  governed  Viy  a  village  board,  consisting 
of  a  president  and  six  trustees,  elected  at  the  annual 
charter  election.  At  such  election  there  are  also  chosen 
a  village  clerk,  treasurer,  supervisor  (to  represent  the 
village  in  the  county  government),  marshal  and  con- 
stable, and  when  necessar\',  a  justice  of  the  peace  and 
police  justice,  each  of  whom  holds  office  for  two  years. 

The  county  government  is  in  charge  of  a  county 
board  of  supervisors,  consisting  of  the  chairman  of 
each  town  board,  a  supervisor  from  each  incorporated 
village,  and  one  from  each  ward  of  every  city  in  the 
county.  The  county  officers  are,  clerk,  treasurer, 
sheriff,  coroner,  clerk  of  circuit  court,  district  attorney, 
register  of  deeds,  surveyor  and  superintendent  of 
schools,  all  elected  biennially. 

Where  a  county  has  more  than  15,000  inhabitants, 
the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  may,  if  they  choose, 
divide  the  county  into  two  superintendent  districts  for 
school  purposes. 

The  following  county  officers  have  served  from  1854 
to  1881: 

Ccnmty  Judges.— 18^4.  A.  H.  Blake  ;  1858,  W.  W. 
Jackson  ;  1864,  G.  E.  Pratt ;  1868,  L.  B.  Noyes  ;  1871, 
T.  D.  Steele  ;  1879,  C.  M.  Masters. 

.Sheriffs.— -i8r,4,  E.  Walratli :  1857,  John  Foster; 
1859,  C.  W.  McMillan  ;  1861,  J.  H.  Allen  ;  1863,  J.  A. 
Gilman  ;  1865,  C.  W.  McMillan  ;  1867,  G.  A.  Fisk  ; 
1869,  D.  B.  Bon  ;  1871,  L.  Johnson  ;  187H,  G.  B.  Rob- 
inson ;  1875,  C.  W.  McMillan  ;  1877,  N.  P.  Lee ;  1879, 
C.  W.  McMillan;  1881,  E.  Bartells. 

District  Attorneys. — 1854-9,  A.  B.  Cornell  ;  1859, 
L.  W.  Graves;  1861,  C.  E.  Rice;  1863-5,  R.  Bunn ; 
1867,  G.  E.  Pratt;  1869,  G.  A.  Richardson;  1871-5, 
J.  M.  Morrow;  1877,  A.  E.  Bleekman;  1879-81,  J.  M. 
Morrow. 

Clerks  of  Circuit  Court.— 1864,  John  Barker  :  1857, 
G.  B.  Holden  ;  1859,  Cyrus  Curtis  ;  1861,  E.  Nutting  ; 
1863,  L.  B.  Noves;  1865,  S.  H.  Stearns:  1867-9,  S. 
H.Stearns;  1871,  Jacob  Rood  ;  1873-5,  S.  H.Stearns; 
1877,  Joel  Brown;  1879,  S.  H.  Stearns;  1881,  J.  E. 
Perry. 

County  Clerks.— 18o7,  L.  S.  Fisher;  1859,  A.  F. 
Childs  ;  1861.  S.  Aldrich  ;  1863-5,  T.  D.  Steele  ;  1867, 
S.  D.  Hollister;  1869.  James  Lowry:  1871-3,  S.  D. 
Hollister;  1875,  W.  P.  Palmer;  1877,  J.  E.  Perry: 
1879,  H.  H.  Cremer;  1881,  O.  C.  Berg. 

Treasurers.— 18r)r)-l,  Samuel  Hoyt;  1859,  A.  A. 
Kendall;  1861,  L.  S.  Fi.sher;  1863-5,  G  H.  Ledyard ; 
1867-9-71,  Eli  Waste;  1873-5-7-9,  Francis  Avery ; 
1881,  W.  F.  Lee. 

Registers  of  Deeds.— 1855,  Wilber  Fisk  ;  1857,  R.  S. 
Kiagmaa;  1859,   A.   H.   Condit ;  1861,  P.   Rawson: 


420 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1863-5-7,  M.  A.  Thayer;  1869-71,  J.  M.  Tarr; 
1873-5,  J.  W.  Curran  ;  1877-9,  W.  G.  Williams ;  1881, 
J.  R.  Lyons. 

Surveyors. — 1854,  Isaac  Thompson  ;  1857,  F.  A. 
Childs;  1859,  A.  S.  Inealls  ;  1861,  L.  E.  Amidon  ; 
1863,  L.  S.  Ino-alJs  ;  1865,  W.  Kenyon ;  1867,  O.  R. 
Dahl ;  1869,  C.  C.  Miller  ;  1871.  G.  Spurier  ;  1873-5-7, 
A.  S.  Ingalls  :  1879-81,  A.  B.  Holden. 

CVoners.— 1859, 0.  P.  McClure ;  1 861,  C.W.  McMil- 
lan ;  1867,  C.  W.  McMillan:  1871,  David  Bon;  1875, 
G.  B.  Robinson  ;  1877,  C.  W.  McMillan  ;  1879,  D.  J. 
Enderby;  1881,  C.  W.  McMillan. 

County  Superintendents.  —  1869,  G.  W.  Kellorjo- ; 
1871-3-5-7-9,  N.  H.  Holden  ;  1881,  C.  F.  Brandt. 

RAILROADS. 

The  present  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road Company  has  grown  out  of  the  former  La  Crosse 
&  Milwaukee  Railroad  Company. 

It  will  only  be  necessary  to  give  a  brief  outline  of 
the  lines  belonging  to  this  great  corporation  which  af- 
fect Monroe  County.  The  La  Crosse  &  Milwaukee 
Company  was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture approved  on  the  second  day  of  April,  1852. 

The  first  president  of  the  company  was  Byron  Kil- 
bourn.  In  1854,  stock  subscriptions  were  procured, 
surveys  made,  and  the  general  line  of  the  road  estab- 
lished. Previous  to  this,  in  1851,  the  Milwaukee  &  Fond 
du  Lac  Railroad  Company  was  incorporated,  and  in 
1853,  a  company  chartered,  called  the  Milwaukee,  Fond 
du  Lac  &  Green  Bay  Railroad  Company.  '  By  an  act 
of  Legislature,  approved  June  27, 1853,  these  two  roads 
were  authorized  to  consolidate  with  each  other,  which 
they  did,  and  commenced  the  construction  of  a  rail- 
road toward  Fond  du  Lac. 

In  1854,  the  Milwaukee,  Fond  du  Lac  &  Green  Bay 
Company  consolidated  with  the  La  Crosse  &  Milwaukee 
Company,  assuming  the  name  of  the  latter,  proceeding 
with  the  construction  of  the  road  already  commenced, 
but  turning  it  in  the  direction  of  La  Crosse.  The  first 
officers  elected  after  this  consolidation  were  as  follows: 
President,  S.  Judd.  Directors :  H.  Barber,  Byron  Kil- 
bourn,  Chase  A.  Stephens,  Edwin  H.  Goodrich,  E.  Lud- 
ington.  E.  D.  Clinton,  William  Daws,  M.  M.  Strong, 
S.  L.  Rose,  Moses  Kneeland  and  Russell  S.  Kneeland. 
Daws  resigned  and  C.  D.  Cook  was  elected  in  his 
place. 

The  western  portion  of  the  land  grant  donated  to 
the  State,  by  Congress,  in  1836,  was  conferred  to  the 
State,  on  the  La  Crosse  «&  Milwaukee  Companj\  On 
the  fourteenth  day  of  March,  1857,  the  road  was  com- 
pleted as  far  as  Portage,  ninet3'-eight  miles  from  Milwau- 
kee, and  just  half  way  to  LaCrosse.  In  this  year,  the  com- 
pany, owing  to  the  financial  depression  of  the  times, 
suffered  very  much,  and  there  were  repeated  charges 
in  its  board  of  officers.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1857, 
the  debt  of  the  road  reached  $8,263,660.91,  while  the 
stock  of  the  road  amounted  to  $7,687,540.26.  In  the 
annual  report  for  that  year  the  story  of  the  financial 
embarrassments  are  given,  in  which  they  admit  in 
guarded  language,  tlie  disastrous  results  to  the  com- 
pany, of  the  legislative  and  other  official  corruption, 
by  which  the  land  grant  of  the  previous  year  was  ob- 
tained.    On   the   twenty-seventh  day    of  September, 


1857,  the  road  passed  into  the  hands  of  Selah  Cham- 
berlain, as  lessee,  by  whom,  as  contractor,  a  large  por- 
tion of  it  had  been  built.  He  leased  from  the  La 
Crosse  &  Milwaukee  Company,  and  continued  the 
construction  of  the  road  till  October  1, 1858,  when  the 
whole  line  was  opened  to  La  Crosse. 

In  1860,  Mr.  Chamberlain  surrendered  the  control 
of  the  road  to  Messrs.  Bronson  &  Sutter,  the  trustees  of 
the  second  mortgage  holders,  at  which  time  an  order 
had  been  made  by  the  United  States  District  Court,  ap- 
pointing Col.  Hans  Crocker  receiver  of  the  Western 
Division  of  the  road,  from  Portage  to  La  Crosse.  Col. 
Crocker  was  also  appointed  receiver  of  the  Eastern  Di- 
vision. Taking  possession  of  the  whole  road.  Col. 
Crocker  operated  it  until  the  twelfth  day  of  June,  1863, 
when  on  an  order  from  the  court,  he  surrendered  the 
Western  Division  to  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Com- 
pany, as  purchaser,  and  the  Eastern  Division  to  the 
same  company  to  operate  under  him  as  receiver,  he 
continuing  to  act  as  receiver  of  the  Eastern  Division 
until  January  9,  1866,  when  it  was  surrendered  to  the 
Milwaukee  &  Minnesota^.  Railroad  Company.  This 
company  operated  it  until  March  6,  1862,  when  they 
surrendered  it  to  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Company, 
under  a  decree  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United 
States.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1872,  the  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  Company  formally  effected  the  purchase  of 
the  Chicago  &  St.  Paul  Railroad.  The  purchase  was 
made  by  giving  the  bonds  of  the  St.  Paul  Company  for 
£800,000,  or  about  $4,000,000  in  gold,  payable  in  Lon- 
don in  1902,  at  7  per  cent.  The  line  of  the  road  be- 
tween Milwaukee  and  Chicago  was  not  completed  until 
the  Fall  of  1872,  and  its  formal  transfer  to  the  Milwau- 
kee &  St.  Paul  was  made  in  the  following  year.  The 
route  between  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul,  a  distance  of  410 
miles,  was  then  completed. 

The  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  which  met  in  Janua- 
ry, 1874,  passed  a  law,  limiting  the  rates  for  transport- 
ing passengers  and  freights,  and  also  for  providing  a 
Board  of  Railroad  Commissioners.  This  was  known  as 
the  "  Potter  Law,"  and  went  into  effect  May  1,  1874. 
The  commissioners  appointed  were  George  H.  Paul, 
John  W.  Hoyt  and  Joseph  H.  Osborne.  There  was 
considerable  feeling  at  this  time  on  the  part  of  the  peo- 
ple against  the  railroad  compan}',  who  regarded  the 
"  Potter  Law  "'  as  unconstitutional,  and  refused  to  ac- 
quiesce in  the  reduction  of  charges  until  compelled  to 
do  so  by  the  final  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

This  road  continued  to  operate  under  the  name  of 
the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  until  February, 
1874,  when  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway 
Company. 

In  1876,  the  "  Potter  Law  "  was  repealed,  and  a  law 
passed  establishing  maximum  prices  for  freights.  The 
present  officers  of  the  company  are  Alex.  Mitchell, 
j)resident ;  Julius  Wadsworth,  vice-president ;  R.  D. 
Jennings,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  S.  S.  Merrill, 
general  manager.  The  main  line  of  this  road  runs  di- 
rectly across  Monroe  County,  passing  through  the 
towns  of  Sparta,  Angelo,  Greenfield,  Tomah  and  Oak- 
dale.  The  first  train  passed  over  the  county  in  1858, 
running  east  as  far  as  the  tunnel,  from  which  place  the 
passengers  were  compelled  to  drive  over  the  ridge,  tak- 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


ing  the  train  for  the  East,  from  that  side,  the  tunnel  not 
being  completed. 

The  Chicago  ^  Northwestern  Railroad  Company. — In 
the  year  1873,  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad 
was  constructed  to  and  tlirough  this  county.  In  view 
of  this  fact,  a  brief  history  of  this,  the  most  extensive 
railroad  in  the  world,  will  not  be  out  of  place.  The 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  was  first  organized 
as  the  Illinois  &  Wisconsin  Railway  Company,  intended 
to  be  run  from  Chicago  to  the  Wisconsin  State  line.  It 
was  consolidated  with  the  Rock  River  Valley  Union 
Railroad,  which  was  to  run  from  the  State  line  to  Fond 
du  Lac.  There  the  two  formed  the  St.  Paul  «fe  Fond 
du  Lmc  Air-line  Railway  Company. 

In  1859,  the  road  was  sold,  and  re-organized  under 
the  present  name.  Since  tliis  time,  the  Dixon,  Rock- 
ford  &  Kenosha,  and,  in  June,  1864,  the  Galena  &  Chi- 
cago railroads  have  been  consolidated  with  this  com- 
pany. In  October,  1864,  it  received  the  Peninsular, 
and  in  1869  the  Detroit  &  Madison,  and  in  1871  the 
Baraboo  Air  Line,  running  from  Madison.  In  due 
course  of  time,  the  following  roads  were  absorbed : 
The  Winona  &  St  Peter,  running  from  Winona  to  New 
Ulm,  and  thence  extended  to  Lake  Kampeska,  Dakota, 
320  miles  from  the  Mississippi  River.  The  line  was 
then  pushed  from  Madison  to  EIroy,  where  it  formed  a 
junction  with  the  West  Wisconsin  road,  and  thus 
formed  the  shortest  line  from  Chicago  to  St.  Paul. 
There  was  still  wanting  the  link  to  fill  the  gap  between 
Winona  and  Elroy.  The  company  then  bought  the 
La  Crosse,  Trempealeau  &  Prescott  Raili-oad,  from 
Winona  Junction,  finishing  it  to  Sparta,  Monroe  Coun- 
ty, and  opening  it  for  regular  traffic,  with  a  grand 
excursion  from  Chicago,  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of 
September,  1873.  The  line  from  Madison  to  Sparta 
passes  tlirough  the  most  picturesque  portion  of  Wis- 
consin, and  nowhere  in  the  State  can  as  grand  and 
beautiful  scenery  be  found  as  along  this  line.  Passing 
at  Madison  the  celebrated  lake  country,  it  soon  skirts 
Devil's  Lake,  the  dells  of  the  Baraboo  River,  and  runs 
into  the  hill  country  between  Elroy  and  Sparta.  On 
this  part  of  the  line  can  be  seen  work  more  difficult 
and  expensive  than  can  be  found  on  any  other  road  in 
the  middle  West.  Among  the  difficulties-  met  with  by 
the  engineers,  were  numerous  springs  that  gave  such 
volumes  of  water,  that  many  devices  had  to  be  resorted 
to,  in  order  to  continue  the  work  in  the  vicinity.  Three 
long  tunnels  had  to  be  made  tlirough  mountain  spurs, 
in  this  county.  The  largest,  known  as  "No.  3,"  and 
situated  in  the  town  of  Ridgeville,  near  Sparta,  is 
3,800  feet  in  length,  costing  nearly  81,000,000  in  its 
construction.  The  other  two,  Nos.  1,  and  2,  are  about 
1,700  feet  in  length. 

This  great  corporation  now  owns  and  operates  over 
2,000  miles  of  road.  Radiating  from  Chicago  like  the 
fingers  of  a  man's  hand,  its  lines  reach  in  all  directions 
and  cover  about  all  of  the  country  north,  northwest 
and  west  of  Chicago.  Witii  one  branch  it  reaches 
Racine,  Kenosha,  Milwaukee  and  the  country  north 
thereof ;  with  another  line,  it  pushes  through  Janes- 
ville,  Watertown,  Oshkosli,  Fond  du  Lac,  Green  Bay, 
Escanaba,  to  Nagaunee  and  Marquette ;  with  still 
another  line,  it  passes  through  Madison,  Elroy  and  St. 
Paul  and  Minneapolis ;  branching  westward  from  El- 


roy, it  keeps  on  through  Winona,  Owatonna,  St.  Peter' 
Mankato,  New  Ulm,  and  on  through  until  Lake  Kampes- 
ka, Dakota,  is  reached  ;  another  line  starts  from  Chicago 
and  runs  through  Elgin  and  Rockford  to  Freeport,  and 
via  the  Illinois  Central  to  Dubuque  and  the  country 
beyond.  The  present  officers  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railway  Company  are  Albert  Keep,  president ; 
M.  S.  Sykes,  vice-president ;  Marvin  Hughitt,  second 
vice-president  and  general  manager. 

THE    PRESS. 

The  first  regular  newspaper  in  the  county  of  Mon- 
roe was  established  in  Sparta,  in  the  Spring  of  1855, 
by  Milton  Montgomery  and  James  D.  Condit,  and  was 
christened  the  Sparta  Watchman.  The  hand-press  and 
type  used  in  its  publication  were  procured  in  Beaver 
Dam,  and  brought  to  Sparta  by  wagon.  Prior  to  this, 
however,  an  eccentric  old  printer,  named  L.  P.  Rising, 
from  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  a  press  of  his  own 
construction  and  a  few  fonts  of  old  type,  had  issued,  at 
irregular  intervals,-  a  publication  about  tlie  size  of  fools- 
cap paper,  which  he  called  tiie  Monroe  County  Citizen. 
He  issued  probably  about  fifteen  numbers  during  the 
years  1854  and  1855.  His  office  was  at  his  residence, 
some  two  miles  west  of  Sparta,  where  he  increased 
the  duties  of  publisher  and  editor  by  cultivating  a 
small  tract  of  land.  Tlie  Watchman  was  published 
about  a  year  by  Montgomery  &  Condit,  and  was  then 
transferred  to  Lucius  M.  Rose,  who  had  formerly  been 
connected  with  the  Watertown  Chronicle.  This  gen- 
tleman changed  its  name  to  the  Monroe  County  Freeman, 
under  which  title  it  was  published  by  him  for  about 
two  years.  In  the  Spring  of  1858,  the  office  and  busi- 
ness was  purchased  by  D.  McBride,  who  had  formerly 
been  publishing  the  Mauston  Star.  Upon  taking  the 
paper  he,  too,  altered  the  name,  calling  it  tiie  Sj^arta 
Herald.,  under  which  name  it  is  still  published,  though 
it  suffered  a  temporary  suspension  from  1867  to  1869, 
during  which  time  the  office  material  was  used  in  the 
publication  of  the  Sparta  i>ew!Ocrai,  by  William  J.  Whip- 
ple, who  since  tliat  time  has  published  the  Winona 
Democrat.  The  publication  of  the  Herald  was  resumed 
in  1869  by  Messrs.  D.  McBride  &  Son,  its  present  pro- 
prietors. In  politics  it  has  been  uniformly  Republican. 
In  the  Summer  of  1859,  the  Sjjarta  Democrat,  a 
Democratic  paper,  was  started  by  two  young  men,  then 
recently  employes  in  the  Herald  office,  named  Richard 
M.  Copeland  and  George  Babcock.  It  had  a  very  short 
existence,  having  run  about  six  months,  when  the  firm 
in  Milwaukee  from  whom  the  proprietors  had  bought 
their  press  and  type  on  time,  seized  it  in  part  payment. 
In  1860,  a  slight  dissension  among  the  Republican 
leaders  led  to  the  establishment  of  a  rival  Republican 
paper  called  the  Sparta  Eagle,  publislied  by  William  H. 
Farnham,  assisted  by  L.  P.  Noyes.  The  latter  left 
the  paper  in  about  a  year;  the  former  continuing  to 
publish  it  until  1868,  wlien  it  was  bought  out  by  a 
gentleman  from  Oliio,  named  George  Redway.  The 
paper  from  this  time  seemed  to  lead  rather  a  checkered 
career,  and  frequently  changed  hands — Redway,  in  less 
than  a  year,  turning  the  office  over  to  his  brother,  R. 
E.  Redway.  In  the  Summer  of  1869.it  was  purchased 
by  D.  B.  Priest,  of  Viroqua.  About  the  same  time, 
William  Nelson,  also  of  Viroqua,  and  who  has  since 


622 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


been  United  States  Marshal  for  the  Territory  of  Utah, 
had  a  brief  connection  with  it.  In  1871,  W.  R.  Finch 
came  into  possession,  but  soon  left  it,  giving  R.  C. 
Bierce,  of  Viroqua,  charge,  who  formed  a  partnership 
with  Henry  Rising,  a  son  of  the  former  editor  of  the 
Monroe  County  Citizen.  In  the  Fall  of  1871,  D.  W.  C. 
Wilson  and  Theodore  F.  HoUister  bought  it,  and  after 
a  few  months'  trial,  they,  too,  gave  it  up,  and  the  Eagle 
expired.  Mr.  Wilson  subsequently  purchased  the  type, 
presses  and  material,  and  started  the  Monroe  County 
Republican,  a  Democratic  pajjer,  which  he  continued  to 
publisli  until.  January,  1879,  when  negotiations  wliicli 
had  been  in  pi'ogress  for  some  time  culminated  in  the 
purchase  of  the  concern  by  Messrs.  F.  A.  Brown  and 
G.  A.  Foster,  wlio  liad  been  publishing  the  Monroe 
County  Democrat,  at  Tomah.  The  latter  was  discon- 
tinued, and  Messrs.  Brown  &  Foster  merged  their  un- 
expired subscriptions  with  the  list  of  the  Republican,  at 
Sparta,  which  they  published  under  that  name  for  about 
one  year,  and  then  changed  it  to  the  Monroe  County 
Democrat.  In  August,  1880,  Mr.  Foster  retired  from 
the  paper,  and  Mr.  Brown  has  since  continued  its  pub- 
lication up  to  the  present  time. 

The  first  number  of  the  Wisconsin  Greenback  was 
issued  June  29,  1876,  Dr.  J.  Lamborn  editor.  The 
paper,  as  its  name  indicates,  was  an  organ  of  the  Green- 
back paper,  which,  in  that  period  of  its  rise,  counted 
many  prominent  Republicans  in  this  region  among  its 
recruits.  For  a  time  the  firm  was  Lamborn  &  Need- 
ham,  the  latter  a  practical  printer,  but  he  left  tlie  paper 
some  time  during  the  Fail,  and  the  publication  was 
continued  by  Dr.  Lamborn  and  his  son,  Arthur  B. 
Lamborn.  It  worked  zealously  in  the  cause  which  it 
advocated,  during  the  Cooper  campaign  of  1876,  and 
early  the  following  Summer,  after  the  nomination  of 
the  Greenback  State  ticket,  at  Portage,  headed  by 
Hon.  E.  P.  Allis  for  Governor,  the  paper  was  removed 
to  Milwaukee,  and,  backed  by  Allis,  George  Godfrey 
and  other  leading  Greenbackers,  took  rank  as  the  lead- 
ing organ  of  the  party,  in  the  State,  during  the  guber- 
natorial campaign  of  1877.  It  still  claimed  to  retain  a 
nominal  residence  at  Sparta,  however,  and  after  the 
battle  was  over,  in  1877,  was  removed  back  to  Sparta. 
The  Tomah  Journal  was  started  in  1867  by  the  pres- 
ent editor,  J.  A.  Wells,  and  has  been  published  ever 
since,  never  having  changed  its  owner  or  name.  About 
the  same  time,  a  paper  called  the  Tomah  Democrat  was 
started  by  a  Mr.  Averill,  but  died  out  in  about  six 
months. 

The  Badger  State  3Ionitor,  published  at  Tomah,  is- 
sued its  initial  number  July  1,  1881,  and  is  edited  by 
J.  R.  Hinckley. 

At  the  present  time  the  newspaperfe  of  Monroe  Coun- 
ty are  as  follows  :  Sparta  Herald,  D.  McBride  &  Son, 
and  Monroe  County  Democrat,  F.  A.  Brown,  both  pub- 
lished at  Sparta;  Tomah  Journal,  J.  A.  Wells,  and 
Badger  State  Monitor,  J.  R.  Hinckley,  published  at 
Tomah. 

MONROE   COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

This  was  the  first  society  of  an  agricultural  nature 
in  Monroe  County.  In  18-57,  Mr.  Robert  E.  Gillett,  of 
Tomah,  a  prominent  man,  and  an  earnest  worker  in  all 
that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the  county,  made  the 


suggestion  that  an  agricultural  society  be  organized, 
and  the  idea  met  with  great  favor,  culminating  in  a 
special  meeting  of  citizens  who  were  favorable  to  the 
project.  Those  who  showed  great  interest  in  the  or- 
ganization, were  Robert  E.  Gillett,  Samuel  Hoyt,  T.  B. 
Tyler,  L.  S.  Fisher  and  Amos  Kendall.  After  some 
discussion,  the  society  was  formally  organized  early  in 
1858,  under  the  statute  provided  by  the  State  law  of 
that  year,  providing  for  the  organization  of  State  and 
county  agricultural  societies,  and  was  known  as  the 
Monroe  County  Agricultural  Society.  The  first  officers 
elected  were  Samuel  Hoyt,  president;  L.  S.  Fisher, 
secretary,  and  Amos  Kendall,  treasurer. 

The  first  fair  was  held  in  Sparta,  September,  1858, 
on  "  Denny's  Lot,"  situated  on  South  Water  street, 
and  now  owned  and  occupied  by  O.  L.  Irvin  as  a  lum- 
ber yard.  The  receipts  were  rather  light,  but  exceeded 
the  disbursements.  The  society  were  unanimous  in 
claiming  the  gathering  to  be  a  success. 

In  1863,  the  society  became  the  purchasers  of  their 
present  capacious  grounds,  situated  in  the  western  por- 
tion of  the  village  of  Sparta,  for  which  they  paid  $725, 
receiving  the  deed  on  the  third  daj-  of  September,  from 
William  King,  the  former  owner.  The  plat  consisted 
originally  of  one  entire  forty,  but  this  being  too  much 
for  their  purpose,  the  society  sold  all  but  twenty-five 
acres,  which  they  inclosed  as  the  fair  ground  proper. 
The  Monroe  County  Agricultural  Society  has  for  its 
object,  the  advancement  of  agriculture,  horticulture, 
and  the  mechanical  and  household  arts,  using  the  fair 
held  annually  as  a  medium.  At  the  annual  gathering 
may  be  seen  the  best  products  of  the  soil  and  dairy,  the 
most  improved  machinery,  and  implements  for  aiding 
agriculture  and  lightening  the  burdens  of  the  house- 
hold. Farmers,  merchants,  manufacturers,  artisans  and 
representatives  of  all  other  activities,  which  help  make 
a  thriving  and  prosj^erous  community,  meet  on  the  fair 
ground  annually,  and  make  exhibits  of  their  specialties. 
No  pains  have  been  spared  to  give  the  institution  a  na- 
tional reputation,  and  to  establish  upon  a  lasting  basis 
an  exposition  that  would  afford  to  the  whole  county 
facilities,  heretofore  unattainable,  to  meet  under  the 
most  pleasing  and  favorable  circumstances.  Liberal 
premiums  are  offered  in  all  branches  of  industries,  and 
has  the  effect  of  stimulating  the  exhibitors  to  a  sharp 
but  friendly  rivalry. 

The  annual  exhibition  is  held  in  September  of  each 
year,  lasting  through  three  days.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  society,  when  it  was  in  its  infancy,  the  fairs  were 
not  so  successful  as  they  otherwise  would  have  been, 
but  the  executive  committee,  being  gentlemen  who 
were  all  earnest  and  thorough  workers  for  the  prosperi- 
ty of  the  county,  would  not  allow  the  interest  in  the 
association  to  flag,  but  by  their  example  stimulated 
those,  who  at  the  best  were  but  lukewarm  in  its  inter- 
ests. For  four  years  the  society  labored  against  all  the 
disadvantages,  such  on  organization  is  sure  to  meet  with 
in  a  new  country. 

In  1861,  the  balance  in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer, 
received  from  all  sources,  amounted  to  but  f99 ;  1862, 
$35  ;  1863,  $593.85  ;  1864,  $745.37  ;  1865,  $796.93 ; 
1866,  $893.99;  1867,  $614;  1868,  $391.52;  1869, 
$571.75  ;  1870,  $775.64  :  1871,  $520.6!t ;  1872,  $576.47  ; 
1873,  $832.35  ;  1874,  $981.30  ;  1875,  $1,834.08 ;  1876, 


HISTORY   OF    MONROE   COUNTY. 


623 


$924.28  ;  1877,  $313.59  ;  1878,  $726.05  ;  1879,  $999.45, 
and  1880,  $1,055.18. 

The  donations  received  from  the  county  are  as  fol- 
fows: 

November,  1869,  $200  ;  November,  1870,  $300,  and 
1871,  $300,  aggregating  total  amount  received  from  this 
source,  $800. 

In  September,  1873,  the  village  of  Sparta  presented 
them  with  $250,  raised  b}-  subscription  among  the  citi- 
zens. The  financial  affairs  of  tlie  society  were,  until 
June,  1880,  in  a  flourishing  condition.  At  this  time 
the  tornado  wliich  passed  through  this  section  of  coun- 
try, caused  them  to  suffer  severe  loss,  and  in  conse- 
quence, became  somewhat  indebted  ;  the  buildings  of 
tiie  fair  grounds  being  completely  demolished,  causing 
an  expense  of  some  eight  or  nine  hundred  dollars  to 
repair  them.  By  prudent  management,  liowever,  the 
debt  has  been  paid,  and  a  solid  financial  footing  again 
secured. 

The  receipts  of  the  present  year,  up  to  the  1st  of 
August,  amount  to  $209.92  ;  disbursements,  $170.02  ; 
leaving  a  balance  on  hand  of  $39.90. 

The  fair  grounds  are  well  situated,  the  buildings 
wliich  have  been  improved  since  the  tornado,  in  good 
order,  with  plenty  of  i-oom  for  those  requiring  space, 
for  outside  exhibits. 

The  driving  track  may  well  claim  to  be  one  of  the 
best  half  mile  tracks  in  the  State,  being  well  laid  out 
and  carefully  cared  for,  by  men  employed  by  the  socie- 
ty for  that  purpose. 

The  present  officers  of  the  society  are  as  follows : 
R.  H.  Rogers,  president ;  C.  E.  Hanchette,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Frank  Bloomingdale,  secretary  ;  J.  A.  Clark, 
financial  secretary,  and  T.  B.  Tyler,  treasurer.  Execu- 
tive Committee  are  A.  T.  Colburn,  J.  W.  Smith  and 
Roswell  Smith. 

During  fair  time  there  are  nine  departments,  with  a 
superintendent  over  each,  who  are  appointed  by  the 
executive  committee.  The  different  departments  are 
as  follows :  1st,  horses  ;  2d,  cattle  ;  3d,  sheep  ;  4th, 
swine  ;  5th,  fowls  ;  6th,  farm  and  field  crops  ;  7th,  agri- 
cultural implements  ;  8th,  domestic  manufactures,  and 
9th,  department  of  flowei's  and  plants.  Each  of  these 
departments  are  divided  into  classes. 

CRANBERRY    CULTURE. 

The  cranberry  culture  in  Monroe  County  as  in  that 
of  Jackson  and  Wood  counties,  is  one  of  its  most  ex- 
tensive productions,  as  well  as  being  one  of  the  best 
paying  investments  to  the  cultivator.  At  tiie  present 
time  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  there  are  more  than 
16,000  acres  under  cultivation,  and  about  40,000  acres 
in  wild  marsh  where  the  berry  grows  to  almost  as  great 
a  state  of  perfection  as  in  the  cultivated  marsh.  Ow- 
ing to  the  fact  that  for  the  last  few  years  the  demand 
for  this  fruit  having  been  in  excess  of  the  yield,  a  great 
many  capitalists  are  embarking  in  it,  and  it  bids  fair 
to  become  one  of  the  greatest  i)roductions  of  the  West. 
To  those  who  are  unaware  of  the  great  commercial  im- 
portance of  this  berry,  which  is  appreciated  as  the  last 
fruit  of  the  season,  a  few  remarks  on  the  subject  will 
not  be  amiss. 

In  the  first  place  the  culture  of  the  berry  is  very 
simple.     It   consists   in   ditching,  draining,   damming 


and  flooding  the  marshes,  at  the  proper  seasons  of  the 
year.  The  plants  are  always  flooded  in  November,  re- 
maining under  water  in  most  cases  until  the  following 
May.  This  is  to  protect  the  plants  or  vines  from  the 
exposui'e  to  snow  or  frost,  to  which  they  ai-e  very  sus- 
ceptible. Upon  occasions  it  is  found  necessary  to  flood 
or  cover  the  plants  during  other  periods  of  the  year, 
to  protect  tliem  from  an  accidental  frost.  To  do  this 
it  is  necessary  to  have  the  troughs  or  drains  of  suffi- 
cient depth  to  overflow  them  at  a  very  short  notice. 
By  damming  and  draining  carefully,  all  danger  of  a 
blight  from  frost  is  averted,  and  the  cultivator  can  in 
all  cases  have  a  good  yield. 

One  of  the  first  to  enter  into  this  business  were 
Messrs.  Brooks  &  Wise  of  New  Lisbon,  who  bought 
marshes  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  before 
railroads  were  built  in  that  section.  They  had  to  haul 
berries  thirty  miles  to  New  Lisbon  for  shipment.  This 
was  before  cultivation  began,  and  the  berries  were 
mostly  raked.  Since  then  a  lai-ge  amount  of  money  has 
been  put  on  the  marsh  for  improvement,  such  as  walks, 
dams,  ditches,  buildings  for  pickers,  storehouses,  etc.  A 
post-office  was  established  at  Dodge's  mill  called  Nor- 
way Ridge.  Mr.  Wise  sold  out  some  years  ago,  and 
has  a  marsh  at  another  point. 

One  of  the  finest  and  most  carefully  cultivated 
marshes  in  Monroe  County  is  that  of  Mr.  Stillwell,  lo- 
cated near  La  Fayette.  This  marsh  is  a  very  small  one, 
but  as  Mr.  Stillwell  says  as  much  as  he  cares  to  handle. 
The  marsh  consists  of  fourteen  acres,  and  is  divided 
into  fourteen  separate  sections  of  one  acre  each.  He 
has  located  about  one  hundred  yards  above  tlie  marsh 
proper  a  large  reservoir,  with  an  average  depth  of  three 
and  a  half  feet,  which  amply  supplies  the  flood  neces- 
sary to  manure,  keep  the  vines  and  destroy  the  bog 
moss.  Each  section  of  this  model  marsh  has  the  ditch 
boarded,  and  sluice  or  flood  gates  arranged  by  which 
the  flooding  can  be  easily  regulated,  and  which  enables 
him  to  flood  at  any  time  one  section,  leaving  all  the 
others  free  from  water.  In  1879  the  yield  from  this 
marsh  was  1,400  bushels.  In  1880  the  yield  was  1,600 
and  in  1881,  Mr.  Stillwell  says  it  will  average  about 
135  bushels  to  the  acre,  or  about  1,900  bushels  to  the 
crop.  The  peat  bed  of  the  Stillwell  marsh  is  five  feet 
thick,  and  if  cared  for  inexhaustible.  There  are  other 
marshes  in  the  county,  but  none  of  them  will  yield  a 
crop  to  exceed  Stillwell's.  Wra.  Kerrigan,  of  Sparta, 
who  is  proprietor  of  the  Pine  Hill  marsh,  Jackson 
County,  which  contains  thirty-two  forties  (1,280  acres), 
says  his  yield  this  season  will  far  exceed  any  preceding 
it.  Mr.  Kerrigan  has  but  a  very  small  portion  of  his 
marsh  under  cultivation,  but  says  he  will  average  from 
forty  to  forty-five  bushels  to  the  acre  on  about  400 
acres,  which  he  has  partly  ditched  and  dammed.  This 
marsh  will  probably  be  one  of  the  most  prolific  in  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Kerrigan  intending  to  devote 
his  whole  time  to  the  culture  of  the  berry. 

Other  imi^ortant  marshes  are  the  "Hitchcock" 
marsh  which  is  owned  b}'  a  corporation  ;  J.  I.  Case,  of 
Racine,  being  one  of  the  principal  stockholders.  F.  O. 
Wyatt's  marsh,  Runkel  &  Freeman's  marsh  and  others. 

The  Agricultural  Associations  throughout  the  dif- 
ferent counties  are  beginning  to  take  an  active  interest 
in  the  success  of  this  product,  and  as  in  the  case  of  the 


624 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


State  Agricultural  Society  intend  to  offer  premiums  for 
the  finest  specimens  of  the  fruit.  There  is  an  enor- 
mous quantity  of  these  berries  shipped  from  Sparta  and 
Tomah,  and  is  fast  becoming  the  principal  shipment. 
The  demand  is  growing  greater  each  season. 

SPARTA. 

Sparta,  the  county  seat  of  Monroe,  was  incorporated 
May  II,  1857,  under  Chapter  52,  of  the  Revised  Statutes 
of  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  comprised  all  that  area  de- 
scribed as  follows:  Commencing  at  the  center  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  Section  13,  in  Township  17  north, 
of  Range  4  west,  of  the  fourth  meridian  ;  running  thence 
west,  on  the  one-eighth  line,  to  the  center  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  Section  14,  in  said  township;  thence  east,  on 
the  one-eighth  line,  to  the  center  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
Section  24;  in  said  town;  thence  north,  on  the  one-eighth 
line,  to  the  place  of  beginning,  making  an  area  of  thirty- 
six  forties,  or  1440  acres,  according  to  Government  survey, 
being  in  the  town  of  Sparta,  Monroe  County.  The  officers 
of  the  said  corporation  consist  of  one  President,  and  six 
Trustees,  one  Clerk,  one  Treasurer,  one  Police  Justice  and 
one  Constable,  who  shall  be  ex-officio  Marshal  of  the  village, 
and  such  other  officers  as  the  Trustees  shall  ordain. 

In  1851  two  brothers,  by  the  name  of  William  and  Frank 
Petit,  settled  on  the  site  of  the  present  village,  the  latter 
having  settled  prior  to  this  in  the  La  Crosse  Valley,  but  had 
to  leave  it  on  account  of  trouble  with  the  Indians.  On  the 
fifth  day  of  July,  1851,  William  Petit  built  a  log  cabin  on 
the  bank  of  Beaver  Creek,  near  where  the  old  Globe  Hotel 
now  stands,  on  corner  of  Court  and  Main  streets.  This 
was  the  first  building,  of  any  kind,  in  Sparta.  During  the 
years  1849  and  1850,  the  lands  had  been  surveyed  and 
brought  into  market,  causing  a  flow  of  immigration  almost 
immediately.  Owing  to  this,  and  feeling  the  necessity  of 
finding  a  resting-place  for  the  numerous  travellers  who 
passed  through  the  village,  Petit  decided  to  turn  his  dwell- 
ing-place into  a  tavern,  although  it  contained  but  one  room 
and  a  loft.  Travellers  wrapped  their  blankets  about  them 
and  laid  down  upon  the  rough  boards  or  slabs,  which 
were  put  down  loosely. 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  the  village,  were  Rev.  Fred- 
erick Walrath,  his  son,  Ed.  Walrath,  R.  S.  Kingman  and 
his  two  brothers,  Rosalvo  and  Alvarado,  Richard  Casselman, 
William  Kerrigan,  Lyman  Andrews,  J.  D.  Dammon,  A.  H. 
Blake  (first  County  Judge  ),  and  Russell  Hill. 

In  the  year  1852,  William  Petit  laid  out  the  Court-house 
Square,  and  a  row  of  lots  around  it.  A  meeting  of  citizens 
was  called,  and  a  resolution  passed,  to  the  effect  that  the 
embryo  city  should  have  a  name.  After  much  discussion 
and  many  names  being  proposed  and  rejected,  it  was  finally 
agreed  that  Mrs.  Petit,  mother  of  the  two  Petit  men,  should 
have  the  privilege  of  choosing  the  name,  and  she  called  it 

Si'ARTA. 

Later  in  the  same  year,  Lyman  Andrews  built  the  first 
frame  house  in  the  village,  upon  a  lot  given  lor  the  purpose 
by  Mr.  Petit,  who  was  offering  to  give  lots  to  all  who  would 


build  on  them.  The  lot  was  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
square,  and  the  building  erected  was  opened  as  a  tavern, 
and  called  the  Sparta  Exchange. 

In  this  same  year,  Daniel  Fisk  and  family  arrived. 
They  lived  in  the  house  with  Casselman  until  they  could 
build  one  of  their  own.  The  latter  was  located  where  the 
C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  depot  now  stands.  George  A.  and  W. 
Fisk  are  sons  of  Daniel  Fisk.  In  December,  Samuel  Hoyt, 
the  present  Justice  of  the  Peace,  arrived  and  bought  the  lot 
wheie  the  Sparta  House  stands  of  Mr.  Harroun  for  $16, 
and  built  upon  it.  Sparta  was  at  this  time,  and  as  late  as 
1854,  a  part  of  the  town  of  Leon,  and  in  the  county  of  La 
Crosse.  The  first  election  was  held  in  1852,  at  which  were 
polled  seventeen  votes  for  the  town.  Lyman  Andrews  be- 
came Justice  of  the  Peace  at  that  time,  and  held  the  office 
for  some  years. 

The  first  post-office  was  opened  in  1S53,  and  William 
Petit  appointed  as  Postmaster,  the  mails  being  delivered  at 
Mr.  Casselman 's  house,  who  had  been  appointed  deputy  by 
Mr.  Petit.  The  office  wis  changed  in  a  short  time,  and  lo- 
cated 3t  the  Sparta  Exchange,  and  Lyman  Andrews  ap- 
pointed deputy.  A  short  time  after  this,  Mr.  Petit  sold  out 
his  entire  interest  to  A.  F.  Bard,  and  left  the  place;  where- 
upon, Casselman  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  served  as 
such  for  several  years. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  put  up  in  1853,  by  A.  H.  and 
Hilton  Blake,  upon  the  bank  of  Beaver  Creek.  Were  it 
still  standing,  it  would  be  in  the  middle  of  Water  street. 
The  first  store  was  opened  in  a  log  house  by  G.  H.  Led- 
yard,  a  Portage  man. 

On  the  first  day  of  July,  1854,  George  W.  Root  arrived 
in  Sparta.  Mr.  Root  bought  Lyman  Andrews'  house, 
known  as  the  Sparta  Exchange,  and  having  come  provided 
with  a  stock  of  goods,  he  opened  a  store.  J.  M.  Snyde-, 
who  came  the  same  year  from  St.  Louis,  built  the  first 
chimney  in  the  place  ftr  Mr.  Root,  in  this  house.  The 
pleasant  residence  which  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Court  streets,  opposite  the  Court-house  square,  is  now 
the  property  of  the  Root  family,  and  stands  exactly  where 
the  Sparta  Exchange  once  stood.  The  first  marriage  in 
Sparta  was  that  o''  Henry  TalAiadge  and  Anna  Bradshaw, 
in  July,  1853,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Lyman 
Andrews.  The  first  death  was  the  little  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harroun,  in  1852.  The  first  child  born  was  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Casselman 's.  The  first  Fourth-of-July  cel- 
ebration was  held  in  1854.  Judge  Flint,  of  La  Crosse,  de- 
livered the  address.  A  bounteous  dinner  and  a  dance  fin- 
ished up  the  festivities. 

In  the  year  1854,  there  were  but  fourteen  houses  in 
Sparta.  In  June  of  this  year,  the  surveyors  for  the  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  Railroad  passed  through  the  village,  the 
route  of  the  road  having  then  been  determined  on.  The 
first  train  running  through  from  La  Crosse  was  in  1858; 
the  tur.nel  not  being  completed,  the  trains  ran  east  and 
west  from  that  point,  the  passengers  being  obliged  to  take 
stage  from  one  side  to  the  other.  When  the  track  was  first 
laid,  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  was  one  mile  from 


View  of  couf^r  house  and  souAf^E, 

S  FA  KT  A 


RESIDENCE  or  MK.THOS.B.T  Y  L  E  f\, 


F^ESIDENCE  o<  MAJ.  JAMES  DAVIDSON, 

V/ATER     ST-  SPAF(TA      WIS. 


F^ESIDENCE   o<  M  F^.  A.  W.  WILSON, 

SPAF^TA  _,   Wl  S. 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


625 


Sparta.  At  this  time  there  is  no  intervening  space,  the 
whole  of  the  distance  being  built  up  with  business  houses 
and  fine  residences.  The  opening  of  this  road  gave  a 
new  impetus  to  business  and  to  emigration. 

The  village  now  claims  (1881)  a  population  of  3,000 
inhabitants,  and  for  beauty  of  natural  scenery,  can  hardly  be 
equaled  in  the  northwest.  The  La  Crosse  River  and  Beaver 
Creek,  and  numerous  tributary  trout  streams  wind  through 
and  about  it.     The  bluffs  or  miniature   mountains,  at  the 


itself  furnishes  many  pleasant  driveways,  its  streets  being 
long,  straight  and  wide,  bordered  by  shade  trees,  flower 
gardens  and  fine  residences.  Among  the  latter,  those 
most  likely  to  attract  attention  are  the  residences  of  R.  S. 
Kingman,  M.  A.  Thayer,  Maj.  Davidson  and  T.  B.  Tyler, 
all  situated  on  Noith  Water  street,  surrounded  by  shade 
trees,  and  the  grounds  beautifully  laid  out  with  flowers  and 
foliage  ;  their  well-kept  lawns  a  marvel  of  neatness. 

Sparta  is  fast  becoming  popular  as  a  health  and  pleasure 


jt  !B«6*fcg'^te»' 


bottom  of  which  nestles  the  busy  little  town,  form  a  very 
attractive  feature  to  lovers  of  nature.  Among  the  natural 
beauties  and  curiosities,  is  an  enormous  bluff  some  600  feet 
high,  bearing  on  its  summit  a  monstrous  circular  rock, 
which,  from  its  resemblance  to  an  old  castle,  has  been 
named  Castle  Rock.  Another  point  of  interest  is  Trout 
Falls,  five  or  six  miles  above  Sparta,  on  La  Crosse  River. 
Its  name  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  beautiful  speckled 
trout  which  have  their  home  in  this  river,  have  often  been 
seen  descending  with  the  fall  of  water.  Hollow  Bluff,  sit- 
uated in  the  northeastern  suburbs  of  the  town,  is  a  spot 
of  almost  as  much  interest  as  Castle  Rock.  Eighty  acres 
of  land,  taking  in  this  remarkable  bluff,  were  purchased  by 
six  of  the  enterprising  towns-people,  viz :  H.  Palmer,  T. 
B.  Tyler,  H.  Greve,  Chauncey  Blakeslee,  M.  A.  Thayer  and 
R.  S.  Kingman,  who  intend  to  fit  it  up  as  a  public  park. 
The  grounds  are  well  adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  when 
completed,  will  be  a  great  addition  to  Sparta.  An  observa- 
tory has  been  erected  on  the  bluff,  from  which  one  can 
view  the  town  and  county  adjacent  for  miles.  Sparta  in 
39 


resort,  its  altitude  being  one  of  the  highest  in  the  State. 
The  atmosphere  is  noted  for  its  remarkable  purity,  and  is 
wonderfully  exhilarating.  Malarial  diseases  and  hay-fever 
are  almost  entirely  unknown  in  this  locality,  and  those  who 
are  affected  with  these  maladies  are  speedily  relieved  by  a 
sojourn  here.  The  influence  of  this  air,  in  connection 
with  the  famous  mineral  springs  and  Turkish  baths,  have 
made  for  Sparta  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  health  resort. 
The  baths  have  now  been  in  operation  about  twelve  years, 
and  are  very  complete  in  all  their  appointments,  comprising 
Turkish,  Russian,  electric  and  plain  baths,  using  the  min- 
eral water  for  bathing  and  drinking  purposes.  By  reference 
to  the  analysis,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  water  contains 
more  iron  than  any  other,  either  in  this  country  or  in  Eu- 
rope. Prof.  Hirsh  writes  of  the  Sparta  mineral  spring: 
"This  is  certainly  an  unusually  useful  spring,  similar  to  the 
celebrated  springs  of  Ems,  Germany,  which,  however,  con- 
tain more  soda  compounds,  but  much  less  iron  than  this 
spring."  Here  rheumatism  is  speedily  cured.  The  effect 
upon  paralysis  has  been  wonderful,  many  cases  having  been 


6?6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


entirely  cured.  Among  the  diseases  successfully  treated, 
are  Bright's  disease  of  kidneys,  liver  complaint,  dyspepsia 
and  lumbago.  The  mineral  baths  are  in  charge  of  Dr.  S. 
P.  Stiles  who  is  in  constant  attendance  upon  patients  here 
for  treatment. 

Artesian  Wells. — The  oil  fever  of  1866  reached  Wiscon- 
sin in  common  with  other  States,  and  vague  rumors  that 
unmistakable  signs  of  oil  existed  in  the  valley  of  Kickapoo 
River,  which  runs  along  the  southern  portion  of  the  county, 
came  floating  into  Sparta.  A  stranger  named  Tichnor, 
professing  to  be  an  operator  for  oil,  assured  the  citizens  of 
the  existence  of  oil  in  that  section,  and  they  being  fired  by 
the  general  e.xcitement,  immediately  set  about  investigating 
the  matter.  They  visited  the  spot  designated  by  the  adven- 
turer, and  saw  the  crude  petroleum  bubbling  from  a  spring, 
tested  it  and  were  satisfied.  The  first  company  formed  was 
the  "Gem  Petroleum  Company,"  of  which  Tichnor  was  a 
heavy  stockholder.  Land  owners  received  exorbitant 
prices  for  their  land,  the  owners  invariably  demanding  a 
large  share  of  the  earnings  in  payment,  instead  of  money. 
Stocks  were  in  great  demand,  and  every  man  who  could 
raise  money  enough  to  buy  a  share,  invested  in  oil.  Mean- 
while the  boring  went  on,  but  water  instead  of  oil  rewarded 
their  toil,  and  the  signs  of  petroleum  gradually  disappeared. 
Tichnor  in  the  meantime,  had  sold  the  greater  portion  of 
his  shares  at  an  advance.  There  was  a  sudden  change  in 
the  financial  atmosphere,  the  "  sell  "  having  gradually 
dawned  upon  their  minds,  and  Tichnor's  agent,  whom  the 
former  had  in  some  manner  offended,  disclosed  how  Tichnor 
had  sunk  a  barrel  of  crude  petroleum,  for  the  purpose  of 
deceiving  the  people. 

The  "  Gem  Petroleum  Company  "  became  disgusted  and 
the  affair  ended,  nearly  ruining  some  of  the  best  citizens. 
The  machinery  fell  into  the  hands  of  three  of  the  most 
prominent  in  the  affair,  who  for  a  time  did  not  have  much 
appreciation  of  its  value.  But  the  beautiful  spring  at 
Kickapoo,  was  something  that  could  not  fail  to  be  admired, 
and  the  people  began  to  wish  for  a  spring  nearer  home. 

In  May  of  the  same  year,  the  editor  of  the  Sparta 
Herald,  having  visited  the  Kickapoo  well,  was  so  charmed 
with  its  beauties  and  the  purity  of  its  warers,  that  he  wrote 
an  article  descriptive  of  it  for  his  paper,  closing  thus  :  "and 
why,  we  ask,  can  we  not  have  such  a  fountain  .'  The  same 
inexhaustible  supply  abounds  at  about  the  same  relative 
depth  all  over  this  region  of  country,  and  awaits  the  energy 
of  our  citizens,  to  give  them  this  exquisite  luxury."  This 
article  appeared  May  22,  1866. 

The  following  year  active  measures  were  taken  in  regard 
to  a  well.  There  was  a  meeting  called  and  means  adopted 
for  taking  stock  in  the  enterprise.  About  eight  hundred 
dollars  were  immediately  subscribed.  George  W.  Waring 
was  engaged  as  chief  engineer,  and  the  work  commenced. 
The  machinery  used  was  the  same  that  was  used  for  the  oil 
scheme,  working,  however,  to  better  advantage,  as  a  few 
weeks  latei  the  shrill  scream  of  the  whistle  notified  the  peo- 
ple that  the  well  was  completed. 

It  was  not,  as  has   been  said,  that  the  well  was  sunk  for 


the  purpose  of  supplying  Sparta  with  better  water  than  it 
hitherto  had  had  ;  this  is  a  mistake,  the  town  was  always 
well  supplied  with  plenty  of  pure  cold  water,  as  may  be 
proven,  since  trout  will  not  live  in  any  other  kind,  and  they 
abound  in  all  the  streams  in  this  part  of  the  country.  It  was 
not  therefore  to  procure  good  water  for  the  people,  that  an 
artesian  well  was  sunk,  but  rather  to  furnish  a  fountain  for 
a  very  attractive  park.  It  is  chiefly  owing  to  J.  T.  Hemp- 
hill's energy  and  generosity,  that  the  public  are  indebted  for 
the  valuable  mineral  spring,  which  has  proved  such  a  suc- 
cessful thing  for  the  village.  Water  was  reached  upon  the 
very  first  attempt,  at  the  depth  of  315  feet,  the  well  was 
afterward  sunk  thirty  feet  deeper,  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
a  greater  ascending  force  to  the  column.  The  medicinal 
qualities  were  soon  discovered  by  various  citizens,  who  be- 
ing aff"ected  with  chronic  diseases,  were  cured  by  drinking 
from  the  spring. 

These  cures  resulted  in  causing  an  analysis  of  the  water 
to  be  made,  by  which  Sparta  was  found  to  be  in  the  posses- 
sion of  a  chalybeate  sulphur  spring,  the  medicinal  qualities 
of  which  rival  those  of  the  best  known  springs  in  the  world. 
Since  the  sinking  of  the  first  well,  several  others  have  been 
sunk.  The  second  one  is  in  the  Court-house  square.  Its 
depth  is  2S7  feet,  and  its  cost  $1,000,  the  money  having 
been  raised  by  subscription.  The  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
Railroad  Company  sank  one  at  their  depot.  It  stands 
directly  in  front  of  the  Winship  House,  and  forms  a  very 
attractive  feature  of  that  fine  hotel. 

Another  is  at  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  depot.  It  is 
said  that  no  compounds  of  medicines  are  equal  to  the  waters 
of  these  springs,  as  the  properties  are  held  in  a  much  more 
perfect  solution  than  can  be  effected  by  any  artificial  means, 
and  they  are  more  efficient  in  proportion  to  the  fineness  of 
the  substance. 

The  analysis  of  these  springs  was  made  by  Prof.  A.  M. 
Hirsh.     We  will  give  it  here: 

.ANALYSIS. 
SOLIDS.  GRAINS. 

Carbon.-ite  of   Iron .._    14.33501 

Magnesia 4.03101 

Lime __ 0.40202 

Strontia _.   0.01402 

Baryta _ 0.00600 

"  Manganese- 0.00072 

Soda _ 0.21030 

"  Lithia 0.02400 

"  Ammonia _. 0.00210 

Sulphate  of  Soda _   2.21430 

Potash , 0.64130 

"  Lime 0.18020 

Chloride  of  Calcium 0.60502 

Sodium 0.14301 

Phosphate  of   Soda 0.06400 

Alumina _ 0.06080 

Iodide  of   Sodium 0.00014 

Silica.. 0.2S000 

Hydric  Sulphide 0.00340 

Total 23.21735 

Surrounded  by  a  fertile  country,  Sparta  is  the  market 
and  source  of  supplies  of  the  thrifty  farmers  who  people  the 
adjoining  valleys.  There  are,  in  consequence,  a  large 
number   of  stores  of  every  variety.     There  are  two  banks. 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


627 


the  First  National,  J.  T.  Hemphill,  president,  and  M.  A. 
Thayer  &:  Co.'s  Savings  Bank,  R.  S.  Kingman,  president  ; 
two  weekly  papers,  the  Sparta  Herald,  D.  McBride  &  Son, 
and  the  Monroe  County  Democrat,  F.  A.  Brown,  editor.  The 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  and  the  Northwestern  railroads  afford 
easy  access  to  the  tow-n. 

The  first  village  officers  were  elected  first  day  of  July, 
1857,  and  were  as  follows:  President,  R.  J.  Casselman  ; 
Trustees,  H.  Palmer,  Joseph  Carmichael,  R.  W.  Bowles, 
S.  F.  Holbrook,  C.  Rich  and  J.  A.  Oilman;  L.  S.  Fisher, 
Clerk  ;  L.  Andrews,  Treasurer,  and  Chester  McClure,  Mar- 
shal. The  present  officers,  for  i88t,  are  T.  D.  Steele,  Pres- 
ident ;  N.  W.  Huntley,  William  Lohmiller,  M.  S.  Heller, 
R.  S.  Baldwin,  S.  Coughran  and  Henry  Esch,  Trustees  ; 
W.  H.  Blyton,  Clerk;  W.  J.  McOmbre,  Treasurer;  T.  B. 
Hall,  Constable  and  Street  Commissioner,  and  James  O. 
Connor,  Deputy  Constable  and  Night  Policeman.  William 
Blyton,  the  present  Clerk,  was^  elected  for  the  first  time,  in 
1S71,  and  has  been  returned  each  year  since  that  time. 
N.W.  Huntley,  one  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  has  held  his 
office  for  four  years,  being  elected  tlie  first  time,  in  1S77. 
William  Lohmiller,  for  eight  years,  having  been  elected  in 
1873.  T.  B.Tyler  was  elected  President  of  the  Board  in 
1S73,  and  served  until  1876,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  J. 
M.  Morrow,  who  held  the  office  until  1878.  S.  N.  Dickin- 
son was  elected  in  1878,  and  remained  in  office  until  1881, 
when  the  present  incumbent  succeeded  him. 

RELIGIOUS. 

First  Congregational  Church. — The  history  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  in  Sparta,  dates  from  the  advent  of  the 
Rev.  Wm.  F.  Avery,  and  his  father.  Deacon  Jos.  Avery,  in 
the  Fall  of  1854.  The  first  stated  preaching,  by  a  Congrega- 
tional minister,  was  on  October  24,  of  that  year.  The 
meetings  was  held  in  such  private  houses  as  could  be 
found  available  during  the  Fall  and  following  Winter.  The 
next  year  a  frame  school-house  was  built,  and  occupied  in 
turns  for  preaching,  by  the  Congregational,  Methodist,  and 
Baptist  denominations.  .On  the  22nd  of  June,  1855,  a  Con- 
gregational Church  was  organized,  with  twenty-two  mem- 
bers, living  in  Sparta  and  the  surrounding  neighborhood, 
and  Rev.  Wm.  F.  Avery  was  installed  as  pastor,  being  the 
first  of  this  denomination,  in  Sparta.  The  letters  of  dis- 
missal and  recommendation,  presented  by  the  twenty-two 
members,  were  from  churches  in  seven  different  States. 
The  first  three  deacons  were  Joseph  Avery,  Guy  C.  Hoytand 
H.  M.  Sandford.  The  present  neat  house  of  worship  was 
commenced  in  the  Winter  of  1856,  and  finished  the  next 
Spring,  being  dedicated  June  11,  1857.  The  cost  of  the 
building,  with  bell  and  furniture,  was  about  $3,800. 

The  name  of  Deacon  Avery  will  long  be  remembered  by 
this  church.  Through  his  zealous  and  untiring  efforts,  and 
most  liberal  pecuniary  aid,  the  present  site  of  the  church 
was  purchased.  Another  name  must  not  be  omitted,  Mrs. 
Susan  P.  Lees,  a  wealthy  New  York  lady,  who  contributed 
the  generous  sum  of  $1,000  in  aid  of  the  church.  The 
first  board  of  officers  were  elected  March  8,  1S56,  consist- 
ing of  six  trustees,  viz.  ;  tieorge  W.  Root,  C.  C.  Hoyt,  E.  S. 


Blake,  E.  Lathrop,  Joseph  Avery  and  A.  F.  Childs.  G.  W. 
Root,  treasurer.  In  the  year  1858,  Mr.  Avery  was  com- 
pelled to  tender  his  resignation  of  the  pastorate,  on  account 
of  his  failing  health.  During  the  intervals  from  1858  until 
1867,  the  desk  was  occupied  by  five  different  clergymen,  for 
terms  varying  from  three  months  to  two  years.  The  present 
pastor.  Rev.  F.  T.  Lee,  began  his  labors  with  the  church  in 
February,  1879.  Shortly  after  this  a  quiet  but  wide-reach- 
ing revival  began,  meetings  being  held  almost  continuously 
for  three  months  or  more.  These  were  mostly  of  the  prayer 
and  conference  character,  held  at  first  at  private  houses, 
afterward  in  the  church,  the  pastor  conducting  them.  Only 
two  or  three  weeks  of  regular  preaching  services  were  main- 
tained. Rev.  S.  U.  Newman,  of  Ripon,  and  Rev.  G.  F. 
Hunting,  of  Beaver  Dam  (a  former  pastor),  assisted  for  a 
week  each.  As  a  result  of  this  revival,  nearly  one  hundred 
were  received  into  membership  in  the  church,  seventy-nine 
at  one  time,  eleven  a  few  weeks  later,  and  others  from  time 
to  time  during  the  year  following.  This  number  included 
many  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  and  prominent  busi- 
ness men.  Over  two-thirds  the  entire  number  were  adults, 
about  one-half  being  m..rried.  Forty  received  the  rite  of 
baptism.  Following  this  work,  Mr.  Lee  gave  his  attention 
to  the  organization  of  the  membership  into  committees,  for 
permanent  church  work,  and  a  system  was  inaugurated, 
which  has  proven  to  be  of  great  utility  in  developing  a 
spirit  of  Christian  activity.  During  the  following  Winter, 
continuous  meetings  were  again  held  for  over  two  months, 
conducted  by  the  pastor  alone  for  five  weeks,  after  which 
Rev.  H.  A.  Miner,  of  Madison,  assisted  for  ten  days.  Rev. 
James  Cruickshanks  for  one  week,  and  T.  G.  Owen  and 
others  for  a  few  days  each.  The  fruits  of  this  revival  were 
the  addition  of  some  thirty-three  to  the  church,  nearly  all 
being  adults.  Fully  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  were  re- 
ceived in  all,  during  the  year  beginning  with  the  previous 
revival  interest  noted.  In  the  Spring  of  1880,  the  pastor, 
much  worn  from  the  excessive  labor  of  the  year,  was  granted 
leave  of  absence,  for  seven  and  a  half  months,  for  a  tour  of 
Europe  and  Holy  Land.  Serious  illness,  contracted  in 
Palestine,  from  exposure  to  malarial  influences,  protracted 
this  absence  to  ten  months.  During  that  time  the  pulpit 
was  filled  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Carmichael,  a  former  pastor,  and 
by  such  other  ministers  as  were  available.  The  present 
membership  of  the  church  is  about  280,  of  whom  240  are 
resident,  and  the  balance  non-resident  members.  The 
losses  by  death  and  removal  to  the  West  have  been  unusu- 
ally large  during  the  year. 

The  Sunday-school,  which  has  long  been  one  of  the 
most  flourishing  in  the  State,  numbers  almost  400  enrolled, 
with  a  high  average  attendance.  The  proportion  of  the 
adult  membership  of  the  school  is  ususually  large.  In  the 
Summer  of  1879,  succeeding  the  great  revival,  the  church 
building  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  100  sittings,  new 
pulpit  and  other  furniture,  at  an  expense  of  $1,000.  The 
contributions  of  church  and  Sunday-school  for  benevolent 
purposes  have  been  steadily  gaining  of  late  years,  increas- 
ing from  $226  in  1S77,  to  $623   in    1879,  and  over  $700  in 


628 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


iSSo.  The  Children's  Mission  Rand  (in  connection  with 
the  Sunday-school)  has  a  membership  of  about  loo.  A 
Woman's  Missionarj-  Society  is  sustained,  and  a  Children's 
Christian  Society  alternates  in  its  meetings  with  the  Mission 
Band  every  two  weeks. 

The  church  can  boast  of  the  largest  membership  in 
Sparta,  as  well  as  being  in  the  most  prosperous  condition. 
The  present  excellent  condition  and  prosperity  are  in  a  great 
measure  due  to  the  unwearied  zeal  and  care  of  the  present 
incumbent,  Rev.  F.  T.  Lee,  who,  as  well  as  being  a  hard 
worker  in  the  good  cause,  is  an  eloquent  and  graphic 
speaker,  filling  his  position  in  the  most  efficient  and  satis- 
factory manner. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Cliuich. — The  first  religious  services 
in  Sparta  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Frederick  Walrath,  who 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  November,  1 851,  to  a  congre- 
gation of  five  persons.  Service  was  held  in  the  Petit  cabin. 
Mr.  Walrath  continued  to  hold  services  from  that  time  un- 
til 1S54,  the  membership  numbering  about  twenty-five  per- 
sons. In  this  year,  the  first  regularly  appointed  pastor, 
Rev.  Mr.  Mayne,  took  charge.  Although  Mr.  Mayne  was  a 
regularly  appointed  pastor,  the  Methodists  did  not  become 
an  organization  until  1856,  when  a  neat  church  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  ,'\bout  the  same  time,  a  bell  was 
presented  to  the  church  by  the  members  of  the  com- 
munity, who  raised  the  money  for  the  purpose  by  subscrip- 
tion. The  bell  cost  $450,  and  is  a  great  addition  to  the 
building. 

By  the  following  copy  of  the  record,  the  date  of  organ- 
ization may  be  seen: 

Record  of  the  Organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Spart.\,  Wis. — This  is  to  certify,  that  I,  Reuben  R.  Wood, 
presiding  elder  of  the  La  Crosse  District,  Wisconsin  Conference,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  do  hereby,  by  the  authority  vested  in  me 
by  the  said  church,  and  the  statutes  of  this  State,  appoint  and  constitute 
Frederick  Walrath,  W.  J.  Tucker,  Albert  II.  Blake,  Benjamin  Stevens 
and  T.  W.  Harding,  as  trustees  of  said  church  at  Sparta,  Monroe  Co., 
Wis.,  to  hold  property  in  trust  for  said  church.  In  testimony  whereof, 
I  have  set  my  hand  and  seal,  this  sixteenth  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1S56. 
Doueinfresemeof  K.  K.  WOOD, 

Wm.  Bush, 

E.  Sanford  Bi.ake. 
STATE   OF  WISCONSIN,  ) 

C'lUNTV  OF  Monroe.        )" 
A.  D.  1856,  personably  appeared  before  me,  Reuben  R.  Wood,  and   ac- 
knowledged the  foregoing  instrument  to  be  his  free  act  and  deed. 

[Seal  of  Office.]  E.  Sanford  Blake,  Notary  Publu. 

The  above  was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors of  Monroe  Coutity,  Feb.  16,  A.  D.  1876.  E.  SHAW, 

By  R.  S.  Kingman,  Deputy.  Clerk  op  Board. 

The  above  is  a  true  copy  from  record  of  the  Trustee  Book,  done  this 
fourteenth  day  of  June,  A.  D.  18S1.  C.  BERG,  County  Clak. 

The  Methodist  society  has  met  with  many  reverses.  In 
1S72  or  1873,  the  membership  numbered  168;  in  1875,  143; 
the  number  of  members  now  is  123.  Since  Mr.  Seaman's 
pastorate,  they  have  put  about  $800  worth  of  improve- 
ments upon  the  church.  The  estimated  value  of  same  is 
now  $3,300. 

First  Baptist  Church. — The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Spar- 
ta was  organized  September  9,  1854,  with  about  nine  con- 
stituent members.  The  following  were  the  first  officers  of 
the  church:  Mr.  Owles,  deacon,  and  Mr.  J.  Thrall,  clerk. 
Among  the  first  members  were:    L.   C.    Derrick    and  wife. 


Pr,sidii. 


Ehiei 


■  ss.     On  thi: 


ith  day  of  February, 


Mr.  Harroun  and  wife,  John  Thrall  and  wife.  Deacon  Owles 
and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Hoyt.  The  first  minister  called 
to  take  regular  charge  of  the  church  was  the  Rev.  James 
Squicr,  who  came  in  1S55.  At  the  expiration  of  one  year, 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  S.  Gustin.  Shortly  after  the 
pastorate  of  Mr.  Gustin  commenced,  the  church  disbanded 
and  was  re-organized  again  under  the  title  of  "The  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Sparta,"  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  June, 
1856,  with  twenty-two  constituent  members,  who  adopted 
the  New  England  confession  of  faith  and  church  covenant. 
During  the  first  year  of  the  history  of  the  church  under  its 
new  organization,  and  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  W. 
S.  Card,  the  membership  was  increased  by  the  addition  of 
fifty-one  persons.  Rev.  Ira  Bennett  was  the  next  pastor, 
during  whose  first  year  (1858),  the  first  church  building  was 
erected  on  Bentoij  street.  Rev.  Ira  Bennett  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Caleb  Blood.  He  remained  in  charge  for  one  year, 
when  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  Delano. 
During  the  pastorate  of  the  next  incumbent.  Rev.  S.  S. 
Walker,  the  present  neat  and  capacious  church  was  built  on 
the  corner  of  Oak  and  Court  streets,  at  a  cost  of  $3,500. 
The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  William  Remington,  an  elo- 
quent preacher,  under  whose  charge  the  church  was  greatly 
prospered,  and  increased  by  the  addition  of  seventy-eight 
members.  There  were  a  number  of  changes  made  during 
the  years  1865-7-8.  In  November  of  1868,  the  Rev.  C.  H. 
Remington  was  called  to  supply  the  pulpit,  and  remained 
until  May,  1S70,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  S. 
Gorman,  who  continued  in  charge  until  the  Summer  of 
1S74,  when  ill  health  caused  him  to  resign  the  charge. 
During  Mr.  Gorman's  pastorate,  much  prosperity  was  en- 
joyed by  the  church,  and  considerable  addition  made  at 
different  times  to  her  membership,  which  at  length,  notwith- 
standing death,  exclusion  and  removal,  reached  nearly  200. 
During  this  pastorate,  the  church  building  was  still  further 
improved,  a  fine  organ  put  in,  and  a  mortgage  of  $1,858.22 
released  by  the  generosity  of  its  holder,  W.  W.  Allis,  a  dea- 
con of  the  church.  The  next  pastor  after  Mr.  Gorman  was 
the  Rev.  L.  W.  Hayhurst,  who  commenced  his  duties  Jan- 
uary I,  1S75,  and  held  the  charge  until  July  i,  1878,  when 
Rev.  Mr.  Pratt  took  charge.  Under  these  two  pastors  the 
church  prospered  very  much.  In  September,  1880,  Mr. 
Gorman  was  again  installed  as  pastor,  and  has  since  the 
commencement  of  this  his  second  pastorate,  done  much  good 
work,  and  at  present  the  church  is  anticipating  continued 
and  increasing  prosperity  under  his  charge.  The  church 
has  now  130  members,  residing  in  Sparta.  The  church  prop- 
erty is  valued  at  $5,000. 

Episcopal  Church. — There  is  an  Episcopal  church,  but 
at  present  no  services  are  held.  The  first  services  of  this 
society  were  held  in  a  hall.  An  organization  was  perfected 
in  April,  1S63.  'I'he  present  church  building  was  conse- 
crated in  January,  1879. 

Catholic  Church. — Sparta  was  visited  for  the  first  time  by 
a  Catholic  priest  is  1859.  This  was  the  Rev.  Father  Mon- 
tague: ^\'lio  celebrated  Mass  in  a  railroad  shanty.  At 
that  time,  Sparta  had  but  five  or  six  Catholic  families.    'I'he 


HISTORY    OF   MONROE    COUNTY. 


629 


Catholic  Church  in  Sparta  was  built  in  the  year  1865,  by 
Father  Marco,  the  first  members  of  the  congregation  being 
H.  Fanning,  Thomas  Brennan,  H.  Schroff,  D.  Sullivan,  P. 
Fitzgerald,  C.  Bedenk  and  C.  Mailer.  Rev.  Father  Quick- 
ley,  was  the  pastor  in  1867,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Father  Dorware,  of  Tomah,  who  on  the  fourteenth 
day  of  August,  1876,  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Rev.  T.  B. 
Metzler,  who  had  the  pastorate  until  August  of  1877,  when 
Rev.  Joseph  Bauer  relieved  him.  This  pastor  officiated 
until  February  21,  1879,  when  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Joseph  B.  Wiedman,  took  charge.  The  church  was  built  in 
the  year  1876,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  The  membership  is  not 
large,  comprising  about  sixty  families.  They  have  con- 
nected with  the  church  an  asylum  for  female  orphans.  At 
the  present  time  they  have  forty-six  children,  ranging  from 
three  to  ten  years  of  age.  This  institution,  although  con- 
nected with  the  Catholic  Church,  is  under  the  supervision 
of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  of  La  Crosse.  There  are 
twelve  Sisters  connected  with  it.  The  church  property  is 
valued  at  $2,500. 

The  Adventists. — The  Advents  or  the  Church  of  God  at 
Sparta,  was  organized  on  the  eleventh  day  of  June,  1S66, 
by  Elder  William  Sheldon,  and  numbered  eleven  members. 
They  had  no  house  to  worship  in  for  some  time,  only  as 
they  could  get  the  public  halls  and  school-house  now  and 
then.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  meeting-house,  they  called  a 
meeting  of  the  members  February  28,  1870,  at  which  time 
they  elected  six  trustees  and  a  church  clerk,  and  began  to 
solicit  aid  among  the  citizens,  as  well  as  the  members  of  the 
denomination.  They  were  so  far  successful,  that  upon  the 
tenth  day  of  April,  1870,  they  began  to  erect  a  building, 
which  was  completed  and  dedicated  July  20,  of  same  year. 
Elder  Fassett,  who  took  charge  at  this  time,  served  for 
about  one  year,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Elder  Thurber. 
In  1872,  Mr.  Thurber  was  called  to  Minnesota,  and  the 
church  was  without  a  pastor  until  June,  1874,  when  Eider 
Clark  took  charge.  Since  that  time,  there  have  been  many 
changes,  some  staying  but  a  short  time,  others  being  ap- 
pointed for  a  year.  At  present  the  membership  is  about  150, 
but  having  been  without  a  pastor  for  some  time,  they  have 
ceased  holding  services. 

The  Public  Schools. — The  subject  of  education  is  one 
of  prime  importance  to  every  community,  and  the  de- 
gree in  wliich  it  is  fostered  and  promoted  is  always  a  sure 
index  to  the  intelligence  and  liberality  of  the  people.  The 
moral  sentiments  are  elevated,  and  the  face  of  humanity 
made  to  shine  with  celestial  luster.  It  has  been  well  and 
truly  said  that,  "  an  education  is  that  which  no  misfortune 
can  depress,  no  clime  destroy,  no  enemy  alienate,  no  despo- 
tism enslave;  at  home  a  friend,  abroad  an  introduction, 
in  solitude  a  solace,  in  society  an  ornament."  As  illustra- 
tive of  the  tendency  of  the  times,  it  will  not  be  out  of 
place  to  show  the  attention  education  received  at  Sparta 
twenty-eight  years  ago.  The  first  school  was  established 
in  1853,  with  Miss  Sarah  Walrath  as  teacher.  There  were 
in  all  about  nine  pupils.  The  school  was  held  in  a  board 
shanty,  erected  for  the  purpose,  and   stood  on  the  same  site 


that  is  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Owsley,  as  a  grocery  store. 
The  dimensions  were  16x12  feet,  and  for  a  time  it  served 
the  double  purpose  of  school-house  and  church.  The  vil- 
lage of  Sparta,  organized  on  the  eleventh  day  of  May, 
1857,  and  by  virtue  of  that  organization,  became  at  that 
date  a  school  district,  under  a  law  of  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin, which  declared  that,  "  Every  town  in  this  State  contain- 
ing not  less  than  ten  families,  shall  be  a  school  district," 
etc.  The  schools  were  increased  from  year  to  year,  as  the 
village  increased  in  population,  and  in  1867,  the  present 
high  school  was  built,  at  a  cost  of  $18,000.  The  public 
schools  were  then  thoroughly  organized,  on  the  graded  sys- 
tem. In  these,  the  students  are  prepared  for  college,  or 
fitted  for  a  business  life.  Probably,  no  schools  in  the  State 
are  more  efficient  and  thorough  in  their  work.  The  schools, 
at  present,  are  under  the  supervision  of  the  following  offi- 
cers and  teachers  : 

School  Board.— J.  M.  Morrow,  Clerk;  Ira  A.  Hill,  Di- 
rector; D.  C.  Beebe,  Treasurer. 

High  School  teachers  are:  Principal,  Prof.  J.  H.  Cum- 
mings;  First  Assistant,  Mary  Walker;  Second  Assistant, 
Ida  O.  Powell. 

Intermediate  teachers. — First,  Charlotte  M.  Letson  • 
Second,  Annie  A.  Porter;  Third,  Clara  G.  Martin. 

Primary  teachers.  — Jessie  MacMillan,  Emma  Myers,  Mrs. 
O.  R.  Smith,  Mary  Button,  Annie  E.  Smith,  Amelia  Littell. 

Board  of  Trade. — The  Sparta  Board  of  Trade  was  or- 
ganized on  the  thirteenth  day  of  August,  1880,  under  Chap- 
ter 86,  of  the  revised  statutes  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
entitled:  "Of  the  organization  of  corporations."  The 
initial  members  of  the  association  were  Thomas  B.  Tyler, 
C.  W.  Masters,  J.  M.  Morrow,  William  Lohmiller,  John  L. 
Woy,  A.  E.  Bleekman,  Ira  A.  Hill,  O.  L.  Irwin,  R.  S. 
Dodge,  M.  A.  Thayer  and  M.  L.  Heller.  The  first  meeting 
was  held  on  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  day  of  August, 
in  their  meeting  room,  in  Thayer  &  Kingman's  Block.  At 
this  meeting,  there  were  sixty-three  elected  to  membership, 
and  the  following  officers  elected :  M.  A.  Thayer,  presi- 
dent; T.  B.  Tyler,  vice-president;  Ira  A.  Hill,  correspond- 
ing secretary  ;  William  Lohmiller,  recording  secretary,  and 
William  H.  Blyton,  treasurer;  Board  of  Directors — M.  L. 
Heller,  George  D.  Dunn,  J.  J.  Mason,  T.  N.  Newton,  A. 
Grossman  and  O.  L.  Irwin.  The  purpose  of  the  associa- 
tion is  to  advance  the  mercantile  and  manufacturing  inter- 
ests of  the  village  of  Sparta  ;  to  inculcate  just  and  equitable 
principles  of  trade;  establish  and  maintain  uniformity  in 
the  commercial  usages  of  the  village;  acquire,  preserve 
and  disseminate  valuable  business  information,  and  as  far 
as  practicable,  to  adjust  controversy  and  misunderstand- 
ings, and  to  promote  the  general  prosperity  of  the  village  of 
Sparta.  .'Ml  controversies  are  brought  before  the  commit- 
tee of  arbitration,  who  have  power  to  settle  all  such  dis- 
putes. 

The  present  membership  of  the  association  numbers 
seventy-nine  of  the  principal  business  men  and  capitalists 
of  the  village,  who  stand  ready  and  willing  to  help  all  who 
wish  to  establish  a  business  in  Sparta,  to  the  fullest  txicnt. 


630 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Library  Association. — The  intelligence  of  a  community 
is  usually  gauged  by  the  literary  patronage  of  its  citizens. 
The  support  the  citizens  of  Sparta  have  for  the  past  few- 
years  given  the  public  library,  is  excellent  testimony  of  this. 
In  the  Summer  of  i860,  a  meeting  of  prominent  citizens 
was  held  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  library  associa- 
tion. The  necessary  preliminary  steps  taken,  an  adjourn- 
ment was  had,  which  lasted  until  the  Winter  of  1861,  at 
which  time  the  organization  was  completed  by  the  election 
of  the  following  officers :  R.  Bunn,  president ;  E.  S.  Whit- 
taker,  secretary;  T.  B.  Tyler,  treasurer;  M.  A.  Thayer, 
librarian.  The  library  was  first  organized  under  the  name 
of  the  "  The  Young  Men's  Library  Association,"  and  was 
managed  under  that  name  until_May  8,  1874,  when  it  was 
changed  from  the  old  form  and  re-organized  under  the 
State  law,  then  recently  passed,  authorizing  villages  and 
cities  to  establish  free  public  libraries.  By  this  arrange- 
ment the  library  became  a  village  institution,  subject  to 
municipal  authority,  and  its  affairs  in  the  charge  of  nine 
trustees,  appointed  by  the  village  board.  The  books  are 
loaned  free  to  ail  residents  of  the  village,  a  deposit  being 
required  equal  to  the  value  of  the  book  loaned.  The  ex- 
penses of  the  association  are  defrayed  from  a  special  fund 
raised  by  village  tax ;  the  amount  thus  raised  being  enough 
to  defray  all  expenses  and  provide  each  year  for  a  consid- 
erable addition  to  the  books  of  the  library.  It  is  thus 
placed  on  a  sure  foundation  and  reasonably  sure,  in  a  short 
time,  to  become  one  of  the  most  valuable  public  libraries 
in  the  State.  Its  present  excellent  condition  and  popularity 
are  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  fidelity  and  unwearied 
zeal  and  care  of  the  present  librarian.  Dr.  R.  S.  Wells,  who 
has  had  charge  of  the  books  for  the  past  sixteen  years,  and 
of  whom  it  can  almost  be  said,  that  he  has  made  the  library 
what  it  is.  Taking  an  active  interest  in  his  duties,  and  rig- 
orously enforcing  the  rules  in  respect  to  the  loan  of  books  ; 
he  has  not  only  kept  the  library  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation, but  has  made  it  more  generally  patronized  and 
valued  by  the  general  public,  than  it  could  possibly  have 
become  in  less  faithful  keeping. 

During  his  administration,  over  fifty  lost  volumes  have 
been  recovered,  and  only  three  lost.  The  public  are  under 
a  debt  of  gratitude  to  Librarian  Wells  for  the  able  and 
courteous  manner  in  which  he  has  filled  his  arduous  duties. 

The  library  contains  twelve  hundred  and  one.  The 
present  ofificers  are:  Thomas  B.  Tylor,  president;  M.  A. 
Thayer,  vice-president ;  William  H.  Blyton,  secretary.  Di- 
rectors :  L.  S.  Fisher,  E.  Nutting,  F.  A.  Brown,  William 
Lohmiller,  J.  D.  Condit  and  J.  H.  Cummings.  The  officers, 
president,  vice-president,  secretary  and  librarian,  being  ap- 
pointed by  the  board  of  directors. 

Public  Halls. — The  first  public  hall  was  built  by  Messrs. 
Nolan  &  Bowles,  in  the  year  1856,  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Oak  and  Water  streets,  directly  opposite  the  handsome 
block,  now  known  as  Opera  Block.  Liberty  Hall,  as  it  was 
called,  seemed  to  have  been  the  first  place  of  any  note  cal- 
culated for  the  accommodation  of  public  assemblages.  The 
first  entertainment  was  given  by  a  traveling  magician,  this 


same  year.  In  the  Winter  of  1867  and  1868,  the  block, 
now  known  as  Opera  Block,  was  built  by  Messrs.  Greve  & 
Adler  Bros.  The  opera  house  is  located  on  the  corner  of 
Oak  and  Water  streets,  with  the  entrance  on  Water  street. 
This  property,  including  the  whole  block  known  as  Opera 
Block,  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  T.  B.  Tyler  and  Ira  Hill, 
in  the  Winter  of  1880.  Immediately  after  taking  possession 
they  closed  the  hall  for  repairs,  the  cost  of  which  amounted 
to  $2,000.  The  stores  were  also  greatly  improved  by  put- 
ting in  new  fronts,  painting,  and  otherwise  improving  their 
appearance,  making  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  blocks  in 
the  village.  The  stores  are  very  roomy  and  well  lighted, 
and  the  location  excellent.  The  repairs  made  on  the  hall 
add  greatly  to  its  advantages.  It  was  always  large  enough, 
having  a  seating  capacity  for  800,  but  until  the  present 
owners  took  possession  of  it,  was  barren  of  adornments  and 
poorly  ceiled,  heated  and  lighted.  The  scenery  was  also 
old,  and  not  at  all  adapted  to  modern  uses.  This  has  all 
been  changed  by  Messrs.  Tyler  &  Hill;  the  defective 
acoustic  properties  remedied,  new  seats,  new  chandeliers, 
new  heating  apparatus,  and  entirely  new  scenery  through- 
out. The  auditorium  is  sixty-six  feet  square,  stage  thirty- 
two  feet  deep  and  ceiling  twenty  feet  high.  The  citizens  of 
Sparta  can  now  boast  of  a  fine  opera  hall,  and  one  in  which 
they  may  expect  to  have  meritorious  entertainments  in 
future.  Mr.  Greve,  one  of  the  original  owners  of  this  block, 
was  for  a  number  of  years  identified  with  the  town  as  one  of 
its  most  zealous  and  enterprising  citizens  The  Ida  Hall 
must  not  be  forgotten,  situated  in  the  south  wing  of  the  Ida 
House,  and  is  a  very  pleasant  hall.  It  has  a  stage  about 
twenty  feet  deep,  acoustic  properties,  and  has  a  seating  ca- 
pacity for  about  300. 

Fire  Departmeni. — The  Sparta  Fire  Department  was  or- 
ganized May  19,  1879,  appointing  as  chief  engineer,  G.  A. 
Fisk,  and  W.  H.  Baldwin,  engineer  of  steamer,  hose  car- 
riages and  hook  and  ladder  company.  Fisk  resigned  his 
position  April  i,  1881,  and  G.  Simpson  was  appointed  in  his 
place.  The  department  is  under  the  town  government, 
every  man  being  paid  something  for  his  services,  receiving 
from  $25  to  $125  per  annum.  The  outfit  of  the  company 
consists  of  one  Silsby  engine,  two  hose  carriages,  carrying 
1,800  feet  of  hose,  and  one  hook  and  ladder  truck.  This 
department  did  good  service  at  the  time  of  the  fire  in  Union 
Block,  December  24,  1879,  saving  a  great  deal  of  private 
property  by  their  efforts.  At  the  present  time  they  number 
twenty-five  members,  and  are  well  drilled  in  their  duties. 

In  its  early  and  late  period  of  existence,  Sparta  has  been 
visited  several  times  by  disastrous  conflagrations,  and  the 
losers  have  always  been  prompt  in  rebuilding. 

Bank  of  Sparta. — January  8,  1858,  the  Bank  of  Sparta 
was  started  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Hemphill,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000. 
The  first  officers  of  the  bank  were  J.  T.  Hemphill,  presi- 
dent, and  Samuel  McCord,  cashier.  In  1865  it  was  organ- 
ized under  the  general  banking  law,  as  the  Y'\x%\.  National 
Bank  of  Sparta,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  Mr.  Hemphill  re- 
maining president.  This  bank  passed  through  the  financial 
crisis  of  1873,  as  well  as  the  wartimes,  and  other  hard  times 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


63, 


without  suspension  or  difficulty  of  any  kind.  In  the  year 
1878,  the  bank  again  changed  its  name  to  the  Bank  of 
Sparta,  still  having  as  capital  $50,000.  The  present  officers 
are  J.  T.  Hemphill,  president;  T.  B.  Tyler,  vice-presi- 
dent; E.  H.  Canfield,  cashier;  the  directors  are  J.  T. 
Hemphill,  Ira  A.  Hill,  James  McCord,  T.  B. 
Tyler,  E.  H.  Canfield.  The  bank  has  a  department 
giving  all  the  advantages  of  a  regular  savings  bank;  it  is  at 
the  present  time,  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition. 

There  is  also  a  private  banking  institution  run  by  Messrs. 
Thayer  &  Kingman,  which  does  quite  a  large  business, 
having  a  branch  office  in  the  village  of  Tomah.  The  bank- 
ing house  has  been  established  a  number  of  years,  and  has 
a  wide  spread  reputation.  Mr.  Kingman,  the  senior  member, 
being  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  county,  having  reached 
Leon  in  the  year  185 1,  since  which  time  he  has  dealt  very 
extensively  in  lands,  from  which  he  has  secured  a  com- 
petency. 

Hotels. — Sparta  is  particularly  fortunate  in  being  well 
supplied  with  good  hotels.  The  Warner  House  built  in  the 
year  1861,  by  J.  D.  Condit,  is  the  principal  hotel  in  the 
village.  This  hotel,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1879,  has  been  replaced  by  a  large,  commodious  and 
substantial  edifice,  containing  all  the  moderate  improve- 
ments. It  is  located  directly  opposite  the  Court-house 
Park  and  the  celebrated  mineral  springs,  and  is  furnished 
with  Turkish,  Russian,  electric  and  plain  baths,  electric 
bells,  gas,  etc. 

The  hotel  is  now  under  the  management  of  B.  F.  Brown, 
a  veteran  hotel  proprietor,  assisted  by  his  son-in-law,  "Reed" 
Smith,  who  is  becoming  well  known  and  liked  for  his  earnest 
efforts  to  please. 

This  hotel  was  rebuilt  in  August,  1879,  at  a  cost  of 
$30,000,  it  contains  fifty  rooms,  its  dimensions  being  100x80 
feet,  and  is  practically  fire  proof. 

Winship  House,  situated  at  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
Railroad  depot,  Capt.  Conners,  proprietor,  and  the  Ida 
House,  located  on  Water  street,  John  Matchett,  proprietor, 
are  hotels  of  wide-spread  reputation.  There  are  others  in 
the  town,  among  which  are  the  Wisconsin  House,  Sparta 
House,  and  American  House.  All  doing  their  share  of  the 
business. 

Lodges  and  Societies. — Valley  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  No 
60. — Dispensation  granted  August  17,  1S54.  Firstmeeting 
held  at  house  of  R.  Kingman,  August  26,  1854,  when  Mor- 
rison McMillan  was  installed  as  W.  M.  The  charter  was 
granted  June  15,  1855,  M.  McMillan  being  the  first  W.  M. 
under  charter,  since  which  time  there  has  been  nine  W.  M's 
and  twelve  secretaries.  Names  of  the  former  are  :  Mor- 
rison McMillan,  A.  D.  Soper,  A.  H.  Condit,  A.  H.  Isham, 
M.  R.  Gage,  S.  N.  Dickinson,  S.  S.  Field,  D.  C.  Hope  and 
C.  M.  Masters.  Secretaries:  Chester  McClure,  R.  W. 
Bowles,  E.  F.  Clinton,  M.  Montgomery,  J.  M.  Sugden,  Fred 
Lee,  H.  E.  Kellogg,  C.  Aylesworth,  A.  Oppenheimer,  E.  C. 
Caskey,  J.  J.  French  and  E.  E.  Boyden.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  :  A.  H.  Isham,  W.  M.;  S.  Coughran,  S.  W.;  L.  D. 
Merrill,  J.  W.;  F.  Avery,  Treas.;  J.  M.  Sugden,  Sec;  L.  M. 


Stevens,  S.  D.;  D.  S.  Smith,  J.  D.;  Robert  Rathbun,  Tiler. 
Number  of  members  connected  with  lodge  at  present  time, 
III.     Value  of  lodge  property,  $900. 

Sparta  Chapter,  No.  19,  R.  A.  M. — Dispensation  granted 
February  9,  1859,  upon  petition  of  Morrison  McMillan,  Sol- 
omon Howe,  A.  H.  Condit,  W.  S.  Lane,  A.  R.  McLean, 
Thomas  Deitcher,  Robert  Langley,  E.  Sanford  Blake,  E.  F. 
Clinton,  J.  West  Millour,  Israel  Graves,  Chester  McClure, 
E.  S.  McBride,  J.  D.  Condit  and  R.  H.  McMahon.  First 
meeting  under  dispensation  held  in  Jackson's  Hall,  even- 
ing of  March  11,  1859.  at  which  time  M.  McMillan  was  in- 
stalled as  High  Priest.  On  the  third  day  of  February,  i860, 
charter  was  granted  by  Grand  Lodge,  and  the  Chapter  con- 
stituted and  officers  installed  April  19,  following.  A.  H. 
Condit  being  first  High  Priest  under  the  charter.  During 
the  twenty-two  years  of  organization  the  Chapter  has  had 
but  eleven  High  Priests,  all  of  whom  are  now  living  but 
four.  They  have  had  seven  secretaries,  all  of  whom  are 
still  living  and  active  members  of  the  Chapter.  The  value 
of  lodge  property  is  about  $900,  with  cash  in  the  hands  of 
the  treasurer  amounting  to  $721.89.  They  are  in  a  pros- 
perous condition,  numbering  as  members  ninety-five.  The 
present  officers  are:  Ira  A.  Hill,  H.  P.;  William  Lohmiller, 
K.;  H.  Foster,  S.;  F.  Avery,  Treas.;  J.  M.  Sugden,  Sec;  C. 
W.  Pott,  C.  H.;  A.  H.  Isham,  P.  S.;  S.  Coughran,  R.  A.  C; 
M.  R.  Gage,  3rd  V.;  N.  W.  Huntley,  2nd  V.;  H.  H.  I., 
Childs,    I  St  v.;  Robert  Rathbun,  guard. 

Spartan  Lodge,  No.  94,  I.  O.  O.  F. — The  present  char- 
ter was  granted  on  the  twenty-first  day  of  January,  1869, 
with  H.  Palmer,  R.  Langley,  L.  S.  Fisher,  D.  C.  Fuller  and 
S.  P.  Greenman  as  charter  members-  There  was  a  lodge 
organized  in  or  about  the  year  1854,  but  was  disorganized, 
and  its  records  were  lost  or  destroyed.  The  lodge  numbers 
over  100  members,  and  is  in  an  extremely  prosperous  con- 
dition, having  a  well  appointed  hall,  which  it  sub-lets  to 
other  orders,  by  this  arrangement  bringing  quite  a  revenue 
into  its  treasury. 

Sparta  Encampment.  No.  36,  I.  O.  O.  F. — Was  insti- 
tuted January  19,  1870.  Charter  members  were:  A.  W. 
Kemp,  S.  P.  Greenman,  G.  Simpson,  S.  B.  Hamilton,  J.  H. 
Allen,  J.  M.  Tarr  and  W.  F.  Cook.  At  the  first  meeting, 
the  following  officers  were  elected  :  W.  F.  Cook,  C.  P. ;  G. 
Simpson,  H.  P.;  J.  H.  Allen,  S.  W  ;  S.  B.  Hamilton,  J.  W.; 
J.  W.  Tarr,  scribe  ;  A.  W.  Kemp,  treasurer.  There  are 
forty  members,  twenty-two  of  whom  are  uniformed.  The 
property  belonging  to  the  Encampment  is  valued  at  §600. 

Mineral  Springs  (Rebekah)  Lodge,  No.- 41. — Charter 
granted  by  Grand  Lodge,  December  3,  1874,  with  the  fol- 
lowing signating  members:  A.  W.  Kemp,  G.  S.  Shaw, 
Samuel  Hoyt,  E.  E.  Olin,  L.  Greve,  D.  H.  Smith,  H.  A. 
Streeter  and  W.  P.  Meyer ;  Mrs.  A.  W.  Kemp,  Mrs.  G.  S. 
Shaw,  Mrs.  Samuel  Hoyt,  Mrs.  E.  E.  Olin,  Mrs.  L.  Greve, 
Mrs.  D.  H.  Smith.  Mrs.  H.  A.  Streeter  and  Mrs.  W.  P. 
Meyer.  The  present  number  belonging  to  this  lodge  is 
forty. 

Franklin  Council,  No.  301,  Royal  .\rcanum. — Was  insti- 
tuted on  the  fourth  day  of  April,  1879,  with  thirty-three 


638 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


charter  members.  The  first  officers  elected  were  :  M.  A. 
Thayer,  regent;  Dr.  M.  R.  Gage,  vice-regent;  H.  E.  Kel- 
ley,  treasurer;  William  Lohmiller,  secretary;  William 
McBride,  guide ;  C.  W.  Graves,  orator ;  George  A  Richard- 
son, collector ;  E.  Thorbus,  warden  ;  R.  B.  Rathbun,  sentry. 
At  this  time  there  was  appointed  by  the  Grand  Council  as 
past  regent,  J.  H.  Cummings,  it  being  necessary  to  have  a 
representative  from  each  subordinate  council  in  the  Grand 
Council.  The  council  worked  until  the  third  day  of  May, 
1880,  under  a  dispensation,  when  the  present  charter  was 
granted.  The  following  officers  were  elected  on  the  twen- 
tieth day  of  December,  1S80,  to  serve  the  term  of  one  year, 
and  are:  William  Lohmiller,  regent;  O.  L.  Irwin,  vice 
regent;  George  A.  Richardson,  collector;  H.  E.  Kelley, 
treasurer;  W.  McBride,  secretary;  W.  T.  Searles,  orator; 
H.  Foster,  chaplain  ;  George  Whitcomb,  guide  ;  E.  Thor- 
bus, warden;  W.  P.  Palmer,  sentry;  and  M.  A.  Thayer  and 
J.  H.  Cummings,  past  regents.  Franklin  Council  bids  fair 
to  become  one  of  the  model  councils  of  the  State.  By  their 
great  interest  in  the  work,  and  close  adherence  to  the 
ritual,  the  members  have  become  well  versed  in  the  work- 
ings of  the  order.  The  membership  at  the  present  time 
numbers  forty-six.  They  hold  their  meetings  on  the  first 
and  third  Wednesdays  of  each  month,  in  the  Odd  Fellows 
Hall,  corner  of  Oak  and  Water  streets.  The  financial  con- 
cerns of  the  council  are  reported  as  being  in  a  flourishing 
condition. 

Knights  of  Pythias — Organized  July  9,  1874,  with  the 
following  charter  members  :  M.  R.  Gage,  A.  W.  Wilson,  C. 
Blakeslee,  W.  H.  Nott,  J.  M.  Morrow,  J.  A.  Harvey,  C.  B. 
McClure,  D.  C.  Beebe,  W.  Goodale,  J.  V.  Palmer  and  N.  P. 
Lee.  The  lodge  had  a  warrant  granted  them  under,  which 
they  worked  until  July  i,  1875,  when  they  received  their 
charter  from  the  Grand  Lodge.  They  were  authorized  by 
the  warrant  to  organize,  constitute  and  establish  a  lodge  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  at  Sparta,  county  of  Monroe,  State 
of  Wisconsin,  to  be  styled  and  known  as  Jie  Sparta  Lodge, 
No.  18,  Knights  of  Pythias.  The  first  officers  of  the  lodge 
were  :  M.  R.  Gage,  C.  C;  D.  C.  Beebe,  V.  C;  W.  H.  Nott,  P. 
C;  C.  Blakeslee,  P.;  J.  M.  Morrow,  M.  A.;  A.  W.  Welson,  K. 
R.  S.;  C.  B.  McClure,  M.  F.;  J.  Harvey,  M.  E.;  N.  P.  Lee, 
L  G.;  W.  Goodale,  O.  G.;  lodge  commencing  with  ten  mem- 
bers. The  meetings  are  held  every  Tuesday  evening  in  the 
Odd  Fellow's  Hall,  over  Heller's  store,  where  they  have  a 
well  appointed  meeting-room.  The  lodge  at  the  present 
time  numbers  sixty-nine  members. 

Sparta  Lodge,  No  4,  A.  O.  U.  W.— Charter  granted  Oc- 
tober II,  1876,  with  the  following  charter  members  ;  C.  M. 
Masters,  N.  H.  Holden,  J.  Andreas,  G.  W.  Laing,  C.  Need- 
ham,  C.  W.  Meadows,  C.  E.  Boyden,  A.  W.  Wilson,  John 
Hankin,  N.  H.  Ellis,  S.  Coughran,  R.  S.  Ellis,  T.  G.  Ellis, 
A.  S.  Ellis,  J.  Wanliss,  M.  Hansen,  C.  H.  Garrett,  S.  M. 
Hoyt,  H.  S.  Payne,  Frank  Foote  and  J.  H.  Ralston.  The 
first  officers  were  elected  at  this  meeting,  and  were :  C.  M. 
Masters,  M.  W.;  C.  Needham,  G.;  J.  Andreas,  G.  F. ; 
C.  W.  Meadows,  R.;  G.  M.  Laing,  O.;  C.  E.  Boyden, 
F.;  A.  W.  Wilson,  Rec;  John  Hankin,  J.  W.;  N.  H.  Ellis,  O.' 


W.  Trustees  :  C.  M.  Masters,  N.  H.  Holden  and  J.  An- 
dreas. The  number  of  members  connected  with  the  lodge 
is  sixty-four ;  have  their  meeting  night  Saturday  of  each 
week,  holding  lodge  in  the  Odd  Fellow's  Hall,  corner  of 
Water  and  Oak  streets. 

Good  Templars. — As  early  as  1854,  the  ladies  of  Sparta 
organized  a  temperance  society  known  as  the  Temperance 
Union.  Up  to  1855,  there  had  been  no  liquor  license 
granted,  and  the  people  seemed  determined  to  be,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  temperance  town.  The  first  regular  liquor  store 
was  opened  by  A.  Crosby  in  connection  with  a  grocery  store» 
and  all  the  influence  of  the  temperance  society  failed  to  rid 
the  place  of  it.  At  this  .time,  they  reorganized  themselves 
and  formed  a  Good  Templars'  lodge,  comprising  all  the  la- 
dies of  the  village,  and  a  number  of  the  leading  citizens  and 
young  men.  There  are  no  records  to  show  who  the  char- 
ter members  were,  but  that  they  prospered  in  their  laud- 
able undertaking,  is  well  authenticated  by  the  prosperity  of 
their  present  lodge.  Among  the  prominent  advocates  for 
temperance,  are  Mrs.  McCoy,  Mrs.  Armstrong  and  Mrs. 
Harris.  These  ladies  are  earnest  workers  in  the  cause, 
Mrs.  McCoy  being  secretary  of  the  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union,  which  was  organized  here,  May  ii> 
1880,  by  a  few  brave  and  determined  women.  The  princi- 
ples are  total  abstinence  and  prohibition.  The  officers  of 
this  lodge  are  :  President,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Seamens  ;  Secretary, 
Mrs.  B.  E.  McCoy;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Sabin.  Al- 
though this  a  new  society  in  the  village,  it  numbers  among 
its  members  some  of  the  leading  ladies  of  the  village. 

WAR    RECORD. 

When  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  was  received 
at  Sparta,  the  general  feeling  of  .indignation  felt  by  the  en- 
tire North,  did  not  escape  the  citizens  of  this  loyal  town, 
and  at  no  place  in  the  United  States  was  the  President's 
call  for  troops  more  promptly  responded  to,  than  in  this 
village.  There  were  six  full  companies,  and  a  part  of  a 
seventh,  furnished  by  Sparta  and  vicinity.  The  first  com- 
pany organized  in  Sparta  was  known  as  Capt.  Lynn's,  and 
its  members  were  first  enlisted  for  the  period  of  three 
months  ;  but  as  soon  as  it  became  known  that  troops  were 
required  for  a  longer  term  of  service,  the  company  was  re- 
organized, and  nearly  every  man  whc  had  enlisted  for  the 
short  term  re-enlisted  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war. 
This  company  was  ordered  to  Racine,  Wis.,  where  it  was 
assigned  to  the  Fourth  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  June 
6,  1861,  and  was  designated  Company  I,  of  that  regiment. 
The  officers  of  this  company,  upon  leaving  Sparta,  were: 
John  W.  Lynn,  captain ;  Levi  R.  Blake,  first  lieutenant,  and 
Ansyl  A.  West,  second  lieutenant.  Capt.  Lynn  was  killed 
on  board  the  gunboat  "Tyler,"  July  15,  1862,  while  on  an 
expedition  toward  Vicksburg.  During  the  entire  war,  this 
regiment  was  in  active  service,  and  has  left  behind  it  a 
most  praiseworthy  record.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service 
June  16,  1S66.  Company  A,  Third  Wisconsin,  Barstow's 
Calvary,  was  organized  about  the  middle  of  July,  1861,  by 
Capt.  Jerry  Dammon,  of  Sparta ;  its  first  lieutenant  being 
Robert  Carpenter,  of  Sparta,  and  second,  Leonard  Morley, 


HISTORY    OF    MONROE    COUNTY. 


633 


of  Viroqua.  The  company  went  to  Janesville,  Wis.,  and 
were  mustered  in,  and  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  March, 
1862,  started  for  St.  Louis,  via  Chicago.  While  on  the 
Northwestern  Railroad,  near  Chicago,  it  met  with  a  very 
serious  accident,  Company  A,  alone,  having  seven  men 
killed  and  several  severely  injured.  The  regiment  were  not 
fully  equipped  and  mounted  until  they  reached  Fort  Leav- 
enworth, Kansas,  May  27th,  when  the  company  was  detailed 
to  do  provost  duty  in  and  about  Leavenworth  City,  and  in 
addition  were  engaged,  during  the  Summer  of  1862,  in 
various  scouting  expeditions  through  the  border  counties  of 
Missouri,  which  were  then  infested  with  Quantrell's  Guer- 
illas, with  whom  it  had  many  encounters,  thus  rendering 
most  efficient  service.  The  regiment  was  finally  mustered 
out  of  service  September,  1865,  and  was  immediately  dis- 
charged. Capt.  Dammon,  who  left  Sparta  in  command  of 
Company  A,  resigned  March  9,  1863,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Capt.  Robert  Carpenter,  who  left  as  first  lieutenant. 
Capt.  Carpenter  retained  command  until  the  company  was 
mustered  out  of  service,  1865. 

The  Northwestern  Rangers  was  recruited  by  George  A'. 
Fisk,  in  December  of  1861,  and  organized  as  Company  D, 
Eighteenth  Wisconsin  Infantry.  At  an  election  for  officers, 
Fisk  was  made  captain,  D.  W.  C.  Wilson,  first  lieutenant, 
and  Peter  Sloggy,  second  lieutenant — all  receiving  commis- 
sions as  elected,  to  date  from  December  17,  1861.  This 
company  was  ordered,  with  the  rest  of  the  regiment,  direct- 
ly to  the  front,  reaching  Gen.  Prentice's  command,  at  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  Tenn.,  April  5,  1861,  and  from  that  time, 
until  they  were  mustered  out  of  service,  July  29,  1865,  were 
in  active  service.  Company  C,  Ninth  Wisconsin  Regiment, 
was  organized  and  mustered  into  service  December,  1861, 
by  Capt.  J.  A.  Chandler,  of  Sparta.  Charles  Case  was  first 
lieutenant,  and  Henry  B.  Nichols,  second  lieutenant.  The 
regiment  was  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  and  suffered 
considerably  thereat.  Capt.  Chandler  resigned  his  com- 
mand July  30,  1862,  and  Charles  Case  was  promoted  to  the 
captaincy.  The  latter  resigned,  and  H.  B.  Nichols  became 
captain,  February  7,  1863.  The  company  was  mustered 
out  of  service  April  19,  1865. 

Col.  Milton  Montgomery,  of  Sparta,  organized  the 
Twenty-fifth  Wisconsin  Regiment,  and  was  mustered  into 
service  September  14,  1862.  Company  D,  of  this  regiment, 
was  enlisted  at  Sparta,  and  its  officers  were  Capt.  J.  D. 
Condit,  I  St  Lieu.  Mort.  E.  Leonard,  and  2d  Lieut.  Charles 
S.  Farnham.  Condit  resigned  on  account  of  sickness,  July 
15,  1863,  and  Lieut.  Leonard  was  put  in  command  of  the 
company.  The  latter  was  wounded  in  the  action  of  Deca- 
tur, Ga.,  July  22,  1864,  but  returned  to  duty  again  in  No- 
vember of  same  year.  At  the  same  battle,  Col.  Montgomery 
was  wounded,  and  taken  prisoner.  It  was  here  that  the 
gallant  colonel  lost  his  arm.  Upon  his  release  from  prison, 
he  did  not  resign  his  command,  but  continued  with  his 
regiment  until  they  were  mustered  out  of  service.  The 
surgeon  of  the  Twenty-fifth  was  Dr.  M.  R.  Gage,  of  Sparta. 
He  was  commjssioned  August,  1862,  and  remained  in  the 
United   States  service  two   and  a  half  years,  when   he  was 


obliged  to  resign,  on  account  of  ill  health.  While  in  the 
service.  Dr.  Gage  acted  as  medical  director  of  Columbus, 
Ky.,  and  as  division  surgeon  of  Gen.  Vietch's  Division, 
during  Sherman's  march  from  Vicksburg  to  Meridian, 
Miss.,  but  most  of  his  time  was  with  his  regiment,  on  active 
duty.  The  Thirty-sixth  Wisconsin  Regiment  was  organized 
under  the  Government  call  for  500,000  men.  Comi)any  C, 
of  this  regiment,  was  recruited  by  Capt.  George  A.  Fisk, 
and  was  mustered  into  service  March  4,  1864.  Lieutenants 
were  Luther  B.  Noyes,  first,  and  C.  E.  Bullard,  second. 
This  regiment  was  immediately  called  into  action,  and  is 
noted  for  its  bravery,  as  well  as  being  in  so  many  engage- 
ments. Before  the  close  of  the  war,  Fisk  was  promoted 
major,  and  Stephen  C.  Miles,  a  well  known  Sparta  man, 
captain.  The  regiment  did  some  hard  service,  but  it  had 
the  satisfaction  of  being  present  at  the  surrender  of  Gen. 
Lee  and  his  whole  army.  A  portion  of  the  First  Battery 
(the  La  Crosse  Artillery)  was  from  Sparta.  S.  Hoyt,  the 
present  Police  Justice,  was  one  of  them  This  company 
was  publicly  complimented  by  both  Maj.  Gen.  McClernand 
and  Gen.  Reynolds  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  field,  and  for 
its  cleanliness  and  good  behavior  in  camp. 

BUSINESS   ENTERPRISES. 

Paper  Mill. — The  first,  and,  in  fact,  the  only  paper  mill 
in  Sparta,  was  built  by  J.  L.  Mather  in  the  year  1864  at  a 
cost  of  $42,000.  In  1871,  it  came  into  possession  of  the 
present  owner  and  proprietor,  O.  I.  Newton.  Mr.  Newton 
ran  it  until  1879,  when  he  rebuilt  it  at  a  cost  of  $50,000. 
The  mill  is  situated  on  the  never-failing  La  Crosse  River, 
and  has  a  75-horse  water  power.  The  capacity  of  the  mill 
is  6,000  pounds  per  day.  They  employ  twenty  hands  at  an 
expense  of  $350  to  $400  per  week,  and  use  in  the  construc- 
tion of  one  kind  of  paper,  five  tons  of  straw  daily.  Mr. 
Newton  is  a  very  large  dealer  in  paper,  other  than  his  own 
manufacture,  having  a  large  trade  through  the  Northwest 
for  fine  Manila  bags  and  wrapping  paper.  He  is  compelled 
to  keep  several  salesmen  on  the  road  constantly.  In  con- 
nection with  the  paper-mill,  Mr.  Newton  has  a  feed-mill, 
with  capacity  for  grinding  200  bushels  per  day. 

Saw  and  Woolen  Mills. — In  the  year  1853,  A.  H.  and 
Hilton  Blake  erected  a  saw  mill  upon  the  bank  of  Beaver 
Creek;  were  it  still  standing,  it  would  now  be  about  the 
center  of  Water  street.  This  was  the  only  saw  mill  nearer 
than  what  is  now  Angel's,  one  having  been  built  there  in 
1852  by  Seth  Angel.  Messrs.  Blake  ran  the  mill  until  1S57, 
when  the  site  and  property  was  purchased  by  K.  and  O.  P. 
McClure.who  destroyed  the  old  mill  and  built  the  first  grist 
mill  in  Sparta.  This  was  built  some  forty  feet  east  of  the 
old  building.  The  grist  mill  was  operated  by  the  McClures 
for  some  years  to  great  advantage,  farmers  bringing  their 
grain  to  the  mill  from  a  great  distance.  In  June,  1867,  the 
property  was  bought  by  T.  B.  Tyler  and  T.  B.  Steele,  for 
$27,000.  They  erected  on  the  site  of  the  grist  mill  a  woolen 
mill,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $30,000,  and  commenced  op- 
erations under  the  firm  name  of  T.  B.  Tyler  &  Co.  They 
operated  the  mill  to  great  advantage  until  the  year  1872, 
when   they  sold  the   mill  site  to  Mr.  H.  Greve  for  $2,700, 


6.34 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


the  greater  part  of  the  original  plat  belonging  to  the  mill 
property  having  been  disposed  of  by  Messrs.  Tyler  &  Co. 
as  building  lots.  The  mill,  from  this  time  (1872)  until 
1878,  did  not  meet  with  a  great  deal  of  success,  not  running 
regularly.  In  September,  1878,  the  present  owner  and  pro- 
prietor, T.  B.  Gibson,  bought  the  mill  and  commenced  op- 
erations about  the  ist  of  May,  1879,  manufacturing  woolen 
goods,  miking  3  specialty  of  fine  white  blankets,  for  which 
he  is  quite  noted.  In  the  Spring  of  1881,  Mr.  Gibson  made 
several  improvements  in  the  works.  In  order  to  fill  the  de- 
mand called  for,  he  had  to  increase  his  machinery.  The 
present  goods  manufactured  are  fine  white  blankets  and 
Mackinaw  cloth,  the  latter  mentioned  goods  being  a  goods 
used  as  clothing  for  lumbermen  and  woodsmen.  The  ca- 
pacity of  mill  will,  by  close  estimate,  turn  out  $50,000  worth 
of  goods  per  year.  They  employ  twenty-five  hands,  and 
have  invested  in  the  business  about  $20,000. 

Carriage  Works. — The  Sparta  carriage  works  are  sit- 
uated corner  of  Oak  and  Spring  streets.  These  works  are 
owned  and  operated  by  Messrs.  E.  &  A.  Thorbus.  Estab- 
lished in  the  Fall  of  1866,  by  E.  Thorbus,  the  senior  partner 
of  the  present  firm. 

Mr.  Thorbus  commenced  business  in  an  old  frame  build- 
ing directly  opposite  his  present  capacious  brick  warehouse, 
the  old  building  being  now  used  as  a  repairing  shop,  in 
which  they  employ  five  hands.  During  the  first  year  of  busi- 
ness, Mr.  Thorbus  turned  out  seventy-five  wagons  of  various 
kinds,  the  greater  part,  however,  being  heavy  vehicles 
adapted  for  hauling  and  farm  work.  In  1870,  A.  Thorbus 
was  admitted  as  a  partner,  bringing  to  the  business  both 
capital  and  energy,  the  firm  name  becoming,  by  this  addi- 
tion, E.  &  A.  Thorbus.  During  this  year  they  erected  the 
brick  warehouse  at  a  cost  of  $3,400,  and  have  occupied  it 
ever  since.  When  the  works  are  run  to  their  full  capacity, 
they  employ  twenty-five  hands,  at  a  weekly  expense  of 
$300,  and  keep  in  stock  about  450  vehicles  of  various  kinds, 
from  a  lumber  wagon  to  a  handsomely  finished  road  buggy. 
The  business  will  amount  to  about  $25,000  per  year,  and 
have  invested  in  the  business  $10,000.  Messrs.  Thorbus 
are  valuable  citizens,  and  enterprising  business  men,  having 
by  close  attention  to  business  brought  it  to  its  present 
flourishing  condition. 

Elevators. — An  elevator  was  built  by  J.  L.  Woy,  in  1875, 
at  the  Northwestern  depot,  foot  of  Water  street,  now  man- 
aged under  the  firm  name  of  J.  L.  Woy  &  Co.  The  ele- 
vator was  built  at  an  e.xpense  of  $4,000,  with  capacity  for 
storing  35,000  bushels  of  grain.  Near  by  is  the  extensive 
hay  press  of  Messrs.  Woy  &  Co.,  where  they  bale  about  800 
tons  per  year.  Messrs.  Morrill  &  Dorwin's  elevator  is  run 
by  one  horse-power,  and  has  capacity  for  7,000  bushels  of 
grain;  situated  at  the  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  depot.  The  next 
elevator  was  built  by  the  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  Co.,  February 
10,  1881,  and  occupied  by  Messrs.  Coates  &  Little,  that 
same  month.  This  firm  have  a  portable  engine  of  fifteen 
horse-power,  supplied  by  the  railroad  company,  and  have 
capacity  for  25,000  bushels  of  grain.  Messrs.  Coates  & 
Little  are  very  extensive   grain   dealers,  having   shipped  to 


different  points  since  commencing  business,  over  50,000 
bushels,  consisting  of  wheat,  barley,  oats,  corn,  etc.  Be- 
sides the  usual  machinery  attached  to  elevators,  there  are 
two  run  of  stones  for  'grinding  feed,  the  whole  being  ope- 
rated by  a  fifteen  horse-power  engine.  This  elevator  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  including  the  engine,  which 
was  supplied  by  the  railroad  company.  Messrs.  Coates  & 
Little  have  a  capital  of  $15,000  invested  in  the  business. 

FOUNDRY  AND  MACHINE  SHOP. 

The  first  foundry  was  built  in  1857,  by  Capt.  Fisk,  who 
sold  an  interest  soon  after  to  Frank  Skillman  and  Jeremiah 
Andreas.  J.  A.  Oilman  came  in  full  possession  in  1 860. 
In  1865  he  sold  out  to  Lowrie,  Mack  &  Stevens.  They  sold 
to  H.  Greve,  and  he  to  J.  J.  Owsley,  when  it  was  burned. 
In  1867  Lowrie,  Irwin  &  Gillett  built  another  foundry  near 
where  the  present  iron  works  are  situated.  These  new  works 
were  finally  purchased  by  the  Sparta  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, in  whose  hands  the  works  burned.  L.  M.  Newbury 
bought  what  was  left  and  built  another  shop  in  1869.  He 
sold  one-half  to  J.  P.  Ward,  and  built  the  present  works  in 
1872,  Mr.  Ward  finally  sold  out  and  Mr.  Satterlee  came 
in.  The  business  now  carried  on  by  Messrs.  Newberry  & 
Satterlee  employs  16  hands,  and  have  a  business  amounting 
to  $20,000  per  year. 

Business  Blocks. — Sparta  can  boast  of  some  fine  business 
blocks,  which  seem  to  be  duly  appreciated  by  the  business 
men,  who  desire  well  appointed  stores.  Among  those  we 
will  mention  are  the  Union  and  Palmer  blocks,  adjoining 
each  other,  on  Water  street,  opposite  the  Ida  House,  built 
of  red  brick,  and  finished  very  handsomely. 

The  Heller  block,  southwest  corner  Oak  and  Water 
streets,  over  which  the  Odd  Fellow's  hall  is  situated. 

The  Opera  block  on  the  opposite  corner,  which  we  have 
already  mentioned. 

The  Bank  block  of  Tliayer  &  Kingman. 

D.  M.  Gargell's  large  building  on  Water  street. 

There  are  also  a  number  of  handsome  stores  that  will  bear 
mention,  among  which  are  those  of  F.  Bancroft,  large  deal- 
er in  hardware,  stoves,  etc.;  Mr.  Simpson,  in  Union  block, 
also  an  extensive  dealer  in  same  line  of  goods  ;  Dodge  Bros., 
dealers  in  dry  goods  and  general  merchandise,  who  occupy 
the  original  site  where  Jackson's  store  stood;  H.  S.  Howell, 
druggist,  in  Palmer  block. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ERNEST  BARTELS,  Slierin"  of  Monroe  County,  son  of  William 
Bartels,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  from 
London,  Eng.  He  settled  in  Marquette  County  in  iSso,  where  he  lived 
till  1865;  thence  to  Mansion,  Juneau  Co.,  and  to  Tomah.  about 
1S69,  where  he  still  lives.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Bartels  had  si.\  children, 
only  two  of  whom  are  living,  of  which  he  is  the  younger,  and  the  elder. 
Mrs.  Francis  Potter,  resides  near  Quincy,  111.  Ernest  was  born  in 
Marquette  County,  in  1S52  ;  married,  Rosa  Plunkett.  They  have  two 
children.  Willie  and  Ella.  Mr.  Bartels  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Monroe 
County  in  the  Fall  of  18S0. 

EDGAR  BENNETT,  grocery  and  provision  store,  Sparta,  was  born 
in  Connecticut,  in  1S51.  He  removed  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  when 
a  child,  where  he  was  brought  up.  Married  Ophelia  A.  Ward,  born  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  Came  to  Sparta  in  1875,  and  engaged  with 
E.  A.  Ward  in  the  grocery,  boot  and  shoe  trade.  Established  his  pres- 
ent business  in  1877. 


HISTORY   OF    MONROE   COUNTY. 


635 


O.  C.  BERG,  County  Clerk,  of  Monroe  County,  Sparta,  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  1850.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S74,  and  settled 
in  Norwalk,  Monroe  Co.  He  was  employed  for  some  time  as  clerk, 
and  then  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Was  also  Postmaster  for 
three  years ;  was  elected  County  Clerk  in  the  Fall  of  18S0.  It  is  a 
somewhat  singular  fact  that  Mr.  Berg  is  the  fir»t  Scandinavian  who  has 
held  a  county  office  in  Monroe  County  ;  although  he  has  been  in  this 
country  but  a  short  time,  he  has  acquired  a  good  English  education.  He 
is  an  intelligent  gentleman,  and  possesses  excellent  business  qualities. 
He  was  married,  to  Edith  O.  Rowe,  daughter  of  David  B.  Rowe,  an 
early  settler  of  Jefferson  County. 

WILLIAM  H.  BLYTON,  insurance  agent  and  present  Village 
Clerk,  Sparta,  son  of  Thomas  Blyton,  who  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  Co., 
N.  Y.,  October,  181S,  and  came  to  Sparta  from  the  State  of  New  York, 
1853.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  builder  by  trade,  which  business  he  fol- 
lowed till  1862,  when  he  went  to  the  town  of  Angelo,  and  engaged  in 
farming.  He  removed  to  Barron  County,  1872.  where  the  mother  of  Mr. 
Blyton  is  still  living.  Parents  had  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, of  whom  William  H.  is  the  eldest.  He  was  born  in  Franklinville, 
Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S42.  He  enlisted,  February,  1862,  in  19th 
Reg.  W.  V.  I.,  served  about  fifteen  months  as  quartermaster's  sergeant, 
afterward  promoted  to  a  first  lieutenancy  in  quartermaster's  department 
afterward  acted  as  quartermaster  of  the  4th  U.  S.  I.  In  this  capacity,  he 
served  till  the  close  of  the  war  ;  was  then  sent  to  the  western  frontier, 
where  he  served  till  July,  1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  from  dis- 
ability. Was  severely  wounded  while  on  frontier  duty.  He  has  served 
as  Village  Clerk  for  the  last  ten  years,  and  has  been  engaged  as  insur- 
ance agent  since  that  time.  His  wife  was  Harriet  E.  Washburn,  daugh- 
ter of  William  Washburn,     They  have  one  child,  Edgar  E. 

ALBERT  F.  BRANDT,  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of 
Monroe  County.  Son  of  Charles  F.  Brandt,  an  early  settler  of  Monroe 
County.  The  father  of  Mr.  Brandt  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  in 
his  early  life,  followed  the  sea.  He  visited  the  United  States  as  a  sailor, 
about  1845.  Settled  here  permanently  in  1842.  Settled  in  La  Fayette  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1851.  Removed  to  Monroe  County  about  1857  ;  now  lives  in  the 
town  of  Jefferson,  Monroe  Co.  Mr.  Charles  Brandt  had  ten  children,  all 
living  but  one.  Albert  F.  the  present  Superintendent  of  Schools  of 
Monroe  County,  was  born  in  La  Fayette  County,  in  1853  ;  adopted  the 
profession  of  teaching,  and  taught  twenty  terms  in  Monroe  County. 
Was  elected  to  the  superintendency  in  the  Fall  of  1879.  Married  Ida, 
daughter  of  Denton  Dolson,  an  early  settler  of  Sauk  County. 

WM.  BURLINGAME,  Sparta.  Born  in  Norwich,  Chenango  Co., 
N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  till  manhood.  He  removed  to  McKean  Co., 
Penn.,  where  he  lived  about  twelve  years.  Came  to  Sparta,  June,  1S53, 
making  him  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Sparta.  There  were  at  that 
time  but  seven  dwellings  and  thirty-five  inhabitants  in  the  village.  He 
purchased  a  farm  just  west  of  the  village,  now  known  as  the  Foster  farm, 
which  he  exchanged  in  the  Spring  of  1854  for  his  present  village  property 
and  engaged  in  keeping  the  hotel,  known  as  the  Glebe  House,  in  which 
he  now  resides.  Has  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  land,  lumber,  etc. 
He  learned  the  business  of  surveying  when  a  young  man,  which,  how- 
ever he  did  not  make  his  vocation.  He  married  his  first  wife  in  the 
State  of  New  York.  His  second  wife  was  Lauraette  Colegrave,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  present  wife  was  Margaret  Starkweather,  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 
He  has  one  child  by  first  wife,  Augustus;  one  by  second  wife,  Amelia 
Hull. 

DANIEL  M.  CARGILL,  dealer  in  live  stock  and  wool,  Sparta. 
Was  born  in  East  Gainesville,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  brought 
up  a  farmer  and  resided  in  his  native  county  till  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
He  was  married  in  Cattaraugus  County,  to  Juliette  Burrows,  bom  in 
Cattaraugus  County  ;  removed  to  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1857,  and  en- 
gaged in  clerking  for  D.  M.  Webster.  Came  here  July  4,  1862.  Mr. 
Cargill  is  an  energetic  business  man  and  has  been  engaged  in  the  stock 
business  most  of  the  time  since  he  came  to  Sparta.  He  shipped  the  first 
car-load  of  cattle  which  passed  over  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  road  to  Chicago.  Has  been  Town  Treasurer  several  years,  re- 
elected in  the  Spring  of  iSSl.  Was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors for  one  year.  Has  six  children  ;  one  son  and  five  daughters — 
Frankie,  wife  of  Irving  A.  Smith,  Olive  A.,  Charles  J.,  Minnie,  Nellie 
and  Etta.  Lost  four  children — Emma,  Addie,  Louie  G.,  and  George 
W.  Three  of  his  children  died  in  the  same  week,  and  two  of  them  on 
same  day,  of  that  terrible  scourge  diphtheria. 

D.  D.  CHENEY,  Sparta.  Born  in  the  Scioto  Valley,  Ohio,  in  1822. 
He  removed  with  his  father's  family  to  Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the 
Spring  of  1837,  where  he  lived 'till  about  1846,  when  he  removed  to 
Dodge  County,  and  engaged  in  farming,  afterward  in  the  grocery  trade 
in  Waupun.  He  went  to  Marquette  County  in  1853,  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade  at  St.  Marie ;  afterward  removed  to  Fox  Lake.  Thence 
to  Black  River  Falls,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  lumber  trade. 
Came  to  Sparta  in  the  Spring  of  1862,  and  engaged  in  the  produce  and 
mercantile  business.  He  married  his  first  wife.  Miss  Martha  Ryan,  in 
Waukesha  County.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  George  Derringer, 
daughter  of  Paul  Schaler,  who  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849.  Has  two 
children  by  first  marriage,  Lydia  Ann  Kemp  and  David  Wilmot.     Mrs. 


Cheney  has  three  children  by  her  first  marriage — Mary,  Clara  and  Albert. 
Mr.  Cheney  is  numbered  among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  men 
of  Sparta  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  elected 
in  the  Fall  of  1870.  Has  served  as  Chairman  of  Town  and  County 
Board  of  Supei-visors,  elc. 

REV.  E.  E.  CLOUGH,  Presiding  Elder  of  La  Crosse  District, 
Sparta.  Mr.  Clough  was  born  in  Homer,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840. 
He  resided  near  Seneca  Falls  until  twenty-two  years  of  age.  Became  a 
student  of  the  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  at  Lima,  N.  Y.,  in  1861. 
He  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  the  i48th"Reg.  N.  Y.  Vol.  He  served 
twenty  months  in  that  regiment ;  was  then  promoted  to  a  first  lieuten- 
ancy in  the  United  States  Volunteer  service,  and  served  as  adjutant  of 
the  39th  United  States  C.  T.,  for  one  year  ;  was  then  promoted  to  a  cap- 
taincy, and  served  nine  months.  He  came  to  Sparta  August,  l856,  and 
engaged  in  farming  one  year  for  the  benefit  of  hishealth;  began  preach- 
ing in  North  La  Crosse  in  1S67.  His  pastoral  charges  since  then,  have 
been  Chippewa  Falls,  Lake  Street  Church.  Eau  Claire  ;  Black  River 
Falls,  one  year;  La  Crosse  First  Church,  three  years;  then  Barstow 
Street.  Eau  Claire.  Was  appointed  Presiding  Elder  of  La  Crosse  Dis- 
trict, September,  1S79.  Married  Mary  Bladon  Howe.  They  have  six 
children,  one  son  and  five  daughters.  Mr.  Clough  is  an  earnest  and  elo- 
quent preacher,  of  great  energy  and  labors  earnestly  and  faithfully  in 
the  work  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  life. 

A.  J.  COLBURN,  retired,  Sparta,  born  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.. 
in  1816;  removed  to  Chautauqua  County  with  his  parents  in  1824;  to 
Battle  Creek,  Mich,  in  1S42  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  and  set- 
tled in  Janesville  ;  thence  to  Jefferson  County  in  1851.  In  1865,  he 
came  to  Monroe  County.  Mr.  Colburn  learned  the  trade  of  a  miller. 
Janesville  was  but  a  small  town  when  he  settled  there  ;  he  ground  the 
first  flour  produced  in  that  town.  Was  engaged  in  the  milling  business 
for  many  years;  was  elected  the  Legislature  in  1S76.  He  was  married, 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  to  Betsey  Older,  born  in  Delaware  County. 
They  have  three  children — Webster  J.  A.,  general  insurance  agent  at 
Chattanooga, Tenn.;  Laura  and  Winfield  Scott.  The  latter  is  a  miller 
by  trade,  and  resides  at  Neillsville,  Wis. 

J.  D.  CONDIT,  Sparta,  born  in  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1821  ;  re- 
moved to  Yates  County,  and  then  to  Sparta,  July.  1855.  He  is  the  pres- 
ent proprietor  of  the  Warner  House.  Mr.  Condit  was  one  of  the  early 
prominent  business  men  of  Sparta.  He  early  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness, built  and  stocked  the  first  drug  store  on  the  north  side  of  the  creek. 
After  two  or  three  years,  became  associated  in  that  business  with  Mr. 
Palmer,  under  the  firm  name  of  Condit  &  Palmer.  He  purchased  a 
printing  press  at  Beaver  Dam,  and,  with  Milton  Montgomery,  published 
the  paper  known  as  the  Sparta  IValc/iman.  He  kept  the  Warner  House 
for  many  years,  which  he  rebuilt  after  it  was  burned.  This  house  he 
still  owns.  Mr.  Condit  has  been  prominently  connected  with,  the  mill- 
ing business  of  Sparta.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  Veazie,  who  died 
in  Sparta.  His  present  wife  was  Abigail  Percy.  In  1862  Mr.  Condit 
raised  a  company  of  volunteers,  of  which  he  was  elected  captain.  They 
became  a  part  of  the  25th  regiment.  This  regiment  was  ordered  to 
Minnesota  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  massacre  in  that  State.  Thence  to 
Columbus,  Ky.,  thence  to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  where  they  took  part  in  the 
siege  of  that  city.     Capt.  Condit  resigned  in  1S63. 

PROF.  J.  H.  CUMMINGS,  superinlendent  of  schools  and  principal 
of  High  school.  Prof.  Cummings  was  born  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  1847. 
He  received  his  preparatory  course  at  the  Worcester  High  School;  en- 
tered Yale  College  in  1866,  graduating  in  the  class  of  1S70.  He  taught 
one  year  at  Stanford,  Conn.  He  went  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind,,  in  1S71, 
and  was  principal  of  the  high  school  there  for  one  year.  Re- 
turned to  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  engaged  in  the  book  publishing 
business,  which  he  continued  for  four  years.  Taught  one  year  at  Thomp- 
sonville  ;  came  to  Sparta  in  1877,  and  succeeded  Prof.  O.  R.  Smith, 
whose  untimely  death  had  left  a  vacancy  in  the  principalship  in  the 
.school  in  Sparta.  Prof.  Cummings  is  a  thorough  scholar,  and  a  success- 
ful teacher,  and  under  his  supervision,  the  schools  of  Sparta  continue  the 
high  standing  and  enviable  reputation  that  they  acquired  while  in  charge 
of  his  lamented  predecessor. 

J.  W.  CURRAN,  Sparta,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  sells 
Wood's  machinery  and  and  Pitt's  thresher.  Successor  to  W.  H.  White. 
Mr.  Curran  is  a  son  of  John  Curran,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  emi- 
grated to  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1847.  Parents  had  seven  children, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters.  They  removed  to  Jackson  County  in 
1S55,  where  his  father  died.  May  18,  1881 ;  mother  died  suddenly  in 
1S65.  Mr.  Curran  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1840.  He  enlisted  in 
Jackson  County  in  the  Fall  of  1863.  in  the  5th  Wisconsin.  Served  till 
the  close  of  the  war.  Was  in  Sheridan's  campaign  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  ;  was  in  front  of  Petersburg  during  the  siege  of  that  ciiy,  and 
was  severely  wounded  after  the  evacuation,  losing  his  left  leg.  He  came 
to  Sparta  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  married  Clarissa  Mosley,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  T.  Mosley.  Her  parents  are  natives  of  the  Slate  of  New 
York  ;  removed  thence  to  Pennsylvania,  came  here  June,  1854.  where 
they  now  reside.  Mr.  Curran  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  of  Monroe 
Coiintv  in  the  Fall  of  1872  ;  served  two  terms ;  went  to  Lincoln,    Neb., 


636 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


where  he  lived  about  two  years ;  located  here  in  present  business  in  the 
Fall  of  iSSo.     Has  one  son,  George  William. 

JAMES  DAVIDSON,  retired,  Sparta,  born  in  New  Hudson.  Alle- 
gany Co.,  N.  y.,  in  1S25.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm.  When  a 
young  man  he  was  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  manufacture  of  gloves  and 
mittens,  and  afierward.  in  selling  this  class  of  goods.  When  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  he  went  to  New  York  City  and  engnged  as  salesman 
for  Wells  &  Christie,  wholesale  dealers  in  boots  and  shoes.  He  was 
afterward  engaged  as  buyer  for  another  house  in  the  same  business.  In 
1S61,  in  company  Col.  Forrest,  recruited  and  organized  the  5th  N.  Y. 
C.  He  was  placed  in  military  command  of  Staten  Island  ;  he  went  to 
Annapolis,  Md.,  as  major  of  the  5th  C,  and  went  into  a  camp  of 
instructions  in  that  city,  where  he  remained  during  the  following  Winter. 
In  the  following  Spring  he  went  to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  was  placed  in 
Banks'  command  ;  accompanied  that  general  in  his  campaign  in  Shen- 
andoah Valley,  and  had  command  of  the  rear  guard  in  the  retreat.  He 
resigned  his  commission  at  the  end  of  this  campaign,  returned  to  New 
York,  thence  to  St,  Louis,  thence  into  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin,  where 
he  engaged  in  lumbering  and  merchandising.  Came  to  Sparta  in  1865. 
His  \vife  was  Miss  Delia  Heller,  a  native  of  New  York, 

L.  S.  FISHER,  Postmaster,  Sparta,  born  in  Vermont,  Aug.  12,  1S24. 
He  removed  to  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  his  parents,  when  seven 
years  of  age.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  when  a  young  man, 
which  business  he  followed  till  about  1S56.  He  removed  to  Walworth 
Co.,  VVis,,  in  the  Fall  of  1S54 ;  came  to  Sparta,  in  the  Fall  of  1855  ;  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  here  in  the  Spring  of  1S56,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Houghton  &  Co.  He  was  elected  County  Clerk  in  the  Fall  of 
1S56,  and  served  two  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1S60  was  elected  County 
Treasurer;  served  one  term;  was  draft  commissioner  for  the  Seventh 
Congressional  District  during  the  years  1S63  and  1S64  ;  was  for  a  time 
also  engaged  in  the  livery  and  produce  business  ;  was  appointed  Post- 
master in  the  Spring  of  1871.  His  first  wife  was  Ellen  A.  Dyer,  born 
in  Vermont ;  his  present  wife  was  Susan  P.  Newton  ;  has  one  son  by  his 
present  wife,  Arthur  L. 

HENRY  FOSTER,  harness-maker,  Sparta,  born  in  Jefferson  Co.. 
N.  Y.,  in  1S31.  Removed  with  his  parents  to  Cattaraugus  County  when 
but  four  years  of  age.  Came  to  Sparta.  June,  1855.  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  harness-making.  Mr.  Foster  is  therefore  one  of  the  earliest 
business  men  of  Sparta,  and  as  he  has  been,constantly  pursuing  his  busi- 
ness, has  probably  been  in  trade  a  greater  number  of  consecutive  years 
than  any  other  man  now  in  trade  here.  He  does  quite  an  extensive  busi- 
ness, making  from  135  to  150  sets  of  harness  per  year.  Married  Cor- 
nelia M.  Robertson,  who  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  County.  Has  three 
children— Jessie  E,  Kent,  who  resides  in  Troy.  N.  Y. ;  Harry  W.,  and 
Carl  Franz.     Lost  one  child,  Carrie  May. 

H.  F.  FOSTER,  farmer,  born  in  Oneida  Co..  N.  Y..  in  January, 
1821.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  Cattaraugus  County.  His  father 
was  Ezekiel  Foster.  He  is  a  brother  of  Henry  Foster.  He  came  to 
Sparta  in  February,  1S53.  and  bought  the  farm  now  owned  by  Dr.  Gar- 
ratt.  but  settled  in  the  village.  He  built  the  hotel  known  as  the  Globe 
House,  which  he  kept  for  several  months  and  exchanged  it  for  his  pres- 
ent farm,  with  Mr.  Burlingame.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Julian  Har- 
vey, born  in  Herkimer  Co..  N.  Y.,  in  1823  They  have  four  children — 
.\nson  Theodore.  Edgar  M.,  Orlando  and  Fred. 

J.  J.  FRENCH.  Sparta,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  in  1818, 
where  he  was  brought  up.  He  removed  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  May,  1843  ; 
he  resided  there  and  vicinity  until  he  came  to  Sparta.  In  Buffalo  he  was 
engaged  in  the  pail  and  tub  manufacturing  business ;  had  charge  of  the 
Niagara  Pail  and  Tub  factory  ;  came  to  Monroe  County  in  September, 
1S59,  and  settled  on  Bush  Prairie,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for 
three  years.  Came  to  Sparta  in  1862  and  bought  a  farm  near  the  village. 
Afterward  engaged  in  stock  buying  for  Cargill  &  King,  then  went  into  the 
hop  business.  Is  at  present  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Cargill.  where  he  has 
been  for  the  past  eleven  years.  Mr.  French  has  been  married  three 
times.  His  present  wife  was  E.  C.  C.  Lyon.  Has  four  children,  three 
sons  and  one  daughter.  One  son  resides  in  Dakota,  the  others  in  Mon- 
roe County. 

D.WID  FULTON,  farmer.  Sec.  14,  P.  O.  Sparta.  Born  in 
York  Co.,  Pa.,  town  of  Hopewell,  in  1816.  When  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  he  removed  to  Lycoming  County,  near  Witliamsport,  where  he 
lived  eighteen  years.  Hecameto  Monroe  County,  April  29, 1856,  and  set- 
tled on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  lived.  His  wife  was  Eliza- 
beth S.  Hoyne.  They  have  six  children — Martha  J.,  Alvin  N.,  Mary 
Alwilda.  Margaret  Ann.  Sarah  E.  and  John  Ellis.  Mr.  Fulton,  like 
many  others,  was  a  poor  man  when  he  settled  in  Monroe  County,  but  by 
industry  and  frugality  has  secured  a  competence. 

G.\GE  &  BEEBE,  physicians  and  surgeons,  Sparta.  Dr.  M.  R.  Gage 
was  born  in  Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  April.  1825.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  in  the  office  of  E.  S.  Smith.  M.  D.,  in  his  native  village,  where 
he  remained  till  his  graduation  from  the  Geneva  Medical  College,  except 
while  attending  medical  lectures  and  hospitals  at  Geneva  and  Buffalo. 
Alter  graduating  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  pieteptor.  Dr,  Smith. 
Afterward  removed  to  Coudersport,  Pa.,  and  two  years  later  10  Beloit, 


Wis,,  and  thence  to  Sparta,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  till  1862, 
wh,en  he  was  commissioned  surgeon  of  the  25th  Wis.  V.  I.  He  remain- 
ed in  the  army  two  and  a  half  years,  when  he  resigned  from  ill  health, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Sparta.  He  was  the  first  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Mon- 
roe County.  Dr.  Gage  is  devoted  to  his  profesiion,  and  one  of  the  most 
learned  and  skillful  physicians  of  Wisconsin.  He  is  a  man  of  studious 
habits  and  great  energy.  He  has  been  master  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  for 
several  years,  and  high  priest  of  the  R.  A.  Chapter.  He  has  always 
taken  a  lively  interest  in  all  public  improvements  and  all  enterprises 
tending  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives,  has 
received  his  cordial  support.  He  married  Miss  Martin,  an  excellent  lady. 
He  has  no  children. 

D.C.  Beebe,  M.  D.,  who  is  associated  with  Dr.  Gage,  was  born  in  Ru- 
pert, Bennington  Co.,  Vt.,  February.  1838,  where  he  began  the  study  of  his 
profession.  He  attended  lectures  at  Bellevue  College.  New  York,  grad- 
uating at  Albany  in  1863.  From  that  time  till  the  close  of  the  war  was 
surgeon  in  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  He  came  to  Sparta  in 
1895.  and  became  associated  with  Dr.  Gage  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
The  latter  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  drug  business,  when  this  partner- 
ship was  dissolved,  but  afterward  again  associated  in  the  practice  of  their 
profession.     Dr.  Beebe  was  married  in  Vermont,  and  has   five  children. 

DR.  RICHARD  GARRATT,  Sparta.  Born  in  Burlington.  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  Y..  in  1813.  His  father  died  when  he  was  a  child  ;  was  brought 
up  by  his  maternal  grandfather.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  silversmith, 
which  trade  he  followed  for  many  years.  About  1S40,  the  subject  of  the 
treatment  of  disease,  by  the  use  of  homceopathic  remedies,  was  brought 
to  his  notice,  and  he  adopted  this  school  of  treatment,  and  has  pre- 
scribed homoeopathic  remedies  for  many  years.  He  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1S56,  and  settled  on  his  present  place,  which  he  had  purchased  about 
a  year  previous  to  that  time.  Although  engaged  in  farming,  yet  he  has 
given  much  attention  to  his  favorite  system  of  medicine,  and  in  the  ear- 
lier history  of  the  county  devoted  considerable  time  to  the  treatment  of 
diseases.  His  wife  was  Janet  Caroline  Tyler,  born  in  Connecticut.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Emily. 

F.  HERBST,  wagmmaker  and  blacksmith,  Sparta.  Born  in  Ger- 
many, in  1S3S.  Came  to  the  United  States  in  1S55  ;  located. at  Galena, 
111.,  where  he  learned  his  trade,  and  where  he  resided  until  1866.  when 
he  came  to  Sparta.  He  was  married  in  Illinois,  to  Elizabeth  Strouse. 
born  in  Germany.     They  have  six  children,  five  sons  and  one   daughter. 

WILLIAM  HOGUE,  farmer.  Sec.  29,  P.  O.  Sparta.  Born  in  York 
Co.,  Penn.,  .A.pril  14,  1S2S,  but  was  brought  up  in  Lycoming  County.  He 
resided  in  Pennsylvania  until  September.  1853.  when  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin. He  resided  near  Milwaukee  about  three  months,  thence  to  Mon- 
roe County  with  his  family.  They  came  with  an  ox  team.  A  brother, 
John  Hogue,  and  wife,  came  at  the  same  time  ;  they  reached  Monroe 
County,  December,  1853.  He  and  family  lived  the  following  Winter  with 
John  Bean.  In  the  Spring  of  1854,  he  removed  to  Sec.  30,  in  the  town 
of  Sparta.  In  the  Fall  of  that  year,  built  a  log-house  on  his  present 
farm.  This  house  is  still  a  part  of  his  present  residence.  Mr.  Hogue's 
farm  contains  140  acres.  He  was  married  to  Jane  Long,  born  in  Lycom- 
ing County.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Hogue  came  here  in  the  Fall  of  1S54, 
where  they  resided  until  their  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hogue  have  had 
eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  living — Lycurgus  F.,  Clara  (now  Mrs 
William  Shaffer),  Anna  Ross,  Ellen,  Amber  and  Clifton.  Arvilla,  after- 
ward Mrs.  Henry  Cook,  died  Jan.  2,  1S81.  Adolphus.  fourth  child,  was 
about  three  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Mr.  Hogue  having 
settled  here  in  1S53,  is  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  county.  Indians 
were  numerous  at  that  time,  and  game,  especially  deer,  was  found  in 
abundance. 

SYLVANUS  HOLMES,  Police  Justice,  Sparta.  Was  bom  in  Erie 
Co..  N.  Y.,  in  1815,  where  he  was  brought  up  and  removed  to  Bradford. 
Penn..  in  1S47.  though  he  was  at  Racine,  Wis.,  as  early  as  1835.  Re- 
mained in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  about  two  years,  when  he  returned 
to  the  State  of  New  York.  Came  to  Wisconsin  permanently  in  1S65, 
and  located  at  Sparta.  He  first  engaged  in  the  hat  and  cap  trade,  after- 
ward engaged  in  the  hop  business.  He  went  to  Kandiyohi  Co.,  Minn.,  in 
1869  ;  was  County  Judge  of  that  county  for  four  years  ;  returned  to 
Sparta  in  1878.     Elected  Police  Justice  in  the  Spring  of  18S1. 

SAMUEL  HOYT,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Sparta.  Born  at  Bakers- 
field,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  June  2, 1817.  Lived  in  Vermont  until  1853.  then 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Sparta.  He  enlisted  in  1st  Wis.  Bat- 
tery, Aug.  2.  1S61  ;  served  three  years  ;  enlisted  as  a  private,  promoted 
to  a  sergeancy  ;  was  acting  lieutenant  for  about  a  year  and  a  half  ;  he 
was  captured  at  Cumberland  Gap,  Sept.  17,  1S62  ;  was  confined  at  Libby 
prison  for  a  few  days,  and  released  on  parole.  Mr.  Hoytwas  engaged  in 
many  of  the  prominent  battles  and  campaigns  of  the  war,  including  Port 
Gibson.  Champion  Hills.  Black  River  Bridge,  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Banks' 
Red  River  expedition,  etc.  Since  the  close  of  the  war  has  been  Police 
Justice  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  years.  Was  elected  to  the 
former  position  in  1871.  and  sersed  until  1879.  His  wifewas  Miss  Delia 
Thayer,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  two  children,  Ella 
J.  and  Samuel  M.     The  latter  is  an  attorney  at  Jenny,  Wis. 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


637 


HIRAM  E.  KELLEY,  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  lor  Sixth 
District,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  in  1831.  His  parents  removed  to 
New  York  City  when  he  wasachild.  He  came  to  Sparta,  July,  1856;  was 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business  until  1S60.  Has  been  in  official  business 
iince  that  time.  Has  been  connected  with  the  department  of  internal 
revenue  since  1S64.  Has  held  his  present  position  for  the  last  ten 
years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary  C.  Bingham,  daughter  of  Luther  S. 
Bingham.  Mrs.  Kelley  died,  September,  iSSo,  soon  after  her  return 
from  Europe,  where  she  had  been  for  the  benefit  of  her  health.  Edgar 
S.,  son  of  Mr.  Kelley,  born  in  1857,  is  a  music  teacher  at  Oakland,  Cab 
He  received  very  superior  advantages,  in  preparation  for  his  profession, 
spending  four  years  in  Europe,  pursuing  the  study  of  music.  Mr.  Kel- 
ley has  had  four  children  ;  his  son  is  the  only  one  living. 

N.  J.  KEMP,  dealer  in  groceries,  flour,  feed,  provisions,  crockery  and 
glassware,  Sparta,  was  born  in  Havana,  111.,  in  1S43,  where  he  lived  till  he 
came  to  Sparta,  in  the  Summer  of  1S65.  His  parents  came  at  the  same 
time.  His  father.  A.  W.  Kemp,  still  lives  in  Sparta.  Mr.  Kemp  en- 
listed, in  1862,  in  the  85th  111.  Reg.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of 
the  war.  Took  part  in  many  important  campaigns  and  engagements. 
Was  at  the  battles  of  Prairieville,  Ky.,  Lookout  Mountain,  Chatta- 
nooga, Murfreesboro,  etc.  \Vas  severely  wounded  at  Rome,  Ga.,  just  as 
Sherman  began  his  march  to  the  sea.  Was  discharged  at  Springfield, 
111.,  at  the  end  of  the  war.  He  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business 
at  Sparta,  in  1S66,  in  the  firm  name  of  Kemp  &  Lanham.  Was  then 
engaged  for  a  time  with  his  father,  in  business;  afterward  engaged  in 
the  grocery  trade  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  B.  Palmer.  Sold 
out,  and  was  engaged  in  buying  grain  for  about  two  years;  afterward 
took  charge  of  the  store  of  C.  Blakeslee  for  about  four  years.  In  iSSo, 
went  into  business  with  W.  G.  Palmer ;  has  been  alone  since  January, 
iSSl.  Married  Lydia  A.  Cheney,  daughter  of  D.  D.Cheney.  They 
have  four  children — Frank,  Matlie,  Henry  and  Earl. 

WILLIAM  KERRIGAN,  book  dealer,  Sparta,  is.  perhaps,  the 
earliest  living  resident  of  Sparta.  Was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1S32. 
Removed  to  Milwaukee,  in  184S.  He  proceed  from  Milwaukee  to 
Janesville,  on  foot  ;  thence  to  the  town  of  Union,  Dane  Co.,  where  he 
attended  school  during  the  following  Winter.  In  the  Spring  he  went  to 
Oregon,  Dane  Co.,  and  there  became  the  apprentice  of  R.  J.  Casselman, 
to  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  In  October,  185 1,  he  came  to  Sparta  with 
Mr.  Casselman.     They  only  found  one  settler  here  at  that  time,   Mr. 


Willi; 


Pet 


who    had    recently    made    a    settleme 


quarter 


section,  which  includes  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Sparta.  Mr 
Kerrigan  followed  the  business  of  a  blacksmith  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  19th  Wisconsin,  and  served  till  Sep- 
tember, 1S65,  a  period  of  four  years.  Was  in  active  service  during  the 
whole  of  this  time,  except  when  disabled  by  wounds.  He  was  wounded 
in  both  arms,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  during  the  siege  of  that  city.  Went 
into  the  hospital  till  his  wounds  were  healed,  when  he  returned  to  his 
regiment.  After  the  war,  as  his  arms  were  partially  disabled  from  his 
wounds,  he  was  unable  to  contiue  work  at  his  trade,  and  engaged  in 
his  present  business.  He  also  owns  a  fine  cranberry  marsh  at  Pine  Hill, 
Jackson  Co.  His  wife  was  Isabelle  McKensie,  daughter  of  Abram  Mc- 
Kensie,  of  Salem,  La  Crosse  Co.  Have  two  children,  George  and  Mar- 
garet.    Lost  five  children. 

GEORGE  KI.N'G,  farmer,  Sec.  9,  P.  O.  Sparta.  Born  in  Dublin, 
Ireland,  in  1820.  Came  to  the  United  States,  July,  1S28.  Was  brought 
up  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  resided  in 
Cattaraugus  County  till  his  death.  The  parents  of  Mr.  King  had  four 
children.  George  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1S53,  and  entered 
his  present  farm,  where  he  settled  the  following  year.  His  first  wife 
was  Mary  Nichols.  His  present  wile  was  Martha  A.  Turner.  Mr.  King 
has  nine  children,  three  sons  and  six  daughters.  Had  three  children  by 
first  wife.     His  farm  contains  160  acres  of  land. 

N..  P.  LEE,  meat  market,  Sparta.  Was  born  in  the  town  of  Web- 
ster, Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1832.  He  removed  to  Northern  Illinois, 
near  Beloit,  Wis.,  thence  to  Sparta  in  the  Fall  of  1855.  Has  been  va- 
riously engaged  since  he  came  here.  Was  elected  Sheriff  in  the  Fall  of 
1S76.  -Married  Carrie  Palmer,  daughter  of  II.  Palmer,  who  came  to 
Sparta,  from  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Spring  of  1855.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Annie,  Minnie  and  Caddie. 

WILLIAM  LETSON,  manufacturer  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  also 
dealer  in  furniture,  firm  of  Letson  &  Evans,  Sparta.  Born  in  Clinton 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  January,  1S27,  where  he  resided  till  1S58,  when  he  came  to 
Sparta,  and  engaged  in  manufacturing.  His  father,  J.  H.  Letson,  came 
at  the  same  time,  and  a  brother,  Isaac,  in  1S59.  The  latter  nowlivesat 
Albion,  Nebraska.     Was  married  to  Jane  McCracken. 

WILLIAM  LOHMILLER,  station  agent  for  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.Co., 
Sparta.  .Mr.  Lohmiller  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  1S44.  He 
removed  to  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  in  the  Summer  of  1856, 
where  the  latter  still  reside.  Previous  to  coming  to  Sparta.  Mr.  Lohmil- 
ler resided  in  Madison  about  ten  years.  He  began  railroading  in  1871, 
appointed  to  his  present  position  November,  1872,  being  the  first  station 
agent  for  the  railroad  company  at  this  point.  His  wife  was  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  Lyman  H.  Hickcox,  an  early  settler  of  Jeflferson  County, 
where  .Mrs.  Lohmiller  was  born.  They  have  two  children,  Leavenworth 
W.  and  Royal  K. 


CHARLES  B.  McCLURE,  Sparta.  Born  in  KranklinviUe,  Catta- 
raugus Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1827,  where  he  was  brought  up.  He  first  came  to 
Sparta  in  1853,  and  pre-empted  a  farm  in  this  town,  but  sold  his  claim 
and  returned  to  Cattaraugus  County,  engaged  in  teaching  the  following 
Winter  in  the  village  ofCadiz.  .Mr.  .McClure  was  engaged  considerably 
in  this  occupation  when  a  young  min.  He  returned  to  Sparta  in  1S55, 
soon  after  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  Wilsonville  for  four  or  five 
years;  then  took  up  a  farm  near  Cataract,  where  he  stayed  about  two 
years.  In  the  Spring  of  1S64.  he  went  to  .Montana;  was  absent  one 
and  a  half  years.  Alter  his  return,  engaged  in  lumbering  on  the  head 
waters  of  La  Crosse  River.  Since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness at  Sparta.  It  mxy  bi  a  matter  of  interest  to  mention  the  (act  that 
at  the  time  of  -Mr.  McClure's  first  visit  to  Sparta,  he  sawed  the  lumber 
of  which  the  Globe  Hotel  was  built.  This  structure  he  also  assisted  in 
building.  His  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  C.  Sumner,  of  Cattaraugus  Co., 
N.   Y.     They  have  two  children,  Inez  and  Floyd  C. 

BRICE  E  .McCOY,  proprie  or  of  Sparta  mills.  Born  in  Monroe 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1830.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1S44.  His 
father,  Jesse  -McCoy,  settled  in  Racine  County,  where  he  died  in  1874. 
Mr.  .McCoy  was  brought  up  a  farmer.  He  enlisted  in  the  Summer  of 
1363.  in  the  43d  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  After 
his  first  six  months' service,  he  was  appointed  judge  advocate  of  a  mili- 
tary commission,  which  position  he  he:d  during  the  balance  of  this  term. 
After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  McCoy  went  to  Kenosha  and  engaged  in 
milling.  Came  to  Monroe  County  in  1S67,  and  to  Sparta  in  1S76. 
Built  his  present  mill  in  1878.  Married  Miss  A.  S.  Bowker.  daughter  of 
Abram  Bowker.  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Kenosha  County,  formerly 
from  the  State  of  Nevv  York.  He  settled  in  Kenosha  County  in  1837, 
where  Mrs.  McCoy  was  born  the  same  year.  Her  parents  continued 
their  residence  in  Kenosha  County  till  their  decease.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McCoy  have  two  children,  Robert  B.  and  Clark  S. 

C.  W.  McMillan,  Sparta,  born  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S29. 
His  parents  removed  to  Buffalo  when  he  was  a  child;  afterward,  resided 
in  Cattaraugus  and  Chautauqua  counties.  He  lived  in  Western  New 
York  till  1856,  when  he  came  to  Sparta.  Was  elected  SheriflF  in  the 
Fall  of  1S58.  Has  served  as  Sheriff  of  Monroe  County  ten  years  ;  was 
also  Under  Sheriff  for  many  years.  Married  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
to  Mary  Gallagher,  born  in  Canada.  They  have -nine  children,  one  son 
and  eight  daughters. 

J.  J.  MASON,  merchant.  Sparta,  born  iiv  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1837.  Afterward,  went  to  Cayuga  County  with  his  grandfather,  with 
whom  he  lived.  He  went  to  Black  River  Falls  in  the  Spring  of  1859, 
and  engaged  in  milling,  which  trade  he  had  learned  in  the  State  of  New 
York.  He  remained  there  about  two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  went 
to  Sechlersville,  Jackson  Co.,  where  he  was  also  engaged  in  milling 
for  five  and  ah,alf  years,  and  then  went  into  the  mercantile  trade  wiih 
Mr.  J.  R.  Sechler.  This  business  he  followed  in  connection  with  milling. 
He  was  afterward  at  Neillsville  and  Wrightsviile.  Came  toSparta.  July, 
1S7S,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade.  His  wife  was  Anna  Sech- 
ler, daughter  ol  J.  R.  Sechler.  They  have  two  children,  Orpha  B.  and 
Berrie. 

MORROW  &  MASTERS,  attorney.s.  Sparta.  J.  M.  Morrow,  of 
the  above  firm,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S32.  When  a  young 
man,  before  preparing  for  the  practice  of  law,  he  was  in  the  employ- 
ment of  the  house  Geo.  A.  Prince  &  Co.,  Buffalo,  manulactuiers  of 
organs  and  melodeons.  Afterward,  was  in  the  employment  of  .Mason  & 
Hamlin,  Boston,  in  the  same  business.  He  came  to  Sparta  from  Boston, 
Dec.  18,  1S56  Read  law  wiih  Graves  &  Rice.  .Married  Olive  Graves, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Graves.     Has  one  daughter,  Mary. 

Charles  M.  Masters,  of  the  above  firm,  is  the  present  County  Judge 
of  .Monroe  County.  He  was  born  in  Hampden  Co.,  Mass.,  in  1S41. 
Was  brought  up  in  Hampshire  County.  He  came  to  LaCrosse  in  the 
Fall  of  1863,  and  engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  Came  to  Sparta 
in  1865,  and  engaged  in  the  book  trade.  Read  law  with  L.  W.  Graves 
Esq. ;  was  admitted  in  1871.  Was  elected  County  Judge  in  the  Spring 
of  1877  ;  re-elected  in  the  Spring  of  18S1.  Married  Alice  Seeley.  daugh- 
ter of  James  Seeley.  Has  one  son,  Harry  J.  Lost  a  daughter,  Louise 
Blanche. 

GEORGE  W.  >HLLEGAN,  M.  D.,  is  the  pioneer  physician  of 
Sparta.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cairo,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1826. 
He  read  medicine  in  his  native  town,  and  attended  lectures  at  a  medical 
school  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.  Came  to  Sparta  in  1S53,  and  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  since  that  lime.  His  wife  was 
Clara  A.  Darwin,  a  native  of  Vermont. 

O.  I.  NEWTON,  manufacturer,  born  in  Vermont  in  I S42 ;  came  to 
Sparta,  June,  i860,  with  his  mother's  f.imily.  his  father  having  died  in 
Vermont ;  family  consisted  of  his  mother  and  eight  children,  three  sons 
and  five  daughters.  The  family  are  still  residents  of  Monroe  County 
except  one  sister,  deceased,  and  another  sister,  a  resident  of  Texas 
For  several  years  after  coming  to  Sparta,  O.  I.  was  engaged  in  teaching 
during  the  Winter,  and  doing  farm  work  in  the  Summer.  In  the  Spring 
of  1863,  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  drug  store  of  J.  L.  Mather.  Has 
been  connected  with  the  drug  business  since  that  time  until  recently; 
also  had  an  interest  in  the  paper  mill,  from  the  time  it  was  built  until 
1871,  when  he  became  sole  proprietor.     This  mill  he  still  owns.     Is  also 


638 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  owning  a  mill 
at  Lowie  Station,  on  the  West  Wis.  R.  R.  Mr.  Newton  is  an  en- 
ergetic and  and  successful  business  man.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Emma 
H.  Mather,  a  sister  of  J.  L.  Mather.  She  die^  March,  1S73.  Present 
wife  was  Miss  Clara  Campbell,  born  in  Burmah,  India,  in  1S51,  her 
father  being  at  that  lime  a  missionary  at  that  place.  Has  two  sons  by 
first  wife,  Harry  and  George. 

NORTHUP  BROTHERS,  proprietors  of  livery,  sale  and 
boarding  stable,  Sparta,  sons  of  J.  B.  Northup,  native  of  New  York, 
and  came  to  Sparta  from  Chenango  County,  October,  1856  ;  father  now 
lives  at  Leon.  J.  B.,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Chenango  County  in  1849  ;  has  re- 
sided in  Sparta  most  of  the  lime  since.  H.  T.  was  born  in  Chenango 
County,  in  1S44;  has  been  engaged  in  railroading  for  about  fourteen 
years.  Was  employed  by  the  Pullman  Company  as  conductor,  for  about 
six  years.  He  began  work  on  the  railroad  as  brakesman,  but  was  a  con- 
ductor for  about  twelve  years.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Kittie  Carnes, 
daughter  of  George  C.  Cornes.  Has  one  daughter,  Louise.  J.  B.  Nor- 
thup. Sr.,  has  four  sons,  J.  B.,  Jr.,  F.  B.,  H.  T.,  and  C.  W.  F.  B.  is 
located  in  Chicago,  as  ticket  agent  ;  C.  W.  is  in  Chicago,  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  advertisers'  bureau.  The  other  two  sons  are  conduct- 
ing the  livery  business. 

H.  PALMER,  Sparta,  born  in  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1815,  where  he 
was  brought  up.  He  lived  in  Eastern  New  Yoik  until  he  came  to 
Sparta,  in  the  Spring  of  1856.  Mr.  Palmer  is  one  of  the  early,  promi- 
nent business  men  of  Sparta,  Reengaged  in  the  drug  business  in  1857, 
which  was  the  first  drug  store  established  in  town.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  here  about  fourteen  years.  Since  he  retired  from  the 
drug  business,  has  been  variously  engaged.  Was,  for  a  time,  engaged 
in  the  hop  trade,  and  also  in  building.  He  was  married,  in  Montgomery 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Mary  Potter.  They  have  eight  children,  five  sons  and 
three  daught 


DR.  HORACE  PALMER,  (deceased),  was  born  in  Montpelier,  Vt., 
Oct.  28,  1823;  graduated  ai  the  Vermont  Medical  College,  at  Woodstock, 
Jan.  18,  1851;  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  the  same  year  in 
Mansfield,  Mass. ;  married,  Susan  C.  Hall,  of  Mansfield,  March  22, 1857  ; 
removed  10  Wisconsin  the  following  May,  settling  in  West  .Salem,  where 
he  continued  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  followed  it  until  July  30, 
1875,  when  he  removed  to  Sparta,  and  purchased  the  pioneer  drug  store 
of  the  place,  at  that  time  owned  by  Ira  A.  Hill.  Dr.  Palmer's  fatal 
illness  began  with  a  cold  about  a  week  before  his  death,  and  soon  de- 
veloped into  a  bilious  form  of  pleuro-pneumonia,  so  severe  that  no  skill 
of  physicians  or  care  of  friends  could  avail.  He  sank  rapidly,  though 
with  occasional  rallies,  to  the  final  end  Dec.  23,  1880.     The  deceased 


occupied  a  prominent  place  in  religious,  social  and  business  circles,  and 
was  universally  esteemed.  The  death  of  such  a  man  is  a  public  loss. 
Dr.  Palii  er  left  a  wife,  two  daughters  and  one  son.  Lizzie  H.,  wife  of 
H.  S.,  Howell,  druggist  ;  Fann.e  A.,  wife  of  M.  F.  Howell,  hardware 
merchant  ;  and  Fred.  E.,  all  residents  of  Sparta. 

C.  W.  POTT,  harness  maker,  Sparta.  Born  in  Murcy,  Pa.,  in 
1821.  Was  brought  up  in  Pennsylvania.  Began  his  apprenticeship  at 
Milton,  wiih  Rooert  Wilson  in  1837.  He  finished  with  Mr.  Wilson  at 
Williamsport  in  1842.  where  he  was  married  in  1844  to  Miss  Ann  Harris. 
Began  business  at  Muncy  the  same  year,  where  he  continued  eleven  years. 
Came  to  Sparta  in  1855  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law,  Jacob 
Sechler,  new  of  Jackson  County.  Mr.  Pott  did  not  establish'  a  business 
here  at  that  time,  bnt  remained  here,  and  made  a  harness  for  his  own 
use,  which  was  perhaps  the  first  harness  made  in  .Sparta.  This  was  in 
the  Summer  of  1855.  He  went  to  Jackson  County,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  which  he  continued  till  1S62,  when  he  relumed  to  Sparta,  and 
established  his  present  business.  He  is  also  engaged  in  insurance  and 
sells  the  Perry  Royce  Reaper.  Mr.  Pott  lost  his  first  wife  a  few  days 
after  his  arrival  in  Sparta  in  1855.  His  present  wife  was  Margaret 
Hogue,  daughter  of  Hugh  Hogue.  lie  has  one  daughter  by  first  wife, 
Emma,  now  Mrs.  Horace  Pride.  Has  one  son  by  present  wife,  Harry, 
Mr.  Poll  is  a  descendant  of  the  original  Pennsylvaniafamily  of  that  name, 
his  great  grandfather  being  the  founder  of  Pottsville  of  that  Slate. 

ASA  RICE,  lumber  dealer,  Sparta.  Born  in  the  town  of  Hannibal, 
Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  August,  1822.  Came  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his 
father  in  the  Fall  of  1S35.     Resided  in   Racine  County  till  1S43,   "hen 


to  Ke 


Lky  when 


vorked  ; 


,  his  trade,  that  of  a  carpenter 


and  joiner.  He  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Janesviile,  Rock 
Co.,  where  his  father  had  removed  from  Racine  County.  He  lived  in 
Janesviile  about  seven  years,  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  He  came 
to  Sparta  in  1S5S  and  engaged  in  the  same  business.  Went  to  Milwaukee 
in  1S64  ;  came  back  to  Sparta  in  1S68,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
was  married  to  his  first  wife,  Sarah  A.  Clark,  December,  1830;  she  died 
in  Milwaukee,  November,  1866.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Jennie  E. 
Boyden.  Has  two  children  by  first  wife.  Frank  G.  and  Edwin  C,  they 
are  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business  at  Watertown,  Dakota, 
His  wife  has  two  sons  by  former  marriage;  they  are  with  the  sons  of 
Mr.  Rice  in  Dakota.  Mr.  Rice  has  been  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade 
most  of  the  time  since  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  but  has  now  retired  from 
that  business  and  is  chiefly  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber. 

ROBERT  RICHARDSON,  farmer,  Sparta.  Born  in  Orange  Co., 
Vt.,  in  1812.  When  eleven  years  of  age,  his  faiher  removed  to  Ashta- 
bula Co.,  Oliio.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Cattaraugus 
Co.,  N.  v.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  Went  to  Illinois  in  1S44  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  McHenry,  McHenry  Co.  Came  to  Sparta  in  the 
Fall  of  1S70.  Married  in  Illinois  to  Isabel  Lindsley.  They  have  five 
children — Robert,  Mary,  Sylvia,  Paul  and  Lewis. 

R  E V.  E.  L.  SEMANS,  pastor  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Born 
in  Randolph  Co.,  Ind.,  September,  1844.  lie  enlisted  April,  1S61,  in 
the  Sth  Reg  Ind.  Vol.,  Co.  C,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
participated  in  many  of  the  most  important  battles  and  campaigns  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion.  Was  in  Mcl^lellan's  campaign  in  West  Virgina  in 
i86r,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain;  was  in  Fremont's  Missouri 
campaign,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  and  was  present  at  the  siege 
and  surrender  of  Vicksburg  under  Gen.  Grant  ;  afterward  transferred  10 
llie  department  of  the  Gulf,  under  Gen.  Banks.  Thence  to  the  department 
of  the  ^henandoah  ;  was  severely  wounded  at  the  bai  tie  of  Cedar  Creek  ; 
afterward  down  the  Atlantic  Coast  10  Georgia,  where  they  met  the  army  of 
Gen.  bherman,  in  the  memorable  march  to  ihe  sea.  Afier  the  war,  Mr. 
Semans  returned  to  Indiana,  where  he  attended  school.  Thence  to 
Minnesoia.  where  he  was  for  some  time  a  student  at  Hamlin  College  at 
Red  Wing.  Thence  to  Madison,  where  he  became  a  student  of  the 
State  University  at  that  city.  He  entered  the  ministry  in  1870.-  His 
first  charge  was  at  Black  Earth,  where  he  remained  two  years;  then 
followed  three  years  at  Monroe,  and  the  same  time  at  Viroqua.  Came  to 
Sparta  in  187S.  Mr.  Semans  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Walrath.  daugh- 
ter of  Adolphus  Walrath,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  Dane  County, 
from  Ohio,  having  settled  there  in  1S55.  They  have  four  children- 
Raymond  L.,  Gilbert  B.,  Clara  E.,  and  Francis  M. 

JAMES  W.  SMITH,  retired,  Sparta,  Born  at  Northampton,  Mass.. 
in  i8j6.  He  went  to  Rockingham,  Vt.,  when  a  young  man,  where  he 
was  married  to  Katherine  Ellis.  He  removed  to  Coudersport  Penn., 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Went  to  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in 
1857,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  same  occupation.  Came  to  Sparta, 
December,  185S,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware  trade.  His  wife  died 
May,  18S1.  lias  three  children — Mary  Nias,  Katherine  Farnham  and 
James  E. 

STEVENS  H.  STEARNS.  Sparta,  born  in  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1814.  His  parents  removed  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  when  he  was  a  child, 
where  he  remained  till  thirty-one  years  of  age.  He  removed  to  Noble  Co., 
Ind..  in  1845,  wliere  he  lived  till  May,  1S55,  when  he  removed  to  Colum- 
bia Co.,  Wis.  In  June,  1856,  he  came  to  Monroe  County,  and  settled  in 
the  town  of  Wellington,  and  engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  Stearns  is  a  mill- 
wright and  machinist  by  trade,  wdiich  he  followed  for  many  years.  Was 
elected  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Monroe  County,  in  the  Fall  of  1S64  ;  since 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY, 


639 


that  time  has  resided  in  Sparta.  He  served  as  Clerk  of  the  Court  twelve 
years,  and  as  Deputy  Clerk  for  many  years.  Was  married  to  Matilda 
Carothers,  born  in  Ontario  County.  They  have  had  three  children,  two 
of  whom  are  living,  Orra,  wife  of  Dr.  George  F.  Hamilton,  of  Augusta, 
Clark  Co.,  and  Elna.     Lost  second  child,  Mrs.  Adna  Ellis. 


^^F^itces^h^. 


TVLER  &  DICKINSON,  attorneys,  Sparta.  T.  B.  Tyler,  of  the 
above  firm,  was  born  in  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S24  ;  was  brought 
up  in  Ontario  County;  removed  to  Potter  Co.,  Penn.,  1S52,  where 
he  was  Prothonotary,  or  Clerk  of  Court ;  here  he  also  read  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar;  came  to  Sparta  in  April,  1S57,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  here  since  that  time.  The  firm 
name  was  originally  Montgomery  &  Tyler.  In  1863,  it  became  Mont- 
gomery, Tyler  &  Dickinson,  and  since  1S74  has  been  Tyler  &  Dickin- 
son. Mr.  Tyler  was  married  to  Sarah  E.  Dean,  daughter  of  Dr.  Francis 
Dean.     They  have  one  daughter,  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Ir.^  Hill. 

S.  M.  Dickinson,  of  the  firm  of  Tyler  &  Dickinson,  was  born  at 
Wellsboro,  Penn.,  1S33.  Read  law  at  Warren,  that  State,  where  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1857.  Practiced  law  for  a  short  time  in  Aurora, 
111.  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  185S,  and  located  at  Neillsville,  Clark  Co.  ; 
came  to  Sparta  in  1863.  Mr.  Dickinson  has  been  married  twice;  his 
present  wife  was  Miss  Mary  S.  Dunn.  Has  four  children — Stella  and 
Nora  by  first  marriage,   Fannie  and  Samuel  Kent  by  his  present  wife. 

J.  A.  WARNER,  merchant,  firm  Warner  &  Burton,  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  1S35,  where  he  was  brought  up.  He  went  to  Chicago  in 
1853  ;  thence  to  Sparta  in  1856,  and  engaged  in  work  at  his  trade,  that 
of  a  mason.  After  one  or  two  years,  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  for  O.  Mc- 
Farland,  a  dealer  in  groceries,  boots  and  shoes.  He  engaged  in  busi- 
ness with  Mr.  D.  D.  Cheeny,  about  1865.  This  firm  continued  a  few 
months.  The  firm  of  which  he  was  a  partner  was  known  as  J.  A.  War- 
ner &  Co.,  until  about  1871  ;  then  as  Warner  &  Hill  till  1873.  Mr.  War- 
ner was  then  alone  in  business  till  1877;  then  retired  from  business  till 
the  Fall  of  i3So,  when  he  again  engaged  in  business  under  the  present 
firm  name.  For  many  years  he  did  quite  an  extensive  jobbing  business 
in  connection  with  his  retail  trade.  Married  Miss  Frank  L.  Comes, 
daughter  of  George  Comes.     They  have  one  son,  Fred  C. 

ALFRED  W.  WILSON,  Sparta,  station  agent  for  C,  M,&St.  P.  R. 
R.  Co..  was  born  in  Wakeman,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1831.  He  has  been 
connected  with  railroading  for  many  years.  He  w.-is  at  one  time  station 
agent  on  the  Toledo  &  Cleveland  Railroad,  now  the  Lake  Shore  &  Mich- 
igan Southern.  He  was  located  at  Townsend  Station.  This  was  in 
1852.  He  remained  there  two  years.  In  1855,  was  connected  with  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  road;  went  to  Quincy,  I!!.;  was  conductor  for  a  time  ;  also 
acted  as  station  agent  ;  altogether  about  fouryears.  He  came  to  Sparta, 
February,  1859;  went  to  California  the  same  year,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  railroading,  having  charge  of  a  railroad  over  the  mountains.  He 
returned  from  California  in  1863;  went  into  the  army,  as  sutler,  for  two 
years  ;  then  went  to  his  native  town,  W'akeman,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  trade  till  the  Spring  of  1868.  He  then  returned  to  Sparta  ; 
took  charge  of  his  present  station  October,  1870.  This  position  he  has 
occupied  since.  He  was  married  to  Mary  A,  Blodgett,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Blodgett.     They  have  four  sons. 


ANGELO. 
Directly  west  of  Sparta  is  situated  the  town  of  Angelo. 
The  first  settlement  was  made  by  Dr.  Seth  Angel  and  his 
brother  Loyd  in  the  year  1852.  The  latter  took  up  a  farm, 
while  the  doctor  built  a  saw  mill  and  house  within  the  lim- 
its of  the  present  village  of  Angelo.  Dr.  Angel's  saw  mill, 
at  this  early  day,  was  the  only  one  nearer  than  Esau  John- 
son's on  the  Kickapoo,and  the  settlers  were  often  compelled 
to  wait  in  line  for  hours  for  their  turn  to  come  to  get  boards. 
On  the  third  day  of  May,  1856,  the  village  was  platted,  tak- 
ing its  name  from  the  town,  which  was  named  in  honor  of 
the  family  who  first  settled  it.  The  population  of  the  town 
and  village  is  about  450 ;  that  of  the  village  will  not  exceed 
fifty.  The  farming  land  about  the  town  is  unusually  fine, 
the  principal  grain  products  being  wheat  and  corn. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JAMES  C.  BOYLE,  farmer,  Sec.  Ig,  P.  O.  Sparta,  was  born  in 
Knox  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1833.  His  parents  were  James  and  Mahala  Carey 
Boyle.  The  former  was  bom  in  Virginia,  the  latter  in  New  Jersey. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Boyle  went  to  Ohio  with  his  parents  from  Virginia  in 
1807.  James  C.  came  to  Sparta,  November,  1857,  and  settled  on  his 
present  farm  soon  after.  His  first  wife  was  Ellen  Hedge,  born  in  Ohio; 
his  present  wife  was  Zipporah  Binkley,  born  in  Stark  Co.,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Boyle  had  three  children  by  first  wife,  one  of  whom  is  living,  Lewis  C, 
at  present  telegraph  operator  at  Viroqua.  Has  two  by  present  wife, 
Anna  Adele  and  James  B.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Boyle  still  reside  in 
Knox  Co.,  Ohio,  on  the  farm  where  his  grandfather  settled  in  1807.  Mr. 
B.'s  farm  contains  about  200  acres.  He  is  engaged  quite  extensively  in 
dairying. 

GEORGE  W.  GRAVES,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Sparta.  Born  in 
Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1811,  where  he  lived  until  October,  1857,  when  he 
came  to  Sparta.  Mr.  Graves  is  a  carpenter  and  millwright  by  trade, 
which  occupations  he  has  followed  for  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  construction  of  many  of  the  best  buildings  in  Sparta, 
including  the  High-school  building  of  that  village;  also  framed  and 
raised  the  Baptist  Church  in  1864.  With  his  brother,  Israel  Graves,  he 
built  the  present  Sparta  Bank  building.  In  1868,  he  and  his  brother 
were  engaged  on  the  construction  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad. 
Here  he  was  employed  about  six  years.  He  built  the  first  depot  at  Eau 
Claire,  also  round-house,  tank,  etc.,  in  that  city ;  in  fact,  nearly  all  the 
first  railroad  buildings  from  Eau  Claire  to  Hudson.  Other  proniinent 
buildings  might  be  mentioned  in  whose  construction  he  was  identified. 
He  built  a  flouring  mill  in  Sparta  in  1869;  also  the  woolen  factory  in 
that  village.  \Va5  also  engaged  in  bridge  building  many  years,  building 
most  of  the  bridges  in  the  town  of  Sparta.  He  was  married  in  the  Slate 
of  New  York,  to  Jane  Page.  She  died  in  the  Spring  of  1S63.  His  pres- 
ent wife  is  Lucy  Ayers.  He  had  six  children  by  first  marriage,  five  sons 
and  one  daughter.  The  daughter  only  survives.  One  son,  Nathan,  en- 
listed  in  the  36th  Wis.  V.  I.  in  1S64,  was  through  the  campaign  of  the 
Wilderness,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  died  in  prison  at  Saulsbury  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1864.  Mr.  Graves  has  now  retired  to  his  farm  in  the  village 
of  Angelo. 

LOREN  M.  HUNTLEY,  farmer.  Sec.  7,  resides  in  the  village  of 
Athens.  P.  O.  Sparta.  Born  in  the  town  of  Duxbury,  Washington  Co., 
Vt.,  in  1812.  He  was  brought  up  in  his  native  State.  Came  to  the  vil- 
lage  of  Sparta,  November,  1854,  where  he  lived  one  year.  Settled  where 
he  now  lives  in  1855.  Married  Hannah  Hoyt,  a  sister  of  Samuel  Hoyt, 
Esq.,  of  Sparta.  They  have  three  children — Mary,  wife  of  O.  F.  Dor- 
win,  Samuel  M.  and  S.  C.  Mr.  Huntley  was  first  Assessor  of  the  town 
of  Angelo. 

GEORGE  SHEPHERD  (deceased).  Born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
April  10,  1796.  Married  in  England  to  Mary  Brookes.  Emigrated  to 
the  United  Slates  in  the  Fall  of  1843,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Win- 
chester, Scott  Co.,  111.  Removed  thence  to  Springfield,  thence  to  Wau- 
pun  in  the  Fall  of  1845.  Mr.  Shepherd  was  a  business  man,  and  when 
a  young  man,  was  engaged  in  his  native  town  of  Barnesby,  in  the  manu- 
facture of  linen  goods.  Was  afterward  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cutlery,  in  Sheffield,  England.  He  came  to  Monroe  County  with  his 
family  in  the  F'all  of  1854,  and  settled  in  the  village  of  Athens.  He 
died,  Nov.  22,  1877.  His  widow  resides  with  her  sons.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shepherd  had  seven  children,  four  of  whom  died  in  England.  The  sur- 
viving children  are — Ann  B.,  now  Mrs.  H.  H.  Pettis;  William,  born  in 
England  in  1831;  he  enlisted  in  1863  in  the  19th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  married  to  Ann  E.  Southard,  born  in 
Vermont.     They  have  no  children;  have  one   adopted   child,  Archie   C. 


640 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Mr.  Shepherd  has  been  quite  prominent  as  a  teacher  in  Monroe  County; 
has  taught  about  fifteen  terms  in  Monroe  County.  Mrs.  Shepherd  was 
born  in  Bridgeport,  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,in  1844.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with 
her  parents  in  1859.  George  W.  Shepherd,  the  youngest  of  the  three 
children  of  George  Shepherd,  was  born  in  England,  June,  1837.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  iglh  Wis.  V.  I.  'i  he  farm  on  which  the 
brothers  reside,  is  the  homestead  where  the  father  settled  soon  after  he 
came  to  the  county. 

JOHN  A.  SHOLTS,  teacher,  principal  of  the  Angelo  village  school, 
P.O.  Sparta,  was  born  in  Springfield,  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  May  30,  1846. 
His  parents  removed  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  that  year,  and  settled 
near  Madison,  Dane  Co,  where  they  resided  till  their  death.  Mr.  Sholts 
began  teaching  in  the  Spring  of  1S66,  in  Rock  County.  Has  followed 
the  profession  of  teaching  since  that  time.  Has  taught  in  Monroe  Coun- 
ty since  the  Fall  of  1S69.  Began  teaching  the  schoolof  which  he  now 
has  charge,  in  1878.  Mr.  Sholts  is  a  popular  and  successful  teacher,  and 
the  school  in  Athens  has  prospered  well  under  his  administration.  Not 
less  than  eighteen  of  his  pupils  of  1880,  began  teaching  in  the  Spring  of 
18S1.     His  wife  was  Miss  Emma  Kenyon.     They  have  four  daughters. 

JOHN  W.  SMITH,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  35,  P.O.Sparta, 
was  born  in  Schoharie  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1833  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Spring  of  1S54.  He  lived  at  Beloit  till  the  following  Fall,  when  he  came 
to  Monroe  County  ;  lived  the  ensuing  Winter  in  the  village  of  Angelo  ; 
settled  in  Farmers'  Valley  in  1855,  where  he  has  since  resided.  His 
father  was  K.  G.  Smith,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  from  the  State  of  New 
York  in  1854.  He  died  in  the  town  of  Angelo,  February  1S79.  Mr. 
Smith  was  married  to  Eveline  L.  West.  They  have  one  son,  Ansyl  E.  . 
Mr.  Smith  has  about  300  acres  of  land,  and  is  engaged  quite  extensively 
in  dairying.  He  makes  a  specially  of  the  Devonshire  breed  of  cattle  ; 
has  at  present  about  thirty  head  of  that  popular  and  valuable  class  of 
stock. 

Laf.-^yette. 

CHANDLER  DAM.MON,  farmer,  Sec.  32,  P.O.  Sparta,  was  born 
in  Maine,  in  iSlg.  where  he  was  brought  up,  and  married  Matilda  Doan, 
born  in  the  same  State.  They  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1844,  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Ivutland,  where  they  lived  till  1857,  then  came  to 
Monroe  County  and  purchased  present  farm  ;  lived,  however,  one  year 
in  the  village  of  Sparta,  before  locating  on  his  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Damman  have  had  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living — three 
sons  and  six  daughters.     His  farm  contains  eighty  acres. 

CYRUS  E.  HANCHETT,  farmer.  Sec.  32,  P.O.Sparta,  was  born 
in  Conland  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1826,  where  he  lived  till  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  left  home.  He  engaged  at  work  on  a  farm  for  several  years. 
In  1S47,  he  went  to  Connecticut  where  he  was  engaged  as  overseer  on 
iron  works  till  1S55.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  A.  Hanchett,  born  in 
Connecticut.  They  came  to  Wisconsin  in  December,  1855.  Mr.  Hanchett 
bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Angelo,  Monroe  Co.,  which  he  owned 
about  two  years  ;  he  then  settled  on  his  present  farm,  which  he  purchased 
at  the  same  time.  His  wife  died  January,  1874  ;  his  present  wife  was 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Brigner.  Mr.  Hanchett  began  life  a  poor  boy  ;  his  mother 
having  died  when  he  was  but  two  years  of  age,  he  did  not  have  the  bene- 
fit of  her  valuable  influence  in  his  early  manhood.  After  he  left  his 
father's  home,  he  lived  for  some  time  with  Mr,  George  Truesdell,  for 
whom  he  possesses  a  grateful  remembrance.  By  him  he  was  sent  to 
school,  and  thus  enabled  to  obtain  the  rudiments  of  an  English  educa- 
tion. Mr.  Hanchett  has  a  pleasant  home  and  a  well-improved  farm  of 
120  acres. 

A,  H.  ISHAM,  farmer.  Sec.  29,  P.  O.  Sparta,  was  born  in  Schoharie 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1819.  He  was  married  to  Sabrina  E.  Smith,  born  in  the 
same  county.  They  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1850.  Mr. 
Isham  engaged  as  foreman  in  a  boot  and  shoe  manufactory  at  Beloit,  for 
about  four  years.  Came  to  Monioe  County  in  the  Fall  of  1855,  and  set- 
tled where  he  now  lives.  He,  however,  had  purchased  his  farm  in  1853. 
Mr.  Isham  has  held  several  town  offices  ;  has  been  Chairman  of  Town 
Board  many  years,  and  Chairman  of  Board  of  Poor  Commissioners  nine 
years.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  has  been 
Master  of  Valley  Lodge,  No.  60,  for  a  dozen  years  or  more.  Is  also  a 
member  of  the  degree  of  Knights  Templar.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isham  have 
four  daughters— I'hcbe.  Lois,  Josephine  and  Mary.  Mr.  Isham  is  en- 
gaged in  general  farming.     His  farm  contains  260  acres. 

MARTIN  V.  B.  MORSE,  farmer  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Spaita.  Born  in 
Hanover,  Grafton  Co.,  N.  II.,  in  1829,  where  he  lived  till  January,  1856, 
when  he  came  to  Monroe  County  and  settled  on  his  present  farm,  which 
he  purchased  of  Cyrus  Rich.  He  has  a  fine  farm  0(440  acres,  and  is 
pleasantly  located.  His  father,  Moses  Morse,  came  to  Monroe  County 
about  i860.  His  wife  was  Maria  H.  Doten,  born  in  New  Hampshire. 
They  have  four  children— Fred  O.,  Flora  B.,  Luella  E.  and  William  M. 
REV.  WILLIAM  BUSH,  farmer  and  minister  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
Sec.  33.  P.  O.  Sparta,  was  born  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  i8o8.  His 
parents  removed  to  Madi.son  County  when  he  was  a  child.  He  was 
brought  up  a  farmer.  He  began  the  ministry  about  1S38,  as  a  member 
of  the  Genesee  Conference.  He  was  connected  with  this  conference  till 
1852.     His  health  having  failed  from  overwork,  he   decided  by  the  ad- 


vice of  his  physicians,  to  make  a  change  of  climate.  He  therefore  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  May,  1853.  wilh  the  intention  of  engaging  in  missionary 
work.  He  soon  after  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  where  he 
settled  with  his  family  in  the  Fall  of  1S55.  Mr.  Bush  was  engaged  in 
doing  missionary  work  in  the  interest  of  the  church  with  which  he  is 
identified,  for  many  years.  He  understands  well  the  privations  and 
hardships  incident  to  the  life  of  a  pioneer  minister.  He  has  labored  long 
and  faithfully  in  the  interests  of  his  church,  and  is  reaping  the  reward 
which  comes  from  the  memory  of  a  well  spent  life.  The  first  sermon 
he  preached  in  Monroe  County  was  delivered  in  a  blacksmith  shop 
in  Sparta  in  1S53.  He  was  instrumental  in  building  the  first  Meth- 
odist Church  in  Sparta,  which  was  built  in  1856.  At  the  time  Mr. 
Bush  came  to  Wisconsin  the  Rev.  Alfred  Bronson,  D.  D.,  now  of 
Prairie  du  Chien,  was  the  presiding  elder.  Of  him  Mr.  Bush  speaks 
in  the  highest  terms  for  his  energy  and  enterprising  Christian  spirit. 
Mr.  Bush  lost  his  first  wife  in  New  York.  His  present  wife  was  Ursula 
Graves,  born  at  Victor,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S17.  Her  parents,  Na- 
thaniel and  Amanda  Graves  came  to  Wisconsin  with  Mr.  Bush.  Her 
father,  a  local  minister,  died  in  1876.  aged  eighty-three  years.  Her 
mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  Bush  has  one  son  by  first  wife.  Orris  R.  His 
children  by  present  wife  are  Mary  E.,  Elbert,  George  W.  and  Nettie, 
all  born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

ISAAC  W.  COOPER,  farmer.  Sec.  21,  P.O.  Sparta.  Born  in  Litch- 
field Co.,  Conn.,  in  1S20.  Was  brought  up  in  Connecticut.  Married 
Elizabeth  H.  Decker,  born  in  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1855  and  settled  on  their  present  farm. 
They  have  seven  children— James  D.,  Laura  I.,  Sarah  E.,  John  P.,  Ed- 
ward E.,  Albert  W.  and  Minnie  E.  Lost  their  oldest  daughter.  Mr. 
Cooper's  farm  contains  200  acres. 

CATARACT. 
Is  a  little  village  situated  in  to\vn   of  Little  Falls,  has  a 
school  and  church,  also  a  large  flouring  mill,  run  by  Messrs. 
Moffat  &  Scantleing.  The  surrounding  country  is  a  fine  agri- 
cultural district. 

BI0GR.4PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

AUSTIN  S.  BEEMER,  farmer.  Sec.  28,  P.  O.  Cataract.  Born  in 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  in  l8tS.  Removed  to  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  he 
went  to  Fulton  Co.,  111.,  in  1841.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Summer  of 
1843  ;  lived  in  Washington  County  till  the  Spring  of  1S56,  and  settled 
on  Ws  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  enlisted  in  the  Spring 
of  1865,  in  the  53rd  Reg.,  but  wasdischarged  afier  three  months'  service, 
for  disability.  His  first  wife  was  Susan  M.  Matthews,  His  present  wife 
was  Mrs.  Eliza  La  Barr,  formerly  Eliza  Johnson  ;  she  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont, she  was  the  daughter  of  Willis  Johnson,  who  came  10  Wisconsin 
from  Vermont,  in  1S55,  settled  in  this  town  in  1856,  and  died  in  the  Fall 
of  1871.  Her  first  husband,  Alonzo  La  Barr,  enlisted  in  1S63,  in  the  36lh 
Reg.,  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania,  in  1864. 
Mr.  Beemer  has  two  children  by  first  wife,  Adolph  S.  and  Thomas  M. 
His  farm  contains  120  acres. 

D.  V.  COLE,  proprietor  of  hotel,  P.  O.  Cataract.  Mr.  Cole  was  born 
.  in  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1828.  In  the  Fall  of  1855,  he  came  to  La  Crosse, 
Wis.,  thence  to  Jackson  County.  He  entered  land  in  Sec.  12,  town  of 
Little  Falls,  the  following  January,  where  he  lived  till  the  Spring  of 
1S74,  he  then  came  to  Cat.iract,  kept  a  meat  market  here  for  three  years, 
then  eng.iged  in  keeping  his  present  hotel.  He  was  married  to  Alma 
M.  Maxham  ;  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  He  was  married  in  the  Fall  of 
1854.  They  have  three  children — Julia  M.,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Walker, 
Emma  and  Hattie.     Lost  one  daughter,  Fannie  P. 

MARK  P.  MATTESON,  farmer.  Sec.  29,  P.  O.  Cataract.  Born  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S20.  He  moved  to  Monroe  Co.,  Mich.,  with  his 
parents,  Roswell  and  Miranda  Matteson,  in  1834.  His  parents  removed 
from  St  Clair  Co.,  Mich.,  to  Wauwatosa,  Wis,  in  1848,  where  they  lived 
two  years,  thence  to  Washington  County,  thence  to  Waupaca  County, 
where  they  now  reside.  Parents  had  thirteen  children — nine  sons  and 
four  daughters.  Six  sons  and  two  daughters  reached  mature  years  ;  five 
sons  and  two  daughters  still  living— Ezekiel  D.,  Mark  P.,  Charles  K., 
David  A.,  Zapher  W.,  Lucy  and  Martha.  They  are  all  residents  of  Wau- 
paca, except  Mark  P.  The  latter  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851,  he  resided 
in  Fond  du  Lac  County  till  the  Fall  of  1856,  when  became  to  Monroe 
County,  and  settled  on  his  present  farm.  He  was  married  to  Eliza 
Locke ;  born  in  Lower  Canada.  They  have  seven  children,  four  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Mr.  Matteson's  farm  contains  100  acres.  He  has 
been  Town  Tre.isurer  of  Little  F.ills,  and  member  of  Town  Board  several 
years. 

LEON. 
The  first  settlement  in  tlie  town  was  made  by  Ephraim 
Shaw,  who  arrived  in  June,  1851.  Mr.  Shaw  took  up  land  and 


HISTORY    OF    MONROE    COUNTY 


641 


went  to  farming.  The  farm  was  afterward  sold  to  Robert 
Smith,  who,  in  i83o,  erected  a  handsome  brick  house  almost 
upon  the  same  site  where  Mr.  Shaw's  house  stood.  In 
August  of  1S51,  W.  J.  Austin  arrived  in  Leon,  taking  up 
1,400  acres  of  land,  100  of  which  he  cleared  the  first  Sum- 
mer. Mr.  Austin  says  :  "  I  came  to  this  country  to  make 
money,  and  I  have  made  it."  The  fifth  season  he  gathered 
a  crop  of  1 2,000  bushels  of  grain,  9,000  of  which  being  oats, 
the  balance  wheat  and  corn.  On  the  fourteenth  day  of 
November,  1853,  the  village  was  surveyed  and  platted,  and 
begins  at  the  quarter  post  on  the  section  line  between  Sec- 
tion 10  and  II,  in  Town  16,  north  of  Range  4,  west  of  fourth 
principal  meridian,  thence  running  east  on  the  quarter  line 
of  Section  11,  to  the  Little  La  Crosse  River;  thence  up 
said  river  to  the  south  line  of  northwest  quarter  of  south- 
west quarter  of  Section  1 1  ;  thence  wc'it  on  said  line  to  the 
quarter  line  of  Section  10;  thence  east  three  chains  and 
ninety  links  to  the  place  beginning.  The  village  contains 
about  twenty-four  acres.  North  of  Leon  about  one  mile  is 
the  Leon  Cemetery,  platted  October  10,  1865.  The  lots 
are  laid  out  very  nicely,  being  10x20  feet,  with  the  walks 
twelve  feet  wide.  First  house  either  in  town  or  village  was 
built  by  Ephraim  Shaw,  June  1851. 

In  July,  same  year,  R.  S.  Kingman  and  his  two  brothers, 
Rosalvo  and  Alvarado,  came  to  the  county  from  Ashtabula, 
Ohio,  and  settled  in  Leon.  At  this  time,  there  was  a  great 
many  came  into  the  town,  settling  in  different  parts  of  the 
valley,  among  whom  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Metzgar, 
who  afterward  moved  to  Portland,  settling  in  the  extreme 
south  of  that  town.  First  post-office  was  established  in 
1856,  but  was  discontinued  a  few  years  later,  but  has 
since  been  re-established.  In  i86t,  a  grist-mill  was 
built  by  C.  F.  Western,  who  ran  it  about  a  year,  when 
it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Austin,  in  1862.  The  mill 
has  four  run  of  stone.  Mr.  Austin  did  a  large  business, 
turning  out  from  100  to  150  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Tlie 
mill  is  situated  on  the  Little  La  Crosse  River,  having  a  water- 
power,  equal  to  48-horse  power. 

There  are  three  churches  in  the  village,  the  Methodist, 
Congregational  and  Adventists.  Tiie  Methodist  meeting- 
house was  erected  March,  1S69,  and  the  Congregational  a 
little  later  in  same  year.  The  Adventist's  was  not  built 
until  1878. 

Leon  Valley,  in  this  town,  is  settled  by  a  thrifty  class  of 
farmers,  who  have,  many  of  them,  realized  consider- 
able wealth  by  patient  and  careful  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  The  general  products  are  wheat,  oats  and  corn. 
The  population  of  the  town  and  village  is  975,  the  village 
claiming  about  sixty-five  inhabitants. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  J.  AUSTIN,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  also  owner  of 
Leon  Mills,  was  born  in  Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  May  26,  1823.  He  came 
to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  about  1847.  He  settled  in  Leon  Valley  in 
1851;  was  County  Treasurer  in  1854,  Superintendent  of  Schools  in 
1858,  and  has  held  various  other  local  offices.  Was  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly of  Wisconsin  in  l8Sr.  Mr.  Austin  is  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  Leon  Valley.  He  is  largely  engaged  in  stock-raising,  and  owns  over 
1,000  acres  of  land.  He  was  married  in  Sheboygan  County,  in  1850,  to 
Maria  E.  Sanford.  daughter  of  Benjamin  E.  Sanford.  Mrs.  Austin  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Copley,  Summit  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1829.  Her  father  was 
40 


a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  went  to  Ohio  from  Vermont  when  a  young 
man.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Austin  have  four  children— Eugene  F.,  Clifford  R., 
Stella  I.  and  Earnest  C,  all  born  in  the  town  of  Leon. 

A.  H.  GILLILAND,  farmer,  Sec.  14,  P.  O.  Leon,  born  in  the  North 
of  Ireland,  1822;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1840;  lived  in  Onon- 
daga County  till  1853,  when  he  came  to  Monroe  County,  and  settled 
where  he  now  lives.  He  is  an  extensive  farmer.  His  wife  was  also  a 
native  of  Ireland.     They  have  two  sons,   John  H.  and  Albert  E. 

W.  S  JEWELL' (deceased),  born  in  England  ;  came  to  the  United 
States  about  1S42  ;  settled  in  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  lived  eleven 
years  ;  then  removed  to  Monroe  County,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Leon, 
where  he  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  Jan.  S,  1881.  Left  five 
children — Arthur  W.,  born  in  Gloucestershire.  England,  in  1832  ;  came  to 
this  country  with  his  parents;  married  Mary  E.  Marshall,  born  in 
Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y. :  they  have  one  child,  Clara  E.  The  other  children 
of  W.  S.  Jewell,  are  William,  Leah,  George  and  Jane.  The  last  two 
were  born  in  this  country. 

REV.  WILLIAM  McMILLAN,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  Leon  ;  born  in  Ohio,  in  1826.  settled  in  Richland  County 
in  1856;  began  preaching  in  1S62.  His  field  of  labor  has  been  mostly 
in  Richland  and  Vernon  counties.  He  came  to  Monroe  County  and 
became  pastor  of  the  church  at  Leon,  October,  1880.  Married  Miss  P. 
H.  Harland.  They  have  two  children,  Harland  and  A.  K.  They  lost 
two  daughters. 

A.  H.  MATTESON,  farmer.  Sec.  II,  P.  O.  Leon,  born  in  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S30,  where  he  was  brought  up.  He  came  to  Leon  Val- 
ley, May,  1857  ;  settled  where  he  now  lives  in  1858,  though  he  had  vis- 
ited the  Valley  in  1855.  His  parents  M.  W.  and  Abigail  Matteson, 
came  in  1858,  and  resided  at  the  home  of  A.  H.  till  their  death.  Par- 
ents had  three  children— Melissa  E.,  WiUard  J.  and  Alonzo  H.  Wil- 
lard  died  October,  i86l.  Melissa  B.  is  now  Mrs.  Charles  Morgan.  A.  H. 
married  Susie  Clark,  native  of  Otsego,  N.Y.  They  have  three  children- 
Jennie,  now  Mrs.  Clifford  Austin  ;  Vera  B.  and  Grace  Abigail.  They 
lost  their  oldest  child,  Melville  E.,  who  died  in  1855,  July  18.  He  was 
born  Feb.  6,  1854. 

CHARLES  J.  MATTESON,  farmer.  P.  O.  Leon.  Born  in  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  October,  1818.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  and  settled 
in  Fond  du  Lac  County.  Returned  to  New  York  in  1848,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Livonia  Tucker,  born  in  Chenango  County.  Returned  to  Wis- 
consin ;  resided  in  Fond  du  Lac  and  Winnebago  counties,  till  June, 
1854,  when  he  came  to  Monroe  County,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Leon. 
He  built  a  store  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed  for  about  twelve  years  ;  was  also  Postmaster  during  this  time. 
This  store,  which  is  still  standing,  was  the  second  frame  building  in  the 
village  of  Leon.  Was  engaged,  also,  in  farming,  in  connection  with  his 
mercantile  business.  Has  a  pleasant  home  in  the  village  of  Leon,  and  a 
fine  farm  of  300  acres.  His  wife  died  Feb.  18,  i88l.  Has  two  chil- 
dren, Willis  and  Carrie. 

ROBERT  SMITH,  farmer.  Born  in  Saratoga  Co..  N.  Y.,  in  1841. 
He  was  brought  up  in  Saratoga  County.  When  a  young  man  he  trav- 
eled  considerably  through  the  Western  States,  and  settled  in  Sparta 
in  1855.  He  was  engaged  in  various  occupations  for  a  time.  In  1S56. 
and  1857,  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  Sparta.  He  finally  engaged  as  a 
partner  with  S.  D.  Jackson,  in  the  firm  name  of  Jackson  &  Smith.  They 
established  a  large  business;  had  several  branch  houses  at  other  points 
and  also  did  quite  an  extensive  jobbing  trade.  He  continued  in  the 
mercantile  business  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  purchased  his  present 
farm,  in  Leon  Valley,  of  Nelson  Carrier.  He  has  about  500  acres 
of  land.  Is  engaged  quite  extensively  in  stock  raising.  Mr.  Smith  has 
been  very  fortunate  in  his  business  adventures,  and  is  numbered  among 
the  wealthiest  men  of  Monroe  County.  His  home  in  Leon  is  an  elegant 
one,  he  having  one  of  the  finest  brick  residences  in  the  county.  Mr.  Smith 
has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  for  several  years.  He  married 
Mary  L.  Link,  daughter  of  H.  A.  Link,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Leon  Valley.  They  have  two  children.  Howard  R.  and  June  Bell.  The 
former  is  a  student  at  the  State  University,  at  Madison,  which  institu- 
tion he  entered  in  1880. 

CASHTON. 
This  is  a  village  of  about  one  hundred  inhabitants.  In 
1854  Thompson  Hazen,  who  had  settled  in  the  pines  on 
the  Kickapoo  in  1849,  came  to  this  locality,  building  him  a 
house  about  two  miles  south  of  the  present  village  of  Cash- 
ton.  From  this  circumstance,  and  owing  partly  to  the  fact 
of  Mr.  Hazen  keeping  "open  house,"  the  neighborhood 
was  known  as  "  Hazen's,"  or  "  Hazen's  Corner."  The  vil- 
lage of  Cashton  was  surveyed  and  platted  for  Col.  Cash, 
on  the  thirteenth  day  of  September,  1879,  the  boundary  line 
commencing  sixty  rods  from  north  quarter-post,  on  south  side 


642 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  Section  30,  Town  15.  Since  the  platting,  the  town  lias 
grown  very  much,  having  at  the  present  time  eight  stores, 
including  the  general  stores,  two  blacksmith  shops  and  one 
wagon  shop.  One  hotel,  called  after  the  village,  the  Cash- 
ton  House,  one  church  building,  a  post-office  and  a  ware- 
house. The  post-office  was  established  in  the  Spring  of 
18S0,  at  which  time  Mr.  Surdam  was  appointed  Postmaster. 
The  first  building  erected  was  the  warehouse,  by  Messrs. 
Coates  &  Little,  in  1879.  This  same  year  the  Viroqua 
branch  of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.,  passed  through,  and 
erected  a  station,  adjoining  the  warehouse.  In  1880,  this 
village  had  but  thirteen  buildings,  and  a  population  of  six- 
ty-five. There  has  been  several  additions  made  to  the  vil- 
lage since  the  original  plat  was  made,  and  improvements 
are  being  made,  that  will  make  of  it  a  place  of  interest  in 
the  county. 

BIOGR.-\PHIC.\L    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  H.  CREMER.  f.irmer,  P.  O.  Cashton,  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia, on  the  Rhine,  July  25.  1S37  where  he  lived  till  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  left  Germany  Oct.  S.  iS'i?, 
reaching  New  Yoik  on  Nov.  2-j:h  following.  His  mother  died  in 
Germany.  His  father,  with  three  daughters,  came  to  the  United  Slates 
with  him.  Two  brothers  of  Mr.  Cremer.  M.itihias  and  William,  had 
come  over  in  the  Spring  of  that  year.  Family  settled  in  Pine  Hollow^ 
town  of  Jefferson,  where  father  died,  August,  1S67.  Henry,  being  the 
youngest  son,  kept  the  homestead,  which  he  occupied  till  1666.  He 
then  sold  it  to  one  Anthony  Sepmelzer,  from  Ohio.  Henry  then  built 
him  a  residence  in  Pine  Hollow,  on  Sec.  29.  where  he  lived  till  1S7S, 
which  he  then  sold.  He  then  visited  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Nebraska, 
looking  for  a  location ;  but  finding  nothing  that  suited  him  belter 
than  Monroe  County,  he  came  back,  and  was  elected  County  Clerk  in 
the  Fall  of  187S.  He  then  located  in  Sparta,  where  he  remained  till 
the  expiration  of  his  ofBce.  In  Janunry,  iSSl,  he  settled  on  his  present 
farm,  which  he  had  purchased  on  his  return  from  the  West.  Mr.  Cre- 
mer has  held  various  town  offices  :  Has  been  Town  Clerk  for  about 
twelve  years.  Chairman  of  Town  Board  six  years  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  sixteen  years.  Mr.  Cremer  is  a  prominent  and  intelhgent  gentle- 
man, and  as  his  record  .shows,  posse.sses  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
his  fellow  citizens.  His  wife  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Flock,  born  in  Prus- 
sia, and  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents  in  the  Spring  of  1857. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cremer  have  had  ten  children. 

MARK  DANIELS,  station  agent  at  Cashton  ;  born  in  Florence,  Sf 
Joseph  Co.,  Mich.,  in  1S42,  where  he  was  brought  up.  He  enlisted  in  1862, 
in  the  iglh  Mich.  He  served  in  the  army  till  the  close  of  the  war.  W'as 
severely  wounded  before  Atlanta,  July.  1S64.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
returned  to  Michigan, and  was  engaged  as  clerk  at  Detroit  one  year.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  railroading  since  1866.  Was  at  that  time  appointed  re- 
ceiving clerk  at  Winona  Junction,  on  the  C,  M.  &  St,  Paul  R.  R.  Thence 
to  Trempealeau,  where  he  was  baggage  masterfor  some  time.  Thence  to 
Mankato  ;  afterward  to  St.  Peter.  He  then  returned  to  Winona  [unc- 
tion, near  La  Crosse,  where  he  was  station  agent  for  five  years;  he  was 
then  engaged  in  the  Auditor's  office,  at   Le  Seuer  for  a  time;  tlience  to 


Me 


i,  Monroe   Co.,  where  he  was  the  first 


3  gent 


Melv 


Was  appointed  station  agent  at  Cashton,  September,  1879,  'li^  first 
agent  at  this  place.  He  was  married  in  St.  Peter,  to  Mary  I.  Clapp. 
They  have  one  child,  Lola.     Lost  one  child,  Francis. 

W.  B.  SURDAM,  Postmaster  at  Cashton,  born  at  Hoosac  Falls, 
Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  went  to  Massachusetts,  where  he  lived  till  1S44 
thence  to  Saratoga  County,  thence  to  Chautauqua  County;  He  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1853,  and  settled  at  Watertown,  Jcfler.son  Co.  In  1S55,  ''e 
removed  to  what  was  then  Adams,  now  Juneau  County,  and  settled  at 
New  Lisbon,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  ;  afterward  built  a 
hotel  in  that  town  ;  afterward  removed  to  Fort  Dodge,  and  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  ;  thence  to  Chicago;  came  here  November,  1871; 
was  appointed  Postmaster  Dec.  18,  1S79.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. They  have  four  children — .Mary,  Dora,  Georgia,  wife  of  W. 
H.  H.  Cash,  after  whom  the  village  was  named,  and  Wilbam  F. 

J.  B.  TROWBRIDGE,  M.  D.,  Cashton,  born  in  Oileans  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1853  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1S56  ;  father  settled  in 
Viroqua,  Vernon  Co..  where  he  still  lives.  Dr.  Trowbridge  studied 
medicine  with  Dr.  William  A.  Gott,  of  Viroqua.  Attendtd  lectures  at 
Rush  Medicil  College,  where  he  will  graduate  in  the  Spring  of  1S82. 
He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Cashton,  in  the  Spring  of  iSSo. 
His  wife  was  Belle  Clapp. 


MELVIN.X. 

The  first  settler  in  the  town  of  Jefferson  was  Thomas 
Rathbun,  in  1855.  His  claim  laid  about  half  a  mile  south 
of  what  is  now  the  village  of  Melvina.  The  same  year  he 
was  joined  by  Richard  Cole,  who  settled  near  him  upon 
what  is  known  as  the  Cole-Rathbun  branch.  The  first 
house  was  erected  by  Mr.  Rathbun,  1855,  the  first  school 
being  started  by  Miss  Sarah  Osborne,  the  following  year. 
From  this  time,  the  town  commenced  to  grow  very  rapidly, 
settlers  coming  in  in  great  numbers,  and  making  their  claims 
in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The  village  of  St.  Mary's  was 
settled  at  this  time.  The  population  of  the  town  now  ag- 
gregates about  1,075  inhabitants,  including  the  villages  of 
Melvina,  Cashton  and  St.  Mary's. 

This  village  is  situated  on  the  line  of  the  Viroqua  branch 
of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  which 
passes  directly  through  the  town.  The  first  man  to  settle 
within  the  limits  of  the  village  was  Capt.  C.  Hunt,  who 
arrived  in  1S66,  and  built  the  first  house,  which  he  still  oc- 
cupies, having,  however,  made  considerable  improvements 
during  the  last  few  years.  Capt.  Hunt  at  this  time  bought 
a  farm  of  about  400  acres,  and  commenced  raising  grain. 
A  few  years  later,  he  disposed  of  about  200  acres,  and  used 
the  balance  for  the  purpose  of  raising  stock.  In  this  he  has 
had  remarkably  great  success,  particularly  with  sheep  and 
horned  cattle.  During  this  and  the  following  year,  there 
there  were  quite  a  number  arrived  and  settled  in  the  village. 
The  post-office  was  established  in  1867,  and  Capt.  Hunt 
appointed  Postmaster.  In  1869,  he  built  the  grist-mill,  put- 
ting in  two  run  of  stone,  with  capacity  for  grinding  200 
bushels  per  day.  The  mills  are  still  owned  and  operated 
by  Capt.  Hunt,  and  are  known  as  "  Hunt's  Mills."  One  of 
the  features  of  Melvina  is  the  large  fish-pond  of  Capt.  Hunt, 
which  he  has  well  stocked  with  speckled  trout,  perch  and 
California  salmon.  The  pond  is  kept  well-supplied  with 
water  from  the  Little  La  Crosse  River,  which  passes  through 
and  about  the  village,  upon  which  stream  Hunt's  mills  are 
situated.  The  village  was  surveyed  and  platted  December 
II,  1866,  and  is  situated  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  Section   6,  Town   15,  Range  3. 

The  population  is  estimated  at  seventy-five ;  has  one 
church  building,  used  in  common  by  all  denominations; 
one  hotel,  one  general  store,  cheese  factory,  post-office, 
grist  mill,  school-house  and  blacksmith  shop. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

RICHARD  .S.  Wf.  COLE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Jefferson.  Born  in  London, 
England,  in  1826.  Came  to  this  country  in  1S47.  with  his  parents,  who 
settled  in  Racine  Co.,  Wis.  Mr.  Cole  came  to  Monroe  County.  June. 
1S55.  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Jefferson,  where  he  now  lives.  His  wife 
was  Harriet  Rathbun,  daughter  of  Thomas  Rathbun.  They  have  nine 
children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Cole  has  a  pleasant  and 
romantic  location,  which  he  is  improving,  and  intends  to  have  a  pleasant 
resort.  He  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  trout  ponds  in  the  Stale  of 
Wisconsin,  adjacent  to  his  house.  This  pond  is  well  stocked  with  speckled 
beauties,  and  the  angler  for  this  delicate  and  beautiful  fish,  here  finds 
abundant  opportunity  for  his  favorite  sport. 

CAPT.  CHARLES  A.  HUNT,  Melvina.  is  engaged  in  farming 
and  milling  ;  he  was  born  in  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.Y.,  in  1S29.  where  he 
lived  till  1845,  when  he  came  to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.  In  the  following  Feb- 
ruary he  went  Grant  County,  where  he  was  engaged  in  mining,  two 
years ;   he  then  learned  the  trade  of  a  miller,  at  Hazel  Green,  with 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


643 


Lightcap  &  Edwards.  In  1850,  he  went  to  California,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  mining  ;  lelurned  to  Hazel  Green,  and  engaged  again  in  mill- 
ing. In  the  Spring  of  1S56,  he  removed  to  what  was  then  Bad  Axe 
County,  now  Vernon,  anil  built  a  mill  at  Bloomingdale.  He  enlisted 
July,  1S62.  in  the  25ih  Wis.  At  the  organization  of  the  regiment,  he 
was  elecied  first  lieutenant  of  Co.  K.  lie  served  as  aid-decamp  and 
quarter  master  about  one  year ;  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  November, 
1S64.  and  served  in  that  capacity  till  the  close  of  the  war;  he  partic- 
ipated in  many  important  campaigns  and  engagements;  was  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign,  siege  of  Vicksburg.  etc.  At  the  close  of  the  war.  he 
returned  to  Vernon  County  and  sold  his  property  there  ;  came  to  Mel- 
vina  in  1S66;  has  served  two  terms  in  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin, 
having  been  elected  in  1S6S.  and  again  in  1S70.  In  1874.  he  was  com- 
missioned by  the  Governor  to  remove  the  Winnebago  Indians  to  their 
tenitory  in  Nebraska.  Capt.  Hum's  first  wife  was  Amanda  Melvina 
Ray.  after  whom  the  village  was  named.  The  present  Mrs.  Hunt  is  a 
sister  of  his  former  wife  ;  has  three  children  by  first  wife— Henry  W., 
Francis  Marion  and  Mettella  A.  Capt.  Hunt  has  a  farm  of  about  200 
acres,  and  is  also  the  owner  of  Hunt's  mill  of  this  place. 

THOMAS  RATHBUN  (deceased),  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I., 
in  i7gS.  When  a  boy  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  removed  with  his 
father's  family  to  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.  Came  to  Wisconsin  from  Onon- 
daga County  in  1S43.  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Raymond,  Racine  Co. 
He  was  married  in  Herkimer  County  to  Lucinda  Austin,  who  survives 
him.  They  came  to  -Monroe  County  from  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  May  18, 
1S52,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Jefferson.  Had  twelve  children,  two 
of  whom  died  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Eight  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters came  to  Wisconsin  with  their  parents.  Six  of  the  sons  were  soldiers 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Rebellion  ;  one  of  whom  died  soon  after 
he  enlisted  ;  another  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Har- 
bor, and  the  fate  of  another  is  unknown.  Hiram  was  born  in  Herkimer 
County,  in  1834;  now  resides  on  a  part  of  the  homestead.  He  was 
married  to  Sarah  Osborne,  whose  father  settled  in  Wisconsin  in  1S57. 
George,  the  youngest  son  of  Thomas  Rathbun,  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  the  town  of  Jefferson.     The  date  oi  his  birth  is  April  23,  1853 

TOMAH. 

The  town  and  village  of  Tomah  was  named  in  honor  of 
Tomah,  a  chief  of  the  Menominee  Indians.  It  is  said  of 
hitn  that  his  hands  were  never  stained  with  human  blood. 
In  181 7,  he  moved  his  tribe  to  Mackinaw,  where  he  died  the 
same  year.  The  first  permanent  white  settler  in  the  village 
of  Tomah,  was  Robert  E.  Gillett,  who  came  from  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  in  1855,  and  settled  here.  He  made  or  bought 
a  claim,  taking  in  all  of  the  original  plat  of  the  village  and 
four  forties  adjoining  in  Section  9.  In  May,  1855,  Gillett 
built  a  log  cabin,  containing  four  rooms,  the  first  building 
of  any  kind  in  Tomah. 

In  June,  1857,  C.  C.  Miller  and  Cady  Hollister  arrived 
with  their  families,  and  at  once  made  arrangements  to  settle 
here.  This  same  month  they  erected  their  cabins,  having 
received  grants  from  Gillett  for  that  purpose. 

There  were  great  inducements  offered  at  this  time  by 
the  State  government,  to  parties  in  search  of  land  for  homes  ; 
thirty  years  time  being  allowed  by  paying  seven  percent  in- 
terest. This,  and  the  location  of  the  land  office,  caused  a 
great  deal  of  travel  by  way  of  Tomah,  which  naturally  re- 
sulted in  the  gradual  settlement  of  the  village  and  land  near 
by.  In  1856,  Gillett  built  a  steam  saw-mill  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  village,  bringing  from  Portage  City  a  fifteen 
horse-power  engine  to  run  it.  This  mill  was  operated  by 
Wallace  Jackson  and  Webster  Kenyon,  who  settled  here  in 
August  of  that  year.  At  this  time  this  was  the  only  steam 
saw-mill  in  the  county.  James  Rockwood,  and  four  broth- 
ers, named,  respectively,  Josiah,  Henry,  William  and  Charles 
Bradley,  came  about  the  same  time.  James  Rockwood  built 
a  large  log  house  near  the  saw-mill,  and  opened  a  boarding 
house.     The  Bradley  boys  located  in  different  sections  of 


the  town.  Mr.  S.  Jennings  and  Elisha  Cady  became  resi- 
dents of  this  part  of  the  country  in  October,  1856.  Jen- 
nings took  up  land  adjoining  Hollister's  claim,  and  Cady 
built  a  log  house  a  little  east  of  where  the  Chicago,  Milwau- 
kee &  St.  Paul  R.  R.  depot  now  stands.  The  year  1857, 
brought  its  own  events,  and  several  new  settlers. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  June,  Mr.  GiUett  had  the  village 
surveyed  and  platted.  A  little  later  in  the  same  year,  C.  W. 
Kellogg,  an  elder  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  built  the 
first  frame  house  in  the  village,  upon  a  lot  given  him  for  the 
purpose,  by  Mr.  Gillett,  who  was  offering  lots  to  all  who 
would  build  upon  them.  The  lot  upon  which  Kellogg  built 
is  known  as  the  "  Knoll,"  and  is  situated  in  the  western  part 
of  the  village. 

On  the  first  Sunday  in  July,  1857,  Elder  Kellogg  deliv- 
ered the  first  sermon  in  the  village,  in  a  new  barn  built  by 
Mr.  Gillett,  who  said  he  wished  to  have  it  dedicated.  At 
this  time  people  were  constantly  making  new  claims  and  the 
way  it  was  done  was  rather  amusing.  A  man  having  assured 
himself  that  he  wanted  a  certain  piece  of  land,  would  have 
a  friend  go  with  him,  help  him  cut  a  few  sticks  and  build  a 
pen,  where  they  would  sleep  for  a  night  or  two.  Then  they 
Sought  the  land  office  to  make  the  entry  ;  whereupon  witness 
would  be  asked  :  "  Are  you  positive  that  this  man  has  made 
improvements  on  the  land  that  he  desires  to  purchase.'" 
''  Yes."  "  How  do  you  know  it .'  "  "  I  helped  him  build  his 
house."  "  Did  you  sleep  in  said  house  while  working  for 
him.'"  "Yes,  sir."  That  was  sufficient.  The  party  gen- 
erally got  the  land. 

In  1857,  the  first  store  was  started  by  .'Vsher  Haynes.  The 
same  year,  Reuben  Shappen  arrived  and  built  the  first  black- 
smith shop.  This  shop  was  located  on  the  next  lot  to  where 
Powers'  drug  store  now  stands.  Another  small  frame  house 
was  erected  by  Kellogg,  which  he  used  as  a  grocery  and 
drug  store.  The  first  school  was  established  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1856,  and  was  held  in  a  barn.  The  following  Sum- 
mer there  w.ts  a  log  house  erected  for  the  purpose,  located 
opposite  Gillett's  dwelling,  and  was  twelve  by  sixteen  feet 
in  dimensions.  At  this  time  there  were  but  eight  pupils. 
The  first  teacher  was  Emma  Bush. 

Prominent  among  the  arrivals  of  1856-7,  were  Amasa 
Maloy,  Harvey  Bush,  and  Alden  Cramer.  Soloinon  Hollis- 
ter and  Emeline  Braman  were  united  in  marriage,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1857,  being  the  first  couple  married  in  the  village. 
Hattie,  daughter  of  Amasa  Maloy,  was  born  March  6,  1856. 
being  the  first  birth  in  the  village.  First  male  child  born 
was  Frank,  son  of  C.  C.  Miller,  June,  1856.  The  first  death 
was  Mary,  daughter  of  Harvey  Bush,  who  died  in  March, 
1857.  There  was  quite  an  influx  of  settlers  in  1S57-S;  so 
many  new  parties  arrived  that  it  is  impossible  to  enumerate 
them.  Buildings  went  up  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  spot 
which  had  so  lately  echoed  to  no  tread  except  that  of  the 
Indian,  became  alive  with  busy  people. 

This  year  the  first  town  officers  were  elected.  The 
election  was  held  in  the  house  of  John  Sexton,  who  charged 
the  town  $3  for  its  use.  The  officers  elected  at  that  time 
were  :  John  G.  Staysa,  Chairman  ;  Harvey  Bush,  Town  Clerk; 


644 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Alden  Cramer,  Treasurer.  Supervisors  were  Benjamin 
Mel  and  C.  A.  Adams.  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Amasa 
Maloy,  Benjamin  Mel,  James  Rockwood  and  Robert  E. 
Gillett.  The  development  of  Tomah  for  the  following 
nine  years  was  rapid. 

During  1S58  and  1S60,  manufacturing  institutions,  schools 
and  churches,  sprang  up.  The  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  road 
was  finished  through  here  in  1858,  running  through  from 
the  east  to  the  tunnel,  and  westward  from  that  point.  The 
tunnel  not  being  finished  until  about  seven  months  later,  the 
company  were  compelled  to  run  a  stage  line  over  the  bluff 
to  transfer  passengers  from  one  side  to  the  other.  The 
opening  of  this  line  through  Tomah  caused  a  great  increase 
of  population  ;  the  village  fast  assuming  the  proportions  of 
a  city.  The  war  of  the  rebellion  came,  and  the  progress 
that  was  becoming  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  place, 
was  checked.  The  implements  of  industry  were  laid  aside* 
and  the  destructive  weapons  of  war  taken  up.  Numbers  of 
the  best  men  of  the  village  gave  up  their  pursuits  of  peace 
and  joined  the  army  to  aid  in  obliterating  treason  ;  many 
of  them  never  returning.  Like  all  the  Wisconsin  villages 
and  towns,  Tomah  was  well  represented  among  the  brave 
men  who  fought  to  crush  the  rebellion. 

The  year  1859  was  one  of  peculiar  significance  to  the 
people  of  Tomah.  In  that  year,  the  post-office  was  estab- 
lished, and  Cady  Hollister  appointed  Postmaster.  The 
settlers  had  made  a  petition  to  have  an  office  established 
here  in  1858,  but  were  unable  to  secure  the  privilege. 

The  office  was  rated  fourth  class  until  1867,  when  it  was 
made  a  money  order  office,  the  first  order  being  received 
by  Mrs.  Charles  W.  King,  in  May  of  that  year,  and  was  for 
$50.  In  this  year,  also,  the  village  received  its  charter  as  a 
regularly  incorporated  village,  under  the  laws  of  the  State 
of  Wisconsin,  and  the  first  village  officers  chosen.  From 
this  year  (1867)  until  i87ijthe  village  was  very  prosperous, 
numerous  stores  and  houses  being  built,  and  the  people 
branching  out  into  all  kinds  of  business.  In  1871-2, 
Tomah,  as  well  as  all  the  new  Western  towns,  felt  the  shock 
occasioned  by  the  Jay  Cooke  failure,  and  business  received 
a  backset  from  which  it  has  never  entirely  recovered. 
While  there  is,  apparently,  as  much,  if  not  more,  capital 
represented  in  the  town  than  ever,  the  people  do  not  seem 
to  bring  it  forward,  being  satisfied  to  do  a  smaller  and  safer 
business.  Tomah  has  at  present  a  population  in  the  town 
of  2,106  inhabitants,  of  whom  1,245  ^re  residents  of  the 
village. 

There  are  numerous  general  stores,  a  bank,  which  is  a 
branch  of  the  banking  house  of  Messrs.  Kingman  & 
Thayer,  of  Sparta,  who  established  the  bank  in  Tomah  in 
in  1879.  Two  newspapers,  the  Tomah  Journal  and  the 
BaJger  State  Monitor.  The  former  was  established  by 
Messrs.  Wells  &  Bro.,  in  1867.  This  was  the  first  news- 
paper in  Tomah,  and  has  a  circulation,  in  village  and 
county,  of  about  500.  It  is  a  five-column  quarto,  and  well 
edited  by  the  present  proprietor,  C.  Wells.  The  Monitor  is 
a  newspaper  recently  established  by  Jay  R.  Hinckley,  the 
jnitiaj   ^heet   inaking   its   appearance   July    i,    1881.     Mr. 


Hinckley  was  for  some  time  principal  of  the  Tomah  schools, 
and  judging  by  his  success  in  filling  his  subscription  list, 
do  not  doubt  his  ability  and  ultimate  success  as  an  editor. 

The  principal  business  houses  of  Tomah  are  as  follows  : 

Bank  of  Tomah — R.  S.  Kingman,  president ;  M.  A. 
Thayer,  cashier,  and  E.  W.  Beebe,  assistant  cashier,  is  lo- 
cated on  Superior  avenue.  W.  Bartels,  grocery;  J.  T. 
Bearss,  general  produce;  Benjamin  &  Eaton,  general  mer- 
chandise; John  E.  Krebbs,  general  merchandise;  Harry 
Lea,  general  store — all  located  on  Superior  avenue.  The 
principal  hotels  are  the  Boyington  House,  situated  on  Su- 
perior avenue,  F.  Sherman,  proprietor,  and  the  Dodge 
House,  at  the  junction  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  and  the  Wisconsin  Valley  railways,  George  A.  Drake, 
proprietor.  The  Boyington  House,  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  Sherman,  has  acquired  an  enviable  reputation,  and 
is  well  and  favorably  known  by  the  traveling  public.  The 
jovial  Sherman  can  well  boast  of  catching  the  "  boys."  The 
Dodge  House  has  lately  changed  hands,  and  Mr.  Drake, 
who  has  the  management,  is  very  successful  in  pleasing  the 
public.  The  principal  shipments  from  this  point  are  farm 
products,  lumber  and  cranberries. 

In  the  vill.ige  and  its  surroundings,  there  are  five  physi- 
cians, and  in  the  village  four  lawyers.  The  religious  de- 
nominations represented  are  the  Baptist,  Catholic,  Method- 
ist, German  Lutheran  and  Congregationalist.  All  of  these 
denominations  have  resident  pastors,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Congregational  and  Lutheran.  The  two  latter  are  vis- 
ited, however,  at  intervals,  by  neighboring  clergymen. 

In  1 87 1,  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  Company  was  or- 
ganized, and  in  1873  was  built  through  from  Tomah  to  Grand 
Rapids,  in  Wood  County,  making  Tomah  the  southern  termi- 
nus and  headquarters,  the  company's  offices  being  located 
there.  This  road  is  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  Company  as  a  branch 
road,  running  through  to  Merrill,  Lincoln  Co.,  a  distance 
of  about  100  miles,  from  Tomah  village. 

WEST    WISCONSIN    RAILRO.'^D. 

The  construction  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  from 
Tomah  to  Black  River  Falls,  is  a  noteworthy  incident  in  the 
history  of  the  village.  The  enterprising  citizens,  in  view  of 
the  advantages  of  increased  travel,  agreeing  to  subscribe 
for  so  much  of  the  stock.  In  view  of  this  fact,  a  brief  outline 
of  the  history  of  the  road  and  its  construction  will  not  be  out 
of  place,  and  may  prove  interesting. 

On  the  fifth  day  of  May,  1S64,  Congress  passed  an  act, 
granting  lands  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  to  aid  in  construct- 
ing railroads  in  that  State.  This  act,  among  other  things, 
made  a  special  grant  of  certain  lands  in  the  State,  for  the 
construction  of  a  railroad  from  the  town  of  Tomah,  in  the 
county  of  Monroe,  in  said  State,  to  the  St.  Croi.x  River  or 
lake  between  townships  25  and  31,  and  from  thence  to  Lake 
Superior  and  Bayfield. 

March  20,  1865,  the  Legislature,  by  joint  resolution,  ac- 
cepted the  grant.  The  road  had  been  incorporated  pre- 
vious to  this,  by  an  act,  approved  April  i,  1863,  and  was  to 
be  known  as  the  Tomah  &  Lake  St.  Croix  Railroad  Compa- 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


645 


ny,  and  was  granted  power  to  build  a  railroad  from  the  town 
of  Toniah,  county  of  Monroe,  or  on  the  track  of  the  Mil- 
waukee &  La  Crosse  Railroad,  or  any  other  railroad  running 
out  of  Tomah,  by  way  of  Black  River  Falls,  thence  by  the 
most  feasible  route  to  such  point  on  Lake  St.  Croix,  between 
townships  25  and  31,  as  the  directors  may  determine.  This 
act  was  called  "  An  act  to  incorporate  the  Tomah  &  Lake 
St.  Croix  Railroad  Company,"  and  to  repeal  and  annul  a 
portion  of  a  grant  of  land  heretofore  made  to  the  La  Crosse 
&  Milwaukee  Railroad  Company. 

The  incorporators  of  the  Tomah  &  St.  Croix  Railroad 
Company,  were  William  Wilson  and  William  Carson,  Dunn 
County ;  Joseph  Thorpe  and  R.  F.  Wilson,  Eau  Claire 
County;  Andrew  R.  Gregg,  Sr.,  and  H.  S.  Allen,  Chi])pe- 
wa  County;  A.  Gaylord,  of  Polk  County;  N.  S.  Dunbar 
and  Charles  B.  Cox,  Pierce  County;  Herman  L.  Humphrey, 
St.  Croix  County;  Miles  D.  Prindle,  Pepin  County;  George 
1\L  Gilkey,  Buffalo  County  ;  R.  C.  Field,  Trempealeau  Coun- 
ty; Carl  C.  Pope  and  William  T.  Price,  Jackson  County; 
Richard  Dewhurst,  Clark  County,  and  C.  D.  Spaulding, 
Monroe  County. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  April,  1866,  the  name  of  the  com- 
pany was  changed  to  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  Company. 
The  first  part  of  the  road  between  Tomah  and  Black  River 
Falls,  was  completed  in  the  Summer  of  1868.  The  road 
continued  to  run  its  trains  regularly  between  Tomah  and 
Black  River  Falls,  until  November,  1872,  when  the  company 
claiming  that  the  town  had  not  kept  to  its  contract,  threat- 
ened to  tear  up  the  line  from  Warren's  Mills  to  Tomah,  and 
thus  cut  them  off  from  Jackson  County.  Tliis  threat  was 
finally  put  into  execution,  the  company  detailing  men  on  the 
last  Sunday  of  November,  1872,  who  succeeded  in  carrying 
out  their  orders,  only  after  a  strong  resistance  by  the  citi- 
zens of  the  village.  This  same  year,  the  company  con- 
structed their  present  track  from  \\'arren's  Mills  to  Elroy, 
making  a  junction  at  latter  place  with  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Company.  Although  the  company  succeeded  in 
taking  up  the  track,  thus  injuring  the  business  interests  of 
Tomah,  they  were  not  allowed  to  get  entirely  free  from  the 
consequences  of  the  act. 

On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  January,  1S73,  a  bill  was  in- 
troduced by  the  Hon.  A.  E.  Bleekman,  member  of  the  As- 
sembly from  Monroe  County,  entitled,  "  A  bill  requiring  the 
West  Wisconsin  Railroad  Company  tore-lay,  maintain,  and 
operate  its  road  from  Tomah,  to  Warren's  Mills,  in  Monroe 
County."  The  bill  was  referred  to  the  Judiciary  Commit- 
tee, who  reported  it  back  again  with  amendments,  and 
recommended  its  passage.  The  bill  passed  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  and  was  approved  by  the  Governor,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1873.  The  company  failed  to  comply  with  the 
law,  claiming  the  act  to  be  unconstitutional.  This  com- 
pelled them  to  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin, 
who  granted  leave  to  commence  suit  against  the  company. 
On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  August,  1873,  the  Attorney- 
General  commenced  an  action  in  the  nature  of  a  quo  war- 
ranto, to  have  a  forfeiture  of  defendant's  charter  adjudged, 
and  the  corporation   dissolved,  under  act   of  February  13, 


1S73.  The  company  claimed  the  act  nugatory,  and  de- 
murred to  the  complaint  on  the  grounds:  First,  that  the 
court  had  no  jurisdiction  of  the  subject  matter,  and  Second, 
that  the  complaint  did  not  state  facts  sufficient  to  entitle 
the  plaintiff  to  the  relief  demanded  therein,  or  to  any  relief. 
The  action  was  brought  to  trial  on  the  demur,  at  the  Jan- 
uary term,  1874,  and  demur  overruled,  by  Sujireme  Court. 
Defendent  then  answered,  and  action  brouglit  to  trial  on  de- 
murer, to  defendant's  answer  as  to  not  stating  a  defense,  and 
the  court  held  that  the  company  in  discontinuing  and  taking 
up  the  road  from  Tomah  to  Warren's  Mills,  violated  the 
provisions  of  its  charter,  and  its  duty  to  the  State,  under  its 
charter.  And  that  the  road  which  the  company  were  re- 
quired by  Chapter  31,  to  re-lay  and  equip,  was  part  of  its 
charter  road,  which  it  had  built,  and  was  bound  to  main- 
tain, and  the  court  entered  an  order  sustaining  the  demur 
of  the  company's  answer,  with  leave  to  the  company  to  an- 
swer by  the  first  day  of  the  next  term.  This  virtually  ended 
the  trial,  as  the  company  to  save  future  suits,  agreed  to  set- 
tle with  the  town  of  Tomah,  and  paid  them  the  sum  of  §10,- 
000  in  consideration  of  all  present  and  future  suits  being 
dropped.  By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  February  13,  1876, 
Chapter  31,  of  1873,  was  repealed,  and  the  company's  road 
from  Warren's  Mills  to  Elroy  was  legalized.  The  member 
of  the  Assembly  from  Tomah  at  this  time  was  Charles  D. 
Wells. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  schools  of  Tomah  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the 
towns  and  villages  in  Monroe  County,  are  of  a  superior 
kind.  They  are  organized  on  the  graded  system,  and  have 
all  the  advantages  accorded  to  schools  in  large  cities.  In 
these  schools,  the  young  are  prepared  for  college,  business 
life  or  fitted  for  teaching.  The  rough  cradle  of  learning, 
which  many  of  our  most  distinguished  men  recall  to  memory, 
never  reared  its  rugged  exterior  in  this  community.  The 
citizens  appreciating  the  importance  of  good  schools,  spare 
no  pains  or  expense  to  furnish  the  best  facilities  and  a  su- 
perior corps  of  teachers.  The  schools  are  most  efficient 
and  thorough  in  their  workings. 

The  citizens  have  had  some  trouble  during  the  last  four 
years  in  securing  a  competent  head  for  their  schools.  Mr.  Jay 
Hinckley  was  appointed  in  1880,  but  resigned  his  charge  in 
iSSi,  and  entered  journalism,  intending  to  make  it  his  pro- 
fession, issuing  his  first  edition  of  the  Badger  State  Monitor 
in  July  of  that  year.  The  school  board  were  for  a  short 
time  left  helpless,  but  finally  suceeded  in  securing  the  serv- 
ices of  Prof.  A.  C.  McComb,  of  Appleton,  who  has  been 
long  and  favorably  known  among  the  schools  of  Wisconsin, 
and  who  is  a  most  thorough  and  efficient  teacher.  Prof. 
McComb  enters  upon  his  duties  in  September,  1881,  being 
assisted  by  a  corps  of  teachers,  of  well-known  ability. 

Tomah  has  not  as  yet,  as  in  the  case  with  many  of  her 
sister  villages,  gone  to  the  expense  of  a  high-school  build- 
ing. The  school-houses,  however,  are  large  and  commod- 
ious, well  ventilated,  and  in  most  eligible  locations.  The 
high  school  is  a  large  frame  building  of  two  stories,  situated 
in  the  western  part   of  the  village,  and  is  most  comfortably 


646 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


furnished  with  latest  constructed  school  furniture.  At  no 
distant  day,  the  village  of  Tomah  will  compete  as  favorably 
with  her  sister  villages  in  fine  schools,  as  she  now  does  in 
the  excellent  school  system,  by  which  the  rising  generation 
of  the  village  secure  all  the  educational  advantages  accorded 
to  large  cities  in  the  State.  Attached  to  the  Catholic  and 
Lutheran  churches  of  Tomah,  are  flourishing  parochial 
schools.  The  former  being  in  charge  of  three  sisters  of  St. 
Francis,  located  in  the  western  part  of  the  village.  The 
Lutheran  school  is  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  E.  A. 
Dahen,  and  numbers  about  thirty-two  pupils.  In  the  village 
there  is  also  one  private  school,  taught  by  Miss  Jennie  Farn- 


tion  in  Tomah  dates  from  the  advent  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wells 
in  the  year  1858.  The  meetings  were  held  in  such  private 
houses  as  could  be  found  available  during  the  Fall  and  fol- 
lowing Winter.  In  1859,  a  frame  church  was  erected,  and 
the  church  regularly  organized  as  the  "  First  Congregation- 
al Church  of  Tomah."  The  name  of  Elder  Wells  will  long 
be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  this  church  for  his  zeal- 
ous and  untiring  efforts  in  the  welfare  of  the  organization. 
In  1861,  Mr.  Wells  was  compelled  to  tender  his  resignation 
on  account  of  ill  health,  his  work  being  too  much  for  him. 
In  connection  with  Tomah,  he  was  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  New  Lisbon,  where  he  was  compelled  to 


I  If  if  bl  lilt  Til 


ham;  this  school  is  well  represented,  having  an  average  at- 
tendance of  about  forty  pupils. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — C.  W.  Kellogg,  it 
seems,  was  the  first  person  in  Tomah  to  preach  a  sermon. 
Kellogg  was  an  elder  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  com- 
ing to  the  village  in  1857.  Tiie  first  sermon  was  preached 
on  the  first  Sunday  of  July  of  that  year,  the  people  meeting 
in  a  new  barn  belonging  to  Mr.  Gillett.  This  same  year  the 
church  was  regularly  organized,  and  during  the  next  year 
a  neat  church  was  erected  ;  meetings  previous  to  this  being 
held  by  Mr.  Kellogg  and  others  wherever  most  convenient 
for  them  to  meet.  At  the  present  time,  the  congregation 
numbers  some  eighty  constituent  members,  and  is  under  the 
pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Bell.  The  value  of  church 
property  will  not  exceed  $2,000. 

Congregational  Society. — The  history  of  this  denomina- 


remain  most  of  the  time,  never  having  made  his  home  at 
Tomah.  During  the  intervals  from  1861  to  1881,  the  desk 
has  been  supplied  by  a  great  many  different  ministers,  some 
staying  three  months  and  others  three  years.  Since  1879, 
there  lias  been  no  regularly  appointed  pastor,  the  congrega- 
tion being  dependent  upon  such  as  could  be  induced  to 
preach  an  occasional  sermon  for  them.  The  membership 
numbers  about  fifty.  Value  of  church  property  about  $1,- 
800. 

Baptist  Society. — The  first  Baptist  Church  of  Tomah  was 
organized  early  in  1859,  the  first  sermon  being  preached  by 
l''.lder  Herrick,  of  Sparta,  who  was  instrumental  in  organiz- 
ing the  church.  During  the  first  year  of  its  history,  un- 
der the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Herrick,  the  membership  increased 
from  eleven  to  forty-two  members.  The  church  building 
was  not  erected  until  1861.  During  the  succeeding  years, 
between  1862  and  1878,  the  church  enjoyed  much  prosper- 


HISTORY  OF    MONROE  COUNTY. 


647 


ity,  and  considerable  addition  was  made  to  its  membership. 
In  1879,  Rev.  Mr.  Parshall,  of  Sparta,  was  appointed  pastor 
and  has  remained  in  charge  ever  since.  The  present  mem- 
bership will  probably  number  seventy-five. 

First  Lutheran  Church — Was  organized  in  the  year  1S74, 
with  but  si,\teen  members.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev. 
A.  F.  Siegler,  same  year.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  house  to 
worship  in,  they  called  a  meeting  and  proceeded  to  take 
steps  to  raise  the  necessary  funds  for  building  a  meeting- 
house. This  was  done,  and  in  1875  a  building  was  com- 
pleted at  a  cost  of  $900,  all  the  money  being  raised  among 
their  own  people.  In  the  year  1S78,  Rev.  Siegler  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Pankow,  who  is  still  in  charge. 
The  membership  of  the  church  numbers  thirty.  Value  of 
church  property  estimated  at  $r,ooo.  In  connection  with 
the  church,  the  members  support  a  school,  taught  by  E.  A. 


VV.;  E.  Baker,  Tiler.  The  meetings  are  held  in  a  well  ap- 
pointed hall,  which  was  built  by  the  order  in  1874-5,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,500.  The  present  membership  is  fifty-five.  The 
following  are  the  past  masters  of  the  lodge  :  W.  R.  Morri- 
son, A.  G.  Scliuk,  H.  A.  Sowle,  James  Wilson  and  J.  V. 
Warrener.  The  present  officers  of  the  lodge  are  :  E.  N. 
Palmer,  W.  M.;  E.  A.  Sherulin,  S.  W.;  W.  Mills,  J.  W.; 
James  Wilson,  Treas.;  H.  W.  Tyler,  Sec;  E.  A.  Beebe,  S. 
D.;  George  Lea,  J.  D  ;  H.  A.  Sowle,  Tiler;  D.  E.  Miller  and 
W.  Farnum,  Jr.  Stewards  ;  James  Wilson,  E.  W.  Beebe  and 
J.  V.  Warrener,  Trustees.  The  value  of  lodge  property  is 
estimated  as  being  about  $1,200. 

I.  O.  O.  F. — This  lodge  was  organized  under  dispensa- 
tion granted  March  15,  1870.  The  initial  members  were  : 
H.  A.  Sowle,  J.  P.  Tracey,  A.  G.  Schulz,  Charles  Hubbard, 
George  B.  Robinson,    L.    S.   Benjamin,    R.    Kinmore    and 


Drake   House;  George   II.   Drake  Proprietor,   Tomau,   Wis. 


Dahen,  a  German,  who  has  about  thirty-two  pupils.  The 
studies  taught  are  identical  with  those  taught  at  the  district 
schools,  the  only  difference  being  that  the  children  are  com- 
pelled to  study  in  German. 

Catholic  Society. — The  first  organization  of  the  Catholic 
Church  at  Tomah,  was  in  the  year  1867,  the  first  pastor  be- 
ing the  Rev.  M.  M.  Marks,  who  attended  from  La  Crosse. 
This  same  year  the  present  church  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of 
$2,500.  The  church  was  built  under  the  supervision  of 
Rev.  John  Casey,  who  attended  from  Mauston.  The  first 
resident  pastor  was  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Durward,  who  took[charge 
in  1870,  remaining  ever  since.  In  1873  there  was  an  addi- 
tion built  to  the  church,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  In  1874,  the 
Catholic,  or  Parish  school  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $6,000. 
The  membership  of  the  church  numbers  about  500.  Value 
of  property  connected  with  church,  $12,000. 

LODGES  AND    SOCIETIES. 

Masons. — Tomah  Lodge,  No  132,  was  organized  and 
dispensation  granted  April  19,  1861.  Ciiarter  members 
were  C.  VV.  Kellogg,  Noah  Maltbie,  A.  B.  Smith,  J.  P. 
Thompson,  John  Dodge,  E.  Baker  and  S.  D.  Powers.  The 
first  officers  elected  were  C.  W.  Kellogg,  W.  M.;  W.  H. 
Sanders,  S.  D  ;  S.  D.  Powers,  J.  D.;  John  Dodge,  Treas.; 
J.  P.  Thompson,  Sec;  Noah  Maltbie,  S.  W.;  A.  B.  Smith,  J. 


Charles  Organ.  The  first  officers  elected  under  dispensa- 
tion were :  Thos.  McCaul,  noble  grand;  H.  A.  Sowle,  vice 
grand;  O.  T.  Sowle,  recording  secretary  ;  G.  B.  Robinson, 
permanent  secretary,  and  J.  P.  Tracey,  treasurer.  In  Jan- 
uary the  charter  was  granted  by  Grand  Lodge,  bearing  date 
of  January  19,  187 1.  The  meetings  are  held  for  the  present 
in  the  Mason's  meeting  room,  every  Tuesday  evening. 
They  have  in  course  of  construction  a  hall,  which  will  be 
ready  to  dedicate  early  in  September,  1S81.  The  building 
is  well  laid  out,  being  large  and  all  the  Iconveniences  for 
lodge  purposes,  are  being  put  in.  It  will  consist  of  a  main 
hall  55x32  feet,  reception  room  15x32  feet,  and  ante-rooms 
and  closets  between  the  main  hall  and  reception  room. 
The  hall  proper  is  80x32  feet,  when  completed  will  cost 
about  $2,000.  The  present  valuation  of  lodge  properly  not 
including  money  invested  in  the  new  hall,  is  about  $125. 
The  present  officers  are,  H.  Lea,  N.  G.;  D.  E.  Miller,  V. 
G.;  H.  A.  Sowle,  R.  S.;  F.  M.  Tracey,  P.  S.;  Lewis  Schalle, 
Treas.     The  present  number  of  members  is  fifty-two. 

There  are  also  a  lodge  of  United  Workmen  and  a  Good 
Templar's  organization,  both  recently  established  The 
Good  Templars  number  about  seventy  members,  and  thus  far 
has  proven  very  successful  in  its  object. 

Public  Halls.— The  first   hall  was  erected  in  Tomah,  in 


648 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1858,  and  was  the  first  place  of  any  note  calculated  for  tlie 
accommodation  of  public  assemblages.  This  hall  was  built 
by  James  Rockwood,  and  was  known  as  "Rockwood's  Hall." 
The  Grangers'  Hall,  on  Superior  avenue,  came  next.  Fol- 
lowing this,  the  Masonic  Hall  was  erected,  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful competitor  for  public  entertainments.  In  1S79, 
Thomas  McCaul  erected  a  fine  large  building  on  Superior 
avenue,  devoting  the  entire  upper  part  to  the  purpose  of  a 
hall,  and  dedicating  it  McCaul's  Opera  Hall.  The  size  of 
the  entire  hall  is  100x50  feet,  including  the  stage,  which  is 
forty  feet  square,  is  appointed  with  two  ample  dressing- 
rooms,  one  on  each  side,  is  well  supplied  with  water,  toilet 


niOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  T.  BEARSS,  I'.O.  Toraah,  son  of  Daniel  Bearss,  who  was  born 
in  Livingston  Co.,  NY.,  where  he  was  married  to  Abigail  Fuller.  They 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Fall  of  1S49.  "-"^  settled  in  Fond  du  Lac 
County,  where  they  lived  several  years;  thence  to  Waushara  County ; 
thence  to  Green  Lake  County.  In  the  Fall  of  1S71,  they  removed  to 
Wood  Countv,  and  to  Monroe  County  in  1877.  Daniel  Bearss  died  in 
187S.  J.  T.  Bearss  was  born  in  Calhoun  Co.,  Mich.,  in  1847.  He  pur- 
chased his  present  place  in  1880,  and  is  engaged  in  furnishing  railroad 
supplies ;  also  owns  a  half  interest  in  a  cranberry  marsh  of  360  acres. 
His  wife  was  Miss  E.  A.  Warner.  Mr.  Bearss  resides  near  the  village  of 
Toniah ;  has  a  pleasant  home  which  he  is  improving  and  making  more 
beautiful.    He  has 


quii 


;  conservatory,  which 


.ins  many 


choice  native  and  exotic  plants. 

E.  W.  BEEBE,  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Tomah,  son  of  Y.  V.  Beebe, 
a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  Mexican 


RESIDENCE  OF  E.  W.  BEEBE,  TOMAH. 


conveniences,  and  is  completely  furnished  throughout. 
The  seats  are  comfortable  folding  settees,  of  the  latest  con- 
struction, upon  which  six  persons  can  sit.  The  reserved 
seats  consist  of  two-seated  settees,  and  are  very  comfortable. 
The  hall  has  a  seating  capacity  of  Soo.  The  building  and 
hall  complete  cost  about  $3,500.  The  Odd  Fellows'  Hall, 
which  is  in  process  of  erection,  is  a  large  brick  building, 
the  upper  part  of  which  will  be  used  by  the  Order  for  their 
meeting  room.  This  hall  is  directly  next  to  the  Opera  hall, 
and  is  to  be  constructed  entirely  of  brick,  the  lower  portion 
to  be  used  as  stores.  The  main  hall  is  55x32  feet,  with 
ante-rooms  and  closets  between  the  main  hall  and  reception 
room.  The  hall  proper  measures,  over  all,  80x32  feet,  and 
will  cost  when  completed  about  $2,500.  Tiiey  expect  to 
dedicate  it  early  in  SeiUember,  1881. 


war,  came  to  Wisconsin  from  Boone  Co.,  111.,  in  1S54,  and  settled  in  Ju- 
neau County.  He  now  lives  at  New  Lisbon.  He  was  a  captain  in  the 
artilh  ry  service  during  the  rebellion.  E.  W.  Beebe  was  born  in  Boone 
Co.,  111.,  in  1852.  Came  to  Tomah  in  the  Fall  of  1872  ;  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  banking  business  here  since  that  time.  Wife's  name  was 
Annie  Doroner.     They  have  two  children,  Bertie  and  Lulu. 

GEORGE  I.  BELL,  merchant  and  express  agent.  Tomah.  was  born 
in  Elgin,  III.  His  parents  removed  to  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  from  Illinois, 
about  1845.  They  were  natives  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have 
resided  in  Tomah  since  1854.  George  I.  Bell  was  in  Clark  County  about 
eight  years.  With  that  exception,  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Monroe 
County  since  1854.  He  began  his  preseut  business  here  in  May,  1877. 
His  wife  was  Maria  Nelson,  native  of  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  John  Nel- 
son, of  Omro. 

J.  F.  BLOME,  merchant  tailor,  Tomah.  He  was  born  in  Bremen, 
Germany,  in  1838.  He  learned  his  trade  in  his  native  city  ;  came  to 
the  United  States,  in  1868.  He  resided  in  Philadelphia,'  one  y<;ar, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  ;  thence  to  Portage  Co.,  Ohio ;  afterward 
went  to  Cleveland,  where  he  was  engaged  as  cutter  in  a  wholesale  house 
for  about  six  months.  He  then  returned  to  Portage  Co..  Ohio,  and 
engaged    in    business.      He   resided    in    Ohio    about    seven    years.      In 


HISTORY    OF   MONROE    COUNTY 


649 


November,  1875,  he  came  to  Tomah,  and  engaged  in  work  at  his  trade. 
Mr.  Blome  has  been  quite  successful  since  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He 
came  to  Tomah  without  any  means;  has  now  a  fine  store  which  he 
owns  and  built  himself,  which  is  finely  stocked  with  goods  of  the  best 
material.  Mr.  Blome  has  seen  much  of  the  world,  having  spent  several 
years  traveling  over  Europe  before  he  came  to  America,  and  has 
acquired  a  great  deal  of  knowledge  of  the  world.  He  is  a  respected 
citizen,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Congregational  Society. 

JESSE  BOORMAN,  farmer,  Tomah.  Born  in  County  Kent, 
England,  July.  1830.  He  came  to  New  York  with  his  parents  when  an 
infant.  The  family  settled  in  Chautauqua  County,  thence  to  Green 
County.  They  came  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1835, 
where  the  family  resided  till  the  death  of  the  father,  which  occurred 
about  1864.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Boorman  died  when  he  was  an  infant. 
Jesse  came  to  Monroe  County  in  the  Spring  of  1855,  and  purchased 
120  acres,  which  included  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  Tomah.  He 
settled  on  Section  10,  where  he  now  lives.  About  1S57,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Lucinda  C.  Ryland,  daughter  of  Samuel  Ryland.  Her  parents 
were  of  German  descent,  and  settled  in  Walworth  Co,,  Wis.,  from 
Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  about  1837.  Mrs.  Boorman  was  born  in  Wal- 
worth County.  May  24,  1840.  They  have  one  son,  Curti5_A.,  born  May 
2,  1862.     He  is  now  a  student  of  the  State  University,  at  Madison. 

ULYSSES  BUTTON,  furniture  dealer,  Tomah,  was  born  in  Lo- 
rain Co.,  Ohio,  May,  1827.  His  father  removed  to  Oakland  Co.,  Mich., 
while  that  State  was  still  a  territory,  thence  to  LaSalle  Co..  III.,  in  1S36. 
In  1S40,  his  father's  family  removed  to  Wisconsin,  Green  County,  where 
his  father  died  about  1846.  During  the  gold  excitement  in  California, 
Mr.  Button  went  by  the  overland  route  to  that  State,  being  six  months 
on  the  road.  He  returned  to  Green  County,  in  the  Spring  of  1853, 
Except  one  year,  spent  in  Minnesota,  has  been  a  constant  resident  of 
this  State.  He  came  to  Trempealeau  County  from  Minnesota,  thence  to 
Jackson  County,  where  he  lived  six  years;  came  to  Tomah,  March, 
1S76,  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  Married  Miss  M.  M.  Whea- 
ton,  daughter  of  Cyrus  Wheaton,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Racine 
County,  from  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  six  children — Mary, 
Julia,  Josephine,  Frank  F.,  Jessie  and  Bell. 

HARRY  DOXTADER,  Tomah.  Born  in  Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y..  in 
1827  ;  came  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1857,  and  engaged  in 
farming  ;  came  to  Tomah,  in  1861  ;  was  engaged  in  buying  wheat,  three 
years,  then  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Barnes  &  Doxtader.  This  business  he  followed  for  nine  years ;  pur- 
chased present  mill,  in  1S77,  which  is  now  known  as  the  Barnes  &  Dox- 
tader mdl,  established  by  Barnes  &  Gilson.  Mr.  Doxtader  was  elected  to 
the  Assembly,  in  the  Fall  of  1S76,  and  has  held  various  town  offices. 
Married  to  Miss  M.  L.  Barnes.     They  have  one  child,  Fred. 

WATSON  E\RLE,  grocer  and  dealer  in  flour,  Tomah.  Born  in 
Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Rhoda 
Earle.  The  family  settled  in  Kenosha  County,  in  1842,  and  removed  to 
Monroe  County,  about  1856.  Father  died  in  1S60,  mother  died  in  Ke- 
nosha County.  Mr.  Earle  came  to  Tomah  in  the  Spring  of  1863;  kept 
a  meat  market  for  some  time  ;  was  also  engaged,  for  many  years,  in  the 
flour  and  feed  trade  ;  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  in  1873.  He  was 
married  to  Emma,  daughter  of  Develly  Turner,  who  settled  in  Monroe 
County,  in  1S55.  They  have  six  children — Lois  A.,  Louis,  Ruby,  Per- 
laette,  Lamont  and  Emma. 

C.  K.  ERWIN.of  the  firm  of  Erwin,  Butterfield  &  Co.,  general  mer- 
chants, Tomah.  Was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1837.  He  went  to  Port- 
age, Wis.,  about  1S53,  and  engaged  for  a  time  as  a  clerk.  In  1855,  he 
went  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  enlisted  in  October,  1861, 
in  the  45th  111.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  enlisted 
as  a  private;  promoted  to  a  second-lieutenantcy,  Nov.  4,  1862;  to  first 
lieutenant,  June  25,  1S63,  and  to  a  captaincy,  April  21,  :865.  These 
promotions  were  all  made  in  the  company  in  which  he  enlisted.  He 
participated  in  many  of  the  severest  engagements  and  most  of  the  impor- 
tant campaigns  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  at  Ft.  Donelson,  Ft.  Gib- 
son.  Bayou  Pierre,  Raymond,  Jackson  (Miss.),  Champion  Hills  and 
Vicksburg.  During  the  siege  of  the  latter  place,  he  was  appointed  as- 
sistant provost-marshal  of  the  I7ih  Army  Corps  on  Gen.  McPherson's 
staff.  At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  of  service,  returned  home  with 
his  regiment  on  veteran  furlough.  On  his  return  to  field,  was  appointed 
assistant  commissary  of  the  17th  Army  Corps,  at  Huntsville,  Ala.  In 
June,  1864,  he  was  appointed  assistant  provost-marshal  on  Gen.  Frank 
Blair's  staff.  From  Marietta,  Ga.,  he  was  sent  to  Springfield,  III.,  on 
special  duty.  Dec.  17,  1864,  he  was  appointed  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
General  Court-martial  of  the  district  of  Illinois.  He  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment at  Washington,  June,  1865,  thence  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he 
was  mustered  out  of  service.  After  the  war,  he  was  engaged  as  agent 
.  for  a  commercial  house,  and  made  his  head-quarters  at  Freeporl.  Came 
to  Tomah  about  lS68,  and  engaged  in  selling  agricultural  implements. 
Engaged  in  present  business  in  1879.  Married  Margaret  Divers.  Have 
five  children. 

CHARLES  GILSON,  farmer  and  cooper,  Tomah.  Born  in  Wayne 
Co.,     N.  Y.,    in     1823.     His  parents   moved    to   Chautauqua    County., 


when  he  was  a  child,  thence  to  Wayne  Co.,  Mich.,  when  he  was  about 
eleven  years  of  age.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  family,  accom- 
panied by  the  family  of  his  father,  in  May,  1854.  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Tomah.  His  father,  Simon  Gilson,  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son, 
Feb.  14,  18S1,  in  his  eighty-third  year.  Mother  still  resides  with  her 
son.  She  was  born  February,  1793.  Parents  ol  Mr.  Gilson  had  six  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom  are  known  to  be  living  :  Charles  and  William. 
Charles  was  married  in  Michigan,  to  Susan  Lombard,  born  in  the  State 
of  New  York.     They  have  three  children— Byron,  Albert  and  Ida  M. 

SAMUELGUNN,  druggist,  Tomah.  Born  in  England,  in  i83i,came 
to  the  United  States,  in  the  Fall  of  1853  ;  came  to  Tomah,  in  June,  1S54. 
Enlisted  September,  1862,  in  25ih  Wis.  Vol.  Inf  He  was  company 
clerk  for  some  time  ;  was  appointed  hospital  steward  for  his  regiment, 
in  1S53,  and  afterward  steward  of  4lh  Division,  i6th  Army  Corps.  This 
position  he  held  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Took  part  in  several  impor- 
tant expeditions,  including  Sherman's  "March  to  the  Sea."  At  the  close  of 
the  war.  returned  to  Tomah.  Has  been  engaged  in  the  drug  business  since 
that  time.  Married  Georgia  Large,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Andrew  F.,  Frederick  S.,  Arthur  E.,  and  George  R. 

ASHER  HAYNES,  farmer,  Tomah.  Born  in  Wilmington,  Wind- 
ham Co.,  Vt.,  in  1S13,  where  he  lived  till  1858.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
blacksmith  when  a  young  man.  In  the  Spring  of  1858,  he  came  to 
Tomah,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  being  the  first  who  engaged 
in  that  business  in  the  village.  This  he  followed  for  about  four  years, 
when  he  engaged  in  farming,  which  he  has  followed  since  that  time. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Robinson,  who  was  born  in  his  native 
town,  in  1815.  They  have  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living: 
Maria  L.,  now  Mrs.  E.  A.  Gove,  Martha  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Farnsworth,  formerly  Mrs.  J.  C.  Miles;  and  Marissa,  now  Mrs.  Nelson 
Doxtader.  Lost  second  and  fourth  cliild  :  Mary  J.  Bennett  and  Sanford 
A.  The  latter  was  a  member  of  the  4th  Wis.  V.  I.,  afterward  the  4th 
Wis.  Cav.,  during  the  Rebellion.  He  died  in  Clay  Co.,  loiva,  August, 
1879,  from  disease  contracted  in  the  army.  Mr.  llaynes  is  one  of  the 
very  first  settlers  of  the  village  of  Tomah.  He  and  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  at  Tomah. 

ALMON  A.  HELMS,  attorney,  of  the  firm  of  Graham  &  Helms. 
Born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1846 ;  afterward  removed  to  Malone, 
Franklin  Co.  His  father  M.  W.  Helms,  was  a  member  of  the  gSth 
N.  Y.  V.  I.  Served  three  years  during  the  Rebellion.  Family  removed 
to  Durand,  Wis.,  from  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  in  1866.  Mr.  Helms  read  law 
at  Durand  with  H.  E.  Houghton,  Esq.  Came  to  Tomah  in  1874.  He 
was  engaged  in  teaching  considerably,  both  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
after  he  came  to  this  State.  Was  engaged  in  studying  law  while  teach- 
ing. He  entered  the  office  of  Judge  Graham  at  Tomah,  January.  1876  ; 
admitted  in  September,  of  that  year.  In  October  following,  formed  a 
co-partnership  with  Judge  Graham;  married  to  Mary  E.  Baker,  whose 
parents  were  early  settlers  from  New  York.  They  have  two  daughters, 
Belle  M.  and  Lulu  M. 

PROF.  JAY  R.  HINCKLEY,  principal  High  School.  Born  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840.  He  was  educated  at  Prospect  Academy 
and  Whitestown  Seminary.  Oneida  Co.  and  finished  college  studies  at 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  He  commenced  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county,  in  1861  ;  afterward  taught  in  the  military  schools  at 
Poughkeepsie.  Studied  law  for  a  time  in  .N'ew  York  City  ;  afterward 
went  to  the  Lake  Superior  region,  Wisconsin  ;  established  the  St.  Croix 
Collegiate  Institute  at  River  Falls,  in  1869  ;  this  being  the  first  academy 
established  north  of  the  Chippewa  Valley,  in  Wisconsin.  He  was  also 
instrumental  in  establishing  the  State  Normal  School  at  that  place.  He 
erected  a  school  building  at  Hudson,  for  the  St.  Croix  Military  Academy. 
This  was  a  success  otherwise  than  financially.  He  finally  returned  to 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  taught  for  a  time,  but  for  some  time 
previous  to  coming  to  Tomah,  was  engaged  in  school  work  in  Illinois 
and  Michigan.  In  1879,  he  was  induced  to  give  up  the  principalship  ot 
the  Young  Ladies'  Seminary  at  Monroe,  Mich.,  to  accept  the  presidency 
of  the  Rock  River  University,  of  Dixon,  III.  But  he  soon  found  that 
this  institution  was  encumbered  with  a  load  of  debt,  which  rendered  his 
position  a  very  embarrassing  one,  and  he  accordingly  resigned  the  presi- 
dency of  the  University  and  accepted  the  principalship  of  the  High 
School  at  Tomah.  During  his  residence  at  Northern  Wisconsin,  he  was 
for  some  time  Superintendent  of  the  Public  Schools  of  St.  Croix  County. 
He  was  married  in  Michigan,  in  :868,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Chamberlain. 
His  wife  is  associated  with  him  in  teaching.  They  have  three  children — 
Albert,  Annie  and  Eugene. 

R.  P.  HITCHCOCK,  merchant,  Tomah.  Born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N. 
Y.;  in  1840.  Enlisted  in  14th  N.  Y.  V.  I.  in  1S61,  and  served  over  two 
years.  Was  color-sergeant  of  his  regiment.  Participated  in  all  the 
battles  and  campaigns  in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service,  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a  time. 
He  went  to  Southern  Iowa  about  1S64,  and  was  engaged  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Burlington  &  Missouri  Railroad  for  one  and  one-half 
years.  He  relumed  to  New  York,  and  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Bulicr- 
field.  Came  to  Tomah  in  the  Fall  of  1S67,  and  engaged  in  present  busi- 
ness.     Has  also  been  engaged  in  various  other  occupations.     During  the 


650 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


construction  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad,  he  was  largely  engaged  in 
furnishing  supplies.  Was  also  engaged  in  furnishing  the  Chicago  & 
Norlhwesiern  and  Wisconsin  Valley  roads.  Mr.  Hitchcock  has  also  a 
fine  farm  near  the  village,  which  demands  part  of  his  attention.  He 
has  four  children— Frank,  Edith,  Mark  and  an  infant. 

W.  W.  JACKSON,  retired  farmer,  Tomah.  Born  in  Ontario  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1813.  He  removed  to  Adrian,  Mich.,  with  his  parents,  when 
seventeen  years  of  age,  where  his  father,  Jacob  Jackson,  resided  till  his 
death.  W.  W.  Jacksun  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
but  before  he  reached  the  field  of  conflict,  ihe  war  had  ended.  He  was 
married  in  Hillsdale  Co.,  to  Lucy  S.  Wilcox,  who  died  in  Michigan.  He 
afterward  married  Amanda  Gilson,  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S53.  and 
located  at  Hartford,  Washington  Co.  In  April,  1854.  he  came  to  Mon- 
roe County,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Adrian.  This  town- 
ship he  named  from  Adrian,  Mich.,  his  former  place  of  residence.  He 
entered  a  farm  in  that  town  as  government  land.  This  farm  he  still 
owns.    He  has  been  engaged  in  farming  a  greater  part  of  his  life,  though 


New  York.  His  wife's  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  Mr. 
Kibbe  came  to  Tomah  in  the  Spring  of  1S66.  In  1874,  he  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  with  L.  S.  Barnes,  the  firm  name  being  L.  S.  Birnes 
&  Co.  He  has  four  children— Fred,  now  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Tomah  IFt-eify  Star;  Eugenia,  Harry  and  Byron. 

WILLIAM  L.  MASON,  stock  dealer  and  farmer,  etc.,  Tomah,  and 
of  the  firm  of  Mason  &  Crandall,  proprietors  of  meat  market.  Mr.  Mason 
was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1S43.  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
He  came  to  Monroe  County  in  January,  1S69,  and  located  atSparia  ;  came 
to  Tomah  in  the  Spring  of  1S73  and  engaged  in  the  stock  business.  Mr. 
Mason  is  an  energetic  and  successful  business  man.  He  was  married  to 
Elizabeth  Sherman.     They  have  one  child,  Walter. 

Mr.  II.  L.  Crandall,  of  Mason  &  Crandall,  was  born  in  Essex  Co., 
N.  v.,  in  1834.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1851.  Fam- 
ily settled  in  Dodge  County.  Mr.  Crandall  came  to  Tomah  in  iS6l.and 
engaged  in  the  grain  business,  etc.  He  was  one  of  the  firm  of  Kunkell 
&  Co.,  who  built  the  Tomah  mill  ;  engaged  in  business  with  Mr.  Mason 


1 


RESIDENCE  OF  T.  S.  POWERS.  TOMAH. 


for  fifteen  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Since  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  besides  farming,  was  engaged  for  many  years  in  the 
manufacture  of  lumber.  He  built  a  saw-mill  in  1S55  in  the  town  of  To- 
mah; also  another,  a  steam  sawmill,  in  the  same  year.  These  were  the 
first  saw  mills  built  in  the  east  half  of  Monroe  County.  His  steam  mill 
has  been  burned  twice  and  re-built  a  second  time.  His  second  wife 
died  in  Monroe  County  in  1866.  His  present  wife  was  Miss  Jane  E. 
Preston.  Had  six  children  by  first  wife,  two  of  whom  are  living.  Had 
seven  by  second  wife,  all  of  w  bom  are  living,  and  four  by  present  wife. 
His  children  are  all  residents  of  Wisconsin  except  his  oldest  son,  Jacob 
P.,  who  lives  at  Owatonna,  Minn.  Mr.  Jackson  was  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Adrian  fourteen  years,  la  February,  185S,  he  was  ap- 
pointed  County  Judge  by  Gov.  Kandell,  the  Judge-elect,  E.  A.  Rice, 
failing  to  qualify;  at  the  expiration  of  this  term,  was  re-elected  for  a 
full  term.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S58.  Chairman  of  County 
Board  in  1874;  Chairman  of  Town  Board  at  same  time,  and  treasurer 
of  the  .Agricultural  .Society,  Monroe  County.  Mr.  Jackson  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church.  In  1S74.  he  was  treas- 
urer  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Annual  Conference.  He  represented  his 
district  in  the  Legislature  in   1862-63,  also  1874-75. 

JAY    J.    KIBBE,    Tomah,  born  in  Salisbury,   Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1842,  where  he  lived  till  manhood.     He  was  married  in  the  State   of 


He  was  married  to  Jennie  Joi 
children,  Zubie  and  Linwood. 


;  of  New  York.   They 


Orange  Co..  N.  Y.,  in  1832 
of  age.      He    then  went    to 


JOHN  L.  MATHER,  Tomah,  born 
where  he  lived  till   about  twenty-one  yea 

Elmira,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  as  clerk  for  H.  C.  Spaulding  in  the 
lumber  business.  He  went  to  California  in  1855;  returned  in  1S5S; 
came  to  Sparta  in  October  of  that  year  ;  there  he  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  with  Mr.  Charles  Gage,  with  whom  he  continued  one  year.  He 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Sparta.  In 
1865-7  he  built  the  paper  mill  at  Sparta,  which  he  comucted  until  1S70; 
he  aho  erected  several  other  buildings  in  the  town.  He  was  married  in 
Sparta  10  Mary  E.  Jones,  daughter  ol  S.K.Jones,  fotmerly  from  Yates 
Co..  N.  Y.,  who  came  to  Sparta  about  1857.'  In  the  Fall  of  1870.  for  the 
benefit  of  his  wife's  health,  he  went  to  Kansas  City.  Mo.  Here  he  en- 
gaged in  business  as  cashier  in  a  bank,  where  he  remained  about  one 
year.  He  went  to  Philadelphia  in  1S71.  and  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business.  Here  his  wife  died.  He  returned  to  Sparta  in  1S72,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  with  James  Low-ery,  whose  interest  in  the 
lumber  business  he  purchased  in  1875.  He  was  at  this  time  quite  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  manufactuie  of  lumber.  He  is  now  president 
of  the  Wisconsin  &  Lake  Superior  R.  R.,  between  Tomah  and  Lake 
Superior.     His  present  wife  was  Martha  J.,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  Taylor. 


'  HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


651 


Has  four  children  by  first  marriage— John  J.,  Fred.  H.,  Maria  J.,  and 
Sadie  E. 

D.  R.  MELOY,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Tomah,  born  in  Genesee  Co., 
N.  v.,  in  iSig,  wliere  he  lived  till  nineleen  years  of  age.  He  settled  in 
Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S39.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and 
joiner,  when  a  young  man,  which  he  followed  for  fifteen  years.  Mar- 
ried Arvilia  Cone,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  In  1S48,  Mr.  Meloy 
settled  in  Wyocena.  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.;  was  also  Postmaster  here  for 
about  four  years.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  town  of 
Tomah,  where  he  settled  in  1854.  Engaged  in  farming  and  worked  at 
his  trade  ;  came  to  the  village  in  1S67.  With  the  exception  of  two  years 
has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  1S55.  Has  five  children — David 
Adelbert,  .Mutha  Conkling,  Hattie,  Edward  H.  and  Homer. 

MORITZ  P.VLEY,  furniture  dealer,  Tomah,  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, in  1830.  Came  to  the  United  States  in  1866  ;  lived  in  Columbus 
one  and  a  half  years,  then  came  to  Tomah.  He  worked  at  his  trade,  that 
of  a  carpenter,  for  some  time,  engaging  in  his  prsent  business,  July,  1878 
His  wile  was,  Pauline  Hoftan.  They  have  six  children,  three  boys  and 
three  girls. 

EDWIN  N.  PALMER,  artist,  Tomah,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn., 
in  1834,  where  he  lived  till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  went  to  Lake 
Mills,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1856.  Mr.  Palmer  was  engaged  for  many 
years  in  teaciing.  His  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  D.  Cox,  whose  father  settled 
in  Jefferson  Co.,  Penn.,  about  1850.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  came  to 
Tomah,  in  t'je  Fall  of  1S60.  Mr.  Palmer  was  principal  of  the  school  at 
Tomah  for  s  )me  time,  his  wife  being  associated  with  him  in  the  teaching. 
Mrs.  Palmer  is  also  a  photographer  and  assists  her  husband  in  his  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Palmer  was  the  first  permanent  photographer  in  Tomah, 
establishing  that  business  here  in  1863.  Has  been  engaged  in  that  work 
here  since  that  time,  except  an  interval  o(  absence  of  five  years.  He  is 
also  engagtd  in  the  insurance  business,  representing  some  of  the  best 
companies,  including  the  Home,  N.  Y.;  Phoenix,  of  Brooklyn;  In.'-urance 
Company  ol  Noilh  America;  Phil.  Continental;  Milwaukee  Mechanics 
Mutual,  and  Hamburg  and  Magdeburg. 

T.  S.  POWERS,  hardware  dealer,  Tomah  ;  son  of  S.  D.  Powers,  who 
was  born  in  Vermont  and  moved  to  Ohio  when  a  child,  with  his  parents, 
who  came  to  Wisconsin,  June,  1S44,  and  settled  in  what  is  Kenosha. 
Tiiey  resided  in  Kenosha  about  two  years,  then  removed  to  Port  Wash- 
ington, where  they  lived  till  1854,  thence  to  De  Soto.  Tliey  came  to 
Tom.ih  in  1859.  His  lather  was  in  early  life  a  builder,  later  in  life  he 
adopted  the  prolession  of  dentistry.  He  served  in  the  Legislature  of 
Wisconsin,  in  the  early  days  of  the  .State  and  again  was  elected  to  that 
body  in  the  Fall  of  1S64,  but  died  Nov.  9.  of  that  year.  He  has  nine 
children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.  T.  S. 
was  born  in  the  township  of  Henrietta,  Lorain  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  4,  1833. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  father.  Married  Emily  S.  Rush,  daughter 
of  Harvey  bush,  an  early  settler  of  Wisconsin,  from  Ohio.  They  have 
two  children,  William  J.  and  Hubert  D.  He  began  business  here  in 
1S63.  Mr.  Powers  is  a  successful  business  man;  he  bears  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  for  his  many  fine  qualities  as  a  man. 

JOHN  F.  RICHARDS,  M.  D.,  Tomah,  born  in  Clermont  Co., 
Ohio,  in  1S18.  His  father,  John  R.  Richards  and  also  his  mother,  were 
naiivesof  .Maryland.  He  studied  medicine  in  his  native  county,  attended 
lectures  at  Ohio  Medical  College,  where  he  graduated  in  184S.  He  began 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Highland  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  practiced  till 
1862.  when  he  removed  to  Milwaukee.  In  the  Spring  of  1S66,  he  came 
to  Tomah,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  his  prolession.  He  is  the 
earliest  of  the  present  resident  physicians  of  Tomah.  He  was  married 
to  Judith  Ayers,  native  of  Virginia.  They  have  had  five  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters — Lafayette,  John  F.,  Randolph,  Bonne,  now  Mrs. 
Devitt  Cheeny,  of  Milwaukee.     Lost  one  daughter,  Alice  Cary. 

ADOLPH  G.  SCHULZ,  general  merchant,  Tomah.  Son  of  August 
Schuiz,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  business  men  of  Tomah.  Was  born 
in  Germany;  came  to  this  country  in  1850.  He  first  located  near  Port 
Washington.  He  removed  thence  to  Chicago,  and  engaged  in  the  tobacco 
business.  He  resided  for  a  lime  at  other  points  in  the  Norlhwest, 
Davenport,  La  Crosse,  etc.  He  went  lo  Black  River  Falls  about  1858; 
came  to  Tomah  and  engaged  in  business  in  l86l.  He  died  in  the  Fall 
of  1S78,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  children,  Louisa  and  Adolph  G.  The 
latter  was  born  in  Germany  in  1849.  He  was  associated  with  his  father 
in  business  for  several  years  previous  lo  his  death ;  is  now  engaged  in 
general  merchandising.  He  was  married  to  Maitie  M.  Weed,  adopted 
daughter  of  H.  B.  Howard.     They  have  one  son,  Harry. 

HENRY  C.  SPAULDING,  attorney,  Tomah.  Son  of  V.  Spaulding, 
who  came  to  Monroe  County,  from  Chelmsford,  Mass.,  in  1855.  Henry 
C.  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1844.  He  rea<l  law  at  Tomah  with 
Graham  &  Bleekman  ;  was  admitted  10  the  Bar  in  1874;  has  practiced 
in  Tomah  since  that  time.  He  was  married  to  N.  N.  Wells,  who  was 
born  in  Michigan.  Their  children  are— Clara  B.,  Susie,  Laura  and 
Henry  A.  Mr.  Spaulding  was  associated  with  A.  E.  Bleekman  for  three 
years.     During  the  year  1880  was  associated  with  F.  E.  Campbell. 

WALTER  D.  STANNARD,  M.  D.,  Tomah.  Was  born  in  Lake 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1841,  but  brought  up  in  Cuyahoga  County.     He  received 


his  literary  and  medical  education  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  gradu- 
ating from  the  medical  department  of  that  institution  in  the  Spring  of 
1865.  He  attended  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  1S61.  He  served  in 
the  army  as  hospital  steward  about  one  year,  when  he  was  discharged 
for  disability.  After  graduating  in  1S65,  he  entered  the  army  as  assist- 
ant surgeon,  where  he  remained  about  one  year.  He  then  established 
himself  in  practice  at  Chagrin  Falls,  Ohio.  He  located  in  Tomah  June, 
187S.  He  married  Narcena  Hunt,  a  native  of  Michigan.  They  have 
two  sons,  H.  Bert  and  John  C. 

J.  P.  TR ACEY,  grocer.  Tomah.  Was  born  in  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1810.  His  father  died  before  his  birth.  He  was  married  in  St.  Law- 
rence Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Caroline,  daughter  of  Samuel  Douglass,  born  in 
Vermont.  They  were  married  in  1S32.  They  removed  to  Ashtabula 
Co.,  Ohio,  where  they  lived  till  1S60.  In  Ohio  he  was  engaged  in  keep- 
ing hotel.  Came  to  Sparta  in  i860,  where  he  lived  one  year  when  he 
located  in  Tomah.  He  built  a  hotel  here  in  1862,  and  engaged  in  buy- 
ing produce,  berries,  grain,  etc.  He  was  first  to  engage  in  the  berry 
business  at  this  point.  He  purchased  his  present  store  in  1S62,  which 
he  used  as  a  hotel  for  some  years,  in  fact,  has  been  engaged,  more  or  less, 
in  hotel  and  livery  business  most  of  his  life.  He  has  been  on  Town 
Board  for  five  years,  and  also  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  village.  Has 
been  an  Odd  Fellow  for  thirty-six  years,  |is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Tomah  Lodge  of  that  order.  Has  been  treasurer  of  this  lodge  for  six 
years.  He  has  three  children — Sarah,  now  Mrs.  J.  K.  Jones.  Maria, 
now  Mrs.  Alfred  Baldwin,  and  Frank.  Mr.  Tracey  was  colunel  of  the 
1st  Rifle  Reg.,  21st  Division,  Ohio  Militia,  for  four  years.  Colonel 
Tracey  has  been  an  active  business  man  all  his  life,  and  has  often  been 
quite  successful  in  his  financial  undertakings.  Naturally  generous,  and 
for  many  years  accustomed  to  indulge  in  the  social  glass,  and  spending 
his  money  as  freely  as  he  made  it,  like  many  others  he  foolishly  spent 
thousands  of  dollars  with  boon  companions,  which  should  have  been 
more  profitably  invested.  No  one  more  fully  realizes  this  fact  than  the 
colonel  himself  But  several  years  since,  he  formed  a  determination,  that 
from  thenceforth  he  would  never  take  another  drink  of  liquor.  From  this 
pledge,  made  to  himself,  he  has  never  departed,  and  no  stronger  oppo- 
nent to  the  liquor  trafiic  can  be  found  than  he.  Yet  during  his  life  of  self- 
indulgence,  no  man  suffered  from  his  habit  of  dissipation  but  himself. 
Honest  and  upright  in  his  dealings,  he  has  ever  been  trusted  and  esteemed 
honest  man.  Redeemed  from  the  thralldom  of  strong  drink  he  main- 
tains the  entire  respect  and  confidence  of  all. 

G.  R.  VINCENT,  M.  D.,  Tomah,  was  born  in  Herkimer  Co..  N.  Y., 
in  1841,  but  was  brought  up  in  Oneida  County.  He  attended  the  Albany 
Medical  School  at  Albany,  and  graduated  at  the  Medical  Depariment 
of  the  University  of  Vermont  in  1S65.  His  father  was  a  physician,  and 
practiced  his  profession  in  the  village  of  Prospect,  N.  Y.,  durii'g  the 
whole  of  his  professional  life.  He  came  to  Tomah,  July,  1S66.  and  set- 
tled here  permanently  the  following  year.  He  has  attained  10  well  de- 
served popularity  in  his  profession,  and  is  highly  esteemed  both  as  a 
physician  and  citizen.  He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin 
in  the  Fall  of  1878;  has  been  President  of  the  Vill.ige  and  a  member  of 
the  Village  Board  for  five  years.  His  wife  was  MiaS  Libbie  Kibbe,  of 
Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y. 

J.  O.  WARRINER,  proprietor  of  jewelry  and  music  store,  Tomah, 
born  at  Norihfield,  Vt.,  in  1S42,  where  he  lived  till  about  nine  years  of 
age,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Tioga  Co..  Pa.;  thence  to 
Wisconsin,  in  1855,  and  settled  at  New  Lisbon.  Mr.  J.  O.  Warriner  re- 
turned East  in   the   Fall  of   1S60.       He  learned  his  business  principally 


ith  his   father. 


Wa 


; engaged 


iness  for  : 


Wellsville,  N. 


Y.;  came  to  Tomah,  Aug.  16,  1870.  Married  Sarah  J.  Phelps ;  born  near 
Andover,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  were  married  in  1865.  Have 
three  children,  Luman,  Arthur  and  Button. 

GRF.ENFIELD, 
Post-office,  called  Tunnel  City,  is  located  on  the  C,  M.  & 
St.  P.  R.  R.,  near  the  tunnel  :  was  settled  up  when  the  tun- 
nel was  built.  The  place  is  noted  for  its  immense  ship- 
ment of  berries,  blueberries,  huckleberries  and  blackber- 
ries being  the  printii)al. 

NORW.-VLK, 
This  village  is  located  on  the  main  line  of  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railroad,  in  the  town  of  Ridgevilie.  It 
was  platted  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  October,  1872,  and, 
according  to  survey,  lies  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  the 
southeast  quarter,  and  northeast  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  Section  28,  Town  16.  The  first  settlers  in  the 
village  were  S.  McGary  and  C.  G.  Hetman.     The  first  house 


652 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


built  in  the  village  was  put  up  by  D.  M.  Dolson,  in  1872. 
Following  this,  almost  immediately,  was  the  farm  house  of 
Mr.  McGary  and  the  Norwalk  House,  a  hotel,  built  by  Mr. 
John  Hoyning.  Mr.  Hoyning  also  built  the  first  store,  this 
same  year,  opening  with  a  general  stock  of  goods  at  once. 
The  Post-office  was  established  the  following  year,  Mr. 
Hoyning  being  appointed  as  Postmaster.  The  village  claims 
a  population  about  2S0  inhabitants.  There  are  about  sixty 
houses ;  the  principal  business,  farming.  There  are  two 
general  stores,  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop,  marble  yard 
and  two  hotels.  The  village  is  in  the  southern  portion  of 
town  of  Ridgeville  (No.  16)  ;  it  nestles  among  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  one  of  Nature's  parks,  being  surrounded  by  gent- 
ly undulating  country,  whose  smooth,  though  not  level,  sur- 
face is  desirably  broken  and  varied  by  the  rich  growth  of 
timber,  which  skirt  the  hillside  in  the  distance.  The  one 
school  in  the  village  is  supplied  with  an  efficient  teacher, 
and  is  thorough  in  all  its  departments.  The  people  have 
not  yet  succeeded  in  having  a  church  building  erected,  but 
a  few  of  them  of  the  Congregational  denomination,  have 
banded  themselves  together  and  worship  in  each  other's 
houses,  alternately. 

BIOGR.^PHICAL  SKETCHES. 

JOHN  F.  DORLAND,  harness  maker,  Norwalk,  born  in  La  Porle 
City,  Ind.,  and  removed  to  Sauk  County  with  his  uncle.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  harness  making  at  Reedsburg,  with  Mr.  M.  Finch  ;  estab- 
lished his  business  here  in  .1879.  'tlis  wife  was  Mary  Goodwin,  of 
Juneau  County. 

CHRISTIAN  G.  HETTMAN,  grain  dealer  and  farmer,  Norwalk, 
son  of  Frederick  Hettman  (deceased),  who  settled  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
about  1845,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  family  in  June,  1856,  and 
pre-empted  a  farm  near  where  the  village  of  Norwalk  now  is.  Tliis 
farm  is  just  soutlieast  of  the  village.  He  died  November,  1869,  leaving 
widow  and  eight  children.  Christian  G.  was  born  in  Germany,  in 
1846;  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  purchased  the  homestead  where 
he  now  lives  ;  has  been  engaged  in  grain  buying  since  iSSo.  His  wife 
is  Mary  Ann  Sour,  daughter  of  Jacob  Sour.  She  was  born  in  Wiscon- 
sin,  September,  1S52.  They  have  three  children — Allie,  Sarah,  and  an 
infant  daughter.     Mr.  Hettman's  farm  contains  175  acres. 

SELIUM  McGARY,  farmer,  Norwalk,  born  in  the  town  of  Milton, 
Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1S31  ;  his  parents  removed  to  Erie  Co.,  Ohio, 
when  he  was  a  child,  where  Mr.  McGary  was  brought  up.  He  came  to 
what  is  now  Norwalk,  in  the  Fall  of  1S52,  and  is,  therefore,  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  Monroe  County.  The  land  which  he  entered  at  that 
time,  included  the  greater  part  of  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Nor- 
walk. Manuel  Metzgar  had  settled  the  previous  Fall,  on  a  piece  of  land 
adjoining  that  upon  which  Mr.  McGary  settled.  With  the  exception  of 
Mr.  Metzgar,  Mr.  McGary  is  the  earliest  settler  of  the  town  of  Ridge- 
ville. Mr.  .Mettzgar  removed  to  California  many  years  ago.  Mr.  McGary 
engaged  in  lumbering  for  about  two  years,  but  his  general  business  has 
been  farming.  He  gave  the  name  Norwalk,  to  the  village  from  the 
beautiful  village  ol  that  name  in  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  near  which  he  lived 
for  many  years.  He  is  quite  an  extensive  farmer,  owning  3S0  acres  of 
land.  He  enlisted  February,  1S65,  in  52<1  Reg.  W.  V.  I.,  and  served 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  married  in  Ohio,  in  1S51,  to  Miss 
Elvira  Fox,  daughter  of  Charles  Fox.  They  have  six  children — Francis, 
Eugene,  Isabel,  Lenora,  Josephine  and  Jessie. 

WILLIAM  MUNZ.  Norwalk,  son  of  Jacob  Munz.  who  emigrated 
to  this  country  from  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  and  settled  in  Township 
II,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S53 ;  afterward  removed  to  Milwaukee, 
where  William  attended  one  of  the  ward  schools  in  that  city,  for  about 
one  year  ;  afterward  attended  Englemen's  Academy.  The  family  re- 
moved to  the  town  of  Ridgeville,  Monroe  Co.,  in  1856.  where  thay  made 
a  farm.  William  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1844,  he  enlisted  January, 
1862,  in  the  19th  Wis.  V.  I.,  served  in  that  regiment  till  August,  1865  ;  re- 
enlisting  after  his  first  two  years' service.  He  was  engaged  in  many  of 
the  most  important  battles  and  campaigns  in  Virginia  ;  was  in  Grant's 
last  campaign,  participated  in  many  important  battles  in  Virginia,  in- 
cluding Cold  Haibor,  Fair  Oaks,  Chapin  Farm  ;  was  present  at  the  sur- 
render of  Gen.  Lee.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  returned  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  during  the  Summer  and  teaching  during  the  Winter  ; 
has  taught  seven  or  eight  terms  in  the  town  of  Ridgeville  ;  located  in 
Norwalk  in    1873.     We  married  Katherine,   danghler  of  John  Seybold, 


one  of  the  eatliest  settlers  in  Monroe  County.  Mr.  Munz  has  held 
various  township  offices  ;  served  as  Town  Treasurer  two  years ;  as 
Chairman  ol  Board  two   years  ;  has  been  Clerk  of  Board  for  nine  years. 

JAMES  SHANKLIN,  farmer,  near  Norwalk.  Born  in  Ireland, 
April  S,  1S33.  His  mother  died  in  Ireland.  He  came  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  father,  in  the  Fall  of  1846,  to  Fond  du  La^  County,  where  his 
father  died,  three  weeks  after  their  arrival,  leaving  two  sons,  John  and 
James,  in  this  country,  and  also  two  sons  in  Ireland.  John  lives  in  Wausha- 
ra Co.,  Wis.  James  went  to  Winnebago  County,  in  1848,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  ten  years.  He  came  to  Monroe  County  in  1858.  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm.  He  enlisted,  January,  1864,  in  the  igth 
Wis.  Vol.,  and  served  till  August,  1865.  Was  in  Grant's  final  campaign 
of  the  war,  in  Virginia.  His  wife  was  Hannah  Beegle,  born  in  the 
State  of  New  York.  They  have  two  children,  Frances  and  Ella  E.  His 
wife  has  a  son  by  a  former  marriage.  John  H.  White. 

PETER  SYVERSON,  grain  buyer,  Norwalk,  son  of  Ole  Syverson. 
an  early  settler  of  Vernon  County.  He  was  a  native  of  Norway,  emi- 
grated to  this  country,  settled  on  Coon  Prairie,  Vernon  Co.,  where  he 
resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1879.  Peter  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, in  1840,  His  parents  had  seven  children,  all  living  but  one,  and 
residents  ol  Vernon  and  Monroe  counties.  He  was  married  to  Bertha 
Nelson.  They  have  five  children — Marcus,  Albert,  Ella,  Lute  and  Au- 
gust. Mr.  Syverson  has  been  engaged  in  grain  buying  for  a  number  of 
years.  His  father  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  town  in  which 
he  located  in  Vernon  County. 

WILTON. 

In  the  town  of  Wilton,  on  Section  32.  The  village 
was  laid  out  in  1S71,  on  E.  Enderby's  and  C.  Farmer's 
land.  The  village  contains  a  Catholic,  Methodist,  and  a 
United  Brethren  Church,  a  fine  school-house,  five  stores, 
two  hotels,  one  grist  mill,  a  wagon  shop  and  two  black- 
smith shops.  T.  L.  Martin  is  the  Postmaster.  Population 
325.     The  town  of  Wilton  was  organized,  April,  1S56. 

BIOGR.-^PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CARL  ;GIFF0RD,  station  agent  for  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  Co.,  Wil- 
ton. Born  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1840.  His  parents  were  resi- 
dents  of  that  county  for  fifty-two  years.  His  father  was  a  native  of  the 
North  of  Ireland,  his  mother  a  native  of  Scotland.  Mr.  Gififord,  for  two 
years  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  was  a  member  of  the  Telegraph 
Corps.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Was  station 
agent  at  Milton  Junction  'or  ten  years.  Was  appointed  to  his  present 
position  in  1875.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Grimmer,  born  in  Erie 
Co..  N.  V.  They  have  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Giflord  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  his  mother 
at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 

SAMUEL  J.  LYON,  farmer,  Wilton,  was  born  in  Yates  Co.,  N.Y., 
in  1838  ;  removed  with  his  father's  family  to  Monroe  County  from  the 
State  of  New  York  in  1S56.  His  father  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  at  Sparta,  and  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession for  many  years.  He  died  Nov.  5,  1873.  The  family  first  settled 
in  Glendale ;  came  to  Wilton,  July,  1862.  Mr.  Samuel  J.  Lyon  enlisted 
in  the  25th  Regt.  Wis.  V.  I.,  Aug.  31  of  that  year  ;  served  about  sixteen 
montlis.  He  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Wilton  in  1S75  ;  re- 
tired from  that  business  in  the  Spring  of  iSSi.  His  wife  was  Lenora 
Chapman,  daughter  of  William  Chapman.  They  have  fonr  children — 
Mary  E.,  Katie  L.,  Jennie  C.  and  Willie  C.  Parents  of  Mr.  Lyon  had 
six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  His  oldest  brother,  John  C, 
died  at  Glendale,  May  27,  1S56;  another  brother,  Myron  F.,  enlisted  in 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  in  which  he  probably  lost  his  life,  as  nothing 
was  heard  from  him  after  he  entered  the  army ;  his  sister,  Harriet,  an 
estimable  woman,  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  Dr.  Jacques,  president  of  Albert 
College.  She  was  a  graduate  of  the  Gene^ee  Wesleyan  Seminiry,  at 
Lima,  N.  Y.;  she  died  April,  1S80.  Another  sister,  E.  C.  C,  is  the  wife 
ol  Mr.  J.  C.  French,  of  Sparta  ;  she  also  was  a  graduate  of  the  same  in- 
stitution. James  R.,  a  brother  of  Mr.  Lyon,  is  the  present  Register  of 
Deeds.     He  was  long  a  resident  of  the  village  of  Glendale. 

T.  L.  MARTIN,  druggist  and  Postmaster,  Wilton,  was  born  in  Dane 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S51;  afterward  removed  to  Rock  County;  came  to  Wilton, 
December,  1874,  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business  here  soon  after  ;  was 
appointed  Postmaster,  March,  1879,  but  had  charge  of  the  Post-ofTice 
some  time  previous  to  that  time,  lie  owns  the  only  drug  store  in  Wil- 
ton ;  succeeded  F.  N.  Walker  in  business. 

MOLL,  O'BRIEN  &  TITUS,  Wilton.  Frank  W.  Moll,  of  the 
above  firm,  is  the  son  of  A.  H.  Moll,  the  former  partner  of  Mr.  O'Brien, 
who  removed  to  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  from  New  York  City  very  early  in 


HISTORY  OF  MONROE  COUNTY. 


653 


the  history  of  that  county.  He  came  to  Monroe  County  in  1857  and 
settled  in  the  town  of  Greenfiekl,  where  he  still  resides.  Frank  \V.  was 
born  in  Columbia  County  in  1853.  He  succeeded  his  father  in  business 
with  Mr.  O'Brien.  His  wife  was  Elletia,  a  sister  of  his  partner,  John 
O'Brien.     They  have  two  children,  Bernardia  and  Claude  F. 

John  O'Brien,  of  this  firm,  was  born  in  Scipio,  Cayugu  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1846  ;  he  removed  with  his  father's  family  to  Portage,  Wis.,  in  1853  ;  his 
father  died  in  1857.  The  family  resided  in  Columbia  County  till  1S62, 
when  they  removed  to  the  town  of  Greenfield,  Monroe  Co.  Mr.  O'Brien 
came  to  the  village  of  Wilton  in  the  Fall  of  1872,  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  with  A.  H.  Moll,  in  the  firm  name  of  A.  H.  Moll  & 
O'Brien.  His  wife  was  Angela  Webb,  daughter  of  Clark  Webb,  an 
early  settler  of  Rock  County.  Mr.  O'Brien  is  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Wisconsin,  elected  in  the  Fall  of  18S0. 

L.  M.  Titus,  of  this  firm,  is  a  nativeof  Vermont ;  his  parents  removed 
to  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  when  he  was  a  boy  ;  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
father's  family,  May,  1867,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Wilton. 
He  eng.iged  in  the  grocery  trade  in  this  village  in  1869  ;  increased  his 
business  to  a  general  store,  when  the  railroad  was  finished  to  this  point 
in  1873.  His  wife  was  Elvira  George,  born  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.;  they 
have  three  children — Louisa,  Lucena  and  an  infant  daughter.  His  fa- 
ther still  resides  in  Wilton. 

The  firm  of  Moll,  O'Brien  &  Titus  was  established  in  1876.  They 
are  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business,  also  dealers  in  grain  and 
produce,  and  buy  largely  railroad  ties,  wood,  etc.;  in  fact,  do  the  princi- 
pal business  in  their  line  in  the  village.  They  are  enterprising,  ener- 
getic gentlemen,  courteous  and  accommodating,  and  have  established  a 
reputation  for  fair  dealing  which  commands  tlie  respect  of  all  with  whom 
they  do  business.  They  have  an  extensive  mercantile  trade,  their  sales 
amounting  to  about  $60,000  a  year.  They  buy  from  60.000  to  75.000 
railroad  ties  per  annum,  and  during  the  past  year  have  bought  about  9.- 
000  cords  of  wood.     Their  business  gives  constant  employment  to  seven 

C.  E.  PHILLIPS,  M.  D.,  Wilton,  was  born  in  Crawford  Co.,  Pa., 
near  the  border  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  in  18=2.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  in  his  native  county,  and  graduated  at  the  Eclectic  Medical 
Institute,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1873.  He  spent  one  year  in  Nebraska, 
after  his  graduation,  reciuiting  his  health.  He  came  to  Wilton  in  the 
Fall  of  1875,  and  began  the  piactice  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Phillips  has 
an  extensive  practice  and  is  very  popular,  both  as  a  gentleman  and  a 
phvsician.  His  wife  is  the  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Winans,  of  Madison, 
Ohio. 

FERDINAND  WOLKOW,  wagon-maker,  undertaker,  etc.,  Wilton, 
son  of  Christian  Wolkow.  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  this 
country  about  1S62,  and  settled  in  Milwaukee  ;  thence  to  Dodge  County, 
where  he  lived  two  years  ;  thence  to  Monroe  County,  and  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  the  town  of  Wilton.  Ferdinand  was  born  in  Germany,  March 
27.  1857.  He  learned  his  trade  at  New  Lisbon,  of  Mr.  Radel.  He  es- 
tablished his  present  business  at  Wilton  in  1875.  Married  Minnie  Koch, 
daughter  of  Charles  Koch.  They  have  three  children.  His  parents 
had  eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  living. 

GLENDALE. 

This  village  is  situated  in  town  of  Glendale,  Section  14, 
on  the  C.  &  N.  \V.  R.  R. ;  was  laid  oiil  in  1875  ;  has  one 
church  (Episcopal)  and  a  school-house;  one  store,  a  black- 
smith shop  and  a  grist-mill.  Population,  100.  The  town 
of  Glendale  was  organized  in  April,  1856. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
HORACE  J.  MOORE,  farmer,  P.O.  Glendale.  born  in  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1830,  where  he  resided  till  twenty  years  of  age.  when  he  removed 
to  the  town  of  Elba,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming  ;  came  to 
Glendale  in  the  Summer  of  1S55.  Mr.  Moore  was  one  of  the  very 
earliest  settlers  of  this  town — but  one  family,  that  of  Mr.  Lorenzo  Har- 
ris, now  resides  in  the  town  of  Kendall,  who  was  here  at  that  time.  Mr. 
Moore  was  the  first  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  Kendall,  and  held  that 
office  for  many  years.  Has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  most  of  the  time 
since  the  town  was  organized  ;  has  also  been  Assessor  of  the  town.  In 
1872,  he  built  the  Glendale  House,  which  he  conducted  about  three 
years.  He  enlisted,  Dec.  18,  1S63,  in  the  19th  Regt.,  Wis.  V.  I,  and 
served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Was  married  to  Nancy  Keller,  born  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  Iler  parents  settled  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1846.     They  have  two  children,  Augustine  and  Sarah  R. 

KENDALL. 
Is  situated  on  Section  10,  town  of  Glendale,  also  on  the 


C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  It  contains  extensive  stave  works,  and 
is  quite  a  shipping  point.  The  village  has  a  church  (Meth- 
odist), a  school-house,  numerous  stores,  and,  with  its  stave 
works,  grist-mill  and  railroad  machine  shops,  the  place  pre- 
sents a  busy  village  ;  population,  350. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LYMAN  R.  BURLINGAME,  M.  D.,  Kendall.  Born  in  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1854.  Began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Elroy,  in  1S75.  with  Dr. 
C.  E.  Booth,  of  that  place.  Attended  lectures  at  Rush  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  three  terms,  where  he  will  graduate  in  the  Fall  of  1881.  He 
began  practice  at  Wilton,  Monroe  Co.,  thence  to  Elroy  where  he  prac- 
ticed for  a  time  with  his  preceptor.  Dr.  Booth.  Came  to  Kendall  in 
1S80. 

WALTER  BAXTER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Kendall.  Born  in  Scotland. 
Came  to  this  country  in  1853  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Ottawa,  Wauke- 
sha Co.  Father  died  in  Clifton.  Monroe  Co.,  in  1S66.  Walter  Baxter 
came  to  Glendale  in  1863,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  enlisted  in 
the  Spring  of  1865  in  the  50th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.  Served  till  July  1866. 
Married  Margaret  M.  Queen,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers  of  Mon- 
roe County.  Mr.  Baxter  has  been  District  Clerk  four  or  five  years ;  was 
elected  Town  Clerk  in  1875,  and  has  served  since  that  time. 

R.B.DUNLAP,  Kendall,  merchant,  son  of  Thomas  Dunlap  who  came 
to  Monroe  County  from  Urbana,  Champaign  Co.,  Ohio,  October,  1856, 
and  settled  in  Glendale.  He  lived  for  a  time  in  what  was  known  as  the 
Block  House,  which  was  built  in  1853.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Glen- 
dale till  his  death,  which  occurred  Sept,  S,  1880.  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  The  father  of  Mr.  Dunlap  had  nine  children,  seven  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Two  sons  and  one  daughter  deceased.  Surving  chil- 
dren are  all  residents  of  Monroe  and  Juneau  counties.  R.  B.  was  born 
in  Ithaca.  N.  Y.,  in  1844.  Enlisted  in  1862  in  the  25th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I., 
and  served  three  years.  Was  in  active  service  during  the  entire  term  of 
his  enlistment.  He  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  in  Glendale  in 
1874,  and  afterward  in  general  merchandising.  He  located  at  Kendall 
in  the  Spring  of  1881.  His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  S.  H.  French.  Mr. 
Dunlap  is  a  gentleman  of  culture,  and  possesses  excellent  business  qual- 
ifications. In  1876  he  wrote  a  history  of  the  town  of  Kendall,  which 
contains  much  valuable  information  to  those  who  are  interested  in  the 
history  of  this  town. 

BENJAMIN  ROBERTS,  section  foreman,  Kendall.  Born  in  Platts- 
buig,  N.  Y.,  in  1829.  He  went  to  Illinois  in  the  Soring  of  1S56,  and  to 
Portage,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1S57.  where  he  lived  about  two  years.  Af- 
terward had  charge  of  the  fencing  gang  at  New  Lisbon.  Went  toOsh- 
kosh  in  1S61,  where  he  was  engaged  as  foreman  on  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R. 
R.  In  the  Fall  of  1871  he  was  engaged  as  foreman  in  laying  ihe  track 
on  the  Green  Bay  road,  between  Green  Bay  and  Winona.  Was  engaged 
on  this  road  about  three  years.  Afterward  was  engaged  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  West  Wisconsin  R.  R.  for  two  and  a  half  years.  Is  now 
section  foreman  on  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  Resides  at  Kendall.  His 
wife  was  Phebe  J.  Pixley,  daughter  of  Parker  Pixley,  an  early  settler  of 
Portage. 

Town  of  Adrian. 

FRED  K.  TALBOT,  present  teacher  of  the  school  at  Kendall ;  son 
of  Robert  A.  Talbot,  who  was  born  in  England,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  about  1850.  Has  been  a  resident  of  Wisconsin  since  that  time  ; 
now  resides  in  the  town  of  Adrian.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Talbot  have 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Fred  K.  was  born  in 
Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852.  He  began  teaching  in  1870,  at  Irving, 
Jackson  County,  where  he  taught  about  four  years  ;  has  taught  twelve 
terms  in  Monroe  County.  Married  Ella,  daughter  of  Lewis  Nichols,  an 
early  settler  of  the  town  of  Irving. 

J.  E.  MOONEY,  Superintendent  of  Poor  Farm,  of  Monroe  County, 
Was  born  in  Jefferson,  N.  Y.,  iibout  1S34.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66. 
and  settled  at  Toman,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  married  Ann  E. 
Fuller,  daughter  of  Alvah  Fuller,  an  early  settler  of  Dodge  County. 
Has  one  son,  Fred.   Mr.  Mooney  took  charge  of  Poor  Farm.  April,  iSSt. 

Rudd's  Mill,  Warren  Mills,  and  Lowrie's  Mill  Station, 
are  railroad  stations  on  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  O.  R.  R.,  where 
lumber  is  manufactured  to  quite  an  extent. 

Herseyville,  LaFayette  and  Oakdale,  are  small  stations 
on  the  C.,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R. 


654 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


OCONTO    COUNTY, 


GENERAL   HISTORY. 

Originally,  Oconto  County  was  the  largest  one  in  the 
State,  but  by  the  formation  of  Marinette  in  1879,  its 
territorj'  was  reduced  nearly  one-half.  It  is  situated 
between  Marinette  and  Langlade  and  Siiawano  coun- 
ties on  tlie  east  and  west,  stretching  to  the  boundary 
line  of  Wisconsin  and  Micliigan  on  the  north,  and 
Siiawano  and  Brown  counties  on  the  south.  It  is 
watered  by  the  Peshtigo,  Oconto,  Little  Suamico  and 
Wolf  rivers.  The  entire  northern  parts  of  the  county 
and  Marinette  adjoining  are  richly  wooded,  and  form 
the  harvest  fields  of  the  rich  lumber  companies  whose 
mills  are  in  tlie  south.  This  wild,  rugged  and  almost 
unsettled  section  of  Oconto  County  is  organized, 
politicall}',  into  what  is  known  as  the  town  of  Darling. 
A  second  portion  of  the  county,  which  may  be  cut 
away  as  unhistoric  ground,  is  the  Indian  Reservation, 
a  fraction  of  which  sets  into  its  natural  bounds 
on  the  southwest.  The  larger  part  crowds  into 
Shawano  County  on  the  northeast.  Two  townships 
were  taken  from  what  is  now  Oconto  County,  and  ten 
from  Shawano,  in  1848,  and  granted  to  the  Menominee 
Indians,  the  original  tribe  in  this  region.  It  is  said  that 
Nicollet,  the  Indian  Agent,  and  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  vis- 
ited them  in  their  free  hunting  grounds  upon  the  Me- 
nominee, Peshtigo  and  Oconto  rivers,  in  lt>39  and  1670, 
respectively.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Reservation,  as 
relates  to  present  civilization,  is  unproductive,  unhis- 
toric ground. 

Notwitiistanding  that  so  large  a  region  of  Oconto 
County  is  timbered  land,  when  cleared  and  cultivated, 
oats,  potatoes,  wheat  and  corn  do  well,  and  the  differ- 
ent varieties  of  grasses  flourish.  Considerable  atten- 
tion is  being  turned  to  the  dairy  products,  as  in  all  of 
the  northern  counties  in  localities  where  timber  land  is 
no  longer  productive.  In  1880,  126,919  pounds  of 
butter  were  made.  The  quantity  of  cheese  made  is  not 
large,  but  of  excellent  quality.  The  number  of  cows 
in  the  county  is  reported  at  1,633  ;  estimated  value  !|24,- 
872.  As  reported  by  the  local  assessors  of  1880,  the 
entire  value  of  real  aud  personal  property  in  Oconto 
County  was  $1,792,921.64,  of  which  sum  tiie  city  of 
Ocouto  possessed  $762,789,  and  the  town  of  Darling, 
the  wild  and  unorganized  region  noticed  above,  $336,- 
096.30.  Pensaukee's  valuation  was  placed  at  $212,- 
580.34,  and  Little  Suamico's  at  $141,460.  To  offset 
these  statistics  of  wealth  is  a  county  indebtedness  of 
$62,066.45. 

The  schools  of  Oconto  County  number  thirty-three. 
According  to  the  last  report  of  the  Superintendent, 
there  were  1,989  child reu  of  scliool  age  within  its 
bounds,  the  atteudance  being  1,239.     The  cash  value 


of  all  the  school-houses  was  $18,565;  of  sites,  $1,301 ; 
of  apparatus,  $2,200,  making  a  total  of  $22,066. 

Its  transportation  facilities  comprise  the  conven- 
iences afforded  by  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road Company  and  the  Goodrich  Transportation  Com- 
pany. The  Wisconsin  &  Michigan  road,  noticed  par- 
ticularly in  the  Brown  County  history,  will  jjass  through 
its  western  part,  and  the  St.  Paul  Easteru  Giand  Trunk 
has  its  eastern  terminus  in  the  city  of  Oconto,  passing 
southwest  to  Shawano. 

*S'^  Paul  Eastern  Grand  Trunk. — This  company 
was  organized  in  September,  1879,  at  Chippewa 
Falls.  Its  general  officers  are:  President,  Thad.  C. 
Pound,  of  Chippewa  Falls ;  Vice-president,  Capt. 
William  Wilson,  of  Menomonee,  Wis.;  Secretary  and 
General  Agent,  Lana  C.  Lamb,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  The 
line  of  the  road  is  to  extend  from  Oconto  to  Shawano, 
and  Wausau,  90  miles  in  length,  and  the  object  of  its 
construction  is  to  furnish  an  outlet  to  the  lumber  of 
this  section  of  the  State  and  an  inlet  to  the  wheat  of 
Minnesota  and  the  great  Northwest.  It  connects  with 
the  newly  formed  Wisconsin  &  Michigan  line  at  Leigh- 
ton,  Oconto  County,  and  with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  road  at  Wausau.  It  is  expected  that  the 
preliminary  line  of  the  survey,  will  have  been  made 
this  Fall,  and  the  permanent  line  located  as  far  west  as 
Leighton.  The  surveying  party  is  in  charge  of  F. 
Kirchman,  who  is  an  old  and  experienced  engineer, 
having  seen  many  years  of  service  with  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  aud  the  Wisconsin  Central  com- 
panies. Great  advantages  are  expected  to  be  derived 
from  the  construction  of  the  road  through  Oconto,  Sha- 
wano and  eastern  Marathon  counties. 

Having  thus  given  a  view  of  the  general  phj-sical, 
statistical  and  business  features  of  Ocouto  County,  it  is 
necessary  to  descend  to  details  of  history. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

The  earliest  settlements  of  what  is  now  Oconto 
County,  since  the  setting  off  of  Marinette,  were  made  in 
the  vicinity  of  Pensaukee.  In  1829,  Daniel  Hubbard 
erected  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  county,  on  the  Pensau- 
kee River.  It  was  situated  two  miles  from  its  mouth, 
and  was  built  for  John  P.  Arndt,  of  Green  Bay. 

It  was  not  until  1836-36,  that  the  first  permanent 
settlements  were  made,  and  the  first  mills  built  in 
Oconto.  George  Lerwick,  George  Langden,and  George 
Ehrie,  entered  claims  during  the  foruier  year,  for  land 
upon  the  present  site  of  the  city  They  built  a  dam, 
which  was  soon  carried  away,  and  held  their  claims  for 
'•  a  rise  "  ten  years.  It  then  came  into  possession  of 
Col.  David  Jones,  who  had  built  the  first  saw-mill  in 
Peshtigo,  in  1836,  aud  was  one  of  the  fathers  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  OCONTO  COUNTY.  655 

county.     Tliis   was   the   original  plat   of  the  city  of  of  maple  sugar  was  made  in  Pensaukee,  Stiles  and 

Oconto,  being  lots  comprising  tlie  present   site  of  the  Peslitigo. 

court-liouse,  and  wliich  were  laid  out  in  1855.  In  1847,  In  1860,  tliere  was  $1,400,000  invested  in  the  lum- 

Col.  Jones  had  erected   anotlier  mill  near  Oconto.     It  ber  business  in   the  county.      There   were   321  saws 

was  washed  away  by  the  flood  of  1881.     In  1854,  there  running  in  Oconto,  and  106  at  Stiles. 

were  al)0ut  1,000  people  in  the  count}',  and  it  became  In  1852,  there  were  424  inhabitants  in  Oconto  ;  in 

necessary  to  open  up  the  lumber  country  more  in  accord  1855,  1,015  ;  1860,  3, .598. 

with  the  ways  of  civilization.     There    was   no   regular  The    city   clia.iter  was   amended   in   1861,   cutting 

road  in  tlie  county,  onl^'  trails,  which  to  the  unskilled  down  the  number  of  Supervisors  to  one. 

would  lead  fiom  nowhere    to  nowhere.     In  August  of  Census  of  the  county  in  1860; 

that  year,  William  W.  Delano,  of  Pensaukee,  surveyed  m    ■    tt 

the    first   road,  from  Oconto   to  Stiles.     At  about  the  Ocomo  To»'n"._'''!!!""!!]^!]]!''"!!!."!!".''!48g 

same    time,  the    first  bridge  was  thrown  across  Little  Village  i  ^^''^*'' -iss )                                              gSg 

River,  where  it  enters  the  Oconto,  near  the  John  Doyle  „        ,  <  ''-''^''  '*='^  f 

place.      1  he  builder  was  Duncan   (,ameron.     Tlie  nist  Peshiigo 566 

l)ridge  across  the  Oconto  was  built  in  the  Spring  of  1856.  Stiles 654 

It  is  called  the  Patterson  bridge,  and  situated  near  the  Suamico ...163 

Oconto  Comiiany's  flour  mill. 

Mrs.  Effie  A.  Leigh,  of  Leighton,  was  the  first  white  '^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^• 

child  born  in  the  county.       Her  birth-place  was  seven  In  1860,  the  amount  of  the  fur  trade  in  Oconto  was 

miles  up  the  Oconto  River,  and  the  date,  July  25, 1851.  175,000. 

J.  M.  Couillard,  her  father,  was  tlie  first  white  settler  in  Here  are  the  prices  at  that  time  : 

that  portion  of  Oconto  Count}'.     He   came    from  Mil-  Mu^u  rat  fio  10  to  So  20 

waukee,  making  the. journey  with  an  ox-team  and  being  Mink -. i  25  to    200 

four  weeks  on  the  road.  M^''«" --- '  5o  to    250 

,  ,    , ,      ,    , .  T     T  ,        .1  •      1  Otter 4  00  to     o  00 

At  that  time,  Indians  were  constantly  seen  in  large  ^0% i  00  to    i  50 

groups  in  the  streets.  Fisher  — _.  4  00  to    6  00 

July  4, 1859,  was  celebrated  in  great  style.     Joseph  Beaver i  00 

T  p   /-I  n  ii  i  r   i  1  1  »  Raccoon 0  02 

Loy,  01  Grieen   Bay,  was   the  orator  ot  the  day.     A.  g^ar 6  oo  to    900 

Lawrence    read    the    Declaration    of    Independence.  Woif i  00  to    150 

George  B.  Farnsworth  gave  the  ball.  Deer,  undressed o  25  to    o  30 

In    July,    1859,    the    Board     voted    13,000  toward  Deer,  dressed... 150.0    200 

building  the  road  from  Green  Bay  to  Menominee.  political  organization. 

On   the  5th  of    June,   1859,  the  dam  of  Jones  & 

Co.  and  R.  W.  McClellan  was  swept  awav.     By  July  Oconto  County  was  formed  in  February,  1851,  and 

30,  it  was  restored,  aud  the  mills  were  running.  attaclied  to  Brown  for  judicial  purposes,  being  organ- 

A  destructive  fire  occurred  on  the  3d  of  August,  ized  in   April,  18o2,  into    the  town  of  Oconto.      The 

1859.     The   Brunquest  Building  was  burned.     S.  W.  fi''st  election  for  county  officers  was  held  June  10,  of 

Spencer,  A.  Aspinwall,  John  Remick  and  Mr.  Mitchel  that  year.    The  electors  met  at  the  house  of  Col.  David 

were  sufferers.  Jones,  and  their  balloting  resulted  as  follows :  Rufus 

In  August,' the  Board  of  Supervisors  voted  f750  for  Heald,   Treasurer;    Merrick    Murphy,  County  Clerk  ; 

road  purposes.  Edward  Hart,  Assessor  ;  William  Brunquest,  Register 

'judge  Arnt  built  a  saw-mill  at  Pensaukee  in  1825,  of  Deeds  ;  William  W.  Delano,  Surveyor,     Jonathan 

obtaining  the  privilege  of  doing  so  from  the  Menomo-  S.  Hale  was  Chairman  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors, 

nee  Indians,  on  the  annual  payment  of  $15  a  year  and  whicli  met  July  o,  18o2.      'llie  county  was  organized 

all  the  boards  they  wanted— which  did  not  exceed  six  for  judicial  purposes  in  February,  18o4,  but  the  act  was 

boards  a  year— to  make  coffins.     •  repealed,  and  it  remained  attached  to   Brown  County 

In  September,  1859,  a  sidewalk  was  built  from  the  until  1857,  when  a  reorganization  was  effected.    Oconto 

Empire  House  to  Senk's  saloon.  lias  remained  the  county  seat  from  the   first,  it  being 

In  November,  1859,  a  Sunday-school  was  started  in  originally  fixed  at  "Jones'  Mill.        The  Court-house 

Hart's  Hall.  was  erected  in  1860,  and  the  county  building  in  1869- 

'  In  December,  the  close  of  navigation  stopped  the  "0-      Col.  David  Jones,  owner  of  the  orginal  city  plat, 

daily  mail— onlv  once  a  week  during  the  Winter.  donated  the  site   for  tlie  latter.      Tlie  present  county 

The  new  sJhool-house   of    the  Second   Ward   was  officers  are  :  Sheriff,  lliomas  McGoff;  Treasurer,  (Teoige 

completed  December  10,  1859.  Beyer;  District  Attorney,  H.   H.   ^^oo.lman  ;    Clerk, 

During  the  season  of  1859,  Bailey  &  Coull  maiiu-  B-  C^-  Orunert ;  Register  of  Deeds,  Huff  Jones ;  Judge, 

factured  23,125  feet  of  lumber.           "  A.  Reiiihart ;  Clerk  of  Court,  Charles   Hall ;  Supenn- 

January  1,  1860,  a  new  stage  line  was  put  on  by  R.  tendent  of  Schools,  Dr.    II.   Allan  ;    11.   xM.   Koyce  is 

J.  Booart,  to  run  between  Green  Bay,  Stiles  and  O'con-  Chairman  of  the  County  Board, 

to.     'Wolves  were  reported  as  too   plentiful  for  the  ^^  ^„^  ^^^^^ 
comforts  of  civilization. 

The  fact  that  1860  was  leap   year,  was  celebrated  Company  F,  Twelfth  Wisconsin  Infantry,  was  raised 

in  an  enthusiastic  way  by  a  sleigirridu  to  Stiles.  in  Oconto  County,  and,  with  its  regiment,  did  efficient 

In  the  sugar  season  of  1860,  a  very  large  amount  service  during  the  war,  taking  part  in  all  the  battles 


6^6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


and  marches  of  Gen.  Sherman's  campaigns,  from  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  to  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Com  pan)'  H,  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry,  was  composed 
of  men  from  Oconto  County.  The  company  was  called 
the  "  Oconto  River  Drivers."  It  was  in  various  en- 
gagements and  battles,  and  was  mustei-ed  out  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  September  29, 1865. 

The  Eleventh   Battery, ,  in   1862,  eighty-four 

men,  were  enlisted  by  John  McAfee,  of  Oconto,  in- 
tending to  become  a  part  of  tiie  Seventeenth  Regiment, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Oconto  Irish  Guards."  When 
the  company  reached  Camp  Randall,  the  Seventeenth 
was  found  to  be  fully  organized,  so  tliey  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  artillery  service,  and  attached  to  the  "  Irish 
Brigade,"  then  being  organized  by  Col.  James  A.  Mul- 
ligan, at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago.  111.  A  second  lieu- 
teiumt,  with  a  number  of  recruits  from  Illinois,  joined 
the  company  at  Camp  Douglas,  and  the  Eleventh  Bat- 
tery was  organized  under  command  of  Capt.  John 
Rourke,  of  Milwaukee.  Capt.  McAfee  was  commis- 
sioned as  first  lieutenant.  The  otiier  officers  of  the 
"  Oconto  Irish  Guards"  retained  their  positions. 

Oconto  had  a  number  of  men  in  the  Seventeenth 
Infantry,  in  Thirty-sixth,  Thirty-eight  and  Thirty- 
ninth  Infantry,  and  in  Second  and  Third  Cavalry. 
Oconto's  quota  of  troops  was  311  ;  total  credits,  292. 

CITY  OF  OCONTO. 

Oconto  is  a  growing  city  of  4,500  people,  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Oconto  River,  midway  between  Marinette 
and  Green  Bay,  on  the  west  shore  of  the  body  of  water  of 
that  name.  Its  people  are  industrious  and  alive,  and  the 
trend  of  its  leading  business  organizations  is  upward- 
Banking  facilities  are  obtained  through  the  private  house  of 
Farnsworth  &  Smith. 

The  city  of  Oconto  was  incorporated  under  chapter  449^ 
P.  and  L.  L.  1S69,  March  11.  It  is  divided  into  four 
wards,  the  North,  South,  East  and  West,  and  its  system  of 
government  is  in  accord  with  that  of  other  cities.  Its  mu- 
nicipal officers  for  1881  are:  Mayor,  William  H.Young; 
Clerk,  A.  M.  Martineau  ;  Treasurer,  S.  W.  Ford;  Assessor, 
Peter  Don  Levy;  Superintendent  of  [Schools  and  City 
Physician,  Dr.  H.  Allan;  Marshal,  Frank  Leroy. 

The  Fire  Department  of  Oconto  consists  of  two  com- 
panies of  fifteen  members  each.  There  are  two  engine 
houses,  also.  J.  H.  Driscoll  is  Chief  Engineer,  and  Gil- 
bert Morrow,  Assistant. 

Oconto's  educational  system  consists,  as  is  usual,  of  a 
School  Board  and  a  City  Superintendent,  composed  as  fol- 
lows:  School  Board— President,  W.  J.  McGee— O.  A.  Ei- 
lis,  James  Don  Levy  and  George  Beyer.  Superintendent, 
Dr.  Hamilton  Allan.  J.  H.  Gould  is  President  of  the  Free 
High-school.  There  are  five  schools  and  ten  depart- 
ments. The  Jefferson  school  building  was  built  of  brick 
in  1879,  at  a  cost,  with  site,  of  $5,500  It  is  proposed 
this  Fall  to  erect  a  new  school  edifice  at  a  cost  of  $6,000. 
Of  the  1,239  children  of  school  age  residing  in  the  city 
of  Oconto  in  1880,  678  attended  the  public  institutions; 
329  patronized  private  and  parochial  schools. 


THE    PRESS. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  the  county  was  the 
Oconto  Pioneer,  issued  by  George  C.  Ginty  in  1859.  In 
1864,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  S.  Hart.  The  next 
year  they  sold  to  J  VV.  Hall,  who  had  established  the 
Lumberman  in  1S64.  The  Oconto  Reporter,  founded  in 
187 1,  was  bought  out  by  A.  R.  Bradbury,  who,  in  turn> 
sold  it  to  A.  Reinhart.  This  gentleman,  with  others,  con- 
ducted the  paper  until  September,  1873,  when  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  C.  S.  Hart.  In  the  Spring  of  1875,  the 
Oconto  Times  was  absorbed  by  the  Reporter.  In  July, 
1881,  the  Reporter  was  merged  with  the  Republican,  estab- 
lished by  P.  H.  Swift  in  October  of  the  previous  year. 
That  journal,  under  the  name  of  the  Oconto  County  Reporter, 
is  edited  and  managed  by  the  latter,  a  strong  Republican. 
The  Z«w&v///(jr;/ was  founded  by  J.  W.  Hall  in  1864,  and 
there  has  been  no  change  in  proprietorship  since.  It  is  a 
six-and-a-quarter-column  quarto,  independent  Republican 
in  politics.  The  Enquirer  was  established  in  July,  i88i,by 
]\Iessrs.  Sharp  &  Brazeau,  F.  C.  Sharp,  editor.  In  poli- 
tics it  is  Democratic.     Form,  a  six-column  quarto. 

CHURCHES. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — Was  organized,  in  1854,  by 
Rev.  G.  D.  Donaldson.  The  church  was  built  in  1865-6. 
The  society  is  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  E.  Yager,  and 
numbers  about  thirty  members. 

First  Presbyterian  Church. — Was  organized  in  1856,  and 
a  building  erected  two  years  after.  The  present  edifice,  the 
finest  in  the  city,  was  built,  in  1878,  at  a  cost  of  $8000. 
The  church  has  no  settled  pastor.     Its  membership  is  fifty. 

St.  Peter's  Church  (  French  Roman  Catholic  ). — Was  or- 
ganized' twenty  years  ago,  and  a  building  erected  at  the 
same  time.  The  membership  is  200  families.  Its  present 
pastor.  Rev.  Father  Vermare,  has  had  charge  of  the  church 
ten  years. 

St.  Joseph's  Church  is  a  limb  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and 
was  formed  ten  years  ago.  Rev.  Father  Sweibach  is  pas- 
tor over  100  families.  A  nunnery  is  situated  on  the 
church  grounds.  Connected  with  the  church  are  the  St. 
Joseph's  Total  Abstinence  and  Benevolent,  and  the  Altar 
societies. 

Ten  years  ago  the  St.  Marks'  Church  (  Episcopal  )  was 
formed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Tenbroeck.  It  has  a  membership  of 
thirty-five,  and  Rev.  William  Dafter  is  pastor. 

There  are  also  small  societies  of  German  and  Scandina- 
vian Lutherans. 

The  secret  and  benevolent  societies  of  Oconto  consist 
of  the  following  :  An  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge,  J.  K.  Davis,  N.  G.; 
F.  and  A.  M.  (  Pine  Lodge),  Dr.  H.  Allen,  W.  M.;  Temple 
of  Honor,  George  McCartney,  W.  C;  I.  O.  G.  T.,  Robert 
McGee,  C.  T.;  A.  O.  U.  W.,  George  Beyer,  M.  W.;  C  K. 
of  A.,  J.  Noman,  Pres. 

The  Oconto  Library  Association  was  organized  as  a  stock 
conip.iny  in  1878,  with  Judge  H.  W.  Hubbell  as  president. 
The  library  has  700  volumes.  W.  B.  Mitchell  is  now  pres- 
ident. 


M  1 

'VI  r 


658 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Oconto  Turnverein  was  organized  in  June,  187 1,  and  a 
hall,  costing  $4,000,  built  in  1876.  The  Verein  is  fifty 
members  strong,  and  Fred  Schedler  is  first  speaker. 

MANUFACTORIES. 

The  Oconto  Company. — This  was  incorporated  in  the  Fall 
of  1878,  under  the  above  name.  Its  present  saw-mill  was 
built  in  the  Spring  of  1867.  It  has  a  capacity  of  120,000 
feet  of  lumber  per  day,  and  25,000  lath.  A  shingle  mill  and 
a  planing  mill  were  erected  in  1872.  The  former  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  130,000  shingles  per  day.  Since  the  Summer  of 
1868,  the  company  has  also  operated  a  flour  mill,  which 
turns  out  eighty  barrels  per  day.  In  the  Summer  of  1881, 
the  construction  of  a  foundry  building,  to  be  operated  in 
connection  with  its  machine  shop,  was  also  commenced. 
A  large  general  store  and  a  boarding-house  in  Oconto,  and 
two  farms,  one  up  the  river  a  few  miles,  and  the  other  at 
Brookside,  do  not  complete  the  possessions  of  this  rich 
corporation.  It  also  owns  and  runs  a  box  factory  and  a 
barrel  factory  in  Chicago.  The  material  for  the  latter  is 
manufactured  by  a  mill  in  Defiance,  Ohio.  A  very  large 
saw,  shingle  and  tie  mill,  at  Big  Bay  de  Noquete,  on  Stur- 
geon River,  is  in  course  of  erection.  The  capital  stock  of 
this  company  is  §250,000, but  fully  $500,000  is  invested  in 
the  business.  Its  interests  are  so  diversified,  and  extend 
in  so  many  directions,  that  to  enter  into  detail  would  be  an 
almost  endless  task.  Its  present  officers  are:  President 
and  General  Manager,  George  Farnsworth  ;  Vice-President, 
Nathan  Mears ;  Superintendent,  O.  A.  Ellis. 

Hoitar-  Balcom. — Their  mill  was  erected  in  1856.  The 
firm  of  Holt  &  Calkins  was  established  in  1863  and  remained 
the  same  until  the  latter  part  of  1865.  Mr.  Balcom  was 
at  the  time  a  partner,  although  his  name  did  not  appear  in 
the  firm  title.  A.  C.  Calkins,  of  Chicago,  disposed  of  his 
interest  to  Messrs.  Holt  &  Balcom,  both  now  of  that  city, 
in  the  Fall  of  1865,  and  from  that  time  on,  dates  the  exist- 
ence of  the  present  firm.  In  1872  a  partnership  was  formed 
with  James  C.  King,  and  the  firm  remained  Holt,  Bal- 
com &  King  until  1874.  Additions  and  improvements  to 
the  small  mill  of  1856  have  since  been  made,  until  now  it 
has  a  capacity  of  125,000  feet  of  lumber  and  40,000  lath 
jier  day.  This  season's  manufacture  will  amount  to  20,- 
000,000  feet  of  lumber.  The  100,000  acres  of  land  owned 
by  the  firm  are  situated  in  Oconto  and  Marinette  coun- 
ties. In  addition  to  the  mill,  a  large  general  store  and 
a  feed  mill  are  in  active  and  profitable  operation.  Four 
farms  are  worked,  three  of  them  near  the  city,  and  the 
fourth,  and  largest,  in  the  town  of  Maple  Valley,  thirty- 
five  miles  up  the  river.  Upon  this  farm  is  a  hotel  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  men  and  teams  going  to  the 
pineries,  and  the  company  has  a  large  boarding  house 
connected  with  the  mill  in  Oconto.  Messrs.  Holt  &  Balcom 
have  §300,000  in  their  business  enterprises,  and  employ 
250  men.  The  members  of  the  firm  reside  in  Chicago. 
The  manager  of  their  interests  at  Oconto,  and  who  has 
held  that  position  since  1866,  is  Augustus  Cole.  The 
Holt  &  Balcom  mill  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  in  the 
county. 


Mr.  Balcom,  during  his  residence  in  Oconto,  from  1856 
to  1866,  was  among  the  foremost  and  most  active  of  its 
business  men  in  opening  up  the  country  of  the  pineries 
and  connecting  it  by  way  of  good,  passable  roads  with 
Oconto  and  the  Green  Bay  region.  He  was  for  a  number 
of  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  when 
the  county  lost  him,  it  lost  one  of  the  most  useful  of  citi- 
zens. 

S.  A.  Coleman's  Mill. — The  mill  was  built  in  1871,  and 
has  a  capacity  of  40,000  feet  of  lumber,  15,000  lath  and 
7S,ooo  shingles  daily.  His  lands  are  in  Marinette  and 
Oconto  counties. 

Jacob  Spies'  Mill. — This  mill,  one  of  the  oldest  on  the 
river,  situated  just  east  of  the  city,  was  built  in  1850.  Its 
proprietor,  Jacob  Spies,  also  operates  a  good  general  store 
in  Oconto.  The  saw  mill  turns  out  40,000  feet  of  lumber, 
besides  manufacturing  lath  and  shingles. 

Albert  Halbach' $  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop. — The  build- 
ing was  erected  in  the  Fall  of  187 1  by  Lister,  Carson  & 
Co.,  who  continued  in  charge  of  the  business  for  three 
years.  Mr.  Lister  then  retired,  and  Carson  &  Co.  oper- 
ated the  manufactory  from  1874  to  1878.  Mr.  Carson's 
interest  was  then  purchased,  the  firm  becoming  Halbach 
&  Noonan.  The  latter  sold  out  in  the  Summer  of  1881, 
and  Albert  Halbach  assumed  entire  control.  With  the 
exception  of  the  works  connected  with  the  Oconto  Com- 
pany, this  is  the  only  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Halbach  does  a  business  amounting  to  §15,000  per 
annum,  and  employs  about  a  dozen  men. 

Besides  the  above  manufactories,  there  is  a  small  planing 
mill  owned  by  A.  W.  Gray,  and  built  in   1878,  and  a  post 
and  tie  mill  operated  by  T.  A.  Chisholm. 
eldred's  mill  burned. 

On  August  16,  1881,  one  of  the  three  most  complete 
mills  in  Oconto,  owned  by  A.  Eldred  &  Son,  of  Fort  How- 
ard, burned  to  the  ground.  The  mill  was  built  by  Messrs. 
Mix  &  Orr  in  1S69.  The  firm  had  been  running  it  but  a 
few  years.  Two  scows  loaded  with  lumber  near  the  mill 
were  also  burned.  The  total  loss  was  estimated  at  §60,000 ; 
insurance  $25,000  ;  130  men  were  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment. As  the  mill  is  not  to  be  rebuilt  in  Oconto,  the  con- 
flagration was  a  blow  to  the  city's  business.  The  firm  will 
at  once  commence  the  erection  of  a  saw-mill  in  Fort 
Howard. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
HAMILTON  ALLAN,  M.D.,  County  and  City  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada,  Nov.  8,  1S44.  the  son  of  James 
and  Jane  Allan.  He  received  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Kemptville  Grammar  School.  In  1862,  he  became 
principal  of  one  of  the  ward  institutions.  He  then  entered  the  Ottawa 
Collegiate  Institute,  graduating  in  June,  1S65,  with  the  honor  of  being 
awarded  the  Brough  gold  medal,  for  superiority  in  classics  and  math- 
ematics. Being  appointed  a  teacher  of  the  classics,  he  remained  in  that 
capacity  until  January  186S,  when  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  James  A. 
Grant,  as  a  medical  student.  Removing  to  Montreal,  he  entered  McGill 
University,  and,  taking  the  full  four  years'  course,  graduated  in  the 
Spring  of  1872.  Dr.  Allan  retired  with  the  highest  honors,  receiving 
the  Holmes  gold  medal  for  the  best  examination  in  all  the  branches,  both 
primary  and  final.  Having  obtained  his  diploma,  he  settled  in  Smith's 
rails,  near  Brockville,  Central  Canada,  and  took  charge  of  Dr.  .Ander- 
son's practice,  that  gentleman  being  absent  in  the  Old  Countiy,  After 
practicing  his  profession  successfully  one  year,  in  the  Spring  of  1873,  he 


HISTORY  OF  OCONTO  COUNTY. 


659 


came  to  Occnlo.  He  first  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  I.  S.  Johnson, 
and  remained  with  him  one  year.  He  then  bought  his  partner's  interest 
in  the  business,  and  established  himself  alone.  Dr.  Allan  has  since 
resided  in  Oconto,  with  the  exception  of  nine  months  in  1877-78, 
which  he  spent  in  Milwaukee.  He  has  not  only  built  up  a  successful 
practice,  but  has  established  a  reputation  as  an  efficient  educator.  This 
is  his  third  year  as  City  Physician,  also  as  City  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
He  has  been  County  Superintendent  since  1879;  's  one  of  the  foremost 
in  the  formation  and  maintenance  of  a  library ;  is,  in  fact,  what  his  edu- 
cation has  made  him,  an  intelligent,  clear-headed,  popular  and  successful 
gentleman.  Dr.  Allan  was  married  in  1875,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Hon. 
John  Leigh,  of  Leighton,  Oconto  County.     They  have  one  son. 

B.  ARNOLD,  saloon  and  billiards,  Oconto,  born  June  22,  1823,  in 
Hesse- Darmstadt,  Germany  ;  in  1854,  came  to  Chicago  ;  in  1856,  he  came 
to  Oconto  ;  has  followed  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade  most  of  the  time 
since  ;  he  has  built  over  half  of  the  buildings  in  Oconto,  consisting  in  part 
of  the  court  house,  music  hall,  etc.,  also  the  bridge  which  crosses  the 
river  at  the  court  house  ;  he  built  and  owns  this  property  which  he  oc- 
cupies. Married,  in  1S50,  to  Anstena  Denss  ;  she  was  born  in  Nassau  ; 
died  Feb.  14,  iSSo,  in  her  fifty-first  year  ;  have  five  children,  three  sons  and 
two  daughters. 

GEORGE  A.  BALDWIN,  superintendent  tie  and  shingle  mills, 
Oconto  Company,  is  a  native  of  St.  George,  N.  B.;  June,  1859,  came  to 
Boston,  Mass.,  thence  to  Bangor,  Me.,  followed  lumbering  till  l86l,when 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  8th  Maine  Inf.,  served  to  the  close  of  the  war  ;  re- 
turned to  Boston,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  then  came  to  Osh- 
kosh.  Wis.,  worked  there  at  the  lumber  business'till  1874,  when  he  came 
to  Oconto.     The  past  six  years  he  has  held  his  present  position. 


GEORGE  BEYER,  County  Treasurer,  of  Oconto,  was  born  in 
Wingerode,  Prussia,  Oct.  21,  1843.  When  but  a  boy  of  thirteen  he  em- 
igrated with  his  parents  to  Milwaukee,  but  the  following  year  removed 
to  Oconto.  Here  his  father  died  in  1857,  and  his  mother  in  1859,  ^""^ 
young  Beyer  was  left  to  fight  his  battles  alone  ;  and  that  he  was  equal  to 
the  emergency  is  proven  by  his  course  in  after  life.   He  already  had  been 


working  in  the  Hubbel  and  the  Jones  mills  several  years,  and  continued 
thus  until  l85o,  when  he  secured  employment  with  W.  M.  Whitcomb. 
Here  he  remained  until  1S62,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  took  a 
thorough  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College.  Mr.  Beyer 
was  then  prepared  to  "step  up  higher,"  and  consequently  when  he 
returned  to  Oconto,  acted  at  different  times,  until  1864,  as  Deputy  Coun- 
ty Treasurer,  County  Clerk  and  Register  of  Deeds.  He  next  joined  an 
organization  of  one-hundred-day  men,  and  was  elected  second  lieutenant 
of  Co.  H,  3gth  Regiment  Wis.  V.  I.  After  he  returned  from  his  short, 
but  voluntary  service,  he  was  employed  as  book-keeper  by  the  firm  of 
Whitcomb  &  Ideson,  and  held  this  position  until  1867.  For  the  next 
two  years  Mr.  Beyer  carried  on  the  lumber  business,  and  then  leased  the 
pier  from  the  city  until  :87I.  Engaging  in  the  insurance  business  from 
that  date  until  1S78,  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  and  re-elected  in 
1880.  Mr.  Beyer  is  a  representative  German-American.  Although  born 
in  the  Old  Country,  he  adopted  the  New  Country  at  so  early  an  age  that  all 
his  thoughts  and  instincts  are  American,  and  he  is  not  only  a  full-blooded 
American  citizen  in  everything  except  birthplace,  but  is  a  self-made 
man,  which  is  the  best  Possible  recommendation  to  good  and  reliable 
citizenship. 

W,  E.  BARLOW,  dealer  in  hardware,  house  furnishing  goods,  Ocon- 
to, came  to  Oconto  in  i860,  established  his  present  business  in  1878  ;  he 
carries  about  a  $4,000  stock  ;  he  also  manufactures  tinware,  and  employs 
two  men. 

JAMES  BELLEW,  boarding-house  Oconto  Company,  is  a  native  of 
Ireland  ;  came  to  Green  Bay  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  ;  there  he  fol- 
lowed various  kinds  of  labor.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Oconto  ;  worked  at 
the  ship  carpenter  trade  about  two  years;  he  then  took  charge  of  the 
boarding-house  for  Holt  &  Balcom,  where  he  continued  about  three 
years.  The  past  seventeen  years  he  has  been  in  the  emply  of  the  Oconto 
Company,  and  has  had  charge  of  this  department.  Married,  August, 
1856,  to  Catharine  Moroney  ;  she  was  born  in  Ireland  ;  they  have  four 
children — Ella,  Matthew,  now  assistant  book-keeper  for  this  company, 
Edward,  also  a  clerk  in  the  grocery  department,  and  Clara,  now  attend- 
ing school. 

O.  W.  BLOCH.  clerk  for  J.  Spies,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Germany; 
came  to  America  in  1S53,  to  Wisconsin  in  1854,  and  to  Oconto  in  1S55  ; 
enlisted  in  1861,  in  Co.  H,  4th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf..  but  not  being  accepted  on 
the  first  call,  he  joined  Co.  K,  24th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  three  years 
and  two  months  ;  was  mustered  out  as  captain  of  Co.  F,  same  regi- 
ment ;  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  and  served  one  term,  and  in  1880, 
was  elected  Alderman  of  the  City  Council  for  the  term  of  three  years. 

ALEXANDER  BRAZEAU,  attorney,  Oconto,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Oconto  ;  attended  Lawrence  University  at  Appleton  ;  studied 
law  with  Hastings  &  Green,  at  Green  Bay  ;  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  September,  1878;  in  November  of  the  same  year,  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  W.  H.  Webster. 

BRAZEAU  BROS.,  general  merchandise,  Oconto.  F.  X.  Brazeau 
is  a  native  of  Montreal ;  came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  in  1847  ;  remained 
there  three  years,  then  went  to  California,  engaged  in  mining.  In  1853, 
he  returned  to  Montreal,  where  he  remained  until  1870,  when  he  came 
to  Oconto,  and  established  this  business.  Their  sales  amount  to  about 
$20,000.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  about  nine  years. 
Samuel  Brazeau,  also  a  member  of  this  firm,  was  born  in  Beauharnois, 
Canada.  March  2,  1830.  Came  to  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  in  1848,  lived  there 
until  1852,  then  came  to  Kewanee.  Came  to  Oconto.  July,  1850,  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  until  1870,  when  this  business  was  formed.  He  has 
served  six  years  as  Alderman,  and  still  holds  this  oflice. 

WILLIAM  BRUNQUEST,  retired,  Oconto.  Born  March  19.  1819. 
in  New  Brunswick.  Came  to  Oconto,  in  1849,  worked  by  the  month  at 
the  lumber  business,  then  entered  into  partnership  with  James  and  T. 
W.  Christie,  in  a  saw-mill,  at  Oconto  Falls;  continued  one  year.  In 
1852,  he  opened  a  general  store,  which  he  continued  until  lS62,whenhe 
bought  Jones'  water-mill,  ran  it  until  iS6g,  when  it  was  carried  away  ;  in 
1870,  he  rebuilt  the  mill,  now  owned  by  McDonald  &  Billings,  and  ran 
it  until  1874.  In  1876,  he  again  opened  a  store,  and  was  burnt  out  in 
1878.  His  residence  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Oconto,  having  built  it  at  a 
cost  of  about  $6,500.  He  was  elected  the  first  County  Treasurer  of  this 
county.  Has  been  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  President 
of  the  Village  Board. 

REV.  C.  R.  BURDICK,  pastor  of  Presbyterian  Church,  Oconto.  Is 
a  native  of  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  At  about  the  age  of  twenty,  he  com- 
menced an  academic  course  of  studies,  and  graduated  at  the  Rochester 
University,  in  the  class  of  1852;  he  also  graduated  at  the  Theological 
Seminary,  in  1858.  Was  ordained,  Jan.  I,  1S60.  He  had  preached, how- 
ever, one  year  before  he  was  ordained.  He  had  charge  of  the  public 
school  in  Rochester,  and  had  charge  of  one  of  the  grammar  schools  from 
1857  to  1859.  He  has  preached  five  years  in  Genesee  County,  eight  years 
in  Niagara  County,  two  years,  in  Joliet,  about  one  year,  in  Marquette. 
Came  to  Oconto  in  1S75,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  this  church.  Since 
coming  here  its  membership  has  doubled. 

A.  P.  CALL,  jail  keeper,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Came  to  Green  Bay,  September,  1845,  with  his  parents.   Worked  in  saw- 


66o 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


mills  until  lS64,thcn  followed  steamboating  until  1S69.  Was  appointed 
City  Marshal  in  iS63  ;  was  Deputy  .Sheriff  in  1870-1.  Was  appointed 
jail  keeper  in  1S77.  Has  held  this  office  in  all  about  seven  years.  For 
the  past  ten  years  he  h.is  been  State  Treasurer  Agent.  Has  been  Con- 
stable of  the  South  Ward  the  past  four  years. 

TRUMAN  CAMERON,  foreman  at  S.A.Coleman's  mill,  Oconto- 
Is  a  native  of  Rouse's  Point,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1863,  he  came  to 
Peshtigo,  and  the  past  eighteen  years  he  has  followed  the  millwright  busi- 
ness. The  past  three  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Oconto,  and  now 
has  charge  of  this  mill. 

JOHN  H.  C.\RR,  restaurant,  confectionery,  tobacco  and  cigars, 
Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  Came  to  Oconto,  in  1872,  and 
was  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1880,  when  he  began  his  present  busi- 
ness.  He  is  Deputy  Marshal  of  the  city,  and  is  a  member  of  the  fire 
department. 

EDWARD  CAYO,  proprietor  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad 
House.  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  grew 
up  and  followed  farming  and  lumbering.  In  1S70,  he  came  to  Oconto, 
and  has  just  taken  charge  of  this  house.  He  owns  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  .Manitowoc  County,  which  is  now  rented  ;  he  also  owns 
about  700  acres  wild  land  in  Oconto  and  Marinette  counties,  all  of 
which  he  has  acquired  by  his  industry.  Married,  in  1871.  to  Adaline 
Valley;  she  was  born  in  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, one  son  and  two  daughters. 


advanced  age  of  seventy-nine.  His  mother  died  two  years  ago.  Fronn 
Steuben  County  he  removed  in  1856  to  Oconto,  engaging  with  Holt  & 
Balcom  in  the  lumber  business.  With  the  exception  of  a  part  of  1857-8, 
which  he  spent  in  the  western  part  of  this  State  and  in  Chicago,  look- 
ing around  with  a  view  of  locating,  Mr.  Cole  has  remained  with  them 
ever  since.  In  the  Spring  of  1866,  Mr.  Balcom  removed  10  Chicago, 
and  since  then  the  latter  has  had  the  active  management  of  the  firm's 
extensive  business.  Mr.  Cole  has  had  little  time  or  desire  to  figure  in 
political  circles  since  his  long  residence  in  Oconto.  He  has,  however, 
been  a  member  of  the  Village  Board,  and  served  several  years  after  the 
war,  as  one  of  the  three  County  Commissioners.  He  has  spent  his 
business  life  faithfully,  managing  with  ability  and  vigor  a  large  and  pros- 
perous industry.  Like  all  really  successful  men,  he  has  given  his 
strength  and  time  to  one  thing — confined  his  energies  in  one  channel. 

DR.  S.  A.  COLEMAN,  lumber,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Ashtabula 
Co.,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine;  graduated  from  the  Willoughby  Medical  College  in  1847. 
In  1851,  came  to  Milwaukee  ;  practiced  there  till  1853,  when  he  came  to 
Oconto,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  has  been  in  constant  practice 
till  18S0  ;  his  time  now  being  taken  up  in  his  lumber  interests.  He 
bought  this  mill  in  1879;  it  has  a  capacity  of  6.000.000  feet  of  lumber, 
10,000,000  shingles,  2.000.000  lath.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  County 
Treasurer  and  Register  of  Deeds. 

J.  H.  COMSTOCK,  farmer  and  lumberman,  P.  O.  Oconto.  His 
farm  is  on  Sec.  28,  Township  28.  Range  21,  and  contains  220  acres.  He 
was  born  in  Ohio  ;  moved  to  Milwaukee  with  his  parents,  when  quite 
young,  and  to  Oconto  in  1S63.  Has  held  the  offices  of  Town  Treasurer 
and  Town  Supervisor. 

REV.  WILLIAM  DAFTER,  pastor  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  par- 
ish of  Oconto,  Marinette  and  Peshtigo.  Is  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
Attended  Neshota  Theological  Seminary  in  1855,  and  graduated  in 
1861.  In  May,  of  the  same  year,  was  ordained,  receiving  as  his  first 
charge  Geneva  Parish,  where  he  preached  until  1864  ;  then  went  to 
Walertown,  in  charge  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  tor  six  years.  In  1870,  he 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Paul's  Church  at  Fond  du  Lac,  and  re- 
mained there  till  1876.  He  then  resigned  and  came  to  his  present 
charge. 

EDWARD  DAVIS,  dealer  in  clothing,  boots,  shoes  and  furnishing 
goods,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  came  to  Oconto  in 
1863.  Established  his  present  business  in  1872;  carries  about  S  10.000 
in  stock.  Is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  and  also  a 
member  of  St.  loseph's  Temperance  and  Benevolent  Society. 

FRANK  DEIMER,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  furniture,  Oconto. 
Was  born  in  Austria.  Came  to  America  in  1868;  located  in  Appleton, 
and  worked  as  journeyman  up  to  1870.  when  he  came  to  Oconto.  In 
1874,  he  established  his  present  business. 

DILLON,    proprietor   Dillon   House,   Oconto.       Is  a  native  of 


Ireland.     At  the 


age  o 


f  abc 


£^0^^ 


AUGUSTUS  COLE,  manager  of  the  Holt  &  Balcom  mill.  Oconto, 
was  born  in  Oxford,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  30,  1S30.  He  is  the 
son  of  Calvin  and  Fayette  Cole.  Mr.  Cole  is  of  pure  Yankee  blood, 
his  father  being  born  in  Conncclicut  and  coming  to  Oxford  at  an  early 
age,  engaged  in  business  as  a  farmer  and  a  lumberman.  He  owned  a 
mill  in  that  town,  which  is  situated  on  a  branch  of  the  Susquehanna, 
and  for  several  years  was  in  business  with  Uri  Balcom,  of  the  firm  with 
which  his  son  is  now  connected.  Young  Cole  followed  much  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  father,  removing  (o  Steuben  County  in  1851,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  lumbering  with  Mr.  Balcom,  the  latter  being  an  uncle 
on  his  mother's  side.     Mr.  Cole's  father  is  still  living  in  Oxford  at  the 


ighteen  years  he  came  to  Quebec,  Can- 
In  1864,  came  to  Oconto  ;  followed  the  lumber  business  till  May, 
1869,  when  he  took  charge  of  this  house,  which  he  owns.  He  has  been 
Alderman  two  terms. 

JAMES  DON  LEVY,  retired,  Ocon'o.  Is  a  native  of  Ireland; 
was  born  in  1819  Came  to  New  York  in  1839;  worked  at  the  boot 
and  shoe  trade  there  till  1856,  when  he  came  to  Oconto,  and  has  since 
followed  this  business.  He  lost  his  store  by  fire,  in  1S71,  and  has  since 
rebuilt  a  block  consisting  of  six  or  eight  brick  stores.  He  has  served  as 
Clerk  of  the  County  Board,  Town  Supervisor,  and  Chairman  of  the  Board, 
a  member  of  the  Village  Board,  was  elected  County  Judge,  but  refused 
to  qualify  :  was  six  years  Alderman  and  member  of  the  School  Board. 
Married  in  1841,  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Elizabe:h  Morton,  of 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.  They  have  eight  children — William,  now  carrying  on 
the  boot  and  shoe  trade.  Homer,  Peter,  George  and  Frank  are  in  the 
lumber  business,  James,  now  book-keeper  for  the  Oconto  Company, 
Albert,  carrying  on  the  blacksmith  trade,  and  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs  Wag- 
goner. William,  Homer  and  James  served  in  the  late  war;  Homer  was 
promoted  to  sergeant  on  the  field  of  battle  at  New  Creek,  Va.,  Capt. 
O'Rorke  commanding,  for  gallantry  displayed.  This  company  was 
attaclied  to  Mulligan's  Battery. 

J.  P.  DORR,  land  dealer,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Gardiner,  Me. ; 
came  to  Oconto,  July,  1872,  has  been  employed  at  England  &  Taylor's 
mill  about  five  years,  two  years  of  this  time  he  had  charge  of  their  busi- 
ness ;  the  past  three  or  four  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  lands,  etc. 

O.  A.  ELLIS,  superintendent  Oconto  Co.  Is  a  native  of  Maine  ; 
when  a  boy  he  commenced  working  at  the  lumber  business,  which  he 
has  since  followed.  This  Company  was  organized  in  1S67;  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  appointed  to  the  responsible  position,  which  he  has 
since  held.  This  Company  employ  about  250  hands;  their  store,  which 
they  operate,  carries  on  a  business  of  about  $175,000  per  year.  Mr. 
Ellis  has  for  several  years  past  been  a  member  of  the  County  Board. 

ROBERT  ELLIS,  attorney,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Maine,  and 
graduated  at  Bowdoin  College,  in  1S58;  studied  law  with  Jchn  A.  Blon- 
chard  in  Old  Town,   Me. ;  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1661  ;  con  e  to 


HISTORY  OF  OCONTO  COUNTY. 


Oconto  in  i86q;  in  1871,  was  elected  County  Clerk,  and  has  held  the 
office  for  ten  years  successively.  Has  held  the  office  of  City  Attorney 
for  three  years,  and  holds  that  office  at  the  present  time. 

AUGUST  ELLMANN,  saloon,  Oconto.  Born  Feb.  19,  1841,  in 
Prussia,  came  to  Canada  in  1S62,  where  he  remained  till  1864,  when  he 
came  to  Ohio,  and  enlisted  at  Cincinnati  in  the  nth  Ohio  Cav. ;  served 
to  the  end  of  the  war,  was  mustered  out  at  Columbus.  In  1S66,  he 
came  toOconto,  peddled  beer  about  seven  years,  since  then  he  has  kept 
this  saloon,  which  he  owns.  Married  in  1868,  to  Mary  Riley;  she  was 
born  in  Milwaukee.     They  have  four  daughters. 

PETER  G.  ESSON,  lumber  business,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick;  came  to  Oconto,  Sept.  10,  1866,  worked  at  Amey,  Rice  & 
Fitzgerald's  mill,  afterward  for  the  Oconto  Company.  Since  then  he 
has  been  jobbing  in  logs,  and  locating  timber  and  farming  lands.  He 
owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  land,  now  rented.  He  and  Dr.  Coleman 
own  large  interests  in  pine  lands.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  mill ;  he 
has  been  Superviser  of  the  town,  he  located  the  New  Stiles  road,  run- 
ning west  from  Oconto,  the  Maple  Valley  road  and  others.  Mr.  E.  re- 
marks that  hemlock  bark  and  hard  timber  is  a  prominent  feature 
in  this  county,  and  should  be  developed. 

GEORGE  FARNSWORTH,  president  Oconto  Company.  Is  a 
resident  of  Chicago,  111.;  in  1S56,  he  came  to  Oconto,  built  a  mill  for 
R.  M.  Norton  &  Co.,  and  ran  it  two  years  ;  in  1S58,  he  bought  a  half 
interest  in  this  mill,  which  was  originally  built  by  Morrill  &  Co.,  although 
it  has  since  been  rebuilt  and  has  undergone  several  changes  in  ownership 
since  then.  In  1S67,  Mears,  Bates  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  bought  into  this 
company,  and  they  with  Mr.  Farnsworth  as  president,  reorganized  as 
the  Oconto  Company.  This  company  manufacture  about  25,000,000 
lumber,  l5.doo,ooo  shingles,  2,250,000  latli,  also  ties  and  cedar  posts. 
They  also  sell  about  $175,000  in  merchandise.  All  their  lumber  is  shipped 
by  rail,  they  having  tracks  placed  in  their  yards  for  this  purpose. 
Mr.  Farnsworth  is  also  engaged  with  Mr.  Smith  in  the  banking  business. 
This  bank  was  organized  in  1871. 

K.  FISHER  &  CO.,  dealers  in  dry  goods,  notions,  boots,  shoes,  etc., 
Oconto  ;  established  their  business  in  1878.  They  have  a  stock  of  about 
$10,000. 

S.  W.  FORD,  druggist,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Green  Bay,  Wis. 
In  186S,  he  commenced  to  learn  the  druggist  business,  and  in  1872  came 
to  Oconto,  bought  out  the  firm  of  P.  McCall  &  Co.  He  now  carries  a 
very  fine  stock  and  is  doing  the  finest  trade  in  this  line  in  Oconto. 

HON.  E.  FUNKE,  capitalist,  Oconto.  Born  Jan.  20,  1835.  in  Prus- 
sia, came  to  Oconto  in  1853.  Followed  lumbering  about  nine  years  ;  he 
then  built  a  hotel  which  he  managed  about  sixteen  years,  known  as  the 
Funke  Hotel,  this  house  he  still  owns.  He  with  Mr.  Barlow  opened  a 
hardware  store,  continued  in  that  business  about  two  years.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  Trustees  of  the  village  ;  has  been  County  Supervisor  several 
terms  ;  was  Chairman  of  the  Pier  Committee,  the  building  of  which  cost 
$36,000;  was  Mayor  two  terms  ;  represented  this  district  in  the  Legis- 
lature two  terms. 

H.  W.  GILKEY,  of  the  firm  of  Waggoner  &  Gilkey,  retail  grocer 
merchants,  Oconto.  Was  born  in  Houlton,  Me.  In  the  year  1846,  he 
came  West  with  his  parents,  who  located  at  Hanchaidville,  Wis.  In 
1848  the  family  moved  to  Green  Bay,  where  they  engaged  in  carrying  on 
farming  and  dairying,  until  1852  when  they  resolved  to  try  their  fortune 
in  the  then  wild  and  unexplored  lumber  regions  of  Oconto.  Mr.  Gilkey 
being  at  that  time,  but  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  of  age,  variously  occupied 
his  time  in  assisting  his  parents  about  the  hotel,  of  which  his  father  was 
proprietor,  and  at  other  times  about  the  mill.  Educational  advantages 
being  very  limited  in  the  early  history  of  Oconto,  he  decided  in  the  year 
1856  to  attend  school  at  Lawrence  University,  Appleton  ;  his  means 
failing  him,  he  was  most  reluctantly  forced  to  abandon  his  long-cherished 
hope  of  completing  his  college  course,  and  in  the  year  1S58  he  entered 
upon  the  vocation  of  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Oconto;  which 
position  he  occupied,  as  principal,  for  ten  years.  In  the  year  1S69  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the 
term  of  two  years.  He  was  reelected  in  1S71,  and  subsequently  was 
appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  same  office,  serving  the  people  in  this 
capacity  five  years.  A  vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  office  of  City 
Superintendent  of  Schools  in  1873,  ''e  was  appointed  to  fill  that  position. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  unexpired  term,  he  was  appointed  to  the  same 
position,  to  which  he  was  twice  re-appointed,  and  subsequently,  ap- 
pointed to  fill  a  second  vacancy  in  the  same  office,  having  held  the  office 
four  years  in  all,  thus  being  prominently  identified  with  public  schools 
of  Oconto  County  for  the  term  of  twenty  successive  years.  He  also 
superintended  the  Sabbath  school  at  Oconto,  eighteen  years.  In  1872, 
his  time  not  being  wholly  in  the  school  work,  he  took  charge,  as  assistant 
timber  clerk  of  the  so-called  Sturgeon  Bay  Canal  land  grant  of  20o,coo 
acres,  which  position  he  has  occupied  continuously  ever  since.  In  the 
mean  time,  he  had  charge  of  lands  belonging  to  non-residents,  for  whom 
he  located  pine  lands,  also  explored  for  himself  and  did  general  survey- 
ing when  not  otherwise  occupied. 

C.  GLEASON,  proprietor  of  billiard  hall  and  saloon,  Oconto,  is  a 
native  of  Western   Canada,   and  came  to  Oconto  in  1871,  and  was  en- 


T.  B.  GOODRICH,  manager  of  the  store  for  Holt  &  Balcom. 
Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.;  came  to  Oconto  in  1856,  and 
has  had  charge  of  this  store  ever  since  it  was  established. 

E.  W.  GRAY,  proprietor  of  Gray's  Mills,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Ni- 
agara Co.,  N.Y.  At  about  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  came  to  Kalamazoo 
Co.,  Mich.;  in  1857,  cime  to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  there  he  followed 
the  lumber  business.  In  1S73,  he  came  to  Oconto  ;  engaged  as  foreman 
at  Pierce's  sash  and  door  factory  ;  in  1S77,  he  built  this  mill,  which  he 
has  since  run.  The  capacity  of  this  mill  is  from  30,000  to  40,000  feet  a 
day. 

B.  G.  GRUNERT,  County  Clerk,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Saxony  ;  in 
1853,  he  came  to  Outagamie  Co  ,  Wis.,  where  he  assisted  his  brother 
farming.  The  following  Winter,  he  removed  to  Ft.  Howard  ;  came  to 
Oconto,  February,  1S54;  worked  in  and  around  the  mills;  a  short  time 
afterward,  appointed  book-keeper  for  Norton  &  Co.  and  Whitcomb  & 
Ideson  ;  held  this  position  till  1S64.  In  the  Fall  of  1S65,  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk;  held  this  office  five  years.  In  the  Fall  of  iSSo.  he  was 
re-elected  to  this  position.     He  has  also  held  the  office  of  City  Clerk. 

W.  J.  HAGGERSON,  dealer  in  groceries,  provisions,  flour,  feed, 
etc.,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  New  York  State  ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1855 
with  his  parents.  Established  his  present  business  in  1877.  He  carries 
a  complete  stock  in  his  line. 

ALBERT  HALBACH,  firm  of  Halbach  cS:  Noonan,  foundry  and 
machine  shop,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Sheboygan,  Wis.;  learned  ihe  ma- 
chinist trade  in  Sheboygan  Tails;  came  to  Oconto  in  1871;  worked  at 
his  trade  till  1S74,  when  he  bought  out  the  interest  of  Charles  Godfrey 
in  this  shop.  He  continued  with  this  firm  till  the  Summer  of  18S0,  when 
he  and  Mr.  Noonan  bought  out  the  business.  Has  been  Chief  Engineer 
of  the  fire  department. 

J.  W.  HALL,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Oconto  Z«»»fermi7K,  was 
born  in  London,  Eng.;  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1849.  and 
to  Oconto  in  1855.  In  the  Spring  of  1S59,  hewent  '"'«  ibe /^ianeer 
printing-office  to  learn  the  trade,  and  in  1864,  established  his  present  pa- 
per. In  1865.  he  bought  the  Pioniir  office  and  consolidated  it  with  the 
Lumberman  office. 

JOSEPH  HALL,  of  Oconto,  born  in  London,  England,  1821,  re- 
ceived an  academic  education  ;  is  a  currier  by  trade.  Emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1S48,  and  located  at  De  Pere,  Brown  Co.  Remained 
there  to  1852  ;  thence  to  Green  Bay,  and  removed  to  Oconto,  Wis.,  in 
1855,  his  present  residence.  Has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  Clerk  of 
Circuit  Court  for  twenty-two  years ;  was  Deputy  Assessor  for  United 
States,  also  Deputy  Provost  Marshal  for  his  county  during  the  war. 
Was  appointed  Postmaster  by  Gen.  Grant,  thirteen  years  ago,  and  still 
holds  that  position. 

R.  L.  HALL,  abstract  maker,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Chemung 
Co.,  N.  Y..  came  to  Menomonee  River  with  his  father,  Dr.  J.  C.  Hall, 
who  carried  on  an  extensive  lumber  business  there,  as  well  as  praclicin<' 
his  proi'ession.  Mr.  Hall  came  to  Oconto  in  1857;  held  the  office  of 
County  Surveyor  ;  he  is  also  Deputy  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

J.  A.  HANSEN,  manufacturer  of  root  beer,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of 
Denmark,  came  to  Manistee,  Mich.,  in  :S68;  carried  on  a  grocery  and 
saloon;  in  1S73,  he  came  to  Oconto,  and  established  this  business;  he 
is  a  member  of  the  City  Council ;  is  serving  on  his  third  term  ;  is  trustee 
of  the  Oconto  Cemetery ;  trustee  and  cashier  of  the  Danish  Lutheran 
Church. 

ALBERT  HANSON,  manager  of  the  boarding  house  for  Holt  & 
Balcom,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  and  came  to  Oconto  in  August, 
1S6S  ;  worked  at  different  places  up  to  April.  1879,  when  he  took 
charge  of  this  house.  He  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Hanson.  Oct.  24, 
1869.     They  have  four  children — Cyrus,  Harry,  Axiom  and  William. 

C.  S.  HART,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Oconto  Reporter,  was  born 
at  Green  Bay  ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1852,  with  his  parents.  His  first 
paper  was  the  Oconto  Pioneer,  in  1S64.  In  1S72,  he  established  his 
present  paper.     In  politics  he  is  independent. 

EDWIN  HART,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  general  collecting  agent, 
Oconto,  born  in  the  city  Norwich,  New  London  Co.,  Conn.,  May  5,  1S07, 
came  to  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1824;  there  he  learned  thecarpenler  and  joiner 
trade  :  in  the  Spring  of  1830,  he  emigrated  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  worked 
there  at  his  trade  till  185 1,  when  he  came  to  Oconto,  was  engaged  at 
Oconto  Falls  in  Ihe  lumber  business  two  years  ;  in  1S53,  he  opened  a 
store  in  Oconto,  this  being  the  first  store  in  the  place,  continued  this 
business  about  eight  years ;  in  1861,  he  established  a  line  of  steamers 
between  here  and  Green  Bay,  this  being  the  first  line  on  this  route  ;  he 
continued  it  till  1872  ;  he  was  also  a  general  agent  for  all  boats  running 
here  ;  in  1833,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Dodge,  Justice  of  the  Peace; 
held  that  appointment  till  the  Territory  became  a  State.  From  1832  to 
1835,  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  U.  S.  Government,  in  rebuilding  the 
garrison,  and  superintends  the  cutting  out  the  roads  from  Green  Bay  to 
Manitowoc  ;  in  1857  he  established  the  bank  of  Oconto,  he  being  presi- 
dent;  Mr.  Woodruff  was  cashier;  he  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Board  of 


662 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Supervisors  of  Oconto  County,  and  secured  the  first  village  charter ; 
the  first  Sabbath-school  started  here  was  established  in  his  house,  in  the 
Winter  of  1S30  and  1S31,  he  passed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Menomonee 
River  to  Green  Bay;  there  was  no  settlements  then  at  Big  or  Little 
Pensaukee,  there  was  a  small  mill  owned  by  John  P.  Ort,  of  Green  Bay; 
this  mill  was  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  dconto  ;  no  other  occupants 
there.  At  I'eshtigo  there  was  a  small  mill  controlled  by  Col.  Jones;  at 
Menominee,  the  only  settlement  there,  was  an  Indian  trader,  named 
William  Farnsworth  and  Mr.  Jacobs,  of  Green  Bay.  who  kept  a  small 
store,  and  ran  a  small  water  saw  mill.  In  1S55.  Mr.  Hart  took  the 
census  of  Oconto  County,  there  being  only  415  in  1S60,  he  again  took 
the  census,  which  was  1530;  the  only  communication  at  that  time  from 
Oconto  to  Green  Bay  was  by  boat. 

JAMES  IIENNINGSON,  sawyer  at  Holt  &  Balcom's  Mill,  is  a 
native  of  Denmark  ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1870;  in  1S72  commenced  work 
for  this  company.  He  was  married,  in  1874,  to  Charlotte  Wilhelmin, 
who  was  born  in  Denmark.  They  have  one  child,  Anna.  Mr.  H.  is  a 
leader  of  the  Danish  Lutheran  Society. 

E.  B.  HULBERT,  superintendent  box  department  of  the  Oconto 
Company,  is  a  native  of  Saratoga  County,  N.Y;  came  to  Green  Lake, 
Wis.,  in  1S67;  followed  farming  there  abouffour  years;  in  1871,  he 
came  to  Oconto,  and  secured  employment  with  this  company  at  general 
work  ;  he  was  afterward  placed  in  charge  of  loading  cars  ;  continued  in 
that  capacity  till  1874,  when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present  position. 

J.  B.  HUME,  with  Oconto  Company,  is  a  native  of  Ireland  ;  came 
to  Muskegon,  Mich.,  in  1S71  ;  followed  the  lumber  business  there  till 
1876,  when  he  came  to  Oconto  ;  he  has  had  charge  of  the  lumber  de- 
partment of  the  Oconto  Company  for  the  past  three  years  ;  is  ex-secre- 
tary of  the  Masonic  Lodge. 

FELIX  JOHNSON,  proprietor  Byer  House,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of 
New  Brunswick  ;  came  to  Oconto  in  186S  ;  ran  a  billiard  hall  till  1876, 
when  he  took  charge  of  the  Byer  House,  which  he  managed  till  March 
8,  1881,  when  this  house  was  burned  ;  he  is  new  rebuilding  near  the 
same  locality  ;  has  held  the  office  of  Alderman. 

HUFF  JONES,  Register  of  Deeds,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  West 
Virginia  ;  in  1832,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Mackinaw  ;  in  1835,  they 
came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.;  removed  to  Oconto  in  1845;  since  1846  he 
has  resided  here  ;  from  that  time  till  1S70,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  ;  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1870,  which  of- 
fice he  has  since  held ;  in  1846,  his  father,  David  Jones,  built  a  water 
mill,  now  owned  by  McDonald  &  Co.;  they  built  the  first  steam  mill  on 
the  river,  now  owned  by  Jacob  Spies  ;  this  mill  was  built  in  1850;  man- 
ufactured about  5,000,000  feet  each  season. 

GEO.  D.  KNAPP,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions,  flour,  feed  etc., 
Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  came  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in 
i860;  after  remaining  a  short  time  returned  to  his  native  county  ;  July, 
1863,  he  came  to  Oconto,  worked  in  McClellan's  mill  some  time  ;  a  few 
years  later  he  opened  a  small  store  on  the  South  Side ;  moved  to  his 
present  locality  about  1S74  ;  he  is  now  carrying  a  fine  line  of  goods  and 
doing  a  business  of  about  S50  a  day.  \Vhen  he  came  to  Oconto  he  had 
but  $7  00 ;  this  business  he  has  built  up  by  his  own  industry. 

MOSES  LAFFAW,  engineer  at  Eldred  &  Son's  mill,  Oconto,  has 
been  wilh  them  since  1S74.  He  was  born  in  Brown  County;  enlisted 
in  1S64  in  Co.  G,  41st  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  eight  months,  until  the 
close  of  the  war. 

LEVI  LANE,  billards  and  saloon,  Oconto,  born  in  1849.  in  the  city 
of  Calais,  Me,;  in  1851,  came  with  his  parents  to  St.  Clair  Co.,  Mich., 
where  he  followed  the  river  and  lakes  till  1S75,  when  he  came  to  Oconto  ; 
lan  this  saloon  three  years  for  J.  Spies  ;  he  then  bought  out  the  business 
and  h.-is  run  it  since.  Married,  in  1879.  to  Anna  Flattery.  She  was 
born  in  Oconto  Falls.     They  have  one  son,  William  H. 

F.  W.  LEE,  principal  of  the  High  School,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of 
Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  graduated  from  Colgate  Institute  and  at  Bar- 
aboo  in  1872;  came  to  Oconto  in  1S75  ;  has  held  the  position  he  now 
fills  since  then.  The  number  of  scholars  under  his  charge  average- from 
eighty  to  ninety,     He  has  three  assistants. 

FRANK  LEROY,  Mar^hal  of  the  city  of  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Can- 
ada ;  came  to  Oconto,  with  his  uncle,  in  1857.  In  1880,  he  was  elected 
Constable,  and  in  1881,  was  appointed,  by  the  City  Council,  Marshal. 
Mr.  Leroy  has  been  engaged  in  keeping  hotel  for  the  last  three  years. 

CHARLES  LIPPERT,  Oconto,  proprietor  of  Luxemberger  House, 
born  Jan.  18.  1848,  in  Luxemburg  ;  in  1S67,  came  to  Oconto,  and  run 
a  wholesale  liquor  store  about  fourteen  months;  he  then  started  this 
house,  which  he  has  since  kept.  Married,  in  1871,  to  Mary  Herlges;  she 
was  born  in  Luxemberg.  They  have  three  children,  Joseph,  Mary  and 
Frank. 

CHARLES  LYNES,  manufacturer  of  all  kinds  of  wagons,  sleighs, 
etc.,  Oconto,  has  the  leading  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  Is 
a  native  of  England,  and  came  to  Oconto  in  1872.  He  established  his 
present  business  in  1875,  and  employs  four  men. 

GEORGE  LYNES,  lumberman,  residence  First  street,  Oconto,  is  a 
native  of  England ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1857  ;  was  elected  and  served  two 


terms  as  Alderman  from  the  East  Ward.  He  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  Lodge  130,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  Oconto. 

H.  McDonald,  lumberman,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and 
came  to  Oconto  in  1875. 

W.  J.  McGEE,  ex-Chief  of  the  Fire  Department,  contractor  and 
architect,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  St.  Andrews,  N.  B.;  came  to  Oconto  in 
1867  ;  served  as  Chief  of  Fire  Department  about  five  years ;  elected  Al- 
derman in  1873,  and  re-elected  from  time  to  time,  serving  eight  years  in 
all.  Is  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  on  which  he  has  served  six 
years. 

THOMAS  McGOFF,  Sheriff  Oconto  County,  also  proprietor  of  liv- 
ery and  sale  stable,  and  handles  all  kind  of  farm  machinery.  He  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  and  came  to  Oconto  in  1864  ;  was  elected  Sheriff  of 
the  county  in  the  Fall  of  1875,  and  holds  the  same  office  at  the  present 
time. 

M.  A.  McGINNIS.  assistant  teacher  at  the  high  school,  Oconto,  is  a 
native  of  Outagamie  County.  He  attended  school  at  Appleton  and  Men- 
asha,  and  began  teaching  in  1872  ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1876,  and  been 
engaged  in  the  same  school|for  the  past  tour  years. 

A.  M.  M.-\RTINEAU,  City  Clerk.  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Sturgeon 
Bay,  Wis.  When  a  child  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Oconto.  His 
father  carried  on  a  general  merchandise  business  here.  He  assisted  in 
the  store,  and  has  always  followed  this  business.  For  the  last  four 
years  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  Holt  &  Balcon.  He  was  one  year 
agent  of  the  Goodrich  Transportation  Company.  Was  elected  City 
Clerk  in  March,  188 1. 

JAMES  MEGAN,  proprietor  Travelers'  Home,  Oconto,  is  a  native 
of  Canada.  Came  to  Oconto  in  1873  and  has  since  run  this  house,  which 
he  owns.  Married  in  1S72  to  Catharine  Hartigan.  She  was  born  in 
Canada.     They  have  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

THOMAS  MILLIDGE,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Oconto,  was 
born  Jan.  24,  182S,  in  New  Brunswick.  In  1S59  he  came  to  Oconto  ; 
worked  by  the  month  at  lumbering,  afterward  jobbing  in  logs.  In  1S56 
he  opened  a  general  merchandise  store,  commencing  with  a  very  small 
stock,  now  doing  a  business  of  about  $20,000  a  year.  He  has  been 
President  of  the  Village  Board.  Has  been  Deputy  Postmaster.  Agent 
for  steamers,  and  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

E.  G.  MULLEN,  station  agent  for  the  N.  W.  Railway  Company,  Ocon- 
to, is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  and  came  to  the  city  in  March,  1872. 
Was  employed  as  assistant  at  the  station  up  to  .\pril,  1874,  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  station  and  has  continued  in  the  position  to  the  present 
time.     He  has  four  men  to  assist  him  in  his  duties. 

JOHN  NOONAN,  Chief  Engineer  Oconio  Company,  is  a  native  of 
Chicago.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  came  to  Oconto  ;  worked  for 
Holt  &  Balcom  at  the  blacksmith  trade.  In  1S65  he  returned  to  Chicago 
and  worked  for  Coan  &  Tenbroeke  one  year.  In  1S66  he  came  again  to 
Oconto.  Since  then  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  this  company.  In 
1S60  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  this  department,  which  position  he  has 
since  held.  In  1S71  he,  with  Peep,  Minor  &  Taylor,  started  a  foundry 
and  machine  shop.  He  has  always  been  connected  with  this  business, 
although  it  has  undergone  many  changes  since  then.  Since  the  Summer 
of  18S0  the  business  has  been  carried  on  by  Noonan  &  Halbach.  He 
was  the  first  engineer  of  the  fire  department  and  served  three  years.  Is 
now  engineer  of  the  Slam  Fire  Engine  No.  2. 

P.  O'KEEF,  M.  D..  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Canada  and  graduated 
at  Victoria  University,  May,  1S69  ;  began  practice  at  East  Saginaw, 
Mich.,  remaining  there  five  years  ;  returned  to  Canada  and  was  in  prac- 
tice there  for  one  year;  in  February,  1S75,  he  came  to  Oconto,  and  has 
followed  his  profession  since. 

W.  G.  OLIVER,  dentist.  Oconto,  graduated  at  the  PhiLidelphia  Den- 
tal College  in  1861,  also  at  New  York  Dewitt  College  in  1865.  He  is  a 
native  of  Philadelphia.  Came  to  Oconto  in  the  Spring  of  1S73,  and  has 
been  in  practice  since  then.  When  the  hospital  train  was  organized, 
under  Dr.  McLean,  Dr.  Oliver  volunteered,  and  was  with  them  for  a  few 
months. 

LOUIS  P.  PAHL,  brewer,  Oconio,  was  born  Oct.  13,  1S33,  in  Wur- 
temburg,  Germany.  May  10,  1S54,  came  to  New  York  City  ;  thence  to 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  one  year.  In  1S55,  came  to  Milwau- 
kee, worked  in  Schlitz  &  Blatz  brewery  about  one  year ;  then  came  10 
Green  Bay  and  worked  in  brewery  about  three  months;  then  worked 
for  Gardner  &  Co.,  in  the  lumber  business,  about  fifteen  months;  then 
went  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  a  short  time  ;  went  to  Two  Rivers, 
Wis.,  and  worked  in  a  brewery  about  one  ye.ir.  In  1858,  he  came  to 
Oconto,  formed  a  partnership  with  Anton  Link  &  Co.,  in  the  brewing 
business:  this  partnership  continued  five  years.  Since  then  Mr.  Pahl 
has  conducted  this  business  alone.  When  he  came  to  America  he  had 
but  $2.50.  He  is  now  doing  a  business  of  $15,000  to  $20,000  a  year. 
He  has  been  Township  Supervisor,  City  Treasurer  three  terms,  member 
of  the  Assembly  one  term  and  County  Supervisor  several  terms. 

E.  F.  PARAMORE,  M.  D.,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  grad- 
uated at  Cincinnati  in  1856.  Commenced  practice  in  Valparaiso,  Ind., 
remaining  until  1857,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Oconto.     Enlisted,  May 


HISTORY  OF  OCONTO  COUNTY. 


663 


16,  1861,  in  Co.  H,  4th  Wis.  V.  I.,  for  one  year.  The  regiment  was  then 
transferred  to  cavalry.  He  served  about  three  and  onehalf  years.  After 
his  return  he  stopped  at  his  former  home  and  followed  the  practice  of 
medicine  about  two  years,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S66  returned  to  Oconto, 
where  he  has  been  practicing  since.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  F.  Ohio  Reg.  U.  S.  V.,  under  Col.  Curtis,  and  served  in  Taylor's 
line  in  the  Mexican  War.  Was  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  and  Mon- 
terey, and  served  the  term  of  his  enlistment — cne  year. 

B.  PERRY,  proprietor  of  saloon,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  New  York 
State.  Came  to  Oconto  in  the  Spring  of  1870,  and  was  engaged  in  lum- 
bering up  to  1877,  when  he  started  in  his  present  business. 

T.  H.  PHELPS,  book-keeper  for  Holt  &  Balcom,  Oconto,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts.  Came  to  Oconto  in  1S63.  He  has  served  as 
President  of  the  School  Board  for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  been  in 
the  employ  of  this  company  since  his  arrival. 

W.  H.  PHILLIPS,  livery,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Huron  Co.,  Ohio. 
In  1873,  came  to  Oconto  ;  followed  lumbering  and  jobbing  in  logs.  etc. 
In  the  Spring  of  1S73,  he  opened  a  livery;  commenced  with  one  pair  of 
horses.  One  of  these  horses  he  still  owns,  and  is  now  thirty-one  years 
old — he  has  owned  this  horse  since  a  young  colt.  This  livery  now  con- 
sists of  twenty-two  horses  and  twelve  buggies.  He  owns  six  improved 
farms  ;  one  of  these  farms  consists  of  320  acres.  He  also  owns  eight 
dwelling  houses  in  Oconto  ;  his  residence,  the  city  hotel,  four  stores,  a 
saloon  building  and  barber  shop.  When  he  came  to  Oconto  he  had 
nothing,  and  worked  for  $14  a  month  by  the  year,  and  has  acquired  all 
of  this  property  by  his  strict  attention  to  business. 

G.  T.  PORTER,  contractor.  Second  street,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of 
Maine.  Came  to  Oconto.  October,  1857.  Was  elected  County  Super- 
visor and  served  two  years,  has  served  as  Alderman  of  the  City  Council 
six  years,  also  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  two  years. 
Enlisted  in  1S68,  in  Co.  H,  39th  Wis.  I.  V.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war. 

G.  A.  PRELL,  dealer  in  dry  goods,  boots,  shoes,  groceries,  etc., 
Oconto,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  Came  to  Oconto,  May.  1875, 
and  established  his  present  business  at  that  time.  Was  elected  Alder- 
man from  the  North  Ward,  April,  1879,  and  served  for  three  years.  Is  a 
member  of  the  Turners'  Society. 


A.  REINHART,  County  Judge,  was  born  in  Middleburg,  Schoharie 
Co.,  N.  V„  Nov.  8,  1825,  being  the  son  of  John  J.  and  Elizabeth  Rein- 
hart.     His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  he,  in  his  youth,  spent  his  years  in 


working  and  laying  up  a  stock  of  health  in  the  Summer,  and  strength- 
ening his  mental  caliber  in  the  Winter  by  attending  school.  Thus  prof- 
itably engaged  until  he  reached  his  majority,  he  taught  school  lor  a 
short  time  and  then,  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  commenced  to  read  law  with 
F.  W.  Filkins,  at  Burnsville,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  afterwards  removed 
to  Albany,  and  completed  his  legal  studies  with  Thomas  Smith,  one  of 
the  most'  celebrated  lawyers  of  the  State  of  New  York.  In  1S59.  at 
Albany,  he  was  examined  in  open  court  by  a  full  bench  of  eight  judges, 
and  admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  courts  of  the  State.  After  practicing 
his  profession  one  year  in  the  East,  he  removed  West  and  settled  in 
Oconto,  Wis.,  in  April,  1S60.  He  at  once  opened  a  law  office  and  soon 
brought  himself  into  favorable  notice.  He  was  elected  several  times  to 
the  office  of  District  Attorney  of  Oconto  County,  was  chosen  Mayor  of 
the  city  three  terms,  was  called  to  the  position  of  County  Judge  in  1S77 
and  again  in  1881. 

ALBERT  RICHARD,  proprietor  of  Richard  House,  is  a  native  of 
Green  Bay,  Wis.  In  i860,  came  to  Oconto,  worked  in  the  mills  about 
three  years,  afterward  he  ran  the  lath  mill,  in  about  1S63.  he  commenced 
jobbing  and  putting  in  logs  for  Tatton  Jones,  continued  at  this  till  1865, 
when  he  commenced  the  hotel  business,  which  he  has  since  followed.  He 
built  this  house  in  1S72,  the  dimensions  are  52x80  feet,  three  stories,  cost 
about  $4,000.  He  has  been  iMderman  of  the  West  Ward  three  years, 
also  Assessor  one  year. 


^/      ^. 


C^ 


H.  Vl.  ROYCE,  merchant  and  Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  wa.? 
born  in  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.,  N.Y.,  Oct.  II,  1825.  When  about  ten  years 
of  age,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Oberlin,  Ohio.  He  attended  school 
and  assisted  his  father  at  farming  until  1853,  when  he  removed  to  Green 
Bay,  Wis.  Here  he  remained  a  year,  engaged  in  surveying  lands,  when 
he  settled  in  Oconto.  Mr.  Royce  followed  this  same  occupation  here  for 
about  four  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1857,  he  established  himself  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  business,  with  W.  L.  Newton.  Purchasing  Mr.  New- 
ton's interest  in  1864,  he  has  conducted  the  business  alone  since.  He 
was  burned  out  in  August,  1875,  but  was  soon  on  his  feet  again,  and 


ved 


his 


present 


quarters.     Mr.  Royce  has  held  i 


portant  public  positions.  In  1S60-61,  he  was  Deputy  County  Treasurer; 
Village  Treasurer  two  terms,  1S67,  1868;  was  elected  the  first  City 
Treasurer  of  Oconto,  in  1869,  and  repre.sented  his  district  in  the  Assem- 
bly in  1874.     He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  a  num- 


664 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ber  of  terms,  and  has  been  its  chairman  for  the  past  three  years.  Mr. 
Royce  was  married  in  1863.  to  Miss  Aurelia  Peabody,  of  Green  Bay, 
Wis.  His  second  wife  was  a  Miss  Elizabeth  Chrysler,  a  native  of  North 
Hector,  Schuyler  Co.,  N.Y.,whom  he  married  in  1869.  They  have  three 
children. 

FRANK  RUELLE,  saloon,  Oconto,  bom  March  24,  1827,  in  Bel- 
gium. Came  to  Green  Bay  in  1S55,  the  following  year  he  came  to  Oconto, 
worlce  1  in  the  mills  till  1S60.  he  then  was  appointed  Jail  Keeper,  had 
thisoflRce  about  eighteen  months.  He  enlisted  in  1861,  Co.  G,  I7lh  Wis. 
Inf.  served  about  one  year,  was  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disa- 
bility, returned  to  Oconto  and  again  worked  in  the  mill  about  two  years. 
In  1S65,  he  opened  this  saloon.  He  has  been  Village  Trustee  six  years, 
he  has  been  Alderman  the  past  seven  years — Republican. 

FRED  .SCHEDLER,  proprietor  of  Funk's  Hotel, Oconto,  is  a  native 
of  Prussia.  In  1S63,  came  to  Watertown,  Wis.,  there  attended  school.  In 
the  Fall  of  1864,  he  came  to  Oconto  and  engaged  as  clerk  for  Mr.  E. 
Funk,  at  this  hotel,  continued  in  this  capacity  till  1872,  when  he  rented 
the  property  which  he  has  since  run.  Married  in  1872,  to  Amelia  Liese  ; 
she  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  three  children — two  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

JOSEPH  SEDMIHRADSKY,  engineer  at  Holt  &  Balcom  mill, 
Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Bohemia.  Came  to  America  in  i860, and  located 
Baltimore.  In  1865,  came  to  .Manitowoc  and  settled  at  Two  Creeks,  was 
there  and  at  other  places  up  to  1873,  when  he  came  to  Oconto,  has  been 
with  this  company  since. 

F.  G.  SHANABROOK,  head  filer  at  Eldred  &  Son's  mill,  Oconto, 
was  born  in  Williamsport,  Penn. ;  came  to  this  city  in  1873  ;  has  been 
in  the  employ  of  this  firm  since  he  attended  college  at  Geltysbuig  and 
studied  for  the  ministry.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he  enlisted,  April 
24.  1S61,  at  Lock  Haven,  in  the  Rifle  Guards,  which  afterward  became 
Co.  D.  7ih  Reg.  Penn.  Vol.  Reserve;  was  in  the  service  nearly  one 
year  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He  carries  several  scars  which  he  re- 
ceived in  battle. 

D.  SHARROW,  proprietor  of  the  American  House,  corner  of  Mc- 
Donald and  State  road,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Detroit,  Mich.  ;  came  to 
Oconto  in  1857;  established  his  present  business  August,  1878. 

JOHN  SHERIDAN,  dealer  in  hardware,  stoves,  and  farm  imple- 
ments, Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Canada  West ;  came  to  Oconto  in  1873, 
and  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  the  Fall  of  1S78,  when  he  established 
his  present  business.  He  was  in  the  Government  service  for  about  two 
years  during  the  war.  In  the  Spring  of  1881,  he  was  elected  Alderman 
trom  the  North  Ward. 

PETER  SHUFELT,  foreman  Oconto  Saw  Mill,  is  a  native  of 
Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  When  a  boy  he  commenced  working  in  a  saw-mill, 
which  he  has  since  followed.  In  1S57,  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis. ; 
there  he  was  employed  at  filing  gang-saws,  remaining  there  about  one 
year;  then  removed  to  Stiles,  where  he  was  employed  as  foreman  for 
Eldred  &  Balcom  ;  remained  in  their  employ  four  years.  In  1861,  he 
came  to  Oconto,  and  has  since  then  been  foreman  of  the  saw-mill  of  the 
Oconto  Company. 

WILLIAM  k.  SMITH,  firm  of  Farnsworth  &  Smith,  bankers, 
Oconto. 

JOHN  SIMON,  miller  for  Oconto  Company;  born  Jan.  12,  1853, 
in  Denmark  ;  came  to  Escanaba  in  1870;  worked  for  the  Chicago  & 
Northwestern  Railroad  about  five  years.  He  then  came  to  Oconto,  and 
has  had  charge  of  the  Oconto  flour-mills  since  then,  he  having  learned 
this  business  in  Denmark  with  his  father,  who  was  also  a  miller;  worked 
at  this  trade  till  he  came  to  America.  Married,  in  1879,  to  Sophia  Stone. 
She  is  a  native  of  Norway  ;  came  to  America  when  a  child. 

THOMAS  SIMPSON,  lumber,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  New  Bruns- 
wick ;  cime  to  Oconto  in  1862.  and  has  always  followed  the  lumber 
business.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and 
Clerk  of  the  School  Board. 

JACOB  SPIES,  manufacturer  of  lumber  and  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise, Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Prussia.  In  1849.  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Oihkosh,  Wis.  In  1856,  he  removed  to  Winneconne,  Winnebago 
Co.;  there  started  a  meat  market,  which  he  has  since  followed.  In  the 
Fall  of  1859.  ''e  came  to  Oconto,  continuing  this  business.  Commenced 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  in  1870.  His  mill  has  a  capacity  of  five  or 
six  millions  a  year.  Since  coming  to  Oconto,  he  has  been  engaged  in 
merchandising;  enlarged  his  store  in  1880. 

JOHN  STRACK,  saloon,  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Prussia.  Born 
April  i3,  1821.  Came  to  Green  B.iy,  Wis.,  in  1855,  where  he  remained 
until  the  Spring  of  1863.  when  he  came  to  Oconto.  Built  his  house  in 
1868.  where  he  now  resides.  In  1879,  he  opened  this  saloon.  Married, 
in  1853,  to  Mary  Mies  ;  she  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren— Mary,  Conrad,  Kate,  Nick  and  Lizzie. 

P.  H.SWIFT,  editorand  manager  of  the  Oconto  County  Reporter,  was 
born  in  Topsham,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  Dec.  28, 1844.  His  parents  Henry  S. 
and  Diana  C.  Swift,  came,  with  their  family,  to  Edgerton,  Rock  Co.,  in 
1853.  Young  Swift  received  his  education  at  the  Academy  and  Teachers' 


Seminary,  in  Albion,  Dane  Co.  He  did  not  complete  his  coarse,  how- 
ever, for  his  blood  was  so  fired  at  the  firing  upon  Ft.  Sumter  that  he, 
with  about  thirty  of  his  friends,  said  good-bye  to  school-days  and  joined 
the  army.  Young  Swift,  then  in  his  eighteenth  year,  enlisted  in  Co.  C, 
nth  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  June,  1861,  serving  in  the  armies  of  the  Missouri, 
Tennessee,  Trans-Mississippi  and  the  Gulf  From  the  ranks  he  was 
promoted,  by  regular  gradations,  to  the  captaincy,  receiving  his  commis- 
sion in  August,  1S63.  He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Tupelo,  in  July, 
1864,  and  received  an  honorable  discharge  from  the  service  in  the  Winter 


^^r^^!^-^- 


of  the  same  year.  Mr.  Swift  next  studied  law  with  Bennett  &  Norcross, 
of  Janesville,  being  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  June,  1S67.  In  the  practice 
of  his  profession  he  remained  one  year  at  Waseca,  and  some  years  at 
Beaver  Falls,  Minn.  In  1S70  the  St.  Peter  district  returned  him  to  the 
Legislature.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  supply  clerk  for  the  Cal- 
umet &  Hecla  Mining  Co.,  a  Michigan  corporation.  In  December  1878, 
Mr.  Swift  commenced  his  newspaper  life,  at  Clinton,  Wis.,  by  thepublica- 
tion  of  the  Rock  County  Republican.  In  October,  1880,  he  located  in 
Oconto,  and  established  the  Oconto  Republican,  which  was  merged  into 
the  Reporter  in  July,  18S1.  Mr.  Swift  isa  Mason, a  member  of  the  Tem- 
ple of  Honor,  and  a  strong  Republican.  Although  comparatively  a 
new  comer,  he  has  both  established  himself  and  his  paper  in  the  confi- 
dence of  the  Oconto  public. 

S.  B.  TALLMADGE,  dealer  in  fruits,  candies,  nuts,  etc.  Is  a  native 
of  New  York  Slate,  and  came  to  Oconto  in  1869.  He  established  his 
present  business  in  187S. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR,  farmer.  Sec.  18.  Little  River  Township,  P. 
O.  Oconto.  Is  a  native  of  Canada.  Came  to  Oconto  in  1867  ;  worked 
there  at  the  lumber  trade  four  or  five  years  ;  since  then  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  farming  ;  he  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres.  He  is  Treasurer  of 
the  School  Board.  Married,  in  1872,  to  Sarah  Ann  Brockett ;  she  was 
born  in  Wisconsin.     They  have  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

H.  THIELE,  merchant  tailor  and  dealer  in  ready-made  clothing, 
Oconto.  Was  born  in  Prussia.  Came  to  Milwaukee  in  1S67,  and  to 
Oconto  in  1879,  when  he  established  his  present  business.  Upon  arriv- 
ing in  Oconto,  his  means  were  small,  and  by  close  application  to  business 
and  economy,  he  has  built  up  a  good  trade,  and  carries  a  nice  stock  of 
goods  in  his  line;  his  sales  amount  to  from  six  to  ten  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

M.  C.  THOMPSON,  with  Oconto  Company.  Is  a  native  of  Maine. 
Came  to  Oconto  in  1856;  first  worked  for  Norton  &  Co.,  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  since  his  residence  in  Oconto,  has  always  been  identified 
with  the  lumber  business.  Since  the  organiz,ition  of  this  company,  he 
has  held  the  position  as  foreman  and  overseer  of  their  logs,  etc. 

MICHAELVOY,  river  overseer,  Oconto,  is  a  native  of  Ireland;  came 
to  New  York  with  his  parents  in  1834.  In  1847,  they  came  to  Grand  Rap- 
ids, Mich.;  there  they  remained  a  short  time,  and  removed  to  Milwaa- 


HISTORY  OF  OCONTO  COUNTY. 


665 


kee;  in  1851,  he  came  to  this  locality,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has 
always  been  engaged  in  rafiing  and  superintending  river  work.  He  owns 
eighty  acres  of  land,  forty-four  acres  of  which  is  in  the  cily  limits.  He 
has  been  Town  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  Oconto ;  has  been  three  years 
Alderman. 

CARRIE  F.  WATERS,  teacher  in  the  high  school  building,  inter- 
mediate department,  Oconto.  She  was  born  in  the  county  of  Oconto, 
and  received  her  education  in  her  native  city.  Began  teaching  in  1S77, 
and  has  been  in  charge  of  the  room  she  now  occupies  for  three  years. 


W.  H.  WEBSTER,  attorney  at  law,  was  born  in  Farmington,  Oak 
land  Co.,  Mich..  June  11,  1850;  educated  at  Hillsdale  College,  in  tha 
State;  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1S6S.  He  then  studied  law  in  St 
Paul  with  13risbin  &  Palmer  and  Lamprey  Brothers,  of  that  city,  andwa< 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  June,  1S71.  In  November  of  that  year  he  com 
menced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Oconto,  Wis.,  and  has  here  con 
tinned  since.  In  1S7S  Mr.  Webster  formed  a  partnership  with  Alex 
ander  Brazeau,  under  the  firm  name  of  Webster  &  Brazeau,  of  which  he 
is  still  a  member. 

WILLIAM  H.  YOUNG,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Oconto,  was  born  in 
Woodville,  Wilkinson  Co.,  Miss.,  August  II,  1S45.  He  is  the  son  of 
Uriali  and  Lucretia  Young,  and  woiked  on  his  father's  farm  up  to  the 
time  of  his  parents'  death,  who  both  died  in  1859.  When  the  United 
States  troops  reached  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  Mr.  Young,  then  but  a  youth 
of  eighteen,  joined  them,  enlisting  in  Co.  H,  4th  Wis.  C.  His  company 
was  attached  to  the  19th  .A.imy  Corps,  Department  of  the  Gulf, being  en- 
gaged principally  in  picket-duty  at  various  points  in  Te-xas,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  Alabama  and  Georgia.  Mr.  Young  was  mustered  out  as  a 
first  lieutenant,  at  Madison,  in  May,  1865.  He  next  located  in  Chicago, 
where  he  remained  nearly  a  year,  and  completed  a  course  in  the  Bryant 
&  Stratton  Business  College.  From  Chicago  he  removed  to  Oconto,  in 
1866,  and  has  since  resided  here,  having  been  conected  with  the  Holt 
&  Balcom  mills  during  all  this  time.  He  is  now  assistant  manager  of 
their  business.  Mr.  Young's  public  life  consists  in  his  election  to  the 
Board  of  .\ldern-.en.  in  the  Spring  of  1S74,  holding  that  position  five 
years,   and    his   selection  to  the  Mayoralty  in    1879-81.       Although  yet 


comparatively  a  young  man,  his  course  from  the  first,  whether  in  busi- 
ness or  local  legislation,  has  been  marked  by  ability  and  consistency. 
Mr.  Young  was  married  to  Mrs.  Ellen  E.  Russel  of  Oconto,  Jan.  i,  1872. 
They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  lua,  six  years  old. 

THE   VILLAGES. 

The  principal  villages  or  settlements  in  Oconto  County 
are  Pensaukee,  Little  Suamico,  Oconto  Falls  and  Stiles. 
The  first  two  are  on  the  line  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwest- 
ern Railroad.  Pensaukee  is  twenty-five  miles  north  of 
Green  Bay,  and  was  partially  destroyed  by  a  tornado,  July 
7,  1877.  A  large  hotel,  a  saw  mill,  shingle  mill  and  store, 
school-house  and  depot  were  blown  down  and  a  tug  wrecked. 
The  village  is  the  center  of  a  good  farming  country.  F.  B. 
Gardner  operates  a  saw  mill  of  90,000  feet  capacity. 

At  Little  Suamico,  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  below  Pensaukee,  on  the  Little  Suamico  River,  are 
two  inills — Conn  &  Gardner's  and  Gross's — the  former  hav- 
ing a  capacity  of  between  70,000  and  80,000  feet  of  lumber 
per  day. 

In  i860,  when  E'.dred  &  Balcom  were  operating  their 
mills,  Stiles  was  considered  as  promising  a  place  as  any  in 
the  county.  One  of  the  mills  was  burned,  however,  and  the 
other  abandoned,  and  the  village  fell  back  in  the  business 
race.     Eldred  &:  Son  still  operate  a  water-power  mill,  and 


666 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  late  the  place  seems  to  have  been  regaining  some  of  its 
early  activity. 

Oconto  Falls  does  a  moderate  amount  of  general  busi- 
ness. Henry,  the  son  of  John  Volk,  one  of  its  early  set- 
tlers, operates  a  small  mill. 

A  considerable  settlement  is  growing  up  in  Gillette  and 
some  of  the  other  towns,  but  the  above  are  those  of  any 
considerable  importance. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

HIRAM  ALLEN,  farmer,  Brookside,  born  at  Summer  Hill.  Cayuga 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1S22.  Went  to  Port  Dalhousie,  Canada,  at  the 
a<»e  of  fourteen.  Worked  at  farming  two  years  and  drove  team  on  Well- 
and  Canal  eight  years.  Then  went  to  Ohio  and  followed  sailing  for 
eight  or  nine  years.  Married  in  1S4S  Harriet  E.  Brooks,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Brooks,  of  Ohio.  Their  happy  union  has  been  blessed  with  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Curtis  and  Cora  E.  are  now  living.  Louise 
died  three  years  after  her  marriage.  Son  died  quite  young.  Came  to 
Pensaukee,  Oconto  County,  in  the  year  1854.  and  engaged  in  employ 
of  F.  B.  Gardner,  for  a  short  time.  Followed  lumbering  for  several 
years.  In  1863  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  which  he  has  con- 
tinued to  do  up  to  the  present  time. 

ENOC  W.  BARKER,  farmer,  Brookside,  bom  in  Fryeburg,  Oxford 
Co.,  Me.,  in  1820.  Went  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  in  1S40.  and  remained  there 
until  1856.  engaged  in  superintending  the  building  of  factories  and 
canals.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  at  Pensaukee  on  Sec- 
tion 16.  Township  27,  Range  21 ;  after  three  years  moved  on  Section  20, 
and  cleared  a  farm  of  about  125  acres,  and  also  engaged  quite  largely  in 
lumbering.  Elected  Chairman  of  Town  Supervisors  in  1S58;  served 
three  successive  years.  Held  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Schools  for 
three  years,  and  filled  the  office  of  Chairman  of  Supervisors  again  for 
four  years,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  six  years,  and  held  other  offices  of 
public  trust  up  to  the  present  time.  Married  Edna  J.  Chandler, 
daughter  of  Joel  Chandler,  of  Hopkinton,  N.  H.,  in  1842.  Had 
four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls — Francis  Edward,  Edison  W.  B., 
Edna  C.  and  Emma  E.     All  died  at  an  early  age. 

JOHN  I.  BOVEE,  merchant,  Brookside,  a  native  of  Waukesha  Co., 
Wis.  Came  to  Brookside,  town  of  Pensaukee,  Oconto  County,  in  the 
year  1868  ;  taught  school  one  year.  Engaged  clerking  for  two  years 
for  F.  B.  Gardner,  lumber  manufacturer.  Then  went  into  employ  of 
G.  W.  Delano,  of  Brookside,  in  the  mercantile  business ;  continued 
with  him  two  years.  Then  he  purchased  his  interest  and  has  continued 
to  carry  on  the  same  business  until  the  present  time.  In  February, 
iSSi,  he  took  his  brother  Eugene  in  as  partner,  and  the  firm  is  now 
known  as  Bovee  Bros.  They  deal  quite  extensively  in  the  cedar  post 
business.  John  I.  Bovee  enlisted  Aug.  5,  1862 ;  served  until  March  4, 
1865.  Fourteen  and  a  half  months  of  this  time  was  prisoner  of  war  (in 
thirty-two  different  prisons);  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  of  Co.  H,  46th 
Wisconsin;  served  until  l6th  of  October,  1S65  (final  discharge).  Married 
Marion  A.  Morrison  in  1872,  daughter  of  Mathew  Morrison,  of  New 
York  State.  Has  held  office  of  Town  Treasurer,  Assessor  and  Chairman 
of  Town  Supervisors. 

E.  R.  CHESLEY,  manufacturer,  Brookside,  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Came  to  Oconto  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1869;  engaged  in  lumbering  for  Corn- 
stock  &  Simpson  ;  continued  with  same  firm  for  six  years.  Moved  to 
Pensaukee  in  July,  1877  ;  continued  lumbering,  and  is  now  engaged 
quite  largely  in  manufacturing  cedar  posts,  railroad  ties  and  shingles, 
and  also  engaged  in  farming.  Lost  his  second  wife  and  son  (a  boy 
about  six  years  old)  by  a  tornado  that  caused  great  destruction  to  life  and 


property  in   Pensaukee  and  many  other  parts  of  the  county,  in  July. 

1877. 

JAMES  K.  CROOKS,  farmer,  Brookside,  bom  in  the  year  1841,  at 
Restigouche.  New  Brunswick.  Is  the  son  of  Joseph  Crooks  and  Fannie 
tiff  Kerr.  Went  to  State  of  Maine  in  1859;  engaged  in  lumbering  for 
four  years.  Went  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  in  1863,  and  followed  same  busi- 
ness for  one  year.  The  climate  not  agreeing  with  him,  he  removed  to 
Oconto,  Wis.,  and  continued  to  lumber  for  about  eleven  years.  He 
finally  settled  at  Brookside,  town  of  Pensaukee,  and  is  now  engaged 
in  farming  and  lumbering.  Married  in  August,  1871,  to  Mary  A.  I)avis, 
daughter  of  J.  P.  Davis  and  Mary  L.  Davis,  of  town  of  Stiles,  Oconto 
County.     Has  two  children,  both  boys. 

GEORGE  W.  DE  LANO,  Brookside.  Was  bom  in  Watertown, 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1833;  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  country.  Married  Mary  A.  Rudd,  of  Watertown, 
in  1S53.  Came  to  Oconto  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  year  1S55,  and  engaged 
in  the  agricultural  and  lumbering  business  (in  town  of  Pensaukee).  until 
lS6g,  and  being  of  a  speculative  nature,  dealt  largely  in  pine  and  farming 
lands,  then  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  and  continued  in  the 
same  until  1S73.  His  health  being  somewhat  impaired,  sold  out  his 
interest,  and  traveled  until  1877.  Served  a  short  time  in  the  late  Re- 
bellion; enlisted  in  the  39th  Wisconsin,  May,  1864.  He  built  the  first 
log  cabin  at  Brookside,  town  of  Pen.saukee,  and  his  wife  was  the  first 
white  woman  there.  He  is  prominent  and  influential,  and  the  recipient 
of  many  public  honors.  Is  now  living  on  his  farm,  and  is  owner  of 
2,500  acres  of  farming  and  pine  lands,  mostly  all  farming. 

A.  P.  McC.\UL,  Pensaukee.  Is  a  native  of  Ottawa  City,  Canada  ; 
was  born  October,  1843.  His  parents  were  of  moderate  means,  much 
respected  by  all  who  knew  them.  He  came  to  Oconto,  Wis.,  1865,  and 
went  to  employment  of  McDonald  &  Brunquest  as  clerk  in  mill  store. 
Went  to  California,  Mexico,  South  America  traveling,  in  1S78.  Was 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Denison,  Iowa,  for  three  years. 
Married  Frankie  A.  Clapp,  daughter  of  George  R.  Clapp,  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Dodge  County,  Wis.,  July  13,  1876,  and  finally  returned  to 
the  State  of  Wisconsin,  in  August,  1S80,  where  he  now  is  employed  as 
general  superintendent  for  F.  B.  Gardner,  lumber  manufacturer, 
Pensaukee. 

E.  C.  WHITNEY,  book-keeper,  Pensaukee.  Born  in  Watertown. 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1S47  ;  moved  to  La  Crosse  Co.,  Wis.,  at  the 
early  age  of  eight  years,  1S55  ;  engaged  in  the  agricultural  business  until 
the  year  1S64.  Served  a  short  time  in  the  late  Rebellion.  Went  to 
Milwaukee  in  the  Fall  of  1865;  remained  there  as  book-keeper  for 
Anthony  Green,  West  Water  street,  until  1867,  then  came  to  Oconto 
County,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  During  this  time  served 
as  Town  Clerk  and  Chairman  of  Town  of  Pensaukee,  seven  years.  Sold  out 
his  interest  in  Oconto  County,  and  in  1S79,  went  to  Michigan,  in  em- 
ploy of  S.  Coleman,  of  Chicago;  remained  there  until  Spring  of  1S80, 
when  he  finally  retired  to  Pensaukee  and  is  now  employed  as  book- 
keeper for  F.  B.  Gardner,  lumber  manufacturer. 

H.  W.  WALDRON,  farmer.  Section  4.  P.  O.  West  Pensaukee.  Is 
a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.  ;  he  learned  the  trade  of  machinist  in  Lowell. 
Came  to  Pensaukee  in  1867,  bought  a  farm  of  120  acres,  which  he  has 
improved  with  a  very  comfortable  house,  just  completed  ;  cost$2,oco; 
his  barn  cost  about  $500,  and  otherwise  improved.  Since  coming  here, 
has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town,  is  a  member  of  the  Side  Board,  Town 
Supervisor;  has  been  School  Treasurer  and  Director. 

JOHN  LEIGH,  proprietor  of  Leighton  Mills,  town  of  Steles.  Is  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1837,  with  his  parents,  and 
they  located  in  Maine.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1850.  Has  been  a 
member  of  the  County  Board  for  a  number  of  years ;  was  elected  member 
of  the  Legislature  in  1865.  He  employs  in  his  mill  from  five  to  six 
hands. 


HISTORY    OF  OUTAGAMIE   COUNTY. 


667 


OUTAGAMIE    COUNTY. 


NATURAL   FEATURES. 

This  county  is  situated  along  the  great  water  high- 
way between  Lake  Winnebago  and  Green  Bay.  It  is 
bounded  north  by  Shawano,  south  by  Winnebago  and 
Calumet  counties,  east  by  Brown  County,  and  west  by 
Waupaca.  It  is  rich  by  nature  and  by  improvements, 
possessing  many  of  the  characteristics  of  its  mother 
parent.  Brown  County.  The  land,  consisting  of  rolling 
uplands  and  gently  sloping  valleys,  is  well  watered  by 
the  Wolf  River  and  its  tributaries,  in  the  western  and 
northwestern  portions  ;  by  Duck  Creek  in  the  eastern 
part,  and  the  Fox  River  in  the  southern  and  southeastern 
sections  of  the  county.  Water  is  easily  obtained,  and  min- 
eral springs,  of  medicinal  value,  particularl}'  the  Telu- 
lah,  near  Appleton,  have  been  discovered.  The  soil  is  of 
a  red  clay  deposit,  mixed  with  a  rich  limestone  loam, 
and  is  good  for  agricultural  purposes,  making  especially 
fine  wheat  land.  The  consequence  is  that  wheat  takes 
a  decided  lead  in  the  sources  of  wealth  to  the  farming 
community,  nearly  35,000  acres  being  grown  to  tliat 
crop  in  1880,  the  quality  of  the  yield  fixing  Outagamie 
as  one  of  the  banner  counties  of  the  Northwest.  The 
prices  of  land  range  all  the  way  from  .flO  to  $75  and 
$100  per  acre,  and  much  still  remains  unsold  in  the 
northern  and  western  parts.  Geologically,  limestone 
formations  prevail  throughout  the  county,  the  channel 
of  the  Fox  River  being  heavily  bedded  with  stone  of 
this  variety,  which  accounts  for  the  very  hard  character 
of  its  water. 

POLITICAL. 

Outagamie  County  is  divided  into  eighteen  towns, 
viz.,  Deer  Creek,  Maple  Creek  and  Liberty,  in  the 
northwest  and  west ;  Hortonia  and  Dale  in  the  south- 
west ;  Maine  and  Cicero  in  the  north  ;  Bovina,  Black 
Creek,  Ellington  and  Center,  in  the  central  portion  ; 
Greenville  and  Grand  Chute  in  the  south ;  Seymour 
and  Osborn  in  the  northeast  and  east ;  Freedom,  Kau- 
kauna  and  Buchanan  in  the  southeast.  As  stated  in 
the  history  of  Brown  County,  the  Oneida  Reservation, 
of  which  a  sketch  has  been  given,  extends  into  what 
would  be  the  northeastern  and  eastern  sections  of  the 
count}',  if  its  boundary  lines  were  extended.  The  first 
towns,  formed  in  1851,  the  year  that  Outagamie  was 
set  off  from  Brown  County,  were  Grand  Chute,  Elling- 
ton, Greenville,  Hortonia,  Kaukauna  and  Lansing,  the 
latter  being  changed  to  Center,  in  1853.  The  towns 
were  created  at  so  comparatively  recent  a  date  that 
further  attention  to  this  point  is  unnecessary. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  the  county,  in  1851,  was 
$352,247.     In  1881,  it  was  $6,779,167. 

Most  of  the  timber  has  been  cleared  off;  still,  there 
is  yet  a  considerable  belt  throughout  the  northern  tier 
of  towns — Deer  Creek,  Maine,  Cicero  and  Seymour. 
They  are  well  watered   by  the  Embarrass,  Wolf  and 


Shioc  rivers  and  Black  Creek,  which  makes  it  easy  to 
get  the  timber  to  market.  Kaukauna,  also,  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  county,  is  quite  well  timbered  in 
some  portions.  There  are  112,281  acres  of  growing 
timber  in  the  county,  these  towns  being  accredited 
with  the  following :  Deer  Creek,  22,000 ;  Cicero,  19,- 
324;  Seymour,  13,000;  Kaukauna,  9,600;  Maine 
9,500. 

During  the  year  1880,  the  several  towns  of  the 
county  transacted  business  to  the  amount  of  $1,551,- 
000,  and  the  product  of  the  manufactures  of  the  citv 
of  Appleton  was  $3,1.S2,000.  With  all  this  evidence 
of  wealth  and  prosperity  among  the  people,  except 
for  the  expenses  incurred  in  the  construction  of  her 
fine  court-house,  now  progressing,  the  liabilities  of 
Outagamie  County  would  be  almost  nothing.  She  is 
clear  of  debt.  Even  in  November,  1863,  during  the 
heat  of  war  times,  the  liabilities  were  only  $7,978.06, 
and  the  resources  were  $9,409 ;  liabilities  in  November, 
1880,  $10,160.48,  resources  $19,560.34.  Although  the 
credit  of  the  county  somewhat  declined  during  war 
times,  because  of  the  wholesale  speculation  in  swamp 
lands  by  some  of  her  officials,  it  was  soon  raised. 
County  orders  now  sell  at  par,  and  the  credit  of  the 
county  is  unrivaled.  The  total  bonded  indebtedness 
of  the  cities,  villages  and  towns  of  Outagamie  Countv 
is  $140,930,  of  which  $103,700  was  voted  for  railroad 
aid.     The  total  indebtedness  is  $153,840.64. 

In  1855,  the  population  of  Outagamie  Countv  was 
4,914;  1860,9,587;  1865,11,852;  mO,  18,440  ; "1875, 
25,558  ;  1880,  28,875.  The  report  of  the  County  Su- 
perintendent, J.  A.  Leith,  shows  that,  in  1880,  there 
were  106  school  districts  in  the  county,  with  an  aggre- 
gate attendance  of  5,114.  Tiie  total  enrollment  was 
8,148,  and  the  number  of  teachers,  118.  There  were 
seven  private  schools,  with  an  average  attendance  of 
109. 

COUNTY   ORGANIZATION    AND    AFFAIRS. 

Unlike  most  new  counties,  when  Outagamie  was 
set  off  from  Brown  County,  in  1851,  no  serious  claims 
for  the  location  of  the  seat  of  justice  were  put  in,  as 
against  the  village  of  Appleton.  That  seemed  to  be 
the  only  really  ^favorable  location,  the  Universitj'  and 
its  manufacturing  advantages  having  already  stamped 
it  as  the  metropolis.  After  the  formation  of  the  coun- 
ty, therefore,  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors created  no  special  interest,  as  no  one  had  an  ax 
to  grind — all  was  harmony.  The  County  Board  gath- 
ered at  the  hotel  of  R.  P.  Edgarton,  which  had  been 
erected  as  the  pioneer  public  house  two  years  pre- 
viously. The  date  was  April  18,  1851,  and  the  follow- 
ing Chairmen  were  present  from  their  respective  towns  : 
Grand  Chute,  George  M.  Robinson  ;  Kaukauna,  George 
W.  Lawe  ;  Lansing,  Lewis  A.  Hine ;  Greenville,  Loren- 


668 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


zo  E.  Darlina: ;  Hortonia,  Josephus  Wakefield.  John 
R.  Rynders,  Ellington,  was  absent.  Mr.  Robinson  was 
chosen  Chairman.  The  officers-elect  of  the  county 
proceeded  to  present  their  certificates.  Charles  A. 
Grignon,  of  the  historic  family,  presented  his  certificate 
of  election  as  Treasurer  of  Outagamie  County,  his  bond 
being  signed  by  himself,  Morgan  L.  Martin,  Perry  H. 
Smith  aiid  Alexander  Grignon.  Next  stepped  forward 
Lorenzo  E.  Darling,  as  Clerk  of  the  Board,  and  Charles 
Turner,  Surveyor.  The  other  officers  were  :  A.  S.  San- 
born, District  Attorney  ;  A.  B.  Everts,  Sheriff;  Henry 
S.  Eggleston,  Register  of  Deeds,  and  William  Johnston, 
Probate  and  County  Judge.  In  the  afternoon,  to  which 
time  the  Board  adjourned,  resolutions  were  passed  au- 
thorizing the  Register  of  Deeds  to  transcribe  from  the 
Brown  County  books  all  records  relating  to  lands  in 
Outagamie  County  ;  that  bids  would  be  received  for 
erecting  county  buildings  in  Grand  Chute,  Appleton, 
Lawesburg,  or  any  other  part  of  the  town  of  Grand 
Chute-  A  furnishing  committee  having  been  appointed, 
they  reported  at  the  next  meeting  (July  1)  that  Outa- 
gamie County  would  be  fairly  launched  into  history, 
via  one  deed  book,  one  mortgage  book,  two  alphabet- 
ical books,  one  index  book  (#40.75)  and  one  ream  of 
paper  (§3),  the  latter  purchased  of  J.  V.  Suydam,  of 
Green  Bay.  The  time  for  receiving  proposals  to  erect 
the  county  buildings  was  extended  until  the  next  day, 
and  then  to  the  next  meeting,  held  on  July  14.  Upon 
that  date  the  bounty  on  the  scalp  of  every  wolf  taken 
and  killed  in  Outagamie  County  was  raised  from  $5  to 
•SIO.  It  was  resolved  at  a  previous  meeting,  held  July 
3,  that  the  electors  of  Outagamie  County  did,  at  an 
election  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April,  1851,  estab- 
lish the  seat  of  justice  in  the  town  of  Grand  Chute,  and 
that  the  Court-house  should  be  completed  before  the 
next  annual  meeting,  separated  from  the  jail.  Register 
of  Deeds  and  Clerk's  offices.  That  the  latter  res- 
olution had  little  effect  upon  the  status  of  subsequent 
history  is  evident  when  it  is  remembered  that  Theodore 
Conkey  donated  Block  No.  31,  and  lands  adjoining  it 
on  the  east,  in  the  plat  of  the  village  of  Appleton,  and 
that  although  an  agreement  was  drawn  up  by  the  Dis- 
trict Attorney,  between  the  county  and  contractors, 
Conkey  and  Amos  A.  Lawrence,  the  Court-house  was 
not  ready  for  occupancy  until  November,  1854.  When 
in  November,  185"2,  $S00  had  been  expended  on  their 
contract,  the  site  was  conve3'ed  to  the  county  and  the 
parties  released.  It  was  estimated  that  foOO  more 
would  have  to  be  expended.  Committees  were  ap- 
pointed to  contract  for  the  finishing  of  the  work,  but 
the  county  finally  returned  to  its  "  first  love,"  and 
allowed  Mr.  Conkey  to  complete  the  buildings.  In  the 
latter  part  of  1860,  the  jail  was  burned,  and  a  new 
building  erected  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  j'ears. 
The  foundation  for  an  elegant  new  Court-house,  to 
take  the  place  of  the  old  wooden  structure,  was  laid  in 
the  Fall  of  1880.  It  is  to  be  three  stories,  built  of  brick, 
with  stone  basement,  and  erected  at  a  cost  of  f40,000. 
The  edifice  will  be  surmounted  b}'  a  handsome  tower, 
with  town  clock,  and  the  time  for  completion  has  been 
set  for  January  1,  1882.  The  county  buildings  are  sit- 
uated on  the  square  between  Sixtii  and  Seventh,  Allen 
and  Walnut   streets,  Third  Ward.      L.   E.   Darling  is 


Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  and  J.  E.  Harriman, 
County  Judge. 

WAR    ITEMS. 

The  important  records  on  file  in  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's office,  cause  much  confusion  in  the  statements 
concerning  the  military  of  Wisconsin.  Fi'om  such 
books  as  are  therein  presented,  is  gleaned  the  fol- 
lowing : 

The  quota  of  troops  assigned  Outagamie  County, 
during  the  war,  was  786 ;  the  total  number  of  troops 
credited,  499.  The  amount  of  money  paid  by  the  sev- 
eral towns  in  the  county  for  war  purposes,  during  the 
rebellion,  was  $49,284.17  ;  amount  raised  bv  the  countv 
at  large,  $11,000. 

A  number  of  Outagamie's  men  enlisted  in  the  Sixth 
Infantry. 

Company  K,  of  the  Seventeenth  Infantry,  was 
formed  of  men  from  Outagamie  and  Waupaca  counties. 

Company  D,  Twenty-first  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, was  raised  in  Outagamie  County.  The  regiment 
was  organized  at  Camp  Bragg,  Oshkosh,  under  Col.  B.  J. 
Sweet ;  was  mustered  into  service  September,  1802 ;  was 
engaged  in  the  battles  of  Chaplin  Hills  and  Stone  River  ; 
marched  with  Gen.  Thomas  to  Chattanooga ;  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Ciiickamauga  and  in  the  assault  upon 
Mission  Ridge;  marched  to  the  summit  of  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, remaining  there  sometime;  then  went  with  Sher- 
man toward  Atlanta,  participating  in  the  actions  at  Re- 
saca.  Pumpkin  Vine  Creek,  Big  Shanty,  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tain, Chattahoochie  River,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta, 
Jonesboro,  then  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea,  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  battles  of  Savannah,  Averysboro  and  Ben- 
tonville  ;  participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Washing- 
ton, on  the  24th  of  May ;  mustered  out  on  the  8th  of 
June,  and  disbanded  on  the  17th  of  that  month,  1865. 

Company  I,  Thirty-second  Wisconsin  Infantry  was 
raised  in  Outagamie  County.  It  did  considerable  march- 
ing and  fighting,  with  its  regiment,  in  Tennessee  and 
Mississippi ;  was  on  provost  duty ;  engaged  in  fatigue  and 
guard  duty  at  Atlanta ;  marched  with  Sherman  to  the 
sea,  being  hotly  engaged  at  Marlow,  Whippy  Swamp, 
Binnaker's  Bridge,  Cherau,  Fayetteville,  Bentonville 
and  other  places  ;  took  part  in  review  at  Washington, 
and  was  mustered  out  June  12,  1865. 

Company  E,  of  tiie  Fortieth  Infantry,  was  formed 
in  Lawrence  University,  Appleton,  May  13,  1864. 
Left  Appleton  for  Camp  Randall,  Madison,  Wis.,  May 
20,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  by 
Lieut.  J.  H.  Purcell,  United  States  Infantry,  on  the 
eighth  d.ay  of  June,  1864. 

Captain  Hauser,  of  Co.  E,  says :  "  At  tlie  time  of 
Forrest's  raid  on  Memphis,  August  21,  the  Fortieth 
Wisconsin  marched  nearly  tiiree  miles,  most  of  the 
way,  on  tlie  double-quick,  to  the  Hernando  road,  where 
the  rebels  entered  the  city.  They  were  ordered  to 
support  the  battery  which  was  engaged  with  the 
enemy.  The  men  lay  down  for  an  hour  between  the 
rebel  line  and  the  battery,  while  an  artiller}'  duel  went 
on  over  their  heads.  Wiien  the  enem)-  retreated,  the 
Fortieth  pursued  them  two  miles.  Lieut.-Colonel  Fal- 
lows (who  had  resigned  his  commission  as  chaplain  in 
the   Thirty-second    regiment   and    been  commissioned 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


669 


lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fortieth),  commanded  the 
Fortieth  in  this  action,  and  it  is  said,  to  have  conducted 
it  in  this,  its  first  and  only  fight,  in  a  cool  and  soldierly 
manner." 

A  number  of  Outagamie  men  were  in  the  cavalry 
regiments.  John  C.  Broughton  was  quartermaster  of 
the  First  Cavalry;  Peter  J.  Williamson  was  first  lieu- 
tenant Co.  F,  First  Cavalry ;  Kdgar  T.  Clark,  second 
lieutenant  Co.  G,  First  Cavalry ;  John  H.  Barnes,  sec- 
ond and  first  lieutenant,  Co.  G,  First  Cavalry  ;  Josiah 
G.  Calvert,  second  and  first  lieutenant  Co.  I,  Tiiird 
Cavalry.  Co.  L,  of  Third  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  was 
partly  raised  in  Outagamie  County. 

APPLETON. 

The  founding  of  Lawrence  University  is  the  founding 
of  Appleton.  It  is  doubtful  whether  there  ever  would  have 
been  an  Appleton  had  there  never  been  a  University,  for 
it  was  the  presence  of  this  splendid. educational  institution 
which  was  the  means  of  forming  a  thriving  settlement,  and 
of  eventually  calling  attention  to  her  advantages  as  a  manu- 
facturing center.  Previous  to  1S48,  when  the  University 
was  an  established  fact,  but  one  white  man  had  settled  in 
this  vicinity,  J.  S.  Therber;  and  the  settlements  in  the 
northern  part  of  Outagamie  County  were  later,  by  some 
years,  than  in  the  southern.  In  1848,  when  the  erection  of 
the  preparatory  building  of  the  Institute  was  in  progress, 
such  men  as  Geo.  H.  Myers,  H.  L.  Blood,  Rev.  A.  B.  Ran- 
dall, James  Blood,  R.  R.  Bateman,  J.  S.  Buck,  J.  F.  Johns- 
ton, and  W.  H.  Warner,  "came  to  stay,"  erecting  their 
shanties  on  the  future  site  of  Appleton.  Why  this  particu- 
lar spot  should  be  chosen  for  the  site  of  the  University, 
when  Mr.  Lawrence  only  expressed  a  desire  to  have  it  lo- 
cated somewhere  on  the  banks  of  the  Fox,  has  always  been 
a  matter  of  speculation.  The  choice  seems  to  have  been 
partly  accidental,  and  partly  brought  about  by  the  fact  that 
certain  gentlemen  had  lands  here  to  give  away.  As  the 
move  was  purely  in  the  interest  of  religious  education,  geo- 
graphical position — this  being  nearly  in  the  center  of  the 
then  Green  Bay  mission  district  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church — may  have  had  a  weight,  even  an  unconscious 
one,  in  placing  the  University  where  it  now  stands.  But 
further  speculation  is  needless.  The  University  stands, 
and  men  put  it  there.  Its  inception  and  growth  will  be 
briefly  traced  in  succeeding  pages,  a  start  being  made  at  a 
point  where  the  establishment  of  the  University  was  first 
broached  to  Mr.  Eastman,  of  Green  Bay,  who  then  had 
charge  of  Mr.  Amos  A.  Lawrence's  legal  affairs  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  State. 

At  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference,  held  in  1844, 
Rev.  Wm.  H.  Sampson  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of 
the  Green  Bay  mission  district,  which  extended  from  Green 
Bay  to  Whitewater,  and  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Wiscon- 
sin River.  In  the  Spring  of  1846,  lie  received  the  follow- 
ing letter,  which  is  self-explanatory,  from  H.  Eugene  East- 
man, of  the  former  place  : 

Elder  Wm.  II.  Samvsou,  Drnr  Sir: — I  am  in  receipt  cfa  leltcv  frcm 
a  gentleman  of  Boston,  whose  name  I  am  not  at  liberty  10  disclose,  con- 
taining the  following  proposition,  which  1  lake  ihe  libeiljof  lerderirg  to 
you  to  be  submilted  to  your  annual  conference,  should  jou  see  fit  to  do 


so  :  "  If  there  is  any  certainty  of  a  vigorous  co-operation  by  any  other 
body,  lay  or  clerical,  I  should  be  willing  to  put  such  a  sum  or  money  in 
the  hands  of  trustees  as,  placed  at  interest,  will,  in  ten  years,  amount  to 
Sio.ooo,  and  also  give,  provided  there  should  be  no  failure  in  case  of  my 
death,  the  sum  of  Sl.ooo  yearly,  for  ten  years,  toward  securing  a  compe- 
tent salary  to  such  instructors  as  may  be  required  ;  or,  if  necessary,  I 
will  pay  the  $10,000  cash,  now,  to  secure  the  desired  object.  But  all 
this  is  founded  on  the  expectation  of  a  similar  sum  from  other  quarters. 
I  have  a  high  opinion  of  the  adaptation  of  the  principals  of  Methodists 
to  the  people  of  the  West,  and  I  think,  from  all  that  I  can  learn,  that  their 
institutions  are  carried  on  with  more  vigor,  and  diflfuse  more  good  with  the 
same  means,  than  any  others.  It  seems  to  be  decided  by  experience  that 
all  library  institutions  must  be  controlled  by  some  sect,  and  efforts  to  pre- 
vent this  have  often  blasted  their  usefulness.  I  wish  you  to  keep  this  as 
much  to  yourself  as  possible,  and,  at  any  rate,  keep  my  name  out  of  view." 
This  proposition,  it  is  proper  to  add,  is  for  the  establishment  of  an  insti- 
tution of  le-irning  at,  or  ne.-.r,  DePere,  in  Brown  County,  which  appears 
to  he  a.  s!>ie  t/na  lion  vi'nh  this  gentleman  who  makes  it.  Please  take 
the  trouble  to  present  the  above  to  your  conference.  If  there  is  any 
reasonable  prospect  of  the  society  meeting  the  same  with  a  similar  en- 
dowment, inform  me  of  the  disposition  as  soon  as  possible  ;  meanwhile 
I  should  be  glad  to  hear  your  views  on  the  subject.  Should  you  write 
soon,  you  will  please  address,  Boston,  Mass. 

H.  Eugene  Eastman. 
Green  Bay,  April  16.  1S46. 

This  course  Mr.  Sampson  eagerly  took,  as  he  had  al- 
ready become  fully  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  provid- 
ing Christian  education  for  those  of  his  district  growing  up 
to  the  responsible  duties  of  more  mature  life.  In  the  fol- 
lowing August,  the  proposition  was  presented  to  the  Rock 
River  Conference,  and  first  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Education,  next  to  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Fond  du  Lac 
(formerly  Green  Bay)  District,  whoever  he  might  be,  with 
instructions  to  obtain  the  name  of  the  unknown  but  gener- 
ous patron.  Mr.  Eastman  declined  to  throw  any  light  upon 
the  subject,  but  Lawrence  University  was  to  be,  and  the 
mystery  was  soon  made  clear  through  a  natural,  although 
somewhat  peculiar  course  of  events.  While  Mr.  Sampson 
and  hundreds  of  Methodist  parents  were  praying  and  striv- 
ing for  help  out  of  this  educational  difficulty,  struggling  to 
gain  some  knowledge  of  Mr.  Eastman's  correspondent. 
Reeder  Smith,  agent  of  Albion  Seminary,  Michigan,  was  la- 
boring with  Amos  A.  Lawrence,  of  Boston,  in  the  cause  of 
that  oppressed  institution.  Thinking  that  Michigan  was 
able  to  sustain  her  own  educational  projects,  Mr.  Lawrence 
declined  to  render  assistance,  remarking  also  that  he  had 
already  made  a  proposition  to  found  a  literary  institution  in 
Wisconsin.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Smith  was  not  in  good 
odor  at  Albion,  and  this  last  failure  to  place  the  Michigan 
enterprise  on  a  better  footing  determined  him  to  throw  the 
weight  of  his  support  into  the  Wisconsin  scales.  He  ac- 
cordingly secured  the  privilege  of  bringing  Mr.  Lawrence's 
proposition  to  Wisconsin.  On  December  28,  1846,  a  meet- 
ing of  laymen  and  ministers  was  held  in  Milwaukee,  for 
what  purpose  notice  had  been  given  by  Mr.  Smith.  Rev. 
William  M.  D.  Ryan  was  chosen  chairman  and  Rev.  William 
H.  Sampson,  secretary.  Mr.  Smith  presented  the  proposi- 
tion as  the  duly  accredited  agent  of  Amos  A.  Lawrence, 
and  it  was  most  favorably  received.  A  charter,  incorporat- 
ing "  The  Lawrence  Institute  of  Wisconsin,"  was  granted, 
January  17,  1847,  and  on  September  23  the  Boardof  Trust- 
ees organized  as  follows  :  Hon.  Mason  C.  Darling,  of  Fond 
du  Lac,  president ;  N.  P.  Talmadge,  Fond  du  Lac,  and 
Henry  A.  Baird,  Green  Bay,  vice-presidents;  Rev.  W.  H. 
Sampson,   Fond    du    Lac,   secretary;     Morgan   L.    Martin, 


67C 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


Green  Bay,  treasurer.  The  meeting  was  held  in  Fond  du 
Lac.  George  W.  Lawe,  of  Kaukauna,  and  John  F.  Meade, 
of  Green  Bay,  proposed  each  to  donate  thirty-one  acres  of 
land  in  the  "  Grand  Chute,"  now  the  heart  of  Appleton. 
The  former  did  so,  but  there  is  a  bit  of  secret  history  con- 
nected with  the  latter's  donation  which  has  never  before 
appeared  in  print,  and  which  is  given  on  the  authority  of 
Mr.  Sampson  himself.  It  is  to  the  discredit  of  no  one  but 
Mr.  Smith,  who  seemed  to  have  a  peculiar  faculty  for  getting 
himself  into  trouble  in  all  his  efforts  for  the  "cause  of  ed- 
ucation :  " 

"  Mr.  Lawe,  after  the  location  was  made,  duly  conveyed 
his  donation  by  deed,  and  Mr.  Meade  would  have  done  so, 
he  told  me,  except  for  the  interference  of  Mr.  Smith.  The 
latter  had  it  deeded  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  who  informed  me 
that  he  paid  Mr.  Smith  for  the  land.  Had  the  conveyance 
been  made  according  to  the  stipulations  of  Mr.  Meade's 
article  of  agreement,  our  college  would  have  been  worth,  I 
think,  to-day,  at  least  $100,000  more  than  it  is.  When  I 
informed  Mr.  Lawrence  of  the  facts  he  proposed  to  deed  to 
the  University  a  large  number  of  lots,  but  Mr.  Smith  hav- 
ing a  contract  to  sell  for  one-half  of  the  receipts,  served  an 
injunction  and  prevented  the  conveyance."  At  the  close 
of  the  conference  year  in  1848,  Mr.  Sampson  was  appoint- 
ed principal  of  Lawrence  Institute,  and  under  his  manage- 
ment, assisted  by  H.  L.  Blood,  the  work  of  raising  money 
to  meet  Mr.  Lawrence's  proposition  went  vigorously  on. 
The  amount  finally  raised  was  $11,000.  The  frame  for  the 
preparatory  building  was  raised  July  3,  1859,  and  on  the 
Fourth  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read  in  its 
hall  by  J.  S.  Stephens,  while  Rev.  A.  B.  Randall  delivered 
a  patriotic  oration.  Nov.  12,  1849,  the  school  opened 
with  the  following  corps  of  teachers  :  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Samp- 
son, A.  M.,  principal ;  Romulus  O.  Kellogg,  A.  B.,  professor 
of  languages;  James  M.  Phinney,  professor  of  mathematics  ; 
Miss  Emeline  M.  Crooker,  preceptress;  Miss  L.  Amelia 
Uayton,  assistant  teacher.  The  first  annual  catalogue,  pub- 
lished in  1850,  shows  that  105  students  had  enrolled  them- 
selves with  the  Institute.  The  next  year  was  a  trying  one, 
especially  for  Mr.  Sampson,  who  was  acting  both  as  finan- 
cial agent  and  also  as  principal,  and  it  may  be  added,  to 
show  that  undue  prominence  is  not  given  to  his  name  in 
treating  of  the  early  days  of  Lawrence  University,  that  he 
sacrificed  valuable  property  in  Fond  du  Lac  to  preserve  its 
extensive  and  good  name.  With  the  exception  of  Prof. 
Jabez  Brook's  short  incumbency  in  1S52,  Mr.  Sampson  con- 
tinued at  the  helm  until  the  first  college  classes  were  organ- 
ized in  1853.  The  name  of  the  institution  had  been  changed 
in  1849  to  "The  Lawrence  University  of  Wisconsin." 
In  June,  1853,  Dr.  Edward  Cooke,  of  Boston,  was  installed 
as  the  first  President  of  the  University.  The  present  three- 
story  structure  was  erected  in  1853,  to  meet  the  demands 
for  more  room,  and  the  primary  building  was  burned  in 
February,  1854.  This  year  witnessed  the  acceptance  of  the 
gift  of  $10,000  from  the  Samuel  Appleton  estate,  Boston, 
and  the  foundation  laid  for  one  of  the  most  complete  li- 
braries of  the  Northwest.     The  donation  had  been  expect- 


ed for  some  time,  the  name  Appleton  having  been  given  to 
the  village  in  1848  when  it  was  first  platted.  Mr.  Appleton 
was  the  father-in-law  of  .\mos  Lawrence,  and  it  is  said  that 
the  bestowal  of  the  name  was  the  latter's  suggestion  in  1861. 
Hon.  Lee  Claflin,  of  Boston,  donated  fiio,ooo  to  found  the 
Claflin  Professorship.  Other  generous  gifts  have  swelled 
the  value  of  the  University  property  to  $i33,9S4-9i-  'he 
University  building  is  placed  at  $30,000,  the  grounds  $20,- 
000,  the  library  $18,400  and  the  cabinet  $5,800. 

In  1859,  Dr.  Cooke  resigned  the  presidency,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  Prof.  R.  Z.  Mason,  who  retired  in  1865.  Dr. 
George  M.  Steele,  his  successor,  whose  untiring  and  Chris- 
tian zeal  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  all  laborers,  good 
and  noble,  served  for  fourteen  years.  Dr.  E.  D.  Huntley 
assumed  the  responsibilities  of  the  position  in  1879,  and  has 
proved  a  worthy  follower.  He,  with  the  help  of  liberal  pat- 
rons of  the  university  (Joseph  Rook,  noteworthily),  has  lifted 
an  oppressive  debt,  and  spread  new  life  in  all  directions. 
During  1880,  a  commodious  and  beautiful  dwelling-house 
was  erected  on  the  grounds  for  the  president.  What  with 
its  beautiful  grounds,  its  complete  library,  its  geological  and 
botanic  department,  its  valuable  chemical  and  philosophical 
apparatus,  its  flourishing  literary  societies,  its  bright  250  stu- 
dents, its  vigorous  and  scholarly  president  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty,  the]  success  of  Lawrence  University 
would  be  assured,  if  it  were  not  already  an  established  fact. 

The  faculty  of  the  university  is  as  follows  : 

Rev.  E.D.Huntley,  D.  D.,LL.D.,  president  and  Claflin 
professor  of  ethics  and  civil  polity. 

Hiram  A.  Jones,  A.  M.,  professor  of  the  Latin  language 
and  literature. 

Rev.  Wesley  C.  Sawyer,  A.  M.,  Ph.D.,  professor  of  phi- 
losophy and  German. 

James  C.  Foye,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  vice-president  and  pro- 
fessor of  chemistry  and  physics. 

Herbert  B.  Perkins,  S.  B.,  professor  of  mathematics  and 
astronomy. 

N.  M.  Wheeler,  A.  M.,  professor  of  the  Greek  language 
and  literature. 

.Vngie  A.  M.  Warren,  preceptress  and  instructor  in 
French  and  Latin. 

Seline  A.  Clark,  instructor  in  drawing  and  painting. 

Anna  E.  R.  Kunkle,  instructor  of  elocution. 

WATER    POWER. 

The  arduous  undertaking  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers  improvement,  has  been  traced  to  its  present  com- 
pletion in  the  chapter  devoted  to  Brown  County.  While 
the  cities  of  the  upper  valley,  to  a  certain  extent,  allowed 
the  splendid  possibilities  of  the  Fox  River  water-powers  to 
blind  their  judgments  to  the  necessity  of  improving  local 
natural  advantages,  those  of  the  lower  valley  entered,  body 
and  soul,  into  the  work.  In  June,  1856,  work  on  the  Fox, 
between  Oshkosh  and  Green  Bay,  was  so  far  advanced  that 
the  "Ajax"  and  the  "Pioneer"  passed  through  the  locks  and 
canal  below  Appleton.  Already  the  village  had  a  popula- 
tion of  1,500,  and  the  annual  product  of  its  manufactures 
amounted  to  $100,000.     Now  that  the  great  water-course  to 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


671 


672  HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 

the  lakes  was  open,  and  an  unrivaled  power  within  its  reach,  Harriman,  and  the  Green  Bay  &  Mississippi  Canal  Com- 
Appleton  took  a  fresh  start  as  a  commercial  and  manufac-  pany.  The  latter  was  also  re-organized,  and  the  control  of 
turing  center.  The  height  of  the  fall  from  Lake  Winne-  future  works  of  improvement  passed  into  the  hands  of  home 
bago  to  Green  Bay,  is  170  feet.  With  the  exception  of  that  capital  and  home  talent.  The  Green  Bay  &  Mississippi 
at  Little  Kaukauna  and  Little  Chute,  the  water-power  at  Company  controlled  the  water  power,  and  the  gentlemen 
Appleton  is  greater  than  that  at  any  other  point  between  the  named  owned  the  land  through  \vhich  it  was  proposed  to 
source  and  the  outlet  of  the  flow.  It  is  equal  to  11,500  cut  a  canal,  from  a  point  below  the  stone  dam  to  one  oppo- 
horse  power.  Lakes  Winnebago,  Poygan  and  Butte  des  site  the  south  channel  of  the  river.  This  extensive  under- 
Mortes,  with  streams  which  drain  a  territory  300  miles  in-  taking  was  effected  in  the  remarkably  short  space  of  time 
land,  are  the  sources  of  this  power,  and  never  fail  to  bestow  between  August  15  and  November  13,  1880.  The  channel 
their  favors  ;  in  Summer  or  Winter,  drought  or  freshet,  is  2,300  feet  long  and  sixty  feet  wide,  and  the  land  furnishes 
the  flowage  does  not  vary  more  than  two  feet  and  a  half,  unrivaled  sites  for  manufacturing  purposes.  A  head  is  here 
Such  is  its  force,  that  the  rigor  of  this  northern  climate  can  obtained  of  nine  feet,  nine  inches.  West's  Canal  being  an 
not  put  an  embargo  upon  the  manufacturing  industries  of  improvement  of  far  longer  standing,  the  railroad  facilities 
Appleton.  For  many  years,  however,  tlfe  old  dam,  built  of  of  the  adjoining  sites  are  not  so  numerous;  but  it  is  only  a 
spars  in  the  course  of  the  Fox  River  improvement,  was  the  question  of  time  when  along  both  channels  will  be  thickly 
only  means  by  which  the  place  was  furnished  with  a  head  of  clustered  manufactories  of  every  description.  Further  de- 
water.  This  is  now  the  origin  of  the  lower  power  (No.  3),  tails  of  the  utilization  of  the  water  power,  and  mention  of 
being  situated  below  the  terminus  of  West's  canal,  and  the  enterprising  and  public  spirited  citizens  connected  with 
maintained  by  the  Government.  it,  will  be  found  in  the  department  devoted  to  the  manufac- 

The  next,  and  perhaps  the  greatest  improvement  in  de-  tures  and  business  interests  of  Appleton.     To  indicate  by 

veloping  the  water  power  of  Appleton,  was  the  construction  plain  figures  what  the  water  power  is  worth  to  the  city,  an- 

of  the   Edward  West   canal   through   Grand   Chute  Island,  nually,  it  is  only  necessary  to  present  the  following  table. 

That  energetic  man  had  for  years  owned  the  island,  and  showing  the  value  of  the  manufactured  products  for  1880 

almost  from  the  first  moment  of  coming  into  possession  of  Farming  implements $   /o.ooo     ' 

it,  had  seen   the  benefits  to  be   derived  from   carrying  on  Furniture 75.000 

,  J     ^  ,.  Flour      890.000 

such  an  undertaking.  q^^  __  12,000 

Finally,  in  1870,  the  work  was  accomplished,  under  his  Hubs  and  spokes —     S6,ooo 

management,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.     The  canal  is  2,000  feet  Lumber   ""//////////.'/..//"//-/.'- V,-V...'.     So.ooo 

in  length,  130  feet  wide  and  nineteen  feet  deep,  and  the  Leather. 85,000 

power  is  that  of  4,000  horses,  an  average  head  of  fourteen  MTch\ne"y/.!''!V.. --''.'-."...."''.."'-!--..'..'.'.     38,000 

feet   being   maintained.      Four   years   after,    in    1874,   the  Pumps 8,500 

United  States  Government,  into  whose  possession  the  Fox  I^!:L^^\^i:^'':':±::::::::\-.\:::::\:   lloZ 

River  improvement  had  passed,  built  the  substantial  stone  Sash,  doors  and  blinds 75.000 

structure  known  as  the  upper  dam,  at  a  cost  of  $80,000.        \vood%u°p^':::;::::i:'.'./."."..:".".'.".::".'.'-::  14°:^ 

Itis  of  solid  masonry,  its   foundation   being  the  limestone  Others 78.000 

bed  of  the  river,  and  its  dimensions  700  feet  long  by  twelve  -j-qi^I  s-j  1S2000 

feet  high.     The  pier  at  the  south  end  of  the  dam,  extend-  Total  for  1S79... z^ssiooo 

ing  4,000  feet  in  an  easterly  direction,  was  re-constructed  in  Railroad  Facililies. — The    Milwaukee,    Lake    Shore   & 

1879-80.     At  the  north  end  of  the  dam,  the  Appleton  and  Western  Railroad  Company,  by  its  connection  with  the  Green 

Atlas  Paper  companies  also  built  a  bulk-head,  in  two  sec-  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  line  at   New  London,  is  the  most 

tions,  and   obtained  a  head  of  sixteen   feet,  and  a  water  important  factor  in  the  northern  transportation   system  of 

power  almost  inexhaustible.     A  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the  Outagamie  County  and  of  Appleton.     It  enters  the  county 

Government   dam    is   the   commencement   of    the  second  by  way  of  Buchanan  Town,  in  the   southeast,  passes  west 

power.     Five  years   ago,  prominent  real  estate  owners  and  and  northwest  through  Appleton,  Grand  Chute,  Greenville, 

manufacturers  saw   the  necessity,  more  than  ever,  of  con-  village  of  Hortonville,  Hortonia,  to  New  London,  where  it 

structing  a  third  dam  between  the  two,  for  the  purpose  of  connects  with  the  Green  Bay  road,  which  has  run  through 

regulating  the  flow  of  water  and  permanently  establishing  Brown  County  into   the  northeastern   part  of  Outagamie, 

valuable  powers  on  both  sides  of  the   river.     It  was  com-  through  Seymour  (Town  and  City),  Black  Creek  (Town  and 

pleted  in  1877,  is  800  feet  long,  and  has  in  every  particular  Village),    and  village  of    Middleburg,  Bovina,  village    of 

fulfilled  expectations.     From  the  northern  end  a  canal,  sev-  Shiocton,  and  town  of  Liberty.      The  Chicago  and  North- 

eral  hundred  feet  in  length,  has  been   cut,  thus  affording  western  cuts  off  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  from 

other  valuable  water  powers.     West's  canal   taps  the  river  the  eastern  boundary  of  Kaukauna  to  the  southern  of  Grand 

from  below  the  southern  terminus  of  the  dam.  Chute,  accommodating  the  villages  of  Kaukauna  and  Little 

In  1880,  the  Telulah  Water   Power  Company  was  incor-  Chute,  and  the  city  of  Appleton  on  its  way.       It  also   runs 

[jorated,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000,  it  being  the  re-  through  the  town  of  Dale  in  the  southwest.      The  Milwau- 

sult  of  a  union  of  interests  between  Capt.  Hyde  and  Judge  kee  &  Northern,  with  the  two  corporations  mentioned  above, 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


673 


is  also  a  prime  factor  in  opening  up  communication  and 
bringing  business  from  the  south.  The  Chicago  &  North- 
western Company  was  the  pioneer  in  giving  the  county  and 
the  metropolis  her  railroad  facilities.  For  nearly  twenty 
years  that  great  corporation  has  retained  the  good  will  of 
the  people  of  this  locality,  and  within  the  past  two  years 
has  further  cemented  their  friendship  by  inaugurating  a 
thorough  system  of  local  extension  along  the  water-powers 
of  Appleton,  by  which  the  scores  of  manufactories  there 
located  are  accommodated  beyond  measure.  The  Milwau- 
kee &  Northern,  and  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  West- 
ern followed  close  in  its  wake,  until  every  factory  of  note 
has  a  railroad  at  its  own  door. 

Although  the  hum  of  machinery  is  constant.  Summer 
and  Winter,  there  are  few  inland  cities  of  the  Northwest  so 
delightfully  situated,  and  so  charming  themselves, as  Apple- 
ton.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  both  banks  of  the  Fox 
River,  elegant  residences  and  magnificent  churches  over- 
looking the  manufactories  in  the  valley.  The  swift  rushing 
stream  carries  away  all  filth  and  breeders  of  disease,  and 
the  air  on  the  uplands  is  pure  and  dry.  Nature  seems  to 
have  stamped  the  location  and  city  with  health.  Dr.  J.  T. 
Reeve  has  also  labored  so  effectually  to  throw  additional 
safeguards  around  Appleton,  that  her  Board  of  Health  has 
been  abolished  as  a  merely  ornamental  appendage.  Beauti- 
ful drives  within  the  city  limits  and  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  serve  to  increase  the  natural  charms,  and  the  river 
itself  offers  opportunities  for  boating,  fishing  and  bathing, 
which  are  taken  advantage  of  with  zest.  In  the  southeas- 
tern part  of  the  city,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Fox,  is  the 
Telulah  Driving  Park  and  a  fine  mineral  spring,  so  strongly 
impregnated  with  sulphur  that  the  sides  of  the  fountains  are 
encrusted.  The  water  is  of  a  dark  greenish  yellow,  but 
clear  as  crystal.  It  is  becoming  quite  a  famous  resort  for 
people  of  the  vicinity,  and  its  reputation  extends  beyond 
Appleton.  Health,  beauty  and  mineral  water  belong  to 
Appleton.      What  more    is  required  for  a  Summer  resort  ? 

INCORPORATION. 

Appleton  was  incorporated  as  a  city  under  Chapter  132, 
P.  and  L.  L.,  March  2.  1857,  and  its  ward  boundaries  are 
established  as  follows  :  The  First  Ward  is  bounded  north 
by  Second  avenue,  south  and  east  by  the  Fox  River,  and  west 
by  Drew  street.  The  Second  Ward  is  that  portion  of  the 
city  between  Drew  on  the  east,  North  Division,  North  and 
South  Elm  streets,  on  the  west.  Fox  River  on  the  south  and 
Atlantic  street  on  the  north.  The  Third  Ward  is  bounded 
north  by  College  avenue,  west  by  the  city  limits,  south  and 
eastward  by  Fox  River,  and  east  by  North  and  South  Elm 
streets.  The  Fourth  Ward  comprises  all  that  portion  of 
Appleton  south  of  the  river.  The  Fifth  Ward,  the  territory 
limited  north  by  Second  avenue,  south  by  College  avenue, 
east  by  North  Division  street,  and  west  by  corporation  line. 
The  Sixth  Ward  embraces  the  district  bounded  north  by  the 
city  limits,  south  by  Atlantic  street,  from  Drew  to  North 
Division,  east  by  Drew  street,  and  west  by  North  Division. 
The  population  of  .\ppleton  is  8,005.      H.  Pierce  is  Mayor. 

The  bonded  debt  of  the  city  is  $99,000,  and  its  assessed 
valuation  $2,148,646. 


PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

Appleton  is  divided  into  four  school  districts,  its  Board 
of  Education  being  composed  as  follows  :  First  District,  W. 
H.  Chilson  and  C.  P.  Richmond  ;  Second  District,  Samuel 
Ryan  and  Joseph  KofTend;  Third  District,  George  Schultes 
and  Joseph  Rork  ;  Fourth  District,  James  Lawler  and  P.J. 
Johnson.  A.  H.  Conkey  is  City  Superintendent  and  Clerk 
of  the  Board. 

Firs/  District. — The  value  of  the  school  buildings  in  this 
district  is  $5,000.  k.  new  structure  is  being  erected  to  cost 
$11,000.  The  old  building  is  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Meade  and  Franklin  streets.  The  principal  of  the  school, 
which  comprises  five  departments,  is  Prof.  M.  J.  Burk. 

Second  District. — The  Appleton  High  school  of  the  Sec- 
ond District  is  located  in  the  "  Hercules"  building,  corner 
of  Fisk  and  Appleton.  R.  H.  Schmidt  is  principal  both  of 
that  and  the  district  school.  There  are  fourteen  depart- 
ments in  all.  The  value  of  the  property  is  $18,000,  which  will 
be  increased  to  $36,000  by  erection  of  additional  building. 

Third  District. — There  are  four  buildings  in  this  district, 
and  seven  departments,  C.  W.  Greenfield,  principal.  The 
Third  Ward  structure  is  corner  of  Fifth  and  Locust  streets  ; 
the  Fifth  Ward  on  Richmond,  between  Lorian  and  Elsie  ; 
"  Amicus  "  school,  (second  and  third  grades),  corner  of 
Appleton  and  Commercial  streets;  "Germania,"  (sixth 
grades),  corner  of  Fisk  and  Morrison  streets.  The  total 
value  of  the  property  is  $12,000. 

Fourth  District.— The  school  is  situated  on  Jackson 
street,  between  Lorian  and  Elsie  streets,  and  the  property 
is    valued    at    $11,000.     A.  B.  Whitman  is  principal. 

The  value  of  school  buildings  and  sites  is  therefore 
$46,000,  of  new  structure  being  erected  and  sites  $30,000 — 
total  $76,000.  At  the  time  of  taking  the  census  of  1880, 
there  were  2,897  children  of  school  age  in  the  city,  the  en- 
rollment was  1,780,  and  the  attendance  1,350.  In  private 
and  parochial  schools  the  enrollment  is  about  450. 

The  Fire  Department,  as  re  organized  by  Hon.  George 
Kreiss,  the  Chief  of  the  department,  this  branch  of  the 
municipal  service  consists  of  Steam  Engine  Company  No. 
I  (Steamer  "Amos  Story");  Washington  Steam  Engine 
Company  No.  2  (Steamer  "Alvin  Foster  ") ;  and  Appleton 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company.  The  facilities  for  staying  con- 
flagrations are  excellent,  the  city  having  provided  fourteen 
cisterns,  whose  aggregate  capacity  is  175,000  barrels. 

The  Press. — The  first  effort  to  establish  a  newspaper  at 
Appleton  was  made  by  Edward  Edwards,  in  the  latter  part 
of  1S51.  He  bought  a  small  press  and  type  from  Oshkosh, 
and  had  already  "  made  up"  two  pages  when  a  fire  broke 
out  in  the  building,  and  he  escaped  with  his  life  only,  the 
printing  office  being  totally  destroyed.  In  December,  1852, 
the  Hon.  Perry  H.  Smith,  then  a  practicing  attorney  at 
Appleton,  also  the  first  County  Judge  of  Outagamie  County, 
now  a  resident  of  Chicago,  111.,  persuaded  Samual  Ryan,  Jr., 
to  come  to  Appleton  and  see  whether  a  newspaper  could  be 
made  to  live  or  not.  On  the  31st  of  December,  1852,  hav- 
ing interviewed  the  County  Board  and  most  of  the  residents 
of  the  little  hamlet  in  the  dense  wilderness,  he  decided  to 
try  it;  and  on  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  February,  1853,  the 


674 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN-   WISCONSIN. 


first  number  of  the  Appleton  Crescent,  a  six-column  sheet, 
was  issued  to  the  world.  The  type  for  that  issue  was 
principally  set  by  Samuel  Ryan,  Jr.,  Chancey  D.  Foote  and 
John  C.  Ryan,  although  some  articles  were  placed  in  type 
by  Henry  D.  Ryan  and  James  K.  Proudfit.  All  these  per- 
sons still  survive.  Col.  Foote  is  a  resident  of  Texas,  Gen. 
Proudfit  of  Missouri,  and  John  C.  Ryan,  when  last  heard 
from,  was  in  Nevada.  During  that  year,  James  Ryan  and 
Henry  D.  Ryan  entered  the  office,  and  until  1858,  the  four 
brothers  conducted  the  paper  and  in  the  main  did  mechan- 
ical work  also,  although  Rolla  A.  Law,  who  died  a  few  years 
since  at  South  Haven,  Mich.,  contributed  most  of  the  polit- 
ical articles  in  1854-5,  Samuel  Ryan,  Jr.,  not  assuming  full 
control  as  political  and  local  editor  until  the  beginning  of 
1856.  In  1858,  John  C.  Ryan  left  for  what  is  now  Colorado 
and  Montana,  followed  the  succeeding  year  by  Henry  D. 
Ryan,  who  returned,  however,  in  1861,  and  re-entered  the 
office,  filling  the  editorial  chair  until  1864,  when  he  retired 
in  bad  health,  but  soon  after  entered  upon  the  study  and  in 
due  time  into  the  practice  of  law. 

When  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  Samuel 
Ryan,  Jr.,  the  founder  of  the  paper,  set  to  work  to  arrange 
his  affairs  to  enter  the  army.  For  a  few  weeks,  Jerome  A. 
Watrous,  now  an  editor  of  the  Sunday  Telegraph,  Milwaukee, 
and  Charles  D.  Elliott,  now  an  editor  of  the  Fond  du  Lac 
Coinmonivealth,hQX\\  of  whom  had  mastered  the  "art  pre- 
servative "  in  the  Crescent  office,  were  its  editors,  and  were 
so  announced ;  but  being  seized  with  the  "  army  fever " 
one  day,  left  the  forms  on  the  press,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  E, 
Sixth  Wis.  Inf,  Iron  Brigade.  Then  James  Ryan  and  Park 
B.  Elliott  had  to  take  up  the  editorial  labor,  but  the  latter 
(whose  name  never  appeared  in  that  capacity),  soon  en- 
listed in  the  Tenth  Wisconsin,  and  was  killed  in  his  first 
battle,  at  Perryville,  Ky.  Samuel  Ryan,  Jr.,  enlisted  that 
Fall  as  a  private  in  the  Third  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  was  soon 
apjjointed  quartermaster  sergeant;  immediately  after  de- 
tailed to  the  commissary  deiiartment,  to  which  was  soon 
added  extra  duties  at  head-quarters,  such  as  clerk  of  mili- 
tary commission,  clerk  to  regimental  court  martials,  etc., 
remaining  until  honorably  mustered  out  on  the  re-organiza- 
tion of  regimental,  commissioned  and  non-commissioned 
staff.  In  1864,  he  resumed  the  editor-in-chiefship  of  The 
Crescent,  James  Ryan  being  the  associate  editor,  and  the  two 
have  ever  since  controlled  and  managed  the  concern. 

During  the  first  seven  years  of  its  existence,  it  required 
an  abundance  of  hard  work,  sacrifice,  and  self-denial  on 
the  part  of  the  Ryan  Brothers  to  keep  The  Crescent  alive, 
and  during  the  next  seven  years  it  barely  afforded  them  a 
respectable  sujjport ;  while  now,  with  its  steam  presses  and 
handsome  jobbing  department,  it  is  one  of  the  finest  estab- 
lishments in  the  State,  and  the  newspa])er  wields  a  powerful 
influence  in  the  community  and  wherever  known.  From 
tiie  first,  its  conductors  made  the  development  of  its  part  of 
the  State  a  specialty,  and  it  is  quite  certain  that  Appleton 
owes  much  of  its   population   and   business   to  that  fact. 

The  Appleton  Postvi2,s  established  in  1858  It  changed 
hands  several  times  during  the  succeeding  ten  years,  when 
the  present  editor,  A.  J.  Reid,  became  connected  with  the 


journal.  Under  his  good  management  the  Post  has  become 
one  of  the  leading  and  most  flourishing  papers  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  State.  It  has  contributed  largely  to  the  de- 
velopment of  Appleton,  and  especially  have  its  annual 
"reviews  "  been  the  means  of  calling  particular  and  invalua- 
ble attention  to  the  charms  and  advantages  of  the  city  as  a 
resident  locality  and  a  business  and  manufacturing  point. 
The  Post  is  provided  with  superior  printing  facilities.  It 
has  four  steam  presses,  and  equipments  to  correspond  ;  its 
jobbing  and  newspaper  patronage  extending  throughout 
Northern  Wisconsin.  This  journal  is  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  is  earnest  and  forcible  in  the  expression  of  its 
views.     A.  J.  Reid  is  editor,  and  D.  C.  Pavey  his  associate. 

Appleton  Volks  Freund  is  published  every  Friday,  and  is 
an  Independent  Democratic  journal.  It  was  first  issued, 
March  i,  1870,  as  a  seven-column  folio  sheet,  by  Messrs. 
Erb,  Schindelmeisser  &  Selback.  Mr.  Schindelmeisser  re- 
tired after  three  months'  experience,  and  the  Volks  Freund 
was  published  by  Messrs.  Erb  &  Selbach.  One  year  later, 
H.  W.  Meyer  purchased  the  formers  interest,  and  the  firm 
became  Mersrs.  Selbach  &  Meyer.  The  next  year,  the  latter 
becrme  the  sole  proprietor,  as  he  is  at  present.  The  paper 
has  undergone  several  changes  for  the  better,  being  now  a 
six-column  quarto.  In  the  Fall  of  1S77,  a  Sunday  edition, 
Ber  Haus  Schatz  was  first  issued. 

Appleton  Wecker  was  established  in  June,  1873,  at  Me- 
nsha,  as  Der  Beobachter  am  Winnebago.  It  was  issued  as  a 
German  Independent  journal,  every  Saturday,  four  pages, 
size  26x40.  The  original  proprietors  were  William  Klcepfel 
and  John  Klinker.  During  the  next  year,  the  latter  bought 
out  Mr.  Klcepfel,  and  continued  to  publish  the  paper  until 
March,  1881,  when  it  was  removed  to  Appleton.  The  paper 
is  now  a  quarto,  30x44,  and  is  issued  Thursdays,  by  Messrs. 
C.  Rosmer  and  John  Klinker. 

Churches. — A  short  sketch  of  the  churches  of  Appleton 
is  given  below,  in  chronological  order: 

Rev.  W.  H.  Thom])son  organized  the  Appleton  mission 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  presided  over  it. 
In  1853,  the  church  building  was  commenced,  opposite  the 
University  grounds.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1872,  and 
another  one  began  the  next  year.  On  account  of  business 
depression,  this  was  not  completed  until  November,  1S79. 
Rev.  R.  M.  Hatfield  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon.  The 
edifice,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  cit)',  is  situated  on  the  corner 
of  Lawrence  and  Morrison  streets,  and  cost  $40,000.  Rev. 
S.  N.  Griffith  is  pastor.    The  church  membership  is  300. 

In  1850,  a  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized,  but  the 
next  year  the  members  adopted  the  Congregational  form  of 
worshi)).  In  1852,  .\nios  A.  Laurence  donated  a  lot,  and 
the  building  of  a  church  commenced.  It  was  dedicated  in 
1854.  Additions  have  since  been  made,  so  that  it  is  com- 
modious and  convenient.  The  church  is  located  on  the 
west  side  of  Oneida  street,  between  College  avenue  and 
Lawrence.     At  present  it  has  no  pastor. 

In  1870,  the  organization,  known  as  "the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Appleton,"  was  effected.  For  eight  years 
the  society  lay  virtually  dormant.  In  December,  1878,  Rev. 
J.  B.  Andrews  assumed  the  pastorate,  and  in  one  year  the 


HISTORY   OF   OUTAGAMIE    COUNTY. 


675 


fine  edifice  was  erected  which  stands  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  College  avenue  and  Drew  street.  Its  cost  was 
$20,000.  In  January,  1879,  a  re-organization  was  effected, 
and,  on  account  of  the  munificence  of  the  late  David  Smith, 
the  banker,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  "  Memorial  Pres- 
byterian Church."  The  congregation  of  the  church  now 
numbers  300. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  1852,  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Andrews,  of  Neenah.  Meetings  were  held  at  vari- 
ous places  until  the  present  building,  southeast  corner  of 
Fisk  and  Appleton  streets,  was  erected.  Its  cost  was  $6,000. 
The  membership  of  the  church  is  130,  Rev.  Mr.  Carroll  be- 
ing its  pastor. 

Episcopal  services  were  read  as  early  as  1855,  but  no 
organization  was  effected  until  1864.  In  1866,  Grace  church, 
a  neat  Gothic  edifice,  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 
It  is  situated  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Appleton  and  Ed- 
wards streets.  Rev.  George  Verner  is  pastor,  and  the  soci- 
ety has  eighty  communicants. 

St.  Mary's  Parish,  Catholic,  is  the  oldest  organization  of 
that  denomination  in  Appleion,  having  been  founded  in 
1859.  A  building  was  erected  soon  after,  but  the  founda- 
tion of  the  present  structure,  northeast  corner  of  State  and 
Seventh  streets,  was  not  laid  until  1874,  and  not  fully  com- 
pleted until  1880,  when,  by  the  expenditure  of  $9,000,  the 
two  spires  which  grace  the  church  were  finished.  Notwith- 
standing the  imposing  and  costly  edifice  which  has  been 
built,  the  society  is  out  of  debt.  Its  strength  is  600  souls. 
Its  pastor,  Rev.  Father  F.  Tanguay.  The  cost  of  the  build- 
ing was  $25,000. 

Zion  Congregational  Society  (Jewish)  was  formed  in  1866, 
and  held  meetings  without  a  pastor  for  twelve  years.  In 
1878  Dr.  Meyer  Samuel  Weiss,  present  Rabbi,  took  charge. 
The  Zion  Congregational  Society  have  no  synagogue.  The 
membership  is  seventy-five. 

St.  Paul's  (German  Lutheran)  was  established  in  1867, 
and  the  building,  corner  of  Fisk  and  Morrison  streets,  com- 
pleted in  1874.  The  lot  was  donated  by  Anson  Ballard. 
The  society  has  eighty  members.  A  day  school,  which  has 
about  fifty  pupils,  is  attached  to  the  church.  The  value  of 
the  church  property  is  $5,000.  Rev.  John  Hodtwalker  has 
charge  of  both  church  and  school. 

Emanuel  Church  (  German  Evangelical  )  was  organized 
in  1868,  and  the  building  erected  four  years  later,  at  a  cost 
of  $5,000.  It  is  situated  corner  of  Durkee  and  Fisk  streets, 
a  fine  parsonage  being  attached.  The  society  has  a  mem- 
bership of  130.     Rev.  J.  L.  Runkel  is  pastor. 

St.  Joseph's  Church  (German,  Holland  and  Belgium 
Catholic)  is  the  leading  Catholic  organization  of  Appleton, 
being  under  the  management  of  the  order  of  Franciscan 
Monks,  Capuchin  Fathers.  A  monastery  adjoins  the 
church,  which  is  a  large  and  handsome  edifice  on  the  north 
side  of  Lawrence  street,  east  of  Walnut,  Third  Ward.  The 
society  was  organized  in  1868,  and  three  years  thereafter 
the  church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  In  i88o,  a 
fine  school  building  (  80x90  feet,  two  stories)  was  erected 
on  the  church  property,  also  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  The 
school   is   in   charge  of  Sisters  of  Notre   Dame,   and    has 


an  attendance  of  350.  It  is  under  the  general  supervision 
of  the  church,  however,  of  which  Father  P.  Bonavenlura 
Frey,  in  charge  of  this  ecclesiastical  province,  is  pastor. 
The  church  membership  is  400  families. 

Societies. — Like    all    other   cities   of   its    size,   Appleton 
abounds  in  secret  societies.      On   May    12,  1850,  Timothy 

0.  Howe,  D.  D.  G.  M.,  formed   Konemic  Lodge,  No.  47, 

1.  O.  O.  F.  In  1864  a  building  was  erected,  corner  of 
Oneida  street  and  College  avenue.  The  property  is  valued 
at  $10,000.  This  is  the  largest  lodge  in  the  city,  having 
200  members  ;  A.  B.  Randall,  N.  G.  In  addition  to  this 
are  Rhine  Lodge,  No.  63,  a  flourishing  German  organiza- 
tion. Daughters  of  Rebecca,  and  the  Appleton  Encamp- 
ment. The  first  Masonic  lodge,  in  Appleton,  was  institu- 
ted in  the  Winter  of  1854,  by  H.  L.  Palmer,  of  Milwaukee, 
Grand  Master  of  the  State.  The  dispensation  was  dated 
April  10,  A.  L.,  5854,  and,  on  April  25,  a  charter  was  is- 
sued to  Waverly  Lodge,  No.  51.  James  M.  Murray  was 
its  first  W.  M.  Harvey  Shipman  is  the  present  officer. 
The  membership  is  90.  The  Appleton  Chapter  of  Royal 
Arch  Masons  was  organized  May  9,  1874.  D.  C.  Babcock 
is  H.  P.  The  fine  new  Masonic  hall,  corner  of  Oneida  street 
and  College  avenue,  was  dedicated,  with  impressive  ceremo- 
nies, on  July  12,  1881.  The  Turnverein  was  organized  in 
1868  ;  membership  eighty.  In  November  of  that  year,  a  hall 
on  the  east  side  of  Superior,  north  of  Fisk  street,  was  erected. 
It  seats  500  persons.  The  total  value  of  the  society's  prop- 
erty is  $6,000.  Joseph  Koffend  is  president  of  the  Verein. 
There  is  also  a  flourishing  Temple  of  Honor  (No.  11  ); 
Lodge,  No.  31,  I.  O.  G.  T.;  Forest  City  Lodge,  No.  394, 
Knights  of  Honor;  Crescent  City  Lodge,  No.  46,  A.  O.  U. 
W.;  Appleton  Lodge,  No.  8,  Sons  of  Hermann;  besides  a 
council  of  Royal  Arcanum  (  Telulah,  No.  2S0);  Fox  River 
Lodge,  No.  209,  B'nai  B'rith,  and  other  organizations. 

Banks — First  National  Bank  of  Appleton,  successor  to 
the  banking  house  of  A.  L.  Smith,  established  in  1868,  was 
organized  Dec.  13,  1870,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000. 
Officers  of  the  bank  are  Aug.  Ledyard  Smith,  president ; 
H.  D.  Smith,  vice-president ;  Herman  Erl,  cashier.  Direc- 
tors, A.  L.  Smith,  H.  D.  Smith,  Dr.  J.  T.  Reeves,  C.  B. 
Clark,  and  H.  J.  Rogers.  Capital  stock  is  now  $100,000  ; 
its  total  resources  $354,000  ;  with  a  surplus  of  $2o,coo  and 
$230,000  average  deposits.  Their  bank  building,  erected  in 
187 1,  corner  of  College  avenue  and  Appleton  street,  is  a  two 
story  brick,  22x80  ;  bank  entrance  on  College  avenue  ;  Di- 
rector's room  and  private  offices  in  the  rear,  with  entrance 
on  Appleton  street. 

AUGUST  LEDY.\RD  SMITH,  president,  is  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut, and  a  graduate  of  Wesleyan  University,  at  Middleton,  in  his  native 
State,  class  of  1854.  That  same  year  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and 
was,  until  1S57,  a  tutor  in  the  State  University,  at  Madison,  at  the  ex- 
piration of  which  time  he  came  to  Appleton  as  secretary  and  treasu- 
rer of  the  Fox  &  Wisconsin  River  Improvement  Company,  a  position 
which  he  continued  to  hold  during  all  the  changes  made  in  that  corpora- 
tion, and  still  holds  with  their  legal  successor,  the  Green  Bay  &  Missis- 
sippi Canal  Company.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  thoroughly  identified  with 
the  educational  as  well  as  the  industrial  interests  of  the  Slate  of  his  adop- 
tion. He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  Univer- 
sity for  six  years,  and  represented  his  district  in  the  State  Senate  session 
of  1865-66.  He  is  a  Trustee  of  Lawrence  University,  and  financially 
interested  in  various  industries  in  this  city,  besides  doing  an  extensive 
land  business  as  agent  for  Mississippi  &  Green  Bay  Canal  Company. 


676 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHKRN  WISCONSIN. 


Manufacturers'  National  Bank  of  Appleton  was  organized 
July  I,  1871,  as  successor  to  the  private  bank  of  David 
Smith  &  Co.,  established  in  1S61,  and  conducted  until  the 
incorporation  of  the  present  institution.  The  present  capi- 
tal stock  is  §50,000,  its  surplus  $9,000,  and  its  average  de- 
posits §200,000.  The  present  officers  of  the  bank  are  C.  G. 
Adkins,  president ;  A.  Galpin,  Jr.,  cashier.  The  bank  build- 
ing, owned  by  the  corporation,  is  a  two-story  brick  struc- 
ture, 20x75  *^ss^  o"  ^^'^  corner  of  College  avenue  and  Mor- 
rison street,  and  was  erected  in  1873. 

A.  G.\LPIN.  Jr.,  is  a  native  of  England,  came  to  America  in  1848' 
settled  in  Waukesha  County  with  his  father's  family;  removed  to 
Neenah  in  1864.  and  was  in  the  National  Bank  of  Neenah  prior  to  com- 
ing to  Appleton.  in  1871,  as  cashier  of  the  Manufacturer's  National. 

Commercial  National  Rank,  capital  §100,000.  This  is 
a  new  organization,  incorporated  in  the  Fall  of  1881,  and 
had  not  fully  commenced  operations  when  our  notes  of 
Outagamie  County  were  taken.  The  incorporators  are  J. 
D.  Witter,  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.;  E.  C.  Gofif,  W.  G. 
Wharton,  J.  H.  Wharton,  S.  K.  Wambold  and  W.  S. 
Warner.  Work  was  commenced  on  their  bank  building 
in  Tuly.  1881,  and  it  was  rapidly  pushed  to  completion. 
It  is  a  three-story,  ornate  brick,  fronting  si.Kty-one  feet 
on  College  avenue,  and  90  feet  on  Oneida  street,  occu- 
pying the  site  of  a  building  erected  about  ten  years  since 
and  known  as  Masonic  block. 

E.  C.  GOFF,  real  estate  dealer  and  capitalist,  is  a  native  of  Canton, 
N.  Y..  nf  which  city  he  was  Postmaster  under  Pierce's  administration. 
In  1851  he  removed  to  New  York  City,  and  four  years  later  to  Apple- 
ton,  anil  until  1858  was  more  or  less  engaged  in  mercantile  business. 
For  the  past  twenty-two  years  he  has  been  exclusively  engaged  in  real 
estate  operations,  holding  large  landed  interests  in  this  county.  His 
residence  and  grounds  on  Prospect  street  afford  one  of  the  finest  views 
obtainable  of  this  city  and  valley,  and  are  themselves  unsurpassed  by 
any  in  the  city.  .Mr.  Goff  devotes  himself  exclusively  to  business  and 
the  management  of  his  farms  lying  contiguous  to  the  city.  He  was  May- 
or of  the  city  in  1871. 

The  Gas  Works  were  erected  in  1S77,  being  located  on 
the  north  side  of  Fox  River.  i'he  works  are  substantially 
built  of  brick,  and  have  a  capacity  which  would  meet  the 
demands  of  a  city  double  the  size  of  Appleton.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  enterprise  is  largely  due  to  George  A.  Farwell, 
its  wide-awake  practical  superintendent.  Its  management 
has  now  passed  into  the  hands  of  home  capitalists,  the  own- 
ers having  already  paid  out  §17,500  upon  the  improvements. 
Officers  of  the  Appleton  Gas  Light  Company  :  E.  C.  Goff, 
president ;  W.  S.  Warner,  vice-president  ;  S.  K.  Wambold, 
treasurer;  George  A.  Farwell,  secretary  and  sui)erinten- 
dent. 

GEORGE  A.  FARWELL,  superintendent  of  the  Appleton  Gas- 
Light  Co  ,  is  a  native  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  graduating  from  the  high 
school  department  of  his  native  city  in  the  class  of  1850;  he  removed  the 
following  year  to  Detroit,  where,  for  twelve  years,  he  was  connected  with 
the  old  Detroit  Gas  Company,  closing  his  services  therewith  in  1867. 
He  was  then  in  charge  of  tue  gas  works  at  Lawrence,  Kas.,  for  six  years 
and  superintendent  of  the  works  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  three  years  ; 
from  which  place,  in  1866,  he  went  to  St.  Joe  in  charge  of  the  gas  com- 
pany's works  at  that  place.  In  1877  he  came  to  Appleton,  having  ac- 
cepted the  superintendencyol  the  works  here;  On  the  re-organization  of 
the  company  in  1881,  Mr.  Farwell  became  a  stockholder  and  was  elected 
secretary  of  the  company.  The  efficiency  of  his  management  is  evinced 
from  the  fact  that  not  only  has  the  stock  of  the  company  rapidly  risen  in 
value,  and  the  investments  of  the  holders  become  a  paying  one,  but  in 
mid  .Summer  last,  it  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  manu- 
facture to  meet  ihe  growing  demand,  which,  even  at  that  season  of  the 
year,  had  exhausted  the  means  of  supply.  The  company  have  now  laid 
five  miles  of  pipe— with  fifty  street  lamps  and  200  consumers. 


T/ie  Hotels.— T\\e  leading  hotel  of  Appleton  is  the  Wa- 
verly  House,  corner  of  Appleton  and  Lawrence  streets.  It 
is  a  large,  imposing  three-story  brick  building,  with  Man- 
sard roof,  and  under  the  management  of  W.  H.  Cottrill  is 
carried  on  in  splendid  style.  The  Briggs  House,  on  Ed- 
wards street,  which  has  been  so  much  enlarged  and  im- 
proved within  the  past  year,  is  deservedly  popular.  Its  land- 
lord, L.  S.  Townsend,  is  a  veteran  in  the  business.  The 
Northwestern  Hotel,  on  Appleton  street,  A.  Hettinger,  pro- 
prietor, is  the  most  patronized  by  the  German  element. 
The  Broadway,  .■Vppleton,  Forest  City,  Levake  houses  and 
the  Crescent  Hotel  also  stand  well  and  are  doing  a  good 
business. 

MANUF.\CTURING. 

Appleton  Paper  and  Pulp  Company  is  a  joint  stock 
company,  incorporated  in  1873  by  H.  J.  Rogers,  A.  M. 
Hastings,  Gustave  Ames,  William  M.  Van  Nortwick  and 
A.  B.  Brown,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000,  of  which  only 
one-half  has  been  called  in.  The  manufactory  and  offices 
of  the  company  are  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  just  be- 
low the  upper  dam,  and  their  water-power  is  computed  at 
1,000-horse  power,  of  which  they  utilize  about  one-half. 
The  paper  and  pulp  mills  are  under  one  roof,  the  main 
building  being  30x90  feet,  three  stories  in  height,  with  one 
wing  40x50,  and  another  24x60  feet,  and  a  third  50x140 
feet.  The  machinery  consists  of  seven  600  pounds,  and  one 
Jordan  engine,  three  Otis  wood  grinders,  two  Fourdri- 
nier  machines,  one  sixty-eight  inch  and  one  ninety-inch, 
with  a  capacity  of  six  and  one-half  tons  of  print  paper 
daily,  this  article  of  paper  being  the  exclusive  manufacture 
of  the  mills.  The  works  give  constant  employment  to  a 
force  of  seventy  hands,  and  the  market  is  principally  at 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Milwaukee.  The  tracks  of  all  rail- 
roads at  this  point  are  laid  to  the  doors  of  the  manufactory, 
and  facilities  for  receipts  and  shipments  of  freight  are  most 
complete. 

H.  J.  ROGERS,  the  only  resident  member  of  the  company,  and 


secretary  and  treasurer,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he 
removed  to  Colorado,  in  1S59,  residing  there  and  in  Wyoming  until  his 
coming  to  this  city,  in  1S73.  He  is  vice-president  of  the  Green  Bay  and 
Mississippi  Canal  Company;  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Gaslight  Com- 
pany ;  a  stockholder  in  other  individual  concerns,  and  the  present  Alder- 
man of  the  Third  Ward. 

Atlas  Paper  Company. — This  joint  stock  company  was 
organized  October  1,  1878;  has  a  paid  up  capital  of 
$250,000,  and  its  present  officers  are:  J.  T.  Averil,  presi- 
dent; J.  -A.  Kimberly,  vice-president;  W.  H.  Stowell,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer;  C.  B.  Clark,  general  manager.  This 
company  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wood-pulp  and 
paper,  a  jiart  of  the  pulp  product  being  used  in  their  paper 
mill.  The  pulp  mill  is  a  two-story  frame,  150x75  feet,  situ- 
ated on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  supplied  with  1,000- 
horse  power  from  the  upper  level,  runs  twelve  stones  and 
has  a  daily  product  of  five  tons  of  pulp.  The  paper  mill 
consists  of  the  main  room,  75x150,  one  story  and  basement 
and  an  engine  room,  80x120,  two  stories  and  basement, 
supplied  with  fourteen  600  pounds  and  one  Jordan  engine, 
one  68-inch  double,  one  68-inch  three  cylinders,  and  one 
78-inch  Fourdrinier  machines,  and  has  a  daily  capacity  of 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


(>li 


ten  tons  of  manila  and  news  paper  with  a  motor  of  500- 
horse  power.  The  wood-pulp  is  manufactured  from  pop- 
lar, spruce  and  pine,  prepared  blocks  of  which  are  ground 
by  mechanical  pressure  upon  immense  grindstones.  The 
operations  of  this  company  give  employment  to  a  force  of 
13s  hands  and  two  teams. 

Kimberly  &  Clark  Company  was  incorporated  as  a  joint 
stock  company  January  i,  1881,  by  J.  A.  Kimberly,  C.  B. 
Clark,  H.  A.  Babcock,  F.  C.  Shattuck,  and  is  the  outgrowth 
of  a  co-partnership  formed  by  the  same  parties  in  1872. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  company  is  $400,000,  paid  up,  the 
principal  office  is  at  Neenah,  and  the  present  officers  are  : 
J.  A.  Kimberly,  president ;  H.  A.  Babcock,  vice-president ; 
C.  B.  Clark,  secretary ;  F.  C.  Shattuck,  treasurer.  The 
business  of  this  company  at  this  point  consists  in  the  manu- 
facture of  paper  and  flour,  the  principal  shipment  of  pro- 
duct being  in  the  home  market,  although  they  supply  some 
foreign  demand.  Their  flouring  mill,  a  substantial  brick, 
75x75,  was  re-built  from  an  old  frame  mill  in  1879,31  which 
time  the  company  purchased  that  property.  It  is  a  mer- 
chant roller,  with  a  capacity  of  500  barrels  daily,  its  average 
product  being  about  four-fifths  that  amount,  and  gives  em- 
ployment to  a  force  of  fifteen  hands.  Their  Vulcan  Paper 
mill,  a  solid  brick  and  stone  structure,  150x85,  three  stories 
and  basement,  was  built  in  1881,  and  operations  com- 
menced July  20  of  that  year.  It  is  provided  with  eight 
600-pound  and  one  Jordan  engine,  and  one  86-inch  Four- 
drinier  machine.  It  has  a  daily  capacity  of  five  tons  of 
No.  I  print  and  super-calendared  or  book  paper.  It  manu- 
factures from  stock,  not  pulp,  gives  employment  to  a  force 
of  fifty  hands,  twenty  per  cent  of  whom  are  skilled  labor- 
ers, and  markets  its  product  principally  in  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee and  Minneapolis.  These  mills  are  located  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  and  draw  their  water  directly  from 
the  upper  level,  utilizing  in  their  operations  about  800- 
horse  power.  Facilities  for  shipments  are  unsurpassed,  all 
railroads  centering  at  this  point  receiving  and  discharging 
freight  at  their  doors. 

C.  B.  CLARK,  business  manager  of  the  company's  operations  here, 
is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1855.  Entered  the  service  during  the  late  Rebellion  as  a  member  of  the 
2ist  Wis.  I.,  was  mustered  out  as  first-lieutenant,  and  returning  to  Nee- 
nah, was  engaged  in  hardware  trade  until  1872,  when  he  entered  into  a 
business  partnership  with  the  gentlemen  now  forming  the  Kimberly  & 
Clark  Company. 

Western  Wood  Pulp  Mills,  J.  Bradner  Smith  Company. 
— This  company  is  a  non-resident  one.  Their  manufactory 
is  upon  the  south  side  of  the  river  on  the  wing  of  the  upper 
dam,  and  is  a  two-story  frame  building,  66x159  f^^t.  Their 
business  is  the  manufacture  of  wood-pulp,  of  which  they 
turn  out  from  five  to  six  tons  of  dry  product  every  twenty- 
four  hours,  employing  thirty  hands  and  consuming  from  six 
to  eight  cords  of  poplar  wood.  The  establishment  is  pro- 
vided with  twelve  grinding  and  one  wet  machine,  utilizes 
about  700-horse  power  of  their  unlimited  supply. 

O.  W.  CL.'VRK,  superintendent  of  the  works,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  ;  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  thirty-one  years,  and  followed 
his  trade  as  a  millwright  until  1S71,  at  which  date  he  put  the  machinery 
into  the  pulp  mill  of  which  he  is  now  superintendent,  and  then  assumed 
charge  for  the  proprietors.  A  staunch  Republican,  he  was  made  Mayor  of 
city  in  1879,  though  at  that  time  it  had   a.  decided  Democratic  majority. 


Richmond  Brothers,  manufacturers  of  paper,  mill  on  fourth 
lock,  water  drawn  from  Government  Canal.  Business 
established  in  i860;  manufactory  prftper  consists  of  the  main 
building,  40x60  feet,  three  stories,  and  two  wings, 
one  30x48  feet,  two  stories,  and  one  40x90  feet.  Busi- 
ness consists  in  the  manufacture  of  paper,  principally  man- 
ila and  wrapping,  of  which  they  produce  about  four  tons 
daily,  employing  a  force  of  thirty  hands.  The  manufactory 
was  completely  overhauled  and  refitted  in  1877,  and  put  in 
first-class  order,  and  new  machinery  added.  The  members 
of  the  firm  are  G.  N.,  N.  and  C.  P  Richmond. 

G.  N.  RICHMOND,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S51.  He  was  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Port- 
age City  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  entered  the  service 
with  the  2nd  Wis.  V.  C,  and  was  mustered  out  as  major  in  1864.  The  fol 
lowing  year  he  removed  to  this  city  and  took  active  direction  of  the  paper 
manufactory.  He  was  for  two  years  Mayor  of  the  city,  was  three  times 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  was  State  Senator,  session  of 
1877.78. 

C.  P.  RICHMOND  is  also  a  native  of  New  York.  He  came  West 
in  1849,  snd  four  years  later  removed  to  this  city,  and  built  a  paper  mill 
on  the  upper  dam,  which  was  burned  down  in  1S59.  The  same  year 
operations  were  begun  for  resuming  business  on  the  present  site,  and  the 
following  year  the  work  was  completed  aud  the  new  manufactory  started. 
Mr.  Richmond  is  a  member  of  the  City  School  Board. 

N.  RICHMOND  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  coming  West  with 
his  brother,  C.  P.,  has  been  associated  in  business  with  him. 

Valley  Pulp  Paper  Mills,  of  this  city,  was  organized 
under  the  direction  of  Welcome  Hyde,  in  1880,  with  a  cap- 
ital stock  of  $50,000,  and  officered  as  follows:  Welcome 
Hyde,  president;  W.  A.  Clark,  secretary;  D.  M.  Hyde, 
treasurer.  Operations  were  commenced  the  same  year, 
with  the  erection  of  a  pulp  mill  50x60  feet,  two  stories  in 
height,  at  the  bulkhead  on  the  south  channel,  and  manu- 
facturing continued  one  year,  when  the  paper  mill  was  ad- 
ded. This  was  in  the  form  of  two  additions  to  the  old 
building,  one,  33x60,  and  one  83x85,  boiler  house  14x30 
feet,  and  office  12x16  feet.  The  mills  are  supplied  with  two 
Allen  &  Jones  wood  grinders,  three  800  pound  beater  en- 
gines, one  rotary  boiler,  six  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter  and 
twenty-four  feet  between  heads,  and  one  sixty-eight  Four- 
drinier  machine.  Pulp  product  averages  from  one  and  a  half 
to  two  tons  daily,  and  is  all  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of 
"bogus  manila  paper,"  of  which  the  average  daily  product 
is  two  and  a  half  tons.  Number  of  operators  employed 
forty. 

Appleton  Manufacturing  Company  was  incorporated 
February  9,  1875,  by  B.  T.  Rogers,  G.  D.  Rowell  and  J.  N. 
Morris.  Capital  stock  $25,000.  The  present  officers  of 
the  company  are:  J.  B.  Berge,  president;  D.  J.  Woodard. 
secretary,  and  G.  D.  Rowell,  treasurer.  Office  and  sales- 
room at  No.  423  College  avenue.  The  manufactory  of  the 
company  is  on  the  north  sideof  the  river,  just  below  the  At- 
las Company's  paper  mill,  and  their  business  consists  in  the 
manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  agricultural  implements,  seeders, 
cultivators,  plows,  harrows,  etc.,  under  patents  owned  and 
controlled  by  themselves.  Their  buildings  are,  the  manu- 
factory proper,  160x36  feet,  two  stories  high,  the  upper  story 
used  for  wood  shop  and  paint  room ;  a  foundry  42x48  feel ; 
two  warehouses,  one  24x30,  and  one  24x36,  two  stories  ;  a 
blacksmith  shop  and  grinding  room,  24x90  feet;  a  pattern 
room,  18x18  feet,  and  office,  18x24  feet.     The  operations  of 


678 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


the  firm  give  employment  to  a  force  of  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty-five  men,  and  their  last  year's  product  footed,  650 
seeders,  900  cultivators,  300  harrows,  600  plows,  200  road 
scrapers,  200  feed  cutters,  besides  repairs  and  small  lots. 
Product  is  principally  sold  to  the  Wisconsin  and  North- 
western trade.  The  present  members  of  the  firm  are,  J.  B. 
Berge,  D.  J.  Woodard  and  G.  D.  Rowell.  They  are  also  en- 
gaged in  a  general  machine  shop  and'foundry  business,  their 
work  in  this  line  being  principally  shafting  and  other  mill 
work. 

J.  B.  BERGE  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he  came 
westward  in  1851,  settling  in  Dodge  County,  where,  for  ten  years,  he  was 
engaged  in  business  as  a  builder,  and  then  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  agricultural  implements,  which  he  carried  on  until  his  remov.il  to  Ap- 
pleton  in  J 870,  where  he  was  two  years  engaged  in  livery  business,  be- 
fore resuming  his  old  business,  as  manufacturer  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments. 

D.  J.  WOOD.^RD  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire;  from  which 
State  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857,  and  was  principally  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  at  Watertown.  until  his  removal  to  this  city  in  1873;  *' 
which  time,  in  company  with  J.  B.  Berge,  he  opened  a  livery  stable,  and 
commenced  dealing  in  farming  machinerj',  which  business  he  conducted 
until  1875  ;  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  the 
interests  of  the  manufacturing  company. 

G.  D.  ROWELL  is  a  native  of  New  York.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  father's  family,  in  1842  Was  bred  to  his  present  business,  in 
his  father's  shop,  from  a  boy,  and  has  always  followed  it.  He  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  city  since  1872. 

A.  D.  Flemming  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  reaping  twine, 
tow  and  flax.  This  manufactory,  yet  in  its  infancy,  is  one 
of  the  most  important  industrial  movements  in  the  Fox 
River  Valley,  opening,  as  it  does,  a  new  source  of  revenue 
to  the  agriculturists  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  It  is  located 
on  Grand  Chute  Island,  near  the  lower  end  of  West's  Canal, 
upon  which  their  premises  front  280  feet,  running  to  the 
center  of  the  river,  in  the  rear,  a  distance  of  about  500  feet. 
Their  water  is  drawn  from  West's  Canal,  and  the  estimated 
power  is  270-horse  power.  Their  buildings  are :  a  twine 
factory,  50x100  feet,  three  stories,  with  a  brick  wing,  24x36 
feet,  for  carding-room  ;  two  warerooms,  respectively,  50x100 
feet,  and  60x125  f^^'"  ^'^'^  ^  wing,  40x60,  for  scutching  and 
breaking  flax ;  all  with  solid  stone  and  pile  foundations. 
Their  machinery  is  from  one  of  the  largest  machine  shops  in 
Great  Britain,  where  the  production  of  flax  machinery  has 
long  been  made  a  specialty.  Additions  will  be  made,  from 
time  to  time,  as  the  industry  develops,  until  the  whole  will  be 
complete,  with  oil  and  twine  mills  fully  equipped,  when  a 
force  of  from  300  to  500  hands  will  find  constant  emi)loy- 
ment.  The  stripping  of  flax  was  begun  August  24,  1881,  at 
which  time  there  were  in  store  about  500  tons  of  raw 
material,  but  the  machinery  was  not  in  place  for  manufactur- 
ing twine  until  the  following  October.  The  members  of  the 
firm  are  A.  D.  Flemming  and  John  Flemming. 

A.  D.  FLEMMlNG  is  a  native  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  where  his  father 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  culture  and  manufacture  of  flax,  with 
which  industry  Mr.  A.  D.  Flemming  was  practically  acquainted  before  his 
coming  to  this  country,  in  l86g,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in 
dry  goods  trade,  principally  in  Indiana.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
city  since  1878.  at  which  time  he  opened  a  large  dry  goods  house  on  Col- 
lege avenue,  but  ceased  operations  in  the  Fall  of  1881,  to  give  his  atten- 
tion entirely  to  his  manufacturing  interests. 

JOHN  FLEMMING  came  to  America  in  1874,  since  which  date  he 
has  been  associated  in  business  with  his  brother. 

Briggs  &  Beveridge,  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  manufactory 

and  oRice  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  just  above  Second 


Ward  bridge.  This  business  was  established  in  1861,  a  lit- 
tle west  of  its  present  location,  by  Cross  &  Bartlet ;  be- 
came Cross  &  Briggs  in  1878,  and  was  conducted  by  Briggs 
alone  from  1869  to  187 1,  when  the  manufactory  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  In  1872,  the  present  manufactory  was 
built,  and  two  years  later  the  firm  became  Briggs  &  Wam- 
bold,  by  whom  the  business  was  conducted  until  1877,  when 
Mr.  Wambold  sold  out  his  interest  to  B.  Beveridge,  Jr.,  and 
the  firm  became,  as  at  ])resent,  Briggs  &  Beveridge.  They 
have  now  upon  their  premises — the  main  building,  erected 
in  1872,  40x84  feet,  two  stories,  brick  veneer;  a  wing  20x84; 
an  office  and  glazing  room  32x34,  and  their  operations  give 
constant  employment  to  a  force  of  twenty  men  and  one 
dray.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  A.  B.  Briggs  and  B. 
Beveridge,  Jr.  Shipping  facilities  are  good;  the  premises 
having  easy  access  to  the  tracks  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western, the  Wisconsin  Central  and  the  Milwaukee,  Lake 
Shore  &  Western. 

A.  B.  BRIGGS  is  a  native  of  New  York  ;  has  been  a  resident  of  Wis- 
consin since  1846,  and  of  this  city  for  the  past  thirty-two  years.  He  is  a 
practical  mechanic,  and  was  engaged  in  house  building  previous  to  en- 
gaging in  his  present  business,  in  1S68. 

B.  BEVERI DGE,  Jr.,  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  in  which  province 
he  was  engaged  in  general  merchandising  previous  to  his  removal  to  this 
city,  in  1877. 

Marston  &  Beveridge,  manufacturers  of  hubs,  spokes 
and  wagon  stock,  factory  on  Grand  Chute  Island.  This 
business  was  established  by  Jerard  &  Mason,  in  1862;  be- 
came Mason  &  Marslon  in  1864,  and  Marston  &  Beveridge 
in  1872.  Their  premises  front  175  on  Wert's  Canal,  and 
run  to  the  middle  of  the  channel.  Their  buildings  are — 
the  hub  and  spoke  factory,  a  story  and  a  half  building 
50x112  feet,  furnished  with  a  double  set  of  machinery; 
paint-house,  30x70  feet;  office,  30x12  feet,  besides  dry  houses 
and  shed  room,  having  a  capacity  of  4,000  sets.  They  em- 
ploy a  force  of  thirty-two  hands  and  two  teams,  and  turn 
out  stock  for  18,000  wagons  annually.  The  members  of 
the  firm  are  J.  H.  Marston  and  C.  A.  Beveridge. 

J.  H.  MARSTON  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  but  his  business 
life  has  been  principally  spent  in  this  State  to  which  he  came  in  1843, 
settling  in  Racine,  and  from  there  removing  to  Appleton,  in  1851.  In 
1861,  he  enlisted  forty  men  for  Co.  E,  6lh  Wis.  I.,  and  on  July  12,  of 
that  year,  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  second  lieuten- 
ant.     He   was  subsequently  promoted  captain  of  his  company,  and,  as 


in  1864,  and 


ed  home.      He  was  Mayor 


such, V 

of  the  city  in  187S. 

C.  A.  BEVERIDGE  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  previous  to 
coming  to  this  city,  in  1871,  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  that 
province. 

Syme  &  Jones,  manufacturers  of  flour  barrel  stock. 
The  manufactory  is  located  in  the  First  Ward,  just  south  of 
the  track  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway,  on  a 
tract  of  six  acres  of  land,  upon  which  are  the  following 
buildings:  manufactory,  36x60  feet,  with  a  wing  22x24 
feet;  engine  room  32x37;  dry  kiln,  20x50;  a  two-story, 
wareroom,  22x32  feet,  with  a  wing  22x40  feet  and  an  office 
12x16  feet.  Stock  is  delivered  by  team  and  rail,  about 
three-fourths  of  that  used  being  found  on  the  timber  lands 
in  this  vicinity.  The  works  employ  a  force  of  from  twenty- 
five  to  sixty  hands,  according  to  seasons,  and  have  a  capa- 
city of  1,500  sets  daily,  the  average  yearly  product  being 
about  two-thirds  the  capacity.     The  boiler  has  capacity  for 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY 


679 


a  70-horse-power  engine,  though  only  a  40-horse-power 
engine  is  employed,  the  surplus  steam  being  used  in  the 
dry-kiln.  Shipments  are  general  throughout  the  North- 
western market  outside  of  Chicago. 

DANIEL  JONES,  the  resident  member  of  the  firm,  is  a  native  of 
Vermont,  where  he  was  brought  up  on  a  farm.  He  came  to  Wisconsin 
m  1849,  settled  at  Menasha,  and  the  following  year,  in  partnership  with 
Messrs.  Beckwith  &  Rice,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wooden-ware. 
This  business  he  sold  out  in  1S58,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
hubs  and  spokes,  under  the  firm  name  of  Fisher  &  Jones,  which  business 
he  continued  until  1S70.  He  then  commenced  the  manufacture  of  staves, 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A.  Syme  &  Co.,  which  was  followed  until 
their  manufactory  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1879.  Business  was  then 
closed  up.  and  Appleton  being  considered  a  more  desirable  location  for 
that  business,  a  removal  was  made  to  this  city,  and  operations  commenced 
the  following  year. 

Excelsior  Manufactory,  Thomas  Fatten,  proprietor,  was 
established  late  in  the  Summer  of  1881  in  a  three-story 
building,  30x60  feet,  on  the  bank  of  the  Government  Ca- 
nal, below  Grand  Chute  Island.  The  business  consists  in 
tlie  manufacture  of  upholstering  material  from  soft  wood — 
princi])aliy  basswood.  The  machinery  consists  of  si.x 
double  machines,  each  with  two  sets  of  knives,  and  their 
capacity  is  about  7,000  pounds  of  manufactured  product  in 
a  run  of  ten  hours,  calling  for  a  force  of  eight  hands.  The 
machines  are  constructed  solely  by  S.  A.  Forsaith  &  Co., 
of  New  Hampshire,  under  close  patents,  and  the  product 
is  put  upon  the  market  in  250-pound  bales. 

THOMAS  PATTON  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  there  previous  to  coming  to  this  State 
in  1880. 

T.  W.  Brown,  manufacturer  of  pumps.  Location,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  below  middle  dam.  Premises  front 
250  feet  on  canal,  and  run  to  the  center  of  the  river.  Man- 
ufactory is  30x50  feet.  Turns  out  1,000  pumps  annually, 
and  gives  employment  to  three  persons. 

MR.  BROWN  is  a  native  of  Maine,  and  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  wooden-ware  there,  previous  to  his  removal  to  Appleton  in 
1854.  Here  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sash,  doors  and 
blinds  until  1868,  when  he  commenced  the  manufacture  of  pumps  on  the 
upper  water  power,  removing  to  his  present  location  three  years  later. 
Of  late  years,  he  has  given  his  attention  principally  to  the  improvement 
of  his  real  estate  within  the  city  limits,  upon  which  he  is  erecting  dwell- 
ing houses.  He  built  the  first  brick  dwelling  house  erected  in  this  city, 
in  1856,  and  the  second  brick  building  of  any  description.  He  was  for 
six  years  a  member  of  the  City  Board  of  Education.  His  present  wife, 
whom  he  married  in  1880,  Miss  Ophelia  Forward,  is  one  of  the  trustees 
of  Laurence  University,  and  for  three  years  previous  to  her  marriage  was 
preceptress  in  that  institution. 

Billings  &  Morrison,  manufacturers  of  spokes.  Grand 
Chute  Island,  just  below  Second  Ward  bridge.  Premises 
front  fifty  feet  on  dam,  run  150  to  the  rear,havean  available 
power  of  140-horse  power,  and  their  capacity  is  2.500  wagon 
spokes  daily,  to  produce  which  they  employ  a  force  of  fifteen 
hands.  They  commenced  business  in  1874,  and  market 
almost  exclusively  in  Wisconsin  and  Illinois.  The  members 
of  the  firm  are  H.  M.  Billings  and  C  B.  Morrison. 

MR.  BILLINGS  is  a  native  of  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  and  previous  to 
establishing  business  here,  in  1874,  was  engaged  in  clerkingin  the  central 
part  of  the  Slate. 

Appleton  Furnace  Company  was  organized  in  1876, 
by  A.  L.  Smith,  H.  D.  Smith,  and  E.  C.  Foster.  The  fur- 
naces were  built  by  the  Appleton  Iron  Company,  the  first 
stack  in  1870,  the  second  in  1872.  This  company  conducted 
operations  until  the  property  was  turned  over  to  the  present 


company  in  1876,  who  now  run  both  stacks  of  these.  One  is 
stone-cased,  the  other  iron;  they  are  each  forty  feet  in  height, 
and  the  diameter  at  their  bases  is  respectively  eight  feet 
three  inclies  and  eight  feet  four  inches,  their  capacity  from 
forty  to  forty-five  tons  daily.  Ore  is  drawn  from  the  Mar- 
quette and  Menominee  ranges,  and  all  shipments  of  ore  and 
iron  are  by  rail,  principally  over  the  tracks  of  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railway.  Coal  is  furnished  by  teams  from 
the  vicinity  of  the  furnaces  and  from  kilns  along  the  lines 
of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad.  The 
furnaces  are  located  at  the  lower  end  of  Grand  Chute  Island 
where  the  company  have  a  tract  of  seven  acres,  and  the 
buildings  upon  these  premises  are,  a  double  casting  house, 
60x40  feet ;  machinery  house,  60x60  feet ;  stock  house, 
60x60  feet ;  besides  the  usual  sheds,  stables,  wood  and  iron 
repair  shops,  offices,  etc.  Power  is  supplied  by  one  hor- 
izontal blowing  engine,  3x6  ;  one  upright,  4^x5^;  one 
water  wheel  for  blowing  engine,  55  inches  diameter, 
affording  81 -horse  power;  one  wheel  for  crushing,  31  inches 
diameter,  giving  22-horse  power;  and  one,  175^  inches 
diameter,  for  elevating,  giving  6-horse  power,  a  total  of  385- 
horse  power.  The  premises  have  a  riverfront  of  over  1,000 
feet  and  about  400  feet  of  available  dock.  The  number  of 
hands  at  the  furnaces  is  about  forty-five  on  an  average. 
This  is  independent  of  the  number  employed  at  the  kilns, 
wood  cutters  and  teamsters,  who  swell  the  number  of 
actual  employes  on  the  rolls  of  the  company  to  350, 

H.  D.  SMITH,  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the  com- 
pany, is  a  native  of  Ohio,  from  which  State  he  went  to  Ann  Arbor.  Mich, 
in  1859.  He  pursued  his  studies  there  until  his  junior  course  was  finished 
at  the  university,  then  spent  one  year  in  the  law  department  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  at  the  Bar  there  in  June.  1S64.  He  then  removed 
to  Marquette  in  the  Northern  Peninsula,  for  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
was  elected  District  Attorney  the  same  Fall,  served  two  terms.  In  1871, 
upon  the  organization  of  the  Citizen's  Bank  of  .Marquette,  he  became  its 
cashier  and  retained  that  position  until  he  sold  out  his  interest  there  in 
1873,  and  removed  to  Appleton.  to  assume  charge  of  the  fiirrorfs  of  the 
Appleton  Iron  Company.  Mr.  Smith  is  also  president  of  the  National 
Furnace  Company,  having  stacks  at  De  Pere  and  Green  Bay.  He  was 
the  last  President  of  the  village  of  Marquette,  holding  that  office  at  the 
time  it  was  incorporated  as  a  city. 

Alfred  Galpin's  Sons,  hardware,  on  College  avenue,  be- 
tween Morrison  and  Durkee  streets.  This  business  was 
established  by  Ira  Cummings,  in  1S53,  who  was  succeeded 
by  Walter  Russell,  Alfred  Galpin  becoming  a  partner  of  the 
latter  in  1864.  Two  years  later,  the  business  passed  entire- 
ly into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Galpin,  who,  having  trained  his 
sons  to  the  trade,  turned  it  over  to  them  in  1877.  The 
present  members  of  the  firm  are  A.  S.  Galpin  and  H.  Gal- 
pin. The  store  building,  owned  by  .Alfred  Gnlpin,  is  a  twu- 
story  brick,  fronts  twenty-two  and  one-half  feet  on  College 
avenue,  the  upper  story  used  as  a  storeroom  and  workshop. 
Business  gives  employment  to  a  force  of  ten  hands,  and 
includes  a  small  wholesale  trade  with  country  merchants. 

ALFRED  GALPIN  is  a  native  of  England,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  dry  goods  trade  prior  to  coming  to  Wisconsin,  in  1848.  He  first  set- 
tled in  Waukesha  County,  and  from  there,  in  1856.  came  to  Appleton, 
engaging  in  hardware  trade,  as  previously  stated.  Has  served  his  ward  as 
Alderman,  and  was  for  some  years  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

A.  S.  GALPIN  is  a  native  of  Wauke.sha  County,  and  was  bred  to 
business  in  the  hardware  house  of  his  father. 

H.  GALPIN  came  to  Wisconsin  in  his  infancy,  is  a  printer  by  trade, 
served  three  years  in  the  21th  Wis.  I.,  and  stuck  to  his  slick  until  1877, 
when  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Alfred  Galpin's  Sons. 


68o 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Morgan  &  Bassett,  foundry  and  machine  sho]),  on  Grand 
Chute  Island.  This  business  was  established  in  1856,  by 
C.  Ketchum,  and  was  at  that  time  the  only  manufactory  on 
the  island.  Ten  years  later,  Mr.  Morgan  became  interested 
in  the  business,  and  in  1879  the  present  partnership  was  es- 
tablished. Their  shop  is  30x90  feet,  two  stories  and  base- 
ment, with  a  foundry  30x60.  They  employ  a  force  of  twen- 
ty-five hands;  are  engaged  in  general  mill  machinery, 
foundry  work  and  repairs,  and  give  special  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  water  wheels,  both  Monitor  and  Turbine 
patterns. 

J.  G.  MORGAN  is  a  native  of  Vermont;  followed  cabinet  making 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  removed  to  New  York, 
and  was  engaged  in  his  present  business,  practical  pattern  maker,  until 
1866.  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settled  in  this  city,  and  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  which  he  is  now  the  senior  partner. 

The  Champion  Horse  Nail  Company,  the  only  manufac- 
tory of  the  kind  in  Wisconsin,  was  organized  January  25, 
1878,  as  a  joint  stock  company,  with  a  paid  up  capital  of 
$50,000.  The  present  officers  are  :  S.  M.  Door,  Rutland, 
Vt.,  president ;  W.  H.  Steele,  secretary  and  treasurer;  E. 
F.  Decker,  superintendent;  William  R.  Door,  general 
agent.  Their  manufactory  is  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  south 
end  of  middle  bridge,  and  consists  exclusively  in  the  manu- 
facture of  horse  nails,  the  raw  material  for  which  is  import- 
ed direct  from  Norway.  Their  manufactory  is  80x40  feet, 
with  two  wings,  each  28x40  feet.  The  manufacture  is  by 
patent  machines,  patents  upon  which  are  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  the  company.  Manufactured  product  is  from 
100  to  150  tons  annually,  and  is  put  up  ii,  twenty-five  pound 
packages,  chiefly  for  the  Western  trade.  The  works  give 
employment  to  a  force  of  twenty  hands,  and  three  traveling 
salesmen  are  constantly  upon  the  road.  The  gentlemen 
conducting  this  business  are  from  New  York  and  the  New 
England  States,  but  some  of  them  have  been  doing  business 
in  the  West  for  the  past  eighteen  or  twenty  years. 

.\ppleton  Woolen  Mills,  successors  to  Hutchinson  & 
Co.,  established  in  1858,  by  J.  W.  Hutchinson,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  manufactory.  The  original  establishment 
was  burned  out  in  1862,  rebuilt  the  same  year,  and,  with 
some  changes  in  its  management,  continued  business  until 
187 1,  when  it  was  sold  out.  The  new  firm  conducted  oper- 
ations two  years  and  closed  business.  In  1875  ^-  ^^• 
Hutchinson,  son  of  the  original  founder  of  the  mills,  pur- 
chased the  property,  and,  in  connection  with  J.  T.  Har- 
wood,  who  became  his  partner  the  following  year,  operated 
the  mills  until  June  17,  1881,  when  they  were  destroyed  by 
fire.  This  manufactory  was  situated  on  Grand  Chute  Is- 
land, just  below  the  bridge,  and  consisted  of  a  main  build- 
ing 24x65  feet,  two  and  one-half  stories,  and  a  wing  25x60 
feet,  two  stories  high.  It  gave  employment  to  a  force  of  118 
hands;  the  sales  for  the  year  aggregated  $204,000.  Their 
total  loss  was  $65,000  ;  net  loss  over  insurance  $39,000. 
June  30,  thirteen  days  after  the  fire,  a  joint  stock  company 
was  organized  to  rebuild  the  manufactory  and  continue  op- 
erations, which,  it  is  expected,  will  be  resumed  about  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1882.  The  capital  stock  of  the  new 
company  is  $75,000,  and  its   officers    are    A.    ?.    Harwood, 


president;  C.  A.  Beveridge,  vice-president;  W.  W.   Hutch-         I 
inson,  secretary  and   treasurer;    J.   F.    Harwood,  manager.         | 
Ground  was  broken  for  the    new    building    Aug.    i,    1881,         | 
which  will  be  54x100  feet,  with  a  wing  40x40  feet,  the  whole 
two  stories  and  a  basement.     It  is  intended  to  give  employ- 
ment to  the  same  number  of  operatives  as  the  late   estab- 
lishment, but  business  will  be  the  manufacture  of  yarns  ex- 
clusively. 

W.  W.  HUTCHINSON  is  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  came  from 
that  province  direct  to  Appleton  with  his  father's  family,  in  1858,  the 
same  year  that  the  first  manufactory  was  built.  Young  Hutchinson  was 
educated  in  this  city,  and  al  eighteen  years  of  age  commenced  business 
as  a  jeweler  and  bookseller,  which  he  followed  until  1873,  and  sold  out. 
Two  years  later  he  began  operations  as  a  woolen  mrnufacturer. 

J.  F.  HARWOOD  is  a  native  of  New  York.  Came  to  this  State  in 
1874,  settling  at  Ripon,  and  was  with  the  packing  company  of  that  city 
until  coming  to  Appleton  in  1876,  since  which  time  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  woolen  manufacturing  in  this  city. 

Riverside  Mills,  M.  T.  Boult,  manager,  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Boult  in  1879,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  at  the  end 
of  the  Second  Ward  bridge,  and  draws  its  water  from  the 
middle  level.  The  premises  are  fifty-five  feet  deep  and  ex- 
tend along  the  street  over  the  bridge  to  the  middle  of  the 
river,  a  total  frontage  of  about  700  feet,  and  are  well  pro- 
vided with  shipping  facilities,  being  crossed  by  the  tracks 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  and  the  Wisconsin  Central 
railways.  The  mill  is  a  brick  structure  40x60,  four  stories 
in  height,  provided  with  modern  machinery,  does  both  cus- 
tom and  merchant  work,  gives  employment  to  six  hands, 
and  has  a  capacity  of  200  barrels  daily,  the  average  product 
being  about  150  barrels. 

M.  T.  BOULT  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he  re- 
moved to  Michigan  in  1857,  He  resided  for  several  years  in  Battle 
Creek,  in  that  State,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufactorj'  of  all  kinds 
of  wood  working  machinery.  He  is  the  patentee  of  Boult's  carver,  mould- 
er  and  paneler,  a  most  ingenious  machine  for  carving,  sinking  panels 
in  solid  wood,  dove-tailing,  working  mouldings  and  ornaments  of  vari- 
ous kinds,  to  which  several  uses  it  is  easily  and  rapidly  adjusted.  Mr. 
Boult  came  to  this  city  May  14,  1879.  broke  ground  for  his  mill  five 
days  later,  and  completed  it  the  following  November. 

Wambold,  Hanert  &  Co.,  millers,  mill  on  Second  Ward 
water  power,  just  above  middle  bridge,  known  as  Lawrence 
Flour  Mill.  This  business  was  established  in  1S60,  at  which 
time  the  "old  stone  mill,"  36x36  feet,  four  stories  high,  was 
built  by  Charles  Morey,by  whom  it  was  operated  until  1875, 
when  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Hanert  &  Wayland. 
During  their  possession  a  brick  addition,  36x36  feet,  four 
stories  in  height,  was  made.  In  November,  1879,  Wayland's 
interest  was  bought  out  by  S.  K.  Wambold,  who  took  charge 
of  operations,  and  in  the  following  year  the  mill  was  remod- 
eled as  a  roller  mill  at  an  expense  of  $10,000,  and  now  does 
both  merchant  and  custom  business.  It  has  a  daily  capac- 
ity of  225  barrels,  and  its  actual  product  averages  150  bar- 
rels. The  operations  of  the  firm  give  employment  to  a 
force  of  nine  men  and  one  dray.  Shipments  are  principally 
to  New  York,  by  rail,  the  tracks  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western and  the  Wisconsin  Central  railroads,  running  on 
either  side  of  the  mill,  affording  special  facilities  for  receiv- 
ing and  discharging  freight.  The  present  members  of  the 
firm  are  S.  K.  Wambold,  Jacob  Hanert,  Sr.,  and  S.  S. 
Shaver. 

S.  K.  WAMHOI.n  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  State  he 
came  to  Milwaukee  in  1846,  and  settled  in  that  county,  where  he  was  en- 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


68i 


gaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  nineteen  years  prior  to  his  coming  to 
this  city  in  1874.  In  January  of  that  year  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the 
sash,  door  and  blind  manufactory  of  A.  B.  Briggs,  which  he  retained  un- 
til 1877.  when  he  sold  out  to  B.  Beveredge,  Jr.  Mr.  Wambold  repre- 
sented the  Second  Ward  in  the  City  Council  for  two  years,  is  treasurer 
of  the  Appleton  Gas  Company,  and  a  trustee  and  treasurer  of  Appleton 
University. 

L.  A.  Pfeifer  &  Co.,  tanners  and  curriers,  business  estab- 
lished in  1877  as  a  branch  of  their  Chicago  house,  organized 
in  1865.  Their  manufactory  here  is  on  Fourth  Ward  flat, 
and  water  is  drawn  from  canal  or  middle  level.  Their  op- 
erations are  exclusively  tanning,  all  finishing  being  done  in 
Chicago.  Their  force  here  is  twelve  men,  and  their  vats 
forty-two  in  number,  from  which  they  turn  out  300  hides  a 
week.     E.  Mundt  is  resident  partner  and  manager. 

Appleton  Boot  and  Shoe  Company,  a  joint  stock  com- 
pany, was  organized  January  i,  1881,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $20,000,  by  H.  J.  Rogers,  J.  V.  Buck,  B.  T.  Rogers,  G. 
F.  Steele  and  O.  P.  Conklin.  The  manufactory  is  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  Champion  Nail  Factory  building,  but 
preparations  are  being  made  for  building  and  enlarging  op- 
erations, the  first  six  months'  business  having  demonstrated 
the  insufficiency  of  their  present  quarters  for  the  demands 
of  trade.  Their  present  force  is  from  forty  to  fifty  hands, 
and  their  product  about  forty-five  cases  a  week  of  men's, 
boys'  and  youths'  hand-made  kip,  calf  and  stogas,  which  are 
marketed  in  Chicago. 

O.  P.  CONKLIN.  bnsiness  manager  and  superintendent  of  the 
manufactory,  is  from  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  was  for  many  y.ars 
engaged  in  boot  and  shoe  manufacturing  previous  to  his  coming  to  .'Ap- 
pleton in  1880,  his  practical  acquaintance  with  the  business  e.xtending 
over  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

C.  G.  Adkins,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  corner 
College  avenue  and  Morrison  street,  Appleton.  This  busi- 
ness was  established  by  the  proprietor,  in  1853,  in  the  same 
block,  but  a  little  westward  of  the  present  location,  to 
which,  after  some  changes,  it  was  removed  about  twelve 
years  since.  The  store  has  a  frontage  of  twenty-two  feet 
on  College  avenue  and  runs  through  to  Market  street  in  the 
rear,  a  depth  of  120  feet,  and  the  business  occupies  a  force 
of  four  hands. 

MR.  ADKINS  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  in  Oneida  County  previous  to  coming  to  this  city  in 
1S53.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Manufacturer's  National  Bank,  in 
1S71,  Mr.  Adkins  became  its  president,  a  position  he  still  holds.  He  is 
a  member  of  he  Board  of  Trustees  of  Lawrence  University,  is  second 
vice-president  of  that  institution,  and  was  for  several  years  its  trea.surer. 
His  is  the  oldest  house  now  doing  business  on  the  street. 

REV.  J.  B.  ANDREWS,  pastor.  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Lemont, 
Pa.  His  education  was  received  at  Boalsburg  High  School,  Tuscarora 
.A.cademy  and  Lafayette  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1872.  His  theological  studies  were  pursued  at  the  Presbyterian  The- 
ological Seminary  of  the  Northwest  at  Chicago,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1875.  His  studies,  however,  were  intermitted  during  the  late  war. 
Leaving  Boalsburg  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  148th  Regt.  Pa.  I.;  re- 
mained in  the  service  three  years,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Harrisburg. 
During  this  time,  he  was  eight  months  on  det.ached  service  with  the  med- 
ical department  and  saw  constant  service  and  some  severe  fighting  with 
Hancock's  corps  until  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  where  his  left  side  was 
paralyzed  with  a  shot,  from  which  he  still  suffers.  After  his  ordination, 
Mr.  Andrews  spent  a  short  time  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Oswe- 
go, then  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  church  at  Columbus,  from  which, 
after  two  years'  acceptable  service,  he  was  sent  to  Appleton  bv  the  Win- 
nebago Presbytery  as  a  missionary  to  organize  and  liuild  up  a  Presbyte- 
rian Church  in  this  city.  In  this  work  he  has  been  pre-eminently  suc- 
cessful, having  built  a  beautiful  structure,  costing  $20,000,  now  about 
free  from  debt,  gathered  a  good  congregation,  a  church  numbering  100 
members,  and  a  Sunday-school  of  175  scholars. 


D.  B.  Bailey,  hardware,  groceries  and  crockery,  Apple- 
ton.  This  business  was  established  in  1867  as  a  grocery  and 
crockery  house,  to  which  the  hardware  department  was 
added  in  1874.  The  firm  occupy  a  basement,  40  x  100  feet, 
for  goods  and  packing  operations,  a  salesroom,  20  x  100 
feet,  and  a  store-room,  70  x  20  feet,  on  the  floor  above. 
This  is  the  oldest  grocery  house  now  doing  business  on  the 
street,  and  its  operations  employ  eleven  men  and  two  de- 
livery teams. 

D.  B.  BAILEY,  the  head  of  the  firm,  is  a  native  of  Ohio  ;  received 
his  education  at  Grand  River  Institute  ;  read  law-  in  Hon.  Benjamin 
Wade's  office,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  i860.  C.nme  to  Wiscon- 
sin the  following  year,  intending  to  practice  law,  but  engaged  in  teach- 
ing ;  removed  to  Appleton  in  1S63,  ceased  teaching  in  1865,  and  two 
years  later  embarked  in  trade,  in  which  he  has  been  most  successful. 

Bailey  &  Wright,  grocers,  College  avenue,  west  of  Dur- 
kee  street,  Appleton.  This  business  was  established  only 
last  year  by  two  young  men,  natives  of  Wisconsin,  and 
theirs  now  ranks  as  the  second   house  of  the  kind  in   the 


ley  and  F.  E. 


;  of  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  and   was  there 
removal  to  this  city  in   1S79,  where,  pre- 
ihe  grocery 


his  own 


.  hei 


city.     The  members  of  the  firm  are  G.  E. 
Wright. 

G.  E.  BAILEY  is  a  na 
engaged  in  farming  until  ' 
vious  to  engaging  in  trade  ' 
house  of  D.  B.  Bailey. 

F.  E.  WRIGHT  was  born  in  this  city  ;  received  his  education  herr. 
and  after  a  special  cour.^e  in  book- keeping,  was  Two  years  ^^'i'h  the  gro- 
cery house  of  D.  B.  Bailey,  and  then  joined  his  fellow  cleiK  1  -  the  busi- 
ness they  have  so  successfully  established. 

LOUIS  BUONINI.  meat  market,  608  College  av>iiue.  Appleton. 
Mr.  Buonini  is  a  native  of  Italy,  and  came  to  this  Stale  in  1855.  He 
began  the  lumbering  and  milling  business,  which  he  carried  on  actively 
for  sixteen  years,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  his  present  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  very  successfully  conducted  since.  In  1864,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hartung,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  We  find  Mr.  Buonini 
an  active  and  enterprising  business  man  and  citizen. 

JOHN  B.  CAREY,  proprietor  Forest  City  House,  corner  Col.  av- 
enue and  Drew  street,  .\ppleton.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born, 
reared  and  educated  in  the  province  of  New  Brunswick.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen,  and  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1S50,  he  came  here  and  located, 
and  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  public  and  private  interest's  of 
the  State  since,  as  a  citizen,  soldier  and  business  man.  For  the  first  few 
years  after  his  arrival,  he  was  engaged  in  the  livery  business,  which  he 
abandoned  in  time  for  the  more  prospectively  successful  business  of  lum- 
bering and  milling,  which  he  followed  for  the  space  of  twenty  years. 
He  then  turned  his  attention  to  mercantile  enterprises,  with  which  he 
was  connected  for  seven  years,  closing  his  connection  in  that  line  in  the 
Fall  of  1S80.  In  the  meantime,  he  prosecuted  an  extensive  deal  in  real 
estate  transactions,  during  which  time  he  purchased  a  large  farm,  which 
industry  he  has  been  connected  with  for  several  years,  and  was  pr  cii- 
cally  engaged  with  it  this  year.  In  1S63,  he  enlisted  for  a  lerm  of  ihree 
years  in  the  service  of  his  country,  Co.  G,  3d  Wis.  C,  but  after  an  active 
service  of  two  years,  he  was  mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged. 
He  had,  in  1858,  seen  service  for  the  same  length  of  time  in  ihe  Ui  ited 
States  service  in  Utah.  In  1862,  Nov.  14,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
E.  Harris,  who  was  born  in  Herefordshire,  England.  Thev  have  a  fam- 
ily of  one  son  and  daughter,  Orrin  Benton  and  May  1..  '  We  find  Mr. 
Carey  a  representative  pion^-er  and  citizen,  fully  devoted  10  the  im- 
provement and  development  of  the  many  different  industries  of  the 
State  as  a  citizen,  and  active  and  efficient  as  a  soldier. 

Collins  &  Pierce,  attorneys  at  law,  Appleton  —  A.  L. 
Collins  and  H.  Pierce.     Partnership  established  in  1S74. 

A.  L.  COLLINS  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  Stale  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio  in  an  eaily  day;  received  an  academic  training,  read 
law  in  the  ofiice  of  Hon.  J.  W.  Allen,  of  Cleveland,  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  at  term  of  Court  held  in  Washington  County,  same  Stale,  in  1835, 
and  practiced  there  until  1842,  when  he  came  10  Wisconsin  and  settled 
in  Madison.  In  1S54,  he  was  elected  Circuit  Judge  for  the  Ninth  Judi- 
cial District  of  this  Slate,  which  he  resigned  in  1S5S.  on  account  of  ill 
health,  and  temporarily  retiring  from  practice,  settled  on  a  farm  near 
Neenah.  Three  years  later,  he  visited  the  Pacific  coast,  remaining  three 
years  and  a  half,  when,  finding  his  health  materially  improved,  returned 
to  Wisconsin.     In  1S68,  removed  to  Chicago,  but  the  duties  of  his  pro- 


682 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


fession  in  that  city  were  too  exhaustive,  and  in  1870  he  returned  to  his 
farm  from  which,  in  1875.  he  removed  to  this  city  and  resumed  his  law 
practice.  Mr.  Collins  was  prominently  identified  with  the  early  politi- 
cal history  of  the  State  and  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Territorial  Congress,  sessions  of  1846-47-48,  until  the  State  was 
admitted  to  the  Union.  He  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Gen.  Doty,  so  well 
known  the  earlier  history  of  Wisconsin,  and  until  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  was  an  ardent  Whig.  !!e  was  the  nominee  of  that 
party  for  Congress  in  1S4S  ;  its  candidate  for  Governor  in  1S49  ;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  National  Whig  Convention  in  1852,  in  which  he  supported 
Daniel  Webster  for  President,  and  also  chairman  of  the  State  Executive 
Committee,  and  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  United  States  Senator. 

COL.  THEODORE  CONKEY,  deceased.  Was  born  at 
Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y..  Dec.  11,  1818.  His  father, 
Asa  Conkey,  served  his  country  honorably  as  a  soldier  in  the 
second  war  with  England,  and  was  a  man  of  marked  strength 
of  character.  The  first  twenty  years  of  Col.  Conkey's  life  was 
spent  upon  the  old  farm  near  Canton.  He  enjoyed  ail  the  privileges 
which  the  common  schools  of  that  day  afforded,  and  afterward  concluded 
his  studies  at  the  academy  of  Cazenovia.  In  1841,  he  moved  to  Wiscon- 
sin, locating  in  Fond  du  Lac,  where  there  were  but  four  or  five  white 
families  then  living.  During  the  succeeding  three  years,  he  taught  school 
in  Madison.  About  1845,  he  engaged  in  the  Government  Survey,  with 
Gen.  A.  G.  Ellis.  Large  portions  of  the  territory  comprising  Northern 
Wisconsin,  reaching  as  far  north  as  Lake  Supeiior,  and  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  the  Mississippi,  were  surveyed  for  the  first  time  by  them.  In  1849, 
Col.  Conkey  settled  in  Appleton,  and  acquired  that  year  considerable 
property  interest,  in  company  with  Hon.  .Morgan  L.  Martin  and  A.  B. 
Bowen,  upon  the  site  whi'.h  the  city  of  Appleton  now  occupies — includ- 
ing real  estate  and  water-power  franchises.  This  was  the  execution  of  a 
plan  previously  formulated.  Upon  his  first  and  subsequent  visits  to  this 
section,  he  recognized  the  physical  features  and  natural  advantages  here 
favorable  to  the  upbuilding  of  a  prosperous  city.  During  the  succeeding 
thirty-one  years  he  was  prominently  identified  with  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  Appleton.  .^ny  and  every  legitimate  enterprise  promising 
such  a  result  has  always  received  his  hearty  encouragement.  He  was  re- 
garded by  his  fellow-citizens  as  a  man  of  mature  thought,  excellent  and 
correct  judgment,  and  his  council  was  always  sought  and  highly  valued. 
Col.  Conkey  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Fox  &  Wisconsin  Im- 
provement Company,  and  his  enlistment  in  this  important  enterprise  was 
regarded  as  a  most  fortuitous  event  for  the  Fox  River  Valley.  He  fully 
comprehended  the  importance  of  this  route,  and  to  what  extent  its  im- 
provement involved  the  development  of  the  then  latent  resources  of  this 
region.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  company,  and  superintended 
its  most  valuable  work.  The  improvement  of  the  water-route,  connect- 
ing the  lakes  with  the  Mississippi,  alwavs  had  in  him  a  staunch  advocate. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  Col.  Conkey  tendered  his  services 
to  the  Government.  He  raised  a  company,  and  joined  the  3d  Wis.V.  C, 
in  January,  1862.  His  regiment  was  assigned  arduous  duty  in  Southern 
Kansas,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  upon  the  plains,  and  continued  in  ac- 
tive service  until  the  October  following  the  clo>;e  of  the  war.  As  a  sol- 
dier. Col.  Conkey  was  faithful  and  valorous.  As  an  ofliicer,  his  rare  exe- 
cutive ability  was  well  known  He  had  the  full  confidence  of  his  super- 
iors, and  was  frequently  entrusted  with  important  commands  above  his 
rank.  He  was  courageous,  but  prudent,  aggressive,  but  deliberate  and 
reliable,  and  though  a  strict  disciplinarian,  was  always  considerate  of  his 
men.  During  his  term  of  service,  he  was  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel 
of  his  regiment.  Within  a  few  months  after  his  retirement  from  the 
army,  he  was  ten''ered  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  regular  army.  He 
had  a  taste  for  military  life,  and  had  not  duty  lo  those  whom  he  loved, 
dictated  otherwise,  he  would  have  accepted.  He  had  served  his  country 
honorably  and  efficiently  in  its  great  distress,  and  now  felt  at  liberty  to 
enjoy  peaceful  vocations.  Upon  his  return  home,  he  engaged  in  the  mill- 
ing business,  and  until  a  year  before  his  death,  conducted  one  of  the 
largest  establishments  in  the  State.  He  was  a  representative  man  of  this 
important  industry — having  been  several  times  elected  vice-president  of 
the  State  Millers'  Association.  Col.  Conkey  was  frequently  honored  by 
his  fellow-citizens  with  positions  of  importance  and  responsibility.  He 
served  several  terms  in  the  County  Board  and  Common  Council.  In 
1S51,  he  was  elected  lo  the  State  Senate,  and  in  1856,10  the  General  As- 
sembly. In  all  of  lhe.se  positions  he  acquitted  himself  with  credit,  and 
reflected  honor  upon  those  whom  he  represented.  Had  he  been  a  man 
of  more  ambition,  he  might  have  advanced  to  greater  political  prefer- 
ment, to  which  his  abilities  so  well  entitled  him.  In  politics.  Col. Conkey 
was  a  Democrat,  but  the  party  lash  had  no  terrors  for  him.  He  always 
reserved  the  right  to  criticise  the  defects,  as  well  as  lo  approve  of  the 
merits  of  any  policy  which  his  party  enunciated.  A  friend,  writing  of 
his  death,  says:  "Like  all  characters  having  broad  dimensions,  Col. 
Conkey's  was  difficult  lo  comprehend.  But  to  those  who  had  come  lo 
know  him.  his  peculiar  traits  appeared  as  pickets  thrown  out  to  guard 
the  entrance  to  the  finer  chambers  of  his  nature.  And  such  as  passed 
this  sentry  line  in  safely,  found  a  magnificent  and  regal  soul,  full  of  noble 
thoughts,  good  impulses,  honorable  promptings  and  kindly  sympathies. 
The  rank  of  those  seeking  admission  was  never  considered.  The  poor 
and  lowly  were  quite  as  likely  lo  find  favor  as  those  of  more  exalted  sta- 


tion. And  many  of  those  who  were  the  recipients  of  his  qniet  benefac- 
tions and  unostenlatious  charily  still  live  to  cherish  the  memory  of  the 
departed.  But  numerous  as  were  his  virtues,  the  greatest  of  these  was 
his  lender  attachment  to  his  family  and  his  home.  These  10  him  were 
the  sacred  things  of  earth.  To  his  own  fireside  he  always  brought  an 
unruffled  brow,  a  cheerful  smile  and  a  jolly  heart.  Happiness  reigned 
in  his  presence  and  abided  until  his  return.  His  charily  was  broad  and 
his  sympathies  ever  keen  and  active  for  those  whom  he  loved.  His  great 
heart  was  the  willing  receptacle  of  confidences  attired  in  joy  or  draped  in 
sorrow.  His  boundless  resources  were  ever  responsive  to  the  demands 
for  condolence  as  well  as  congratulation.  Like  the  stalwart  oak  of  the 
forest  to  which  the  ivy  clings  for  succor  and  support,  so  this  strong  man 
gave  strength,  security  and  comfort  to  others  through  the  delicate  ten- 
drils nf  human  aflTeciion."  Col.  Conkey  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Cynthia  Foote,  of  Canton,  N.  Y.,  June  23,  1848.  They  have  had  four 
children,  one  dying  in  infancy,  and  three  of  whom,  with  their  mother, 
still  survive,  one  son  and  two  daughters. 

Conkey  &  Briggs,  insurance  agents,  No.  119  College 
avenue,  Appleton.  (Partnership  established  in  1872.)  This 
firm  represents  an  aggregate  protection  of  $60,000,000  fire 
insurance,  $25,000,000  marine,  $1,000,000  life,  and  accidents 
nominal.  Members  of  the  firm  are,  \.  H.  Conkey;  F.  W. 
Briggs. 

A.  H.  CONICEY,  City  Superintendent  of  Schools.  Is  a  native  of 
New  York,  received  his  classical  education  at  Hamilton,  in  his  native 
Slate,  and  went  South  in  1847,  to  engage  in  teaching.  The  following 
year  he  went  into  Mississippi,  and  in  1852  organized  the  Chickasaw 
Female  College,  under  the  care  of  Chickasaw  Presbytery,  and  conducted 
it  until  1S67,  during  which  time,  under  the  blessing  of  Providence,  he 
had  seen  it  increase  from  a  small  school  of  fifteen  members,  lo  a  large 
boarding  school,  with  125  pupils,  and  employing  from  ten  to  twelve 
teachers.  Impoverished  by  the  war.  he  abandoned  that  enterprise,  lo 
which  he  had  given  all  his  means  and  so  many  of  the  best  years  of  his 
life,  and  after  two  years  with  the  Okoloma  Female  College,  came  North 
and  settled  in  Appleton.  In  1S70,  in  company  wilh  T.  W.  Briggs,  he 
opened  an  insurance'  business  in  this  office  ;  was  soon  after  elected  City 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  which  office  he  has  held  by  successive  re- 
elections  from  1871  until  the  present.  Mr.  Conkey  is  one  of  the  active 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city,  and  was  chairman  of 
the  building  committee  during  the  erection  of  the  new  church,  of  which 
the  city  is  justly  proud. 

F.  W.  BRIGGS  is  a  native  of  New  York,  from  which  State  he  came 
to  Appleton  in  1853.  and  three  years  later  commenced  life  as  a  clerk, 
which  business  he  followed  until  1865  ;  then  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness, to  which,  in  1867,  he  added  insurance,  and  so  continued  unlil  1S70, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  insurance  business  exclusively. 

WILLIAM  COMERFORD,  livery  stable,  Appleton.  Mr.  Comer- 
ford  came  lo  W'isconsin  from  Ireland,  in  1846,  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 
In  1867,  he  came  to  Appleton,  and  soon  after  engaged  in  ihe  livery  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  successfully  conducted  since.  In  1S67.  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Cragen,  a  native  of  New  York  Stale.  They 
have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  five  daughters.  We  find  Mr.  Comerford 
one  of  the  enterprising  men  of  this  part  of  the  State. 

Evan  Edwards,  dealer  in  dry-goods,  on  College  avenue, 
two  doors  south  of  Appleton  street,  Appleton.  This  business 
was  established  by  the  present  proprietor  in  1868,  and  has 
steadily  increased  its  volume  until  it  now  gives  constant 
employment  to  a  force  of  nine  persons. 

^(R.  EDW.\RDS  is  a  native  of  Wales,  from  which  country  he  came 
direct  lo  Wisconsin  in  1S50.  He  was  bred  to  the  dry-goods  trade  in 
Oshkosh  ;  came  lo  this  city  lo  establish  business  for  himself  in  186S. 
His  operations  were  at  first  very  small,  but  his  business  has  gradually 
increased  until  he  now  owns  one  of  the  best  dry  goods  houses  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Edwards  is  one  of  the  city  fathers. 

REV.  P.  BON-WENTURA  FREY,  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Switz- 
erland. He  was  educated  at  the  University  of  Bohn,Tulingen,  complet- 
ing his  studies  in  1854,  and  the  same  year  was  ordained  priest  it  St. 
Gallien.  In  1856,  he  came  to  .\merica,  locating  in  Milwaukee,  and,  in 
1858,  wilh  Rev.  Father  Francis  Haas,  he  established  the  order  of  Capu- 
chins in  Wisconsin,  at  Ml.  Calvary.  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  remained 
until  1866.  The  same  year,  he  went  lo  New  York  and  esLablished  a 
house  of  his  order  in  that  city.  In  1S79,  ^e  was  made  provincial  of  the 
order  in  the  Unite<I  Slates,  with  headquarters  at  .\ppleton. 

PORTER  J.  GATES,  livery  stables.  Morrison  street,  Appleton. 
Mr.  Gates  came  here  from  Oneida  Co,.  N.Y.,  1849,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
three.  After  prospecting  the  tountry,  lie  returned  lo  New  York,  in  ihe 
Fall  of  1850,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Juliette  Arnold,  only  child  of  Da- 


HISTORY    OF   OUTAGAMIE   COUNTY. 


683 


vid  and  Lucretia  Arnold,  of  Oswego,  N.Y.,  returning  here  the  same  year. 
He  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  his  first  year,  and  the  milling  his 
second  year,  and  subsequently  built  a  building  for  general  cooperage, 
which  he  carried  on  till  1S76.  In  the  Spring  of  1S60,  he  made  an  ex- 
tensive trip  through  the  Rocky  Mountains,  returning  in  1861.  In  1862, 
March  20,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  3d  Wis.  C.  and  remained  in  the  service 
till  the  end  of  the  war.  Was  honorably  discharged  July  12,  1865.  In 
1875,  he  was  engaged  to  carry  the  mails  from  .\ppleton  to  Shawano, 
which  he  conducted  until  1879,  since  which  he  has  carried  on  the  pres- 
ent business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  have  a  family  of  one  son  and  three 
daughters. 

REV.  S.  N.  GRIFFITH,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churchj 
Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Wyoming  Co.,  N.Y.,  where  he  remained  unti' 
his  twenty-first  year,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1854,  and  for  the 
next  ten  years  was  engaged  in  study,  teaching  and  as  agent  for  the  Bible 
Society,  in  which  latter  work  he  traveled  by  carriage  throughout  South- 
ern Wisconsin.  In  1856,  having  determined  to  enter  the  ministry,  he 
came  to  Appleton,  and  five  years  later  graduated  from  Lawrence  Univers- 
ity, having  supported  himself  by  teaching  and  preaching  while  pursuing 
his  course.  After  graduating,  he  continued  his  connection  with  the 
University,  as  mathematical  tutor  and  adjunct  professor  of  mathemat- 
ics, until  1S63.  Entering  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  he  took  the  full  three 
years'  course,  and  graduated  B.  D.  in  1867.  He  was  licensed  to  ))reach 
in  1855.  and  ordained  Sept.  23,  1866.  During  this  interval  of  study,  he 
was  supplying  pulpits,  under  the  direction  of  the  presiding  elder.  Mr. 
Griffith  is  a  thorough  student,  and  takes  great  interest  in  educational 
work,  having  had  considerable  experience  in  public  school  work.  While 
in  charge  of  the  church  at  Oak  Park,  111., he  was  for  two  years  principal 
of  the  Mosely  School,  Chicago,  and,  in  addition  to  his  school  work, 
preached  three  sermons  every  Sunday  and  built  n  church.  His  standing 
in  Conference  is  evidenced  by  the  character  of  the  appointments  given 
him,  as  instance,  Princeton  and  Oak  Park,  III;  Kalamazoo,  Mich.;  Fond 
du  Lac,  Milwaukee  and  Appleton,  Wis.,  to  which  latter  charge  he  was 
appointed  in  iSSo. 

J.  E.  HARRIM.\N,  Judge  of  County  Court,  Appleton.  Judge  Harri- 
man  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  from  which  place  he  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1852,  and  to  this  city  four  years  later,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  trade  until  1S6S.  In  1869.  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
which  position  he  resigned  in  1873  to  accept  the  office  of  County  Judge, 
to  which  he  was  then  elected  and  which  he  has  since  continued  to  hold 
by  successive  re-elections,  his  present  term  expiring  Dec.  31,  1885.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  Appleton  Cemetery  Association  in  1872,  Judge 
Harriman.  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer,  look  direction  of  the  prepar- 
ation and  improvement  of  the  grounds,  which  embrace  a  beautiful  tract 
of  sixty-five  acres,  being  just  below  the  city  on  the  river  bluff  opposite 
Telulah  Park.  The  wonderful  transformation  wrought  in  this  beautiful 
city  of  the  dead,  during  the  eight  yearsof  the  Judge'ssupervision  is  simply 
incredible,  and  will  always  remain  a  monument  of  his  disinterested  serv- 
ices and  the  skill  of  his  foreman,  Dennis  Meidam,  who  is  the  pearl  of 
cemetery  keepers. 

GEO.  C.  JONES,  attorney  at  law,  Appleton.  Is  a  native  of  New 
York;  moved  to  Michigan  with  his  parents  in  1843.  settling  in 
Pontiac,  and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  city.  Read 
law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  S.  L.  Stevens,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1S53, 
and  the  following  year  removed  to  Ontonagon.  Lake  Superior,  and  was 
in  practice  there  until  he  came  to  this  city  in  1868.  While  a  resident  of 
the  Upper  Peninsula,  Mr.  Jones  became  financially  interested  in  the 
copper  mines  of  that  district,  and  in  the  iron  mines  on  the  Menominee 
range.  This  interest  he  still  holds,  and  since  coming  to  Appleton, 
(which  he  did  for  the  purpose  of  educating  his  children),  much  of  his 
time  is  given  to  his  mining  operations  in  the  North.  He  organized  the 
Appleton  Iron  Company  in   1872,  superintended   it  one  year  and  sold 

JOSEPH  KOFFEND,  Treasurer  of  the  city  of  Appleton.  Mr. 
Koffend  was  born  and  raised  in  Austria.  In  1855  he  came  to  thiscountry 
with  his  people,  who  settled  in  Appleton.  Mr.  Koffend  took  up  the 
vocation  of  tinsmithing  and  followed  it  for  seventeen  years,  when  his 
health  became  such  as  to  not  warrant  a  further  prosecution  of  it.  In 
1876  lie  was  elected  the  incumbent  of  his  present  official  position  to 
which  the  people  have  attested  to  their  appreciation  of  his  ability  by 
continuing  him  in  the  office  for  each  succeeding  year  since.  He  has  also 
been  actively  interested  in  the  school  industries  of  his  city  and  has  been 
prominently  connected  with  the  schools  of  his  ward  as  director.  He 
also  carries  on  a  real  estate  Inisiness.  In  1875  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Julia  Weinfeld,  a  native  of  Austria.     They  have  one  son  and  daughter. 

WELCOME  HYDE,  dealer  in  pine  lands,  lumberman  and  real 
estate  operator.  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Vermont  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1842;  settled  in  Wauke.sha  County,  and  in  1849-50,  commenced  opera- 
tions  on  Wolf  Creek  as  a  lumberman,  with  two  yoke  of  cattle.  He  was 
not  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  until  1S80.  his  business  being 
the  supply  of  logs  to  mills,  dealing  in  pine  lands  and  locating  them  for 
outside  parlies  on  commission.  He  has  probably  located  more  land  and 
entered  it  in  the  offices  of  this  State  and  Michigan  than  any  man  now 
living  in  the  State.     In  the  Fall  of  1866,  he  removed  to   Appleton  and 


purchased  a  tract  of  200  acres  of  land,  lying  within  the  corporate  limits, 
most  of  which  is  now  platted  and  a  considerable  part  occupied  by  dwell- 
ings. Within  this  tract  is  embraced  Telulah  Park,  and  the  land  on 
both  sides  the  Telulah  water  power  canal,  in  which  he  owned  until  very 
recently  a  half  interest.  Mr.  Hyde's  acquaintance  with  this  section  of 
Wisconsin  began  four  years  before  any  attempt  at  settlement  was  made 
at  Appleton,  and  in  his  passing  to  and  fro  from  Oshkosh  to  Green  Bay. 
has  frequently  camped  out  with  his  tent  on  the  site  of  the  present  city. 
Since  18S0,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Bear 
Creek  and  Marion,  Waupaca  Co.     His  lumber  offices  are  at  the  mills. 

JOHN  A.  LEITH,  County  Superintendent  of  Schools.  Outagamie 
County.  Mr.  Leith  was  born  in  Stromness,  Scotland.  In  1857,  he  came 
here  with  his  people,  who  settled  in  the  county,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  also  took  a  select  course  of 
five  years  in  the  Lawrence  University,  but  did  not  graduate  in  conse- 
quence of  litigation  arising  in  connection  therewith,  in  which  he  formed 
a  prominent  party.  After  his  collegiate  course  was  finished  he  turned 
his  attention  to  teaching,  and  has  been  identified  prominently  with  that 
industry  since.  In  1879  he  was  elected  to  the  incumbency  of  his  present 
position,  which  he  has  very  successfully  conducted  since. 

A.  H.  LEVINGS,  M.  D.,  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  He  re- 
ceived an  academic  education  in  Rockford,  in  his  native  State,  and  grad- 
uated from  the  Chicago  Medical  Colleee,  class  of  1871-2.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  his  course  he  removed  to  Wisconsin  practiced  one  year  in 
Janesville,  and  came  to  this  city,  where  for  the  past  eight  years,  he  has 
been  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

H.  W.  MEYER,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Appleton  Volks  Freund. 
Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  and  from  that  country  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents  while  yet  an  infant.  Graduating  at  Concordia 
College,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  class  of  1862,  he  engaged  in  tenching  until 
1869.  when  became  to  Appleton.  The  following  year,  he  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  paper,  of  which  he  is  now  the  head,  and  in  1871  became 
Its  sole  proprietor.  Mr.  Meyer  has  successfully  held  office  as  City 
Clerk.  Treasurer  .ind  Assessor;  was  printer's  devil  in  the  office  of  the 
Appleton  Cresctnt,  when  that  paper  was  first  issued,  in  1S53.  He 
enlisted  for  the  United  States  service,  but  was  not  accepted.  He  held 
an  interest  in  the  Crescent,  and  edited  that  sheet  during  the  absence 
of  its  editor,  his  brother,  in  the  field,  from  1861  to  1864. 

GEORGE  M.  MILLER,  Postmaster,  Appleton.  Mr.  Miller  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1865.  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  he  came  to  Appleton  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business,  which  he  followed  for  six  years,  after  which  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  business  of  journalism,  and,  in  company  with  Mr  Reid,  of 
the  Post,  they  bought  out  that  institution  and  conducted  it  until  his  ap- 
pointment as  Postmaster  in  1876,  which  position  he  still  retains,  having 
severed  his  connection  with  the  Post  in  1S78. 

A.  NITSCHKE,  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  hats  and 
caps,  flour,  etc..  316  College  avenue,  Appleton.  Mr.  Nitschke  is  a  na- 
tive of  Prussia  and  came  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1843.  '"  l86l,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Urion  cause,  1st  Wis.  V.  I.,  for  three  months  service.  In 
1862,  he  enlisted  again  in  the  26th  Wis.  V.  I.  and  remained  in  the  serv- 
ice till  the  end  of  the  war,  at  which  time  he  was  honorably  discharged; 
w  s  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Resaca.  .^fter  his  return  from  the  war,  he 
engaged  in  the  mercintile  business  here  in  1866,  which  he  has  success- 
fully conducted  since.  In  l868,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ostertag, 
who  was  born  in  this  country.  They  have  a  family  of  one  son  and  two 
daughters,  and  one  boy  and  girl  buried  in  the  German  Catholic  Ceme- 
tery of  Appleton. 

PEERENBOOM  &  KOBER,  general  merchandise  and  merchant 
tailors,  314  College  avenue,  .-Vpplelon.  The  firm  consists  of  Julius  I'eer- 
enboom  and  Jacob  Kober.  The  business  was  established  here  in  Janu- 
ary, 1872,  and  has  been  so  successfully  conducted  since  that  their  busi- 
ness has  increased  three  hundred  per  cent.  Mr.  Peerenbooni,  the  senior 
member,  is  a  native  of  Holland  and  came  to  this  country  in  1858.  In 
1869,  he  began  his  career  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  has  so 
successfully  conducted  since. 

Mr.  Kober  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  c-me  to  this  country  in 
1854,  in  March.  In  November,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  2d  Wis.  C, 
and  after  an  active  service  of  nearly  two  years  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged  on  account  of  disability  for  that  service.  After  a  few  months, 
he  again  enlisted  in  the  infantry  department,  32d  Wis.  Vet.,  and  after  an 
active  service  of  two  years  more  he  was  honorably  discharged.  After 
his  valuable  war  service,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  peace  industries 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  has  very  succe.ssfuily 
conducted  since. 

L.  B.  PENNOCK,  Appleton.  Mr.  Pennock  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
born  and  reared  in  York  Mills,  near  Toronto.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he 
engaged  at  the  trade  of  carpentering,  which  he  prosecuted  successfully 
for  six  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to  .Appleton.  Wis.,  in 
1871.  In  the  Spring  of  1872,  he  engaged  with  the  Fox  &  Wisconsin 
River  improvement,  in  the  employ  of  the  Government,  as  foreman  of  the 
engineering  department,  with  which  he  has  been  reputably  connected 
since.     In  February,  1878,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  A.  Clark, 


684 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


who  was  born  in  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  her  people  having  come  to  Wis- 
consin  from  England,  and  are  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  State. 
They  have  one  little  girl,  Margaret  A.  J. 

C.  J.  Pettibone  &:  Co.,  dealers  in  dry  goods  and  notions, 
corner  College  avenue  and  Appleton  street,  Appleton.  This 
business  was  established  in  1862  by  C.  J.  Pettibone  as  a 
branch  of  the  Fond  du  Lac  house,  established  in  i86o, 
which  was  a  branch  of  the  Portage  City  house,  established 
in  1846.  Their  store  fronts  twenty-seven  and  one-half  feet 
on  the  avenue  and  is  120  feet  deep.  The  business  of  the 
house  occupies  both  floors,  and  an  addition  was  made  last 
Fall  by  the  purchase  of  the  store-room  directly  adjoining 
them  on  the  east,  25  .x  120  feet.  This  affords  them  a  full 
frontage  of  fifty-two  and  one-half  feet,  a  depth  of  120  feet, 
two  floors,  which  is  fully  occupied  with  the  transactions  of 
the  house,  and  giving  employment  to  a  force  of  twenty  per- 
sons, including  the  millinery  establishment.  The  present 
firm  was  organized  in  1S73,  and  they  have  labored  most  suc- 
cessfully in  building  up  a  trade  in  the  finest  lines  of  silk 
and  dress  goods,  so  that  to-day  they  are  able  to  furnish  from 
their  stock  as  rich  and  choice  patterns  as  are  sold  over  any 
metropolitan  counters.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  C.  J. 
Pettibone  and  George  F.  Peabody. 

C.  J.  PETTIBONE  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and,  previous  to 
coming  10  Wisconsin,  in  1S46,  was  engaged  in  dry  goods  trade  at  Fre- 
mont, Ohio.  The  same  year  that  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  he  established 
business  at  Portage  City,  and  in  1864  had  no  less  than  ten  establishments 
scattered  throughout  the  State.  These  were  gradually  discontinued  un- 
til, in  1S70,  he  had  in  operation  only  his  Fond  du  Lac  and  Appleton 
houses. 

GEORGE  F.  PEABODY  is  a  native  of  Connecticut  ;  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents  in  1847  ;  remained  thirteen  years  and  returned 
East.  In  1S66,  he  came  again  to  the  State  and  entered  the  dry  goods 
house  of  Pettibone  at  Fond  du  Lac  as  clerk,  and  in  1S73  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  house  and  removed  to  Appleton  in  charge  of  the  business  at 
this  point,  since  which  date  sales  of  the  house  have  increased  two  and  a 
half  times. 

H.  PIERCE,  present  Mayor  of  the  city,  serving  his  second  term. 
Came  to  this  State  from  the  East  a  little  over  thirty  years  since,  and 
settled  in  Milwaukee.  He  soon  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  where 
he  received  a  collegiate  education,  read  law,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar, 
and  one  year  later,  1S67,  came  to  .\ppleton  for  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  was  elected  District  Attorney,  and  served  in  1872-73;  was 
three  or  four  times  City  Attorney,  and,  as  before  stated,  is  serving  his 
second  term  as  Mayor  of  this  city,  in  which  he  owns  large  landed  prop- 
erty, to  the  improvement  and  sale  of  which  much  of  his  time  is  now 
devoted. 

J.  T.  REEVE,  M.  D.,  Appleton,  the  senior  physician  of  this  city. 
Is  a  native  of  New  York  ;  he  graduated  from  Castleton  Medical  Col- 
lege, Vt.,  in  the  class  of  1854,  and  the  following  year,  again  took  his 
parchments  from  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  and  settled 
for  practice  in  De  Pere,  Wis.  Remained  there,  and  at  Green  Bay, 
until  1861,  when  he  tendered  his  services  to  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment, and  was  mustered  in  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  loth  Wis.  Inf.  ; 
was  promoted  surgeon  of  the  2lst  Regiment  the  following  year;  was  cap- 
tured at  Chickamauga,  and  was  held  a  prisoner  nine  weeks,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  war  was  mustered  out  as  acting  chief  surgeon  of  the  1st  Division, 
:4th  Army  Corps.  He  then  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  this 
city  for  medical  practice,  in  which  he  has  since  been  successfully  en- 
gaged. His  professional  abilities  are  abundantly  testified  by  the  public 
recognition  accorded  them.  A  member  of  the  State  Medical  Societv,  he 
has  been  successively  elected  as  secretary  of  that  body  for  the  past  ten 
years,  with  one  exception.  1875.  in  which  year  he  was  its  presiding  offi- 
cer. He  was  an  original  member  of  the  Slate  Board  of  Health,  organ- 
ized  in  1876,  and  has  been  its  only  secretary  to  date.  Since  1872,  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  .American  Medical  .Vssociation,  and  president 
of  one  of  its  sections  at  the  session  of  1880.  held  in  Richmond,  Va.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  International  Medical  Congress  of  1876,  and  is 
State  Inspector  of  Oils  under  the  act  of  Legislature  of  1S80.  As  secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Health  he  has  issued  numerous  tracts  on  sanitary 
matters,  and  given  to  the  citizens  of  the  State  much  valuable  informa- 
tion concerning  the  health  of  home  and  the  family. 

ALEXANDER  J.  REID,  Appleton,  the  present  editor  and  proprie- 
tor of  the  Appleton  Post,  while  one  of  the  most  unassuming  journalists 


in  the  Northwest,  is,  at  the  same  time,  one  of  the  ablest,  gifted  with  an 
exceptionally  correct  insight  into  all  of  the  phases  of  human  nature  ;  he 
combines  with  this  a  general  editional  talent  of  the  most  exalted  nature. 
Naturally,  in  the  highest  degree  unobtrusive,  the  aim  of  his  existence  does 
not  lie  in  the  domain  of  a  seeker  after  official  preferment,  hut  in  that  of 
an  earnest,  honest  desire  to  give  his  patrons  the  best  possible  newspaper* 
for  the  money  ;  naturally  of  a  retiring  disposition  it  is  given  to,  but  a 
few  persons  outside  of  his  office  to  know  him  intimately,  in  other  words, 
as  he  is.  Those  thus  admitted,  however,  to  his  confidence,  bear  willing 
testimony  to  his  manv  noble  qualities,  especially  his  keen  sympathy  for 
the  sorrowing  and  suffering.  Mr.  Reid  was  born  at  Nunda,  Livingston 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept,  22,  1846.  In  1866,  in  partnership  with  a  brother,  he 
published  a  newspaper  at  Oconomowoc,  this  Stale.  In  September.  1S67, 
he  came  to  Appleton  for  the  purpose  of  graduating  at  Laurence  Univer- 
sity. In  1868.  however,  while  in  his  junior  year,  he  left  college,  and  as- 
sisted in  editing  the  Appleton  Pos/.  In  the  Summer  of  1869.  in  com- 
pany with  James  M.  Miller,  (now  postmaster,)  he  purchased  the  Post, 
the  business  of  the  establishment  being  conducted  under  the  firm  name 
of  Reid  &  Miller.  Nine  years  later,  the  business  of  the  oftice  having 
been  put  upon  a  permanently  prosperous  basis,  some  of  the  fruits  of  the 
hard  work  performed  were  swept  away  by  fire,  and  after  the  change  of 
base  thus  necessitated,  Mr.  Reid  purchased  Mr.  Miller's  interest,  and 
became  sole  proprietor  of  the  paper,  which  position  he  continues  to  ho'd. 

JACOB  REGENFUSS  &  SON,  proprietors  Northwestern  Hotel, 
corner  Appleton  and  Edwards  streets,  Appleton.  The  house  is  located 
on  the  most  central  part  of  the  city,  and  has  a  very  ample  accommoda- 
tion for  the  travelling  public.  In  connection  with  the  house  are  exten- 
sive stables  for  the  convenience  of  about  fifty-six  horses.  A  free  bus  is 
always  in  attendance  at  the  railroad  and  steamboat  depots.  The  enter- 
prising managers  make  it  their  motto  to  be  reasonable  in  their  demands, 
and  to  furnish  the  traveling  public  with  all  the  conveniences  incident  to 
hotel  accommodations. 

H,  D.  RYAN,  attorney  at  law,  Appleton,  was  born  at  Fort  Howard, 
Wis.,  Oct.  7,  1837;  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Brown  County,  and  in  Lawrence  University,  this  city,  which  institution 
he  attended  two  years.  Read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  W.  S.  Warner, 
of  this  city,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  term  of  court  held  here 
in  Novemt)er,  1867.  The  following  year  he  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  his  legal  preceptor,  which  continued  until  1S77. 

SAMUEL  RYAN,  Appleton  (he  dropped  the  Jr.  in  1878,  two  years 
after  the  death  of  his  father),  was  one  of  the  first  Trustees  of  the  village 
of  Appleton,  and  for  a  year  was  its  Clerk  ;  was  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
Court,  both  by  appniniment  and  election,  nearly  two  terms;  served  a 
term  in  the  State  Assembly,  in  which  body  he  was  subsequenily  First 
Assistant  Clerk  ;  was  twice  elected  County  Judge  ;  five  limes  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  ;  was  twice  a  candidate  of  the  Democracy  for  Presidential 
Elector,  and  once  for  Secretary  of  State ;  and  has  for  many  years  been 
also  a  prominent  Odd  Fellow,  having  been  for  two  terms  Grand  Master 
of  the  State  Grand  Lodge,  and  for  two  terms,  also,  a  representative  from 
Wisconsin  to  the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge  of  that  order. 

JAMES  RYAN  has  filled  the  position  of  Treasurer,  .\lderman, 
and  Mayor  of  Appleton,  and  served  a  term  in  the  State  Senate  wiih 
much  credit  to  himself  and  his  constituents.  He  has  always  been  averse 
to  political  life  and  its  honors,  preferring  the  business  department  of 
his  vocation. 

W.  A.  SIEKMAN,  livery,  boarding  and  sale  stables,  Johnson  street, 
Appleton.  The  stables  contain  a  full  and  complete  slock  of  liverv.  They 
were  established  by  the  enterprising  proprietor  in  1870.  In  1S76,  he 
enlarged  upon  his  already  extensive  capacity, and  built  the  present  beau- 
tiful stables.  The  traveling  public  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  give 
him  a  call  ;  his  terms  are  reasonable,  and  his  outfits  first-class.  Mr. 
Seekman  came  to  Illinois  fiom  Prussia  in  1850,  with  his  people,  who 
settled  there.  In  1870,  he  came  here,  and  established  the  present  suc- 
cessful business.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Kehoe.  They  have  one 
little  boy,  Oscar  Fred. 

EMORY  STANSBURY,  M.  D.,  Appleton.  is  a  native  of  Balti- 
more,  Md.,  but  removed  with  his  family  to  this  State  in  iSsi.  He  grad- 
uated from  the  Janesville  high  school  in  1S60,  then  under  the  able  direc- 
tion of  Levi  Cass,  and  commenced  reading  for  his  profession  in  the  office 
of  Monroe  Dodson  ;  entered  the  United  States  service  as  a  private  in  the 
1st  Wis.  Cav.,  and,  on  leaving  the  service,  where  he  was  attached  to  the 
medical  department,  resumed  medical  study  in  the  office  of  his  old  pre- 
ceptor, with  whom  he  was  for  some  time  associated  in  practice.  He  then 
entered  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  and  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  the  class  of  1867,  and  the  following  year  established  him- 
self in  practice  in  this  cily.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the  State  Med- 
ical Society,  and,  with  one  exception,  is  the  senior  practitioner  of  this 
city,  reckoning  the  years  of  practice  here. 

REV.  F.  TANGUAY,  pastor,  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  Laval,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  Dominion  of  Canada  ;  pursued  his  studies  in  Quebec, 
and  completed  them  at  the  Seminary  of  Our  Lady  of  Angels,  at  Niagara 
Falls,  in  1871.  The  same  year,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  was  ordained 
priest  in  Green  Bay,  and  appointed  to  the  charge  of  the  church  at  Grand 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


685 


Rapids.     In   1875,  h 
church  in  this  city. 


isigned  to  the  charge  of  the  Irish  Catholic 

LOUIS  TOEPEL,  proprietor  and  owner  of  "  Valley  House,"  Ap- 
pleton.  The  house  is  located  at  the  M.,  L.  S.  &  W.,  and  C.  &  N.  \V. 
Railroad  depots,  and  is  convenient  to  the  business  and  manufacturing 
centers  of  the  city.  Mr.  Toepel  was  born  in  Germany,  but  was 
raised  in  Wisconsin,  his  people  having  settled  in  the  State  about  1S47. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  he  began  business  for  himself,  and  has  very 
successfully  conducted  it  since.  In  1874.  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Weiler,  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  a  family  of  two  little 
girls,  Amalia  and  Clara.  Mr.  Toepel's  motto  in  his  business  is  reason- 
able terms,  good  accommodation  and  strict  attention  to  business. 

L.  S.  TOWNSEND,  proprietor  Briggs  House,  Edwards  street,  Ap- 
pleton.  The  house  is  located  in  the  most  central  part  of  the  city,  is 
newly  fitted  and  furnished  with  the  most  approved  conveniences  inci- 
dent to  the  requirements  of  the  traveling  public,  and  is  in  point  of  con- 
venience, second  to  none  in  the  place.  The  enterprising  and  genial  land- 
lord, Mr.  Townsend,  whose  extensive  experience  in  this  line  of  business 
thraugh  the  State,  well  qualifies  him  to  administer  as  host  to  the  travel- 
er, the  pleasure-seeker  and  tourist  In  connection  with  the  house  are 
extensive  stables  for  ample  accommodation  of  horses.  His  motto  is  rea- 
sonable terms,  good  accommodations,  and  strict  attention  to  business. 
A  free  bus  is  always  in  attendance  upon  the  railroad  and  sfeamboat 
depots. 

REV.  GEORGE  VERNOR,  pastor,  Appleton,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  ;  removed  from  that  .State  in  early  life,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1S5S.  He  graduated  from  Racine  College,  class  of  1862,  and  from 
Nashotah  Theological  Seminary,  Waukesha  County,  in  1S65.  The 
same  year  he  was  ordained  deacon,  and  settled  over  the  parish  of 
Grace  Church.  Union  City,  Mich.,  and  the  following  year  was  ordained 
priest.  Ill  1S67,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  was  for  two  years  mis- 
sionary along  the  line  of  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad.  From 
1869  to  1S72,  he  had  charge  of  the  diocesan  school  at  Fond  du  Lac,  the 
later  date  being  that  on  which  he  assumed  charge  of  his  present  parish. 

WALMBOLD  COMPANY,  proprietors  Lawrence  new  roller  mill, 
Appleton,  Wis.,  S,  K.  Walmbold,  S.  S.  Shaver.  The  mill  is  located  on 
the  immense  Fox  River  water  power  here,  and  is  built  upon  the  latest 
and  most  approved  plans,  having  been  remodeled  in  1S80.  It  is  four 
stories  high,  has  an  unlimited  water  power,  and  a  capacity  of  200  barrels 
per  day  ;  four  run  of  stone,  nine  sets  of  rollers,  and  two  extra  stones  for 
feed  and  rye  ;  has  a  local  trade  of  S6o,ooo,  and  a  general  milling  busi- 
ness of  equal  account,  making  an  annual  trade  of  $120,000  per  annum. 
It  is,  in  point  of  capacity,  quality  of  manufacture,  and  trade,  second  to 
none  in  the  State,  and  the  best  on  Fox  River.  Their  Royal  Baker" 
has  a  first  class  record  in  the  State.  Mr.  Walmbold,  the  general  mana- 
ger, is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  the  State  in  1S46,  with  his 
people,  who  settled  in  Milwaukee  ;  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  the 
mercantile  business  in  Menomonee,  Waukesha  Co.,  which  he  conducted 
very  successfully  for  twenty-two  years,  after  which  he  came  here  and  con- 
ducted the  business  of  the  firm  of  Briggs  &  Walmbold,  sash,  doors,  and 
blinds,  for  two  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  extensive  real  estate 
transactions,  which  he  in  turn  forsook  for  the  more  prospectively  success- 
ful business  of  milling,  which  he  has  devoted  himself  to  with  such  energy 
as  to  make  it  the  representative  business  that  it  now  is,  and  which  stands 
second  to  none  in  the  Stale.  Mr.  Shaver  is  the  practical  man,  and  con- 
ducts the  milling  operations  ;  he  has  had  an  experience  of  thirty  years 
through  the  great  wheat  districts  of  Wiscon.sin  and  Minnesota,  and  is 
prepared  to  retain  for  the  mill  the  very  successful  credit  for  good  work 
turned  out  hitherto.  He  was  the  first  miller  to  run  rolls  in  this  section 
of  the  country,  and  whose  experience  in  all  the  different  brands  of  flour 
manufactured,  make  him  practically  second  to  none  in  that  department 
of  the  business  in  the  State. 

H.  F.  Weise,  crockery,  glassware  and  house  furnishing 
goods,  Appleton.  This  business  was  established  August  i, 
18S0,  at  No.  414  College  avenue,  and  is  the  only  exclusive 
glassware  and  crockery  house  in  the  city. 

H.  F.  WEISE  is  a  native  of  Green  Bay,  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  has  been 
for  the  past  fifteen  years  engaged  in  the  glassware  and  crockery  trade,  thir- 
teen years  of  the  time  as  principal,  beginning  with  the  establishment  of 
the  house  of  Poole  &  Weise  at  Green  Bay  in  186S,  when  he  was  but 
seventeen  years  of  age.  Prior  to  coming  to  Appleton,  Mr.  Weise  was 
in  business  at  Wenona,  Minn.,  to  which  point  he  removed  in  1876. 

J.  C.  Weissenborn,  No.  131  College  avenue,  Appleton, 
dealer  in  furnishing  and  household  goods;  business  was  es- 
tablished in  1881;  employs  five  persons  and  the  business 
is  steadily  improving. 

MR.  WEISSEN  BORN  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Dane  County 
in  1853  ;  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Germany  in  1859 ;  pursued  his 
studies  there  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  returned  to  Amer- 


ica. He  acquired  some  insight  into  business  in  his  father's  establishment 
— a  wholesale  clothing  house  in  Germany — and  for  three  years  a  clerk  in  a 
furnishing  house  in  this  State,  and  prior  to  1880  was  in  business  with  his 
father-in-law  at  Sauk  City.  In  1880,  he  went  to  Milwaukee  as  floor- 
walker for  the  house  of  Rich  &  Silver,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  opened 
a  store  in  this  city. 

MATHI.\S^WERNER,  Treasurer  Outagamie  County,  Appleton.  Mr. 
Werner  w-as  born  and  reared  in  Austria.  In  1852,  he  came  to  this  county 
and  began  a  regular  pioneer  course  of  life,  and  developed  by  dint  of  pa- 
tient industry  and  hard  labor  a  tract  of  land  from  its  wild  state  to  that 
of  the  thrifty  husbandman.  In  i8&0,  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer 
for  the  term  of  1861-2.  In  1864,  he  nobly  responded  to  his  country's  call 
for  soldiers,  and  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wis.  C,  in  September  ;  was  mustered 
out  July,  iS65,and  honorably  discharged.  In  1866,  he  was  elected  again 
to  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  for  the  term  of  1867-8.  Mr.  Werner 
soon  after  turned  his  attention  to  the  development  of  the  agricultural 
industry  in  Kansas,  but  after  a  thorough  trial  of  it  for  seven  years  he 
concluded  to  return  to  his  adopted  county  in  Wisconsin,  where  the  peo- 
ple attested  to  their  appreciation  of  his  merits  by  electing  him  as  their 
Treasurer  in  1S78  for  the  terms  of  1879-S0,  re-electing  him  again  in 
1S80,  to  which  honorable  position  we  find  him  the  present  incumbent,  a 
worthy  officer  and  a  representative  pioneer  and  citizen. 

EDWARD  WEST,  Appleton,  was  born  Nov.  20,iSi8,  and  was  educat- 
ed at  Washington  College  in  Pennsylvania,  his  native  State.  In  1S36,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Milwaukee,  and  in  the  Fall  of  that  year 
opened  the  first  public  school  in  the  new  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  He  con- 
tinued his  work  as  teacher  and  land  surveyor  in  that  county  for  fifteen 
years,  during  which  time  for  several  years  he  heM  the  office  of  Countj 
Surveyor.  In  1S49,  he  removed  to  Winnebago  County,  where  he  held 
the  office  of  County  Treasurer  and  was  variously  employed,  farming,  sur- 
veying, etc.  In  1S53,  he  removed  to  Appleton,  and  two  years  later 
purchased  a  tract  of  600  acres  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  in- 
cluding "  Grand  Chute  Island,"  his  property  lying  in  the  Fourth  and 
Second  wards' of  the  city.  His  time  and  labor  has  been  since  largely 
expended  in  the  improvement  of  this  property,  the  development  of  his 
water  power  privileges  and  the  encouragement  of  manufacturing  indus- 
tries. 

B.  C.  WOLTER,  real  estate  agent,  County  Clerk  of  Outagamie  Co.. 
Appleton,  Wis.  Mr.  Wolter  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany.  In 
1854  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  people,  who  located  here,  and  pur- 
sued the  vocation  of  farming.  Mr.  Wolter  was  educated  primarily,  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  county.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the 
high  school  at  Neenah.  graduating  therefrom,  at  the  end  of  a  year.  He 
then  took  a  course  of  civil  engineering,  and  graduated,  1875.  He  then 
turned  his  attention  to  teaching,  and  engaged  in  the  public  schools  of 
Oconto  County,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  three  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  returned  to  Appleton,  to  accept  a  position  as  teacher  in 
the  Third  Ward  school,  from  which  he  was  elected  to  the  honorable 
position  which  he  now  holds.  Elected  187S  for  the  term  1879S0;  re- 
elected 1880  for  the  term  1881-2. 

Town  of  Grand  Chute. 

H.  W.  CARTER,  Sec.  33,  town  of  Grand  Chute,  proprietor  Apple- 
ton  brickyard,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Mr.  Carter  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857.  He  settled  in  Waupaca 
County,  where  he  carried  on  the  farming  industry  for  nine  years,  after  which 
he  went  to  Calumet  County,  and  carried  on  brick-making  for  nine  years. 
He  then  came  here,  and  has  been  actively  identified  with  his  present 
industry  since.  He  is  now  preparing  for  doubling  his  capacity  for 
manufacture,  on  account  of  the  rapidly  increasing  demand  for  his  brick. 
He  is  an  active  and  enterprising  business  man,  fully  alive  to  the  progress 
and  improvements  of  the  age. 

S.  FAIRBANKS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  21,  town  of  Grand 
Chute.  Was  born  and  reared  in  Jefierson  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1848  he  came 
here,  and  located  on  the  present  section,  which  he  developed  from  its 
wild  state  to  that  of  the  present.  W'hen  his  country  called  her  citizens  to 
arms,  he  nobly  responded,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  1st  Wis.  Cav.,  September, 
1864,  and  remained  in  her  service  till  the  end  of  the  war,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged.  In  1849  he  was  married  to  Miss  Clarissa  Smith,  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.Y.  She  was  born  in  Otsego  County.  They  have  a  family 
of  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

TIMOTHY  HEENAN,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  6,  town  of 
Grand  Chute.  Is  a  native  of  Ireland,  Co.  Tipperary.  In  1S49  he  came 
to  Outagamie  County,  and  settled  upon  the  present  place,  1S56,  with  his 
wife,  who  shared  with  him  the  many  privations  incident  to  the  pioneer 
here.  With  the  ambition  characteristic  of  his  countrymen,  he  braved 
danger  and  misfortune,  and  succeeded  in  developing  his  land,  and  estab- 
lishing for  himself  a  reputation  as  an  active  official  ever  since  his  arrival 
here,  being  elected  latterly  to  his  office  from  all  sides  of  politics,  the 
clerkship  of  his  township.  In  1S4S  he  was  married  to  .Miss  Mary 
Maroney,  in  the  Co.  Tipperary,  Ireland.  They  have  a  family  of  one  son 
and  four  daughters  living,  and  one  daughter  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 


686 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Appleton.  Mr.  Heenan  deserves  great  credit  as  an  active  and  efficient 
pioneer. 

HECTOR  McKAY,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  32,  town  of  Grand 
Chute.  Was  born  in  the  Co.  Sutherland,  Scotland.  In  1831  he  went  to 
Nova  Scotia,  whence,  after  a  stay  of  ten  years,  he  came  to  the  New 
England  Slates.  In  iSsohecTme  to  the  present  place,  and  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  farming  industry  since.  In  1852  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Murch,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State.  They  have 
a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  grown  to  man's  and 
woman's  estate.  We  find  Mr.  McKay  a  representative  pioneer  and 
citizen,  devoted  to  the  development  of  the  agricultural  industry. 

P.VTRICK.  .MORRISEY,  Sec.  32.  P.  O.  Appleton,  town  of  Grand 
Chute,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Mr.  Morrisey  was  born  and  raised  in 
the  Co.  Waterford,  Ireland.  In  1S49,  "■"'^  ^'  'he  age  of  twenty-three 
he  came  to  Massachusetts,  when,  after  a  stay  of  six  years,  he  came  to 
Wisconsin  and  settled  on  the  present  place,  and  began  a  pioneer  course 
of  life  which  he  successfully  carried  through,  in  the  meantime  taking 
an  active  part  in  the  municipal  affairs  of  his  locality.  In  1857  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Margaret  Landers,  in  Massachusetts;  she  was  born  in 
Waterford  Co.,  Ireland.  They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  grown  to  man's  and  woman's  estate.  They  are — Pat- 
rick, educated  to  the  priesthood  and  now  in  the  diocese  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
John,  studying  in  St.  Francis,  Milwaukee.  Thomas,  who  stays  on  the 
farm,  Eden,  a  Sister  of  Mercy  in  the  St.  Agnes  Convent,  Fond  du  Lac; 
Margaret,  who  is  at  home  and  Johanna  at  school  at  Appleton. 

ALEX  ROSS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  29,  town  of  Grand  Chute, 
a  native  of  Scotland.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  became  to  Nova  Scotia, 
and  engaged  at  the  business  of  ship  carpenter,  which  he  followed  for  six 
years,  he  then  went  to  Boston,  and  after  pursuing  his  trade  there  for  a 
few  years  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S4S,  and  took  up  a  Government  claim 
on  the  present  place,  which  he  has  prosecuted  since,  it  being  the  first  one 
on  this  road.  In  i  60  he  was  manied  to  Miss  Ruth  F,  Kodgers,  who  was 
born  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  who  passed  away  this  life  in  1S73,  aged  thirty- 
seven.  He  has  one  child,  Edward,  who  is  at  present  attending  school. 
We  find  Mr  Ross  one  of  the  most  active  and  enterprising  pioneer  farm- 
ers here. 

WILLIAM  VERITY,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Sec.  16,  town  of 
Grand  Chute,  is  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  but  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Cla.k  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1849  he  came  to  the  present  place  and 
began  a  pioneer  farming  life  which  he  has  very  sucessfuUy  conducted 
since.  In  1S56  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  A.  ISronson,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio.  They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
and  have  buried  three  of  the  family  in  the  cemetery  at  Appleton. 

WILLIAM  VAUGHAN,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  l8.  town  of 
Grand  Chute.  Born  in  Co.  Tipperary,  Ireland,  and  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1852,  hiving  previously  lived  in  the  Eastern  States  for  some  few  years. 
He  came  here  and  engaged  with  the  Fox  River  Improvement  Co.,  from 
which  he  was  engaged  in  the  employ  of  the  Government,  and  from  that 
to  the  lumbering  busine-s,  which  he  followed  until  1858,  when  he  came 
to  the  present  place  where  he  has  been  actively  identified  since.  In 
1859  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Cox,  who  was  born  in  Co.  Clare, 
Ireland.     They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

KAUKAUNA  AND  LEDYARD. 

Although  comparatively  undeveloped,  the  natural 
water-power  at  the  settlements,  Kaukauna  and  Ledyard  is 
as  great  as  that  at  Appleton.  They  are  situated  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  county,  on  the  Fox  River,  si.x 
miles  below  Appleton.  The  Kaukauna  Water-power  Com- 
pany, a  creature — and  a  most  useful  one — of  the  Milwau- 
kee, Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad,  have  accomplished 
most  of  the  improvements  made  within  the  few  past  years. 
In  i88o-'8i,  a  canal  2,400  feet  in  length,  was  constructed 
under  the  general  supervision  of  H.  G.  H.  Reed,  president 
of  the  Railroad  Company,  and  superintendentof  the  Water- 
power  Company,  from  plans  pre])ared  by  James  M.  Barker, 
of  Appleton,  who  has  had  direct  control  of  the  work.  It 
has  been  most  successfully  accomplished,  the  canal  having 
an  average  width  of  ninety  feet.  Tlie  channel  taps  the 
river  above  the  Government  dam,  built  upon  the  site  of  the 
old  one  about  five  years  ago,  the  average  head  of  water 
being  eighteen  feet.  A  tail-race  has  also  been  constructed 
to   carry  off  the   water  fron    the  factories  which  will   be 


erected  on  the  fine  sites,  now  thrown  upon  the  market 
Water  was  let  into  the  canal  in  July,  1881.  Islands,  Nrfs.  3  and 
4,  are  joined  by  an  substantial  stone  dam,  constructed  by 
Messrs.  Edwards  and  Meade,  in  1S80,  the  former  having 
charge  of  the  improvement,  which  is  a  great  addition  to 
the  water-power  of  Kaukauna.  Across  the  river  from  Kau- 
kauna, wliere  the  improvements  by  the  Water-power  Com- 
pany have  been  carried  on,  a  new  town  or  village  has  been 
platted,  and  lots  are  being  rapidly  taken  by  actual  settlers. 
Quite  an  imposing  cluster  of  buildings  i.re  springing  up, 
and  when  the  two  settlements  combine  into  a  village  or  a 
city,  there  will  not  be  a  more  flourishing  corporation  in 
Outagamie  County,  outside  of  Appleton.  The  population 
of  the  two  places  is  already  estimated  to  be  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  1,000,  and  growing  daily.  Such  firms  as  G.  W. 
Spaulding  &  Co.,  stave  factory ;  Col.  Frambach,  Stovekin 
paper  and  pulp  mills,  and  Eagle  flouring  mills;  Hewitt 
Bros,  saw-mill ;  Renter  Bros.,  hubs  and  spokes ;  Oscar 
Byrns,  flour-mill;  A.  W.  Priest,  Kaukauna  planing  and 
shingle-mills,  have  already  made  the  Kaukauna  side  of  the 
river  hum  with  industry.  Here,  a  bank  was  established  by 
the  Hewitt  Bros.,  in  1880,  but  sold  out  the  next  year,  to  the 
Reuter  Bros.,  Alexander  and  Peter.  Kaukauna  has  also 
a  bright  local  paper,  the  Times.  It  was  established  in 
September,  1880,  by  Messrs.  Hopkins  and  Yates.  Upon 
the  death  of  the  former,  the  latter  disposed  of  his  interest, 
to  H.  A.  Stone,  in  the  Spring  of  1881.  It  was  first  issued 
by  its  present  editor  and  proprietor,  Mr.  Stone,  in  June  of 
that  year.  There  are  Catholic,  Lutheran  and  Congre- 
gational ciiurches  in  Kaukauna  ;  a  district  school  of  two 
departments ;  a  live  Odd  Fellow's  lodge,  and  an  organ- 
ization of  Good  Templars.  Its  railroad  facilities  are  by 
way  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  the  depot  of  which 
Company  is  on  the  Kaukauna  side,  and  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western,  whose  tracks  and  depot  are  on  the 
Ledyard  side.  In  speaking  of  the  latter  village,  the  fact 
must  not  be  omitted  that  a  pulp-mill,  the  establishment  of 
George  Kelso,  was  put  in  operation,  in  July,  i88i.  Well 
informed  business  men  estimate  tliat  the  annual  product 
of  the  manufactories  of  Kaukauna  and  vicinity  will  not 
fall  short  of  $800,000. 

D.  J.  BROTHERS,  fire  insurance,  real  estate  and  collection  agen- 
cy, and  general  conveyanancing,  Kaukauna.  Mr.  Brothers  was  born 
in  Gananoque,  Canada,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  New  York 
State.  In  1851  he  came  to  Milwaukee  and  lived  in  the  State  till  1S56, 
when  he  returned  to  New  York  till  l86r,  when  he  came  back  to  Wis- 
consin. In  1862,  Aug.  15.  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  32d  W.  V.  I.,  and  after 
an  active  service  was  discharged  June  25,  1865,  after  serving  as  first 
lieutenant  for  the  last  two  years  and  four  months,  also  acting  as  assis- 
tant chief  commissary  of  the  17th  Army  Corps.  .'\fter  his  war  services 
he  turned  his  attention  to  his  business  of  cooperage,  and  was  promi- 
nently oflficial  in  many  minor  offices  in  his  locality.  In  1S67  he  was 
elected  the  Coui  ty  Superintendent  of  Schools,  for  his  county,  and  filled 
the  office  until  1871.  He  then  entered  upon  the  mercantile  business, 
which  he  carried  on  until  his  appointment  as  Inspector  of  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  River  improvement,  under  Cols.  Martin  and  Kidder,  govern, 
ment  engineers,  which  he  held  for  three  years,  after  which  he  engaged 
in  his  pre.sent  business,  which  he  has  successfully  followed  since. 

H.  A.  FRAMB.\CH,  paper  and  pulp  manufacturer,  Kaukauna. 
Mr.  Frambach  is  a  native  of  Syracuse.  N.  Y..  and  came  to  Wisconsin 
about  1847.  with  his  people,  who  settled  in  Racine,  In  1S61,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  6lst  I.  V.  I.,  and  was  actively 
engaged  in  it  till  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  when  he  was  detailed  as  scout 
under  the   command   of  Gen.   Brayman,  until  1863 ;   he  was  then  de- 


HISTORY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


687 


tailed  to  act  in  Central  Illinois,  under  Gen.  Otis.  After  a  six 
months  service,  lie  was  ordered  under  Gen.  Steele,  in  Arkansas,  with 
whom  he  remained  till  1864,  after  which  he  served  under  Gen.  Thom- 
as in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  with  whom  he  remained  till  the  end  of  the  war. 
Was  honorably  discharged  as  lieutenant  colonel,  having  enlered  the 
ranks  as  private.  After  his  valuable  war  services,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  very  successlully  carried 
through,  closing  his  interest  in  that  line  a  short  lime  since. 
In  1873  he  was  prevailed  upon  by  Mr.  John  Stovekin  (his  brother)  to 
engage  in  the  manufactuiing  business  here,  which  he  has  very  success- 
fully conducted  since.  In  1877  he  organized  the  Menasha  Paper  Pulp 
Company,  which  has  been  a  successful  addition  to  the  manufactueing 
industries  of  Menasha,  severing  his  financial  interest  there  in  1880.  On 
the  25th  of  August,  1881.  he  lost  the  valuable  flour  and  pulp  mill  here 
by  fire,  but  with  his  usual  energy  he  made  preparation  for  the  rebuild- 
ing of  a  new  mill  before  the  smoke  had  cleared  away  from  the  old  one. 
The  new  mill  is  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  pulp  and  paper  exclu- 
sively, and  is  being  built  upon  the  newest  and  most  approved  plans, 
containing  one  6S-inch  double-cylinder.machine,  six  beating  engines,  one 
Jordan  engine,  two  pulp  machines,  and  a  capacity  of  eighteen  tons  of 
pulp  a  week.  He  is  the  vice-president  of  the  extensive  Union  Pulp 
Menufacturing  Company,  lately  established  here — H.J.  Rodgers,  of  Ap- 
plelon.  president;  A.  F.  Frambach,  vice  president  and  managing  direc- 
tor; and  William  Van  Nothwick,  of  Batavia,  111.,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Capacity,  twelve  tons  of  pulp  a  day  ;  twelve  pulp  machines,  two 
wet  machines,  and  two  Jordan  engines.  These  pulp  machines  are  the 
inventions  of  Col.  Frambach.  who  has  very  successfully  utilized  them 
in  that  industry  here. 

JOHN  STOVEKIN  came  here  in  1865.  and  has  been  prom- 
inent in  manufacturing  enterprises  of  Kaukauna.  He  built  the 
large  flouring  mill  here,  which  was  lately  destroyed,  and  was 
also  interested  in  the  saw-milling  business.  For  ten  years  previous  to 
his  arrival  here,  he  carried  on  flour  and  feed  business  in  Milwaukee, 
and  had  also  been  prominently  connected  in  the  milling  business  there. 
Although  lately  suffering  from  unforeseen  disasters,  he  is  still  as  active 
and  devoted  as  ever  to  the  furtherance  of  the  industries  of  this  thrifty 
Kaukauna. 

W.  H.  GRAY,  general  merchandise,  drugs,  groceries,  boots  and 
shoes,  Kaukauna.  Mr.  Gray  was  born  in  Green  Bay,  his  people  being 
among  the  pioneers  of  that  place.  He  entered  the  mercantile  business 
in  1864.  as  clerk.  In  1874  he  opened  a  business  for  himself,  which  he 
conducted  in  Ft.  Howard  and  DePere,  alternately,  for  six  years.  In 
1880,  he  removed  his  business  here,  and  is  among  the  pioneer  business 
men  of  this  smart  little  Kaukauna. 

GEELE  &  THAMER,  paper  pulp  and  paper  manufacturers,  Led- 
yard,  Wis.  This  is  the  first  active  establishment  on  the  new  water 
power  here,  established  1880.  Their  capacity  equals  three  tons  of  dry 
pulp  a  day.  Mr.  Geele  is  an  American,  and  is  connected  with  the  exten- 
sive wholesale  and  retail  hardware  business  in  Sheboygan,  Wis.  Mr. 
Thamer  is  also  an  American,  born  in  Sheboygan,  his  people  having 
come  from  Germany  about  1849.  In  1880  he  sold  his  interest  in  the 
agricultural  business  in  Sheboygan,  and,  together  with  Mr.  Geele, 
started  the  present  business.     They  are  an  enterprising  and  go-ahead 

HENRY  &  CHARLESWORTH,  druggists,  etc.,  Ledyard,  Wis. 
This  enterprising  firm  established  the  present  business  here  in  May. 
l88i,  having  also  an  establishment  of  the  same  kind  in  Omro,  Wis.  Mr, 
Henry  is  a  native  American,  and  joined  Mr.  C,  1879.  Mr.  Charles- 
worth  was  born  in  Omro,  Wis.,  1858.  In  1874  he  engaged  in  the  furni- 
ture business  with  his  brother,  in  Omro,  but  subsequently  sold  it,  and 
engaged  with  Mr.  H.,  1879,  in  Omro,  Wis. 

G.  F.  KELSO,  proprietor  pulp  mill,  Kaukauna.  Mr.  Kelso  is  a 
native  Wisconsin  man.  his  people  having  removed  here  from  New  York 
State  about  1846.  Mr.  Kelso  established  this  industry  here  in  1880. 
The  present  capacity  of  manufacture  is  about  fourteen  tons  of  dry  pulp  a 
day,  but  he  proposes  to  enlarge  it,  so  as  to  increase  the  pulp  manufacture 
and  add  to  it  that  of  paper. 

GEO.  W.  LAWE.  Postmaster  Kaukauna.  The  subject  of  our  sketch 
was  born  in  Green  Bay,  1810,  his  father  having  come  to  that  place  in  the 
employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company,  about  1794,  and  in  1818  en- 
gaged with  the  American  Fur  Company.  After  taking  a  business  course 
in  the  LawviUe  Academy,  N.  Y.,  he  came  to  Kaukauna,  and  began 
trading  with  ihe  Indians,  having  been  practically  educated  to  it  His 
ability  in  this  direction  attracted  the  attention  of  President  W.  H. 
Harrison,  who  appointed  him  Indian  Agent  here  in  1S43  to  1845,  and 
was  again  appointed  to  the  position  by  President  Fillmore,  1851,  and 
served  until  1854.  After  prospecting  through  the  country  for  three 
years,  he  returned,  1857,  and  took  charge  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  depot 
here,  until  1863,  when  he  entered  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  has 
conducted  since.  In  the  meantime  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  1876, 
of  which  he  is  the  present  incumbenr.  He  has  also  been  active  in  the 
municipal  offices,  and  is  at  present  Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  office  he 
has  held  for  the  last  fifteen  vears. 


AUGUSTUS  PHILLIP.S.  Free  Will  Baptist  minister,  fanner  and 
stock. raiser,  Wrightstown  (Brown  Co.)  P.  O.  The  subject  of  our  sketch 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Marcellus.  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  eleven  he  went  to 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  eight  years,  when  he  returned  to  New  York, 
remaining  a  short  time;  after  which  he  went  to  Rhode  Island,  and  so- 
journed there  for  about  eight  years,  following  the  business  of  a  woolen 
goods  manufacturer.  In  1851  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  on 
his  present  fine  place  of  160  acres.  He  is  a  progressive  farmer,  possess- 
ing all  implements  and  machinery  of  any  practical  use  in  this  vocation. 
He  is  also  owner  of  160  acres  of  timber  land.  About  the  year  1S66  he 
was  ordained  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  besides  sowing  the  seeds  of 
the  earth,  has  labored  zealously,  ever  since,  in  scattering  the  seed  of  the 
Word  round  about  him.  He  has  a  congregation  ol  seventy  at  Wrights- 
town,  and  another  of  fifty  at  Greenleaf.  These  churches  were  organized 
under  the  labors  of  the  Elder,  and  he  has  ever  since  been  their  pastor. 
He  is  well  known  in  the  surrounding  country,  and  held  in  high  esteem. 
Mr.  Phillips  is  entitled  to  mention  as  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Northern  Wisconsin,  and  one  identified  with  its  development  In  1846 
he  was  married  10  Miss  Minerva  A.  Greene.  They  reared  a  family  of 
eight  children — six  sons  and  two  daughters — seven  of  whom  are  living, 
and  one  daughter  being  dead  and  buried  in  the  town  of  Kaukauna.  All 
the  children  were  born  in  Wisconsin,  except  the  eldest,  who  was  born 
in  Providence,  R.I.  Mrs.  Phillips  is  a  zealous  Christian  woman,  sharing 
in  the  labors  of  her  husband. 

REUTER  BROS.,  general  banking,  insurance,  etc.,  Kaukauna.  The 
firm  consists  of  A.  L.  and  Peter,  two  brothers,  who  came  to  Wisconsin 
from  Germany  in  1847,  with  their  people,  who  settled  in  Milwaukee,  and 
where  they  were  reared  and  educated,  A.  L.  learning  the  blacksmith- 
ing,  and  Peter  the  carpentering  business.  After  following  their  respect- 
ive trades  until  1865,  they  came  to  Appleton,  and  engaged  as  workmen 
at  the  manufacturing  business  they  now  so  ably  represent.  In  March, 
1869,  they  came  here  and  established  the  spoke  and  hub  manufacture 
on  a  small  scale  ;  but  have  since  so  enlarged  upon  it,  as  now  to  give 
employment  to  thirty-five  practical  workmen,  and  do  an  annual  business 
in  this  industry  of  $40,000.  But  their  business  thrift  does  not  stop  here. 
On  the  1st  of  July,  1881,  they  bought  out  the  banking  business  estab- 
lished here  by  the  Hewitt  Bros.  &  Norton,  and  added  that  of  insurance 
to  it,  which  now  consists  of  general  banking,  insurance,  and  steamship 
passage  agency.  Their  business  in  the  manufacturing  industry  is  well 
established,  and  the  extra  quality  of  their  goods  is  well  known.  Their 
banking  industry  is  comparatively  new.  but  the  rapidly  increasing 
growth  of  Kaukauna  induces  them  to  believe  that  it  will  soon  assume 
proportions  equal  to  that  of  their  more  lusty  neighbors  on  the  Fox  River. 

SEYMOUR. 

E.x-Governor  Seymour,  of  New  York,  who  was  originally 
one  of  the  largest  landholders  of  the  town  and  the  settle- 
ment, gave  both  their  naine.  The  first  settlers  upon  what 
became  the  site  of  the  city,  were  Willis  Munger  and  F. 
Muehl,  about  twelve  years  ago.  Soon  after  the  first  general 
store  had  been  built  by  David  Dix,  ten  years  ago,  the  place 
commenced  to  grow,  and  at  the  time  of  the  destructive  fire, 
Sejitember  23,  1880,  was  in  quite  a  prosperous  condition. 
The  chief  business  houses  on  the  main  street  were  swept 
away,  but  the  citizens  soon  set  about  to  repair  the  damage, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  the  city  resumed  its  former  stand- 
ing. Much  of  the  hard  wood  and  pine  timber  which  makes 
Seymour  a  manufacturing  city,  has  been  cleared  away. 
Such  companies,  however,  as  the  Northwestern  Furniture 
Co.,  of  Fort  Atkinson,  the  Northwestern  Manufacturing  Co., 
Zirkle  &  Sons,  Laird  &  Co.,  C.  D.  Wells,  etc  ,  are  doing  a 
tliriving  business.  The  place  has  a  number  of  good  general 
stores,  and  those  which  devote  themselves  to  particular 
lines.  Its  business  amounts  to  half  a  million  dollars  an- 
nually. Luckily,  however,  for  the  future  of  Seymour,  its 
people  will  not  have  to  depend  upon  the  ])roduct  of  the 
forest  for  prosperity,  as  it  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  good 
farming  country,  which  must,  when  more  improved,  bring 
into  its  coffers  much  trade  and  consequent  business  life. 

Seymour  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  under  the  private 
and  local  laws  of  the  State,  chapter  241,  March  5,  1879,  and 


688 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN 


has  a  population  of  900.  It  is  situated  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  town  by  that  name,  on  the  line  of  the  Green  Bay, 
Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railroad.  It  has  a  number  of  churches, 
and  a  good  district  school. 

OTTO  BREHMER.  proprietor  and  owner  of  Seymour  House,  Sey- 
mour. Mr.  Brehmer  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1867.  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  followed  the  trade  of  mason,  in  all 
its  branches,  to  which  he  had  been  educated  in  Germany.  He  finally 
built  the  present  commoilious  hotel  in  1872,  and  has  very  successfully 
conducted  it  since.  He  has  also  a  large  stable  for  the  accommodation 
of  horses.  The  traveling  public  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  give  him 
a  call ;  reasonable  terms  and  strict  attention  to  business. 

LOUIS  CONKLIN,  farming,  stock-raising  and  dairying.  Sec.  S, 
town  of  Seymour.  Mr.  Conklin  was  born  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.  In 
1849,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  Dodge  County  and  pursued 
the  vocation  of  farming.  In  1S61,  he  enlisted  in  the  7th  Wis.  L.  A., 
and  after  an  active  service,  in  which  he  was  wounded  and  confined  to 
the  hospital,  he  was  honorably  discharged,  April,  1863.-  After  his  effi- 
cient .services  in  the  war,  he  turned  his  attention  to  latming,  and  came  to 
Outagamie  County,  where  he  cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  the 
present  beautiful  farm  upon  which  we  find  him  engaged.  In  1863,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  B.  M.  Knowlton,  who  was  born  in  Erie  County,  N. 
Y.  Mr.  Conklin  is  at  present  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
of  his  township,  which  office  he  has  held  for  the  last  three  terms.  He 
is  also  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  is  an  active  and  efficient  soldier  and 
citiren,  an  able  official,  and  a  representative  pioneer. 

FRED  REX,  merchant,  Seymour.  Was  born  in  Casco,  Kewaunee 
Co.,  in  1S56.  His  people  being  in  meager  circumstances,  he  was 
obliged,  when  quite  young,  to  depend  on  himself  for  support.  He  came 
to  Seymour  in  1873.  and  clerked  for  T.  H.  Mitchell  &  Son  five  years. 
In  187S,  he  started  in  business  for  himself.  He  is  a  dealer  in  books, 
groceries,  crockery  and  Yankee  notions.  He  also  has  charge  of  the 
circulating  library  at  Seymour.  Previous  to  going  to  Seymour,  he 
worked  three  years  in  a  pail  factory.  He  was  also  messenger  boy  two 
years  for  a  wooden-ware  manufacturing  company. 

HORTONVILLE. 

The  settlement  of  Hortonville  dates  back  into  the  year 
1848,  when  Appleton  itself  was  born.  It  was  at  this  date 
that  A.  E.  Whorton,  a  pioneer  from  Southern  New  York 
located  in  the  vicinity  and  built  the  saw-mill,  which  is  still 
standing,  though  it  has  fallen  into  disuse.  He  was  the 
founder  of  the  place.  He  subsequently — at  a  comparatively 
late  date — went  to  California  and  founded  another  settle- 
ment called  New  San  Diego.  Soon  after,  came  James  Mc- 
Murdo,  Norman  Nash,  Henry  Kethro  and  Matthew  Mc- 
Comb.  Others  drifted  in  later,  some  of  whom  are  still 
residents  of  the  settlement.  Hortonville  has  between  seven 
and  eight  hundred  people,  and  does  an  annual  business  of 
$200,000.  Among  its  chief  industries  may  be  mentioned 
the  flour  mill  of  Graef  &  Phening;  the  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory  of  W.  K.  Rideout,  who  also  operates  a  saw- 
mill, and  C.  A.  Nye's  grist  mill  and  pump  factory.  Buck 
Brothers  have  the  largest  general  store.  Hortonville  is  sit- 
uated on  the  line  of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western 
Company,  thirteen  miles  west  of  Appleton.  Its  railroad 
connection  with  Oshkosh  at  Hortonville  Junction,  is  an  im- 
portant addition  to  its  transportation  facilities.  The  place 
has  four  churches,  a  district  school  of  three  departments 
and  two  hotels. 

MRS.  L.  COLLAR,  proprietor  and  owner  of  Troy  House,  Horton- 
ville, is  the  relict  of  the  late  Lucius  Collar,  who  passed  away  this  life  in 
1875,  and  is  buried  in  the  Union  Cemetery,  Hortonville.  Her  experi- 
ence in  this  business  extends  over  a  period  of  twenty-five  years.  She  is 
assisted  in  the  management  by  her  son  Charles,  who,  born  to  the  busi- 
ness, is  an  active,  efficient  hotel  man.  The  Troy  House  offers  the  most 
ample  and  efficient  accommodations  in  the  place,  and  has  very  ample 
stabling  in  connection.     Terms  rea.sonable, 

JAMES  H.  McMURDO,  Hortonville.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
born  in  New  Brunswick,  Sept.   I,   1836.  .  His  people  came  from  Scot- 


land in  1831.  In  June,  1851,  he  came  to  this  place  and  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  its  interests  since.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G, 
44th  W.  V.  I.  and  remained  in  the  service  till  the  end  of  the  war  ;  was 
honorably  discharged.  In  1863  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Clark, 
who  was  born  in  Delaware  Co.,  X.  Y..  whose  people  are  among  the 
pioneers  of  Wiscimsin.  IniS79he  was  elected  in  the  Republician  in- 
terest to  represent  the  Second  Assembly  district  of  his  county  in  the 
Legislature,  and  the  people  attested  their  confidence  in  him  by  re-elect- 
ing him  again  in  1880  to  serve  for  the  term  1881. 

JOHN  McMURDO,  Jr.,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors, 
Hortonville.  Mr.  McMurdo  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  Aug.  24, 
1S40.  In  June,  1851,  he  came  here  and  has  been  active  as  a  pioneer 
since.  On  Aug.  20,  1862,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  patriotism  and 
enlisted  in  Co.  I,  52d  Wis.  V.  I.,  remained  in  the  service  till  the  end  of 
war;  was  honorably  discharged.  After  his  service  in  the  war  he  turned 
his  attention  to  his  trade  of  carpentering,  which  he  has  successfully  carried 
on  since,  in  the  meantime  being  active  in  the  political  life  of  his 
locality.  In  1 870  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lucinda  P.  Whitman,  who 
was  born  in  Maine. 

C.  H.  WARE,  Hortonville,  retired.  Mr.  Ware  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, Kennebec  Co..  Me.  In  1855  he  came  here  and  began  that  system 
of  enterprise  which  he  has  so  successfully  carried  through.  He  invested 
in  the  manufacture  of  brick,  but  soon  left  it  for  the  lumbering  industry 
which  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with  since,  in  the  meantime, 
being  active  in  the  agricultural  development  of  the  place  He  built 
buildings  and  assisted  in  the  platting  and  laying  out  of  towns.  But  his 
talents  were  not  confined  to  his  own  county.  He  has  also  been  active 
in  the  developing  industries  of  the  rich  pine  country  surrounding. 

OTHER  SETTLEMENTS. 
These  places  are  called  settlements  because  they  have 
no  village  organization,  although  their  population  would  in 
some  cases  warrant  it.  Black  Creek,  twenty-four  miles 
west  of  Green  Bay,  in  the  G.  B.,  W.  .&St.  Paul  line,  does 
an  annual  business  of  $100,000.  Dale  Station  and  Medina, 
in  the  town  of  Dale,  on  the  Oshkosh  branch,  an  aggregate 
to  about  the  same  amount ;  Shiocton,  on  the  G.  B.,  W.  & 
St.  Paul,  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Black  Creek,  §75,000; 
Stephensville  on  the  Wolf  River,  a  short  distance  east  of 
New  London  and  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  agriculture  country, 
840,000.  Little  Chute  on  the  Chicago  &  No  thwestern,  be- 
tween Kaukauna  and  Appleton  is  also  growing. 
Town  of  Center. 

MR.S.  ELIZABETH  BATLEY,  Sec.  11,  town  of  Center.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  relict  of  the  late  John  Batley,  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  where  they  were  both  born.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Batley  came  here 
in  1851,  and  settled  in  Outagamie  County,  and  begnn  a  regular  pioneer 
course  of  life,  and  by  dint  of  patient  industry,  succeeded  in  establishing 
the  present  beautiful  homestead.  On  Oct.  28,  1S76,  Mr.  Batley  passed 
away,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  leaving  behind  him  a  memory  to  be  cher- 
ished by  his  affectionate  family,  and  respected  by  his  numerous  fellow 
citizens.  He  is  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Black  Creek.  Mrs.  Batley 
still  conducts  the  farm  with  the  help  of  her  two  kind  sons.  _  She  has]  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

JAMES  CAMPION,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  15, town  of  Cen- 
ter. Was  born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland.  In  1846,  he  came  to  New 
York  State,  when  after  a  stay  of  a  few  years,  he  came  to  this  county, 
and  began  the  work  of  the  hardy  pioneer,  which  he  has  very  successfully 
carried  through,  having  during  his  time  here  developed  two  beautiful 
farms  from  a  state  of  nature  to  that  of  a  thrifty  husbandman.  In  1S55. 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Callahan,  who  was  born  in  County  Tippe- 
rary,  Ireland.  They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  all 
grown  to  man's  and  woman's  estate.  Mr.  Campion  deserves  great  credit 
for  his  active  and  enterprising  pioneer  course  of  life  here. 

PATRICK  COTTER,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Sec.  13,  town  of  Cen- 
ter. Was  born  and  reared  in  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio.  In  June.  1S50,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen,  he  came  with  his  people,  who  settled  here.  Mr. 
Cotter  followed  lumbering  for  several  years,  after  which  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  which  he  has  very  successfully  conducted  since.  As 
evidence  of  his  untiring  industry  as  pioneer,  it  maybe  said  to  his  credit, 
that  he  is  living  upon  the  third  larm  in  which  he  has  developed  from  a 
state  of  nature.  In  May,  1866,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Rodgers, 
who  was  also  born  in  his  native  county.  They  have  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  four  daughters  living,  and  three  sons  buried  in  the  R.  C.  Cemetery, 
Center  Township.  We  find  Mr.  Cotter  a  representative  pioneer  and 
citizen,  and  an  active  and  enterprising  farmer. 


HISTORY   OF    OUTAGAMIE   COUNTY. 


689 


MICHAEL  GAINOR,  general  merchandise,  Macvilie.  Was  born  in 
Ireland,  and  came  to  this  country  with  his  people,  who  settled  in  Calu- 
met Co.,  Wis.,  in  1849,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  He  followed 
the  profession  of  farming  and  carpentering  until  1877,  when  he  came 
here  and  began  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  has  successfully  con- 
ducted since.  In  1S76,  May  29,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Johanna  Barrie, 
daughter  of  David  Barrie,  of  Center  Township.  They  have  a  family  of 
one  son  and  one  daughter,  Mary  Ellen  and  David  William. 

JOHN  LEITH,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Sec.  26,  town  of  Center. 
Mr.  Leiih  was  born  in  the  Orkney  Islands,  Scotland.  In  1S50,  and  at 
the  age  cf  thirty-two,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  this  county, 
where  he  displayed  his  native  ability  and  enterprise  as  a  pioneer,  and 
which  has  rewarded  him  with  a  beautiful  homestead,  a  family  grown  to 
man's  and  woman's  estate,  and  an  upright  character  among  his  fellow, 
men.  In  1S45,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  R.  Settar,  who  was 
born  in  England,  but  reared  in  Scotland,  and  who  shared  with  him  the 
many  privations  incident  to  the  life  of  the  pioneer.  In  1880,  July  19,  she 
passed  away  from  her  earthly  home,  and  is  buried  in  the  Riverside  Ceme- 
tery, at  Appleton,  aged  fifty-two  years,  a  noble  and  loving  wife,  an  affec- 
tionate mother  and  a  kind  and  gentle  friend.     Her  end  was  peace. 

STEVEN  Mccarty,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  31,  town  of 
Center,  was  born  and  reared  in  theCounty  Tipperary,  Ireland.  In  1849, 
he  came  to  New  York  State  where,  after  a  stay  of  ten  years,  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  i860,  and  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  farming  in- 
dustry since.  In  1S62,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Stovfel,  who 
was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  a  family  of  five  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters.    Mr.  McCarty  deserves  great  credit  for  his  ability  as  a  farmer  here. 

GAIUS  SIBLEY,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  24,  town  of  Center, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Brookfield.  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.  In  1S44,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  stopped  in  Waukesha 
County  for  six  years;  he  then  leturned  to  Massachusetts,  but  soon  after 
went  to  California,  and  followed  mining  for  three  years,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  down  to  farming  here,  which  he  has 
very  successfully  conducted  since.  He  bought  his  farm  in  1849.  I" 
1856,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jenet  Reckford,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  State.  They  have  a  family  of  one  son,  Elbert  M.,  and  one  daugh- 
ter. Dora  E.,  living,  and  one  son  Benton  M.,  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 
Appleton.  Mr.  Sibley  is  an  active  and  enterprising  pioneer  and  agricult- 
urist, devoted  to  the  development  of  his  industry. 

Town  of  Greenville. 

HENRY  LEPPLA,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  and  dealer  in  stock.  Sec. 
23,  town  of  Greenville.  Mr.  Leppla  was  born  and  raised  in  Bavaria, 
Germany.  In  1S49,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  came  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  followed  farming  until  1S66,  when  he  came  here,  and  has  very  suc- 
cessfully conducted  his  business  since,  making  his  business  an  ornament 
to  the  profession.  In  1S53,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  Bitting,  who 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  have  a  family  of  four  sons  and  three 
daughters.  They  are  Samuel,  Josephus,  Harry,  Valentine,  Camelia,  Dora, 
and  Brasilia.  Mr.  Leppla  is  one  of  the  very  enterprising  pioneer  farm- 
ers of  the  State. 

L.  B.  MILLS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  17,  town  of  Greenville, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1S50,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  people,  who  settled  on  the  present 
place,  where  he  has  been  identified  as  a  representative  pioneer  farmer 
since.  Mr.  Mills  responded  nobly  to  the  call  of  patriotism,  and  the 
union,  and  enlisted  August,  1S62.  After  an  active  service,  in  which  he 
received  a  severe  wound,  which  caused  the  loss  of  one  of  his  eyes,  he 
was  honorably  discharged  May,  1863.  After  his  services  in  the  war,  he 
turned  his  attention  again  to  the  farming  industry,  and  the  development 
of  his  noble  political  principles  in  which  he  has  been  very  successfully 
engaged.  In  1858,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hardacre,  who 
was  born  in  Nova  Scotia.  They  have  a  family  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters.  We  find  Mr.  Mills  a  representative  pioneer  man,  and  an 
active  and  enterprising  farmer. 

LOUIS  PERROT,  proprietor  Greenville  cheese  factory.  Sec.  17, 
town  of  Greenville.  Was  born  and  reared  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  In 
1855.  he  came  to  this  county  and  began  a  pioneer  course  of  life  as  a  farm- 
er, with  wliich  industry  he  has  since  been  very  successfully  engaged, 
in  the  meantime,  being  active  in  the  development  of  the  manufacture  of 
cheese,  which  industry  he  has  conducted  for  the  last  tliirteen  years. 
Mr.  Perrot  has  also  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  administration  of  the 
affairs  of  his  municipality,  in  which  the  people  have  repeatedly  attested 
to  his  ability  and  candor  in  the  performance. 

Town  of  Freedom. 

FRED  KOSS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  19.  town  of  Freedom. 
Mr.  Koss  was  born  in  Germany,  but  at  the  age  of  two  years  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  1848.  and  settled  in  Milwaukee  with  his  people.  In  iSdo, 
he  came  to  Outagamie  County  and  began  the  pursuit  of  farming.  In 
1869.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Rhome,  who  was  born  in  Prussia. 
They  have  a  family  of  one  son  and  three  daughters — Johnnie,  Lena, 
Laura  and  Matilda.  Mr.  Koss  has  been  active  as  an  of&cial  here  for 
several  years. 

43 


ALEX.  McCOY,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,''Sec.  'jo,  town  of  Free- 
dom. Mr.  McCoy  was  born  and  reared  in  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen,  in  1857,  he  came  here  and  began  farming. 
In  May,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  3d  Wis.  V.  1.,  and  after 
an  active  service,  in  which  he  received  scars  which  he  carries  as  memen- 
tos thereof,  he  was  honorably  discharged  as  a  veteran  at  the  end  of  the 
war.  After  his  valuable  war  services,  he  turned  his  attention  again  to 
the  peace  industries,  and  bought  the  present  farm,  which  he  has  very 
successfully  conducted  since.  In  1869,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maggie 
MacNabb.  They  have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  He 
was  very  instrumental  in  establishing  the  First  Congregational  Church 
of  Freedom,  1871,  and  has  been  an  active  and  efficient  member  since, 
holding  at  present  the  clerkship  and  treasurership  of  it. 

EDWIN  NYE,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Sec.  7,  town  of  Freedom. 
Was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  Vt.  He  came  to  Racine  in  1844  with  his 
people,  who  settled  there.  In  1849-50,  they  removed  to  this  county, 
and  finally  settled  here,  and  followed  the  farming  industry  from  its  in- 
fancy  up  to  its  development.  When  his  country  called  her  citizens  to 
arms,  he  nobly  responded,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  42d  Wis.  V.  I.  Re- 
mained in  the  service  till  the  end  of  the  war,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged.  In  1861,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Abbie  Taylor,  who  was  born 
in  Vermont.  They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
After  his  valuable  war  services,  he  turned  his  attention  again  to  the 
peace  industries,  at  which  we  find  him  successfully  engaged. 

WILLIAM  R.ANDERSON,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Sec.  9,  town 
of  Freedom.  Mr.  Randerson  is  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England.  In 
184S,  he  came  to  Canada,  when,  after  a  stay  of  two  years,  he  went  to 
Ohio,  and  after  a  stay  of  six  years  there,  he  came  to  the  present  place 
and  began  a  regular  pioneer  course  of  life,  which  he  has  successfully  fol- 
lowed since.  In  1855,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catharine  Coffee,  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland.  They  have  a  family  of  five  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  parents  are  buried  here  in  the  cemetery,  at  Freedom  village. 

JOHN  SCHWARTZ,  wagon  and  carriage  blacksmith,  Sagole,  was 
born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  this  State  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  five  years, 
with  his  people,  who  settled  in  Washington  County.  In  lS6g.  he  came 
here  and  engaged  in  the  business  as  journeyman,  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  built  the  present  extensive  shop,  and  has  very  successfully  car- 
ried on  his  business  since.  In  1870,  he  was  married,  to  Miss  N.  Van- 
Dyke.     They  have  a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

WILLIAM  SOUDERS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  8,  town  of 
Freedom.  Mr.  Senders  was  born  in  Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.  In  1847,  ^^ 
the  age  of  sixteen,  he  came  with  his  people  to  the  present  place  and  began 
the  life  of  pioneer,  which  he  has  very  cieditably  carried  out  since,  in  the 
meantime  making  himself  active  as  a  official  in  the  township.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1857,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sophrona  M.  Kent ;  who  was  born  in 
Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  whose  people  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847.  They 
have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  one  little  adopted  girl, 
their  pet.  Mr.  Souders  is  a  representative  pioneer  and  citizen,  devoted 
to  the  development  of  the  industries  of  the  State. 

CHRIS,  WALTER,  Postmasier  of  Sagole,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, In  1872,  became  to  Milwaukee,  and  alter  a  stay  there  of  three 
years,  he  went  to  Racine,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss  Amelia  Bixlar  ; 
who  was  also  born  in  Germany.  He  followed  the  brewing  business  in 
Racine  and  Kenosha  for  some  time,  when  he  went  to  Appleton  and  went 
into  the  saloon  business,  but  after  about  two  years  in  that  business,  he 
bought  the  present  hotel  here,  and  in  a  month  after  coming  here,  he 
was  appointed  by  the  United  States  Government  as  Postmaster  of  the 
place. 

Town  of  Osborne. 

N.  S.  CONKLIN,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  7, Outagamie  County. 
Mr.  Conklin  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Wis. 
consin  and  settled  in  Dodge  County,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of 
carpenter  and  joiner,  until  1859,  when  he  began  farming,  which  he  has 
carried  on  very  successfully  since.  In  October,  1864,  he  came  here,  be- 
gan the  present  business,  with  which  he  has  remained.  In  1836,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Catharine  J.  Belland  ;  who  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N. 
Y.  They  have  a  family  of  four  .sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Conklin 
has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  State  for  nearly  thirty  years;  he 
is  at  present  the  incumbent  of  the  township  treasurership. 

JAMES  SIMPSO.V,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  30,  Outagamie  Co. 
Wis.  The  subject  of  our  sketch,  was  born  and  reared  in  Paisley,  Scot- 
land. In  1S43,  he  came  to  New  York  State,  where  he  discarded  his  pro- 
fession of  weaving  for  the  more  profitable  one  of  farming,  which  he  has 
very  successfully  conducted  since.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sophia  Bush; 
who  was  born  in  New  York  State,  1S22.  They  were  married  June  II, 
1S52.  In  1856,  they  came  to  the  present  place,  which  was  then  a  com- 
plete wilderness  and  by  dint  of  untiring  industry,  perseverance,  have  suc- 
ceeded in  developing  their  land  into  the  beautiful  home  that  it  now  is. 
In  the  meantime,  Mr.  S.  has  been  active  in  the  development  of  the  school 
and  local  industries  here,  has  been  in  almost  every  local  office  here  since 
his  arrival,  oftentimes  by  dual  and  triple  representation.  When  his 
country  called  for  soldiers,  he  nobly  responded  and  enlistediin  Co.  11,  Wis. 
H.  A.,  and  after  an  active  service,  he  was  honorably  discharged;  after  his 


690 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


efficient  war  services,  He  turned  his  attention  to  the  peace  industries  and 
the  education  o(  his  family,  of  whom  there  are  four  noble  sons — John  J., 
Boyd,  James  N.  and  Robert  M.  Mr.  Simpson  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
active  men  of  his  township,  having  been  the  active  man  in  theorg-inizalion 
of  the  townships  of  Osborne  and  Seymour. 

Bear  Creek. 

FRED  HYDE,  merchant,  Bear  Creek  Station,  was  born  in  Rosen- 
dile.  Fond  du  Lie  Co..  Wis.,  in  1849.  I"  1S54,  he  moved  with  his  father's 
family,  to  Sec.  24,  Bear  Creek  and  remained  there  till  he  was  nineteen, 
attendins;  district  schools  in  Winter  and  working  on  the  farm  in  Summer. 


At  this  time  the  family  moved  to  Appleton.  and  he  attended  three  terms 
at  the  university.  Hisf.ithcr,  Welcorhe  Hyde,  was  the  first  settler  in  the 
town  of  Bear  Creek.  He  was  the  first  Chairman  of  the  Town,  and  had 
but  eighty  acres  to  begin  with.  He  cut  the  first  road  from  New  London 
to  Bear  Creek,  and  may  be  called  the  father  of  the  town.  His  homestead 
now  contains  about  700  acres.  He  went  out  with  Co.  K,  17th  Wis.  Y. 
I.,  served  about  seventeen  months,  and  on  account  of  sickness,  resigned 
and  came  home,  and  commenced  speculating  in  pine  lands;  since  that 
time,  he  and  his  son  Fred  have  been'dealing  heavily  in  mineral  and  timber 
lands  in  Northern  Michigan  and  Wisconsin.  Their  acres  are  now  reck- 
oned by  the  thousands.  In  1S79,  Fred  started  a  store  at  his  present 
place.     Last  year  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Bear  Creek  Station. 


PEPIN   COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL  FEATtTRES. 
This  is  one  of  the  western  counties  in  the  State,  and 
is  separated  from  Minnesota  by  Lake  Pepin,  which 
forms  a  part  of  its  southern  boundary.  Its  north- 
ern boundary  is  the  line  between  Towns  25  and  26, 
and  tlie  line  north  of  Sections  25,  26,  27,  28,  29  and 
80,  Town  24,  Range  15  west,  and  Sections  25  and  26, 
Town  24,  Range  16  west.  Its  eastern  boundary  is  the 
line  between  Ranges  10  and  11,  and  the  Chippewa 
River,  which  flows  nearly  southerly  from  the  nortiiwest 
corner  of  Range  13,  Town  24,  bearing  slightly  to  the 
west  until  it  enters  the  Mississippi  River  in  Range  14, 
Town  22.  Its  southern  boundary  is  the  line  between 
Towns  24  and  25,  and  Lake  Pepin  almost  due  south- 
east from  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  25,  Town  24, 
Range  16  west,  until  itreceives  the  Chippewa  in  Town 
22,  Range  14.  Its  western  boundary  is  Lake  Pepin  and 
the  line  between  Ranges  14  and  15.  The  Chippewa  River 
runs  across  the  county  from  northeast  to  southwest,  con- 
sequently the  drainage  is  good  and  the  natural  advan- 
tages are  great.  The  general  surface  of  the  country  is 
level,  though  some  portions  of  it  are  slightly  undulat- 
ing. East  of  the  Chippewa  River  are  found  Cranberry, 
Fall,  Dutch,  and  Bear  creeks;  the  three  former  flow- 
ing northward  nearly  and  entering  the  Chippewa  in  the 
vicinity  of  Meridian,  Dunn  County,  and  the  latter 
flowing  due  northwest  and  entering  the  Chippewa  in 
tiiu  town  of  Durand,  on  Section  16,  Range  13  west. 
Bear  Creek  has  its  source  in  Buffalo  County  ;  the  others 
find  their  sources  in  Pepin  County,  and  are  foimed  by 
s|irings  in  the  marshes  on  the  lower  lauds.  On  each 
side  of  Cranberiy  Creek  are  found  various  small  cran- 
berry marshes,  hence  its  name.  On  Bear  Creek,  about 
four  miles  from  where  it  enters  the  Ciiippewa,  is  a 
flouring  mill,  with  three  run  of  stone,  the  property  of 
V.  W.  Darwin.  On  tlie  west  side  of  the  Chippewa 
River,  the  first  stream  of  any  importance  is  the  Eau 
Galle  River,  wliich  runs  a  little  east  of  south,  and  en- 
ters the  Chippewa  in  the  town  of  Waterville,  on  Sec- 
tion 30,  Range  13  west.  This  river,  in  former  da)-s, 
bore  a  great  amount  of  i)ine  lumber  from  the  northern 
counties,  all  of  which  entered  the  Chippewa  in  Pepin 
County.  The  next  stream  is  the  Little  JNIissouri  Creek, 
wliich  lias  its  source  in  Dunn  County,  and  flows  nearly 
southward  and  enters  into  tlie  Eau  Galle  about  half  a 
mile  from  its  mouth,  on  Section  7,  Town  25,  Range  13. 
On  tiiis  stream  about  half  a  mile  i'rom  where  it  enters 
the  Eau  Galle,  on  Section  1,  Town  25,  Range  14,  is  a 


custom  flouring  mill,  with  two  run  of  stone,  the  prop- 
erty of  William  Stellers.  The  next  stream  is  the  Ar- 
kansaw  Creek,  wliich  has  its  source  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  town  of  Waterville,  on  Section  6.  Its 
general  direction  is  due  southeast  and  empties  into  the 
Eau  Galle  on  Section  24,  Town  25,  Range  14.  On  this 
stream  are  several  mills,  a  custom  saw  mill  owned  by 
Abel  Parker  ;  a  custom  flouring  mill  with  three  run  of 
stone,  operated  by  H.  M.  Miles,  and  a  saw  mill  owned 
by  E.  C.  Bill  &  Co.  The  lumber  sawed  in  this  mill  is 
for  their  own  use  only  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture. 
This  firm  also  has  a  cabinet  shop  on  this  creek.  Tiie 
next  stream  is  the  Porcupine  Creek,  which  has  its 
source  in  Pierce  County,  and  flowing  in  a  general 
southeasterly  direction,  empties  into  Plum  Creek  on 
Section  17,  Town  24,  Range  4.  The  next  stream  west  is 
Plum  Creek,  wiiicii  also  has  a  general  southeasterly 
direction,  and  empties  into  the  Chippewa  River  on 
Section  26,  Town  24,  Range  14.  This  stream  has  a 
number  of  improvements,  but  none  of  them  in  Pepin 
County.  The  next  stream  is  Little  Plum  Creek, 
which  has  its  source  on  Section  30,  Town  24,  Range 
14,  flows  also  in  a  southeasterly  direction  and  empties 
into  Plum  Creek  about  half  a  mile  from  its  mouth. 
Roaring  Creek  has  its  source  on  Section  1,  Town  23, 
Range  15,  and  runs  in  a  southeasterly  direction  and 
empties  into  Lake  Pepin,  near  its  soutliern  end,  on 
Section  31,  Town  23,  Range  14.  On  this  creek  is  a 
custom  flouring  mill  with  two  run  of  stone,  the  prop- 
erty of  Piiilipp  Pfaff.  Lost  Creek  has  its  source  on 
Section  2,  Town  23,  Range  15.  This  stream  runs  due 
south,  and  loses  itself  about  a  mile  north  of  Lake  Pe- 
pin. Bogus  Creek  has  its  source  on  Section  4,  Town 
23,  Range  15,  flows  due  south  and  empties  into  the 
lake  on  Section  21,  Town  23,  Range  15.  On  this 
stream  was  a  flouring  mill,  with  two  run  of  stone,  the 
property  of  O.  P.  Carruth.  Tiiis  was  burned  down  in 
July,  1881.  Near  the  central  part  of  the  county  from 
the  middle  of  Section  36,  in  the  town  of  Waterville, 
and  extending  through  Sections  1,  2  and  11,  in  the 
town  of  Frankfort,  is  Dead  Lake.  This  lake  is  about 
three  miles  in  length  by  one-half  a  mile  in  width,  and 
is  supplied  by  springs.  Its  outlet  is  the  Chippewa 
River. 

The  Chippewa  River  and  Eau  Galle  River  are  nav- 
igable for  rafts,  and  the  former  is  also  navigable  for 
boats  of  small  tonnage.  All  of  the  above  streams  af- 
ford abundant  water-power,  a  resource  as  yet,  but  lit- 


HISTORY    OF    PEPIN    COUNTY. 


691 


tie  developed  as  will  be  perceived.  Most  of  the  creeks 
referred  to  are  formed  by  springs,  and  in  their  liquid 
depths  is  found  that  gamiest  of  fish,  the  speckled 
trout.  The  two  larger  rivers,  together  with  the  lake, 
furnish  all  sorts  offish  found  in  Western  waters. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  county  is  mostly  prairie, 
with  oak  openings,  hay  marshes  and  tamarack  swamps. 
The  central  portion  (the  Cliippewa  and  Eau  Galle  bot- 
toms) is  a  great  natural  hay  meadow.  The  western 
portion  is  more  rolling,  and  covered  heavily  with  hard- 
wood timber,  such  as  oak,  ash,  elm,  maple,  basswood, 
butternut  and  birch.  Lumbering,  as  before  stated,  is 
cariied  on  in  a  few  places  by  small  mills,  but  only 
to  supply  local  needs.  Tlie  timber  is  mostly  used  for 
rails  and  fuel.  The  soil  in  the  woods  is  a  lieavy  loam, 
with  clay  sub-soil.  The  eastern  portion  is  mostly  a 
rich  loam.  The  county  is  productive  of  all  the  ce- 
reals, grasses  and  vegetables  common  to  the  latitude. 
Wheat  being  the  principal  crop,  of  which  there  were 
13,014  acres  sown  in  1881.  Oats,  corn,  barley,  rye 
and  amber-cane  are  also  staple  products.  The  cli- 
mate is  too  severe  for  the  peach  or  pear,  but  an  oc- 
casional apple-orcliard  is  seen  on  the  protected  hill- 
side ;  but  as  yet  the  demand  far  exceeds  the  home 
supply.  The  small  fruits,  both  domestic  and  wild, 
grow  in  abundance. 

Pepin  County  also  possesses  all  the  requisites  for  a 
fine  stock-growing  and  grazing  district,  and  in  later 
years  farmers  are  turning  their  attention  more  to  this 
industry,  and  the  results  justify  the  investment.  The 
county  has  good  roads,  and  is  justly  proud  of  her  sub- 
stantial bridges.  The  principal  exports  are  furniture, 
hard-wood  lumber,  flour  barrel  staves  and  wheat. 
Pepin  County  has  no  debt.  The  Mississippi  and  Chip- 
pewa rivers  afford  such  an  easy  and  cheap  outlet  for 
all  produce,  that  slie  has  never  felt  the  especial  need 
of  a  railroad,  although  one  is  now  in  process  of  con- 
struction across  the  county  in  the  Chippewa  Valley, 
the  Cliippewa  Valley  &  Superior  Railroad,  and  another 
along  tlie  shore  of  Lake  Pepin,  the  Chicago  &  St.  Paul 
Short  Line. 

Geologically  there  is  considerable  of  interest  con- 
nected with  Pepin  County,  although  it  never  has  been 
a  field  of  very  extensive  explorations  by  the  State 
Geological  Corps,  but  what  has  been  discovered  is  main- 
ly through  private  persons  or  parties.  Generally,  hei-e 
is  found  the  top  of  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  and  the 
bottom  of  the  Magnesian  limestone.  The  bed-rocks 
have  been  seen  cropping  out  in  places  in  the  Chippewa 
River.  Tiie  rocks  are  a  gray  sandstone,  called  the  Pots- 
dam sandstone,  varying  from  100  to  150  feet  in  thick- 
ness, which  appears  to  be  filled  up  with  a  great  many 
kinds  of  trilobites  and  various  kinds  of  insects  (the 
nearer  the  top  of  the  sandstone  the  more  trilobites), 
then  comes  for  a  few  feet  in  tliickness,  a  rather  impure 
limestone  on  tlie  hill-tops  (the  county  being  rather 
broken,  with  ranges  of  high  hills  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Chippewa  River).  The  soil,  between  the  hills, 
varies  from  a  few  feet  to  about  one  hundred  feet  in 
thickness  above  the  sandstone,  and  appears  to  be  made 
up  of  dril't  earth  and  stones  of  many  kinds.  It  appears 
in  many  places  like  a  sand  bar  in  a  river.  Stones  of 
nearly  every  formation,  from  small  pebbles  to  large 
syenite  and  granite  bowlders  of  two  thousand  pounds 


or  more  in  weight,  are  scattered  throughout  the  valleys. 
The  soils  are  of  various  kinds,  from  a  coarse  sand  to  tiie 
finest  black  muck.  The  sandstones  are  a  very  fair  rock 
for  building  purposes.  Some  of  the  limestone  makes  a 
first-class  lime  for  plastering  purposes.  All  of  these 
rocks  where  they  crop  out  show  marks  of  water  and 
ice.  On  the  tops  of  tlie  hills  are  found  large  quanti- 
ties of  porous  flint  rocks  which  are  full  of  fossil  shells, 
also  bowlders  of  quartz,  syenite,  granite,  etc.,  scattered 
over  the  surface. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Chippewa  River  the  rocks 
are  very  much  the  same,  but  the  limestone  becomes 
thicker  as  you  "go  west,"  and  the  sandstones  are  very 
rarely  brought  to  view.  Twenty  or  thirty  miles  west 
of  the  Chippewa  River,  the  limestone  reaches  tlie  thick- 
ness of  400  feet  and  over,  and  in  many  places  the  rocks 
are  almost  entirely  made  up  of  shells,  different  from 
what  are  found  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  These 
shells  vary  in  size  from  the  size  of  a  man's  thumb  nail 
to  two  inches  across. 

The  soil  through  this  part  of  the  country  is  mostly 
made  from  the  fragments  and  decay  of  lime  rocks,-but 
even  here  at  an  elevation  of  from  600  to  700  feet  above 
the  Chippewa,  the  high  lands  are  strewn  with  these 
large  bowlders.  The  limestone  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Chippewa  is  in  many  places  well  adapted  for  building 
purposes,  and  a  good  quality  of  lime  is  made  from  the 
same.  The  lands  west  of  the  Chippewa  River,  known 
as  the  Magnesian  limestone,  is  thickly  set  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  hardwood  timber  and  well  watered  with 
springs,  and  when  cleared,  brings  the  best  crops  of  all 
kinds.  About  one-half  of  the  towns  of  Waterville, 
Stockholm,  Frankfort  and  Pepin  extend  into  the  lime- 
stone region,  and  the  other  half  runs  to  the  river,  and 
Lake  Pepin  occupying  the  sandy  and  broken  soils  of  all 
kinds.  The  county  has  not  been  the  seat  of  any  un- 
healthy excitement  over  the  discovery  of  minerals.  In 
a  great  many  places  throughout  the  county  are  found 
numbers  of  Indian  mounds,  and  those  of  immense  pro- 
portions, but  they  have  not  pricked  the  ambition  of 
curiosity  seekers,  or  if  they  have,  the  fruits  of  their 
search  have  not  been  preserved  to  any  great  extent. 
In  many  of  them  have  been  found  skeletons,  some  of 
immense  proportions,  together  with  a  number  of  im- 
plements of  war  and  different  kinds  of  potter}-.  From 
the  various  and  indescribable  positions  in  which  these 
skeletons  have  been  found,  this  has  probably  been  the 
scene  of  many  bloody  battles  between  different  prehis- 
toric tribes.  These  mounds  make  a  wide  field  for  curi- 
osity seekers  to  work  in,  and  in  the  near  future  dis- 
coveries of  great  importance  will  probably  be  made 
concerning  them. 

FOKT  BEAUHAENAIS. 

At  the  invitation  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  a  trading- 
post  was  establislied  in  their  territory.  The  point  se- 
lected was  the  middle  of  tiie  north  side  of  Lake  Pepin, 
probably  within  the  present  town  limits  of  Stockholm, 
Pepiii  Co.  The  expedition  was  under  the  command 
of  Sieur  de  Laperiere,  operating  under  the  auspices  of 
the  French  Government.  He  arrived  September  17, 
1727,  at  noon,  and  immediately  began  operations.  The 
"fort"  was  finished  the  fourth  day,  and  consisted  of 
three   buildings,    respectively   thiity,  thirty-five   and 


69  = 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


thirty-eight  feet  long  by  sixteen  feet  wide.  These 
were  secured  in  an  inclosure  100  feet  square,  wliich 
was  surrounded  by  pickets  twelve  feet  bigli,  with  two 
good  bastions.  The  expedition  was  accompanied  by 
Fatiier  Guignas,  who  established  here  the  mission  of 
Michael  the  Archangel.  This  post  was  continued 
about  two  years,  when  it  was  abandoned  because  of  the 
menacing  attitude  of  the  Foxes,  through  whose  terri- 
tory the  traders  must  pass  in  order  to  reach  this  region. 
Some  writers  have  regarded  this  as  a  garrisoned  fort, 
but  there  is  no  evidence  that  it  was  ever  more  than 
simph"  an  inclosed  trading-post. 

EARLY    HISTOKY. 

To  the  visitor  of  to-day,  witnessing  the  vast  re- 
sources and  accumulation  of  capital  now  wielded  in 
this  section,  it  may  seem  almost  incredible  that  some  of 
the  wielders  of  this  capital  commenced  business  only 
a  few  short  years  ago  with  nothing  but  their  own  in- 
domitable energy  and  perseverance.  This  has  been 
accomplished,  not  by  speculation  and  the  adroit,  lucky 
turning  of  fortune's  wheel,  but  by  actual  creation  of 
much  wealth,  added  to  the  store  of  human  comforts, 
using  only  the  advantages  supplied  by  Nature's  abund- 
ant and  common  store-house.  The  settler  on  any  of 
our  western  prairies,  and  the  axmen  who  enter  upon 
the  primeval  forests,  wliere  no  mark  or  sign  of  man's 
destructive  force  or  redeeming  power  is  seen  or  felt,  is 
frequently  the  subject  of  strange  reflections,  as  he  fol- 
lows his  plow,  turning  up  the  virgin  soil,  that  through 
all  the  ages  has  remained  undisturbed,  or  hews  down 
tiie  stately  tree,  that  for  a  thousand  years  has  flourished 
and  grown,  unnoticed  and  uncared"^for  by  the  hand  of 
man,  he  wonders  how  it  occurs  that  he,  of  all  the  peo- 
ple that  lived  and  still  live  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
swarming,  as  it  does,  with  so  many  millions,  should  be 
the  first  to  appropriate  to  his  comfort  and  convenience 
the  blessings  so  long  held  in  reserve  in  Nature's  vast 
storeliouse.  He  wonders,  too,  why  his  race  should  re- 
quire all  the  resources  of  the  earth,  the  productions  of 
forests,  mines,  rivers,  lakes,  oceans  ;  of  the  soil  plowed, 
planted,  cultured  and  garnered ;  the  flocks  and  herds, 
feeding  and  gamboling  on  a  thousand  liiils,  for  his  sub- 
sistence, wliile  other  races  have  remained,  from  gene- 
ration to  generation,  in  all  the  untamed  wilderness  of 
tlie  wild  deer  and  elk,  on  which  they  subsist.  What 
of  the  race  that  but  yesterday  was  here  !  Have  these 
rivers,  fields  and  forests,  now'so  peaceful,  always  been 
so  calm  and  still,  or  have  they,  like  the  old  world,  been 
the  scene  of  some  sanguinary  and  savage  conflict? 
We  speculate  in  vain  on  the  long-ago  dwellers  upon 
tlie  banks  of  these  pleasant  streams.  Their  war-dance 
and  savage  yells  may  have  been  the  only  sound  that 
ever  waked  the  stillness  of  these  hills,  or  a  race  long 
extinct  may  have  plowed  and  sowed,  and  builded.and 
loved  and  worsliiped,  and  cultivated  all  the  graces 
and  amenities  of  civilized  life,  but  the  records  of  whose 
deeds  and  virtues  have  been  obliterated  by  the  convul- 
sions of  Time's  relentless  changes.  Such  must  have 
been  the  musings  of  those  persevering  and  energetic 
pioneers,  wlio,  severing  the  ties  of  home  and  kindred 
and  early  association,  plunged  into  llie  wilds  of  Pepin 
County  and  carved  from  the  rugged  forces  of  nature 
the  comfortable  homes  tliey  now  enjoy. 


Tlie  first  settlement  was  made  by  John  McCain, 
from  Indiana  Co.,  Penn.,  in  December,  1841.  He 
spent  most  of  his  time,  until  1845,  as  a  raft  pilot  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  and  in  exploring  this  portion  of 
the  State.  McCain  was  not  very  circumspect  in  his 
morals,  but  liaving  become  acquainted  with  a  woman 
somewl^ere  along  the  river,  who  was  willing  to  share 
his  fortunes,  an  industrious  and  frugal  housekeeper 
and  manager,  the  two  cleared  quite  a  farm  and  secured 
a  considerable  competence.  He  made  his  claim  in 
1845,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1846  built  a  house  out  of 
hewed  logs,  this  being  the  first  in  the  county.  This 
claim  was  made  about  two  miles  north  of  where  the 
village  of  Pepin  now  is.  At  the  same  time,  in  the 
Fall  of  1846,  W.  B.  Newcomb  came  from  Fort  Madi- 
son, Iowa,  and  settled  near  McCain,  in  the  present 
village  of  Pepin,  and  assisted  him  in  building  his  log- 
house.  At  that  time  this  was  a  part  of  Crawford  Coun- 
ty, Prairie  du  Chien  being  the  county  seat,  and  the 
nearest  post-ofiice,  about  two  hundred  miles  away. 
Both  of  the  above  named  persons  are  still  residing 
where  they  first  located.  At  that  time  the  nearest 
neighbor  was  fifty  miles  distant,  at  Point  Prescott,  and 
Fountain  City,  fifty  miles  southeast,  had  two  log  cab- 
ins. In  the  Fall  of  1847  Robert,  William,  Samuel  and 
J.  Hix  came  from  Illinois,  and  settled  four  miles  east 
of  McCain,  on  Roaring  Creek,  near  the  trail  leading 
up  the  Chippewa  River,  and  the  energy  and  public 
spirit  displayed  by  these  men  in  laying  out  and  work- 
ing roads  in  different  directions,  soon  had  the  effect  to 
settle  the  country,  and  their  prospect  seemed  hopeful. 
In  1848  James  White,  from  Beloit,  settled  west,  and 
S.  Newcomb,  from  Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  settled  two 
miles  north  of  the  McCain  farm.  Truman  Curtis  came 
in  1849,  and  settled  in  the  nortiiern  part  of  the  coun- 
ty, in  the  present  town  of  Waubeek.  Among  the 
next  settlers  were  John  Holverson,  Jesse  Hardy,  Perry 
Hardy,  W.  F.  Holbrook,  Vivus  W.  Dorwin,  Isaac  In- 
galls,  Melville  Mills,  Miles  Durand  Piindle,  C.  N.  Av- 
erill,  L.  G.  Wood,  S.  L.  Plummer,  J.  S.  McCourtie, 
and  one  McGuinn. 

W.  F.  Holbrook  came  in  1852,  and  built  the  first 
saw-mill  in  the  county,  on  Arkansaw  Creek.  Isaac 
Ingalls  and  Melville  Miles  built  the  first  grist-mill  in 
1853,  on  Roaring  River.  J.  S.  McCourtie  opened  the 
first  store  in  the  county,  in  1853,  in  the  present  town 
of  Frankfort.  Mr.  McGuinn  entered  the  first  laud  in 
Bear  Creek  Valley  in  1854,  and,  in  1855,  brought 
his  family  and  began  to  open  his  farm.  John  Holver- 
son came  in  1855,  and  went  to  work  at  the  carjienter's 
trade,  building  the  first  liouse  in  tlie  village  of  Bear 
Creek.  C.  N.  Averill  settled  on  Bear  Creek,  about 
five  miles  from  where  it  enters  the  Chippewa,  in  the 
Spring  of  that  year.  He  is  still  a  resident.  Jesse 
Hardy  settled  about  eight  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
Bear  Creek,  in  July  of  that  year,  and  in  1856,  built 
a  hotel,  a  store,  and  a  house  at  the  mouth  of 
Bear  Creek,  in  what  afterward  became  the  village  of 
Bear  Creek.  Perry  Hardy  located  160  acres  of  land 
on  Sections  1,  2,  11  and  12  in  the  present  town  of  Du- 
rand, and  in  1856  liis  family  came.  Vivus  W.  Dor- 
win  located  Section  23,  Town  25,  Range  13,  in  1856. 
H.  Clay  Williams,  coming  in  1856,  was  the  first  law- 
yer in  the  county.      Miles  Durand  Prindle  came  in 


HISTORY  OF  PEPIN  COUNTY. 


693 


June,  1856,  and  at  once  laid  out  and  platted  the  town 
of  Durand,  in  company  with  Cliarles  Billings,  which 
tliey  completed  on  the  third  day  of  July.  Most  of  the 
above  named  persons  are  still  residents  of  the  county. 
From  this  time  the  county  increased  in  population  so 
rapidly  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  mention  individu- 
al names  without  leno;theniug  this  sketch  to  tedious- 
iiess.  Since  this  time  the  Indian  has  disappeared.  The 
land  he  had  inherited  from  a  long  line  of  savage  an- 
cestors, passed  from  his  possession.  Savage  and  civil 
life  could  not  exist  together.  The  dominion  theory  of 
the  survival  of  tlie  fittest  prevailed.  On  every  hand 
were  evidences  of  civilization.  On  bluff  and  in  valley 
could  be  heard  the  sturdy  blows  of  the  pioneer  as  he 
felled  the  huge  trees  for  his  rude  cabin,  cleared  the 
fields  for  the  golden  harvest,  and  thus  laid  with  an  hon- 
est hand  the  foundation  of  the  future  prosperity.  It 
will  readily  be  seen  that  Pepin  County  has  made  very 
rapid  strides  in  the  development  of  her  resources. 

In  1846,  the  first  farm  was  opened  and  crops  planted, 
and  in  1881  there  is  a  cultivated  area  of  about  35,000 
acres,  and  the  following  principal  crops  were  planted  : 
Wheat,  13,014  acres  ;  corn,  6,051 ;  oats,  4,272  ;  culti- 
vated grasses,  3,950 ;  rye,  1,317  ;  barley,  507  ;  potatoes, 
299.  The  total  valuation  of  real  estate  and  personal 
property  is  $1,107,279.50,  and  the  county  paj's  a  State 
tax  amounting  to  $2,300.85.  The  total  population  of 
the  county,  according  to  the  census  returns  of  1880,  is 
6,188. 

In  1849,  the  United  States  survey  of  land  was 
made,  and  the  land  east  of  the  Chippewa  River  was 
brought  into  market  at  La  Crosse,  and  that  west  of  the 
Chippewa  at  Hudson.  John  McCain  entered  160  acres 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Pepin,  on  Sections  22,  23 
and  27,  and  consequently  became  the  first  freeholder 
in  the  county.  He  also  broke  the  first  land  and  planted 
the  first  crop. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  county  was  Lydia 
Hix,  now  a  resident  of  Dunn  County.  This  occurred 
in  1850.  The  first  marriage  occurred  in  1849,  when 
David  Young  and  a  Miss  White  were  united  in  the 
bonds  of  matrimony,  at  the  house  of  John  McCain. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the  house 
of  W.  B.  Newcomb,  in  1850,  by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Hancock, 
a  missionary  from  Red  Wing,  Minn.  The  first  school 
taught  in  the  county  was  by  Louisa  Ingalls,  in  1853,  in 
a  house  built  by  Elias  Brock,  at  Pepin. 

The  first  stage  line  was  operated  in  the  county  by 
H.  S.  Allen  &  Co.,  between  Chippewa  Falls  and  the 
village  of  Pepin.  Now  there  are  five  stage  lines — all 
but  one  centering  at  Durand:  From  Durand  to  Pepin  ; 
to  Eau  Claire  ;  to  Alma  and  to  Menomonee  ;  and  from 
Stockholm  northeast  through  the  county. 

A  series  of  low-water  seasons  had  induced  a  few 
persons  to  believe  that  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Chip- 
pewa did  not  overflow,  and,  in  1855,  a  town  or  village 
plat  was  laid  out  at  the  mouth  of  Bear  Creek,  a  few 
miles  above  the  present  village  of  Durand.  A  hotel,  a 
store  or  two,  and  several  dwellings  were  erected,  but  the 
long-continued  high  water  of  the  two  succeeding  years 
dispelled  their  hopes— the  town  site  being  under  water 
for  several  months  each  year — and  the  project  of  build- 
ing up  a  town  was  forever  abandoned.  But  the  dis- 
tance from  Eau  Claire  to  the  Mississippi  River  was  too 


long,  and  the  demand  for  a  town  at  some  intermediate 
point  on  the  south  side  of  the  Ciiippewa  was  to  appar- 
ent to  be  long  neglected,  and  the  next  j'ear,  in  1856, 
Durand  took  its  start.  By  looking  at  a  map  and  the 
statistics,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  county  is  well  sup- 
plied with  schools  and  school-houses.  The  primitive 
log-cabin  has  given  place  to  the  brick,  stone  or  frame 
building,  while  the  curriculum  of  stud3S  the  ability  of 
the  teacher  and  the  requirements  of  the  School  Board, 
have  all  advanced  with  equal  pace.  The  attendance  is 
good,  schools  being  kept  open  from  six  to  nine  months 
in  the  year. 


Pepin  County  was  formed  from  Dunn  County,  by  a 
special  act  of  the  Legislature,  appi'oved  February  25, 
1858.  This  act  also  located  the  county  seat  on  Section 
25,  in  Township  23,  of  Range  15  west,  the  village  of 
Pepin.  By  the  same  act,  the  Governor  was  requested 
to  appoint  the  necessary  county  officers,  who  were  to 
serve  until  tlie  first  day  of  the  following  January. 
He  appointed  Henry  D.  Barron,  County  Judge  ;  N.W. 
Grippin,  Clerk  of  the  Court ;  Benjamin  Allen,  District 
Attorney  ;  Ebenezer  Lathrop,  Treasurer  ;  Edward  Liv- 
ingston, Sheriff;  U.  B.  Shaver,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  ;  Lucius  Cannon,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  J.  C. 
Wolcott,  Surveyor;  W.  F.  Holbrook,  Coroner.  The 
first  election  for  county  officers  occurred  November  2, 
1858,  and  resulted  in  the  selection  of  Lyman  Gale, 
Sheriff;  George  B.  Rickard,  Treasurer;  M.  B.  Astell, 
District  Attorney  ;  U.  B.  Shaver,  County  Clerk  ;  B.  T. 
Hastings,  Clerk  of  the  Court ;  A.  W.  Miller,  Survej'or. 
In  1860,  Durand  laid  claim  to  the  county  seat,  by  vir- 
tue of  a  majority  of  the  voters  in  the  county  and  ob- 
tained leave  to  test  the  question  at  the  polls,  which, 
however,  was  lost  that  year,  but  the  next  year  the  re- 
sult was  favorable  to  Durand,  by  a  vote  of  329  to  337, 
and  it  was  removed  from  Pepin  during  that  year.  Du- 
rand was  declared  the  legal  county  seat,  by  judicial 
decision,  rendered  at  La  Crosse,  in  1867,  at  the  termi- 
nation of  a  lawsuit  in  which  the  case  became  involved. 
An  elegant  court-house  has  since  been  erected,  at  a 
cost  of  $7,000,  and  is  a  monument  to  the  county  as 
well  as  to  the  village  of  Durand  in  which  it  is  situated. 
The  first  court  was  held  in  Pepin  in  the  Spring  of 
1858,  S.  S.  N.  Fuller  presiding.  Among  the  first  attor- 
neys were,  H.  C.  Williams,  M.  D.  Bartlett,  Frank 
Clark,  H.  D.  Barron,  A.  D.  Gray,  H.  E.  Houghton,  and 
John  Fraser.  The  three  last  named  are  still  residing 
and  practicing  in  the  county,  A.  D.  Gray  at  Pepin,  and 
H.  E.  Houghton  and  John  Fraser  at  Durand.  Among 
the  first  criminal  cases,  of  any  importance,  that  was 
tried  by  the  court,  was  the  celebrated  "  Mag  Wheeler  " 
case,  whicii  occurred  in  1866.  Ira  B.  Wlieeler,  living 
at  a  place  known  as  "Five  Mile  Bluff,"  was  murdered 
on  the  24th  of  March,  under  circumstances  that  impli- 
cated his  wife,  Margaret  E.  Wheeler,  and  James 
E.  Carter,  in  the  atrocious  deed.  Tliey  were  im- 
mediately arrested,  but  as  the  body  had  been  con- 
cealed under  the  ice  in  the  Chippewa  River,  and 
no  positive  proof  of  his  death,  or  the  manner  of  it 
being  adduced,  they  were  discharged.  On  the  12th 
of  May  following,  the  body  having  been  discovered 
witli  marks  of  violence  about  the  head,  they  were  r§- 


694 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN     WISCONSIN. 


arrested  and  committed  for  trial  at  the  ensuing  term  of 
court.  For  greater  safety,  they  were  taken  to  Eau 
Chiire  County  to  jail.  Owing  to  some  informality  no 
Grand  Jury  was  empaneled  in  Pepin  County  at  the 
next  term  of  court,  and  the  parties  lay  in  jail  until  the 
following  March,  when  they  were  ai-raigned,  but  on  the 
afEdavit  of  the  District  Attorney  the  case  was  removed 
to  Dunn  Count}',  thence  to  La  Crosse,  on  the  affidavit 
of  the  defence.  Their  final  trial  and  conviction  was 
before  Judge  Flint,  at  the  May  term  in  1898,  when 
their  mutual  accusations  clearly  showed  that  both  were 
present  at  the  killing  and  participated  in  the  muvder, 
and  that  both  assisted  in  putting  the  bodj-  under  the 
ice,  and  in  concealing  the  evidence  of  their  guilt. 
The  verdict  of  the  jury  was,  murder  in  the  first  degree, 
and  the  sentence  was,  imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary 
for  life.  Alleging,  however,  that  the  removal  of  the 
case  from  Pepin  County  to  Dunn  County,  on  the  appli- 
cation of  the  prosecution  was  unconstitutional  and 
illegal,  Margaret  Wheeler  was  remanded  for  a  new 
trial  on  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  failing  to 
order  her  to  be  committed  for  safe  keeping,  her  defense 
obtained  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  from  the  Court  Com- 
missioner, under  which  Mrs.  Wheeler  was  discharged, 
but  immediately  re-arrested  by  the  officers  of  Pepin 
County,  from  whom  she  managed  to  escape,  assisted, 
as  it  is  supposed,  by  an  old  lover  who  took  her  to  parts 
unknown. 

In  the  settlement  of  all  new  countries,  frequent 
changes  become  necessary  in  the  organization  of  Sena- 
torical  and  Assembly  districts,  and  questions  often  arise 
in  conversation,  as  to  the  number  or  description  of  the 
district  in  which  a  certain  locality  was  included  at  a 
given  period.  Such  changes  have  occurred  in  this  sec- 
tion, in  which  Pepin  County  is  situated,  in  every  dec- 
ade and  semi-decade,  since  the  organization  of  the 
territory,  and  a  concise  statement  of  the  districts  in 
which  this  county  has  been  included,  and  the  time  of 
their  formation  and  the  names  of  the  various  senators 
and  assembly-men  whom  the  people  of  the  county  have 
delighted  to  honor  with  seats  in  the  Legislature,  may 
be  of  interest  to  our  readers.  The  county  as  before 
stated,  was  formed  from  Dunn  County,  in  1858.  and  it 
remained  as  a  part  of  Dunn  County  in  all  assembly  and 
senatorial  elections,  until  the  fourteenth  session  of  the 
State  Legislature,  which  occurred  in  1861,  this  being 
the  year  following  the  national  census,  which  of  course 
necessitated  a  new  organization  of  the  districts,  and 
Pepin  County  then  became  included  within  the  Thirty- 
second  Senatorial  district,  and  Buffalo,  Trempealeau 
and  Pepin  counties,  constituted  an  assembly  district. 
This  county  after  its  organization,  was  first  represented 
in  the  Senate  l)y  Daniel  Mears,  of  St.  Croix,  in  1858-59, 
and  next  Charles  B.  Cox,  of  River  Falls,  in  1860-61, 
and  their  assembly-men  for  those  years  were:  1858 — 
Lucius  Cannon,  of  Pepin  ;  1859 — Richard  Dewhurst, 
of  Neillsville;  1860— W.  P.  Bartlett,  of  Eau  Claire  ; 
1861 — Rodman  Palmer,  of  Chippewa  Falls. 

After  the  redistricting  in  1861,  M.  D.  Bartlett,  of 
Durand,  was  chosen  Senator  from  the  Thirty-second 
District,  for  1862-63  ;  Carl  C.  Pope,  of  Black  River 
Falls,  for  1864-65  ;  and  Joseph  G.  Thorpe,  of  Eau 
Claire,  for  1866-67.  The  Assembly  Di.strict  was  repre- 
sented   during  those  years  as  follows:  1862 — Orlando 


Brown,  of  Gilmanton  ;  1863 — Alfred  W.  Newman,  of 
Trempealeau;  1864 — Fayette  Allen,  Durand  ;  lfs65 — 
John  Burgess,  Maxville  ;  1866 — William  H.  Thomas, 
Sumner. 

At  the  Session  of  the  Legislature  in  1868,  the  as- 
sembly districts  were  again  remodeled  and  Pepin  to- 
gether with  Eau  Claire,  constituted  an  assembly  dis- 
trict and  was  represented  in  1867  bv  Fayette  Allen,  of 
Durand  ;  1868— Horace  W.  Barnes,  of  Eau  Claire  ; 
1869— Fayette  Allen,  Durand;  1870— Charles  R. 
Gleason,  Eau  Claire;  1871 — Henry  Cousins,  Eau 
Claire.  The  Senatorial  District  was  represented  in 
1868-69,  by  A.  W.  Newman,  of  Trempealeau  ;  1870-71, 
by  William  T.  Price,  of  Black  River  Falls.  The 
apportionment  of  1871,  included  Pepin  County  in  the 
Thirtieth  Senatorial  District,  which  was  represented 
in  1872-78,  by  Joseph  G.  Thorpe,  of  Eau  Claire  ; 
1874-75,  by  Hiram  P.  Graham,  of  Eau  Claire  ;  1876-77, 
bj'  R.  J.  Flint,  of  Menomonee.  This  apportionment 
also  made  Pepin  together  with  Dunn  County  are  as- 
sembly districts,  which  was  represented  in  1872,  by 
Elias  P.  Bailey,  of  Menomonee  ;  187-3 — Horace  E. 
Houghton,  of  Durand  ;  1864 — Samuel  L.  Plummer,  of 
Waterville  ;  1875— R.  J.  Flint,  of  Menomonee;  1876— 
Menzus  R.  Bump,  of  Rock  Falls.  The  apportionment 
of  the  latter  year,  included  Pepin  County  in  the 
Twenty-Ninth  Senatorical  District,  which  was  repre- 
sented in  1877-78,  bv  Alexander  A.  Arnold,  of  Gales- 
ville;  1879-80,  by  Horace  E.  Houghton,  of  Durand; 
The  present  Senator  is  Augustus  Finkelnburg.of  Fount- 
ain City.  This  apportionment  also  made  Pepin,  to- 
gether with  three  northern  towns  of  Buffalo  County, 
an  assembly  district,  which  has  been  represented  by 
Vivus  W.  Dorwin,  in  1877  and  1878  ;  James  Barr}-,  in 
1879  ;  William  Allison,  in  1880  ;  and  George  Tarrant, 
in  1881. 

The  present  county  officers  are  as  follows  :  Shei'ifif, 
A.  F.  Peterson  ;  Treasurer,  D.  W.  Phelps ;  County 
Clerk,  J.  J.  Morgan  ;  District  Attorney,  John  Eraser ; 
Clerk  of  the  Court,  A.  G.  Coffin  ;  Register  of  Deeds, 
John  Newcomb ;  Surveyor,  Nat  Plumer ;  Probate 
Judge,  S.  L.  Piummer ;  School  Superintendent, 
William  E.  Barker. 


The  first  paper  in  the  county  was  published  at 
Pepin,  in  1857,  called  the  Pepin  Independent,  by 
Lathrop  &  Shaver.  The  next  year,  in  1858.  Richard 
Copeland  started  the  Hesperian  Montldy.  These  papers 
lived  only  for  a  short  time,  when  the}''  withdrew  from 
the  "  vain  world  "  and  became  things  of  history. 

In  1860,  Myron  Shaw  started  the  Home  3Iirror,  at 
Durand.  In  1862,  he  sold  a  part  interest  to  George 
Van  Waters,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Durand 
Times.  In  1863,  Mr.  Siiaw  severed  his  connection 
with  the  paper,  Mr.  Van  Waters  purchasing  his  remain- 
ing interest,  and  continuing  its  pul)lication  until  1868, 
when  he  disposed  of  it  to  Powers  &  Foster.  In  1869, 
Mr.  Powers  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Foster.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1873,  Mr.  Foster  disposed  of  the  Times  to  W.  H. 
Huntington.  Mr.  Huntington  con;iuued  the  publication 
of  the  paper  until  May,  1876,  when  he  disposed  of  it 
to  Matteson  &  Bon.  Mr.  Matteson  soon  purchased 
Mr.  Bon's  interest,  and  published  the  Times  until  No- 


HISTORY  OF  PEPIN    COUNTY. 


69s 


vember,  1878,  when  the  ofSce  and  presses  were  con- 
sumed by  file. 

In  I86I1,  George  Van  Waters  started  the  Leari  Wolf, 
which  hepublislied  in  Durand  only  about  tiiree  months, 
when  he  removed  it  to  Menomonee,  where  hesoousokl 
it  to  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co. 

In  December,  1877,  W.  H.  Huntington  started  the 
Pepin  County  Courier.  In  November,  1878,  after  the 
Times  office  burned  down,  he  purchased  the  subscrip- 
tion list,  etc.,  of  Mr.  Matteson,  and  changed  the  name 
of  the  paper  to  the  Pepin  County  Times  and  Courier. 
In  January,  1880,  it  again  became  the  Pepin  County 
Courier,  under  which  name  it  is  still  published.  It  is 
stanchly  Republican  in  politics.  It  is  a  newsy,  well 
edited,  well  printed,  spicy  local  paper.  It  receives  a 
liberal  support  from  the  business  men  of  the  place 
and  county,  and  is  the  official  and  only  paper  in  the 
county. 

The  Pepin  County  Agricultural  Society  was  organ- 
ized in  March,  1878,  and  their  first  fair  was  held  in 
September  of  the  same  3'ear.  The  first  officers  were  : 
S.  L.  Plummer,  president;  W.  H.  H.  Matteson,  secre- 
tary ;  and  George  Tarrant,  treasurer.  Soon  after  its 
organization,  the  citizens  of  Durand  rented  for  five 
years  and  fitted  up  their  present  fair  grounds,  by  sub- 
scrijjtion.  They  expended  $200  in  fitting  them  up  for 
fair  purposes.  The  society  hold  their  fairs  yearly,  the 
last  one  occurring  on  the  81st  of  August,  and  the  1st 
and  2d  of  September,  1881.  The  present  officers  are; 
S.  L.  Plummer,  president;  Miletus  Knight,  secretary: 
and  George  Tarrant,  treasurer. 

Since  our  history  was  written,  Ed.  Maxwell,  alias 
Williams,  who  murdered  the  two  Coleman  l)rothers, 
was  captured  in  Nebraska  and  taken  to  Durand,  where 
the  enraged  populace  took  the  law  into  their  own 
hands,  and  placed  the  desperado  where  he  can  do  no 
more  harm.  We  clip  from  the  Chicago  Tribune  the 
following  account  of  the  affair. — Eds. 

JUSTICE — THE   KED-HANDED   DESPERADO    AT     DURAND 

LYNCHED RECORD   OF   THE   MANY   BLOODY   ACTS 

WHICH   MADE  ED.  AND  LON.  WILLIAMS   INFAMOUS. 

At  a  quarter  past  two  o'clock  this  afternoon,  Ed. 
Maxwell,  alias  Williams,  was  hung  in  the  court-house 
yard  here.  His  examination  was  to  have  taken  place  this 
forenoon.  He  stated  that  he  should  waive  examina- 
tion, but  the  matter  was  postponed  till  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  fact  that  he  was  not  at  once  sent 
back  to  Menomonee  gave  rise  to  the  suspicion  that 
there  was  a  movement  to  be  made  to  take  him  away 
from  the  officers.  From  about  noon  until  two  o'clock, 
the  people  from  the  surrounding  country  came  into 
Durand  by  squads,  and  at  two  o'clock  the  court-house 
yard  and  court-room  were  thronged  with  men  and 
women.  The  prisoner  made  a  statement,  confessing 
the  shooting  of  the  Coleman  brothers,  and  what  he 
claimed  to  be  the  facts  connected  with  tlie  affair,  and 
that  lie  should  claim  that  it  was  done  in  self-defence. 
Immediately  thereafter,  a  rope  was  thrown  over  his 
neck.  He  made  a  feeble,  but  momentary,  efifort  to  re- 
lease himself,  but  was  instantly  jerked  down,  then 
through  the  aisle,  down  the  stairway  to  the  ground, 
and  dragged  to  a  tree  a  few  rods  distant,  and  the  rope 
was  thrown  over  a  limb  and  Ed.  Maxwell  left  swinging 


between  earth  and  heaven.  It  appears  that  the  lynch- 
ing was  preconcerted  and  arranged,  and,  if  not  partici- 
pated in  by  the  masses,  received  tlieir  tacit  consent. 
The  widow  of  Ciiarles  Coleman  and  Henry  Coleman 
and  his  wife  were  present  and  witnessed  the  rescuing 
of  Maxwell  from  the  custody  of  the  law.  So  rapid 
were  the  movements  of  the  vigilantes  that  death  from 
strangulation  ensued  before  they  reached  the  tree. 

There  is  intense  excitement  at  Durand,  and  even 
those  who  do  not  approve  of  the  summary  method  by 
which  he  (vns  executed,  do  not  give  expression  to  their 
disapproval.  There,  doubtless,  was  no  more  hardened 
criminal  in  the  land,  and  his  statements  and  manner 
of  making  them  showed  him  to  be  utterly  void  of  all 
moral  faculties. 

AN   eye-witness's   STATEMENT   OF   THE   LYNCHING. 

I  send  you  the  story  of  an  eye-witness  of  the  cul- 
mination of  the  Maxwell  tragedy  at  Durand,  Wis.  A 
Pwieer-Press  reporter  joined  Maxwell  when  he  passed 
tlnough  St.  Paul,  rode  with  him  in  the  cars  to  Me- 
nomonee, spent  part  of  Friday  night  with  him,  fol- 
lowed in  a  buggy  the  vehicle  that  took  him  and  the 
Sheriff  to  Durand,  and  assisted  at  the  examination 
this  morning,  and  was  present  at  the  tragic  termina- 
tion of  the  legal  proceedings  at  two  o'clock  this  after- 
noon. Durand  is  twenty  miles,  by  a  frightful  road, 
from  the  nearest  telegraph  office,  and  the  full  account 
was  not  transmitted  until  at  an  early  hour  this  morn- 
ing.    The  following  is  the  dispatch : 

Edward  Maxwell  to-day  waived  examination  before 
an  earthly  Judge,  and  in  ten  minutes  after  was  sum- 
moned before  the  Eternal  Judge.  He  was  hung  by  a 
crowd  of  excited  citizens  of  Dunn  and  Pepin  counties, 
at  2:15  p.  M.,  in  the  presence  of  at  least  500  people, 
among  whom  were  the  widow,  children  and  brother 
of  one  of  his  victims.  This  morning,  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock,  he  sent  for  your  reporter,  who,  arriv- 
ing at  the  cell  he  left  the  evening  before,  found  a 
gaping  crowd  peering  through  the  bars,  and  in  the  cell 
proper  several  persons  talking  to  Ed.,  whose  shackles 
had  been  taken  off  that  he  might  walk  up  and  down 
and  relieve  his  limbs  of  numbness.  He  took  me  into  a 
corner  and  said  :  "  I  haven't  any  friends  here.  I  guess 
I  haven't  many  anywJiere,  but  you  don't  seem  partic- 
ularly hostile,  and  I  would  like  to  ask  you  what  you 
think  about  my  waiving  an  examination.  They  told 
rae  I  was  to  be  examined  at  nine  o'clock  this  morning, 
but  now  I  hear  the  District  Attorney  says  he  won't  be 
ready  until  two  o'clock  this  afternoon.  I  guess  if  I 
waive  a  hearing  he  won't  have  much  to  get  read}-. 
What  do  you  think  about  it  ?  "  I  told  him  a  prolonged 
hearing  could  do  him  no  good,  and  he  then  said  :  "  I've 
made  up  my  mind,  then.  But  I  will  make  a  statement 
about  the  murder  before  I  leave  the  court-room."  We 
had  some  further  conversation,  and  I  left  him,  promis- 
ing, at  his  request,  to  see  him  later.  The  jail — a  com- 
mon two-story  frame  house,  witii  iron  gratings  at  the 
windows  and  wooden  ones  inside,  a  flimsy,  insecure 
structure  throughout  —  stands  on  a  little  eminence 
about  a  block  and  a  lialf  from  the  court-house.  The 
latter  is  surrounded  by  a  large  3'ard,  in  whicli  are  sev- 
eral small  and  one  large  tree ;  one  with  a  projecting 
limb  reaching  to  the  walls  of  the  building.     When  I 


696 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


reached  the  yard,  I  found  a  number  of  people  therein, 
all  talking  about  Maxwell,  and  all  waiting  patiently, 
though  it  was  far  from  warm  and  there  were  several 
inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  for  a  sight  of  the  pris- 
oner when  he  should  he  brought  out  for  his  prelimi- 
nary examination.  Most  of  those  gathered  there 
seemed  like  farmers  or  lumbermen  from  out  of  town, 
and  there  was  a  fair  sprinkling  of  women  and  children. 
As  the  minutes  past  the  crowd  augmented,  and  when 
two  o'clock  came,  the  court-room  up-stairs — a  small 
apartment  at  best — was  crowded  to  suffocation.  As 
Maxwell,  cool  and  collected  as  he  was  yesterday,  when 
he  landed  from  a  skiff  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  on  the 
river-bank  and  not  showing  the  faintest  trace  of  ner- 
vousness, was  led  through  the  aisle  between  Deputies 
Kuight  and  Coleman,  the  crowd  surged  and  pushed  to 
get  a  better  sight  of  him,  and  threats  grew  from  mut- 
terings  to  menaces,  but  he  flinched  not  a  whit,  and 
stood  before  Justices  Dwyer  and  Huntington  as  uncon- 
cernedly as  if  he  had  been  on  the  bench  and  they  in 
the  dock.  His  eyes  roamed  a  moment  over  the  crowd, 
and  I  saw  his  lips  move  into  a  half-sneering  smile. 
Possibly  he  was  thinking  of  a  remark  he  made  to  me 
in  the  morning:  "Tliere  will  be  a  big  crowd  at  the 
examination  to-day.  You  stand  at  the  door  and  sell 
tickets,  and  be  sure  you  divvy  on  the  square."  To  the 
formal  question  he  pleaded  not  guilty,  and  then  said  : 
"  I  waive  examination  and  would  like  to  make  a  state- 
ment."    He  was  told  to  go  on,  and  spoke  as  follows: 

"We  killed  the  Coleman  boys  in  self-defense,  but 
didn't  know  them  from  Adam.  We  were  sitting  in  the 
grove  up  town  when  we  saw  them  pass  us.  They  had 
guns  with  them  and  looked  ai'ound  often  as  if  search- 
ing for  something.  We  knew  there  was  no  game  about 
there,  and  that  they  wouldn't  be  hunting  Sunday,  so 
we  knew  they  were  after  us,  and  kept  a  sharp  lookout. 
When  they  got  past  us  they  started  to  run.  Then  we 
got  over  the  fence  and  followed  them  up  the  road, 
thinking  we  were  surrounded  and  caught  in  a  trap. 
We  had  not  gone  but  a  short  distance  before  we  met 
them,  and  the  one  nearest  the  fence  (Milton  Coleman) 
fired  first,  his  shot  hitting  Lon  in  the  face  and  arm. 
Cliarley  fired  at  me,  and  I  at  him  in  a  second  later. 
His  shot  struck  my  arm,  and  he  fell  to  my  bullet,  but 
got  on  his  knee  and  fired  again.  Lon  had  shot  the  oth- 
er one  before  that,  and  both  were  down.  We  then 
turned  and  ran."  All  this  was  delivered  in  a  conver- 
sational tone,  as  if  it  were  a  recital  of  the  most  ordin- 
ary adventure,  and  I  could  see  as  the  story  progressed 
tliat  the  spectators  were  edging  nearer  and  nearer  to 
him.  He  had  scarcely  fiuisiied — indeed,  I  am  inclined 
to  tliink  lie  was  about  to  continue — when,  with  a  growl 
like  a  wild  beast,  a  dozen  men  sprang  on  him.  Women 
shrieked  as  the  melee  grew  greater,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible to  tell  for  a  moment  what  was  being  done.  The 
officers  made  resistance,  but  not  a  ver}^  determined  one, 
and  in  less  than  a  moment  the  prisoner  was  dragged 
through  the  yelling  crowd  to  the  door.  A  rope  had 
made  its  appearance  as  if  by  magic,  and  when  he  reached 
the  outer  door  the  noose  was  round  his  neck.  I 
caught  one  glimpse  of  his  face  as  he  was  going  down 
the  stairs.  It  was  as  pale  as  marble,  but  his  eyes 
glared  defiance,  and  every  look  betokened  the  agoniz- 
ing wish  :     "If  I  had  but  my  Winchester  and  a  sec- 


ond's freedom,"  but  arms  and  freedom  Omnipotence 
alone  could  have  given  him.  The  crowd,  the  initiative 
having  been  taken,  was  wild  with  passion.  "Hang 
him !"  "Choke  him !"  "Burn  him  !"  etc.,  etc.,  were 
heard  on  all  sides,  and  if  pity  was  felt  by  a  single  crea- 
ture its  expression  was  not  heard.  It  took  minutes  to 
write  this,  it  took  seconds  only  to  reach  the  tree  I 
spoke  of  above.  The  end  of  the  rope  was  over  the 
projecting  bough  in  an  instant,  and  a  shuddering  sob 
went  up  from  tlie  onlookers  as  the  body  of  the  desper- 
ado was  jerked  into  the  air,  a  score  of  willing  hands 
tugging  at  the  other  end  of  the  rope.  There  were  a 
few  spasmodic  clutches  of  the  ironed  hands,  the  feet 
were  drawn  up  once  or  twice,  and  then  the  iiead  fell 
over  with  that  sickening  droop  familiar  to  all  who  have 
ever  witnessed  such  a  death,  and  all  was  over.  The 
cord  of  the  rope  was  made  fast,  the  crowd  dispersed  in 
the  awsome  silence  that  fell  after  the  deed  was  done, 
and  the  body,  so  full  of  muscular  energy  a  few  moments 
before,  swung  to  and  fro  in  the  cold  wind,  the  drifting 
snow  ever  and  anon  hiding  it  in  its  drifting  rush.  Max- 
well died  as  he  had  lived,  a  desperate  man,  but  endowed 
with  an  amount  of  physical  courage  rare  indeed, 
and  filled  with  a  restless  energy  that  preferred  crime 
to  inaction.  The  sentiment  here  is,  of  course,  divided 
on  the  question  of  the  right  or  the  wrong  ot  the  l)'nch- 
ing.  Most  all  aver  that  if  there  had  been  any  decent 
chance  of  meeting  out  ample  punishment  to  JNIaxwell 
by  law  the  summary  mode  would  not  have  been  pur- 
sued, while  others  deprecate  the  whole  affair,  and  say 
its  effect  will  only  be  evil.  One  thing  is  certain.  The 
people  of  Durand  had  very  little  to  do  with  the  affair. 
Of  the  arrivals  from  out  of  town,  many  of  them  were 
blue  or  red  shirted  lumbermen.  I  do  not  believe,  eith- 
er, that  there  was  any  concert  of  action  beyond  a  circle 
of  five  or  six,  who  knew,  however,  that  they  had  only 
to  commence  to  receive  ample  support.  If  the  District- 
Attorney  had  not  put  off  the  examination  till  this  af- 
ternoon, but  had  held  it  at  9  A.  M.,  as  first  intended, 
Maxwell  would,  in  all  probability^  be  alive  in  Menom- 
onee  jail  at  this  moment.  Knight  intended,  he  says, 
to  take  him  to  Menomonee  on  Monday,  and  the  team 
that  brought  him  here  yesterday  was  held  across  the 
river  for  his  return. 

THE  MURDEK  OF  THE  COLEMANS.^^ 

The  murder  of  the  two  Coleman  brothers  by  the 
desperate  Williams  boys  is  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of 
those  who  read  of  the  crime,  and  their  meeting  with 
the  desperadoes  at  Durand  on  the  evening  of  Monday, 
July  10,  is  well  remembered.  The  skill  of  the  Williams 
brothers  in  the  use  of  firearms  resulted  in  the  death  of 
the  brave  Colemans,  who  had  started  out  to  capture 
them,  and  on  the  dead  body  of  Milton  Coleman  was 
found  a  blood-soaked  postal-card,  signed  by  J.  O.  An- 
derson, Sheriff  of  Henderson  County,  bearing  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  two  desperadoes,  who  were  wanted  in  Hen- 
derson County  for  horse-stealing.  The  card  also  bore 
the  following  words,  written  in  red  :  "Go  prepared. 
They  are  desperadoes  and  will  resist  arrest."  It  was 
this  letter  card  that  directed  the  Colemans  to  their 
death.  The  story  of  the  crime  is  well  known,  and 
Sheriff  Anderson,  who  spent  some  time  with  the  party 
iu  pursuit  of  the  criminals,  said  he  was  determined  to 


HISTORY  OF  PEPIN  COUNTY. 


697 


hunt  down  the  murderers,  as  the  victims  were  in  a 
measure  performino;  his  orders  when  they  were  shot. 
His  story  of  the  Williams  brothers  is  as  follows  :  "The 
true  name  of  the  family  is  Maxwell,  and  they  have 
adopted  the  name  of  Williams  for  use  in  Minnesota. 
Just  about  the  commencement  of  the  civil  war  the 
father  and  mother  and  the  two  sons — one  of  whom  was 
at  the  time  a  mere  child — arrived  in  Fulton  Co.,  111., 
and  represented  themselves  as  refugees.  Tiie  father 
rented  a  small  farm  and  cultivated  it.  In  1874  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Washburn,  Woodford  Co.,  thence  to  Lex- 
ington, McLean  Co.,  and  thence  to  Colchester,  McDou- 
ough  Co.  The  son  Edward  was  detected  in  petty 
thieving  while  in  Washburn  County,  and  during  his 
residence  in  Colchester  he  broke  into  a  clothing  store 
one  night  and  took  out  a  $70  suit  of  clothes  which  he 
had  purchased  a  day  or  two  before  and  ordered  done 
up.  He  was  employed  on  a  farm  near  the  town  at  the 
time,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  store  soon  found  out  that 
he  was  the  thief.  He  went  out  to  the  farm,  and  while  he 
was  talking  with  the  farmer  Ed.  stole  his  horse  and  rode 
rapidly  away.  The  ofBcers  who  were  after  him  for 
the  theft  of  the  suit  gave  chase,  but  he  escaped  them. 

Some  weeks  after  this,  Ed.  and  Lon,  the  younger 
brother,  went  to  La  Harpe  and  i-obbed  the  houses  of 
two  farmers,  doing  it  boldly  with  the  use  of  their 
revolvers.  They  were  followed  to  the  next  town  and 
found  in  a  saloon,  but  they  brought  their  revolvers  into 
play  again  and  escaped  a  second  time.  The  two  broth- 
ers were  captured  about  three  weeks  afterward,  but  Ed. 
succeeded  in  breaking  jail.  Subsequently  he  was 
arrested  and  imprisoned  in  the  Stillwater  Penitentiary. 
He  was  sentenced  to  serve  a  term  of  six  years,  while 
his  brother,  Lon,  was  imprisoned  for  three  years. 

Tiieir  experience  in  Wisconsin  has  been  wide,  and 
they  have  a  good  knowledge  of  the  country.  Lon  has 
been  known  at  Herse}',  Knapp  and  Menomonee,  for  at 
least  two  years,  and,  while  he  has  ostensibly  been  work- 
ing, he  has  been  engaged  in  deviltry  of  various  kinds. 
He  has  associated  with  the  worst  class  of  people,  and 
many  serious  crimes  have  been  traced  to- him  during 
his  residence  in  that  section.  The  three  Wolfe  broth- 
ers have  been  associated  with  him  in  his  depredations, 
and  they  have  undoubtedly  visited  the  murderers  in  the 
woods.  Last  Fall,  Ed.  Williams  joined  his  brother  at 
Hersey,  and  was  described  as  looking  pale,  thin  and 
consumptive.  It  is  believed  that  they  lived  together 
there,  and  engaged  on  odd  jobs  when  they  had  no 
thievery  on  hand. 

On  the  night  of  May  30,  they,  the  brothers,  turned 
up  in  Henderson  County,  111.,  and  stole  two  horses. 
These  they  rode  to  Colchester,  reaching  there  Wednes- 
day, and  thence  proceeded  to  Macomb,  McDonough 
Co.,  where  they  stole  a  single  and  double  harness 
and  a  single  top-buggy  from  the  stable  of  the  Hon.  W. 
H.  Neese,  the  lawyer  who  prosecuted  Lon  when  he  was 
sent  to  Joliet.  After  going  twenty-five  miles  through 
the  woods,  the  buggy  was  run  into  a  stump  and  ruined, 
and  the  buggy  and  harnesses  were  found  in  the  woods. 
They  then  went  to  Smithfield  on  the  horses'  backs  and 
camped  in  the  woods  until  Friday  morning,  when  a  boy 
discovered  them.  They  tried  to  intimidate  him,  and 
said  they  were  out  hunting.  The  boy  gave  the  alarm, 
and  Sheriff  Anderson  was  telegraphed.     He  took  the 


track  and  followed  them  across  the  Illinois  River,  just 
above  Peoria,  where  they  crossed  Saturday  night  and 
stopped  in  a  school-house,  putting  the  horses  in  a  coal- 
shed.  An  alarm  was  given  by  a  man  who  saw  the 
horses  sticking  their  heads  out  of  the  shed.  An  inves- 
tigation was  made,  and  the  school-house  found  locked. 
A  trustee  unlocked  the  door,  and  on  entering  was  con- 
fronted by  two  revolvers.  The  crowd  withdrew  with- 
out further  invitation,  and  the  robbers  quietly  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  away.  They  went  south  three 
miles  and  doubled  back,  an  old  trick  of  theirs,  passing 
Sheriff  Ander.son  and  his  posse  in  the  woods. 

About  two  days  after,  the  trail  was  discovered,  and 
it  was  found  that  the  thieves  had  doubled  back  to 
Washburn,  where  they  were  known,  Sheriff  Anderson, 
who  had  been  informed  that  they  were  at  Woodford, 
went  there  and  found  they  had  gone  north.  This  sat- 
isfied him  that  they  were  bound  for  Wisconsin,  and  he 
sent  telegrams  and  postal-cards  to  all  sections.  One  of 
these  postal-cards  was  received  by  the  Colemans,  who 
came  upon  them  accidentally  at  Durand,  and  were 
murdered.  When  in  this  section,  they  had  a  horse  and 
top-buggy  and  led  another  horse.  Tiieir  rig  was  cap- 
tured in  the  woods  by  the  ofBcers.  The  brothers  called 
afterward  at  the  house  of  a  Mrs.  Sands,  where  they 
left  the  rig,  but  they  were  not  captured  there,  as  they 
should  have  been. 

THE   CRIMES   IN   ILLINOIS. 

On  the  M  of  October  last.  Gov.  Cullom  offered  a 
reward  of  $500  for  the  capture  of  the  Williams  boys, 
who  had  turned  up  in  Pike  County  a  short  time  before 
and  killed  the  Sheriff  of  Calhoun  County,  who  attempted 
to  capture  them,  besides  wounding  two  of  the  posse. 
After  the  killing  they  roamed  around  Calhoun  County 
and  had  very  little  trouble  in  keeping  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  law,  either  owing  to  the  fear  or  friendliness  of 
the  citizens  of  that  county.  One  of  their  exploits  was 
to  ride  into  a  small  village  saloon  and  order  the  drinks 
for  a  crowd  of  loafers.  The  latter  drank,  but  the 
Williams  boys  did  not,  and  rode  away  without  moles- 
tation. At  that  time  they  were  heavily  armed,  and 
carried  a  powerful  field-glass,  by  the  aid  of  which  they 
were  able  to  detect  pursuers  long  before  the  latter  could 
discover  them. 

HOW  KILLIAN  CAPTURED   THE   DESPERADOES. 

Sheriff  Joseph  Killian,  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
received  information  on  the  evening  of  November  5  last 
from  Constable  Chris  Stahl,  of  Merrick  County,  that 
there  were  two  suspicious  characters  at  the  house  of  a 
neighboring  farmer,  named  William  Niedfeldt,  living 
near  Grand  Island.  The  two  men  were  supposed  to  be 
the  notorious  Williams  brothers.  Tiie  next  morning 
about  four  o'clock  the  Sheriff,  Stahl,  and  Ludwig 
Shultz,  a  neighbor  of  Niedfeldt,  and  August  Nitsch,  a 
Grand  Island  cigar-maker,  armed  themselves  with  shot- 
guns and  revolvers,  and  started  for  Niedfeldt's  house, 
reaching  there  about  .5  A.  M.  They  represented  them- 
selves as  hunters,  and  had  breakfast  prepared  for  them. 
While  waiting  they  were  shown  into  the  room  occupied 
by  the  suspicious  characters,  who  had  heard  their  ap- 
proach and  had  their  Winchester  rifles  lying  within 
easy  reach,  while  two  revolvers  lay  under  their  pillows. 


698 


HISTORY   OF  NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Killian  passed  the  time  of  day  with  the  brothers,  who 
represented  themselves  as  goose-liuiiters  from  Hastings, 
a  town  on  the  Burlington  &  Missouri  Railroad.  They 
were  asked  questions  about  the  town  and  its  inhabit- 
ants, which  they  were  unable  to  answer,  and  this  fact, 
together  with  the  fact  that  they  were  too  heavily  armed 
for  goose-hunters,  convinced  Killian  of  their  identity, 
and  he  resolved  to  arrest  them  while  at  the  breakfast 
table.  The  boys  dressed  themselves  leisurely,  keeping 
an  eye  on  the  Sheriff's  posse,  and  it  was  noticed  that 
Lon  Williams,  who  had  lost  the  second  toe  on  the  right 
foot,  put  his  stockings  on  with  his  feet  under  the  bed- 
clothing.  After  dressing  Ed.  posted  himself  near  the 
corner  of  the  room,  with  his  right  hand  on  his  Win- 
chester, while  Lon  left  his  hat  and  coat  and  leisurely 
walked  out  of  the  kitchen  door  and  towards  the  barn. 
Changing  his  plans,  Killian  coolly  walked  up  to  Ed.,  and 
said:  "  I  want  you."  As  Ed.  moved  to  bring  up  his 
gun,  Killian  grabbed  and  floored  him,  and  took  the  gun 
away,  Nitsch  covering  him  with  a  shotgun.  On  being 
secured  and  bound,  he  saw  that  the  "jig  was  up,"  and 
set  up  a  series  of  yells  to  alarm  I>on.  The  latter  ran  to 
the  corner  of  the  house,  but  was  confronted  by  Killian, 
who  was  there,  and  covered  him  with  a  revolver  and 
ordered  him  to  halt.  Lon  replied  with  a  shot,  but  Kil- 
lian dodged,  got  into  the  kitchen,  closed  the  door,  and 
put  his  foot  against  it.  Lon  came  up,  expecting  it  to  fly 
wide  open.  It  onl}'  opened  a  few  inches,  and  Lon  found 
himself  looking  into  the  muzzle  of  Nitsch's  gun.  He 
then  jumped  around  a  corner  of  the  house  and  went  to 
another  window,  but  Nitsch  was  ready  for  him  and 
aimed  at  his  head.  Both  cartridges,  however,  failed  to 
explode.  This  seemed  to  satisfy  Lon  that  further  at- 
tempts at  rescuing  his  brother  would  be  futile,  gave  it 
up  as  a  bad  job,  and  made  for  the  tall  grass  on  the  bot- 
tom at  full  speed.  By  7.30  that  evening  Ed.  was  landed 
at  the  Grand  Island  jail. 

DURAND. 

Durand,  the  county  seat  of  Pepin  County,  is  a  village  of 
about  900  inhabitants.  It  is  built  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  Chippewa  River,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  its  mouth. 
It  includes  within  its  corporate  limits  all  of  the  south  half 
of  Section  21,  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  28,  the 
southwest  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  22, 
and  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 21,  all  of  Township  25,  Range  13. 

Miles  Durand  Prindle  was  the  first  American  to  settle  in 
what  is  now  Durand.  The  village  is  named  after  that 
gentleman's  middle  name.  He  arrived  in  the  Summer  of 
1856,  and  found  a  German  family  by  the  name  of  Babberts 
living  there.  The  first  house  was  built  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  by  Charles  Billings.  This  was  merely  a  board  shanty, 
where  Mr.  Billings  used  to  put  up  on  his  way  up  and  down 
the  river.  The  first  nail  was  driven  for  the  town  of  Du- 
rand on  the  4th  of  July,  1856,  and  a  board  hung  out  with 
the  name  of  "  Durand  "  upon  it.  Peter  Carver  built  the 
first  dwelling  house  in  the  village,  in  1856.  Mrs.  Babberts 
was  the  first  white  woman  in  the  village,  and  the  first  white 
child  born  in  Durand  was  that  of  Mrs.  Babberts.  The  first 
death    in    the    village    was  Charles,  a  son  of  \V.  F.   Prindle. 


This  occurred  in  1857.  The  first  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  August,  1856.  We  failed  to  learn  the  names  of  the 
happy  couple. 

The  first  hotel  and  boarding  house  was  kept  by  Peter 
Carver  in  1S56.  A.  W.  Grippen  built  the  first  hotel  proper 
and  ran  it,  in  1857. 

The  first  store  was  opened  by  M.  D.  Prindle  and 
Charles  Weatherbee,  in  1856.  The  first  blacksmithing  was 
done  by  Alonzo  Allen,  who  built  a  shop  and  commenced 
work  in  1856. 

In  1856,  a  keel  boat  was  built  by  M.  D.  Prindle,  called 
the  "  Dutch  Lady."  This  was  run  for  a  number  of  years 
between  Read's  Landing,  Durand  and  Eau  Claire,  carrying 
the  freight  between  those  places. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  in  a  house  owned 
by  William  Seely,  by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Webster,  a  Methodist,  in 
1856.  The  first  school  was  taught  in  a  building  owned  by 
Caspar  HuLg,  by  Emma  Ide,  now  Mrs.  H.  R.  Smith,  dur- 
ing the  Summer  of  1857. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  in  1857  by  W.  F.  Prindle, 
George  Ellsworth  and  W.  E.  Hays,  with  a  capacity  of  15,- 
000  feet  of  lumber  per  day.  A  ferry  across  the  Chippewa 
River  was  also  started  during  that  year,  by  Jacob  Kuhn 
and  John  Schell.  This  was  a  pole  ferry,  and  was  run  as 
such  until  1S60,  when  it  was  changed  to  a  horse  ferry,  and 
subsequently  to  a  steam  ferry,  now  owned  and  operated  by 
H.  R.  Smith. 

The  Post-ofifice  was  first  established  in  the  Spring  of 
1858,  with  D.  C.  Topping  as  Postmaster.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  W.  F.  Prindle  in  1861,  and  he  in  turn  by  P.  J, 
Smith ;  he  by  Myron  Shaw,  and  then  the  present  Post- 
master, H.  D.  Dyer. 

The  village  was  laid  out  and  platted  by  M.  D.  Prindle 
and  Charles  Billings  in  the  Summer  of  1856.  L.  G.  Wood 
did  the  surveying.  As  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  coun- 
ty became  developed,  Durand  was  found  to  be  the  nearest 
market  to  a  large  wheat-growing  country  and  quite  a  flour- 
ishing business  was  soon  established  in  whipping  that  ce- 
real to  Eastern  markets.  It  was  not  a  place  that  held  out 
great  inducements  for  the  investment  of  capital,  but  by  in- 
dustry and  economy  the  people  of  Durand  have  achieved 
reasonable  success  and  surrounded  themselves  with  a  fair 
amount  of  the  comforts  and  elegancies  of  life.  In  i860 
Durand  laid  claim  to  the  county  seat  by  virtue  of  a  major- 
ity of  the  voters  of  the  county,  since  wliich  time  an  elegant 
court-house  has  been  built  at  a  cost  of  $7,000  and  the  bit- 
terness caused  by  the  removal  is  fast  disappearing. 

By  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  in  March, 
187 1,  Durand  was  incorporated  as  a  village,  since  which 
time  it  has  maintained  a  separate  municipal  existence.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  those  persons  who  have  been  honored 
with  the  presidency  of  the  village  since  its  organization  : 
1871-2,  D.  C.  Topping;  1873,  Alfred  Calvert;  1874-5, 
George  Tarrant;  1876,  H.  W.  Carlisle;  1877,  E.  B.  Park- 
hurst  ;  1878-9,  A.  W.  Hammond  ;  1S80,  A.  R.  Dorwin.  The 
present  officers  are :  D.  W.  Phelps,  President ;  Martin 
Maxwell,  George    Hutchinson,  Trustees  ;    J.    D.    Kldiidge, 


HISTORY    OF    PEPIN    COUNTY. 


699 


Clerk  ;  Richard  B.  Goss,  Treasurer  ;  A.  W.  Hammond  and 
W.  H.  Huntington,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  Miles  D.  Prindle, 
member  of  the  County  Board. 

A  high  school  was  established  under  the  Free  High 
School  law  of  the  State,  and  in  1876  a  commodious  scliool- 
house  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  and  which  the  village 
has  just  cause  to  be  proud  of. 

Churches. — The  Methodist  Church  Society  was  organ- 
ized at  the  house  of  John  Stafford  in  1856,  by  Rev.  Monroe 
Webster.  In  i866  they  began  the  erection  of  a  church  which 
was  completed  and  dedicated  in  1870.  The  church  build- 
ing is  40x60,  of  frame,  and  cost  f6,ooo.  It  now  numbers 
about  seventy  members,  and  has  in  connection  a  flourish- 


factory,  which  consumes  the  milk  of  about  100  cows,  from 
which  an  excellent  quality  of  cheese  is  made. 

In  1857,  a  saw-mill  was  erected  by  W.  F.  Prindle,  George 
Ellsworth  and  W.  E.  Hays,  with  a  capacity  of  15,000  feet 
of  lumber  per  day.  This,  subsequently,  passed  into  the 
hands  of  William  Dorckendorff,  who  operated  it  for  a  few 
years,  doing  a  thriving  business.  It  has  since  been  owned 
and  operated  by  William  Kinney  and  the  Eau  Claire  Lum- 
ber Company,  from  whom  it  was  purchased  by  its  present 
proprietor,  Frank  GrifiSn.  It  now  has  facilities  for  sawing 
both  soft  and  hard  wood  lumber,  which  is  mostly  used  in 
the  manufacture  of  wagons,  carriages,  etc.,  in  Durand. 

Besides   these  manufactories,  are  a  number  of  repairing 


fe 


DURA.ND,  WIS. 


ing  Sabbath  school.  The  pulpit  is  occupied  by  Rev.  Will- 
iam C.  Ross. 

The  German  Catholic,  or  St.  Mary's  Church  was  organ- 
ized about  twenty  years  ago.  It  now  numbers  about  one 
hundred  familes.  The  church  building,  built  in  1875,  is  of 
frame,  22x50,  and  cost  about  $2,000.  The  pastor  is  Rev. 
Joseph  M.  Bauer. 

The  Congregational  Church  Society  was  organized  in 
September,  1874,  by  Rev.  A.  Kidder.  They  worshiped  in 
the  court-house  building  for  six  years.  In  1879  they  began 
the  erection  of  a  church  building  which  was  finished  and 
dedicated  in  1880.  It  now  numbers  about  forty  members. 
The  building  is  33x66  and  cost  about  $5,000.  A.  Kidder 
is  the  pastor. 

About  four  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Durand,  is  a 
grist  mill,  a  carding  mill  and  a  cheese  factory,  the  property 
of  Vivus  W.  Dorwin.  He  built  his  grist  mill  in  1857,  with 
two  run  of  stone,  and  it  now  has  three.  He  manufactures 
an  excellent  quality  of  flour,  which  is  mostly  retailed  to 
merchants.  He  built  his  carding  mill  in  1865,  and  that  is 
now  doing  a  thriving  business.     In  1872,  he  built  a  cheese 


blacksmith  and  wagon  shops,  all  of  which  do  a  thriving  and 
prosperous  business. 

Societies. — Durand  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  157,  was  in- 
stituted November  10,  1869,  with  five  chartered  members. 
The  first  officers  were:  Walter  Greenwood,  N.  G.;  (ieorge 
Hutchinson,  V.  G.;  L.  G.  Wood,  treasurer;  H.  E.  Hough- 
ton, secretary  ;  Seth  Scott,  P.  G.  They  have  fitted  up  a 
hall,  at  an  expense  of  about  $500.  The  order  now  numbers 
sixty-one  members.  The  present  officers  are :  W.  H. 
Huntington,  N.  G.;  H.  C.  Page,  V.  G.;  R.  Morsbach,  re- 
cording secretary ;  W.  L.  Bachelder,  Per.  Sec;  Jacob  P"ritz, 
treasurer ;  R.  R.  Root,  warden  ;  N.  M.  Brown,  Condr. 

Durand  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  149,  was  granted  a 
dispensation  May  7,  1864,  and  their  charter  is  dated  June 
15,  1864.  The  first  officers  were:  A.  Vantrot,  W.  M.;  C. 
J.  Smith,  S.  W.;  Miles  D.  Prindle,  J.  W.;  John  Lane,  S.  D.; 
E.  C.  Hopkins,  J.  D.;  P.  Vantrot,  Treas.;  D.  C.  Topping, 
Sec;  Stephen  Davenport,  tiler.  The' present  officers  are  : 
A.  J.  Wallace,  W.  M.;  A.  W.  Miller,  S.  W.;  L.  Schell,  J. 
W.;  A.  W.  Hammond,  S.  D.;  A.  R.  Dorwin,  J.  D.;  George 
Tarrant,  Trcas.;  C.  Bruerin,  Sec;  George  Gerber,  tiler. 


700 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Durand  Lodge,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  No.  284,  was  instituted  in 
February,  and  their  charter  is  dated  February  3,  1877.  It 
numbered  fourteen  chartered  members.  The  first  officers 
were:  William  Boyd,  W.  C.  T.;  Mrs.  B.  M.  Scott,  W.  V.  T.; 
Seth  Scott,  Chap.;  C.  D.  Bon,  Secj  Maggie  Dyer,  A.  S.; 
Jennie  Henry,  F.  S.;  Mrs.  Hutchinson,  Treas.;  Charles 
Noyes,  M.;  Mattie  Lewton,  D.  M.;  Field  Fraser,  I.  G.;  W. 
E.  Atkins,  O.  G.;  Lucy  Hammond,  L.  H.  S.;  Henry 
Doughty,  P.  W.  C.  T.  The  present  officers  are:  Miletus 
Knight,  C.  T.;  May  Babcock,  V.  T.;  W.  Galloway,  R.  S.; 
Mrs.  George  Dunlap,  F.  S.;  Mrs.  C.  B.  Ford,  T.;  Bert 
Scott,  M.;  Anna  Gazeley,  D.  M.;  Henry  Doughty,  C; 
George  Tarrant,  Jr.,  G.;  C.  M.  Storey,  S.;  Lizzie  Hillie,  R. 
H.  S.;  May  Goss,  L.  H.  S.;  Clara  Smith,  O. 

Temple  of  Honor,  No.  182,  was  organized  in  February, 
and  their  charter  is  dated  February  22,  1878.  It  numbered 
twenty-eight  chartered  members.  The  first  officers  were : 
V.  W.  Dorwin,  W.  C.  T.;  George  Hutchinson,  W.  V.  T.; 
Alex.  G.  Coffin,  W.  R.;  William  Boyd,  Jr.,  W.  F.  R.;  R.  B. 
Goss,  W.  T.;  W.  H.  H.  Matteson,  W.  U.;  C.  M.  Storey,  W. 
S.;  C.  C.  Livarz,  W.  C;  William  Bachelder,  W.  G.;  Harvey 
Houghton,  P.  W.  C.  T.  The  present  officers  are :  D.  W. 
Phelps,  W.  C.  T.;  Henry  Doughty,  W.  V.  T.;  Alex.  G.  Cof- 
fin, W.  R.;  R.  B.  Wood,  W.  A.  R.;  M.  Knight,  W.  F.  R.; 
C.  M.  Storey,  W.  T.;  James  Rhodes,  W.  U.;  George  Moore, 
W.  A.  U.;  M.  Moore,  W.  S.;  Allen  Goben,  W.  G. 

Durand  Lodge,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  No.  59,  was  organized  by 
A.  H.Taisey,  March  10, 1879,  with  thirty  chartered  members. 
The  first  officers  were  W.  H.  Huntington,  P.  M.  W. ;  A. 
W.  Hammond,  M.  W.;  M.  D.  Prindle,  G.  F. ;  George  Tar- 
rant, financier ;  Philo  Goodrich,  guide ;  William  Boyd, 
recorder;  D.  C.  Topping,  receiver;  S.  M.  Scott,  Over- 
seer; Hadley  Thomas,  I.  W.;  L.  L.  Briggs,  O.  W.  It  now 
numbers  thirty-nine  members.  The  present  officers  are 
Miletus  Knight,  P.  M.  W. ;  Andrew  J.  Wallace,  M.  W. ;  A. 
W.  Hammond,  G.  F.  ;  George  Tarrant,  financier ;  John 
Foster,  guide  ;  W.  H.  Huntington,  recorder ;  D.  C.  Top- 
ping, receiver;  Hadley  Thomas,  overseer;  Truman  Smith, 
I.  W. ;  Seth  Scoti,  O.  W. 

The  rise  of  Durand  has  been  steady  and  permanent, 
taking  into  consideration  that  there  has  been  no  railroad 
communication.  All  merchandise  has  to  be  brought  up  the 
Chippewa  River  by  steamboat  in  the  Summer,  or  by  teams 
from  Menomonee  and  Read's  Landing  in  the  Winter.  The 
enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  Durand  is  noted,  and  when 
they  are  in  possession  of  railroads,  we  anticipate  finding  a 
village  abounding  with  manufactories  of  all  descriptions. 

In  about  1863,  Harstoff  &  Stending  erected  a  brewery. 
This  was  purchased,  in  1866,  by  its  present  proprietor,  P. 
Lorenz.  It  burned  down  in  1874,  but  was  shortly  after- 
ward rebuilt.  It  is  26x52,  two  stories  high.  Mr.  Lorenz 
manufacturss  between  500  and  600  barrels  per  year,  which 
is  mostly  sold  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

A  terrible  tragedy  was  enacted  in  the  village  of  Durand, 
on  Sunday,  July  10,  i88i,  by  which  two  brave  and  good 
men  lost  their  lives.  Ex-Sheriff  Charles  G.  Coleman,  of 
Durand,    and    Milton    Coleman,  Deputy    Sheriff  of   Dunn 


County,  were  shot  and  instantly  killed  by  Edward  and  Alon- 
zo  Maxwell,  alias  "Ed."  and  "Lon."  Williams,  two  des- 
peradoes who  had  been  prowling  about  this  part  of  the  State. 
The  Williams  brothers  had  recently  stolen  a  couple  of 
horses  from  Illinois,  one  of  which  had  been  captured  by 
Deputy  Sheriff  Miletus  Knight,  of  Durand,  and  from  inquir- 
ies it  was  supposed  they  had  come  to  town  with  a  view  of 
obtaining  the  horse.  A  reward  of  $200  was  ofi"ered  for  their 
capture  by  the  authorities  of  Henderson  Co.,  111.,  and  Mil- 
ton and  Charles  Coleman,  knowing  they  were  the  parties 
from  descriptions  given  of  them  by  persons  who  saw  them, 
started  in  their  pursuit.  They  overtook  and  went  ahead  of 
the  desperadoes  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village,  and  turn- 
ing back,  met  them  face  to  face,  when  Milton  called  upon 
them  to  halt,  but  before  he  could  get  the  words  out  of  his 
mouth  or  raise  his  gun,  the  Williams's  fired,  Milton  falling 
dead  from  the  spot,  and  Charles  staggering  a  few  feet,  when 
he  also  fell  and  soon  expired.  Both  of  the  Colemans  were 
dead  before  any  one  could  reach  them.  During  the  excite- 
ment that  immediately  followed  the  shooting,  the  Williams 
brothers  escaped  to  the  woods  back  of  the  cemetery,  where 
they  are  supposed  to  have  remained  several  hours,  and  evi- 
dently crossed  the  Chippewa  River  before  daylight.  Slier- 
ifif  Peterson  immediately  headed  a  party  of  men  and  crossed 
the  river  in  pursuit.  A  detachment  of  the  Ludington 
Guards  went  from  Menominee  on  Monday,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  search  about  a  week.  Fresh  bodies  of  men 
constantly  arrived,  and  it  was  estimated  that  at  one  time 
fully  four  hundred  persons  were  engaged  in  the  search, 
which  was  kept  up  for  about  a  month.  The  Williams  broth- 
ers were  seen  a  number  of  times  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  in  the  Eau  Galle  woods,  which  are  so  thickly  studded 
with  timber,  and  the  underbrush  so  thick  and  heavy  that 
they  escaped  capture.  Up  to  the  present  writing  their  ar- 
rest has  not  been  effected. 

BIOGR.APHIC.'iL   SKETCHES. 

CHARLES  N.  AVERILL,  farmer,  Durand,  Sec.  31,  2S0  acres. 
Came  with  liis  family  into  Pepin  County,  in  tlie  Spring  of  1855,  the  first 
that  came  through  in  a  wagon  from  Osseo.  There  was  no  road,  no  track, 
no  bridges,  these  he  had  to  make  as  he  went  along.  One  McGuinn  had 
entered  an  So  in  the  Fall  of  1S54,  but  had  not  yet  settled  on  it,  and  Mr. 
A.  was  the  second  to  enter  land,  and  the  first  to  settle  upon  it,  in  the 
whole  Bear  Creek  Valley.  Ke  was  born  in  Bethany.  Genesee  Co.,  N.Y., 
Nov.  I,  1825.  His  father  moved  to  Indiana  in  1S37,  where  his  father  and 
mother  have  since  died.  In  the  Spring  of  1S52  he  moved  to  Oregon, 
Dane  Co..  Wis.,  and  remained  there  nearly  three  years,  then 
moved  to  Lima,  Pepin  Co.,  as  before  stated.  He  lias  been  County  Clerk, 
County  Treasurer  and  County  Commissioner  three  terms,  and  Chair- 
man of  County  Board  many  years.  He  was  married  in  Dane  County, 
Nov.  I,  1S4S,  to  Miss  Fannv  Keenan.  They  have  four  children  living — 
Kattie,  Mrs.  Black,  of  Fairl^eld,  Iowa;  Caroline,  Fanny  and  Charles,. 

WILLIAM  L.  BACHELDER.  photograph  artist.  Durand.  Was 
born  in  Darien,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  30,  1S50;  remained  at  home 
until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Crawford  Co.,  Iowa,  learned 
photographing  with  his  brother  there,  and  in  1S71  came  to  Durand.  He 
was  married.  Dec.  25,  1873,  to  Miss  Martha  Bowman,  daughter  of 
Nicholas  and  Olive  Bowman,  of  "  Round  Hill."  Thev  have  two  chil- 
dren, Frank  and  Clair.  His  father,  Hilliard  Bachelder,  was  a  native  of 
Vermont.     His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Sophia  Mapes. 

REV.  JOSEPH  M.  BAUR,  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church,  Durand. 
Was  born  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  Nov.  26,  1853.  He  was  for  four  years  a 
student  of  Calvary  College,  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  and  for  six  years  of 
St.  Francis  College,  near  Milwaukee.  He  was  ordained  October,  1877. 
He  was  at  Sparta  one  year,  thence  to  Hammond,  St.  Croix  Co.,  for  two 
years,  thence  to  Arcadia.     He  assumed  charge  of  the  church  at  Durard 


HISTORY    OF    PEPIN    COUNTY. 


701 


CHRISTIAN  BRUENN,  carriage  maker,  Durand,  son  of  Henry  and 
Lisette  Bruenn.  Was  born  in  Hirschburg,  Germany, Oct,  8, 1836,  he  lived 
there  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  lived  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  two  years;  then  came  to  Milwaukee, 
where  he  learned  the  trade  of  carriage  maker.  In  1S57  he  traveled 
through  several  of  the  Western  States,  then  worked  at  his  trade  about 
two  years  in  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  after  which  he  visited  his  home  in 
Germany.  Returning  to  Jefferson  City,  he  worked  there  until  he  came 
to  Durand  in  lS6[,  where  his  brother  Henry  had  already  settled  and  was 
engaged  in  the  furniture  and  cabinet-making  business.  Here  he  con- 
cluded to  settle  and  started  a  carriage  and  wagon  shop  which  he  still 
carries  on.  He  was  married  in  1859  to  Miss  Henrietta  Panzer,  of 
Wunseidel,  Bavaria.  Mr.  Bruenn  has  been  Town  Clerk  of, Durand 
since  1S71. 

HON.  VIVUS  W.  DORWIN,  miller  and  farmer.  Was  born  in 
Champion,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  15,  1832.  He  came  West  in  the 
Spring  of  1854,  and  settled  in  Jackson,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.  In  theSpring 
of  1856  he  came  to  Pepin  County,  and  selected  land  for  a  farm,  and  set- 
tled on  it,  on  Bear  Creek,  near  Durand,  where  he  hassince  resided.  In  1857 
he  built,  on  Sec.  23,  the  first  grist-mill  in  all  this  section  of  country.  It 
contained  two  run  of  stone,  to  which  he  has  since  added  another  run. 
In  1865  he  built  a  carding-mill,  and  in  1872  a  cheese  factory,  which  uses 
the  milk  of  over  a  hundred  cows,  about  one-half  supplied  from  his  own 
farm.  He  enlisted  September,  1862,  as  captain  of  Co.  G,  25lh  Wis.Vol., 
and  continued  in  active  service  until  he  was  compelled  to  resign,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  September,  1863.  He  is  now  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Durand,  and  has  been  for  many  years.  Twice  elected 
member  of  the  Assembly,  in  1877  and  187S.  He  was  married,  March  15, 
1S54.  to  Miss  Helen  Van  Hoesen,  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have 
had  eleven  children,  all  living,  and  none  of  them  have  ever  been  seriously 
sick.  Their  names  in  the  order  of  their  ages,  are  as  follows :  William 
v.,  Helen  Inez,  Haitie  Marietta,  Marcelhis,  John,  Lillian,  Edward  S., 
Laura,  Ella  Cora,  Mary,  and  Roscoe. 

JOHN  ERASER,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  Durand.  Was 
born  on  one  of  the  Orkney  Islands,  Scotland,  May  18,  1826.  His  father, 
James  Eraser,  came  to  the  United  Stales  in  1839,  and  settled  in  East 
Troy,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1876. 
Mr.  Eraser  studied  law  with  A.  O.  Babcock,  of  East  Troy,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Walworth  County,  in  1S55.  lie  moved  to  Durand 
in  1S62  and  continued  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  has  been  District 
Attorney  for  the  county  of  Pepin  several  terms  :  Village  Supervisor,  and 
member  of  the  County  Board.  He  was  married,  Nov.  3,  1844,  to  Miss 
Jessie  Dravier,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Elizabeth  Dravier,  of  East  Troy. 
They  have  five  children  living — Sarah,  now  Mrs.  A.  J.  Wallace,  of 
Durand;  Erances,  now  Mrs.  E.  D.  Page.  ofHoney  Creek,  Walworth  Co.; 
Lila,  now  Mrs.  E.  D.  Bon,  of  Blakeley,  Neb.;  Anna  and  Horace. 

JACOB  FRITZ,  furniture  dealer,  Durand.  Came  to  Durand  in 
1864,  and  has  followed  the  business  of  making  and  selling  furnitnre  here 
ever  since,  He  was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  July  23,  1823.  He 
learned  his  trade  in  Bloes,  France,  commencing  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
and  continuing  through  a  six  years' apprenticeship.  Afterward  woiked 
at  Stuttgart,  Germany,  and  in  1855  came  to  the  United  States,  and 
worked  about  two  years  in  Philadelphia;  then  came  West,  and  woiked 
at  Plum  City  and  Menomoiiee,  and  as  ship  carpenter  on  a  steamer  for  a 
while;  then  came  10  Durand,  and  entered  into  his  piesent  business. 
He  was  married.  May  9,  1865,  to  Miss  Caroline  Hernann,  of  Downs- 
ville,  Dunn  Co.,  formerly  of  Baltimore,  Md.  Her  parents  came  from 
Wurtemburg,  Germany.  They  have  eleven  children — Amelia  and  Louisa, 
twins;  Frank,  Caroline,  William,  Louis,  Albert,  Rosetta,  Jacob,  Henry, 
and  Martha. 

RICHARD  B.  GOSS,  merchant,  Durand.  .Son  of  Philip  and  IIul- 
dah  Goss  ;  was  born  in  Huntirgion,  Luzeine  Co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  30,  1826. 
He  was  employed  as  cleik  in  a  store  at  Tunkhannock,  Pa.,  for  a  few 
years,  and  then  came  to  Springfield,  III.,  and  engnged  in  railroad  bridge 
building  for  about  a  year  ;  then  retuined  to  Wilkes  Barre,  Pa.;  engaged 
for  a  while  in  a  store  ;  then  went  to  farming  and  hotel-keeping,  until  he 
came  10  Wisconsin,  in  1S64,  and  settled  in  Durand.  Here  he  was  em- 
ployed a  short  time  as  clerk,  by  George  Tarrant,  until  he  commenced  in 
the  mercantile  business  for  himself.  He  was  married,  Aug.  II,  1861,  to 
Miss  Rosina  H  ille,  of  Wilkes  Barre,  Pa.,  formerly  from  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many.    They  have  five  children  living,  one  deceased. 

GRIFFIN  &  SINCERBEAUX,  wagon  manufacturers,  Durand. 
This  firm  carry  on  wagon-making,  blacksmithing,  planing  and  sawing 
of  both  soft  and  hard  wood  ;  alto  have  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
hubs  and  spokes.  Francis  V.  Griffin  was  born  in  Whningham,  Wind- 
ham Co.,  Vt.,  June  17,  1834.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  «  ent  to  New  York. 
Was  a  machinist  by  trade.  Also  worked  in  Worcester  and  Ashburnham, 
Mass.  Then  engaged  in  the  furniture  business,  at  Clinton,  Oneida 
Co.,  for  seven  years.  Came  West  in  1869,  and  settled  in  Durand  in 
1871.  He  was  married  in  i860,  in  Keene,  N.  H.,  to  Miss  Sarah  Win- 
ship.  She  died  in  1868.  In  1871  he  married  Miss  Ilattie  Gilbert,  of 
East  Troy,  Wis.  Ira  Sincerbeaux  was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
July  19,  1847.     His  father  moved  to  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  in  1848.     Here  he 


lived  until  1S75,  when  he  came  to  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  lived  there 
three  years.  Then  came  to  Durand.  He  learned  the  trade  of  wagon- 
making;  then  went  into  the  army.  He  enlisted  in  the  9th  Heavy 
Artillery,  Co.  F,  Sept.  15,  1862.  Was  mustered  out  September,  1&65, 
and  returned  to  Auburn.  He  was  married,  Sept.  II,  1867,  to  Miss 
Hattie  M.  Post,  of  Auburn,  N.  Y. 

JOHN  HALVERSON,  merchant,  Durand,  was  born  in  Tins,  near 
Chrtstiana,  Norway,  Oct.  17,  1826.  His  father  came  to  the  United 
Slates  and  settled  in  La  Salle  Co.,  111.,  in  1837,  and  followed  farming. 
In  1846,  he  commenced  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade,  at  which  trade  he 
has  since  worked,  until  about  a  year  ago.  He  came  to  Pepin  County  in 
1855,  and  located  at  the  mouih  of  Bear  Creek,  about  a  mile  above  the 
present  village  of  Durand.  In  addition  to  working  at  his  trade,  he 
helped  settlers  to  select  lands,  and  followed  surveying.  Mr.  H.,  in  1864, 
went  overland  to  California,  where  he  worked  most  of  the  time,  at  his 
trade,  in  the  San  Jose  Valley.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  he  relumed  by 
the  Nicaragua  route  and  New  York  to  his  home  in  Durand.  In  1873, 
he  paid  California  a  second  visit,  this  time  by  railroad.  He  was  mar- 
ried, Oct.  7,  1879,  to  Mfs-  1^-  J-  Haman,  of  Durand.  Mr.  Halverson 
has  been  Town  Clerk  eleven  years ;  Chairman  of  Town  Board,  one 
year;  County  Clerk,  one  term,  and  Deputy  County  Clerk,  one  term. 

HORACE  E.  HOUGHTON,  lawyer,  Durand,  was  born  at  Alexan- 
der, Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  6,  1835.  He  received  an  academic  edu- 
cation at  the  Genesee,  Wyoming  Seminary;  came  in  1857,  to  East  Troy, 
Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  studied  law  with  John  Frasier.  He 
moved  to  Durand  in  1862,  and  was  soon  after  elected  County  Clerk.  He 
has  been  District  Attorney  of  Pepin  County  for  the  past  ten  years  ;  was 
member  of  the  Assembly  in  1873,  and  of  the  State  Senate  for  '79  and  'So, 
during  which  term  he  was  chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee  of  the 
Senate.  He  was  also  connected  with  the  Sanitary  Committee,  in  1S64, 
at  Nashville  and  Chattanooga.  He  was  married,  Jan.  16,  1865,  to  Miss 
Alice  Ide,  daughter  of  F.  J.  Ide,  of  Naples,  Burtalo  Co.,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children,  Harry  and  Idell. 

D.  WINSLOW  HUNT,  physician  and  surgeon,  Durand,  was  born 
in  Mason,  N.  H.,  June  11,  1S45.  He  is  a  son  of  Rev.  N.  A.  Hunt,  who 
moved  to  Marion,  III.,  and  taught  the  academy  there,  and  afterward,  one 
at  Cottonwood,  III.  After  the  war  broke  out,  he  and  his  father  joined 
the  State  militia  for  self  protection  in  that  part  of  the  State,  and  they 
were  finally  driven  out  of  the  State  by  the  copperheads  there,  and  went 
under  his  father;  then 
part  classical  and  part 
itific  course,  then  entered  the  medical  department,  and  was  graduat- 
ed in  the  class  of  1871.  He  practiced  medicine  in  Fairmount,  Minn., 
and  in  1880  moved  to  Durand.  He  was  married,  August,  1871,  to  Miss 
Lucy  A.  Stanton,  of  Durand.  She  died  in  May,  1872.  In  February, 
1S75,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  E.,  daughter  of  Orlando  Skinner, 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Durand.     They  have  three  children. 

WILLIAM  H.  HUNTINGTON,  Durand,  born  May  8,  184S,  at 
Malone,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1863,  entered  the  Malone  Palladium 
office,  and  served  full  three  years'  apprenticeship  at  the  printer's  trade. 
In  '67,  worked  several  months  at  Barton,  Vt.  Came  to  La  Crosse  in 
April,  186S,  remained  two  years.  Went  back  to  Malone,  and  came  to 
La  Crosse  again  in  December,  1S70.  In  April,  '71,  secured  position  as 
clerk  on  ihe  "  Minuetta,"  one  of  Ileerman's  Chippewa  River  steamers, 
and  kept  same  position  through  the  season  of  '71  and  '72.  In  June,  1S72, 
married  Miss  Jennie  Ecklor,  youngest  daughterof  George  Ecklor,of  Frank- 
fort. August,  '72,  commenced  work  in  Durand  Times  ollice  for  S.  A.  F'os- 
ter,  remained  until  April,  '73,  when  he  purchased  a  half  inierest  in  the 
Wabasha  (Minn.)  Herald,  in  October,  '73,  he  bought  the  7V/««  oftice, 
sold  interest  in  the  Herald,  and  returned  to  Durand,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  May,  1876,  sold  the  Times  to  Matleson  &  Bon,  and  devoted 
his  attention  to  the  livery  business,  in  which  he  had  been  engaged  for  a 
couple  of  years,  in  connection  with  his  paper.  In  December,  1877, 
closed  out  the  livery  business,  and  established  the  Pepin  County  Courier, 
which  he  is  still  running.  In  August,  1S81,  purchased  the  Ecklor  House 
of  Durand,  which  he  is  now  running.  Has  held  several  local  offices. 
In  18S0,  after  a  warm  canvaas,  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  Con- 
vention for  member  of  Assembly,  but  was  defeated  by  the  Independent 
candidate,  who  combined  the  dissatisfied  Republicans  and  Democrats. 
They  have  three  children — Amelia,  Nellie,  and  Lucy. 

GEORGE  HUTCHINSON,  physician  and  druggist.  Durand,  was 
born  at  Onondaga  Hill.  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  i,  1S23.  He  re- 
ceived a  common  school  and  academic  education,  and  then  attended  the 
Medical  College  at  Castleton,  Vt.,  where  he  graduated  in  1S51.  Alter 
graduation  he  practiced  medicine  in  Pike,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  until 
November,  1861,  when  he  came  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  and  in  September, 
1862,  went  into  the  27th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  as  assistant  surgeon,  and  in  Jan- 
uary, 1864,  in  the  General  Hospital  at  Milwaukee,  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  remained  in  Milwaukee,  with  the  exception  of  about  three 
months  spent  in  the  oil  regions,  until  1S66,  when  he  came  to  Durand. 
He  was  married,  March  30,  1S52,  to  .Mi^s  Angeline  A.  Smith,  of  I'lke, 
Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.  Tliey  have  two  children  living,  George  S.  and 
Nellie  P. 


of  th( 
to  iowa.     He   received  an  academic  edu 
went   to   the   University  at  Michigan,  pursued 


702 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


HENRY  A.  KNAPP,  dealer  in  agricultural  machinery,  Durand. 
Came  from  Sparta  by  team  to  Durand,  in  February,  i860.  At  first  he 
clerked  for  one  Foster  who  had  a  small  store,  then  for  Smith  &  Prindle, 
afterward  for  Maxwell  &  Luton.  In  1S65  he  commenced  selling  agri- 
cultural implements  and  also  bought  wheat.  His  grain  warehouse  hav- 
ing burned,  he  has  since  devoted  his  whole  time  to  the  sale  of  agricult- 
ural machinery,  and  has  built  up  an  extensive  business  in  this  and  ad- 
joining counties.  He  was  Census  Enumerator  in  1S70,  and  has  served  one 
term  as  Under  Sheriff.  He  was  born  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  14,  1S24. 
His  father,  Nathaniel  Knapp,  who  was  a  colonel  inthewarof  l8i2,died 
when  Henry  was  two  years  old,  and  his  mother  also  died  two  years  later. 
Soon  after  he  was  adopted  by  H.  C.  Coburn,  where  he  lived  until  the 
death  of  his  foster  parent.  In  1S52  he  came  to  Portage,  Wis., and  clerked 
for  Stewart  &  Anderson  about  two  years.  He  was  married,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1S54,  to  Miss  Harriet  L.  Dunn,  of  Lyons,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
returned  with  his  bride  to  Piyrtage,  living  there,  and  afterward  at  Spar- 
ta, then  at  Durand.  They  have  two  children  livmg,  Jessie  and  Harry. 
Their  son  Charles,  a  very  promising  young  man,  died  very  suddenly  Dec. 
6,  1879,  aged  sixteen  years.  He  was  very  exemplary  and  faithful,  and  was 
universally  beloved  by  all. 

MILETUS  KNIGHT,  Under  Sheriff  Pepin  County,  son  of  Handy 
and  Betsey  Knight,  was  born  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  21,  1838, 
where  he  lived  with  his  parents  until  May,  1S59,  when  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin and  settled  in  the  town  of  Pleasant,  Ea.u  Claire  Co.,  and  engaged 
in  farmin,;.  In  1870  he  removed  to  Arkansaw,  and  in  1S7S  to  Durand. 
He  enlisted  in  1S63  in  the  30th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  The  last  eight  months  previous  to  his  discharge  (in 
October,  1S65).  he  was  detailed  as  clerk  in  the  adjutant  general's  ofBce, 
headquarters  of  the  department  of  Kentucky,  under  Gen.  J.  M. 
Palmer.  He  lias  held  various  town  offices.  Was  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  Notary  Public,  also  Postmaster  of  Arkansaw  for  eight  years  ;  Clerk 
of  Pepin  County  two  years ;  was  Assistant  Sergeant  in  the  Assembly 
during  the  session  of  1S76  ;  held  a  clerkship  in  1S77  ;  was  reporter  there 
for  the  Eau  Claire  Free  Press  in  1S7S,  and  is  now  Under  Sheriff  of 
Pepin  County.  He  was  married,  November,  1865,  to  Miss  E.  N.  Cran- 
dall,  of  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  five  children  living— Clifford, 
Anna,  Oscar,  Edward  and  Alice.  His  father  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S63 
and  settled  near  his  son  Miletus  in  Eau  Claire  County,  and  in  1S70  re- 
moved to  Arkansaw. 

PHILLIP  LORENZ,  brewer,  Durand,  was  born  on  the  Rhine,  at 
Krentznach,  Prussia,  Jan.  16,  1837.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1S54,  landing.  Dec.  9,  at  New  Orleans.  He  then  came  up  to  Iron 
Mountain,  Mo.,  and  lived  there  seven  years  working  in  a  foundry,  and 
then  came  to  Alma,  Wis.,  and  worked  there  five  years,  then  came  to 
Durand  and  bought  the  brewery.  In  187 1  the  brewery  burned  and  he 
rebuilt  it  the  same  year.  He  was  married,  March  29,  i860,  to  Miss 
Christiana  EUsmann,  at  Iron  Mountain,  Mo.,  formerly  from  Hanover, 
Germany.  They  have  four  children  living — Mina,  John,  Helma  and 
Jennie. 

MARTIN  MAXWELL,  lumber  dealer,  Durand,  was  born  in  Cuba, 
Fulton  Co.,  111.,  Dec.  I,  1S27,  He  lived  there  until  1849,  when  he  went 
overland  to  California,  where  he  remained  four  years.  On  his  return,  he 
commenced  in  the  mercantile  business,  in  Blooniington,  HI. ;  then  en- 
gaged in  the  lumbering  business  at  Clinton.  In  1857,  he  came  with  a 
drove  of  325  cattle  to  Maxville,  Buffalo  Co.,  Wis.  He  was  the  second 
settler  there,  and  in  1859  came  to  Durand.  In  1S61,  he  commenced 
manufacturing  lumber  on  the  Red  Cedar,  above  the  village  of  Menomo- 
nee,  and  in  1S65,  relutned  to  Durand  and  engaged  in  the  lumbering 
business,  which  lie  still  follows.  He  was  married  in  iJloomington,  III., 
Jan.  15,  1855,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Coleman,  sister  of  Charles  and  Milton 
Coleman,  who  were  recently  killed  by  the  "  Williams  Brothers,"  in  Du- 
rand. They  have  five  children  living  —  Albert  D.,  residing  in  Dakota; 
Charles,  William  J.,  Etta  II.  and  Alice  C.  at  home. 

ROBERT  MORSBACH,  druggist,  Durand,  was  born  in  Ronsdorf, 
Cologne,  Germany,  Aug.  4,  1828.  After  passing  through  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  he  attended  a  private  school  in  Cologne,  and 
at  the  age  of  nineieen,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  went  to  Bal- 
timore, and  from  there  to  Milwaukee,  an<l  thmce  to  Sauk  City,  where 
he  resided  twelve  years.  Then  came  to  Eau  Claire,  and  in  1862,  to  Du- 
rand. In  1854,  he  was  appointed  Notary  Public,  which  office  he  still 
retains.  He  has  held  the  oflice  of  Town  Clerk,  was  Deputy  Sheriff  of 
Sauk  County,  and  Under  Sheriff  of  Pepin  County  one  term.  He  was 
married.  Dec.  9,  1S55,  in  Sauk  City,  to  Miss  Paulina  Baumgardt.  She 
died  in  Durand,  May  I,  1868.  leaving  two  sons,  Ernst  F.  and  Carl  A. 
Jan.  16.  1870,  he  married  Mrs.  Elvira  Sarah  Sargeant. 

.MILES  DURAND  PRINDLE,  liveryman  and  railroad  contractor, 
was  born  in  Derby,  New  Haven  Co.,  Conn.,  Sept.  16,  1835.  He  went 
to  Northampton,  Mass.,  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  learned  the  trade 
of  tinner.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Lyons,  Iowa,  then  to  Fulton,  and  June 
27,  1856,  came  to  the  place  where  now  is  the  village  of  Durand,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  Pleased  with  the  location,  he  bought  a  tract  and 
laid  it  out  into  village  lots,  and  had  it  recorded  as  the  village  of  Durand, 
after  his  middle  name.      He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Village  Board 


several  times,  and  now  is  Chairman  ;  also  a  member  of  the  County  Board. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  of  the  United 
Workmen.  He  ran  a  very  light  draft  steamer,  the  "  Idell  Prindle,"  be- 
tween Eau  Claire  and  La  Crosse  for  some  lime,  the  lightest  draft  of  any 
steamer  on  the  Chippewa.  He  operated  the  first  mail  route  from  Alma 
to  Eau  Claire,  and  has  been  quite  largely  interested  in  mail  routes  in  this 
section  of  the  country  most  of  the  time  since.  He  started  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  when  he  first  came  to  Durand,  in  June,  1S57.  Then  he 
engaged  in  the  hardsvare  trade  and  steaniboaling.  He  has  just  finished 
grading  the  first  mile  of  railroad  in  Pepin  County,  on  the  Chippewa 
Valley  Railroad,  just  below  Durand.  He  was  married.  May  8,  i860,  to 
Miss  Ida  M.  Ide,  daughter  of  F.  J.  Ide,  Esq..  of  Naples,  Buffalo  Co., 
Wis.     Have  had  one  child,  Idell,  who  died  at  five  years  of  age, 

FRANK  SCHUR,  grocer,  Durand,  was  born  in  Weidenden-BiUck 
Westphalia,  March  6,  1S32.  Came  to  the  United  States  in  1842;  lived 
nearly  five  years  in  New  York  City.  Then  came  to  St.  Louis  and  tend- 
ed a  store  about  two  years.  Then,  in  1849,  came  to  Chippewa  Falls  on 
a  "  keel  boat "  from  Reed's  Landing,  ar.d  has  lived  ever  since  in  ihe 
Chippewa  Valley,  most  of  the  time  in  charge  of  a  boarding  house.  He 
was  married.  May  3,  1857,  to  Miss  Catherine  Burrell,  of  Prairie  du  Chien, 
Wis.  They  have  seven  children  livmg — Walter,  Roland,  Ernest,  Jennie, 
Katie,  Hurlburt  and  May.  There  was  no  settler  at  or  near  Durand 
when  he  first  passed  by  there  on  his  way  to  Chippewa  Falls. 

H.  ROLLIN  SMITH,  ferryman,  Durand.  Came  to  Durand  in  Septem 
her,  1857.  Opened  a  store  in  company  with  W.  F.  Prindle,  January,  1859, 
which  continued  until  1S61,  when  he  went  to  East  Derby,  Conn.  Mar- 
ried and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  there  some  eight  years. 
Came  back  to  Durand  in  1869,  and  in  March  of  the  following  year 
bought  an  interest  in  the  ferry  across  the  Chippewa  River  at  Durand. 
One  Stokes  started  a  "pole  ferry,"  then  "Sol  Crosby"  a  "horse  ferry;" 
this  was  bought  by  Babcock,  then  by  Goodrich  Brothers,  then  by  Car- 
lisle &  Smith,  who  commenced  to  use  a  steam  ferry- boat.  Since  the  Fall 
of  1877,  Smith  has  been  sole  owner  of  the  ferry.  He  was  born  in  Derby, 
Conn.,  June  12,  1831,  and  remained  at  home  until  he  came  to  Durand 
in  1857.  His  father,  Almon  Smith,  a  merchant,  died  in  1S62.  His 
mother,  Jane  (Downs)  Smith,  continued  to  live  at  the  old  homestead  un- 
til her  death  in  1880.  Mr.  Smith  was  married,  Nov.  II,  1861,  to  Miss 
Emma  Ide,  daughter  of  F.  J.  Ide,  Esq.,  of  Buffalo  Co.,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children,  Clara  L.  and  Maud  I.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity  ever  since  he  was  old  enough  to  be  re- 
ceived. 

HON.  GEORGE  TARRANT,  merchant,  Durand.  Was  born  in 
Woolhampton,  England,  Feb.  11,  1S38.  His  father  came  with  his  fam- 
ily to  the  United  States  in  1850,  and  settled  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  where 
he  died  in  1S50.  His  mother  is  still  living  in  Janesville.  He  came  to 
Durand  in  1863  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  in  which  he 
still  continues  at  present,  in  company  with  Mr.  Dorwin,  having  a  store 
both  at  Durand  and  at  Arkansaw.  He  has  held  various  town  and  vil- 
lage  offices  in  Durand;  has  been  Chairman  of  County  Board,  and  now 
represents  ihis  Assembly  District  in  the  State  Legislature,  session  of 
iSSi.  He  was  married,  in  1S60,  to  Miss  Clara,  daughter  of  Bartlett 
and  Margaret  Runey,  who  were  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Oregon, 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  having  settled  there  in  the  Spring  of  1842.  They  have 
five  children  living — George,  Warren  D.,  Burr,  Shirley  B.  and  John  L. 

JACOB  Van  NORNAM,  harness-maker,  Durand.  Came  to  Du- 
rand in  1S62.  Followed  the  river  as  engineer  on  a  steamboat  until 
1871,  when  he  commenced  his  present  business  as  dealer  in  harness  and 
harness  hardware.  He  was  born  in  La  Cole,  Canada,  Aug.  16,  1S45. 
His  father,  Lenman  Van  Nornam,  moved  to  Vermont  about  the  year 
1S59,  and  settled  there,  and  in  1862  Jacob  V.  left  home  and  came  to  Du- 
rand as  above  stated.  He  was  married  at  Mondova,  May  25,  1S71,  to 
Miss  Fanny  Douglas,  formerly  from  Walsell,  England. 

ANDREW  I.  WALLACE,  hardware  merchant,  Durand.  Came 
to  Durand  in  1S60.  Enlisted  in  the  Spring  of  1861  in  Co.  I,  2d  Minn. 
V.  I.  for  one  year.  Was  in  Buell's  Army  Corps  in  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee. Came  back  to;Durand  and  clerked  for  Prindle  in  hardware  store, 
and  in  1867  commenced  business  for  himself,  dealing  in  hardware,  tin- 
ware, agricultural  implements  and  sewing  machines,  and  since  May, 
1S80,  under  the  firm  name  of  Wallace  &  Hammond.  He  was  born  in 
Lower  Canada,  Feb.  19,  1840,  In  1S57,  his  father,  Charles  Wallace, 
moved  to  Minnesota  and  afterward  to  Durand,  where  he  still  resides. 
His  mother  (Lucy)  died  in  Durand,  June  5,1876.  He  was  married, 
March  7,  1871,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Fiaser,  eldest  daughter  of  John  Era- 
ser, Esq.,  of  Durand.  Mr.  Wallace  is  a  member  ol  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  at  present  master  of  the  Lodge  in  Durand  ;  also  member  of 
the  Chapter  at  Menomonee,  and  master  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Durand. 
He  has  been  Town  Treasurer  of  Durand  four  years. 

ROBERT  B.  WOOD,  agent  of  the  W.  W.  Kimball  Chicago  pi- 
anos and  organs,  Durand.  Came  to  Durand  from  Walworth  County  in 
1S6S.  He  was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  21,  1840.  In  1S53, 
his  father  moved  his  family  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Del- 
avan,  Walworth  Co.,  where  he  resided  several  years,  then  removed  to 
Manchester,  Delaware  Co.,  Iowa.      Here   his  father  died  in  i860,  and 


HISTORY  OF  PEPIN  COUNTY. 


703 


the  family  returned  to  Delavan.  In  October,  l86l,  Robert  enlisted  in 
Co.  A,  loth  Wis.  V.  I.  Remained  in  active  service  during  tlie  period 
of  his  enlistment  (in  the  I4lh  Army  Corps,  under  Maj.  Gen.  Thomas), 
and  was  mustered  out,  November,  1S64,  at  Milwaukee.  He  then  went 
to  Decatur,  111.,  and  worked  on  a  farm;  afterward  to  Delavan,  and 
engaged  in  the  livery  business,  and  in  1868  came  to  Durand  and  engaged 
in  farming.  For  the  last  four  years,  he  has  been  agent  for  W.  \V.  Kimball, 
pianos  and  organs.  He  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Mrs.  Louisa  S.  Cong- 
don,  formerly  Miss  Louisa  S.  Conw.iy.  of  Eau  Claire.  Wis.  They  have 
three  children — Maggie  B.,  Florence  E.  and  Mary  Ella. 

PEPIN. 

Pepin  is  situated  in  the  town  of  Pepin,  in  the  southwest- 
ern part  of  the  county.  It  is  snugly  nestled  at  the  foot  of 
Lake  Pepin,  and  has  a  population  of  about  500.  Lake  Pe- 
pin, "lying  like  a  pearl  dropped  from  the  ocean's  casket," 
is  twenty-two  miles  long  by  two  and  one-half  miles  wide; 
is  surrounded  on  the  Minnesota  side  by  rugged  bluffs,  and 
on  the  Wisconsin  side  by  undulating  hills  and  prairies,  giv- 
ing a  most  charming  variety  to  the  scene.  This  locality 
has  been  a  favorite  one  for  years  with  hunters,  who  knew 
they  would  be  amply  repaid  for  the  time  spent  in  the  local- 
ity, not  only  as  hunting  and  fishing  grounds,  but  for  the 
beautiful  scenery  that  they  enjoy. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Pepin,  W.  B.  Newcomb  has 
the  honor  of  being  the  first.  He  came  from  Fort  Madison, 
Iowa,  in  1846,  and  built  the  first  house  in  what  is  now  Pe- 
pin. This  house  was  built  of  logs.  Soon  after  this,  the 
population  of  the  embryo  village  was  increased  by  the  set- 
tlement of  a  number  of  others,  among  whom  were  Otis 
Hoyt,  Elias  Brock,  James  Little,  Ebenezer  Thompson  and 
B.  O'Connor.  Elias  Brock  built  the  first  frame  house  in 
1853,  in  which  the  first  school  was  taught,  in  the  Winter  of 

1853,  by  Louisa  Ingalls,  she  having  about  twenty  scholars. 
It  was  supposed  by  many  at  that  time  that  a  flourishing 

city  would  grow  up  at  some  point  near  the  mouth  of  so 
large  a  river  as  the  Chippewa,  and  the  settlers  of  this  vil- 
lage counted  much  upon  it  as  the  embryo  city,  but  the  land- 
ing for  steamboats  was  difficult  in  low  water,  the  lake  being 
very  shallow  for  a  considerable  distance  from  the  bank, 
which  was  a  serious  drawback. 

W.  B.  Newcomb,  in  company  with  Otis  Hoyt  and  Ben- 
jamin Allen,  laid  out  and   platted  the   town  of  Pepin   in 

1854,  the  surveying  being  done  by  A.  W.  Miller,  then  a  res- 
ident o""  Hudson,  and  now  of  Maxville,  Buffalo  Co.,  and  the 
first  village  lots  were  purchased  by  Elias  Brock.  The  first 
store  was  opened  in  1855  by  B.  O'Connor,  in  a  building 
erected  by  Ebenezer  Thompson.  The  first  blacksmith 
shop  was  built,  and  blacksmithing  done,  by  George  W. 
Brant  in  1855.  The  first  hotel  was  kept  by  Ebenezer 
Thompson,  in  a  building  which  he  himself  erected  in  1855. 
During  this  year,  A.  C.  Allen  and  a  number  of  others  built 
a  warehouse.  This  is  now  a  hotel,  kept  by  J.  A.  Dunn, 
The  first  church  was  built  by  the  Methodists  in  1856  ;  this 
was  torn  down  in  1864,  and  their  present  elegant  and  com- 
modious brick  church  was  built  in  1867. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  by  E.  W.  Gurlcy,  by 
subscription,  in  1857.  This  was  subsequently  sold  to  the 
school  district,  and  is  now  used  both  by  the  district  and  high 
school. 


The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the  house  of  W. 
B.  Newcomb,  in  1850,  Rev.  Mr.  Hancock,  a  missionary 
fr^m  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  conducting  them. 

The  Post-ofl[ice  was  opened  in  the  Winter  of  1854-5, 
with  John  Newcomb  as  Postmaster.  He  has  been  followed 
successively  by  Benjamin  Allen,  H.  D.  Barron,  Joseph  Man- 
ning, W.  B.  Newcomb,  M.  B.  Axtell,  Minus  Richards,  Solo- 
mon Fuller,  and  the  present  Postmaster,  William  Dunlap. 

From  about  this  time  Pepin  began  to  assume  a  metro- 
politan appearance,  building  after  building  appeared  in 
quick  succession.  Hotels  and  a  number  of  business  houses 
were  opened,  and  two  banks,  the  Oakwood,  with  B.-  O'Con- 
nor president,  and  A.  C.  Allen,  cashier,  and  the  Chippewa 
Bank,  with  E.  Lathrop,  president,  and  J.  C.  Mann,  cashier, 
went  into  operation  under  the  free  banking  law  of  the  State, 
and  all  the  place  lacked  «  as  a  well  settled  and  flourishing 
country  back  of  it,  to  make  it  prosperous,  and  great  efforts 
were  put  forth  to  secure  the  trade  and  open  up  the  country 
aroum^.  to  settlement  and  civilization.  A  wagon  road  was 
opened  to  Chippewa  Falls  and  a  stage  and  mail  route  was 
soon  established. 

In  1859,  Pepin  was  set  off  from  the  town  and  incorpo- 
rated by  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature.  The  first  village 
officers  were:  W.  B.  Newcomb,  President;  Joseph  Mjn- 
ning,  Dudley  Manning,  Peter  B.  Granger  and  H.  D.Barron, 
Trustees ;  U.  B.  Shaver,  Clerk.  They  maintained  their 
municipal  existence  about  four  years,  when  they  gave  up 
their  charter,  as  a  great  number  of  causes  were  operating 
to  defeat  their  hopes  of  this  lake  shore  village.  The 
country  on  the  south  side  of  the  Chippewa  River,  was  fill- 
ing up  with  industrious  and  enterprising  men,  and  it  was 
soon  ascertained  that  a  shorter  route  could  be  opened  be- 
tween Chippewa  Falls,  Eau  Claire  and  the  Mississippi,  on 
that  side.  Steamboats,  too,  of  lighter  draft,  were  used  to 
navigate  the  Chippewa,  which,  in  a  great  measure,  relieved 
the  Chippewa  Falls  and  Pepin  stage  of  any  business,  and 
the  building  of  a  railroad  on  the  Minnesota  side  of  the  lake 
which  has  caused  travel  and  traffic  to  seek  other  channels. 
But  in  spite  of  all  difficulties  we  find  a  thriving  and  pros- 
perous town,  inhabited  by  an  enterprising  people,  who  are 
filled  with  energy  and  doing  for  themselves. 

A  beautiful  little  steamer  makes  daily  trips  around  the 
lake  during  the  Summer,  calling  at  Reed's  Landing,  Lake 
City,  Maiden  Rock,  Frontenac,  as  well  as  at  Pepin.  Pepin 
holds  out  good  inducements  to  farmers  who  are  desirous  of 
obtaining  good  farms;  to  manufacturers  who  wish  to  locate 
in  a  country  where  they  can  establish  a  lucrative  business ; 
to  pleasure-seekers  who  are  in  quest  of  a  place  to  spend  a 
few  Summer  weeks  in  a  state  of  sweet  idleness. 

The  act  of  the  Legislature  that  created  the  county  in 
185S,  also  fixed  the  county  seat  on  Section  25,  in  Township 
23,  of  Range  15  west — the  village  of  Pepin.  It  remained 
here  until  1861,  when,  after  a  lengthy  contest,  it  was  removed 
to  Durand.  In  1865,  Hiram  Fuller  establislied  a  machine 
shop,  which  has  since  been  enlarged  and  improved,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  most  important  features  in  connection  with 
the  village.     The  size  of  his  shop  1522x30,  and  gives  em- 


704 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ployment  to  six  men.  He  manufactures  all  kinds  of  steam 
engines  and  machinery,  and  does  repairing  of  all  kinds. 

In  1869,  George  Topliss  established  a  wagon  shop.  In 
March,  1879,  he  enlarged  his  capacity  by  putting  in  a  six 
horse-power  engine,  and  now  manufactures  on  an  average 
seventy-five  wagons  yearly.     He  employs  four  men. 

In  1856,  a  store  and  warehouse  was  built  in  Pepin.  This 
has  since  been  remodeled  and  refitted,  and  is  now  a  steam 
elevator,  owned  by  Hart  &  Betty.  Its  capacity  is  _2o,ooo 
bushels.  In  1874,  F.  Stahl  built  an  elevator  with  a  capacity 
of  15,000.  These  two  elevators  handle  yearly  between 
75,000  and  100,000  bushels  of  grain. 

In  1855,  a  Masonic  Order  was  instituted  in  Pepin.  This 
is  at  present  a  thriving  and  prosperous  order,  and  has  sev- 
enteen members.  The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
was  instituted  in  April,  1877,  by  J.  H.  Tacy,  with  thirteen 
chartered  members.  It  now  numbers  thirty-one  members. 
The  Good  Templars  was  organized  in  the  Spring  of  1877, 
also  with  twenty-eight  chartered  members,  and  now  has 
thirty  members.  The  Chojen  Friends  was  organized  in 
March,  1881,  by  John  Howard,  with  twenty-eight  chartered 
members,  and  now  has  thirty-one  members.  These  societies 
are  all  in  a  thriving  condition. 

In  1856,  the  Methodists  built  the  first  church  in  Pepin 
as  well  as  in  Pepin  County.  This  was  torn  down  in  1864,  to 
give  place  to  their  present  brick  structure,  which  was  dedi- 
cated in  1867.  In  1S60,  the  German  Methodists  built  a  church. 
These  churches  are  prosperous  institutions,  and  are  among 
the  many  other  evidences  of  a  moral  and  intellectual  culture. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
HON.  JAMES  BARRY,  Pepin,  was  born  in  County  Derry,  Ireland, 
in  March,  1S12.  His  father,  William  Barry,  and  his  mother,  Elizabeth, 
(Duncan)  Barry,  were  both  of  Scotch  parentage.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1S2S,  and  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.;  learned  there  the 
trade  of  wagon  making,  and  continued  to  reside  there  until  1856,  when 
he  came  to  Pepin,  and  the  next  year  moved  his  family  here.  He  was 
married,  Jan.  22,  1S36,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Porter,  o(  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
They  have  five  children — Eliza  (Mrs.  John  McCain)  of  Lakeport;  Wil- 
liam, in  Montana ;  Anna,  Amanda,  Mrs.  Solomon  Fuller,  James  H. 
Mr.  Barry  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Has  been  Chair- 
man of  ihe  Town  Board  of  Pepin  three  years,  and  member  of  the  County 
Board  of  Supervisors;  also  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1S7S.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

S.  C.A.RLOS  F.A.YERWEATHER,  mason  and  farmer,  was  born 
near  Painesville,  Ohio,  Jan.  9,  1827.  His  grandfather,  on  his 
father's  side,  was  born  in  Scotland.  His  father  David  Fayerweather,  was 
born,  Sept.  9,  1793,  and  died  at  Pepin,  Aug.  II,  1878,  in  the  eighty-fifth 
year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  millwright  by  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
until  he  came  to  Pepin,  in  lS53,when  he  followed  farming.  His  mother, 
Sarah,  was  born  Dec.  19,  1804,  and  died  near  Painesville,  Ohio,  Oct.  21, 
1S32.  In  1S33,  his  father  moved  into  Jefferson  Co..  Pa.,  where  they 
lived  until  1S53,  when  they  came  to  Pepin.  S.  C.  Fayerweather  was 
married,  April  26.  1S49,  '°  Miis  Susanna  Richards,  of  Lycoming  Co., 
Pa.  They  have  seven  cliildren  living — David  A.,  Mary  E.,  Willis  A., 
Roswell,  Arthur  C,  Sarah  Ann,  and  S.  Burton.  Mr.  Fayerweather  was 
a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Town  of  Pepin,  and  has 
served  several  terms  since,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Board  ;  has  been 
Treasurer  two  years,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Constable,  and  most  of 
the  time  a  school  officer.  He  is  "  Mason,"  a  "  Granger,"  and  a  "  Cho- 
sen Friend." 

JAMES  HALLSWORTH,  hardware  merchant,  Pepin,  was  born  in 
England,  March  28, 1842.  His  father,  George  A.  Hallsworlh.came  to  the 
United  Slates  in  1856,  and  resided  in  Atsionville,  N.  J.,  then  moved  to 
Patsfield,  Mass.,  where  he  died,  in  1S59.  James  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  17th 
Mass.  Vol.  July  22,  1861,  and  was  mustered  out  in  August,  1864.  His 
regiment  was  in  the  18th  Army  Corps.  After  he  left  the  army,  he  went 
to  work  at  his  trade,  as  overseer  of  weaving-room,  in  woolen-mill,  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  and  at  other  places  until  he  came  to  Pepin,  in  1877,  and 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business.     He  was  married,  Dec.  7,  1866,  to 


Miss  Agnes  West,  of  Findlay,  Ohio.     They  have  one  child  1 


Law- 


FRED.  JAHNKE.  furniture  dealer  and  manufacturer.  Pepin,  Wis., 
was  born  near  Hamburg,  Germany,  March  22,  1S29.  He  is  a  son  of 
Mary  and  John  Jahnke.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1849.  and 
worked  at  liis  trade  in  New  York,  Iowa,  and  Illinois,  before  he  came  to 
Pepin,  Wis.,  in  1S56.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  6lh  Wis.,  in  January,  1S65; 
was  wounded  at  Hatch's  Run,  Feb.  6,  1865,  in  the  foot,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  married,  Oct.  22,  1856,  to 
Miss  Mary  PfafT.  of  Pepin,  Wis.  They  have  six  children— August, 
Frank,  Louis,  .Matilda,  Amelia,  and  Otto.  He  has  been  Constable  two 
terms,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Town  Board. 

EMIL  LANCERS,  druggist,  Pepin,  Wis.  Came  to  Pepin  in  July, 
1876,  and  commenced  business  here  as  druggist  and  dealer  in  fancy 
goods,  Yankee  notions,  paints,  oils,  and  sewing-machines,  in  May,  1880. 
He  was  born  at  Belgium,  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  14,  1856.  Resided 
there  and  at  Port  Washington,  where  he  learned  his  occupation  of  drug- 
gist, until  he  came  here,  in  1876.  In  addition  to  the  usual  common 
school  education,  he  spent  two  years  at  the  St.  Francis  Teachers'  Col- 
lege, near  Milwaukee,  He  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Elizabeth  Largers, 
who  still  reside  in  Ozaukee  County. 

JOHN  McCAIN,  farmer,  Pepin.  Was  born  in  Indiana  Co.,  Pa., 
Feb.  21,  1S14.  .A-fterward  he  lived  in  Jefferson  County,  until  he  came 
West,  in  1S40.  Jan.  I,  1841,  found  him  in  Rock  Island,  where  he  stayed 
until  the  opening  of  navigation  on  the  Mississippi,  when  lie  came  to 
Dubuque,  and  joined  a  parly  of  Government  surveyors,  and  spent  the 
season  with  them  in  Iowa.  The  last  of  October  he  went  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  and  from  there,  in  company  with  David  Black,  took  passage  in  a 
keel-boat,  bound  for  Menomonee,  Wis.,  where  they  arrived  the  last  of 
November,  and  engaged  in  logging  Winters,  and  piloting  on  the  Chip- 
pewa and  Mississippi  during  the  Summers.  In  the  Fall  of  1845  he  went 
hunting  for  desirable  lands,  on  which  to  settle  ;  came  across  and  was 
delighted  with  the  lands  he  now  lives  on,  and  in  the  following  Spring 
took  formal  possession  of  them,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1S46  commenced 
cullivating  them.  His  farm  contains  about  600  acres,  and  is  situated 
about  one  and  one-half  miles  above  the  present  village  of  Pepin,  near 
the  lake,  and  is  called  by  him  "  Lakeport."  At  the  time  he  settled  here, 
the  nearest  post-office  was  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  the  nearest  farm  was 
at  the  Indian  agency,  at  Winona.  When  the  Government  surveyors 
reached  "  Lakeport,"  Mr.  McCain  had  130  acres  of  his  farm  under  culti- 
vation. He  continued  to  farm,  and  pilot  the  river  during  the  season, 
until  1S60,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  farm- 
ing. He  was  married,  March  28,  1S60,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Barry,  eldest 
daughter  of  Hon.  James  Barry,  of  "  Lakeport,"  formerly  of  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.  They  have  one  child  living — Maggie.  Mr.  McCain  was  one  of 
the  three  County  Commissioners  of  Dunn  County,  when  Pepin  was  a 
part  of  Dunn  County,  and  has  been  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  Pepin. 

CAPT.  N.  O.  MURRAY,  owner  of  steamer  "Pepin,"  Lakeport. 
Came  to  Lakeport  (near  Pepin),  March  I,  1855,  and  carried  on  a  black- 
smith shop  there.  At  the  time  he  came,  Lakeport  was  the  largest 
settlement  on  Lake  Pepin.  He  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  in  1872 
built  the  steamer  "  Pepin,"  to  run  the  lake,  and  with  it,  every  season 
since,  the  captain  has  made  his  daily  trips  to  each  of  the  towns  on  the 
lake.  He  was  born  in  Evans,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  7,  1832.  Lived 
afterward  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  then  eight  years  in  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.;  then  came  to  Lakeport.  He  was  married,  March  4,  1S58,  to 
Miss  Mary  J.  Lenhart,  of  Lakeport,  formerly  from  I'enn.sylvania. 
They  have  six  children  living — Orlando  L.,  engineer  on  the  "  Pepin  ;" 
Ida  Belle,  Carrie  Robertie,  Walter,  Guy,  and  Glenn.  He  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  several  terms.  Constable,  Sheriflf  two  years,  and 
Under  Sheriff  two  years.  He  is  a  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.  O.  U.  W 

WILLIAM  B.  NEWCOMB,  farmer  and  pilot,  Pepin,  came  to  this 
vicinity  in  1S45  ;  lived  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  one  year ;  then 
came  on  this  side  in  1846;  made  a  claim  where  now  is  the  village  of  Pe- 
pin, split  some  rails  and  plowed  a  piece  of  ground.  He  did  not  do  much 
more  on  his  claim  until  about  the  time  of  his  marriage  to  Miss  Esther 
Foster,  of  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  which  occurred  June  ig,  1849.  During 
most  of  this  time,  he  was  working  for  J.  H.  Knapp,  of  Menomonee. 
He  built  a  dwelling  on  his  claim  and  commenced  residing  there, 
carrying  on  the  farm  and  piloting  on  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  season 
of  it,  piloting,  in  all,  about  twenty-five  years.  He  laid  out  the  village 
of  Pepin  in  1855.  and  engaged  actively  in  building  up  the  village,  which 
grew  rapidly  until  the  financial  crisis  of  1857.  Mr.  Newcomb  was  born 
in  Jefferson  Co.,  Pa.,  near  Brookville,  Nov.  24,  1822;  he  came  to  Lee 
Co.,  Iowa,  in  1S43,  and  in  1845,  'o  Wisconsin,  as  above  stated.  He  has 
held,  most  of  the  time,  some  town  or  county  office  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  territory,  where  he  resides.  He  was  Register  of  Deeds  for 
Dunn  County  when  Pepin  was  part  of  Dunn  Couniy,  also  Register  of 
Deeds  of  Pepin  County  after  it  was  organized  ;  also  Treasurer  of  Pepin 
County  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  jiasl  ten  years ;  aLo  Poslmasler 
at  Pepin  for  many  years.  He  is  a  meml]er  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
He  has  five  children  living,  and  all  residing  at  Pepin — Orin  James,  Mary 
Eliza,  John,  Isaac  and  William  B. 


HISTORY    OF    PEPIN   COUNTY. 


705 


PHILIP  PFAFF,  miller  and  grain  dealer,  Pepin,  came  to  Pepin  in 
May,  1S55.  He  v^fas  by  occupation  a  carpenter  and  glazier.  In  iS6i.lie 
establislied  a  store  and  built  the  first  elevator  in  Pepin,  which  was  used 
also  as  a  warehouse,  and  commenced  dealing  in  general  merchandise  and 
buying  grain  and  all  kinds  of  produce.  This  he  continued  until  1874, 
when,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  was  obliged  to  quit  business  almost 
entirely.  He  built  a  steam  mill  on  Roaring  Creek  in  1875,  on  the  tuins 
of  an  old  water  mill,  which  mill  he  still  owns  and  runs  ;  he  also  owns 
and  operates  an  elevator,  and  has  commenced  to  build  a  store.  He  has 
held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  some  ten  years,  been  Town  Treasurer 
three  years,  County  Commissioner  two  years.  Justice  of  the  Peace  three 
terms,  and  Deputy  Postmaster  seven  years.  He  was  born  in  Michel- 
stadt,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  Sept.  II,  1S2S  ;  came  to  the  United 
States  ill  the  Spring  of  1853;  lived  in  Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  nearly  two 
years,  then  came  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and,  soon  after,  to  Pepin.  He 
was  married,  Jan.  I,  1S59,  to  Miss  Frederika  Schultze,  of  Pepin,  form- 
erly of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  They  have  seven  children  living — Au- 
gusta, Ida,  Justinian,  Lonia,  Belle,  Ernest  and  '■  the  baby." 

GEORGE  TOPLISS,  wagon  manufacturer  and  general  blacksmith, 
Pepin,  landed  with  his  family  at  Pepin,  in  January,  1869,  with  $107.50; 
bought  a  place  for  $350.  paid  $100  down  and  had  left  $7.50,  with  which 
to  commence  business  and  meet  family  expenses.  The  household  furni- 
ture was  very  meager  and  very  primitive,  consisting,  for  the  first  three 
years,  of  such  things  only  as  he  himself  made  for  the  emergencies.  From 
such  a  straitened  beginning,  he  h.is  built  up  an  increasingly  large  and 
pro  perous  business.  He  was  born  at  Castle  Dunnington,  Leicestershire, 
Eng.,  June  I,  1S42.  When  old  enough,  he  learned  the  trade  of  wagon- 
making,  painting  and  blacksmithing.  He  le(t  England,  June  24,  1866  ; 
arrived  at  New  York  in  July,  and  went  to  Slatington,  Lehigh  Co,,  Pa., 
where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Pepin,  in  1869,  He  was  married,  April 
30.  1864,  to  Miss  Fanny  Wade,  of  Derby,  Eng.  They  have  five  children 
living — George  Robert,  Clara  Emma,  Eliza  Ann,  Sarah  Ellen,  Fanny. 
His  father,  William  Topliss,  was  killed  on  Christmas  day,  1841,  and  his 
mother  (Sarah)  was  left  destitute,  with  five  children  to  support.  This 
she  did  by  laundry  work.  She  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.     His  brothers  and  sisters  are  all  living  in  England. 

ARKANSAW. 

The  village  of  Arkansaw,  situated  in  the  town  of  Water- 
ville,  was  first  settled  in  May,  1845,  by  George  and  W.  F. 
Holbrook,  who  built  a  log  house,  moved  into  it,  and  com- 
menced building  a  saw-mill  and  furniture  shop.  The  next 
year,  H.  M.  Miles  built  a  small  grist-mill  upon  the  site  where 
his  present  large  mill  stands.  One  of  the  best  in  the  Chip- 
pewa Valley.  Previous  to  these  settlements  a  small  settle- 
ment had  sprang  up  on  the  Dead  Lake  Prairie,  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  the  village  of  Arkansaw,  but  this  locality  offer- 
ing better  facilities  for  the  investment  of  labor  and  capital 
than  the  prairie,  a  number  of  the  settlers  moved  into  Ar- 
kansaw. 

The  first  marriage  was  solemnized,  November  30,  1857, 
the  contracting  parties  being  W.  F.  Holbrook  and  Mary 
Ames. 

The  first  death  was  old  Mrs.  Cascaden. 

The  first  birth  was  a  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grant  Stev- 
ens, in  March,  1855. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  a  log  house  on 
Dead  Lake  Prairie,  a  short  distance  west  of  Arkansaw,  in 
1855,  by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Kellogg. 

The  years  intervening  between  1855  and  1S70  was  char- 
acterized by  hard  struggles  and  no  very  rapid  advancement. 
In  the  year  above  named,  James  Pauley,  of  Read's  Land- 
ing, entered  into  partnership  with  Holbrook.  They  en- 
larged their  m'U,  built  a  large  furniture  manufactory,  a  large 
!;tore,  potash  and  pearl-ash  room,  and  during  the  next  year, 
H.  M.  Miles  and  Miletus  Knight  started  in  business,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Miles  &  Knight,  in  the  general  merchandise 
business,  and  in  1872,  F.  Hillard  and  V.  Rounds  started  a 
drug  and  variety  store. 


In  1869,  the  first  church  was  built,  by  the  Methodists,  at 
a  cost  01  $2,500.  It  is  30.X40,  and  a  monument  to  the  vil- 
lage. 

The  saw-mill  and  furniture  factory  built  in  1855,  by  Hol- 
brook, now  employs  about  thirty-five  hands.  The  yearly 
sales  from  his  furniture  amounts  to  $30,000.  In  addition 
to  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  he  saws  about  1,000,000 
feet  of  lumber  per  year,  about  one-half  of  which  he  uses, 
and  the  other  half  sends  to  down-river  markets.  Besides 
this  they  operate  an  extensive  pearl-ash  factory,  which  has 
proven  more  successful  than  was  anticipated. 

Arkansaw  is  situated  just  on  the  border  of  the  large  tract 
of  hard  wood  timber,  lying  in  Pepin,  Pierce  and  St.  Croix 
counties,  and  two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  Chippewa 
River.  To  farmers  seeking  homes,  or  capitalists  seeking  a 
locality  for  investing  their  money,  it  offers  superior  induce- 
ments. The  facilities  for  manufacturing  from  hard  wood, 
bass  and  butternut,  are  not  excelled.  There  are  eight  good 
water-powers  within  a  distance  of  two  miles  from  the  place, 
only  part  of  them  being  improved. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

STEPHEN  CLIFF,  proprietor  of  Clifi'  House,  Arkansaw.  Came 
to  Arkansaw  in  July,  1864  ;  is  a  wagon  maker  by  trade,  and  followed  that 
business  until  1873,  when  he  started  the  Cliff  House.  He  was  born  in 
Lower  Canada,  near  the  Vermont  line,  Jan.  25,  1828.  His  father  was 
from  England,  his  mother  from  Vermont.  In  1849,  he  went  to  East 
Berkshire,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  and  worked  there  at  his  trade  until  he  came 
to  Arkansaw.  He  was  married,  Jan.  ii,  1855,  to  Miss  Phebe  Kelton,  of 
Montgomeiy,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  They  have  four  children— Fred,  Mary 
and  William,  born  in  Vermont,  and  Jesse,  born  in  Wisconsin. 

FOREST  H.  HILLARD,  druggist,  Arkansaw.  Came  from  East 
Troy,  Wis.,  to  Arkansaw,  May  23,  1S71,  and  commenced  business  as 
druggist  in  1872,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hillard   &   Rounds.      He  has 


kept  a! 


iy  tempe; 


ranee  drug  store,  the  fir 


in  all  this  sectii 


country,  and  for  several  years  the  only  one.  He  was  born  in  East  Troy, 
Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  28,  1848.  His  parents  were  among  the  ear- 
liest settlers,  having  settled  there  in  1837.  Early  in  1S65,  when  just  past 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  enlibted  in  the  army,  but  it  was  so  near  the  close 
of  the  war,  that  he  did  not  see  much  service.  When  eighteen  years  old, 
he  joined  the  Wisconsin  National  Guards,  the  "  Badger  Hatteiy  "  of  Wal- 
worth County,  and  he  helped  to  organize  the  Pepin  County  Guards,  at 
Arkansaw,  July  19,  1879.  He  went  into  the  company  as  fourth  sergeant, 
and  now  is  second  lieutenant.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of 
WaterviUe  Lodge,  No.  305,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  organized  April  19,  1881,  also  of 
Good  Templar,  Arkansaw  Lodge,  No.  166,  organized  Dec.  9,  1876,  also 
a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Literary  Association  at  Arkansaw.  He 
was  married,  June  4,  1873,  to  Miss  Kate  Rounds,  daughter  of  J.  H. 
Rounds,  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Pepin  County.  They  have  two 
children,  Archie  H.  and  Mary  A. 

WILLARD  F.  HOLBROOK,  manufacturer  of  furniture  and  hard- 
wood lumber.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  August,  1S52,  and  lived  about 
three  years  not  far  from  the  Eau  Galle  Mills.  In  1854,  he  selected  the 
site  of  his  present  mill  property  on  the  Arkansaw  Creek,  and  com- 
menced to  build  a  dwelling,  and  in  1055,  built  the  saw-mill,  and  com- 
menced sawing  in  February,  1856.  lie  also  began  in  a  small  way  the 
manufacture  of  furniture,  in  one  corner  of  the  mill,  empli  ying  at  first 
only  two  hands,  increasing  the  number  from  time  to  time  as  needed.  In 
1866,  he  built  a  separate  factory,  employing  from  eight  to  ten  hands,  and 
in  1871,  a  large  factory,  which  tiurned  in  1872.  In  1S73,  he  rebuilt,  and 
at  present  employs  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  hands,  and  the  sales  of  fur- 
niture amount  to  $25,000  to  $30,000  per  year.  For  many  years  he  has 
had  a  store  also  in  addition  to  his  other  business.  He  was  born,  April 
27,  1827,  at  Wrentham,  Mass., afterward  resided  in  Mansfield,  Mass.  He 
commenced  at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  run  a  cotton  factory,  employing 
twenty-two  hands,  making  cotton  cloth,  afterward  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  straw  goods.  He  was  manied,  March  15,  1848,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Jane  Dunham,  of  Mansfield,  Mass.;  she  died  June  5,  1S52.  In 
August  of  the  same  year  he  caine  to  Wisconsin.  He  married  Miss  Mary 
Ames,  of  Waubeek,  Wis.,  formerly  of  Mansfield,  Mass.,  Nov.  30,  1857. 
They  hav#  eight  children  living— Alia  F.,  Willard  A.,  now  at  school  at 
West  Point  Military  Academy,  Merigen  (now  Mrs.  W.  B.  Voik),  Martha 
Jane,  Benjamin  Franklin.  Mary  Lilian,  John  Snell  and  Roy. 


7o6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


JACOB  S.  McCOUKTIE,  merchant  and  farmer,  Arkansaw.  Came 
to  Pepin  County  wiih  his  family  in  October,  1854,  and  settled  on  the 
lower  end  of  Dead  Lake  Prairie  in  the  present  town  of  Frankfort,  where 
he  built  a  dwelling  and  store,  on  Sec.  2,  Township  24,  Range  14  west, 
which  be  bought  when  it  came  into  market.  The  next  year  a  post-office 
was  established  here  called  Frankfort,  and  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  a 
position  which  he  held  continuously  until  187S,  when  he  moved  to  Arkan- 
saw, where  he  still  resides.  Grant  and  Elisha  Stevens  weie  the  only  i:eltlers 
on  the  prairie  when  he  came,  they  having  settled  here  some  six  months 
before.  He  was  born  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  31,  1S13.  His  father, 
William,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  came  to  Saratoga  County, 
where  he  lived  a  few  years,  he  then  went  to  Cayuga  County  in  1S16,  where 
he  died  in  September,  1S22.  The  next  year,  when  only  ten  years  old, 
Jacob  left  home  and  worked  for  $3  per  month  until  he  saved  money 
enough  to  attend  school  a  year,  when  his  school  year  was  up  he  clerked 
in  a  store  in  Onondaga.  N.  Y.,  a  year,  then  went  to  Port  Byron,  where 
he  clerked  for  Smith  &  Draper  some  time,  then  to  Galena,  III.,  three 
years  ;  then  returned  to  New  York  and  was  married  in  August,  1839,  '° 
Miss  Sophia  M.  Bushman,  of  Weslbury,  Cayuga  Co.,  bought  a  farm 
there  and  went  to  farming.  In  1844,  sold  out  and  went  to  Carroll  Co., 
III.,  aud  farmed  there  eight  years,  then  sold  farm,  moved  to  Savannah, 
111.,  and  started  a  general  stock  store,  thence  to  Pepin  County  in  1854, 
biinging  his  stock  of  goods  with  him.  They  have  had  nine  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  still  living — Cha:le?,  now  in  business  in  Zum- 
brota ;  David  B.  now  in  business  in  Arkansaw;  Eugenia,  now  Mrs. 
Ganse,  of  Frankfort ;  Alvira,  in  Arkansaw  ;  William,  in  Frankfort.  His 
sons  Charles  and  David  were  in  the  Army. 

HON.  SAMUEL  L.  PLU.MME^^,  farmer.  Came  to  the  north  of 
Bear  Creek  (now  in  Durand  Tp.),  early  in  the  Spring  of  1855.  At  that 
time  Perry  Curtis  had  a  loghouse  there,  the  onlyone  east  of  theChippewa 
for  many  miles.  C.  N.  Averill  came  into  the  town  of  Lima  two  days 
before  Mr.  P.  reached  his  place.  He  selected  a  mill  sile  near  the  mouth 
of  Bear  Creek,  built  a  saw-mill  which  he  sold  out  the  next  year  to  a 
cousin,  who  ran  the  mill  as  long  as  there  was  pine  in  the  vicinity  to  saw. 
Mr.  P.  then  built  a  saw-mill  at  Durand  for  Prindle.  Ellsworth  &  Co.,  of 
Massachusetts,  and  ran  the  mill  about  eighteen  months,  then  built  a 
wagon  shop  and  a  sash  and  door  factory  at  Durand.  In  1S61  he  moved 
to  a  farm  on  Dead  Lake  Prairie,  near  Arkansaw,  and  has  engaged  in 
farming  since.  His  residence  on  his  farm  of  420  acres  is  on  Sec.  35, 
Township  25,  Range  13  west.  He  was  born  in  New  Hampton,  N.  11., 
March  5,  1S2S.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Massachusetts  and 
lived  there  four  years,  then  to  New  Orleans  one  year,  and  in  1S49  came 
to  Wisconsin  and  lived  a  while  near  Beloit.  afterward  near  Biodhead 
in  Green  Co.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  carpenter.  He  was 
married.  May  30.  1852,  to  Miss  Eunice  Belknap,  of  Hartley,  Canada. 
They  have  nine  children  living — Forest,  David,  Frank,  Arthur,  Mary, 
Willie,  Carrie,  Lillie  and  Lane.  Mr.  P.  is  descended  from  a  long-lived 
stock.  His  great  grandfather,  Jesse  Plummer,  lived  to  a  great  age.  His 
grandfather,  Nathan  Plummer,  one  of  nine  brothers,  lived  to  be  eighty- 
five  years  old,  and  the  ages  of  the  nine  averaged  over  eighty  years.  His 
maternal  grandfalher,  Daniel  Cooley,  of  New  Hampton,  N.  H.,  lived  to 
the  age  of  one  hundred  years.  Mr.  P.  was  member  of  the  Assembly  for 
the  year  1874;  is  president  of  the  Pepin  County  Agriculuiral  Society; 
has  held  the  office  of  County  Judge  since  i£6i  ;  has  been  member  of 
the  County  Board  most  ol  the  time  since  then,  and  Chaiiman  of  the 
Town  of  WaterviUe  all  but  ihrei:  of  the  twenty  years  he  has  resided  in 
the  town. 

STOCKHOLM. 

This  place  is  situated  in  the  town  of  Stockholm,  in  the 
western  part  of  Pepin  County,  and  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Pepin.  It  was  first  settled  in  1852,  by  Erick  Peterson.  He 
remained  only  a  short  time,  but  returned  to  Norway,  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1854  came  again,  with  his  family.  In  the 
Spring  of  1854  came  Jacob  Peterson,  John  Anderson,  Erick 
Frieck,  Lars  Olson  and  Frank  Nelson,  with  their  families. 
Most  of  these  came  from  Norway  in  1853,  and  wintering  in 
Illinois,  came  to  Stockholm  as  above  stated.  They  at  first 
built  a  log  shanty,  which  served  as  a  shelter  for  all  until  each 
one  could  build  for  himself  a  separate  house.  John  Ander- 
son built  the  first  frame  house,  in  1854.  This  house  is  now 
standing. 

The  first  birth  was  Matilda  Peterson,  daughter  of  Erick 
Peterson.  She  was  born  on  the  day  of  his  arrival  from 
Norway  with  his  family,  in  the  Fall  of  1854. 

The  first  marriage  was  [consummated^  in  the  Spring  of 


1856,  the  contracting  parties  being  .\bram  Josephson  and 
Annie  Peterson. 

The  first  hotel  was  kept  by  George  Rickerd,  in  1856. 
A  church  was  also  built  during  that  year.  The  church 
building  was  subsequently  sold  and  converted  into  a  school- 
house,  in  which  the  first  school  was  taught  by  Amelia  Smith, 
in  the  Summer  of  1859.  Their  present  school-house  was 
built  in  1877. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  in  1856,  by  a  Rev. 
Mr.  Norerius,  a  missionary  from  Red  Wing. 

The  post-office  was  established  in  i860,  John  Rosenberg 
being  the  first  Postmaster. 

Stockholm  was  laid  out  in  1S58,  by  Eric  Peterson. 
A.  W.  Miller  did  the  surveying.  It  has  now  four  stores, 
representing  a  considerable  amount  of  capital.  A  neat 
little  school-house  and  a  Lutheran  Church  are  evidences  of 
a  moral,  religious  and  intellectual  culture. 

Stockholm  Lodge,  No.  363,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  was  organized 
April  4,  1877,  with  sixteen  charter  members,  and  now  num- 
bers thirty-four  members.  The  first  officers  were:  A.  F. 
Peterson,  W.  C.  T.;  Matilda  Peterson,  W.  V.  T.;  Alfred 
Josephson,  secretary ;  Anton  Peterson,  financial  secretary; 
G.  Stille,  treasurer;  Agnes  Peterson,  I.  G.;  John  Mattson, 
O.  G.;  Isaac  Windberg,  chaplain;  Charles  Tidbolin,  mar- 
shal. The  present  officers  are :  Anton  Peterson,  W.  C.  T.; 
Miss  C.  O.  Bock,  W.  V.  T.;  H.  J.  Bock,  secretary;  O.  Matt- 
son,  financial  secretary ;  G.  Stille,  treasurer;  Amanda  An- 
derson, I.  G.;  R.  B.  Nelson,  O.  G.;  A.  F.  Peterson,  chaplain  ; 
John  Mattson,  marshal. 

In  1868,  Paul  Sandquist  started  a  lemon  beer  manufac- 
tory, which  he  has  since  operated.  He  now  manufactures 
between  400  and  500  cases  per  year.  John  Gunderson 
started  a  spruce  beer  manufactory  in  1878,  and  now  manu- 
factures about  500  dozen  bottles  per  year. 

In  1S74,  Andrew  Strornberg  established  a  wagon  manu- 
factory. Soon  afterward,  Charles  Plann  went  into  partner- 
ship with  him,  and  subsequently  G.  Stille  became  a 
partner.  They  manufacture  about  twenty-five  wagons  per 
year,  besides  doing  general  repairing  work. 

A.  D.  Post  built  a  warehouse  in  1873.  Martin  Nelson 
purchased  it  in  1876,  and  now  buys  about  50,000  bushels  of 
grain  per  year.  The  capacity  of  the  warehouse  is  30,000 
bushels. 

Stockholm  is  situated  on  the  edge  of  tiie  richest  farming 
country  in  Pepin  County,  and  its  growth  has  been  slow  but 
permanent,  and  when  it  is  in  possession  of  railroads,  we  an- 
ticipate a  more  flourishing  village. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
ERIC  PETERSON,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  Town  23,  Range  16,  came  to 
Stockholm  in  the  Fall  of  1862,  selected  his  claim  and  settled  on  it.  He  was 
the  first  settler  at  Stockholm,  his  nearest  neighbor,  this  side  of  Pepin, 
being  Nelson  Doty,  who  lived  some  distance  below  here.  He  engaged 
in  farming,  and  in  addition,  for  several  years,  owned  and  operated  a 
grain  warehouse  and  a  store.  He  was  born  in  llerrnas  bjurkarn, 
Sweden,  Match  2,  1S22,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S49.  lamed  in 
Illinois  one  year,  traveled  in  the  pineries  of  Minnesota  another  year, 
then  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  as  above.  Early  in  1S54  he  went 
back  to  Sweden  for  a  wife,  and  in  July  of  that  year  was  married  to  Miss 
Louisa  Josephson,  of  Carlskoga,  Sweden,  and  with  her  toon  after  re- 
turned to  Stockholm,  Wis.  She  died  in  the  Fall  of  1S56,  leaving  one 
child,  Matilda,  now  Mrs.  Karl  A.  Peterson.      He  married  Miss  Maren 


HISTORY   OF    PIERCE   COUNTY. 


707 


Olson,  in  Stockholm,  Wis.,  November.  1858.  She  vas  born  in  Nor- 
way. They  have  five  children— Ai:lon,  Agnes  Cecelia,  An-eiia,  Hilda 
Frederika,  and  Julia.  Mr.  Peterson  has  held  many  Icwn  cflic(.=,  and  is 
now  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

KARL  A.  PETERSON,  merchant,  Slockiiolm,  son  of  Lais  and 
Maria  Peterson,  was  born  in  Herrras  Bjuikain,  Swidtn,  Dec.  14,  1852. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S72,  and  settled  in  SiocKholm,  where 
he  found  employment  for  awhile,  as  cleik,  and,  in  1S75,  engaged  in  ti  e 
mercantile  business  on  his  own  account.  He  was  married,  June  23, 
1876,  to  Miss  Matilda  Peter.son,  daughter  of  Eric  Peterson,  of  Stock- 
holm. They  have  one  child,  Cordelia  Disederia  Aurora.  He  is  agent, 
for  this  vicinity,  for  the  various  lines  of  steamers  to  Europe,  for  the  sale 
of  passenger  tickets. 

LOUIS  PETERSON,  merchant,  Stockholm,  came  to  Stockholm  in 
the  Spring  of  185S,  with  his  stepfather,  Lars  Grund,  who  came  with  his 
family  to  the  United  States,  and  settled  in  McGregor,  Iowa,  in  October, 
1857,  and,  in  May,  1858,  came  to  Stockholm.  Mr.  Peterson  was  born 
near  Gtfile,  Sweden,  April  18,  1847.  Dec.  26,  1829,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Hannah  Johnson,  of  Sto-kholm,  Wis.  They  have  three  children 
living — Mary,  Charles  Edward  and  Edna.  In  1874  he  commenced 
selling  agricultural  implements,  and,  in  1S7S,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Younqquist,  Peterson  &  Co.,  engaged  in  general  merchandise  and  the 
sale  of  farm  machinery.  He  has  held  several  town  offices ;  was  Chair- 
man of  the  Hoard  four  years  in  succession,  Register  of  Deeds  for  Pepin 
County  one  term,  and  Sheriff  one  term.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order 
of  Good  Templars. 

AUGUST  SAHLSTROM,  hardware  merchant,  Stockholm,  com- 
menced about  a  year  ago  here  in  the  hardware  business.  He  came  to 
Stockholm  first  in  1S67  directly  from  Sweden  and  followed  farming  for 
about  three  years,  then  moved  to  Chicago  and  went  to  manufacturing 
refrigerators,  was  burned  out  in  the  gieat  Chicago  fiie,  then  went  to 
Pie   City   in   the   southwest  part  of  Missouri,  where  he  remained    until 


about  two  years  ago,  when  he  returned  to  Stockholm,  Wis;  He  was 
born  in  Amal,  Sweden,  June  II,  1824,  and  alttiward  lived  in  Orebeo, 
Nerike.  until  he  came  to  the  United  Slates  in  1E67.  He  was  manitd 
Nov.  2,  1842,  to  Miss  Louisa  Larson,  of  Nenke.  They  ha\c  four 
children  living— Anna  Louisa  (Mrs.  Lotfiler),  Lars  August,  Caroline 
Sophia,  Hans  Gustaf. 

GEORGE  L.  WAKEFIELD,  physician  and  druggist,  Stockholm, 
was  born  in  Plymouth,  Vt.,  Oct.  18,  1S45.  His  high  school  studies  were 
interrupted  by  his  enlisting  in  the  gih  N.  H.  Regt.,  Co.  G,  on  the 
I2th  of  July,  1862,  for  three  years.  His  regiment  was  under  Gen. 
Burnside  in  the  2d  Brigade,  2d  Division,  gth  Army  Corps.  He  was 
with  his  company  except  a  short  time  in  the  hospital,  when  he  was 
wounded  in  the  right  elbow,  but  he  reported  for  duty  before  it  was 
healed,  still  having  his  arm  in  a  sling.  He  received  five  wounds  in  all, 
none  of  the  others  being  very  serious,  although  he  participated  in 
every  skiimish,  battle,  or  engagement  that  his  regiment  was  in,  among 
which  are  second  Bull  Run,  tiouth  Mountain,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg, 
the  chasing  of  Morgan,  Vicksburg,  Jackson,  siege  of  Knoxville,  then 
east  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  again,  Wilderness,  Mine  Run, 
Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg,  and  at  the  springing  of  the 
"  Mine"  his  regiment  did  guard  duty  over  the  "Mine"  while  it  was 
being  prepared  and  Lieut.  Drew  and  himself  were  the  ones  who  raised 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  crater  of  the  "  Mine"  after  it  was  exploded 
and  his  regiment  captured  that  day  sixteen  stand  of  rebel  colors.  He 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine  wivh  Dr.  Moulton,  a  homoeopathic 
physician,  while  in  the  army,  and  pursued  it  as  he  had  opportunity. 
After  the  war  was  over  he  went  to  Ludlow,  Vt ,  and  in  1S66  came  to 
Pepin  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  has  resided  since.  He  followed  several  pur- 
suits here,  then  took  up  again  the  study  of  medicine  and  has  practiced 
about  six  years.  He  was  married  Jan,  i,  1870,  to  Miss  Sarah  Ann 
Conger,  of  Lima,  Pepin  Co.,  formerly  of  Bangor,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N. 
Y.  They  have  two  children  living,  George  Herbert  and  Electa 
Estella. 


PIERCE    COUNTY. 


LOCATION   AND   NATURAL   FEATURES. 

This  county  was  named  in  honor  of  President 
Franklin  Pierce.  It  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of 
the  State,  and  lies  immediately  south  of  the  forty-fifth 
parallel  of  north  latitude,  between  ninety-two  and 
ninety-three  degrees  of  longitude  west  from  Green- 
wich, and  is  consequently  west  of  the  fourth  principal 
meridian.  It  is  triangular  in  shape,  the  hypotlienuse 
being  formed  b}'  Lake  Pepin,  the  Mississippi  River  and 
Lake  St.  Croix,  which  secure  to  the  count}'  one  of  the 
longest  navigable  water-fronts  of  any  of  its  size  in  the 
State.  The  boundaries  on  the  north  and  east  are  St. 
Croix,  Dunn  and  Pepin  counties.  It  embraces  an  area 
of  600  square  miles,  or  364,583  acres,  the  greater  part 
being  owned  by  actual  settlers.  About  one-sixth  of 
the  land  in  the  county  belongs  to  railroads. 

Tiie  county  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  with  Lake  St.  Croix,  the  lake  forming 
its  western  boundary,  its  southern  border  resting  on 
the  Mississippi.  Along  the  river,  it  presents  the  usutil 
features  of  valley  succeeded  by  bluff,  broken  at  fre- 
quent intervals  by  ravines,  through  which  the  streams 
seek  communication  with  tlie  "  Great  River."  Toward 
the  north  and  east,  the  hills  become  less  elevated  and 
the  viilleys  more  extensive.  This  gives  a  diversity  to 
the  scene,  though  less  bold  and  grand  than  is  found  in 
mountainous  districts,  yet  one  strongly  marked.  The 
luxuriant  sward,  clothing  the  hill-slope  to  the  water's 
edge,  the  steep  cliff,  shooting  up  through  its  mural  es- 
carpments, the  streams,  clear  as  crysttd,  now  quiet, 
now  ruffled  by  a  temporary  rapid,  now  forming  a  ro- 
mantic cascade  over  some  terrace  of  rocks,  trees,  dis- 


posed in  a  manner  to  baffle  the  landscape  gardener, 
now  crowning  the  height,  now  shading  the  slope,  the 
intervening  valleys  giving  the  picture  of  cultivated 
meadows  and  rich  pasture  lands,  irrigated  and  drained 
by  frequent  rivulet  and  stream,  along  whicii  and  on  the 
hill-side  are  seen  the  farm-house  and  village — scenes 
of  wealth,  happiness  and  comfort — all  these  and  many 
more  are  features  of  the  county.  On  the  summit  lev- 
els spread  the  wide  prairies,  abounding  in  flowers  of 
the  gayest  hue,  the  long  undulations  stretching  away 
till  sky  and  meadow  mingle  in  the  horizon.  The  coun- 
try is  sufficiently  level  to  allow  of  the  higliest  grade  of 
cultivation,  perhaps  two-fifths  of  the  county  being  in 
active  state  o''  agriculture.  The  principal  part  of  the 
farming  land  is  in  the  western  part  of  the  county, 
which  was  originally  oak  openings  and  prairies,  the 
eastern  part  being  timbered  land,  and  covered  by  the 
big  woods.  This  is  a  belt  of  hard-wood  timber  that  ex- 
tends from  the  Mississippi  River  to  Lake  Superior.  In 
the  limits  of  Pierce  County  the  timber  is  of  hard  wood 
varieties,  such  as  the  red,  white  and  black  oaks,  sugar 
maple  and  butternut,  all  timber  of  lirst-class  grade  for 
the  manufacture  of  farm  and  other  implements. 

Tliere  are  numerous  large  streams  distributed  over 
the  county,  such  as  the  Kinnickinnic,  Rush,  Trimbelle 
and  Isabelle  rivers,  with  many  smaller  creeks,  which 
drain  the  regiou  completely,  and  empty  into  Lake  St. 
Croix,  the  Chippewa  and  Mississippi  rivers.  The  cur- 
rent of  the  streams  is  generally  swift,  and  affords  mag- 
nificent water  power,  a  resource  that  is  used  only  to  a 
small  fraction  of  its  capacity.  Springs  are  numerous, 
and  give  origin  to  streams  in  which  abound  that  gam- 


7o8 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


iest  of  fish,  the  speckled  trout,  with  bass,  bull-heads, 
pike,  pickerel,  carp  aud  catfish,  in  the  rivers.  The 
lover  of  wild  game,  of  wood  or  prairie,  here  may  gratify 
his  taste.  Tiie  elevated  portions  furnish  high  and  dry 
pasture  lands ;  the  bottom  grounds,  hay  and  grain, 
leaving  little  to  be  desired  by  the  shepherd  and  stock 
farmer;  for  this  reason  in  later  years,  wool-growing 
and  stock-raising  is  becoming  a  considerable  feature 
in  the  rural  districts.  The  majority  of  the  people 
are  engaged  in  agriculture,  the  principal  crop 
being  wheat,  which  will  average,  from  year 
to  year,  fifteen  bushels  to  the  acre.  A  fact 
worthy  of  notice  is  that,  flour  from  wheat  of  Pierce 
County  took  the  prize  at  the  world's  fair  at  Paris  in 
1855,  and  in  1860,  Pierce  County  farmers  took  home 
the  great  prize  banner  from  the  State  fair  at  Madi- 
son. Hay,  oats,  corn,  barley  and  potatoes  follow  in 
the  order  of  enumeration,  and  in  1880  the  following 
number  of  acres  of  each  were  raised  :  Hay,  14,608 ; 
oats,  11,105;  corn,  7,897;  barley,  2,289;  potatoes, 
796.  The  milling  business,  both  lumber  and  flouring, 
is  a  considerable  industry,  and  as  the  expense  is  light, 
it  is  quite  remunerative.  Lake  St.  Croix,  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  and  the  Hudson  &  River  Falls  Rail- 
way are  the  highways  to  market.  Fruit  growing  is 
not  practicable,  the  climate  being  too  severe  for  the 
pear  aud  peach.  The  apple  will  endure  for  a  few 
years,  but  eventually  succumb.  The  small  fruits, 
however,  both  wild  and  domestic,  yield  an  abundant 
fruitage. 

The  surface  of  Pierce  County  is  exceedingly  diver- 
sified, presenting  a  succession  of  high  ridges  and  deep 
valleys,  the  general  course  of  which  are  south  and 
southwest.  In  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Kinnickinuic  and  St.  Croix  rivers, 
traces  of  glacial  action  are  very  apparent.  Underlying 
the  surface  soil  there  is  a  deep  deposit  of  sand  with  lay- 
ers of  gravel,  interspersed  with  bowlders  of  compara- 
tively small  size,  showing  that  the  grinding  action  of 
the  ice  rivers  was  very  complete.  The  particles  of  sand 
and  gravel  indicate  that  the  original  rocks  were  of 
primeval  origin,  as  there  are  large  quantities  of  quartz, 
granite  and  trap-rocks,  while  pieces  of  copper  and 
agates  are  frequently  found  in  the  moraines.  On  the 
higher  lands  the  moraines  vanish,  and  we  find  instead, 
deposits  of  lai-ge  bowlders,  generally  granite  or  trap. 
In  the  southwest  of  the  county,  there  is  a  remarkable 
plateau,  extending  from  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Trimbelle  River  to  that  of  the  Isabelle  River.  This 
table  land  has  an  average  elevation  above  the  Missis- 
sippi of  about  one  hundred  feet,  and  presents  the  ap- 
pearance of  having,  at  some  date,  been  the  bed  of  an 
expansion  of  the  Father  of  Waters — similar  to  Lake 
Pepin.  Indeed,  it  is  not  difficult  to  trace  what  may 
have  then  been  the  channel,  near  the  base  of  the  bluffs 
on  the  north  side,  there  being  a  depression  having  such 
an  appearance,  extending  from  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  plateau  to  a  point  below  Trenton.  Between  tlie 
depressions  are  numerous  elevations  of  moderate  height, 
which  may  have  been  islands  when  the  Father  of  Wa- 
ters formed  at  this  point  an  inland  sea.  The  soil  of 
tills  tract  is  a  sandy  loam  overlying  a  deep  bed  of  fine 
sand  and  gravel.  The  soil  of  the  mounds  is  a  heavy, 
tenacious,  clay  loam,  well  adapted  for  grass  aud  wheat. 


In  the  valley  of  the  Kinnickinnic  and  other  streams 
near  the  northwestern  line  of  the  county,  there  is  a 
rich  black  sand,  containing  a  large  proportion  of  lime, 
which  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  produces  excellent 
crops  of  grain.  Underlying  the  loam  on  the  mounds 
of  the  Trimbelle  is  found  a  tenacious,  bluish-green 
clay,  similar  to  slate  in  some  of  its  characteristics,  and 
still  lower  down  there  are  strata  of  a  sandstone  in  reg- 
ular layers,  and  which  afford  a  good  building  stone  for 
the  coarser  grades  of  woi'k.  It  is  nearly  identical  with 
the  beautiful  St.  Paul  stone,  but  is  yellow  instead  of 
mottled  blue,  and  cannot  be  found  in  as  large  masses. 
Under  this  sandstone  is  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  which 
in  this  locality  is  an  exceedingly  friable  stone,  not 
being  sufficiently  tenacious  to  be  of  any  value  for  build- 
ing. This  layer  is  about  one  hundred  feet  in  thickness 
and  beneath  it  is  a  tough  limestone  known  as  the  Lower 
Magnesian  limestone,  which  in  the  kiln  afi'ords  an  ex- 
cellent brown  lime,  well  adapted  for  all  grades  of 
mason  work  except  finishing.  Still  lower  down  is  an- 
other strata  of  the  sandrock,  possessing  features  simi- 
lar to  those  above  the  limerock.  In  the  south  part  of 
the  county  along  the  Mississippi  bluffs  there  is  a  stone 
which  would  work  well  under  the  chisel  and  be  of  con- 
siderable value  if  economic  transportation  were  at 
hand.  In  that  portion  of  the  county  lying  west  and 
north  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Trimbelle,  the  action 
of  glaciers  and  possibly  icebergs  is  very  apparent. 
The  soil  is  filled  in  many  places  with  large  bowlders  of 
hard  trap  or  granite  rocks,  evidently  rounded  by  the 
action  of  water  or  ice,  while  numerous  moraines  have 
changed  the  course  of  the  Kinnickinnic,  or  in  other 
places,  are  piled  up  into  hills  of  considerable  size.  In 
excavations  in  the  village  of  River  Falls,  there  has  been 
found  abundant  evidence  to  show  that  several  chan- 
nels have  been  cut  through  the  lime-rock  underlying 
the  present  site  and  have  in  turn  been  filled  up  with 
deposits  of  sand,  gravel  and  soil.  Back  of  the  business 
portion  of  Prescott  is  a  plateau  composed  of  a  coarse 
gravel,  and  many  feet  in  depth.  It  is  a  notable  feature, 
however,  that  comparatively  few  pebbles  are  found  in 
the  beds  of  streams  composed  of  the  primitive  rocks, 
those  that  form  the  bed  of  the  streams  being  very  gen- 
erally similar  to  the  ledge-rock  near  at  hand.  The  sur- 
face of  Pierce  County  is  about  three  hundred  feet  above 
Lake  Michigan.  The  soil  derived  from  the  decompo- 
sition of  the  different  geologic  formations  is  always  of 
excellent  quality,  rich  in  organic  matter,  as  well  as  in 
the  salts.  This  gives  a  rapidity  of  growth  to  plants, 
and  a  durability  that  enables  it  to  withstand  a  long  suc- 
cession of  crops.  This  fact  is  strongly  verified  in  this 
region  by  fields  that  have  returned  an  average  of  fifteen 
bushels  of  wheat  per  acre  for  the  past  twenty  years, 
having  deteriorated  but  little  during  that  period. 

EARLY   HISTORY. 

As  early  as  1827,  a  company  was  organized  at  Fort 
Snelling,  on  the  Mississippi,  composed  of  the  leading 
United  States  officers :  Col.  Plympton,  Capt.  Scott, 
Col.  Thompson,  Capt.  Brady,  Dr.  Emerson  and  Phil- 
ander Prescott,  the  latter  being  Indian  interpreter  for 
the  Government,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  land 
at  the  present  site  of  Prescott.  Twelve  hundred  acres 
were  claimed,  and  Prescott  appointed  to  take  possession. 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY. 


A  cabin  was  accordingly  built,  and  for  the  sale  of 
Indian  goods,  a  trading-post  was  established.  This 
claim  was  protected  until  1841,  when  an  act  was  passed 
by  Congress,  denying  all  such  organizations  the  right 
to  hold  claims,  but  giving  to  any  one  land  upon  which 
he  was  living  at  the  date  of  the  act.  Prescott  secured 
160  acres  of  land  under  this  law.  The  Sioux  Indians 
ceded  to  the  United  States  Government  all  the  lands 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  all  the  islands 
in  that  stream,  in  1837.  The  chiefs  removed  their 
bands  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  during  the  follow- 
ing year,  1838. 

This  purchase,  together  with  the  St.  Croix  lumber- 
ing interests,  drew  pioneers  from  the  States,  and  many 
attempts  were  made  to  dispossess  the  Fort  Snelling 
company  of  their  claim.  Eacli  attempt,  however, 
proved  a  failure,  as  power  in  high  places  was  too  strong 
for  the  weak  hand  of  private  enterprise. 

The  fur  company  became  interested  about  this  time, 
and  all  hope  of  settlement,  at  this  point,  was  abandoned 
until  the  Government  should  give  titles  to  the  lands. 
In  the  meantime,  Prescott  had  been  called  to  the  fort 
in  performance  of  his  duties,  as  Indian  interpreter,  and 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Reed,  a  discharged  soldier,  held 
the  claim  for  tlie  officers  of  the  fort. 

Hilton  Doe,  S.  J.  Hodgeden,  from  Ohio,  and  J.  T. 
Truse  and  J.  D.  McBully,  from  New  York,  arrived  in 
18-38.  In  about  a  week,  Doe  was  left  alone.  On  his 
arrival,  he  found  only  the  lone  soldier.  Reed,  and  a 
community  of  Indians  and  half-breeds.  Doe  remained 
only  a  short  time,  when  he  went  below  on  the  river, 
and  held  the  position  of  Indian  farmer  for  seven  years, 
returning  again  in  1845. 

The  settlement  grew  very  slow,  a  fact  due  to  the 
company  excluding  all  settlement  on  their  claim. 

William  Schaser  arrived  in  1841,  but  immediately 
withdrew,  returning  again  in  1845,  and  bringing  with 
him  his  wife,  the  first  white  woman  in  the  county.  Dr. 
Aldrich  came  in  1843.  The  Thing  brothers  and  the 
Cornelison  brothers  came  in  1847;  W.  Lockwood,  in 
184a  ;  W.  McMuvphy  and  L.  Harnsberger,  in  1848  ;  N. 
S.  Dunbar,  Lyman  Smith  and  J.  D.  Freeman,  in  1849  ; 
Dr.  0.  T.  Miixon,  W.  J.  Copp  and  Dr.  Beardsley,  in 
about  1850. 

This  county  was  still  a  portion  of  St.  Croix  County, 
but  in  1849,  the  town  of  Elizabeth  was  set  off,  and 
comprised  what  is  now  the  county  of  Pierce. 

The  first  officers  elected  at  the  organization  of  this 
new  town,  were  Wilson  Tiling,  Chairman  of  the  Board  ; 
Aaron  Cornelison,  L.  N.  Harnsberger,  Supervisors ; 
Hilton  Doe,  Clerk  ;  George  W.  McMurphy,  Treasurer. 

In  1851,  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  tlie  name  of 
the  town  was  changed  to  that  of  Prescott,  in  honor  of 
Mr.  Prescott. 

Among  the  other  settlers  of  Pierce  County,  are : 
Joel  Foster,  in  the  present  town  of  River  Falls,  in 
1848 ;  next  to  follow  and  settle  in  this  place  were  D. 
McGregor,  James  and  Walter  Mapes,  in  1849,  Mr. 
Hayes  W.  Tozer,  Mr.  Penn  and  Ira  Parks,  in  1850. 
Following  them  were  N.  N.  Powell,  Clark  Green,  O. 
S.  Powell,  Capt.  Woods  and  C.  B.  Cox.  In  1854,  a 
man,  named  Dexter,  had  located  on  the  spot  later 
known  as  Bay  City.  Incautiously  speaking  of  his 
claim,  the  spot  attracted  the  attention  of  some  specu- 


lators, who  sought  to  obtain  the  tract  by  the  summary 
process  of  jumping  it  before  Dexter,  could  obtain  a  ti- 
tle, and  after  making  the  entry  at  the  land  office,  they 
sent  down  Mr.  Markle,  then  both  attorney  and  survey- 
or, to  run  out  the  tract.  Dexter  was  aroused  by  this 
supposed  invasion  of  his  right,  and,  meeting  Markle, 
shot  and  killed  him.  Harvey  Seeley  settled  near  the 
present  village  of  Maiden  Rock,  in  1850;  A.  Chapman, 
in  1854;  J.  D.  Trumbull,  Amos  Harris,  G.  H.  Steele, 
J.  Fuller,  M.  J.  Paine  and  J.  A.  Guitteau,  in  1855. 
During  that  year  tlie  movement  of  emigration  was  at 
its  flood,  and  any  attempt  to  mention  individual  names 
any  farther,  would  render  this  sketch  tedious.  Could 
we  evoke  the  genius  of  memorj-,  and  draw  from  those 
who  are  passing  away  so  rapidly  now,  the  reminiscen- 
ces of  that  time,  how  many  stories  we  should  glean 
of  hairbreadth  escapes  in  the  wilds  or  in  the  waters — 
how  the  hunters  returned  from  the  hunt  laden  with 
spoil,  or  of  the  adventures  of  the  land-hunters,  who 
had  found  some  new  paradise  in  their  wanderings  over 
the  pathless  prairies.  We  can  imagine  how,  after  the 
long  days  had  passed  in  toil,  and  the  semi-occasional 
mail  had  come  ift,  that  those  few  old  settlers  would 
gather  around  their  respective  hearthstones  and,  with 
their  pipes  in  their  mouths,  and  after  carefully  perus- 
ing the  papers,  not  more  than  a  month  old,  review  the 
events  of  the  times,  and  compare  notes  as  to  progress 
in  breaking  and  clearing  the  lands.  And  especially 
when  the  shorter  days  of  Winter  came,  and  alone 
in  the  wilderness  a  month  at  a  time,  removed  from 
communication  with  friends  or  relatives  at  their  east- 
ern homes,  how  the  ties  of  western  friendship  would 
seem  to  draw  closer,  and  the  gatherings  come  oftener, 
and  when  the  shades  of  evening  came,  the  ox-sled 
would  be  hauled  up,  the  box  filled  with  a  generous 
supply  of  ha3%  and  the  whole  family  take  seats  in  the 
bottom,  and  hasten  to  visit  their  neighbors,  half  a 
dozen  miles  away.  And  then  the  sorrow,  when  some 
loved  one  was  nearing  the  grave,  and  the  doctor,  hasti- 
ly summoned  from  a  score  of  miles,  gave  no  hope  ;  how 
the  sympathies  of  all  the  country  around  was  shown  in 
kindly  offers — watchers  coming  a  long  distance  to  give 
tlieir  aid,  and  the  funeral  gatherings,  comprising  the 
neighbors  for  miles  around.  There  were  many  bitter 
trials  and  hardships  not  conceivable  in  these  daj's,  but 
they  had  their  compensations,  too,  in  the  enlargement 
of  the  love  of  humanity,  in  the  earnest  and  true-heart- 
ed sympathy',  and  in  the  unbounded  hospitality.  Every 
house  was  a  hotel,  but  it  was  a  hotel  without 
money  and  without  price,  every  traveler  was  wel- 
come to  come  and  go  at  free  will,  and  the 
thought  of  compensation  never  entered  the  minds 
of  those  free-hearted  dwellers  in  the  wilds.  And  wliat 
was  true  of  the  western  portion  of  the  county  from  '45 
to  '49,  was  equally  true  of  the  eastern  portions,  until 
within  a  few  years.  All  the  change  that  would  be 
made  in  the  picture,  is  of  dates. 

It  seems  as  if  there  was  something  in  partial  isola- 
tion of  mankind  that  develops  the  kindlier  feelings  of 
the  human  soul,  enlarges  its  better  impulses,  and  re- 
creates mankind  into  more  nearly  the  image  of  the 
true  man.  And  this  is  true  even  of  these  men,  many 
of  whom  led  wild  lives,  and  this  was  but  the  excres- 
cent growth  of  the  circumstances  in  which  they  were 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


placed,  and  in  no  way  affected  the  manliness  of  char- 
acter wliicli  develojied  itself.  It  seems,  indeed,  as  if 
it  were  a  wise  provision  of  nature  tliat  the  opening 
of  new  countries  slioiild  be  attended  with  a  renewal  of 
the  simpler  life  of  man,  and  thus  introduce  new  blood 
into  the  world  of  civilization. 

Tlie  first  death  in  tlie  county  was  that  of  John  Lock- 
wood,  about  1851.  He  was  supposed  to  have  lieen 
buried  on  the  point,  but  the  body  was  afterward 
removed  and  deposited  in  the  present  cemetery. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  county  was  Eliza, 
daughter  of  George  Schaser.  The  second  was  David, 
a  son  of  John  Rice. 

April  24,  1848,  Geo.  W.  McMurphy  was  married 
to  Maria  Antoinette,  a  daughter  of  John  Rice,  this 
being  the  first  marriage  in  this   county. 

The  first  frame  house  in  tlie  county  was  built  by 
Geo.  W.  McMurphy,  near  the  site  of  his  present  resi- 
dence, in  1849. 

In  1851,  Mrs.  Olive  opened  a  day  school  in  a  small 
building  no  longer  standing,  and  instructed  seven  or 
eight  pupils.  Tiiis  was  near  Prescott,  and  the  first 
school  taught  in  the  county.  Piercig  County  was  or- 
ganized in  1853,  with  full  powers,  there  being  small 
settlements  at  various  points  within  its  limits.  Such 
was  the  beginning  and  early  life  of  Pierce  County, 
which,  from  its  natural  resources,  and  from  the  energy 
and  character  of  her  early  settlers,  has  developed  and 
matured,  till  now  it  is  one  of  the  richest  of  its  age  in 
the  State.  It  is  divided  into  seventeen  civil  townships, 
one  village  and  one  city,  the  townships  being  organized 
as  follows:  Elizabeth,  afterward  Prescott,  1849; 
Greenwood,  afterward  River  Falls,  1S54 ;  Martell, 
1854  ;  Isabella,  1855  ;  Triinbelle,  1855  ;  Diamond  Bluff, 
1853;  Clifton,  1857  ;  Oak  Grove,  1857;  Perrv,  after- 
ward Ellswortli,  1857  ;  Pleasant  Valley,  afterward 
Maiden  Rock,  1857;  Hartland,  1857;  Trenton,  1857  ; 
El  Paso.  1858  ;  Salem,  1862  ;  Rock  Elm,  1862  ;  Spring 
Lake,  1868;  Deerfield,  afterward  Oilman,  1868. 

The  valuation  of  all  personal  property  in  tlie  county 
in  1880,  was  $1,008,455,  and  of  real  estate  $i2,982,572. 
There  are  at  present  eighty-eight  schools  in  tlie  county, 
in  ciiarge  of  a  competent  corps  of  teachers,  and  the  to- 
tal valuation  of  tlie  school  property  is  f 47,588.  In 
1880,  tiie  amount  of  scliool  money  received  was  $i9,- 
382,  and  the  amount  paid  out  was  $38,468.55.  In  con- 
nection witli  the  sciiools  in  the  towns  of  El  Paso,  Oil- 
man, Hartland,  River  Falls  and  Trenton  are  libraries, 
wiiicli  are  doing  much  toward  the  diffusion  of  useful 
knowledge. 


Pierce  County  was  organized  from  St.  Croix  County 
by  a  special  act  of  tlie  Legislature,  approved  March  14, 
1853,  and  organized  with  full  powers.  By  tlie  same 
act,  the  county  seat  was  located  at  the  village  of  Pres- 
cott, with  liberty  to  change  the  same  to  any  other  point 
at  any  general  election.  The  same  act  called  for  an 
election  of  county  officers  in  November,  of  the  same 
year,  and  made  the  Town  Board  of  Prescott  the  County 
Board  of  Supervisors,  which  board  was  formed  of  Os- 
born  Strahl,  Chairman  of  the  Board,  with  Silas  Wright 
and  Sylvester  Moore,  Supervisors.  On  motion,  H. 
Teachout   was   appointed   Clerk,  pro  tern.     The   first 


meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  S.  Moore,  November 

15,  1853.  The  following  persons  were  appointed  as 
Judges  of  Election  :  J.  R.  Freeman,  J.  Hewitt  and  O. 
T.  Maxon,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  At  this  meeting,  they 
proceeded  to  canvass  the  votes  of  the  preceding  elec- 
tion. There  were  110  votes  cast,  the  majorit}-  of  which 
elected  N.  S.  Dunbar,  Sheriff;  J.  R.  Freeman,  Treas- 
urer ;  S.  R.  Gunn,  Clerk  of  the  Court ;  Henry  Teach- 
out,  Clerk  of  the  Board  ;  J.  Oliver,  Coroner ;  P.V.Wise, 
District  Attornej' ;  .1.  F.  True,  Surve3'or.  At  the  first 
meeting  of  the  County  Board,  held  November  16, 1853, 
three  County  Superintendents  of  the  Poor  were  ap- 
pointed :  R.  G.  Thompson,  Jonathan  Bailey  and  J.  R. 
Freeman.  At  the  same  meeting,  a  tax  of  fifteen  mills 
on  the  taxable  property  of  the  county  was  voted,  for 
the  current  expenses  of  the  county.  At  the  same 
meeting,  a  license  was  granted  to  Lovejoy  &  Tell,  to 
run  a  ferry  across  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix  River, 
between  Prescott  and  Point  Douglas,  said  parties 
required  to  give  bonds  to  the  county  for  a  faithful 
fulfillment  of  the  law  in  such  cases  required. 

At  the  special  meeting  called  at  the  house  of  O. 
Strahl,  January  18, 1854,  J.  M.  Whipple  was  appointed 
to  the  oflSce  of  Register  of  Deeds,  the  vote  being  a  tie 
at  the  general  election.  It  was  voted  to  allow  Whip- 
ple the  usual  fee,  as  regulated  by  law,  for  transcribing 
the  records  of  St.  Croix  County  to  the  records  of  Pierce 
County.  At  the  same  meeting.  Greenwood,  now  River 
Falls,  was  set  off,  embracing  what  is  now  known  as 
River  Falls,  also  the  eastern  part  of  Clifton,  the  north 
tier  of  sections  of  Trimbelle,  and  six  sections  of  Oak 
Grove. 

The  following  is  an  aggregate  valuation  of  personal 
property  as  taken  from  the  Assessor's  list,  of  November 

16,  1853 :  Real  estate,  $24,452 ;  personal  property, 
$3,616 ;  total,  $28,068,  as  certified  to  by  P.  V.  Wise, 
Deputy  Clerk.  That  year,  at  the  November  election, 
W.  J.  Copp  was  chosen  Circuit  Judge,  receiving  in 
Pierce  Countj'  ninety-six  votes  ;  and  during  the  same 
Fall,  Mason  Stone  was  elected  County  Judge.  The 
place  of  holding  the  Countj'  Court  at  this  time  was 
somewhat  varied,  using  whatever  hall  or  empty  room 
they  could  secure,  the  jail  being  the  only  county  build- 
ing then  erected.  The  following  are  the  returns  of  the 
county  election  held  November  7, 1854:  Congressman, 
C.  C.  Washburn  ;  State  Senator,  Moses  S.  Gibson ; 
Assemblyman,  Smith  R.  Gunn;  Sheriff,  J.  Oliver; 
("ounty  Treasurer,  J.  Bailey  ;  County  Survej'or,  O. 
Strahl;  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  John  truax ;  District 
Attorney,  A.  C.  Stowell ;  Register  of  Deeds,  S.  T.  Otis ; 
Clerk  Board  of  Supervisors,  N.  N.  Powell ;  Coroner, 
C.  B.  Cox  ;  County  Judge,  Mason  Stone ;  Sealer  of 
Weights  and  Measures,  William  Mc^luiphy.  In  ac- 
cordance with  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved 
Marbli  15,  1861,  the  question  of  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  from  Prescott  to  Ellsworth,  was  submitted 
to  the  people  with  the  following  results:  973  votes 
were  cast,  of  which  600  were  for  removal,  the  remain- 
der opposing.  At  the  next  session  of  the  County 
Board,  the  officers  went  directly  to  the  point  designated 
in  the  act,  and  did  business  in  a  board  shanty  erected 
for  their  comfort.  Soon  after  tliis,  there  was  a  meeting 
of  the  board  held  at  the  \\q\\  county  seat,  and  this 
meeting  was  the  sceae  of  a  lively  contest.   The  eastern 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY 


delegation  presented  and  contended  for  a  bill  calling 
for  an  appropriation  for  tlie  erection  of  permanent 
county  buildings.  Tiie  Prescott  faction  opposed  it, 
wishing  only  tliose  of  a  temporary  cliaracter.  No  ami- 
cable settlement  could  be  made,  and  the  meeting 
adjourned  sine  die.  Tlie  following  year,  April  1,  an 
act  was  approved,  calling  for  an  election  to  return  the 
seat  of  justice  to  Prescott.  The  effort,  liowever,  was 
a  failure,  and  the  seat  of  government  luis  since  remained 
at  Ellsworth. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  held  April  7,  18G1,  the 
sum  of  $2,000  was  voted  for  the  erection  of  suitable 
buildings  for  holding  the  courts  of  the  county,  also  for 
a. jail  for  the  use  of  the  said  county,  the  buildings  to  be 
erected  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  or  the 
southeast  quarter  of  Section  18,  or  the  nortlieast  quarter 
of  Section  19,  or  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  20, 
in  Townsliip  26,  Range  17  west,  on  any  jiart  of  said 
land  as  may  be  determined  b}'  tlie  Board  of  Super- 
visors. The  vote  stood  nine  for  and  five  against.  At 
a  meeting,  July,  18G1,  it  was  voted  to  add  $4,500  to  the 
sum  already  voted.  Tlie  temporary  buildings  subse- 
quently erected,  were  used  until  1869,  when  an  appro- 
priation of  $30,000  was  made,  and  buildings  of  a  sub- 
stantial kind  were  erected.  Daring  the  same  year,  an 
appropriation  of  )|3,000  was  made,  for  the  purchase  of  a 
"  poor  farm,"  which  is  located  near  Ellsworth,  and 
affords  a  comfortable  retreat  for  the  poor  of  the  county. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  June  19,  1872,  it  was 
voted  to  issue  bonds  of  the  county,  to  the  amount  of 
•$5,0u0,  for  the  Normal  school  fund,  said  bonds  pavable 
March  1,  1873. 

The  first  records  of  the  judicial  courts,  held  at  Pres- 
cott, in  1854,  were  kept  on  sheets  of  foolscap  pajierand 
fastened  together  with  wafers,  such  as  were  used  to 
seal  letters  in  days  of  yore.  The  first  case  before  the 
court  was  as  follows:  "State  of  Wisconsin,  Pierce 
County;  William  Woodruff,  versus  Charles  D.  Stevens, 
August  Lochmen,  and  Charles  Peschke.  In  court  of* 
said  county.  In  equity.  On  reading  and  filing  the  bill 
of  complaint,  in  this  case,  on  motion  of  S.  J.  R.  Mc- 
Millan and  H.  M.  Lewis,  solicitors  for  counsel,  J.  S. 
Foster,  it  is  ordered  that  a  writ  of  injunction  lie  issued 
in  the  case,  pursuant  to  the  prayer  of  said  bill,  upon 
said  complainant.  Some  one,  in  his  behalf,  filed  with  the 
clerk  of  said  court,  a  bond  for  damages,  and  costs  in 
the  sum  of  $1,700,  with  surety  to  be  approved  by  the 
clerk  or  judge  of  said  court. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  seal  this  22nd  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1854,  (signed) 
Hiram  Knowlton,  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  Dis- 
trict." 

The  present  officers  of  the  countv  are  as  follows  ; 
A.  H.  Lord,  Sheriff;  Jens  B.  Jensen,  Clerk;  K.  W. 
Lewis,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  F.  B.  White,  Treasurer;  J. 
S.  Rounts,  Clerk  of  the  Court ;  F.  A.  Ross,  District 
Attorney  ;  H.  P.  Ames,  Judge. 

The  Press. — The  first  newspaper  published  in  the 
county,  was  at  Prescott  in  1855,  by  C.  E.  Young.  The 
first  copy  appeared  February  14,  under  the  title  Pres- 
cott Paraclete,  the  editor  thinking  that  to  mean  "  mes- 
senger." Afterward,  learning  that  the  proper  meaning 
of  Paraclete  was  "Holy  Ghost,"  he  changed  the  title  to 
Prescott   Transcript.     In  1857,  The  Journal  was  estab- 


lished at  River  Falls,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Taylor 
Brothers.  Shortly  after,  Horace  Taylor  sold  his  in- 
terest to  his  brother,  L.  A.  Taylor,  who  continued  its 
publication  until  the  Fall  of  1868,  when  he  sold  it  to 
Messrs.  Flint  &  Weber.  In  June  1871,  the  material  of 
the  Journal  office  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  sub- 
scription list  sold  to  Messrs.  Kimball  &  Morse,  of  the 
Pierce  County  Herald.  After  fifteen  years  of  conflict 
with  various  adverse  circumstances,  the  Journal  once 
again  appears  on  the  very  soil  where  it  was  first  planted. 
This  time  started  and  published  by  A.  Morse  &  Co., 
Friday,  August  2,  1872.  November  15,  of  the  same 
j'ear,  it  appears  as  pviblished  by  A.  Morse  &  Son.  Nov- 
ember 15,  1876,  J.  D.  Moody  purchased  an  interest  in 
the  Journal,  and  the  firm  became  C.  R.  Morse  &  Co., 
which  continued  until  February  24, 1881,  when  J.  H. 
Wilkinson  purchased  Mr.  Moody's  interest,  and  the  firm 
became  Morse  &  Wilkinson.  It  is  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  has  a  large  list  of  subscribers. 

In  1857,  Messrs.  Lusk,  Wise  and  Bailey  com- 
menced the  publication  of  a  Democratic  paper,  en- 
titled the  Pierce  County  Democrat.  This,  however,  soon 
sought  the  "shades." 

The  Pierce  County  Herald,  published  at  Ellsworth 
every  Wednesday,  was  founded  by  G.  W.  and  M.  B. 
Kimball,  in  January,  1868,  and  has  been  published 
continuously  ever  since,  never  having  failed  of  its  regu- 
lar issue  in  any  week  during  all  this  time.  It  was  ed- 
ited by  M.  B. 'Kimball  until  May  29,  1869,  when  Dr. 
D.  W.  Woodworth  was  associated  with  him.  The 
publication  of  the  Prescott  Journal  was  discontinued 
July  13,  1871,  and  its  subscription  list,  with  the  good 
will  of  its  owners,  was  transferred  to  the  Herald.  At 
this  time,  C.  R.  Morse  purchased  a  half  interest,  and 
Dr.  Woodworth  retired  from  the  position  of  associate 
editor.  For  some  time  following  these  changes,  the 
Journal  was  the  only  paper  published  in  the  county. 
On  the  20th  of  November,  1872,  C.  R.  Morse  trans- 
ferred his  interest  back  to  G.  W.  Kimball,  who  again 
sold  it,  this  time  to  E.  F.  Case,  October  1,  1875.  M. 
B.  Kimball  sold  his  share  to  E.  S.  Doolittle,  February 
22,  1877.  Since  that  time,  it  has  been  puljlished  by 
Case  &  Doolittle.  The  Herald  is  Republican  in  politics, 
but  is  moderate  and  liberal  in  its  views,  and  devotes 
more  space  to  local  news  and  the  discussion  of  ques- 
tions relating  to  the  public  good,  than  to  partisan  war- 
fare, and  consequently  it  finds  favor  and  patronage 
among  all  parties.  It  is  the  only  paper  that  has  a 
general  circulation  in  the  southern  part  of  the  countjs 
and  is,  therefore,  the  only  medium  through  which  ad- 
vertisers can  reach  the  people  through  that  section. 
Its  circulation  is  552  copies. 

In  1873,  April  1,  M.  B.  Kimball  commenced  the 
publication  of  what  was  known  as  the  Prescott  Clarion, 
at  Prescott.  He  sold  his  interest  to  E.  C.  Kibbe  the 
same  year,  who  changed  its  name  to  the  Pierce  County 
Plaindealer.  July  1,  1876,  E.  H.  Ives  purchased  the 
paper,  and  has  published  it  since. 

The  River  Falls  Press  was  established  July  28, 1874, 
by  George  B.  Merrick,  editor  and  proprietor,  with 
strong  Republican  sentiments.  In  1877,  Walter  S. 
Fowler  bought  one-half  interest,  and  assumed  entire 
control  of  the  mechanical  department  of  the  paper. 
Though  much  younger  than  the  other  papers  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


county,  it  still  has  many  warm  friends,  and  a  fair  list 
of  subscribers,  and  is  flourishing  like  a  "green  bay 
tree." 

Counhj  Agricultural  Society. — The  Pierce  County 
Agricultural  Society  was  organized  March  15,  1859. 
The  officers  at  the  date  of  organization  were  :  O.  T. 
Maxou,  president,  with  one  vice  president  from  each 
town  ;  George  ]\I.  Powell,  secretary.  The  grounds  of 
the  society  are  located  about  one-lialf  a  mile  east  of  the 
city  of  Prescott,  on  the  higlier  grounds.  They  are 
nicely  finished,  with  a  one-half  mile  race  track,  and 
buildings  suitable  for  the  display  of  products  of  the 
county.  The  present  oflScers  of  the  society  are :  W.  T. 
Bunker,  president ;  Col.  D.  J.  Dill,  secretary.  The 
meetings  of  the  society  are  well  sustained,  and  fine 
displays  are  made  each  year,  with  a  good  attendance 
from  this  and  adjoining  counties. 

ELLSWORTH. 

Ellsworth,  the  county  seat  of  Pierce  County,  is  situated 
on  Sections  i8  and  19,  Town  26,  Range  17,  in  about  the 
central  part  of  the  county,  and  in  the  edge  of  the  "big 
woods."  It  sprang  into  existence  in  1861,  by  the  selection 
of  that  point  for  the  county  seat  of  Pierce  County.  Among 
the  first  settlers  of  Ellsworth,  Anthony  Huddleson  has  the 
honor  of  being  the  first.  He  settled  on  Section  19,  Town 
26,  Range  17,  in  the  Spring  of  1855,  and  at  once  began  the 
opening  of  a  farm.  He  also  built  a  log-house,  the  first  in 
the  place.  Among  those  who  immediately  followed  him 
and  settled  during  that  year,  were  David  Klingensmith,  on 
Section  19,  Town  26,  Range  17;  C.  B.  Bruce,  on  Section 
20,  Town  26,  Range  17;  Wilson  Kinney,  on  Section  18, 
Town  26,  Range  17;  E.  W.  Bruce,  on  Section  18,  Town  26, 
Range  17.  These  men  all  brought  their  families  with  them, 
built  log-houses,  and  began  clearing  up  the  country. 

The  first  hotel  was  built  in  the  Summer  of  i860,  by 
William  Crippin.  This  building  burned  down  in  1877.  A 
store  was  also  opened  about  this  time  by  C.  S.  Dunbar. 
The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  Summer  of  1857,  by 
Mary  Filkins  ( now  Mrs.  G.  H.  Sargeant,  a  resident  of 
Minnesota)  in  a  small  school-house,  built  of  logs,  in  the 
Spring  of  that  year.  The  next  school-house  was  built  of 
frame,  in  1863.  This  is  now  standing,  and  is  used  as  a 
saloon. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the  house  of 
E.  B.  Bruce,  by  a  Rev.  Rogers,  of  Prescott,  a  Baptist  mis- 
sionary. 

The  first  death  was  Mrs.  J.  Youngman.  This  occurred 
in  the  Winter  of  1855. 

The  post-office  was  opened  in  i860,  with  Seeley  Strick- 
land as  the  Postmaster.  He  was  succeeded  by  J.  W.  Winn, 
and  he  in  turn  by  E.  L.  Davis,  the  present  incumbent. 
Mr.  Davis  has  been  Postmaster  since  18C7. 

Ellsworth  became  county  seat  of  the  county  in  i860, 
and  the  county  officers  first  held  their  offices  in  tlie  base- 
ment of  the  hotel  erected  by  Mr.  Crippin.  During  that 
year  the  few  citizens  built  a  log  structure  in  wliich  the  first 
term  of  court  was  held  in   Ellsworth,  S.  S.  N.  Fuller,  pre- 


siding. In  1862  the  citizens  also  erected  a  town  hall,  in 
which  court  was  held  until  the  present  court-house  was 
built.  In  1864  a  stone  building  was  erected  for  the  county 
officers.     Tliis  is  used  by  them  at  the  present  time. 

Ellsworth  was  laid  out  and  platted  as  a  village  in  1862, 
by  William  C.  Kinne,  Norris  Kinney  and  Ira  Williams.  J. 
D.  Trumbull  did  the  surveying.  It  is  now  a  village  con- 
taining about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  and  is  situated  in 
the  center  of  a  thrifty  farming  district.  The  most  impor- 
tant figures  in  this  little  place  are  the  county  buildings, 
which  were  erected,  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000.  It  has 
its  stores,  hotels,  churches,  societies,  and  manufacturing  in- 
terests, such  as  might  be  expected  in  a  place  of  its  size. 

The  first  saw-mill  erected  in  the  place  was  by  John 
Barnes,  and  for  a  short  time  did  a  considerable  amount  of 
business.  It  was  subsequently  burned  down.  The  next 
one  was  built  by  Evans  &  Sanderson.  It  is  now  owned  by 
G.  W.  Kimball  &  Son,  and  has  a  capacity  of  about  5,000 
feet  of  lumber  per  day,  but  is  operated  only  to  supply  the 
local  or  custom  trade. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  features  of  Ellsworth  is  a 
barrel-stave  and  heading  factory,  which  was  established  in 
1874  by  Obadiah  Eames.  In  1880,  this  institution  turned 
out  2,oco  cords  of  staves  and  3,300  cords  of  headings. 
Twenty-two  men  are  employed,  and  the  factory  represents 
a  total  investment  of  $20,000.  The  product  of  this  mill  is 
sold  mostly  in  Minneapolis  and  some  in  Red  Wing.  Mr. 
Eames  died  a  short  time  since,  and  the  property  is  now  in 
the  hands  of  his  heirs,  and  under  the  control  of  G.  W. 
Fletcher,  who  has  been  its  foreman  since  the  time  it  was 
established. 

The  religious  portion  of  Ellsworth  is  represented  by  a 
neat  little  church,  which  was  built  by  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal society  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000.  The  church 
society  was  organized  in  about  1861. 

The  present  commodious  brick  school-house,  built  in 
1874,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  is  a  credit  to  the  village  and  one 
of  the  evidences  of  a  high  moral  and  intellectual  culture. 
The  schools  are  kept  open  from  eight  to  ten  months  during 
the  year,  and  the  attendance  is  good,  all  of  the  departments 
being  full. 

I.  O.  O.  F.,  Ellsworth  Lodge,  No.  150,  was  instituted 
July  I,  1868,  with  six  charter  members;  their  charter  is 
dated  January  21,  1869.  The  first  officers  were  M.  B.  Will- 
iams, N.  G.;  John  C.  Anderson,  V.  G.;  A.  E.  Michael,  re- 
cording secretary;  H.  B.  Doolittle,  treasurer.  The  present 
officers  are  Jacob  Schuemaker,  N.  G.;  G.  R.  Thurston,  V. 
G.;  M.  M.  Sanderson,  recording  secretar)- ;  J.  S.  Beatty, 
treasurer.  The  order  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  has 
a  membership  of  fifty-seven. 

Ellsworth,  from  time  to  time,  has  had  organizations  of 
different  temperance  societies,  but,  like  all  their  lives,  have 
been  spasmodic,  and  at  present  there  is  only  one  such  or- 
ganization— Ellsworth  Lodge,  No.  224,  I.  O.  G.  T. — which 
was  instituted  by  Jennie  Nash  in  the  Winter  of  1876,  and 
is  now  in  a  prosi)erous  condition  with  a  good  membership. 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY. 


713 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HENRY  P.  AMES,  Jiulge  of  the  Probate  Court  of  Pierce  Co., 
Ellsworth,  was  born  in  Oxford  Co.,  Maine.  Oct.  18,  1831.  After  re- 
ceivinjT  a  seminary  education,  he  went  to  Delaware,  where  he  com- 
menced teaching  school  in  1849  ;  followed  that  vocation  until  1S56,  when 
he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  pre-empted  a  claim  of  160  acres  of  land  in 
Pierce  County.  In  the  Fall  of  1S5S,  located  in  the  village  of  Prescott. 
and  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Prince  County.  In  i860,  he  was  appointed 
County  Treasurer,  serving  one  term,  after  which,  he  commenced  farming 
again,  being  also  County  Commissioner  under  the  old  system.  Since 
lS67,hehas  dealt  in  real  estate,  and  in  1S6S,  erected  the  hotel,  now 
known  as  the  Keith  House,  which  he  ran  for  two  years.  He  was  elected 
to  his  present  office  in  the  Spring  of  1S77,  re-elected  in  1S81  ;  was  mar- 
ried, in  the  Fall  of  1857,  to  Miss  Augusta  C.  Betts,  who  was  born  in 
New  York. 

JOHN  S.  BEATY,  proprietor  of  Forest  House,  Ellsworth,  was  born 
in  Crawford  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  20,  1837.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  June  of 
1864,  and  settled  in  Pierce  County,  on  a  farm.  In  the  Spring  of  1865, 
he  enlisted  in  the  late  war ;  in  the  50th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  G,  serving 
until  June  of  1S66,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  on  the  farm,  where  he 
lived  until  February,  1S76.  He  then  moved  to  the  village  of  Ellsworth, 
and  started  a  general  merchandise  store,  in  company  with  B.  Elliot, 
which  he  ran  until  1879,  when  he  .sold  out  to  his  partner,  and  has  since 
been  running  the  stage  line  from  Ellsworth  to  Prescott  and  Red  Wing. 
In  September  of  iSSi,  he  commenced  keeping  hotel.  He  was  married, 
in  1S61,  to  Miss  Martha  Mumford,  of  Iowa,  who  is  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Beatty  was  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Hart- 
land  in  1867,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  P.,  Ellsworth  Lodge,  No. 
150. 

BENTON  ELLIOTT,  merchant,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in  Michigan. 
Feb.  22,  1S46,  and  lived  there  with  his  parents  until  1S61,  his  father  R. 
B.  Elliot,  being  an  old  settler  of  that  State.  He  enlisted  in  the  1st 
Michigan  Cavalry  on  detached  service,  with  Sergeant  D.  K.  Johnson,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.  Served  for  one  year,  and  then  returned  to  Michi- 
gan. In  1S64,  he  went  to  Idaho,  where  he  engaged  at  mining  until  the 
Fall  of  1S66.  At  one  tine,  in  crossing  the  plains,  his  train  had  a  despe- 
rate encounter  with  the  Sioux  Indians.  He  then  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  at  Ellsworth,  where  he  started  a  restaurant,  which  he  ran  until 
1869,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  some  land,  which  he  farmed  for  one 
year.  In  1S70,  he  started  a  general  merchandise  store,  which  business 
he  has  pursued  ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  River 
Falls  Lodge,  No.  109.  He  served  one  term  as  Town  Clerk  of  Ells- 
worth ;  was  married,   in   1S68,  to  Miss   Emma  J.  Johnson,  a  native  of 

CORNELIUS  FENTON,  lawyer,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in  New 
York,  in  January  of  1S38.  He  enlisted  in  the  first  three  months  call  of 
l85l,  and  again  in  October  of  1865.  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  the  Fall  of  i866,  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  River  Falls,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm,  and  was  also  engaged  at  teaching  school  until  1869; 
he  then  moved  to  Ellsworth,  where  he  continued  farming  until  1878, 
then  moved  into  the  village.  He  has  served  as  Town  Assessor  of  Ells- 
worth for  three  years,  also  three  years  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors, having  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  three  years,  slill  holding 
that  position.  He  was  appointed  Court  Commissioner  by  Judge  Bundy, 
■  which  ofiice  he  now  fills,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Ellsworth 
Lodge,  No.  150.  Was  married,  in  1S70,  to  Miss  Maggie  D.Travis,  anative 
of  New  York,  and  by  whom  he  has  four  children,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

GEO.  F.  FLETCHER  (P.  O.  Ellsworth),  superintendent  of  the 
stave-mill  of  O.  Earns,  deceased,  of  Red  Wing.  Was  born  in  Bloomfield, 
Me.,  May  31,  1819,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  April  of  1855,  locating  in 
the  town  of  Hartland,  Pierce  County,  where  he  entered  some  land  from 
the  Government.  In  the  Spring  of  1856,  he,  in  company  with  Joseph 
and  Wright  Sleeper,  erected  the  first  school-house  in  said  town,  situated 
on  Sec.  15,  on  the  Isabella  Creek,  near  Sleeper's  mill.  Mr.  Fletcher 
enlisted,  in  the  Spring  of  1865,  in  the  50th  Wis.,  V.  I.,  Co.  I,  of  the  late 
war,  serving  until  four  months  after  the  close  of  the  war;  after  which 
he  returned  to  his  farm,  living  there  until  he  engaged  with  the  above 
firm,  which  was  at  the  time  the  business  was  established,  in  1874.  He 
has  served  one  term  on  the  Town  Board  of  Hartland,  and  was  Treasurer 
of  his  school  district  for  fourteen  years.  He  was  married,  in  1S44,  to 
Miss  Hannah  A.  Savage,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Maine. 

JENS  B.  JENSON,  County  Clerk.  Ellsworth.  Was  born  in  Nor- 
way, Feb.  16,  185 1.  He  immigrated  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States  in  1862,  settling  in  Pierce  County,  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  remained  until  the  Fall  of  1S7S.  wlien  he  was  elected  Clerk  of 
the  Circuit  Court,  in  Pierce  County.  In  the  Fall  of  1880  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk,  which  office  he  still  holds.  He  was  married,  in  1879,  to 
Miss  A.  M.  Isaacson,  who  was  born  in  Pierce  County,  and  whose  father, 
Jens  Isaacson,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Martell.  Mr. 
jenson  served  as  Town  Clerk  of  Gilminton  for  two  years,  and  both 
himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


J.  G.  KEITH,  proprietor  of  the  Keith  House,  Ellsworth.  Was  born 
in  New  Brunswick,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1S46,  He  left  home  in  1866. 
coming  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  located  at  Trenton,  Pierce  County,  and 
commenced  farming.  Here  he  resided  until  1873,  when  he  moved  to 
the  village  of  Ellsworth,  and  commenced  keeping  hotel,  which  he  has 
run  ever  since,  having  added  a  large  addition  for  an  opera  hall.  Mr. 
Keith  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Drake,  in  the  year  1S70,  she  being  a 
daughter  of  John  Drake,  of  the  town  of  Hartland. 

GEO.  W.  KIMBALL,  proprietor  of  the  steam  saw-mill.  Ellsworth, 
was  born  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  Jan.  28,  1821,  and  in  Decem- 
ber of  1867  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Ellsworth,  where  he  founded 
the  Pierce  County  Herald,  in  company  with  his  son,  Morris  B.  This 
paper  was  Republican  in  its  politics,  and  was  first  published  on  a  sub- 
scription list  of  285  copies,  but  in  1872  had  increased  to  a  circulation  of 
1.472.  In  186S,  at  the  time  they  first  edited  the  paper,  Morris  B.  was 
the  youngest  editor  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  his  sister  Minnie  set 
type,  when  only  five  years  old,  in  her  father's  ofiice.  Being  too  small 
to  hold  the  stick  in  her  hand,  she  used  to  set  it  on  the  case  and  call 
some  of  her  older  fellow-workers  to  space  out  her  line.  At  the  age  of 
eleven  years  she  was  a  good  compositor  and  could  set  up  an  entire  tax 
list.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  in  September  of  1844,  in 
Porter,  Ind..  to  Adelia  A.  Dillingham,  who  was  born  April  3.  1822.  in 
Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  and  by  whom  he  has  had  six  children,  three  of  whom 
are  living,  Morris  B.,  Martha  and  Minnie  J.  They  lost  one  son,  Mon- 
roe D.,  who  enlisted  in  the  war,  in  the  21st  Ind.,  V.  I.,  Co.  I,  and  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness.  His  son,  Morris  B.,  also  served 
five  months  in  the  war,  being  only  sixteen  years  old.  He  is  now  warrant 
clerk  and  proof-reader  in  the  Secretary  of  Slate  office,  at  Madison. 
Mr.  Kimball  and  son  ran  the  Pierce  County  Herald  until  1S76,  when 
they  sold  out  to  the  present  proprietor.  He  was  also  in  company  with 
.\.  Sanderson  in  erecting  the  Ellsworth  steam  saw-mill,  said  firm  exist- 
ing until  1876.  when  Mr.  Kimball  bought  out  his  partner,  and  it  is  now 
run  under  the  firm  name  of  G.  W.  Kimball  &  Son.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O,  F.,  Ellsworth  Lodge,  he  being  greatly 
instrumental  in  organizing  said  lodge,  although  not  a  charter  member. 

WILLIAM  C.  KINNE,  farmer.  Sec.  19,  P.  O.  Ellsworth  was  born 
at  Green  Mountain,  Vt.,  May  i,  1815.  He  left  his  native  State  in  1841, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  and  bought  n  farm  and  was 
among  the  first  settlers  in  Rock  County.  Here  he  resided  until  i860, 
when  he  moved  to  Pierce  County  and  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
lives.  He  was  one  of  the  organizing  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Ellsworth,  which  society  built  the  first  church  in  the  village, 
Mr.  Kinne  donating  four  lots  for  that  purpose,  himself  and  wife  having 
been  members  of  that  denomination  for  thirty  years.  He  was  married 
in  New  York  State  in  1841,  to  Miss  Lucina  Jacobs,  who  is  a  native  of 
that  State,  and  they  have  now  a  family  of  six  children.  They  lost  one 
son.  Warren  O.,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  war,  having  enlisted  in  the  20th 
Wis.  Vol.  Infty.  Co.  A,  in  July  of  1862,  and  died"  in  the  Regimental 
Hospital  at  Missouri,  on  the  9th  of  November,  1862. 

LLOYD  L.  LEWIS,  retired  farmer,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in  Onon- 
daga Co.,  N.  Y.  July  18,  1807.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846,  and 
made  a  claim  in  what  is  now  known  as  Lewis  Valley,  in  La  Crosse 
County,  moving  his  family  there  during  the  same  year.  He  then  com- 
menced improving  his  farm,  and  also  erected  a  saw-mill,  which  was  the 
first  one  in  that  locality.  He  continued  in  this  business  until  1857, 
when  he  moved  to  Trempealeau,  where  he  engaged  at  merchandising 
for  one  year,  and  in  185S  removed  to  Pierce  County,  buying  a  farm  in 
the  town  of  Hartland.  In  May  of  iSSi,  he  moved  into  the  village  of 
Ellsworth.  He  has  served  as  Register  of  Deeds  in  Pierce  County,  and 
also  Clerk  .of  the  Court,  and  has  held  various  town  offices.  His  son, 
Knox  W.  Lewis,  is  the  present  Register  of  Deeds  in  Pierce  County. 

J.  B.  MAYNARD,  Jr.,  furniture  store,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in 
Washington  Co..  Wis,,  Feb.  13,  1851.  and  lived  there  until  1862, 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Pierce  County,  settling  in  the  town  of  Ells- 
worth, one  mile  north  of  the  village.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
lived  at  home  until  1874,  when  he  began  work  in  the  village  at  the  car- 
penter trade,  which  he  followed  for  two  years,  after  which  he  started  a 
furniture  store  in  company  with  C.  V.  Bisell,  occupying  the  building 
which  now  joins  his  store  on  the  east.  In  1878  the  firm  dissolved,  Mr. 
Maynard  continuing  the  busine.ss,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year 
moved  into  the  building  which  he  now  occupies.  He  was  married  in 
the  following  December  to  Miss  Annis  M.  Beatiy,  who  was  born  in 
Iowa.  Mr.  Maynard  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Ellsworth  Lodge, 
No.  150. 

JOHN  L.  MOODY,  druggist,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in  Vermont  in 
August  of  1851.  Remained  there  until  1873,  when  he  c.^me  to  Wiscon- 
sin, going  to  River  Falls,  Pierce  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  office 
of  the  River  Falls  Journal.  Here  he  worked  for  one  year  and  then 
commenced  clerking  in  a  drug  store,  at  which  he  continued  for  three 
years,  when  he  bought  in  as  partner  in  the  River  Falls  Journal.  After 
eng,tging  at  this  for  four  years,  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Ellsworth  in 
the  Spring  of  iSSi,  and  started  in  his  present  business.  He  served  two 
years  as  Town  Clerk  of  River  Falls,  and  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M., 
River  Falls  Lodge,  No.  loq. 


7M 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


THOMAS  L.  NELSON,  retired  merchant,  Ellsworth.  Was  born 
in  Cumberland  Co.,  Penn..  on  the  1st  of  September.  1S31.  His  parents 
moved  to  Monroe  Co.,  Mich.,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  at 
the  5ame  time  to  Wisconsin,  when  he  pre-empted  a  claim  in  the  town 
of  Harlland,  Pierce  Co.,  in  the  year  1855.  He  started  a  brick-yard  the 
same  year,  where  the  present  village  of  Bay  City  now  stands,  and  after- 
ward engaged  at  contracting  and  building,  at  Red  Wing,  Minn., and 
Prescott,  Wis.,  until  iSsq.  when  he  took  a  trip  to  Colorado,  where  he 
worked  at  mining.  In  1S61,  he  returned  to  Pierce  County.  He  enlist- 
ed in  the  late  war,  in  Co.  A,  20th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  December,  1862.  serv- 
ing until  the  close  of  the  war,  afterward  returning  to  his  former  home, 
where  he  followed  farming  and  contracting  until  1S72,  when  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Pierce  County.  In  the  years  1854-55,  he  represented 
that  county  in  the  Assembly,  and  in  1876  was  re-elected  Sheriff,  and 
in  the  same  year  started  a  hardware  store  at  Ellsworth,  which  he  ran 
until  April,  18S1.  He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  River  Falls 
Lodge,  No.  tog,  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  County  Board  for 
three  years.  Was  married,  in  1874,  to  Miss  Sarah  Stone,  daughter  of 
Col.  Nathan  Stone,  of  Prescott,  who  became  a  settler  of  Pierce  County 
in   1853. 

JOHN  PETERSON,  blacksmith,  Ellsworth.  Was  born  in'Nor- 
way,  April  II,  1S33,  and  in  1S69  came  to  America,  locating  at  Eau 
Claire,  where  he  remained  for  some  time.  He  afterward  moved  to  Red 
Wing,  Minn.,  where  he  lived  until  1872.  He  then  removed  to  Ells- 
worth and  engaged  to  work  for  E.  L.  Davis,  and  in  1S73  he  started  a 
shop  for  himself,  where  he  still  does  business.  In  1S75,  erected  his 
present  residence,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  was  married  to 
Mary  A.  Kile,  who  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  by  whom  he  has 
one  daughter,  Lizzie.  They  are  both  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  Mr.  Peterson  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Ellsworth  Lodge, 
No.  150. 

PERRY  D.  PIERCE,  lawyer,  Ellsworth.  Was  born  in  Delaware 
Co.,  N.  Y..  Dec.  S.  1821.  His  father,  Ebenezer  Pierce,  was  born  in 
Taunton,  Mass.  His  mother,  Martha  Foster,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Wilton,  Conn.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  an  academic  educa- 
tion, and  afterward  read  law  with  Abraham  Becker  at  South  Worcester, 
N.  Y.,  and  in  1S43  was  admiited  to  the  Bar  of  the  Supreme  Court.  He 
first  practiced  at  Rensselaerville  until  1854,  and  then  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin, locating  at  Prescott,  where  he  continued  his  profession,  being  the 
first  practiced  lawyer  in  Pierce  County.  He  served  as  District  Attor- 
ney of  that  county  for  two  terms,  and  has  been  County  Judge  six  years, 
and  has  continued  his  practice  of  law  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of 
four  years,  when  he  farmed  in  the  town  of  Clifton.  In  1870,  when  he 
took  the  seat  of  County  Judge,  he  moved  to  Ellsworth,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  ever  since.  In  the  years  1S64-65,  Mr.  Pierce  was  en- 
gaged with  the  Government  on  the  construction  corps  of  the  Railroad 
Department.  He  was  married,  in  lS6o.  to  Miss  Lucy  E.,  daughter  of 
William  E.  Scarsdale.  at  River  Falls,  and  they  have  now  two  daughters, 
Lulie  E.,  now  Mrs.  Frank  Walsingham,  and  Grace  A. 

MARK  M.  SANDERSON,  of  the  firm  of  Sanderson  &  Campbell' 
merchants,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  on  the  iilh  of  April' 
1S54,  where  he  lived  until  iSjg,  when  he  came  West  with  his  parents, 
first  locatins  at  Red  Wing.  Minn.  In  i86().  he  came  to  Ellsworth,  and 
clerked  forE.  L.  Davis.  In  the  Fall  of  1875.  went  to  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  house  of  N.  B.  Harwood  &  Co.;  continued  in 
their  employ  until  the  Winter  of  1S77,  and  in  June  of  the  next  year, 
opened  a  store  at  Ellsworth,  in  company  with  his  present  partner,  and 
now  does  a  business  of  $12,000  per  annum,  being  also  engaged  in 
buying  and  shipping  stocks.  Mr  Sanderson  is  at  present  Town  Treasu- 
rer of  Ellsworth.  He  was  married,  Nov.  6,  1S79,  'o  Miss  Annie  M. 
Schumacher,  who  was  born  in  Indiana. 

SELAH  STRICKLAND,  real  estate  dealer,  Ellsworth,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts.  June  8,  1829.  In  1839,  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Port- 
age County,  Ohio,  where  his  father.  Willis  Strickland,  still  live.s,  at 
eighty  years  of  age.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  left  home  in  1S50.  and 
clerked  in  a  warehouse  until  1856,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Pierce 
County.  He  bought  a  section  of  land  in  the  Spring  of  1S57,  and  in 
company  with  his  brother  Seth,  and  Joseph  Sleeper,  erected  a  saw-mill 
on  Isabella  Creek.  Remained  there  until  i860,  when  he  sold  out  his 
interest,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  was  elected  Register  of 
Deeds  in  Pierce  County,  which  office  he  held  two  years.  In  the  Spring 
of  1863.  he  commenced  to  improve  his  land,  at  which  he  continued  until 
1866,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  went  back  to  Ohio,  remaining  two 
years.  In  lS6g.  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  in  1S70,  settled  again  at 
Ellsworth,  which  has  been  his  home  ever  since.  He  was  the  first  Post- 
master who  served  in  the  office  at  that  place.  He  was  married,  in  March 
of  1862.  to  Miss  Eliza  W.  Woodworth,  of  Ohio,  by  whom  he  has  one 
son,  William  W. 

FRANK  B.  WHITE,  County  Treasurer  of  Pierce  County,  and  of 
the  firm  of  Spinney  &  White,  general  merchants,  Ellsworth,  was  born 
in  New  York,  July  19.  1845.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in 
1S51,  locating  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Pierce  Co.,  on  a  farm,  where  they 
resided  until   1869,  when  they  moved  to  the  village  of  Maiden  Rock. 


Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  clerked  for  Merrill  &  Clifford,  merchants, 
which  occupation  he  followed  until  1S78,  when  he  was  elected  County 
Treasurer  of  Pierce  County,  being  re-elected  in  18S0.  He  has  served 
three  years  as  Town  Clerk  of  Maiden  Rock,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No.  196,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  was  married,  in  1877, 
to  Miss  Mary  Holbrook.  L.  G.  Spinney,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born 
in  New  Haven,  on  March,  1S51,  and  was  married,  in  l?78,  to  Miss 
Bell  Skinner,  of  Lake  City,  Minn.  He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lake  City  Lodge,  No.  22. 

MAIDEN  ROCK. 

The  place  is  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  on  Sec- 
tion 15,  Town  24,  Range  16.  It  was  first  settled  by  A. 
Chapman  in  1854,  being  then  a  part  of  the  town  of  Pres- 
cott. In  the  Winter  of  that  year  J.  D.  Trumbull  entered 
all  the  land  where  Maiden  Rock  now  is,  settling  there  him- 
self in  the  Fall  of  1855,  and  began  the  erection  of  a  saw- 
mill, putting  in  a  twenty-four  horse-power  engine.  Among 
the  other  settlers  of  1855  were  Amos  Harris,  I.  H.  Steele, 
J.  Fuller,  M.  J.  Paine  and  J.  .■\.  Guitteau.  Those  of  1856, 
were  J.  D.  Brown  and  family,  Geo.  Davis,  R.  W.  Harvey, 
and  G.  R.  Barton  in  1857.  Most  of  these  men  of  the  lat- 
ter date  worked  in  Mr.  Trumbull's  mill. 

The  first  blacksniithing  was  done  by  I.  H.  Steele  in  the 
Winter  of  1856,  and  the  first  dwelling  house  was  built  by 
J.  D.  Trumbull  during  the  same  year.  In  the  Winter  of 
1856-7  Mr.  Trumbull  built  a  shingle-mill  in  connection 
with  his  saw-mill. 

The  first  hotel  was  run  by  G.  R.  Barton,  in  ahouse  built  by 
J.  D.  Trumbull.  This  house  has  since  been  enlarged  and 
remodeled,  and  is  now  the  Lake  View  House,  kept  by  H. 
Richards. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  in  the  Spring  of 
1856,  at  the  house  of  J.  D.  Brown,  by  Father  Gurley,  a 
Methodist  missionary  from  Pepin.  The  first  school  was 
taught  by  Lottie  Isabel,  from  Batavia,  111.,  in  a  shanty  be- 
longing to  J.  D.  Trumbull.      She  had  thirteen  scholars. 

The  first  store  was  opened  by  William  Kyle,  in  1859. 

The  first  birth  was  Ida,  a  daughter  of  William  Trum- 
bull, in  April,  1858.  The  first  death  occurred  in  August  of 
the  same  year,  and  was  William  Trumbull.  The  first  mar- 
riage ceremony  was  performed  during  the  same  year  also, 
by  J.  D.  Trumbull,  the  contracting  parties  being  Harry 
Brown  and  Percilla  Nettleton. 

The  village  was  laid  out  and  platted  by  J.  D.  Trumbull 
in  1857,  he  doing  his  own  surveying.  The  first  lots  were 
purchased  of  him  by  Joseph  Hull. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Trumbull  procured  the  establishment  of  a 
special  post-office,  which  received  mails  at  the  expense  of 
the  Postmaster,  save  the  few  dollars  received  for  postage. 
As  the  nearest  post-office  was  Wacouta,  Mr.  Trumbull 
found  his  expenses  §50  for  the  year's  supply  of  mails,  while 
the  receipts  of  the  office  were  the  large  sum  of  $11.  He 
was  succeeded  as  Postmaster  by  S.  A.  Green  ;  he  by  George 
Davis ;  he  in  turn  by  A.  P.  Merrill,  when  Mr.  Trumbull 
again  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  has  been  the 
Postmaster  since  1870.  The  growth  of  the  town  continued 
to  be  slow,  the  main  channel  of  Lake  Pepin  being,  accord- 
ing to  steamboat  men  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  oppo- 
site the  place,  and  there  being  few  settlers  in  the  interior 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY. 


715 


to  demand  the  convenience  of  transportation  for  crossing 
the  lake  and  obtaining  communication  with  the  outside 
world.  But  the  energetic  disposition  of  Mr.  Trumb\ill 
could  illy  abide  by  those  disadvantages,  and  so  we  find 
him,  in  1857,  constructing  a  steamboat,  to  run  regularly  on 
the  lake,  making  Maiden  Rock  a  regular  stopping  jilace. 
This  was  the  first  boat  that  navigated  07ily  the  waters  of 
Lake  Pepin. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  in  i860,  and  is  the 
same  one  now  in  use. 

In  1870,  James  Walsingham  erected  a  building,  which 
was  purchased  in  1877  by  J.  D.  Trumbull,  and  converted 
into  a  church,  the  only  one  in  the  place. 

Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  .K.  M.,  No.  ig6,  was 
granted  a  dispensation  May  20,  1S73.  The  first  regular 
communication  was  held  May  31.  Their  charter  bears  the 
date  of  June  9,  1873.  On  June  27,  t!ie  lodge  was  duly 
constituted  and  the  following  officers  installed:  J.  B.  Hull, 
W.  M.;  H.  M.  White,  S.  W.;  J.  \V.  Hancock,  J.  W.;  J.  D. 
Trumbull,  Treas.;  S.  A.  Green,  Sec;  A.  P.  Merrill,  S.  D.; 
Charles  Smith,  J.  D.;  T.  B.  Otis,  tiler.  It  is  now  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  with  a  large  membership. 

Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  268,  was  organ- 
ized in  April,  1877,  by  J.  A.  Young,  with  si.x  charter  mem- 
bers. Their  charter  is  dated  December  7,  1S77.  It  is  now 
a  prosperous  order,  with  a  good  membership. 

Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  No.  259,  was  organ- 
ized January  12,  1877,  by  Jennie  Nash,  with  thirty  charter 
members.  It  now  is  in  a  prosperous  condition,  with  a 
membership  of  thirty-si.x. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

AMBROSE  COOK,  lawyer,  general  collecting  agent,  and  insur- 
ance agent,  Maiden  Rock,  was  born  in  Vermont  on  llie  12th  of  June, 
1S35.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1S45,  and  settled  in 
Milwaukee.  Here  they  lived  until  1S50,  when  they  reinoved  to  Dodge 
County.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  worked  at  farming  for  some  lime 
and  then  returned  to  Mihvaukee,  where  he  worked  in  a  ship-yard  for 
two  years.  He  then  went  back  to  Dodge  County  where  he  worked  at 
carpentering  for  thirteen  years,  giving  his  spare  time  to  studyirglaw.  He 
then  moved  to  Juneau  County.  In  1878  he  came  to  Maiden  Rock 
where  he  has  practiced  law  ever  since.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
lune.au  Counlv.  March  14.  1877,  and  has  served  one  year  as  member  of  the 
"Town  Hoard  of  Maiden  Rock.  Mr.  Cook  was  married,  in  DodceCounty, 
|i  March  26,  1S54.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Sampson,  who  was  born  in  Rochester, 

N.  Y.  They  have  four  children— Henry  H.,  Alford  and  Alvin  (twins), 
and  Elda  S.  Mr.  Cook  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Maiden  Rock, 
Lodge  No.  26S. 

JEREMIAH  FULLER,  meat-market  and  stock-buyer,  Maiden 
Rock,  was  born  in  Washington  Co..  Ohio.  Jan.  29.  iSig.  He  first  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1851,  settling  on  Rush  River,  about  four  miles  north  of 
what  is  now  the  village  of  Maiden  Rock,  Here  he  bought  a  farm  of  200 
acres  from  the  Government,  and  immediately  erected  a  small  shanty, 
having  brought  his  family  with  him.  His  wife  was  the  first  white  woman 
in  that  vicinity,  and  it  was  seven  months  before  she  saw  another  white 
woman.  Continued  to  live  on  this  farm  until  1S7S,  when  he  moved  into 
the  village  of  Maiden  Rock  and  started  his  present  bu,siness.  He  has 
served  on  both  the  Town  and  County  Boards  where  he  lives.  He  was 
marled  in  Ohio,  in  1849.  to  Miss  Hannah  K.  Riley,  by  whom  he  has  four 
children— WMlliam  W.  Sarah  (now  Mrs.  A.  M.  Keith),  John  D.  and 
Lucy  H.  Himself  and  wife  have  been  members  of  the  Baptist  Church 
since  1844. 

FRANK  N.  McVEAN.  dealer  in  hardware  and  machinery.  Maiden 
Rick,  started  in  his  present  business  in  1876.  being  successor  to  J.  D. 
Trumbull.  His  business  in  iSSo  amounted  to  $40,000,  which  had  only 
amounted  to  $15,00)  the  previous  year.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  160 
acres  in  the  town  of  Maiden  Rock.  He  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
B)ard  of  Supervisors  in  the  Spring  of  l83l.  He  is  a  native  of  Wis- 
consin, and  was  born  in  1851.      He  was   married,    in  1877,    to  Miss 


Kate  Green,  daughter  of  S.  A.  Green,  who  settled  in  Pierce  County 
in  1859.  ^^i"  McVean  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Maiden  Rock 
Lodge.  No.  268,  being  one  ot  the  members  who  founded  it.  Is  also 
a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.   M.  Lodge,  No.  196,  at  that  place. 

ALBERT  P.  MERRILL,  general  merchandise.  Maiden  Rock, 
was  born  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  22,1832.  He  remained  there 
until  1854,  when  he  came  West  to  the  State  of  Michigan,  and  became 
station  agent  on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad.  He  afterward  taught 
school,  residing  there  until  1S65,  when  he  removed  to  Pierce  County, 
locating  at  Maiden  Rock,  where  he  established  a  general  merchan- 
dise store  in  company  with  V.  C.  Clifford,  in  the  building  which  now 
forms  a  part  of  his  present  store.  It  then  stood  a  little  west  of  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Lake  View  Hotel,  and  was  the  first  store  of  the 
kind  in  the  village.  In  1S66  he  moved  the  building  to  where  it  now 
stands,  and  in  1869  his  present  store  was  completed.  He  buys  and 
ships  grain  and  also  runs  a  lumber  yard,  doing  an  annual  business  of 
$35,000.  He  has  served  two  years  as  Assessor  of  the  town  of  Maiden 
Rock,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  that  place.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No. 
1S6,  and  also  of  the  Good  Templars  Lodge  there.  Mr.  Merrill  was  mar- 
ried to  his  first  wife,  Catherine  Simpson,  in  Michigan,  in  18=5.  She 
died  in  April  of  1857.  He  was  married  to  his  second  wife,  Miss  O.  A. 
Clifford,  on  the  1st  of  November,  1S57. 

HORACE  RICHARDS,  proprietor  of  the  Lake  View  Hotel, 
Maiden  Rock,  was  born  in  New  York  State  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1S26.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S69,  first  settling  at  Pepin,  Pepin  Co. 
In  1875,  he  was  elected  SheriiT  of  that  county.  He  then  moved  to 
Durand,  where  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Ecklor  House,  and  lived  there 
until  May,  1S79,  "'hen  he  removed  to  Maiden  Rock,  and  took  charge  of 
the  hotel  there.  He  is  at  present  Constable  of  the  town  of  Maiden  Rock. 
He  was  married  in  1853.  in  New  York,  to  Miss  Mary  Morgan,  who  was 
a  native  of  that  State.  Their  family  consists  of  six  children — Porter  A., 
Laura  E.,  now  Mrs.  Geo.  F.  Heslin,  of  Frontenac,  Minn.;  Cora,  Grant, 
John  M.  and  Horace,  Jr. 

JOHN  D.  TRUMBULL,  merchant  and  Postmaster,  Maiden  Rock, 
was  born  in  Massachusetts,  Dec.  19.  1823.  In  the  year  1845,  he  engaged 
with  the  Northwestern  Fur  Co.,  and  in  1S46  came  to  Wiscon-in  and  es- 
tablished a  trading  post  at  Fox  Lake.  Dodge  Co.  After  remaining  there 
one  year  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  engaged  as  a  merchant.  In 
1850  he  went  to  Stillwater.  Minn.,  where  he  continued  as  merchant  for 
one  year,  and  then  became  proprietor  of  the  Minnesota  Hotel,  at  that 
place,  it  being  then  the  largest  hotel  in  the  city.  Here  he  made  his 
home  until  1S56.  In  1S54,  he  entered  the  land  where  Maiden  Rock 
village  mw  stands,  and  in  1855  began  to  erect  a  saw-mill.  In  1857,  be- 
gan surveying  lots  preparatory  to  starting  a  village.  He  built  the  first 
sail  boat  run  on  Lake  Pepin  for  local  trade,  and  in  1857  built  a  small 
steamer  to  take  the  place  of  the  "Lottie  Lyon,"  erecting  during  the  same 
year  a  grist  and  shingle  mill  in  connection  with  his  saw-mill,  that  being 
the  first  mill  in  the  town.  In  1S57.  the  village  of  Maiden  Rock  was  or- 
ganized, and  Mr.  Trumbull  was  a  member  of  the  Board.  He  has  since 
been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  seventeen  years,  and  was  School  Superin- 
tendent there  under  the  system  of  1S56-58.  In  1S67.  he  represented 
Pierce  County  in  the  Assembly,  and  was  a  charter  member  of  the  A.,  F. 
&•  A.  M.,  Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No.  196,  organized  in  1S73,  and  also  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Lodge  No.  268,  organized  in  1876.  He  was  married  at 
Baiavia,  111 ,  to  Miss  Betsey  Lyon,  the  daughter  of  Col.  J.  Lyon,  an  of- 
ficer in  the  war  of  1S12.  They  have  one  daughter,  Hattie  J.,  now  Mrs. 
E.  J.  Stevenson. 

MARONI  WARE,  physician  and  surgeon, -Maiden  Rock,  was  born 
in  Grafton  Co.,  N.  H.,  Feb.  9.  1843.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents  in  1846  his  father  buying  a  farm  from  the  Government  in  Fond 
du  Lac  County,  on  which  they  resided  until  1856,  when  they  removed 
to  Kansas,  his  father  engaging  in  stock-raising  and  farming.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  afterward  went  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  and  then 
returned  to  Eau  Claire  County,  and  in  August  of  1864,  enlisted  in  the 
5ih  Wis.  Vol.  I.,  Co.  K,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  received 
a  flesh  wound  in  his  left  hip  at  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek,  and  after  the 
war  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  commenced  to  read  medicine  with  Dr. 
E.  O.  Baker  at  Durand,  Pepin  Co.  He  afterward  attended  the  Chicago 
Medical  College,  where  he  gratiuated  in  1S74.  He  first  practiced  at 
Lake  City,  Minn.,  in  company  with  Dr.  Baker,  remaining  there  until 
1876,  when  he  moved  to  Maiden  Rock,  his  present  home.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Eau  Claire  County,  in  1S72,  to  Miss  Martha  Cooley.  who  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Bornston.  Canada,  her  parents  coming  to  Eau  Claire 
County  in  1S56.  Dr.  Ware  is  a  member  of  the  Pierce  County  Medical 
Society. 

PRESCOTT. 

Prescott  is  situated   at   the  junction    o{  Lake  St.  Croix 

with  the  Mississippi.     At  this  point   the  bank    is  eccentric 

in  form,  and  the  land  leads  back   by  a   gentle  rise   forty  or 

fifty  rods  from  the  water's  edge.    On  this  plat  of  ground  the 


7i6 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


lower  city  is  built,  which  represents  the  business  portion  of 
the  place.  From  the  base  of  the  bluff  it  rises  more  abruptly 
forty  or  fifty  feet,  and  spreads  out  into  a  semi-circular  pla- 
teau, extending  back  about  half  a  mile.  The  front  of  this 
elevated  portion  is  worn  off  into  scallops,  ornamented  by 
frequent  Indian  mounds.  The''view  from  this  elevation  is 
grand  and  commanding.  Looking  to  the  south  are  seen  the 
emerald  hills  of  Minnesota  on  the  opposite  shore  ;  the  Mis- 
sissippi with  bold  and  precipitous  banks,  and  inset  with  is- 
lands, leading  off  to  the  right  and  left,  while  the  placid 
waters  of  the  lake  stretch  away  to  the  north.  These,  to- 
gether with  the  peculiar  arrangement  of  the  city,  combine 
to  make  the  spot  an  attractive  one.  In  the  early  history  of 
Prescott  we  find  an  organization  of  some  of  the  leading 
United  States  officers  located  at  Fort  Snelling,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  the  land  at  the  present  site  of  the  city  of 
Prescott.  This  organization  was  effected  in  1827,  and  was 
composed  of  the  following  parties  : 

Maj.  Plympton,  Capt.  Scott,  Col.  Thompson,  Capt.  Brady, 
Dr.  Emerson  and  Philander  Prescott,  the  latter  being  an 
Indian  interpreter  for  the  Government.  A  claim  of  twelve 
hundred  acres  was  made,  and  Prescott  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  it  until  it  came  into  market.  The  claim  was  pro- 
tected until  1841,  when  an  act  was  passed  by  Congress, 
denying  the  right  of  any  organization  to  hold  claims. 
Under  this  law,  Mr.  Prescott  secured  his  claim  of  160  acres, 
and  a  few  years  later  he  added  100  more,  all  of  which  ter- 
ritory occupied  a  large  portion  of  the  present  city  of  Pres- 
cott. In  the  meantime,  Prescott  had  been  called  to  the  fort, 
in  performance  of  his  duties  as  Indian  interpreter. 

One  Reed,  a  discharged  soldier,  was  sent  to  hold  the 
claim  for  the  organization,  but  was  after-ward  succeeded  by 
a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Moshia.  The  same  year,  Hil- 
ton Doe  and  S.  J.  Hodgeden,  from  Ohio;  J.  T.  Truse  and 
J.  D.  McBully,  from  New  York,  landed  at  this  point.  In  a 
short  time,  Doe  was  left  alone  with  Reed  and  a  small  com- 
munity of  Indians  and  half-breeds. 

The  settlement  grew  very  slowly,  from  the  fact  of  tlie 
company  excluding  all  settlers  from  their  claim.  In  1S41, 
William  Schaser  arrived,  but  only  remained  for  a  short  time. 
He,  however,  returned  in  1844,  bringing  with  him  his  wife, 
the  first  white  woman  in  this  region.  Mr.  Schaser  claims  to 
have  built  the  first  frame  house  in  Prescott.  Their  daugh- 
ter, Eliza,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  county. 

In  1847,  additions  were  made  by  the  arrival  of  J.  R.  Rice 
and  family,  W.  Lockwood,  L.  N.  Harnsberger  and  George 
W.  McMurphy. 

Mr.  McMurphy  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Rice, 
April  24,  1848,  which  was  the  first  marriage  performed  in 
the  place.  From  this  period  the  settlement  began  to  grow 
rapidly. 

Prior  to  1850,  the  improvements  were  very  slow,  when 
Dr.  O.  T.  Maxon  and  W.  J.  Copp  purchased  the  site.  Pre- 
vious to  this,  Mr.  Prescott  had  sold  several  lots,  and  William 
Lockwood  had  opened  up  a  small  store,  and  was  trading  in 
a  small  way  with  the  Indians.  He  afterward  extended  his 
trade  as  the  settlers  gathered  in,  by  placing  in  a  more  gen- 


eral stock,     Mr.  Lockwood  died  soon  after.      He  was  the 
first  white  person  who  died,  and  was  buried  in  the   town. 

Messrs.  Maxon  and  Copp  had  their  site  surveyed  and 
platted  soon  after  their  purchase.  From  this  time  on  im- 
provements began  to  increase  rapidly. 

In  1853,  Prescott  became  the  county  seat  of  Pierce 
County.  The  city  charter  of  Prescott  was  granted  in  the 
Winter  of  1856-7.  At  the  election  held  in  the  Spring  of 
1857,  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 

J.  R.  Freeman,  Mayor;  N.  S.  Dunbar,  Thomas  Dicker- 
son,  Seth  Ticknor,  Hilton  Doe,  George  M.  Oakley  and  N. 
A.  Miller,  Aldermen;  P.  V.  Wise,  Attorney;  William 
Howes,  Surveyor;  Thomas  Dickerson,  Superintendent  of 
Schools. 

The  city  at  this  time  was  divided  into  two  wards.  Soon 
after  this  all  the  necessary  municipal  officers  were  elected 
or  appointed,  and  thus  we  find  the  embryo  city  equipped 
with  all  the  legislative  power  for  self-government.  It  now 
contains  three  wards. 

Prescott  continued  to  flourish  as  the  county  seat  till 
1861,  when  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county,  it  was 
removed  to  Ellsworth.  This  was  a  great  blow  to  the  city, 
and  since  that  time  but  little  advance  has  been  made.  It 
has  a  population  of  about  1,000,  and  is  well  supplied  with 
churches,  schools,  hotels,  and  the  various  industries  of  a 
river  and  agricultural  city. 

The  first  post-office  established  in  Prescott  was  in  1S45, 
by  the  appointment  of  J.  R.  Freeman  as  Postmaster. 
The  means  of  transportation  in  those  days  being  by  the 
river  during  the  Summer  months,  and  on  the  ice,  or  by  a 
slow  and  tedious  trip  through  the  forests  toward  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  State  in  Winter,  the  mails  did  not  reach  this 
point  very  often.  Such  being  the  case,  no  post-office  was 
needed,  and  for  convenience,  the  mail  was  deposited  in 
the  Postmaster's  hat.  So  the  early  settlers  say.  The  fol- 
lowing have  performed  the  duties  of  Postmaster  since  Mr. 
Freeman:  J.  M.  Whipple,  O.  T.  Maxon,  Andrew  Rader, 
George  A.   Dill  and  the  present  incumbent,  William    Gates. 

The  first  bank  was  established  in  1858,  with  Charles 
Miller,  president,  and  W.  P.  Westfall,  cashier,  with  a  cash 
capital  of  $25,000,  which  was  afterward  increased  to  $50,- 
000.  In  1877,  the  bank  succumbed,  but  in  June  of  that 
year  the  doors  were  again  opened  by  H.  S.  Miller,  who  is 
doing  at  present  a  general  banking  and  exchange  business. 

Manufactories. — The  manufacturing  interests  of  Pres- 
cott are  not  as  great  as  the  people  would  wish.  Several 
enterprises  have  been  started,  but  their  life  has  been  of 
short  duration.  In  1856,  Messrs.  Silverthorn  &  Dudley 
started  a  saw-mill,  which  they  operated  until  about  1861, 
when  Mr.  Dudley  purchased  Mr.  Silverthorn's  interest,  and 
erected  his  present  steam  mills,  which  consist  of  a  flour 
and  saw-mill.  The  flouring  mill  is  used  exclusively  as  a 
custom  mill. 

The  manufacture  of  wagons  and  carriages  is  carried  on 
to  some  extent  by  F.  Menicke.  He  established  his  busi- 
ness or  present  shops  in  1862.  He  turns  out,  of  new 
work,  twenty-five    lumber    wagons    and    fifteen    carriages. 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY. 


717 


besides  doing  quite  an  extensive  repairing  business.  J. 
Neinstadt  also  carries  on  quite  an  extensive  business  in  the 
way  of  manufacturing  heavy  farm  wagons.  He  commenced 
business  in  1875.  He  also  manufactures  about  twenty-five 
wagons,  together  with  quite  an  amount  of  repairing. 

The  Prescott  Brewery  was  established  in  1866,  by  N. 
P.  Husting.     He  manufactures  yearly  about  800  barrels. 

The  Prescott  Machine  Shop  was  establislied  in  1876  by 
H.  B.  Failing.  The  shop  is  well  equipped  with  all  kinds 
of  machines  necessary  to  enable  him  to  do  first-class  re- 
pairing. 

Societies. — The  Northwestern  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
was  first  instituted  in  1856,  and  worked  under  a  dispensa- 
tion until  June  12,  1858,  when  they  received  their  charter. 
E.  A.  Meacham,  W.  M,;  H.  Harvey,  S.  W.;  G.  H.  Nich- 
ols, secretary.  The  present  officers  are ;  W.  F.  McCray, 
W.  M.;  John  Wicks,  S.  W.;  N.  S.  Dunbar,  treasurer;  A. 
B.  F.iiling,  secretary;  B.  Catzenberger,  S.  D.;  A.  M.  Ru- 
dy, J.  D.;  S.  Johnson,  tiler.  The  Lodge  is  in  fine  work- 
ing order,  with  a  membership  of  fifty-eight. 

Prescott  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  September  6, 
1868,  with  five  charter  members.  Its  first  officers  were; 
D.  J.  Dill,  N.  G.;  S.  Small,  V.  G.;  H.  C.  Colton,  secretary; 
David  Lord,  treasurer;  W.  R.  Gates,  W.;  B.  F.  Paine,  C. 
Its  present  officers  are :  E.  R.  Welch,  N.  G.;  .W.  H.  Leav- 
itt,  V.  G.;  A.  L.  Roberts,  secretary;  D.  J.  Dill,  treasurer; 
A.  Edwards,  W.;  N.  McGill,  C.  The  Lodge  is  in  a  pros- 
perous condition. 

I.  O.  G.  T.,  Lodge  No.  319,  was  organized  September 
26,  1876,  with  eighteen  charter  members.  This  Lodge  has 
been  in  a  prosperous  condition  ever  since  its  organization. 
They  have  at  present  over  100  members. 

Prescott  Juvenile  Temple,  No.  108,  was  organized 
March  17, 1877, by  Lillie  J.  Robinson.  It  had  ninety  char- 
ter and  twenty-one  honorary  members.  The  children  have 
collected  a  library  of  fifty-four  volumes,  through  different 
entertainments  given  by  the  Lodge.     It  is  now   in   a   flour- 

I         ishing  condition,  with  fifty-six  members. 

Prescott  Temple  of  Honor  was  organized  December  27, 

I         1878,  with  forty-five  charter  members.     This  order  is  in  a 

I  prosperous  condition,  and  has  initiated  130  members  since 
its  organization. 

Churclies. — The  first  class  in  connection  with  the  early 
history  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Prescott  was 

;  formed  in  the  Fall  of  1853,  under  the  labors  of  Rev.  Norris 
Hobert,  a  missionary.     The  first  services  were  held  in  the 

;         school-house.     In   1854,  the  society  was  organized,  and  in 

;         1856  their  first   house  of  worship  was   completed.     Their 

;  present  church  was  completed  and  dedicated  September  8^ 
1870.     Their  present  membership  is  eighty. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  sprang  from  the  labors  of  E. 

I        W.  Cressy,  a  missionary,  who  was  sent  to  Prescott  in  1853. 

1  Their  first  meetings  were  held  in  a  house  owned  by  Mr. 
Holman.  The  society  was  organized  February  6,  1854. 
The  Cliurch  has  labored  under  many  difficulties  since  its 
organization.     Tliey  hold  occasional  services. 

[j  The  foundation   was  laid  for   the  establishment  of  the 


Lutheran  Church  in  1865,  by  Rev.  C.  Hayer.  In  March, 
1874,  the  society  was  organized.  In  the  Fall  of  that  year, 
they  purchased  the  old  Methodist  church,  in  which  their 
services  are  held.     Th-'ir  present  membership  is  thirty-five. 

The  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Calvary  Mission,  in  1872.  They  have  at  this  time 
twenty-five  communicants. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized,  February 
15,  1852,  by  Rev.  R.  Hall.  They  first  held  their  services 
in  the  school-house.  Their  church  was  commenced  in 
1855,  but  not  finished  until  185S. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  in  1S55.  Their 
church  was  erected  in  1866. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Father  Ver- 
vais.  The  society  erected  their  present  church  in  1868. 
The  membership  consists  of  about  fifty  families. 

Schools.— 'Y\\z  first  steps  taken  in  the  matter  of  educa- 
tion was  by  Mrs.  Olive,  in  the  Spring  of  185 1.  She  opened 
a  school  in  her  house,  and  gave  instruction  to  all  the  chil- 
dren she  could  gather  together  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
first  school-house  built  by  the  district  was  a  portion  of  what 
is  now  the  public  school  building.  In  1859,  the  subject  of 
a  graded  school  was  agitated,  and  a  commodious  school- 
house  was  subsequently  erected,  and  now  valued  at  $2,500. 
The  schools  are  in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  five  depart- 
ments, under  supervision  of  a  corps  of  efficient  teachers. 

RIVER  FALLS. 

The  village  of  River  Falls,  located  on  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  Kinnickinnic  River,  has  a  population  of  about 
fifteen  hundred  inhabitants.  The  line  between  St.  Croix 
and  Pierce  counties  divides  the  village  plat,  and  one-third 
lies  in  St.  Croix  County.  The  river  goes  dashing  through 
the  central  part  of  the  village  with  a  current  so  swift  that 
the  frosts  of  Winter  are  unable  to  check  its  course  or  con- 
geal its  surface.  On  its  banks  are  located  four  flouring 
mills  and  one  saw  and  feed  mill,  which  are  propelled  night 
and  day  by  the  power  gathered  from  its  water.  Quite  an 
extensive  merchant  flouring  business  is  done,  and  the  flour 
shipped  by  rail  to  distant  markets.  Various  religious  socie- 
ties have  their  pleasant  places  of  worship.  The  different 
secret  societies  have  their  organizations  and  comfortable 
lodge  rooms.  The  public  school  building,  located  on  the 
west  side  of  the  village,  is  a  large,  imposing  structure  of 
brick,  with  all  the  late  improvements,  and  will  accommodate 
nearly  three  hundred  pupils.  The  Fourth  State  Normal 
School,  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  village,  is  built 
of  brick,  and  cost  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  a  large  por- 
tion of  which  was  donated  by  the  adjoining  towns.  A  more 
particular  history  of  these  institutions  is  given  elsewhere. 

The  early  settlers  ot  the  Kinnickinnic  Valley,  at  and 
near  the  village  of  River  Falls,  will  next  claim  our  atten- 
tion. First,  came  Joel  Foster,  in  the  Fall  of  1848,  to  this 
then  wild,  but  beautiful  spot  which  had  hardly  been  visited 
save  by  the  red  man  of  the  forest.  Next  to  follow  and  set- 
tle in  the  Fall  of  1S49,  were  D.  McGregor,  James  and  Wal- 
ter Mapes.     In  1850,  Mr.  Hayes,  W.  Tozer,  Mr.  Penn,  and 


7t8 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Ira  Parks,  settled  here.  Following  them  came  N.  N.  Powell, 
and  Clark  Green,  and  soon  after,  O.  S.  Powell  and  others 
of  the  family.  Captain  Woods  settled  on  Big  River,  and 
C.  B.  Cox  in  Clifton  Hollow.  The  settlers  now  began 
to  come  rapidly,  each  making  his  claim.  The  Powell 
brothers  made  claim  of  a  large  portion  of  the  land  on 
which  the  village  now  stands.  Quite  a  nucleus  of  settlers 
were  gathered  around  this  point,  which,  with  the  valuable 
water-power,  made  it  a  desirable  location  for  a  manufactur- 
ing center.  The  spirit  of  enterprise  came  with  the  new  set- 
tlers, many,  if  not  all  of  whom  were  at  this  time  from  New 
England.  With  an  eye  to  the  future,  N.  N.  and  O.  S.  Pow- 
ell laid  out  and  platted  sixty  acres  of  land,  in  1854,  a  por- 
tion of  their  claim  bordering  on  the  river,  and  called  it 
Kinnickinnic.  The  same  year  they  erected  the  first  store, 
which  they  filled  with  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  In 
1856,  they  made  another  plat  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  across  the  river,  on  the  west  side.  Additions  have 
since  been  made  at  different  times  by  others.  The  first 
hotel  was  built  by  W.  H.  Winchester;  the  first  blacksmith 
shop  by  R.  Griffith;  first  wheel-wright,  N.  Wales;  first 
cooper,  C.  J.  Riker. 

.\mong  the  first  thoughts  of  the  people  coming  to  this 
far  away  country,  is  writing  back  to  the  loved  ones  left  be- 
hind in  the  dear  old  home.  This  led  to  early  measures  for 
establishing  a  post-office.  As  the  settlement  increased  and 
the  facilities  for  transporting  the  mails  improved,  the  Gov- 
ernment was  importuned,  and  Charles  Hutchinson  received 
the  first  appointment  as  Postmaster  in  1854,  and  the  first 
office  was  opened  in  the  pioneer  store.  The  following  have 
since  served  as  Postmasters :  J.  E.  Webb,  W.  A.  Tozer, 
Milton  Webster,  George  P.  Brackett  and  J.  E.  Flint,  the 
present  incumbent. 

The  Bank  of  River  Falls  was  organized  January  i,  1874, 
with  J.  M.  Smith  as  cashier.  They  are  engaged  in  general 
banking  and  exchange  business,  also  in  foreign  excliange. 
The  extensive  milling  interests  of  the  town  furnish  a  large 
amount  of  banking  business. 

Like  most  other  towns,  River  Falls  has  had  its  draw- 
backs, in  the  shape  of  fire  and  flood.  Its  worst  mishap  was 
the  great  fire  of  1876.  The  fire  broke  out  at  half-past  one 
o'.  lock  on  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  January,  in  the  office 
of  E.  B.  Homes,  next  to  the  post-office.  The  wind,  at  the 
time,  was  blowing  a  terrific  gale  from  the  south,  which 
swept  the  fire  with  fearful  rapidity.  There  being  no  fire  de- 
partment or  organized  company,  the  fire  continued  its 
course  until  it  had  destroyed  some  of  the  most  valuable 
property  in  the  village.  The  morning  light  found  the  labor 
and  savings  of  years  lying  in  ashes.  The  aggregate  esti- 
.mate  of  losses  in  this  great  conflagration  was  $30,000. 

Manu/acloiies. — The  first  saw-mill  erected  in  the  Kinnic- 
kinnic Valley  was  in  1850  by  C.  B.  Cox,  at  what  is  now 
known  as  Clifton  Hollow;  the  following  year,  he  erected 
the  first  flouring  mill,  at  or  near  the  same  point.  In  1852, 
N.  N.  and  O.  S.  Powell  built  a  saw-mill  a  short  distance  be- 
low where  the  Greenwood  Mill  now  stands;  lliis  mill  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1856.     They  erected  a  saw-mill  a  short 


distance  below  the   Junction   Mills  in  1865,  which  was  also 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1S72. 

Prairie  Flour  Mill,  located  on  the  north  branch  of  the 
Kinnickinnic  River,  was  built  by  C.  B.  Cox  in  1854.  It 
was  run  as  a  custom  mill  until  i860,  when  he  commenced 
to  do  merchant  work.  In  1874,  J.  D.  Putnam  &  Co.  pur- 
chased the  entire  interest  in  the  mill  and  overhauled  it, 
putting  in  new  machinery  for  manufacturing  the  patent 
process  flour,  and  adding  another  run  of  stone,  making,  in 
all,  three  run  01  stone,  and  have  since  run  it  as  a  merchant 
mill  exclusively,  with  a  capacity  of  sixty-five  barrels  per 
day.  The  same  year,  this  company  built  a  substantial  ware- 
house and  grain  elevator,  with  a  capacity  of  45,000  bushels 
of  grain.  In  1881,  they  added  another  story  and  remodeled 
the  whole  inside  structure. 

On  the  same  branch  of  the  Kinnickinnic,  a  short  dis- 
tance to  the  south,  is  located  the  Greenwood  Mills,  built  by 
C.  B.  Cox  and  Caleb  Green  in  185S,  with  two  run  of  stone. 
In  1873,  Messrs.  Pomeroy  &  Bowron  purchased  the  entire 
interest.  In  a  short  time,  Mr.  Pomeroy  sold  his  interest  to 
Messrs.  McKay  &  Woodruff.  In  1877,  George  Fortune 
purchased  the  entire  interest  and  rebuilt  the  mill,  making 
extensive  improvements.  It  now  has  three  run  of  stone  and 
a  capacity  of  forty-five  barrels  per  day. 

Still  further  to  the  south,  on  the  same  branch,  aie  the 
Foster  Mills,  built  in  1854,  as  a  saw-mill.  Mr.  Foster  run 
his  first  mill  until  the  Spring  of  1868,  when  he  removed  it 
ar.d  erected  anew  mill. 

At  the  junction  of  the  north  and  south  branches  is  located 
the  great  flouring  mills  of  Freeman  &  Stevens,  known  as  the 
Junction  mills,  which  were  built  in  1S67,  by  C,  B.  Cox  and 
A.  D.  Andrews.  The  original  mill  had  five  run  of  stone.  In 
1870,  Mr.  Cox  sold  his  interest  to  A.  D.  Andrews.  The 
same  year,  George  Fortune  purchased  one-fourth  interest. 
Three  years  afterward,  A.  A.  Freeman  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  the  mill,  and  extensive  improvements  were  made. 
In  1877,  Mr.  Freeman  purchased  the  entire  interest  in  the 
mill,  which  he  still  owns,  except  one-fourth  interest  in  the 
business,  which  he  sold  to  E.  R.  Stephens,  of  Minneapolis. 
In  1879,  an  engine  was  added  to  the  motive  power  and  the 
mill  now  has  a  capacity  of  400  barrels  per  day,  and  gives 
employment  to  twenty  men.  They  also  have  cooper-shops 
giving  employment  to  twenty  or  thirty  men,  turning  out  from 
300  to  400  barrels  per  day,  and  a  large  elevator  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  60,000  bushels. 

South  of  this  mill,  located  on  the  south  branch,  is  the 
"  Cascade  Mills,"  built  in  1868,  by  William  Barker.  In  1876, 
another  run  of  stone  was  added,  making  in  all  three  run. 
With  a  capacity  of  forty  barrels  per  day.  It  is  used  only  as 
a  custom  mill. 

The  River  Falls  machine  shop  was  established  in  July, 
1872,  by  the  Young  Brothers.  The  power  for  the  shop  was 
furnished  at  the  Foster  Mills,  until  1878,  when  the  firm 
erected  a  two  story  shop  in  the  south  part  of  the  town.  The 
firm  was  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  brass  work,  turn- 
ing and  lath  work,  with  a  general  repair  shop.  The  motive 
power  is  a  six-horse  power  engine. 


HISTORY  OF  PIERCE  COUNTY. 


719 


The  River  Falls  Lime  Works  were  first  established  in 
1 868,  by  Messrs.  Oakley  &  Nichols.  In  1869,  Mr.  Oakley 
purchased  Mr.  Nichols's  interest  and  ran  the  works  until 
1S79,  when  Mr.  Oakley  put  in  the  patent  kiln.  In  March, 
1881,  Mr.  J.  Hale  purchased  an  interest.  With  the  improve- 
ments being  added,  the  firm  e.xpect  to  turn  out  40,000  bar- 
rels during  the  season. 

Amber  Cane  Sirup  Manufactory.  O.  S.  Powell  em- 
barked in  this  new  enterprise  in  the  Spring  of  1880.  Its 
capacity  is  500  gallons  per  day.  In  1880,  he  manufactured 
10,000  gallons.  He  manufactures  a  superior  quality  of 
sirup,  a  fact  attested  by  the   Cane  Growers  Association. 

Among  the  other  manufacturies  in  River  Falls,  are  seven 
blacksmith  shops,  three  wagon  shops,  one  stave  mill,  one 
marble  shop  and  one  cooper  shop. 

Soctetn-s. — I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  190,  was  first  organized  Feb. 
2,  1872,  with  five  charter  members.  The  fire  of  1876  de- 
■  stroyed  the  building  in  which  their  hall  was  located,  and 
their  charier,  together  with  their  furniture  and  fixtures  were 
also  destroyed.  The  charter  was  re-issued  in  December, 
1876.  The  lodge  is  at  present  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
with  the  following  officers :  W.  S.  Ensign,  N.  G.;  C.  G. 
Knowles,  V.  G.;  P.  F.  Lowell,  Sec;  T.  Martin,  Treas. 

The  Masonic  Lodge  of  River  Falls  was  chartered  June 
15,  1859,  with  ten  charter  members.  The  first  officers  were  : 
C.  E.  Abbott,  W.  M.;  A.  Saunders,  S.  W.;  W.  A.  Tozer,  J. 
W.;  T.  A.  Short,  Treas.;  Benj.  Wilcox,  Sec;  P.  H.  Tain,  J. 
D.;  C.  H.  Rossman,  S.  D.;  S.  K.  Rolling,  tiler.  Their 
present  officers  are  :  T.  McLeary,  W.  M.;  Joseph  Stevens, 
S.  W.;  D.  D.  Proctor,  J.  W.;  O.  Strahl,  Treas.;  W.  H.  Saun- 
ders, Sec;  W.  A.  Bennett,  S.  D.;  Frank  Scribner,  J.  D.;  F. 
W.  Hammond,  tiler. 

The  A.  O.  U.  W.,  received  their  charter  June  8,  1878, 
and  was  organized  with  twenty-two  charter  members.  The 
organization  was  effected  by  the  election  of  the  following 
officers  :  O.  C.  Hicks,  P.  M.  W.;  E.  E.  Getchell,  M.  W.;  P. 
F.  Lovell,  G.  F.;  W.  A.  Burnett,  O.;  L.  W.  Austin,  record- 
er;  William  G.  Cheever,  financier;  D.  D.  Proctor,  receiv- 
er; E.  G.  Farnsworth,  G.;  M.  Healy,  O.  W.  The  society 
is  in  a  prosperous  condition  with  a  membership  of  thirty- 
six.  The  present  officers  are  as  follows  :  S.  J.  Oakley,  P. 
M.  W.;  W.  G.  Cheever,  M.  W.;  O.  C.  Hicks,  G.  F.;  D.  D. 
Proctor,  O.;  W.  A.  Burnett,  recorder  ;  E.  \V.  Jackson,  finan- 
cier; George  E.  Reed,  recorder;  John  Scott,  G.;  C.  P. 
Butler,  I.  W.;  E.  G.  Farnsworth,  O.  W. 

The  Temple  of  Honor  was  instituted  May  31,  1878, 
with  thirty-five  charter  members.  Much  good  has  been  ac- 
complished by  this  lodge,  in  reclaiming  the  fallen  and 
throwing  around  the  pathway  of  the  young  protection  from 
the  evil  influences  of  bad  company.  The  Juvenile  Temple 
of  Honor  was  organized  March  15,  1877. 

The  oldest  temperance  organization  of  River  Falls  is  tlie 
I.  O.  G.  T.,  the  first  organization  of  which  dates  back  sev- 
eral years  prior  to  the  present  organization.  The  last  char- 
ter is  dated  March  15,  1877,  with  sixteen  charter  members. 
The  lodge  has  initiated  over  175  members  since  its  last  or- 
ganization. 


Churches. — The  early  settlers  of  this  region  were  accus- 
tomed to  gather  for  religious  worship  at  the  house  of  Mrs. 
Penn,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  village.  A  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  in  1853.  In  July,  1854,  Rev. 
Richard  Hall,  superintendent  of  the  Home  Missionary  So- 
ciety, preached  the  first  sermon  in  River  Falls,  in  the  pio- 
neer store,  which  had  not,  as  yet,  received  its  stock  of 
goods.  After  that,  services  were  held  at  different  places  un- 
til the  school-house  on  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Maple 
streets  was  finished. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  Feb.  3,  1855, 
with  seventeen  members.  The  edifice  they  now  occupy 
was  built  in  1857,  and  dedicated  in  1858.  In  1867  steps 
were  taken  to  build  another  church.  Lots  were  purcliased, 
the  foundation  laid  and  the  frame  erected  and  inclosed  for 
a  house,  to  cost  $10,000,  when  a  hurricane  prostrated  the 
structure.  In  1879,  a  beautiful  parsonage  was  erected  adjoin- 
ing the  church  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  They  have  at  present 
158  members. 

Tlie  First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  April  12,  1S57. 
In  i86t  their  first  house  of  worship  was  commenced  and 
finished  in  1S62.  Since  July,  1S7S,  they  have  held  no  reg- 
ular service. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Father 
Connelly,  in  1875,  with  a  membership  of  thirty-eight  fam- 
ilies. Their  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1876.  There 
are  now  connected  with  the  church  forty-six  families. 

The  Episcopal  Church  was  first  convened  under  the  la- 
bors of  Rev.  John  Williamson,  a  missionary,  in  1859,  hold- 
ing services  in  the  school-house.  In  1871  Rev.  Charles 
Thorp  became  pastor,  and  during  his  ministry  the  church 
was  regularly  organized  with  sixteen  communicants.  Their 
house  of  worship  was  completed  in  1872. 

Schools. — The  same  spirit  of  enterprise  which  had,  from 
the  first,  manifested  itself  in  the  early  settlers  of  this  beau- 
tiful valley  in  other  matters,  was  manifested  in  matters  of 
education.  The  first  step  taken  toward  providing  means 
for  the  education  of  their  children  was  the  building  of  a 
school-house,  in  the  Fall  of  1854,  at  a  cost  of  Ss°°-  Miss 
Helen  Flint  was  the  first  teacher  employed,  and  her  salary 
was  paid  by  subscription. 

A  joint  stock  association  was  organized  in  1856,  and  in- 
corporated as  the  River  Falls  Academy  Association,  and 
another  school  building  was  erected  during  the  same  year, 
at  an  expense  of  about  $5,000.  This  building  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1879,  since  which  time  there  has  been 
built,  on  the  site  of  the  old  academy,  a  brick  structure,  at 
an  expense  of  $15,000.  The  donating  of  $25,000  and  ten 
acres  of  land,  secured  to  River  P'alls  the  Fourth  State  Nor- 
mal School.  The  building  stands  on  an  elevated  plat  of 
ground  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  village.  It  is  a  com- 
modious brick  building,  built  in  1874.  The  school  opened 
in  1875,  with  a  corps  of  ten  professors  and  teachers  and  an 
attendance  of  200  hundred  students. 

There  are  other  small  villages  in  the  county,  such  as 
Diamond  Bluff",  Trenton  and  Bay  City  on  the  Mississippi; 
Clifton  on  the  St.  Croix;  with   Spring  Valley,  Rock  Elm 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Center,  Plumb  City,  El  Paso,  Esdaile  and  Martell  distrib- 
uted over  the  inland  districts,  each  one  being  built  on  the 
bank  of  a  perennial  stream,  and  will  in  time,  as  the  county 
develops,  become  large  and  prosperous  villages. 

DIAMOND  BLUFF 
Is  a  small  village  situated  in  Pierce  Co.,  Wis.,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  about  forty-three  miles  below  St. 
Paul.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  many  particles  of  dia- 
mond-shaped stones  found  on  the  huge  bluff  which  rises  to 
a  great  height,  immediately  back  of  the  town,  and  is  almost 
perpendicular,  and  has  always  been  a  guide  for  the  pilots  to 
run  the  channel  of  the  river  by.  This  village  was  first  set- 
tled in  1848,  and  among  the  early  settlers  of  from  1850  to 
1855,  are,  Enoch  Quimby,  August  R.  Mero,  and  John  R. 
Niles,  of  the  firm  of  Wethering  &  Niles.  There  are  two 
general  merchandise  stores,  two  grain  warehouses,  one  hotel 
and  a  post-office.  It  also  has  an  extensive  wood  yard,  ope- 
rated by  the  above  firm,  which  supplies  wood  for  a  great 
many  of  the  boats  on  the  Mississippi.  There  is  a  district 
school  and  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  was  or- 
ganized with  five  members,  in  the  year  1855,  in  the  back 
room  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  residence  of  Mr.  Quimby. 
In  the  year  1866,  it  reached  a  membership  of  thirty,  when 
they  erected  the  building  in  which  they  now  hold  service, 
having  at  this  writing  fifty  members.  About  a  mile  and  a 
half  below  Diamond  Bluff  is  a  cluster  of  Indian  mounds, 
containing  from  seventy-five  to  lOo.  They  are  situated  on 
ground  slightly  elevated  above  the  natural  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  cover  from  three  to  four  acres,  being  one  of 
the  largest  clusters  of  mounds  of  this  character  in  the  State. 
They  are  perfectly  round  or  circular  at  the  base,  being  con- 
ical at  the  apex  and  vary  in  height  from  five  to  fifteen  feet, 
and  have  the  appearance  of  a  regularly  laid  out  village. 
No  excavations  have  ever  been  made. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

AUGUST  R.  MERO,  grain,  wood  and  stock  dealer.  Diamond  Bluff. 
Was  born  in  the  State  of  Maine.  March  4,  1S32.  In  1S58.  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  and  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Diamond  Bluff,  Pierce  Co.. 
on  which  he  liv«J  until  1S69,  then  moved  into  the  village,  and  started  a 
wood  yard,  which  he  ran  in  connection  with  his  farm.  In  the  Spring  of 
1874,  commenced  buying  gram,  in  addition  to  his  other  business.  In 
1876,  he  shipped  44,000  bushels  of  grain,  but  as  a  general  thing, 
averaged  about  30,000.  He  was  married,  in  1861,  to  Miss  Mary 
Niles,  who  was  born  in  Maine,  and  by  whom  he  has  three  children — Alice, 
Clara  M.and  Aug.  H. 

JOHN  R.  NILES,  of  the  firm  of  Wethering  &  .Niles,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise,  and  proprietors  of  wood  yard.  Diamond  Bluff. 
Was  born  in  .Maine,  April  10,  1833.  He  went  to  St.  Paul,  .Minn.,  in 
1854,  and  worked  in  the  pineries  during  that  Winter,  and  then,  in  1855, 
came  to  Diamond  Uluff,  where  he  entered  240  acres  of  land  east  of  the 
village.  He  commenced  farming,  and  furnishing  wood  for  boats  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  also  working  at  the  carpentei's  trade.  In  1879,  he 
opened  a  store  in  company  with  Mr.  Wethering.  and  now  does  an  an- 
nual business  of  $7,000.  Mr.  Niles  was  the  third  settler  in  what  is  now 
known  as  the  village  of  Diamond  Bluff.  He  was  married,  in  1867,  to 
Miss  Eleanor  Rogers,  who  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia. 

LAWSO.N  C.  BURKE,  merchant,  Postmaster  and  wood  dealer. 
Diamond  Bluff,  was  born  in  Vermont  Sept.  14,  1830,  In  1S56  he  went 
to  Minnesota  locating  at  Hastings,  where  he  commenced  clerking  in  a 
hotel,  at  which  he  continued  but  a  short  time  and  then  went  to  Red 
Wing  and  ran  a  hotel  for  two  years.  He  then  commenced  farming,  and 
after  doing  that  for  six  years,  he  returned  to  Red  Wing,  living  there  until 
1870.  At  this  time  he  came  to  Diamond  Bluff  and  opened  a  store.  He 
now  holds  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  of  Diamond  Bluff,  and  has  served 
three  years  as  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board.  His  business  amounts  to 
about  $6,000  per  annum.  He  was  married  in  New  Hampshire,  in  1854, 
to  Miss  Fannie  R.  Carriel. 


CHARLES  H.  GRANT,  carpenter  and  builder.  Diamond  Bluff, 
was  born  in  Augusta,  Me.,  March  30,  1834.  In  the  Spiirgof  iSsswent 
with  a  colony  from  Massachusetts  to  Kansas,  settling  on  the  Neosho 
River,  Here  he  remained  but  a  shoit  time  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  .'ame 
year  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Diamond  Bluff  where  he  has  made 
ills  home  ever  since,  erecting  the  first  hotel  kept  in  that  place.  In  1S62 
he  enlisted  in  the  30th  Wis.  V.  I.  Co.  F,  of  the  rebellion,  serving  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  and  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  in  March  of  1865.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned 
home,  and  then  moved  his  family  to  Hastings,  Minn.,  where  he  had  charge 
of  Henry  Butruff 's  sash  and  blind  factory  for  eight  months.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  former  home,  buildingthe  Methodist  Episcopal  church  there 
in  1866,  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  for  one  year,  also 
Clerk  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  has  been  Town  Treasurer  for 
twelve  years,  and  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  Northwestern  Lodge, 
No.  105,  at  Prescott  ;  was  married,  in  i860,  to  Miss  Susan  Rogers,  who 
is  a  native  of  St.  John,  N.  B.  Their  family  consists  of  Carrie  B.,  Nellie 
H.,  Mabel  C,  and  Ethel  V. 

BERNARD  D.  ENGLEY,  teamster.  Diamond  Bluff,  was  born  in 
Lincoln  Co.,  Me.,  May  5,  1S26.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  Sept.  20,  1857; 
and  located  at  Diamond  Bluff,  where  he  farmed  for  four  years,  being 
also  a  wood  dealer.  He  then  returned  to  Maine  and  remained  there 
two  years,  after  which  he  came  back  to  his  former  home  and  com- 
menced in  the  wood  business  again,  and  has  continued  at  that  ever 
since.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  a  number  of 
terms.  -  He  was  married  in  Maine  in  1849  to  Miss  Lucy  J.  Prock,  by 
whom  he  has  two  daughters,  Laura  B.  and  Addie  M. 

ESDAILE. 

The  village  of  Esdaile  is  situated  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  Pierce  County  in  the  town  of  Hartland,  on  a  small 
stream,  a  distance  of  six  miles  from  Maiden  Rock.  It  is  an 
unpretentious  village,  quietly  nestling  among  the  hills  and 
valleys,  which  relieves  the  monotony  of  the  scenery  in  that 
section  of  the  county,  and  is  surrounded  by  heavily  timbered 
lands.  The  principal  industry  is  the  manufacture  of  hubs, 
spokes  and  bent-wood  work,  operated  by  Charles  Betcher, 
of  Red  Wing,  Minn.  They  employ  seventy-five  men  and 
ten  teams  the  year  around.  The  village  has  also  two  gen- 
eral merchandise  stores,  a  post-office,  one  hotel,  one  church 
and  a  school-house. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

JOSEPH  GILLESPIE,  proprietor  of  the  Esdaile  House,  was  born 
in  Allegheny  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1819.  He  worked  at  farming  and  coal 
mining  in  his  native  State  until  1S61,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  4th  Penn., 
Vol.  Cav.,  Co.  E,  and  served  until  March,  1863,  when  he  was  wounded 
in  the  right  foot,  which  disabled  him  from  further  service.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Pennsylvania,  remaining  there  until  1867,  when  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  and  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Hartland,  Pierce  Co. 
After  purchasing  his  farm  he  returned  to  his  native  State,  and  brought 
his  family  to  their  Western  home.  They  lived  on  this  farm  until  1877, 
when  they  moved  into  the  village  of  Esdaile  and  built  the  hotel  where 
he  now  lives.  He  was  married  in  Pennsylvania,  July  26,  183S,  to  his 
first  wife.  Catherine  Koons,  who  died  in  1858,  and  by  whom  he  had 
seven  children.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  Martha  Bur- 
dick,  who  is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  and  by  whom  he  has  three 
children. 

SAMUEL  E.  McDON.\LD,  general  book-keeper  for  the  firm  of 
Charles  Betcher,  hub  and  spoke  factory,  Esdaile,  town  of  Hartland  ;  was 
born  in  Canada,  on  the  Ig.h  of  September.  1850.  Upon  coming  to 
Wisconsin  he  located  in  the  town  of  Hartland,  Pierce  County,  where  he 
worked  by  the  month.  In  1871  he  was  employed  by  the  above  firm, 
first  in  the  mill,  and  afterward  in  the  office  for  two  years,  and  in  1876 
he  started  a  general  merchandise  store  in  Esdaile,  which  he  run  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  William,  until  1878,  when  he  commenced  farming, 
at  which  he  continued  uniil  1881,  when  he  re-engaged  with  Charles 
Betcher.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Esdaile,  for 
three  years.  He  was  married,  March  14,  1874,  to  Miss  M.  J.  Mc- 
Clenand,  of  Freeborn  Co.,  Minn.  The  hub  and  spoke  manufactory 
where  he  is  engaged,  employs  about  seventy-five  men  the  year  around, 
and  ten  teams,  and  in  the  year  1880,  the  wagon  material  shipped  from 
there  amounted  to  $60,000. 

WILLIAM  MONRO,  superintendent  of  the  Betcher  hub  and 
spoke  manufactory,  Esdaile.  was  born  in  Canada,  on  the  I7lh  of 
August,  1838.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  i860,  and  first  located 
in  the  State  of  Michig.-in,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  (that  of  machinist) 
for  six  months.     He  afterward  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  lived   in 


HISTORY  OF  POLK  COUNTY. 


^21 


the  South  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  removed  to  Chicago, 
where  he  accepted  the  position  of  manager  of  the  Cooper  &  Bro.  bent 
timber  manufactory  ;  remained  there  until  l86g.  when  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin, and  was  foreman  of  Webster  &  Lawson's  bent  timber  manufac- 
tory at  Menasha.  In  1S79  he  engaged  in  his  present  position.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.M.,  Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No.  196.  He  was 
married  in  Chicago  in  i86o  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  Wilson,  who  is  al.so  a  na- 
tive of  Canada. 

ARTHUR  J.  MUMFORD,  assistant  foreman  of  the  Betcher  hub 
and  spoke  manufactory,  Esdaile;  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  July  29, 
1844,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  186S,  locating  first  at  Ellsworth,  Pierce 
Co..  where  he  started  a  wagon  shop,  which  he  run  until  1S73.  He 
then  engaged  with  the  above  firm  at  Esdaile,  as  foreman  in  tlie  wagon 
manufactory,  which  position  he  held  until  the  firm  abandoned  that 
branch  of  business,  when  he  assumed  his  present  position.  He  enlisted 
in  the  late  war,  in  November,  1S61,  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  the  i6th 
Iowa,  Vol.    Inf.,    Co.    G,  and    served  until  July  of  1S62,  when  he   was 


discharged  on  account  of  poor  health.  He  re-enlisted  in  December  of 
1864,  in  the  50th  Wis.,  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  G,  and  served  until  June  of 
i8b6.  He  was  married  at  Ellsworth  in  1866  to  Miss  Elsie  Brown,  who 
was  born  in  Waukesha  County.  They  have  four  children — Wellman  L., 
Nefadell,  Lois  and  Martha  B. 

WALTER  E.  WARREN,  Postmaster  and  merchant,  Esdaile,  was 
born  in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  September,  1857.  In  1867  moved  with  his 
parents  to  Rock  Elm,  Pierce  Co.,  where  his  father  started  a  wagon- 
making  shop.  In  1S79  he  went  to  Esdaile,  where  he  star, ed  a  store  in 
company  with  Henry  Doughtry,  which  they  continued  to  run  under  the 
same  name,  until  April,  of  1880,  when  Mr.  Warren  bought  out  his 
partner,  and  was  also  appointed  Postmaster.  He  has  a  trade  of  $5,coo 
per  annum  in  his  store  and  holds  the  office  of  District  School  Clerk.  He 
is  a  member  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No.  268,  and  also  of 
the  F.  &  A.  M,,  Maiden  Rock  Lodge,  No.  196.  He  was  married.  May 
17,  1880,  to  Miss  Jennie  Campbell,  by  whom  he  has  one  daughter. 


POLK    COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL  FEATURES. 

This  county  lies  between  St.  Croix,  on  the  south, 
and  Burnett,  on  the  north,  with  Barron  for  its  eastern 
neighbor,  and  the  St.  Croix  River  for  its  western  limit. 
The  land  is  generally  higli  and  rolling  in  the  western 
portion,  near  the  river,  but  in  the  center  and  eastern 
parts  is  level.  Numerous  large  meadows  abound,  fur- 
nisliing  large  crops  of  wild  grass.  Some  fine  prairie 
land  is  found  in  the  western  portion.  Pine,  oak,  birch 
and  maple  timber  is  found  in  large  quantities.  Tlie 
land  is  fertile  and  susceptible  of  agricultural  develop- 
ment. The  underlying  rock  is  sandstone,  and  large 
deposits  are  found  in  different  parts  of  the  county.  In- 
dications of  iron,  copper  and  lead  exist  in  the  eastern 
and  soutliwesteni  portions  of  the  county,  and  there  is 
a  very  extensive  deposit  of  lime  rock  on  the  St.  Croix 
River,  one  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Osceola  mills, 
from  which  large  quantities  are  taken  yearly. 

The  improved  land  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation, 
the  staple  crops  being  wheat,  oats,  barley,  rye,  Indian 
corn  and  potatoes.  Stock  raising  is  becoming  of  con- 
siderable importance.  Small  fruits  are  grown  in  con- 
siderable quantities.  Tiie  seasons  are  more  favorable 
to  the  raising  of  corn,  and  other  small  crops,  than  they 
were  at  the  first  settlement  of  the  county.  The  first 
agricultural  society  was  formed  in  1860.  Its  fairs  were 
successful,  and  did  much  to  awaken  an  interest  among 
the  farmers.  The  principal  exports  are  wood,  lumber, 
wheat,  lime,  furs  and  mineral  water.  All  the  small 
grains  raised  find  a  ready  market  at  home  among  the 
lumbermen,  either  in  their  natural  or  manufactured 
state.  The  manufacturing  interests  are  principally  of 
lumber,  and  water-power  is  used  extensively.  The 
products  find  a  ready  market  in  towns  along  the  Mis- 
sissippi River. 

The  region  is  amply  drained  by  the  Clam,  Wood, 
Trade,  Wolf,  Apple  and  Willow  rivers,  while  the  St. 
Croix  is  one  of  the  principal  streams  of  the  State. 

St.  Croix  River  rises  from  St.  Croix  Lake  about  one 
hundred  miles  above  St.  Croix  Falls,  in  Douglas  County, 
and  forms  tlie  boundary  line  between  Minnesota  and 
Wisconsin,  from  Burnett  to  Pierce  counties.  The 
scenery  of  the  river  is  a  panorama  of  beauty  that  varies 
coustautly  as  we  pass  slowly  along.     Now  the  banks 


are  formed  by  perpendicular  cliffs,  worn  and  scarred  by 
the  waters  of  centuries  ago  ;  again,  by  fields  of  golden 
grain,  or  by  a  few  tall  pines,  which  have  escaped  the 
general  destiny.  Here  and  there  may  be  seen  white 
cottages  and  thriving  villages  ;  numerous  islands,  cov- 
ered with  willows,  and  a  never-ending  succession  of 
logs,  either  afloat  or  stranded  along  the  shores,  are 
passed  on  the  journey,  and,  at  one  place,  perched  on 
the  pinnacle  of  a  rocky  height,  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  river,  is  an  old  churcli,  calling  to  mind  the  legends 
of  Jesuit  missionaries,  who  came  into  the  country  when 
it  was  but  a  wilderness  for  savages. 

It  is  not  far  from  this  church  where  the  pilot  will 
show  you  the  hoof-prints  of  his  satanic  majesty's  horse, 
left  there  ever  so  long  ago,  and  believed  to  be  imperish- 
able. One  of  the  notable  points  is  that  called  the  lime- 
kilns, which  liave  been  in  operation  to  some  extent  for 
the  last  thirty  years.  The  lime  is  made  from  a  natural 
deposit  of  almost  pure  silicate,  which  has  formed  of 
the  drippings  of  water  from  tiie  banks  above.  The 
deposit  makes  a  valuable  lime  for  blast  furnaces.  A 
short  distance  above  tlie  lime-kilns  is  the  St.  Croix 
mineral  spring,  which  bursts  out  at  the  foot  of  a  preci- 
pice in  a  deep  gorge,  a  few  rods  from  the  river,  and 
yields  water  enough  to  cure  the  nation  of  all  the  ills 
that  flesh  is  heir  to,  but  most  especially  diseases  of  the 
kidneys  and  blood.  A  handsome  hotel  stands  on  the 
bluff,  some  200  feet  above  the  water.  A  stairway  leads 
from  the  ravine  to  the  top,  and  the  view  up  the  valley 
is  well  worth  the  climb  to  see.  A  little  further  on  is 
Osceola,  where  the  boat  may  stop  long  enough  to  allow 
you  to  walk  up  a  beautiful  glen,  to  see  its  cascade — 
Osceola  cascade — as  fine  as  Minnehaha.  The  village 
of  Osceola,  the  county  seat  of  Polk  County,  has  attrac- 
tions of  its  own;  in  its  wild  beauty  it  stands  peerless 
among  the  sister  villages  that  skirt  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Croix,  which  should  make  it  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar of  Summer  resorts.  Picturesque  surroundings, 
healthful  locality,  with  trout  streams  and  ponds,  the 
mineral  springs  near  by,  and  a  class  of  people  who  are 
generous  and  hospitable ;  what  more  need  one  desire? 
Notiiing  but  good  Iiotels. 

A  few  miles  above  Osceola  we  enter  the  Dalles. 
Its  strangely  wild  and  inimitable  scenery  must  be  seen 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


to  be  fully  realized.  For  a  distance  of  some  three  or 
four  miles,  the  locality  is  peculiarly  remarkable  for  its 
rugged  character ;  huge  piles  of  rock  rising  on  each 
side  to  a  height  of  nearly  or  quite  two  Imndred  feet — 
in  some  places,  three  hundred — wliose  jagged  fronts 
frown  upon  you,  inspiring  tlie  beholder  with  awe  for 
the  grand  conceptions  of  the  Great  Architect.  The 
foundation  is  mostly  trap  rock,  thrown  up  by  some 
mighty  effort  of  nature  in  apparently  confused  masses. 
Yet  in  this  seeming  disorder  the  geologist  detects  the 
most  perfect  order,  as  it  emanates  from  the  unvarying 
hand  of  nature.  He  will  also  tell  you  that  the  strata 
is  almost  as  perfect  as  when  it  occupied  its  normal  po- 
sition ;  that  it  has  merely  been  heaved  to  the  surface, 
a  little  displaced  and  filled  with  fissures,  on  an  angle 
of  some  twenty  or  thirty  degrees.  To  tlie  casual 
observer,  it  looks  as  though  it  had  required  several 
earthquakes,  with  a  sprinkling  of  two  or  three  volca- 
noes, and  centuries  of  glacial  action,  followed  bv  an 
innumerable  number  of  years  of  wear  of  water,  to 
create  the  landscape.  It  is  chaotic  to  an  eminent  de- 
gree, except  where  worn  into  perpendicular  walls  or 
deep  wells  by  the  water.  These  are  wonderful  curi- 
osities, that  are  worth  months  of  examination  and 
careful  study,  each  examination  developing  some  new 
and  profound  effort  of  nature.  The  walls  of  the  wells 
are  circular,  witli  sides  worn  as  smooth  as  a  revolving 
stone  can  polish  them — in  places,  like  burnished  glass 
— and  vary  in  depth  and  diameter  from  a  few  inches  to 
forty  or  fifty  feet.  Tlie  people  have  named  many  of 
the  wells,  and  true  to  old  traditions  in  such  cases,  have 
made  the  devil  a  very  prominent  feature  in  the  chris- 
tening ;  the  "  Devil's  Kitchen  "  is  frequently  filled  by 
guests,  who  take  advantage  of  his  satanic  majesty's 
absence  to  cook  their  dinner  and  eat  their  lunch  on 
the  substantial  and  rocky  table  he  has  provided,  and 
many  a  shout  of  laughter  and  of  song  rises  from  his 
dominion,  which  indicate  little  fear  of  the  alleged 
owner. 

The  "  Devil's  Chair  "  is  also  a  great  curiosity,  and 
is  frequently  visited  by  ambitious  and  adventurous 
youngsters,  who  do  not  seem  to  have  much  fear  of  its 
proprietor's  return.  I'here  is  considerable  copper  in 
the  rock  in  this  region,  and  whoever  takes  any  interest 
in  it  can  find  the  copper  mines,  which  are  now  being 
worked  to  some  extent.  The  rocky  formation  that 
begins  at  the  foot  of  tlie  Dalles,  and  forms  the  falls 
above,  is  the  beginning  of  the  copper-bearing  formation 
that  extends  to  Lake  Superior,  and  there  is  little  doubt 
that  it  will  be  found  in  tlie  coming  years  a  profiiable 
mining  district.  St.  Croix  Falls  has  pleasant  surround- 
ings, and  the  attractions  of  the  falls  and  rapids,  and  of 
the  brooks,  which  are  filled  with  trout,  and  the  good 
hotels,  make  it  a  favorite  point  for  j)assing  the  Summer 
months.  A  great  many  invalids  visit  it  for  the  benefit 
of  the  pines,  which  grow  abundantly  along  the  shores 
and  rocky  cliffs.  Tlie  Dalles  House,  on  the  Taylor's 
Falls  side,  kept  by  H.  Netterfield,  has  long  been  a 
popular  resort,  and  there  is  a  probability  that  a  fine 
new  hotel  will  be  built  soon,  witli  him  for  proprietor, 
who  is  very  successful  as  a  landlord. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The   country    now    called    St.    Croix   County,   was 
originally  occupied  by  the  Chippewa    Indians.     Two 


hundred  years  ago,  in  1681,  Daniel  Greysolon  Du- 
Lhut,  or  Duluth,  and  five  French  Canadians,  visited 
the  territory,  trading  with  the  Indians.  Father  Louis 
Hennepin  also  visited  the  St.  Croix  during  liiSl,  and 
for  a  long  period,  tlie  region  was  famous  as  a  fur-pro- 
ducing locality.  Jonathan  Carver,  not  only  visited 
the  valley  in  1766,  but  he  made  a  map  thereof. 

What  must  be  called  actual  settlement,  dates  from 
July  30,  l8o7,  at  which  time  Franklin  Steele,  George 
W.  Fitch,  Col.  Stambault,  Emerson  Maginnis,  and 
three  others,  made  claim  to  and  "  squatted  "  on  land 
where  St.  Croix  Falls  now  is.  The  claim  antedated 
Government  survey  some  eight  years. 

The  treaty  at  Fort  Snelling,  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Chippewas,  was  made  July  29,  18-37, 
whereby  the  latter  ceded  to  the  United  States  the  upper 
valley  of  the  St.  Croix.  In  1842,  the  Indians  ceded  their 
right  to  all  lands,  in  this  region,  since  which  time  no 
organized  bands  have  had  permanent  foothold  in  the 
valley. 

In  18.38,  a  company  known  as  the  "  St.  Louis 
Company,"  composed  of  W.  S.  Hungerford,  James 
Livingstone,  Franklin  Steele,  Dr.  George  W.  F'itch, 
James  Libbey,  B.  F.  Titcomb,  and  VV.  S.  Holcombe, 
living  at  St  Louis,  Missouri,  and  near  Alton,  Illinois, 
was  formed  to  carry  on  a  general  lumber,  manufacturing 
and  trading  busiuess.  This  company  built  a  dam,  large 
saw-mill,  several  stores  and  shops,  about  twenty  dwell- 
ings, did  a  flourishing  business  for  a  fewj'cars,  and  then 
failed.  The  property  soon  came  into  the  possession  of 
James  Pennington,  an  experienced  lumberman  from 
Maine.  Returning  from  a  journey  East  in  1817,  he 
met  Caleb  Cushing  on  a  steamer  on  Lake  Superior. 
Mr.  Cushing  visited  the  Falls,  was  delighted  with  the 
location,  invested  largely,  and  formed  a  new  company 
with  a  cash  capital  of  $60,000.  Many  improvements  were 
made,  and  business  was  prosperous  for  several  years. 

Prominent  among  the  traders  who  were  here  about 
1845,  were  M.  M.  Samuel,  at  Balsam  Lake  and  St. 
Croix  Falls;  J.  D.  Ludden,  at  Butternut  Lake;  Sylves- 
ter Partridge,  at  Round  Lake  ;  and  Anson  Northrup, 
at  St.  Croix  Falls,  one-fourth  of  a  mile  east  of  the 
present  village,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  Section  30,  Township  84,  of  Range 
18. 

From  1844  to  1848,  William  Kent,  H.  N.  Setzer, 
Smith  Ellison,  J.  L.  Taylor,  Daniel  Mears,  John  Mower, 
William  Nobles,  Martin  Mower,  William  J.  Vincent, 
Harvey  Walker,  William  Malioney,  Perkins,  William 
R.  .Marshall,  Philip  Jewel,  William  S.  Hungerford, 
John  Weymouth,  Harrison  Scliultz,  Joseph  Bowron, 
Robert  Kent  and  Anson  Northrup  were  among  the  prin- 
cipal leading  men  who  settled  here. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  county  was  named  in  honor  of  James  K.  Polk. 
Although  the  first  election  was  held  in  this  county  in 
1844,  it  was  as  a  voting  precinct.  The  county  was  not 
organized  by  act  of  Legislature  until  1853.  The 
county  seat  was  located  at  St.  Croix  Falls.  The  first 
general  election  was  held  in  November,  1853.  There 
were  then  two  voting  precincts  in  the  county — Leroy 
and  St.  Croix  Falls.  Sixty-four  votes  were  cast. 
George  DeAtley  was  one  of  the  judges  of  election. 
The  first  county  officers  elected  were  Isaac  Freelaud, 


HISTORY  OF  POLK  COUNTY. 


723 


Clerk  of  the  Court;  E.  C.  Treadwell,  Sheriff;  O.  A. 
Clark,  Siirve3-or  ;  Isaac  Freeland,  Register  of  Deeds  ; 
William  Kent,  Treasurer ;  Harmaii  Crandall,  Coroner  ; 
Nelson  McCarty,  District  Attorney  ;  Isaac  Freeland, 
Clerk  Board  of  Supervisors.  Tiie  first  meeting  of  the 
County  Supervisors  was  held  in  Osceola,  in  a  house 
built  by  R.  Webb,  in  which  building  the  county  offices 
were  located  for  many  j'ears.  At  the  first  general 
election,  in  the  Fall  of  1853,  after  the  county  was 
organized,  there  was  a  contest  over  the  location  of  the 
county  seat.  A  vote  was  taken  to  remove  it  to 
Osceola.  The  record  shows  forty-two  votes  in  favor 
of  the  proposition  and  none  against  it.  The  county 
records  were  then  moved  to  Osceola.  One  year  after, 
at  the  general  election,  in  1854,  another  vote  was 
taken  to  move  it  back  to  St.  Croix  Falls.  The  vote 
was  forty-six  in  favor  of  returning  it  to  St.  Croix  Falls 
and  fift3'-eight  in  favor  of  having  it  remain  at  Osceola, 
where  it  has  since  been  located  without  contest. 
The  first  court  was  held  at  Osceola,  Judge  Wyram 
Knowlton  presiding.  There  were  giand  and  petit 
jurors  in  attendance.  The  sessions  were  held  in  the 
school-house,  Isaac  Freeland  was  the  first  attorney 
admitted  to  practice  by  the  Court.  Isaac  W.  Hale  was 
the  County  Judge. 

The  first  grist-mill  was  built  at  Osceola  by  the  Kent 
Brothers,  in  1848,  and  the  first  public  hotel  building,  a 
large  three-story  structure,  by  Caleb  Cushing's  Com- 
pany, at  St.  Croix  Falls,  the  same  year.  The  first 
bridge  was  built  across  the  St.  Croix  River,  between 
St.  Croix  Falls,  Wisconsin,  and  Taylor's  Falls,  Minne- 
sota, in  1856.  The  first  mail  route  was  up  the  St. 
Croix  River,  from  Stillwater  to  St.  Croix  Falls,  carried 
in  a  bateau  in  the  Summer  and  on  the  ice  in  the  Win- 
ter, by  Dr.  Aldrich.  It  was  a  weekly  mail,  and  the 
route  was  established  in  1840.  The  first  overland  mail 
route  was  from  Willow  River,  now  Hudson,  to  St. 
Croix  Falls,  a  weekly,  established  in  1847,  carried  by 
Dr.  Aldrich  through  tiie  woods.  Tlie  fii'st  stage  line 
was  from  Hudson  to  St.  Croix  Falls,  commencing  in 
1855. 

The  first  lawyer  was  Isaac  Freeland  ;  first  physician. 
Dr.  Carli,  of  St.  Croix  Falls. 

The  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was  the  St. 
Croixian,  started  at  St.  Croix  Falls,  by  Reymert  and 
Bartlett,  December  1,  1860.  One  year  afterward  it 
was  changed  to  the  Polk  County  Press  and  moved  to 
Osceola  by  Sam  S.  Fifield,  who  had  the  previous  year 
bargained  for  the  material  of  the  office.  Fifield  was 
succeeded  by  Charles  E.  Mears,  the  present  proprietor. 
The  North  Wisconsin  News  is  published  at  Clear  Lake, 
by  E.  O.  Johnson. 

There  was  considerable  strife  in  1854,  when  rail- 
roads began  to  be  talked  about,  between  speculators 
and  actual  settlers,  in  the  entry  of  the  public  lands. 
One  notable  instance  was  in  the  town  of  Farmington. 
Several  settlers  had  pre-empted  some  valuable  land, 
but  failing  to  make  their  final  entry  at  the  proper  time, 
a  wealthy  speculator,  named  Ovid  Piiincy,  entered 
their  lands  from  them.  Tliis  so  enraged  the  settlers 
that  they  collected  a  band,  seized  the  old  gentleman, 
and,  after  caiiying  him  several  miles,  held  a  council, 
and  decided  to  drown  him  in  the  St.  Croix  River. 
Finally  better  judgment  prevailed,  and  he  was  released. 


The  first  pre-emption  and  entry  of  land  was  made  in 
what  is  now  the  town  of  Farmington,  in  1848,  by  Har- 
mon Crandall.  The  land  at  St.  Croix  Falls  was  claimed 
as  mineral  land  for  some  3'ears,  and  was  held  by  the 
"  squatter's  right.  The  swamp,  pine  and  mineral  lands 
embraced  an  area  of  some  12,946  acres,  and  was  dis- 
posed of  to  the  State  by  grant  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment, and  to  lumbermen  and  settlers. 

During  the  Sioux  massacre  in  1862  this  county  and 
the  upper  St.  Croix  Valley  were  threatened  with  an  In- 
dian raid.  The  settlers  armed  and  prepared  to  defend 
themselves,  but  were  not  molested. 

The  first  railroad  in  the  county,  the  Northern  Wis- 
consin, was  built  in  June,  1874.  It  extends  across  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  county,  in  the  town  of  Black 
Brook,  for  a  distance  of  twelve  miles. 

Apple  River  was  thus  denominated  because  of  the 
great  quantity  of  wild  ground  nuts,  or  roots,  called  by 
the  Indians  apples,  that  grew  on  its  banks.  Willow 
River  received  its  name  from  the  immense  willow 
marshes  near  the  stream.  Clam  River  was  thus  called 
on  account  of  the  large  quantity  of  fresh  water  clams 
found  in  its  bed.  Namekoggan  is  the  Indian  for 
swampy  river. 

OSCEOLA. 

The  county  seat  was  founded  in  1854,  by  the  Kent 
Brothers.  They  built  the  first  grist-mill  in  the  county,  and 
the  second  saw-mill,  and  enjoyed  a  well-earned  prominence 
for  many  years.  The  place  was  named  by  James  Living- 
stone, after  Osceola,  the  Seminole  chief,  of  Florida. 

Immense  deposits  of  Potsdam  sandstone  exist  at  Osceo- 
la. Many  fossils  are  to  be  found  there,  prominent  among 
them  the  trilobite.  Large  deposits  of  calcareous  tufa  are 
also  found  near  the  limestone  beds  south  of  Osceola. 

Large  numbers  of  ancient  mounds  exist  in  the  town  of 
Osceola,  some  of  them  being  twenty-five  feet  high.  Skele- 
tons of  human  beings  have  been  taken  from  all  these  mounds 
that  have  been  opened.  Some  of  the  bones  are  very  large, 
which  would  indicate  that  a  race  of  people  larger  than  those 
who  now  live  here  were  buried  therein. 

William  Kent  located  his  saw-mill  and  settled  at  Osceo- 
la in  1844,  and  with  his  brothers,  was  afterward  the  founder 
of  Osceola.  He  was  the  first  County  Treasurer,  and  has 
long  been  a  prominent  steamboat-man  on  the  St.  Croix  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  H.  N.  Setzer  is  now  a  well-established 
lawyer  in  Duluth.  Daniel  Mears  came  from  Boston  in  1848, 
as  an  agent  of  the  mercantile  house  of  Dexter,  Harring- 
ton &  Co.,  and  first  located  at  St.  Croix  Falls,  afterward  at 
Willow  River  Mills.  He  was  State  Senator  in  1858  and 
1859,  and  has  been  for  many  years  a  prominent  lumberman 
and  leading  citizen.  William  R.  Marshall  afterward  be- 
came Governor  of  the  State  of  Minnesota.  Joseph  Bow- 
ron  founded  the  town  of  Bowron's  Mills,  on  Willow  River, 
and  was  in  the  Assembly  in  1849,  representing  the  counties 
of  La  Pointe  and  St.  Croix.  William  J.  Vincent  held  many 
important  civil  offices,  and  was  County  Clerk  for  seven 
years.     Robert  Kent  was  County  Judge  for  ten  years. 

The  first  organized  religious  society  was  at  Osceola,  in 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


1S52,  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  with  preaching  by 
Rev.  Eddyvin  ;  afterward  by  Rev.  George  Hilton,  in  1854. 
The  first  church  building  erected  was  by  the  Baptist  society 
in  Osceola,  with  Rev.  S.  T.  Catlin  as  pastor. 

The  first  steamboat  built  in  the  St.  Croix  Valley,  or  in 
Polk  County,  was  built  at  Osceola,  by  Holmes  &  Cummings, 
in  the  Winter  of  1854  and  1855. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  at  Osceola  in  1845,  and 
in  St.  Croix  Falls  in  1861.  The  first  school  in  Osceola  was 
taught  by  W.  A.  Talboy,  in  the  Fall  of  1854. 

ST.  CROIX  FALLS. 

This  village  derives  its  name  from  the  falls  in  the  river 
opposite  it.  The  village  was  platted  in  1845  ;  Flint's  Addi- 
tion to  the  same,  August  28,  1857  —  the  original  survey  be- 
ing made  by  Maine  T.  M.  Chandler.  Osceola  was  platted 
April  26,  1855,  by  F.  G.  Murray;  Clam  Falls,  July  17, 
1873,  by  John  Ekwurtzell. 

In  1857,  R.  C.  Murphy  and  Col.  Bodfish,  of  Maine,  en- 
deavored to  build  up  St.  Croix  Falls,  but  after  one  year's 
work  failed.  In  1870,  the  European  and  American  Emi- 
gration Society  was  formed.  Count  Taub,  of  Sweden,  repre- 
senting the  European  interests,  and  Caleb  Gushing  the 
American.  The  design  of  this  company  was  to  build  a  city 
at  St.  Croix  Falls.  They  brought  out  many  settlers,  but 
after  one  year's  work  abandoned  the  enterprise. 

St.  Croix  Falls  is  located  on  what  was  the  Indian's  and 


trapper's  trail,  from  St.  Paul  and  Fort  Snelling,  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, to  La  Pointe,  on  Lake  Superior. 

The  first  birth  was  that  of  Charles  Northrup,  in  1S42,  at 
St.  Croix  Falls;  first  marriage,  Louis  Barlow,  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Boutwell.  The  first  school  was  established  at  St.  Croix 
Falls  in  1848,  and  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Tainter. 

The  scarcity  of  provisions  in  the  Spring  of  1844,  created 
what  has  been  since  known  as  the  "  starving  time,"  when 
the  trials  of  the  Jamestown  colonists,  in  Virginia,  in  i6og- 
10,  came  near  being  re-enacted  at  St.  Croix  Falls.  None 
died,  but  those  who  were  able,  cut  a  road  through  the  wil- 
derness, fifty  miles,  to  Fort  Snelling,  where  they  took  shin- 
gles and  traded  them  for  condemned  army  pork.  They 
also  picked  meat  from  the  refuse  and  garbage  that  had  been 
cast  aside  through  the  Winter.  George  W.  Biownell,  a 
geological  surveyor,  of  the  Government,  passing  through 
this  vicinity  at  the  time,  gave  the  settlement  all  the  pro- 
visions he  had.  Thus  the  starving  pioneers  lived  for  two 
months,  when  a  steamer  came  from  St.  Louis,  loaded  with 
supplies. 

The  first  religious  services  among  the  whites  was  held 
at  St.  Croix  Falls  in  1852,  by  Rev.  Boutwell,  from  Pogema 
Lake,  a  Congregational  missionary  among  the  Indians. 

Settlers  came  in  slowdy  until  1866  and  1867.  The 
first  store  was  built  at  St.  Croix  Falls,  also  the  first  black- 
smith shop,  first  frame  house,  first  hotel  or  boarding-house 
for  mill  hands  —  known  as  the  "Planters'  House,"  and 
"  Soap  Grease  Exchange" — by  the  St.  Louis  Lumber  com- 
pany. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


7*5 


PORTAGE    COUNTY 


PHySICAL  FEATURES. 

Portage  County  is  geographically  near  the  center  of 
the  State,  and  is  composed  of  twenty-two  Government 
townships,  being  five  of  these  in  length  from  north  to 
south,  and  five  between  east  and  west  for  the  two 
upper  tiers  of  towns,  and  four  for  the  other  three.  It 
is  joined  on  the  north  by  Marathon,  on  the  east  by 
Waupaca,  south  by  Waushara  and  Adams,  and  on  the 
west  by  Wood  County.  It  contains  892  square  miles 
of  territory. 

The  Wisconsin  River  enters  the  county  in  the  town 
of  Eau  Pleine,  in  the  northwestern  part,  and  runs  in  a 
southeasterly  direction  about  four  miles  below  Stevens 
Point,  leaving  the  village  on  the  left  bank.  It  then 
turns  rather  abruptly  west,  and  leaves  the  county  be- 
tween the  towns  of  Plover  and  Linwood.  Mile  Creek 
starts  in  an  easterly  direction,  in  the  town  of  Carson, 
and  finally,  going  soutli,  enters  the  Wisconsin.  Mead- 
ow Creek  arises  in  tlie  counties  above,  runs  southwest 
tlirougli  the  town  of  Hull  to  join  the  Wisconsin,  three 
miles  above  the  city  of  Stevens  Point.  Tlie  Waupaca 
starts  in  Sharon,  moves  southeast  through  New  Hope, 
Amlierst,  and  leaves  the  town  and  county  in  Lanark. 
The  Plover  starts  north  of  the  county,  runs  south,  and 
enters  tiie  Wisconsin  below  Stevens  Point.  The  county 
is  well  watered,  and,  in  the  eastern  part,  are  numerous 
lakes,  not  exceeding  a  mile  in  tlieir  largest  diameter. 

The  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  runs  through 
the  county  near  the  center,  nearly  east  and  west.  The 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  comes  into  the  county 
about  six  miles  south  of  the  northwest  corner,  runs  in  a 
generally  southeast  direction,  and  leaves  the  county 
eleven  miles  north  of  the  southeast  corner.  The  Portage 
division  of  this  road  is  located  from  Stevens  Point, 
soutii,  leaving  the  county  near  the  center  of  the  south- 
ern boundary.  The  Wisconsin  Valley  road,  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Com- 
pany, lies  diagonally  across  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  county.  A  railroad  is  also  building  from  Plover  to 
Stevens  Point. 

Tiie  whole  county  is  remarkably  level,  being  slightly 
inclined  to  tlie  south,  without  marked  elevations  or 
depi'essions.  The  altitude  is  about  200  feet  above  Lake 
Michigan,  and  is  quite  free  from  swamp  land  or  barren 
places  that  can  not  be  utilized. 

The  county  was  first  visited  and  settled  along  the 
river,  for  the  sake  of  the  lumber,  but  the  distance  to 
haul  provisions,  and  the  trouble  of  bringing  them  so 
far  up  the  river,  called  early  attention  to  farming,  and 
labor  in  this  direction  has  not  been  disappointing.  Up 
to  the  very  time  when  tlie  land  was  shown,  by  the 
crops  raised  upon  it,  that  it  was  most  valuable  for  agri- 
cultural purposes,  it  was  reported  and  generally  believed 
to  be  swampy,  sandy  and  sterile.  Indeed,  the  early 
geological  reports  characterized  the  whole  region  of 


Northern  Wisconsin  as  practically  worthless  after  the 
removal  of  the  pine  lumber,  which  was  supposed  only 
to  exist  along  the  large  streams. 

That  the  idea  of  the  poverty  of  the  land  was  soon 
corrected,  may  be  obvious  from  the  fact  that  within 
four  years  after  the  land  ofl5ce  was  opened  in  Stevens 
Point,  nearly  one-half  of  the  land  was  sold,  although 
on  its  establishment  there  were  grave  doubts  as  to 
whether  it  would  pay  expenses.  The  title  of  most  of 
the  land  went  into  the  hands  of  actual  settlers.  As  to 
the  extent  of  the  pine,  it  embraced  originally  but  about 
one-eighteenth  of  the  county,  as  the  pine  as  a  rule 
gradually  diminished  at  a  distance  from  the  river,  giv- 
ing place  to  hard  timber.  Beside,  there  were  beautiful 
openings  of  prairie,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the 
county. 

The  geological  formations  to  which  the  county  be- 
longs are  the  Archaean  and  the  Lower  Silurian.  The 
dividing  line,  running  in  an  irregular  way  across  the 
county,  leaving  the  nortlieast  corner  and  tiie  north- 
west corner  of  the  county,  witli  a  strip  down  each  side 
of  tiie  Wisconsin  River  as  the  Archaean  portion,  and 
the  lower  part  of  the  county  and  a  tract  coming  near 
a  point  east  of  the  center  of  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  county,  as  the  Lower  Silurian.  It  is  quite  likely 
that  at  no  great  depth  throughout  the  whole  county, 
tiie  Archaean  rocks  will  be  found. 

The  rocks  that  crop  out,  near  the  various  falls  par- 
ticularl}^  are  of  a  crystalline  ciiaracter,  and  make  a  su- 
perior building  stone.  And  with  skill  in  selecting  and 
combining  various  tints  and  shades,  beautiful  architect- 
ural effects  could  be  secured.  At  Conant's  Rapids,  a 
fine-grained,  pinkish-gray  gneiss  is  found,  interlaid 
with  wliite  quartz  and  feldspathic  granite  layers.  At 
Shaurette's  Rapids,  at  Stevens  Point,  the  rock  is  a 
moderately  coarse,  laminated  brownish  micalaceous 
gneiss.  The  rapids  are  in  each  case  over  schistose  and 
gneissic  beds,  and  where  the  river  is  embanked  with 
sand,  there  is  often  near  the  bottom  or  at  the  water's 
edge,' an  outcrop  of  similar  rocks. 

The  surface  of  tlie  county  is  more  or  less  undulat- 
ing, with  broken  bluffs  and  uneven  ridges.  The  line 
of  the  glacial  drift  is  across  the  lower  part  of  the 
county.  If  tiiere  is  limestone,  it  has  not  been  uncov- 
ered. There  sliould  be  some  kaolin  beds,  which  will 
some  day  prove  valuable. 

Tlie  brick  made  from  the  clay  in  the  county  ap- 
pears to  be  too  sandy,  but  this  may  be  due  to  improp- 
er or  insufficient  manipulation  in  the  process  of  manu- 
facture. 

South  of  Plover  is  a  great  marsh,  where  there  is  a 
vast  bed  of  peat,  covering  about  four  townships.  With 
tlie  abundance  of  wood,  this  is  not  utilized  for  fuel ; 
this  formation  must  belong  to  the  Pliocene  or  the 
post- Pliocene  accumulations. 


726 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  large  marsh  alluded  to  is  in  the  towns  of  Plo- 
ver, Pine  Grove,  Buena  Vista  and  Grant.  Almost 
every  town  in  the  county  has  several  marshes  upon 
wiiich  cranberries  are  grown.  These  patches  are  usu- 
ally irregular  in  form,  their  outlines  representing  fan- 
tastic animals,  birds  and  other  familiar  objects.  Prop- 
erly handled,  this  soil  is  the  most  valuable  of  any  in 
the  count3^ 

The  elevation  along  the  river  varies  from  450  to  550 
feet  above  Lake  Michigan.  Back  from  the  river  it  is 
much  higher. 

At  the  railroad  station  at  Stevens  Point  the  altitude 
is  484  feet  above  Lake  Michigan,  and  1,065  above  the 
sea. 

Most  of  the  soil  is  inclined  to  be  sandy,  although  it 
is  not  uniformly  so  ;  but  sand  is  the  basis  of  all  soil, 
and  it  is  true  here  that  with  what  measure  you  meet, 
it  siiall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

The  soil  of  the  timber  lands  is  unlike  in  many  par- 
ticulars that  of  the  prairie  lands,  which  has  been  formed 
mostly  by  the  decaying  roots  of  grass  and  the  ashes 
resulting  from  the  periodical  burning  of  the  uncut 
hay. 

The  timber  lands  have  not  been  burned  over,  only 
in  exceptional  cases,  and  the  heavy  coat  of  vegetable 
mold  which  everywhere  covers  tlie  ground  is  made 
up  of  successive  generations  of  decaying  leaves  and 
other  vegetable  forest  growths.  Li  the  marshy  places 
there  is  a  heavy  black  loam  like  the  prairies  of  Illinois, 
of  wonderful  richness. 

The  finer  varieties  of  hard-wood  like  the  white  oak, 
hickory  and  ash  do  not  grow  on  sandy  soil.  So  we  find 
in  portions  of  the  county  usually  away  from  the  streams, 
the  soil  is  of  a  rich  heavy  black  loam,  underlaid  by  a 
heavy  clay  subsoil. 

Practically,  as  soon  as  the  timber  and  debris  is  re- 
moved, the  crop  can  be  at  once  scratched  into  tiie 
ground  without  plowing,  and  this  can  be  repeated  the 
second  time,  until  tlie  atmospheric  action  has  complet- 
ed the  decay  of  the  rootlets  near  the  surface,  when  it 
is  ready  for  the  plow. 

As  to  the  durability  of  the  soil,  there  is  as  yet,  after 
successive  croppings  since  the  first  settlement,  but  lit- 
tle if  any  diminution  of  its  ability  to  produce. 

An  analysis  of  the  soil,  gives  about  this  average  re- 
sult :  Organic  matter,  9.60  ;  insoluble  silicates,  80.36  ; 
alumina,  2.90  ;  peroxide  of  iron,  .90  ;  carbonate  of 
lime,  1.01  ;  carbonate  of  magnesia,  .S6  ;  water,  3.15. 
The  capacities  of  such  a  soil  is  undoubted. 

Tlie  climate  of  the  county  as  exhibited  by  the  tem- 
perature and  humidity,  the  two  principal  factors  in  mak- 
ing it  up,  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  same  latitude  east  and 
west,  although  the  distance  from  large  bodies  of  water 
and  of  immense  treeless  prairies  prevents  those  sud- 
den changes  which  are  so  disastrous  in   so  many  ways. 

Cold  can  be  endured  with  little  discomfort  on  ac- 
count of  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere. 

Tlie  average  annual  temperature  is  probably  about 
forty-.seven  degrees,  that  of  the  Winter  being  twenty, 
the  Spring  forty-six,  the  Autumn  forty-eight  and  the 
Summer  seventy-three. 

As  to  the  rain-fall,  thirty-seven  inches,  including 
the  melted  snow,  would  approximate  tiie  truth. 

There  are  no  malarial  diseases,  and  the  county  has 


a  remarkable  small  death  rate,  a  large  proportion  of  the 
deaths  being  from  hereditary  causes. 

THE   INDIANS. 

Up  to  the  year  1820,  all  the  territory  west  of  Lake 
Michigan  was  Indian  country.  It  is  true  there  were 
two  small  settlements  which  had  been  occupied  by  the 
British  during  the  war  of  1812,  and  still  were  trading- 
posts,  but  they  were  occupied  by  permission  of  tiie  War 
Department,  the  only  authority  by  which  any  white  man 
could  place  his  foot  upon  this  soil. 

John  Bowyer  was  the  energetic  Indian  Agent  at 
Green  Bay,  and  he  succeeded  in  securing  from  the 
Menomonees  a  cession  of  forty  miles  square,  with  Fort 
Howard  as  the  center.  When  tiie  treaty  came  up  for 
ratification  in  the  United  States  Senate,  it  was  opposed 
and  defeated  by  the  New  York  Senators,  because  they 
were  interested  in  the  removal  of  the  Onondagas,  Tusca- 
rawas, Stockbridges,  Ma-nic-a-nicks  and  Oneidas,  from 
New  York  to  the  Menomonee  country,  west  of  Lake 
Michigan,  and  these  tribes  had  obtained  permission  to 
visit  the  Menomonees  for  the  purpose  of  making  an  ar- 
rangement to  tiiat  effect.  In  relation  to  the  removal 
of  the  New  York  Indians,  wiiich  was  subsequently  par- 
tially carried  into  effect,  it  may  not  be  stepping  aside 
too  far  to  remark  that  this  plan  was  first  formally 
suggested  to  the  Indians  by  Rev.  Dr.  Jedediah  Morse, 
who  was  their  friend  and  adviser.  The  plan  was  eager- 
ly caught  up  by  Rev.  Eleazer  Williams,  who  saw  vis- 
ions of  a  vast  Indian  empire  in  the  West,  and  it  was 
urged  with  all  the  skill  and  genius  inspired  by  pecunia- 
ry interests,  by  the  New  York  Land  Company, 
composed  of  such  men  as  Thomas  L.  Ogden,  and 
in  beiialf  of  the  Stockbridge  Indians,  tiie  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Missions  was  enlisted  to  promote  a  consent  to 
the  removal.  Tiiis  land  company  had  secured  the  pre- 
emption right  of  purchase  of  most  of  tliese  Indian  reser- 
vations, as  well  as  the  Senecas,  near  Buffalo. 

In  1828,  certain  private  land  claims,  which  had  been 
allowed  by  act  of  Congress  some  years  before,  were  or- 
dered surveyed.  This  survey  only  covered  these 
patents,  so  that  Wisconsin  was  not  yet  open  to  settle- 
ment. 

Samuel  C.  Stambaugh  appeared  as  a  new  Indian 
Agent  at  Green  Bay  in  1830.  He  at  once  addressed 
himself  to  the  business  of  securing  the  land  for  white 
settlement,  and  early  in  September,  called  a  council  of 
the  Menomonees.  He  asked  them  why  the}'  were  so 
poor  and  miserable  ?  Why  their  woman  and  cliildren 
were  so  destitute  ?  And  informed  them  in  glowing 
terms  of  other  Indian  tribes  who  had  plent}'  of  money 
and  goods  furnished  them  every  year  by  the  Govern- 
ment, and  then  inquired  as  to  what  use  to  them  was 
the  vast  wilderness  of  swamps  and  woods,  while  they 
had  no  blankets  or  money  ?  By  this  simple  reasoning, 
they  were  very  soon  persuaded  tliat  tliev  had  too  much 
land  and  too  little  money  or  goods.  So  it  became  easy 
to  arrange  a  visit  to  Washington  to  see  the  Great 
Father.  In  October,  following,  the  delegation  started 
— Mr.  Stambaugii,  Indian  Agent,  fourteen  chiefs,  two 
women  and  two  interpreters.  Tliey  arrived  in  Decem- 
ber, and  Mr.  Eaton,  who  was  Secretary  of  War,  soon 
concluded  a  treaty,  ceding  all  their  land  east  of  Green 
Bay,  Fox  River,  Winnebago  Lake  and  the  Milwaukee 
River,  to  the  Government. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


727 


On  account  of  the  acquired  rights  of  the  New  York 
Indians,  already  alluded  to,  this  treaty  had  trouble  in 
the  Senate  ;  it  was,  however,  i-atified  with  a  clause  pro- 
tectino-  the  rights  of  the  New  York  Indians.  As  to 
the  Winnebagoes,  who  occupied  the  country  west  of 
the  Menomonees,  in  1820  the}^  had  five  villages  on  Win- 
nebago Lake,  and  fourteen  on  Rock  River. 

At  St.  Louis,  in  1816,  on  the  3d  of  June,  they  had 
concluded  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  United  States,  as 
a  supplement  to  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  as  they  had  been 
engaged  with  the  British  in  the  war  then  just  closed, 
and  received  annuities  from  that  Government.  No  land 
was  transferred  at  this  time,  and  the  tribe  continued  to 
levy  tribute  on  all  who  passed  up  the  Fox  River.  Their 
territorial  claims  were  quite  extensive,  reaching  from 
the  Chippewa,  on  the  north,  to  the  small  streams  run- 
ning into  tlie  Mississippi  and  into  Illinois,  on  the  south, 
and  the  Menomonees  on  the  east.  In  1829,  a  large 
part  of  their  territory  in  Southwestern  Wisconsin  was 
sold  to  the  General  Government,  and  in  1831,  the  resi- 
due lying  south  and  east  of  the  Wisconsin  and  the  Fox 
River  of  Green  Bay  was  transferred. 

The  treaty  of  1825,  by  which  the  boundaries  between 
the  several  tribes  was  established,  conceded  the  Win- 
nebagoes to  be  the  owners  of  the  territory  now  sub- 
stantially covered  by  the  counties  of  Clark,  Columbia, 
Crawford,  Dane,  Dodge.  Fond  du  Lac,  Green  Lake, 
Green,  Grant,  Iowa,  Jefferson,  Jackson,  Juneau,  La 
Fa3'ette,  La  Crosse,  Marquette,  Monroe,  Richland, 
Rock,  Sauk,  Vernon,  Winnebago  and  Wood. 

The  consideration  for  the  land  ceded  in  1829  and  in 
1831  was  $1,500  000,  to  be  paid  in  annual  payments  of 
150,000  a  year  for  thirty  years. 

The  treaty  wliich  finally  took  the  last  acre  from  the 
Winnebagoes  was  secured  in  thia  way,  as  related  by 
tlie  Hon.   Henr}'  Merrill : 

"  Gov.  Dodge,  living  at  Portage,  in  1837,  invited  the 
Winnebagoes  to  send  a  delegation  to  visit  their  Great 
Father  at  Washington.  Suspicious  of  a  purpose  to  ob- 
tain their  lands,  they  asked,  'What  for?  to  make  a 
treaty  ?  '  The  Governor  evaded  the  point,  suggesting 
that  they  could  get  acquainted  with  their  Great 
Father  and  obtain  presents,  and,  after  much  persuasion, 
it  was  agreed  to  send  a  delegation — Yellow  Thunder, 
One-eyed  De  Koury,  Little  De  Koury,  Winno  Sheek 
and  six  other  chiefs,  with  some  young  men,  sons  of 
chiefs.  Satterlee  Clark  accompanied  them  as  one  of 
the  conductors. 

"  As  soon  as  they  reached  Wasliington,  they  were 
beset  to  hold  a  treaty,  and  cede  their  lands  to  the  Gov- 
ernment. They  finally  declined,  saying  they  had  no 
authority  for  any  such  purpose ;  that  the  most  of  their 
chiefs  were  at  home,  who  alone  could  enter  into  such 
a  negotiation.  Every  influence  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  them,  and  they  began  to  get  uneasy  lest  Winter 
should  set  in  and  prevent  their  returning  home.  They 
were  without  means  to  defray  their  expenses  back,  and 
those  managing  Indian  matters  in  Washington  availed 
themselves  of  the  necessities  of  the  delegation,  keeping 
them  tliere,  and  urging  them  to  enter  into  a  treaty. 

"  At  length  they  yielded,  not  to  their  judgments, 
but  to  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  them,  and  yet 
while  reluctantly  signing  the  treaty,  all  the  while  stout- 
ly protesting  that  they  had  no  show  of  authority  to  do 


so.  The  treaty,  as  they  were  informed,  permitted  them 
to  remain  in  peaceful  occupancy  of  the  ceded  lands  for 
eight  years,  when,  in  fact,  it  was  only  that  number  of 
months,  and  as  each  went  forward  to  attach  his  name, 
or  rather  mark,  to  the  treaty,  he  would  repeat  what  he 
understood  to  be  the  time  they  were  to  remain — 'eight 
years.'  And  thus  the  poor  red  men  were  deceived  and 
outwitted  by  those  who  ought  to  have  been  their  pro- 
tectors." 

One  of  the  young  men  who  was  a  party  to  this 
treaty  dared  not  visit  his  father,  a  prominent  chief,  for 
some  time.  Yellow  Thunder  declared  he  would  not 
go  to  Turkey  River,  in  Iowa,  where  a  reservation  had 
been  made  for  them.  He  and  young  Black  Wolf  were 
inveigled  into  Fort  Winnebago,  under  pretense  of 
holding  a  council,  seized,  manacled  and  started  West, 
but  he  managed  to  escape,  returned  and  entered  forty 
acres  of  land  from  which  he  has  never  been  driven. 
It  is  related  that  when  a  young  chief  "Dandy"  learned 
that  they  were  to  be  sent  away  he  went  with  an  inter- 
preter to  Gov.  Dodge. 

"  Well,"  says  the  governor,  "  what  in do  you 

want  ?  " 

"  Tell  him,"  said  Dandy,  "that  I  came  to  see  him,  and 
if  he  had  come  to  see  me,  I  should  have  received  him  in 
a  gentlemanly  way  and  waited  patiently  to  learn  his 
business !  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  governor,  "what  is  it?" 

Dandy  then  produced  from  under  the  folds  of  his 
blanket  a  book.  "  Ask  the  Governor  what  book  that 
is." 

"  Oh,  yes,  that  is  the  Bible." 

'•Ask  him  if  he  ever  read  it,  if  he  is  acquainted  with 
its  contents." 

"  Yes,  certainly." 

"  Ask  him  if  it  is  a  guide  for  human  conduct,  if  it 
points  out  the  whole  duty  of  man." 

"  Yes,  Dandy,  you  will  find  it  all  recorded  in  that 
book." 

"  Well,"  says  Dandy, "  if  that  book  says  I  shall  go  to 
Turkey  River,  I  will  go,  but  if  it  don't  say  so,  /  won't !  " 

This  fraudulent  treaty  of  November  1, 1837,  embit- 
tered the  Winnebagos  and  cost  the  Government  a  large 
amount  of  trouble  and  expense,  which  is  not  over  yet. 

This  treaty  of  1837  granted  a  perpetual  annuity  to 
the  Winnebagoes  of  #50,000  a  year,  and  they  were  to 
have  a  fixed  habitation,  and  be  taught  agriculture  and 
the  mechanical  arts. 

At  this  time  as  many  as  could  be  collected  were  re- 
moved to  Turkey  River,  Iowa.  In  a  few  years  they 
were  removed  to  Long  Prairie,  Minn.  Here  mills  were 
built,  farms  opened,  houses  built,  and  other  improve- 
ments made,  as  it  was  supposed  to  be  their  permanent 
home.  From  here  they  were  forcibly  removed  to  Blue 
Eulh,  Minn.,  which  was  guaranteed  to  them  as  their 
future  home.  Here,  also,  valuable  improvements  were 
made  and  they  remained  as  a  barrier  between  the  wild 
tribes  of  the  plains  and  the  steady  oncoming  of  civili- 
zation. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  100  Winneba- 
goes out  of  600  male  adults,  enlisted  in  the  army  of  the 
Union. 

In  the  Sioux  outbreak,  in  1862,  the  Winnebagoes 
refused  to  join,  but  assisted  the  whites  and  actually 


728 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


prevented  it  from  being  much  more  serious  than  it  was. 
This  Sioux  massacre  was  seized  upon  by  interested 
parties  to  have  the  Winnebagoes  removed  from  Min- 
nesota, and  in  1863  Congressional  sanction  was  ob- 
tained for  their  removal  to  the  Missouri  River,  in 
Dakota,  where  they  were  taken  and  left  without  prop- 
er supplies,  or  agent,  or  supervision.  Hundreds  died 
from  want  and  exposure,  and  many  were  killed  by  the 
Sioux. 

Realizing  that  they  were  practically  abandoned  by 
the  Government  to  their  fate  among  their  hereditary 
enemies,  they  organized  into  two  bands,  one  of  which 
returned  to  Wisconsin,  the  otiier  went  to  Nebraska 
a;id  made  a  bargain  with  the  Omahas  for  a  part  of 
their  reservation,  which  was  afterward  ratified  by 
Congress. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1864,  Congress,  to  repair  to 
some  extent  the  injustice  practiced  upon  these  people, 
passed  an  act  providing  that  "  the  proportion  of  the 
annuities  which  would  have  been  paid  the  stray  In- 
dians if  on  their  reservation,  should  be  retained  in  the 
Treasury  to  their  credit  from  year  to  year,  to  be  paid 
to  them  when  tliey  should  unite  with  their  tribe,  or  to 
be  used  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  in  settling  and 
subsisting  them  on  any  reservation  which  hereafter 
might  be  provided  for  them." 

In  1871  Congress  passed  a  joint  resolution,  appro- 
priating $15,000  for  the  removal  of  these  stray  Indians 
in  Wisconsin.  No  action  in  the  matter  was  taken 
until  January,  1873,  when  Mr.  C.  A.  Hunt,  of  Mel- 
vina,  Wis.,  was  appointed  special  agent  to  remove 
them  from  the  State.  Various  devices  were  employed 
to  induce  them  to  go,  and  about  600  were  got  together 
in  camp  near  Sparta. 

H.  W.  Lee,  Esq.,  was  employed  as  attorney  by  the 
Indians,  and  on  conferring  with  Mr.  Delano,  Secretary 
of  the  Interior,  he  was  informed  by  Ed.  R.  Smith, 
Indian  Commissioner,  that  there  was  no  authority  for 
the  forcible  removal  of  the  Indians,  "  that  the  act 
simply  appropriated  money  to  defray  the  expense  of 
removal,  but  did  not  provide  that  they  should  be  re- 
moved." On  the  receipt  of  this  information  the 
Indians  at  once  left  the  camp  and  went  aliout  their 
usual  work,  cutting  wood,  harvesting,  picking  hops  and 
berries,  and  whatever  they  could  get  to  do. 

The  special  agent,  being  without  Indians  to  trans- 
port, secured  the  assistance  of  United  States  troops 
from  Fort  Snelling,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  the  civil 
authorities,  corraled  the  Indians  and  succeeded  in 
transporting  between  700  and  800  of  them  to  Nebraska, 
where  240  died,  and  the  rest  found  their  way  back  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1874.  And  now  about 
one-half  of  them  are  scattered  about  the  State  and  the 
other  lialf  on  their  reservation  in  Nebraska.  Many  of 
tliem  are  now  actual  settlers  in  Portage,  Marathon  and 
Jackson  counties. 

It  is  claimed  that  there  is  now  due  them  from  the 
General  Government  about  .'1100,000  as  tiieir  just  pro- 
portion of  the  annuities  due  them  for  their  proportion 
of  the  payments  for  their  lands. 

The  Winnebagoes  originally  came  from  the  South 
and  conquered  the  territory  in  Wisconsin,  which  they 
occupied  for  perhaps  300  years,  from  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes, 


This  sketch  embraces  a  brief  history  of  this  tribe 
since  the  advent  of  tlie  white  settlers  upon  their 
domain. 

EARLY   HISTORY. 

The  history  of  Portage  County  is  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  lumbering  business  on  the  Wisconsin 
River  from  its  very  first  commencement. 

Fort  Winnebago,  at  Portage,  between  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  rivers,  was  built  by  lumber  got  out  on  a 
small  island  in  the  Wisconsin  River,  a  few  miles  above, 
and  floated  down.  What  little  sawing  was  required 
was  done  by  hand. 

At  the  request  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  the  head  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  a  militaiy  post  was  estab- 
lished at  the  Portage,  where  there  had  been  a  trading 
post  for  several  years  occupied  by  Peter  Pauquette, 
the  agent ;  John  Kinzie,  the  sub-agent ;  and  Francis 
Le  Roy  and  a  few  half-breeds.  The  exactions  of  the 
Winnebagoes,  who  believed  in  a  high  tariff  for  revenue, 
seemed  to  demand  this  military  occupation. 

The  troops  came  in  the  Fall  of  1828,  and  the  lumber 
alluded  to  was  floated  down  in  the  Spring  of  1829, 
which  marks  the  time  of  the  first  log  driving  on  the 
Wisconsin  River,  and  it  was  under  the  direction  of 
Major  Twiggs,  afterward  the  general  of  Mexican  war 
fame. 

The  next  lumbering  operations,  and  practically  the 
beginning  of  the  business  on  the  Wisconsin  River, 
which  was  then  Indian  Territory,  was  in  1831,  by 
Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green  Bay,  who  obtained  a  permit 
from  the  War  Department,  which  tlien  had  control  of 
such  matters,  as  the  Interior  Department  had  not  then 
been  created,  to  build  a  saw-mill  and  cut  timber  on 
the  river.  The  mill  was  erected  in  1831-2,  at  Whit- 
ney's Rapids,  below  Point  Bas. 

In  1836  Amable  Grignon  and  Samuel  Merrill  ob- 
tained a  like  permit  and  built  a  mill  at  Grignon's 
Rapids. 

The  establishment  of  these  mills,  foreboding  the 
more  extens  ve  encroachments  of  civilization,  excited 
the  apprehension  of  the  Indians  and  tliey  began  to 
make  serious  complaints  to  the  Government  agents, 
and  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Menomonees  in  1836, 
at  Cedar  Point,  on  the  Fox  River,  by  Gov.  Dodge,  by 
which  the  Indian  title  was  extinguished  to  a  strip  of 
land  up  the  Wisconsin,  six  miles  wide,  from  Point  Bas, 
forty  miles  up  the  stream,  to  what  is  now  Wausau. 

Tiie  great  demand  and  high  price  for  lumber  down 
the  stream  had  stimulated  the  business  to  a  consider- 
able extent.  Exploring  parties  immediately  went  up 
tiie  river,  and  during  the  years  1837-8  and  '39  every 
eligible  place  on  the  river  as  far  as  Big  Bull  Falls,  was 
occupied. 

Bloomer  &  Strong  and  George  Cline  secured  Grand 
Rapids ;  Fay,  Kingston  &  Draper  occupied  Biron's 
Rapids ;  A,  Brawley  was  at  Mill  Creek ;  Perry  & 
Veeder  were  on  the  same  stream  ;  Conaut  &  Campbell 
were  located  at  Conaut's  Rapids ;  on  the  Plover,  at 
McGreer's  Rapids,  were  Harper  &  McGreer. 

Such  was  tiie  activity  on  the  river  that  these  parties 
had  all  commenced  in  1837. 

The  depressing  panic  of  that  year  prevented  new 
enterprises  until  1839,  when  John  L.  Moore  began  op- 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


erations  at  Little  Bull  Falls,  now  Mosinee,  and  Geo. 
Stevens  at  Big  Bull  Falls,  now  Wausau. 

The  tract  ceded  in  the  Cedar  Point  treaty  was  or- 
dered surveyed  in  1839,  and  it  was  accomplished  by 
Joshua  Hathaway,  of  Milwaukee.  The  whole  tract 
was  offered  for  sale  in  1840  at  Mineral  Point.  Since 
that  time  for  forty  years  there  has  been  a  constant  sup- 
ply of  lumber  to  furnish  the  business  below. 

The  first  family  to  locate  in  the  original  county  of 
Portage,  now  Columbia  County,  was  that  of  Wallace 
Rowan,  who  entered  a  quarter  section  of  land  near 
what  is  now  the  village  of  Poynette,  in  Columbia 
County,  at  the  land  office  in  Green  Bay  on  the  sixth 
day  of  June,  1836.  He  had  a  double  log  house  and 
was  engaged  in  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  being 
on  the  military  road  between  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
Fort  Howard  via  Fort  Winnebago,  he  also  enter- 
tained travelers,  whom  he  and  wife  and  his  daughters 
always  strove  to  make  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

John  B.  DuBay's  father,  who  was  an  old  Indian 
trader,  claimed  that  he  spent  a  Winter,  in  1790,  at  the 
very  place  where  his  son  subsequently  located  at  Du 
Bay's  Trading  Post,  as  it  is  still  called,  some  twelve 
miles  above  Stevens  Point,  and  where  he  yet  lives. 

In  184:0,  although  most,  if  not  all  the  mill  sites  on 
the  upper  Wisconsin,  as  it  was  then  called,  had  been 
secured,  the  number  of  persons  within  the  limits  of 
what  is  now  Portage  County,  was  small.  Those  who 
are  remembered  as  being  in  the  county  at  that  time 
were,  John  Boucher,  Valentine  Brown,  Porter  Bar- 
nard, Abraham  Brawley  Gilbert  Conant,  Peter  Cane, 
Daniel  Campbell,  John  Eckels,  John  G.  Hebbard, 
Thomas  Harper,  James  Harper,  Horace  Judd,  H.  W. 
Kingsburn,  Solomon  Leach,  Th.  iNfcDill,  Hugh  Mc- 
Greer,  E.  H.  Metcalf,  Orrin  Maybee,  Charles  Maddy, 
A.  M.  McCauley,  Antoine  Pricourt,  Conrad  Rather- 
man,  John  Ilaish,  Solomon  Storey,  James  Sitherwood 
and  Richard  Veeder. 

The  fame  of  the  Wisconsin  pineries  spread  far  and 
wide,  and  the  opening  of  the  six  mile  strip  was  exten- 
sively known,  and  settlement  from  Southern  Wiscon- 
sin and  Northern  Illinois  was  rapid. 

S.  A.  Sherman  came  to  Plover  in  October,  1848. 
A.  L.  Sherman  and  Charles  P.  Rice  staked  out  their 
claims  at  a  mere  venture  as  to  boundaries,  as  there  had 
been  no  survey. 

General  Albert  Galatin  Ellis  is  supposed  to  be  the 
oldest  settler  living  in  Wisconsin,  having  come  with 
the  New  York  Indians  to  Green  Bay  in  September, 
1822,  whence  he  came  to  Stevens  Point. 

John  R.  Mitchell  and  Fannie  Luther  were  the  first 
couple  married  by  E.  G.  Bean,  magistrate.  Mrs.  M. 
Bliss  was  the  first  school  teacher. 

The  early  experience  of  S.  A.  Sherman  is  thus 
stated  by  himself: 

"On  the  5th  of  October,  1848,  I  left  Worcester, 
Mass.,  to  go  West,  taking  Greeley's  advice.  I  took 
the  cars  to  Schenectady,  and  from  there  to  Buffalo,  by 
packet  on  the  Erie  Canal ;  from  Buffalo  to  Milwaukee 
with  the  noted  Capt.  Blake  on  the  steamer  '  Nile ;'  ar- 
rived at  Milwaukee  on  the  14tli.  After  stopping  three 
or  four  days,  I  fell  in  with  Charles  P.  Rice  and  my 
cousin,  A.  L.  Sherman,  and  came  through  with  them 
to  Plover.     I  arrived  at  Plover  on   the   25th  of  Octo- 


ber. From  Strong's  Landing  (now  Berlin)  to  Plover 
there  was  not  a  house.  While  I  was  in  Milwaukee,  a 
treaty  had  been  concluded  with  the  Indians  for  all  of 
this  territory  known  as  the  Indian  Lands.  When  we 
arrived  at  Plover,  we  were  the  first  to  bring  the  news 
of  this  treaty.  Our  nearest  post-office  was  Portage 
City,  and  mail  came  only  once  in  two  weeks.  The 
next  day  after  our  arrival.  Rice,  A.  L.  Sherman  and 
myself  went  out  to  what  was  called  Little  Prairie,  and 
each  of  us  made  a  claim  and  were  the  first  who  made 
a  claim  in  this  country.  There  never  having  been  a 
survey  made,  we  stuck  our  corner  stakes  at  random, 
then  paced  off  and  stuck  the  others.  The  claim  I 
made  was  what  is  now  known  as  the  John  Morgan 
farm,  in  Stockton ;  but  I  have  never  been  to  look  up 
the  corner  stakes  since.  At  about  this  time.  Matt,  and 
John  Campbell  started  a  small  store  at  Stevens  Point 
and  employed  me  to  put  up  some  shelves  to  hold  their 
goods.  In  going  to  the  Point  I  took  the  wrong  track 
and  got  lost,  but  upon  hearing  some  one  chopping  I 
went  in  that  direction  and  came  to  a  small  hill  or  knoll, 
covered  with  brush,  with  some  graves  upon  it ;  I  then 
saw  the  river  and  discovered  my  whereabouts.  That 
knoll  is  now  in  the  thickest  settled  part  of  the  city  of 
Stevens  Point,  and  about  where  Dr.  Rood's  house 
stands.  That  night  I  was  stowed  away  in  the  attic  of 
the  building,  with  Dr.  Phillips  as  bedfellow,  where  we 
put  in  a  long  and  tedious  night,  contesting  our  claim 
with  an  army  of  bed-bugs,  but  by  perseverance  and 
good  generalship  we  held  the  fort  and  came  out  victo- 
rious. On  my  return  to  the  county  seat,  I  found  per- 
sons fitting  themselves  out  for  an  exploring  expedition 
to  look  up  water  power  for  mill  sites.  I  joined  the 
party  for  the  Wolf  River,  consisting  of  William  Dun- 
ter,  Goolsbery,  Dave  Lacount  and  others.  Another 
party,  consisting  of  Miner,  Weston  and  Kingston,  went 
to  the  Yellow  River,  and  located  at  Necedah.  At  this 
time,  the  excitement  in  making  claims  was  mostly  for 
mill  sites  and  hotels,  the  supplies  for  the  pinery  being 
brought  from  Illinois  and  Southern  Wisconsin,  and  the 
country  being  considered  of  but  little  account  for  farm- 
ing purposes.  Mr.  Hartwell  and  Franklin  were  the 
first  to  experiment  in  farming  in  the  pinery.  On  my 
return  from  the  expedition,  wliieh  was  the  hardest  siege 
I  ever  experienced,  I  found  Mitchell  &  Brown,  who 
were  keeping  a  hotel  at  Stevens  Point,  had  made  a 
claim  at  Buena  Vista  and  erected  a  board  shanty. 
Sherman  &  Rice  were  keeping  a  hotel  at  the  county 
seat,  at  what  is  now  called  the  Empire.  At  that  time, 
it  was  the  only  house  north  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers  that  was  plastered  or  painted,  or  had  chimneys. 
Before  reaching  home,  I  met  them  with  a  load  of  lum- 
ber, on  their  way  to  make  a  claim  at  the  forks  of  the 
road  leading  to  Berlin  and  Portage  City.  I  built  the 
building  for  them,  which  was  the  first  frame  building 
put  up  on  the  Indian  land.  This  was  near  where  the 
thriving  village  of  Plainfield  is  now  located.  Mitchell 
and  Brown  went  on  leyond  us  four  miles  to  the  four 
lakes  on  the  Berlin  road,  and  built  another  set  of  shan- 
ties, making  three  hotels  they  were  running.  Then  I 
went  on  beyond  there  to  the  edge  of  Big  Prairie  and 
made  a  claim  and  built  a  shanty,  and  stoj)ped  in  it  over 
night.  In  the  Spring,  I  went  down  the  river  on  lum- 
ber to  Galena.     On  my  return,  I  visited  my  claim,  and 


HISTORY  OF   NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


found  a  man  by  the  name  of  Firman  had  jumped  it,  so 
I  sold  out  to  him.  And  that  claim  is  the  one  that  Fir- 
man and  Cartwriglit  had  so  mucli  trouble  about,  and 
which  cost  them  and  two  others,  Troop  and  Langdon, 
their  lives.  Shortl}'  after  that,  I  built  a  house  on  Lit- 
tle Prairie  for  John  L.  Moore,  which  was  the  first  house 
in  Stockton.  There  being  so  much  strife  about  hotel- 
keeping,  and  just  after  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  in 
Mexico,  we  named  Mitchell  &  Brown's  first  shanties 
Buena  Vista,  and  tlie  place  has  gone  by  tliat  name  ever 
since.  We  also  named  Lone  Pine.  In  1850,  I  went 
East,  and  married  in  '51.  Moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  in 
1852,  and  ran  tlie  first  planing  mill  tliere  and  north  of 
Milwaukee.  Moved  to  this  place  in  1853,  bought  Gil- 
bert Conant  out,  and  built  at  the  Bloomer  Rapids, 
about  half  a  mile  below  Conant's,  where  I  now  reside." 

THE   WHITE    PINE. 

A  few  words  in  relation  to  tliis  tree,  the  object  of 
the  early  settlement  of  most  of  Northern  Wisconsin  : 
Unlike  the  oak  and  most  other  trees,  the  pine  is  not 
reproductive  ;  when  a  generation  matures  or  is  cut  off, 
it  will  not  again  produce  a  crop  on  the  same  soil.  It 
is  confined  U<  its  peculiar  territory,  and  when  we  re- 
member that  the  average  age  of  a  pine  tree  is  only 
about  -300  3'ears,  is  seen  that  our  pine  forests  were  not 
in  existence  when  Columbus  discovered  America. 

Tiie  pine  evidently  succeeded  some  growth  that 
could  not  be  reproduced,  and  it  evidently  exhausts  the 
soil  of  the  special  material  for  its  growth,  leaving  it, 
however,  in  a  condition  to  grow  oak  and  a  variety  of 
other  productions.  In  the  growth  of  a  pine  forest, 
there  is  a  constant  death  and  decay  of  inferior  or  over- 
sliadowed  trees,  and  comparatively  a  small  number 
come  to  a  condition  suitable  for  tlie  lumberman's  ax. 
The  pine  has  several  causes  of  decay.  There  are  no 
known  insects  that  originate  decay,  but  several  that 
hasten  it,  when  once  started  from  any  cause. 

The  three  most  prominent  causes  of  decay  in  the 
pine  are  punk  or  rot,  wind-shakes  and  loose  knots. 
The  punk  is  a  kind  of  cancerous  growth  on  the  side  of 
a  tree,  tiiat  eats  into  its  very  vitals.  A  low  state  of 
vitality  will  produce  it.  The  black  knot  is  a  decayed 
limb  that  has  not  been  closely  grown  around,  and  in- 
duces decay.  The  wind-shake  is  a  most  exasperating 
defect  of  lumber,  occurring  near  the  butt,  and  is  caused 
by  the  bending  of  the  tree  in  high  winds,  when  the 
annual  growths  are  separated  by  sliding  upon  each 
other. 

Another  external  enemj'  of  the  pine  is  fire.  A  pine 
tree  that  has  been  scorched  must  be  promptly  utilized, 
or  the  insects  will  render  it  useless.  Among  these  is 
the  pine  weevil,  tornicus  zylograplms,  who  goes  for  a 
sound  tree,  but  not  a  live  one.  There  is  another  worm 
that  goes  straight  to  the  heart,  leaving  a  small  black 
hole.  The  hurricane  may  also  be  stated  as  one  of  the 
causes  of  destruction. 

A  full-grown  pine  is  from  ninety  to  160  feet  high, 
averaging  125.  A  log  sixteen  feet  long  will  average 
250  feet  of  lumber,  although  some  have  j'ielded  ten 
times  this  amount.  Tlie  roots  of  a  tree  are  supposed 
to  equal  one-half  the  lumber  above  ground.  The  di- 
ameter of  a  log  averages  thirty  inches  ;  sometimes  it  is 


six  feet.  A  pine,  as  found  standing  in  the  forest,  has 
branches  for  the  top  third  of  its  height. 

The  task  of  reproducing  the  pine  forests  that  are 
now  falling  with  such  remorseless  rapidity,  is  a  hope- 
less one,  and  science  and  art  will  combine  to  produce 
a  substitute,  for  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  as  to  when 
an  article  made  of  so  common  a  material  as  pine,  sliall 
be  eagerly  sought  after  as  a  curiosity,  to  be  carefully 
preserved  among  the  bric-a-brac  of  future  generations. 

In  years  to  come,  when  the  pine  lumber  which  is  so 
plentiful  to-day  may  have  been  superseded  by  a  mate- 
rial resulting  from  the  combined  art  and  skill  of  the 
chemist  and  mechanic,  it  will  be  interesting  to  read  an 
account  of  the  peculiarities  of  lumbering  on  the  Wis- 
consin ;  the  hazardous,  uncertain  and  excitable  part 
of  which  is  even  now  among  the  tilings  that  were, 
having  been  supplanted  by  railway  transportation  al- 
most exclusively. 

Realizing  the  rapidity  with  which  old  things  are 
passing  away  and  all  things  becoming  new,  the  meth- 
ods of  conducting  the  lumbering  operations  on  the 
Wisconsin  will  be  here  recorded. 

Lands  are  purchased  up  the  river  by  the  various 
lumber  companies,  who  send  an  expert  to  estimate  the 
amount  of  lumber  per  acre.  This  is  done  in  various 
ways;  the  most  simple  is  to  count  the  trees,  noting 
their  average  size,  and  by  well  tried  rules  estimating 
three,  four  or  more  trees  to  the  thousand  feet,  arrive 
at  a  close  approximation  of  the  yield.  On  the  ap- 
proach of  Winter,  camps  are  sent  into  the  woods — so 
many  teams,  so  many  men,  so  much  feed  and  so  much 
provision.  Contracts  are  sometimes  made  at  a  cer- 
tain price  per  thousand.  The  logs  are  cut  in  lengths  of 
twelve,  fourteen  and  sixteen  feet,  and  exceptionally 
longer  for  specific  purposes ;  hauled  to  the  river  to 
await  the  breaking-up  of  the  ice  and  the  rise  in  the 
river,  in  the  Spring.  Every  lumberman  has  a  regis- 
tered mark,  which  is  one  or  more  initials  or  some 
other  device,  which  is  cut  into  the  log.  When  the 
freshet  conies  on,  the  logs  consigned  to  the  stream 
float  on  with  the  current;  but  in  the  sometimes  nar- 
row and  tortuous  stream  there  is  not  infrequently  a 
jam,  where  millions  of  feet  will  be  piled  up,  tier 
upon  tier,  to  finally  break  loose  and,  with  the  ac- 
companying flood,  hurry  on,  to  be  caught  in  the 
booms  below.  The  boom  is  a  floating  dam  kept  in 
position  by  piers  or  wing  rudders,  which  can  be  ad- 
justed to  maintain  its  position  by  the  current  itself. 
From  the  boom  connected  with  the  mill,  the  logs  are 
hauled  up  by  various  devices,  and  sawed  into  timber, 
scantling  or  boards,  as  it  will  best  work  up.  The 
boards  are  sawed  one  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick, 
so  that  they  can  be  dressed  down  to  one  inch  with  little 
waste.  The  old  New  England  method  of  marking 
the  number  of  feet  upon  the  board  is  not  followed 
here.  The  manner  of  shipping  by  the  river,  formerly 
the  only  method  of  getting  lumber  to  market,  was  by 
means  of  rafts,  after  being  sawed.  A  raft  was  formed 
in  this  way:  The  lumber  is  laid  up  in  cribs  composed 
of  three  grub  planks  at  the  bottom,  about  five  feet 
apart,  with  three  two-inch  auger  holes  to  insert  the 
grub-pins  of  hard  wood,  four  feet  long.  The  crib  is 
made  up  this  way  12x16  feet,  or  twelve    feet    square. 


HISTORY  OF    PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


731 


by  alternating  the  layers  lengthwise  and  crosswise,  un- 
til from  twelve  to  twenty  tiers  of  boards  are  laid, 
when  they  are  securely  pinned  together.  Six  of  these 
are  placed  end  to  end  by  coupling  planks,  and  a  stick 
of  timber  is  secured  across  eacli  end.  To  this  is  piv- 
oted the  oar,  a  stick  t!nrt3'-six  feet  long,  with  a  board 
blade  on  tlie  water  end.  By  means  of  a  spring  pole, 
the  forward  end  of  the  raft  is  turned  up  to  some  ex- 
tent, to  facilitate  its  movements  over  the  various  ob- 
structions. Thus  arranged,  it  was  called  a  "rapid 
piece."  A  rope  ran  from  end  to  end,  to  enable  the 
raftsmen  to  hold  on,  as  the  piece  would  become  sub- 
merged on  diving  over  the  rapids.  Each  crib  would 
contain  about  3,500  feet.  It  would  take  from  two  to 
eight  men  to  manage  one  of  these  pieces.  And  what 
was  called  a  fleet  consisted  of  twenty  of  these  pieces, 
all  under  the  charge  of  a  pilot  with  his  gang.  The 
Wisconsin  River  above  Point  Bas  is  a  succession  of 
rapids  and  eddies,  surging  over  uneven  and  rocky  bot- 
toms with  a  swift  current,  broken  and  ever  changing, 
offering  serious  obstacles  to  navigation,  yet  over  all 
these  the  lumber  had  to  pass.  And  the  guidance  of 
these  rafts  required  courage,  skill,  practice  and  the 
hardest  labor,  and  was  attended  with  extreme  peril. 
Tiie  pilots  were  a  remarkable  race ;  they  were  indis- 
pensable in  getting  the  lumber  to  market,  and  could 
make  their  own  terms,  at  from  five  to  fifteen  dollars  a 
day.  Getting  sometiiing  ahead,  they  would  contract 
to  take  the  lumber  from  the  pile,  place  it  in  the  river, 
and  deliver  it  in  St.  Louis  or  Dubuque  at  so  much  a 
thousand  feet.  They  were  energetic,  honest  and  trust- 
worthy, and  imbued  with  generous  impulses. 

Large  amounts  have  been  expended  on  the  river  in 
putting  in  improvements,  such  as  slides  or  sluicewa3's. 
But  such  improvements  were  mostly  short-lived,  the  ice 
in  the  Spring  generally  sweeping  tliem  away. 

A  raft  was  worked  down  in  this  way:  On  nearing 
a  fall,  a  rapid  or  slide,  the  whole  fleet  was  tied  up  in 
the  eddy  above,  and  a  single  piece,  suitably  manned, 
was  run  over,  to  be  tied  up  below,  when  the  men 
would  "gig"  back,  as  they  called  it,  for  the  next  piece, 
and  so  on  until  the  whole  fleet  had  run  the  rapids. 

Such  was  the  extent  of  the  business  before  the 
railroads,  that  the  edd}'  room  was  insufficient  for  the 
prompt  liandling  of  the  lumber.  Sometimes  as  many 
as  twenty  fleets  would  be  seen  at  the  same  eddy.  The 
rafts  were  generally  tied  up  at  night,  the  raftsman 
cooking,  and  sleeping  in  his  blanket  on  shore  or  on  the 
raft.  Having  got  below  the  Grand  Rapids,  two  pieces 
were  coupled  side  by  side  to  run  the  Dells. 

It  may  be  worthy  of  remark  that  the  various  names 
of  the  remarkable  objects  now  seen  by  so  many  thou- 
sand tourists  every  year,  in  their  visits  to  the  wonder- 
ful Dells,  and  which  have  such  a  sulphurous  odor,  were 
bestowed  by  the  Wisconsin  raftsmen,  who  were  familiar 
with  this  weird  and  wonderful  scenery  long  before  it 
became  a  place  of  such  popular  resort. 

Several  rafts  were  usually  joined  together  below  the 
Dells,  and  on  reaching  the  broad  Mississippi,  the  whole 
fleet  was  made  up  into  one  huge  raft,  with  rude  cabins 
and  cook  houses.  And  down  that  stream  the  men 
served  watch  and  watch.  The  raft  was  driven  by  the 
current,  but  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  location  of 
bars,  sloughs  and  islands  was  required,  and  the  utmost 


vigilance  was  necessary  not  to  miss  the  right  channel  ; 
for  the  wrong  one  was  destruction  and  loss,  as  there 
was  no  backing  out.  Notwithstanding  all  this  expense, 
the  cost  of  getting  the  lumber  to  market  in  those  days 
was  but  about  five  per  cent  of  its  value.  The  time 
occupied  in  running  a  fleet  from  Wausau  to  St.  Louis 
might  occupy  but  twenty-four  days.  But  on  account 
of  the  shoal  water  in  the  Lower  Wisconsin,  weeks  were 
sometimes  spent  there  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  enter  the 
Mississippi.  There  is  still  some  lumber  rafted  down 
the  river,  but  the  amount  is  small  as  compared  with 
the  early  times,  when  there  were  no  other  means  of 
transportation. 

About  4,000  feet  of  logs  is  a  car-load.  In  1873,  13,- 
000,000  feet  of  logs  were  secured  on  the  river,  and  to 
transport  this  amount  on  the  railroad  would  require 
3,250  car-loads. 

In  the  years  1840-41-42,  all  the  advantageous  points 
on  the  river  and  its  tributaries  received  accessions, 
mills  having  been  erected  with  surprising  celerity. 

This  business  of  felling  the  gigantic  pine,  hauling 
it  to  the  river,  floating  it  to  the  mills,  and  converting 
it  into  boards  and  shingles,  and  running  the  rapids 
with  it  to  market,  is  no  child's  play.  It  involves  great 
outlay  of  capital  and  labor,  with  imminent  risk  of  life, 
limb  and  money.  But  regardless  of  all  these  hazard- 
ous chances,  the  business  was  embarked  in  by  thous- 
ands, and  the  woods  were  soon  full  of  them — choppers, 
loggers  and  teams — and  the  rivers  were  struggling  with 
logs  and  lumber. 

The  question  of  supplies  was  always  a  serious  one, 
and  the  expenditure  of  muscle  in  bringing  a  single 
small  load  of  provisions  to  the  pineries  was  prodigious, 
and  can  hardly  be  realized  in  this  day  of  steam.  Many 
who  came  with  lumber  in  the  ej'e  quietly  changed 
their  objective  view,  and  transposed  their  weapons  of 
assault  upon  the  denizen  of  the  forest  into  agricultural 
implements.  The  change  into  tilling  the  soil  from  that 
of  laying  low  the  towering  pine  which  for  centuries 
had  its  gigantic  branches  tossed,  defying  a  thousand 
whirlwinds,  was  like  passing  from  a  state  of  war  to  one 
of  peace. 

This  change,  for  those  who  adopted  it,  was  a  suc- 
cess. But  still  the  lumber  business,  regardless  of  its 
perils,  kept  ahead  in  the  race,  and  so  early  as  1857, 
3,000  men  were  bending  their  eneigies  to  the  produc- 
tion of  lumber,  so  that  the  amount  floated  down  in  a 
season  represented  $4,128,000.  About  one-quarter  of 
a  million  of  this  money  would  come  to  Portage  County, 
or  about  one-sixth  of  the  whole.  Everything  went  by 
the  river,  and  detachments  were  landed  at  every  point 
from  Portage  City  to  St.  Louis,  and  made  the  erection 
of  all  those  cities  possible.  The  delay  in  getting  to 
market,  and  the  uncertainty  as  to  tiie  time  when  re- 
turns would  arrive,  was  sometimes  most  exasperating, 
and  added  very  materially  to  the  amount  of  capital  re- 
quired to  successfully  carry  on  the  business.  Now  the 
transportation  is  largely  by  railroad,  and  correct  esti- 
mates can  be  made  as  to  when  the  sales  will  realize  for 
the  operators. 

A  treaty  withthe  Winnebagoeson  November  1,  1887, 
at  Washington,  secured  all  their  land  in  Wisconsin, 
for  $55,000  a  year,  perpetually,  and  on  the  18th  of 
October,  1848,  at  Pow-aw-hay-kon-nay,  the  Menom- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


onees  surrendered  all  their  lands  in  the  State,  wher- 
ever found,  the  consideration  being  $350,000  to  be  paid 
in  a  specified  way. 

The  public  survey  soon  followed,  but  the  people  of 
Portage  County  had  to  go  down  to  Mineral  Point  to 
the  nearest  laud  ofSce  to  enter  their  land.  This,  of 
course,  was  a  great  hardship,  and  Gen.  A.  G.  Ellis 
made  a  map  of  the  State,  dividing  it  into  three  land  dis- 
tricts, with  headquarters  of  one  of  them  at  Stevens 
Point,  the  otliers  at  La  Crosse  and  Hudson,  inclosing 
a  petition  for  a  land-oiSee  here,  and  sent  it  to  Wash- 
ington. A  very  few  weeks  later  it  was  so  ordered, 
with  Gen.  Ellis  as  Receiver  and  Abraham  Brawley  as 
Register,  and  the  amount  of  land  entered  and  paid  for 
here  must  have  originated  the  phrase  "doing  a  land  of- 
fice business."  The  office  was  opened  in  18.53.  Spec- 
ulation was  rampant  and  became  gigantic  in  propor- 
tio7is.  Tlie  air  was  lieavy  with  schemes  to  amass  un- 
told wealth,  and  with  visions  of  colossal  fortunes,  only 
awaiting  the  clutching  of  those  who  possessed  the 
genius  to  see  them. 

In  1856-57  advantage  was  taken  of  the  flood  tide 
of  prosperity  and  a  project  to  extend  tlie  Milwaukee  & 
Horicon  Railroad  to  Portage  County  was  diligently 
worked.  Altliougli  not  even  a  preliminary  survey  had 
been  made  and  not  a  dollar  expended  on  the  line,  the 
operators  carried  off,  it  is  estimated,  more  than  a  lialf 
million  dollars  worth  of  deeds,  bonds  and  mortgages  in 
excliange  for  tlieir  wortliless  stock. 

Tlie  historic  commercial  collapse  of  1857  was  an  eye- 
opener  most  potent,  but  the  obligations  then  entered 
into,  continued  returning  long  afterward,  unfortunate- 
\j,  not  to  plague  the  inventor,  but  to  annoy  and  dis- 
tress the  victims  of  the  confidence  game. 

Years  after  tliis,  Hon.  George  Reed,  with  Colby  and 
Phillips,  being  honorable  business  men,  secured  sub- 
stantial aid,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  a  land  grant, 
built  tlie  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad. 

The  county  seat  was  first  established  at  Plover,  but  in 
1867  a  vote  of  the  people  removed  it  to  Stevens  Point, 
the  business  center  of  tiie  county. 

Railroads. — The  history  of  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  like  almost  all  the  others  in  the  State,  em- 
braces changes  of  ownership  as  well  as  name.  In  1870 
the  Milwaukee  &  Northern  Railway  Company  was  or- 
ganized to  build  a  road  from  Milwaukee  to  the  Fox 
River  below  Winnebago  Lake,  and  thence  to  Lake  Su- 
perior. In  1873  the  road  was  completed  from  Mil- 
waukee to  Menasha,  with  a  branch  from  Hilbert  to 
Green  Bay. 

Congress  had,  in  1864,  a  land  grant  to  the  State  to 
assist  in  the  construction  of  a  road  from  Berlin,  Doty's 
Island,  Fond  du  Lac,  or  Portage,  via  Stevens  Point  to 
Bayfield.  The  legislative  contest  over  this  grant  was 
not  decided  until  1866,  when  provision  was  made  for 
two  com{)anies,  one  to  build  to  Stevens  Point  from 
Portage,  and  the  other  from  Menasha  to  Stevens  Point. 
These  two  roads  were  the  Winnebago  &  Lake  Superior, 
and  the  Portage  &  Superior.  Hon.  Geo.  Reed  was 
president  of  the  Winnebago  &  Superior  Company,  and 
at  once  began  the  road  from  Menasiia.  In  1871  these 
roads  were  consolidated,  with  the  addition  of  tlie  Man- 
itowoc &  Mississippi  road  and  called  the  Wisconsin 
Central.      Gardiner   Colby    was    president  and  Geo. 


Reed  vice-pi-esident.  The  Phillips  &  Colby  Construc- 
tion Company  was  incorporated  the  same  year,  and 
contracted  with  tlie  Central  Company  to  build  the  road 
from  Menasha  to  Lake  Superior.  This  road  thus  went 
through  Portage  County,  and  to  secure  tiie  land  grant 
the  road  had  to  be  built  from  Portage  to  Stevens  Point, 
which  was  completed  in  1876,  the  other  having  ar- 
rived at  the  Point  in  1871. 

The  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  runs  from 
Fort  Howard  to  the  Mississippi  at  Winona  ;  originally 
it  was  the  Green  Bay  &  Lake  Pepin  ;  it  bisects  the 
country  from  east  to  west.  It  was  built  between  1870 
and  1873. 

Tlie  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  cuts  across  the  north- 
west corner  of  tiie  county.  It  was  incorporated  in  1871. 
The  construction  was  commenced  in  1872,  at  Tomah, 
and  re  iched  Centralia  in  1873  and  Wausau  in  1874. 
It  is  ninety  miles  in  length.  Its  junction,  with  the  Wis- 
consin Central,  and  with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul,  which  company  now  runs  it,  gives  Marathon 
County  an  outlet  most  valuable  for  'the  development 
of  its  interest. 

POLITICAL   HISTORY. 

In  1836,  Portage  County  was  set  off  from  Brown, 
and  it  comprised  what  is  now  Columbia  County,  and 
as  the  celebrated  portage  between  the  Wisconsin,  and 
the  Fox  River  was  within  its  limits,  that  name  was 
given  to  the  new  county.  In  1841,  the  county  was  ex- 
tended west  and  north,  so  as  to  embrace  what  is  now 
represented  by  fourteen  counties  or  more.  Columbia 
County  was  set  off  in  1846,  and  was  nearly  identical 
with  the  original  county  of  Portage.  So  that  the  early 
history  of  tlie  county  blends  witli  that  region. 

Adams  County  was  clipped  off  in  1848,  Marathon  in 
1850,  and  Wood  in  1856.  leaving  Portage  with  several 
counties  between  its  original  home  and  its  present  lo- 
cation, so  that  the  county  has  been  an  apparent,  if  not 
a  real  itinerant. 

At  first,  the  county  was  attached  to  Dane  for  judi- 
cial purposes.  A  census  taken  June  1,  1842,  shows 
the  whole  number  of  persons  in  the  county  as  646,  of 
these,  133  were  females. 

This  census  was  taken  by  Andrew  Dunn,  and  its 
correctness  certified  to  by  A.  A.  Bird,  Sheriff  of  Dane 
County. 

The  names  of  "  masters,  stewards,  overseers,  or 
other  principal  persons,"  was  given  in  one  column,  and 
were  as  follows:  Peter  L.  Brown,  M.  Benjamin,  A. 
Armour,  E.  Ledbetter,  C.  Spencer,  S.  W.  Woodward, 
H.  H.  Haw,  J.  Kerr,  John  Elmore,  P.  J.  Kelley,  A. 
Baker,  George  Stevens,  B.  Moon,  H.  McFarlin,  S. 
Merrill,  Thomas  Kelsey,  J.  B.  Ramshory.  St.  John, 
Andrew  Dunn,  J.  Enspinger,  C.  M.  Young.  Charles  B. 
Whitney,  Alexander  Seaman  and  William  Fitzpatrick. 
In  the  list  of  heads  of  families,  appear  the  names  of  Sat. 
Clark,  John  Du  Bay,  and  others.  This  list  must  em- 
brace the  leading  citizens  at  that  time,  when  the  coun- 
ty was  tiie  largest  as  to  territory  in  its  history. 

In  1844,  the  county  was  fully  organized,  and  on  the 
18th  of  April  an  election  was  held,  and  the  interesting 
question  decided,  as  to  the  location  of  tiie  county  seat. 
Fort  Winnebago  and  Plover  were  the  contending  aspi- 
rants for  the  honor.     It  seems  that  a  settlement  up  the 


HISTORY  OF    PORTAGE  COUNTY.  733 

river,  at  what  was  then  called  Bull  Falls,   now  Mosi-  ty.     C.  Abbott  having  resigned,  Charles  Temple    was 

nee,  and  in  Marathon   County,  went  solid  for  Plover,  chosen    Clerk   and   also    Register  of  Deeds.     George 

and  thus  established  the  seat  of  justice  there.     In  the  Wyatt  was  Clerk  part  of  this  year,  with  Alex.  Lawson, 

Fall  of  1844,  the  first  regular  election  for  county  ofS-  as  Deputy. 

cers   was   held    with    tins    result:    County    Comniis-  In    1845,    Matthias   Mitchell   was    Chairman,    and 

sioners,    Mathia    Mitchell,    Benjamin    F.    Berry,    and  Thomas  Western  and   Joseph  S.  Walworth,  the  other 

Luther   Houghton  ;  Sheriff,  Nelson    Strong,  who    ap-  members,  witii  C.  P.  Rice  as  Clerk. 

pointed    George    W.    Mitchell,   his   deputy ;    George  In  1846,  the   Board  consisted  of  Thomas  Weston, 

Wyatt,  Clerk  of  Court,  Clerk  of  County  Board,  and  Chairman,  M.  Mitchell,  Hiram  Piersen,  John  W.  Perry, 

Register  of  Deeds;  John  Batten,  Treasurer.  J.  M.  Campbell,  Clerk;     John  Wyatt,  Deputy. 

The  first  court  was  opened  at  Plover,  on  the  first  In  1847,  the  Board  was  Thomas  Weston,  Chairman, 

Monday  in  April,  1845,  in  a  building  owned  by  Keith  William  V.  Fleming,  Tii.  H.  McDill. 

&  Miles  ;  Judge  David  Irwin,  Jr.,  was  on  the  bench.  In  1848,  E.  S.  Miner,  Chairman,  Th.  H.  McDill  and 

Under  the  Territorial  Government,  no  Representa-  William  V.  Fleming.     John  S.  Kingsbury,  Clerk, 

tive  from  Portage  County  is  noted,  until  1842,  when  it  In  1849,  the  county  government  was  changed  from 

was  associated  with  several  other  counties.     Albert  G.  Commissioners  to  Supervisors,  in  accordance  with  the 

Ellis  was  a  Representative,  and  so  continued  until  the  constitution. 

Winter  of  1844.  In  1846,  at  the  first  Constitutional  The  first  Board  of  Supervisors  consisted  of  G.  Mitch- 
Convention,  Henry  C.  Goodrich  was  sent  from  Portage  ell.  Chairman  ;  S.  R.  Merrill,  B.  W.  Finch,  William  V. 
County.  In  the  second  Constitutional  Convention,  Fleming,  I.  T.Kingston,  Clerk  ;  J.  S.  Allan  was  Treas- 
William  H.  Kennedy  represented  Portage.  urer.      In  1850,  Abraham  Bi'awley  was  Chairman  and 

After  the  county  was  organized,  a  special  election  J.   D.   Rogers,  Clerk.      The  taxable  property  in  the 

was  held  on  the  fourth  Monday  in  March,  1842.  county,  as  returned  this  year,  was  as  follows  :  Stevens 

The   County    Commissioners   met   on    the  20th  of  Point,  $81,398  ;  Plover,  $42,308  ;   Grand  Rapids,  $31,- 

April.     There  were  two  Commissioners,  Henry  Jones,  262.91 ;  total,  $154,968.91. 

chairman,  and  Andrew  Dunn.  C.  Abbott  was  ap-  In  the  first  Constitutional  Convention,  which  con- 
pointed  Clerk,  and  S.  Clark,  Treasurer.  At  this  meet-  vened  in  Madison  on  Monday,  October  5,  1846,  Hon. 
ing,  the  county  was  divided  into  three  road  districts,  H.  C.  Goodrich  represented  Portage  County.  His  res- 
which  were  also  made  election  precincts.  Elections  idence  was  in  Plover,  the  post-ofSce  address  of  which 
were  to  be  held  in  Winnebago  Portage,  at  the  house  of  was  Plover  Portage.  He  was  a  lumberman  and  a  miner, 
Capt.  G.  Law  ;  in  Mill  Creek,  at  Dunn's  Mill ;  in  Big  and  soon  afterward  left  the  State. 

Bull  Falls,  at  the  house  of  George  Stevens  ;  in  Grand  The  second  Constitutional  Convention,  which  assem- 

Rapids,  at  Stewart's  Mill ;  in  Dekorry,  at  the  house  of  bled  in  Madison  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  December,  1847. 

La  Fayette  Hill;  in   Columbus,   at  Shrand  &  Dickin-  was  represented  by  William  H.  Kennedy,  also  of  Plover, 

son's  Mill.  At  the  special  election  to  see  if  the  people  would 

The  Assessors  were  Gordon  Merrill,  Clark  Whitney  ratify  the   constitution,  held  on   Tuesday  the  6th  of 

and  Joshua  Rhodes.  April,  1847,  the  county  of  Portage  voted  164  for  and 

At  a  meeting  of  the   Board  on  the  28th  of  April,  209  against  its  ratification.      At  tiie  election  held  on 

1842,  Thomas  C.  Nelson  appeared  and  took  his  seat  as  Monday,  the   13th  of  March,  1848,  in  relation  to   the 

a  membei-.     It  was  voted  that  but  two  tavern  licenses  second  constitution.  Portage  County  voted  208  for  and 

be  granted  in  Winnebago  Portage.     Gideon  Lane  and  fifty-eight  against  its  ratification — the  county,  on  both 

Henry  Carpenter  were  duly  licensed,  for  $15    each,  occasions,  voting  with  the  majority  in  the  State. 

James  Mason  and  La  Fayette  Hill  were  licensed  for  The  county  now  has  one   city  and  seventeen  towns. 

Dekorry.    Pat.  Casy  and  John  Cruden  also  took  tavern  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  towns  and  villages,  with 

licenses.     A  grocery  license  was  granted  to  Richard  T.  the  population  according  to  the  census  of  1880: 

Vehder,  for  $100  worth  of  good  lumber.    Tavern-keep-  Albion - 210 

ers  had  to  give  bonds  in  the  penal  sum  of  $250,  and  Almond 872 

grocers,  for  .$600.     Peddlers' licenses  were  fixed  at  $10.  Be"l'mont ""    ''"^ 

An  election  precinct  was  fixed  at  Little   Bull  Falls.  Buena  Vista. Vf/^.. ---''"-'----  ..^ ---.'------       830 

Merrill  and  Riiodes  resigned  as  Assessors,  and  W.  W.  i  Carson  .-.. 426 

Hoskins  and  Andrew  Dunn  were  substituted.  function  Village 239 

June  13,  1842,  the  Board  again  convened.     G.  W.  Grant. .^'?!^iy-^!].!"lI^!!!]^.-----'--.y.!l!".      309 

Merrill  gave  bonds  as  auctioneer,  in  the  sum  of  $500.  (Hull 1,044 

The  bond  of  S.  Clark,  Treasurer,   was  accepted  for  Jordan  Village 94 

$20,000,  and  Z.  H.  Bird's,  Collector,  for  $15,000.    The  UnwoodV.V.V;;:::.'.':.".".':::.":.";.'.':."."::."."::;:;      406 

County  Clerk  was  ordered  to  prosecute  all  violation  of  New  Hope - 801 

the  license  law.  pw  ?'°''^ " 1220 

January  12, 1843,  Andrew  Dunn,  W.  Roods  and  R.  pioverViirage'..'.."...'/.V....^'.'...  -..--.-.'.-.".     '412 

T.  Veeder  constituted  the  Board,  C.  Abbott,    Clerk.  Stockton 1.346 

Several  roads  were  projected.  .Sharon 1,639 

The  Territorial  tax  in  1843,  was,  for  Portage  Coun-  ^^^^^'^'^  Poin^citV.'.'."-".'.'-.""-"-"--"------"-".".:";;;.    4.449 

ty,  $624.44.  Amherst  Village... 298 

In  1844,  Benjamin  T.  Berry  and  Luther  Houghton  Amherst  Junction 49 

were  on  the  Board,  and  the  tavern  licences  weie  graded  '^^  ^°""  '^ ' i* 

from  $15,  in  Winnebago,  to  $5  in  other  parts  of  the  coun-  Total 10,588 


734 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


In  1880,  there  were  167  marriages,  146  births,  and 
35  deaths,  a  very  remarkably  small  mortality. 

The  population  of  the  county,  at  the  several  periods 
of  taking  the  census,  was  as  follows  :  1840,  1,623  ; 
1842,  646  ;  1846,  936  ;  1847,  1,503  ;  1850, 1,2S0  ;  1855, 
5,151;  1860,7,507;  1865,8,181;  1870,  10,660;  1875, 
14,856  ;  1880,  17,801. 

The  assessment  for  the  county  in  1853  was  $1,432  ; 
the  valuation  of  the  county,  1880,  12,741,202,  the  total 
State  tax  being  17,390.58 ;  the  total  taxes  in  the 
county  for  all  purposes,  $77,260.80.  Indebtedness  of 
the  count}',  railroad  aid,  $42,500.  Total  of  every  de- 
scription."$81, 746.98. 

The  Post-offices  in  the  county  are :  Stevens  Point, 
Alban,  Almond,  Amherst  Junction,  Badger,  Bancroft, 
Blaine,  Buena  Vista,  Custer,  Ellis,  Keene,  Junction, 
McDill,  Modely,  Meeham,  New  Hope,  Polonia,  Run- 
kels  Mills,  Sherman,  Surrey,  Stockton. 

The  present  county  officers  are :  Gilbert  L.  Park, 
Circuit  Judge;  J.  R.  Kingsbury,  County  Judge  ;  Mi- 
chael Roseau,  Sheriff;  John  R.  McDonald,  County 
Clerk;  S.  H.  Sawyer,  Treasurer;  A.  F.  Wyatt,  Clerk 
of  Circuit  Court;  John  A.  Murat,  Register  of  Deeds; 
W.  H.  Packard,  District  Attorney  ;  Henry  Curran, 
County  Surveyor;  R.  A.  Williams,  Deputy  Survej'or. 

Schools. — The  common  school  system  of  the  State 
is  in  thorough  operation  in  the  county.  There  is  a 
good  average  attendance  of  scholars,  and  competent 
teachers  are  employed  at  liberal  salaries. 

The  present  County  Superintendent  is  Andrew  P. 
Een.  There  are  eighty-six  school  districts.  In  Am- 
herst, Plover  and  Almond,  the  schools  are  graded.  In 
the  Summer,  as  a  rule,  the  teachers  are  women,  and 
their  wages,  on  a  rough  estimate,  are  $25  per  month. 
In  the  Winter,  perhaps,  one-fourth  of  the  teachers  are 
young  men. 

THE   WAR   PERIOD. 

Of  course  the  headquarters  of  the  excitement  inci- 
dent to  the  commencement  of  hostilities  and  of  re- 
cruiting was  Stevens  Point. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1861,  the  first  meeting  was 
held  to  raise  a  company  of  volunteers,  J.  B.  Robb 
coming  in  from  Amherst  as  a  drummer  to  arouse  the  citi- 
zens. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  the  Hon.  Luther  Hanchett, 
the  member  of  Congress  from  the  district,  addressed  a 
rousing  meeting,  on  the  issues  of  the  hour.  Captain 
Warren  Perkins  received  his  commission  on  the  5tli  of 
June.  By  this  time  the  Stanton  company  was  nearly 
full. 

Early  in  June,  1861,  the  Home  Guard  was  formed, 
Samuel  Stevens,  captain  ;  M.  J.  McRaith,  first  lieuten- 
ant ;  Homer  Drake,  second  lieutenant. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  Hon.  Moses  M.  Strong  deliv- 
ered a  stirring  speech  on  the  war  question. 

The  Pinery  Rilles,  Captain  Raymond,  started  on  the 
7th  of  July,  to  join  the  Seventh  Regiment;  and  Cap- 
tain Howell,  of  Grand  Rapids,  came  up  to  the  Point 
and  was  stationed  here  for  drill. 

A  company  called  the  "  Pinery  Boys  "  was  organ- 
ized in  October. 

The  Grand  Rapids  company  which  completed  its  re- 
cruiting here,  was  called  the  *'  Evergreens."     The  offi- 


cers were  :  Daniel  Howell,  captain  ;  Charles  M.  Wells, 
first  lieutenant ;  W.  W.  Botkin,  second  lieutenant. 

The  next  company  organized  was  "  Lyons'  Pinery 
Battery." 

Captain  Stephen  J.  Carpenter  opened  his  recruiting 
office  on  the  9th  of  October,  1861,  for  this  battery, 
which  was  to  be  a  flying  artillery.  By  the  7th  of  De- 
cember, it  was  so  far  recruited  that  it  was  duly  organ- 
ized under  the  authority  of  the  State,  S.  J.  Carpenter 
was  unanimously  chosen  captain,  G.  E.  Armstrong,  of 
Wausau,  first  lieutenant;  H.  E.  Stiles,  second  lieuten- 
ant, and  J.  D.  McLean,  third  lieutenant.  In  the  even- 
ing the  officers  elect  gave  an  oyster  supper  to  the  com- 
mand, at  the  Avery  House. 

It  was  superb  in  all  its  appointments,  and  an 
enjoyable  time  was  had  by  all,  and  will  be  long  re- 
membered. 

In  March,  1862,  Sergeant  E.  R.  Parks,  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Regular  United  States  Infantr}',  was  stationed 
at  the  Avery  House,  on  recruiting  service. 

The  call  for  300,000  men,  in  July,  1862,  caused  the 
newspapers  to  print  earnest  appeals  to  men  to  enlist. 

In  August,  1862,  the  quota  of  Portage  County  un- 
der previous  calls  was  set  down  as  412,  and  as  373  had 
already  enlisted  there  were  but  39  to  raise. 

August  21,  1862,  a  war  meeting  was  held  in  Jordan 
at  which  Wilson  Muzzy  presided  and  made  a  war 
speech.  George  Buffam  and  Mr.  Pool  were  among  the 
speakers. 

In  August,  18tj2,  John  Robb,  of  the  Third  Wiscon- 
sin, came  home  on  recruiting  service. 

Another  company,  '•  The  Pinery  Stars"  was  raised 
about  this  time  to  go  into  the  Twent3--seventh  Wiscon- 
sin, and  it  started  to  go  into  camp  with  fifty  men,  in 
December,  1862. 

A  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  was  flourishing  under  the 
inspiring  influence  of  the  best  women  in  the  city. 

H.  H.  Wheeler,  of  the  Eighth  Wisconsin  Battery 
was  home  on  a  recruiting  tour  in  December,  1862. 

At  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  Capt.  Carpenter  was 
killed,  and  also  quite  a  number  of  others.  Lieut.  Stiles 
was  then  promoted  to  be  captain  of  the  company. 

Capt.  J.  N.  Stout,  of  Compau}^  H,  Third  Wiscon- 
sin Cavalry,  died  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  January  27, 
1863,  aged  fifty-five  years.  He  was  a  journalist,  and 
when  he  went  to  the  front  was  publisher  of  the  State's 
rights  newspaper  at  Stevens  Point. 

Daniel  McAulilT,  of  Company  G,  Seventh  Regiment, 
died,  August  18,  1863,  of  disease,  after  two  years  serv- 
ice. 

About  the  middle  of  November,  1863,  a  draft  took 
place  at  La  Crosse,  the  headquarters  of  this  district. 
The  following  names  were  drawn  for  Portage  County : 

Stevens  Point — George  A.  Stewart,  William  Wells, 
J.  B.  Hawley,  Henry  Miller,  Timothy  Sullivan,  Nich- 
olas Schonmeiller,  John  Singleton,  John  Richie,  An- 
drew Anderson,  John  Heain,  Patrick  Sullivan,  H.  J. 
Moe,  N.  P.  Clements,  A.  Belcher,  James  Gardiner, 
Edward  Dunnigan,  Hobart  Bush,  Edward  C.  Bost- 
wick,  John  Pickert,  H.  Welch,  John  Purdy,  Jacob 
Nogt,  D.  E.  Catlin,  H.  Halverson,  Daniel  Nauthic, 
Alexander  Ivrembs  and  John  Patrick. 

Town  of  Stevens  Point — Andrew  Merrett. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


735 


Sharon — A.  G.  Warren,  Michael  Clark,  John  Yanki 
and  James  Sniarlock. 

Eau  Plairie — James  Hall,  D.  McGregor,  Edward 
Creed  and  O.  W.  Owen. 

Hull — M.  Sweeney,  Elijah  Smart,  Jr., George  Ross, 
John  Banker  and  Frank  Chamberlain. 

Plover — John  Aplin,  William  Packard,  James 
Aikens  and  William  Glover. 

Tiie  official  quota  for  the  next  draft  was  put  down 
as  102. 

|In  December,  1863,  Capt.  J.  W.  Van  Myers  started  to 
raise  another  company  for  the  war,  the  required  num- 
ber being,  to  fill  tlie  quota,  23.  The  whole  number 
liable  to  be  drafted  at  that  time,  was  1-17  of  the  first 
class,  and  95  of  the  second.  Vigorous  efforts  were 
made  to  avoid  the  draft,  the  most  honorable,  and  cer- 
tain in  tlie  individual  case,  being  to  enlist.  Veterans, 
for  re-enlisting  received  $402,  raw  recruits  received 
$302,  and  a  vote  of  tiie  city  added!  100  to  this  amount. 
Capt.  Van  Myers  left  the  first  week  in  January,  1864, 
witii  twenty-five  men.  Oa  the  17th  of  March,  1864,  a 
special  election  was  held  to  see  if  a  special  bounty  of 
$150  should  be  paid  to  fifteen  volunteers  still  required. 

Charles  Fox,  quartermaster-sergeant  of  tlie  Seventh 
Regiment,  died  at  Ripon,  February  26,  1864,  twenty- 
six  years  of  age. 

The  Eighth  Wisconsin  Battery  was  at  home  on  a 
leave  of  absence  earned  by  re-enlisting,  and  on  the  6th 
ot  April  were  welcomed  by  a  cotillion  party  and  sup- 
per. Gen.  A.  G.  Ellis  made  the  welcome  address 
which  was  responded  to  by  Lieut.  McNair.  The 
whole  affair  was  arranged  and  carried  out  by  the  ladies. 
Mrs.  A.  Eaton,  Mrs.  William  Walton,  Mrs.  Green, 
Mrs.  Stout,  Mrs.  Mann,  Mrs.  Curtis,  Mrs.  Cooper,  Mrs. 
McCuUoch,  and  many  others  assisted  in  the  entertain- 
ment. 

Another  party  was  inaugurated  ,in  behalf  of  the 
soldiers  at  home  on  furlough,  on  the  3d  of  June  at 
Central  Hall.  It  was  a  pleasant  affair,  revealing  the 
interest  and  earnestness  of  the  ladies  in  the  success  of 
our  cause. 

A  public  meeting  was  held  August  4,  1864,  to  raise 
a  bounty  fund  to  prevent  a  draft  to  fill  the  President's 
call  for   "  500,000  more." 

At  this  meeting  $200  was  added  to  the  Government 
offer,  as  an  inducement  to  enlist. 

September  2,  1865,  Capt.  Van  Myers  left  for  Mad- 
ison with  niuel^'-one  men  ;  Capt.  G.  L.  Park  having  re- 
turned, was  supported  for  the  State  Senate. 

In  February,  1865,  the  quota  of  the  county  was  filled 
without  a  resort  to  the  draft. 

Several  companies  were  organized  at  Stevens  Point,  as 
already  alluded  to,  but  the  county  had  representatives 
in  almost  every  regiment  from  the  State,  as  many  men 
coming  from  other  parts  of  the  State,  or  some  other 
State,  would  return  to  their  former  home,  to  enlist 
among  their  old  friends. 

There  were  members  or  companies  in  the  Third  Cav- 
alry, in  the  Third  Battery,  and  in  the  Fifth,  Seventh, 
Eleventh,  Twelfth,  Fourteenth,  Seventeenth  and 
Eighteenth,  the  colonel  of  this  Regiment,  James  S. 
Alban,  being  from  Plover,  Portage  County. 

The  several  local  and  general  re-unions,  have  devel- 
oped numbers  of  the  brave  boys,  pursuing  the  peaceful 


vocations  of  civil  life,  and  those  who  still  live,  can  speak 
for  themselves. 

An  alphabetical  list  of  the  commissioned  officers  who 
went  from  the  county,  is  here  presented,  commencing 
with  the  lamented  colonel  of  the  Eighteenth  Regiment, 
who  fell  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862 :  James 
S.  Alban,  Stevens  Point ;  John  Baker,  Stevens  Point ; 
Joseph  H.  Baker,  Plover  ;  William  Bremmer,  Stevens 
Point;  William  J.  Baker,  Plover  ;  DeWitt  C.  Brown, 
Stockton  ;  William  W.  Campbell,  Plover  ;  L.  N.  Car- 
penter, Plover  ;  Sidney  B.  Carpenter,  Plover  ;  Stephen 
J.  Carpenter,  Stevens  Point ;  Grin  Clough,  Plover, 
Walter  W.  Clough,  Plover  ;  John  T.  Consaul,  Stevens 
Point ;  John  T.  Cooper,  Stevens  Point ;  Henry  Curran, 
Plover;  Homer  Drake,  Linwood;  Samuel  Drake, 
Plover;  Irwin  Eckels,  Plover;  Hugh  Evans,  Stevens 
Point ;  Henry  T.  Fowler,  Sharon  ;  Aug.  H.  Guernsey, 
Almond  ;  Jolin  W.  Hutchinson,  Stevens  Point ;  John 
O.  Johnson,  Stevens  Point ;  Leonidas  Lombard,  Lan- 
ark ;  John  D.  McLean,  Stevens  Point;  Thomas  B.  Mc- 
Nair, Stevens  Point;  .Jerome  Nelson,  Amherst;  John  H. 
Horrick,  Stevens  Point;  Gilbert  A.  Park,  Stevens 
Point  ;  Franklin  Philips,  Stockton  ;  Orrin  A.  Phillips, 
Stockton  ;  Royal  L.  Patten,  Stockton ;  Jackson  L. 
Prentice,  Stevens  Point ;  James  0.  Raymond,  Plover  ; 
C.  D.  Richmond,  Stockton;  Jere.  D.  Rogers,  Plover; 
Oneisme  Rondeau,  BuenaVista;  Louis  Schuetze,  Stevens 
Point ;  Nathan  L.  Stout,  Stevens  Point ;  Henry  E. 
Stiles,  Stevens  Point ;  John  Stumph,  Plover  ;  Edwin 
Turner,  Amherst ;  Andrew  J.  Welton,  Stevens  Point; 
Henry  L.  Wheeler,  Stevens  Point ;  John  W.  Van- 
Myers,  Eau  Plaine  ;  George  R.  Walbridge,  Plover. 

There  are  now  living  in  the  county  quite  a  number 
of  men,  who  served  in  regiments  from  other  States. 
Among  the.se  may  be  mentioned:  William  Welton, 
Forty-fourth,  New  York  ;  William  B.  White,  Fifth 
Battery,  New  Y'ork  ;  Cyrus  Dopp,  Nineteenth,  Michi- 
gan ;  Capt.  H.  B.  Moore,  Twenty-seventh,  Michigan  ; 
who  now' resides  in  Plover,  and  S.  J.  Dobb  of  the  regu- 
lar army  at  Stevens  Point. 

It  is  believed  that  Plover  sent  the  largest  propor- 
tion of  her  men  to  the  front. 

STEVENS  POINT. 

This  is  a  city  of  4,500  people,  located  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Wisconsin  River,  which,  at  this  point,  is  on  the 
northeast  side.  It  is  the  capital  of  Portage  County,  and  is 
laid  out  in  long  blocks,  without  alleys,  in  part  rectangular, 
and  partly  lozenged  form.  Some  of  the  streets  coincide 
with  the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  and  some  do  not, 
so  that  a  stranger  has  considerable  trouble  in  preserving 
his  bearings.  The  spot  is  rather  level,  and  is  ten  or  twelve 
feet  above  the  river,  when  in  ordinary  stages.  In  the  case  of  a 
rise,  a  part  of  the  water  goes  around  the  city,  on  the  south, 
a  natural  depression,  called  Rocky  Run,  affording  this 
facility.  At  the  freshet  in  June,  1880,  a  part  of  the  city 
was  submerged.  A  bay  makes  up  into  the  city  several 
squares  from  the  river,  in  the  northwestern  part,  which,  as 
the  city  increases  in  population,  will  have  to  be  filled  for 
sanitary  reasons.  The  city  is  healthy,  and  the  pine  still 
stands  on  the  north  side,  away  froai  the  river.     The  streets 


736 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


are  named  and  the  biiildin.i^s  numbered.  The  streets  are, 
as  yet,  unpaved,  but  most  of  the  sidewalks  have  wood  for 
their  material.  The  buildings  are  substantially  built,  most- 
ly of  wood.  Some  of  the  public  and  other  buildings  are  of 
stone  or  brick. 

Stevens  Point  is  in  Town  24  north,  and  in  Range  8  east, 
of  the  public  survey.  It  is  164  miles  northwest  of  Milwau- 
kee, 87  miles  west  of  Green  Bay,  and  162  east  of  St.  Paul, 
and  near  the  center  of  the  county. 

The  city  is  at  the  foot  of  the  line  of  slack  water,  extending 
up  to  Mosinee,  where  the  Little  Bull  Falls  are  located  ;  and  it 
is  at  the  head  of  Conant's  Rapids,  the  first  of  a  great  chain, 
extending  down  to  Pointe  Bas,  some  sixty  miles. 

Opposite  the  city  is  Shaurette  Rapids.  Formerly  the 
fall  was  three  and  one-half  feet,  but  it  now  has  a  dam 
which  gives  eight  feet  fall,  furnishing  an  excellent  water- 
power,  which  is  utilized  by  saw  and  grist  mills. 

The  city  is  a  base  of  supplies  for  lumbermen  and  rafts- 
men, as  well  as  for  the  neighboring  farmers.  Every  class 
of  goods  required  in  the  pineries,  or  anywhere  in  the  vicin- 
ity, can  be  found  in  the  stores  and  warehouses,  which  are 
being  constantly  added  to  as  business  increases.  The  le- 
gal, medical  and  clerical  professions  are  well  represented, 
and  in  the  biographical  sketches,  the  personnel  of  many  of 
the  most  prominent  of  these  will  be  found. 

The  history  of  the  county  is  inseparable  from  that  of 
the  city.  Some  points,  however,  of  special  interest  to  the 
residents  of  the  city,  will  be  presented  in  this  connection. 

The  building  of  a  city  at  the  point  was  not  the  result  of 
a  deliberate  plan  or  scheme,  no  one  contemplated  such  a 
thing;  but  being  at  the  end  of  a  road  past  the  rapids,  and 
at  the  foot  of  a  long  stretch  of  smooth  water,  it  naturally 
became  a  depot  and  an  entrepot  for  supplies,  and  so  the 
town  grew. 

In  1857,  Gen.  Ellis  published  "A  hand-book  of  Stevens 
Point  and  the  Upper  Wisconsin."  Thousands  of  copies 
were  circulated  in  the  East,  and  it  probably  had  more  to  do 
with  the  settlement  of  the  pineries  than  the  citizens  would 
be  willing  to  admit.  The  first  man  to  come  up  the  river 
with  a  load  of  goods,  to  be  relayed  over  here,  was  George 
Stevens,  from  whom  the  place  is  named.  He  came  up  with 
an  ox-team,  loaded  with  goods,  for  Big  Bull  Falls,  unload- 
ed them  at  the  foot  of  the  present  main  street,  covering 
them  up.  He  went  back  down  the  river  for  another  load, 
and,  on  his  return,  loaded  the  whole  upon  a  "dug-out," 
and  went  up  the  river.  And  the  place  was  soon  called 
Stevens  Point.  A  "dug-out"  in  those  was  often  quite  a 
large  boat.  One  of  the  biggest  clear  logs  would  be  taken, 
and  with  ax  and  adze  skillfully  converted  into  a  vessel  of 
no  mean  proportions,  or  carrying  capacity.  Business  be- 
gan in  this  small  way,  warehouses  were  built,  one  after  an- 
other, and  a  tavern  started.  The  raftsmen  from  above  had 
to  get  outfits  to  enable  them  to  run  the  great  chain  of  rap- 
ids beginning  here.  In  a  few  years  a  few  lots  were  laid  out 
for  building  purposes,  which  were  soon  occupied,  and  so  a 
village  unconsciously  sprang  up. 

As  to  the  first  house  or  building  at  Stevens   Point,  there 


is  conflicting  testimony.  It  is  asserted  that  Abraham  Braw- 
ley  built  a  log  house  just  above  the  Falls,  that  Malhias 
Mitchell  built  a  shanty  at  the  foot  of  Main  street,  that 
Charles  Maddy  and  Henry  Mularky  built  a  warehouse  at 
that  point,  and  that  Mathias  Mitchell  built  a  tavern  as  the 
first  building.  Whichever  is  entitled  to  priority  as  to  loca- 
tion here,  it  may  safely  be  recorded  that  these  men  were 
the  pioneer  residents. 

Richard  Gardiner  next  erected  a  house,  and  in  1845 
Richard  Johnson  built  a  log  house  near  Shawrette  Rapids, 
and  began  building  the  dam,  which  was  not  completed  un- 
til 1847. 

Mr.  Kingsbury  built  a  tavern  on  the  south  side  of  Main 
street  in  the  Winter  of  1845-6,  which,  not  long  afterward, 
was  burned. 

The  first  stock  of  general  merchandise  remembered  was 
that  of  Robert  Bloomer.  The  first  saloons  were  the  "  Star  " 
and  "  Ocean  Wave,"  which  did  a  lively  business,  it  being 
soon  understood  that  there  were  "no  mixed  drinks  during 
a  rush."  About  1847,  there  were  some  semblances  of  civil- 
ization— women  began  to  dawn  upon  the  scene.  Miss 
Amandina  Hale  (afterward  Mrs.  N.  F.  Bliss)  opened  a 
school  in  a  building  where  the  Mansion  House  now  stands. 
Dr.  Bristol,  a  highly  respectable  physician  and  surgeon, 
came  in  1846,  and  died  in  1848.  He  was  buried  in  what 
was  then  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  nearly  in  front  of  the 
new  post-ofifice.  As  to  lawyers,  Wm.  L.  De  Witt,  Thomas 
Morman  and  John  Delaney  were  the  first.  John  Willard 
was  the  first  banker  and  broker. 

The  first  civil  engineer  and  surveyor  was  the  above  men- 
tioned DeWitt,  a  son  of  the  surveyor-general  of  that  name 
in  New  York,  and  was  employed  by  the  State  to  make  a 
survey  of  the  Wisconsin  River  from  Big  Bull  Falls  to  Pointe 
Bas.  This  work  was  done  in  an  admirable  manner  in  1850, 
and  the  result  published  in  1851,  and  was  a  valuable  con- 
tribution to  the  knowledge  of  the  river. 

Abraham  Brawley  was  the  first  magistrate  to  perform  the 
marriage  ceremony,  which  he  did  in  the  case  of  Henry 
Blancker  and  Mrs.  Rome.  Mr.  Brawley  was  an  energetic 
and  versatile  individual.  He  was  a  lumberman,  was  in  the 
county  government,  was  the  first  representative  in  Madison, 
and  planted  corn  and  potatoes  near  the  location  of  the 
present  court-house,  and  the  crop  of  garden  truck  was  an 
astonishment.  It  was  in  1845  that  farming  thus  began 
in  the  city. 

In  those  early  days  Stevens  Point  had  a  floating  popula- 
tion, swelling  into  huge  proportions  when  the  ice  went  out 
in  the  Spring,  for  then  the  "suckers"  as  they  were  called, 
would  begin  to  run  ;  they  came  up  in  immense  shoals,  fill 
ing  every  nook  and  corner.  The  streets  were  alive  with 
them,  but  they  soon  dispersed  to  work  in  the  mills  or  run 
the  rafts.  When  the  river  went  down  they  would  make  a  dive 
for  the  Point  to  the  imminent  risk  of  a  whisky  famine,  if 
the  dry  time  was  prolonged.  They  were  not  a  bad  lot  of 
boys,  an  occasional  row  of  a  harmless  character  would  vary 
the  monotony  of  frontier  life,  but  they  were  laborious  and 
useful   citizens,   whose    characters    did    not    warrant    the 


HISTORY    OF    PORTAGE   COUNTY. 


737 


reputation  given  the  place  by  the  staid  people  of  Plover  and 
other  refined  localities,  which  might  profit  by  the  com- 
parison. 

These  loggers  and  raftsmen  were  the  foundation  upon 
which  the  prosperity  of  the  river  towns  are  built,  and  they 
are  borne  in  grateful  remembrance  by  the  early  settlers, 
who  insist  that  they  were  not  the  fearful  roughs  that  de- 
luded imagination  may  have  pictured  them. 

The  County  Commissioners,  in  April,  1847,  created  a 
school  district  in  the  town,  constituting  the  village.  It  was 
District  No.  2.  The  school  election  wat  held  at  the  house 
of  A.  H.  Bancroft.  In  the  first  division  of  the  county  into 
towns,  three  were  instituted ;  the  center  one  embraced 
Stevens  Point,  and  was  called  Middletown. 


thirty  girls.  The  teacher  was  Miss  B.  McLaughlin,  who  re- 
ceived $26  a  month  for  her  services. 

In  the  Fall  of  1850,  the  population  of  the  village  was 
estimated  at  200,  and  it  was  at  that  time  the  jumping  off 
place  for  teams,  as  there  was  no  practical  wagon  road  be- 
yond here.  Mills  had  sprung  up,  above,  as  far  up  as  Wau- 
sau,  but  at  the  Point,  every  thing  had  to  take  to  the 
river. 

That  the  extent  of  the  settlement  at  that  time  may  be 
fully  realized,  we  here  present  a  complete  business  directo- 
ry of  Stevens  Point  in  1850  : 

Hotels— Mitchell  House,  Joseph  Phelps;  City  Hotel, 
Brown  &  Granger ;  Star  Saloon,  Walton  &  Wadsworth  ;  The 
Ocean  Wave,  Sailor  Jack  &  Watts.      Hardware — Matt  and 


STEVENS    POINT. 


In  1850,  Stevens  Point  was  recognized  as  a  political  di- 
vision, and  the  election  was  ordered  at  the  house  of  Hinton 
S.  Phelps.  The  result  of  this  election  was  a  regular  set  of 
town  officers,  who  took  command  of  this  fragmentary  ship 
ship  of  State. 

N.  F.  Bliss  was  Justice  of  the  Peace;  Abraham  Brawley, 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  ;  Orrin  Maybee  was 
also  a  Supervisor;  J.  S.  Young,  Town  Clerk;  Lea  Vaughn, 
Assessor  and  Collector  ;  Mr.  Holden,  Superintendent  of 
Schools. 

William  Griffin  was  the  Postmaster,  and  he  had  to  manage 
some  way  to  get  the  mail  from  Plover,  as  there  was  no  post 
route  to  this  place. 

A  school-house  was  erected  in  1849,  at  a  cost  of  $300  ; 
it  was  reported  in  September,  1850,  that  there  were  sixty-six 
children  in  attendance  upon  the  school ;  thirty-six  boys  and 
46 


John  Campbell,  successors  to  Robert  Bloomer.  General 
Merchandise — John  Strong.  Lumber  Dealer  and  Owner  of 
the  Town  Site — Mathias  Mitchell.  Lumber  Dealers — Young 
&  Maybee,  Thomas  Hinton,  B.  Finch,  Campbell  &  Bro.,  also 
merchandise.  River  Pilots — Valenfine  Brown,  Horace  Judd, 
Azro  Mann  and  Angus  McCauley.  Boarding  House  Keep- 
ers— Francis  Lamere  and  James  Crandall,  Boot  and  Shoe 
Maker — Seneca  Harris.  Builder  and  Merchant— Anson 
Rood.  Hotel  Keepers — J.  Young  and  O.  Wiswald.  Money 
Lender  and  Broker — John  Weland. 

In  the  Summer  of  1853,  a  new  land  office  was  created, 
with  Stevens  Point  as  the  location.  Abraham  Brawley  was 
appointed  Register,  and  A.  G.  Ellis,  Receiver. 

The  tide  of  prosperity  was  now  on  the  flood,  and  it  kept 
rising  higher  and  higher,  until  the  sudden  ebb  of  the  tide 
in  the  Fall  of  1857,  which  left  everything  stranded  high  and 


738 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN 


dry.     Some  of  the  methods  and  results  of  that  wild  specu- 
lating era  are  elsewhere  recorded. 

In  1858,  a  disastrous  fire  occurred,  which  swept  away 
one-half  the  business  part  of  the  town,  and  the  vacant 
houses  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  which  had  been  aban- 
doned after  the  collapse  of  the  year  before,  became  valuable 
to  the  occupants  of  the  burnt  district. 

The  city  charter  was  granted  in  1858,  embracing  nearly 
two  and  one-half  miles  square,  with  4,200  acres  of  land. 

The  first  city  election  was  held  in  June,  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  day,  1858. 

The  City  Government  was  organized  July  i,  1858.  Will- 
iam Schofield  was  the  first  Mayor,  serving  two  years.  The 
first  members  of  the  Council  were:  A.  Rood,  President; 
V.  Brown,  H.  Ferguson,  M.  Perkins,  S.  W.  Homsted  and  A. 
G.  Hamacker;  J.  J.  Pine,  Clerk.  The  Mayor  ex  officio  is 
chairman  of  the  board.  G.  L.  Park  was  City  Attorney;  H. 
B.  Martin,  Treasurer;  C.  B.  Jackson,  Police  Justice;  Will- 
iam B.  .\gnew.  Surveyor;  John  Phillips,  School  Superin- 
tendent; A.  J.  .A.ldrich,  City  Marshal;  J.  J.  Cone,  Asses- 
sor. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  served  as  mayors :  W.  W. 
Schofield,  A.  G.  Ellis,  many  years  ;  D.  D.  Long,  B.  L.  Shop- 
ston,  A.  Eaton,  Matt.  Waddeigh,  Owen  Clark,  J.  D.  McLean, 
W.  W.  Spraggon,  and  John  O.  Johnsen,  the  present  Mayor. 
The  city  officers  for  1881  are  :  John  O.  Johnsen,  Mayor ; 
John  Stumpf,  Treasurer;  James  F.  Houston,  City  Clerk; 
H.  W.  Lee,  City  .\ttorney  ;  Count  S.  Bielski,  Marshal ;  John 
Stumpf,  Police  Justice. 

There  is  an  efficient  fire  department ;  E.  M.  Copfar  is 
chief  engineer.  There  is  one  steam  fire  engine  ;  N.  M.  Tomle 
is  engineer.  Steam  is  constantly  kept  up  by  modern  appli- 
ances, and  the  horses  are  trained  to  the  gong.  The  com- 
pany is  a  volunteer  one.  The  engine-house  is  of  stone,  and 
serves  as  a  city  hall.  On  the  south  side,  is  "  Fire  King, 
No.  I,"  a  hand  engine  with  a  volunteer  company. 

The  county  seat  remained  at  Plover  long  after  Stevens 
Point  was  the  business  center  of  the  county.  The  agitation 
of  the  question  of  removal  of  the  shire  town  finally  resulted 
in  an  act,  passed  by  the  Legislature  in  1867,  submitting  the 
question  to  a  vote  of  the  people.  This  vote  designated 
Stevens  Point,  and  so  in  1879  it  was  removed,  and  a  stone 
court-house  and  jail  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $32,000. 

CHURCHES. 

Episcopal  Church — Cluirch  of  the  Intercession.  — In  De- 
cember, 1852,  A.  G.  Ellis  started  a  subscription  to  build  a 
church,  and  soon  obtained  $350,  some  of  it  in  lumber  and 
other  material.  Martin  Perkins  contracted  to  build  it,  and 
it  was  ready  for  service  in  1853.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  El- 
lis conducted  lay  service  at  his  house,  and  had  choir  meet- 
ings to  develop  the  singing  capacity.  Before  the  edifice  was 
completed.  Bishop  Kemper  kindly  came  and  rendered  effi- 
cient assistance  in  setting  the  society  on  its  feet.  Rev. 
Thomas  Greene  was  the  first  rector,  assisted  by  his  brother, 
Rev.  William  Greene.  Since  that  time,  the  following  rec- 
tors have  been  in  charge  here:  Revs.  Joseph  Adderly,  Ste- 
phen C.  Millett,  J.  B.   Peddupe,  A.   P.   Crouch,  William 


Charles,  William  Hammann,  C.  J.  Hendley,  J.  A.  Daven- 
port, Ebenezer  Thompson  and  William  Henry  Watts,  the 
present  incumbent.  Bishops  .\rmitage  and  Hobart  have 
also  visited  the  parish.  By  great  exertions,  a  very  fine  or- 
gan was  procured,  and  the  church  has  since  been  enlarged. 
St.  Stephen's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  under  the  Bishop  of 
Green  Bay.  Rev.  Father  Nicholas  July  is  the  priest,  as- 
sisted by  Rev.  Father  A.  J.  Aleb.  There  are  180  families 
worshiping  here.  The  church  was  built  about  1863,  and 
is  commodious  and  the  interior  properly  embellished.  The 
school  is  conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  at  Mil- 
waukee, the  Mother  Cardive  being  the  Lady  Superior. 
Five  Sisters  are  detailed  for  the  work  here. 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Polish.— Rev.  J.  Wolun  is  pastor. 
There  are  connected  with  their  church  150  families.  Their 
church  edifice  large  and  convenient,  but  although  occupied, 
is  still  incomplete. 

The  several  churches  of  this  denomination,  in  the  town, 
will  be  here  described  : 

Sharon. — St.  Martin's,  about  twenty-five  families.  The 
service  is  supplied  from  Stevens  Point,  and  is  in  German. 

Stockton. — St.  Patrick's.  Their  supply  is  from  St.  Ste- 
phen's, and  is  in  English.     Forty  families  commune  here. 

Buena  Vista. — St.  Peter's.  Service  from  Stevens  Point. 
About  seventeen  families  attend. 

Lanark. — A  mission  attended  from  Stevens  Point;  t'-ere 
are  about  thirty-two  families. 

Hull. — St.  Casimere's  has  a  resident  pastor.  Rev.  J.  Cyo- 
noski.     There  are  150  families  who  attend  this  church. 

Polonia. — Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  Rev.  Joseph 
Dambrowski,  with  300  families  depending  upon  the  minis- 
trations of  their  church.  The  Sisters  of  St.  Felix  have  a 
school  at  Polonia,  with  125  children. 

The  first  mass  said  in  the  county,  since  the  settlement 
by  the  whites,  was  by  Rev.  Father  Sale,  at  the  house  of 
Owen  Feely,  about  seven  miles  from  Stevens  Point. 

The  First  Baptist  Church. — On  the  twenty-second  day  of 
May,  1858,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  hall  over  N.  P.  Clem- 
ent's store,  and  a  regular  Baptist  Church  was  organized. 
The  declaration  of  faith  embraced  XVIII  articles,  and  the 
covenant,  thirty  lines  of  the  journal.  The  following  per- 
sons subscribed  to  the  document :  Cortland  Livingston, 
Eslie  W.  Vaughn,  Peleg  A.  Dawley,  Ira  Vaughn,  John  B. 
Spaulding,  Eliphalet  H.  Vaughn,  Mercy  C.  Martin,  Mary 
H.  Vaughn.  Rev.  A.  J.  Ellis  was  the  pastor;  C.  Living- 
ston, clerk.  At  the  end  of  1858,  there  were  twenty  mem- 
bers; thirteen  were  added  in  1859;  in  1861,  one  by  letter; 
1867,  four  were  added;  in  1868,  four;  1870,  four; 
i87i,five;  1872,  six;  1873,  three.  In  1874,  as  the  result 
of  union  protracted  meetings,  twenty-two  members  were 
added  to  the  church.  In  1875,  one;  1876,  eleven  ;  1877, 
ten;  1878,  two;  1879,  two;  1880,  two.  In  1S81,  to  Octo- 
ber, one  member  was  received.  The  church  edifice  was 
built  some  years  before. 

Evangelical  Lutheran  German  Church. — Organized  in 
187 1,  with  eighteen  members.  Rev.  F.  Lehe,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  supplied  until   1873,  when   the   present  pastor  was 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


739 


called  to  the  work,  Rev.  W.  C.  Schilling.  There  are  now 
twenty-two  members.  The  church  was  built  in  1872-3,  at 
a  cost  of  fSoo.  It  is  24x44,  and  is  jointly  owned  by  this 
church  and  the  Norwegian  Church.  Rev.  Mr.  Schilling  has 
a  mission  at  Almont,  organized  eighteen  years  ago.  Also 
at  Amherst,  where  there  is  a  building,  and  a  society  organ- 
ized twenty  years  ago. 

The  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church — Was  organized  in 
1872  ;  the  Rev.  N.  Berge  was  the  first  pastor,  and  he  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  N.  Foerde.  This  society  owns  an  un- 
divided half  of  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church, 
where  it  worships. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  society  has  a  good 
building,  with  340  sittings,  having  been  enlarged  in  1876. 
It  was  originally  built  by  J.  Slovvthomer,  and  donated  to 
the  Church.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hurlburt  preached  here  as 
early  as  1847.  Among  the  early  workers  were  Mrs.  Sarah 
West,  Mrs.  Julia  Vaughn,  Mrs.  Mary  Park,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Bean,  Mr.  A.  B.  Vaughn,  C.  Hungerford.  A.  S.  Gottery  is 
a  prominent  class  leader.  The  following  is  a  partial  list  of 
those  who  have  been  stationed  here :  Holt,  Little,  Bancroft, 
D.  Rider,  W.  D.  Ames.  J.  D.  Cole,  Thomas  Peep,  T.  W. 
Smith,  M.  Evans  and  Joseph  Anderson.  Rev.  S.  N.  Grif- 
fith is  the  present  pastor. 

Church  of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists.—\n  1878,  Rev. 
H.  W.  Decker  came  to  Stevens  Point  with  a  tent,  which  he 
pitched  near  the  public  square,  and  held  services,  lasting 
five  weeks,  which  resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  society. 
A  building  was  commenced,  and  so  far  finished  as  to  be  oc- 
cupied, in  1879.  It  was  completed  in  the  Summer  of  1881. 
Revs.  N.  M.  Jordan,  S.  S.  Smith,  G.  C.  Tenney  and  J.  J. 
Smith  have  supplied  the  pulpit  since  that  time. 

Revs.  Messrs.  Cooley,  Phillips,  Sherman  and  Watts  have 
been  pastors  of  the  Church.  At  present  there  is  a  tempo- 
rary supply  for  the  pulpit. 

First  Presbyterian  Church. — A  meeting  was  held  in  the 
church  on  the  2Sth  of  January,  1865,  for  the  purpose  of  or- 
ganizing. Several  clergymen  were  present :  Rev.  S.  H. 
Ashman,  of  Rural;  Rev.  James  Bassett,  of  Neenah — mem- 
bers of  a  committee  by  the  Presbytery  of  Fox  River;  also 
Rev.  H.  H.  Kellogg,  of  Chicago,  district  secretary  of  home 
missions;  Rev.  G.  B.  Riley,  synodical  agent  for  home  mis- 
sions for  the  Synod  of  Wisconsin,  and  Rev.  Edward  F. 
Fish,  minister  of  the  congregation.  Rev.  Mr.  Ashman 
preached  a  sermon  from  ist  Peter,  i.  i.  The  following  per- 
sons having  presented  satisfactory  letters,  were  duly  organ- 
ized into  a  Church  :  Mr.  Orrin  Rood  and  his  wife.  Mis.  A. 
Rood,  Mr.  David  Dunlap  and  his  wife,  Mrs.  Jessie  Dunlap, 
Mr.  George  Gill,  Mrs.  Ellen  E.  Phillips,  Mrs.  Anna  H. 
Fish.  Rev.  H.  H.  Kellogg  also  preached  a  sermon.  At 
the  evening  session  the  Confession  of  Faith,  embracing  ten 
articles,  and  the  Covenant,  were  read  and  subscribed.  Fol- 
lowing Mr.  Fish  were  the  following  reverend  gentlemen  :  J. 
Patch,  Charles  S.  Wood,  A.  A.  Joss,  S.  E.  Vance  and  the 
present  pastor,  Cornelius  Van  Oostenbruzze.  Since  the 
organization  of  the  Church,  eighty  members  have  been  ad- 
mitted.     The  society  has  a  good  edifice,  recently  repaired, 


with  a  large  seating  capacity,  originally  built  for  the  Con- 
gregationalists,  but  transferred,  as  above  recorded,  in  1865. 

Schools. — The  city  schools  are  well  up  to  the  modern 
standards.  They  are  well  supplied  with  school-houses, 
the  High  School  being  particularly  well  provided,  in  this 
regard,  with  a  commodious  house  with  modern  appliances. 
The  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  is  the  principal  of  the 
High  School— Prof.  Frank  L.  Green.  Miss  Sarah  E.  Beach 
is  first  assistant  in  that  department,  with  Miss  Jennie  Ferris 
and  Miss  Jessie  M.  Meyer  in  the  grammar  department. 

Second  Ward  Intermediate,  Miss  Mary  McPeck. 

Third  Ward  Intermediate,  Miss  Lillian  Arnott. 

Fourth  Ward  Intermediate,  Miss  Emma  L.  Richmond. 

First  Ward  Primary,  Miss  Florence  Sanborn. 

Second  Ward  Primary,  Miss  Olive  R.  Jones  and  Teresa 
Quinn. 

Third  Ward  Primary,  Miss  Martha  Maddy. 

Fourth  Ward  Primary,  Mrs.  M.  C.  Sherwood,  assisted 
by  Miss  Abbie  F.  Wheelock. 

Mrs.  M.  Bliss,  who  was  the  first  teacher  in  town,  is  still 
living. 

THE    PRESS. 

The  first  newspaper  started  in  the  county  was  The  Wis- 
consin Pinery.  A  young  printer,  N.  V.  Chandler,  came  along, 
and  A.  G.  Ellis  sent  him  with  his  team  to  Oshkosh,  to  pro- 
cure a  press  and  type  of  Mr.  Dinsmore,  who  had  some  old 
material  for  sale.  The  outfit  was  brought,  and  the  first 
number  was  issued  on  the  14th  of  January,  1853.  Chandler 
was  put  down  as  publisher,  and  Ellis  editor.  Strong  & 
Ayers  were  afterward  the  printers.  Tracy  &  Swaze  subse- 
quently became  the  publishers,  with  Mr.  Ellis  as  editor. 
Finally,  Mr.  Swaze  bought  the  paper,  and  still  runs  it. 
Gen.  Ellis  was  long  the  editor,  and  a  writer  on  the  paper 
after  his  interest  was  extinguished. 

The  States  Rights,  a  Radical  journal,  was  published  by 
F.  H.  Stout,  about  the  time  of  the  war.  Mr.  Stout  went 
into  the  army  as  an  officer. 

The  Wisconsin  Lumberman  was  started  by  L.  D.  Connery 
and  F.  H.  Stout,  December  16,  1863.  It  had  a  brief  exist- 
ence. 

Stevens  Point  Journal  was  first  printed  by  E.  B.  Northrop, 
a  well  known  Milwaukee  journalist,  in  1869,  who  published 
it  for  four  years,  when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Ed.  Mc- 
Glachlin.  It  is  an  eight-column  folio,  at  $2  a  year,  and  is 
now  published  by  McGlachlin  &  Simons. 

Portage  County  Gazette  first  saw  the  light  on  the  17th  of 
July,  1878.  Glennon,  Krembs  &  Co.  were  the  proprietors. 
On  January  28,  1880,  the  firm  was  changed  to  Glennon  & 
Cooper.  It  is  published  at  $2  a  year,  and  is  Republican. 
It  is  a  seven-column  folio. 

Plover  Times,  H.  G.  Ingersol,  proprietor. 

Real  Estate  Journal,  G.  W.  Hungerford,  a  monthly  com- 
mercial sheet,  published  at  Stevens  Point. 

Stevens  Point  Democrat  was  first  issued  in  February, 
1879.  It  is  a  six-column  quarto,  at  $2  a  year,  at  present 
the  official  paper.  H.  W.  Lee,  the  City  Attorney  aad  attor- 
ney for  the  Winnebago  Indians,  is  editor. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


SOCIETIES. 

Masonic. — Evergreen  Lodge,  No.  63,  was  first  instituted 
June  9,  1858.  In  1866,  the  lodge  was  burned,  and  a  new  char- 
ter issued  June  13,  1866,  to  John  A.  Walker,  W.  M.,  Stephen 
H.  Alban,  S.  W.,  and  David  S.  Butler,  J.  W.  Present  offi- 
cers:  John  Cadman,  W.  M.;  John  Stumpf,  S.  W.;  J.  W. 
Sanborn,  J.  W.;   A.  F.  Wyatt,  Sec. 

Forest  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  instituted  in  Wausau,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1866.  E.  R.  Chase,  H.  P.;  E.  L.  Jordan,  K. ; 
N.  T.  Kelley,  S.  Moved  to  Stevens  Point,  February  3,  1871. 
Present  officers:  D.  L.  Jones,  H.  P.;  W.  W.  Buckingham, 
K. ;  John  W.  Ball,  S.  The  following  gentlemen  have  also 
been  H.  P's.  :  H.  S.  Alban,  Charles  Chaffee  and  A  G.  Ham- 
aker.     A  new  Masonic  hall  is  about  to  be  built. 

OddFelloivs. — Stumpf  Lodge,  No.  225,  instituted  Decem- 
ber 5,  1873,  with  the  following  charter  members:  David 
Lutz,  August  Zimmer,  Jacob  Lutz,  Charles  Krembs,  Andrew 
Lutz,  John  Zimmer,  William  B.  Coppe,  William  Lauber. 
This  lodge  has  a  good  list  of  members,  and  is  still  flourish- 
ing. 

The  Shaurette  Lodge,  No.  92,  instituted  December  5, 
1872.  Charter  members:  L.  D.  Conery,  S.  S.  Walsworth, 
J.  O.  Wiswell,  James  S.  Young,  O.  S.  Bullock,  C.  Krembs, 
C.  O.  Pease,  James  B.  Carpenter,  Peter  Jordan,  James  Van 
Ells.  The  order  seems  to  be  in  good  hands,  and  is  in  a 
prosperous  condition. 

Monodnock  Encampment,  No.  59,  instituted  August, 
1874.  Charter  members:  J.  Stumpf,  L.  A.  Smith,  August 
Timm,  C.  O.  Pease,  Leon  Paradis,  Th.  Welsh,  J.  B.  Carpen- 
ter, M.  W.  Blanchard  and  Ch.  Krembs.  The  Odd  Fellows 
have  a  good  hall,  well  furnished,  with  convenient  ante- 
rooms, on  Main  street. 

A.  O.  U.  ;F.— Central  City,  No.  76.  Instituted  Dec. 
22,  1879,  with  the  following  officers  and  charter  members: 
Wm.  McGinnis,  Wm.  J.  DeVoe,  Joseph  J.  Adams,  Peter  K. 
McMurray,  E.  B.  Donaldson,  James  D.  Lick,  M.J.  Wilson, 
Frank  F.  Nicholson,  Wm.  Lynch.  The  meetings  are  every 
alternate  Saturday.  Wm.  J.  DeVoe  is  master  workman 
and  C.  F.  Marsh,  secretary. 

Good  Templars. — Instituted  June  21,  1870,  by  Rev.  J. 
M.  Walker.  J.  D.  Cole,  W.  C.  T.;  Miss  Tillie  Agnew,  W. 
V.  T.;  W.  F.  Atwell,  W.  S.;  Miss  Addie  Slothower, 
W.  T. 

North  Star  Lodge,  No.  153. — Instituted  Feb.  i,  1S74. 
W.  G.  Winnan,  W.  C.  T.;  Mrs.  L.  M.  Smith,  W.  V.  T.; 
E.  C.  Sennitt,  W.  S.;   Mary  J.  Meyron,  W.  T. 

These  institutions  change  their  officers  so  frequently  that 
all  sooner  or  later  go  through  the  chairs,  so  the  present 
officers'  names  are  not  given. 

Good  Templars'  South  Side  Lodge. — Instituted  July  iS, 
1876,  with  the  following  officers:  C.  L.  Bean,  W.  C.  T.; 
Roxonia  Page,  W.  V.  T.;  Frank  Jackson,  W.  R.  S.;  Frank 
Redfield,  W.  F.  S. 

Temple  of  Honor. — Organized  November,  1874.  Maj. 
Harren,  W.  B.  Buckingham,  D.  L.  Jones,  George  W.  Hun- 
gerford,  P.  C.  Claflin,  E.  C.  Owens,  Rev.  A.  A.  Joss,  W. 
B.  Barnes,  J.  B.  Fletcher,  John  Shannon,  G.  B.  Fletcher, 


Frank  Perry  and  S.  R.  Lamb  were  among  the  most  prom- 
inent members. 

Ladies  Benevolent  Association  is  an  active  society  ex- 
emplifying Christianity  in  a  practical  way.  Such  ladies  as 
Mrs.  Chapin,  Mrs.  Walker  and  Mrs.  McGlochlin  are  the 
active  members. 

There  is  in  town  a  Library  Association  with  quite  a 
library.     It  is  open  on  Saturday  afternoons. 

Driving  Park.  The  city  also  boasts  of  a  driving  park 
association. 

The  County  Agricultural  Society  was  organized  early 
in  the  history  of  the  early  settlement.  It  was  at  first  itin- 
erant, holding  fairs  in  various  towns.  In  1865  it  was  re- 
organized. Twenty  acres  of  ground  was  secured  in  Am- 
herst, suitable  provision  made  for  holding  fairs,  and  since 
that  time  annual  exhibitions  have  been  held  there.  The 
present  officers  of  the  society  are,  S.  F.  Devain,  president ; 
E.  Turner,  vice-president ;  Wm.  C.  Holly,  treasurer  ;  H.  H. 
Hoffman,  secretary;  Robert  Wilson,  marshal.  The  society 
is  in  good  condition. 

Portage  County  Farmers'  Club. — This  institution  was  or- 
ganized Feb.  26,  1878.  W.  L.  Arnot  was  the  first  presi- 
dent, and  H.  J.  Baker,  secretary. 

Perhaps  no  better  idea  can  be  given  of  the  character  of 
the  crops  raised  in  the  county  than  by  presenting  the  actual 
figures  of  a  late  official  report.  The  figures  represent  bush- 
els. Wheat,  159,297  ;  corn,  188,203;  oats,  178,547  ;  barley, 
14,170;  rye,  81,762;  potatoes,  149,389 ;  root  crops,  12,641; 
cranberries,  1,335  5  apples,  977.  Besides  these  items 
there  are  the  hops,  flax,  tobacco,  butter,  cheese,  etc. 

The  Professions. — There  are  twelve  regular  lawyers,  em- 
braced in  ten  law  firms.  In  two  offices  two  men  are  asso- 
ciated together,  in  each.  The  other  eight  do  an  individ- 
ual business. 

The  Stevens  Point  Bar  is  well  up  in  forensic  ability, 
some  of  the  older  members  having  a  wide  reputation,  while 
of  some  of  the  younger  members  it  may  be  said  that  only 
the  opportunity  awaits  distinguishing  themselves  as  advo- 
cates every  way  equal  to  their  seniors  in  the  profession. 

The  following-named  gentlemen  represent  the  legal  pro- 
fession :  Walter  R.  Barnes,  George  W.  Cate,  George  L. 
Clark,  James  A.  Felch,  W.  W.  Hazeltine,  F.  L.  Jackson, 
D.  L.  Jones,  H.  W.  Lee,  W.  A.  Packard,  J.  O.  Raymond, 
A.  W.  Sanborn,  John  Stumpf. 

Of  the  medical  and  surgical  profession,  the  city  has  five, 
four  of  them  claiming  to  be  regular,  and  the  other  Homoeop- 
atliic.  All  of  them  are  skilllul,  and  they  command  the 
confidence  of  the  community.  Unlike  many  western  cities, 
the  number  of  physicians  is  not  out  of  proportion  to  the 
number  of  people.  In  New  England,  the  ratio  of  doctors 
to  the  number  of  inhabitants  to  insure  a  fair  support,  was 
placed  at  one  to  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand,  and  it  will 
be  seen  that  this  number  is  not  exceeded  here.  John  Phil- 
lips, M.  D.,  is  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  and  the  oldest 
physician  in  the  city.  The  others  are:  S.  J.  Coyne,  M.  D., 
W.  W.  Goff,  M.  D.  (Homoeopathic),  C.  W.  Remington,  M. 
D.,  G.  Rood,  M.  D. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


741 


The  dental  profession  is  presided  over  in  Stevens  Point 
by  two  competent  men,  Dr.  E.  P.  Russ,  who  has  a  partner, 
and  Dr.  Jesse  Smith,  who  have  the  requisite  D.'s  and  S.'s 
at  the  end  of  tlieir  names. 

Most  of  the  ministers  are  mentioned  by  name  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  several  churches,  and  while  the  number  does 
not  materially  vary  from  year  to  year,  the  changes  of  loca- 
tion are  very  much  more  frequent  than  with  either  of  the 
other  liberal  professions,  on  account  of  the  enforced  itiner- 
ancy of  some  of  the  denominations,  and  the  voluntary 
changes  in  the  others.  The  character  of  the  pulpit  here 
will  compare  favorably  with  sister  cities. 

HISTORICAL  ITEMS. 

Stevens  Point  had  a  debating  club  in  1858.  E.  S.  Judd 
was  president  and  William  Weston,  secretary. 

The  Wisconsin  Legislature  in  1853  passed  an  act  au- 
thorizing the  construction  of  a  plank  road  between  Green 
Bay  and  Stevens  Point,  and  the  road  was  put  under  con- 
tract. 

The  school  census  of  Stevens  Point  in  1853  gave  145 
scholars. 

From  May  i,  1853  to  September  30,  1853,  the  cash  re- 
ceipts of  the  land  office  at  Stevens  Point  were  $20,000. 
The  place  then  had  600  people,  at  the  age  of  six  years  as  a 
settlement. 

Some  time  in  June,  1854,  a  Division  of  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  was  instituted.  J.  H.  Hunt,  W.  P.;  H.  H. 
Jacobs,  W.   A.;  H.  K.  W.  Ayers,  R.  S. 

In  the  Spring  and  early  Summer,  the  land  office  re- 
ceived $10,000  a  week  for  cash  sales. 

The  first  circus  to  visit  the  Point  was  "  Col.  Orton's 
Badger  Circus,"  on  the  6th  and  7th  of  August,  1856. 
Every  conceivable  conveyance  for  scores  of  miles  was  put 
in  requisition  to  carry  people  to  the  village. 

In  April, 1862, the  little  steamer,  "City  of  Stevens  Point," 
was  put  on  the  river  above  the  city,  to  run  to  the  falls  above. 
Wm.  Fellows  was  owner  and   E.  Baker,  captain. 

During  the  war,  the  great  hotel  was  the  Avery  House, 
situated  where  the  Mansion  House  now  is.  In  May,  1863, 
it  changed  hands,  Mr.  Avery  retiring,  and  George  A.  Spurr 
assuming  control. 

On  the  isth  of  June,  1863,  there  was  considerable  ap- 
prehension and  excitement  over  the  sudden  advent  of  about 
1,000  Winnebago  and  Pottawatomie  Indians.  It  seems 
that  there  was  some  kind  of  a  misunderstanding,  and  a 
council  was  held  in  ancient  form  in  Royce's  Hall,  and  the 
pipe  of  peace  was  passed  around  and  a  dance  indulged  in, 
and  the  next  day  the  dusky  visitors  returned  to  the  woods. 
.As  a  precaution  against  a  warlike  demonstration  in  the  fut- 
ure, a   military  company  was  organized. 

In  the  Winter  of  1865,  serious  trouble  was  experienced 
in  procuring  tenements  to  live  in  ;  a  demand  was  made  for 
more  houses. 

On  the  29th  and  30th  of  May,  1865,  a  meeting  of  the 
lumbermen  was  held,  and  after  a  thorough  canvass  of  the 
subject,  an  organization  was  effected,  and  named  "The 
Wisconsin    River    Improvemtnt    and    Lumber    Protection 


Company."  The  following  officers  were  chosen  :  Benja- 
min Single,  president;  Nathaniel  Kelly,  secretary;  John 
Week,  treasurer;  with  nine  directors.  Jan.  18,  1866,  G. 
S.  Park  was  made  secretary,  and  Matthew  Wadleigh,  treas- 
urer. 

During  the  Winter  of  1870,  the  question  of  returning 
the  county  seat  to  Plover  was  seriously  agitated,  the  citi- 
zens of  that  town  making  vigorous  efforts  to  accomplish 
the  transfer. 

In  1868  the  change  to  Stevens  Point  had  been  made  by 
340  majority,  in  an  election  for  that  purpose,  August  i. 

Wednesday,  November  15,  1871,  was  agreat  day  for  Stev- 
ens Point.  It  was  the  occasion  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  train 
of  cars  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  Early  in  the 
fifties  railroad  projects  were  sprung  upon  the  people,  and 
some  of  them  were  caught  and  seriously  handled  before 
they  could  extricate  themselves.  Finally  a  legitimate  en- 
terprise commanded  attention  and  support.  Hon.  George 
Reed,  Hon.  A.  Eaton,  and  Hon.  Matthew  Wadleigh,  were 
accorded  great  credit  for  the  success  of  their  efforts. 

There  is  quite  a  latitude  as  to  the  time  the  river  closes 
up  in  early  Winter,  and  also  as  to  the  date  of  the  breaking 
up  and  going  out  of  the  ice  in  the  Spring.  This  has  hap- 
pened as  early  as  March  i,and  it  has  been  as  late  as  April  21. 
McCulloch's  Hall  was  built  in  1873. 
A  large  lynx  was  killed,  by  Eric  Baker,  in  September, 
1873,  it  being  the  third  he  had  killed. 

The  fire  limits  were  established  in  1873. 
On  Sunday,  Dec.  28,  1873,  there  was  a  very  destruct- 
ive fire.       Loss,  $40,000. 

Logging,  in  1873:  Little  Eau  Plaine,  3,700,000;  Big 
Eau  Plaine,  2,000,000;  Wisconsin,  7,000,000  ;  about  Knowl- 
ton,  1,000,000. 

Steam  fire  engine  procured,  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $4,500. 
On  the  nth  of  October,  1875,  a  most  terrible  affair  oc- 
curred in  the  town  of  Buena  Vista.  The  Sheriff  of  the 
county,  Joseph  H.  Baker,  securing  a  posse  to  execute  a 
warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Amos  and  Isaiah  Cartwright — two 
brothers,  who  were  resisting  the  execution  of  the  law — went 
to  the  house  where  the  brothers  were  barricaded,  and  on 
attempting  to  enter,  was  fatally  shot,  dying  soon  after. 
David  Kamcron  was  also  dangerously  wounded,  at  the 
same  time.  The  murderers  escaped  at  that  time,  but  were 
subsequently  arrested  and  placed  in  jail.  For  a  few  davs 
there  was  the  most  intense  excitement,  and  every  precau- 
tion was  taken  to  prevent  lynching;  but  on  the  night  of  the 
i8th,  a  party  of  armed  and  masked  men  went  to  the  jail 
with  suitable  appliances,  broke  into  their  cell,  took  them 
out  to  a  convenient  tree,  where  they  were  discovered  the 
next  morning  hanging  by  the  neck,  dead.  This  is  the  only 
instance  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of  Portage  County. 
The  Literary  Rooms  first  opened  October  16,  1874. 
The  celebration  of  the  completion  of  the  railroad  to 
Wausau  was  celebrated  in  November,  1874. 

The  Wisconsin  Valley  Lumbermen's  Association  organ- 
ized November  4,  1875,  at  Stevens  Point,  William  Weston, 
chairman,  N.  A.  Thompson,  secretary. 


742 


May  13,  1877,  Knox  Bros.'  lumber  yard  and  Copp's 
planing  mill  were  burned;  loss  $60,000,  partially  insured. 

The  iron  bridge  across  the  Wisconsin  was  erected  in 
July,  1877,  by  F.  S.  Jersey,  of  Milwaukee,  under  a  contract 
for  $9,000  for  the  bridge  and  $11.75  per  yard  for  the  piers. 
The  total  cost  was  $17,604.31.  It  was  opened  for  travel  in 
November  of  that  year. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 

Landin 


Wheelock's   stage  line  ran  to 


wega   and    Gill's 
Wausau. 

The  assassination  of  President  Garfield,  on  the  2d  of 
July,  1881,  provoked  the  deepest  indignation  and  the  most 
profound  sorrow.  Stevens  Point,  in  common  with  all 
.America,  had  a  sad  and  gloomy  4th  of  July.  On  the  receipt 
of  the  intelligence  of  his  death,  the  business  places  spon- 


X-    L^^ 


*.  #. 


3*  --  ^'-Ti^Z^ 


BOSWORTH  &  REILLVS  SAW-MILL   AND   LUMBER  YARD. 


The  building  improvements  in  Stevens  Point  in  1877 
aggregated  $111,602.  Of  this  sum,  $83,534  was  on  private 
account,  and  $28,068  was  public  expenditure. 

A  fire  destroyed  the  mill  of  John  Stumpf,  on  the  last  of 
June,   1881. 

Before  the  railroad  reached  the  city,  Dorris  &:  Moore's 
line  of  stages  was  in  successful  operation.  They  embraced 
three  lines:  one  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  thence  to  New  Lis- 
bon, connecting  with  the  cars  to  Milwaukee;  one  to  Berlin, 
connecting  with  the  Horicon  Railroad ;  and  one  to  Weyau- 


taneously  closed,  and  the  city  was  draped  in  black.  The 
day  of  the  last  sad  funeral  rites,  September  26,  services 
were  held  in  the  Episcopal  and  Presbyterian  churches,  and 
all  hearts  were  bowed  in  grief. 

MANUFACTURING. 

TAi  Lumber  Interest :  Bosivorth  &•  Reilly.— In  1874,  a 
mill  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  mill,  by  Kno.\  Bros., 
who  occupied  and  operated  it  two  years,  and  then  sold  it  to 
.\.  E.  Bosworth  and  James  Reilly,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  who  had 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


743 


operated  twelve  years  on  Wolf  River,  and  were  therefore 
practical  lumbermen.  The  original  cost  of  the  mill  and 
site  was  $35,000,  their  booming  privilege  occupying  one-half 
a  mile  of  river  frontage  and  having  a  storage  capacity  of 
4,000,000  feet  of  lumber. 

The  mill  has  the  latest  improved  machinery,  and  con- 
tains one  double  rotary,  one  single  rotary,  one  shingle  mill 
and  lath  mill,  a  gang  edger,  patent  trimmers,  bolting  and 
slabbing  saws,  thirteen,  all  told.  Seventy  hands  are  em- 
ployed, at  an  expense  of  $2,500  a  month,  which  is  paid  on 
the  loth  of  each  month,  in  cash.  The  monthly  product  is 
1,700,000  feet  of  lumber,  1,000,000  shingles,  and  300,000 
laths.  The  firm  owns  large  tracts  of  pine  lands,  but  con- 
siderable stock  has  to  be  purchased.  The  investment  ex- 
ceeds $100,000. 


siding  12,000  per  day.  Employs  fourteen  men,  and  a  capital 
of  $7,000  in  the  mill  and  $12,000  in  the  general  lumber  busi- 
ness, having  lumber,  shingles,  moldings,  pickets,  cedar 
posts,  etc.,  for  sale,  delivered  from  the  yard  on  the  cars. 

Simon  Augustus  S/i(rman's  Saw-mill  was  built  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Plover,  near  the  foot  of  Conant's  Rapids, 
in  1854.  Mr.  Sherman  operated  it  for  many  years,  but  the 
business  is  now  carried  on  by  his  sons,  C.  A.  and  E.  A. 

Wright  dr"  Chafee  manufacture  sash,  doors,  blinds  and 
moldings,  screen  doors,  and  other  work  of  the  kind.  The 
shop  is  on  the  side  track,  near  Clark's  mill,  and  the  firm 
does  a  good  business. 

Herren  (s'  Wadleigh's  Planing  Mill  was  started  by  E.  R. 
Herren  and  Henry  Whitney  in  the  Fall  of  1874.  Began 
running  January,  1875.      In  1878,  Whitney  withdrew,  when 


lERREN  &  WADLKK 


Sanford  H.  Kanners  saw-mill  is  above  the  city,  on  the 
west  side,  and  was  built  in  1S73.  It  has  a  capacity  of  6,000,- 
000  feet  in  a  season.  Twenty-five  men  are  employed  in  the 
business  of  sawing,  piling  and  handling. 

Meehan  Bros.  &•  Co?s  saw-mill  is  located  on  the  river, 
southwest  from  the  Point.  It  was  constructed  in  1866, 
gives  employment  to  125  men,  and  cuts  6,000,000  feet  a 
year.  The  firm  was  formerly  P.  &  J.  Meehan.  N.  L.  .A.n- 
son  is  now  a  member. 

E.  M.  Copps  &"  Co.'s  Planing  A/ill  dresses  50,000  feet  a 
day,  and  employs  ten  men,  at  a  cost  of  §5,000  a  year.  The 
property  is  valued  at  $6,000.  The  mill  was  built  in  1874, 
in  company  with  Knox  Bros.  In  1877,  Knox  Bros. sold  to  Bos- 
worth  &  Reilly.  The  same  year  the  mill  was  burned.  It 
was  rebuilt  by  E.  M.  Copps  and  E.J.  Hildreth.who  now 
operate  the  concern. 

Brown  Brothers'  Pla7iing  Mill  was  constructed  in  1880, 
and  has  a  capacity  for  surfacing  of  50,000,  matching  18,000, 


Herren  was  alone  in  the  business  until  1879,  when  ^I""-  Wad- 
leigh  went  into  the  firm.  The  mill  handles  10,000,000  feet 
a  year,  the  dressing  capacity  being  8,000,000.  Twenty-five 
men  are  employed  in  the  mill  and  yard.  The  engine  is  40- 
horse  power,  and  the  building  is  84x36.  The  inclosure 
containing  the  mill  and  piling  grounds  has  fifteen  acres.  In 
the  Spring  of  1877,  on  the  first  day  of  this  firm's  starting  the 
mill,  the  contents  of  the  yard  was  destroyed,  including  4,- 
000,000  feet  of  lumber,  the  loss  falling  on  other  parties. 
The  planing  mill,  tracks  and  tramways,  belonging  to  them, 
were  destroyed.  There  are  now  elevated  tracks.  The 
shingle  sheds  will  cover  4,000,00c  feet,  and  the  lath  sheds, 
1,500,000  feet.  The  Wisconsin  Central  side-track  extends 
the  whole  length  of  the  yard,  and  lumber  is  handled  direct- 
ly from  under  cover  to  the  cars. 

Wisconsin  River  Lumber  Company,  A.  H.  Cronkite,  presi- 
dent;  John  H.  Walker,  vice-president;  B.  G.  Plummer, 
treasurer;  E.  R.   Herren,  secretary.      Tjiis  institution  was 


744  HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 

organized  in    1873,  by   L.  S.  Bargen,  J.   P.  Krieger,  W.  C.  The  shingle  manufactory  for  the  season  was  32,000,000 

Wadsworth,  S.  S.  Hobson.E.  S.  Davis  andM.  A.  Wadleigh.  feet. 

The  planing  mill  is  64x56  ;  the  shingle  mill,  64x32.    A  good  The  lumber  business  in  1S75  ;  shipped  by  railroad,  lum- 

business  is  done,  and  the  company  has  a  good  reputation.  ber,  19,786,000  feet ;  shingles,  37,500,000,  or  2,000  car  loads. 

In  1858-9,  William   Weston  built  a  saw-mill  at  Stevens  On  the  railroad  above  the  Point,  17,364,000  feet  of  lumber 

Point,  with  a  capacity  of  about  2,000  feet  a  day.     The  facil-  was  shipped,  and  75,000,000  shingles. 

ities  were  gradually  increased  until  he  now  cuts  30,000  feet  The  lumber  market  for  1877,  was  :     Wisconsin  Central 

of  lumber  a  day,  and  30,000   shingles.       The  present  mill  Railroad   handled  66,500,000    feet ;     on    the    river,  above 

was  built  in  1872.       It  is  located  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Stevens  Point,  113,900,000  feet. 

Wisconsin,  near  the  business  center  of  the  city,  and  is  oper-  Flouring  Mill. — Coleman,  Jackson  &  Co.,  employ  seven 

ated  by  steam-power.  men,  and  run  night  and  day,  turning  out  through  stones  and 

Mat.  Wadleigh  built  a  saw-mill  on  the  Big  Plover,  seven  rolls,  100  barrels  of  flour  a  day.     This  firm  owns   mills  in 

and  one-half  miles  from   Stevens  Point,  in   1857,  and  oper-  Centralia,  employing  ten   to   fourteen  men,  and   make   200 

ated  it  for  ten  years.  The  mill  is  now  owned  by  Wm.  Redding,  barrels  of  flour  in  twenty-four  hours. 

The  Webster  Manufacturing  Company,  above   the  city,  P.  Collins,  manufacturer  of  buggies,  cutters,   etc.,  and 

has  a  saw-mill  and  hardwood   manufactory  near   the   boom  general  blacksmithing. 

on  the  river.     J.  W.  Brown  had  charge  of  the  construction,  J.  V.  Bakens,  general  blacksmith  and   manufacturer  of 

and  the  arrangement  of  all  the  machinery.      The  mill  was  light  and  heavy  wagons,  sleighs,  cutters,  logging  sleds,  with 

completed  in  the  Fall  of  1881,  and  is  32x123  feet,  the  boiler  repairing. 

house,  20x60  feet.  There  are  three  boilers  and  an  engine  William  L.  Conel,  manufacturer  of  an  improved  self-op- 
of  96-horse-power.  The  saw-mill  proper  has  two  slashing-  erating  saw-sharpening  machine,  which  received  the  high- 
saws,  a  circular,  edger,  trimmer  and  two  bolters.  In  addi-  est  and  only  premium  award  of  the  kind  at  the  Centennial, 
tion,  there  are  various  other  machines  for  re-sawing  and  pre-  This  machine  is  sold  all  over  the  world. 
paring  lumber  for  wagon  stuff  and  other  special  uses.  The  R.  A.  Cook  &  Co.,  machine  shop  and  foundry.  Seyler 
mill  is  situated  so  as  to  ship  by  the  river  or  railroad.  The  &  Cook  began  business  June  15,  1877.  In  1880,  a  new 
mill  employs  thirty  or  forty  hands  a  day.  The  railroad  com-  shop  was  erepted,  Seyler  selling  his  interest  to  George  A. 
pany  have  established  a  station  at  that  point,  to  be  called  Packard.  Saw  and  grist-mill  machinery  is  manufactured 
Nedister,  and  houses  are  at  once  to  be  built  for  the  workmen,  steam-fitting  and  brass  goods,  employing  ten  men.  The 
so  as  to  secure  stable  and  permanent  hands.  Oak  and  ash  shops  turn  out  in  new  work  $10,000  a  year,  besides  $5,000 
is  used,  and  the  prices  paid  at  the  mill  are  from  $7   to  $13  on  repairs. 

per  thousand  feet.     E.  E.  Winch  is  the   superintendent   in  Adam   Kuhl  established  a  brewery   in  a  small    way  in 

charge  here.  1867  ;  has  enlarged  with  the   increasing  demand,  to  supply 

In  addition  to  this  establishment,  the  Webster  Company  the  home  market, 

has  mills  in  Menasha,  Pittsville,  Cadot,  DePere,  and  also  Andrew   Lutz  began  brewing,   in  connection  with  his 

hardwood  sawing  done  in  Marshfield.   This  hardwood  man-  brother,  in  1866.     Is  now  associated  with  his  sons, 

ufactory  is  a  very  important  interest  for  Northern  Wiscon-  George  Lutz  manufactured  soda  water. 

sin,  and  is  only  just  in  its  infancy.  W.  W.   Spraggon,   steam  bakery.      This    establishment 

The  lumber  mills   in   Portage  County  in  1874,  and   the  was  started  in  1873,  Mr.  Spraggon  having  been  in  the  busi- 

cut  for  that  year,  were  as  follows  :  ness  before.     He  uses  600  barrels  of  flour  a  year. 

„  „  ^  „  ,                                                          ,  ^^-^'^-  John  Rice  &  Bro.,  machine  shop  and  foundry.     Estab- 

P.  &J.  Mehan 6,000,000  ,.   ,  "^  ,   ,    ,              „                    ,                       ^^                              ,    , 

Knox  Bros 9,000,000  lished  July  i,  1873;  employs  ten  to  fifteen  men,  and  does 

p.  N  Bean 2,000,000  a  business  of  $25,000  to  $-50,000  a  year.     Their  building  is 

J.  Robinson.... 6,000.000  r     .       -r^t             1                    'u        f                 a 

Burns,  Thompson  &  Co.,  at  Owen  Clark's  mill.  6,000,000  72x100  feet.     They  make  a  specialty  of  gang  edgers. 

McDill  Bros 3,000,000  Daniel  Seyler,  maker  of  boilers,  steam  and  mud  drums. 

Brown  &  Renseau 3,000,000  ,               ,,,                      •,                              r,             ,0^ 

Walker  &  Wadleigh 4,500,000  smoke-stacks  and  heaters,  with  repairing.     Started  in  1S81. 

Reading  &  Van  Order _ 1,000,000  Seth  C.  Doane  &  Co.,  carriage  and  wagon  manufactur- 

D.C. McMillan _ 2,500,000  ,              f,-,.ji                                     jiu            j 

N.  Boyington 2,500,000  ers,  makers   of  light  and   heavy  wagons   and   sleighs,   and 

Burns,  Thompson    &    Co.,  at  S.  A.  Sherman's  repairers. 

Weston  &  Sons;!."".'.'.'.''.^".".!!""!"'".^]];  S.'ooaS^  Vulcan  Forge  and  Wagon  Works,  Tom.  Adams,  proprie- 

Wisconsin  River  Lumber  Company 5.000,000  tor.       Lumbering    implements    a    specialty,   with    wagons, 

Kamer  &  Stevens S.000,000  ,    .    ,                                        -,,,_,      1         -.i  • 

Lester. loooooo  sleighs,  cutters,  etc.;  with  blacksmithing. 

J.  Hall 4.000,000  J.  Rice  &  Brother  manufacture  steam  engines,  mill  gear- 

w:SL«rR''ad''fo°d::::;::;:::::::::::.\-::::  4';ZZ  ^"g'  ^l^^^gl^   machines,  gang  edgers   and   trimmers-  emery 

;          p.  Lamoux 1,500,000  wheels  and  general  jobbing.      Corner    First   avenue   and 

Sew^.;[ed::::::::::::;::::::::::::::::::  s^^Z  ciark  street. 

A.H.Bancroft. Soo.ooo  D.  J.  EUenwood  rebuilds  and  repairs  sewing-machines, 

Total                                                      TO  000  000  ^"*^  ^^^  machine  supplies. 


HISTORY    OF   PORTAGE    COUNTY. 


745 


McAulay  &  Perkins,  contractors,  builders  and  movers. 
Bridges,  churches,  school-houses  and  public  buildings  a 
specialty. 

Banking. — H.  D.  McCulloch  began  a  regular  banking 
business  in  the  Summer  of  1866,  having  previously  been 
doing  an  extensive  exchange  business.  In  1880,  the  dis- 
bursements of  the  bank  were  $750,000,  nearly  one-half  of 
this  being  in  the  Spring.  The  bulk  of  this  is  required  for 
lumber  manufacturers.  Prior  to  the  time  Mr.  McCulloch 
began  banking,  Mr.  S.  F.  Gall  had  been  doing  a  banking 
business  in  the  same  place.  The  bank  now  has  a  capital  of 
$20,000,  with  total  resources  of  $70,000. 

Northwestern  Bank. — This  bank  started  in  1856,  and 
has  withstood  the  various  financial  panics  and  crashes  since 
that  time.  Alonzo  Wood  is  president,  and  W.  W.  Wood, 
cashier.     The  capital  is  $60,000. 

City  Bank  of  Portage,  capital,  $25,000;  surplus,  $4,000. 
L.  Breese,  president. 

Bank  of  Stevens  Point,  H.  Huyssen,  president ;  L.  Schaf- 
fer,  cashier.  This  bank  was  incorporated  in  1857.  In 
1858,  Huyssen  withdrew  and  Louis  Schaffer  continued,  but 
failed  in  1861. 

The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  repair  shops  are  located 
here.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  road  there  was  a  small 
repair  shop  here.  The  present  structure,  which  is  of  brick, 
large  and  commodious,  was  erected  in  1875.  A  large  paint 
shop  is  now  building,  which  will  cover  seven  passenger 
coaches.  All  the  repairs  of  the  rolling  stock  for  the  six 
hundred  miles  of  road  are  done  here.  There  are  forty-nine 
locomotives,  twenty-six  passenger  coaches,  and  1,500  freight 
cars  in  service.  Everything  is  built  that  may  be  required 
except  locomotives,  and  they  are  thoroughly  overhauled 
and  repaired,  when  necessary.  The  facilities  for  work  are 
being  constantly  extended.  J.  B.  Henning  is  the  master- 
mechanic,  and  F.  S.  Nicholson,  chief  clerk.  They  employ 
170  men.  The  round-house  was  built  in  1871.  This  is  an 
important  station  ;  S.  H.  Vaughn  is  the  company's  agent. 
The  passenger  tickets  sold  averaged  $2,600  a  month.  The 
amount  of  freight  forwarded  per  month  is  i2,5co,ooo  lbs.; 
received,  2,250,000  lbs.  Between  four  and  five  thousand 
dollars  are  received  monthly  for  freight.  About  2,500  cars 
are  weighed  here  every  month.  The  amount  of  lumber 
shipped  is  from  three  to  five  hundred  car  loads  a  month. 

General  Trade. — There  are  few  cities  the  size  of  this, 
which  are  no  older,  that  do  not  have  the  diff"erent  kinds  of 
business  more  generally  separated  than  here.  For  there  is 
hardly  a  grocery  that  does  not  have  dry  goods,  and  even 
the  apothecaries  have  general  merchandise,  or  at  least  two 
or  three  lines  of  goods  besides  drugs.  So  that  it  is  difficult 
to  give  the  number  of  business  men  in  any  special  depart- 
ment of  trade.  An  approximation,  however,  will  be  pre- 
sented, that  the  reader  may  have  a  fair  idea  of  the  extent 
of  trade  in  the  city.  There  are  at  least  twenty-five  stores 
where  groceries  are  sold,  none  of  them  being  confined  to 
groceries  alone.  There  are  four  drug  stores  in  with  other 
business.  Twenty  places  sell  dry  goods,  with  other  things. 
In  hardware,  there  are  three  stores,  confined  quite  closely 


to  that  branch  of  trade.  Their  sales  may  be  from  $40,000 
to  $50,000  a  year.  There  are  five  tailor  shops.  Of  watch- 
makers and  jewelers  there  are  five.  Several  confectionery 
stores.  Tobacco  stores  are  common  in  the  saloons  and 
other  stores.  In  stationery  and  fancy  goods,  two  or  three 
places.  One  book  store,  with  drugs,  etc.  Two  furniture 
establishments.  In  the  line  of  milliners,  there  are  at  least 
nine.  To  supply  meat,  there  are  seven  butcher  shops. 
There  is  now  but  one  photographer.  Scattered  over  town 
are  half  a  dozen  barber  shops.  Five  or  six  shoemaker 
shops.  Blacksmith  shops  may  be  found  in  the  usual  num- 
ber, in  such  a  community,  with  wheelwrights  and  other  me- 
chanics. Agents  for  sewing  machines,  representing  the 
most  popular  machines,  are  to  be  found  here,  and  in  fact, 
all  the  various  kinds  of  business  required  by  such  a  com- 
munity, including  musical  instruments  and  other  things  in- 
dicating an  advanced  state  of  civilization. 

In  the  city  there  are  twenty-eight  retail  licensed  liquor 
saloons,  two  of  them  with  wholesale  privileges.  The  fees 
for  a  retail  saloon  are  $100,  and  $40  for  a  wholesale 
house. 

Besides  this,  one  of  the  druggists  has  a  license  at  a 
cost  of  $25.  There  is  a  public  square  across  Main  street 
and  First  avenue,  which  is  a  common  marketplace  where 
numerous  country  teams  will  be  found  with  hay  and 
other  productions  in  their  season.  Those  drawn  by  oxen 
predominating. 

The  city  is  well  supplied  with  hostlery  accommodations. 
The  leading  houses  are  the  Curran  House  and  the  Man- 
sion House,  with  the  Adams  House  and  the  Lutz  House 
near  the  depot,  and  Jacobs  House,  the  Cabill  House  and 
others.  All  the  public  houses  are  kept  well  filled,  and 
constant  additions  are  being  required. 

There  are  two  regular  omnibuses  conveying  passengers 
between  the  station  and  the  hotels  and  residences,  besides 
other  carriages. 

Livery  stables. — Of  these  necessary  adjuncts  to  a  thriv- 
ing town,  there  are  several  very  well  appointed,  at  fair 
rates  for  hire. 

Book-bindery. — One  of  these  institutions  flourishes  here. 

Stage  routes. — There  are  two  stage  lines  to  Plover  with 
a  double  daily  service.  The  railroad,  now  grading,  will 
soon  supersede  them.  There  is  also  a  mail  route  still 
running  as  a  reminder  of  the  past.  It  goes  to  ."Mban  via 
Ellis,  Polonia  and  Boyiugton.  J.  Ellingson  is  the  pro- 
prietor. 

Post-office. — A  new  building  is  erecting  on  the  north 
side  of  Main  street  to  be  occupied  by  the  post-office.  The 
present  Postmaster  is  J.  O.  Raymond,  with  Don  R. 
Chamberlain  as  assistant.  Six  thousand  postal  cards  go  ofl" 
in  a  quarter,  and  between  four  and  five  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  stamps. 

There  are  three  cemeteries,  which  do  no  discredit  to  the 
city,  but  on  account  of  the  comparative  youthfulness  of  the 
town  and  its  exceptional  healthfulness,  are  more  noted  for 
their  future  rather  than  their  past  usefulness.  The  officers 
of  the   Union   Cemetery   Association  are :      H.B.Martin, 


746 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


president;   J.    R.    Kingsbury,   secretary;    L.    D.    Connery, 
treasurer. 

INDIAN    BIOGRAPHIES. 

There  have  been  several  noted  Indians  who  have  hov- 
ered around  Stevens  Point  since  its  occupation  by  the  white 
race. 

Wau-he-ke-nish,  a  few  years  ago  was  a  most  ancient  speci- 
men of  aboriginal  senility.  Formerly  he  was  large  and 
plump  and  had  the  reputation  of  being  overbearing  and 
insolent,  and  one  day,  having  made  an  assault  on  a  white 
man,  he  was  most  unmercifully  pounded,  and,  although 
he  lived  many  years  afterward,  he  never  did  quite  re- 
cover. His  hair  was  bleached  and  he  was  shriveled  and 
wrinkled,  and  his  form  so  doubled  up  that  his  appearance 
give  little  suggestion  that  he  was  ever  "big  Ingun  me," 
as  was  his  former  boast.  He  claimed  in  the  most  earn- 
est way  to  be  140  years  of  age,  but  this  must  have  been 
an  exaggeration,  although  he  had  a  son  who  was  called 
"Big  Papoose"  who  was  an  old  man.  They  are  both  dead 
now.  The  old  man  would  surround  a  large  ration  up  to 
the  day  of  his  death.  His  skull  was  secured  and  it  meas- 
ures but  twenty  inches  around,  and  only  twelve  and  one- 
half  over  the  top  from  ear  to  ear. 

Jake  Batise,  a  Winnebago,  was  another  character.  He 
once  got  some  kind  of  work,  and  went  to  a  white  woman 
to  get  her  to  bake  some  bread  for  him  to  live  on  while 
doing  the  job.  She  said,  "No,  Jake,  you  are  a  bad  Indian  ;  I 
once  loaned  you  two  dollars,  and  you  have  never  paid  me 
as  you  promised.  I  shall  tell  everybody  that  you  are  not 
honest,  and  no  one  will  trust  you  after  this." 

"Ah,"  says  Jake,  "I  never  see  it  that  way.  Don't  tell  it 
that  way,  and  I  pay  you."  Which  he  did  and  got  his  bread 
baked. 

It  seems  that  it  had  never  occurred  to  him  that  wrong 
doing  would  injure  his  reputation.  He  was  quite  a  good 
Indian  afterward. 

A  representative  of  the  Winnebago  tribe  of  much  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence  is  Julia  Mayrond,  a  daughter  of 
Aug.  Grignon,  an  early  resident  at  Fort  Winnebago,  where 
Julia  was  born,  in  1808,  her  mother  being  the  sister  of  the 
chief  De  Kaury.  She  was  a  young  woman  when  the  Winne- 
bago fort  was  built  in  1828,  under  the  command  of  Maj. 
Twiggs.  She  has  a  son,  now  in  Minnesota,  named  David 
Twiggs.  She  lives  at  Stevens  Point,  and  is  the  interpreter 
for  H.  W.  Lee,  the  attorney  for  the  tribe.  She  is  a  widow 
and  looks  much  younger  than  she  is.  Her  husband  was 
John  Mayrond,  a  son  of  John  B.  Mayrond,  a  celebrated  In- 
dian trader,  who  was  formerly  with  the  Hudson  Bay  Fur 
Company,  and  went  into  the  employ  of  the  American  Com- 
pany, when  it  succeeded  to  the  rights  of  that  ancient  mo- 
nopoly in  this  region,  being  the  chief  clerk  and  confidential 
agent  of  the  company. 

The  celebrated  De  Kaury  line  of  Winnebago  chiefs  were 
the  descendants  of  that  charming  young  (juecn.  who  enter- 
tained Jonathan  Carver,  near  Green  Bay,  more  than  a  cen- 
tury ago,  Ho-po-ko-e-kaw. 

Hole-in-the-dav   was  the  most  celebrated  chief  of  the 


Chippewas  since  the  white  settlement  of  the  country.  His 
courage  was  undaunted,  and  he  was  of  commanding  form, 
but  his  treachery  was  only  limited  by  his  skill.  He  was 
killed  while  crossing  Flat  River  in  1847.  His  son  suc- 
ceeded him  and  was  called  Young  Hole-in-the-day.  While 
yet  young,  he  controlled  the  tribe,  managing  the  treaties  and 
receiving  the  lion's  share.  He  lived  in  great  style  near 
Crow  Wing,  Minn.,  at  the  reservation,  with  a  white  wife,  for 
whom  he  had  discarded  several  squaws.  He  was  waylaid 
and  murdered  near  home  by  three  Pillager  or  Leech  Lake 
Indians,  June  27,  1868.  His  name  in  the  Chippewa  lan- 
guage was  Po-go-ne-shik. 

ILLUSTRIOUS   DEAD. 

JOHN  B.  DuB.AY.  This  remarkable  man  was  born  in  Green  Bay, 
July  10,  iSio.  In  1823,  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Detroit  and 
to  work  for  the  sutler  of  the  fort,  where  he  rapidly  developed  a  capac- 
ity for  usefulness.  He  was  afterward  employed  by  the  fur  company, 
going  to  Siginaw  in  that  interest.  Being  familiar  with  the  Indian 
dialect,  he  was  the  private  interpreter  for  Gen.  Cass,  the  Terri- 
torial Governor.  While  an  agent  of  the  fur  company,  he  built  the 
first  house  ever  erected  on  the  Kalamazoo  River,  just  below  the  pres- 
ent town.  In  1829,  for  some  cause  he  "bolted"  the  fur  company, 
and  set  up  an  opposition  establishment  on  his  own  account  at  Sag- 
inaw. This  was  conducted  in  such  a  lively  way  that  in  183 1  the  com- 
pany made  overtures  to  buy  him  out  of  the  business  entirely.  This 
offer  was  accepted,  the  company  paying  him  $600  a  year  for  six 
years  not  to  be  engaged  in  trade  any  more.  He  went  right  up  to 
the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  and  started  a  trading  post,  chartering  a  schooner 
to  carry  up  his  supplies,  and  remaining  there.  He  made  a  tour  of  the 
lakes  on  a  trading  expedition  among  the  British  Possessions,  and  had 
many  thrilling  adventures,  but  finally  got  around  all  right.  In  1S34  he 
again  engaged  with  the  fur  company,  and  for  five  years  had  charge  of 
what  was  called  the  Flambeau  district  at  a  salary  of  Si. 100  a  year  and 
expenses  for  himself  and  family.  The  headquarters  were  near  the  head 
■waters  of  the  Chippewa,  where  there  had  been  a  post  for  100  years  or' 
more.  He  was  interpreter  for  Gov.  Dodge  at  the  treaty  of  Ft.  Snellinge 
July  2g,  1S37,  with  Hole-in-the-day  and  other  Chippewas.  In  1S39  ha 
left  the  fur  company,  and  the  next  year  bought  the  trading  post  of  thl 
fur  company  at  Ft.  Winnebago  and  remained  in  business  there  unin 
1851.  Louis  DuBay,  his  father,  was  a  full-blooded  Frenchman  ;  born  ie 
Montreal  and  came  to  Wisconsin  as  a  fur  trader  and  spent  a  singl, 
Winter  on  the  Wisconsin  at  what  is  still  called  DuBay's  trading  post 
and  where  John  B.  still  lives.  John  B.  DuBay  assisted  Dousman  and 
Burnett  in  procuring  from  the  Chippewa  Indians  the  privilege  of  build- 
ing a  mill  at  the  Chippewa  Falls,  which  arrangement  was  superseded  by 
the  treaty  of  1S37,  in  which  he  took  a  prominent  part.  At  one  of  the 
councils  with  the  Chippewas  where  DuBay  was  interpreter,  all  the 
chiefs  acquiesced  in  the  arrangement  except  Hole-in-the-day,  who 
being  impertinent  to  the  interpreter,  he  was  slapped  across  the  mouth 
by  DuBay  when  he  quietly  sat  down  and  submitted  to  the  majority.  He 
was  a  great  hunter,  andahvayshad  fine  dogs  and  splendid  hunting  outfits. 
It  was  said  of  him  in  his  prime,  only  the  celebrated  Capt.  Scott,  of  the 
regular  army,  could  beat  him  with  pistol  or  gun.  Some  time  after  he  re- 
tired from  business  at  Ft.  Winnebago,  a  party  undertook  to  jump  his 
claim  on  the  place  where  he  lived.  He  offered  to  sell  at  a  reasonable 
rate,  but  his  offer  was  rejected,  and  one  day  when  he  was  out  hunting 
with  a  party  of  Milwaukee  gentlemen,  he  found  on  his  return  that  the 
frame  of  a  mill  was  already  erected  within  his  inclosure  and  partially 
boarded  in.  After  supper  he  proceeded  to  cut  it  down,  and  a  moment 
after  it  fell,  a  mob  of  about  thirty  men  headed  by  Reynolds,  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  mill,  appeared  with  axes,  etc.,  to  level  his  house  to 
the  ground  ;  he  stood  in  the  door  with  his  double-barreled  shot-gun. 
He  pushed  Reynolds  away  several  times,  but  he  at  last  seized  a  weapon 
and  at  the  point  of  stiiking,  DuBay  fired,  killing  him  instantly.  He  at 
once  gave  himself  up  to  the  Sheriff  and  was  conveyed  to  jail.  The  mob 
gathered  to  lynch  him.  Judge  Guppy  harangued  tlie  crowd,  and 
Sheriff  Lewis  told  them  he  h.id  armed  DuBay  and  they  better  keep 
away  from  his  cell,  which  they  did.  He  was  tried  at  Madison.  Har- 
low S.  Orton  and  Moses  M.  Strong  defended  him,  and  three  men  who 
had  been  Governors  of  the  State  volunteered  to  testify  in  his  behalf — 
Gov.  Dodge,  Gov.  Dewey  and  Gov.  Doty.  He  was  acquitted.  In  the 
early  histo'y  of  the  county  he  was  prominent,  particularly  on  ro«d  mat- 
ters, and  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  lay  out  a  road  from  Madison 
to  Wausau.  During  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  1S32,  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  lieutenant-colonel  by  the  Governor,  hut  was  so  engaged  he 
could  only  send  forward  half-brteds  and  other  recruits. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


747 


CAPT.  WILLIAM  BREMMER,  of  the  iSth  Wis.  Reg.,  died  sud- 
denly near  his  residence  in  Plover,  in  December,  1873.  He  formerly 
lived  in  Stockton,  and  was  well  and  favorably  known. 

HON.  SATTERLEE  CLARK.  Mr.  Clark  came  to  what  was 
afterward  Portage  County,  but  now  Columbia  County,  at  a  very  early 
day,  with  his  father,  whose  Christain  name  he  bore.  They  arrived  in  Wis- 
consin, at  Green  Bay,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  April,  1828.  Young  Clark 
went  with  the  troops  to  Fort  Winnebago  that  same  season,  and  was  ap- 
pointed sutler  of  the  fort,  by  Gen.  Jackson,  President  of  the  United  States, 
although  he  was  not  yet  quite  of  age.  His  career  as  a  Democratic  office 
holder,  was  thus  early  commenced.  Since  that  time,  among  numerous 
other  positions,  he  was  employed  by  Gov.  Dodge,  to  go  with  the  Winne- 
bago chiefs  to  Washington  in  1837.  And  he  was  ten  years  State  Senator. 
He  was  a  most  genial,  man  of  boundless  hospitality,  and  closely  identified 
with  the  whole  history  of  Wisconsin,  from  soon  after  its  first  settlement 
at  Green  Bay.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  employed  in  the  attor- 
ney's department  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  Com- 
pany. He  fell  dead  as  he  was  leaving  the  Union  depot  in  St.  Paul,  Sept. 
20,  1881.     He  was  born  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  1816. 

ABRAHAM  BRAWLEY,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  he  was  born 
in  MeadviUe,  Pa.,  in  iSio.  In  1839,  he  buit  a  mill  on  the  creek,  which 
is  south  of  Stevens  Point.  In  1S42,  he  built  another  mill  on  the  Big  Eau 
Claire.  It  is  supposed  that  he  built  the  first  house  at  Stevens  Point,  in 
1844,  and  removed  his  family  from  Mill  Creek.  He  was  in  the  13th 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry  during  the  war  of  lS6i.  Was  a  prisoner  of  war,  and 
died  in  Richmond,  February,  1865.  He  was  long  amember  of  the  County 
Board  and  its  Chairman,  was  Register  of  the  Land  Office,  and  held  other 
offices. 

-SAMUEL  R.  MERRILL,  died  Dec.  16,  1880.  at  Juneau,  Dodge 
Co.,  aged  seventy-five  years.  He  was  among  the  oldest  lumbermen 
on  the  river,  and  was  well  and  favorably  known  among  all  the  old 
residents. 

GEORGE  STRONGER,  an  old  citizen  of  Stevens  Point,  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  singing  bund,  and  a  member  of  the  fire  com- 
pany. He  was  universally  respected  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  His 
death  was  on  the  25th  ofSeptember,  1873. 

ORANGE  R.  ELLIS,  sou  of  Gen.  A.  G.  Ellis,  was  born  at  Green 
Bay  in  1840,  and  came  to  Stevens  Point  with  his  father's  family.  He 
filled  various  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  and  being  a  large-hearted  man, 
he  rapidly  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people.  In  1864,  he 
removed  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  he  there  married  Miss  Sarah  V.  Noyes, 
April  30,  1S60.  From  Stillwater  he  moved  to  Muscatine,  Iowa,  where 
his  health  failed,  and  he  finally  went  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  died,  Feb. 
3,  1874.     His  death  was  a  severe  loss  to  the  whole  community. 

WILLIAM  SYLVESTER  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Hanover,  Plymouth  Co.,  Mass.,  in  3792.  He  died  in 
Ripon,  Wis.,  Nov.  30,  1875.  He  came  West  as  far  as  Mackinaw  in 
1814.  In  1835,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Green  Bay.  His 
name  appears  as  a  charter  member  of  Ft.  Winnebago  Masonic  Lodge. 
On  his  removal  to  Stevens  Point,  he  became  identified  with  the  interests 
of  the  place.     He  was  a  man  of  high  character  and  great  moral  worth. 

W.  S.  PATRICK.  Mr.  Patrick  was  a  native  of  New  York  State,  forty- 
six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  28th  of 
January,  1877.  He  started  the  Central  Bank  in  1873,  while  a  resident 
of  Detroit,  Mich.  He  was  a  large  dealer  in  timber  lands.  In  1S75,  he 
removed  here,  having  previously  lived  in  Flint,  Mich.,  where  he  was  at 
one  time  Mayor.  Not  long  before  his  death,  he  removed  to  Minneapo- 
lis, where  an  accident  terminated  his  life.  In  a  bank,  he  opened  the 
wrong  door,  and  fell  to  the  basement. 

DR.  L.  S.  McCULLOCH,  born  in  New  York  State,  Lima,  Living- 
ston Co.,  July  29,  1827.  Spent  his  early  boyhood  in  Rockport.  By  his 
own  exertions,  qualified  himself  for  college,  and  at  seventeeen  entered 
Hamilton  College.  A  severe  hemorrhage  from  ihe  lungs  stopped  his 
academic  course.  He  first  practiced  dentistry  in  Castile,  N.  Y.;  then 
at  Wellington,  and  finally  his  health  permitted  his  completing  his  regu- 
lar medical  studies  in  Cincinnati.  He  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mary  Elli- 
ott, in  August,  1853,  in  Ohio.  He  was  with  his  brother,  H.  D.,  here, 
and  led  a  quiet,  but  useful,  life.  His  death  was  on  Dec.  i,  1878,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-one.  He  was  public  spirited,  and  did  more  than  any  one 
else  to  establish  the  Public  Library. 

HERBERT  WOOD  was  in  Portage  County  twenty-five  years,  hav- 
ing arrived  in  1852.  For  eight  years,  he  carried  on  the  tailoring  busi- 
ness here,  but  failing  health  sent  him  on  to  a  farm.  He  was  well  and 
favorably  known. 

CEPHAS  SHEKELLS  was  in  his  eighty-fifth  year  when  he  died, 
on  the  15th  of  May,  1877.  He  had  lived  in  Stevens  Point  twenty-five 
years.  He  was  born  in  Bladensburg,  in  1772;  went  with  his  father's 
family  to  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  in  184S  came  to  Milwaukee,  having  been 
married,  in  1817,  to  Matilda  J.  Warner,  who  died  in  1846,  leaving  five 
children.  He  was  closely  connected  with  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
was  a  fine  and  venerable  old  gentleman. 


MRS.  D.  P.  BROWN  was  an  early  settler,  appearing  with  her  hus- 
band in  1847.  They  kept  the  Phillips  House.  Mr.  Brown  died  in  Ga- 
lena, in  1S50.  of  cholera.  She  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  her  death,  June  30,1877.  She  was  the  mother  of  Mr.  D.  C. 
Brown  and  of  Mrs.  Judge  Cate. 

NATHANIEL  F.  BLISS  was  born  June  5,  1809,  in  Pownal,  Vt. 
Came  to  Stevens  Point  in  1S46.  He  was  a  carpenter,  and  assisted  in 
building  many  of  the  first  houses  in  town.  He  married  Miss  Mundana 
Hale,  of  Smithfield,  Pa:,  who  was  the  first  school  teacher  in  town. 
They  had  nine  children.  Mr.  Bliss  was  a  prominent  citizen,  a  Justice 
of  'he  Peace  and  Police  Justice,  and  was  in  the  mercantile  business. 
He  died  Oct.  5,  1876,  aged  sixty-nine. 

W.  C.  D.WENPORT  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  having  come 
to  the  Point  in  1S50.  He  was  engaged  in  lumbering,  and  afterward 
started  the  currier  and  tanning  business.  His  establishment  has  burned 
since  his  death,  which  was  on  the  loth  of  April,  1872,  while  away  from 
home  at  Wausau,  aged  forty-eight  years.  He  was  married,  April  10, 
1855.  to  Julia  Darrow.     He  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 

JOHN  WHITE,  born  in  England  in  1820,  came  to  America  with 
his  parents,  and  located  in  New  York  City,  and  afterward  lived  in  White 
Plains,  N.Y.,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855.  remaining  in  Fond  du 
Lac  about  one  year,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  going  at  first  on  to 
a  farm,  but  soon  entered  into  the  hardware  business,  which  he  continued 
to  follow.  He  returned  to  England  in  1S40,  and  was  married  to  Eliz- 
abeth Snook.  They  had  five  children.  He  was  a  good,  enterprising 
citizen,  highly  respected  by  the  community.  His  death  was  on  the  30th 
of  November,  1865. 

DR.  ALFRED  EARLL,  was  one  of  the  earliest  doctors  locating 
here.  He  was  born  in  New  York  State,  in  1821.  He  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Mann,  of  Mannville,  N.Y.,  and  married  Miss  Lorana  Earll,  on 
the  17th  of  September,  1S46.  In  1851,  removed  to  Madison,  remaining 
one  year,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point.  They  had  six  children.  At 
one  time  he  was  in  mercantile  business,  and  was  Postmaster  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  was  on  the  6th  of  May,  1871,  while  he  was  near  Mil- 
waukee on  business.     He  was  an  active,  public-spirited  citizen. 

DR.  WILLIAM  SCHOFIELD  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  having  been 
born  in  that  State,  in  i8og.  On  arriving  at  a  proper  age,  he  qualified 
himself  for  a  professional  life  by  studying  medicine  and  surgery.  He 
first  located  in  foliet,  in  1S36,  where  he  made  hosts  of  friends.  In  1847. 
he  removed  to  Shullsburgh,  and  the  next  year  came  to  Portage  County. 
He  selected  a  beautiful  spot  on  the  Eau  Claire,  in  Marathon  County, 
and  began  lumbering.  Fortune  favored  him.  In  1856,  this  mill  was 
burned,  but  it  was  soon  reconstructed  and  running  again.  About  this 
time  he  had  taken  up  his  residence  at  Stevens  Point,  with  his  family. 
He  was  a  remarkably  popular  man,  and  was  unanimously  elected  the 
first  Mayor  of  the  city,  serving  two  terms.  Few  men  were  more  patri- 
otic and  self  sacrificing  than  Dr.  Schofield,  whose  loss  was  deeply  felt. 
His  death  was  on  the  l6th  of  December,  1S63. 

HOMER  DRAKE  was  a  native  of  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.Y.  When 
young,  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Iowa,  and  afterward  removed  to  the 
Wisconsin  pinery.  During  the  war  he  was  captain  of  a  company  in  the 
Seventh  Regiment.  He  died  in  Plover,  on  the  l8th  of  March,  1871, 
aged  fifty-six  years,  leaving  a  wife,  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

WILLIAM  WYATT  came  to  Stevens  Point  in  1857.  He  was 
noted  for  his  uprightness,  aflTability  and  kindness,  which  gained  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  all.  He  was  born  in  West  Point,  N.Y.,  in  1802, 
and,  before  coming  to  Wisconsin,  lived  some  time  in  Erie,  Pa.  He  left  a 
large  and  interesting  family  at  the  time  of  his  death,  March  8,  1864,  and 
was  buried  with  Masonic  honors. 

JUDGE  MINER  STROPE.  Was  born  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  in 
1806.  Was  admitted  to  the  Bar  after  studying  in  ."Mbany,  N.  Y..  and 
practiced  in  the  western  p,art  of  the  State.  Married  Mary  A.  Morton,  of 
Erie,  by  whom  he  had  three  children.  She  died  in  1S46.  In  1S48,  he 
married  Ursula  Wilmott.  They  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Plo- 
ver, in  June,  1850.  He  was  a  well-known  lawyer,  with  a  wide  practice 
in  this  and  adjoining  counties.  For  several  terms  he  was  District  At- 
torney, and  also  for  years  County  Judge.  Three  children  were  the  re- 
sult of  the  last  marriage.     His  death  was  on  the  31st  of  August,  1S80. 

MISS  LAURA  V.  ALBAN.  Born  Dec.  23,  1S46.  in  Ohio.  The 
daughter  of  W.  R.  and  Rachel  Alb.an,  who  soon  after  moved  to  Plover. 
Miss  Alban  was  a  very  remarkable  woman;  a  natural  leader  and  teacher 
of  children.  Part  of  her  education  was  at  the  Oshkosh  Normal  School, 
but  she  was  largely  self-educated.  The  extent  of  her  re.-iding  among  the 
best  authors,  and  her  familiarity  with  them,  was  marvelous.  She  was 
for  six  years  the  successful  and  honored  principal  of  the  Green  Bay 
Grammar  School.  She  could  manage  the  most  refr.ictory  boy  without 
trouble;  her  simple  honesty  of  purpose  won  all  hearts.  Her  devotion  to 
her  parents  was  most  unselfish,  and  her  death,  which  was  on  Jan.  ig, 
1880,  was  indeed  a  sad  event  to  a  wide  circle. 

REV,  J.  EDWARDS,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Plover. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  with   urbanity,  and   always  main- 


748 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


tained  a  Christian  deportment,  with  zeal  and  unremitting  labors  in  the 
cause  he  loved  so  well.  His  death  was  on  Feb.  6,  1866,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven. 

THEODORE  C.  ELLIS,  son  of  Gen.  A.  G.  Ellis.  Was  a  promis- 
ing and  genial  young  man,  who  had  been  well  educated  and  had  a  spe- 
cial talent  for  music.     He  died  Jan.  23,   1S71,  aged  twenty-one  years. 

COL.  J.\MES  S.  .\LBAN.  A  lawyer  and  a  Judge;  the  colonel  of 
the  iSth  Wis.  V.  L  He  was  an  early  settler.  It  was  a  public  calamity 
when  he  fell,  at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  in  April,  1862.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  to  Plover  on  the  26th  of  April,  and  sadly  the  peo- 
ple laid  them  away  on  the  2Sth.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio; 
was  twenty-five  years  in  the  State  and  eighteen  years  in  the  county.  His 
age  was  fifty-one. 

E.L.PIKE.  One  of  the  early  settlers.  Died  June  11,  1877.  He 
was  here  as  early  as  1S4S,  and  engaged  in  the  fur  business.  He  left  a 
wife  and  three  children. 

D.\NIEL  McAULIFF,  of  Co.  G,  7th  Wis.  V.  I.  Served  two 
years.     Died  Aug.  18,   1S67. 

HON.  LUTHER  HANCHETT,  M.  D.  Died  in  Stanton,  Nov. 
24.  aged  thirty-eight  years,  while  a  member  of  Congress.  He  was  a  re- 
markably able  man. 

CHARLES  CALLAHAN.  Was  born  in  the  county  of  Meath,  Ire- 
land, on  the  fifteenth  day  of  January,  1S30,  and  died  on  the  25lh  of  Sep- 
tember, iSSl.  With  his  parents,  he  came  to  this  country  when  a  lad, 
and  in  1855  to  Stevens  Point,  and  has  been  connected  .with  the  lumber 
interest  lill  near  the  time  of  his  death,  some  of  the  time  for  himself. 
He  was  a  kind-hearted,  good  natured  man,  well  known  in  the  county. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

DAVID  A.  AGNEW,  Jr.,  watch  repairer  and  jeweler,  Stevens  Point. 
Mr.  .\gnew  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point,  with  his  parents,  in  the  Spring 
of  1S56.  At  a  suitable  age  he  attended  the  public  school,  at  the  above 
city,  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  at  which  time  he  began  and  learned 
his  trade  as  noted  above,  and  has  followed  the  same  since.  He  was 
born  in  Butler,  Butler  Co.,  Pa.,  June  18,  1S53.  He  was  married,  in  In- 
dianapolis, Ind..  June  iS,  1873.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Sarah  L. 
Hoover ;  sire  was  born  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  Aug.  8,  1853.  They  have 
one  girl,  named  Mary  L.  Agnew. 

THOMAS  AD.\MS,  general  blacksmith,  wagon  m.aking,  etc., 
Stevens  Point.  Mr.  Adams  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point  in  September, 
1S79,  and  began  his  present  business  as  above  stated.  He  went  to 
Dakota  in  1879.  and  took  a  homestead  and  pre-emption,  which  he  still 
holds.  He  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland.  Dec.  Ig.  1S49.  He  was 
married  in  Montreal,  Canada,  June  30,  1S75  ;  his  wife's  miiden  name 
was  Flora  A.  Kyle;  she  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  .^pril  3,  1855. 
Thev  have  three  children,  named  Mary  L.,  Janet  A.,  and  Florence  K. 
.\dam. 

G.  F.  ANDRAE,  merchant,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Germany, 
Dec.  II,  1849;  came  to  Mayville,  Wis.,  in  1S66;  lived  there  until  he 
came  to  Stevens  Point,  in  l86g.  He  was  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness here  from  1870  to  1874.  in  partnership  with  Henry  HoefHer;  since 
then,  he  has  carried  on  business  alone  ;  he  employs  five  clerks,  and 
some  years  his  sales  have  amounted  to  §85,000.  "This  year  (1S81)  he 
estimates  his  business  at  $70,000.  Mr.  A.  was  married,  in  Stevens 
Point,  April  14,  1S75,  to  Ada  F.  Anderson.  She  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Stockton,  in  this  county. 

GEORGE  W.  BAILEY,  saw  maker,  and  agent  for  Henry  Diston 
&  Sons'  saws,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  in 
O.shkosh,  Wis.,  in  1871,  coming  from  Boston,  Mass.  ;  he  remained  in 
Oshkosh'five  years,  following  the  above  business.  He  went  to  Stevens 
Point  in  1S76,  and  has  been  there  since,  engaged  as  above  noted.  He 
was  born  in  West  Cambridge,  Mass..  June  11,1844.  He  was  married, 
in  Boston,  Mass.,  Nov.  14.  1S66.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Sarah  F. 
Brooks;  she  was  born  in  Marlboro,  N.  H.,  Dec.  2,  1846.  They 
have  six  children,  named  Floretta  E.,  Beatrice.  Edna,  Louise,  now  de- 
ceased, Clara,  George  Henry,  and  Grace  Bailey. 

VALENTINE  B.  BAKENS,  proprietor  restaurant,  groceries,  con- 
fectionery.  fruits,  etc.,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  Bakens  first  settled  at 
Stevens  Point,  May  8,  186S  ;  he  first  engaged  in  farming,  and  the  milk 
business,  being  the  first  that  followed  the  latter  business  in  the  city  ;  he 
continued  it  five  years,  at  which  time  he  began  his  present  business, 
and  hns  conducted  that  since.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Europe,  May 
27.  1823.  He  was  married,  October,  1850,  in  Ohio;  his  wife's  maiden 
name  was  Emily  R.  Ticknor,  she  was  born  in  Kent,  En5;l,ind.  They 
have  three  children,  named  Emily  B.  Bakens,  John  V.,  and  Walter  W. 
W.  Bakens. 

FREDERICK  A.  BANDOW,  proprietor  meat  market  on  Water 
street,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  B.  first  settled  in  W'ashington  County,  in 
1847,  and  lived  there  one  year,  then  he  moved  to  Sugar  Island,  Dodge 
Co.,  in  1848,  and  he  went  to  Stevens  Point  in  1850;  he  has  followed 
lumbering,  and   running   the   Wisconsin  River,   and  working  at  vari- 


ous occupations;  he  began  in  the  meat  market  in  1870,  and  followed  it 
until  1S76.  and  closed  it  until  1S79,  then  re-opened,  and  has  followed  it 
since.  He  was  bom  in  Prussia.  October,  182S  ;  he  was  married,  in 
1857,  at  Watertown,  Wis. ;  his  wife's  maiden  name  was  Ernestina  F. 
Radtke,  she  was  born  in  Prussia,  April,  1S34.  They  have  five  children 
living,  named  Alexander  \V.,  Wilhelmina  E.,  Louise  C,  Ida  A.,  and 
AnnettieBandow. 

COUNT  S.  BIELSKI,  City  Marshal,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
Russia,  Poland,  March  23,  1S45,  and  lived  in  Austria,  Prussia,  and 
France,  being  educated  in  Austria,  Belgium,  France,  and  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Munich.  He  came  to  America  in  November,  1S76,  spent  a  few 
days  in  New  York  City,  and  then  came  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has 
since  lived,  engaged  in  farming,  until  three  years  ago  ;  he  has  been  City 
Marshal  since  April  5,  18S:.  Count  Bielski  was  married,  at  Stevens 
Point,  Jan.  20.  1877,  to  Anna  Mary  Stenger,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  State.  They  have  two  children,  Waldemar  Oscar  and  Richard 
Alphonse. 

WALTER  R.  BARNES,  attorney  and  insurance  agent,  Stevens 
Point,  was  born  in  Weyauwega,  Wis.,  May  5,  1S53  ;  lived  there  until  the 
Fall  of  i86l,  afterward  resided  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  for  two  years,  then 
located  at  Oshkosh,  which  was  his  home  until  he  came  to  Stevens  Point, 
in  July,  1S75  ;  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  he  entered  the  Military  Academy, 
at  West  Point,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  when  he  resigned,  in 
consequence  of  his  father's  death,  and  returned  to  Oshkosh,  to  attend  to 
the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate.  In  May,  1875,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar,  having  commenced  the  study  of  law  soon  after  leaving  West 
Point.  Since  coming  to  Stevens  Point,  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice 
of  his  profession,  and  in  February,  1881,  he  became  associated  with  W. 
B.  Buckingham,  in  fire  insurance  business,  carrying  that  on  in  connec- 
tion with  his  law  business.  In  November,  1S75,  he  was  married,  at 
Oihkosh,  to  Miss  Clara  E.  Parkinson,  a  native  of  that  place.  They 
have  one  child,  Chester  David. 

MARSHALL  W.  BLANCHARD,  Stevens  Point,  son  of  Roswell  C. 
and  Lydia  A.  Newton  Blanchard,  was  born  at  Stevens  Point,  Aug.  26, 
1851,  and  that  place  has  been  his  home  ever  since;  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  furniture  business  since  boyhood.  His  parents  settled  in  Stevens 
Point  in  the  Fall  of  1849.  a"<J  '^'^  father  was  in  the  furniture  business 
until  his  death,  Oct.  20,  186S ;  his  mother  still  resides  here.  Mr.  Blanch- 
ard was  married,  at  Stevens  Point,  March  2,  1S71,  to  Mary  E.  Pease, 
who  was  born  in  Whitewater,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  son, 
Arthur  M.,  born  May  19.  1S74. 

CHARLES  E.  BLODGETT,  dealer  in  general  line  groceries  and 
fruits,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  B.  was  born  in  Hartford,  Wis.,  June  8,  i860. 
He  lived  there  until  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  then  he  went  with  his  par- 
ents to  Ripon,  Wis.,  where  they  lived  until  1873,  at  which  time  he  be- 
gan life  on  his  own  .account ;  going  to  Stevens  Point,  he  clerked  in  a 
store  for  Blake  &  Mitchell  about  two  years,  and  in  February,  1876,  he 
went  to  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  engaged  in  carrying  the  United  States 
mail  between  the  above  city.  Camp  Carlin  and  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  under 
the  supervision  of  Capt.  James  Gillis,  in  which  employ  he  remained  two 
years,  then  was  transferred  to  Gen.  Bradley,  stationed  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie. Mr.  Blodgett  was  with  an  expedition  that  started  from  Camp  Car- 
lin, and  went  seventy  miles  north  of  Deadwood,  on  the  Litile  Mis- 
souri River.  He  helped  construct  the  telegraph  line  from  Fort  Keogh 
to  Deadwood,  D.  T.,  and  in  February,  1878.  they  captured  the  Cheyenne 
Indians,  in  the  Sand  Hills  of  Wyoming  Territory.  Mr.  Blodgett  was 
one  year  under  Gen.  Bradley,  and  in  April,  187S,  he  returned  to  Stevens 
Point,  remaining  a  short  time,  and  returned  to  Denver,  Col.,  May,  1879, 
remaining  a  short  time,  and  again  returned  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he 
embarked  in  his  present  business. 

A.  EARL  BOSWORTH,  of  the  firm  of  Bosworth  &  Reilly.  lumber 
manufacturers.  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Montgomery,  Mass..  Jan.  19, 
1840;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S65;  located  at  Fond  du  Lac,  and  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  until  he  came  to  Stevens 
Point,  in  March,  1877. 

ABRAHAM  BR.\WLEY,  deceased,  came  on  Mill  Creek  in  Au- 
gust, 1S3S,  and  built  a  mill  therein  1839.  In  the  Summer  of  1837  he 
got  out  timber  and  shingles  between  Mill  Creek  and  Grand  Rapids  and 
got  the  mill  to  working  in  1839.  on  Mill  Creek,  and  brought  his  wife 
and  children  there  Dec.  2,  1840.  In  1S42  he  built  another  mill  on  the 
Big  Eau  Claire,  selling  it  in  about  a  year  and  building  another.  In  the 
Spring  of  1845  he  moved  his  family  from  Mill  Creek  to  Stevens  Point 
and  has  since  resided  there.  His  house  was  the  first  dwelling  built  in 
Stevens  Point,  a  little  shanty,  that  had  been  previously  built  as  a  store 
house  for  the  traders.  Mr.  Brawley  rented-his  mill  on  the  Creek.  In 
1847  the  John.son  mill  was  built  by  William  Johnson.  Mr.  Brawley  was 
born  in  Me<adville,  Pa.,  July  27,  iSll.  In  1859  he  secured  a  contract  to 
furnish  supplies  to  Government  garrisons  in  the  South.  In  the  war  of 
the  rebellion  he  served  in  the  13th  Penn.  Cav.  and  was  taken  prisoner 
near  Richmond,  and  died  while  being  taken  from  Salisbury  to  Rich- 
mond in  the  Spring  of  1865. 

ANDERSON  W.  BROWN,  planing  mill  and  lumber,  Stevens 
Point,  was  born   near  Petersboro,  Madison  Co..   N.  Y..  Nov.   27,  1849. 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


749 


Came  with  his  parents  to  Stevens  Point  in  the  Summer  of  1S57. 
Worked  with  his  father,  Edward  D.  Brown,  in  the  lumber  business  and 
farming  until  1876,  when  he  engaged  in  his  present  business,  being 
associated  with  his  brother,  Webster  E.,  as  a  partner.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  married  in  Stevens  Point,  June  6,  1877,  to  Anna 
A.  Hanchett,  who  was  born  in  Plover,  Wis.  They  have  two  children, 
Luther  D.,  and  Edith  F. 

EDWARD  DEXTER  BROWN,  lumberman.  Came  to  Stevens 
Point,  April  27,  1857,  where  he  engaged  in  lumbering,  farming  and  log- 
ging. He  located  a  mill  on  Plover  River  two  years  ago  last  Spring, 
and  cuts  1,500,000  to  2,000,000  feet  per  year;  he  still  con- 
tinues farming  and  lumbering,  and  has  been  Alderman  two 
terms.  Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  the  town  of  Smilhfield,  Madison  Co., 
N.  Y.,  June  14,  1824,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He 
was  married  in  the  lown  of  Eaton,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  21,  1849,  to 
Helen  M.  Anderson,  who  was  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  eight 
children— Anderson  W.,  and  Webster  E.,  Edward  O.,  who  is  at  West 
Point,  Florence,  Belle,  May,  Walter  D.  and  Nellie  L. 

WEBSTER  E.  BROWN,  of  the  firm  of  Brown  Bros.,  proprietors 
of  planing  mill  and  lumber  dealers,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Peters- 
boro,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  16,  185 1.  Came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents  in  1857.  Engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming  for  his  father  un- 
til he  entered  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  at  Madison,  in  1S70,  gradu- 
ating from  that  institution  in  1S74.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  ;  was  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  two  terms,  and  is 
now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  In  1876  the  present  firm 
of  Brown  Bros,  was  formed,  his  brother,  Anderson  W.,  being  the  other 
member  of  the  firm.  Webster  E.  Brown  was  married  at  Lancaster, 
Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  26,  1877,  to  Julia  D.  Myer,  a  native  of  Philadel- 
phia.    They  have  one  child,  R.ilph  Dexter. 

BENJAMIN  BURR,  merchant,  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Stevens 
Point  in  June,  1S57,  and  in  the  Fall  of  that  year  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  in  partnership  with  N.  H.  Emmons  and  W.  H.  Gilchrist,  being 
located  on  Main  street  until  1861,  and  in  partnership  until  1872,  when 
Mr.  Burr  engaged  in  the  supply  trade  with  H.  D.  McColloch  until 
April,  1879,  when  he  engaged  in  the  same  trade  alone  and  still  contin- 
ues it.  In  1S77  his  son,  Emmons  Burr,  commenced  general  merchan- 
dising and  in  September,  1879,  the  firm  of  Benjamin  Burr  &  Son  was 
formed  which  still  continues.  Mr.  Burr  was  born  in  Rodman,  Jefferson 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  8,  1S18,  and  married  in  the  town  of  Penfield,  Monroe 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  4,  1847,  to  Eliza  Emmons,  who  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut. They  have  one  son,  Emmons.  Mr.  Burr  was  Clerk  of  the  School 
Board  for  eight  years,  Alderman  from  the  Third  Ward  for  four  or  five 
years,  member  of  the  County  Board  for  eight  years,  Chairman  of  the 
County  Board  for  four  or  five  years,  and  in  l858  was  a  member  of  the 
Assembly. 

JOHN  CADMAN,  druggist,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Derby, 
Derbyshire,  England,  Nov.  I,  1846,  and  came  to  America  in  1853,  living 
with  his  mother  in  Canton,  Mass.,  until  they  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1856, 
living  in  the  town  of  Hull  for  three  years,  and  then  coming  to  Stevens 
Point.  Mr.  Cadman  has  been  in  the  drug  business  for  fifteen  years,  he 
was  with  H.  P.  McCuUoch  for  six  years  and  since  then  in  business  for 
himself.  He  kept  drugs,  books,  stationery,  etc.  He  has  been  Alderman 
of  the  Third  Ward  for  two  terms.  Mr.  Cadman  was  married  at  Appleton, 
Wis.,  Oct.  27,  1874,  to  Jennie  L.  Angell;  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin. 
They  have  three  children — Carl,  Percy  Vernor,  and  Leda  Irene. 

MARTIN  CAHILL,  proprietor  Cahill  House,  Stevens  Point.  Mr. 
C.  first  settled  in  Waukesha,  in  the  Winter  of  1865,  and  lived  thereuntil 
the  Spring  of  1870,  and  followed  the  trade  of  stone  cutter,  after  which  he 
went  to  Stevens  Point,  and  worked  on  the  court-house  about  eight  months 
and  afterward  followed  his  trade,  until  1878.  He  built  his  hotel  in  1873 
and  has  kept  the  same  since  that  time.  He  was  born  in  County  Galway, 
Ireland,  in  August,  1832.  He  was  married  in  Stevens  Point,  Dec.  4, 
1870.  His  wife's  name  was  Mrs.  Margaret  J.  Hazard;  she  wasalsoborn 
in  Wexford  Co.,  Ireland,  in  1830. 

GAVIN  CAMPBELL,  superintendent  of  the  Southern,  Middle  and 
Northern  Divisions  of  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  also  superintendent  of 
Wisconsin  &  Minnesota  Railroad.  He  first  settled  at  Menasha,  Wis.,  in 
l87i,where  he  remained  about  eight  months,  being  master  mechanic  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  He  went  to  Stevens  Point  in  May,  1S72, 
and  has  since  made  that  his  home,  employed  as  above  stated.  He  was 
born  in  Scotland,  April,  1836.  He  was  married  in  La  Porte,  Ind.,  in 
1864.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Barbara  Kipp  ;  she  was  born  in 
Wurtemburg,  Germany,  1846.  They  have  three  children,  named  Mar- 
garet A.,  John  C,  and  Gavin  A.  Campbell. 

JAMES  H.  CARLISLE,  photographer  and  dealer  in  organs,  pict- 
ure flames,  notions,  etc.,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Char- 
lotte, Washington  Co.,  Maine,  Oct.  10,  1S43,  lived  there  until  he  came  to 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1S60.  In  August  1S61.  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  1st  Wis. 
V.  C,  and  served  until  November,  1S62,  when  he  was  discharged  on  ac- 
count of  disability.  Jan.  I,  1S64,  he  re-enlisted  in  Co.  F,  1st  C.  and 
served  until  Jan.  10,  1S66.  He  engaged  in  photograph  business  in 
1874,  came  to  Stevens  Point  in  1875,  and  has  been  engaged  in  business  for 


himself  ever  since.     Mr.  Carlisle  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Oct.  31,  1866, 
to  Emetine  E.  Davis ;  she  was  born  in  Camden,  N.  Y. 

HON.  G.  W.  C.\TE,  attorney,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Montpe- 
lier,  Vt.,  Sept.  17,  1825,  and  resided  there  until  he  came  to  Marathon 
County  (then  Portage),  in  1845.  In  the  Spring  of  1S43,  he  located  at 
Plover,  and  was  engaged  in  the  practice  ol  law  there  until  1852,  when  he 
came  to  Stevens  Point,  and  continued  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In 
1852  and  1S53,  he  was  elected  Assemblyman,  and  in  1S54,  he  was  elected 
Circuit  Judge,  and  was  re-elected  and  served  until  1875,  when  he  was 
elected  Member  of  Congress.  While  in  Congress,  he  strenuously  op- 
posed the  formation  of  the  Electoral  Commission  to  settle  the  Presiden- 
tial question,  between  Tilden  and  Hayes.  The  Judge  was  one  of  seven- 
teen members,  that  voted  against  such  an  act.  Oct.  24,  i853,he  was  mar- 
ried at  Stevens  Point,  to  Lavara  S.  Brown;  a  native  of  Butte  Des  Morts, 
Jackson  Co.,  Iowa.  They  have  six  children — Albert  G.,  Lynn  B.,  Annie, 
Carrie,  Ruth,  and  Georgie. 

ALBERT  G.  GATE,  farmer,  Stevens  Point,  son  of  Hon.  G.  W. 
Gate,  was  born  in  Plover,  Poriage  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  27,  1852.  He  is 
engaged  ; in  farming,  and  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  livery  stables  of 
Pipe  &  Gate,  of  Stevens  Point  and  Merrill,  Wis.  Mr.  Gate  was  married, 
in  Stevens  Point,  March  9,  1S76,  to  Lucy  C,  daughter  of  Matthew 
Wadleigh.     She  was  born  in  E.ist  Hatley. 

CHARLES  CHAFEE,  of  the  firm  of  Wight  &  Chafee,  proprietors 
sash  and  door  factory,  Stevens  Point.  They  employ  about  fifteen  men. 
The  capacity  is  about  100  doors  per  day,  and  other  manufactured  mate- 
rials in  proportion.  Mr.  Chafee  first  settled,  with  his  parents,  at  Wau- 
kau,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1846,  and  lived  there  about  nine  years, 
at  which  time  his  people  moved  to  Plainfield,  Wis.,  where  they  lived 
until  1869,  then  he  went  at  work  for  himself  away  from  home.  He  set- 
tled in  Stevens  Point,  in  1869,  and  followed  the  livery  business  six  years  ; 
from  that  into  the  bus,  freight  and  stage  business,  until  about  18S0,  at 
which  time  he  engaged  in  his  occupation  as  noted  above.  He  was  born 
in  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  27,  1839.  He  was  married,  at  Wautoma, 
in  1868.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Maggie  J.  Wiley.  She  was  born 
in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  daughter  whose  name  is  Mabel 
Chafee. 

OWEN  CLARK,  lumber  manufacturer,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Deerfield,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  February,  1S40.  Came  to 
Wisconsin,  with  his  parents,  in  the  Fall  of  1849.  They  lived  one  year 
and  a  half  in  Milwaukee,  then  removed  to  Marquette  County,  near  the 
present  village  of  Montello,  resided  about  six  years  there,  then  Owen 
came  to  the  pineries.  He  worked  one  Winter  at  Knowlton,  then  he  re- 
turned to  his  father's  farm  in  Maiquette  County,  and,  after  working  one 
summer  there,  he  again  went  to  Knowlton,  where  he  was  employed  one 
Winter.  The  following  Spring  he  went  to  W'ausau,  and  remained  un- 
til Feb.  27,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  3d  Infantry,  and  participat- 
ed in  all  engagements  of  his  regiment  after  he  entered  service.  Pro- 
moted to  corporal,  .■\pril  II,  1S65.  The  date  of  his  discharge  is  July  18, 
1865,  although  he  was  not  finally  mustered  out  and  paid  until  Aug.  25, 
1S65.  After  leaving  the  army  he  returned  to  Wausau,  and  remained 
there  and  at  Goodhue's  Mills,  on  the  Big  Eau  Claire,  until  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  in  May,  1866.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he  was  employed 
in  the  mill  which  he  now  owns  and  operates.  He  leased  the  mill  in 
March,  1S68,  and  August  10,  of  the  same  year,  he  purchased  it.  His 
mill  is  on  the  site  of  the  one  built  by  Johnson,  in  1847,  the  first  mill 
erected  at  this  point.  Mr.  Clark  has  been  Alderman  .several  years. 
Mayor  one  term,  and  member  of  the  School  Board  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  one  of  the  Stockholders  and  Directors  of  the  Boom  Company.  In 
November,  1867,  he  was  married  to  Eliza  Ann  Gordon,  a  native  of  Wis- 
consin. They  have  four  children — Byron  F.,  Alice  M„  Owen,  and  an 
infant  son. 

M.  CLIFFORD,  merchant,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  County  Tip- 
perary,  Ireland,  June  15,  1847.  Came  to  America  in  1862  ;  was  located 
in  Boston,  Mass.,  until  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  in  the  Fall  of  1864. 
For  four  years  after  coming  here  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk.  In  186S 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  himself,  and  he  is  now  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  merchants  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  He  was,  for  three 
years.  City  Treasurer,  and  is  now  Treasurer  of  the  Land  League.  Mr. 
Clifford  was  married,  in  Stevens  Point,  Jan.  iq.  1S69,  to  Mary  Leonard, 
a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  six  children  living— John  James, 
William  Stephen,  Michael  Henry,  George  Alphonsus,  Patrick  Francis, 
and  Maggie  Ann.     They  have  lost  two  children. 

SIDNEY  B.  COLEMAN,  of  the  firm  of  Coleman,  Jackson  &  Co., 
proprietors  of  flouring  mills  at  Stevens  Point  and  Centralia,  Wis.,  was 
born  in  Whitestown,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  16,  1842.  Came  to  Wis- 
consin in  the  Fall  of  1863;  was  located  at  Berlin  one  year,  then  removed 
to  Eureka,  where  he  remained  five  or  six  years,  afterward  at  Oshkosh 
two  years  when  he  returned  to  Eureka,  where  he  again  resided  for  three 
years.  In  1875  he  went  to  Centialia,  and  in  June,  18S0,  came  to  Stev- 
ens Point.  Mr.  Coleman  has  been  engaged  in  milling  business  ever 
since  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  married,  in  Eureka,  Wis.,  July 
15,  1865,  to  Mary  Mosher,  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  They 
have  three  children — Anna  E.,  Flora  and  Albert  S. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


PATRICK  COLLINS,  general  blacksmithing,  also  a  wagon  shop 
in  connection,  Stevens  Point,  Wis.  Mr.  Collins  first  settled  at  Water- 
town,  Wis.,  July,  185 1.  He  lived  there  about  four  years  and  learned 
blacksmithing  with  his  brother,  Daniel  Collins.  From  there  he  went 
to  Portage,  Wis.,  remaining  until  the  Fall  of  1858,  working  at  black- 
smithing with  his  brother,  James  Collins.  From  there  he  went  to  Fort 
Smith,  Arkansas,  and  worked  for  the  United  States  Government  at  the 
same  business,  where  he  remained  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  Rebell- 
ion, when  he  returned  to  Portage,  Wis.,  and  followed  blacksmithing  un- 
til the  Spring  of  1862.  He  then  went  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  and 
again  worked  for  the  United  States  Government  at  the  same  business, 
remaining  a  short  time,  and  went  to  Fort  Riley,  in  Kansas,  but  soon 
went  to  Fort  Scott,  where  he  worked  about  eighteen  months  in  a  Gov- 
ernment shop.  Then  he  was  sent  to  Fort  Gilson  with  wagon  trains. 
He  came  to  Portage,  Wis.,  in  the  Winter  of  1S63.  and  worked  at  his 
trade  until  June,  1864.  at  which  time  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where 
he  has  since  followed  blacksmithing.  He  was  born  on  Prince  Edward 
Island,  March,  1S32.  Married,  in  June,  1868,  at  Stevens  Point.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Lizzie  Maguire.  She  was  born  in  Wilmington, 
Del.,  March  27,  1S51.  They  have  five  children,  named  William  F., 
Mary  A.,  Anna  E.,  Gretta  and  John  D.  Collins. 

WILLIAM  COLLINS,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions.  Wm. 
H.  Collins,  a  son,  has  charge  of  the  business,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  Will- 
iam Collins  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point  in  1S4S.  He  followed  black- 
smithing until  1S68,  doing  a  general  business.  He  was  Deputy  Sheriff 
from  186S  until  the  Fall  of  1S79,  ^"d  f'o™  '^^'  ''"'^  ""'''  ^^^  present 
writing  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Mr.  Collint 
was  born  on  Prince  Edward  Island,  in  1828.  He  was  married  at  Bos-s 
ton,  Mass.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Cheney.  She  was  born 
in  Ireland. 

RICHARD  A.  COOK,  of  the  firm  of  R.  A.  Cook  &Co.,  proprietors 
of  foundry  and  machine  shops,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  May  24,  1S50.  Came  with  his  parents  to  America  when  he 
was  about  six  years  old.  The  located  at  Burlington,  Wis.,  in  April, 
1S56.  Remained  there  twelve  years,  then  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Stevens  Point.  He  was  in  partnershsp 
with  Daniel  Sevier  from  June  15,  1S77,  until  March  I,  iSSi,  when  George 
A.  Packard  purchased  Mr.  Seyler's  interest,  and  the  fiim  of  R.  A.  Cook 
&  Co.  was  established. 

E.  M.  COPPS,  of  the  firm  of  E.  M.Copps  &  Co.,  proprietors  of  plan- 
ing mill,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Clialeaugay,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  10,  1840.  Lived  there  until  May,  i860,  then  he  went  to  Manches- 
ter, N.  H.,  and  April  19,  1S61,  he  enlisted,  for  three  months,  in  the 
istN.  H.V.I.  Discharged  Aug.  9,  1S61,  and  re-enlisted  the  l6th 
of  the  same  month  in  the  1st  N.  H.  Battery,  Light  Artillery,  May  22, 
1S62,  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  sickness,  returned  to  his  native 
place  and  remained  there  until  Sept.  23,  1S62,  when  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  98th  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  and  was  mustered  out  as  captain,  Sept. 
15,  1865.  Spent  the  Winter  of  1865-66  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  In  the 
Spring  of  1S66  he  came  to  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  and  remained  there  one 
year.  Then  removed  to  Marinette,  Wis.,  engaged  in  millwrigliting  there 
until  July  5,  1872,  when  he  went  to  Menominee  and  engaged  in  planing 
mill  business.  In  the  Fall  of  1874  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  engaged 
in  planing  mill  business  ever  since  he  came  here.  He  has  served  two 
years  as  Alderman,  and  is  now  (1881)  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire  De- 
partment of  this  city.  He  was  married,  at  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  Aug.  16, 
1870,  to  Florence  1.  Chandler.  She  was  born  in  Escanaba,  Mich. 
They  have  four  children — Mabel  E.,  Egbert  E.,  Eunice  F.  and  Al- 
fred M. 

SAMUEL  J.  COYNE,  M.  D.,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  County 
Armagh,  near  the  city  of  that  name,  .-Vpril  3,  1836.  After  attending 
school  in  Europe  for  seven  years,  and  traveling  to  some  extent  in  En- 
gland and  Scotland,  he  came  to  America  in  1851.  He  attended  school  in 
Toronto,  Canada,  and  for  a  time  studied  law,  but  discarded  that  for  the 
practice  of  medicine,  fur  which  he  had  a  natural  taste.  In  1S61,  he  was 
interrupted  in  his  studies  by  the  breaking-out  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion, 
having  come  to  the  Slates  some  years  before,  and  at  that  time  was  living  in 
Kentucky.  He  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  26lh  Ky.  V.  I.  of  the  Federal 
Army,  and  served  three  years.  After  leaving  the  army  he  returned  to 
Kentucky  and  resumed  the  study  of  his  profession,  and  practiced  several 
years  in  Breckinridge,  Ky.  From  there  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where 
he  remained  until  June  28,  1879,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point.  The 
doctor  is  a  graduate  of  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati,  and 
ranks  among  the  capable  and  successful  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the 
West.     He  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 

WILLIAM  L.  COVEL,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Villanova, 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1836,  and  came  alone  to  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin  when  he  was  eleven  years  old,  locating  at  Oshkosh,  Winneba- 
go Co.,  living  there  and  in  that  vicinity  about  ten  years  ;  he  was  then  for 
a  short  time  in  Beloit,  Green  Bay,  Wautoma,  Eau  Claire  and  Berlin.  The 
first  few  years  alter  coming  to  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Covel  was  ergaged  in  watch- 
making ;  since  then,  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  until  two  years  ago. 
He    is  now  manufacturing  a  self-operating,   saw-sharpening   machine, 


which  was  the  only  machine  of  that  character  exhibited  at  the  Centen 
nial  in  1876,  and  took  the  highest  award.  Mr.  Covel  has  resided  in 
Chicago  at  different  times,  in  all  about  eight  years.  He  is  exclusively 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  his  saw-filing  machinery,  and  his  sales  ex- 
tend over  the  United  States,  Australia,  New  Zealand  and  all  parts  of 
the  civilized  world.  He  was  the  proprietor  of  the  Mansion  House  one 
year  after  coming  to  Stevens  Point.  He  was  married  in  Delavan,  Wal- 
worth  Co.,  Wis.,  June  6,  i860,  to  Jane  L.  Hall,  who  was  born  in  Che- 
nango Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  lost  one  child.  Mr.  Covel  is  a  Good  Tern- 
plar. 

HEN  RY  CURRAN,  lumberman  and  of  the  firm  of  H.  &  J.  D.  Curran, 
proprietors  of  the  Curran  House,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  Win- 
nebago Co.,  111.,  Jan.  I,  1840.  Came  with  his  father,  John  Curran, 
to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1844.  In  1846  they  came  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.; 
John  Curran  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  until  his  store  was 
burned,  a  year  or  two  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  Nov.  2,  1S52. 
Henry  Curran  enlisted  May  10,  1861,  in  Co.  E,  5th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.; 
served  three  years,  then  re-enlisted  October,  1864;  was  mustered  out  as 
captain  of  his  company.  Participated  in  all  the  engagements  'of  his 
regiment.  He  has  been  engaged  in  hotel  business  ever  since  coming  to 
Stevens  Point.  Was  in  the  Kallock  House  three  years,  then  purchased 
present  site  of  Curran  House  and  moved  the  Kallock  House  on  the 
ground  and  joined  it  to  the  Earl  House,  changing  the  name  to  Curran 
House.  In  1S70  he  engaged  in  lumbermg  and  has  continued  the  busi- 
ness to  the  present  time.  He  has  been  Alderman,  and  is  now  Coroner 
of  the  County.  Oct.  11  1866,  he  was  married  at  Plover,  to  Miss  Addie 
J.  Walker,  a  native  of  Bath,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children,  John  D.  Jr., 
and  Florence  Gratia. 

A.  DAEMKA,  baker,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  Prussia,  May  16, 
1825.  He  learned  the  baker's  trade  in  his  native  land  and  worked  at  it 
eight  years  before  coming  to  America  in  1854.  He  lived  in  Potter  Co., 
Pa.,  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  and  worked  in 
the  mills  until  1876,  when  he  opened  a  bakery.  His  store  is  on  Third 
street,  and  his  bakery  on  the  south  side,  on  Elk  street  near  the  depot. 
Mr.  Daemka  was  married  in  Stevens  Point,  to  Ernstina  Roasmvas,  who 
was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  four  children — Augusta,  Annie,  Lottie 
and  Angelia. 

JAMES  P.  DORSEY,  proprietor  of  Eureka  livery  stable.  Second 
street,  corner  Brown,  opposite  the  Mansion  House,  Stevers  Point,  was 
born  in  Homer,  Mich.,  July  27,  1845.  He  was  ergaged  in  railroad 
business  for  eleven  years,  most  of  the  time  running  on  the  road  between 
Toledo  and  Chicago,  four  years  between  Elkhart  and  Chicago.  While 
railroading  his  home  was  in  Sturgis,  Mich.  He  was  married  in  that 
place,  Nov.  9,  1871,  to  Mary  B.  Buck.  She  was  born  in  Sturgis.  They 
have  one  son,  Cephas  O.  Mr.  Dorsey  came  to  Stevens  Point,  Nov.  14, 
1871.  He  was  conductor  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railway  for  about 
three  years.  Afterward  for  six  years  he  was  in  the  restaurant  business 
here.     In  September,  18S0,  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business. 

DAVID  T-  ELLENW^OOD,  proprietor  of  a  machine  shop  on 
south  side,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1854, 
and  lived  there  until  1872  and  followed  the  trade  of  machinist  and  en- 
gineer, running  steamboats  on  the  Fox  and  Wolf  rivers  and  working  in 
a  machine  shop  in  the  Winter.  In  the  Fall  of  ,1872  he  began  work  on 
the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  as  engineer,  which  business  he  followed 
four  years,  after  which  he  began  business  in  Stevens  Point,  as  above 
noted,  which  he  is  gradually  enlarging.  He  was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N. 
Y  ,  June  7,  1S38.  He  was  married  at  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1859.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  H.  L.  Green.  She  was  born  in  Indiana  in 
1840.  They  had  lv,'o  children,  named  Ellen  E.  and  Benjamin  S.  Mrs. 
EUenwood  died  in  Oshkosh.  Wis.,  in  the  Fall  of  1872.  He  was  again 
married  in  September  1874.  at  Belmont,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  A.  Garter.  She  was  born  in  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.,  Dec.  28.  1874.  They  have  three  children,  named  Permelia  R., 
Myra  M.  and  Agnes  K.  EUenwood. 

JAMES  A.  FELCH  attorney  and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Stevens 
Point,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Summers  (then  the  town  of  Pike), 
Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.,  May  4,  1847.  Read  law  in  Chicago  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  there  in  the  Spring  of  1869,  having  graduated  from 
the  law  school  at  that  time.  Practiced  in  Chicago  until  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  in  1870.  Was  City  Attorney  here  one  year  and  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  since  Spring  of  1S73.  Mr.  Felch  was  married  in 
Lodi,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  June,  1S75,  to  Emma  Cain,  a  native  of  En- 
gland. 

T.  F.  FULLER,  grocer,  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Milwaukee  in 
1856.  After  living  there  four  years  he  moved  to  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis., 
and  there  engaged  in  farming  for  eight  or  nine  j-ears.  He  then  ser\'ed 
as  roadniaster.  conductor,  construction  trackniasler  and  in  other  capaci- 
ties on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  until  September,  187S,  when 
his  health  failed  and  in  May,  1879.  he  commenced  the  grocery  business 
in  his  present  location.  Mr.  Fuller  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gorham, 
Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug,  8.  1829.  and  lived  there  until  he  was  t\ve  years 
old,  when  he  moved  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  his  parents  had  former- 
ly lived,  and  in  January,  1849,  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio.     He  lived  in 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


75' 


Ohio  until  1852,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  construction  of  the  Wabash 
&  Western  Railroad,  and  then  ran  as  conductor  for  five  and  a  half  years 
on  the  La  Fayette  &  Indianapolis  Railway.  Mr.  Fuller  was  married  at 
Crystal  Lake  in  the  town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  12,  1856, 
to  Mary  Eaton,  who  was  born  fourteen  miles  from  Newark,  Ohio.  They 
have  four  children — Hattie  C,  Evelyn  E.,  Almira  and  May. 


c^^.^>?^^. 


BENJAMIN  FULTON,  Stevens  Point,  saw  filer  at  Brickley's  mill. 
He  first  located  at  Stevens  Point  in  1S46.  which  he  has  made  his  head- 
quarters ever  since,  his  principal  occupation  being  lumbering.  Has 
piloted  some  on  the  Wisconsin  River.  He  engaged  in  his  present  avo- 
cation in  Spring  of  18S1.  He  was  married  in  July,  1857,  at  Cambria, 
Wis.,  to  Margaret  B.  Griffiths.  She  was  born  in  Wales.  They  have 
six  children — Thomas  W.,  David  M.,  Benjamin  Jr.,  Charles  T.,  John  G., 
Katie  R. 

HIRAM  E.  GEE,  marble  cutter,  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  on  south 
side.  Mr.  Gee  first  settled  in  Waupun,  in  1847,  with  his  parents,  where 
they  lived  about  eighteen  months.  Then  they  moved  to  St.  Mary's,  on 
the  Fox  River,  in  the  Fall  of  1848,  and  remained  there  one  and  a  half 
years,  and  followed  farming.  They  then  moved  to  Plover  Township, 
Portage  Co.,  and  followed  farming  until  the  war  broke  out  and  Mr.  Gee 
enlisted.  August,  1861,  in  Co.  I,  ist  Wis.  Cav.;  served  until  March  8, 
1865,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  He  then  went  to  Wau- 
pun and  began  learning  the  marble  trade  with  his  uncles,  George  and 
J.  S.  Gee.  He  remained  with  them  until  March,  1876,  then  went  to 
Stevens  Point  and  took  charge  of  a  marble  shop  until  November,  1S80, 
after  wliich  he  sold  his  interest  to  John  L.  Gee,  his  brother.  In  April, 
1S81,  his  uncle  George  bought  the  shop,  and  now  controls  it.  Mr.  H. 
E.  Gee  was  born  in  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  June  14.  1840.  He  was 
married,  June  i,  1870,  at  Waupun.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Flor- 
ence A.  Vial!  :  she  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  July  11,  1853.  They 
have  three  children,  named  Mabel  C,  Charlotte  M.  and  William 
D.  Gee. 

FRANK  N.  GEORGE,  engineer  in  Copps  &  Hildreth's  planing 
mill,  Stevens  Point,  Wis.  Mr.  George  first  settled  at  Stevens  Point  July 
23,  1872.  He  first  worked  in  a  planing  and  shingle  mill  two  years. 
Then  he  went  to  Necedah,  Wis.,  and  worked  as  saw  filer  for  Dille  & 
Weston  in  a  shingle  mill  during  1874-75.  He  then  returned  to  Stevens 
Point  and  engaged  with  Mr.  Copps  in  his  first  mill,  and  worked  there 
one  year,  after  which  he  engaged  in  his  present  place  of  business,  begin- 
ning when  the  mill  first  started.     Mr.  George  was  born   in  Wyoming 


Co.,  N.  Y.,  September,  1831.  He  was  married  in  the'same  county 
in  New  York,  Dec.  25,  1852.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eunice 
Wade  ;  she  was  born  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  13,  1831. 

W.  H.  GILCHRIST,  retired,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Springfield,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  9,  1821,  and  lived  in  that  county 
until  the  Fall  of  1846,  when  he  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  and  in  the 
Fall  of  1847  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  engaged 
in  carpenter,  joiner  and  millwright  work  for  several  years.  In  1S51,  he 
commenced  lumbering,  which  he  continued  more  or  less  until  about  1876. 
Within  a  few  years  after  his  settlement  here,  he  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile and  lumber  business,  in  partnership  with  N.  H.  Emmons  and 
Benjamin  Burr,  until  1872.  Mr.  Gilchrist  was  married  in  Beloit,  Wis., 
Sept.  9,  1S58,  to  Susie  Ellis,  his  present  wife,  who  was  born  in  Oxford 
County,  Maine.  They  have  four  children — Emily  E.,  James  B.,  Frank 
E.  and  Anna  Mary.  Mr.  Gilchrist  has  been  City  Marshal  and  Alder- 
man, and  succeeded  Baker  as  Sheriff,  after  Baker's  death.  He  was  Post- 
master eight  years,  under  the  administrations  of  Pierce  and  Buchanan. 
Mr.  Gilchrist  thinks  there  were  about  150  inhabitants  in  Stevens  Point 
when  he  came  in  1847. 

ED.  D.  GLENNON,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  at  Stevens  Point, 
Sept.  3,  1857,  and  educated  in  the  city  schools.  He  commenced  learn- 
ing the  printer's  trade  in  the  youmal  office  in  1870,  remaining  there 
until  the  Fall  of  1876,  when  he  started  a  job  office  and  stationery  store. 
July  17,  187S,  he  aided  in  the  establishment  of  the  Gazette^  under  the 
firm  name  of  Glennon,  Krembs  &  Co.  That  partnership  continued 
until  Jan.  28,  l88o,  when  Krembs  and  Lee  retired,  and  Clay  C.  Cooper 
became  Mr.  Glennon's  partner,  the  firm  name  now  being  Glennon  & 
Cooper.  Mr.  Glennon  was  married,  March  31,  1880,  at  Stevens  Point, 
to  Miss  Anna  M.  Krembs,  who  was  born  at  Stevens  Point.  They  have 
one  child,  Maggie  J. 

W.  W.  GOFF,  homoeopathic  physician  and  surgeon,  Stevens  Point, 
was  born  in  Towanda,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  28,  1827.  Lived  there 
until  1851 ;  he  then  came  to  Marinette,  Wis.  He  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  when  about  eighteen  years  of  age.  Commenced  practice  in 
1863,  practicing  at  Menominee,  Marinette  and  Green  Bay  prior  to  com- 
ing to  Stevens  Point,  in  the  Spring  of  1S74.  He  was  educated  at  the 
Philadelphia  Hahnemann  Medical  College.  The  doctor  was  married  at 
Monroeton,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  to  Roxy  White.  She  was  born  in  Tomp- 
kins Co.,  N.  Y.     They  have  two  children,  Ida  May  and  Grace  Leola. 

AUGUST  GOERKE,  merchant  tailor,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  at 
Frankfort  on  the  Main,  Aug.  29,  1845.  Came  to  New  York  in  the 
Spring  of  1869,  and  came  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  in  December,  iS6g.  Re- 
mained there  about  four  years.  Came  to  Stevens  Point  in  1S73.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  tailoring  work  since  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age. 
In  the  Summer  of  1S71  he  was  married,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  to  Aman- 
da Baum.  She  was  born  in  Southern  Germany.  Mr.  Goerke  gives  em- 
ployment to  ten  hands  in  his  tailoring  establishment. 

PETER  GORDON,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  agent  of  the  Singer 
Manufacturing  Company,  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Stevens  Point  in  Sep- 
tember, 1852.  Engaged  in  merchant  tailoring  business  for  about  twen- 
ty years  after  he  came  here.  Oct.  14,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  8th  Wis. 
Battery,  and  served  two  years  and  nine  months,  when  he  was  discharged 
from  service  in  consequence  of  injuries  received  at  the  battle  of  Corinth. 
Mr.  Gordon  is  now  serving  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  hav- 
ing been  a  member  of  that  Board  for  the  last  two  years.  In  April,  1S81, 
he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  born  in  Aberdeenshire, 
Scotland,  June  14,  1811.  Came  to  the  city  of  New  York  in  March, 
1840,  and  followed  the  business  of  merchant  tailor  there  until  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  in  1852.  He  has  been  twice  married,  but  is  now  a  wid- 
ower, without  children. 

HENRY  W.  GUY,  railroad  engineer,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
HoUis,  N.  H.,  Jan.  24,  1842.  In  1855,  went  to  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N. 
Y.  A  few  years  later,  he  commenced  railroading  with  Pittsburgh  & 
Ft.  Wayne  Company  a  short  time.  Then,  for  about  fifteen  months,  he 
had  charge  of  a  furniture  manufactory  in  Indiana.  January,  1864,  he 
enlisted  in  Co.  G,  48th  Ind.  V.  I.,  and  was  mustered  out  as  orderly  ser- 
geant of  his  company  in  August,  1865.  After  leaving  the  army,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  Railway  Company, 
where  he  remained  one  year.  Afterward  was  employed  by  the  .Michi- 
gan Southern  Company  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Then,  for  two  years,  he 
had  charge  of  construction  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  After  dis- 
continuing his  connection  with  this  road,  he  located  at  Muscotah,  Atch- 
ison Co.,  Kas.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  drug  business  for  two  years. 
In  1871,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  Wis- 
consin Central  Railway  Company  ever  since,  being  now  the  oldest  en- 
gineer in  service  of  that  company.  Mr.  Guy  was  married,  in  Providence, 
HI.,  in  March,  18S0,  to  Josephine  Pomeroy,  a  native  of  Ohio. 

JOHN  T.  HANSON,  merchant,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  at  Pond 
Lake,  Wis.,  Nov.  8,  1850;  lived  there  until  he  was  nearly  eight  years 
of  age,  when  his  father.  Christian  Hanson,  came  with  his  family  to  the 
town  of  lola,  Waupaca  Co.  When  John  T.  was  seventeen  years  of  age, 
he  went  to  Waupaca  and  was  employed  as  a  clerk  there  until  1S71;  then 
he  came  to  Stevens  Point  and  cleiked  for  Hot  filer  &  Andrae  until  1874, 


752 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


aftenvard  with  G.  F.  Andrae  until  August,  1877,  when  he  engaged  in 
general  merchandising  for  himself.  His  brother,  Hans  Peter  Hanson, 
is  associated  with  him  as  a  partner  in  the  business.  Mr.  H.  was  married 
in  the  town  of  New  Hope,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  Sept.  3,  1876,  to  Anna  H., 
daughter  of  Ole  Peterson,  of  lola,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.  She  is  a  native 
of  this  State. 

WILLIS  W.  HASELTINE,  attorney,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
Brooklyn,  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  17,  1S54;  lived  there  until  he  was 
eleven  years  of  age,  afterward  at  EvansviUe,  Rock  Co.  He  spent  four 
years  ia  Montana.  Dakota  and  British  America,  then  returned  to  Wis- 
consin and  entered  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin, 
graduating  with  the  class  of  1877.  He  then  came  to  Stevens  Point  and 
engaged  in  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has  remained  here  ever  since, 
most  of  the  time  associated  with  his  present  partner,  J.  O.  Raymond. 
Mr.  Hasellinewas  married  in  this  city,  March  25,  1879,  to  Miss  Eva  M., 
daughter  of  Matthew  Wadleigh,  of  Stevens  Point.      She  was  born  here. 

RALPH  HARVEY,  engineer  in  Herren  &  W^adleigh's  planing  mill, 
Stevens  Point.  Mr.  H.  first  settled  in  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  in  the  Fall 
of  1855;  he  has  made  engineering  and  machinist  his  business  since  he 
settled  there.  He  was  born  in  Castle  Dunnington,  Eng.,  July  4,  1821. 
He  was  married  in  Stevens  Point,  in  1S67  ;  his  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Catherine  McShine.  She  was  born  in  Ireland,  June,  1837.  They  have 
six  children,  named  Francis,  Albert  G.,  Hiram  C,  William  H.,  Catherine 


<£^^C 


MAJ.  E.  R.  HERREN,  of  the  firm  of  Herren  &  Wadleigh,  proprie- 
tors of  planing  mill,  and  lumbermen,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  the 
town  of  Ashtabula,  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  Dec.  22,  183S  ;  resided  there 
until  1852,  when  he  came  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  with  his  parents;  after  remain- 
ing there  four  years  returned  to  Ohioand  spent  one  year,  and  in  1858,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  again,  and  resided  at  Kilbourn  City  and  Iron  Ridge 
until  April  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  4th  Wis.  V.  I.,  being  com- 
missioned second  lieutenant  of  his  company.  Was  in  all  engagements 
of  his  regiment  until  he  was  wounded  and  lost  his  right  leg  at  Port  Hud- 
son, May  27,  1863.  He  was  captain  of  his  company  at  the  time  he  was 
discharged  from  the  service,  Nov.  20.  1S63.  After  leaving  the  army  he 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Kilbourn  City;  remained  there  three 
years  and  then  went  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  was  in  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness in  that  city  for  two  years  and  a  half.  In  the  Fall  of  1871,  he  went 
to  Chicago,  and  was  in  the  sash,  door  and  blind  business  until  the  Spring 
of  1873,  'lien  he  came  to  Stevens  Point.  In  the  Fall  of  1874,  he  built 
the  planing  mill  which  he  and  Mr.  Wadleigh  now  own  and  operate. 
Mr.  Henry  Whitney  was  in  partnership  with  him  until  Jan.  I,  1878, 
when  he  purcha-cd  Mr.  Whitney's  interest  and  conducted  the  business 
without  a  partner  until  June  I,  1S79.  when  the  present  partnership  with 
Mathew  Wadleigh  was  formed.  Major  Herren  was  married  in  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.,  Dec.  14,  1871,  to  Anna  A.  Yeomans,  a  native  of  that  city. 
They  have  three  children,  Francis  B.,  Anna  Louise  and  Edith  M. 


CONSTANTINE  HEIL,  harness  maker,  Stevens  Point,  dealer  in 
harness,  leather  and  shoe  findings.  He  first  settled  at  Marathon  City, 
Wis.,  in  1857,  and  followed  lumbering  and  logging  ;  he  remained  there 
until  1864,  then  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  17th  Keg.  Wis.  V.  I.,  Irish 
Brigade,  and  served  one  year.  Mustered  out  at  Madison,  July  2,  1865, 
when  he  returned  to  Marathon  City  and  lived  about  two  months.  Being 
out  of  health  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  soon  began  his  present 
trade,  he  having  learned  his  trade  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  before  coming  to 
Wisconsin,  spending  four  years  in  the  business.  In  1873  he  went  into 
business  for  himself  He  also  had  an  interest  in  a  tannery,  which,  be- 
ing burned  down,  put  him  to  considerable  loss.  He  was  born  in  Rod- 
aman,  Germany,  Aug.  17,  1S36.  He  was  married,  April  3,  1866,  at  Stev- 
ens Point,  to  Miss  Charlotte  Kohlenger.  She  was  born  in  Bavaria. 
They  have  seven  children — Henry,  Annie,  Katie,  Lizzie,  Lottie,  Joseph 
C.  and   Mary. 

EDMUND  J.  HILDRETH,  of  the  firm  of  E.  M.  Copps  &  Co., 
proprietors  of  planing  mill,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Starksboro,  Vt., 
May  3,  1830,  but  was  reared  in  Malone,  Franklin  Co.,  X.  Y..  and  was  a 
resident  of  the  latter  place  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  Menominee, 
Mich.  In  November.  iSSo,  he  removed  his  family  from  Menominee  to 
Stevens  Point,  having  become  interested  in  business  here  prior  to  that 
time.  He  was  married  in  Chateaugay,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1854,  to  Elizabeth 
M.  Copps,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have  three  children — Lizzie  B. 
(now  Mrs.  H.  E.  Martin,  of  Menominee,  Mich.),  Leslie  E.  and  An- 
nie B. 

HENRY  HOEFFLER,  merchant,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  at 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Oct.  3,  1830  ;  came  to  New  York  City  in  185 1  ; 
lived  there  until  became  to  Stevens  Point  in  April,  1856.  For  two  years 
after  coming  here  he  was  employed  in  saw-mills,  and  afterward  was 
clerking  in  store  until  1866.  In  the  Fall  of  that  year,  he  commenced 
business  for  himself.  From  1870  to  1S74,  G.  F.  Andrae  was  associated 
with  him;  since  then,  he  has  conducted  his  business  without  a  partner. 
In  1874,  he  erected  the  elegant  and  substantial  store  which  he  now  oc- 
cupies. Mr.  Hoeffier  gives  employment  to  four  clerks,  and  his  annual 
sales  amount  to  about  §60,000.  He  deals  in  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots 
and  shoes  and  general  merchandise. 

NICHOLAS  JACOBS,  proprietor  of  the  Jacobs  House,  Stevens 
Point,  built  the  Jacobs  House  in  1873,  but  had  been  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness for  the  four  previous  years,  in  what  was  called  the  Jacobs  House, 
on  Main  street.  Mr.  Jacobs  was  born  in  Prussia,  April  2t,  1S40,  and 
was  married  in  the  town  of  Sharon,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  June  23.  186S, 
to  Kathrina  Gross,  who  was  born  in  Lonaine,  France.  They  have  five 
children— Peter,  Nicholas,  Jr.,  Philip,  Katie  and  Christina.  Mr.  Jacobs 
has  been  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  for  two  years. 

JOHN  O.  JOHNSEN,  Mayor,  and  jiroprietor  of  general  supply 
store,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  Oct.  ig,  1831  ; 
came  to  America  in  1S45.  Worked  in  New  York  City  until  late  in  the 
Summer  of  1849,  commencing  work  there  for  S3  per  month.  In  1S49, 
he  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  a  few  months,  when  he 
started  for  the  gold  regions  of  the  far  West.  Remained  five  months  at 
Panama;  was  steward  in  a  hotel  at  that  place.  Made  five  trips  on  a 
steamboat  from  Panama  to  San  Francisco,  being  steward  of  the  "Colum- 
bus," one  of  the  Pacific  Mail  line.  From  1850  to  1857,  he  was  in  the 
gold  regions.  In  April,  1857,  he  came  to  Stevens  Point;  was  engaged 
in  lumbering  about  two  years.  During  the  late  rebellion,  Mr.  lohnsen 
served  nearly  four  years  in  the  army.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  6th  Wis. 
Vol.  Inf.;  afterward  served  in  the  45th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  commis- 
sioned captain  of  Co.  H  of  that  regiment.  He  was  in  all  engagements 
which  his  regiment  participated  in.  Was  wounded  twice  at  Gettysburg  and 
taken  prisoner,  but  escaped  after  about  three  days'  captivity.  He  was 
discharged  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  July  17,  1865,  and  finally  mustered  out, 
Nov,  2,  1S65.  After  spending  a  few  months  prospecting  in  Kansas,  he 
returned  to  Stevens  Point  and  was  engaged  in  lumbering  for  a  period  of 
two  or  three  years.  Then  he  engaged  in  the  feed  business,  which  he  has 
continued  ever  since,  now  dealing  in  general  supplies.  He  has  been 
City  Marshal  and  Alderman,  now  serving  as  Mayor.  Mr.  Johnsen  was 
married  at  Stevens  Point,  in  1S57,  to  Augusta  Zahn.  She  was  born  in 
Prussia.  They  have  seven  children  living — Charles,  Victor,  August, 
Jennie,  Otto,  Louis  and  Wilhelmina.  They  have  lost  one  daughter, 
Emma. 

D.  LLOYD  JONES,  attorney,  Stevens  Point.  W'as  born  in  Den- 
bighshire, Wales,  Oct.  9,  1841.  Came  to  America,  in  June.  1S48.  Dur- 
ing the  late  rebellion  he  entered  the  army,  serving  from  December,  1S61, 
until  August,  1865,  in  the  i6th  Wis.  V.  I.  He  entered  the  service  as 
a  private,  was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  and  afterward  ad- 
jutant of  his  regiment.  From  Jan.  I,  1866,  to  Oct.  21,  1S71,  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  office  of  State  Treasurer  at  Madison.  He  had  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  June,  1871,  and  after  leaving  his  position  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  Slate,  he  came  to  Stevens  Point  and  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law,  being  associated  with  Gilbert  L.  Park  until  the  lat- 
ter gentleman  was  elected  Circuit  Judge  in  1S75.  Mr.  Jones  continued 
in  practice  alone  until  August,  1S76,  when  he  associated  with  him  his 
present  partner,  Albert  W.  Sanborn.     He  is  President  of  the  Board  of 


HISTORY  OF    PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


753 


Aldermen  now.  Mav  I.  1867,  he  was  married  to  Ada  E.  Purple,  a  na- 
tive ofWaukesha  Co'.,  Wi.s.  They  have  two  children,  Gracie  Purple  and 
Chauncey  Lloyd. 

S.  H.  KARNER,  lumber  manufacturer,  Stevens  Point.  Came  to 
Wisconsin  in  June,  1S56,  and  selecting  a  location,  moved  his  family  to 
Stevens  Point  in  September  of  the  same  year.  In  1858,  he  commenced 
mercantile  business,  continuing  it  until  1872.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  since  1873,  and  this  year  will  cut  about  6,- 
000,000  feet.  He  employs  twenty-five  men  for  all  the  work,  sawing, 
piling,  etc.  He  built  the  mill  in  1873.  Mr.  Karner  was  born  in  Eg- 
remont,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  Feb.  11,  1815.  and  spent  two  years  in  New 
York  City  prior  to  coming  to  Wisconsin.  He  was  married  in  Egremont, 
Mass.,  Sept.  29,  1836,  to  Lucy  L.  Truman,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Lee,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  March  23,  1S15,  but  reared  in  Egremont, 
Mass.  They  have  two  children,  Nellie  M.  (now  Mrs.  Nathaniel  T.  Kelly, 
of  Wausau)  and  Sanford  Eugene.  Mr.  Karner  is  a  son  of  Pliny  and 
Rhoda  Noble  Karner.  Mrs.  Karner  is  a  daughter  of  Phason  and  Eliza- 
beth Van  Dousen  Truman. 

HON.  J.  R.  KINGSBURY,  County  Judge,  Stevens  Point.  Was 
born  in  Brewer,  Me.,  Oct.  20,  1S19.  Was  a  resident  of  that  State  until 
he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  in  May,  1859.  When  he  was  an  infant,  his 
parents  moved  to  Bradford,  Me.,  where  he  was  reared,  and  remained  un- 
til he  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years.  He  then  went  to  Dex- 
ter, in  the  same  State,  and  for  three  years  clerked  in  a  store.  Afterward, 
for  nine  years  prior  to  removal  to  Stevens  Point,  he  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  for  himself.  He  did  not  remove  his  family  to  Wiscon- 
sin until  November,  1859.  For  about  thirteen  years,  he  carried  on  mer- 
cantile business  here  in  partnership  with  Matthew  Wadleigh.  Also  in- 
terested in  lumbering  for  a  few  years  during  that  period.  He  served 
several  years  as  Alderman;  was  County  Commissioner  two  years.  In 
1869,  he  was  elected  County  Judge  and  served  four  years.  In  1877.  he 
was  again  elected  to  the  same  office,  and  re-elected  in  18S1.  His  first 
wife  was  Hannah  Whitney.  They  were  married  at  Dexter,  Me.,  March 
20,  1850.  She  died  in  Stevens  Point,  Oct.  5,  1863.  Four  children  sur- 
vive her — Tina  M.,  John  J.,  Forrest  W.  and  Edna  A.  The  Judge's 
present  wife,  Susan  D.  Sylvester,  was  born  at  Green  Bay,  Wis.  They 
were  married  in  Grand  Marsh,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  I,  1865.  They 
have  two  sons,  Walter  L.  and  William  E. 

ALEXANDER  KREMBS,  hardware  merchant,  Stevens  Point. 
Was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  March  14,  1840,  and  came  to 
America,  Oct,  29,  1856.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  and  after  spending  a  few  weeks  at  Fond  du  Lac,  came  to 
Stevens  Point.  After  three  years  residence  at  Stevens  Point  he  was  ab- 
sent three  years,  and  then  returning,  has  lived  there  ever  since.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1863,  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  with  his  brother  Charles, 
under  the  firm  name  of  C.  Krembs  &  Bro.  Charles  Krembs  died  in  Oc- 
tober, 1876,  and  Alexander  Krembs  still  carries  on  the  business.  His 
sales  amount  to  from  $36,000  to  $40,000  per  annum,  and  employs  on  an 
average  five  men.  Mr.  Krembs  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  July  9,  1872, 
to  his  present  wife,  Lizzie  Biegler,  who  was  born  in  Richfield,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  Wis.  They  have  four  children— Fritz  A.  C,  Emil  A.  C,  Alex- 
ander and  Anton.  Mr.  Krembs  has  been  City  Assessor  one  term.  City 
Treasurer  two  terms,  and  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  two  terms. 

ADAM  KUHL,  brewer,  Stevens  Point.  Came  to  Portage,  Wis., 
in  1S55,  and  from  there  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  lived  with 
the  exception  of  one  year.  He  engaged  in  cabinet  making  and  furni- 
ture business  for  eight  years,  then  operated  a  grist  mill  at  Palfreyville, 
thirty  miles  from  Stevens  Point,  for  one  year.  He  established  his 
lirevvery  about  fourteen  years  ago  ;  had  a  partner  for  two  years,  and  since 
'hen  has  been  alone.  His  average  yearly  manufacture  is  from  600  to  700 
lariels  of  beer,  sold  exclusively  in  the  home  market  of  Stevens  Point. 
lie  employs  one  man  in  the  brewery  beside  himself  and  son.  Mr.  Kuhl 
was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  Nov.  8,  1S25,  and  married  in 
S  evens  Point,  to  his  first  wife,  who  died,  leaving  one  son,  Philip.  He 
w.is  married,  Aug.  4,  i860,  to  his  present  wife,  Christina  Prell,  who  was 
liMin  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  Jan.  6,  1836.  They  have  six  children — 
riiarles,  Fredericka,  Christina,  Adam,  Frederick,  and  Francisca. 

HENRY  WILLIAM  LEE.  editor  and  proprietor  of  the /)t7«w?<j/. 
Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  London,  England,  March  3,  1836,  and 
c.ime  direct  to  Wisiconsin,  via  New  Orleans,  in  1S50.  He  located  in  the 
!  'wn  of  Moundville,  Marquette  Co.,  living  there  about  two  years,  remov- 
^  thence  to  Portage,  residing  there  until  1856,  when  he  eng.aged  in 
i.irming  in  Douglas  and  Oxford,  until  the  war  broke  out.  In  1863,  he 
was  employed  in  the  quartermaster's  department  of  Missouri  for  about 
three  months.  At  the  closeof  his  term  of  service  he  returned  to  Portage, 
where  he  resided  until  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Stevens  Point.  In 
1867,  he  commenced  reading  law,  and  upon  his  admission  to  the  Bar, 
began  practice  in  Portage.  He  came  to  Stevens  Point  as  attorney  for 
the  Winnebago  Indians,  to  locate  them  on  homesteads  under  the  act  of 
1875.  Mr.  Lee  has  been  engaged  in  general  practice  here  ever  since. 
In  partnership  with  E.  D.  Glunow,  and  William  Krembs,  he  established 
the  Gazette,  and  in  February,  1880,  he  established  the  Democrat.  Mr. 
Lee  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  was  Justice  of  the  Peace 
47 


for  some  time,  and  in  the  Spring  of  i88l,  was  elected  City  Attorney. 
He  was  married  in  the  town  of  Douglas,  Marquette  Co.,  in  June,  1857, 
to  Lydia  A.  McMillan,  who  was  born  in  Crawford  Co.,  Pa.  They  have 
seven  children— Eliza  A.,  Ada,  Fred  T.,  Clara  L.,  Grant  R.,  Anna  L.  and 
Harry  H. 

CHRISTIAN  OLESON  LOBERG,  proprietor  saloon  and  board- 
ing-house, Stevens  Point.  Mr.  L.  first  settled  at  Stevens  Point  with  his 
family  in  1870.  He  began  keeping  a  boarding-house  on  Brown  street, 
and  a  saloon  on  Main  street,  which  he  continues  at  present  writing.  He 
was  born  in  Norway,  June  7,  1842.  He  was  married  Feb.  ij,  1871. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Johanna  Johnson,  she  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, Aug.  2.  1854.  They  have  four  children,  named  Oscar  G.,  Anna  G., 
Carl  J.,  and  Martin  J.  Loberg. 

ANDREW  LUTZ,  brewer,  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1851.  He  was  in  Racine  County  one  Summer,  and  then  in  Almond, 
Portage  Co.  Engaged  in  farming  until  about  fifteen  years  ago,  when 
he  came  to  Stevens  Point  (?),  purchasing  a  one-half  interest  in  a  brewery 
with  his  brother  ;  continuing  with  him  until  1880,  when  he  purchased 
his  brother's  interest ;  since  then,  managing  the  business  himself,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  sons.  He  manufactures  the  beer  and  his  son 
George  manufactures  soda  water.  Mr.  Lutz  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, Nov.  I.  1822,  and  was  in  New  York  City  one  Summer  before 
coming  to  Racine  County.  He  was  married  in  Baden,  Dec.  25,  1S44,  to 
Elizabeth  Gepper,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Baden.  They  have  seven 
children — Andrew,  John,  August,  George,  Jack,  Elizabeth  and  Mary. 

JOHN  LUTZ,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  Sept. 
8,  1833,  and  came  to  America  in  1849.  He  was  at  Williamsburg,  L.  I., 
for  a  year  and  a  half;  then  in  Almond,  Wis.,  in  Grand  Rapids,  in  Ber- 
lin, in  Ripon,  then  back  to  Berlin,  and  from  there  to  Stevens  Point, 
about  fifteen  years  ago.  Remaining  here  about  six  months,  he  went 
to  Missouri  and  lived  for  eight  years.  Then,  returning  to  Stevens 
Point,  he  engaged  in  saloon  business.  For  the  last  three  and  one-half 
years  he  has  kept  hotel,  the  Lutz  House.  Mr.  Lutz  was  married  at 
Williamsburg,  L.  I.,  in  April,  i860,  to  Elizabeth  Baas,  who  is  a  native 
of  Baden,  Germany.  Their  children  are  Charles,  Elizabeth,  Ida,  Lena, 
Albert  and  Robert.     Mr.  Lutz  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

H.  D.  McCULLOCH,  banker,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Brock- 
port,  N.  Y.,  in  1830.  Resided  in  New  York  State  until  he  came  to  Por- 
tage, Wis.,  in  1854.  Lived  there  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Stevens 
Point.  Engaged  in  drug,  book  and  grocery  business  when  he  first  came 
to  this  point,  and  still  continues  the  same  business.  In  the  Summer  of 
1866,  he  established  his  present  banking  house.  He  had  previously 
been  doing  considerable  exchange  business.  During  the  year  1S80,  dis- 
bursements made  by  his  bank  amounted  to  $750,000. 

JOHN  R.  MCDONALD,  County  Clerk,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
the  Island  of  St.  Helena,  July  16,  1838.  Came  to  Canada  in  1856.  He 
was  married  in  Stratford,  Ontario,  Dec.  25,  1S68,  to  .\nn  Kay,  a  native 
of  that  place.  They  have  three  children — Barbara  I.,  Ann  E.  and 
George  K.  In  1874,  Mr.  McDonald  first  came  to  Wisconsin.  In  the 
Spring  of  the  following  year,  he  came  to  Portage  County  to  become  a 
resident.  Was  Town  Clerk  of  Auburndale  prior  to  coming  to  Stevens 
Point  to  reside,  in  1S76.  Was  for  some  time  engaged  in  compiling  ab- 
stracts, prior  to  his  appointment  to  the  position  of  County  Clerk,  in 
November,  1879.  In  1880,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  which  he  now 
holds.  While  living  in  Canada,  he  was  employed  in  the  Register's  office, 
and  became  very  familiar  with  his  work.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  a 
complete  "Abstract  Index"  to  property  in  Portage  County. 

WILLIAM  W.  MITCHELL,  druggist,  grocer,  and  dealer  in  boots 
and  shoes,  was  born  at  Woodside,  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  Jan.  31,  1845. 
Came  to  Waupaca,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  in  1S48,  resided  there  until  1S59, 
then  removed  to  Little  Bull,  where  he  remained  for  several  years  engaged 
in  milling,  lumbering  and  mercantile  business.  In  the  Spring  of  1870.  he 
came  to  Stevens  Point;  since  coming  here,  he  has  given  his  attention  al- 
most  entirely  to  mercantile  business  and  produce  trade,  lumbering  some 
for  a  few  yeais.  In  August,  1S61,  he  entered  the  army,  in  Co.  I,  7th 
Wis.  V.  I.  At  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  he  was  wounded,  and  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service,  in  December,  1S62,  in  consequence  of  disa- 
bility, caused  by  his  wounds.  September,  1865.  he  was  married  at  Mosi- 
nee.  Wis.,  to  Miss  C.  Z.  Blake,  a  native  of  Vermont.  Mr.  Blake  has  been 
Treasurer  of  the  City  of  Stevens  Point. 

GEORGE  S.  MITCHELL,  Stevens  Point,  son  of  George  W.  and 
Lucy  Pierson  Mitchell,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Plover,  Wis.,  July  21, 
1849.  His  parents  moved  to  Ripon  when  he  was  about  five  years  old, 
living  there  nine  years,  then  going  to  Dubuque  and  living  there  ten  years, 
from  Dubuque  they  went  to  Milwaukee,  where  his  parents  still  reside. 
Mr.  Mitchell  lives  at  Stevens  Point,  and  has  been  in  the  lumber  business 
for  fourteen  years.  He  was  married  at  Mishawaka,  Ind.,  May  26,  1874,10 
Flora  M.  Smith.  They  have  one  son,  Howard  E.,  born  Sept.  22,  1875, 
in  Mishawaka,  while  his  parents  were  there  temporarily.  Mr.  Mitchell 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages  in  Ripon  for  two  years,  and 
still  owns  shops  and  an  elevator  there. 

LUDWIG  P.  MOEN,  merchant.  Stevens  Point.  Came  to  Stough- 
ton,   Dane  Co.,  Wis.,   in   the  Spring  of  1872,  and  remained  there  until 


754 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


December  of  that  year,  when  he  came  to  Portage  County,  working  on  a 
farm,  in  the  town  of  New  Hope  during  the  Winter,  and  in  the  Springgo- 
ing  as  cook  on  a  lumber  fleet.  The  following  Fall,  he  began  the  clerking 
for  Hoeffler  &  Andrae,  and  afterward  with  G.  F.  Andrae,  continuing  as 
clerk  until  Aug.  l6,  1S79,  when  he  established  himself  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness, in  partnership  with  Christian  Haagensen.  They  deal  in  general 
merchandise,  and  sell  passage  tickets  to  and  from  Europe,  via  the  "  State 
Line"  of  European  steamers.  Mr.  Moore  was  born  in  Konigsberg, 
Norway,  Nov.  to,  1858,  and  came  to  Wisconsin,  when  he  first  came  to 
America. 


"  /t^/{'-J)^U'^ 


THOMAS  H.  McDILL,  proprietor  of  saw  mill  at  McDill,  two  and 
one-half  miles  south  of  Stevens  Point.  His  saw  mill  was  erected  in 
1852,  but  has  since  been  rebuilt.  The  capacity  is  30,000  in  eleven 
hours,  also  25,000  shingles  and  from  5,000  to  10,000  lath.  Mr.  McDill 
first  settled  at  Mill  Creek  in  the  Fall  of  1840.  At  that  time  there  were 
about  300  inhabitants  north  of  Portage  City  in  Columbia  County  all 
told.  There  were  no  buildings  in  what  is  now  Stevens  Point,  or  any- 
where in  that  vicinity.  He  followed  lumbering  on  Mill  Creek  until  the 
Winter  of  1842,  at  which  time  he  went  to  the  Eau  Claire  River  in  the 
vicinity  of  Wausau,  and  built  a  saw  mill  and  operated  the  same  until 
1844,  then  sold  out  and  went  to  Plover ;  bought  a  hotel  and  kept  it  in 
company  with  John  R.  Mitchell,  and  during  the  time  Mr.  McDill  was 
appointed  Sheriff  of  Portage  County.  He  remained  at  Plover  until 
1870,  but  had  been  running  his  mill  at  McDill  since  1864,  and  in  1870 
he  moved  to  McDill  and  has  lived  there  since.  He  was  elected  County 
Judge  in  1852,  and  resigned  some  time  afterward.  In  1854,  he  was 
elected  County  Treasurer,  and  re-elected  in  1856.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  in  1867,  1871,  1879  and  1880.  He  was  born  in  Crawford 
Co.,  Pa.,  July,  1815  ;  he  was  married  in  Plover,  Wis.,  in  1849.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Harris.  She  was  born  in  Richland  Co., 
Ohio,  February,  1826.  They  have  four  children  —  C.  Helen  McDill, 
married  to  Dr.  D.  J.  IJoughton,  and  living  at  Racine,  Wis.,  George  E. 
McDill,  married  and  living  in  Madison,  Wis.,  Kate  A.,  living  at  home, 
and  Charles  W.,  also  living  at  home. 

ROBERT  NESBITT,  retired  merchant,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  N. 
first  settled  at  Stevens  Point  in  the  Fall  of  1855,  and  has  lived  there 
since.     He  first  worked  for  Mr.  H.  Martin,  remaining  in  his  employ  one 


year,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  in  a  drug  store,  from  there  he  engaged  with 
Mr.  Masterson,  as  clerk  in  general  grocery  store,  where  he  worked  about 
two  years.  His  last  employer  died  and  Mr.  N.  was  employed  by  the  ad- 
ministrator, Mr.  Walton,  to  finish  selling  the  goods.  He  went  in  part- 
nership with  Mr.  William  Walton  in  1862,  and  continued  two  years  in 
general  line  dry  goods  and  groceries,  after  dissolving  business  with  Mr. 
Walton,  he  embarked  on  his  own  account  and  continued  from  1864  until 
1880,  after  which  he  sold  out  and  quit  the  business.  Mr.  N.  was  born  in 
County  Down,  Ireland,  in  1S22.  He  was  married  in  New  York  City, 
August,  1858.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Deborah  A.  Brown;  she  was 
born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  in  December,  1829. 

MICHAEL  O'KEEFE,  of  the  firm  of  Brinker  &  O'Keefe,  general 
blacksmiths,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  in  Plover,  Wis.,  in  the 
Spring  of  1855,  and  lived  there  until  the  Fall  of  1875,  followed  his  trade 
of  blacksmithing,  after  which  he  moved  to  Stevens  Point,  and  began  in 
the  same  business,  which  he  has  since  continued.  .Mr.  O'Keefe  was  born 
in  Upper  Canada,  Dec.  25,  1831.  He  w-as  married  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  May 
1855.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Catharine  Monroe  ;  she  was  born  in 
Goderich,  Canada,  March  30,  1S39.  They  have  six  children,  named  Jane 
A.,  John,  William  W  ,  Margaret  E.,  David,  and  Francis  O'Keefe. 

ALLEN  O.  PACKARD,  manufacturer  wooden  pumps  and  dealer  ift 
all  kinds  of  suction,  force,  lift  and  iron  pumps,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  P.  first 
settled  in  Waukau,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  185S,  where  he  lived  twenly- 
two  years.  He  first  followed  farming  and  carpenter  and  joiner  work.  He 
enlisted,  in  1S62,  in  Co.  B,  21st  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  In(.,  serving  about 
eleven  months,  then  he  got  a  discharge  ;  went  home,  and  remained  until 
1S64,  and  re-enlisted  in  Co.  K.,  5th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,and  served  about 
same  length  of  time,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  June,  1S65. 
He  returned  to  Waukau  and  followed  farming  three  years,  then  worked 
at  carpenter  trade  a  number  of  years,  after  which  he  went  into  the  pump 
business,  and  has  followed  it  since,  moving  to  Stevens  Point,  Nov. 
12,  1S80,  and  is  engaged  as  above  noted.  He  was  born  in  Ashtabula 
Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  6,  1843.  He  was  married  in  Waukau,  Wis.,  November, 
1S66.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Katie  E.  Wines  ;  she  was  born  in 
Coneaut,  Ohio,  Aug.  20,  1849.  They  have  six  children,  named  Lora  P., 
Lizzie  H.,  Sarah  E.,  Kate  M.,  Caston  J.,  Packard  and  an  infant,  not  yet 
named. 

GEORGE  A.  PACKARD,  of  the  firm  of  R.  A.  Cook  &  Co.,  proprie- 
tors of  foundry  and  machine  shops,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Stevens 
Point,  Wis.,  March  8,  1854.  He  was  engaged  in  insurance  business  for 
several  years,  prior  to  March  15,  1881,  when  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Mr.  Cook,  in  present  business.  He  was  married,  in  Stevens  Point, 
April  4,  1875,  to  Addie  J.,  daughter  of  David  Fitch.  She  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.     Mr.  Packard  is  now  (iSSi)  Alderman  of  Third  Ward. 

WILLIAM  H.  PACKARD,  District  Attorney,  Stevens  Point,  was 
born  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  Dec.  24,  182S.  When  he  was  seven  years  of 
age,  his  parents  removed  to  York,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  resided 
until  May,  1S50,  when  became  to  Southern  Wisconsin  where  he  remained 
until  he  came  to  what  was  then  Washara  County,  in  December  of  the 
same  year.  In  June,  1S53,  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  to  reside.  In  the 
Fall  of  1854,  he  w^ent  to  Marathon  County,  and  was  engaged  in  building 
mills  in  that  region  until  the  Spring  of  1856,  when  he  returned  to  Stevens 
Point  and  continued  to  be  engaged  in  the  construction  of  mills,  in  this 
section,  for  some  time.  In  the  Spring  of  1S58.  an  accident  befel  him, 
while  rafting  lumber  down  the  river,  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  a  leg. 
In  the  Fall  of  1S58,  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  for  Portage  Coun- 
ty, and  was  re-elex;ted  several  times,  holding  that  office  until  Jan.  i,  1867. 
He  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  in  January,  1S67,  and 
served  in  that  position  until  1872.  In  the  Fall  of  I S70,  he  was  again 
elected  Register  of  Deeds,  and  held  both  offices  until  1872.  In  that  year 
he  was  re-elected  Register.  While  serving  first  time  as  Register,  he  was 
also  City  Clerk  and  Under  Sheriff,  virtually  performing  all  the  duties  of 
Sheriff,  and  in  1861  and  1862,  he  was  also  Deputy  County  Treasurer. 
During  most  of  the  time  he  was  last  Register  and  Clerk  of  the  Court, 
he  was  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  While  he  resided  at 
Plover,  before  the  removal  of  the  county  seat,  he  was  Assessor  and  Chair- 
man of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  that  town.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  June,  1S72,  and  was  in  partnership  with  J.  O.  Ray- 
mond, four  years.  Was  first  elected  District  Attorney  in  1S74  ;  again 
elected  in  1878,  and  reelected  in  18S0.  Mr.  Packard  was  married  in 
the  town  of  Oasis,  Wis.,  Feb.  28,  1853,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Beach,  who  was 
born  near  Burlington,  Vt.  They  haue  seven  children  — George  A,, 
Charles  II.,  James  L.,  Hattie  J.,  Addie  E.,  JLiry  and  William. 

HON.  GILBERT  L.  PARK,  Circuit  Judge,  Stevens  Point,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Scipio.  Cayuga  Co..  N.  Y.,  Aug.  31.  1S24.  He  read 
law  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  there  ;  came  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in  November,  1S51  ;  after  one  year's  residence 
there,  he  removed  to  Plover,  where  he  resided  three  years  ;  then  he 
came  to  Stevens  Point.  He  was  District  Attorney  of  Portage  County 
for  three  or  four  years,  when  it  comprised  its  present  territory,  and  what 
is  now  Wood  County.  In  November,  1S61,  he  entered  the  army,  serving 
as  adjutant  of  the  18th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.  ;  he  was  in  all  the  engagements  of 
his  regiment,  from  the  battle  of  Shiloh  to  the  time  he  was  mustered  out, 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


75S 


in  March,  1865  ;  early  in  1875,  l>e  was  appointed  Circuit  Judge,  and  in 
April  of  the  same  year,  was  elected  to  the  same  position,  and  re-elected 
in  1879.  Feb.  25,  1856,  he  was  married  to  Mary  B.  Beach,  a  native  of 
Climax,  Kalamazoo  Co.,  Mich.  They  have  three  children — Byron  B., 
Gilbert  L.,  Jr.,  and  Anna. 

OREN  PARMETER,  grocer,  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
located  in  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1867  ;  after  re- 
maining there  a  few  months,  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  and  two  years 
later  went  to  Wausau,  residing  there  until  September,  1876,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Stevens  Point,  and  engaged  in  building  business,  until  four 
years  ago;  since  then  he  has  been  in  mercantile  business.  Mr.  Parmeter 
was  born  in  the  town  of  China,  Kennebec  Co.,  Maine,  Sept.  22,  1847. 
He  enlisted,  Nov.  27,  1863,  in  Co.  I,  29th  Maine  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
until  March  20,  1865.  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability, 
caused  by  illness.  He  returned  to  Maine,  after  leaving  the  army,  and 
was  there  and  in  Massachusetts  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  was 
married,  in  Troy,  Maine,  April  6,  1865,  to  Elzura  Stone,  a  native  of 
Troy,  Waldo  Co.,   Maine.     They  have  two   children,  Etta  M.,  and  An- 

FAYETTE  PATTERSON,  dealer  in  general  line  groceries,  provi- 
sions, flour,  feed,  and  meat  market,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  in 
Grand  Rapids,  in  the  Spring  of  1S64,  and  worked  at  the  lumber  business 
about  eleven  years,  or  until  1875,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Stevens 
Point,  and  engaged  in  the  butcher  business,  and  has  followed  it  since,  in 
connection  with  his  other  trade,  as  above  noted.  He  also  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  lumber  business  since  1878.  He  was  born  in  Norwich 
Township,  McKean  Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  16,  1S42.  He  was  married,  at 
Grand  Rapids,  in  1867.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Margaret 
O'Brien,  she  was  born  in  Ireland,  May  4,  1840.  They  have  one  daugh- 
ter, Ellen  A.  Patterson. 


\ 


^^-^C-.^'^iLi!^^ 'VhJJ. 


JOHN  PHILLIPS,  M.  D.,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Richmond, 
Vt.,  Nov.  4, 1S23  ;  resided  in  Vermont  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
Spring  of  1846  ;  spent  two  years  teaching  school  and  studying  medicine  at 
Wyota,  Lafayete  Co., Wis.  Came  to  Stevens  Point  in  the  Fall  of  1848,  and 
has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  here  ever  since,  also 
dealing  considerably  in  land  since  he  came  to  this  point.  He  represent- 
ed his  district  for  two  years  in  the  Wisconsin  State  Legislature.  He 
has  also  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  Board  of  Educ.-i- 


tion,  etc.  For  several  years  he  has  been  one  of  the  Regents  of  ilie 
State  Normal  School.  The  doctor  was  married  at  Brownington,  Vt., 
Oct.  5,  1854,  to  Ellen  E.  Hall.  She  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  and 
died  in  the  city  of  Stevens  Point,  Aug.  26, 1877.  Mrs.  Phillips  was  a  lady 
of  culture,  and  attained  considerable  literary  distinction.  "The  book  of 
poems,  issued  under  the  title  of  "  Under  the  Pines,"  being  among  her 
productions,  which  was  most  favorably  received  by  literary  critics.  The 
doctor  has  three  children — Florence  D.,  now  Mrs.  L.  J.  Rhoades,  Carl 
F.  and  Hattie  May. 

JOHN  S.  PIPE,  of  the  firm  of  Pipe  &  Gate,  proprietors  of  livery 
stable  at  Stevens  Point  and  Merrill,  Wis.,  was  born  in  England,  March 
I,  1848  ;  came  to  America  in  1850.  His  mother  resided  with  her  fam- 
ily for  a  few  years  in  Rochester,  N.  V.,  and  then  came  to  Winnebago 
Co.,  Wis.;  lived  there  until  1857,  then  moved  on  a  farm  near  Waupaca. 
From  June,  1871,  to  March,  1872,  John  S.,  was  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  at  Amherst,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.  Nov.  26,  1873,  he  engaged  in 
same  business  in  Stevens  Point,  Frank  Pipe,  his  brother,  bemg  associated 
with  him  until  March,  1881.  They  had  a  partner,  Geo.  Ball,  during  one 
year  of  the  time,  and  during  that  year  ran  the  omnibus  line. 

FRANK  PIPE,  proprietor  of  restaurant  and  dealer  in  confectionery 
and  fancy  groceries,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Greece,  Monroe  Co.,  N. 
v.,  Feb.  25,  1852,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853,  living  at  first  in 
Oshkosh  and  then  in  Waupaca  County  with  his  mother  until  the  Fall  of 
1875,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  , 
was  in  business  with  his  brother,  John  S.  Pipe,  until  April  17,  1881 
Mr.  Pipe  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  Oct.  17,  1876,  to  Ida  May  GofT 
who  was  born  in  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.  They  have  one  child,  Mabel  E- 
Mrs.  Pipe  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Goff,  the  well  known  and  popu 
lar  homoeopathic  physician  of  Stevens  Point. 

JOSEPH  F.  POTTER,  proprietor  of  a  planing  mill  at  McDill. 
Mr.  P.'s  mill  was  erected  in  April,  1879.  The  capacity  is  40,000  in  ten 
hours,  and  he  employs  eight  men.  Mr.  Potter  first  settled  at  Appleton 
in  1868,  and  took  charge  of  a  sash  and  door  factory  three  years.  Then 
he  went  to  Peshtigo  and  took  charge  of  the  Peshtigo  Company's  planing 
mill,  sash  and  door  factory,  where  he  remained  until  the  great  fire  of 
Oct.  8,  1871,  when  all  was  burned.  Mr.  Potter  also  met  with  the  sad 
loss  of  his  oldest  child,  Luella,  perishing  in  the  fire.  He  then  returned 
to  Appleton  and  took  charge  of  the  V.  W.  Spaulding  &  Co.'s  flour  bar- 
rel factory,  where  he  remained  four  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Ste- 
vens Point  and  built  what  was  called  the  Central  Planing  Mill,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Wight  &  Potter.  They  also  built  the  first  and  only  Ex- 
celsior lumber  dryer  at  that  place.  They  were  in  company  four  years, 
and  in  the  meantime  Mr.  P.  built  his  present  mill,  which  he  ran  about 
one  year  previous  to  his  dissolving  with  Mr.  Wight.  He  moved  to  his 
present  mill  in  the  Fall  of  1880.  He  was  born  in  Annapolis,  Nova  Scotia, 
May  23,  1841.  He  was  married  in  January,  1865,  in  Yarmouth,  Nova 
Scotia.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  E.  Allen  ;  she  was  born  in 
Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia,  in  1849.  They  have  four  children  named,  Jennie 
E.,  Katie  W.,  Nellie  M.  and  Mary  M.  Potter.  Mr.  P.  was  also  in  company 
with  his  brother,  Capt.  James  Potter,  in  the  mercantile  business  from 
June,  1880,  to  May,  1881,  when  their  store  burned  at  Stevens  Point. 

J.  L.  PRENTICE,  surveyor  and  farmer,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born 
in  Aurora,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  17,  1S27  ;  removed  from  there  to  Fox 
Lake,  Wis.,  in  the  Spring  of  1845  ;  after  three  years  residence  there  he 
went  to  Ft.  Winnebago,  now  Portage,  where  he  remained  until  he  came 
to  Stevens  Point  late  in  1840.  For  ten  years  he  was  engaged  in  survey- 
ing most  of  the  time,  and  for  several  years  engaged  in  land  operations. 
For  ten  years  prior  to  1S75  he  was  in  mercantile  business.  He  is  now 
City  Surveyor,  having  held  that  position  several  years.  He  devotes  much 
of  his  time  to  farming  and  the  raising  of  cranberries,  having  a  large  cran- 
berry marsh.  For  many  years  he  was  County  Surveyor.  After  the  city 
organization  here  he  served  a  long  time  as  Alderman.  In  October, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  3d  Wis.  Cavalry,  and  served  until  he  was  mus- 
tered out  Sept.  9  1865  ;  was  sergeant  major  of  his  regiment.  For  about  two 
years  he  was  in  the  Engineer  Corps,  and  when  he  left  the  service  he  was 
lieutenant  of  his  Co.  Mr.  Prentice  married  at  Portage,  Wis.,  July  4,  1850, 
to  Sarah  A.  Van  Dusen,  a  native  of  Byron  Centre,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  have  three  childr«n — Anna  Kate,  now  Mrs.  Chas.  McMillar, 
Jennie,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Conlisk,  and  Eugene  H. 

JOHN  RENNIE,  lumberman,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  three 
miles  from  Glasgow,  Scotland,  Dec.  20,  1820.  When  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  went  to  the  city  of  Glasgow  to  reside  and  remained 
there  until  he  came  to  America  in  1843.  After  stopping  a  short  time  at 
Galena,  111.,  he  came  to  Elk  Grove,  Wis.,  spent  the  Winter  at  Mineral 
Point,  and  in  1844  he  went  to  Dodgeville  ;  after  spending  a  year  there 
he  located  at  Highland,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  then  re- 
turned to  Dodgeville,  and  was  in  that  vicinity  about  fifteen  months 
when  he  went  back  to  Highland,  and  remained  there  until  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  Jan.  10,  1849.  While  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State 
he  was  qnite  extensively  engaged  in  lead  mining.  After  coming  to  the 
pineries  he  was  engaged  in  making  shaved  shingles  and  logging  for  four 
or  five  years ;  since  that  time  he  has  been  continuously  dealing  in  lumber, 
being  a  large  and  responsible  dealer. 


756 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


J.  O.  RAYMOND,  lawyer  and  Postmaster,  son  of  Edward  and  Ma- 
ria Osborne  Raymond,  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  in  the  Spring  of  1855, 
and  from  there  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  living  there  until  July  4, 
1873,  when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  May,  1856,  at  Plover,  where  he  engaged 
in  practice.  He  entered  the  52d  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  February,  1865,  serving 
until  September  of  the  same  year.  He  was  elected  District  Attorney  in 
1S56,  for  two  years,  re-elected  in   1858  for  two  years,  and   elected  again. 


>t^-.<^( 


in  1866,  for  two  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1865  he  was  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly. He  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  while  at  Plo- 
ver, for  several  years  ;  was  a  member  of  Portage  County  Board,  of 
Swamp  Land  Commissoners,  and  was  appointed  Postmaster  March  22, 
1881.  Mr.  Raymond  was  born  in  McDonough,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y., 
May  30.  1831,  living  in  New  York  State,  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin. 
He  studied  law  in  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  having  gone  there  when  about  thir- 
teen years  of  age.  He  was  married  in  Plover,  Wis.,  to  Mary  Eliza  Har- 
ris, a  native  ol  Ohio.  She  died  in  1864,  One  child  of  this  marriage 
survives,  Mitchell  Harris.  Mr.  Raymond  was  married,  April  15,  1867, 
to  Lucinda  Hanchelt,  his  present  wife,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  daughter 
of  James  S.  Albans,  who  came  to  Plover,  Wis.,  about  1845,  and  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  being  then  colonel  of  the  1 8th  Wis.  V.  L 

JOHN  RICE,  of  the  firm  of  John. Rice  &  Bros.,  proprietors  of 
foundry  and  machine  .shops,  Stevens  I'oint.  Was  born  in  Ireland,  June 
29,  1837.  Came  to  America  in  1847,  lived  one  year  in  Geneva,  N.  Y., 
afterward  for  about  one  year  in  Milwaukee  ;  then  resided  until  1859  in 
Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  then  he  went  to  Colorado  and  remained  until 
1863  ;  was  in  Montana  until  1864  ;  then  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  pur- 
chased a  saw-mill  at  Oconto,  operated  it  for  two  years,  he  then  organized 
the  "  Wolf  River  Tran.sportation  Co.,"  in  which  he  is  still  interested. 
Came  to  Stevens  Point  in  1S73.  In  July  of  that  year  he  established 
foundry  and  machine  shops  here,  prior  to  that  time,  for  four  years,  he 
had  been  engaged  in  .same  business  at  Weyauwega,  Wis.  He  has  also 
been  interested  to  some  extent,  at  times,  in  lumbering.  Mr.  Rice  was 
married  in  Weyauwega,  Dec.  14,  l86g,  to  Elvira  Jones,  .she  was  born  in 
Cleveland,  O.  They  have  two  children,  Ella  Josephine  May,  and  Ada 
Frances. 


THOMAS  C.  RICE,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  reapers  and 
mowers  and  threshing  machines,  Stevens  Point.  He  was  born  in  Win- 
nebago Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  20,  1855.  His  parents  lived  there  five  years, 
and  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac  County,  and  settled  in  township  Eden, 
where  they  followed  farming  two  years,  and  then  moved  to  Oshkosh, 
where  they  lived  until  1864.  They  then  moved  to  Outagamie  County, 
and  Mr.  T.  C.  Rice  followed  farming  until  1879,  afier  which  he  went  to 
Stevens  Point,  February,  1879,  and  began  his  present  business.  He 
was  married,  in  October,  1876,  at  Green  Bay,  Wis.  His  wife's  maiden 
name  was  Viretta  C.  Fuller.  She  was  born  on  Washington  Island,  near 
Washington  Harbor,  Sept.  6,  1857.  They  have  three  children,  named 
Ethel  L.,  Jessie  F.  and  Roy  J.  Rice. 

GALEN  ROOD,  M.  D.,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Jericho,  Chit- 
tenden Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  14,  1831,  and  his  parents  moved  to  Chicago  in 
183S,  living  there,  and  in  Joliet,  111.,  until  1841  or 42,  when  they  located 
in  Madison,  Wis.,  and  were  there  until  1856.  Dr.  Rood  was  educated 
at  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  in  Cincinnati.  He  was  there  most  of  the 
time  from  1849  to  1856,  graduating  in  the  latter  year.  He  was  married, 
at  Stevens  Point,  Nov.  25,  1858,  to  Jane  Sylvester,  who  was  born  at 
Green  Bay.  They  have  four  children — Myron  G.,  who  is  studying 
medicine,  Katie  A.,  Robert  and  Price  W. 

M.  A.  ROU.SSEAU,  Sheriff,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  on  the  Island 
of  Mackinaw,  Mich.,  Feb.  5,  1822.  Lived  in  Michigan  until  June,  1S35, 
when  he  came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.  Resided  at  Fond  du  Lac  in  1846 
and  1847.  In  the  Spring  of  1848  he  went  to  Neenah,  where  he  re- 
mained until  November  of  that  year.  He  then  came  to  Grand  Rapids 
and  remained  a  short  time,  afterward  located  in  Plover  and  made  thai 
his  home  until  the  Spring  of  1854,  when  he  engaged  in  farming  in  ihe 
town  of  Stockton,  and  resided  there  until  he  was  elected  SherifT,  in  1S60. 
In  1852  and  1853  he  served  as  Under  Sheriff.  From  1864  to  December, 
1869,  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering,  and  was  saw-mill  foreman.  He 
then  purchased  the  Brown  mill,  situated  two  miles  east  of  Stevens 
Point,  and  run  that  until  October,  1878.  He  was  elected  Sheriff  in  the 
Fall  of  1879.  Mr-  Rousseau  was  married,  in  Stockton,  Aug.  31,  1S54, 
to  Sophia  K.  Hall,  a  native  of  Clarksville,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.  They 
have  five  children — Maggie  H.,  Louis  A.,  Orville  M.,  Albert  M.,  and 
George  Franklin. 

DR.  EDGAR  P.  RUSS,  dentist,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  De- 
troit, Mich.,  Nov.  23,  1858.  When  he  was  about  two  years  of  age,  his 
parents  removed  with  their  family  to  Pontiac,  111.  When  he  was  four- 
teen years  of  age  he  entered  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Valparaiso, 
Ind.,  and  graduated  from  the  business  department  of  that  institution, 
and  returned  to  Pontiac,  where  he  engaged  in  the  dentistry  business. 
Afterward  was  located  at  Dixon,  111.,  and  in  August.  1880,  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession. 

STILLMAN  H.  SAWYER,  County  Treasurer,  Stevens  Point,  was 
born  in  Gardner,  Me.,  Nov.  2,  1820.  In  the  Spring  of  1852,  being  then 
a  resident  of  Bangor,  Me.,  he  went  to  California,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
saddlery  business,  and  doing  a  little  mining  a  portion  of  the  time  he  was 
there.  In  November,  1855.  ^^  came  to  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  farming  on  Sec.  12,  in  the  town  of  Belmont.  In  December, 
1S61,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  iSth  Wis.  V  I.,  being  sergeant  of  his  com- 
pany ;  was  in  all  general  engagements  of  his  regiment ;  mustered  out  of 
the  service  in  January,  1864;  was  Register  of  Deeds  for  this  county  from 
1867  to  1870.  From  that  time  until  l88l,  when  he  came  into  his  present 
office  he  was  engaged  in  farming.  He  has  served  as  Town  Clerk  of  Bel- 
mont most  of  the  time  since  he  has  resided  here.  He  was  married  at 
Bangor,  Me.,  to  Mary  M.  Fogg,  a  native  of. that  place.  They  have  five 
children. 

DANIEL  SEYLER,  boiler  manufacturer,  Stevens  Point,  was  born 
in  Bavaria,  Germany,  Sept.  29.  1845,  and  came  to  America,  in 
December,  1854.  living  in  Dunmore,  Penn.,  until  1865,  when  he  came 
to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  living  there  until  1873,  in  w^hich  year  he  came  to 
Stevens  Point  and  engaged  in  foundry  and  machine  shop  business,  wiih 
R.  A.  Cook  as  a  partner,  under  the  firm  name  of  Seyler  &  Cook.  They 
continued  together  until  March,  1881,  when  Mr.  Seyler  sold  out  his  in- 
terest to  Mr.  Cook,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boilers.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh,  Dec.  16,  1S70,  to  Erneslina  W.  Wagner,  who  was 
born  in  Germany.  They  have  six  children — Flora,  George,  Medora, 
Grace,  Daniel,  Jr.,  and  an  infant  daughter. 

SIMON  AUGUSTUS  SHERMAN,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in 
the  town  ol  Westboro,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  Jan.  27,  1824,  and  lived 
there  until  he  was  seven  years  of  age,  when  his  parents  moved  to  Pax- 
ton,  in  the  same  county,  living  there  until  the  suject  of  this  sketch  was 
twenty  years  old  ;  he  then  located  at  Southboro.  Mass.,  and  learned  the 
trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner.  Two  seasons  later  he  moved  to  West 
Boylestown,  and  assisted  at  the  building  of  the  Slater  cotton  mill.  He 
remained  here  one  season,  attending  the  Thomas  Hall  School,  and  dur- 
ing the  following  Summer  helped  erect  the  large  gingham  factory  in 
Clintonville.  The  following  Winter,  attending  the  academy  at  West- 
minster. The  ensuing  season  he  was  established  at  Fitchburg,  as  fore- 
man in  building  machine  shops,  paper  factories,  etc.,  whence  he  removed 


HISTORY  OF  PORTAGE  COUNTY. 


to  Winchendon,  Mass.,  and  took  charge  of  the  building  of  a  church  at 
that  point.  He  also  attended  the  academy  there.  In  1S4S,  he  came  by 
way  of  the  lakes  to  Milwaukee,  and  from  Milwaukee  to  Plover,  arriving 
Oct.  23,  184S.  He  aided  in  the  finishing  of  the  American  House,  which 
was  the  first  house  north  of  Fox  River,  painted,  plastered  and  with 
chimneys.  He  also  put  up  the  shelves  in  the  first  store  of  Matt  and  John 
Campbell,  in  Stevens  Point.  He  built  the  first  framed  house  on  the 
Indian  lands,  at  a  place  called  the  Junction,  near  Plainsville,  in  1848, 
and  in  1849,  made  a  trip  to  Galena,  running  lumber  on  the  river.  The 
next  season  he  run  lumber  down  to  Alton,  111.  He  then  went  to  Massa- 
chusetts, and  remained  two  years  ;  then  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and 


>Vn\\\^\\v\^ 


'tp   ,Jl  ^  .-(ipin^JA.-y^i^T^'H^ 


rented  an  old  saw-mill,  in  which  he  started  the  first  successful  planing- 
mill  in  that  city,  operating  it  one  year,  when  he  returned  to  Plover, 
where,  or  in  that  vicinity  he  has  resided  ever  since.  Mr.  Sherman  operates 
the  mills  at  the  mouth  of  Big  Plover  River.  He  commenced  build- 
ing where  he  is  now  located,  in  1854,  and  got  the  mill  in  full  operation 
two  or  three  years  later.  Mr.  Sherman  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board  of  Supervisors  for  the  last  four  years,  and  is  one  of  the  most  active 
members  of  the  Board.  He  was  married,  in  Rindge.  N.  H.,  April  22, 
1857,  to  Rachel  S.  Jones,  of  that  place.  They  have  two  children,  Clar- 
ence Augustus,  born  July  9, 1854,  and  Eugene  Augustine,  born  in  March, 
1857. 

CLARENCE  A.  SHERMAN,  now  engaged  with  his  father  in  his 
large  saw-mill  on  the  Plover,  called  Sherman's  mills,  was  born  in  Plover, 
Wis.,  July  g,  1854.  He  spent  his  school  days  principally  at  home,  and 
attended  the  Lawrence  University,  at  Appleton,  Wis.,  for  some  time. 
After  arriving  at  maturity,  he  went  to  work  for  his  father  in  the  saw-mill, 
and  has  made  that  his  business  since,  excepting  that  he  built  a  shingle 
mill  on  the  Big  Plover  River  in  the  Winter  of  1876  and  1877,  which  he 
operated  two  years,  sold  out,  and  returned  to  his  father's  employ,  and 
has  since  been  there.  He  was  married  at  Plover,  on  July  II,  1S76.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Myrta  A.  Downing  ;  she  was  born  in  Portage 
County,  Aug.  10,  1S57.  They  have  three  children,  named  Walter  C, 
Frank  A.  and  an  infant,  not  yet  named. 

EUGENE  A.  SHERMAN,  engaged  with  his  father,  S.  A.  Sherman, 
in  his  saw-mill  on  Plover  River.  Mr.  E.  A.  Sherman  was  born  in  Plover, 
Wis.,  March  28,  1S57.  After  arriving  at  suitable  age,  he  attended  the 
public  schools  in  his  village,  and  began  with  his  father  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  taking  charge  of  tlie  busine.ss  several  years  since  beginning 
work.  He  has  also  followed  running  the  river  for  some  time,  and  had  a 
fleet  of  lumber  run  out  of  the  river  to  the  lower  markets  in  the  Spring 
of  18S1.  He  was  married  in  Linwood  Tp.,  Portage  Co..  Feb.  i,  1881. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Kitie  L.  Andrews.  She  was  born  in  the 
same  town  where  they  were  married,  Jan.  3,  1864. 

JOHN  A.  SLOTHOWER,  dealer  in  diy  gocds,  grcctries  and  gen- 
eral merchandise,  of  the  firm  of  Slolhtwtr  &  Hamrcher,  Slevers  Poirt, 
Wis.     Mr.  S.  was  born  in  La   Fayelle  Co.,  Wis.,  July  3,  1840,  at  which 


place  he  lived  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  then  went  with  his 
parents  to  Stevens  Point.  He  first  clerked  in  his  father's  store,  Mr.  John 
Slothower,  two  years,  after  that  he  was  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  busi- 
ness, and  in  1861,  was  engaged  in  a  lumber  yard  at  St.  Louis,  for  his 
father.  He  returned,  and  followed  various  occupations  until  August. 
l8So,  when  he  went  into  the  mercantile  trade  as  above  noted.  He  was 
married,  in  Stevens  Point,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Ella  Orrick  ;  she  died  in  1866. 
He  was  married  again,  November,  1877.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Alice  A.  Morgan  ;  she  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1850.  He  had  one 
daughter  by  first  wife,  named  Anna  W.,  born  Jan.  6,  1866,  at  Stevens 
Point. 

JOHN  SLOTHOWER,  lumber  manufacturer,  Stevens  Pomt.  Was 
born  in  Menallen  Township,  two  miles  from  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  11, 
1811.  Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Galena,  111.,  in  the  Spring  of  1S36. 
In  October  of  the  same  year,  he  removed  to  Wiota,  Wis.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  mining  and  farming  there,  and  in  that  vi- 
cinity, until  1840,  when  he  commenced  supplying  the  lumbermen  of  the 
pineries  with  produce,  etc.,  dealing  extensively  with  Bloomer,  Campbell, 
and  others  in  this  region,  which  he  continued  until  1S4S.  In  that  year 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Stevens  Point,  in  partnership  with 
Matthew  Campbell  and  Samuel  R.  Merrill.  Mr.  Campbell  retired  from 
the  business  in  about  two  years,  and  Messrs.  Slothower  &  Merrill  con- 
tinued together  until  1856;  also  engaged  in  lumbering  during  this  period. 
Built  a  steam  saw-mill  on  Little  Eau  Claire  in  1849,  and  a  few  years  later 
they  bought  the  Weston  mill,  on  the  Big  Eau  Claire,  and  purchased 
another  mill  on  the  Little  Eau  Claire.  Mr.  Slothower  continued  mer- 
chandising until  i860;  since  then  he  has  been  in  lumber  business,  manu- 
facturing now.  His  family  resided  at  Wiota  until  1852,  since  then  at 
Stevens  Point,  except  three  years  in  the  town  of  O'Plaine,  where  Mr. 
Slothower's  mill  was  located.  During  the  time  he  lived  there,  he  was 
Chairman  of  the  B  jard  of  Supervisors.  He  has  served  seven  years  as 
one  of  the  Aldermen  ' >l  Stevens  Point.  March  26.  iS35,he  was  married, 
in  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  to  Mary  Ann  Agnew.  a  native  of  that  place;  she  was 
born  Feb.  12,  1812.  They  have  two  children  living,  John  Alexander, 
born  July  3.  1S40  ;  Adeline  Rosella  (nowMrs.  E.  L.Clark, of  Menasha), 
was  born  Aug.  S,  1848. 

M.  C.  SLUTTS,  Deputy  Sheriff,  Stevens  Point.  Was  bom  in  Fair- 
field, Tuscarawas  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  30,  1825.  Most  of  his  life  was  spent 
in  the  Southern  States,  prior  to  his  coming  to  Wisconsin,  in  1844.  He 
came  to  Galena,  111.,  by  steamboat,  and  from  that  place  he  made  his  way 
to  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin  on  foot,  arriving  at  Stevens  Point  the  last 
of  August,  1844 ;  from  here  he  went  to  Dubay's  trading-post  and  Mosi- 
nee.  For  a  short  time  he  was  engaged  in  rafting  for  the  contractors  of 
John  L.  Moore,  who  was  the  owner  of  the  Little  Bull  Mill.  During  a 
portion  of  four  years,  he  was  engaged  in  shaving  shingles  for  himself  in 
that  vicinity ;  running  lumber  down  the  river  during  the  season  for  raft- 
ing, he  became  a  river  pilot.  After  being  in  the  Territory  a  year,  he 
made  his  headquarters  at  Stevens  Point,  and  was  constantly  engaged  in 
lumbering  from  1S45  until  1873.  For  twenty-eight  years  he  never  missed 
making  trips  each  year  with  lumber  on  the  river.  From  1850  to  1852, 
he  also  had  lumber  yards  at  Illinois  Town  (now  East  St.  Louis),  and 
Venice,  the  latter  a  town  a  little  further  up  the  Mississippi  River.  Mr. 
Slutts  was  also  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Stevens  Point,  in  an 
early  day,  having  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  American  House  about 
the  year  1850.  He  was  married  in  Stevens  Point,  Nov.  20,  1856,  to  Mary 
C.  Luce;  she  died  Mav  30,  1869.  Five  children  survive  her — Francis 
L..  Charles  M.,  Arnold  D..  Olive  A.  and  Joseph  J.  Mr.  S.  relates  ;the 
story  of  a  remarkable  escape  which  he  had  from  drowning,  about  1S50. 
Having  been  thrown  from  a  raft  at  Little  Bull  Falls,  where  many  rafts- 
men have  lost  their  lives,  Mr.  Slutts  being  the  only  man  who  was  ever 
thrown  into  the  water  there  and  escaped  death.  He  was  also  one  of  a 
party  of  nine  who  were  swamped  at  Pine  Bluff,  and  only  four  were 
saved.  He  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff  most  of  the  time  for  the  last  seven 
years.  He  has  been  Coroner  of  the  county,  and  is  now  one  of  the  Coun- 
ty Supervisors,  having  served  one  term  prior  to  this  time. 

DR.  JESSE  SMITH,  surgeon  dentist,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in 
Rochdale,  Lancashire,  England,  March  12,  1850.  Came  to  America  in 
1875.  Located  in  St.  Louis  until  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  July  3, 
1880.  He  attended  the  Missouri  Dental  College  two  terms,  and  after- 
ward entered  the  Western  College  of  Dental  Surgeons,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
graduated  from  the  latter  institution  March  to,  1880.  The  doctor  com- 
menced the  study  and  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native  pl.ace.  in 
England,  prior  to  coming  to  .\merica.  He  was  married  at  Rochdale, 
England,  March  12,  1870,  to  Sarah  A.  Holt,  also  a  native  of  that  place. 

WILLIAM  W.  SPRAGGON,  baker.  Stevens  Point,  came  to  Wis- 
consin  in  May,  1856,  and  stopped  until  November  of  that  year  with  his 
brother,  Robert  R.  Spraggon,  in  .\dams  County.  Nov.  14,  1856,  he 
came  to  Stevens  Point  and'was  employed  in  a  bakery  until  1859.  He 
established  himself  in  business  in  September,  1859,  a"*^  has  continued  it 
since,  keeping  a  bakery  and  dealing  in  fancy  groceries  and  confection- 
ery ;  he  has  had  a  steam  bakery  since  1S73.  Mr.  Spraggon  was  bom  in 
Rothbury,  Northumberland  Co.,  Eng.,  Nov.  30,  1836,  and  went  to  Lon- 
don in  the  Winter  of  1S51-2,  where  he  finished  learning  the  bakei's 
trade,  having  commenced  it  in  Rothbury.     He  arrived  in  New   York 


758 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


City  in  January,  1854,  and  was  there  and  on  Long  Island  until  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  being  in  the  bakery  business  all  the  time.  He  has  man- 
ufactured crackers  since  he  started  a  bakery,  and  since  1873  has  run  a 
steam  bakery.  He  manufactures  from  500  to  600  barrels  of  flour  into 
crackers,  etc.,  each  year.  His  sales  amount  to  from  $8,000  to  $10,000. 
Mr.  Spraggon  was  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  from  the  Spring  of 
1864  until  the  Spring  of  1S66,  and  was  afterward  appointed  but  re- 
signed. He  was  Mayor  of  the  City  from  the  Spring  of  1878  to  the 
Spring  of  1881.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  Sept.  12,  1858,  to 
Bridget  Masterson,  who  was  born  in  Veldenstown,  County  of  Meath,  Ire- 
land, and  died  April  17,  l88r.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Kinseller, 
an<l  with  her  first  husband  was-one  of  the  early  settlers  at  Stevens  Point, 
arriving  there  about  1849. 

(;E0RGE  STENGER,  of  the  firm  of  Stenger  &  Betlach,  proprie- 
tors meat  market,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  S.  was  born  in  Fremont  Tp., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  17,  1855.  He  left  there  in  the  Spring  of  1857  and  went  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  remained  there  about  a  year.  His  parents  then  traveled 
and  lived  in  various  portions  of  the  West  and  finally  located  at  Stevens 
Point  in  April,  1858,  where  he  spent  his  youthful  days  and  went  into  his 
present  business  in  1S74.  He  was  married  Jan.  9,  1879.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Margaret  July.  She  was  born  at  Green  Bay,  April 
I,  1S57.  They  have  two  children,  named  George  Stenger,  Jr.,  and 
Gertrude  Stenger. 

WASHBURN  STONE,  grocer,  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Waverly,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  June  6,  1843.  Came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  Arnold  and  Orphie  (Shaw)  Stone,  when  he 
was  about  twelve  years  of  age.  His  father  died  at  Palmyra,  Jefferson 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  August,  1861.  His  mother  still  resides  at  Palmyra,  where 
they  first  located  in  this  State.  In  1871,  Washburn  Stone  removed  to 
Stevens  Point,  coming  here  on  the  second  passenger  train  which  ever 
entered  the  town.  For  two  years  after  coming  here,  he  carried  on  meat 
market  and  grocery  business  ;  since  then  engaged  exclusively  in  grocery 
trade.  Mr.  S.  was  married  at  Palmyra,  Wis.,  Dec.  25,  1862,  to  Irene  B. 
Higgins,  who  was  born  at  Fredonia,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  died 
April  6,  1881.     One  child,  Jennie,  survives  her. 

JOHN  STUMPF,  attorney,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  City  Treas- 
urer, Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Darmstadt,  Germany,  Jan. 
8,  1S2S.  Came  to  the  city  of  New  York  Oct.  22.  1S47.  Remained 
there  until  early  in  the  Summer  of  184S,  when  he  came  to  Iowa  Co., 
Wis.  From  there  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  in  the  Spring  of  1849.  Was 
employed  by  the  month,  doing  such  work  as  he  could  find  to  do.  until 
he  was  elected,  in  1S52,  Clerk  of  the  County  Board  and  Register  of 
Deeds.  The  county  seat  being  then  located  at  Plover,  he  removed  to 
that  place  in  1853,  and  continued  to  live  there  until  1874.  In  the  latter 
year  he  returned  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  has  since  continued  to  re- 
side. From  1855  to  1857,  he  was  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  County  Board. 
In  the  Fall  of  1856,  he  was  again  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  and  after- 
ward elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court.  Earlv  in  1S62,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  K,  l8th  Wis.  V.  I.  Was  captured  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  was 
a  prisoner  for  seven  months.  At  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  he  was  wound- 
ed, and  in  consequence  thereof  was  discharged  from  the  service  in  the 
Spring  of  1864,  having  been  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant  and  finally  to 
lieutenant  of  his  company.  In  the  Fall  of  1864,  he  was  elected  County 
Treasurer,  and  twice  re-elected,  serving  the  terms  in  that  position.  In 
1873,  he  was  elected  County  Judge.  While  serving  as  County  Judge  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  during  a  portion  of  the  time  was  City 
Clerk.  He  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
also  holding  the  office  of  City  Treasurer  for  the  third  term.  In  1828, 
he  was  married  in  the  town  of  Stockton,  to  Harriet  M.  Richmond,  who 
was  born  at  Ft.  Covington.  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children  living- 
John  H.,  Edwin  O.  and  Albert  M.     Lost  three  children. 

CALEB  SWAYZE.  proprietor  of  the  Pinery,  Stevens  Point,  was 
born  at  Beemerville,  N.  J.,  Dec.  12,  1S33,  and  learned  the  printer's 
trade  at  Goshen,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  working  in  that  county  seven  or 
eight  years,  until  he  came  to  Stevens  Point,  in  April,  1856.  He  en- 
gaged in  newspaper  business  when  he  first  came.  Was  superintentend- 
ent  of  the  Pinery  printing  office,  and  has  been  sole  proprietor  of  that 
paper  since  the  last  of  1857. 

FRANK  H.  TAYLOR,  foreman  in  Brown  Bros,  planing  mill, 
Steven;  Point.  Mr.  Taylor  was  born  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Racine  Co.,  Wis., 
Aug.  24,  1855.  His  parents  lived  there  about  one  year  after  that  date, 
and  moved  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  where  they  still  live.  Mr.  T.  lived  at 
home  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  worked  in  a  shingle  mill 
for  C.  A.  Sherman,  on  the  Plover  River,  a  short  time;  he  afterward  en- 
gaged with  Olin  &  Harvey,  at  Stevens  Point,  in  a  planing  mill  about 
nine  months  from  there  to  Wight  &  Harvey's  sash  and  door  factory; 
was  there  a  short  time,  then  he  went  to  work  at  his  present  place  and 
has  been  there  since.  He  was  married  at  Plover,  Wis.,  Oct.  3,  1877. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Alice  Bell ;  she  was  born  in  Plover,  May 
26,  1856.  They  have  one  daughter  named  Clara  B.  Taylor,  born  April 
4,  1881. 

DAVID  H.  VAUGHN,  proprietor  furniture  store,  on  Main  street, 
Stevens  Point,  Wis.  Mr.  Vaughn  has  charge  of  the  boom,  and  has  a 
contract  for  the  fourth  season,  including  i88l.     He  has   thirty  men  in 


his  employ,  sorting  and  delivering  logs.  Mr.  V.  first  settled  in  Oregon 
Township,  Dane  Co.,  in  1847,  with  his  parents.  They  moved  directly 
to  Stevens  Point  in  the  Spring  of  1854;  he  attended  school  and  assisted 
his  father  until  August,  1862,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  3d 
Regt.  Wis.  Cav.,  and  was  mustered  in  the  United  States  service,  at  Madi- 
son, Wis  .He  served  three  yearsand  was  mustered  out  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
July,  1S65.  He  then  returned  to  Stevens  Point,  and  afterward  began 
lumbering,  logging  and  piloting  and  running  lumber  by  the  thousand. 
He  has  followed  the  above  business,  and  labor  connected  with  it,  until 
the  present  writing.  He  purchased  the  furniture  store  Dec.  14.  18S0. 
He  was  born  in  Saranac,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  7,  1842.  He  was 
married,  Dec.  25,  1870,  at  Stevens  Point.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Jennie  Brawley ;  she  was  born  in  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  March  29,  1S51. 
They  have  five  children,  named,  Ma'tie  E.,  Lulu,  Virginia,  D.  Lynn  and 
Charles  Vaughn.  Mrs.  Vaughn's  father,  Abraham  Brawley,  is  said  to 
have  built  the  first  log  house  at  what  is  now  the  city  of  Stevens  Point, 
her  parents  being  the  first  white  family  that  settled  in  that  vicinity. 
Her  mother's  name  was  Sarah  Brawley. 

STILES  H.  VAUGHN,  ticket  and  freight  agent  of  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railway,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  the  town  of  Oregon, 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  July  10,  1854.  When  he  was  an  infant  his  parents, 
Eliphalet  H.  and  Mary  C.  (La  Fontaine)  Vaughn,  came  to  Stevens 
Point,  where  his  mother  died  and  his  father  still  resides.  Mr.  S.  H. 
Vaughn  was  County  Surveyor  four  years,  his  last  term  expired  Dec.  31, 
iSSo.  Since  Dec.  25,  1878,  he  has  also  been  employed  as  clerk  in 
Stevens  Point  for  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railway,  and  as  ticket  and 
freight  agent  for  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railway  Co.,  at  that  place  since 
Jan.  I,  1881.  Mr.  Vaughn  was  married  in  Tomah,  Wis.,  Dec.  25,  1878, 
to  Harriet  A.  Phillipps,  who  was  born  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  They  have 
one  child  living.  May  C,  and  lost  one  son,  Stanley  S.,  who  died  Dec.  27, 
1880,  aged  fifteen  months.     Mr.  Vaughn  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  .\.  ^I. 

HARVEY  M.  WADLEIGH,  real  estate  and  lumber  dealer,  Stevens 
Point.  Was  bornjin  the  town  of  Hatley,  Stanstead  Co.,  Lower  Canada, 
May  16,  1S45  ;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents 
in  May,  1858.  In  1S72,  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  logging  and 
furnishing  railroad  ties  for  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railway  Co.;  con- 
tinued that  for  a  few  years,  then  engaged  in  present  business.  He  was 
married,  in  Stevens  Point,  Nov.  18,  1S77,  to  Miss  Lora  B.  Ellis,  a  native 
of  Wisconsin.      They  have  one  child,  Matthew  F. 

MATTHEW  WADLEIGH.  lumber  manufacturer,  and  also  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Herren  &  Wadleigh,  proprietors  of  planing  mill, 
Stevens  Point,  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Evans  Wadleigh,  and  was 
born  in  Hatley,  Stanstead  Co.,  Lower  Canada,  Sept.  22,  1S21.  His  father 
was  born  in  Sutton,  N.  H.,  and  his  mother  was  a  native  of  Hartland, 
Vt.;  Matthew  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  Spring  of  1S57  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  State  ever  since.  He  has  been  extensively  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  all  the  time  since  he  came  here.  He 
was  also  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  thirteen  years  in  part- 
nership with  J.  R.  Kingsbury.  He  has  been  Mayor,  Alderman,  member 
of  County  Board,  etc.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railway  Company  since  its  organization.  Mr.  Wadleigh  was  married  in 
the  town  of  Compton,  two  miles  from  the  village  of  Hatley,  Lower  Can- 
ada, to  Judith  M.,  daughter  of  Lemuel  P.  and  Fletcher  Harvey.  She  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Compton.  They  have  five  children — Mary,  Harvey 
M.,  Lucy,  Lizzie  and  Eva. 

JOHN  ALEXANDER  FRAZER  WALKER,  lumberman,  Ste- 
vens Point,  a  son  of  John  and  Eliza  Armstrong  Frazer  Walker,  was 
born  in  County  Down,  five  miles  from  Belfast,  Ireland,  April  21,  1828, 
and  came  to  Canada,  an  orphan,  in  the  Fall  of  1S45,  having  sailed  from 
Europe  Aug.  3,  and  arriving  at  Quebec,  Sept.  6,  1S45.  He  was  in  Leeds 
Co.,  Upper  Canada  until  October,  1849,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
and  was  employed  at  work  by  the  month  in  Schofield's  mill  and  in 
Goodhue's  mill,  at  and  near  Wausau,  until  1852.  He  was  engaged  in 
logging  for  himself  in  the  Winters  of  1S52,  1S53  and  1854.  In  the 
Fall  of  1855  he  purchased  his  first  lumber,  and  has  operated  in  lum- 
ber ever  since.  In  the  Fall  of  1858  he  located  at  Stevens  Point,  and 
purchased  what  is  known  as  the  Valentine  Brown  property,  which  was 
Valentine  Brown's  second  addition  to  the  village  (now  city)  of 
Stevens  Point,  which  covered,  perhaps,  one-third  or  more  of  the  then 
site  of  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  Walker  still  owns  a  portion  of  the  prop- 
erty. He  was  for  four  years  in  partnership  with  D.  R.  Clements, 
dealing  extensively  in  lumber,  then  for  several  years  with  Matthew 
Wadleigh,  engaged  in  running  saw-mills.  Since  coming  to  Stevens 
Point  he  has  dealt  extensively  in  lumber  and  real  estate.  He  has  been 
Sheriff  two  years  and  Alderman  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  was 
one  of  the  principal  movers  in  the  boom-building.  Mr.  Walker  was 
married  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  13,  1859,  to  Lizzie  C.  Hedges, 
who  was  born  in  Mattewan,  N.  Y.  They  have  two  children  living, 
Jessie  Louise  and  Mary  Ada,  and  lost  two  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Walker,  with  his  wife  and  daughter  Jessie,  visited  Europe  in  1S69. 

WILLIAM  WALKER,  proprietor  saloon  and  wholesale  liquor 
dealer,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  at  Almond,  Portage  Co.,  in  the 
Fall  of  1865,  and  lived  there  with  his  parents  until  1873,  at  which  time 


HISTORY  OF  P0RTA(;E  COUNTY. 


759 


he  went  to  California  and  was  engaged  in  mining  "and  farming  about 
four  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Almond  and  followed  farming  a 
short  time ;  sold  his  place  and  moved  to  Stevens  Point  and  engaged 
as  above  stated.  He  also  carried  on  the  livery  business  a  short  time. 
He  was  born  in  Canada  West,  Sept.  5,  1854.  He  was  married  at 
Almond,  December,  1879.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Rose  Felker  ; 
she  was  born  in  Almond,  March,  1862.  They  have  one  child,  named 
Harry  E.  Walker 

SILAS  S.  WALSWORTH,  lumberman,  Stevens  Point.  Came  to 
Plover,  Wis.,  Aug.  20, 1844,  and  in  the  following  October,  came  to  Stevens 
Point  and  hauled  logs  for  the  first  house  built  in  this  place,  by  Abraham 
Brawley.  Mr.Walsworth  engaged  in  logging  and  teaming  until  1845.  being 
employed  by  his  father,  Silas  Walsworth,  who  died  in  PortageCity  Wis., 
in  1848.  Ml.  Walsworth,  Jr.,  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Iowa  from 
1S45  to  1S48,  when  he  returned  to  Stevens  Point  where  he  has  since 
resided,  being  in  the  lumber  business  most  of  the  time,  except  four  years, 
from  1S52  to  1856,  when  he  was  engaged  in  mining  in  California.  He 
was  United  States  Deputy  Collector  at  one  time ;  and  was  married  at 
Stevens  Point,  May  22,  1856,  to  Mary  J.  Livingston,  and  has  three 
children — Silas,  Fred  L.,  and  Mary  L. 

WILLIAM  WALTON,  Stevens  Point.  Was  born  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  March  30,  1824.  In  1832  his  parents  came  to  Pontiac,  Mich.,  where  he 
lived  until  1842,  then  went  to  Chicago  and  remained  there  until  1844, 
when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  was  located  in  Johnston,  Rock  _Co., 
about  one  year;  May  10,  1S45,  he  came  to  the  present  site  of  Stevens 
Point,  finding  only  one  rough-board  shanty  here  at  that  time.  During 
the  Winter  of  1845-46  he  worked  by  the  month,  at  Wausau  making 
shingles,  and  continued  to  work  by  the  month  in  the  pineries  for  four  or 
five  years  ;  afterward  until  1861  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  ; 
since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering,  farming,  and  dealing  in 
real  estate.  Dec.  22,  1S54.  he  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  to  Frances 
C.  Copp,  a  native  of  New  York. 

THOMAS  WELCH,  lumberman  and  liquor  dealer,  Stevens  Point. 
Was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  Aug.  15, 1853.  Came  to  America  in 
1843.  Resided  for  several  years  at  Flushing,  L.  I.;  was  employed 
aboard  steamboat  running  between  Flushing  and  New  York  City  for 
some  time,  afterward  on  steamboats  running  between  New  York  and 
Southern  ports.  In  the  Spring  of  1852  he  came  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  and  to 
Stevens  Point,  Oct.  28,  1S53.  For  five  or  six  years  he  was  employed  in 
Goodhue's  mill  on  the  BigEau  Claire,  and  Springs  rafting  lumber  until 
he  lost  a  leg  Aug.  2g,  1859,  ^'  Grand  Rapids,  his  leg  getting  fouled  in 
cable  while  rafting,  which  resulted  as  stated.  Ever  since  1859  he  has 
been  dealing  in  lumber  and  shingles,  and  also  running  the  "Star" 
saloon.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  September,  i868,  to  Adelia 
M.  Felker,  she  was  born  in  Prussia.  They  have  six  children — Katie  E., 
Alice  G..  Nettie  M.,  John  T.,  Ada  M.,  and  Inez  L.  Mr.  Welch  has  one 
son  William  M.,  by  a  former  marriage.  Mr.  W.  has  served  several  years 
as  Alderman. 

MAURICE  WEISEN,  harness  maker  and  saddler,  also  dealer  in  all 
articles  pertaining  to  the  business  of  his  trade,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  W. 
was  born  in  Scandinavia,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  i,  1857,  where  he 
lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
went  to  Stevens  Point,  and  first  worked  in  the  butcher  business  eight 
months.  Then  he  returned  to  Waupaca  and  learned  his  trade,  and  there 
remained  three  years.  Afterward  went  to  Stevens  Point  and  worked  a 
short  time  at  the  harness  business.  Then  ran  the  river,  going  to  Louis- 
iana, Mo.  Returned  to  Weyauwega,  Wis.;  worked  three  and  one-half 
months  in  a  harness  shop,  and  during  the  Winters  of  1877-78, 
worked  making  railroad  ties.  From  there  he  went  near  Fountain  City, 
Wis.,  and  remained  until  November,  1878.  During  the  Winter  and 
Spring,  worked  at  lumbering,  and  the  Winter  of  1879.  worked  in  a  har- 
ness shop  at  Plainfield,  Wis.,  and  in  the  following  Spring  began  working 
in  a  harness  shop  at  Stevens  Point.  Remained  until  July,  1880,  and  be- 
gan business  on  his  own  account. 

GEORGE  E.  WERT,  dealer  in  dry  goods,  staple  and  fancy,  also 
groceries,  provisions,  flour  and  feed,  Stevens  Point.  He  first  settled  at 
Wiota,  La  Fayette  Co.,  in  1850.  He  followed  farming  eighteen  months, 
and  in  1852  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  where  he  first  engaged  running 
lumber  on  the  Wisconsin  River.  He  followed  lumbering  about  fifteen 
years.  During  the  Winters,  he  kept  a  feed  store,  and  in  1867-68,  he  be- 
gan business  with  Mr.  Hamacher  in  the  same  line.  He  continued  in 
company  about  two  and  one-half  years.  He  then  built  his  present  store, 
and  has  been  doing  business  there  since.  Mr.  Wert  was  born  in  Adams 
Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  16,  1826.  He  was  raised  in  Gettysburg,  Pa.  He  was 
married  in  Wiota,  Wis.,  Oct.  15,  1855.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  E.  Miller.  She  was  born  in  Indiana,  Jan.  22.  1833.  They  have 
five  children,  named  George  M.,  Clara  J.,  Walter  D.,  now  deceased, 
Charles  E.  and  Arthur  A. 

CHARLES  WESTON,  saw  filer  in  the  mill  of  his  father,  William 
Weston,  Stevens  Point.  He  was  born  on  Token  Creek,  Dane  Co.,  Wis., 
June  2,  1851.  His  parents,  with  their  family,  moved  to  Stevens  Point 
in  the  Fall  of  1851.  At  a  suitable  age  he  attended  the  schools  in  the 
village,  after  which  he  attended  the  Geneva    Normal  School,  Ohio.     He 


began  with  his  father  soon  after  finishing  at  Geneva,  and  has  worked  in 
the  mill  in  the  Summer  seasons  and  in  the  woods  in  the  Winter,  and 
during  the  three  last  Winters  he  has  run  a  shingle  mill  in  company  with 
his  brother,  George  Weston.  The  capacity  of  their  shingle  mill  is  about 
5,000,000  per  year;  located  on  Mill  Creek,  five  miles  northwest  of  Ste- 
vens Point.  He  was  married  in  May,  1873.  His  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Levena  Maw.  She  was  born  in  Portage  City,  Wis.,  in  1849.  They 
have  two  children,  named  Fred  R.  and  Alice  E. 

WILLIAM  WESTON,  lumber  manufacturer,  Stevens  Point.  Was 
born  in  Leicester,  England,  July  3,  1815.  Came  to  Vienna.  Dane  Co., 
Wis.,  in  September,  1847.  Engaged  in  farming  there  until  June,  1851, 
when  he  came  to  Stevens  Point.  Was  for  a  time  in  the  employ  of 
Judge  Beem;  then  for  about  two  years  was  agent  for  Strong  &  Ellis  in 
their  grist  mill  here;  afterward,  for -a  period  of  three  years,  he 
was  engaged  in  steamboating  between  this  point  and  Mosinee;  then, 
after  spending  one  year  and  a  half  in  selecting  pine  land,  he  built  (in 
1858-59)  a  small  saw-mill,  with  capacity  for  cutting  2,000  or  3,000  feet 
of  lumber  per  day.  He  has  since  gradually  increased  the  facilities,  and 
at  present  (i88i)  cuts  30,000  feet  of  lumber  and  about  30,000  shingles 
per  day.  His  present  mill  was  built  in  1872-73.  Mr.  Weston  was  pro- 
prietor of  a  machine  shop  here  for  six  or  seven  years.  He  was  for  eight- 
een or  twenty  years  a  member  of  the  School  Board  here.  Has  been  Su- 
pervisor and  member  of  the  Common  Council.  He  was  married  in  Lei- 
cester, England.  April  15,  1843,  to  Elizabeth  Clark.  She  was  born  in 
Leicestershire,  England,  -"Xug.  2,  1813.  Their  children  are:  William 
Rowland,  born  Feb.  5,  1844;  Nathaniel,  born  April  5,  1846;  Paul,  born 
Nov.  4,  1848;  Charles  born  June  2,  1851;  George,  born  Nov.  23,  1853. 
William  R.  and  Paul  are  residents  of  Alta,  Iowa.  The  other  sons  re- 
main with  their  father  in  the  lumber  manufacturing  business. 

FR.\NK  L.  WHEELOCK,  lumberman,  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  W. 
first  settled  at  Marquette,  Green  Lake  Co.,  with  his  parents,  in  1859. 
His  people  still  live  there.  He  left  home  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and 
went  to  Utah  Territory.  Followed  mining  and  teaming  about  one  year. 
He  also  guarded  a  snow-shed  on  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  for  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  a  short  lime.  He  then  returned  to  Jackson, 
Mich.,  and  was  there  employed  on  the  police  force,  as  special  policeman, 
and  remained  two  years.  In  1869  he  went  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  and 
followed  working  in  the  pineries,  running  the  Wisconsin  River.  In  1874 
he  went  to  lumbering  for  himself.  He  was  appointed  by  the  city  as 
policeman,  in  March,  1875,  •'>n<I  served  thirteen  months.  He  was  elect- 
ed City  Marshal  in  April.  1S76,  and  served  one  year.  In  the  Fall  of 
1875,  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff,  having  charge  of  the  County 
Jail.  He  served  in  that  capacity  two  years,  holding  both  positions  at 
the  same  time.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  with  his  brother,  A.  B.  Wheelock,  until  the  Spring  of  1S81. 
He  is  at  present  on  his  own  account.  Mr.  F.  L.  Wheelock  was  born  in 
Frankford,  Ohio,  Oct.  21,  1850.  He  was  married,  September,  1874,  at 
Stevens  Point.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Maddy.  She  was 
born  in  Stevens  Point,  Sept.  22,  1854.  They  had  three  children,  named 
Charley  B.,  died  July  5,  i88i,  Lydia  A.,  and  an  infant,  not  yet  named. 

O.  C.  WHEELOCK,  proprietor  ol  livery  stable  and  stage  line, 
Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Eden,  Vt.,  Feb.  8,  1833 ;  was 
reared  in  the  town  of  Morristown,  Vt.,  and  resided  there  until  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  and  located  at  Stevens  Point,  April  5,  1856.  He  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk  in  the  old  City  Hotel  here  for  several  years.  From 
1858  to  1S62,  he  was  proprietor  of  a  stage  line  between  this  point  and 
Wausau,  and  in  1861  and  1862  resided  at  Wausau.  Since  1S62  he  has 
been  engaged  in  livery  business  and  lumbering.  Was,  for  a  short  time, 
in  mercantile  business.  Mr.  Wheelock  was  Alderman  for  about  ten 
years,  member  of  County  Board  six  years.  Under  Sheriff  two  years, 
Assessor  for  four  years,  and  member  of  the  School  Board  four  years, 
being  at  present  President  of  the  Board.  In  December,  1859,  ^ic  was 
married,  at  Stevens  Point,  to  .\manda  Sturdevant,  a  native  of  Fairfield, 
Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  Thev  have  three  children— Edward  Bradley,  Ab- 
bie  Fidelia,  and  Addie  Olive. 

MRS.  FIDELIA  N.  WHITE,  Stevens  Point,  widow  of  Charles  R. 
White,  who  came  to  Wisconsin  in  April,  1S64,  and  was  married  in 
Waupaca,  Aug.  28,  1865.  Mrs.  White's  maiden  name  was  Fidelia  N. 
Miner.  She  was  born  in  .\llegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joel 
H.  and  Nancy  Miner,  and  with  them  'came  to  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1856,  where  her  parents  still  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White 
moved  to  Plover,  Portage  Co.,  in  April,  1S66,  and  lived  there  until 
April,  1873,  when  they  moved  to  Stevens  Point,  and  he  was  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  until  .'Vpril,  1880,  when  they  moved  to  Appleton, 
where  Mr.  White  died  Sept.  6,  18S0.  Mrs.  White  returned  to  Stevens 
Point,  Oct.  25,  i88o.  and  the  following  November  engaged  in  business. 
She  has  recently  built  a  new  store,  on  the  corner  of  Division  and  Church 
streets.  She  has  five  children— Fred  C,  Olive  P.,  Lottie  E.,  Oscar  F.. 
and  Arthur  C,  and  lost  two  children,  Mary  Emma,  who  died  June  12, 
1872,  aged  nearly  five  years,  and  William  Glenn,  who  died  June  6. 
1872,  aged  three  years. 

THOMAS  JEFFERSON  WRIGHT,  gunsmith  and  dealer  in  guns, 
pistols,  pocket  cutlery  and  sportsman's  articles,  Stevens  Point.     He  first 


760 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


located  in  Oshkosh,  in  1858,  n-ith  his  parents,  and  lived  there  until  the 
war  began,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  3d  Regt.  Wis.  V.  I.,  April  21,  1S61, 
and  served  until  Dec.  21,  1S63,  at  wnich  time  he  re-enlisted  in  the  same 
regiment  and  company,  and  served  until  July  12,  1865,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Louisville,  Ky.  Mr.  Wright  never  had  but  one  furlough  dur- 
ing his  service  in  the  war,  and  that  was  after  his  re-enlistment.  After 
the  war  closed,  he  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  and 
followed  logging,  lumbering,  etc.,  for  ten  years.  He  went  to  Stevens 
Point.  October,  1875,  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  was 
born  in  the  township  Ulster,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  3,  1843.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh,  August,  1S65.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eliza- 
beth A.  Skinner,  born  in  Painted  Post,  N.  Y.,  June,  1S49.  They  have 
four  children,  named  Adelbert  C,  William  H.,  Claude  A.  and  Frederick 
J.  Wright. 

A.  F.  WYATT,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  Stevens  Point,  was  born 
in  Wesleyville,  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  May  7,  1843,  lived  there  until  he  came 
to  Stevens  Point,  in  July.  1856.  From  1857  to  1863,  he  was  employed 
in  the  office  of  United  States  Register  of  Lands  at  this  point.  From 
1S63  to  1865  he  was  at  La  Crosse,  in  the  Provost  Marshal's  office. 
From  May,  1865,  until  the  Fall  of  1867,  he  was  Assistant  Assessor  of 
Internal  Revenue  for  this  district.  During  this  period  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  business,  which  he  continued  until  March,  1869.  In  the 
Winter  of  1870,  he  entered  McCuUoch's  bank  as  book-keeper,  and  con- 
tinued there  until  November,  1871.  At  that  time  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company  established  a  depot  here,  and  Mr.  Wyatt  was  ap- 
pointed station  agent,  and  held  that  position  until  May,  1877.  After- 
ward, for  two  years,  in  McCuUoch's  bank  again,  and  one  year  with  B. 
Burr  &  Son.  Since  Jan.  I,  18S1,  he  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
Court.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  has  been  Alderman 
of  the  Third  Ward  two  years,  and  was  re-elected  this  year  ( 1881 ).  At 
the  time  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Court,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
County  Board.  He  took  the  recent  census  of  the  Second  and  Third 
wards  of  Stevens  Point.  During  the  war  he  took  the  enrollment  for 
the  Northern  District  of  Portage  County.  Sept.  4,  1876,  was  married, 
in  Stevens  Point,  to  Emma  A.  Redfield,  a  native  of  this  place.  They 
have  had  one  son,  William  Franklin,  who  died  Nov.  11,  1880,  aged 
twenty-three  months. 

PLOVER. 

This  little  village  was  formerly  the  county  seat  of 
Portage,  and  was  among  the  first  places  settled  on  the 
Upper  Wisconsin,  and  at  the  time  the  vote  of  the  county, 
selected  it  as  the  shire  town,  it  was  a  stopping-place  on 
the  road  up  the  river.  It  was  called  the  Plover  Portage, 
because,  at  this  point,  the  canoes  had  to  be  taken  from  the 
river  logo  around  Conant's  Rapids,  or  across  the  country  to 
the  Wolf  River  on  the  east,  and  the  Black  River  on  the  west. 
As  to  the  location  of  this  trail,  it  may  be  said  that  there  were 
several  going  both  ways  from  between  the  Big  Plover  and 
Little  Plover,  and  at  another  point  above  Shaurett's  Rapids. 
A  party,  coming  from  the  Wolf,  to  go  up,  would  strike  the 
river  above  the  Falls,  if  to  go  down,  below  Conant's  Rapids. 
So  in  going  to  the  Black  River. 

As  before  intimated.  Plover  had  a  tavern  on  the  road 
between  Grand  Rapids  and  Big  Bull  Falls,  and,  although 
nearly  a  mile  from  the  river,  it  was  on  a  direct  line  between 
the  Grand  Rapids  and  the  eastern  bend  of  the  river,  where 
the  Little  Plover  comes  in.  John  Batten  was  the  landlord 
of  the  house,  and  being  central,  it  was  selected  as  the  site 
of  the  county  seat,  Moses  M.  Strong  laid  out  the  village. 
in  1846.  It  is  level  and  handsomely  laid  out,  and  kept 
on  flourishing,  so  that  in  the  Summer  of  1857,  not  a  house 
could  be  rented  in  town.  With  the  removal  of  the  county 
business,  it  began  to  decline,  but  with  the  building  of  the 
railroads,  and  the  filling  up  of  the  country  with  farms,  it  is 
again  coming   up. 

The  Portage' division  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road passes  through  this  place,  and  the  Green  Bay,  Winona 
&  St.  Paul  crosses  it  at  right  angles.     This  road  is  also  con- 


structing a  branch  road  to  Stevens  Point,  and  it  is  hoped, 
that  for  the  better  accommodation  of  the  public,  a  union 
depot  will  be  established. 

The  first  records  of  the  town  of  Plover  begin  in  1850. 
The  Supervisors  elected  were  :  John  H.  Bachelor,  Jacob 
L.  Myers  andH.  H.  Young.  George  W.  Cate  was  .Assessor; 
Caleb  D.  Ogden,  Superintendent  of  schools;  Jonathan 
Wyatt,  Clerk,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Marquis  Beach 
was  Constable;  William  Dunton,  Treasurer.  The  town- 
hall  was  built  in  1867. 

The  town  offices  of  Plover,  in  1881,  are  :  Supervisors, 
H.  H.  Bourn,  Chairman ;  Moses  Buariea,  M.  H.  Mouger; 
Town  Clerk,  Charles  A.  Lane,  for  the  past  fifteen  years ; 
Treasurer,  John  Eckels  ;  Constables,  W.  H.  Potts,  Robert 
Morrison,  John  H.  Morrison ;  Justice  of  the  Peace,  A.  J. 
Welton  William  R.  Alban,  L.  B.  Farr,  Cyrus  W.  Dott. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  important  establishments 
in  town,  is  that  of  S.  D.  Clark,  for  the  manufacture  of  sirup  from 
sorghum.  It  was  started  in  18S0,  and  700  gallons  were  made 
the  first  year.  In  the  season  of  1881,  about  3,000  gallons 
will  be  made.  The  farmers  bring  in  the  cane  and  it  is  made 
into  a  sirup,  weighing  from  eleven  to  twelve  pounds  to  the 
gallon,  for  twenty  cents  a  gallon.  The  Minnesota  early 
amber,  is  the  variety  mostly  planted,  and  the  yield  varies 
from  75  gallons  on  an  acre  to  200  gallons.  The  average 
being  perhaps  125  gallons. 

It  now  sells  for  domestic  use,  at  fifty  cents  a  gallon,  so 
that  the  farmer  realizes,  as  a  rule,  $37.50  gross  earnings  per 
acre  for  their  crop.  This  is  a  pioneer  mill  in  this  business 
and  the  material  is  brought  as  far  as  fourteen  miles.  A  long 
pan  alternately  subdivided,  is  used  as  an  evaporator,  the 
juice  flowing  in  from  the  mill  at  one  end,  and  the  sirup 
drawn  out  at  the  other.  No  alkali  is  used  to  correct  the 
slight  acidity,  which  is  by  no  means  disagreeable  to  the  taste. 

Mr.  Clark  also  has  a  hay  press  operated  in  the  Winter. 
He  puts  up  200  tons  or  more  of  tame,  and  fifty  tons  of 
marsh  hay. 

The  present  business  is  represented  by  the  following 
parties  : 

William  E-  Siiepird,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in 
furniture. 

Barr  &  Scott,  manufacturers  of    boots  and  shoes. 

David  Derby,  wagon  maker,  repairing. 

A.  A.  Walbridge,  general  merchandise;  everything  want- 
able,  from  pins  and  needles,  to  stoves  and  lumber.  The  only 
place  for  dry  goods  in  town. 

M.  S.   Pierce,  drugs  and  medicines. 

J.   D.  Rogers,  grocery — an  old  settler  of  thirty  years. 

J.  Prince,  groceries. 

Smith  &  Co.,  and  J.  Waters,  saloons. 

R.  Thompson  and  Phillip  Bremmer,  blacksmiths. 

George  Frayeser,  shoemaker. 

F.  H.  Bohner  &  Bro.,  hardware,  stoves,  tin-ware,  agri- 
cultural implements,  etc. 

Latterment  &  Morrison,  meat  market,  groceries  and 
provisions. 

Samuel  Drake,  cigars,  confectionery,  and  restaurant. 


HISTORY   OF    PORTAGE   COUNTY. 


761 


Empire  House,  first  opened  in  1856;  it  has  been  kept  by 
Joseph  Bettis,  George  Hibbard,  O.  H.  Lamoreaux, 
George  Wilmot  and  others.  T.  F.  Cooley  is  the  present 
proprietor. 

Bigelow  House,  a  quiet  home-like  hotel. 
,  The  Plover  Cornet  Band,  organized  in  June,    1879.     F. 

I         H.  Bohner,  leader.     Twelve  pieces. 

At  the  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  Station,  where 
Ch.  H.  Shager  is  agent,  the  amount  forwarded  per  month  is 
1,258,076  lbs.  Received,  48,000  lbs.  Passenger  fare  for  one 
month,  $508. 

Wisconsin  Central,  Morgan  Danks,  agent.  The  receipts 
for  a  month  in  the  early  Fall  of  1881  was  $598. 

There  are  two  churches  in  the  village. 

The  Methodists  were  first  in  the  field,  and  at  one  time 
there  were  five  societies  of  different  kinds  in  operation. 

The  Methodists  have  a  house  of  worship,  erected  in  1861, 
although  there  was  a  regular  supply  long  before  that 
time. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  in  1856.  In 
February,  1871,  nine  women,  members  of  the  Church  met, 
and  transformed  themselves  into  Presbyterians,  and  organ- 
ized with  nineteen  members,  and  that  society  has  sinceused 
the  church  erected  by  the  Presbyterians  in  1862. 

Rev.  R.  M.  Webster,  was  the  first  pastor.  There  is  no 
pastor  now. 

The  legal  profession  is  ably  represented  by  W.  R.  Alban 
and  O.  H.  Lamoreaux 

Plover  Lodge  No.  76,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  instituted  in 
1.855.  First  officers  :  Luther  Hanchett,  W.  D.  Mclndoe, 
D.S.Sanders.  Their  hall  was  burned  in  1 87 1.  It  now  has 
forty-seven  members.  The  present  oflicers  are :  L.  M. 
Gregory,  W.  M. ;  W.  O.  Lamoreaux,  S.  W. ;  F.  Halladay, 
J.  W. 

The  Good  Templars  also  have  a  lodge  in  good  con- 
dition. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

PHILLIP  BREMMER,  general  blacksmith,  Plover,  Wis.  Mr.  B. 
was  born  in  Whitewater,  Wis.,  May  31,  1S50,  where  they  lived  a  num- 
ber of  years,  after  which  they  moved  to  Plover,  and  lived  until  i86g. 
then  they  went  to  Minnesota  and  lived  about  seven  years,  and  Mr.  B. 
followed  blacksmithing,  which  trade  he  also  followed  at  Plover,  before 
moving  to  Minnesota.  He  returned  to  Plover  in  1876,  and  has  since 
lived  there.  He  was  married  at  Plover,  in  November,  1873.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Louisa  A.  Waters  ;  she  was  born  in  Plover. 
They  have  three  children,  named  Etta  B.,  Charles,  and  Bertha. 

LEVI  M.  GREGORY,  practicing  physician  and  surgeon.  Plover, 
Wis.  The  doctor  was  born  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  17, 1827,  His 
parents  settled  at  Whitewater,  Wis.,  in  1S47.  He  lived  there  with  his 
parents  a  short  time  and  went  to  Fort  Atkinson,  and  began  the  study  of 
medicine  with  Dr.  H.  M.  Gregory,  his  brother.  He  remained  until  July, 
1S50.  He  graduated  at  the  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Medical  College  in  Febru- 
ary, 1869.  He  also  attended  two  courses  at  the  Indiana  Medical  Col- 
lege, in  184S  and  '49,  located  at  La  Porte,  Ind.  ;  he  settled  in  Plover, 
July,  1S50.  He  was  married,  at  Marcellon,  Columbia  Co..  Wis.,  Feb. 
22,  1S52.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Olive  S.  Babcock  ;  she  was  born 
in  New  York,  Nov.  29,  1S35.  They  have  one  daughter,  born  in  Plover, 
July  27,  1S55,  named  Frankie  Gregory  ;  married,  Sept.  14,  1S76,  to  Dr. 
R.  H.  Darling,  and  living  in  Manitowoc,  Wis. 

.OLIVER  H.  LAMOREAUX.  lawyer  and  farmer,  Stevens  Point, 
was  born  in  Clockville,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  22.  1824.  and  lived  there 
until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  In  1849,  ^^  came  to  Wisconsin,  prospect- 
ing, but  did  not  locate  here  until  Oct.  22,  185 1,  when  he  came  to  Port- 
age Co..  Wis.,  living  in  Stockton  from  the  following  Spring  until  January. 
1859,  when  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Plover,  where  he  still  lives,  farm- 
ing in  that  town,  and  in  Buena  Vista.     Mr.  Lamoreaux  was  admitted  to 


the  Bar  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  the  Fall  of  1851,  and  to  practice 
in  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin  in  1858,  and  has  been  engaged  in 
practice  of  law  over  twenty-five  years.  From  1861  to  November.  1862, 
he  practiced  with  J.  O.  Raymond  and  Luther  Hanchett,  at  Plover.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Hanchett,  in  November.  1S62,  Lamoreaux  &  Raymond 
continued  in  partnership  until  1S6S.  Mr.  Lemoreaux  was  Chairman  of 
the  Town  Board  of  Stockton  when  that  town  was  first  organized.  He 
was  also  Justice  of  the  Peace  there.  He  was  District  Attorney  first  by 
appointment,  and  three  times  by  election,  and  then  engaged  in  enrolling 
under  the  commissioner  system,  and  was  afterward  special  Indian 
Agent  for  the  Winnebagoes,  Pottawatomies  and  stray  Indians,  for  four 
years.  In  1S71.  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly.  He  was  married,  in 
Clockville,  N.  Y..  Feb.  28.  1848,  to  Elizabeth  C.  Hall,  a  native  of  that 
place.  They  have  four  children— William  O..  Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  D. 
V.  Bean,  Boulder,  Col.;  Frank  B.,  and  Charles  A. 

JERRY  D.  ROGERS,  dealer  in  groceries,  crockery,  etc..  Plover. 
Wis.  He  settled  at  Wausau  in  1842.  and  followed  lumbering  eight 
years,  after  which  he  moved  to  Plover,  and  directly  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He  was  elected  Clerk  of 
Court  and  Clerkof  Board  of  Supervisors  in  November,  iS49;held  theoflfices 
one  term,  and  in  November,  1S51,  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  which 
he  also  held  one  term.  He  was  appointed  regimental  quartermaster  of 
iSthReg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
Jan.  6.  1862,  and  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health,  Aug.  31,  1862.  Mr. 
R.  has  seen  a  good  deal  of  pioneer  life.  He  was  born  in  Barnet.  Vt.. 
Sept.  8,  1823.  Married  to  Miss  Mary  Conklin,  Dec.  22,  1852,  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Wis.;  his  wife  was  born  in  New  York,  Feb.  28,  1828.  They 
had  three  children,  an  infant  born  March  24.  1854,  died  April  5,  1854; 
Sarah  I.,  born  July  23,  1S55,  now  married  and  living  in  Watertown,  D. 
T.,  and  Arthur  J.,  born  May  11.  1859,  now  Assistant  Superi-isor  at  In- 
sane Asylum,  Madison,  Wis. 

HON.  MINER  STROPE.  deceased.  Was  born  in  Wysox.  Luzerne 
Co..  Pa.,  May  11,  1806.  Educational  opportunities  in  that  region  were 
extremely  limited  when  he  was  a  youth,  but  he  made  the  best  of  the 
chances  presented,  and  acquired  a  good  education.  He  studied  law.  and 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  Western  New  York,  in  1S30.  In  1841,  he 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State,  and  on  the 
6th  day  of  June,  1843,  he  underwent  an  examination  for  admission  as  a 
solicitor  in  the  Court  of  Chancery  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  was 
admitted  on  that  day,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  removal  from  that  State, 
he  was  in  the  active  practice  of  law  in  all  of  those  courts.  Deciding  to 
go  West.  Judge  Strope,  in  June,  1850,  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located 
in  Plover,  where  he  resided  continuously  until  his  death,  Aug.  31,  1S80. 
Prior  to  coming  to  Plover,  he  resided,  for  a  few  months,  in  Watertown. 
Wis.  At  Milwaukee,  in  1S59,  ^^  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  United 
States  Courts.  He  held  the  office  of  District  Attorney  for  both  Portage 
and  Wood  counties,  and  was  County  Judge  of  Portage  County  for  two 
terms.  Judge  Strope  was  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest  lawyer  in 
the  State  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  twice  married.  By  his  first 
wife,  Mary  E.  Morton,  he  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  married 
and  survive  him.  By  his  second  wife.  Miss  Lucilla  Wilmot.  he  had  three 
children,  all  now  living.  The  Judge  was  a  safe  counselor  and  a  success- 
ful practitioner,  courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  his  brothers  of  the  Bar, 
but  firm  and  determined  in  the  presentation  and  argument  of  contro- 
verted points  ;  his  management  was  able,  and  he  always  tried  his  cases 
well,  and  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  his  clients.  In  his  business  rela- 
tions he  was  honorable,  and  his  integrity  was  never  called  in  question. 

JOHN  W.  STROPE,  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Miner  Strope.  of  Plover. 
Portage  Co..  Wis.  Was  born  in  the  town  of  .Villanova.  Chautauqua  Co., 
N.  Y.,  April  13,  1S50.  His  father  was  born  May  11,  1806,  and  when  six- 
teen years  old,  went  with  his  parents  to  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  His  mother  was 
also  a  native  of  New  York  State.  When  John  W.  was  a  few  months  old, 
his  parents  came  to  Watertown,  Wis.,  remaining  there  but  a  couple  of 
months,  then  removed  to  Plover.  He  commenced  teaching  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  ;  taught  ten  terms  in  Portage  County,  afterward  working  ascar- 
peuter  and  millwright.  He  studied  law  with  his  father  for  two  years, 
and  was  then  appointed  route  agent  on  the  Wisconsin  &  Minnesota  Rail- 
road, Abbottsford  &  Eau  Claire  Mail  Route.  Mr.  Strope  was  married  in 
Plover,  July  20,  1871,  to  Ada  M.  Alban.  who  was  born  in  Stark  Co.. 
Ohio.     They  have  one  child,  Etta  Maude,  born  .•\ug.  10.  1875. 

WILLIAM  B.  SHEPARD.  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  furniture. 
Plover,  Wis.  Mr.  S.  first  settled  in  Plover.  September.  1855.  Mr.  S. 
learned  the  carpenter  and  cabinet  trade,  and  has  made  that  his  principal 
business.  He  has  a  small  engine  in  his  shop,  with  which  he  does  many 
kinds  of  fancy  and  bracket  work.  He  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  V., 
Aug.  12.  1837.  He  began  business  in  1876,  at  Plover.  He  was  married 
at  Buena  Vista,  Portage  Co.,  Wis.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Helen 
M.Wales;  she  was  born  in  New  York.  They  have  one  boy,  named 
Frank,  now  living  at  home. 

ALLEN  A.  WALBRIDGE,  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  Plover, 
Wis.  Mr.  W.  settled  at  Plover,  in  1865,  and  first  clerked  four  years  for 
J.  H.  Morgan,  then  he  went  in  company  with  W.  A.  Perry  and  G.  F. 
Hirvey.  firm  name  of  Walbridge.  Perry  &  Harvey,  in  general  merchan- 


762 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


dise,  which  they  operated  three  years,  and  Mr.  P.  sold  his  interest  to  his 
partners,  and  they  operated  one  and  one-half  years,  when  Mr.  Walbridge 
bought  the  entire  interest,  which  he  has  since  operated.  Mr.  W.  was 
born  in  Cabot,  Vl.,  April  2,  1S43.  He  lived  at  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  The  father  of  the  family  died  when  the  children  were 
quite  small,  and  the  duty  of  bringing  up  the  family  fell  upon  the  mother, 
which  she  did  with  credit  to  herself  and  children.  Mr.  W.  was  married 
in  Cabot,  Vt.,  Nov.  17,  1S69.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Sarah  J. 
Harvey  ;  she  was  bora  in  Cabot.  Vt.,  Dec.  6  1841.  They  have  foarchil- 
dren  living— Mary  M.,  Fanny  R.,  Carrie  S.  (Allen  H.,  deceased)  and 
Ernest  L. 

SPRINGVILLE. 

This  suburb  of  Plover  is  on  the  lower  eastern  land  of  the 
Wisconsin,  on  the  Little  Plover.  The  first  grist-mill  north- 
west of  the  Fo.x  River  was  erected  here  in  1850,  by  the 
Mitchell  Bros.  It  formerly  had  shops  and  stores  ;  now  three 
residences  and  a  flour  and  feed  mill,  owned  by  J.  C.  Har- 
vey.    It  has  four  run  of  stones  and  a  double  roller. 


McDILLVILLE. 
A  little  village,  fonnerly  called  Big  Plover,  on  the  river 
of  that  name,  near  where  it  enters  the  Wisconsin.  It  has 
a  saw-mill  and  a  planing  mill.  The  latter  is  called  Potter's 
mill.  The  saw-mill  is  run  by  McDill.  The  logs  are  owned 
by  George  Mitchell,  who  has  them  cut  by  the  thousand. 
There  is  a  school-house,  a  store  and  hotel,  with  several  fine 
residences. 

AMHERST. 

This  village  is  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  fifteen 
miles  below  Stevens  Point.  The  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota 
Railroad  forms  a  junction  with  the  Wisconsin  Central  about 
a  mile  northwest  of  the  village,  at  which  point  is  Amherst 
Junction  post-office.  It  has  500  inhabitants,  and  is  in  the 
midst  of  good  farming  lands.  E.  Webster  is  the  Postmaster. 
There  are  several  churches — Methodist  Episcopal,  German^ 
and  Norwegian  Lutheran.  The  school  has  two  departments. 
Mr.  Bancroft  runs  a  planing  mill,  and  J.  &  O.  Iverson  have 
a  flouring  mill.  There  are  two  blacksmith  shops,  one  har- 
ness shop  and  one  wagon  shop,  with  a  number  of  stores  for 
general  merchandise,  with  other  village  accessories.  The 
lawyer  is  A.  J.  Smith.  The  doctors  are  A.  M.  Guernsey 
and  W.  O.  Kenyon.  There  is  an  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  and 
a  Temple  of  Honor.  It  is  an  enterprising  place,  with  good 
hotels  and  comfortable  business  places  and  dwellings. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

HOK.-VCE  ALLINGTON,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  Amherst 
Junction,  Wis.  Mr.  A.  first  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Waupaca,  with 
his  parents  in  1855 ;  lived  at  home  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age. 
He  first  clerked  in  a  store  two  years  for  his  father.  He  then  clerked  in 
a  store  one  year  on  his  own  account,  and  June  17,  1874,  he  began  in  his 
present  business,  as  above  stated.  He  was  born  in  Ithaca,  N.  Y..  Sept. 
5,  1854.  Married,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Hanke,  in  Waupaca  County, 
Aug.  13,  1S76.  His  wife  was  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  4,  1857.  They 
have  two  children,  named  Mabel  K.  and  Winnifred  E. 

WILLTAM  C.  HOLLY,  dealer  in  general  line  of  furniture,  Amherst. 
Mr.  H.  first  located  at  Amherst,  in  Fall  of  1855  ;  lived  there  during  the 
Winter  and  moved  to  Waupaca  in  Spring  of  1S56,  and  worked  at  his 
trade,  carpenter  and  joiner,  also  took  charge  of  building  court  house, 
and  worked  in  the  village  until  Fall  of  1858,  then  he  returned  to  Am- 
herst and  followed  same  occupation,  building  the  first  hotel  building  in 
that  place  ;  he  followed  his  trade  until  Fall  of  1876  ;  then  he  bought  a 
furniture  store,  stocked  the  same,  and  began  business  as  above  noted. 
He  was  born  in  Wells,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  2.  1S22,  and  was  married 
in  Troy,  same  county,  Sept.  23,  1846.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Laura  A.  Houghton,  born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  Dec.  27,  1827.  There  is 
one  daughter,  Hellen  L.,  now  married  to  Franklin  Tyler,  and  living  in 
Iowa.     Mrs.  Holly  died  April  5,  1872,  at  Amherst.     He  was  again  mar- 


ried May  5,   1878.     His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eliza  L.   Clark;   she 
was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Feb.  27,  1849. 

ORLIN  L.  RICKARD,  agent  and  operator,  Amherst  Junction. 
He  was  born  in  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y,,  Aug.  6,  1855.  He 
settled  at  Augusta,  Eau  Claire  Co.,  with  his  pirenls  in  1S61 ;  he  lived 
at  home  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age ;  learned  the  art  of 
operating  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  worked  at  Augusta 
about  three  years,  and  in  1S76  he  went  to  Rusk,  on  the  St. 
Paul  &  Minneapolis  Railroad;  and  worked  about  four  years 
as  operator ;  went  to  Amherst  Junction,  April  20,  18S1.  He 
was  married  in  Augusta,  July  25,  1876.  His  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Barbara  Strong.  She  was  born  in  Lowville,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y., 
September,  1854.  They  have  one  boy,  named  Fay  E.,  born  Aug.  11, 
1S78,  at  Auguita,  Wis. 

EDGAR  STARKE,  dealer  in  general  line  of  drugs,  medicines, 
paints  and  oils.  Amherst.  Mr.  S.  settled  with  his  father  near  Waupaca, 
in  Summer  of  1854.  He  went  to  Amherst  in  Spring  of  1855,  and  lived 
with  his  father  and  worked  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  at  which 
time  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  12th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf,  nth  October,  1S64  . 
served  until  l6th  of  July,  1865,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.; 
he  returned  to  .\mherst  and  was  sick  for  some  time  ;  clerked  in  store  ; 
afterward  went  in  company  with  Dr.  A.  H.  Guernsey  in  drug  business, 
which  they  followed  five  years,  after  which  Mr.  S.  continued  on  his  own 
account.  He  was  born  in  Stavanger,  Norway,  Sept.  23,  1846.  Married, 
at  Amherst.  Wis.,  October,  1872.  Wife's  maiden  name  was  Christina 
Peterson,  born  in  Amherst.  They  have  two  children,  named  Franklin 
M.  and  Stella  M. 

JOHN  SIEVERTSON,  general  blacksmith  and  manufacturer  of  wag- 
ons, buggies  and  sleighs,  Amherst.  He  first  settled  at  Amherst  in  1866, 
since  which  he  has  lived  at  Stevens  Point  two  years,  working  at  his 
trade,  and  has  worked  at  Amherst  the  balance  of  the  time.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  March  11,  1S41.  and  he  was  married,  in  his  native 
country,  in  1S65.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Ann  Knudson,  born  in 
same  country.  May  25,  1S40.      They  have  one  daughter  named  Inga   A. 

ENOCH  WEBSTER,  Postmaster,  Amherst,  Wis.  Mr.  Webster  set- 
tled at  Lyons,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  24,  1845,  and  lived  there  two 
years,  then  moved  to  Rosendale,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  where  he  remained 
and  followed  farming  until  November,  1S55,  at  which  time  he  moved  to 
Amherst,  and  has  since  followed  farming.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  the  Spring  of  1S56,  and  has  been  re-elected  and  held  the  oflice 
ever  since.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  March  4,  1874,  and  has  held 
same  since.  He  was  born  in  Fryeburg,  Oxford  Co.,  Me..  Sept.  20, 1S13. 
He  was  married  at  Moscow,  Me.,  Sept.  I.  1S38.  His  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Lydia  H.  Fletcher.  She  was  born  in  Moscow,  Me.,  April  24,  1S18. 
They  had  eight  children,  named  Charles  E.,  now  married  and  living  at 
Almond,  Wis.;  John  N.,  living  at  home ;  (Augustus  A.  and  Augustine, 
deceased);  Emily  M.,  married,  and  living  at  Almond  ;  Dora  W.  was 
married,  but  her  husband  is  now  dead,  and  she  is  living  with  her  par- 
ents ;  William  A.  and  Fred  E,,  both  at  home. 

JUNCTION  CITY. 

This  village  lies  at  the  crossing  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley 
and  Wisconsin  Central  Railroads.  It  has  two  schools,  two 
hotels,  one  general  store  and  a  saw-mill,  with  unlimited 
hopes  and  expectations  as  to  the  future. 

About  three  miles  north  of  Junction  City  is  Runkel's 
Mills,  with  store  and  saw-mill.  This  is  a  station  on  the  Wis- 
consin Central. 


lilOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  CLAYTON,  operator  and  agent  for  C,  M.  &  St.  Paul  R. 
R.,  at  Junction  City,  Wis.  Mr.  Clayton  was  born  in  Waukesha,  Wis., 
July  31,  1S55,  where  he  lived  with  his  parents  until  1S65;  they  then 
moved  to  North  Prairie,  Racine  Co.,  where  he  learned  the  art  of  teleg- 
raphy, and  remained  five  years.  At  the  .age  of  fifteen  years  he  left 
home  and  went  to  Ishpeming,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  operating  two 
years,  then  he  went  to  New  London  and  also  followed  operating  two 
years,  and  from  there  he  went  to  Junction  City,  where  he  is  at  present 
writing.  He  was  married  at  New  London,  Feb.  24,  1S76.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Glenah  Ward.     She  was  born  in  Illinois. 

FRANK  RUSSEL,  proprietor  Central  Hotel,  grocery  store  and 
saloon.  Junction  City,  Wis.  Junction  City  is  located  at  the  crossing  of 
the  Wisconsin  Valley  and  the  Wisconsin  Central  railroads.  Mr.  Rus- 
sel  first  located  at  Grand  Rapids  in  1856,  and  lived  there  until  the 
Spring  of  18S1.  When  he  first  moved  to  the  Rapids  he  worked  by  the 
month  in  the  lumber  business  for  three  years.  Then  he  followed  the 
saloon  business  about  eighteen  months,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the 
grocery  and  wholesale  liquor  trade,  which  he  followed  until  he  moved  to 
Junction  City.      Mr.  Russel  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  that  coun- 


HISTORY    OF    PORTAGE    COUNTY 


763 


try.  He  was  born  in  Canada  East,  Jan.  22,  1826.  He  was  married  at 
Grand  Rapids,  July  27,  1S63.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Rob- 
illard;  she  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  June  6,  1S47.  They  have 
four  children,  named  Mary  Louisa,  Frank  F.,  Joseph  A.  O.  and  Selina 
M.  Russel. 

OSWALD  VOYER,  proprietor  hotel  and  saloon  at  Junction  City, 
Wis.  He  also  makes  lumbering  his  principal  business.  He  first  settled 
in  Grand  Rapids,  September,  1863,  and  clerked  in  a  store  about  one 
year.  Then  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Frank  Russel  about  six  months,  after 
which  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  l6th  Reg.  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  served  from  March 
until  August.  1S65,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.  He  then 
returned  to  Centralia,  Wis.,  being  sick  for  two  years.  After  recovering 
he  kept  hotel  about  eight  months.  Then  began  running  the  Wisconsin 
River  on  rafts  until  1S67.  He  then  went  10  look  at  land  on  the  head 
waters  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  being  engaged  eighteen  months,  buying 
land  in  the  meantime,  after  which  he  began  the  lumber  business  and 
continued  it  until  the  panic  of  1873,  but  kept  a  saloon  and  was  engaged 
in  logging.  He  then  worked  on  his  homestead,  and  furnished  supplies 
to  the  railroad,  in  connection  with  lumbering,  and  located  in  Junction 
City,  in  June,  1S7S.  He  was  born  in  Canada  East,  April,  1846.  He 
was  married  October,  1872.  at  Grand  Rapids,  Wis,  His  wife's  maiden 
name  was  Lena  Lefebure.  She  was  born  in  Bellevue,  Iowa,  Aug.  16, 
1855.  They  have  four  children,  named  Amil  O.,  Nathalie,  Henry  and 
an  infant  not  yet  named. 

MEEHAN. 
This  station  is  located  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Section 
26,  Town  of  Plover,  five  miles  west  of  Plover  Village.  It 
contains  enterprising  and  prosperous  men  who  will  make  of 
their  little  hamlet  a  thriving  village.  The  usual  mechan- 
ical and  manufacturing  industries  are  here  represented,  while 
religious  and  educational  matters  are  observed  by  the 
thoughtful  citizens. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LEONARD  N.  ANSON,  lumberman  and  superintendent  of  the 
mill  and  lumber,  and  one  of  the  firm  of  Meehan  Brothers  cSc  Co.,  at 
Meehan,  on  Mill  Creek.  Mr.  A.  was  born  at  what  is  known  as  Conant 
Rapids,  on  Wisconsin  River,  July  3,  1848.  At  a  suitable  age  he  attend- 
ed the  public  schools  of  his  vicinity,  and  finally  attended  Bryant  & 
Stratton's  Commercial  College,  Chicago,  111.,  and  in  the  Spring  of  i86g 
he  went  to  work  for  the  above  firm  as  book-keeper  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  his  present 
place  of  business  and  has  lived  there  since.  Mr.  Anson  has  fairly  dem- 
onstrated to  all  with  whom  he  is  acquainted,  that  with  a  fair  amount  of 
energy  and  perseverance  it  is  possible  to  build  up  a  competence,  such 
as  older  men  might  envy.  He  was  married  at  Stevens  Point,  Wis., 
December,  1872.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Hanorah  A.  Meehan. 
She  was  born  in  Canada  East,  March,  1845.  They  have  two  children, 
named  Mary  T.  and  George  M.,  also  Henry,  now  deceased. 

WILLIAM  HERRON,  head  sawyer  in  Meehan  Bros,  mills,  Mee- 
han, Wis.  Mr.  H.  was  born  at  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  July  5,  1851,  and 
lived  there  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  there  ;  after  which  he  went  to  Meelian's  Mills  and  began  work 
as  above  named.  His  parents  yet  live  at  Grand  Rapids.  His  father's 
name  is  Martin  Herron,  and  his  mother's  Christian  name  is  Mary;  they 
are  both  natives  of  Ireland. 

ALEXANDER  LOVE,  head  sawyer  at  Meehan's  mills,  Meehan, 
Wis.  He  first  settled  in  Grand  Rapids,  November,  1867,  and  worked 
there  two  years  in  a  saw-mill,  after  which  he  went  to  Meehan,  and  en- 
gaged as  above  stated.  He  was  born  in  Canada  East,  September,  1S48  ; 
he  was   married  in   Stevens   Point,    Wis.,   Nov.  23,    1880.      His  wife's 


ibom  in  Stockton,  Portage 


maiden  name  was  Catherine  O'Keefe  ;  shi 
Co.,  in  July,  1858. 

JOHN  McGUIRE,  engineer  and  saw  filer,  and  has  charge  of  Mee- 
han's mills,  at  Meehan,  Wis.  Mr.  M.  first  settled  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Wis.,  in  1857;  he  lived  there  about  seven  years  and  was  engaged  in  lum- 
bering, piloting  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  etc.;  in  1S64,  he  moved  to  Mee- 
han's mills,  where  he  has  since  lived,  and  employed  as  above  noted. 
He  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  October.  1839.  He  was  married,  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  at  Sauk  City  ;  his  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Meehan. 
She  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  1840.  They  have  five  children,  named 
Catherine,  Mary,  Agnes,  John  and  Charles  McGuire. 

JAMES  MEEHAN,  lumber  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Terboan  Co., 
Canada  East,  July  7,  1S34,  and  came  from  there  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in 
the  Fall  of  1S54,  and  from  there  to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  lived  until 
1866,  when  he  came  to  Meehan,  and,  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
Patrick  Meehan,  built  a  saw-mill,  which  they  conducted  for  several  years 
under  the  firm  name  of  P.  &  H.  Meehan,  now  Meehan  Brothers  &  Co., 
Mr.  L.  N.  Anson  being  associated  with  them.  They  cut  10.000,000  feet 
of  lumber  this  year,  and  employ  about  125  men  during  Summer  and 
Winter.  They  have  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county,  and  engage  in 
farming  as  well  as  lumbering.  Mr.  Meehan  has  been  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  for  thirteen  years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
from  his  district  in  1S78.  He  was  married  in  the  parish  of  St.  Baziel, 
Canada,  October,  1S54,  to  Catherine  Love,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
county  as  Mr.  Meehan.  They  have  six  children  living— Mary,  James, 
Jr.,  Lizzie  R.,  Lettie,  Nora  and  Raymond  W. 

MILO  S,  WOOD,  proprietor  of  a  saw-mill  on  Mill  Creek,  half 
a  mile  from  Meehan's  mills,  on  the  Wisconsin  River.  His  mills  were 
erected  about  i860.  The  capacity  is  about  15.000  in  twelve  hours.  He 
employs  about  twenty-eight  men  when  in  full  operation.  The  mill  is 
run  by  water-power.  He  first  settled  in  Plainfield  Township,  in  1864  ; 
was  there  until  the  .Spring  of  1867,  and  followed  farming,  principally  ; 
from  there  he  went  to  his  present  place  of  business,  and  has  lived  there 
since.  He  was  born  in  Liberty,  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  17,  1830.  He 
was  married,  July  1850.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Harriet  Robert- 
son ;  she  was  born  in  the  same  place,  in  New  York,  Dec.  21,  1831. 
They  had  six  children,  named,  Alice  R.  Wood,  now  deceased ;  Walter 
W.,  Lambert  H.,  David  B.,  Nettie  N.,  now  deceased  ;  Jessie  E.  Wood, 

Town  of  Lan.ark. 

THOMAS  PIPE,  deceased.  Born,  Sept.  24,  1S27,  in  Dunyett,  Som- 
ersetshire, England.  In  1S50,  accompanied  by  his  brother,  John  V. 
Pipe,  he  came  to  America.  John  Pipe  married.  May  iS,  1S48,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Stickland.  They  were  united  in  Varcomb  Church,  and  came 
to  America  with  two  sons,  John  S.  and  Tom  ;  the  brothers  settled  at 
Greece  Center,  N.  Y.  In  October,  1850,  Thomas  Pipe  came  West  and 
settled  in  Vinland,  Wis.  J.  V.  Pipe  returned  to  England,  on  business, 
early  in  1854,  taking  passage  March  i,  1S54,  on  the  ill-fated  "City  of 
Glasgow  ;"  he  went  down  in  mid-ocean,  with  all  who  shared  his  company 
on  the  doomed  steamer.  He  left  four  children,  the  two  sons  above 
named,  and  Frank  and  Mary  E..  both  born  in  Greece  Center,  N.  Y. 
After  the  death  of  his  brother,  Thomas  Pipe  sought  the  widow  in  her 
Eastern  home,  and  she  accompanied  him  to  his  Western  one.  They  were 
married  in  Vinland,  June  24,  1S55.  On  the  29th  of  February,  1S56. 
they  located  on  a  farm  in  Farmington.  At  the  end  of  four  years,  Mr. 
Pipe  removed,  with  his  family,  to  Waupaca,  where  he  engaged  in  stock 
buying,  butchering,  etc.,  for  about  eighteen  years.  While  here  he  served 
as  Chairman,  Supervisor  and  Street  Commissioner  for  years.  In  1875, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pipe  made  a  seven  months  visit  to  their  native  land. 
They  located  on  the  present  homestead  in  Lanark,  Portage  Co.,  .'\pril 
13,  1876.  Here  Mr.  Pipe  was  honored  with  the  office  of  Chairman 
three  or  four  years.  Few  men  could  have  been  stricken  by  the  grim  de- 
stroyer and  left  so  hard  a  place  to  fill,  as  did  the  death  of  Thomas  Pipe. 
He  departed  this  life,  Sept.  22,  i88o,  leaving  three  children— William  E., 
Florence  J.  and  Effie  A.  The  eldest  was  born  in  Vinland,  and  the 
daughters  in  Waupaca. 


764 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


PRICE    COUNTY. 


The  county  of  Price  embraces  within  its  limits 
thirty-five  Government  Townships  of  land,  viz.: 
Townships  34  to  40  north  of  Ranges  1  to  3  east,  and 
1  and  2  west  of  fourth  principal  meridian. 

The  soil  is  a  sandj'  loam,  with  a  sub-stratum  of 
heavy  clay,  very  rich  and  productive,  and  in  every 
waj'  admirably  adapted  for  agricultural  purposes.  In 
time  it  is  destined  to  be  one  of  the  best  grain  and 
dairy  counties  in  the  State,  but  until  the  present  great 
wealth  of  pine  is  somewhat  consumed,  these  industries 
will  receive  a  secondary  consideration. 

The  surface  of  the  countj'  is  slightly  rolling,  with 
fine  strips  of  meadow  land,  and  very  pleasantly  diver- 
sified with  numerous  lakes  and  streams,  which  are 
most  abundantly  supplied  with  fish.  Among  the  most 
prominent  of  these  lakes  is  Elk  Lake,  located  in  Town 
37,  Range  1  east,  on  the  beautiful  banks  of  which  is 
located  the  sprightly  village  of  Phillips,  the  county 
seat.  Butternut  Lake,  in  Town  40,  Range  1  west,  and 
Pike  and  Round  lakes,  in  Town  40,  Range  3  east,  are 
much  larger  than  Elk,  and  contain,  perhaps,  better 
fishing.  Each  of  these  lakes  is  rapidly  becoming  quite 
popular  Summer  resorts. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  Price  County  presents  a  very  at- 
tractive inducement  to  the  settlers.  Its  vast  timber 
wealth,  its  productive  soil,  its  ready  markets,  its  salu- 
brious climate,  are  all  benefits  to  be  enjojed  by  those 
who  cast  their  lot  in  Price  County. 

LtTMB  BRING. 

The  region  is  very  heavily  timbered  with  pine, 
with  occasional  large  tracts  of  small  growth  maple  and 
basswood.  The  pine  is  being  cut  and  run  down  the 
river  to  the  Mississippi  market,  wliile  the  hard  wood 
tracts  are  being  rapidly  taken  by  settlers,  and  cleared 
into  farms.  The  amount  of  standing  pine,  now  market- 
able, in  the  county,  is  estimated  at  over  2,000,000,000 
feet.  It  is  the  center  of  the  great  pine  region  of 
Northern  Wisconsin,  and  the  operations  of  a  large 
army  of  lumbermen,  engaged  in  getting  out  the  jjine, 
gives  the  county  a  life,  activit)'  and  advancement,  sel- 
dom witnessed  in  a  new  country.  The  pine  is  mainly 
marketed  on  the  Mississippi,  to  which  market  Price 
County  annually  sends  about  100,000,000  feet  of  choice 
lumber.  The  main  luml)ering  streams  in  the  county 
are  the  Elk  River,  the  Jump,  and  the  North  and  South 
forks  of  the  Flambeau  River. 

Saw  Milh. — Price  County  has  but  two  saw-mills  at 
present,  though  there  is  strong  prospect  of  several  more 
lieing  erected  in  the  near  future.  D.  M.  Holmes  has  in 
operation  a  saw-mill  with  a  capacity  for  about  20,000,- 
000  feet  per  year,  at  the  village  of  Ogema. 

A.  A.  Adams  has  in  operation  a  small  water-pow- 
er saw-mill  on  the  Spirit  River,  in  the  town  of  Hran- 
nan,  about  ten  miles  east  of  the  railroad.  Its  main 
business  is  to  supply  settlers  with  lumber. 


SETTLEMENT. 

Of  the  incidents  connected  with  the  first  settle- 
ment and  organization  of  Price  County,  there  are 
many  cherished  in  the  memory  of  its  people  which 
will  grow  doubly  dear  as  time  advances.  In  the  strug- 
gle that  was  made  to  open  up  the  wild  woods  into 
pleasant  homes,  to  organize  society  on  an  agreeable 
basis,  to  provide  schools  and  instructors  for  the  young, 
and  to  maintain  the  dignity  and  the  force  of  the  law, 
all  the  settlers  took  a  willing  part.  Man}-  of  these 
incidents  are  trivial  in  their  nature,  and  yet  exerted 
a  powerful  influence  for  good  or  evil  in  the  advance- 
ment of  tlie  county.  But  few  of  them  can  ever  find 
place  in  history,  yet  many  of  them  will  live  for  years 
in  tradition  after  those  of  whose  lives  they  were  a  part, 
have  passed  away. 

The  first  white  settler  in  the  territory  now  in  the 
county  of  Price,  was  Major  Isaac  Stone,  who  located 
on  the  Spirit  River,  in  the  present  town  of  Brannan  in 
the  Fall  of  1860,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  Here  he 
lived  for  about  fifteen  years  before  he  had  a  white  neigh- 
bor nearer  than  forty  miles.  In  this  wilderness,  where, 
for  fifteen  years,  "there  was  not  heard  the  sound  of 
ax,  hammer,  or  an}-  tool  of  iron,"  excepting  those  in 
the  employ  of  the  major,  he  has  built  himself  a  com- 
fortable home,  and  reared  an  intelligent,  hardy  and  in- 
teresting family. 

In  1873  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  reached 
Price  County,  and  brought  with  it  several  families  from 
Oshkosh,  who  located  on  the  Spirit  River  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Major  Stone's,  starting  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Spirit  River  Settlement. 

The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  wasstarted  at  Mena- 
sha  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  and  built  through  to  Stevens 
Point  that  Summer.  From  there  it  was  continued 
north  until  the  Fall  of  1873,  when  it  reached  Worces- 
ter, in  Price  County,  101  miles  north  of  Stevens  Point. 
Its  terminus  rested  at  this  point,  until  the  Summer  of 

1876,  when  it  was  pushed  through,  and  made  connec- 
tion witli  the  Ashland  end  of  the  road  in  the  Spring  of 

1877,  and  regular  trains  commenced  running  from  Mena- 
sha  to  Ashland,  on  Lake  Superior.  The  Central  is  a 
land-grant  road,  and  received  all  of  the  land  in  every 
odd  numbered  section  for  ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the 
track  tliat  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Government 
at  the  time  the  company  was  organized  in  1870.  Upon 
the  completion  of  the  road  to  Ashland  in  1877,  the 
Company  received  about  1,000,000  acres  of  land. 

Moses  M.  Strong,  Assistant  State  Geologist,  was 
drowned  in  the  North  Fork  of  the  Flambeau  River, 
in  the  town  of  Fifield,  on  the  18th  day  of  August, 
1877,  while  engaged  for  the  State  in  exploring  the 
head  waters  of  the  Flambeau  River.  Mr.  Strong  had 
served  the  State  for  over  five  3-ears  as  geologist,  and 
was,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  most  scientific  students 


HISTORY  OF  PRICE    COUNTY, 


765 


in  his  profession  to  be  found  in  the  Northwest.  At 
the  time  of  the  accident  he  was  accompanied  by  a 
young  fi-iend  from  Mineral  Point,  Willis  Gundy,  and  a 
guide,  Jack  Hawn,  of  Stevens  Point.  Mr.  Strong  and 
Gundy  were  attempting  to  pole  a  light  skiff  up  one  of 
tlie  rapids  of  the  river,  when  the  boat  became  un- 
manageable and  capsized.  Mr.  Strong  was  swept  into  the 
eddy  below  the  rapids  and  drowned,  while  his  friend. 
Gundy,  was  saved  bybeingswepton  toaprojectingrock. 
The  body  was  recovered  by  A.  D.  Lunt  and  party  who 
were  engaged  in  examining  railroad  lands,  and  chanced 
to  be  near  the  scene  of  the  accident  at  the  time  of  its 
occurrence. 

The  first  school  organized  in  the  county  was  in 
Phillips.  It  was  opened  in  a  room  prepared  in  Spauld- 
ing's  warehouse,  June  11,  1877,  and  was  taught  by  Miss 
Matikla  Dunn.  The  number  of  names  appearing  on 
the  school  register  for  the  term  was  twenty-seven.  The 
second  school  organized  was  at  Fifield,  June  18,  1877, 
with  Miss  Carrie  Gooddell  as  teacher.  The  number  of 
scholars  registered  was  eighteen.  A  lumberman's  ware- 
house served  as  school-room.  The  third  school  was  or- 
ganized in  the  county  on  the  same  date,  June  18, 1877, 
at  the  Nortli  Fork  Crossing,  in  a  little  log  building,  for- 
merly used  as  a  squatter's  shanty.  This  school  was 
taught  by  Miss  Lizzie  Kennedy. 

The  first  Protestant  Church  service  held  in  the 
county  was  in  the  hall  over  Alexander's  saloon,  at 
Phillips,  January  21,  1877,  the  Rev.  Henry  Galloway, 
of  Medford,  delivering  the  sermon.  The  service  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  was  held  about  the  same  time 
at  the  residence  of  M.  Nicholson,  by  the  Rev.  Father 
Schnttelhoffer. 

Neivspapers. — The  first  newspaper  published  in  the 
county  of  Price,  was  the  Phillips  Times,  the  first  num- 
ber of  which  appeared  on  the  sixth  day  of  January, 
1877.  The  Times  was  owned  and  published  from  that 
date  until  the  1st  of  March,  1879,  by  F.  W.  Sackett. 
On  the  1st  of  March,  1879,  Mr.  Sackett  leased  the 
Times  to  his  former  typo,  W.  H.  Wilson,  who  has  pub- 
lished the  paper  in  an  able  and  efficient  manner  ever 
since.  The  Times  has  a  good  circulation,  and  has  been 
satisfactorily  renumerative  to  its  publishers. 

A  new  paper,  called  the  Phillips  Badge,  has  just 
been  started  by  H.  E.  Darlington,  at  Pliillips. 

OKGANIZATION. 

The  county  was  organized  by  the  Legislature,  on  the 
third  day  of  March,  1879,  and  the  first  officers  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor,  William  E.  Smitli,  on  the 
fourth  day  of  March,  1879.  The  list  of  officers  ap- 
pointed were  as  follows : 

Treasurer,  David  O'Brien  ;  Clerk,  F.  W.  Sackett; 
Register  of  Deeds,  Walter  Brown  ;  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  Dr.  J.  D.  Wyatt ;  Coroner,  Charles  H.  Raser ; 
Surveyor,  William  D.  Gumaer.  All  of  tlie  foregoing 
were  for  the  term  ending  in  January,  1881.  Willis 
Haner  was  appointed  County  Judge  for  the  term  end- 
ing in  January,  1882.  The  county  of  Price  was  organ- 
ized out  of  territory  taken  from  Chippewa  and  Lincoln 
counties — twenty-one  townships  of  the  former,  and 
fourteen  of  the  latter. 

The  first  bill  introduced  in  the  Legislature  for  the 


organization  of  the  county,  was  in  the  Spring  of  1877. 
This,  as  also  one  of  like  nature  introduced  in  the  Spring 
of  1878,  was  defeated.  A  bill  introduced  in  the  Spring 
of  1879,  by  the  Hon.  Hector  McRae,  member  of  Assem- 
bly from  Chippewa  County,  met  with  but  little  opposi- 
tion, and  the  county  was  organized. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  Price  County  who  were  con- 
spicious  in  the  fight  made  for  the  organization,  are  the 
names  of  David  O'Brien,  F.  W.  Sackett  and  Dr.  J.  D. 
Wyatt.  Among  the  leading,  active  friends  of  the  new 
county  in  the  Legislature,  were  Lieut.  Gov.  J.  M.  Bing- 
ham, Senators  William  T.  Price  and  Thomas  B.  Scott, 
and  the  Hon.  Hector  McKae,  of  the  Assembly. 

The  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Senator  W.  T. 
Price. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervis- 
ors was  held  on  the  15th  of  March,  1879,  at  the  office 
of  David  O'Brien,  in  what  was  known  as  the  Campbell 
building,  in  the  village  of  Phillijjs,  the  count}'  seat. 
The  Board  was  composed  of  the  following  members: 
Allen  Jackson,  David  O'Brien  and  William  Farrell. 
Allen  Jackson  was  chosen  Chairman.  At  this  meeting 
the  organization  of  the  county  was  completed.  There 
was  but  one  organized  town  in  the  county,  the  town  of 
Worcester. 

On  the  first  day  of  April,  1879,  the  town  of  Brannan 
was  created,  composed  of  the  south  ten  townships  of 
the  count}'.  A.  Adams  was  chosen  Cliairman  of  the 
Town  Board. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors was  held  on  the  28th  of  October,  1879,  at  which 
time,  William  Farrell  was  elected  Chairman.  This 
Board  had  before  them,  the  difficult  task  of  settling  with 
the  old  counties,  from  which  the  territory  had  been 
detached,  and  providing  county  buildings.  To  their 
credit,  be  it  said,  they  succeeded  most  admirably.  Much 
of  their  success  was  due  to  the  intelligence  and  prac- 
tical sense  of  the  Chairman,  Mr.  Farrell.  Li  settle- 
ments with  the  old  counties,  about  $15,000  in  tax  cer- 
tificates, was  secured  by  the  new  county,  as  her  share 
of  the  assets.  A  site  for  a  county  ])uilding  was  secured 
and  cleared,  at  an  expense  of  about  $1,500,  and  a  commo- 
dious court-house,  44x76  feet  in  size,  was  built,  cost- 
ing .'17,000.  In  addition  to  the  court-house,  this  Board 
caused  to  be  erected,  at  tlie  county  seat,  a  small  but  sub- 
stantial jail,  fitted  up  with  steel  lattice-work  cells.  The 
entire  improvements  in  way  of  county  buildings  and 
ground,  cost  the  sum  of  $10,500. 

On  the  2nd  of  April,  1880,  the  town  of  Fifield  was 
organized  by  ordinance  of  the  County  Board,  and  con- 
sisted of  the  north  ten  townships  of  the  county.  The 
first  election  was  held  on  that  day,  at  whicli  lime  Geo.  A. 
Calhoun  was  elected  Chairman  and  member  of  tlie  County 
Board,  and  as  a  member  of  that  body,  took  an  active 
and  prominent  part  in  the  erection  of  the  county  build- 
ings, which  were  completed  on  the  first  day  of  Decem- 
ber, 1880.  Supervisor  Adams,  of  the  town  of  Brannan, 
was  chairman  of  the  building  committee  on  county 
building,  and  in  this  capacity,  served  the  county  faith- 
fully and  well. 

The  first  elections  in  Price  County,  was  held  in  No- 
vember, 1880,  at  which  time,  the  following  county  offi- 
cers were  chosen  :  Treasurer,  David  O'Brien  ;  Clerk, 
F.  W.  Sackett;  Register  of  Deeds,  William  D.  Gumaer; 


766 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Surveyor,  George  A.  Calhoun  ;  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  A.  P.  Marner  ;  Coroner,  R.  Slattery. 

In  April,  1881,  a  judicial  election  was  held,  and 
Capt.  E.  W.  Murray  was  elected  County  Judge. 

In  March,  1881,  the  county  poor  system  was  adopted 
by  the  County  Board,  and  Capt.  E.  W.  Murray,  ap- 
pointed Superintendent. 

The  population  of  the  county,  at  the  time  of  its  or- 
ganization, was  not  to  exceed  300.  The  United  States 
census  taken  the  following  j'ear,  showed  to  it  be  700. 

PHILLIPS, 

the  county-seat,  is  located  near  the  geographical  center  of 
the  county,  on  the  south  bank  of  Elk  Lake.  It  is  a  flour- 
ishing little  place  of  about  300  inhabitants.  It  contains 
several  fine  residences,  six  large  and  well-stocked  stores, 
four  hotels,  two  printing  offices,  one  boot  and  shoe  factory, 
a  wagon  factory,  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  four  saloons.  Its 
village  plat  was  recorded  September  23,  1S76.  The  profes- 
sions are  represented  by  two  lawyers  and  one  doctor.  The 
village  has  a  large  lumber  trade. 

On  the  twentieth  day  of  May,  1877,  a  destructive  fire 
occurred  in  the  village  of  Phillips,  that  swept  away  nearly 
the  entire  town  leaving  but  seven  buildings  standing. 
Among  the  business  houses  destroyed  were :  J.  H.  Fennell, 
general  merchandise;  J.  H.  Lingren,  boot  and  shoe  store  ; 
Messic  &  McConnell,  groceries  ;  W.  F.  Turner,  hotel,  and 
Waddell  Bros.,  hotel.  The  loss  was  estimated  at  $35,000, 
which,  for  a  town  of  about  six  months'  growth,  was  severe. 
The  fire  originated  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  Waddell  Bros, 
hotel,  and  burned  from  Lot  3,  in  Block  4,  to  Lot  i,  in  Block  5. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

A.  ALEX.A.NDER,  saloon,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Dane  Co..  Wis., 
July  12,  1S51.  In  1S6S.  he  went  to  Sauk  County,  then  to  Monroe 
County,  and  later  came  to  Stevens  Point.  He  came  to  Worcester  in 
1876.  He  came  to  Phillips  in  1877,  where  he  has  done  business  since. 
In  1S77,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Cleveland,  of  Woodstock,  111. 

M.  BARRV,  attorney  at  law,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Queenstown,  Ire- 
land, July  4,  1846;  received  a  common  school  education  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  Fall  of  1S67.  He  stayed  for  a  short  time  at  West 
Randolph,  Mass.,  when  he  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business.  He 
moved  to  Montello,  Marquette  Co.,  Wis.,  in  Spring  of  1S68,  where  he 
remained  for  about  one  year ;  from  thence,  moved  to  Bloonifield,  Wau- 
shara Co.,  to  engage  in  book-keeping  ;  remained  at  this  point  about  nine 
months,  when  he  moved  to  Fremont,  Waupaca  Co.,  and  remained  there 
until  the  Fall  of  1877.  During  his  stay  in  the  latter  place,  followed  va- 
rious pursuits,  principally,  book-keepinj; ;  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  was  elected  Town  Chairman  in  Spring  of  1877.  In  the 
Fall  of  1877,  moved  to  Portage  County,  to  engage  in  book-keeping  ; 
there  he  stayed  until  February,  1879,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  loca- 
tion, for  the  purpose  of  opening  a  law  office,  having  been  admitted  to  the 
Bar  the  previous  January.  Has  held  various  local  offices  ;  was  Deputy 
County  Clerk  during  the  first  term  of  that  office  in  the  county,  and  is 
now  Deputy  County  Treasurer,  which  position  he  conducts  in  connec- 
tion witii  his  professional  business. 

W.  H.  BKIGGS,  lumberman,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Manson,  Pis- 
cataquis Co.,  .Maine,  .\ug.  21,  1848.  He  was  with  his  parents  in  Illi- 
nois in  '56,  and  then  in  Hortonville.  His  father  was  in  the  store,  mill 
and  farming  business.  He  worked  in  a  grist-mill,  and  in  the  woods,  at 
times  up  to  the  time  of  his  first  coming  to  Phillips,  having  been  on  Elk 
Lake  in  l86g,  locating  pine  timber.  In  his  business  of  locating  land,  he 
came  to  where  Worcester  now  stands  in  1873,  from  there  to  Phillips  in 
1876,  where  he  first  worked  at  carpenter  work,  and  in  the  Winter  of  '80 
and  '81,  began  lumbering.  He  also  deals  in  real  estate  and  pine  lands, 
he  being  surveyor  and  practical  woodsman. 

WALTER  BROWN,  dealer  in  pine  lands,  Phillips,  was  born  on  Fox 
Island,  Maine,  June  I,  1850 ;  came  with  his  parents  to  Columbia  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1855.  His  father  was  a  seaman  and  captain,  but  came  West 
and  settled  on  a  farm :  Walter  attended  school  here,  and  when  fifteen 


years  of  age  went  into  the  woods,  and  as  woodsman,  has  traveled  over 
most  of  the  timbered  counties  of  the  State.  Came  to  Price  County  in 
1S76,  and  located  at  Phillips,  as  dealer  in  pine  lands  ;  in  1879,  was  ap- 
pointed Register  of  Deeds.  In  1880,  he  married  Miss  Johanna  Muir, 
of  Portage  City.  He  is  a  member  of  Temple  of  Honor,  and  belongs  to 
the  Baptist  Church. 

W.  D.  GUMAER,  real  estate  and  pine  land  agent,  Phillips,  was  born 
in  Fairfax  Co.,  West  Virginia,  May  16,  1848.  His  parents  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1849,  locating  in  Winnebago  County,  and  establishing  a 
trading  post  at  Menomonee.;  they  remained  there  till  i860,  when  they 
went  to  Juneau  County.  In  1873,  he  left  home  and  went  on  to  the  Big 
Suamico,  and  took  charge  of  an  office  as  shipping  clerk.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1S75,  moved  to  Phillips,  taking  contract  for  right  of  way.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  Side  Board  elected  ;  he  was  County  Surveyor,  and,  in 
18S0,  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds.  In  December,  1873,  he  married 
Miss  A.  Howard,  of  Juneau,  and  they  have  three  children — Prucilla. 
Richard,  and  an  infant. 

WILLIS  HAND,  lawyer  and  County  Judge,  Phillips,  was  bom  in 
Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  May  i,  1849.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and, 
when  old  enough,  he  attended  common  school.  In  1866,  he  went  to  the 
Baraboo  High  School,  afterward  the  Normal  School  of  White  Water, 
and  commenced  the  study  of  law.  In  1S73,  he  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity, and  graduated  from  the  law  department  in  1S74.  The  Winter  of 
1874-5,  he  read  in  the  office  of  J.  B.  Taylor,  and  then  went  to  Neills- 
vilie,  Clark  Co.,  and  practiced  law  till  1877,  when  he  came  to  Phillips. 
He  opened  a  law  office,  and  when  the  county  was  organized,  he  received 
the  appointment  of  County  Judge  from  Gov.  Smith.  In  1878,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  E.  Muir,  of  Portage  County.  They  have  one  child, 
Wheeler  G.  Judge  Hand  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor  and  to  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Neillsville.  He  and  his  wife  are  church  members.  His 
father,  J.  F.  Hand,  now  Postmaster  here,  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
in  1S64-5,  from  the  Second  District,  of  Columbia  County,  and  has  held 
other  offices  of  town  and  county.  He  has  also  been  a  church  member 
for  fifty  years,  and  a  Son  of  Temperance  sixteen. 

W.  S.  HATTON,  book-keeper,  with  J.  H.  Favell,  PhilHps,  was  born 
in  Manchester,  England,  April  9,  1S54,  and  came  to  America  with  his 
parents.  In  1S70,  he  learned  telegraphy  and  went  to  Appleton,  Stevens 
Point  and  Marshfield.  In  1872,  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad 
company,  and  came  to  Phillips  in  1876,  to  take  charge  of  station  here. 
In  1S80,  he  was  employed  by  J.  H.  Favell,  as  book-keeper  and  clerk. 
In  1879-80,  he  was  Treasurer  of  the  town,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Temple  of  Honor  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

W.  D.  KUHN,  restaurant,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  Co., 
N.Y.,  July  g,  1854,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Winnebago  and  Fond 
du  Lac,  where  he  attended  school.  He  began  as  a  confectioner  in 
Waupun,  and  was  acting  as  drummer  for  tobacco  house  there,  when  he 
first  visited  Phillips  in  1877.  He  went  into  the  Lake  View  House,  as 
clerk,  where  he  remained  till  1879.  That  year  he  started  a  restaurant. 
In  1877,  April  16,  he  married  Miss  Gertrude  Batterson,  of  Nora  Springs, 
Iowa.  They  have  two  children,  Charles  H.,  three  years  old,  and  Lulu. 
Mr.  Kuhn  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

A.  D.  LUNT,  land-examiner  for  the  Wis.  C.  R.  R.,  Phillips,  was 
born  in  Oldtown,  Penobscot  Co.,  Me.,  Oct.  8,  1836.  He  came  to  Osh- 
kosh.  Wis.,  for  the  purpose  of  lumbering,  and  then  commenced  locating 
on  Wolf  River  and  on  Mill  Creek.  In  1S72,  he  went  to  work  for  the 
Wis.  C.  R.  R.,  getting  $2,000  a  year,  and  expenses  paid.  Commencing 
at  Stevens  Point,  he  worked  up  the  line  just  in  advance  of  the  railroad, 
having,  in  1872,  his  office  in  Medford,  Taylor  Co.,  and  in  Phillips  in 
18S0.  He  has  sold  in  one  year  466,000  acres  of  pine  land  for  the  com- 
pany. Mr.  Lunt  is  not  married.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Blue 
Lodge,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  belongs  to  the  Forest  Chapter,  of  Stevens 
point,  also  the  Chippewa  Commandery,  of  Eau  Claire  ;  has  been  a  Mason 
twenty  years. 

J.A.MES  McKINLEY,  hotel,  Phillips,  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  June  2,  1S37.  Came  early  to  America,  and  located  in  Renfrew 
Co.,  Canada,  where  lie  attended  school.  He  then  commenced  lumber- 
ing, and  in  1S68  came  to  Oconto,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  same 
business  until  1869,  when  he  went  to  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.  In  1875,  he 
located  in  Town  37,  Range  2  west,  of  Price  County,  buying  160  acres 
for  farming  purposes.  Having  cleared  fifty  acres,  he  moved  to  Phillips, 
in  1876,  and  built  the  McKinley  House,  which  he  now  keeps.  He  is  also 
engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming.  He  was  one  of  the  Town  Board 
first  elected.  In  1870,  he  married  Miss  M.  J.  McConnel,  of  Canada. 
They  have  one  son,  Charlie  H. 

J.  R.  ME.\NS,  restaurant,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Waldo  Co.,  Me., 
Feb.  ig,  1859.  '^^  lived  on  the  farm  and  attended  school,  and  in  1878 
left  home  and  came  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  in  a  saw- 
mill. In  1881,  opened  his  restaurant,  in  Phillips.  In  18S1,  June  14, 
he  married  Miss  Hannah  R.  Corrigon,  of  Buena  Vista,  Portage  Co. 
Mr.  Means  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor,  and  is  doing  a  business  of 
about  $4,000  per  year. 

E.  W.  MURRAY,  hotel,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  April  8, 
1843.  Remained  there  till  the  death  of  his  mother,  when  his  father  took 


HISTORY  OF   PRICE  COUNTY. 


767 


him  back  to  Ireland,  County  Sligo,  where  he  lived  until  his  father's  death, 
when  he  returned  to  America  with  a  relative.  His  home  was  in  Rhode 
Island  until  1S59,  when  he  came  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  attended 
school.  In  1862.  he  went  South  and  enlisted  in  the  Miss.  Marine  Bri- 
gade. This  organization  went  out  of  existence  in  1S65,  but  he  was  in 
the  department  till  1866,  when  he  returned  to  Juneau  County,  and  en- 
tered into  a  speculation  there  and  on  the  river.  He  was  employed  by 
the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  in  1S72.  In  the  Fall  of  1876,  he  came 
to  Phillips  and  started  a  hotel  and  general  store.  In  iSSi.he  opened 
his  present  hotel,  which  he  is  now  enlarging.  He  has  married  three 
times:  in  New  Orleans  in  1865,  his  wife  leaving  three  children — E.  W., 
J.  C.  and  Eugenia;  he  married  again  in  1S76,  his  wife  dying  the  same 
year,  and  in  18S0  he  married  Miss  Julia  Chambers,  his  present  wife. 
Mr.  Murray  is  now  Superintendent  of  the  County  poor,  and  County 
Judge  elect  for  1882.  Has  been  Deputy  County  Treasurer  and  Secre- 
tary of  School  Board. 

D.  O'BRIEN,  real  estate,  Phillips.  County  Treasurer  of  Price 
County  for  1881. 

C.  H.  ROSER,  hotel,  Phillips.  Was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany 
July  31,  1838,  and  came,  in  1855,  with  his  parents  to  Baraboo,  Sauk 
Co.,  Wis., where  they  located  on  a  farm.  In  l86l,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A, 
6th  Wis.  V.  I.  Served  three  years,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1864. 
The  next  five  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  various  wanderings.  In 
lS6g,  while  fishing  and  looking  up  pine,  he  visited  the  place  where 
Phillips  now  stands,  and  in  August,  1876,  came  to  Phillips  to  remain. 
On  the  first  train  that  came  was  a  car-load  of  lumber,  with  which  he 
built  his  16x32  boarding-house.  His  custom  increased  so  fast  that  he 
sent  for  blankets  to  Milwaukee,  and  by  giving  each  guest  a  blanket,  he 
would  find  his  own  place  to  sleep,  oftentimes  around  camp-fires  and  on 
the  ground.  In  October,  he  built  his  present  house.  In  1S7S,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Jenette  Micklejohn,  of  Weyauwega.  They  have  one  child,  a 
girl  named  Pearl,  aged  twenty-one  months. 

F.  W.  S.JiClvETT.  Was  born  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  Nov.  5, 
1847.  Was  brought  to  Wisconsin  by  his  parents  in  1852.  Lived  on  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Osceola,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  until  theSummerof  1863, 
ivhen  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  Co.  A,  38th  Wis.  V.  I.  He  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  in  several  engagements,  commencing 
at  the  close  of  the  "Wilderness"  fight  and  ending  at  the  surrender  of 
Lee.  Was  on  the  advance  line  at  the  battle  of  "  Hatch's  Run,"  and 
again  at  the  "  Petersburg"  fight.  After  being  discharged  from  the  serv- 
ice, he  entered  the  printing  office  of  the  Fond  du  'La.cjourncil,  and  after 
serving  an  apprenticeship  of  eighteen  months,  started  in  business  with  a 
fellow-typo,  J.  C.  Walehon,  and  established  the  Weyauwega  Titnes,  in 
Waupaca  County.  The  first  number  of  the  paper  was  issued  Feb.  20, 
i86g.  Mr.  S.  was  nominated  for  member  of  Assembly  in  1876,  and 
made  a  very  creditable  run,  receiving  about  five  hundred  more  than  his 
party  vote.  He  sold  his  paper  in  W^eyauwega  in  the  Winter  of  1876, 
and  started  the  Phillips  Times,  in  Price  County,  Jan.  6,  1S77.  Upon 
the  formation  of  Price  County  in  1879,  •'«  was  appointed  County  Clerk; 
served  the  balance  of  the  term,  and  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  to 
the  same  position  at  the  general  election  of  18S0. 

C.  H.  SILVERNAIL,  lumber,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Pike  Co., 
Penn.,  June  2,  1826.  After  his  father's  death  he  was  sent  to  his  grand- 
parents in  Columbia  County,  where  he  made  his  home,  going  to  school 
until  1844.  when  he  went  to  sea.  After  visiting  most  of  the  foreign 
countries,  he  came  to  New  York  and  then  to  Boston,  enlisting  in  the  en- 
gineer corps  of  sappers  and  miners,  which  made  their  quarters  at  West 
Point.  He  left  the  service  and  went  to  Dutchess  County,  and  while 
there  he  was  married.  He  was  on  the  Harlem  Railroad  as  conductor, 
where  he  remained  till  1S55,  when  he  came  to  Horicon,  Wis.  In  1861, 
enlisted  in  the  8th  Iowa  V.  I.;  was  second  sergeant;  he  was  taken  pris- 
oner at  Shiloh,  and  was  wounded  while  a  prisoner  ;  was  discharged  in 
1864,  and  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  his  wife  and  family  visited  him,  and 
they  lost  two  of  the  family  from  small-pox.  He  served  in  the  city  of  St. 
Louis  on  the  police  force;  then  came  to  Chicago  and  went  into  the  furni- 
ture business,  but  was  burned  out  in  1871.  He  had  a  family  of  ten 
children,  Emma,  Charlie,  Howard,  Loren,  deceased  ;  Winnie,  Willie, 
Eva,  Joseph,  John  and  Rosa.  He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor,  be- 
ing one  of  the  charter  members,  and  now  W.  C.  T. 

ARTHUR  STURLEY,  with  J.  II.  Fewell,  Phillips,  was  born  in 
Norwich,  Norfolk  Co.,  England,  June  5,  1851.  He  lost  his  parents 
when  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  his  father  dying  in  1870,  and  his 
mother  in  1871.  His  father  had  served  as  cashier  in  the  Bank  of  En- 
gland, and  when  he  found  that  he  had  sacrificed  his  health,  he  retired 
on  a  pension  given  him  by  the  bank.  Arthur  came  to  New  York,  where 
he  stayed  only  a  few  days,  and  from  there  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  his 
brother  Edward  was  then  living  ;  here  he  engaged  in  the  crockery  business. 
He  then  went  to  Marquette,  Mich.,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  railroad 
office.  He  afterward  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  then  to  Omaha,  and  again 
back  to  St.  Paul.  In  Feb.  1875,  he  went  into  J.  H.  Fewell's  employ. 
The  business  was  moved  to  Phillips  in  1S76.  He  carries  a  stock  of 
$10,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $75,000  a  year. 

WILLIAM  WADDELL,  saloon,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Upper  Can- 
ada, Aug.  20,  1855.     On  leaving  home  he  went  to  Michigan,  and  com- 


menced lumbering;  then  went  to  Wolf  River,  then  to  Oconto,  and 
finally,  in  the  Fall  of  1876,  he  came  to  Phillips  and  opened  his  present 
business. 

THOS.  WINTER,  railroad  and  express  agent,  Phillips,  was  born  in 
Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  Feb.  17,  1837,  of  English  parentage.  His 
father  was  a  ship-builder  in  Hamilton.  Thomas  left  home  in  1850  ;  he 
followed  book-keeping  for  awhile,  having  learned  under  a  clerk  of  Roth- 
schild's. Later,  he  learned  telegraphing  and  worked  for  the  Grand 
Western  Railroad.  He  then  assumed  the  management  of  the  Montreal 
Telegraph  &  American  Express  Co.  until  1865,  when  he  opened  a  pri- 
vate bank.  Meeting  with  reverses  in  1869,  he  went  to  work  for  the 
Montreal  Telegraph  and  Canadian  Express.  In  1875,  he  took  the  agen- 
cy for  the  Montreal  Telegraph  Co..  together  with  the  Canadian  and 
American  Express  Cos.  In  1878,  he  came  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and 
from  there  to  Stevens  Point,  and,  in  1880,  came  to  take  charge  of  the 
railroad  business  at  Phillips,  as  well  as  the  American  Express.  In  1865, 
he  married  Miss  Emma  Calder,  of  Canada,  who  died  in  l88o,  leaving 
one  child,  Charles  M.  Mr.  Winter  is  a  proficient  swordsman,  having  ac- 
quired the  art  while  in  Vol.  Corps ;  is  also  a  member  of  the  R.  A.  M.'s 
of  Canada. 

J.  D.  WYATT,  physician  and  surgeon,  Phillips,  was  born  in  Moira, 
Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  29,  1845.  Until  1853,  he  remained  there,  go- 
ing from  thence  to  Stockholm,  St.  Lawrence  Co. ;  thence  to  Plainfield, 
111.  While  here,  he  took  classical  course  in  Northwestern  College.  In 
i86g,  he  became  local  editor  of  the  Aurora  Herald  in  Kane  County  ;  at 
the  same  time,  was  special  for  the  old  Chicago  Republican.  In  '71,  he 
came  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  the  firm  of  Wyatt  Bros.,  insurance  agents, 
was  organized.  Here  he  began  reading  medicine  with  a  brother  who  was 
a  physician,  and  in  1874  he  went  to  the  Keokuk  College,  graduating  in 
1876.  He  located  at  Stevens  Point,  where  he  was  railroad  physician. 
In  1877,  he  came  to  Phillips.  He  is  company  physician  and  has  been 
Superintendent  of  Schools. 

WORCESTER. 

During  the  time  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  was  at  this 
point,  Worcester  was  a  stirring  place.  A  village  plat  was 
surveyed,  and  two  stores  and  two  hotels  were  established, 
but  upon  the  completion  of  the  road  the  inhabitants  moved, 
deserted  the  site,  and  located  elsewhere.  At  present,  there 
is  but  one  family  residing  at  Worcester. 

FIFIELD 

Is  located  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Flambeau  River,  thir- 
teen miles  north  of  Phillips,  and  is  a  very  stirring  town  of 
about  200  inhabitants.  It  has  a  good  farming  country 
around  it,  and  is  destined  to  be  a  place  of  no  mean  impor- 
tance. It  has  four  general  stores,  doing  a  large  business, 
two  good  hotels,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  three -saloons.  Its 
village  plat  was  surveyed  in  September,  and  recorded  on  the 
seventeenth  day  of  October,  1876. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

H.  J.  BORHAM  &  J.  FARR,  general  supply  store,  Fifield, 
carry  stock  of  $15,000  and  do  a  business  of  $25,000  a  year.  Mr.  J 
Farr  is  manager  of  the  business,  and  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Me. 
His  parents  and  self  located  on  a  farm  in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  as  early 
as  1851,  and  moved  to  Waupaca  in  1S55,  where  they  lived  until  1875. 
and  now  are  located  in  Iowa.  J.  Farr  in  1S55  started  at  work  in  the 
woods  on  the  Wolf  River  and  tributaries,  and  in  1864  enlisted  in  the 
36th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  B;  was  mustered  out  in  1864,  and  came  to  Wau- 
paca. He  first  entered  the  mercantile  business  in  Evanswood,  Spring 
of  1879,  and  afterward  came  to  Fifield,  In  i86l  he  married  Miss  Cor- 
nelia N.  Starks.  They  have  three  children — Louella,  Thera  and 
Eugene,  adopted. 

W.  F.  TURNER,  hotel,  Fifield.  Born  in  Taberg,  Oneida  Co.,  N 
Y.  March  29.  1S44.  His  grand-father  died  on  the  day  of  his  birth, 
aged  98.  He  came  to  Madison,  Wis.,  in  1858.  In  iS6l  he  enlisted  in 
the  2d  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  H  ;  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability,  but 
having  recovered  his  lost  health  he  went  to  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  en- 
listed from  there,  in  1864,  in  the  155th  V.  I. ;  was  mustered  out  and 
went  to  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  In  the  Fall  of  1S79  he  came  to  Fifield  and 
opened  the  Turner  House.  He  now  owns  the  new  hotel  besides  two 
warehouses.  In  1S70  he  married  Miss  Annie  St.  John,  who  died  in 
1877;  he  married  again,  Miss  Mertie  Sweet.  Mr.  Turner  was  the  first 
Justice  in  Price  County  ;  w.is  elected  Town  Clerk  in  1880,  and  is  now 
on  the  Side  Board  and  Justice.     He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 


768 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


W.  F.  HINZ,  general  store.  FifieW,  was  born  in  R.  B.  Brombarg, 
Kries,  Wirsitz,  Germany,  Sept.  26.  1S48.  In  1866  he  came  to  Green 
Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  located  on  a  farm.  In  1874  he  opened  a 
store  in  Colby.  He  has  carried  on  business  at  Fifield  since  1878-  His 
Summer  stock  amounts  to  S  10,000,  and  his  business  to  $48,000  in  one 
year.  On  the  25th  of  September,  1S75,  he  married  Miss  Odelia  Steinke, 
of  Green  Lake,  Wis.  Mr.  Hinz  was  the  first  Town  Treasurer  of  Fifield, 
and  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

EDWIN  HORTER,  trader,  Fifield,  was  born  in  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  April  II,  1836.  He  left  home  whenhe  was  thirteen  years  of  age, 
and  after  some  wandering  came  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in 
lumbering.  In  1S76  he  came  to  Fifield  and  commenced  trading  with 
the  Indians  ;  had  a  trading  post  on  the  Manitosh  Lake  and  one  on 
Lake  Flambeau.  In  1S76  he  moved  his  family  up  and  kept  a  hotel  in 
Fifield.  In  1853  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Smith,  of  Cooper's  Plains, 
Steuben  Co.,  N.  V.  They  have  had  five  children— Monroe,  Ida,  Carrie, 
Cora,  who  died  June  29,  1881,  and  Eddie. 

GEORGE  A.  SINGLETON,  general  store,  of  firm  of  Singleton  & 
Leonard,  Fifield,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  V.,  July  8,  1854.  He 
graduated  at  the  Potsdam  Normal  School,  taught  some,  and  then  stud- 
ied law.  In  1880  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  took  the  First  Ward  school 
in  Chippewa  Falls,  which  place  he  occupied  until  iSSl.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  erecting  a  store  and  warehouse. 

OGEMA 

Is  located  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  near  the 
south  line  of  the  county.  It  is  the  trading  point  of  a  large 
colony  of  Swedes;  located  is  the  town  of  Brannan,  by  J. 
K.  Ostergen,  one  of  the  members  of  the  State  Board  of  Im- 
migration, who  makes  liis  home  at  this  village. 

D.  M.  Holmes  has  in    operation   here  a  large  saw-mill, 


00   men. 


Ogema  has   two 


giving  employment  to   about   i 
stores  and  two  hotels. 


BI0GR.4PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

A.  M.  BYRNES,  general  store,  Ogema,  was  born  in  London,  En- 
gland, Aug.  6,  1844.  His  parents  came  to  America  in  1846.  In  the 
Spring  of  1847  they  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  locating  on  a  farm  where 
they  have  remained  for  thirty  years.  A.  M.  helped  clear  the  farm,  and 
enlisted  in  the  17th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Co.  B,  Feb.  11,  1S62;  was  wounded  in 
the  second  battle  of  Corinth,  and  received  his  discharge  May  6,  1863; 
he  re-enlisted  Jan.  19,  1864,  in  the  3rd  Wis.  Cav.,  Co.  I  ;  was  mustered 
out  as  sergeant  in  1865.  In  1876  he  went  to  Medford  and  took  a  con- 
tract on  the  county  road  and  bridges.  Coming  to  Omega,  he  built  a 
store  and  dwelling  house  ;  he  now  carries  a  stock  of  $2,000,  and  does  a 
business  of  $10,000  a  year  ;  also  deals  in  real  estate.  In  1863  he  mar- 
ried Miss  ."Vnna  M.  Stietch,  her  parents  being  among  the  pioneers  of 
Oshkosh.  They  have  one  child,  Rufus  Melvin.  Mr.  Byrnes  has  been 
Clerk  of  the  School  District  and  Postmaster,  which  position  he  resigned 
in  June,  1880.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

FRED  W.  GRAVES,  agent  for  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  Oge- 
ma, was  born  in  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  June  10,  1859.  He  lived  in  Grays- 
viUe  and  attended  the  Chilton  High  school  in  his  native  county.  In  1873 
he  went  to  Colby,  Clark  Co.  In  1S76-7  he  learned  telegraphy  and  was 
sent  to  Bancroft  Station.  In  1878  he  removed  to  Auburndale.  Later 
he  accepted  the  position  of  night  operator  at  Plymouth,  from  there  was 
promoted  to  Ogema.  In  1880  he  married  Miss  Nellie  Perry.  They 
have  one  child.     Mr.  Graves  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

MACKEY  BROTHERS  are  proprietors  of  hotel  in  Ogema.  erect- 
ed in  July,  1881,  and  called  the  Mackey  House.  The  brothers  John  and 
William,  were  born  in  Canada  in  the  years  1847  and  1S57,  respectively. 
John  left  home  in  1870  and  William  in  1875,  coming  to  Wisconsin.  They 
lumbered  at  Green  Bay,  and  finally  came  to  Ogema.  In  1879  John 
married  Miss  Catherine  Lawler,  of  Brown  County,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Cora  Ann.  He  is  now  Assessor  for  1881.  William  is  unmarried, 
and  is  Constable. 


SHAWANO    COUNTY. 


GENERAL  HISTORY. 

Shawano  County  is  one  of  the  extreme  northeastern 
counties  of  the  State,  situated  south  and  west  of  Ocon- 
to and  Marinette  counties.  In  early  days,  it  was  a 
portion  of  that  great  and  unexhausted  region  of  pine, 
which  has  proved  the  foundation  of  wealth  to  half  the 
capitalists  of  Wisconsin.  Much  valuable  timber  land 
still  remains  along  the  banks  of  the  Wolf  and  Embar- 
rass rivers,  but  a  majority  of  the  logs  cut  find  their 
way  to  the  large  mills  at  Oshkosh.  There  are  a  num- 
ber of  small  mills  still  scattered  through  Shawano 
County,  however.  The  soil  varies  from  a  rich  black 
loam  to  the  barren  sand  plains  on  the  highlands  of  the 
Wolf.  As  a  rule,  when  cleared  of  timber  and  culti- 
vated, the  land  is  productive.  It  is  estimated  that 
about  sixty  per  cent  of  the  county  is  still  wooded — 
pine  along  the  streams,  hemlock,  oak  and  hickory  on 
tiie  uplands.  The  territory  embraces  thirty-six  town- 
sliips  and  two  Indian  reservations — tiie  Menomonee 
and  Stockbridge.  These  tribes  took  possession  of 
tiieir  reservations  before  the  organization  of  the  coun- 
ty and  a  brief  sketch  of  their  territories  would  not  be 
out  of  place  at  this  point. 

THE   RESERVATIONS. 

Menomonee  Reservation  comprises  eight  and  one- 
half  townships,  situated  in  tlie  northern  and  northeast- 
ern part  of  tiie  county.  In  1848,  the  Government  ob- 
tained the  title  to  all  lands  held  by  the  Menomonees  in 
the  State  of  Wisconsin.     In  1852,  they  were  removed 


to  their  reservation,  which  afterward  extended  into 
Shawano  County.  Its  principal  village  is  Keshena, 
which  contains  a  number  of  stores  and  a  saw  and  grist 
mill,  the  property  of  the  Menomonees.  The  reserva- 
tion contains  231,680  acres  of  land,  much  of  it  good 
farming  and  timber  property.  Considerable  attention 
is  paid  to  farming,  and  a  commendable  improvement 
in  the  condition  of  the  people  is  noted.  Tiie  popula- 
tion is  1,460.  The  Wolf  River  flows  through  the  res- 
ervation from  north  to  south,  the  old  military  road  fol- 
lowing the  eastern  bank  for  most  of  the  way.  Keshena 
is  situated  in  the  southern  part,  and  many  of  its  peo- 
ple, as  well  as  those  in  other  portions  of  the  reserva- 
tion are  earnest  supporters  of  school  and  church. 

Tiie  Stockbridge  Reservation  is  situated  to  the 
southwest  of  the  Menomonee  Reserve,  and  includes  but 
half  a  township — 11,520  acres.  The  remainder  of  the 
original  two  townships,  was  sold  to  the  General  Govern- 
ment, for  $200,000,  and  afterward  became  the  town  of 
Herman.  The  population,  about  125,  is  concentrated, 
principally  in  the  settlement  on  the  Red  River.  The 
Stockbridges  and  a  few  Munsees  were  removed  from 
Calumet  County,  in  1856.  By  referring  to  the  history 
of  that  county,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  tribe  were 
granted  citizenship,  in  1843,  and  also  that  quite  a  power- 
ful faction,  called  the  Indian-party,  were  opposed  to 
anything  but  tribal  relations.  Many  of  these  located 
West  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the  Chippewa  country. 
Afterward  they  desired  to  return  to  Wisconsin,  but 
had  not  changed  their  minds  in  regard  to  citizenship. 


HISTORY  OF  SHAWANO  COUNTY. 


The  Government  therefore  purchased  two  townships  of 
the  Menonionees,  in  1856,  and  there  located  the  Stock- 
bridges.  The  latter  afterward  sold  to  the  Government, 
all  but  the  half  a  township  they  now  occupy.  At  present 
the  Stockbridges  are  divided  into  the  same  two  parties 
that  agitated  them  in  1842-43,  while  they  lived  in  Calu- 
met County — the  citizen's  party  and  the  Indian  party. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  in  Shawano  County  and  the 
city  of  Shawano,  dates  from  May,  1843,  wiien  Charles 
Wescott,  a  sturdy  young  New  Yorker,  became  one  of  a 
party  which  set  out  from  Green  Bay,  to  build  a  saw- 
mill, for  Samuel  Farnsworth.  The  mill  was  completed, 
this  being  the  first  improved  water  power  on  the  Wolf 
River.  Tlie  building  was  situated  nearly  upon  the  site 
of  J.  D.  Kast's  saw  and  grist  mill.  Mr.  Wescott  re- 
mained as  the  first  permanent  settler,  operating  the  mill 
which  was  owned  afterward  by  J.  C.  Lewis,  for  eight 
years.  He  located  upon  his  present  property  in  1848, 
when  his  wife  joined  him.  In  the  Fall  of  1843,  F.  B. 
Moore,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  became  a  two-thirds  partner 
with  Mr.  Farnsworth,  in  the  mill  property  and  a  general 
store  was  opened,  so  that  when  Mrs.  Wescott  and 
James  and  William  Grimmer  arrived  in  1848,  the  settle- 
ment had  commenced  to  take  on  the  aspect,  "promis- 
ing." Mr.  Farnsworth  had  entered  eiglity  acres  of  land, 
the  first  in  the  county.  Philetus  Sawyer  and  other 
lumbermen  of  Oshkosh  were  patronizing  the  little  mill. 
The  steamer  "Manchester"  was  pufiing  up  and  down  with 
supplies,  and  the  firm  of  Farnsworth  &  Moore  was 
,  happy.     New  settlers,  therefore,  the}^  looked    upon  as 

interlopers,  and   it   was  only  by  using  his  position  as 
against  their  authority,  that  Mr.  Wescott    managed  to 
i  sell  Mr.   Grimmer   enough   lumber  to  build  his  house. 

I  This  spirit  went  so  far,  that  the  owners   of   the  prop- 

erty   in    1851,  refuse  to  allow  any  logs  to  be  rafted  to 
j  the    market    below.     This  so  incensed    a   Red    River 

I  lumberman,  that  he  pitched  one  of  the  proprietors  into 

1  the  mill  pond,  ordered  his  men  to  break  away  the  dam 

and  his  raft  went  through.  Thereafter  the  monopo- 
lists were  more  accommodating.  Prominent  also  in  the 
annals  of  these  early  business  days,  were  Philetus 
Sawyer  and  George  Andrews,  who  owned  at  one  time, 
nearly  the  entire  site  of  the  city  of  S])awano.  Capt. 
William  Powell,  who  established  a  trading  post  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  in  1844,  and  operated  it  four  or 
five  years,  and  Strong  &  Co.,  at  one  time,  owners  of 
much  of  the  pine  property  in  Shawano,  Joseph  Gau- 
thier,  A.  L.  Koon,  R.  W.  Lambert,  and  C.  M.  Upham, 
are  names  with  which  the  early  settlers  are  familiar, 
j  But  the  past  of  history,  gradually  and  surely  grows  in- 

I  to  the  present,  therefore  the  city  of   Shawano,  as  it  is, 

,  comes    up    for  dissection,  and  even  while  this  task  is 

I  being  performed,  the  future  of  a  more    thriving   life  is 

!  making  history  of  itself. 

[  COUNTY   ORGANIZATION. 

Shawano  County  was  organized  by  legislative  act, 
February  16,  1853,  and  joined  to  Outagamie  County 
for  judicial  purposes,  the  county  seat  being  located  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Section  6,  fraction  of  Section  7, 
east  of  Wolf  River,  in  Township  26,  Range  16  east. 
At  the  first  election,  held  in  November,  1853,  at  the 
i  Ai 


769 

"  Shawano  Mills  House,"  occupied  by  Charles  Wescott, 
forty-seven  votes  were  cast,  and  Elias  Murray,  Charles 
D.  Wescott  and  Elisha  Alexander  chosen  Supervisors 
(the  county  consisting  but  of  the  town  of  Shawano); 
Julius  A.  ^lurray.  Clerk  of  the  Board ;  John  Wiley, 
School  Superintendent ;  J.  A.  Murray,  Register  of 
Deeds,  and  E.  F.  Sawyer,  County  Surveyor.  In  No- 
vember, 1855,  by  popular  vote  (eighty-four  votes),  it 
was  resolved  to  locate  the  county  seat  at  Shawano, 
after  December  15.  In  January,  1856,  the  county  was 
fairly  organized  for  town  purposes.  The  voters  of  the 
town  of  Richmond  were  to  meet  at  Hiram  Wescott's ; 
those  of  the  town  of  Waukechon,  at  James  Scrapie's  ; 
those  of  the  town  of  Shawano,  at  the  office  of  the 
County  Clerk,  E.  F.  Sawyer.  The  election,  held  in 
November,  1856,  after  full  town  and  county  organiza- 
tion bad  been  effected,  resulted  as  follows:  A.  B.  Everts, 
Sheriff;  T.  R.  Hudd,  District  Attorney;  William 
Grimmer,  Coroner;  Ogden  Brooks,  County  Clerk; 
Julius  A.  Murray,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  John  Wiley, 
County  Treasurer ;  Daniel  Olmstead,  Survej'or ;  S. 
Ryan,  Jr.,  Clerk  of  the  Court.  Shawano  County  was 
fully  organized  for  judicial  purposes,  January  1,  1861, 
and  made  a  part  of  the  Tenth  Circuit,  S.  R.  Cotton, 
Judge.  Its  present  fine  court-house  was  erected  in 
1879-80,  at  a  cost  of  .$17,000.  It  is  a  two-story  and 
basement  structure,  built  of  red  brick,  and  makes  quite 
an  imposing  and,  certainly,  a  sightly  appearance.  The 
county  officers,  for  18S1,  are:  Johm  M.  Schweers, 
Sheriff;  August  Koeppen,  Treasurer  ;  D.  E.  Wescott, 
Clerk  ;  Ed.  Sommers,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  C.  A.  Rais- 
ler,  Clerk  of  Court ;  K.  M.  Phillips,  District  Attorney  ; 
H.  Klosterman,  County  Judge  ;  William  Sommers, 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools ;  J.  H.  Grimmer, 
Surveyor. 

The  encouraging  prospects  of  the  city  and  county 
of  Shawano,  in  obtaining  railroad  communication 
through  the  Eastern  Grand  Trunk  and  a  Clintonville 
extension  of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western, 
have  already  been  noted. 

The  county  is  drained  in  its  western  portions  by 
the  Embarrass,  Red  and  West  Wolf  rivers,  and  by  the 
Shioc,  Oconto  and  Pensaukee,  in  the  east.  The  Wolf 
River  runs  north  and  south  through  its  central  portion, 
and  is  navigable  to  Shawano.  Streams  flow  in  every 
direction,  so  that  logs  are  easily  floated  to  their  desti- 
nation. The  travel  of  the  county,  however,  is  over 
the  numerous  roads  that  cut  it  from  point  to  point. 
The  bulk  of  the  travel  is  over  the  roads  from  Green 
Bay  and  Clintonville.  The  old  military  road,  which 
also  passes  from  Shawano  north  toward  Lake  Superior, 
is  also  a  great  thoroughfare  to  and  from  the  Menomonee 
Reservation. 

SHAWANO. 

Shawano,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  about  two  miles 
southwest  of  Lake  Shawano,  on  the  Wolf  River.  It  con- 
tains a  population  of  900  people,  who  require  only  a  rail- 
road to  be  fashioned  into  most  thriving  prosperity.  The 
railroad  survey  of  the  Eastern  Grand  Trunk,  the  proposed 
line  between  Chippewa  Falls,  Wausau  and  Oconto,  is  al- 
ready on  its  way  hitherward,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
Milwaukee,    Lake    Shore    &    Western   will,  erelong,  make 


770 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


an  extension  from  Clintonville.       The  people  of  Shawano 
are  greatly  in  favor  of  this  latter  undertaking. 

Shawano  is  the  center  of  supplies  for  a  large  district  of 
Northeastern  Wisconsin.  Besides  supplying  an  extensive 
lumbering  district,  it  meets  the  demands  of  the  Menomonee 
and  Stockbridge  reserves.  The  bulk  of  general  trade  is 
transacted  by  the  solid  firm  of  Upham  &  Russell,  whose 
business  runs  up  into  the  hundreds  of  thousands.  With 
the  building  of  railroads  the  limits  of  the  city's  trade  will 
be  extended.  The  beauties  of  her  situation  will  be  brought 
more  to  the  general  attention  of  travelers.  Shawano  Lake 
is  already  becoming  known  as  a  prime  body  of  water  for 
regattas,  and,  if  pushed  into  notice,  there  is  no  reason  why 
Shawano  should  not  grow  into  quite  a  Summer  resort.  Al- 
though possessing  one  of  the  oldest  water-powers  on  the 
Wolf  River,  the  lumber  industries  of  the  city  have  virtually 


b^en  in  the  possession  of  a  large  number  of  parties.  Mr 
Rockwell  retained  his  place  as  editor,  and  subsequently 
as  publisher,  until  1868,  various  parties  being  associated 
with  him.  M.  H.  McCord  then  assumed  control  until  1874, 
when  H.  M.  Looraer  took  possession  until  1879,  when  it 
came  into  the  hands  of  its  present  owners.  As  might  be 
supposed,  with  its  various  changes  of  ownership,  its  polit- 
ical preferences  have  changed.  Started  as  a  Whig  paper, 
afterward  Republican,  then  Democratic,  and  now  Independ- 
ent, it  has  been  the  organ  of  almost  every  phase  of  political 
sentiment. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  churches  and  societies  in 
Shawano.  The  Rev.  Father  Engelhart  is  the  priest  in 
charge  of  the  Catholic  Church,  having  also  a  mission  at 
Keshena,  in  the  Menomonee  Indian  reserve.  The  most 
flourishing  Protestant  church  is    the   Methodist    Episcopal, 


died  out,  with  the  clearing  away  of  the  surrounding  for- 
ests. 

In  1867,  J.  D.  Kast  established  his  grist  mill  in  connec- 
tion with  his  planing  mill.  It  has  three  run  of  stone.  He 
is  also  building  a  grain  elevator.  The  old  planing  mill, 
owned  by  E.  F.  Sawyer,  is  not  at  present  in  operation.  M. 
Miller  runs  a  small  saw-mill,  with  a  capacity  of  about  8,000 
feet  daily. 

Shawano  was  incorporated  as  a  city  March  12,  1874,  and 
the  provisions  of  the  usual  city  charter  went  into  effect. 
It  is  divided  into  two  wards.  The  fire  department  is  at 
present  unorganized.  The  city  school  is  under  the  man- 
agement of  L.  D.  Roberts,  and  has  an  average  attendance 
of  140.  The  building  is  a  frame  structure,  erected  in  1870, 
its  cost,  with  that  of  the  property,  being  $3,000. 

The  press  of  the  city  and  of  the  county  is  represented 
by  the  Shawano  Journal,  which  was  established  in  the  month 
of  January,  1859,  by  W.  C.  Tompkins,  of  Weyauwega.  The 
first  editor  was  A.  G.  Rockwell,  of  Oshkosh.  The  name 
for  the  first  six  months  was  The  Venture,  and  when  it  was 
found  to  be  a  success  its  name  was  changed  to  the  Journal. 
During  the  twenty-two  years  of  its  existence  the  paper  has 


of  which  the  pastor  is  Rev.  E.  B.  L.  Elder.  It  has  a  mem- 
bership of  about  70,  and  property  valued  at  $3,000.  The 
Lutherans  worship  in  a  small  chapel  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
E.  F.  Ebert.  The  Presbyterians  have  no  church  building, 
the  Rev.  J.  H.  R.  Rogers  being  their  pastor,  while  the  Epis- 
copalians have  no  settled  minister. 

The  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Good  Templars  have  or- 
ganizations, but  the  Temple  of  Honor  is  the  leading  lodge, 
mustering  a  membership  of  over  100.  In  the  Summer  of 
1 88 1,  the  Temple  built  a  tasteful  hall,  which  is  a  credit  to 
the  city. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Shawano  has  all  the  advantages 
— natural  and  acquired — for  the  formation  of  an  impor- 
tant interior  city.  The  only  thing  lacking — a  railroad — is 
coming.  With  that,  a  good  farming  country,  much  of  which 
is  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  will  be  made  more  directly  trib- 
utary to  it. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 
H.  H.  ANDREWS,  general  merchandise,  Shawano,  was  born  and 
reared  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1866  he  came  to  Keshena,  and 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  in  connection  with  the  Indian  post- 
tradership,  to  which  he  was  soon  after  appointed,  and  controlled  until 
I  879,  when  he  opened  the  present  business,  which  he  has  successfully 
conducted  since. 


HISTORY    OF    SHAWANO   COUNTY. 


771 


ASA  HICKS,  Mayor  of  Shawano.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
born  and  reared  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1S45  he  went  to  Stephen- 
son Co..  111.,  and,  after  a  few  years,  returned  to  Ohio,  only  to  come  to 
Cshkosh,  Wis.,  1850,  where  he  carried  on  the  mercantile  business  till 
i860,  in  the  meantime  prosecuting  the  lumbering  industry,  which  he 
finally  adopted  in  i860.  In  1865  he  came  to  Shawano  (  which  was  in- 
corporated as  a  city  March  19.  1874)  and  has  been  actively  identified 
with  its  developing  industries  since. 

ARTHUR  M.  JONES,  proprietor  of  Wescott  House,  Shawano, 
stands  prominent  as  one  of  the  enterprising  business  men  of  Shawano.  Mr. 
Jones  has  chosen  the  present  place  for  his  trade,  which,  at  the  present, 
is  very  abundant  in  way  of  traveling  men,  lumbermen,  pleasure-seekers, 
land-seekers  and  tourists.  It  is  located  in  the  most  central  part  of  the 
city,  and  has  ample  accommodations  for  both  man  and  beast,  as  a  beau- 
tiful stabling  is  in  connection  with  the  house.  His  motto  is,  reasonable 
terms,  good  accommodations,  and  strict  attention  to  business.  The 
travelling  public  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  give  him  a  call. 

JOHN  D.AVID  KAST,  flour  milling,  Shawano,  is  a  native  of 
Baden,  Germany.  In  1853  he  came  to  Akron,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  where  he  carried  on  his  trade  of  millwright  and  miller  for 
a  few  years,  after  which  he  came  to  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  and  followed  his 
trade  for  five  years.  He  then  built  a  mill  of  his  own  in  Waupaca  Coun- 
ty, in  1S61,  which  he  carried  on  till  1874.  when  it  burned  down.  In 
the  meantime  he  built  his  present  mill,  which,  after  the  burning  of  his 
mill  in  Waupaca  County,  he  has  carried  on  exclusively  since,  enlarging 
upon  it  so  as  to  run  a  turning  lathe,  planers  and  siding  mill.  In  1876 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislative  Assembly  for  this  district,  in  which  he 
took  an  active  part  in  the  educational  improvement  of  the  State.  In 
1853  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Beyer,  in  Schleswig  Holstein, 
Germany.     They  have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

HENRY  KLOSTERMAN,  County  Judge  of  Shawano  County, 
Shawano,  was  born  and  reared  and  educated  in  Oldenburg,  Germany. 
In  1856  he  came  to  this  country,  and  after  following  his  natural  taste  as 
machinist  for  three  years,  he  came  to  Shawano  and  engaged  in  the  land 
speculation,  which  he  followed  until  1868,  when  he  was  elected  Register 
of  Deeds,  which  office  he  held  till  1872,  when  his  people  elected  him 
their  ludge,  and  have  continued  him  in  that  honorable  office  since.  In 
1861  he  wasmirried  to  Miss  Fink  Ernstein.  She  was  born  in  Meek, 
lenburg,  Germany.  They  have  a  family  of  one  son,  George  H.  Mr. 
Klosteiman  is  an  able  and  efficient  Judge,  and  an  active  citizen,  devoted 
to  the  development  of  his  adopted  State  and  county. 

AUGUST  KOEPPEN,  Treasurer  of  Shawano  County,  Shawano, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Germany,  and  came  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853, 
and  took  up  the  vocation  of  farming,  but  subsequently  left  it  and  trav- 
eled through  the  Southern  States.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  4th 
Wis.  C,  and  after  an  active  service,  during  which  he  was  wounded,  he 
was  honorably  discharged  in  1862.  After  his  services  in  the  war,  he 
turned  his  attention  again  to  the  agricultural  industry,  and  came  to 
Shawano,  where  he  has  been  prominently  identified  since.  In  1870,  he 
was  elected  Circuit  Court  Clerk  of  his  county  for  1871-2.  In  1879,  he 
was  elected  County  Treasurer  and  has  been  continued  in  office  since. 
He  has  held  a  membership  on  the  County  Board  from  1870  to  1878.  In 
1862,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Frailing,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  reared  in  Wisconsin.  They  have  a  family  of  two  sons,  Charles 
Emil  and  Herman  Au;;ust.  Mr.  Koeppen  is  one  of  the  active,  enterpris- 
ing men  of  Shawano  County. 

JOSEPH  MAURER,  attorney  and  counselor-at-law,  Shawano,  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Prussia.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
and  after  stopping  about  two  years  in  Jeff'erson  and  Winnebago  counties, 
he  came  to  Shawano.  In  1852,  began  as  pioneer  here  and  built  the  first 
house  in  the  present  corporate  limits  of  Shawano,  which  still  stands,  the 
talisman  of  his  early  advent  here.  Mr.  Maurer  busied  himself  with  the 
organization  of  the  county,  and  was  one  of  the  first  Peace  Justices 
elected  in  the  county,  which  office  he  held  for  seventeen  years.  Was  the 
first  County  Judge  of  the  county,  elected  in  1859,  which  he  held  for 
eight  years.  In  1871.  the  June  term,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  the 
State,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his  talents  to  the  profession,  in 
the  meantime  conducting  agricultural  operations  on  his  homestead,  where 
he  now  lives. 

II.  NABER,  merchant,  Shawano,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  business 
men  of  Shawano.  Mr.  Naber  came  to  this  country  from  Oldenburg, 
Germany,  in  1848,  in  company  with  three  others,  with  the  view  of  pros- 
pecting it  for  settlement.  In  1850,  he  returned  to  his  country  and  re- 
ported favorably,  whereupon,  in  1851,  quite  a  number  of  his  country- 
people  came  and  settled  in  the  State.  He  stayed  in  Dodge  County  un- 
til 1858,  when  he  came  to  Shawano  andopened  a  mercantile  business, 
which  he  has  successfully  conducted  since,  in  the  meantime  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  development  of  the  place.  He  represented  his  district 
in  the  State  Assembly  in  1864,  '75  and  '80  ;  has  also  been  Mayor  of  the 
city  twice.  He  is  at  present  the  vice-president  of  the  Great  Northern 
Timber  Belt  Railroad,  and  managing  director  of  the  Eastern  Division, 
which  was  chartered,  March,  1881. 


K.  M.  PHILLIPS,  District  Attorney  for  Shawano  County,  Sha- 
wano. Mr.  Phillips  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  but  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Calumet  Co.,  Wis,  After  a  thorough  course  of  four  years 
study  in  law,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  the  State,  and  came  here 
and  opened  a  practice,  which  was  soon  followed  by  his  appointment  to 
his  present  official  position,  1873,  to  which  the  people  have  attested  their 
confidence  in  his  ability  by  electing  him  the  incumbent  for  each  consec- 
utive term,  save  one,  since. 

CHARLES  A.  RAISLER,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Shawano 
County,  was  born  in  Prussia,  1848.  In  1857,  his  people  came  to  Wau. 
paca  County,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  In  1868,  he  came  to 
Shawano  and  engaged  in  the  cabinet  making  business,  which  he  carried 
on  until  1874,  when  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  car- 
ried on  for  three  years.  In  1874,  he  was  elected  to  his  present  official 
position,  which  he  held  for  two  consecutive  terms,  until  1878,  when  he 
made  a  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast,  visiting  the  States  of  California  and 
Oregon,  and  Washington  Territory,  with  the  view  of  locating  there,  but 
concluded  to  return  to  his  adopted  State,  where  the  people  attested  to 
their  confidence  in  him  by  electing  him,  in  1880,  for  the  terms  1881 
and  1882. 

J.  M.  ROBINSON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  Sec.  6,  Chairman  of  the 
Board,  town  of  Richmond,  came  here  from  Essex  Co.,  N.  V.,  1855.  In 
1862.  he  responded  to  the  call  of  patriotism,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  32d 
Wis.  V.  I.,  and  remained  in  the  service  till  the  end  of  the  war.  Was 
honorably  discharged,  June  12,  1865.  After  his  services  in  the  war,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  lumbering  industry  here,  and  has  successfully 
conducted  it  since.  In  1870,  he  started  the  first  livery  business  of  Sha- 
wano, and  was  active  in  the  political  life  of  the  place.  Held  the  office 
of  Sheriff  for  two  years,  having  previously  acted  as  Deputy  ;  was  the 
first  City  Marshal  of  Shawano,  and  was  extra  active  in  that  capacity. 
In  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Phoebe  Gorham,  who  was  born  in 
Green  Bay. 

H.  C.  RUSSELL,.the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Upham  &  Russell, 
is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  about  1850,  where,  after 
a  course  of  study  in  the  high  school  of  Racine,  he  began  the  practice 
of  book-keeping,  which  he  prosecuted  for  a  few  years,  when  he  entered 
upon  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  where,  after  an  active  service  upon 
the  Board  for  two  years,  he  engaged  in  the  present,  1870.  Has  been 
successfully  connected  with  it  since. 

CAPT.  JOHN  M.  SCHWURS,  Sheriff-  of  Shawano  County,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Germany.  In  1856,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  came 
to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Dodge  County.  When  his  country  called 
her  citizens  to  arms,  he  responded  to  the  call  and  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  3d 
Wis.  V.  I.,  May  2,  1861,  as  second  sergeant.  After  an  active  service,  he 
was  honorably  discharged  as  first  lieutenant  Co.  A,  3d  Wis.  V.  I.  He 
however,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  in  the  same  company,  retaining  his  rank, 
and  remained  in  the  service  till  the  end  of  the  war,  retiring  from  the 
service  with  the  rank  of  captain  of  Co.  H.  After  his  war  services,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  tinsmithing  business  which  he  established 
here  in  1865,  and  which  he  still  conducts.  In  1872,  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk  of  Shawano  County,  and  filled  the  office  for  three  consecu- 
tive terms.  In  1880,  he  was  elected  to  the  Shrievalty  of  the  county  for 
the  terms  1881-S2.  In  1S64,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Theressa  Krueger 
who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  a  family  of  two  sons,  John 
and  Frank,  and  one  daughter,  Mary.  The  captain  is  an  active  and 
enterprising  citizen  and  a  reputable  soldier,  devoted  to  the  development 
of  his  adopted  State  and  county. 

WILLIAM  SOMMERS.  County  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
Shawano  County,  Shawano,  was  born  in  Germany,  but  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Sheboygan  Co  ,  Wis.  Mr.  Sommers  was 
born  a  scholar,  and  although  laboring  under  almost  every  disadvantage 
to  develop  his  talent,  he  has  eventually  succeeded  in  establishing  for 
himself  his  present  reputation  as  an  official  and  a  position  of  no  minor 
importance  as  a  teacher.  He  was  elected  County  Superintendent  of 
this  county  in  1877,  and  the  people  have  attested  to  their  confidence  in 
his  ability  by  electing  him  for  each  consecutive  term  since.  Mr.  Som- 
mers is  one  of  the  few  men  we  meet  who  sees  no  discouragement  in  the 
object  of  his  pursuit. 

EDWARD  SOMMERS,  Register  of  Deeds,  Shawano  County, 
Shawano.  Mr.  Sommers  was  born  and  reared  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis., 
1853.  In  1870  he  came  here  and  engaged  in  the  lumbering  and  milling 
business,  which  he  followed  a  few  years,  after  which  he  started  a  hotel 
and  conducted  it  up  to  last  year,  in  the  meantime  filling  the  present 
official  position,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1876.  and  to  which  the  peo- 
ple have  attested  to  his  ability  by  continuing  him  in  the  office  since.  On 
May  29,  1874,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Luecke,  who  was  born  in 
Germany.     They  have  a  family  of  two  little  girls,  Emma  and  Ida. 

UPHAM  &  RUSSELL,  merchants,  Shawano.  Mr.  Upham  came 
here  in  1858  with  a  small  stock  of  assorted  merchandise  and  began  the 
mercantile  business  which  to-day  forms  so  important  a  part  in  the  busi- 
ness interests  here.  After  a  series  of  minor  changes  in  the  manage- 
ment, Mr.  H.  C.  Russell  joined  it  in  1870,  and  the  firm  has  since  been 
known  as  above  stated.     Their  trade  in  merchandise  averages  $200,000 


772 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


per  annum,  patronized  by  the'demands  of  the  rapidly  growing  agricult- 
ural country  surrounding,  and  the  lumbermen  of  this  vicinity,  whose  ex- 
tensive interests  demand  a  respeclable  position  among  tlieir  patrons. 
Mr.'Upham  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  came  to  this  State  in  1851. 
After  pursuing  a  course  of  schooling  and  experience  as  clerk  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  diffetent  parts  of  the  State,  he  came  hereand  has  stood 
by  this  enterprise  with  the  energy  of  the  pioneer  and  has  succeeded. 

HIRAM  WESCOTT,  Sr.,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  30,  town  of 
Richmond.  Mr.  Wescott  was  born  and  reared  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N. 
York.  In  1S53,  he  came  here  from  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.;  for  the  first 
few  years  engaged  in  the  lumbering  and  milling  inlerests  of  this  place. 
In  1S55,  he  built  the  Wescott  House,  in  Shawano  (the  first  hotel  there), 
and  conducted  it  till  1S71,  when  he  moved  on  the  farm,  and  has  con- 
fined his  energy  to  it  principally  since.  In  1843, he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  A.  Olmstead.  in  Bradford  Co.,  Penn.;  she  was  born  and  reared  in 
Delaware  Co..  N.  J.  They  have  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, all  grown  to  man's  and  woman's  estate.  Mr.  Wescott  is  one  of  the 
enterprising  pioneer  men  of  Shawano  County. 

CHARLES  D.  WESCOTT,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  and  lumber- 
man. Sec.  23,  town  of  Richmond,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y. 
In  1843.  he  came  to  Menasha,  aud  after  a  stay  of  two  years,  he  came 
here  and  engaged  in  the  lumbering  and  milling  business,  to  which  he 
devoted  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life  here  ;  he  then  added  the  agricult- 
ural industry  to  his  list,  and  developed  that  industry  here.  He  was  the 
first  Postmaster  here,  which  he  held  up  to  1S60,  and  was  active  in  the 
organization  of  the  county.  On  Jan.  6,  1848,  he  was  married  tn  Miss 
Jane  Drasbauch,  who  was  born  in  Livingston  Co..  N.  Y.  They  have  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  grown  to  man's  and  woman's 
estate.  Mr.  Wescott  is  the  oldest  pioneer  man  of  the  county,  enterpris- 
ing and  active  in  the  development  of  the  many  industries  of  the  State 
and  county. 

DAYN  E.  WESCOTT,  County  Clerk  of  Shawano  Co.,  Shawano, 
was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Dec.  II,  1850.  and  removed  with  his  people  here 
1851  ;  he  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  county  ;  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  elected  as  Register  of  Deeds  for  his  coun- 
ty, and  was  continued  in  the  incumbency  for  two  terms,  at  ihe  same 
time  taking  an  interest  in  the  abstract  of  title,  insurance,  and  general 
land  agency  business,  which  he  still  conducts.  In  1S7S,  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk,  and  has  been  continued  in  the  office  for  each  term  since. 
In  1874,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Coun,  in  Friendship,  N.  Y. 
She  was  born  and  reared  there.  They  have  a  family  of  two  little  boys, 
Edward  Arthur  and  Bernard  Dayn.  Mr.  Wescott  is  one  of  the  active 
public  men  of  Shawano  County. 

SETTLEMENTS. 

Hartiand,  Bonduel  and  Tigerton  are  quite  thriving  lit- 
tle settlements,  of  about  150  population.  At  Whitcoiiib, 
just  above  Tigerton,  are  the  extensive  coal  kilns  of  the  Chi- 
cago Rolling  Mills,  while  at  the  settlementjitself  is  the  saw- 
mill of  Newbold  &  Livingston,  lately  built,  which  has  a 
capacity  of  12,000,000  feet  per  season.  A  grist  mill  is  also 
run  in  connection  with  it.  An  establishment  of  business 
importance  to  the  village  is  the  veneer  factory  of  Grundy  & 
Brigham.  Above  Whitcomb  is  the  station  Wittenberg,  which 
has  a  small  saw-mill,  a  Lutheran  Church,  Orphan  Asylum 
and  Seminary.  These  three  stations  are  on  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  line,  which  cuts  through  the  south- 
western- part  of  the  county  on  its  way  to  Wausau. 

Hartiand  and  Bonduel  are  on  the  stage  route  between 
Green  Bay  and  Shawano,  in  the  town  of  Hartiand.  At  the 
former  place,  besides  the  general  stores,  is  a  saw-mill,  oper- 
ated by  A.  J.  FtiUerton,  and  a  saw  and  grist  mill  by  C. 
Schmall.     There  is  a  saw-mill  near  Bonduel,   which   place 


does  a  fair  geneial  trade.  Several  other  mills  are  scattered 
at  different  points  throughout  the  city,  among  which  may 
be  mentioned  the  saw-mill,  six  miles  southeast  of  Shawano, 
owned  by  .-\.  K.  Porter ;  the  grist  mill  in  the  town  of  Grant, 
operated  by  C.  H.  Buettner,  and  the  grist  mill  at  Pulcifer, 
in  the  town  of  Green  Valley,  run  by  the  Oconto  Company. 

The  town  of  Green  Valley  was  organized  in  1873,  W. 
G.  Donaldson  being  the  first  Chairman.  Pulcifer  post-office 
was  established  about  the  same  time. 

In  1872,  work  .was  commenced  by  the  Northwestern 
Improvement  Company, on  a  dam  across  the  Oconto  River> 
on  Government  Lot,  No.  3,  in  Section  6,  for  the  purpose  of 
moving  and  sluicing  logs  and  timber.  The  dam  was  built 
by  A.  Winguist,  who  had  previously  homesteaded  the  land. 
It  was  his  intention  to  build  a  saw-mill,  and  one  year  later, 
in  company  with  Charles  A.  Noyes  and  O.  A.  Risum,  the 
mill  was  built.  It  was  a  wooden-wheel  mill,  and  its  capaci- 
ty for  making  lumber  very  limited.  Mr.  Winguist  also  built 
a  bridge  across  the  river  near  the  dam. 

O.  A.  Risum,  formerly  of  Rock  County,  built  a  store  on 
the  above  described  lot,  in  the  Spring  of  1873,  and  has  also 
kept  the  post-office  there  since.  Starting  in  with  a  very 
small  capital,  the  outlook  for  doing  business  was  rather 
dark,  as  the  roads  (if  such  they  could  be  called),  were  al- 
most impassable,  and  the  few  families  that  had  come  to  set- 
tle were  poor ;  but  by  hard  work  and  perseverance,  Mr. 
Risum  is  now  doing  a  prosperous  business,  increasing  it 
with  every  year.  As  yet  there  is|no  other  store,  but  one  is 
contemplated  before  long. 

Messrs.  Schwarz  &  Bergner,  of  Fort  Howard,  bought 
out  the  water-power,  and  erected,  in  the  Winter  of  1880,  a 
grist-mill,  run  by  two  of  Leffel's  newest  improved  water- 
wheels  ;  they  also  put  in  a  cockle  separator,  middlings  puri- 
fier, two  run  of  stones,  and  a  pair  of  middlings  stones.  They 
started  the  mill  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  and  are  doing  good 
work.  This  mill  is  a  great  benefit  to  the  farmers  of  this  and 
surrounding  country,  who  had  often  to  go  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  miles  to  grind  their  grain.  They  contemplate 
improving  the  old  saw-mill  with  a  new  turbine  wheel,  circu- 
lar saw  and  planer. 

A  hotel  is  being  built  by  Charles  Poul,  who  is  also  build- 
ing a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop. 

In  1880,  a  surveying  party,  sent  out  by  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railroad  Company,  ran  a  line  across  the  Oconto  River, 
about  one  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Pulcifer  post-office. 

A  mail  is  run  twice  a  week  from  Oconto  to  Pulcifer,  and 
return,  and  once  a  week  from  Shawano  and  return.  A  new- 
mail  route  is  contemplated  from  Black  Creek  to  Pulcifer  and. 
return. 


HISTORY    OF   ST.    CROIX    COUNTY. 


ST.    CROIX   COUNTY. 


PHYICAL    FEATURES. 

St.  Croix  County  seems  to  have  been  the  Iieadqiiarters 
for  the  lodgment  of  drift,  as  there  are  immense  beds  of 
sand  and  gravel,  representing  turbulence  in  their  deposition, 
with  occasional  beds  of  clay,  which  denote  a  placid  period. 

In  some  places,  the  rivers  have  cut  their  way  through 
sharply  defined  banks ;  but,  as  they  get  down  lower,  the 
banks  become  wider  apart.  There  are  several  quite  well- 
defined  trap-ledges  crossing  the  St.  Croix  River  above  the 
county,  with  a  direction  E.  N.  E.  and  W.  S.  W. 

A  prominent  rock  is  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  which  was 
deposited  in  the  ancient  Silurian  Sea,  and  has  since  been 
raised  without  commotion,  as  the  layers  are  found  in  a 
horizontal  position,  even  over  the  upturned  edges  of  rocks 
of  a  crystalline  character.  This  sandstone  is  represented 
as  being  nowhere  more  than  "JOO  feet  thick,  while  the 
Superior  sandstone  is  thought  to  be  at  least  4,000  feet  in 
thickness. 

There  is  in  the  county  some  croppings  of  the  St.  Peters 
sandstone,  and  the  Lower  Magnesian  limestone,  with  a  little 
Trenton  and  Galena  limestone,  but  none  of  the  Niagara 
limestone  found  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

The  details  of  the  geology  of  the  county  have  not  been 
elaborated,  and  the  promises  for  scientific  or  mineral  reward 
are  not  flattering ;  but,  as  to  the  practical  (|uestion  regarding 
the  capability  of  the  soil  to  support  inhabitants,  a  part  of  it, 
as  already  indicated,  is  exceptionally  good ;  and  where  the 
vegetable  mold  is  apparently  deficient,  it  has  the  basis  for 
satisfactory  productiveness,  and  will  treat  the  cultivator  with 
the  same  liberality  that  he  bestows  upon  it. 

The  county  has  an  area  of  about  460,000  acres.  Ten 
miles  below  Hudson,  the  river  gradually  expands  until 
opposite  the  city,  it  is  perhaps  a  mile  wide ;  it  then  gradu- 
ally contracts,  and,  when  a  few  miles  above  Stillwater, 
assumes  the  regular  width  of  the  river.  This  expansion, 
which  has  a  channel  mostly  on  the  west  side,  is  called 
Lake  St.  Croix.  The  bluffs,  above  the  western  bank  of  the 
river,  are  somewhat  broken  and  irregular.  The  eastern 
bank  more  regular  in  its  slope  toward  the  river. 

The  western  tier  of  towns  is  more  hilly  than  the  others, 
the  central  tiers  are  undulating  prairie,  and  better  adapted 
to  agriculture  than  any  other  part  of  the  county. 

The  eastern  tier,  from  north  to  south  across  the  county, 
is  the  hardwood  section,  which  meets  the  great  pine  region 
near  the  center  of  Dunn  County. 

The  varieties  of  wood  are  hickory,  butternut,  red,  black 
and  white  oaks,  with  rock  maple,  and  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  county  there  is  pine. 

Among  the  rivers,  the  most  important,  after  the  St. 
Croix,  are  the  Willow  and  the  Apple ;  the  former,  going 
into  the  St.  Croix  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county, 
and  the  latter  at  Hudson.  Hay  River,  which  forms  the 
west  branch  of  the  Red  Cedar  in  Dunn  County,  rises  near 
the  head- waters  of  the  Apple  River,  and  runs  in  an  opposite 
direction. 


Most  of  the  rivers  which  abound  in  the  county  arise 
rather  abruptly  from  springs,  which  furnish  remarkably 
pure  water,  and,  as  the  waters  accumulate  in  the  rivers,  fine, 
although  limited,  water-powers  are  furnished,  which  seldom 
fail  even  in  a  dry  time. 

The  Rush,  Kinnickinnic  and  Eau  Galle  rise  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county,  and  find  their  way  respectively 
into  Lake  Pepin,  Lake  St.  Croix  and  the  Chippewa.  There 
are  several  small  lakes,  among  them  Bell,  Twin,  Bass,  Perch 
and  Cedar. 

TUE    INDIANS. 

The  greatest  trouble  with  the  Indians  was  caused  by 
their  importunate  begging  and  thieving  propensities.  Visi- 
tations were  made  from  the  Dakotas  or  Sioux  on  tne  West, 
and  from  the  Ojibways  or  Chippewas  on  the  East.  Each 
tribe  had  its  peculiarities,  and  there  was  a  remarkable 
sameness  in  the  form,  size  and  general  appearance  of  each 
one  of  the  same  tribe.  The  one  could  be  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  other;  the  Sioux  were  lighter  colored 
than  the  Chippewas;  the  Sioux  had  dug-outs,  the  Chippewas 
birch  bark  canoes  like  those  still  made  by  the  Oldtown 
Indians  near  Bangor,  in  Maine.  The  moccasin  of  the 
Sioux  was  sewed  in  front  from  the  toe  up,  the  Chippewas 
had  a  band  of  foxing  around  the  upper  part  of  the  mocca- 
sin. As  to  the  belt,  that  indispensable  adjunct  to  every 
Indian  wardrobe,  and  which  he  has  to  buckle  up  as  he  gets 
hungry,  and  let  out  as  he  gormandizes,  the  Sioux  had  a 
plain,  unornamented  affair,  while  the  Chippewa  had  porcu 
pine  quills,  beads  and  whatever  trinkets  he  could  obtain  to 
embellish  his  girdle.  The  Sioux  wore  skins,  the  Chippewas 
fabrics.  A  band  on  leaving  a  point,  would  stick  a  bush  in 
the  ground  or  plant  it  in  the  stream,  and  an  expert  would 
tell  at  once  whether  it  was  left  by  the  Chippewas  or  Sioux. 
The  Chippewa's  wigwam  was  covered  with  bark,  the  Sioux 
with  skins.  To  show  the  character  of  the  warfare  indulged 
in  by  these  two  hostile  tribes,  an  account  of  an  affair  wit- 
nessed by  a  man  who  was  several  hours  held  as  a  prisoner 
to  prevent  his  giving  information  of  the  movement,  will  be 
related :  On  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  below  St. 
Paul,  some  time  in  1842  or  1843,  was  located  an  Indian 
village,  with  perhaps  200  braves.  On  the  opposite  side  ot 
the  river  was  a  trader  who  had  a  Sioux  squaw  for  a  wife. 
Several  hundred  Chippewas  came  down  and  ranged  them- 
selves on  either  side  of  a  ravine  leading  to  the  river,  in 
ambush.  They  then  sent  about  twenty  warriors  to  the 
river,  who,  finding  the  trader's  squaw  in  the  garden,  shot 
her.  After  securing  her  scalp,  the  murderers  indulged  in 
a  war  dance  on  the  bank  of  the  river ;  the  Sioux  rallied  to 
a  man ;  the  river  was  soon  black  with  their  canoes  coming 
over.  The  Chippewas,  waiting  until  their  foes  were  on  the 
point  of  landing,  ilod  up  the  ravine  followed  by  the  Sioux 
to  receive  the  effective  fire  of  the  Chippewas.  Those  who 
survived  this  onslaught  fled  and  bravely  attempted  with  the 
re-enforcements  constantly  arriving,  to  flank  their  enemies, 
by  going  up  another  i-avine  ;  this  contingency  had  been  pro- 


946 


I  IS  TORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


vided  for  by  the  crafty  Chippewas,  who  had  a  reserve  sta- 
tioned there,  and  the  deathly  experience  of  the  first  attack 
was  again  their  lot.  Of  course,  their  only  safety  was  in 
flight  across  the  river,  but  the  remorseless  Chippewas 
swarmed  on  the  blufl",  and,  few  indeed,  succeeded  in  cross- 
ing the  river  to  tell  the  tale. 

Tlie  place  where  this  occurred  is  still  called  Bloody 
Run.  Long  before  the  garrison  at  Fort  Spaulding  arrived, 
tlie  Chippewas,  loaded  with  scalps  and  other  trophies  of 
their  prowess,  had  returned  to  their  own  ground  to  relate 
their  daring  deeds. 

The  Siou.x  once  had  a  Chippewa  chief — Hole-in-the- 
l)ay — corraled  in  a  tamarack  swamp,  of  about  one  acre ;  this 
they  guarded  day  and  night  for  three  days,  to  find  to  their 
disgust  that  he  had  escaped.  They  alleged  thathe  had 
turned  into  a  snake  and  thus  crawled  out. 

The  Sioux  subsequently  played  a  like  game  on  the 
Chippewas  near  the  eastern  edge  of  the  "bloody  ground  " 
with  equal  success,  leaving  the  account  very  evenly  balanced. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

St.  Croix  Falls  was  visited  by  Father  Hennepin  while 
he  was  held  a  prisoner  by  the  Sioux  Indians  in  1680  ;  and 
he  gave  it  a  name  from  his  extensive  calendar  of  Saints. 
The  peninsula  formed  by  the  St.  Croix  on  the  east  and  the 
Mississippi  on  the  west  was  very  sharply  defined  neutral 
ground  between  the  Sioux  on  the  west  and  the  Chippewas 
on  the  east,  and  the  early  histoi-y  of  the  settlement  of  what 
was  once  Northwestern  AVisconsin,  but  is  now  Eastern  Min- 
nesota, was  comparatively  free  from  Indian  depredations. 
Neither  tribe  deemed  it  prudent  to  occupy  this  territory, 
excepting  in  the  most  temporary  way,  and  therefore  it  was 
a  safe  place  for  settlement,  and  was  early  occupied  by  farm- 
ers, scattered  widely  over  the  whole' domain. 

On  account  of  the  safety  of  the  location,  Laurient 
Barth  with  his  family,  Jacques  Porlier  and  Charles  Reaume 
established  a  trading  station  here  on  the  St.  Croix  in  1793, 
returning  down  the  river  loaded  with  furs,  in  the  spring. 

In  1839,  a  company  was  formed  at  St.  Louis  to  go  into 
the  lumbering  business  on  the  St.  Croix.  A  party  was 
sent  up,  and  by  the  spring  of  the  following  year  were  well 
under  way  at  the  Falls,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Holcombe.  The 
firm  was  called  the  St.  Louis  Lumber  Co.  The  mill  was 
built,  and,  in  a  reconstructed  form,  still  stands. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1840,  W.  H.  Crosby  came  up  the 
river  from  below  on  the  Indian  Queen,  bound  for  the  Falls, 
but  was  grounded  on  a  bar  where  Stillwater  now  is,  and  on 
account  of  a  want  of  knowledge  of  the  channel,  was  three 
days  in  getting  up  to  the  Falls. 

In  1841,  Capt.  Frasure  was  sent  up  in  charge,  instead 
of  Holcombe.  James  Perrington  came  in  1843,  and  re- 
lieved Frasure.  He  remained  two  years,  when,  in  1845, 
Holcombe  returned  and  took  his  former  position,  which  he 
retained  several  years. 

Holcombe  came  up  at  first  in  1839,  but  was  driven  off 
by  the  Indians.  He,  however,  returned  the  same  year  and 
resumed  operations. 

The  very  first  settler  in  Hudson  was  Peter  Bouchea,  in 
the  spring  of  1841 ;  he  had  a  French  father  and  a  Chip- 
pewa mother,  and  was  a  man  of  character,  who  oftcTi 
boasted  of  being  the  first  white  resident. 

Soon  after  came  a  half-breed  of  French  extraction, 
whose  real  surname  is  lost,  but  his  nickname  was  Joe  La 
Grue,  so  called  from  his  crane-like  form.     That  is  still  re- 


tained as  the  family  name.  These  men  had  been  connected 
with  the  Northwestern  American  Fur  Company,  at  La 
Pointe,  and  found  their  way  down  here  from  there. 

The  next  cabin  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge,  lo- 
cated within  the  limits  of  the  present  county,  was  that  of 
Louis  Massa,  a  French  Canadian  by  birth,  who  had  mar- 
ried a  sister  of  Bouchea,  named  Fransis.  Massa  had,  in 
obedience  to  his  nomadic  taste,  wandered  west  to  the  Apos- 
tle Islands,  where  he  met  his  future  wife.  They  came 
down  with  a  couple  of  canoes  lashed  together  when  in  the 
water,  with  a  few  household  effects,  having  to  make  several 
portages.     The  old  man  and  his  wife  are  still  living. 

Mr.  Crosby,  above  referred  to,  came  down  the  river, 
and  located  opposite  Hudson,  at  Lakeville,  and  assisted 
Bouchea,  La  Grue  and  Uncle  Massa  (as  he  was  called)  in 
erecting  their  log  houses. 

George  Clark,  another  early  comer,  also  lent  a  hand  to 
help  build  the  huts.  He  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the 
Kinnickinnic  the  same  fall,  and  furnished  the  first  case  for 
the  Coroner  of  the  county,  who  was  David  Hone.  Mr. 
Crosby,  who  is  still  alive  and  in  active  business,  lived 
at  Cottage  Grove  and  on  Bole"s  Creek.  Henry  S.  Crosby 
was  born  on  the  18th  of  June,  1846,  on  Bole's  Creek. 
The  family  came  to  Hudson  to  remain,  in  March,  1868. 

After  William  Holcombe,  who  is  really  the  earliest  pio- 
neer, may  be  mentioned  Phineas  Lawrence,  Joseph  Has- 
kell, Ph.  Prescott,  James  S.  Norris,  Joseph  R.  Brown, 
Andrew  McKey,  M.  Moore  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Crosby,  who 
came  in  the  spring  of  1844.  David  Hone,  Sam  Buckalo, 
Orange  AValker,  William  Dibble,  Hiram  Bucker  and  others 
were  a  little  later. 

The  founder  of  Hudson  was  Joseph  Perrington,  who 
built  a  dam  and  saw-mill  at  the  mouth  of  the  Willow  River. 
Stillwater,  which  was  at  first  a  part  of  the  county,  was  settled 
by  John  McKorich,  Calvin  Leach,  Elias  McKean,  Jacob 
Fisher,  Elam  Greeley  and  Jesse  Taylor.  A  saw-mill  was 
erected  in  1842. 

Joseph  Haskell  was  the  fii-st  farmer.  He  broke  the  soil 
in  1840.  J.  S.  Norris  soon  after,  but  this  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  which  was  quite  well  settled  when  the 
present  county  began  to  fill  up. 

The  Territory  of  Minnesota  was  organized  in  1849,  and 
included  Minnesota  and  Iowa.  Several  towns  in  the  St. 
Croix  Valley,  then  in  the  county,  wiU  be  alluded  to. 

Afton  was  settled  in  1840,  by  Andrew  McKey  and  Mr. 
McHattees.  John  and  Martin  Moore  founded  Arkola.  Mo- 
line  was  started  by  S.  Buckalo,  D.  Hone,  0.  Walker,  Will- 
iam Dibble  and  H.  Berkley,  in  1841. 

Christopher  Columbus  discovered  and  founded  Vassa ! 

William  Kean,  William  Mahoneyand  Alnan  D.  Heaton 
built  a  saw-mill  at  Oceola,  in  1842. 

Taylor's  Falls  was  so  called  from  Jesse  Tavlor,  who.  with 
Mr.  Baker,  built  a  mill,  in  1840. 

St.  Croix  Falls,  was  the  scene  of  the  early  operations  of 
the  St.  Louis  Lumber  Co.,  under  the  superintendence  of 
William  Holcombe. 

Returning  to  the  limits  of  the  present  county  :  In  1846, 
Mr.  Page  and  his  family  arrived  from  Nauvoo,  111.,  and  as- 
sisted Mr.  Perrington  in  building  his  mill  the  following 
year.  If  Henry  F.  Crosby  was  the  first  white  boy  born 
here,  Abigail  Page  was  the  first  girl.     This  was  in  1846. 

The  Noble  brothers  came  about  this  time,  followed  soon 
after  by  their  father,  who  was  a  retired  clergyman.  He 
occasionally  had  religious  service. 


HISTORY    OF   ST.    CROIX    (( i 


947 


The  year  following,  in  1847,  there  was  quite  an  influx 
of  new-comers,  among  them  Amah  Andrews,  Philip  Aid- 
rich,  Joseph  Mears,  Moses  Perrin,  James  Stone  and  James 
Sanders. 

James  Hughes  opened  a  law  office. 

A  store  was  built  for  general  merchandise,  and  Moses 
Perrin  built  a  hotel.  Several  frame  buildings  were  put  up 
for  dwellings  and  other  purposes.  In  the  fiill,  a  tract  of 
thirty  acres  was  laid  out  near  the  Willow  River  as  the  site 
tif  the  future  city.  The  proprietors  were  Philip  Aldrich, 
Ama  Andrews,  Joseph  Mcars  and  James  Sanders,  who  gave 
the  city  the  then  popular  name  of  Buena  Vista. 

In  1 850,  the  new  city  having  meantime  only  slowly  grown, 
twenty  acres  more,  adjoining  but  down  the  lake,  were  added 
by  Messrs.  Moses  S.  Gibson,  John  0.  Henning,  F.  P.  Catlin, 
Bouchea,  Stone  and  Crowns,  who  boldly  discarded  the  Mex- 
ican cognomen  and  gave  it  the  Saxon  name  of  Willow  River, 
which  soon  superseded  tbe  other. 

Otis  Iloyt,  M.  D.,  settled  here  in  1850.  The  distances 
he  had  to  go  to  see  some  of  his  patients  would  seem  incred- 
ible if  stated,  and  the  time  he  had  to  wait  for  some  of  his 
fees  has  not  expired  yet. 

E.  P.  Pratt  was  the  first  school  teacher,  and  the  school 
was  opened  in  1852. 

In  1854,  the  Baptists  succeeded  in  building  the  first 
church.     Rev.  Catlin  was  the  pioneer  preacher. 

Meantime  other  places  in  the  county  were  being  settled, 
and,  in  1855,  there  were  more  than  two  thousand  people  in 
the  county. 

ORGANIZATION. 

St.  Croix  County,  when  first  set  off  from  Crawford 
County  by  the  Territorial  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1840, 
embraced  a  part  of  Pepin,  Dunn  and  Chippewa  Counties, 
and  Bayfield,  Douglas,  Burnett,  Barron,  Polk  and  Pierce 
Counties,  as  well  as  a  part  of  Minnesota,  and  formed  the 
whole  western  boundary  of  the  Territory,  from  what  was 
then  called  Porcupine  River,  on  Lake  Pepin,  on  a  line  run- 
ning west,  and  on  the  north  to  Montreal  River,  and  from 
the  Montreal  River  west  into  Minnesota. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1840,  an  election  was 
authorized.  A  vote  was  to  determine  the  location  of  the 
county  seat.  Two  places  struggled  for  the  distinction — 
"  Prescott's  Claim,"  at  the  lower  end  of  Lake  St.  Croix, 
and  "Brown's  Warehouse,"  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake, 
tiie  present  site  of  Stillwater.  The  polls  were  opened  at 
two  points — the  Falls  of  Chauraakan,  on  the  St.  Croix,  and 
at  La  Pointe. 

Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  population  at  that  time, 
or  the  interest  manifested  in  the  election,  may  be  realized 
by  remembering  that  the  whole  number  of  votes  polled  was 
58,  45  being  for  Brown's  Warehouse,  and  13  for  Prescott's 
Claim.  The  returns  were  made  to  the  Clerk  of  the  County 
Commissioners  of  Crawford  County,  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
Hazen  Mears,  Samuel  Buckalo  and  Calvin  A.  Tuttle  were 
chosen  Commissioners. 

The  tract  of  land  described  in  J.  R.  Brown's  claim  was 
sold  to  him  by  the  Commissioners  for  $800  cash,  reserving 
one-half  acre  for  county  purposes.  Arrangements  were  also 
made  with  Mr.  Brown  to  furnish  suitable  buildings  for  the 
use  of  the  county  for  four  years. 

At  this  election  the  county  officers  chosen  were  Joseph 
R.  Brown,  Treasurer,  Register  of  Deeds  and  Surveyor; 
Orange  Walker,  Joseph  Haskell  and  Philander  Prescott, 
Assessors;   Phineas  Lawrence,  Collector;  and  J.  S.  Norris, 


Coroner.     C.  J.  Learned,  of  Crawt'ord  County,  certified  to 
the  election. 

In  April,  1844,  an  act  was  approved  making  the  county 
a  Probate  District,  and  appointing  Philip  Aldrich  Judge. 
In  1845,  the  county  was  reduced  in  size  by  creating  the 
county  of  La  Pointe,  leaving  it  with  11,000  square  miles 
and  the  Mississippi  as  the  western  boundary.  The  popula- 
tion was  then  estimated  at  1,500 — one  person  in  seven  and 
one-third  square  miles. 

When  in  1846  Congress  passed  an  act  permitting  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  to  become  a  State  on  condition  that 
the  people  would  adopt  a  constitution  and  accept  certain 
boundary  lines,  there  was  considerable  opposition  in  the  St. 
Croix  Valley  to  the  suggestion  that  the  St.  Croix  and  not 
the  Mississippi  should  be  the  western  boundary  for  the 
upper  part  of  the  State.  And  in  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1847,  a  vigorous  efl'ort  was  made  to  have  this 
line  changed.  The  delegate  from  St.  Croix  was  William 
Holcombe,  and  lie  was  Chairman  of  the  committee  to  con- 
sider this  question.  In  his  report,  it  was  urged  that  the  line 
should  be  in  the  middle  of  the  Mississippi.  This  line  was 
not  accepted  by  Congress,  but  in  1848,  Wisconsin,  with  her 
present  territory  and  boundary  lines,  was  admitted  as  a  State 
into  the  Union.  This  division  took  from  St.  Croix  the 
county  seat,  by  placing  everything  west  of  the  river  in  Min- 
nesota, and  really  destroyed  the  couuty  organization. 

Previous  to  this  (in  1846),  the  Territorial  Legislature 
had  added  two  more  election  precincts — St.  Paul  and  Still- 
water— the  latter  being  designated  as  the  county  seat.  In 
1847,  the  county  was  endued  with  judicial  functions  and 
all  the  rights  of  other  counties.  Mr.  W.  H.  Crosby  states 
that  he  voted  in  the  Territory  and  State  of  Wisconsin,  and 
in  the  Territory  and  State  of  Minnesota,  at  the  same  place 
and  in  the  same  box,  all  within  a  few  years.  He  lived  in 
Stillwater. 

The  requirement  for  a  new  county  seat  was  met  by  the 
Legislature  in  an  act  approved  June  8,  1848,  which  located 
it  on  Sections  4  and  5,  at  the  mouth  of  Willow  River.  In 
August  of  the  same  year,  this  act  was  amended  by  desig- 
nating Section  20  as  the  present  site  of  Hudson. 

The  St.  Croix  County  Court  was  held  for  the  last  time 
at  Stillwater  in  1848.  Aai-on  Goodrich  was  on  the  bench  ; 
Harney  Wilson  was  Clerk  ;  A.  M.  Mitchell,  United  States 
Attorney  ;  H.  Le  Moss,  Attorney  for  the  County  ;  and  John 
Morgan,  Sheriff. 

The  special  election  required  by  the  new  order  of  things 
was  held  in  August,  and  a  new  list  of  officers  were  selected. 
Philo  Aldrich,  Ama  Andrews  and  W.  II.  Morse  were  the 
Canvassing  Board.  Returns  were  also  to  be  made  to  the 
Clerk  of  Crawford  County,  who  was  empowered  to  issue 
certificates  of  election. 

The  county  was  again,  and  for  the  last  time,  reduced  in 
size,  through  an  act  of  the^JLegislature,  in  March,  1852,  by 
the  creation  of  Polk  County  on  the  north  and  Pierce  on  the 
south,  Hudson  remaining  the  shire  town.  The  county  is 
twenty-four  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  thirty  from  east 
to  west.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Polk,  east  by  Chip- 
pewa and  Eau  Claire,  on  the  south  by  Pepin,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  St.  Croix  River,  the  boundary  of  Minnesota. 

The  county  has  no  debt,  although  it  once  voted  $25,000 
in  aid  of  a  railroad  project,  but  for  some  reason  the  bonds 
were  not  executed. 

.  The  taxes  in  1871    were— State,  $8,387.86  ;  county, 
$14,242.25.     St.  Croix  County  valuation  in  1880,  $5,381,- 


948 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


192.  State  tax,  $10,1)28.33.  Population— 1850,  625; 
1855,  2,040;  1860,  5,391;  IS'iS,  7,255;  1870,11,039; 
1875,  14,956;  1880,  18,838. 

The  present  county  officers  are :  County  Judge,  S.  C. 
Simonds ;  Treasurer,  William  Whewell ;  County  Clerk, 
Robert  Dinsmore ;  Clerk  Circuit  Court,  S.  J.  Bradford ; 
District  Attorney,  H.  F.  Woodard ;  Sheriff,  Joseph  Kelly  ; 
Under  Sheriff,  R.  Hodgins  ;  County  Superintendent,  Betsey 
M.  Clapp  ;  County  Physician,  E.  S  Farnsworth  ;  Surveyor, 
John  T.  Conductor ;  Chairman  County  Board,  Guy  W. 
Daily. 

The  court  house  was  built  in  1857,  and  cost  |30,000 
or  more. 

The  Hudson  Post  Office  is  a  third-class  office,  the  Post- 
master being  appointed  by  the  President  at  a  salary  of 
$1,600.  The  other  offices  in  the  county  are  as  follows : 
Boardman,  Baldwin,  Bouchea,  Brookville,  Cylon,  Deer  Park. 
Emerald,  Hammond,  Ilersey,  Jewett  Mills,  New  Center- 
ville,  New  Richmond,  Pleasant  Valley,  Somerset,  Star 
Prairie,  Warren,  Wilson  and  Woodside.  As  it  is  slack- 
water  up  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Croix,  in  Polk  County,  regular 
lines  of  steamers  constantly  ply  between  the  Mississippi 
and  Stillwater,  a  few  miles  above  Hudson,  and  other  points. 
Barges  and  rafts  are  thus  handled  with  safety  whenever  the 
river  is  open.  The  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  was  con- 
structed through  the  county,  and  the  Northern  Wisconsin 
branches  here  near  Hudson.  These  roads,  having  passed 
through  many  vicissitudes,  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Company.  The 
officers  of  this  company  are  II.  H.  Porter,  President; 
Philetus  Sawyer,  Vice  President ;   C.  W.  Porter,  Secretary. 

There  are  two  passenger  trains  east  and  two  west  daily. 
The  Northern  Wisconsin  branch  is  well  up  in  Bayfield 
County,  and  will,  at  no  distant  day,  be  extended  to  Lake 
Superior. 

Hudson  ;j-  River  Falls  Bailway. — This  company  was 
organized  September  0,  1878.  The  directors  from  Hudson 
were  John  Comstock,  T.  E.  Williams,  C.  L.  Hall  and  A. 
D.  Andrews,  and  Mr.  Stevens  from  River  Falls. 

The  road  was  opened  for  travel  October  26,  1878,  and 
the  event  was  duly  celebrated  by  an  excursion,  addresses, 
dinner  and  toasts. 

This  road  runs  from  River  Falls  to  Stillwater,  with 
connections  to  St.  Paul  by  the  road  from  there,  as  well  as 
connecting  with  the  through  line  of  the  C,  St.  P.,  M.  &  0. 
road,  which  now  owns  the  road. 

River  Transportation. — The  imj)()rtance  of  the  St.  Croix 
River,  the  western  boundary  of  the  county  and  State,  cannot 
be  overestimated.  There  have  been  several  vexatious  bars 
that  have  always  interfered  with  navigation  more  or  less. 
An  appropriation  to  remove  snags,  leaning  trees,  old  cribs 
and  other  obstructions  to  the  channel  has  been  judiciously 
used  by  Maj.  Allen,  of  the  United  States  Engineers,  and  by 
next  season  there  will  be  a  great  improvement,  so  that  the 
annoying  delays  often  witnessed  by  loaded  boats  will  be 
avoided.  About  $27,000  will  have  been  recently  expended 
on  the  river  by  the  close  of  1881. 

About  12,000  passengers  were  carried  on  the  river  in 
1880,  and  this  number  must  constantly  increase.  The 
logging  and  lumber  business  is  the  principal  item  of  freight : 
and,  as  this  wanes,  manufactured  hard-woods  must  more 
than  supply  its  place,  and  the  wheat  which  is  largely  raised 
in  the  county  may  find  itself  afloat  here,  not  to  leave  tlie 
water  route  until  landed  in  Europe. 


In  this  county,  wheat  is  the  great  staple  commodity,  i 

and,  in  1880,  the  acreage  of  wheat  sown  was  104,571,  and  ' 

the  yield  1,114,171   bushels,  or  about  lOA  bushels  to  the  j 

acre,  which  is  below  the  average.  In  1881,  when  the 
thrashing  is  well  under  way,  a  careful  estimate  places  the  \ 

number  of  bushels  for  the  county  1,307,137.  or  about  12J 
bushels   to  the  acre.     At  present  prices,   this  will  give  a  I 

million  or  more  dollars  to  the  farmers  for  their  wheat.     The  ' 

acreage,  on  other  leading  growths  for  1881,  is:  Oats. 
27,212;  corn,  8,000;  potatoes,  1,150;  barley,  1,604 ;  rye. 
520.  Of  hay,  the  yield  is  22,500  tons;  number  of  fruit 
trees  in  the  county,  14,000  ;  and  the  number  of  milch  cows 
8,000.  These  figures,  which  are  a  close  approximation  to 
correctness,  will  show  the  character  and  extent  of  farming 
operations  in  the  county,  and  will  be  valuable  for  future 
comparison. 

The  county  agricultural  society,  which  has  been  a  great 
benefit  in  developing  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  county, 
was  organized  as  early  as  1858,  and  the  interest  has  been 
well  kept  up. 

A  society  also  exists  in  New  Richmond,  which  takes  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  county. 

There  are  in  the  whole  county  100  schoolhouses,  with 
106  rooms,  and,  while  in  some  places  in  the  county  the  dis- 
tance is  quite  great,  the  average  attendance  is  well  up,  in 
proportion  to  the  number  r f  scholars  enrolled. 

Betsey  M.  Clapp  is  the  County  School  Superintendent, 
and  the  management  of  the  schools  shows  painstaking 
judgment  and  care.  The  school  fund  belonging  to  St. 
Croix  in  1880  was  $2,720.74.  A  teachers'  association 
meets  once  a  month. 

St.  Croix  County  furnished  its  full  quota  of  sturdy  men 
for  the  war.  Several  years  ago  the  survivors  formed  a  St. 
Croix  Valley  Soldiers'  Association,  Dr.  King,  President : 
Gen.  Harriman,  First  Vice  President ;  Maj.  Fulton.  Second 
Vice  President ;  Dr.  Johnson,  Corresponding  Secretary : 
Capt.  Kelly,  Recording  Secretary  ;   Capt.  Spencer,   Treas-  ' 

urer.  The  association  attended  the  re-union  in  Milwaukee, 
in  June,  1880. 

In  the  early  times,  with  Prairie  du  Chien  as  the  nearest 
seat  of  justice,  and  only  a  single  magistrate,  with  a  limited 
jurisdiction,  it  is  easy  to  believe  that  justice  was  often  dis-  \ 

pensed  with  in  a  most  remarkable  way. 

At  one  time  a  man  made  an  assault  upon  another  and 
beat  him  to  a  jelly,  as  the  witnesses  testified.  Tiiis  was  up 
the  river  some  seventy-five  miles.  The  man  was  arrested  and 
the  complaining  witness  came  down  with  a  party  of  his 
friend.s.  They  procured  five  gallons  of  whisky,  and  went 
down  to  Cottage  Grove  to  try  the  case  before  Esiiuire  J.  S. 
Norris.  The  court  was  duly  opened,  a  jury  of  six  men  em- 
paneled, and,  about  the  time  the  jug  was  empty  a  verdict 
was  fouml  fining  the  man  $30(1  and  costs,  or,  in  default,  to 
go  to  jail  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  The  prisoner  had  no  money, 
and,  as  it  would  cost  the  county  at  least  $100  to  get  him 
down  there,  the  finding  was  finally  changed  to  placing  the 
man  under  bonds  to  keep  the  peace  for  one  year  in  the  penal 
sum  of  $300,  and  the  complaining  witness  and  the  Justice 
jointly  went  on  the  bond  !  thus  patriotically  saving  the 
county  the  expense  of  further  proceedings. 

In  the  year  1849,  and  for  several  years,  Hudson  .seemed 
destined  to  outstrip  St.  Paul  as  a  metropolis  of  the  North- 
west, on  account  of  the  obstruction  of  the  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  at  "  Pig's  Eye  "  Bar.  Minnesota  was  organized 
as  a  Territory  in  March,  1849,  and  the  village  of  Hudson, 


HI 


)RY    OF   ST.    CROIX    COUNTY. 


being  on  the  Wisconsin  side  of  tlie  river,  the  residence  of 
the  Governor  was  established  at  St.  Paul,  and  Hudson,  with 
all  its  advantages  of  river  communication,  was  compara- 
tively lost  sight  of  by  men  seeking  homes  in  that  region. 

A  land  office  was  established  in  Hudson  in  1849,  F.  P. 
Catlin,  Register,  M.  S.  Gibson,  Receiver.  John  0.  Hen- 
ning  was  afterward  Receiver  and  Dr.  Otis  Hoyt,  Register. 
In  18til,  the  office  was  removed  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Croix. 

There  were  twenty  tax-payers  in  1849,  owning  property 
valued  at  .^4,949.  and  eighteen  voters  only  could  be  mus- 
tered. The  assessment  roll  a  few  years  later  was,  1852, 
$•25,513;  1853,132,2.38;  1855,  |45,000  ;  1850,  $140,000. 

The  land  office  entries  for  the  first  eight  years  were  as 
follows:  1849,  16;  1850,  15;  1851,  148;  1852,  79; 
1853,  371;  1854,  1,576;  1855,  2,440. 

They  very  rapidly  increased  in  1856,  which  was  a  year 
of  great  prosperity  and  growth  for  the  city  and  county. 
Money  was  quite  plenty,  and  could  be  had,  on  undoubted 
security,  at  3  to  5  per  cent  a  month  I 


line,  carrying  it  from  a  direct  line  to  the  north,  across  Wil- 
low River  on  a  high  trestle,  and  by  a  long  curve  bringing 
it  back  to  cross  tlie  St.  Croix  at  the  mouth  of  the  Willow. 
This  improvement  will  be  an  obvious  advantage  to  Hudson 
as  well  as  to  the  railroa<l. 

At  North  Hudson,  there  is  the  railroad  station,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  land  department  of  the  railroad,  the  round- 
house and  repair  shops,  and  a  post  office,  John  Richardson, 
Postmaster.  The  mills  of  Comstock,  Clark  &  Co.  are  lo- 
cated here,  and  this  firm  also  has  a  cooper-shop  here. 
There  is  also  a  log  boom  on  the  Willow  River.  A  city 
government  was  organized  May  4,  1857.  A.  D.  Gray  was 
Mayor,  Octavius  Bell,  City  Clerk.  The  following  named 
gentlemen  have  been  Mayors  of  the  city  to  the  present  time : 
A.  D.  Grav,  Alfred  Day,  Silas  Staples,  John  Comstock,  S. 
H.  Ciouglu  A.  D.  Richardson,  C.  R.  Coon,  II.  F.  Hum- 
phrey, J.  H.  Brown,  Simon  Hunt,  L.  North,  C.  H.  Lewis, 
Henry  L.  Wilson,  A.  J.  Goss,  P.  Q.  Boyden,  D.  C.  Ful- 
ton. M.  A.  Fulton  and  Samuel   Hyslop,  since  1878.     City 


.^AM 


'J^ 


M 


\ 


•ITY  OF  HUDSON. 


HUDSON. 

This  city  is  beautifully  situated,  just  below  the  mouth  of 
Willow  River,  on  the  east  side  of  Lake  St.  Croix,  an  expan- 
sion of  the  river  at  that  place.  The  city  occupied  a  series 
of  terraces  along  the  lake  bank,  aftbrding  from  the  upper 
ones  a  fine  view  of  the  lake,  and  the  hills  of  Minnesota 
with  the  spires  and  outlying  portions  of  Stillwater. 

There  are  three  prominent  peaks  arising  in  the  southeast 
part  of  the  city,  the  highest  being  232  feet  above  the  surface 
of  the  lake. 

The  city  is  handsomely  laid  out,  with  streets  of  con- 
venient width  and  blocks  of  suitable  size.  Formerly  the 
business  street  was  near  the  river  ;  that  is  now  occupied  by 
the  railroad,  and  the  present  business  is  on  the  street  above, 
Second  street. 

The  depot  of  the  River  Falls  branch  is  at  the  foot  of 
Walnut  street,  on  the  lake  shore.  The  trunk  line  depot  is 
at  North  Hudson,  as  it  is  called:  changes  now  going  on  in 
the  location  of  the  line  will  make  it  more  convenient.  Per- 
sonal and  local  interest  had  deflected  the  road  from  a  straight 


Clerks — Octavius  Bell,  Henry  A.  Wilson,  Joseph  Green, 
A.  W.  Hall,  L.  S.  Seymour,  seven  years,  and  J.  A.  Bunker 
for  twelve  years. 

The  present  city  officers  are :  Mayor,  Samuel  Hyslop; 
Treasurer,  Th.  Ryan  :  Assessor,  J.  D.  Chubbuck  ;  Police 
Justice,  \V.  S.  Evans;  City  Clerk,  J.  A.  Bunker;  Presi- 
dent of  Council,  Horace  Barlow. 

The  city  has  one  steam  fire  engine,  procured  in  1872. 
The  first  engineer  was  Samuel  Whitehead.  George  Willis 
was  his  successor,  and  J.  E.  Harrington  is  the  present  en- 
gineer in  charge.  There  is  now  a  volunteer  corp  of  assist- 
ants. 

There  have  been  several  notable  fires  in  Hudson.  On 
Friday,  May  3,  1872,  there  was  a  very  extensive  fire,  de- 
stroying the  Chapin  Hall  House,  valued  at  $50,000,  and 
$35,000  worth  of  property  besides.  On  the  14th  of  the 
same  month  another  fire  burned  30,000  bushels  of  wheat 
and  other  property,  including  the  furniture  of  the  Chapin 
Hall  House,  which  had  been  saved  from  the  previous  fire. 
Previous  to  these  fires,  on   the   19th  of   May,  1866,  the 


HISTORY   OF    XORTHRRN    WISCONSIN. 


whole  business  part  of  tlif  village  on  Second  street  was 
completely  swept  away. 

Churclfes. — Hudson  is  ijuite  well  supplied  with  churches, 
and  its  clergy  will  compare  favorably  with  other  places  of 
like  size. 

Methodist. — In  the  latter  part  of  1852,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Richardson,  a  one-armed  man,  was  stationed  here,  and,  in 
1853,  a  churcii  was  organized.  The  following  is  the  list  of 
ministers  to  the  present  time :  Revs.  William  Hamilton. 
A.  J.  Nelson.  T.  M.  Fullerton.  Isaic  Springer,  E.  S.  Har- 
ris, E.  S.  Havens,  J.  E.  Irish,  H.  Goodell,  A.  D.  De.xter, 
J.  S.  Thompson  and  M.  C.  Benson,  the  present  Pastor. 

A  new  church  was  built,  and  dedicated  on  the  12th  of 
September,  1875.  Rev.  M.  Chaflfce  and  Rev.  Mr.  Mooney 
were  present  and  assisted  in  the  service.  Rev.  H.  Goodell 
being  the  Pastor.  The  present  membership  is  eighty- 
five. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  on  the  22d  of 
December,  1855,  under  tiie  care  of  Rev.  Charles  Thayer, 
with  ten  members.  The  first  chapel,  now  used  as  a  hall, 
was  built  in  1857,  at  a  cost  of  S800,  including  lot.  The 
present  edifice  was  erected  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  §9,000. 
The  parsonage  has  ten  I'ooras,  and  was  built  in  1860.  The 
following  clergymen  have  been  connected  with  this  church 
since  its  organization  :  Charles  Thayer,  William  Speer, 
John  C.  Caldwell,  H.  A.  Humphrey,  J.  Stewart  Reed,  D. 
H.  Rogan,  James  Agnew,  Bradley  Phillips,  Sanford  C. 
Fisher  and  Walter  R.  Frame,  the  present  Pastor,  who  came 
November  11,  1879.  Ruling  Elders,  from  the  first : 
Sampson  Hartman,  L.  Humphrey,  D.  C.  Fulton,  John  M. 
Nash  and  George  Slater.  The  total  membership  has  been 
181,  and  there  are  100  on  the  list  now. 

Congregationalist. — The  first  church  of  this  denomina- 
tion was  organized  in  1861.  Through  the  instrumentality 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Marshall,  a  church  was  erected  that  year,  at  a 
cost  of  §2,000.  The  following  ministers  liave  occupied  the 
pulpit  since  that  time  :  Regan,  Thorp,  W^oodruff,  Foster, 
Safford,  Ayers,  Brown  and  Rev.  Mr.  Corwin,  now  here. 

First  Regular  Baptist. — This  society  was  organized  in 
1852,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Samuel  T.  Catlin, 
from  Maine.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  A.  Gibson,  Rev. 
Mr.  De  Bois,  D.  F.  Gross,  William  F.  Nelson  and  T.  E. 
Keeley,  who  remained  nearly  eight  years,  and  the  present 
Pastor,  William  Hartley,  who  has  been  here  nine  years. 
The  first  church  was  built  in  1855.  The  present  one  in 
1866,  at  a  cost  of  §6,000.  The  parsonage  was  purchased 
in  1876.     There  are  ninety-six  members. 

St.  Patrick's  Catholic. — The  first  church  was  built  in 
1856.  The  corner-stone  of  the  present  building  was 
laid  on  Sunday,  August  23,  1874,  by  the  Right  Rev. 
Michael  Heiss,  Bishop  of  La  Crosse.  The  following  Rev- 
erend Fathers  have  been  stationed  here:  J.  J.  Magee,  A. 
Godfert,  N.  Mignault,  N.  Stehle,  Charles  Verweyst,  Peter 
J.  Larin,  M.  Conley  and  T.  A.  Kelly,  the  present  Pastor, 
who  came  in  June,  1875.  There  are  200  families  worship- 
ing at  this  church.  A  building  formerly  used  as  the 
Hinckley  Military  School  has  passed  into  Catholic  hands, 
and  is  now  occupied  by  the  Sisters  for  a  school. 

Norwegian  Lutheran  Church. — This  society  took  an 
organic  form  in  1876,  when  the  present  edifice  was  erected, 
although  there  had  been  service  in  town  long  before  this. 
Rev.  0.  J.  Hazestad,  supplied  from  Pierce  Co.  The  Rev. 
H.  J.  G.  Keroy  is  the  present  Pastor.  The  church  cost 
§2,000,  and  twenty  families  worship  there. 


Willow  River  Cemetery. — Amah  Andrews  presented 
four  acres  for  a  cemetery,  which  has  been  all  sold,  and 
five  acres  have  recently  been  added. 

Educational. — Hudson  is  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in 
the  matter  of  education.  There  are  three  schoolhouses. 
That  in  First  Ward  has  a  single  school-room.  The  Second 
Ward  house  has  six  rooms  and  accommodates  the  High 
School  and  the  lower  grades.  The  Third  Ward  house  has 
two  rooms.  Nine  teachers  in  all  are  employed.  A.  B. 
Dudgeon  is  the  Principal  of  the  High  School.  The  Su- 
perintendent is  N.  H.  Clapp. 

Banking.  —The  early  banking  operations  of  Hudson 
were  not  on  a  large  scale.  The  issue  of  currency  based 
upon  a  certain  number  of  kegs  of  nails,  with  layers  of  Mex- 
ican dollars  on  top,  were  not  very  extensive. 

The  St.  Croix  Valley  Bank  was  organized  in  1855.  It 
was  a  bank  of  issue,  and  the  currency  purported  to  be  pay- 
able at  Gordon,  the  head(iuarters  of  the  bank.  Search  to 
find  the  place  has  been  as  fruitless  as  that  to  find  a  North- 
west Passage.  This  institution  did  not  survive  the  panic  of 
1857. 

The  Hudson  City  Bank,  organized  in  1855.  John  0. 
Ilenning,  President;  W.  S.  Gibson,  Cashier.  It  went  out 
of  business  in  December,  1861. 

The  Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank,  started  in  the 
summer  of  1857.  It  was  a  State  bank,  and  went  out  late 
the  same  fall. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1863.  Capi- 
tal §50,000.  John  Comstock,  President ;  Alfred  J.  Goss, 
Cashier.  The  present  ofiicers  are  John  Comstock,,  Presi- 
dent;  A.  E.  Jefferson,  Cashier:  J.  A.  Andrews,  Assistant 
Cashier.  It  now  has  a  surplus  of  §2.5,000,  and  §10,000 
undeclared  dividends.  The  foundation  for  this  bank  was  laid 
by  Alfred  Goss,  who  had  a  private  bank  from  some  time  in 
1856,  which  was  not  a  bank  of  issue,  but  did  a  legitimate 
banking  business. 

The  Hudson  Savings  Bank,  organized  in  1870.  Alfred 
Goss,  President ;  A.  J.  Goss,  Cashier.  Does  a  general 
banking  business. 

Hotels.— The  principal  hotels  are  the  Chapin  Hall 
House  and  the  Commercial.  A  new  one  near  the  Commer- 
cial is  in  process  of  erection. 

The  Chapin  Hall  House  was  first  built  in  1867.  In 
1872,  it  was  burned.  It  passed  through  various  hands  ;  was 
rebuilt  and  opened  in  August,  1879.  H.  A.  Taylor  is  the 
owner,  and  James  F.  Spencer  is  proprietor. 

The  Seeley  House  is  a  substantial  hotel,  and  there  are 
several  others  under  foreign  auspices. 

Newspapers. — Quite  a  number  of  newspaper  enterprises 
were  started  as  early  as  1850  Among  them  was  the  St. 
Croix  Un(juirer,  by  Sexton  &  Johnson. 

The  Hudson  Journal  started  in  the  winter  of  1850.  W. 
B.  Schaffer  had  charge  of  this  until  1854,  when  he  sold  to 
Col.  Hughes.  In  1856,  this  paper  had  become  the  Chron- 
icle, and,  during  that  campaign.  Col.  Hughes  published  the 
Patluindcr  in  the  interest  of  Fremont. 

The  Hudson  Republican  was  started  by  Col.  James 
Hughes,  Aug.  31,  1854.     Only  a  single  number  was  issued. 

Tlie  North  Star. — This  journal  appeared  above  the 
horizon  of  Hudson  on  November  18,  1856.  Edward  Thwing 
was  editor.  This  continued  to  shine  until  absorbed  by  the 
Times,  in  1864. 

The  Shield  and  Banner  was  in  existence  a  certain  time 
about  1856. 


HISTORY    OF  ST.    CROIX    COUNTY. 


On  the  13th  of  July.  1860,  H.  A.  Taylor  boucrht  the 
Chronicle,  which  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Beal  k  Dens- 
more,  and  started  the  Hudson  City  Tunes.  On  the  13th  of 
September,  1864,  the  Star  was  absorbed,  and  the  paper  be- 
came the  Star  and  Times.  C.  A.  Clewell  became  associ- 
ated with  Mr.  Taylor,  remaining  until  1879,  when  he  was 
alone.  In  January,  1879,  B.  J.  Price  became  associated 
with  him.  Now  Mr.  Taylor  goes  to  Marseilles,  as  United 
States  Consul,  and  Mr.  Price  remains  in  charge. 

The  True  Republican  came  into  existence  November 
1,  1871,  under  the  management  of  D.  C.  Fulton  &  Bro. 
January  1,  1875,  it  was  sold  to  John  E.  Glover  and  G.  L. 
Sliarretts.  In  1876,  the  firm  became  Sharretts  &  Cline. 
December  1,  1878,  James  Cogswell  bought  Sharretts'  inter- 
est, and  he,  with  G.  D.  Cline,  now  publishes  the  paper. 

Fraternal  Societies. — St.  Croix  Lodge,  A.,  F.  k  A.  M., 

No.  56,  instituted 15,  1855.     Benjamin  Allen, 

Otis  Hoyt  and  Edward  B.  Singleton,  first  officers.  The 
lodge  has  a  written  charter  signed  by  <}.  W.  M.  H.  M. 
Billings  and  William  R.  Smith,  Grand  Secretary.  Present 
officers— William  Beggs,  W.  M. ;  C.  F.  King,"  S.  W. ;  C. 
T.  Peterson,  J.  W. :   G.  R.  Hughes,  Secretary. 

St.  Croix,  R.  A.  Chapter,  No.  44  ;  instituted  February 
17,  1874.  First  officers— W.  Herrick,  D.  C.  Fulton  and 
T.  E.  Williams.  Present  officers— G.  L.  Sharretts,  H. 
P. ;  C.  F.  King,  K. ;  M.  D.  White,  S. ;  William  Beggs, 
C.  of  II. ;   C.  L.  Catlin,  P.  S. ;    M.  Herrick,  Secretary. 

St.  Croix  Coramandery ;  instituted  August  28,  1879. 
William  H.  S.  Wright  was  E.  C.  Present  officers— A.  L. 
Clarke,  E.  C. ;  A.  E.  Jeff'erson,  G. ;  D.  F.  Harding,  C.  G. ; 
C.  L.  Catlin,  P. ;    D.  C.  Fulton,  J.  W. 

A..  0.  U.  Workmen;  instituted  November  10,  1880, 
with  fourteen  members.  A.  N.  Priester,  P.  M.  W. ;  W. 
T.  Blum,  M.  W.  ;  M.  A.  Hall,  Secretary.  Present  officers 
— Z.  C.  Holmes,  P.  M.  W.  ;  A.  J.  Craig,  M.  W. ;  J.  W. 
Priester,  Recorder.     Now  has  thirty-six  members. 

Odd  Fellows — Colfax  Lodge,  No.  85  ;  instituted  January 
22,  1855.  C.  R.  Jones  and  Fred  Durand  were  among  the 
first  officers.  The  lodge  flourished  until  the  war  of  1861, 
when  it  suspended.  Reitistated  January  16,  1868,  by  M. 
F.  Gallop,  H.  S.  Clapp,  J.  M.  Whaley  and  others-  Present 
officers — F.  E.  Harrington,  N.  G. ;  James  Weston,  V.  G.  ; 
Oscar  Lucks,  R.  S. ;  H.' W.  Crosby,  P.  S. :  P.  Q.  Boyden,  T. 

Silver  Encampment,  No.  46 ;  instituted  December  6, 
1871.  Charter  members — J.  J.  Lucks,  Th.  Porter,  J.  II. 
Houghton,  J.  H.  Brown,  Simon  Hunt,  J.  H.  Childs  and 
George  Watson. 

Rebecca  Lodge,  instituted  November  19,  1871,  has  a 
large  membership. 

Hudson  City  Lodge,  No.  486,  I.  0.  G.  T.,  has  had  a 
membership  of  108 ;  now  has  56  active  members.  The 
officers  now  are  Mrs.  0.  P.  Dyer,  W.  C.  T. ;  Miss  Olive 
Churchill,  V.  T. ;  Miss  Delia  Childs,  Secretary;  Robert 
Hughes,  F.  S. ;  Miss  Jennie  Nash,  T. ;  M.  C.  Benson, 
Chaplain  ;   Charles  Otis,  M. 

The  I*atrons  of  Husbandry  flourished  for  a  time.  A 
council  was  organized  January  7,  1874,  with  the  following 
officers :  A.  C.  Poor,  Asa  Parker,  E.  B.  Holmes  and  G. 
M.  Street. 

St.  Croix  Valley  Horticultural  Society  was  organized 
several  years  ago ;   but  has  been  allowed  to  decline. 

Boat  Club,  organized  May,  1881.  It  has  twenty  active 
members ;  James  Cogswell,  President ;  F.  0.  Craid.  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer. 


The  St.  Croix  Bible  Society. — This  society  was  orga- 
nized early  in  the  history  of  the  county,  and  its  character 
and  operations  have  not  been  unlike  that  of  Bible  Societies 
everywhere.  The  present  officers  are  W.  Herrick,  Presi- 
dent ;  W.  H.  Crowe,  Treasurer ;  J.  A.  Andrews,  Secretary. 

Old  Settlers'  Club. — J.  0.  Ilennings,  President;  Simon 
Hunt,  Secretary. 

Building  and  Loan  Association,  organized  March  1, 
1877.  with  the  following  Board  of  Directors:  D.  C.  Ful- 
ton, M.  Herrick,  J.  M.  Childs,  G.  B.  Hunt,  C.  Y.  Denni- 
son,  A.  J.  Buel,  Matthew  Ellis  ;  M.  Phipps,  Secretary,  and 
William  H.  S.  Wright,  Treasurer. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  instituted  in  Octo- 
ber, 1865.  William  E.  Safford,  Vice  President,  and  C. 
F.  Burdick,  Secretary.  Now  has  twenty-four  members. 
Present  officers — H.  C.  Baker,  M.  Herrick,  Vice  President ; 
J.  A.  Andrews,  Corresponding  Secretary ;  F.  M.  Gibson, 
Recording  Secretary  ;  Frank  Nye,  Treasurer.  Their  read- 
ing room  is  open  daily. 

Ladies'  Library  Association. — This  institution  has  a 
valuable  library,  which  is  loaned  to  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  on  condition  that  the  room  is  kept  open, 
and  supplied  with  periodicals.  The  best  women  in  Hudson 
are  interested  in  this  society.  Mrs.  Fred  Goss  is  the  Presi- 
dent ;  Miss  Ella  Richardson,  Financial  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer;  Mrs.  J.  W.  Bashford,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs. 
P.  Q.  Boyden,  Mrs.  Horace  Barlow  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Day 
are  prominent  members,  there  being  twenty-five  in  all. 
Miss  Ella  Richardson  is  Librarian. 

Industrial  Unterprises. — Hudson  Thrashing  Machine 
Co.;  incorporated  November  10,  1880,  with  the  following 
officers:  P.  B.  Lacy,  President;  A.  L.  Clark,  Secretary  ; 
A.  J.  Goss,  Treasurer.  Executive  Committee,  William  G. 
Swan,  Terrence  Kenney  and  the  President.  The  company 
manufactures  a  thrashing  machine  called  the  '•  Wisconsin 
Governor,"  which  claims  a  variety  of  improvements.  The 
present  President  and  Manager  of  the  company  is  J.  C. 
Snyder.  The  machine  is  patented  by  Sullivan  Chris- 
tofferson. 

Comstock,  Clark  &  Co.— Their  flouring-mill  was  first 
established  Baldwin  &  Son.  It  has  thirteen  run  of  stones, 
and  turns  out  two  to  three  hundred  barrels  of  flour  a  day. 
Mr.  Clark  is  the  Superintendent.  The  firm  also  has  a  flour, 
grain  and  feed  store,  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Israan.  In 
1879,  the  firm  expended  $15,000  on  their  mills  in  improve- 
ments. 

Hudson  Manufacturing  Company. — This  is  a  new  com- 
pany, just  organized,  with  the  following  Directors  and  offi- 
cers :  J.  C.  Schneider,  President;  W.  H.  Phipps,  Vice 
President ;  A.  A.  Kelly,  D.  C.  Fulton,  C.  R.  Jones,  John 
H.  Humbir,  C.  R.  Coon  and  Thomas  Hughes. 

Wagon,  Carriage  and  Blacksmithing. — S.  Hyslop  has 
a  manufactory  for  wagons,  carriages,  etc.  He  began  in 
1868,  and  turns  out  good  work  that  finds  a  ready  sale. 
He  is  a  practical  man,  and  deals  in  a  square,  honorable 
way. 

S.  H.  Williams  also  manufactures  buggies,  sleighs,  etc. 

Furniture. — Beard  k  Co.  succeeded  to  the  business  of 
Nash  &  Co.,  in  1870.  Do  good  work  and  have  a  growing 
business. 

The  city  is  not  wanting  in  dry  goods  dealers,  groceries, 
clothiers,  millinery,  hardware,  boot  and  shoe  stores,  sad- 
dlery, book  and  stationery  dealers.  Agricultural  implement 
depots  are  in  full  competition,  and  in  fact  almost  anything 


95^ 


HISTORY    OF    XORlllERX    WISCONSIN. 


recjuired  for  subsistence,  coinf'urt  ami  convenience,  or  luxury, 
can  be  procured  in  Hudson. 

Among  the  doctors  the  senior  is  Otis  Hoyt,  who  is  still 
in  business.     All  the  sciiools  are  well  represented. 

There  are  the  usual  number  of  lawyers,  who  stand  high 
in  their  profession. 

For  dental  operations  no  one  iuis  to  go  out  of  town. 

On  the  north  side  of  Willow  lliver  was  found  by  the 
early  settlers  a  macadamized  road,  bsading  from  the  river, 
upon  which  trees  were  growing,  hundreds  of  years  old.  It 
evidently  antedated  the  Indian  race. 

The  city  of  Hudson  is  between  44°  and  45^  nortli  lat- 
itude, and  its  mean  temperature  is  said  to  be  a  little  over 
46".     It  is  twenty-two  miles  from  the  Mississippi. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKKTCHKS. 

COL.  JAMES  HUGHES.  The  Colonel  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  having  been  born  at  Prince  Edward  Court  House  in 
180;5.  He  graduated  at  Hampden  Sidney  College,  and  studied 
law  with  William  Wirt,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
Supreme  Court.  He  removed  to  Jack.son,  Ohio,  and  started  ihe 
Stundard,  a  paper  still  published  there,  and  he  was  for  twelve 
years  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Legislature.  In  the  spring  of  1849, 
he  removed  to  St.  Paul,  and  published  the  Chronicle ;  in  the  fall 
he  came  to  Hudson,  which  had  more  brilliant  prospects  than  St. 
Paul,  on  account  of  obstructions  in  the  river  above  the  nioutli  of 
the  St.  Croix.  He  published  the  first  newspaper  printed  here. 
He  was  married  in  Ohio  in  1838  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mather.  They 
had  seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  living  but  one  son.  The 
Colonel  was  a  prominent  man,  and  was,  some  time  in  the  50's,  a 
candidate  for  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State.  His  death  was 
in  August,  1873. 

ALFRED  DAY,  came  to  Hudson  in  1S51.  Was  widely 
known  and  fully  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  community. 
He  died  suddenly,  leaving  a  wife  and  six  children,  in  November, 
1880.  He  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1817,  and  was  married  in 
Hudson  to  Miss  Medora  Anderson.  He  was  engaged  in  general 
merchandising  and  in  the  livery  business.  For  six  years  he  was 
County  Treasurer,  and  held  other  positions.  He  gave  the  name 
of  Hudson  to  his  adopted  residence. 

MRS.  MARY  SANDERS.  This  lady  was  among  the  early 
settlers,  having  come  as  early  as  1845.  She  was  the  wife  of 
James  Sanders,  and  died  on  the  21st  of  July,  1873,  aged  56 
years.  Those  who  now  live  surrounded  by  the  comforts  and 
luxuries  everywhere  found,  can  hardly  realize  the  extent  of  the 
toil  and  privation  of  pioneer  life,  and  we  can  hardly  pay  the 
merited  tribute  to  their  courage,  heroism  and  self-sacrifice  which 
could  only  bo  endured  through  the  confidence  inspired  by  the  most 
ardent  hope. 

R.  A.  GRIDLEY.  Mr.  Gridley  was  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  where  he  was  born  in  1822.  While  still  a  young  man,  he 
moved  to  Illinois,  and  from  there  came  to  Wi-sconsin,  engaging  in 
business  in  various  parts  of  the  State,  finally  turning  his  attention 
to  farming  near  this  city.  He  was  an  energetic  bu.siness  man, 
improving  whatever  he  handled.  His  eyesight  finally  failed.  He 
was  twice  married,  and  left  six  children  in  all.  He  was  patient 
and  resigned  undii-  lii~  alllidion.      His  death  was  in  July,  1878. 

DANIEL  A.\  l>i:i;si  i\  was  an  eariy  settler,  coming  in 
1850.  He  ou-A-.il  in  luiulKiing  on  Willow  River;  he  kept  the 
leading  hotel  in  lliid.-uii,  wliicli  was  burned  in  1854;  he  rebuilt 
and  went  on  until  18l)(j;  his  hotel  again  burned  with  no  insur- 
ance. In  1876,  1877  and  1878,  he  was  City  Treasurer.  He 
died  July  8,  1878,  very  highly  respected  by  the  people  of  Hud- 
son and  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances. 

T.  DWIGHT  HALL.  Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Perry,  N.  Y.. 
Sept.  3,  1S30;  while  preparing  for  college,  he  taught  school  to 
work  his  way  through  Yale.  He  arrived  in  Hudson  in  1855, 
and   established   himself  in   the  practice  of  the  law.      He  was  a 


good  writer,  an  eloquent    speaker    and  had  au  inherent  love  of  j 

truth.     He  was  editor  of  the  Chronicle  and  had  an  influence  in  | 

the  community.     His  death  was  on  the  19th  of  October,  1875.  | 

MRS.  JENNIE  HUMPHREY,  the  beloved  wife  of  Judge  ' 

Humphrey,  M.  C. ;  lived   twenty-three  years  in  Hudson,  was  well  i 

known  and  enjoyed  a  life  of  usefulness.     She  left  five  children,  ' 

three  daughters  and  two  sons.  j 

J.  B.  JONES.  Hudson,  ex-Sheriff  of  St.  Croix  County,  came  | 

to  lludsoi)  in  1851,  and  built  what  is  now  known  as  the  Jones 
liomeslead  ;  had  to  go  twelve  miles  for  every  mouthful  of  flour, 
with  no  nei;_d)liors  hut  Chippewa  Indians,  who  swarmed  about  hi- 
home.  Married  when  21  to  a  daughter  of  Rev.  William  F^gbert. 
of  Hammond,  and  followed  farming  until  the  fall  of  1872,  when 
he  was  elected  County  Treiisurer  for  two  years,  then  went  intu 
the  rui])loy  of  the  McCormick  Company  as  general  agent,  when 
he  lias  been  up  to  the  present  time ;  appointed  by  the  Governor. 
l>ri(l<io  Commissioner  for  the  county;  elected  in  the  fall  ol 
1874  Superintendent  of  the  Poor  for  three  years,  also  County 
Agent.  Has  a  fine  farm  of  400  acres,  240  under  the  plow  in  the 
town  of  Troy,  and  a  beautiful  residence  in  the  city  of  Hudson. 
Is  a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  ;  is  a  cla.ss  leader 
and  an  earnest  worker.  Married  in  1802  to  Maria  L.  Egbert; 
they  have  five  children — Albert  E..  Charles  F].,  Myra,  Freeman 
and  Bertha. 

NEW    HICIIMOXD. 

Tills  is  a  thriving  village  with  7oU  residents,  located 
on  the  Willow  River,  and  on  the  old  North  Wisconsin 
Railroad,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Hudson.  It  is  the 
point  for  trade  for  the  towns  of  New  Richmond,  Stan- 
ton, Erin  Prairie  and  Star  Prairie,  which  corner  near  the 
station.  The  village  is  on  a  plain,  regularly  laid  out,  and 
rather  compact  in  its  business  portion. 

Henry  Russell  was  among  the  eaidy  settlers,  and  in 
1857  laid  out  tlie  village,  owning  tiie  whole  site  from  tlie 
main  street  west. 

The  first  people  to  settle  near  here  were  Eben  Quimby, 
near  the  moutli  of  Paper  Jack  Creek,  in  1852,  and 
Wheeler  Barnutn,  with  J.  D.  Johnston  and  families,  in 
1853.  Timothy  Oakes  and  James  Taylor  soon  followed. 
Harvey  Low  built  a  blacksmith-shop  in  1855,  and  Linden 
Coombs  a  hotel.  After  the  village  was  laid  out,  and  up 
to  18G3,  there  were  but  eleven  buildings  within  one  mile. 
And  not  until  a  year  after  this,  when  the  railroad 
reached  the  town,  did  the  real  hum  of  activity  commence. 
Since  that  time  the  growth  has  been  steady,  and  it  must 
continue  witli  the  development  of  the  agricultural  resources 
of  the  country. 

Some  idea  of  the  businessof  the  village  may  be  gathered 
from  the  amount  of  freight  received  and  forwarded  by  rail- 
road. The  tonnage  forwarded  on  an  average  month  is 
l,266,2'i0  pounds.  The  freight  received  12,058,260.  The 
amount  of  wheat  received  in  1880  was  150,000,  which 
will  be  increased  in  1881.  The  improvements  in  the  vil- 
lage in  1880  were  to  the  extent  of  §45,400. 

Two  passenger  trains,  one  from  each  direction,  stop 
here  for  dinner.      G.  A.  Gault  is  station  agent. 

At  certain  seasons  a  large  part  of  the  incoming  freight 
is  agricultural  inaciiinery. 

New  Richmond  was  organized  as  a  village  in  the 
spring  of  1879.  Oscar  Brown  was  the  first  President, 
Frank  B.  Chapman  the  second,  and  Silas  Staples  is  the 
present  President.  James  McChesney  is  Clerk,  and  Jolin 
McNeider  Deputy.  The  village  is  a  quiet  and  orderly  one. 
No  licenses  to  sell  liquors  have  usually   been  given.     The 


HISTORY    OF   ST.    CROIX   COUNTY. 


953 


present  year  the  hotels  are  granted  licenses.  The  various 
branches  of  trade  are  well  represented. 

The  Bank  of  New  Richmond,  orfi;anized  in  1878  with  a 
capital  of  125,000,  R.  A.  Guy,  President ;  F.  VV.  Bartlett, 
Vice  President ;  J.  W.  McCoy,  Cashier  ;  W.  T.  Lambden, 
Assistant  Cashier.  The  bajik  has  a  most  excellent  build- 
ing, with  a  stone  vault,  directors'  parlor,  watchman's  room, 
and  other  conveniences.  The  deposits  average  $60,000, 
and  the  disbursements  amount  to  $30,000  a  day.  It  has  a 
surplus  of  $7,000. 

Anew  saw-mill  near  the  depot  has  just  been  erected  by 
L.  Jacobs,  John  Glover  and  James  Johnson.  The  firm 
have  a  large  amount  of  lumber  up  the  river,  and  in  the 
mill  will  have  a  circular  saw,  a  shingle  and  lath  mill,  as 
well  a.s  a  planer.  The  railroad  company  is  laying  a  spur- 
track  to  the  mill. 

There  is  an  elevator  at  the  depot  wliich  handles  12.J.000 
bushels  of  wheat  a  year.     A.  R.  Kibbie  operates  it. 

Comstock,  Clark  &  Co.,  of  Hudson,  also  have  an  ele- 
vator near  the  river,  and  buy  large  amounts  of  grain. 

L.  Libby  has  a  planing  mill. 

Thomas  Porter  manufactures  carriages  and  wagons. 

Peter  Scherer  does  a  general  carriage  and  w.igon  manu- 
facturing business,  and  sells  farm  machinery. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination  was  quite  early 
in  the  field,  and  has  a  good  building  and  parsonage. 
Among  those  who  have  supplied  and  have  been  Pastors 
here  were  Revs.  William  Egbert,  William  Hamilton,  T.  M. 
Fullerton,  Stout,  Irish  and  Lake  (under  whose  care  the 
church  was  built).  Havens,  Mooney,  Ilolt  and  H.  W.  Bush- 
nell,  the  present  Pastor.  The  church  was  organized  in 
1863,  while  Rev.  Chauncey  Ilobart  was  Presiding  Elder. 

Catholic. ^Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  Serv- 
ices began  on  the  first  Sunday  in  April,  1880.  A  church 
edifice,  veneered  with  brick,  is  now  well  under  way.  The 
size  is  54x132  feet.  It  will  cost  $15,000.  Rev.  Dr.  P. 
A.  DeParadis  is  the  Pastor. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  1859,  but  was 
suffered  to  subside.  In  1868  it  was  re-organized  by  Elder 
Green,  a  State  missionary.  Harrison  W.  Stearns  is  now 
the  Pastor,  he  also  preaches  at  Roberts'  Station.  There 
are  forty  members. 

Congregational. — This  society  was  organized  on  Satur- 
day July  21,  1866,  J.  P.  Bartlett,  President.  Rev.  Mr. 
Wells  organized  the  society  with  sixteen  members.  Since 
then,  there  have  been  several  Pastors,  among  them  W.  W. 
Norton,  J.  H.  Cameron,  A.  Livermore  and  E.  P.  Chitten- 
den. There  are  now  sixty  members,  and  the  society  has 
a  good  church  edifice. 

St.  Thomas  Episcopal  Mission  was  established  in  1867, 
by  Rev.  A.  B.  Peabody,  Rev.  H.  Langlois,  present  mission- 
ary. The  society  has  a  lot  but  no  church  as  yet.  It  has 
twenty  members. 

There  are  several  fraternal  societies  in  existence  here. 
New  Richmond  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  .M.,  No.  195,  was  in- 
stituted in  1874  with  William  H.  Kent,  M.;  T.  Seems,  S. 
VV.  and  J.  L.  Ruttey,  J.  W.  The  present  officers  are  T. 
Johnson.  M.;  C.  Scribner,  S.  W.;  J.  B.  Hicks,  J.  W.;  B. 
Powell,  Secretary.     A  Chapter  has  been  petitioned  for. 

New  Richmond  Lodge,  1.  0.  0.  F.,  No.  216,  was  insti- 
tuted December  5,  1873.  The  first  ofl'icers  were  F.  P. 
Chapman,  S.  N.  Hawkins.  Alex  Ross,  T.  W.  Rowe.  The 
present  officers  arc  L.  C.  Tatro,  N.  G.;  J.  F.  Kenil,  V. 
G.;  F.  G.  Smith,  Sec;  Th.  Porter,  P.  S. 


New  Richmond  Lodge,  I.  0.  G.  T.,  No.  89,  was  insti- 
tute.! March  7,  1873,  H.  Pierce,  W.  C.  T.;  B.  C.  B.  Fos- 
ter, W.  V.  T.;  Alex  C.  Van  Meter,  W.  S.  A  lodge  was 
first  established  in  1865,  but  was  suffered  to  lapse. 

The  Juvenile  Temple  was  instituted  in  1878,  with  M. 
S.  Wells,  Superintendent,  George  Carr,  C.  T.;  E.  W. 
Clapp,  V.  T.;  Earl  Dawley,  Sec. 

The  Ladies'  Tempei-ance  Union  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1881,  by  the  leading  women  of  the  village. 

The  Postmaster  is  M.  J.  Aldrich  ;  Assistant,  Mrs.  M. 
J.  Aldrich.  It  is  a  monay  order  office,  and  stamps  are  sold 
to  the  extent  of  $550  per  quarter. 

There  is  a  daily  mail  stage  line  to  Star  Prairie,  W.  Fay, 
proprietor. 

There  are  several  hotels,  among  them  The  Nicolet,  Cen- 
tral and  Thompson's. 

New  Richmond  has  five  or  six  physicians  and  as  many 
lawyers. 

The  St.  Croix  Republican  has  been  published  by  A.  C. 
Van  Meter  since  August  14,  1869.  Mr.  Charles  Seymour 
being  at  first  associated  with  him.  It  is  in  all  respects  a 
good  newspaper. 

In  August,  1878,  The  Greenhach'r  was  started  in  New 
Richmond,  it  was  subsequently  transformed  into  the  New 
Richmond  Democrat.  It  died  of  some  infantile  disease  in 
the  spring  of  1881. 

The  Mechanical  and  Agricultural  Association  holds 
annual  fairs,  in  which  the  people  generally  are  interested. 
The  officers  are  J.  C.  Salien,  Pres.;  0.  W.  Moslier,  Sec; 
F.  J.  Smith,  Treas. 

There  is  an  active  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  under 
the  following  officers:  F.  P.  Chapman,  Foreman;  S.  S. 
Covey,  First  Assistant;  J.  C.  Salien,  Second  Assistant; 
C.  W.  Jones,  Secretary.     This  is  a  volunteer  organization. 

BIOGRAPHIC-iL     SKETCHES. 

FRANK  P.  CHAPMAN,  lawyer,  New  Richmond;  was  born 
in  Starks,  Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  Sept.  13,  1846  ;  went  to  sea  at  13 
years  of  age.  Was  one  of  four  brothers  who  served  iu  the  war 
of  the  rebsllion.  Entered  the  service  at  14  in  Co.  F,  14th  Maine 
V.  I.;  was  iu  several  engagements  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Baton 
Rouge,  and  was  mentioned  in  the  general  orders  for  bravery  at 
that  engagement.  Was  wounded,  and  returned  home  for  a  time  ; 
re-enlisted  in  Co.  K,  2d  Maine  V.  C.  Was  promoted  ;  participated 
in  several  battles ;  was  in  the  Red  River  expedition  ;  was 
captured  by  the  enemy  near  Marianna,  Fla.,  and  was  re-cap- 
tured while  on  his  way  to  Andersonville;  served  till  the  close  of 
the  war  and  was  honorably  discharged.  Received  Gov.  Chamber- 
lain's testimonial  for  faithful  service.  Went  to  Lowell,  Mass., 
and  attended  Commercial  College ;  graduated  at  Eaton  School. 
Tauiiht  high  school  in  New  Portland,  Maine.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
in  the  spring  of  1870,  and  was  principal  of  the  New  Richmond 
School  three  years  ;  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the 
town  of  Star  Prairie  in  1871  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  St. 
Croix  Co.  for  two  terms,  from  1874  to  1S78.  Was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1873;  has  been  Village  Attorney  since  187S.  Was 
President  of  the  village  in  ISSO.  ^  Is  now  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession. 

HKV.  EZRA  PORTKR  CIIITTKNOEN.  Born  in  West- 
brook,  Conn.,  1851.  Descended  from  the  pioneers  of  the  Puritan 
colony.  Is  a  son  of  Rev.  Albert  Chittenden.  He  removed  to 
Ripon  in  1859.  Remained  until  \^~\.  completing  his  course 
there  that  year.  He  studied  theology  at  Yale  College,  spending 
one  year  with  the  church  in  \'ermont ;  then  went  to  Germany,  and 
completed  his  education  at  the  university  in  Borm.  Returning, 
came  to  New  Richmond  and  took  charge  of  the  First  Congrega- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


tional  Church  in  1870,  where  he  has  since  been.  His  grand- 
father was  Cornelius  Chittenden,  an  accjuaintance  of  George 
Washington.  lie  was  a  farmer  and  lived  on  "  Horse  Hill,"  an 
euiinence  overlooking  Long  Island  for  a  distance  of  three  miles, 
where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  boru.  The  grandfather  died 
at  the  age  of  94  years.  JNIr.  C.'s  father  married  Patience  Lorrine 
Jones,  of  Westbrook,  Conn.,  to  whom  eight  children  were  born, 
all  now  living,  two  sons  clerajraen,  two  lawyers,  and  one  a  mer- 
chant. When  young,  he  studied  for  the  Methodist  ministry. 
During  the  anti-slavery  movement,  seceded  from  the  church,  and 
allied  himself  with  the  Wesley  Methodist  Church,  of  which  he 
was  Pastor  for  many  yeans.  In  1859,  he  changed  his  residence  to 
Ripon,  Wis.,  taking  all  his  family  excepting  one  son,  who  was 
then  studying  in  Heidelberg,  Germany.  There  being  no  \Vesley 
Church  in  Ripon,  he  joined  the  CoQgregational  Church.  He 
bought  a  farm  in  the  suburbs  of  Ripon,  educating  his  children  at 
the  college  there.  Sold  his  estate  in  1875,  moving  to  Boulder, 
Colo.,  where  he  died.  His  son.  Rev.  A.  J.  Chittenden,  took  his 
place,  and  served  for  five  years.  Began  attending  college  at 
Ripon  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  working  vacations  upon  the  farm, 
until  twenty,  when  he  began  attending  regularly.  He  graduated  a 
classical  student.  He  entered  Yale  Seminary  in  1874.  In  the 
summer  of  1875,  was  employed  by  the  Maine  Home  Missionary 
Society  doing  work  in  Markesan.  In  1876,  was  licensed  to  preach 
by  the  New  Haven  East  Association  for  four  years.  Finished 
his  studies  successfully,  and  delivered  an  oration  on  the  Peshito 
version  of  the  New  Testament,  he  having  taken  studies  in  Syriac, 
which  enabled  him  to  do  it.  He  supplied  a  church  in  Vermont, 
and  received  a  call  from  Barton  Landing,  and  Brownington.  Was 
ordained  at  Barton  Landing  Aug.  29,  1877.  In  August,  1878, 
preached  his  farewell  sermon,  and  sailed  for  Glasgow  from  New 
York  Sept.  14,  1878.  He  went  to  Borm  on  the  Rhine,  on  the 
1 1th  of  October,  where  he  remained  ten  months,  studying  German 
literature  and  philosophy.  He  returned  to  New  York  on  the  10th 
of  October,  1879. 

REV.  DR.  P.  A.  De  PARADIS,  Pastor  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  Church  of  New  Richmond  and  attached  missions  as 
far  north  as  Burnett  Co.  Born  in  Rome  in  1 842  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1878,  and  soon  settled  in  New  Richmond;  commenced 
building  a  fine  church,  which  is  now  nearly  completed  ;  has  built 
up  a  large  society.  He  speaks  seven  different  languages  fluently  ; 
is  a  gentleman  of  large  experience  and  ripe  culture,  loved  and 
respected  by  tlie  whole  town. 

B.  C.  B.  FOSTER,  New  Richmond.  Born  in  October,  1815,  in 
Somerset  Co.,  Me.;  came  to  Hudson  in  1854,  and  to  New  Richmond 
in  1855,  and  located  where  he  now  lives,  and  put  up  the  first  saw- 
mill and  fir.--t  building,  excepting  the  house  or  shanty  in  which  he 
lived  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  Laura  and  Hiram  A.;  theshanty 
in  which  he  lived  was  the  first  one,  except  one,  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  his  now  beautiful  lawn.  Mr.  Foster  commenced  to  build  the 
dam  for  his  mill  on  Willow  River  in  July,  and  the  following  August 
commenced  the  saw-mill,  which  was  completed  and  ready  to  run  on 
the  1st  of  November,  but  for  want  of  logs  .stood  idle  until  spring. 
During  the  winter,  he  put  teams  in  the  woods,  cut  pine  logs  and 
floated  them  to  his  mill  in  spring,  when  he  ran  the  mill  himself, 
and  furnished  the  lumber  for  most  of  the  settlers  who  came  to 
New  Richmond  and  Erin  Prairie,  cutting  the  first  season  about 
three  hundred  thousand  feet.  The  mill  was  an  old-fashioned 
sash-gate  ;  he  operated  it  eight  or  ten  years,  then  sold  it  to  Silas 
Staples.  Mr.  Foster  entered  at  the  land  oflieo  seven  forties,  and 
purchased  one  of  Mr.  Russell  at  the  same  price,  provided  he 
would  build  a  mill,  taking  a  bond  for  a  deed ;  at  that  time,  his 
nearest  neighbor  was  about  a  mile,  and  his  next  nearest  neighbor 
was  at  Brown's  Mills,  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles,  with  no  roads 
except  prairie  tracks.  His  house  was  open  to  all,  and  all  found  a 
friendly  welcome  under  his  hospitable  roof  until  the  L  part  of  the 
present  Nicollet  Hotel  was  built  in  1S57.  The  first  shanty  was 
burned  in  October,  1858,  and  in  one  month  from  that  time  the 
house   they  now    live  in  was  completed  and   they   moved  in.     In 


1850,  they  employed  Amanda  Dayton,  from  New  York,  to  come  ] 

to  the  house  and  teach'their  children,  which  was  the  first  school 
taught  in  the  town.     The  .second  Sabbath  after  coming  here,  they  , 

held  Sabbath-school  in  their  house  or  shanty,  led  by  a  Mr.  Lam-  ' 

bert,  which  was  the  first  Sabbath-school  ever  taught  in  the  town. 
The  first  town  meeting  Wius  held  at  his  house ;  the  first  sermon 
that  was  ever  preached  in  the  town  was  at  their  house,  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  (Presbyterian)  from  Hudson  ;  the  first  school 
meeting  for  the  organization  of  the  school  districts — in  fact,  all 
the  preliminary  meetings  were  held  at  his  house  or  shanty.  Mrs. 
Foster  (Charlotte  Gilman)  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Somerset  Co.. 
Me.,  in  1818  ;  daughter  of  Samuel  Gilman. 

S.  N.  HAWKINS,  who  is  the  youngest  child  in  a  family  of 
sixteen,  twelve  of  whom  lived  to  become  men  and  women,  wa.s 
born  in  County  Galway,  Ireland,  Dec.  26,  1846,  and  was  removed 
by  his  parents  while  yet  a  mere  child  to  America,  where  they  set- 
tled in  Connecticut,  in  the 'city  of  Meriden  (then  only  a  village), 
where  they  lived  for  several  years,  and  where  young  Stephen  first 
attended  school  and  showed  such  an  aptitude  for  learning  as  char- 
acterized his  whole  after  life.  His  father,  Lawrence  Hawkin.s, 
who  had  a  fine  education,  and  his  mother,  Cecily  Joyce,  both 
belonged  to  highly  respected  families  in  their  native  land,  and 
when  that  dire  famine  came  in  1846,  which  scourged  Ireland  so 
fearfully,  they  were  obliged  to  emigrate  to  America,  where  they 
could  rear  and  educate  their  children  in  accordance  witli  the  ele- 
vated notions  and  dignity  which  their  families  always  strove  to 
maintain.  After  remaining  in  Connecticut  for  several  years  they 
moved  to  the  growing  and  busy  West,  settling  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis., 
not  far  from  the  city  of  Madison,  where  they  settled  upon  a  fiirm 
and  remained  several  years,  tdl,  as  the  family  began  to  grow  up 
and  require  something  to  do,  and  as  their  farm  was  only  small, 
again  they  took  up  the  line  of  march  Westward,  arriving  in  St. 
Croix  Co.,  Wis.,  June  4,  1855,  where  they  pitched  their  tents 
upon  a  little  eminence  clo.se  by  a  dense  forest,  in  what  was  after- 
ward called  the  town  of  Pleasant  Valley,  and  which  place  was  and 
still  is,  in  1881,  known  as  the  Hawkins  Settlement.  For  many 
years  they  suffered  many  privations,  no  schools,  no  churches,  no 
markets  nearer  than  Prescott  twenty-two  miles  distant,  from 
which  place  they  hauled  their  flour  and  other  necessaries  for  sev- 
eral years.  Settling  as  they  did  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  thicket 
of  black  oak  and  poplar  trees  and  underbrush,  it  was  some  time 
before  they  began  to  raise  anything  from  the  soil,  and  while  there 
were  many  around  and  about  them  who  were  sending  to  their 
friends  in  the  Bast  and  other  places  for  assistance,  and  many, 
who,  not  able  to  stand  the  privations  of  a  frontier  life,  were  leav- 
ing in  disgust  and  returning  to  their  former  homes ;  yet,  although 
many  times  in  want,  and  pinched  with  cold  and  hunger,  the  Haw- 
kins fiimily  braved  the  storm  and  are  today  among  the  well-to-do 
citizens  of  the  St.  Croix  Valley.  Stephen's  mother  having  died 
when  he  was  only  seven  years  old,  and  being  placed  away  in  the 
Catholic  cemetery  in  Madison,  he  was  cared  for  by  a  kind  and 
loving  sister  with  whom  he  lived  till  fifteen  years  of  age.  His 
chances  for  education  in  those  pioneer  days  were  very  poor,  and 
being  far  distant,  three  to  four  miles,  from  even  the  rudest  school- 
house,  our  young  hero  might  be  seen  with  only  a  spelling  book, 
reader,  arithmetic  and  an  ancient  geography  under  one  arm  and  hi.'^ 
lunch  under  the  other,  fighting  his  way  through  the  blinding  snow 
and  over  the  snow  drifts,  arriving  at  the  schoolhouse  many  times  a.* 
the  last  class  in  the  forenoon  were  taking  their  places  to  recite  ; 
and  thus  he  struggled  through  several  winters,  to  procure  an  edu- 
cation in  this  way  while  he  was  nine,  ten  and  eleven  years  of  age. 
As  for  the  summer  schooling,  he  got  none  worthy  of  mention,  as 
his  people  needed  his  services  at  home  while  they  were  felling 
trees,  piling  and  burning  brush  and  endeavoring  to  clear  a  farm. 
Whenever  it  was  too  blustery  to  go  to  school  and  he  was  allowed  • 
a  short  time  from  work,  he  would  sit  by  the  fire-place  and  study 
the  old  books  which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Connecticut 
(they  had  no  stoves  in  those  days),  and  he  would  ^it  down  on  the 
stone  flag  by  the  side  of  the  fire  at  night,  and  with  his  back   to 


HISTORY    OF   ST.    CROIX    COUNTY. 


955 


the  cliiuiQey,  read  those  antiquated  pages,  some  of  which  he  now 
keeps  in  his  library  as  a  record  of  the  by-gone  days.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  years,  he  went  forth  into  the  world  to  make  a  living 
among  strangers,  working  upon  a  farm  in  the  summer-time  and 
doing  chores  for  his  board  in  the  winter  and  goinsr  to  school. 
When  only  sixteen,  he  bought  one  half  interest  in  a  breaking 
team  and  worked  at  that  one  summer,  sold  his  interest  in  the  fall 
and  again  went  to  school  during  the  winter  ;  the  next  season  he 
went  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  and  engaged  to  work  in  a  saw  mill 
where,  from  a  common  work-hand  about  the  yard,  he  worked  his 
way  up  through  different  gradations  until  he  finally  became  one 
of  the  best  lath-sawyers  in  the  mill  all  in  one  season.  As  soon  as 
the  war  broke  out  he  enlisted,  but  being  considered  too  young  to 
stand  the  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life,  his  friends  prevailed  on  him 
not  to  go ;  this  was  before  he  left  home.  When  only  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  made  a  trip  to  Milwaukee  and  engaged  as  a  deck 
hand,  on  one  of  what  was  known  as  the  Black  Steamers,  sailing 
between  the  cities  of  Milwaukee  and  Grand  Haven,  and  had  his 
comrades'  health  permitted  he  might  have  remained  upon  the 
boat  and  obtained  a  good  situation,  but  not  wishing  to  part  from 
his  friends  he  left  the  boat  at  Grand  Haven  and  together  they 
(nveled  in  search  of  employment  footsore  and  weary,  over  the 
sandy  roads,  and  although  he  w;is  offered  employment  several 
times  as  a  lath-sawyer,  he  would  not  accept  unless  his  two  friends 
were  employed  also.  When  they  did  find  employment  in  a  saw- 
mill at  Lake  Muskegon,  Mich.,  he  rapidly  rose  from  one  place  to 
another  till  at  last  he  was  installed  as  head  sawyer  in  one  of  the 
largest  mills  on  the  lake,  where  he  remained  working  faithfully 
eighteen  hours  a  day,  as  there  was  a  scarcity  of  help ;  he  made 
every  week's  work  count  nine  days  until  he  was  taken  sick  with 
the  ague  and  was  obliged  to  quit  and  leave  the  place.  When 
only  eighteen  years  of  age,  one  of  his  brothers  died,  and  as  all 
the  rest  of  the  family  had  enough  to  do  in  caring  for  their  own 
families,  he  was  selected  to  manage  and  settle  up  the  estate  which 
he  did  in  an  admirable  and  skillful  manner,  thus  showing  his 
financial  ability  at  an  early  age.  After  settling  up  his  brother's 
estate,  and  having  by  dint  of  perseverance  and  hard  study  ob- 
tained what  education  he  could  in  the  common  schools,  he,  at  the 
solicitation  of  such  men  as  Prof  Weld  and  others,  went  to  the 
academy  at  River  Falls  and  fitted  himself  as  a  teacher.  While 
at  the  academy,  he  won  the  esteem  of  his  teachers  and  school- 
mates, and  when  it  became  necessary  to  select  a  person  to  deliver 
the  farewell  address  at  the  close  of  the  term,  he  was  unanimously 
elected  to  the  position  by  his  cla'smates  and  the  whole  school, 
and  when  it  was  announced  that  he  was  to  declaim  Sheridan's 
Ride  at  the  battle  of  Winchester,  the  schoolroom  was  packed  to 
its  utmost  capacity  by  the  villagers,  and  even  for  a  distance 
around.  Sheridan's  Ride  was  one  of  his  favorite  pieces.  Before 
completing  his  studies  as  fully  as  he  desired,  the  war  still  contin- 
uing and  the  demand  for  men  being  very  great,  he  again  enlisted, 
accompanied  this  time  by  his  brother  Peter,  and  they  bade  fsvrewell 
to  their  friends  and  associates  and  started,  as  they  supposed,  for 
the  seat  of  war,  but  this  being  in  the  spring  of  1865,  the  war 
soon  came  to  an  end  and  they  were  honorably  discharged  and 
mustered  out  at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  once  more  returned  to 
their  homes  in  St.  Croix.  An  incident  occurred  while  in  the 
army  which  serves  to  illustrate  the  generous  disposition  of  our 
subject.  A  movement  was  made  to  have  him  Second  Lieutenant 
of  the  company,  but  he  declined  on  account  of  his  youth  and 
inexperience,  and  then  the  Captain  informed  him  that  he  would 
give  ^hini  a  Corporal's  berth,  but  again  he  declined  in  favor  of 
his  brother  Peter  who  was  older,  saying,  "  I  know  if  I  remain 
here  that  I  can  forcj  ray  way  to  the  front,  bu',  you  iiad  better 
take  this  to  start  with."  Afterward  he  again  went  into  the  lath- 
sawing  business  at  Hudson,  Wis.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1865,  engaged 
a-f  a  raftsman,  making  a  trip  from  Stillwater,  Minn.,  to  St.  Jjouis, 
during  which  time  he  amused  the  crew  by  his  speeches  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  was  called  by  his  comrades,  Stephen  A.  Douglass 
and  Phil  Sheridan.  Upon  receiving  his  pay  in  St.  Louis,  he  did 
not  do  as  uKuiy  cif  his  comrades  did,  spend  it  foolishly  in  saloons. 


because  he  had  been  taught  while  young  to  respect  temperance, 
and  while  others  went  their  several  ways  to  enjoy  their  earnings 
and  lay  up  for  the  winter,  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  on  one 
of  the  large  .'■teamboats  running  between  St.  Louis  and  New 
Orleans,  but  on  being  told  that  it  was  very  sickly  there  that  sea- 
son, he  changed  his  clerkship  down  the  river  for  a  position  as  a 
man  of  all  work  or  "  roust-about,"  as  the  boys  call  them,  on  a 
steamer  going  up  the  river,  and  soon  got  a  position  as  deck  hand 
and  later  as  Third  Clerk,  at  a  salary  of  8100  per  month,  which 
be  held  till  the  boat  laid  up  for  the  winter,  after  which  he  went 
to  the  city  of  Madison,  visited  his  mother's  grave,  and  after  roam- 
ing over  the  old  play-grounds  of  his  childhood  and  viewing  once 
more  the  old  schoolhouse  around  which  clustered  so  many  pleasant 
associations,  he  turned  his  footsteps  homeward  once  more,  and  in 
due  time  was  receiving  the  hearty  welcome  of  his  aged  father,  to 
whom  he  always  brought  a  present,  however  trifling,  on  each  such 
occasion. 

After  coming  home,  he  taught  some  of  the  hardest  schools  in 
St.  Croix  and  Pierce  Counties,  always  giving  entire  satisfaction 
to  his  patrons,  many  of  whom  gave  him  excellent  testimonials 
expressive  of  their  friendship  toward  him  as  a  friend,  a  citizen,  a 
scholar,  and  a  successful  teacher.  At  all  of  the  teachers' 
associations,  he  was  a  leading  spirit,  and  the  teachers  of 
St.  Croix  County  well  know  that  he  was  ever  ready  to  assist  them 
on  those  occasions,  and  as  a  writer  and  debater  he  had  but  few 
equals.  In  1869,  he  taughtschool  in  Iowa,  after  having spentsome 
time  in  traveling  through  portions  of  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Illinois, 
and  Missouri,  whither  he  had  gone  to  learn  the  ways  of  the 
world,  and  during  his  stay  there  was  elected  by  his  fellow-teach- 
ers as  the  president  of  the  debating  society  in  Dubuque  County 
Iowa,  over  and  in  preference  to  older  members,  some  of  svhom 
had  been  members  of  the  Iowa  Legislature.  After  closing  his 
school,  he  remained  in  the  city  of  Dubuque  in  the  office  of  ^^. 
H.  Waples,  County  Physician,  and  studied  medicine  and  surgery 
seven  months,  and  the  letters  which  he  received  from  the  doctor 
and  the  County  Superintendent  on  his  departure  show  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  people  of  the  city  of  Du- 
buque. He  also  studied  medicine  and  surgery  with  Dr.  Oiis 
Hoyt,  of  Hud-on,  Wis.,  an  old  surgeon  of  the  Mexican  war,  who 
stated  that  if  he  would  continue  he  would  make  onj  of  the  best 
surgeons  in  the  Northwest. 

After  leaving  Dubuque,  and  before  returning  home  again,  he 
prepared  a  lecture  upon  his  travels  in  Southern  Iowa,  and  made  a 
trip  to  Chicago,  stopping  at  Galena,  where  he  visited  the  resi- 
dence of  Gen.  Grant  and  ex-Minister  E.  B.  Washburne,  gather- 
ing as  he  went  valuable  scraps  of  information,  an  account  of 
which  he  kept  in  a  diary  for  the  entertainment  of  his  friends  on 
his  return  home,  and  when  in  Chicago  he  delivered  his  lecture  in 
several  places  to  the  laboring  classes,  and  sought  to  induce  them 
to  move  West  and  obtain  homes  for  themselves,  where  they  might 
be  the  employers  instead  of  the  employed,  and  thus  did  he  labor 
at  that  early  age  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  laboring  classes. 

After  being  obliged  to  leave  off  his  medical  studies  in  Du- 
buque for  want  of  funds,  and  after  making  the  trip  to  Chicago, 
as  above  mentioned,  he  again  returned  to  the  St.  Croix  \'alley, 
and  engaged  in  teaching  school  at  advancad  prices,  receiving  then 
§62  per  month,  which  was  more  than  was  paid  in  any  other 
common  school  in  the  county.  To  illustrate  the  appreciation  in 
which  he  was  held  as  a  teacher,  we  will  mention  only  one  instance 
out  of  many.  After  closing  his  school  of  five  months,  the 
electors  assembled  and,  without  a  dissenting  voice,  agreed  to  give 
him  an  advance  of  $5  per  month  more  than  had  been  con- 
tracted for  during  the  entire  term.  This  was  in  the  town  of 
Troy,  St.  Croix  County,  Wis.  He  taught  school  two  years  in  a 
Scandinavian  settlement,  and  hence  has  many  warm  friends 
among  that  nationality ;  taught  five  terms  in  Erin  Prairie  and 
Emerald  amoiig  the  Irish,  and  among  whom  he  has  many  well- 
wishers;  taught  in  Warren,  St.  Croix  County,  Wis.,  and  in 
Dubuque  County,  Iowa,  in  an  exclusively  American  district, 
where  he  gave  equal  satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  and  in   1872, 


956 


HISIORY    OF    NORIHERX    WISCONSIN. 


wheo  the  Principal  of  the  Military  Academy  in  Hudson,  Wis., 
was  called  away  to  attend  other  duties  as  Superintendent  of 
Schools  for  several  weeks,  Mr.  Hawkins  was  selected  as  a  proper 
person  to  preside  over  and  take  charge  of  the  institution  in  a 
school  which  required  a  corps  of  four  teachers,  and  acquitted 
him.self  credit;ihly  in  the  inanaf^ement  thereof 

Having,  at  the  solicitation  and  advice  of  friends,  abandoned 
the  study  of  medicine,  he  now  began  the  study  of  the  law,  and 
while  engaged  as  a  teacher  his  spare  hours  were  devoted  to  its 
pages,  hut  again  his  many  friends  persuaded  him  to  embark  iu  the 
mercantile  trade,  which  he  did  in  the  spring  of  187:i,  and  con- 
tinued therein  till  1870,  a  period  of  four  years,  during  which 
time  no  merchant  was  ever  more  untiring  in  his  labors  than  he, 
and  had  his  management  prevailed  and  counsel  been  followed,  he 
and  his  partners  would  to-day,  no  doubt,  be  among  the  wealthiest 
merchants  of  the  St.  Croix  Valley,  but  it  was  destined  to  be  other- 
wi^■e,  and  after  striving  eighteen  months  to  keep  up  the  financial 
credit  of  two  mercantile  houses  of  wliich  he  was  a  member,  he 
was  obliged  to  wind  up  his  business,  and  when  he  did  so,  in  May, 
1875,  there  was  a  mortgage  upon  his  homestead  of  over  ^2,700, 
and  other  outstanding  indebtedness,  making  an  aggregate  of 
$4,900.  He  does  not  like  to  refer  to  his  mercantile  troubles, 
but  if  we  are  allowed  to  judge,  we  feel  safe  in  saying  it  was  no 
fault  of  his,  for  not  only  had  he  the  confidence  of  the  wholesale 
dealers  with  whom  he  traded,  but  the  entire  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  having,  during  those 
years,  been  elected  by  the  people  of  his  village  Director  of  the 
School  Board,  and  once,  twice,  and  even  even  three  times  ap- 
pointed and  elected  Town  Clerk,  on  account  of  his  accuracy  and 
faithfulness  in  keeping  the  records,  and  in  1875  was  elected  by  a 
very  large  majority  as  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Super- 
visors. When  there  was  a  desperate  struggle  in  the  Legislature 
over  the  St.  Croix  Land  Grant,  in  1873,  and  his  townsmen  being 
interested,  on  account  of  having  bonded  the  town,  he  was  se- 
lected as  a  proper  person  to  go  to  Madison  and  guard,  if  possible, 
their  interests,  which  he  did,  and  his  letter,  prophesying  the  re- 
sult of  the  struggle  in  advance,  was  published  in  supplemental 
form  and  scattered  throughout  the  county,  and  time  has  shown, 
even  to  those  who  were  of  a  different  opinion,  the  correctness  of 
his  position  on  that  occasion. 

In  1876,  he  again  renewed  his  law  studies,  and,  after  a  period 
of  six  months,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  after  passing  a  highly 
creditable  examination,  which  elicited  very  flattering  commenda- 
tions from  such  men  as  Col.  J.  C.  Spooner  and  even  Judge 
Humphrey,  who  was  Presiding  Judge,  as  they  did  not  think  it 
possible  for  a  man  to  obtain  such  a  knowledge  of  law  in  so  short  a 
time.  While  engaged  as  a  merchant,  in  1872,  he  married  Mar- 
garet Ellen  Early,  a  native  of  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  a  young  lady 
of  eighteen  summers,  and  by  whom  he  has  had  four  children,  the 
oldest  of  whom — Arthur  I . — died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  months; 
the  other  three  are  .still  living,  and  are  fine,  promising  children — 
Frederick  S.,  aged  seven  years.  Robert  V.,  aged  five  years,  both 
of  whom  arc  attending  school,  and  Camilla  Cecily,  a  mere  babe 
yet,  constitute  his  family.  After  closing  the  mercantile  trade,  his 
case  seemed  hopeless — a  weakly  wife,  who  was  entirely  unable  to 
assist  him  ;  business  gone ;  credit  ruined  ;  homestead  mortgaged  ; 
other  debts  hanging  over  him  ;  popular  feeling  somewhat  against 
him  on  account  of  his  financial  failure — all  these  combined  to  make 
"Jordan  a  very  hard  road  to  travel." 

He  is  a  brave  and  resolute  man,  bold  and  fearless  whenever 
he  believes  that  he  is  right.  One  instance  of  many  of  a  similar 
kind  may  be  mentioned  :  When  the  country  at  large  was  over- 
run by  what  w;is  popularly  termed  tramps,  among  other  places  the 
village  of  New  Richmond,  where  Mr.  Hawkins  now  makes  his 
home,  had  its  share,  and  that,  too,  in  a  rough  who  came  in  the 
guise  of  a  laborer,  who,  after  getting  drunk,  went  into  the  barber- 
shop, snatched  an  open  razor  from  the  .shelf  and  went  out  upon 
the  street,  uttering  horrid  imprecations,  and  entering  the  hotels 
and  other  places  of  business,  driving  men  and  women  and  chil- 
dren before  him  in  terror.     Tlie  Constable,  aided  by  two  others. 


sought  to  apprehend  him,  but  in  vain  ;  he  slashed  about  him  with 
the  open  razor,  when  they,  too,  fled  in  fear,  when  Hawkins,  who 
was  then  Chairman  of  the  town,  seized  the  revolver  held  by  one 
of  the  officer's  assistants,  and  pursuing  him  into  a  hotel,  whither 
he  had  gone  to  butcher  its  inmates,  met  him  on  the  threshold  of 
an  inner  door,  and  alone  and  unaided,  held  him  at  bay  till  assist- 
ance came  who  handcuffed  him.  For  that  act  alone  the  people  of 
New  Richmond  feel  very  grateful  toward  Mr.  Hawkins;  and  when 
their  village  was  incorporated,  he  was  elected  as  the  first  Super- 
visor to  represent  the  people.  After  coiumencing  the  practice  of 
the  law,  he  .settled  in  New  Richmond,  where  he  met  his  financial 
troubles,  and,  as  he  said,  "  to  retrieve  his  fortune  where  he  had 
lost  it,  and  restore  himself  again  to  the  respect  of  the  p(!ople,  as 
his  financial  disa.ster  was  no  fault  of  his."  By  cIo.se  application 
to  busine-ss,  by  careful  and  honest  dealing  with  the  people  and 
hard  work  in  his  profession,  he  ha.s  to-day  become  one  of  the  lead 
ing  commercial  lawyers  of  the  Northwest,  and  has  built  up  a  col- 
lection practice  si-cond  to  ?innc  in  the  county  ;  has  paid  oflF  the 
mortgage  upon  hi-  liuni-i.  h1  ;  paid  all  his  other  debts,  and  is  in 
pos.se.ssion  of  fladi  rin-  Kiid-;  Inim  all  his  former  creditors;  has 
moved  from  a  small  tumu  ulusc  by  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  for  two 
years  has  occupied  three  elegant  rooms  as  his  office  over  the  Bank 
of  New  Richmond,  and  employs  a  clerk  all  the  time  and  some- 
times two.  Ho  is  an  excellent  presiding  officer  and  a  good  par- 
liamentarian ;  is  an  impulsive  speaker  and  a  fine  orator ;  has  de- 
livered several  Fourth  of  July  orations,  several  effective  temperance 
speeches,  and,  though  not  a  pronounced  Prohibitionist,  yet  he  has 
for  several  years  labored  for  the  success  of  the  temperance  cause. 
He  delivered  the  first  address  in  New  Richmond  upon  the  anniver- 
.sary  of  Odd  Fellowship  in  America,  of  which  lodge  he  was  the 
first  presiding  officer  in  his  village.  In  politics,  he  is  now  an  In- 
dependent ;  having  been  brouglit  up  in  the  school  of  the  '•  Doughis 
Democracy."  it  seemed  very  hard  to  leave  the  old  party,  but  when  the 
Democrats  sought  to  fasten  the  "  fiat  money  "  upon  the  people, and 
Gen.  Bragg  was  hooted  at  by  the  Democrajy  for  a.sscrting  his  rights 
as  a  Union  soldier,  then  Hawkins  left  his  office  and  stumped  the 
county,  traveling  night  and  day,  speaking  in  every  village  hall  and 
country  schoolhouse  ;  and  in  a  county  that  gave  a  Democratic 
majority  of  over  four  hundred,  he,  with  the  assistance  of  a  few 
others  who  worked  with  him,  changed  the  result  to  a  majority  of 
over  four  hundred  the  other  way.  Since  that  time  he  has  acted 
with  the  Republican  party,  but  claims,  however,  the  privilege  of 
voting  for  principles  rather  than  party  measures.  He  was  tendered 
the  appointment  of  Village  Attorney,  but  declined  on  account  of 
his  large  civil  practice ;  was  also  tendered  the  nomination  of  Dis- 
trict Attorney  by  the  Republican  Convention  in  1881,  but  de- 
clined that,  al.so,  for  similar  rea.sons.  He  did  consent,  however, 
and  did  act  as  A''illago  Attorney  during  the  absence  of  the  regular 
attorney  on  a  two  months'  visit  to  his  friends  in  the  East.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  nearly  all  the  leading  commercial  mercantile  and 
collecting  a.ssociations  in  the  country,  and  has  the  confidence  and  is 
the  regular  attorney  for  such  firms  as  Seymour,  Sabin  &  Co.,  of 
Stillwater.  .Minn.,  St.  Paul  Harvester  Works,  Hoosier  Drill  Co., 
Milburn  Wagon  Co.,  and  many  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 
He  is  generous,  too ;  he  gives  of  his  earnings  to  all  parties  coming 
to  him  for  relief;  all  the  churches,  societies  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions find  in  him  a  contributor,  and  on  many  occasions  when  poor 
people  come  to  his  office  to  draw  up  securities  for  obtaining  seed 
wheat  or  the  like,  he  has  drawn  the  papers  free  of  charge,  and  sent 
them  on  their  way  feeling  better  toward  the  legal  profession.  He 
would  rather  talk  on  philosophy  than  religious  topics,  although  he 
entertains  a  very  high  respect  for  church  organizations  ;  yet  when 
pressed  close  upon  the  subject,  he  says  "  that  his  wife  attends  to 
the  praying  business  for  the  family,  and  he  attends  to  the  law  de- 
jiartment,"  He  loves  to  tell  of  the  pioneer  days  in  St.  Croix  Co.; 
of  the  time  when,  only  a  boy,  he  was  called  upon  to  conduct  the 
services  at  the  gr.ive  of  a  neighbor's  child,  when  there  were  no 
ministers  in  the  country,  and  no  priest  nearer  than  Stillwater, 
Minn.;  of  the  hardships  endured  by  those  people  in  those  early 
days,  when  the  father  used  to  see  the  wife  putting  the  last  loaf  of 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    CROIX    COUXTV. 


957 


bread  before  the  fire  in  a  rude  iron  kettle  to  bake,  not  knowing 
where  the  next  loaf  was  to  come  from  ;  of  the  families  he  saw  who 
stripped  the  inner  bark  from  the  elm  trees  and  mixed  it  with  the 
pounded  corn  or  corn  ground  in  a  coffee-mill ;  of  the  wives  who 
swept  their  rude  log  huts  and  mud  floors  with  a  bunch  of  willows 
for  a  broom ;  of  the  persons  who  burned  a  rag  dipped  in  tallow  or 
lard  for  light ;  of  the  family  who  cried  over  the  death  of  their 
only  cow,  which  was  their  only  support  during  the  chilling  blasts 
of  spring,  and  many  other  such  incidents,  and  then  wind  up  by 
saying,  "I  saw  all  of  that  myself;  it  occurred  in  my  day  and 
generation,  in  what  is  now  the  flourishing  valley  of  the  St.  Croix." 
lie  is  a  great  lover  of  his  home  ;  he  never  spends  an  evening 
away  from  his  family  unless  on  business,  for  his  wife  and  children 
are  very  dear  to  him.  A  kind  father  and  a  loving  husband  ;  a 
great  lover  of  good  order  in  the  community  in  which  he  resides  ; 
very  systematic  in  his  busine.'is,  amounting  almost  to  oddity  ;  desires 
to  have  everything  in  its  own  proper  place  ;  he  claims  that  his 
financial  success  as  a  lawyer  is  due  mainly  to  his  exactness  in  keep- 
ing papers  and  aocount,s  in  a  systematic  manner ;  the  order  in  his 
office  resembles  very  much  a  banking  system;  and,  upon  the 
whole,  we  think  that  if  he  lives  he  is  destimed  to  become  a  repre- 
sentative man  in  the  State,  as  he  is  now  and  has  been  for  many 
years  a  representative  and  influential  man  in  St.  Croix  Co. 

HENRY  xM.  MURDOCK,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Antwerp,  N. 
Y.,  in  October,  1 823  ;  moved  to  Gunning  and  attended  school 
until  15  years  of  age  ;  moved  to  Pulaski,  N.  Y.,  is  son  of  Dr. 
Hiram  Murdock,  with  whom  he  studied  medicine  until  19,  when 
he  went  to  Castleton,  Vt.,  and  attended  medical  lectures,  and  grad- 
uated in  May,  at  the  .-ige  of  21  years  ;  left  for  Dexter,  and  practiced 
medicine  for  three  years.  Married  during  this  time  Miss  Cornelia 
A.  Sanford,  daughter  of  Dr.  Sanford  (fiova  a  family  of  doctors)  ; 
moved  to  Pulaski  and  went  into  partnership  with  his  father,  and 
opened  a  drug  store  ;  this  he  followed  until  1854,  when  declining 
health  obliged  him  to  go  West.  He  came  to  Stillwater  and 
bought  the  drug  store  and  business  of  Dr.  Carli,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1858;  from  there  went  to  Taylor's  Fails  and  prac- 
ticed medicine,  and,  the  following  year,  started  a  drug  store,  and 
sold  it ;  in  the  spring  of  IStiO,  removed  to  Hudson,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Dr.  Hoyt,  where  ho  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1861,  when  he  took  the  position  of  Assistant  Surgeon  in  the  8th 
Wisconsin,  which  he  held  until  1865.  He  suffered  with  typhoid 
fever,  when  in  camp,  for  four  weeks,  when  he  joined  his  regiment 
at  Haines'  Blufl";  was  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  every  three 
or  four  nights  went  into  the  trenches  on  guard  duty  ;  was  the  first 
in  the  streets  of  Vicksburg  after  the  surrender ;  was  in  the  battle 
of  Yazoo  City  and  Meehanicsburg,  June  4,  1863.  Came  home 
on  a  furlough ;  remained  until  October,  when  he  returned  to 
V^icksburg  on  the  28th  following  ;  went  from  there  to  Memphis, 
remaining  the  winter  at  LaGrange  and  Salisbury.  Was  in  the 
Red  River  expedition  with  Banks  ;  went  with  Gen.  Smith  and 
attacked  Fort  Derusy,  the  key  to  the  Red  River,  in  the  night,  and 
stormed  the  fort,  taking  three  or  four  hundred  prisoners  Juno 
18,  1864,  appointed  Brigade  Surgeon,  by  order  of  Maj.  Gen.  A. 
J.  Smith.  Augu,-t  4,  went  home  on  veteran  furlough  ;  remained 
at  home  until  Sept.  16,  when  he  returned  to  Memphis;  took 
charge  of  convalescent  camp  until  Nov.  17, 1864.  Sept.  1,  1865, 
started  for  home,  arriving  at  Madison,  Wis.,  Sept  16;  paid  off 
and  left  for  Taylor's  Falls.  Married,  in  the  winter  of  1865,  to 
Capt.  Allan's  daughter,  Sarah  J.  Moved  to  New  Richmond  in 
February,  1866,  and  practiced  medicine  for  two  years,  when  he 
bought  out  the  business  of  Gibson,  and  the  business  kept  increas- 
ing, obliging  him  from  time  to  time  to  enlarge ;  this  he  sold  four 
years  ago  last  fall.  On  account  of  a  disease  contracted  on  the 
Yazoo  River,  he  has  been  in  the  receipt  of  a  pension,  and  is  now 
retired  from  business,  but  with  an  eye  on  it  all  ;  he  owns  a  farm 
of  1 ,000  acres.  He  has  two  children — Cornelia  A.,  Henry  A.; 
Estell  died  in  1852,  at  Pulaski,  N.  Y.  In  the  spring  of  1849, 
started  for  the  West,  landing  at  Chicago,  where,  at  that  time,  there 
was  only  ten  miles  of  railroad  from  the  town  ;  took  a  satchel,  and, 
on  foot,  went  to   Jancsville,  Watertown,  Oshkosh,  and,  not  liking 


the  country,  while  in  Chicago  was  offered  about  five  acres  of  land 
with  a  shanty  on  it  for  $300,  where  now  stands  the  most  populous 
part  of  the  city.  When  he  started  in  life,  had  an  old  mare  and  a 
sulky,  a  box  of  medicine  and  $S  in  money,  and  he  located  in  Dex- 
ter. When  in  Taylor's  Falls,  walked  twenty-six  miles  on  foot  to 
visit  a  sick  patient  loo  poor  to  buy  a  horse. 

SILAS  STAPLES,  New  Richmond.  Born  in  Lisbon,  Maine, 
Sept.  18,  1814;  followed  lumbering,  and  remained  there  for 
twenty-two  years;  he  came  to  Hudson,  Wis.,  in  1854,  to  take 
charge  of  the  Willow  River  Mills  ;  he  conducted  this  business  for 
two  or  three  years;  in  the  fall  of  1854,  he  bought  a  quarter  in- 
terest in  the  mill  at  $20,000,  including  5,000  acres  on  Willow 
River,  which  he  explored  and  entered  at  the  Land  Office  in  Hud- 
son ;  he  cut  about  2,000,000  feet  a  season,  shipping  it  to  St.  Paul 
by  team.  Red  Wing  and  Cannon  Rivers ;  he  sold  his  interest  to 
Jewell  &  Bodie,  of  Brunswick,  Me.,  for  $55,000,  and  went  to 
Hudson  and  went  into  the  banking  business,  in  1856,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years ;  in  the  fall  of  1859-60  he  moved  to 
New  Richmond,  to  where  the  Nicollet  now  stands;  he  remained 
one  winter,  and  moved  back  to  Hudson  in  1861,  put  up  a  shingle 
and  lath  mill  in  connection  with  his  saw-mill,  which  he  bought  in 
1860;  in  1864,  built  the  first  flour-mill  in  the  village  of  New 
Richmond,  in  Star  Prairie.  The  first  time  he  came  to  New  Rich- 
mond there  was  not  a  soul  in  the  place  but  himself  and  a  Mr. 
Talbot,  who  came  with  him  ;  he  completed  his  flour-mill  in  1864, 
and  ground  his  first  grist  October  following ;  put  in  the  first  dam 
at  Buckhart's  Mill  in  1863,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  logs  at  the 
falls ;  in  1863,  built  two  large  dams  at  the  head  of  Willow  River, 
for  driving  logs  ;  continued  lumbering  on  the  river  until  the  spring 
of  1868  ;  that  summer  he  lived  in  Lakeland,  and,  in  the  fall,  went 
to  Canada,  building  a  new  mill  on  Collins'  Inlet,  Georgian  Bay  ; 
this  he  managed  for  four  years,  returning  to  Hudson  in  1872,  and 
to  a  farm  ;  was  also  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  with  Mr. 
M.  S.  Gibson,  for  three  years;  he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Gibson, 
and  went  on  to  his  farm,  on  Hudson  Prairie,  now  the  Isman  place  ; 
exchanged  his  farm  in  the  spring  of  1873,  for  the  one-half  of  the 
mill  property,  and  moved  back  to  New  Richmond  ;  he  operated 
the  mill  that  season,  then  sold  his  interest  in  October  following,  to 
S.  W.  Turner;  in  the  summer  of  1874,  went  to  Stillwater,  and 
took  charge  of  his  brother  Isaac  Staples'  saw-mill;  in  1875, 
moved  to  Elk  River,  Minn.,  on  a  farm;  remained  one  season  and 
returned  to  New  Richmond,  and  has  remained  here  ever  since ;  he 
settled  his  family  and  went  to  Jeweltown,  and  bought  a  half  interest 
in  the  saw  and  grist  mill;  built  an  elevator  in  1879  with  a  capac- 
ity of  20,000  bushels;  flour-mill  capacity  of  100  barrels  per  day; 
the  saw-mill,  with  a  capacity  of  2,000,000  feet;  also  a  shingle 
and  lath  mill  connected  with  the  saw-mill.  Married  in  1S37,  tu 
Mi.ss  Hannah  Williams,  of  Bowdoinham,  Me.,  who  died  in  1838. 
Married  again  in  1841,  to  Abigail  Ann  Rogers,  of  Oldtowii,  Me., 
who  died  in  the  spring  of  1845.  Married  again  in  the  fall  of 
1846,  to  Miss  Nancy  "D.  Gilman,  who  died  in  1873.  Married 
again  to  Mrs.  Nancy  B.  Jamison,  in  the  fall  of  1874;  has  six 
children— Charles  A.,  Silas  G.,  Nellie  B.,  Nettie,  Edward  P.  and 
Lizzie  G. 

CHARLES  EDGAR  SLEEPER,  New  Richmond;  born  in 
Batavia,  N.  Y.;  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Jancsville,  in 
1853,  and  opened  an  insurance  office;  he  clerked  in  a  jewelry 
store  for  four  years;  in  1862  he  moved  to  St.  Croix  Co.;  then 
went  to  Colorado  for  two  years ;  spent  one  year  in  Wisconsin  so- 
liciting ;  in  1862,  came  to  Warren,  St.  Croix  Co.,  and  went  to 
farming;  in  1863,  went  into  the  insurance  business;  in  the  fall  of 
1S74,  ho  moved  to  Hudson;  in  1878  came  to  New  Richmond, 
and  bought  the  City  Hotel,  where  he  has  been  ever  since  ;  has 
conducted  his  farm  all  this  time ;  also,  the  insurance  business, 
until  within  one  year. 

ILVMMOND. 

This  is  a  village  in  the  town  of  the  .same  name,  on  the 
railroad.  It  occupies  an  elevated  po.sition,  giving  a  view 
of  fields  and  farms  for  miles  around.     The  whole  town  con- 


95  S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


tains  1,418  inhabitants.  The  village  has  416  inhabitants. 
It  is  a  great  point  for  the  shipment  of  wheat,  and  for  the 
distribution  of  agricultural  implements.  A  Boston  firm 
had  secured  the  land  upon  which  Hammond  is  built,  but  it 
was  transferred  to  Mann.  Hammond  &  Co.,  in  July,  1855. 

The  town  organization  was  effected  in  the  fall  of  1856. 
A.  G.  Peabody  was  the  first  Chairman,  and  K.  G.  Folger, 
Clerk.  The  first  actual  settlers  were  John  Nelson  and  John 
Peabody.  who  came  in  1855. 

R.  G.  Folger  and  wife  were  the  first  couple  married  in 
the  town.     G.  M.  Street  was  the  first  school  teacher. 

The  town  was  named  in  honor  of  R.  B.  Hammond,  of  Wau- 
kesha, who  took  all  the  scliool  land  certificates  in  the  township. 

Rev.  George  Spaulding  and  Rev.  William  Egbert  were 
the  first  ministers,  coming  in  the  summer  of  1856. 

Luther  Adams  and  Merritt  Clark  were  early  comers. 

A  picnic  dinner  was  served  on  the  Fourth  of  July, 
1856,  and  before  the  company  were  out  of  sight  the  big  gray 
wolves  were  contending  for  the  fragments. 

The  village  was  incorporated  in  1880.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  the  Board  was  on  the  22d  of  September.  J.  B. 
Fithian,  President ;  John  H.  Owen,  Clerk.  Oflicers elected  in 
1881,  Ed.  Gardiner,  President;  A.  Jenness,  Clerk.  Total 
valuation  of  the  village  in  1881,  $35,425. 

Churches. — The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in 
1857  by  Rev.  William  Egbert,  with  twenty  members.  Lu- 
ther Adams  was  Class  Leader. 

Rev.  Miles  Lewis  was  the  next  Pastor,  William  Hamil- 
ton, Charles  L-ish,  Rev.  Mr.  Russell,  W.  D.  Atwater,  I.  W. 
Carr,  A.  L.  Dexter  and  the  present  Pastor,  William  R. 
Irish,  have  been  stationed  here.  The  present  church  was 
erected  in  1874. 

The  present  Congregational  Church  was  organized  in 
July,  1858,  with  fifteen  members.  The  whole  number  to 
the  present  time  being  139.  There  have  been  seven  regu- 
lar ministers :  Revs.  George  Spaulding,  T.  B.  Hurlburt,  J. 
W.  Miller,  M.  A.  Gould,  0.  L.  Dowd,  J.  S.  Norris  and  W. 
C.  Hicks,  now  in  his  fifth  year.  In  1864  a  parsonage  was 
built,  and  the  second  floor  was  used  as  a  meeting-iiouse. 
The  present  edifice  was  completed  in  187;},  at  a  cost  of 
$3,000.  Mrs.  S.  Thayer  presented  a  fine  bell  to  the 
church.     The  membership  is  now  fifty-nine. 

Catholic. — The  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 
organized  in  1860,  by  Rev.  Father  Verruyst,  of  Hudson. 
The  present  building  is  40x80,  and  was  constructed  in 
1877.  There  are  100  families  who  worship  here.  William 
White  is  the  present  Pastor. 

There  is  an  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge  in  the  village,  and 
Lodges  of  Temples  of  Honor  and  Good  Templars. 

John  Thayer  came  in  the  spring  of  1856;  started  a 
hotel.     He  was  the  first,  and  is  still  the  Postmaster. 

There  are  several  manufacturing  establishments,  in  a 
small  way.  Among  them  C.  B.  Norris,  who  manufactures 
carriages,  wagons,  .sleighs  and  does  repairing.  A.  Jennes, 
also  a  like  business.  Alexander  Cummings  and  Remier 
Bros.,  blacksmithing.  Amos  Plumb,  shoemaking.  Ham- 
mond boasts  of  four  doctors,  and  only  one  lawyer. 

The  Gardiner  House  is  the  leading  hotel.  There  are 
the  usual  number  of  drug  stores,  hardware,  furniture,  gro- 
cery and  genera!  merchandise,  etc. 

ItlOliKAl'HIOAL     SKETCnES. 

E.  L.  BOOTH  BY,  M.  D.,  Haniinond;  was  born  in  York  Co., 
Mo.,  in  184tt;  lie  took  an  auadcuiic  course  at  Wilbrahaiu,  Mass.; 


{iraduated  at  the  .Medical  Department  of  Dartmouth  College  in 
1874  ;  he  was  engaged  in  practice  during  the  last  year  of  his 
course  ;  came  West  in  the  fall  of  1874,  and  located  in  Hammond, 
June,  1875.  His  wife  was  Alice  A.  Wilcox,  born  in  Illinois; 
They  have  two  children — Carleton  F.  and  Jonathan. 

ANSON  J.  GOLDEN,  M.  D.,  Hammond;  was  born  in  Can- 
ada East  in  1847  ;  he  removed  to  Vermont  when  thirteen  years 
of  age ;  received  his  literary  education  at  Andover  and  at  Derby 
Academy,  Vermont;  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  1867  ;  grad- 
uated at  the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Vermont 
in  1S78;  practiced  at  Lowell,  Vt.,  two  and  a  half  years  ;  a  part 
of  this  time  was  previous  to  his  graduation.  He  came  West  and 
located  at  River  Falls.  Wis.,  in  1S74  ;  came  to  Hammond  in  1880  ; 
since  his  graduation,  Dr.  Golden  has  traveled  considerably  for 
the  benefit  of  his  health  ;  he  went  to  Florida  in  November,  1879, 
where  he  passed  the  following  winter.  His  wife  was  Clara  H. 
Hooey,  born  at  Alden,  Vt.;  they  have  two  daughters — Verna  and 
Liura  E. 

EDWARD  GARDINKK,  proprietor  of  Gardiner  House, 
Hammond;  was  born  in  Kingston,  Upper  Canada,  in  1841  ;  he 
removed  to  Kenosha  Co.,  and  thence  to  St.  Croix  Co.  in  November, 
1857,  where  he  has  since  lived  ;  he  was  engaged  in  forming  many 
years  ;  began  keeping  the  hotel  known  as  the  Pioneer  House, 
July  18,  1871  ;  this  house  was  burned  March  1.8.  1877;  Mr. 
Gardiner  built  his  present  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  Pioneer  House, 
in  1879  ;  he  now  has  a  good  hotel,  which  is  a  credit  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Hammond  ;  the  cost  of  the  building  was  §4,500.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  Canada;  they  have  three  children,  one  son 
and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Gardiner  has  a  good  livery  io  connec- 
tion with  his  house. 

HENRY  A.  GOULD,  Hammond;  was  born  in  Norridge- 
wock,  Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  in  1823,  where  he  lived  till  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  went  to  Massachusetts ;  he  learned  the  trade  ot 
a  machinist  at  North  Chelmsford  in  that  State  ;  he  worked  at  his 
trade  till  1855;  he  removed  to  Cottage  Grove,  Minn.,  in  the  fall 
of  1855,  and  engaged  in  farming;  he  was  long  engaged  in  mis- 
.sionary  work  in  connection  with  the  Congregational  Church  ;  it 
was  in  the  service  of  this  church  that  he  wiis  induced  to  come  to 
Hammond  as  a  lay  minister  ;  he  came  here  in  December,  1868, 
and  was  ordained  the  following  year.  The  Congregational  Church 
at  Hammond  owes  much  to  Mr.  Gould  for  its  establishment  and 
support  ill  the  days  of  its  infancy.  The  present  edifice  was  built 
under  his  ministry,  in  1873.  He  was  Pastor  of  the  church  five 
years.  The  cost  of  the  present  edifice  was  about  S4,0()ll,  of  which 
he  raised  32,700  by  subscription ;  he  also  performed  much 
manual  labor  in  its  erection,  hauling  the  stone  himself  for  the 
foundation  ou  which  it  is  built.  He  has  also  given  considerable 
attention  to  the  homoeopathic  system  of  medicine,  in  the  practice 
of  which  he  has  been  engaged  since  1870.  Ilis  wife  was  Lucy 
W.  Hale,  born  in  the  same  town  iis  her  husband,  in  1824;  they 
have  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  arc  living — ^ William  A.,  of 
Minneapolis,  and  Henrietta,  now  Mrs.  Herbert  W.  Dodge.  A 
daughter,  Carrie  R.,  died  in  October,  1880,  in  her  eighteenth  year  ; 
two  died  in  infancy. 

JOHN  THAYER,  Postmaster,  Hammond;  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  early  settlers  of  St.  Croix  Co.;  he  was  born  in 
Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  in  1809;  he  lived  in  his  native  State  and 
Connecticut  till  twenty-five  years  of  .age,  when  he  removed  to 
Fayette  Co.,  Ohio;  ho  came  to  Hammond  from  Seneca  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  1856,  and  purchased  a  farm  which  included  that  part  of 
the  village  of  Hammond  known  as  Thayer's  Addition,  on 
which  he  built  a  shanty,  his  first  residence,  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Gardiner  House  ;  he  built  a  hotel  in  1858,  which  he  called  the 
Pioneer  House ;  he  kept  this  ;is  a  hotel  until  the  advent  of  the 
railroad  to  this  place.  He  was  the  first  Postmsister  of  Hammond, 
and  still  holds  that  office,  which  he  has  held  since  1857.  He  wiis 
prominently  connected  with  the  early  history  of  this  town,  and 
has  always  taken  a  commendable  pride  in  religious  and  educa- 
tional interests.     He  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  about  twelve 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    CROIX   fOUNTY. 


959 


years.  His  wife  was  Serepta  Stickney,  buru  in  Prnnklin  Co.,  N. 
Y.  Tliey  have  one  son — Andrew  P.,  born  in  Connecticut;  he  is 
engaged  in  general  mercantile  business  at  Hammond. 


TOWN    OF    SOMERSET. 

The  first  town  meeting  to  organize  the  town  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Thomas  J.  Chappel  in  1856,  and  organized 
by  the  election  of  T.  J.  Chappel,  Chairman,  and  Thomas 
Paniell  and  Jerrie  Revord,  Supervisors;  Thompson  Nelson, 
Town  Clerk ;  James  G.  Nelson,  Town  Treasurer.  The 
second  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  store  of  Gen.  Harriman. 
At  that  time,  the  total  assessment  of  personal  property  was 
$1,700.  There  being  no  law  book  in  the  town,  they  were 
obliged  to  send  to  Hudson  for  one  with  which  they  organ- 
ized the  meeting. 

The  first  school  was  held  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Andett, 
and  Miss  Francis  King  was  the  first  teacher.  The  first 
sermon  was  preached  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Parent  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Fisher.  The  first  church  was  built  in  1856,  near  the 
home  of  James  Parnell,  and  Rev.  Napoleon  McNault  its 
first  Pastor.  The  first  marriage  was  Francis  Parent  to 
Miss  Margaret  Parent,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Fisher.  The  present 
church  was  built  in  Somerset  Village  in  1875.  The  first 
settler  in  the  town  of  Somerset  was  Joseph  Parent,  who 
came  in  1850.  This  old  pioneer  located  on  the  spot  where 
he  now  lives ;  his  only  neighbors  were  Indians,  wolves  and 
catamounts.  The  first  blacksmith-shop  in  the  town  was 
built  by  Frank  H.  Montbriand,  who  now  works  in  it.  The 
first  store  was  built  by  Gen.  Samuel  Harriman,  but  his 
business  demanded  a  larger  one,  and  he  built  his  present 
large  and  convenient  one,  in  which  everything  a  farmer  or 
any  one  else  can  find  all  they  need. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FRANK  A.  AMES,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Orland,  Hancock 
Co.,  Mo.,  July  G,  1850  ;  spent  most  of  his  time  on  the  sea  in  the 
summer  on  the  Grand  Banks  fishing,  and  in  the  winter  lumber- 
ing on  the  Union  River,  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  the  spring 
of  1872.  While  on  his  way  home  from  his  Sshing  one  season  he 
narrowly  escaped  a  shipwreck.  He  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Ben- 
ner,  of  Ellsworth,  Mo.,  Sept.  13,  1872.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Jennie  C,  Willie  F.  and  Mary. 

HENRY  BERGESON,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Lanorare, 
Canada,  April  8,  1828,  where  he  remained  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  farming ;  went  to  Whitehall  and  remained  for  two  years, 
thence  to  New  I'^ork  City  ;  returned  to  Canada  and  worked  at 
lumbering  for  sixteen  years,  then  to  Granite  Falls,  N.  H.,  where 
he  remained  for  eight  months ;  returned  to  Canada  and  worked 
in  the  copper  mines  sis  months  ;  came  to  Somerset  in  18G6,  where 
he  has  remained  since.  He  was  married,  in  18G0,  to  Julia  Har- 
vieux.  They  have  five  children — William,  August,  Odile,  Henry 
and  Joseph. 

AUGUSTINE  BELISLE,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Quebec  ; 
he  was  engaged  on  a  farm  and  in  sailing  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  three  years  ;  came  to  Somerset  in  June,  18.55  ;  worked  on 
Apple  River  and  in  the  woods,  and  in  a  few  years  bought  a  farm 
of  300  acres  ;  has  sold  60  acres  ;  was  elected  Supervisor ;  was  also 
Road  Surveyor  for  a  year.  He  was  married  in  July,  1859,  to 
Miss  Elenor  Germain.  They  have  nine  children — Alexander, 
Josephine,  Elliot,  Alvena,  Eugene,  Louise,  Augustine,  Ziphira 
and  Silista. 

ISAAC  BURTON,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Russia  in  1815.  He 
carried  on  a  dairy  of  102  cows  until  his  mother  died  ;  lived  on  the 
line  between  Russia  and  Prussia  and  traded  in  merchandise  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  across  the  line,  and  after  many  bold  and  daring  advent- 
ures he  moved  to  America,  leaving  his  family  behind,  landing  in 


New  York  in  1850.  He  went  to  Utica,  where  he  remained  for 
about  eight  years,  selling  goods  ;  moved  from  there  to  Chicago 
and  engaged  in  selling  goods  for  about  nine  years  ;  from  there  to 
Peoria,  111.,  remaining  there  about  four  years  engaged  in  mer 
chandising,  and  from  that  point  to  Somerset.  He  located  a  farm 
of  over  360  acres,  where  he  now  is  with  his  family.  He  was 
married,  in  1842,  to  Miss  Sallie  Jacobs.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren living — Barbara,  Louie,  Samuel,  Anna,  Elizabeth,  Jacob, 
Barney  and  Mitchell. 

JOHN  F.  COM  BACKER,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Germany 
Dec.  4,  1825  ;  came  to  America  in  1846  ;  enlisted  in  1846  in 
Co.  A,  U.  S.  A.  (Mexican  war);  was  in  the  battles  of  Churubus  o, 
Chapultepec  and  Contreras  ;  served  for  two  years,  when  he  con- 
trac  ed  a  disease  from  which  he  has  not  fully  recovered  ;  went  to 
Philadelphia  for  nine  months,  then  to  New  York,  then  to  Boston, 
for  seven  years,  manufacturing  cigars  and  tobacco  ;  then  to  Somer- 
set, in  1855,  and  settled  upon  the  land  he  now  occupies ;  was 
elected  Assessor  in  1869,  for  two  years,  and  in  1861,  elected 
Town  Clerk,  which  office  he  has  held  up  to  the  present  time.  In 
1878,  was  elected  County  Surveyor  and  re-elected  in  1880  ;  was 
also  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  in  1878.  He  was  married  in 
1851,  to  Mariah  A.  Fesline,  of  Boston.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Josephine,  Henry  E.,  Albert  and  Emma. 

P.  B.  CREPEAU,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  May 
2,  1838  ;  he  conducted  a  hotel  for  about  seven  years  in  that  city  ; 
came  to  Somerset  in  18G6,  and  bought  a  farm  ;  moved  to  Chicago, 
keeping  the  Montreal  House  for  ten  years ;  left  Chicago  in  1876, 
after  losing  all  he  had  by  the  great  fire,  and  located  in  Stillwater, 
Minn.,  where  he  remained  for  four  years,  and  during  that  time 
bought  a  fine  farm  in  Somerset,  and  opened  a  livery  stable  and  a 
saloon.  In  1881  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  two 
years.  Was  married  to  Miss  Matilda  Bonaventure,  of  Montreal,  on 
June  30,  1863.     They  have  one  child,  Matilda  Crepeau. 

ALEXANDER  GORDON,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Nova 
Scotia,  Aug.  11,  1825;  moved  to  Boston  and  spent  eight  years  ; 
worked  as  ship  carpenter  for  twelve  years,  and  went  lo  New  Or- 
leans on  the  ship  Levant,  thence  to  Havana  and  other  ports ; 
moved  to  Milwaukee  in  1857,  working  in  a  ship  yard,  and  came 
to  Somerset  in  the  fall  of  1857,  where  he  now  has  360  acres; 
when  he  came,  there  was  but  one  house  between  him  and  Still- 
water, a  distance  of  nine  miles,  with  no  improvements  excepting  4 
acres  of  breaking.  In  the  spring  of  1859,  was  elected  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  which  office  he  held  for  about  six 
years ;  was  also  (Commissioner  to  lay  out  the  road  through  the 
Big  Woods  in  Menomonee,  and  a  county  road,  completing  it  in 

1861.  Has  been  largely  connected  with  the  political  history  of 
the  town  ;  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board,  and  has 
been  Town  Treasurer  several  years  at  different  times ;  is  now  on 
the  Board  of  County  Equalization  appointed  by  the  Chairman  of 
the  County  Board.  Was  married  in  1854,  to  Miss  Harriett  K. 
Evens;  thev  have  seven  children — James  A.,  Frederick  A.,  Win- 
field  S.,  M.M.  P.  Gordon,  Harry  K.,  Lewis  T.  and  Otis  H. 

CAPT.  EDWARD  GRANT  is  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
in  1827  ;  removed  from  that  State  in  1844,  and  came  to  St. 
Croix  County  in  1851  ;  was  in  active  service  during  ihe  war,  and 
also  employed  in  bridge-building  and  repairing  in  the  South  at 
that  time ;  after  an  eventful  life  as  a  soldier,  he  returned  home 
and  remained  about  one  year  ;  then  returned  to  a  former  occupa- 
tion, and  assumed  command  of  the  steamer  Dispatch  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  when  he  first  began  work  on  the  river,  all  logs  and 
lumber  were  floated  ;  the  first  steamer  for  towing  was  put  on  in 

1862,  by  Mr.  Bradley,  of  Osceola;  Capt.  Grant  retains  his  own 
license  as  Captain  of  river  craft ;  for  two  years  past,  he  has  had 
the  supervision  of  Durant,  Wheeler  &  Co.'s  lumber  shipping  in 
Stillwater,  Minn.;  he  handled  73.000,000  feet  of  logs  and  lumber 
last  year ;  he  also  owns  a  farm  of  240  acres,  and  a  fine  home  in 
Somerset.  Capt.  Grant  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss  Elanor 
Rock,  of  Michigan  ;  they  have  four  children — Edward  W.,  Alfred, 
Josephcne  and  Henry  A.     The  Captain  has  been  School  Treas- 


960 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


urer  of  a  district  in  Somerset  for  ei<:htecn  years,  and  Supervisor 
of  his  town  five  years. 

BRIG.  GEN.  SAML.  HARRIMAN,  Captain  of  13th  Wis. 
Vols.,  commissioned  by  Gov.  Salomon,  Aug.  25, 1862  ;  enlisted  asa 
private  June  1 0, 1  S(J2,  in  Co.  A,  30th  Wis.  A''ols.,  and  on  the  organi- 
zation of  the  company  was  made  Captain,  which  position  he  held 
until  he  was  promoted  for  gallant  services.  Feb.  7,  186-1,  he  was 
appointed  Colonel  of  the  37th  Wis.  Vols.,  which  he  gallantly  led  to 
victory  on  many  a  hard-fought  field,  receiving  personal  congratu- 
lations by  letter  from  Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  J.  F.  Hartramft,  of  Ten- 
nessee ;  Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  0.  B.  Wilcox  ;  John  G.  Park,  Commander 
of  the  9th  Corps  ;  from  the  Regimental  and  Brigade  Commander  of 
the  9th  Army  Corps;  and  from  Brig.  Gen.  N.  B.  McLaughlin. 
In  all  the  important  commands  which  have  been  committed  to  his 
care,  he  has  acquitted  himself  with  that  high  soldierly  bearing  which 
called  forth  the  hearty  approval  of  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of 
War,  and  the  President  of  the  United  States,  which  resulted  in  his 
appointment  by  the  President  as  Brigadier  Genera!,  which  appoint- 
ment was  approved  by  the  Senate  for  his  gallant  assault  upon 
Ft.  Sedgwick,  Virginia,  on  the  second  day  of  April,  1865.  Thus, 
step  by  step,  he  rapidly  rose  from  the  private  to  the  Brigadier, 
and  when  the  war  was  over,  retired  to  the  shades  of  private  life 
which  he  so  much  longed  for,  amid  the  congratulations  of  all  his  old 
comrades,  and  letter  after  letter  of  regret  came  to  him  (the 
original  letters,  the  writer  has  been  permitted  to  see)  from  the 
highest  ofiBcers  with  whom  he  associated.  But  his  home  and  his 
family  had  attractions  that  a  brilliant  and  successful  war  record 
could  not  allure  him  from  ;  and  now  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of 
civil  life,  he  is  loved  and  respected  by  all.  He  has  been  appointed 
Notary  Public  by  Gov.  W.  R.  Taylor  and  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Wm.  E.  Smith  ;  now  engaged  in  a  multitude  of  diflerent  kinds 
of  business  which  he  manages  with  the  same  consummate  ability 
that  so  peculiarly  marked  his  brilliant  and  successful  war  career. 
Among  the  variuus  civil  pursuits  that  now  engages  his  attention 
may  be  mentioned,  first,  his  large  farm  of  555  acres.  He  is  a 
practical  and  scientific  farmer  and  stock-raiser ;  and  is  also  engaged 
in  lumbering,  cutting  some  3,000,000  feet  per  year.  One  is  a 
rotary  saw  mill,  where  he  cuts  his  lumber  and  puts  it  on  his  own 
yard  ;  also  a  planing  mill,  lath  and  shingle  mill  in  connection  with 
his  saw  mill,  all  under  one  roof;  has  a  merchant  and  exchange 
flour  mill  with  six  run  of  stone  with  a  new  device,  called  an  end- 
ing stone,  which  by  an  ingenious  arrangement,  cuts  the  fuzz  and 
the  end  from  the  kernel  of  wheat,  and  is  pronounced  a  success  ; 
has  a  store,  24  x  70,  two  stories  and  basement,  in  which  he  keeps 
a  general  stock.  The  post  office  is  located  here.  The  basement 
of  the  building  is  laid  up  with  white  sandstone  from  a  quarry  on 
his  own  land  that  is  of  an  excellent  ijuality.  The  General  has 
a  cooper  shop,  where  he  makes  his  own  barrels ;  a  ware  house  and 
blacksmith  shop.  This  enterprising  man  was  one  of  the  founders 
and  the  platter  of  the  village,  building  most  of  the  houses,  includ- 
ing the  hotel,  the  two  stores  on  the  east  side  of  Apple  River  and 
all  the  dwelling  houses  on  the  west  side  of  the  river ;  has  sold  all 
the  lots  in  the  first  plat  of  the  village  of  Somerset  and  has  now 
platted  more  on  the  south  end  of  the  village,  to  the  number  of  14 
lots,  sales  of  which  are  rapid.     His  busin<'ss  airirreirates  annually 

about  $75,000.     Was  born  in  Oilm.l,  1I:,im k  CuMnty,  Maine,  and 

came  to  Wiscon.sin  in  May,  Is.'ii;  >|h ni  fnui-  v.iirs  in  California, 
engaged  in  mining  and  lunilieiinj  ;  l.uilt  the  Mcmd  canal  in  the 
State  for  sluicing  purposes,  which  was  a  success;  has  been  in 
Somerset  ever  .since  185G.  He  has  one  child  living,  Mary  Francis  ; 
a  son,  Charles  F.,  died  in  Madison  while  he  was  in  the  army,  and 
is  buried  in  Forest  Hill  Cemetery. 

HUDSON  S.  HARRIMAN,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Orland, 
Hancock  Co.,  Me.,  May  15,  1833;  worked  on  Iho  farm  and  in 
mills  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Somerset  and  engaged  in  luni 
boring  on  the  Apple  River,  until  April,  18(;0,  when  he  returned 
to  the  old  home  in  Maine,  where  he  remained  until  December  16, 
when  he  returned  to  Somerset,  and  followed  lumbering  until 
Sept.  14,  1861,  when   he  enlisted  in  Co.   F,  Ist   Wis.  Regiment, 


ntil  June  24,  1862  ;  came  back  and  remained  until 
November,  1864,  when  he  returned  to  the  army  and  joined  the 
17th  Wisconsin  Regiment,  17th  Corps,  4th  Division;  was  engaged 
in  guarding  railroads,  building  bridges,  clearing  out  tunnels  and 
protecting  the  lines ;  on  his  returning  to  the  army  the  second 
time,  joined  Sherman's  army  in  his  march  to  the  sea  ;  such  was 
the  strait  to  which  the  army  was  reduced  that  he  with  others 
stole  the  corn  rations  from  the  mules,  and  would  brown  it  and 
eat ;  they  also  stole  an  animal  in  the  dark,  and  upon  examination 
found  it  to  be  a  poor  bull  which  they  immediately  let  loo.se  as  un- 
fit for  use ;  the  next  thing  obtained  was  a  camp  chest  filled  with 
silverware.  After  taking  Columbia,  S.  C.,  they  had  plenty  to 
eat  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day ;  was  in  Washington  at  the 
grand  review,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.;  returned 
to  Madison,  Wis.,  where  the  regiment  was  paid  off.  Returned  to 
Somerset  and  engaged  in  the  more  peaceful  pursuits  of  life,  lum- 
bering and  working  in  the  flour  mill ;  has  since  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  his  brother.  Brig.  Gen.  Samuel  Harriman.  Was  married 
in  May  31,  1863,  to  Miss  Marcia  A.  Briggs,  of  Somerset,  Wi.=. 
They  have  one  adopted  child ;  has  been  Town  Treasurer  and 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  also  has  charge  of  his 
brother's  business. 

HKNRY  G.  HRNAIILT,  M.  D,  Somerset,  was  born  in 
Three  Rivers,  Canada,  Jan.  9,  1846  ;  earned  his  course  of  classics 
in  Nicolet  College,  Three  Rivers,  Canada ;  read  medicine  with 
Dr.  Drainville  for  one  year  at  St.  Bartholomew ;  entered  the  uni- 
versity at  Quebec  called  Laval,  chartered  in  1852  ;  left  Quebec  in 
1 867  on  a  journey  to  Rome,  passing  through  the  principal  cities 
of  Europe  to  join  the  Pope's  forces  engaged  against  Garibaldi, 
and  served  two  years;  returned  to  Canada,  May,  1870,  and  re- 
sumed his  studies  in  the  medical  sciences  at  the  Victoria  College 
for  two  years  and  six  months,  graduating  in  the  spring  of  1872  ; 
after  finishing  his  studies,  he  traveled  in  the  different  States  and 
finally  settled  in  Somerset.  Was  married  June  29,  1876,  to 
Mi.ss  Josephine  Grant,  daughter  of  Capt.  Grant ;  they  have  two 
children— Josephine  and  Mary  Louisa. 

CONRAD  KALER,  Somerset;  w:is  born  in  Germany,  May 
27, 1823,  and  worked  on  a  fcrm  until  1870,  when  the  war  between 
France  and  Germany  broke  out,  and  he  went  into  the  German 
army  ;  came  to  America  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  finally 
settled  in  Somerset,  buying  the  farm  of  180  acres  on  which  he 
now  lives.  Was  married,  in  1851,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Simon. 
They  have  four  children — Simon  K.,  Charley,  Anna  and  Mary. 

JAMES  KELLEY,  Somerset;  was  born  April  16,  1847,  in 
Ireland;  came  to  America  in  1865,  and  settled  in  the  town  of 
Somerset,  where  he  has  lived  since,  and  owns  a  farm  of  80  acres, 
also  a  village  lot  of  3  acres,  on  which  he  has  built  a  saloyn  ;  is 
also  a  dealer  in  tax-titles  and  horses  to  quite  an  extent.  Was 
married,  in  August,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Riley;  they  have 
seven  children — Francis,  James  E.,  John  W.,  Rosetta,  Ann  Jane, 
Emiline  and  Mary  E. 

FRANK  KING,  Somerset;  was  born  in  Canada,  June  6. 
1822;  lived  with  his  parents  twenty-one  years;  came  to  Lake 
Superior  and  remained  for  five  years,  carpentering ;  came  to 
Somerset  in  September,  1855,  and  entered  40  acres;  lived  on  the 
land  a  few  years;  went  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  where  he  remained 
six  months  ;  then  returned  to  Somerset,  and  bought  another  farm, 
on  which  he  has  lived  since,  until  he  concluded  to  build  for 
himself  a  comfortable  home  in  the  village  of  Somerset,  owning 
the  farm  at  the  same  time.  Was  married  in  Detroit,  Mich., 
July  28,  1847,  to  Miss  Julia  Defore  ;  they  have  one  child.  Prank 
King,  Jr. 

i'AUL  LIBERTY,  Somerset;  was  born  in  Canada,  July  12, 
1826  ;  lived  with  his  parents  for  twenty-one  years;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1849,  and  selil.l  n  iln  Iviu  Galle  River,  for  a  time; 
lu'iire  to  Somerset,  and  m  ill. d  ,iii  tlir  ])lace  where  he  now  lives; 
has  200  acres.  Was  married  in  1S,")T,  to  Mi.ss  Anna  S.  Parent; 
tliey  have  five  children — Susanna,  Mary,  Tripley,  Alexander  and 
John. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    CROIX    COUNTY. 


961 


FRANZ  MOESMER,  Somerset;  came  to  Aniei-ica  July  3, 
1880  ;  was  educated  in  Munich  at  the  Seminary,  a  business  college  ; 
followed  milling  while  in  Germany,  running  his  own  mill  in  Ba- 
varia ;  landed  in  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  for  a  few 
days ;  went  from  there  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  a 
few  days  ;  thence  to  Milwaukee  for  two  weeks  ;  thence  to  Winona 
in  a  flouring  mill ;  then  to  Minneapolis,  in  the  Crown  Roller  Mill 
for  eight  months  ;  thence  to  Somerset,  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  flour,  doing  both  a  merchant  and  custom  business ;  the 
mill  has  a  capacity  o*"  sixty  barrels  per  day;  married  July  19, 
1875,  to  Miss  Therese  Kircher,  of  Bavaria  ;  they  have  two  chil- 
dren— Franz  and  Otto  ;  his  father  is  a  Superintendent  of  Roads, 
Rivers  and  Buildings  in  Bavaria  ;  has  held  the  office  for  the  last 
forty  years,  and  now  receives  a  pension  from  Bavaria ;  Mr.  Moes- 
mer  was  a  soldier  in  the  Bavarian  Army  ;  was  Lieutenant  in  the 
army  :  was  in  the  battle  of  Sedan  ;  in   active  service  three  years. 

FRANK  X.  MONTBRIAND,  Somerset ;  was  born  in  Lower 
Canada,  Sept.  20,  1856  ;  lived  with  his  parents  twenty-one  years; 
then  went  to  Bufi'alo,  N.  Y.,  for  seven  months  ;  came  to  Eau 
Galle  Mills  in  1857,  where  he  remained  for  two  years;  thence  10 
Stillwater,  Minn.,  for  a  short  time;  then  to  Somerset,  and  bought 
a  farm  of  155  acres  of  the  Government,  on  which  he  now  lives 
and  built  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  in  about  two  years  went  to  the 
flour  mill,  working  nights  in  the  mill  and  days  in  the  blacksmith 
shop.  Was  married  in  January,  1853,  to  Mary  Ann  Parent; 
they  have  nine  children — Edward,  Amelia,  Soulia,  Emily,  Roslia, 
Frank,  Alexander,  Ellen  and  Alfred.  He  built  the  first  black- 
smith shop  in  the  village  of  Somerset,  and  built  the  second  house 
in  the  village;  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  in 
1857  ;  also  Side  Supervisor  for  four  years. 

THOMPSON  NELSON,  Somerset ;  was  born  in  Mason  Co., 
Va.,  in  1811,  where  he  remained  for  twenty-two  year.s,  farming; 
moved  to  Wabash  Co.,  Ind.,  and  remained  for  about  twenty  years, 
farming;  came  to  Somerset  in  the  fall  of  1854,  and  located  where 
he  now  lives  ;  at  that  time  it  was  a  wilderness  ;  his  nearest  neigh- 
bor was  in  the  village  of  Somerset,  six  miles  distant,  where  he  got 
his  supplies,  doing  most  of  his  trading  at  Hudson,  twenty-two 
miles,  and  sixteen  miles  to  Stillwater,  going  with  oxen,  taking  two 
days  to  make  the  trip,  taking  loads  of  deer  to  both  places,  and 
getting  good  prices ;  has  been  Town  Clerk  and  Chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  for  several  years,  and  member  of  the  Board 
for  nine  years;  three  years  a  member  of  the  County  Board;  also, 
Overseer  of  Highways  for  several  years.  Married  in  1833,  Miss 
Mary  Ann  Greenlee,  of  Virginia ;  they  have  five  children — James 
C,  Susan,  John  G.,  Mary  F.  and  William  T. 

CHARLES  PARENT,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Quebec,  Can- 
ada, April  12,  1855.  Worked  on  farm  until  twenty-three  years 
old  ;  learned  the  wagon-maker's  trade  and  followed  it  for  two 
years.  Went  to  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  worked  on  a  farm  ;  thence 
to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  five  and  a  half 
years.  Came  to  Somerset  in  May,  1856,  and  twelve  years  ago 
came  to  his  present  home,  locating  where  he  now  has  520  acres. 
Was  married  in  September,  1869,  to  Mrs.  Angeline  Parent.  They 
have  seven  children —Mary,  Delia,  Joseph,  Charlie,  Rosalie,  Addie 
and  Alfonzo.  He  owns  a  steam  threshing  machine,  and,  with  his 
active  boys,  he  threshes  a  large  amount  of  grain  each  year. 

JOSEPH  PARENT,  Somerset,  was  born  in  Three  Rivers, 
Canada,  Oct.  10,  1816.  Was  engaged  in  farming.  Came  to 
Somerset  in  1850,  and  located  his  farm  of  160  acres.  Was  mar- 
ried in  June,  1863,  to  Miss  Bridget  Ring.  They  have  no  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Parent  states  that  the  "Otter''  was  the  first  steam- 
boat run  on  the  St.  Croix  River,  Cant.  Harris,  Commander. 

THOMAS  PARNELL,  Some'ret.  Born  in  Canada  East, 
District  of  St.  Francis,  April  21,  1818,  and  engaged  in  farming 
until  he  came  to  Somerset  in  1852.  At  that  cime  there  was  but 
one  house  in  the  town,  now  occupied  by  David  German,  who  then 
lived  two  miles  distant.  There  was  not  a  surveyed  road  in  the 
town,  and  all  his  traveling  was  done  by  marked  trees.  He  brought 
all  his  supplies  on  his  back  from  Hudson,  a  distance  of  twentv- 
two  miles.  Has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  (if  Supervisors  for 
61 


.several  years,  Clerk  of  the  district  school  five  years,  and  Director 
two  years.  Was  married  Jan.  24, 1848,  to  Miss  Angeline  Parent. 
They  have  seven  children — William,  Oliver,  Frederick,  Elizabeth, 
Lawrence,  John  and  Mary. 

DANIEL  PHILLIPS,  Somerset.  Was  born  in  Roche.ster, 
Wis.,  Dec.  28,  1848.  Lived  on  a  farm  until  sixteen  years  old, 
when  he  learned  the  trades  of  carpenter,  joiner  and  mason  ;  has 
worked  at  the  trades  about  eleven  years.  During  this  time,  he 
worked  two  years  in  La  Salle  Co.,  111.,  six  years  in  Iowa,  and  the 
balance  of  the  time  in  St.  Croix  Co.,  and  is  conceded  to  be  one  of 
the  best  mechanics  in  this  part  of  the  State.     Is  not  married. 

JERRIE  REVORD,  Somerset,  is  a  native  of  Canada.  Came 
to  Somerset  in  June,  1855,  and  located  where  he  now  lives. 
Owns  180  acres.  Was  married  in  April,  1860,  to  Miss  Mary 
Martell.  They  have  twelve  children — Jerrie  S.,  Francis  D.,  Louis 
N.,  Israel,  Adelphus,  Jerry  R.,  Joseph  N.,  Mary  L.,  Mary  E., 
Mary  R.  and  Mary. 

BALDWIX. 

This  is  a  manufacturing  village  on  the  railroad  in  the 
town  of  the  same  name.  It  is  near  the  edge  of  the  hard 
wood  lumber  region,  and  on  the  other  three  sides  has  good 
farming  land.  Ove  Oleson,  H.  C.  Thompson,  Amos  Crip- 
pen,  Syner  Nelson  and  others  were  the  first  comers.  D. 
R.  Bailey  laid  out  the  village,  and  has  been  untiring  in  his 
endeavors  to  build  it  up. 

The  village  was  incorporated  December  4, 1874.  D.  R. 
Bailey  was  the  first  President,  T.  W.  Giasspool,  Clerk, 
which  position  he  still  occupies.  He  was  also  the  first 
Police  Justice.  L.  M.  Bailey  was  Constable.  Amos  Crip- 
pen,  S.  E.  Farnsworth,  J.  M.  Bartlett  and  A.  Taylor 
have  since  been  Presidents. 

D.  R.  and  L.  M.  Bailey  started  the  business  now  car- 
ried on  by  Bartlett  &  Robinson,  including  the  saw  and 
flouring  mills. 

A  stave-mill  was  started  by  Capt.  Allyne  in  1875.  It 
is  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  Hall  &  Dunn  Barrel 
Co.  of  Minnesota,  who  got  their  material  here  and  at  other 
places  in  Wisconsin. 

0.  A.  Dahlburze  is  the  owner  of  a  tannery,  and  is 
doing  a  good  business. 

C.  J.  Woolsey  has  a  new  custom  flouring-mill. 

Hill,  Kilsing  &  Co.  have  a  capacious  elevator,  which 
has  been  enlarged  this  season. 

There  are  several  stores  of  each  variety  found  in  a 
country  village,  and  the  village  is  in  all  respects  an  active 
one. 

There  are  three  churches — Episcopal,  Presbyterian  and 
Norwegian  Lutheran — with  good  buildings. 

There  is  a  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  192.  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition, a  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  No.  235,  with  a  good 
membership,  and  a  Good  Templars'  Lodge. 

The  Baldwin  Bulletin  was  first  printed  by  Ed.  Bur- 
churdt,  January,  1873.  It  has  been  edited  by  several 
parties,  but  for  some  time  has  been  under  D.  R.  Bailey's 
control.  The  firm  name  is  now  Bailey  &  Peachman.  It 
is  a  first-class  Republican  paper. 

An  average  month  shows  ninety-eight  tons  of  freight 
received,  and  405  forwarded.  Receipts  from  passengers, 
$600  a  month.     E.  L.  Stark  is  station  agent. 

mOORAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

HANS  BOltCIISlvNirS,  grain  dealer,  real  estate,  etc., 
Baldwin.  Boni  in  li.iiinuk  in  1832.  He  came  to  this  country 
in  1874,  and  Si-n\,-\  :ii  \1  pHmju.  Ho  published  the  Nord  Stern 
newspaper  for  the  years  1  ,S58-59.      He  entered   the   army  during 


962 


IIIsrORV    OF    NORTHERN   WISC:ONSIN. 


the  rebellion  as  Adjutant  of  the  15th  Wis.  Reg.  He  served  about 
one  year,  when,  his  health  failiiiir,  he  resigned.  He  was  in  the 
State  Land  Department  at  iMadison  for  ^ix  years  ;  was  elected 
County  Clerk  of  Dane  County  in  18(58,  and  again  in  1870.  Mr. 
Borchsenius  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  war.  He  bought 
the  Capitol  House  at  Madison,  which  he  kept  for  some  years, 
when  he  sold  ;  was  appointed  United  States  Ganger,  a  position 
which  he  held  one  year.  He  was  State  Agent  for  the  Protection 
of  Railroad  Lands,  and  served  five  years  in  that  capacity.  He 
attended  the  law  school  at  Madison  one  j'oar  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1876.  He  came  to  Baldwin  in  April,  1877  ;  has  been 
engaged  here  in  grain  buying,  real  estate  business,  loaning 
money,  etc.  His  wife  was  Martha  M.  Bukke,  born  in  Norway. 
Her  parents  settled  in  Dane  County  in  1849.  They  have  three 
children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter.     Their  oldest  son,  William 

C,  is  Cashier  for  Knapp,  Stout  &  Co.,  at  Rice  Lake.  Their 
other  children- are  Dora  H.  and  George  W. 

SILAS  E.  FARNSWORTH,  M.  D.,  Baldwin.  Dr.  Farns- 
worth  w;is  born  in  the  town  of  Bakersfield,  Franklin  County,  Vt., 
in  1837,  where  he  wris  brought  up.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  in  1860.  He  enlisted  in  1802,  as  a  private  in  Co.  F, 
10th  Vt.  V.  I.;  was  in  the  service  three  years.  He  graduated  at 
the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Vermont  in  1807. 
He  began  practice  to  his  graduation  ;  came  to  Baldwin  in 
November  of  the  latter  year,  where  he  is  favored  with  a  large 
practice  and  is  a  popular  and  successful  physician.  His  wife 
is  a  native  of  Vermont ;  has  one  daughter,  Lou.  The  Doctor  is 
also  Local  Surgeon  for  the  eastern  division  of  the  C,  St.  P.,  M. 
&  O.  R.  R. 

REV.  JOHN  HOFFMAN,  Pastor  of  Presbyterian  Church, 
Baldwin,  was  born  in  Holland,  Ottawa  Co.,  Mich.,  in  1849.  He 
was  educated  at  Hope  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1871  ;  took 
a  course  at  the  theological  department  of  that  college,  graduating 
in  1874  :  began  preaching  in  the  Reform  Church  at  Oostburg, 
Wis.;  was  pastor  of  that,  church  for  nearly  seven  years  ;  came  to 
Baldwin  August,  1871.  He  married  Everdiua  Snitseler,  born  in 
Ottawa  Co.,  Mich.  They  have  three  children — Lawrance  S., 
Lucia  Minnie  and  James  Julius. 

DR.  J.  L.  IRWLV,  Baldwin,  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
May  81,  1887,  but  was  brought  up  in  Illinois.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  when,  seventeen  years  of  age,  at  St.  Louis.  He 
was  Surgeon  of  the  122d  III.  V.  I.,  during  the  rebellion.  After 
the  war  he  practiced  in  Illinois  about  seven  years,  during  the  last 
four  of  which  he  was  located  at  Quincy.  He  came  to  Wiscon.sin 
in  1877,  and  located  at  Janesville  ;  thence  to  Cannon  Falls,  Minn., 
one  year;  settled  in  Baldwin  November,  1880.  Dr.  Irwin  lost 
his  first  wife  at  Pleasant  Hill,  III.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs. 
Sarah  Kennedy  of  Arkansaw,  Wis.  The  Doctor  has  a  son  and 
daughter  at  St.  Louis. 

HARTSON  F.  WOODARD,  attorney,  Baldwin,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Dunham,  in  the  province  of  Quebec.  He 
studied  law  at  St.  Albans,  Vt.;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1869; 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Richford,  Franklin  Co.,Vt., 
where  he  remained  five  years.      He  studied  law  in  the  office   of 

D.  R.  Bailey,  Esq.,  now  of  Baldwin.  Before  beginning  the  prac- 
tice of  law  he  was  engaged  for  some  time  in  teaching  ;  was  also 
Superintendent  of  Schools.  He  located  in  Baldwin  in  1874.  He 
is  present  District  Attorney  of  St.  Croix  Co.,  elected  in  1879. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Eunice  E.  Whitney,  daughter  of  Alloway 
Whitney.     They  have  one  daughter.  May. 

HEHSEY. 
This  village  is  located  on  about  the  highest  point  rcacluil 
by  the  railroiid  between  St.  Paul  and  Chicago,  although  the 
village  itself  is  in  a  slight  depression.  The  name  was  given 
in  honor  of  a  gentleman  now  living  in  Stillwater,  who  owiuil 
large  tracts  of  land  both  north  and  south  of  the  village, 
'i'lic  village  plat  was  owned  by  S.  T.  Adams,  and,  ■•dlhougli 


the  mills  were  established  here  several  years  ago,  it  was  not 
until  within  two  years  that  the  idea  of  a  village  seemed  to 
have  taken  form. 

Now,  there  are  about  340  people  in  town,  with  five 
stores  of  various  kinds,  and  ijuite  a  number  of  fine  resi- 
dences surrounded  with  fences,  ornamental  trees  and  Hewers. 

The  streets  arc  regularly  laid  out ;  but,  on  account  of 
the  numerous  stumps,  locomotion  through  them  is  by  devious 
ways.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  the  primeval  forest 
still  stands  in  a  somewhat  straggling  way.  There  is  no 
village  organization ;  it  is  still  a  part  of  Springfield,  the 
town  in  which  it  is  located. 

There  is  a  good  schoolhouse,  which  is  also  used  as  a 
meeting-house  by  several  religious  denominations,  who  make 
a  missionary  field  of  the  new  village. 

E.  S.  Austin  is  the  proprietor  of  a  mill  for  the  manu- 
facture of  soft  and  hard  lutnber.  It  has  a  circular  saw  which 
turns  out  from  forty  to  fifty-five  thousand  feet  a  day.  Fifty 
thousand  shingles  and  twelve  thousand  lath  is  the  product 
of  a  day  in  those  articles.  Felloes,  plow-beams  and  other 
irregular  sawing  is  done. 

A  barrel  stave-mill  is  owned  by  Henry  Peters.  This 
mill  turns  out  staves  and  headings.  The  logs  are  first  sawed 
into  proper-sized  blocks,  which  are  then  thoroughly  steamed, 
and  the  staves  slashed  off  with  great  rapidity,  and  after 
being  seasoned  are  jointed  and  packed  in  bundles  containing 
enough  for  a  barrel  and  a  half  each.  The  headings  are 
mostly  of  bass  wood,  and  are  packed  in  immense  stacks  to  dry. 

W.  A.  Durrin  is  proprietor  of  a  head-linings  and  basket 
factory,  which  is  a  busy  place. 

These  establishments  are  rapidly  denuding  the  land  of 
the  pine  and  hardwood,  and  it  is  evidently  a  question  of  time 
as  to  their  removal  or  transformation  into  shops  putting  more 
work  into  the  material,  and  using  le.ss  than  at  present. 

Already  the  hauling  is  quite  a  distance  for  the  most 
desirable  timber,  and  it  is  done  in  winter  when  the  snow 
renders  this  kind  of  transportation  easy  and  inexpensive. 

R.  Adams  is  Postmaster.  Stamps  to  the  amount  of  §60 
a  month  are  sold.  The  amount  of  freight  forwarded  is 
1,722  tons  a  month  ;  received,  80  tons  :  passenger  tickets. 
§2.30  a  month. 

Two  stage  lines  run  from  Ilersey,  a  tri-weekly  to  Maiden 
Rock  and  intermediate  points  ;  a  semi-weekly  to  Clear  Lake. 

There  is  one  hotel,  kept  by  S.  Woodworth. 

If  the  owners  of  the  timber  lands,  when  the  lumber  is 
exhausted,  exercise  a  liberal  policy  to  induce  settlement  for 
farming  purposes,  the  country  will  be  likely  to  quietly  fill 
up,  and  thus  preserve  and  enlarge  these  mill  villages ;  but 
if  not,  they  must  decline  or  remain  at  a  standstill  for  years 
to  come. 

inOOKAPIIICAL     SKETCHES. 

SARLES  TR AVERS  ADAMS,  Her.scy;  was  born  in 
Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  21,  1812.  His  grandfather,  (iilbert 
Adams,  immigrated  from  Miissachusetts  to  New  York  in  1770;  he 
was  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and  also  served  under  Wash- 
ington in  the  Revolution;  died  in  September,  1826.  Philip 
Adams,  the  father  of  S.  T.,  was  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
Ocli.bor,  1776;  immigrated  to  Ohio  in  the  fall  of  1824;  settled 
ill  Warren  Co.,  thirty  miles  north  of  Cincinnati;  remained  there 
until  December,  1882,  when  he  moved  north  into  Miami  Co.,  four 
miles  west  of  where  Piqua  now  stands.  Philip  Adams  died  in 
his  ninetieth  year,  and  Pheba  Adams,  his  wife,  died  when  about 
ninety  years  of  age.  S.  T.  .\danis  ]iurehased  a  farm  in  Miami 
Co.,  in  the   year  1885,  but,  owiiii;   to  the  exceeding  hard   tinn-s, 


HISTORY  OF    ST.    CROIX  COUNTY. 


963 


he  was  obliged  to  labor  incessantly,  and,  by  his  labors,  managed  to 
pay  for  his  farm  and  improve  it;  in  1856,  he  sold  the  old  home 
and  purchased  another  near  Troy,  in  the  same  county,  but,  tiring 
of  the  locality,  he  again  sold  out  there  and  purchased  a  splendid 
farm  of  80  acres  ten  miles  west  of  Piqua,  in  Darke  Co.  He  was 
married  to  Mary  Harrison,  daughter  of  Richard  Harrison,  in  the 
year  1832,  and  his  family  were  all  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Miami  Co.  In  1866,  his  family  being  grown  up  and  married 
but  four,  and  wishing  to  procure  homes,  they  started  for  Wiscon- 
sin in  May,  1866.  The  family  consisted  in  all  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, viz.:  Richard,  Albert,  John  T.,  Hannah,  Pheba,  Mary  E., 
Sarah  J.,  David,  Louisa,  Reuben  and  Tamer  L.;  all  the  children, 
except  the  four  youngest,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  May,  1866,  S.  T. 
and  the  balance  of  the  family  arriving  in  the  present  town  of 
Springfield  on  Nov.  23,  1866.  Richard  Adams  was  the  first  per- 
manent settler  of  the  town  of  Springfield ;  he  took  a  homestead 
on  Sec.  22,  and,  having  erected  a  bark  shanty,  moved  his  family 
into  the  then  dense  forest  on  May  25,  1866  ;  his  family  consisted 
of  himself,  his  wife  and  two  children  ;  his  whole  family  numbers 
seven  children,  two  having  died  previous  to  his  coming  to  Wis- 
consin and  the  rest  having  been  born  in  Wisconsin.  The  children 
now  living  are  Thomas  A.,  Mary  F.  (Devore)  and  A.  Lawrence, 
all  residing  in  the  town  of  Springfield.  Albert  Adams  also  took 
a  homestead  on  Sec.  22  in  the  same  town,  and  has  made  the  same 
his  permanent  home ;  he  now  has  the  best  cultivated  farm  in  the 
town  ;  his  family  is  a  wife  and  two  cliildren  — Anderson  Grant  and 
Anna  Belle.  Thomas  J.  Ross,  the  husband  of  Mary  E.  Adams, 
F.  M.  Linton,  the  husband  of  Hannah  Adams,  at;d  William  Ran- 
dolph, the  husband  of  Sarah  J.  Adams,  all  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
May,  1866,  taking  homesteads  and  making  homes  for  their  fam- 
ilies. S.  T.  Adams,  the  father  of  the  Ohio  Settlement  (as  it  was 
called),  purchased  80  acres  of  land  in  the  same  town  with  his 
children,  and  commenced  improving,  and,  with  his  sons  and  sons- 
in-law,  to  develop  the  country,  clearing  land,  cutting  roads,  build- 
ing, etc.,  etc.  In  1868,  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  a  sawmill 
with  Mr.  L.  L.  Curtiss,  who  afterward  became  his  son-in-law, 
by  marrying  Louisa  Adams.  The  mill  was  erected  where  Hersey 
own  stands.  S.  T.  Adam*,  in  1876,  became  full  owner  of  the 
mill,  running  it  in  this  wise  until  the  fall  of  1877,  when  the  prop- 
erty was  sold  to  a  Mr.  W.  L.  Spooner;  after  this,  the  mill  was 
soon  after  consumed  ;  was  rebuilt  and  burned  again,  and,  on 
being  rebuilt  once  more,  went  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  E.  S.  Austin, 
Mr.  Adams  was  quite  a  heavy  loser  in  the  burning  of  the  mill,  not 
having  received  the  purchase  money  in  full  for  the  property.  Mr. 
Adams  had  two  sons,  Richard  and  John  T.,  in  the  late  war.  John 
returned  from  the  army,  but  survived  but  a  short  time,  dying 
from  the  efiects  of  the  service  to  his  country.  Richard  was  hon- 
orably discharged,  but  received  such  injuries  as  to  almost  ruin 
liis  health  for  life.  Losina  was  married  to  W.  W.  Hopkins,  who 
has  since  invented  the  Hopkins  Calculator  and  the  Hopkins 
Wagon  Scale,  which  he  is  now  manufacturing  at  Thorntown,  Ind. 
David  Adams,  having  married,  has  one  child — Albert  A.  Adams.  Is 
a  first-class  workman  (carpenter  and  joiner ),  now  residing  in  Her- 
sey. Reuben  Adams  married  Miss  Hattie  Erb ;  has  two  chil- 
dren— R.  Durand  and  Lilly.  He  worked  for  his  father  around 
the  mill  for  several  ■years,  finally  keeping  his  books,  and  is  now 
Postmaster  and  Notary  Public  in  the  village  of  Hersey.  The 
family  have  ever  clung  together  as  seldom  a  large  family  do,  ever 
ready  to  aid  in  a  brotherly  manner.  They  have  done  much  to 
develop  the  country,  in  which  thoy  have  taken  great  pride,  always 
making  their  mark  by  their  cleanliness  and  tidiness  in  their  work 
and  the  thorough  manner  in  which  it  is  done.  The  family  are 
direct  descendants  of  the  old  Adams  family — John  and  Jolin 
Quiney — and  still  hang  to  that  determined  American  princijile 
for  which  the  family  have  long  been  noted. 

C.  D.  LAMPORT,  bookkeeper  for  Mr.  Henry  Peters,  Her- 
sey; he  was  born  in  Lake  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1841.  His  parents  re- 
moved to  Chicago,  III.,  in  1845  ;  thence  to  La  Salle  Co.  They 
removed  to  Crawford   Co.,  Wis.,  in    ISoli.      His  father  afterward 


removed  to  Pierce  Co.,  where  he  died  in  1880.  C.  D.  was  en- 
gaged for  many  years  in  teaching  in  Crawford  Co.;  he  taught 
there  not  less  than  seventeen  winter  terms,  and  was  usually  en. 
gaged  in  a  lumber  mill  in  the  summer.  He  went  to  Pierce  Co- 
in 1875,  and  came  to  Hersey  in  1879  ;  taught  the  village  school 
here  in  the  winter  of  1879-80,  and  engaged  with  Mr.  Peters  in 
the  following  spring.  His  wife  was  Susan  J.  Sherman  ;  they 
have  three  children. 

HENRY  PETERS,  manufacturer,  Hersey ;  Mr.  Peters  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  also  of  staves  and  heading; 
was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  in  1834.  He  came  to  this 
country  when  sixteen  years  of  age  ;  lived  in  Pennsylvania  four  or 
five  years,  then  removed  to  Minnesota;  he  lived  ai  Mendota,  St. 
Paul  and  Hastings,  where  he  was  engaged  in  barrel-making  ;  after- 
ward located  at  Ellsworth,  where  he  kept  a  lumber  yard  for  a 
time  ;  came  to  Hersey  in  1873  and  engaged  in  his  present  bus- 
iness ;  he  makes  about  75,000  set  of  staves  and  heading  per  year, 
and  saws  about  2,000,000  feet  of  hard  timber.  His  wife  was  La- 
setta  Sehraeder,  of  La  Crosse,  a  native  of  Germany  ;  they  have 
three  children. 

STEPHEN  WOODWORTH,  proprietor  of  Woodworth 
House,  Hersey;  was  born  in  Blassachusetts  in  1834;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  spring  of  1856,  and  located  at  Manitowoc,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  about  three  years ;  he 
then  removed  to  the  Chippewa  Valley,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
lumbering  about  four  years  ;  afterward  engaged  in  farming.  He 
removed  to  Chippewa  Falls,  where  he  kept  hotel  one  year,  but  re- 
turned to  farming.  He  came  to  Hersey  in  May,  1879,  and  en- 
gaged in  keeping  present  house.  Married  Anna  Bell  Wheeler, 
daughter  of  Volentine  Wheeler ;  they  have  four  daughters  ;  lost 
a  son  and  daughter. 


WILSON. 

This  is  the  last  town  on  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
apolis &  Omaha  Railroad.  It  is  in  the  town  of  Springfield 
and  has  no  village  organization.  The  earliest  settlers  were 
S.  T.  Adams,  Henry  Mathews,  Frank  Devine,  Thomas 
Carroll  and  Thomas  ^Riley,  who  came  in  18(3.5,  1866  and 
1867.  It  was  not,  however,  until  October,  1872,  when 
Wilson,  Van  Vliet  &  Co.  built  a  saw-mill  and  a  stave  and 
heading  factory,  that  the  place  assumed  any  importance. 

Several  years  afterward  the  stave  and  heading  mill  was 
sold  to  La  Pointe  &  Co.,  but  now  both  mills  are  operated 
by  Wilson,  Van  Vliet  &  Co.  They  cut  up  about  5,000,000 
feet  a  year  of  hard  wood  lumber  into  staves,  headings,  head 
linings,  felloes  and  other  stock  for  manufacturing  pur- 
poses. 

The  supply  of  lumber  within  reasonable  distance,  will 
last  for  ten  years  or  more  at  the  rate  it  is  now  cut  up.  The 
capital  stock  of  the  company  is  f  100,000.  The  store  oper- 
ated by  the  company  does  a  business  of  §80,000  a  year. 

The  station  agent  is  John  H.  Fleming.  He  reports 
the  amount  of  freight  received  at  105  tons  per  month. 
The  amount  forwarded,  865.  Passenger  business,  $300 
per  month. 

The  population  is  about  450  at  the  present  time.  As 
the  timber  disappears,  the  land  is  taken  by  farmers,  and 
there  seems  to  bo  no  reason  why  the  place  should  not  con- 
tinue prosperous.  The  cereals  grow  finely  and  potatoes  are 
a  most  excellent  crop.  There  is  a  good-sized  Catholic 
Church  at  Wilson  which  is  used  as  a  mission  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  Father  White,  of  Hammond.  It  was  erected  in 
1880. 

The  wells  for  domestic  purposes  are  sunk  to  the  depth 
of  100  feet  or  more,  and  the  water  is  hard. 


964 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


BIOORAI'IIICAL     SKETCOES. 

K.  E.  ARNOLD,  bouk-kueper  for  Wilson,  Van  Vliet  &  Co., 
Wilson.  Born  in  Coruinjr.iStoubcu  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1844.  Removed 
with  his  parents  to  Wabasha,  Minu.,  when  twelve  years  of  age. 
He  has  been  engau;ed  for  a  number  of  years  as  accountant  and 
book-keeper.  He  was  a  student  for  a  time  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Commercial  College,  Chicago.  Ho  was  accountant  for  a  time  for 
the  railroad  company  at  Red  Wing,  and  at  St.  Paul,  in  the  State 
agency  of  the  Northwestern  Life  Insurance  Company  for  about 
two  years.  Previous  to  this  time  had  some  experience  as  a  drug 
and  prescription  clerk.  Was  also  for  a  time  cashier  in  a  bank  at 
Wabasha.  Came  to  Wilson  and  assumed  his  present  position  in 
187(i 

WILLIAM  L.  HUNTER,  filer  for  Wilson,  Van  Vliet  & 
Co.,  Wilson.  Born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1842.  Went  to 
Minnesota  when  twenty  years  of  age.  Enlisted  in  the  5th  W.  V. 
L,  and  served  two  and  a  half  years  during  the  war.  Was  at  the 
battle  of  luka,  both  battles  of  Corinth,  siege  of  Vicksburg.  etc. 
Was  also  in  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  Came  to  Wisconsin 
after  the  war,  and  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  at  Durand, 
for  the  firm  of  Scott  &  Harding,  thence  to  Baldwin,  where  he 
filed  one  year  for  Bailey  &  Bartlett.  Afterward  bought  a  shingle 
mill  at  Wilson,  which  was  burned  in  1870  ;  has  been  engaged 
with  present  firm  since  that  time.  Married  Elizabeth  Stockman, 
born  in  Indiana.     They  have  three  children. 

COL.  GEORGE  W.  LA  POINTE,  Wilson.  Born  in  Mon- 
roe, Mich.,  in  1842.  He  enlisted  in  April,  1861,  in  the  7th 
Mich.  V.  I.  He  was  in  active  service  in  the  field  during  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  late  war  and  his  rapid  promotion  from  the  ranks 
to  Colonel  by  brevet  in  the  volunteer  service  of  the  United  States 
proves  him  to  have  been  a  gallant  and  worthy  soldier.  The  date 
of  his  promotions  were  as  follows :  He  was  made  a  Sergeant  Nov. 
1,  18G1  ;  Second  Lieutenant  Sept.  18,  1862;  First  Lieutenant 
May  20,  1863  ;  Captain  Sept.  21, 1863  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  Oct. 
12,  1864,  and  Colonel  Nov.  18,  1864  ;  and  Colonel  by  brevet  in 
the  volunteer  service  of  the  United  States  April  2,  1865,  for  gal- 
lant service  in  front  of  Petersburg.  At  the  time  of  his  last  pro- 
motion he  was  only  about  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  in 
McClellan's  peninsular  campaign,  participating  in  all  its  battles. 
His  regiment  was  connected  with  the  second  corps,  commanded 
by  Gen.  Sumner,  afterward  by  Gen.  Hancock.  He  was  severely 
wounded  in  one  of  his  legs  the  day  following  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, from  the  effect  of  which  he  has  not  recovered.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Michigan.  In  1866,  he  went  to 
Detroit,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  cu.stom  house  for  seven 
years.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1874,  and  soon  after  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  staves  at  Wilson.  He  is  also  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  and  as  railroad  agent.  His  wife  was  Jennie 
H.,  daughter  of  Capt.  William  Wilson,  of  Menomonee.  They 
have  two  boys — George  W.  and  William  W. 

JAMES  W.  VAN  VLIET,  of  the  firm  of  Wilson,  Van 
Vliet  &  Co.,  Wilson.  Born  in  Vermont  in  1839.  Removed 
with  his  parents  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1845.  In  1856,  removed 
to  Lake  City,  Minn.  He  was  engaged  there  in  the  book  and 
stationery  business  for  a  number  of  years.  Was  afterward  railroad 
agent  at  that  place  for  several  years.  Came  to  Wilson  in  Decem- 
ber, 1872,  and  engaged  in  present  business.  His  wife  was  Mari- 
ette  Wilson,  a  sister  of  his  partner,  Mr.  J.  A.  Wilson.  They  have 
two  children — Elizabeth  and  Julia. 

J.  A.  WILSON,  of  the  firm  of  Wilson,  A'an  Vliet  &  Co., 
Wilson.  Born  in  Oakland,  Henry  (!o.,  Iowa,  in  1847.  His 
father,  James  Wilson,  was  a  brother  of  Capt.  Wilson,  of  Menom- 
onee. His  father  died  in  Iowa.  He  afterward  removed  with  liis 
motlier  to  Penn,sylvaDia  ;  thence  to  Minnesota  in  1865.  He  came 
to  Wilson  in  1872,  and  engaged  in  business  as  a  member  of  this 
firm.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Detroit.  They  have  three  children 
— James  Perry,  Alice  and  Hattie. 


STAR    PRAIRIE. 

Tliis  little  village  is  on  Apple  River  five  miles  from 
New  Richmond,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  wheat-growing 
region. 

It  was  settled  in  185;j  by  T.  and  T.  B.  Jewell,  with  J. 
R.  Barnhart  and  others. 

It  has  a  single  business  street  with  tlie  usual  number  of 
stores  for  a  village  of  300  people,  which  it  contains.  It 
has  a  good  hotel.  There  are  two  churches — Episcopal  and 
Congregational. 

Thomas  Jewell  is  Postmaster. 

Silas  Staples  has  a  saw-mill  and  flouring-mill. 

Charles  Dowie  has  a  custom  mill. 

Millard,  Bro.  k  Co.  have  a  foundry,  machine  shop,  etc., 
make  plows,  fanning-mills  and  other  implements. 

North  Star  Masonic  Lodge  at  Star  Prairie,  was  insti- 
tuted several  years  ago.  The  officers  are  D.  H.  Minier, 
W.  M. ;  S.  S.  Coney,  S.  W. ;  H.  E.  Smith,  J.  W. ;  B.  F. 
Powell,  Secretary. 

The  mills  are  run  by  water-power  which  very  rarely 
fails.  The  rivers  in  the  county  are  mostly  fed  by  springs 
and  the  rains  do  not  affect  them  very  sensibly. 

This  village  has  the  elements  of  prosperity.  A  brick 
yard  is  in  operation  by  J.  T.  Fuller.  C.  F.  Millard  man- 
ufactures a  patent  plow. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

J.  R.  BURNHART,  Star  Prairie;  was  born  in  St  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1812  ;  worked  in  his  father's  mills  until  the  spring  of 
1854,  when  he  went  to  Davenport,  Iowa ;  remained  a  few  months 
and  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year  came  to  Hudson,  and  in  August 
following  came  to  Star  Prairie  and  entered  160  acres  of  land,  and 
the  following  spring  broke  a  few  acres,  paying  §12  per  acre,  and 
in  the  fall  following  built  his  log  house,  lathed  and  plastered  it, 
and  in  January  following  moved  his  family  into  it.  Was  obliged  to 
go  to  Hudson,  a  distance  of  25  miles,  for  every  article  he  used  iu 
his  family.  He  had  no  neighbors  near  him,  but  was  full  of  pluck, 
courage,  and  with  an  indomitable  will,  and  now  in  his  old  age  is 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  hard-earned  fortune.  Helped  build  the 
first  grist-mill  in  Huntington.  Helped  to  organize  the  first  school ; 
was  the  first  Road  Over.seer  and  built  the  first  road  in  the  town. 
The  first  preaching  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Armitage  was  held  in 
his  house. 

E.  B.  CRO.MMETT,  M.  D.,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in  Sebec, 
Me.,  Nov.  20,  1838,  the  youngest  of  nine  children,  father  now 
living  at  the  age  of  86.  He  lived  with  parents  four  or  five  years 
after  maturity ;  enlisted  in  1864,  as  private;  was  in  the  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor;  after  two  months  went  into  the  hospital,  sick,  where 
he  remained  until  discharged.  Came  to  Star  Prairie  in  1870, 
remained  one  year,  then  returned  and  took  a  full  course  of  lectures 
at  Bowdoin  Medical  College.  Came  back  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Dr.  Iloyt,  of  Hudson  ;  remained  one  year,  when  he 
went  to  Chicago,  took  another  course  and  graduated.  Practiced 
one  year  in  Cottage  Grove,  Minn.,  when  he  returned  to  Star 
Prairie.  Married  Miss  Hannah  B.  Kidder,  of  Star  Prairie.  They 
have  one  child,  Herbert  B. 

CHARLES  DOWIE,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  Nov.  20,  1817, 
in  Fife  Co.,  Scotland,  emigrated  to  America  in  1849 ;  came 
to  Hudson,  St.  Croix  Co.,  in  1850,  and  worked  at  carpentering, 
building  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  town  ;  remained  in  Hudson 
until  the  spring  of  1855,  when  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
speculations  of  various  kinds,  until  1868,  when  he  sold  bis 
farm  and  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  lands,  ia  which  he  was 
very  successful.  In  June,  1879,  came  to  Star  Prairie  and  bought 
a  half  interest  in  the  .saw-mill,  also  a  half  interest  in  the  Star 
Prairie  flour-mill. 


HISTORY    OF  ST.    CROIX    COUNTY 


965 


J.  FRANK  FULLKR,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in  Waldo  Co., 
Me.,  in  1833;  worked  on  a  farm  for  23  years;  moved  to  Still- 
water, Minn.,  in  1857  ;  in  the  sprins;  of  1859,  moved  to  Star 
Prairie  and  worked  at  coopering  and  carpentering,  until  five  years 
ago,  when  he  opened  a  drug  store  which  he  built  himself  In 
1879.  started  his  son  in  a  general  merchandising  business  at  Cum- 
berland, on  the  North  Wisconsin  R.  R.,  where  he  is  now  doing  a 
business  of  over  $20,000  annually,  in  connection  with  it  has  a 
large  brick  yard  at  Barronett,  eight  miles  further  up  the  road,  where 
a  first-class  article  is  made.  Has  three  lots  in  Star  Prairie,  three 
in  Cumberland  and  several  in  Barronett.  Was  elected  Town 
Clerk  of  Star  Prairie  for  two  years,  School  Clerk  three  years,  nine 
yoars  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Voted  for  Horace  Greeley  and  is 
proud  of  it.  Has  one  child  by  his  first  wife,  Ai  Deforest,  and  by 
his  second  (Sydia  E.  Nicholson,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,)  Willie  K. 
and  Elmer  Bret  Hart. 

THOMAS  BICKFORD  JEWELL,  Star  Prairie,  was  born 
in  Warner,  N.  H.,  Jan.  30,  1809;  learned  the  carpenter  and 
iuachini.st  trade  at  Fisherville,  N.  H.,  came  to  Hudson,  June, 
185-1,  worked  at  St.  Croix  Falls  as  master  mechanic  in  a  saw  mill 
for  one  year;  moved  to  Star  Prairie,  Oct.  1855,  and  entered  320 
acres,  including  the  spot  he  now  lives  on  ;  made  his  house  of  lama- 
rack  poles,  hauling  the  boards  and  shingles  from  St.  Croix  Falls,  a 
distance  of  32  miles.  At  that  time  there  was  not  a  single  house 
in  what  is  now  the  Star  Prairie  ;  he  had  the  wolf,  the  deer  and 
the  Indians  for  company ;  he  lived  in  his  old  house  for  about  nine 
years,  when  he  built  his  present  large  and  substantial  mansion  ; 
with  his  brother,  built  the  first  grist  and  saw  mill  in  the  Star 
Prairie.  Married  in  i  835,  to  Miss  Mary  G.  Peasley,  of  Ware, 
N.  H.  They  have  two  children,  Alonzo  P.  and  Trueworthey. 
Was  appointed  Postmaster,  holding  the  office  ten  years;  Chair- 
man of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  for  three  years  ;  Captain  of  the 
Oth  Co.,  40th  Reg.,  of  Militia,  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire, 
4th  Brigade,  3d  Division. 

TRTJEWORTHY  JEWELL,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in 
Bradford,  N.  H.,  March  9,  1807  ;  moved  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  when 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  engaged  in  the  grain  trade  ;  thence  to 
Hopkinton,  N.  H.,  in  cha'rge  of  a  saw  mill,  then  to  Lynn,  Mass., 
in  the  fishing  business  three  years  ;  then  to  Lowell  for  a  short 
time,  and  Sharon,  N.  H.,  in  charge  of  a  steam  saw  mill  for  three 
years  ;  then  back  to  Lowell,  and  engaged  in  railroading,  having 
charge  of  the  bonded  goods  for  Canada,  and  conducting  trains  for 
four  years;  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1852,  visiting  St.  Croix  Falls 
and  other  locations  in  the  St.  Croix  Valley;  returning  by  way 
of  Burlington,  Iowa,  met  his  brother  coming  up  the  river,  who 
persuaded  him  to  return  and  re-look  the  country  ever.  He  re- 
mained all  winter  lumbering,  and  returned  to  Lowell  in  the  spring, 
and  went  to  railroading  again.  In  June,  1854,  he  moved  his  fam- 
ily to  Hud.son,  and  came  to  Star  Praiiie  and  located  400  acres, 
including  the  present  village  of  Star  Prairie,  and  built  a  saw  and 
feed  mill,  which  he  operated  until  1863.  Since  that  time  has 
devoted  most  of  his  time  to  his  landed  interests.  He  brought 
into  this  place  the  first  American  white  woman,  on  an  ox-cart ; 
went  on  foot  fifty-two  miles  to  get  a  plow,  and  when  it  came  it 
cost  S90  ;  built  his  rude  house,  and  with  his  wife  entertained,  with 
true  New  England  ho.spitality,  all  who  called,  having,  at  that  early 
day,  little  society  but  the  Indians,  wolves  and  deer.  Was  Chair- 
man of  the  first  town  board,  also  Town  Treasurer,  and  has  filled 
many  offices  of  honor  and  trust  with  fidelity.  Married  Dec.  14. 
1833,  to  Miss  E.  A.  Barnard,  of  Lowell,  Mass.  They  have  four 
children,  Ann  E.,  Emeline  A.,  Martha  J.,  Charles  O. 

AHNER  P.  MUZ/Y,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in  Heniiikor, 
N.  H.,  Aug.  19,  1824.  came  to  Star  Prairie,  St.  Croix  Co.,  in 
1854,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that  then  wild  region.  He  has  a 
good  home;  has  a  fine  trout  pond  which  he  has  made  himself, 
bringing  them  thirty-six  miles  on  foot,  in  a  pail,  in  a  single  day; 
now  the  speckled  beauties  swim  in  clear,  pure  waters  in  thousands. 
Also  has  a  mineral  spring  of  great  celebrity,  which  is  valuable  for 
its  medicinal  qualities,  and  is  known  as  the  •'  New  Saratoga 
Springs,"  and  is  visited  by  thousands  yearly. 


WILLIAM  OSGOOD,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in  E.<sex  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  8,  1791  ;  came  to  New  Richmond  in  1857,  and  lo- 
cated on  the  spot  where  Joseph  Kibbie  now  lives.  There  were 
only  five  buildings  in  New  Richmond  at  that  time.  Moved  to 
Star  Prairie  about  three  years  ago ;  is  a  man  of  originality  of 
thought,  invented  "  Osgood's  Repeating  Rifle,"  a  fine  arm,  also 
"Osgood's  Wind  Mill"  for  pumping  water.  Is  now  in  his  ninetieth 
year.hale  and  vigorous,  walks  without  a  cane,  and  reads  without 
glasses. 

MARK  WALTON,  Star  Prairie,  was  born  in  England; 
came  to  Beloit,  when  Wisconsin  was  a  Territory,  in  1346;  re- 
mained a  few  months  ;  enlisted  in  Chicago  for  the  Mexican  war,  in 
Co.  G,  16th  Regular  Vols.;  was  in  the  battles  of  Metamoras, 
Camargo,  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista  ;  was  wounded  in  the  head 
and  leg;  honorably  discharged  in  1848,  and  in  the  spring  of  1849 
started  overland  for  California;  was  four  months  on  "the  way. 
Engaged  in  mining  two  years;  went  to  Oregon  City,  and  worked 
in  a  flouring  mill  four  months ;  returned  to  mining  again,  made 
some  money,  and  started  for  the  States,  and  landed  in  Milwaukee  ; 
went  thence  to  Osceola  and  worked  at  niillina;  until  1861,  when  he 
enlisted  again  in  the  10th  Wis.  Battery,  Capt.  Y.  V.  Beebe,  of 
Gen.  Kilpatrick's  command,  whore  he  remained  until  the  close  of 
the  war ;  was  at  the  Grand  Review  ;  was  the  man  who  sent  home 
the  last  cartridge,  which  was  the  signal  for  the  hosts  to  start  on 
their  review,  and  also  the  last  gun  of  the  war.  Returned  to  Os- 
ceola and  remained  a  few  weeks,  thence  to  Star  Prairie,  and  en- 
gaged in  milling,  whore  he  now  remains.  Was  presented  with  a 
massive  gold-headed  cane,  by  vote  of  the  people  of  Star  Prairie, 
at  a  festival,  in  1877,  as  the  most  popular  man  in  the  place. 
Married,  Dec.  25,  1857,  to  Miss  Pheba  A.  White,  of  Massachu- 
setts. They  have  four  children — Lewis  M.,  Charles  P.,  Etta  and 
Clare. 


KRIK. 

Michael  Lynch  of  Jonesville,  a  surveyor,  informed  some 
of  his  friends  of  the  fine  farming  lands  to  be  found  here. 
Accordingly,  John  Casey,  James,  Michael  and  Thomas  Mc- 
Namara  came  up  and  entered  land  in  1854.  Patrick  Ring 
came  soon  after.     It  now  has  one  hundred  residents. 

The  Rev.  Father  McGee  had  service  here  in  18.56. 

A  church  was  afterward  built.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Quigley 
was  the  pastor  some  time.  Rev.  M.  Couolly  is  the  present 
priest. 

The  Willow  River  runs  through  the  town  of  Erin 
Prairie  where  the  village  is  located,  and  twenty  years  ago, 
S.  A.  Jewett  built  a  saw  and  flour  mill  and  had  a  post  office 
called  Jewett's  Mills,  now  Erin. 

UIOGRAPHIC.VL     SKETCHES. 

THOMAS  WALSH,  Erin  Prairie,  was  born  in  Westport; 
Ireland,  Dec.  11,  1837.  He  moved  with  his  parents  to  Allegany 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840,  and  to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855  ;  thence  to 
Texas,  remaining  two  years,  and,  in  1857,  removed  to  Hudson, 
St.  Croix  Co.,  where  he  followed  lumbering  and  stearaboating. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  was  in  New  Orleans  and  im- 
mediately returned  North  to  his  home  in  Hudson,  and  went  at 
once  into  the  Government  employ  steamboating,  carrying  supplies 
from  point  to  point  on  the  river.  He  passed  through  many  nar- 
row escapes  from  the  .sinking  and  exploding  of  boats  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi River.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  moved  to  Erin  Prairie, 
and,  in  1867,  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  was 
elected  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  four  years  consecutively, 
also  a  member  of  the  County  Board  in  the  fall  of  1875  ;  elected 
High  Sheriff  of  St.  Croix  Co.,  receiving  every  vote  in  his  own 
town;  in  1878,  elected  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors; 
re-elected  again  in  1879-80  ;  had  the  office  tendered  him  in  1881, 
which  he  declined  on  account  of  his  own  private  business.     He 


966 


lib 


)RV    OF    NORTIIF.RN    WISCONSIN. 


was  married  Dec.  2,  1862,  to  Miss  Bridget  CounoUy  of  Allegany 
Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  ten  children— William,  Patrick  H.,  Mury, 
Kdward  J..  Thomas.  Kichard,  Michael  J,,  Winnie,  Frank  and 
Owen. 

XKW    (KN  TKin'II.l.K. 

This  place  has  ahout  200  inlialiitants  and  is  located  on 
Rush  River. 

It  has  a  store,  blacksmith  shop  and  liarness  maker. 

A  flour  mill  is  now  buildinsr  by  Ford  &  Gos.sman. 

It  has  a  Scandinavian  Methodist  Church  organized 
twenty  years  ago.  Rev.  N.  Ciiristoplierson  was  the  first 
Pastor.  Since  the  church  was  built,  several  years  ago. 
Rev.  P.  B.  Smith  has  been  the  Pastor. 


CADY. 
saw-mill,  shingle,   picket  and 


I).  C.  Davis  has ,         „    .   . 

mill,  with   planing   machinery.      It  is  three  miles  south  of 
Hersey  and  has  a  population  of  sixty. 


KOIJKRTS. 
A  little  station  on  the  railroad  a  few  miles  west  of  Ham- 
mond.    It  has  an  elevator,  a  blacksmith  shop,  several  stores 


ind  other  village  appurtenances. 

About  one  hundred  people  live  there. 


ERIN    CORNERS. 
Tliis  is  a  little  place  with  sixty  souls.      It  has  a  store,  a 
blacksmith  shop  and  a  large  Catholic  Churcli,  presided  over 
by  Rev.  M.  Conolley. 


WOODVILLE. 
Has  a  saw-mill  as  a  nucleus  for  future  growth. 

WARREN. 
Is  distinguished  by  having  a  town  library  of  three  hun- 
dred volumes. 

l!IlMiKArilIC.\L     SKETl'IlKS. 

RICHARD  JOYCE,  Warreu,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1S37  ; 
came  to  America  in  1854,  and  located  iu  Erin  Prairie  in  1857. 
when  there  was  but  three  white  settlers  in  the  town.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors  for  five  years ;  was 
County  Commissioner  for  two  years ;  was  the  first  Superintendent 
of  Schools  and  the  finst  teacher,  and  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  holding  the  office  for  seven  years ;  Superintendent  of 
Schools  five  years  ;  Town  Treasurer  two  years  ;  first  Postmaster, 
for  four  ye.ars  ;  has  held  every  office  of  honor  and  trust  with  abil- 
ity and  fidelity  in  Erin  Prairie,  and  for  the  past  few  years  has 
livid  in  the  town  of  Warren.  He  was  married  Dec.  25,  18G1,  to 
nridi.'1't  O'Connell.  They  have  nine  children— Letitia  M.,  Ellen, 
Harry  F..  iMarpiret,  Nora,  Bridget,  Redmond   Joseph,  Alice. 

CHAI'il.FS  STIART,  farmer,  came  from  Canada  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  is.".  I.  ;lim1  l.ii  tin'  first  two  years  worked  for  Carson,  at  Eau 
Galle;  ami  in  Is-iii  moved  on  to  a  farm  in  Pepin  Co,  on  See.  12, 
Town  25,  Range  14.  This  was  heavily  timbered  with  hard  wood 
mostly,  which  he  cleared  and  cultivated  many  years,  then  went  to 
('ady  Township,  St.  Croix  Co.,  near  Hersey.  where  he  now  lives 
on  a  farm.  He  was  married,  May  12,  1854,  to  Miss  Catharine 
Thompson,  of  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.  They  have  eight  children  liv- 
mg— Mary  Ann,  Samuel,  Wm.  I.,  Charles  J.,  Oliver  Milton, 
Maggie  Jane,  Clara  Belle,  Lovina  Winifred  and  Walter  Arthur. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  many  terms  and  Coii- 
istable  of  Watorvillc  Township.  His  grandfather,  Charles  Stuart, 
was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  but  afterward  moved  into  Ireland, 
where  his  father,  John  Stuart,  was  born.  In  1839  his  father 
moved  to  Canada,  where  he  died. 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNIY. 


967 


SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL    FEA'l'URES. 

Sheboygan  County  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  whose  waters  form  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  This  county  lies 
about  midway  between  the  southern  and  northern  limits  of 
the  State,  on  the  eastern  border,  and  is  the  fifth  in  the  lake 
shore  tier  of  counties,  i-eckoning  from  the  southern  line  of 
the  State.  Two  principal  points  of  land  beautifully  indent 
the  lake  here,  forming  the  bay  at  tlie  mouth  of  the  Sheboy- 
gan River,  which  has  been  improved  by  the  construction  of 
an  excellent  harbor.  The  county  embraces  towns  13  to  16 
north,  inclusive,  and  Ranges  '20  to  23  east,  inclusive 
It  is  composed  of  fifteen  towns,  nine  of  which  are  the 
usual  size  of  six  miles  square,  and  six  are  fractional. 
Two  of  the  latter  are  larger  than  standard  measurement, 
and  four  are  smaller.  About  515  square  miles,  or 
nearly  330,000  acres  are  embraced  by  the  boundaries  of 
the  county,  comparatively  little  of  it  being  unproductive 
land.  A  large  marsh  in  the  northwestern  section  is  be- 
ing reduced  to  use  by  drainage.  The  Kettle  range  of 
hills,  which  traverse  the  eastern  border  of  the  State,  cross 
the  western  portion  of  the  county  obliquely,  abruptly  break- 
ing the  generally  undulating  surface.  Glacial  action  trended 
evidently  toward  these  hills  on  either  side,  the  lines  deflect- 
ing in  a  southerly  direction.  Several  small  lakes  dot  the 
landscape  in  different  sections  of  the  county,  the  principal 
of  which  are  Sheboygan,  Elkhart,  Cedar  and  Random  Lakes. 
Some  of  these  are  attracting  attention  as  places  of  summer 
resort.  The  county  is  abundantly  supplied  with  streams  of 
water,  the  most  important  of  which  are  the  Sheboygan, 
Mullet,  Onion  and  Pigeon  Rivers,  with  many  tributary 
creeks.  The  courses  of  the  streams  are  generally  very  cir- 
cuitous, flowing  in  all  directions  of  the  compass.  Good 
water-power  is  supplied  by  many  of  the  streams,  which  is 
utilized  for  manufacturing  purposes.  Timber  was  origin- 
ally very  abundant,  both  of  pine  and  hard  woods.  The 
pine  has  been  sawed  into  lumber,  and  most  of  the  hard  wood 
timber  suited  to  manufacturing  uses  has  been  appropriated. 
The  soil,  with  the  exception  of  the  gravel  hills  before  men- 
tioned, is  rich  and  fertile,  and  adapted  to  a  varied  agricult- 
ural industry.  The  cultivation  of  the  cereals  yields  liberal 
returns,  while  experience  shows  that  no  section  of  the  State 
serves  better  for  the  production  of  dairy  products.  Sheep- 
raising  has  also  proved  remunerative  in  the  past.  A  pecu- 
liar quality  of  soil  and  condition  along  the  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  is  its  capacity  of  producing  a  very  superior  article 
of  green  peas,  which  are  eagerly  sought  by  the  markets  of 
East  and  West,  and  of  which  thousands  of  barrels  are  an- 
nually shipped.  Their  production  in  standard  quality 
seems  to  be  limited  to  a  comparatively  narrow  belt  near  the 
shore  of  the  lake.  Handsome  cream-colored  brick,  of  fine 
([uality,  are  made  from  red  clay  in  certain  localities.  Lime- 
stone is  quarried  and  burned  in  the  valley  of  Pigeon  River, 
at  a  point  about  three  miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  She- 
boygan.    It  is  of  a  blue  tint,  very  hard,  free  from  fossils. 


and  makes  a  very  pure  article  of  lime.  The  geological 
formation  is  accurately  shown  by  the  boring  of  the  artesian 
well  in  the  park  in  Sheboygan,  which  was  sunk  to  a  depth 
of  1,475  feet.  The  surface  drift  reaches  92  feet  in  depth, 
and  is  underlaid  by  719  feet  of  Niagara  limestone,  240  feet 
of  Cincinnati  shale,  213  feet  of  Trenton  and  Galena  lime- 
stone, and  212  feet  of  St.  Peter  sandstone.  Water  of  a 
strongly  saline  character,  tinctured  with  various  mineral 
substances,  was  here  found  in  abundance,  with  a  pressure 
sufficient  to  carry  it  more  than  a  hundred  feet  above  the  top 
of  the  ground.  Other  investigation  shows  that  beneath  the 
St.  Peter  sandstone  lie  strata  of  Lower  Magnesian  lime- 
stone and  Potsdam  sandstone,  resting  upon  the  original 
Archtean  formation.  Lake  Michigan  lies  578  feet  above  the 
ocean.  The  surface  of  the  ground  at  Lighthouse  Point  is 
forty-six  feet  above  the  lake,  and  at  the  post  office  in  She- 
boygan, fifty-three  feet  above.  Higher  altitudes  are  reached, 
receding  from  the  lake,  the  highest  point  being  in  the  town 
of  Sherman,  where  a  height  of  473  feet  is  attained. 

PREHISTORIC    REMAINS. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  county  are  found  scattered 
traces  of  the  work  of  that  ancient  and  little  known  people 
which  have  been  designated  the  "Mound  Builders."  The 
evidences  of  their  work  in  this  locality,  though  fewer  in 
number  than  in  other  portions  of  the  State,  have  been  the 
subject  of  some  study.  About  two  miles  west  of  the  city 
of  Sheboygan,  is  found  a  group  of  eight  mounds,  one  of 
which  is  in  the  form  of  a  deer  in  a  reclining  posture,  and  is 
twenty  feet  in  length,  with  an  average  height  of  from  four 
to  six  feet.  The  remaining  seven  mounds  are  arranged  as 
sides  of  a  rectangular  inclosure,  are  from  eight  to  ten  feet 
in  height,  and  have  the  appearance  of  an  abandoned  fortifi- 
cation. That  these  mounds  are  of  considerable  age,  is 
shown  by  the  fact  of  several  large  trees,  apparently  several 
centuries  old,  growing  upon  them.  A  few  years  ago  one  of 
the  mounds  was  examined  into,  and  a  number  of  fragments 
of  bone  taken  from  it.  Although  these  mounds  so  closely 
resemble  works  in  other  localities  which  have  been  shown  to 
establish  the  fact  of  an  ancient,  prehistoric  race,  as  to  lead 
to  a  reasonable  inference  that  they  belong  to  the  same  class 
of  evidences ;  yet  further  examination  is  needed  to  posi- 
tively establish  their  character. 


It  is  to  the  Indian  occupants  of  the  county  that  Sheboy- 
gan owes  its  name.  The  derivation  and  meaning  of  the 
word  has  never  been  satisfactorily  settled.  The  most  favor- 
ably received  tradition  is  that  the  Indians  applied  the  name, 
Sheub-wau-wau-gun,  to  the  river,  meaning  where  the  water 
disappears  under  the  ground,  because  of  the  idea  conceived 
by  them  that  the  stream  now  known  as  Sheboygan  River 
contained  no  more  water  below  the  confluence  of  the  Mullet 
and  Onion  Rivers  than  above  it.  Others  incline  to  the 
opinion  that  the  name  indicates  a  water  connection  between 


968 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


lakes,  as  the  Sheboygan  River  has  its  source  near  Lake 
Winnebago  and  flows  into  Lake  Michigan.  Still  others  un- 
derstand the  terra  to  have  signified  rumbling  water,  the  In- 
dians conceiving  that  they  could  hear  a  roar  or  rumbling  of 
waters  upon  placing  the  ear  to  the  ground.  The  modifica- 
tion of  Sheub-wau-wau-gun  (oiher  spelling  being  Sheub- 
wau-wa-gura  and  She-wau-wau-gun)  with  Shipwa-gun,  and 
finally  contracted  into  the  present  Sheboygan,  presents  an 
easv  transition. 


Sheboygan  County  formed  part  of  the  territory  to  which 
the  Chippewa  Indians  laid  claim,  but  it  was  never  one  of 
their  favorite  camping  grounds.  At  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  a  number  of  lodges  would  set  up  their  wigwams  on  the 
bluffs  by  the  lake,  or  on  the  high  banks  along  the  rivers, 
and  engage  in  catching  and  smoking  the  white  fish  which 
were  found  in  great  numbers.  When  the  dam  was  being 
built  for  the  first  saw-mill,  three  or  four  hundred  Indians 
came  and  protested  against  it,  because  they  feared  that  it 
would  keep  the  fish  from  going  up  the  river,  and  it  was  only 
after  a  prolonsed  argument  that  they  consented  to  its  com- 
pletion. The  relations  between  the  early  settlers  of  the 
county  and  the  Indians  were  always  of  a  friendly  nature. 
For  years  previous  to  the  first  permanent  settlement.  Green 
Bay  fur  traders  occasionally  came  here  to  engage  in  the 
Indian  trade,  and  it  is  in  that  capacity  that  William  Farns- 
worth,  afterw^ard  the  leading  pioneer  settler,  came  here  as 
early  as  1818.  In  1835,  the  Indians  had  already  ceded 
the  land  to  the  Government,  but  there  were  still  about  one 
thousand  of  them  living  in  the  county.  There  were  about 
one  hundred  wigwams  on  the  bank  of  the  Sheboygan  River 
near  its  mouth,  a  large  town  east  of  Cascade,  in  the  present 
town  of  Lyndon,  another  two  miles  south  of  it.  and  one  or 
two  farther  west.  A  number  of  different  tribes  were  repre- 
sented, but  the  Chippewas  were  most  numerous.  For  a 
dozen  years  after  the  first  permanent  settlement,  it  was  not 
an  unusual  thing  for  twenty  or  thirty  lodges  of  Indians, 
with  their  ponies,  squaws  and  papooses,  to  bring  in  their 
peltry  and  exchange  it  for  blankets,  tobacco  and  whisky, 
the  prime  necessities  of  Indian  life.  After  a  few  days 
spent  in  conviviality,  they  would  disappear  as  suddenly  as 
they  came,  and  not  be  seen  again  for  months. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  known  visit  of  white  men  to  the  present 
county  of  Sheboygan  was  in  the  year  1818.  It  was  in  this 
year  that  Gov.  Cass,  of  Michigan,  who  was  exploring  this 
part  of  the  then  Michigan  Territory,  landed  here  with  his 
fleet  of  canoes.  In  the  same  year,  William  Farnsworth,  a 
pioneer  of  the  first  settlement,  resided  here  a  few  months  as 
trapper  and  Indian  trader.  During  the  same  year  (1818), 
a  Frenchman,  Andrew  Vieux  by  name,  built  a  hut  on  the 
cast  side  of  the  Sheboygan  River  near  its  moutli,  and  had 
born  to  him  there  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  county. 
Nothing  is  known  of  his  subsequent  history. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  was  made  in  tlic  fall  of 
1884,  when  William  Paine  and  a  man  named  Crocker  came 
up  from  Chicago,  built  a  saw-mill  near  the  junction  of  the 
Mullet  anrl  Sheboygan  Rivers,  midway  between  the  pres- 
ent village  of  Sheboygan  and  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  began 
to  cut  off  the  forests  which  covered  nearly  the  whole  county. 
Paine  and  (.'rocker  becoming  sick  of  the  uiulertaking.  sold 
out  in  September,  18.S'),  to  William  Farnsworth.  tlio  (inen 


Bay  fur  trader,  who  had  visited  the  place  as  early  as  1814, 
and  spent  a  few  months  here  in  1818.  When  the  land  had 
been  surveyed,  it  was  offered  for  sale  at  Green  Bay,  in  No- 
vember, 1835,  and  Farnsworth  became  owner  of  a  half-in- 
terest in  the  village  plat  of  Sheboygan.  A  sixteenth  of  that 
interest  he  subsequently  sold  during  the  "land  craze  "  of 
1836-37,  for  the  nominal  sura  of  $30,000,  and  another  six- 
teenth brought  him  |25,000. 

While  in  Chicago  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  help  to 
carry  on  his  lumbering  interests,  Mr.  Farnsworth  met  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jonathan  Follet,  of  Cleveland,  and  engaged  their 
services,  Mr.  Follet  to  work  in  the  mill  and  Mrs.  Follet  to 
cook  for  the  men  engaged  there.  They  came  from  Cleve- 
land in  the  fall  of  1885,  and  occupied  a  log  house  at  the 
mill.  Mrs.  Eliza  Follet  was  the  first  white  woman  to 
become  a  permanent  resident  of  the  county,  and  did  not  see 
another  white  woman  until  the  following  year.  At  that 
time  the  only  white  settlers  in  the  county  were  those  at  the 
mill.  Mr.  Follet  entered  land  near  by  and  remained  upon 
it.  The  first  frame  house  in  the  county  Avas  erected  near 
Farnsworth's  mill,  and  was  kept  as  a  boarding-house  for 
mill  hands.  It  also  served  as  a  tavern  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  travelers  to  and  from  the  Green  Bay  region. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1836.  Mr.  Charles  D.  Cole  and 
family  settled  on  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Sheboygan. 
About  the  same  time,  Mr.  A.  G.  Dye  was  engaged  in  Chi- 
cago by  William  Farnsworth  to  come  to  Sheboygan  and 
build  a  warehouse.  He  brought  his  family  and  several  car- 
penters to  assist  in  the  work.  They  came  on  the  Michigan, 
first  going  to  Green  Bay,  and  were  nearly  a  month  making 
the  voyage.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  William  Ashby 
came  from  Green  Bay  on  foot  to  engage  in  lumbering  at  the 
mill.  In  December  of  that  year  also  came  the  Gibbs 
brothers — John  D.,  James  H.  and  Benjamin  L.,  and  set- 
tled in  the  present  town  of  Lima.  They  were  eight  days 
in  cutting  their  way  through  the  woods  from  Milwaukee,  a 
distance  of  fifty  miles. 

In  the  winter  of  1836-37,  the  first  school  in  the  county 
was  assembled  in  Sheboygan,  and  taught  by  F.  M.  Rublee. 
Provisions  were  very  scarce  during  this  winter,  and  had  to 
be  brought  from  Milwaukee  and  Green  Bay.  A  load  of 
condemned  provisions  from  the  latter  place,  arriving  during 
the  winter,  was  considered  a  Godsend  by  the  settlers. 

The  year  1837,  witnessed  a  gratifying  influx  of  people. 
A  map  of  the  county  made  at  this  time  represents  the  river 
as  navigable  to  its  .source,  vessels  sailing  its  entire  length, 
and  a  city  laid  out  with  streets  and  avenues  where  Sheboy- 
gan now  stands.  Corner  lots  were  valued  at  from  §8,000 
to  $15,000,  and  actually  sold  for  those  prices  in  New  York 
City.  At  the  close  of  1837,  the  embryo  city  contained 
seventeen  or  twenty  buildings,  including  a  school-house, 
two  large  warehouses,  two  stores  and  a  blacksmith  shop. 
The  population  was  steadily  increasing.  The  bubble  burst 
at  this  time,  how^ever,  and  the  publication  of  Jackson's 
famous  "specie  circular"  caused  a  financial  crash,  which 
nearly  proved  a  death  blow  to  the  young  city.  All  busi- 
ness stopped.  Those  who  could  remove  to  other  places  did 
so,  and  those  who  could  not,  moved  on  to  land  previously 
purchased.  At  one  time  the  city  of  Sheboygan  contained 
only  one  man — Capt.  Thorp.  Many  of  the  buildings  were 
torn  down  and  taken  to  Milwaukee. 

Tiie  only  people  in  the  county,  in  the  early  part  of  1840, 
were  James  Farnsworth  and  family,  within  the  limits  of  the 
present  city  of  Sheboygan,   which    cont,iinc<l   eight  or   ten 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


969 


unoccupied  houses,  built  during  the  land  speculations  of 
1836-37.  John  Johnson  and  family  lived  near  the  present 
cemetery.  Two  miles  up  the  river,  at  the  saw-mill  built  by 
William  Farnsworth,  there  lived  Alvin  Rublee,  A'donikan 
Farrow  and  William  Ashby.  At  Sheboygan  Falls  a  saw- 
mill and  three  houses  had  been  built.  The  inhabitants 
were  Mr.  Palmer,  Col.  Silas  B.  Steadman,  C.  D.  Cole,  a 
shoemaker  named  McNish  and  David  Giddings,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature.  William  Trow- 
bridge and  his  son  Benjamin  lived  two  miles  west  of  the 
Falls.  Southwest  of  the  Falls,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Lima,  lived  A.  G.  Dye,  Benjamin  Firman,  J.  D.  Gibbs,  B. 
L.  Gibbs,  James  Gibbs  and  Dr.  Hoffman.  At  this  time 
the  nearest  neighbors  on  the  north  were  at  Manitowoc 
Rapids.  On  the  south,  with  a  single  exception  in  Wash- 
ington County,  there  were  no  inhabitants  until  within  six 
miles  of  Milwaukee.  On  the  west  and  northwest  there 
were  no  signs  of  civilization  nearer  than  Lake  Winnebago 
and  Green  Bay.  Supplies  were  mostly  obtained  from  Mil- 
waukee, and  brought  in  an  Indian  canoe.  A  little  wheat 
was  raised  in  1840,  but  there  was  no  mill  for  grinding  it. 
The  only  blacksmith  in  the  county  was  Deacon  Trowbridge 
at  Sheboygan  Falls.  He  was  also  the  only  preacher,  and 
a  blast  from  his  long  tin  horn  called  the  people  together  for 
religious  worship.  At  this  time  there  was  neither  school 
nor  store  in  the  county.  There  were  no  wagons  nor  car- 
riages.    There  was  one  horse  and  about  a  dozen  cows. 

Two  years  later,  in  1842,  Mr.  George  C.  Cole  came  to 
Sheboygan,  and  enumerates  the  following  persons  as  then 
residents  in  the  county  ;  in  Sheboygan  and  along  the  lake 
in  this  town,  Capt.  N.  W.  Brooks,  wife  and  girl,  Stephen 
Wolverton,  wife,  son  and  daughter,  Joshua  Brown  and 
wife,  John  Glass  and  wife,  Don  Fairchild,  David  Wilson 
and  family,  Alvah  Rublee  and  family,  David  Evans  and 
wife,  now  of  Oshkosh,  Hiram  G.  D.  Squires,  William  Ash- 
by  and  wife,  Aaron  Ritter  and  family  (stayed  only  a  few 
months),  A.  Farrow,  Wentwortli  Barber.  At  the  Dye  set- 
tlement, Asahel  G.  Dye  and  family,  the  Widow  Farmin  and 
son  Benjamin,  Newell  Upham  and  wife,  Chauncey  Hall 
and  family,  Wendell  Hoffman  and  wife,  Elizabeth  Cady, 
spinster,  and  brother  Edward.  At  Gibbsville,  John  D. 
Gibbs  and  family,  James  H.  Gibbs  and  wife,  Benjamin  L. 
Gibbs  and  wife,  John  Johnson,  wife,  sons  George,  Michael, 
Robert,  John  and  William,  and  daughters  Ann  and  Maria, 
Peter  Palmer  and  wife,  William  Palmer,  Leroy  Palmer, 
Allen  W.  Knight  and  wife.  At  Sheboygan  Falls,  Albert 
Rounseville,  wife  and  two  children,  Benjamin  C.  Trow- 
bridge, wife  and  family,  including  Alvira  O'Cain,  Maria 
Dieckraann,  Seth  Morse,  Samuel  Rounseville,  Harmon 
Pierce,  Nelson  Bradford,  George  0.  Trowbridge,  all  of  the 
above  living  in  one  house,  Silas  Stedraan  and  wife,  David 
Giddings  and  wife,  Charles  D.  Cole,  wife  and  family,  and 
George  T.,  William  H.  and  James  R.  Cole,  afterward  his 
mother  and  three  sisters,  and  his  brother  George  C.  lived  with 
Chas.  D.  Cole.  On  the  Trowbridge  farm,  William  Trowbridge, 
his  wife  and  sons  William  S.,  James  T.,  Thaddeus  and  John. 
All  the  sons  are  now  dead  except  James  T.  Chas.  D.  Cole 
was  Postmaster,  the  mail  being  carried  every  week  between 
Milwaukee  and  Green  Bay  by  a  Frenchman  on  an  Indian 
pony.  C.  D.  Cole  was  one  of  the  earliest  dealers  in  mer- 
chandise in  Sheboygan,  and  at  the  Falls  Mr.  Hoffman  per- 
formed the  duties  of  doctor,  though  the  people  were  so 
healthy  he  had  not  much  to  do.  William  T'-owbridge,  being 
what  was   called   in   the  East  a  whitesmith,  did  the  black- 


smithing  for  the  neighborhood.  H.  Pierce  was  a  miller: 
Benjamin  L.  Gibbs  did  a  little  tailoring,  and  James  H.  did 
something  in  shoemaking.  Tims  were  the  particular  gifts 
of  individuals  utilized  in  early  days. 

A  settlement  of  Fourierites  was  begun  in  the  town  of 
Mitchell  in  1846,  by  a  colony  from  the  State  of  New  York, 
but  failing  to  secure  a  charter  from  the  Legislature,  it  broke 
up,  some  of  the  members  joining  the  similar  settlement  at 
Ceresco,  near  Ripon,  in  this  State,  and  only  three  families 
remaining  here.  In  the  same  year,  the  Dutch  settlement, 
in  the  town  of  Holland,  was  begun,  G.  H.  TeKolste  being 
the  pioneer  of  that  nationality. 

The  number  of  settlers  gradually  increased  each  year, 
but  it  was  not  until  about  ten  years  after  the  first  settle- 
iTient  of  the  county  that  there  was  any  rush  of  new  comers. 
From  1845  to  1850,  rapid  strides  were  made,  and  many 
who  have  had  an  active  part  in  developing  the  county  and 
city  of  Sheboygan  and  building  up  the  institutions  which 
the  present  generation  are  enjoying  the  advantages  of,  came 
during  those  years  to  make  homes  here.  Dr.  J.  J.  Brown 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  time,  and  from  a  list  of  over 
one  hundred  names  of  people  living  here  at  the  time  above 
mentioned,  carefully  compiled  by  him,  the  following,  not 
before  mentioned,  are  taken  :  Dr.  S.  M.  Abbott,  Henry  S. 
Auable,  Daniel  Brown,  E.  Fox  Cook,  H.  H.  Conklin,  Rev. 
L.  W.  Davis,  Evan  Evans,  A.  H.  Edwards,  Judge  William 
R.  Goesline,  Gen.  H.  C.  Hobart,  Thomas  C.  Horner,  J.  F. 
Kirkland,  A.  P.  Lyman,  Rev.  H.  Lyman,  John  Maynard, 
Dr.  Jairus  Rankin,  H.  N.  Ross,  William  Seaman,  H.  N. 
Smith,  J.  R.  Sharpstein,  Judge  David  Taylor,  D.  C.  Vos- 
burg,  George  M.  Gillett,  Frank  Stone,  John  H.  Roberts. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  Germans  began  to  settle 
in  the  county  in  considerable  numbers.  This  movement 
was  inaugurated  by  H.  C.  Heide,  of  Milwaukee,  and  a 
brother  of  his  with  Deidrich  Logeman,  George  Theirman 
and  Deidrich  Bartles  were  the  first  Germans  residents, 
settling  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls.  This  industrious 
class  of  people  increased  steadily  until  they  became  the 
predominant  nationality,  and  remain  so  still.  The  State 
Immigrant  Agent  reports  that  during  the  summer  of  1853, 
13,400  immigrants  landed  at  Sheboygan. 

The  following  figures,  taken  from  the  census  returns, 
shows  the  growth  of  the  county  in  population  from  1840  to 
the  present  time.  In  1840,  there  were  133  people  in  the 
county;  in  1842,227;  in  1846,1,637;  in  1847,5,580; 
in  1850,8,370;  in  1860,  26,875;  in  1870,  31,773;  in 
1880,  34,221. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  materials  from  which  to  compile  an  accurate  his- 
torical account  of  the  formation  and  organization  of  the 
county  are,  unfortunately,  extremely  meager,  all  the  records 
of  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  its  existence  having  been 
destroyed  by  fire  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1860.  It  is 
known,  however,  that  the  county  was  created  by  an  act  of 
the  Territorial  Legislature,  which  was  approved  December 
7,  1836.  The  organization  for  county  purposes  was  not 
completed  till  two  years  later,  when  the  first  election  for 
county  and  town  offices  was  held,  on  the  first  Monday  in 
March,  1839,  in  pursuance  to  a  Legislative  act  of  the 
previous  December.  Section  thirty-three  of  this  act  pro- 
vides that :  "  All  that  district  of  country  lying  within  the 
present  limits  of  Sheboygan  County,  shall  be  a  separate 
town   by   the   name   of  Sheboygan,  and  elections  shall  be 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


holden  in  said  town  at  the  school-house  in  Sheboygan,  and 
at  '  Gidding's  mill.'  "  From  its  earliest  organization,  the 
County  of  Sheboygan  has  embraced  the  same  territory  as 
at  present,  and  for  the  first  ten  years  after  its  formation, 
the  town  of  Sheboygan  occupied  all  the  territory  included  in 
the  county.  As  new  towns  were  formed  they  were  all  "  set 
oflf "  from  the  town  of  Sheboygan.  The  present  city  of 
Sheboygan  has  always  been  the  county  seat. 

For  nearly  ten  years  after  the  organization  of  the 
county  it  was  joined  to  Brown  County  for  judicial  purposes, 
but  on  the  1st  day  of  May,  1846,  in  accordance  with  an 
act  of  January  22,  of  the  same  year,  it  started  on  an  in- 
dependent career.  From  that  time  to  the  present  there 
has  been  a  constant  increase  of  prosperity,  and  the  county 
compares  favorably  with  any  county  in  Northern  or  Central 
Wisconsin. 

The  judicial  history  of  the  county  dates  from  the 
morning  of  June  1,  1846,  when  the  court  was  called  to 
meet  for  its  first  term,  in  the  schoolhouse  in  the-  village  of 
Sheboygan.  The  county  at  this  time  belonged  to  the  Third 
Judicial  District,  and  courts  were  held  twice  a  year — on  the 
first  Monday  in  May  and  the  third  Monday  in  September. 
The  story  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  County  Court  is  an 
especially  interesting  one.  The  Judge  failing  to  appear  on 
the  day  appointed,  June  1,  1846,  the  court  was  adjourned 
to  the  following  day.  On  June  2,  the  first  court  was  or- 
ganized by  Judge  Andrew  G.  Miller,  Associate  Justice  of 
the  Territory.  John  S.  Rockwell  was  United  States 
Marshal  ;  W'illiam  P.  Lynde,  United  States  District  At- 
torney ;  D.  U.  Harrington,  Territorial  District  Attorney  ; 
James  Rankin,  Clerk;  Silas  Stedraan,  Sheriff";  Thomas 
C.  Horner,  Crier.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  at  this  first 
session  of  the  court  the  jury,  no  doubt  impressed  by  the 
importance  and  responsibility  of  their  position,  failed  to 
agree  in  a  single  case  that  was  brought  before  them. 

The  place  for  holding  the  sessions  of  the  court  changed 
with  nearly  every  sitting  till,  in  1868,  it  took  possession  of 
its  present  convenient  quarters  in  the  court  house,  first 
occupied  at  that  time.  An  enumeration  of  some  of  the  dif- 
ferent places  in  which  the  court  has  held  its  sittings,  as 
gleaned  from  calls  for  different  sessions,  gives  some  idea  of 
the  frequency  of  its  migrations.  Among  other  places  men- 
tioned are  :  The  Schoolhouse,  the  Academy,  the  Congre- 
gational Chui-ch,  B.  Teyn's  Assembly  Rooms,  the  Presby- 
terian Meeting-House,  the  basement  of  the  New  York 
Block,  the  Turner  Hall,  and  Zaegel's  Block. 

The  county  officers  for  the  year  1881  are  as  follows : 
County  Judge,  Bille  Williams,  of  Sheboygan  ;  Clerk  of 
Court,  Felix  Benfey,  of  Plymouth  ;  Sheriff",  W.  Pfeil,  of 
Sheboygan  ;  District  Attorney,  J.  Q.  Adams,  of  Sheboygan 
Falls ;  County  Clerk,  Fred  Hoppe,  of  Rhine ;  Treasurer, 
George  W.  Bradford,  of  Plymouth ;  Register  of  Deeds, 
Valentine  Detling,  of  Sheboygan  ;  Surveyor,  L.  Bode,  of 
Sheboygan  ;  Coroner,  Julius  Breitzmann  (now  deceased), 
Lotte  appointed  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  B.  R.  Gro- 
gan,  of  Elkhart  Lake. 

An  account  of  the  county  e.xpenses  for  the  year  1844, 
taken  from  the  report  of  the  County  Commissioners  for 
that  year,  is  of  interest  as  giving  a  good  idea  of  the  county 
at  that  early  day.  Following  is  the  list  of  charges  :  For 
county  officers,  printing,  etc.,  §3!'."). 40;  support  of  poor, 
S14.T.T  ;  support  of  schools,  .?22(l.92;  roads  and  bridges, 
§.311.20;  contingent  expenses,  S70.1t6  ;  county  tax.  $1,- 
018.69;  amount  in    treasury   January  1,  1844,  $802.20 ; 


total  expenditure  for  the  year,  $2,000. 1)0.  This  account 
bears  the  signatures  of  Sylvanus  Wade,  B.  R.  Farmin  and 
A.  W.  Knight,  County  Commissioners,  and  W.  W.  Kel- 
log,  Clerk. 

In  1852,  the  county  of  Sheboygan  voted  $20,000  in 
aid  of  the  harbor  improvement  at  the  mouth  of  Sheboygan 
River.  Bonds  were  issued  to  that  amount,  the  last  install- 
ment on  which  was  paid  in  1865.  In  the  year  18.'J5,  the 
county  purchased  $100,000  of  the  stock  of  the  Sheboygan 
k  Mississippi  Railroad  Company,  issuing  its  bonds  to  that 
amount,  to  run  twenty  years.  In  1864,  three  year's  interest 
being  due,  the  amount  was  consolidated  with  the  principal, 
and  one  hundred  new  bonds  of  $1,280,  to  fall  due  in  1883, 
and  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  7  per  cent  per  annum, 
were  issued.  In  1871,  bonds  were  issued  for  the  purchase 
of  .^SO.OdO  of  stock  in  the  Milwaukee,  Manitowoc  &  Green 
Bay  Railroad  Company.  These  bonds  fall  due  August  1, 
1886,  and  bear  7  per  cent  interest.  A  total  indebtedness 
for  tliese  purposes  was  thus  contracted,  amounting  to  $228,- 
000.  This  has  been  reduced  by  payments  from  the  sinking 
fund,  for  which  $19,600  is  annually  raised,  to  $117,000, 
January  1,  1881.  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city  of 
Sheboygan  at  the  same  date  was  $230,000  ;  that  of  the  town 
of  Lyndon,  $16,200  ;  town  of  Plymouth,  §13,520  ;  town  of 
Sherman,  $520. 

The  first  jail  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1851,  on  the 
ground  now  occupied  by  the  court  house.  In  1853,  a  brick 
building  for  the  accommodation  of  a  portion  of  the  county 
offices,  was  built  on  Seventh  street,  near  Center,  on  lands 
leased  of  Judge  David  Taylor.  After  the  fire  of  1860,  in 
which  many  of  the  county  archives  were  destroyed,  offices 
were  built  on  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  avenue  and  Hick- 
ory street.  The  present  court  house  was  completed  in 
November,  1868,  at  a  cost  of  $65,000. 

The  county  is  building  an  asylum  for  the  incurably 
insane,  on  land  bought  of  the  town  of  Sheboygan,  and  situ- 
ated one-half  of  a  mile  west  of  the  city  limits.  The  build- 
ing is  to  be  of  brick  ;  120  feet  long  by  45  feet  in  width,  and 
of  fine  architectural  appearance.  The  grounds  will  contain 
nineteen  acres,  and  the  total  cost  of  building  and  grounds 
will  not  be  far  from  $20,000.  The  building  is  to  be  com- 
pleted May  1,  1882,  and  will  have  accommodations  for  forty 
inmates.  H.  C.  Kock  i)c  Co.,  of  Milwaukee,  are  the  archi- 
tects, and  Luecke  &  Roder  and  Mueller  &  Ackerman  are 
the  builders. 

MEANS    OF    COMMUNICATION. 

For  a  number  of  years  after  the  first  settlement  of  the 
county,  connection  with  the  outside  world  was  maintained 
only  by  means  of  boats  on  the  lake,  which  occasionally 
touched  at  Sheboygan.  The  arrival  of  the  mail  was  the 
event  of  the  week,  though  it  occasionally  happened — particu- 
larly in  the  winter  season — that  the  place  was  cut  off"  from 
all  communication  with  the  outside  world  for  months  at  a 
time.  The  trip  from  Milwaukee  was  occasiorxally  made  by 
land ;  but  so  difficult  was  it  that  it  was  seldom  undertaken 
by  loaded  teams.  The  overland  trip  was  often  made  along 
the  beach  and  near  the  shore  of  the  lake. 

The  two  earliest  roads  in  the  county  were  established 
by  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  1838-39.  One  of  these 
was  made  to  run  from  Sheboygan  by  way  of  Hustis  Rapids, 
on  Rock  River,  near  Horicon.  to  Madison,  and  the  other 
wa.s  laid  out  from  Sheboygan  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  thence 
to  Fond  du  Lac.  The  commissioners  for  the  former  were 
B.  L.  Gibbs,  of  Sheboygan ;  James  L.  Thayer,  of  Mani- 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


971 


towoc,  and  John  Hustis,  of  Milwaukee ;  and,  for  the  latter, 
Charles  D.  Cole  and  David  Giddings,  of  Sheboygan,  and 
John  Bannester,  of  Fond  du  Lac.  A  Government  appro- 
priation of  $3,000  was  expended  on  the  Fond  du  Lac  road 
in  1845.  Of  plank  roads,  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du 
Lac  road  was  chartered  in  1851,  and  completed  in  July, 
1852.  The  Sheboygan  &  Calumet  plank  road  was  incor- 
porated two  years  later ;  completed  to  Howard's  Grove  in 
1856,  and  built  to  Kiel,  Manitowoc  County,  in  1859. 
September  4,  1852,  the  Sheboygan  River  Plank  Road 
Company  was  organized  at  Sheboygan  Falls-  J.  F.  Seely 
was  chosen  President ;  S.  B.  Ormsbee,  Secretary,  and  John 
Kelley,  Treasurer.  That  the  early  settlers  were  alive  to 
the  importance  of  having  good  roads,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  in  a  local  town-meeting,  when  it  was  proposed  to  raise 
$100  for  roads  and  f  1,000  for  schools,  the  voters  reversed 
the  sums  giving  the  $1,000  to  the  roads. 

The  means  of  communication  between  different  parts  of 
the  county  and  with  the  outside  world,  are  now  equaled  by 
few  counties  in  the  State.  Two  lines  of  railroad — the  Mil- 
waukee, Lake  Shore  &  Western  and  the  Milwaukee  & 
Northern — traverse  it  from  north  to  south,  and  the  Sheboy- 
gan &  Fond  du  Lac  brings  it  into  easy  communication  with 
the  central  part  of  the  State.  Add  to  this  its  thirty  miles 
of  lake  coast,  a  good  harbor,  passenger  boats  touching  daily 
and  all  kinds  of  freight  boats  constantly  loading  and  unload- 
ing in  its  harbors,  and  you  have  a  county  that  can  be  sur- 
passed by  few  in  its  facilities  for  both  land  and  water  com- 
munication. 

Railroads. — In  the  same  year  that  the  improvement  of 
Sheboygan's  harbor  facilities  was  actively  engaged  in,  the 
necessity  of  railroad  connection  with  the  interior  was 
impressed  upon  leading  citizens  of  the  county.  At  a  meet- 
ing held  in  the  city  of  Sheboygan  September  6,  1852,  to 
talk  over  the  matter  of  a  railway  to  Milwaukee  and  thence 
to  Chicago,  the  conclusion  was  arrived  at  that  inasmuch  as 
water  communication  existed  to  these  points  already,  it 
would  be  wiser  to  first  turn  attention  to  the  building  of  a 
road  back  into  the  interior  of  the  State,  and  across  it  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  The  Sheboygan  &  Mississippi  Rail- 
road Company  had  been  incorporated  on  the  8th  of  March 
of  that  year,  and  books  opened  for  the  subscription  of 
stock,  but  the  company  was  not  organized  until  the  follow- 
ing year.  At  a  meeting  in  Sheboygan,  held  for  this  pur- 
pose April  5,  1853,  J.  F.  Kirkland  was  elected  President, 
and  M.  J.  Thomas,  Secretary.  Work  was  actually  begun 
on  the  construction  of  the  road  June  4,  1856,  by  the  con- 
tractors, Edward  Appleton  &  Co.  The  road  was  completed 
to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  January,  1859.  to  Plymouth  June  6, 
of  the  same  year,  and  to  Glenbeulah  March  29,  1860. 
This  was  as  far  as  the  above-mentioned  contract  extended. 
The  road  suffered  the  fate  of  most  new  enterprises  of  this 
character,  and,  after  foreclosure  of  mortgage,  the  company 
was  re-organized.  The  new  organization  was  known  as  the 
Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad  Company,  and  its 
officers  were  S.  P.  Benson,  President,  and  J.  0.  Thayer, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer.  Finally,  the  road  was  completed 
to  Fond  du  Lac  February  14,  1869.  It  was  subsequently 
pushed  on  to  Princeton,  in  Green  Lake  County,  which 
point  was  reached  in  the  fall  of  1871.  The  road  is  now 
under  the  management  of  the  Chicago  &  North- Western 
Railroad  Company. 

The  Milwaukee  &  Northern. — The  Milwaukee  &  North- 
ern   Railroad   Company    was    incorporated    February    24, 


1870,  and  the  contract  let  for  the  construction  of  a  road 
from  Milwaukee  to  Green  Bay.  The  road  runs  through  the 
western  portion  of  the  county,  crossing  the  Fond  du  Lac 
road  at  Plymouth,  which  point  was  reached  early  in  the 
year  1872.  The  road  was,  in  the  year  1874,  leased  to  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Company. 

The  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western — The  import- 
ance to  the  city  of  Sheboygan  of  obtaining  railroad  com- 
munication to  the  South,  connecting  it  with  Milwaukee 
&  Chicago,  became  so  manifest  as  time  went  on  that  when 
a  movement  for  a  lake  shore  road  was  started,  leading  busi- 
ness men  at  once  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  project.  On 
the  10th  of  March,  1870,  the  Milwaukee,  Manitowoc  & 
Green  Bay  Railroad  Company  was  organized  and  work  at 
once  commenced.  Interruptions  occurred,  and  it  was  No- 
vember 21,  1872,  when  the  first  passenger  train  was  run 
between  Milwaukee  and  Sheboygan.  December  10,  1875, 
the  road  was  sold  under  foreclosure  of  mortgage,  and  in  re- 
organization the  present  name,  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  & 
Western  was  adopted.  It  has  always  done  a  thriving  busi- 
ness. 

The  Slieboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  and  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  received  liberal  aid  from  the  city 
and  county  of  Sheboygan  in  the  purchase  of  stock,  and  the 
Wisconsin  Central  from  several  of  the  towns  through  which 


Postal  Facilities. — A  post  ofl'ice  was  established  in  She- 
boygan as  early  as  the  autumn  of  1886,  James  Farnsworth 
being  appointed  Postmaster.  In  1839,  this  office  was  dis- 
continued for  the  reason  that  the  Postmaster's  family  was 
the  only  one  then  living  in  the  place.  An  office  was  also 
established  at  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1837,  George  B.  Babcock 
receiving  the  appointment  of  Postmaster.  The  first  mail 
carrier,  named  Griswold,  committed  suicide  by  hanging  in 
1837.  The  mails  were  brought  overland,  and  were  slow,  so 
that  Eastern  newspapers  were  very  old  when  they  reached 
here  It  was  not  until  1849  that  this  condition  of  things  was 
greatly  bettered.  In  June  of  this  year  the  matter  having 
been  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Postmaster  General, 
the  mails  were  ordered  to  be  brought  from  Milwaukee  by 
the  steamer  Champion,  which  came  regularly  into  this  port 
three  times  a  week.  By  this  arrangement,  mails  were 
received  two  days  in  advance  of  the  previous  delivery.  L'p 
to  this  time,  it  had  taken  as  long  to  get  the  mails  from  Mil- 
waukee as  they  were  in  coming  from  Buffalo  to  Milwaukee. 
By  the  new  order  mails  reached  here  from  Buffalo  in  about 
fifty  hours.  This  was  regarded  as  a  substantial  gain  by  the 
business  interests  of  Sheboygan.  The  following  is  the  list 
of  post  offices  in  the  county  at  the  present  time,  numbering 
twenty-eight  in  all.  Ada,  Adell,  Becchwood.  Cedar  Grove, 
Cascade,  Dacada,  Edwards,  Elkhart  Lake.  Franklin,  Gibbs- 
ville,  Glenbeulah,  Howard's  Grove,  Hingham,  John.sonville, 
Our  Town,  Onion  River,  Oostburg,  Plymouth,  Random 
Lake,  Rathbun,  Rhine,  Scott,  Sheboygan,  Sheboygan  Falls, 
Silver  Creek,  Winooski. 

A  telegraph  line  was  run  along  the  lake  shore  from 
Milwaukee'to  Sheboygan  in  1851,  but  was  soM  for  ta.xes 
and  taken  down. 

I.EGISL.-\TIVE. 

Slieboygan  County  was  first  associated  with  Brown, 
Fond  du  Lac  and  Manitowoc  Counties,  for  representation  in 
the  Territorial  Council  and  House  of  Representatives,  and 
was  so  represented  in  the  session  of  1840-4L  In  the  Leg- 
islature of  1841-42  Portage  was  united  with  the  counties 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN", 


already  named.  In  the  next  Legislature  (that  of  1842-43), 
Brown,  Calumet,  Fond  du  Lac,  Manitowoc,  Marquette, 
Portage.  Sheboygan  and  Winnebago  were  associated  for  rep- 
resentative purposes.  This  organization  was  maintained 
until  the  session  of  1847,  when  VVashington  and  Sheboygan 
Counties  were  coupled  for  representation,  and  so  remained 
until  the  State  organization.  During  this  time,  Sheboygan 
County  was  represented  by  resident  members  in  the  Legis- 
latures of  1840-41  and  1841-42  by  Hon.  David  Giddings, 
and  by  Hon.  Harrison  C.  Hobart  in  the  session  of  1847.  F. 
M.  liublee,  of  this  county,  was  Sergeant-at-Arms  of  the 
House  in  the  session  of  1840-41.  In  the  first  Constitu- 
tional Convention,  in  its  sessions  of  1846,  Sheboygan 
County  was  represented  by  Hon.  David  Giddings.  In  the 
second  Constitutional  Convention,  in  its  seesions  of  Decem- 
ber 15,  1847,  and  February  1,  1848,  Sheboygan  and  Mani- 
towoc Counties  were  represented  by  Silas  Steadman.  The 
political  history  of  the  county  since  the  State  organization 
cannot  better  be  recorded  than  by  giving  the  names  of  those 
who  have  been  elected  to  seats  in  the  Legislature  from  year 
to  year  : 

1848 — Senate,  Harrison  C.  Hobart,  Sheboygan.  Assem- 
bly, Charles  E.  Morris,  Sheboygan ;  Jedediah  Brown,  She- 
boygan Falls. 

1849 — Assembly,  Harrison  C.  Hobart  (elected  Speaker), 
Jedediah  Brown. 

1850 — Assembly,  Horatio  N.  Smith,  Sheboygan  ;  Fran- 
cis G.  Manney,  Linden. 

1851 — Assembly,  Albert  D.  La  Due,  Sheboygan;  John 
D.  Murphy,  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1852 — Assembly,  James  McMillan  Shafter,  Sheboygan 
(elected  Speaker) ;  David  B.  Conger,  Greenbush. 

185-3 — Senate,  Horatio  N.  Smith,  Sheboygan.  Assem- 
bly. David  Taylor,  Sheboygan  ;  Charles  B.  Coleman,  Green- 
bush. 

1854 — Senate,  Horatio  N.  Smith,  Plymouth.  Assembly. 
Adolph  Rosenthal,  Sheboygan  ;  John  Mattes,  Rhine. 

1855 — Senate.  David  Taylor,  Sheboygan.  Assembly, 
Joseph  Schrage,  Sheboygan;  Luther  H.  Gary,  Greenbush. 

185ti — Senate,  David  Taylor.  Assembly,  William  Wip- 
perman,  Mosel ;  Reed  C.  Brazelton,  Scott. 

1857 — Senate,  E.  Fox  Cook,  Sheboygan.  Assembly, 
Zebulon  P.  Mason,  Sheboygan ;  Robert  H.  Hotchkiss. 
Plymouth ;  Glenville  W.  Stone,  Winooski. 

1858— Senate,  E.  Fox  Cook.  Assembly,  /ebulon  P. 
Mason,  William  H.  Prentice,  Sheboygan  Falls;  Abraham 
H.  Van  Wie,  Cascade. 

1859— Senate.  R.  H.  Hotchkiss,  Plymouth.  Assembly, 
William  N.  Shafter,  Sheboygan  ;  James  Little,  Sheboygan 
Falls  ;   Stephen  D.  Littlefield,  Sheboygan  Falls. 

I860— Senate,  R.  H.  Hotchkiss.  Assembly,  James  T. 
Kingsbury,  Sheboygan;  Erastus  W.  Stannard,  Greenbush; 
Gran  Rogers,  Cascade. 

1861 — Senate,  Luther  II.  Cary,  Greenbush.  Assembly, 
John  Gee,  Sheboygan  ;  John  Bredemeyer,  Edwards  ;  Cad. 
W.  Humphrey,  Cascade  (seat  successfully  contested  by  AV. 
F.  Mitchell,  of  Gibbsville). 

1862 — Senate,  Luther  II.  Cary.  Assembly,  Godfrey 
Stamm,  Sheboygan  ;  John  E.  Thomas,  Sheboygan  Falls ; 
Samuel  D.  Hubbard,  Scott;  Benjamin  Dockstader,  Plymouth. 

1863 — Senate,  John  E.  Thomas,  Sheboygan  Falls. 
Assembly,  Carl  Zillier,  Sheboygan  ;  Charles  Oetling,  How- 
ard's Grove ;  Henry  Hayes,  Cascade ;  Benjamin  Dock- 
stader. 


1864— Senate,  John  E.  Thomas.  Assembly,  Carl  Zd- 
lier,  Louis  Wolf.  Sheboygan  Falls;  Michael  Winter,  Adell ; 
Mark  Martin,  Onion  River. 

1865 — Senate,  John  A.  Bentley,  Sheboygan.  Assem- 
bly, Joseph  Wedig.  Sheboygan  ;  Cephas  Whipple,  Sheboy- 
gan Falls ;  Charles  Rogers,  Hingham  ;  Edwin  Slade,  Glen- 
beulah. 

1866 — Senate,  John  A.  Bentley.  .\ssembly,  Bille 
Williams,  Sheboygan ;  Samuel  Rounseville.  Shebovgan 
Falls;  John  P.  Carroll.  Adell;  Julius  Wolff,  Rhine.  ' 

1867 — Senate,  Van  Epps  Young,  Sheboygan.  Assem- 
bly, Joseph  Wedig,  Sheboygan ;  R.  B.  Van  Valkenburg, 
Greenbush  ;  George  S.  Graves,  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1868 — Senate,  R.  H.  HotchkLss,  Plymouth.  Assembly, 
Joseph  Wedig,  John  A.  Smith,  Glenbeulah ;  George  S. 
Graves. 

1869 — Senate,  David  Taylor,  Sheboygan  (seat  unsuc- 
cessfully contested  by  Otto  Puhlmannj.  Assembly,  Thomas 
Blackstock,  Sheboygan ;  Sylvester  Caldwell,  Cascade ; 
George  S.  Graves. 

1870 — Senate,  David  Taylor.  Assembly,  Horatio  G. 
H.  Reed,  Sheboygan  ;  J.  Henry  McNeel,  Greenbush  ;  Jacob 
Blanshan,  Scott. 

1871 — Senate,  John  H.  Jones,  Sheboygan.  Assembly, 
Charles  Oetling,  Howard's  Grove;  Enos Eastman,  Plymouth  ; 
Hiram  Smith.  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1872 — Senate,  John  H.  Jones.  Assembly,  George  W. 
Weeden,  Sheboygan;  Patrick  H.  O'Rourk,  Cascade;  Major 
Shaw,   Hingham. 

1873— Senate,  P.  H.  O'Rourk,  Cascade.  Assembly, 
Julius  Bodenstab,  Howard's  Grove ;  Samuel  D.  Hubbard, 
Onion  River ;   Louis  Wolf,  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1875 — Senate,  Enos  Eastman,  Plymouth.  Assembly, 
Joseph  Wedig,  William  Noll,  Cascade;  Louis  AVolf. 

1877 — Assembly,  Joseph  Wedig,  Samuel  D.  Hubbard, 
Ambrose  D.  DeLand.  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1878 — Senate,  Louis  Wolf.  Sheboygan  Falls.  Assem- 
bly, Gust.  A.  W^illard,  Sheboygan  ;  James  W.  White,  Ran- 
dom Lake ;  J.  L.  Shepard.  Sheboygan  Falls. 

1879 — Senate,  Louis  Wolf.  Assembly,  Wilbur  M. 
Root,  Sheboygan  ;  La  Favette  Eastman,  Plymouth  ;  James 
Allen,  Jr.,  Adell. 

1880— Senate,  Patrick  H.  Smith,  Plymouth.  Assem- 
bly. Wilbur  M.  Root,  Eugene  Mclntyre.  Waldo:  John 
Ruch,  Boltonville. 

1881— Senate,  Patrick  II.  Smith.  Assembly.  August 
Selsemeyer,  Howard's  Grove;  M.  D.  L.  Fuller,  Plymouth; 
Roswell  II.  Tripp,  Hingham. 


The  contrast  to  the  little  school  of  a  dozen  pupils  in 
1836,  supported  by  subscription,  the  citizens  of  Sheboygan 
County  point  with  pride  to  the  generous  provision  which 
has  been  made  for  the  education  of  the  childi-en  within  her 
borders.  In  1870,  there  were  117  schoolhouses  in  the 
county,  and  12,384  children  entitled  to  draw  money  from 
the  State  School  Fund.  In  his  annual  report  for  1880, 
the  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  reports  that  125 
teachers  are  required  to  teach  the  schools  of  the  county. 
The  number  of  teachers  employed  during  the  year  was  190. 
The  average  wages  of  male  teachers  wa.s  $41.06  per  month, 
and  of  female  teachers,  §22.71.  The  average  number  of 
days  of  school  taught  during  the  year,  per  district,  was  146. 
There  were  in  the  county,  2,331  children  between  the  ages 


HI 


;oRY  OF  shf:i!()V(;.\x  coitnty. 


of  4  and  7  years,  of  these,  1,293  attended  school  ;  of  chil- 
dren between  7  and  15  years  of  age,  there  were  5,257,  and 
of  these,  4,272  attended  school ;  there  were  3,140  children 
between  the  ages  of  15  and  20  years,  and  of  these  971  at- 
tended school.  The  average  attendance  was  60  per  cent  of 
the  time.  There  was  spent  for  all  school  purposes  $32,- 
242.04,  and  the  value  of  school  property  was  $64,892. 

AGRICULTURAL    GROWTH. 

For  some  years  after  the  first  settlement  of  Sheboygan 
County,  not  enough  provisions  were  raised  in  the  county  to 
subsist  the  people.  Then  the  agricultural  resources  were 
sufficiently  developed  so  that  the  staple  productions  had  no 
longer  to  be  imported.  Gradually  a  surplus  for  shipment 
was  acquired,  until  1867  the  surplus  products  of  the  soil 
amounted  to  a  $1,500,000.  Wheat,  then  the  main  crop,  was 
produced  of  so  fine  a  quality  that  Sheboygan  County  wheat 
had  acquired  a  reputation  in  all  the  principal  markets  of 
this  country,  and  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  a  special  quo- 
tation in  Milwaukee,  Chicago,  Buffalo  and  New  York.  Rye, 
barley  and  oats  of  fine  quality  were  also  produced.  A  re- 
markable fact  is  stated  by  old  residents,  in  reference  to  the 
prosperity  of  agricultural  interests  of  the  county,  namely 
that  there  has  never  been  a  failure  of  crops,  such  as  has  oc- 
casionally been  witnessed  in  many  localities. 

At  this  time  (1867),  the  wool  interest  was  a  large  and 
profitable  one  in  the  county.  In  an  early  day,  some  of  the 
finest  blood  of  Vermont  was  brought  to  Sheboygan  County, 
and  the  quality  of  wool  improved  until  the  product  of  this 
county  sold  in  the  markets  of  New  England  at  an  advance 
over  that  of  old  Vermont  herself  It  was  about  this  time 
that  the  great  dairy  interests,  which  now  make  Sheboygan 
known  in  all  the  leading  markets  of  America  and  Europe, 
began  to  assume  a  permanently  important  character.  The 
first  premium  awarded  for  cheese  made  in  this  county  was 
awarded  to  N.  C.  Harmon,  of  Lyndon,  at  the  fair  of  the 
Sheboygan  Agricultural  Society  held  at  Sheboygan  Falls, 
September  24  and  25,  1857.  The  next  year,  John  J. 
Smith  procured  the  first  cheese  vat  and  began  to  manufact- 
ure on  the  co-operative  plan,  collecting  curd  of  his  neigh- 
bors. It  was  not  until  1859,  however,  that  a  regular  cheese 
factory  was  started,  in  which  year  Hiram  Smith  took  milk 
from  his  patrons  and  paying  cash  or  manufacturing  for  a 
percentage  of  the  cheese.  A  dairy  board  was  first  organ- 
ized at  Sheboygan  Falls,  in  1872,  which  has  held  regular 
meetings  each  season  since  for  the  sale  of  cheese.  When 
John  J.  Smith  first  exhibited  Sheboygan  cheese  in  Chicago, 
dealers  would  not  look  at  them,  and  he  had  to  offer  to  pay 
a  man  for  his  time  if  he  would  examine  them.  But  he  sold 
the  cheese,  and  in  1875,  the  export  trade  had  reached 
50,000  boxes,  while  buyers  from  Chicago,  Philadelphia, 
New  York,  Montreal  and  Liverpool  were  present  at  the 
meetings  of  the  dairy  board.  In  1867,  Sheboygan  County 
cheese  sold  at  better  prices  in  Milwaukee  and  Chicago  than 
Ohio  and  New  York  products.  In  the  best  days  of  hop 
culture,  Sheboygan  County  produced  an  article  not  sur- 
passed anywhere.  Other  evidences  of  the  prosperity  of  the 
agricultural  sections  of  the  county  were  multiplied  of  a 
better  character  than  even  the  superior  quality  of  the  pro- 
ductions, we  mean  the  organization  of  schools  and  churches 
and  building  houses  for  the  use  of  these  objects.  The  as- 
sertion is  ventured  by  a  careful  observer  of  that  time  "  that 
in  proportion  to  the  area  and  population  of  the  county,  we 
have  a  greater  number  of  schoolhouses,  churches  and  mills 


than  any  county  in  the  State."  This  is  certainly  a  flatter- 
ing statement  in  view  of  composite  character  of  the  people 
who  had  settled  in  the  county,  coming  as  they  did  from 
many  different  States  of  the  Union,  and  nearly  all  the 
principal  nations  of  Europe.  In  1870,  there  had  been 
erected  120  schoolhouses,  and  more  than  fifty  churches, 
besides  many  schoolhouses  being  used  for  church  purposes. 
A  statement  of  the  productions  of  the  county  carefully  com- 
piled for  the  year  1870,  indicates  what  advancement  had 
been  made  in  agriculture  from  small  beginnings.  There 
were  then  owned  in  the  county  6,518  horses ;  22,204  neat 
cattle  and  cows  ;  38,878  sheep;  8,904  swine,  and  94  asses, 
which,  as  some  facetiously  observe,  was  a  "'  remarkably 
small  number  for  a  population  of  30,000."  There  was  pro- 
duced of  the  cereals,  570,665  bushels  of  wheat;  90,824 
bushels  of  rye  ;  126,651  bushels  of  corn;  425,374  bushels 
of  oats  ;  56,427  bushels  of  barley.  Other  productions  were 
139,057  bushels  of  potatoes;  134,240  pounds  of  wool; 
710,088  pounds  of  butter;  85,565  pounds  of  cheese ;  39,- 
424  tons  of  hay.  There  was  received  for  pork  in  that  year 
about  $50,000,  and  about  the  same  amount  for  peas.  The 
raising  of  fruit  has  not  been  made  a  specialty  in  the  county, 
but  a  careful  estimate  of  the  production  of  apples  in  the 
town  of  Plymouth  alone,  in  the  year  1869,  placed  the  pro- 
duction at  15,000  bushels.  A  similar  statement  of  agri- 
cultural products  a  decade  later  gives  as  the  production  of 
the  soil  in  1880,  wheat,  236,104  bushels;  corn.  312,418 
bushels  ;  oats,  544,280  bushels  ;  barley,  230,077  bushels  ; 
rye,  67,607  bushels ;  potatoes,  168,031  bushels ;  root 
crops,  66,716  bushels;  apples,  221,503  bushels;  clover 
seed,  1,287  bushels ;  timothy  seed,  626  bushels ;  hops,  14,- 
620  pounds;  tobacco,  345  pounds;  hay,  36,616  tons. 
There  were  18,688  cows  owned  in  the  county,  valued  by 
the  Assessors  at  $333,793.  The  dairy  products  amounted 
to  419,711  pounds  of  butter,  and  4,294,509  pounds  of 
cheese.  The  yield  of  peas  was  estimated  by  dealers  at 
from  50,000  to  60,000  bushels.  There  were  owned  9,125 
horses;  31,522  neat  cattle;  25.214  sheep,  and  10,109 
swine.  The  figures  here  given  showing  the  production  of 
cheese  in  1880,  are  taken  from  the  reports  made  by  As- 
sessors on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisoi-s.  But  the  German  Bank,  through  which  most  of 
the  transactions  were  made,  kept  a  record  of  sales  which 
shows  that  4,768,110  pounds  were  shipped  by  the  Lake 
Shore  road  alone  in  that  year.  Shipments  by  other  routes 
and  careful  estimates  made  in  reference  to  the  yield  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county,  placed  the  total  production  of 
cheese  in  1880  at  not  less  than  6,000,000  pounds. 

The  Sheboygan  County  Agricultural  Society  was  or- 
ganized July  4,  1851.  The  annual  fair  is  held  at  the  fair 
grounds,  of  which  the  society  has  a  permanent  lease,  one 
mile  west  of  the  village  of  Sheboygan  Falls.  The  grounds 
are  fenced  and  have  buildings  suitable  for  carrying  on  the 
fair.  A  half-mile  track  is  used  for  the  exhibition  of  horses. 
The  society  is  free  from  debt.  A  liberal  premium  list  draws 
out  good  exhibits  in  every  department.  The  officers  of  the 
society  are:  President,  C.  H.  Pape,  of  Sheboygan;  Sec- 
retary, J.  Q.  Adams,  of  Sheboygan ;  Treasurer,  J.  W. 
Hanford,  of  Sheboygan  Falls ;  Vice  Presidents,  G.  A. 
Willard,  of  Sheboygan,  William  Chaplin,  of  Plymouth,  and 
William  Wonsor,  of  Holland  ;  Executive  Committee,  G.  N. 
Gilbert,  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  R.  R.  Wilson,  of  Plymouth, 
M.  Guyett,  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  Asa  Carpenter,  of  Plym- 
outh, and  J.  E.  Thomas,  of  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  Discretionary 


974 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Committee,  N.  C.  Fainsworth,  I.  Adriance  ami  G.  W. 
Peck,  all  of  Sheboygan  Falls. 

Fairs  were  held  in  Sheboygan  under  the  auspices  of  the 
German  Agricultural  and  Industrial  Society,  as  long  ago  as 
the  year  1868.  They  grew  from  small  beginnings,  and  it 
was  not  until  August  13,  187-,  that  the  society  was  for- 
mally organized  according  to  the  plan  under  which  it  has 
since  worked.  The  principal  movers  in  the  organization 
and  in  drafting  the  constitution,  were  F.  Stoesser,  F.  Muel- 
ler, G.  Pieper,  A.  Froehlich  and  J.  Deiigel.  The  first  olB- 
cers  elected  by  the  new  organization  were  M.  Trimberger, 
President ;  F.  Stoesser,  Secretary ;  C.  Reich,  Treasurer. 
The  first  Board  of  Directors  consisted  of  F.  Zimmerman, 
A.  Froehlich,  G.  Pieper,  J.  Dengel  and  N.  Mueller.  About 
120  members  participated  in  tliis  organization.  Thepres- 
ent  grounds,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  were  pur- 
chased, and  the  main  building  at  once  erected.  Other 
buildings,  sheds,  etc.,  have  been  added  from  time  to  time. 
The  society  now  numbers  350  members,  and  offers  premi- 
ums to  the  amount  of  about  $400  for  exhibits  at  its  fair 
for  1881.  The  present  officers  are.  President,  Charles 
Wipperraan ;  Vice  Presidents,  W.  Froehlich,  August  Zsch- 
etzsche;  Secretary,  Joseph  Bast;  Treasurer,   Carl  Reich. 

As  it  was  the  lumbering  interests  which  first  brought 
business  enterprise  into  Sheboygan  County,  so  there  has 
always  been  manifested  a  commendable  interest  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  resources  of  this  region  in  the  direction 
of  general  manufactures.  In  18411  there  were  in  the  county 
one  flouring-mill,  carrying  four  run  of  stone,  two  custom 
mills,  one  steam  saw-mill,  seventeen  saw-mills,  running  by 
water-power,  and  two  foundries.  In  1858,  there  had  been 
added  in  Sheboygan,  two  steam  flour-mills,  one  steam  saw- 
mill, a  planing  and  siding  mill,  two  more  foundries,  four  or 
five  wagon  shops,  thirteen  cooper  shops,  a  fanning-mill  shop, 
three  ship  yards,  two  of  them  with  steam  machinery,  and 
two  brick  yards  were  turning  out  from  300,000  to  800,000 
beautiful  cream  brick  annually.  In  1870  there  were  seven- 
teen grist-mills  and  twenty-six  saw-mills.  The  value  of 
leather  manufactured  was  ^200,000;  wagon  stufl"  shipped, 
§30,000;  cooper's  stuff,  $30,000.  The  immense  strides 
which  have  been  made  in  manufacturing,  covering  a  large 
range  of  products,  will  be  noted  with  justifiable  pride,  as 
shown  in  the  portion  of  this  history  devoted  to  the  city  of 
Sheboygan  and  the  several  towns  respectively. 

In  taking  the  land  in  a  state  of  nature  and  improving  it 
until  the  "  wilderness  shall  blossom  as  the  rose,"  a  vast 
amount  of  wealth  is  created — wrought  out  by  hard  toil 
and  careful  economy.  This  is  the  most  substantial  form 
of  wealth,  and  is  the  truest  political  economy.  After  a 
quarter  of  a  century  of  growth,  Sheboygan  County  con- 
tained, in  1860,  a  population  of  27,082,  residing  in  5,469 
dwelling-houses.  The  value  of  the  real  estate  was  $5,211,- 
021,  and  the  number  of  acres  of  improved  land  was  107,- 
245.  The  value  of  personal  property  was  $1,542,532. 
The  value  of  agricultural  products  was  $562,403,  and  of 
manufactured  articles,  $722,140.  In  1870,  31,75!*  people 
lived  in  5,738  dwellings,  and  owned  real  estate  to  the 
amount  of  $11,366,540,  of  which  150,093  acres  was  im- 
proved land,  and  possessed  personal  property  to  the  amount 
of  4,252,611.  The  value  of  agricultural  products  was 
$2,076,892,  and  of  manufiictured  articles,  $1,765,953.  In 
the  year  1880,  the  population  numbered  34,221.  The  re- 
.sulta  of  the  census  of  that  year  are  not  yet  published,  re- 
lating to  the  enumeration  and  valuation  of  property,  but  a 


fair  estimate,  calculated  upon  the  basis  of  the  assessed  valu- 
ation, shows  a  real  property  valuation  of  $14,318;528,  and 
personal  property  amounting  to  $4,686,822.  The  state- 
ment of  agricultural  products  given  elsewhere,  shows  a 
large  increase  of  value  over  1870  in  some  articles,  notably 
in  the  immense  production  of  cheese.  The  value  of  man- 
factured  articles  in  above  figures  does  not  include  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  manufactories,  but  only  articles  owned  and 
used  by  the  people  of  the  county.  When  to  the  figures 
already  given  are  added  the  values  of  all  manufactured  prod- 
ucts of  the  great  factories  now  in  operation,  and  the  prop- 
erty exempt  from  taxation,  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the 
wealth  of  Sheboygan  reaches  vast  proportions. 

THE    WAR    PERIOD. 

Sheboygan  County  bore  bravely  its  portion  in  that  great 
struggle,  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
men,  in  the  strength  of  their  prime  and  vigor  of  young  man- 
hood, devoted  themselves  to  the  cause  of  their  country, 
while  those  who  stayed  to  care  for  the  business  interests  at 
home  showed  their  loyalty  and  patriotism  in  other  ways. 
No  sooner  had  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  reached 
Sheboygan,  than  her  citizens  were  roused  at  once  in  patri- 
otic indigna.tion,  and  rallied  immediately  to  respond  to  the 
call  of  President  Lincoln  for  the  handful  of  troops  with 
which  it  was  thought  to  quell  rebellion  and  restore  the  stars 
and  stripes  to  the  ascendancy  on  rebel  soil.  On  Sunday, 
April  14,  1861,  meetings  were  held  in  Sheboygan  and 
throughout  the  county  to  urge  the  enlistment  of  volunteers, 
and  on  the  following  Sunday,  the  21st  of  April,  the  first 
company  was  organized  under  Capt.  Edmund  B.  Gray, 
afterward  known  as  Company  C,  Fourth  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  which  regiment  was  subsequently  re-organ- 
ized as  a  cavalry  regiment.  This  regiment  went  into  camp 
at  Racine,  and  on  the  28th  of  June  Company  C  was  ordered 
to  Milwaukee,  to  aid  in  quelling  a  riot,  where  the  first  She- 
boygan man  was  killed  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  as 
a  soldier.  W.  V.  Reed  is  reported  on  the  muster  roll  as 
accidentally  killed  in  the  State  service  on  the  29th  of  June, 
1861.  On  the  15th  of  July,  this  company  left  with  its 
regiment  to  go  into  active  duty  at  Baltimore.  The  company 
saw  severe  service,  and  very  many  of  its  number  lost  their 
lives  in  the  service  of  their  country. 

The  First  Regiment  Wisconsin  Infantry,  as  re  organized 
after  its  three  months'  service,  contained  two  companies 
from  Sheboygan  County — Company  II,  Capt.  Eugene  Cary, 
and  Company  I,  Capt.  Orrin  Rogers.  In  the  Eighth  Regi- 
ment, Company  B,  Capt.  D.  B.  Conger,  was  raised  in  this 
county.  This  company  afterward  enjoyed  the  honor  of 
being  the  largest  veteran  company  in  the  regiment.  Com- 
pany A,  Capt.  Frederick  Aude,  known  in  the  service  as  the 
"Sheboygan  Tiger.s."  belonged  to  the  first  exclusively  Ger- 
man regiment  which  went  into  the  war  from  Wisconsin,  the 
Ninth  Infantry.  In  the  Fourteenth  Regiment  was  Company 
H,  Capt.  C.  M.  G.  Mansfield,  enlisted  in  this  county. 
Company  E,  of  the  Seventeenth  Regiment,  was  raised  here, 
and  commanded  by  Capt.  Peter  Feagan.  Sixty  men  from 
Sheboygan  County  were  enrolled  in  Company  H,  of  the 
Twenty-sixth  Regiment,  and  were  accompanied  by  Lieut. 
Joseph  Wedig.  The  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  of  which 
Conrad  Krez,  of  Sheboygan,  was  Colonel,  and  Dr.  J.  J. 
Brown,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  contained  four  companies  of 
Sheboygan  County  volunteers,  namely.  Company  B,  Capt. 
K.  W.  Stannard  ;   Company  C,  Capt.  Fred  Schnellon  ;  Cora- 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


pany  E,   Oapt.    Alfred  Marschner;   Company  F,  Capt.  S. 

D.  Hubhavd. 

Sheboygan  County  was   well  represented  in   Company 

E,  Capt.  Jerome  Brooks,  Thirty-sixth  Regiment ;  also  in 
Company  D,  Capt.  Andrew  Patcher,  Thirty-ninth  Regiment, 
which  was  enlisted  for  100  days. 

Besides  the  companies  named,  Sheboygan  County  men 
were  scattered  through  many  other  regiments,  many  enlist- 
ing as  recruits  in  old  companies.  Some  of  these  regiments 
were  the  First  and  Fourth  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  the  Sixth, 
Nineteenth,  Thirty-seventh  and  Fifty-second  Infantry. 

A  statement  furnished  by  the  Adjutant  General  of  the 
State  shows  that  Sheboygan  County  furnished  2,21.5  sol- 
diers for  the  war,  of  which  number  only  479  were  drafted. 
There  were,  then,  1,736  volunteers,  besides  those  who  enlisted 
outside  the  county,  and  for  which  the  county  did  not  get 
credit.  The  population  of  the  county  was  27,082  in  1860. 
Separate  but  of  the  population,  the  men  capable  of  military 
duty,  and  the  2,215  who  actually  went  into  the  war,  would 
certainly  exceed  one-half  the  whole  number  capable  of 
bearing  arms.  No  further  commendation  is  needed  of  the 
patriotism  of  the  citizens  of  Sheboygan  County  than  such 
a  statement.  The  number  who  did  not  return,  and  who 
sealed  their  devotion  with  their  lives,  was  large.  Many  of 
the  companies  enumerated  above  were  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  and  some  of  them  suffered  exceptionally.  Hundreds 
of  homes  in  Sheboygan  County  could  testify  with  tears  to 
the  havoc  of  war.  Very  many  of  those  who  served  their 
country  from  this  county  were  not  born  on  American  soil, 
or  were  sons  of  those  who  were  citizens  of  the  United 
States  by  adoption  only.  But  here  as  elsewhere,  through- 
out the  nation,  foreign-born  citizens  showed  their  love  for 
the  land  which  had  given  them  homes  by  being  in  the  fore- 
front of  battle. 

The  so-called  ''Indian  scare,"  was  a  memorable  event 
in  the  history  of  the  county.  On  September  3,  1832,  the 
rumor  started  that  the  Indians  had  begun  an  uprising,  and 
that  the  whole  county  was  in  danger.  Mounted  messengers 
spread  the  report  of  burned  and  sacked  villages,  and  the 
whole  population  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  intense  excite- 
ment. People  gathered  together  in  the  villages,  armed  with 
pitch-forks,  scythes  and  such  other  weapons  as  could  be 
found.  At  Sheboygan,  the  draw  to  the  bridge  was  taken 
up  and  the  whole  city  guarded.  At  Glenbeulah  a  railroad 
train  was  kept  in  readiness  to  carry  off  the  terrified  inhab- 
itants in  case  of  attack.  All  through  the  county  people 
secured  their  valuables  and  took  measures  for  their  personal 
safety.  Many  hundreds  of  people  left  their  homes  expect- 
ing to  never  again  see  them.  It  was  a  number  of  days 
before  the  excitement  died  away.  How  and  where  this 
"scare  "  originated,  is  unknown,  but  the  public  excitement 
over  the  Indian  atrocities  at  New  Ulm  and  Mankato,  led 
people  to  ignore  the  utter  impossibility  of  such  scenes  being 
enacted  here. 

TORNADO    OF    1873. 

The  most  severe  tornado  which  ever  visited  this  region 
swept  over  Sheboygan  County  on  the  4th  of  July,  1873. 
A  dense  fog  prevailed,  accompanied  with  a  chilly  wind  from 
the  lake.  About  11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  a  violent  storm 
of  wind  and  rain,  accompanied  by  terrific  lightning  and 
thunder  arose  and  raged  with  fearful  force  for  the  space  of 
twenty  minutes  before  its  power  began  to  wane.  Short  as 
the  time  was,  it  was  long  enough  to  cause  much  damage  in 
the   destruction    of  trees,  the  nverthrow   and   unroofing  of 


houses,  the  prostration  of  growing  crops  and  in  many  other 
ways.  In  the  city  of  Sheboygan,  trees  fifteen  or  .sixteen 
inches  in  diameter  were  snapped  off  like  reeds,  and  a  large 
number  were  prostrated  to  the  ground,  oftentimes  doing 
damage  to  houses,  fruit  trees  and  fences  in  their  fall.  Nu- 
merous chimneys  were  thrown  down,  and  injuries  done  to 
dwellings  by  their  fall  in  several  cases.  Turner  Hall  and 
the  court  house  as  well  as  private  residences  suffered  from 
this  cause.  Tin  roofs  were  rolled  up  or  torn  entirely  off. 
The  smoke  stacks  of  the  two  chair  factories,  Freyberg's 
mill,  Bertschey's  elevator,  Vollrath  &.  Co.'s  steel  foundry. 
Look,  Waechter  &  Co.'s  box  factory,  and  Zschetsche  & 
Heyer's  tannery  wei-e  blown  down.  About  one-third  of  the 
roof  of  the  latter  building  was  carried  away  with  a  quantity 
of  bark.  The  roof  of  the  large  Empire  tannery  was  raised 
over  a  foot  in  height  and  dropped  down  without  further 
damage.  The  frames  for  two  dwelling  houses  on  Niagara 
street  were  prostrated,  and  the  engine  house  of  the  Lake 
Shore  Railroad  was  laid  flat.  The  sails  of  several  vessels 
in  the  harbor  were  torn  in  shreds,  even  when  closely  furled. 
Vessels  were  torn  from  their  moorings  and  three  were  driven 
against  the  Eighth  street  bridge,  one  of  them  moving  the 
south  end  several  feet  from  its  position  and  necessitating 
repairs.  In  one  instance  a  two-inch  oak  plank,  fourteen 
feet  long  was  taken  up  by  the  wind  and  thrust  through  the 
side  of  a  box  car.  The  roofs  of  the  buildings  belonging  to 
the  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company's  chair  works  were 
stripped  clean  of  their  gravel  and  cement  covering.  Whole 
piles  of  lumber  were  sent  flying.  The  aggregate  loss  in 
the  city  was  considerable,  but  fortunately  the  injury  to  life 
was  limited  to  the  breaking  of  a  woman's  arm,  in  the  Third 
Ward,  from  the  falling  of  a  shop  on  the  premises.  Outside 
of  the  city,  several  buildings  were  blown  down  on  Judge 
Taylor's  farm,  as  were  most  of  the  barns  along  the  gravel 
road  to  Sheboygan  Falls.  Sixteen  buildings  were  reported 
blown  down  or  unroofed  on  the  Fond  du  Lac  road  before 
reaching  Plymouth.  Forty-two  barns  are  said  to  have  suf- 
fered from  the  hurricane  in  the  town  of  Rhine.  At  Elk- 
hart Lake  and  at  Howard's  Grove,  several  buildings  were 
blown  down,  including  three  dwellings.  At  Plymouth, 
buildings  were  unroofed,  and  a  maple  grove  laid  low.  Al- 
together, it  was  such  a  celebration  of  the  national  anniver- 
sary by  the  elements  as  this  section  does  not  care  to  witness 
again. 

SHEBOY'GAN. 

A  gentleman  who  made  the  trip  from  Green  Bay  to 
Chicago  by  steamer,  as  long  ago  as  1845,  wrote  a  com- 
munication to  an  eastern  papei%  in  which  he  spoke  of  She- 
boygan as  follows :  "  This  I  found  to  be  a  place  about 
which  not  so  much  has  been  said,  yet  one  of  the  most 
romantic  and  promising  villages  on  the  entire  lake.  More 
natural  advantages  center  here  to  make  this,  in  time,  a  large 
and  splendid  city,  than  any  other  place  within  my  knowl- 
c<lge."  "There  is  no  city  on  the  lakes  more  pleasantly 
located  than  Sheboygan."  So  said  the  leading  newspaper 
of  Wisconsin  a  decade  ago,  and  the  truthfulness  of  the 
statement  is  indorsed  by  every  visitor  of  to-day.  The  She- 
boygan River  enters  the  city  at  a  point  a  little  soutli  of  the 
middle  point  of  the  western  boundary  line,  runs  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  nearly  to  the  northern  limit  of  the  orig- 
inal plat,  curves  to  the  east,  then  makes  a  broad  sweep  to  the 
southeast,  reaching  a  point  several  blocks  below  a  middle 
line  run  from  east  to  west  across  the  city,  when  it  curves 


976 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHKKX    WISCONSIN. 


sharply  to  the  north  for  a  few  blocks  and  turning  uast 
empties  itself  immediately  into  the  lake,  affording  two  miles 
of  navigation  within  the  city  limits.  On  the  beautiful  ele- 
vated plateau  north  and  east  of  the  river,  undulated  along 
the  lake  and  dotted  with  fine  groves  (giving  to  it  the  name  of 
"  Evergreen  City  "),  is  situated  the  residence  and  main  busi- 
ness portion  of  the  city.  Most  of  the  great  manufacturing 
interests  are  located  on  the  south  and  west  banks  of  the 
river.  The  city  is  admirably  located,  geographically,  for 
commerce  and  manufacturing,  and  its  facilities  for  com- 
munication, both  by  rail  and  water,  are  complete.  The  town 
of  Sheboygan  is  No.  15  north,  Range  2-S  east.  The 
original  plat  of  the  village  comprised  fractional  Section  23, 
oast  half  of  Section  22,  northeast  quarter   of   Section    27 


plat  of  the  village  was  surveyed.  The  owners  of  the  prop- 
erty were  George  Smith,  Daniel  Whitney,  William  Bruce 
and  Seth  Ilees,  all  nonresidents,  to  which  fact  was  due,  in 
part,  at  least,  the  delay  in  the  permanent  growth  of  the 
place  at  the  outset.  In  August,  of  1836,  Charles  D.  Cole 
and  family  settled  here  and  were  soon  followed  by  other 
families,  as  related  in  the  record  of  the  early  settlement  of 
the  county.  A  charter  was  granted  incorporating  the  vil- 
lage of  Sheboygan,  by  the  Legislature  of  1846,  and  an 
election  for  choosing  officers  was  held  on  the  9th  of  Feb- 
ruary of  that  year.  The  result  was  as  follows :  President, 
H.  H.  Conklin;  Trustees.  Warren  Smith,  J.  L.  Moore, 
William  Farnsworth,  R.  V.  Harriman  :  Clerk,  D.  U.  Har- 
rington;  Treasurer.  Van   Epps  Young:   Assessor,    Stephen 


^ri¥^ 


"-^^1 


and  fractional  north  half  of  Section  20.  Additions  were 
made  from  time  to  time  on  the  north  and  on  the  south,  the 
present  legal  boundaries  being  as  follows :  Commencing  on 
the  lake  shore  in  east  and  west  section  line  of  Section  14, 
running  west  on  quarter- section  line  of  Sections  14  and  15 
to  the  center  of  Section  15,  thence  south  on  north  and 
south  quarter  section  lines  of  Sections  15,  22  and  27  to 
south  quarter  post  of  Section  27,  thence  east  on  section 
lines  of  27  and  26  to  the  lake  shore,  thence  north  along 
lake  shore  to  beginning,  embracing  about  1,850  acres. 

In  1835,  William  Paine  and  Wooster  Harrison  built 
cabins  within  the  limits  of  the  present  city  of  Sheboygan, 
but  as  they  stayed  only  a  short  time,  they  can  hardly  be 
called  the  first  residents.      In    the  winter  of  1835-36,  the 


Wolverton;  Constable,  Robert  Watterson.  The  city  of 
Sheboygan  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the  Legislature 
March  19,  1853,  chapter  94,  private  and  local  laws  of 
1853.  The  first  election  under  the  charter  was  held  on 
Tuesday  April  5,  1853.  The  following  officers  were 
elected:  Mayor,  H.  H.  Conklin;  Clerk,  C.  E.  Morris; 
Treasurer,  Kasper  Guck  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  J.  J. 
Brown ;  Marshal,  George  Throop ;  Police  Justice,  D.  Man- 
ville.  The  city  was  divided  into  two  wards,  and  the  Alder- 
men elected  were :  First  Ward,  G.  H.  Smith,  Jas.  Fagan, 
John  Deitzel;  Second  Ward,  Jas.  Hogan,  Joseph  Schrage, 
John  Gee.  The  following  is  the  list  of  Mayors  who  have 
been  elected  from  the  organization  to  the  present  time  with 
dates  of  their  service:     H.  H.  Conklin,  from  April,  1853, 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


977 


to  August,  185b;  F.  R.  Townsend,  August,  1853,  to  April, 
1854;  J.  F.  Kirkland,  1854  to  1855;  E.  Fox  Cook,  1855 
to  1857;  Z.  P.  Mason,  1857  to  1858;  W.  N.  Shafter, 
1858  to  1859  ;  Z.  P.  Mason,  1859  to  1860  ;  Bille  Williams, 
1860  to  1862;  Godfrey  Stamm,  1862  to  1863:  J.  L. 
Moore,  1863  to  1867;"  J.  0.  Thayer,  1867  to  1868; 
Francis  Geele,  1868  to  1870;  Thos.  M.  Blackstock,  1870 
to  1871;  William  Elwell,  1871  to  1872;  T.  M.  Black- 
stock,  1872  to  1873;  James  Bell,  1873  to  1874;  B.  Will- 
iams, 1874  to  1875  ;  George  End,  1875  to  1876;  F.  Geele, 
1876  to  1879;  George  End,  1879  to  1880;  F.  Geele,  1880 
to  1881.  The  present  city  officers  are  :  Mayor,  William  H. 
Seaman  ;  Clerk,  W.  Kunz  ;  Comptroller,  M.  H.  Wilgus  ; 
Treasurer,  J.  H.  Abrahams;  City  Attorney.  Conrad  Krez ; 
Assessor,  Joseph  Bast;  Marshal,  Louis  Otte.  The  School 
Commissioners  are  L.  D.  Harvey,  Superintendent,  Joseph 
Bast  and  James  Bell.  The  city  now  embraces  five  wards, 
each  represented  by  three  Aldermen. 

For  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  permanent  water  supply, 
the  city  of  Sheboygan  determined,  in  the  spring  of  1875,  to 
bore  an  artesian  well  in  the  park.  The  contract  was  let  to 
John  Dobyns,  who  completed  it  to  the  depth  of  1,475  feet 
in  October  following.  An  abundant  supply  of  water  was 
found  at  this  depth,  with  a  pressure  of  52t  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  sufficient  to  raise  a  column  114  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  well  cost  the  city  about  $5,000. 
A  tasteful  house,  octagon  in  shape,  and  surmounted  by  a 
bronze  statue  of  Hebe,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,600,  and 
a  large  and  handsome  fountain  in  the  center  of  the  park,  at 
a  further  outlay  of  $700  more.  The  water  is  richly  impreg- 
nated with  mineral  salts,  possessing  medicinal  value,  as  shown 
by  the  following  analysis  made  by  Prof.  C.  F.  Chandler, 
Ph.  D.,  of  the  Columbia  College  School  of  Mines,  New 
York :  0R.,Ks. 

Chloride  of  Sodium 306.9436. 

Chloride  of  Potassium 14.4822. 

Chloride  of  Lithium 0.1062. 

Chloride  of  Magnesium 54.9139. 

Chloride  of  Calcium 27.8225. 

Bromide  of  Sodium 0.1873. 

Iodide  of  Sodium Trace. 

Sulph.ate  of  Lime 169.8277. 

Sulphate  of  Baryta Trace. 

Bi-carbonate  of  Lime 13.6585. 

Bi-carbonate  of  Iron 0.5944. 

Bi-carbonate  of  .Alanganese 0.1742. 

Phosphate  of  Lime 0.0383. 

Biborate  of  Soda Trace. 

Alumina 0.1283. 

Silica 0.4665. 

Organic  Matter Trace. 

Total  588.2536. 

Density 1.0093. 

The  medicinal  effect  of  the  water  seems  to  be  laxative, 
diuretic  and  tonic.  Physicians  recommend  its  use  for  dys- 
pepsia, rheumatism,  faulty  action  of  the  liver  and  functional 
derangements  of  the  kidneys  and  bowels.  The  water  is  very 
saline  to  the  taste ;  but  becomes  grateful  after  frequent  use. 
Its  value  in  the  bath  is  undoubted.  It  is  put  up  for  ship- 
ment, under  a  lease  from  the  city,  by  the  Sheboygan  Min- 
eral Water  Company,  composed  of  E.  R  Richards,  H.  H. 
Kuentz  and  E.  W.  Koch.  The  water  is  put  up  in  its 
natural  state  in  lined  kegs  or  barrels,  and  also  is  artificially 
charged  with  carbonic  acid  gas,  giving  it  the  healthful  sparkle 
of  seltzer,  and  put  up  in  quart  bottles  and  stone  jugs.  The 
park  and  well  are  in  charge  of  a  Board  of  Commissioners, 
consisting  of  Mayor  William  H.  Seaman,  Chairman  ;  Frank 
62 


Geele,  Conrad  Krez,  Christian  Fricke  and  Gustav  Mitwede. 
Col.  Krez,  who  labored  industriously  to  secure  the  digging 
of  the  well,  is  Clerk  of  the  Board. 

The  protection  of  the  city  against  fire  was  early  con- 
sidered by  the  citizens  of  Sheboygan,  and  a  hand  fire  engine 
was  purchased  about  twenty-five  years  ago.  Ten  years 
later,  another  hand  engine  was  provided,  and,  in  1872,  the 
present  steam  fire  engine  was  purchased.  The  fire  depart- 
ment has  received  appropriations  from  the  city  treasury  for 
many  years,  and,  since  the  purchase  of  the  steamer,  it  may 
be  said  that  Sheboygan  has  had  a  paid  fire  department  in 
the  usual  acceptance  of  that  term.  The  department  now 
consists  of  a  steam  fire  engine,  attended  by  an  engineer  and 
a  fireman ;  the  Steamer  Hose  Company,  consisting  of  10 
men  ;  the  Sherman  Engine  Company,  38  men  ;  the  Union 
Fire  Company,  27  men,  and  a  hook  and  ladder  company, 
15  men.  Henry  Boyle  is  Chief  Engineer.  These  facilities 
for  protection  against  fire  are  supplemented  by  the  artesian 
well,  from  which  3,086  feet  of  pipe  have  been  laid  along 
the  principal  streets.  The  mains  are  tapped  by  ten  hydrants, 
to  which  hose  can  be  attached,  the  pressure  of  the  water  in 
the  pipes  being  sufficient  to  carry  it  higher  than  the  highest 
buildings.     Thus  the  city  is  well  protected. 

The  business  of  the  banks  of  a  city  fairly  indicate  the 
growth  of  its  prosperity.  Sheboygan  is  well  served  in  this 
respect,  and  the  increase  of  business  done  through  the  banks 
speaks  well  of  the  enterprise  and  thrift  of  the  city. 

The  first  bank  in  the  city  was  the  Bank  of  Sheboygan, 
established  in  1851,  by  F.  R.  Townsend,  which  was  after- 
ward incorporated.  It  has  done  a  large  business  from  the 
commencement.  The  first  officers  were  W.  W.  King,  Pres- 
ident;  F.  R.  Townsend,  Cashier.  In  1873,  this  bank 
organized  under  the  national  banking  system,  with  the  title 
First  National  Bank,  and  issued  §50,000  of  currency,  all 
of  which  has  now  been  redeemed.  The  bank  has  a  capital 
of  $50,000,  and  its  deposits  amount  to  $200,000.  The 
present  officers  are  F.  R.  Townsend,  President ;  H.  F. 
Piderit,  Cashier. 

The  German  Bank  was  organized  June  25,  1856,  and 
began  business  July  1  of  that  year.  The  original  capital 
was  $25,000,  which  was  increa'sed  to  $50,000,  November 
26,  1856.  After  the  first  half  year's  business,  the  demand 
deposits  amounted  to  $24,492.82,  and  loans  and  discounts 
to  $29,966.  On  July  4,  1881,  the  demand  and  time 
deposits  of  this  bank  amounted  to  $744,951.27,  and  the 
loans  and  discounts  to  $458,115.50.  The  business  of  the 
bank  is  about  evenly  divided  between  the  manufacturing 
and  agricultural  interests.  The  first  officers  were  John 
Ewing,  President;  James  H.  Mead,  Cashier.  The  follow- 
ing year,  George  C.  Cole  was  elected  Vice  President,  and 
held  the  position  until  1865,  when  he  was  elected  President. 
This  position  he  held  until  1875,  when  the  present  officers 
were  elected,  namely,  J.  H.  Mead,  President ;  Fritz  Karste, 
Cashier ;   George  Heller,  Assistant  Cashier. 

The  Sheboygan  Merchants'  Assotnation  was  organized 
January  24,  1874,  and  incorporated  February  14  of  the 
same  year.  The  first  officers  were  :  Thomas  M.  Black- 
stock.  President ;  Ernest  Lohman,  Secretary  ;  and  Joseph 
End,  Tretisurer.  The  object  of  the  association  is  buying 
and  selling  wheat  and  other  produce.  It  owns  and  uses 
the  Holstein  elevator  in  its  business.  The  present  officers 
are  the  same  as  when  the  association  was  organized.  The 
officers,  with  John  H.  Plath  and  Fred  Koehn,  form  the 
Board  of  Directors. 


97S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


CHDRCHES. 

The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Sheboygan  was 
organized  August  IT,  1845,  embracing  members  from  all 
parts  of  the  county.  A  house  of  worship  was  built  in 
1847.  the  frame  being  once  blown  down  while  building, 
and  was  dedicated  in  November  of  that  year.  It  was  lo- 
cated on  Seventh  street,  near  Center.  A  bell,  weighing 
925   pounds,  was  purchased  and  first  rung  in   September, 

1849.  In  1852,  the  church  was  enlarged  by  the  erection 
of  a  new  front  and  tower.  In  1867,  the  building  was  re- 
moved to  its  present  site  on  Seventh  street,  between  Niagara 
and  Ontario  streets.  Here  extensive  repairs  and  improve- 
ments were  made,  and  the  edifice  rededicated  December  18, 
1867.  A  small  scliool  building  was  joined  on  to  the  rear 
of  the  church  in  1870,  to  be  used  for  the  social  meetings 
of  the  church  and  for  Sunday-school  purposes.  A  kitchen 
was  also  built  on.  In  1847,  eighteen  members  were  dis- 
missed to  form  a  church  at  Sheboygan  Falls.  In  1849, 
Rev.  H.  Lyman  and  three  ladies  withdrew,  and,  with  others, 
formed  a  Presbyterian  Church,  which  was  in  1852  dis- 
solved, the  members  again  joining  the  Congregational 
Church.  In  the  year  1872,  a  library  of  miscellaneous  and 
and  standard  literature  was  organized  under  the  auspices  of 
the  church,  and  devoted  to  general  use.  This  library,  com- 
prising about  seven  hundred  volumes,  was  transferred  to 
the  Sheboygan  Library  Association  in  the  year  1880. 

Rev.  Stephen  Peet,  of  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society,  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  church,  and 
public  services  were  at  once  begun  by  Rev.  H.  Lyman. 
He  remained  as  pastor  until  October,  1848.  Rev.  W.  S. 
Blanchard  officiated  from   November,  1848,  to  November, 

1850.  From  that  time  until  November,  1852,  Rev.  Thomas 
H.  Rood  served  the  church  as  its  pastor.  Rev.  C.  W. 
Camp  was  then  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  commenced  his 
labors  March  13,  1853,  being  installed  November  30  of 
that  year.  May  23,  1864,  he  resigned,  and  preached  his 
farewell  sermon  July  3,  following.  On  the  1st  of  January, 
1866,  Rev.  N.  A.  Millerd  began  to  preach  in  this  church, 
and  closed  his  labors  February   28,   1869.     In   the   year 


followine 


call 


extended  to   Rev.  0.  C.  McCulloch, 


which   was  accepted,  and  he  began    his  service  as   pastor 
July  10,    1870.      Ilis  resignation   was   accepted   July    18, 

1877.  Rev.   J.  B.   Bidwell   preached    from    January    18, 

1878,  until  June  1,  1881,  since  which  time  the  church  has 
been  without  a  pastor. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  the  summer 
of  1847,  a  similar  society  having  previously  transferred 
their  location  to  Sheboygan  Falls.  In  1848,  the  erection 
of  a  church  edifice  was  begun  on  Wisconsin  street,  between 
Seventh  and  Eighth,  and  the  first  service  was  held  in  the 
basement  March  25,  1849.  In  the  month  of  November  of 
that  year,  a  bell,  weighing  1,039  pounds,  was  put  into  the 
tower.  The  building  was  dedicated  May  20,  1851.  On 
the  12th  of  August,  1850,  the  church  was  re-organized, 
and  a  new  statement  of  belief  and  important  items  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  the  church  put  upon  record, 
because  the  previous  records  had  been  destroyed  by  fire. 
Rev.  P.  Work  was  the  first  Pastor,  and  sustained  this  rela- 
tion to  the  church  until  the  summer  of  1858.  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  0.  D.  Taylor,  who  remained  one  year. 
September  1,  1859,  Rev.  Aaron  Potter  began  preaching, 
and  received  a  call  to  become  Pastor  of  the  church,  which 
he  accepted  October  6,  and  remained  one  year.  Rev.  P. 
Work  was  again  called  to  the  pastorate,  beginning  his  sec- 


ond term  of  service  December  29,  1861,  and  resigned  May 
15,  1864.  A  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Simpson  Todd 
September  18,  1866,  and  he  preached  his  last  sermon  July 
31,  1870.  Occasional  services  were  held,  and  the  Germans 
had  the  use  of  the  church  to  hold  meetings,  until  in  1876 
the  Americans  and  Germans  united  in  a  call  to  Rev.  Carl 
Jurgensen,  who  came  July  3,  1876,  since  which  time  the 
services  have  been  held  in  the  English  and  German  lan- 
guages alternately.  Mr.  Jurgensen  tendered  his  resignation 
August  4,  1879,  to  take  place  October  1.  Rev.  A.  H.  P. 
Wilson  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  began  his  labors 
November  1.  1880,  and  is  now  the  Pastor. 

Grace  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  April  4,  1847. 
Rev.  L.  W.  Davis  was  the  first  Rector,  and  was  present  at 
the  organization  of  the  church,  and  began  his  ministrations 
immediately.  In  May,  1856,  Rev.  J.  B.  Pratt  was  called 
to  the  rectorship.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  S.  Pea- 
body.  Kev.  Robert  W.  Blow,  the  present  Rector,  came  to 
the  church  as  its  Rector  April  6,  1863.  In  1869,  the 
present  edifice  was  erected,  and  consecrated  in  July,  1870. 

The  Church  of  the  Holy  Name,  Catholic,  started  as  a 
mission  about  the  year  1816,  ministered  to  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Berhl.  In  1849,  a  priest.  Rev.  Francis  Etschmai,  was 
regularly  stationed  here.  The  first  church  was  built  in 
1850,  and  is  now  used  as  the  priest's  residence.  Three 
years  later,  the  church  which  is  now  used  as  a  school  build- 
ing was  erected.  Rev.  Michael  Haider,  the  present  Pastor, 
came  to  Sheboygan  in  1862.  The  erection  of  the  present 
massive  stone  edifice,  with  its  two  towers  170  feet  in  height, 
was  entered  upon,  and  in  1872  the  church  was  dedicated. 
The  membership  has  increased,  and  the  regular  attendance 
is  900  at  the  present  time. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church  of  the  Trinity  was 
organized  in  1853,  with  a  membership  of  about  twenty-five, 
and  a  church  building  bought  in  the  same  year.  A  pipe 
organ  was  obtained  for  the  church  in  1863.  The  present 
handsome  church  edifice  was  built  in  1869,  and  a  chime  of 
bells  placed  in  the  tower.  A  school  of  250  scholars  and 
four  teachers  is  supported  by  the  church.  The  church  is 
free  of  debt,  and  has  a  membership  of  about  225.  The 
Pastors  of  the  church,  in  the  order  of  their  succession,  have 
been  as  follows  :  Revs.  Eisfeld,  F.  Steinbach,  A.  D.  Stecker, 
P.  Spehr,  C.  M.  Zorn  and  Rev.  J.  G.  Goehringer. 

St.  Peter's  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was 
organized  and  a  church  built  in  1872.  At  that  time  there 
were  33  voting  members.  At  present  there  are  69  voting 
members,  and  a  total  membership  of  274.  Rev.  L.  Niet- 
mann  has  been  Pastor  from  its  first  organization.  The  can- 
non from  wliich  the  bell  of  the  church  was  made  was 
captured  from  the  French  at  Sedan,  and  presented  directly 
to  the  congregation  by  the  Emperor  William  of  Germany. 
The  first  Methodist  preacher  to  locate  here  was  Rev.  J. 
S.  Prescott,  who  came  in  1846.  Services  were  at  first  held 
in  the  schoolhouse.  A  church  buihiing  was  erected  on 
Eighth  street  in  1849.  In  1880,  the  church  was  removed 
to  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Ontario  streets,  and  remodeled. 
The  present  Pastor  is  Rev.  John  Elliott. 

The  German  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1850. 
Their  church  edifice,  on  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Erie 
streets,  was  built  in  1851.  The  present  membership  is 
about  eighty- five.  Rev.  A.  Kellner  was  the  first  Pastor  of 
the  church,  and  Rev.  William  Hohle  is  the  present  one. 

The  Evangelical  Association  was  formed  in  1848.  The 
church,  on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Erie  streets,  was  built 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY 


979 


about  fifteen  years  ago,  and  is  called  Immanuel  Churcli. 
The  present  Pastor  is  Rev.  J.  Gr.  Kern. 

The  Norwegian  Methodist  Church  was  built  in  1867. 
The  first  Pastor  was  Rev.  E.  H.  Johnson,  and  the  present 
one  ia  Rev.  Mr.  Houge. 

The  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  and 
a  church  built  in  1867.  Rev.  Mr.  Margelson  is  the  present 
Pastor. 

SOCIETIES. 

The  first  pioneer  gathering  met  at  the  Warren  House, 
Sheboygan,  on  Tuesday  evening,  January  22,  1867.  One 
hundred  and  seventy-five  persons  were  present,  being 
invited  and  entertained  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Gibbs. 
After  talking  over  old  times,  it  was  proposed  to  organize  a 
pioneer  association,  which  was  effected  by  the  election  of 
Hon.  David  Taylor,  President ;  A.  G.  Dye  and  John  John- 
son, Vice  Presidents,  and  H.  N.  Ross,  Secretary.  The 
annual  gatherings  of  this  society  have  been  exceedingly 
pleasant  occasions.  The  present  officers  are  George  End, 
President,  J.  0.  Thayer,  Secretary. 

Sheboygan  is  favored  with  the  usual  quota  of  various 
secret  orders,  and  is  especially  well  provided  with  benevo- 
lent, mutual  aid  and  insurance  organizations,  as  the  follow- 
ing list  shows : 

Harmony  Chapter,  No.  10,  R.  A.  M.,  was  organized  in 
1845,  with  six  charter  members.  It  numbers  forty-three 
members  at  the  present  time,  and  the  officers  are  J.  L.  Mal- 
lory,  H.  P.;  L.  Smith,  Jr.,  Secretary. 

Sheboygan  Lodge,  No.  11,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  char- 
tered May  2y,  18-47.  Present  membership,  fiftv-four.  Offi- 
cers:  G.  L.  Holmes,  W.  M. ;  H.  W.  Kalk,  Secretary. 

Evergreen  Encampment,  No.  41,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  insti- 
tuted April  1,  1871,  by  five  charter  members,  and  has  a 
present  membership  of  fifty.  The  officers  are  Charles 
Oehler,  G.  P. ;  L.  Boettie,  H.  P. ;  F.  Hoppe,  Scribe. 

Sheboygan  Lodge,  No.  13,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  originally 
organized  in  1846,  but  was  re-instituted  under  its  present 
charter  January  23,  1877,  with  five  charter  members. 
Sixty-three  members  are  now  on  the  roll.  William  Braasch 
is  N.  G.  ;  L.  Wolfsen,  V.  G.  ;  H.  N.  Ross,  Secretary. 

Schiller  Lodge,  No.  68,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  instituted  May 
26,  1852.  Its  present  membership  is  about  one  hundred. 
Officers:  Peter  Schueller,  N.  G. ;  William  Apel,  V.  G. ;  F. 
Reis,  Secretary. 

The  Sheboygan  Turnverein  Society  was  organized  in 
1878,  and  prospered  for  some  years.  At  present,  although 
the  society  has  not  disbanded,  it  is  not  in  active  opera- 
tion. 

The  Gesang-Verein  Concordia,  organized  February  9, 
1860.  with  eight  members.  The  society  now  has  on  its  roll 
forty-eight  active  members,  thirty-five  gentlemen  and  thir- 
teen ladies,  and  forty  passive  members.  The  Musical 
Director  is  William  Nehrlich,  President,  Henry  Wiehn, 
Secretary,  Joseph  Behrens. 

Home  Lodge,  No.  397,  Knights  of  Honor,  was  organized 
November  11,  1876,  with  twenty-three  charter  members, 
now  increased  to  forty-five.  Officers :  Alfred  Marschner, 
D.,  A.  Rabe,  Jr.,  Rep. 

Oak  Council.  No.  509,  Royal  Arcanum,  organized  Au- 
gust 12,  1880,  with  eighteen  charter  members.  Present 
membership,  twenty-five.  William  Braasch,  Regent ;  Will 
Fairweather,  Secretary. 

St.  Boiiifacius  Society,  branch  of  the  Central  Society, 
was  organized  in  August,  1873.      The  original   membership 


was  fifteen,  and  present  number,  ninety-six.  Anton 
Hammes,  President,  Frank  Gottsacker,  Secretary. 

Guttenburg  Lodge,  No.  68,  Ancient  Order  United 
Workmen,  was  organized  in  June,  1879,  with  twenty-two 
charter  members.  The  society  has  a  present  membership 
of  forty-three.  Fritz  Feigner,  M.  W.,  Fred  Augspurger, 
Foreman  ;   Herman  Buchheira,   Secretary. 

Sheboygan  Haine,  No.  10,  Druids,  organized  in  1872, 
with  fifteen  charter  members,  has  now  fifty-five  members. 
W.  Grothe,  President,  John  Hameleau,  Secretary. 

Armenia  Lodge,  No.  26,  Sons  of  Hermann,  established 
December  29,  1874.  Charter  members,  twenty.  Present 
number,  sixty-five.  C.  H.  Harms,  President ;  August 
Look,  Secretary. 

Sheboygan  Gegenseitiger  Arbeiter  Unterstuetzungs- 
Verein,  or  Laborers'  Association,  organized  in  April,  1877, 
with  eight  charter  members.  Present  membership,  seventy- 
eight.  Frank  Gottsacker,  President ;  William  Treick, 
Secretary. 

Sheboygan  Gegenseitiger  Kranken  Unterstuetzungs- 
Verein,  or  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  organized  December 
27,  1868.  Charter  members,  fifteen ;  present  number, 
about  one  hundred.  Abraham  Moser,  President ;  Henry 
Schildcr,  Secretary. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

In  the  year  1845,  several  numbers  of  a  paper  called 
the  Sheboygan  Gazette,  were  issued  by  Thomas  C.  Horner 
&  Co.,  and  printed  in  the  East.  It  was  designed  to  adver- 
tise the  town,  and  to  let  the  people  of  the  East  know  what 
there  was  here  to  invite  settlers,  and  served  the  purpose 
well. 

The  first  regular  newspaper  published  in  Sheboygan,  was 
one  established  by  J.  M.  Gillett,  called  the  Sheboygan  Mer- 
cury, the  first  number  of  which  appeared  in  February,  1847. 
George  W.  Gillett  was  the  publisher  of  the  paper,  and  G. 
Morrison  Gillett  edited  it  until  the  autumn  following. 
March  1,  1848,  H.  N.  Ross  took  editorial  charge  and 
wrote  for  it  until  after  the  fall  election,  at  which  he  was 
elected  Probate  Judge.  George  W.  Gillett  continued  to  run 
the  Mercury  until  after  election  in  1852,  when  the  office 
was  sold  to  Henry  F.  Eastman.  On  the  1st  of  January, 
1853,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Sheboygan 
CJironicJe.  About  that  time.  Rev.  H.  Lyman  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  office  and  edited  the  paper  about  six  months, 
when  he  withdrew  and  Eastman  continued  it  the  balance  of 
the  year.  On  the  1st  of  February,  1854,  II.  N.  Ross  pur- 
chased the  concern,  and  after  putting  the  paper  in  a  new 
dress  of  type,  issued  his  first  number  February  24,  under 
the  name  of  the  Evergreen  City  Times,  and  is  still,  after 
more  than  twenty-seven  years,  its  editor  and  proprietor. 
On  the  1st  of  January,  1869,  the  paper  was  enlarged  and 
the  name  Sheboygan  substituted  in  the  place  of  Evergreen 
City,  in  the  title.  The  Times  is  Republican  in  politics  and 
has  been  an  active  element  in  tlie  growth  of  Sheboygan. 

A  paper  called  the  Spirit  of  the  Times  was  started  in 
the  summer  of  1847,  by  Frank  Goodrich.  The  office  was 
burned  after  the  first  number  was  nearly  ready  for  the 
press.     The  paper  was  published  about  one  year. 

The  above  was  succeeded,  in  1848,  by  the  Sheboygan 
Democrat,  published  by  A.  D.  La  Due.  The  paper  lived 
a  few  years,  a  daily  issue  being  printed  for  a  brief  period. 
The  concern  was  taken  to  La  Crosse  from  here. 

In  1S50,  Jacob  Quintus  started  in  the  city  of  Sheboy- 
gan,  the   first  paper  printed  in  the  United  States  in   the 


980 


ISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    VVISCONSIM. 


Dutch  language.  It  was  called  the  Nieuwshode.  He  subse- 
quently published  also  an  English  paper,  called  the  Secretary, 
for  a  short  time.  About  the  year  1858,  the  paper  was  sold 
to  August  Pott,  who,  in  18G0,  discontinued  the  Niemvshode 
and  started  a  German  paper  called  the  Zeitunc/.  The  pub- 
lication of  the  latter  was  continued  until  December,  1872, 
Mr.  Pott  having  died  about  three  months  previously. 

The  WkcoHsin  Repuhlikaner  was  started  by  A.  Marsch- 
ner,  in  1851.  After  six  years,  the  establishment  was  pur- 
chased by  Carl  Zillier,  who  issued  from  the  office  the  first 
number  of  the  National  Dcinokrat  on  the  26th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1857,  and  has  continued  its  publication  to  the  present 
time.  It  has  taken  an  active  political  stand,  its  editor  hav- 
ing served  on  the  County  Board  for  many  years,  and  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  Legislature  several  terms.  Mr. 
Zillier  also  published  an  English  paper  called  the  Lake 
Shore  Advocate,  in  1859.     It  was  continued  nearly  a  year. 

In  the  year  1852,  F.  J.  Mills  started  a  Democratic 
paper  called  the  Lake  Journal,  which  was  continued  for 
some  years,  intermittently.  Mr.  Mills  subsequently  started 
a  paper  called  the  News,  which  was  removed  to  Sheboygan 
Falls. 

September  1,  1867,  Luther  B.  Noyes  established  the 
Herald,  at  Sheboygan  Falls.  Two  years  later,  J.  L. 
Marsh  purchased  an  interest  in  the  paper,  and  it  was 
removed  to  Sheboygan.  In  1870,  Mr.  Noyes  sold  his  inter- 
est, and  the  paper  was  continued  by  J.  L.  &  George  Marsh. 
May  1,  1881,  the  Herald  was  purchased  by  the  present 
proprietors,  A.  Marschner  &  Son,  also  publishers  of  the 
Tribune.     The  Herald  is  Republican  in  politics. 

The  Tribune,  a  German-Republican  newspaper,  was 
established  in  Fond  du  Lac  by  A.  Marschner,  August  14, 
1874.  It  was  removed  to  Sheboygan  in  April,  1875.  In 
the  autumn  of  that  year,  Mr.  Marschner  died,  and  the  busi- 
ness was  continued  by  his  widow.  On  April  1,  1880,  her 
son  Alfred  Marschner,  became  a  partner  in  the  business, 
which  was  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Marschner 
&  Son. 

The  Sheboygan  Zietung,  a  German  Republican  news- 
paper, was  established  July  1, 1880,  by  A.  W.  Pott,  who  is 
the  present  editor  and  publisher. 

LTIiKART    ASSOCIATION. 

A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Sheboygan  was  held  No- 
vember 6,  1880,  to  consider  the  advisability  of  organizing 
a  library  association.  A  committee  was  appointed,  which 
reported  to  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  on  the  8th  of  the 
same  month,  fiivoring  the  formation  of  a  joint-stock  com- 
pany, with  a  capital  of  $3,000.  The  report  was  adopted, 
and  articles  of  association  filed  with  the  Secretary  of  State. 
The  officers  elected  were.  President,  William  H.  Seaman  ; 
Vice  President,  George  End :  Secretary,  L.  D.  Harvey  ; 
Treasurer,  A.  Rabe,  Jr.  Frank  Stone  was  appointed  Li- 
brarian. One  hundred  and  twelve  siiares,  of  $10  each,  are 
paid  up.  Several  hundred  volumes,  turned  over  by  the 
Congregational  Church,  formed  a  nucleus  for  a  librar_v, 
which  has  been  increased  to  one  tliousand  volumes  of  stand- 
ard literature.  The  Association  also  provides  reading  rooms 
where  reviews,  magazines,  illustrated,  literary  and  daily 
newspapers  are  supplied.  Literary  and  musical  entertain- 
ments are  a  feature  each  Monday  evening.  The  rooms  are 
open  every  evening,  and  Saturday  and  Sunday  afternoons. 
Any  proper  person  may  enjoy  the  use  of  the  library  and 
reading-rooms   on  the   payment  of    50   cents    every   three 


months.  Stockholders  pay  the  same  fees,  but  have  given 
them  a  ticket  admitting  a  person  to  the  privileges  of  the 
reading-room,  which  is  transferable.  The  families  of  stock- 
holders have  free  use  of  the  reading-room,  and  persons  in- 
troduceil  by  stockholders.  The  library  is  already  becoming 
popular  as  well  as  useful,  as  are  also  the  tables  of  the  read- 
ing-rooms, and  it  is  expected  the  institution  will  develop 
eventually  into  a  free  public  library. 

SCHOOLS. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  first  settlers  of  Sheboygan 
thought  about,  after  a  few  families  had  gathered  here,  was 
the  establishment  of  a  school.  In  a  few  months  after  the 
first  residents  had  got  settled  in  their  homes,  in  the  winter 
of  1836,  a  school  was  started  by  F.  M.  Rublee.  Twelve 
pupils  attended,  and  it  was  supported  by  subscription.  In 
1845,  an  academic  institution  was  added  to  the  educational 
facilities.  The  academy  was  opened  by  D.  C.  Vosburg,  on 
the  third  Monday  in  August  of  that  year,  and  an  advertise- 
ment of  the  school  at  that  time  names  as  references  the 
leading  men  of  not  only  Sheboygan,  but  Fond  du  Lac, 
Milwaukee  (or  Milwaukie,  as  the  uniform  spelling  then  was). 
The  first  regular  school  building  was  erected  twenty-seven 
years  ago.  When  the  city  charter  was  granted,  there  was 
but  one  school  building  in  the  city,  and  the  school  consisted 
of  four  classes,  with  about  sixty  pupils  in  each  class.  There 
were  also,  then  in  operation  two  church  schools,  one  Catho- 
lic and  one  Lutheran,  each  having  about  ninety  pupils. 
About  the  year  1862,  a  school  building  was  erected  in  the 
Third,  now  the  Fifth,  Ward.  Five  years  later  another  was 
built  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  in  1874  another  in  the 
present  Third  Ward.  These  are  in  use  at  the  present  time, 
and  also  one  church.  The  city  maintains  a  High  School 
and  three  ward  schools,  employing  twenty  teachers.  The 
attendance  in  these  schools  during  the  year  1880,  was  1,190. 
There  are  in  the  city  of  school  age,  over  four  years  of  age 
and  under  twenty,  3,073.  The  expense  of  supporting  the 
schools  last  year  amounted  to  $10,500.  A  good  grade  of 
scholarship  is  maintained,  and  scholars  are  prepared  to  enter 
the  State  I^niversity.  The  principal  of  the  High  School 
is  B.  R.  Grogan.  L.  D  Harvey  is  City  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  Private  or  church  schools  have  for  many  years 
been  maintained  in  Sheboygan.  There  are  two  Lutheran 
schools,  one  Catholic,  one  Dutch  Reformed  and  one  Kinder- 
garten, now  in  operation.  They  have  an  attendance  of  665 
pupils,  taught  by  six  teachers. 

The  Sheboygan  Telephone  Exchange  was  put  in  opera- 
tion in  June,  1881,  by  C.  H.  Haskins  &  Co.,  of  Milwaukee, 
and  has  thirty-nine  subscribers.  J.  L.  Mallory  is  the  local 
manager. 

A  large  business  is  done  at  the  Sheboygan  agency  of  the 
American  Express  Company.  The  shipments  consist  of 
general  merchandise,  and  products  of  the  manufactories.  J. 
L.  Mallory  is  the  agent  of  the  company. 

An  average  business  of  $2,000  per  quarter  is  done  at 
the  Sheboygan  Post  Office.     J.  L.  Marsh  is  Postmaster. 

A  military  company  was  organized  in  Sheboygan.  No- 
vember 4,  1874,  and  re-organized  as  a  part  of  the  State 
militia  in  March,  1877,  under  the  name  of  the  Evergreen 
City  Guards.  Ninety-two  names  are  now  on  the  muster- 
roll.  The  officers  are  Captain,  Charles  A.  Born  ;  First 
Lieutenant,  H.  W.  Trester;  Second  Lieutenant,  Robert 
Sym.  Capt.  Born  is  also  Major  commanding  the  Second 
Battalion  Wisconsin  Militia,  so  that  when  on  duty  the  com- 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


981 


111:1  ii'l  of  the  Guards  falls  to  Lieut.  Trester.  The  company 
have  a  fine  armory,  and  are  proficient  in  drill. 

The  Beekman  House,  D.  W.  Halsted  proprietor,  is 
lnc;ited  near  the  business  center,  and  is  the  largest  hotel  in 
thf  city.  It  is  a  favorite  stopping-place  for  summer  visit- 
or-, iind  commercial  traveling  men. 

The  Park  Hotel,  E.  G.  Fosgate,  proprietor,  located  op- 
|)ii~ite  the  public  park,  with  its  mineral  well,  also  entertains 
Miiuiiier  visitors,  as  well  as  the  general  public. 

The  Pape  House,  Hotel  Abrahams,  Washington  House, 
Wisconsin  House  and  one  or  two  others  furnish  accommoda- 
tions for  local  trade  and  the  traveling  public. 

FISHING. 

Since  an  early  day,  the  catching  of  white  fish,  which  are 
found  in  the  waters  of  the  neighborhood,  has  been  an  im- 
portant industry  at  Sheboygan.  As  early  as  1845,  four 
extensive  fisheries  were  in  operation  at  Sheboygan  and 
vicinity.  Immense  quantities  of  fish  are  caught  in  pound- 
nets,  between  the  point  south  of  the  city  and  Amsterdam, 
in  the  same  county.  At  Sheboygan,  F.  Koehn,  Sr.,  is  the 
oldest  fisherman  who  has  regularly  followed  the  business, 
beginning  in  a  small  way,  with  hooks,  in  1853.  Now  he 
employs  the  tug  Hoffnung  and  half-a-dozen  hands  in  gill- 
net  fishing.  He  places  his  annual  catch  at  200,000  pounds. 
Most  of  the  fish  are  shipped  to  Chicago  fresh,  though  Mr. 
Koehn  also  smokes  and  cures  some. 

Feagan  k  Fairchild  also  do  a  large  business  in  fishing. 
Thev  use  the  tug  Maggie  Lutz,  just  newly  refitted.  Their 
average  shipment  amounts  to  9,000  pounds  per  month. 

E.  Sonnemann  &  Co.  prosecute  gill-net  fishing  with  the 
yacht  Smuggler,  and  their  monthly  average  is  placed  at 
from  8,000  to  9,000  pounds  this  season.  They  ship  the  fish 
while  fresh  to  Chicago. 

Adam  Schraut  has  been  in  the  business  twelve  years. 
He  uses  the  yacht  Alberdin,  and  ships  4,000  pounds  per 
month. 

Ole  M.  Ellison  uses  hooks  exclusively,  keeping  1,000  in 
the  water  during  the  season,  and  catches  3,000  pounds  per 
month. 

A  few  others,  some  using  pound-nets,  swell  the  above 
product  to  a  very  large  total  yield  for  this  point. 

MANUFACTURING. 

The  motto  of  the  first  newspaper  ever  issued  in  Sheboy- 
gan, the  Sheboygan  Gazette,  a  few  numbers  of  which  were 
sent  out  to  inform  the  world  of  the  abundant  promise  for 
the  future  held  out  by  Sheboygan  to  induce  settlement  here, 
was  "Agriculture,  Manufactures  and  Commerce — -united 
they  stand."  In  few  localities  in  the  West  can  the  three 
great  industries  of  the  world  be  so  appropriately  linked  to- 
gether as  right  here.  The  interests  of  agriculture  and  com- 
merce are  treated  elsewhere,  and,  as  we  take  up  maimfact- 
ures,  a  large  field  opens  before  us,  for  the  productions  of 
Sheboygan  factories  are  known  in  the  leading  markets  of 
the  world.  In  the  production  of  bent  chair  stock,  in  par- 
ticular, Sheboygan  leads  the  world. 

The  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company  commenced 
business  in  1868,  and  was  incorporated  March  10,  1869. 
The  corporators  were  S.  M.  Barrett,  John  Bertschy,  S.  B. 
Lyman,  J.  B.  Corson,  Henry  Ocorr,  William  Elwell  and 
John  Sondrak.  The  authorized  capital  of  the  company  is 
^200. 000,  but  it  began  business  with  $19,00(1,  paid  up,  and 
now  has  $100,000  paid  up.     Work  was  begun  with  twenty- 


five  hands  ;  now  employment  is  given  to  about  four  hundred 
hands,  with  a  pay  roll  of  $8,000  monthly.  The  company 
also  own  mills  located  at  Pine  Lake,  Mich.,  where  fifty  men 
are  employed,  and  where  the  principal  part  of  the  material 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  their  chairs  is  cut.  The 
business  is  confined  exclusively  to  the  making  of  bent 
stock  chairs,  of  which  they  manufacture  450  styles,  from 
toy  chairs  to  the  finest  office  chairs  They  also  manufact- 
ure seating  material  for  public  buildings.  The  sales  amount 
to  $200,000  per  annum,  extending  all  over  the  United 
States,  and  to  some  extent  to  foreign  countries.  The  sales 
are  almost  exclusively  made  to  jobbers,  the  retail  trade  not 
being  sought.  No  traveling  salesmen  are  employed.  Mr. 
S.  M.  Barrett,  of  Cincinnati,  a  large  manufacturer,  is  Pres- 
ident of  the  company,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  sug- 
gestions and  energy  that  the  business  was  started.  He 
retains  a  large  interest  in  the  business,  although  residing  in 
Cincinnati.  G.  L.  Holmes,  is  Vice  President  and  Superin- 
tendent, F.  R.  Townsend,  Treasurer,  and  H.  A.  Barrett, 
Secretary.  E.  R.  Holmes,  with  the  officers  named,  form 
the  Board  of  Directors.  All  are  residents  of  Sheboygan 
except  S.  M.  Barrett.  The  factory  uses  about  four  million 
feet  of  lumber  per  annum,  and  turns  out  about  twelve  hun- 
dred chairs  per  day,  which  is  about  the  number  they  made 
per  month  when  the  business  was  commenced.  The  com- 
pany is  unable  to  fill  all  its  orders,  and  expects  soon  to 
about  double  the  present  facilities  in  order  to  be  able  to  meet 
the  demand. 

The  Phoenix  Chair  Company  was  incorporated  May  3, 
1875.  The  first  Board  of  Directors  chosen  consisted  of 
Thomas  M.  Blackstock,  James  H.  Mead,  Francis  Geele, 
John  H.  Plath  and  Fred  Koehn.  J.  H.  Mead  was  chosen 
President  and  T.  M.  Blackstock,  Secretary.  A  year 
later,  T.  M.  Blackstock  was  elected  President  and  Gen 
eral  Manager;  J.  H.  Mead,  Secretary.  The  capital  stock 
of  the  company  is  $50,000,  all  paid  up  when  the  bus- 
iness commenced.  At  first,  75  men  were  employed,  now 
370  are  on  the  pay-roll,  which  amounts  to  from  37,000  to 
$8,000  per  month.  The  business  is  exclusively  the  manu- 
facture of  bent  stock  chairs,  of  which  over  400  varieties  are 
made,  the  product  averaging  about  1,200  daily.  About 
3,000,000  feet  of  lumber  are  used  annually.  The  sales 
amounted,  in  1876,  to  $70,000;  now  they  foot  up  about 
$200,000  per  annum.  The  present  Board  of  Directors  con- 
sists of  T.  M.  Blackstock,  J.  H.  Mead,  F.  Geele,  J.  H. 
Plath,  Christian  Neumeister.  Large  additions  to  the  fac- 
tory are  being  made,  to  enable  the  company  to  keep  up 
with  its  trade. 

The  Crocker  Chair  Company  was  incorporated  March 
31,  1880,  and  commenced  business  under  the  management 
of  a  Board  of  Directors,  consisting  of  J.  H.  Mead,  W.  D. 
Crocker,  A.  D.  Crocker,  II.  E.  Crocker,  W.  J.  Rietow. 
The  officers  elected  were :  J.  H.  Mead,  President ;  W.  D. 
Crocker,  Superintendent;  J.  D.  Stearns,  Secretary;  W.  J. 
Rietoiv,  Treasurer.  A.  D.  Crocker  has  charge  of  the  fin- 
ishing department,  and  R.  E.  Crocker  of  the  wood-working 
department.  Capital,  $30,000.  About  50  hands  were  at 
first  employed,  and  the  number  has  now  been  increased  175. 
The  factory  turns  out  about  750  bent  and  sawed  stock  cane 
and  wood  seat  chairs  per  day.  The  sales  amount  to  $150,- 
000  per  annum. 

George  B.  Mattoon  commenced  business  in  his  furniture 
factory  July  5, 1881,  and  employs  fifty  hands.  He  manufact- 
ures principally  bedsteads,  tables  and  washstands,  and  turns 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


out  about  3,500  bedsteads  per  month.     Tliis  is  the  only  bed- 
stead factory  in  this  region. 

E.  B.  Garton  and  .John  GritTith  employ  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  hands  in  their  phining-mill  and  toy  manufac- 
tory. Their  principal  business,  beside  planing,  is  making 
toy  express  wagons,  etc.  They  do  a  business  of  about 
^1.5,000  annually,  tlieir  sales  being  made  principally  in  the 
Southern  and  Western  States. 

A  plaster-mill  is  operated  by  William  Elwell,  the  ala- 
baster being  brought  from  Saginaw  Bay.  His  machinery 
is  capable  of  turning  out  seventy-five  tons  per  day,  and  is 
operated  about  four  months  in  the  year.  Ten  men  are  em- 
ploved  during  that  time.  His  sales  amount  to  about 
$18,000  per  year. 

In  1853,  C.  T.  &  William  Roenitz  commenced  the 
business  of  tanning,  and  continued  together  until  the  death 
of  William  Roenitz,  which  occurred  in  1873.  The  business 
was  continued  by  C.  T.  Roenitz  until  January  1,  1881, 
when  he  took  into  partnership  with  him  his  sons  Frank  L. 
and  Charles  H.,  under  the  firm  title  of  C.  T.  Roenitz  & 
Sons.  When  the  brothers  commenced  business,  in  1853, 
they  had  but  one  assistant ;  now  there  are  forty  men  em- 
ployed, who  work  up  about  GOO  sides  per  week.  They 
make  harness,  upper,  kip  and  calf  leather. 

Christian  Heyer  commenced  business  in  1855,  with 
capital  of  ^-400,  and  employed  six  men.  In  1859,  he  be- 
gan work  in  the  present  location  with  $2,000  capital,  in 
partnership  with  Theodore  Zschetzsche.  After  fourteen 
years  the  partnership  was  dissolved.  Mr.  Heyer  now  em- 
ploys about  forty  men  and  works  up  100  sides  a  day.  He 
makes  harness,  upper,  kip  and  calf  leather,  all  finished  on 
the  premises.  Tlie  sales  amount  to  about  $150,000  per 
annum,  reaching  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  No  goods  are 
shipped  on  consignment. 

Theodore  Zschetzsche  commenced  business  as  a  tanner,  in 
1859,  in  company  with  Christian  Heyer.  After  fourteen 
years  he  withdrew,  and  began  business  for  himself.  His 
son,  Carl  L.,  is  now  in  partnership  with  him,  and  the  firm 
is  now  Theodore  Zschetzsche  &  Son.  They  employ  about 
200  men,  and  have  a  capacity  in  their  large  and  well-ap- 
pointed establishment  of  240  sides,  and  from  500  to  600 
skins  per  day.  Their  sales  extend  all  over  the  United 
States,  and  amount  to  about  $600,000  per  annum. 

About  the  year  1866,  Adam  Harsch  commenced  the 
business  of  tanning.  He  works  120  sides  a  week,  making 
all  kinds  of  leather,  principally  finished  work.  Eight 
hands  are  generally  employed. 

J.  F.  A.  Heyn  began  tanning  in  1868.  From  1873  to 
1875  George  End  was  a  partner  in  the  business  ;  since  that 
time,  Mr.  Heyn  has  carried  on  the  business  without  a  part- 
ner. About  300  sides  per  week  are  worked  up  into  upper, 
kip  and  calf  leather,  all  finished.  He  also  tans  harness 
leather,  but  does  not  finish  it. 

In  the  tannery  of  Adam  Schneider,  started  in  1877,  ten 
men  are  employed,  woiking  from  150  to  200  sides  per 
week.  Upper,  kip  and  calf  leather  is  made,  and  most  of 
it  finished  in  his  own  establishment.  Sales  are  made  prin- 
cipally in  Chicago,  New  York  and  Boston. 

Kohler,  Ilayssen  &  Stehn,  proprietors  of  the  Sheboygan 
Agricultural  Works,  commenced  business  in  their  present 
location  in  June,  1880.  The  firm  has  been  in  existence 
since  1878.  their  shops  being  first  located  on  the  corner  of 
Ninth  and  St.  Clair  streets,  where  they  were  burned  out 
April  4,  1880.     They  manufacture  straw  cutters,  feed  mills, 


running 


horse  powers,  small  threshing  machines,  lawn,  cemetery 
and  other  iron  fences,  general  machinery  and  foundry  work. 
Thirty  men  are  employed,  and  a  business  is  transacted  of 
from  $30,000  to  $-10,000  per  year.  Mr.  Kohler  com- 
menced business  with  a  partner,  Mr.  Silberzahn,  in  1873, 
with  only  six  workmen  in  the  shop. 

When  the  business  of  Foeste  &  Meyer  was  begun  in 
1861,  six  men,  including  the  partners,  were  engaged  in  it. 
They  now  employ  twenty-five  men.  They  manufacture 
threshing  machines,  feed  cutters,  thimble  skeins,  mill 
machinery,  steam  engines,  plows,  scrapers,  wagon  castings, 
kettles,  etc.  Their  sales  are  principally  made  in  the  North- 
west. 

David  Jenkins  commenced  the  business  of  manufactur- 
ing machinery  in  1876  with  one  man  to  help  him.  Now 
he  employs  eight  men  and  devotes  most  of  his  attention  to 
chair  factory  machinery  and  repairs.  He  also  makes 
machines  for  turning  wagon  and  buggy  hubs.  He  has  just 
entered  a  new  .shop,  one  of  the  most  elegant  and  perfect  in 
the  State. 

Jacob  J.  Vollratii  commenced  to  make  enameled  hollow 
ware  with  six  men  to  assist  him.  In  August,  1881,  he 
employed  forty  men,  and,  in  November,  1881,  when  his 
new  building  is  completed  he  expects  to  employ  one  hundred 
hands.  The  sales  before  the  new  shops  went  into  operation 
amounted  to  $50,000  per  annum,  and  with  increased  facili- 
ties he  expects  to  more  than  double  his  business.  He  uses 
gas  for  fuel,  making  it  himself,  and  is  the  first  manufocturer 
in  the  State  to  use  gas  extensively  for  fuel 
machinery. 

There  are  three  brick  yards  in  the  city,  with  facilities 
for  turning  out  three  millions  of  brick  annually.  The 
largest  one,  that  of  Joseph  Keller,  began  operations  in 
1875.  Its  production  is  estimated  at  1,500,000,  and  a 
large  part  of  them  are  shipped  by  railroad  and  boat  for  use 
at  other  places.  The  grinding  and  pressing  of  the  clay  is 
done  by  steam.  About  twenty  men  are  constantly 
employed. 

Charles  Froehlich  began  the  manufacture  of  brick  in 
1871.  He  employs  twelve  hands,  making  yearly  900,000 
brick,  which  are  largely  sold  in  the  city. 

The  brick-yard  of  Fred  Zurrheide  has  a  yearly  pro- 
duction of  500,000,  and  has  been  in  operation  for  some 
years. 

H.  E.  Roth  has  five  kilns  located  about  three  miles 
northwest  of  the  city,  where  an  excellent  (juality  of  lime  is 
produced.  The  kilns  have  a  capacity  for  burning  200  bar- 
rels per  day. 

The  stoneware  factory  of  Tiieodore  Gunther  was  started 
in  1863,  employs  ten  men  and  turns  out  8,000  gallons  of 
ware  per  month.     The  clay  is  brought  from  Whitehall,  111. 

Mies  &  Walters  commenced  the  manufacture  of  stone- 
ware six  years  ago.  In  April,  1881,  the  firm  changed  to 
Diedrich,  Mies  &  Co.  The  institution  is  called  the  North- 
western Stoneware  Manufactory.  Jars,  jugs,  churns,  milk 
pans,  milk  pitchers,  tomato  jugs,  etc.,  are  turned  out.  The 
product  of  the  factory  is  4,000  gallons  every  fourteen 
days. 

Although  the  manufacture  of  wagons,  carriages  and 
sleighs  is  not  carried  on  in  Sheboygan  on  an  extensive 
scale,  yet  the  united  products  of  the  nine  or  ten  shops, 
measurably  meet  the  local  demand,  and  export  some  of 
their  goods.  Tlie  following  are  some  of  the  concerns  in 
operation. 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


983 


J.  Jung  began  business  in  1855,  and  has  enlarged  his 
facilities  from  time  to  time.  He  employs  nine  hands,  and 
(loe.s  a  business  of  $10,000  annually. 

John  Balzar  began  to  make  wagons  and  carriages  about 
twenty-five  years  ago.     Five  workmen  are  employed. 

The  firm  of  Alday  k  Duenkel  began  business  in  1876. 
l""(iur  men  are  employed,  and  turn  out  about  twenty  wagons 
v.arly. 

William  Kruger  started  in  business  fourteen  years  ago, 
:inil  built  the  present  shop  in  1876.  His  work  is  all 
iinlered  in  advance.     Three  hands  are  employed. 

A.  Beutel  started  about  three  years  ago,  and  employs 
tliree  hands  in  the  wagon-shop,  and  two  blacksmiths. 

C.  B.  Henschel  started  in  the  business  of  manufacturing 
finning-mills  about  twenty  years  ago,  and  has  made  in  all 
nearly  12,000  mills.  At  th^e  beginning  of  the  present 
year,  he  added  the  manufacture  of  cigar-box  lumber  to  his 
(itiier  business.  Steam  machinery  is  used,  and  nine  hands 
are  employed. 

W.  H.  &  C.  E.  Burk  started  a  general  wood-working 
shop  about  three  years  ago.     Steam  power  is  used. 

Konrad  Schrier  built  his  present  brewery  in  1854.  He 
employs  seventeen  men,  and  produces  7,000  barrels  of  beer 
per  annum.  Two  other  concerns  are  also  employed  in 
brewing. 

A  large  aggregate  production  of  cooperage  is  turned 
out  from  quite  a  number  of  shops,  employing  from  one  man 
to  six  men  each. 

Charles  Grasse  has  been  about  fifteen  years  in  business, 
and  employs  six  hands.  He  runs  two  shops,  and  turns  out 
about  3,000  barrels  a  year. 

John  Kroeff  started  twenty-five  years  ago,  works  six 
hands,  and  turns  out  1,200  pork  barrels,  and  2,000  tierces. 

Louis  Grube  employs  five  hands,  and  makes  about 
5,000  flour  and  pea  barrels,  and  1,000  pork  barrels  and 
tierces  annually.     He  has  been  in  business  fifteen  years. 

Charles  Oehler  makes  beer  kegs,  in  which  three  men 
are  employed.  He  started  in  business  about  twenty-five 
years  ago. 

Joseph  Landgraf,  John  Flaig,  Joseph  Keller,  Fred 
Rakow,  Fred  Moebius  and  a  few  others,  employ  one  or  two 
hands  or  work  alone,  and  make  pork  barrels  and  tierces. 

The  repair  shops  of  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac 
Railroad  have  been  running  in  Sheboygan  ever  since  the 
road  has  been  running.  In  1874,  they  were  burned  and 
re-built.  About  forty  men  are  employed.  John  Hickey, 
the  present  master  mechanic  has  been  here  seven  years. 

MARINE    INTERESTS. 

The  natural  advantages  existing  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Sheboygan  River  for  the  construction  of  a  good  harbor  at- 
tracted early  attention.  In  1836,  Govei-nment  oflicers  pros- 
ecuted surveys  and  soundings,  from  which  a  chart  was  made 
of  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  the  bay.  These  results  were 
reported  to  the  War  Department  by  Col.  Albert  in  1838. 
About  the  year  1840,  a  lighthouse  was  built  on  Sheboygan 
Point,  and  first  kept  by  Mr.  Wolverton.  The  present  light- 
house was  constructed  in  1860,  and  is  kept  by  Mrs.  E. 
Pape.  The  first  pier  was  built  by  William  Farnsworth  in 
184l,  at  the  foot  of  Center  street,  north  of  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  In  1845,  this  pier  was  extended  to  a  total 
length  of  800  feet,  and  doubled  back  to  give  greater  capac- 
ity. In  1847,  Kirkland's  Pier,  south  of  the  river,  was 
begun,   and  finished   in   1848.      In    the  spring   of  1852,  a 


fierce  gale  swept  away  both  piers.  The  north  one  was  im- 
mediately reconstructed,  and  the  south  one  was  made  ready 
for  business  in  the  spring  following.  These  lasted  until  the 
harbor  made  them  no  longer  necessary.  At  the  session  of 
Congress  in  the  winter  of  1844-45,  an  appropriation  of 
$25,000  was  carried  through  for  the  improvement  of  navi- 
gation over  the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  Sheboygan  River,  but 
it  was  killed  by  President  Tyler's  withholding  his  signa- 
ture. In  1849,  a  committee  of  citizens  of  Sheboygan  pre- 
pared a  memorial  to  Congress  setting  forth  various  and  im- 
perative reasons  why  a  harbor  should  be  constructed  at  this 
point.  They  showed,  among  other  things,  that  every  vessel 
owned  at  this  port  had  been  wrecked  or  stranded,  and  thus 
a  loss  of  property  occasioned  approximating  to  the  cost  of  a 
harbor.  A  list  of  nine  schooners  is  given  which  were  wrecked 
while  lying  in  the  bay.  Several  lives  were  lost  in  these 
disasters.  As  showing  that  the  shipping  business  had  as- 
sumed sufiicient  importance  to  demand  better  facilities,  it 
was  shown  that  in  1847  the  arrivals  and  departures  of 
steamers  alone,  without  noting  sail  vessels,  was  423,  and  in 
1848  the  number  was  525.  The  arrivals  of  immigrants  at 
the  port  of  Sheboygan  was  1,417  in  1845,  4,380  in  1846, 
4,228  in  1847,  and  6,200  in  1848.  The  imports  of  mer- 
chandise in  1848  amounted  to  2,859  tons,  estimated  value 
$571,800.  The  exports  included  986  barrels  of  fish  and 
5,015  bushels  of  wheat,  besides  lumber  and  shingles,  wool, 
ashes,  etc.  On  the  5th  of  January,  1852,  a  meeting  of  cit- 
izens of  Sheboygan  was  held,  to  discuss  what  measures 
should  be  adopted  to  secure  the  construction  of  a  harbor. 
W.  R.  Gorsline  was  Chairman  of  the  meeting  and  Edward 
Gilman  Secretary.  It  was  decided  to  call  a  delegate  con- 
vention, which  was  done,  131  delegates  responding  in  a 
meeting  held  January  22,  1852,  and  representing  the  lake 
shore  and  adjacent  towns,  fourteen  in  all.  Silas  B.  Sted- 
man  was  President  of  this  convention,  and  Vice  Presidents 
and  Secretaries  were  chosen  from  the  various  towns.  The 
result  of  the  conference  was  that  the  General  Government 
should  be  requested  to  appropriate  $30,000,  the  county  of 
Sheboygan  $20,000,  and  the  city  $10,000,  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  harbor.  The  Congress  then  in  session  made 
the  desired  appropriation,  and  the  Legislature  also  passed 
an  act  to  authorize  the  county  and  city  to  raise  and  appro- 
priate the  amounts  named.  A.  P.  Lyman,  Henry  Stock, 
Charles  D.  Cole,  Jonathan  F.  Seeley,  A.  G.  Dye,  Reed  C. 
Brazelton  and  John  Gove  were  appointed  Harbor  Commis- 
sioners, and,  on  February  20,  1852,  the  contract  was  let  for 
the  work.  These  appropriations  were  supplemented,  from 
time  to  time,  by  additional  sums  of  money,  until  up  to  the 
present  time  there  has  been  expended  upon  the  harbor  nearly 
$275,000,  of  which  sum  the  United  States  has  furnished 
$201,000.  The  length  of  the  piers  is  now  about  fourteen 
hundred  feet,  and  the  harbor  has  a  width  at  its  mouth  of 
270  feet.  The  bar  at  the  mouth  still  causes  so  much  trouble 
to  loailed  vessels  that  tiie  Government  has  decided  to  extend 
the  piers  1,000  feet  further,  and  the  work  is  already  in 
progress.  It  is  expected  that  it  will  take  about  four  years 
to  complete  it.  A  lighthouse  was  placed  upon  the  north 
pier  of  the  harbor,  and  first  lighted  December  1,  1873.  It 
was  burned  March  17,  18SU,  and  rebuilt  soon  after,  so  that 
it  was  lighted  June  20.  John  H.  Roberts  is  Light  Keeper ; 
J.  L.  Mallory  is  Deputy  Collector  of  Customs. 

The  arrivals  at  this  port  for  1880  were  394  side-wheel 
steamers,  with  tonnage  of  281,852  ;  268  propellers,  tonnage 
154,266;  371  schooners,  tonnage  23,925.     Clearances  the 


9^4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


same.  Thirty-four  schooners  and  four  tugs  are  owned  at 
Sheboygan.  The  Goodrich  Transportation  Company's  line 
of  steamers  stop  at  Sheboygan  daily,  going  both  north  and 
south.     E.  P.  Ewer  is  the  company's  agent. 

One  of  the  most  appalling  disasters  of  early  days  on  the 
lakes  was  the  burning  of  the  propeller  Phoenix  a  few 
miles  oft'  Sheboygan  in  the  fall  of  1847.  The  engineer  had 
been  warned  of  the  danger,  but  he  with  others  of  the  crew 
were  carousing  and  jniid  no  attention  to  the  repeated  warn- 
ings. Suddenly  the  flames  broke  forth,  and  as  the  boat  was 
heavily  loaded  with  emigrants  and  other  passengers,  the 
scene  which  ensued  was  one  of  horror.  Two  hundred  lives 
were  lost. 

By  the  bursting  of  the  boilers  of  the  propeller  Kenosha 
in  July,  1860,  while  lying  in  this  port,  twenty  or  more 
people  were  scalded  or  injured,  and  six  or  eight  lives  were 
lost  in  consequence. 

In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  the  raging  of  the 
cholera  in  1852.  The  disease,  complicated  with  ship  fever, 
was  brought  to  Sheboygan  by  emigrants,  and  for  a  few 
weeks  the  fatality  was  terrible.  About  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  persons  perished,  many  of  them  with  extreme 
suddenness. 

A  United  States  Life  Saving  Station,  No.  16,  was 
established  at  Sheboygan,  and  a  building  erected  in  Febru- 
ary, 1876.  The  following  year  a  surf  boat  was  provided 
and  manned  with  a  volunteer  crew.  July  1,  1879,  a  paid 
crew  was  put  in  charge  of  the  station  with  a  full  equipment. 
The  house  now  contains  a  patent  life-boat,  costing  !|4,000, 
capable  of  righting  herself  up  if  swamped,  and  emptying 
herself  of  water,  a  new  surf  boat,  a  life  car,  a  breeches 
buoy,  a  boat  cart,  a  beach  apparatus  cart,  one  Lyle  gun, 
one  mortar,  signal  flags,  pump,  lines,  shot  lines,  and  other 
appliances.  The  cost  of  the  station  and  its  equipment  was 
about  $11,000,  and  is  maintained  for  eight  months  of  the 
year  at  an  expense  of  about  §3,200.  The  crew  consists  of 
Capt.  Ole  Groh  and  seven  men,  who  are  required  to  drill 
regularly,  keep  a  lookout  during  the  day,  and  patrol  the 
beach  at  night  from  point  to  point  of  the  bay.  They  have 
been  instrumental  in  rescuing  a  number  of  lives  within  a 
year,  besides  saving  property,  and  resuscitating  several  per- 
sons apparently  drowned. 

BUSINESS    INTERESTS. 

Although  so  favorably  located,  Sheboygan  was  tardy  in 
inaugurating  the  conditions  of  its  present  substantial 
business  success.  Many  reasons  conspired  to  this  result. 
For  many  years,  commerce  was  entirely  confined  to  lake 
traffic,  and  during  a  portion  of  this  time  the  pierage  charges 
were  equal  to  the  freights  from  Buffalo.  Notwithstanding 
its  drawbacks,  a  large  amount  of  business  was  done  by  way 
of  the  lake  in  early  days.  During  the  month  of  Septem- 
ber, in  1852,  the  imports  at  this  port  amounted  to  401 
tons.  In  the  same  month  in  the  following  year  they  in- 
creased to  683  tons,  and  in  September,  1854,  to  2,144 
tons.  The  steamboat  arrivals  during  the  same  month  were 
!I6,  and  of  sailing  vessels,  26.  The  number  of  passengers 
arriving,  2,687.  In  the  list  of  exports  for  the  same  month 
are  noted  :  Number  of  passengers  departed,  1,187;  bush- 
els of  wheat  shipped,  3,527  ;  bushels  of  barley,  300 ; 
bushels  of  grass-seed,  209 ;  bushels  of  potatoes,  850 ; 
bushels  of  cranberries,  50  ;  barrels  of  flour,  655  :  lumber, 
283,000  feet:  lath,  368,000;  shingles,  289,000;  staves, 
395,000:   half  barrels  of  beer,  251  :   half  barrels  of  fish. 


531;  empty  barrels,  754;  tons  saleratus,  14;  brick,  167,- 
000  ;  and  other  articles.  During  one  week  in  October  of 
the  following  year,  one  firm  received  daily  an  average  of 
10,000  bushels  of  wheat.  The  same  firm  shipped  about 
20,000  bushels  of  wheat,  besides  several  hundred  tons  of 
other  produce,  the  same  week.  In  running  through  the 
list  of  exports  for  the  year  1858,  leading  articles  only  are 
noted,  as  follows :  Bundles  of  chair-stuff",  2,704  ;  hoops, 
40,000;  bushels  of  wheat,  114,612;  barley,  1,937;  oats, 
35,141;  grass-seed,  2,564;  potatoes,  1,260;  half  barrels 
of  fish,  5,778  ;  barrels  of  flour,  17,532 ;  half  barrels  of 
beer,  13,437;  lumber,  663,000  feet;  staves,  10,000; 
casks  of  ashes,  377 ;  empty  barrels,  25,347  ;  bundles  of 
wagon-stuff",  10,851;  cords  of  wood,  21,542;  shingles, 
2,500,000;  lath.  231,000.  The  arrivals  and  departures 
were  each:  Steamboats,  312;  propellers,  164;  sail  ves- 
sels, 283.  Seventeen  schooners  were  owned  in  Sheboygan 
in  that  time,  and  many  were  built  there.  A  statement  pre- 
pared about  ten  years  later  shows  that  1,114  crafts  of  all 
classes  entered  and  cleared  at  Sheboygan,  and  also  the  re- 
markable fact  that  for  the  seven  years  preceding  1868, 
there  had  not  been  a  single  week  without  an  arrival  and 
clearance  being  regularly  reported.  During  the  year  there 
was  exported  430,000  bushels  of  wheat,  13,000  barrels  of 
flour,  167,060  pounds  of  wool,  20,000  pounds  of  butter, 
and  50,000  dozens  of  eggs.  A  similar  statement  for  the 
year  1870  showed  less  wheat  shipped  and  more  flour,  and 
included  37,551  bushels  of  peas,  15,446  bundles  of  wagon- 
stuff",  28,404  packing  barrels,  4,935  barrels  of  lime,  and 
other  articles.  A  more  complete  statement  of  the  import, 
and  more  particularly  the  export,  trade  by  lake  and  by 
railroad  for  the  year  1880,  is  here  given.  The  record  of 
receipts  is  not  kept  by  the  railroad  offices.  The  receipts  by 
boat  were :  10,000  cords  of  bark,  800  barrels  of  cement, 
8,000  tons  of  coal,  20.000  bushels  of  corn,  5,600  tons  of 
general  merchandise,  250,000  hides,  200,000  lath.  40,- 
000,000  feet  of  lumber,  1,000,000  pickets,  3,000  tons  of 
gypsum  or  plaster  rock,  6,000  posts,  10,000  barrels  of  salt, 
5,500,000  shingles,  2,000  cords  of  slabs,  100  barrels  of 
stucco,  2,000  cords  of  wood.  There  was  shipped  by  lake 
in  1880  of  Sheboygan  and  Sheboygan  County  productions 
40,000  bushels  of  barlev,  10,000  bushels  of  beans,  1,500,- 
000  brick,  120,000  pounds  of  butter.  1,5U0  tons  of  cast- 
ings, 900  cattle,  850,000  chairs,  6,106,485  pounds  cheese, 
500,000  dozens  eggs,  1,000  tons  feed.  550,000  pounds  fish, 
20.000  barrels  of  flour,  5,300  tons  general  merchandise, 
200  tons  of  grass-seed,  1,000  hogs,  800  hor.ses,  2,500  tons 
land  plaster,  1.600.000  pounds  leather,  8.000  barrels  lime, 
80,000  bushels  peas,  30,000  pork  barrels  and  tierces,  7,000 
bushels  of  potatoes,  10.000  bushels  of  rye,  800  sheep, 
300,000  bushels  of  wheat,  500  tons  of  wooden  ware,  40.000 
pounds  of  wool,  50,000  bushels  of  oats,  1,000  tons  of  hay. 
The  following  .shipments  were  made  over  the  Lake  Shore 
Railroad  in  1880,  the  record  being  invariably  in  pounds: 
Wheat,  2,257,170;  barley,  663,390;  corn,  8,640;  rye, 
404,130  ;  flour,  251,260  ;  beef  and  pork  in  brine,  1,560  ; 
beans,  92,620  ;  butter,  71,400  ;  cheese,  4,778,470  ;  dressed 
hogs,  15,390;  eggs,  130,760;  fresh  fish,  389,350;  salt 
fish,  7.060;  potatoes  and  garden  roots,  186,700;  peas, 
1,605,920;  salt,  105,030  ;  land  plaster,  913,550  ;  agricult- 
ural implements,  203,680  ;  barrels,  tierces,  casks  and  kegs. 
3,131,980;  chairs  and  furniture,  2,048,510;  leather,  1, 
315,960;  machinery,  141.140;  wagon  stock.  2,800 
wooden    ware,    386,050;    horses.    25.000;     horned    cattle 


HISTORY    OF    SHF:H0YGAN    COUNTY. 


98s 


400,000 ;  lumber,  timber  and  lath,  726,240  ;  hemlock 
liark,  142,180;  shiir^les,  40,000;  manufactured  iron, 
ts0,744;  iron  scrap,  6rj,9S0  ;  lirae,  1,383,420;  coal,  541,- 
-10;  ale  and  beer,  62,150;  bran  and  mill-feed,  680;  dry 
Liiiods  and  miscellaneous  merchandise,  816,380  ;  grass-seeds, 
1'.  13,240  ;  hides,  skins  and  pelts,  40,530  ;  household  goods, 
i'12,950;  malt,  106,100;  wool,  17,740;  rags,  77,980; 
miscellaneous  freight,  1,889,240— total,  26,286,950.  The 
amount  of  freight  forwarded  by  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond 
ilii  Lac  Railroad  during  1880  was  7,793,620  pounds; 
amount  of  freight  received  over  the  same  road,  10,787,500 
pounds.  The  amount  received  for  passenger  fares  was 
$3,630.70. 

When  we  add  to  the  immense  manufacturing  business  of 
Sheboygan,  its  large  commerce  as  shown  above,  though  not 
in  its  completeness,  and  supplement  the  result  by  the  busi- 
ness done  in  its  150  retail  establishments,  beside  the 
business  done  by  its  very  ample  supply  of  saloons,  we  begin 
to  get  an  idea  of  its  real  wealth-producing  power.  Among 
these  retail  stores,  almost  every  branch  of  trade  is  repre- 
sented, including  some  fourteen  dry  goods  stores,  twenty 
groceries,  half  as  many  each  of  meat  markets  and  flour  and 
feed  stores,  a  dozen  boot  an<l  shoe  stores,  half  as  many  hard- 
ware, about  the  same  number  of  jewelry  stores,  an  equal 
number  of  drug  stores,  more  than  this  of  clothing  stores, 
and  several  each  of  tobacconists,  confectionery,  stationery 
and  book  stores,  bakeries,  barber  shops,  harness  shops, 
blacksmith  shops,  marble  works,  livery  stables,  photograph 
galleries,  millinery  establishments,  lumber  yards,  furniture 
stores,  sewing  machine  agencies,  etc.  Nearly  a  dozen  law- 
yers, about  the  same  number  of  doctors,  and  half  as  many 
dentists,  receive  their  share  of  business. 


niOCiRAPIIICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHRISTIAN  ACKERMANN,  of  Mueller  &  Ackermann, 
contractors,  masons  and  builders,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1873;  located  at  Sheboygan  City  and  been  engaged  in  partner- 
ship with  Fred.  D.  D.  Mueller  since  that  time.  Born  in  Germany, 
Sept.  4.  1850;  learned  trade  of  mason  there;  came  to  America 
in  1869;  lived  at  Chicago,  111.,  for  four  years  and  was  employed 
as  mason.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  Nov.  15, 1874,  to  Lena'Ehler  ; 
born  in  Germany.  They  have  three  children — Annie,  Charles 
and  Ada 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  farmer,  P.  0.  Sheboygan.  Came  to 
WisL-onsin  in  1846;  located  at  Sheboygan  with  parents;  was 
engaged  teaming  and  also  employed  as  carpenter  for  some  ten  years, 
then  went  to  Holland,  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  farmed  there  for  .some 
nine  years.  Came  on  to  present  farm  in  town  of  Sheboygan  about 
18G5,  and  has  been  engaged  as  a  farmer  since;  owns  73  acres  of 
improved  land.  He  was  born  at  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  8,  1827. 
Married  at  Holland,  Wis.,  Nov.  23,  1852,  to  Susan  L.  Green,  now 
doccMscr!.  Irnvirvj  two  children  —  George  and  Merritt ;  remarried 
at  \ViI-  III  W'i-  .  May  1,  1864,  to  M.  L.  Jackson,  new  deceased, 
Ifavin-  iiiir  cliilil  -Frederick.  Married  again  at  Plymouth,  Wis., 
June  -0,  167b,  lu  Mary  E.  Giffin  ;  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. 

WILLIAM  ASHBY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Sheboygan;  came  to 
Wiseon.sin  in  18ii5  ;  lacated  in  Menomonee  and  was  engaged  farm- 
ing for  a  year;  came  to  town  of  Sheboygan  in  1836  ;  was  engaged 
in  lumbering  and  conducting  a  saw-mill  up  to  1846,  then  owned 
and  ran  a  pier  in  company  with  William  Farnsworth  for  two  years, 
and  .since  then  ban  boon  ctii;:!'.'!"!  conducting  a  farm;  owns  106 
acres  of  land  ;  wasCm  i\  <  V  mi  iiii->iiiner  for  two  years,  and  County 
Treasurer  from  187-  t..  ISTH.  anl  was  also  Chairman  of  Town  for 
sixteen  years  ;  born  in  ( )iirida  di.,  N.  Y.,  May  4,  1816.  Married 
at   town  of  Slicboygan   Falls,   Wis.,  in   March,   1843,  to   Harriet 


Walker ;  born  in  State  of  Virginia.     They  have  three  children — 
Elizabeth,  Hattie  and  Frank. 

HARRY  A.  BARRETT,  Secretary  of  Sheboygan  Manufact- 
uring Company,  Sheboygan  ;  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  June  30. 
1853;  began  business  life  in  branch  of  the  Sheboygan  ManuAict- 
uring  Company  store  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  as  salesman  for  several 
years,  and  afterward  manager  for  two  years ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
in  1876,  and  has  been  Secretary  of  Sheboygan  Manufacturing 
Company  since  that  time.  Married  at  Sheboygan  in  the  fall  of 
1878,  to  Julia  Townsend  ;  born  at  Sheboygan.  Is  a  son  of  S.  M. 
Barrett,  President  of  the  company,  residing  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
JAMES  BELL,  toys,  francy  goods  and  confectionery,  She- 
boygan ;  came  to  Wisconsin,  July,  1851,  and  located  at  Sheboygan, 
where  he  eommenoed  present  business  with  his  father,  Wm.  Bell, 
who  died  in  April,  1879,  and  since  then,  James  Bell  has  carried 
on  the  business  alone.  In  1869,  he  was  appointed  School  Com- 
mis.sioner  for  one  year ;  was  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward  in 
1868,  1869  and  1870,  and  in  1873,  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
city;  was  chosen  Alderman  again  in  1875  and  1876,  also  Super- 
visor and  Superintendent  of  the  Poor;  was  Alderman  1879,  and 
Superintendant  of  the  city  schools  in  1880,  also  1879  ;  was  elected 
School  Commissioner  for  three  years  and  is  also  Chairman  of  Board 
of  Public  Works.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  in  1835  ;  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1848,  and  was  employed  for  some  time  sailing  on 
the  lakes. 

WILLIAM  E.  BENDLER,  foreman  of  carpenter  and  finish- 
ing department  of  Phtenix  Chair  Company,  Sheboygan  ;  born  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  13,  1853  ;  came  to  She- 
boygan City  in  1864  ;  commenced  business  life  at  fifteen  years  of 
age  ;  learned  trade  of  house  carpenter,  and  was  engaged  at  it  some 
two  years  ;  then  in  the  employ  of  Crocker,  Bliss  &  Co.,  for  some 
years;  entered  the  employ  of  the  Phcenix  Chair  Company  in 
1874  ;  was  engaged  making  fine  chairs  up  to  January,  1880,  when 
he  commenced  in  present  capacity.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  July 
30,  1876,  to  Jennie  Keller;  born  at  Sheboygan  Falls.  They 
have  two  children — Louisa  and  Augusta. 

JOHN  B  KRTSCH  Y  (retired),  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1845  ;  located  at  Milwaukee ;  kept  hotel  for  five  years  ;  afterward 
engaged  in  flouring  mill  business  for  some  nine  years  ;  was  con- 
nected with  the  Eagle  Mills  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1859,  and  was 
engaged  in  flouring  mill  and  grain  business  up  to  1878  ;  after- 
ward was  a  warehouseman  and  dealer  in  coal  for  one  year ;  theu 
also  engaged  in  the  mineral  water  business  for  several  years,  in 
partnership  with  J.  O.  Thayer ;  owns  two  schooners,  sailing  on 
lake  Michigan,  "  The  Granger"  and  the  "  J.  0.  Thayer"  ;  born  at 
Alsatia,  in  Germany,  July  17,  1822;  learned  milling  business 
there  ;  came  to  America  in  1840;  resided  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  for 
about  five  years  and  was  engaged  in  the  production  of  salt.  Married 
at  Milwaukee  in  1856,  to  Kate  Bertschy;  born  at  Alsatia,  Ger- 
many. They  have  six  children — John  L.,  Jacob  P.,  Kate,  Jennie, 
Frederick  and  Ellen. 

AUGUST  BFNTROP,  groceries,  saloon  and  marble  factory, 
Sheboygan,  was  born  in  Chicago,  111.,  May  25,  1857;  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents  the  fall  of  1857  ;  located  at  Sheboy- 
gan ;  learned  the  trade  of  a  "  molder  "  and  was  employed  at  it 
some  seven  years;  then  at  Chicago,  II!.,  for  eighteen  months,  en- 
gaged as  molder  ;  returned  to  Sheboygan  and  was  employed  at  trade 
of  molder  for  a  short  time.  He  commenced  grocery  business 
and  saloon  in  1877,  in  partnership  with  H.  Mehrtens.  They  con- 
tinued together  for  eighteen  months,  and  since  (hen  Mr.  Bentrop 
has  been  alone.  He  has  also  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  marble 
since  the  spring  of  1881  ;  employs  two  men  in  that  business.  He 
was  married  a  Sheboygan,  Nov.  11,  1879,  to  Lena  Ecke,  born  in 
Sheboygan.     They  have  one  child,  Amanda,  aged  six  months. 

THOMAS  M.  BLACKSTOCK,  President  and  General  Man- 
ager of  the  Phoenix  Chair  Company,  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  of  Scotch  descent  ;  came  to  Canada  in  the  fall  of  18-18  ; 
resided  there  until  the  .spring  of  1849,  then  came  to  Sheboygan  ; 
was  in  drug  business  1850-56  ;  afterward,  for  four  years,  he  was 


986 


I  IIS  TORN" 


NOR  IHER.N    \V1SC(  )XS1N. 


Superintendent  of  the  Sheboygan  &  Pond  du  Lac  Plank  Road  ; 
for  a  short  time  he  superintended  a  wood  and  lumber  business.  In 
1861  he  returned  to  the  drug  business  and  is  still  interested  in  it. 
Since  ISGO  he  has  also  been  engaged  in  farming  to  a  considerable 
extent.  When  the  Phoenix  Chair  Company  was  organized,  in 
1875,  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  promoters  of  the  enterprise, 
and  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  company,  and  about  a  year  later 
he  w;is  elected  President  and  General  Manager.  He  has  twice 
held  the  position  of  Mayor,  and  served  as  Alderman  seven  years. 
In  1869  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  While  he 
w;is  Mayor,  and  afterward,  he  was  instrumental  in  successfully 
settling  the  city  Indebtedness,  being  one  of  the  Commissioners  of 
Public  Debt.  Mr.  Blackstock  was  married  at  Sheboygan  in  No- 
vember, 1860,  to  Bridget  Denn.  She  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Waterford,  Ireland. 

LOUIS  BODE,  knitting  factory,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1873 ;  located  at  Sheboygan  and  commenced  present 
business  in  1875 ;  was  elected  City  Surveyor  in  1878,  for  two 
years,  and  was  elected  County  Surveyor  in  1880.  He  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1833,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1873. 

WILLIAM  BRECHTEL,  tinner,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1851  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  with  his  parents;  learned 
a  trade  at  sixteen  years  of  age  and  was  employed  at  it  some  years ; 
was  then  at  Chicago,  111.,  two  years,  and  six  years  in  New  York, 
employed  at  trade;  returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1878,  worked  at 
trade  for  some  time,  and  in  present  business  since  the  spring  of 
1881.  He  was  born  in  Germany  in  1850;  came  to  America  in 
1851.  He  was  married  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  in  February,  1881,  to 
Theresa  Fischer,  born  in  Plymouth,  Wis.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  I  O.  O.  P.  for  one  year  and  the  Royal  Arcanum  for  over 
a  year. 

GEORGE  W.  BRADFORD,  County  Treasurer,  was  born  in 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  7,  1845  ;  came  to  Plymouth,  Wis.,  in 
October,  1846,  with  his  parents,  Ira  A.  and  Sarah  G.  (Sweeting) 
Bradford.  They  still  reside  in  that  town.  George  W.  held  the 
office  of  Clerk  of  the  town  of  Plymouth  for  three  years  ;  was 
elected  County  Treasurer  in  November,  1880.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  and  Royal  Arcanum.  Dec.  26,  1867,  he  was 
married,  in  Plymouth,  to  Sarah  A.  Brezee.  She  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  N.  Y..  and  died  May  16,  1881,  leaving  two  children, 
Alice  M.  and  Elmer  M. 

HERMAN  BUCHHEIM,  groceries,  notiors,  music  and 
toys,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Winconsin  in  1857;  located  at  She- 
boygan ;  commenced  a  bakery  and  carried  it  on  for  two  years  and 
opened  in  present  business  April  1,  1860,  with  Alexander 
Lupinsky.  They  continued  together  up  to  April  1,  1875,  and 
since  that  time  Mr.  Buchheim  has  been  alone.  He  was  born  in 
Prussia  March  5,  1834;  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for 
some  years;  came  to  America  in  1857.  He  was  married  at  She- 
boygan, July  24,  1862,  to  Dora  Minckner,  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many. They  have  six  children — Albert,  Matilda,  Emil,  Hedwig, 
Herman  and  Dora. 

WILLIAM  H.  BURK,  of  the  firm  of  W.  H.  &  C.  E.  Burk, 
manufacturers' of  tanks,  cisterns,  etc.,  Sheboysan,  was  born  in 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1848;  came  to  Wisconsin 'in  1857;  located 
with  parents  at  Sheboygan  ;  went  to  Chicago,  111.,  in  1865,  and 
was  employed  jis  book-keeper  for  a  short  time  ;  returned  to  She- 
boygan and  was  appointed  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds — engaged  In 
that  capacity  for  a  short  time  only  ;  then  at  Lake  Superior,  Mich., 
engaged  in  forwarding  and  shipping  business  for  two  years ;  then 
at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  same  business  for  two  years,  and  at  Chicago, 
111.,  engaged  na  book-keeper  for  five  jears;  returning  to  Sheboy- 
gan; commenced  present  business  In  1878  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Chas.  E.  Burk,  and  continued  in  it  since  Is  a  son  of 
John  Burk,  builder,  who  settled  in  Sheboygan  in  1857. 

NATHAN  COLE,  insurance  and  real  estate,  Sheboygan,  born 
at  Shebovsran  Falls,  Wis  ,  Nov.  22,  1S42.  Attended  school  up  to 
1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  4lh  W.  V.  I.:  .seivrd  in  that  regiment 
eighteen  months,  and  during  that  time  promoted  to  rank  of  Com- 


pany Sergeant  and  also  acted  as  Color  Sergeant.  In  September, 
1862,  was  commissioned  as  Lieutenant  in  20th  W.  V.  I.;  served 
in  that  capacity  to  Dec.  2,  1862,  when  he  was  wounded  In 
right  arm  at  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  Ark.;  was  disabled  for  six 
months,  afterward  wascorami.ssioned  to  1 5th  Veteran  Reserve  Corps; 
served  up  to  the  early  part  of  1865,  and  afterward  transferred  and 
appointed  Captain  of  20th  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  and  in  that  ca- 
pacity was  at  Milwaukee,  Fort  Snyder,  etc  ;  was  afterward  gazet- 
ted Brevet  Major,  and  had  command  of  Columbus  and  Washing- 
ton Counties,  Ark.,  and  was  located  in  Arkansas  up  to  July, 
1867  ;  resigned  in  that  month.  Returned  to  Sheboygan  Falls, 
Wis.,  and  ran  a  flouring  mill  a  year.  Came  to  Sheboygan 
City,  in  1869;  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  for  two  years' 
term,  1869  to  1871 ;  then  appointed  A.sslstant  Assessor  of 
Internal  Revenue  for  Sheboygan  County,  and  filled  that  position 
for  some  time,  and  afterward  for  several  other  counties  until  office 
was  abolished  in  May,  1873 ;  was  then  appointed  Deputy  Col- 
lector of  Internal  Revenue,  for_  Sheboygan,  Ozaukee,  Dodge  and 
Fond  du  Lac  Counties ;  served  in  that  capacity  up  to  June  14, 
1881.  Has  been  engaged  In  business  of  insurance  and  real  estate 
since  1871.  Married,  at  Sheboygan,  In  1864,  Harriet  A.  Man- 
vllle,  born  in  State  of  New  York.  They  have  five  children — 
Sarah  C,  Annie  M.,  Charles  D.,  George  C,  Dorathea. 

CHAS.  A.  DEAN,  attorney  at  law,  Sheboygan;  born  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  Aug.  2,  1851  ;  was  engaged  teaching 
school  for  some  years ;  went  to  Port  Washington,  Wis.,  at  the 
age  of  twenty -six  ;  studied  law  with  Geo.  W.  Foster  for  some  four 
years.  Was  admitted  to  the  bar,  at  West  Bend,  Washington  Co., 
April  7,  1879,  and  afterward  practiced  law  at  Port  Washington, 
Wis.,  for  one  year.  Came  to  Sheboygan  City,  April  1,  1881,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  practicing  law,  in  partnership  with  Den- 
nis T.  Phaler,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Sheboygan  City. 
Mr.  Dean  was  married  at  Ozaukee  County,  Wis.,  Nov.  17,  1879, 
to  Emma  Ruhmer,  born  in  Milwaukee.  They  have  one  child, 
Julia.  Is  a  son  of  A.  F.  Dean,  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  who  settled 
at  that  place  in  1845, 

PAUL  DIEHL,  foreman  of  seat  department  of  Sheboygan 
Manufacturing  Company.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855  ;  located 
at  Plymouth  with  parents,  then  at  Rhine,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis., 
for  two  years,  afterward  at  Glenbeulah,  Wis.,  for  some  eighteen 
months ;  fiirmed  some,  then  flirming  at  Herman,  Wis.,  for  five 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1864  went  to  Lake  Superior,  Mich  ,  and 
was  engaged  in  stamp  mills  for  eighteen  months,  and  at  Portage 
Lake,  Mich.,  In  same  capacity,  for  a  year;  returned  to  Glenbeu- 
lah, Wis.,  and  employed  as  carpenter  for  two  years.  Came  to 
Sheboygan  City  in  1870,  and  commenced  with  Sheboygan  Manu- 
facturing Company,  engaged  in  different  capacities,  and  has  been 
in  present  capacity  for  eighteen  months.  Has  been  foreman  of 
fire  company  for  three  years.  Born  in  Germany  Jan,  23,  1849  ; 
came  to  America  in  1855,  Married  at  Sheboygan,  Nov.  17, 
1872,  to  Annie  Eickmeyer.  born  in  Sheboygan.  They  have  two 
children,  Lucy  C.  and  William  J.;  one  deceased. 

JOHN  N.  ELLIOTT,  Pastor  of  Methodist  Church,  She- 
boygan. Came  to  Wisconsin  in  October,  1880;  was  engaged 
lecturing  through  the  State.  Came  to  Sheboygan  in  February, 
1881,  and  has  had  charge  of  Methodist  Church  since  then.  The 
church  has  a  congregation  of  150  and  is  the  only  English 
Methodist  Church  in  the  town.  .Mr.  E.  was  born  in  Canada,  in 
1832  ;  came  to  America  In  1848  ;  was  educated  at  Oberlin,  Ohio  ; 
ordained  into  the  ministry,  in  1860,  at  St.  Mary's,  Canada,  by 
Bishop  Smith,  and  was  employed  in  the  service  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  in  Canada,  up  to  the  spring  of  1880.  Married  in  Can- 
ada, in  February,  1851,  to  Ph<rbe  J.  Bouck,  a  native  of  Canada. 
They  have  four  children,  George  W.,  an  engineer ;  Augustus  M., 
a  telegraph  operator  ;  Dudley  S.,  a  druggist ;  Louisa  J.,  now  Mrs. 
Newton. 

OLE  M.  ELLISON,  fisheries,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1S()6;  located  at  Milwaukee;  was  engaged  sailing  on  the  lakes 
during  the  summer  and  fishing  during  the  winter,  for  some  seven 


HISTORY   OF    SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


987 


years  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1873  ;  engaged  one  year  sailing  on 
Lake  Michigan  ;  since  then  in  present  business  ;  employs  about  one 
thcmsand  hooks;  averageshipmentof  fish, per  month,  3,000  pounds; 
burn  in  Norway,  Sept.  3,  1841  ;  engaged  with  father,  fishing,  etc., 
for  some  years ;  came  to  America  in  1866.  Married  at  Milwau- 
kee, Wis.,  Nov.  .29,  1871,  Matilda  Armeson  ;  born  in  Norway. 
They  have  four  children — Oscar,  Martin,  Herman,  Lillie. 

ALPHEUS  E.  ELVIN,  of  the  Evergreen  City  Business 
College,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  September,  1876 ; 
located  at  Elkhorn  and  was  engaged  teaching  school  fur  one 
year,  then  engaged  in  teaching  book-keeping  and  penman.ship  in 
Eastern  and  Southern  Wisconsin  for  three  years,  and  during  that 
time  he  had  in  his  classes,  600  to  700  scholars ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
in  May,  1881,  and  opened  the  Evergreen  City  College  ;  has  now 
thirteen  pupils;  having  passed  eleven  others  through  the  college 
since  May,  1881  ;  employs  what  is  known  as  the  "  Dow  System;" 
was  born  in  Canada,  in  October,  18-18  ;  graduated  at  the  Normal 
School  in  Toronto,  Canada,  in  1871,  and  taught  school  for  three 
years;  learned  book-keeping  and  penmanship  at  Belleville,  Canada. 

WM.  ELWELL,  plaster  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Towanda, 
Bradford  Co,  Pa.,  Dec.  6,  1834;  came  from  there  to  Fond  du 
Lac,  in  September,  1853  ;  remained  there  until  the  spring  of  1854, 
then  removed  to  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk  in  the  mercantile  establishment  of  H.  N.  Smith. 
In  1858  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  came  to 
Sheboygan  to  live.  In  January,  1861,  he  returned  to  Plymouth 
and  purchased  the  business  of  his  former  employer,  H.  N.  Smith, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  partnership  with  P.  H. 
Smith,  they  continued  together  until  1868,  when  Mr.  Elwell  sold 
out  and  came  to  Sheboygan  and  built  a  plaster-mill.  Since  1874  he 
has  also  been  engaged  in  grain  trade,  in  connection  with  his 
plaster  business.  He  was  one  of  the  projectors  of  the  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  Kailroad  ;  he  was  superintendent  of  con- 
struction, .ind  he  was  superintendent  of  the  road,  after  it  was 
built,  for  about  three  years.  He  was  Mayor  at  the  time  the  road 
was  commenced  ;  he  has  been  interested  in  nearly  all  the  public 
enterprises  started  in  Sheboygan  since  he  came  here  ;  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  has  served  several  years 
as  a  member  of  that  board  ;  he  has  also  held  the  position  of  Alder- 
man. Mr.  K.  was  married  at  Towanda,  Pa.,  Feb.  12,  1861,  to 
Helen  M.  Spaulding,  a  native  of  Athens,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.  They 
have  four  children — Helen  M.,  Wm.  S.,  Kobert  S.  and   Henry  S. 

JOSEPH  P]ND,  merchant;  was  born  in  Milwaukee  Nov.  8, 
1846;  lived  there  until  1855,  then  resided  in  Mayville,  Dodge 
Co.,  until  1861,  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan.  He  was  employed 
as  a  clerk  until  1870,  when  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for 
himself,  in  partnership  with  his  present  partner,  Joseph  F.  Kent. 
July  2,  1868,  he  was  married,  in  this  city,  to  Miss  Josephine 
Kent,  who  was  born  in  Sheboygan.  They  have  two  children — 
William  George  and  Edgar  Alban. 

GEORGE  END,capitali.st;  was  born  on  the  Cold  Spring  farm 
(now  part  of  the  eity  of  Buff'alo),  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  10, 
1830;  cams  to  Joliet,  III.,  with  his  parents  in  1838;  came  to 
Milwaukee  in  1840,  and  to  Sheboygan  in  1851;  prior  to  coming 
here,  for  four  years,  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi 
ncss  in  Milwaukee.  After  locating  at  Sheboygan,  he  carried  on 
mercantile  business  until  1872.  "From  1873  to  1875,  he  was 
iiipiired  in  tannery  business.  From  1875  to  1879, he  was  Mayor 
of  Sii.bnygan.  In  1880,  he  was  one  of  the  Republican  Presi- 
dential IClectors  ;  he  is  now  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward.  Mr. 
End  wa.s  married,  in  Chicago,  Sept.  25,  1854,  to  .Mary  Augusta 
Schullcr;  she  was  born  in  the  city  of  Mannh  ■iiii.  Hadcn  (lermany. 
They  have  seven  children — Clara,  Mary  Lnui>r.  S;ii:ili  .r.isephina, 
Anna  E.,  Jo.scph  W.,  Kate  and  Henry  GmiL:'    Aujii-lu-;. 

E.  P.  EWER,  agent  for  Goodrich  line  ul'.-tciiuijliip.s,  Sheboy- 
gan;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  re.sided 
with  his  parents;  clerked  in  dry  goods  business  for  ten  years; 
afterward  agent  for  Goodrich's  E.xpress  Company  for  on >  year; 
engaged  on  Lake  Michigan  for  three  years  as  clerk  on  steamboats. 


In  1871,  was  appointed  agent  of  the  Goodrich  line  of  steamers, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  that  capacity  since.  Born  in  Stockholm, 
St.  Lawrence  Co'.,  JSf.  Y.,  April  25,  1845.  Married  in  Sheboygan, 
Feb.  2,  1870,  to  Maggie  Ryan,  born  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  They 
have  three  children — Eva,  Chester,  Nellie. 

EVAN  EVANS,  retired  farmer;  P.  0.  Sheboygan;  born  in 
Wales  Oct.  5, 1821 ;  came  to  America  in  1844;  located  at  Racine, 
Wis.;  resided  there  with  parents  for  one  year;  came  to  Sheboygan 
City  in  1845  ;  was  employed  as  carpenter  and  joiner  for  many 
years ;  afterward  toll-keeper  on  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  plank 
road;  then  farmed  in  town  of  Sheboygan  up  to  1875  ;  since  then 
has  not  been  engaged  in  any  business.  He  was  Clerk  of  town  of 
Sheboygan  for  a  year,  and  Superintendent  of  Town  Schools  for 
one  year.  Married  at  Racine,  Wis.,  in  September,  1847,  to  Jane 
Jones,  born  in  Wales.  They  have  one  child — Annie,  now  Mrs. 
Henry  C.  Humphrey. 

ALBERT  FAIRCHILD,  merchant,  came  to  Sheboygan,  Wis., 
with  his  parents  in  1846  ;  engaged  in  the  fishing  business  when  a 
youth  and  has  continued  in  it  ever  .since.  For  the  last  ten  yeacs, 
ho  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  Feagan.  They  also  do  a  large  fishing  business.  Mr. 
Fairchild  is  a  native  of  Rock,  Erie  Co.,  N.Y.;  born  Jan,  31,  1842. 
He  was  married  in  Winneconne,  Wis.,  Feb.  1,  1873,  to  Maria  L. 
Jackson.  She  is  a  native  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Hattie  M.,  Eleanor  and  Watner.  Mr.  Fairchild  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Harriet  Fair- 
child,  reside  in  the  town  of  Wilson,  five  miles  from  Sheboygan. 

PETER  FEAGAN,  of  Feagan  &  Fairchild,  groceries  and  fish- 
eries, Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851 ;  located  at  Sheboy- 
gan ;  engaged  in  farming  with  parents  for  about  two  years,  then 
went  to  California  and  was  engaged  mining  eleven  months,  and 
carried  on  a  restaurant  in  Marysville,  Cal.,  for  nearly  two  years, 
and  afterward  was  express  mail  rider  for  eleven  months;  returned 
to  Sheboygan  and  farmed  for  four  years;  enlisted  in  1861  in  17th 
W.  V.  I.;  was  Lieutenant  for  eight  months,  acting  as  Quarter- 
master of  the  regiment  for  eighteen  months  and  afterward  Cap- 
tain of  Co.  E,  17th  W.  V.  I.  ;  served  altogether  three  years  and 
ten  months  ;  returning  again  to  Sheboygan,  commenced  grocery 
and  fishery  in  partnership  with  A.  M.  Leigh  and  continued  in 
that  firili  for  seven  years ;  entered  present  business  with  Albert 
Fairchild  May  1,  1872;  ran  the  tug  Maggie  Lutz  in  the  fishery 
business;  average  shipments  offish,  9,000  pounds  per  month.  He 
was  born  in  Ireland  in  1836  ;  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  quite  young.  He  was  married  in  Sheboygan  in  1861,  to 
Josephine  Thomas,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have 
three  children —  Sherman,  Mary  and  Thaddeus. 

REINHARD  B.  FIRZLAFF,  boots  and  shoes,  Sheboygan, 
was  born  in  Sheboygan  June  21,  1854;  commenced  business  life 
as  a  fisherman  ;  was  engaged  in  that  capacity  for  one  season  ;  then 
learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker ;  engaged  at  it  eighteen  months  ; 
was  at  Escanaha,  Mich.,  employed  at  his  trade  for  one  and  a  half 
years,  and  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  nearly  a  year  ;  returned  to  She- 
boygan for  a  short  time  ;  then  at  Hancock,  Mich.,  for  three  months  ; 
also  at  Prince  Arthur's  Landing,  Canada,  for  two  years,  and  in 
State  of  Minnesota  for  some  years;  returned  to  Sheboygan  Dec. 
23,  1880,  and  been  in  present  business  since.  He  was  married  at 
Sheboygan,  Blay  26,  1881,  to  Jennie  Kaufmann,  born  in  Ger- 
many. 

HENRY  J.  FISCHER,  blacksmith,  Sheboygan,  was  born  in 
Sheboygan  April  28,  1858 ;  went  to  Plymouth,  Wis.,  with 
parents  when  quite  young ;  learned  his  trade  there  and  was  em- 
ployed at  it  some  two  years,  and  in  business  on  his  own  account 
for  one  year  ;  returned  to  Sheboygan  in  the  spring  of  1881,  and 
commenced  present  business.  He  was  married  at  Sheboygan  May 
26,  1881,  to  Louisa  Hilmert,  born  in  State  of  Wisconsin.  He 
is  a  son  of  Hartman  Fisuher,  farmer  in  Sheboygan  Co. 

JOHN  FLAIG,  cooper-shop  and  dealer  in  barrels,  Sheboy- 
gan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1852  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was 
engaged  in  farming  for  s(jiui'  tim.-.  and  in  various  capacities  up  to 


HISTORY    OF    NORIUF.RX    WISCONSIX. 


1870,  when  be  learned  the  cooper  trade  and  was  employed  at  it 
some  two  years;  commenced  present  business  in  1872,  and  has 
been  engaged  at  it  since.  Born  in  Germany,  Aug.  14,  184(); 
came  to  America  in  1852.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  April  25,  1869, 
to  Caroline  A.  Buchen,  born  in  Germany  ;  they  have  six  children 
— Henry,  Caroline,  Bertha,  Miua,  Augusta  and  John. 

CAPT.  JOHN  M.  FOLGEll,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1855);  located  at  Sheboygan;  was  engaged  in  the  lumbering 
business  with  A.  L.  Weeks,  Charles  S.  Norton  and  D.  E.  Swine- 
ton,  and  also  had  a  general  store  called  "The  Three  Captains;  " 
retired  from  that  business  in  1865  ;  then  ticket  agent  of  the  S.  & 
F.  R.  11.  Co.  for  four  years,  and  dealt  in  real  estate  ;  was  then  in  Cal- 
ifornia for  a  few  months;  returned  to  Sheboygan,  and  has  been 
since  engaged  in  gardening  and  agricultural  pursuits.  Was  City 
Assessor  for  the  years  1875-76.  Born  at  Nantucket,  Mass.,  Nov. 
12,  1818,  and  at  thirteen  years  of  age  commenced  active  life  as 
cooper ;  was  engaged  on  a  whaling  vessel  as  cooper  for  over  three 
years  ;  then  as  harpooner  on  a  whaler  for  four  years ;  afterward 
mate  for  four  years ;  then  as  captain  for  eight  years  ;  was  then 
farming  in  Ohio  from  1854  to  1858.  Married  at  Nantucket, 
Mass,  in  July,  1841,  to  Eliza  B.  Upham,  born  there. 

HENRY  FOESTE,  manufacturer,  Sheboygan;  came  to  She- 
boygan in  1847;   was  born  in  Herford,  Pru-ssia,  May  17,  1828- 

Mr.  F.  was  married  in  Sheboygan, 27,  1849,  to  Mary  Prangei 

a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany  ;  they  have  five  children — Emma 
F.  (now  Mrs.  H.  Rakow,  of  Milwaukee),  Sophia  H.,  Otto  W.,  Ar- 
thur H.  and  Alvina  M.;  all  except  the  married  daughter  reside  in 
Sheboygan ;  Otto  has  recently  returned  from  Switzerland,  where 
he  spent  two  and  a  half  years  at  school. 

GEORGE  M.  GEARLDS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Sheboygan  ;  born  in 
Sheboygan  City,  Wis.,  Dec.  20,  1858.  His  father,  Edward 
Gearlds,  moved  on  the  present  farm  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan  in 
1863.  George  resides  with  his  father,  and  assists  him  in  conduct- 
ing the  farm.  Edward  Gearlds  settled  in  Sheboygan  Oct  25, 
1853;   he  owns  80  acres  of  land,  all  improved. 

FRANK  GEELE,  hardware  merchant,  Sheboygan  ;  was  born 
in  Prussia  March  15,  1825  ;  came  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  Au- 
gust, 1846  ;  employed  as  a  tinsmith  in  the  establishment  of  Gov. 
Farwell ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  November,  1847  ;  ho  worked  in 
the  tin.shop  of  Orrin  S.  Camp  for  about  two  years  ;  he  then  bought 
the  business  of  Mr.  Camp,  and  since  then  has  been  engaged  in 
business  for  himself.  He  has  been  County  Supervisor  two  terms. 
County  Treasurer  four  years,  City  Treasurer  several  years.  Mayor 
five  years,  and  is  now  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward.  He  was  one 
of  the  promoters  and  organizers  of  the  Phoenix  Chair  Co.,  and  is 
still  interested  in  the  company  as  a  stockholder.  Mr.  G.  was  mar- 
ried, in  Sheboygan,  to  Gertrude  Trilling ;  she  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia; they  have  six  children — Matilda  (now  Mrs.  R.  Hoch,  of  Mar- 
quette, Mich.),  Henry,  Frank,  Tony,  Willis  and  Emma. 

REV.  JOHN  G.  GOEHRINGER,  Pastor  of  Evangelical, 
Lutheran  Trinity  Church,  Sheboygan.  Born  at  Accident,  Md., 
March  20, 1848;  received  his  classical  education  at  Concordia  Col- 
Ige,  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  from  Isi;:;  t,,  1  m;'.i,  then  took  up  his  theolog- 
ical course  at  Concordia  Colic-.'  Si  I.  ui^.  Mo.,  and  graduated  there 
in  June,  1872;  was  then  ;ii  Ma-.  .,itah,  St.  Clair  Co.,  III.,  in 
charge  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Zion  Church  for  nine  years; 
came  to  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  Aug.  13,  1881,  and  entered  into  pres- 
ent duties.  Aug.  18,  1881;  married  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  June  15, 
1873,  to  Fredrika  I'ogenpohl,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  two 
living  children — George  and   Dora,  and  one  deceased. 

E.  B.  GARTON,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  the  Province  of 
Ontario,  Aug.  16,  1841  ;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Sheboygan 
Co.  in  the  fall  of  1864.  For  eight  years  he  carried  on  a  hat 
factory  at  Sheboygan  Falls.  He  then  resided  at  Chilton  for  two 
years.  In  1874,  he  came  to  Sheboygan,  and  four  years  he  was 
foreman  in  one  of  the  departments  of  Sheboygan  Manufacturing 
Company.  Since  then  he  has  been  in  planing-mill  business. 
About  twenty  months  a<.ro,  commenced  the  manufacture  of  toys  in 
connection  with  the  other  business.     He  was  married  at  Sheboy- 


gan Falls  in  January,  1865,  to  Nancy  J.  Goodell.  She  is  a  native 
of  Illinois.  They  have  two  children  living — Edith  May  and  Clar- 
ence Edwin  ;  lost  three  children — Mary  E.,  Eva  C.  and  Harry  E. 

JOHN  GRIFFITH,  manufacturer.  Was  born  in  Wale.-^ 
April  3,  1826.  Came  to  America  in  1831  with  his  parents, 
Griffith  and  Ann  Griffith.  They  .settled  in  Pottsville,  Schuylkill 
Co.,  Penn.,  where  John  lived  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  sea,  and  was  engaged  in  ocean  sailing  until  1856, 
when  he  came  to  Sheboygan.  He  was  engaged  in  sailing  on  the 
lakes  until  the  fall  of  1880,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
E.  B.  Garton,  in  planing  mill.  Mr.  Griffith  was  married  at  Rock- 
land, Maine,  in  1855,  to  Ardelle  C.  Packard,  a  native  of  that 
place.  They  have  four  children  living — Agnes,  Nellie,  Bessie  and 
Kittie ;  they  have  lost  two  sons — Alfred  and  Charles. 

BERNARD  R.  GROGAN,  Principal  of  High  Schools,  She- 
boygan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863;  located  at  Elkhart  Lake, 
Sheboygan  Co.;  was  educated  at  the  Normal  School,  at  Oshkosh, 
Wis;  attended  there  for  some  four  years,  and  graduated  in  1876; 
was  then  at  State  University,  Madison,  Wis.,  for  one  term,  and 
afterward  pursued  studies  in  private ;  had  charge  of  High  School 
at  Stockbridge,  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  for  eighteen  months;  was 
then  elected  Superintendent  of  County  Schools  in  fall  of  1877, 
and  re-elected  in  1879,  and  resigned  that  position  to  assume  the 
principalship  of  Sheboygan  High  School ;  was  born  in  Le  Roy,  N. 
Y.,  in  1850;  is  a  son  of  Matthew  Grogan,  farmer,  at  Elkhart, 
Wis.,  who  settled  there  in  1853. 

GEORGE  M.  GROH,  of  G.  M.  Groh  &  Bros.,  photographers, 
Sheboygan.  Born  in  Sheboygan  July  14, 1855.  Began  business 
life  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  as  musician  in  a  theatrical  troupe, 
for  one  year.  Learned  trade  of  photographer  in  State  of  Ohio, 
and  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  was  engaged  at  it  some  four  years.  Was 
in  Sedalia,  Mo.,  for  a  short  time.  Returned  to  Sheboygan  in  foil 
of  1875,  and  commenced  present  business  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Edward  Groh.  Is  a  son  of  George  Groh,  resident  of 
Sheboygan.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  for  one 
year. 

OLBY  GROH,  Captain  of  Life  Saving  Station,  Sheboygan; 
born  at  Galveston,  Tex.,  in  1847;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850; 
located  at  Sheboygan  ;  at  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  began  active 
life  as  a  sailor  before  the  mast;  was  mate  in  1864  ;  in  1865,  was 
made  Captain  of  the  schooner  Gazelle,  afterward  Captain  and  part 
owner  of  schooner  Jennie ;  then  owned  and  ran  the  schooner 
Pride  up  to  1873,  when  he  took  and  ran  the  tugboat  F.  Geele 
up  to  the  year  1879,  then  had  the  tugboat  W.  C."  Tillson,  for  a 
short  time,  after  which  owned  and  ran  the  tugboat  Triad  for  two 
months  ;  is  now  superintending  the  dredging  of  the  Sheboygan 
River  for  the  city  of  Sheboygan  ;  has  been  Captain  of  Life  Sav- 
ing Station  since  1876;  married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  1870,  to 
Odelia  Freyburg — now  deceased — leaving  four  children — Hattie, 
Clara,  Emma  and  Laura. 

WILLIAM  GRUBE,  of  Grube  Bros.,  coopers,  Sheboygan. 
Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1860,  and  located  at  Sheboygan  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years.  Learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker,  and  w.as 
employed  in  that  capacity  for  four  years.  Then  learned  coopering 
business,  and  was  employed  at  it  some  seven  or  eight  years.  Com- 
menced present  business  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Louis 
Grube,  in  1878,  and  they  have  continued  together  since.  Manu- 
facture 1,500  pork  barrels  and  tierces  per  annum,  and  7,000  ju-a 
barrels.  They  employ  four  men  in  shop.  Born  in  Germany  Feb. 
9,  1850  ;  came  to  America  in  1860.  Married  at  Sheboygan, 
August,  1874,  to  Bertha  Nuemeister.  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  four  children — Meta,  Alfred,  William  and  Augusta. 

THEODORE  GUNTHER,  stoneware  factory,  Sheboygan  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1859  ;  located  at  Milwaukee  and  was  em- 
ployed in  stoneware  factory  for  some  four  years.  Came  to  She- 
boygan in  1863,  and  commenced  manuflicturing  stoneware  in  com- 
pany with  P.  Berns  ;  they  continued  together  in  that  line  of  bus- 
iness two  and  a  half  years ;  since  that  time  he  has  carried  on  a 
stoneware   factory   alone ;    employs   ten    men,   and   manufactures 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


<,(i()0  gallons  of  stoneware  monthly.  Wa.s  Aldcnnan  of  the 
>M-(md  Ward  for  the  years  1867-68-()9  and  1870,  and  was  also 
I'normaster  in  ihe  years  18G9  and  1870.  Was  born  in  France, 
Sept.  6,  1826  ;  learned  trade  there  and  in  Germany.  Came  to 
America  in  1855,  and  was  engaged  in  manufacturing  stoneware  at 
l>iiroit,  Mich.,  for  some  three  years.  Married,  at  Detroit,  Mich., 
Nov.  1,  1859,  to  Bertha  Schaeffer,  born  in  Germany;  they  have 
two  children — William,  studying  medicine  at  Hush  Medical  Col- 
lege, Chicago,  111.,  and  Emil. 

HENRY  GUENTHER,  contractor  and  builder,  Sheboygan  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849;  located  at  Sheboygan  City,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  building  and  contracting  for  carpentering  work 
since  he  came  here  ;  was  Assessor  of  Fourth  Ward  for  two  years  ; 
born  in  Prussia,  April  15,  1817  ;  learned  trade  of  carpenter  and 
was  employed  at  it  some  years;  came  to  America  in  1849  ;  mar- 
ried in  Germany  in  1845,  to  Augusta  Sohitzenmeister,  born  there. 
They  have  three  children — Theresa,  Mary  and  Joseph. 

HENRY  GUTSCH,  saloon,  Sheboygan.  Came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1865.  Located  at  Sheboygan.  Was  employed  in  brewery 
of  Leopold  Gutsch  for  ten  years.  Commenced  present  business 
in  1875,  and  has  been  engaged  in  it  since.  Born  at  Chicago,  111., 
June  13,  1852.  Learned  trade  of  machinist,  and  worked  at  it 
some  two  years.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  May  23,  1876,  to 
Antonia  Gutsch,  born  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Josephine,  Leopold  and  Olga. 

ADOLPH  F.  GUTSCH,  bottler  of  L.  Gutsch's  !  ager  Beer, 
Sheboygan.  Born  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  Sept.  17,  1858.  Learned 
brewing  business  with  his  father,  Leopold  Gutsch,  and  was  employed 
with  him  some  sis  years.  Commenced  present  business  in  the  spring 
of  1870.  Bottles  about  600  barrels  of  beer  per  annum,  employs 
three  men  and  two  delivery  wagons.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis., 
Feb.  3,  1880,  to  Charlotte  Henschel,  born  at  Sheboygan.  They 
have  one  son — Alfred  0. 

WILLIAM  HALBACH,  retired  merchant,  Sheboygan; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  June,  1848  ;  located  in  town  of  Herman, 
Sheboygan  Co.;  was  engaged  farming  up  to  1852,  when  he  came 
to  Sheboygan  and  conducted  a  blacksmith-shop  for  two  years  ;  re- 
turning-to  Herman,  was  employed  as  foreman  and  engineer  in  saw- 
saw-  mill  for  two  years;  from  1856  to  1879  he  was  engaged  in 
general  store  business,  and  also  engaged  in  conducting  a  saw- 
mill in  company  with  Henry  Mueller  from  1866  to  1873; 
there  for  three  years  in  same  business  in  company  with  E. 
Frome.  Returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1879  and  has  not  since  en- 
gaged in  business.  He  was  Postmaster  at  Howard's  Grove,  town 
of  Herman,  for  some  six  years,  and  also  Town  Clerk  and  Justice 
of  the  Peace  at  that  place  for  six  years.  Was  born  in  Germany 
June  10,  1821;  was  employed  as  a  machinist  in  that  country. 
Came  to  America  in  1848.  Married,  in  Germany,  in  1846,  to 
Slary  Mennenolh,  born  there  ;  they  have  seven  children — Will- 
iam, Albert,  Lucy,  Bertha,  Laura,  Charles  and  Rudolph. 

CHARLES  H.  HALBACH,  of  Halbach  &  Co.,  photo- 
graphers, Sheboygan  ;  was  born  at  Howard's  Grove,  Sheboygan 
Co.,  Oct.  16,  1861  ;  was  educated  there  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  City 
in  1876  ;  employed  some  two  years  with  Groh  &  Bros.,  photo- 
graphers;  then  at  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  employed  in 
photographing  business  for  some  two  years ;  they  had  a  gallery  at 
Clear  Lake,  Wis.,  for  a  few  months ;  returned  to  Sheboygan 
in  July,  1881.  Commenced  business  Aug.  1,  1881,  in  partner- 
sliip  with  Joseph  M.  Kocrner.  Is  a  son  of  William  Halbach,  who 
is  a  retired  farmer,  residing  in  Sheboygan. 

De  WISNER  HALSTED,  proprietor  of  the  Beekman  House; 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Woodville,  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  May  24, 
1845.  He  was  married,  at  Charles  City,  Iowa,  March  11,  1866, 
to  Mary  G.  Stearns,  a  native  of  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.;  she  died  in 
May,  1871,  leaving  one  son — John  D.  Mr.  Halsted's  present 
wife  was  Bertha  K.  Balzer  ;  she  was  born  in  Sheboygan  ;  they 
have  two  children — Aurel  F.  and  an  infant  son.  Mr.  H.  enlisted, 
in  October,  1861,  in  Co.  A.  2d  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  he  was 
wounded  at   the   battle  of  I'rairie  Grove  ;  mustered  out  Feb.  24, 


1863.  Before  entering  the  army  he  had  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  when  he  left  the  service  he  returned  to  Calumet  Co.  and 
resumed  farming,  which  he  continued  until  February,  1865,  when 
he  re-enlisted  in  Co.  I,  3d  U.  S.  Veteran  Volunteers  ;  served  until 
February,  1866  ;  he  then  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  staves,  in  addition  to  his  farming 
operations,  which  he  continued  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  She- 
boygan and  engaged  in  hotel  business,  which  he  has  continued  ever 
since  ;  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Park  Hotel  for  two  years,  balance 
of  the  time  running  the  Beekman  Hou.se.  His  father,  De  Wis- 
ner  Halsted.  was  born  in  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.;  he  was  the  first 
Postmaster  in  the  town  of  Woodville,  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.;  he  served 
in  the  Black  Hawk  war  ;  he  was  at  first  Corporal  and  afterward 
Sergeant  in  the  5th  Regt.  U.  S.  Inftmtry  ;  he  was  connected  with 
that  branch  of  the  army  which  opened  the  old  military  road  from 
Fort  Winnebago  to  Green  Bay.  His  business  in  Calumet  Co.  was 
lumber  manufacturer  and  farmer  ;  he  first  came  to  Sheboygan  in 
1837  ;  one  year  later  he  went  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  remained 
until  he  located  in  Calumet  Co.  in  1841  ;  he  died  in  1859.  His 
wife  was  Rachel  Turner  ;  she  was  born  in  Dundas,  Canada  ;  she 
died  in  March,  1863.  'The  first  post  office  in  Woodville,  Calumet 
Co..  she  named  Dundas,  after  her  native  place.  The  Beekman 
House  is  located  in  the  business  center  of  the  city,  being  the 
largest  hotel  in  the  city  ;  it  is  the  favorite  summer  resort  for  vis- 
itors from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

L.  D.  HARVEY,  lawyer;  was  born  in  Deerfield,  Rocking- 
ham Co.,  N.  H.,  Nov.  23,  1848;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents  in  1850  ;  they  located  in  the  town  of  Fulton,  Rock  Co.  ; 
L.  D.  was  educated  at  Milton  College ;  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution in  1872;  he  taught  one  term  of  select  school  at  Spring 
Prairie,  Walworth  Co. ;  then  he  taught  a  graded  school  at  Albany, 
Green  Co.,  one  term  ;  afterward,  for  two  years  he  was  Principal  of 
the  Mazomauie  School  in  Dane  Co. ;  in  1875,  he  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan ;  he  was  Principal  of  the  High  School  here  until  July,  1880, 
and  had  practical  charge  of  the  city  schools  during  this  period ; 
in  October,  1880,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  having  commenced 
the  study  of  law  some  time  before  he  discontinued  teaching ;  he 
is  now  a  member  of  the  School  Board  and  also  Superintendent  of 
the  city  schools  ;  he  is  Secretary  of  the  Sheboygan  Library  Asso- 
ciation. Dec.  25,  1874,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lettie  Brown,  a 
native  of  Illinois  ;  they  have  three  children — Leeta,  Alice,  Helen, 
and  an  infant  daughter. 

CHRISTIAN  HEYER,  proprietor  of  tannery;  was  born 
in  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  Feb.  15,  1827;  in  1840,  he  became  a 
tanner's  apprentice  ;  in  1851,  he  came  from  his  native  country  to 
Milwaukee;  worked  in  a  tannery  there  until  the  fall  of  1855, 
when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself ; 
commenced  with  a  capital  of  $400  ;  worked  about  six  men  ;  in 
1859,  he  commenced  in  his  present  location  with  a  capital  of 
$2,000,  and  employed  ten  men  ;  now  he  gives  employment  to 
about  forty  ;  for  fourteen  years,  Theodore  Zschetzsche  was  a  part- 
ner with  him.  Mr.  Heyer  was  married  at  Milwaukee  in  May, 
1853,  to  Rosina  Hofsas ;  she  is  also  a  native  of  Wurtemburg, 
Germany.     Mr.  H.  has  been  Alderman. 

ANDREW  HIGBY,  insurance  agent,  Sheboygan ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1848;  located  at  Kenosha;  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile business  in  company  with  J.  B.  Griffin  for  six  months;  then 
at  Beloit,  Wis.,  for  some  years,  and  a  short  time  at  Columbus, 
Wis.;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1852;  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  as  clerk  for  some  nine  years  ;  in  1861,  engaged  in  insur- 
ance business,  and  has  followed  it  since;  from  1876  to  1879,  was 
in  partnership  with  his  son,  Charles  F.  Higby ;  now  in  Milwaukee 
with  Goodrich  Transportation  Company  ;  was  at  one  time  Treas- 
urer of  School  Board  for  about  a  year;  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.; 
Nov.  18,  1815,  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  at  twenty  years  of  age; 
clerked  for  some  time,  and  was  engaged  in  the  hardware  business 
for  some  years.  Married,  at  Beloit,  Wis.,  Jan.  3,  1848,  to  Maria 
R.  Hunt,  born  at  Troy,  N.  Y..  now  deceased  ;  they  have  living 
one    boy — Charles    F.     Married   again    at    Sheboygan    October 


HIST()R^■ 


N(  )R1HER\    WISCONSIN. 


1875,  to  Berlha  J.  C.  Beclily.  born  in  (ieruiany;  llicy  have  one 
son — Anson  W. 

JOHN  HICKEY,  foreman  of  shops  of  C,  N.  W.  R.  R,  Co., 
Sheboy,Kan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1873,  and  located  at  Sheboy- 
gan, and  has  been  engajied  in  present  capacity  since  :  born  in 
Chicairo,  111.,  in  1842,  learned  the  trade  of  machinist  and  engineer 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio  ;  was  then  employed  as  engineer  on  the  M., 
H.  &  0.  R.  R.  at  3Iarcjuette,  Mich.,  for  three  years;  then  at 
Chicago,  111.,  on  the  C,  R.  I.  &  P.  R.  R.  as  machinist  for  one 
year,  afterward  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  as  engineer  and  ma- 
chinist for  nine  years.  Married  at  Marquette,  Mich.,  September, 
1867,  to  Mary  Melody,  born  in  Detroit,  Mich.;  they  have  six 
children — Daniel,   Frederick,  Charles,  William,  Ella  and  Joseph. 

G.  L.  HOLMES,  Vice  President  and  Superintendent  of  the 
Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company,  was  born  in  Canaan,  Somer- 


set  Co.,  Maine,  Dec.  28,  1843;  resided  there  until  he  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  then  went  to  Boston,  and  prior  to  his  removal 
to  Sheboygan,  he  was  employed  as  sale.-iman  for  a  Boston  furniture 
establishment.  In  the  fall  of  18(i7  he  came  to  Sheboygan  ;  after 
ig  here  he  was  with  the  Sheboygan  &  P<md  du  Lac  Railway 


Co.,  most  of  the  time,  until  he  bee 

boygan  Manufacturing   Company,  in  \n-s\\ 

four  years  he  worked  in  various  de]Mi  i  m.  n 

for  three  years  was  employed  as  travilinL'  - 

January,  1876,  he  was  elected  Vice  Preside 

he  has  served  iis  Alderman  for  two   years 

in  Sheboygan,  April  28,  1880,  to  Belle,  daughter  of  Benjamin  H. 

Gibb.s,  an  early  s.tilcr  of  this  county,  she  was  born   in  Gibbsville, 

Sheboygan  ('..  ,  \Vi> 

FRHDEKICK  II I  LDEBRAND,  builder,  Sheboygan  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1S4.S,  located  at  Sheboygan;  was  engaged  in 
farming  for  some  three  years ;  then  employed  as  carpenter  .some 


cted  with  the  She- 
1  ^''''  ;  for  three  or 
I  ilii>  comp.any,  then 
-HI  111  lor  them.  In 
;ind  Superintendent ; 
Mr.  H.  was  married 


six  years,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  as  contracting 
builder;  built  the  Lutheran  Church  in  1869,  and  some  of  the 
prominent  bu.sine.ss  and  dwelling  houses.  Born  in  Gertiany,  Oct. 
31,  1829  ;  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  builder,  and  was  em- 
ployed at  it  some  years;  came  to  America  in  1848;  married  at 
Sheboygan,  Wis.,  Nov.  13,  1853,  to  Amelia  Wissbroecker,  born 
in  Germany  ;  they  have  three  children — Ernst,  carpenter,  em- 
ployed with  his  father;  Bertha  and  Lina;  three  children  de- 
ceased. 

JACOB  HILPERTSHAUSER,  contractor  and  builder, 
Sheboygan;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855  ;  loca  ed  in  the  town  of 
Herman,  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  and  was  engaged  in  contract- 
ing carpenter  work,  etc.,  for  some  years ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
City  in  1863;  was  employed  in  ship-building  for  about  a  year; 
enlisted  in  1864  in  the  45th  Wisconsin  Infantry,  served  for 
seven  months,  returned  to  Sheboygan  and  was  employed  for  over 
a  year  at  ship-building;  then  engaged  in  present  business  for 
some  four  years  alone,  then  in  company  with  Fred  Hildebrand  for 
ten  years,  and  since  that  time  has  been  alone  ;  was  a  subcon- 
tractor  on  the  County  Court  House,  built  in  1868  ;  has  been 
principally  engaged  in  erecting  business  and  private  bnildings  ; 
was  also  engaged  in  building  the  Episcopal  and  Lutheran  Churches. 
Born  in  Switzerland,  May  26,  1830  ;  learned  the  trade  of  car- 
penter, and  was  employed  at  it  some  years  ;  came  to  America  in 
1854;  resided  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  engaged  as  carpenter  for  four- 
teen months.  Married  in  Switzerland,  Sept.  1,  1851,  to  Annie 
Schweitzer,  born  there  ;  they  have  five  children — Kate,  Charles, 
employed  with  his  father ;  Jacob,  William  and  George. 

FREDERICK  HAHN,  M.  D.,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  fall  of  1847  and  located  in  Sheboygan  Co.  ;  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  practicing  medicine  for  some  five  years ;  came  to 
Sheboygan  City  in  1853,  and  has  been  engaged  in  practicing  med- 
icine since ;  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  short  time  and  was 
City  Physician  for  several  years;  born  in  Buttstadt,  Thurinsen, 
Germany,  Feb.  5.  1815 ;  was  educated  there  and  graduated  in 
June,  1842,  and  passed  State  examination  at  Weimar,  in  Thiirin- 
gen,  in  same  year;  practiced  there  for  five  years;  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1847.  Married  in  Germany  in  1S47  to  Josephine  Kind ; 
burn  there;  died  in  1872,  leaving  five  children — Lena,  Loui.*a, 
Mary,  Adolph,  Gustave. 

JACOB  IMEG,  boots  and  shoes,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1851;  located  with  parents  at  Sheboygan;  at  fifteen 
years  of  age  learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker  and  was  employed  at 
it  some  three  years  ;  then  employed  at  trade  in  Chicago,  III.,  for 
five  years  ;  then  went  to  New  York  City  and  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Navy  ;  was  appointed  ;is  cook  on  United  States 
torpedo  boat  "Naubuck."  and  was  engaged  in  that  capacity  for 
six  months;  then  on  receiving  ship  for  six  months;  was  then  dis- 
charged ;  then  employed  at  trade  in  Chicago,  III.,  for  one  year ; 
returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1866,  and  commenced  boot  and  shoe 
business  in  partnership  with  J.  M.  Heinzelman  ;  continued  with 
him  for  five  years,  and  since  that  time  has  been  in  present  business 
alone  ;  was  Alderman  of  Second  Ward  for  the  years  1875,  '76,  '77 
and  1879;  was  President  of  the  Calumet  plank  road  for  the 
the  year  1880,  and  was  also  Superintendent  of  Poor  for  1879  and 
'80;  born  in  Germany  in  1843;  came  to  America  in  1851. 
Married  at  Sheboygan,  August,  1869,  to  Rosa  Gut«oh,  born  in 
Sheboygan.  Thev  have  .six  children — Hugo,  Alma,  Leopold, 
Adolph,  Lulu.  Tb.'ckla. 

DAVID  JENKINS,  proprietor  of  machine  shops,  was  born 
in  South  Wales,  June  2-1,  1834;  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  1841  ;  they  located  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  resided  there 
until  the  fall  of  1844,  when  they  came  to  Racine,  Wis.,  where 
they  remained  until  the  spring  of  1845  ;  then  came  to  Sheboygan. 
Price  Jenkins,  lather  of  David,  carried  on  the  business  of  gun- 
smith here  until  he  died.  David  commenced  working  at  machin- 
ist's trade  when  he  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  he  has 
worked  at  same  trade  ever  since ;  engaged  in  business  for  himself 
since  the  spring  of  1876,  and  has  the  finest  shop  of  its  size  to  be 


HISTORY   OF    SHRROYGAN    COUNTY. 


t  lund  in  Wisconsin.  He  was  married  at  Sheboyiran,  Oct.  29, 
\<>ri,  to  Mary  E.  Crocker,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Schroon,  Essex 
( "u.  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children  living— Edward  W.,  DeWitt 
and  Henry.  They  have  lost  eight  children.  Mr.  Jenkins  is  a 
iu..mher  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

PETER  JOHNSON,  foreman  of  sanding  department  of  the 
rtiienix  Chair  Company,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the 
s]iriiig  of  1872  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was  employed  as  sailor 
lieloro  the  mast  for  several  years,  and  afterward,  as  mate  of  schooner 
-ailing  on  the  lakes;  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Phoenix  Chair 
Cnmpany  for  four  years,  and  in  present  capacity  since  January, 
1  -^T'.t ;  born  in  Norway  in  1SH7  ;  was  engaged  as  mate  of  vessels 
(111  the  ocean  for  twelve  years;  came  to  America  in  1872.  Mar- 
liid  in  Canada,  Oct.  3,  1871,  to  Mary  Blake,  born  in  Canada. 
Tluy  have  four  children— Ellen  H.,  Robert  J.  C,  William  T.  and 
Henry  M. 

FR.  KARSTE,  Cashier  of  the  German  Bank,  Sheboygan, 
was  born  in  Baderslaben,  Prussia,  April  27,  1837  ;  came  to  She- 
boygan from  his  native  country  May  22,  1854  ;  worked  in  brick- 
yard the  first  two  summers  after  coming  here  ;  winters  employed 
at  wood  chopping;  afterward,  for  one  year,  he  was  employed  in 
t.  aming  between  Sheboygan  and  Fond  du  Lac  ;  he  was  employed 
liir  awhile  in  a  saw-mill  at  Howard's  Grove,  seven  miles  from 
Sheboygan  ;  then  for  three  years  he  was  employed  in  the  hard- 
ware store  of  Geele  &  Plath  ;  for  one  year  he  carried  on  mercan- 
tile business  at  Glenbeulah,  Wis.,  in  partnership  with  Gerhard 
Buensow  ;  June  19,  1861,  he  became  connected  with  the  Ger- 
man Bank  of  Sheboygan,  as  book-keeper  ;  six  years  later  he  was 
appointed  Assistant  Cashier,  which  position  he  held  until  he  was 
I  lifted  Cashier,  in  1871.  Mr.  K.  was  married  in  Sheboygan, 
May  24,  1862,  to  Eva  Simmer;  she  was  born  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt. They  liave  four  children — Fred,  Otto,  Bertha  and  Emma. 
Mr.  Karste  has  been  Alderman. 

JOHN  G.  KERN,  Pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Association, 
Sheboygan,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1850  ;  came  to  America  in 
1870;  located  at  Greenfield,  VVis.;  was  employed  as  wagon- 
maker  for  two  years  ;  then  at  Port  Washington  for  ten  months, 
and  at  Neenah  for  one  year,  connected  with  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation ;  was  at  Ripon,  Wis,  for  a  year;  then  for  two  years  at 
Milwaukee  in  charge  of  a  German  Church  ;  was  ordained  a  clergy- 
man in  1876;  attended  college  in  Illinois;  was  in  Kansas  for 
ten  months,  and  Montpelier,  Wis.,  for  a  year;  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan in  1880,  and  has  been  employed  in  his  present  capacity  since 
then  ;  also  at  Plymouth,  Centerville  and  Herman. 

JOSEPH  F.  KENT,  merchant,  Sheboygan,  was  born  in  Erie, 
Pa.,  Feb.  25,  1842  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  Alban 
and  Wallburga  Kent,  in  October,  1844;  they  stopped  a  short  time 
in  Milwaukee ;  then  came  to  Sheboygan  the  same  year ;  for 
twenty-two  years  Joseph  F.  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  store 
of  George  End  ;  afterward  for  eighteen  months  he  was  in  the 
hardware  business.  In  1870,  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself, 
with  his  present  partner,  Joseph  End:  in  August,  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  27th  Wis.  Vol.  Infantry ;  he  went  out  as 
Quartermaster  Sergeant,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  sixteen 
months ;  afterward  he  was  Quartermaster  of  the  Regiment. 
June  15,  1869,  he  was  married  in  Plymouth,  Wis.,  to  Amelia 
Zt'der,  a  na'ive  of  Germany.  They  have  three  children  living — 
Flora,  Gustav  and  George ;  they  have  lost  one  daughter,  Cora. 

JACOB  KEMPF,  boots  and  shoes,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1850;  located  at  Sheboygan;  was  employed  at  shoe- 
making  for  one  year  ;  commenced  present  business  in  1853,  and 
continued  in  that  since  that  time ;  born  in  Germany  in  1830; 
learned  trade  of  shoemaker  in  that  country  ;  came  to  America  in 
1849;  worked  one  year  at  trade  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  married  at 
Sheboygan  in  1852,  to  Henrietta  Knutz,  born  in  Germany;  they 
have  eleven  children — Charles,  John.  George,  Lena,  Edward, 
William,  Emma,  Albert.  Frank.  Julia.  Clara. 

AUGUST  KESEWETER,  butcher  and  dealer  in  live  stock, 
Sheboygan,  born   at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  Sept.  4,    1856;  at  twelve 


years  of  age  assisted  his  father  in  butcher  business,  and  was  em- 
ployed with  him,  altogether,  some  twelve  years ;  commenced 
butchering  busine.ss  on  his  own  account  in  February,  1880,  and 
engaged  in  dealing  and  shipping  live  stock  for  about  one  year  ; 
resides  with  his  father,  Andrew  Keseweter,  who  came  to  She- 
boygan in  1857,  and  was  engaged  in  butcher  business  for  some 
thirty  yeajs  ;  is  sixty-eight  years  of  age. 

NORRIS  W.  KiLTON,of  Laing  &  Kilton,  wagon  and  black- 
smith shop,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  April,  1866  ;  located 
at  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  was  employed  one  year  at  trade  of  blacksmith  ; 
commenced  business  with  Waller  Hawkins  in  1867,  in  horseshoeing 
establishment,  and  they  carried  on  that  business  up  to  the  spring  of 
1873.  Mr.  Kilton  tlieu  came  to  Sheboygan  City;  owned  and 
sailed  the  schooner  Exchange  on  Lake  Michigan  for  a  few  months; 
then  entered  into  present  business  with  John  Laing  and  continued 
with  him  since  ;  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
Sheboygan  Falls  in  1870.  He  was  born  in  Jonesboro,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  Me.,  July  13,  1827;  was  for  some  years  engaged  in 
farming  and  sailing  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  employed  in  ship- 
building, and  afterward  had  a  blacksmith  shop  for  fourteen  years. 
He  was  married  at  Jonesboro,  Me.,  Jan.  1,  1848,  to  Miss  Annie 
Steele,  born  in  Jonesport,  Me.  They  have  three  children — George 
W.,  Milicia  (now  Mrs.  Frank,  at  Sheboygan)  and  Manning. 

JOSEPH  KELLNER  (deceased),  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1856,  and  was  employed  in  various  capacities  for  some  six  years  ; 
then  commenced  the  cooper  business  and  continued  it  up  to  Sept. 
6,  1881,  when  he  died,  leaving  six  children — Joseph,  John,  Frank, 
Mary,  George  and  August.  The  cooper  business  is  now  carried 
on  by  Joseph,  John  and  Frank  Kellner,  born  at  Sheboygan,  Wi^;., 
Nov.  27,  1857,  Oct.  5,  1859,  and  Aug.  27,  1862,  respectively. 
Joseph  was  married  at  Sheboygan  June  14,  1881,  to  Johanna 
Bartzen  ;  John  was  married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  May  17,  1880, 
to  Mary  Schuester.  They  have  one  child,  Kate.  The  firm  man- 
ufactures 2,000  barrels  and  tierces  per  annum. 

LOUIS  A.  KEPPLER,  foreman  of  bending- room,  Phoenix 
Chair  Company,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849  ;  located 
in  Sheboygan  Co.;  engaged  in  farming  up  to  1862,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  27th  W.  V.  I.;  served  some  two  years  and  seven 
months,  and  from  1865  to  1868  was  employed  as  carpenter  in 
Sheboygan  Co.  He  came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  1868;  was  em- 
ployed for  two  years  in  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company  ;  then 
with  Crocker  &  Bliss,  chair  factory,  for  two  years,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity.  He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1836  ;  came  to  America  in  1849  ;  was  married  at  Madi- 
son, Wis.,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Mary  Bauer,  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  seven  children — Amelia,  Henry,  William,  Adelaide,  Caroline, 
Louis  and  Arthur. 

FRED1-:RICK  KOEHN,  Sr.,  fisheries,  Sheboygan.  Came 
toWisonsin  July  9,  1853;  located  at  Sheboygan;  employed 
some  two  years  in  various  capacities,  and  commenced  fishing  in  a 
small  way  on  Sheboygan  River ;  continued  it  for  five  years,  then 
commenced  fishing  in  Lake  Michigan,  and  has  continued  it  since  ; 
is  also  engaged  in  curing  and  smoking  fish.  Owns  and  runs  the 
tug  HoflFnung  in  connection  with  fisheries  ;  average  yearly  yield 
of  fish  about  200,000  pounds;  employs  twelve  to  fourteen  men  ; 
born  in  Germany  Oct.  30,  1811  ;  wa.s  a  millwright  there  for  some 
years.  Married  in  Germany  in  1832,  Anna  E.  Balke,  born  in 
Germany;  came  to  America  in  1853.  They  have  two  children — 
Frederick  and  Mary. 

JOHN  M.  KOHLER,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Austria, 
Nov.  3,  1844;  came  to  America  with  bis  parents,  John  M.  and 
Mary  Ann  Kohler;  they  first  located  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where 
he  lived  until  1SG5,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in 
clerking  until  1868.  From  1868  to  1873  he  was  employed  as  a 
traveling  salesman,  selling  goods  in  the  Western  country.  In 
1871  his  family  came  to  Sheboygan  to  reside,  and,  in  May,  1873, 
he  came  here  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  foundry  and 
machine  .shops.  Mr.  Kohler  was  married  here  July  5,  1871,  to 
Lillie,  daughter  of  Jacob  J.  Vollrath  ;  she  wa-s  born  in  Chicago. 


992 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


They  have  six  children,  Evangeline,  Robert,  Walter,  Marie,  Lillie 
and  Carl.  Mr.  Kohler  is  serving  second  term  as  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors;  he  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.  and  T.  O.  0.  F. 

JOHN  KROPjFF,  cooper-shop  and  dealer  in  barrels,  Sheboy- 
gan. Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855;  located  at  Sheboygan ;  com- 
menced present  business  and  has  continued  it  since;  employs 
three  men ;  makes  1,500  barrels  and  tierces  per  annum.  Was 
Alderman  of  Fourth  Ward  from  18G9  to  1872,  and  also 
from  1875  to  1879.  Born  in  Germany  in  1830;  was  employed 
in  that  country  as  a  slater;  came  to  America  in  1852.  Learned 
cooper  trade  in  Chicago,  III.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  June  19, 
1856,  to  Ursula  Sommersperger,  born  in  Germany.  They  have 
eight  children — Mary,  Annie,  Josephine,  Johnnia,  John,  .Mar- 
garet, George,  Frank. 

GEN.  CONRAD  KREZ,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  April 
27,  1827.  In  January,  1851,  he  came  to  America  as  a  political 
refugee;  he  resided  in  the  city  of  New  York  until  he  came  to 
Sheboygan,  Wis.,  Aug.  27,  185-t.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
practice  of  law  ever  since  he  came  here ;  he  was,  for  twelve  years. 
District  Attorney,  and  now  holds  the  position  of  City  Attorney, 
having  held  that  office  several  terms.  He  is  Water  and  Park 
Commissioner.  The  artesian  well  is  largely  the  result  of  his 
labors  in  that  interest,  being  Alderman  at  that  time.  Aus:.  21, 
1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier,  and  raised  the  27th  AV.  V. 
I. ;  before  going  to  camp  he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the 
regiment.  He  participated  in  all  battles  of  his  command,  and 
was  only  absent  thirty  days  during  his  term  of  service  ;  he  served 
until  Aug.  29,  1865  ;  he. commanded  his  brigade  and  was  made  a 
Brevet  Brigadier  General.  The  General  is  a  poet  of  considerable 
distinction  ;  he  is  a  prominent  contributor  to  German  literature. 
In  December.  1852,  he  was  married  at  New  York  to  Adelphina, 
daughter  of  Judge  Stemmler ;  she  is  a  native  of  the  city  of  New 
York.  They  have  seven  children — Paul  T.,  associated  with  his 
father  in  practice  of  law,  Josephine,  Louise,  Cornelia,  Gertrude, 
Albert  and  Alfred. 

JAMES  LAMPMAN,  builder,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1837  ;  located  at  Waukesha  ;  was  engaged  as  a  builder  for 
eighteen  years;  afterward  in  fixrming  in  the  town  of  Lyndon,  She- 
boygan Co.,  Wis.,  for  two  years,  and  in  same  capacity  at  Ocono- 
niowoc.  Wis.,  for  seven  years.  Was  then  engaged  in  conducting  a 
grist-mill  at  Hingham,  town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  for  some  time 
alone,and  for  two  years  in  partnership  with  P.  H.Delavan;  in  1873, 
went  to  the  town  of  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  and  was  engaged  in  forming 
up  to  July,  1881,  and  also  had  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac 
Toll  Road  up  to  1878;  came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  July,  1881, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  capacity  since.  Owns  100 
acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan.  Was  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan  for  three  years.  Born  in  Madi- 
son Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  23,  1818.  Married  at  Brookfield,  Waukesha 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1841,  to  Eliza  Van  Bleek,  born  in  Madison  Co.,  N. 
Y.;  they  have  two  children  -  Frank  and  Alice. 

FRANCIS  LAWRENCE,  hardware  merchant,  Sheboygan ; 
came  to  Sheboygan  in  the  spring  of  1854;  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  ever  since  he  came  here;  since  1879,  he 
has  also  carried  on  a  grocery,  and  also  has  a  fruit  house ;  in  the 
latter  establishment  he  packed  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  cases 
of  eggs  last  year.  Mr.  L.  is  a  native  of  Monroe,  Mich.,  born  Nov. 
7,  1830.  He  was  first  married  at  Sheboygan,  Nov.  29,  1856,  to 
Eliza  A.,  daughter  of  Daniel  Wheeler,  an  early  settler  here  ;  she 
died  Jan.  12,  1869  ;  Mr.  Lawrence  was  again  married,  to  his 
present  wife,  in  Monroe,  Mich.,  Oct.  6,  1870 ;  she  was  Martha  L., 
daughter  of  Itaac  Lewis,  of  Monroe  ;  she  was  born  in  that  place; 
they  have  three  children  living — Fannie  L.,  Francis  W.  and  Mary 
S.;  they  have  lost  two  sons ;  Henry  died  at  the  age  of  four  months, 
and  Lewis  R.  died  when  twenty  months  old. 

JOHN  LAING,  of  Laing  &  Kilton,  blacksmith  and  wagon 
shops,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1860;  located  at  She- 
boygan Falls;  was  employed  in  blacksmith-shop  up  to  June,  1863, 


when  he  enlisted  in  the  Mechanics  Corps,  U.  S.  A.;  was  stationed 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.;  served  one  year.  Returned  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  and  carried  on  a  blacksmith  business  some  eight  years ; 
came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  1872  and  commenced  present  business 
alone;  in  1873,  was  joined  by  N.  W.  Kelton,  and  they  have  con- 
tinued business  together  since.  Born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 
20,  1836  ;  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith  there,  and  was  em- 
ployed at  it  some  years.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  in 
1862,  to  Emma  Hubbard,  born  in  the  State  of  New  York ;  they 
had  two  children — Charles  and  Annie. 

EMIL  LIEBERMAN,  manager  for  M.  Lieberman,  produce 
dealer,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857,  and  resided  with 
his  parents  at  Milwaukee;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1860,  and  was 
employed  for  some  time  with  his  father,  M.  Lieberman,  in  general 
mercantile  business  ;  went  to  Chicago  and  was  engaged  in  com- 
mission business  there  for  three  years ;  returned  to  Sheboygan  in 
1878,  and  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  capacity  since.  Mr.  L. 
was  born  in  Austria  in  1841  ;  came  to  America  in  1857.  Was 
married  at  Chicago  in  1872,  to  Elise  Stein,  born  in  Austria  ;  they 
have  four  living  children — William,  Emma,  Julia  and  Ernst. 

ADOLPH  F.  ST.  SURE  LINDSFELT,  physician,  She- 
boygan;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1840;  located  at  Pine  Lake; 
engaged  practicing  medicine  and  farming  for  four  years  ;  came  to 
Sheboygan  in  1844,  and  practiced  medicine  up  to  1861 ;  when  he 
was  appointed  Surgeon  of  the  15th  W.  V.  I.,  and  served 
with  that  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war,  then  returned 
to  Sheboygan,  and  has  been  engaged  in  practicing  since  ;  was 
born  in  Finland  May  9,  1806 ;  was  engaged  in  the  French 
Revolution  in  1830;  came  to  America  in  1840;  graduated 
at  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  111.,  in  1852.  Married 
in  Sweden,  in  1835,  to  Baroness  Elise  Von  Krasow;  they 
had  eight  children — Charles  W.,  Josephine,  George,  Frank, 
William,  Emma,  Amanda  and  Clara.  Married  again  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  in  1864,  Elizabeth  Conway,  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York. 

AUGUST  LOESING,  lumber-yard  and  planing-mill,  Sheboy- 
gan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853;  located  at  Sheboygan  City; 
employed  as  teamster  for  ten  years ;  then  hauling  and  dealing  in 
lumber  for  himself,  and,  since  1874,  has  had  a  lumber-yard.  En- 
listed in  the  51st  W.  V.  I.,  in  1865  ;  served  six  months.  Owns 
the  schooner  Rose ;  employs  it  in  his  lumber  business ;  handles 
1,000,000  feet  per  annum;  the  planing-mill  is  six-horse  power, 
and  produces  100,000  feet  per  annum ;  was  Alderman  of  the 
Fourth  Ward  for  1874  and  1876;  born  in  Germany  Jan.  1, 
1832;  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  and  was  employed  at  it  some 
years;  came  to  America  in  1852;  resided  one  year  in  Geneva 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  engaged  in  flirming.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  in  1857, 
to  Rose  Frosina ;  born  in  Germany;  they  have  seven  children — 
Herman,  Albert,  August,  Louisa,  Ida,  Fredericka  and  Meta. 

CHARLES  LUTZE,  contractor  and  builder,  Sheboygan;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  at  Sheboygan  :  was  employed  at 
carpentering  for  about  ten  years,  and  has  been  engaged  in  contract- 
ing and  building  for  about  fifteen  years ;  built  several  additions  to  K. 
Schreier's  brewery,  and  about  one  hundred  dwellings  in  the  Third 
and  Sixth  Wards,  and  some  business  houses.  Was  elected  Alder- 
man of  Fifth  Ward  in  1877;  re-elected  in  1879,  and  again  in 
1881.  Was  Roadmastor  some  nine  years  ago.  Born  in  Prussia, 
Feb.  15,  1839;  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  there,  and  was 
employed  at  it  some  two  years.  Came  to  America  in  1856.  Mar- 
ried at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  July,  1867,  to  Lena  Pulmann;  born 
at  Sheboygan.  They  have  four  children — Sophia,  Annie,  Ida  and 
Emma ;  two  deceased. 

WORTHY  McKILLIP,  retired  farmer  and  merchant,  She- 
boygan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1840;  located  at  Milwauke;  en- 
gaged in  harness  making  business  for  over  a  year  ;  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan in  1 842  ;  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  company  with 
Henry  Conkling  for  three  years;  then  in  the  mercantile  business 
in  company  with  John  S.  Harvey  for  three  years ;  afterward  in 
the  same  business  alone  up  to  1860;  then  engaged  in  farming 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


993 


four  miles  west  of  Sheboygan  City  for  twenty  years  ;  he  then 
retired  from  business;  was  Deputy  Sheriff  lor  one  year,  and 
Register  of  Deeds  for  one  term ;  was  County  Commissioner  fur 
several  years;  President  of  Sheboygan  Village  one  year,  and  was 
Alderman  of  the  Seeond  Ward  for  1859  ;  born  in  Washington 
Co.,  Md.,  Jan.  13,  1813;  learned  the  trade  of  harness  and  sad- 
dle-maker, and  was  employed  at  it  some  time.  Married  at  She- 
boygan, Wis..  Oct.  31,  1850,  to  Arethusa  Jackson,  born  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  they  have  two  children — Elizabeth  (now  Mrs. 
John  Paine),  and  Frank  (a  machinist). 

GUSTAVUS  MALLMANN,  foreman  of  the  Sawing  Depart- 
ment of  the  Phoenix  Chair  Company,  Sheboygan  ;  was  born  at 
Sheboygan  City,  Wis.,  Dec.  17,  1854;  commenced  active  life  at 
fourteen  years  of  age  ;  was  employed  in  the  Sheboygan  Manufact- 
uring Company  for  three  years  and  two  months,  engaged  in  vari- 
ous capacities ;  then  in  the  Crocker  &  Bliss  Factory  for  two 
years  ;  went  to  Clinton,  Iowa,  and  was  employed  in  the  Clinton 
Chair  Factory  one  year,  in  machine  department,  then  foreman  of 
sawing  department  for  eighteen  months.  Returned  to  Sheboygan 
City  Sept.  16,  1877,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Phoenix  Co. 
for  eighteen  months.  Then  again  at  Clinton,  Iowa,  employed  in 
sash,  door  and  blind  factory  for  some  two  years ;  then  returned  to 
Sheboygan,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  Mar- 
ried, at  Clinton,  Iowa,  Jan.  26,  1880,  to  Mary  C.  Kreim,  born  at 
Davenport,  Iowa  ;  they  have  one  child — Henry  W.,  four  months 
of  age.  Is  a  son  of  Henry  Mallmann,  farmer,  who  settled  in  She- 
boygan Co.  in  1852. 

AUGUST  MALLMANN,  foreman  of  saw  department  and  also 
of  lumber  yard  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Co.;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1853  ;  located  with  parents  at  Sheboygan  ;  was  engaged  farm- 
ing for  three  years  ;  commenced  with  Sheboygan  Manufacturing 
Company  in  present  capacity  in  1871,  and  continued  in  it  since. 
Was  born  in  Prussia  in  1853;  came  to  America  in  same  year. 
Married,  at  Sheboygan,  Deo.  16,  1877,  to  Lillie  Mack,  born  in 
Sheboygan  ;  they  have  one  child — William,  two  years  of  age. 

ANTON  J.  MALLMANN,  of  Fessler  &  Mallmann,  flour,  feed 
and  produce,  Sheboygan  ;  was  born  at  Sheboygan  March  7,  1855  ; 
was  employed  with  his  ftither  in  flour  and  feed  business  for  some 
twelve  years  or  more,  and,  about  six  months  ago,  was  admitted  as 
partner  in  the  concern,  which  is  composed  of  Peter  Fessler,  A.  J. 
Mallmann  and  J.  Mallmann.  Married,  at  Sheboygan,  Feb.  2,  1881, 
to  Ella  J.  Barrett,  born  in  Canaan,  Me.  Is  a  son  of  John  Mall- 
mann, who  founded  the  firm  in  1854,  and  died  some  fourteen  years 
ago,  and  was  at  one  time  City  Treasurer  for  two  terms. 

WILLIAM  MALLMANN,  contractor  and  builder,  Sheboy- 
gan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  and,  at 
seventeen  years  of  age,  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet-maker  and  was 
employed  at  it  some  four  years  ;  then  learned  trade  of  carpenter 
and  was  employed  at  it  up  to  1876,  when  he  commenced  con- 
tracting and  building,  in  partnership  with  Fred  Schmidt,  and  con- 
tinued with  him  some  two  years,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
alone.  Built  fire-engine  house  and  also  a  large  portion  of  Phoenix 
Chair  Company's  building,  besides  some  prominent  business  and 
private  dwellings.  Was  born  in  Germany  in  1847.  Came  to 
America  in  1853.  Married,  at  Sheboygan,  Oct.  6,  1871,  to  Mar- 
garet Knoepfel,  born  in  Germany ;  they  have  four  children — 
Henry  Laura,  Mary,  Anton. 

GEORGE  B.  MATTOON,  furniture  manufacturer,  came  to 
Sheboygan  Falls  in  the  fall  of  1865.  He  was  engaged  in  the  fur- 
niture business  there  for  four  years,  then  came  to  Sheboygan  to 
reside  and  carried  on  the  furniture  business  here,  at  the  Falls  and 
at  Plymouth ;  continued  business  in  lhe.se  points  until  1 875,  when 
he  sold  out  his  Plymouth  store;  in  1879  he  sold  his  Sheboygan 
Falls  establishment,  and  continued  his  store  in  Sheboygan  until 
he  sold  it  in  January,  1881.  On  Jan.  5,  1881,  he  engaged  in 
manufacturing  bedsteads,  tables,  etc.;  employs  fifty  men  and  man- 
ufacttires  about  3,500  bedsteads  per  month.  This  is  the  only 
bedstead  manufactory  in  this  region.  Mr.  Mattoon  is  a  native  of 
Troy,  N.  V.  He  was  born  Feb.  27,  1848.  When  he  was  five 
63 


years  of  ago  he  was  taken  charge  of  by  an  aunt,  in  Massachu- 
setts, his  mother  having  died.  He  resided  in  Northfield,  Mass., 
unti'  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  1st  Vt.  V.  C.  He  was  in 
forty-three  battles  and  never  was  wounded,  although  he  had  two 
horses  shot  from  under  him  ;  was  never  for  a  single  day  off'  duty 
during  the  period  of  his  service  of  three  years  and  two  months. 
He  was  married  in  Sheboygan  July  11,  1878,  to  Miss  Nellie  F., 
daughter  of  Warren  Smith.  She  was  born  at  Sheboygan  Falls. 
They  have  lost  one  son,  who  died  in  infancy  in  August,  1881. 

EARNEST  MARSHALL,  of  Baartz  &  Marshall,  boots  and 
shoes,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856  ;  located  as  She- 
boygan and  resided  with  parents  until  he  went  to  Lake  Superior, 
Mich.,  was  some  five  years,  mining  in  that  country;  returned  to 
Sheboygan  and  learned  trade  of  shoemaking  ;  was  at  Oshkosh, 
Wis.,  for  some  five  years,  employed  at  trade  ;  then  again  at  She- 
boygan, employed  at  trade  ;  commenced  present  business  February, 
1881,  in  company  with  August  Baartz.  Was  born  in  Prussia  in 
1849.  Came  to  America  in  1856.  Married,  in  Winnebago  Co., 
Wis.,  in  the  fall  of  1875,  to  Augusta  Drews,  born  in  Germany  ; 
they  have  two  children — George  and  Clara. 

JAMES  H.  MEAD,  President  of  the  German  Bank,  was  born 
at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  Dec.  6,  1831  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  April, 
1856,  having  lived  in  Cleveland  and  Findlay,  Ohio,  for  five  years 
prior  to  coming  to  Wisconsin.  He  had  been  engaged  in  the  bsnk- 
ing  business  for  two  years  at  Findlay,  and  came  to  Sheboygan  to 
remain  permanently  June  14,  1856,  having  made  arrangements  in 
April  of  that  yejr  to  engage  in  the  banking  business  here.  He 
organized  the  Gorman  Bank  June  25,  1856,  and  commenced 
business  July  1,  1856.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Phoenix,  being  the  first  President  of  that  company;  he  is  now 
Secretary  of  the  company.  He  is  also  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  Crocker  Chair  Company,  and  is  President  of  that  corpo- 
ration. 

HERMAN  ME HRT ENS,  grocery,  crockery  and  saloon,  She- 
boygan, came  to  Wisconsin  in  April,  1877  ;  located  at  Sheboygan 
and  commenced  present  business,  in  partnership  with  August 
Bentrop,  and  they  continued  together  for  one  .year.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  alone.  He  was  born  in  Germany  in  1847  ; 
came  to  America  in  January,  1866  ;  was  then  engaged  as  Clerk 
in  mercantile  business  in  New  York  City  and  Chicago,  111.,  for 
eleven  years  ;  then  employed  at  St.  Joe,  Mich.,  as  carpenter,  for 
two  years.  He  was  married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  October,  1876, 
to  Miss  Frederika  Bentrop,  born  at  Sheboygan.  They  have  two 
children — Frederick  and  Herman. 

PHILLIP  MEYER,  manufacturer,  Sheboygan;  came  to 
America  in  1845 ;  lived  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  until  1847,  when  he 
came  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  spent  one  summer  there,  then  for  about 
two  years  lived  iii»Chicago ;  resided  for  a  short  time  in  Washing- 
ton Co.,  Wis.;  then,  in  1853,  he  came  to  Sheboygan.  He  com- 
menced working  at  the  molder's  trade  in  his  native  country  when 
he  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age;  from  1853  to  1861,  he  was  in 
the  employ  of  Shafton  &  Co.,  of  Sheboygan  ;  since  then  he  has 
carried  on  business  for  himself,  being  now  associated  wiih  Henry 
Foeste  in  the  foundry  and  machine-shops.  He  was  married  at 
Chicago,  Feb.  17.  1851,  to  Wilhelmina  Barneck,  a  native  of  Prus- 
sia; they  have  six  children — Matilda  (now  Mrs.  August  Ort- 
meyer,  of  Freeport,  111.),  Minnie,  John,  Lydia,  Sarah  and  Will- 
iam. 

JOHN  W.  MORGENEIER,  photographer,  Sheboygan, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1 854  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  in  that  year, 
Aug.  26  ;  was  employed  as  ship-carpenter,  and  in  various  other 
capacities,  for  some  years,  then  as  house  carpenter  for  four  years  ; 
enlisted  in  1861  in  the  9th  W.  V.  I.,  as  First  Sergeant  of  Co.  A; 
served  fift,een  months ;  at  time  of  discharge  was  Color  Sergeant ; 
returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1862,  and  was  book-keeping,  etc..  for 
sometime;  commenced  in  present  business  in  May,  1863,  and 
continued  in  it  since.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria  Jan.  15,  1825  ; 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  two  years;  then  learned  cabinet- 
making,  and  was  emyloyed  at   it  some   nine  years,  and  afterward 


994 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


learned  photography.  He  came  to  America  in  1853  ;  resided  at 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for  one  year,  employed  as  a  mechanic;  was 
married  in  Germany,  March  2,  1848,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Brether, 
born  in  Germany.  They  have  four  children — Georgine,  Sophia 
(now  Mrs.  Dr.  Erb,  of  Appleton,  Wis.),  Robert  and  Augusta. 
Four  deceased. 

JOHN  MOGENSEN,  insurance  agent  and  dealer  in  real 
estate,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1873;  located  at  She- 
boygan, and  has  been  engaged  in  present  business  since ;  born  in 
Norway,  May  22,  1847;  was  employed  there  as  carpenter  for 
some  years;  came  to  America  Aug.  23,  1869;  was  engaged  as 
carpenter  at  Chicago,  III.,  for  some  three  years ;  married  at  She- 
boygan, Wis.,  Feb.  12,  1877.  to  Josephine  Hendrickson,  born  in 
Sheboygan,  Wis.     They  have  one  child — Julian  M.  S. 

FRED  D.  D.  MUELLER,  of  Mueller  &  Ackermann,  ma- 
sous,  builders  and  contractors,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1854  ;  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  learned  trade  of  bricklaying,  etc., 
and  was  employed  at  it  some  years ;  in  1874,  commenced  present 
business  in  partnership  with  Christian  Ackerman,  and  they  have 
continued  together  since ;  have  been  engaged  in  building  some  of 
the  most  prominent  business  and  private  buildings;  built  the 
Evergreen  City  Hotel,  National  Hotel  building,  and  a  part  of  the 
Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company's  building,  and  also  a  large 
portion  of  the  Phoenix  Chair  Company's  building,  and  they  are 
now  engaged  in  adding  a  large  addition,  and  also  engaged  on  the 
County  of  Sheboygan  Insane  Asylum  building,  besides  many  other 
contracts;  employs  at  present  some  thirty  men  ;  born  in  Prussia, 
April  3,  1852;  came  to  America  in  1854;  married  at  Sheboygan 
Nov.  14,  1874,  to  Anne  Wedell,  born  in  Sheboygan,  Wis.;  is  a 
son  of  Fred  D.  Mueller,  residing  at  Sheboygan,  and  employed 
with  him. 

CARL  MUTH,  physician  and  surgeon,  Sheboygan  ;  was  born 
in  Sandhof,  Province  of  Hesse- Darmstadt,  Germany,  Sept.  29, 
1842;  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth 
Knobelauch  Muth,  in  1846 ;  they  lived  in  Cleveland  nearly  one 
year,  then  in  1847  came  to  Sheboygan.  Carl  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Sheboygan  and  in  the  German  Academy  of  Mil- 
waukee; his  medical  education  was  acquired  at  Rush  Medical 
College,  in  Chicago  (from  which  he  graduated  in  1868),  and  in 
the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Goettingen,  in  the 
Province  of  Hanover ;  he  was  for  several  years  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  here,  prior  to  commencing  practice  of  his  profession 
in  1870,  also  two  years  afterward  interested  in  the  business ;  he 
spent  about  two  years  (1873  and  1874),  in  giving  particular 
attention  to  the  study  of  pathology  and  anatomy.  The  doctor 
was  married  at  Sheboygan,  May  9,  1876,  to  Teckla  Lupinski,  a 
native  of  this  place.  They  have  two  children — Carl  and  Lud- 
miller.  ♦ 

HENRY  MUTH,  hardware  and  agricultural  implements, 
Sheboygan;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847;  located  at  Sheboygan  ; 
resided  with  parents ;  farmed  for  about  two  years ;  then  learned 
trade  of  tinner ;  was  engaged  at  it  some  three  years ;  employed 
as  clerk  for  F.  Geele  in  hardware  business ;  commenced  in  hard- 
ware business  for  himself,  May  11,  1867,  in  partnershiji  with 
John  Bauman ;  continued  with  him  six  months ;  in  partnership 
then  with  Joseph  Kent,  for  sixteen  months ;  afterward  with  his 
brother  Fred  Muth,  up  to  April  17,  1876;  since  that  time  car- 
ried on  alone;  born  in  Germany,  1843,  Nov.  17  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1847;  married  at  Sheboygan,  in  1866,  to  Ernstena  Fregt, 
born  in  Germany.  They  have  four  children — William,  Hattie, 
Clara  and  Emma. 

JACOB  P.  NYTES,  contractor  and  builder,  Sheboygan, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846;  located  with  parents  at  town  of 
Wilson,  Sheboygan  Co.;  learned  trade  of  Carpenter,  and  came  to 
city  of  Sheboygan,  in  1852;  was  employed  at  his  trade  until 
1862,  wheh  he  enlisted  in  26th  W.  V.  I.,  served  two  years  and 
three  months  as  Orderly  Sergeant;  was  promoted  at  buttle  of 
Resaca,  May  15, 1864,  to  Lieutenant;  afterward  made  a  Captain, 
and  had  charge  of  Co. I,  45th  W.  V.  I.;  served  in  that  capacity  one 


year.  Returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1865;  was  employed  at  trade 
up  to  1871,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  present  ca- 
pacity. Ho  a.ssisted  in  building  some  of  the  largest  business 
houses  in  the  city,  and  has  now  the  contract  for  the  carpenter 
work  on  the  Sheboygan  County  Insane  Asylum.  Born  in  Ger- 
many, Nov.  30,  1832  ;  came  to  America  Nov.  4,  1846.  Married 
at  Sheboygan,  Sept.  6,  1856.  to  Mary  Shriner,  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  one  child— William  J. 

ARTHUR  O'NEIL,  foreman  of  finishing  department,  Geo. 
B.  Mattoon  Furniture  Factory,  Sheboygan,  born  at  Plymouth, 
Wis.,  June  9,  1859;  went  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  with  parents, 
when  quite  young ;  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  was  employed  in 
a  box  factory,  and  continued  at  that  employment  for  four  years ; 
then  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  for  one  year,  employed  at  painting  ; 
afterward  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  engaged  as  house  painter,  for 
eighteen  months.  Came  to  Sheboygan  City,  in  May,  1881,  and 
was  employed  in  finishing  furniture  for  some  time,  and  in  present 
capacity  since  Aug,  1,  1881.     Is  a  son  of  D.  E.  O'Neil. 

CHARLES  OEHLER,  cioper-shop,  Sheboygan,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  1854  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  employed  one  year  at 
trade,  and  in  business  on  own  account  for  twenty-six  years ; 
employs  two  or  three  men  in  shop.  Born  in  Germany,  May  18, 
1831.  Learned  trade  in  that  country;  came '  to  America,  in 
1853,  and  was  employed  for  some  years  at  trade  in  the  Eastern 
States.  Married  at  Sheboygan,  Aug.  27,  1855,  to  Elizabeth 
Richvine,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  six  children — Louisa, 
Charles,  Otto,  August,  Louis,  Etta. 

GEORGE  OLSON,  groceries,  Sheboygan,  born  at  Sheboy- 
gan, Oct.  30,  1854.  Began  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  dry  goods 
and  grocery  business  ;  continued  in  that  line  for  eight  years  and 
ten  months ;  then  engaged  in  sailing  on  Lake  Michigan,  as  Cap- 
tain of  schooner,  during  the  summer,  and  clerked  m  dry  goods 
business  during  the  winter,  for  four  years.  Commenced  present 
business  Nov.  29,  1880.  Is  son  of  John  Olson,  ship  carpenter  at 
Sheboygan.     (Is  the  first  Norwegian  born  in  Sheboygan  County.) 

FREDERICK  PAPE,  proprietor  Pape  House,  Sheboygan, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1848 ;  located  at  Sheboygan ;  was  em- 
ployed as  fireman  for  two  and  a  half  years,  and  eight  and  a  half 
years  as  locomotive  engineer,  on  the  L,  S.  &  M.  S.  R.  R. ;  from 
1863  to  1869  was  agent  for  Goodrich  Transportation  Company, 
and  during  that  period  was  also  agent,  for  some  three  years,  of 
Merchants'  Union  Express  Co.;  also  had  agency  for  Inman  Line 
of  steamers,  and  was  connected  with  the  Goodrich  Express  Com- 
pany. March  15,  1869,  he  commenced  in  present  business,  and 
continued  in  it  ever  since.  Hotel  has  accommodations  for  fifty 
guests,  and  stabling  attached  for  sixty  horses.  This  hotel  was 
first  opened  in  1849,  and  was  continued  under  different  styles 
until  Mr.  Pape  took  it  in  1869.  He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- • 
many,  in  1833.  Came  to  America,  in  1848.  Married  at  Erie, 
Penn.,  Dec.  15,  1854,  to  Matilda  Veight,  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  three  children — Mary,  now  Mrs.  Wm.  Schlicht; 
Henry,  clerk  in  mercantile  business,  and  Ida. 

C.  HENRY  PAPE,  dairy  fiirmer;  P.  0.  Sheboygan;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1848;  located  at  Sheboygan  City;  was  engaged 
as  clerk  in  the  mercantile  capacity  up  to  1S65,  when  he  entered 
the  dry  goods  business  in  company  with  Joseph  Keseberg,  and 
they  continued  together  for  four  years;  in  1869,  he  moved  on  to 
present  premises  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan ;  has  been  engaged 
in  dairy  fiirming  since.  Mr.  Pape  is  also  quite  an  extensive 
breeder  of  blooded  cattle;  he  was  born  in  Germany  Dec.  22, 
1839;  came  to  America  in  1848.  Married  at  Rantoul,  III ,  Dec. 
22,  1863,  to  Lizzie  J.  Van  Arnani,  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York ;  they  have  four  children — George  N.,  Mattie  W.,  Jennie 
M.  and  Carrie  L. 

JOHN  H.  PLATH,  merchant  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  June, 
1847  ;  engaged  in  farming  one  year;  then  for  one  summer  and  a 
winter  he  was  employed  as  a  teamsier ;  afterward  he  went  to  the 
the  Lake  Superior  mining  region  in  Michigan,  where  he  worked 
until  1850,  when  he  returned  to  Sheboygan,  and,  in  a  short  time, 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


995 


went  to  Chicago,  and  was  there  employed  for  one  summer  as  agent 
for  a  wood-shipper ;  he  spent  the  following  winter  and  part  of  the 
succeeding  summer  at  Davenport,  Iowa;  in  the  fall  of  1851,  he 
returned  to  Sheboygan  and  engaged  in  hardware  trade  in  partner- 
ship with  Frank  Geele  and  Edward  Gredtner;  two  years  later 
Mr.  Gartner  retired  from  the  firm  and  Geele  &  Plath  carried  on 
the  business  until  1865,  when  they  purchased  the  mercantile 
business  formerly  carried  on  by  George  End,  Mr.  Plath  taking 
charge  of  the  general  store,  and  Mr.  Geele  looking  after  the 
hardware  establishment;  in  1867,  Mr.  Plath  sold  out  and 
engaged  in  the  foundry  business,  which  he  continued  for  over 
seven  years,  although  he  had  purchased  an  interest  in  the  dry 
goods  business  in  1871 ;  for  the  last  three  years  he  has  carried  on 
the  latter  business  without  a  partner :  he  was  born  in  Kiel,  Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  Jan.  25,  1821.  He  was  married  in  Sheboygan, 
Feb.  1,  1857,  to  Anna  Bloeki,  a  native  of  Piussia;  they  have 
five  children — Emma,  Madge,  Olga,  Hilda  and  John.  Mr.  Plath 
was  for  several  years  Superintendent  of  the  city  schools ;  he 
now  holds  the  office  of  Deputy  United  States  Kevenue  Collector. 

WILLIAM  PPEIL,  Sheriff;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1840; 
located  at  Milwaukee  ;  resided  there  for  nine  years  with  his  parents  i 
was  employed  in  farming  and  in  wagon-shop  ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
in  1848;  was  employed  in  various  capacities  for  one  year,  then 
purcha.sed  a  farm  in  Sheboygan  County,  and  was  farming  up  to 
1852  ;  then  went  to  California  and  was  engaged  in  mining  and 
hotel  business,  and  also  had  a  restaurant  at  Forest  Hill,  El  Dorado 
Co.,  Cal. ;  was  also  employed  as  a  carpenter ;  was  in  that  State 
some  fourteen  years,  then  at  Franklin,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1865,  opened  a  brewery  in  company  with  H.  Leidemann,  and 
continued  with  him  three  years,  and  afterward  carried  it  on  alone 
for  four  years,  then  came  to  Sheboygan  City  and  purchased  a 
saloon,  and  ran  it  for  three  years,  sold  out  out  and  commenced 
manufacturing  soda  water;  was  in  that  business  six  years;  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Sheboygan  County  in  1880,  and  entered  on 
duty  in  January,  1881  ;  born  in  Germany  June  1,  1829  ;  came 
to  America  in  1840.  Married,  at  Franklin,  Sheboygan  Co., 
Wis.,  March  13,  1862,  to  Arena  Liedemann-,  born  in  Germany; 
they  have  five  living  children — Ida,  Lilly,  Leona,  Hattie,  Walter  ; 
three  children  deceased. 

WILLIAM  L.  PIERCE,  farmer,  and  dealer  in  cattle  and 
cheese,  Sheboygan  Falls  :  born  in  Alexandria,  Jefferson  Co,  N.  Y., 
JIarch  13,  1843  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1844; 
resided  for  eighteen  months  in  the  city  of  Sheboygan  ;  then  in  the 
town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.;  resided  there  with  his  parents  for 
sixteen  years  ;  afterward  was  employed  in  his  father's  mill  at 
Onion  River,  Sheboygan  Co.,  for  three  years.  Enlisted,  Sept.  12, 
1864,  in  Co.  G,  2d  W.  V.  C;  was  discharged  June  14,  1865. 
He  then  opened  a  genera!  store  at  Gibbsville,  Wis.,  and  conducted 
it  for  nearly  two  years  ;  in  January,  1867,  he  engaged  in  saw  and 
grist  mill  business,  in  company  with  B.  F.  fieald,  at  Onion 
River,  Wis.,  and  continued  with  him  until  October,  1867  ;  then 
engaged  in  mercantile  business,  alone  and  in  company  with  Henry 
Horniman,  at  Sheboygan  Falls  and  Onion  River,  for  about  a  year  ; 
was  engaged  conducting  a  steam  grist-mill  at  Pecatonica,  111.,  for 
four  years  ;  then  milling  at  Newark,  Wis.,  for  some  four  years  ; 
came  to  the  town  of  Sheboygan  Sept.  16,  1878,  and  commenced 
in  present  business;  also  engaged,  since  the  spring  of  1881,  in 
manufacturing  cheese  in  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  in  company 
with  his  brother,  Charles  W.;  they  have  two  factories,  and  make 
about  ten  thousand  pounds  of  cheese  per  month.  Mr.  Pierce 
was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Gibbsville,  Wis..  Nov.  15, 18(15,  and 
held  it  for  nearly  two  years,  and  also  had  the  office  at  Onion  River, 
Wis.,  for  five  months.  He  was  married,  at  Onion  River,  Sheboy- 
gan Co.,  Jan.  4,  1866,  to  Helen  F.  Bingham,  born  in  Warren  Co., 
Penn. 

WILLIAM  J.  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  0.  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1844  ;  located  at  the  city  of  Sheboygan  ;  was  en- 
gaged in  building  for  some  eighteen  months  ;  afterward  in  farming 
at  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  for  some  sixteen  years;  in  1861, 


went  to  Onion  River,  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  conducted  a  saw  and 
grist  mill  for  some  four  years  ;  afterward  was  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  company  with  Henry  Horniman  for  three  years  ;  afterward 
had  an  iron  foundry  at  Sheboygan  Falls  for  eighteen  months  ; 
came  to  the  town  of  Sheboygan  in  1871,  and  has  been  engaged  in 
farming  and  dairying  since.  Was  Assessor  of  the  town  of  Lima 
for  one  year,  and  member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Supervisors  a 
year,  also  Trustee  of  the  village  of  Sheboygan  Falls  for  two  years. 
Born  in  England,  Aug.  14,  1820  ;  came  to  America  in  July,  1831  ; 
resided  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  was  engaged  in  the  confectionery 
business  until  he  came  to  this  State.  Married  at  Alexander  Bay, 
N.  Y.,  io  1833,  to  Mary  A.  Roberts,  born  in  Maine ;  they  have 
four  children — William  L.,  Charles  W.,  Clarence  S.  and  Elbret  E. 
HENRY  M.  PUGH,  farmer,  P.  0.  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  June,  1849  ;  located  in  the  city  of  Sheboygan  ;  was  for 
one  year  engaged  in  mercantile  business ;  then  farming  in  the 
towns  of  Lyndon  and  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  for  some  years; 
for  the  past  fifteen  years,  he  has  been  engaged  in  conducting  his 
present  farm  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan  ;  he  owns  40  acres  of  land. 
He  was  born  in  England  May  16,  1826 ;  came  to  America  in  1849. 
He  was  married,  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  1855,  to 
Dora  Schrage,  born  in  Germany  ;  they  have  three  children — 
Philip  H.,  Elijah  D.  and  Georgiana. 

BERNARD  RENZELMANN,  contractor  and  builder,  She- 
boygan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was 
employed  as  carpenter  and  joiner  for  seven  years  ;  then  two  years 
engaged  in  building  threshing  machines.  In  1 862,  enlisted  in  the 
27th  W.  V.  I.;  served  for  two  years,  and  was  discharged  on  ac- 
count of  sickness.  Returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1864  ;  was  em- 
ployed again  in  making  threshing  machines  for  several  years,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  building  principally  by  con- 
tract ;  he  had  the  contract  for  the  carpenter  work  on  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  built  the  steeples  ;  also  was  contractor  for  several 
large  business  and  hotel  buildings.  He  was  Alderman  of  the 
Third  Ward  for  two  years,  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  Third 
Ward  for  four  years,  and  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the 
Fifth  Ward  in  the  spring  of  1880.  He  was  born  in  Prussia  May 
23,  1836  ;  came  to  America  Jan.  3,  1851  ;  learned  the  trade  of 
carpenter  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  was  employed  at  it  some  two  and  a 
half  years.  He  was  married,  at  Sheboygan,  Feb.  2,  1858,  to 
Gertrude  Hiebring,  born  in  Prussia;  they  have  nine  living  chil- 
dren— John  T.  (chair  maker),  Angelina,  Johanna,  William,  Ger- 
trude, Nellie,  Bernard,  John  and  Engelbert — and  one  deceased. 

C.  T.  ROENITZ,  tanner,  Sheboygan  ;  was  born  in  Saxony 
May  15,  1823  ;  came  to  America  in  1850  ;  resided  six  months  in 
Milwaukee  and  eighteen  months  in  Racine,  then  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan, and,  with  his  brother  William,  commenced  business  as  tan- 
ners in  1853  ;  they  continued  together  until  the  death  of  William 
in  1873  ;  then  C.  T.  continued  the  business  without  partners  until 
Jan.  1,  1880,  when  his  sons,  Frank  L.  and  Charles  H.,  became  as- 
sociated with  him  in  the  business  ;  Mr.  R.  has  worked  at  the  tan- 
ner's trade  since  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  was  married, 
in  Milwaukee,  July  6,  1852,  to  Lena  Maas ;  she  was  born  in  Hol- 
stein,  Germany  ;  they  have  five  children  living — Frank  L.,  Charles 
H.,  Emma,  Ida  and  Louis  ;  they  have  lost  three  children. 

HENRY  E.  ROTH,  limekilns  and  farming,  Sheboygan.  Came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1851.  Located  at  Sheboygan,  and  was  eniiaged 
as  a  mason  and  builder  for  ten  years.  During  that  time  built  the 
Sheboygan  High  School  building,  Beekman  Hotel  and  several 
large  business  houses  and  residences.  Then  engaged  in  general 
store  business  for  two  years,  one  year  of  which  was  in  partnership 
with  John  Pfeiler,  Has  been  running  limekiln  since  1854  ;  has 
also  been  farming  for  past  six  years.  The  limekilns  are  located 
two  miles  northwest  of  the  city.  They  produce  20,000  barrels  of 
lime  per  annum.  His  farm  of  100  acres  adjoins  kilns.  Was 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  Fourth  Ward  from  1858 
to  1866.  Wtis  County  Commissioner  for  two  terms  ;  City  Treas- 
urer from  1867  to  1868,  and  from  1857  to  1865  was  President  of 
Calumet  Plank  Road.    Born  in  Germany  in  1824,     Learned  trade 


996 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  masoD,  and  was  cniplojod  there  at  it  for  many  years.  Came  to 
America  in  1850,  and  resided  in  Bufl'alo,  N.  Y.,  for  a  year.  Mar- 
ried at  Sheboygan,  in  1 852,  to  Caroline  Kanitz,  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  twelve  children — Louisa,  Henry  (in  lime  business  in 
Minneapolis),  Annie,  Adolph  (with  his  father),  Amelia,  Louis 
(gas-fitter  in  Minnesota),  William,  Caroline,  Herman,  Hattie. 
Anton  and  Elfreda. 

THEODORE  ROEDER,  of  Luecke  &  Roeder,  masons  and 
builders,  Sheboygan.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857.  Located  at 
Sheboygan.  Was  employed  as  mason  for  six  years.  Then  com- 
menced present  business  in  company  with  William  Luecke.  Were 
sub-contractors  for  the  County  Court  House,  built  in  1868.  Built 
poor-house  in  1877,  and  most  of  the  prominent  business  and  pri- 
vate buildings  in  the  city.  They  are  now  building  the  County 
Insane  Asylum,  and  a  large  business  building  for  Fred  Koehn, 
merchant.  Was  City  Treasurer  for  two  years,  1873  and  1874, 
and  Alderman  of  First  Ward  for  three  terms.  Born  in  Germany 
in  1827,  Learned  trade  of  mason,  and  was  employed  at  it  some 
years.  Came  to  America  in  1856.  Was  in  Livingston  Co., 
Mich.,  engaged  in  farming  for  about  a  year.  Married  at  Decola, 
Mich,,  in  1856,  to  Mary  Prossow,  born  in  Germany.  They  have 
six  children — Armena    Lena,  Mary,  Henry,  William  and  Annie. 

HERVEY  E.  ROBERTS,  shipping  clerk  for  George  B.  Mat- 
toon  furniture  factory,  Sheboygan.  Born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.- 
Feb.  19,  1858.  Went  with  parents  to  Chicago,  111.,  in  1862- 
Resided  there  for  nine  years.  Came  to  Sheboygan  fall  of  1871- 
Was  employed  in  the  drug  business  in  the  year  of  1872  and  part 
of  1873.  Then  employed  on  steamboats  on  Lake  Michigan  for 
some  four  years.  Afterward  employed  with  the  "  Goodrich 
Transportation  Company,"  as  clerk  in  warehouse  fjr  three  years, 
and  in  present  capacity  since  May,  1881.  Is  a  son  of  J.  H. 
Roberts,  in  charge  Sheboygan  Pier  Light, 

FRITZ  ROSENTHAL,  grocer,  Sheboygan,  Came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1853 ;  located  in  Sheboygan  ;  was  employed  in  various 
capacities  for  some  years ;  then  as  drayman  for  fifteen  years,  three 
years  of  which  he  was  also  farming,  and  also  owned  and  ran  the 
schooner  Liberty,  on  Lake  Michigan  for  some  time  ;  commenced 
present  business  in  the  autumn  of  1875,  and  has  conducted  it 
since;  he  was  born  in  Germany,  April  8,  1829;  was  employed  as 
a  drayman  in  that  country  ;  came  to  America  in  1853  ;  married  at 
Sheboygan,  Sept.  3,  185-1,  to  Ernestine  Kuck,  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  ten  children — Louis,  Frank,  Fred,  Otto,  Emma,  Laura, 
Elizabeth.  Ida,  Annie  and  Hattie, 

FREDERICK  C.  RUNGE,  surgeon  dentist,  Sheboygan; 
born  at  Manitowoc  Rapids,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  March  1,  1855  ; 
went  to  Milwaukee  in  1869;  was  engaged  on  steamboats  on  the 
lakes  in  various  capacities  for  three  years,  and  employed  in  vari- 
ous other  positions  up  to  January,  1878,  when  commenced  the 
study  of  denti,stry  with  Prof,  C,  Kohn,  and  continued  in  the 
capacity  for  fourteen  months,  and  afterward  practiced  for  a  few 
months;  came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  December,  1879,  and  been 
engaged  in  practicing  dentistry  since  ;  married  at  Manitowoc  Rap- 
ids, Wis  ,  Oct,  6,  1877,  to  Christinia  Hintze.  They  have  two 
children-- Frederick  and  Walter;  is  a  .son  of  J.  F.  Runge,  for- 
merly of  .Manitowoc  Rapids,  Wis.,  who  settled  in  that  place  in  1848, 

HENRY  SCHEELE,  dealer  in  marble,  stone,  cements  and 
stucco,  Sheboygan.  Born  at  Sheboygan,  Wis,,  Feb,  8,  1854; 
commenced  business  life  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  as  clerk  in 
agricultural  implements  busine.ss ;  continued  in  that  capacity  for 
two  years,  then  went  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  was  engaged  in  same 
business  for  two  years;  returned  to  Sheboygan  fall  of  1874,  and 
was  employed  by  his  father  in  present  business  up  to  F.li.  1 , 
1880,  when  he  took  the  business  and  has  continued  it  ■^imc ; 
employs  five  men  in  marble  and  stone  factory,  cutting  280,000 
pounds  of  stone  and  marble  per  annum.  Is  a  son  of  Hein'y 
Schecle,  house  mover  at  Sheboygan,  and  who  founded,  in  1874, 
the  marble  business  in  company  with  Henry  Hoftnian. 

JOHN  SCHMIDT,  of  Schwitzgoebel  &  Schmidt,  cigar  manu- 
facturers,  Sheboygan.     Born  in  New  York  June  IS,  1854;  came 


to  Wisconsin  when  quite  young;  located  at  Sheboygan;  was 
cigar  making  for  two  years.  Learned  cabinet-making  and  was 
employed  at  it  some  two  and  a  half  years,  afterward  in  various 
capacities  for  some  years,  then  employed  as  cigar  maker  for  six 
years,  and  commenced  present  business  in  February,  1881,  in 
company  with  Jacob  Schwitzgoebel.  Married  at  Sheboygan  in 
June,  1877,  to  Elizabeth  Landgraff,  born  in  Sheboygan.  They 
have  one  child — Hugo. 

JACOB  0.  SCHMIDT,  paiut«r,  Sheboygan;  born  at  She- 
boygan April  7,  in  1860.  Learned  trade  at  thirteen  years  of  age; 
was  employed  at  it  some  years  and  commenced  business  on  own 
account  Oct.  13,  1878,  and  continued  since.  Is  a  son  of  Albert 
Schmidt,  employed  in  Crocker's  chair  factory. 

THOMAS  SCHLACHTER.  brewer  and  saloon,  Sheboygan; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  located  in  Sheboygan  County;  was 
engaged  in  farming  some  twelve  years,  then  came  to  oheboysian 
City  and  commenced  in  present  business.  Brews  between  400 
and  500  barrels  of  beer  per  annum.  Born  in  Germany  in  1830  ; 
came  to  America  in  1855;  resided  for  one  year  in  New  York. 
Married  in  Germany  in  1855  to  Josephine  Drandley,  born  there. 
They  have  nine  children — John,  Gerhard,  Nicholas,  Michael, 
Catherine,  Helen,  Agnes,  Louisa  and  Clara. 

ADAM  SCHRAUT,  fisheries,  Sheboygan;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1849  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was  employed  for  some  years 
in  fishing,  coopering,  teaming,  etc.,  and  for  past  twelve  years  has 
been  engaged  in  fisheries  on  own  account.  Owns  and  runs  the 
fishing  smack,  Alberdin.  Average  shipments  of  fish  4,000  pounds 
per  month.  Born  in  Germany  Nov.  19,  1829;  came  to  America 
in  1849.  Married  at  Sheboygan  July  18,  1855,  to  Albridin 
Durow,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  ten  children — Amelia,  now 
Mrs.  Stupp,  of  Chicago;  Frederick  A.,  engineer  on  barge  Au- 
gusta; Louisa,  now  Mrs.  Kolberg,  of  Chicago;  Bertha;  George, 
employed  with  father ;   Louis,  Otto,  Edward  and  Metta. 

KONRAD  SCHREIER,  brewer,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1843;  resided  near  Milwaukee  for  fourteen  years,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1856,  and  com- 
menced present  business  in  partnership  with  S,  Schlicht ;  con- 
tinued with  him  up  to  1871,  and  since  then  has  carried  it  on 
alone.  Brewery  was  built  in  1854;  it  is  a  brick  building;  em- 
ploys seventeen  men,  and  brews  7,000  barrels  of  beer  per  annum. 
Born  in  Germany,  Jan.  5,  1830;  came  to  America  in  1843; 
married,  in  Washington  Co..  Wis.,  Jan,  13.  1851,  to  Elisabeth 
Sch.ietzel,  born  in  Germany ;  they  have  three  children — Mary, 
now  Mrs.  Testruide ;   Herman,  in  California,  and  Emma. 

JOSEPH  SCHRAGE,  proprietor  of  livery  stable;  was  born 
in  Wc>i|'ii:ili:i,  I'nis.sia,  Dec.  12,  1818;  came  to  America  in  the 
fall  ol'  1-I-,  ivni  lined  in  New  York  until  1843,  then  came  to 
WiscuiiNiii,  ;iiiil  eiiM.i^^ed  in  farming  near  Milwaukee  for  a  period 
of  four  years.  I  n  1 847,  he  came  to  Sheboygan  ;  about  six  months 
after  coming  here,  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  two  years ;  then  he  built  the  Wisconsin  House,  and 
conducted  it  for  several  years  ;  afterward  for  two  years  in  the  gro- 
cery business,  and  four  or  five  years  he  carried  on  the  dry  goods 
business ;  two  years  engaged  in  manufocturing  and  dealing  in 
lumber.  For  the  last  eight  years,  he  has  been  in  the  livery  busi- 
ness. Mr.  S.  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  bank  of  Sheboy- 
gan. In  1855,  he  w;is  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  He  has 
been  Alderman  two  or  three  terms,  and  he  has  also  served  as 
Sheriff  of  the  county.  He  was  married  near  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in 
July,  1843,  to  Marianna  St.imm,  also  a  native  of  Westphalia, 
Prussia.  They  have  four  children  living — William,  Gustavus, 
Auiilia  mid  Jennie.  They  have  lost  three  children — Joseph.  Ida 
and  .\dolphina. 

WlLLl.VM  SEAMAN,  deceased,  came  to  Milwaukee  in 
1841  ;  lived  there  about  one  year;  then  went  to  New  Berlin,  and 
resided  there  less  than  a  year;  returned  to  Milwaukee,  and  soon 
afterward  went  to  Cerasco,  being  one  of  the  earliest  members  of 
the  Fourierite  Association,  which  located  at  that  point ;  he  re- 
mained there  until  the  fall  of  1845,  or  spring  of  1846,  when  he 


HISTORY   OF    SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


came  Ui  Sheboygan  Co.;  located  at  the  Pigeon,  where  he  remained 
one  year ;  then  came  to  Sheboygan  ;  he  was  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness of  harne.ss-maker  here  for  ten  years,  and  in  grocery  business 
about  two  years  ;  then  he  went  to  Central  America,  and  was  agent 
of  the  American  Transit  Company,  Nicaragua  route,  being 
located  at  the  central  part  of  the  route  ;  he  spent  two  years  in 
that  position,  and  then  returned  to  Sheboygan.  In  18fit5,  he  re- 
moved to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  where  he  died,  Jan.  IG,  1877. 
He  was  born  at  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  23,  1805  ;  he  was  married 
Sept.  5,  1831,  to  Arelisle  Crane,  who  was  born  at  Canton,  Mass., 
Aug.  14,  1811  ;  she  is  living,  and  resides  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Van  E.  Young,  at  Grand  Rapids,  part  of  the  time,  and  with 
her  son,  William  H.,  at  Sheboygan,  a  portion  of  the  time.  She 
was  always  a  leader  in  all  movements  for  the  advancement  of 
society,  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  those  classes  demand- 
ing the  attention  of  benevolent-minded  people,  and,  during  the 
entire  period  of  the  war,  served  with  distinction  as  President  of  a 
a  Sanitary  Commission,  which  effected  so  much  good  at  a  time 
when  such  services  were  invaluable.  Their  family  consisted  of 
three  children  ;  one  son,  Charles,  was  connected  with  Quarter- 
masters' Department,  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  died  at  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  May  31,  1864,  aged  nineteen  years;  their  only 
daughter,  Arelisle  Crane,  is  now  the  wife  of  Van  E.  Young,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  and  Wm.  H.  is  an  attorney,  and  present 
Mayor  of  Sheboygan. 

WM.  H.  SEAMAN,  lawyer,  son  of  William  and  Arelisle 
Crane  Seaman,  was  born  in  New  Berlin,  Wis.,  Nov.  15,  1842  ; 
came  to  Sheboygan  with  his  parents  when  he  was  about  four 
years  of  age.  His  first  business  was  that  of  a  printer,  for  two 
years  in  the  office  of  the  Sheboygan  Times,  studying  law  at  the 
same  time  with  Cro.sby  W.  Ellis;  Sept.  16,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  H,  1st  W.  V.  I. ,  he  was  in  active  service  with  his  company 
for  one  year,  then  he  was  on  detached  duty  at  the  headquarters 
of  Gen.  Thomas  for  two  years  ;  from  October,  1864,  to  Sept. 
1,  1866,  he  was  Chief  Clerk  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department, 
stationed  at  New  Orleans,  Mobile,  Nashville,  etc.  In  September, 
1866,  he  returned  to  Sheboygan,  and  resumed  the  study  of  law, 
and  was  admi'ted  to  the  bar  in  1868.  He  was  City  Attorney 
four  years,  resigned  that  position  owing  to  his  extensive  practice. 
He  is  now  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  has  drawn  all  the  articles  of 
incorporation  of  the  various  stock  companies  which  have  been  or- 
ganized here  .since  he  commenced  practice,  and  is  attorney  for  all 
the  corporations.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  men  in  getting 
the  Phoenix  Chair  Co.  started,  and  is  a  stockholder  of  that  com- 
pany, also  of  the  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Co.  He  was  married 
at  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  17,  1868,  to  Mary  A.  Peat;  she 
was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y. ;  they  have  three  children — Arelisle 
J.,  Charles  and  Mary.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lodge  No.  11,  and  Harmony  Chapter;  he  is  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  present  lodge ;  his  father  was  one  of  the  charter 
members. 

SHEBOYGAN  MINERAL  WATER  COMPANY.  This 
company  was  organized  in  May,  1880,  and  was  composed  of  E. 
R.  Richards,  E.  W.  Kock  and  H.  H.  Kuentz;  they  carried  on 
the  business  up  to  Nov.  1,  1881,  when  the  concern  changed 
hands,  and  is  now  composed  of  E.  R.  Richards  and  Messrs.  Stuart 
and  Harvey.  They  have  a  privilege  from  the  city  of  Sheboygan 
to  use  the  water  up  to  1886.  Employ  some  eight  hands  bottling 
the  water;  daily  consumption  about  500  gallons.  E.  R.  Rich- 
ards manages  the  business.  He  was  born  at  Roxbury,  Wis.,  Feb, 
27,  1851  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1876.  Has  been  engaged  as 
a  traveling  salesman,  and  since  1880  as  manager  of  above  com- 
pany. 

LAMBERT  SMITH,  book-keeper;  came  to  Sheboygan  in 
1855;  until  1856,  worked  at  the  printer's  trade;  from  1856  to 
1870,  he  was  book-keeper  and  teller  in  the  bank  of  Sheboygan  ; 
since  then  with  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  I^ac  Railway  Company  ; 
three  years  in  the  German  Bank.  After  a  trip  to  Europe,  he  was 
Assistant  Postmaster,  holding  that  ofiice  from  Jan.  26,  1874,  until 


January,  1878  ;  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds  about  nine  months,  and 
with  C.  T.  Roenitz  &  Sons  since  Jan.  15, 1880.  Mr.  S.  was  born 
in  Leeuwarden,  Holland,  Dec.  28,  1821. 

EARNEST  A.  SONNEMANN,  fisheries,  Sheboygan,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1858;  located  at  Sbeboygan ;  was  employed  on 
Lake  Michigan  for  two  years,  as  porter,  etc.,  and  for  three  years 
in  fisheries  on  Lake  Michigan,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present 
business  since  1874  ;  owns  and  runs  the  fi.shing  smack  "  The 
Smuggler."  Monthly  average  of  fish  shipped  during  the  season, 
some  8,000  to  9,000  pounds ;  employs  three  men.  Born  in  Ger- 
many, in  1858.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  since  February,  1881.  Is  the  son  of  Christopher 
Sonnemann. 


C^/^ 


HENRY  D.  SQUIRE,  homoeopathic  physician,  Sheboygan, 
came  to  Wisconsin  Sept.  1,  1873;  located  at  Sheboygan,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  practicing  medicine  since  that  time;  was  City 
Physician  from  May,  1880,  to  May,  1881.  Born  at  Riverliead, 
Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1839.  Resided  with  parents,  in  Chi- 
cago, LI.,  from  1848  to  1849;  then  in  Rockford,  111.,  was  em- 
ployed in  post  office  as  clerk  for  two  years.  Was  educated  in  medi- 
cine at  Hahnemann  College,  Chicago,  111.,  and  graduated  at  Hospital 
College,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Feb.  25,1864;  theu  resided  at  Mc- 
Gregor, Iowa;  practiced  there  and  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis., 
for  some  ten  years.  Married  at  McGregor,  Iowa,  Nov.  28,  1866, 
to  Maria  E.  Watson,  born  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.  They  have 
seven  children — Henry  D.,  Mary  C,  Sarah  B.,  Charles  A.,  Carrie 
H.,  Arthur  B.  and  Alice. 

F.  R.  TOWNSEND,  President  of  the  Bank  of  Sheboygan, 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company ;  was 
born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  29,  1813  ;  resided  there  until  he  came 


99S 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


to  Kacine,  Wis.,  in  July,  1844;  engaged  in  the  produce  business 
there  until  1851,  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  ;  after  coming  here 
he  dealt  extensively  in  produce,  and  continued  in  that  business 
until  a  few  years  ago;  for  man}'  years  he  was  the  largest  dealer  in 
grain  in  this  region  ;  he  engaged  in  the  banking  business  soon 
after  he  came  here,  and  has  been  interested  in  it  most  of  the  time 
since ;  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  promotion  of 
the  public  interests  of  this  city  ;  ho  rendered  valuable  assistance 
in  the  construction  of  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railway, 
and  was  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  that  company  ;  he  was  the 
first  Mayor  after  the  city  organization;  for  several  terms  he  has 
been  Alderman ;  he  has  been  School  Commissimier  and  City 
School  Superintexdent  for  a  number  of  years,  being  always 
greatly  interested  in  the  educational  interests  of  the  place.  Mr. 
Townsend  was  married  in  Galesville,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
17,  1337,  to  Caroline  M.  Gale,  a  native  of  that  place;  they  have 
one  child — Julia  G.  (now  Mrs.  Harry  A.  Barrett). 

WILLIAM  E.  TALLMADGE,  agent  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R., 
Sheboygan,  born  at  Byron,  Wis.,  Dec.  14,  1852;  at  ten  years  of 
age,  went  with  parents  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.;  learned  telegraphy, 
and  was  employed  by  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  R.  R.  Co., 
as  baggage  master;  then  agent  for  that  railroad  company,  for  four 
years,  at  Sheboygan  Falls.  Came  to  Sheboygan  City,  March  22, 
1878,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  Is  a  son  of  Mont- 
gomery W.  Tallmadge,  farmer,  residing  at  Fond  du  Lac. 

GEORGE  THIES,  music  teacher;  came  to  Wiscon.sin  in 
1S47  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was  employed  as  clerk  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  some  eleven  years ;  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the 
county  of  Sheboygan  in  the  autumn  of  1858,  and  served  two 
years ;  was  then  a  year  in  Germany ;  returned  to  Sheboygan  and 
was  employed  as  clerk  for  a  year  or  so,  after  which  'was  teaching 
music  for  several  years;  was  then  County  Clerk  for  1873  and 
1874;  since  then  has  been  engaged  as  music  teacher;  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  March  24,  1815  ;  was  school  teacher  in  that 
country  for  fourteen  years;  came  to  America  in  1846;  resided 
one  year  in  the  State  of  Illinois  ;  engaged  in  various  capacities. 
Married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  June  28,  1849,  to  -Wilheminia 
Zoermeu  ;  born  in  Germany  ;  they  have  one  child — Wilheminia 
(now  Mrs.  H.  Scheer). 

ADAM  TRESTER,  clothing  house,  Sheboygan,  came  to 
Wisconsin,  July  6, 1852  ;  located  at  Port  Washington  and  farmed 
for  three  months ;  then  at  Milwaukee  for  two  years,  employed  at 
tailoring,  etc.;  was  at  Portage  City,  Wis.,  two  years,  engaged  as 
cutter  in  the  clothing  house  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  in  1856,  and  re- 
mained for  a  short  time :  then  engaged  in  Milwaukee  as  cutter 
for  over  a  year ;  afterward  at  Monitowoc,  Wis.,  for  four  months  ; 
returned  to  Sheboygan  in  1858,  and  commenced  pre.sent  business. 
He  was  Alderman  of  Fourth  Ward  in  1871,  and  Supervisor  of 
city  in  1872.  He  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1828;  learned  his 
trade  there;  came  to  America  June  30.1852;  was  married  at 
Sheboygan  July  5,  1856,  to  Miss  Anna  Kroeff,  born  in  Prussia. 
They  have  nine  children— Henry  W.,  John  G.,  Charles  A..  Chris- 
tinia,  Anna,  Frances,  Adam,  Kate  and  William.  They  have  four 
deceased. 

JACOB  J.  VOLLRATH,  manufacturer  of  enameled  h„l 
low  ware  ;  was  born  in  the  village  of  Dorrcbach,  Kr.  Krenznach, 
Coblenz,  Rhein-Prussia,  Sept.  19,  1821 ;  came  to  New  York  City 
Dec.  25,  1842  ;  was  there  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Albany,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  resided  two  years,  then  came  to  Milwaukee  and 
lived  there  four  or  five  years  ;  afterward  located  in  Chicago, 
where  he  remained  about  five  years,  then  came  to  Sheboygan  ; 
he  worked  at  iron  molder's  trade  in  Albany,  Milwaukee  and  Chi- 
cago;  in  the  latter  place  he  carried  on  business  in  partnership 
with  Frederick  Letz  ;  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  he  was  engaged 
in  the  manuflicture  of  agricultural  implements  for  two  years,  then 
for  three  years  manufactured  steam  engines ;  later  he  manufact- 
ured caststeel  plow.i  for  four  or  five  years  ;  in  1874,  he  sold  out 
that  business  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  Mr.  V.  was 
married  in  Milwaukee,  in   1847,   to   Elizabeth   Margaret  Fuohs ; 


she  was  born  March  24,  1821,  in  the  village  of  Pferdsfeld-Kr. 
Krenznach,  Coblenz.  Rhein-Prussia ;  they  have  six  children — 
Lillie  (now  Mrs.  John  M.  Kohler,  of  Sheboygan),  Andrew  J., 
Minnie,  Mary  (now  Mrs.  John  R.  Reiss,  of  Milwaukee),  Carl, 
Augu.st  W.  and  Nahidy  Deborah.  Mr.  Vollraih  is  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  in  1880,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate 
for  member  of  the  Assemblv  from  his  district. 

ANDREW  J.  VOLLRATH,  molder  and  enameler;  is  a  son 
of  Jacob  J.  Vollrath,  and  was  born  in  Milwaukee  Jan.  20,  1850. 
He  was  married  at  Sheboygan  Sept.  24,  1879,  to  Annie  M. 
Liebl,  who  was  born  here  Nov.  17,  1859;  they  have  one  son — 
Carl  J.  J. 

.CARL  VOLLR.\TH,  molder  and  enameler;  was  born  at  She- 
boygan Feb.  26,  1859  ;  he  has  always  been  employed  in  the  man- 
ufacturing business  carried  on  by  his  father.  Jacob  J.  Vollrath. 

JOHN  WATSON,  Superintendent  and  Secretary  of  the 
Sheboygan  Gas  Company,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1868; 
located  at  Milwaukee  ;  learned  trade  of  steam  and  gas-fitter,  and 
was  employed  at  it  some  five  years ;  was  then  employed  by  the 
Milwaukee  Gas  Co.  two  years  in  the  works,  and  for  four  years  as 
Inspector  for  the  company;  came  to  Sheboygan  City  Sept.  1, 
1879,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity  ;  born  in  Scotland  Oct.  29, 
1850,  and  was  employed  as  gas-titter  for  three  years;  came  to 
America  in  1868;  married  at  Milwaukee  Sept.  30,  1875,  to 
Alena  Bridge,  born  at  Bay  City,  Mich.  They  have  two  children 
—John  H.  and  Edna  S. 

ARVIN  L.  WEEKS,  architect  and  builder,  Sheboygan, 
came  to  Wiscon.sin  in  May,  1848;  located  at  Sheboygan;  was 
engaged  for  ten  years  as  contracting  builder  ;  built  a  s.iw-mill  at 
Meeme,  Wis.,  in  1858,  in  company  with  D.  Wheeler  and  Capt. 
Charles  Norton ;  they  svere  burnt  out  about  two  and  a  half 
years  later;  in  1861,  built  another  saw-mill  in  company  with 
Capt.  Charles  Norton  and  John  M.  Folger:  they  ran  the  mill  for 
some  years  ;  then  the  firm  changed  to  Weeks  &  Co.,  the  company 
being  J.  0.  Thayer ;  they  continued  for  some  time  together ; 
then  Mr.  Weeks  took  the  business,  and  ran  it  alone  up  to  1875; 
then  had  a  lumber  yard  for  three  years,  and  in  1878  commenced 
in  present  business  ;  was  Architect  and  Superintendent  of  County 
Court  House,  and  also  built  the  first  schoolhouse,  besides  some 
of  the  most  prominent  business  and  private  buildings ;  was 
Superintendent  of  Sheboygan  Harbor  for  seven  years,  and  was  at 
one  time  member  of  School  Board  for  three  years ;  born  in 
Massachusetts  in  1811  ;  learned  business  there;  was  engaged  in 
building  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  for  some  years  ;  afterward  at  Charleston, 
S.  C,  Augusta,  Ga.;  at  the  latter  place  was  engaged  in  car  building 
for  two  years;  then  at  Manchester,  N.  H.,  building  churches,  etc., 
for  two  years,  and  at  various  other  places  in  the  Eastern  States ; 
married  in  Massachusetts  in  1840,  to  Elizabeth  Cottle,  born  in 
that  State.  They  have  eight  children — Sophronia,  Ellen  G., 
Catherine,  Arvin  L.,  in  lumber  business,  Elizabeth  C,  William  C, 
Sarah,  Agnes  J. — three  children  deceased. 

FREDERICK  WELLER,  contractor,  plasterer  and  ma.son, 
Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861 ;  located  at  Sheboygan, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  present  business  for  twenty  years ;  built 
Fire  Hall  and  the  foundation  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  some 
large  business  and  private  buildings  ;  born  in  Prussia  Feb.  24, 
1820  ;  was  employed  as  mason  and  plasterer  for  some  years ;  then 
came  to  America  in  1861  ;  married  in  Germany  in  1850  to 
Amelia  Hillena',  born  there.  They  have  six  children — Matilda, 
Hedwig,  Frederick,  Bruno,  Felix  and  Emil. 

JOSEPH  WEDIG,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  came  to  Wisconsin 
on  May  19,  1849  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  ;  was  employed  in  mer- 
cantile capacity  up  to  1853  ;  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
that  year,  and  ban  held  the  ofiice  since,  and  in  1854  and  1855 
was  also  Police  Justice:  in  1858  and  1859  was  Alderman  of 
First  Ward,  and  also  Overseer  of  the  Poor  for  1859,  and  in  1865- 
66-67-68  and  1869,  represented  the  First  District  in  the  Legis- 
lature at  Madison  ;  also  held  the  office  of  City  Attorney  for 
eleven  years,  from   1865,  and  was  twelve  years  Court  Commis- 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


999 


sioner;  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  April  26.  1826;  was  in 
administrative  novernment  there;  came  to  America  in  1849; 
married  at  Sheboygan  in  1850,  to  Earnestina  Gosse,  born  in 
Germany.     They  have  one  child — Ferdinandinia. 

OTIS  P.  WHEELER,  Superintendent  of  George  B.  Mattoon's 
furniture  factor}-,  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  March,  1868  ; 
located  at  Menasha  for  one  year  engaged  as  a  mechanic ;  came  to 
Sheboygan  in  June,  1869;  was  employed  in  chair  manufactories 
for  some  years.  In  fall  of  1877  opened  a  shop,  and  was  engaged 
in  making  ladders  and  employed  some  at  turning  furniture ;  con- 
tinued in  that  business  up  to  Jan.  1,  1880  ;  since  that  time,  have 
been  engaged  in  present  capacity.  Born  in  Hubbardstown. 
Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  March  10,  1846 ;  learned  trade  of  chair 
maker  at  Gardner,  Mass.,  in  1865,  and  was  employed  at  it  some 
three  years.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Sept.  24,  1871,  to  Mary 
Pelton,  born  in  Ohio.     They  have  one  child — Mabel  T. 

AUGUST  H.  P.  WILSON,  Pastor  of  First  Baptist  Church, 
Sheboygan ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  November,  1880  ;  located 
here  and  been  engaged  in  his  present  capacity  since.  Mr.  Wilson 
was  born  in  Germany  Feb.  10,  1848;  educated  in  Hanover; 
came  to  America  in  1869;  was  engaged  in  a  mercantile  capacity 
for  two  years  in  Pennsylvania ;  was  ordained  at  Germantown, 
Ohio,  in  1872;  was  at  Crestline,  Ohio,  for  three  years,  md  had 
charge  of  a  German  Lutheran  Church ;  was  ordained  into  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Manchester,  Mich.,  in  1878,  and  had  charge  of 
First  Baptist  Church  there  for  over  a  year,  then  officiated  at  Clay- 
ton, Mich.,  up  to  November,  1880.  He  was  married  at  Eaton 
Rapids,  Mich.,  December  25,  1871,  to  Alice  Lewis,  who  was  born 
in  Michigan.  They  have  two  children — Catherina  T.  and 
Martha  0. 

MICHAEL  WINTER,  lumber,  Sheboygan,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1842  ;  located  at  Milwaukee  ;  ran  saw-mills  for  some 
twelve  years  in  and  about  Milwaukee  ;  ran,  in  1843,  the  first 
gang  saw-mill  run  in  the  State;  was  then  at  Herman,  Sheboy- 
gan Co.,  engaged  in  fiirming,  and  carried  on  a  general  store  for 
some  twelve  years;  came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  1866  ;  was  Sheritf 
of  the  county  for  two  years,  1866-67.  In  1867  he  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  for  three  years,  with  Henry  Klue,  and  since 
1870  has  been  alone;  was  also,  for  a  short  time,  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness with  J.  J.  Sneyder;  quit  that  business  in  1874;  also  deals  in 
stucco,  cement,  etc.;  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin 
in  1864;  was  at  one  time  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  for  several 
years,  and  City  Supervisor  for  one  year.  He  was  born  Prussia  in 
1825  ;  came  to  America  in  1839  ;  was  employed  for  some  years 
on  the  canal  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  was  married  at  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
in  April,  1848,  to  Miss  Bertha  Benter,  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  five  children— William,  Arthur,  Jesse,  Augusta  (now  Mrs. 
Koep.sel)  and  Louisa. 

WILLIAM  M.  WINTER,  manager  for  Michael  Winter, 
dealer  in  lumber,  cement  and  Stucco,  Sheboygan ;  born  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  Oct.  13,  1851.  Came  to  Sheboygan  in  1864,  and 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  his  father,  M.  Winter,  since  that  time. 
Married  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  July,  1874,  to  Minnie  Raab,  born 
there.     They  have  three  children — Erwin,  Alfred  and  Frank. 

LOUIS  WOLFF,  foreman  of  binding  department  "She- 
boygan Manufacturing  Company,"  Sheboygan  ;  born  in  Herman, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Oct.  19,  1859 ;  resided  with  parents  up  to  Octo- 
ber, 1871,  when  he  came  with  them  to  Sheboygan  City.  In 
1874,  commenced  with  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company; 
employed  six  years  with  father  in  carpenter-shop.  In  present 
capacity  since  April,  1880.  Is  the  eldest  son  of  Jacob  H.  Wolff, 
in  the  employ  of  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company. 

JACOB  HENRY  WOLFF,  Foreman  of  machine  depart- 
ment of  Sheboygan  Manufacturing  Company,  Sheboygan  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  located  in  Sheboygan  County,  and  was 
engaged  as  carpenter  and  millwright  for  twelve  years,  and  four 
years  in  same  business  at  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis. ;  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan City,  October.  1871,  and  engaged  in  present  capacity  since. 
Born  in  Germany  in  1833 ;  learned  trade  of  cabinet-maker,  and 


was  employed  at  it  for  some  years ;  came  to  America  in  1856; 
resided  in  2^ew  York  for  four  years  employed  as  cabinet-maker. 
Married  at  New  York  Sept.  19,  1855,  to  Kate  Pusch,  a  native  of 
Germany.  They  have  five  children — Mary,  now  Mrs.  Van 
Schwent  Skofski ;  Louis,  Henry,  Lizzie  and  William  W. 

LUDWIG  WOLFSEN,  surgeon  and  dentist,  Sheboygan  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1873;  located  at  Green  Lake;  was  a  Congrega- 
tional clergymen  and  had  charge  of  First  Congregational  church 
for  two  years;  then  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  had  charge  of  church 
there  for  two  years,  and  at  same  time  studied  dentistry ;  went  to 
Milwaukee  and  graduated  in  dentistry  with  Dr.  D.  W.  Perkins ; 
returning  to  Plymouth,  Wis. ;  preached  for  some  eighteen  months; 
came  to  Sheboygan  City  in  May,  1879,  and  been  practicing  den- 
tistry since  that  time;  born  in  Germany,  October,  1840;  came  to 
America  in  1861  ;  enlisted  in  87th  New  York  Infantry  in  1861  ; 
served  in  that  regiment  up  to  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  which 
the  regiment  participated,  and  was  afterward,  in  the  40th  New 
York  Infantry  ;  in  May,  1863,  was  wounded  at  battle  of  Chancel- 
lorsville  (thigh  fractured)  and  was  left  on  the  battle  field  for 
fourteen  days;  was  discharged  in  October,  1864;  was  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  studied  for  ministry;  graduated  in  1871;  was  in  Fergus 
Falls,  Minn.,  employed  on  missionary  staff.  Married  at  Sears- 
mont,  Maine,  in  1864,  to  Louisa  Brown,  now  deceased.  They 
had  one  child — Herbert.  Married  again  at  Searsport,  Dec.  2, 
in  1867,  to  Clara  M.  Small,  of  that  place.  They  have  two  children 
— Edith  and  Ludwig. 

FREDERICK  ZIMMERM  ANN,  retired  farmer  and  merchant, 
Sheboygan,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  spring  of  1848;  located  at  town 
of  Wilson,  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  was  engaged  farming  for  four- 
teen years,  and  during  that  time  held  the  following  offices  :  School 
Director  three  years.  Town  Treasurer  two  years.  Chairman  of 
Board  of  Supervisors  for  three  years.  Town  Clerk  for  one  year,  and 
one  year  Assessor  ;  in  the  autumn  of  1862,  came  to  Sheboygan  City  ; 
was  elected  County  Clerk  in  1862  ;  re-elected  in  1865,  and  again 
elected  in  1867.  In  spring  of  1869,  entered  into  the  boot  and 
shoe  business  with  J.  Ohde,  and  was  in  that  business  for  four 
years ;  was  afterward,  an  insurance  agent  for  four  years ;  since 
1877,  has  been  engaged  on  his  farm,  and  during  1880,  was  em- 
ployed as  Census  taker;  born  in  Prusssia,  Nov.  24,  1825;  was 
employed  as  gardener  for  some  years ;  came  to  America  May  5, 
1848.  Married  at  Wilson,  Wis..  September,  1852,  to  Christinia 
Brehm,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  five  children — Edward, 
Minnie,  William,  Bertha  and  Amelia. 

THEO.  ZSCHETZSCHE,  tanner,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Jan. 
10,  1820;  came  to  America  in  1850;  located  at  Sheboygan;  he 
was  engaged  in  carpenter  and  joiner  business  until  1859,  when  he 
engaged  in  tannery  business  in  partnership  with  Christian  Heyer; 
continued  with  him  until  1872,  when  the  present  firm  of  Theodore 
Zschetzsche  &  Son,  was  organized.  Mr.  Z.'s  wife,  Frederika 
Gerlach,  was  also  born  in  Saxony. 

CARL  L.  ZSCHETZSCHE,  of  the  firm  of  Theodore  Zschetz- 
sche &  Son,  tanners,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Aug.  20,  1847 ;  came 
to  America  with  his  parents  in  1850.  He  was  married  at  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  May,  20,  1872,  to  Emma  Stahlman,  a  native  of  Cin- 
cinnati, 0.  They  have  four  children — Theodore,  Lulu,  Frederick 
and  Emilie. 

•SHEBOYGAN  FALLS. 
On  March  29,  1835,  the  upper  half  of  Section  36,  on 
which  the  village  is  now  located,  was  conveyed  by  the 
United  States  Government  to  Randolph  B.  Marcy.  wlio 
thus  became  the  first  owner  of  land  in  the  village  and  town 
of  Sheboygan  Falls.  Mr.  Marcy,  however,  never  settled 
here,  and  Col.  Silas  B.  Stedman,  of  Massachusetts,  who 
bought  a  part  of  Mr.  Marcy's  interest  on  December  1,  1835, 
was  the  first  to  settle  within  the  town  limits.  Col.  Sted- 
man, with  a  view  to  utilize  the  valuable  water-power  which 
the  Sheboygan  River  here  affords,  contracted  to  have  a  saw- 


HISTOR'S'    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


mill  finished  for  him  by  June,  1.S36,  but  on  moving  here 
with  his  family  at  that  time,  he  found  it  incompleted,  and  it 
was  not  till  the  following  winter  that  it  was  ready  for  use. 
On  March  10,  1838,  David  Giddings,  who  had  superin- 
tended the  building  of  the  mill,  bought  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  Section  36.  In  1839,  Charles  D.  Cole,  with  his 
family,  moved  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  but  it  was  several  years 
before  the  settlement  contained  any  considerable  number  of 
inhabitants. 

A  list  of  people  in  the  town  in  1840  would  include 
Ciiarles  D.  Cole  and  family,  Silas  B.  Stedman  and  family, 
Quincy  Hall  and  family,  David  Giddings,  Albert  Rounse- 
ville,  John  McNish,  and  on  a  farm  west  of  the  village, 
Wm.  Trowbridge  and  Wm.  S.  Trowbridge  with  their  families. 

The  first  frame  house  was  built  in  1837,  and  occupied 
by  John  McNish. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Samuel  Ashby  in  1840  ; 
the  first  white  woman  to  die  in  the  county  was  Dorothy, 
wife  of  William  Trowbridge,  who  died  June  1,  1844,  and 
was  the  first  person  buried  in  the  town. 

In  1841,  Herman  Pierce  and  Samuel  Rounseville  joined 
the  settlement.  The  village  at  that  time  contained  four 
dwellings  and  about  twenty-five  inhabitants. 

The  first  grist-mill  was  built  in  1842,  but  a  rude  set  of 
stones  had  previously  been  in  operation  in  Col.  Stedman's 
saw-mill. 

In  1844,  a  double  saw-mill  was  built  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  where  G.  H.  Bi-ickner's  woolen-mill  now  stands, 
and  owned  by  A.  J.  Littlefield  and  David  Giddings. 

The  first  German  settlement  in  the  county  was  made  in 
the  spring  of  1845,  under  the  auspices  of  Henry  C.  Heide, 
of  Milwaukee,  and  included  N.  Heide,  George  Theirman, 
Deidrich  Bartles,  E.  Logerman  and  others.  George  How- 
ard, William  Whiffen,  Newton  Goodell,  Henry  Williams 
and  W^  Peck  also  settled  here  in  1845. 

A  post  office  was  established  in  1837,  with  George  B. 
Babcock  for  first  Postmaster.  A  list  of  Postmasters  in  the 
order  of  their  succession  would  include  about  the  following 
names :  George  B.  Babcock,  Charles  D.  Cole,  W.  II. 
Prentice,  L.  M.  Marsh,  J.  E.  Thomas,  Col.  S.  B.  Sted- 
man, James  T.  Bridgeman,  Emmett  A.  Little,  James  T. 
Bridsreman  and  Charles  A.  Spencer. 

The  agricultural  resources  of  the  town  assure  it  a  place 
in  the  first  rank  of  farming  towns  in  the  county,  while  the 
business  industries  of  the  village  have  acquired  for  it  an  en- 
viable reputation  for  prosperity  and  enterprise  among  busi- 
ness men. 

The  village  received  an  independent  organization  in 
1854.  On  May  1st  of  that  year,  the  first  charter  election 
was  held.  The  number  of  votes  cast  was  47,  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  chosen :  President,  John  Keller ; 
Trustees,  George  Trombull,  A.  Skinner.  J.  E.  Thomas  and 
W.  D.  Kirkland  ;  Treasurer,  II.  S.  Marsh  ;  Clerk,  Will- 
iam H.  Cole ;  Marshal,  William  C.  Eastwood.  The  num- 
ber of  votes  cast  in  recent  elections  has  been  about  280, 
and  the  present  village  officers  are:  President,  J.  E.  Thom- 
as ;  Trustees.  J.  H.  Ileysen,  M.  Guvett,  William  Rensis 
Thomas  Relfe  ;  Clerk,  J.  W.  Ilanfofd  ;  Treasurer,  D.  P. 
Rounseville ;  Marshal,  N.  S.  Goodell ;  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  N.  S.  Pierce  and  D.  F.  Cogswell  :  Assessor  and 
Street  Commissioner,  David  Goodell. 

A  high  standard  has  always  been  maintained  in  the 
public  schools,  and  a  liberal  system  pursued  with  reference 
t(i   tlicni.     The   present   handsome  graded  school    building 


was  begun  on  October  6,   1870,  and  completed  in  April, 
1872,  at  a  cost  of  about  ^11,000,  including  grounds.      It       t 
contains  seven  well  ventilated  and  convenient  rooms,  and  all       | 
the  schools  in  the  village  are  gathered  into  it. 

NfU'H/iapers. — The  first  newspaper  in  the  village  was 
called  the  Free  Press.  It  started  about  1851.  with  J.  A. 
Smith  for  editor  and  proprietor.  After  about  a  year,  ii 
removed  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  it  became  the  Common- 
wealth. 

Tfle  Herald  was  started  by  Littlefield  i^  Connor  in 
1868,  and  after  about  two  years  was  removed  to  Sheboy- 
gan, where  it  is  otill  published.  The  S/ieboi/j/an  County 
Hews  was  moved  from  Sheboygan  in  May,  1878,  and  pub- 
lished by  F.  J.  Mills,  Sr.  In  September,  1878,  John  E. 
Thomas  became  proprietor.  The  editors  are  John  E. 
Thomas  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Thomas,  W.  C.  Thomas  busi- 
ness manager.  The  paper  is  a  six-coluraii  quarto.  Inde- 
pendent in  politics,  and  has  a  large  circulation  in  the  county. 
It  is  the  official  organ  of  the  dairying  interests. 

Manufacturing. — The  first  tannery  was  built  by  J.  D. 
Gould  in  1855.  In  1866,  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles  S. 
Weisse,  who  still  carries  on  the  business.  The  present 
large  tannery  building  was  put  up  in  1880.  From  twenty 
to  twenty-five  hands  are  employed,  and  the  3'early  business 
is  estimated  at  $100,000. 

This  village  is  the  only  place  in  the  county  where  woolen 
goods  are  manufactured.  The  Sheboygan  Falls  W^oolen 
Mills  were  started  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  about  1861 
by  William  H.  Prentice.  The  different  firm  names  have 
been  William  H.  Prentice.  Prentice  &  Farnsworth,  Prentice 
.*c  Heald,  Brickner  &  Heald,  and,  since  1872,  G.  H.  Brick- 
ner.  The  present  mill  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream  was 
built  in  1879-80,  and  first  operated  in  April,  1880.  Em- 
ployment is  given  to  thirty  or  forty  hands,  and  a  business  of 
about  $75,000  done  yearly. 

The  Riverside  W^oolen  Mills  were  built  in  1865.  0. 
Treadwell  &  Co.  bought  the  mills  and  began  operating  them 
in  the  spring  of  1875.  The  manufacture  of  shawls  is 
exclusively  followed,  and  the  mills  have  facilities  for  turn- 
ing out  11,000  shawls  per  month.  About  forty  hands  are 
employed,  and  the  business  is  estimated  at  $80,000  yearly. 

The  creamery  and  cheese  factory  of  H.  K.  Loomis  is  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  county.  Twelve  thousand  pounds  of 
milk  are  received  daily,  and  the  value  of  the  yearly  produc- 
tion is  about  $20,000.  The  factory  is  provided  with  all  the 
modern  conveniences  for  making  butter  and  cheese. 

The  first  foundry  in  the  village  was  built  in  1846  by 
Horace  Trowbridge.  For  some  years  this  was  the  only  one 
in  all  the  region  between  Milwaukee  and  Green  Bay.  The 
present  foundry  building  was  erected  in  1850.  B.  E.  San- 
ford  bought  the  business  in  1875,  and  has  since  carried  it 
on  under  the  name  of  the  "Phoenix  Iron  Works."  The 
principal  business  is  the  manufacture  of  plows  and  water- 
wheels — the  Walsh  double  turbine.  From  twelve  to  fifteen 
men  are  constantly  engaged  in  the  business. 

The  foundry  of  Demand  &  Huyck,  near  the  depot,  was 
built  in  1881.     All  kinds  of  iron  work  are  done. 

The  manufacture  of  rakes  was  begun  about  1859  by  E. 
Quinlan.  The  business  was  taken  up  in  1871  by  George 
Spratt,  who  still  carries  it  on  in  the  saw-mill  built  by  Col. 
Silas  Stedman  in  1836.  It  is  the  only  place  in  the  county 
where  the  same  kind  of  manufacturing  is  done.  About  ten 
hands  are  cmploved.  and  the  business  amounts  to  $10,000 
annual!  v. 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


William  Servis  began  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and 
carriages  in  1854,  and  lias  steadily  enlarged  his  business 
from  the  start.  A  large  brick  block  and  several  other 
buildings  are  used  for  the  manufacturing.  About  fifteen 
men  are  employed,  and  fifty  sleighs  and  one  hundred  car- 
riages turned  out  yearly.  The  annual  business  is  estimated 
at  $15,000.  The  work  of  this  factory  has  taken  first  pre- 
mium at  six  successive  State  Fairs. 

H.  Schuman  began  carriage  making  in  1869.  He 
employs  from  from  six  to  eight  men  in  making  carriages  and 
sleighs,  of  which  his  yearly  production  is  about  fifty.  He 
works  on  orders  largely,  and  does  a  business  of  about 
p,000. 

The  first  mill  on  the  site  of  the  present  Rock  Mills  was 
built  in  1848,  and  began  running  in  the  spring  of  1849. 
Since  then  the  mill  has  been  several  times  rebuilt  and 
enlarged.  Heald,  Reysen  &  Co.,  the  present  owners,  do  a 
large  merchant  and  custom  business  estimated  at  $50,001) 
yearly. 

The  hub  and  spoke  factory  of  Hill  &  Clark  was  burned 
in  1865,  and  that  of  Mr.  Skinner  in  the  same  year.  In 
1868,  a  business  block  was  burned  ;  in  1869,  Joseph  Osthel- 
dcr's  brewery  ;  in  1875,  Owen  M.  Sprague's  fanning-mill 
and  pump  factory;  in  1877,  Henry  Dicke's  brewery;  in 
1879,  Odd  Fellows'  Block;  in  1880,  G.  H.  Brickner's 
grist-mill  and  Taylor  Bros,  sash  and  blind  factory.  A  hook 
and  ladder  company  was  organized  in  1867,  with  Joseph 
Osthelder  for  Foreman.  A  hand  engine  was  bought,  and 
an  engine  company  organized  in  1869,  with  Charles  Miller 
for  Foreman.  The  present  Foreman  of  the  hook  and  lad- 
der and  engine  companies  are  Joseph  Guyett  and  A.  G. 
Maulich,  respectively. 

A  branch  office  of  the  German  Bank,  of  Sheboygan, 
was  opened  at  Sheboygan  Falls  in  December,  1847.  A 
close  connection  is  maintained  with  the  German  Bank. 
John  C.  Fairweather  is  the  Cashier. 

Mineral  Spring. — While  sinking  an  artesian  well  on  the 
farm  of  Harvard  Giddings,  in  the  spring  of  1881,  water 
was  reached  at  a  depth  of  1.200  feet,  which  was  found  to 
exhibit  marked  mineral  and  medicinal  qualities.  The  dis- 
charge of  water  fills  a  four-inch  pipe,  and  shows  no  sign  of 
diminishing  in  quantity  or  quality.  An  analysis  of  the 
water  proves  it  to  be  very  similar  to  the  far-famed  Congress 
water  obtained  at  Saratoga.  One  gallon  of  water  is  found 
to  contain  the  following  substances  : 

Chloride  of  Sodium 210.9334. 

Chloride  of  Potassium 5.8B17. 

Chloride  of  Magnesium 44.9982. 

Chloride  of  Calcium 31.0401. 

Sulphate  of  Lime 148.5297. 

Bicarbonate  of  Lime 30.6481. 

Bromide  of  Sodium 4937. 

Bicarbonate  of  Iron 5967. 

Alumina 3256. 

Silica 1.5385. 

Churclii's. — The  Baptist  Church  is  the  oldest  church 
organization  in  the  county  and  in  the  State.  The  church 
was  organize!  at  Sheboygan,  on  February  11,  1838,  with  a 
membership  of  five.  These  were  William  Trowbridge,  A. 
G.  Dye,  William  S.  Trowbridge,  Dorothy  Trowbridge  and 
Sarah  W.  Cole.  William  S.  Trowbridge  was  chosen  Clerk, 
and  William  Trowbridge,  Deacon.  Meetings  were  held 
at  the  schoolhouse  and  in  private  houses,  and  "  Father " 
Trowbridge  officiated  with  great  power.  The  revulsion  of 
1839  scattered  the  church,  but  meetings  were  still  held  in 


different  neighborhoods.  It  was  about  this  time  that  the 
church  was  removed  to  Sheboygan  Falls.  In  1840,  Albert 
Rounseville  and  his  wife,  Lucy,  and  Elvira  O'Cain,  after- 
ward wife  of  William  S.  Trowbridge,  were  admitted  to  the 
church  by  letter.  Elder  Hitchcock  began  to  preach  in 
1845.  At  a  meeting  held  this  year,  it  was  voted  that  "our 
church  be  called  the  Sheboygan  Falls  Baptist  Church,  and 
that  Sheboygan  Falls  be  our  place  of  meeting."  In  1846, 
J.  H.  Dennison  and  his  sister  Louisa,  Martha  Parish  and 
Adaline  Dye  were  added  to  the  church.  Abner  Lull  was 
called  to  preach  May  30,  1847,  on  a  salary  of  $75  a  year 
and  a  parsonage.  A  church  edifice  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
about  $1,600,  and  dedicated  on  December  12,  1850.  The 
present  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred  and  four, 
and  Rev.  H.  H.  Beach  is  the  Pastor. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1846,  with  a 
membership  of  about  thirty.  Rev.  I.  S.  Prescott  was  the 
first  Pastor.  The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1852.  The 
present  membership  is  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  and  Rev. 
G.  F.  Reynolds  is  the  Pastor. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  with  thirteen 
members,  on  June  12,  1847.  The  first  minister  was  Rev. 
Hiram  Marsh,  and  the  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  old 
district  schoolhouse.  The  church  edifice  was  dedicated  in 
the  fall  of  1854.  The  church  has  had  six  regularly  in- 
stalled Pastors,  and  the  whole  number  ever  received  into 
membership  is  two  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  first  Episcopal  service,  of  which  there  is  any  record, 
was  held  in  "Free  Hall,"  on  the  first  Sunday  after  Easter, 
in  the  spring  of  1864.  After  a  time  the  place  of  holding 
service  was  changed  to  the  schoolhouse.  and  later  to  Cham- 
berlain's Hall.  The  corner-stone  for  the  church  edifice  was 
laid  byBishop  Kemper,  on  June  8,  1869,  and  the  first  serv- 
ice washeld  in  it  on  January  16,  1870.  The  church  is  a 
mission  station,  and  the  mission  preachers  have  been:  Rev. 
J.  G.  McMurphey,  Rev.  Mr.  Upjohn  and  Rev.  R.  W.  Blow. 

The  German  Lutheran  and  Dutch  Reformed  churches 
have  church  buildings.  A  school  is  carried  on  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Lutheran  Church. 

Secret  Societies. — The  first  temperance  society  in  the 
State  was  organized  here,  on  September  30,  1847.  The 
name  of  the  society  was  the  '•  Sons  of  Temperance,  No.  1," 
and  the  charter  was  obtained  from  New  York.  This  organ- 
ization was  succeeded  by  the  Sheboygan  Falls  Lodge  of 
Good  Templars,  No.  1.  The  present  society  is  called  the 
"Alliance  Lodge  of  Good  Templars." 

Fidelity  Lodge,  No.  34,  of  Odd  Fellows,  was  organized 
March  7,  1849.  A  re-organization  was  effected  in  1871, 
with  N.  P  Hotchkiss  as  Noble  Grand.  In  1879,  they 
erected  the  block  in  which  their  lodge  room  is  situated,  on 
the  site  of  one  previously  burned.  The  lodge  has  a  present 
membership  of  sixty-two,  and  the  officers  are:  H.  A. 
Pitcher,  N.  G.;  J.  M.  Holden,  V.  G.;  L.  Constance,  R. 
S.;  Charles  Sherwood,  P.  S.;  Lewis  Wolf,  T. 

St  John's  Lodge,  No.  24,  of  Masons,  was  organized 
September  6,  1849,  with  a  membership  of  ten.  The  first 
officers  were:  Harrison  C.  Hobart,  W.  M.;  L.  W.  Davis. 
S.  W.;  L.  B.  Brainard,  J.  W.;  V.  Young,  S.;  William 
Trowbridge,  T.;  G.  H.  Smith,  S.  D.;  S.  Roberts,  J.  D.; 
Thomas  I.  Graham,  Tiler.  The  present  membership  is 
thirty-five.  The  lodge  rooms  are  in  the  Falls  Bank  block. 
The  society  is  officered  as  follows ;  J.  L.  Shepard,  W.  M.; 
W.  P-  Heiile,  S.  W.;  F.  N.  Strong,  J.  W.;  S.  Weisse,  T.; 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


A.  B.  Chandler,  S.;  J.  C.  Farwi'll.  S.  D.:  T.  Man.lle.  J. 
D.:  J.  Williams,  Tiler. 

The  Royal  Arcanum  Insurance  and  Secret  Society  was 
organized  August  21,  1880.  It  has  a  membership  of 
eighteen.  The  officers  are  as  follows :  Joseph  Guyett,  R.; 
T.  T.  Bemis.  V.  R.;   C.  W.  Sherwood,  Secretary. 

Board  of  Trade. — The  Sheboygan  Falls  Dairy  Board 
of  Trade  was  organized  in  1873,  and  has  a  present  member- 
ship of  eighty-six.  Weekly  meetings  are  held  in  the  board 
of  trade  rooms,  attended  by  cheese  manufacturer.*  and  buy- 
ers. Telegraphic  quotations  of  the  price  of  cheese  at  New 
York  and  Liverpool,  together  with  the  receipts  and  exports 
of  the  previous  week,  are  received  at  these  meetings.  The 
weekly  ofterings  of  cheese  average  5.000  boxes.  The 
officers  of  the  Board  are:  President,  G.  W.  Weeden  ;  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer,  W.  C.  Thomas ;  Executive  Committee, 
Hon.  Hiram  Smith,  H.  J.  Bamford  and  F.  N.  Strong. 

BIO(iBAPmC.\L     SKETCHES. 

ISAAC  ADRIANCE,  capitalist,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1S4();  located  at  Town  of  Eden,  Fond  du  Lac  Co. ;  re- 
mained for  a  short  time,  returning  to  New  York  ;  went  to  California  in 
.January,  1 8,52 ;  engaged  in  staging  and  farming,  also  had  a  mail  con- 
tract ;  returned  to  Edeo,  Wis.,  in  December,  1856,  and  was  enaaged 
farming  up  to  1 873,  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  has  been 
ei)gut;cd  in  loaning  money,  etc.,  since.  While  at  Eden,  was  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  four  years  and  Supervisor  of  town  four  years. 
In  1875,  was  Trustee  of  village  of  Sheboygan  Falls;  President  of 
village  in  1876,  and  has  been  School  Director  for  past  four  years, 
and  was  also  appointed  one  of  three  commissioners  to  review 
the  assessment  made  of  the  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  for  1880.  He 
was  born  at  Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  7, 1823,  and  previous  to  coming 
to  Wisconsin,  was  engaged  with  his  father  in  farming.  Married 
at  Eden,  Wis.,  January,  1858,  to  Lorette  E.  Lee;  born  in  Ver- 
mont.    They  have  one  daughter — Emily. 

BENJAMIN  F.  ANDERSON,  Principal  of  High  School,  She- 
boygan Falls;  born  at  Tolland,  Conn  ,  July  12,  184:5;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  spring  of  1857,  and  located  with  parents  at  Vienna. 
In  spring  of  1859,  went  to  Rochester,  Wis. ;  attended  preparatory 
schools  at  Milwaukee,  from  fifteen  years  to  seventeen  years  of  age, 
then  studied  at  Milwaukee  Classical  Gymna.sium for  a  year;  after- 
ward resided  on  farm  with  parents  at  Rochester,  Wis,,  for  some 
six  years,  then  taught  school  for  a  short  time  at  that  place,  and 
afterward,  at  Honey  Creek,  Wis.,  part  of  1871  and  1872  ;  at 
Rochester  Seminary,  for  1873  and  1874,  and  at  Jefferson,  Wis., 
for  part  of  1874  und  1875  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  summer 
of  1875,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  In  July, 
1874,  Mr.  Auderson  received  a  life  certificate,  certifying  competency 
as  teacher  in  schools  of  Wisconsin.  There  were  fourteen  applicants, 
and  only  one  certificate  was  granted  by  the  examiners.  In  the 
fall  of  1875,  he  received  the  nomination  of  the  Republican  party, 
at  Union  Grove,  Wis.,  for  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Racine 
County. 

GEORGE  F,  ARNOLD, dealer  in  eggs, Sheboygan  Falls,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  June,  1847  ;  located  at  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co. ; 
resided  with  parents  and  was  engaged  farming;  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan Falls  in  1850;  was  employed  in  saw  mill  with  his  father  for 
some  four  years;  then  in  mill  at  Two  Rivers,  Manitowoc  Co., 
Wis,,  for  three  years ;  afterward  ensaired  in  conducting  a  saw 
mill  in  company  with  John  P,  Carroll,  at  Sherman,  Wis.,  for  some 
five  years ;  then  returned  to  Sheboygan  Falls  and  was  employed  as 
carpenter  up  to  1872,  when  he  commenced  present  busine.ss;  he 
was  born  in  Windham  Co.,  A'^ermont,  Nov.  14,  1831.  Married  at 
Sherman  Wis.,  in  February,  1852,  to  Sylvia  Arnold  ;  born  in  State 
of  New  York,     They  have  one  child— Elliot  E. 

HIRAM  ASHCROFT,  farmer,  P,  O,  Sheboygan,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in   1858;  located  at  Town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co., 


and  was  engaged  farming  for  some  ten  years ;  came  to  town  of  i 
Sheboygan  Falls  in  1S68,  and  has  been  engiged  farming  s-incc ; 
owns  eighty  acres  of  land,  nearly  all  improved ;  he  was  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  of  town  of  Lima,  for  1859,  and  Town  Clerk,  | 
for  1860,  and  was  once  Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
town  Sheboygan  Falls;  he  was  born  at  Machias,  N.  Y.,  July  31, 
1829,  and  previous  to  coming  to  this  State,  was  engaged  farming 
and  teaching  school.  Married  at  Hinsdale,  N,  Y,,  July  14,  1856, 
to  Matilda  Webster;  born  at  Fabius,  N.  Y.  They  have  two 
children— Edith  L,  and  Inez  M. 

LOUIS  BALLSCHMIDER,  cigar  factory,  grocery  and  hotel 
(City  Hotel),  Sheboygan  Falls ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1860  ;  lo- 
cated at  Plymouth,  Wis. .and  run  a  hotel  for  two  years.  Enlisted  in 
1862,  in  27th  W.  V,  I.,  served  three  years ;  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  commissariat  department  for  the  last  two  years ;  then  had 
hotel  again  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  for  one  year;  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  in  1866 ;  purchased  City  Hotel  and  has  run  it  since.  In 
1869,  opened  cigar  factory,  now  enploys  five  men;  manufactures 
30,000  cigars  per  month ;  opened  grocery  business  in  February, 
1881;  born  in  Germany  Sept.  25,  1838;  was  engaged  in  hotel 
business  there  for  some  years.  Married  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  Sept. 
13,  1862,  to  Minnie  Pohr,  born  in  Germany.  They  have  seven 
children — Louisa,  Amelia,  Meda,  Otto,  Minnie,  Edwin  and  Aino. 

ANDREW  C.  BASSUENER,manufactureranddealerin  har- 
ness, saddlery,  etc.,  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856  ; 
located  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls.  At  17  years  of  age,  learned 
trade  of  harness-maker  at  Sheboygan  City,  and  was  employed  at 
it  some  three  years ;  afterward  employed  at  trade  in  Chicago,  III, 
Muskegon,  Mich.,  aTid  several  places  in  Wisconsin  for  some  years. 
Came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  May  1,  1874;  was  employed  at  trade 
up  to  March  24,  1880,  when  he  purchased  the  present  business, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  conducting  it  since.  Born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  March  28,  1850;  came  to  America  in  1856.  Married 
at  Sheboygan  Falls  March  29,  1875,  to  Augusta  Troger,  born 
there.     They  have  three  children — Otto,  Annie  and  Ida. 

JOSEPH  BENEDICT,  blacksmith,  Sheboygan  Falls;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1845;  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls;  commenced 
active  life  at  16  years  of  age;  employed  in  lathe-mill  for  a  year; 
then  teamster  for  five  years  ;  afterward  learned  trade  of  blacksmith, 
and  was  employed  at  it  some  four  years;  then  at  Onion  River, 
Wisconsin,  for  sis  months ;  then  employed  with  his  brother,  J. 
F.  Benedict,  for  some  sixteen  years;  commenced  present  business 
in  Nov,  2,  i87S;  born  in  Bennington  Co,,  Vt,,  Jan,  26,  1831. 
Married  at  Ripon,  Wis.,  Sept.  26,  1854,  to  Eunice  Bicker,  born 
in  Maine, 

ERASMUS  P.  BRYANT,  drugs,  stationery,  etc.,  Sheboygan 
Falls;  born  at  Racine,  Wis.,  March  29,  1845  ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  when  quite  young.  Enlisted  in  39th  W.  V.  I.;  served  for  thir- 
teen months;  commenced  drug  business  in  September,  1864,  in 
company  with  John  R.  Bryant;  they  continued  together  for  one 
year ;  afterward  wa*  employed  in  the  drug  business  for  some  seven 
years;  commenced  present  business  in  February,  1872,  and  con- 
tinued it  since.  Was  Trustee  of  village  for  1878.  Married  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis,,  to  Frances  E.  Brown.  They  have  two 
children — Jesse  R.  and  Helen  L, 

CHARLES  0,  CADY,  physician,  Sheboygan  Falls;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1854;  located  at  Dartford,  Green  Lake  Co,;  resided 
there  with  his  parents  up  to  1858  ;  then  at  Ripon,  Wis,,  employed 
in  drug  business  up  to  1861  ;  when  he  went  to  Worcester,  Ohio, 
and  was  employed  in  wholesale  and  retail  drug  business  seven  years ; 
graduated  at  Ann  Arbor,  Jlich,,  from  Michigan  University  in 
1869;  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Brandon,  Wis.,  and 
was  there  up  to  1872  ;  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  since.  Has  been 
Villasre  Physician  for  some  seven  or  eight  years  ;  born  in  Vernon, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  Married  at  Brandon,  Wis.,  in  Oct,  18,  1870, 
to  Adelia  Pride,  born  there.  They  have  one  son — Charles  M., 
ten  years  of  ase. 

EDWIN  CLARK,  attorney  at  law,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1872;  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls  and  has  been  en- 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


1003 


gaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  ever  since.  He  was  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  in  1873.  He  was  born  at  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y., 
in  1825  ;  studied  with  Edwin  Countryman  at  Cherry  Valley  for 
two  years;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  in 
1859  ;  practiced  at  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  for  three  years,  in 
partnership  with  N.  C.  Moak  ;  enlisted,  in  1862,  as  Captain  of 
Co.  G,  121st  N.  Y.  I.  ;  resigned  in  February,  1863,  on  account 
of  ill  health,  and  for  several  years  was  incapacitated  from  transact- 
ing business.  He  resided  at  Williamsburg,  Va.,  for  one  year.  In 
August,  1867,  he  went  to  JeiFerson  City,  Mo.,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing September  was  appointed  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
and  filled  that  position  up  to  January,  1872.  During  a  portion 
of  that  time  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  State 
University  and  Normal  Schools.  At  the  expiration  of  his  super- 
intendency  he  was  appointed  State  Attorney  for  reclaiming  of 
swamp  lands,  and  filled  the  position  up  to  August,  1872.  In 
June,  1871,  he  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Missouri.  He  was  married  at  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  10,  1848,  to  Kate  Reed.  She  died  at  Sheboyean  Falls, 
Sept.  25,  1879,  and  he  married  again  at  Sheboygan  City,  Wis., 
May  4,  1881,  to  Kate  Reed,  born  in  New  Jersey. 

DAVID  F.  COGSWELL,  wagon  maker,  Sheboygan  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1841 ;  located  at  Brookfield,  Milwaukee  Co. ; 
resided  there  some  six  years,  engaged  in  millwrighting,  wagon  mak- 
ing, etc.;  then  at  Pewaukee,  Wis.,  for  some  six  years,  conducting  a 
saw-mill ;  afterward  went  to  New  York,  remaining  there  only  a  short 
time  ;  then  to  Canada,  remaining  there  from  1850  to  1865 ;  was  en- 
gaged on  the  G.  W.  R.  R.  for  some  three  years ;  afterward  em- 
ployed in  saw-mill  and  tannery  for  some  years,  and  on  steamboats, 
as  engineer,  for  two  years  ;  was  then  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  for  five 
years  engaged  in  handling  a  patent  right  for  boiler  cleaning.  Then 
at  Pewaukee,  Wis.,  engaged  at  wagon-making,  up  to  the  fall  of 
1879,  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  and  opened  in  present 
business  ;  was  Chairman  of  Supervisors  of  town  of  Brookfield  for 
two  years.  He  was  born  in  Bennington  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept.  27,  1817. 
He  was  married  at  Pewaukee,  Wis.,  Nov.  9,  1849,  to  Mary  Jane 
Potter,  born  in  Massachusetts.  They  have  two  children — Frank 
P.  (painter)  and  Laura  E. 

LEONARD  P.  DEAN,  of  L.  P.  Dean  &  Son,  undertakers  and 
dealers  in  furniture,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847  ; 
located  at  Sheboygan  Falls  and  has  been  engaged  as  carpenter 
and  joiner  since,  also  contractor  and  builder.  He  commenced 
present  business  in  January,  1879,  in  company  with  his  son, 
Phileo  R.  Dean,  and  they  have  continued  the  business  since.  He 
was  Town  Clerk  for  one  year  and  Village  Assessor  for  two  years. 
He  was  born  in  Turin,  N.  Y.,  June  13,  1822;  learned  the  trade 
of  carpenter  and  joiner  and  was  employed  at  it  some  years  ;  was 
married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  March,  1849,  to  Mary  E.  Hanford, 
born  in  Now  York.  They  have  seven  children — Dighton  D., 
Sarah,  Henry,  Alvanus,  Phileo  R.,  Helen  and  Morris. 

CONRAD  DeLONG,  farmer,  P.  0.  Sheboygan,  came  to 
Wisconsin  Sept.  5,  1849;  located  at  Ripon,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.; 
was  employed  teaming  for  a  year,  then  traveling  for  some  six 
years.  In  1855  he  went  to  town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  and 
was  engaged  farming  there  up  to  1878,  when  he  came  to  Sheboy- 
gan Falls  and  has  been  engaged  in  conducting  present  farm  ever 
since;  owns  167  acres  of  land,  mostly  all  improved.  He  was 
born  in  Canada  May  11,  1824,  and  previous  to  coming  to  this 
State  was  engaged  farming  there.  lie  was  married  at  Sheboygan 
Falls  Nov.  22,  1856,  to  Annie  Michael,  born  in  Canada.  They 
have  four  children — Charles  D.  S.,  Ilattie  V.,  Curtis  S.  and 
Stanton  B. 

JOHN  DIETSCH,Sr.,  farmer  and  carpenter,  Sheboygan  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  May  4,  1850  ;  located  at  Lyndon,  Sheboygan 
Co.;  was  employed  for  two  years  on  farm  ;  came  to  town  of  She- 
boygan Falls  in  1853,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in 
farming,  and  also  has  done  considerable  building  and  carpenter 
work  ;  owns  95  acres  of  land ;  was  Chairman  of  Town  Board  of 
Supervisors  in  1880.     He  was  born  in  Germany  May  24,  1824; 


came  to  America  in  1848  ;  was  employed  in  New  York,  and  also  in 
State  of  Ohio,  for  two  years  previous  to  coming  to  this  State.  He 
was  married  in  Ohio  May  28,  1849,  to  Kuny  Waltz,  born  in 
Germany.  They  have  three  children — John,  Charles  and 
Henry. 

WILLIAM  Y.  DAVIS,  farmer ;  P.  O.  Sheboygan  ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1847  ;  located  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  engaged  in  farming;  owns  127  acres  of  land, 
mostly  all  improved.  He  was  born  at  Milton,  Vt.,  Dec.  18,  1821, 
and,  previous  to  coming  to  this  State,  was  engaged  farming.  Mar- 
ried, at  Colchester,  Vt.,  in  October,  1848,  to  Ellen  Allen,  born 
there  ;  they  have  two  children — Arthur  and  Judd  A. 

FRED  EDLER.  of  Edier  Bros.'  cheese-factory,  Sheboygan 
Falls;  born  in  town  ofSheboygan  Falls  Oct.  8, 1859;  at  the  age  of  16 
years,  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter,  and  was  employed  at  it  some  four 
years;  commenced  present  business  in  spring  of  1881 ,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  William  EdIer  ;  they  manufacture  about  thirteen 
thousand  pounds  of  cheese  per  month. 

JOHN  C.  FAIRWEATHER,  Cashier  and  General  Manager 
of  the  Sheboygan  Falls  Bank.  Born  at  Sheboygan  April  13, 
1852;  was  educated  at  Sheboygan  High  School,  and  attended 
commercial  college  at  Milwaukee  for  one  winter  ;  was  employed 
for  eight  years  on  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad,  and 
several  years  as  check  clerk,  telegraph  operator,  and  station  agent 
for  four  months  at  Rosedale,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.;  came  to 
Sheboygan  Falls  in  1874,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capac- 
ity since.  Married,  at  Berlin,  Wis.,  in  December,  1875,  to  Lizzie 
Evans,  born  there;  they  have  two  children  —  John  E.  and 
Earl  C. 

HARVARD  GIDDINGS,  proprietor  mineral  spring  and  farm- 
er ;  P.  0.  Sheboygan  Falls ;  born  at  Sheboygan  Falls  April  4, 1844 ; 
he  has  resided  at  that  place  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  two  years 
in  Fond  du  Lao,  Wis.,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  farming, 
and  also  two  years  attending  school  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
Married,  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  Oct.  6,  1864,  to  Genevieve 
Parker,  born  in  Vermont ;  they  have  five  children — John,  Harry, 
William,  Dora  and  Jessie.  Mr.  Giddings  has  an  artesian  well  on 
the  grounds  of  his  residence,  of  mineral  water  ;  depth  of  well, 
1,200  feet.  Is  a  son  of  David  Giddings,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  who 
settled  in  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  in  1825. 

HENRY  F.  HABIGHORST,  farmer;  P.  0.  Sheboygan. 
Born  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  22, 
1851  ;  resided  with  his  father  until  he  was  21  years  of  age,  and 
was  engaged  farming,  and  for  two  years  of  the  time  was  engaged 
in  cheese-making.  In  1876,  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
and  has  continued  since  ;  owns  160  acres  of  land,  100  of  which 
are  improved  ;  has  been  Clerk  of  district  school  for  past  four  years. 
Married,  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  April  28,  1876,  to  Dora  Schakel, 
born  there ;  they  have  two  children — Hattie  and  Odelia. 

HEALD,  REYSEN  &  CO.,  proprietors  Rock  Flouring  Mills, 
and  dealers  in  grain  and  produce,  Sheboygan  Falls.  This  firm  is 
composed  of  Benjamin  F.  Heald  and  John  H.  Reysen  ;  the  mill 
has  acapacity  of  some  fifty  barrels  per  day.  Mr.  Heald  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1863 ;  located  at  "  Onion  River,"  and  was  engaged  in 
conducting  a  flouring-mill  for  four  years,  in  company  with  Mark 
Martin  and  other  partners;  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1868; 
was  engaged  in  woolen-mill  business  for  some  four  years  ;  com- 
menced present  business  in  1874;  conducted  the  business  alone 
for  about  a  year,  and  then  entered  into  partnership  with  B.  H. 
Riebel ;  they  carried  on  the  mills  up  to  May,  1880,  when  Mr.  R. 
retired,  and  John  H.  Reysen  came  into  the  concern.  Mr.  Heald 
was  bcrn  in  Sumner,  Me.,  in  1831  ;  previous  to  coming  to  Wis- 
consin, was  engaged  in  milling  and  in  various  other  capacities. 
Enlisted,  in  September,  1861,  in  9th  Me.  V.  I.;  served  one  j'ear, 
and  at  time  of  discharge  (on  account  of  ill  health),  held  the  rank 
of  1st  Lieutenant.  Was  at  one  time  Trustee  of  village  of  She- 
boygan Falls  for  two  years.  Married,  at  Onion  River,  Wis.,  in 
1865,  to  Mary  E.  James,  born  at  Eagle,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.; 
they  have  two  children — Abner  0.  and  Charles  F. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Mr.  Reyseii  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854;  located  at  Sheboygan 
Falls ;  was  employed  for  some  two  years  in  grist-mill ;  afterward 
engaged  in  flour  and  feed  business,  in  partnership  with  E.  Batch- 
elder,  for  a  few  months,  then  conducted  the  business  alone  for 
eighteen  months  ;  was  engaged  in  flouring-mill  business  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  State  up  to  May,  1880,  when  he  joined  Mr.  Ileald. 
He  was  elected  Trustee  of  village  of  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1879,  re- 
elected in  1880,  and  again  elected  in  1881.  Born  in  Germany  in 
1831  ;  learoei)  milling  trade  there.  Came  to  America  in  1852, 
and,  previous  to  coming  to  Wisconsin,  was  engaged  in  a  mercantile 
capacity  East.  Married,  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  in  November,  1855, 
to  Flora  Englemeyer,  born  in  Germany;  they  have  eight  children 
—  Henry,  Dora,  Emma,  Walter,  George,  Flora,  Albert  and 
Matilda. 

JOACHIM  JOHANN,  manufacturer  of  wooden  pumps,  She- 
boygan Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863;  located  at  Sheboygan 
Falls ;  was  employed  in  pump  manufactory  of  A.  M.  Little  &  Co.  for 
five  years  ;  bought  an  interest  in  the  firm  in  18C8  ;  firm  continued 
until  1876,  then  it  changed  to  Johann  &  Meier;  they  carried  on 
the  business  four  years,  and  since  that  time  Mr.  Johann  has  been 
alone;  manufactures  1,000  to  1,200  premium  pumps  perannum  ;  em- 
ploys three  men  ;  was  born  in  Germany  Nov.  28, 1831 ;  was  employed 
as  a  mechanic  ;  came  to  America  in  November,  1863  ;  married,  in 
Germany,  in  November,  1863,  to  Caroline  Steinfeldt,  born  there  ; 
they  have  one  child — William,  and  two  deceased. 

WALTER  M.  LITTLE, dealer  in  agricultural  implements, sash 
doors,  blinds,  etc.,  Sheboygan  Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1848; 
located  with  parents  in  the  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  was  engaged 
farming  with  his  father  for  some  time,  and  afterward  several  years 
on  his  own  account;  had  a  hotel  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  for  one  year ; 
again  farming  for  a  short  time.  In  1868,  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  and  ran  a  livery  stable  for  a  year,  then  engaged  as  a  travel- 
ing salesman  for  some  years  ;  commenced  present  business  in  Jan- 
uary, 1881.  Was  born  in  State  of  New  York  Sept.  12,  1840. 
Married,  at  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  May,  1867,  to  Sarah  Col- 
lins, born  there;  they  have  two  children — EIner  and  Le  Roy. 

HENRY  K.  LOOMIS,  butter  and  cheese  factory,  Sheboygan 
Falls  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  March,  1880  ;  located  at  Sheboygan 
Falls  ;  was  engaged  in  farming  for  about  a  year  ;  purchased  the 
present  factory  in  March,  1881,  and  has  been  engaged  in  carrying 
it  on  since.  The  factory  was  started  by  Pierce  &  Strong  in  1871, 
run  by  them  for  some  time,  and  afterward  by  W.  G.  Pierce  until 
Mr.  Loomis  took  it.  Manufactures  about  5,000  pounds  of  cheese 
per  week,  and  some  600  pounds  of  butter ;  employs  four  men ;  factory 
is  run  by  steam  power.  He  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
January,  1845.  In  1868,  went  to  Canton,  Miss.;  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  United  States  Government  as  Assessor  of  Internal 
Revenue  for  four  years  and  Collector  for  about  a  year;  afterward, 
for  a  short  time,  engaged  in  building  the  M.  &  0.  Railroad  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother;  returned  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  was 
engaged  as  traveling  salesman.  In  1877,  commenced  fancy  goods 
business  in  company  with  his  brother,  B.  S.  Loomis,  at  Jackson, 
Mich.,  and  was  engaged  in  it  some  three  years.  Married,  at  She- 
boygan Falls,  Wis.,  Oct.  17,  1877,  to  Lizzie  M.  Smith,  who  was 
born  there. 

FRANK  C.  MATHER,  of  Mather  Bros.,  farmers  and  man- 
ufacturers and  dealers  in  cheese  ;  P.  O.  Sheboygan  ;  came  to  Wis- 
con.sin  in  1855;  located  at  city  of  Sheboygan  with  his  parents; 
came  to  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1857,  and  has  been  engaged 
in  present  business  .some  fifteen  to  twenty  years  ;  has  been  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  C.  G.  Mather  since  about  1873;  they 
manufacture  about  74,000  pounds  of  cheese  per  annum.  Frank 
C.  Mather  enlisted  Aug.  22,  1862,  in  Ist  W.  V.  I.;  served  nine 
njonths;  re-enlisted  in  1864,  in  same  regiment,  and  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  born  at  Leicester,  Mass.,  June 
15,  1846. 

CHARLES  A.  MAURER,  Postmaster,  general  store, cheese 
factory  and  hotel,  Sheboygan  Falls;  born  in  the  town  of  Rhine, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  16,  1851  ;  came  to  Johnsonville,  Wis., 


in  1867  ;  was  employed  for  three  years  in  a  saw-mill  and  two 
years  in  a  grist-mill ;  afterward  in  grist-mill  at  Plymouth,  Wis., 
lor  a  year,  and  at  Hingham,  Wis.,  in  same  capacity  for  two  years ; 
returned  to  Johnsonville  and  was  employed  in  grist-mill  several 
years ;  then  opened  a  cheese  factory  and  has  continued  it  since  ; 
makes  45,000  pounds  of  cheese  per  annum  ;  has  been  conducting 
general  store  and  hotel  since  Jan.  15,  1881.  Was  appointed  Post- 
master Jan.  20,  1881  ;  was  School  Treasurer  for  town  of  Sheboy- 
gan Falls  for  1878-79  and  1880.  Married,  at  Johnsonville,  Wis., 
Feb.  7,  1877,  to  Minnie  Roethen,  born  in  town  of  Meeme,  Man- 
itowoc Co.,  Wis.;  they  have  two  children — Ida  and  Laura.  Mr. 
Maurer's  father  built  a  custom  flour-mill  in  1867,  at  Johnsonville  ; 
ran  the  same,  in  company  with  others,  up  to  August,  1874.  when  he 
died.  The  widow  has  his  interest  in  the  mill,  and  her  son,  Will- 
iam Maurer,  has  been  representing  her  interest  since  the  fall  of 
1880. 

AMANDIJS  J.  M AULICK, carriage  ironer, Sheboygan  Falls; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1860;  located  at  Princeton,  Green  Lake  Co., 
Wis.,  with  parents  ;  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  hotel  business 
with  his  father  ;  then  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  for  three  years  ; 
learned  trade  there  and  was  employed  at  it ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  in  1871  ;  was  employed  three  years  at  trade  ;  then,  in  same 
capacity,  in  Sheboygan  City  for  three  years;  afterward  was  in 
busine.ss  at  Fall  Creek,  Wis., for  about  eighteen  months  ;  returned 
to  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  business  for 
some  two  years.  Was  born  in  Germany  in  1854  ;  came  to  America 
in  1860.  Married,  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  in  September,  1878,  to 
Lissette  Wolf,  who  was  born  there  ;  they  have  two  children — 
Amanda  and  Louis. 

AUGUST  F.  MEIER,  manufacturer  of  fanning  mills,  pumjis, 
etc.,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849;  located  at  Mil- 
waukee; was  employed  as  wagon-maker  for  two  years;  then  at  Addi- 
son, Wis.,  employed  in  same  capacity  for  some  fourteen  years ; 
afterward  had  a  saw  mill  at  the  town  of  Herman,  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.,  for  three  years  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  spring  of  1867  ; 
was  employed  for  two  years  in  fanning  mill  factory  ;  then  engaged 
present  business  with  A.  M.  Little  and  J.  Johann,  they  carried 
on  the  business  for  .sis  years,  then  Mr.  Little  withdraw  and  the 
two  remaining  partners  continued  the  business  up  to  spring  of 
1881.  and  since  that  time  Mr.  Meier  has  been  alone  ;  was  Village 
Trustee  for  1878 ;  born  in  Germany  in  1829;  learned  trade  of 
wagon-maker  there;  came  to  America  in  1849.  Married  at 
Addison,  Wis.,  in  1852,  to  Charlotte  Meier.  She  died  in  1856, 
leaving  one  child — William.  Mr.  Meier  married  again  at  Addi- 
son, in  1857,  to  Caroline  Lierman ;  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  six  children — Augusta,  Charles,  Frederick,  Otto,  John  and 
Emil. 

JOS.  OSTHELDER,  saloon,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1852  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  City;  cume  to  Sheboygan 
Falls ;  in  1861  enlisted  in  4th  Wisconsin  Infantry ;  served  three 
years  ;  returned  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1864  ;  commenced  brewery 
in  company  with  his  mother  ;  they  carried  on  the  business  together 
for  a  year;  he  was  then  in  same  business  for  some  years  with  his 
brother  and  other  partners,  and  alone  from  1870  to  1875,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  conducting  a  saloon  ;  was  a 
member  of  Village  Board  of  Trustee  for  several  years,  and  was 
appointed  Deputy  Sherifl"  of  Sheboygan  Co.;  born  in  Germany, 
Sept.  18,  1840.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1866.  to 
Gertrude  Miapeter.  They  have  four  children — Joseph,  Oscar, 
Alma  and  Louis. 

GEORGE  W.  PECK,  Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
the  fall  of  1846  ;  located  in  Lyndon,  Sheboygan  Co.  ;  was  engaged 
farming  there  up  to  1867,  when  he  moved  to  town  of  Sheboygan  ; 
fiirmed  there  some  four  years,  and  in  1871,  came  on  to  present 
farm  in  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  has  been  engaged  conducting  it 
since ;  owns  1 63  acres  of  land ;  he  was  Clerk  of  town  of  Lyndon 
for  two  years ;  Justice  of  Peace  town  of  Sheboygan  two  years, 
and  Trustee  of  village  of  Sheboygan  Falls  for  one  j'car  ;  born  at 
Sand  Lake,  N.  Y.,  in  1822 ;  previous  to  coming  to  this  State,  was 


HISTORY   OF  SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


engaged   farming.     Married   at  Lima,   Sheboygan    Co.,   Wis.,   in 
1853,  to  Amy  S.  Kent,  born  in  State  of  Vermont. 

CHAS.  W.  PIERCE,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  cheese, 
Sheboygan  Falls  ;  born  in  town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis., 
Aug.  5,  1848;  was  employed  with  his  father,  farming,  for  some 
years,  then  in  his  father's  store  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  afterward 
in  his  foundry  for  some  eighteen  months;  in  1873,  commenced 
cheese  factory  in  partnership  with  I.  N.  Strong,  and  they  carried 
on  the  business  for  four  years  ;  firm  then  changed  to  Pierce  & 
Son,  and  was  conducted  by  them  up  to  spring  of  1881.  Chas. 
W.  Pierce  is  now  interested  with  his  brother,  William  L.  Pierce, 
in  two  cheese  factories  in  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis.,  and  is  also  engaged 
in  buying  cheese  at  this  place.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis., 
Oct.  5,  1871,  to  Alice  Gary;  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.  They 
have  one  son — William  C. 

LEVI  H.  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.Sheboygan,  was  born  at  Plym- 
outh, Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1847  ;  was  engaged  farming  with 
parents  for  some  years;  enlisted  in  October,  1864,  in  the  1st  Wis. 
H.  A.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war;  then  farmed  for 
some  time  in  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.  ;  afterward  engaged  as  travel- 
ling photographer  in  State  of  Towa  for  some  eighteen  months.  In 
1872  he  came  on  to  the  present  farm  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  ; 
owns  130  acres  of  land,  60  acres  of  which  are  woodland.  He 
Wiis  married  in  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.,  in  March,  1868,  to  Mary 
Turner,  born  in  State  of  Ohio.  They  have  two  children — Edna  I. 
and  Sydney  C. 

HENRY  A.  PITCHER,  M.  D.,  and  surgeon  dentist,  Sheboy- 
gan Falls,  was  born  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  May  22,  1845  ;  was  em- 
ployed some  four  years  as  pattern-maker  in  "  Novelty  Iron  Works 
at  Fond  du  Lac;  was  a  student  for  one  year  with  Dr.  Patchen.  In 
1867  he  went  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  was  a  student  at  Hahnemann 
College  fur  two  terms;  was  also,  during  that  time,  a  student  for 
one  year  with  Dr.  Pierce,  of  Green  Bay ;  graduated  at  Hahne- 
mann College,  Chicago,  111.,  in  1869  ;  practiced  medicine  at  Green 
Bay  for  several  years,  then  at  Ahnapee,  Wis.,  for  two  years;  dur- 
ing that  time  was  United  States  Examining  Surgeon  for  Pensions 
for  the  Door  and  Kewaunee  Cos.  district.  Then  practiced  at 
Joliet,  III,  over  three  years  in  company  with  M.  B.  Ogden  ;  came 
to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1876,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  since.  He  was  married  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis., 
in  1869,  to  Alma  Pitcher,  born  there.  They  have  one  child, 
Leslie  E.,  three  years  of  age. 

OWEN  PLATT,  Superintendent  of  Riverside  Woolen  Mills, 
Sheboygan  Falls,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1866;  located  at  Raciue ; 
was  employed  in  Racine  Mills  for  some  three  years  as  foreman  of 
department,  afterward  Superintendent  for  seven  years.  He  came 
to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  June,  1876,  and  been  engaged  in  present 
capacity  since.  He  was  born  in  England  in  1841  ;  learned  his 
trade  there;  came  to  America  in  1857  ;  was  employed  in  woolen 
mill,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  for  a  short  time,  then  at  North  Vassalboro, 
Me.,  as  overseer  in  woolen  mills;  was  there  for  five  years;  again 
at  Utica  for  two  years,  and  afterward  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  em- 
ployed in  some  capacity  for  four  years.  He  was  married  at  Kent's 
Hill,  Reedfield,  Me.,  in  August,  1872,  to  Mary  A.  Worthley, 
born  in  Maine.  She  died  April  13,  1880,  leaving  four  children — 
Charles  A.,  William  H.,  Owen  Frederick  and  Laura  Mildred. 
He  was  married  again  at  Racine,  Wis.,  Nov.  25,  1880,  to  Mar- 
garet Gcddes,  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

HENRY  PRANGE,  contractor  and  builder, Sheboygan  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846;  located  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls. 
At  sixtren  years  of  age  he  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  was 
(■ui]il(iyid  at  it  up  to  Sept.  17,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  9th 
W.  V.  I.  and  served  one  year,  afterward  served  eighteen  months  in 
the  6ih  v.  R.  C;  returned  to  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  in  the 
Autumn  of  1864,  and  since  then  has  been  engaged  in  present 
business.  He  owns  38  acres  of  land,  which  his  brother  farms  for 
him.  He  was  Supervisor  of  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1873- 
74,  and  elected  Town  Clerk  in  the  Spring  of  1881,  He  was  born 
in  Germany  March  30,  1841;  came  to  America  in  1846;  waa 


married  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1875,  to  Barbara  Specht, 
born  there.  They  have  four  children — Arthur,  Theodore,  Otto 
and  Anthony. 

HON.  W.  H.  PRENTICE  (deceased),  was  born  in  Aurora 
Co  ,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  6,  1813.  He  was  married  at  Concord,  Erie  Co., 
N.  Y,,  to  Mary  A,  Sibley,  born  there.  Mr.  Prentice  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  in  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fanning  mills.  In  1862,  in  com- 
pany with  N.  C.  Farnsworth,  he  started  the  first  woolen  mill  in 
Sheboygan  Co.,  and  was  engaged  in  that  business  for  some  years. 
Mr.  Prentice  had  retired  from  active  business  some  years  previous 
to  his  death,  Sept.  25,  1881.  He  represented  the  Second  District 
of  Sheboygan  Co.;  was  in  the  Assembly  for  the  year  1858,  and 
he  had  also  filled  some  of  the  town  offices. 

EDMUND  QUINLAN,  rake  manufacturer,  Sheboygan  Falls, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850;  located  ia  town  of  Greenbush,  Sheboy- 
gan Co.;  was  engaged  farming  six  months ;  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  in  1851  ;  was  employed  as  a  wocd-turner,  etc.,  for  eighteen 
months ;  then  in  the  chair-turning  business,  in  company  with 
H.  W.  Clark,  for  five  and  a  half  years  ;  afterward  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  spokes  and  ax  handles  for  two  years  ;  has  been 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  rakes  for  the  past  twenty  years. 
Since  1878  he  has  been  making  a  patent  rake  of  his  own  inven- 
tion. He  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
six  years.  He  was  born  in  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug,  12,  1822, 
and  previous  to  coming  to  this  State  was  engaged  in  the  wood- 
turning  business  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  He  was  married  in  Sul- 
livan Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1848,  to  Weltha  Huntington.  She  died  in 
1852,  leaving  one  child,  Alfred  E.  He  was  married  again  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  in  1859,  to  Matilda  M.  Richardson,  born  in 
Massachusetts.     They  have  two  children — Hattie  M.  and  Elsie  L. 

JACOB  RAMAKER,  brickyard,  Sheboygan  Falls ;  born  at 
Holland,  Sheboygan  Co.,  May  7,  1854  ;  at  15  years  of  age  learned 
the  trade  of  brickmaker,  and  has  been  employed  at  it  some  five 
years,  then  ran  a  yard  in  company  with  his  father,  J.  A.  Ra- 
maker,  for  one  year ;  afterward  at  Milwaukee  for  three  years  ; 
was  foreman  in  brickyard  there  ;  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1878  ; 
purchased  present  business,  and  has  been  engaged  in  it  since. 
Married  at  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  20,  1877,  to  Jane 
W.,  Damkot,  born  there  ;  they  have  three  children — Josephine, 
Annie  and  Jennie. 

RICHARDSON  BROS.,  custom  saw-mill,  planing  mill 
and  cheese  box  factory ;  manufacturers  of  patent  farm  gates, 
moldings,  brackets,  etc.,  and  dealers  in  pine  lumber,  lath, 
pickets  and  shingles,  Sheboygan  Falls ;  this  firm  is  composed 
of  William  H.  and  Egbert  Richardson  ;  they  came  to  Wis- 
consin and  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls  with  their  father, 
Joseph  Richardson,  in  1845 ;  the  mill  property  is  owned 
and  was  formerly  operated  by  J,  Richardson  &  Sons,  but,  since 
1876,  has  been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Richardson 
Bros,  The  enterprise  was  originally  inaugurated  over  thirty 
years  ago,  consisting  at  that  time  of  a  saw  mill  alone  ;  in  1857,  a 
lath  mill  was  attached  to  the  concern,  and,  in  1864,  a  circular 
saw,  with  cutting  capacity  of  1,000  feet  per  hour,  was  added. 
Pour  years  later  the  planing  mill  was  put  in  place,  and,  in  1870, 
the  saw-mill  department  was  entirely  rebuilt.  The  concern 
employs  some  fifteen  to  twenty  men,  and  they  manufacture  some 
60,000  cheese  boxes  annually ;  they  also  do  a  general  line  of  cus- 
tom work,  such  as  sawing,  planing,  turning,  etc,  and  manufacture 
wood  work  ot  every  description,  such  as  water  tanks,  hay  racks 
and  farm  gates.  W.  H.  Richardson  was  born  at  Roscoo,  Winne- 
bago Co.,  III.,  Jan.  1,  1841  ;  Oct.  8,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  1st 
W.  V.  I.  ;  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  in  the  left 
heel  and  disabled  for  four  months ;  served  in  all  some  three  years. 
Egbert  Richardson  was  born  at  Roscoe,  III.,  March  22,  1842, 
Married  at  Shell  Rock,  Butler  Co.,  Iowa,  April  29,  1879,  to 
Sarah  Fairweathcr,  born  in  England  ;  they  have  one  child, 

EDWARD  L.  SARGENT,  farmer;  P,  O,  Sheboygan; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  May,  1847  ;  located  at  the  town  of  Sheboy- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


gan  Falls,  and  since  that  time  has  been  enaaged  farming.  Owns 
a  farm  of  fifty  acres ;  he  was  born  at  Hopkinton,  N.  H.,  Jan.  31, 
1820,  and  previous  to  coming  to  this  State  was  engaged  in  farming, 
and  also  taught  school  for  a  time.  Married,  at  Canterbury,  N. 
H.,  April  18,  1847,  to  Mary  C.  Colby,  born  in  that  State.  They 
have  two  children — Sarah  E.  and  Emma  F. 

J.  L.SHEPARD, physician  and  dentist,SheboyganFalls;  born 
in  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  October,  1833  ;  was  employed  in  the  drug 
business  for  several  years  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853  ;  located  at 
Sheboygan  Falls;  was  educated  at  Ann  Arbor  University,  Mich.; 
afterward  at  Rush  College,  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  graduated  in 
1864  ;  he  then  enlisted  in  the  32d  W.  V.  I.  as  Assistant  Surgeon, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war ;  returned  to  Sheboygan 
Falls  July  4,  1865,  and  followed  the  practice  of  his  profession  up 
to  1867  ;  then  in  La  Grange  Co.,  Ind..  for  about  two  years, 
where  he  practiced  medicine,  and  also  carried  on  a  drug  business 
for  about  one  year;  returned  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1869,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession ;  the 
Doctor  was  at  one  time  in  general  store  business  at  Cascade,  Wis., 
for  a  year,  and  also  carried  on  a  drug  business  at  Sheboygan 
Falls  for  several  years.  He  was  United  States  Examining  Sur- 
geon for  Pensions  for  seven  years,  and  a  member  of  the  xissembly 
at  Madison  for  the  Second  District  of  Sheboygan  Co.  for  1877. 
He  married  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1857,  to  Sarah  A. 
Watson,  born  in  Ohio;  they  have  three  children — Guy  B., 
dentist  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  John  L.  and  Clarence  E. 

HON.  HIRAM  SMITH,  former  and  cheese-buyer;  P.O.She- 
boygan Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  July,  1847;  located  on  present 
farm  in  town  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  and  has  been  engaged  in  form- 
ing, etc.,  since;  and,  since  about  1872,  has  also  been  engaged  in 
purchasing  cheese  for  houses  in  New  York.  He  owns  212  acres 
of  land,  mostly  all  improved.  He  was  a  member  of  "  The  Assem- 
bly" at  Madison  for  Second  District  of  Sheboygan  Co.  in  1871, 
and,  since  1876,  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of 
State  University  of  Wisconsin.  Born  in  Bucks  Co.,  Penn.,  in 
February,  1817.  When  quite  young,  went  to  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  was  for  some  years  engaged  with  his  father  in  forming  and 
manufacturing  plows ;  afterward,  ran  the  business  for  two  years 
on  his  own  account.  Married  in  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Catherine 
A.  Conoven  ;  born  there.  They  have  one  living  child — Lizzie  M., 
now  Mrs.  H.  K.  Loomis,  and  one  son  deceased. 

GEORGE  SPRATT,  manufocturer  of  rakes,  handles,  etc. ; 
Sheboygan  Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851  ;  located  at  Waldo, 
Sheboygan  Co. ;  resided  with  parents,  and  was  employed  on  farm 
with  them  up  to  1863  ;  then  enlisted  in  the  48th  W.  V.  I. ;  served 
fourteen  months ;  held  rank  of  Sergeant  of  Co.  F  at  time  of  dis- 
charge. Came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1865,  and  was  employed  as 
carpenter  and  joiner  up  to  1871;  then  commenced  in  present 
business  in  company  with  G.  F.  Arnold.  They  carried  on  the 
business  for  one  year.  Mr.  Arnold  then  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  E.  Quinlan,  and  he  retired  after  one  year.  Since  then,  Mr. 
Spratt  has  been  in  business  alone.  Employs  some  eight  to  twelve 
men.  Factory  is  run  by  water-power.  Born  in  England  in  1844  ; 
came  to  America  in  1851.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Sept.  13, 
1868,  to  Mary  J.  Nichols,  born  in  England.  They  have  two 
children — John  R.  and  Clara  S. ;  one  deceased. 

CHARLES  A.  SPENCER,  Postmaster  ;  also  dealer  in  station- 
ery and  fancy  goods,  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858  ; 
located  at  Madison;  resided  with  parents;  enlisted  in  1864,  in 
40th  W.  V.  I.,  in  Capt.  Allen's  University  Company ;  served  for 
three  months;  re-enlisted  in  47th  W.  V.  I.,  in  January,  1865,  as 
First  Lieutenant,  and  was  promoted  to  Captain  in  the  followin" 
July,  and  served  up  to  October,  1865.  Came  to  Sheboygan  Falls 
in  November,  1865;  engaged  in  drug  and  grocery  business;  car- 
ried it  on  three  years  alone;  then  in  partnership  with  brother, 
R.  H.  Spencer,  for  three  years;  then  engaged  as  traveling  sales- 
man for  some  ten  years;  was  appointed  Postmaster  in  April,  1880, 
and  engaged  in  stationery  and  book  business  a  few  weeks  later. 
Has  also  been  express  agent  since  April,  1880.     Was   Deputy 


United  States  Assessor  for  1869-70,  and  resigned  in  1871.  Born 
in  Perry  (^o.,  Ohio,  Jan.  20,  1846.  Married  at  Sheboygan  Falls, 
Wis.,  in  September,  1867,  to  Charlotte  A.  Cole ;  born  at  Sheboy- 
gan, Wis.     They  have  two  children — Clara  C.  and  Mary. 

ORRIN  TREADWELL,  of  0.  Treadwell  &  Co.,  proprietors- 
River  Side  Woolen  Mills,  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1851 ;  located  at  Beaver  Dam  ;  resided  there  one  year  ;  was  engaged 
loaning  money,  etc. ;  then  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  engaged  farming 
and  dealing  in  grain  up  to  1875,  when  he  came  to  Sheboygan 
Falls,  and  has  been  engaged  in  present  capacity  since.  The  mill 
was  built  in  1865,  and  run  by  Hills  &  Clark  up  to  1875.  when 
the  German  Bank  of  Sheboygan  took  it.  Mr.  Treadwell  pur- 
chased an  interest  at  that  time,  and  the  mill  is  now  run  under 
his  management.  They  employ  about  forty  hands  ;.  manufacture 
shawls  and  ladies'  dress  goods.  Production,  1,200  double  shawls, 
and  500  yards  of  dress  goods  per  month,  consuming  from  seventy- 
five  to  eight  thousand  pounds  of  wool  per  annum.  Mr.  Treadwell 
was  born  at  Oneida,  N.  Y.,  May  8,  1819;  commenced  business 
life  at  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  was  employed  in  a  mercantile  capacity  some 
five  years;  afterward,  in  New  York  City,  engaged  as  traveling 
salesman  for  five  years.  Married  at  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  in  1850, 
to  Elizabeth  C.  Brusie ;  born  in  Connecticut.  They  have  two 
children — Ella  and  Mary. 

JAMKS  L.  TROWBRIDGE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Sheboygan; 
came  to  Wisconsin  Sept.  8,  1837  ;  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls ; 
was  employed  in  lumber  business  some  three  years,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  Owns  a  farm  of  160  acres. 
Born  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  Aug.  18,  1822.  Married  at  Sheboy- 
gan, June  15,  1846,  to  Mary  Cole;  born  in  State  of  New  York, 
died  in  1848.  Married  again  at  the  same  place  Nov.  2,  1853,  to 
Mary  L.  Cobb,  born  in  State  of  New  York.  They  have  three 
children — Thaddeus,  Sarah  and  Charles. 

CARL  L.  G.  WEDEPOHL,  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  boots 
and  shoes  Sheboygan  Falls;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1853;  located  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  and  was  employed  as  shoemaker  for  one  year,  then 
commenced  present  business,  and  has  carried  it  on  since ;  born  in 
Germany  in  1825;  learned  trade  there  and  was  employed  at  it 
for  some  years;  came  to  America  in  1853  ;  married  in  Sheboygan 
County  (Town  of  Lima)  September,  1855,  to  Jane  Tendolle,  born 
in  Holland.  They  have  seven  children— John  G.,  Gertrude,  Will- 
iam  (molder),  Charles  (printer),   Hannah,   Louisa    and    Edward. 

D.  H.  WENGER, attorney,  Sheboygan  Falls;  born  at  Ligonier, 
Ind.,  March  28,  1854;  was  educated  at  Hillsdale  College,  Hills- 
dale, Mich.,  then  taught  school  in  La  Grange  and  Noble  Counties, 
Ind.,  for  five  years.  Was  a  student  with  James  A.  Frazer, 
attorney,  Warsaw,  Wis.,  for  two  years;  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
at  that  place  in  1879,  and  practiced  there  for  a  year,  then  at  She- 
boygan for  a  few  months ;  came  to  Sheboygan  Falls  in  January, 
1881,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
since. 

LOUIS  WOLF,  boots  and  shoes,  Sheboygan  Falls.  Came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1848 ;  located  at  Sheboygan ;  was  engaged  in  boot  and 
shoe  business  and  continued  up  to  spring  of  1851,  when  he  came  to 
Sheboygan  Falls,  and  commenced  present  bu.siness  in  April,  1851, 
and  has  carried  it  on  since.  Was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  at 
Madison  for  the  Second  District  of  Sheboygan  County  for  the 
years  1864,  1874  and  1876.  Represented  the  Twentith  District 
of  Wisconsin  in  the  Senate  at  Madison  for  the  years  1878  and 
1879.  Born  in  Germany  in  1825;  came  to  America  in  1837; 
resided  at  Utica,  N.  Y.,  for  eleven  years.  Learned  trade  of 
shoemaker  there  and  was  employed  at  it  some  years.  Married  at 
Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1845,  to  Augusta  Kaestner,  born  in  Germany. 
They  have  five  children — Barbara,  William,  Christinia,  Lissette 
and  Louis. 

PIA'^rOl•TII. 

The  town  of  Plymouth  is  finely  located  for  flirining 
purposes,  and  has  become  justly  noted  for  the  extent  of  its 
dairying   interests.      The    Potash    Kettle   range   of    hills 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


1007 


crosses  the  western  part  of  the  town,  and  forms  a  section 
on  which  wheat  is  chiefly  raised.  The  Mullet  River  fur- 
nishes numerous  water-powers,  which  are  utilized  for  mill- 
ing and  manufacturing  purposes. 

The  first  survey  of  the  town  was  made  in  1835,  by 
United  States  Engineer  Mullet,  after  whom  the  river, 
flowing  through  the  town,  was  named.  When  the  land  was 
offered  for  sale  in  1830,  the  first  purchaser  was  John  Law, 
of  London,  England,  who  bought  part  of  Section  1,  on 
August  13,  of  that  year.  On  August  23,  Thomas  Mar- 
grave of  London,  bought  Section  5,  which  still  belongs  to 
heirs  of  the  original  purcliaser.  The  first  sale  for  actual 
settlement  was   made   to  Cyrus  Johnson,  on  June  7,  1845. 

The  first  settlers  came  here  from  Tioga  County,  Penn., 
in  May,  1845.  Their  names  were  William  Bowen,  Isaac, 
John  and  Rensellaer  Thorpe.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
Henry  P.  Davidson  came  from  Hartford,  Conn.,  with  his 
family,  and  built  a  log  tavern  near  the  Cold  Springs,  in  the 
west  part  of  the  present  city.  It  was  on  the  road  from 
Sheboygan  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  well  patronized  by  emi- 
grants to  the  central  and  western  part  of  the  State. 

By  the  close  of  1845,  the  following  persons,  in  addition 
to  those  already  mentioned,  had  become  residents :  Avery 
Childs,  Thomas  Davidson,  Cyrus  Johnson,  John  D.  Briggs, 
James  De  Groff,  Bradbury  Robinson,  Abner  Walton,  Jacob 
Mantz,  Ezra  Andrews  and  Almon  Andrews. 

The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  Martin  M.  Flint,  in 
the  fell  of  1846. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  settlement  was  a 
daughter  to  Cyrus  Johnson,  on  February  8,  1846. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  an  infant  son  of  Jacob 
Mantz,  in  September,  1846. 

Religious  services  were  held  in  Isaac  Thorpe's  cabin  by 
"Father"  Cole,  an  English  Methodist,  as  early  as  the  sum- 
mer of  1845.  Occasional  services  were  also  conducted  by 
"Elder"  Hitchcock,  the  Baptist  preacher  at  Sheboygan 
Falls. 

The  first  Postmaster,  Thomas  I.  Davidson,  was  ap- 
pointed in  September,  1846,  and  kept  the  office  in  his  log 
tavern.  The  receipts  of  the  office  for  the  first  quarter, 
were  §2.50. 

It  is  supposed  that,  the  first  school  in  town  was  taught 
by  Miss  Piautina  Stone,  in  Reuben  Clark's  house.  A 
school  district  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1847. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  S.  V.  R.  Thorpe  and 
Jane  Van  Patton,  on  March  12,  1847. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  by  Henry  I.  Davidson,  and 
began  running  July  1,  1848. 

Organization  for  town  purposes  did  not  take  place  till 
April  3, 1849,  and  the  list  of  the  first  town  officers  is  as  follows : 
Supervisors:  Elon  W.  Baldwin,  Daniel  Hyatt  and  Francis 
Krackenberger ;  Clerk,  James  Cleveland;  Treasurer,  Hi- 
ram Bishop;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Franklin  Bond; 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  J.  F.  Moore,  Erastus  C.  Sessians, 
Henry  Giffen  and  Julius  Wolf.     Ninety  votes  were  cast. 

The  city  of  Plymouth  is  pleasantly  located  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  Mullet  River,  near  the  center  of  the  town  and  at 
the  junction  of  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  and  Wis- 
consin Central  Railroads.  It  has  excellent  water  privileges 
and  is  conveniently  situated  for  shipping  its  manufactured 
and  natural  products  to  markets  elsewhere.  It  forms  a 
natural  center  for  the  western  part  of  Sheboygan  County. 
The  census  of  1880,  showed  the  population  at  that  time  to 
be  1,052,  largely  Germans. 


The  organization  under  a  city  form  of  government,  was 
effected  in  1877,  when  the  present  charter  was  adopted.  A 
complete  list  of  all  who  have  held  offices  under  the  city  gov- 
ernment is  as  follows:  Mayors,  H.  H.  Huson  and  Otto 
Puhlmann;  Clerks,  D.  M.  Jackson,  L.  K.  Howe  and  L.  T. 
Bishop ;  Treasurers,  E.  A.  Dow,  H.  C.  Laack  and  H.  C. 
Bade;  Police  Justices,  G.  W.  Barnard  and  Adam  Wolf; 
Councilmen,  B.  L.  Nutt,  C.  Baker,  William  Frentel,  D.  S. 
Bagley,  F.  J.  Detling,  G.  Weber,  H.  W.  Fischer,  P.  H. 
Smith  and  August  Scheibe ;  Supervisors,  J.  W.  Taylor, 
William  Schwartz,  H.  W.  Fischer  and  G.  W.  Barnard ; 
Marshals,  H.  H.  Bowers,  Conrad  Fischer  and  William 
Fischer;  Assessors,  William  Schwartz  and  Carl  Schwartz; 
Street  Commissioners,  W.  W.  Huson,  William  Schwartz, 
Jacob  Keuper  and  Paul  Fischer;  Justices  of  the  Peace,  H. 
E.  Cottle,  G.  W.  Bannard,  Adam  Wolf  and  J.  Rooney. 

Newspapers. — There  are  two  weekly  newspapers  pub- 
lished in  the  city.  The  Plymouth  Reporter  was  established 
in  1872,  by  A.  F.  Warden,  the  present  editor  and  proprie- 
tor. It  is  a  six-column  quarto,  and  is  the  only  English 
Democratic  paper  published  in  the  county.  It  has  a  circu- 
lation of  600  copies. 

The  first  issue  of  the  Plymouth  Sun  was  printed  Sep- 
tember 6, 1879,  by  L.  K.  Howe,  who  still  continues  to  be 
its  editor  and  proprietor.  The  paper  is  independent  in  pol- 
itics.   A  large  job  business  is  carried  on  in  connection  with  it. 

Dairying. — The  dairying  interests  of  the  town  and  city 
are  of  great  importance,  and  it  is  thought  that  more  cheese 
is  manufiictured  here  than  in  any  other  town  in  the  county. 
There  are  about  a  dozen  factories  within  the  limits  of  the 
town.  The  largest  of  these  is  situated  in  the  city  of  Plym- 
outh, and  owned  and  operated  by  F.  A.  Streblow.  This 
factory  takes  the  milk  of  500  cows,  and  turns  out  twenty- 
five  cheeses  per  day,  or  about  a  ton  in  weight.  S.  H. 
Conover  &  Co.  do  a  business  of  over  half  a  million  dollars 
per  year  in  buying  cheese  and  exporting  it.  Their  trade  is 
largely  with  Liverpool. 

A  dairy  board  of  trade  has  been  in  successful  operation 
for  several  years.  Weekly  meetings,  with  telegraphic  mar- 
ket reports  from  New  York  and  Liverpool,  are  held  and 
attended  by  buyers  from  all  over  the  country.  The  offer- 
ings from  Calumet,  Manitowoc  and  Sheboygan  Counties 
amount  to  about  3,500  boxes  or  200,000  pounds  weekly. 
The  present  organization  of  the  board  of  trade  is  as  fol- 
lows :  President,  Enos  Eastman  ;  Secretary,  A.  F.  War- 
den ;  Treasurer,  Charles  Delo. 

Churches. — The  Congregational  Church  was  organized 
about  the  year  1848,  in  the  town  of  Lyndon,  and  had,  at 
first,  a  membership  of  eleven.  The  church  was  transferred 
to  the  city  of  Plymouth  about  ten  years  after  its  organiza- 
tion. In  1859,  the  present  church  edifice  was  built,  and 
the  parsonage  was  completed  in  1868.  The  church  mem- 
bership is  about  fifty,  with  eighty  in  the  Sunday  school. 
Rev.  Gilbert  Rindell  has  been  Pastor  of  the  church  for 
about  two  years  and  a  half. 

The  first  Episcopal  service  held  in  the  town  was  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  L.  W.  Davis,  of  Sheboygan,  in  1851.  St. 
Paul's  Church  was  organized  October  28,  1857,  with  a 
membership  of  nine.  Semi-monthly  services  were,  at  first, 
held  in  the  village  schoolhouse.  The  church  edifice  was 
consecrated  December  4,  1858,  by  Bishop  Kemper,  and  the 
first  confirmation  was  in  the  previous  April.  Rev.  William 
Gardam  is  the  present  Rector,  and  the  communicants  num- 
ber about  fifty. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


St.  John's  German  Lutheran  Church  was  deiiicated 
January  16,  1859,  and  has  a  present  membership  of 
seventy-five  with  a  congregation  of  about  500.  There  is 
connected  with  the  church  a  school  of  about  ninety  children. 
The  Pastor  of  the  church  is  Rev.  John  Herzen.  There 
are  two  other  German  Churches  and  one  Roman  Catholic, 
making  a  total  of  six  in  the  city. 

There  are  three  large  flouring-mills  in  the  city  of 
Plymouth.  That  owned  by  Otto  Puhlraann  was  started 
soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  town,  and  has  been  con- 
stantly operated  since  that  time.  All  the  flour  is  made  by 
the  "  roller  process,"  and  a  large  merchant  business  is 
carried  on.  The  business  of  this  mill  is  estimated  at 
between  $400,000  and  $500,000  annually. 

The  mill  of  Oberreich  &  Moersch  was  built  in  1867  by 
William  Schwartz.  It  does  a  large  amount  of  custom 
grinding. 

Brickbaur  &  Klumb,  of  the  South  Plymouth  Mills,  do 
a  business  of  many  thousand  dollars  in  buying  grain,  sell- 
ing flour  and  general  custom  work. 

The  bank  of  Plymouth  was  organized  in  1873,  with  a 
cash  capital  of  about  $15,000.  The  officers  of  the  bank 
are:  President,  J.  W.  Dow,  and  Cashier,  E.  A.  Dow. 
This  is  the  only  bank  in  the  city. 

A  chair  factory  was  started  in  1879  by  Obed  Mattoon. 
He  employs  about  fifteen  hands,  and  sells  his  goods  largely 
in  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  the  West. 

William  Schwartz  does  a  lumber  business  of  about 
$25,000  per  year. 

Carl  Schwartz  started  a  foundry  in  1867,  and  employs 
six  or  seven  hands  in  making  machinery  and  castings  of  all 
kinds. 

The  Hub  Club,  a  literary  and  amateur  dramatic  society, 
widely  and  favorably  known,  was  organized  in  1870.  A 
library  of  several  hundred  volumes  is  maintained  by  the 
club. 

Plymouth  Union  Lodge,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  No.  71,  was  organ- 
ized here  in  1855.  The  lodge  has  about  seventy-five  mem- 
bers, and  is  in  a  prosperous  condition.  They  are  the 
owners  of  the  finest  business  block  in  town,  in  which  their 
magnificently  furnished  lodge  room  is  also  situated.  The 
officers  of  the  lodge  at  present  are  W.  J.  Brier,  N.  G. ;  E. 
Drury,  R.  S. ;  Otto  Puhlmann,  A.  F.  Warden  and  August 
Scheide,  Trustees. 

A  musical  society  was  organized  in  September,  1856, 
with  a  membership  of  eight.  It  has  been  kept  up  ever 
since  and  now  has  about  twenty  members. 

A  Turiiverein  was  established  in  August,  1856,  but 
soon  died  out.  The  present  society  was  organized  in  May, 
1870,  and  admitted  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Turners  in 
May,  1872. 

The  German  Lyceum  was  organized  in  1864.  In  1869, 
the  hall  occupied  by  the  society  was  burned.  In  the  same 
year,  the  society  reorganized  under  a  State  charter  and 
built  the  present  "  Lyceum  Hall "  at  a  co.',t  of  about 
$.v,500. 

The  "  Plymouth  Fire  Company "  was  organized  in 
1867.  The  company  is  uniformed,  and  the  engine  kept  in 
a  convenient  engine  house,  which  also  has  a  fire  bell. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCUES. 

GEOEICK  W.  BARNARD,  merchant,  Plymouth;  was  born 
ill  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  13,  1823  ;  came  to  Wiscon.siii  when 
it  was  a  Territory,  in  1846,  and  stopped  for  (hat  winter  in  Waiikr- 


sha  County,  also  locating  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Plymouth.  She-       i 
boygan  Co  ;  in  the  spring  of  1847,  returned  to  New  York,  got 
his  wife  and  came  back  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  on  hi.s  home- 
.stead,  in  September,  1847,  when  he  commenced  to  improve  it  and 
work  for  the  interest  of  settling  up  the  country.      He  lived  there 
fire  years,  when  he  took  a  trip  back  East,  which  he  had  promised       ' 
his  wife,  if  she  would  consent  to  come  West,  and  on  his  return  lo 
Plymouth,   he   sold   out   his  farm  and   moved  to  the  village  and       i 
started    to    work   at   carpentering   and   building;  also   starting  a       , 
nursery,  which  business  he  followed  until   1865,  then  starting  a 
merchandise  store,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since.     In  1850, 
he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer,  and  has  since  held 
the  offices  of  County  Supervisor,   Justice   (fifteen   years).  Town       j 
Clerk   and   various  other  offices.     He  was  married,  in   1846,  to       | 
Miss  Hannah  C.  Gildersleeve,  of  New  York,  by  whom  he  has  two       | 
children — one  son  and  one  daughter.  | 

HIRAM   BISHOP,  farmer,  on  Sec.   22;  P.  0.  Plymouth;       i 
was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  26th  of  January,  1823  ;  is       i 
the  son  of  Morris  W.  and  Olive  Bishop,  the  latter  dying,  in  New       | 
York,  in  1849,  the  former,  in  1855.     The  subject  of  this  sketch       ; 
came  West  and  landed  in  Milwaukee,  in  the  fall  of  1845,  settling       I 
on  the  farm  where  he  still  lives,  during  the  same  year,  which  he       ' 
purchased  from  the   Government   for   $1.25   per  acre.     He  was 
married,  in  1846,  in  New  York,  after  returning  from  entering  his 
claim,  to  Mi.ss  Amanda  Baldwin,  by  whom  he  has  three  children, 
viz.,  Ira  J.,  Lester  T.,  now  City  Clerk  of  Plymouth,  and  Hiram 
F.     Mr.  Bishop  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Plymouth,  Union 
Lodge  No.  71 ;  also  of  the  Union  Enc-ampment,  No.  52,  at  Plym- 
outh, and   has   served  three  years  as    District    Deputy    Grand 
Patriarch  of  his  district.     He  was  a  sailor  on  the  lakes  before 
coming  West,  for  a  number  of  years,  having  been  First  Mate  on 
the  steamer  George  Clinton ;  also  on  two  or  three  other  different 
boats. 

IRA  A.  BRADFORD,  farmer,  on  Sec.  23;  P.  0.  Plym- 
outh ;  was  born  in  Vermont  on  the  27th  of  February,  1820.  His 
father,  Joseph  Bradford,  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree,  when  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  13  years  old,  and.  in  October, 
184g,  moved  to  Wisconsin,  settling  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co.,  having  previously  visited  Wisconsin,  in 
1842,  but  only  stayed  about  six  months.  He  enlisted  in  the  late 
war,  in  February,  of  1864,  in  the  26th,  Company  E,  W.  V.  I., 
serving  until  July,  of  1865,  being  Sergeant  when  discharged. 
Mr.  Bradford  has  been  Supervisor  of  the  Town  Board,  and  was 
married,  in  November,  1843,  to  Miss  Sarah  Sweeting,  by  whom 
he  has  six  sons,  all  of  whom  are  school  teachers,  viz.,  George  W., 
now  County  Treasurer  of  Sheboygan  County  ;  Dewitt  A.,  Princi- 
pal of  Hartford  School,  Washinsrton  County;  Charles  M.,  Martin 
E.,  Frank  J.  and  William  N. 

ASA  CARPENTER,  farmer,  on  Sec.  34;  P.  0.  Plymouth  ; 
was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  26th  of  December,  1829  ; 
he  was  raised  on  a  farm,  which  occupation  he  followed  until  1851, 
when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  the  town  of  Plymouth, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  where  he  worked  by  the  month  for  two  and  a  half 
years,  after  which  he  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  He 
was  elected  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board,  in  1857,  and  w:us 
A.ssessor  for  three  years,  and  in  the  winter  of  1876  was  a  juror 
on  a  whisky  suit  in  the  United  States  Court,  at  Milwaukee.  He 
was  married,  in  April,  of  1854,  to  Harriet  M.  Wilson,  daughter 
of  Ezra  Wilson,  who  became  a  settler  of  the  town  of  Plymouth, 
in  1849. 

CIIARLFS  DELO,  of  the  firm  of  Conover  &  Co.,  wholesale 
cheese  dealers,  Plymouth ;  this  firm  is  one  of  the  largest  shipping 
and  exporting  firms  in  cheese  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  ;  they 
shipped  ill  the  year  1880  over  fifty  thousand  boxes  of  cheese  to 
Liverpool,  averaging  55  lbs.  each,  all  of  which  was  manufactured 
in  Slieboygan  and  Manitowoc  Counties ;  this  firm  was  the  first . 
that  started  the  manufactory  of  cheese  in  Sheboygan  County,  at 
Plymouth,  Mr.  Hiram  Conover  being  then  the  proprietor  of  the 
faitory,  working  by  the  month  ;  they  being  young  and  industrious 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COlfNTY. 


1009 


men,  had  saved  enough  capital  to  buy  the  factory  in  1877,  which 
they  sold  out  in  1879,  and  started  to  buy  and  export  cheese,  and 
will  this  season  (1881 ),  pay  over  $250,000  for  cheese,  all  of  which 
will  2,0  to  Liverpool.  Mr.  Delo  was  born  Oct.  9,  1853  ;  wa.s  mar- 
ried in  March,  1880,  to  Ida  Conover,  daughter  of  Hirahm  Con- 
over,  of  Plymouth. 

EDWARD  DREWRY,  farmer,  Plymouth;  was  born  in 
Canada.  June,  1835  ;  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin,  in 
184(5.  who  located  at  Milwaukee,  and  remained  there  until  the 
spring  of  1847,  then  moving  to  Sheboygan  County,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Plymouth,  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the 
village.  His  father,  Edward  B.,  died  in  January,  1849.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home,  working  on  the  home  farm 
and  going  to  school,  teaching,  etc.,  until  he  reached  the  age  of  22 
yesrs,  then  bought  himself  a  farm  of  80  acres  near  the  homestead, 
which  he  continued  to  work  until  1865,  when  he  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  County  School  Superintendent;  he  served  as  Town 
Clerk  seven  years  ;  in  1869  moved  with  his  family  to  the  State  of 
Michigan  ;  lived  there  two  years,  then  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and 


bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Lyndon,  where  he  resided  until 
1877,  when  he  moved  back  to  Plymouth,  Wis. ;  married  Nov.  14, 
1861,  to  Mariha  A.  Dockstader,  she  being  born  in  New  York; 
he  is  a  member  of  I.  O.  0.  P.  of  Plymouth,  Union  Lod^e  No.  G7, 
also  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Cassia  Lodge,  No.  167,  of  Plymouth. 

HON.  ENOS  EASTMAN,  farmer,  Plymouth;  was  born 
Oct.  27,  1821,  in  the  State  of  New  York;  ho  remained  at  home 
with  his  parents,  working  on  the  farm  and  going  to  school  until 
21  years  of  age,  during  which  time  he  received  an  academic  edu- 
cation, and  at  that  age  he  bought  himself  a  small  farm  of  50 
acres,  which  he  worked  until  1849,  when  he  sold  out  and  came 
West  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  located  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  in  May,  1849,  which  had  been  pre-empted  and  some 
little  improvements  made  on  ;  he  then  set  to  work  further  im- 
proving his  farm  and  buying  more  land  with  his  annual  earnings 
from  his  farm,  and  finally  erecting  himself  a  fine  brick  residence. 
Mr.  E.  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  welfare  of  the 
county,  holding  various  county  and  town  offices ;  he  was  Repre- 
sentative to  the  Legislature  from  his  county  in  1871,  and  in  the 
Senate  in  1875-6  ;  was  married  in  New  York  to  Miss  Miriam 
64 


Carpenter  in  1 844,  by  whom  he  has  five  children,  viz. ;  Vasti  L., 
now  Mrs.  R.  Gardner ;  Miriam  E.,  now  Mrs.  A.  F.  Warden ; 
Lillie  M.,  now  Mrs.  G.  W.  Zerler ;  Charles  D.  and  Enis  E.,  also 
one  daughter,  Sarah  M.,  who  died  in  1869. 

CONRAD  FISCHER,  livery  stable,  Plymouth;  was  born 
in  Germany  on  the  4th  of  March,  1842  ;  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents,  Christopher  and  Catherine  F.,  who  settled 
in  the  town  of  Plymouth  on  a  farm.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  married  at  the  age  of  25.  to  widow  Mile,  nee  Juliet  Miller, 
and  then  started  to  farm  for  himself,  at  which  he  continued  until 
1876,  when  he  sold  out,  moving  into  the  city  of  Plymouth,  where 
he  started  a  livery  stable;  he  was  City  Marshal  in  1879. 

M.  D.  L.  FULLER,  lawyer,  Plymouth;  was  born  in  Alle- 
gany Co.,  N.  Y. ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1854  with  his  parents, 
who  settled  in  Dane  County;  graduated  at  Milton  College,  Wis., 
in  1871  ;  was  Principal  of  Sheboygan  Falls  High  School  in  1871- 
72 ;  was  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Sheboygan  County  in 
1874-75  ;  represents  said  county  in  the  Second  Assembly  District ; 
at  present  Legislator ;  is  one  of  the  largest  law  firms  in  the  county, 
opening  said  office  in  1875,  at  Plymouth;  was  married  in  the 
spring  of  1874. 

HENRY  GILMAN,  farmer.  Sec.  26;  P.  0.  Plymouth;  was 
born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,May  24, 1815;  is  the  son  of  Solomon 
and  Polly  Gilman.  His  father  serving  as  Musician  in  the  war  of 
1812.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married,  in  1838,  to  Polly 
Bard,  who  was  born  is  State  of  New  Haven.  They  moved  West  to 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  fill  of  1845,  and  entered  160  acres  of 
land  in  Sec.  35,  town  of  Plymouth.  Here  they  lived  two  years; 
then  moved  on  the  farm  where  thew  now  live,  and,  at  the  time 
Mr.  G.  first  settled  in  town  of  Plymouth,  there  was  only  the  fol- 
lowing persons  living  in  what  is  now  that  township :  Johnson, 
generally  known  as  Jack  Johnson,  Samuel  Patten,  S.  V.  Thorp, 
Bradford,  Jacob  Manco,  James  T.  Flint  and  Bradbery  Robinson, 
all  of  whom  Mr.  6.  has  survived.  He  has  i-eared  a  family  of  nine 
children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  Chester  M.  of  this  num 
her,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  rebellion,  enlisting  in  1862  in 
27th  W.  V.  I..  Co.  B;  died  at  Halena,  Ark.,  August,  1863, 
after  one  year  and  three  days'  service.  Anther  also  enlisting 
twice,  the  latter  time  in  1864,  in  27th  W.  V.  I.,  Co.  B,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

GUSTAVE  KARPE,  Postmaster,  Plymouth  ;  was  born  in 
Germany  on  the  26th  of  September,  183(5.  Came  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1852,  settling  in  town  of  Plymouth,  Wis.,  on 
a  firm,  which  land  was  all  heavily  timbered.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  lived  at  home  until  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  rebellion, 
in  the  4th  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  Co.  C.  He  was  discharged  on  be- 
ing disabled  for  further  service,  and  then  returned  home ;  and,  in 
1869,  was  appointed  Postma.ster,  which  position  lie  has  held  ever 
since.  He  is  a  membor  of  the  A.  &  A.  M.,  Cassia  Lodge,  No. 
167,  and  of  the  Harmony  Chapter,  and  also  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F., 
Plymouth  Union  Lodge,  No.  75.  Mr.  Karpe  was  married,  in 
1857,  to  Miss  Frederica  Porth,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  her 
parents  still  living  there.  They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and 
a  daughter. 

FREDRICH  KINRENSCHILD,  furniture  and  undertaker, 
Plymouth;  was  born  in  Prussia  Nov.  23, 1822.  Came  to  America 
in  1853,  and  located  at  Milwaukee,  where  he  lived  but  a  short 
time;  then  moved  to  Plymouth,  his  present  home,  where  he  first 
eneaged  to  work  at  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  followed  a  little 
over  one  year;  then  built  himself  a  shop  and  bought  a  small  stock 
of  furniture,  and  every  year  adding  to  his  stock  with  an  increased 
trade  up  to  the  present  time.  Was  married  in  Prussia  to  xVu- 
gusta  Starm,  who  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  by  whom  he 
has  one  daughter — Enielia,  now  Mrs.  William  Sebald. 

RUDOLPH  KRAUSS,  brick-yard,  Plymouth  ;  was  born  in 
Germany  March  17.  1825.  Emigrated  to  United  States  in  spring 
of  1847,  and  settled  in  town  of  Rhine,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  where 
he  bought  a  farm  of  the  Government  consisting  of  160  acres,  be- 
ing all  heavy  timbered  land.     Here  ho  lived  improving  his  farm, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


etc.,  until  1873,  when  he  started  the  brick-yard  at  Plymouth, 
which  he  run  in  connection  with  his  farm  until  18ti7  ;  then  mov- 
ing his  family  to  Plymouth,  renting  his  farm  and  giving  his  full 
attention  to  brick  making.  Mr.  K.  held  several  important  town 
oifices  is  town  of  Rhine,  such  as  Assessor,  Treasurer,  Clerk,  Super- 
visor, etc.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  was  married  to  Dorathea 
Pricknor,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Germany,  by  whom  he  has  five 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Alford  L.,  Annie,  Lucy,  Otto 
and  Lena. 

SAMUEL  W.^MEAD,  M.  D.,  Plymouth  ;  was  born  in  Put- 
nam Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  15,  1849.  He  received  a  common-school 
education  in  his  native  State,  and  started  to  read  medicine  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  with  Mr.  Dr.  R.  B.  Welton,  after  which  he  com- 
menced his  college  course  at  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  where 
he  was  a  graduate  in  high  standing  as  M.  D.,  and  was  appointed 
Resident  Physician  in  the  Long  Island  Hospital  for  one  year; 
then  moving  to  Wisconsin  in  1878,  and  located  at  the  above  place, 
where  he  began  his  first  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  Royal  Ar- 
canum of  Plymouth.  Was  married,  Jan.  1, 1879,  to  Miss  Francis 
E.  Drewry,  of  Plymouth,  by  whom  he  has  one  daughter — Iren  W. 

JOHN  P.  MEHRMANN,  merchant,  Plymouth;  was  obrn 
in  Germany  Sept.  2,  1809  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1854, 
and  located  in  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  in  1855  started  a 
store  where  he  now  is.  He  was  married,  in  1858,  to  the  widow 
of  Cyrase  Johnson,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Plym- 
outh ;  she  was  born  Feb.  20, 1829,  in  Schenectady  Co.,  N.  Y.,  who 
settled  in  town  of  Plymouth  in  spring  of  1845,  her  daughter,  An- 
nie, now  Mrs.  John  Knowd,  being  the  first  white  female  child  born 
in  town  of  Plymouth,  in  month  of  February,  1846  ;  her  husband, 
Mr.  Knowd,  has  been  station  agent  for  the  railroad  since  it  was 
constructed,  at  Plymouth,  except  six  months,  when  he  was  in  the 
war. 

ROBERT  OBERREICH,  proprietor  of  Central  Flour  and 
Feed  Mill,  Plymouth  ;  was  born  in  Germany  Jan.  17,  1846.  He 
started  to  learn  the  milling  trade  in  his  native  country  at  the  age 
of  14,  which  business  he  followed  there  until  1871,  when  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  and  located  in  town  of  Plymouth,  She- 
boygan Co.,  Wis.,  and  worked  first  for  three  mouths  at  carpenter's 
trade,  after  which  time  he  went  to  Manitowoc  and  started  to  work 
in  a  mill  for  Fred  Sull,  where  he  remained  nearly  two  years,  then 
returning  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  worked  in  a  country  mill  in  town 
of  Plymouth  until  1879,  when  he  leased  the  mill  where  he  now  is, 
and,  in  the  spring  of  1881,  bought  it;  this  mill  has  a  capacity  of 
fifty  barrels  per  day,  besides  grinding  feed,  etc.;  it  was  erected  in 
1867,  by  William  Schwartz.  He  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Miss 
Ernistens  Piletz,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  by  whom  he  has  chil- 
dren— Osker  and  Willie. 

CHARLES  W.  PRESCOTT,  farmer,  Sec.  14 ;  P.  0.  Plym- 
outh,  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1825.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1844,  first  going  to  Milwaukee,  and  the  same  year 
going  back  East  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  June  of  184G  ; 
he  then  came  back  to  Wisconsin  and  worked  in  Prairiesville, 
Washington  Co.,  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  In  1847,  he  entered 
some  land  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and,  during  the  same  year,  oper- 
ated a  saw-mill,  and  then  went  up  Wolf  River,  where  he  was  fore- 
man of  a  saw-mill  until  1851  ;  he  then  returned  to  Osceola  and 
commenced  improving  his  land,  on  which  he  lived  until  1862,  at 
that  time  being  elected  County  Clerk  of  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and 
holding  that  position  four  years.  In  the  meantime,  he  sold  his 
farm,  and,  in  January  of  1867,  at  the  expiration  of  his  clerk.ship, 
bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  was  married,  in 
1852,  at  Osceola,  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Cannin,  by  whom  he  has  two 
children,  his  wife  dying  in  1855. 

OTTO  PUHLMANN,  proprietor  of  Plymouth  Roller  Mill ; 
was  born  in  Germany  June  12,1838;  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  December,  1859,  and  located  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  where 
he  engaged  to  work  by  the  month  in  the  mill  of  which  he  now  is 
owner.  In  1861,  he  went  to  Milwaukee  to  attend  the  commercial 
college,  where  he  graduated  the  same  year,  and  returned  to  Plym- 


outh, there  enlisting  in  Co.  C,  4th  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  Jan- 
uary, 1865;  he  was  promoted  while  in  service,  first  to  Captain, 
and  afterward  to  Adjutant  General,  and  served  in  most  of  the 
principal  battles  in  the  rebellion  ;  was  wounded  twice — once  in 
the  left  arm  and  once  in  the  left  leg.  After  the  war,  he  returned 
to  Plymouth,  where  he  resumed  his  position  in  the  mill,  and,  in 
1866,  he  became  a  partner  with  R.  H.  Hotchkiss,  who  died  in 
1878,  Mr.  Puhlmann  since  continuing  the  business,  and  this  mill 
is  furnished  with  a  complete  set  of  rollers  and  all  of  the  late  im- 
provements, and  has  a  capacity  of  125  barrels  per  day.  He  is  also 
engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  grain  and  seeds,  etc.  He  was 
elected  to  the  Legislature  in  year  of  1872,  and  has  served  as  Mayor 
of  city  of  Plymouth  four  years,  which  office  he  now  holds.  Was 
married,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Anna  T.  Moore,  of  Plymouth. 

SIMON  A.  RICK  MEIER,  cheese-factory.  Born  in  Sheboy- 
gan Falls  Dec.  17,  1855.  And  at  the  age  of  18  years,  learned 
carpenter  trade,  and  was  employed  at  it  some  four  years.  Then 
employed  in  cheese  factory  for  one  year.  Has  been  engaged  in 
present  business  since  fall  of  1878.  Manufactures  about  nine 
thousand  pounds  of  cheese  per  month.  Is  a  son  of  Simon  Rick- 
meir,  who  settled  in  Sheboygan  Falls  in  1853. 

AUSGUST  SCHMIDT,  merchant,  Plymouth,  was  born  in 
Germany,  Aug.  4,  1845  ;  emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents 
in  1848,  who  located  in  town  of  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co.,  on 
farm  where  he  resided  until  1856,  when  they  moved  to  the  village, 
the  subject  of  this  going  to  school  and  living  at  home  until  1861, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  war  of  rebellion  at  the  age  of  15  years, 
in  Co.  C,  4th  Wis.  Vol.  Infty.  and  served  until  1866  ;  when  he 
returned  to  Plymouth,  where  he  remained  but  a  short  time,  then 
going  to  State  of  Alabama  to  help  his  brother  run  a  large  planta- 
tion ;  stayed  there  one  season  and  came  back  to  Plymouth,  and 
commenced  to  clerk  for  his  brother-in-law,  where  he  remained 
until  1875,  when  he  started  in  business  for  himself  in  the  build- 
ing where  he  now  is.  Was  married  in  1872,  to  Miss  Barbra 
Schermack,  of  Sheboycan,  being  born  in  Germany. 

WILLIAM  SEBALD,  retail  liquor  dealer,  Plymouth,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  Dec.  14,  1843;  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
with  his  parents,  in  1848,  who  settled  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  on  farm  ; 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  left  home  at  the  age  of  1 2  years  and 
went  to  the  city  of  Sheboygan,  where  he  worked  by  the  month, 
and  in  1865  enlisted  there  in  the  45th  W.  Y.  C.  I.,  and  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war ;  then  returned  to  Sheboygan  and  engaged 
as  clerk  in  wholesale  liquor  house  ;  and  afterward  was  traveling 
agent,  and  finally,  located  at  Plymouth  in  1868,  and  started  his 
present  business,  which  he  has  followed  since.  Was  married  in 
1868  to  Miss  Emelia  Kinrenschiid,  of  Plymouth,  by  whom  he 
has  four  children  living — Rosa,  Benno,  Emilia  and  Wella. 

ANDREW  J.  SPEAR,  Plymouth,  Deputy  Sheriff  of  She- 
boygan Co.,  was  born  in  Vermont,  Nov.  26,  1831  ;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  fall  of  1852,  and  worked  at  millwright  trade;  afterward 
running  on  the  lakes  as  clerk  ;  then  working  at  the  State  prison 
three  years,  with  his  father-in-law,  who  was  Warden  at  Waupun, 
Wis. ;  afterward  moving  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  bought  a  saw 
mill  and  ran  that  and  the  lumber  business  until  he  moved  to  Plym- 
outh, where  he  started  lumber  yard,  where  he  has  lived  since. 

FERDINAND  A.  STREBLOW,  proprietor  of  Plymouth 
cheese  factory,  was  born  in  Germany,  Feb.  15,  1853  ;  emigrated  to 
United  States  with  his  parents  in  1858,  who  resided  in  New  York 
until  1862,  when  he  came  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin  and  bought 
a  farm  in  town  of  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  Co. ;  there  he  lived, 
working  the  farm  and  also  built  a  cheese  factory  in  town  of  Rhine, 
in  1877,  and  ran  that  until  1879,  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
moved  to  village  of  Plymouth  and  bought  the  factory  where  he 
now  is,  of  S.  H.  Conover,  this  factory  having  a  capacity  of  twenty- 
five  cheeses  per  day,  which  is  the  largest  factory  in  Sheboygan 
Co.  The  cheese  made  at  ihis  factory  is  shipped  to  Liverpool,  which 
amounts  to  5,000  sixty-pound  boxes  per  annum.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1875,  to  Miss  Louisa  Klopf,  who  died  in  February,  1881, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children. 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN   COUNTY. 


HENRY  STOCKS,  of  the  firm  of  H,  Stocks  &  Co.,  hard- 
ware dealers,  Plymouth.  This  firm  was  established  in  1878,  and 
while  yet  a  young  firm  they  do  about  $8,000  per  annum.  Mr. 
Stocks  is  an  experienced  hardware  merchant,  having  served  for  a 
number  of  years  with  the  well  known  firm  in  Milwaukee,  John 
Nazro  &  Co.,  and  also  John  Pritzlaff',  previous  to  starting  in  busi- 
ness at  Plymouth.  He  enlisted  at  Sheboygan  in  1861,  Co.  A,  9th 
W.  V.  I.,  and  served  three  years  ;  was  promoted  three  times — 
Second  Lieutenant,  First  Lieutenant  and  thence  to  Captain.  He 
was  born  in  Mobile  Ala.,  Jan.  14,  1841  ;  was  married  in  Sheboy- 
gan in  1869,  to  Miss  Tena  Teyne,  of  Sheboygan.  His  father  settled 
at  Sheboygan  in  1846  ;  was  a  lumber  merchant  at  that  place  and 
was  one  of  the  Harbor  Commissioners  appointed  to  make  improve- 
ments there.     He  died  in  1856. 

JOHN  W.  TAYLOR,  farmer,  P.  0.  Plymouth,  was  born  in 
Genesee,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1816.  He  is  the  son  of  Elisha  and  Tirzah, 
nee  Holbrook,  daughter  of  Silas  Holbrook,  who  was  a  Sergeant 
Mate  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  left  his 
native  State  in  1836  and  made  his  first  trip  VVe.st  to  Chicago,  111., 
and  as  far  north  as  Root  River,  Wis.,  where  the  city  of  Racine 
now  is.  He  was  very  favorably  impressed  with  the  country,  but 
as  the  land  was  not  much  in  the  market  at  that  time  he  returned 
to  the  State  of  Michigan,  then  went  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind., 
and  entered  a  tract  of  800  acres  of  land  in  La  Grange  Co.,  then 
returned  East;  stopped  but  a  short  time.  Relating  his  views  of  the 
country  to  his  father,  be  induced  him  to  take  a  trip  with  him 
West  again,  by  team,  which  they  made  as  far  west  as  White 
Pigeon,  Mich.,  but  failing  in  health,  by  exposure,  etc.,  camping 
out,  was  compelled  to  return  home  again.  This  time  remaining 
until  1846,  when  he  came  West  to  stay,  and  located  the  land 
where  his  home  now  stands,  there  being  but  three  or  four  settlers 
in  the  vicinity  where  the  city  of  Plymouth  now  is.  He  com- 
menced to  build  him  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  kept  a  public  house 
for  a  number  of  years,  at  the  same  time  operating  in  real  estate, 
etc.  He  was  commissioned  Notary  Public  under  Gov.  Dewey  in 
1848  ;  he  also  was  Postmaster.  He  has  always  been  an  active 
partisan  in  political  circles ;  was  a  candidate  for  State  Senator  in 
1852,  on  the  Whig  ticket,  and  was  defeated  ;  also  for  the  Assem- 
bly in  1866,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  was  defeated  by  only 
fiiurteen  votes.  He  was  married  in  1839,  to  Miss  Caroline  Col- 
man,  of  New  York,  by  whom  he  has  reared  a  family  of  three 
(laughters. 

ADAM  WOLF,  Police  Justice  and  insurance  agent,  Plymouth, 
was  born  in  Germany  Oct.  15,  1835  ;  emigrated  to  America  in 
the  year  1844,  with  his  parents,  who  settled  in  Washington  Co., 
Wis.,  where  they  bought  a  fiirm  of  the  Government.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  helping  his  parents  until 
1857,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Phebe  Stulzmann,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  City.  He  then  commenced  to  work  at  the 
carpenter  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1865,  when  he  enlisted 
Co.  A,  51st  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Then,  coming  back  to  Wisconsin,  he  started  to  work  at  his  trade 
again,  which  he  followed  until  1870,  when  he  moved  to  town  of 
Greenbush,  Sheboygan  Co.,  where  he  first  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business.  He  was  also  elected  Side  Supervisor.  Here  he 
lived  until  1874,  then  moving  to  Plymouth,  continued  his  insur- 
ance business,  and  has  since  been  elected  to  the  oflSce  of  Police 
Justice,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
[.  0.  0.  F.  since  1856.  He  has  a  family  of  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughteis. 

GREENBUSH. 

The  history  of  the  town  of  Greenbush  goes  back  to 
1844,  when  Sylvanus  Wade,  with  his  wife  and  nine  children, 
located  at  the  pre.seiit  village  of  Greenbush.  Their  nearest 
neighbor  lived  at  Fond  du  Lac,  seventeen  miles  distant,  on 
the  west,  and  the  nearest  house  on  the  east  was  that  of  Dea- 
con Trowbridge,  at  Sheboygan  Falls.     After  keeping  hotel 


in  a  log  house  for  six  years,  Mr.  Wade  built  the  "  Wade 
House"  in  1850,  which  is  still  occupied  (1881)  by  one  of 
his  sons.  Mr.  Wade  was  a  County  Commissioner,  Director 
of  the  plank  road,  and  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Greenbush.  The  town  of  Greenbush  was  organized  and 
named  in  the  summer  of  1845.  The  following  year,  a  large 
number  of  people  joined  the  settlement,  among  whom  were 
Orrin  Lamb,  Joseph  Babcock  and  Thomas  Cole. 

The  first  religious  meeting  was  held  in  1846,  and  Rev. 
Thomas  Cole  ofiiciated.  The  Methodist  Church  was  built 
in  1855,  and  the  Baptist  in  the  following  year.  Rev.  Mr. 
Fox  was  the  first  Pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  Rev. 
H.  F.  Knight  is  the  present  one.  The  Christians,  or  Camp- 
bellites,  have  a  church  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  as 
also  do  the  Baptists.  A  German  Lutheran  Church  has  been 
recently  organized,  but  has  no  church  edifice. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1848,  in  Mr.  Wade's 
sugar-house,  by  Miss  Betsy  Roberts. 

All  of  the  town,  excepting  the  eastern  portion,  which  is 
in  the  Potash  Kettle  region,  is  admirably  adapted  to  farm- 
ing purposes.  Large  quantities  of  barley,  wheat  and  corn 
are  raised.  Dairying  is  profitably  carried  on.  Tliere  are 
six  cheese  factories  in  the  town,  and  a  careful  estimate  of  all 
the  cheese  produced  puts  it  at  about  225,000  pounds,  or 
$25,000  worth  yearly.  E.  Montgomery,  who  began  the 
manufacture  of  cheese  in  1875,  operates  two  factories,  tak- 
ing the  milk  of  250  cows  at  each,  and  making  about  60,000 
pounds  of  cheese  each  season. 

A  gi'ist-mill,  with  two  runs  of  stones,  and  doing  a  large 
amount  of  custom  grinding,  is  owned  by  J.  Avery,  and  sit- 
uated a  short  distance  west  of  the  village. 

The  village  has  a  hotel,  saw-mill,  wagon-shop,  two 
stores,  post  office,  and  no  saloon.  There  are  five  doctors 
living  within  the  town  limits. 


GLENBEULAH. 

Glenbeulah  has  a  beautiful  situation  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mullet  River,  and  among  the  clustering  hills  which  form 
part  of  the  Potash  Kettle  Range.  The  village,  though  not 
large,  has  a  general  appearance  of  enterprise  and  thrift. 
There  are  to  be  found  here  a  large  wooden-ware  manufact- 
uring establishment,  a  flouring  mill,  a  saw-mill,  two  black- 
smith-shops, three  saloons,  two  stores,  three  hotels,  two 
wagon-makers,  three  shoemakers,  one  harness  maker,  one 
butcher  and  two  warehouses. 

H.  P.  Clark  and  one  Pool  settled  in  the  village  as  farm- 
ers in  1852,  but  no  steps  were  taken  toward  improving 
the  water-power  and  building  up  a  village  till  1857.  In 
that  year,  Swift,  Dillingham  &  Co.,  composed  of  Joseph 
Swift,  Stephen  Dillingham,  J.  T.  Dillingham  and  Edwin 
Slade,  came  here,  and,  having  bought  land  and  the  two 
water-powers,  began  to  build.  A  flouringmill,  saw-mill 
and  store  were  put  up  at  once.  The  first  house  was  built 
by  Joseph  Swift,  and  occupied  July  4,  1857.  Stephen  Dil- 
lingham built  the  "Glen  House"  the  same  summer,  and  it 
was  used  as  a  boarding-house  for  men  at  work  on  the  dam 
for  the  flouring-mill.  It  was  opened  as  a  public  house  in 
1858,  by  Gilbert  Stannard.  F.  D.  Ladenberger  built  a 
blacksmith-shop  in  1857. 

The  first  post  office  was  opened  here  on  February  7, 
1860,  being  moved  at  that  time  from  Elkhart.  Edwin 
Slade,  E.  0.  Taylor  and  J.  T.  Dillingham  have  been  Post- 
masters. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


The  first  railroad  train  readied  the  village  March  20, 
1860,  and  this  was  for  some  time  the  western  terminus  of 
the  road. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  built  in  1862  ;  the 
schoolhouse,  containing  both  common  and  high  schools,  in 
1865,  and  Lyceum  Hall  in  1873,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000. 

The  firm  of  Dillingham  &  Co.  carries  on  the  only  im- 
portant manufacturing  enterprise  in  the  village.  The  firm 
was  organized  in  1866.  AH  kinds  of  wooden-ware  are 
manufactured,  such  as  hubs,  felloes,  cheese-boxes,  butter- 
boxes,  measures,  barrel-covers,  broom  racks,  cheese-cases, 
etc.  About  sixty  men  and  boys  are  employed,  and  a  busi- 
ness of  $75,000  done  yearly.  A  saw-mill  is  operated  in 
connection  with  the  mill.  The  finished  goods  are  sold  at 
New  York,  Chicago  and  all  through  the  West. 

The  flouring-mill  of  Bauernfeind  &  Metcker  is  situated 
in  the  village.  It  has  three  runs  of  stones,  and  does  a  large 
business,  principally  in  custom  grinding. 

The  name  Glenbeulah  was  first  applied  to  the  village  by 
Edward  Appleton  and  Harrison  Barrett,  members  of  the 
land  company  who  first  purchased  the  site  of  the  village. 
It  was  named  after  Mr.  Appleton's  mother,  whose  name 
was  Beulah  (which  means  land  of  rest,  or  flowery  land),  to 
which  was  prefixed  Glen,  from  its  situation  among  hills. 
The  population  of  the  village  in  1860  was  111  ;  the  present 
population  is  about  500. 


BIOGRAPniCAL    SKETCHES. 

A.  D.  BARROWS,  foreman  in  Dilliogham  &  Co.'s  bent 
woodenware  factory,  Glenbeulah;  was  born  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  Aug.  13,  1847  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  who 
settled  at  Plymouth  in  1848 ;  he  resided  at  home,  going  to  school 
and  working  with  his  father  until  1867,  when  he  moved  to  Glen- 
beulah and  commenced  to  work  for  Dillingham  &  Co.,  first  as 
engineer  in  the  grist  mill,  which  position  he  held  four  years,  then 
going  to  work  in  the  woodenware  factory  in  different  branches  of 
the  work  until  1877,  when  he  took  charge  as  foreman,  which 
position  he  has  held  since ;  he  also  owns  half  interest  in  the  saw 
mill  at  St.  Cloud,  of  Dillingham  &  Co.  Was  married  in  May, 
1871,  to  Miss  Ellen  Brown,  of  Glenbeulah.  Is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  0.  F.,  Swift  Lodge,  No.  11.5,  and  is  now  District  Deputy  of 
that  Order  in  District  No.  5,  at  present. 

CHARLES  A.  CORBETT,  merchant  and  Assistant  Post- 
master, Greenbush  ;  was  born  in  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  21, 
1840  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  June,  1855,  with  his  parents,  Peter 
and  Malinda  Corbctt,  who  first  settled  in  the  town  of  Greenbush, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  where  they  bought  a  farm,  where  his  father 
still  resides,  and  is  now  the  oldest  man  in  the  town  of  Greenbush, 
being  the  age  of  84  years ;  hi.s  mother  died  in  1876.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  lived  at  home,  working  on  the  farm  and  going 
to  school  until  June,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  war  of  the 
rebellion  in  the  8th  W.  V.  I.,  Co.  B,  and  served  three  years  in 
what  is  known  as  the  Live  Eagle  Regiment,  and,  in  1864,  he 
re-enlisted  in  the  same  regiment  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war ;  he  had  his  right  les;  shot  off  at  the  battle  of  Old  River 
Lake  or  Chicot,  Ark.,  June  6,  1864,  but  did  not  receive  his  dis- 
charge until  1865;  after  returning  home  in  1866,  took  a  course 
at  the  Commercial  College,  Milwaukee,  then  returned  to  Fond  du 
Lac  and  started  a  store  at  Forest;  also  established  the  Banner 
Post  Ofiice  in  1867  ;  here  he  resided  a  short  time,  sold  out  and 
moved  to  Greenbush,  where  he  continued  the  merchandising,  and 
has  resided  since.  Was  married  in  the  year  1870,  in  June,  to 
Miss  Jennie  M.  Lewis,  of  Greenbush.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  0.  0.  F.,  Greenbush  Lodge,  No.  78. 

JOHN  DENNIS,  farmer,  Sec.  12;  P.  0.  Glenbeulah;  was 
born  in  New  York  Feb.  14,  1828;  is  the  son  of  Walter  C.  and 


Rose  D.  Dtiiiiis,  of  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  his  grandfather  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  i 
learned  the  trade  of  carriage-making,  which  business  he  followed  I 
up  to  1859  in  his  native  State;  then  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  | 
bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  now  owns  240  acres  ;  be 
is  now  Chairman  of  the  town  of  Greenbush ;  has  also  held  the 
ofiice  of  Assessor,  and  .since  he  resided  at  Glenbeulah  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  all  public  enterprises.  W;is  married  in  his  native 
State  to  Mi.ss  Sarah  M.  Baker  in  1849,  she  also  being  a  native  of 
New  York,  by  whom  he  has  five  children,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

JAMES  T.  DILLINGHAM,  manufacturer  of  bent  wooden 
ware,  etc.,  Glenbeulah ;  was  born  in  Barnstable  Co.,  Mass.,  Febru- 
ary. 1833;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  May,  1857,  and  located  at  Glenbeu- 
lah, starting  in  trade  in  general  merchandise  store  in  company 
with  Slade  &  Swift,  where  he  remained  until  1866,  and  also 
erected  a  grist-mill  at  that  place  and  saw-mill,  which  he  operated 
until  1872,  since  which  time  he  has  given  his  time  in  improving 
and  enlarging  the  bent  woodenware  factory,  where  he  now 
employs  fifty  men  the  year  round  ;  is  the  largest  and  only  bent 
wooden  ware  factory  in  the  State  that  makes  Masner  butter 
boxes,  etc. ;  they  ship  their  goods  all  over  the  United  States  ; 
they  have  in  connection  a  saw-mill  at  St.  Cloud,  where  they  saw 
most  of  their  own  timber.  This  factory  was  started  in  the  year 
of  1865  as  a  small  stave  mill  in  a  small  way,  adding  the  improve- 
ments, etc.,  at  different  times,  and  enlarging  the  business  to  what 
it  is  now.  Mr.  Dillingham  was  married,  in  1854,  to  the  daughter 
of  Capt.  Joseph  Swift,  now  of  Glenbeulah. 

DR.  C.  M.  HAMILTON,  of  Greenbush,  Wis.,  was  born 
in  Vermont  August  6,  1810;  after  receiving  a  common  school 
education,  he  attended  the  Dartmouth  Medical  College  in 
New  Hampshire,  where  he  graduated  in  1835;  he  came  West 
to  Dayton  in  1838,  and  here  first  practiced  his  professioa, 
and  remained  until  1844;  he  then  removed  to  Palestine, 
Crawford  Co.,  111.,  and,  in  1851,  changed  his  place  of  resi- 
dence to  Greenville,  Bond  Co.,  where  he  practiced  until  1861,  at 
which  time  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  22d  111.  V.  I.,  Co.  E, 
being  commissioned  as  First  Lieutenant,  and  afterward  as  Quar- 
termaster of  his  regiment.  He  was  the  first  man  to  enlist  in 
Crawford  Co.,  and  organized  the  Companies  D  and  E,  having  two 
sons.  Charles  B.  and  Henry  L.,  who  enlisted  at  the  same  time 
with  himself,  aged,  respectively,  twenty-two  and  thirteen  years, 
the  latter  going  as  drummer  boy  in  the  same  regiment  as  his 
father.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  discharged  after  serving 
two  years  and  nine  months,  being  disabled  for  further  service,  and 
then  returned  to  Greenville,  111.,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
1868,  at  that  time  removing  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.  Here  he 
lived  for  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Greenbush,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  ever  since.  Dr.  Hamilton  was  married  to  the 
widow  of  T.  D.  Butler,  daughter  of  C.  Wade,  the  first  settler  in 
the  town  of  Greenbush,  she  being  one  of  the  lady  nurses  with  the 
22d  111.  V.  I.,  and  was  with  them  over  a  year. 

EDWARD  HEYN,  hotel,  Glenbeulah,  w:is  born  in  Germany 
June  21,  1825.  Came  to  United  States  in  1851,  and  settled  at 
Sheboygan,  Wis.,  where  he  commenced  work  by  the  day,  but  did 
not  remain  there  long  when  he  moved  up  to  Lake  Superior,  where 
he  engaged  at  mining.  Here  he  was  engaged  five  years,  then 
moved  back  to  Sheboygan,  and  bought  a  farm.  Ran  that  three 
years,  then  moved  back  to  Lake  Superior.  Started  a  saloon  and 
traded  in  live  stock,  and  this  time  stayed  .si.x  years,  and  came  back 
to  Sheboygan,  where  he  continued  the  live  stock  business  uniil 
1865;  then  moved  to  Gleubeulah,  and  started  to  keep  the  house 
where  he  now  is.  Was  married  in  Germany,  in  the  year  1850,  to 
Bertha  Schlogclmich,  by  whom  seven  children  wore  born — 
Lebertha,  Albert,  Edmond,  Lena,  Molly,  Alma  and  Rosetta. 

CONRAD  C.  LADENBERGER,  foreman  of  measure  and 
butter  box  department  of  Dillingham  &  Co.'s  factory,  Gleubeulah. 
was  born  in  Germany,  March  29,  1840.  Emigrated  to  United 
States  with  his  parents  in  1848.     Is  brother  of  P.  D.  Ladenberger, 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


1013 


of  Gleiibeulah.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  followed  farming  until 
the  jear  ISiiO,  when  he  engaged  with  the  above  firm,  and  has  had 
charge  of  that  department  since,  which  he  runs  under  contract, 
furnishing  his  own  men.  Was  married  to  his  first  wife,  Miss 
Cornelia  0.  Andrews,  of  Plymouth,  in  May,  1873,  who  died  in 
February,  1S80,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  viz.,  Willard  S. 
and  Clarauce  B.  Married  his  second  wife,  Miss  Ida  C.  Griesbach, 
of  town  Greenbush.  He  is  a  member  of  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Swift  Lodge, 
No.  115. 

FREDRICK  D.  LADENBERGER,  blacksmith  and  wagon- 
maker.  Gleubeulah,  was  born  in  Germany  Jan.  -t,  1834.  Is  son 
of  Phillip  and  Margaret  Ladenberger,  who  emigrated  to  United 
States  in  the  year  1848,  and  settled  iu  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wisconsin, 
town  of  Greenbush.  Died  in  ISTil.  In  the  year  1854,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  started  to  work  at  the  blacksmith  trade  at  Fond 
du  Lac  by  the  day.  In  spring  of  1855,  moved  to  Greenbush 
Village,  and  continued  to  work  by  the  day  until  1857,  when  he 
moved  to  Glenbeulah,  where  he  started  a  shop  for  himself,  where 
he  has  remained  since.  Mr.  Ladenberger  and  Hazolline  are  pro- 
prietors and  inventors  of  the  self-acting  wagon  brake,  which  is 
the  only  complete  self-acting  brake  now  patented  in  the  United 
States,  and  only  a  glance  at  its  working  and  simplicity  will  con- 
vince any  person  that  it  is  a  success,  and  in  time  will  be  adopted 
on  all  wagons  as  the  brake.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  Swift  Lodge,  No.  115,  which  was  organized  in  1866,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Grand  Encampment  of  Wisconsin.  Was 
married  in  1858,  at  Glenbeulah,  to  "Miss  Sarah  M.  Tiffany,  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  died  January  11,  1881,  leaving  him  three 
children. 

EMILE  MONTGOMERY,  full  cream  cheese  factory  at 
Greenbush,  was  born  in  Chicago,  111.,  on  the  25th  of  November, 
1848.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  the  spring  of 
1856,  first  settling  in  the  town  of  Mitchell,  Sheboygan  Co.,  on  a 
farm,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  made  his  home  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  moved  to  Greenbush  in  the 
same  county,  where  he  clerked  in  a  store  until  1874,  at  that  time 
buying  the  cheese  factory,  which  was  established  by  A.  E.  Stod- 
dard in  1871,  having  a  capacity  for  making  fourteen  cheeses  per 
day.  He  is  also  proprietor  of  a  cheese  factory  in  the  western  part 
of  the  town  of  Greenbush,  which  has  a  capacity  of  sixteen  per 
day,  and  also  of  another  one  at  Armstrong  Corners,  Fond  du  Lac 
Co.,  of  about  the  same  capacity.  Mr.  Montgomery  has  been  Town 
Treasurer  of  Greenbush,  and  was  married  February  9,  1874,  to 
Miss  Annie  Webb,  a  native  of  New  York  State. 

MICHAEL  METZGBR,  flouring  and  sugar  cane,  Gleubeu- 
lah, Wis.,  was  born  in  Germany  March  5,  1844.  His  parents 
emigrated  to  United  States  the  same  year,  and  located  at  Buffalo, 
N.  v.,  and  in  May,  1861,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  enlisted  in 
the  war  of  the  rebellion,  in  17th  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  Co.  K,  and  served 
two  years.  Re-enlisted  in  8th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery  in  1864, 
and  served  until  close  of  the  war,  after  which  he  returned  to  New 
York,  and  lived  there  until  the  year  1872,  when  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Glenbeulah,  and  started  to 
work  for  Dillingham  &  Co.,  where  he  continued  until  1879.  Then 
he  bought  an  interest  in  the  mill  where  he  now  is.  The  flouring- 
mill  has  a  capacity  of  40  barrels  per  day,  and  the  cane  mill  has 
a  capacity  of  making  400  gallons  sirup  per  day.  He  was  married 
in  New  York  to  Miss  Permelia  Dumas,  who  was  born  in  France, 
by  whom  has  two  children,  viz.,  Alberbus  and  George  B.  He  is 
a  member  of  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Swift  Lodge,  No.  115,  at  Glenbeulah. 

JAMES  SHUFFLEBOTHAM.  retired  farmer;  P.  0.  Glen- 
beulah; was  born  in  Cheshire,  England,  Jan.  23,  1821.  In  his 
native  country  he  learned  the  trade  of  machinist,  and  followed  it, 
w.nkiiiL:  at  his  trade  there,  until  1848,  when  he  came  to  America, 
ami  I  iiiuiiiued  to  follow  it,  working  at  his  trade  one  year  after  in 
till  Si.iti  i)f  New  Jersey,  and,  in  1849,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
kittled  in  Sheboygan  County,  locating  his  family  in  the  town  of 
ilncnbush,  on  a  small  farm  of  80  acres  of  land,  which  he  pur- 
iliased  from  the  Government,  for  81.25  per  acre,  and  consuming 


his  entire  capital.  He  then  went  off  to  work  at  his  trade,  to  raise 
a  little  more  money,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing  by  engaging  as 
engineer  on  a  line  of  steamboats  running  on  the  lake,  and,  after 
one  year's  work,  returned  to  his  family  with  his  earnings,  which 
he  spent  on  improving  his  farm,  and,  as  the  country  became  more 
settled,  there  was  a  demand  for  building  bridges,  houses,  etc.,  so 
he  started  to  work  at  the  carpenter  trade  at  the  various  villages, 
by  which  he  earned  considerable  money,  with  which  he  purchased 
more  land,  until  he  owned  400  acres ;  then  he  commenced  to  farm 
in  earnest,  improving,  etc.,  and  oftentimes  walking  to  Sheboygan 
from  his  place,  in  the  town  of  North  Greenbush,  now  Russell,  for 
family  provisions,  and  carried  them  home,  on  his  back,  from  fifty 
to  eighty  pounds  at  a  time.  Here  he  lived  until  the  year  1866, 
when  he  sold  out  that  farm  and  bought  another,  in  the  town  of 
Greenbush,  which  was  partly  improved,  starting  over  again  to 
make  another  fiirm  in  the  timber,  by  chopping  and  clearing  the 
land,  and  continued  there  until  1874,  then  moving  to  the  village 
of  Glenbeulah,  his  present  residence.  He  has  held  various  town 
offices,  such  as  Justice,  Assessor,  etc.,  and  aided  very  much  in 
improving  the  village  of  Glenbeulah,  by  first  building  a  grain 
elevator,  etc.,  and  working  always  for  the  interest  of  the  town  in 
which  he  lived.  He  was  married  in  his  native  country,  in  1844, 
to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Cottrill,  his  first  wife,  who  died  Apri'l  10,  1876, 
and  had  born  him  sixteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living 
— four  sons  and  three  daughters;  was  married  to  his  second  wife, 
Isebell  McTaggart,  1878,  by  wh^m  he  has  two  children,  only  one  of 
whom  is  living.  Mr.  Shufflebotham  is  the  oldest  settler  now  living 
of  the  town  of  Russell,  and  owns  900  acres  of  land  in  five  differ- 
ent farms. 

JAMES  R.  SHUFFLEBOTHAM,  saw-filer  for  the  firm  of 
Dillingham  &  Co..  Glenbeulah;  is  the  son  of  James  Shufile- 
botham,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Hu.ssell, 
Sheboygan  Co.;  was  born  in  Sheboygan  County,  April  4,  1854. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmithing,  and  was  married,  at  the 
age  of  20,  to  Miss  Mary  Vaukusen,  of  Fond  du  Lac ;  then  started 
a  blacksmith  shop  for  himself,  in  the  village  of  Greenbush,  where 
he  lived  three  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Knoxville, 
Penn. ;  ramained  a  short  time  ;  thence  moved  to  Kansas ;  remained 
there  awhile  and  came  back  to  Greenbush,  and  opened  a  shop 
there  again  ;  ran  that  awhile  and  sold  out,  and  engaged  with  the 
above  firm,  where  he  has  been  since. 

EDWIN  SLADE.  general  merchandise,  Glenbeulah;  was 
born  at  Westport,  Bristol  Co.,  Mass.,  March  25,  1826;  the  only 
son  of  Nathan  and  Phoebe  Slade,  of  Westport.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  lived  in  Massachusetts  and  Providence,  R.  I.;  engaged 
in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  settled  at  Glenbeulah,  and  started  a  general  merchandise 
store,  in  company  with  Swift  &  Dillingham,  said  firm  continuing 
until  1866,  when  Swift  &  Dillingham  retired,  Mr.  Slade  remain- 
ing in  trade.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  the  same  year,  which 
position  he  has  held  since,  except  during  President  Johnson's 
administration.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1865 
from  the  Second  Assembly  District;  was  Secretary  and  Director 
of  the  Sheboygan  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad,  from  1866  to  1880; 
held  the  office  of  Town  School  Superintendent  of  Greenbush, 
under  the  old  system,  and  was  the  last  to  serve  under  that  law. 
He  has  taken  the  lead  in  most  of  the  public  enterprises  of  the 
village,  and  has  been  an  earnest  worker  for  the  welfare  of  his 
town.  He  was  married,  in  1853,  in  Massachusetts,  to  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth G.  Swift,  daughter  of  Joseph  Swift,  who  still  resides  at 
Glenbeulah  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 

HENRY  VOLQUARTS,  merchant,  Glenbeulah ;  was  born 
in  Germany,  May  17,  1825  ;  came  to  America  in  the  spring  of 
1848,  and  settled  in  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  in  the  town  of  Holstien,  where  he  bought  160  acres  of 
land  for  the  sum  of  S2.28;  here  he  resided,  improving  his  farm 
and  working  in  the  interest  of  settling  up  the  country,  and  holding 
various  town  offices,  such  as  Town  Supervisor,  Assessor,  Town 
Clerk,  etc.,  and  at  that  time  the  settlers  of  that  part  of  the  coun- 


:oi4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


try  had  to  go  to  Sheboygan  Falls  Tor  most  all  of  their  provisions, 
and  to  mill  for  flour ;  Mr.  V.  remained  on  his  farm  until  1863, 
^?hen  he  moved  to  Glenbculah  and  started  to  clerk  in  the  store  for 
his  brother-in  law,  G.  M.  Buensen,  and  in  1869  bought  out  the 
store,  and  has  since  run  the  business  himself  this  store  being  the 
second  one  started  at  Glcnbeulah  ;  in  the  year  1852  he  went  back 
to  Germany,  and  wr.s  there  married  to  Dora  Buensen,  by  whom 
he  has  two  children  living  and  three  dead. 

TOWN  OF  MOSKL. 

Mosel  Tonus  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county,  and  is 
the  smallest  town  in  it,  containing  only  eighteen  full  and 
.six  fractional  sections.  The  population  is  entirely  agricult- 
ural, there  being  neither  a  village  nor  mill  of  any  de.scrip- 
tion  in  the  entire  town.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  the  people 
prosperous. 

The  first  settlers  came  in  1847,  and  were  Nicholas 
Feld.  Daniel  Welch,  Jacob  Demend,  Peter  Brust,  Fritz  and 
Jacob  Weiskopf,  S.  E.  Foesterlingand  Charles  Lauterbach. 

The  town  was  a  precinct  of  Sheboygan  until  1853,  when 
it  was  organized  under  its  present  name. 

The  first  School  District  was  formed  in  October,  1849, 
and  the  first  school  taught  by  Tryphina  Taylor.' 

A  post  office  was  established  in  1869,  and  A.  C.  Foester- 
ling  appointed  Postmaster,  which  office  he  continues  to  hold. 

The  town  at  present  contains  one  blacksmith-shop,  four 
churches  and  six  cheese-factories. 

TOWN  OF  HERMAN. 

The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1846,  by  German  emi- 
grants, who  located  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  and  from 
that  time  to  the  present  nearly  the  entire  population  has 
been  German.  The  names  of  the  first  settlers  were  E.  W. 
Schlichting,  H.  Mahlstedt.  F.  Binder  and  Christian  Wiehe. 
A  little  later,  came  F.  Beckfield,  F.  Prigge.  P.  Meyer.  D. 
Nordholz.  Charles  Oetking.  B.  Howard  and  H.  G.  "Miller. 
In  1847-48,  many  more  came,  and  the  land  was  rapidly 
brousrht  into  a  suitable  condition  for  farming  purposes. 

The  first  child  born  was  Johanna  Binder,  in  1846;  the 
first  marriage  was  that  of  Fred  Stock  and  Emelie  Reineking, 
in  1848 ;  the  first  school  was  taught  in  a  log  house  by  Eva 
L.  Atwood,  in  1848  ;  the  post  office  was  established  in  1848, 
and  B.  Howard  was  first  Postmaster. 

In  1850,  the  town  was  detached  from  Sheboygan  Falls, 
and  organized  under  the  name  of  Howard.  In  1851,  the 
name  was  changed  to  Herman. 

The  town  contains  four  churches.  The  German  Reformed 
Church  was  organized  in  1847,  and  the  first  church  building 
erected  in  1850.  The  first  Pastor  was  Rev.  Casper  Pleuss, 
and  the  present  one  is  Rev.  Charles  Martin.  The  other 
churches  are  the  German.  Lutheran,  Evangelical  and  Bethel. 

The  Reformed  Church  ha,s  a  German  College  and  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  the  central  part  of  the  town.  This 
institution  was  established  in  1862;  has  sixty  students,  six 
college  buildings,  six  instructors,  a  library  of  2,500  volumes 
and  is  the  only  German  College  and  Theological  Seminary 
in  the  United  States.  The  President  of  the  institution  is 
Rev.  James  Bossard. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

HENRY  G.  MUF.LLER,  flour  mill  and  box  factory ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Herman;  com- 
menced active  life  as  an  employe  in  saw-mills ;  was  for  some  six 
years  foreman  of  "  Keseberg's  "  mill  at  Howard's  Grove,  Wis. ; 


built  a  saw-mill  in  company  with  W.  Halbach,  in  1868,  in  the 
town  of  Herman,  and  they  conducted  the  mill  together  up  to  1873, 
then  Mr.  Mueller  ran  it  alone  for  two  years;  he  built  his  present 
flour  mill  in  1875, and  has  been  engaged  conducting  it  since;  also 
runs  a  ehce.se-box  factory,  and  manufactures  50,00(1  boxes  per 
annum  ;  ho  was  horn  in  Germany,  May  27,  1836  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1S47  ;  married  in  town  of  Herman,  in  .\prii,  1861,  to  Min- 
nie Damrow,  born  in  Germany;  they  have  ten  children — Albert, 
Louis,  Emma,  Henry,  Adele,  Otto,  Minnie,  Ellen,  Hedwig  and 
William. 

GUSTAVE  ROEBER,  general  .store,  Franklin;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  June,  1848 ;  located  in  town  of  Rhine,  Sheboygan 
county  ;  was  engaged  in  farming  Tor  three  years,  then  in  same 
capacity  at  Lake  Superior,  Mich.,  Tor  three  years  ;  afterward  ran 
a  hotel  at  Sheboygan  City  Tor  some  three  years ;  came  to  Frank- 
lin in  1857;  purchased  present  business  and  has  conducted  it 
since  ;  is  also  engaged  in  general  merchandise  business  in  com- 
pany with  A.  Mesch,  at  Kiel,  Manitowoc  Co.,  Wis. ;  born  in  Ger- 
many, in  May,  1832;  came  to  America  in  1848;  married  at 
Franklin  in  August,  1857,  to  Julia  Keiser,  horn  in  Germany  ; 
thev  have  eleven  children — Gustave.  Herman,  Otto,  Annie,  Louis, 
William,  Frederick,  Charles,  Ernst,  Emil  and  Meta. 


HOWARD'S  GROVE. 

A  grist-mill  was  built  on  the  Pigeon  River  in  1853,  but 
it  was  soon  burned  and  a  saw-mill  built  on  its  site,  in  1856, 
by  F.  Beckfield.  The  mill  was  remodeled  in  1875,  by 
Halbach  &  Frome,  and  bought  by  August  Fromo  in  1878. 
It  is  now  operated  as  a  saw-mill  and  cheese-box  manufac- 
tory. Fifteen  hands  are  employed,  and  a  business  of  about 
$9,000  done  yearly. 

The  saw-mill  of  H.  G.  Miller,  a  mile  south  of  Howard's 
Grove,  was  built  in  1857.  A  grist-mill  with  three  run  of 
st(me  was  built  by  him  in  1875.  Cheese-box  manufactur- 
ing is  carried  on.  Twelve  men  are  employed  and  a  yearly 
business  of  about  $10,000  transacted. 

The  village  contains  two  stores,  two  blacksmith-shops, 
two  wagon  shops,  two  taverns,  two  shoemakers,  a  harness- 
maker,  a  tailor  and  a  doctor. 

There  are  ten  cheese  factories  in  town  ;  that  of  J.  Schu- 
macher, in  this  village,  was  built  in  1877.  About  5,500 
pounds  of  milk  are  received  at  it  daily. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

AUGUST  FROME,  saw  mill,  blacksmith  and  wagon-shop, 
Howard's  Grove,  came  to  Wisoon.sin  in  1856  ;  located  at  Sheboy- 
gan City  and  was  employed  as  blacksmith  one  year ;  then  at  Lake 
Superior,  Mich.,  was  employed  there  as  blacksmith  nine  years, 
seven  years  of  which  he  was  fireman  of  a  copper  mine ;  came  to 
Howard's  Grove  in  1866,  and  opened  a  blacksmith  and  wagon- 
making  shop  and  continued  that  business  since  ;  eom'iienced  a  saw 
mill  in  1876,  in  company  with  William  Halbach,  they  continued 
the  bu.siness  up  to  the  fall  of  1880,  and  since  that  lime  Mr.  Frome 
has  condmted  the  business  alone ;  employs  some  twelve  men  ; 
iiiaiiufacturos  some  fifty  thousand  feet  of  lumber  weekly,  and 
about  sixty  thousand  cheese  boxes  per  annum  ;  born  in  Germany 
in  1833;  learned  trade  oT  blacksmith  there;  came  to  .\merica  in 
1854,  and  was  engaged  in  as  a  blacksmith  in  New  Orleans  and  in 
St.  Louis,  previous  to  coming  to  this  State.  iMarried  at  Howard's 
Grove  in  1S61,  to  .\ugusta  Karl;  born  in  Germany.  They  have 
Tour  children — Ausust.  Reinhardt.  Louis  and  Lucy. 

EMIL  STOLSENHT'Rti.  .,r.>neral  store  and  Postmaster, 
Howard's  t^riiv.' ;  ,  ini.i.i  \\'i->  .m^ni  in  1851  ;  located  with  parents 
at  town  of  Shrli,i\;j,ni  j'llU,  ivHilr.l  there  Tor  .some  years,  Tarm- 
ing  with  his  Tatlur.  and  ..'mpliiyL'J  in  saw  mill  ;  came  to  Howard's 
Grove  in  187(i;  was  emyloyed  iu  sawmill  Tor  over  a  year;  he 
purchased    the  present   business  Trom  Mr.   William  Halbach  in 


HISTORY    OF   SHEBOYGAN    (  OUNTY. 


1879,  and  has  eouducted  it  since;  was  appointed  Postmaster  in 
September,  1879  ;  born  in  Germany  in  1846  ;  came  to  America 
in  1851.  Married  at  Howard's  Grove,  Wis.,  Oct.  25th,  1877,  to 
Johanna  Droyer,  born  there.     They  have  one  child — Laura. 

ERNST  !  W.  SCHLICHTING,  proprietor  of  Washington 
Hotel,  Howard's  Grove,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1846 ;  located  in 
town  of  Herman  and  was  engaged  farming  for  some  twelve  years ; 
came  to  Howard's  Grove  in  1858  and  commenced  in  hotel  busi- 
ness in  1860,  and  has  continued  it  since;  born  in  Germany  in 
1815  ;  was  employed  in  that  country  at  farming ;  came  to  America 
in  1846.  Married  in  Germany  in  1837,  to  Henrietta  E.  D. 
Hanson,  bora  there.  They  have  three  children — Mary,  Hedwig 
and  Elsbet. 

FRANKLI^■. 
I  Franklin   is  on  the  Sheboygan  River,  which  furnishes 

power   to   run   a    saw-mill   and   grist-mill.     The   grist-mill 
was  built  in   1853,   by   Arpke,    Schulenberg   &    Dirchos. 
[       It  has  since  been    enlarged  to  a  building  40x70,  and  three 
!       stories    high.     It   was   bought  by   the   present    owner,   F. 
;       Arpke,  in  1877. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built  hy  F.  Arpke,  in  1858.     It 
:        was  made  over,  and  a  planing-mill  added,  in  1868. 

A  blacksmith-shop  and  a  store  were  built  in  1854. 
The  first  Postmaster  was  Peter  Meuer. 
The  village  contains  two  taverns,  two  stores,  two  coop- 
er-shops, a  pottery,  cheese  factory  and  wagon-shop. 


TOWN   OF  RHINE. 

The  first  settler  in  the  town  of  Rhine  was  F.  D.  Spald- 
ing, who  came  from  Buffalo,  and  located  on  Section  31,  in 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  town,  in  1850.  The  entire  pop- 
ulation of  the  town,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  families 
about  Elkhart  Lake,  consists  of  Germans  from  along  the 
Rhine.  Among  the  pioneer  settlers  were  Julius  Wolff, 
Rudolph  and  Herman  Krauss,  John  Mattes  and  Peter 
Bub. 

The  town  was  set  oil'  from  Plymouth,  in  1852,  and  or- 
ganized with  the  selection  of  the  following  ofiicers :  Chair- 
man of  Supervisors,  W.  C.  Wren ;  Town  Clerk  and  Super- 
intendent of  schools,  Julius  Wolff.  The  first  school  dis- 
trict had  been  organized  so  early  as  the  spring  of  1849. 
The  people  are  frugal  and  industrious  farmers,  and  many 
of  them  have  amassed  considerable  property.  Dairy  farm- 
ing is  profitably  carried  on,  and  there  is  a  creamery  in  suc- 
cessful operation,  in  addition  to  a  large  number  of  cheese 
factories  The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  crosses  the 
town  from  north  to  south. 

Elkhart  Lake,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  a  mile  and 
one-half  long,  by  a  mile  wide,  situated  in  the  southeast  part 
of  the  town  of  Rhine,  is  rapidly  becoming  a  favorite  sum- 
mer resort.  Every  season  so  many  as  250  people  are  per- 
manently located  about  the  lake.  Measures  are  being  taken 
for  the  erection  of  a  large  summer  hotel,  at  no  distant  day. 
Elkhart  Station  is  a  growing  village,  with  several  stores,  a 
post  office,  blacksmith-shop  and  the  only  grain  elevator  in 
the  town. 

TOWN  OK  RUSSELL. 
Russell  is  situated  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county, 
being  bounded  on  the  north  by  Calumet  County,  and  on  the 
east  by  Fond  du  Lac  County.  The  town  is  the  smallest 
but  one  in  the  county,  having  only  twenty-four  sections,  and 
one-third  of  these  situated  in  a  marsh,  where  they  are  nearly 


valueless  for  cultivation.  Sheboygan  Lake,  the  source  of 
Sheboygan  River,  lies  partly  within  the  town.  The  popu- 
lation is  entirely  agricultural,  and  Glenbeulah  and  Plymouth 
are  the  nearest  markets. 

The  first  settler  was  Lewis  Odell,  who  settled  on  Section 
13,  about  the  year  1848.  The  town  was  organized  in  1852, 
and  named  after  John  Russell,  who  lived  on  Section  4.  The 
first  election  for  town  ofiicers  was  held  in  the  spring  of  1854, 
and  the  number  of  votes  cast  was  14.  Michael  Byrne  was 
chosen  Chairman,  and  J.  L.  Sexton,  still  living  (1881), 
Clerk. 

TOWN   OF   LIMA. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  town  of  Lima  was  made  at  an 
earlier  day  than  that  of  any  other  place  in  the  county,  with 
the  exception  of  Sheboygan  and  Sheboygan  Falls.  In  the 
fall  of  1886,  John  D.,  James  H.  and  Benjamin  L.  Gibbs 
came  to  Sheboygan  from  New  York,  and  after  staying  there 
a  few  weeks  removed  to  the  present  village  of  Gibbsville, 
early  in  January,  1837.  The  trip  from  Milwaukee  to  She- 
boygan was  made  overland,  and  the  party  was  eight  days 
in  cutting  a  road  through  the  woods.  For  nearly  two  years, 
this  was  the  only  settlement  in  the  town,  and  it  was  not  till 
the  financial  revulsion  of  1839,  led  the  people  of  Sheboygan 
to  try  to  gain  a  subsistence  from  the  soil,  that  any  number 
of  people  settled  here.  Benjamin  Farmin  came  in  the  fall 
of  1838,  and  Newel  Upham  in  the  winter  of  1839.  In  the 
spring  of  1839,  A.  G.  Dye  moved  out  from  Sheboygan,  and 
located  on  Section  8,  which  was  long  known  as  the  "  Dye 
Settlement."  During  the  years  from  1840  to  1850,  a  large 
number  of  settlements  were  made,  and,  in  the  latter  year, 
the  town,  which  had  up  to  this  time  been  a  precinct  of  She- 
boygan Falls,  received  a  separate  organization. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  Gibbsville,  on  April 
2,  1850.  S.  Roberts  was  chosen  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors ;  J.  D.  Parish,  Clerk,  and  Thomas  Currier, 
Superintendent  of  Schools. 

Rev.  Isaac  Lewis  conducted  the  first  religious  service 
held  in  the  town,  at  the  Gibbsville  Schoolhouse,  in  the  fall 
of  1840.  Elder  Hitchcock,  of  the  Sheboygan  Falls  Baptist 
Church,  conducted  a  service  on  January  2.  1847,  in  A.  G. 
Dye's  house  at  "  Wakefield,"  as  the  town  was  then  called. 
This  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  Baptist  service  held 
in  the  town. 

The  first  birth  was  a  daughter  to  John  D.  Gibbs,  in 
1839 ;  the  first  marriage  was  tliat  of  James  H.  Gibbs  anp 
Clarissa  Terry,  in  1842. 

The  population  of  the  town  is  about  evenly  divided 
between  those  of  foreign  and  American  parentage.  The 
foreigners  are  chiefly  Hollanders.  The  dairying  interests 
of  the  town  are  prominent,  and  eight  cheese  factories  are  in 
successful  operation. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKKTCHES. 

BALDWIN  &  DELAVAN,  proprietors  Hingham  Custom 
Flour  Mills,  Hingham.  The  firm  is  composed  of  Levi  H.  Baldwin 
and  Patrick  H.  Delavan.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  born  in  town  of 
Sherman,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  July  19,  1851  ;  resided  with  par- 
ents and  was  engaged  fiirming;  came  to  Hingham  in  1869,  was 
engaged  farming,  etc.,  up  to  1874,  when  he  commenced  in  present 
business  with  Mr.  Delavan.  He  married  at  Hingham,  Wis.,  Sept. 
27,  1877,  to  Flora  Gifford,  born  in  town  of  Lima,  Wis.  They 
have  one  danghter — Jessie.  P.  H.  Delavan,  of  this  firm,  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1846;  located  in  Milwaukee;  was  employed  in 
flour  mill  for  about  four  years,  afterward  in  different  mills  in  vari- 


ioi6 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ous  parts  trf  the  State;  came  to  Hinghain  in  1869;  commenced  in 
present  mill  in  company  with  Jaiues  Lanipman,  and  had  other 
partners  up  to  1874,  when  Levi  II.  Baldwin  came  into  the  con- 
cern, and  since  then  they  have  conducted  the  mill  together.  Mr. 
Delavan  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1833;  came  to  America  in  1839; 
married  at  Boltonville,  Wis.,  in  1859,  to  Abbe  M.  Long,  born  in 
Ireland.     They  have  two  children — Mar-iaret  and  John. 

ALFRED  T.  BLACKBURN,  physician  and  surgeon,  Hing- 
ham  ;  born  at  Oak  Creek,  Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  March  7, 1853 ;  was 
employed  as  a  school  teacher  in  various  parts  of  the  State  for  some 
years,  during  which  time  he  also  studied  medicine.  Ho  served 
six  months  in  Mercy  Hospital,  Chicago,  111.;  graduated  at  Chicago 
Medical  College,  Chicago.  111.,  March  29,  1881,  and  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profes.sion  at  Hingham  since ;  also  car- 
ries on  a  drug  business  ;  married  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  in  1876  ; 
his  wife  died  in  1877  ;  he  again  married  at  Onion  River,  Sheboy- 
gan Co.,  Wis.,  May  27,  1881,  to  KUa  E.  Hutchinson,  born  in 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis. 

LYMAN  T.  COLLER,  M.  D.  and  dentist,  Hingham ;  born 
in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  March,  1845:  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1846,  located  with  his  parents  at  Fond  du  Lac;  was  engaged  farm- 
ing there  for  some  years,  then  practiced  medicine  at  Cascade,  Wis., 
for  a  year;  came  to  Hingham  in  1867  and  has  been  engaged  prac- 
ticing medicine  for  fourteen  years  and  dentistry  for  some  five  years ; 
married  at  Hingham,  July  4,  1870,  to  Mary  S.  Pierce,  born  in 
the  State  of  New  York.     They  had  one  son — Cleon. 

CHARLES  KELLER,  general  store,  Hingham;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1854;  located  at  Milwaukee;  was  employed  as  a 
wood-turner  for  a  year;  then  at  Newburg,  Washington  Co.,  Wis., 
in  same  capacity  for  three  years,  afterward  in  general  store  busi- 
ness in  company  with  E.  Frankenburg  for  five  years ;  then  had  a 
hotel  and  general  store  eight  miles  from  Jlilwaukee  for  two 
years;  came  to  Hingham  in  1868;  commenced  general  store 
in  company  with  F.  A.  Balch ;  they  conducted  business  together 
for  two  years ;  since  then  Mr.  Keller  has  been  alone.  He  was 
born  in  Bavaria  in  1827  ;  was  employed  there  as  a  wood-turner; 
came  to  America  in  1854;  married  at  Newburg,  Wis.,  in  1861, 
to  Emma  Geceke,  born  in  Germany.  They  had  five  children — 
Emil,  Alma,  Minnie,  Flora  and  Lena. 

PAUL  ROSSMANN,  proprietor  Hingham  House  Hotel  and 
blacksmith  shop.  Come  to  Wisconsin  in  1851  ;  located  at  town 
of  Rhine,  Sheboygan  Co.  ;  was  employed  farming  for  a  few  years  ; 
learned  trade  of  blacksmith  at  Plymouth,  Wis.,  and  was  employed 
at  it  S:);ne  three  years ;  enlisted  in  September,  1861,  in  9th  W.  V. 
I.;  served  three  years;  was  then  employed  at  his  trade  in  various 
parts  of  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  up  to  Slay  3,  1880, 
when  he  came  to  Hingham,  purchased  present  hotel  and  h;is  been 
engaged  conducting  it  since ;  has  carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop 
since  March  17,  1881.  He  was  born  in  Germany  March  16, 
1842;  came  to  America  in  1851;  married  in  town  of  Rhine, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  March  12,  1865,  to  Annie  Russler,  born  in 
Germany.  They  have  seven  children — William.  Lydia,  Lilly, 
Alfred,  Paul,  Thusneldy  and  Olga. 

ADOLPH  W.  SCHRAMM,  general  store.  Our  Town :  born 
in  Our  Town,  Wis.,  in  November,  1856  ;  learned  tr.ide  of  car- 
riage maker  at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  was  employed  at  it  there 
for  some  three  years,  afterward  in  same  capacity  for  six  years  at 
Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.;  returned  to  Our  Town  in  August,  1878; 
erected  store  building  and  has  been  engaged  in  conducting  present 
business  since;  married  at  Our  Town,  Wis.,  March  2,  1876,  to 
Sophia  Thieman,  born  in  town  of  Herman.  They  have  three 
children — Oscar,  Arthur  and  William. 

ROWELL  H.  TRIPP,  farmer.  Our  Town;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  18l(i;  located  at  Milwaukee,  resided  there  with  his  parents 
up  to  1848,  then  went  to  town  of  Holland,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.: 
was  engaged  farming.  In  1862,  enlisted  in  27th  W.  V.  I.;  served 
two  years  as  a  non-commissioned  officer,  and  one  year  as  Lieutenant 
of  Co.  B,  in  .same  regiment;  returned  to  Holland  and  fanned  up  to 


1873  ;  in  the  month  of  February  of  that  year,  he  came  into  town  of 
Lima,and  has  been  engaged  conducting  present  farm  since ;  owns 
120  acres  of  land;  was  Supervisor  for  town  of  Lima  for  1879  and 

1880,  and  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  for  Third  District,  She- 
boygan Co.,  in  November,  1880,  term  of  office  expires  Dec.  31, 

1881.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  20,  1840; 
married  at  town  of  Lima,  Wis.,  April  28,  1867,  to  Charlotte 
Daharsh,  born  there.  They  have  three  children — Elenora,  Ruby 
and  Gordon. 

TOWN  OF  HOLLAND. 

Hollaiul  is  in  the  southeast  corner  of  tlie  county,  being 
bounded  on  the  east  by  Lake  Michigan,  and  on  the  south 
by  Ozaukee  County.  It  contains  forty  full  and  six  frac- 
tional sections  of  land,  having  thus  the  greatest  area  of  any 
town  in  the  county,  with  the  exception  of  Greenbush.  The 
population  is  mainly  composed  of  Hollanders,  and  numbers 
3,012  people.  The  soil  is  clay,  sand,  black  muck  and 
marsh.  The  surftice  is  generally  rolling,  though  in  the 
extreme  west  it  is  hilly  and  uneven.  The  raising  of  grain 
and  dairy  fiirraing  are  the  branches  of  agriculture  most 
pursued.  There  are  eleven  cheese  factories  in  the  town. 
Along  the  shore  of  the  lake,  a  large  number  engage  in  the 
fishery  bu.siness,  and  the  annual  receipts  from  this  industry 
alone  are  estimated  at  from  $40,000  to  $r)0,000. 

The  first  white  family  to  settle  in  the  town,  was  that 
of  Mr.  Ellsworth,  who  in  1841  moved  into  the  frame  house 
built  by  David  Giddings,  of  Sheboygan  Falls,  in  that  year. 
G.  H.  Smith  with  his  family  came  in  1844,  and  settled  in 
the  southeast  part  of  the  town,  near  the  lake.  The  Wilcox 
family  and  John  Owen  were  others  of  the  early  settlers. 

The  first  Hollander  to  settle  in  the  county  was  G.  H. 
Kolste,  who  located  here  in  1846. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  a  log  house  in  1*4-5. 

The  town  organization  was  not  effected  till  the  spring 
of  1849,  and  the  number  of  votes  cast  at  this  time  was  65. 
Following  is  a  list  of  the  officers  chosen :  Supervisors, 
Edwin  Palmer,  William  Mitchell  and  Peter  .■^oufTrouw ; 
Clerk.  Joseph  Palmer;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  William 
Mitchell;  Assessor,  David  Cook;  Treasurer,  John  Pool. 
The  town  officers  for  the  present  year  (1881)  are  Super- 
visors, E.  C.  Oliver,  J.  P.  Smith  and  P.  Schecker ;  Clerk, 
H.  Walvoord ;  Treasurer,  P.  Zeeveld ;  Assessor,  Benja- 
min Schreurs. 

iu()i:r.\1'Hic.\l    sketches. 

HENRY  WALVOORD,  farmer  and  cheese  factory  ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  the  fall  of  1848  ;  located  in  the  town  of  Holland, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  and  has  been  engaged  in  farming  since  ;  owns  13(1 
acres  of  land  ;  built  a  cheese  factory  in  1879,  and  has  conducted 
it  since  ;  manufactures  some  50,000  pounds  of  cheese  per  annum  ; 
was  Supervisor  of  town  from  1875  to  1878  ;  was  elected  Town 
Clerk  in  1880,  and  re-elected  in  1881  ;  born  in  Pittsburgh.  Penn., 
Nov.  4,  1847.  Married  in  the  town  of  Holland,  Dec.  5,  ISdli,  to 
Henrietta  E.  Eggerichs,  born  in  Germany ;  they  have  ciglit  ciiil- 
dren — Annie  M.,  Frederick,  Gertrude,  Gerrett  J.,  Ilenrv  K.. 
William,  Meta  M.,  Elizabeth  H. 


CEDAR  GROVE. 
The  first  post  office  in  tlie  town  of  Holland  was  estab- 
lished at  Cedar  Grove  in  1848,  with  Sweezy  Burr  for  Post- 
master. A  complete  list  of  the  Postmasters  in  the  order  of 
their  succession  is  as  follows :  Sweezy  Burr,  C.  Van 
Altena,  C.  Kock,  G.  H.  Kloste,  A.  L.  Monteba.  A.  C. 
Walvoord  and  C.  Prinsen. 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


The  first  store — that  of  H.  J.  Traas — was  built  in  1847. 
The  vilhige  now  has  three  dry-goods  and  grocery  stores, 
three  shoemaker  shops,  two  harness  shops,  two  hardware 
stores,  two  hotels,  a  saloon,  a  cigar  factory  and  two  grain 
elevators. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  in  1853,  and 
the  present  church  edifice  built  about  1865.  The  first 
Pastor  was  Rev.  J.  P.  Zonne,  and  the  present  one  is  Rev. 
E.  Bos.     The  membership  is  about  two  hundred. 

The  Dutch  Reformed  Church  was  organized  in  1856. 
The  first  church  was  built  in  1861,  and  the  present  one 
about  1870.  The  membership  is  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty.  The  first  Pastor  was  Rev.  Van  Leuwen,  and  the 
present  one  is  Rev.  H.  Borgers. 

The  first  physician  was  C.  Van  Altena,  who  came  in 
1850.     The  present  one  is  L.  Van  Altena. 

The  steam  grist-mill  of  W.  M.  Stroups  &  Co.  was  built 
in  1870.  It  has  three  runs  of  stones,  and  grinds  an  average 
of  fifty  bushels  per  day.  A  business  of  about  $18,000  per 
year  is  done. 

The  grain  warehouse  of  William  Sweemer  was  built  in 
1878.  A  business  of  $10,000  is  done  annually  in  buying 
grain  and  shipping  it  to  Milwaukee.  The  Phoenix  elevator 
was  built  in  1875,  by  G.  Lammers.  The  business  done 
amounts  to  about  $10,000  annually. 

A  cheese  factory  was  built  in  the  village  in  1880,  by  J. 
Van  Dewall  ;  3,000  pounds  of  milk  are  received  daily,  and 
the  annual  production  of  cheese  is  about  $4,500  worth. 

The  first  railroad  train  reached  the  village  in  November, 
1872,  since  which  time  there  has  been  a  steady  growth  in 
population  and  amount  of  business  done. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHKS. 

CHRISTIAN  W.  HOLLE,  hardware,  stoves,  etc.,  Cedar 
Grove;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1848;  located  at  Milwaukee;  re- 
sided there  some  twenty-five  years  ;  learned  trade  of  tinner,  and 
was  employed  at  it  up  to  187;^,  when  he  came  to  Cedar  Grove  and 
opened  present  business,  which  he  has  conducted  since.  He  was 
born  in  Germany  Oct.  10,  1840  ;  came  to  America  in  1848.  Mar- 
ried, at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  18G1,  to  Julia  Breen,  born  in  Hol- 
land;  died  in  June,  1809,  leaving  two  children — -Frederick  and 
Minnie.  Married  again,  at  Milwaukee,  March  11,  1871,  to  Mar- 
garet Guequiere,  born  in  Holland ;  they  have  four  children — 
Annie,  William.  Sarah  and  Jacob. 

CORNELIUS  PRINSEN,  Postmaster,  and  general  store.  Ce- 
dar Grove  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  autumn  of  18G6  ;  located 
at  Waupun  ;  remained  there  six  months  ;  came  to  Cedar  Grove 
in  1807  and  opened  a  general  store,  which  he  has  conducted  since  ; 
was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1874,  and  was  Assessor  of  town  of 
Holland  tor  one  year.  Born  in  Holland  in  1830;  was  a  farmer 
in  that  ruuntry;  came  to  America  in  1855,  and  previous  to  com- 
ing t(i  this  State,  engaged  in  nursery  business  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Married,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  15,  1858.  to  Madeline  Pati.st ; 
they  have  eight  children — Antoinette,  John  A.  A.,  Margaret  C.  J., 
Lvdia,  William  A.,  James,  Edward,  Maria  C. 


oosTBrnci. 

Oostburg  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  Holland,  and  a  sta- 
tion of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad. 
The  village  has  sprung  up  since  the  building  of  the  railroad 
in  1872.  In  it  are  located  a  post  office,  two  general  stores, 
two  hotels,  two  shoemaker  shops,  a  furniture  shop,  a  harness- 
maker  and  a  cooper. 

A  grain  elevator  and  a  grist-mill  are  owned  and  operated 
by  Peter  Daaiie.     The  mill  has  been  in  operation  since  1879, 


and  merchant  business  and  custom   grinding  are  both  car- 
ried on. 

The  cheese  factory  of  Ferdinand  &  Jankon  was  built  in 
1878.  The  milk  of  260  cows  is  used  in  making  about  80,- 
000  pounds  of  cheese  annually. 

The  Christian  Reformed  Church  is  the  only  one  in  the 
village.  It  was  organized  in  1875,  and  Rev.  J.  De  Rooy  is 
the  pastor.  A  Presbyterian  and  Dutch  Reformed  Church 
are  situated  about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  village. 

The  fishery  business  has  been  carried  on  for  five  years  by 
L.  Slater,  who  does  a  business  of  about  $8,000  annually. 

BlIlGKAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

PETER  DAANE,  grist-mill,  elevator  and  general  store, 
Oostburg,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847  ;  located  in  the  town  of 
Holland,  Sheboygan  County ;  was  engaged  in  farming  for  some 
twenty  years.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  27th  Wisconsin  In- 
fantry ;  served  two  years  as  a  private  and  one  year  as  Lieutenant 
of  Company  F,  same  regiment ;  commenced  general  store  busi- 
ness in  1868,  and  has  continued  it  since.  In  1869,  he  opened 
an  elevator,  and  has  conducted  it  since.  In  1878,  built  a  grist- 
mill, which  he  also  runs  in  connection  with  other  business.  He 
was  Town  Assessor  for  two  years,  and  Chairman  of  Supervisors 
some  fourteen  years,  and  in  1873  served  in  the  x\ssembly,  being 
elected  from  the  Third  District,  Sheboygan  County,  and  has 
been  Postmaster  since  1867.  He  was  born  in  Holland  March 
26,1833;  came  to  America  in  1840;  married  in  town  of  Hol- 
land, Wis.,  in  1855,  to  Susan  Eernisse,  born  in  Holland.  Their 
children  are:  Susan,  Nellie,  Peter,  Apiline,  Jacob,  Elizabeth, 
Matthew,  Jennie,  Gerrett  A. 

D.  G.  WIKKERINK,  general  store,  Oostburg,  came  to  Wis- 
consin some  time  about  1850;  located  in  Milwaukee;  was  em- 
ployed there  as  a  machinist  up  to  1875,  when  he  came  to  Oost- 
burg and  opened  in  present  business  in  company  with  J.  S. 
Janssen.  They  continued  the  business  for  a  short  time,  and 
since  then  Mr.  Wikkerink  has  been  alone.  He  has  one  son, 
Benjamin  J.,  who  manages  the  bu 


AMSTERDAM. 

Amstenlam  is  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the 
fishery  business  gives  employment  to  most  of  the  inhabit- 
ants. G.  H.  Smith  k  Sons  have  carried  on  the  business 
for  about  thirty  years.  They  use  a  dozen  nets,  and  the 
yearly  catch  of  fish  amounts  to  about  450,000  pounds,  or 
$20,000  worth.  White  fish  and  trout  are  most  abundant, 
and  Chicago  is  the  principal  market.  G.  H.  Smith  & 
Sons  also  carry  on  an  extensive  lumber  business. 

The  Holland  Trading  Company  built  a  pier  in  1851, 
which  has  since  been  destroyed.  At  that  time  boats 
touched  here,  and  a  lively  shipping  business  was  carried  on. 

The  recently-built  cheese  factory  of  Henry  Walvoord 
receives  about  4,200  pounds  of  milk  per  day. 


TOWN  OF  AVILSON. 

Twenty-two  full  and  six  fractional  sections  include  all 
the  land  in  this  town.  The  soil  is  productive,  and  the  in- 
habitants, chiefly  German,  are  thrifty  and  enterprising 
farmers.  Dairy  farming,  as  elsewhere  in  the  county,  is 
the  kind  commonly  pursued.  Fishing  is  followed,  to  some 
extent,  by  those  living  near  the  lake. 

The  first  settler  was  David  Wilson,  who  came  from 
Ohio  and  located  on  Section  11,  in  the  spring  of  1840. 
His  fiimily  did  not  come  till  two  years  later.  In  1845. 
James   and  Leonard  Osgood  settled  on  Section  14.      In  the 


IIIS'I'ORY    OF    KORTHF.RN   WISCONSIN. 


following  year,  Josepli  FairchiM  also  settled  on  Sec- 
tion 14. 

The  town  of  Wilson  was  a  precinct  of  Sheboygan  until 
its  organization,  about  1846.  The  town  takes  its  name 
from  that  of  its  first  settler. 

The  fir>t  birth  was  a  son  to  David  Wilson,  in  1843  ; 
first  marriage,  that  of  James  R.  Brown  and  Louisa  Wilson, 
in  1S44;  first  death,  that  of  Waterman  Jackson,  in  the 
fall  of  1S47. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  winter  of  1846-7, 
by  Milo  Chamberlain. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

LEV  I  GEORGE,  farmer  and  fruit  raiser,  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
April,  1850;  located  at  Sheboygan  Falls;  was  employed  three  years 
in  a  saw-mill;  came  to  town  of  Wil.son.  Sheboygan  Co.,  in  1853, 
and  been  engased  farming  since,  and  also  been  engaged  in  fruit 
growing  for  past  twelve  years;  owns  81  acres  of  land.  Has  been 
Treasurer  for  district  school  for  six  years,  and  has  held  various 
other  school  offices.  Born  in  Hillsboro  Co.,  N.  H.,  Dec.  25, 
1816,  and,  previous  to  coming  to  this  State,  was  engaged  in  saw- 
mill. Married  at  Brownville,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  April, 
1839,  to  Diana  Worden,  born  in  New  York.  They  have  five 
children — Marion  P.,  Nancy  J.  (now  Mrs.  Fuller),  Eugene, 
Marcia  and  Eurana. 

ALVIN  WARNER,  fisheries,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  fall  of 
1863  ;  located  in  town  of  Wilson,  Sheboygan  Co.,  and  has  been  en- 
gaged in  present  business  since.  Ships  some  10,000  pounds  of  fish 
per  month.  He  was  born  in  Jefierson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  25,  1838; 
previous  to  coming  to  this  State,  was  engaged  farming  and  fishing 
in  State  of  New  York.  Married  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1859,  to  Caroline  Austin,  born  in  State  Michigan.  They 
have  six  children — Viola,  Minnie,  Netta,  Lilly,  Cyrus,  William. 


TOWN  OF  LYXDON. 

The  first  white  man  to  attempt  to  make  a  home  in  the 
town  was  Albert  Rounseville,  who,  with  his  family,  settled 
at  Winooski,  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Onion  River,  in  1840.  In  the  spring  of  1841,  he 
moved  to  Sheboygan  Falls. 

It  was  not  until  the  summer  of  1844  that  the  first  perma- 
nent settlement  was  made.  Three  families  came  at  that 
time.  Dr.  Joseph  Mallory,  from  New  York,  settled  upon 
rich  burnt  openings,  on  the  Onion  River.  Thaddeus  Har- 
mon, with  hi.?  family,  located  by  a  spring  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  town.  Cyrus  Webster,  a  pioneer  from  Massa- 
chusetts, settled  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town.  During 
the  two  following  years,  there  was  a  large  influx  of  settlers. 
A  number  came  from  Ohio.  Among  those  who  came  about 
this  time  were  Ira  and  Truman  Strong,  William  Thompson 
and  the  Shadbolt  brothers. 

The  first  death  in  town  was  that  of  Gilbert  Lyman;  the 
first  marriage  that  of  Charles  Tyler  and  Ruth  Smith,  and 
the  first  birth  that  of  a  daughter  to  D.  S.  Mclntyre,  on 
Oct.  16,  1847. 

The  first  mail  route  was  established  from  Sheboygan 
Falls  to  "Spring  Farms,"  with  Albert  Rounseville,  on 
foot,  for  the  weekly  carrier. 

The  first  election,  under  the  precinct  arrangement,  was 
held  in  Mr.  Shadbolt's  log  house.  Elections  and  town 
meetings  were  afterward  held  in  the  cabin  of  Leonard  Rood; 
they  are  now  held  at  the  village  of  Waldo. 

The  general  surface  of  the  town  is  uneven  and  rolling, 
but  the  soil  has  great  fertility,  and  is  skillfully  cultivated. 
In   the  excellence   of  its  farming  lands,  taken  as  a  whole, 


this  town  yields  superiority  to  few.  Dairy  farming  is  the 
leading  interest  of  the  town,  and  its  importance  can  be 
judged  of,  from  the  fact  that  there  are  nine  cheese  factories, 
which,  at  a  moderate  estimate,  produce  annually  §75,000 
worth  of  cheese.  The  entire  population  is  1,703,  about 
equally  divided  between  Germans,  Americans  and  Irish. 
The  town  contains  four  important  villages — Cascade,  Waldo, 
Onion  River  and  Winooski. 


CASCADE. 

This  thriving  village,  of  250  inhabitants,  was  laid  out 
and  settled,  in  1846,  by  James  Preston  and  Rev.  Hunting- 
ton Lyman.  The  present  village  plot  of  forty  acres  was 
surveyed  and  bought  by  them.  A  saw-mill  and  a  number 
of  houses  were  built  the  first  year,  and  the  village  grew 
rapidly.  A  large  number  came  from  Canada  and  joined 
the  settlement.  A  grist-mill  was  built,  in  1848,  by  Mcin- 
tosh &  Noonan,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Cascade  mills. 
In  1856,  the  Forest  mills  were  built,  on  the  site  of  the  saw- 
mill put  up  in  1846.  Before  the  advent  of  railroads,  the 
place  was  situated  on  the  stage  road,  and  was  an  important 
center  for  travel  and  Western  trade. 

A  destructive  fire,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  blotted  out  the 
business  portion  of  the  village,  and  inflicted  a  blow  upon  its 
business  interests,  from  which  it  has  not  yet  recovered. 
The  village  has  at  present  two  hotels,  one  saloon,  three  dry 
goods  and  grocery  stores,  one  drug  store,  one  hardware 
store,  three  blacksmith-shops,  one  cheese  factory,  two  grist- 
mills and  three  churches.  The  East  Branch  of  the  xMilwau- 
kee  River  furnishes  power  to  run  the  grist-mills.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Chui-ch  was  built  in  1854.  The  church  of 
the  United  Brethren  was  built  in  1872,  and  Rev.  J.  Frye 
is  the  Pastor.  The  German  Lutheran  Church  was  built  "in 
1874,  and  has  a  membership  of  about  thirty. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

L.  C.  BARTLETT,  drugsrist,  Cascade,  came  to  Cascade  in 
1856;  he  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  10,  1835; 
remained  there  until  of  age.  He  was  married  April  10,  1856,  to 
Miss  Frances  E.  Reed;  she  died  in  1867,  leaving  one  child;  he 
enlisted  April  19,  1861,  Co.  G,  4th  Wis.  Vols.;  veteranized; 
received  the  commission  of  2d  Lieutenant,  and  afterward  that  of 
1st  Lieutenant.  His  regiment  was  most  of  the  time  in  Louisiana, 
Mississippi  and  Texas,  and  was  the  first  to  reach  New  Orleans 
when  it  was  taken.  He  was  in  seventeen  engagements,  besides 
skirmishes.  In  the  fight  at  Port  Hudson,  his  regement  was  very 
badly  cut  up  ;  he  reached  home  from  the  war  July  2d,  1865.  He 
was  married  in  March.  1868,  to  Miss  Melissa  Thomas,  of  Scott ;  he 
commenced  teaching  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  continued  to 
teach  for  many  years,  chiefly  in  Cascade  and  Batavia ;  also  taught 
select  school  ;  he  was  Town  Superintendant  of  Schools  under  the 
old  system,  and  has  been  Town  Clerk  .and  Supervisor  of  the  town 
of  Lyndon  ;  he  commenced  the  bu.sino.ss  of  druggist  in  1873,  and 
deals  also  in  books,  groceries  and  millinery. 

EDWARD  HULEE,  merchant,  Cascade,  was  born  in  Gessen, 
Germany,  Jan.  30,  1833,  and  was  brought  up  in  the  mercantile 
business,  having  served  a  four  years  apprenticship  thereat ;  he 
(MUX'  to  the  United  States  in  1857,  and  located  in  Sheboygan, 
Wis.,  Sept.  12,  of  the  same  year;  clerked  in  a  store  at  Sheboygan 
Falls  in  1858,  and  May  25,  1859,  came  to  Cascade;  he  clerked 
for  I.  R.  Beae,  and  on  June  24,  1864,  commenced  business 
for  himself  in  a  general  stock  store,  which  business  he  has  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time.  He  was  nnirried  in  1 868,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Snyder,  of  Sheboygan.  They  have  two  children — 
Edward  and  William. 


HISTORY   OF   SHEBOYGAN    COUNTY. 


1019 


GOODWIN  T.  LOOMTS.  physician  and  surgeon,  Cascade, 
was  born  in  Portage  Co.,  0.,  March  23,  1847  ;  he  received  his 
educational  trainiug  in  the  academy  at  Atwater,  0.,  and  at  Cold- 
water,  Mich. ;  and  his  professional  traininfj'  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  was  gra- 
duated in  the  class  of  1869.  The  same  year  he  commenced 
the  practice  of  medicine  at  Merton,  Waukesha,  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
in  1873,  came  to  Cascade.  He  was  married  Oct.  31,  1873,  to  Miss 
Clara  A.  Ainsworth,  of  Merton,  Wis.     They  have  three  children. 

HON.  WILLIAM  NOLL,  merchant,  Cascade,  came  to  Cas- 
cade in  18t)5,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  and  after- 
ward, in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  dairy  supplies  ;  he  also  deals 
largely  in  furniture,  both  at  Cascade  and  at  Sherman,  where  he 
has  a  branch  store;  he  was  born  in  Huebengen,  Nassau,  Ger- 
many, March  23,  1834;  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1851, 
and  settled  in  Milwaukee  ;  removed  to  Kiel,  Manitowoc  Co.,  in 
1859,  thence  to  Cascade  in  18(i5.  He  was  married  Aug.  19, 
1855,  to  Miss  Catharine  Ruppenthal,  of  Milwaukee  ;  she  died  July 
26,  1866,  leaving  five  children.  Oct.  14,  1868,  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Amelia  Hinz,  of  Cascade ;  he  was  elected  Town  Clerk  of 
Lyndon  in  1871,  Supervisor  in  1875,  and  member  of  the  Assem- 
bly in  1876,  for  the  second  district,  Sheboygan  Co. ;  he  is  Post- 
master at  Cascade,  having  received  his  appointment  Jan.  1,  1880. 


Of  the  four  principal  villages  in  Lyndon,  Waldo,  with 
its  population  of  160,  comes  second  in  number  of  inhabit- 
ants and  importance  of  business  interests.  Ten  years  ago, 
a  single  house  was  the  only  building  in  this  thriving  village, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  village  plat  was  black-ash  swamp. 
The  coming  of  the  railroad,  and  the  location  of  the  depot 
at  this  point,  gave  the  first  impetus  to  the  young  village. 
In  the  spring  of  1871,  Harmon  &  Mclntyre,  both  of  them 
early  settlers  in  the  town,  built  a  grain  elevator  near  the 
station.  In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  T.  Freihardt  built 
the  Wisconsin  House,  and  John  Jordan  built  the  first  store. 
In  1872,  Henry  Jordan  had  erected  the  "Jordan  House," 
the  second  hotel  to  spring  up  in  the  village. 

Dealing  in  grain  and  flour  is  the  most  important  busi- 
ness, and  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  these  commodities 
are  annually  sent  to  markets  elsewhere  by  the  single  firm  of 
Harmon  &  Mclntyre.  There  are  two  hotels  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  travelers,  two  dry-goods  and  grocery  stores,  a 
hardware  store,  wagon-shop,  establishment  for  the  manu- 
facture of  hearses,  furniture  dealer,  butcher,  barber,  drug- 
gist and  tailor.  There  are  two  halls,  which  are  used  for 
public  gatherings — Sibley's  and  Jordan's.  The  religious 
society  of  "  Bible  Christians  "  holds  weekly  meetings  in  Sib- 
ley's Hall.  The  post  office  was  moved  here  from  Onion 
River  in  April,  1878,  and  Mr.  Lawson,  the  Postmaster, 
keeps  it  in  his  store. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

WM.  T.  ARMSTRONG,  general  merchandise  store,  Waldo  ; 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Lima,  Sept.  27,  1856;  son  of  Wm.  Arm- 
strong, who  settled  in  Sheboygan  County  the  same  year  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  ;  he  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, and  has  since  been  engaged  at  teaching  and  farming,  etc., 
until  March,  of  1881,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Betsy  A. 
Lawson,  daughter  of  Robert  Lawson,  Sr.,  who  settled  in  the  town 
of  Lyndon  ;  born  in   1846,  and  died  in  March,  1877. 

A.  C.  CHAMBERLIN  &  CO.,  manufacturers  of  hearses, 
Waldo;  commenced  the  manufacture  of  hearses  in  1878; 
Aaron  Chamberlin,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born 
March  26,  1811;  his  father,  Moses  Chamberlin,  was  a  soldier 
in    the   Revolutionary  war ;  he   was  married  to   Miss  Samantha 


B.  Townsend,  of  Orono,  Me.,  in  October,  1832 ;  moved  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  in  1849  ;  to  Fox  Lake,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855, 
and  to  Sheboygan  County  in  1858  ;  he  was  engaged  several  years 
in  the  furniture  business,  and  then  made  a  specialty  of  hearse- 
making  ;  he  has  had  four  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  living  ; 
Miranda  died  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  Henry  (a  member  of  Co.  D, 
8th  Wis.  Vols.)  was  killed  in  battle  near  Nashville,  November, 
1864  ;  his  two  living  sons  served  three  years  each  in  Co.  H,  1st.  Wis. 
Infantry — Albert  C.  enlisting  in  October,  1861,  and  Luther  M.  in 
August,  1862;  Albert  C.  Chamberlain,  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm,  was  born  in  Brighton,  Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  June  17,  1845, 
and  was  married  Oct.  21,  1880,  to  Mrs.  S.  E.  Jones,  of  Plymouth, 
Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis. ;  he  is  a  member  of  "  Waldo  Lodge,"  No. 
244.  of  the  Good  Templars. 

H.  CLAY  HUMPHREY,  cheese  factory  at  Onion  River,  P. 
0.  Waldo  ;  this  factory  was  established  in  the  year  1873,  by  A. 
Dye,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  bought  out  the  above  firm  ; 
when  he  first  purchased  the  factory  they  were  working  up  but 
8,000  bs.  of  milk  per  day,  but  they  h;ive  since  increased  it  to 
11,000  lbs.,  making  now  1,000  lbs.  of  cheese  daily,  nearly  all  of 
which  is  shipped  to  Liverpool  ;  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Lima,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  18,  1847  ; 
H.  Clay  was  married  in  1879  to  Miss  Annie  Evans,  of  Sheboy- 
gan, he  having  been  educated  at  Lawrence  University,  Appleton, 
and  graduated  in  1869;  Mr.  Humphrey's  factory  is  next  to  the 
largest  in  the  county,  and  the  sale  of  cheese  for  1881  will  amount 
to  over  $20,000. 

ROBERT  W.  LAWSON,  merchant,  Waldo;  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  Eng.,  Aug.  19,  1845;  his  fiuher.  Robert  Lawson, 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Lyndon, 
Sheboygan  Co..  Wis.,  in  1846,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in 
March,  1877  ;  his  mother,  Mrs.  Ann  (Auckland)  Lawson,  is  still 
living  in  Waldo,  with  her  youngest  daughter ;  they  have  ten  chil- 
dren, all  living — Thomas,  George,  Charles,  Abraham,  Robert  W., 
Eliza  (Mrs.  McCain),  Caroline  (Mrs.  Fairweather),  Mary  Ann 
(Mrs.  Lee),  Emma  (Mrs.  Sharpe),  and  Betsey  (Mrs.  Armstrong). 
Robert  W.  was  married  April  20,  1876,  to  Miss  Isadora  T.  Pad- 
dock, of  Lyndon,  formerly  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  he  commenced 
business  as  a  merchant  in  1873,  and  was  appointed  Postmaster  at 
Waldo  in  April,  1877,  a  position  he  still  holds. 

LEVI  H.  PELTON,  M.  D.,  Waldo;  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Lyndon,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  July  10,  1848;  his  father,  Rus- 
sel  Pelton,  moved  from  Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  to  Lyndon,  Sheboy- 
gan Co.,  Wis.,  in  1846,  and  has  resided  here  ever  since,  on  the 
same  farm  he  selected  when  he  came  ;  his  son,  Levi  H.,,  received 
most  of  his  professional  education  at  the  Rush  Medical  College, 
at  Chicago,  but  was  graduated  in  the  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College  in  1873;  he  practiced  three  years  at  St.  Cloud,  Fond  du 
Lac  Co.,  and  at  Waldo  since  1876;  he  was  married  July  23,  1873, 
to  Miss  Kate  Ellen  Brown,  of  Plymouth,  Wis. ;  she  died  May 
13,  1880. 

HENRY  J.  ROBINSON,  farmer,  Sec.  25;  P.  0.  Waldo; 
was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  Sept.  28,  1824  ;  son  of  Noah 
and  Huld  Robinson,  who  came  to  VVisconsin  in  1847,  and  settled 
in  the  town  of  Sherman,  Sheboygan  Co.  ;  the  latter  died  Sept. 
18,  1860 ;  the  former  died,  February,  1879,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  remaining  on  the  home  farm  until  1853  ;  then  bought  a 
farm  for  himself,  and,  in  1855,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Baldwin,  daughter  of  Eliarda  and  Susan  Baldwin,  who  were 
among  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Sherman,  from  New  York, 
by  whom  he  has  one  son — Eliarda  B.  Henry  J.'s  parents  were 
very  poor  when  they  settled  in  Wisconsin,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  his  brother  chopping  cordwood  for  50  cents  per  cord, 
and  only  receiving  one-fouth  cash,  the  balance  in  provisions,  etc. 


The  first  white  person  tc 
'illage  limits  was  H.  L.  Hu 


<miON  KIVEK. 

in  to  permanently  settle  within  the 
"  tchinson,  who,  with  his  family, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN'    WISCONSIN. 


located  here  in  June,  1846.  It  was  some  time  later  that  a 
saw-mill  was  built  on  the  valuable  water  privilege  which  the 
Onion  River  furnishes  at  this  point.  A  post  office  was 
established  about  the  year  1852,  but  after  twenty-five  years 
it  was  removed  to  Waldo  in  1878.  The  large  and  con- 
venient grist-mill  of  Harmon  &  Mclnt3-re  was  built  in 
1854.  The  mill  is  entirely  employed  in  merchant  business, 
and  is  worked  to  the  e.xtent  of  its   capacity  for  production. 

The  Methodist  Church  is  a  finely-proportioned  brick 
edifice,  and  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1870.  Rev.  Mr. 
Cook  officiates  as  Pastor. 

The  present  store  building  was  built  in  1871,  on  the 
site  of  one  previously  burned. 

One  of  the  leading  enterprises  of  the  village  is  the 
manufacture  of  cheese,  and  the  conveniently  arranged  fac- 
tory of  H.  C.  Humphrey,  built  in  1874,  is  exceeded  in 
quantity  of  production  by  only  one  factory  in  the  county — 
that  of  F.  A.  Streblow,  at  Plymouth.  This  factory  takes 
the  milk  of  about  450  cows  and  makes  fifteen  cheeses  per 
day.  The  yearly  production  amounts  to  about  216,000 
pounds,  or  §20,000  worth. 

In  addition  to  the  business  enterprises  already  men- 
tioned, there  are  in  the  village  a  wagon-shop,  blacksmith- 
shop  and  two  hotels. 

The  population  of  the  village  is  about  eighty. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

WENTWORTH  BARBER,  farmer,  Sec.  25,  P.  O.  Wal- 
do;  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vermont,  on  Dec.  18,  1819;  he 
followed  farming  in  his  native  State  until  1840,  when  he  came 
West  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Sheboygan  County,  where  be  fol- 
lowed the  lumbering  business  for  four  years,  and  then  moved  to 
the  town  of  Lyndon,  where  he  entered  some  land,  and  has  re- 
mained there  engaged  at  farming  ever  since ;  when  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  moved  to  Lyndon  there  were  only  five  other  families 
in  the  town. 

.VNDREW  J.  WHIFFEN,  merchant  at  Onion  River;  P. 
O.  Waldo;  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  4,  1845.  His 
parents,  William  and  Mary  WhifFen,  were  formerly  from  England, 
and  moved  West,  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  the  same  year  that  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born.  Here  they  purchased  a  farm 
from  the  Government,  and  their  son,  Andrew  J.,  worked  at  home, 
on  the  farm,  until  1869,  with  the  exception  of  six  months,  which 
he  spent  in  Chicago.  In  1869,  he  removed  to  Onion  River, 
where  he  started  a  store,  remaining  there  ever  since.  He  was 
appointed  Postmaster,  holding  that  office  until  1877,  when  the 
office  was  moved  to  Waldo.  Mr.  Whiffen  was  married,  March  4, 
1880,  to  Mi.^^s  Viola  Mead,  of  Onion  River. 


VIIJ..\c;E  of  WINOOSKl. 
This  pleasant  little  village  is  situated  on  the  Onion 
River  in  the  midst  of  the  farming  region  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  town.  The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1848, 
and  the  village  now  contains  a  store,  post  office,  grist-mill 
and  cheese  factory.  The  census  of  1880  found  the  popula- 
tion of  the  village  to  number  fiftv-six. 


TOWN  OF  SHEHMAN. 
Sherman  is  the  middle  town  of  the  southernmost  tier 
of  towns  in  the  county,  Holland  being  between  it  and  Lake 
Michigan  on  the  east,  and  Scott  separating  it  from  Fond  du 
Lac  County  on  the  west.  Numerous  tributaries  of  the 
-Milwaukee  River  serve  for  irrigation.  Random  Lake  is  the 
only  considerable  body  of  water  in  the  town.      The  town  is 


BIOGRAPHICAI.    SKE 

R.  I).  BUTLER,  dealer  in  grain,  lumber,  etc.,  Random  Lake ; 
is  the  son  of  Comchin  Butler,  who  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1838, 
where  he  ran  a  boot  and  shoe  store  for  two  years,  but  not  liking 
the  business  he  sold  out,  and,  in  1840,  moved  to  Granville,  where 
he  bought  a  half  section  of  land,  on  which  he  lived  for  two  years, 
but,  concluding  to  go  North,  he  again  sold  out  and  started  for 
Sheboygan  County.  Shortly  after  crossing  the  line  of  Ozaukee 
County,  he  came  to  a  beautiful  lake  (since  named  Random  Lake), 
and,  being  very  much  plea.sed  with  the  situation,  he  concluded  to 
make  his  home  there.  He  at  once  purchased  GOO  acres  of  land 
from  the  Government,  and  built  him  a  log  .shanty,  into  wliich  he 
moved  his  family,  the  inhabitant,^  around   him  being  all  Indians, 


largely  agricultural,  and  raising  of  grain  is  the  leading 
branch  of  farming  followed.  Dairy  farming,  however,  is  I 
carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  there  are  seven  i 
cheese  factories  in  successful  operation.  i 

The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1846,  on  Section  10, 
in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  by  J.  V.  Bassett,  a  native  of 
New  York.  In  the  two  following  years,  a  large  number  of 
people  took  up  their  residence  here.  Among  others,  were 
the  Abbotts,  S.  W.  Bradley,  J.  E.  Mitchell,  James  Kin- 
seler,  M.  Schrantz  (still  living  at  the  age  of  ninety)  and 
the  Zeingler  family. 

The  town  was  organized  in  1849  under  the  name  of 
Scott.  In  the  following  year,  the  township  was  divided, 
the  western  half  retaining  the  name  Scott,  and  the  eastern 
half  taking  the  name  of  Abbott.  This  name  was  retained 
for  fifteen  years,  till  in  1865  it  was  changed  to  the  present 
name  of  Sherman. 

R.VNDOM  LAKE. 

This  village  is  situated  at  the  extreme  south  of  the 
town,  on  the  west  side  of  a  lake  of  the  same  name,  and  on 
the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  The  first  set- 
tlement at  the  present  village  was  made  by  J.  P.  Carroll, 
who  came  here  in  1848.  The  location  of  a  railroad  station 
here  in  1870  was  the  signal  for  the  formation  of  the  village. 
The  first  building  put  up  was  the  depot.  This  was  shortly 
followed  by  the  present  post  office  building,  the  Union 
House  and  a  house  for  the  station  agent.  The  completion 
of  a  successful  village  was  now  assured.  Growth  has  been 
constant  and  rapid,  and  the  population  is  now  260. 

The  village  has  a  public  school,  three  hotels,  one  livery 
stable,  one  lumber-yard,  one  saloon,  one  wagon-shop  and 
two  blacksmith-shops.  John  Stimminger  does  a  large 
business  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  household  furniture. 
A  large  trade  in  fiirm  machinery  has  been  built  up  in  this 
and  adjoining  towns  by  M.  O'Grady.  He  is  estimated  to 
do  a  business  of  $75,000  a  year.  Three  grain  warehouses 
take  the  grain  of  the  surrounding  region,  and  are  owned 
by  D.  S.  Bagley,  of  Plymouth,  R.  D.  Butler  and  N.  C. 
Oswald.  There  are  five  large  ice-houses  near  the  village, 
owned  by  Milwaukee  parties,  from  which  ice  is  shipped  to 
that  city. 

The  village  was  first  named  Greenleaf,  in  honor  of  E. 
D.  Greenleaf,  the  financial  agent  of  the  railroad,  but  was 
changed  in  a  few  months  to  the  present  name. 

The  Sherman  House  was  burned  on  April  2,  1881,  and 
the  building,  valueil  at  $2,500,  was  a  total  loss. 

The  officers  of  the  town  for  the  present  year  are  : 
Supervisors,  James  White,  John  Marshall  and  Charles  Stra- 
dell ;  Clerk,  Frederick  Melcher ;  Assessor,  J.  F.  Morrol ; 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  W.  H.  Foley  and  J.  P.  Carrol. 


HISTORY     OF   SHF.BOVGAN    COITNTV 


and  here  he  reared  a  family  of  six  boys  auJ  four  trirls.  He  kept 
selling  off  his  land  from  time  to  time,  at  a  small  profit,  till  there 
is  now  but  120  acres  left,  which  his  son,  R.  D.  Butler,  keeps  in 
successful  operation.  Ho  remained  at  home,  with  his  father,  until 
twenty  years  old,  when  he  spent  two  years  looking  around  the 
country,  and  then  returned  home  and  took  charge  of  his  father's 
farm,  and,  in  1874,  bought  the  grain  and  lumber  business  of 
Albert  Gistrand,  at  Random  Lake,  where  he  now  does  a  successful 
business. 

JOHN  P.  CARROLL,  hotel-keeper  and  farmer,  Random 
hiike,  was  born  in  Ireland  March  7,  1820.  After  living  there 
until  eighteen  years  old,  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  May, 
1838,  first  living  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
Cranstou  Print  Factory.  After  continuing  in  this  employment 
until  1848,  he  moved  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  settling  in  the 
town  of  Sherman,  Sheboygan  Co.,  on  a  farm,  where  he  resided 
until  1875,  at  which  time  he  removed  'o  the  village  of  Random 
Lake,  having  four  years  previous  to  this  time  started  a  lumber 
yard  there,  which  was  the  first  one  in  the  village.  Mr.  Carroll 
has  held  several  local  offices  in  his  town,  having  been  Justice  of 
ths  Peace  since  1849,  Town  Treasurer  for  five  years,  and  Assessor 
one  year ;  has  also  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors, 
and  was  one  of  the  organizing  members  of  the  Catholic  Church 
there  in  1852,  being  the  first  man  to  start  the  village  of  Random 
Lake.  He  was  married,  Feb.  13,  1850,  to  Miss  Teresa  Mooney, 
who  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  and  by  whom  he  has  seven 
children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters. 

WILLIAM  H.  FOLEY,  of  the  firm  of  Foley  &  Oswald, 
general  merchants  and  grain  dealers.  Random  Lake ;  was  born  in 
New  York  State,  on  the  18th  of  March,  1842;  came  West,  with 
his  parents,  in  1844,  locating  in  New  Hartford,  Washington  Co., 
on  a  farm  which  his  father,  William  Foley,  purchased  from  the 
Government.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until 
June,  of  1874,  when  he  came  to  Random  Lake,  Sheboygan  Co., 
where  he  opened  a  store,  it  being  the  first  one  in  the  village.  Mr. 
Foley  and  his  partner,  John  Murphy,  continued  to  run  it  for  five 
years,  when  the  latter  retired  and  Mr.  Oswald  took  his  place,  their 
mercantile  business  amounting  to  about  $15,000  per  annum;  they 
also  handle  grain  and  produce.  Mr.  Foley  is  Notary  Public,  and, 
also  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  married,  in  Washington 
County,  Oct.  15,  1872,  to  Ellen  Murphy. 

NICHOLAS  C.  OSWALD,  of  the  firm  of  Foley  &  Oswald, 
merchants,  and  proprietor  of  the  Union  House,  Random  Lake ; 
was  born  in  Germany,  in  February,  1843.  He  came  to  the 
United  States,  with  his  parents,  Dominick  and  Francis  Oswald,  in 
the  year  1850,  locating  in  the  town  of  Belgium,  Ozaukee  Co., 
Wis.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  first  started  to  work  by  the 
month,  and  afterward  farmed  for  himself  until  1871,  when  he 
moved  to  Random  Lake  and  started  the  first  hotel  in  the  village, 
which  he  is  still  running.  Mr.  Oswald  is  also  engaged  in  the 
farm  machinery  business,  with  Mat  Frederick,  and  started  to  build 
the  first  house  in  the  village,  excepting  the  railroad  building,  it 
being  destroyed  by  fire  the  same  year.  He  was  married,  in  Ozau- 
kee County,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hanson. 


SHERMAN  STATION. 
Slicnnaii  Station  is  situated  on  Section  2,  at  the 
e.Ktremo  north  of  the  town.  A  post  office,  two  stores, 
blacksmith-shop,  hotel  and  about  fifteen  houses,  make  the 
greater  part  of  the  village.  A  Roman  Catholic  Church  is 
situated  about  two  miles  east  of  the  village. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

DANIEL  STEUERWALD,  proprietor  of  American,  Hotel, 
and  dealer  in  groceries  and  lumber,  Sherman  Station,  P.  O.  Odell, 
was   born   in    Germany  March   30,   1840 ;  came  to  the   United 


States  with  his  parents  in  1842,  settling  first  in  New  York  State, 
where  they  lived  for  a  short  time,  then  going  West  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  in  Milwaukee  in  1844,  and  in  1846  moved  on  a  fiirm  in 
Washington  Co.  In  1856  Daniel  went  to  Michigan,  and  in  1857 
went  South,  returning  in  1859  to  Wisconsin.  He  then  started  to 
farming,  which  he  followed  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
late  war  in  Co.  G,  26th  W.  V.  I.,  serving  for  two  years  and  nine 
months.  Then  he  returned  home  and  rented  his  farm,  at  the 
same  time  buying  a  grist-mill,  and  in  1874  went  to  Saukville, 
where  he  bought  a  saw-mill,  which  he  operated  until  1877,  when 
he  came  to  Sherman  and  started  the  hotel  of  which  he  is  now  pro- 
prietor. He  was  married  in  1860  in  Milwaukee,  to  Margaret 
Bloss,  by  whom  he  had  two  children  and  who  died  Oct.  15,  1867; 
was  married  to  his  second  wife,  Miss  Emma  Burns,  of  Wash- 
ington Co.,  Aug.  21,  1868. 


SILVER  CREEK. 
Three  miles  west  of  Random  Lake,  on  the  main  road  to 
Scott,  is  situated  the  busy  little  village  of  Silver  Creek. 
Here  is  found  a  hotel,  post  office,  distillery  and  brewery. 
The  Dutch  Reformed  and  Methodist  Churches  both  have 
neat  church  edifices  in  the  village.  A  short  distance  east  of 
the  village  is  a  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


TOWN  OF  MITCHELL. 

The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1846,  when  eleven 
families  located  in  the  town.  Becoming  impressed  with  the 
advantages  of  Fourierism,  they,  in  the  following  winter, 
petitioned  the  Territorial  Legislature  for  a  charter  under 
the  name  of  the  "Spring  Farm  Phalanx."  This  was  re- 
fused, and  many  of  the  families  left  the  town. 

The  first  organization  was  in  connection  with  Lyndon. 
The  town  was  organized  separately  in  1850,  under  the  name 
of  Olio.  At  this  time,  the  number  of  votes  cast  was  47. 
The  first  set  of  town  officers  consisted  of  the  following  per- 
sons: Chairman,  Patrick  Donahoe  ;  Supervisors,  William 
F.  Akin  and  William  Austin  ;  Treasurer,  Stephen  Gray  ; 
Assessor,  Peter  Preston;  Clerk  and  Superintendant  of 
Schools,  C.  W.  Humphrey. 

The  town  is  situated  on  the  Potash  Kettle  Range,  and  is 
entirely  agricultural.  The  population,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, is  Irish.  There  is  no  store,  post  office,  tavern,  saw- 
mill, grist-mill,  lawyer,  doctor  or  priest  within  the  limits  of 
the  town. 

TOWN  OF  SCOTT. 

Scott  is  the  southeast  corner  town  of  the  county,  Fond 
du  Lac  County  being  on  its  western  boundary,  and  Wash- 
ington County  on  its  southern.  Several  tributaries  of  the 
Milwaukee  River  flow  through  the  town,  and  agricultural 
pursuits  are  successfully  followed. 

The  first  settlement  was  made  in  1847  by  John  Cleaves, 
who  came  from  New  York.  Ezra  Floyd  and  the  Brazeltons 
were  other  early  settlers. 

A  school  was  established  in  184y. 

R.  C.  Brazelton  was  Chairman  of  the  first  town  meeting, 
which  was  held  in  April,  1860. 

Batavia,  the  only  village  in  the  town,  is  in  the  eastern 
central  part  of  it.  It  has  two  stores,  a  grist-mill,  hotel  and 
a  number  of  dwelling  houses.  The  nearest  railroad  station 
is  at  Sherman. 


HISTORY    OF    NORIHERN    WISCONSIN. 


TAYLOR    COUNTY. 


The  early  history  of  this  compact  county  of  Northern 
Wisconsin  and  its  latest  history  and  present  condition  are 
not  so  far  asunder  as  to  require  separate  treatment. 

The  county,  although  strong  and  vigorous,  is  not  yet  in 
its  "teens,"  and  it  has  thus  far  escaped  the  inflictions  inci- 
dent to  youthful  municipalities,  which  often  breaks  out  in 
the  form  of  bonded  indebtedness  foralleged  internal  or  other 
improvements. 

The  act  incorporating  the  county  was  approved  March 
4,  1875,  by  William  R.  Taylor,  Governor  of  the  State.  It 
has  for  its  neighbors  Chippewa  and  Price  on  the  north,  Lin- 
coln and  Marathon  on  the  east,  Marathon  and  Clark  on  the 
south,  and  Chippewa  on  the  west. 

The  county  was  taken  from  territory  formerly  belonging 
to  Clark,  Chippewa,  Lincoln  and  Marathon.  Ten  town- 
ships were  taken  from  Clark,  ten  from  Chippewa,  six  from 
Lincoln  and  one  from  Marathon — twenty-seven  townships — 
making  a  fair  sized  county,  forty-two  miles  long  from  east 
to  westa,  nd  twenty-four  from  north  to  south.  It  is  a  reg- 
ular parallelogram,  with  a  single  township  wanting  in  the 
southeast  corner,  where  it  is  impinged  by  Marathon  County. 

Gov.  Taylor,  in  accordance  with  the  act  creating  the 
county,  on  the  25th  of  March,  1875,  appointed  the  first 
officers  of  the  county,  as  follows  : 

County  Judge,  E.  R.  Prink  ;  District  Attorney,  J.  K. 
Parish ;  Sheriff,  E.  C.  Thomas ;  Clerk  Circuit  Court,  W. 
E.  Lockerby ;  County  Clerk,  Alfred  Dodge  ;  Register  of 
Deeds,  W.  B.  Jeffers ;  Treasurer,  F.  A.  Healy ;  Coroner. 
Enoch  Honeywell ;   School  Superintendent,  0.  N.  Lee. 

The  first  town  organization  was  that  of  Medford,  which 
is  supposed  to  have  been  named  in  honor  of  a  thriving  town 
in  Massachusetts,  near  Boston,  noted  for  a  specific  man- 
ufacture. 

The  first  election  was  held  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1875, 
with  the  following  result : 

Board  of  Supervisors— G.  W.  Adams,  Chairman;  Isaac 
Biscornet,  C.  C.  Palmer.  Treasurer,  W.  W.  Fry  ;  Clerk, 
A.  E.  Harder.  Assessors — M.  B.  Peterson,  Samuel  Barry, 
Peter  Liberty.     Justices — G.  S.  Phelps,  0.  N.  Lee. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  law,  the  Town  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors of  Medford  constituted  the  County  Board,  with 
full  power  until  the  election  on  the  3d  of  April,  187H. 

At  the  general  election,  on  the  2d  of  November,  1875, 
the  following  persons  were  duly  chosen  as  officers  for  Taylor 
County : 

District  Attorney,  J.  K.  Parish  ;  Sheriff,  Henry  Grant ; 
Clerk  Circuit  Court,  T.  G.  Jeffers ;  Treasurer,  F.  A.  Healy  ; 
Coroner,  Rasmus  Peterson  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools.  0. 
N.  Lee. 

The  acting  County  Board,  on  the  3d  of  September,  1875, 
by  resolution,  provided  for  the  organization  of  three  ad- 
ditional towns — Chelsea,  Little  Black  and  Wcstboro. 

On  the  3d  day  of  April,  187t),  at  the  regular  town  meet- 
ing, the  following  officers  were  duly  elected  : 

Supervisors — A.  E.  Harder,  Chairman  ;  Joseph  Nor- 
ton, William  Seeger.    County  Judge,  G.  S.  Phelps.    Asses- 


sor, Dennis  Needhani.  Justices — William  Smith,  Ch.  W. 
Cleveland.  Constables — Patrick  Dolan,  John  Danielson, 
P.  H.  Mulalley. 

The  very  first  actual  settler  in  the  county  was  Alvin  E. 
Harder,  who  located  a  homestead  in  Milford  on  the  5th  of 
December,  1872,  so  that  Mr.  Harder  is  the  pioneer  of  Tay- 
lor County. 

The  first  lawyer  was  C.  W.  Cleveland,  and  S.  B  Hub- 
bell  the  first  physician. 

The  first  frame  building  was  the  railroad  depot,  erected 
in  September,  1873,  by  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad 
Company.  The  ne.xt  frame  was  by  Silas  Buswell,  who  built 
a  hotel,  and,  having  been  appointed  Postmaster,  the  place 
was  also  used  as  a  post  office. 

When  the  county  was  organized,  there  was  a  large 
amount  of  Government  land  unsold  in  the  county. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  county  was  that  of  Mr.  George 
Matteson  with  Miss  Mary  Carr,  on  the  3d  of  April.  1875. 

Joseph  Norton  cast  the  first  vote  in  Medford.  He  also 
was  the  first  to  pay  a  tax  ;  was  on  the  first  jury,  and  it  may 
be  added  that  when  the  bank  was  established,  he  raaile  the 
first  deposit,  and  he  is  the  first  man  in  town  in  point  of 
avoirdupois,  and  in  all  respects  a  leading  citizen. 

At  the  first  election  in  the  county,  thei'e  was  but  one 
polling-place,  which  was  at  Medford,  and  there  were  197 
votes  cast. 

Lots  in  Medford  in  1875  were  laid  out  50x150,  and  sold 
by  the  railroad  company  and  the  mill  company,  who  were 
owners,  for  $25  each. 

William  Seeger,  it  is  said,  was  the  first  man  to  set  an 
example  of  neatness,  and  clean  up  the  rubbish  about  his 
house. 

Legal  business  at  first  was  not  very  brisk.  Here  is  a 
justice's  court  record  : 

Town  of  Meafonl,  \ 
Taylor  Couuty.     /'"• 

A.  vs.  B.,  April  3,  1876. 
Summons  duly  served,  and  parties  notified   to  appear  at  10  o'clock, 
April  'JIh. 

.\t  11  o'clock  neither  parties  appearing,  whereupon  the  court  went 
about  its  own  business. 

Attest:  . 

A.  F.  F.  Jensen  was  the  first  settler  in  what  is  now 
Little  Black,  in  1873,  and  he  lived  in  two  different  counties 
and  in  four  different  towns  in  four  consecutive  years  on  the 
same  spot.  At  first  it  was  Beaver,  Clark  County.  In 
1874,  it  was  changed  to  Mayville,  in  1875  to  Taylor  County, 
Medford,  in  1876,  to  Little  Black. 

In  1875,  the  people  of  Medford  donated  the  work  of 
putting  in  a  turn-table  for  the  railroad  company,  to  make 
this  a  terminus  of  a  freight  division,  the  company  supply- 
ing the  material. 

The  lumber  shipped  from  Medford  in  1875,  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

Lumber 1,64',1,588 

Shingles 11,071 

Number  of  oars  used '.291 

Amount  paid  for  freight |12,130.36 


HISTORY    OF   TAYLOR    COUNTY. 


In  1876,  Charles  McNaughton,  C.  H.  Gearhart  and 
C.  Sidel  were  engaged  in  building  town  roads. 

The  first  station  agent  was  W.  B.  Jeffers,  in  1873.  In 
the  fall  of  1874,  T.  G.  Jeffers  came  here,  and  went  into  the 
real  estate  and  abstract  business. 

Joseph  Norton  came  early  and  opened  a  place  two  miles 
east  of  the  village,  erected  a  cabin  and  did  his  own  house- 
work. When  the  County  Board  went  out  to  lay  out  the 
road,  he  gave  them  a  specimen  of  his  New  England  cook- 
ing, which  was  eaten  from  the  head  of  a  barrel. 

The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  runs  through  the  county 
from  south  to  north  east  of  the  center  of  the  State,  and  all 
the  villages  are  on  the  railroad,  which  is  the  point  d'appui 
upon  which  the  county  was  organized,  and  its  business  is 
supported.  The  company  owned  nearly  every  alternate 
section  in  eighteen  townships  in  the  county,  and  they  are 
now  rapidly  selling,  and  the  time  is  not  very  far  distant 
when  these  lands  will  be  in  the  hands  of  actual  settlers,  and 
Taylor  County  will  be  supporting  a  large  population. 

The  villages,  as  you  enter  the  county  from  the  south, 
are  Stetsonville,  where  there  is  a  mill,  owned  by  E.  K. 
Buttrick,  with  a  capacity  of  30,000  lumber  and  the  same  of 
shingles  per  day.  Then  comes  Medford,  seven  miles  from 
the  county  line  ;  six  miles  above  this  is  Whittlesey,  a  sim- 
ple side  track,  and  a  gravel  pit,  with  a  single  resident,  with 
homesteaders  about  there.  Chelsea  comes  next,  six  miles 
from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  county,  and  Westboro 
two  miles  from  the  county  line.  Eight  mdes  east  of  Med- 
ford is  Mink  Creek  settlement,  made  in  1879.  There  are 
now  fifteen  families,  mostly  Bohemians.  There  is  a  good 
school,  etc. 

There  are  no  large  rivers  in  the  county,  but  it  is  well 
supplied  with  small  streams,  many  of  them  with  a  log-driv- 
ing capacity  and  with  mill  privileges.  There  is  no  prairie 
in  the  whole  county  ;  it  is  solid  forest,  with  pine,  maple,  elm, 
ash,  oak,  bass,  butternut,  cedar,  hemlock,  spruce,  tamarack, 
balsam  birch — white  and  yellow,  etc.  In  the  town  of  Chel- 
sea, iron  ore  has  been  found,  and  is  reported  to  be  valuable. 
Kaolin  is  also  reported  in  a  workable  bed,  several  miles 
from  Medford.  It  is  said  to  be  remarkably  fine  and  free 
from  grit. 

THE  CENTENNIAL  YEAK. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1876,  C.  W.  Cleveland,  at  the 
centennial  celebration  of  American  independence,  delivered 
an  address,  presenting  the  history  and  condition  of  the 
shire,  town  and  county,  which  was  sixteen  months  old  on 
that  day. 

Nearly  all  trades,  professions  and  occupations  were 
tiiere  represented. 

Two  newspapers  were  catering  for  public  favor,  and  it 
may  be  said  were  struggling  for  existence — the  News  and 
the  Star. 

Four  steam  saw  mills  were  running,  one  in  each  village, 
and  one  planing  mill  at  Medford. 

There  were  seven  hotels,  four  at  Medford,  one  at  Chel- 
sea and  two  at  Westboro. 

One  physician,  S.  B.  Hubbell ;  five  lawyers — G.  W. 
Adams,  C.  W.  Cleveland,  S.  A.  Corning,  John  A.  Ogden 
and  J.  K.  Parish. 

There  were  tliree  abstract  and  real  estate  offices  and 
seven  saloons. 

Twelve  general  stores,  one  hardware  and  one  drug  store 
supplied  the  wants  of  the  people  in  their  several  directions. 


COUNTY    OFFICERS. 

1877-District  Attorney,  J.  K.  Parish  ;  County  Treasurer, 
W.  W.  Fry  ;  County  Clerk,  P.  Doyle  ;  County  Sheriff,  D. 
W.  Weedham ;  Clerk  of  Court,  Peter  McCourt ;  Register 
of  Deeds  ;  T.  G.  Jeffers  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  O.N. 
Lee;  Surveyor,  H.Ripley;   Coroner,  R.  Peterson. 

1879  and  1880— District  Attorney,  J.  K.  Parish; 
County  Treasurer,  S.  B.  Hubbell;  County  Clerk,  Peter 
Doyle  ;  Sheriff,  Eli  L.  Urquhart ;  Clerk  of  Court,  Peter 
McCourt;  Register  of  Deeds,  Isaac  Biscornet;  Superintend- 
ent, J.  B.  Anderson  ;  Surveyor,  A.  S.  Russell  ;  Coroner, 
I.  S.  Haskins. 

Chippewa  and  Taylor  Counties  were  the  Assemby  Dis- 
tricts in  1876,  and  were  represented  by  Cadwalader  J. 
Wiltze,  of  Chippewa  Falls. 

In  1877,  the  Assembly  District  became  Clark.  Lincoln, 
Taylor  and  Wood  Counties.  Freeman  D.  Lindsay,  ofNeills- 
ville,  was  the  Representative. 

In  1878,  Solomon  L.  Nason,  of  Nasonville,  was  in  the 
Assembly. 

N.  H.  Wither,  of  Neillsville,  had  that  honor  in  1879 
and  1880. 

The  Congressional  District  in  which  Taylor  County  is 
situated  embraces  the  northern  counties  of  the  State  with 
nearly  one-half  its  whole  territory. 

The  judicial  circuit  is  Lincoln,  Marathon,  Price,  Portage, 
Taylor,  Waushara,  Waupaca  and  Wood  Counties.  G.  H. 
Park  is  the  Judge. 

Valuation  of  the  countv  in  1880,  by  the  State  Board, 
$1,502,474.     Total  taxes  for  all  purposes,  $44,625. 

The  county  has  635,600  acres  ;  31,500  acres  of  school 
lands. 

E.  F.  Blowning,  of  New  York,  owns  25,000  acres. 

It  is  stated  that  the  land  will  yield  per  acre  as  follows  : 
wheat,  27  bushels ;  corn,  47  bushels  ;  oats,  50  bushels ; 
barley,  30  bushels  ;  potatoes,  230  bushels ;  turnips,  400 
bushels  ;  carrots,  etc.,  200  bushels  ;  millet,  3  tons  ;  hay,  2 
tons.     This  has  actually  been  done. 

The  population  of  the  county  in  1875  was  849.  In 
1880— Chelsea,  301  ;  Deer  Creek  and  Little  Black,  766 ; 
Medford,  1,017;  Westboro,  230.     Total,  2,314. 

In  1880.  the  amount  of  lumber  shipped  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin Central  Railroad  was  130,000,000  feet. 

As  the  war  closed  ten  years  before  the  county  was  organ- 
ized, there  is  no  war  record,  but  here  are  the  names  of  resi- 
dents of  the  county  who  were  in  the  army : 

Lewis  Brown,  Co.  I,  7th  W.  A^  I.,  millman,  Medford, 
Wis.;  M.  W.  Ryan,  Co.  I,  3d  W.  V.  C,  late  Town  Treasurer. 
Medford;  Joseph  Norton,  Jr.,  Co.  D,  7th  Maine  V.  I.,  pro- 
prietor hotel,  Medford ;  Patrick  Mallaley,  Co.  C,  17th  W. 
V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford;  George  Warner,  Co.  H.  15th  N. 
Y.  Engineers,  fiirraer,  Medford;  Fred.  Williams,  Co.  I, 
50th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Chelsea ;  G.  W.  Norton,  Co.  K, 
10th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Chelsea;  Patrick  Gallagher,  Co. 
K,  17th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Chelsea  ;  Lawrence  Chametzkey, 
Co.  L,  4th  W.  V.  C,  farmer,  Medford:  Patrick  Gaghen, 
Co.  B,  3d  W.  V.   I.,  laborer,   Medford ;  John  Nelson,  Co. 

B,  11th  Maine  V.  I.,  farmer.  Little  Black  :  John  Chrisraan, 
Co.  G,  36th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford;  L.  Hardkey,  Co. 
D,  12th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,   Medford;   William   Seeger.  Co. 

C,  4th  W.  V.  C,  proprietor  hotel.  Medford;  Valentine 
Chametzkey,  Co.  E,  26th  W.  V.  I.;  W.  J.  Robinson,  Co. 
B,  8d  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford ;  William  Perry,  Co.  F, 
7th  0.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford ;  WiUiam  Mars,  Co.  A,  2l8t 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


W.  V.  I.,  farmer.  Medford  :  Charles  Roberts,  Co.  A,  8oth 
W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford;  A.  King,  Co.  II,  Itith  N.  Y. 
V.  I.,  grocer,  Medford;  C.  H.  Gearhart,  6th  Batterj.  pro- 
prietor hotel,  Chelsea;  Fred.  Merhine,  Co.  C,  53d  W.  V. 
I.,  fanner,  Brennen,  Price  Co.;  Ira  Penney,  Co.  H,  4rth 
W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Chelsea  ;  Martin  Gordinier,  Co.  G,  21st 
W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Chelsea;  John  Worthington,  Co.  B,  1st 
W.  V.  C,  trapper,  Chelsea;  Dan.  Walrath,  Co,  K.  38th 
W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford;  G.  VV.  Adams,  Co.  C,  16th  W. 
V.  I.,  attorney  at  law,  Medford  ;  Vincent  Hirsch,  Co.  H, 
32d  W.  V.  I.'  farmer.  Little  Black;  James  Ness,  Co.  G. 
12th  W.  V.  I.,  farmer,  Medford;  S.  A.  Cook,  Co.  A,  2d 
W.  V.  C,  grocer.  Unity,  Wis.;  Isaac  Claggett,  Co.  A,  2d 
W.  V.  C.  farmer,  Colby.  Wis.;  James  Garnett,  Co.  A,  2d 
W.  V.  C,  farmer.  Unity,  Wis.;  H.  R.  Crowell,  Co.  A.  2d 
W.  V.  C,  farmer,  Spencer,  Wis.;  George  S.  Phelps,  Co. 
A,  2d  W^  V.  C,  druggist,  Medford,  Wis.  T.  G.  Jeffers 
and  Peter  Doyle,  Co.  Q,  8th  Missouri  Regulars.  They  live 
in  Medford,  Wis.,  and  want  to  go  along. 


Most  of  the  buildings  are  substantial  and  in  good  taste. 
Several  are  veneered  with  brick. 

There  are  good  facilities  for  drainage,  and  the  place 
must  continue  to  be  healthy.     It  is   constantly   improving. 

The  second  Monday  in  November.  1875,  was  the  oc- 
casion of  the  first  Circuit  Court  in  Taylor  County,  held  by 
Judge  Park. 

One  week  in  April,  1875,  the  amount  for  freight  re- 
ceived in  Medford  by  the  railroad  company  was  §1,770.83. 

In  1875,  the  railroad  company  gave  the  county  a  lot 
for  the  court  house,  316x500  feet,  a  whole  block. 

The  house  of  Mrs.  Cranney  was  destroyed  by  fire  on 
the  24th  of  June,  1876. 

About  the  same  time  the  Medford  House  was  burned, 
with  C.  Donaldson's  building,  occupied  as  a  saloon,  with 
a  loss  of  §1,500.     Donaldson  at  once  began  to  rebuild. 

In  the  early  history  of  Medford  and  Taylor  County,  there 
was  a  bitter  and  uncompromising  fight  over  the  location  of 
the  court  house.     In  writing  cotemporaneous  history,  it  is 


-* 


MEDFORD, 

The  shire  town  of  Taylor  County,  is  on  the  Wisconsin 
Central  Railroad,  at  a  point  where  it  touches  the  Black 
River,  which  runs  through  the  village  from  north  to  south. 
The  railroad  here  is  on  the  bottom  lands,  and  on  the  east 
the  ground  rises  quite  abruptly,  so  that  that  part  of  the  town 
is  much  higher  than  the  west  side,  which  also  is  higher 
than  the  depot  and  mill.  The  railroad  runs  20°  or  so 
west  of  north,  and  the  streets  correspond  in  this  respect. 
On  the  east  side,  the  streets  beginning  at  the  north,  at 
right  angles  with  the  track,  are  named  Pine,  Taylor,  Broad, 
Broadway,  Clark,  Ogden  and  South  streets.  Parallel  with 
the  railroad  the  streets  on  the  east  side  are  Front,  Second, 
Third,  etc. 

On  the  west  side,  the  cross  streets  are  Elm,  Cedar, 
River,  Spruce  and  Division  streets.  The  longitudinal 
streets  on  that  side  are  Wheelan  avenue.  Water,  West 
Second,  etc. 

Good  water  is  obtained  at  variable  depths. 


improper,  as  it  is  impossible,  to  characterize  such  a  con- 
troversy, as  it  will  be  designated  at  some  future  time,  when 
the  parties  to  the  contest  shall  have  passed  away  and  the 
personal  interests  involved  shall  have  become  obliterated. 
The  question  was  whether  the  court  house  should  be  on  the 
east  side,  where  the  mill-owners,  McCartney  and  Whelen, 
owned  the  land,  or  on  the  west  side,  on  the  hill,  where  the 
railroad  company  owned  the  land. 

To  secure  it  on  the  west  side,  the  mill  company,  with 
the  concurrence  of  the  advocates  of  that  location,  erected  a 
building,  had  it  inclosed  and  roofed-in.  That  building 
stood  unfinished  for  several  years,  and  was  finally  removed. 
Meantime  the  County  Board,  who  were  committed  to  the 
east  side  plan,  had  the  subject  referred  to  a  vote  of  the 
county,  and,  notwitstanding  it  was  overwhelmingly  in  favor 
of  the  west  side  project,  they  proceeded  to  contract  for  its 
construction  on  the  square  donated  by  the  railroad  com- 
pany. In  February,  1876,  the  contract  for  its  construction 
was  let   to  E.  Perrine  &   Co.  for  $5,200,  and  assigned  to 


HISTORY   OF   TAYLOR   COUNTY 


Roval  Green,  of  Waupacu,  who  proceeded  to  build,  and 
completed  the  stnietui-e,  an  injunction  procured  to  prevent 
the  work  having  been  dissolved  by  Judge  Park.  So  the 
court  house  was  thus  locatod,  leaving  many  wounds,  none 
of  which  healed  by  first  intention,  but  the  gradual  process 
of  granulation  is  going  on,  and  in  due  time  only  the  cica- 
trices will  remain  as  an  evidence  of  the  conflict  which  in- 
volved side  issues,  and  in  which  the  merits  of  the  case  were 
often  lost  sight  of  amidst  the  smoke  of  the  battle. 

In  the  summer  of  1876,  hemlock  bark  began  to  be 
shipped  as  a  commodity  from  Chelsea  and  other  stations 
in  the  county. 

May  8,  1877,  the  house  of  John  Herbst  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  most  of  the  contents  being  saved. 

In  the  early  autumn  of  1877,  the  Medford  Post  Office 
was  made  a  money-order  office. 

June  14,  1877,  the  house  of  T.  T.  Mulcahy  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire. 

At  1  o'clock,  April  19,  1878,  a  fearful  tornado  passed 
through  the  county  a  mile  north  of  Medford,  laying  every- 
thing low  for  a  hundred  rods  wide,  unroofing  houses,  kill- 
ing cattle  and  doing  other  damage. 

The  total  amount  of  land  sold  in  Taylor  County  in  1878 
was  19,802  acres,  at  an  average  price  of  $3.45. 

In  the  fall  of  1878,  a  fine  dramatic  company  was  or- 
ganized with  the  following  personnel :  James  E.  Clancy, 
Ch.  Clancey,  F.  A.  Healy,  Ed.  T.  Wheelock,  Charles 
Wade,  Miss  Delia  Keating,  Miss  Mamie  Wheelock  and 
Miss  Nellie  Patterson.  They  gave  the  citizens  such  plays 
as  "The  Drunkard's  Warning,"  "Fruits  of  the  Wine 
Cup,"  "The  Serious  Family,"  "The  Loan  of  a  Lover," 
and  "Paddy  Miles'  Boy."  The  company  still  exist,  and 
is  a  popular  corps. 

In  1878,  Medford  had  125  scholars  attending  school, 
where  five  years  before  was  an  Indian  camping  ground. 

In  March,  1879,  a  fine  deer  was  killed  within  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  of  Medford. 

At  the  spring  election  in  1879,  584  votes  were  cast  in 
the  county. 

In  May,  1879,  Medford  began  to  feel  metropolitan;  in 
one  week,  there  was  a  jewelry  peddler,  a  photographic  ex- 
hibition, a  traveling  photograph  gallery,  a  phrenologist  and 
a  book  agent,  and  the  town  was  threatened  with  a  minstrel 
troupe  from  Spencer  ! 

In  the  summer  of  1879,  the  young  ladies  of  Medford 
organized  an  "anti-gum  chewing  society,"  and  seriously  in- 
terfered with  the  gum  trade. 

September  3,  1879,  there  was  a  fire,  John  Taggart,  W. 
E.  Lockcrby,  Mr.  Russell  and  Mr.  Craney  were  inconsid- 
erable sufferers. 

The  great  flood:  June  12,  1880,  this  flood,  spoken  of 
80  frequently  in  this  work,  had  its  little  frolic  here.  The 
dam  overflowed  and  carried  out  a  100,000  feet  of  logs, 
sweeping  away  the  River  street  bridge.  The  boom  broke, 
but  the  logs  formed  a  jam  in  the  canal  and  remained.  The 
water  rose  to  the  level  of  the  floor  of  the  Forest  House. 
There  were  three  washouts  on  the  railroad  near  iiere. 

The  first  tent  show  in  the  form  of  a  fragmentary  circus 
struck  Medford  on  the  23d  of  August,  1881. 

The  whole  number  of  votes  cast  in  Taylor  County  in  the 
election  of  1880  was  574  ;  of  these,  300  were  for  the  Repub- 
lican candidates,  and  274  for  the  Democratic. 

The  southwest  corner  township  in  the  county  is  Det-r 
Creek.     The  other  towns  in  that  tier  constitute  Little  Black, 
65 


The  next  tier  across  the  county  is  Medford ;  the  next  Chel- 
sea, and  the  upper  row  Westboro.  The  last  three  contain 
seven  townships  each.  Little  Black  contains  five,  and  Deer 
Creek  one. 

J.  A.  King  is  the  pioneer  merchant,  who  began  business 
near  the  depot  in  a  small  way. 

A  saloon  was  early  established,  and  its  successor,  with 
several  competitors,  which  have  come  in  from  time  to  time, 
still  continue  t->  meet  the  demand  in  their  direction. 

On  the  11th  of  June,  1873,  the  first  tree  on  the  right 
of  way  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  in  the  countv  of 
Taylor,  was  cut  by  Frank  Chase. 

At  that  time,  Taylor  County  was  a  howling  wilderness ; 
that  is,  when  the  wind  blew,  or  the  wolves  were  in  tune. 
The  woodman's  ax  had  not  yet  resounded  through  her  for- 
ests, except  around  the  lonely  and  solitary  cabin  of  a  single 
adventurer.  What  it  now  is,  after  eight  years  of  labor 
bestowed  upon  refractory  stumps  and  stubble,  by  an  accu- 
mulating population,  inspired  with  industrial  ideas,  with 
brawny  arms  and  stout  hearts,  will  be  shown  in  the  remainder 
of  this  sketch  of  Taylor  County. 

Medford  has  a  cemetery  containing  seven  acres,  two  of 
which  have  been  set  apart  for  the  Catholics.  It  is  located 
a  mile  east  of  the  town,  on  the  State  road,  and  is  not  very 
thickly  inhabited. 

The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Company,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1881,  built  an  emigrant  house  near  the  track  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  village,  containing  seven  rooms  and  con- 
veniences for  newly  arrived  emigrants. 

C.  J.  Fay  is  station  agent.  The  monthly  amount 
received  for  incoming  freight  averages  about  $1,500  ;  out- 
going, $2,000 ;  passenger,  §300. 

Banking — Exchange  Bank  of  Medford,  a  private  bank, 
started  business  August  10,  1881,  with  a  cash  capital  of 
$5,000.  The  Milwaukee  correspondent  of  the  bank  is  the 
First  National  Bank.  The  New  York  correspondent  is 
Kountze  Bros.  The  bank  is  agent  for  the  Hamburg-Ameri- 
can Packet  Company,  S.  B.  Hubbell  is  President,  and  J. 
H.  Wheelock,  Cashier. 

Newspapers. — The  county  has  but  one  newspaper,  the 
Taylor  County  Star  and  News,  a  six-column  quarto  of  the 
Republican  persuasion.  Ed  Taylor  Wheelock  is  editor  and 
proprietor,  a  practical  printer  with  a  decided  newspaper 
genius  ;  but,  he  has  as  yet  been  unable  to  determine  whether 
the  county  was  named  after  him,  Abrara  Taylor,  of  Chel- 
sea, or  Gov.  William  R.  Taylor,  or  some  other  straggling 
member  of  the  Taylor  family. 

The  present  paper  is  the  result  of  a  consolidation  of  the 
Star  and  the  News,  the  history  of  which  is  as  follows  :  The 
News  was  first  published  on  Wednesday,  March  31,  1875, 
Ogden  Bros.,  editors  and  proprietors.  January  6,  1876,  J. 
E.  Ogden  became  editor,  and  F,  E.  Ogden,  publisher.  July 
6,  1876,  J.  A.  Ogden,  editor  and  publisher.  March  22, 
1877,  J.  A.  Ogden  and  George  M.  Patchen,  editors  and  pub- 
lishers. September  29,  1877,  Patchen  di.-^posed  of  his 
interest,  October  6,  1877,  H.  K.  Pitcher  bought  a  half 
interest.  Ogden  &  Pitcher  sold  the  whole  concern  to  S.  B. 
Hubbell,  who  at  the  time  owned  the  Star,  and  the  two  were 
consolidated.  The  Star  was  first  brought  out  March  18, 
1876.  G.  L.  Loope  was  imprinted  as  publisher,  and  George 
M.  Patchen,  editor.  Loope  sold  the  paper  to  E,  R.  Prink 
May  20,  1876.  January  1,  1877,  Corning  &  Cross  took 
charge  of  the  paper  for  Judge  Prink  in  the  summer  of  1877, 
when  E.  B.  Morley  leased  the  paper  and  ran  it  until  Novem- 


I026 


HISTORY     OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


ber,  when  it  was  purchased  by  Dr.  S.  B.  Hubbell.  The 
iStar  and  News  is  well  printed  and  well  edited,  and  cer- 
tainly deserves  the  support  it  receives  from  the  people  of 
the  county. 

Schools. — Medford  has  good  schools,  kept  in  a  good 
building,  with  two  departments. 

Miss  D.  E.  Damp  is  the  Principal,  with  Mamie  Wliee- 
lock  as  assistant. 

Miss  Belle  Cleveland  is  the  teacher  of  the  primai-y 
department. 

There  is  a  general  attendance  of  the  enrolled  pupils, 
and  the  training  is  thorough,  comparing  well  with  schools 
anywhere. 

In  other  parts  of  the  county  the  interests  of  education 
are  as  carefully  attended  to  as  tlie  sparseness  of  the  popula- 
tion will  admit. 

Churches. — The  history  of  the  early  struggles  of  the 
different  church  denominations  in  Medford  is  a  counterpart 
of  like  efforts  in  almost  all  the  other  recently  settled  North- 
ern Wisconsin  villages. 

The  Catholics  were  the  first  to  get  up  their  church, 
which  they  did  in  1877.  The  Methodists  came  next  with 
their  edifice  in  1879.  The  Episcopal  Church  was  built  in 
1880,  and  the  German  Lutheran  the  same  year.  The  Scan- 
dinavian Lutheran  was  erected  in  1881.  These  buildings 
are  all  small,  but  neat,  and  of  a  varied  style  of  architecture. 
They  are  all  on  the  west  side  of  the  town,  except  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran,  which  is  on  the  hill  on  the  east  side.  Most 
of  these  pulpits  have  supplies  instead  of  local  Pastors, 
although  from  present  appearances  they  will,  erelong,  have 
the  ability  to  support  their  preachers  without  outside  assist- 
ance. At  present  only  Rev.  J.  W.  Wells,  of  the  Methodist, 
and  Rev.  B.  Wugrodt,  of  the  German  Lutheran,  are  resident 
ministers. 

The  lumber  and  shingle-mill  in  the  midst  of  the  village 
has  quite  an  eventful  history.  It  was  built  by  James  Sem- 
ple  in  the  spring  of  1874,  who  soon  sold  an  interest  to 
Messrs.  Whelen  k  Roberts.  Semple  died,  and  Whelen 
succeeded  to  his  interest.  The  firm  was  then  Roberts  k 
Whelen.  David  McCartney  bought  Roberts'  interest,  and 
it  became  McCartney  &  Whelen.  On  the  death  of  Whelen 
in  September,  1870,  it  became  David  McCartney.  In  the 
fall  of  1881,  McCartney  sold  the  whole  establishment  to 
Ferguson  Bros,  wlio,  it  is  understood,  are  supported  by  W. 
II.  Butterfield.  of  Columbus  The  mill  is  a  good  one,  the 
logs  being  taken  from  a  pond  on  the  Black  River. 

W.  W.  Fry  has  a  mill  which  is  now  idle. 

Hardumre—T.  B.  Mc  Court. 

General  Mereliandisi' — Dodge  &  Healy,  Ferguson 
Bros.,  F.  W.  Mclntyre,  J.  B.  Thompson. 

Groceries  <|-  Provisions — Lewis  Brown,  Peter  Doyle.  S. 
H.  Keeler,  M.  W.  Ryan. 

Dnj  Goods,  Etc. — Blumberg  &  Shapiro. 

Drugs,  Paints  and  Oils— George  S.  Phelps.  Marsh  & 
Bailey. 

Meat  Markets — Lewis  Brown,  John  Carstens. 

Flour  and  Feed— Ch.  E.  Williams,  S.  H.  Rider. 

Manufacturers  of  Boots  and  Shoes — Nick  Shafer, 
William  Seidel. 

Blacksmiths — Lewis  Shepke,  Hans  Anderson,  Gus. 
Lupinski. 

The  mills  also  operate  blacksmith  shop.s. 

Laiuyers. — J.  K.  Parish,  District  Attorney  ;  G.  W. 
Adams,  S.  A.  Coming. 


Ph/sicians.—W .  F.  Abbott,  S.  B.  Hubbell. 

Clergymen. — Rev.  J.  W.  Wells,  Rev.  B.  Wugrodt.  | 

Saloons. — There  are  five  in  Medford.  i 

Hotels — Exchange    Hotel,    M.   W.   Ryan,    proprietor;         i 
Mrs.  M.  W.  Ryan,  housekeeper  ;   First  National   Hotel,  S.         , 
Burwell,  proprietor ;  Forest   House,    D.   McCartney,   pro- 
prietor ;   Central  House,  J.  M.  Meyer,  proprietor. 

Medford  has  the  usual  number  of  fraternal  orders,  and 
they  attract  the  average  number  of  adherents. 

Masonic. — Aledford  Lodge,  instituted  1881  ;  Eli  L. 
Urquhart.  W.  M.;  W.  W.  Fry,  T.  G.  Jeffers,  Sec;  J.  B. 
Hull,  J.  K.  Parish,  H.  J.  Grennell,  A.  Dodge,  A.  J.  Per- 
kins, S.  B.  Hubbell.  Meet  second  and  fourth  Thursdays 
of  each  month. 

Odd   Felloivs. — Medford    Lodge,    No.    1^92.   instituted 
December  23,  1879.      Charter   members — A.    J.    Perkins, 
P.  G.;  Eli  Urquhart,  N.  G.;  R.  M.   Williams,  S.  B.  Hub-         . 
bell,  Solomon  Keeler.     Present   officers — T.  G.  Jeffers,  N.         i 
G.;  J.  H.  Wheelock,  V.  G.;  S.   H.  Keeler,  Treas.;   E.   L.         \ 
Urquhart,  Sec.     Meets  Tuesday  evenings.  i 

A.  0.  U.  W. — Medford  "Lodge,  No.  78,  instituted  : 
January  22,  1880,  with  the  following  officers  :  F.  A.  Healy,  i 
P.  M.  W.;  Alfred  Dodge.  M.  W.;  T.  B.  McCourt,  F.  G.; 
S.  A.  Anderson,  R.:  W.  D.  Smith,  0.:  J.  Biscornel,  F.; 
S.  H.  Keeler,  J.  B.  Anderson,  S.  B.  Hubbell,  Trustees. 
Present  officers  E.  L.  Urquhart,  M.  W.  Ryan,  William  Sey- 
er,  Alfred  Dodge,  F.  A.  Healy.  Meets  Wednesday  evenings. 

Temple    of    Honor. — Wheelen,    No.     211,     instituted 
March   29.  1879.     W.  F.  Atwill.  C.  T.;  G.  W.  Adams,  P. 
C.  T.;  A.  C.  Stevens,  V.  T.;  E.  T.  Wheelock,  R.    Present 
officers— G.  W.  Adams,   C.  T.;   J.  0.  D.  Coleman,   V.  T.;         j 
Peter  Danielson,  R.     Meets  on   Saturday  evenings  :   fifty-         i 
two  members.  1 

Two  several  organizations  of  the  Good   Templars   have         ' 
been  instituted  here,  but  they  died  of  the  diseases  incident 
to  childhood. 

The  Timber  Belt  Railroad  is  projected  to  run  through 
Medford.  A  local  committee  has  been  appointed  to  look 
after  its  interests,  consisting  of  F.  A.  Healv,  T.  B.  Mc- 
Court. D.  McCartney,  S.  B.  Hubbell  and  Wil'liam  Seeger. 
Should  this  line  be  constructed,  it  will  cut  the  county  from 
east  to  west,  and  materially  assist  in  settling  it  up. 

The  death  of  President  Garfield  was  appropriately 
noticed  with  the  closing  of  business  and  memorial  services 
in  Music  Hall,  with  a  general  mourning  display. 

lilOCRAPHICAI,    SKETCHES. 

W.  F.  ATWKLL,  physician  and  surgeon,  Medford;  wa.s 
born  in  Now  York  City,  Feb.  27,  1849;  when  ten  years  of  aire 
he  went  to  Boonton,  N.  J.,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  and 
tlnTi  went  to  Orange  Co.;  in  1869  he  came  to  Stevens  Point, 
where  he  beiian  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  FhilHps  ;  he  also 
studied  at  Weyauwega,  but  his  health  failing,  ho  started  on  a  sur- 
vey with  Capt.  Pike.  In  1872  he  went  to  the  Ohio  Medical 
Collesre,  then  to  tlie  Cincinnati  College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery, 
and  graduated  in  1873  ;  commenced  practice  in  Weyauwega  In 
October,  1877,  came  to  Medford,  and  built  a  drug  store  together 
with  his  brother;  he  now  has  a  practice  of  §-1,000  a  year.  He 
married  in  1873,  but  lost  his  wife,  and  married  again  in  1875  to 
.Miss  Relief  tJrovcr,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Grover,  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Portage  Co.  They  have  two  eliildren — Willie  G.  and 
I'Vin  C.  Mr.  Atwell  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Encampment  and 
Temple  of  Honor. 

CHARLES  A.  ATWILL  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and 
educated  as  a  druggist.     He  came  to  Medford  in  1878,  and  estab- 


HISTORY   OF 'TAYLOR    COUNTY. 


lished  himself  as  a  druggist.  He  was  a  fine,  honorable  business 
man,  although  very  retiring.  He  died  in  Stevens  Point,  April  16, 
ISSO,  aged  29  years.  He  was  there  under  the  treatment  of  his 
uncle.  Dr.  Phillips. 

G.  W.  ADAMS,  attorney,  Medford,  was  born  in  Oxfordshire, 
Isngland,  March  4,  1846.  His  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1851,  and  located  at  Beaver  Dam,  when  that  place  was  nothing 
but  a  trading  post.  He  had  no  advantages  for  an  education,  and 
went  to  school  when  about  fourteen  years  of  age  for  the  first  time. 
He  enlisted  in  the  i6th  Wis.  V.,  Co.  C.  Four  of  his  brothers 
were  in  the  army,  and  one  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Ailanta, 
July  22,  1864  He  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  and  made  a  visit 
to  "Minnesota,  but  came  home  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his 
parents  are  living  yet.  He  next  went  to  Waterloo,  and  entered 
Prof  Hall's  Academy,  and  then  attended  the  Lake  Mills  High 
School,  in  Jefferson  County.  He  worked  during  the  Summer  at 
farm  work,  to  get;  the  means  with  which  to  go  to  the  Beaver  Dam 
University.  In  1868-9,  he  went  to  the  Madison  University  till 
he  had  advanced  to  the  senior  year,  but  on  account  of  his  health 
was  obliged  to  discontinue  his  studies  at  that  time.     He  returned, 


however,  in  1873,  and  graduated  from  the  law  department,  and 
that  Winter  taught  school  in  the  town  of  Loweil,  where  he  com- 
menced his  career.  He  went  from  Stevens'  Point  to  Waupaca, 
where  he  entered  the  law  ofiice  of  Judge  Ogden,  when  he  and  the 
Judge's  son  came  to  Medford  and  edited  the  Taylor  County  News. 
He  opened  a  law  ofiice,  and  is  now  in  the  real  estate  and  general 
law  business.  In  1877  he  married  Miss  Augusta  Stewart,  of 
Danville,  Dodge  Co.  They  have  had  two  children — ^Kllon  Maud, 
who  died  when  ten  months  old,  and  Florence  Kthel,  born  in  1880. 
Mr.  Adams  was  the  first  Chairman  of  the  County  and  Town 
Boards  here,  and  has  been  Court  Commissioner  for  six  years.  lie 
belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor  and  the  Colby  Lodge  of  I.  0.  O  F. 
He  has  a  fine  farm  on  Sec.  35,  of  120  acres;  also  owns  town 
property. 

ISAAC  BISCORNET,  Register  of  Deeds,  Medford;  was 
born  in  Canada,  some  twenty  miles  from  Montreal,  Feb.  18,  1845. 
When  twenty  years  of  age  he  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  at  a 
place  named  New  Baltimore  engaged  in  lumbering  till  1867, 
when  he  went  to  Green  Bay.     In  1873,  he  came  upon  his  present 


farm,  near  Little  Black,  where  he  has  80  acres.  In  1S74,  he 
served  on  the  County  Board,  and  at  the  same  time  on  the  Town 
Board  as  Supervisor,  of  which,  in  1877,  he  was  Chairman  on 
both  ;  he  is  now  Town  Clerk  for  Little  Black,  and  in  1880  was 
elected  Register  of  Deeds.  In  1880,  he  married  Miss  Maggie 
Sheff,  of  Fond  du  Lac  ;  they  have  one  child — Harrie  Paul.  Mr. 
Biscornet  attends  the  Catholic  Church,  and  belongs  to  the 
I.  0   0.  F.  and  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

BLUMBERG  &  SHAPIRO,  Medford;  established  Dec.  10, 
1879 ;  carry  a  stock  of  $4,500  in  dry  goods,  furnishing  goods 
and  groceries,  and  do  a  business  of  between  $10,000  and  $12,000 
a  year.  Jacob  Shapiro  was  born  in  Poland,  Dec.  25,  1851,  and 
emigrating  to  America  in  1871  ;  while  in  New  York  engaged  at 
carpenter  work  till  1875;  then  went  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  to 
Chicago,  and,  finally,  to  Medford.  In  1881,  he  married  Miss 
Bertha  Frank,  of  Paris.  Mr  Shapiro  belongs  to  the  Jewish 
Church. 

FRANK  BRODOUSKY,  .saloon,  Medf.rd;  was  born  in 
Poland,  Oct.  4,  1852;  arrived  in  New  York  in  1871  ;  went  from 
there  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  after  various  changes  finally  reached 
Berlin,  Green  Lake  Co.,  where  he  opened  a  saloon.  In  1874, 
he  went  to  Wolf  River;  and,  in  1876,  came  to  Medford ;  and  in 
the  spring  of  1880  started  his  present  business.  March,  of  1881, 
he  married  Miss  Minnie  Dupke,  of  Germany. 

LEWIS  BROWN,  grocer  and  butcher,  Medford;  was  born 
in  Minchen,  Germany,  May  1,  1847;  arrived  in  Baltimore  in 
1856  ;  went  to  Chicago,  wherehe  was  engaged  as  a  freight  agent 
on  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  In  1861  enlisted  in  the  7th'W.  V.  I., 
Co.  I.  In  the  battle  of  Antietam  he  was  wounded  in  the  arm, 
and  was  sent  to  the  hospital  iu  Jackson  Square,  Baltimore ;  was 
discharged,  and  sent  to  Columbus  and  re-enlisted  in  the  38th  Wis., 
Co.  H,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1865;  he  worked  in  Columbus, 
Ohio,  and  on  a  farm  for  two  years ;  then  with  wagon  and  family,  emi- 
grated to  Oconto,  where  he  suffered  from  that  great  fire  that  swept 
the  pineries  in  1871 ;  he  had  little  left,  but  stayed  till  1874,  when 
he  came  to  Medford.  The  mill  company  sent  him  to  Duluth, 
Minn.,  and  established  a  yard  there,  they  also  sent  him  to  Green 
Bay.  When  he  came  back,  he  went  into  his  present  business.  In 
1869,  he  married  Miss  Hart ;  she  died  in  1876.  In|187S,  he  married 
Miss  Cleaiber;  Frank  and  George  are  by  the  first  m_arriage,  and 
Lewis  and  Viola,  by  the  second.  Mr.  Brown  was  Supervisor  in 
1877  and  '78,  School  Clerk  for  two  years,  and  Town  Treasurer  for 
1880  and  '81 ;  he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Working- 
men  ;  his  family  attend  the  Episcopal  Church. 

C.  D.  BRUNS,  jeweler,  Medford;  was  born  in  Sheboygan  Co., 
Wis.,  Sept.  25, 1853;  lived  there  tiiri877.  He  went  to  Milwau- 
kee in  1872  and  worked  at  jeweler's  trade.  He  came  to  Medford 
in  1877,  where  he  opened  in  business  and  is  building  a  fine  store 
and  residence.  In  1879  he  married  Miss  Clara  Springer,  of  She- 
boygan Co.  Mr.  Bruns  lost  his  fiither  in  1865  ;  his  mother  still 
lives  in  Sheboygan.    He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Reform  Church. 

S.  BUSWELL,  proprietor  of  First  National  Hotel,  Medford; 
was  born  in  Penobscot  Co.,  Maine,  Nov.  22,  1836;  was  reared  on 
a  fanu,  and  was  engaged  in  trading  and  lumbering  before  coming 
West.  He  came  to  Medford  Oct.  20,  1873,  bought  two  lots  and 
built  a  house,  18x26,  "which,  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  only 
house  in  the  place,  besides  the  station,"  became  a  hotel  and  was 
well  filled  by  lumbermen  and  homesteaders.  This  was  called  the 
Black  River  House;  afterward  he  built  the  "National."  In  1863, 
Dec.  19,  he  married  Miss  Bell  Carpenter,  of  Maine.  They  have 
one  daughter — Clara  Louisa.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  the 
County  Board,  1880;  Chairman  Town  Board;  Justice;  was  the 
first  Postmaster  in  Medford,  and  belongs  to  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  and 
Temple  of  Ilnimr.  He  attends  thi>  Kpiscopal  Church,  and  is  now 
Treasurer  of  iW  M-hnnl  ihml-  Inr  1-<S1. 

JOHN  C.MISTIlN.liiii.  li,r.  M.dtord;  was  born  in  Schleswig 
Holstein,  (Jermanv,  .\nv  L'l.  l^io.  [n  1862  he  landed  in  New 
York,  and  after  a"  stay  of  nineteen  months  came  to  Fond  du  Lac, 
Wis.,  and  went  into  his  present  business.     He  visited  various  parts 


I028 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


of  the  country,  and  in  1S72  went  to  New  Holstein,  in  Calumet 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  till  the  spring  of  1881.  when  he 
came  to  Medford.  In  June  of  that  year  he  paid  a  visit  to  his 
fatherland.  In  1864  he  married  Miss  Swartz,  of  Fond  du  Lac; 
they  have  had  seven  children — Theodore,  Rosa,  Levi,  Kmma, 
Mena,  Lillic,  Tena  and  Henry,  deceased.  Mr.  Car.sten  belongs  to 
the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

ELI  AS  CLEVELAND,  farmer,  Sec.  26,  P.  0.  Medford  ;  born 
in  New  Brunswick,  Canada,  Dec.  12,  1815;  he  went  to  Oshkosh 
in  1857,  and  from  there  came  to  Medford  in  spring  of  1874,  and 
moved  on  a  homestead  which  he  had  already  taken.  His  family 
came  in  1876;  he  is  now  engaged  in  farming.  Married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Walters,  of  New  Brunswick  ;  she  is  of  English  descent. 
They  have  five  children— Anna,  Belle,  Alma,  Nellie  and  Frank. 
The  son  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  April  15,  1860,  and  there  attained 
his  education  ;  he  came  to  Medford  with  the  family  and  lived  on 
the  farm  till  he  went  to  work  in  the  planing  mill,  and  later  in  the 
printing  office.  In  1878  he  began  clerking  in  the  same  place  he 
now  oceujiics.     He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

JUDSON  A.  CLEVELAND,  with  M.  W.  Ryan,  Medford  ; 
born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  July  27.  1860.  When  six  years  of  age 
his  parents,  Samuel  F.  Cleveland  and  Anna  Cleveland,  moved  to 
Dupere,  where  he  lived  till  1874,  when  he  came  to  Medford,  his 
father  buying  a  house  and  lot  here,  and  also  a  homestead  of  120 
acres  on  Sec.  26.  Judson  was  a  clerk  for  Dodge  &  Healy  for  six 
years,  then  went  to  assist  his  flither  on  the  farm  ;  has  lately  en- 
tered his  present  position.  He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor, 
of  which  he  is  Financial  Recorder. 


ALFRED  DODGE,  of  the  firm  of  Dodge  &  Healy,  general 
store,  Medford,  was  born  in  Addison,  Steuben  Co.  N.  Y.,  Jan.  25, 
1839.  In  1856  he  came  to  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  and  began  farming 
near  Husti.sford.  Shortly  afterward  he  moved  to  Grand  Rapids. 
Between  these  two  places  he  continued  to  do  a  variety  of  business 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1860  he  went  to  Galena, 
but  returning  home,  attended  the  Horicon  High  School.  lie 
taught  school  in  the  Winters  of  1861  and  1862.  then  went  to 
Milwaukee  and  entered  the  Commercial  College,  where  he  grad- 
uated. Soon  after,  he  commenced  keeping  books  for  the  Victory 
Mills.  From  this  he  worked  at  millwrighting,  and  then  learned 
dentistry.  In  1874  he  came  to  Medford,  where  he  worked  first 
in  the  mill,    then    as   book-keeper.      He   was    appointed    County 


Clerk,  and  in  1875  was  re-elected.  That  same  year  he  entered 
up  III  his  present  business.  The  firm  carry  a  stock  of  89.000, 
and  do  a  business  of  about  S3(),000.  He  was  married  Jan.  16, 
1874,  to  .Mi.ss  Emma  Houston,  of  Dexterville,  Wood  Co..  daugh- 
ter of  L.  A.  Houston.  Their  children  are  Irving  L.  and  Liston, 
They  lost  one  child  named  Alfred.  In  addition  to  the  County 
Clerk's  office,  he  has  held  the  position  of  School  Clerk,  and  is 
now  master  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  belonging  also  to  the  Masonic 
lodge. 

PETER  DOYLE,  saloon  and  grocery,  Medford,  w.is  born  in 
Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  Sept.  28,  1851.  He  learned  the 
carpenter  trade.  In  1875  he  came  to  Medford  and  built  the 
house  he  now  occupies.  In  1876,  with  a  partner,  he  kept  the 
Forrest  House;  in  1877  was  elected  County  Clerk  on  the  Inde- 
pendent ticket;  re-elected  in  1879,  and  still  holds  that  office.  In 
1878  he  married  Miss  Stella  H.  HaniSn,  of  Grand  Rapids.  They 
have  three  children — Mary,  Vincent  E.  and  Leila  E.  Mr.  Doyle 
belongs  to  the  workingmen  and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

W.  W.  FRY,  shingle-mill  and  farmer,  Medford,  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  26,  1846.  He  came  to  WaupaCa  Co., 
Wis.,  with  his  mother,  having  lost  his  father  in  the  Lake  Erie  ; 
he  lived  there  till  1862,  and  then  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he 
learned  engineering,  which  he  adopted  for  his  business.  July  5, 
1874,  he  came  to  Medford  and  opened  a  saloon.  He  bought  the 
Black  River  House,  which  he  managed  till  1876,  when  he  built  a 
house  of  his  own.  In  1880  he  built  a  shinizle-mill,  with  a  capac- 
ity of  30,000  a  day.  He  owns  200  acres  of  land.  In  1875  he 
married  Miss  Katie  Thompson,  of  Dorchester.  They  have  three 
children — Laura  B.,  Robert  Moore  and  Frank  W.  He  was  first 
Town  Treasurer  before  the  precincts  were  formed  ;  was  re-elected 
in  1879-80,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge. 


^S/.^^^ 


F.  A.  HEALY,  of  the  firm  of  Dod-e  &  Healy,  Mcdtbrd,  was 
born  in  Markesan,  Green  Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  11,  1851.  When 
four  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Horicon,  where  he  remained 
until  his  eighth  year,  when  the  family  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac. 
There  he  went  to  the  graded  school,  and  in  1868  to  Ripon  Uni- 
versity. In  1871  he  was  a  clerk  at  Ft.  Howard,  and  came  to 
Medford  with  Mr.  Wheelon,  by  whom  he  was  employed  until  he 
began  his  present  bu.sine.ss  in  1875.  He  was  the  first  County 
Treasurer  of  Taylor,  being  appointed  by  Gov.  Taylor,  and  re-elected 
in  1876.  In  1874  he  married  Miss  Sar.ah  J.  Williams,  of  Colum- 
bia Countv.  They  have  three  children — Edna  t  docensod  i,  Maud 
E.  and  Ada  M.  He  belongs  to  the  I.  0.  0.  F..  th.>  Workingmen 
and  the  T.  of  II.  Mr.  Healy's  father,  Joseph  Walter  Healy,  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Green  Lake  County,  having  come  there  in 


HISTORY   OF   TAYLOR   COUNTY. 


1029 


1845,  and  as  a  millwric^ht  built  mills  at  Markesan,  Fairwater, 
Horicon,  Kekoskee  and  Foud  du  Lac.  He  was  of  English 
descent,  and  in  1879  died,  leaving  six  boys,  of  whom  F.  A.  is 
the  oldest. 

S.  B.  HUBBELL,  physician  and  .surgeon,  Medford,  was  born 
in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  April  27,  1854.  In  1870  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  commenced  practice  in  Fond  du  Lac,  and 
then  went  to  New  York  City  and  entered  the  Medical  College, 
taking  full  courses,  and  graduated  from  the  Bellevue  Hospital. 
In  1875  returned  to  Foud  du  Lac,  and  from  there  came  to  Med- 
ford. He  is  now  railroad  physician  on  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  examining  physician  for  pensions,  and  has  accepted  the 
office  of  County  Treasurer  for  Taylor  County,  term  of  1881  ;  is 
also  the  originator  of  the  S.  B.  Hubbell  &  Co.  Exchange,  of  Med- 
ford, which  opened  July  15,  1881.  He  belongs  to  the  most 
of  the  lodges. 

T.  G.  JEFFERS,  real  estate,  Medford,  was  born  in  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  22,  1833.  He,  with  his  parents,  removed  to 
Jefferson  Co.,  where  he  attained  an  education.  He  sailed  on  the 
lakes  till  1857,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  to  his  father's  farm  in 
Waupaca  Co.  Here  he  taught  school.  He  married  Miss  Adeline 
M.  Severance,  of  Portage  Co.  After  farming  awhile,  he  came  to 
Medford  and  opened  an  abstract  office,  in  company  with  Samuel 
Miles.  He  served,  under  appointment  in  his  brother's  place,  as 
Register  of  Deeds,  in  1876 ;  before  the  term  expired  he  was 
elected  Clerk  of  Court,  and  has  filled  town  offices  at  different 
times  ;  was  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Waupaca  Co.  He  be- 
longs to  the  I.  0.  0.  F.;  is  N.  G.  elect;  he  also  belongs  to  the 
Masons  in  Jledford. 

S.  H.  KEBLER,  Postmaster  and  merchant,  Medford,  was 
born  in  Ogdensburg,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  3,  1851.  In 
1868  he  was  employed  in  a  store  in  Chicago,  but  after  the  great 
fire  he  left  for  Grand  Haven,  Mich.,  where  he  went  into  business 
with  his  brother.  On  the  death  of  his  brother,  he  went  to  Chilton, 
Wis.,  and  later  to  Oshkosh,  where  he  kept  books.  He  then  came 
to  Medford,  where  he  clerked  in  the  Medford  House.  In  1876 
he  was  appointed  Under  Sheriff,  and  before  the  expiration  of  his 
service  he  received  the  appointment  of  Postmaster,  with  which  he 
combined  the  business  of  stationery.  He  now  has  a  stock  of 
$1,500  and  a  business  of  $15,000  a  year.  In  1874  he  married 
Miss  Emma  J.  Harsh,  of  Stockbridge,  Wis.  They  have  had  two 
children — Gracie  May,  deceased,  and  Harry  B.  Mr.  Keeler  be- 
longs to  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  and  the  Temple  of 
Honor.     His  father  was  a  Representative  in  1875. 

DAVID  McCartney,  lumberman,  Medford,  was  born  in 
County  Down,  Ireland,  Sept.  14,  1815  ;  emigrated,  in  1821,  to 
Ohio,  with  his  parents  ;  located  in  Belmont  Co.,  and  began  busi- 
ness. He  afterward  engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  milling  inter- 
ests and  in  railroad  business.  In  1856  he  went  to  Oshkosh, 
and  in  1864  he  moved  to  Fort  Howard,  which  is  still  his  home. 
In  1874  ho  bought  into  the  firm  of  Roberts  &  Wheelan,  sawmill. 
He  has  also  a  store  of  general  merchandise  and  the  Forrest  House 
Hotel  in  Medford,  as  well  as  the  branch  office  in  Fort  Howard. 
The  mills  in  Medford  are  producing  daily  50,000  feet  of  lumber, 
100,000  shingles,  6,000  laths  and  800  pickets.  The  planing-mill 
has  a  full  set  of  new  machinery,  and  is  now  running  a  full  capac- 
ity. The  store  has  a  stock  of  some  $8,000.  The  entire  estab- 
lishment does  a  business  of  $140,000  a  year.  In  1834  he  married 
his  first  wife.  She  died,  leaving  three  children — William,  Ellen 
and  Thomas.  He  married  again  in  1845,  to  Mi.ss  Harris,  of 
Belmont.  They  have  three  children — Lizzie,  Emma  and  Viola. 
Mr.  McCartney  has  never  aspired  to  public  office,  but  always  re- 
fused to  serve.  During  the  war,  while  in  Belmont  Co.,  he  was 
Provost  Marshal.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

F.  W.  McINTYRE,  general  merchandise,  Medford,  was  born 
in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  June  4,  1853;  his  fir.'-t  business  venture 
was  keeping  a  restaurant  ;  he  came  to  Medford  and  opened  a  meat 
market  with  firm  of  King  &  Mclntyre;  in  fall  of  1880,  put  up 
his  own  building  and  opened  his  present  business,  and  does  a  busi- 


ness of  about  $15,000  a  year.  In  1872  he  married  Miss 
Sadie  Simmonds,  of  Winnebago  Co.  They  have  four  children — 
Edith,  Geneva,  Freddie  and  Viola. 

T.  B.  McCOURT,  hardware,  Medford.  was  born  in  Buffalo, 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  21,  1848  At  six  years  of  age  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  where  he  received  his  educa- 
tion. In  the  Spring  of  1876  he  came  to  Medford  and  opened  his 
hardware  store.  At  first  was  the  only  one  interested  in  the  busi- 
ness, but  the  firm  now  is  T.  B.  McCourt  &  Bros.  They  crrry  a 
stock  of  $3,500,  and  do  a  business  of  $15,000  per  annum.  In 
1869  he  married  Miss  Frances  J.  Tarbell,  of  Weyauwega.  They 
have  three  children — John,  Genevieve  and  Paul  R.  Mr.  McCourt 
held  the  office  of  Chairman  of  Town  and  County  Board  in  1877 
and  1878;  was  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Court  from  1878  to  the  next 
January  of  1882,  and  is  the  County  Judge  for  Taylor  County  in 
1882  and.  1883.  He  opened  the  first  business  house  on  the  west 
side  of  town.  He  is  master  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  treasurer  of 
the  Temple  of  Honor  ;  also  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 


OnAA/T' 


A.  J.  PERKINS,  real  estate  dealer,  Medford,  was  born  in 
Windsor  Co.,  Vermont,  Dec.  27,  1830;  he  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1853,  stopping  in  Jefferson  Co.,  where  he  taught  school;  later  he 
worked  as  carpenter  and  joiner ;  he  was  at  one  time  foreman  of 
the  Wisconsin  Manufacturing  Company  ;  in  1874.  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk  ;  was  re-elected  in  187'; ;  moved  to  Medford  in  1878  ; 
he  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  having  cleared  forty  ;  he  has  a 
grocery  which  is  managed  by  his  only  son,  Frank  M.  In  1859 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  M  Winterling,  of  Germany  ; 
he  belongs  to  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  and  the  Masons. 

GEORGE  S.  PHELPS,  druggist.  Medford,  was  born  at 
Alburg  Springs,  Vt.,  Nov.  19,  1839;  he  came  with  his  father 
to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  and  settled  on  a  farm  iniFond  du  LacJCo., 
on  about  800  acres;  in  1862,  enlisted  in  the  2d  Wis.  Cav.;  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service  in  1865.  as  2d  Lieutenant;  he  then 
returned  home  to  the  farm,  where  he  found  his  father  raising  fine 
stock  ;  in  November,  1874,  he  came  to  Taylor  Co.,  and  located  at 
Westboro  ;  in  the  spring  of  1875,  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  ; 
moved  to  Medford,  and  opened  his  office ;  became  interested  in 
the  drug  business  with  Dr.  Hubble,  until  1877  ;  the  firm  was  G.  S. 
Phelps  &  Co.;  in  1 879,  he  bought  the  entire  business,  which  is  worth 
$2,000  a  year;  in  1878,  he  was  made  Judge.  In  1879,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  "Eleanor  Miller,  of  Greenbush,  Wis.,  at  the  re.sidenco  of 


ro30 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


W.  P.  Bartlett,  in  Eau  Claire,  Rev.  E.  E.  Clough,  performing  the 
ceremony;  she  was  at  that  time  a  teacher  in  the  High  School  of 
that  place;  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  M.  E.  Church,  which 
they  have  helped  to  build  up  ;  he  luis  a  land  agency  for  some  25,- 
000  acres,  on  which  to  locate  the  emigrants  coming  into  and  build- 
ing up  the  State. 

JUDGE  E.  R.  PRINK,  farmer,  Sec.  22,  P.  0.  Medford,  was 
born  in  New  York,  March  12,  1824  ;  he  was  reared  near  the  Hud- 
son River,  where  he  had  ouly  common  school  education,  and 
where  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  has  followed  together 
with  farming  and  lumbering  all  his  life.  In  1845,  he  was  married 
Miss  Eleano'r  Brado,  of  Columbia  Co.;  he  engaged  in  the  lumber- 
ing business  at  Albany,  and  in  fiirming  in  Columbia  Co.;  in  1868, 
he  went  to  Osbkosh,  Wis.,  and  worked  at  carpenter  work  till  1874, 
when  he  came  to  Medford  and  took  120  acres  of  Government  land, 
which  he  now  owns  and  farms;  in  1876,  he  bought  the  Taylor 
County  Star,  but  afterward,  sold  it ;  he  was  appointed  County 
Judge  of  Taylor  Co.  in  1874,  and  again  in  1876,  by  Gov.  Lud- 
ington ;  he  was  in  the  mercantile  business  in  1878,  but  is  now 
living  on  his  farm  ;  he  has  three  children — Jane,  deceased  ;  Uretta 
A.  and  Edwin  P.  While  Judge  Prink  was  District  Treasurer,  he 
was  the  one  that  aided  in  putting  up  the  fine  school  of  Medford, 
securing  the  loan  necc.s.sary  to  build.  Mr.  Prink  was  not  in  the 
army,  but  four  of  his  brothers  were. 

M.  W.  RYAN,  restaurant  and  boarding-house,  was  born  in 
Burlington,  Vt.,  Dec.  10,  1847;  moving  to  Bristol,  Conn.,  went 
to  school  there,  and  came  to  Milwaukee.  He  received  his  early 
schooling  in  Waukesha,  Wis.,  where  his  mother  now  lives.  In 
1860,  he  went  on  to  the  Lakes,  and  in  1861  attempted  to  go  with 
the  28th  Reg.  W.  V.  I.,  as  drummer  boy.  In  186.S,  in  spite  of 
his  youth,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D.  3d  W.  V.  C.  He  served  till 
1865,  and  was  mustered  out.  In  1866.  went  to  Oshkosh,  then  to 
Ft.  Howard,  and,  in  1874,  came  to  Medford;  in  1877,  he  was 
elected  Town  Treasurer,  wliich  office  he  held  for  three  years,  and 
in  1878  and  1879  was  Deputy  Sheriff.  In  1880,  he  opened  his 
restaurant.  He  is  now  building  a  house  on  Front  street,  60x26, 
at  a  cost  of  82,000,  to  accommodate  his  increased  business.  In 
1842,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Wagner,  of  Waukesha.  They  have 
three  children — Macgie,  Mary  E.  and  Nellie.  He  was  the  first 
Treasurer  of  both  the  I.  0.  O.  F.  and  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  and  bo- 
longs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

WILLIAM  SEEGKR,  livery  stable.  Medford,  was  born  in 
Tonawanda,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  7,  1842.  He  went  with 
his  parents  to  Sheboygan  County  in  1855,  where  they  settled  on 
a  farm,  in  the  town  of  Lina  ;  in  1857,  he  went  to  Manitowoc,  and 
learned  the  butchir's  trade.  He  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  the  4th 
Wisconsin  Cavalry,  Co.  C,  and  served  till  18(!H,  when  he  re-en- 
listed, and  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Morgana;  was  on  the 
gunboat.  Albatross,  for  six  weeks,  and  returning  to  his  regiment, 
on  the  17thof  November,1864,wastaken  pri.soner, but  was  paroled; 
went  to  Vicksburg  an  1  thin  home,  on  sick  furlough  ;  was  mus- 
tered out,  at  Madison,  Wis.;  returned  to  Sheboygan,  and  resumed 
his  trade.  In  1867,  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Knoublack,  of 
Sheboygan.  On  Nov.  15,  1874,  he  came  to  Medford  and  opened 
a  butcher-shop,  then  kept  the  Central  House,  and  finally  began 
his  present  business.  He  has  a  branch  at  Spencer,  Marathon 
Co.  He  was  the  first  German  settler  in  Taylor  Co.  They  have 
three  children — Artie,  Lewis  and  William.  He  belongs  to  the 
United  Workmen  and  the  Odd  Fellows;  has  been  Supervisor  and 
Deputy  Sheriff. 

W.  D.  SMITH,  furniture,  Medford;  was  born  in  Tioga  Co., 
Penn.,  August  27,  1830.  The  family  moved  to  Tompkins  Co, 
N.  Y.,  in  1841,  where  he  learned  cabinet  maker's  trade.  In  1862 
he  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  went  into  the  employ  of  Govern- 
ment, manufacturing  officers'  desks,  etc.  In  1864  he  located  in 
Columbia  Co.  and  opened  hotel  in  Cambria.  A  fire  destroyed  all 
he  had,  when  he  came  to  Medford  and  opened  furniture  store ;  his 
wife  having  started  a  milliner  shop.  In  1855  he  married  Miss 
II    N.  .Murdock.     They  have  two  children — Josephine,  now  Mrs. 


Price,  and  Solomon.     Mr.  Smith  has  been  School  Treasurer  for  I 

four  years ;  belongs  to  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  owns  a  farm  of  40  acres.  | 

JAMES  SEMPLE.     Mr.  Semple  built  the  firsl  mill  in  this  | 

county,  in  March,  1874.  He  got  the  mill  in  operation,  and  ran  it 
until  July  20,  when  Messrs.  Whelen  &  Robinson  were  admitted  as 
partners.  Mr.  Semple  was  born  in  Lower  Canada,  near  Montreal, 
and  went  to  Granby  to  school.  The  family  afterward  moved  to 
Massachusetts,  and  finally  to  Oshkosh,  where  the  brothers  and 
mother  still  reside.  He  was  a  man  very  much  liked  by  his  men, 
and,  had  he  lived,  would  have  been  a  leading  citizen.  He  died 
in  September,  1874. 

J.  B.  THOMPSON,  general  store,  Medford;  was  born  in 
Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct"!  2,  1847.  His  father,  in  1856,  moved 
the  family  to  Racine,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  till  1861 ,  when  they 
went  to  Milwaukee ;  here  he  learned  the  shoe  maker's  trade.  In 
1865  he  went  to  Waupaca  Co.  and  opened  a  wagon  factory  with 
his  father.  Later  he  went  to  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Colorado  and 
Missouri,  returning  to  Milwaukee.  In  1870  became  to  Medford, 
opening  business  as  Van  Ornum  &  Thompson.  In  18S1  assumed 
the  business  himself;  his  stock  amounts  to  about  S2,500  and  hLs 
business  Sit). 000  a  year.  In  1870  he  married  Miss  Bet.sy  Ann 
Rowen,  of  Nurihport,  \Vaupaea  Co.  Tbey  have  three  children  — 
Ida  May,  Chester  Levi,  and  Luna  Aun.  Mr.  Thompson  belongs 
to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

E.  L.  URQUHART,  Sheriff  of  Taylor  Co.,  Medford;  wa.s 
born  in  Canada,  Jan.  15,  1846.  He  went  to  McGill  College,  and 
in  1865  removed  to  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  engased  in  farming 
for  awhile;  he  next  went  to  Michigan  and  lumbered  in  Muskegan. 
In  1876  he  came  to  Westboro,  Taylor  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  same  business  till  1880.  1878  and  '79  he  was  chairman  of 
Town  and  County  Board  and  resigned  when  elected  Sheriff  in 
1879.  In  1874  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Devereux,  of  Canada. 
They  have  three  boys — Kenneth  J..  Lionel  L.  and  Norman  A 
Mr.  Urquhart  is  a  Master  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  and  P.  G.  of  the 
I.  0.  0.  F.;  also  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

J.  H.  \VHEELOCK.  clerk,  :\Icdford  ;  was  born  in  Milwau- 
kee, Wis.,  August  26,  1852.  When  ten  years  of  age  his  parents 
moved  to  Washington  Co.  In  1858  they  went  to  Waukesha  Co., 
where  he  attended  the  school  known  as  St.  John's  Hall.  Going 
to  Mineral  Point  he  entered  Dr.  R.  D.  Pulford's  drug  store  ;  his 
health  failins  in  1865  he  went  South,  and  was  employed  on  the 
railroads.  He  remained  there  ten  years  and  then  came  to  Green 
Bay,  and  from  there  to  Medford  in  June,  1876.  He  was  Town 
Clerk  and  Justice  in  1877  and  '78,  and  was  connected  with  the  news- 
paper till  Jan.  1.  1830,  when  he  to,)k  the  office  of  D.;puty  Tre;is- 
urer  for  Taylor  Co.  He  was  married  in  1871,  but  lost  his  wife  and 
was  married  again  in  1880,  to  Miss  Fannie  Wheeler,  of  Wisconsin. 
Mr.  Wheelock  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

T.  C.  WHELEN;  born  in  New  York  State;  when  a  young 
man  came  to  Oshkosh  and  afterward  to  Fort  Howard,  and  from 
there  to  Medford  in  the  spring  of  1874.  and  went  into  the  firm 
that  was  building  the  mill  and  was  interested  in  it  until  his  death, 
which  was  Sept.  27,  1876,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years.  He 
had,  six  years  before,  married  Lizzie,  a  daughter  of  David  Mc- 
Cartney, whom  he  left  with  a  daughter.  Mr.  Whelen  was  as  en- 
terprising man  and  did  everything  in  his  power  to  build  up  the 
place,  and  had  valuable  plans  for  its  improvement  at  the  time  of 
bis  death.      He  was  a  srreat  lo.ss  to  Medford. 


(.'IIELSEA. 

This  place  was  settled  in  1874.  It  is  eleven  miles  north 
of  Medford  on  the  railroad.  It  has  between  four  hundred 
and  five  hundred  inhabitants.  The  fir.st  settlers  were  inclined 
to  be  enterprising,  and  in  1875  offered  to  give  away  every 
second  lot  in  the  village  to  actual  settlers. 

Among  the  early  settlers  were  Abrain  Taylor,  C.  H. 
Gerliart,  C.  H.  McNaughton,  Daniel  Shay,  Ed  Gerow,  Roy 


HISTORY   OF   TAYLOR    COUNTY. 


and  Leon  King,  C.  Hibbard,  Adolphus  Perry,  J.  T.  Fre- 
dan,  H.  C.  Shearer,  A.  Jadoine. 

The  village  is  near  the  north  line  of  the  town. 

Mr.  A.  Taylor  built  the  mill,  which  cuts  thirty-five  thou- 
sand to  forty  thousand  a  day  of  lumber  and  shingles.  The 
lumber  mill  is  the  basis  of  the  village  prosperity. 

Mr.  Taylor  is  Postmaster,  the  office  having  been  estab- 
lished in  1877,  and  the  first  quarter  the  office  realized  $4.58. 
It  now  sells  scamps  to  the  amount  of  about  $60a  quarter. 

Railroad  Business. — J.  F.  Crosby  is  station  agent. 
Cash  per  month  for  frieght  at  §225;  forwarded,  $4,000; 
Passengers  at  $200. 

General  Merchandise. — J.  B.  Anderson,  Woodward  <& 
Morris,  A.  Taylor,  L.  W.  Marshall. 

Hotels. — Chelsea  House.  C.  H.  Gearhart  built  a  hotel 
in  1874,  which  he  still  occupies,  with  Mrs.  Gerhart  as  matron. 
The  Star  Hotel  started  in   1877,  L.  A.  Burley,  proprietor. 

Blacksmith— ^Y.  H.  Haight. 

Boots  and  Shoes. — Schriner  &  Co.  Two  saloons.  Large 
quantities  of  ties,  telegraph  poles  and  hemlock  bark  are 
shipped  here  in  addition  to  the  lumber  and  shingles.  The 
village  is  laid  out  east  of  the  track  with  three  blocks  and  six 
streets.  Front,  Second,  up  and  down  the  railroad,  and  North, 
Pine,  Hemlock  and  Taylor  for  cross  streets. 

There  are  good  schools,  but,  as  yet,  no  churches,  the 
town  still  being  a  missionary  field  for  the  home  department. 

Within  a  radius  of  six  miles  of  Chelsea  there  are  50.000 
acres  of  heavily  timbered  hemlock  lands,  which  will  yield 
at  least  four  cords  of  bark  per  acre,  which  would  be  200,000 
cords  of  tanning  material. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JOHN  B.  ANDKRSEN.  merchant,  Chelsea,  was  born  in 
Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  26,  1847  ;  was  engaged  in  teaching 
before  leaving  there.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  i04th  N.  Y.  V.  I., 
and  was  wounded  in  the  hip  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  It  was 
about  two  mouths  before  he  was  able  to  walk.  In  1866  he  went 
to  Allegan,  Mich.,  into  a  lumber  yard  as  salesman.  From  there 
he  went  to  Chicago,  in  1869,  and  entered  the  hardwood  lumber 
business.  In  1872  he  commenced  clearing  the  right  of  way  for 
the  railroad,  where  Aubuindale  now  is,  and  went  to  scaling  logs 
in  the  woods ;  has  worked  for  Mike  Walters,  for  J.  K.  Hayward  and 
McCartney.  In  1875  he  came  to  Chelsea  and  assisted  in  organ- 
izing the  town.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he  was  appointed  Town 
Clerk  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  S.  Berry  ;  held  the  office 
up  to  1881  ;  is  now  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  In  1880  he  built  his  store  and  dwelling;  carries  stock 
of  S5,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $13,000  a  year.  In  188(1  he 
was  married  to  Miss  A.  Ripley,  of  Centralia,  Wood  Co.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  0.  0.  P..  the  A.  O.  U.  VV.  and  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

L.  A.  BURBP]Y  hotel,  Chelsea,  was  born  in  Ijower  Canada 
June  15,  1849.  When  a  child  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Manitowoc  Co.,  where  they  lived  on  a  farm.  In  1870  he  went  to 
Medford,  and  from  there  went  to  Pliillips,  and  soon  after  catfie  to 
Chelsea  In  1877  he  opened  a  hotel.  He  was  appointed  Deputy 
Town  Clerk  under  Anderson,  and  was  elected,  in  1878,  to  the 
office.  In  1879  he  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board, 
and  of  the  County  Board  for  1880-81  ;  has  been  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  He  is  now  dealing  in  bark.  In  1879  he  bought  160 
acres  of  land.  He  raised  a  crop  of  potatoes  there  for  his  hotel 
use,  and  carried  them  on  his  back  from  the  field  to  the  hotel.  His 
first  wife  died,  leaving  two  children — Alfred  A.  and  Lewis  E.  He 
was  married  again  in  1875,  to  Miss  Margaret  Ellie,  whose  fiithcr 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Manitowoc  Co.  They  have  had 
three  children — -Andrew,  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Clara  ( deceased  i. 
He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  0.  P.,  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  V.u-  Temple 
of  Honor  ;  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 


J.  D.  FURDUN,  restaurant,  Chelsea,  was  born  in  Sullivan 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  1,  1845.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  14:5d 
N.  Y.  V.  I.,  and  was  nmstered  out  in  1865.  His  father  had 
served  in  the  same  company  and  was  discharged  on  account  of  his 
disability.  They  moved  to  Calumet,  Wis.,  and  then  to  Waushara 
Co.  While  here  he  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Miss  Anna  Furdun. 
In  1875  they  came  to  Chelsea  and  took  a  homestead  of  160  acres, 
which  he  traded  for  his  town  property.  They  have  two  children — 
Charles  and  Ella  May.  Mr.  Furdun  has  been  on  the  Town  Board 
of  1880,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

C.  H.  GEARHART,  hotel,  Chelsea,  was  born  in  Livingston 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  2,  1829.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  to  engage  in  milling.  In  February,  1855,  he 
went  to  Portage  Co.,  where  he  took  a  piece  of  Government  land 
and  farmed  it  in  connection  with  milling.  He  remained  here  till 
1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  6th  Wis.  Battery  Light  Artillery; 
served  till  1 865,  when  he  was  granted  a  leave  of  absence  on  ac- 
count of  di.sability.  He  opened  the  Greenfield  Hou.se  in  Plain- 
field.  In  1874  he  came  to  Chelsea  and  built  the  first  hotel  in  the 
place,  keeping  his  boarders  in  a  shanty  till  it  was  completed.  On 
Jan.  21,  1851,  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Taber,  of  Livingston  Co., 
N.  Y.  They  have  four  children  living,  and  have  lost  two — 
Charles  B.  and  John  F.  Those  living'  are— Albert  A.,  Alfred 
Vinton,  George  L.  and  0.  Nahaniel.  Mr.  Gearhart  was  the  first 
Supervisor  of  the  town  :  was  District  Clerk  when  the  school- 
house  was  built,  and  Justice.  He  belongs  to  the  Temple  of 
Honor,  being  the  first  member  from  Chelsea. 

W.  H.  HAIGHT,  farmer,  Sec.  12,  P.  0.  Chelsea,  was  born  in 
Toronto,  Canada,  April  10,  1846.  In  1865  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin ;  located  at  Green  Bay,  engaged  in  lumbering,  and  in  1876 
he  went  to  Westboro.  where  he  opened  the  Central  House  of  that 
place.  In  1881  he  came  to  his  farm  to  recruit  his  lust  health. 
In  1868  he  married  Miss  Haight,  of  Canada. 

DAVID  MONTOUR,  saloon,  Chelsea,  was  born  in  Upper 
Canada,  Feb.  15,  1853.  His  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855, 
and  located  in  DePere,  Brown  Co.,  where  he  attended  school.  His 
first  employment  was  in  lumbering.  In  1874  he  moved  to  Little 
Black,  Taylor  Co.,  and  moved  to  Chelsea  in  1876.  He  began  his 
present  business  in  1880,  and  has  just  erected  a  house  in  the  vil- 
lage, 24x40  and  two  stories  high,  f^r  business  and  residence.  In 
1878  he  married  Miss  Julia  SheflF,  of  Medford.  They  have  one 
child,  Francis.     He  owns  a  farm  of  75  acres. 

LEON  ROY,  lumberman,  Chelsea ;  was  born  in  Quebec, 
Canada,  June  4,  1853.  In  1870  he  went  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  then 
to  Minnesota  and  finally  to  Portage  Co.  He  belonged  to  a  sur- 
veying party  and  located  in  Chelsea,  opening  a  grocery  store,  and 
after  awhile  began  lumbering.  He  ha-s  been  Asses.sor  for  four 
years  past,  and  belongs  to  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

H.  C.  SHEARER,  farmer,  Sec.  2,  P.  0.  Chelsea  ;  was  born 
in  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y..  July  29,  1849.  In  186C  he  went  to 
Kent  Co.,  Mich.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1 871  he  went 
to  San  Francisco  but  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  began  lumbering 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  He  then  came  to  Chelsea  and 
worked  awhile  in  the  mill  and  since  has  been  lumbering  and  farm- 
ing. He  bought  his  farm  of  101  acres  in  1877,  and  another  of 
70  acres.  He  has  about  20  acres  cleared  and  improved.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  in  1876  and  '77  ;  Town  Treasurer 
from  1 878  to  '81,  and  belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor.  In  1879, 
April  26,  he  married  Miss  Evalina  Eastling,  of  Sauk  Co.  They 
have  three  children — Belle,  Marden  and  an  infant. 

ABRAM  TAYLOR,  lumberer  and  mill  owner,  Chelsea  ;  was 
born  in  Grafton  Co.,  New  Hampshire,  August  29,  1822.  His 
early  life  was  passed  on  a  farm;  in  1855  he  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  has  followed  mercantile  business  since;  he  first  settled  in  Ft. 
Howard,  Brown  Co.  In  1874  he  came  to  Chelsea  and  built  his 
mill,  hving  meanwhile  in  a  car  standing  on  the  track,  as  there  wa.s 
no  train  through  for  weeks.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  40,000 
of  lumber  and  80,000  of  shingles  a  day.  L.  ^L  Marshall  now 
has  a  share  in  the  business.     Mr.  Taylor  has  a  store  iu  connection 


1032 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


with  the  mill.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  12th  Wis.  Vol.,  Co.  H, 
and  in  lSfi2  was  discharged  on  account  of  his  disability,  and  re- 
turned to  Fort  Howard ;  he  helped  in  organizing  the  town  of 
Chelsea;  he  has  a  homestead  of  KiO  acres  on  Sec.  6,  in  the  town 
of  Chelsea,  42  acres  clear  and  31  under  cultivation  ;  he  is  locating 
the  emigrants  as  fast  as  thej'  arrive,  furnishing  them  with  houses 
and  work,  and  thus  peopling  this  section  of  the  State.  In  1847 
he  married  Miss  Martha  Young,  of  New  Hampshire.  They  have 
one  son — Carl  I.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  also  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

WM.  R.  TUTTLE.  farmer,  Chelsea  ;  was  born  in  Oswego  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  23,  1848.  In  18G9  he  went  to  Sheboygan  Co.,  and 
soon  after  to  the  mines  in  Miihigan,  where  he  worked  at  the  trade 
of  carpenter  ;  he  then  went  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  and  began  lum- 
bering. In  1874  he  came  to  Taylor  Co.,  first  to  Chelsea,  then  to 
Wcstboro,  and  finally  to  Medford.  In  1876  he  married  Mrs. 
Honeywell;  in  1877  returned  to  Chelsea  and  took  a  homestead  of 
40  acres  and  bought  40  in  the  town  of  Westboro,  and  also  house 
and  lot  in  Chelsea.  Ho  works  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  lum- 
bering in  connection  with  farming ;  he  belongs  to  the  Temple  of 
Honor. 

AVESTBOEO. 

A  village  near  the  northern  boundary  of  the  county,  on 
the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  The  earliest  settlers  here 
were  in  1874,  C.  C.  Palmer,  Peter  Campbell,  Nelson  Salno. 

A  mill  was  built  by  J.  Duncan,  William  Taylor  and 
James  Richie.  It  subsequently  fell  into  the  sole  ownership 
of  J.  Duncan. 

In  1876,  H.  Haigbt  built  a  hotel,  which  he  still  occupies. 

C.  C.  Palmer  kept  a  hotel  for  several  years,  but  does 
not  now  entertain  guests. 

John  Duncan  is  Postmaster. 

There  is  a  Temple  of  Honor  in  town,  in  good  standing. 

There  is  a  good  school,  taught  by  Miss  Hattie  Hull. 

Westboro  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  railroa(^,  and  has 
Front,  Second  and  Hurd  streets  north  and  south,  and  North, 
Center  and  River  streets  east  and  west. 

Silver  Creek  runs  through  the  southern  part  of  the  village. 

There  are  two  saw-mills  in  Westboro,  John  Duncan's 
and  C.  C.  Palmer's. 

General  merchandise,  John  Duncan  ;  groceries  and  pro- 
visions, G.  H.  Palmer.  There  are  three  saloons.  Hotels, 
Central,  G.  Bonneville  ;  Star  Hotel,  N.  Salno. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ALPHONSK  BONNEVILLE,  hotel,  Westboro.  was  born 
at  Brazier's  Fails,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  12,  1842;  while  yet  a  boy  he 
moved  with  his  parents  to  the  neighborhood  of  Montreal,  upon  a 
farm,  where  he  remained  till  185f),  he  then  went  into  the  woods 
and  on  the  river;  in  1868,  he  went  to  Green  Bay  and  built  a 
hotel  and  lumbered  some;  June,  17,  1881,  he  opened  his  present 
hotel.  In  18.50,  he  married  Lydia  Bushoward,  of  Canada.  They 
have  six  children — llda,  Fredelevis,  Almira,  Leon,  Sinda  and  baby 
Silia.     They  belong  tn  the  Catholic  Church. 

PETER  CAMPBELL,  hotel,  Westboro,  was  born  in  South 
Hampton,  Mass.,  April  5,  1834;  moved  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he 
was  employed  in  a  ship  yard,  and  then  to  Wisconsin  in  1852;  in 
1868,  he  began  lumbering  for  himself,  and  in  1874,  came  to  West- 
boro and  was  occupied  with  various  enterprises  until  1877,  when 
he  opened  the  Campbell  House,  of  which  he  is  now  proprietor. 
In  1875,  he  married  Miss  Gertrude  E.  Woodbridge,  of  Kenosha, 
Wis.,  then  Mrs.  Cone ;  she  has  two  children — Haltic  and  Oscar 
Cone  ;  he  was  Assessor  in  1874,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge 
of  Steven's  Point. 

STERLING  D.  CONE,  manufacturer  of  lumber,  Westboro, 
was  born  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  4,  1848;  in  1874,  was  en- 
gaged in"clerking.  and  then  in  a  hotel  with  his  father,  after  whicli 
he  learned  telegraphing  and  went  into  the  employ  of  the  Central 


Company,  at  Steven's  Point ;  in  1874,  he  took  the  station  of  West-  \ 
boro.  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  village  ;  August,  1878,  I 
went  into  the  mercantile  business,  and  afterward  built  this  mill,  , 
having  a  capacity  of  30,000  feet  of  lumber  and  35,000  of  shingles,  j 
In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Mattie  Morrison,  of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y. 
They  have  had  six  children — Wm.  D.,  deceased  ;  Harrie ;  twin 
babes,  deceased ;  Winifred  and  the  baby,  not  named.  Mr.  Cone 
has  been  Town  Treasurer  for  two  years,  and  Town  Clerk  since  the 
town  formed  in  1876. 

JOHN  DUNCAN,  manufacturer,  Westboro,  was  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  June  9,  1826  ;  came  to  Milwaukee  in  1851, 
and  worked  as  a  machinist  until  1867,  when  he  went  into  the 
shops  of  the  St.  Paul,  ('hicago  &  Minneapolis  R.  K.;  while  there 
seni  out  sixteen  locomotives  ;  in  1870,  he  bought  a  .share  in  a  ma-  j 
chine  shop  in  Fort  Howard;  in  1876  he  established  himself  in  j 
Westboro.  He  erected  his  large  mill  in  the  year  1874;  it  | 
has  a  capacity  of  100,000  shingles  and  50,000  feet  of  lumber  1 
a  day.     In  1849,  April  13,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  McEwing,  ; 

of  Greenock,  Scotland.  'They  have  had  a  family  of  six — Thomas. 
with  his  father ;  Archibald,  in  the  shop  in  Ft.  Howard  ;  his  twin 
brother,  John,  not  living;  Wm.,  in  the  store,  and  Alexander,  not 
living.    Mr  Duncan  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  i 

ANTOINE  FOURINER,    saloon,    Westboro,   was   born   in         ' 
Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.   9,   1855.     He  went  to   Collingwood,  j 

Canada,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering,  and  then  to  Mar- 
quette, Mich.,  where  he  worked  about  the  mines.  From  there  he 
went  to  Menominee,  and  thence  to  Oshkosh.  He  began  his  pres- 
ent business  in  May,  1881.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

JOHN  B.  JACOBS,  Jr.,  book-keeper  with  J.  Duncan,  West- 
boro, was  born  in  Marinette,  Wis.,  Jan.  17,  1849,  where  he  lived 
with  his  parents* until  1867.  His  grandmother  settled  there  in 
1830.  He  then  went  to  Green  Bay,  where  he  acquired  his  edu- 
cation, graduating  at  a  Speneerian  College.  He  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Mr.  Duncan  eleven  years  ago  ;  was  in  the  foundry  till 
1877,  and  then  in  Westboro,  where  he  is  book-keeper.  Mr. 
Jacobs  has  been  Town  Treasurer,  Deputy  Treasurer  and  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.      He  is  a  Catholic.  ; 

C.  H.  PALMER,  lumberman,  Westboro,  was  born  in  Susque-  i 

hanna  Co.,  Penn  ;  was  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming,  and 
came  to  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1S5S.  where  he  also  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1S72  he  nicivcd  tu  Roxbury  and  kept  a  boarding- 
house,  and  in  1874  settled  in  Westboro,  being  the  first  settler  in 
the  village.  He  built  a  hotel  and  kept  it  till  1878,  when  he  went 
into  a  saw-mill  with  S.  D.  Cone.     In  1880   he  sold  his  interest.  I 

He  married  Miss  James,  of  Susquehanna  Co.,  Penn.  They  have 
one  .son,  Clarence,  who  was  born  in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1859, 
where  he  attended  school  and  finished  at  the  Madison  University 
in  1877.     He  now  has  control  of  the  grocery  store. 

NELSON  SALVO,  saloon,  Westboro,  was  born  in  East 
Canada  Aug.  9,  1848.  There  he  remained  till  April  13,  1865, 
when  he  went  to  Green  Bay  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  In  1874 
he  came  to  Westboro,  cleared  trees  and  stumps  from  his  lot  and 
built  and  opened  a  saloon.  He  now  has  a  boarding-house  and 
farms,  owning  160  acres  in  the  town  of  Westboro  and  a  farm  in 
the  adjoining  town.  Mr.  Salvo  was  on  the  Town  Board  for  three 
years  ;  was  Town  Treasurer  for  1880,  and  held  other  offices.  In 
1877  he  married  Maria  Thorson,  of  Steven's  Poin'.  They  have 
two  children — Laura  L.  and  Edna  M.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F. 

sti:ts()X\-ii,i.k  | 

is  three  miles  from  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county, 
on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  It  has  a  post  office 
established  in  1875,  The  present  Postmaster  is  Peter  Lib- 
erty. 

The  mill  here  is  owned  and  operated  by  E.  K.  Buttrick. 

B.  B.  George  has  a  store,  as  there  also  is  with  the  mill. 

There  are  several  residences,  and  there  is  plenty  of  rooin 
in  all  directions  for  growth. 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


NATURAL    FEATURES. 

This  is  one  of  the  western  tier  of  counties  of  the  State, 
and  IS  bounded  on  the  north  by  Eau  Claire  County,  on  the 
east  by  Jackson  County,  on  the  south  by  La  Crosse  County 
and  the  Mississippi  River,  and  on  the  west  by  Buffalo  County. 
The  surface  of  the  county  is  almost  equally  diversified,  being 
divided  into  high  rolling  prairie,  level  low  lands,  sharp,  rocky 
bluffs  and  long  ridges  and  ravines.  Generally  speaking,  the 
county  has  excellent  water-ways,  being  watered  by  Trempe- 
aleau River,  and  Beaver  and  Elk  Creek  and  their  tributaries, 
on  all  of  which  superior  mill  power  is  afforded,  that  has  been 
generally  availed  of  for  the  erection  of  both  saw  and  grist 
mills.  Along  these  streams  are  narrow  valleys  of  fertile 
land,  smiling  among  the  somber  hills,  upon  which  they  fat- 
ten by  the  aid  of  nature's  perpetual  washings.  Upon  the 
summit  of  these  ridges,  the  land  is  not  so  fertile  as  in  the 
valleys,  but  becomes  so  as  it  approaches  the  prairie,  some  of 
which  is  of  large  dimensions,  and  presents  excellent  oppor- 
tunities to  the  husbandman. 

In  addition  to  the  streams  mentioned,  there-are  numerous 
springs,  creeks  and  rivulets,  which  furnish  drainage  for  the 
country  through  which  they  pass,  and  some  of  which  afford 
slight  water  power.  The  county  also  contains  mineral 
springs,  the  medicinal  qualities  of  which  have  been  exam- 
ined and  analyzedby  chemical  experts,  who  pronounce  them 
superior. 

The  soil  is  generally  of  a  sandy  loam  interspersed  with 
some  swamp  land,  adapted  to  the  growing  of  hay,  and  at 
certain  points  a  clay  loam.  In  some  portions  of  the  county 
there  is  an  inconvenient  destitution  of  timber,  but  is  being 
rapidly  grown,  and  will  in  time  promise  an  abundance  of 
material  for  building  and  other  purposes.  Wheat,  corn, 
clover,  etc.,  find  their  chosen  home  in  the  soil  of  its  hillsides 
and  valleys,  and  properly  alternating,  its  fertility  will 
doubtless  be  prolonged  indefinitely.  In  fruits,  the  county 
is  regarded  as  peculiarly  favored,  orchards  having  been  suc- 
cessfully established  in  all  parts,  apples,  plums,  etc.,  being 
grown  in  abundance. 

Two  railroads  cross  the  county  in  opposite  directions, 
the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  from  west  to  east,  and  the 
Northwestern  from  north  to  south  in  the  western  part  of 
tiie  county,  affording  valuable  means  for  the  shipment  of 
and  the  development  of  the  internal  wealth  of  the  sections 
through  which  they  pass. 

The  apparent  geological  stratum  is  Potsdam  sandstone. 
Along  the  streams  it  is  cut  into  irregular  forms  and  rises 
in  places  into  jagged  peaks  and  ridges  between.  Trem- 
pealeau River  and  other  streams  have  worn  for  themselves 
a  winding  bed,  giving  to  some  portions  of  the  county  scen- 
ery both  rugged  and  romantic.  In  some  portions  of  the 
county  azoic  granite  is  the  characteristic,  with  the  underly- 
ing rocks  to  a  depth  unknown  of  fossiliferous  sandstone, 
resulting  as  already  suggested  in  a  sandy  loam,  very  sandy 
in  some  ])l.ices.  and  in  others  a  clay  loam,  with  liere  and 
there  granite  bowlders. 


The  mounds  visible  at  nearly  every  point  of  the  ' 
produce  a  pleasing  effect  upon  the  landscape  and  where 
they  have  been  excavated,  prehistoric  remains  were  thrown 
out.  In  1860,  one  of  the  groups  of  mounds  on  Judge  Gale's 
place,  near  Galesville,  was  excavated  in  the  center  to  the 
surface  of  the  surrounding  prairie,  when  bone  dust  mixed 
with  earth,  and  a  small  quantity  of  hair  were  found.  At 
the  same  time  Dr.  Young  excavated  a  small  hole  in  one  of 
the  group  and  was  rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  a  human 
skull.  The  excavation  was  enlarged,  and  upon  digging 
deeper  a  skeleton  was  found  which  had  evidently  been  bur- 
ied in  a  kneeling  position. 

These  mounds  are  uniform  in  size  and  appearance,  being 
from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  diameter,  three  or  four  feet  high, 
circular  in  plan  and  dome-like  in  elevation.  In  one  of 
these  groups  there  were  four  effigies  discovered,  three  of  ani- 
mals and  one  of  the  human  form.  The  animals  were  about 
sixty  feet  long,  almost  exactly  alike  in  size  and  form,  and  laid 
with  their  heads  to  the  east.  That  of  the  human  form  lay 
in  a  recumbent  position  with  arms  outspread,  and  was  thirty- 
two  feet  in  length.  Another  group  a  few  yards  distant  con- 
tained five  figures  of  the  animal  above  mentioned  and  a  tur- 
tle. On  the  grounds  of  Galesville  University  was  a  figure 
probably  intended  to  represent  a  bear  thirty-five  feet  long, 
and  about  forty  rods  north  of  this  another  figure  resembling 
a  horse  seventy  feet  in  length. 

The  general  prevalence  in  Wisconsin  of  the  existence 
of  these  mounds  have  excited  no  inconsiderable  interest  in 
the  minds  of  scientists  since  their  discovery  was  first  made. 
Nearly  every  county  has  these  interesting  vestiges  of  a  nu- 
merous people  long  since  gone  to  rest,  about  whose  history 
there  pends  a  veil — an  impenetrable  mystery — of  whom  the 
later  Indian  tribes  possessed  neither  knowledge,  myth  or 
tradition.  Those  in  Trempealeau  County  are  as  numerous 
as  elsewhere,  and  when  opened  have  been  found  to  contain 
spear  and  arrow  heads,  human  bones  and  sometimes  pot- 
tery. They  are  so  common  it  might  be  said  as  to  excite 
little  interest  among  those  who  have  resided  in  the  county 
for  any  length  of  time,  and  are  driven  over  and  plowed 
up  as  if  but  a  rise  in  the  ground,  not  all  that  remains  of 
the  history  of  a  past  race. 

To  this  country  then  did  emigrants  direct  their  wander- 
ings at  a  day  now  almost  fifty  years  gone  by,  to  establish  that 
which  protects  all  and  oppresses  none — a  home ;  that  sanc- 
tuary of  the  human  family  which  contains  all  of  purity,  all 
of  government  and  all  of  religion  in  this  world — a  well 
ordered,  God  blessed  home. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  of  the  present  county  of  Trempea- 
leau is  to  some  extent  shrouded  in  doubt.  That  traders 
visited  this  section  at  a  period  anterior  to  that  upon  which 
the  first  settlement  alleged  to  have  been  perfected  was  un- 
dertaken, no  one  can  dispute.     But  that  any  came  in  to  lo- 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


cate  permanently  and  devote  their  energies  to  the  building- 
up  of  the  county  is  still  an  open  question. 

Tradition  relates  that  as  early  as  1836  an  adventurous 
but  educated  gentleman  came  hither  on  a  prospecting  tour, 
and  so  well  pleased  was  he  with  the  the  appearance  of  the 
country  and  its  surroundings  that  he  determined  to  locate 
and  did  locate  on  Trempealeau  Lake.  This,  however,  is 
not  confirmed  by  evidence  that  can  be  termed  irresistible. 
Two  years  later,  it  is  claimed,  Jean  Baptiste  Bouville 
located  near  the  present  village  of  Trempealeau.  If  these 
statements  are  founded  upon  fact,  Gavin  and  Bouville  pre- 
ceded by  two  years  what  is  universally  received  as  the  first 
settlement  made  in  the  county. 

In  1840,  according  to  the  best  evidence  of  which  the 
claim  is  susceptible,  James  Reed  landed  from  his  pirogue, 
in  which  he  had  floated  down  the  Mississippi,  and  having 
made  fast  the  majestic  boat,  began  an  exploration  of  the 
region  immediately  contiguous  to  the  subsequent  village  of 
Trempealeau. 

He  was  a  Kentuckian,  it  is  said,  and  prompted  at  an 
early  age  by  that  spirit  of  adventure  inherited  time  out  of 
mind  by  the  natives  of  that  historic  commonwealth,  fretted 
under  the  restraints  imposed  in  the  older  settled  regions, 
and  fled  to  the  wilderness  of  the  West.  After  a  continued 
residence  among  the  Indians,  trading  and  trapping,  the 
desire  to  locate,  to  settle  down  as  it  were,  seemed  to  have 
possessed  him  utterly,  and  while  moved  by  these  admoni- 
tions he  floated  down  the  Father  of  Waters  in  quest  of  a 
locality  where  he  would  be  able  to  realize  his  modest  ambi- 
tion. Under  such  circumstances,  as  the  story  goes,  Mr. 
Reed,  in  the  full  flush  of  health  and  strength,  though  past 
the  meridian  of  life,  a  man  of  indomitable  will,  wonder- 
ful nerve,  and  of  a  quality  of  courage  indigenous,  it  would 
seem,  to  those  who  excelled  in  the  early  history  of  the  West, 
found  himself  opposite  the  present  village  in  the  spring  of 
1840. 

A  canvass  of  the  surroundings  confirmed  his  inclination 
to  remain,  and  accordingly  he  set  his  stakes  and  prepared 
to  build  a  house,  which  was  in  time  completed.  It  stood  on 
the  present  site  of  Krebs'  hardware  store,  and  after  service 
as  the  residence  of  its  builder,  and  subsequently  as  the 
Washington  Hotel,  was  taken  down  and  its  timbers  applied 
to  other  uses.  Mr.  Reed,  in  his  old  age,  removed  to  his 
farm  further  east  from  the  river,  where  he  died,  having  sur- 
vived to  witness  the  success  which  followed  his  efforts,  and 
to  see  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose.  There  were  no 
other  arrivals  during  1840,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained. 
Indeed,  during  the  decade  beginning  with  that  year,  the 
arrivals  were  less  numerous  than  can  now  be  witnessed  in  a 
single  month.  Those  who  came  confined  their  observations 
to  the  site  of  the  future  village  of  Trempealeau,  and  if  one 
can,  the  efforts  they  made  toward  the  development  of  the 
country  by  the  reports  which  have  been  handed  down  in 
that  behalf,  there  was  little  accomplished. 

The  fiict  of  the  matter  is,  that  about  this  time  La  Crosse 
was  coming  to  the  front,  and  no  one  was  permitted  to  leave 
there  who  woubl  listen  to  the  persuasive  eloquence  of  J.  M. 
Levy  or  Scoots  Miller.  Some  few  of  them  slipped  through, 
however,  in  spite  of  the  periods  of  these  silvery-tongued 
orators,  but  a  majority  went  to  Black  River  and  began  to 
court  fortune  in  the  lumber  and  logging  camps.  As  a 
result,  during  the  period  above  indicated,  i.  e.,  from  1850 
U[itil  18ol,  the  arrivals  embrace<l  A.  Chevevert.  i'aul  Grig- 
non,   William    Bunnell    and   Charles    Perkins — a   solitary 


quartette — who  located  at  Trempealeau  Village  and  began 
the  struggle  for  life  in  that  then  frontier  town.  It  might 
here  be  observed  that  this  struggle  for  life  meant  not  only 
to  provide  means  for  the  procurement  of  meat  and  drink, 
but  also  to  estop  the  attacks  of  rattlesnakes  of  which  there 
were  an  unaccountable  number  hidden  in  the  weeds  through 
which  paths  leading  from  the  bluffs  to  the  river  were  beaten 
— waiting  for  victims. 

From  1848  until  1851,  the  population  of  the  county  was 
not  visibly  increased.  Occasionally  a  solitary  trapper  ran 
the  gamut  of  its  limits,  and  it  is  barely  possible  that  some 
came  in  and  entered,  or  rather  possessed  themselves  of, 
lands  in  northern  or  western  Trempealeau.  But  the 
record  of  permanent  settlements  during  this  interim  is  defi- 
cient. Indeed  the  settlement  of  any  portion  of  the  county 
was  comparatively  slow,  and  it  was  not  until  1870  that  the 
last  township  in  the^county  was  defined  by  metes  and 
bounds. 

In  the  latter  year,  the  initial  movement  which  culminated 
in  the  building-up  of  the  county  was  begun  with  the  arrival 
of  B.  F.  Houston,  who  settled  in  the  present  village  of 
Trempealeau,  and  with  Ira  S.  Hammond  erected  the  first 
frame  warehouse,  it  is  believed,  built  in  the  county.  It  still 
stands  on  Front  street  opposite  the  river  bank,  though  in  a 
dilapidated  condition,  a  ruined  wreck,  if  such  term  can  be 
to  it  applied,  of  days  that  were  pregnant  with  promise  as 
compared  with  days  that  since  have  come  of  the  future  and 
departed  into  the  past.  That  winter,  others  came  in,  and 
among  them  was  Mrs.  A,  A.  Angell,  the  first  white  woman 
to  become  part  of  the  population  of  the  county. 

Throughout  the  summer,  the  accessions  to  the  number  of 
inhabitants  were  far  from  numerous,  and  all  who  came  set- 
tled at  Trempealeau  and  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  fall,  James 
Reed,  who  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  married  Paul  Grig- 
non,  his  step-son,  to  Madeline,  his  own  daughter.  This 
was  the  first  marriage  in  the  county  it  is  believed,  as  no  one 
can  be  found  who  is  familiar  with  another  ceremony  of  a 
similar  character  either  personally  or  by  report. 

The  following  spring  some  arrivals  were  noted,  though 
they  were  few  and  far  between,  and,  settling  about  Trem- 
pealeau, their  names  and  the  date  of  their  arrivals  will  be 
found  in  the  history  of  that  village.  In  tiie  summer  of 
1852,  the  monotony  of  the  season  was  varied  by  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  national  anniversary  of  American  Independ- 
ence, which  took  place  at  Trempealeau  in  the  garret  of 
Heuston  &  Hammond's  warehouse,  which  was  attended  by 
the  citizens  of  the  county,  who  as  already  stated,  re- 
sided almost  exclusively  in  the  village.  The  ceremonies 
were  of  a  character  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  unattended 
by  those  dissipations  which  in  subsequent  years  became 
prominent  features  of  the  day.  This  year  the  village  of 
Trempealeau  was  formally  laid  out  into  lots  in  the  belief 
that  purchasers  would  arrive  during  the  years  immediately 
ensuing,  and  command  ready  sale  at  prices  that  should  com- 
pensate those  who  had  been  instrumental  in  procuring  the 
survey.  This  year  two  came,  Miss  Catharine  Davidson, 
the  second  young  lady  to  visit  the  county,  a  young  lady  by 
the  name  of  Mary  Huff  having  preceded  her  a  few  weeks; 
also  the  Rev.  Mr.  Watts,  the  first  minister  of  the  Gospel. 
He  was  assigned  to  this  district  by  the  Methodist  Confer- 
ence of  Wisconsin,  but  if  reports  concerning  his  labors  are 
to  be  taken  as  evidence  of  his  value.  Mr.  Watts  was  neither 
as  persuasive  as  iiis  illustrious  namesake,  nor  as  successful  a 
disciple  of  Wesley  as  that  distinguished  divine  could  have 


HISTORY    OF    TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


i°35 


wished.  He  is  said  to  have  scarcely  undertaken  the  work 
set  before  him,  though  the  harvest  was  ready,  but  employed 
his  time  in  visiting  portions  of  hi.«  circuit  where  the  hard- 
ships were  comparatively  light,  and  the  needs  of  spiritual 
service  comparatively  limited. 

In  the  fall  of  1852   a  son  was  born  to  Isaac  Noyes  and 
wife,  in  the  second  story  of  Heuston   &   Hammond's  ware- 
house on  Front  street.    The  event  is  worthy  of  notice,  inas- 
;     much  as  the   claim   is  made    that    the  first   birth    in    the 
'     county  was   Gilbert   0.    McGiloray,    a  son  of   Alexander 
j     McGiloray.       The  subject    was  referred  to    at  a  meeting 
I     of  old    settlers  convened    a  year    or    more   since,  and  the 
I     verdict    was    rendered    that    the    claim    of    Mr.    McGil- 
j     vroy,  Jr.,  to   this   distinguished   honor  was   well   founded. 
I     Further   investigation,    however,   made    by    Mr.     Heuston, 
1     serves  to  dissipate  this  conclusion   and  award  the   prize  to 
the  son   of  Mr.  Noyes,  born  as   above  stated  in  the  fall  of 
:      18o2. 

In  support  of  this  conclusion  the  following  statement  of 
births  in  the  first  years  of  the  county  has  been  prepared  by 
Mr.  Heuston,  and  is  submitted  : 

A  son  to  Isaac  Noyes  and  wife,  born  in  the  fall  of  1852, 
and  now  deceased. 

A  son  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall,  also  of  Trempealeau, 
born  in  the  spring  of  1853,  also  deceased. 

A  girl  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alva  Wood  in  the  fall  of  1853, 
about  which  time  Gilbert  P.  McGilvroy  was  born,  as  also 
during  the  same  fall  were  born  Ella  Heuston  and  a  child 
to  Mr.  Culhety,  both  residing  near  Galesville,  and  Lizzie, 
a  daughter  to  Jacob  Holmes,  of  Trempealeau.  The  latter 
resides  in  California.  Miss  Heuston  is  deceased,  and  the 
others,  it  is  believed,  "  still  live." 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  claim  made  for  McGil- 
vroy is  not  entirely  predicated  upon  premises  altogether  cor- 
rect. 

The  winter  of  1S52-53  was  passed  without  the  happen- 
ing of  any  event  worthy  of  mention  as  affecting  ultimate 
results,  or  of  speculation  as  to  what  might  have  been  had 
the  case  been  different.  The  population  of  the  entire  coun- 
ty was  less  than  three  quarters  of  a  hundred  with  the  dawn 
of  New  Year's  Day.  1853,  and  throughout  that  year  the 
situation  as  it  existed  on  New  Year's  Day  was  not  material- 
ly changed.  In  February,  B.  F.  Heuston  and  Catharine 
Davidson  were  married;  the  first  ceremony  of  the  kind  to 
take  place  among  the  white  residents  of  the  county.  In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  they  removed  to  a  cabin  near  the 
present  village  of  Galesville,  and  were  among  the  first,  if 
not  the  first  to  settle  permanently  in  the  town  afterward 
laid  out  and  known  as  the  town  of  Gale.  This  year  also 
Judge  Gale  laid  off  the  village  of  Galesville. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  stated  that  the  first  ball 
ever  known  to  have  been  given  in  the  county  occurred  in 
the  winter  of  1853.  Dr.  Young,  who  was  interested  in 
procuring  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  Galesville.  was 
abroad  on  the  prairie  between  the  latter  point  and  Trem- 
pealeau, obtaining  signatures  to  a  petition  for  that  purpose. 
The  night  was  intensely  disagreeable,  and  the  cold  blasts, 
laden  with  particles  of  sleet,  beat  fiercely  in  his  face.  Blind- 
ed and  bewildered  by  the  fury  of  the  storm,  the  Doctor  lost 
his  reckoning  and  for  a  brief  period  wandered  aimlessly 
about  the  prairie.  At  this  juncture  his  sense  of  hearing 
was  greeted  by  notes  of  music  borne  on  the  wintry  winds, 
which  proceeded  from  the  direction  of  Trempealeau.  He 
turned  him  about  at  once,  and  upon  tracing  them  to  then- 


source  ascertained  that  they  came  from  a  "fiddle"  execra- 
bly manipulated  by  a  settler  who  with  bow  in  hand  was 
keeping  time  to  the  steps  of  dancers  in  a  log  cabin  on  the 
old  road  to  Trempealeau.  The  name  of  the  host  cannot  be 
recalled,  but  the  company  assembled  embraced  the  major 
portion  of  the  population  of  the  county,  whites  and  half- 
breeds,  who  danced  until  daylight,  and  the  doctor,  for  the 
time  being  forgetting  his  business  in  hand,  became  one  of 
the  merry-makers. 

ORGANIZATION. 

In  1853,  Marvin  James  and  Wesley  Pierce,  who  were 
at  Montoville,  now  Trempealeau,  in  1852,  established  them- 
selves at  Waumandee.  and  at  the  extra  session  of  the  Leg- 
islature in  July,  procured  an  act  setting  off  Buffalo  County 
from  the  west  part  of  Jackson  County. 

The  citizens  of  Buffalo  were  in  high  glee  at  this  ma- 
neuver, arguing  that  Buffalo  County  was  set  off  in  such  a 
manner  as  left  no  chance  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county 
between  it  and  La  Crosse.  But  Judge  Gale  visited  Madi- 
son and  perfected  plans  by  which  these  conclusions  were 
thoroughly  overturned.  The  constitution  provides  that  the 
Legislature  shall  not  divide  a  county  comprising  less  than 
nine  hundred  square  miles.  Buffalo  was  within  that  limit  and 
stood  directly  in  the  way  of  the  occomplishment  of  that 
scheme.  To  avoid  this.  Judge  Gale,  at  the  regular  session 
of  1854,  had  a  portion  of  Chippewa  County  on  the  north 
annexed  to  Buffalo,  thus  enlarging  the  latter  to  the  desira- 
ble area  ;  he  then  appropriated  its  two  eastern  tiers  of  town- 
ships, took  one  tier  from  Jackson  and  divesting  La  Crosse 
of  its  trans-Black  River  northwest  corner,  made  the  pres- 
ent county  of  Trempealeau.  The  bill  providing  for  its  cre- 
ation was  adopted  by  the  Legislature  without  delay,  and  in 
1854  Trempealeau  became  a  county  de  facto  as  also  da 
jure. 

On  March  11,  of  the  same  year,  the  town  board  of  the 
town  of  Montoville  convened  with  Horace  E.  Owen  as  chair- 
man, Isaac  Noyes  and  William  Nicholls  as  Supervisors  and 
Charles  Cameron,  Clerk.  At  this  meeting  the  town  of  Gale' 
was  set  off  with  the  proviso  that  the  first  town  meeting  be 
held  at  the  house  of  B.  F.  Heuston,  on  April  first  following  ; 
it  was  also  declai-ed  that  all  territory  not  of  Gale  be  attached 
to  the  town  of  Montoville. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  County  Board,  held  in  May,  at 
which  George  Batchelder  presided,  William  M.  Young  was 
appointed  Clerk,  and  Charles  Utter,  Treasurer,  the  same  to 
serve  until  the  regular  election,  which  was  directed  to  be 
holden,  in  November  following.  Charles  Utter  was  also 
appointed  a  Commissioner,  to  act  with  the  Connnissioner 
from  Jackson  County,  in  laying  out  roads  from  Montoville 
to  Black  River  Falls,  via  Beaver  Creek,  and  one  to  Doug- 
lass' Mills,  now  North  Bend. 

Thus  was  the  towns  of  the  county  organized.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1851,  B.  F.  Heuston  was  elected  County  Judge, 
and  in  November,  the  following  county  officers  were  elected  : 
Charles  Utter,  District  Attorney;  Ira  E.  Moore,  Sheriff; 
George  H.  Smith,  Clerk  of  the  Court ;  Charles  Utter,  Clerk 
of  the  Board;  A.  W.  Armstrong,  Register;  Hollister 
Wright,  Treasurer;  George  J.  Turton,  Surveyor;  and 
William  Adams,  Coroner.  There  were  forty-four  votes  cast, 
thirty-six  in  Montoville,  and  eight  in  Gale.  George  II. 
Smith  appointed  Dr.  William  M.  Young  Deputy  Clerk, 
and  Hollister  Wright  made  John  Nicholls  his  clerk,  to 
perform  the  duties  of  County  Treasurer. 


1036 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Thus  was  the  county  organized. 

The  appropriations  made  by  the  County  Board  at  its 
first  annual  meeting,  in  November,  1854,  aggregated  $1,- 
124.15,  of  which  §500  were  for  bridges.  The  following 
year,  §2,352.24  were  appropriated  for  county  expenses,  in 
addition  to  a  .school  tax  of  §69.21,  and  the  valuation  of 
property  assessed  at  §71,038,  was  equalized  by  the  State 
Board  at  §149,093. 

For  fully  one  year,  the  towns  of  Montoville  and  Gale 
comprehended  the  entire  county,  but  on  November  24, 
1855,  the  town  of  Preston  was  laid  off,  the  subsequent 
town  apportionments  being  as  follows  :  Arcadia,  November 
21,  1856;  Caledonia,  November  11,  1857;  also  the  town 
of  Sumner  ;  Cliase  set  oft"  from  the  town  of  Sumner  No- 
vember, 1860;  alsothe  town  of  Lincoln  ;  Ettrick,  December, 
1862;  Burnside,  December,  1863  ;  Hale,  in  February,  and 
Chase,  1864 ;  the  latter,  however,  being  subsequently  vacated, 
and  restored  to  Sumner  ;  Albion,  June  20,  1870 ;  Dodge 
and  Pigeon,  January  5,  1875,  and  Unity,  November  20, 
1877. 

The  events  of  1855,  included  the  organization  of  a 
Board  of  Trustees  for  the  building  and  government  of  Gale 
University,  and  settlements  throughout  various  portions  of 
the  county,  principally  about  Arcadia,  Ettrick,  Lincoln, 
etc.  Improvements  were  completed  as  rapidly  as  lumber 
and  service  could  be  procured,  and  considerable  progress, 
considering  the  length  of  time  the  county  had  been  inhab- 
ited, was  being  made  in  farming.  In  October  of  this  year 
occurred  what  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  death  in 
the  county — an  infant  daughter  of  B.  F.  and  Catharine 
Heuston,  who  were  then  residing  near  Galesville.  During 
the  winter  of  1855-56,  there  were  no  arrivals  nor  changes 
in  the  cotidition  of  aff'airs  as  they  had  existed  previously. 
In  April,  of  the  latter  year,  an  election  for  Circuit  Judge 
took  place,  at  which  138  ballots  were  cast  in  Trempealeau 
County.  On  the  29th  of  the  same  month  and  year,  the 
first  term  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  Galesville,  Wiram 
Knowlton  presiding,  with  A.  M.  Brandenburg,  Sheriff",  and 
G.  H.  Smith,  Clerk.  The  court  sat  one  day  and  the  pro- 
ceedings were  limited  to  the  admission  to  practice  of  Ro- 
manzo  Bunn,  the  first  attorney  in  the  county.  The  session 
was  held  in  the  lower  part  of  the  court  house,  then  in  proc- 
ess of  building,  by  Isaac  Noyes  and  Amasa  Webb.  The 
premises  were  completed  and  accepted  on  July  23,  of  this 
year,  and  were  first  occupied  for  judicial  purposes,  on  Octo- 
ber 28  following,  when  Judge  Knowlton  began  the  October 
term  of  court.  The  docket  contained  two  cases,  one  of 
which  was  non-suited,  and  the  other  continued.  At  the 
same  session,  John  F.  Brewin  and  Christian  Schmitz  were 
admitted  citizens  of  the  L^nited  States.  The  arrivals  were 
numerous,  particularly  at  Trempealeau,  where  a  company 
from  Pittsburgh  located  and  began  the  building  of  a  planing- 
mill  on  a  scale  which  would  compare  favorably  with  those 
that  have  since  been  built  in  the  lumber  regions  of  Northern 
Wisconsin.  Settlements  were  also  made  about  Independ- 
ence, Osseo,  and  at  other  points,  while  those  already  estab- 
lished were  prospering  in  a  manner  that  must  have  been 
gratifying  to  the  residents. 

This  year  the  ubiquitous  Mormon  attempted  a  settle- 
ment in  Traverse  Valley.  The  delegation  included  Dr. 
Traverse,  the  high  priest,  with  John  Ravinond,  Theodore 
llutchins.  Elder  Post,  Elder  Ilickey.  Nathan  Daniels  and 
Jesse  and  Lovell  Kidder,  saints.  They  are  .said  to  have 
practiced  secretly  what  the  sect  now  argue  as  indispensable 


to  a  complete  communion  with  the  deity  of  the  Mormon 
Church,  but  in  time  began  quarreling  among  themselves, 
and  after  burning  their  property  disappeared.  The  year 
was  without  notable  events,  the  good  times  continuing 
until  1857,  when  the  financial  stringency  experienced  in 
that  year  was  sensibly  felt  in  Trempealeau  County.  Pro- 
visions rose  in  price  beyond  the  reach  of  any  but  the  more 
independent,  and  during  the  winter,  in  some  portions,  the 
inhabitants  preferred  game,  which  included  bear,  deer,  elk, 
etc.,  to  paying  the  extravagant  prices  asked  for  pork,  bacon 
and  other  edibles  which  are  classified  under  the  head  of 
'■provisions."  This  year  also  the  mill  at  Galesville  was 
fully  in  operation,  and  the  settlers  who  had  previously 
obtained  their  flour  at  La  Crosse,  Prairie  du  Chien  and  else- 
where, were  able  to  secure  accommodations  nearer  home. 
During  1858  and  1859,  some  progress  was  made  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  internal  resources  of  the  county.  Roads 
were  built,  farms  opened,  improvements  completed,  etc. 
Business  became  more  general  in  the  villages,  and  Trem- 
pealeau became  the  shipping-point  for  wheat  from  this  sec- 
tion of  the  State.  In  the  former  year,  the  Trempealeau 
Times,  the  first  paper  to  be  published  in  the  county,  was 
established,  a  college  building  was  commenced  at  Galesville, 
and  the  preparatory  department  opened  in  the  spring  of 
1859.  In  the  same  year,  the  Trempealeau  Agricultural 
Society  was  organized,  and  at  the  annual  exhibition  held  in 
1859,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Fallows,  since  elevated  to  the  Bish- 
opric of  the  Methodist  Church,  delivered  the  address. 

The  war  came,  producing  an  eft"ect  similar  to  that  to  be 
observed  in  other  portions  of  the  country.  Trempealeau 
County  was  prompt  and  liberal  in  responding  to  the  calls 
made  by  the  National  Executive  for  men  and  money,  but  the 
material  advancement  of  the  county  was  retarded  in  conse- 
quence. This,  aggravated  by  the  New  Ulm  massacre  and 
consequent  fright  to  settlers,  particularly  in  the  townships 
bordering  upon  the  Mississippi,  did  much  to  prevent  the 
rapid  growth  which  was  obtained  in  the  past  ten  years.  Many 
settlers  in  the  town  of  Hale  were  obliged  to  seek  safety  in 
flight  from  their  homes,  and  took  refuge  in  the  houses  of 
the  Markhams,  Cripps,  and  others  at  points  distant  from 
the  apprehended  danger.  The  Winnebago  Indians,  it  is 
believed,  took  part  in  this  bloody  emeute,  for  they  left 
Trempealeau  a  short  time  prior  to  its  happening,  and  upon 
their  return  were  laden  with  powder,  calicos,  household 
utensils,  etc.  Soon  after,  they  were  removed,  and  though 
there  are  still  representatives  of  the  tribe  residing  in  the 
county,  the  greater  portion  of  them  have  since  been  re- 
moved beyond  the  Mississippi. 

During  the  past  ten  years  the  growth  and  enrichment  of 
t'nc  county  has  been  gradual  but  substantial.  The  material 
interests  of  the  county  are  carefully  cultivated,  agriculture 
has  reached  a  degree  of  perfection  commensurate  with  the 
labors  and  diligence  employed  in  that  behalf,  the  causes  of 
religion  and  education  are  in  a  high  state  of  advancement, 
and  all  things  seem  to  combine  to  promote  the  growth  of 
the  county  as  also  the  independence  of  its  inhabitants. 

The  county  seat  remained  at  Galesville  until  1876, 
when  it  was  removed  to  Galesville,  thence  to  Whitehall  in 
1877,  where  it  still  remains.  Tiie  county  buildings,  which 
are  really  limited  to  a  court  house  improvised  out  of  the 
town  hall,  is  regarded  simply  as  a  temporary  resort ; 
sliouid  the  permanence  of  the  location  at  that  point  be 
established  at  a  future  election,  buildings  adequate  to  the 
purpose  and  of  imposing  appearance  will  be  erected. 


HISTORY    OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1037 


The  County  Agricultural  Society,  wliicii  was  oiganizcil 
in  1858,  is  a  leading  association  of  the  county,  owning 
commodious  exhibition  grounds  near  Galesville,  and  holding 
fairs  annually.  The  present  officers  are  :  Joshua  Rhodes., 
President;  H.  L.  Bunn,  Secretary,  and  A.  Kribs,  Treasurer. 

THE    PRE.<.S. 

The  first  paper  published  in  the  county,  it  is  claimed 
bv  Charles  Utter,  of  Trempealeau,  was  the  Trempealeau 
times,  issued  in  1858  by  F.  A.  and  Charles  Utter,  for  the 
purpose  of  publishing  the  Buffalo  County  tax  list.  This 
being  accomplished,  the  Times  suspended,  and  its  material 
was  disposed  of  to  be  used  in  the  publication  of  the  Trem- 
pealeau Pioneer,  established  in  1859.  The  same  year,  the 
Trempealeau  Representative,  edited  and  published  by  Hast- 
ings k  Newland,  was  also  started  at  Trempealeau,  and  dis- 
puted with  the  Pioneer  for  precedence,  until  the  spring  of 
18(?<3.  At  that  period,  the  Utters,  who  held  a  mortgage  on 
the  material  of  the  latter  sheet,  foreclosed  and  sold  the 
same  out,  a  portion  being  purchased  and  taken  to  Neillsville, 
the  remainder  being  taken  to  Galesville  by  G.  S.  Luce,  with 
which  he  set  up  and  prepared  for  publication,  the  first  paper 
issued  in  that  village,  the  Galesville  Transcript,  on  Friday 
morning,  JNIarch  16,  1860.  The  Transcript  was  a  quarto 
of  thirty-two  columns,  ably  edited,  and  containing  with 
each  number  the  choicest  literary  selections.  It  continued 
in  Galesville  until  October,  1867,  when  Charles  A.  Leith 
and  A.  F.  Booth  purchased  the  same  and  caused  its  re- 
moval to  Trempealeau,  where,  as  a  successor  to  the  Repre- 
sentative which  expired  in  1861,  it  was  published  under  the 
name  of  the  Record.  In  1869,  Mr.  Leith  sold  his  interest 
in  the  paper  to  his  partner,  Mr.  Booth,  and  for  a  short  time 
the  Record  was  run  with  Newman  k  Booth,  editors.  The 
former  withdrew,  however,  after  a  brief  apprenticeship,  and 
T.  D.  Stone  purchased  a  half-interest,  which  he  managed 
until  the  fall  of  1872,  when  the  good  will  of  the  paper  was 
disposed  of  by  Stone  &  Booth  to  George  S.  Luce,  who  had 
established  the  Galesville  Journal  at  Galesville,  in  1870, 
the  materials  being  taken  to  Madison,  to  print  the  Wiscon- 
sin Good  Templar. 

In  March,  1873,  the  Trempealeau"  County  Republican 
was  established  at  Trempealeau,  by  C.  A.  Leith,  and  in  1874, 
the  Messenger  and  Journal  Record  was  issued  at  White- 
hall, by  Bert  E.  Clark.  To  recapitulate  briefly,  it  should  be 
stated  that,  with  the  purchase  of  the  good  will  of  the  Trem- 
pealeau Record,  by  Luce  &  Powers  of  the  Galesville  Jour- 
nal, the  latter's  name  was  changed  to  Journal  and  Record. 
In  1871,  Powers  sold  his  interest  in  the  concern  to  H.  S. 
Bunn,  who  in  turn  sold  to  one  Burt,  but  subsequently  re- 
owned  and  again  sold,  this  time  to  his  partner,  Mr.  Luce, 
who,  in  1874,  as  already  stated,  sold  to  Clark,  by  whom  the 
Messenger,  the  first  paper  at  Whitehall,  was  published. 
Clark  remained  at  the  helm  of  the  Whitehall  undertaking 
for  about  one  year,  when  his  interest  was  bought  out  by  the 
citizens  (because,  it  is  alleged,  of  disputes  relative  to  the 
location  of  the  county  seat),  who  organized  the  Whitehall 
Printing  Association,  and  continued  the  publication  of  the 
Messenger  with  Dan  Camp  as  editor. 

In  1874,  the  Independent,  of  Galesville  was  first  issued, 
and  in  June,  1875,  the  Leader  was  started  at  Arcadia,  by 
Messrs.  Ileuston  iS:  liollenbeck,  by  whom  its  destiny  was 
jointly  directed,  until  March,  1876,  when  Ileuston's  moiety 
n  tile  venture  was  purchased  by  the  Hon.  Noah  D.  Com- 
gtock,  who  published  the  paper  in   conjunction  with   Mr. 


Holienbock  until  March.  1877,  when  the  latter  with- 
drew. 

In  December  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Comstock,  who  had 
been  editing,  publishing  and  managing  the  affairs  of  the 
Leader,  solus,  became  wearied  of  the  combined  task,  and 
sold  out  to  C.  A.  Leith,  who  removed  the  Republican  from 
Trempealeau  to  Arcadia,  and  consolidated  it  with  his  pur- 
chase, since  when  the  Republican  and  Leader  has  been 
published  at  Arcadia  with  considerable  success. 

In  1878,  N.  P.  Tucker  established  a  small  paper  called 
the  Free  Press,  at  Trempealeau,  where  it  was  published  for 
about  one  year,  when  its  materials  were  removed  to  Gales- 
ville, for  the  purpose  of  "setting  up"  the  Trempealeau 
County  Democrat.  The  latter  journal  survived  a  year,  in 
the  village  of  its  birth,  but  gradually  weakening,  was  taken 
to  Arcadia,  in  the  hope  that  a  change  of  air,  so  to  speak, 
would  prove  beneficial.  But  it  was  too  late,  and  after  a 
few  spasmodic  efforts  at  recuperation,  it  yielded  up  the 
ghost  in  the  fall  of  1880. 

On  March  9,  1878,  George  E.  Gilke  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  Independence  Weekly  News.  Mr.  Gilke 
remained  as  editor  and  publisher  until  February  26,  1880, 
when  W.  R.  Allison  assumed  control,  and  changed  the 
name  of  the  sheet  to  the  Weekly  News  Bulletin.  Less 
than  three  months'  experience  were  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Allison 
before  he  sold  the  enterprise.  Howe  &  Turnbull,  the  pur- 
chasers, substituted  the  Weekly  News,  and  conducted  it  one 
month,  when  H.  I.  Turnbull  became  sole  proprietor,  re- 
maining so  until  June  24,  1880  (three  weeks),  at  the  ex- 
piration of  which  period,  J.  R.  Faulds  was  received  as  part- 
ner, and  in  two  months,  or  on  August  8,  1880,  absorbed 
his  partner's  interest,  and  assumed  the  entire  responsibility 
of  the  venture,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since  continued. 
In  January  of  this  year  (1880),  the  Whitehall  Printing 
Association  was  dissolved,  and  the  Messenger  and  Journal, 
which,  after  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Camp  from  the  editorial 
tripod,  had  been  managed  by  George  Eads  and  E.  B.  Wag- 
ner successively,  was  sold  to  F.  E.  Beach,  who  subsequently 
associated  his  brother,  J.  B.  Beach,  with  himself  in  the 
publication  of  the  paper.  The  paper  is  still  owned  and 
operated  by  these  gentlemen,  under  the  firm  name  of  Beach 
Bros. 

From  the  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  journalistic  births 
in  Trempealeau  County  have  been  numerous.  While  all 
have  not  reached  an  age  where  they  can  be  esteemed  per- 
manently secure,  all  have  not  fallen  by  the  wayside,  and 
those  which  have  survived  are  worthy  evidences  of  that  suc- 
cess which  attends  industry  and  perseverance. 


WHITEHALL, 

the  capital  of  the  county,  and  the  quiet,  unpretentious 
abode  of  wealth  and  intelligence,  lies  hidden  among  ihe 
verdure  of  trees  which  line  its  streets,  and  shrubberies,  which 
deck  the  gardens  of  residents,  presenting  many  features  of 
rural  felicity  to  its  citizens  not  more  than  to  the  traveler,  as 
he  hurries  through  on  his  journeys  of  business  and  pleas- 
ure. 

In  October,  1873,  the  line  of  road  which  connects  the 
Mississippi  with  Green  Bay  had  been  completed  to  subse- 
quent Whitehall,  and  it  was  decided  to  establish  a  station  at 
this  point.  This  question  being  settled,  Henry  Ketchum, 
a  land  owner,  appropriated  sufficient  for  the  purposes  indi- 
cated, which  T.  H.  Earl  laid  out,  platted  and  divided  into 


I03S 


HIS'I'ORY   OF    N0R'I'HF:RN    WISCONSIN. 


fourteen  blocks.  This  being  completed,  that  gentleman, 
who  had  built  himself  a  house,  arrived  on  the  ground  and 
"side-tracked,"  so  to  speak,  on  one  of  the  most  cheerless 
and  unauspicious  days  of  that  wonderfully  peculiar  season, 
which  is  still  remembered  as  one  of  the  severest  the  annals 
of  severe  annuals  give  any  account.  On  the  day  Mr.  Earl 
was  engaged  in  procuring  a  site  for  his  house,  the  thermom- 
eter marked  thirty  degrees  below  zero,  and  the  freezing 
blasts  and  congealed  atmosphere  was  propelled  at  a  rate  of 
miles  per  hour  it  was  impossible  to  attempt  resistance 
against.  Notwithstanding  these  embargoes,  the  venture- 
some pioneer  resident  of  Whitehall  established  a  home  for 
his  families,  and  rested.  He  was  the  first  to  decide  to  per- 
meiiently  settle  in  the  village,  and  his  domicile  the  first  to 
be  raised  within  its  limits. 

During  the  winter,  no  others  pame  in,  either  to  view  the 
site  of  the  town,  purchase  lots  for  residence  or  speculative 
purposes,  or  in  any  manner  sought  to  identify  themselves 
with  the  undertaking  which  was  to  develop  within  a  brief 
period  into  one  of  the  "  loveliest  villages  of  the  plain."  This 
was  in  part  due  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and  in 


supply  this  deficiency,  the  Empire  Hotel  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Stratlon,  and  the  Exchange  by  S.  L.  Alexander. 
Another  residence  was  added  to  the  town,  the  second  built, 
being  that  of  George  Olds,  the  pioneer  purchaser  of  lots 
after  the  village  had  been  surveyed  and  platted.  A  Mr. 
Cook  came  in  and  became  a  dealer  in  furniture,  building  a 
store  for  the  sale  of  stock  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Scranton 
streets.  lie  was  soon  followed  by  Nelson  Corastock  in  the 
same  line  of  business,  and  was  accompanied  in  his  ventures 
by  T.  C.  McDermot,  who  opened  a  hardware  store,  as  also 
by  C.  E.  Scott  and  L.  H.  AVhitney  in  depots  for  the  sale  of 
dry  goods,  groceries  and  notions.  Camp's  Block  was  erected 
this  year,  and  B.  F.  Wing  became  a  general  merchant.  The 
cause  of  education  was  also  consulted ;  and,  the  old  school- 
house,  which  had  served  its  purposes  in  years  gone  by,  was 
razed  to  give  place  to  the  edifice  which  has  since  obtained 
in  which  to  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  read,  write  and 
study  decimals.  * 

These  included  the  improvements  consummated  during 
187-i.  They  were  adapted  to  the  uses  which  their  building 
was  sought  to  conserve,  and  some  of  them  still  exist,  having 


'5^^^ 


part  to  other  causes  and  combinations  of  causes,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  designate  or  discover. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1874,  however,  voyageurs  from 
distant  sections  began  to  come  hither,  and,  while  many 
returned  to  the  spot  whence  they  hailed,  there  was  not  a 
few  who  remained,  and  have  since  grown  into  prominence 
with  Whitehall — so  named,  by  the  way,  after  old  Whitehall, 
a  short  distance  above  the  present  city,  by  Benjamin  Wing 
and  Ole  Knudson. 

Among  the  first  to  settle  permanently  were  H.  E.  Getts 
and  C.  .1.  Lambert,  former  residents  of  North  La  Crosse. 
The  former  opened  tiie  first  merchandise  store  in  the  village 
and  soon  acquired  prominence  in  commercial  circles.  Mr. 
Lambert  became  associated  with  Mr.  Earl  in  the  building 
of  a  warehouse,  which  still  stands,  and  commenced  handling 
grain.  Soon  after,  Daniel  L.  Camp  was  acknowledged  as  a 
citizen  of  the  village,  when  he  purchased  wheat  in  the 
capacity  of  agent  for  Kelly  &  Elmore,  factors  in  this  cereal 
at  Green  Bay.  .\s  spring  advanced,  and  the  warm  days  of 
summer  followed  in  its  wake,  the  accessions  to  the  popula- 
tion became  more  numerous.  The  insufficiency  of  accom- 
modations for  the  traveling  public  was  severely  felt.     To 


withstood  the  ravages  of  time  and  the  elements,  though 
during  the  summer  a  tornado  swept  over  the  village  and 
unroofed  the  structures  of  Cook  and  Whitney,  then  in 
progress  of  construction. 

Though  the  village  was  in  its  infancy,  it  was  deemed  a 
desirable  location  for  the  publication  of  a  weekly  paper, 
and  with  a  view  to  consulting  the  public  needs,  Bert  E. 
Clark  purchased  the  Galesville  Journal  and  Recorder  from 
George  S.  Luce,  and  transporting  its  furniture,  tackle  and 
apparel  to  Whitehall,  began  the  issue  of  the  Trempdeau 
Messenger.  And  here,  it  might  be  observed,  was  inaugu- 
rated a  policy  regarding  the  location  of  the  county  seat, 
which  has  not  yet  entirely  subsided. 

Business  during  the  period  herein  mentioned,  it  might 
be  observed,  was  "booming."  The  farmers  found  an 
accessible  and  available  market  for  their  crops,  and  the 
stores  of  merchants  were  thronged  with  cash  customers.  It 
is  estimated  that,  including  the  crop  of  1873,  there  had 
been  shipped  from  Whitehall,  at  the  close  of  the  season  of 
1874,  about  22.'), 000  bushels  of  wheat,  in  addition  to  large 
quantities  of  oats,  barley,  corn,  etc.,  etc. 

Such,  then,  was  the  outlook  which  greeted  factor  and 


HISTORY    OF  TREMPF,\T,F.Ar    COl^NTY. 


1039 


consignor  as  1875  dawned  upon  the  uonmiunity  ;  and  it 
may  be  observed  that  the  anticipations  born  of  this  experi- 
ence were  fraught  with  realizations.  When  the  spring  suc- 
ceeded winter,  the  arrivals  of  settlers  were  resumed,  and 
gradually  increased  as  the  year  advanced.  Business,  too, 
kept  pace  with  the  progress  of  events.  Not  the  dilatory, 
devil-may-care  quality  to  be  observed  to-day  in  some  por- 
tions of  the  country,  but  a  hurrying,  bustling,  prosperous 
type,  so  apparent  in  flush  times  in  a  new  country.  The 
commercial  community  was  increased  in  point  of  numbers, 
wealth  and  influence  by  the  arrival  of  Melvin  Johnson,  who 
put  up  a  store,  as  also  a  dwelling-house  ;  by  the  arrival  of 
A.  J.  Cady  and  others.  Rogerson  &  Warner  entered  an 
appearance  as  dealers  in  hardware,  and  other  branches  of 
trade  also  were  represented  in  new  ventures.  The  demand 
for  mechanical  skill  attracted  hither  William  Blodgett, 
Joseph  Augustine,  A.  J.  Roscoe  and  James  Hiner,  the 
latter  dividing  his  time  and  services  between  the  bench  and 
the  pulpit. 

About  twenty-five  dwelling-houses  and  stores  were 
erected  this  year,  it  is  estimated  ;  the  new  schoolhouse  was 
made  ready  for  occupation,  and  the  Methodist  and  Baptist 
Churches  were  commenced.  It  should  also  be  added  that 
Carpenter  k  Coates  took  charge  of  Eiraon  &  Kelley's 
wheat  interests,  and  the  changes  concluded  were  for  the 
better.  While  there  were  many  who  came  in,  there  were 
some  who  declined  to  remain,  but  their  fortunes  were  in 
other  directions. 

The  building  requirements  had  by  this  time  developed 
an  immense  lumber  trade.  So  large,  indeed,  had  this 
become  that  sometimes  it  was  found  difficult  to  supply  the 
demand  for  home  consumption  without  reference  to  the 
wants  of  country  customers.  As  an  illustration  of  this 
statement,  it  can  be  said  that  in  the  space  of  four  years,  or 
until  1877,  one  firm,  T.  H.  Earl  &  Co.,  disposed  of  an 
amount  aggregating  in  value  the  sum  of  $100,000. 

From  these  facts  it  will  be  seen  that  Whitehall  had 
become  a  prosperous  town,  and  its  ambition  to  secure  the 
permanent  location  of  the  county  seat  not  entirely  without 
substantial  claims.  But  that  object  of  special  interest  to 
rival  villages  in  the  county  was  not  to  be  obtained  without 
a  contest.  Galesville  still  preserved  the  county  records  in 
the  county  building  in  that  village,  and  declined  to  pass 
them  over  without  protest,  and  the  citizens  of  Arcadia 
would  not  be  comforted  because  they  were  made  their  custo- 
dian. 

When  1876  was  ushered  into  existence,  as  it  were, 
there  were  some  changes  among  the  established  residents  who 
disposed  of  their  properties  at  an  advance  to  new-comers 
and  moved  on  to  farming.  This  branch  of  industry,  by 
the  way,  had  not  been  neglected  meanwhile,  and  the  num- 
ber of  agriculturists  who  served  in  the  field  while  the 
artisan,  the  merchant  and  the  artificer  builded  the  town, 
was  gratifyingly  large. 

This  year,  to  supply  an  increased  demand.  Martin  V. 
Allen  built  the  Whitehall  House,  and  W.  T.  Tesser  became 
tha  owner,  by  purchase,  of  the  Empire  House,  which  he  en- 
larged and  improved.  William  Scott  came  in  and  offered 
his  services  as  a  carpenter ;  Alonzo  Tucker  purchased  the 
Ed.  Cook  House  and  advertised  himself  as  a  mason  ;  Eugene 
Webster  and  J.  R.  King  severally  opened  livery  stables  ; 
M.  C.  C.  Olsen  was  known  as  the  village  tailor  and  Edward 
Romander  as  the  village  harness-maker.  This  year,  also, 
came  R.  G.  Floyd,  M.  D.,  the  first  physician  to  locate  per- 


iiiaueiiily  ni  Wiiiteliall.  A.  S.  Trow  &  Co.  opened  a  lum- 
ber-yard, and  Decker  &  Lawton  a  store  of  general  supplies. 
Business  continued  excellent  and  numerous  improvements 
were  made.  Notwithstanding  these  facts  the  campaign 
"  waxed  hot,"  and  the  intensity  of  feeling  displayed  by 
supporters  of  rival  candidates  is  said  to  have  been  radical  to 
the  last  degree.  This  year,  too,  to  contest  for  the  county 
county  seat  took  shape,  though  Whitehall  took  no  part,  pre- 
ferring, in  a  tacit  sort  of  a  way,  that  Galesville  retain  the 
prize  until  its  forces  had  been  drilled  and  massed  for  active 
service. 

Another  feature  of  excellence  in  connection  with  the 
location  of  Whitehall  was  the  freedom  of  its  inhabitants 
from  malarious  and  other  diseases.  The  general  health  was 
good,  and  this  desideratum,  to  which  can  be  attributed  a 
modicum,  at  least,  of  the  success  which  attended  the  vil- 
lage, was  during  no  year  exceptional. 

The  ensuing  year  opened  auspiciously,  and  during  1877 
the  volume  of  business  transacted  was  greater  than  dur- 
ing any  previous  year,  while  the  improvements  were  gen- 
eral. It  is  estimated  that  not  less  than  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  were  shipped.  This  year 
the  Whitehall  Mills  were  commenced  by  a  man  named  Gol- 
den, who  came  in,  as  the  sequel  proved,  with  but  about 
$500  in  capital,  and,  enlisting  the  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity, involved  several  citizens,  who,  to  save  themselves, 
were  obliged  to  take  charge  of  the  property,  and  by  whom 
it  has  since  been  conducted  with  dispatch,  if  not  with 
profit.  This  year  a  Norwegian  paper,  Der  Nord  Staed,  was 
established,  but  survived  the  storms  of  journalistic  experi- 
ence but  a  year.  A  new  boot  and  shoe  store  was  added  to 
the  village,  and  A.  G.  Fossegaard  established  a  tannery, 
which  is  still  operated.  The  town  hall  was  built  in  1877, 
in  anticipation,  in  fact,  of  securing  the  county  seat.  It  is 
of  frame,  originally  designed  to  be  one  story  high.  But 
the  Odd  Fellows  subscribed  $600  and  the  original  plan  was 
changed  to  make  the  building  two  stories  high.  It  cost  a 
total  of  $1,200,  and  was  completed  in  time  to  be  selected  as 
a  court  house,  when  the  county  seat  was  finally  removed 
from  Arcadia  to  Whitehall  by  600  majority  on  the  popular 
vote. 

The  three  succeeding  years  have  not  been  attended  with 
that  success  prior  experiences  would  justify,  the  belief  would 
be  requited  unto  those  who  labored.  The  repeated  failure 
of  the  crops  to  a  large  extent  prevented  this,  but  the  people, 
confident  that  the  opposite  to  that  produced  by  these  causes, 
can  be  realized  with  a  removal  of  the  causes  know  that 
they  also  serve  who  wait.  No  prettier  village  can  be  found 
in  the  county,  with  its  population  of  400,'  and  the  utmost 
prosperity  is  its  desert. 

The  first  school  taught  in  the  present  village  was  by 
A.  L.  Sherwood,  in  a  building  that  had  always  been  used 
for  that  purpose,  south  of  the  court  house.  In  1874-75,  the 
premises  were  removed  and  their  absence  supplied  by  the 
present  structure,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  The  school  is  graded, 
employing  two  teachers,  and  furnishing  the  means  of  educa- 
tion to  an  everage  daily  attendance  of  100  pupils.  It  re- 
quires $1,200,  for  the  annual  support  of  the  institution, 
derived  in  part  by  taxation  on  the  basis  of  $1.50  on  the 
$100,  and  although  two-thirds  of  all  taxes  levied  is  willingly 
paid  by  property  holders,  to  sustain  a  cause  so  meri- 
torious. 

When  George  Olds  erected  the  second  private  residence 
on  Main  street,  in  the  village,  a  short  distance  from  the 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


depot,  his  house  was  selected  as  the  post  office,  and  liimself  as 
Postmaster.     These  selections  have  not  since  been  changed. 

Whitehall  Mills  were  begun  by  William  Golden,  in 
1877,  and  completed  in  1878,  by  a  party  of  capitalists, 
headed  by  T.  P.  Earl,  who  have  since  conducted  and  oper- 
ated them.  They  are  among  the  largest  in  the  State,  being 
of  frame,  three  stories  high,  3l5.\48  and  supplied  with  five  run 
of  stone,  with  a  capacity  for  eighty  barrels  of  flour  every 
twenty-four  hours. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  stated  that  there  are  three 
elevators  in  the  village,  one  owned  by  H.  E.  Getts,  erected 
by  Earl  &  Lambert,  in  1873,  with  "a  capacity  for  10,000 
bushels  ;  the  Decker  &  Lawton  elevator,  with  5,000  bushels 
capacity  ;  and  the  Elmon  &  Kelly  elevator,  with  10,000 
bushels  capacity,  both  the  latter  being  owned  by  Cargill  & 
V'^an.  Abundant  means  are  furnished  by  these  elevators,  for 
the  storage  and  shipment  of  grains,  and  these,  as  has  been 
shown,  have  equaled  250,000  bushels  in  one  year. 

The  village  is  supplied  with  a  Baptist  and  Methodist 
Church,  both  of  which  are  commodious,  handsomely  situated 
and  finished,  and  furnishing  ample  accommodations  for 
worshipers. 

The  former  sect,  it  is  stated,  was  organized  in  186-3.  and 
from  that  date  until  1875,  worshiped  at  old  Whitehall. 
In  the  latter  year  they  disposed  of  to  the  Lutherans,  and 
the  present  edifice  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  and  has  since 
been  occupied.  The  congregation  is  made  up  in  a  large 
degree  of  farmers  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  present 
pastor  is  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dismon,  and  services  are  held  semi- 
monthly. 

The  Methodist  society  was  organized  in  1867,  though 
there  had  been  preaching  at  intervals,  from  the  year  the 
country  was  first  settled.  The  society  held  its  meetings  in 
schoolhouses,  and  formed  part  of  the  Arcadia  charge  until 
1874,  when  it  became  a  separate  charge.  The  following 
year  the  present  church  was  built  in  1875,  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000. 

The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Chynoweth,  and 
the  congregation  numbers  about  100  worshipers. 

Whitehall  Lodge  No.  15,  N.  W.  B.  A.,  was  organized 
March  11,  1880,  with  fifteen  members  and  the  following 
officers:  S.  S.  Miller,  President ;  F.  E.  Beach,  Vice  Pres- 
ident ;  C.  E.  Scott,  Past  President ;  L.  H.  Whitney,  Secre- 
tary ;  0.  J.  Allen,  Treasurer:  Joseph  Augustine,  Chaplain, 
and  G.  G.  Graham,  Conductor. 

The  society  is  purely  beneficial,  the  fomilies  of  mem- 
bers being  the  beneficiaries.  After  death  of  members  de- 
cedent's family  is  entitled  to  receive  the  sum  of  $2,000  from 
the  society  fund. 

At  present  there  are  seventeen  members,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :  0.  J.  Allen,  President ;  G.  H.  Olds,  Vice 
President ;  G.  G.  Graham,  Secretary,  and  C.  E.  Scott, 
Treasurer. 

Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was 
organized  August  27,  1875,  with  a  compliment  of  members 
and  the  following  officers :  N.  N.  Green,  N.  G.;  R.  G. 
Floyd,  V.  G.;  Daniel  L.  Camp,  Secretary,  and  11.  E. 
Getts.  Treasurer. 

Since  that  day  the  membership  has  been  increased  to 
sixty -seven,  with  the  following  officers  at  present  in  service  : 
W.  L.  Munson,  N.  G.;  Andrew  Benson,  V.  G.;  Daniel  L. 
Camp.  Secretary,  and  H.  E.  Getts,  Treasurer. 

Meetings  are  held  weekly  on  Friday  evenings,  and  the 
value  of  Lodge  property  is  stated  at  $827. 


Lincoln  Cemetery  Association  was  organized  in  1862.  at 
which  time  two  and  one-half  acres  of  ground  southeast  of 
the  village  were  purchased  for  burial  purposes.  The  So- 
ciety was  controlled  by  its  regularly  constituted  officers 
until  1866,  when  the  direction  of  its  affairs  was  assigned  to 
the  town  authorities,  who  retained  possession  until  1878, 
when  they  reverted  to  the  assignors,  by  whom  they  have 
since  been  administered.  The  cemetery  has  been  regu- 
larly surveyed  and  platted  and  is  adorned  with  much  arti- 
ficially as  also  by  nature  that  will  attract  admiration. 

The  present  officers  are:  D.  Wood,  President;  H.  C. 
Stratton,  Treasurer,  and  L.  D.  McVitt,  Secretary. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKKTCIIES. 

MATH  IAS  ANDERSEN,  of  the  firm  of  Anderson  &  Lar- 
sons, dealers  in  wines,  liquors,  etc.;  came  lo  America  in  1872, 
having  been  born  in  Norway  in  1843.  He  first  worked  at  shoe 
making  in  the  town  of  Trempealeau,  and  from  there  went  to  Lake 
City,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  In  May,  1881, 
he  came  to  Whitehall  and  started  in  his  present  business.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249. 

DANIEL  L.  CAMP,  dealer  in  dry  goods,  sroceries  and 
drugs;  was  born  iu  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb  28,  1841.  He 
first  started  in  the  mercantile  business  in  that  county  in  1860, 
where  he  continued  until  1867,  when  he  engaged  in  the  employ  of 
Ellmore  &  Kelly,  as  traveling  agent  for  their  commission  house. 
In  1874  he  came  to  Whitehall  and  remained  in  their  employ  for 
one  year  as  grain  buyer  and  station  agent.  In  1875  he  started  in 
his  present  business.  He  does  a  business  of  8-0,000  per  annum. 
He  was  also  editor  and  manager  of  the  Trempealeau  County  Mes- 
senger and  Whitehall  Times  until  January  1881,  and  was  local 
editor  of  the  Fort  Howard  Monitor  during  the  year  1874;  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249,  I.  0. 
0.  F.  When  he  first  came  to  Whitehall  there  was  not  a  building 
here  outside  of  the  railroad  buildings  and  two  warehouses. 

CHARLES  C.  CRANE,  farmer,  Post-office  Whitehall ;  was 
born  in  New  i'ork  City,  July  29,  1819.  Left  there  in  1854  and 
came  to  Wisconsin,  first  going  to  Johnstown,  Rock  Co.,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  which  was  that  of  carpentering  and  building, 
until  May  1856,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Trempealeau,  and 
there  remained  until  1862.  He  worked  on  the  first  saw-mill  which 
was  built  in  the  Village  of  Trempealeau ;  also  built  the  first  church 
there,  in  1851,  for  the  Congregational  Society;  he  well  remem- 
bers the  big  snow  in  the  winter  of  1856  and  '57,  when  it  was 
nearly  three  months  that  the  roads  were  impassable  between  Trem- 
pealeau and  Galesville.  In  1862  he  moved  on  to  his  farm,  con- 
sisting of  120  acres,  which  he  had  entered  in  1855,  and  where  he 
still  lives.  In  1857  he  saw  a  drove  of  nineteen  elk  on  his  place, 
this  being  the  most  of  them  that  he  ever  saw  together  at  one  time. 
But  other  game  was  very  plenty  at  that  time,  such  as  deer  and 
prairie  chickens,  and  fish  were  to  be  had  in  abundance  from  the 
river  which  runs  through  his  form.  This  stream  used  to  be  head- 
quarters for  some  Indian  tribe,  and  many  relics  have  been  found, 
such  as  arrowheads,  smoothing  stones,  etc.  Mr.  Crane  was  mar- 
ried in  1 843,  by  Rev.  Robert  Street,  to  Miss  Hannah  Wade,  who  was 
born  in  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  in  1823.  Their  family  consists  of 
six  children — Julia  A.,  now  Mrs.  Currier,  of  Minnesota;  Anna 
M.,  now  Mrs.  Breed,  of  Whitehall;  Sarah  R.,  William  A.  E., 
Lillian  J.  and  Charles  E.  W.  He  has  held  various  offices  in  his 
town  and  county,  having  been  County  Coroner  three  terms  ;  a 
member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Lincoln,  and  School  Clerk  for  sev- 
enteen years ;  Justice  of  the  Peace  seven  terms,  and  Assessor  for 
three  terms,  which  ofiiec  he  still  holds.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Ma.sonic  fraternity  and  was  a  charter  member  of  the  first  lodge  in 
the  county. 

WILLIAM  H.  DAVIS,  miller  ;  was  born  in  Ontorio,  Can- 
ada West,  Nov.  17,  1854;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1872  and  went 
to  Galesville,  Trempealeau  Co.  and  commenced   clerking  for  W. 


HISTORY    OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


to4i 


Davis  &  Co.,  and  in  October,  1878,  left  there  and  came  to  White- 
hall, where  he  has  been  engaged  ever  since  as  miller.  The  White- 
hall Flouring  Mills  have  a  run  of  five  buhrs,  and  a  capacity  for 
making  eighty  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  member 
of  the  A.,  F,  &  A.  M.,  Decorah  Lodge,  No.  177,  at  Galesville. 
also  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  at  the  same  place. 

THEODORE  H.  EARLE,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements 
and  farmer;  was  burn  in  Ohio,  April  18,  1836;  came  to  Apple- 
ton,  Wis.,  in  185G,  where  he  went  to  school,  graduating  from 
Lawrence  University  in  1861  ;  he  then  went  to  New  London, 
where  he  commenced  teaching,  at  which  he  continued  until  1863, 
when  he  was  married  to  Miss  M.  L.  Ketehum,  who  is  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Ketohum,  President  of  the  Green  Bay  &  Blinnesota 
R.  R.  for  nine  years  Mr.  P]arle  began  farming  in  the  town  of 
New  London,  at  which  he  continued  five  years,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed General  Purchasing  Agent  for  the  construction  of  the 
Green  Bay  Railroad.  In  1873  he  came  to  Whitehall,  Trempealeau 
Co.,  where  he  erected  the  first  dwelling  house  in  the  village,  be- 
ing engaged  for  the  first  three  years  of  his  residence  there  with 
Henry  Ketehum,  as  superintendent  of  his  lumber  business,  on  the 
line  of  railroad  from  Merrillan  to  Marshland.  In  1876  he  en- 
gaged with  C.  N.  Paine  &  Co.,  and  has  had  charge  of  their  busi- 
ness in  Whitehall  ever  since ;  said  business  having  averaged  since 
1873  820,000  per  annum.  Mr.  Earle  also  owns  an  interest  in  the 
Whitehall  Flouring  Mills,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board 
of  Lincoln  for  tour  years,  having  always  taken  an  active  part  in  all 
public  enterprise  of  his  town  and  county. 

JAMES  ERVIN,  retired  farmer,  was  born  Jan.  14, 1810,  in 
New  Jersey  ;  left  his  native  State  in  1852  and  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin, where  he  settled  in  Walworth  Co.,  town  of  Richmond  ;  re- 
mained there  until  1858,  at  which  time  he  sold  his  farm  and 
moved  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  town  of  Lincoln,  then  called  Preslon, 
where  he  bought  160  acres  of  land  and  commenced  farming.  At 
that  time  the  Indians  were  very  plenty  in  Trempealeau  Co.,  and 
were  very  friendly  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ervin,  who  used  to  do  a  good 
deal  of  trading  in  the  way  of  flour,  pork,  vegetables,  etc.  Their 
grain  markets  were  Sparta,  La  Crosse  and  Trempealeau,  and  they 
sometimes  hauled  a  load  of  grain  to  the  pineries  and  exchanged  it 
for  lumber.  Mr.  Erviu  was  married  to  his  first  wife.  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Crane,  Jan.  21,  1833.  She  died  in  1850,  leaving  three 
children — Emma  L.  (now  Mrs.  S.  J.  Beebe),  Augusta  E.  (now 
Mrs.  John  Kinnie)  and  Isabella  G.  (now  Mrs.  L.  D.  Parsons). 
They  also  lost  three  children — Margaret  H.,  died  July  20,  1864  ; 
Annie  E.,  died  June  5,  1865,  and  Martha,  who  was  Mrs.  L.  D. 
McNett  when  she  died.  He  was  married  to  his  second  wife, 
Mary  E.  Crane,  a  native  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J.  She  was  born  Oct. 
21,  1816. 

DANIEL  K.  HAGESTAD,  carpenter  and  contractor;  was 
born  in  Norway,  June  23,  1852  ;  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  1854,  andfirst  settled  in  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they 
remained  for  six  years,  and  then  removed  to  Beaver  Creek  Valley, 
Trempealeau  Co.,  where  his  father  pre-empted  a  claim  from  the  Gov- 
ernment, on  which  the  suhject  of  this  sketch  lived  until  1879,  when 
he  came  to  Whitehall  and  was  elected  to  the  oflice  of  County 
Sheriff'  for  the  years  1870  and  '80.  He  is  at  present  Deputy 
Sheriff'  under  N.  L.  Tolvstad.  Mr.  Hagestad  built  a  saw-mill  on 
Hardie's  Creek  in  Trempealeau  Co.  during  the  spring  of  1881, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  the  time  it  was  completed.  He 
was  married  in  May,  1878,  to  Miss  Maggie  Hagestad,  who  is  also 
a  native  of  Norway.  She  was  born  March  14, 1860.  They  have 
one  son — Carrol  N.  They  arc  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
While  BIr.  Hagestad  was  engaged  in  a  saw-mill  on  Black  River, 
at  the  mouth  of  Hardie's  Creek,  there  was  a  ball  found  in  a  log, 
while  sawing  it,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been  there  fifty-four 
years. 

MOSES  D.   INGALLS  AND  F.  W.  INGALLS,  farmers. 

See.  28,  P.    0.    Whitehall.     The  former   was   born   in  Vermont 

Jan.  4,  1825.     They  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  fall  of  1853,  first 

living  in  Rock  Co.,  and  in  tie  summer  of  1855  came  to  Trem- 

66 


pealeau  Co.,  where  they  entered  a  farm  of  220  acres,  and  in  1856 
began  to  improve  it,  they  being  among  the  first  settlers  in  the 
town  of  Lincoln.  Before  the  Green  IBay  &  Minnesota  Railroad 
came  through  the  village  of  Whitehall  they  used  to  market  their 
grain  in  Trempealeau,  La  Crosse  and  Sparta.  Moses  D.  was  the 
first  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Lincoln,  and  has  been 
Town  Clerk  and  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

GEORGE  McCANN,  section  boss  of  Sec.  'Zd  of  the  Green 
Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  at  Whitehall,  was  born  in  England 
Dec.  5,  1849;  left  there  in  1870,  and  went  to  Canada  with  his 
brother,  where  he  remained  one  year  working  at  constructing  rail- 
roads, and  then  came  to  the  United  States,  where  the  engaged 
with  the  Green  Bay  Railroad  Company,  and  has  been  with  them 
ever  since.  Mr.  McCann  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Trem- 
pealeau Valley  Lodge,  No.  249,  and  was  married  in  1875,  to  Miss 
Millie  Tuttle.  of  Dexterville,  Wood  Co.,  Wis,  who  was  born  March 
17,  1855.  They  have  three  children^Mary  E.,  Annie  M.  and 
George  H.  Mr.  McCann  was  in  the  British  Navy  for  eight  years, 
sailing,  in  1862,  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  from  there 
to  the  East  Indies  ;  then  back  to  Portsmouth,  then  back  around 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Hong  Kong,  China;  then  to  the  East 
Indies;  then  to  Ceylon,  and  was  engaged  in  the  Abyssinian 
war. 

SAMUEL  S.  MILLER,  of  the  firm  of  Miller  &  Atwood, 
lawyers  at  Whitehall,  was  born  in  Utica,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  July  17, 
1850.  He  received  a  common-school  education  and  commenced 
teaching  to  get  means  to  attend  the  Albion  Academy,  where  he 
graduated  in  1870.  He  then  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  drug  business,  and  from  there  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  where 
he  still  continued  to  act  as  drug  clerk  ;  but  his  health  failing  at 
this  time,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  his  position,  and  in  1872  he  en- 
tered the  law  class  of  the  Madison  University,  where  he  graduated 
in  1873.  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court.  In 
October,  1873,  he  went  to  Eau  Claire,  where  he  entered  the  law 
ofiBce  of  Neggett  &  Trull,  remaining  there  until  1877,  when  he 
removed  to  Whitehall,  where  he  has  since  practiced  his  profession. 
He  was  elected  District  Attorney  of  rrempealeau  Co.  in  the  fall 
of  1880,  and  still  holds  that  office. 

GEORGE  H.  OLDS,  Postmaster,  Whitehall,  was  born  in 
Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  8,  1834  ;  is  the  son  of  William  Olds, 
who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hillsdale,  N.  Y.,  March  I,  1799, 
and  came  with  his  family  to  Wisconsin  in  1853.  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Trempealeau  County,  of  which  he  bought  the  first  40 
acres  from  William  Cran,  afterward  buying  some  from  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  kept  on  adding  to  it  until  he  has  in  all  520  acres. 
William  had  another  son,  James  D.,  who  came  to  Wisconsin  two 
years  previous  to  1853  and  located  at  Chippewa  Falls,  but  came 
to  Trempealeau  County  to  join  his  father  after  his  arrival  here. 
In  1857,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  in  company  with  his 
brother,  James  D.,  to  Caledonia,  when  they  commenced  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  and  farming.  Here  he  remained  until  1S63,  with 
the  exception  of  a  part  of  the  year  1861,  when  he  was  in  the  war, 
and  then  moved  on  Pigeon  Creek,  and  in  the  spring  of  1874,  came 
to  Whitehall,  where  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  Postmas- 
ter, holding  that  oflice  ever  since.  Mr.  Olds  bought  the  first 
house  sold  in  the  village  of  Whitehall  and  served  the  first  papers 
as  Deputy  Sheriff',  issued  in  the  Trempealeau  County  Court  in 
1854,  by  Judge  Gale. 

GEORGE  QUACKENBUSH,  farmer,Sec.  26,  P.  0.  White- 
hall, was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  4,  1839.  Came  with 
his  parents  to  Wisconsin  in  1842,  where  they  commenced  farming 
in  Waukesha  County.  They  remained  there  until  1855,  at  which 
time  they  moved  to  Black  River  Falls.  Here  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  a  mill  owned  by  J.  B.  Jlills.  In  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  C,  19th  W.  V.  I.  and  served  one  year,  when  he  was 
discharged  on  account  of  sickness  and  returned  home  Jan.  9, 1863. 
He  re  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  25th  W.  V.  I.  and  served  two  years  more, 
when  he  ntturned  home  and  worked  at  lumbering  for  three  years 
at   Pine  Mill.     He  then  came  to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Hale.  He  remained  here  four  years 
and  then  came  to  Whitiliall.  He  now  owns  160  acres  of  good 
furm  land  in  sight  of  the  village  of  Whitehall.  He  is  a  member 
of  Trempealeau  Valley  Ivodgc,  No.  249,  I.  0.  0.  F.;  was  married 
July  4,  1803,  to  Miss  Josephine  Boyce,  who  is  a  native  of  Dutch- 
ess Co.,  N.  Y.  She  was  born  Aug.  17,  1845.  They  have  four 
children,  Emma,  Charles,  Luther  H,  and  Jl]ster. 

CHRISTOPHER  E.  SCOTT,  general  merchandise,  was  born 
in  Jciferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1831  ;  left  his  native  State  in 
1S51  and  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm. 
Then  returned  to  New  Y'ork,  remaining  there  two  years,  after 
which  he  came  West  again,  going  to  Jackson  Co.,  Iowa. ;  he  then 
went  back  to  New  York  and'enlistcd  in  Co.  D,  10th  N.  Y  Artil- 
lery and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  in  all  of  the  prin- 
cipal battles  of  the  Potomac.  In  1866,  he  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  located  at  Whitehall,  Trempealeau  County,  which  has  since 
been  his  home,  he  taking  an  active  part  in  all  public  enterprises. 
Mr.  Scott  was  married  in  1854,  in  Michigan,  to  Miss  Mary  C. 
Jliller,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1834.  Their  family  consists 
of  four  children,  Walter,  Fred,  George  S.  and  Harry. 

NELS.  L.  TOLYSTAD,  Counfy  Sheriff  of  Trempealeau 
County  ;  P.  0.  Whitehall  ;  was  born  in  Norway,  March  25, 1850; 
came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1861,  first  going  to  Dodge 
County,  where  he  lived  on  a  farm  with  them  until  1864,  when 
they  moved  to  the  town  of  Pjttrick,  Trempealeau  County,  and 
bought  a  farm  of  120  acres.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
a  common  school  education  and  attended  the  Galesville  University 
for  two  terms ;  held  the  oiBce  of  Town  Clerk,  in  the  town  of  Et- 
trick,  during  the  years  1873-74,  and  was  chairman  of  Town- 
board  for  the  year  1879,  being  elected  County  Sheriif  in  1880; 
is  a  member  of  the  Luiheran  Church  and  was  married  in  1874  to 
Miss  Antoinette  Lorson,  she  being  born  in  Norway.  They  have 
three  children — Ludvic,  Martha  and  an  infant  daughter. 

EDWIN  H.  WARNER,  dealer  in  hardware  and  stoves;  was 
born  in  Madison,  Wis.,  in  1853,  being  a  son  of  H.  M.  Warner, 
surveyor  of  Dane  Co.  and  Commissioner  of  the  Poor.  Here  he 
lived  with  his  parents  until  he  came  to  Whitehall ;  his  was  the 
first  hardware  store  in  the  town,  and  was  established  in  1874  ;  he 
does  an   annual   business  of  SIO.OOO  ;  he    is  a  member  of  the  I. 

0.  0.  F.,  Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249,  and  was  elected  to 
a  membership  of  the  Town  Board  of  Whitehall  in  1881  ;  he  was 
married  to  Sarah  J.  Rogerson  in  1875.  She  was  born  in  Dane 
Co.  in  1858;  they  have  one  daughter — Edith. 

DAVID  S.  WATSON,  farmer.  Sec.  24,  town  of  Hale,  P.  0. 
Whitehall;  was  born  in  Perrysburg,  Cattaraugus  Co  ,  N.  Y.  Left 
there  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  came  West  with  his 
parents,  settling  in  Genesee,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1842.  He 
there  worked  at  carpentering  until  1861,  with  the  exception  of 
two  years  that  he  was  in  California  mining.  He  held  the  office 
of  Assessor  in  Waukesha  Co.,  and  was  Town  Clerk,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  School  Commissioner  under  the  old  Territorial  laws. 
Mr.  Watson  moved  to  Trempealeau  Co.  on  his  farm,  which  he  had 
entered  previous  to  his  moving  there.  He  has  held  various  offices 
in  the  town  of  Hale,  having  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Clerk 
and  Chairman  of  Town  Boardcight  years,  and  Chairman  of  County 
Board  two  years;  he  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  of  the 

1.  0.  0.  F.,  Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249. 

EUGENE  D.  WEBSTEl!,  livery  and  sale  stable  ;  was  born 
in  Green  Co.,  Wis..  June  12,  1846  ;  he  came  to  Whitehall  in  1875 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business;  he  also  has  a  farm  of  177 
acres,  in  connection  with  his  stables;  he  has  been  Constable  in 
Whitehall  two  years  and  is  a  member  of  the  I  O.  0.  F.,  Trem- 
pealeau V^alley  Lodge,  No.  249;  he  was  married  July  1,  1877,  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Rogerson,  who  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They 
have  one  .son — Alberlie. 

LYMAN  II.  WHITELEY,  proprietor  of  the  American 
House,  and  furniture  dealer;  was  born  Dec.  12,  1840,  in  Dcs 
Moines  Co.,  Iowa;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  is  1850, 
and  settled  at  Burlington,  Racine  Co.,  and  was  there  engaged  with 


his  father  in  teaming  to  Milwaukee,  which  he  followed  for  one 
year,  when  he  went  to  Emmet  Co.,  Mich.,  where  he  engaged  at 
lake  fishing.  At  this  he  continued  four  years,  and  in  1856  moved 
to  Black  River  Falls,  Wis.,  his  father  having  died  the  year  pre- 
vious ;  he  here  commenced  in  the  lumbering  business  and  in  1873 
went  to  Corral  City,  and  started  a  general  merchandise  store. 
In  1874  he  removed  to  Whitehall  and  opened  a  furniture  store. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  six  years  in 
Whitehall,  and  has  been  Town  Clerk  ever  since  he  came  here,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Northwestern 
Benefit  Association.  He  was  married  Jan.  1,  1861,  to  Miss 
Zilpha  Wright,  daughter  of  B.  G.  Wright,  of  Wrightsville ;  she 
was  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  August  4,  1842.  Their  family  con- 
sists of  four  children — Cora  E.,  Phebe  E.,  Fredrick  W.  and  Win- 
nifred. 

JOSEPH  WRIGHT,  farmer,  Sec.  20,  town  of  Pigeon,  P. 
O.  Whitehall;  was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  Canada,  Sept.  18, 
1830,  and  in  1868  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Trempealeau 
Co.,  town  of  Pigeon,  then  Lincoln.  He  owns  160  acres  of  land, 
which  was  a  claim  that  he  purchased  from  Orisan  Laniberson  and 
afterward  pre-empted  it  as  a  homestead,  living  there  ever  since. 
Was  side  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Pigeon  for  1880  and  re- 
elected in  1881  ;  has  been  School  Clerk  of  Joint  District  No.  1, 
in  towns  Pigeon  and  Lincoln  for  thirty-nine  years.  Mr.  Wright 
was  married  in  1855  to  Jliss  Anna  Douglas,  she  being  also  a  na- 
tive of  Canada.  They  have  six  children — Margaret  E.,  Mary  R., 
Thomas  W.,  Agnes  I.,  Lettia  J.  and  James  W. 


TREMPEALEAF. 

Most  delightfully  situated  on  the  Mississippi  River,  in 
the  southeast  corner  of  Trempealeau  Town,  the  village  pre- 
sents many  features  of  excellence  that  have  been  availed  of 
from  time  to  time,  and,  until  later  years,  promised  superior 
advantages  that  have  not,  from  a  variety  of  reasons,  been 
fully  realized. 

It  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village,  as  also  in  the  vil- 
lage itself,  that  the  first  settlement  of  Trempealeau  County 
was  undertaken  and  consummated. 

In  1840,  James  Reed  settled  in  this  county. 

In  18-13,  William  Bunnell  is  reputed  as  having  settled 
here,  building  a  house  on  the  present  site  of  Jack  McCar- 
ty's  residence.  He  was  followed  in  1844,  by  Paul  Grignon; 
in  1845,  by  A.  Chenevert ;  in  1847,  by  Charles  Perkins, 
and  in  1848,  by  Edward  Winkleman.  These  severally  set- 
tled in  and  about  the  present  village,  and  the  improvements, 
all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  double  log  house 
erected  by  James  Reed,  near  the  present  site  of  Krib's 
hardware  store  on  Front  Street,  were  of  a  character  primi- 
tive rather  than  elaborate. 

In  October,  1851,  B.  E.  Houston,  subsequently,  and 
when  the  county  was  set  apart  as  an  independent  constitu- 
ency, the  first  County  Judge,  came  into  present  Trempea- 
leau Village  from  Black  River,  to  locate  permanently.  He 
purchased  a  small  story  and  a  half  house  standing  on  Front 
street,  below  what  has  since  been  known  as  Melchior's 
Brewery,  erected  by  J.  B.  Douville,  and  thus  being  vested 
with  title,  confirmed  his  decision  to  settle  here  by  remaining. 

At  that  time,  relates  Mr.  Houston,  the  improvements  of 
the  future  village  were  limited  to  the  log  cabins  of  those 
whose  names  are  mentioned  above.  The  coming  of  this 
gentleman  was  prompted  by  the  apparent  advantages  that 
were  possessed  by  the  site  as  a  shipping-point,  and  acting 
upon  this  conclusion,  Heuston  and  Ira  S.  Hammond  pro- 
ceeded to  the  erection  of  a  warehouse,  that  is  still  stand- 
ing on   Front  street,  third  door  east  of  the  Utter  House. 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


The  fall  of  his  arrival,  ground  was  "broke  "  for  the  build- 
ing, and  befrre  winter  had  become  altogether  an  established 
fact,  he  had  completed,  with  the  assistance  of  A.  A.  Angell 
and  others,  the  cellar,  and  run  up  the  stone  foundations. 
In  the  meantime,  he  procured  lumber  in  the  Black  River 
country,  floated  it  down  the  stream  to  the  mouth  of  Beaver 
Creek  (a  small  stream  named  by  James  Reed),  carted  it 
over  to  the  building  site,  and  in  the  spring  completed  the 
warehouse.  It  was  24x50,  two  stories  high,  and  to-day. 
having  served  its  purpose,  is  rapidly  going  to  decay. 

Among  those  who  came  in  the  fall  of  1851,  was  Mr. 
Charles  Cameron  and  A.  A.  Angell,  the  latter's  wife  follow- 
ing her  husband  during  the  winter,  the  first  white  woman, 
it  is  claimed  by  some,  to  settle  here  permanently.  Others 
maintain,  with  equal  vehemence,  that  it  was  Mrs.  Michael 
Bebault.  Horace  E.  Owen,  who  located  what  has  since 
been  known  as  the  "Four  Mile  Farm,"  came  this  year,  as 
also  did  Elezur  Smith,  etc. 

Early  in  February,  1852,  N.  B.  Grover  came  hither 
from  La  Crosse,  and  opened  a  shoe  shop  opposite  the  Utter 
House,  in  which  he  also  sold  notions,  etc.,  the  first  com- 
mercial venture  in  the  village.  In  May,  of  this  year, 
George  Batchelder  and  wife  made  their  advent,  and  put  up 
a  house  below  Hammond  k  Heuston's  warehouse ;  later 
came  Mrs.  Charles  Cameron,  when  herself  and  husband 
became  occupants  of  the  old  Douville  mansion,  and  kept 
boarders,  the  first  to  engage  in  that  checkered,  if  profitable, 
business  in  Trempealeau  ;  a  Mr.  Marshall  came  in  soon 
after,  and  put  up  a  house  near  where  McCarty  now  lives, 
above  Big  Spring;  also  Israel  Noyes,  who  boarded  with 
the  Camerons  until  October,  when  he  was  joined  by  his 
wife,  and  went  to  living  in  the  second  story  of  Hammond  & 
Heuston's  warehouse,  where  a  child  was  born  to  them  the 
same  season,  said  to  be  the  first  birth  in  the  village.  iMar- 
vin  and  James  Pierre  came  in  and  built  a  small  house  on 
the  north  side  of  First  street,  above  Melchior's  brewery  ; 
Ira  E.  Moor  and  Alvin  Carter  built  a  residence  near  the 
present  location  of  Hoberton's  blacksmith-shop.  During 
this  year,  Alexander  McMillan,  latterly  of  La  Crosse,  put 
up  a  blacksmith-shop  east  of  Bright's  present  store,  the  first 
in  the  village.  These,  with  Alexander  McGiloray,  S. 
Seymour,  Robert  Farrington,  Charles  Holmes,  Miss.  Cath- 
arine Davidson  and  possibly  one  or  two  others,  compre- 
hended the  arrivals  for  1852. 

Among  the  events  Avas  the  opening  of  the  first  hotel  in 
the  village.  Mrs.  Batchelder  was  the  hostess,  and  her 
cuisine  is  to-day  recommended  as  among  the  pleasurable 
experiences  of  life  at  that  period. 

Another  was  the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July. 
The  ceremonies  took  place  in  the  second  story  of  the  Hous- 
ton warehouse,  and  were  usual  to  the  occasion,  Mr.  Heuston 
reading  the  Declaration,  and  those  in  attendance,  without 
special  reference  to  precedence,  orated. 

The  chief  event,  however,  and  one  in  which  succeeding 
generations  would  become  more  intimately  interested,  was 
the  formal  survey  and  platting  of  the  village.  On  the  7th 
of  April,  William  Hood,  as  Surveyor,  laid  off  the  present 
site,  and  at  a  meeting  convened  soon  after,  it  was  formally 
named  Monteauvillc,  but  upon  motion  the  name  was 
changed  to  Montoville.  It  was  laid  off  out  of  lands  belong- 
ing to  James  Reed  and  Hammond  &  Heuston,  which  had 
been  claimed  at  an  earlier  date  by  Edward  Winkleman,  who 
was  divested  of  the  title,  however,  and  came  into  market  as 
the  property  of  those  cited,  and  others.     No   sooner   had 


this  been  accomplished,  and  tlie  preliminaries  toward  found- 
ing a  village  complied  with,  than  another  survey  was  com- 
pleted under  the  direction  of  F.  M.  Rublee,  Timothy  Burns 
and  Benjamin  B.  Healy.  This  was  on  the  23d  of  the 
same  month,  and  the  name  "  Trempealeau "  derived  from 
"  Mont-trempe-l-eau,  the  mountain  that  stands  in  the 
water,"  given  to  the  re-surveyed  premises. 

This  year  came  also  the  Rev.  Mr.  Watts,  a  minister  of 
the  Gospel,  and,  as  already  stated,  Catharine  Davidson,  one 
of  the  contracting  parties  to  the  first  marriage  between  whites 
in  the  village,  she  being  united  to  B.  F.  Heuston  in 
February  following. 

During  the  succeeding  two  years,  the  arrivals  were 
scarcely  numerous,  though  inducements  were  off'ered  in  the 
price  asked  for  lands,  and  the  advantages  assured  to  be 
within  the  reach  of  even  modest  men  of  enterprise  with  but 
moderate  capital.  But  few  came  in  though.  La  Crosse  and 
the  Black  River  country  absorbed  nearly  all  the  arrivals  into 
this  portion  of  Wisconsin. 

Among  those  who  were  added  to  the  populSusness  and 
importance  of  the  village,  in  1853,  '54  and  '55,  were,  A.  M. 
Brandenburg,  B.  B.  Healy,  A.  P.  Webb,  Romanxo  Bunn, 
D.  0.  Van  Slyke,  Patrick  Duggan,  Frank  Duggan,  Aaron 
Houghton,  Joseph  Gale,  Gilbert  Gibbs,  Oscar  Beardsley, 
John  Gillis,  Lewis  Hutenhow,  William  Olds,  Hiram  Brown, 
Philo  Beard,  Chester  and  Chauncey  Beard,  Chase  Wasson, 
Antoine  Grignon,  and  possibly  some  few  others.  The  im- 
provements were  hardly  in  keeping  with  this  "  rush  "  of 
settlers,  and  beyond  the  building  put  up  by  Grover,  in  the 
village  limits,  and  residences  on  the  prairie  by  H,  Stewart 
and  others,  but  little  was  done  to  add  to  the  value  or  ap- 
pearance of  the  place  and  vicinity. 

In  1856,  the  "  flush  times  "  of  Trempealeau,  it  may  be 
said,  had  a  beginning.  Up  to  that  date,  comparatively  speak- 
ing, very  little  had  been  done  to  aid  in  rendering  the  place 
arthitecturally,  "splendid,"  and  the  population  did  not  ex- 
ceed forty,  all  told. 

Early  in  1856,  the  lumber  and  shingle  company  of  Bre- 
denthal,  King  &  Co.  was  organized,  and  preparations  were 
concluded  to  locate  at  some  eligible  point  in  the  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi, where  access  to  the  lumber  regions  and  pineries 
would  be  easy.  The  machinery  was  completed  and  shipped 
to  the  mouth  of  Black  River,  after  which  Bredenthal  & 
King  came  West  and  halted  at  La  Crosse.  Here  they  were 
joined  by  J.  M.  Barrett,  identified  with  them  in  the  mill 
venture,  and  the  three  called  on  S.  D.  Hastings,  the  agent 
of  Rubiee,  Healy,  Batchelder  and  Utter,  for  the  sale  of 
lands  in  Trempealeau  County,  and  upon  his  recommenda- 
tion, decided,  after  a  personal  examination  of  the  territory, 
to  locate  on  a  site  given  them  for  that  purpose,  south  of  the 
village.  At  the  time  this  decision  was  made,  water  in  the 
river  was  unusually  high  and  superficial  investigation  sup- 
plemented by  the  apparent  liberality  of  Rublee  et  al.,  decid- 
ed the  company  upon  the  location  of  its  enterprise.  Every 
nerve  was  therefore  strained  to  build  and  complete  the  mill 
structure,  set  up  its  machinery,  and  get  to  work  with  the 
least  possible  delay.  Meantime  the  water  subsided  and  the 
ow^ners  of  the  mill  began  to  realize  that  they  were  engaged 
in  an  investment  that  would,  sooner  or  later,  prove  profit- 
less. When  they  began  to  manuficture,  these  apprehen- 
sions were  fully  verified.  Access  to  the  mill  property  for 
logs  was  impossible,  save  in  a  roundabout  waj'.  The  raw 
material  was  conveyed  to  the  saw  by  teams,  and  at  an  ex- 
pense more  than  neutralizing  the  profits  to  be  derived  from 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN'. 


an  active,  and  gradually  strengthening  market.  In  short, 
the  mill  was  a  complete  failure  because  of  this  oversight, 
and  finally  the  company  disbanded.  The  founders  save 
Mr.  Barrett,  who  is  still  a  resident  of  Trempealeau,  returned 
wiience  they  came,  and  the  mill  was  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder  and  taken  elsewhere. 

Notwitiistanding  these  calamitous  results  to  an  under- 
taking that  was  sought  to  be  established  under  auspi- 
cious surroundings,  the  effect  produced  upon  Trempealeau 
and  vicinity  was  identical  with  that  hoped  for  from  the 
completion  of  the  mill.  Property  advanced  along  the  line, 
in  value  and  importance.  Many  were  seeking  in  the  West 
opportunities  for  the  investment  of  capital  that  were  denied 
them  on  favorable  terms  elsewhere.  The  town  filled  up 
with  strangers;  houses,  cabins  and  shanties  were  built  with 
surprising  frequency,  and  people  began  to  buy  in  all  di- 
rections. This  demand  created  the  utmost  excitement,  and 
the  price  of  lots  appreciated  so  rapidly  that  no  one  was  able 
to  predict  »,  possible  value  in  advance.  In  the  spring,  the 
most  desirable  lots  could  have  been  purchased  for  from  §40 
to  $"jO.  In  May,  when  the  building  of  the  mill  was  ar- 
ranged for,  double  this  price  was  demanded,  and  when  the 
mill  was  completed,  as  high  as  §1,000  was  refused  for  the 
same  pieces  of  property  that  could  not  have  found  a  pur- 
chaser a  year  previous. 

As  an  instance,  it  may  be  stated  that  while  this  scale  of 
prices  was  maintained,  a  gentleman  offered  $2,100  for  lots 
on  the  river  bank  opposite  the  Melchior  House,  and  it  was 
declined.  They  could  not  now  be  sold  at  anything  like 
that  figure. 

Among  the  prominent  arrivals  for  1856,  were  0.  S. 
Bates,  S.  D.  Hastings  and  family,  Noah  Payne  and  family, 
W.  T.  Booker,  J.  H.  Crossen,  J.  P.  Israel  and  family,  S. 
F.  Harris  and  family,  Thomas  Van  Zant,  Mr.  Mills,  Will- 
iam Held,  A.  W.  Hickox,  C.  W.  Thomns,  John  Smith, 
Dennis  Smith,  D.  W.  Gilfillan,  D.  B.  Phelps,  C.  C.  Crane, 
the  Hall  boys,  Mr.  Jayne  and  many  others.  The  improve- 
ments consisted  in  part  of  the  mill  and  a  large  house  ad- 
joining for  the  accommodation  of  hands  employed  therein; 
the  Congregational  Church  put  up  under  a  contract  with 
C.  C.  Crane,  and  numerous  private  buildings  for  residence 
and  commercial  purposes.     Gilfillan  built    a    hotel    where 

Russell  now  lives.     Hastings  erected  a  residence 

opposite  the  public  square.  Robert  Jones  a  brick  residence 
on  Third  street,  the  first  brick  house  in  the  village,  now 
occupied  by  D.  Coman,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hayes  put  up  a 
frame  on  the  hill.  In  addition  to  GilfiUan's  tavern,  C.  S. 
Seymour  was  proprietor  of  the  Trempealeau  House,  built 
in  1852,  by  A.  A.  Angell,  and  Frederick  Harth  occupied 
the  old  log  house  of  James  Reed,  as  the  Washington  Hotel. 
Jasper  Kingsley  maintained  the  only  saloon  in  the  village, 
and  the  commercial  and  marine  interests  were  divided  be- 
tween J.  P.  Israel,  W.  T.  Booker,  Mills  k  Van  Zant  and 
N.  B.  Grover. 

J.  A.  Parker  came  in  this  year  and  built  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Antoine  Gugnon,  he  was  the  first  lawyer  in  the 
village.  Dr.  Alson  Atwood  also  came  in  and  built  a  house, 
and  is  claimed  by  some  as  the  first  physician  to  settle  in 
Trempealeau,  though  it  is  contended  by  others  that  this  dis- 
tinguished honor  is  legitimately  the  property  of  Dr.  E.  R. 
Utter.  Dr.  Bunnell  came  here  at  an  early  day,  and  located 
as  already  stated,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  he  was  a  resident  at 
the  time  whereof  mention  is  now  made.  Money  was  plenty,  it 
is  said,  and  times  unprecedentedly  prosperous.    Almost  every 


steamer  bore  hither,  as  passengers,  people  who  were  out 
prospecting,  ready  to  avail  themselves  of  any  opportunity 
that  presented  itself  for  purchase.  The  Fourth  of  July 
was  celebrated  with  unusual  pomp,  the  Baptist  society  was 
organized,  and  a  terrible  cyclone  passed  over  the  village  Id 
August,  doing  great  damage.  These  are  among  the  prin- 
cipal events  of  1856. 

The  good  times  continued,  it  is  said,  until  the  fall  of 
1857,  and  were  succeeded  by  "hard  times,"  during  which 
fiour  was  $12  per  barrel ;  pork,  §10  per  hundred,  and  com- 
modities generally  in  proportion.  Elk,  which  at  this  late 
day  herded  among  the  brush  of  the  bluffs,  were  killed  and 
supplied  the  absence  of  beef;  their  antlers  during  this,  pre- 
ceding and  succeeding  years,  until  the  game  became  extinct, 
being  presented  to  the  first  steamboat  to  make  Trempealeau 
with  the  resumption  of  navigation  in  the  spring. 

When  hardships  and  impoverishment  followed  in  the 
wake  of  prosperity,  it  was  thought  that  lands  would  depre- 
ciate, and  an  opportunity  be  afforded  those  who  came  in  to 
settle  while  they  continued,  but  the  opposite  of  this  was  the 
case.  The  extravagant  valuation  mentioned  was  main- 
tained, and  had  the  effect  of  lessening,  in  a  material  degree, 
the  attractions,  which  at  first  blush,  persuaded  the  visitor  to 
this  portion  of  the  country  to  halt  and  investigate.  Their 
investigations  extended  no  further  than  to  ascertain  that 
lots  and  lands  were  held  at  prices,  which  to  them,  seemed 
fancy,  whereupon,  they  retired  and  sought  elsewhere  what 
they  were  unable  to  obtain  here  of  Healy  and  others  who 
controlled  the  market.  The  "high  prices  "  drove  a  num- 
ber to  La  Crosse,  Winona,  St.  Paul,  etc.,  who  would,  but 
for  this  impediment,  insist  those  familiar  with  the  facts, 
have  remained  and  assisted  in  resolving  the  village  of 
Trempealeau  into  a  city.  As  an  example,  it  may  be  said 
that  a  jewelry  manufacturer  wishing  to  extend  his  field  of 
operations,  visited  Trempealeau  for  the  purpose  of  locating, 
and  arranged  for  the  purchase  of  lands  upon  which  to  erect 
a  residence  and  manufactory.  Before  the  negotiations  were 
concluded,  however,  he  became  appalled  at  the  price 
demanded,  and  returned  to  Lowell. 

Another  instance  is  related  of  a  capitalist  from  Pitts- 
burgh, who  came  here  at  the  solicitation  of  citizens,  with  a 
view  to  the  erection  of  a  hotel.  He  agreed  and  bound  him- 
self to  put  up  one,  first-class  in  every  respect,  and  was 
ready  to  commence  work,  but  the  "  high  prices  "  of  lands 
caused  him  to  abandon  the  project  and  flee  from  the  vicinity. 

This  short-sighted  policy,  in  the  light  of  subsequent 
events,  has  since  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  chief  reasons 
for  the  decline  of  the  village.  Trempealeau  came  to  a 
standstill  for  the  time  being,  at  least,  and  though  it  revived 
under  an  era  of  prosperity  acquired  as  a  shipping  point, 
land  owners  seem  not  to  have  profited  by  their  experience  , 
of  1857.  i 

Among  those  who  settled  here  during  that  year  were  i 
W.  P.  Heuston,  R.  W.  Russell,  N.  W.  Allen,  Harvey  ; 
Bowles,  F.  A.  Utter  and  others,  including  Wilson  Johnston,  ; 
who  established  the  first  ferry  from  Trempealeau  Village  to  > 
the  Minnesota  shore.  ' 

In    1858,  wheat  began    to   come  in  here  in  search  of  a   j 
market,  and   was   readily    purchased   for  shipment  to  Mil-   : 
waukee,  via  Prairie  du  Chien,  as  also  to  St.  Louis.      During 
this  year,  it  is  estimated  that  fully  1,000  bushels  were  thus 
bartered,  and  the  fading  hopes  of  those  who  had  centered  in    : 
the  village  were  revived.     The  absence  of  railroads  in  the 
interior,  and  the  fact  that  Trempealeau  was  the  most  accea-  i 


HISTORY    OF   TREMPE\LEAU    COUNTY. 


I04S 


sible  point  for  farmers  to  merchant  their  produce,  served  to 
attract  them  in  time,  and  they  came  in  numbers  so  large 
that  the  streets  lining  the  river  were  often  packed  for  hours 
by  teamsters  waiting  an  opportunity  to  unload. 

The  trade,  so  to  speak,  inaugurated  in  1857-58,  increased 
i  in  strength  and  vigor  with  succeeding  years,  and  attained  its 
I  ,  maximum  prior  to  the  completion  of  railroad  in  August, 
I  1871.  Farmers  coming  in  from  Arcadia,  Independence, 
I  Whitehall  and  other  points  in  the  county,  as  also  from  points 
I  in  adjoining  counties,  and  the  sales  are  said  to  have  averaged 
i  5,000  bushels  per  diem  for  not  less  than  100  successive 
I  days.  A  vast  amount  of  money  was  thus  put  in  circulation, 
j  and  an  immense  tonnage  necessary  to  its  transportation.  In 
spite  of  these  facts,  there  was  no  perceptible  improvement  in 
I  the  policy  of  land  owners,  and  scarcely  any  in  the  material 
i  interests  of  the  city.  When  the  road  from  Portage  to  La 
•  Crosse  was  completed,  shipments  were  made  via  the  latter 
;  place,  and  Trempealeau's  value,  as  a  shipping  point,  was 
:  greatly  enhanced.  As  a  result,  it  was  thought  that  the 
'  building  of  the  La  Crosse,  Trempealeau  &  Prescott  road 
would  be  a  valuable  adjunct,  and  its  completion  was  antici- 
;  pated  with  unalloyed  pleasure.  But  the  opposite  of  these 
i  anticipations  have  since  been  experienced.  The  line  tapped 
I  the  regions  of  country  theretofore  tributary  to  Trempealeau, 
!  and,  thus  handicapped,  its  history  since  has  been  as  a  tale 
'■     that  its  told. 

H.  Hoberton's  wagon  factory,  the  chief  manufacturing 

establishment  in  the  village,  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Main 

and  Second  streets,  where  Mr.  Hoberton  began  the  building 

of  vehicles  in  1863.     In  1868,  he  erected  his  present  build- 

,     ings,  which  are  of  brick,  one  40x24,  and  the  other  30x20, 

j     at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  which  he  has  since  occupied.     His  line 

I     of  manufacture  embraces  every  description  of  wagon,  buggy, 

■  carriage,  etc.,  furnishing  employment  to  five  men,  at  a 
:  weekly  compensation  of  !^50,  and  doing  an  annual  business 
,     of  $5,000. 

Mail  facilities  were  first  enjoyed  in  Trempealeau,  while 
'  yet  that  village  was  known  as  Slontoviile,  with  B.  F.  Hous- 
ton as  Postmaster,  and  the  office  on  Front  street.  Since 
.  tliat  date,  tbe  following  officials  have  served  :  Isaac  Noyes, 
':  George  BatchelJer.  Albert  Booth  and  A.  H.  Touner,  the 
j  present  incumbent.  Mails  are  received  daily  from  east  and 
>     west. 

Planing  mill  of  W.  &  C.  Church.  Included  in  the  manu- 
facturing industries  of  the  village,  is  this  establishment, 
which  owes  its  origin  to  the  enterprise  of  John  and  Joseph 

■  Shaw,  and  was  erected  in  1869.  Some  time  after  its  com- 
i  pletion,  the  mill  was  sold  to  S.  F.  Harris,  who,  in  turn, 
'  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Boynton  &  Utter.  These  gentle- 
'    men  maintained  possession  until  1880,  when  they  sold  to  the 

present  owners  for  a  nominal  consideration.     The  mill  is 
supplied  with  equipments  usual  to  the  trade,  and  possesses 
1     a  capacity  of  10,000  feet  daily. 

The  religious  interests  of    Ti-empealeau  supports   three 
1    churches,  though  there  are  four  church  edifices  within  the  vil- 
i    lage  limits.    Of  these  the  Methodist  congregation  was  organ- 
,    ized  in  1856  by  H.  M.  Hays,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodhue, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Payne,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kribbs  as  the  con- 
stituent members.      In   1857  the   present  edifice   was  built 
at  a  cost  of  $1,300,  and  the  society  now  claims  a  member- 
ship of  three  hundred,  with  a  property  valued  at  $1,000. 

The  Baptist  Association  was  instituted  in  1857,  by  the 
Rev.  J.  M.  Winn,  with  twenty-three  members.  Until  1866 
services    were  conducted  in   the  sclioolhouse  and  at  a  hall 


on  Front  street.  In  that  year  the  present  edifice  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,300.  The  organization  still  main- 
tains an  active  existence,  but  since  March,  1880,  has  been 
without  a  pastor. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  established  in  1858  or  1859, 
and  worship  held  in  the  houses  of  members  until  1867, 
when  the  present  church  of  brick  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000.  The  parish  is  a  mission  attached  to*  the  diocese  of 
La  Crosse,  and  administered  by  Father  J.  B.  H.  Conroy, 
of  Ettrick. 

The  first  school  taught  in  the  village  was  by  Miss  Su- 
sannah Holbrook,  in  1854,  in  a  log  house  located  then  on 
Front  street.  This  lady  was  subsequently  succeeded  by  P. 
0.  Vanslyke  and  Mrs.  Romanzo  Bunn.  In  1856,  Miss 
Harris  taught  in  a  frame  on  Third  street  south  of  the  pres- 
ent edifice.  This  was  used  until  1860,  but  is  now  occupied 
as  a  Masonic  Hall.  In  1859  the  present  school  building 
was  commenced  and  finished  as  demands  for  accommoda- 
tions increased.  It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  40x60, 
and  cost  $5,000.  At  first  but  two  departinents  were 
needed,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dewey,  but  in 
1862  a  third  department  was  added,  and  the  school  became 
graded  and  has  so  continued.  In  1870,  a  primary  school 
building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,200,  and  the  service 
now  requires  the  services  of  a  principal  and  two  assistants. 
It  requires  an  annual  levy  of  fifteen  mills  on  the  dollar  for 
school  purposes,  the  fund  thereby  derived  being  disposed  of 
by  a  Board  of  Trustees,  composed  of  J.  M.  Barrell,  Di- 
rector ;  A.  Hoberton,  Treasurer,  and  E.  J.  Hanke,  Clerk. 

Trempealeau  Lodge,  No.  107,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  June  14,  1859,  with  a  total  of  twenty  members, 
and  the  following  officers  :  J.  M.  Erwin,  W.  M.;  C.  C- 
Crane,  S.  W.,  and  S.  F.  Harris,  J.  W.  Meetings  were 
continued  for  a  number  of  years  in  Noyes  &  Jones  brick 
block  on  Front  street,  where  the  lodge  remained  until 
1867  or  1868,  when  the  present  building  on  the  same 
thoroughfare  was  purchased  of  C.  W.  Thomas,  and  fitted 
up  in  a  handsome  manner  for  permanent  occupation.  The 
present  officers  are:  John  Bovinton,  W.  M.;  Henry  Heller, 
S.  W.;  William  Kribs,  J.  W.;  H.  Hoberton,  Treasurer; 
J.  H.  Crosen,  Secretary ;  T.  J.  Seymour,  S.  D.;  L.  G. 
Huntley,  J.  D.;  C.  C.  C-ribs,  Tiler.  Meetings  are  held  on 
the  first  and  third  Tuesdays  of  each  month,  and  the  value 
of  lodge  property  is  stated  at  $1,000. 

The  Trempealeau  Cemetery  Association  was  organized 
October  6,  1856,  with  S.  D.'  Hastings  as  President ;  D. 
W.  Gilfillan,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  Noah  Payne,  S.  F. 
Harris,  J.  Nichols,  George  Batchelder  and  Byron  Veits, 
Trustees.  A  purchase  of  four  acres  of  land  was  made  for 
cemetery  purposes,  one  mile  northwest  of  the  village,  in 
Section  22,  and  has  since  been  platted  and  laid  out.  The 
annual  meeting  is  convened  on  the  first  Monday  in  October, 
and  the  present  officers  are :  E.  N.  Trowbridge,  Presi- 
dent, and  F.  H.  Kribbs.  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

BIOGR.-i.PHICAL     SKETCUKS. 

LEON.\RD  W.  ADAMS,  farmer,  Sec.  15;  P.  0.  Trem- 
pealeau; was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  11th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1831 ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  first  settling  in  the  town 
of  Union,  Rock  Co.,  where  he  remained  engasod  at  farming  until 
185i).  then  went  back  to  New  York,  and,  after  staying  there  for 
four  years,  returned  and  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives, 
and,  in  1864,  moved  on  to  it;  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  and  was  married  in  the  year  1870  to  Miss 


1046 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Mary  Electa  Blake,  of  Rock  County,  but  formerly  of  New  Tork  ; 
their  family  consists  of  three  children — Bessie  C,  Hattie  M.  and 
Charles  B. 

FRANK  ATWOOD,  flirmer,  Sec.  31  ;  P.  0.  Ccnterville  ; 
was  born  in  Vermont  Nov.  17,  1840  ;  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  brother  Alnion  in  the  year  1848,  locating  in  Fond  du  Lac 
Co.,  where  the  subject  of  tliis  sketcli  remained  until  1859,  at 
which  time  he  repiovcd  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  purchased  the 
ftirm  where  he  m.w  lives  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside 
Grange,  and  also  of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  at  Galesviile.  Fie  was 
married,  in  1862,  to  Betsey  Holbrook,  of  Trempealeau  Co. ;  they 
have  seven  children — Nellie,  Emily,  Laura.  Angie,  Lucy,  Willie 
and  Bertha. 

SAMUEL  BARK,  farmer.  Sec.  S2  ,  P.  0.  Trempealeau;  was 
born  in  New  York  State,  Madison  Co.,  March  18,  1818  ;  leaving 
there  in  June  of  1842,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  near  Whitewater, 
where  he  pre-empted  a  claim  from  the  Government;  in  1856, 
removed  to  Trempealeau  Co..  and  bought  his  present  farm  ;  now 
has  two  creameries,  keeping  sixteen  cows;  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Trempealeau  Town  Board.  Was  married  in  Dodge  Co.,  in 
1856,  to  Miss  Caroline  Lily,  a  native  of  New  York  State,  by 
whom  he  has  seven  children — Eliza  I.,  Ira  A.,  Clara,  Ervin  R.. 
Bessie.  Ella  and  Rosa  M. 

JAMES  M.  BARRETT,  retired  merchant,  Trempealeau; 
came  to  that  village  in  1856  in  the  interest  of  a  Pittsburgh  lum- 
bering company,  to  erect  a  mill  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing 
lumber,  etc. ;  after  spending  about  §25,000,  the  enterprise  finally 
became  a  failure,  and  the  other  members  of  the  parly,  with  the 
exception  of  John  King  and  James  Barrett,  returned  to  their 
homes  in  the  East;  the  subject  of  this  sketch  becoming  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  the  town  and  county,  concluded  to  make 
his  home  in  the  West,  and,  in  1857,  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  town  and  also  of  the  county,  and 
immediately  commcn  ed  laying  out  road.s,  and  constructing 
bridges  across  the  Trempealeau  River,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1857, 
built  the  first  steamboat  dock  at  Trempealeau,  which  is  still  in  use 
as  the  main  landing;  in  1858,  started  in  the  merchandise  trade  in 
company  with  Abner  Harris,  their  business  also  embracing  grain 
dealing,  and,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  shipped  their  first 
wheat  on  the  Mississippi,  it  being  the  first  wheat  ever  sent  from 
Trempealeau;  Mr.  Barre't  afterward  discontinued  the  grain  busi- 
ne.ss,  but  continued  as  a  merchant  until  1862,  then  engaged  in 
the  lumber  trade ;  he  had  previously  bought  and  sold  the  first 
lumber  raft  at  Trempealeau  ;  he  also  had,  in  connection  with  his 
lumber  business,  a  line  of  agricultural  implements  and  wagons, 
running  them  together  until  1877,  when  he  abandoned  the  lum- 
ber trade,  and  is  now  machinist  in  connection  with  his  farming; 
he  has  held  the  office  of  Ju.-tice  of  the  Peace  in  Trempealeau  for 
fifteen  years,  and  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  for  the  year  1878; 
has  also  been  connected  with  the  School  Board  continually,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  being  the  means  of  establishing 
that  society  at  Trempealeau.  James  Barrett  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire  April  13,  1835,  and  was  married  in  Orleans  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  to  Miss  Johanna  Harris,  a  native  of  that  State,  in  1853. 

ANSON  BELL,  farmer.  Sec.  3;  P.  O.  Centerville ;  was 
born  in  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  April  0,  1818.  He  first  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  the  year  1837,  and  bought  a  farm  from  the  Govern- 
ment in  Walworth  County.  He  remained  but  a  short  time  and 
returned  to  Ohio,  but  in  1830,  brought  his  family  with  him  and 
settled  on  his  farm;  in  1855.  he  removed  to  La  Crosse  County 
upon  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Amsterdam,  on  which  he  lived  until 
1864,  at  which  time  came  to  Trempealeau  County  and  bought 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  first  erecting  a  log  cabin  ;  he  was 
married  in  Gilford,  Ohio,  on  the  2d  of  February,  1842,  to  Eliza 
Chapman,  whose  parents  were  also  very  early  settlers  in  this 
State.  Thiy  have  had  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  living — 
Leroy,  Alice,  now  Sirs.  William  Bartholomew,  Ida,  now  Mrs. 
William  Rich,  Orvill  P.,  Willis  A.;  Sarah  and  Harrl.sim  B.  both 
died  in  the  same  month  in  La  Cro.sse  County  of  diphtheria  .    Mr. 


Bell  held  the  office  of  Town  Treasurer,  also  Assessor  in  the  town 
of  Amsterdam,  La  Crosse  Co.,  and  was  at  one  tim.e  Mail  Agent 
between  Racine  and  Janesville. 

JOHN  BOHRNSTEDT,  farmer;  Sec.  2;  P.  0.  Trempea- 
leau; was  born  in  Germany,  April  24,  1833;  he  lived  with  his 
parents  until  1826,  when  they  all  came  to  America,  first  living  in 
Milwaukee  for  nearly  a  year,  and  then  removing  to  Tremj-ealeau 
County.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  worked  for  Mr.  Healey 
on  a  farm  for  three  and  one-half  years,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
C,  30th  Wis.  V.  T.,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war;  he  then 
returned  to  Trempealeau  County,  and  in  1866,  bought  the  farm 
on  which  he  lives.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 
John  Bohrnstedt  was  married  in  1863,  to  Mary  Frohmedcr,  a 
native  of  New  York  State,  whose  parents.  Laurence  and  Marga- 
ret Frohmcder.  were  natives  of  Germany,  but  settled  in  Jefferson 
Co  ,  N.  Y.,  in  1841.  Mr.  Bohrnstedt's  family  now  consists  of 
four  children — George  W.,  Henry  L.,  William  C.  and  Albert. 

DANIEL  S  BONUM,  farmer;  Sec.  29,  P.  0.  Centerville; 
came  to  Wi.sconsin  in  1847,  and  first  settled  in  the  town  of  Low- 
ell, Dodge  Co.,  remaining  there  until  1856;  he  then  removed  to 
Trempealeau  County  and  bought  a  farm,  on  which  he  lived  until 
1858,  at  which  time  he  lost  his  wife;  returned  to  Dodge  County, 
where  he  lived  one  year,  and  at  the  time  of  the  great  mining 
excitement,  went  the  overland  route  to  California ;  returning  to 
this  State  in  1862,  and  moved  to  his  farm  in  Trempealeau  County, 
having  ,?ince  made  that  his  home.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  in  Penn.sylvania,  Feb.  5,  1816  ;  his  father  was  of  Scotch 
and  his  mother  of  French  extraction.  He  has  three  children — 
Alva  H.,  Alice  L.  and  Elizabeth  ;  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Trempealeau.  There  was  an  old  Indian  trail 
which  crossed  his  farm  from  northeast  to  southwest,  leading  from 
the  Trempealeau  mountain  to  the  Big  Tamarack,  and  there  have 
also  been  found  on  his  place  several  pieces  of  ancient  pottery. 

WILLIAM  T.  BOOHER,  Notary  Public  and  collecting  and 
insurance  agent,  Trempealeau  ;  was  born  in  Kalamazoo,  Mich., 
Sept.  8,  1834;  cinie  to  La  Crosse  in  1854,  and  in  1855,  to 
Trempealeau,  in  company  with  his  brother,  J.  H.  Booher,  where 
they  started  a  store,  dealing  Largely  with  the  Indians.  For  sev- 
eral years  they  had  a  trade  on  Sundays,  of  from  §200  to  S600. 
He  finally  sold  out  his  store,  but  still  lives  in  Trempealeau,  having 
held  several  offices  in  the  town,  and  being  now  Notary  I'ublic ;  he 
is  also  general  collecting  and  insurance  agent,  and  agent  for  the 
Cunard  and  Inman  lines  of  ocean  steamers. 

ALPHEUS  N.  BRANDENBERG,  f^irmer,  P.  ().  Trem- 
pealeau ;  was  born  in  the  town  of  Frederick,  Md.,  Sept.  18,  1814  ; 
his  parents  moved  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  when  he  was  but  six  months 
old,  and  here  he  remained  until  twenty-six  years  of  age,  and  was 
married  there  x\pril  21,  1836,  to  Miss  Catherine  Sclutman,  who 
was  born  Ocr.  15,  1815,  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Ohio  ;  in  1840, 
they  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  took  up  a  claim  from  the  Govern- 
ment, siluated  fourteen  miles  southwest  of  Muscatine  ;  on  this  he 
lived  until  1 849,  at  which  time  he  moved  into  Muscatine  and 
started  a  grocery  and  provision  store,  where  he  coniinued  until 
1852,  and  then  put  his  goods  on  board  a  boat  and  brought  them 
up  the  river  to  Trempealeau,  then  called  Montoville,  where  he 
landed  the  3d  day  of  November,  1852.  He  immediately  opened 
a  store,  which  was  the  third  one  in  the  village,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1853,  went  into  partnership  with  N.  B.  Grover,  and  continued 
with  him  until  1855,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  partner,  and  was 
appointed  Sherift"  of  Trempealeau  County,  he  being  the  first  man 
who  .served  in  that  office,  and  called  the  first  court  in  that  county. 
The  first  town  meeting  was  held  in  Mr.  Brandenburg's  store,  in 
the  spring  of  1853.  His  family  consists  of  five  children — Eliza- 
beth E.,  now  Mrs.  A.  Grover,  Mary  A.  S.,  Catherine  A.  M.,  now 
Mrs,  Ed.  Elkins,  Thaddcus  A.  and  Nathaniel  0.  They  have 
lost  one  son— William  H.  H.,  who  died  March  29,  1852. 

WILLIAM  T.  BURNS,  farmer,  Sec.  1,  P.  0.  Trempealeau, 
w;is  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1824,  He  settled  in 
Trempealeau  Co.  in  1855,  on  a  liirm  which  he  purchased  from  the 


HISTORY    OF    TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1047 


Government,  consisting  originally  of  120  acres.  He  has  added  to 
it  until  he  now  owns  GIO  acres  in  one  body.  He  has  been  a  raem- 
ber  of  the  Town  Board  of  Trempealeau,  and  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  for  twenty  years.  He  was  married  in  New  York  in 
1847,  to  Miss. Louisa  Bugbee,  who  was  a  native  of  that  State. 
They  have  but  one  child,  a  son,  Delbert  C. 

ANDREW  R.  CARHART,  farmer,  Sec.  G,  P.  O.  Trem- 
pealeau, is  a  native  of  New  York  and  was  born  Dec.  31,  1841. 
In  1852  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  farmed  in  Dodge  Co., 
at  Fox  Lake,  with  his  father,  Isaac  D.  Carhart,  and  with  whom 
he  made  his  home  until  1865,  when  he  started  to  farming  for  him- 
self He  was  married  the  same  year  to  Jennie  H.  Hope,  she  be- 
ing a  daughter  of  John  Gillies,  of  Trempealeau.  In  the  year 
1878  he  moved  on  to  his  present  farm,  and  now  owns  230  acres 
of  good  farm  land.  During  the  years  1868-70  he  was  engaged 
in  the  pork-packing  and  grocery  business  in  the  village  of  Trem- 
pealeau, and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  for  two 
terms  and  also  the  Town  Board ;  himself  and  wife  have  been 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Trempealeau  for  fif- 
teen years.  Mr.  Carhart  has  been  President  of  the  Trempealeau 
Co.  Agricultural  Society  for  two  years.  They  have  had  three 
children,  two  of  whom  are  living — Edward  A.  and  Allen  R.; 
the  one  who  died  was  named  George  W. 

CHARLES  J.  CLEVELAN,  farmer,  See.  9,  P.  0.  Trem- 
pealeau, was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  18,  1823.  He 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1835,  with  his  uncle,  Quartis  G.  Corleg, 
landing  at  Milwaukee,  where  they  remained  some  time.  After 
leaving  JMilwankee  he  went  to  Pine  Grove,  where  his  father  was. 
and  remained  there  until  1841.  His  father  then  sold  out  and 
went  to  Texas;  returning  in  the  fall  of  1842,  he  settled  in  the 
town  of  Kenosha,  where  Charles  J.  remained  until  1852.  He 
tlien  went  up  Black  River  to  the  Falls,  and  in  1853  went  to  Olark 
Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  extensively  in  trying  to  establish  the 
county  seat  at  Neillsville.  He  was  also  farming,  and,  in  1855, 
moved  to  North  Bend,  Jack.»on  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  a 
saw-mill.  In  1857  he  came  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  first  living  in 
the  village  by  that  name  for  two  years,  then  moving  to  the  town 
of  Djdge  in  1859.  He  was  still  there  when  the  war  broke  out, 
and  in  February,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  46th  W.  V.  I.,  serv 
ing  until  the  close  of  the  war,  after  which  he  returned  home,  and 
in  1877  moved  back  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  near  where  he  now 
lives. 

JOHN  CLEVELAND,  carpenter  and  builder,  Trempealeau 
was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  Canada,  Aug.  9,  1814.  Remained 
in  his  native  country  until  1848,  when  he  moved  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  seven  years,  and  then  returned  to 
New  Brunswick,  living  in  the  city  of  St.  John  for  three  years; 
in  1858,  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  worked  at  ship-carpentering 
for  three  years,  and  in  1861  came  North,  and  located  in  Trempea- 
leau County.  Here  he  farmed  for  three  years,  afterward  moving 
into  the  villnge  of  Trempealeau,  where  he  worked  at  carpentering 
and  building.  Mr.  Cleveland  was  married  in  St.  John,  New 
Brunswick,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Morse,  in  the  year  1837  ;  she  was  a 
native  of  that  city.  They  are  both  active  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Trempealeau.  Their  family  consists  of  five  chil- 
dren— Sanford  B.;  Annie,  now  Mrs.  J.  Shaw:  Jennie,  now  Mra. 
Peter  Bidwell,  of  Norih  McGregor,  Iowa;  William  M.,  of  St. 
Paul,  connected  with  the  music  house  of  Dyer  &  Howard,  and 
Nettie  M. 

REV.  N.  COOK,  farmer  on  Sec.  13,  1'.  O.  Trempealeau, 
was  born  in  New  York,  March  5,  1817.  The  early  part  of  his 
life  was  spent  at  stave-making,  and  he  worked  at  that  until  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  which  was  in  the  year  1844.  He  first  located 
in  Walworth  County,  where  he  bought  a  farm  from  the  Government, 
their  nKukcl-phiee  being  Milwaukee  or  Racine.  He  also  preached 
more  or  less  in  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  pulpit,  having  been 
ordained  Elder  by  President  McKee;  in  1852,  he  moved  to 
Trempealeau,  on  the  farm  whore  he  now  lives,  which  was  land 
that  his  lather  entered  as  a  land-warrant  for  his  service  in  the  war 


of  1812;  his  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
Mr.  Cook  luis  improved  his  farm,  until  he  has  now  one  of  the 
best  in  the  county.  He  has  been  a  worker  in  the  cause  of  Christ 
for  over  thirty  years;  his  present  wife  is  also  a  very  old  settler  in 
Trempealeau,  being  the  widow  of  Joseph  Chase,  who  died  Nov. 
30,  18G9;  in  March,  1879,  an  old  settler  had  lost  his  wife,  and 
as  his  children  were  all  married,  and  he  had  been  acquainted  with 
the  widow  a  nuiuber  of  years,  he  thought  it  advisable  to  marry 
her.  After  talking  to  his  children  about  it,  and  finding  they 
were  willing,  he  was  married  to  the  widow  July  6,  1879.  The 
boys  in  that  part  of  the  country  were  in  the  habit  of  "charivari- 
ing,"  and  on  the  evening  of  the  day  after  the  marriage,  a  charivari 
was  given  in  earnest,  by  the  firing  of  guns,  breaking  of  windows  and 
doors,  and  the  using  of  profane  language;  the  crowd  finally  ex- 
claimed that  they  were  going  to  drag  the  groom  out;  he  went 
among  them  and  asked  what  they  wanted.  Their  response  was 
that  he  could  have  hia  choice  of  two  things — paying  SIO  or  being 
tarred  and  feathered  and  ridden  on  a  rail.  He  asked  them  what 
they  wanted  the  money  for,  and  they  said  for  something  to  drink  ; 
his  reply  was :  "  You  know  I  am  a  strong  temperance  man,  and 
although  I  am  at  the  mercy  of  1.50  men,  I  will  not  grant  your 
request;  you  can  walk  over  my  dead  body,  but  you  cannot  subdue 
my  principles."  He  was  then  seized  by  the  mob,  and  dragged  and 
knocked  around  till  senseless,  after  which  he  was  carried  into  the 
house,  and  the  crowd  dispersed.  It  was  doubtful  for  many  days 
whether  he  would  recover,  but  he  finally  did. 

WILLIAM  L.  GUMMING'^,  farmer,  Sec.  16,  P.  0.  Trem- 
pealeau, was  born  in  Bloomfield,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Sept.  7, 1848 ; 
is  the  son  of  Israel  P.  Cummings,  one  of  the  early  sei  tiers  of  that 
that  county,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1844,  removing 
from  there  to  Waushara  County  in  1852,  where  he  farmed  for 
three  years,  and  from  there  to  Clark  County,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business,  and  w.is  the  second  resident  in  the  town 
of  Weston,  in  that  county,  remaining  there  until  1861;  while 
there,  Israel  P.  killed  128  deer,  and  his  wife,  with  a  child  in  her 
arms,  was  lost  in  the  woods  in  a  snow  storm,  being  found  by  the 
Indians  all  safe,  but  very  much  frightened.  They  then  moved  to 
Trempealeau  County,  settling  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Lincoln. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a  common  school  education, 
and  afterward  attended  the  Galesville  University  for  six  terms, 
after  which  he  began  teaching — first  in  Whitehall,  then  at  Arca- 
dia and  a  number  of  other  schools,  until  he  commenced  farming. 
He  was  married,  in  1873,  to  Miss  Addie  Bunn,  in  Tempealeau 
County,  she  being  a  niece  of  Judge  Bunn,  of  Madison. 

JOHN  CURTIS,  farmer.  Sec.  6,  P.  0.  Marshland,  Buffalo 
Co.,  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  5,  1838;  came  to  Wis- 
consin, with  his  parents,  in  1846,  first  locating  in  Dodge  County, 
where  his  father  still  resides;  here  he  lived  until  1871,  when  he 
moved  to  Trempealeau  County,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives. 
He  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wis.  Battery,  at  LaCrosse,  in  1861,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Was  married,  in  1867,  to 
Alzoa  Kidder,  of  Dodge  County.  They  have  five  children — 
Emma  A.,  Alanson,  Archie  R.,  Clyde  C.  and  John. 

EDWIN  ELKINS,  carpenter  and  builder,  Trempealeau,  was 
born  in  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  26,  1837.  He  came  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Trempealeau  in  1857,  where  he  was  engaged  in  a  saw- 
mill. In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  I4th  W.  V.  J.,  and  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 
December,  1864.  He  then  returned  to  Trempealeau  and  was 
elected  to  the  oflnce  of  County  Sheriff  for  the  years  1868-69. 
He  has  since  been  elected  to  various  town  offices  in  Trempealeau, 
and  has  been  Town  Treasurer  for  six  years. 

ALEX.  B.  FLEMINGTON,  farmer,  Sec.  17,  P.  0.  Trem- 
pealeau ;  was  born  in  Scotland  on  the  31st  of  May,  1826.  Ho 
came  to  America  in  1844,  remaining  four  years  in  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  a  calico  manufactory.  He  came  to  Mil- 
waukee in  1844,  working  there  in  a  carriage  manufiictory,  and 
remaining  five  years.  He  afterward  went  to  Harte  Prairie, 
where   he   stayed  until    1854,   when    he   came   to   Trempealeau 


104S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


County  and  bought  the  land  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  returned 
to  Harte  Prairie,  but  only  remained  a  short  time,  after  which  he 
came  again  to  Trempealeau  County  and  settled  on  hi.s  farm,  on 
which  he  has  since  lived.  There  is  an  old  Indian  mound  on  his 
place,  which  joins  the  field  that  was  used  by  the  old  Catholic  mis- 
sion to  the  Indians.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee,  August  20, 
1851,  to  Miss  Mary  Taylor,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Scotland. 

DANIEL  W.  GILFILLAN,  farmer,  Section  16,  P.  O. 
Trempealeau;  was  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  December  19, 
1825.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  afterward  at- 
tending the  Vermont  University  at  Burlington,  where  he  gradu- 
ated when  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  then  went  to  Ohio,  where 
he  engaged  at  teaching,  principally  at  Wilmington  and  Xeniu, 
where  he  was  Principal.  In  1852  came  to  Wisconsin,  lived  in  La 
Crosse  one  year,  and  then  moving  to  Minnesota,  where  be  lived 
for  three  years.  In  1856  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  com- 
menced keeping  a  hotel  in  the  village  of  Trempealeau,  known  as 
the  Vermont  House,  which  he  ran  until  I860,  being  at  the  same 
time  School  Superintendent  under  the  old  system.  After  leaving 
the  hotel  he  taught  more  or  less  until  1873,  and  was  at  one  time 
School  Superintendent  of  Trempealeau  County  for  three  years, 
and  was  also  Clerk  of  the  Town  Board  for  one  year.  Is  also 
connected  with  the  Bible  Society,  of  which  he  is  now  Secretary. 
Was  married  in  1850  to  Helen  S.  Partridge,  in  Vermont,  she  be- 
ing a  native  of  that  State. 

F.  A.  GOODHUE,  of  the  firm  of  F.  A.  Goodhue  &  Son. 
dealers  in  books,  stationery  and  furniture,  is  the  sou  of  Thomas 
and  Sarah  Goodhue,  having  been  born  in  Vermont,  January  15, 
1821.  He  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  year  1856,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  millwright,  for  one  }'ear  in  La  Crosse. 
and  afterward  went  up  Black  River  to  Robinson  Creek  and 
worked  in  what  was  then  known  as  the  Pettinbone  Mill.  In  1858 
he  came  to  Trempealeau  and  worked  at  his  trade  and  carpentering 
until  1879,  when  he  started  in  his  present  business.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trempealeau.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  New  York,  in  the  year  1852,  to  Miss  Alzini  Manning,  a 
native  of  Canada.  They  have  three  children,  Edwin  F.,  Elbert 
N.,  Alletta. 

E.J.  HANKEY,  general  merchandise,  Trempealeau;  was 
born  in  Germany,  Nov.  17,  18-14.  lu  185-1  he  came  to  Americj, 
and  located  first  at  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  where  he  followed  his 
trade,  that  of  cabinet-making,  and  clerked  until  1868,  when  he 
came  to  Trempealeau.  Here  he  started  a  small  grocery  and  pro- 
vision store  in  company  with  Thomas  Veltum,  in  the  building 
which  now  stands  opposite  R.  W.  Ru.sseirs  store.  They  continued 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Hankey  &  Veltum  for  three  and 
one-half  years,  when  .Mr.  Hankey  sold  out  to  his  partner  and  left 
Trempealeau  for  a  little  more  than  a  year.  Upon  returning 
he  entered  into  business  with  his  former  partner,  increasing  their 
stock,  and  in  1876  moved  into  what  is  known  as  the  Healey 
Brick  Block.  He  ontinued  in  this  partnership  until  1878,  when 
he  bought  out  the  establishment.  He  does  a  jewelry  business  of 
S27,00O.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  in  his  village  for 
six  years. 

ABNER  HARRIS,  retired  merchant,  Trempealeau,  is  quite 
an  old  settler  in  Trempealeau,  bavin;;  come  there  in  1859.  He 
was  born  in  New  York,  Sept.  24,  1S19,  and  first  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  brother,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  but  only  stayed 
here  in  Dane  County  for  a  short  time  and  then  went  back  to  New 
York.  In  1855,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  worked  with  his 
brother  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade  in  Dane  County  ;  con- 
tinued at  this  for  three  years,  when  he  be;;an  buying  wheat.  He 
afterward  moved  to  Spring  Green,  in  Sauk  County.  In  1859, 
came  to  Trempealeau,  where  he  started  a  general  merchandise 
store,  in  company  with  J.  M.  Borratt,  in  the  brick  block  then 
known  as  Noyce  and  James'  Block,  but  which  has  since  tumbled 
down.  Was  married  in  1860  to  Miss  Anna  D.  Doud,  she  being 
the  daughter  of  Chauncey  and  Sarah  Doud,  who  came  to  Trein- 
|K:aleau  in  1857. 


LEMUEL  I.  HARE,  farmer,  Sec,  35.  P.  0.  Trempealeau; 
was  born  Feb.  19,  1829,  in  Clinton  Co.,  New  York.  In  1856  he 
came  to  La  Cros.se  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  lived 
for  a  number  of  years,  holding  the  office  of  Constable  a  part  of 
the  time.  In  1865  moved  to  Trempealeau  County,  Vvhcrc  he  pur- 
cliased  a  farm,  which  was  originally  bought  from  the  Government 
by  Leander  Bilboe.  The  Indian  trail  which  ran  from  Trempea- 
leau Mountain  to  the  Little  Tamarack,  in  1835,  pa.s.sed  a  little  west 
of  Mr.  Hare's  house.  He  also  held  the  office  of  Constable  in  the 
county.  He  was  married  in  New  York,  Jan.  1,  1855,  to  Miss 
Eliza  Cjry,  who  was  a  native  of  that  State,  and  whose  grandmoth- 
er's name  was  Scott,  a  second  cousin  to  General  Scott.  They 
have  ei^hl  children — Freeman  S.,  Emmit  M.,  Lottie,  Willie  P., 
Effie  E.,  Alta  G.,  Elizabeth  and  Lemuel  W. 

HENRY  HELLER,  grain  warehouse,  etc.,  Trempealeau,  was 
born  in  Germany  Dec.  4,  1845.  In  the  year  1866,  he  came  to 
America,  arriving  in  Trempealeau,  Wis.,  in  1867,  and  became 
engaged  with  Riemenschneider,  buying  wheat.  In  1870,  he  built 
the  house  where  he  now  lives  and  kept  boarders  until  1873.  He 
then  built  a  warehouse  and  has  been  engaged  at  buying  grain,  etc., 
ever  since,  having  handled  as  much  as  30,000  bushels  of  grain  in 
a  year.  Mr.  Heller  is  now  President  of  the  Town  Board  of 
Trempealeau,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 
Trempealeau  Lodge,  No.  117. 

BENJAMIN  F.  HEUSTON,  mail  agent  on  the  Green  Bay 
&  Minnesota  Railroad,  Trempealeau,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
March  8,  1823,  being  the  youngest  son  of  Paul  and  Naomi 
Heu.ston,  whose  maiden  name  was  Cox.  The  father  moved  to 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  in  1829,  where  his  remains  now  lie  interred 
in  the  burial  grounds  of  the  "  Orthodox  Friends,"  at  Waynes- 
ville.  The  subject  of  tnis  sketch  taught  school  when  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  passed  the  winters  of  1843—44  teaching  near 
Rodney,  Miss.  Spent  his  twenty-first  birthday  stemming  the 
current  of  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  afterward  passed  some  time 
in  the  load  mines  near  iJalena,  then  came  up  river  on  the  steamer 
Otter,  landing  at  La  Oosse  in  September,  of  1844,  and  going 
directly  to  the  Black  River  Pineries,  where  he  remained  seven 
years;  was  here  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1846,  and  the 
same  year  hoard  William  T.  Price  deliver  his  first  Fourth  of  July 
oration.  On  that  occasion,  after  the  toast  had  been  drank,  the 
hilariy  of  some  of  those  present  became  so  perverted  that  a  fight 
ensued,  which  led  to  the  thought  of  a  temperance  reformation,  in 
which  Mr.  Heuston,  in  connection  with  \Viiliam  T.  I'rice,  John 
Valentine  and  James  O'Neil  took  an  active  part,  and  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  signed  the  pledge.  About  the  same  time, 
he  became  active  in  a  movement  to  procure  a  preacher  for  the 
community.  A  meeting  was  called,  a  subscription  circulated,  the 
denomination  named,  and  Heuston,  Price  and  Valentine  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  carry  out  the  plan.  The  preacher  in 
charge  of  the  Methodist  Epi.^copal  Church  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
was  addressed,  bringing  a  response  from  Rev.  Alfred  Bronson, 
followed  by  the  advent  of  Rev.  R.  R.  Wood,  he  being  the  first 
preacher  on  Black  River.  Heu-iton  was  the  first  Town  Clerk  in 
the  precinct  where  Ncillsville  now  is,  and,  as  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  as-isted  later  at  Black  River  Falls  in  county  canvass  of  the 
votes  cast  for  the  first  county  officers  of  La  Cro.sse  County.  In 
the  fall  of  1851,  entered  in  partnership  with  Ira  Hammond  to 
purchase  a  piece  of  land  at  James  Reed's  Landing  ( now  Trempea- 
leau) with  the  object  of  building  a  warehou.sc,  and  to  found  a 
village.  Began  work  at  once  erecting  the  cellar  walls  before  win- 
ter, and  finished  the  building  the  nest  summer.  The  firm  were 
joint  proprietors  with  James  Reed  in  laying  out  the  village  of 
Montoville  (now  Trempealeau),  Heuston  becoming  Postmaster, 
being  the  first  one  in  the  county.  On  the  1st  of  February,  1853, 
he  was  married  in  Montoville  to  Mi.ss  Catherine  A.  Davidson,  a 
native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Hugh  David- 
son, one  of  the  early  settlers  of  W'alworth  County.  At  the  close 
of  the  same  year,  moved  to  a  farm  ne.ir  the  present  village  of 
Galesville,  and,  on  the  organization  of  the  town  of  Gale,  became 


HISTORY    OF    TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1049 


Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Trempealeau  County  Board,  Mr. 
Heuston  was  elected  its  Chairman,  and  was  also  the  first  County 
Judge  of  said  county,  which  ofEoe,  after  a  re-election,  he  resigned 
in  1860  to  visit  Eastern  cities  with  reference  to  an  educational 
design  concerning  object-lessons  in  colors ;  returned  the  same  year 
from  New  York  to  Chicago,  and  there  engaged  in  a  wholesale 
fruit  store,  where,  being  impressed  by  the  immense  loss  of  fruit 
and  butter  from  careless  handling  of  commission  merchants,  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  refrigerator  cars,  and  the  personal  branding  of 
packages.  Selecting  the  department  of  butter  and  cheese  for  a 
lest  of  his  scheme,  procured  the  promise  of  a  refrigerator  car 
(then  unknown  in  Chicago)  for  the  Fox  River  Valley  Railroad, 
and  canvassed  among  the  farmers  of  Northeastern  Illinois  and 
some  in  Wisconsin  for  farmers'  co-operation  in  the  scheme.  The 
farmers,  then  by  a  clear  majority,  had  little  faith  in  the  success  of 
butter-making  in  Illinois,  declaring  that  good  butter  could  not  be 
made  there,  in  the  very  regions  since  renowned  f  jr  butter  and 
cheese  factories.  This  scheme,  however,  was  summarily  termi- 
nated by  the  breaking-out  of  the  war.  In  August,  of  18G3,  Mr. 
Heuston  enlisted  at  Geneva,  Wis.,  in  (Company  C,  22d  W.  V.  I., 
his  family  returning  to  the  farm  at  Galesville.  As  a  Corporal 
and  Colur-guard,  he  was  wounded  in  18G4,  and  began  the  "march 
to  the  sea,"  with  his  arm  in  a  sling.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
returned  to  his  farm,  and,  in  the  spring  following,  was  elected 
Town  Collector,  and  the  next  fall  County  Clerk  and  Clerk  of  the 
Court.  In  November,  of  1871,  was  appointed  "Mail  Route 
Agent,"  in  which  capacity,  he  now  serves  on  the  0.  B.  &  M.  R. 
R.  At  an  old  settler's  meeting  in  1871,  he  read  a  paper  on  the 
early  history  of  Trempealeau  County,  which  included  accurate 
details  of  the  achievements  previous  to  1856.  This  was  ordered 
printed  and  filed,  and  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the  permanent 
organization.  In  1879,  he  printed  and  copyrigh'ed  a  pamphlet 
entitled  "  General  Alphabet,"  and  has  written  various  articles  for 
the  press  ;  some  on  politics  and  travel,  but  mostly  on  Temperance 
Reform.  Mr.  Heuston  has  three  children — George  Z.,  Benjamin 
F.,  Jr.,  and  Elizabeth  A. 

HER5IAN  HOBERTON,  proprietor  of  the  Trempealeau 
Wagon  Works,  came  to  America  in  1854,  having  been  born  in 
Prussia  May  22,  1841  ;  first  located  with  his  parents  in  Fond  du 
Lac  Co.,  where  he  lived  four  years,  and  then  went  to  Dodge  Co., 
where  he  learned  the  trade  of  wagon-making  ;  afterwards  traveled 
in  various  places,  being  in  Iowa  part  of  the  time,  but  finally  set- 
tled down  in  Trempealeau  in  1863;  he  started  a  wagon-.shop, 
which  he  is  still  running,  and  does  a  very  good  business.  Mr. 
Hoberton  has  been  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trempea- 
leau ;  also  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  village  graded  school  for 
four  years,  and  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A  M.,  Trempealeau 
Lodge,  No.  117. 

SILAS  E.  HOUGHTON,  farmer.  Sec.  7  ;  P.  0.  Trempea- 
leau ;  was  born  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  17,  1836  ;  was 
engaged  at  farming  in  his  native  State  until  1865,  when  he  came 
to  Trempealeau  ('0.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  from  the  Govern- 
ment ;  in  the  spring  of  1866,  he  built  a  house  on  his  land,  which 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1867,  after  which  he  erected  his  present 
residence;  there  are  several  Indian  mounds  on  his  place,  though 
none  of  them  have  been  examined.  Mr.  Houghton  has  been 
Town  Supervisor  of  Trempealeau.  He  was  married  in  February, 
1860,  to  Miss  Melinda  A.  Clothier,  a  native  of  New  York;  they 
have  six  children— Denis  L.,  Silas  R.,  J.  C,  Dudley  S.,  Ella  E. 
and  Leon  L. 

ALMON  JOHNSON,  farmer,  Sec.  32;  P.  0.  Centerville  ; 
was  born  in  Ohio  Oct.  21,  1819;  he  came  to  Columbia  Co.  in 
1854,  where  he  lived  three  years,  and,  in  1857,  moved  to  Trem- 
pealeau, locating  one  mile  east  of  Galesville,  where  he  lived  until 
1867,  when  he  moved  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  was 
married  in  the  year  1845  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Robinson,  of  Ohio, 
by  whom  he  has  had  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living — 
Leonard  A.,  Edward  R.,  Homer  E.,  Franklin  S.,  Mary  I.,  Will- 


iam E.,  Chauncey  N.,  Emma  E.  and  Orrin  M. ;  they  lost  their 
oldest  son,  Samuel  A.,  who  died  at  home  March  7,  1872  ;  he  was 
a  soldier  in  the  30th  W.  V.  I..  Co.  C,  in  1862,  and  served  until 
the  clo!:e  of  the  war. 

WILSON  JOHNSON,  retired  farmer;  P.O.Trempealeau; 
came  to  Wisconsin  when  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  having 
been  born  in  Parke  Co.,  Ind.,  Aug.  17,  1829;  he  first  lived  in 
ShuUsburg,  La  Fayette  Co.,  working  in  the  lead  mines,  driving 
team  for  twu  years,  and,  in  1849,  moved  to  Jackson  Co.,  Iowa, 
where  he  ran  a  ferry-boat  at  Bellevue;  continued  in  this  business 
until  1854  ;  then  farmed  until  1857,  at  which  time  he  moved  up 
the  Mississippi  River  to  Richmond,  Minn.,  opposite  the  village  of 
Trempealeau  ;  he  again  commenced  running  a  ferry-bort  at  Rich 
mond,  being  the  first  ferry  run  at  that  place ;  in  1859,  he  moved 
across  the  river  to  Trempealeau,  and,  in  1863,  started  a  grocery 
and  provision  store,  which  he  run  until  1870,  when  he  was  elected 
Constable,  and  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff  under  D.  W.  Wade,  and 
also  the  next  term  under  Joseph  Kellogg  ;  he  is  proprietor  of 
what  is  known  as  the  Noyce  farm,  and  still  holds  the  office  of 
Constable.  Was  married  in  Jackson  Co.,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Lucinda 
Fulton  in  the  year  1853,  his  wife  being  a  native  of  Ohio. 

PAUL  KRIBS,  farmer.  Sec.  3  ;  P.  0.  Trempealeau  ;  was 
born  in  Canada  Feb.  24,  1814;  here  he  resided  until  the  year 
1851,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  first  living  in  Elgin, 
III.,  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade  uniil 
1865,  when  he  removed  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  bought  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  lives;  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Town 
Board  of  Trempealeau  for  one  year,  and  was  married,  in  1838,  to 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Vanburan,  she  having  been  born  in  New  York 
Dee.  7,  1816:  their  family  consists  of  eight  children — David  H., 
John  G.,  Louis  W.,  Aaron,  Mary  C.  (now  Mrs.  C.  C.  Kribs), 
Sarah  A.  (now  Mrs.  Arthur  Porter,  of  Oregon),  Paul  D.  and 
Phillip  G.  Two  of  the  sons,  John  and  Aaron,  were  soldiers  in 
the  late  war,  the  former  serving  nearly  four  years  in  the  8th  111. 
V.  (J.,  Co.  I,  being  promoted  to  the  position  of  Captain,  and  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  ;  the  latter  enlisted  in  the  58th  111.  V.  I.,  and 
was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Fort  Donel.son,  also  at  Pittsburg 
Landing. 

Wir.LIAM  McDONAH,  farmer.  Sec.  27,  P.  0.  Centerville; 
was  born  in  Orleans  Co.,  Vermont,  Dec.  15,  1832.  His  father 
was  of  Scotch,  and  his  moiher  of  Irish  descent;  he  came  to  Wi.s- 
eonsiu  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  first  worked  on  a  farm  in 
Dodge  Co.  for  James  Gillfillan,  remaining  there  fur  seven  years ; 
in  1855  he  came  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  where  he  bought  a  farm 
from  tbe  Government  on  Sec.  3  ;  on  this  he  lived  until  1863,  at 
which  time  he  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  There  are 
a  number  of  Indian  mounds  on  the  place.  Mr.  McDonah  is  Chair- 
man of  the  Town  Board  of  Trempealeau ;  has  also  been  side 
Supervisor  and  a  member  of  his  district  School  Board  for  nine 
years  ;  he  married  Sarah  A.  Cusick,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
and  th'  y  have  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

THOMAS  G.  OWEN,  minister  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
Trempealeau  ;  was  born  in  Champaign  Co.,  Ohio,  July  30,  1830  ; 
his  parents  moved  to  Illinois  when  he  was  but  seven  years  of  age, 
locating  in  McDonough  Co.,  where  he  received  a  common  school 
education.  He  commenced  his  ministerial  .service  in  the  M.  E. 
Church  in  1858,  being  ordained  Deacon  at  Hannibal,  Mo.,  by 
Bishop  Janes,  and  Elder  by  Bishop  Ames  in  1860,  at  Hudson,  in 
the  same  State.  Mr.  Owen  took  charge  of  his  first  church  in 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  only  six  months  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  St.  Louis,  remaining  there  for  two  years.  The  principal 
part  of  his  work  was  in  Missouri,  until  the  rebellion,  when  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Christian  Commission  and  came  North, 
and  has  remained  here  ever  since.  In  1870  he  left  the  Methodist 
Conference  and  united  with  the  Congregational  Church,  and  has 
been  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  in  that  church  ever  since.  He  was 
married  in  Bushnell.  111.,  to  Miss  Isabell  Provine',  in  the  year  1858. 
She  died  in  October,  1873.  In  1874  he  was  again  married  to 
Margaret  Cragg,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1839. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


HOx\.  ALFORD  WILLIAM  NEWMAN,  Trempealeau  Cir- 
cuit Judse  in  and  for  the  South  Judicial  Circuit ;  was  born  at 
Durham,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1834.  His  parents  resided 
on  a  farm  near  the  viliaji;e,  where  Judge  Newman  remained  until 
he  was  twenty  3'ears  of  age,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  dur- 
ing the  summer,  and  attending  school  in  the  winter.  In  1854  he 
matriculated  at  Hamilton  College,  whence  he  graduated  in  1857, 
and  continued  the  study  of  law,  which  he  had  commenced  while 
a  collegeate.  On  Dec.  8,  of  the  latter  year,  the  Judge  was  exam- 
ined at  Albany  and  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  January,  1858,  be 
came  West,  settling  in  Ahnapee,  Kewaunee  Co.  After  a  two 
months  sojourn  here,  he  removed  to  Trempealeau,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  In  18G0  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  elected 
Town  Clerk  and  was  subsequently  appointed  County  Judge,  which 
position  he  resigned  in  186G,  to  accept  the  nomination  of  District 
Attorney.  Being  elected  he  served  until  1876,  meanwhile  repre- 
senting the  county  in  the  Assembly  in  1863,  and  the  District  as 
Senator  during  1868-69,  when  he  resigned  to  take  his  place  on  the 


Circuit  bench,  to  which  he  was  elected  the  previous  fall.  Judge 
Newman  wa.s  married  August  15,  1860,  to  Miss  Celia  E.  Hum- 
phrey and  has  two  children  living — a  young  lady  and  a  son,  the 
latter  three  years  of  age. 

JACOB  H.  PIERSON,  druggist,  Trempealeau;  was  born  in 
North  Ireland,  Sept.  25,  1824,  and  in  1849  came  with  his  wife  to 
Canada,  where  they  lived  until  1861  ;  he  was  a  graduate  of 
Apothecary  Hall,  in  Dublin  in  1844,  and  there  joined  the  Irish 
Constabulary,  where  he  served  five  years,  and  had  charge  of  John 
Mitchell  while  he  was  in  jail  at  Killmaurcn.  In  1861  Mr.  Pierson 
came  to  Trempealeau,  Wis.,  where  he  commenced  farming,  and  in 
1874  started  a  drug  store  in  Trempealeau,  it  being  the  first  reg- 
ular drug  .store  in  the  village.  He  also  owns  a  large  farm  within 
one  mile  of  the  town,  which  he  runs  in  connection  with  his  store. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  and  also  of  the 
A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Trempealeau  Lodge,  No.  117. 

ABRAHAM  FITTENGER,  farmer,  Sec.  15,  P.  0.  Trem- 
pealeau, was  born  in  JcflTerson  Co.,  Ohio,  May  24,  1802,  where, 
after  reaching  manhood,  he  was  engaged  at  farming  and  black- 
smithing.  In  1854  he  came  to  Wiscon.-»in  and  first  located  on 
Bright's  Prairie,  La  Crosse  Co.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  of  16(t 
acres  from  the  Government,  on  which  he  lived  until  he  moved  to 
Trempealeau  Co.     There  is  now  but  one  man  older  than  Mr.  Pit- 


tenger  in  Trempealeau  Co.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part 
in  the  public  interest  of  his  region  ;  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  forty-six  years,  and  was  married 
in  1821),  to  Miss  Ellen  Furgeson,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  living.  His  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  died  in  1845  in  Ohio.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1S49,  to  his  second  wife.  Miss  Lucy  E.  Barnes,  who  ha.s 
had  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  living.  She  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

LANGDON  PORTER,  farmer.  Sec.  34,  P.  0.  Centcrville, 
was  born  in  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  26,  1819.  lie  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1840,  first  locating  in  VValworth  Co.,  where  he  took  up 
a  claim  from  the  Government,  having  but  S25  in  his  pocket. 
Here  he  remained  until  1852,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  went  to 
California  and  Oregon,  at  the  time  of  the  mining  excitement.  In 
1855  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  La  Crosse  Co.,  where 
he  resided  until  1864,  when  he  moved  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  his 
present  home.  While  in  La  Crosse  Co.,  Mr.  Porter  was  Chairman 
of  the  Town  Board  of  Holland,  and  in  this  county  has  been  As- 
sessor and  Side  Supervisor ;  also  holding  the  ofiice  of  Town 
Chairman  for  one  year.  He  was  married  in  W^alworth  Co.,  in 
March,  1844,  to  Miss  Eunice  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  2,  1824,  and  with  her  parents  came  to  this 
State  in  1842.  They  have  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are 
living — Arthur  A.,  Mary  N.  (now  Mrs.  William  H.  Gibson)  and 
Francis  A.;  the  two  who  died  were — Jesse  H.,  died  in  Walworth 
Co.  in  1855,  and  Perry  S.,  died  in  the  same  county,  Oct.  22, 
1855. 

CHRISTIAN  RIEMENSCHNEIDER,  grain  merchant, 
Trempealeau,  was  born  in  Germany  July  24,  1826;  came  to 
America  and  first  located  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  commission  business  until  1862,  when  he  moved  to 
Trempealeau.  He  is  agent  for  the  Diamond  Joe,  and  also  the  St. 
Louis  and  St.  Paul,  packet  lines  of  steamboats  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

HENRY  RUDOLPH,  farmer  and  proprietor  of  the  Trem- 
pealeau quarries,  P.  O.  Trempealeau,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, Nov.  20,  1818,  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  marble- 
cutting;  was  engaged  at  work  on  tlie  cathedral  at  Cologne.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  June,  1849,  and  worked  at  his  trade 
on  several  of  the  largest  buildings  in  this  country.  In  1856  he 
came  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  took  up  a  farm  on  the  Black  River, 
afterward  going  back  to  Ohio.  In  1861  he  returned  to  this  place 
and  has  made  his  home  ever  since  in  the  village  of  Trempealeau, 
opening  his  quarries  in  1863.  He  has  furnished  and  cut  building 
stone  for  Sparta,  La  Crosse,  Winona  and  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Rudolph 
was  married  in  1850,  to  Mi.ss  Anna  Dcubner,  of  Dayton,  Ohio, 
who  was  born  in  Germany.  They  now  have  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren— Katie,  a  teacher  in  Duluth  ;  Lilly  (Mrs.  W.  J.  Showers,  of 
Trempealeau);  Emma,  also  a  school  teacher  at  Duluth;  Annie 
and  Adolphus. 

THOMAS  J.  SEYMOUR,  dealer  in  staple  and  ftncy  groce- 
ries, Trempealeau,  was  born  in  Ohio,  Oct.  11,1842;  came  with 
his  parentis  to  Wisconsin  in  1853,  and  lived  with  them  on  a  farm 
in  Trempealeau  County  untiH  1868,  his  father  being  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  the  county.  He  then  started  out  in  the  world  for 
himself;  first  running  a  peanut  stand  on  the  street  in  the  village 
of  Trempealeau.  In  1868  he  opened  his  fruit  store  in  a  room  8x 
16,  his  stock  consisting  of  fruits  and  confectionery;  and  in  1870, 
built  the  store  room  which  he  now  occupies,  and  moved  into  it  the 
same  year,  having  gradually  increased  from  a  small  stock  to  what 
it  now  is.  Mr.  Seymour  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
public  interest  of  his  town  ;  he  was  married  in  1863,  in  Rochester, 
to  Miss  Sophia  C.  White,  a  native  of  Vermont.  They  have  two 
daughters,  Nellie  and  Maud.  Jlr.  Seymour  is  a  member  of  the 
A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Trempealeau  Lodge,  No.  117. 

WILLIAM  J.  SHOWERS,  Principal  of  the  Trempealeau 
(jraded  School,  was  born  in  Mercer  Co.,  Penn.,  Sept.  22,  1845. 
He  is  the  son  of  Elias  and  Sarah  A.  Showers,  and  came  with  them 


HISTORY    OF    TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


to  Wisconsin  in  1854,  where  they  settled  in  Dane  County.  Here 
he  attended  the  public  school  until  1864,  when  he  began  to  teach, 
his  first  school  being  at  Cross  Plains,  Dane  County.  In  the 
winters  of  1865-6G,  he  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  attended  the  Mar- 
ion Seminary,  and  afterward  taught  until  the  spring  of  18G8, 
when  he  was  a  student  of  the  academy  at  Marshall,  Dane  County. 
After  two  years  of  study  there,  he  entered  the  State  Normal  School 
at  Whitewater,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1873.  In  September 
of  that  year,  he  took  charge  of  the  Literary  Department,  in  the 
Institution  for  the  Blind,  at  Jancsville,  Wis.,  where  he  continued 
until  that  institution  was  burned  down.  In  the  fall  of  1875,  he 
was  engaged  as  principal  of  the  graded  school  at  Trempealeau, 
which  position  he  still  occupies.  Was  married  July  31,  1877,  in 
Trempealeau,  to  Miss  Lillian  A.  H.  Rudolph,  by  whom  he  has 
two  children,  William  C.  B.  and  one  son  unnamed. 

WILLIAM  SIEWERT,  miller  and  farmer.  Sec.  5  ;  P.  O. 
Trempealeau;  was  born  in  Germany,  Oct.  4,  1832.  He  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1852,  first  settling  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  where 
he  run  a  mill  for  eleven  years.  After  this  he  came  to  Trempea- 
leau County  and  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  He 
purchased  his  mill  from  Chauncy  Payne  ;  this  mill  having  been 
erected  by  Payne  &  Halcomb  in  1867,  and  situated  on  the  Big 
Tamarack  Creek.  He  was  married  in  1861,  in  Dodge  County,  his 
wife  also  being  a  native  of  Germany  :  they  have  seven  children 
living — Julius,  Charles,  Louisa,  William,  Max,  Matilda  and  Min- 
nie.    They  have  lost  two  children,  August  and  Albert. 

EDWARD  N.  TROWBRIDGE,Town  Clerk,  insurance  and 
general  collecting  agent,  Trempealeau,  was  born  in  Meadville, 
Penn.,  Dec.  25,  1834.  He  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
Trowbridge  and  came  with  them  to  the  West,  first  settling  at  Ona- 
laska,  Wis.,  where  they  lived  until  the  spring  of  1856,  when  they 
moved  to  Trempealeau  County,  on  a  farm.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  lived  on  the  homestead  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  war. 
His  father  was  killed  by  falling  from  a  barn,  and  his  mother  was 
killed  by  a  horse  running  away  Oct.  1,  1859.  In  1861,  Mr. 
Trowbridge  enlisted,  serving  for  three  years  and  six  months  in  the 
1st  Wis.  Light  Artillery,  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  When 
discharged,  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead  and  farmed  until 
1867,  when  he  moved  into  the  village  of  Trempealeau  and  taught 
school  until  1873.  He  then  went  in  company  with  J.  M.  Bar- 
nett  in  the  merchandise  business,  and  in  1879,  opened  the  office 
of  insurance  and  collecting  agent,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since. 
He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  in  1876,  holding  the 
office  since  that  lime.  Has  been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church 
at  Trempealeau  since  its  organization. 

DANIEL  C.  WASON,  farmer.  Sec.  34;  P.  0.  Centerville; 
was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  14,  1833,  and  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1856,  living  in  the  village  of  Trempealeau  for  one 
year.  In  1864,  bought  a  farm,  which  was  the  one  where  he  now 
lives.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Supervisor  for  seven  years. 
He  was  married,  Sept.  28,  1861,  to  Rachael  McDanah.  They 
have  three  children — Alma  E.,  Charles  C.  and  George  H. 

HOLLISTER  WRIGHT,  farmer.  Sec.  33;  P.  0.  Center- 
ville; was  born  in  Lower  Canada,  Nov.  11,  1823.  His  father, 
Maj.  Wright,  moved  to  the  northern  part  of  Ohio  when  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  only  twelve  years  of  age,  remaining  there 
until  he  died,  which  was  in  the  year  1844,  the  mother  also  dying 
abouf  the  same  time  Soon  aft','r  their  deaths,  HoUister,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  Rov.  E.  N.  Wright,  now  of  Waupaca, 
started  West  to  find  new  homes  for  themselves,  first  locating  in 
the  town  of  Burnett,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  pre-empted  a 
claim  from  the  Government,  on  which  he  lived  until  1854,  when 
he  moved  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  settled  on  his  present  larin, 
being  the  first  re.-ident  in  that  vicinity  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
Lee.  He  first  erected  a  small  board  shanty,  a  few  rod-s  south  of 
his  present  residence,  in  which  he  lived  four  years.  There  used 
to  be  an  Indian  trail  running  across  his  farm  from  the  Trempealeau 
mounds  on  th"  Mississippi  to  the  Big  Tamarack,  which  was  a 
regular  camping  ground  for  the  Winnebago   Indians.     There  are 


a  number  of  mounds  a  little  north  of  Mr.  Wright's  house,  of  which 
we  have  seen  descriptions  as  occurring  in  other  parts  of  the  State 
being  of  an  oval  shape  Q .  He  made  an  excavation  in  one  about 
the  year  1860,  resulting  in  the  finding  of  some  human  bones,  such 
as  the  skull,  jaw  bones,  teeth  and  thigh  bone.  He  well  remembers 
the  deep  snow  of  the  winter  of  1856-57,  when  the  roads  were 
blockaded,  and  there  was  but  one  track  from  his  section  of  the 
country  to  Trempealeau  ;  also  the  Indian  scare  of  1862,  when  the 
neighbors  all  gathered  together  to  defend  themselves,  though,  fort- 
unately, there  were  no  Indians  forthcoming.  Mr.  Wright  has 
been  County  Treasurer  of  Trempealeau,  aUo  one  of  the  Town 
Board  of  Trempealeau ;  is  also  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Church  at  Centerville,  having  been  a  liberal  contributor  and  faith- 
ful worker  since  he  embraced  that  cause. 


TOWN  OF  CALEDONIA. 
This  town,  although  one  of  the  smallest  in  size  in  the 
county,  is  rich  and  fertile.  It  is  noted  for  the  enterprise, 
and  intelligence  of  tlie  farmers  who  compose  its  popu- 
lation. The  post  office  of  Scotia  is  on  Section  7  ;  but  the 
nearness  of  Trempealeau  makes  that  the  market  town.  The 
name  indicates  the  Scottish  origin  of  the  originators.  They 
came  from  the  Bonnie  Land. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

PHINEAS  R.  BAGLEY,  farmer,  town  of  Caledonia,  P.  O. 
Trempealeau,  is  a  native  of  New  Y''ork  State,  having  been  born 
there,  Dec.  27.  1816;  he  came  West  in  1856,  settling  in  the  town 
of  Caledonia,  and  have  owned  eleven  diifcrent  farms,  finally  settling 
down  on  his  present  one  in  1879.  He  was  married  in  1836,  in 
Pennsylvania,  to  Phebe  Williams,  and  they  have  had  six  children, 
only  one  of  whom  is  living — Jalia  E.,  now  .Mrs.  E.  Ladd.  Two 
of  his  sons  wore  soldiers  in  the  late  war — Alvah,  who  enlisted  in 
the  36th  Wis.,  Vol.  Infty.,  Co.  I ;  died  in  the  Salisbury  prison, 
and  James,  being  in  the  same  company  and  regiment,  died  in  the 
Andersonville  prison. 

BOSTWICK  BEARDSLEY,  farmer.  See.  29,  P.  O.  Trempe- 
aleau, was  born  in  New  York,  July  11,  1813  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1835,  and  took  up  a  farm  from  the  Government  in  the  town  of 
Mount  Pleasant,  Racine  Co.,  which  he  improved  and  lived  on 
until  1854;  he  then  came  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives,  which  he  bought  from  the  Government ; 
he  owns  380  acres.  There  are  a  number  of  Indian  mounds  on 
the  place ;  he  has  been  Town  Supervisor  of  Caledonia,  a  number 
of  terms,  also  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  four  years.  Was  married 
Dec.  7,  1841,  in  Racine  Co  ,  to  MLss  Mary  Fowler,  who  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  seven  children  living — Oscar 
E.,  Liira  A.,  Elam,  Hulvah",  Otto,  Rebaca  M.  and  May.  They 
have  lost  two  sons,  who  were  killed  while  serving  in  the  late   war. 

FREDERICK  BELTZ,  farmer.  Sec.  13,  P.  0.  Trempealeau, 
was  born  in  Germany,  Oct.  9,  1827;  left  hi.s  native  country  in 
1850,  and  came  to  America,  stopping  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  near  there,  for  seven  years.  Was 
there  married  to  Wilhelmina  SchUnborn,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Germany  ;  in  1857,  moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business  for  nine  years,  afterward,  coming  to  Trempealeau 
Co.,  where  he  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives  ;  he  has  twice 
lost  all  his  buildings  by  fire,  since  he  came  here ;  also  buggy, 
wagon,  and  his  farm  machinery.  Mr.  Beltz  has  been  School  Di- 
rector in  his  township,  for  two  years,  and  has  a  family  of  seven 
children — Amelia,  Frederick  A.,  Will,  John,  Peter,  Clara  and 
Morris. 

CAPT.  DARIUS  D.  CHAPPELL,  farmer,  Sec.  8.  P.  0. 
Scotia,  was  born  in  Warren  Co.,  Pennsylvania,  Dec.  8,  1833  ; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  year  1854;  he  first  worked  at  his  trade 
( carpentering,)  in  Walworth  Co.,  for  a  time  :  then  went  to  Trempea- 
leau  Co.;    returning  to  the  former  place  in  the  spring  of  1857, 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHFlRN    WISCOXSIN. 


where  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Fowler,  daughter  of  Benj. 
Fowler,  who  settled  in  Racine  Co.  in  1836.  After  hL*  marriage, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  returned  to  Trempealeau  Co.,  in  the  fall 
of  1860,  settling  on  a  farm,  and  making  his  home  there  ever 
.since;  he  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  being  mustered  in  as  Lieuten- 
ant of  Co.  C,  30tb  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.;  was  promoted  to  Captain  in 
in  April,  18G5.  After  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war,  he  re- 
turned to  his  home,  and  has  since  been  engaged  at  improving  his 
farm ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Galesville  Grange,  and  also  of  the 
Decora  Farmers"  Alliance,  at  the  same  place. 

GILBERT  O.  McGILORAY,  farmer  and  ferryman,  P.O. 
Trempealeau;  was  boru  in  the  Village  of  Trempealeau,  Nov.  10, 
1853,  being  the  youngest  son  of  Alex,  and  Catherine  McGiloray, 
who  came  to  Trempealeau  in  1852.  In  1854  his  father  started  a 
ferry  across  the  Black  River,  which  furry  has  ever  since  been 
known  by  his  name,  and  is  situated  twelve  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  said  to  be  the  first  white 
male  child  born  in  Trempealeau  County.  He  now  runs  the  ferry 
which  his  father  established,  and  also  ruus  the  same  farm,  an  his- 
torical place  situated  on  the  road,  over  which  all  the  early  settlers 
used  to  haul  their  grain  to  La  Crosse.  Mr.  McGiloray  is  now  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace.  He  was  married  Feb.  28,  1877,  to  Miss  0.  L. 
Camp,  of  Trempealeau  County,  by  whom  he  has  two  children — 
Georgia  and  Collin  H. 

LORIN  W.  OLDS,  farmer,  Sec.  8,  P.  0.  Trempealeau  ;  was 
born  in  New  York.  JIarch  7,  1838.  In  1854  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin and  settled  02  the  fium  on  which  he  now  lives ;  was  out  in 
the  big  snow  storm  of  1856  and  1857.  He  enlisted  in  the  fall  of 
1861,  in  Co.  D,  8ih  Mo.  Vol.  Infantry,  serving  for  nine  months, 
and  was  then  discharged  on  account  of  disabilities.  He  returned 
to  his  farm  and  was  married  in  1865  to  Miss  Nancy  D.  Compton, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  are  members  of  the  M.  E. 
Cliurch  at  Galesville.  Mr.  Olds  is  also  a  member  of  the  Burr 
Oak  Grange,  No.  280. 

CHARLES  PICKERING,  farmer,  Sec.  9,  P.  0.  Trempea- 
leau ;  was  born  in  England,  Dec.  17,  1830  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  parents  in  the  spring  of  1847,  where  they  first  located 
in  Columbia  Couuty,  his  lather  buying  a  farm  with  an  English 
Colony.  Here  they  lived  for  two  years,  and  then  sold  out,  going 
from  there  to  Fort  Winnebago-.  In  November,  1851,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  came  to  Trempealeau  County,  remaining  until  1853  ; 
thence  going  to  Dodge  County,  where  he  was  married  in  1855  to 
Miss  Lucy  Bright,  who  is  also  a  native  of  England  ;  returned  to 
Trempealeau  County  the  same  year,  buying  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Caledonia,  and  became  posses.sed  of  his  present  farm  in  1857, 
which  consists  of  ninety  acres  under  cultivation,  and  some  timber 
land.  Mr.  Pickering  is  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Cale- 
donia and  also  A.'sessor  ;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  two 
years.  His  family  consists  of  four  children,  Ann  B.,  George  W., 
Phebe  J.  and  Mary  ;  the  oldest  daughter  who  is  married,  being 
now  Mrs.  C.  A.  Bugbee,  of  Trempealeau. 

JOSHUA  RHODES,  farmer,  Sec.  12,  P.  0.  Scotia  ;  was  born 
in  Yorkshire,  England ;  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in 
1842,  and  settled  in  Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his  father  bought 
land  from  the  Government.  In  1850,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
went  to  Marquette  County,  where  he  took  up  a  farm  for  himself 
on  a  land  warrant  which  his  father  had  given  him.  There  he  re- 
mained until  1853,  when  he  removed  to  Trempealeau  County 
and  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  still  lives.  He  built  a  small 
log  hut  10x12,  and  lived  a  pioneer's  life,  in  company  with  Wm. 
Hanson,  for  one  year,  then  one  year  by  himself,  and  in  1857  was 
married  to  Miss  Susan  E.  Stephens.  Mr.  Rhodes  believes  in  the 
old  motto,  "  as  you  begin- so  will  you  live,"  as  before  starting  to 
get  married  he  laid  the  fire  already  to  kindle,  thinking  he  would 
start  right  by  having  his  wife  light  it  when  they  came  home. 
But  while  they  were  getting  married,  some  of  the  neighbors  took 
out  the  dry  kindling  and  filled  the  stove  with  ice  and  wet  shav- 
ings. On  iheir  arrival,  as  Mrs.  Rhodes  could  not  light  the  fire, 
he  was  obliged  to  do  it   himself,   and   they   never  found  out  who 


played  the  joke  on  them  until  twenty  years  afterward,  when  they 
were  one  evening  taking  tea  with  some  of  their  neighbors,  who 
told  them  of  it.  Mrs.  Rhodes  taught  the  first  school  in  the  town 
of  Caledonia  in  District  No.  2.  Mr.  Rhodes  has  been  Chairman  of 
the  Town  Board  for  ten  years  and  Treasurer  for  four  years.  Is 
at  present  writing  President  of  the  Trempealeau  County  Agri- 
cultural Society,  having  held  that  position  four  years,  and  is  also 
Treasurer  of  the  Decora  Farmers'  Alliance  at  Galesville,  having 
been  Master  of  the  Grange  ever  since  its  organization. 

JONATHAN  RAMSDEN,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.  0.  Scotia! 
was  burn  in  Yorkshire,  England.  April  IS,  1822  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1842,  landing  at  Racine,  May  25  ;  there  his  parents  died  in 
the  year  1847.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth Dixou,  who  was  boru  in  England ;  and  remained  in  Racine 
County  farming  until  1854,  at  which  time  he  moved  to  Trempea- 
leau County,  having  entered  land  there  from  the  Government,  in 
October,  1853 ;  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board  of  Cal- 
edonia, and  in  1856,  was  Town  Clerk  ;  at  that  time  took  the  cen- 
sus in  his  town,  which  consisted  of  what  is  now  Trempealeau, 
Dodge  and  Caledonia,  there  being  only  a  population  of  600. 
Mr.  Ramsden  has  often  stood  in  his  front  door  and  shot  prairie 
chickens.  One  day,  while  in  the  garden  working,  he  saw  a  chicken 
running  along  near  him,  as  he  had  nothing  else  to  kill  it  with,  he 
picked  up  a  cucumber  and  threw  it,  killing  the  bird. 

WILLIAM  J.  SUTTIE,  farmer:  Sec.  9,  P.  O.Trempea- 
leau; was  born  in  Scotland,  Nov.  11,  1834;  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  United  States  when  eighteen  months  old,  living  with 
them  in  New  York  until  1841,  when  they  moved  to  Michigan; 
here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Trempealeau  County,  and  after  staying  here  a  short  time, 
went  back  to  Michigan,  where  he  was  married  in  1859,  to  Eliza 
J.  Weston,  who  was  born  in  Michigan,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Jesse  and  Hester  Weston,  of  that  State;  after  his  marriage,  he 
came  to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm  near  his 
present  one.  His  wife  died  May  22,  1873,  leaving  four  children 
— Charles  A.,  Elliva,  Willard  and  Willis,  the  latter  being  twins. 
Mr.  Suttie  has  been  Town  Supervisor  of  Caledonia  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace. 

REV.  DAVID  WING,  farmer;  Sec.  28,  P.  0.  Trempealeau; 
was  born  at  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  June  21,  1810;  he  was  first  or- 
dained as  Deacon  in  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  by 
Bishop  Headinsr,  and  there  labored  in  the  cause  of  Christianity 
until  1845,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  being  there  ordained  as 
Elder  at  Chicago,  by  Bishop  Waugh,  in  the  year  1846,  and  first 
came  to  Wi-sconsin  as  a  missionary  under  Father  Bruns,  in  1854, 
being  located  at  Trempealeau  but  traveling  in  Minnesota  ;  he  has 
been  a  laborer  in  the  cause  of  Christ  for  over  fifty  years,  being  as 
firm  in  his  belief  now  as  he  was  at  first.  In  1873,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  retired  from  active  service  in  the  church,  and  settled  on 
his  farm  as  a  permanent  home.  Mr.  Wing  was  married  to  his 
first  wife,  Jane  Lobdell,  in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.  in  the  year  1832. 
She  had  five  children  all  of  whom  are  now  dead,  and  she  also  died 
in  1853.  He  was  married  the  second  time  to  Lorinda  Richard- 
son of  Winnebago  Co.,  III.,  who  also  had  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living. 

.\RCAni.\. 

Arcadia,  which  lias  become,  through  the  eiiter{)rise  and 
intelligence  of  its  citizens,  tlie  most  populous  and  prosper- 
ous village  in  the  county,  a  station  on  the  Green  Bay  & 
Minnesota  Railroad,  whence  immense  shipments  of  grain 
and  other  produce  are  annually  made,  is  located  on  Trem- 
pealeau River  in  the  western  portion  of  Arcadia  Township. 

The  date  of  its  first  occupation  by  the  white  man  is  not 
on  record,  but  the  first  overtures  that  were  made  in  this 
vicinity  toward  establishing  a  settlement  were  made  in  1855. 
On  October  1  of  that  year,  NoaL  D.  Comstock,  from  Tip- 
pecanoe County,  Ind.,  accompanied  by  James   Broughton, 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1053 


George  Shelley  and  George  D.  Dewey,  of  Dodge  County, 
also  Collins  Bislinp,  of  Buffalo  County,  Wis.,  visited  this 
portion  of  the  State  witli  a  view  to  locating,  building  a  mill 
and  founding  a  town.  They  were  all  men  of  experience, 
energy  and  character,  and,  on  the  8th  of  October,  entered 
lands  which  have  since,  in  part,  become  crystallized  into  the 
village  of  Arcadia.  The  same  fall,  Broughton  erected  a 
rough,  almost  uninhabitable,  cabin  near  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Collins  Bishop,  and  upon  the  completion  of  this 
work  the  entire  party  returned  whence  it  came. 

On  the  23d  of  March  following,  jNIr.  Comstock  started 
upon  his  return  trip  to  Wisconsin,  making  the  journey 
up  the  Mississippi  River  (which  was  still  frozen  solid) 
on  foot.  After  encountering  considerable  embargoes,  and 
narrowly  escaping  drowning  on  one  or  more  occasions  by 
falling  through  the  ice,  he  reached  Fountain  City,  and 
thence  continued  to  Arcadia.  During  February  previous, 
the  remainder  of  the  party  arrived  here,  and  during  the 
latter  part  of  March  Mrs.  David  Bishop,  who  is  still  a  resi- 
dent of  the  village  and  is  known  as  Mrs.  Mercer,  settled  at 
her  present  home,  the  first  white  lady  to  visit  the  township 
to  remain  permanently.  Later  came  the  families  of  James 
Broughton  and  George  Shelley,  and  in  July,  ISoO,  that  of 
Collins  Bishop.  All  had  made  such  improvements  as  were 
necessary  to  the  accommodation  of  these  accessions  to  the 
body  politic,  and  this  was  the  foundation  of  "Old  Arcadia," 
or  "  Arcadia  on  the  Hill,"  to  distinguish  the  old  village 
from  its  youthful  but  ambitious  rival  "  under  the  hill," 
which  has  grown  into  prominence  since  the  railroad  was 
completed. 

During  this  year,  the  town  of  Preston  was  organized  by 
the  County  Board,  of  which  the  present  Arcadia  was  a  large 
proportion.  Later  in  the  same  year  the  same  authority  set 
off  present  Arcadia  from  the  west  half  of  the  town  of  Pres- 
ton, adding  thereto  a  portion  of  the  town  of  Trempealeau, 
and  what  had  been  previously  known  as  "  Bishop's  Settle- 
ment ''  was  re-named,  at  the  suggestion  of  Mrs.  David 
Bishop,  Arcadia,  under  which  musical  substitute  it  has 
since  been  identified  as  an  integer  in  the  make-up  of  Trem- 
pealeau County. 

Beyond  those  mentioned,  it  is  hardly  to  be  believed  that 
any  additions  were  made  to  the  limited  population  then  in 
possession.  Days  came  and  went  with  the  charming  regu- 
larity peculiar  to  new  settlements,  summer  graduated  into 
fall  and  fall  yielded  precedence  to  winter.  In  the  meantime 
farms  had  been  laid  out  and  surveyed,  and  in  one  or  two  in- 
stances furrows  had  been  run  in  the  fruitful  glebe.  The 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  settlement  was  an  almost  un- 
known prairie.  Timber  was  scarcely  to  be  obtained  at  any 
cost  or  labor,  and  the  apprehension  as  to  its  substitute  was 
of  frequest  occurrence. 

It  might  here  be  observed  as  a  factor  in  the  history  of 
this  portion  of  the  country,  that  two  entries  had  been  made 
prior  to  those  of  the  pioneers  who  came  in  during  1855. 
One  of  these  was  by  a  man  named  O'Reilly,  the  name  of 
the  other  has  been  forgotten,  but  both  lapsed  for  failure  to 
take  possession,  and  have  since  become  the  property  of 
more  entei  prising  land  owners. 

Early  in  1857,  the  organization  of  the  township  was 
completed,  and  fifteen  votes  polled,  and  in  May  of  that 
year  occurred  the  first  death  of  record  in  the  village  or 
township.  It  was  that  of  Eugene  Broughton,  a  lad,  the 
son  of  James  Broughton,  who  was  drowned  while  bathing 
in  a  pond,  one  mile  above  "Old"  Arcadia  village.     The 


settlers  aided  in  recovering  the  body  of  the  unfortunate 
youth,  when  it  was  interred  on  his  father's  farm,  near  the 
present  residence  of  Joseph  Kellogg.  This  year  was  also 
memorable  as  the  annual  when  the  first  school  was  taught. 
The  venture  was  born  in  a  log  house,  opposite  the  present 
residence  of  Collins  Bishop,  and  Miss  Sarah  McMasters 
presided  at  its  bringing-forth.  Very  few  improvements, 
however,  were  made.  The  building  of  a  mill,  which  had 
been  contemplated  by  the  settlers  upon  their  original  advent 
into  these,  at  that  time,  unexplored  wilds,  and  for  which 
entries  had  been  made  with  a  special  view  to  locality,  was 
yet  in  embryo.  Religious  services  were  occasionally  had 
in  the  schoolhouse  or  private  residence,  but  no  edifice 
specially  for  the  accommodation  of  worshipers  had  been 
provided.  Some  few  adventurous  people  united  their  for- 
tunes with  the  "Arcadians,"  but  no  store  or  other  place 
of  exchange  was  of  existence.  Supplies  were  obtained  at 
Winona,  Fountain  City  and  Trempealeau,  and  the  only 
point  at  which  "custom  grain"  could  be  ground,  or  flour 
and  meal  procured,  was  the  Harris  mill,  at  Galesville. 

Among  those  who  settled  permanently  in  Arcadia,  dur- 
ing 1857,  were  James  Gavney,  Robert  L.  Robertson, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  who  died  during  August,  1881 ; 
Henry  Gardner,  Thomas  A.  Simpson,  Joseph  Sanders,  H. 
M.  Tucker,  Nicholas  and  Caspar  Myer,  Lewis  Kniffiin, 
Frank  and  Carl  Zeller,  Bailey  Witte,  William  Johnson  and 
possibly  some  others  whose  names  have  gone  with  the  flight 
of  years.  Not  forgetting,  however,  Jesse  R.  Penny  and 
Phoeby,  his  wife,  who,  in  the  spring  of  1858,  became 
parents  to  the  first  child  born  in  the  village.  She  was 
christened  Jessie  Penny,  and  as  such  survived  the  dangers 
incident  to  childhood,  the  disappointments  of  callow  youth, 
and,  growing  to  young  ladyhood,  became  the  wife  of  a  man 
named  Mason,  with  whom  she  has  for  some  years  been 
included  as  among  the  pioneer  residents  of  Dakota. 

The  incidents  of  1858  have  not  been  preserved,  from 
which  it  may  be  inferred  they  were  neither  frequent  nor 
overwhelmingly  exciting.  The  same  can  be  reported  of 
1859.  The  most  important  is  said  to  have  been  the  mar- 
riage of  George  D.  Dewey  to  Josephine  Cornell,  the  step- 
daughter of  James  Broughton.  The  ceremony,  it  is  sup- 
posed, occurred  in  May,  of  the  latter  year,  before  an  admir- 
ing audience  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  performed  by  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  It  is  not  related  that  they  were  sup- 
plemented by  a  wedding  feast  or  formal  reception,  but  the 
absence  of  these  formalities  is  in  part  supplied  by  the  state- 
ment, against  the  truth  of  which  no  denial  can  successfully 
prevail,  the  couple  joined  in  the  tide  of  emigration  which 
tended  to  Dakota  at  a  period  at  present  not  beyond  the 
memory  of  the  proverbially  oldest  inhabitant,  and  has  since 
been  identified  with  the  success  of  that  State. 

There  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  arrivals  of 
prominence  during  these  two  years,  but  the  year  following, 
18*^)0,  David  Masseure,  Dr.  Isaac  Briggs,  Andrew  Olsen 
came  in  and  established  themselves  as  resident  citizens. 
The  water-power,  together  with  five  acres  of  ground  which 
had  been  entered  by  the  original  settlers  for  mill  purposes, 
were  assigned  Mr.  Masseure,  with  the  understanding  that 
he  should  erect  a  mill,  and  so  received,  and  it  was  within  a 
short  time  subsequent  to  his  advent  that  he  began  the 
building  of  the  same.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  Briggs  and 
D.  C.  Dewey,  the  latter  an  earlier  arrival,  began  merchan- 
dising in  old  Arcadia,  the  first  commercial  venture  made 
in  the  settlement.     Since  that  time,  the  interests  of  this 


HISTORY    OF    MORTHERX    WISCONSIN. 


line  of  life  have  become  of  such  dimensions  as  to  astonish  a 
stranger  to  the  manor  born.  Main  street  boasts  some  ot 
the  best-appointed  dry  goods,  general,  drug  and  hardware 
stores,  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  and  the  amount  of  busi- 
iness  daily  transacted  with  farmers  can  be  estimated  when 
it  is  related  that  tlie  shipments  of  grain  from  Arcadia,  for 
one  year,  have  reached  the  enormous  value  of  425,000 
bushels.  The  lines  of  goods  carried  are  universal  and 
adapted  to  general  wants,  and  on  market  days  their  interior 
presents  an  appearance  both  varied  and  attractive. 

Up  to  the  breaking-out  of  the  war,  the  arrivals,  while 
not  by  any  means  unusually  large,  were  fairly  numerous, 
and  composed  of  a  superior  class.  With  the  advent  of  that 
calamity,  immigration  entirely  ceased.  From  18G0  to 
1867,  times  w^ere  dull,  and  little  improvement  of  any  kind 
undertaken.  During  the  war,  the  Federal  Congress  passed 
a  Homestead  Bill  that  attracted  a  large  foreign  element 
which  was  distributed  over  the  country  tributary  to  the 
village,  and  has  furnished  the  means  of  developing  the  agri- 
cultural resources  of  the  vicinity  to  a  wonderful  extent. 
From  1867,  times  began  to  improve,  and  considerable  prog- 
ress was  made  in  all  departments,  increasing  with  each 
year  and  culminating  in  1873,  with  the  completion  of  the 
Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad,  when  the  "  boom " 
came,  at  the  expense,  however,  of  "  old  "  Arcadia.  Lower 
town  was  built  up  at  once,  and  many  buildings  from  upper 
town  were  removed  to  the  "  new  dispensation  "  bodily  and 
in  detail.  In  1874,  John  Rarney  who  built  the  Commer- 
cial Hotel,  erected  the  first  brick  house  in  old  Arcadia,  and 
in  1876  did  likewise  in  the  lower  town.  Since  that  date, 
it  may  be  said  quite  a  number,  composed  of  this  material 
have  been  erected  in  the  village,  some  of  which,  notably  the 
schoolhouse  will  more  than  compare  with  the  structures  of 
towns  and  villages  making  greater  pretensions  than  Arcadia. 
In  1876,  the  village  was  selected  as  the  county  seat,  and 
the  records  removed  from  Galesville,  where  they  had  been 
preserved  since  the  county  was  first  organized,  and  the 
building  first  used  as  a  schoolhouse,  now  the  office  of  the 
Republican  and  Lender,  utilized  to  court  house  purposes. 
The  next  year,  the  county  seat  was  once  more  removed  to 
Whitehall.  On  March  24,  1876,  occurred  the  flood,  as  it 
is  known  to  citizens,  caused  by  a  blockade  of  "  The  Paas," 
and  consequent  backing  up  of  the  Trempealeau  River,  and 
for  three  days  the  only  boat  in  the  village  owned  by  J. 
Farlin  was  the  only  means  of  relief  to  the  beleaguered  citi- 
zens who  were  imprisoned  in  their  homes,  at  the  mercy  of 
the  waters.  Tiiere  was  no  loss  of  life  it  is  said,  but  the 
damage  to  property  is  represented  to  have  been  immense. 

The  village  continued  to  improve  until  1879,  during 
which  year  it  was  incorporated,  when  it  was  sorely  stricken 
by  the  "  Dakota  Fever,"  and  lias  never  recovered.  Since 
that  calamity,  Arcadia  has  been  at  a  standstill,  so  to  speak, 
but  the  industr}',  enterprise  and  thrift  of  its  inhabitants, 
must  combine  to  prevail  against  less  substantial  competition 
in  the  near  future,  when  tiie  days  of  ■'  rush"  and  "busi- 
ness booms"  will  once  more  be  experienced. 

The  population  of  the  village  is  estimated  at  700. 

The  town  of  Arcadia  was  organizeil  into  one  school 
district,  April  24,  1857,  and  a  meeting  of  the  school  direct- 
ory iield  in  the  month  of  Ma}'  following  at  the  residence 
of  David  Bishop.  Soon  after,  as  already  stated,  tiie  first 
school  was  opened  under  the  auspices  of  Sarah  McMasters, 
and  from  that  day  to  this,  the  cause  of  education  has  never 
faltered. 


In  June,  1800,  other  school  districts  were  organized,  and  I 

the  old  sciioolhouse  in   the  village  was   substituted   by   an 
entirely  new  structure.     When  a  court  house  became  neces- 
sary, this  was  appropriated  to  that  purpose,  and  the  prasent  j 
brick  academy,  of  large  proportions  and   handsome  finish,  | 
erected  at  a  cost  of  §6,000.     Here  the  youth  of  the  village  \ 
are  educated,  and  here  is  offered  the  advantages  of  the  grad-  ' 
ed   system,  beginning   with   primary   and  concluding   with 
high  school  graduation.     During  1880,   the   average   daily  [ 
attendance  was  150  scholars.     The  annual  cost  of  operating 
the  institution  is  stated   at  $2,200;    four   teachers  are  em-  ' 
ployed,  and  the  system  is  under  the  control  of  a  Board. 

M.-iXUFACTURIXG. 

W.  p.  Massuere  &  Co.'s   flouring  mills,  located   in  Old  , 

Arcadia,  are  the  pioneer  mills  of  the   town,   having  been  I 

erected  in  1860,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.     In   1873,  the  mills  j 

were  destroyed  by  an  overflow,  entailing  a  loss  of  §5,000,  I 

but  rebuilt  the  same  year,  and  operations  resumed  in  the 
spring  of  1874.  They  are  supplied  with  two  run  of  stone, 
with  a  capacity  of  200  bushels  daily,  and  represent  a  valua- 
tion of  §7,000. 

Miller  &  Bears'  mills,  located  at  a  distance  of  two  miles 
from  the  village,  Avere  erected  in  1872,  and  have  since  been 
continuously  operated.  In  1874,  the  present  owners  pur- 
chased the  enterprise  for  §6,000,  and  conduct  their  purchase 
as  a  custom  mill.  The  mills  are  supplied  with  two  run  of 
stone  and  are  capable  of  grinding  100  bushels  daily. 

The  Arcadia  Woolen  Mills  were  begun  in  the  spring  of 
1876.  by  Dyke,  Allen  k  Co.,  but  completed  during  the  same 
year,  at  a  cost  of  §5,000.  Four  hands  are  employed,  at  a 
weekly  compensation  of  §30,  when  the  enterprise  is  operat- 
ed to  its  full  capacity,  producing  an  annual  revenue  of  §7,- 
500.  The  goods  are  sold  in  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  Wiscon- 
sin, and  the  investment  is  said  to  be  valued  at  §7,000. 

Arcadia  Brewery,  situated  at  some  distance  from  the 
village,  in  an  easterly  direction,  were  erected  in  1876,  by 
Bion  &  Co.,  at  a  cost  of  §7,000,  who  carried  on  the  business 
of  manufacturing  beer  until  the  spring  of  1881,  when  tiie 
establishment  became  the  property  of  J.  M.  Fertig.  The 
brewery  possesses  a  capacity  for  manufacturing  1.500  barrels 
of  beer  annually,  and  are  valued  at  about  §10,000. 

In  addition  to  these,  it  may  be  here  stated,  the  village 
contains  three  elevators;  W.  P.  Massuere  &  Co.'s  and  A. 
E.  Smith  &  Co.'s,  both  erected  in  1873,  and  each  with  a 
capacity  of  2,000  bushels,  and  that  of  J.  C.  Muir,  erected 
in  1874,  and  capable  of  holding  8,000  bushels.  The  ship- 
ing  of  grain  in  Arcadia  is  done  through  these  agencies  and 
amounts  to  250,000  bushels  annually. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  organization  of  Methodist  Episcopal  society  was 
perfected  in  J  857,  under  the  auspices  of  an  itinerant  min- 
ister of  the  Wesleyan  faith,  with  Collins  Bishop,  Anna 
Bishop,  Narcissa  Robertson  and  Rlioda  Shelley,  as  the  con- 
stituent members.  Services  were  conducted  at  the  residences 
of  members  until  an  increase  in  the  members  of  the  congre- 
gation required  more  extensive  quarters,  when  the  school- 
house  was  secured  and  appropriated  to  their  uses.  This 
was  continued  until  1876,  when  preparations  looking  to  the 
erection  of  a  house  of  worship,  meanwhile  in  progress,  took 
shape,  and  resulted  in  the  building  of  the  present  edifice, 
which  was  completed  during  that  year  at  a  cost  of  §5,000. 
It  is  of  frame,  of  a  quaint  Elizabethan  order  of  architecture, 


HISTORY    OF    TREMPRALE.' 


555 


handsomely  finished,  and  with  accoiuiuodations  for  a  congre- 
gation of  500  persons.  Since  1857,  the  society  has  in- 
creased in  members  and  now  has  a  roster  of  forty  commu- 
nicants. 

The  value  of  church  property  is  stated  at  $6,000. 

The  Evangelical  Association,  composed  of  Germans, 
was  organized  in  November,  1875,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Rev.  J.  P.  Field,  and  with  twenty  members.  Immedi- 
ately upon  the  completion  of  its  organization  the  society 
contracted  for  the  erection  of  a  church,  which  was  begun 
the  same  year,  and  finished  during  the  spring  of  1876. 
The  church  is  20x30,  of  frame,  with  capacity  for  an  audi- 
ence of  300,  and  cost  .$700,  completed  and  furnished.  The 
present  membership  numbers  thirty,  and  is  under  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Rev.  M.  C.  Werner. 

For  some  years  the  Baptist  Society  was  active  in  Arca- 
dia, where  it  still  has  a  frame  church  edifice.  But  a  combi- 
nation of  circumstances  caused  its  disorganization,  and  at 
present  its  influence  is  quiescent. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  there  are  two  Catholic 
Churches  in  the  town,  one  Polish  and  one  German,  at  which 
services  are  regularly  held. 

Societies.— ArciidiA  Lodge,  No.  2Ul,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
was  organized  under  a  dispensation  granted  May  10,  1875, 
under  which  it  worked  until  June  13,  1876,  when  it  was 
regularly  chartered,  with  Stephen  Putnam,  W.  M.  ;  D.  B. 
Stitt,  S.  W.  and  G.  E.  Bradt,  J,  W.  The  lodge  now  num- 
bers forty-two  members,  with  Stephen  Putnam,  W.  M.  : 
John  Muir,  S.  W. ;  David  Holcomb,  J.  W. ;  F.  C.  Allen, 
S.  D. :  S.  T.  Robertson,  J.  D. ;  W.  C.  Brooks,  Secretary ; 
James  Gavney,  Treasurer,  and  John  Dennis,  Tiler.  Meet- 
ings are  regularly  convened  every  second  Tuesday  in  the 
lodge  rooms  on  Main  street,  and  the  value  of  lodge  property 
is  quoted  at  $500. 

Until  recently  the  Odd  Fellows  supported  a  lodge  in  the 
village,  but  meetings  have  been  discontinued,  and  the  char- 
ter has  been  surrendered. 

Arcadia  Lodge,  No.  24,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  was  organized 
April  24,  1878,  with  twelve  members  and  the  following 
officers :  Dr.  M.  W.  Waterman,  P.  M.  W.  ;  Dr.  George  N. 
Hidershide,  M.  W.  ;  Peter  Richtman,  G.  F.  ;  Timothy 
Selck,  0. ;  George  Joos,  G. ;  Jacob  Schneller,  I.  W.  ; 
Christian  Von  Wald,  0.  W.  ;  N.  Mueller,  Recorder ; 
Charles  Hensel,  Financier ;  G.  Gasal,  Receiver,  Since 
that  date  the  membership  has  increased  to  forty-two,  and  a 
gratifying  degree  of  prosperity  has  attended  the  society. 
The  present  oflicers  are :  A.  E.  Smith,  P.  M.  W. ;  George 
Smart,  M.  W. ;  John  Maurer,  G.  F.  ;  T.  Edelback,  0. ; 
Timothy  Selck,  G. ;  John  Bion,  I.  W. ;  Anton  Frohn,  0. 
W. ;  G.  Gasal,  Receiver ;  A.  E.  Smith,  Financier,  and 
Joseph  Farlin,  Recorder.  The  organization  is  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition,  and  meetings  are  held  weekly  on  Thursday 
evenings. 

Trempealeau  County  Bank  was  established  at  White- 
hall May  10,  1878,  and,  after  remaining  a  year  at  that 
point,  removed  to  Arcadia,  where  it  became  an  established 
fact  June  1,  1879.  The  bank  is  a  private  undertaking, 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Wisconsin,  carrying  a  capi- 
tal of  $25,000,  and  doing  a  general  banking,  exchange, 
real  estate  and  loan  agencies. 

The  oflicers  are:  James  II.  Allen,  President,  and  Frank 
C.  Allen,  Cashier. 

The  cemetery  comprises  a  small  tract  of  land  one  mile 
southeast  of  the  village,  set  apart  by  the  town  of  Arcadia 


for  burial  purposes  early  in  the  sixties.  It  is  under  the 
control  of  the  town  oflicers,  and  though  it  has  been  platted 
and  appropriately  laid  out  is  susceptible  of  improvement. 
This,  it  is  anticipated,  will  be  accomplished  at  an  early  day. 
The  Arcadia  Mineral  Springs  are  situated  about  half  a 
mile  west  of  the  village,  in  a  romantic  and  beautiful  spot, 
and,  their  waters,  it  is  claimed,  are  composed  of  the  best 
health-giving  properties  for  the  cure  of  dyspepsia,  liver, 
kidney  and  stomach  complaints  and  other  physical  derange- 
ments. It  was  discovered  in  1878,  on  lands  belonging  to 
George  Hiles,  and  the  virtue  of  the  waters  induced  Mr. 
Hiles  to  complete  its  development,  and  contract  for  the 
erection  of  a  large  and  handsomely  designed  hotel  for  the 
accommodation  of  those  desirous  of  testing  the  qualities  of 
the  waters.  The  building  was  quite  completed  during  the 
spring  of  1879,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  the  pro- 
ject abandoned.  The  spring  is  mucii  sought  by  villagers 
and  residents  of  the  county  generally  as  a  remedial  agent. 
The  following  is  the  an.alysis : 


Free  carbonate  acid 4,2346. 

Bicarbonate  of  sodium 51,6598. 

Bicarbonate  of  magnesium..  9,2834. 

Bicarbonate  of  calcium 15,9886. 

Bicarbonate  of  iron 6321. 


Sulphate  of  sodium 3658. 

Sulphate  of  potassium 2616. 

Cliloride  of  sodium 3121. 

Alumina 1121. 

Silica 2,3416. 


Total 85,1918. 

Also  slight  traces  of  bicarbonate  of  manganese,  phosphate  of  sodium, 
iodide  of  sodium  and  organic  matter. 

Mail  facilities  of  an  indifferent  and  wholly  unreliable 
character  were  endured  by  the  pioneers,  until  their  increase 
in  numbers  demanded  more  adequate  conveniences,  and  a 
post  office  was  opened  in  Old  Arcadia,  under  the  official 
charge  of  (i.  D.  Dewey.  This  was  in  1859,  or  thereabouts, 
since  which  date  the  affairs  of  the  service  have  been  success- 
fully administered. 

The  office  was  retained  in  Old  Arcadia  at  such  places 
as  were  selected  by  succeeding  Postmasters,  when  it  was 
removed  to  Lower  Town,  where  the  office  is  still  retained. 

The  following  officials  have  served  since  the  establish- 
ment of  the  office  by  the  Department :  G.  D.  Dewey,  G. 
T.  Strong,  J.  D.  Rainey,  George  Matschenberchen,  M.  H. 
Campbell,  James  A.  Quinn  and  James  Gavney,  the  present 
incumbent. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

WJI.  W.  BARNf]S,  Chairman  of  Town  Board  of  Arcadia  ; 
was  born  on  Long  Island,  at  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  May  17,  1838; 
removed  to  Wisconsin  in  September,  1856,  and  first  lived  at  Black 
River  Falls,  Jackson  County,  where  he  was  engaged,  first  at  lum- 
bering and  then  as  pilot  on  the  Mississippi ;  here  he  was  married 
in  the  fall  of  18.57  to  Miss  Olive  A.  Nettleton,  a  native  of  New 
York  State.  In  the  spring  of  1879  Mr.  Barnes  moved  to  Arca- 
dia, which  has  since  been  his  home  ;  his  family  consists  of  two 
children — Zue  and  OHve  ;  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board  ever  since  it  was  organized  ;  was  a  sailor  on  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  for  five  years,  and  was  at  one  time  second  mate,  and  at 
another,  supercargo  of  merchantman. 

JOHN  W.  BLAISDELL,  proprietor  of  the  Mineral  Springs 
Hotel  at  Arcadia ;  was  born  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  9, 
1830  ;  he  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849,  locating  in  Fond  du 
Lac  County,  where  he  lived  for  two  years  ;  tiien  returned  to  New 
York  State,  where  he  learned  the  miller's  trade  ;  then  tame  back 
to  Wisconsin  and  engaged  at  milling  in  Waupuu  for  nine  years  ; 
then  went  to  Oshkosh  ;  from  there  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  then  back 
to  Waupun,  where,  in  February,  1SG5,  he  enlisted  in  the  Co.  D, 
,50th  Wis.  Vol.  Infly.,  serving  until  January,  1866.  After  the 
war  he  returned  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  followed  milling 


1056 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


until  1876  ;  he  then  removed  to  Arcadia,  and  engaged  at  the  lum- 
bering businebs,  which  he  continu  d  until  January,  1881,  at 
which  time  he  purchased  the  hotel,  of  which  he  is  now  proprietor. 
The  hotel  is  one  of  the  largest  and  bes',  in  the  county.  It  is  sup- 
plied with  the  Arcadia  Mineral  Springs  water,  and  has  suitable 
accommodations  for  summer  tourists. 

WILLIAM  BOOKMAN,  fanner.  Sec.  4,  P.  0.  Arcadia  ; 
was  burn  Jan.  28,  1830,  in  England;  remained  there  until  twelve 
year.s  of  ago,  when  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1842, 
and  lived  with  them  on  a  farm  near  Chicago.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  and  as  he  was  the  oldest  of  the 
family  he  took  charge  of  the  farm  ;  in  1853  he  moved  into  the 
city  of  Chicago,  where  he  was  married  the  same  year  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Orckly,  and  afterward  moved  to  Jersey  Co.,  111.,  where 
he  farmed  until  1855,  at  which  time  his  mother  died  ;  he  then 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  La  Crosse  County,  on 
what  is  known  as  the  Bricc  Prairie,  where  he  lived  until  18(i5, 
and  then  came  to  Trempealeau  County. 

ISAAC  A.  BRIGGS,  M.  D.,  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  P.  O. 
Arcadia  ;  was  born  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  April  20,  181G  ;  came 
West  with  his  parents  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  lived  with 
them  in  Kalamazoo  Co.,  Mich.,  where  he  went  to  school,  intending 
to  educate  himself  as  a  physician  ;  he  continued  there  until  1852, 
at  which  time  he  came  to  Green  Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  prac- 
ticed his  profession  for  eight  years  ;  in  1860  he  came  to  Trem- 
pealeau County,  and  settling  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  has 
practiced  his  profession  in  connection  with  farming.  Dr.  Briggs 
has  held  the  office  of  Town  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  the  village  of  Arcadia,  and  is  an  active  worker  in  the  M.  E. 
Church;  he  was  married  in  1844  to  his  first  wife,  Miss  Caroline 
Tyrell,  of  Michigan,  who  died  in  1849;  in  the  year  1851  was 
married  the  second  time  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Briggs,  of  Vermont, 
by  whom  he  has  four  children — Warren  S.,  Delia  C,  Harry  A. 
and  Asa  G. 

DANIEL  C.  DEWEY,  farmer.  Sec.  33,  P.  0.  Arcadia;  was 
born  in  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y".,  April  16  1828,  being  the  son  of 
Aaron  and  Dolly  Dewey,  the  former,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  the  latter  of  New  York  ;  his  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1847  and  entered  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Dodjje  County,  on 
which  he  lived  for  four  years  and  then  sold  out  and  went 
back  to  New  York,  he  remaining  there  five  years,  and  was  mar- 
ried in  the  meantime  to  Josephine  Trumbull,  «ho  was  born  in  New 
York  ;  in  1859  they  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  the  farm 
where  they  now  live.  Mr.  Dewey  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Arcadia  in  1861,  and  in  1862  he  entered  the 
army  and  served  nine  months  as  Sergeant  in  the  30th  Wis.,  Co. 
C,  Infty.  Vol.;  he  was  then  disabled  for  further  service,  and  being 
discharged  he  returned  home.  He  has  been  Assessor  in  his  town 
for  two  terms,  and  is  an  active  worker  and  member  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  and  also  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Arcadia  Lod<'e 
No.  201. 

JOHN  M.  FERTIG,  of  the  firm  of  Fugina  Bros.  & 
Fertig,  dealers  in  general  merchandise  at  Arcadia,  and  proprietor 
of  the  brewery  at  the  same  place,  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  28, 
1852.  He  came  with  his  brother  to  America  in  1868,  and  stayed 
in  Baltimore,  Md.,  for  two  years,  and,  in  1870,  came  to  Bufi'alo 
County,  Wis.,  where  he  clerked  for  J.  and  M.  Fuirina,  merchants. 
In  the  spring  of  1875,  he  came  to  Arcadia,  where  he  became  a 
partner  of  the  above  firm  and  erected  the  brick  block,  where  they 
now  do  business,  in  the  year  1878,  it  being  the  largest  brick  busi- 
ness block  in  the  county.  He  became  connected  with  the  brewery 
at  Arcadia  in  1880,  and  now  runs  it  in  connection  with  his  other 
business.  It  has  a  capacity  for  making  1,000  barrels  of  beer  per 
year,  and  was  the  second  brewery  in  the  county.  Mr.  Fertig  is  a 
member  of  tiie  Village  Board.  The  firm  of  Fugina  Bros.  &  Fertig 
do  an  annual  business  of  from  835,000  to  $50,000. 

JAMES  GAVENEY,  Postmaster  at  Arcadia,  and  farmer. 
Sec.  5;  was  born  April  5,  1825,  in  Ireland.     In    1850,  he  came 


to  America,  first  living  in  Mineral  Point,  Wis.,  where  he  worked 
at  mining  for  two  years,  and  then  went  by  the  overland  route  to 
California,  where  he  remained  for  five  years  mining,  and,  in  1857, 
returned  to  Wisconsin  and  made  Arcadia  his  home.  Mr.  Gaveney 
owns  nearly  1,000  acres  of  land  in  Trempealeau  County,  and  is 
also  a  partner  of  N.  D.  Comstock  in  the  Independence  Flouring- 
Mills.  He  has  held  various  offices  in  his  town,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  since  1854.  He  was  married 
in  1860  to  Miss  Mariah  M.  Briggs,  who  is  a  na'ive  of  Vermont. 
OLIVER  A.  H EGG,  farmer,  Sec.  5  ;  P.  0.  Independence; 
was  born  in  Norway,  March  1,  1842.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  America  in  1842,  first  living  at  Blue  Mounds,  Dane  Co.,  on  a 
farm,  where  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany K,  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  throughout  the  war,  being  pro- 
moted to  First  Lieutenant  in  October,  1864.  He  was  married 
while  home  on  a  furlough  to  Miss  Jane  M.  Anderson,  who  was 
born  in  Norway.  After  being  mustered  out  of  service,  he 
returned  to  Dane  County  and  farmed  until  1869.  when  he  moved 
to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he  took  up  a  soldiers'  claim  of 
160  acres  in  the  town  of  Arcadia,  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  his  neighborhood.  He  has  been  engaged  ever  since  in  farm- 
ing and  teaching  school  during  the  winters,  having  taught  the 
same  school  ever  since  the  district  was  organized,  up  to  the  present 
date.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
Arcadia  for  two  years,  also  Chairman  one  year.  Has  a  family  of 
five  children — Mariah,  Ellen  E.,  Amanda,  Clarence  B.  and  Idah 
J. ;  one  son,  Gabriel,  who  died  March  5,  1881. 

GEORGE  N.  HIDERSHIDE,  physician  and  surg.on  at 
Arcadia,  was  born  in  Brussels,  Belgium,  June  13,  1S49.  Left 
there  in  1857  with  his  parents  and  came  to  America,  where  he 
located  with  them  on  a  farm  in  Winona  Co.,  Minn.  ;  he  then 
went  to  live  with  an  English  family  to  learn  the  English  language, 
and,  after  being  with  them  thirteen  months,  he  returned  home 
and  went  the  to  District  school  until  1866,  he  then  attended  the 
Winona  Normal  School  for  three  years,  and  was  a  graduate  of  the 
class  of  1869;  he  then  began  reading  medicine  under  Dr.  G.  F. 
Whitherell,  of  Lyons,  Iowa.  After  two  years'  study,  his  health 
failed  and  he  returned  home  and  engaged  in  the  farm  machinery 
business  for  one  year,  he  then  attended  the  Louisville  Medical 
College  and  graduated  there  in  1875,  and,  in  the  same  year,  came 
to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Dr.  F.  L.  Lewis.  After  practicing  with  him  for  one  year,  they 
dissolved  partnership,  and  Dr.  Hidershide  has  since  practiced 
alone  in  the  town  of  Arcadia.  He  is  a  member  of  the  North- 
western Medical  Society,  and  also  of  the  American  Medical 
Society. 

IVER  JACOBSON,  Under  Sheriff  of  Trempealeau  Co., 
Arcadia,  was  born  in  Norway  July  25,  1851.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  in  1871,  and  first  located  with 
them  in  Waupun,  but  after  remaining  there  one  year  they  re- 
moved to  Vernon  Co.,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
school  during  winters,  and  during  summers  he  clerked  for  Mons 
Anderson  &  Co.,  and  other  parties,  in  the  city  of  La  Crosse. 
During  the  year  1875.  he  run  a  branch  store  for  the  above  firm  in 
that  place.  In  1876  he  was  a  candidate  for  City  Clerk  in  La 
Crosse,  but  was  defeated  by  140  votes,  and  in  1878-79  was 
Under  Sheriff  under  Halstead.  He  was  married  in  the  spring  of 
1879,  to  Miss  Julia  M.  M.  Mills,  of  Arcadia,  and  in  July  of  the 
same  year  he  moved  to  Arcadia,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
with  Seth  Mills  reading  law.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  La  Crosse  Lodge,  No.  190,  and  also  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F., 
Riverside  Lodge,  No.  192. 

CHARLES  A.  LEITH,  son  of  John  Kenneth  Leith,  Ad- 
jutant of  the  12tli  British  Infimtry.  was  born  in  Plymouth,  En- 
gland, Nov.  14,  1842.  He  received  a  classical  education  at  the 
grammar  school  in  Kingsbridgo.  Devonshire,  England,  and  in 
1860  emigrated  to  the  United  Slates  and  settled  in  Trempealeau 
Co.,  Wis.  His  first  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer,  but  he  soon 
found  that  his  physical  nature  was  not  well  adapted   to  the  busi- 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


ness.  He  then  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  printing  business, 
commencing  as  a  printer's  ''  devil,"  he  passed  through  all  the 
gradations  and  vicissitudes  incident  to  the  attainment  of  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  "  art  preservative."  In  January,  1864,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Ist  Wis.  Battery  of  Horse  Artillery,  and  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged.  Return- 
ing once  more  to  the  stick  and  rule,  he  soon  purchased  a  half  in- 
terest in  the  Galesville  Transcript,  and  since  that  period  has 
published  and  owned  several  newjspapers,  and  is  at  present  owner 
and  publisher  of  tlio  Trempealeau  County  Republican  and  Leader, 
the  leading  paper  in  the  county,  published  at  Arcadia.  In 
April,  1866,  be  married  Miss  Martha  Gale,  of  Galesville,  Wis., 
and  soon  after  moved  from  that  place  to  Trempealeau,  Wis.,  where 
he  now  resides.  Mr.  Leith  has  held  several  minor  offices  of  trust, 
and  among  them  was  that  of  Ai^sistant  Assessor  of  Internal 
Revenue,  for  three  years,  for  the  counties  of  Trempealeau,  Buffalo, 
Clark  and  Jackson.  Politically,  Mr.  Leith  has  always  been  a  Re- 
publican, but  one  of  the  Conservative  order;  has  taken  a  great 
interest  in  county  politics  and  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  party 
in  that  county.  • 

DAVID  MASSUERE,  proprietor  of  the  Arcadia  Flouring 
Mills,  Arcadia;  was  born  Aug.  27,  1816,  in  Coos  Co.,  N.  H., 
being  the  son  of  Lewis  and  Rachael  Massuere  of  that  place.  Left 
home  in  1835,  and  went  to  Massachusetts,  where  he  worked  at 
shoe-making  for  seventeen  years.  In  1852,  at  the  time  of  the 
great  mining  excitement,  went  to  Calif  irnia,  where  he  followed 
mining  for  three  years,  returning  to  Massachusetts  in  the  year 
1855.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  in  Winne- 
bago Co.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  of  350  acres  from  the  Govern- 
ment, which  he  formed  for  four  years;  and,  in  1860,  came  to 
Arcadia,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Town  Board  for  three  terms,  and  of  the  School  Board  five 
years.  He  owns  one-third  interest  in  the  general  merchandise 
store  of  Massuere  &  Co. ;  and,  in  1S71,  erected  the  Arcadia  Flour- 
ing iSlill,  which  has  a  run  of  two  buhrs  and  a  large  custom.  In 
1876,  the  mill  was  damaged  by  a  flood  to  the  amount  of  81,-0(1, 
but  it  has  been  repaired.  He  was  married,  in  1843,  to  Miss 
Susan  Carlis,  of  Massachusetts,  by  whom  he  has  four  children — 
Lewis,  who  is  a  resident  of  Arcadia,  and  served  four  years  in  the 
war  in  the  3d  Wisconsin  Battery;  Susan  E.,  now  Mrs.  Henry 
Proctor,  of  Texas;  Wilbur  P.  and  Ella,  now  Mrs.  Frederick  Rob- 
inson, of  Arcadia. 

ALBRO  C.  MATTERSON,  blacksmith  and  farmer,  in  old 
town  of  Arcadia;  was  born  in  New  York,  Jan.  12,  1820.  He 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  the  year  1843,  first  locating  in  Washington 
Co.,  where  he  lived  for  six  years.  In  1849,  he  moved  to  Rich- 
land Co.,  where  he  remained  four  years,  working  one  year  in  the 
lead  mine.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  he  came  to  Arcadia,  and  built 
the  first  blacksmith-shop  in  that  town,  near  where  Miller's  flouring 
mills  now  stands,  and  has  worked  at  his  trade  and  farming  ever 
since.  He  was  married.  May  25,  1843,  in  New  York,  to  Miss 
Charlotte  Broughton,  by  whom  he  has  six  children — Adiolina, 
now  Mrs.  B.  Matherson  ;  Malvina  A.,  now  Mrs.  I.  Roe;  Harvey; 
Mariah,  now  Mrs.  George  Nistey ;  James  and  Seward. 

SKPH  MILLS,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  residence 
Arcadia,  was  born  in  New  York,  July  2,  1831.  Living  there 
until  he  was  eight  years  old,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Michigan 
and  remained  there  until  1849,  receiving  a  common  school  educa- 
tion. He  began  teaching  when  only  seventeen  years  of  age.  In 
1849  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  first  going  to  Dodge  Co.,  where 
he  continued  teaching.  He  commenced  reading  law  in  the  office 
of  E.  P.  Smith,  at  Beaver  Dam,  in  1866,  and  in  1878  and  '79  he 
attended  the  Madison  Law  School.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  the  State  Federal  Court,  June  19,  1879.  He  came  at  once  to 
Arcadia  and  began  practicing  his  profession.  He  enlisted  in  the 
U.  S.  Veteran  \\<\.  Engineers  in  1865,  serving:  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  .Mr.  Mills  was  married  in  1852,  at  Beaver  Dam,  to  Miss 
Prudence  L.  Swarthouf,  a  native  of  New  York.  Mr.  Mills  was 
engaged  nearly  all  of  the  early  part  of  his  life  in  teachina:,  having 
67 


taught  for  thirty  terms  in  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota. 
He  was  Principal  of  the  Mazeppa  Graded  School  in  the  latter  State 
for  two  years. 

JOHN  MAURER,  of  the  firm  of  Bohri  Bros.  &  Maurer. 
dealers  in  general  mercliandise  at  Arcadia ;  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land, July  6,  1832.  In  the  year  1855,  he  came  to  America,  and 
first  located  at  Fountain  City,  Buffalo  Co.,  Wis.  After  remain- 
ing there  one  year,  he  moved  on  a  farm  in  Waumandee  Valley, 
Buffalo  Co.,  consisting  of  220  acres,  which  he  bought  from  the 
Government.  Here  he  remained  until  1864,  at  which  time  he 
moved  back  to  Fountain  City,  where  he  kept  a  hotel  known  as 
the  Eagle  House.  After  running  this  for  ten  years,  he  sold  out, 
and,  in  1874,  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Fountain  City,  which 
position  he  resigned  on  account  of  poor  health  in  the  spring  of 
1875,  and  moved  to  Arcadia,  his  present  home.  He  was  Chair- 
man of  the  town  of  Fountain  City  ;  also  Treasurer  and  County 
Supervisor  of  the  same  place,  beside  a  number  of  other  offices. 
He  was  married,  July  5,  1855,  in  Milwaukee,  to  Miss  Catherine 
Moss,  who  was  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  himself 

NICHOLAS  MUELLER,  carpenter  and  builder,  Arcadia,  is 
a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born  in  August,  1848  ;  came  with 
his  parents  in  1856  to  America,  living  first  in  Ozaukee  Co.,  near 
Port  Washington,  on  a  farm.  In  1860  they  moved  to  Buffalo 
Co.,  near  Fountain  City.  In  1866  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
went  to  Winona,  Minn.,  where  he  bought  a  hotel,  known  as  the 
Wisconsin  House.  This  he  managed  for  a  year  and  then  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  has  followed  rver  since;  in  1874 
came  to  Arcadia  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  having  twelve  men 
in  his  employ,  for  four  years.  During  that  time  he  built  the 
Arcadia  Planing  Mill,  of  which  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  spring 
of  1881.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Supervisor,  and  also 
been  one  of  the  Trustees  in  the  town  of  Arcadia  ;  he  was  married 
in  1873  to  Miss  Mary  Schaffer,  of  Arcadia;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren— Maggie,  John  and  Henry. 

JOHN  C.  MUIR,  dealer  in  grain  and  farm  machinery,  at 
Arcadia,  was  born  in  Norwickshire,  Scotland,  July  29,  1844;  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  America  in  the  year  1853,  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  remained  but  one  year,  when  they  moved 
to  Maryland,  and  the  next  year,  1855,  to  West  Virginia,  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  to  Tennessee ;  here  they  remained  but  a 
short  time,  and  in  the  spring  of  1856  came  to  Buffalo  Co.,  Wis., 
and  located  in  what  is  now  known  as  town  of  Glencoe;  his  father 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that  town,  and  entered  160  acres  of 
land.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until  1864, 
when  he  went  to  Indiana,  where  he  enlisted  in  the  146th  Ind. 
Vol.  Inf ,  Co.  B,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war ;  he  then 
went  to  Chicago,  where  he  attended  the  Eastman  Commercial  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  graduated  in  June,  1866;  then  returned 
home,  where  he  remained  until  1874,  when  he  went  into  partner- 
ship with  G.  H.  Krumbick,  of  Fountain  City,  Buff^alo  Co.,  in  the 
grain  and  farm  machinery  business ;  he  afterward  moved  to 
Arcadia,  where  he  continued  to  run  the  business  with  his  partner 
until  Nov.  1,  1880  ;  he  then  bought  out  Mr.  Krumbick's  interest, 
and  now  manages  the  business  alone ;  he  was  one  of  the  Trustees 
of  Arcadia  when  the  village  was  organized. 

CHARLES  EDGAR  PERKINS,  County  Clerk  and  Ab- 
stracter of  Trempealeau  Co.,  residence  Arcadia,  was  born  in  Hart- 
land,  Vt.,  July  21,  1821;  here  he  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  afterward  taught  in  Lamoille  Co.,  and  then  com- 
menced reading  law  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  Luke  P.  Poland,  of 
Morrisville,  Vt.;  he  was  married  April  2,  1848,  to  Mary  B. 
Stearns,  at  Johnston,  Vt.,  and  in  1856  came  with  his  family  to 
Galesville,  Trempealeau  Co.,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1877  ; 
he  was  here  elected  Register  of  Deeds  in  1858,  1862  and  1864, 
holding  that  office  six  years ;  was  also  Justice  of  the  Peace  from 
1858  to  1868,  and  in  1871  was  appointed  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court, 
continuing  so  four  years,  during  which  time  he  made  an  abstract 
of  title  of  the  county  of  Trempealeau  ;  he  was  elected  County  Judge 
in  1874,  occupying  that  position   until  January  of  1881,  and  in 


I05S 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


November,  1880,  was  elected  to  his  present  office.  Their  family 
consists  of  five  children ;  the  oldest,  Laura  Ann,  was  born  in 
Lowell,  Mass.,  in  1849,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  H.  R.  Gale,  editor 
of  the  Repuhlican- Gazette  at  Willmar,  Minn.;  the  next  two  chil- 
dren, George  Henry  and  Isabel  Lucretia,  were  born  in  Morrisville, 
Vt.,  the  former  in  1851,  the  latter  in  1853;  George  H.  has  been 
Register  of  Deeds  in  Jackson  Co.  four  years,  and  Isabel  L.  is  now 
the  wife  of  S.  A.  Walker;  the  two  last  children  were  born  in 
Galesville,  Wis.,  in  1858  and  1867,  and  are  named  respectively 
Hattie  Maria  and  Merton  Nathan. 

SKTH  PUTNAM,  dealer  in  drugs  and  stationery,  Arcadia; 
was  born  March  8,  1832,  in  Peacham,  Vermont.  In  1856,  he 
left  his  native  State  and  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  (that  of  millwright)  for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.  Here  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  I,  2d  W.  V.  C,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war; 
then  came  to  Jackson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1872,  and  then  removed  to  Merrillon,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  company  with  L.  G.  &  B.  H.  Merrill;  he 
continued  there  until  1874,  when  he  came  to  Arcadia.  During 
the  first  year  of  his  residence  here,  he  ran  a  hardware  store  in 
partnership  with  the  above  firm,  it  being  the  first  hardware  store 
in  the  village ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1875,  he  sold  out  his  share 
and  bought  in  a  drug  store  with  Dr.  P.  L.  Lewis.  In  March, 
1877.  the  building  which  they  occupied  was  destroyed  by  fire  and 
he  removed  to  the  store  where  he  now  is  and  started  in  business 
by  himself.  Mr.  Putnum  has  been  chairman  of  the  Town  Board 
of  Arcadia,  also  Treasurer  of  the  same  and  has  been  Director  of 
the  school  district  ever  since  he  became  a  citizen  here ;  he  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  Arcadia  Lodge,  No.  201,  Masonic  Order, 
and  was  the  first  Master  of  said  lodge  and  has  held  that  office  up 
to  date,  with  the  exception  of  one  year. 

AUSTIN  E.  SMITH,  proprietor  of  grain  elevator  and  dealer 
in  farm  machinery,  at  Arcadia ;  came  to  Trempealeau  County  in 
1872 ;  he  is  the  son  of  Augustus  Smith,  of  Walworth  Co.,  Wis, 
and  was  born  there  April  28,  1841.  His  father  was  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  in  that  county  and  came  there  in  1834  from  Massa- 
chusetts. The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  formerly  in  partnership 
with  his  father  in  the  grain  business  in  Buffalo  County,  but  when 
the  Green  Bay  Railroad  was  built  through  Arcadia,  he  came  there 
and  established  his  present  business ;  and  his  was  the  first  firm 
that  bought  grain  in  this  village.  He  handled  75,000  bushels 
of  grain  one  season.  He  has  been  a  member  of  Village  Board 
and  iu  the  spring  of  1881,  was  elected  President  of  the  same.  He 
was  married  in  January,  1871,  to  Miss  Lucy  E.  Fowler,  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  Fowler,  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  Walworth 
County ;  they  have   two  children,  Leander  F.  and  Lottie  E. 

REV.  M.  C.  WERNER,  present  minister  of  the  Trempea- 
leau County  Circuit  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  was  born  in 
Germany,  March  14,  1848;  left  his  native  country  in  1853  and 
came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin,  locating  first  in  the  town  of 
Ellington,  Outagamie  County,  whore  he  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  then  attended  the  Appltton  College ;  afterward  go- 
ing to  the  Northwestern  College  at  Plainficld,  111.  He  entered 
the  ministry  in  18G1,  and  was  ordained  deacon  at  Racine  in 
1871,  by  Bishop  Escher ;  in  1873,  was  ordained  elder,  in 
Dodge  County,  by  the  same  Bishop.  His  first  mission  was  in 
Shawano  County,  where  he  remained  one  year,  and  then  labored 
in  other  places,  until  the  spring  of  1881,  when  he  took  charge  of 
his  present  circuit,  which  consists  of  five  churches  at  different 
places,  Arcadia,  Home,  Independence,  Tamarack  and  Fountain 
City,  the  latter  place  being  in  Buffalo  County. 

ANTON  ZELLER,  harness  shop,  Arcadia  ;  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, July  15,  1821.  When  ten  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  parents,  who  located  first  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Ky.,  upon 
a  farm.  They  lived  there  eight  years  and  then  moved  to  Han- 
son County;  here  Anton  remained  until  1862,  when  he  came  to 
Buffalo  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  farmed  for  two  years.  In  1864,  he 
started  a  harness  shop,  which  he  ran  until  1879,  and  during  that 


time,  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  in  the  town  of  Waumandee  for 
three  terms.  In  1879,  moved  to  Arcadia  and  established  his 
present  business. 


GALESVILLE. 

This  most  charming  village,  known  to  very  many  trav- 
elers who  have  visited  the  Badger  State  in  pursuit  of  health 
or  pleasure,  as  the  scene  of  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  suc- 
cessful attempts  to  found  a  high  institution  of  learning  in 
Wisconsin,  is  situated  on  Beaver  Creek,  in  the  southw^estern 
portion  of  Gale  Township. 

The  latter  is  large,  its  surface  is  rolling,  in  many  places 
quite  broken  and  made  picturesque  by  bluifs  looking  down 
upon  the  valleys  through  clumps  of  the  beautiful  species 
evergreens,  which  crowd  their  sides. 

The  town  and  village,  as  also  the  county  and  its  super- 
or  educational  advantages,  are  indebted  to  the  Hon.  George 
Gale  for  whatever  of  success  or  prosperity  that  followed  their 
pioneer  settlement.  He  settled  in  La  Crosse  in  the  fall  of 
1851,  where  he  urged  upon  the  landed  proprietors  of  the 
present  city  the  desirability  of  appropriating  lands  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  institution  of  learning.  But  noth- 
ing of  the  kind  was  attempted,  and  Mr.  Gale  conceived  the 
idea  of  not  only  establishing  a  college,  but  of  building  a 
town.  Accordingly,  in  1853,  he  purchased  two  thousand 
acres  of  land  at  the  present  location  of  Galesville,  includ- 
ing the  water  power  on  Beaver  Creek,  and  procuring,  with 
the  organization  of  Trempealeau  County,  the  location  of  the 
county  seat,  also  that  of  a  university,  at  Galesville.  He 
laid  out  the  present  village  and  did  what  was  necessary  to 
secure  a  portion  of  the  emigration  at  that  period  tending 
toward  Wisconsin. 

The  first  settler  in  the  present  town  was  B.  F.  Heuston, 
also  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  present  village  of  Trem- 
pealeau, who  built  a  half  a  mile  south  of  where  the  court 
house  was  subsequently  located,  into  which  himself  and  wife 
moved  during  the  winter  of  1853-54.  Mrs.  Heuston  is  sup- 
posed by  some  to  have  been  the  first  white  woman  in  the 
town  ;  but  others  contend  that  honor  is  due  a  Mrs.  Ingle- 
man,  who,  with  her  husband,  came  into  the  town  at  a  date 
anterior  to  the  arrival  of  the  first  named.  In  the  fall  of  1853 
or  1854,  Peter  LThle  and  George  Uhle  came  in  and  located 
in  Crystal  Valley,  three  miles  from  Galesville;  John  Det- 
tinger  settled  near  the  present  George  Smith  farm  in  1854; 
in  1855  a  man 'named  McCliory  located  on  Beaver  Creek, 
two  miles  above  the  village ;  a  IMr.  Biddle  purchased  700 
acres  of  land,  a  portion  of  which  is  the  second  farm  beyond 
that  of  George  Smith,  and  opened  the  first  farm  in  the  toAvn- 
ship.  There  were  other  arrivals,  but  those  who  arrived 
halted  at  the  village  for  a  season,  and  perhaps  for  sometime, 
if  at  all,  delayed  the  acquisition  of  property  for  agricult- 
ural purposes. 

In  the  spring  of  1854,  Augustus  II.  Armstrong,  accom- 
panied, it  is  believed,  by  his  wife,  the  first  white  woman  to 
settle  permanently  in  Galesville,  came  into  Gale  Town  at  the 
instance  of  Judge  Gale,  for  the  purpose  of  directing  the 
building  of  the  mill.  The  season  was  somewhat  backward, 
and  it  was  not  until  late  in  the  spring  that  Avork  on  that 
structure  was  commenced.  Meanwhile  a  house  was  built 
for  his  occupation  on  the  court  house  table,  as  one  of  the 
elevations  is  designated,  and  though  having  supplied  the 
wants  of  a  residence,  boarding  house  and  what-not  gener- 
ally, is  still  standing  unmarked  and  unmarred  by  the  hand 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


of  time  or  the  contumely  of  man,  proud  of  his  part  in  the 
age  and  generation  when  architectural  superiority  is  the 
rule.  As  soon  as  the  weather  permitted,  timbers  were  felled 
and  shaped,  quarries  were  worked,  and  material  having  been 
for  that  purpose  obtained,  operations  were  commenced  upon 
the  mill  and  dam. 

This  year.  Dr.  William  M.  Young  settled  in  the  village, 
the  first  physician,  and  among  the  heaviest  land  owners  of 
that  early  day.  At  the  same  period,  also,  came  Michael 
Cullity,  whose  daughter,  born  in  the  fall,  was  the  first  white 
birth  in  the  village  or  county.  He  came  West  to  grow  up 
with  the  country,  as  it  were,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Dr. 
Young,  knocked  up  a  plank  shanty,  for  which  a  lot  near 
Gale's  book-store  was  appropriated,  where  himself  and 
family  took  shelter.  The  quality  of  the  residence  may  be 
inferred  when  it  is  stated  that  the  generous  hearted  physi- 
cian to  whom  the  inexperienced  voyageur  was  under  obliga- 
tions for  tins  munificence,  was  but  one  day  procuring  and 
preparing  the  lumber,  framing  and  erecting  the  haven  of 
refuge. 

Among  the  next  to  reach  Galesville  and  become  part  of 
its  progressive  establishment,  were  John  French  and  Isaac 
Clark,  who  decided  to  remain,  and  evidenced  this  decision 
by  the  building  of  shanties  on  what  is  now  known  as  "  Uni- 
versity table."  A  Mr.  Crawford  came  in  about  the  same 
time,  accompanied  by  his  sister.  The  latter  was  an  illus- 
trated type  of  strong-minded  women,  who  became  prominent 
about  that  period  in  the  history  of  the  sex  as  elaborated 
under  the  patronage  and  admonitions  of  Lucy  Stone  and 
others,  who  emulated  the  privileges  and  fashions  of  the  op- 
posite sex.  Miss  Crawford  sought  to  convey  the  idea  that 
she  was  a  "  solid  man"  in  her  make-up  and  attire,  and 
pranced  about  the  prairies  in  full  Bloomer  regalia,  unawed 
by  the  notice  she  attracted,  or  unappalled  by  the  comments 
her  appearance  provoked.  The  new-comers  lived  in  a 
wagon  during  their  stay  in  Galesville,  and  at  sun-up  each 
day,  she  emerged  from  beneath  the  canvas,  and  was  visible 
until  sun-down.  She  returned  with  the  darkness  to  soli- 
tude and  reflection,  and  though  she  aped  the  manners  and 
aspired  to  the  distinction  of  man,  she  was  no  more  like  a 
man,  says  Dr.  Young,  than  a  sand-hill  crane  is  to  be  com- 
pared to  Diana  of  the  Ephesians. 

The  year  1854  was  replete  with  incidents  of  pioneer 
life,  of  which  the  above  is  by  no  means  an  exaggerated  sam- 
ple. The  early  days  of  Galesville  were  the  counterparts  of 
the  early  days  in  other  portions  of  the  West.  Strange 
scenes,  eccentric  experiences,  queer  characters,  amusing 
interludes,  and  dispensations  laden  with  sadness,  not  to  say 
woe,  were  almost  daily  encountered. 

The  first  commercial  venture  in  the  village  was  under- 
taken in  1854.  Previous  to  that,  the  scattering  settlers 
were  wont  to  obtain  their  groceries  and  edibles  at  La  Crosse, 
or  more  distant  points,  where  they  would  not  be  compelled 
to  pay  the  cost  of  transportation,  as  also  the  profits  accru- 
ing to  dealers,  second  hand.  But  with  the  arrival  of  Ry- 
land  Parker,  this  practice  was  to  some  extent  abandoned, 
and  those  in  need,  supplied  their  wants  at  the  store  which 
he  established  on  the  present  site  of  Zippel's  harness-shop, 
opposite  the  square.  Capt.  Finch  was  also  added  to  the 
population  in  1854.  Ho  began  the  building  of  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Tower  place,  but  failed  to  complete  it. 
Meanwhile,  Capt.  Alexander  Arnold  arrived  in  the  village, 
and  procuring  Capt.  Finch's  projierty  by  purchase,  fin- 
ished what  the  latter  had  begun. 


As  the  season  advanced,  arrivals,  while  by  no  means 
numerous,  were  such  as  to  justify  the  conclusion  that  Gales- 
ville was  a  point  of  more  than  local  repute.  Among  those 
who  came  in  were  A.  R.  Wyman  and  family.  He  built  a 
house  upon  University  table,  where  he  lived  for  some  time, 
when  he  moved  onto  a  farm,  and  the  premises  were  appro- 
priated to  the  uses  of  a  boarding-house  for  university  stu- 
dents. For  many  years,  Mr.  Wyman  served  the  county  as 
County  Clerk,  as  also  in  other  capacities,  and  died  during 
the  fall  of  1880. 

Before  the  year  was  over  the  eflorts  of  Mr.  Armstrong 
in  building  the  mill  and  its  approaches  were  not  such  as 
had  been  anticipated.  The  work  went  forward  slowly, 
while  the  dam  burst  its  bonds  and  the  water  went  out  alto- 
gether. At  this  crisis.  Judge  Gale  was  constrained  to  re- 
voke his  contract  with  Armstrong,  which  was  done,  and  the 
latter  abandoned  his  undertaking.  To  supply  his  place, 
and  that  the  mill  might  be  speedily  built,  William  P.  Clark 
was  brought  from  North  Bend  to  superintend  its  construc- 
tion, and  Ebenezer  Batchelder,  from  the  same  place,  to  act 
in  the  capacity  of  millwright.  Under  these  auspices  the 
improvement  was  re-commenced,  and  with  facilities  which 
were  afterward  obtained,  which  included  a  saw  mill,  oper- 
ated by  a  Mr.  Post,  who  obtained  his  logs  on  Black  River, 
the  enterprise  was  made  ready  for  grinding  in  1856. 

The  improvements  during  1854,  were  by  no  means  nu- 
merous, but  sufficiently  so  to  accommodate  all  in  need  of 
accommodations.  The  latter  included  those  who  came  to 
work  on  the  mill,  with  such  others  already  mentioned,  and 
some  who  have  been  forgotten  in  the  whirl  of  events.  The 
population  on  New  Y'^ear's  Day,  it  is  said,  did  not  exceed 
thirty,  all  told,  and  beside  the  cabins  and  store  already 
noted  as  having  been  completed,  a  small  hotel  Avas  in  prog- 
ress of  building  where  the  Davis  well  now  is,  by  a  man 
named  Ellsworth.  During  1855,  settlers  failed  to  material- 
ize with  a  frequency  that  was  either  gratifying  to  those  on 
the  ground  or  the  few  who  came  in.  Among  the  latter  was 
Samuel  Bartlett  and  wife,  father  and  mother  of  Mrs.  W.  P. 
Clark ;  Romanza  Bunn,  John  Carey  and  some  others,  but 
limited  in  point  of  numbers. 

There  is  some  dispute  as  to  the  priority  of  claim  to  the 
first  marriage  ;  whether  John  Nicholls  was  married  to  Mary 
French,  late  in  the  fall  of  1858,  or  whether  the  marriage 
of  Henry  French  to  a  sister  of  Isaac  Clark,  the  same  year, 
is  entitled  to  precedence.  However,  opinion  may  incline, 
the  facts  are  that  John  Nicholls  to  Mary  Augusta  French, 
June  15,  1858,  and  that  Henry  French  and  Miss  Clark 
were  not  married  until  the  21st  of  the  following  November. 

The  second  birth  in  the  town  is  announced  for  this  year, 
also  tlie  first  death  in  the  county ;  both  events  happening  in 
the  fomily  of  the  Hon.  B.  F.  Heuston.  On  July  7th,  Ella 
Heuston,  a  child,  died,  and  on  October  7,  George  Z. 
Houston  was  born.  He  has  grown  to  manhood,  and  is 
known  to  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  among  Chicago  art 
circles  as  a  young  artist  of  daring  and  promise.  His  pict- 
ures, which  are  scenes  from  life  and  nature,  display  a  re- 
fined perception  of  objects,  combined  with  a  dash  and  brill- 
iancy of  coloring  which  indicate  which  must  in  time  com- 
mand success  in  the  school  which  he  seeks  to  exemplify  and 
illustrate,  and  his  friends  are  confident  that  the  future  will 
vindicate  their  conclusions. 

In  1856,  a  gentleman,  who  arrived  at  Galesville  from 
the  East,  states  that  J.  W.  Armstrong,  then  Register  of 
Deeds,  occupied   a  house  on  Ridge   street ;  Ryland  Parker 


HISTORY    ()[■    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


was  a  merchani  corner  of  Allen  street  and  the  square  ; 
Daniel  McKeitli  wa3  a  resident  of  the  village ;  William  P. 
Clark  was  engaged  with  Judge  Gale  and  Ebenezer  Batch- 
elder  in  building  a  grist  mill  and  operating  a  saw  mill  ; 
Franklin  Gilbert  resided  down  on  the  flats  upon  what  after- 
ward became  Mill  street ;  A.  R.  Wyman  resided  on  Ridge 
street;  Isaac  Clark  on  Clai-k  street,  and  J.  C.  French  on 
French  street ;  the  hotel  of  which  Ellsworth  was  landlord, 
corner  of  Allen  and  Main  streets,  was  finished  and  in  the 
full  flush  of  success. 

The  improvements  completed  included,  among  others, 
the  court  house  and  a  schoolhouse  on  or  near  the  site  of  the 
handsome  brick  edifice  erected  in  and  used  since  1874  for 
school  purposes.  The  court  house  was  built  by  Noyes  & 
Webb,  and  for  the  time  and  place,  one  of  the  most  im- 
posing of  imposing  structures.  It  is  of  frame,  two  stories 
high,  still  standing  opposite  the  Commercial  Hotel,  and  in 
its  very  appearance  is  indicative  of  the  objects  for  which  it 
was  originally  built.  As  if  the  law's  delays  lay  hidden  be- 
hind its  weather-beaten  walls,  where  often  they  gallopaded 
with  pleas,  rejoinders,  surrejoinders,  rebutters  and  surre- 
butters until  litigants,  lost  in  the  mysteries  and  crazed  with 
the  miseries  such  delays  gave  birth  to,  fled  from  the  scenes 
and  surrendered  the  rights  they  had  vainly  essayed  to 
maintain.  Here,  in  addition  to  forensic  disputations,  were 
to  be  heard  theological  discourses,  the  profundity  of  which 
passed  ordinary  understanding ;  musical  selections  that 
caused  one  to  clasp  his  hands  in  an  e.xcess  of  ectatic  pleas- 
ure ;  lectures  from  eloquent  speakers  that  evoked  applause 
intuitively,  and  all  that  would  combine  for  the  good,  the 
true  and  the  beautiful  to  crystallize  into  shape  and  be  thought 
of  when  the  old  house  was  used  as  a  rookery  and  regarded 
as  a  memory. 

This  year  came  the  first  blacksmith  to  Galesville.  His 
name  was  J.  W.  Canterbury,  and  his  services  were  in  gen- 
eral demand.  Artisans  and  mechanics  were  blessings  in 
those  days,  whose  value  appreciated  in  proportion  as  they 
drew  nigh  unto  Galesville.  There  was  no  rush  this  year, 
nor  has  there  been,  indeed,  since  the  village  was  platted 
and  efforts  made  to  attract  immigration.  But  the  adventists 
remained  for  the  most  part  and  have  added  to  the  wealth  of 
posterity  one  of  the  loveliest  villages  in  Western  Wiscon- 
sin. 

This  year  C.  E.  Perkins,  afterward  County  Judge  and 
at  present  County  Clerk,  became  a  resident  of  the  village, 
and  erected  a  residence  on  Free  street ;  also  W.  H.  Wyman, 
who  added  to  the  appearance  of  Elizabeth  street ;  George 
W.  Swift,  likewise  a  new-comer,  located  and  built  on  Clark 
street ;  R.  B.  Cooper  made  himself  an  abode  on  Ridge 
street  and  G.  H.  Burnham  on  Allen  street.  C.  C.  Averill 
came  in  this  year,  and  Nathaniel  Stearns,  who  had  been  to 
Galesville  in  1855,  then  returned  ;  also  George  W.  Stearns, 
both  becoming  occupants  of  the  Armstrong  House  on  Allen 
street. 

In  addition  to  these  improvements,  the  Rev.  D.  D.  Van 
Slyke,  organizer  of  the  Methodist  Ciiurch  in  the  village, 
built  a  house  ;  the  flouring-mill  was  completed  ;  residences 
were  built  for  W.  II.  Wyman,  W.  P.  Clark,  Isaac  Clark, 
Capt.  Finch,  and  one  on  the  flats  for  Capt.  Bartlett,  in 
which  the  post  office  was  this  year  opened,  with  Dr.  George 
W.  Young  as  Postmaster.  During  this  and  preceding  years, 
after  Judge  Gale  had  obtained  tiie  charter,  he  was  engaged 
in  procuring  subscriptions  for  the  building  of  the  institution 
of  learning,  which  at  first  cautiously  assumed  the  name  of 


"  Yale  University."  During  this  period  the  venture  was 
struggling,  as  it  were,  like  a  swimmer  with  strong  courage 
but  weak  muscles,  to  keep  head  above  water.  Wealth  did 
not  abound  in  Wisconsin,  and  men  of  means  elsewhere 
found  it  convenient  to  promise  help  when  it  should  demon- 
strate its  ability  to  save  itself  without  help.  In  spite  of 
these  discouragements  a  period  of  suspended  animation  was 
never  reached  in  its  history. 

In  time,  say  1858,  a  building  was  commenced  upon  the 
ample  grounds  which  constitute  the  college  campus  ;  a  presi- 
dent and  corps  of  professors  were  appointed,  funds  were 
provided  sufficient  to  open  the  institution,  and  Gale  Univer- 
sity was  at  last  fairly  launched.  The  faculty  was  composed 
of  excellent  material ;  students  entered,  and  in  due  time 
there  was  a  baccalaureate  sermon,  and  several  young  gen- 
tlemen listened  to  speeches  in  Latin  and  received  their 
parchments.  The  building  was  finished  and  other  com- 
mencement days  followed  until  the  day  of  orations,  bouquets 
and  parchments  with  Latin  have  come  to  be  considered  as 
something  in  the  established  order. 

The  panic  of  1857  produced  no  eff"ect  upon  the  business 
or  improvements  of  the  village.  Those  made  were  made  on 
credit,  observed  a  gentleman  familiar  with  the  facts.  S.  S. 
Luce  came  from  the  East,  and  superintended  the  building- 
up  of  Judge  Gale's  property.  In  1860,  he  established  the 
Galesville  Transcript,  and  has  since  been  regarded  as  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Fourth  Estate  in  Wisconsin.  A 
large  addition  was  made  to  the  hotel  this  year,  and  a  new 
house  of  entertainment  built  by  John  Anderson  and  D.  T. 
Stocking,  the  latter  being  among  the  arrivals  of  1856. 
The  hotel  was  erected  on  the  flats  below  the  mill,  where 
Judge  Heuston  also  had  an  office. 

Among  the  few  who  came  in  1857  and  made  improve- 
ments was  F.  Kenyon,  wiio  located  his  residence  on  Ridge 
street ;  Silas  Parker  on  Free  street,  and  some  very  few 
others. 

The  great  event  of  1858  was  the  laying  the  foundations 
and  commencement  of  building  Galesville  University.  The 
next  in  importance  was  the  marriage  of  John  Nicholls,  first 
Clerk  of  the  County,  to  Miss  French — claimed  as  the  first 
in  the  village.  A  Mr.  Fifield  came  in  this  year  and  built 
a  house  on  Ridge  street ;  and  others  did  likewise.  Among 
these  were  the  Thomas  Davis  house,  put  up  by  D.  E. 
Goodnow ;  one  by  J.  W.  Root;  a  house  by  D.  Lawson, 
the  pioneer  blacksmith,  and  Dr.  G.  W.  Young  contracted 
for  and  superintended  the  erection  of  the  house  now  occu- 
pied by  Dr.  Avery. 

The  experience  of  18-58  was  duplicated  in  1859.  Arriv- 
als were  similar  in  point  of  numbers,  and  the  buildings  for 
store  or  residence  purposes  in  equal  proportions.  A  store  was 
built  on  Ridge  street,  under  the  auspices  of  J.  M.  Dodge; 
but  his  occupation  of  the  premises  was  brief,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  R.  A.  Odell.  This  was  the  first  store  erected 
on  the  West  table,  and  is  still  standing.  The  heyday  of 
life  in  Galesville  from  1859  until  1865-66,  seemed  to  have 
fully  passed.  Beyond  the  opening  of  the  Collegiate  De- 
partment of  Gale  University,  September  12,  1851.  and  the 
graduation  of  the  first  college  class  July  13,  1865;  with 
the  exception  of  these  events,  as  also  the  annual  exhibitions 
of  the  County  Agricultural  Society  and  war  incidents,  noth- 
ing occurred  to  make  the  sinews  of  the  infant  village  strong 
as  steel,  or  attract  wonder  from  its  seniors  in  the  county. 

During  this  period,  however,  a  house  here  and  there 
went  up,  the  church  societies  perfected  their  organizations, 


HISTORY     OF   TREMPF:ALEAU    COUNTY 


and  the  Rev.  John  Frothinghara,  first  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter to  be  settled  in  the  county,  took  charge  of  his  work. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  18G6,  the  dam  went  out,  and 
destruction  and  desolation  marked  the  rush  of  waters.  The 
hotel  on  the  flat,  put  up  in  1857,  the  saw  and  grist  mills 
and  other  improvements,  were  swept  away  in  an  hour, 
entailing  a  loss  of  not  less  than  $10,000 ;  but  paving  the 
way  for  the  making  of  an  improvement — the  Davis  Mill—  one 
of  the  grandest  works  of  its  kind  in  the  Northwest.  The 
next  spring  he  purchased  the  water-power  privileges,  the 
debris  left  by  the  flood,  and  as  soon  as  the  same  could  be 
removed,  began  the  building  of  his  mill.  Since  those  days 
the  village  has  grown  gradually,  becoming  annually  more 
attractive  to  residents  and  as  a  resort  for  strangers.  Its 
beautiful  location,  picturesque  scenery,  mineral  springs,  not 
to  mention  the  educational  facilities  to  be  found  there,  must 
render  Galesville  unsurpassed  as  a  place  of  residence,  as  it  is 
now  a  spot  that  has  only  to  be  known  to  guide  the  pleasure 
seeker,  the  scholar,  the  scientist  or  the  capitalist  away  from 
the  beaten  paths  of  travel  to  mingle  in  the  delights  of  ele- 
gant rural  life. 

While  not  nearly  as  large  as  its  rivals  in  the  county, 
there  is  none  among  them,  it  is  claimed,  in  which  the 
amount  of  business  proportioned  to  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants is  equal  to  that  annually  disposed  of  at  Galesville. 
This  is,  in  a  great  measure,  due  to  the  presence  of  the  col- 
lege and  the  mill.  The  citizens  of  this  bright  oasis,  so  to 
speak,  do  not  claim  that  the  future  will  develop  promises  of 
a  commercial  or  manufacturing  character,  but  insist  that  iri 
a  few  short  years  it  will  bear  the  same  relation  to  Wiscon- 
sin, as  an  educational  center,  that  is  borne  by  the  old  college 
towns  of  New  England  to  the  Eastern  States. 

Decora  Lodge,  No.  177,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  char- 
tered in  June,  1870,  having  some  time  previously  received 
a  dispensation,  with  fifteen  charter  members  and  the  follow- 
ing charter  oflicers :  W.  S.  Wright,  W.  M.;  J.  J.  Currier, 
S.  W.,  and  C.  E.  Perkins,  J.  W.  In  the  past  eleven 
years  the  organization  has  prospered  and  its  roster  of  mem- 
bership largely  increased.  The  present  oflicers  are:  Isaac 
Wright,  W.  M.;  James  Wright,  S.  W.;  G.  G.  Freeman, 
J.  W.;  Aaron  Kribs,  S.  D.;  C.  R.  McGilvroy,  J.  D.;  E. 
F.  Atkins,  Secretary ;  A.  H.  Kneeland,  Treasurer,  and  C. 
S.  Sheeren,  Tiler.  The  number  of  members  is  stated  at 
forty-two ;  the  value  of  lodge  property  at  f  1,000  ;  and 
meetings  are  held  semi-monthly. 

Galesville  Lodge,  No.  238,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  organizeil 
October  30,  1874,  with  nine  members,  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing were  oflicers:  C.  E.  Perkins,  N.  G.;W.  G.  Austin,  V. 
G.;  R.  A.  Odell,  Permanent  Secretary,  and  A.  H.  Knee- 
land,  Treasurer.  The  present  membership  is  forty-eight; 
the  value  of  lodge  property,  .§1,100,  and  the  officers  are: 
F.  H.  Bidwell,  N.  G.;  F  T.  Shaake,  V.  G.;  T.  B.  Ryan, 
Secretary,  and  A.  Tibbitts,  Treasurer.  Meetings  are  con- 
vened weekly  in  Ferrin's  building. 

Galesville  University  is  located  at  Galesville,  Trempea- 
leau Co.,  Wis. 

It  was  founded  by  the  labors  of  the  Hon.  George  Gale, 
LL.  D.,  assisted  by  donations  of  the  citizens  of  Galesville, 
La  Crosse,  Winona,  and  a  few  other  friends  of  education, 
mostly  residents  of  Wisconsin. 

The  charter  was  obtained  from  the  Legislature  of  Wis 
consin  in  January,  1854.  The  Board  of  Trustees  was  orga- 
nized in  1855;  the  college  building  commenced  in  1858; 
the  preparatory  department  opened  for  students  in   May, 


1859,  and,  the  collegiate  department,  in  September,  1861 : 
the  first  college  class  graduated  July  13,  1865. 

Judge  Gale,  the  "founder,  was  the  first  President,  though 
the  educational  and  literary  management  of  the  institution 
was  under  the  supervision  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Fallows,  now 
Bishop  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church,  Chicago,  111. 

Rev.  Harrison  Gilliland  was  elected  President  in  1865, 
and  held  this  position  till  June,  1877. 

The  charter  of  the  university  authorizes  a  college  of 
letters,  of  mechanic  arts,  of  agriculture  and  colleges  of  law, 
medicine  and  theology.  None  of  these  have  been  attempted 
except  the  college  of  letters  embracing  the  ordinary  college 
course  of  four  years,  to  which  is  added  a  preparatory  school. 
In  addition  to  the  charter  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
the  Legislature  empowered  the  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Wisconsin  to  elect  a  majority  of  the 
Trustees,  giving  that  body  a  controlling  influence  in  the 
management  of  the  university. 

In  the  winter  of  1876-77,  by  act  of  Legislature,  that 
power  was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Chippewa,  since 
which  time  the  institution  has  been  under  its  control. 

While  the  influence  and  management  are  emphatically 
Christian,  sectarianism  is  e.xcluded. 

In  July,  1877,  the  new  board  elected  Prof  J.  W. 
McLaury.  President  of  the  University,  who  still  holds  that 
position. 

In  1879,  the  President  of  the  United  States  appointed 
Lieut.  John  L.  Clem,  U.  S.  A.,  Professor  of  Military 
Science  and  Tactics,  thus  adding  military  to  the  other 
departments  of  the  university.  The  building  is  a  handsome 
stone  structure,  situated  in  a  beautiful  campus  of  forty  acres. 
Adjacent  is  a  valuable  farm  of  187  acres. 

The  library  contains  about  4,000  volumes.  Chemical 
and  philosophical  apparatus  have  been  secured ;  also  valu- 
able cabinet  collections  of  natural  history. 

In  addition  to  the  above  property,  funds  for  endowments 
have  been  secured,  which  the  board  intends  to  increase  to 
$100,000  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  The  Rev.  J. 
Irwin  Smith,  A.  M.,  has  recently  been  appointed  Treasurer 
and  Financial  Agent. 

The  university  embraces  preparatory  and  college  depart- 
ments. In  the  former,  are  four  courses  of  study,  viz., 
classical,  scientific,  commercial  and  normal,  each  leadinir  to 
the  Freshrnan  class  in  college.  The  college  includes  two 
courses — cassical  and  scientific — -of  four  years  each,  leading 
to  the  usual  baccalaureate  degrees. 

Women  are  admitted  on  equal  terms  with  men,  pursue 
the  same  studies  and  receive  like  honors  and  degrees. 
Departments  of  fine  arts  and  music  have  recently  been 
added,  which  aim  for  the  highest  e.xcellence. 

The  university  is  now  well  established,  and  is  worthy 
the  patronage  of  those  who  desire  an  education,  and  the 
confidence  of  the  benevolent,  seeking  objects  meriting  their 
benefactions. 

The  first  school  taught  in  Galesville  or  Gale  Township 
was  in  the  summer  of  1856,  when  Miss  Margaret  Van  Ess 
undertook  the  venture  in  a  small  frame  building  which  had 
been  erected  for  that  purpose,  on  the  same  lot  and  near  the 
present  site  of  the  handsome  brick  building  devoted  to  edu- 
cational purposes  in  the  village.  Miss  Van  Ess,  in  time, 
yielded  place  to  her  successors,  and  they,  in  turn,  to  others ; 
the  number  of  pupils  increased  each  year,  and,  early  in  the 
seventies,  the  necessity  of  enlarged  accommodations  became 
apparent.     To  supply  this  demand,  the  present  structure  of 


io62 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISC^ONSIN. 


brick,  sufficiently  commodious  to  meet  every  reqirement, 
and  architecturally  handsome  to  ornament  the  village,  was 
erected  in  1874  at  a  cost  of  §7,500.  It  is  now  occupied  as 
a  graded  school,  employing  two  teachers  and  requiring 
§1,600  annually  to  conduct,  with  an  average. daily  attend- 
ance of  one  hundred  pupils.  The  present  board  consists  of 
A.  II.  Kneoland,  Director:  H.  W.  Avery,  Treasurer,  and 
S.  S.  Luce.  Clerk. 

The  post  office  was  opened  in  1856,  with  Dr.  W.  M. 
.Young  as  Postmaster,  in  a  house  on  the  flats  erected  by 
Capt.  Bartlett.  Dr.  Young  remained  in  charge  until 
1867,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  G.  W.  Gale,  who  is  still 
in  the  service.     The  mail  facilities  are  ample. 

Galesville  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  during 
the  year  1856,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Hayes, 
one  of  the  earliest  ministers  of  the  Gospel  to  identify  him- 
self with  the  cause  of  religion  in  Trempealeau  County.  In 
1859,  the  society  was  duly  constituted  under  the  Pastorship 
of  the  Rev.  D.  C.  Lyon,  and  worship  was  regularly  con- 
ducted in  the  private  residences  of  members  of  the  congre- 
gation. In  1860,  the  Rev.  John  Frothingham  was  settled 
in  Galesville,  and  about  this  time  efforts  v/ere  inaugurated 
looking  toward  the  building  of  a  church.  These  efforts  cul- 
minated in  the  erection  of  the  present  church  edifice,  which 
was  completed  in  1862  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  and  has  since 
been  occupied. 

The  present  congregation  numbers  fifty-six  communi- 
cants, under    the    Pastorate    of  the  Kev.  J.  Irving  Smith. 

The  jMethodist  Church  was  organized  at  an  early  day, 
and,  until  1875,  the  congregation  worshiped  in  the  court 
house,  schoolhouse,  etc.  In  that  year,  the  present  edifice, 
costing  §4,000,  was  erected.  The  Rev.  G.  T.  Morgans  is 
the  present  Pastor. 

In  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  the  Lutheran 
society  is  established  in  Galesville,  where  it  was  located  in 
1875  "through  the  efforts  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lunde.  The 
present  Pastor  is  the  Rev.  J\lr.  Sedgerblom,  and  services  are 
held,  as  yet,  in  private  residences. 

Galesville  Cemetery  Association  was  organized  Novem- 
ber 1,  1861,  by  the  election  of  Isaac  Clark,  President ;  W. 
A.  Johnston,  Treasurer,  and  A.  A.  Arnold,  Secretary. 
The  association  own  eight  acres  purchased  by  George  Gale, 
which  has  been  appropriately  laid  out  and  ornamented  for 
cemetery  purposes. 

The  present  officers  are  Isaac  Clark,  President ;  W.  A. 
Johnston,  Treasurer,  and  G.  W.  Gale,  Secretary. 

The  property  of  the  association  is  valued  at  §500. 

Galesville  Flouring  Mills,  the  most  extensive  in  the 
county,  and  among  the  most  prominent,  valuable  and  elab- 
orate improvements  of  the  kind  in  the  State,  were  born  of 
the  calamity  which  overtook  Galesville  in  June,  1866,  by 
the  giving-way  of  the  dam.  The  same  3'ear,  AVilson  Davis 
purchased  the  site,  and  in  the  following  spring  began  the 
building  of  the  present  mills.  Two  years  were  occupied  in 
their  erection,  and  it  was  not  until  1870  that  the  same  were 
ready  for  work.  The  mills  arc  of  stone,  laid  on  founda- 
tions seven  feet  thick,  six  stories  high,  with  wheel  pit  and 
attic,  and  in  dimensions  are  50x70  feet.  They  are  supplied 
with  six  run  of  stone,  with  five  sets  of  rolls,  "two  of  porce- 
lain and  three  of  iron,  and  turn  out  an  average  weekly 
product  of  eight  hundred  barrels  of  flour.  Tlie  mills  cost 
§750,000. 

To  operate  these  mills  requires  the  services  of  thirty 
men   at  a  total  weekly    compensation    of   §200;  and   the 


annual  business  is  stated  at  §150,000.  There  is  no  single 
undertaking  in  Northern  Wisconsin  more  valuable  per  se, 
as  also  to  the  district  wherein  it  is  located,  than  Wilson's 
Mills  are  to  Trempealeau  County,  and  the  universal  verdict 
seems  to  be  that  his  enterprise  is  being  deservedly  encour- 
aged. 

The  village  of  Galesville  and  vicinity  is  rapidly  becom- 
ing celebrated  as  the  locality  of  mineral  springs,  the  waters 
of  which  possess  all  the  virtues  which  are  claimed  to  be 
inherent  in  those,  the  fame  of  which  long  since  became 
national.  The  first  discovered,  and.  consequently,  the  best 
known,  is  Jordan's  well  on  Dr.  G.  W.  Young's  place,  at 
present  occupied  by  Dr.  Avery.  It  was  discovered  some 
years  ago,  and  analyzed  by  Dr.  Bode,  of  Milwaukee,  in 
1876,  with  the  following  result :  Chloride  of  sodium,  0.1792 
grains;  sulphate  of  soda,  1.9744  grains;  bicarbonate  of 
soda,  0.8904  grains ;  bicarbonate  of  oxyde  of  calcium, 
6.500  grains;  bicarbonate  of  magnesia,  8.16-3  grains; 
bicarbonate  of  protoxide  of  iron,  2.6632  grains ;  silica, 
0.2880  grains;  alumina,  0.6832  grains;  organic  matter, 
0.4816  grains,  or  21.8332  grains  solid  salts  in  one  gallon. 

The  next  most  prominent  in  importance  is  Sommer- 
field's  well  on  Dacora's  Prairie.  Its  waters  are  highly 
impregnated  with  iron,  and,  with  other  properties  therein 
contained,  are  regarded  as  a  superior  tonic.  Its  analyzi- 
tion  discloses  the  presence  of  chloride  of  iodine,  sulphate  of 
soda,  bicarbonate  of  iron,  magnesia  and  lime,  also  silica. 
The  leading  characteristic  of  this  spring  is  a  preponder- 
ance of  iodine,  which  is  exceedingly  rare  and  very  valuable. 

In  addition  to  these,  there  is  a  sulphur  spring  which 
bursts  out  from  the  rocks  near  the  old  mill,  and  in  which 
the  crude  sulphur  is  so  predominant  as  that  it  can  be  easily 
distinguished  floating  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  The 
medicinal  qualities  of  this  spring  are  undeniable.  There  is 
also  a  beautiful  spring  on  the  homestead  property  of  G.  Y. 
Freeman,  recently  discovered,  the  waters  of  which  have 
been  analyzed  by  Prof.  Daniels,  the  State  Geologist,  who 
pronounces  them  valuable.  These  springs  augment  the 
natural  attractions  of  Galesville,  and  time  will  certainly 
secure  for  them  a  reputation  which  will  make  the  vicinity 
valuable  as  a  summer  resort. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ALEX.  A.  ARNOLD,  East  Side  Farm,  and  raiser  of  short- 
horn blooded  stock,  Sec.  28,  P.  0.  Galesville,  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  havinj;;  been  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  Oct.  20,  1833.  Here 
he  received  an  academic  education,  and  was  a  graduate  of  tlic 
Ohio  Law  School  at  Poland,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the 
Supreme  Courts  of  New  York  and  Ohio,  in  the  year  1856,  and 
of  Wisconsin  in  1857,  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  this  State.  He 
located  in  Galesville,  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  practiced  law  until 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  30th  W.  V.  I.,  of  which 
he  was  appointed  Captain,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  then  returned  to  Galesville,  and  bought  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  lives,  iraprovin>;  it  until  he  now  has  one  of  the 
finest  fiirms  and  best  homes  in  the  county.  He  is  also  engaged 
in  raising  fine  blooded  short-horn  cattle.  Mr.  Arnold  was  attor- 
ney of  Trempealeau  Co.,  and  Co.  Superintendent  of  Schools,  before 
the  war,  and  held  several  other  county  offices.  He  was  elected 
member  of  Assembly  in  1871,  and  of  the  Senate  for  1877-78, 
being  re-elected  to  the  As.sembly  again  for  the  year  ISSO,  and 
was  Speaker  of  the  House.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Boiird 
of  Trustees  of  the  Galesville  University  for  several  years,  and  has 
been  both  President  and  Secretary  of  the  Trempealeau  Co.  Agri- 
cultural Society,  being  at  present  one  of  the  Executive  Committee 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1063 


of  the  State  Agricultural  Society;  is  also  a  member  of  the  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Decora  Lodge,  No.  177,  being  a  charter  member  of 
the  same.  He  was  married  to  his  first  wife,  Miss  Hattie  E.  Tripp, 
of  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1859,  who  had  one  daughter. 
She  died  in  July,  18(5 1 .  The  daughter  lived  until  the  fall  of  the 
following  year,  when  she  also  died.  Was  married  in  1869  to  his 
second  wife,  Miss  Mary  E.  Douglas,  of  Melrose,  Wis.  They  have 
had  four  children,  two  of  whom,  Archie  H.  and  Mary  D.,  are 
living ;  Roy  D.  and  Kittie  B.  are  not  living.  Mr.  Arnold  is  now 
President  of  the  Decorah  Farmers'  Alliance  at  Galesville. 

WM.  G.  AUSTIN,  foreman  in  W.  Davis's  cooper  shop,  at 
Galesville,  was  born  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  November  1,  1837. 
Leaving  his  native  State  in  1854,  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Sparta,  his  father  buying  a  farm  in  Monroe  Co.,  said  fiirm  having 
been  originally  pre-empted  from  the  Government  by  Frank  Pettit. 
It  was  the  first  improved  farm  in  the  La  Crosi^e  Valley.  Here  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  C,  19tli  Wis.  Vol.  Infty.,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  then  returned  to  Sparta,  and  engaged  with  F.  C.  Brock  as 
cooper,  remaining  with  him  until  1868,  at  which  time  he  removed 
to  Galesville,  and  in  January  of  1870  began  work  for  W.  Davis. 
Mr.  Austin  is  a  charter  member  of  the  I.  0.  O.  F.,  Galesville 
Lodge,  No.  238,  being  District  Deputy  of  the  Odd  Fellows  there, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Gnod  Templar's  Lodge,  No.  192. 
Was  married  in  Kenosha  Co.  in  the  year  1856,  to  Sarah  E.  Fos- 
dick,  daughter  of  Lyman  Fosdick,  who  settled  in  that  county  in 
1842.  They  have  six  children — Ida  B.,  Catharine  M.,  now  Mrs. 
A.  Bartlett,  William  I.,  Vinona  E.,  Alma  E  ,  Sarah  J. 

HENRY  L.  BUNN,  Town  Clerk  of  Galesville,  was  born 
New  York  State  July  10,  1843;  is  the  youngest  brother  of  R. 
Bunn,  the  former  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Circuit  Court  of  Wis- 
consin. He  came  to  Trempealeau  Co.  with  his  parents  in  the 
year  1858,  and  was  a  graduate  of  the  Galesville  University  in  the 
class  of  1869,  having  first  attended  that  institution  as  a  student 
in  1859.  He  was  also  a  graduate  of  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Com- 
mercial College  at  Chicago  in  1868.  Mr.  Bunn  has  held  the 
oSice  of  Register  of  Deeds  for  four  years,  and  Clerk  of  the  Court 
two  years  in  Trempealeau  Co.,  having  been  Town  Clerk  the  past 
eleven  years,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  three  years,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  former  office  ;  is  now  Secretary  of  the  Trempealeau 
Co.  Agricultural  Society. 

ISAAC  CLARK,  "farmer,  Sec.  29,  P.  0.  Galesville,  brought 
his  Aimily  to  Wisconsin  in  the  year  1854,  remaining  in  Green 
Co.  a  short  time.  He  left  his  family  there  and  came  to  Trem- 
pealeau Co.,  where  he  bought  a  farm.  He  then  returned  for  his 
family,  and  immediately  moved  them  into  his  new  house  on  the 
farm,  it  being  a  small  frame  house.  In  this  they  lived  until  1862, 
when  he  erected  his  present  residence.  Mr.  Clark  was  Chairman 
of  the  Town  Board  of  Gale  for  the  years  1861,  '62  and  '63;  has 
al.so  been  Treasurer  of  the  Trempealeau  Co.  Agricultural  Society, 
of  which  he  has  been  General  Superintendent  for  a  number  of 
years  ;  he  represented  Trempealeau  Co.  in  the  Assembly  in  the 
year  1870;  was  born  in  Maine  Jan.  1,  1826;  his  parents  were  of 
English  descent.  He  was  married  in  the  same  State  July  9, 
1848,  to  Miss  Emily  French,  by  whom  he  has  five  children, 
Eugene  F.,  Florence  M.,  Genevieve,  Wilford  and  Leslie.  Mr. 
Clark  is  a  member  of  the  Decorah  Farmers'  Alliance  at  Galesville. 

WILSON  DAVIS,  proprietor  Galesville  Flouring  Mill,  was 
born  in  Missouri,  March  4,  1827,  and  came  to  Galesville  in  186G. 
His  mill  which  was  erected  by  him,  was  begun  in  1867  and 
completed  in  1869.  It  is  situated  on  Beaver  Creek,  at  the  foot 
of  Ci-nu'tery  Bluff,  being  50x70,  and  seven  stories  high,  meas- 
uring ninety-eight  feet  from  base  to  summit,  and  is  built  of  lime- 
stone, which  is  found  near  the  villacre.  and  has  in  connection  an 
improved  crusher,  by  J.  Y.  Noyc  &"Son,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The 
mill  has  a  capacity  of  making  ISO  barrels  of  flour  per  day,  and 
has  a  cooper  shop  in  connection,  in  which  are  made  all  of  the 
barrels  used  in  the  mill.  Mr.  Davis  employs  in  all  about  twenty 
men.  shipping  flour  to  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and  in  fact  to  nearly  all 


of  the  Western  States.  Mr.  Davis  also  carries  on  a  large  store 
in  Gale.«ville. 

JOSEPH  DEAKIN,  proprietor  of  the  Commercial  Hotel  at 
Galesville;  was  born  in  England,  April  12,  1826;  in  1845,  he 
came  to  America,  first  settling  in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he 
took  up  a  claim  from  the  Government,  on  which  he  resided  for 
twenty-five  years ;  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he  moved  with  his 
family  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  engaged  in  a  meat  and  provision 
market,  at  which  he  continued  until  1875,  when  he  became 
afflicted  with  a  dropsical  complaint,  and  was  given  up  by  the  best 
medical  professionals  in  Milwaukee;  ho  then  moved  to  Galesville, 
where  he  opened  a  hotel,  and  the  mineral  water  of  that  place  has 
entirely  cured  him  of  his  complaint.  Mr.  Deakin  has  just  built 
an  addition  to  his  hotel,  and  now  has  a  set  of  Turkish  baths  in 
connection  with  the  house. 

LARS  H.  FEIRING,  saloon  and  billiard  hall,  Galesville; 
was  born  in  Norway,  Dec.  11,  1845  ;  came  to  America  in  1870, 
and  first  settled  in  the  village  of  Trempealeau,  where  he  liveJ 
two  years;  then  removed  to  Galesville,  where  he  started  a  saloon, 
and  in  1879,  erected  the  brick  building  where  he  now  does  busi- 
ness, it  being  the  only  brick  building  standing  in  the  village  of 
Galesville  in  1881.  Mr.  Feiring  was  married  in  1875,  to  Miss 
Emily  Olson,  a  native  of  Norway.  Their  family  consists  of  four 
children— Hermer  0.,  Wilhelm  R.,  Olaf  E.  and  Julius  F. 

GEORGE  Y.  FREEMAN,  lawyer,  Galesville;  was  born  in 
Schenectady  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13,  1827,  being  the  son  of  Lewis 
and  Mary  Freeman,  the  former  of  English  and  the  latter  of  Hol- 
land descent  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  graduate  of 
Princeton  College,  and  in  1843  came  West  and  commenced  read- 
ing law  with  Hon.  George  Halo.  He  was  married  at  Elkhorn, 
Walworth  Co.,  Jan.  1,  1850,  to  Ann  S.  Hollinshead,  who  was  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  in  1852  returned  to  New  York,  where 
he  still  pursued  the  study  of  law  with  the  Hon.  W.  D.  Water- 
man;  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  remained  there  until  1858, 
when  he  came  back  to  Wisconsin,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
this  State  the  same  year  ;  in  1860,  located  in  Galesville,  where  he 
has  practiced  his  profession  ever  since,  having  one  of  the  largest 
practices  in  the  county.  Mr  Freeman  has  held  the  office  of 
District  Attorney  of  Trempealeau  County  for  two  terms,  and  was 
one  of  the  organizing  members  of  the  Trempealeau  County  Agri- 
cultural Society,  having  been  its  Secretary  for  six  years ;  he  is 
proprietor  of  the  Arctic  Springs  at  Galesville,  they  being  situated 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  village,  at  the  head  of  the 
lake.  The  water  has  been  pronounced  by  the  State  chemists  as 
equal  to  the  Waukesha  mineral  water.  Mr.  Freeman  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Decora  Lodge,  No.  177  ; 
he  has  a  family  consisting  of  three  sons — Charles  E.  and  Edwin 
W.,  twins,  born  Oct.  1,  1860,  and  George  R.,  born  March  17, 
1867. 

GEORGE  W.  GALE,  Postmaster,  Galesville;  was  born  in 
Washington  Co..  Vt.,  July  11,  1842;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
August,  1860,  and  settled  at  Galesville,  Trempealeau  Co.,  where 
he  enlisted  in  the  late  war,  in  the  1st  Wis.  Battery,  in  September, 
1861.  After  serving  his  country  for  three  years,  he  returned  to 
Galesville,  which  has  since  been  his  home;  was  appointed  Post- 
master of  that  place  in  1869,  and  still  holds  that  office,  also  keep- 
ing in  connection  a  book  and  stationery  store,  and  at  one  time 
was  Treasurer  of  Town  Board  of  Galesville. 

G.  0.  GILBERTSON,  of  the  firm  of  Gilbertson  &  M.yhre, 
general  merchandise,  Galesville  ;  was  born  in  Norway  June  6,  1848. 
Came  with  his  parents  to  this  country  in  1857,  and  lived  with 
them  in  La  Crosse  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his  father  farmed  in  Lewis 
Valley  ;  here  they  remained  for  three  years,  and  then  moved  to 
Trempealeau  County,  where  he  farmed  with  his  father,  and  in 
1871  went  to  the  village  of  Trempealeau,  where  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Scar.seth  &  Hanson,  in  a  general  merchandise 
store.  The  firm  continued  the  same  for  one  year,  when  the  other 
partners  bought  out  Mr.  Hanson,  and  ran  the  store  until  1873,  at 
which  time  the  firm  dissolved  and   Mr.  Gilbertson  went  to  Gales- 


1064 


IISTOKY    OF    KORIIIERN    WISCONSIN. 


villc  and  started  his  present  business,  Mr.  Myhre  becoming  a 
partner  during  the  same  year  ;  they  do  an  annual  business  of 
about  S4it.(iO(i. 

SILVANI'S  J.  HARRIS,  cooper,  Galcsville;  was  born  at 
Oxfcird,  .Mass.,  Oet'iber  27.  1824;  he  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
the  year  1855,  locating  five  miles  west  of  Milwaukee,  whore  he 
worked  in  a  grist-iuill  ;  in  1858  he  came  to  Galesville  and  com- 
menced as  miller  for  Clark  &  Harris,  where  he  was  still  engaged 
at  the  breakins-out  of  the  late  war  ;  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  30th 
Wis.  Vol.  Inft.,  in  August,  1862,  servinz  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  when  he  returned  to  Galesville  and  began  farming,  at  which 
he  continued  for  seven  years;  he  then  took  up  the  cooper's  trade, 
beins  employed  at  that  ever  since  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  Galcsville  Lodge,  No.  238.  Mr.  Harris  was  married  in 
1848,  in  Massachusetts,  to  Sarah  Jane  Bond,  who  was  born  in 
that  State  ;  now  have  livinsr  four  children — Sarah  Jane,  Samuel 
F.,  Charles  H.  and  Willie  W. 

WELCOME  A.  JOHNSTON,  insurance  agent  and  farmer; 
was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  8,  1838;  when  he  reached 
manhood  he  engaged  at  farming;  in  1853  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  lived,  first  in  Walworth  County  for  one  year,  and  then 
came  to  Trempealeau  County  and  engaged  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness ;  here  he  remained  until  1856,  at  which  time  he  returned  to 
New  York,  but  after  one  year  came  back  to  Wisconsin  ;  in  1859 
he  went  again  to  New  York,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caro- 
line E.  Smith,  of  Dutchess  County.  In  April  of  the  same  year 
he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  at  Galesville  ;  he  is  at  pres- 
ent one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Galesville  University,  and  was  a 
liberal  contributor  to  that  institution,  which  was  built  largely  by 
subscription ;  he  is  also  a  charter  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Decorah  Lodge,  No.  1 77,  at  Galesville.  Their  family  consists  of 
three  children — Frank  W.,  Libbie  T.  and  George  S. 

JOHN  KELLMAN,  jeweler,  Galesville;  was  born  in  Sweden 
April  24,  1831  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1869;  he  settled 
at  Trempealeau,  during  the  same  year,  and  started  a  jewelry  store, 
which  he  continued  for  six  years  ;  he  then  removed  to  Galesville, 
continuing  in  the  same  business.  Mr.  KcUman  was  married  in 
Sweden  and  has  now  three  children — Charley  A.,  Alford  J.  and 
Frank  A. 

DANIEL  KENNEDY,  Jr.,  farmer,  Sec.  16,  P.  0.  Gales- 
ville;  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  24,  1835  ;  he  came 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  Daniel  and  Mary  Kennedy,  in  1853, 
and  first  .settled  in  Walworth  County  ;  he  came  to  Trempealeau 
County  in  1854,  and  commenced  work  for  B.  F.  Houston  on  a 
farm  ;  he  was  the  first  man  who  turned  sod  with  a  plow  in  Beaver 
Creek  Valley  ;  in  the  summer  of  1854  he  began  improvements  on 
a  farm,  on  which  he  continued  until  1862;  he  then  moved  to  his 
present  farm  ;  he  was  married  in  the  fall  of  1865,  to  Hellen  Bid- 
well,  daughter  of  C.  I.  Bidwell,  who  .settled  in  Trempealeau 
County  in  1855.  Mr.  Kennedy's  pioneer  cabin  still  stands  about 
six  rods  north  of  his  present  residence,  which  was  erected  in  1875  ; 
he  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  in  the  town  of  Gale  for  several 
terms,  and  been  Assistant  Superintendent  of  the  Trempealeau 
County  Agricultural  Society. 

JAMES  KEN  VEDY.  farmer  and  stock  buyer.  Sec.  2,  P.  0. 
Ettrick ;  wius  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  4,  1843  ;  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  in  1853,  locating  in  Wal- 
worth County,  where  they  remained  until  1856.  They  removed 
to  Trempealeau  County,  locating  on  a  farm,  and  on  this  same 
place  the  subject  of  this  sketch  now  lives,  it  being  the  second  im- 
proved farm  in  the  valley  of  Beaver  Creek.  He  was  married  Oct. 
6,  1868,  to  Sarah  J.  Boworraan,  of  Canada,  and  they  have  three 
children — Lysle  J.,  Lester  C.  and  Lloyd.  Mr.  Kennedy  has  been 
Assessor  for  four  terms  in  the  town  of  Gale. 

ADDISON  H.  KNEELAND,  druggist  and  farmer,  Gales- 
ville; was  born  in  Elizabeth,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  16,  1839; 
came  to  Illinois  in  1857,  first  living  in  Cook  County,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1862,  came  to  Sparta,  where  he  was 
employed  by  S.  D.  Jackson  &  Co.,  merchants,  as  clerk  and  trav- 


eling agent ;  remained  with  them  for  six  years,  after  which  he 
went  to  Trempealeau,  where  he  started  a  store,  conducting  it  for 
three  years.  He  then  removed  to  Galesville,  where  he  opened  a 
general  merchandise  store,  and  in  1871,  built  a  brick  block  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Allen  streets,  the  size  of  which  is  27x100, 
two  stories  high,  iron  front  and  plate  glass  windows.  He  moved 
into  it  with  a  stock  of  $23,000  worth  of  general  merchandise,  and 
did  business  there  for  eight  years,  when  on  June  26,  1879,  the 
entire  building  and  stock  were  destroyed  by  fire,  at  a  loss  estimated 
at  825,000.  Mr.  Kneeland  then  began  business  at  his  present 
location.  Has  held  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  ;  has  also  been  Treas- 
urer of  the  Trempealeau  Agricultural  Society  for  five  years.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  both  the  A..  F.  &  A.  M.,  Decora  Lodge, 
No.  177,  and  the  I.  0.  O.  F..  Lodge  No.  238,  at  Galesville. 

THOMAS  T.  MAC  ADAM,  photographer,  Galesville, Wis.; 
was  born  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  among  the  Alleghany  Mount- 
ains, March  29,  1853.  In  1862,  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Melrose,  Jackson  County, 
where  the  father  and  mother  still  live  on  the  old  homestead.  In 
1878,  he  came  to  Galesville,  where  he  started  in  his  present  bus- 
iness ;  there  is  a'so  a  millinery  store  in  connection  with  it,  which 
his  wife  controls,  he  having  married  her  in  the  year  1877,  in  the 
town  of  Irvin,  Jackson  County.  She  was  born  in  England  and 
was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  H.  Hutchins,  of  Prairie  du  Sac,  Wis- 
consin. 

JOHN  W.  McLAURY,  President  of  the  Galesville  Univer- 
sity; was  born  in  New  York,  Aug.  9,  1830.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Rutledge  College,  New  Brunswick,  in  1S59,  but  had  previously 
taught  in  a  college  in  New  York.  He  also  taught  at  Harpcrsfield, 
Roxbury  and  Haminondsport,  and  came  to  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  in 
the  year  1869,  where  he  taught  in  the  La  Crosse  Academy  for 
two  years;  his  healtli  failing  at  that  time,  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
continue teaching,  and  going  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  was  connected 
with  the  pre.ss  of  that  city  ;  was  elected  President  of  the  Galesville 
University  in  the  year  1877. 

LOUIS  O.  MOE,  proprietor  of  stage  line  and  livery  stable, 
Galesville;  was  born  in  Norway,  Feb.  25,  1848.  He  came  to 
America  in  1870,  and  first  lived  in  the  town  of  Gale, Wis.,  where  he 
worked  by  the  month,  at  farming  in  summer,  and  at  lumbering 
during  the  winter.  In  I  874,  bought  a  farm  for  him.self,  which 
he  owned  until  1877,  when  he  traded  it  for  his  preseut  home  and 
property  in  Galesville.  He  now  runs  a  stage  line  from  Galesville 
to  'Trempealeau,  and  also  from  the  f  jrmer  place  to  Centerville. 
Is  at  present  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Galesville.  He  was  married  Dec. 
26,  1877,  to  Miss  Carrie  C.  Lund,  who  was  al-so  born  in  Norway. 
They  have  one  daughter — Sophia  M. 

GILBERT  F."  MYHRE,  dealer  in  drugs  crockery,  etc.,  was 
born  in  Norway  April  9,  1853.  In  1870  he  came  to  America  ; 
first  lived  in  the  town  of  Gale,  Wis.  He  commenced  business  in 
Galesville  in  1878,  and  his  present  business  in  August,  1880; 
was  married  in  1876,  to  Miss  Stokke,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Nor- 
way, 

JOHN  R.  OGDEN,  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker,  was 
born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  23,  1844;  came  with  his  parents 
to  Wisconsin  in  1852,  locating  at  Beaver  Dam,  Dodge  Co.,  and 
here  his  father,  Fuancis  Ogden,  died  in  1864.  After  his  death 
Mrs.  Ogden  moved  with  her  family  to  Freeborn  Co.,  Minn.,  and 
there  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  until  1873,  when  he 
and  his  mother  returned  to  Wi-sconsin,  and  he  went  into  partner- 
ship with  P.  W.  Kribs  at  Galesville,  in  a  furniture  store,  in  the 
buildiug  now  occupied  by  G.  F.  Myhre  as  drug  store,  it  being  the 
first  general  furniture  store  in  the  village.  Mr.  Ogden  was  mar- 
ried in  the  winter  of  1873,  to  Miss  L.  C.  Pace,  of  Minnesota,  and 
in  1874  he  bought  out  his  partner  and  has  since  conducted  the 
business  himself  He  enlisted  in  March,  1865,  in  Co.  F,  1st 
Minn.  V.  I.,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

OLE  N.  SAGEN,  head  miller  of  W.  Davis's  flouring  mills, 
Galesville,  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in  1866, 
being  a  native  of  Norway,  and  born  there  on   the  7th  of  May, 


HISTORY    OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1065 


1848 ;  they  located  in  the  town  of  Gale,  and  having  commenced 
to  learn  his  trade  in  the  old  country,  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Davis 
in  1869,  and  has  been  employed  there  ever  since,  having  held  the 
position  of  head  miller  for  three  years.  Was  married  in  1873,  to 
Miss  Ella  Thompson,  of  Galesville,  who  was  born  in  Norway. 
They  have  three  children — Einma  J.,  Alford  N.  and  Oscar  T. 
Mr.  Sagen  is  a  member  of  the  I.  <).  0.  F.,  Galesville  Lodge  No. 
238,  and  also  of  the  Norwegian  Workman  Society,  at  Galesville  ; 
himself  and  family  being  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  that 
place. 

ANDREW  J.  SOARSETH,  dealer  in  groceries,  Galesville. 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Christiania,  Norway,  June  30,  1842  ; 
he  was  sent  to  a  common  school  at  the  age  of  six  years;  when  fif- 
teen years  old,  he  attended  the  mercantile  college  at  the  Capitol 
city,  and  afterward  went  to  the  religious  seminarium  ;  in  18(12,  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  his  father  giving  him  as  a  start  in 
life,  $60  and  a  three-year-old  colt ;  he  embarked  on  the  Brig. 
William  Tell,  landing  in  Quebec  on  his  20th  birthday  ;  he  came 
to  the  town  of  Gale,  Trempealeau  Co.,  where  he  worked  three 
months  for  Geo.  H.  Smith,  and  was  then  sent,  by  request  of  Rev. 
John  B.  Friek,  and  Professor  L.  Larson,  to  hold  a  religious  school 
in  Norwegian  language  in  behalf  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in  the 
Trempealeau  Valley,  which  embraced  both  Jackson  and  Trempea- 
leau Cos.  ;  he  taught  this  relisiious  school  for  five  months  of  each 
year,  from  the  year  1862  to  1867,  working  or  a  farm  during  the 
summers,  and  holding  Sunday  school  in  two  different  districts 
every  Sunday  ;  he  is  now  a  merchant  in  the  village  of  Galesville, 
and  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Lutheran  Church  at  that  place, 
being  Secretary  and  one  of  the  Trustees ;  he  was  sent  from 
Trempealeau  Valley  in  1864,  as  a  delegate  to  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Synod,  held  in  Perry,  Dane  Co.,  and  was  the  youngest 
elector  among  345  delegates  and  reverends ;  he  also  had  bestowed 
on  him,  at  the  same  Synod,  the  honor  of  issuing  an  arithmetic  in 
the  Norwegian  language,  to  be  used  in  the  schools  of  this  country. 

GEO.  H.  SMITH,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  0.  Galesville,  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1845  ;  was  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  14, 
1820.  After  his  arrival  in  this  State,  he  located  in  the  town  of 
Lafayette  Walworth  Co..  where  he  bought  a  farm  which  he  cul- 
tivated for  eight  years;  in  the  spring  of  1854,  entered  the  land 
of  which  his  present  farm  consists,  and  in  March  of  the  same  year 
was  called  home  to  New  York  to  witness  the  death  of  his  father  ; 
returning  to  Trempealeau  Co,  in  October  1854;  he  began  to  im- 
prove his  claim,  his  nearest  neighbor  on  the  north  being  twenty-two 
miles  away.  The  first  crop  of  wheat  that  Mr.  Smith  raised,  he 
marketed  at  La  Cro^se,  and  was  glad  to  get  40  cents  per  bushel; 
has  raised  eleven  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  on  thirty-six  acres  of 
land  ;  he  also  had  to  go  to  La  Crosse  in  1860,  to  get  a  horse  shod, 
and  at  one  time  took  a  two-honse  wagon  load  of  wool  to  Trempea- 
leau, for  which  he  received  $304,  having  been  offered  $1,200, 
at  his  door  before  he  started  with  it,  but  was  unable  to  accept  it 
because  the  wool  was  contracted  for.  He  was  married  in  Wayne 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  May,  1850,  to  Miss  Carrie  C.  Johnston,  by  whom 
he  has  one  son  living —Welcome  J.,  also  one  dead — Willie,  who 
died  in  1861. 

ARTHUR  TIBBITTS,  carpenter  and  builder,  Galesville,  was 
born  in  Maine,  Jan.  8,  1840  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents 
in  1848,  first  settling  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  where  his  father  pur- 
chased a  farm  from  the  Government ;  here  the  subjeol  of  this 
sketch  lived  until  Oct.  1,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  1st  Wis. 
Vol.  Infty.,  serving  for  three  years,  being  in  all  the  principal  en- 
gagements of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland ;  he  was  finally 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chiekamauga,  and  was  taken  prisoner, 
being  held  on  the  field  for  two  weeks,  and  then  paroled  ;  he  re- 
turned home  and  began  work  at  his  trade,  which  has  been  his 
employment  ever  since  he  came  to  Galesville,  in  1874;  he  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F.,  Galesville  Lodge,  No.  238,  and  also 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Decora  Lodge,  No.  177.  He  was  married  in 
1S66,  to  Miss  Maggie  Hardie,  who  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  by 
whom  he  has  one  son — Ernest  J. 


PR.  WM.  M.  YOUNG,  Galesville,  was  born  in  Schenectady 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  31,  1829.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents  in  1848,  where  they  settled  in  Elkhorn,  Walworth  Co.; 
here  he  received  a  common  school  education,  and  in  1852  was  a 
graduate  of  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago;  in  1853  he 
went  to  La  Crosse,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  for  one  year, 
and  then  came  to  Trempealeau  Co.  where  he  started  the  village  of 
Galesville,  with  George  Gale,  the  gentleman  for  whom  the  place 
was  named.  Dr.  Young  has  been  a  resident  of  the  place  ever 
since,  practicing  his  profession  ;  he  has  held  the  office  of  Post- 
master for  a  number  of  years  ;  he  was  also  first  Clerk  of  the  Court 
of  Trempealeau  Co.  at  Galesville,  under  Judse  Knownton,  of  La 
Crosse,  and  was  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  Galesville  University. 
In  the  year  1867  he  took  a  trip,  in  company  with  George  Luce, 
to  Florida,  where  he  purchased  an  orange  orchard,  which  he  still 
owns. 

ANTHONY  G.  WILLIAMSON,  stone  and  brick  mason, 
Galesville,  was  born  in  Maine,  Aug.  16,  1834.  He  came  West 
in  1863,  locating  in  Galesville,  and  enlisting,  during  the  same 
year,  in  Co.  L,  2d  Minn.  Vol.  Cav.,  serving  until  the  close  of  the 
war;  he  afterward  returned  to  Galesville,  where  he  worked  at  the 
stone  mason's  trade  ;  Mr.  Williamson  was  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Trem- 
pealeau Co.  under  D.  VV.  Wade,  deceased,  in  the  years  1870-71  ; 
has  also  been  Constable  in  Galesville  for  ten  years,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  0.  F,,  Galesville  Lodge,  No.  238  ;  he  was  married 
in  Maine,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Sophronia  Dougla.-<s,  a  native  of  that 
State,  by  whom  he  had  one  son,  Hiram,  who  died  iu  infancy,  and 
one  son  living,  Greenleaf  A. 


INDEPENDENCE, 
located  in  the  southeastern  portion  of,  and  the  most 
prominent  point  in,  Burnside  Township.  Independence, 
though  the  result  of  the  completion  of  the  Green  Bay  road, 
was  not  laid  out  until  1876.  The  country  round  about  had 
been  settled  some  years  before,  in  fact,  was  among  the 
earliest  settled  qf  the  townships  in  this  portion  of  the  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1856,  John  Markham  with  his  family, 
accompanied  also  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Davis,  from  Dane 
County,  came  in  and  located  on  Section  24.  About  the 
same  time,  Dr.  Traverse,  a  pronounced  Mormon,  paved  the 
way  for  the  coining  of  his  followers  by  locating  a  farm  in 
what  has  since  been  known  as  Traverse  Valley.  Giles 
Cripps  came  up  from  Dane  County  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  and  opened  the  first  farm  in  the  town  of  subsequent 
Burnside.  His  son  Frederick,  born  during  the  following 
year  was  the  first  birth  in  the  county. 

In  1857,  George  Hale  removed  from  Hale  to  Burnside, 
and  soon  after  his  advent,  he  was  followed  by  D.  C.  Celley. 
For  the  next  ten  years,  the  immigration  was  comparatively 
limited.  H.  W.  Rurasey,  H.  P.  Rumsey  and  some  others 
came  into  Burnside,  and  located  on  Sections  13  and  14. 
Between  1860  and  1870,  there  was  (luite  an  influx  of  Nor- 
wegians and  Polanders  into  the  town  near  the  village, 
including  Gunder  Christiansen,  John  Hoganson,  Ole 
Oleson,  Charles  Oleson,  E.  A.  Bentley,  Michael  White 
and  James  Reed  also  became  identified  with  the  town,  and 
located  at  points  not  far  distant  from  the  village.  Between 
1870  and  1880.  the  accessions  were  large,  and  before  the 
dawn  of  the  latter  year,  the  lands  in  the  town  were  almost 
entirely  taken  up. 

The  first  death  in  the  town  was  a  Norwegian  by  the 
name  of  Mrs.  Churchill,  in  1858,  who  died  in  Traverse 
Valley,  but  upon  the  location  of  a  graveyard  at  another 
point,  was  removed  thither.  The  first  marriage  is  shrouded 
in  obscurity. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Thus  premising,  it  may  be  stated,  that,  for  several  years 
prior  to  the  location  of  Independence,  the  necessity  of 
farmers  for  an  accessible  point  of  shipment  of  their  prod- 
ucts was,  in  truth,  the  occasion  of  the  birth  of  present  Inde- 
pendence. A  place  one  mile  nearer  Arcadia  called  "  New 
City,"  containing  a  tavern  and  grocery  aspired  to  the 
proud  position  awarded  Independence,  but  miserably  failed 
of  its  efforts.  It  is  said  to  have  been  possessed  of  no  single 
redeeming  feature  in  its  character  for  wantonness  and  dis- 
order. Its  name  was  a  synonym  for  all  that  was  vile,  and 
the  frequenters  of  the  place  as  familiar  with  guile  and  cun- 
ning as  a  Zulu,  and  ferocious  and  blood-thirsty  as  Capt. 
Jack  or  Shack  Nasty  Jim.  In  short,  they  were  very  bad 
men,  and  the  pretentious  ambitions  of  "New  City  "  to  be 
dressed  in  corporate  authority  and  wield  the  metropolitan 
baton  in  fact,  as  also  in  name,  though  commendable,  were 
not  to  be  considered  when  the  fate  of  a  township,  perhaps  a 
county,  hung  in  the  balance. 

Out  of  the  requirements  cited  was  Independence  sug- 
gested ;  by  reason  of  their  absence  was  Independence 
brought  forth,  but  without  convulsion  or  collusion. 

Early  in  May  of  the  Centennial  year,  D.  M.  Kelly,  of 
Green  Bay,  who  was  possessed  of  title  to  lands  upon  the 
greater  portion  of  Independence  was  subsequently  built, 
caused  forty  acres  of  the  same  to  be  surveyed  and  platted 
for  village  purposes.  The  original  plat  contained  eighteen 
blocks  of  regular  dimensions,  fronting  Washington,  Adams, 
Madison,  Adams,  Jeflerson.  Madison,  Franklin,  Jackson 
and  Lincoln  streets  on  parallel  lines  intersected  by  streets 
from  First  to  Sixth.  On  the  map,  the  village  presents  the 
appearance  of  a  parallelogram,  and  only  needs  to  be  illus- 
trated with  bright  colors  to  convey  an  absolute  conviction 
in  the  eyes  of  the  beholder  as  to  its  appearance  in  the  mind 
of  those  who  projected  the  enterprise.  Great  things  were 
expected  would  result  from  the  venture.  The  destruction 
of  "New  City"  was  inevitable,  and  was  realized  ;  its  loca- 
tion as  a  shipping  point  was  deemed  invaluable  and  is  un- 
deniable. But  that  it  would  become  a  great  city  or  even 
a  place  of  prosperous  prominence  is  a  question,  though  still 
mooted,  and  undetermined  by  some,  has  been  decided  in 
the  negative  by  those  who  reason  from  cause  to  effect,  and 
are  confident  of  the  correctness  of  their  premises. 

On  the  •2.5th  of  May  the  lots  which  had  been  ex-appro- 
priated earlier  in  that  merry  month  were  offered  for  sale  in 
the  market,  and  while  no  crowd  of  purchasers  elbowed  their 
way  into  the  madding  crowd  and  shouted  precedence  above 
the  multitude,  quite  a  large  number  were  disposed  of,  and 
these  to  men  who  have  since  become  residents  as  also  men 
of  wealth  and  import  among  their  neighbors.  The  first  to 
offer  bids  which  were  accepted,  and  be  entered  as  of  con- 
tracts executed,  were  J.  C.  Taylor,  Edward  Elstad  and 
David  Garlick,  the  latter  of  whom  appeared  on  the  ground 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  Garlick,  the  first  lady  to  identify  her- 
self with  the  growing  village,  and  whose  attachment  then 
formed  has  never  been  dissipated.  These  gentlemen  pur- 
chased the  first  lots  offered  for  sale,  and  completed  the  first 
improvements  concluded  in  the  village.  Mr.  Taylor  erect- 
ed a  drug  store  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Railroad  streets  ; 
Mr.  Elstad  a  general  store  on  Washington  street,  and  Mr. 
Garlick  a  home  on  Adams  street.  These  initiatory  efforts 
still  stand  on  the  spot  where  they  were  born,  and  are  still 
occupied  and  owneil  by  the  gentlemen  who  accomplished 
their  creation. 


The  exhibition  of  confidence  thus  offered  inspired  others 
to  come  laden  with  purchase  money ;  and,  as  the  prospects 
of  the  old  city  went  glimmering  as  the  dreams  of  childhood, 
those  of  Independence  were  brightened  and  correspondingly 
augmented.  The  week  following  brought  with  it  G.  W. 
Parsons  and  family ;  Ira  Smith,  who  became  the  first  lum- 
ber dealer  ;  Hans  Melgard,  Ernest  Walters,  Edward  Gordon, 
who  opened  a  store  with  his  first  improvement ;  John  Kuder- 
man,  the  first  carpenter;  Hans  Christianson,  Andrew  Ander- 
son and  some  others,  who  came  from  different  portions  of 
the  county  to  enjoy  the  opportunities  for  speculation,  it  was 
thought  existed  in  Independence.  All  began  to  build,  and 
carried  their  improvements  to  completion.  Walters  had 
been  a  tavern-keeper  at  "  New  City,"  and  came  hither  to 
Independence,  whence  he  removed  the  "  Green  Bay  House." 
which  still  furnishes  accommodations  to  the  hungry  and 
weary.  These  were  followed  before  the  actual  coming  of 
summer  by  J.  W.  McKay,  who  added  to  the  appearance  of 
the  village  which  was  becoming  quite  chipper,  by  the  way, 
with  eacli  day's  arrivals,  by  the  building  of  the  Tremont 
House,  a  piece  of  enterprise  which  caused  many  who  were 
debating  the  expediency  of  building,  to  stand  no  longer  idle 
in  the  market  place.  The  spirit  of  emulation  thus  created 
produced  its  natural  result ;  and,  during  the  summer,  the 
sound  of  the  artisan  as  he  plied  with  his  tools  was  heard 
from  all  points  of  the  compass  of  industry  and  enterprise. 
Nor  did  the  waning  summer  witness  any  cessation.  So 
long  as  it  was  permitted,  work  was  carried  on,  and  houses 
and  stores  came  to  the  surface  where  they  had  previously' 
been  unknown.  Business,  too,  was  conducted  with  that 
brusqueness  visible  when  purchasers  are  numerous,  and  none 
but  the  modest  refrain.  Among  those  who  entered  upon 
merchandising  were  C.  J.  Lambert  and  0.  P.  Larson,  who 
began  business  in  a  building  erected  by  Ernest  Walters 
adjoining  the  Green  Bay  House;  Edward  Gordon  built  a 
store  and  loaded  it  with  goods ;  E.  H.  Warner  deserted 
Whitehall  and  opened  a  hardware  store  in  Independence, 
etc.  Residences  were  erected  by  Mary  E.  Noteman,  D. 
M.  Short,  John  Halckson,  Theodore  Gospelder,  West  Snow, 
0.  P.  Clinton,  Charles  Clawson,  Nathaniel  Nichols,  the 
first  attorney,  with  briefs  and  authorities,  in  pursuit  of 
clients ;  Edward  Linse,  C.  A.  Raetz  and  John  Hofer — .ill 
of  them  new-comers,  and  all  of  them  deserving  of  the  com- 
mendation men  of  character  and  enterprise  do  not  always 
receive. 

During  this  year,  after  the  village  was  created,  occurred 
the  most  important  events  that  can  be  associated  with  its 
history.  The  first  birth  took  place  this  year.  It  was  a  lit- 
tle daughter  to  George  Parsons  and  wife.  The  event  hap- 
pened in  July  and  the  youthful  stranger  was  welcomed — 
personally  and  audibly  welcomed  to  its  new  life  with  praises 
and  kisses  and  thanksgivings.  It  clapped  its  little  hands 
with  joy  at  its  surroundings,  and  had  scarcely  learned  to 
pipe  its  lay  of  wants  before  it  crossed  over  into  the  summer 
lands  beyond  the  Jordan,  and  another  home  was  rendered 
desolate.  Blest  be  the  innocent  lives  who  lead  the  way  to 
everlasting  bliss  !  may  their  memory  always  be  kept  green 
and  their  innocence  be  emulated  until  the  voyage  of  man- 
kind is  ended  and  the  great  world  is  resolved  into  space. 

In  the  fall,  the  first  marriage  was  announced,  between 
Lewis  Benjamin  and  Susan  Jenny.  The  celebrants  sought 
the  home  of  George  Parsons,  who  was  a  Justice  of  tiie 
Peace,  and   invoked    his   aid  in  effecting  the  combination. 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1067 


But  "Squire"  Parson  being  in  doubt  as  to  his  authority 
under  the  law  to  act,  at  first  hesitated,  and  finally  refuseil 
absolutely  to  be  a  party  to  the  contract.  Such  being  his 
decision,  the  sighing  twain  were  reduced  t)  a  condition  of 
disconsolateness,  described  by  an  eye-witness,  melancliolly 
to  behold.  In  the  emergency,  J.  C.  Taylor,  who,  it  may  be 
parenthetically  observed,  was  saddled  with  the  honors  of 
Justice,  one  day  after  his  arrival  in  Independence,  came  to 
their  rescue,  and  Lewis  and  Susan  were  so  indissolubly  united 
as  that  no  power  could  thereafter  put  them  asunder. 

At  the  close  of  ISTU,  the  population  of  Independence 
was  quoted  at  4r00,  including  men,  women  and  children. 
These  were  gathered  in  forty  houses,  built  during  the  year 
for  residence  purposes,  and  the  conclusion  seems  irresisti- 
ble, that  the  capacity  of  each  was  taxed  in  a  way  the  reverse 
of  delicate.  But  everybody  kept  boarders,  remarked  the 
authority  for  these  facts,  and  comfort,  protection,  rather 
than  convenience,  was  the  object  sought  to  be  obtained.  In 
the  fall  and  through  the  winter,  the  building  was  continued 
to  the  end,  that  by  spring  of  the  ensuing  year,  accommoda- 
tions for  the  -'crowd,"  it  was  thought,  would  reach  out. 
Octopus  like,  to  gather  within  its  embrace,  the  few  desira- 
ble sites  still  on  the  market. 

In  1877,  two  additions  were  made  to  the  village  out  of 
lands  set  apart  for  that  purpose  by  Samuel  Coy,  and  a  total 
of  twenty  acres  were  surveyed  and  platted  into  lots  front- 
ing on  Warren,  Greene,  Putnam  and  Wayne  streets.  Early 
in  February  Dr.  W.  R.  Allison,  the  first  physician  to  offer 
his  services  to  diseased  frames  located  in  Independence,  was 
welcomed  to  the  village,  and  W.  R.  Turnbull  purchased  the 
Tremont  House. 

The  most  important  improvement  commenced  this  year 
was  the  Independence  Flouring-mill  by  S.  M.  Newton.  It 
was  designed  to  supply  the  absence  of  a  mill  in  so  perfect  a 
manner  that  nothing  should  be  wanting,  and  fully  equaled 
expectations.  It  was  completed  in  the  fall  at  a  cost  of 
$22,000.  In  addition  to  this  structure,  Ira  Smith  erected 
the  Merchants'  Hotel  and  two  buildings  adjoining  ;  Albert 
Bouch  a  storehouse  on  Adams  street ;  Cargill  &  Van  a 
grain  warehouse ;  John  Sprecher,  a  building  for  the 
storage  of  agricultural  implements ;  Meuli  &  Danuser  a 
hardware  store,  and  A.  Emery,  the  handsome  private  resi- 
dence opposite  the  depot.  The  accessions  to  the  popula- 
tion are  represented  as  having  been  equal  to  those  of  any 
previous  year,  though  from  this  date  there  has  been  an 
apparent  falling-off  in  that  particular.  In  1878,  the  Inter- 
national Hotel  was  built,  also  a  two-story  brick  dwelling 
opposite  the  depot,  since  when,  until  1881,  when  John 
Sprecher  erected  a  grain  warehouse  near  the  depot,  noth- 
ing worthy  of  mention  has  been  completed. 

The  same  causes  which  elsewhere  throughout  the  county 
have  retarded  the  growth  of  its  villages,  obtained  with 
depressing  efTccts.  The  successive  fiiilure  of  crops  for  the 
period  extending  from  1878  to,  and  including  1881,  has 
been  attended  with  results  that  could  not  be  otherwise  than 
disastrous  to  Independence,  as  it  proved  to  be  to  Whitehall 
and  other  points,  but  those  most  affected,  by  no  means  dis- 
heartened, continued  their  labors,  confident  of  the  future, 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  village  and  town. 

The  population  of  Independence  is  quoted  at  about 
400,  and  its  value,  as  a  sliipping  point,  is  annually  appre- 
ciating. 

Independence  is  included  within  School  District  No.  6, 
which    was   duly  organized  according  to  law  in  July,  187fi. 


During  that  summer  no  school  was  opened,  but  in  the  fall 
pupils  were  received  in  Taylor's  Hall,  where  a  compara- 
tively limited  number  assembled  for  the  space  of  two  years, 
and  were  taught  the  English  branches  from  primary  to  a 
more  advanced  grade.  Upon  removing  from  the  hall,  a 
storehouse  on  Adams  street  was  procured,  in  which  the 
number  of  pupils  increased,  until  it  became  necessary  to 
obtain  more  commodious  quarters,  when  the  present  school- 
house  was  built,  being  completed  in  1880,  and  costing,  with 
the  lot  whereon  it  stands,  a  total  of  $2,000. 

A  graded  school  is  now  taught,  employing  a  force  of 
teachers  at  an  annual  expense  of  $1,600,  and  enjoying  an 
average  daily  attendance  of  one  hundred  pupils. 

The  religious  element  is  well  established  in  Independence, 
no  less  than  four  church  societies  having  been  established 
there  since  the  village  was  laid  out. 

The  Congregational  Association  was' organized  in  June, 
1879,  at  Taylor's  Hall,  under  the  direction  of  the  Kev.  J. 
H.  Pollock  with  twelve  members.  At  first,  services  were 
regularly  conducted,  and  efforts  were  suggested  to  procure 
the  erection  of  a  church  edifice.  But  a  multiplicity  of  rea- 
sons prevailed  to  prevent  the  consummation  of  this  under- 
taking, and  the  members  of  the  congregation  still  worship 
in  the  hall  wherein  its  organization  was  perfected. 

The  society  is  now  without  a  pastor. 

The  Methodist  society,  organized  about  1877,  also  meet 
in  Taylor's  Hall,  at  intervals,  for  prayer  and  worship.  It 
numbers  thirty  members. 

The  Norwegian  religious  association  convene  in  Taylor's 
Hall  monthly,  when  it  is  addressed  by  transient  ministers, 
no  stated  supply  having  been  thus  far  obtained. 

The  Evangelical  association  was  organized  in  1878  with 
eighteen  members.  Its  members  mept  every  Sunday  for 
worship  in  Shork's  building,  and  have  preaching  semi- 
monthly by  the  Rev.  M.  C.  Werner,  of  Arcadia. 

Sts.  Peter's  and  Paul  Catholic  Church,  organized  in 
1869  by  the  Poles  of  this  portion  of  the  county,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Peter  Sura,  half  a  mile  from  the  village,  is  the 
largest  congregation  in  the  vicinity.  Here  services  were 
conducted  until  1873,  when  the  present  frame  church  edifice 
was  commenced.  It  was  completed  during  the  spring  of 
1874,  at  a  cost  of  $2,800,  and  has  since  been  occupied. 
The  following  year  a  neat  parsonage  was  erected  opposite 
the  church,  the  same  costing  $1,500.  A  ten- acre  lot,  at- 
tached to  the  lot  upon  which  the  church  edifice  stands,  is 
used  for  cemetery  purposes. 

The  congregation  numbers  150  families,  under  the  pas- 
torate of  the  Rev.  Herman  Klemetski. 

Independence  Mills  were  erected  in  1877  by  A.  M. 
Newton,  at  an  expense  of  $22,000,  and  are  as  complete  in 
their  mechanical  and  other  arrangements  as  skill  or  money 
can  render  them.  The  building  is  of  frame,  four  stories 
high,  compact  and  substantial  in  all  its  features.  It  is  sup- 
plied with  five  run  of  stone,  and  possesses  capacity  to  turn 
out  100  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  In  1880,  Messrs.  Com- 
stock  &  Gaveny,  of  Arcadia,  purchased  the  property  for 
$13,000,  and  have  operated  the  same  continuously  since  the 
date  of  their  obtaining  possession. 

Elk  Creek  supplies  the  water  power. 

The  Independence  Elevator,  adjoining  the  track  of  the 
Green  Bay  Railway,  and  near  the  Independence  Mills,  was 
erected  in  1876  by  Messrs.  Cripps,  Comstock  &  Noltman, 
by  whom  it  is  still  owned.  It  is  of  frame,  costing  $4,000, 
and  has  a  storage  capacity  for  16,000  bushels  of  grain. 


io68 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


BIOGRAPHICAL      SKETCHES. 

HANS  8.  AUSTIN,  head  clerk  in  H.  E.  Gett'.s  Braiieh 
Store,  Iu<iepen(ience  ;  was  born  in  Norway  Dec.  10,  1853;  cauie 
to  America  with  his  parents  iu  1854,  they  settling  on  a  farm  in 
Dane  Co.,  Wis. ;  here  he  remained  with  them  until  1873,  when 
he  went  to  the  town  of  Burnside,  where  he  taught  school  for  six 
terms,  and  then  bought  a  firm  in  Bannet  Valley,  which  ho  run 
for  two  years ;  ho  came  to  Independence  in  1877,  and  started  a 
hotel,  at  which  he  continued  for  two  years;  he  was  then  appointed 
Constable,  and  still  holds  that  position;  he  took  charge  of  Mr. 
fiett's  store  in  March,  1881.  Mr.  Austin  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  was  married,  Feb.  25,  1880.  to  Miss 
Mary  Gilbert. 

GILKS  CRIPPS,  farmer,  Sec.  12  ;  P.  0.  Independence;  is 
a  native  of  England,  and  was  born  Nov.  5,  1833;  came  with  his 
parents  to  America  at  the  age  of  three  years  ;  they  first  settled  in 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  they  remained  until  18-13,  at  which 
time  they  came  West,  landing  at  Milwaukee  ;  they  went  on  a 
farm  in  Waukesha  Co.,  where  they  remained  for  four  years,  his 
father  having  at  that  time  over  1,500  head  of  sheep  ;  in  18-17, 
they  moved  to  Dane  Co.,  where  his  father  bought  a  farm  of  200 
acres;  in  1853,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Miss 
Harriett  Wood,  and  then  commenced  farming  for  himself,  at 
which  he  continued  four  years  in  Dane  Co.  ;  he  then  moved  to 
Trempealeau  Co.,  town  of  Burnside,  and  has  lived  there  ever 
since,  having  been  Postmaster  at  Elk  Creek  for  eleven  years  ;  he 
is  also  connected  with  the  grain  elevator  and  machine  business 
with  N.  D.  Comstock  at  Independence  ;  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  Chairman  of  Town  Board  for  six  terms,  and  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  four  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Arcadia  Lodge,  No.  201,  and  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  Inde- 
pendence Lodge,  No.  27. 

L.  E.  DANUSER,  of  the  firm  of  Danuser  &  Horst,  hard- 
ware store,  Independence  ;  was  born  in  Sauk  City,  Wis.,  April 
18,  1850  ;  here  he  received  a  common  school  education,  afterward 
attending  the  Northwestern  College  at  Plainfield,  III.,  taking  a 
scientific  course  ;  after  leaving  College  he  taught  school  until 
1874,  when  he  went  to  Portage,  Wis.,  where  he  clerked  in  a  dry 
goods  store  for  Shoemake  &  Schuiz  ;  he  continued  there  until  the 
summer  of  1876,  then  taught  school  one  year,  and,  in  1817, 
came  to  Independence  and  bought  in  the  store  of  which  he  is 
now  a  partner,  with  C.  Meuli;  in  July,  1879,  Mr.  Horst  bought 
out  Mr.  Meuli,  and  the  firm  has  since  been  conducted  under  its 
present  name.  Mr.  Danuser  was  married,  in  1878,  in  Naperville, 
III.,  to  Miss  H.  Vj.  Lehman,  a  native  of  that  State;  was  elected 
Town  Clerk  of  Burnside  in  1880. 

LEWIS  P.  EARLE,  station  agent,  Independence  ;  was 
born  in  Summit  Co.,  Ohio,  near  Akron,  June  29,  1850;  in 
1856,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Appleton,  Wis.  ;  here  they 
remained  until  October,  1861,  when  they  returned  to  the  old 
homestead  in  Ohio  ;  the  subject  of  this  sketch  learned  his  trade 
at  New  Portage,  Ohio,  under  David  Cartmill,  on  the  Atlantic  & 
Great  Western  Railroad,  and  afterward  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
engaged  with  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  as  station 
agent  at  New  London ;  he  has  been  engaged  with  them  ever  since, 
coming  to  Independence  after  leaving  New  London. 

EDWARD  ELSTAD,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervis- 
ors  of  Burnside,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  having  been  born  April 
25,  1851.  In  1861  he  earae  to  America  and  lived  on  a  farm  in 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents;  in  1875  went  into  business 
ill  Arcadia,  and  in  1876  removed  to  Independence,  where  he 
started  the  second  store  in  the  village  ;  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors  in  1878,  and  has  held  the 
office  ever  since;  he  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Christine 
Clemmetson,  in  Vernon  County,  May  31.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren—Matilda C,  Melvin  N.,  Cormillie  J.  and  Nora  C. 

ARTKMUS  EMKRY,  lumber  yard.  Independence  ;  was  born 
in  the  S'ate  of  Maine  in  Octolier,  1829,  and  was  married  there  in 
1856  to  Miss  Harriette  Merrill,  also  a  native  of  that  State.       In 


the  fall  of  the  same  year  they  came  West,  first  locating  in  Mon- 
roe Co.,  Wis.,  whore  he  was  engaged  at  lumbering  and  farming. 
Here  he  remained,  with  the  exception  of  three  years,  when  he 
was  in  Jackson  County,  until  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Inde- 
pendence ;  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  Town  Board  of 
Burnside;  he  has  one  daughter,  Elbra  M. 

JAMES  R.  FAULDS.  editor  of  theWee/dj/ Neivs,  Independ- 
ence; was  born  April  19,  1853,  at  Rouchgap,  Penn.  In  June, 
1855,  came  with  his  parents  to  Glencoe,  Buffalo  Co  .  Wis.,  where 
they  settled  on  a  farm  ;  he  received  a  common  school  education  at 
home,  and  in  the  spring  of  1876  attended  the  graded  school  at 
Fountain  City,  Buffalo  Co.:  he  afterward  taught  four  terms ;  in 
1879  he  attended  the  State  Noroial  School  at  River  Falls  and  then 
came  to  Independence,  and  was  the  first  Principal  in  the  graded 
school  there;  in  June,  1880,  he  bought  in  partnership  with  H.  I. 
Turnbull,  the  Weekly  News,  and  in  August  of  the  same  year 
bought  his  partner's  interest  and  has  since  managed  the  paper 
himself  The  Weekly  News  has  a  circulation  of  over  six  hun- 
dred copies.  Mr.  Faulds  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Inde- 
pendence Lodge,  No.  27. 

DAVID  GARLICK.  Postmaster,  Independence;  was  born 
Aug.  9,  1834,  at  Fort  Covington,  N.  Y.,  and  was  married  there 
in  the  winter  of  1855  to  Miss  Lydia  Duel,  also  a  native  of  that 
State ;  in  1863  they  came  West,  and  first  located  at  Rock  Island, 
111.,  where  he  fiirmed  until  1869,  when  he  moved  to  La  Crosse  ; 
after  one  year  there  he  came  to  the  town  of  Burnside,  Trempea- 
leau Co.,  where  he  took  up  a  claim  from  the  Government,  consist- 
ing of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  in  1874  went  to  New 
City  where  ho  started  a  grocery  store,  and  remained  there  till 
June,  1876,  when  he  came  to  Independence.  This  was  the  first 
family  in  the  village,  and  he  built  the  first  house,  outside  of  the 
Railroad  buildings;  he  has  held  the  office  of  Postmaster  ever  since 
he  came  here,  and  is  also  School  Director  ;  he  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  Independence  Lodge,  No.  27.  They  have  five 
children — Frincy  M.,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Grayborn,  Daniel,  Dora, 
Jane  and  Melvin. 

JAMES  L.  HUTCHINS,  deceased  ;  was  born  in  Mississippi. 
May  1,  1839  ;  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Tubbs,  .March 
25,  1861,  in  Jackson  County  ;  they  moved  to  Hixton,  Wis.,  and 
farmed  until  1865,  at  which  time  they  came  to  the  town  of  Burn- 
side, Trempealeau  Co.,  P.O.Independence;  here  they  farmed 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hutchins,  which  occurred  in  the  year 
1876;  deceased  being  a  member  of  Town  Board  of  Burnside. 
The  family  now  consists  of  Mrs.  Hutchins  and  five  children — 
Mary  L.,  Byron  L.,  Sylvester,  Otis  and  Lorenzo. 

JOHAN  A.  JO  HANSON,  dealer  in  groceries  and  general 
merchandise.  Independence,  was  born  in  Norway.  June  8,  1845, 
where  he  lived  until  1872,  teaching  sc'^ool  the  last  seven  years; 
came  to  America  in  1872,  first  locating  at  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  where 
he  engaged  in  lumbering  and  farming  for  three  years.  In  1875 
went  to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  one 
year,  and  then  came  to  Independence;  he  first  clerked  for  Lam- 
bert &  Larson,  merchants,  and  in  1879  went  into  partnerehip  with 
Larson;  this  was  continued  for  two  years,  when  he  sold  out  and 
started  in  his  present  business,  Feb.  1,  1881.  He  was  married 
Jan.  8,  1878,  to  Miss  Olive  Severson.  They  have  one  son — 
Joel  Marcus.    Mr.  Johanson  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

BKNJAMIN  F.  LAMBERT,  merchant,  Independence,  was 
born  in  Lancaster  Co.,  Penn.,  Sept.  2,  1827.  He  was  a  resident 
of  Philadelphia  for  twenty-five  years,  engaged  in  the  carting  and 
shipping  business.  He  was  married  there,  Aug.  28,  1857,  to 
Miss  Phebe  A.  Axo,  his  wife  having  been  born  in  the  same  house 
and  room  that  he  was,  on  the  31st  day  of  Maj',  1839.  They 
have  three  children,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  Philadelphia. 
Their  names  aro^Margarot.  Philip  M.  and  William  L.,  also  one 
adopted  daughter,  Kli'/.aheth  K,  Mr.  Lambert  and  family  came 
to  Independence  /\])ril  12,  187S. 

O.  P.  LARSON,  general  merchandise.  Independence,  was 
born    .\pril    15,  1849,  in   Norway:  came  to   America  in    1865, 


HISTORY   OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


1069 


where  he  staid  but  one  year,  clerking  during  the  time  in  a  mer- 
cantile store  at  Black  Earth,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  He  then  went 
back  to  Norway,  where  he  remained  until  1872,  when  he  returned 
to  America  and  clerked  for  Getts  &  Co.,  at  Whitehall ;  contin- 
ued to  work  for  them  till  187ti,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Inde- 
pendence, and  started  the  store  where  he  now  is;  it  was  the  first 
general  merchandise  store  in  the  village.  He  was  married,  in 
1878,  to  Miss  Lena  Waller,  also  a  native  of  Norway.  In  1880, 
they  went  back  to  their  native  country  on  a  visit,  remaining  six 
months. 

G.  L.  LINTZ.  proprietor  of  the  International  Hotel  and  bill- 
iard hall.  Independence,  was  born  in  Now  York,  in  1831  ;  left 
there  in  1874,  and  came  to  Wisconsin.  Settling  in  Indepen- 
dence, in  1877.  he  opened  what  was  then  known  as  the  Farmer's 
Home  Hotel,  where  he  continued  until  January,  1881,  when  he 
began  his  present  business.  In  1863  he  enlisted  in  18th  New  York 
Cav.,  Co.  L,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  the  army  of 
the  Potomac. 

GEORGE  H.  MARKHAM,  farmer.  Sec.  24,  P.  0.  Inde- 
pendence, was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  Jan.  24,  1837;  came 
with  his  parents  to  America,  and  purchased  a  farm  from  the 
Government,  in  Trempealeau  County,  in  1856.  It  consisted 
originally  of  120  acres,  but  he  has  since  made  additions  to  it, 
until  he  now  has  a  farm  of  720  acres.  His  father,  John  Mark- 
ham,  was  a  captain  in  the  British  Navy  for  sixty  years,  an  i  his 
brother,  Albert,  was  connected  with  Sir  George  Nare's  Arctic 
expedition,  which  sailed  from  England  May  29,  1S75,  and  re- 
turned Oct.  3(1,  1876,  obtaining  latitude  83°  30'  north.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  in  the  Trempealeau  Valley  at  the  time 
of  the  Indian  scare,  but  not  being  a  man  to  run,  he  procured  a 
keg  of  powder  and  protected  himself  Was  elected  to  the 
Assembly  from  Trempealeau  County,  in  the  year  1 879,  and  was 
Chairman  on  the  Committee  of  Engrossing  Bills.  Has  also  held 
various  offices  in  his  town.  He  was  married  Oct.  8,  1862,  to 
Miss  Fannie  M.  Bishop,  daughter  of  Dr.  Bishop,  of  Portage,  Wis. 
She  was  born  Aug.  11,  1841. 

MICHAEL  MULLIGAN,  County  Judge  of  Trempealeau 
County  ;  was  born  in  Ireland,  County  of  Westmeath,  July  9, 
1845  ;  c  ime  to  America  with  his  parents  when  only  two  years  of 
age,  and  settled  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  on  a  farm  in  the  town 
of  Rockville;  in  18G5  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  West  and 
lived  at  Black  River  Falls,  Jackson  Co.,  Wis,,  for  two  years,  en- 
gaged with  W.  T.  Price  on  a  farm,  and  then  moved  to  Durand, 
Pepin  County  ;  he  was  at  Eau  Claire  for  three  years,  being  engaged 
at  school  teaching  there,  and  part  of  the  time  working  in  a  saw- 
mill :  he  also  attended  the  Galesville  University  at  odd  times,  his 
first  tern  being  in  the  fiill  of  1869,  and  his  last  in  the  fall  of  1874. 
After  leaving  school  he  went  into  the  office  of  G.  L.  Freeman, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876  ;  he  was  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Freeman  for  one  year,  and  in  September,  1877,  opened  his 
first  office  for  himself  at  Galesville  ;  here  he  remained  until  May, 
1878,  when  he  moved  to  Independence  ;  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  District  Attorney  of  Trempealeau,  for 
two  years,  and  in  April,  1881,  was  elected  Judge  of  Trempealeau 
County  for  four  years,  commencing  Jan.  1,  1882,  but  owing  to  the 
resignation  of  of  Seth  Mills,  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy 
from  May  28,  1881,  to  Jan.  1,  1882.  Judge  Mulligan  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  order  at  Arcadia,  Lodge  No.  201,  and 
also  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  Independence  Lodge,  No.  27. 

CHARLES  A.  RAETZ,  machinist  and  blacksmith,  Inde- 
pendence; was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  June  7,  1845  ;  came  to 
America  with  his  parents  in  1847,  and  to  Wisconsin  in  1850, 
where  he  lived  on  a  farm  with  them  in  Buffalo  County  ;  he  en- 
listed Dec.  24,  1863,  in  the  6th  Wis.,  Co.  H.  Vol,  Infiy,,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  in  1866  started  to  learn  his 
trade  in  Fountain  City ;  was  married  in  Buffalo  County,  in  1873, 
to  Miss  Emelia  Linse ;  they  have  three  children — Henry  A., 
Charles  E.  and  Delia  ;  in  1877  he  came  to  Independence  and 
stared  a  blacksmith  shop,  which  was  the  second  one  in  the  village. 


JOSEPH  RITZINGER,  meat  market.  Independence ;  was 
bt)ru  in  Germany,  March  22, 1849,  and  came  to  America  in  1871, 
first  working  in  Chicago  at  his  trade  for  fourteen  months  ;  in  the 
fliU  of  1872  he  went  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  and  in  1874  started  in 
business  for  himself  there.  In  July,  1877,  he  moved  to  Inde- 
pendence, and  started  his  present  market,  it  being  the  first  one  in 
the  village.  Mr.  Ritzinger  was  married  in  1876,  to  3Iiss  Maggie 
Cramer,  who  was  born  in  August,  1858,  in  the  town  of  Rubicon, 
Wis.     They  have  one  son — John  J. 

JOHN  W.  RUNKEL,  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker;  was 
born  in  Prussia,  June  2,  1847  ;  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  1856,  first  locating  in  Bufi'alo  County,  Wis.,  on  a  farm, 
where  he  remained  with  his  father  until  1870  ;  he  then  went  to 
Fountain  City  and  started  in  the  mercantile  bu.-iness  in  company 
with  L.  E.  Danuser ;  this  he  continued  for  one  year,  and  at  the 
end  of  that  Mr.  Runkel  sold  to  his  partner  and  went  back  to  the 
farm ;  in  1877  he  moved  to  Independence  and  started  in  his  pres- 
ent business,  his  being  the  first  furniture  store  in  the  village  ;  Mr. 
Runkel  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Temperance  Society  and  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Church  ;  he  was  married  in  1870  to  Miss  Maggie  Steiner,  who 
was  born  in  Milwaukee  Co..  Wis.;  they  have  four  children — Lewis 
Saraji  J.,  Helen  C.  and  Eugene  E. 

JOHN  SPRECHER,  dealer  in  farm  machinery  at  Independ- 
ence; was  born  Nov.  29,  1850,  in  Troy,  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.;  he 
lived  there  with  his  parents  until  1873,  when  he  came  to  Arcadia, 
and  worked  for  Krumdick  &  Muir,  who  were  engaged  in  farm 
machinery  business ;  here  he  continued  until  1876,  when  he 
removed  to  Independence,  where  he  conducted  the  busine.ss  for 
his  former  employers,  for  two  years,  and  in  1878,  he  bought  out 
Krumdick,  and  the  firm  was  known  as  Muir  &  Sprecher  for  one 
year  ;  he  then  bought  out  Muir,  and  has  since  run  the  business 
alone.  Mr.  Sprecher  also  has  a  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  runs 
in  connection  with  his  other  business ;  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelica:l  Church,  at  Independence.  His  wife  was  Miss  Caro- 
line ScafiFer,  of  Sauk  County.     They  have  one  son — John  H. 

JAMES  C.  TAYLOR,  druggist.  Independence ;  is  a  native 
of  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  having  been  born  there  in  April,  1828  ; 
first  came  West  in  1861,  staying  in  Milwaukee  one  year,  and  then 
coming  to  Trempealeau  County,  where  he  started  a  merchandise 
st;ore  in  the  village  of  Trempealeau  ;  in  1872,  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  afterward  engaged  in  the  collecting 
business  ;  he  removed  to  Independence  in  1876,  and  entered  upon 
present  business,  which  he  has  followed  since  in  connection  with 
collecting;  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  soon 
after  his  arrival  in  Independence,  and  has  been  Town  Clerk  for 
several  years,  Mr.  Taylor  is  agent  for  D.  M.  Kelly,  of  Green 
Bay,  for  the  sale  of  village  lots  in  Independence,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.  0.  U,  W.,  being  a  charter  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendence Lodge,  No.  27. 

NIC  THRISON,  manufiicturer  of  boots  and  shoes.  Independ- 
ence; was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug  22,  1853,  ant 
lived  there  until  1879,  when  he  moved  to  Buffalo  County  and 
worked  on  a  farm  for  one  year;  he  then  learned  shoe-making  in 
Fountain  City,  where  he  remained  until  October,  1876,  when  he 
came  to  Independence,  and  started  the  first  shoe-shop  in  the  vil- 
lage;  in  the  spring  of  1880,  he  built  the  brick  buildins:  which  he 
now  occupies,  it  being  the  second  brick  building  in  the  village. 
He  was  married  in  Arcadia  May  4,  1875,  to  Miss  Helen  Turck, 
who  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  They  have  two  children — Bruno 
H.  and  Clara  M. 

THOMAS  THO.MPSON,  dealer  in  general  merchandise, 
[ndt'|)cndeiKe ;  was  burn  in  Sweden,  Nov.  7,  1851,  and  came 
with  his  parents  to  -\mcrica  in  1857.  They  first  lived  in  Nor- 
way, Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  on  a  farm,  after  which  they  moved  to 
Trempealeau  County,  where  his  father  bought  a  fiirm  of  232 
acres,  and  he  remained  with  them,  teaching  school  at  Arcadia 
during  the  winters  of  1871  and  1872 ;  in  1874,  he  started  a  store 
at  Arcadia  in  company  with   Ole  0.  Peterson,  he  continuing  in 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


this  fourteen  months,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  sold  out  to  his 
partner;  he  returned  home,  and  was  married  to  Mrs.  Thomas 
Thompson  ;  he  then  moved  to  villa<re  of  Trempealeau  and  went 
into  the  machine  business,  at  which  he  continued  for  two  years  ; 
then  returned  to  Arcadia  and  bought  out  liis  former  partner,  and 
ran  the  store  til!  February,  1881,  when  he  removed  to  Independ- 
ence. He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Arcadia  Lodge, 
No.  201. 

WILLIAM  R.  TRUMBULL,  proprietor  of  the  Trumbull 
Hotel,  Independence ;  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hammond,  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  until  1855,  when  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  first  living  in  Fountain  City,  Buffalo  Co.,  where  he 
worked  at  engineering  in  a  saw-mill ;  he  continued  this  for  twelve 
years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1867,  was  elected  County  Sheriff  of  Buf- 
falo County,  which  office  he  held  two  years;  he  then  worked  at 
carpentering  for  one  year  after  which  he  went  into  a  flouring-mill 
for  three  years,  and  afterward  rented  the  Mallinger  House  in  Fount- 
ain City,  in  1875,  which  he  run  for  two  years;  he  then  bought 
his  present  place  in  Independence. 

JOHN  J.  ZIMMER,  farmer,  Sec.  19,  town  of  Burnside, 
Independence;  was  born  in  New  Y^ork,  Jan.  17,  1886;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1844,  and  lived  with  his  parents  one  year  in  Racine 
County,  after  which  they  went  to  Jefferson  County,  where  his 
father  bought  a  farm  of  120  acres  ;  here  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
lived  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Margaret  Wunderlich,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
moved  to  Juneau  County,  where  he  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  and 
afterward  at  constructing  railroads,  and  then  ran  a  store  at  New 
Lisbon  for  one  year;  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  12th  Wis.  Bat- 
tery, and  after  serving  six  months ;  was  wounded  in  the  right  leg, 
in  the  battle  of  Corinth,  which  unfitted  him  for  further  service, 
so  ho  returned  to  Juneau  County,  where  he  remained  until  the 
spring  of  1864,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Trempealeau  County, 
and  rented  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Hale,  on  which  he  lived  for 
three  years ;  in  1867,  moved  on  to  his  present  farm ;  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Burnside  for  three  years,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  Independence  Lodge,  No.  27. 


BLAIR. 
This  prosperous  village  is  located  on  Section  16,  town 
of  Preston.  The  Green  Bay  road  runs  through  the  village. 
John  0.  Gilbert  is  Postmaster.  The  business  interests  of 
the  place  are  well  represented  by  B.  K.  Strand,  general 
merchandise  ;  T.  J.  Gilbert  &  Co.,  dry  goods,  groceries, 
etc.;  Alfred  Thorbus,  proprietor  Blair  Wagon  Works ; 
Thomas  Thompson,  cabinet  maker ;  William  A.  Young, 
agent  for  Wakefield,  Trow  &  Co.;  Gilbert  &  Johnson,  hard- 
ware ;  John  Mayer,  meat  market,  and  Henry  Thorsgard, 
proprietor  of  Blair  Flouring  Mills.  Even  Bergseng  is  the 
village  landlord ;  Jacob  D.  Stone,  is  the  Justice.  The  vil- 
lage contains  several  well-to-do  farmers,  who  have  retired 
from  the  hard,  active  work  of  the  farm. 

BIOGRAPniCAL    SKETCHES. 

EVEN  BERGSENG,  projirietor  of  Blair  Hotel  and  Livery 
Stable,  was  born  in  Norway  May  10,  1837.  Came  to  America 
in  1865,  first  going  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  on  a 
farm,  and  from  there  to  La  Crosse,  where  he  worked  in  the  lumber 
business  for  a  time,  and  then  started  a  hotel  known  as  the  City 
Hotel.  In  1873,  built  the  first  house  in  the  village  of  Blair.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  Nelson  in  1869.  she  being  also  a 
native  of  Norway.  They  have  four  children — Simon,  Eddie, 
Nicklai  and  Clara. 

T.  I.  GILBERT,  of  the  firm  of  T.  I.  Gilbert  &  Co.,  dealers 
in  dry  goods  and  groceries,  Blair,  was  born  in  Norway  Feb.  6, 
1843,  and  was  one  of  eight  children.  He  came  with  his  mother 
to  America  and  to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  at  farming 


until  1870,  when  he  removed  to  Springfield,  Jackson  Co.,  and 
commenced  merchandising.  This  business  he  has  followed  ever 
since  coming  to  Blair,  Trempealeau  Co.,  in  the  fall  of  1873.  The 
firm  is  also  engaged  with  Wakefield  &  Trow,  in  buying  grain  and 
hay-pressing.  Mr.  Gilbert  enlisted  in  the  late  war,  in  Co.  F,  15th 
Reg.  W.  V.  I.,  October  12,  1861,  and  served  until  1865  in  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  was  in  all  of  the  principal  battles 
of  that  army.      He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  0.  GILBERT,  Postmaster,  Blair,  and  dealer  in  sta- 
tionery, jewelry,  confectionery,  etc.,  was  born  in  Norway  Nov. 
11,  1848.  In  1870  he  came  to  America,  first  locating  at  Mani- 
towoc, Wis.,  where  he  followed  house-painting  until  1874,  when 
he  moved  to  Baldwin,  St.  Croix  Co.,  and  continued  at  his  former 
work  for  one  year.  .  He  then  came  to  Blair,  and  clerked  for  his 
brother.  He  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  Postma.ster  in  1880, 
and  started  his  present  business  at  the  same  time.  He  was  Con- 
stable in  Blair  for  one  year;  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  also  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F.,  Trempealeau  Valley  Lodge,  No.  249. 

ANDREW  JOHNSON,  of  the  firm  of  Gilbert^A  Johnson, 
dealers  in  hardware,  stoves,  etc.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Preston, 
Trempealeau  Co.,  VVis.,  July  20,  1859,  and  lived  there  with  his 
parents  until  1877,  when  he  moved  to  Blair  and  learned  the  tin- 
ner's trade  with  C.  E.  Johnson,  the  gentleman  that  he  is  successor 
to,  and  whom  he  bought  out  April  20,  1881,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Gilbert.     They  now  do  a  business  of  §6,000  per  annum. 

JOHN  MAYER,  meat  market,  stock-buyer  and  shipper, 
Blair,  was  born  Sept.  6,  1852,  in  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1872,  first  going  to  La  Crosse,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  four  years.  After  that  be  went  to  Iowa,  and  lived  for  one 
year,  after  which  he  eame  to  Blair  in  April,  1880,  and  started  in 
his  present  business,  his  being  the  first  regular  moat  market  in  the 
village.  He  was  married  in  1877  to  Miss  Mary  Marxer.  They 
have  three  children — John  E.,  Annie  B.,  and  an  infant  daughter. 

CAPT.  JAMES  OVERSON,  farmer,  was  born  in  Norway, 
May  23,  1830,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  America  in  1843, 
first  landing  at  Milwaukee,  and  from  there  going  to  Norway,  Ra- 
cine Co.,  where  he  remained  on  a  farm  with  his  parents  for  twenty 
years;  he  enlisted  in  1861,  Co.  C,  15th  Wis.  Reg.  Vol.  Infimtry,  and 
served  for  three  years ;  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  when  the 
army  was  hard  pressed,  his  Captain  having  fallen,  he  took  a  stand 
in  front  and  encouraged  his  comrades  to  maintain  their  position  in 
the  fight ;  in  this  engagement  he  was  severely  wounded,  and  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Captain  for  his  gallantry,  said  captaincy 
being  conferred  by  Governor  Lucius  Fairchild  ;  he  moved  to  the 
Trempealeau  Valley  after  the  war,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Chair- 
man of  Town  Board  of  Preston,  and  also  of  Supervisor ;  was  mar- 
ried in  1870  to  Miss  Jenette  C.  Welch,  by  whom  he  has  two  chil- 
dren living,  Clara  E.  and  Addie  M. 

JACOB  D.  STONE,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Notary  Public, 
Blair,  was  born  July  30,  1829,  in  Connecticut.  Left  his  native 
State  in  1854,  and  went  to  Pennsylvania,  whore  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  until  the  war  broke  out;  in  1862  he  was  employed 
in  the  War  Department  at  Washington  as  Civil  Clerk  ;  in  1863, 
at  the  time  of  the  Ealy  attack  upon  Washington,  he  entered  the 
service  in  the  Quartermaster  General  Brigade,  and  served  until 
1867,  at  which  time  he  was  mustered  out  and  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  remained  but  a  short  time  ;  he  then  came  West 
and  first  went  to  Trempealeau,  Wis.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and 
lived  until  1876,  when  he  moved  to  Blair,  his  present  residence; 
he  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Dccorah  Lodge,  No.  177,  at 
Galesville. 

B.  K.  STRAND,  general  merchandise,  Blair,  was  born  in 
Norway,  Dec.  31,  1849.  Came  to  America  in  1870,  first  going 
to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  one  year; 
from  there  went  to  the  Black  River  and  worked  in  the  lumber 
business  four  years,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Coon  Prairie,  in 
Vernon  Co.,  and  started  a  store  ;  he  remained  there  two  years,  and 
then  removed  to  Blair  and  began  his  present  business  in  the  fall  of 
1877  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Minnesota  Relief  Association,  and 


HISTORY    OF   TREMPEALEAU    COUNTY. 


was  married  in   1879  to  Miss  Mary  Kuudlson.  of  Fiicon  Falls; 
(hey  have  one  dauo;hter. 

THOMAS  THOMPSON,  furniture  and  cabinet-maker,  and 
dealer  in  paints,  oils,  etc.,  Blair,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  and  was 
burn  in  June,  1843.  Came  to  America  in  1871,  first  settling  in 
Blair,  Trempealeau  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  at 
earpentering  and  building,  having  learned  the  trade  in  Norway ; 
after  the  big  fire  in  Chicago,  he  went  there  and  commenced  work 
at  his  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1873,  at  which  time  he  went 
to  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  employ  of  the 
Government  on  the  light-house ;  here  he  remained  until  1876, 
when  he  returned  to  Blair  and  started  in  his  present  business ; 
Mr.  Thompson  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  in  1879, 
and  still  acts  in  that  capacity,  being  also  Notary  Public,  having 
been  appointed  to  that  office  by  Gov.  Smith,  in  1880. 

ALFRED  THORBUS,  proprietor  of  Blair  Wagon  Works, 
was  born  in  La  Crosse,  Feb.  25,  1857.  Worked  in  Sparta,  Wis., 
for  his  father  and  uncle  until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Blair  and 
started  in  his  present  business,  his  being  the  first  wagon  manufac- 
tory established  in  that  village  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Minnesota 
Relief  Association  ;  he  was  married  in  January,  1880,  to  Miss  M. 
P.  Nelson,  of  Blair ;  they  have  one  daughter,  Martha  T. 

HENRY  THORSGARD,  proprietor  of  Blair  Flouring  Mills  ; 
was  born  in  Norway,  Dec.  10,  1844,  and  came  with  his  parents 
to  America  in  1855  ;  he  came  to  Blair  in  the  year  1873,  and  in 
company  with  a  Mr.  Vaness,  bought  the  mill  where  he  now  is,  it 
being  the  first  mill  in  the  town  of  Preston.  They  continued  to 
run  it  in  partnership  until  1876,  when  Mr.  Thorsgard  bought  out 
his  partner  and  has  since  continued  the  business  alone.  His  mill 
has  a  capacity  of  40  barrels  of  flour  per  day,  and  has  a  barley  hul- 
ler  in  connection  with  it,  being  the  only  one  in  Trempealeau, 
Jackson  or  Buifalo  Counties. 

WILLIAM  H.  WELCH,  retired  farmer,  Blair;  was  born  in 
Skaneateles,  N.  Y.,  July  16,  1826.  In  1832,  moved  to  Michi- 
gan with  his  parents,  his  father  buying  a  farm  in  Washtenaw 
County,  which  consisted  of  80  acres  ;  lived  there  with  his  parents 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  was  married  to  Eliza  0.  Arm- 
strong, who  was  a  native  of  New  Y'ork.  After  the  marriage,  him- 
self and  wife  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  where  he  bought  a 
farm  and  remained  until  December,  1856;  he  removed  to  Trem- 
pealeau County,  first  going  to  Galesville,  where  he  stayed  during 
the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1857,  bought  a  farm  of  120  acres 
in  the  Trempealeau  Valley,  said  farm  being  within  three  miles  of 
Blair.  From  the  time  Mr.  Welch  moved  here,  until  1873,  which 
was  the  time  that  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  was  con- 
structed, he  marketed  his  grain,  either  at  Black  River  Falls, 
Sparta,  Trempealeau  or  La  Crosse;  lived  here  until  1875,  when 
he  moved  to  the  village  of  Blair,  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
He  enlisted  in  Co.  1,  36th  W.V.  I.,  in  1864,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  having  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand  shot  off  in 
the  battle  of  Petersburg.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town  Super- 
visor for  one  year.  He  has  a  fiimily  of  ten  children — Laroy  H.; 
Alice  D.,  now  Mrs.  F.  J.  Kuni,  of  Minnesota;  Janette  C,  now 
Mrs.  J.  O.  Overson,  of  Blair;  Emma  E.,  now  Mrs.  R.  Bliss,  of 
Minnesota;  Elvira  M.,  Hiram  L.,  William  E.,  Cora  A.,  Berton  J. 
and  Amanda  M. 

HENRY  A.  YOUNG,  agent  for  Wakefield,  Trow  &  Co., 
dealers  in  lumber,  grain,  farm  machinery,  etc.,  Blair ;  is  a  native 
of  New  York,  having  been  born  in  Erie  County,  in  1850;  came 
to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  in  1856,  where  he  re- 


mained until  1875,  when  he  came  to  Blair  and  engaged  with  the 
above  firm.  The  firm  of  Wakefield,  Gilbert,  Trow  &  Co.  was  or- 
ganized in  the  fall  of  1878;  they  ship  about  20,000  bushels  of 
grain  and  700  tons  of  hay  per  annum,  having  a  hay-press  at  Blair. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  married  Miss  Mary  McKivergan,  who 
is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  one  son — Alvin  H.  He  is 
a  member  of  Rushford  Lodge,  No.  121,  I.  O.  0.  F.,  at  Eureka, 
AVionebago  Co. 


The  post  village  of  Ettrick  is  situated  on  Section  31,  in 
the  town  of  that  name.  Its  local  industries  are  represented 
in  the  following : 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

IVER  KNUDTSON,  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker,  Et- 
trick, was  born  in  Norway  March  13.  1831  ;  was  married  to  Miss 
Giorgne  Iverson.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1855,  and 
firtt  stopped  with  his  brother  on  a  farm  in  Trempealeau  Co.  In 
1864  he  came  to  Ettrick  and  worked  at  carpentering  until  1874, 
at  which  time  he  started  his  present  furniture  store.  Mr.  Knudt- 
son  now  holds  the  office  of  Town  and  School  Treasurer  in  the 
town  of  Ettrick  ;  has  a  family  of  nine  children — Charley.  Alford, 
Annie,  Ida,  Josephine,  Peter,  Katie,  Clara  and  Arthur. 

PETER  J.  HUFF,  merchant  and  blacksmith,  Ettrick,  was 
born  in  Norway  April  23,  1840.  He  came  with  his  parents  to 
the  United  States  in  1863  and  located  with  them  in  Dane  Co., 
where  he  lived  for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Vernon  Co., 
where  he  remained  until  1869,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Ettrick, 
where  he  started  a  blacksmith  shop,  which  business  he  has  run 
ever  since.  In  1879  he  started  a  store,  which  he  manages  in  con- 
nection with  his  other  business.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  14th  W. 
V.  I.,  in  December,  1863,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war; 
has  been  Town  Trustee  of  Ettrick  for  six  years  and  Side  Super- 
visor for  one  year. 

CHESTER  N.  ASHLEY,  miller  at  the  Ettrick  Flouring 
Mills  and  proprietor  of  the  Ettrick  Hotel,  was  born  in  New  Y'ork 
Jan.  27,  1848.  In  1852  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin, 
settling  in  Columbia  Co.,  where  he  remained  with  them  until 
1867  ;  then  going  to  Green  Lake  Co.,  he  commenced  learning  the 
miller's  trade  with  his  brother,  J.  W.  Ashley.  In  1879  he  came 
to  Ettrick  and  took  charge  of  the  Ettrick  Flouring  Mills,  which 
were  built  by  Oriu  Vaness  in  1870,  but  were  then  owned  by  Mr. 
Pederson.  They  have  a  run  of  three  buhrs  and  a  capacity  of 
making  forty  barrels  of  flour  per  day. 

IVER  PETERSON,  Postmaster  and  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise, hardware,  etc.,  live  stock,  Ettrick,  was  born  in  Norway 
March  13, 1842.  He  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1862,  and 
located  in  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  25th  W.V.  I., 
serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  Vernon 
Co.,  remaining  two  years,  working  on  a  farm  summers  and  in  the 
woods  at  lumbering  winters.  In  1868  he  came  to  Trempealeau 
Co.  and  started  a  small  general  merchandise  store  at  Frenchville, 
but  after  staying  there  two  years  he  moved  his  stock  to  Ettrick, 
which  has  been  his  home  ever  since,  and  has  gradually  increased 
his  stock  until  he  now  does  a  business  of  §35,000  per  annum, 
being  also  proprietor  of  the  gristmill  at  Ettrick.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1870,  to  Miss  Mary  Netson,  who  is  a  native  of  Norway. 
They  have  two  children — Albert  and  Emma. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


GEOLOGICAL   NATURE. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  county  the  formations  are 
azoic  and  metamorphic  ;  the  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  pre- 
vailing formation  in  the  south  ;  the  southeast  has  a  small 
deposit  of  magnesian  limestone,  the  general  slope  of  the 
land  being  toward  the  southeast. 

EXTENT    AND    BOUNDARIES. 

Waupaca  County  comprises  twenty-one  townships,  each 
six  miles  square,  and  twenty  organized  towns,  viz.:  Bear 
Creek,  Caledonia,  Dayton,  Dupont,  Farmington,  Fremont, 
Helvetia,  lola,  Larrabee,  Lebanon,  Lind,  Little  Wolf,  Mat- 
teson,  Mukwa,  Royalton,  St.  Lawrence,  Scandinavia, 
Union,  Waupaca  and  Weyauwega.  It  contains  756  square 
miles  and  483,840  acres;  is  thirty  miles  in  length  from 
north  to  south,  and  twenty-four  in  width  from  east  to  west, 
except  in  the  north  tier  of  towns  wiiere  the  addition  of  Mat- 
teson  'makes  it  six  miles  wider.  It  is  bounded  north  by 
Shawano  County;  east  by  Shawano  and  Outagamie;  south 
by  Winnebago  and  Waushara  ;  west  by  Portage.  In  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  county  the  soil  is  rather  hard  and 
stony,  the  country  being  quite  hilly.  In  the  rest  of  the 
county  the  surface  of  the  country  is  generally  undulating, 
the  soil  inclining  to  a  sandy  texture.  The  eastern  and 
northeastern  portions  are  heavily  timbered,  consisting  of 
hard  and  soft  maple,  oak,  birch,  cherry,  butternut,  hickory, 
ash,  elm,  basswood,  ironwood,  pine,  tamarack,  spruce,  pop- 
lar, and  in  some  places  beech  and  hemlock.  The  rest  of 
the  county  is  mainly  oak  openings.  About  three-fifths  is 
timbered  land,  and  some  of  its  best  farms  are  found  in  these 
oak  openings.  The  chief  crops  raised  are  corn,  wheat — the 
spring  doing  remarkably  well — oats,  buckwheat,  red 
clover,  which  is  extensively  cultivated,  and  the  wild  grasses. 
Corn,  buckwheat,  beans  and  potatoes  favor  the  light  soil, 
while  oats,  wheat,  peas  and  the  grasses  thrive  in  clay  or 
heavy  loam.  Stock-raising  is  becoming  more  and  more  a 
source  of  wealth  to  the  county,  and  much  superior  butter 
and  cheese  are  already  produced.  The  country  is  well 
suited  for  sheep-raising,  but  the  prices  brought  by  the  wool 
in  the  market  do  not  invite  investment  in  this  line.  The 
severe  winters  of  1873  and  1874  discouraged  apple-raising, 
but  many  growers  seem  to  be  again  taking  heart,  and  Wau- 
paca County  will  yet  regain  and  exceed  her  former  stand- 
ing. Grapes  grow  admirably,  and  the  berries — strawber- 
ries, blackberries,  raspberries  and  huckleberries — flourish 
in  profusion.  Cranberries  are  found  wild  in  all  of  the 
tamarack  swamps,  but  are  not  yet  cultivated.  The  county 
abounds  in  small  lakes,  and  wild  game  of  the  smaller  varie- 
ties ;  also  in  rivers,  stocked  with  fish  of  the  largest  size — 
pickerel,  pike,  black  and  white  bass,  perch,  catfish,  stur- 
geon. Especially  do  anglers  favor  the  haunts  around  the 
beautiful  little  lakes  near  Waupaca.  The  county  is  there- 
fore becoming  quite  a  resort  for  tourists  in  search  of  cheap 
and  good  living,  and   whose   health   requires   the  pure,  dry 


atmosphere  of  an  interior  county.  Neither  miasmatic  dis- 
eases nor  pulmonary  complaints  thrive  at  all.  The  water 
is  good,  and,  as  a  general  thing,  can  be  obtained  by  digging 
from  ten  to  twenty-five  feet.  In  many  parts  of  the  county, 
artesian  wells  are  reached  at  a  depth  of  from  seventy  to 
one  hundred  feet 

THE    LUMBER    INTERESTS. 

Waupaca  County  lies  within  the  southern  limits  of  the 
pine  region,  the  timber  being  mainly  from  the  northern 
portion,  with  belts  of  more  or  less  magnitude  in  the  eastern 
and  northeastern  sections.  For  this  leading  source  of 
wealth,  New  London,  at  the  head  of  navigation  of  the 
Wolf  River,  is  the  central  point.  On  the  north  and  north- 
west the  surface  is  broken  and  soil  stony.  The  east  is  un- 
dulating, the  southeast  marshy.  The  country  is  well 
watered  in  every  direction,  the  Wolf  which  passes  through 
the  southeastern  part  being  the  main  navigable  stream. 
This,  with  its  numerous  tributaries,  is  the  main  outlet  and 
water  highway  for  the  four  hundred  million  feet  of  logs 
which  are  annually  taken  from  the  still  thickly  wooded 
lands  of  the  north  and  northeast.  These  portions  of  Wau- 
paca County  are  also  watered  by  the  Little  Wolf,  Embar- 
rass, Pigeon  Rivers,  Bear  Creek,  etc.,  while  in  the  south 
and  west  flow  the  Waupaca,  Pearl,  Crystal,  and  their 
branches.  The  lumbering  interests  are  of  course  nothing 
in  extent  to  what  they  were  years  ago,  when  the  county 
depended  almost  entirely  upon  this  source  of  revenue.  But 
that  is  by  no  means  exhausted  is  shown  by  the  saw  mills 
anl  lumber  manufactories  sea',-  ed  throughout  the  county 
in  nearly  every  village  or  itvvnship  of  importance  and 
wealth.  Statistics,  however,  dry  as  they  are,  mean  more 
than  any  outburst  of  general  statement.  Following,  then, 
are  the  number  of  acres  of  timber  growing  in  the  several 
townships  at  the  time  of  making  the  general  assessment  for 
1880:  lola,  the  extreme  northwestern  township,  30.000; 
Dupont,  the  middle  northei'n,  22,000  ;  Union,  north  of  cen- 
tral, 8,000 ;  Royalton,  south  of  central,  8,000  ;  Farming- 
ton,  6,600 ;  Lebanon,  5,533 ;  Dayton.  4,567  ;  Matteson, 
3,928  ;  Waupaca,  town,  3,773  ;  Caledonia,  3,736  ;  Fre- 
mont, 3,000 ;  Larrabee,  2,846;  Lind,  2,170;  W^eyauwega, 
2,000;  Mukwa,  1,514;  Helvetia,  1,310;  Bear  Creek, 
1,000  ;  Scandinavia,  979 ;  Little  Wolf.  776 ;  St.  Lawrence, 
300 ;  city  of  New  London,  32 ;  city  of  Waupaca,  5. 
Total,  112,069  acres  of  growing  timber.  These  figures 
mean,  if  they  mean  anything,  that  the  lumbering  interests 
will  be  alive  for  many  years  to  come.  Many  water  privileges 
on  the  rivers  which  wet  the  county  have  not  been  improved, 
but  as  it  settles  up  more  thickly  and  the  wooded  lands  are 
cleared  away,  they  will  be  utilized  by  the  grist  and  flour 
mills.  Notwithstanding  that  so  many  new  springs  of 
wealth  have  been  reached  many  old  settlers  sigh  for  the 
times  when  the  Wolf  River  was  blocked  for  miles  and  miles 
with  giants  of  the  forest,  and  when  it  was  the  gateway  for 
such  a  rush  of  travel   and  traflic  from  the  sreat  Northwest- 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


efn  regions.  Then  it  was  that  the  villages  situated  on  nav- 
igable streams  enjoyed  an  unrivaled  season  of  prosperity. 
Since  the  building  of  the  Wisconsin  Central,  however, 
which  enters  the  county  near  the  southeast  corner,  passing 
through  it  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  and  the  connections 
made  by  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  and  Green 
Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railroads,  some  of  the  villages 
have  fallen  from  their  most  brisk  state  of  prosperity,  while 
the  agricultural  community — the  townships  generally — have 
been  materially  benefited.  It  is  but  a  ((uestion  of  tioie, 
so  argue  the  most  observing  residents  of  the  county,  when 
the  townships  will  grow  up  to  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of 
the  villages,  and  then  they  will  both  advance  together.  At 
present  the  logs  cut  are  mostly  floated  down  the  streams  to 
the  Wolf  River  and  the  "boom,"  and  then  rafted  and 
towed  to  their  destinations  by  steam  tugs.  Oshkosh,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Upper  Fox,  consumes  most  of  the  yield. 

AGRICULTURAL. 

The  principal  farm  products  of  Waupaca  County,  have 
alreadv  been  mentioned  in  a  general  way.  The  production 
for  1880,  was  as  follows  :  Wheat,  20,359  bushels  ;  corn,  13,- 
078  bushels  ;  oats,  12,631  bushels ;  grasses.  13,818  tons. 
Potatoes  are  a  good  crop,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of 
Farmington,  Lind,  Dayton,  Scandinavia  and  Royalton. 
Rye  flourishes  the  best,  or  is  most  cultivated,  in  Dayton, 
Lind,  Caledonia,  Farmington,  lola,  Mukwa,  Royalton,  Wey- 
auwega  and  Waupaca.  It  is  estimated  that  a  general 
average  per  acre,  throughout  the  county,  is  wheat,  12 
bushels;  corn,  40;  oats,  35  ;  potatoes,  150.  The  Waupaca 
County  Agricultural  Society,  centers  at  Weyauwega,  and 
includes  many  of  its  most  wealthy  and  substantial  farmers. 

Dairy  Products. — A  line  of  farming  industry  which  is 
assuming  importance,  and,  in  the  judgment  of  many,  will 
become  a  magnitude,  is  that  devoted  to  dairy  products. 
During  1879,  the  last  year  for  which  an  estimate  has  been 
made,  the  county  produced  262,036  pounds  of  butter  and 
101,995  of  cheese,  the  prize  towns  being  Lind,  Royalton, 
Weyauwega  and  Waupaca.  In  the  entire  county,  are,  in 
round  numbers,  6,100  milch  cows,  valued  at  $66,000. 

Horticulture. — In  certain  sections  of  the  county  the 
cultivation  of  fruits  is  being  brought  to  a  good  state  of  per- 
fection and  financial  success.  Apples,  especially,  seem  to 
flourish.  Nearly  500  acres  are  devoted  to  the  raising  of 
this  latter  fruit,  there  being  15,000  bearing  trees. 

The  Waupaca  County  Horticultural  Society  was  organized 
July  11,  1874.  It  now  consists  of  about  fifty  members, 
the  present  officers  being :  President,  0.  A.  Rich,  Weyau- 
wega; Vice  President,  1.  C.  Alden;  Secretary,  J.  Wake- 
field, Fremont;  Treasurer,  J.  A.  Mathews,  Weyauwega; 
Executive  Committee,  W.  A.  Springer,  Chairman,  E.  W. 
Wrightman,  A.  V.  Balch.  W.  A.  Springer  is  the  delegate 
to  the  State  Society. 

PROPERTY  AND  TAXATION. 

The  property  of  the  county  is  valued  as  follows  :  Per- 
sonal, $778,472;  realty,  $2,011,416;  city  and  village  lots, 
$825,693.  The  total  of  these  three  suras,  $3,615,581,  rep- 
resents the  entire  valuation  of  all  county  property. 

On  the  valuation   of  $4,199,215,  made  by   the  State 

Board  in  1880,  the  tax  was  $6,239.32,  1.4858  per  cent., 

which,  with  special  taxes,   brings   the   total   amount  up    to 

$10,138.89.     There  is  no  general  county  indebtedness  what- 

68 


ever.  The  towns,  cities  and  villages  have  debts  amounting 
to  $157,521.45,  of  which  sum  $130,199.98  has  been 
incurred  by  voting  aid  to  the  Wisconsin  Central  in  its  grand 
plan  of  extension  through  Central  and  Northern  Wisconsin. 

POPULATION. 

Speaking  in  general  terms,  the  northwestern  and  west- 
ern parts  of  Waupaca  County  have  been  mainly  settled  by 
Norwegians,  the  northeastern  and  southeastern  portions  by 
the  Germans,  the  Irish  predominating  in  the  central  towns. 
This  statement  has,  of  course,  reference  to  the  foreign  cle- 
ment, the  population,  as  a  whole,  being  about  three  quarters 
American.  According  to  the  last  census  (1880),  the  popu- 
lation by  townships  was  as  follows  :  Bear  Creek,  984  ;  Cale- 
donia, 902;  Dayton,  801;  Dupont,  654;  Farmington, 
764;  Fremont,  878;  Helvetia,  243;  lola,  979 ;  Larrabee, 
1,385;  Lebanon,  843;  Lind,  978;  Little  Wolf,  1,342; 
Matteson,o20;  Mukwa,  1,022;  New  London  City,*  (in  Wau- 
paca County)  1,552;  Royalton,  1,086;  St.  Lawrence,  874; 
Scandinavia,  987  ;  Union,  684  ;  Waupaca  Town,  841 ;  Wau- 
paca City,  1,392;  Weyauwaga,  1,243.  Total,  20,711.  A 
comparative  statement  covering  the  part  twentv-five  years  is 
given;  1855,4,437;  1860,  8,851;  1865,  11,208;  1870, 
15,533  ;  1875,  19,646  ;  1880,  20,711.  The  characteristics 
of  Waupaca's  population  are  industry,  sobriety  and  intel- 
ligence. (And  speaking  of  sobriety,  it  is  a  fact  of  which 
few  even  of  her  best  informed  citizens  are  aware,  that  in 
1853  a  majority  of  154  voters  carried  the  county  for  prohi- 
bition). 

THE  SCHOOLS. 

For  a  comparatively  new  county,  the  schools  of  Wau- 
paca are  well  conducted,  under  the  energetic  management  of 
L.  L.  Wright,  Superintendent,  from  whom  much  of  the  in- 
formation here  presented  is  derived.  Tlie  last  report  of 
Superintendent  Wright,  for  the  year  ending  August  31, 
1880,  indicated  the  encouraging  condition  of  the  cause  of 
education  in  the  county.  It  contained  108  organized  school 
districts  at  that  time,  an  increase  of  two  over  last  year.  Of 
the  7,804  children  of  school  age,  4,053  are  males  and  3,751 
females.  Of  this  number  5,358  children  attended  school.  In 
tiie  county  were  eleven  graded  schools,  enploying  31  teach- 
ers, the  average  salary  of  the  males  being  $36.05  per  month, 
and  of  the  females  $23.13.  The  value  of  school  property 
is  $57,327,  while  for  the  purposes  of  education  $9,057.82 
was  collected.  Three  new  houses  were  erected.  One  free 
high  school — the  Union,  of  Waupaca  City — is  maintained. 
The  teachers  of  the  county  have  an  association,  with  which 
are  connected  two  libraries,  one  located  at  Waupaca,  and  the 
other  at  New  London. 

PRE  HISTORIC  AND  HISTORIC. 

Having  presented  a  general  view  of  the  natural  features 
of  the  county,  and  its  sources  of  wealth  and  intelligence,  it 
is  in  order  to  show  the  gradual  stops  which  have  been  made 
to  reach  her  present  standing.  Numbers  of  marked  clear- 
ings and  scores  of  mounds,  found  in  the  islands  of  White 
Lake,  and  the  beautiful  chain  west  of  Waupaca  point  to 
these  localities  as  the  burial  grounds  of  tribes  who  even  pre- 
ceded the  red  men,  who,  in  turn,  finding  the  beauties  of 
nature  here  attractive,  established  flourishing  villages  among 
the  graves  of  their  ancestors.  Many  evidences  go  to  prove 
that  some  of  the  first  tribes  named  bv  the  Jesuit  mission- 


*lu  Waup.ica  aud  Oiitasamic  Coun 


-  Londou  has  a  {wpuIaUu 


1074 


IIIsrORV    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


aries,  had  their  homes  in  and  around  Waupaca  County.  So 
it  is  that  many  Indian  names  have  fastened  themselves  upon 
the  county.  In  his  native  tongue  the  red  man  called  the 
land  now  included  in  Waupaca  County,  "  Waubuck  Seba  " 
— "  To-morrow  River,"'  or  "  Pale  Water."  When  the  very 
first  settlers  met  him.  he  seemed  to  have  fixed  the  belief  that 
the  pale-face  was  to  possess  the  future — the  to-morrow  of 
his  land  ;  therefore  the  general  testimony  is  that  he  gave 
them  little  trouble.  And  this,  notwithstanding  it  has  be- 
come an  established  fact  that  Waupaca  County  was  for  years 
the  permanent  home  of  one  of  the  powerful  Menomonee  tribes. 
Several  of  the  settlers  of  1849  have  ascertained  this  from 
conversations  with  remnants  of  the  tribes  which  they  found 
when  they  came  upon  the  rough  field  of  pioneer  life.  Wey- 
auwega  also  derives  its  name  from  a  venerable  patriarch, 
"  Wey-auwe-ga,"  who  was  alive  at  a  time  within  their  mem- 
ory. The  old  man  was  a  great  favorite,  and  through  tlie 
efforts  of  his  white  friends  his  skull  was  obtained,  and  now 
reposes  in  the  archives  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

In  October,  1848,  negotiations  were  actively  begun  for 
the  cession  of  the  lands  now  embraced  in  the  limits  of  the 
county.  Their  title  to  the  territory  east  of  the  Wolf  had 
been  extinguished  several  years  before.  But  it  was  not  un- 
til June  1,  1852,  that  the  Indians  surrendered  all  claims. 

FIR8T    SETTLERS. 

In  the  meantime,  although  not  according  to  the  letter  of 
the  law  perhaps,  a  strong  tide  of  immigration  set  in  toward 
Waupaca  Co.  and  settled  over  the  land. 

In  the  year  1843,  Alpheus  Hicks,  father  of  Stephen 
Hicks,  of  New  London,  made  an  exploring  tour  up  the  river 
from  Oshkosh,  and  is  recorded  as  the  first  wliite  settler  in  the 
present  limits  of  Waupaca  County.  Landing  near  the  pres 
ent  site  of  Fremont,  he  went  further  up  the  river  to  Shaw- 
ano Lake,  returning  to  Oshkosh,  but  finally  settled  at  Fre- 
mont. The  first  white  woman  who  ever  set  foot  in  Waupaca 
County  is,  therefore,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hicks,  the  step-mother 
of  Alpheus.  So  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  Mr.  Hicks  was  the 
only  permanent  settler  previous  to  1848.  In  the  treaty  of 
that  year,  Robert  Grignon  was  granted  a  quarter-section  of 
land,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Wolf,  to  build  a  saw-mill. 
The  building  was  erected  previous  to  the  date  of  the  treaty, 
Hon.  Pliiletus  Sawyer  working  here  as  a  common  laborer 
during  the  winter  of  1848. 

In  the  spring  of  1849,  several  mill  enterprises  were  un- 
dertaken within  the  limits  of  Waupaca  County,  and,  as 
stated  above,  many  new  settlers  pitched  their  huts,  although 
this  advance  civilization  was  growing  up  in  violation  of  the 
law,  the  Indians  having  not  yet  surrendered  their  lands. 
The  Indian  Agent  of  the  Menomonees  worked  himself  into 
a  hot  state  of  excitement,  but  his  threats  availed  but  little. 
The  country  was  fated  to  be  civilized,  and  within  the  next 
year  the  tide  increased.  In  the  middle  of  July,  1849,  J. 
M.  Vaughn,  Alonzo  Vaughn,  W.  B.  Cooper,  John  Taylor, 
of  Plymouth,  Sheboygan  County,  and  a  "  Dr."  from  Erie 
County,  New  York,  appeared  at  VVinneconne.  Two  or 
three  weeks  before,  W.  B.  and  Joseph  Hibbard  and  E.  C. 
Sessions,  had  journeyed  northward  from  Plymouth,  up  Lake 
Winnebago,  crossed  Wolf  River,  above  Mukwa,  and  dis- 
covered the  magnificent  water-power  and  site  of  Waupaca. 
These  gentlemen,  or  a  portion  of  them,  returned  to  Plym- 
outh, and  reported  the  fine  appearance  of  the  country, 
through  which  they  had  just  passed.  A  party,  iieaded  by 
Gen.  Taylor,  were  in  search  of  the  "  Verraonter's  Camp," 


as  Waupaca  was  then  called,  the  country  about  it  being 
known  as  the  "  To-morrow  River  Country."  Mr.  Mum- 
brue  joined  this  party,  and,  with  two  Indian  guides,  started 
for  the  future  city  of  Waupaca.  L^p  the  Wolf  River  they 
paddled  and  embarked  at  Gill's  Landing,  soon  reaching  the 
site  of  Weyauwega.  They  also  found  Simon  C.  Dow's  and 
J.  W.  Chandler's  camp  or  cabin,  which  these  gentlemen  had 
occupied  about  ten  days.  This  became  the  site  of  the  town 
of  Lind.  Here  the  party  met  W.  B.  Hibbard,  who  had 
come  down  from  the  "  Vermonter's  camp  "  for  a  quantity 
of  flour,  and  returned  with  him  to  the  future  county  seat  of 
Waupaca.  But  all  which  then  greeted  them  was  an  awning 
of  bushes,  supported  by  four  poles.  Before  the  close  of  the 
season  of  1849,  many  mare  settlements  were  made  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  Messrs.  Billington,  Tibbetts, 
Van  Ostrand,  and  others,  had  settled  near  Weyauwega ;  S. 
C.  Dow,  Col.  Chandler  and  J.  M.  Vaughn,  between  Wey- 
auwega and  Waupaca ;  E.  C.  Sessions,  J.  and  W.  B.  Hib- 
bard, Dana  Dewey.  Capt.  Scott,  Judge  Ware,  W.  B.  Cooper 
and  others,  at  Waupaca ;  Columbus  Caldwell  and  Jason 
Rice  on  the  Walla  Walla,  at  Lind  Center ;  Mr.  Nordman, 
at  or  near  New  London  ;  R.  Eastman  at  Springer's  Point ; 
Mr.  Wilcox,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Waui)aca.  and  Charles 
Edwards  at  Little  River. 

The  early  settlers  were  taking  time  by  the  forelock. 
They  knew  the  lands  would  be  ceded,  and  that  the  spirit  of 
the  law  supported  them.  There  was  one  kind  of  lawless- 
ness, however,  which  they  would  not  tolerate.  They,  in 
common  with  all  honest  pioneers,  abominated  "squatters," 
and  by  1849  they  were  coming  thick  and  meaning  to  stay. 
In  August,  of  that  year,  William  B.  Mumbrue  was  employed 
to  run  a  line  from  the  east  bank  of  the  Wolf  River,  through 
the  principal  settlements,  to  the  north  and  west.  This  line 
was  to  be  used  as  a  basis  for  the  laying  of  claims  when  the 
lands  were  afterward  surveyed.  But  the  squatters  continued 
their  tricks,  and  claim-jumping  went  on.  The  settlers, 
therefore,  formed  a  league  to  protect  their  pre-emption 
rights.  A  committee  of  three  was  chosen,  to  whom  all 
complaints  were  to  be  made,  and  the  differences  adjusted  by 
the  league,  peaceably,  if  possible,  but  decisively  at  all 
events.  It  consisted  of  Benjamin  Birdsell,  Claudius  F. 
Eaton,  and  Alonzo  Rudd.  Some  amusing  anecdotes  are 
related  to  illustrate  the  persuasive  force  upon  a  "jumper" 
of  a  dozen  brawny  muscles  straining  upon  the  roof  of  his 
shanty,  or  a  huge  log  converted  into  a  "battering-ram," 
and  brought  to  bear  by  a  score  of  hardy  pioneers  upon  the 
door  of  his  log  hut.  The  labors  of  this  league,  though  per- 
haps not  strictly  legal,  deserve  an  honorable  place  in  the 
history  of  Waupaca  County,  as  it  enabled  many  of  the  early 
settlers  to  enforce,  by  a,  posse  comatatus,  claims  which  were 
threatened  by  dishonest  adventurers. 

THE    FIGHT    FOR    A    CHILD. 

In  April,  1850,  it  was  believed  that  the  Menomonee 
Indians  iiad,  from  some  motive  of  malice  or  revenge,  taken 
a  little  boy  named  Partridge,  whose  father  resided  in  Win- 
nebago County.  The  child  was  five  years  old,  and  the  last 
seen  of  him  he  was  playing  near  his  father,  who  was  making 
sugar  in  the  vicinity  of  the  settlement  of  Partridge.  Search 
was  immediately  instituted  for  the  missing  one,  but  without 
avail.  Two  years  passed  and  the  family  had  about  given 
up  hope  of  finding  the  boy.  In  April,  1852,  a  party  of 
Menomonees  and  Pottawatomies  encamped  near  Waupaca. 
A  young  boy  of  about  seven  was  with  them,  and  his  appear- 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


ance  was  so  different  from  the  rest  that  the  fact  attracted 
the  attention  of  some  of  the  settlers.  A  Mrs.  Burton,  a 
sister  of  Mr.  Partridge,  saw  the  urchin  and  was  convinced 
that  the  lost  Caspar  was  found.  Remembering  that  when 
very  small  he  had  cut  his  foot  with  an  ax,  she  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  examine  him  and  found  the  scar  in  the  proper 
place,  but  almost  obliterated.  The  attention  of  the  people 
of  the  village  was  called  to  this  circumstance,  and  by  gifts 
of  pork  and  flour,  the  Indians  were  induced  to  remain  a  few 
days  longer,  They  then  made  preparations  to  break  up 
camp.  0.  E.  Dreutzer,  now  a  lawyer  of  Sturgeon  Bay, 
and  who  bore  a  prominent  part  in  returning  the  boy  to  his 
parents,  continues  the  story:  "I  had  just  returned  from 
the  Portage  County  Circuit  Court,  and  as  soon  as  I  had 
been  made  acquainted  with  the  situation,  I  determined 
that  the  child  should  remain,  at  all  hazards,  until  Mr. 
Partridge's  return.  C.  0.  Brown  and  myself  went  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Indians.  I  entered  the  wigwam  where  I  discov- 
ered the  boy  to  be,  and  took  him  from  the  squaw  who 
claimed  to  be  his  mother.  The  Indians  lifted  their  toma- 
hawks at  me,  and  the  squaw  scratched  me  in  the  face.  I 
brought  the  child  to  my  house,  however,  and  kept  it  there 
until  Mr.  Partridge  came,  late  that  evening.  The  Indians 
were  in  the  house  all  day,  and  when  the  boy  was  washed 
so  as  to  be  recognizable,  the  squaw  rubbed  it  all  over  with 
grease  and  soot.  By  this  temporary  removal  of  the  coat  of 
filth,  it  was  found  that  both  sides  of  his  mouth  had  been 
burned  with  a  heated  horseshoe,  and  scars  made  in  the 
same  way  on  his  breast.  The  fither  could  not  recognize 
his  boy,  but  his  brother  who  came  with  him  was  satisfied  of 
the  identity,  and  Casper  was  taken  home  by  them.  The 
next  day  the  Indians  got  out  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus, 
returnable  before  United  States  Commissioner  Buttrick,  of 
Oshkosh.  That  officer  decided  against  Mr.  Partridge,  who 
took  the  lost  child  back  with  him,  nevertheless.  About  a 
year  and  half  afterward,  when  Mr.  Partridge  had  removed 
with  his  family  to  McHenry  County,  111.,  an  Indian  Agent, 
Dr.  Huebschmann,  of  Milwaukee,  actuated  by  official  zeal 
in  behalf  of  his  Government  wards,  carried  the  war  into 
Illinois,  and  by  watching  his  opportnnity,  captured  the  boy 
and  brought  him  in  a  buggy  to  Milwaukee.  A  new  exam- 
ination was  held,  and  ^Ir.  Partridge,  now  knowing  that  the 
child  was  his,  got  possession  of  its  body  and  educated  its 
mind  at  Oberlin,  Ohio.  Subsequent  developments  estab- 
lished the  identity  of  the  boy  beyond  a  doubt  " 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  county  and  town  of  Waupaca  was  organized  by 
legislative  act,  approved  February  17,  1851.  The  bounda- 
ries were  as  at  present  constituted,  except  that  of  the  town 
of  Matteson,  only  the  portion  west  of  the  Wolf  River  was 
included.  This  portion  was  subsequently  added.  A  county 
seat  was  temporarily  established  at  Mukwa,  the  first  elec- 
tion being  held  in  April  of  the  same  year.  Following  is 
the  result :  Tyler  Caldwell,  Chairman  of  Town  Board  ; 
Peter  Meiklejohn  and  David  Scott;  C.  L.  Gumaer,  Town 
Clerk ;  Messrs.  Brandy,  S.  F.  Ware  and  John  Boyd,  Jus- 
tices of  the  Peace.  The  first  meeting  of  the  new  Board  of 
Supervisors  was  held  the  next  month.  Mr.  Scott  being  ab- 
sent, Messrs.  Meiklejohn  and  Caldwell,  in  their  capacity  as 
legislators,  divided  the  county  into  eight  road  districts  and 
organized  the  towns  of  Mukwa,  Weyauwega  and  Center- 
ville  (now  Little  Wolf).  George  W.  Taggart  was  appointed 
Town  Treasurer,  and  in  November  the  four  towns  elected 


James  Smiley,  Register  of  Deeds  ;  John  Vaughn,  Sheriff; 
C.  L.  Gumaer,  Clerk  of  the  Board.  During  1852,  Lind. 
Dayton  and  Lebanon  were  created,  making  the  county  con- 
sist of  seven  towns.  In  November,  1852,  at  the  general 
election,  the  people  of  the  seven  towns  elected,  among  the 
regular  oflScials,  a  County  Judge,  C.  E.  P.  Hobart,  but  he 
never  qualified,  as  even  in  that  new  country  it  became  very 
soon  wafted  about  that  the  proceeding  was  quite  unconstitn- 
tional,  though  the  necessity  for  having  a  Judge  was  quite 
evident.  At  the  spring  election  of  the  next  year,  Judge 
Ware  became  the  first  "  regularly  chosen  "  County  Judge, 
and  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at  "  Waupaca  Falls,"  though 
the  five  towns  of  the  county,  other  than  Little  Wolf  and 
Waupaca,  claimed  that  they  construed  the  organic  act  in  a 
way  which  would  have  thrown  the  choice  over  to  the  fall 
elections  of  1853.  The  Board  met  April  15,  1853,  and  by 
a  vote  of  three  to  two  ordered  the  removal  of  the  oSices 
from  Mukwa  to  Waupaca,  the  place  for  holding  the  County 
and  Circuit  Courts  being  "  Gothic  Hall."  The  Mukwa 
officials  resisted,  and  James  Smiley  was  arrested  for  refus- 
ing to  deliver  documents  to  the  Waupacas.  From  this  time 
on  until  November  considerable  excitement  and  hard  feeling 
were  developed  between  the  rival  factions,  a  popular  vote 
then  taken  giving  Waupaca  sixty  majority.  The  County 
Board  declared  the  election  illegal.  The  election  held  in 
1854  did  not  satisfy  the  contestants  for  Mukwa,  nor  that  of 
1855,  which  gave  Waupaca  946  majority.  And  even  to 
this  day  the  question  of  whether  Waupaca  is  the  legal 
county  seat  is  discussed  as  a  matter  quite  unsettled.  But 
no  serious  attempt  has  been  made,  since  1855,  to  dispute 
her  claim. 

By  legislative  act  of  February,  1853,  the  county  was 
organized  for  judicial  purposes  and  attached  to  the  Third 
Circuit.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  Judge  Gate  was  chosen  to 
the  Third  (now  comprising  the  Seventh)  Circuit,  and 
cemented  the  strength  of  Waupaca,  as  the  county  seat,  by 
holding  his  court  there,  as  does  his  successor,  Judge  G.  L. 
Park. 

The  County  Judges  since  Judge  S.  F.  Ware  have  been  : 
Judge  E.  K.  Osborn,  who  succeeded  him  in  1857  ;  Judge 
C.  S.  Ogden,  who  served  three  terms  from  1861 ;  Judge 
Winfield  Scott,  who  held  the  position  one  term  from  1873, 
and  Judge  Ogden,  the  present  incumbent,  whose  term  of 
ofEce  expires  January  1,  1885. 

About  the  time  the  county  was  taken  on  the  body  poli- 
tic, most  of  its  towns  were  being  surveyed  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  claims.  Mr.  Mumbrue's  survey  of  1849  was, 
in  most  cases,  the  guide  taken.  Fremont,  Weyauwega, 
Mukwa,  Royalton,  Little  Wolf  Union,  Lebanon  and  Bear 
Creek  were  surveyed  by  Samuel  Perriue  in  1852 ;  Larra- 
bee,  Dupont  and  the  north  half  of  Helvetia  by  Hon.  A.  V. 
Balch  in  the  winter  of  1852-53.  The  latter  gentleman 
also  partially  surveyed  Matteson  in  1852.  Other  minor  sur- 
veys were  made,  so  that  the  lines  were  pretty  well  fixed  by 
the  latter  part  of  1853. 

FIRST     TniXGS. 

Robert  Grignon  built  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  county  in 
1848. 

The  first  entry  of  Government  land,  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  city  of  Waupaca,  was  made  September  7, 
1852. 

The  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was  founded  at 
Waupaca  in  1852,  by  the  Redfield  brothers.     It  was  called 


1076 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


tbe  Spirit.     The  New  London  Times  was  founded  by  J. 
Ogden  in  1869. 

The  first  railroad  which  pierced  the  county  was  tlie 
Wisconsin  Central,  the  scream  of  an  iron  monster  being 
first  heard  September  28,  1872.  In  the  fall  of  1873,  the 
Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  (now  the  Green  Bay, 
Minnesota  &  St.  Paul)  was  completed  through  the  county. 

Dudley  C.  Blodget,  of  Oshkosh,  represented  Waupaca 
and  Winnebago  Counties  during  the  fifth  session  of  the 
State  Legislature  in  1852.  The  next  year,  Arthur  Resley, 
of  Appleton,  represented  Oconto,  Outagamie  and  W^aupaca 
Counties;  in  1854,  David  Scott,  of  Waupaca,  successfully 
contested  the  seat  with  John  B.  Jacobs,  of  Menomonee. 
He  may  therefore  be  called  the  first  home  Represetative  in 
the  Assembly.  In  1856,  Louis  Bostedo,  of  Weyauwego, 
successfully  contested  the  seat  with  William  Bruraquest,  of 
Waupaca.  Benjamin  F.  Phillips,  of  Mukwa,  was  the  first 
distinctive  Representative  of  the  County.  E.  L.  Browne,  of 
Waupaca,  was  the  first  State  Senator  who  resided  in  the 
county. 

In  1850,  Judge  Beal,  from  Indiana,  made  a  claim,  em- 
bracing a  quarter  section  of  land  lying  east  of,  and  embrac- 
ing a  past  of  the  village  of  Weyauwega,  and  opened  a  gen- 
eral variety  store  in  a  log  house.  Portions  of  the  building 
are  still  standing.  The  first  trading  post,  however,  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  established  by  Messrs.  Brickley  & 
Bergstressor,  at  Fremont. 

The  first  Superintendent  of  Schools,  S.  C.  Dow,  made 
a  report  October  1,  1851,  showing  that  there  were  eight 
school  districts  in  the  county.  Only  four  made  returns. 
Three  months'  school  was  reported  as  being  taught  in  each 
district.  No  public  moneys  had  been  received.  The  num- 
ber of  male  children  over  four  and  under  twenty  years  of 
age  was  90 ;  number  of  female  children,  76 :  average 
amount  of  monthly  wages  paid  female  teachers,  $6 ;  value 
of  schoolhouses,  $250 ;  highest  value,  $100,  lowest,  $50. 
The  first  sale  of  lands  in  the  county  took  place  April 
12,  1853. 

Mary  Hibbard  and  a  child  of  H.  Sexton,  saw  the  light 
vouchsafed  to  the 'first  births  of  Waupaca  County,  in  the 
spring  of  1850. 

The  first  death  of  a  white  person  was  that  of  H.  Tourte- 
lotte's  child,  in  Weyauwega,  which  occurred  in  1849. 

Robert  Palfrey  ground  the  first  grist  in  1851.  The  mill 
was  located  in  Palfreyville,  town  of  Dayton,  the  site  for  it 
being  donated  upon  the  condition  that  it  should  "  grind  a 
bushel  of  corn  before  the  one  at  Waupaca  grinds  a  kernel." 
The  contract  was  carried  out  and  Messrs.  Holt  &  Lord, 
who  had  erected  a  mill  on  the  site  of  the  present  "  Waupaca 
Star  Mills,"  came  in  for  only  second  honors. 

Miss  Chandler  taught  the  first  school  in  Weyauwega. 
in  1850. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  town  of  Lind — 
date,  1851. 

Benjamin  Birdsell,  of  the  same  place,  became  the  first 
Postmaster  of  Waupaca  County,  in  1850. 

During  the  same  year,  Rev.  Silas  Miller,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  delivered  the  first  sermons  in  the  course  of  his  cir- 
cuit, which  included  Waupaca,  Lind  and  Little  Wolf 

William  G.  Cooper,  who  located  at  Waupaca  in  1849, 
although  the  first  settler  of  the  legal  profession,  had  no 
suits  until  lf<51. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  in  the  county  was  Rev. 
Cutting  Marsh,  the  missionary,  who  came  in  1851. 


The  first  church  building  was  erected  by  the  Methodists 
of  the  village  of  Waupacaj  in  1853. 

THE  OLD  SETTLERS'  SOCIETY.  | 

The  Old  Settlers'  Society  of  Waupaca  County  was  or- 
ganized in  1872,  the  first  meeting  being  held  March  28  of 
the  same  year.  Its  objects  are  those  of  o:her  organizations 
of  like  character — the  reviving  of  old  memories  and  the 
preservation  of  early  events.  Some  of  the  principal  mem- 
bers, past  and  present,  with  the  date  of  their  settlement  in 
the  county,  follow :  L.  Bostedo,  1851 ;  Ira  Millard,  1852  ; 
Carr  Barker,  1849;  J.  S.Potter,  1849;  R.  Baxter,  1849; 
L.  Taft,  1851  ;  Paul  Farrinacci.  1853 ;  0.  A.  Quimby, 
1855 ;  J.  W.  Dean,  1854 ;  G.  D.  Tarbell,  1850  ;  M.  A. 
Stinchfield,  1850  ;  W.  A.  Springer,  1849  ;  S.  L.  Browne, 
1852 ;  W.  F.  Waterhouse,  1853  ;  D.  Hutchinson,  1853 ; 
G.  L.  Lord,  1850;  P.  A.  Chesley,  1852;  W.  H  Teal. 
1856 ;  W.  Masters,  1854 ;  J.  Fordyce,  1852 ;  W.  B. 
Powers,  1849  ;  J.  Hibbard,  1849  ;  T.  Rich,  1853  ;  George 
More,  1849  ;  L.  L.  Post.  1851 ;  A.  B.  Balch,  1851  :  James 
Smiley,  1851  ;  G.  W.  Taggart,  1849  :  W.  Fife,  1854  ;  C. 
S.  Ogden,  1854;  J.  Wakefield,  1855;  T.  Jennev,  1849; 
W.  G.  Gumaer,  1856 ;  W.  C  Potter,  1853 ;  A.  L.  Bostedo, 
1852  ;  J.  Van  Ormand,  1854  ;  J.  Cheslev,  1852 ;  H.  C. 
Mumbrue,1852;  P.  Meikleiohn,  1849;  B.'B.  Waterhouse, 
1856 ;  E.  Townsend,  1849;'  R.  R.  Roberts,  1856 ;  J.  Mead, 
1856 ;  F.  L.  Witt,  1853 ;  R.  Witt,  1854  ;  F.  Beardsmore, 
1851  ;  W.  J.  Chamberlain,  1851 ;  Frank  Hutchinson.  1853; 
A.  H.  Chandler,  1849  ;  H.  M.  Vaughn,  1849  ;  J.  W.  Perry, 
1855;  T.  M.  Paine,  1849;  S.  Woodworth.  1855;  A.  J. 
Van  Epps,  1853;  John  M.  Ware,  1850;  John  Minton. 
1850  ;  W.  S.  Worth,  1849 ;  C.  0.  Brown,  1850 ;  J.  G. 
Bemis,  1854;  J.  S.  Redfield,  1852;  Charles  Churchill, 
1852;  John  M.  Vaughn.  1849;  M.  L.  Haywood,  1850; 
C.  F.  Eaton,  1849;  James  E.  Devins,  1851;  Benj.  Dean, 
1855;  W.  A.  Sterling,  1856;  D.  L.  Manchester,  1854; 
A.  C.  Dougherty,  1856  ;  A.  P.  Jones,  1850 ;  James  Mei- 
klejohn,  1849  ;  Geo.  H.  Calkins,  1856  ;  P.  A.  House,  1854  : 
Felix  Oborn,  1849;  E.  S.  Waite,  1855;  Andrew  Meikle- 
john,  1852;  H.  S.  Baldwin,  1850;  H.  W.  Eldridge,  1849 ; 
F.  L.  LeGro,  1850  ;  John  Jardine,  (deceased)  1859 ;  H. 
W.  Waterman,  1857;  J.  D.  Bailey,  1853;  A.  Vaughn. 
1849  ;  S.  S.  Chandler,  1849.  The  society  does  not  exclude 
ladies,  a  large  number,  mostly  the  wives  or  relatives  of  early 
settlers,  having  enrolled  themselves.  Any  marked  omis- 
sions in  the  list  above  will  be  easily  made  up  by  a  reference 
to  the  early  history  of  the  county,  and  more  particularly  of 
the  towns,  villages  and  cities.  The  Old  Settlers'  Society  is 
in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  its  president  being  E.  L. 
Browne,  a  settler  of  1852.  and  a  leading  attorney  of  the 
county.     It  numbers  about  sixty  members. 

As  stated  heretofore.  Waupaca  County  is  divided  into 
twenty  regularly  organized  towns,  the  county  seat  being 
located  at  Waupaca.  There  are  two  incorporated  cities  in 
the  county.  New  London  and  Waupaca,  the  former  being 
the  larger.  New  London  is  situated  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  Mukwa.  Northport  is  a  thriving  little  village  in 
the  northern  portion  of  the  same  town.  Third  in  popula- 
tion is  the  village  of  Weyauwega,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  town  by  that  name.  Clintonville,  a  wide-awake,  bust- 
ling place,  is  fourth,  it  being  located  in  Larrabee.  Next 
conies  Manawa,  Little  Wolf;  Northport,  JIukwa  ;  Fremont, 
town  of  same  name  ;  Royalton,  town  of  same  name  ;  lola, 
town  of  same  name  ;  Ogdeusburg,  St.  Lawrence  ;  Scandi- 


HISTORY   OF  WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


1077 


navia,  town  of  same  name ;  Rural,  Dayton ;  Embarrass, 
Matteson ;  Palfreyville  and  Crystal  River,  Dayton.  In 
cases  where  the  regions  are  among  those  which  were  early 
settled,  considerable  space  is  devoted  to  the  history,  more 
perhaps  than  their  present  importance  would  justify.  But 
that  "fault"  is  readily  forgiven  by  the  old  pioneers  who 
stiiod  the  brunt  of  the  fight  with  nature  over  thirty  years 
ago. 

COUNTY    BUILDINGS. 

After  the  early  settlers  had  fairly  broken  the  ground, 
and  made  some  moderate  clearings  in  the  forest,  gathered 
around  themselves  some  five  thousand  people  of  like  deter- 
mination, and  the  fall  election  of  1855  had  decided  upon 
Waupaca  as  the  county  seat,  the  necessity  became  apparent 
for  the  erection  of  oiEcial  buildings.  The  vote  was  taken 
November  6,  1855,  and  on  the  14th  the  County  Board  met, 
and  resolved  to  build  a  court  house  worth  at  least  $2,000. 
It  was  erected,  however,  by  E.  J.  Putnam,  who  leased  it  to 
the  county  until  January  13,  1862,  when  it  became  public 
property.  Lyman  Dayton  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
which  finally  efi'ected  the  transfer.  In  November,  1866, 
the  Supervisors  also  concluded  that  the  county  needed  a  jail. 


earnest  father.  The  drum  and  fife  outside  continued  their 
noisy  summons,  the  captain  exhorted,  but  the  second  volun- 
teer did  not  come.  The  crowd  of  several  hundred  people 
left  the  hall,  and  Capt.  Bragg  left  for  Fond  du  Lac  and  his 
company  with  his  solitary  boy  volunteer.  The  subsequent 
history  of  Hardy  is  thus  traced  by  one  who  knew  him  : 
"  Young  Hardy  went  into  the  army  with  a  boy's  enthu- 
siasm, and,  boy-like,  his  fervor  soon  ebbed.  He  served 
two  years  or  more,  faithfully  doing  his  duty,  then  deserted 
and  went  North.  For  several  weeks  he  traveled  through 
New  England,  and  finally  brought  up  in  New  York  City, 
where  he  boldly  went  into  the  office  of  the  Provost  Marshal 
and  acknowledged  his  desertion.  He  was  arrested,  but  was 
soon  after  pardoned  on  condition  that  he  re-enlist  for  three 
years.  He  rejoined  his  regiment  all  the  better  for  his 
escapade. 

"  He  was  taken  prisoner  in  1864,  and  confined  in  the 
shambles  at  Andersonville.  After  many  months  of  starva- 
tion and  agonizing  suffering  he  died,  and  his  grave  is 
unknown  among  the  hundreds  who  gave  up  their  lives  in 
that  modern  Gehenna." 

In  1862,  William  H.  Searles  was  Principal  of  the  village 


and  $3,000  was  appropriated  for  its  erection.  Before  the 
buildings  were  finished,  during  the  next  year,  the  expendi- 
tures had  risen  to  $7,725.  The  contractors  were  S.  R. 
Sherwin  and  R.  R.  Roberts. 

WAUPACA    DURING    THE    WAR. 

As  a  rule,  Waupaca  County  responded  promptly  and 
generously  to  the  appeal  for  aid  made  during  the  first  years 
of  the  war.  Company  B,  Fourteenth  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
a  Weyauwega  organization,  was  the  first  raised,  Asa  Worden, 
of  Waupaca,  going  out  with  it  as  Captain.  The  village 
thus  redeemed  itself  from  the  reproaches  which  were  cast 
up  by  other  more  enthusiastic  places,  that  she  was  lukewarm, 
even  cold  toward  the  Union  cause.  The  war  meeting  held 
in  early  June  had  much  to  do  with  arousing  this  hostile 
feeling  toward  Weyauwega.  Capt.  E.  S.  Bragg,  of  Fond 
du  Lac,  addressed  the  meeting  in  his  most  ringing  and 
stirring  tones,  but  his  audience  appeared  to  consider  the 
matter  as  something  of  a  joke,  and  when  he  called  for  vol- 
unteers only  one  gaunt,  loose-jointed  youth  of  sixteen  came 
forward  and  signed  his  name,  amid  mingled  laughter,  cheers 
and  ridicule.  His  name  was  Eugene  F.  Hardy,  and  had 
imbibed  strong  anti-slavery  ideas,  young  as  he  was,  from  an 


school,  and  he  gave  mortal  offense  to  the  good  people 
by  allowing  his  pupils  to  sing  "John  Brown's  Body."  A 
serious  schism  broke  out  in  the  village  over  the  question, 
whether  the  school  should  not  be  closed  to  prevent  the 
incendiary  song  from  being  sung.  Col.  Peter  Meiklejohn, 
Dr.  Post.  Jerome  Crocker,  Mr.  Matthews,  I.  C.  Hardy, 
John  B.  Strain  and  Louis  Bosteds  took  an  active  part  in 
the  discussion,  which  at  one  time  threatened  bloodshed  and 
anarchy.  The  School  Trustees  finally  brought  about  a  ces- 
sation of  hostilities,  by  ordering  Mr.  Searles  to  stop  singing 
the  pestiferous  song,  under  pain  of  instant  dismissal. 

When  the  war  was  fairly  upon  the  country,  Waupaca  was 
up  in  arms.  Over  1,100  troops  were  raised,  comprising  Co. 
A,  8th  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry  ;  Co.  A,  42d  ;  Co.  D, 
50th  ;  Co.  B,  14th  ;  Co.  B,  38th  ;  Co.  G,  81st,  and  portions 
of  a  company  of  the  First  and  Third  Wisconsin  Cavalry. 


WAUPACA. 

The  town  bearing  this  name,  in  which  the  city  is  located, 

is  situated  south   of  St.    Lawrence  and  west  of  Royalton. 

The  first  settlers  were  E.   C.    Sessions,   J.  and  W.  B.  Hib- 

bard,  W.  G.  Cooper  and  J.  M.  Vaughan,  who  came  there 


1078 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


!l<! 


I    I 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


'79 


June  9,  1849.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  arrived  David 
Scott,  Dana  Dewey,  A.  M.  Garde,  and  others  less  well 
known.  The  first  child  born  was  Mary  Hibbard,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Hibbard,  May  25,  1850.  The  first  schoolhouse 
was  built  in  1851,  and,  the  first  teacher  was  Miss  Dora 
Thompson  (now  Mrs.  Le  Gro),  in  1850;  the  first  church 
by  the  Methodists  in  1853,  in  what  is  now  the  Fourth 
Ward  of  the  city.  The  first  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev. 
Silas  Miller,  a  Methodist  minister,  in  1850,  at  the  house  of 
J.  M.  Vaughn.  The  town  was  organized  in  1851.  The 
first  saw-mill  was  built  in  1850  by  Silas  Miller,  and  the 
first  grist-mill  by  W.  C.  Lord  and  Wilson  Holt,  in  1851. 
The  first  post  office  was  established  in  1851,  with  Capt.  D. 
Scott  for  Postmaster,  the  first  mail  route  being  from   Green 


in  places  with  quartz,  are  blocked  out  as  regularly  as  if 
some  gigantic  mason  had  been  at  work.  The  ponderous 
mounds  and  ledges  have  been  partially  overgrown  with  ver- 
dure. The  contrast  between  the  bright  green  and  the  som- 
ber gray  and  the  fantastic  shapes  wliich  the  outcrops  have 
taken,  make  a  scene  quite  picturesque.  Mirror  and  Shadow 
lakes,  referred  to,  lie  to  the  south  of  the  city,  are  connected 
by  a  channel  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  wide,  being  charming 
resorts  for  lovers  of  boating  and  fishing.  About  three 
miles  west  of  the  city  is  a  chain  of  eight  lakes ;  some  call 
the  number  twelve,  which,  in  the  season,  are  brilliant  and 
flashing  gems.  They  are  called  "  She-shepe-ko-naw  " — 
"  Stretching  Waters  " — the  chain  being  five  miles  in  length, 
and  stretching  into  the  towns  of  Farmington  and   Dayton. 


HOTEL  AND  TERRACE,  GREhNWOOD  PAR 


Bay  to  Plover.  W.  G.  Cooper  built  the  first  house  in  1849. 
The  first  law  suit  was  held  before  S.  F.  Ware,  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  in  1850 — Capt.  Spencer  vs.  L.  W.  Thayer. 
The  city  of  Waupaca  is  situated  upon  the  Waupaca 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Wolf,  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  county,  and  about  fourteen  miles  from  New  London.  It 
is  very  pleasantly  located  upon  both  banks  of  the  river, 
with  two  beautiful  little  sheets  of  water — Mirror  and 
Shadow  Lakes — within  the  city  limits.  A  short  walk  in 
any  direction  from  its  business  center  will  lead  one  to  nat- 
ural scenes  which  the  artist's  eye  is  quick  to  catch  and 
enthusiastic  to  record  The  surface  of  the  land  is  quite 
irregular,  in  some  places  being  broken  up  by  huge  bowlders 
and  outcroppings  of  Azoic  rocks.  A  short  distance  to  the 
northeast,  near  the  Wisconsin  Central  depot,  is  a  large  tract 
sprinkled  thickly  with  these  formations.     The  rocks,  veined 


They  are -<tudde<l  ^Mth  i^lamK;  pitkoiei,  black  and  white 
bass,  peich  and  tiout,  make  the  \\  itei  alne,  and,  in  places, 
the  scenery  is  rugged  and  picturesque.  The  lakes  have 
already  been  stocked  with  thousands  of  trout,  and  further 
appropriations  are  expected.  Parties  who  do  not  incline  to 
piscatorial  sports  have  secluded  and  cool  haunts  scattered  in 
every  direction.  Arthur  Rice,  who  lias  charge  of  the 
boats,  knows  every  nook  and  cranny  within  the  five  miles 
stretch  of  lake  and  island.  In  additional  to  these  facilities 
a  jaunty  little  steamer  plies  the  lakes  for  the  pleasure  of 
tliose  who  do  not  desire  either  the  exertion  of  boating  or 
fishing.  Possible  in  that  party  may  be  some  antiquarian 
who  is  an  enthusiast  in  the  investigation  of  the  mysteries  of 
the  Mound-Builders.  His  thirst  is  quenched  by  taking  his 
bearings  for  the  east  and  southeast  shores  of  the  lake. 
Mounds  cluster  there  in  every  shape  and  size,  ranging  all 


io8o 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHKRN    WISCONSIN. 


the  way  from  small  heaps  of  earth  to  fair-sized  fortresses. 
Stone  chisels,  hatchets  and  other  implements  of  industry 
and  war  have  been  du<;  from  their  burial  places,  indicating 
by  their  appearance  and  form  that  the  spot  must  have  been 
a  favorite  one  for  the  prmiitive  tribes  who  long  preceded  the 
red  man.  One  of  the  largest  mounds,  which  extends  from 
nortlieast  to  southwest,  is  fully  fifteen  rods  long  and  four 
feet  high.  Its  summit  is  covered  by  a  thick  growth  of  oak, 
some  of  the  trees  being  two  feet  through — regular  patri- 
archs of  the  forest.  And  long  after  the  Mound-Builders 
were  dead  and  buried  the  Indians  found  this  a  convenient 
stopping-place.  Appearances  indicate  that  they  had  once 
established  quite  a  flourishing  village  in  the  large  clearing, 
within  which  the  mounds  are  chiefly  located.  In  short, 
there  is  some  source  of  pleasure  open  to  everybody,  no 
matter  how  he  is  constituted.  And  an  entre  to  these 
delights  is  within  the  reach  of  the  most  economical.  There 
is  no  resort  in  the  Northwest  where  those  of  moderate 
means  can  so  fully  and  so  cheaply  enjoy  themselves  as  this 
which  the  Greenwood  Park  Association  is  building  up. 
The  aim  of  its  originators  has  been  accomplished.  The 
hotel  is  in  charge  of  experienced  ladies,  the  wives  of  well- 
known  citizens  of  Waupaca.  Visitors  can,  if  they  wish, 
rent  cottages  and  take  their  meals  at  the  house,  or  stop  at 
the  hotel  altogether.  The  freshest  of  everything  is  sup- 
plied in  season  ;  the  drinking  water  is  better  than  medicine; 
the  pure  and  fresh  air  is  better  than  either.  The  shores, 
sandy  and  gradually  sloping,  seem  to  have  been  created 
especially  for  bathers. 

The  officers  of  the  association  who  have  made  all  this 
possible  are:  President,  A.  J.  Van  Epps ;  Treasurer,  W. 
J.  Chamberlain;  Secretary,  S.  T.  Ritchie;  Board  of 
Director.'!,  A.  J.  Van  Epps,  S.  T.  Ritchie.  William  A. 
West.  W.  J.  Chamberlain  and  Charles  Churchill.  The 
association  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1881,  and  forty- 
three  acres  of  splendid  wooded  land  wore  purchased  in  the 
town  of  Farraington,  Section  34,  Lot  8.  The  tract  is  cov- 
ered principally  with  a  profuse  growth  of  oak,  pine,  birch 
and  poplar,  and  borders  Hick's  Lake,  the  third  one  of  the 
chain,  for  one  hundred  rods.  This  body  of  water  is  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  long  by  one-half  broad,  and  shelters 
three  islands,  the  largest  of  which  is  nine  acres  in  extent. 
The  building,  wliich  has  been  finished  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  guests  faces  this  island,  standing  about  midway 
down  the  lake  on  the  east  shore.  It  is  three  stories  high, 
the  main  portion  being  30.x36,  with  a  wing  22x32  feet.  If 
visitors  do  not  desire  hotel  accommodations,  cottages  or 
camping  sites  can  be  obtained  for  any  length  of  time  by 
addressing  the  Secretary  of  the  Association.  Taylor's 
Grove,  in  which  is  a  small  hotel  erected  by  David  Taylor 
in  the  spring  of  1881,  is  another  pleasant  locality.  The 
Waupaca  Rowing  Club  is  also  a  source  of  attraction  and 
pleasure  to  summer  visitors.  Its  boat  house  is  neat ;  it  has 
several  first  class  shells,  and  its  membership  is  drawn  from 
some  of  the  best  young  men  of  the  city.  The  officers  for 
1881  are:  Maj.  R.  N.  Roberts,  President;  George  Linos, 
Vice  President;  T.  L.  Jeff'ers,  Captain;  C.  R.  Hudson, 
Secretary  ;  G.  A.  Brunson.  Ed.  Mesmer  and  T.  L.  Jeffers, 
Directors.  Maj.  Roberts  also  owns  a  splendid  driving  park, 
half  mile  track,  where  horses  with  a  record  are  being  con- 
stantly trained.  With  attractive  natural  scenery,  boating, 
fishing,  racitig,  pure  air,  pure  water,  good  society,  Waupaca 
will  grow  into  one  of  the  favorite  summer  resorts  of  the 
Northwest. 


CHURCnES. 

Its  beauty  of  location  and  surroundings  do,  in  fact,  seem 
to  have  impressed  a  clean  and  bright  stamp  upon  its  people. 
It  is  an  intelligent,  orderly,  church-going  city.  Seven  religi- 
ous societies  are  organized — Mothoilist,  Congregational, 
Episcopalian,  Danish  Lutheran,  Danish  Baptist,  Scandina- 
vian Lutheran,  and  United  Presbyterian. 

The  most  pretentious  church  edifice  in  the  city  is 
that  of  the  Methodist,  on  Main  street.  A  small  building, 
now  occupied  as  a  blacksmith  shop  near  the  present  tasty 
structure,  was  erected  in  1853,  the  first  term  of  the  Circuit 
Court  having  been  held  here.  The  society  is  now  in  a 
most  flourishing  condition,  worshiping  in  a  beautiful  little 
edifice  erected  in  1874,  and  under  the  guidance  of  Rev. 
J.  W.  McCormick. 

The  Congregationalists  organized  a  society  in  February, 
1876,  the  building  in  which  it  worships  being  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  old  Presbyterian  Church.  At  present  there 
is  no  pastor;  membership,  50;  attendance,  100. 

Mention  of  the  old  Presbyterian  Church  revives  several 
recollections  of  the  Rev.  Cutting  Marsh,  the  Indian  Mis- 
sionary, so  well  known  throughout  the  Northwest.  In  184f<. 
he  moved  to  Green  Bay.  making  that  place  his  home.  In 
the  course  of  his  travels  he  visited  Lyman  Dayton,  on 
Bear  Creek,  the  south  branch  of  the  Waupaca,  and  on  April 
27,  1851,  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Pleasant  Valley. 
The  following  week  he  visited  Waupaca.  At  that  time 
there  were  eleven  families  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Falls, 
at  the  Chandler  Settlement,  thirteen  within  three  miles  of 
each  other,  and  at  Weyauwega  thirteen,  besides  others  in 
the  vicinity.  On  May  2,  Mr.  Marsh  preached  a  sermon,  it 
being  the  first  one  delivered  by  a  Presbyterian  minister  in 
Waupaca.  He  built  himself  a  house,  took  possession  of  it 
in  December,  and  has  the  honor  of  being  the  pioneer  resi- 
dent minister,  preaching  on  different  Sundays  at  Waupaca, 
Weyauwega,  the  Chandler  Settlement,  Lind  Center,  Pleas- 
ant Valley,  Pine  River  and  Poysippi.  A  little  church 
was  organized  March  3,  1852,  at  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Marsh's 
house,  consisting  of  nine  members,  this  being  the  first  dis- 
trict Presbyterian  organization  in  the  county.  Although  the 
United  Presbyterians  have  a  society  in  Waupaca,  it  is  not 
strong ;  the  Scandinavian  Lutherans  have  rented  their 
church  for  much  of  the  time.  The  Danish  Lutherans 
number  seventy  paying  members  ;  pastor.  Rev.  A.  L.  J. 
Soholm.  The  society  was  formed  six  years  ago.  The 
Danish  Baptist  society  is  young  and  without  a  permanent 
place  of  meeting. 

St.  Marks'  Episcopal  Church,  established  in  1856, 
under  the  direction  of  M.  F.  Sorenson,  erected  a  building 
two  years  later  on  Fulton  street.  It  numbered  then  fifteen 
or  sixteen  members;  has  now  some  sixty  communicants. 
A  fine  rectory  has  been  added,  worth  §2,000.  Rev.  J.  A. 
McGlove  is  in  charge. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

The  first  ncwspa]ier  in  the  countv  was  jjublishcd  at 
Waupaca,  by  the  Rcdfield  Brothers,  from  1852  to  1866, 
when  it  was  sold  to  Leslie  J.  Perry  and  its  name  changed 
from  the  Spirit  to  the  Criterion.  Mr.  Perry  sold  out  to 
Judge  C.  S.  Ogden,  who  had  just  commenced  the  Waupaca 
County  Republican.  The  consolidated  paper  assumed  the 
name  Ufpuhlican.  Judge  Ogden  turned  the  paper  over  to 
C.  .M.  Bright  in  1872,  who  published  it  until  October, 
1871),  when  the  present  editor  and  proprietor  took  posses- 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA   COUNTY. 


sion,  A.  T.  Glaze.  Mr.  Glaze  commenced  his  editorial 
career  in  Fond  du  Lac  over  twenty  years  ago.  The  Repub- 
lican is  the  official  county  paper.  The  Post,  the  only  other 
publication  (both  are  weekly),  was  established  in  1878  by 
J.  A.  Ogden,  son  of  Judge  Ogden,  and  H.  K.  Pitcher.  Its 
present  enterprising  young  editor  and  publisher,  E.  E. 
Gordon,  commenced  to  issue  it  in  March,  1880.  It  is 
Republican  in  politics. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  city  school — the  Union — under  the  guidance  of  I. 
0.  Stockton,  assisted  in  the  High  School  Department  by 
Miss  Clara  Vosburg  and  Mrs.  E.  T.  Bailey,  is  well  con- 
ducted, and  provides  the  full  measure  of  educational  facil- 
ities. It  consists  of  five  divisions :  First  Primary  Depart- 
ment, 83  scholars;  Second  Primary,  64  ;  Intermediate,  56  ; 
Grammar,  40 ;  Free  High  School,  65 ;  the  total  enroll- 
ment is  therefore  308.  The  building  is  a  substantial  two- 
story  and  basement  brick  structure,  situated  on  State  street 


on  Main  street.  The  building  in  which  is  the  latter  was 
erected  by  II.  J.  Stetson,  one  of  three  brothers  who  stand 
well  as  owners  of  property  and  bu 


BUSINESS    INTERESTS. 

Waupaca  has  any  number  of  live  business  men,  who 
have  materially  assisted  in  building  up  the  place  and  mak- 
ing it  what  it  is.  W.  C.  and  G.  L.  Lord  are  at  the  head 
of  the  milling  interests,  the  first  grist  mill  in  the  township 
having  been  erected  by  the  former,  in  1851.  It  is  a  frame 
building,  well  adapted  to  the  objects  for  which  it  is  used. 
The  mill  owned  and  run  by  M.  L.  Baldwin,  is  of  brick ; 
Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  settler  of  1850,  and  stands  high  in  the 
community.  Messrs.  Johnson  &  Hensen  are  proprietors  of 
a  brisk  tannery ;  Messrs.  Jardine,  Poll  and  Paine,  saw-mill 
owners  (the  former  now  deceased) ;  Messrs.  Roberts  &  Jar- 
dine  and  James  A.  Chesley,  foundry  proprietors,  and  P.  A. 
Chesley,    the  oldest  hardware  merchant   in   Waupaca,  are 


MASU.MC  BLOCK. 


near  the  river  banks.  It  was  as  far  back  as  the  year  1856 
that,  through  the  influence  of  the  Rev.  Cutting  Marsh,  an 
association  was  formed  to  found  an  academy  in  Waupaca. 
A  lady  from  Attica,  N.  Y.,  was  engaged,  but  the  project 
was  not  supported.  Not  until  1868  was  the  present  high 
school  established. 

SOCIETIES. 

Waupaca  has  a  number  of  civic  societies,  which  assist 
materially  to  bind  the  social  elements  together.  Waupaca 
Chapter,  No.  39,  R.  A.  M.,  meets  in  Masonic  Block ; 
Waupaca  Lodge,  No.  123,  F.,  &  A.  M  ,  Masonic  Block  ; 
Centennial  Encampment,  No.  63,  I.  0.  0.  F.:  Waupaca 
Lodge,  No.  208,  I.  0.  0.  F.;  Waupaca  Temple,  No.  78, 
T.  of  H.,  Temple  of  Honor  Hall :  the  D  ines'  Home,  social 
musical  and  literary,  hall  over  the  post  otfice.  The  public 
halls,  upon  which  the  social  and  amusement  loving  people 
depend  for  shelter,  are  the  Music  and  Stetson's  halls,  both 


enterprising  and  solid  business  men,  who  give  the  city  a 
standing.  A  prosperous  planing-mill  is  in  operation,  car- 
ried on  by  Nelson  Brothers,  and  a  good  sized  brewery  by 
L.  Arnold.  J.  W.  Evans,  a  setler  of  1868,  is  at  the  head 
of  the  prosperous  woolen-mills,  the  only  ones  in  the  county. 
Of  the  merchants  who  carry  on  a  general  merchandise 
business,  may  be  mentioned  R.  R.  Roberts,  the  active  man 
being  R.  M.  Roberts;  Messrs.  Bailey,  Woodworth,  R. 
Lea,  H.  Nordvi,  Miller  &  Brunson  (the  former  deceased.) 
Grin  Hall  keeps  a  jewelry  and  grocery  establishment,  and 
is  one  of  the  favorite  business  men  ;  H.  W.  Williams,  in 
the  hardware  line,  is  well  patronized.  Further  particulars 
in  regard  to  the  standing,  and  pa^t  life  of  these  men  and 
others  of  like  stability,  will  be  found  in  the  biographical  de- 
partment. As  to  professions,  Waupaca  has  gentlemen  who 
stand  well  among  any  of  their  class  in  the  State.  Myron 
Reed  and  E.  L.  Browne,  at  the  head  of  the  bar,  have  a 


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HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


splendid  praciice,  and  it  is  increasing  every  day.  The  lat- 
ter is  a  settler  of  184'J.  Mr.  Reed  not  coming  to  the  city 
until  ten  years  later.  H.  C.  Mumbrue  is  also  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  the  city,  having  served  several  terras  in 
the  State  Senate.  The  leading  physicians  of  the  place  are 
Drs.  D.  L.  Manchester,  G.  H.  Calkins  and  E.  S.  Donald- 
son. The  first  two  are  men  of  middle  age,  the  latter,  a 
young  practitioner.  Dr.  Calkins  was  for  a  number  of  years 
President  of  the  Waupaca  County  Medical  Society.  The 
city  of  Waupaca  depends  upon  two  banks  for  its  monetary 
transactions.  Evan  Goolidgc,  of  the  firm  of  Evan  Coolidge 
&  Co.,  private  bankers,  stands  high  in  the  community.  The 
resources  of  his  institution  are  given  at  $49,200.  H.  C. 
Mead  is  also  prominently  identified  with  the  business  in- 
terests, being  President  and  Manager  of  the  Exchange  and 
Savings  Bank. 

P.  A.  House,  proprietor   of  the  wagon    manufactory,  is 
deserving    of  special    mention,    as   the    maker  of  the   first 


lie,  but  her  leading  hotels  are  the  Vosburg,  the  Lewis  and 
the  Waupaca  Houses.  Tlie  original  Vosburg  House  w&s 
built  in  1856,  by  A.  E.  Smith,  it  being  known  as  the  Smith 
House  until  it  was  burned  down  May  16,  1872.  Upon  its 
site,  F.  B.  Vosburg,  present  proprietor,  erected  the  substan- 
tial three-story  brick  building  on  Main  street,  which  bears 
his  name.  The  structure  is  50x60  feet  and  is  the  largest 
hotel  in  the  city.  The  Lewis  House,  on  the  same  street, 
half  a  block  south,  is  kept  by  G.  W.  Lewis,  an  old,  accom- 
modating and  popular  landlord.  It  was  erected  by  Norton 
Raymond  over  twenty  years  ago,  and  has  gone  by  various 
names — the  Raymond  House,  the  City  Hotel,  etc.  It  accom- 
modates fifty  guests,  and  has  been  under  the  management  of 
its  present  proprietor  over  five  years.  Messrs.  Curran 
Brothers  are  proprietors  of  the  Waupaca  House,  the  hotel  at 
the  depot  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Company. 

The   city  and   county  ofiicers   are   efficient   and   gentle- 
manly, and  have  much   to   do   with   maintaining   the  good 


I 


wagon   in  the  town,  in   1855.     It  is  still  in  service.     He 
now  manages  four  shops,  and  does  a  good  business. 

WAUPACA  WOOLEN  MILLS. 

The  Waupaca  Woolen  Mills,  the  only  establishment  of 
the  kind  in  the  county,  is  located  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
southeast  from  the  post  office,  on  the  south  branch  of  the 
Waupaca  River.  It  was  originally  a  flouring-mill,  known 
as  the  City  Mills,  and  was  purchased  and  made  a  woolen-mill 
by  Dayton,  Dewey  &  Co.,  in  1867.  Since  then  the  prop- 
erty has  been  owned,  wholly  or  in  shares,  by  William  M. 
Dayton,  J.  M.  Dewey,  M.  R.  Baldwin,  J.  W.  Evans,  0. 
Vaughn,  William  Smith,  II.  C.  Mumbrue  and  T.  Evans. 
J.  W.  Evans,  now  the  principal  owner,  bought  an  interest 
with  Dayton,  Dewey  &  Co.  in  1867.  About  70,000  pounds 
of  wool  are  annually  bought  and  manufactured  into  cassi- 
mere  suitings,  flannels,  etc.,  etc.  Fifteen  male  and  female 
employes  are  kept  busy  here  during  three-fourths  of  the 
year. 

TToteh — Waupaca  has  any  number  of  private  boarding- 
houses  for  the  accommodation  of  business  men  and  the  pub- 


name  of  'Waupaca.  The  city  roster  is :  A.  J.  Van  Epps, 
Mayor ;  A.  D.  Rice,  Treasurer ;  C.  J.  Shearer,  Clerk  ;  J. 
A.  Chesley,  Assessor ;  Myron  Reed,  J.  H.  Woodworth, 
M.  R.  Baldwin  and  D.  Parish,  Supervisors  ;  A.  G.  Nelson, 
T.  L.  Jeffers,  Chris  Johnson  and  A.  R.  Lea,  Alder- 
dermen ;  P.  A.  Chesley,  Chief  of  Police.  The  county 
officers  are:  County  Judge,  C.  S.  Ogden ;  Sheriff,  H.  P. 
Briggs ;  Treasurer,  W.  J.  Chamberlain ;  County  Clerk, 
S.  T.  Richie;  Clerk  of  Court,  Charles  Churchill;  Register 
of  Deeds,  J.  H.  Woodworth  ;  District  Attorney,  John  F. 
Dufur ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  L.  L.  Wright.  Its 
Postmaster  is  E.  B.  Thompson. 

BIO(iUArHICAL    SKETCHES. 

LEONARD  ARNOLD,  proprietor  of  Waupaca  Brewery  ; 
was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  April  15,  1831.  Ills  father 
was  a  farmer,  but  Leonard  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  cooper 
and  brewery  trade,  which  required  three  years  hard  labor  ;  after 
workin;.;  at  his  trade  some  time  he  aspired  to  seek  his  fortunes  in 
America ;  he  at  once  set  out,  and  in  1853  landed  in  Boston;  he 
now  found  his  wav  to    Milwaukee,  thence   to  Oshkosh.  where  he 


HISTORY    OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


1083 


followed  his  trade  for  five  years;  in  1856,  he  married  Amelia 
Krouis,  of  Oshkosh.  she  was  born  in  Germany  ;  from  Oshkosh  he 
came  to  Weyauwega  and  worked  two  yoars  in  a  brewery;  while 
there  he  conceived  the  idea  of  starting  a  brewery  at  Waupaca  ;  he 
bought  four  acres  of  land,  paying  $80  an  acre  for  it,  it  now  being 
within  the  city  limits ;  he  cleared  the  trees  and  grubs  away  so 
that  the  building  could  be  erected,  and  put  up  a  small  building 
20x40,  and  opened  his  brewery  ;  he  made  all  his  kegs  and  casks 
and  ground  his  malt  by  hand.  It  was  a  hard  and  feeble  begin- 
ning, but  he  has  prospered  and  now  owns  twenty-four  acres  of 
land,  and  his  brewery  is  20x100,  with  an  addition  14x40  for  ma- 
chinery and  cooling  rooms.  Mr.  Arnold  has  eight  children,  all 
girls,  except  a  pair  of  twins.  His  oldest  daughter,  Frances  H.,  is 
a  lawyer,  having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1880,  being  the  third 
lady  lawyer  in  the  State.  She  studied  several  years  in  the  office 
of  E.  P.  Parry,  of  New  London.  About  twelve  years  ago  Mr. 
Arnold  lost  his  left  hand  by  the  premature  discharge  of  a  cannon, 
while  celebrating  in  Waupaca  in  a  political  campaign. 

H.  C.  BEADLESTON,  druggist  and  grocer,  Waupaca,  came 
to  Waupaca  in  the  fall  of  1857;  began  business  in  April,  1862, 
and  has  continued  uninterruptedly  since,  though  the  fire  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1877,  burned  out  the  store  he  then  occupied.  His  present 
store,  built  in  the  autumn  of  1878,  is  44x65,  the  upper  floor  being 
used  as  offices,  and  by  the  I.  0.0.  F.  In  the  rear  of  the  main  build- 
ing is  a  storehouse  38x44.  From  1862  to  1875  Mr.  Beadleston 
carried  an  almost  exclusively  grocery  stock  ;  in  September,  1875, 
he  added  a  fine  line  of  drugs  and  medicines,  and  has  since  con- 
tinued this  business.  Mr.  Beadleston  has  been  for  nineteen  years 
in  partnership  with  a  brother,  Henry  Beadleston,  the  firm  dating 
from  April  26,  1862.  Both  brothers  were  born  in  Warren  Co., 
N.  Y.— Hiram  C,  Dec.  30,  1836,  and  Henry,  in  November, 
1834. 

WINSELL  CHADY,  jewelry  and  stationery,  Waupaca;  born 
1834,  near  Prague,  Austria;  came  to  America  in  1855  with  his 
parents  and  two  brothers,  locating  in  Hartford,  Conn.;  two  years 
later  he  came  to  Waupaca,  Wis.,  and  began  work  as  a  carpenter  , 
enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  Co.  G,  21st  W.V.  I.;  at  the  battle  of 
Perryville,  Oct.  8,  1862,  he  was  struck  by  a  fragment  of  a  shell 
which  cut  through  a  blanket-roll  on  his  shoulders,  striking  his 
right  shoulder  with  such  force  as  to  make  him  insensible  for 
hours.  He  lay  all  night  among  his  foes  on  the  battlefield,  and 
was  disabled  for  three  months;  was  orderly  in  a  New  Albany, 
Ind.,  hospital  for  a  year;  then  rejoined  his  regiment  on  Lookout 
Mountain  ;  at  Marietta,  Ga.,  he  went  back  on  sick  leave  and  did 
hospital  duty  on  Lookout  Mountain  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
On  his  return,  finding  it  impossible  to  labor  as  formerly,  he 
opened  a  small  saloon,  and  after  a  year  went  into  the  grocery 
business  and  constantly  added  to  his  stock,  which  now  comprises 
a  good  line  of  jewelry,  clocks  and  stationery,  besides  groceries. 
He  married  Mary  Thompson,  of  Waupaca,  and  they  have  three 
children.  Mr.  Chady  is  an  Odd  Fellow;  in  1879  he  served  as 
Alderman. 

W.  J.  CHAMBERLAIN,  Waupaca,  Treasurer  of  Waupaca 
County;  was  born  April  10,  1826,  in  Ellsworth,  Hancock  Co., 
Maine.  His  younger  life  was  spent  as  a  mercantile  clerk  in  his 
native  village ;  on  the  14th  of  May,  1851,  arrived  in  Dayton, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.;  made  a  beginning  on  a  new  farm,  and  the 
following  year  brought  out  his  family  ;  in  1856  he  was  in  busi- 
ness in  Waupaca,  removed  the  next  year  to  Rural,  in  this  county, 
and  was  in  business  there  until  1860;  he  then  farmed  it  four 
years,  which  was  followed  by  another  eleven  years'  residence  in 
Rural,  of  which  hamlet  he  was  Postmaster  fourteen  years  in  all ; 
he  also  served  as  Clerk  and  Treasurer,  and  Chairman  of  the  town 
of  Dayton  for  years ;  was  elected  County  Treasurer  in  the  fall  of 
1875,  and  is  now  serving  his  third  consecutive  term  ;  is  a  stalwart 
Republican  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  Mr.  Chamberlain  is  one  of  the 
six  stockholders  and  is  Treasurer  of  the  Greenwood  Park  Asso- 
ciation ;  object  of  the  association  to  improve  the  lakes  about 
Waupaca,  and  to  build  it  up  as  a  summer  resort. 


JAMES  A.  CHESLEY,  druggist,  Waupaca  ;  born  Jan.  16, 
1827,  in  Cornwall,  Ont.;  in  1843  his  family  settled  in  Waukesha, 
Wis.;  here  young  Chesley  was  at  school  and  in  his  father's 
drug  store  ;  bis  father,  Peter  Chesley,  owned  a  branch  store 
in  Milwaukee  ;  he  died  in  August,  1847,  in  Waukesha  ;  J. 
A.  having  become  a  druggist,  began  business  for  himself 
1848,  in  Oshknsh;  in  1851  he  returned  to  Waukesha,  re- 
maining until  1853,  when  he  came  to  Waupaca  and  opened  up 
store  near  the  present  engine  house ;  sold  out  to  Dr.  I'hayre  in 
1855,  and  for  two  years  was  clerk  for  Wilson  Holt;  in  1859 
he  clerked  for  Mr.  Cameron  in  Waupaca  and  in  Scandinavia  ;  in 
1860  he  resumed  business  and  continued  in  active  business  until 
1874,  when  he  sold  his  drug  store  to  H.  C.  Mumbrue ;  has  since 
been  Justice  of  the  Peace  two  years,  and  is  now  serving  his  filth 
term  as  Assessor  of  the  city.  Mr.  Chesley  was  a  founder  of  and 
has  since  been  a  most  active  supporter  of  the  Waupaca  Episcopal 
Church  ;  he  married  at  Nashotah  Mission,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis., 
to  Miss  Isabel  Crawford,  by  whom  he  has  five  sons  and  a 
daughter,  Mr.  Chesley  has  led  a  bu.sy  and  useful  life,  and  has 
earned  for  himself  a  competence  and  a  most  pleasant  home. 

P.  A.  CHESLEY,  the  veteran  hardware  merchant  of  Wau- 
paca County  ;  was  born  in  1834,  in  Cornwall.  C.  W,;  nine  years 
later  the  family  settled  in  Milwaukee,  and  the  next  year  removed 
to  Waukesha,  Wis,;  his  father,  Peter  Chesley,  began  business  in 
Milwaukee  in  1841,  and  died  in  1847  in  Waukesha.  P.  A,  Ches- 
ley was  educated  in  Waukesha,  and  in  the  historic  Episcopal 
Seminary,  of  Nashotah  ;  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade  in  Waukesha 
and  in  1853  went  to  Madison  ;  two  years  later  he  came  to  Wau- 
paca and  opened,  in  what  is  now  the  'Ihird  Ward,  the  first  stock  of 
tinware  ever  brought  into  the  county  ;  in  1856  he  opened  the  first 
stock  of  stoves,  tinware  and  hardware  in  the  county,  in  a  building 
opposite  the  present  engine  house  ;  the  goods  were  drawn  from 
Milwaukee  with  teams;  a  part  of  his  present  store  (though  en- 
larged and  improved)  was  the  first  frame  building  erected  in  Wau- 
paca ;  since  his  settlement  here  Mr.  Chesley  has  been  among  the 
foremost  in  pushing  forward  all  enterprises  tending  to  the  pros- 
perity of  Waupaca;  in  1857  himself  and  a  brother  went  into  the 
woods  near  town  and  with  their  own  hands  cut  trees  for  the  frame 
of  the  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  they  were  the  founders  and 
most  active  supporters.  Rev.  M.  F.  Sorrenson  was  the  first  Rector. 
Mr.  Chesley  has  since  been  prominent  in  the  building  of  the  M. 
E.  Church,  and  is  founding  the  Centennial  Encampment;  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F.,  the  K.  of  P.  and  the  A.  0,  U.  W.; 
he  served  seven  years  as  a  member  of  the  City  Fire  Department, 
of  which  he  is  now  an  honorary  member;  he  was  elected  in  April, 
1881,  as  Chief  of  Police. 

WM.  M.  DAYTON,  of  Waupaca  ;  came  with  his  father,  Ly- 
man Dayton,  to  Waupaca  County,  April  17,  1850 ;  Lyman  Day- 
ton was  a  Connecticut  man,  but  became  an  early  settler  in  Attica, 
Wyoming  Co.,  N,  V,;  the  town  of  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis., 
was  named  in  his  honor  ;  he  made  the  fourth  "  claim  "  in  that 
town,  and  was  the  first  Chairman  of  its  Board  of  Supervisors  ;  he 
was  once  or  twice  Sheriff  of  the  county.  Resided  as  a  farmer  in 
Dayton  until  1875,  then  he  came  to  Waupaca,  where  he  died  in 
April,  1877,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years  ;  his  second  son,  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch,  built  the  flouring  mill  at  Palfreyville,  in 
Dayton,  selling  it  two  years  later  to  J.  D.  Cass.  During  the  war 
he,  with  others,  speculated  extensively  in  stock,  often  shipping  100 
head  of  cattle  per  week  to  the  south,  and  besides  large  numbers  of 
army  horses.  In  1 866  he  bought  the  old  City  Mills,  one  and  one- 
half  miles  from  Waupaca;  in  1867  the  firm  of  Dayton,  Dewey  & 
Co.  (J.  M,  Dewey  and  M,  R,  Baldwin)  built  the  City  Mills  in 
Waupaca  ;  much  of  the  machinery  was  removed  here  from  the  old 
City  Mills,  which  was  at  the  time  converted  into  a  woolen  mill ; 
this  firm  did  an  enormous  business,  dealing  in  lumber  and  stock 
besides  the  milling  interests  ;  branch  feed  and  flour  stores  were 
established  at  Stevens  Point  and  New  London,  and  half  a  dozen 
four-horse  teams  employed  in  hauling  lumber,  flour  and  goods. 
Mr.  Dayton  was  specially  interested  in  the   lumber  business  and 


ioS4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


made  trips  to  the  copper  rcpion  of  Michigan  in  the  interest  of  the 
firm  ;  he  followed  the  old  Lake  Superior  trail,  crossing  tlie  State 
line  near  Lake  Butte  des  Morts;  hogs  and  cattle  were  afterward 
driven,  over  the  sanio  route,  200  miles.  The  City  Mills  burned  in 
1870  and  were  rebuilt  in  1871  by  the  firm  ;  turning  his  attention 
to  railroads,  .Mr.  Dayton,  by  contracts,  built  twenty-ibur  miles  of  the 
W.  C.  R.  K.,  and  with  Geo.  Hiles  and  H.  C.  Mumbrue,  buillabout 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  of  the  G.,  B.  &  M.  R.  R.  Since  that 
time  Mr.  Dayton  has  devoted  himself  to  the  stock  business,  and 
various  .speculations,  some  of  which  require  his  making  extended 
trips  through  different  States.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  some  costly 
and  as  yet  untried  horses,  which  are  exptcted  to  show  speed  ;  his 
wife  wa.s  Cornelia  Randall,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  They  have  three 
children  ;  the  family  attend  the  Congregational  Church. 

E.  S.  DONALDSON,  M.  D.,  Waupaca ;  was  born  July  28, 
1844  in  Aztalan,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.;  his  early  life  was  spent  in 
Oconto  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  Green  Bay,  where  he  studied  medicine 
with  the  well  known  Dr.  Henry  Pearce,  for  three  years;  he  then 
entered  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago  (homoeopathic) 
from  which  he  graduated  as  physician  and  surgeon  in  18(54  ;  began 
practice  in  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  from  which  place  he  enlisted  in  the 
44th  Wis.  Vol.  Infty.,  served  one  year,  or  until  the  close  of  the 
war  of  secession,  as  Hospital  Steward  ;  returning  North  in  1865 
he  located  at  New  Lisbon,  Wis.,  practiced  there  eighteen  momhs, 
and  married  Anna  Coon,  of  Palmyra,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.;  in  1S67 
he  located  at  Oconto,  Wis.,  where  he  served  as  Alderman,  and  as 
City  Physician,  having  charge,  in  the  latter  capacity,  of  the  hos- 
pital, improvised  for  the  sufferers  by  the  Peshtigo  fire.  After  a 
most  successful  practice  of  seven  years  in  Oconto,  Dr.  Donaldson 
removed  to  Waupaca ;  here  his  usual  success  has  attended  him, 
resulting  in  his  building  up  the  largest  practice  enjoyed  by  any 
physician  in  the  county. 

REV.  J.  W.  DONALDSON,  of  Waupaca,  is  a  son  of  the  Rev. 
Asa  Donaldson,  who  was  born  in  Monson,  Mass.,  and  died,  aged 
eighty-eight,  in  Dover,  Bureau  Co.,  111.  He  was  for  years  pastor  of 
the  Guilford,  N.  Y.,  Congregational  Church.  His  son,  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  June  24,  181 G,  in  Ilardwick,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  At 
twenty  years  of  age  removed  to  Bureau  Co.,  III.,  where  his  parents 
joined  him  in  18H9.  He  married,  in  1843,  Harriet  E.  Smith,  of 
Princeton,  III.  The  same  year  they  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
a  few  years  later,  removed  to  Neenah,  Wis.  After  two  years  labor 
here,  for  the  American  Bible  Society,  he  was  licensed  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  by  the  Rev.  W  G.  Miller,  a  Methodist  divine.  Elder 
Donald.son  enjoys  the  honor  of  having  been  the  first  minister  ever 
sent  by  the  M.  E.  Church  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Oconto  Co.,  Wis. 
This  was  in  1854,  and  he  traveled  both  as  a  minister  and  as  School 
Superintendent  of  the  town  of  Oconto,  then  the  only  organized 
Towijslii])  in  that  county.  Many  an  exciting  adventure  had  he 
ill  those  early  days  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  Indian  trails  and  the 
ice  of  i'rozen  rivers  were  his  most  usual  routes.  On  one  occasion 
he  was  rescued  from  drowning  by  two  Indians.  His  horse  was 
drowned  and  the  Elder  badly  frozen  before  the  arrival  of  the 
dusky  "  Good  Samaritans."  On  another  occasion  the  timber 
wolves  gave  him  a  four-mile  chase.  A  portion  of  the  lumber  used 
by  him  in  building  a  parsonage  at  Oconto  was  rafted  from  the 
Jones  mill.  After  five  years  active  labor  in  the  M.  E.  Church, 
Elder  Donaldson  united  with  the  Presbyterian-Congregational 
Church,  was  ordained  in  June,  1858,  returned  to  Oconto  Co., 
and  was  there  until  ISfil.  Organized  a  Presbyterian  Church  at 
O'.'onto,  and,  a  few  years  later,  had  the  pleasure  of  offering  the 
dedication  prayer  in  the  new  church  edifice.  In  1861  he  organ- 
ized a  Presbyterian  Church  in  Kewaunee,  Wis.,  and  remained  in 
that  county  until  the  patriotism  of  his  members  caused  such 
wholesale  enli.-tmetits  in  the  Union  army  as  to  break  up  his 
church.  He  then  removed  to  Wyocena.  Wis.,  preaching  there 
and  at  Rio,  where  he  practically  built  a  Congregational  Church. 
He  next  went  to  Wautoma,  Wis. ;  thence  to  Hancock,  Wis.  This 
was  his  home  nine  j'ears,  though  his  labors  extended  to  Coloma, 
Coloma  Station,  Westfield,  Deeifield,  Plainfield,  etc.      He  traveled 


over  15,000  miles  in  Waushara  Co.,  and  built  churches  at  Hancock 
and  Coloma.  His  home  and  that  of  his  faithful  wife  was  the  last 
earthly  home  of  her  parents,  both  of  whom  are  buried  in  Hancock. 
Owing  to  failing  health.  Elder  Donaldson  resigned  his  position  as 
missionary  of  the  A.  H.  M.  S.  in  1879,  but  traveled  a  year  for 
the  A.  B.  S.  in  Adams,  Marquette,  Waushara  and  Wood  Cos. 
Since  the  fall  of  1880  he  has  been  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest  at 
the  pleasant  home  of  his  son,  Dr.  E.  S.  Donaldson,  of  Waupaca. 

JOHN  F.  DUFUR,  District  Attorney  of  Waupaca  Co.,  b 
a  son  of  A.  H.  and  Clarissa  (Howe")  Dufur,  and  was  born  .\ug.  6, 
1854,  in  Geneva,  Kane  Co.,  III.  In  November,  1855,  the  family 
settled  at  lola,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  where  the  parents  still  reside. 
J.  F.  Dufur  was  educated  in  the  Waupaca  High  School,  and  was 
two  terms  at  Lawrence  University.  Appleton.  He  began  when 
17  years  old  as  a  teacher,  thus  earning  the  money  to  defray  the 
major  part  of  the  expenses  of  his  education,  alternately  teaching 
and  attending  school  until  August,  1878,  when  he  began  the  study 
of  law  with  Hon.  E.  L.  Browne,  of  Waupaca,  continuing  his  studies 
in  hisoflBce  until  February,  1880,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Wisconsin.  In  November  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  his 
present  office.  For  a  man  not  27  years  of  age,  this  is  surely  a 
good  record.  Mr.  Dufur  married  April  4,  1878,  Miss  Arabella 
W.  Parker.  She  was  born  near  Mobile,  Ala.  They  have  two 
children. 

J.  W.  EVANS,  Waupaca  Woolen  Mills.  Born,  in  1843,  in 
Wales ;  he  has  spent  nearly  his  whole  life  in  the  woolen-mills  of 
America.  His  parents  located,  when  he  was  an  infant,  in  Central 
New  York.  When  but  eight  years  of  age  he  began  work  in  the  local 
woolen  mills.  During  the  civil  war  he  served  eighteen  months 
with  the  3d  N.  Y.  Light  Artillery,  in  the  Army  of  the  James. 
Coming  to  Waupaca  in  1867,  he  at  once  bought  an  interest  in  the 
firm  of  Dayton,  Dewey  &  Co.  This  firm  had,  the  year  previously, 
bought  the  old  City  Mills,  and  Mr.  Evans,  being  a  practicil  woolen 
manufacturer,  at  once  took  charge  of  the  remodeling  of  the  old 
flouring  mill  as  a  woolen  mill.  Mr.  Evans  gradually  bought  out 
the  interests  of  the  various  men  composing  the  firm  of  Dayton. 
Dewey  &  Co.,  and  finally  became  sole  owner.  In  1S77,  he  erected 
a  new  and  substantial  dam  and  dye  house;  in  1879,  he  sold  a 
quarter  interest  in  the  property  to  Charles  P]vans,  who  is  now 
associated  with  him.  Mr.  Evans  married  Anne  Edwards,  of  Mar- 
cellus,  N.  Y.     Their  four  children  were  born  in  Waupaca. 

P.  A.  HOUSE,  proprietor  Waupaca  Wagon  Works  ;  born  in 
1823,  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.;  his  ancestors  settled  in  the  Mo- 
kawk  Valley  prior  to  the  Revolution  ;  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  P.  A. 
House  left  his  native  county  for  Jefl'erson  Co.,  N.  Y.;  served  six 
years'  apprenticeship,  and  began  at  twenty-one  with  §36  capital ; 
was  for  seven  years  in  Syracuse  and  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  and,  in 
1854,  located  in  Waupaca.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  built  the 
first  wagon  ever  built  on  the  Indian  Reserve.  It  is  still  in  use  by 
T.  Baker,  a  farmer  of  Waupaca  Township.  Mr.  House  in  now 
doing  the  best  business  in  his  line  between  Oshkosh  and  Eau 
Clare;  he  manufectures  from  75  to  100  wagons  annually;  em- 
ploys twelve  men.  In  1872,  he  lost  nearly  everything  by  fire  ; 
re-built  his  shops  near  the  south  end  of  Main  street,  and  is  again 
in  good  shape  for  business ;  he  is  now  rebuilding  his  residence, 
which  was  partially  burned  April  6,  1881  ;  he  had  lived  in  the 
house  twenty-four  years.  Mr.  House  is  a  Baptist,  a  Templar 
and  Freemason  ;  his  wife  was  Lydia  M.  Welch,  of  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.    They  have  an  only  daughter,  having  lost  three  children. 

JOHN  JARDINE,  manufacturer,  Waupaca;  born  in  1834, 
in  Powfoot  Parish,  Humfreysshire,  Scotland.  In  early  life  he 
served  a  three-years  apprenticeship,  as  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  and 
worked  for  many  years  in  Glasgow  ;  in  >l:iy.  l"^.")!',  Iu>  came  to 
America  and  to  Waupaca;  enlisted  in  Si|  tiiulu  r,  1 -^ill ,  in  Co.  A, 
8th  W.  V.  I.;  re-enlisted  at  the  expiration  ut  his  term  of  service 
and  served  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities  in  1S65.  Mr.  Jardine 
thus  has  a  military  record  excelled  by  few,  if  any ;  he  fought 
with  his  regiment  at  Corinth,  luka,  the  battles  about  and  in  the 
seige  of  Vicksburg ;  was  in  the  expedition  up  Red  River,  under 


HISTORY    OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


1085 


A.  J.  Smith ;  helped  "  Pap  "  Thomas  demolish  Hood,  at  Nash- 
ville, and  helped  give  the  confederacy  its  final  quietus  at  Spanish 
Fort  and  Mobile,  leaving  the  service  with  the  rank  of  Second 
Lieutenant  of  Co.  A  ;  returning  to  Waupaca,  he  bought  a  one- 
quarter  interest  in  the  planing-mill,  and  has  steadily  increased  his 
interest,  now  owning  shares  in  the  saw-mill  and  foundry  as  well  as 
the  planing-mill.  Mr.  Jardine  is  a  Freemason ;  has  served  several 
terms  as  Alderman,  and  is  one  of  the  sis  members  of  the  Green- 
wood Park  Association.  He  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Shearer,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children.  Mrs.  Jardine's  maiden  name  was 
Barr,  and  at  the  death  of  her  former  husband,  Thomas  Shearer, 
she  was  left  with  two  children  ;  her  birthplace  was  Paisley, 
Scotland. 

CHRISTIAN  JOHNSON,  of  Johnson  &  Hanson,  tanners; 
born  1826,  on  one  of  the  small  Danish  Islands ;  came  to  America 
and  Waupaca,  in  18(33;  was  the  Dayton,  Dewey  &  Co.,  a  few 
years;  in  1873,  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  tannery  of  C.  F. 
Zahl,  and  five  years  later  bought  him  out;  in  May,  1881,  M.  A. 
Hanson  bought  an  interest  with  Mr.  Johnson.  The  firm  does  a 
large  business,  not  only  in  tanning,  but  in  supplying  leather  and 
findings  to  local  manufacturers,  and  shipments  of  the  same  to 
Boston.  Mr.  Johnson  married  in  Denmark,  Dorathy  Larson. 
They  belong   to  the  Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church  of  Waupaca. 

WALTER  LEVISEE,  Waupaca,  was  born  in  1817  in  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  of  which  county,  with  Saratoga,  his  ancestors 
were  the  earliest  settlers.  Young  Levisee  grew  in  Chenango  Co., 
N.  Y.;  in  1845,  he  settled  in  Bedford,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
ordained  as  a  Baptist  minister ;  two  years  later  ho  removed  to 
Princeton,  111.,  where  he  labored  eleven  years  in  the  ministry; 
was  about  five  years  in  the  furniture  business  in  Princeton  ;  came 
to  New  London  in  1857,  and  was  prominent  in  organizing  the 
Baptist  Church  there,  and  those  in  Northport,  Shiocton  and  Wau- 
paca, he  being  under  the  auspices  of  the  Am.  Baptist  H.  M. 
Society,  and  the  first  Baptist  preacher  in  Wolf  River  Valley.  In 
1860,  he  came  to  Waupaca  ;  began  the  furniture  business  in  1862  ; 
was  burned  out  in  1875,  which  year  also  witnessed  the  death  of 
his  beloved  wife  (n^e  L.  E.  Brown,  of  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.), 
and  a  daughter  aged  twenty-two.  The  present  Mrs.  Levisee  was 
the  widow  of  Ambroise  Gard,  who  was  one  of  the  first  white  men 
to  visit  Waupaca  Falls.  Mrs.  L.  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  came  West  over  twenty-five  years  ago.  Mr.  Levisee 
is  now  the  veteran  furniture  dealer  in  Waupaca  Co. 

A.  LOOS,  farmer,  Sec.  33,  P.  0.  Waupaca,  was  born  in  Bel- 
gium, June  11,  1832;  his  father  was  a  miller  and  his  son  was 
soon  placed  under  his  vigilant  eye  to  learn  the  same  trade,  which 
he  followed  in  his  na'ive  country  till  he  came  to  America;  Aug. 
22,  1856,  he  landed  at  Green  Bay,  remaining  there  a  short  time, 
but  soon  found  himself  iu  Two  Rivers,  where  he  remained  one 
year  and  ran  a  mill ;  from  there  he  went  to  Neshptah  and  ran  a 
mill  for  two  years,  when  he  went  to  Neenah  and  continued  milling 
a  number  of  j'ears,  till  his  health  gave  way,  and  he  was  oblige  1  to 
quit  milling ;  he  then  built  a  large  bakery  and  ran  it  eight  years ; 
his  oldest  son,  in  the  meantime,  becoming  a  practical  baker  ;  one 
year  he  ran  a  hotel  and  saloon.  Jannary  29,  1881,  he  moved 
onto  his  present  farm  of  187  acres  ;  he  has  138  acres  under  cul- 
tivation, which  is  free  from  stumps  and  stones;  his  farm  good 
and  the  location  fine.  He  was  married  in  Belgium  in  1856,  to 
Miss  Rosy  L.  Estas ;  she  was  born  in  Belgium,  Juno  22,  1832. 
They  have  nine  children,  and  their  change  from  city  life  seems  a 
pastime  to  them. 

IRVING  P.  LORD,  attorney  at  law,  Waupaca,  is  a  .^on  of 
G.  L.  Lord,  and  was  born  Oct.  10,  1858,  in  Waupaca,  Wis. 
After  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  his  native  city,  Mr.  Lord 
spent  a  year  on  the  Pacific  Slope  as  a  pleasure  seeker  and  as  a 
teacher.  On  his  return  he  took  a  one  year's  special  course  at 
Lawrence  University,  at  the  end  of  which  he  entered  the  law  ofiice 
of  F.  F.  Wheeler  (now  of  Omro,  Wis.);  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  Wisconsin,  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  March,  1881,  Judge  Parks 
presiding;  from  his  boyhood   Mr.  Lord  has  been  an  owner  and 


"  fancier "  of  thoroughbred  animals  and  fowls ;  before  he  was 
seventeen,  an  article  written  by  him  on  'The  Care  of  Poultry," 
published  in  the  Patron  of  Husbandry,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  at- 
tracted wide  attention,  and  has  resulted  in  his  being  retained  as  a 
regular  correspondent  of  the  Chicago  Times,  the  Milwaukee 
Repablican  and  News,  and  as  an  occasional  writer  for  the 
Inter  Ocean.  The  father  of  Mr.  Lord  was  born  May  16,  1825,  in 
Canada;  came  to  Waupaca  in  1851  ;  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer in  1869,  and  Mayor  of  Waupaca  in  1880.  G.  L.  and  W.  C. 
Lord  have  owned  the  Waupaca  Star  Mills  for  the  past  thirty 
years. 

D.  L.  MANCHESTER,  M.  D.,  Waupaca,  was  born  Feb.  25, 
1833,  in  Plainfield,  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  H.  Six  years  later  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.  The  father  of  D.  L.,  Dr.  John 
Manchester,  also  a  native  of  Sullivan  Co.,  N.  H.,  was  a  very  ac- 
tive practitioner,  and  interested  his  son  in  the  healing  art  when  he 
was  a  mere  lad  ;  coming  to  Waupaca  in  1854,  D.  L.  spent  eight 
years  as  a  contractor  and  builder ;  enlisted  July,  1862,  in  Co.  G, 
21st  W.  V.  I.,  which  company  was  mainly  raised  by  M.  H.  Ses- 
sions and  himself.  At  Perry ville,  the  first  decisive  battle  in  which 
the  Twenty-first  participated,  Dr.  Manchester  received  a  gun-shot 
wou'.d  which  crippled  his  right  shoulder ;  from  the  date  of  the 
battle,  Oct.  8,  18ti2,  until  January,  1863,  he  was  in  the  New 
Albany,  Ind.,  Hospital ;  at  the  time  of  his  discharge  his  weight 
was  about  100  pounds,  which  is  about  one-half  his  present  weight ; 
his  shoulder  was  so  badly  shattered  as  to  require  five  months  in 
healing;  on  his  return  North,  he  was  elected  City  Treasurer  of 
Waupaca;  early  in  1864  he  resolved  to  adopt  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  to  this  end  proceeded  to  Meriden,  N.  H.,  where  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine  with  a  brother ;  after  attending  two 
full  courses  of  lectures  at  Dartmouth  College,  and  one  at  the  State 
University  of  Vermont,  he  took  a  third  course  at  Dartmouth,  from 
which  historic  institution  he  graduated  in  November,  1866  ;  re- 
turning to  Waupaca,  he  has  since  resided  and  practiced  here ;  in 
1870  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Chicago  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  attended  the  Practitioner's  Course  in  1880;  the  Doctor 
is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  has  been  for  more  than 
twenty  years  a  Freemason ;  was  Mayor  of  Waupaca  in  1879  ;  Dr. 
Manchester  is  perhaps  better  known  than  any  physician  in  Wau- 
paca Co.,  which  is  owing  to  the  dual  fact  of  his  long  residence 
within  its  borders,  and  his  successful  and  increasing  practice. 

HACON  NORDVI,  merchant,  Waupaca,  was  born  in  Wardoe, 
Norway.  His  father  was  an  enterprising  shipping  merchant,  who 
dealt  with  the  merchants  of  Russia,  Spain  and  Denmark ;  at  seven 
years  of  age,  Hacon  was  sent  to  school  in  Copenhagen,  the  Danish 
capital ;  at  seventeen  he  entered  the  National  Univer.~ity  of  Norway, 
at  Christiana,  and  in  due  time  graduated  from  the  Department  of 
Medicine;  having  lost  his  parents  and  an  only  sister  by  death,  he, 
in  1853,  came  to  America,  and  was,  for  different  periods  of  time, 
in  business  in  Taycheedah,  Fond  du  Lac,  Manitowoc,  Green  Bay 
and  Kewaunee,  Wis.;  while  a  member  of  the  firm  of  0.  Thompson 
&  Co.,  ftlauitowoc,  he  resolved,  owing  to  a  partial  failure  of  his 
health,  to  re;urn  to  his  native  land,  and  actually  went  to  New 
York  for  the  purpose,  but,  missed  the  steamer  (the  Austria),  which 
burned  at  sea,  when  a  few  days  out,  nearly  all  on  board  perishing. 
Returning  to  Wisconsin,  he  began  again  at  Green  Bay  ;  came  from 
Green  Bay  to  Waupaca  in  1865;  has  since  carried  a  large  stock 
of  general  merchandise  here,  and  is  doing  a  good  and  satisfactory 
business ;  he  is  a  Freemason  ;  his  wife  was  Mary  Hudson,  a  na- 
tive of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.;  they  have  three  children. 

C.  S.  OGDEN,  Waupaca,  County  Judge  of  Waupaca  Co.,  and 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  was  born  Aug. 
2,  1819,  in  Cannonsville,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  family  first 
settled  ill  New  Jersey,  and  afterward  became  one  of  the  wealthiest 
and  most  influential  in  the  Empire  State  ;  whole  counties,  in  West- 
ern New  York,  were  owned  by  this  family,  which  "  consolidated  " 
under  the  title  of  the  Ogden  Land  Association.  William  B. 
Ogden,  the  Chicago  railroad  magnate,  was  of  this  family,  and  an 
uncle  of  the  Judge.     After  leaving  the  common  schools  of  his 


ioS6 


HISTORY   OF    NOR'lHERN   WISCONSIN. 


boyhood,  C.  S.  attended  Knoxville  Academy  at  Corning,  N.  Y. 
(then  Painted  Post).  In  1834  or  '35  he  located  near  Niles, 
Mich.;  remained  there  until  1S48,  then  came  to  Wisconsin.  This 
now  great  State  had  then  just  secured  her  place  in  the  sisterhood 
of  States.  Judge  Ogden  located  at  Plover,  Portage  Co.;  engaged 
for  three  years  in  lumbering  and  keeping  store ;  then  farmed  three 
years,  and,  in  1854,  struck  out  for  the  woods  of  Central  Waupaca 
Co.;  finding  a  fine  water  power  at  the  present  site  of  Ogdensburg, 
he  built  a  store,  and  ore  the  doors  and  windows  were  adjusted,  he 
placed  therein  a  S(j,()(K)  stock  of  goods.  It  was  seemingly  a  wild 
venture,  as  his  nearest  neighbor  in  the  forest  was  three  miles  away. 
Persuaded  that  a  good  town  could  be  built  here,  he  was,  at  differ- 
ent times,  joined  by  Messrs.  Hopkins  (who  opened  a  hotel),  Rat- 
clifi',  Kerrick,  Batchum,  and  the  Colliers,  with  others.  Judge 
Ogden  built  a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill,  and  for  a  few  years  Ogdens- 
burg (named  in  his  honor  at  the  raising  of  the  saw-mill)  was  a 
busy  and  promising  place.  Its  central  location  gave  rise  to  an 
ambition,  on  the  part  of  its  people,  to  have  it  made  the  county 
seat.  The  destruction  of  Judge  Ogden's  mills,  by  fire,  in  1859, 
was  a  blow  from  which  the  aspiring  little  busy  town  never  recovered. 
Judge  Ogden,  though  nearly  ruined  by  the  calamity,  rebuilt  the 
saw-mill  and  kept  it  running  until  186(5 ;  since  then  he  has  re- 
sided in  Waupaca,  practicing  law,  the  study  of  which  he  began 
while  at  Ogdensburg.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  first 
term  of  court  ever  held  in  Waupaca.  Judge  Ogden  has  been  al- 
most constantly  in  ofiice  since  his  settlement  in  this  county,  repre- 
senting St.  Lawrence  on  the  County  Board  for  years  ;  was  elected 
District  Attorney  in  1857;  elected  County  Judge  in  1860,  and 
refused  a  renomination ;  he  has,  however,  in  spite  of  strong  oppo- 
sition, been  elected  four  times  since,  and  is  now  serving  his  fifth 
term.  The  Judge  is  an  excellent  type  of  the  calm,  clear-headed 
and  kindly  men  who,  coming  from  the  best  and  richest  State  in 
the  Union,  are  so  rapidly  leading  Wisconsin  to  the  foremost  place 
in  the  ranks  of  the  great  States. 

SAMUEL  PINKERTON,  farmer,  Sec.  21,  P.  O.  Waupaca, 
was  born  in  Ireland  Jan.  1,  1803.  His  early  life  was  on  a  farm. 
His  father  rented  a  small  piece  of  land,  and  upon  that  his  family 
eked  out  an  existence.  April  10,  1841.  he  married  Mary  War- 
nock;  she  was  born  in  1809.  In  1847,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  with  his 
wife  and  three  children,  set  out  for  America,  and  landed  in  New 
York.  He  remained  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  six  years, 
having  hired  out  upon  a  farm  to  earn  a  support  for  his  young 
family.  In  1853  he  came  to  Waupaca  and  settled  on  his  present 
place.  He  had  means  to  buy  one  forty  of  land,  and  pre-empted  a 
quarter  section.  He  at  once  erected  a  log  house,  and  commenced 
to  carve  out  a  home.  He  had  an  opportunity  to  pick  his  land 
from  a  large  territory,  and  future  developments  have  shown  the 
wisdom  of  his  choice.  He  now  owns,  with  his  son  John,  now  at 
home,  640  acres  of  land,  280  acres  being  in  the  homestead.  At 
the  time  he  came  there  was  one  little  log  store  kept  in  Waupaca, 
run  by  Holt.  He  has  been  Supervisor  several  times,  but  never 
wanted  to  be  bothered  with  offices.  His  son  John,  who  is  at 
home  and  superintends  the  farm,  is  Chairman  of  the  town,  and 
has  been  for  several  years.  Mr.  Pinkerton  has  reared  a  large 
family  of  children,  who  have  become  respected  and  influential 
citizens.  He  has  striven  zealously  to  educate  them,  two  of  whom 
have  graduated  from  seminaries  and  colleges. 

TRUMAN  RICH,  photographer,  Waupaca,  born  Jan.  6, 
1833,  in  Montpelier,  Vermont;  was  born  and  raised  a  farmer's 
son;  spent  four  years  in  New  Hamp.shiro,  and  in  1851  came 
West;  first  stopped  in  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  July,  1852, 
settled  as  a  farmer  in  Royalton,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  being  one  of 
the  fii-st  to  locate  there.  Two  years  later,  Mr.  Rich  settled  in  the 
town  of  Waupaca,  and  lived  there  until  September,  1864,  when 
he  enlisted  in  the  U.  S.  service  ;  was  in  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nes.see,  under  A.  J.  Smith.  Mr.  Rich  received  a  gunshot  wound 
at  the  decisive  battle  of  Nashville.  One  of  the  large  bones  of  the 
forearm  was  destroyed,  and  he  was  four  months  in  the  hospital. 
In   1865,  he  came  to  Waupaca,  and  for  three  years  was  in  the 


grocery  business.  He  then  began  learning  photography  of  H.  J. 
Perkins;  went  into  the  business  for  himself  at  the  City  Gallery, 
which  he  still  owns,  though  since  May  1,  1880,  he  has  occupied 
the  spacious  rooms  of  Mr.  Perkins,  whom  he  bought  out.  Mr. 
Rich  thus  enjoys  a  monopoly  of  the  photograph  business  in  Wau- 
paca, and  is  fully  competent  to  meet  the  wants  of  its  citizens  in 
this  line.  His  copying  in  India  ink,  water  colors,  Berlin  photos, 
etc.,  is  done  by  the  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  Copying  Company.  .Mr.  Rich 
was  one  term  Under  Sheriff  of  Waupaca  Co.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church  and  the  T.  of  H.  His  wife  was  Flora  P. 
Cole,  of  Calais,  Vt.  They  have  lost  one  of  their  children,  and 
have  four  living. 

HON.  MYRON  REED,  attorney  at  law,  Waupaca,  was  born 
Sept.  19,  1836,  in  Me.ssina,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  a  course  of  instruction  at  Union 
Academy,  Belleville,  N.  Y.,  entering  the  Law  School  at  Albany 
University  in  1857.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  upon  exam- 
ination, the  following  year;  came  to  Waupaca  (then  one-third  its 


present  size),  in  the  year  1859.  The  legal  lights  here  at  this 
time  were  E.  L.  Browne,  0.  E.  Druitzer  and  M.  H.  Sessions. 
With  the  latter  gentleman  he  formed  a  partnership  which  con- 
tinued until  1871.  Mr.  Reed  has  held  the  positions  of  Clerk, 
Supervisor  and  President  of  the  village  of  Waupaca,  Alderman 
and  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  is  now  a  Supervisor  thereof  In  1871, 
Mr.  Reed  was  elected  State  Senator  over  his  partner,  the  then 
incumbent ;  was  re-nominated  at  the  end  of  the  term,  but  declined 
to  run  for  the  office.  While  in  the  Senate,  he,  almost  alone, 
secured  the  adoption  of  Article  4  of  the  Amendments  to  the  Con- 
stitution. Mr.  Reed  has  been  High  Priest  of  Waupaca  Chapter, 
No.  39,  R.  A.  M.,  since  its  organization  in  1868,  and  was  Master 
of  Waupaca  Lodge,  No.  123,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  least  two-thirds 
of  the  time  since  its  institution  in  1860.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  K.  of  P. 

0.  H.  ROWE,  Under  Sheriff  of  Waupaca  Co.,  born,  Feb.  14, 
1831,  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  married  Kate  Dodge,  of  Madison 
Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  six  children.  Mr.  Rowe  settled  in  Wey- 
auwega,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  engaged  in  the  harness  and  saddlery 
business  there  until  1864.  He  then  made  a  visit  East,  and, 
while  in  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  enlisted  in  the  lS7th  N.  Y.  V.  L  Was 
with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  participated  in  the  siege  of 


I 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


1087 


Petersburg ;  served  until  the  war  closed,  and  returned  to  Wey- 
auwega,  where  he  continued  his  former  business  until  1873.  He 
then  went  to  Northport.  While  there  he  served  four  years  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  November,  1878,  he  was  elected  County 
Sheriff,  and  after  serving  out  his  term,  was  appointed  to  his 
present  position.  In  the  spring  of  1879,  he  came  with  his  family 
to  Waupaca,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

WINFIELD  SCOTT,  Waupaca,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Wau- 
paca County,  was  born  in  1833,  in  Attica,  N.  Y.  His  fiither, 
David  Scott,  born  in  1794,  engaged  in  an  extensive  milling  and 
merchandising  business,  at  one  time  owning  nearly  the  whole  of 
Attica.  In  1847,  a  fire  destroyed  so  much  of  his  property  as  to 
cause  his  removal  West.  The  year  1849  found  him  farming  near 
Waupaca,  "  where,"  he  says,  "  I  spent  some  of  my  happiest  days." 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  in  18(51,  Mr.  Scott  was  in  the  drug 
business;  was  stricken  with  paralysis  in  1862,  and  went  to  New 
York  for  medical  treatment.  He  died  in  June,  18(54,  and  lies 
buried  on  the  old  Attica  homestead.  His  son,  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch,  made  hi."?  start  in  life  in  partnership  with  his  father. 
The  misfortunes  of  the  sire  caused  Winfield  to  come  West  in 
1850.  Locating  at  Appleton,  Wis.,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
Reader  Smith,  and  was  with  him  for  five  years.  While  here  he 
became  Secretary  of  the  Winnebago  Lake  and  Fox  Eiver  Plank 
Road  Company  ;  he  was  also  the  first  telegraph  operator  in  Apple- 
ton.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Waupaca  and  began  business.  In 
1859  and  1860,  he  was  Clerk  of  the  Court  and  Deputy  County 
Treasurer.  In  1861,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Court,  and  re- 
elected in  1863.  By  appointment  and  election,  Mr.  Scott  has 
filled  as  principal  or  deputy  nearly  all  the  county  ofiices,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  he  is  a  sturdy  Democrat.  Was  elected  County 
Judge  in  1873,  and  served  four  years.  He  is  now  Deputy  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds.  Mr.  Scott  owns  a  complete  abstract  of  the  titles 
of  all  Waupaca  County  real  estate.  This  abstract  was  compiled 
by  him  at  great  cost  of  time  and  labor.  He  is  the  owner  of  200 
city  lots  in  Waupaca,  and  200  acres  of  land  near  the  city  with 
two  fine  water  privileges;  aside  from  his  official  duties,  he  has, 
during  the  past  twenty-five  years,  carried  on  an  extensive  specu- 
lating real  estate  and  insurance  business.  Has  been  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  his  first  settlement  here. 
Is  also  a  Mason,  belonging  to  both  the  Chapter  and  Lodge  of 
Waupaca.  In  addition  to  the  duties  of  his  arduous  county  and 
private  busiuess,  he  has  repeatedly  served  as  Clerk,  Supervisor 
and  Trustee  of  the  village  and  city  of  Waupaca. 

J.  B.  SIMCOCK,  Waupaca,  was  born  Oct.  22,  1833,  in 
StaflTordshire,  Eng.,  and  was  with  his  father's  family  up  to  the 
settlement  in  Dayton,  Waupaca  Co.  He  then  returned  south, 
remaining  in  Kenosha  and  Chicago  until  the  spring  of  1856. 
The  year  1857  found  him  in  the  hardware  business  in  Saxeville, 
Wis.  In  the  spring  of  1858,  he  began  the  same  business  on  his 
own  account  on  Main  street,  Waupaca.  Mr.  Simcock  was  then 
assisted  by  a  brother,  Samuel,  who  has  since  died.  Samuel  was 
succeeded  by  a  brother  now  in  Amherst,  Wis.  William  Simcock 
bought  an  interest  with  J.  B.  in  1865,  and  they  were  joined  by 
William  A.  West  in  1867,  thus  constituting  the  present  well- 
known  hardware  firm  of  Simcock  &  West.  J.  B.  Simcock  has 
been  actively  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
since  his  first  settlement  in  Waupaca,  serving  as  Sabbath  School 
Superintendent,  Trustee  and  Steward.  He  also  served  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  as  Village  Trustee,  and  as  one  of  the  School  Board. 
REV.  SAMUEL  SIMCOCK,  deceased,  was  a  native  of 
Stafli'ordshire,  Eng.,  and  brought  his  family,  consisting  of  himself, 
wife,  four  sous  and  two  daughters,  to  America  in  1842.  He 
located  in  Lake  County,  111.,  and,  five  years  later,  went  to  Ke- 
nosha, Wis.,  going  from  there  to  Winneconne,  Wis.  Elder  Sim- 
cock and  fiimily  are  well  remembered  among  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  this  thriving  young  city,  as  he  did  his  utmost  in  promoting  the 
cause  of  Christianity  among  the  wild,  rude  population  .so  insepara- 
ble from  frontier  towns.  One  of  the  daughters  taught  the  first 
school   in  Winneconne.     In    J  852,  the   family  settled  in  Dayton, 


Waupaca  Co.,  where  the  Elder  engaged  in  farming  until  the  fall 
of  1857,  when  he  removed  to  Waupaca,  where  he  died  in  Decem- 
ber, 1864.  As  a  Christian  gentleman  of  positive,  rigidly  upright 
character,  and,  as  the  most  kindly  of  husbands,  fathers  and  neigh- 
bors, his  death  was  a  cause  of  sorrow  to  many  who  had  so  well- 
known  him  during  his  twentj'-two  years'  residence  in  the  West. 

WILLIAM  SIMCOCK,  Waupaca,  was  born  Aug.  20,  1826, 
in  Staffordshire,  Eng.  He  accompanied  his  people  to  the  United 
States  in  1842,  and  remaining  with  them  came  to  Waupaea  in 
February,  1863.  Went  into  partnership  with  his  brother,  J.  B. 
Simcock,  early  in  1865.  Like  his  brother,  Mr.  Simeook  has  been 
a  very  prominent,  active  and  unselfish  supporter  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Waupaca.  Is  now  class  leader,  which 
position  he  has  filled  about  fifteen  years.  Is  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  of  which 
board  he  has  been  for  many  years  a  member.  He  has  also  served 
as  Sabbath  School  Superintendent,  and,  as  Steward  of  the  church, 
Mr.  Simcock  has  never  had  political  aspirations,  and  has  only 
served  on  the  School  Board. 

R.  SWAN,  of  the  firm  of  J.  Towle  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of 
tight  barrel  staves  and  shingles,  Waupaca  County.  Mr.  Swan  was 
born  in  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  went  to  Buffalo  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  general  cooperage,  which  he  followed  from  1851  to 
1862.  He  then  went  to  Cleveland  and  conducted  the  same  busi- 
ness until  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1872  he  engaged  with  the 
Standard  Oil  Co.,  of  Cleveland,  for  whom  he  traveled  for  over 
eight  years,  engaged  in  the  purchase  and  shipment  of  staves,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  engaged  in  the  present  business.  The  firm 
gives  employment  to  ten  men  and  has  a  capacity  of  1,000,000 
staves  annually. 

JAMES  THOMAS,  deceased,  Waupaca;  was  born  in  Seneca 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1820  ;  his  early  life  was  on  a  farm,  and  by  that 
training  he  learned  that  persevering  diligence  and  economy  was 
the  right  road  to  wealth;  he  was  married  in  New  York,  and 
shortly  after,  came  to  Waupaca  and  settled  on  his  present  farm, 
in  1849  ;  he  got  from  the  Government  360  acres  of  land  and 
commenced  at  once  to  improve  it;  having  arrived  in  the  fall,  the 
first  thing  to  do  was  to  build  a  shanty  to  live  in.  Mr.  Thomas 
drew  for  his  shanty  the  first  lumber  that  was  sawed  at  Weyauwega  ; 
Mr.  Thomas  held  the  plow  for  every  one  of  the  275  acres  that  is 
improved  on  his  large  farm,  which  now  contains  460  acres  ;  in  an 
early  day  he  did  a  great  deal  of  breaking  for  other  people  ;  he 
probably  did  as  much  to  improve  this  country  as  any  man  in  it. 
They  have  a  large  stock  upon  it ;  a  specialty  is  made  of  the  Devon 
cattle.  They  have  a  large  house  and  two  barns,  one  40x50,  with 
good  board  sheds  attached,  one  eighty  feet  long,  the  other  forty 
feet  long ;  the  other  barn  is  30x40,  and  attached  are  two  sheds, 
each  forty  feet  long.  He  died  April  29,  1880.  They  heve  had 
ten  children,  one  of  whom,  John  F.,  died  in  the  army. 

E.  B.  THOMPSON,  Postmaster  of  Waupaca;  was  born 
Sept.  30,  1836,  in  Warren  Co.,  Penn.;  in  1849,  his  people  settled 
in  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  Wis.  This  previously  fiimous  ''  Fourierite 
settlement"  was  then  approaching  its  dissolution.  In  March, 
1851,  the  family  settled  on  a  farm  one  mile  east  of  Waupaca ; 
during  the  first  year  they  lived  on  the  supplies  brought  from  Fond 
du  Lac  Co.,  but  owing  to  the  partial  failure  of  the  crop  of  1851, 
the  family  suffered  untold  hardships  the  next  season.  Stale  flour, 
best  known  as  "  sick  flour,"  brought  by  teams  from  Berlin,  cost 
them  $4  per  hundred  weight,  and  made  nearly  all  sick  who  ate  it. 
The  parents  still  live  here,  but  the  seven  children  who  accompa- 
nied them  have  become  widely  separated,  Mrs.  Le  Gro,  Mrs. 
Chady,  and  E.  B.,  being  all  that  are  left  in  Waupaca  County. 
The  latter  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  Co.  G,  22d  Wis.  V.  I., 
and  engaged  with  his  regiment  Oct.  8,  1862,  in  the  bloody  battle 
of  Perryville ;  he  receiving  a  gun-shot  wound  in  his  right  arm  ; 
was  confined  in  hospital  five  months.  The  arm  w.os  terribly  shat- 
tered and  for  weeks  entirely  useless.  It  was  during  this  time 
that  Mr.  Thompson  (naturally  a  fine  penman),  learned  by  stern 


to88 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


necessity  to  write  with  his  left  hand.  On  his  return  to  Waupaca, 
he  was  employed  by  Charles  Strickland,  then  Postmaster,  as  clerk 
at  S7  per  month.  Mr.  Thompson  entered  upon  his  duties  here, 
Nov.  1,  1863,  and  was  from  the  outset  in  full  charge  of  the  office. 
His  salary  was  gradually  increased,  he  retaining  the  posilion  of 
clerk  until  his  appointment  by  Postmaster  General  A.  W.  Ran- 
dall, as  Postmaster  of  Waup;ica,  in  August,  1867,  in  spite  of 
many  futile  attempts  by  various  interested  parties  to  cause  his 
removal.  Mr.  Thompson  has  since  retained  the  office ;  his  con- 
scientious and  affable  discharge  of  its  duties  has  won  him  hosts  of 
warm  friends,  who  solidly  resist  all  efforts  directed  against  the 
crippled  soldier  who  serves  them  so  well  and  unselfishly. 

A.  J.  VAN  PIPPS,  Mayor  of  Waupaca ;  born  in  the  town 
of  Remsen,  Onieda  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  22,  1830  ;  spent  his  early 
life  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  where  his  parents  settled  when  he  was 
three  years  old ;  when  fifteen  years  old,  he  began  work  on  a  dairy 
farm,  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.;  at  eighteen,  he  went  to  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  spent  two  years  there,  then  settled  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  engaging  in  the  lumber  business  until  1852  ;  that  year  he 
came  to  VVeyauwega,  Wis.,  and  helped  build  the  first  saw-mill  for 
Gill  &  Tourtelotte,  who  sold  it  to  Weed  &  Birdsall,  the  founders 
of  Weyauwega.  After  nine  or  ten  years  in  the  lumber  business 
at  Weyauwega,  Mr.  Van  Epps  kept  hotel  two  years  in  Saxeville, 
Waushara  Co.;  he  then  returned  to  Weyauwega,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  lumbering,  until  1876,  when,  having  been 
elected  Sheriff  of  Waupaca  County,  he  settled,  and  has  since 
resided  in  Waupaca;  while  in  VVeyauwega,  he  was  successively 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Assessor,  Chairman  and  President 
of  the  village  ;  also  served  four  years  as  Under  Sheriff;  in  1879, 
he  was  Police  Justice,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Alderman  of 
Waupaca;  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  April  5,  1881.  Mr. 
Van  Epps  has  a  good  military  as  well  as  civil  record  ;  he  enlisted 
April,  1863,  in  the  22d  Wis.  V.  I. ;  was  made  Orderly  Sergeant 
and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Warrensburg,  Mo.,  prison  ;  in  conse- 
quence of  injuries  received  there,  he  came  home  six  months  later, 
and  remained  until  February,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  52d 
Wis.  V.  I.;  was  soon  after  placed  in  command  of  the  arsenal  at 
Pilot  Knob,  Mo.,  seven  months  later,  with  a  Second  Lieutenant's 
commission  ;  he  was  sent  to  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  where  he  was 
discharged  with  his  regiment  in  August,  1865. 

F.  B.  VOSBURG,  proprietor  of  the  Vosburg  House,  Wau- 
paca, is  a  native  of  Gowanda,  N.  Y.,  and  married  Mariette  Capen, 
of  Rushford,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children  and  I'ave  lost  two. 
In  1861,  Mr.  Vosburg  came  to  Waupaca  from  Fond  du  Lac; 
from  1856  to  18G1  he  was  in  charge  of  the  Fond  du  Lac  and 
Stevens  Point  express  route;  in  1869  he  bought  the  Smith 
House  of  E.  I.  Putnam;  this  house  (a  two-story  frame)  was 
built  in  1856  by  A.  E.  Smith,  who  named  it  and  kept  it, 
until  he  sold  it  to  Putnam  in  1863.  The  house  burned  down 
May  16,  1872.  Within  ten  weeks,  the  present  Vosburg 
House  was  open  for  the  entertainment  of  guests.  A  circus 
troupe  comprising  sixty-five  people  wore  the  first  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  comforts  of  the  new  hotel ;  soon  after  a  formal 
opening  took  place,  a  libera!  donation  was  tendered  Mr.  Vosburg, 
and  a  supper  and  dance  enjoyed.  The  house  is  50x60,  and  a 
well-appointed  three  story  brick.  Mr.  Vosburg  is  deservedly 
popular  with  the  traveling  public,  and  his  house  is  the  common 
meeting  ground  for  the  commercial  travelers.  While  managing  a 
large  and  popular  hotel,  Mr.  Vosburg  has  found  time  to  cultivate 
his  natural  liking  for  fine  horses.  Nearly  twenty  years  ago  he 
was  the  owner  of  the  celebrated  Black  Hawk  mare.  Belle  of  Balti- 
more; he  sold  her  for  $400.  In  July,  1878,  he  sold  a  fine  young 
Morgan  stallion  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  S600.  In  June,  1870,  he 
bought  of  Capt.  Spencer  the  Black  Hawk  mare,  Yankee  Girl.  A 
span  consisting  of  one  of  her  colts  and  one  bred  from  Belle  of 
Baltimore  was  sold  by  him  to  H.  G.  II.  Reed  for  S600.  One 
hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  was  paid  for  a  four  months'  old 
colt  of  Yankee  Girl's;  he  now  owns  Yankee  Giil  and  throe  of 
her  colts.     Yankee  Girl   trotted  half  a  mile  in  Ripon,  Wis.,  in 


1:30,  Sept.  10,  1878;  since  then  she  has  made  2:40  on  the  track        I 
of  the  County  Agricultural   Society  at  Waupaca;  in   1877  she        ' 
won  a  race  at  Appleton  in  2:52.     None  of  her  colts  have  as  yet 
been  trained.  | 

JUDGE  SAMUEL  F.   WARE,   deceased,  was  one  of  the        i 
foremost  of  the  enterprising  band  of  pioneers  that  settled  at  Wau- 
paca Falls  in   1849.      He  came  here  from   Pennsylvania,  and  in         i 
the  spring  of  1850  located   here  permanently  with   his  wife  and 
five  children ;  engaging  in   farming  and  real  estate  speculations,         ! 
he  took  a  prominent  place  among  the  founders  of  the  county,  and         ' 
served  as  County  Judge  for  six  years  prior  to  the  rebellion.      He 
was  the  first  Justice  of  the   Peace  in  Waupaca,  and  held  various         i 
town  offices.     In  1860  he  removed  to  a  farm  two  miles  north  of 
the  city ;  while  driving  a  spirited  team  from  town  to  the  farm  in 
December,  1869,  he  was  thrown  from  the  wagon  to  the  ground, 
and  so  injured  as  to  cause  his  death  a  fortnight  later.     In  the 
character  of  Judge  Ware  were  combined  the  elements  of  integrity,         i 
kindliness  and  good  sense.     No  one  could  form  his  acquaintance        ' 
and  not  feel  that  it  was  richly  worth  cultivating.      He  was  fifty-         ; 
four  years  of  age   at  his   death,  and  left  four  children — DeWitt,         | 
Duane,  Lucina  and  John   M.     Oscar  Ware   and  another  son  of        i 
the  Judge  enlisted  in  the  21st  W.  V.  I.,  and  died  in  consequence        ' 
of  a  wound  received  at  Stone   River.     John  M.  Ware  was  born 
Jan.  10,  1847,  in  Clymer,  N.  Y.     He  has  owned  the  homestead        ; 
farm  since  the  death  of  his  father,  and  has  resided  in  Waupaca 
County  since  the  spring  of  1850;  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  of  Waupaca  1874,  and  is  now  serving  his  seventh 
term   as  Treasurer  of  that  town.     Is  a  member  and  was  for  five 
years  W.  M.  of  Waupaca  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.;  is  also  a  chap- 
ter  member   of  Waupaca    Lodge    K     P.     Since    1875   he  has 
devoted  most  of  his  time  to  the  live-stock  business,  and  is  now  in 
partnership  with   William   M.  Dayton,  also  an   old  resident  of 
Waupaca. 

J.  H.  WOODNORTH.  Register  of  Deeds,  Waupaca  County, 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  where  his  father,  S.  Woodnorth, 
was  for  many  years  in  the  merchant  tailoiing  business.  The 
family  came  to  the  town  of  Royalton  in  1856,  and  to  Waupaca 
two  year-i  later.  J.  H.  received  his  schooling  in  the  Fourteenth 
Street  Academy,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the  Waupaca  High  School. 
Learned  the  profession  he  now  follows  with  Ole  Oleson,  a  drug- 
gist. Began  the  drug  business  in  1874,  having  been  four  years 
previously  in  mercantile  business.  He  enlisted  in  1863  in  Co.  G, 
21st  W.  V.  I.,  as  a  private;  served  through  the  Atlanta  cam- 
piign;  was  promoted  First  Lieutenant  in  September,  1864,  and 
made  Chief  Clerk  in  the  Inspector  General's  office;  attached  to 
the  staff  of  Gen.  George  H.  Thomas;  in  this  capacity  he  Ibught 
at  Franklin  and  Nashville;  returned  with  his  regiment  in  .\ugust, 
1865.  Mr.  Woodnorth  has  served  as  City  Superintcndunt  of 
schools,  Deputy  Sheriff,  City  Marshal;  was  elected  Rogistir  of 
Deeds  in  the  fall  of  1879,  as  an  Indep -ndent  over  Republican 
opponent.  Mr.  Woodnorth  is  now  attending  wholly  to  his  drug 
store,  the  duties  of  the  Register's  office  being  most  efficiently  per- 
formed by  his  old  and  tried  deputy,  Winfield  Scott.  Mr.  Wood- 
north  is  now  District  Deputy  Grand  Master  I  O.  O.  F.;  has  been 
a  leading  spirit,  and  held  all  ihe  offices  in  Waupaca  Lodge,  No. 
208,  I.  0.  O.  F.;  is  also  a  member  of  Waupaca  Lodge,  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M. 

NEW  LONDON. 

The  town  of  Mukwa  is  south  of  Lebanon  and  east  of 
Royalton,  adjoining  Outagamie  County.  J.  G.  Nordman 
first  settled  in  the  town  in  1848,  an  organization  being  af- 
fected in  1851,  with  James  Smiley  as  Town  Clerk.  In 
1852  a  schooHiouse  was  built.  Mrs.  Stevens  being  the 
teacher.  The  Catholics  erected  the  first  church  building  at 
Northport  in  1855.  C.  E.  P.  Ilobart  kept  the  first  store 
at  Mukwa  in  1850,  and  ^Ir.  Ilale  built  the  first  saw-mill  at 
New  London  in  1857.     The  former  gentleman    was   Muk- 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA   COUNTY. 


1089 


wa's  first  Postmaster  in  18 ")1.  That  courier  of  this  region, 
"  Capt.  Jack,"  brought  the  mail  once  a  week  in  a  coon-skin 
bag. 

The  city  of  New  London  was  incorporated  March  7, 
1877.  It  is  divided  by  the  boundary  line  between  Waupaca 
and  Outagamie  Counties,  being  situated  on  the  Wolf  River 
at  the  head  of  steamboat  natigation.  If  extended.  Division 
street  on  the  south  side  would  strike  a  point  where  the  Em- 
barrass River  joins  the  Wolf,  and  this  point  continued  is 
the  county  line.  The  city  being  located  twenty  miles  west 
of  Appleton  and  nearly  thirty  miles  by  water  from  Waupaca, 
it  causes  much  inconvenience  to  its  inhabitants  in  the  trans- 
action of  business  at  the  two  county  seats,  and  it  will  not 
be  long,  undoubtedly,  before  New  London  places  herself 
either  in  one  county  or  the  other.  Fivesi.xths  of  her  peo- 
ple reside  on  the  Waupaca  side.  New  London  is  divided 
into  five  wards,  the  First,  Third  and  Fourth  lying  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Wolf  River  and  the  Second  and  Fifth  on 
the  north. 

RAILROADS. 

As  to  her  facilities  for  communication  the  Green  Bay; 
Winona  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  (formerly  the  Green  Bay  & 
Minnesota)  connects  at  this  point  with  the  Milwaukee,  Lake 
Shore  &  Western  for  Shawano,  Manitowoc,  Appleton,  Osh- 
kosh,  Sheboygan  and  Milwaukee,  and  at  Amherst  Junction 
and  Plover  with  the  Wisconsin  Central  for  Ashland, 
Stevens'  Point,  Portage  and  Madison.  New  London  is  now, 
a  s  it  has  been  for  years,  the  center  of  supplies  for  the  lum- 
b  ering  interests  of  Waupaca  County  and  vicinity,  the  Wolf 
R  iver  being  the  natural  outlet  for  the  bulk  of  its  trade. 
When  steam  was  applied  on  the  inland  lakes  and  rivers 
New  London  at  once  came  to  the  front.  At  first  the  means 
of  penetrating  the  great  lumber  camps  were  few,  and  the 
means  of  conveying  supplies  were  almost  confined  to  small 
boats — even  canoes.  Lumber  sawed  would  bring  scarcely 
more  than  that  in  the  rough  at  the  present  day.  For  a 
time  nearly  all  the  pine  lumber  was  brought  down  in  the 
log  to  the  junction  of  the  Fox  and  Wolf,  some  of  it  being 
conveyed  by  tug  up  to  Omro  and  towns  above,  to  be  sawed 
into  boards.  The  remainder  was  taken  to  Oshkosh,  Nee- 
nah,  Ajjpleton  and  other  places.  After  the  construction  of 
the  LTnion  Valley  Railroad  it  was  taken  in  cars  to  the  Rock 
River  and  thence  carried  to  Janesville  and  other  towns  in 
the  heart  of  the  prairie  region.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  there  were  so  many  risks  in  booming  lumber  and  then 
rafting  through  Lakes  Poygan,  Buttes  des  Morts  and  Win- 
nebago that  lumbermen  were  discouraged  and  attention  was 
to  manufacturing  lumber  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  pinery 
itself.  Hence  water-power  was  brought  into  play  (or  into 
work)  on  the  Little  Wolf,  Pigeon  Embarrass,  Shawano  and 
Menominee.  Mukwa  first  became  the  lumberman's  source 
of  supplies,  but  was  too  far  away  from  the  pinery,  and 
naturally  New  London,  as  the  head  of  navigation,  stepped 
into  her  place.  Small  crafts  may  penetrate  above  the  Em- 
barrass, but  the  central  point  has  been  and  will  be  for  years 
to  come  the  city  of  New  London.  For  many  years  she 
struggled  hard  to  obtain  railroad  facilities,  but  all  the  pro- 
jects virtually  fell  through  until  the  Green  Bay  &  Minne- 
sota road  reached  the  place  in  February,  1871.  The  last 
rail  on  the  extension  of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  & 
Western  Company  to  New  London  was  laid  on  November  29, 
1876.  Regular  trains  commenced  to  run  December  11, 1870. 
The  first  movement  made  in  this  direction  was  on  Jan- 
uary, 2,  18.'J7.  A  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting  was  then 
69 


held  and  the  town  resolved  that  its  citizens  might  be  de- 
pended upon  to  "  raise  $150,000  in  aid  of  the  construction 
of  a  branch  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Iloricon  road  from  Ripon 
to  New  London  ;  and  that  its  people  had  the  utmost  confi- 
dence in  the  ability  and  sagacity  of  the  railroad  running 
from  Milwaukee  to  Ripon  via  Horicon."  The  Milwaukee 
papers  strongly  favored  the  project,  although  it  met  with 
opposition  in  the  Senate.  Notwithstanding  the  Fox  River 
&  New  London  Ruilroad  was  incorporated.  Although  New 
London  is  the  metropolis  of  Waupaca  County,  and  full  of 
life  and  hope,  the  historian  of  the  present  can  hardly  sub- 
stantiate a  local  prophesy  of  1857.  "  The  old  galleons  and 
argosies  of  Genoa  and  Venice  may  be  freighted  with  wealth, 
yet  the  noble  carriage  of  the  iron  bands  will,  at  no  distant 
day,  bear  to  us  wealth  in  all  its  forms,  such  as  the  poet 
never  dreamed  of."  The  company  was  authorized  to  con- 
struct a  railroad  from  some  feasible  point  on  the  Fox  River 
between  the  village  of  Omro  and  the  city  of  Oshkosh,  or 
from  either  place,  in  a  northerly  direction  to  New  London. 
It  was,  therefore,  optional  whether  to  connect  at  Omro  (on 
the  Fox)  to  which  place  the  Ripon  road — a  northerly  con- 
tinuation of  the  Milwaukee  &  Horicon  was  being  extended 
— or  at  Oshkosh,  to  which  point  the  Chicago  road  was 
being  pushed  from  Fond  du  Lac.  On  March  13,  a  meeting 
of  persons  named  in  the  charter  was  held,  at  which  it  was 
voted  to  open  the  books  for  subscriptions  to  the  capital 
stock  of  the  company,  on  May  25,  and  to  make  a  survey 
as  soon  as  possible.  The  survey  of  a  road  was  also  made 
from  Appleton,  twenty  miles  south,  to  New  London — on 
the  Appleton  k  Wolf  River  Railroad.  A  large  amount  of 
money  was  subscribed,  but  not  suflicient  to  warrant  the 
extensions.  The  explosion  also,''of  the  Milwaukee  &  Hori- 
con road  destroyed  all  such  enterprises,  but  since  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Green  Bay  line,  and  the  Milwaukee,  Lake 
Shore  &  Western,  her  railroad  facilities  are  good. 

SETTLEMKNT. 

In  1853,  Lucius  Taft  and  Ira  Millerd  &  Son  purchased 
the  claims  of  the  half-breed  Johnson,  when  New  London 
was  a  trading  post.  Ira  Brown,  subsequently  of  North- 
port,  located  on  an  adjoining  claim — and  these  three  may 
be  considered  the  first  settlers  of  the  present  New  London. 
Messrs.  Doty  &  Smith  erected  a  saw-mill  the  next  year. 
The  machinery  did  not  play  at  first,  but  the  engineering 
skill  of  Capt.  Coffin  overcame  all  diflSculties  and  "  the 
thing  worked."  The  year  before  the  saw-mill  was  erected 
— 1853 — the  steamer  "Badger  State"  and  "Barlow" 
made  the  first  trips  on  the  Wolf  up  to  New  London.  In 
the  following  year  the  "Eureka,"  Captain  Drummond, 
commenced  her  regular  trips  to  Oshkosh.  William  Mc- 
Millin  was  New  London's  first  Postmaster,  and,  as  re- 
marked by  an  old  setler,  the  mail  could  then  be  carried  in 
a  man's  hat. 

By  the  year  1857,  New  London  had  so  increased  in  bus- 
iness importance  and  business  prospects  as  to  contain  near- 
ly eight  hundred  inhabitants,  with  some  two  hundred 
buildings.  Ira  Millerd  &  Son  and  H.  D.  Hanks  had  set 
up  their  signs  as  land  agents  and  surveyors ;  brisk  dry 
goods  establishments  were  those  operated  by  H.  Dean,  Lind- 
sey,  Dougherty  &  Co.,  E.  Dedolph,  S.  L.  Tucker,  W.  T. 
Ward  &  Son ;  E.  H.  Barber  and  S.  L.  Tucker  were  hard 
at  work  as  hardware  merchants;  the  panderers  to  family 
tastes  in  the  line  of  fresh  vegetables  and  other  groceries, 
were  Horace  Dean,  W.  T.  Ward  &  Son,  Ernest   Dedolph, 


1090 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Lindsay,  Dougherty  &  Co.,  S.  E.  Leslie,  Allen  &  Pinchen ; 
the  hostleries  in  full  swing  were  those  presided  over  by 
William  Leach,  (New  London  House):  Amos  Jones  (the 
Perry  House)  and  G.  Lutsey  (the  Angier  House;)  black- 
smith shops  by  John  Smith,  Wadsworth  &  Co.,  Coffin  & 
Hale;  Linde  &  Berry  kept  the  only  drug  store,  and  David 
Hopkins  the  only  jewelry  establishment,  indicating  the 
healthy  tastes  of  New  London's  early  pioneers;  Lindsay, 
Dougherty  &  Co.,  and  S.  L.  Tucker  indicated  wherewithal 
they  should  be  clothed,  and  Wadsworth  &  Brown  and  C. 
Lipka  how  and  in  what  way  they  should  be  conveyed; 
Messrs.  G.  D.  Allen  and  Robinson  furnished  foot-gear,  and 
A.  J.  Lawson  (New  London  Times),  brain  furnishings  in 
the  shape  of  the  only  village  newspaper  ;  steam  mills,  Messrs. 
Coffin  &  Hale,  Lindsay,  Dougherty  &  Co.  ;  warehouses, 
Perry  &,  Law  and  B.  Stiinson ;  livery,  Way  &  Dennis ;  fur- 
niture, store,  Thomas  Price;  cabinet  maker.  Frank  Mason  ; 
physicians,  J.  W.  Perry  and  J.  E.  Breed  ;  attorney  and 
counselor.  S.  S.  Hamilton.  Besides  these — so  say  the  rec- 
ords of  those  days — were  scattered  throughout  the  town, 
actively  employed  in  erecting  new  buildings  and  making 
various  improvements,  a  large  number  of  carpenters,  joiners 
and  masons.  Rev.  A.  C.  Lathrop  was  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  and  Rev.  L.  D.  Tracy  of  the  Methodist. 
Rev.  S.  Sorenson,  one  of  the  pioneer  Episcopalian  clergy- 
men of  Waupaca,  was  also  occassionally  heard. 

Mrs.  C.  L.  Allen,  formerly  Miss  Maria  Millerd,  taught 
the  first  school  in  New  London.  She  was  at  this  period — 
the  spring  of  1853 — a  young  girl,  but  imposed  a  dignity  up- 
on herself,  by  lengthening  out  her  dresses.  School  was 
held  in  an  old  warehouse  on  the  bank  of  the  river — the 
other  portion  of  the  log  house  being  used  as  a  stable.  Sev- 
en children  were  enrolled,  though,  of  course  the  attendance 
did  not  reach  that  figure.  Most  of  the  early  inhabitants  of 
New  London  were  originally  from  the  New  England  and 
Middle  States. 

Many  of  her  earliest  settlers  are  still  living,  being  active 
and  prominent  business  men  in  the  community.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  J.  C.  Hoxie,  the  first  Mayor  of 
New  London. 

The  roster  for  1881  is  as  follows  :  Mayor,  T.  Knapstein; 
Clerk,  E.  D.  Peasley ;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Pope ;  Justice  at 
Large,  S.  D.  Woodworth  ;  Chief  of  Police,  John  McGregor  ; 
Assessor,  Ed.  Bach ;  City  Attorney,  0.  F.  Weed  ;  Street 
Commissioner,  J.  0.  Stone;  Aldermen,  F.  Freiburger,  A. 
R.  Freeman,  John  Jagoditsh,  J.  E.  Blackwood,  J.  W. 
Dean;  Supervisors,  J.  C.  Hoxie,  J.  W.  Bingiiam,  A.  H. 
Pope,  James  Murray  and  I.  M.  Demming  ;  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  V.  Mischock,  J.  H.  Whitford.  C.  Beesley,  J.  Whel- 
don  and  S.  J.  Wiliett ;  Constables,  William  Wallace,  David 
Medill,  J.  C.  Kroll,  William  Stroke  and  A.  P.  Ritter.  C. 
R.  Libby  is  Postmaster. 

Schools. — The  city  has  two  graded  schools,  that  on  the 
North  Side,  to  which  scholars  are  sent  from  two  of  the  five 
wards,  having  for  its  Principal  J.  K.  Nevins.  0.  E.  Wells 
is  Principal  of  the  South  Side  School.  On  the  South  Side 
reside  500  children  of  school  age  and  on  the  North  Side 
350  ;  the  average  attendence  is  about  two-thirds.  It  must 
not  be  understood  that  this  represents  the  entire  attendance 
as  there  are,  in  addition,  a  number  of  parochial  and  private 
institutions.  But  the  general  statement  is  sufficient  to  in- 
dicate that  New  London  is  a  school-attending  city. 

Societies. — The  civic  societies  consist  of  New  London 
Lodge,  No.  131,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Odd  Fellows,  Wolf  River 


Encampment,  No.  13;  North  Star  Lodge,  No.  104,  I.  0. 
0.  F.  :  New  London  Lodge,  No.  131  ;  New  London  Tem- 
ple of  Honor,  No.  68 ;  New  London  Lodge,  No.  47,  A.  0. 
U.  W. 

Churches. — As  to  religious  organizations,  the  Catholics, 
Lutherans  and  Congregationalists  have  the  strongest  socie- 
ties. Rev.  F.  X.  Sholz  is  the  priest  in  charge  of  the 
former,  who  number  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  families. 
The  building  where  services  are  held  was  erected  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  war,  but  there  was  a  considerable  organi- 
zation ten  years  previous. 

The  Congregational  society  holds  services  in  a  neat 
commodious  structure,  in  whose  steeple  is  the  town  clock. 
corner  of  South  Pearl  and  Hancock  streets.  It  is  40xGU 
feet,  and  cost  $2,500.  The  strength  of  the  society  is 
ninety  members.  It  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1858, 
its  first  Pastor  being  Rev.  A.  C.  Lathrop.  At  present  no 
Pastor  is  settled  over  the  church. 

The  Lutherans  occupy  a  large  brick  structure  on  the 
same  side  of  the  river  near  "  the  Pines,"  erected  in  1875  at 
a  cost  of  $4,500.  Connected  with  it  are  three  branch 
societies.  The  society  is  over  twenty-two  years  old,  its 
first  Pastor  being  R'ev.  C.  F.  Waldt,  of  Racine.  Its 
present  membership  is  forty  ;  attendance  over  one  hundred  ; 
Pastor,  Rev.  A.  Kluge. 

The  Methodists,  marshaled  under  the  vigorous  guidance 
of  Rev.  D.  0.  Jones,  have  just  erected  a  small  church 
building,  after  having  worshiped  without  it  for  many 
years.  That  denomination  had  an  organization  in  1857. 
The  United  Brethren  and  Adventists  have  small  societies. 

Novspapers. — The  city  of  New  London  has  one  weekly 
newspaper — the  Times  and  Tribune.  It  is  Republican 
in  politics,  and  is  published  by  Messrs.  H.  S.  and  II.  M. 
Pickard.  In  the  year  1857,  A.  J.  Lawson  published  the 
New  London  r/mt'-s,  but  that  journal  was  short-lived.  Va- 
rious other  futile  attempts  were  made  to  launch  a  paper 
enterprise  successfully  within  the  next  twelve  years,  and,  in 
1869,  J.  Ogden  established  the  Times,  which  became  the 
basis  of  the  present  journal.  It  was  managed  by  various 
parties — Messrs.  Gordon  k  Walker,  and  others — until  in 
December,  1880,  Messrs.  Patchin  &  Pickard  started  the 
paper  again  as  the  Tribune.  It  retained  this  title  until 
March  12,  1881,  when  it  became  the  Times  and  Tribune. 
under  its  present  management. 

New  London  is  now  the  metropolis  of  the  county,  its 
only  competitor  being  Waupaca  itself.  The  value  of  real 
and  personal  property  is  larger  by  $30,714  in  Waupaca 
than  in  the  former  city,  but  New  London's  population  is 
more  by  416.  Its  citizens  are  enterprising  and  wide-awake, 
and  lose  no  opportunities  of  increasing  that  reputation. 
Being  at  the  head  of  navigation,  and  the  source  of  supplies 
for  the  majority  of  the  employers  and  employes  of  that 
region,  its  general  merchants,  and  those  who  carry  special 
lines  of  goods  are  prospering  beyond  most  other  localities  of 
the  county.  Its  hotels  are  conducted  with  a  view  of  meet- 
ing the  wants  of  all  classes  of  people.  At  the  head  stands 
the  New  London  House  and  the  Angier  House.  The 
former  is  the  larger  and  better  furnished,  Charles  W.  Lund, 
proprietor.  The  latter,  under  the  management  of  Mrs.  M. 
A.  Wilhite,  has  been  repaired  and  furnished,  and  is  well 
patronized.  The  Wolf  River  House,  Charles  Grunwald, 
proprietor ;  the  Revere  House,  Cohn  Sullivan,  and  the 
Franklin  House,  William  Nusbaum,  are  supported  by  a 
class  of  customers  of  moderate  means,  and  never  regret 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


spending  their  money.  The  large  lumber  manufactories  are 
Nash,  Wetherby  &  Co.,  Daugherty,  Demming  k  Co.,  and 
the  New  London  Stave  Company.  Both  of  the  first  two 
establishments  are  doing  a  thriving  business,  making  cus- 
tom work  a  specialty.  Tiie  New  London  Stave  Company 
is  a  private  organization,  composed  of  W.  A.  Sterling, 
General  Manager ;  T.  Logan,  Secretary  and  Treasurer ; 
James  Stimson,  C.  E.  Dickinson,  A.  Trayser  and  H.  H. 
Page.  It  was  formed  in  1876,  and  the  manufactory  turns 
out  about  two  and  a  half  million  staves  during  the  season. 
J.  Hofl'mann  &  Bro.  are  the  only  wagon-makers,  and  they 
are  good  ones.  The  Mayor  of  the  city,  T.  Knapstein,  is 
the  proprietor  of  the  New  London  Brewery,  situated  on  the 
sonth  side  of  the  river,  the  only  other  establishment  of  the 
kind  being  conducted  by  E.  Becker,  City  Brewery.  There 
are  a  dozen  dry  goods"  dealers  and  furnishing  houses,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned  H.  G.  Andrae,  T.  Logan  &  Co., 
and  Page  &  Keith.  E.  Bach  manufactures  and  deals  exclu- 
sively in  boots  and  shoes.  The  professions  are  represented 
by  M.  B.  Patchin,  Weed  &  Son,  Perry  and  Miss  Frances 
Arnold,  S.  H.  Hamilton  and  M.  C.  Phillips,  attorneys; 
Drs.  A.  R.  Freeman,  J.  R.  Moore  and  H.  K.  Jillson,  phy- 
sicians ;  Dr.  D.  W.  Haskell,  dentist.  The  only  bank  in 
the  city  is  a  State  institution — the  Bank  of  New  London, 
established  in  1872.  Its  officers  are :  J.  W.  Bingham, 
President ;  Thomas  Logan,  Vice  President ;  L.  Perrin, 
Cashier.  Capital,  $30,000;  resources,  $54,667.41;  sur- 
surplus,  $2,971.07. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

J.  W.  BINGHAM,  President  of  the  Bank  of  New  London, 
was  boru  in  Elgin  Co.,  C.  W.,  and  received  his  schooling  in  Ayl- 
mer.  He  came  from  Canada  to  Wisconsin  in  1871,  and,  a  year 
later,  located  in  New  London.  Mr.  Bingham  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  bank  in  November,  1876.  It  was  founded,  as  a  private 
bank,  by  L.  C.  Patterson,  and  was  re-organized  as  a  State  bank  in 
1876.  It  has  a  cash  capital  of  $30,(100,  does  collecting,  and  deals 
in  domestic  and  foreign  exchange,  and  is  the  only  bank  in  the 
city.  Mr.  Bingham  is  now  a  City  Supervisor,  and  has  previously 
represented  New  London  on  the  County  Board.  In  1872,  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Waupaca  Co.,  served  two  terms  as  Master  of  the 
New  London  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  132.  His  wife  was  formerly 
Anne  E.  Kline,  of  Canada. 

OSCAR  BOWMAN ,  wagon  maker.  New  London,  was  born  on  a 
farm  in  New  York,  living  there  until  twenty-five  or  twenty-.six  years 
of  age.  Came  to  Wisconsin,  July  7, 1844.  He  came  to  New  London 
from  Menaslia,  Wis.,  and  began  business  in  a  small  shop  near  the 
larger  one  which  he  built,  and  in  which  he  now  works.  Mr. 
Bowman  also  built  a  pleasant  home  in  the  city.  His  wife  was 
Calesta  Thompson,  of  Northern  Vermont.  They  have  seven 
children,  all,  except  the  eldest,  born  in  the  West.  Mr.  Bowman 
is  a  Congregationalist. 

H.  P.  BRIGGS,  New  London,  Sheriff  of  Waupaca  Co.,  is  of 
New  England  ancestry,  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  Briggs,  who 
were  very  early  settlors  in  Winnebago  Co.,  111.  H.  P.  Briggs  was 
born  in  Rockton,  111.,  1842.  Seven  years  later  the  family  located 
in  Hortonville,  Wis.  Here  he  attended  school  in  a  log  cabin,  sit- 
ting on  a  shingle  block,  with  a  board,  resting  on  pegs  driven  into 
the  logs,  for  a  desk.  He  came  to  New  London  in  1870,  and  began 
the  hardware  business,  building  a  store.  His  partner  was  J.  C. 
Wilcox.  In  1862,  Mr.  Briggs  enlisted  in  the  32d  W.  V.  I., 
served  with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  during  the  sieges  of 
Vicksburg  and  Atlanta.  After  the  fall  of  the  latter  city,  he  was 
commis.sioned  Second  Lieutenant,  and  assigned  to  Company  F, 
44th  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  Tennessee 
and  Kentucky.  He  then  spent  three  years  in  locating  pine  lands 
in  Northern  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  New  London ;  was  Under 


Sheriff  four  years,  and  elected  Sheriff  in  November,  1880.  He 
married  Mary  Reilly,  and  has  two  children;  is  a  Freemason  and 
an  Odd  Fellow. 

GEO.  W.  CLINE,  furniture  dealer,  New  London  ;  born  Dec.  1, 
1849,  in  Elgin  Co.,  Ont.,  where  he  lived  until  1870,  when  he  came 
to  New  London;  spent  two  years  in  Bear  Creek.  In  April,  1877, 
he  began  his  present  business.  Is  now  located  in  Cline's  Block, 
two-thirds  of  which  was  built  by  his  father,  Leonard  Cline.  Is 
also  the  agent  in  charge  of  Cline's  Hall,  the  finest  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Cline  has  the  only  large  stock  of  furniture  in  New  London, 
and  does  a  thriving  business  as  undertaker ;  is  a  member  of  the 
T.  of  H.  and  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  He  married  Miss  Josephine, 
daughter  of  M.  C.  Hickey,  and  a  native  of  New  London.  They 
have  one  son,  Frank  L.  Mr.  Hickey  was  a  settler  of  1856  of 
New  London,  and  was  the  builder  of  the  first  bridge  in  the  place. 

EDWARD  and  JOSIAH  C.  DAWSON,  New  London. 
Edward  Dawson  was  born  in  England,  and  came  from  Indiana  to 
New  London  in  1854.  Ho  is  now  a  prosperous  farmer  near  the 
city.  During  the  civil  war,  he  served  with  the  17th  W.  V.  I., 
was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  is  now  a  pensioner  in  consequence. 
Has  two  children,  J.  C.  and  Mary.  Josiah  C.  Dawson  learned 
photographing  wiih  J.  R.  Dake,  of  New  London,  bought  out  his 
business  in  1877,  and  has  since  done  a  very  successful  business 
here.  His  is  the  only  gallery  in  the  city,  and,  by  close  study  and 
the  utmost  devotion  to  his  business,  he  secures  a  large  and  well- 
deserved  patronage.  He  keeps  thoroughly  up  with  the  times,  and 
will  do,  or  will  provide  portraits  in  any  desired  size  or  style.  He 
deals  also  in  picture  frames,  stereoscopic  views,  etc. 

J.  W.  DEAN,  grocer.  New  London.  Born  March  8,  1831, 
in  Rockport,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  the  fall  of  1854,  when 
he  reached  New  London,  then  a  collection  of  half  a  dozen  small 
houses,  owned  by  Messrs.  Ira  MilLrd,  L.  Taft,  E.  P.  and  R.  Perry, 
Geo.  Lutse,  Isaac  Hanson  and  A.  Lyon.  Mr.  Dean  spent  the 
summer  in  the  woods,  then  a  year  in  Ohio.  Returning  to  New 
London  with  a  brother,  H.  Dean,  he  opened  a  general  stock  of 
goods,  continuing  in  business  until  I860.  In  1859  Mr.  Dean 
married  Gennette  Ames,  who  died  a  year  later,  leaving  a  daughter 
who  bears  the  mother's  name.  In  the  fall  of  1863  Mr.  Dean  en- 
listed in  the  3d  W.  V.  C,  served  in  the  Southwest  among  Indians 
and  white  banditti  until  the  close  of  the  war.  On  his  return  to 
New  London  he  resumed  trade,  and,  in  1869,  began  an  exclusively 
grocery  and  crockery  business,  which  he  has  since  maintained. 
His  present  wife  was  Helen  M.  Weeks.  They  have  two  children, 
George  and  Helen.  Mr.  Dean  is  a  firm  and  consistent  temperance 
man,  is  a  leader  in  the  T.  of  H.,  is  also  a  Mason,  and  formerly  was 
an  Odd  Fellow. 

C.  E.  DICKINSON,  druggist.  New  London ;  is  a  son  of  Dr. 
Parley  Dickinson,  and  was  born  in  1843,  in  Lake  Co.,  Ohio ;  re- 
ceived his  education  in  Waukegan,  111.,  and  in  New  London,  where 
his  father  settled  in  1857 ;  he  studied  with  and  clerked  for  his 
father  several  years,  and  finally  went  into  partnership  with  him 
(1867).  In  February,  1871,  A.  Trayser  bought  out  Dr.  Dickin- 
son's interest,  thus  forming  the  present  firm  of  Dickinson  & 
Trayser;  their  large  and  well-filled  store  was  built  in  1874;  it  is 
28x75,  brick,  and  is  most  attractively  arranged.  Mr.  Dickinson 
is  a  member  and  h;i,s  been  Secretary  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge 
here  for  the  past  seven  years  ;  he  is  also  Recorder  of  New  London 
Lodge  47,  A.  0.  U.  W.;  his  wife  was  Emogene  Stinson,  of  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.;  they  have  lost  five  children  (three  dying  of 
diphtheria  in  August,  1879)  and  have  two  living. 

PARLEY  DICKINSON,  M.  D.,  New  London ;  is  of  Scotch 
and  English  ancestry,  and  was  born  Aug.  27,  1807,  in  Haddam, 
Conn.;  his  early  life  was  spent  on  the  Western  Reserve,  Ohio, 
where  his  parents  settled  in  1817  ;  from  there  in  1845  he  went  to 
Lake  Co.,  111.,  having  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1844  from  the 
Western  Reserve  Medical  College  ;  thus  he  has  had  a  practice  of 
thirty-seven  years;  in  May,  1857,  he  brought  his  fiimily  to  New 
London  ;  he  was  for  twelve  years  iu  the  drug  business  here ;  in 
1872  the  Doctor  was  appointed  Medical   Examiner  by  the  U.  S. 


109  • 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


Peusion  Bureau,  a  position  which  he  siill  holds ;  Dr.  Dickinson 
had  the  honor  of  being  a  charter  member  and  the  first  Master  of 
New  London  Lodge  131,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

HON.  H.  S.  DIXON,  deceased;  was  born  July  1,  1834,  in 
South  Fargeville,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.;  his  early  life  was  spent,  and 
his  schooling  attained  in  his  native  village ;  in  1855  he  went  to 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  D.  0.  Dickinson  & 
Co.  until  1858,  when  he  came  to  New  London  and  opened  up  a 
stock  of  goods  under  the  old  Globe  Hall ;  after  three  years  spent 
here  he  lived  for  a  year  on  a  farm  ;  during  the  next  eight  or  nine 
years  he  was  on  the  Wolf  River,  owning  an  interest  in  the  Wolf 
River  Transportation  Co.  Since  1877  Mr.  Dixon  has  been  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  New  London  Siave  Factory,  which  he,  with 
a  few  others,  owns ;  he  had  previously  owned  and  operated  a  hub 
and  spoke  factory  here,  which  burned  down  in  1875  ;  that  year  he 
built  the  store  of  Dixon  &  Wright,  forming  the  partnership  with 
Mr.  Wright  about  that  time ;  he  married  Miss  Alice,  daughter  of 
Dr.  Parley  Dickinson,  of  New  London  ;  they  have  four  children ; 
in  1877  Mr.  Dixon  was  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  Legislature, 
and  it  was  through  his  instrumentality  that  New  London  secured 
her  city  charter ;  he  served  several  years  as  City  Engineer  and 
Supervisor,  which  position  he  now  holds ;  was  President  of  the 
village  several  terms.  Is  Master  of  New  London  Lodge,  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.  The  owners  of  the  stave  factory  own  a  similar  establish- 
ment at  Ogdensburg,  Wis.,  and  the  two  factories  annually  consume 
about  7,000  cords  of  stave  bolts ;  most  of  the  sales  of  staves  and 
headings  are  made  in  Minnesota  ;  thirty  or  more  men  are  em- 
ployed. 

ALONZO  R.  FREEMAN,  M.  D.,  New  London  ;  was  born  in 
Ketchumville,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  26,  1842;  received  an 
academic  education  in  Biughamton,  N.  Y.,  his  facilities  for  obtain- 
ing such  schooling  as  he  desired  being  hampered  by  the  early 
death  of  his  father,  and  the  harshness  of  his  step-father;  at  eight- 
een he  went  to  the  oil  region  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  very 
successful  pecuniarily.  Four  years  later  he  began  a  course  in  the 
famous  old  Berkshire  Medical  College,  Pittsfield,  Mass.;  afier  re- 
ceiving his  diploma  here,  he  entered  and  graduated  from  both  the 
Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  New  York  City,  and  the  Long 
Island  College  Hospital,  Brooklyn  ;  while  in  these,  the  best  medi- 
cal schools  on  the  continent,  he  was  the  favored  private  pupil  of 
Dr.  Frank  Hamilton,  one  of  the  best  known  medical  men  in 
America ;  Dr.  Freeman  served  at  different  times  as  interne  of  the 
Bellevue,  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and 
Charity  Hospital,  Blackwell's  Island  ;  in  18G9  he  went  to  Europe, 
where  the  splendid  education  already  acquired  enabled  him  to  pass 
the  rigid  examinations  and  secure  a  diploma  from  the  Edinburgh 
Medical  College,  receiving  the  degree  of  ad  eundem  ;  after  a  tour 
over  Europe  he  returned  and  began  practice  in  Boston  ;  in  April, 
1872,  he  came  to  New  London  and  served  four  years  as  surgeon 
of  the  G.  B.  &  M.  R,  R.  Co.;  he  then  practiced  three  years  in 
Tiskilwa,  111.;  he  returned  to,  and  ha,s  since  lived  in.  New  Lon- 
don ;  to  show  that  Dr.  Freeman  ranks  high  in  his  profession,  we 
may  ;itate  that  he  is  a  loii.jl.i.r  nftli,-  Illinois  State  Board  of  Health  ; 
the  Wisconsin  Stale  M.  .Heal  S,iri,.ty;  is  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  .N'orthwesterii  Wi-mn-in  M.ilical  Association,  of  which  he 
was  a  founder,  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association ;  living 
only  for  his  chosen  profession,  he  neglects  no  opportunity  to  in- 
crease his  knowledge  and  to  keep  pace  with  the  progress  of  the 
timrs  ;  the  Dnctor  is  a  Freemason,  and,  though  not  a  politician,  is 
now  AMi  iiiiiin  ol'ilie  Second  Ward,  New  London;  his  wife  was  Miss 
.M.  ('.  i'liK-  -I  N.wark,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  Their  two  children 
were  bum  ia  New  London. 

JOHN  FREIBURGER,  blacksmith.  New  London;  was 
born  Dec.  ti,  1839,  in  Alsace,  Germany  ;  six  years  later  the  family 
came  to  America  and  settled  in  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  Mr.  Frei- 
burgcr  grew  to  manhood  here,  learning  his  trade  in  Hartford  and 
in  \Vhit('water,  Wis.,  from  which  place  he  came  to  New  London. 
Mr.  Freiburger  is  now  serving  his  third  consecutive  term  as  Alder- 
man of  the  First  Ward  ;  his  wife  was  Agnes  Sheild,  who  was  liorn 


in  Pru.'^sia,  but  who  has  lived  in  America  .since  .she  was  a  year  old. 
They  have  five  children  ;  the  family  are  Roman  Catholics. 

D.  W.  HASKELL,  dental  surgeon.  New  Londen,  is  a  native 
of  Sandusky,  Ohio;  studied  dentistry  with  Drs.  Merrill  and  Phil- 
lips, of  Buffalo  ,N.  Y.;  practiced  for  seven  years  in  Centerville  and 
Arcade,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  New  London  in  January,  1877.  Dr. 
Haskell  is  the  only  dentist  in  the  city,  which  .speaks  well  for  the  work 
done  by  him  since  his  residence  here ;  his  practice  reaches  Wey- 
auwega  besides,  and  it  is  evident  that  his  time  is  fully  occupied  by 
the  demands  of  his  profession. 

J.  C.  HOXIE.  hardware  and  lumber  dealer,  New  London, 
was  born  in  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  17,  1827 ;  here  his  early 
life  was  spent;  in  1836,  the  family  went  to  Lucas  Co.,  Ohio; 
remained  until  1844,  then  settled  in  Chenango  Co  ,  N.  Y'.  While 
in  Ohio,  the  ague  was  so  prevalent  that  there  was  not  well  people 
enough  to  care  for  the  sick  ones.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  Mr. 
Hosie  married  in  Chenango,  her  native  county,  Miss  Almeda 
Davis ;  began  life  without  a  dollar  as  a  farmer,  and  two  years 
later  he  removed  to  his  native  county,  where  he  continued 
farming  until  1855.  Through  his  devotedly  unselfish  exertions, 
a  home  and  farm  was  secured  to  his  parents  who  had  been  unfort- 
unate, and  on  this  farm  to-day  lives  hLs  aged  mother ;  arriving  at 
New  Loudon  in  1855,  he  at  once  proceeded  to  build  a  house ;  this 
was  done  by  floating  the  lumber  from  Hortonville,  and  erecting  a 
14x16  shanty,  in  which  his  own  and  two  other  families  passed  the 
greater  part  of  the  summer.  About  the  first  work  done  by  Mr. 
Hoxie  in  New  London,  was  the  building  of  Henry  Ketchum's 
barn,  he  wading  barefoot  from  his  home  to  that  of  Mr.  K.,  to  do 
the  carpenter  work,  which  he  had  learned  almost  unaided.  '■  Al- 
though I  often  went  without  boots,"  says  Mr.  Hoxie,  "  I  was 
never  without  a  little  money,  and  never  neglected  what  I  thought 
would  be  a  good  investment."  He  speculated  in  securities,  real 
estate,  etc.,  from  the  first.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  in  1861, 
he  went  into  partnership  with  W.  H.  Sibley,  they  opening  up  a 
82,300  stock  of  goods  and  continued  a  thriving  business  until 
1865,  when  Mr.  Hoxie  bought  out  his  partner.  Soon  after  he  re- 
duced the  stock  to  $8,000,  exchanged  it  for  lands  which  netted  him 
$18,000,  and,  for  years  did  a  driving  business  as  a  lumberman  and 
speculator  ;  in  1868,  H.  Ketchum  and  himself  monopolized  the 
Wolf  River  lumber  trade.  For  a  few  years  Mr.  Hoxie  was  the 
owner  and  operator  of  a  tannery  here  ;  in  1880,  he  built  on  the 
main  business  street  of  New  London,  one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
hardware  stores  in  the  State,  it  is  30x100  feet,  embellished  with  a 
splendid  frontage,  including  windows,  consisting  of  single  sheets 
of  the  finest  plate  glass,  each  eleven  feet  six  inches  by  eight  feet 
two  inches  in  size.  Mr.  Hoxie  has  a  stock  of  hardware  here  which 
well  corresponds  with  his  store ;  he  still  pursues  his  lumber  business  ; 
owns  5,000  acres  of  timber  in  the  Wolf  and  Menomonee  Valley, 
and  now  has  at  least  25,000  feet  of  lumber  on  the  first  named 
stream.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hoxie  has  not  been  an  aspirant  for  office, 
though  he  has  sometimes  served  his  townspeople  in  local  positions  ; 
he  was  the  first  Mayor  of  New  London,  and  served  again  in  1878 
and  1880  ;  is  now  a  representative  of  the  city  on  the  County  Board. 
Such  is  a  brief  and  faulty  sketch  of  this  son  of  the  Empire  State, 
who  has  done  as  much,  if  not  more,  to  advance  the  material  pros- 
perity of  New  London,  than  any  man  who  ever  lived  in  that  busy 
young  city. 

H.  K.  JILLSON,  M.  D.,  New  London ;  born  in  the  town  of 
Litchfield,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  June  6,  1850  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1854;  resided  in  Portage  Co.,  till  1862;  from  thence  re- 
moved to  New  London  ;  has  therefore  been  a  resident  of  this  place 
for  nineteen  years ;  received  a  common  school  education ;  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  his  father  (who  is  a  physician)  in  1866  ; 
graduated  at  the  Bennett  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  in  the 
spring  of  1875 ;  has  practiced  in  this  city  ever  since  he  graduat- 
ed ;  belongs  to  New  London  Lodge,  No.  131,  I.  0.  0.  F. 

HENRY  KETCHUM,  New  London,  one  of  Northern  Wis- 
consin's most  active  and  successful  business  men  ;  born  April  13, 
1S22,  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.      When  about   fifteen   years   of  age 


HISTORY    OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


'093 


lie  began  active  business  on  his  own  account;  removed  to  Ketoh- 
umvillo,  N.  Y.  (founded  by  and  named  for  his  family),  and  began 
buying  cattle,  which  he  drove  to  Philadelphia,  and  later  to  Orange, 
N.  J.  He,  in  the  same  business,  visited  Ohio  and  Indiana.  In 
partnership  with  his  brother,  L.  T.  Ketchum,  ho  developed  a  large 
business  during  his  eighteen  years'  residence  in  Ketchumville, 
they  buying  most  of  the  live  stock,  produce,  butter,  eggs,  etc., 
offered  in  their  vicinity,  and  shipping  to  New  Y'ork  City.  They 
also  dealt  largely  in  lumber  and  controlled  the  mail  routes  to 
Ketchumville.  While  in  his  native  State,  Mr.  Ketchum  took 
contracts  in  building  the  Erie,  and  the  Syracuse  &  Binghamton 
Railways.  In  1855  he  located  at  New  London,  Wis.,  which  has 
since  been  his  home,  his  spacious  and  pleasantly  located  house 
being  located  just  north  of  the  outskirts,  though  within  the  city 
limits.  His  iirst  venture  here  was  to  buy  and  run  the  New  Lon- 
don House,  which  fell  into  his  hands  twice  thereafter.  Soon  after 
coming  here  he  began  buying  and  locating  lands  along  the  Wolf 
River,  building  and  buying  saw-mills,  etc.  For  many  years  he 
did  a  large  mercantile  aud  commission  business  here  besides.  He 
constantly  extended  his  lumbering  operations  on  the  Wolf  and 
tributaries  until  about  1870,  when  his  business  extended  from 
Fond  du  Lac  to  Shawano.  He  started  the  first  thresher  about 
New  London  and  bought  the  first  wheat  here  in  1860  ;  has  al- 
ways raised  many  cattle  and  horses,  keeping  100  head  of  the 
former  and  50  to  100  horses  on  the  2,000-acre  farm  he  owns  in 
Waupaca  and  Outagamie  Cos.;  has  cleared  about  1,000  acres  of 
heavy  timber  and  brought  the  land  to  production.  At  one  time 
he  owned  six  or  seven  saw-mills  and  a  large  mercantile  business  at 
Merrillan,  where  he  still  owns  0,000  acres  of  land.  He  cut  the 
first  logs  along  Pigeon  River,  clearing  the  stream  in  order  to  run 
them  down.  In  1864  he  bought  all  the  logs  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  compelling  mill  owners  to  pay  his  price  for  them  instead  of 
their  own  as  formerly.  The  following  year,  as  logs  promised  to 
be  a  drug  on  the  market,  the  millmen  of  Oshkosh  and  Fond  du 
Lac  combined  against  him,  threatening  to  ruin  him.  Nothing 
daunted,  he  secured  the  control  of  every  tug  on  Wolf  River  so 
that  not  a  log  owned  by  any  one  could  be  moved  without  his  con- 
sent, this,  of  course,  enabling  him  to  dictate  again  to  the  mill 
owners.  These  bold  strokes  are  fair  examples  of  his  methods  of 
doing  business,  and  the  good  effects  are  still  appreciated  by  the 
timber  owners  of  Wolf  River  Valley.  "  I  always  think,  act, 
study  and  execute  for  myself,"  says  Mr.  Ketchum.  In  1872-73 
the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad  was  built  by  hitn  and  D. 
M.  Kelly,  of  Green  Bay.  Mr.  Ketchum  secured  the  right  of  way, 
visiting  and  personally  canvassing  every  county  crossed  by  the 
line;  secured  the  raising  of  $1, 500, 000  in  aid  of  the  road, 
and  himself  furnished  nearly  all  the  timber  and  lumber  used 
for  the  ties,  bridges,  depots,  etc.  Though  not  now  interested 
in  the  road,  Mr.  Ketchum  was  for  seven  years  its  President, 
Messrs.  Krugcr,  Summers  and  Kelly  being  the  Vice  Presidents 
under  him.  The  elevator  built  by  Mr.  Ketchum  at  Eastmore  was 
the  largest  on  the  Mississippi  River.  During  the  past  nine  years, 
Mr.  Ketchum  has  done  most  of  his  lumbering  business  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Black  River  and  its  tributaries,  owning  her 
50,000  acres  of  timber  lands  and  a  score  of  saw-mills. 
President  of  the  Black  River  Lumbering  Company  and  is 
an  immense  business — sixty  million  feet  of  lumber  cut  by  him  in 
1879-80.  The  firm  of  Kelly  &  Waterman,  now  dissolved,  is  well 
remembered,  as  it  secured  the  charter  of  the  La  Crosse  Booming 
and  Transportation  Company,  which  led  to  the  spirited  fight  in 
the  vState  Legislature  with  the  Black  River  Booming  Company. 
To  Mr.  Ketchum  belongs  the  honor  of  making  navigable  the  east 
fork  of  the  Black  River.  He  is  now  interested  in  business  with 
George  Hiles,  Esq.,  of  Dexterville,  and  C.  M.  Paine,  of  Oshkosh. 
During  his  active  business  career  in  Wisconsin  and  the  Northwest, 
Mr.  Ketchum  has  had  constantly  in  his  employ  from  50  to  1,500 
men.  Roads,  bridges  and  rivers  have  alike  been  improved  by  him 
in  furthering  the  interests  of  a  lumbering  business  which  is  sim- 
ply a  marvel  in  its  extent.  His  latest  enterprise  is  the  building  of 
the  Fort  Madison  &  Northwestern  Railroad  from  Fort  Madison, 


e  over 
He  is 
doing 


Iowa,  to  Oshkaloosa,  Iowa.  Preliminaries  are  now  being  adjusted 
which  will  result  in  extending  the  road  to  Peoria,  III.  Mr. 
Ketchum  is  President  of  the  road,  and  his  old  lieutenant,  Mr. 
Kelly,  is  Vice  President.  These  two  men  furnish  every  dollar  of 
capital,  and  are  the  sole  owners  of  what  will  doubtless  be  a  most 
profitable  and  popular  route.  Mr.  Ketchum  is  still  active,  wiry 
and  alert ;  attends  strictly  to  the  details  of  his  vast  business,  and 
bids  fair  to  become  a  power  that  will  be  felt  in  business  transactions 
affecting  a  wider  range  of  territory  than  merely  the  Northwest. 

THEO.  KNAPSTEIN,  Mayor  of  New  London ;  was  born 
1848,  in  Rhenish  Prussia;  the  family  came  to  America  in  1853, 
and  located  in  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.,  where  the  parents  still  live. 
Their  son  Theo.  came  to  New  London  at  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
and  went  into  the  brewing  business  with  P]d.  Becker,  whom  he 
bought  out  in  August,  1875  ;  has  extensively  improved  the  brew- 
ery, which  now  has  a  capacity  of  two  thousand  barrels  per  annum  ; 
he  married  Francis  Werner,  of  New  London,  by  whom  he  has 
four  children.  Mr.  Knapstein  was  a  Village  Trustee  before  the 
city  charter  was  granted  ;  served  in  1870  and  1880  as  Alderman 
of  the  Third  Wa'rd  ;  was  President  of  the  Council  in  1880,  and 
elected  Mayor  on  the  People's  ticket. 

GEORGE  W.  LAW,  New  London  ;  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Outagamie  County;  was  born  1828,  in  Coventry,  Chester 
Co.,  Pa.,  where  his  boyhood  was  spent  on  a  farm  ;  in  1845  he 
went  to  Mercer  Co.,  Pa.,  and  was  employed  in  the  iron-works  as 
keeper  of  a  blast  furnace;  in  April,  1850,  he  brought  his  family 
to  Wisconsin  ;  leaving  his  wife  on  a  farm  near  Waukau,  he 
plunged  into  the  woods  of  Maple  Creek,  and  in  March,  1851, 
built  a  "shake"  roofed,  puncheon-floored  log  cabin,  the  first  in 
the  town  of  Maple  Creek.  Only  a  lumber  road  led  to  his  place 
from  Hortonville;  all  family  supplies  came  from  Omro  and  Osh- 
kosh ;  he  owned  two  ox  teams,  and  for  over  fifteen  years  busied 
himself  cutting  and  running  logs  down  the  Wolf;  meanwhile  his 
wife  passed  many  a  lonesome  hour  in  her  forest  home  ;  gradually, 
however,  a  farm  was  opened  up,  and  to-day  he  is  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  finest  and  most  productive  farms  in  this  region,  containing 
two  hundred  acres.  The  log  cabin  is  supplanted  by  a  good  frame 
farmhouse,  and  the  place  wears  a  very  different  aspect  from  the 
wilderness  of  thirty  years  ago.  Mrs.  Law  wa*  formerly  Isabel 
Nichol,  born  in  1825,  in  Mercer  Co.,  Penn;  they  were  married  in 
1847,  and  have  four  children — Mary  A.,  Victorina,  Emma,  E. 
and  Davis.  A  promising  daughter,  Rebecca  J.,  died  at  the  age 
of  eighteen.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Law  have  resided  in  their  pleasant 
city  home  since  1879,  having  built  the  house  and  lived  in  New 
London  previously  for  the  purpose  of  educating  their  children. 

THOMAS  LOGAN,  merchant.  New  London ;  was  born  in 
York,  Medina  Co.,  0.,  May  19,  1841  ;  is  of  Scotch  lineage,  and 
spent  his  boyhood  on  a  farm  ;  leaving  Ohio  in  1858,  he  settled  at 
Hortonville,  Wis.,  and  two  years  later  moved  to  Appleton ;  in 
August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  21  W.  V.  I.;  was  in 
the  battles  of  Perry ville  and  Stone  River,  and  in  July,  1863, 
discharged  on  account  of  disability;  he  resided  in  Appleton  until 
June,  1864,  when  he  again  enlisted  and  served  out  his  time  1  100 
days);  in  February,  1865,  he  was  commissioned  1st  Lieutenant 
of  Co.  D,  49th  W.  V.  I.,  which  company  was  mainly  raised 
through  his  efforts ;  he  then  exchanged  his  commission  for  a  sut- 
Icrship  and  was  discharged  with  the  regiment  in  September,  1865. 
Returning  to  Appleton  he  began  clerking  for  his  present  partner, 
Capt.  G.  W.  Spalding,  who  is  still  in  Appleton.  The  partner- 
ship was  formed  in  1866,  which  was  the  date  of  Mr.  Logan's  set- 
tlement in  Now  London.  Mr.  Logan  takes  pride  in  saying  that 
the  partnership  has  been  a  most  harmonious  one.  lie  married  Mary 
R.  Sanford,  of  Heart  Prairie,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.;  they  have  four 
children ;  he  is  a  member,  with  his  wife,  of  the  Congregational 
Church ;  besides  his  mercantile  business,  Mr.  Logan  is  one  of  the 
owners  of  the  stave  factories,  and  has  been  Vice  President  of  the 
Bank  of  New  London  since  November,  1876. 

IR.\  MTLLEKl).  pine  land  broker,  New  London  ;  was  born 
July  5,  18119,  in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  boyhood  was 
spent  on  a  farm  ;  after  a  year  spent  in  Ohio,  he,  in  1852,  came  to 


1094 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


the  present  site  of  New  London.  Ira  Brown  and  L.  Taft  only 
were  ahead  of  him.  Messrs.  Millcrd  and  Taft  together  bou<rht 
all  the  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  which  is  now  occupied 
by  the  city.  Jlr.  Millerd  may  fairly  claim  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  merchant  here,  his  store  and  stock  being  located  about 
midway  between  the  New  London  House  and  Angier  House  of 
to-day ;  two  years  later,  he  r.  liii'inislir.!  mercantile  life  and  has 
since  devoted  himself  to  hi>  ]  r.  -.  mi  Im-iiuss;  he  learned  survey- 
ing in  his  native  State,  and  s.ivnl  limr  \cars  as  County  Surveyor 
of  Waupaca  County  ;  he  married  Sarah  Dean,  of  Ilockport,  Ohio, 
by  %Thom  he  has  five  children — Ira,  Jr.,  Maria,  Alice,  Emma  and 
Arthur  W.  The  three  eldest  were  born  in  New  York  State  and 
the  others  in  New  London.  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Millerd  are  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  Trustee.  He 
has  also  served  as  County  Commissioner,  Village  Supervisor,  etc. 
IRA  MILLERD,  Jr.,  farmer.  Section  1,  P.  0.  New  Lon- 
don ;  was  born  in  the  town  of  Taylor,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1830.  His  early  life  was  on  a  farm ;  by  his  own  exertions  he  re- 
ceived a  little  more  than  a  common  school  education,  and  taught 
school  for  a  few  terms  ;  in  1851  he  went  to  Ohio  where  his  father, 
Ira  Millerd,  Sr.,now  of  New  London,  had  preceded  him  ;  in  1852 
our  subject  drove  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  New  London,  being  .sev- 
enteen days  on  the  road  ;  he  and  his  father  bought  eighty  acres 
of  land  where  New  London  now  stands,  and  commenced  opera- 
tions for  laying  out  a  town  ;  in  185.3  thev  platted  the  present  site 
of  the  city;  the  year  previous  to  the  Millerds'  coming  to  Wiscon- 
sin, a  Mr.  Taft  had  taken  up  the  land  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  and  built  a  house  ;  in  the  winter  of  1852,  Mr.  Millerd  and 
Taft  kept  "  bach"  in  New  London.  Mr.  Millerd  has  the  honor  of 
being  the  first  merchant  in  the  city.  He  did  not  design  to  make 
a  prominent  business  of  it  but  to  start  a  town.  The  Millerds 
have  done  a  great  portoin  of  the  surveying  in  and  about  their 
present  home.  Well  may  they  congratulate  themselves  upon  the 
full  realization  of  their  plans,  as  they  designed  starting  a  city 
when  they  left  the  East.  Mr.  Millerd  now  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  acres,  one  hundred  of  which  is  im- 
proved, and  but  a  short  distance  from  the  business  portion  of  the 
city.  ^  He  has  a  fine  residence,  and  in  1874  built  a  cheese  factory, 
30x45,  with  twenty-foot  posts,  close  by  his  residence,  which  is  a 
rich  acquisition  to  his  place  and  to  the  community.  He  has  been 
Trustee  in  the  village.  Town  Clerk  and  Superintendent  of 
Schools;  March  11,1856,  he  was  married  in  New  London  to 
Mi.*s  P.  L.  Porter.  In  1881  they  celebrated  their  silver  wedding. 
They  have  five  children. 

J.  R.  MOORE,  M.  D.,  New  London,  was  born  in  1850,  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  Wis. ;  educated  in  his  native  town,  where  he  resided 
until  1869,  where  he  went  to  Chicago,  111.;  cnterimr  the  Chicago 
Medical  College,  he  graduated  in  1873  ;  began  practice  at  Stough- 
ton.  Wis.,  and,  two  years  later,  came  to  New  London,  where  he 
has  since  resided  and  practiced.  He  married  Miss  Julia  A.  Mc- 
Farlane,  of  Jefl^erson.  She  died  Aug.  14,  1880,  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter— Mabel.  Dr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  State 
Medical  Society,  the  Northwestern  Medical  Society,  and  also  of 
Northport  Lodge,  I.  0.  0.  F. 

G.  A.  MURRAY,  grocer,  New  London,  came  to  New  London 
from  Ohio  in  1874,  and,  in  company  with  E.  S.  Shepard,  beaan 
business  as  a  real  estate  agent.  In  1877  and  1878,  he  was  Chief 
of  I'olicc ;  began  his  present  bu.siness  about  two  years  ago,  and 
bought  out  his  partner,  Silas  Giles,  in  February,  1881.  Mr. 
Murray  was  born  in  Geauga  Co..  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  he 
was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Was  educated  in  Madison  Semi- 
nary, taught  three  terms  of  school  in  Ohio  and  four  in  Wiscon.sin, 
the  last  term  as  Principal  of  the  school  in  District  No.  1,  New 
London.  Is  a  Freemason,  and  is  Secretary  of  the  Honk  and  Lad- 
der Company  here.  His  wife  was  Lydia  Moseley,  of  Geauga  Co., 
Ohio.  Mr.  Murray  lacked  only  twenty-three  votes  of  the  election 
as  Register  of  Deeds  in  his  county  in  the  fall  of  1880. 

JAMES  MURRAY,  blacksmith,  New  London,  was  born  in 
Ireland.     When   he  was  six  years  of  age,  his  parents  emigrated 


and  settled  in  Quebec.  He  passed  his  boyhood  here  on  a  farm ; 
learned  his  trade  in  Hoxbury  on  the  Ottawa  River ;  spent  some 
time  in  Montreal,  where  he  attended  Gurbon  College.  In  the  fall 
of  18G5,  he  came  to  New  London,  spent  a  year  at  his  trade,  and, 
after  various  wanderings,  returned  to  Canada  where  he  married. 
He  then  resided  and  worked  for  a  time  in  Oshkosh,  Wyola  and 
Detroit,  and,  in  September,  1870,  located  in  New  London.  He 
began  business  in  a  shop,  which  he  still  owns  near  the  engine- 
house.  Mr.  Murray  was  first  elected  Village  Tru.stee  in  1875. 
Was  elected  Alderman  in  1877,  and  has  been  annually  re-elected 
since.  Has  been  President  of  the  Council  and  Chairman  of  the 
Bridge  Committee.  Has  been  for  five  years  Foreman  of  the  Fire 
Department  here.  His  wife  was  Margaret  Hefferman  ;  they  have 
six  children. 

H.  H.  PAGE,  now  the  veteran  merchant  of  New  London, 
was  born  July  23,  1833.  He  is  of  an  old  New  England  family, 
and  was  educated  in  the  High  Schools  of  Exeter  and  Foxcraft, 
his  parents  having  settled  near  Burlington,  Me.,  when  he  was 
quite  young.  He  resided  here  as  a  farmer,  lumberman  and  school 
teacher  until  1855,  when  he  brought  his  family  and  a  small  stock 
of  goods  to  New  London.  His  first  store  was  in  a  small  building 
near  the  bridge  which  burned  on  the  night  of  April  17,  1881  ; 
at  this  time  there  were  half  a  dozen  goodly  stores  here,  and  he 
has  seen  them  all  collapse.  In  1871,  Mr.  Page  built,  and  has 
since  occupied,  his  present  store.  He  married  Hamet  C.  Libby, 
of  Burlington.  Me. ;  their  only  daughter  and  child.  Nellie  E.,  is  now 
the  wife  of  Marshall  Heath,  who  is  associated  with  Mr.  Page  in 
business  at  Marion,  Wis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Page  lost  a  daughter, 
Annie,  aged  ten  years.  He  is  a  Freemason  and  has  held  local 
offices.  Is  the  owner  of  a  steam-mill  at  Marion,  and  is  evidently 
a  live  business  man. 

HON.  M.  B.  PATCHTX,  attorney  at  law,  New  London,  was 
born  Sept.  1,  1824,  in  Plattsburg,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  received  a 
common-school  and  academic  education  in  his  native  town  ;  began 
the  study  of  law  with  Gardner  Stone,  in  Keeseville,  N.  Y.  Remov- 
ing in  August,  1844,  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  he  studied  in  the  offices  of 
Stowe  &  Millard,  and  of  Swetland  &  Nutting,  of  Plattsburg; 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  general  term  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  New  York,  held  at  Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  Sep- 
ember,  1852.  In  January.  1853,  he  married  Miss  Frances  E., 
daughter  of  Judge  George  Parsons,  of  Saranac,  Clinton  Co.,  N. 
Y.  Mr.  Patchin  now  practiced  his  profession,  and  did  clerking, 
surveying,  etc.,  at  Saranac,  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Fremont, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.  Here  he  platted  Springer  &  Russell's  Addi- 
tion to  Fremont,  settled  down  and  began  legal  practice  in  what 
was  then  the  Wisconsin  wilderness.  At  that  day,  Fremont 
seemed  destined  to  become  quite  a  town,  which  of  course  encour- 
aged Mr.  Patchin  to  make  investments  and  arrangements  for  a 
permanent  home  there.  In  December,  1858,  his  wife  met  with  a 
fiital  accident,  by  being  thrown  from  a  sleigh,  though  her  death 
did  not  occur  until  May,  1859.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  Mr. 
Patchin  was  elected  by  the  Democrats  to  the  Wi-sconsin  Assem- 
bly. At  the  outbreak  of  secession's  thunders  in  1861,  M.  B. 
Patchin  and  Capt.  Redfield  began  raising  volunteers.  The  unfair- 
ness of  the  military  authorities  kept  their  company  from  due 
recognition,  but  it  was  finally  mustered  into  the  service  in  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  as  Company  A,  8th  W.  V.  I.  (the  Eagle  Regiment). 
He  held  the  First  Lieutenant's  commission,  iind  with  his  regi- 
ment participated  in  the  battles  of  Fredericton,  Oct.  21,  1861  ; 
the  expedition  to  Indian  Ford  ;  the  sieges  of  Island  No.  10  and 
New  Madrid,  siege  of  Corinth,  battle  of  Farmington,  and  went 
into  camp  at  Clear  Creek.  Lieut.  Patchin  was  in  charge  of  the 
entire  transportation  of  supplies,  when  the  Union  forces  left  New 
Madrid.  His  health  failing,  he  went  inio  hospital  at  luka,  Miss., 
Sept.  12,  1862;  was  transferred  to  the  Jackson  Hospital,  where 
he  resigned  his  commission,  returning  to  Wisconsin  in  December, 
1862.  During  the  winter  of  1863,  he  was  Postmaster  of  the 
State  Assembly.  Married  in  June,  1863,  Hannah  E.  Taggert,  of 
Weyauwega,   Wis.     Resided   in    Fremont   until    August,   1864, 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


I09S 


when  he  went  to  Little  Rock,  Ark. ;  here  he  was  in  Government 
service  until  March,  18G5,  when  he  returned  to  Fremont,  which 
was  his  home  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  New  London.  The 
firm  of  Patchin  &  Weed  formed  in  May,  1872,  was  dissolved  by 
mutual  consent  April  13,  1881.  Since  residing  in  New  London, 
Mr.  Patchin  has  been  both  Village  and  City  Attorney.  Mr. 
Patchin  has  three  living  children.  His  oldest  son,  George  M. 
Patchin,  educated  in  Saranac,  N.  Y.,  was,  for  a  time,  editor  of 
the  New  London  Times,  then  owned  by  him  and  his  father,  and 
sold  by  them  to  the  Messrs.  Pickard. 

LEONARD  PERRIN,  Cashier  of  the  Bank  of  New  London, 
was  born  Aug.  24,  1828,  near  Coburg,  Canada  ;  a  few  years  later, 
his  parents  removed  to  London,  Canada.  He  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  18U1,  locating  in  Waupaca;  was  for  three  years  in  the  lumber- 
ing business  at  Port  Edwards,  and  spent  two  years  in  the  ware- 
house of  Doud  &  Mumbrue,  at  Gill's  Landing.  In  1868,  he 
came  to  New  London,  taking  charge  of  the  warehouse  of  Dakon, 
Dewey  &  Co.  H.  S.  Dison  and  himself  then  rented  the  ware- 
house for  a  few  years,  also  operating  a  saw-mill  in  the  manufacture 
of  wagon- timber,  tight- work,  barrel  staves,  etc.  Mr.  Perrin  sold 
his  interest  in  the  saw-mill  to  Mr.  Dixon,  and,  in  1874,  entered 
the  bank  of  L.  C.  Patterson  &  Co.,  as  clerk.  Has  been  Cashier 
of  the  institution  since  it  was  organized  as  a  State  Bank  in  187G. 
J.  W.  Bingham,  President  of  the  bank  and  himself  are  now  part- 
ners in  business,  owning  a  store  at  Norrie,  and  another  at  Aniwa, 
the  present  terminus  of  the  M.  L.  S.  &  W.  R.  R.  Mr.  Perrin 
married  Mrs.  Ellen  P.  Hill,  of  Weyauwega,  Wis.  H6  is  a  mem- 
ber of  New  London  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  a  man  of 
excellent  business  habits  and  qualifications. 

HON.  E.  P  PERRY,  attorney,  New  London  ;  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Rushford,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  18,  1826;  his 
father,  PI  P.  Perry,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  a  farmer. 
Young  Perry  was  educated  in  his  native  county,  and  when  eight- 
een, went  to  Michigan,  the  last  illness  of  his  father's  causing  him 
to  return  to  Allegany  Co.  soon  after;  in  1852,  he  again  visited 
Michigan,  and  two  years  later,  located  at  New  London ;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  Waupaca  Co.,  in  1856 ;  practiced  till  May, 
1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  2d  W.  V.  I.;  in  March  follow- 
ing,  he  was  made  Second  Lieutenant  of  Co.  D,  same  regiment,  of 
which  company  he  served  as  Captain  during  the  last  fifteen 
months  of  his  service,  which  ended  for  a  time  at  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  where  he  was  wounded  in  the  thigh  ;  after  an  absence 
of  only  three  months  from  his  command,  he  returned  and  served 
until  his  regiment  was  mustered  out,  July  29,  1864;  in  1856, 
Mr.  Perry  was  a  contestant  for  the  seat  of  B.  F.  Philips,  in  the 
Wisconsin  Assembly,  in  which  body  he  represented  his  district 
in  1867;  has  also  served  as  village  and  city  attorney.  Repub- 
lican. 

H.  S.  PICKARD,  of  the  New  London  Times  and  Tribune ; 
born  July  9,  1843,  in  Stephenson  Co.  III.;  was  for  two  and  a  half 
years  a  student  at  the  old  Lawrence  University ;  began  as  an 
apprentice  on  the  Southivesterii  Local,  at  ShuUsburg,  Wis.,  in 
1857  ;  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  Co.  C,  33d  W.  V.  I.  ;  served 
three  years,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Coldwater,  Jackson, 
etc.,  sieges  of  Vicksburg  and  Atlanta,  battle  of  Nashville  and 
siege  of  Mobile  ;  after  his  honorable  discharge,  he  settled  in  Dar- 
lington, Wis.,  and  in  1869  went  to  Chicago,  residing  there  until 
December,  1880,  when  he  came  to  New  London,  and  with  his 
nephew  and  partner,  H.  W.  Pickard,  founded  the  New  London 
Tribune;  in  March,  1881,  the  Times  was  purchased  by  them, 
and  the  papers  consolidated ;  it  is  an  eight-column  folio.  Republi- 
can in  politics. 

E.  S.  SHEPARD,  New  London  pine  land  agent.  New  Lon- 
don ;  was  born  in  Hortonia,  Outagamie  Co.,  Wis.;  his  parents 
were  S.  A.  and  Lydia  Shepard,  of  Henrietta,  Ohio ;  the  father 
died  in  Texas,  and  young  Shepard,  thrown  upon  his  own  resources, 
has  carved  out  a  very  comfortable  position  in  the  world  ;  begin- 
ning at  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  has  thoroughly  mastered  his 
business,  and   knows   Northern    Wisconsin  "  like  a   book ;  "   Mr. 


Shepard  has  for  years  acted  for  Cornell  University,  selling  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  its  lands,  and  does  besides  a  large  business,  locat- 
ing lands,  estimating  values  of  timbers  and  lands,  and  preventing 
timber  steals  from  lands  in  his  charge. 

G.  R.  STRICKLAND,  jeweler,  New  London;  came  to  New 
London  in  July,  1875;  he  is  a  native  of  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
came  West  in  1867,  locating  at  Waupaca,  where  he  learned  his 
trade  of  gold-worker  and  jeweler  with  an  uncle.  Mr.  Strickland 
has  a  large  and  attractively  arranged  stock  in  the  drug  store  of 
Dickinson  &  Trayser. 

ANTHONY  TRAYSER,  druggist,  New  London;  is  a  son  of 
Louis  Trayser,  one  of  the  first  Germans  to  locate  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  with  a  family  ;  he  was  a  pioneer  hotel  keeper,  managing  the 
Little  Hotel,  corner  Martin  and  Market  streets.  Anthony  Tray- 
ser was  born  in  Milwaukee,  in  December,  1841;  his  youth  was  a 
hard  and  unremitting  struggle  with  poverty,  and  owing  to  the 
misfortunes  of  this  family,  his  school  facilities  were  abridged  to  a 
great  extent;  at  four  years  of  age,  the  kick  of  a  horse  tore  away 
about  half  the  skull  forming  the  forehead,  in  consequence  of 
which,  he  lay  in  a  state  of  almost  total  coma  for  three  years ;  his 
recovery,  however,  was  complete.  In  August,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  D,  24th  W.  V.  I.;  participated  in  th'e  battles  of  Stone  River 
and  Perry ville,  besides  lesser  disputes;  in  1868,  he  came  to  New 
London,  and  for  two  years  was  in  the  photographing  business;  for 
about  a  year,  he  was  an  owner  of  the  planing  mill  here ;  then 
bought  out  the  interest  of  and  succeeded  Dr.  Dickinson  in  the 
drug  business,  firm  of  Dickinson  &  Trayser.  Mr.  Trayser  mar- 
ried Augusta  Andrews,  then  a  teacher  in  New  London.  They 
lost  their  first-born  child,  and  have  two  living  sons. 

J.  H.  WHITFORD,  proprietor  of  the  City  Drug  Store,  New 
London  ;  is  of  New  England  parentage,  and  was  born  at  Grass 
Lake,  Mich.;  soon  after,  the  family  went  to  Kansas,  and  from 
there  to  Dakota  Co.,  Minn,  where  the  parents  still  reside.  J.  H. 
Whitford  learned  his  business  in  Omro,  Wis.,  and  in  August, 
1878,  came  to  New  London  ;  clerked  for  R.  N.  Roberts  until  Nov. 
1,  1879,  when  he  bought  him  out.  Mr.  Whitford  carries  a  full 
line  of  everything  pertaining  to  the  drug  business,  and  is  prosper- 
ing.    His  wife  was  Carrie  Swan,  of  New  London. 


NORTHPOET. 

This  village,  whose  population  is  356,  is  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  town  of  Mukwa,  on  the  Wolf  River, 
three  miles  below  New  London  by  land,  and  four  by  steam- 
er. It  contains  a  graded  school,  two  general  stores,  black- 
smith and  wagon  shops,  a  hotel,  shoe  shops,  meat  shops  and 
other  equipments  for  comfortable  living.  There  was  a  disposi- 
tion to  give  the  place  various  names,  but  its  present  cognomen 
was  settled  upon  because  the  village  is  the  most  northerly 
point  below  the  mouth  of  Embarrass.  The  first  settler  was  a 
bachelor  named  Stevens,  for  whom  the  burg  was  afterward 
called  Stevens'  Point.  William  Patrick  was  the  next  settler, 
early  in  1851.  Alden  Humes  and  Elijah,  his  father,  came  in 
1851,  latter  dying  in  April,  1880.  The  son  is  now  the 
oldest  settler  in  the  village.  The  name,  Stevens'  Point,  was 
changed  to  New  Boston  when  the  village  was  platted  by  J. 
A.  Stoddard  and  S.  Burbank,  in  1855.  The  latter  chris- 
tened it  in  turn  Northport.  For  several  years,  up  to  1857, 
most  of  the  settlers  were  Irish,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
from  New  England.  Patrick  built  a  wareliouse  which  stood 
for  several  years,  only  to  shelter  many  of  his  countrymen 
who  came  to  Northport  from  the  old  country  for  the  pur- 
poses of  settlement.  The  most  noteworthy  establishments 
of  Northport  are  the  stave  factory  and  steam  saw-mill.  The 
former  dates  back  to  1865,  the  mill  being  erected  by  Isaac 
Brown  in  1873.  Both  manufactories  are  owned  by  him. 
and  from  75  to  100  men  employed,  both  indoors  and  on  the 


109') 


[ISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


river.  During  1881,  he  manufactured  6,000,000  feet  of 
haril  lumber  into  wheel  and  frame  material  for  wagons,  har- 
vesters, reapers,  etc.;  a  large  business  is  also  done  in  the 
manufacture  of  staves,  headings,  shingles  and  lath.  The 
substantial  draw-bridge  across  the  Wolf  was  built  in  1874. 
In  1.S57,  a  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  built,  but  was 
burned  four  years  later,  and  the  pre-;ent  structure  erected  in 
1866.  The"  Methodist  Church  was  built  in  1864.  North- 
port  Lodge,  Xo.  299,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  is  the  chief  local  society. 

RIOiiRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

ISAAC  BROWN,  manufacturer,  Northport,  was  Ixirn  in 
Union,  Tolland  Co.,  Conn.,  1825;  was  for  a  time  in  the  mercan- 
tile business;  came  to  Northport  from  Connecticut  in  1859; 
opened  a  small  store  and  sold,  perhaps,  $3  or  $4  worth  of  goods 
per  day  for  a  few  years.  The  growth  of  his  trade,  however,  was 
proportionate  with  that  of  the  lumber  interests  here,  finally  rising 
as  high  as  $400  to  §600  per  day.  Mr.  Brown  began  the  lumber 
business  himself  in  1865,  having  previously  engaged  in  real  estate 
dealing;  his  large  saw-mill  was  built  in  1873;  it  is  supplied  with 
a  sixty-horse  power  engine,  and  gives  employment  to  over  thirty 
men.  Here  is  manufactured  nearly  all  the  wood  work  used  in 
the  building  of  wagons,  reapers,  harvesters,  seeders,  harrows,  cul- 
tivators, bedsteads,  etc.;  white  and  red  oak  and  rock  maple  are 
principally  used ;  a  million  and  a  half  feet  of  this  hard  lumber 
will  be  cut  here  during  1881.  Mr.  Brown  supplies  the  large 
seeder  works  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Horieon  and  Beaver  Dam  ;  he  also 
manufactures,  on  a  large  scale,  railroad  ties,  bridge  timber,  lath, 
shingles,  etc.;  he  also  owns  a  stave  factory  here,  in  which  are 
twenty  male  and  female  employes;  basswood  staves  and  red  oak 
headings  are  made  here.  A  commodious  warehouse  stands  on 
the  bank  of  the  Wolf,  down  which  river  thousands  of  feet  of  his 
lumber  are  shipped.  In  addition  to  his  large  manufacturing  inter- 
ests here,  he  runs  a  general  feed  store  and  a  200-acre  farm, 
besides  owning  600  acres  of  timber  in  the  Wolf  and  Wisconsin 
River  Valleys. 

WEYAUWEGA. 

The  town  of  this  name  is  sifuated  west  of  Caledonia  and 
Fremont  and  east  of  Lind.  Its  first  settlers  were  Henry 
Tourtelotte,  Amos  Dodge  and  M.  Lewis,  who  located  in  the 
year  1848.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  town  in  1851, 
the  following  officers  were  elected :  C.  L.  Gumaer,  Chair- 
man ;  Melza  Parker  and  Carr  Barker.  Supervisors ;  A.  W. 
Potter,  Town  Clerk  ;  Warren  Jenny,  Treasurer.  The  first 
school  was  taught  by  Miss  Chandler  in  a  shanty,  where  the 
village  now  is,  in  1850.  Rev.  Silas  Miller,  a  Methodist 
clergyman,  preached  the  first  sermon  in  1851,  and  three 
years  later  (1854)  the  Presbyterians  erected  the  first  church, 
situated  in  the  village  of  Weyauwega.  Benjamin  Birdsell 
became  the  first  Postmaster  in  Weyauwega,  during  the  year 
1850.  In  the  same  year  Robert  Baxter  built  the  first 
hotel,  and  in  1851  A.  Tibbets  erected  the  Weyauwega 
House.  The  present  Tarbell  House  was  started  by  Robert 
Baxter  and  Charles  Hare  in  the  fall  of  1851.  In  the 
spring  of  1850,  C.  L.  Gumaer  started  the  first  store,  the 
veteran  saw- mill  having  been  erected  by  Messrs.  Townsend, 
Powell  &  Lincoln  in  1848-19,  at  Evanswood. 

The  village  of  Weyauwega  is  located  on  the  Waupaca 
River,  three  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Wolf,  twelve 
miles  (as  the  crow  flies)  from  New  London,  and  more  than 
twice  that  distance  by  way  of  Gill's  Landing  and  the  Wolf. 
It  is  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  road,  to  aid 
which  it  burdened  itself  with  a  large  debt,  which  has 
deterred  many  from  investing  money  in  real  estate  or  busi- 
ness enterprises.     Its  merchants,  however,  report  sales  reg- 


ular  and   satisfactory,  and   hope  soon   to   raise  the   entire        I 
weight  from    the  shoulders    of  the   village  and  the  town.         j 
Since  passing  through  the  winter  of  1855,  they  consider        | 
hard  times — the    genuine    article — as    past.     That   season         | 
seemed  to  be  some  such  winter  as  that  of  1880-81.     The        ' 
snow  was  late  in  disappearing,  and  the  annual  visitation  of        ' 
suckers  in  the  Waupaca  River  was  delayed.     In  April  the         ' 
ice  went  out,  and  the  inhabitants  made  a  break  for  the  dam.         i 
After  waiting  several  days — ten  days — the  fasting  became         ', 
monotonous.     Saturday  came — the  night  of  that  day.     Sen- 
tinels were  posted,  still  no  suckers.     On  Sunday  morning,         , 
so  the  story  goes,  the  people  gathered  in  a  log  house  on  the 
hill,  and  the  preacher  prayed  for  relief  to  be  quickly  sue-         < 
cored  in   their   present   misery.     The  audience  all  gave  a         ; 
hearty  "Amen,"  and  at  11  o'clock.  Cole   Rector,  a  long- 
haired, illiterate  enthusiast,  rushed  up  the  street  shouting, 
"Suckers  has  come!   Suckers  has  come!"     The  benediction 
was  never  pronounced  at  that  meeting.     The  famine  siege         ; 
had  been    raised,  and  preacher    and    congregation    seized 
what  they  could — anything  to  hold  suckers  with — and  broke 
pell-mell  for  the  dam.     That  season  of  fasting  and  prayer 
will  be  long  remembered  by  old  settlers  of  the  Weyauwega 
region,  and  it  was  no  joke  in  1855. 

But  Weyauwega  must  be  treated  as  it  is.  The  village 
has  five  churches — Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Ger- 
man Lutheran  and  Catholic.  The  societies  are  not  strong, 
and  some  of  them  are  without  settled  pastors.  There  is  one 
graded  village  school,  James  Melville,  Principal.  Weyau- 
wega has  two  organized  lodges — No.  82,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  No.  77,  I.  0.  0.  F.  Its  only  newspaper,  the  Chronicle, 
is  published  by  a  veteran  in  the  profession,  J.  C.  Keeney. 
The  first  paper  was  the  Wej/ainvegian,  published  in  July, 
1855,  William  C.  Tompkins,  editor;  next  came  the  Herald, 
then  the  Times,  published  eight  years  by  F.  W.  Sackett ; 
and  the  Chronicle,  an  independent  journal,  the  first  number  of 
which  was  issued  in  March,  1877.  One  bank.  Weed,  Gumaer 
&  Co.,  proprietors,  accommodates  the  villagers,  while  among 
the  foremost  of  her  people  engaged  in  general  merchandise 
are  H.  W.  Potter  &  Co.,  Jerome  Crocker,  W.  A.  ^V■eisbrod, 
William  Woods  and  E.  Hennig.  W.  F.  Waterhouse  and 
John  Fordyce  are  its  prominent  lawyers;  its  physicians, 
Drs.  F.  E.'Walbridge,  J.  S.  Walbridge  and  J.  F.  "Corbett. 
Its  only  foundry  and  machine  shop  is  owned  by  John 
Whitney.  In  addition,  the  village  has  a  number  of  black- 
smith shops,  wheelwright  and  shoe  shops,  and  two  small 
breweries,  operated  by  Joseph  Duerr  and  George  Greil. 
The  Postmaster  of  the  village  is  Francis  A.  Brackett. 

The  most  important  business  enterprise  of  Weyauwega 
is.  without  doubt,  the  flouring  and  saw  mills,  under  control 
of  the  Weed  &  Gumaer  Manufacturing  Company.  The 
origin  of  the  latter  is  traced  back  to  1848,  when  Amos 
Dodge,  James  Hicks,  M.  Lewis  and  H.  Tourtelotte  obtained 
possession  of  the  fine  water  power,  building  a  dam  and  mill 
during  the  next  year.  Financial  embarrassments,  however, 
made  it  necessary  for  these  parties  to  sell  out  their  interests 
to  Jacob  Weed  and  Benjamin  Birdsell.  W.  G.  Gumaer, 
who  had  been  a  partner  of  Mr.  Weed  at  Oshkosh,  bought 
an  interest  in  the  fall  of  1851,  Louis  Bostedo  becoming 
connected  with  the  property  during  the  same  year.  Messrs. 
Weed,  Birdsell  &  Co.  next  built  the  present  flouring  mill 
in  1855-56,  the  original  cost  of  building,  machinery,  etc., 
being  $20,000.  Mr.  Birdsell  withdrawing,  the  firm  was 
dissolved  in  1860,  and  that  of  Weed,  Gumaer  k  Co.  was 
formed.     That  gentleman,  however,  retained  the  saw-mi 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


1097 


and  three-eighths  of  the  water-power,  but  subsequently 
disposed  of  his  interest  to  Mr.  Steinberg,  the  latter  selling 
out  in  turn  to  W.  F.  Vfaterhouse.  The  former  built  a 
flouring  mill  and  distillery,  which  were  burned  about  nine 
years  ago.  The  papei'-mill  erected  on  the  ruins  suffered 
the  same  fate  in  February,  1879.  It  should  be  stated, 
however,  that  Jacob  Weed  died  in  1867,  his  only  son,  W.  H., 
succeeding  him  four  years  later,  when  the  present  company 
was  organized  under  the  name  of  the  Weed  &  Gumaer 
Manufacturing  Company.  In  1880,  Mr.  Waterhouse  sold 
out  to  the  company.  L.  Bostedo  sold  out  to  his  son,  A.  L., 
in  1865,  the  latter  disposing  of  his  interest  to  the  company 
in  1880.  The  flouring-mill  is  a  plain,  substantial  wooden 
structure,  three  stories  and  a  half  in  height,  with  basement, 
having  five  run  of  stone,  and  a  capacity  of  one  hundred 
barrels  per  day.  The  product  is  shipped  all  over  the  State, 
much  of  it  going  to  Shawano  County  and  other  sections 
along  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central.  The  saw-mill, 
erected  in  1860,  turns  out  some  4,000,000  feet  of  lumber 
per  annum.  At  both  establishments  about  thirty  men  are 
employed. 

The  leading  hotel  in  Weyauwega  is  the  Tarbell  House, 
originally  started  by  Robert  Baxter  and  Charles  Hare  in 
the  fall  of  1851.  Mr.  Tarbell  came  into  possession  in  1867. 
H.  W.  Potter  &  Co.,  present  proprietors,  have  had  charge 
of  the  hotel  for  two  years.  It  is  a  large,  airy,  four-story 
structure — in  fact,  somewhat  beyond  the  wants  of  the  vil- 
lage. Its  original  cost  was  $6,000  ;  improvements  made 
since,  $3,000.  The  American  House,  proprietor,  August 
Schroeder,  comprises,  as  a  portion  of  itself,  the  building 
erected  by  Robert  Baxter,  the  first  hotel  in  the  village. 
Additions  have  since  been  made,  so  that  the  house  will 
accommodate  some  thirty  guests.  Mr.  Schroeder  is  an  old 
settler,  having  lived  in  the  county  since  1858,  first  locating 
in  the  town  of  Lind. 

BIOciRAPniCAL    SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  Bx\UER,  furniture  dealer,  Weyauwega;  born 
1888,  in  the  province  of  Saxony,  Germany.  Learned  his  trade 
in  Ranis,  Germany,  and  for  nine  years  traveled  from  one  German 
city  to  another;  came  to  America  and  Weyauwega  in  1866,  be- 
ginning his  present  business  July  1,  1866.  He  employs  two 
hands,  and  deals  in  everything  in  the  line  of  furniture  and  under- 
taking, also  dealing  in  pianos  and  sewing-machines.  Mr.  Bauer 
married  in  Weyauwega,  Hannah  Beuke,  a  native  of  Pommen, 
Prussia.  They  have  five  children,  all  born  in  Weyauwega.  Mr. 
Bauer  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 

JEROME  CROCKER,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  Weyau- 
wega ;  born  Oct.  11,  1824,  Perrysburg,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.; 
grew  up  on  his  father's  farm.  In  1846,  he  went  to  Peru,  Ind., 
and  clerked  ten  years  for  one  house  in  that  city.  From  1856  to 
1859,  he  was  in  the  employ  of  a  mining  company  in  California. 
During  1859,  he  came  to  Weyauwega  and  hag,  since  1871,  carried 
on  mercantile  business  in  his  present  store;  prior  to  that  he  occupied 
the  adjoining  store.  He  married  Aug.  9,  1864,  in  Silver  Creek, 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Miss  Helen  M.  Tew,  a  native  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.;  she  died  Oct.  12,  1879.  Besides  his  mercantile  and 
farming  interests,  Mr.  Crocker  is  the  owner  of  the  saw-mill  and 
factory  occupied  by  the  Evanswood  Manufacturing  Company. 
The  company  was  formed  in  November,  1880,  comprising  Messrs. 
Jerome  Crocker,  George  Phillips,  W.  E.  Hinchey  and  Fitz  Phil- 
lips. The  object  of  the  meeting  is  the  manufacture  of  corn  bas- 
kets ;  fifteen  hands  are  employed,  and  thirty  dozen  baskets  per  day 
made.  The  factory  is  the  well  known  old  Mack  saw-mill  and 
washing-machine  factory,  on  Little  River ;  the  only  factory  of  a 
similar' clKiracter   in    America,  is   in    Perrysville,  N.  Y.     All  the 


above  named  firm  except  Mr.  Crocker  have  had  practical  experi- 
ence in  the  Perrysville  establishment.  Mr.  Hinchey  has  already 
invented  several  cutting  and  compressing  machines,  which  are 
greatly  increasing  the  facilities  for  the  cheap  and  rapid  manufact- 
ure of  baskets  by  the  Evanswood  Company.  Evanswood  is  a 
hamlet  named  in  honor  of  Evan  Townsend,  an  early  settler. 

CHARLES  M.  PENELON,  Weyauwega;  born  Aug.  4, 
1830,  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Md.,  is  a  son  of  W.  W.  and  Eunice 
(Bostedo)  Fenelon  ;  was  reared  in  Central  New  York.  In  June, 
1852,  he  left  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  California  via  Nicaragua 
route  ;  was  in  the  gold  mines  until  February,  1855,  when  he  re- 
turned, and,  in  August,  1855,  came  to  Weyauwega  ;  settled  here 
permanently  in  December  of  that  year,  clerking  during  the  winter 
for  Weed,  Birdsell  &  Co.;  afterward  he  engaged  in  farming  and  at 
scaling  logs  for  the  boom  company.  In  1858,  he  began  mercan- 
tile business  with  David  Robinson,  continuing  it  until  1861.  In 
the  spring  of  1862,  he  began  clerking  for  Rueben  Doud,  at  Gill's 
Landing.  In  the  fall  of  1862  was  elected  County  Sheriff;  admin- 
istered the  duties  of  his  office  in  Weyauwega  during  his  first  year 
in  office,  then  appointed  G.  W.  Taggert,  Deputy,  and  returned  to 
the  oflSce  of  Captain  Doud  at  the  Landing.  In  1846,  he  was 
Chairman  of  the  Weyauwega  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  again  in 
1871  ;  was  in  the  employ  of  Capt.  Doud  four  years,  and  engaged 
in  lumbering  for  himself  till  1872;  was  elected  County  Treasurer 
in  the  fall  of  1871,  and,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  resumed 
his  lumbering  operations,  which  he  kept  up  until  1878.  He  then 
built  a  warehouse  near  the  Weyauwega  depot,  and  has  since  dealt 
in  hay,  grain,  lime,  salt,  etc.;  he  buys,  presses  and  ships  about 
600  tons  of  hay  per  annum.  Mr.  Fenelon  owns  one-quarter  of 
an  undivided  3,400  acres  of  pine  land  in  Lincoln  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
160  acres  in  Royalton,  which  was  at  one  time  a  pseudo  cranberry 
marsh.  He  married  Janet  Moodie,  of  St.  Davids,  Ont  ,  Aug.  31, 
1850.     Their  four  children  were  born  in  Weyauwega. 

WILLIAM  G.  GUMAER,  manufacturer  and  banker, 
Weyauwega;  born  July  26,  1818,  in  Maulius,  Onondaga  Co.,  N. 
Y. ;  is  a  son  of  Elias  Gumaer,  who  was  a  contractor  on  various 
Eastern  railroads  and  canals.  W.  G.  Gumaer  spent  twelve  years 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  came  West  from  Maryland.  In  1846, 
he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Vineland,  Wis.;  soon  after  entered  the 
employ  of  Weed  &  Baldwin,  Oshkosh  ;  while  working  for  them 
in  Poygan,  Wis.,  in  1848,  he  sold  goods  to  outfit  the  company  of 
men  who  came  to  Weyauwega  and  claimed  the  water  power ; 
while  in  Oshkosh  about  1848,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Ja- 
cob Weed  (see  sketch  of  Weyauwega  Mills);  the  firm  of  Weed, 
Gumaer  &  Co.  established  the  Bank  of  Weyauwega,  in  1870, 
having  previously  done  private  banking  in  their  mill.  Mr.  Gum- 
aer is  an  old-time  Odd  Fellow,  having  been  a  member  of  Wash- 
ington Lodge,  No.  6,  and  a  charter  member  of  Weyauwega  Lodge. 
He  is  also  a  Freemason,  member  of  Weyauwega  Lodge. 

E.  HENING,  hardware  merchant,  Weyauwega;  born  Aug. 
17,  1838,  in  Samoczin,  Province  Posen,  Prussia ;  worked  seven 
years  at  blacksmithing  in  his  native  land ;  came  to  America  in 
1864,  and  to  Weyauwega  the  same  year;  for  sixteen  years  he 
worked  at  his  trade  in  a  shop  next  to  the  Tarbell  House,  when 
his  shop  burned  ;  Nov.  25,  1880,  he  went  into  trade,  buying  tlie 
stock  and  renting  the  store  of  A.  Gardner;  began  Jan.  1,  1881  ; 
carries  a  large  and  very  complete  line  of  hardware,  stoves,  etc. ; 
also  sells  the  Oliver  plow,  the  Champion  reapers  and  mowers, 
with  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery.  Married  Mary  Schnetze  ;  they 
have  seven  children — Louis,  Agnes,  Hedwig,  Martha,  Louisa, 
Alma  and  Ernest.  Mrs.  Hening  was  born  Aug.  29,  1848,  in 
Prenzlow,  Prussia.  Mr.  H.  has  been  Supervisor  and  Trustee  of 
Weyauwega. 

J.  C.  KEENEY,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Weyauwega 
Chronicle;  is  the  veteran  journalist  now  resident  of  Waupaca 
Co. ;  his  career  as  a  printer  began  in  the  office  of  the  Skaneateles, 
(N.  Y.)  Columhian  in  1838  ;  since  1844,  he  has  been  continu- 
ously in  newspaper  life;  in  1847—18-49,  he  published  the  Skan- 
eateles Democnil :  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S56,  and  be^an  work  in 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


the  office  of  the  Wisconsin  Chiif  at  Fort  Atkinson  ;  in  Au<;uat, 
1860  he  began  publishing  the  Fort  Atkinson  Standard;  three 
years  later  lie  sold  out,  and  for  several  years  worked  as  a  journey- 
man in  Milwaukee  and  other  points  in  the  Northwest;  in  1871, 
he  purchased  the  Fort  Atkinson  Herald,  and  edited  it  two  years; 
he  then  published  the  Sharon  (Wis.)  Inquirer  until  he  came  to 
Weyauwega  in  1877;  the  Chronicle  was  founded  March  17, 
1877.  Mr.  Keeney  was  born  in  1822,  in  Truxton,  Cortland  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  married  in  Skaneateles,  N.  Y.,  Miss  Caroline  N.  Pea- 
cock ;  they  have  two  children — Herbert  S.,  born  in  Skaneateles, 
and  Ida  M.  in  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis.  Mr.  Keeney  was  made  an 
Odd  Fellow  in  Skaneateles,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Weyau- 
weaa  Lodge. 

ANDREW  MACK,  farmer.  Sec.  21;  P.  0.  Evanswood ; 
was  born  about  eight  miles  from  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  in  1804 ;  he 
remained  there  till  he  was  seventeen  years  old  ;  he  then  learned 
the  tanner's  trade,  and  worked  at  it  for  four  years  in  Ithaca  ; 
from  there  he  went  to  Orange  Co.  In  1825,  he  was  married  at 
Ithaca ;  his  wife  was  born  in  1803  in  New  York  ;  he  then  went 
to  farming,  and,  in  1850,  came  to  Waupaca  Co.;  he  was  here 
before  the  town  was  surveyed ;  he  soon  secured  160  acres,  his 
present  home;  in  1861,  he  built  the  present  saw-mill  at  Elm- 
wood  and  run  it  for  several  years,  and  finally  turned  it  over  to  his 
sons,  who  disposed  of  it  a  short  time  ago  ;  have  bad  twelve  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  living ;  had  two  sons  in  the  14th  W.  V.  I., 
who  served  nearly  four  years  in  the  last  war;  in  1875,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mack  celebrated  their  golden  wedding;  they  are  now  hale 
and  hearty,  and  it  is  hoped  they  may  live  to  celebrate  their  dia- 
mond wedding  also;  his  present  farm  contains  221  acres,  of 
which  100  acres  are  under  cultivation. 

HON.  L.  L.  POST,  druggist,  Weyauwega ;  born  Jan.  3, 
1821,  in  Thetford,  Orange  Co.,  Vt. ;  leaving  his  native  State  in 
1835,  with  his  father,  Seth  Post,  and  his  brother  Joseph,  he 
spent  two  years  in  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  they  then  proceeded  to 
Illinois,  passing  through  Chicago  when  it  was  no  larger  than  the 
Weyauwega  of  to-day ;  journeying  on  to  the  present  site  of  Free- 
port,  111.,  a  claim  was  made  for  L.  L.  Post,  which  he  abandoned, 
and  which  160  acres  is  now  covered  with  the  substantial  business 
blocks  of  that  thriving  city  ;  locating  on  Apple  River  (Jo 
Daviess  Co.,  111.),  the  elder  Post,  who  was  a  practical  millwright, 
built  several  mills ;  returning  for  the  rest  of  his  family,  he 
brought  them  in  safety  as  far  west  as  Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  here 
they  took  passage  on  the  Moselle,  and  were  blown  to  eternity  in  a 
second  by  the  explosion  of  the  boilers  of  the  ill-fated  steamer ; 
thus  the  brothers  were  left  alone  to  face  their  grief,  loneliness  and 
future  hardships ;  they  remained  in  Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111.,  until 
1849,  then  opened  a  store  in  Shullsburg,  Wis. ;  two  years  later 
they  loaded  their  goods  upon  three  wagons  and  left  for  Northern 
Wisconsin  ;  arrived  at  Berlin,  two  of  the  teams  were  left ;  L.  L. 
Post  and  family  reached  Weyauwega  in  time  to  make  the  first 
wagon  track  on  what  is  now  Main  street ;  not  a  building  faced 
them,  the  new  street  having  been  just  cut  through  the  brush  and 
timber  ;  all  the  buildings  in  the  place  were  clustered  around  the 
mill ;  the  Post  brothers  began  business  in  a  shanty  on  the  site  of 
the  present  Tarbell  House,  and  soon  after  built  the  Potter  &  Co. 
store  opposite  ;  in  1857,  L.  L.  Post  began  the  drug  business  in 
the  same  store  where  he  is  to  be  found  to-day  ;  he  is  the  veteran 
business  of  Weyauwega  ;  the  brother,  Joseph  Post,  who  was  his 
partner  until  1854;  enlisted  in  the  14th  W.  V.  I.,  and  was 
killed  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  L.  L.  Post  has  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  Chairman  of  his  town,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Assembly  of  Wisconsin  in  1878  and  1879  ;  he  is  a  prominent 
Freemason,  and  served  eight  years  as  Master  of  Weyauwega 
Lodge,  No.  82,  A.,  F.  k  A.  M.  ;  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  He  married,  in  1846,  in  Lena,  Jo  Davie.ss  Co.,  111., 
Elizabeth  Simmons,  of  Cato.  N.  Y.  ;  they  have  two  children — 
Lorenzo  D.,  now  a  druggist  who  is  with  his  father,  and  a  daugh- 
ter, Ella,  now  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Watts,  of  Sun  Prairie, 
Wis. ;  a  son,  Albert  Post,  died  in  Chicago  only  four  days  prior  to 


his  graduation   from   Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial   College 
Mr.  and  Mrs  Post  have  lost  in  all  four  children. 

WILLIAM  H.  REAS,  liveryman,  Weyauwega,  was  born 
in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  12,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Frede- 
rick and  Eliza  (Dockstader)  Reas,  who  came  to  Southport  (Keno- 
sha), Wis.,  in  1851.  In  1855  William  H.  came  to  Weyauwega 
and  began  the  livery  business,  owning  the  first  stable  ever  started 
here.  In  1861  he  began  farming.  In  the  spring  1864,  he  en- 
li.sted  in  the  44th  W.  V.  I.;  was  Clerk  in  the  Nashville,  Tenn., 
Po.st  Office  about  six  months,  serving  until  the  war  closed,  when 
he  was  discharged  at  Madison.  In  1866  he  resumed  the  livery 
business;  has  the  largest  barn  and  best  outfit  in  Waupaca  Co.;  is 
the  owner  of  a  dozen  horses,  among  them  some  notably  fine  teams. 
Mr.  Reas  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  now  a  Deputy  Sheriff.  He 
married  Margaret  M.  Howe  in  Weyauwega.  They  have  four 
children. 

ARTHUR  A.  RICE,  merchant,  Weyauwega,  is  a  native  of 
Silver  Creek,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
Weyauwega  in  1859.  Mr.  Rice  is,  like  his  father,  an  accomplished 
musician,  being  especially  proficient  on  the  violin.  He  is  also  a 
player  of  the  piano  and  most  other  instruments.  For  many  years 
he  followed  piano  tuning  most  successfully.  Mr.  Rice  is  now  the 
leader  of  the  brass  and  string  bands,  both  organized  here  in  1881. 
He  began  business  as  a  clothing  merchant  in  April,  1877;  was 
married  in  Waupaca,  to  Miss  Alice  Sherman,  a  native  of  Royal- 
ton,  Wis. 

CHARLES  A.  RICE,  gunsmith  and  cabinet-maker,  was 
born  in  Claremont,  N.  H.,  April  6,  1822 ;  settled  in  Chautauqua 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1830.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  his  musical  at- 
tainments were  such  as  to  enable  him  to  earn  a  livelihood  through 
them.  He  formed  and  instructed  numerous  bands  in  Western 
New  York.  Mr.  Rice  is  a  skillful  performer  on  most  stringed, 
wind  or  bowed  instruments.  He  has  resided  in  Weyauwega  since 
September.  1859.  By  his  first  wife,  nee  Helen  Tew,  he  has  a 
son,  Arthur  A..  The  present  Mrs.  Rice  was  Clarissa  Lillie. 
They  have  a  son,  Orrin,  and  a  daughter,  Mundie. 

0.  A.  RICH,  farmer.  Sec.  10,  P.  0.  Weyauwega,  was  born 
in  Washington  Co.,  Vt.,  March  4,  1828,  and  remained  there  till 
he  was  seventeen.  He  received  his  education  at  the  People's 
Academy,  Marrionville,  Vt.;  worked  in  a  weaving  factory  one 
year;  then  taught  school  in  one  of  the  largest  schools  near  Mont- 
pelier,  Vt,  having  over  seventy  scholars.  Oo  March  4,  1851,  he 
married  Miss  Martha  Colburn  at  Nashua.  She  was  born  June  27, 
1827.  In  October,  1851,  he  came  to  Waupaca  Co.,  but  re- 
turned to  Vermont.  On  July  4,  1852,  he  made  his  first  clip  on 
his  new  place  on  Sec.  8,  town  of  Royalton,  Waupaca  Co.,  having 
pre-empted  160  acres.  He  remained  upon  it  till  1875,  when  he 
sold  it.  With  his  family  he  went  to  Minnesota  with  the  intention 
of  making  it  his  home,  but  not  being  suited  there,  returned  and 
bought  his  present  place  of  100  acres.  In  September,  1864,  he 
enlisted  and  was  assigned  to  the  gallant  8th  W.  V.  I.,  "  the  Eagle 
Regiment,"  and  shared  in  all  its  glories,  having  been  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Nashville,  then  went  to  New  Orleans,  thence  to  Mobile,  and 
on  March  24.  1865,  while  in  action  at  Spanish  Fort,  he  was 
wounded  in  the  head,  losing  his  right  eye.  He  has  held  nearly 
every  office  in  his  town  and  filled  them  creditably.  He  has  three 
children — Albert  (in  Minnesota),  Nellie  (now  Mrs.  Colborn,  in 
Iowa)  and  Anna  Dasie  May,  at  home.  Mr.  Kich's  father  was  born 
in  Montpelier,  Vt.,  in  1801,  and  is  still  living  with  his  son. 

ALBERT  SMITH,  farmer.  Sec.  8,  P.  0.  Weyauweg,i,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  March  28,  1838,  of  the  old  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  stock.  In  1858  he  married  Miss  Betsy  Morris,  a  native 
of  New  York.  She  was  born  in  1838.  In  1856  he  came  to 
Waupaca  Co.,  and  .settled  in  Weyauwega.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in 
the  14th  W.  V.  I.,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  luka, 
Corinth,  Holly  Springs,  and  through  the  Vicksburg  campaigns 
and  shared  all  the  hardships  of  that  gallant  regiment.  He  re- 
ceived a  gun-shot  wound  in  the  left  hand  while  on  picket,  which 
renders  him  a  pensioner  for  life.     After  the  war  he  settled  on  his 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


present  farm  of  80  acres,  and  has  made  for  himself  and  family  a 
comfortable  home,  having  a  large  comfortable  frame  house  and  a 
large  barn.  He  has  seven  children,  all  at  home,  except  the  oldest 
son,  who  is  working  at  Green  Bay. 

GEORGE  W.  TAGGART,  Weyauwega,  is  one  of  the  veteran 
settlers  of  Wisconsin.  He  was  born  Feb.  22,  1813,  and  is  yet 
sturdy  and  vigorous,  talking  over  old  times  with  the  zest  of  boy- 
hood. He  left  his  native  county  (Cortland)  and  went  to  Genesee 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  when  eighteen  years  old.  In  August,  1836,  he  took 
passage  on  the  Julia  Palmer  at  Buifalo,  and  eighteen  days  later 
landed  at  the  then  village  of  Chicago.  Soon  after  he  visited 
Racine,  Wis.,  his  destination.  On  the  site  of  the  second  city  of 
Wisconsin  then  stood  only  three  frame  buildings.  Mr.  Taggart 
worked  as  a  carpenter  in  Racine  and  Chicago  till  the  fall  of  1837, 
spent  the  winter  East  and  came  again  to  Wisconsin  in  the  spring 
of  1838.  Settling  on  a  farm  at  Rochester,  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  he 
became  the  second  Postmaster  at  that  point.  He  also  taught 
the  first  school  in  western  Racine  Co.  In  1849  he  was  one  of 
the  six  of  first  visited  and  made  claims  in  what  is  now  Lind, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he  settled  on  Walla 
Walla  Creek  in  that  town  with  his  family  ;  was  the  first  Postmas- 
ter at  Lind,  1850.  He  gave  the  town  its  name,  in  1852,  in  honor 
of  Jenny  Lind,  and  named  Dayton  in  deference  to  Lyman  Dayton 
in  1833.  Mr.  Taggart  was  the  first  County  Surveyor  of  Waupaca 
Co.,  elected  in  1851.  In  1852-53,  he  surveyed  the  school  lands  of 
the  county.  In  1857  he  came  to  Weyauwega.  C.  M.  Fenelon 
appointed  him  Under  Sheriff  in  1864,  and  he  was  re-appointed; 
was  elected  County  Sheriff  in  1866.  Again  appointed  Under 
Sheriff  in  1868,  and  has  held  the  oiEce  of  Special  Deputy  Sheriff 
several  years  since.  The  substantial  brick  jail  and  Sheriff  s  resi- 
dence were  erected  during  his  incumbency,  or  in  1867.  Mr.  Tag- 
gart has  held  the  ofiice  of^  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  1871.  He 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  New  London  and  Waupaca  Lodges, 
I.  0.  0.  P.,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Weyauwega  Lodge.  He 
was  a  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Wisconsin,  in  1849, 
from  Rochester,  Wis.  During  the  past  five  years  this  hardy  old 
frontiersman  has  been  United  States  Mail  carrier  from  Weyauwega 
to  Orihula.  He  was  married  at  Ypsilanti,  Mich.,  Oct.  16,  1837, 
to  Miss  Eunice  L.  Fulton.  She  was  born  in  Parma,  N.  Y.,  and 
is  a  distant  relative  of  Capt.  Robert  Fulton  of  steamboat  fame. 
Of  their  four  living  children — Hannah  is  now  Mrs.  Hon.  M.  B. 
Patchin,  Ida  J.  is  the  wife  of  the  Hon.  C.  Caldwell  and  Robert 
F.  is  a  lawyer  in  Kaukauna,  Wis.  George  W.  Taggart,  Jr., 
served  during  the  war  in  the  1st  W.  V.  C,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Weyauwega. 

J.  S.  WALBRIDGE,  M.  D.,  Weyauwega;  is  a  son  of  Solon 
R.  and  Harriet  (Gaige")  Walbridge,  and  was  born  Nov.  21,  1849, 
in  Avoca,  Iowa  Co.,  Wis. ;  was  educated  in  Avoca,  and  was  for 
two  years  a  student  in  Berlin,  Wis.  ;  began  the  study  of  medicine 
in  Berlin  with  Dr.  N.  M.  Dodson ;  entered  the  university  of 
Michigan  in  1869,  and  received  his  diploma  in  March,  1874. 
During  these  five  years,  he  was  his  own  supporter,  and  worked 
his  way  through  by  teaching,  etc. ;  came  to  Weyauwega  April  19, 
1874,  and  has  since  resided  and  practiced  here.  Dr.  Walbridge 
spent  seven  months  of  1880-81  in  the  Medical  Department  of  the 
University  of  New  York  at  New  York  City.  While  there,  he 
attended  select  lectures  in  four  different  colleges.  Dr.  Walbridge 
was  made  a  Freemason  in  Weyauwega  in  1875,  and  has  been  for 
four  years  Worthy  Master  of  Weyauwega  Lodge,  No.  82,  A.,  F  & 
A.  M.      He  married  Miss  Addie  W.  Cone,  of  Waupaca. 

P.  E.  WALBRIDGE,  M.  D.,  Weyauwega;  born  Sept.  23, 
1851,  in  Avoca,  Iowa  Co.,  Wis. ;  is  a  son  of  S.  R.  and  Harriet 
(Gaige)  Walbridge.  At  eighteen,  he  left  the  paternal  farm ; 
attended  and  taught  school  until  1874,  then  began  his  medical 
studies  with  his  brother  in  Weyauwega  ;  entered  the  University  of 
Michigan  in  1875 ;  graduated  March  28,  1877,  as  physician  and 
surgeon.  During  his  last  term,  he  was  Assistant  Demonstrator  of 
Anatomy,  and  President  of  the  Senior  Lyceum ;  was  also  elected 
historian  of  his  class.      He  began  practice  in  Fremont ;  went  from 


there  to  Arena,  Wis.,  and  from  there  came  to  Weyauwega  and 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother.  Dr.  J.  S.  Walbridge,  in 
1880;  has  tince  graduated  from  the  Chicago  Medical  College 
(practitioner's  course)  ;  is  a  member  of  the  Dane  County  Medical 
Society,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  New  Medical 
Literature  and  Northwestern  Wisconsin  Medical  Society.  Dr. 
Walbridge  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Dziewanowski,  of  Avoca,  Wis. 

ADOLPHUS  WALRBTH,  retired  farmer;  P.  O.  Evans- 
wood;  was  born  in  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  28,  1811.  His 
early  life  was  on  a  farm,  and  shared  all  the  hard  fare  of  a  hired 
laborer  in  the  rugged  section  of  his  nativity,  Dec.  5,  1833.  His 
wife  was  born  July  9,  1814.  The  young  couple  commenced 
empty  handed.  As  an  illustration  of  their  hardship,  Mr.  Walreth 
started  one  morning  before  breakfast  to  go  seven  miles  for  a  grist, 
getting  one  bu.shel  of  grain,  and  carrying  it  home  on  his  shoulder, 
returning  before  breakfast ;  then  carrying  it  two  miles  and  a  half 
to  mill,  then  home.  In  October,  1855,  Mr.  Walreth  came  to 
Neenah,  and  stopped  till  January,  when  he  came  to  Bloomfield, 
Waushara  Co.,  where  he  secured  from  Government  160  acres  of 
land,  which  he  improved,  and  remained  upon  till  he  came  to 
Elmwood  in  1874,  leaving  one  of  his  sons  upon  it.  They  have 
had  ten  children,  five  boys  and  five  girls,  two  of  whom  were  in  the 
army;  William  was  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Seventh  Regiment,  and 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  ;  John  was  a  member  of 
the  First  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  and  died  in  Andersonville  Prison. 

W.  F.  WATKRHOUSE,  attorney  at  law,  Weyauwega:  born 
Oct.  24,  1820,  in  Volney,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1836,  he 
removed  to  Branch  Co.,  Mich.  Here  he  married,  in  1843,  Nancy 
Hewings,  a  native  of  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1852,  Judge 
Enos  Beal  and  himself  came  to  Weyauwega,  and  opened  a  stock 
of  merchandise  in  a  log  store  on  Main  street.  In  1856,  Mr. 
Waterhouse  removed  to  Gill's  Landing.  Here  he  was  associated 
with  H.  C.  and  William  Mumbrue  in  the  warehouse  and  hotel 
business.  Mr.  W.  having  charge  of  the  latter  enterprise.  Selling 
out  here  in  1861  to  Reuben  Doud,  Mr.  W.  bought  an  interest  in 
the  Waupaca  Barrel  and  Stave  Factory ;  was  here  two  years ; 
then  returned  to  Weyauwega.  Mr.  Waterhouse  had  read  law  in 
Michigan,  and  made  a  study  of  it  while  serving  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  as  Court  Commissioner.  He  has  held  the  former  oflBce 
since  1853,  and  the  latter  since  1867.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1871,  in  the  court  of  Judge  Cate.  Mr.  Waterhouse  has 
served  five  terms  as  Chairman  of  Weyauwega  Town  and  Village, 
and  was  Chairman  of  the  County  Board  one  term.  During  the 
county  seat  war  of  1855,  Esquire  Waterhouse  was  a  county  can- 
vasser for  Mukwa.  He  also  indulges  his  taste  for  writing  as  well 
as  legal  practice,  acting  as  correspondent  for  local  papers.  His 
work  on  the  early  history  of  Waupaca  Co.  has  proved  of  inestima- 
ble value  to  the  compilers  of  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Water- 
house  have  an  only  son.  Will  W.,  now  student  in  the  law  ofiSce  of 
Finch  &  Barber,  Oshkosh,  Wis. 

W.  A.  WEISBROD,  merchant,  Weyauwega;  born  June  16, 
1831,  in  Rhine  Province,  Prussia  ;  eame  to  America  in  1851,  and 
spent  several  years  looking  over  the  West,  spending  some  time  in 
Milwaukee,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis;  came  to  Weyauwega  in 
September,  1855;  and,  in  March,  1856,  began  business  for  him- 
self in  a  store  on  Main  street.  This  store  burned  in  1869.  Dur- 
ing 1870,  he  built  his  present  store,  it  being  20x60,  and  part  of 
the  block  built  by  A.  Gardner,  and  Weed,  Gumaer  &  Co.  Mr. 
Weisbrod  was  married  June  15,  1856,  in  Weyauwega,  to  Miss 
Augusta  Schoeneck,  a  native  of  the  province  of  Posen,  Prussia. 
They  have  six  children,  all  born  in  Weyauwega.  Mr.  Weisbrod 
is  a  Freemason,  and  has  held  local  offices. 

WILLIAM  WOODS,  merchant,  Weyauwega;  born  April  19, 
1845,  in  Gosberton,  Lincolnshire,  England;  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Nobles )  Wood.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1849,  and  resided  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.  The  father  died 
in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  and,  in  1855,  the  mother  and  young 
Woods  came  to  Weyauwega.  Here  he  attended  school  until  he 
was  fourteen  ;  then  hired  as  chore  boy  for  Bates  &  Puflfer.     He 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


afterward  worked  in  the  store  of  h.  L.  Post  at  SI  per  week,  board- 
ing himself  From  1864  until  1S(J7,  he  was  clerk  for  H.  C. 
Mumbrue.  He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  Mumbrue  &  Hunt. 
Mr.  Mumbrue  sold  out  in  1872,  and  the  firm  of  Hunt  &  Woods 
was  dissolved  in  187C,  Mr.  Woods  continuing  the  business.  He 
is  a  Freemason  and  a  Democrat.  Married,  in  Weyauwega,  Miss 
Emma  D.  Wood,  a  native  of  Candor,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
Wood  served  four  years  as  Town  Clerk  ;  has  been  Village  Clerk 
and  Trustee,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  President  of 
the  village ;  is  also  Secretary  of  the  County  Agricultural  Society. 
Id  1879,  he  was  candidate  for  the  Assembly,  and  was  defeated  by 
a  close  vote  by  S.  Phillips,  Republican. 


LITTLE  WO]>r. 

The  first  settlement  in  town — the  town  of  Little  Wolf — 
was  made  by  W^illiam  Goldsburg,  in  1848.  George  and 
J.  P.  More  moved  in  during  1849.  The  first  schoolhouse 
was  built  in  1857,  the  pioneer  school  teacher  being  Miss 
Fortner,  who  taught  in  1853  at  the  house  of  P.  Meiklejohn. 
Although  the  first  sermon  was  preached  by  Mr.  Baxter  in 
the  same  house  three  years  before  (1850),  the  first  church 
was  not  built  by  the  Catholics  until  1877,  at  Manawa. 
The  town  was  organized  in  1851,  being  one  of  the  three 
first  set  oif  from  the  original  county  and  town  of  Waupaca. 
It  was  first  known  as  Centerville.  The  village  of  Manawa 
is  in  nearly  the  center  of  she  town,  being  a  promising  vil- 
lage of  364  people.  It  has  two  hotels,  one  saw-mill  and  one 
stave  factory,  three  general  stores,  wagon  and  blacksmith 
shop,  etc.  P.  Meiklejohn  was  the  first  town  officer  (chair- 
man), he  and  a  Mr.  Beal  keeping  the  first  store  in  1854. 
George  and  J.  P.  More  and  Goldsburg  &  Co.  erected  the 
first  saw-mill.  A.  P.  Jones  received  the  first  commission 
as  Postmaster,  in  1852.  The  present  standing  of  the  town 
as  regards  population,  value  of  property  and  farming  matters 
can  be  at  once  ascertained  by  a  glance  at  the  general  history 
preceding  this  sketch  of  the  towns,  villages  and  cities. 
This  statement  applies  generally. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKPTCHES. 

GEORGE  DIRIMPLE,  merchant,  Manawa,  was  born  in 
Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  Jan.  12,  1850.  He  learned  the  cooper's 
trade  when  a  boy,  and  followed  it  for  a  number  of  years  in  Michi- 
gan ;  in  1873,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in  Manawa;  he 
ran  a  barrel-head  turning  machine,  and  worked  in  the  lumbering 
basiness  for  J.  M.  Rounds  &  Co.  several  years.  He  aspired  to  be 
his  own  master,  and  accordingly  moved  a  building  from  the  upper 
part  of  town  to  the  business  part,  and  stocked  it  with  general 
merchandise.  Finally  he  removed  his  stock  to  the  store  formerly 
occupied  by  Rounds  &  Co..  and  later  by  Moses.  He  now  has  a 
large  store,  well  stocked  with  general  merchandise.  He  is  the 
oldest  merchant  in  Manawa.  He  commenced  at  the  first  round  in 
the  ladder  of  success,  and  is  rapidly  climbing.  In  1879,  he  built 
for  himself  and  family  the  finest  residence  in  the  village.  He  was 
married,  in  1872,  to  Miss  R.  Ensign,  of  Michigan.  He  has  one 
boy. 

A.  P.  JONES,  farmer.  Sec.  35  ;  P.  0.  Royalton ;  was  born 
in  Maine,  in  1828.  He  received  a  common  school  education ;  his 
father  owned  a  saw-mill  and  a  farm,  and  our  subject's  early  life 
was  spent  in  the  mill  and  on  the  farm.  In  184S,  he  went  to 
Illinois,  and  remained  about  a  year  ;  in  1849,  came  to  south  part 
of  the  State,  and  in  1850  came  to  Waupaca  County,  and  settled 
at  Little  Wolf,  and  worked  in  a  sawmill  for  the  Moore  Brothers, 
and  then  for  Meeklejohn  for  about  three  years.  During  this  time 
the  land  in  that  section  came  into  market,  and  he  pre-empted  100 
acres,  a  part  of  which  ho  has  improved.  After  leaving  the  mill, 
he    started    in    the    mercantile    business,   and    continued  in   that 


business  till  a  short  time  ago.      He  is  now  engaged  in  farming ;  ( 

he  now  owns  480  acres  of  land.     Mr.  Jones  has  been   Chairman  1 

of  his  town  several  terms,  and  is  now  holding  that  office  ;  has  been  | 

Town  Clerk  a  good  share  of  the  time  since  coming  to  Little  Wolf  | 

In  1 865  he  married  Anna  Vinton  ;  they  have  no  children.  i 

MARQUIS     WOOD,   retired   physician,    Sec.    32;    P.   0. 
Manawa  ;  was  born  Dec.  5,  1810,  at  Slippery  Rock,  Penn.     He  is  i 

a  .son  of  Rev.  William  Wood,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  descendant  of  the 
illustrious  Wood  family,  of  W^ood's  Row,  London,  England.     His  i 

ftither's  family  was  somewhat  numerous,  consisting  of  eight  boys  ' 

and  four  girls.  The  boys  were  all  college  educated,  except  a  pair 
of  twins,  who  were  mechanics,  and  died  in  their  twenty-third  year. 
Our  subject  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Manning;  he  and  his 
oldest  brother,  William,  studied  together,  and  practiced  as  a  firm 
two  years.  M.  W.  practiced  in  Urbana,  Ohio,  from  1838  to 
1852;  at  this  time  his  practice  had  become  so  extensive,  and  his 
labor  so  hard,  that  he  was  forced  to  leave  it,  owing  to  ill  health. 
Ilis  brother  David,  afterward  Judge  of  the  Fond  du  Lac  Circuit 
Court,  and  Colonel  of  the  14th  W.  V.  I.,  was  then  practicing  law 
at  Fond  du   Lac,  and  thither  he  started,  being   accompanied  by  1 

some  prominent  citizen,  who  went  as  far  as  Chicago  to  assist  and  ' 

take  care  of  him,  as  he  was  not  expected  to  last  long.  He  reached 
his  brother,  and  remained  in  Fond  du  Lac  seven  months,  at  the  ' 

end  of  which  time  he  was  better.  He  returned  to  Ohio,  and  re- 
sumed his  practice,  but  failing  health  compelled  him  to  quit  it, 
and  his  family  persuaded  him  to  move  to  Wisconsin.  He  settled 
on  his  present  place  in  1853;  he  bought  land  warrants,  and  se- 
cured 28  forties  of  land,  and  commenced  to  clear  it.  He  was 
soon  called  upon  to  practice  his  profession,  and  there  being  no 
doctor  within  ten  miles  of  him,  and  but  three  in  the  county,  he 
soon  had  an  extensive  ride.  He  practically  gave  it  up  about  five 
years  ago.  He  has  been  married  twice ;  the  first  time,  in  1841, 
to  Miss  Mary  A.  Craighead,  and  who  died  in  1856  ;  his  second 
marriage  was  with  Jennie  Whitman,  Sept.  4,  1860.  The  Doctor 
had  five  children  by  his  first  wife — four  boys  and  (me  girl ;  three 
of  the  boys  were  in  the  army,  one  of  whom  died.  He  has  three 
children  by  his  second  wife  ;  they  are  all  at  home. 


ROYALTON. 

The  town  is  situated  south  of  Little  Wolf  and  west  of 
Mukwa  ;  was  first  settled  in  1848  by  Messrs.  Hicks  and 
Gill.  It  was  organized  in  1854,  George  E.  More  being 
Chairman  of  the  Board.  In  1857  the  first  schoolhouse 
was  built  in  North  Royalton.  The  first  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stevens,  in  1854,  and  the  Congre- 
gationalists  erected  the  first  church  in  1836.  Ellis  N.  Roy- 
alton, for  whom  the  town  and  village  was  named,  built  the 
first  store  in  1853,  and  T.  and  H.  Gill  the  first  sawmill  in 
1850.  The  village  itself  has  two  hundred  inhabitants  and 
is  growing. 

BIOORAPUICAL   SKETCUES. 

J.  H.  LEONARD,  merchant.  North  Royalton  ;  was  born  in 
1840,  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.;  his  early  life  was  spent  on  a 
dairy  farm  ;  in  1851  his  fiither  died  and  he  and  a  brother  carried 
on  the  farm  for  some  time  together ;  finally  the  fiirm  was  divided 
and  the  brothers  separated;  each  pursuing  that  which  seemed  best 
for  himself.  Mr.  Leonard  continued  farming  until  he  came  to 
his  present  place  in  1870,  when  he  bought  out  the  mercantile 
business  of  C.  Combs,  the  first  _ merchant  of  Royalton.  Mr. 
Leonard  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Royalton  almost  on  his 
arrival,  and  has  held  that  office  ever  since.  At  the  time  Mr. 
Leonard  settled  in  Royalton,  Appleton  was  his  nearest  railroad 
point.  Mr.  Leonard  is  a  very  courteous  gentleman,  and  to  meet 
him  is  to  respect  him.  In  October,  1865,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Eastman,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Morgan  S.  Eastman, 
the  veteran  Pastor  and  evangelist.  He  has  three  children,  all  at 
home. 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


F.  EGGER,  miller,  North  Royakon  ;  w;is  born  in  Germany 
in  1830.  The  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent  iu  ob- 
taining an  education  ;  his  father  being  a  machinist  and  thorough 
business  man  saw  the  necessity  and  embraced  the  opportunity  of 
preparing  his  children  for  future  usefulness.  In  1841  Mr.  Egger 
and  his  family  came  to  this  country  and  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Manitowoc  County  in  this  State.  The  first  four  years  was  spent 
in  clearing  the  land,  but  tois  was  new  business  to  them  and 
savored  too  strongly  of  muscular  labor  for  these  business  men. 
After  four  years  of  farming  they  moved  to  Two  Rivers ;  the 
senior  Egger  taking  charge  of  the  machine  shops  at  that  place. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  went  upon  Lake  Michigan  and  soon 
procured  a  schooner  and  followed  the  coasting  trade  business ;  he 
also  ran  a  store  and  a  fish  establishment.  After  Mr.  Egger  left 
the  lake,  he  bought  a  saw  and  grist  mill  and  ran  them  several 
years.  He  disposed  of  them  and  has  since  been  in  the  lumber 
and  grist  mill  business.  In  1880  he  bought  the  saw  and  grist 
mills  at  North  Koyalton  ;  he  contemplates  putting  in  a  shingle 
and  a  post  mill ;  he  has  led  a  very  active  life  and  is  brim  full  of 
business  ;  he  acted  upon  the  old  saying,  "  Nothing  ventured,  noth- 
ing gained  ;"  knowing  if  his  plans  worked  all  right  he  was  all 
right,  and  by  that  spirit  which  is  always  coupled  with  energy  and 
pluck  he  can  now  view  the  field  with  complacency.  Says  Mr. 
Egger  :  "  It  makes  me  shiver  to  think  of  the  risks  I  liave  taken 
in  some  of  my  speculations."  He  has  been  married  twice,  first  in 
1858,  and  again  in  1864.  He  has  seven  children.  When  they 
settled  in  Manitowoc  there  were  but  five  settlers  between  their  place 
and  Green  Bay. 

LIXD. 

This  town,  west  of  Fremont  and  south  of  Waupaca,  was 
first  settled,  in  18-49,  by  J.  W.  Chandler.  The  post  office 
was  established  the  next  year,  with  George  W.  Taggart  for 
.Postmaster,  the  first  mail  route  being  carried  by  John  Har- 
ris, familiarly  known  as  "Old  Zach."  The  town  was 
organized  in  1851.  The  Methodists  built  the  first  church, 
the  first  sermon  being  preached  in  1850,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Baxter. 
First  officers:  Lyman  Dayton,  Chairman;  Charles  Beadle- 
ston  and  J.  W.  Chandler,  Supevisors;  Chauncy  Doty,  J. 
H.  Jones,  S.  Warren,  Justices;  J.  L.  Rice,  Town  Clerk. 
The  first  store  was  built  by  Mr.  Mitchell  in  1859,  and  the 
first  saw-mill  by  Mr.  Strong  in  1853-54.  The  name 
originated  with  George  W.  Taggart,  "Jenny  Lind  "  being 
the  prime  originator.  Tyler  Caldwell,  George  W.  Tag- 
gart, the  Sextons,  Columbus  Caldwell  and  Jarvis  L.  Rice 
made  the  first  claims  in  1849,  on  Walla  Walla  Creek. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MARCUS  BURNHAM,  farmer,  Sec.  3,  P.  0.  Waupaca, 
was  born  March  11,  1830,  at  Williamstown,  Vt.  He  received  a 
common  school  and  academic  education,  yet  worked  on  a  farm 
till  he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  changing  his  vocation  in  win- 
ter to  teaching.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  procured  a 
clerkship  iu  an  insurance  office  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  and  remained 
there  five  years.  After  leaving  the  office,  he  traveled  fifteen 
months.  In  October,  1859,  he  settled  in  Waupaca,  where  he 
remained  five  years,  being  employed  as  clerk  in  the  mercantile 
business.  In  1864,  he  moved  upon  his  present  farm  of  157  J 
acres.  There  were  scarcely  any  improvements  upon  the  place  at 
that  time,  and  a  house  which  he  moved  upon  it  was  burnt.  The 
next  year  he  built  a  large,  commodious  one,  and  has  continued  to 
thrive  as  but  few  iu  the  country  have.  Ho  has  two  barns,  one  of 
which  is  42x50  and  the  other  24x3G ;  he  has  a  wind-mill  and 
120  acres  improved.  He  has  taught  school  a  number  of  terms, 
and  is  an  old  veteran  singing  master.  Notwithstanding  Mr.  B. 
has  done  so  Well,  he  has  largely  to  congratulate  himself  upon  a 
step  he  took  Sept.  5,  1859,  when  ho  united  his  fortunes  with 
those  of  Miss  Pheba  M.  Folsom,  a  daughter  of  John  Folsoni,  one 


of  the  substantial  men  of  Vermont,  who  prided  himself  on  having 
children  of  which  he  was  not  ashamed.  Mrs.  Buruham  com- 
menced teaching  when  but  fifteen  years  old  and  continued  at  it 
for  ten  consecutive  years.  She  lacked  but  thirty  weeks  of  gradu- 
ating. Her  field  of  labor  has  always  been  in  the  higher  grades  of 
schools.  In  Vermont,  she  taught  the  highest  departments  in 
Montpelier,  Rutland,  etc.  She  has  been  Principal  of  the  Wau- 
paca High  School  two  years,  and  met  with  unbounded  success. 
She  is  an  old  veteran  in  her  profession,  having  taught  fifty  terms. 
Whatever  she  undertakes  is  accomplished.  They  have  three 
children. 

A.  H.  CHANDLER,  farmer.  Sec.  2,  P.  0.  Waupaca,  was 
born  in  Hanover,  N.  H.,  in  1819;  came  to  Waupaca  County  in 
1849;  pre-empted  his  land  of  160  acres,  and  returned  to  New 
Hampshire  on  a  visit,  returning  in  May,  of  the  next  year.  He 
has  160  in  Waupaca  and  7  in  Lind;  he  has  made  all  the 
improvements  upon  his  place.  In  1870,  he  moved  to  Waupaca 
for  the  purpose  of  educating  his  children.  He  has  had  three 
children ;  they  were — Fremont  E.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Wau- 
paca High  School,  and  now  teaching  in  his  father's  district; 
Willie  and  Jessie,  both  dead.  His  wife  was  Miss  Su.san  Wood- 
ard,  and  taught  the  first  school  in  the  county  at  her  house.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chandlier  and  their  son  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

C.  CALDWELL,  farmer.  Sec.  22,  P.  0.  Lind,  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y,  Sept.  25,  1830;  in  1836,  his  father 
moved  to  Wisconsin,  and  took  from  tbe  Government  the  first 
fiirm  at  Kennon  Springs;  in  1839  he  moved  to  Rochester;  his 
father  and  uncle  Joseph  took  the  first  claim  on  what  is  known  as 
Caldwell's  Prairie.  His  early  life  was  on  a  farm,  working  there 
summers  and  attending  school  winters;  the  summer  he  was  eight, 
and  for  thirteen  successive  summers,  he  drove  a  breaking-team; 
he  came  to  this  county  in  October,  1849,  coming  up  Wolf  River' 
in  a  skiff  from  Winneconne ;  he  pre-empted  160  acres,  and  in 
1850  built  the  first  house  in  the  town;  the  next  summer  he  was 
engaged  in  building  corduroy  roads.  In  January,  1852,  he,  with  a 
brother-in-law  and  two  sisters,  started  for  California  by  the  over- 
land route,  as  it  was  called,  and  reached  the  American  Valley 
July  28 ;  he  remained  there  about  seven  years  and  returned  by 
the  Panama  route  to  New  York,  and  back  to  his  Wisconsin  home. 
Nov.  21,  1861,  he  was  married  to  Mattie  L.  Taggart  of  Weyau- 
wega,  who  died  Jan.  6,  1867.  May  11,  1868,  he  married  Ida 
Jane  Taggart.  Dec.  C,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wisconsin 
Cavalry  ;  his  first  year  of  service  was  in  Missouri  with  the  bush- 
whackers ;  his  regiment  was  then  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland;  was  Regimental  Quartermaster  eight  months  at 
Nashville ;  he  was  promoted  from  private  to  a  Lieutenancy ;  on 
the  13th  of  April,  1864,  while  twelve  miles  east  of  Cleveland,  Tenn., 
with  a  detachment  of  troops  he,  with  nineten  of  his  men,  were 
captured ;  he  was  a  prisoner  eleven  months,  and  during  that  time 
was  incarcerated  in  the  prisons  at  Atlanta,  Andersonville,  Macon, 
Savannah,  Charleston,  Columbia,  Charlotte,  Raleigh  and  Golds- 
boro ;  was  exchanged  and  sent  home  on  a  thirty  days'  fur- 
lough, during  which  time  the  war  closed.  In  1867  was  elected 
Register  of  Deeds;  in  1872  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and 
re-elected  the  following  year ;  h;is  been  Chairman  of  his  town  sev- 
eral years,  and  held  at  different  times  sundry  town  offices.  H.is  a 
farm  of  189  acres,  125  of  which  are  under  cultivation.  His  chil- 
dren are— Minnie  L.,  Ida  S.,  George  T.,  Warner  F.,  Otis  L. 

A.  CUSTARD,  farmer.  Sec,  17,  P.  O.  Waupaca ;  was  born 
in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  Feb.  18,  1829;  has  always  been  a  farmer. 
Oct.  6,  1853,  he  married  Miss  Jane  E.  Drummond,  of  Sinclair- 
ville,  N.  Y.;  she  was  born  in  April,  1828  ;  he  came  to  Waupaca 
County  November,  1855,  and  bought  his  land  of  Mr.  N.  Ward; 
he  now  has  315  acres  in  one  body  and  40  acres  in  Waushara 
County  ;  he  has  had  five  children,  all  boys— Legeand,  Rosco  Irving, 
Orlando,  Adelbert  and  Charles,  dc.id  ;  he  has  been  Supervisor  of 
his  town  and  held  other  offices;  Mr.  Custard  has  acquired  a  very 
fine  home,  and  prides  himself  upon   having  an  abundance  in  store 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


for  old  age  ;  his  boys  have  been  faithful  to  him  and  he  proposes  to 
see  that  they  have  a  start  in  life;  Mr.  Custard  commenced  empty 
handed,  but  has  succeeded  far  better  than  many  who  had  an  abund- 
ance to  commence  with. 

THOS.  DURRANI,  farmer,  Sec  4,  P.  0.  Waupaca  ;  wa.s  boru 
in  England  in  1811  ;  came  to  Prince  Edward  Island,  in  1831  ; 
lived  in  Nova  Scotia  seventeen  years  and  in  Boston  seven  years  ; 
in  1843  he  was  married  to  Margaret  Day ;  in  May,  1855,  he  came 
to  Waupaca  County  and  settled  on  Sec.  4,  town  of  Waupaca ;  he 
lived  there  six  years  and  sold  out  to  Mr.  Broman  ;  went  to  Horton- 
ville  and  remained  there  one  year ;  then  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  the  town  of  Lanark,  Portage  County  ;  remained 
there  six  years  and  then  bought  his  present  farm,  upon  which  he 
has  made  all  the  improvements  which  are  of  a  very  substantial 
and  convenient  nature ;  Mr.  Durrant  has  had  nine  children,  three 
of  whom  served  in  the  army;  William  was  in  the  14th  Wis.  Vol., 


ship ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordinier  have  four  living  children  ;  Mr. 
Gordiuier  is  one  of  the  best  known  horsemen  in  the  State,  as  his 
experience  in  the_business  dates  back  to  1842;  while  an  Erie 
County  farmer  he  exhibited  nearly  every  year  at  the  County  Fair, 
held  at  Buffalo,  and  never  but  once  failed  in  securing  the  first 
prize  for  a  matched  carriage  team  ;  for  his  one  disappointment  he 
was  consoled  by  being  told  by  Millard  Fillmore,  then  President,  that 
the  award  was  rightfully  his  ;  for  years  Mr.  Gordinier  was  the  only 
man  in  Western  New  York  who  sent  horses  to  the  New  York  City 
market ;  he  brought  with  him  to  Wisconsin  the  trotting  stallion 
St.  Lawrence,  and  has  since  constantly  bred  Messenger,  Black 
Hawk  and  Morgan  horses;  he  Ls  now  the  owner  of  seventeen  fine 
animals,  among  them  the  noble  stallion  Alar  Clay,  sired  by  Almont 
who  is  a  half-brother  of  Goldsmith  Maid  ;  Alar  Clay  is  a  mag- 
nificent mahogany  bay,  sixteen  hands  and  one  inch  high,  weighs 
1,350,  and,  though  never  driven  by  a  trainer,  shows  a  2:45  gait ; 


RESIDENCE  OF  H.  HAKRINGTON. 


and  died  of  injuries  received  in  the  army ;  Charles  was  killed  at 
Whitewater  Bridge,  Mo.;  Thomas  was  in  the  army  and  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Minnesota  ;  the  rest  of  his  children  are  still  living  in  this 
State.  Mr.  Durrant  has  met  with  many  misfortunes,  one  of  which 
leaves  him  a  cripple  for  life ;  he  had  his  left  limb  severed  at  the 
knee  with  a  scythe  ;  it  was  some  way  attached,  and  again  broken 
by  being  caught  under  a  stringer  of  a  bridge  which  gave  way  while 
he  was  crossing  it  with  a  loaded  team. 

JOHN  GORDINIER,  farmer  and  stock  breeder,  P.  0.  Wau- 
paca ;  was  born  Nov.  22,  1822,  in  Glen,  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Orphaned  when  ten  years  of  age ;  he  at  thirteen  went  to  live  with 
a  brother  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.;  at  twenty-one  he  returned  to  Mont- 
gomery County  and  spent  two  years ;  then,  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  he 
married  Juliette  Sibley  and  settled  in  that  county  as  a  farmer ;  in  the 
fall  of  1855  he  removed  to  Green  Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  the  spring 
of  185G  settled  on  the  220  acre  farm  in  Lind  which  he  still  owns. 
In  1868  he  came  to  Waupaca,  practiced  veterinary  surgery  two 
years;  was  elected  County  Sheriff  in  1869,  served  out  his  term, 
and  then  a  term  as  Under  Sheriff;  in  the  fall  of  1874  he  was 
made  County  Superintendent  of  the  Poor,  and  has  since  resided 
upon  and  been  in  charge  of  the  County  Farm  in  Little  Wolf  Town- 


he  is  doubtless  the  most  highly  bred  horse  in  the  Northwest ;  has 
taken  eight  first  prizes  at  the  Northern  Wisconsin  and  Waupaca 
County  Fairs  ;  the  horse  was  bred  by  Gen.  Withers,  on  his  famous 
Kentucky  stock  farm  ;  Young  Lochiel,  by  Imported  Lochiel,  is 
also  one  of  Mr.  Gordinier's  favorites  and  is  a  fine,  powerful  horse. 
H.  HARRINGTON,  farmer.  Sec.  3,  P.  O.  Waupaca;  was 
born  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1828  ;  his  father  died  when  he  was 
but  seven  years  old,  and  his  mother  when  he  was  but  eight ;  he  was 
left  in  charge  of  his  older  brothers,  and  his  education  was  neglected, 
having  never  attended  school  more  than  six  months ;  he  com- 
menced working  on  a  farm  when  very  young ;  he  worked  fourteen 
years  for  one  man  at  $10  a  month,  at  which  time  he  had  due  him 
§1,475  ;  eleven  years  of  that  time  he  never  lost  a  day  ;  Oct.  8, 
1859,  he  married  Miss  Carline  Vaughan ;  he  now  owns  240  acres 
of  land  and  has  115  improved;  he  has  large  barns  and  a  large 
square  brick  house,  which  cost  him  over  $3,000  ;  he  is  a  systematic 
farmer,  and  by  his  own  persistency  and  frugality  has  made  for  him- 
self and  family  a  home  of  luxury;  his  children  are  Orian  C, 
Hosea  Leroy,  at  home,  Sarah,  Cora,  at  Waupaca  High  School,  and 
Linus  at  home ;  Mrs.  Harrington  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


103 


ALVIN  POPE,  farmer,  Sec.  17,  P.  0.  Lind;  was  born  in 
New  York  in  1824  ;  he  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  while  a 
youth  ;  sailed  fur  eight  seasons  on  the  lakes;  came  to  Waupaca 
County  in  1851 ;  has  improved  sis  different  farms  in  this  county, 
and  now  has  a  fine  place  on  which  he  hopes  to  spend  his  remain- 
ing days.  Mr.  Pope  certainly  has  done  his  share  of  pioneer  work, 
which  shows  a  life  of  activity  ;  he  found  that  improving  and  sell- 
ing farms  was  a  paying  business  ;  he  has  taught  school  for  eleven 
terms,  and  been  School  Superintendent  four  years  ;  was  defeated 
for  the  Legislature  once;  he  was  married  Aug.  30,  1850,  to  Mar- 
garet Olmstead  ;  she  was  born  in  New  York  in  1828 ;  he  has  five 
children — Arthur,  now  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  in 
Nebraska,  Clarence,  teaching  in  Nebraska,  John  and  George,  now 
farming  in  this  county,  and  Clifford,  attending  school  at  Lawrence 
University,  Appleton ;  this  speaks  well  for  Mr.  Pope  and  his 
family.     In  1880  he  manufactured  3,875  gallons  of  No.  1  sirup. 

C.  H.  RITZ,  miller,  Lind,  was  born  near  Metz,  in  France,  in 
1831.  He  learned  the  milling  business.  In  1856  he  came  to 
Waupaca  Co.,  and  ran  the  Lord  Mills  one  year;  ran  the  Scan- 
dinavian Mills  two  years.  From  1859  to  1866  he  was  proprietor 
of  the  City  Mills,  now  the  Woolen  Mills.  He  disposed  of  that 
property  and  bought  the  stave  factory  at  Waupaca,  which  he 
still  owns.  In  1877  he  built  the  St.  Paul's  Mills,  Lind,  having 
four  run  of  stone,  and  has  smutter,  separator  and  purifier.  Has 
a  saw-mill  in  connection  with  same.  He  ran  a  mill  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  some  time.  January,  1863,  he  visited  France,  came  home 
in  September,  and  was  drafted.  He  procured  a  substitute,  and 
escaped  without  a  scratch.  Mr.  Ritz,  with  John  Endling,  built 
the  first  store  at  Amherst.  In  1876,  he  moved  to  Suffolk,  Va., 
and  bought  a  mill,  but  finding  it  not  healthy  there,  he  traded  it 
for  the  old  saw-mill  and  water-power  at  his  present  place.  He 
was  married  in  1865.     Has  four  children. 

JULIUS  H.  ZASTROW,  farmer.  Sec.  12,  P.  0.  Weyauwega, 
was  born  in  Prussia  in  1845;  came  with  his  parents  to  America 
in  1848,  and  in  1849  came  to  Oshkosh.  In  1856  he  settled  in 
Weyauwega,  and  went  into  the  mercantile  business  for  a  year  and 
a  half  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  and  his  father  settled  on  one 
hundred  acres  in  Sec.  12.  They  have  added  forty  acres  to  it 
since.  He  was  with  Mr.  Hardy  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
two  years.  In  1870,  he  went  to  California  and  Oregon,  with 
intention  of  locating  there  if  he  liked  it,  but  returned  to  Waupaca 
Co.  and  clerked  it  in  New  London.  Took  a  contract  of  the 
W.  C  R.  R.,  since  which  time  he  has  been  with  his  parents,  who 
are  quite  old  and  infirm.  His  father  was  born  in  1808  and  his 
mother  in  1804.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Eastman's  Business  Col- 
lege, of  Chicago  ;  has  been  Chairman  of  his  town  three  terms. 
Supervisor,  Clerk  of  his  town  three  terms,  and  Clerk  of  Wey- 
auwega ;  is  a  member  of  Weyauwega  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  82. 

FAKMINGTON. 

This  town  is  situated  south  of  Scandinavia  and  west  of 
Waupaca,  the  fir.st  settlement  being  made  in  the  fall  of 
1849,  by  R.  Hicks  and  G.  Jones.  The  locality  has  the 
honor  of  observing  the  Fourth  of  July  for  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  the  county  with  a  "grand  celebration."  The 
year  was  1851,  the  place  was  on  the  north  side  of  Maple 
Island  Lake,  the  orator  of  the  day  was  Wilson  Holt,  then 
residing  in  Waupaca.  There  were  fifty  persons  present. 
The  town  was  organized  April  15,  1853,  the  first  officers 
being  G.  Jones,  Chairman  ;  0.  0.  Brown,  M.  Barton,  Super- 
visors ;  Francis  Beardsmore,  Town  Clerk  ;  C.  0.  Brown, 
Treasurer.  The  Lutherans  erected  the  first  church  in  town. 
Sheridan  was  the  first  post  office,  W.  II.  Cipperly,  who  kept 
the  first  store,  being  Postmaster. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

FRANCIS  BEARDMORE,  farmer,  Sees.  16,  20  and  21, 
P.  0.  Waupaca;  born  in  1819,  in  Staffordshire,  Eng.;  came  to 
America  with  his  father,  Francis  Beardmore,  in  1850,  the  next 
fall  he  came  to  Farmington  and  pre-empted  a  greater  part  of 
his  present  farm  ;  he  had  a  pair  of  cattle,  and  built  during  the 
fall  a  log  house  which  was  his  home  for  nine  years  thereafter.  As 
a  reward  for  thirty  years  of  persistent  toil  and  good  management. 
Mr.  Beardmore  has  315  acres  of  land,  with  a  spacious  farmhouse 
supplanting  the  cabin  of  thirty  years  ago.  Mr.  Beardmore  has 
been  twice  married,  but  has  no  children.  The  present  Mrs. 
Beardmore  is  a  sister  of  Prof  H.  R.  Palmer,  the  noted  musician 
and  musical  author.  To  Francis  Beardmore  belongs  the  honor 
of  giving  his  town  its  name;  he  served  ten  years  as  Town 
Clerk  of  Farmington  and  is  one  of  its  substantial  men  in  every 
respect. 

THOMAS  BEARDMORE,  farmer,  Farmington,  Sees.  21 
and  20,  P.  O.  Waupaca;  born  March  23,  1823,  in  StaflFordshire, 
Eng.;  spent  most  of  his  early  life  in  Shropshire,  Eng.;  came  to 
America  in  1848,  locating  near  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  at  that  time  he 
could  have  bought  160  acres,  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  the  city, 
for  $1,100.  In  August,  1852,  Mr.  Beardmore  made  a  claim  on 
Bald  Prairie,  which  was  '-jumped"  by  other  parties  ;  in  February, 
1853,  he  came  to  Farmington,  and  for  $50  bought  the  claim 
which  is  now  his  homestead  farm  ;  here,  he  and  his  family  lived 
for  years,  in  the  rude  "  claim  shanty."  Mr.  Beardmore  now  has 
260  acres  of  valuable  land  with  suitable  buildings.  Few  farmers 
in  Waupaca  Co.  have  succeeded  in  life  as  has  Thomas  Beardmore  ; 
for  years  past  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  horses 
for  general  purposes ;  has  devoted  but  little  time  to  the  politics  of 
his  town,  though  he  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  four 
years  as  Assessor.  He  married  in  Oshko.sh,  Wis.,  Elizabeth  J. 
Barber,  a  native  of  Cheshire,  Eng.  Of  their  six  children,  the 
two  eldest  were  born  in  Wennebago  Co.,  and  the  others  in  Farm- 
ington. 

F.  L.  KING,  farmer.  Sec.  31,  P.  0.  Farmington  ;  born  May 
31,  1827,  in  Sangersfield,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Phebe  (Bunce)  King.  On  the  morning  of  his  twenty-first 
birthday,  Mr.  King  left  his  old  home  for  the  West,  and  settled  on 
a  partially  improved  farm  in  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  re- 
turning East  in  the  fall  of  1848,  he  married  in  the  town  of 
Taylor,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sybil  S.  Crane.  During  the  nest 
two  years  the  young  couple  lived  on  the  Violand  farm.  En  Decem- 
ber, 1850,  he  pre-empted  a  quarter-section  of  his  present  farm  and 
built  upon  it  a  board  shanty,  which  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  creek 
twenty  rods  south  of  his  present  flirmhouse ;  his  claim  was  en- 
tered in  the  name  of  J.  Fitzgerald,  1852.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King 
lived  happily  and  busily  here  until  the  fall  of  1862,  when  they 
made  a  visit  to  her  old  Cortland  Co.  home.  While  here,  Mr. 
King  enlisted  in  the  10th  N.  Y.  Cavalry,  which  regiment  formed 
a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  Kilpatrick's  brigade.  Mr.  King 
participated  with  his  regiment  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Hanover  C.  H.,  Cold  Harbor,  etc., 
etc.;  he  crossed  the  Rappahannock  under  the  successive  command 
of  Burnside,  Hooker  and  Meade,  and  finally  under  Grant,  •'  and 
that  time  we  stayed  there,"  as  Mr.  King  puts  it ;  returning  North 
after  Lee's  capitulation,  Mr.  King  joined  his  family  (who  had  re- 
mained during  the  war  in  Cortland  Co.),  and  proceeded  to  his 
Wisconsin  farm.  Here  he  has  since  lived,  cultivating,  '■  peace, 
hope  and  prosperity."  His  commodious  and  substantial  build- 
ings convey  but  a  feeble  idea  of  his  primitive  surroundings  thirty 
years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  have  two  daughters — Frances  and 
Delia.  While  his  flirm  and  home  have  occupied  most  of  his  time 
and  thoughts,  he  has  dabbled  in  politics  to  the  extent  of  serving  as 
County  Commissioner  (defeating  Hon.  Myron  Reed),  and  as 
Chairman  and  Assessor  of  Farmington. 


104 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


SAMUEL  LEONARD,  proprietor  of  Sheridan  Milii^, 
Farmington  ;  born  April  28,  1828,  in  Griswold,  Conn.;  came 
west  as  a  farmer  in  1851  ;  in  the  spring  of  1852  he  bought  the 
water  power,  which  has  since  run  his  mill  from  the  Government;  in 
the  fall  of  1852  he  began  building  the  dam,  and  had  a  saw-mill 
in  operation  in  1853  ;  this  was  demolished  in  1874 ;  during 
1874,  Mr.  Leonard  built  his  flouring  mill,  then  called  Leonard's 
Mills  ;  it  has  three  run  of  stone,  one  of  which  is  for  middlings ; 
for  two  years  past  it  has  been  leased  to  N.  B.  David's  ;  Manuel 
and  McClennan  built  a  carding  mill  on  the  water  site  in  1861, 
which  was  in  operation  ten  years.  Mr.  Leonard  was  married  in 
Lima,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Mary  Kinney,  of  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.;  she 
died  July  28,  1879 ;  they  had  no  children.  Mr.  Leonard  has 
been  Town  Superintendent  of  Schools  (under  the  old  system)  and 
Town  Clerk. 

JOHN  MOREY,  farmer,  Sec.  20  ;  P.  O.  Sheridan  ;  born 
April  5,  1833,  in  Cheshire,  Eng.  ;  was  reared  in  Shropshire, 
Eng.  ;  in    1850,    he   came   with    his   parents   to    America :  the 


good  and  substantial  buildings  and  145  acres  of  land  that  is  tilla 
ble  ;  he  began  the  culture  of  hops  about  1869,  and  now  has  a 
yard  of  three  or  four  acres.  Mr.  Penney  has  been  Assessor  and 
Supervisor  of  his  town.  He  married  Harriett  A.  Dewey,  of 
Adams,  Jefferson  Co.,  N  Y.;  they  have  four  living  children — 
Adelbert  M.,  De  Witt  13.,  Talford  H.  and  Franklin  L.  ;  the 
two  eldest  were  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  the  others  iu 
Farmington  ;   two  sons,  Eddie  and  Eugene,  are  deceased. 

IRA  C.  PITCHER,  farmer.  Sees.  25  and  26,  Farmington; 
born  in  1830  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  W.  S.  and 
Jane  (  Ackerman)  Pitcher;  W.  S.  Pitcher  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  the  mother  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. ;  in  1852,  the 
family  settled  in  Kingston,  Wis.,  and  two  years  later  removed  to 
the  present  farm  of  Neil  McArthur  in  Farmington ;  Ira  Pitcher 
spent  a  year  in  Waupaca,  and  has  since  lived  in  Farmington,  first 
on  Sec.  23,  and  since  1861  on  his  present  160-acre  farm,  of 
which  100  is  in  cultivation;  Mr.  P.  is  a  Freemason  (Waupaca 
Lodge),  and  a  member  of  Waupaca  Lodge,  A,  O.  U.  W. ;  George 


family  located  on  Prince  Edward  Island,  and  six  years  later  the 
family  again  removed  to  Northern  New  York  ;  Mr.  Morey  came 
from  there  to  Farmington  in  1865;  has  280  acres  of  land 
bought  of  Lester  and  Oscar  Benedict  and  J.  K.  Dunham  ;  has 
made  good  improvements  upon  this  farm,  among  them  erecting  a 
36x60  barn.  He  married,  Sept.  26,  1850,  on  her  native  island 
(Prince  Edward),  Miss  Sarah  Kett ;  they  have  nine  living 
children,  three  of  whom  were  born  in  Prince  Edward  Island, 
four  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  the  other  two  in  Farmington  ; 
Mr.  Morey  has  a  brother  in  Massachusetts,  iu  which  State  his 
father  died  ;  this  brother  was  formerly  a  resident  of  La  Fayette 
Co.,  Wis.,  and  was  at  one  time  a  prosperous  fiirmer  of  Farm- 
ington. 

ASHER  PENNEY,  farmer.  Sec.  22  ;  P.  0.  Waupaca ;  born 
March  3,  1826,  in  Henderson,  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.  ; 
came  to  Waupaca  County,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  settled  on 
the  farm  previ"ously  owned  by  George  Calkins ;  three  or  four 
years  later  he  settled  on  his  present  160-acre  farm  ;  it  was  then 
covered  with  sparse  timber  and  "  grubs,"  there  being  only  ten  or 
fifteen  acres  of  tillable  land  about  the  building  which  .served  as 
a  house  for  his  family,  and  a  shed   for  his  cattle  ;   to-day  he  has 


Pitcher,  Mrs.  D.  C.  Baruum  and  himself  are  all  the  surviving 
members  of  this  ftimily  in  Waupaca  Co.  Mr.  Pitcher  married  in 
Belfast.  N.  Y.,  Melvina  Miner;  she  died  in  1856  at  Kingston, 
Wis.,  leaving  two  children— Wallace  and  Elnora ;  the  present 
Mrs.  Pitcher  was  Amelia  Gowan,  of  Crawford  Co.,  Pa.,  but  a 
native  of  Centerville,  N.  Y. ;  they  have  four  children — Ralph 
N.,  Frank  B.,  Eva  M.  and  Putnam  L. ;  the  eldest  son  now  is  a 
student  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.  ;  and  is,  like  his  father,  a  Freemason. 
G.  W.  ROSS,  farmer,  Sec.  7  and  8 ;  born  March  5,  1810,  in 
Rodman,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  has  been  a  life-long  farmer ;  in 
1851,  he  came  to  Waupaca,  Wis.,  and  began  working  for  E.  C. 
Sessions  at  logging,  etc.  ;  returning  East,  he,  though  penniless, 
met  a  friend,  who,  knowing  his  desire  to  locate  in  Wisconsin, 
kindly  loaned  him  $50  ;  thus,  in  the  fall  of  1852,  we  find  Mr. 
Ross  again  on  Session's  Prairie,  where  he  bought  eighty  acres  of 
Government  land  ;  by  working  as  a  carpenter,  and  at  any  honora- 
ble labor,  he  could  turn  his  hand  to,  Mr.  Ross  paid  for  this,  and 
added  another  eighty  acres;  the  house  which  sheltered  him  in  the 
early  days  is  now  in  use  as  a  barn  ;  he  has  a  pleasant  and  roomy 
home  in  which  to  spend  his  later  years;  a  fine  40.x56  barn  was 
burned  by  a    lightning  stroke   in   August,    1870;  his  wife   was 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


formerly  Miss  Fanny  M.  Dewey,  of  Rutland,  Vt. ;  they  have 
tiiree  children — John  J.,  George  D.  and  Amasa  VV.,  all  born  in 
the  Empire  State. 

EZRA  TOWNSEND,  farmer,  Sec.  1;  P.  0.  Waupaca; 
WLis  born  Feb.  24,  1843,  in  the  town  of  Fowler,  St.  Lawrence 
{' I.,  N.  Y.  ;  his  father  owoed  a  farm  and  saw-mill  there  till  Ezra 
was  thirteen  yeai-s  old  ;  he  also  owned  one  in  Gouverneur,  N.  Y.; 
ill  1S56,  they  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  at  Fremont;  his 
father  worked  for  E.  Townsend,  now  of  Waupaca,  who  then 
owned  property  at  Fremont ;  our  subject  during  this  time  was 
attending  school ;  they  lived  at  Little  River  for  some  time;  from 
there  they  moved  to  their  present  place  ;  the  senior  Townsend 
bought  nine  forties  of  land,  only  twent3'-seven  acres  of  which 
were  improved.  Oct.  15,  18G7,  Ezra  T.  married  Katie  Roberts, 
of  Lind  ;  she  was  born  on  the  island  of  Guernsey ;  the  senior 
Townsend  divided  the  farm  with  his  son,  giving  him  120  acres  ; 
in  1876,  Ezra  built  a  fine  farm  house.  He  has  held  several  local 
oflBces;  they  have  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  are  dead. 

THOMAS  WAITE,  farmer;  P.  0.  Waupaca;  born  Jan.  5, 
1833,  in  Wiltshire,  Eng. ;  in  1842,  his  parents,  Edward  and 
Anne  (Barnes)  Waite,  came  to  America  with  seven  children,  and 
located  at  Toronto,  Ont. ;  the  children  were  John,  Sarah,  Marga- 
ret, Thomas,  Jane,  Anne  and  Honor;  in  1850,  Thomas  Waite 
came  to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  and  two  years  later  to  Farmington, 
where  he  bought  a  farm,  on  Sec.  30,  of  the  Government  ;  on  the 
3d  of  May,  1855,  he  married  Samantha  Sansburn,  of  Canada  ; 
they  have  three  children — David  D.,  John  E.  and  Catherine,  all 
born  in  Farmington  ;  during  the  past  two  summers  the  entire 
family  has  resided  in  Wilkin  Co.,  Minn.,  where  they  own  a  sec- 
tion of  land;  it  is  the  intention  of  Mr.  Waite  to  make  the  Red 
River  Valley  his  permanent  home,  though  he  will  retain  the 
Waupaca  Co.  farm.  Both  D.  D.  and  J.  E.  Waite  are  members 
of  Waupaca  Lodge,  I.  0.  0.  F. ;  the  Minnesota  post  oflSce 
address  is  Campbell. 

SCANDINAVIA. 

This  town  lies  west  of  St.  Lawrence  and  south  of  Ida. 
H.  J.  Eliassen  first  settled  here  in  the  spring  of  1851,  the 
town  being  organized  in  1853.  Rev.  H.  C.  Prause 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  1853,  the  Evangelical  Luther- 
ans building  the  first  church  in  1856.  Adolph  Sorrensen 
was  its  first  Postmaster,  being  appointed  in  that  year. 

The  village  of  Scandinavia  is  six  miles  west  of  Ogdens- 
burg,  in  the  midst  of  an  industrious  class  of  Norwegians, 
whose  settlements  extend  up  the  valley  twenty  miles.  Its 
population  is  100. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HON.  NELS  ANDERSON,  miller,  Scandinavia,  was  born 
in  Krageroe,  Norway,  March  17,  1828.  When  fifteen  years  old, 
he  shipped  as  cabin  boy  on  the  first  emigrant  ship  that  left  for 
America  from  his  native  jilace  ;  he  followed  the  sea  two  years, 
crossing  the  Atlantic  seven  times  ;  at  the  end  of  that  time  he 
shipped  as  an  emigrant  himself.  He  secured  a  farm  in  Jefferson 
County,  Wis.;  lived  on  it  ten  years,  and  improved  it ;  sold  it,  and 
came  to  his  present  place  in  1855.  In  1850,  his  mill  was  built, 
and  he  has  ever  since  remained  there  and  thriven.  In  1859,  he 
married  Miss  Betsy  Knudson  ;  she  died  in  February,  1879  ;  they 
had  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  living  and  at  home.  He  was 
First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  D,  47th  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  till  the  close 
of  the  war.  In  1879,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  terra  of  1881,  by  962  votes  against  419  for  M. 
Gorman,  Democrat,  and  345  for  John  Scanlin,  Greenbacker. 

JOHAN  HARTVIG,  farmer.  Sec.  10;  P.  0.,  Scandinavia; 
was  born  in  Norway,  in  1826.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  went 
on  the  ocean  as  a  sailor,  and  remained  there  sis  years.  On  coming 
to  America,  he  settled  in  Jefferson  Co.,  and  remained  there  seven 
years,  after  which  he  sailed  two  years  on  the  lakes.  Dec.  23, 
70 


1850,  he  married  Miss  Maramda  Hansen,  of  Jefferson  Co.  In 
1853,  he  came  to  Waupaca  Co.,  and  settled  on  his  present  place. 
He  now  has  100  acres  of  fine  land,  80  acres  of  which  are  im- 
proved. His  father  also  made  a  claim  on  land  joining  his  farm  ; 
he  lived  with  his  son,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six 
years.  He  had  a  brother  in  the  8th  W.  A''.  I.,  who  died  in  the 
army.     He  has  had  five  children. 

HANS  A.  HOWEN,  farmer,  Sec.  3  ;  P.  0.  lola ;  was  born 
in  Kingsburg,  Norway,  Dec.  29,  1819.  His  parents  died  when 
he  was  quite  young,  and  he  made  his  home  with  an  uncle.  When 
fifteen  years  old,  he  commenced  the  tailor's  trade,  and  followed  it 
till  he  came  to  America  in  1847  ;  he  bought  a  farm  of  40  acres  in 
Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  lived  upon  it  seven  years  and 
improved  it.  He  disposed  of  it,  and  came  to  his  present  place  in 
1857,  and  bought  six  forties  of  land.  He  now  owns  in  one  body 
about  320  acres  of  fine  land,  150  acres  of  which  are  improved, 
and  have  good  buildings  upon  them ;  he  has  done  it  all  himself, 
with  the  help  of  his  family.  He  was  married,  in  1846,  to  Sophia 
Anderson  ;  she  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1824.  They  have  had 
twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living,  and  four  of  which  are 
at  home.  He  has  been  Chairman  of  his  town  nine  years  in  suc- 
cession ;  has  been  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  held  sundry 
other  oflBces. 

L.  NELSON  &  SON,  merchants,  Scandinavia  ;  came  to  Wau- 
paca Co.  in  1855,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Sec.  21.  They  sold 
that,  and  bought  120  acres  in  Sec.  17.  In  1870,  they  sold  out, 
and  commenced  the  mercantile  business  at  their  present  stand. 
The  senior  Nelson  was  born  in  Norway  in  1 822.  His  father  was 
an  ocean  pilot.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  our  subject  went  on  to 
the  ocean,  and  followed  it  till  he  came  to  America.  His  intention 
was  to  follow  the  ocean  ;  but,  not  being  able  to  talk  the  English 
language,  he  came  to  America  to  learn  to  talk  it.  He  came  to 
Chicago,  and  sailed  on  the  lakes  a  number  of  years.  In  1845,  he 
married  Miss  Christine  Jurgenson.  He  then  abandoned  the  water, 
and  secured  a  farm  as  above  stated.  He  has  one  son,  who  is 
associate  with  him  in  business,  and  is  Postmaster  at  Scandinavia. 
His  son  clerked  some  time  for  Stetson  in  Waupaca.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Spencerian  Business  College  of  Milwaukee.  They 
have  a  large  stock  of  general  merchandise,  and  are  the  leading 
merchants  of  Scandinavia. 

OLE  K.  NELSON,  farmer.  Sec.  22  ;  P.  0.  Scandinavia  ;  was 
born  in  Norway  in  1827.  He  worked  two  years  at  harness-mak- 
ing in  Norway.  He  lived  for  some  time  in  Whitewater,  in  this 
State.  He  lived  two  years  in  Waushara  Co.,  and  there  owned 
240  acres  of  land.  He  sold  it,  and  came  to  his  present  place  in 
1869.  He  now  owns  240  acres,  and  has  70  acres  improved.  He 
has  made  all  the  improvements  on  his  place,  and  is  a  thorough 
gomg  man.  In  1861,  he  made  a  visit  to  Norway;  came  back, 
and  was  drafted.  He  paid  his  S300.  In  1866,  he  married  Miss 
Cornelial  Austin.  They  have  four  children  at  home.  He  has 
held  local  oflBces. 

JOHN  P.  PETERSON,  farmer;  P.  O.  Scandinavia;  was 
born  in  Sweden  in  1827.  In  1850,  ho  came  to  Dane  Co. ;  thence 
to  Waupaca  Co.  in  1852,  and  made  a  claim  to  160  acres  in  Sec. 
36,  Scandinavia.  In  1854,  he  bought  80  acres  of  second  hand 
land,  and  120  acres  from  Government.  He  now  has  320  acres  of 
land,  110  of  which  are  improved.  His  principal  business  is  farm- 
ing, although  he  works  at  blacksmithing  and  carpentering.  He 
built  a  saw,  grist  and  pearl-barley  mill  on  his  farm  in  1859.  In 
1855,  he  married  Miss  Hellen  M".  Hayord  ;  she  was  born  in  Nor- 
way in  1835.  They  have  had  ten  children,  one  of  whom  is  dead. 
He  has  held  local  oflBces,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  his  town.  His 
parents,  a  very  aged  couple,  are  living  with  hiin. 

GUNSTIN  TELLFSON,  fiirmer,  Sec.  29;  P.  0.  Scandi- 
navia; was  born  in  Norway  in  1826.  He  worked  on  a  farm  for 
his  father  till  he  was  twenty.  In  1850,  he,  with  four  others, 
settled  in  Scandinavin,  being  among  the  very  first  who  settled  in 
the  town.  He  bought  120  acres  from  the  Government.  He  now 
owns  272  acres,  160  of  which  are  improved.     In  1850,  he  married 


[o6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Sarah  Gunstinson,  of  Norway.  They  have  seven  children  ;  oue 
of  them  is  attendin-;  the  State  University  at  Madison.  Mr. 
Tellfson  has  run  a  steam  thra.sher  six  years  in  Minnesota. 

ANDllKW  THOxMSON,  farmer,  See.  18;  P.  0.  Scandi- 
navia; was  born  in  Norway  in  1820.  He  worked  on  his  father's 
farm  till  he  was  seventeen.  In  1844,  he  came  to  America,  and 
settled  in  Waukesha  Co.  with  his  father.  He  worked  at  painting 
three  or  four  years  in  Waukesha  Co.,  and  then  went  to  Chicago, 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  a  man,  and  followed  his  trade  there 
from  1848  to  1854.  In  1852,  he  married  Mary  Oleson.  In 
1854,  he  moved  to  Portage  Co.,  and  lived  there  five  years.  In 
1859,  he  moved  on  to  his  present  place  of  240  acres.  Ho  has 
120  acres  improved,  with  fine  buildings  upon  them.  He  also 
owns  a  half-interest  in  130  acres  in  New  Hope  and  Albion,  which 
they  design  making  a  cranberry  marsh  of.     He  has  eight  children. 

CASPER  ZWICKY,  fiirmer.  Sec.  3;  P.  0.  Scandinavia; 
was  born  in  Switzerland  Dec.  21,  1825.  His  father  was  a  doctor, 
and  gave  his  son  an  opportunity  for  going  to  school  till  he  was 
twenty.  He  was  employed  in  making  draftings  for  engineers  and 
surveyors  till  he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1 849.  He  remained  two 
years,  working  at  anything  he  could  find  to  do.  In  1851,  he 
came  to  his  present  place,  being  the  third  or  fourth  man  to  settle 
in  the  town.  He  claimed  200  acres,  and  built  a  small  house. 
When  the  country  was  surveyed  in  1853,  he  found  that  his  house 
stood  on  four  sections — 3,  4,  9  and  10.  He  has  100  acres 
improved,  and  has  built  a  large  frame  house  on  the  site  of  the  old 
one.  July  9,  1850,  he  married  Anna  Ingbuerson,  who  died  in 
1864,  leaving  five  children.  In  1865,  he  married  Miss  Gunhelda 
Christinson,  who  died  April  29,  1881,  leaving  four  children.  He 
has  220  acres,  with  fine  improvements. 


ST.  LAAVEEXCE. 

This  town  is  situated  south  of  Helvetia  and  west  of  Lit- 
tle Wolf,  the  first  settlement  being  made  by  Erick  Hermann, 
G.  Hermann  and  M.  A.  Oleson,  in  1852.  First  town  offi- 
cers :  0.  E.  Duetzer,  Chairman ;  C.  S.  Ogden,  Clerk ;  S. 
M.  Wait,  Treasurer.  In  1855,  the  first  schoolhouse  was 
built,  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Merry  taught  during  the  same  year. 
In  1854,  Judge  Ogden  built  the  first  store  and  the  first  saw- 
mill. At  his  house,  also  in  1854,  the  pioneer  sermon  fell 
from  the  lips  of  Rev.  Mr.  Green,  of  Washington  County. 
Churches  were  erected  by  the  Methodists  and  the  Baptists 
in  1866.  A  post  office  was  established  in  1856,  with  N. 
Livermore  as  Postmaster.  It  is  said  that  St.  Lawrence  has 
more  native  born  citizens  in  proportion  to  its  voting  strength 
— 180 — than  any  other  town  in  the  county. 

The  village  of  Ogdensburg  was  platted  by  Judge  Og- 
den, in  1854,  and  contains  150  people,  two  hotels,  one  saw 
and  planing  mill,  a  stave  factory,  and  stores  and  shops  in 
proportion.  The  country  around  Ogdensburg  is,  in  places, 
somewhat  hilly,  but  the  town,  as  a  whole,  may  be  set  down 
as  a  good  farming  section.  It  was  during  1862  that  this 
section  of  the  county  was  nearly  depopulated  by  rebel 
agents,  who  were  rumored  to  be  concocting  a  terrific  Indian 
uprising.  The  story,  which  spread  and  grew  into  the  great 
Indian  scare  of  1862,  originated  in  the  fertile  brain  of  a 
great  wag — everybody  knew  him — Tom  Tanner.  His  glib 
tongue  and  serious  countenance  so  up-bolstered  the  awful 
tale  of  an  invasion,  by  300,000  howling  red-skins,  that  the 
whole  country  was  thrown  into  a  panic.  They  were  camped 
— Tom  Tanner,  the  rollicking  saw-mill  man,  rumored  it — 
in  an  island  in  a  large  cedar  swamp  near  Ogdensburg. 
Tom  had  discovered  a  poor,  simple-minded  gentleman,  a 
stranger  to  the  immediate  locality,  hiding  in  the  swamp 
from  the  invading  parties.     The  scouts,  who  were  scouring 


the  country  in  all  directions,  w^ere  induced  to  the  belief  that 
this  innocent  gentleman  was  a  Brevet  Major  General  under 
Jeff".  Davis,  and  that  he  was  Commander  in  Chief  of  the 
300,000.  The  excitement  was  at  fever  heat.  The  citizens 
turned  out  en  masse -with  muskets  and  rifles;  the  women 
and  children  were  placed  together  in  an  old  red  mill  which 
was  barricaded  and  otherwise  fortified.  The  trembling  old 
gentleman,  afterward  dubbed  by  Judge  Ogden  '•  General 
Slasher,"  at  length  ventured  from  his  hiding  place,  and  was 
promptly  and  energetically  surrounded  and  taken  possession 
of.  The  luckless  General  was  then  marched  into  town,  and 
the  brave  guards  received  the  congratulations  of  their  fam- 
ilies and  friends.  Their  prisoner  was  closely  confined  in 
the  chamber  of  the  Hoeffler  House,  but  escaped  through  the 
negligence  of  his  guard  or  the  collusion  of  Judge  Ogden 
(who  had  discovered  the  true  state  of  affairs),  and  took  the 
road  for  Waupaca.  The  villagers  loudly  threatened  the 
peace  and  dignity  of  Judge  Ogden,  when  they  found  how 
their  bird  had  flown.  The  alarm  spread.  Those  who  were 
able  left  the  county,  many  going  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  Osh- 
kosh. Armed  men  were  drawn  around  the  village  to  keep 
the  Indians  out.  A  scouting  party  went  after  the  flown  and 
fleeing  General,  and  found  an  Indian  family,  consisting  of 
an  old  man  and  woman  and  three  children,  all  badly  fright- 
ened at  the  force  which  the  county  was  sending  against 
them.  They  were  positive  that  no  other  Indians  were  in 
the  region,  and  though  scouting  parties  beat  the  region  for 
miles  around,  they  failed  to  discover  any  advance  legion  of 
the  300,000  !  "Gen.  Slasher"  remained  a  short  time  in 
Waupaca,  and  finally  settled  in  Portage  County. 

BIOGR.A,PHICAL    SKETCHES. 

H.  H.  SUHS,  P.  0.  Ogdensburg,  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Cath- 
erine ( Frei)  Suhs,  and  was  born  Aug.  7,  1854,  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.  In  1856,  his  parents  settled  in  Ogdensburg,  Waupaca  Co., 
both  being  now  residents  of  the  town  of  St.  Lawrence.  Jacob 
Suhs  is  a  practical  gardener  and  horticulturist.  His  son,  our  sub- 
ject, attended  the  common  schools,  and  by  teaching  was  able  to 
complete  his  education  in  the  Waupaca  High  School ;  he  alter- 
nately taught  and  attended  the  high  school  until  1877,  since 
which  time  he  has  given  all  his  time  to  his  chosen  profession  ; 
during  ths  past  year  lie  has  taught  the  Oirdensburg  Village  School ; 
Mr.  Suhs  is  a  member  of  the  lola  Lodge,  No.  282,  I.  0.  0.  F. 

THOMAS  F.  YEYSEY,  farmer.  Sec.  36,  P.  0.  Waupaca,  is 
a  native  of  Niles,  Mieh.  He  secured  a  common-school  education, 
and  came  to  Wisconsin,  in  1841,  with  his  father;  they  settled  at 
Waupaca  in  1855  ;  his  father  bought  a  saw-mill  and  ran  it  for 
several  years,  during  which  time  his  son  worked  with  him  ;  his 
father  sold  his  mill  and  built  the  first  large  hotel  in  Waupaca ;  it 
stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  Vosburg  House ;  after  his  father 
sold  his  mill,  Thomas  worked  several  years  in  a  sash  and  door 
factory;  in  October,  1858,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Betsinger ; 
he  now  owns  twenty-four  forties  of  land,  fifteen  of  which  form  the 
homestead  and  lie  in  one  body ;  he  has  200  acres  improved,  and 
has  good  buildings ;  he  commenced  without  a  cent,  but  with  per- 
severance and  frugality  has  reared  an  enviable  monument ;  he  is 
serving  his  third  successive  term  as  Chairman  of  his  town,  and 
has  liquidated  the  bonded  indebtedness  of  $19,000  against  his 
town  for  $9,046  ;  he  has  five  children — Charles  F.,  just  graduated 
from  the  Val])ardiso  Normal  School,  Marion  E.,  Wallace  G.,  Leon 
M.  and  llattie  J. 

TOLA. 

The  town  is   in   the   extreme  northwest  of  the  county. 

Its  first  settlers  were  K.  Erickson  and  J.  Gunderson,  who 

came  in  1852.     The  town  was  organized  in  1856,  and  C. 

K.  Blandin  became  its  first  Postmaster.      That  gentleman 


HISTORY    OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


operated  the  first  store  the  year  before,  ami  Mary  Taggart 
taught  the  first  school.  In  1854,  S.  S.  and  J.  \V.  Chand- 
ler and  S.  Miller  built  the  first  saw-mill,  the  grist-mill  com- 
ing along  in  1861. 

The  village  of  Tola,  which  was  platted  in  1855,  contains 
194  people,  and  is  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town. 
It  has  a  number  of  stores,  one  hotel,  one  saw-mill,  one  steam 
shingle-mill,  one  flour-mill,  a  graded  school,  union  church, 
public  hall,  and  a  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  The  town  and 
village  is  in  tiie  midst  of  a  beautiful  wheat-growing  country. 

BIOGllAPHICAL    .SKETCHES. 

A.  H.  DUFUR,  of  Ida,  was  bora  Dec.  12, 1819,  iu  Orange  Co., 
Vt ;  is  of  French  descent ;  married,  July  11, 1841,  Clarissa  Howe- 
She  was  born  in  November,  1822,  in  Orange  Co.,  Vt.  They  came 
West  in  1844,  Mr.  Dufur  working  as  a  carpenter  on  the  old  City 
Hall,  the  residence  of  George  Le  Gare,  and  other  then  noted  build- 
ings in  the  then  frontier  village  of  Chicago.  For  three  and  a  half 
years  he  worked  at  bridge  and  depot  building  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad.  His  brother,  A.  J.  Dufur,  having  joined  him, 
they  proceeded  in  company  to  lola,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1855.  In  company  with  others,  they  built  the  steam  saw-mill 
which  burned  soon  after.  In  1859,  the  brothers  went  to  Cali- 
fornia. A.  J.  Dufur,  who  had  the  honor  of  being  Waupaca  Co.'s 
first  member  of  Assembly,  went  from  California  to  Oregon,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Wasco  Co.,  in  that  State.  He  was  one  of  the 
Centennial  Commissioners  from  Oregon  in  1876,  and  was  for 
years  State  Commissioner  of  Emigration.  A.  H.  Dufur  returned, 
after  about  six  months,  to  lola,  which  place  has  since  been  his 
home,  he  having  earned  a  competence  at  his  trade  of  carpenter  and 
millwright.  He  was  for  many  years  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Town  Clerk  of  lola,  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Chair- 
man of  that  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dufur  have  had  four  children — 
Alpha  K.,  Martha  H.  (died,  aged  twenty-three),  John  F.,  and 
George  W.  The  eldest  is  now  ranching  in  Wasco  Co.,  Oregon. 
John  F.  is  a  promising  young  lawyer,  and  the  present  District 
Attorney  of  Waupaca  Co.,  and  the  youngest  is  in  Montana. 

JAMES  J.  HATCH,  farmer,  Sec.  25,  P.  O.  lola,  was  born 
Jan.  4,  1816,  in  Williamston,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.  His  father  was 
a  farmer  and  boss  mechanic,  and  James'  early  life  was  on  the  farm, 
until  be  was  sixteen,  when  his  father  took  him  along  to  learn  the 
carpenter's  trade.  At  eight  years  of  age  he  was  taken  from  sum- 
mer school.  He  had  only  three  months  winter  schooling  for  a  few 
years,  till  he  resolved  to  attend  the  Newbury  Seminary  for  several 
terms,  paying  his  own  way  by  his  own  hard  exertions.  He  never 
had  a  dollar  in  his  pocket  till  he  was  twenty-one  years  old.  He 
is  a  carpenter,  mason,  painter  (does  his  own  graining),  glazier, 
carriage-maker,  undertaker,  and  preacher.  His  Hfe  has  been  one 
of  incessant  activity.  He  followed  carriage-making  seven  years, 
and  always  as  a  boss  workman.  While  in  Vermont  he  taught 
several  terms  of  school.  In  1839,  he  married  Miss  Jane  Adams, 
who  was  born  in  1815, and  who  is  agraduate  of  Newbury  Seminary. 
In  1843,  he  went  to  Waukegan,  111.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Wau- 
paca Co.,  and  settled  on  his  present  beautiful  place  of  140  acres. 
He  and  his  two  sons  have  made  all  the  improvements  and  did  all 
the  work  on  the  place,  except  about  ten  days'  work.  While  in 
Illinois,  he  was  Trustee  of  the  schools  there  several  years,  and 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Lake  Co.,  III.  Six  weeks 
after  coming  to  this  county,  he  was  appointed  Town  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools,  which  office  he  held  for  eight  years  in  succession, 
rested  one  year,  then  resumed,  the  office  till  the  County  Superin- 
tendency  was  inaugurated  ;  has  been  Chairman  of  bis  town  nine 
years  in  succession ;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  nearly  all  the 
time  since  coming  to  Wisconsin.  He  has  acted  as  local  preacher 
in  the  Methodist  Church  since  coming  here.  Many  are  the  coffins 
he  has  made,  and  preached  the  funeral  sermons  for  his  neighbors 
— the  last  sad  duties.     He  has  two  sons.     H.   P.   Hatch  was  a 


member  of  the  44th  Wis.  Vol.  lie  is  now  farming  iu  tiie  north- 
ern part  of  lola. 

J.  0.  HOLE,  merchant,  lola,  was  born  in  Norway,  Feb.  14, 
1819.  His  early  life  was  on  a  farm.  In  1848,  he  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  secured  40  acres 
of  land,  which  he  improved.  In  1855,  he  disposed  of  it,  and 
moved  to  New  Hope,  then  in  Waupaca  Co.,  but  now  of  Portage 
Co.  He  disponed  of  that  place,  and  moved  to  lola,  secured  a 
farm,  and  improved  it  all  himself  Finally,  in  1867,  he  moved  to 
the  village  of  tola  and  established  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business.  Iu  1843,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Elfson.  They 
have  had  one  boy,  but  lost  him.  He  has  held  town  offices  in 
New  Hope. 

J.  &  C.  WIPF,  of  the  firm  of  Wipf  Bros.,  lola,  are  natives  of 
Switzerland.  J.  was  born  in  1834,  and  C.  in  1836.  From  six 
to  thirteen  years  of  age,  they  were  obliged  to  attend  school.  At 
thirteen,  J.  was  put  into  a  silk  factory  and  learned  the  dyer's 
trade,  and  followed  it  till  he  was  twenty;  C.  was  placed  in  a 
silk  factory  and  learned  the  stamping  trade,  and  followed  it 
till  he  came  to  America.  In  1854,  the  parents  of  our  subjects 
came  to  America,  and  settled  on  Sec.  36,  town  of  lola.  They 
secured  160  acres  from  the  Government,  and  commenced  to 
develop  it.  C.  learned  the  gunsmith's  trade  at  O.shkosh,  the 
second  year  after  coming  here,  and  spent  one  year  in  the 
South  at  his  trade ;  but,  not  liking  it,  he  gave  it  up  and 
returned  to  lola.  The  brothers  rented  the  saw-mill  at  lola, 
for  two  years,  of  Mr.  S.  S.  Chandler.  In  1860,  the  Wipfs 
traded  their  farm  for  a  two-third  interest  in  the  saw-mill,  and 
finally  secured  sole  proprietorship.  In  1861,  they  built  a  grist- 
mill, with  three  run  of  stones;  in  1862,  rebuilt  the  saw-mill.  In 
1864,  J.  and  C.  enlisted  in  the  44th  Wis.  I.,  and  served  till  the 
close  of  the  war.  In  1874,  their  father  disposed  of  his  interest  in 
the  mills  to  his  sons.  In  1875,  he  died.  They  now  have  in 
active  operation  at  lola  a  grist,  shingle,  and  saw  mill.  They  com- 
menced with  nothing,  but  with  persistent  efforts  tbey  have  estab- 
lished a  thriving  business.  J.  has  been  Chairman  several  terms, 
and  held  other  offices  in  his  town.  In  1868,  be  married  Amelia 
Luthold.  They  have  one  child.  Mr.  Wipf  is  a  Mason  and  an 
Odd  Fellow.  C.  has  held  several  town  offices.  He  was  married, 
in  1861,  to  Eliza  Brand,  of  lola,  a  native  of  New  York.  They 
have  eight  children,  all  at  home.  The  oldest  daughter  is  teaching 
the  village  school  at  lola.  Mr.  Wipf  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and,  in 
1881,  was  a  representative  from  his  Lodge  to  the  Grand  Lodge  at 
Milwaukee. 

DAY'TOX. 
This  w.as  the  first  town  in  the  county,  separately  organ- 
ized as  a  town,  it  being  detached  from  Lind  and  organized 
in  1853.  The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Lyman  Dayton,  April  15,  1853.  The  first  settler  was  a 
Mr.  Hitchcock,  who  built  a  shanty  in  April,  1850.  In 
July  of  the  same  year,  Lyman  Dayton,  from  whom  the 
town  derives  its  name,  arrived.  He  was  the  first  Post- 
master, the  office  being  established  in  1851.  The  first 
schoolhouse  was  built  in  1854.  Miss  Eunice  Randall  teach- 
ing the  first  school  two  years  previous.  Revs.  S.  Miller 
and  Cutting  Marsh  strive  for  the  honor  of  having  preached 
the  first  sermon,  the  Presbyterians  erecting  the  first  church 
in  Rural.  N.  P.  Judson  became  the  first  store-keeper  in 
1852,  J.  A.  Lathrop  building  the  first  saw-mill  the  next 
year.  First  town  ofiicers :  W.  C.  Carr,  Chairman  ;  Sam- 
uel Show,  Jas.  A.  Lathrop,  Supervisors ;  J.  Martin,  Jr., 
Town  Clerk  ;  Thomas  F.  Thompson,  Treasurer.  Lyman 
Dayton  was  the  first  Postmaster,  commencing  in  1851. 
The  town  is  located  south  of  Farmington  and  west  of  Lind. 
It  contains  three  small  villages — Rural,  Palfreyville  and 
Crystal  River. 


HISTORY    OF   NORTflERN   WISCONSIN. 


BIOQRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  retired  farmer,  Waupaca;  was  boru 
Feb.  25,  1820,  in  Sturbrids;o,  Mass.;  when  he  was  six  years  of 
age,  his  parents  moved  to  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.;  here  he  grew  to 
manhood.  In  1846,  he  made  a  visit  to  the  then  Territory  of  Wis- 
consin ;  returned  East  and  married  Miss  Julia  Richmond,  of 
Madison,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.  She  is  a  granddaughter  of  Atzar 
Richmond,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  After  the  marriage  they 
settled  in  Vialand,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  resided  here  until  the 
spring  of  1856,  then  settled  on  Sec.  6,  town  of  Dayton,  which 
farm  has  since  been  theirs.  Mr.  Allen  also  owns  land  in  Belmont 
and  Farmington,  though  the  268-acre  farm  is  in  one  body.  On 
this  farm  since  1865,  great  attention  has  been  bestowed  upon  the 
culture  of  hops.  Messrs.  Allen  &  Son  have  the  largest  hop-house 
in  the  county,  it  being  30x56,  and  well  equipped.  In  September, 
1861,  Mr.  Allen  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  8th  W.  V.  I.;  served  a  year 
with  his  regiment,  about  two  years  on  hospital  duty,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  on  account  of  disability.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen 
are  now  residents  of  Waupaca. 

MERRICK  T.  ALLEN,  P.  0.  Rural;  the  only  son  of 
George  and  Julia  (Richmond)  Allen;  was  born  Aug.  15,1850, 
in  Winchester,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.  Married  Miss  Jennie  Col- 
lins, by  whom  he  has  three  children,  all  born  on  the  Dayton  farm. 
Mr.  Allen  has  managed  the  farm  since  the  removal  of  the  parents 
to  Waupaca.  He  was  elected  one  of  the  Supervisors  of  Dayton, 
in  the  spring  of  1881,  an  ofiBce  formerly  held  by  his  father. 

W.  C.  BARLOW,  farmer.  Sec.  10,  P.  O.  Rural;  was  born 
in  1832,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  moved  to  Herkimer  Co.  in 
1839,  thence  to  Oneida  Co.  in  1850.  He  came  to  Waupaca  Co., 
Wis.,  June,  1855,  and  made  it  his  home  in  and  about  Waupaca 
and  Parfroyville  till  he  bought  his  present  farm  of  160  acres.  He 
has  made  all  the  improvements  except  about  10  acres  ;  has  a  large 
frame  house,  upright,  20x30,  and  wings  20x16  and  16x22.  In 
1875,  he  built  a  barn  40x60,  with  18-foot  posts  ;  he  also  has  a  fine 
horse-barn  and  hop-house.  July  4,  1859,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
R.  Collins,  of  Dayton,  who  was  born  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  29,  1840  ;  She  died  March  26,  1880.  The  parents  of  this 
sketch,  James  and  Malvina,  were  married  in  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.; 
his  father  died  in  1839;  his  mother  is  still  living  with  her  son. 
Mr.  Barlow  has  been  Chairman  of  his  town  three  terms  in  suc- 
cession, and  was  again  re-elected  in  1881,  and  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  county. 

PHILIP  A.  HAM,  farmer.  Sec.  33,  P.  0.  Crystal  Lake, 
was  boru  in  Ava,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1843.  In  1853,  his  family 
moved  to  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  1856  he  came  to  Waupaca 
Co.  Aug.  13,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  21st  W.  V.  L  ;  went 
into  camp  at  O.shkosh,  thence  to  Covington,  Ky.,  where  the 
regiment  joined  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  ;  was  engaged  in 
the  battles  of  Perryville  and  Stone  River,  and  in  minor  battles  in 
which  his  regiment  was  engaged.  From  Murfreesboro  he  con- 
tinued south  till  taken  sick,  when  he  was  sent  back  to  Murfrees- 
boro, thence  to  Jefiersonville,  Ind.,  thence  to  Chicago,  where  he 
was  transferred  to  the  V.  R.  C,  and  placed  in  charge  of  seven 
hundred  working  prisoners,  where  he  remained  till  close  of  war. 
Jan.  30,  1869,  he  married  Ester  A.  Steinemates,  of  Dayton.  He 
moved  to  Iowa  and  remained  two  years,  then  came  back  to  Dayton 
and  took  charge  of  homestead.  In  1876,  his  brother  John,  who 
had  remained  with  his  parents,  died.  In  June,  1877,  his  father 
died,  and  in  August,  1878,  his  mother  followed  him.  His  parents 
were  born  in  New  York,  his  father  April  24,  1807.  and  his 
mother  Jan.  1,  1807.  Mr.  Ham  has  two  children,  Lottie  E.  and 
Marian  B.  He  is  a  Granger,  and  Master  of  Crystal  Lake  Lodge. 
He  owns  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  of  which  one  hundred  acres 
are  improved. 

CLARK  E.  HOLM  AN,  farmer.  Sec.  22;  P.  0.  Rural ;  was 
born  in  Springville,  P^rie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840  ;  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1849,  and  lived  in  Jefferson  Co.  tid  he  came  to  Waupaca  Co. 
In  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  16th  W.  V.  I.  ;  went 
into   camp   at    Madison ;  moved   to  Pitt.sburg    Landing,   arriving 


there  one  week  before  the  battle ;  was  in  the  battle  at  that  place, 
April  6  and  7,  1862,  his  regiment  losing  291  men.  He  was  also 
in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  Holly  Springs  and  Jackson,  under 
Gen.  Grant;  was  with  Gen.  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the  sea. 
He  was  in  seventy-one  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  escaped  with 
hardly  a  scratch.  He  seems  to  have  been  providentially  protected 
for  future  good.  In  one  fierce  charge  he  was  left  standing  alone, 
the  three  in  front  and  the  ones  on  his  left  and  right  having  been 
shot  down  at  the  same  time.  He  served  nearly  four  years.  March 
0,  1867,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Hawley,  of  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis. 
She  was  born  February,  1845,  at  Milford,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis. 
They  have  had  four  children — -Luzern,  Katie,  Eluia  and  Hawley. 
Mr.  Holman  bought  his  land  of  Joseph  Edwards.  He  has  270 
acres,  of  which  2-10  acres  are  under  cultivation.  He  has  enlarged 
his  house  and  built  a  barn,  40x70,  with  stone  basement  and 
twenty-feet  posts  ;  has  a  wind-mill,  and  all  the  conveniences  a 
man  can  ask  for.  He  justly  prides  himself  in  having  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  county,  which  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
untiring  industry.  His  parents  were  natives  of  New  York.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Holman  are  both  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Has  been  Supervisor  two  years ;  is  a  Granger  and  a  member  of 
the  Crystal  Lake  Lodge. 

ROBERT  McCROSSEN,  farmer,  Sec.  3;  P.  0.  Rural;  was 
born  in  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  March  17,  1821  ;  lived 
there  till  he  was  twenty-one  years  old.  In  1842,  Mr.  McCrossen 
and  his  brother  came  to  Oshkosh,  walking  nearly  the  whole 
length  of  the  Erie  Canal.  In  Oshkosh  he  worked  one  year  in  the 
lumbering  business.  From  Oshkosh  went  to  Weyauwega  and 
engaged  in  lumbering  two  years.  He  then  went  to  Stevens 
Point  and  engaged  in  lumbering  for  A.  Brawley,  then  running 
the  Land  Ofiioe  at  that  place.  While  there  he  entered  seven 
forties  of  land.  He  now  has  two  hundred  acres  under  cultivation  ; 
he  also  has  fifty  acres  in  southwest  pan  of  town.  Mr.  McCrossen 
has  made  very  substantial  improvements  on  his  farm.  In  1872, 
his  house  was  burned ;  he  immediately  erected  a  house  16x24, 
14x24  upright,  with  L  20x24;  has  a  large  barn,  wind  mill,  etc. 
In  1855,  he  married  Miss  L.  Siory,  of  Dayton,  who  died  in  1862. 
May  10,  1863,  he  married  Miss  Libbie  Wilkins,  of  Dayton.  Mr. 
McCrossen  has  four  children  by  first  wife,  and  six  by  the  second. 
He  has  lost  two.  His  children  are  Jennie,  now  Mrs.  Proctor,  of 
Boston,  George,  Ira,  now  at  Warsaw,  Hattie,  Katie,  Gurtie, 
Alfred,  Nettie,  Maggie  and  William,  at  home.  Mr.  McCrossen 
commenced  without  a  dollar,  but  by  hard  blows  aud  good  man- 
agement, he  has  secured  an  enviable  position. 

SUMNER  PACKARD,  farmer.  Sec.  27  ;  P.  0.  Crystal  Lake  ; 
was  born  in  Massachusetts  April  6,  1824.  In  1833,  his  family 
moved  to  Licking  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  learned  the  wagon-maker's 
trade,  and  worked  at  it  for  five  years.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Win- 
ncconno,  where  he  stopped  a  few  months,  and  in  February,  1853, 
he  settled  in  Dayton.  He  bought  from  the  Government  120 
acrtrs  of  land,  his  father  160,  and  his  brother,  E.  C,  120  acres. 
Mr.  Packard  sold  his  place  to  O.  Stratton,  aud  then  moved  upon 
his  father's  place,  which  is  now  his  own.  In  1850,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  E.  J.  Eaton,  Ohio,  who  died  in  May,  1856.  May 
31,  1860,  he  was  married  to  Juliett  Ham,  of  Dayton.  His  chil- 
dren are  Esterbell,  now  Mrs.  Radley,  of  Dayton,  and  Katie,  now 
at  home.  Mr.  Packard  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  seven 
years,  and  Assessor,  one  ;  is  a  Granger,  and  belongs  to  Crystal 
!  ake  Lodge.     He  has  a  fine  place,  and  may  well  feel  proud  of  it. 

W.  P.  QUINT,  merchant.  Rural,  born  Dec.  1, 1818,  in  Anson, 
Kennebec  Co.,  Me.  When  he  was  seven  years  old,  the  family 
settled  on  the  St.  John's  River  in  New  Brunswick.  At  twenty-one 
he  returned  to  Calais,  Me.,  and  was  boom-master  for  the  Union 
Mills.  In  1851,  he  went  to  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  1'.,  and  a  year 
later  removed  to  the  Indian  lands  of  Wisconsin.  For  seven  years 
he  was  engaged  at  job  work  in  the  saw-mills  at  Stevens  Point. 
In  1861,  during  the  lumber  crash,  he  sold  out  and  bought  an 
interest  in  the  grist-mill  at  Rural;  was  in  partnership  with  James 
McCrossen  ten  years  in  the  mill.     In  1875,  Mr.  Quint  sold  out 


HISTORY   OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


the  mill,  and  has  since  been  merchandising.  In  1878,  he  was 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Dayton.  He  is  a  Master  Mason 
of  Waupaca  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Married  Isabella  McCrossen 
in  St.  John,  N.  B.,  1845.  Mr.  Quint  is  a  veteran  business  man 
of  Waupaca  County,  and  one  of  its  best  and  most  favorably 
known  pioneers. 

FREDERICK  SHOEMAKRR,  former.  Sec.  5  ;  P.  0.  Rural ; 
was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  1826  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1846;  stopped  at  New  York  City  a  few  weeks,  and  then  went  to 
Wyoming  in  New  York,  and  hired  out  on  a  farm  for  three  years 
and  a  half.  Nov.  6,  1850,  he  married  Miss  Jane  Lewis,  of 
Orangeville,  N.  Y.  In  May,  1853,  he  came  to  Waupaca  Co., 
and  bought  eighty  acres ;  he  now  has  290  acres  in  one  body. 
His  improvements  are  of  a  subsiantial  character;  his  location  is 
excellent.  His  house  .stands  upon  the  bank  of  a  beautiful  stream, 
and  his  lawns  are  shady  and  lovely.  He  has  been  Supervisor  two 
years.  Has  four  children — -Lewis  F.,  Lucy,  Truman  and  Corunia, 
all  at  home.  Lewis  and  Lucy  are  teachers.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shoemaker  and  three  of  their  children  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

HELVETIA. 
This  town  is  south  of  Shawano  County,  and  west  of 
Dupont  and  Union,  being  six  miles  east  and  west,  and 
twelve  north  and  south.  The  first  settlement  was  made  in 
1853,  by  Andrew  Poulson  and  Nels  Jacobson.  The  first 
post  office  was  established  in  1868,  with  Cyrus  Churchhill 
for  Postmaster. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JOHN  H.  LEUTHOLD,  farmer,  Sec.  31;  P.  0.  lola ; 
was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1821.  His  early  life  was  on  a  fiirm  ; 
he  belonged  to  the  standing  army  of  Switzerland  from  1842-47. 
In  1851  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  on  his  present  place. 
He  now  has  440  acres  in  his  farm  all  in  one  body  ;  he  also  has 
about  2,000  acres  elsewhere.  He  has  great  faith  in  the  future  of 
Northern  Wisconsin,  and  he  finds  that  dealing  in  real  estate  is  re- 
munerative ;  he  is  building  a  large  stone  house,  34x34,  and  two 
and  a-half  stories  high.  In  1872  he  married  for  his  second  wife 
Miss  Emma  Staub  ;  she  was  born  in  Switzerland,  in  1854  ;  they 
have  had  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living.  By  his  first 
wife  he  had  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living.  In  1880,  Mr. 
Leuthold  and  family  made  a  visit  to  their  old  home  in  Switzerland. 
He  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Chairman  of  his  town. 


BEAE  CREEK. 
The  town  lies  south  of  Larrabee,  and  west  of  Outagamie 
County,  its  first  settler  being  Welcome  Hyde,  who  came  in 
1854.  In  the  spring  of  1856,  upon  the  organization  of  the 
town,  Welcome  Hyde  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  C.  Clinton 
and  C.  Bennett,  Supervisors.  A.  B.  Phillips  received  the 
first  post  jffice  appointment,  in  1857.  Rev.  S.  Peet 
preached  the  first  sermon  at  Mr.  Hyde's  house  in  1857, 
the  Lutherans  erecting  the  first  church  ten  years  thereafter. 
G.  House  kept  the  first  store,  while  J.  J.  Demming  built 
the  first  saw-mill — a  steam  power — in  1865.  The  first 
school  taught  was  in  the  summer  of  1856,  by  Mrs.  L.  G. 
Williams.  It  was  a  "  high  school,"  situated  in  the  attic  of 
L.  E.  Phillips'  house,  the  scholars  (two  boys)  entering  and 
departing  by  means  of  a  ladder  placed  firmly  on  the  out- 
side.    Three  years  later  a  schoolhouse  was  built. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    13HETCHES. 

I.  S.  INGERSOL,  farmer  and  lumberman,  Sec.  23  ;  P.  0. 
Bear  Creek  ;  came  from  New  York  to  Illinois  in  1852,  and 
fiirmed  it  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  He  spent  one  year 
at  Shawano,  and  lumbered ;  he  came  to  Waukau  in  1866  ;  in  1868 
he  came  to  Waupaca  Co.,  and  in  September,  1869,  to  his  present 


place.  He  had  nothing  at  the  time  of  coming  here,  and  bought 
his  place  in  five  years'  time.  He  bought  an  old  steam  saw  mill  of 
Demming,  and  commenced  lumbering ;  he  now  owns  200  acres  of 
good  land,  with  good  buildings,  beside  his  mill,  has  about  60  acres 
cleared,  and  is  prospering  finely ;  his  mill  has  a  capacity  of  20,000 
feet  per  day.  In  1864,  he  went  to  California  to  mine  it  ;  his 
wife  died  shortly  after  leaving  there,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return 
and  attend  to  his  children,  who  were  becoming  scattered.  He  has 
managed  to  keep  them  together,  and  they  are  now  a  smart,  busi- 
ness family. 

JOE  LONG,  farmer.  Sec.  14  ;  P.  0.  Bear  Creek  ;  was  born 
in  Austria,  Feb.  25,  1835.  He  was  apprenticed  three  years  to 
learn  the  tailor's  trade ;  he  followed  his  trade  several  years  after 
completing  his  apprenticeship,  and  in  1857  came  to  Wisconsin, 
$20  worse  off  than  nothing.  He  worked  out  several  years,  but 
finally  bought  80  acres  of  land  ;  he  now  owns  420  acres,  and  has 
70  acres  improved  ;  has  been  a  member  of  the  Town  Board 
several  years.  In  1859,  he  married  Miss  Verimka  Elft ;  they 
have  six  children. 

J.  W.  RAISLER,  farmer  and  lumberman.  Sec.  23,  P.  0. 
Bear  Creek;  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1842;  in  1857  he  came  to 
America  and  settled  with  his  father  on  Sec.  29  ;  he  remained  at 
home  and  helped  his  father  clear  his  farm  till  the  fall  of  1861, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  15th  U.  S.  Inft.;  he  was  in  the  army  three 
years  and  four  months;  he  was  in  engagements  at  Elizabethtown, 
Bowling  Green,  Stone  River  and  Chiekamauga,  where  he  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  and  captured ;  he  was  a  prisoner  fourteen 
months,  during  which  time  he  visited  Libby,  Danville,  Anderson- 
ville,  Macon  and  Savannah  prisons;  he  has  held  several  local 
offices,  and  is  at  present  Chairman  of  his  town;  Jan.  9,  1867, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Molly  Klemm  ;  he  moved  onto  his  present 
place  in  1867;  he  owns  forty  acres  of  land,  thirty  of  which  are 
improved.  In  1869-70  he  built  a  saw-mill,  of  which  he  owns 
one  half  interest. 

LUDWIG  SCHOEPKE,  farmer.  Sec.  28,  P.  0.  Nicholson; 
was  born  in  Prussia  in  1825  ;  he  was  married  March  21,  1851,  to 
(Ihristana  Hille;  in  1853  he  came  to  America  and  stopped  in 
Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  and  worked  till  he  earned  enough  to  buy  a  yoke 
of  cattle;  in  November,  1855,  he  came  to  Bear  Creek  and  bought 
from  the  GoVf'rnment  eighty  acres  of  land  ;  ho  returned  to  Dodge 
County,  but  returned  with  his  family  to  his  land  in  the  spring  of 
1856  ;  he  was  the  first  German  to  settle  in  the  town  ;  his  hard- 
ships and  privations  were  very  great,  at  times  being  two  weeks 
without  seeing  bread.  Several  of  his  brothers  and  relatives  fol- 
lowed him,  and  are  now  his  neighbors  and  are  well  off.  Mr. 
Shoepke  now  has  180  acres  of  good  land,  seyenty  acres  of  which 
are  cleared  and  have  good  buildings  on  them ;  he  made  all  the 
shingles  that  cover  his  buildings,  and  has  thriven  wonderfully  ;  he 
has  one  boy  and  six  girls. 

AUGUST  F.  SHOEPKE,  merchant.  Bear  Creek  Corners; 
was  born  in  Prussia  in  1840;  in  1856  he  came  to  America  and 
settled  in  Bear  Creek,  on  Sec.  29  ;  he  remained  with  his  father 
and  helped  to  clear  his  farm  till  December,  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  the  17th  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.,  where  ho  served  for  three  years  and 
three  months ;  he  was  discharged  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  in 
April,  1865;  he  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  Vicksburg, 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  Red  River  expedition  and  the  battle  of  Nash- 
ville; he  was  married  Oct.  28,  1865,  to  Miss  Charlott  Tischler, 
who  was  born  in  Berlin,  Germany,  in  1850;  they  have  four  chil- 
dren ;  he  has  held  nearly  all  the  town  oflBces  of  his  town  and  has 
been  Postmaster  several  years. 

CHAS.  G.  WITT,  farmer,  Sec.  31,  P.  0.  Union  ;  was  born 
in  New  Hampshire  in  1833;  in  1845  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  father  and  settled  in  Sheboygan  County,  and  helped  his  father 
clear  a  farm  ;  in  1857  he  came  to  Royalton,  and  after  numerous 
attempts  at  hiring  out  at  anything  he  could  do,  finally  secured  a 
chance  to  teach  the  Royalton  school,  at  $35  a  month  and  for  which 
he  secured  $20  in  cash,  the  balance  in  tax-certificates  ;  in  1859  he 
secured  160  acres  of  swamp  land  from  the  State   (a  part  of  his 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


present  farm)  and  commenced  his  future  home  ;  he  now  owns  in 
one  body  360  acres,  of  which  160  acres  are  improved  ;  he  owns 
about  700  acres  of  land  ;  he  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of 
the  county  and  owns  the  best  farm  in  Bear  Creek  ;  his  buildings 
are  numerous  and  of  the  best  character;  he  was  a  member  of  the 
49th  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war;  he  com- 
menced with  nothing  but  his  hands  and  plenty  of  pluck  ;  he  is 
living  with  his  third  wife ;  he  has  one  son. 


LEBAXOX. 
The  town  i.s  situated  south  of  Bear  Creek  and  east  of 
Little  Wolf,  claims  for  its  first  settlers  Samuel  Kerr,  Jere- 
miah Eagan  and  the  Smiths,  who  arrived  in  1850.  In  1854 
the  town  was  organized,  with  Myron  Moore  as  Chairman  of 
the  Board  and  Samuel  Kerr  as  Town  Clerk.  The  first 
school  was  taught  by  Miss  Sloane,  in  1855.  Rev.  Father 
Herman  had  charge  of  the  first  church,  built  in  1860. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

EDWARD  DAWSON,  farmer.  Sec.  36,  P.  0.  New  London  ; 
was  born  in  Yorkshire  Co.,  England,  Nov.  8,  1810;  he  is  a  car- 
penter and  joiner  by  trade  ;  in  18-12  he  came  to  America  and  took 
charge  of  his  father's  farm  in  Washington  Co.,  Ohio.  From  there 
he  went  to  Indiana  and  remained  there  four  or  five  years,  working 
at  his  trade;  he  then  secured  a  lot  and  built  a  house  upon  it. 
From  there  he  came  to  his  present  place  in  1855,  and  bought 
from  the  Government  200  acres  of  fine  land,  of  which  about 
one  hundred  acres  are  now  improved  ;  he  has  erected  fine  build- 
ings upon  it,  and  they  bear  the  impress  of  thrift.  In  December, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  17th  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.  He  had  the  choice 
of  being  First  Sergeant  or  head  teamster  for  his  company,  the 
latter  situation  he  accepted.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Cornith,  and 
shortly  after  Gen.  McAlister  sent  for  him  to  become  his  head 
teamster  ;  he  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  and  was  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital and  discharged  in  1862 ;  he  is  true  blue  and  loyal  to  the 
core ;  his  limbs  are  in  such  a  condition  that  he  has  walked  hardly 
a  step  in  five  years;  he  was  married  Aug.  15,  1855,  to  Miss 
Johan  Roseman.  He  has  two  children — J.  C,  now  an  artist  in 
New  London,  and  Mary  A.,  now  teaching  school. 

LUKE  B.  KELLY,  fiirmer.  Sec.  28,  P.  0.  Northport,  was 
born  in  Roscommon,  Ireland,  Oct.  1,  1813.  He  served  at  ap- 
prenticeship of  five  years  as  a  miller  under  William  McLaughlin, 
one  of  the  best  millers  in  England,  and  who  was  his  father's  land- 
lord. He  had  charge  of  a  large  merchant  mill  for  several  years 
in  the  old  country.  In  1840,  in  the  city  of  Dublin,  and  just  be- 
fore starting  for  America,  he,  with  27,000  others  the  same  day, 
took  the  pledge  from  Father  Thebold  Mathews,  to  abstain  from 
intoxicating  liquors,  a  pledge  that  he  has  never  broken.  He  came 
to  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  took  charge  of  the  celebrated  Brandy- 
wine  Mills,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  They  were  then  owned  by 
Price  &  Sons,  and  were  the  mills  that  supplied  Washington's 
army  while  in  that  vicinity.  He  had  charge  of  those  mills  fif- 
teen years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  his  health  failed,  and  having 
worked  at  milling  thirty  years  he  concluded  to  come  West.  In 
1855  he  came  to  Waupaca  Co.  and  settled  on  his  present  place  of 
280  acres.  He  has  120  acres  under  cultivation,  and  good  build- 
ings. He  is  a  great  student  and  his  delight  is  to  gain  knowledge. 
He  has  a  library  of  150  volumes,  mostly  history  and  religious 
books.  In  1843  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Murphy,  of 
Wilmington.  She  was  born  in  1813.  They  have  had  five  chil- 
dren. Their  two  oldest  boys  were  drowned  at  Northport  in  1860. 
They  have  one  son  and  two  daughters  at  home. 

CALKDOXI.V. 
This  town,  situated  south  of  Mukwa,  north  of  Fremont 
and  west  of  Outagamie  County,  is  less  than  si.x  miles  square, 
a  portion  of  the  land  having  been   taken   from  it  when  Fre- 


mont was  formed.  It  was  organized  in  1854,  the  first  offi- 
cers being  Thomas  Gore,  Chairman  ;  John  Fife  and  Jacob 
Whittaker,  Supervisors ;  John  Littlefield,  Town  Treasurer. 
James  McHugh  was  the  first  settler,  locating  in  1849.  He 
built  the  first  house.  In  1854  the  first  schoolhouse  was 
built,  the  first  school  being  taught  by  Miss  Phcebe  Little- 
field.  The  first  sermon  in  the  town  was  preached  by  Elder 
Mitchell,  the  first  church  being  erected  in  1867,  by  the 
Lutheran  denomination.  Readfield  was  the  first  post  office, 
established  in  1854,  with  John  Littlefield  as  Postmaster. 
The  first  saw-mill  was  built  in  1870,  by  C.  Ruggles,  he  also 
erecting  the  first  grist-mill  in  the  same  year. 


UNION. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  town,  which  is  south  of  Du- 
pont  and  west  of  Bear  Creek,  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1855, 
by  Isaac  Ames ;  date  of  organization,  April  6,  1858,  the 
first  town  officers  being  Ensign  Sprague,  Chairman ;  N. 
W.  Baldwin,  Clerk ;  Samuel  Norton,  Treasurer.  Rev. 
Joseph  Hammond,  of  Northport,  preached  the  first  sermon 
in  1861 ;  George  Scoville  opened  the  first  store  in  1873, 
and  Messrs.  E.  A.  Scott  and  Ogden  the  first  saw-mill  dur- 
ing the  same  year.  The  post  office,  established  in  1862,  had 
J.  Townsend  as  Postmaster. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

CHARLIE  ANDERSON,  lumberman,  Ogdensburg,  was 
born  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  July  6,  1850.  His  father  was  born  in 
Ohio  in  1824.  His  mother  is  a  native  of  New  York.  His  parents 
were  early  settlers  in  Rock  Co.  They  removed  from  Rock  to 
Adams  Co.,  where  they  remained  some  time.  In  1865  they 
moved  to  the  town  of  Union,  Waupaca  Co.,  and  settled  on  a  farm 
in  Sec.  35,  where  they  have  since  remained.  Our  subject's  fiiiher 
was  a  member  of  the  6th  W.  V.  I.,  and  served  in  the  old  Fifth 
Army  Corps.  He  came  out  of  the  army  diseased,  and  died  May 
31,  1874.  Charlie's  boyhood  days  were  spent  on  a  farm.  Since 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  has  farmed  it  and  lumbered.  In  1831 
ho  built  a  steam  saw-mill  at  Ogdensburg,  with  a  capacity  at  pres- 
ent of  6,000  feet  per  day.  He  intends  to  increase  its  capacity. 
He  also  owns  a  farm  on  Sec.  35,  town  of  Union.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  pleasing  address  and  with  an  abundance  of  energy  and 
pluck,  and  we  predict  for  him  a  successful  life. 

CHRIST.  WAGNER,  farmer.  Sec.  24,  P.  0.  Nicholson,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  in  1827.  He  went  to  school  until  he  was  fourteen, 
then  worked  out  till  he  came  to  Dodge  Co.  in  1842.  He  came  to 
Waupaca  Co.  in  1856,  and  settled  on  Sec.  24.  He  bought  80 
acres ;  now  has  200  acres,  45  acres  of  which  are  improved.  He 
was  drafted,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  disabilities.  In  1803 
he  was  matried,  and  has  seven  children. 


MATTESON. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  town  which  is  north  of 
Outagamie  County  and  east  of  Larrabee,  was  made  in  July, 
1855,  by  Roswell  Matteson,  from  whom  it  derives  its  name. 
The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  1859  ;  the  first  mistress, 
Emma  Dodge.  The  first  church,  Christian,  was  organized 
January  18,  1874,  and  the  first  sermon  preached  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Sharpe,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  in  1860.  The  first  post 
office  was  established  in  1856,  with  E.  D.  Matteson  as  Post- 
master. 

John  White  opened  the  first  store  in  1862.  The  Wolf, 
Embarrass  and  Pigeon  Rivers  run  through  the  town,  and  a 
cranberry  marsh  is  situated  in  the  northern  part,  which  will 
prove  of  value  to  its  owners. 


HISTORY   OF    WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


The  village  of  Embarrass  in  the  northwestern  portion  of 
the  town,  has  sixty  people.  July  10,  1868,  Post  No.  78, 
G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  with  forty  members,  and  a  lodge  of 
Good  Templars  in  May,  1875. 


LAKRABEE. 
The  town  of  Larrabee  is  one  of  the  northern  tier,  west 
of  Matteson  and  north  of  Bear  Creek,  and  was  organized 
April  2,  1861.  Norman  Clinton,  from  whom  the  thriving 
village  of  Clintonville  took  its  name,  was  the  first  settler, 
locating  in  March,  1855.  He  died  April  7,  1875,  his  son, 
U.  P-,  coming  to  Clintonville  in  1857.  He  still  resides 
there.  Rev.  Alfred  C.  Lathrop  preached  the  first  sermon 
at  the  funeral  of  Mrs.  U.  P.  Clinton,  whose  death  in  June, 
1858,  is  the  first  recorded  in  the  town  of  Larrabee.  TJ.  P. 
Clinton  was  the  first  Postmaster,  commencing  his  service  in 
that  year,  and  also  kept  the  first  store  during  1858.  His 
father  built  the  first  saw-mill  (burned  in  1861)  the  year 
before,  and,  upon  the  organization  of  the  town  in  April, 
1861,  the  following  were  chosen  its  first  oiBcers:  U.  P. 
Clinton,  Chairman ;  H.  P.  Turesdal  and  G.  Smith,  Super- 
visors ;  E.  W.  Bennett,  Treasurer.  The  first  school  was 
taught  by  Jenny  Marsh  in  1861,  in  the  Clintonville  log 
schoolhouse  built  two  years  before. 

The  village  of  Clintonville  is  a  thriving  and  growing 
place  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Larrabee,  on  the  Pigeon 
River.  According  to  the  last  census,  its  population  was 
58-3.  The  name  Clintonville,  as  stated,  was  imposed  by 
Norman  Clinton.     The  village  has  six  church  societies,  the 

I  Congregational,  Lutheran,  Methodist  and  Roman  Catholics 
having   edifices.     The    German    Methodists    and    German 

[  Baptists  are  to  build.  J.  W.  Chamberlain  is  Pastor  of  the 
Congregational  Church  ;  Rev.  Martindale,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal ;  Rev.  Walkei-,  of  the  Lutheran  ;  Rev.  Tinger,  of 
the  German  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  Father  Sholz,  of  New- 
London,  of  the  Roman  Catholic.  Clintonville  possesses  a 
school  of  135  pupils.  Fred  N.  Bowman,  Principal,  Miss 
Dora  E.  Squiers,  assistant.  There  is  also  a  German  school 
controlled  by  the  Lutherans,  and  consisting  of  fifty-five 
pupils.  Two  lodges  have  been  organized  of  late  years ; 
No.  197,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  June  11,  1874,  G.  S.  Doty,  W. 
M. ;  No.  8.3,  T.  of  H.,  December,  1877.  During  the  early 
part  of  the  year  1881,  the  village  was  unfortunate  in  the 
extent  to  which  it  was  visited  by  fire.  In  February,  the 
McNeil  House  burned,  in  April  several  buildings  opposite 
on  Shawano  street,  there  having  been  two  minor  fires  in 
January.  Accordingly,  in  May,  Embryo  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company  was  organized  with  fifteen  charter  members. 
Among  the  leading  business  men  of  Clintonville  are  the 
following  :  Stacey  &  Lawson,  Meiklejohn  &  Hatton,  manu- 
facturers ;  H.  A.  Meilike,  Sutherland  &  House,  drugs ;  A. 
A.  Knapp,  groceries  (also  Postmaster) ;  Bentz  &  Alft,  drugs 
and  groceries ;  G.  W.  Jones,  grain  dealer ;  F.  M.  Young, 
station  agent ;  E.  Brix,  A.  Bucholtz,  general  merchants ; 
N.  Otterraark,  H.  Winters,  hardware;  A.  Spiccr,  photo- 
graphic gallery;  H.  G.  Lutsey,  jeweler;  George  McCor- 
rison,  furniture;  W.  H.  Cook,  foundry  and  machine  shop; 
Gustavus  Ruth,  general  merchant ;  E.  W.  Knapp,  restau- 
rant; A.  Sholtz,  N.  Nemixsde,  harness  maker;  Messrs.  Clin- 
ton &  McNeil,  livery.  Five  daily  lines  of  stage  run  to 
Shawano.  The  place  has  the  usual  complement  of  boot 
and  shoe  shops,  wagon  establishments,  etc.,  and  two  saloons. 
The  professions  are  well  represented  in  Drs.  John  Finney 


and  W.  H.  Oviatt,  physicians,  and  M.  C.  Phillips  and  F. 
M.  Guernsey,  attorneys.  Clintonville  is  bound  to  succeed 
as  a  good  business  point  of  the  county.  The  official  roster 
for  1881  is:  J.  A.  McNeil,  President  of  the  Village 
Board ;  C.  S.  Sutherland,  Supervisor ;  F.  M.  Guernsey, 
Clerk  ;  E.  Brix,  Treasurer. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ENGLBBERT  BRIX,  general  merchant,  Clintonville;  is  a 
son  of  John  Brix,  and  was  born  Nov.  1,  1854,  in  Bavaria.  The 
family  came  to  America  in  1853,  settling  in  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis. 
In  1856,  they  removed  to  the  town  of  Larrabee,  Waupaca  Co., 
where  a  quarter  section  of  wild  land  was  bought.  Many  a  frontier 
adventure  was  experienced  by  this  family.  All  goods  were  sent 
to  and  received  from  New  London,  via  the  Pigeon  and  Embarrass 
Rivers.  Englebert  Brix  began  his  present  business  in  1 878.  He 
is  a  Ronion  Catholic.  Mr.  Brix  has  been  married  three  times  ; 
has  fifteen  living  children.  His  first  wife,  Julia  Michealoski,  died 
in  Neenah,  leaving  a  son,  John,  now  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
The  second  wife,  Magdalena  Adnes.  died  in  Larrabee,  leaving 
eleven  children.  By  the  present  wife,  nee  Genevieve  Bardolf,  he 
has  three  ciiildren. 

A.  P.  KNAPP,  merchant  and  Postmaster,  Clintonville,  was 
born  Aug.  19,  1838,  in  Kingsbury,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.;  re- 
moved to  Shawano  in  1857  ;  taught  the  local  school  two  years,  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering ;  was  a  resident  of  Shawano 
till  1877,  when  be  located  at  Clintonville;  was  for  a  time  a  part- 
ner of  W.  H.  Stacy;  bought  him  out  in  1879,  and  has  since 
managed  his  own  store;  was  appoi.ited  Postmaster  Feb.  12,  1878. 
Mr.  Knapp  had  been  for  three  years  previously,  Postmaster  of 
Pella,  Shawano  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  is  Sabboth  School  Superintendent.  Was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Wiley,  who  was  born  near  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  They 
have  six  children,  all  of  whom,  except  the  youngest,  were  born  in 
Shawano  Co. 

JOHN  A.  McNEIL,  President  of  the  village  of  Clinton- 
ville, son  of  Donald  McNeil ;  is  of  Scotch  lineage.  He  was  born 
Oct.  6,  1847,  in  Perabrooke,  Renfrew  Co.,  Ont.;  was  educated 
there  and  accompanied  his  parents  and  eight  brothers  and  sisters, 
to  F]mbarrass,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1869.  He  was  engaged  in 
lumbering  until  1878,  when  he  came  to  Clintonville  and  bought 
the  Bugby  House.  This  he  thoroughly  rebuilt  and  gave  it  his 
own  name — McNeil  House ;  did  a  flourishing  business  up  to 
Feb.  1,  1881,  when  the  hotel  was  burned  to  the  ground.  May 
17,  1881,  he  sold  the  site  to  W.  H.  Stacy,  who  has  since  erected 
a  large  and  well  equipped  house  there.  Mr.  McNeil  is  now  en- 
gaged in  a  very  satisfactory  livery  business.  He  realized  over 
$2,000  insurance  on  the  burned  hotel.  His  fiiiher  died  from  an 
accidental  fall  in  November,  1879. 

H.  A.  MEILIKE,  druggist,  Clintonville  ;  born  July  3,  1854, 
in  Pomerania,  Prussia;  came  in  1876,  to  the  United  Stsites ; 
located,  in  1878,  at  Clintonville  and  owned  a  saloon  for  a  time; 
then  began  his  present  business.  Mr.  Meilike  is  a  live,  active 
man  and  is  rewarded  by  a  good  patronage. 

W.  H.  STACY,  of  Stacy  &  Lawson,  Clintonville,  is  one  of 
the  representative  pioneers  of  Central  Wisconsin  ;  bora  Oct.  22, 
1836,  in  Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  he  remained  on  the 
paternal  farm  until  1856,  when  he  removed  to  Belle  Plains,  Sha- 
wano Co.  There  began  a  business  career  which  has  done  much 
to  develop  the  natural  resources  of  this  part  of  the  State.  Mr. 
Stacoy,  with  various  partners,  has,  during  the  past  twenty-five 
years,  built  as  many  flouring-mills,  saw-mills,  fiictories,  hotels, 
and  shops  as  any  man  in  Shawano  or  Waupaca  Cos.  He  removed 
from  Embarrass  to  Clintonville  in  1873,  purchasing  a  half  interest 
in  N.  P.  Clinton's  then  embryo  village  ;  has  since  been  associated 
in  business  with  Messrs.  Stewart,  Gillis  and  Metzner.  The  pres- 
ent strong  firm  was  established  in  June,  1880.  The  business  of 
which  Mr.  Stacey  has  control  here  is  as  follows  :  A  large  imple- 
ment and  wagim- material  factory,  run  by  both   water  and  steam 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


power,  employing  five  men  ;  a  flouring-mill,  with  four  runs  of 
stone  and  one  set  of  rollers,  capacity,  1,000  bushels  per  day;  a 
large  areneral  store,  where  as  much  business  is  daily  transacted  as 
in  any  place  in  this  county  ;  and  a  hotel  recently  completed  on 
the  site  of  the  McNeil  House,  which  was  burned  March,  18S1. 
Mr.  Stacey  has  a  fine  home  and  an  interesting  family. 

C.  S.  SUTHERLAND,  druggist,  Clintonville;  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Hannah  (Stephenson)  Sutherland  ;  born  Jan.  9,  1851, 
in  New  Brunswick,  Canada  West.  In  1855,  his  parents  located 
in  Portage  Co.,  Wis.  There  he  attended  school,  and  lived  until 
after  the  death  of  his  parents.  At  twenty,  he  began  teaching,  and 
alternately  taught  and  attended  Lawrence  University  for  several 
years ;  was  elected  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Portage 
Co.  in  1877  ;  taught  six  months;  resigned  his  school,  and  began 
his  present  business.  Has  since  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
House,  the  firm  doing  a  satisfactory  business,  carrying  a  large  and 
complete  stock  of  goods  usually  found  in  a  first  class  drug  store. 

F.  H.  WARD,  proprietor  of  the  Ward  House,  Clintonville; 
born  in  1846,  in  La  Salle  Co.,  111. ;  spent  his  early  life  on  a  farm. 


preached  in  1851,  by  Rev.  John  Ba.xter,  a  Congregational 
clergyman.  The  first  church  built  was  by  the  Presbyterians 
in  1873.  The  first  store  was  built  by  Benjamin  Binckley, 
in  1850,  and  the  first  saw-mill  by  Messrs.  Conant  &  Russell 
in  1856.  The  first  teacher  was  Miss  Stroud,  who  taught 
in  1851,  the  first  schoolhouse  being  built  in  1853.  First 
town  officers — Ira  Sumner,  Chairman;  A.  T.  Montgomery, 
John  Buckley,  Supervisors ;  ^I.  B.  Patchin,  Town  Clerk  ; 
Henry  J.  Schroeder,  Treasurer. 

The  village  of  Fremont  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Wolf  River,  and  contains  300  people.  It  has  a  hotel, 
seven  stores,  two  schools  (one  graded)  and  one  steam  saw- 
mill.    The  Odd  Fellows  have  a  flourishing  lodge. 

Quite  a  tragic  event,  in  the  estimation  of  both  whites 
and  Indians  living  in  this  vicinity,  was  the  death  of  Wau- 
Ke-John,  a  brave  war  chief  of  the  Menoraonees.  The  event 
occurred  during  the  summer  of  1852,  while  the  tribe  were 


and  at  the  same  time  engaged  in  buying  stock  and  driving  it  north. 
He  moved  to  New  London  in  1865,  and  for  several  years  followed 
the  livery  business  there.  In  November,  1868,  he  came  to  Clinton- 
ville, buying  what  was  then  the  only  "  hotel  "  or  stopping  place  at 
the  "Pigeon."  In  1872,  the  Ward  House  was  built,"  and  has 
since  been  deservedly  well  patronized.  Mr.  Ward  is  a  Masnn, 
and  a  genial,  wholesouled  landlord. 

FREMONT. 

This  is  the  smallest  town  in  the  county,  containing 
but  twenty  sections  of  land.  North  of  it  are  the  towns  of 
Weyauwega  and  Caledonia,  and  west  Lind  and  Weyauwega. 
It  is  in  the  southern  tier  of  towns,  being  organized  in  1865. 
The  first  town  meeting  was  held  in  the  village  of  Fremont, 
in  April,  1865,  the  first  settlement  having  been  made  as  far 
back  as  the  spring  of  1849,  by  Riley  Eastman.  The  post 
office  was  first  established  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in 
1853,  with  Ira  Sumner  as  Postmaster.  Its  location  was 
afterward  changed  to  the  west  side.     The  first  sermon  was 


on  their  way  down  the  river  to  Winneconne  after  ammu- 
nition. According  to  W.  A.  Springer's  account,  a  Chip- 
pewa, with  whom  Wau-Ke-John  was  not  on  good  terms, 
shot  him  through  the  heart  from  his  boat,  as  the  chief  was 
about  to  land  on  the  marsh  above  Fremont.  On  the  other 
hand,  Hon.  H.  C.  Mumbrue,  who  was  in  that  locality  at 
about  the  time  of  the  occurrence,  was  told  that  the  afi"air 
was  accidental,  that  the  unfortunate  chief,  being  between 
two  Indians  who  were  quarreling,  one  of  them  shot  at  his 
enemy,  and  mortally  wounded  Wau-Ke-John.  At  all  events, 
the  mourning  among  the  whites  and  Indians  was  sincere. 
The  body  was  buried  with  honors,  at  the  "  back  lodges," 
near  the  cut-off,  two  miles  above  Gill's  Landing. 

BIOGR.\PHICAL   SKETCHES. 

CYRKNUS  KINSMAN,  merchant,  Fremont;  born  Oct.  10, 
1831,  in  Northfield,  Washington  Co.,  Vt. ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1847,  locating  near  Milwaukee,  where  he  remained  about  nine 
years;  he  then  spent  a  year  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co..  Wis.,  and,  in 
1856,  came  to  Fremont;  his  brother.  C.  C.  Kinsman,  and  himself, 


HISTORY    OF   WAUPACA    COUNTY. 


then  bought  the  old  Sumner  House,  in  which  he  was  interested 
a  year;  he  then  engaged  in  farming;  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
A,  8th  W.  V.  I.,  served  two  years  and  four  months  under  Grant 
and  Sherman,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Frederickton,  Farm- 
ington,  Corinth,  luka.  Island  No.  10,  Jackson,  and  the  seige  of 
Vicksburg ;  his  company  was  the  first  to  stack  arms  in  the  capital 
of  Mississippi ;  Mr.  Kinsman  was  honorably  discharged  in  Madi- 
son, Wis.,  Jan.  1,  1864,  on  account  of  disability  ;  for  eight  years 
thereafter  he  was  in  partnership  with  J.  N.  Kinsman  in  the  mer- 
cantile and  produce  business.  Mr.  Kinsman  and  C.  H.  Sherburne 
own  about  1,200  acres  of  marsh  land  on  the  Wolf  River,  and  Mr. 
Sherburne  and  himself  own  a  store  in  Fremont.  He  married 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Sherburne  (nee  Smedley)  ;  by  her  he  has  two  chil- 
dren— ^John  C.  and  George  A.  By  her  former  husband  Mrs. 
Kinsman  has  two  sons — C.  H.  and  William  E.  Mr.  Kinsman 
has  an  elegant  home  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village ;  it  is  a  hand- 
.some  two-story  brick,  the  upright  24x30,  21  feet  high,  and  wing 
18x24.  In  politics,  Mr.  Kinsman  has  served  as  Supervisor,  and 
is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Town  Treasurer.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Weyauwega  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

J.  N.  KINSMAN,  merchant  and  Postmaster,  Fremont;  born 
Sept.  21,  1828,  in  Northfield,  Washington  Co.,  Vt.  In  1856, 
he,  with  his  brothers — Cyrenus,  C.  C.,and  a  brother-in-law,  John 
Bender — came  to  Fremont,  bought  twelve  village  lots,  on  one  of 
which  Messrs.  Bender  &  Kinsman  built  a  warehouse.  They 
were  partners  fourteen  years.  Then  the  brothers,  Cyrenus  and  J. 
N.,  were  together  three  years.  Since  then  he  has  had  various 
partners,  but  is  now  alone  in  business.  He  has  been  Postmaster 
here  for  the  past  four  or  five  years ;  is  a  member  of  Fremont 
Lodge,  No.  21H,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  and  Weyauwega  Lodge,  No.  82,  A., 
F.  &  A.  M.  He  married,  in  186.3,  Jane  C.  Chalmers,  a  native 
of  Manchester,  England  ;  Mrs.  Kinsman  is  a  thoroughly  educated 
and  accomplished  lady  ;  her  early  life  was  spent  in  France,  and 
she  is  familiar  with  half  a  dozen  languages  ;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren— James,  OIlie  and  Guy,  all  born  in  Fremont. 

WILLIAM  A.  SPRINGER,  farmer  and  nurseryman.  Sec. 
26,  P.  O.  Fremont.  Born  April  21,  1818,  in  the  town  of 
Movers,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1849,  he  came  from  there  to 
Little  River,  Waupaca  Co,  Wis.;  here  he  and  C.  F.  Eaton  re- 
built the  dam  and  restocked  the  saw-mill  of  E.  Townsend.  In 
1850,  he  came  to   Fremont  and  pre-empted  part  of  his  farm  on 


Springer's  Point ;  bought  it  in  1852.  Springer's  Point,  .so  named 
for  him,  was  his  home  until  1874  ;  he  then  settled  where  he  now 
is ;  has  260  acres ;  ten  acres  are  devoted  to  the  nursery ;  Mr. 
Springer  makes  a  specialty  of  hardy  varieties  of  apples.  He 
originated  the  Wolf  River,  the  Addie,  and  the  Mary.  At  one 
time  Mr.  Springer  was  a  large  land-owner,  and  bought,  sold  and 
exchanged  land  without  end.  He  has,  doubtless,  cleared  and  im- 
proved as  much  land  as  any  man  in  Waupaca  Co.  His  is  the 
only  nursery  in  the  county.  He  married  in  his  and  her  native 
town,  Joanna  Eaton  ;  they  have  two  daughters  and  two  sons;  the 
girls  were  born  in  New  ^ork  State  and  the  sons  in  Fremont.  Mr. 
Springer  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 

JOSEPHUS  WAKEFIELD,  Fremont,  was  born  at  Water- 
town,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  10,  1819;  received  an  academic 
education  ;  studied  law  with  Judge  Hubbard,  of  New  York  ;  held 
a  Captain's  commission,  under  Gov.  Wright,  in  a  Watertown  mil- 
itary company ;  went  South  in  1846;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1849; 
first  settled  in  Outagamie,  then  a  portion  of  Brown  Co. ;  was  a 
member  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors  of  said  county,  and  first 
Postmaster  at  Medina,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  etc.  Came  to 
Waupaca  Co.  in  1855  ;  settled  in  Fremont,  where  he  still  resides; 
is  now  engaged  mainly  in  farming  ;  served  as  District  Attorney 
during  1871  and  '72;  was  Court  Commissioner  for  six  years,  com- 
mencing in  1872,  and  has  long  held  the  oflBce  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace;  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  the  fall  of  1881  and  i.s 
an  old  and  respected  resident  of  Waupaca  Co. 

DUPONT. 
This  town,  one  of  the  northera  tier,  and  west  of  Larra- 
bee,  was  first  settled  in  1857,  by  0.  A.  Quimby,  it  being 
organized  in  1864,  with  the  following  officers:  M.  Griffin, 
Chairman  ;  0.  A.  Quimby,  M.  Farrell,  Supervisors ;  J.  P. 
Quimby,  Treasurer :  0.  A.  Quimby,  Justice.  B.  Quimby 
taught  the  first  school  in  1859,  the  first  house  for  educa- 
tional purposes  being  built  the  next  year.  llev.  Silas  Miller 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  1859.  There  is  no  church 
building  in  the  town.  G.  W.  Quimby  owned  the  first  store, 
built  in  1866,  the  first  saw-mill  being  erected  two  years 
later  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Perry.  D.  J.  Quimby  was  the  first 
Postmaster,  the  office  having  been  established  in  1863. 


HISTORY    OK    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


WAUSHARA    COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL    CHARACTERISTICS. 

The  area  embraced  by  this  county  is  about  414,000 
acres  of  land.  It  is  estimated  that  fifty  per  cent  of  this  may 
be  called  "openings;"  thirty  per  cent  marsh;  fifteen  per 
cent  timber,  and  five  per  cent  prairie.  The  chief  disadvan- 
tage of  the  soil,  in  both  the  prairie  and  the  openings,  is  its 
extreme  sandiness.  The  timber  is  oak,  hickory,  maple, 
bass  and  ash.  The  eastern  part  of  the  county  has  the  most 
productive  soil,  and  the  marshy  portions  are  admirably  fit- 
ted for  cranberry  culture,  and  for  hay  raising;  immense 
crops  of  the  former  are  harvested  in  the  southeastern  part. 
Wild  fruits  grow  in  great  profusion,  which  argues  the  suc- 
cessful production  of  the  cultivated  kinds.  Large  deposits 
of  marl  are  found,  which  is  valuable  as  a  fertilizer.  There 
are  considerable  beds  of  the  quality  of  clay  that  produces 
cream-colored  brick,  and  which  is  also  adapted[to  the  making 
of  stoneware.  The  principal  crops  are  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
corn  and  hops.  About  15,000  acres  of  wheat  are  sown 
annually.  The  character  of  the  surface  is  generally  level, 
though  there  are  some  bluifs  in  the  northern  and  central 
parts.  The  region  is  well  watered,  lakes  varying  in  size 
from  one  acre  to  a  section  of  land,  being  scattered  profusely 
over  it.  Lake  Poygan  encroaches  on  its  eastern  boundary, 
and  covers  about  four  sections  of  land.  The  Fox  cuts  off 
the  southeastern  corner,  and  is  its  largest  river ;  it  flows  in 
a  northeasterly  direction,  and  no  stream  of  any  size  enters 
it  within  the  limits  of  the  county.  Pine  River,  that  drains 
the  northeastern  half  and  enters  Lake  Poygan,  is  the  stream 
second  in  size;  it  affords  fair  water-powers.  Willow  Creek, 
which  performs  the  same  office  for  the  central  and  south- 
eastern section,  and  has  its  outlet  but  a  short  distance  from 
the  Pine  into  the  same  lake,  is  next  in  importance.  White 
River  and  Pine  Creek  are  tributaries  of  the  Fox,  and  drain 
the  southern  portion.  All  these  streams  offer  facilities  for 
manufacturing.  Both  lakes  and  rivers  abound  in  fish.  It 
is  said  that,  "at  one  time  there  were  so  many  fish  below 
the  dam  at  Poysippi,  that  people  took  them  away  by  wagon 
loads,  catching  them  in  their  bare  hands,  and  throwing  them 
into  their  wagon  boxes  as  fast  as  they  could  pick  them  up." 
By  the  boring  of  artesian  wells,  water  can  be  obtained  at  a 
depth  of  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet.  Almost  every 
farm  has  a  fountain  or  flowing  well.  The  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral Railroad  passes  through  the  western  tier  of  towns. 

EARLY    HISTORY. 

The  territory  within  the  present  limits  of  Waushara 
County  was,  in  1848,  owned  by  the  Indians,  but,  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year,  two  brothers,  Isaac  and  William  War- 
wick, veterans  of  the  Mexican  war,  made  a  claim  to  land  on 
Section  2,  now  in  the  town  of  Marion.  They  built  a  log 
shanty  8x10  feet,  and  covered  it  witli  sods  ;  but  later,  Isaac 
took  two  yokes  of  oxen  and  went  to  Stevens'  Point  for  lumber, 
with  which  they  put  their  house  in  more  substantial  shape. 
The  Indian  Agent  and  the  Chief  of  the  Menomonees  ordered 
the  Warwicks  to  leave,  but  the  Chief  recalled  his  order  in 
consideration  of  their  breaking  up  some  land  for  a  field  of 


corn  for  him.  In  1849,  a  new  road  was  opened  from  Berlin 
to  what  is  now  Wautoma ;  other  lands  were  purchased,  and 
new  settlers  arrived.  Philip  Green,  in  the  winter  of  1848-49, 
settled  on  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  Wautoma,  build- 
ing a  shanty ;  but  the  following  spring  he  sold  to  Mr. 
Atkins,  who  kept  a  tavern  there  during  the  winter,  in  the 
summer  keeping  a  tavern  near  Strong's  Landing. 

AVarren  was  settled  in  1849,  by  John  C.  Williams,  W. 
F.  Chipman,  John  A.  Dedrick,  and  others,  the  first  shanty 

being   built  by Waterman.     Lewis   H.    Bagg   and 

Mr.  Shepherd  settled  Sand  Prairie.  The  first  school  was  a 
select  one,  taught  by  Mrs.  Diana  Carr,  who  lived  with  Mr. 
Bagg's  people  at  the  time.  The  first  district  school  was 
opened  in  1851. 

Warden,  a  bee-hunter,  was  the  first  settler  at  Leon, 
though  he  remained  but  a  short  time.  This  was  in  1849. 
In  the  same  year,  at  Mount  Morris,  in  the  central  part  of 
the  county,  claims  were  taken  by  E.  W.  Alford  and  William 
Tibbett;  in  the  western  part,  town  of  Plainfield,  by  Thomas 
Kelley  and  his  son,  William  N.  Kelley,  W.  W.  Beach, 
Leonard  Wilcox  and  William  Lord ;  the  latter  kept  a  tavern 
in  the  town  of  Oasis.  Mr.  Beach  did  not  settle  until  some 
time  later.  In  1852,  E.  C.  Waterman  and  Charles  Hamil- 
ton located  in  Plainfield. 

ORGAXIZATIOX. 

The  county  of  Waushara  comprises  eighteen  townships. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  and  is  thirty-six  miles 
long  and  eighteen  miles  wide.  It  was  organized  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature  approved  February  15,  1851.  It  was 
organized  into  one  town,  bearing  the  same  name  as  the 
county,  and  the  county  seat  was  temporarily  located  at 
Sacramento.  It  was  attached  to  Marquette  for  judicial 
purposes.  The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Cyrus  Langworthy.  The  first  election  occurred  in  1851, 
and  Thomas  H.  Walker  was  made  County  Judge ;  Joseph 
Garland,  Clerk  of  the  Board ;  Allyn  Bourdman,  Clerk  of 
the  Court ;  George  Babcock,  District  Attorney ;  Vernon 
Evans,  Sheriff";  James  Saunders,  Treasurer  ;  J.  S.  Bugle, 
Register  of  Deeds ;  Charles  N.  Strumway,  Surveyor,  and 
A.  B.  Foster,  Coroner.  The  vote  was  canvassed  by  E.  W. 
Daniels,  D.  H.  Robinson,  Justices,  and  I.  R.  Rogers,  Clerk 
pro  tern.  The  Board  of  Supervisors — C.  N.  Shumway, 
Mathew  Devoe,  and  I.  R.  Rogers — had  their  first  meeting, 
at  the  house  of  C.  Langworthy,  on  the  11th  of  November. 

In  1852,  the  county  was  organized  for  judicial  purposes, 
and  in  September,  1854,  the  county  seat  was  removed  to 
Wautoma.  There  were  740  votes  cast  on  the  question  of 
removal,  397  of  which  were  in  the  afiirmative.  When  the 
county  business  was  first  removed  to  Wautoma,  the  court 
sessions  were  held  over  Marble  &  Curtis'  store,  without  cost 
to  the  county.  The  rooms  for  the  Treasurer  and  Clerk  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  furnished  by  C.  M.  Shumway; 
that  for  the  Register  and  Clerk  of  the  Court,  by  Alvah 
Nash;  that  for  the  Sheriff's  office  by  W.  C.  Webb,  while 
the  schoolhouse  was  used  for  the  Grand  Jury  room.      Within 


HISTORY   OF  WAUSHARA    COUNTY. 


one  month  after  the  election,  all  the  officers  were  at  the  new 
county  seat.  The  first  building  owned  by  the  county  for  a 
court  house  was  bought  in  1857,  of  G.  W.  Smith,  for  $1,237, 
the  deed  being  given  April  30.  There  has  been  but  one 
change  in  the  boundary  of  the  county,  and  by  that  two  sec- 
tions— one  containing  the  old  county  seat,  Saci'amento — 
were  made  a  part  of  Green  Lake  County. 

WAUTOMA. 

This  is  a  pleasant,  quiet  little  village,  the  county  seat, 
situated  nearly  in  the  center  of  Waushara  County.  Its 
population  is  about  500.  Besides  a  general  trade  of  some 
amount,  it  has  a  grist  mill,  run  by  water-power,  Aug. 
Weishner,  proprietor ;  two  wagon  manufacturers,  J.  &  T. 
McKeague  and  Charles  Kingsley,  respectively,  proprietors ; 
a  glove  and  mitten  manufactory,  S.  M.  Olds,  proprietor. 
Wautoma  has  no  railroad,  but  has  communication  with  the 
iron  band  through  a  line  of  stages  from  Plainfield  to  Berlin. 

The  original  settler  upon  the  site  of  the  village  of  Wau- 
toma was  Phillip  Green,  in  the  winter  of  1848-49  ;  he 
built  a  log-house,  which  was  used  as  a  tavern.  Soon  after, 
a  Mr.  Atkins  purchased  his  claim,  and,  later,  the  Shumway 
Brothers,  who  settled  in  the  early  part  of  1850.  The 
country  was  then  rich  in  pine,  and  the  latter  improved  the 
water-power,  built  a  saw  mill  and  store  house,  and  christened 
the  settlement  "  Shumway's  Mills."  The  next  year  John 
Bugh  opened  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village,  and 
is  identified  with  its  growth.  F.  Munson  bought  a  stock  of 
goods  from  Ohio  in  1852,  and  opened  the  first  general  store 
in  Shumway's  storehouse.  In  1853,  from  Dane  County, 
came  David  L.  Bunn,  present  County  Judge,  and  estab- 
lished a  store.  About  the  same  time,  L.  L.  Soule  located 
himself  and  family  upon  the  land  where  his  residence  now 
stands,  and,  as  he  expresses  it,  "  built  a  house  ai-ound 
them."  His  law  office  was  over  Judge  Bunn's  store.  Mr. 
Soule  has  resided  here  since,  having  been  District  Attorney 
ten  years,  and  a  man  of  prominence  in  business  and  his 
profession.  The  first  hotel  was  the  Wautoma  House,  N. 
W.  Boynton,  proprietor. 

The  original  plat  of  the  village  of  Wautoma  was  recorded 
December  24,  1853,  S.  W.  Hall,  surveyor,  and  William 
Everhard,  proprietor.  The  latter  had  purchased  the  Shum- 
way claim,  which  included  the  land  platted.  G.  W.  Smith 
purchased  of  him  a  half  interest  in  the  village  property, 
and  the  two  built  a  grist-mill,  which  was  in  running  order 
by  the  winter  of  1854.  This  year  was  an  important  one 
for  Wautoma.  She  received  several  important  accessions 
to  her  population,  among  other  arrivals  being  that  of  Dr. 
Moses  Barrett,  a  physician,  afterward  County  Treasurer, 
and  the  recipient  of  many  public  favors.  Marble  &  Curtis 
established  another  general  store.  The  county  seat,  which 
for  the  past  three  years — since  the  organization  of  the 
county,  in  fact — had  been  located  at  the  village  of  Sacra- 
mento, on  the  Fox  River,  three  miles  from  Berlin,  was 
changed  by  vote  of  the  people  to  Wautoma.  There  has 
been  no  reversal  of  the  popular  vote  which  located  Wautoma 
as  the  county  seat.  This  decided,  the  village  grew  as 
rapidly  as  others  in  its  vicinity  up  to  the  time  that  it  foiled 
to  obtain  connection  by  railroad.  Now  it  has  a  population 
of  some  five  hundred,  as  stated,  has  a  fair  general  trade, 
four  manufactories,  a  hotel,  a  village  school,  two  churches — 
the  Congregational  and  M.  E. — two  lodges  of  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  a  flourishing  weekly  newspaper,  controlled  by 


J.    T.   Ellarson,    who  also  is  proprietor  of  the   Plainfield 
Times. 

In  March,  1859,  the  Waushara  Argus  was  established, 
as  the  Waushara  County  Argus,  by  Pulcifer  (D.  H.)  &  Co., 
at  the  village  of  Pine  River.  In  May  it  was  removed  to 
Wautoma,  but  without  change  of  proprietors.  J.  W.  Rist 
&  Co.  became  the  proprietors  in  the  fall  of  1859.  Up  to 
March  1,  1863,  when  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to 
the  Waushara  Argus,  the  diiferent  proprietors  had  been  : 
W.  C.  Webb,  1860 ;  Hall  &  Stowers,  1861 ;  A.  P.  Lackerby 
&  Stowers,  1862.  In  1865,  W.  S.  Munroe  succeeded  Mr. 
Lackerby  and  the  control  of  the  same  passed  from  his  hands 
into  those  of  R.  L.  D.  Potter  in  1867.  In  1872,  Mr. 
Munroe  became  sole  proprietor  again.  Thus  he  continued 
until  August  13,  1880,  when  J.  T.  Ellarson  became  editor 
and  proprietor.  He  still  continues  to  act  in  the  latter  ca- 
pacity, but  in  September,  1881,  S.  A.  Jewell  became 
editor.  The  ^r^MS  is  a  good  county  paper,  and  is  a  stanch 
Republican  in  politics. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

J.  N.  P.  BIRD,  Wautoma ;  was  born  at  Munsville,  Madison 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  9,  18H5.  In  1837,  his  parents  removed  to  Mad- 
ison, Wis.,  taking  him  with  them,  where  he  remained  until  1859. 
During  the  years  1857-58,  he  was  engaged  in  baking  and  con- 
fectionery business;  in  1859,  removed  to  Wautoma.  At  the 
breaking-out  of  the  war  he  enlisted  in  the  three  months'  service, 
but  the  company  was  not  organized  ;  re-enlisted  in  the  "  North- 
western Tigers,"  July,  1861  ;  the  company  was  assigned  as  Co.  J, 
7th  W.  V.  I.  He  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,  Dec.  27, 
1861  ;  April,  1862,  through  some  jealousy,  there  was  an  attempt 
made  to  have  him  shot  for  exciting  a  sedition;  he  was  arraigned  and 
tried  by  a  Field  Court  Martial ;  managed  his  own  defense,  com- 
pletely showing  up  the  flilsity  of  the  charge,  wringing  from  the 
Captain,  who  preferred  the  charge,  fears  as  well  as  the  statement 
that  he  had  never  disobeyed  an  order  or  behaved  himself  unbe- 
coming an  officer  and  a  gentleman  ;  was  in  due  time  acquitted 
and  presented  by  his  company  with  a  valuable  sword,  sas-h  and 
belt  as  a  testimonial  of  their  appreciation  He  was  wounded  at  the 
second  battle  of  Bull  Run  ;  was  placed  on  recruiting  service ;  pro- 
moted to  Captain  Feb.  27,  1 863  ;  was  assigned  to  duty  in  22d 
Army  Corps,  in  command  of  paroled  prisoners'  camp,  and  through 
his  exertions  the  prisoners  were  relieved  from  much  suffering.  In 
time  the  men  were  sent  to  their  regiments  and  the  civilians  dis- 
charged and  furnished  transportation  home.  The  camp  was  re-or- 
ganized as  a  camp  of  disiribution,  Capt.  J.  C.  Davis  commanding, 
Capt.  Bird,  Acting  Assistant  A.  G.  Soon  Capt.  Bird  was  placed 
in  command  ;  during  the  winter  was  relieved  from  this  camp  and 
took  command  of  the  3d  Division,  rendezvous  of  distribution,  Va., 
composed  of  the  New  England  troops,  where  he  won  additional 
honors,  and  received  from  his  command  a  valuable  gold  watch, 
and  many  other  testimonials  of  esteem,  as  well  as  being  frequent- 
ly complimented  for  the  soldierly  bearing  of  his  men  and  their 
perfect  military  discipline.  While  in  command  of  this  division, 
he  was  frequently  detailed  temporarily  to  act  as  A.  A.  G.  and  A. 
Q.  M.  G.,  and  filled  a  number  of  other  responsible  positions,  all 
with  credit.  About  March,  1864,  he  took  charge  of  the  two  mess 
houses  in  camp,  with  about  300  detailed  men,  where  he  lost  none 
of  his  popularity,  as  the  following  re-print  from  the  Soldiers' 
Journal,  a  Virginia  paper,  will  attest :  "  Capt.  Bird,  who  has  won 
such  an  enviable  reputation  as  commander  of  the  3d  Division,  has 
assumed  charge  of  the  two  mess  houses,  where  he  is  reaping  ad- 
ditional honors."  August.  1864,  he  returned  to  his  old  company, 
then  in  front  of  Petersburg,  and  remained  with  them  in  the 
trenches,  etc.,  until  mustered  out  of  the  service,  Sept.  26,  1864,  hav- 
ing then  over-served  his  time  of  enlistment.  He  returned  to 
Washino;ton,  settled  with  the  Government  without  any  disagree- 
ment in  accounts,  save  that  he  gave  the  Government  credit  for  six 


iii6 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


artillery-men's  jackets,  more  than  were  charged  to  him.  The 
clerks  stated  that  was  the  first  case  of  the  kind  they  had  ever 
known  of,  and  that  they  were  at  a  loss  how  to  report  it,  when  the 
Captain  made  an  affidavit  that  he  had  over-drawn  six  jackets, 
issued  them  to  his  men,  and  presented  their  receipts.  He 
returned  to  Wautoma  in  December,  1864,  and  commenced 
farming  in  the  spring  of  1865;  has  continued  to  live  on 
and  work  his  farm,  hiring  most  of  the  work  done,  ever  since. 
Has  been  in  public  office  most  of  the  time  since  1865,  as  Chair- 
man of  the  towns  of  Dakota  and  Wautoma,  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  a  number  of  years,  member  of  the  Wisconsin  Assembly, 
1869-79.  President  of  the  Waushara  County  Agricultural  So- 
ciety since  1874;  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  since  1879; 
doing  a  general  insurance  business  and  attorney  and  claims  agent. 
He  was  married  at  Woodstock,  111.,  Feb.  11,  1864,  to  Miss  Char- 
lotte S.  Parker,  who  was  born  in  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  in  1841.  His 
wife  returned  with  him  to  camp  in  Virginia,  and  nursed  him 
through  a  very  severe  sickness  of  inflammation  of  the  stomach.  The 
children  of  this  union  are  Vinnie,  Mabel  6.  and  Robert  K. 

IRA  P.  COON,  Sheriff  of  Waushara  Co.,  Wautoma,  .settled 
at  Berlin,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  and  their  family  in  1856. 
They  lived  there  until  1861  ;  then  they  moved  to  Wautoma,  where 
they  have  since  lived.  He  was  elected  County  Sheriff  in  1874; 
was  re-elected  in  the  fall  of  1880.  He  was  born  in  Milan,  Ohio, 
June  25,  1850.  He  was  married  at  Wautoma  in  187.!,  to  Mary 
E.  Lyman,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  16,  1851. 
They  have  two  children— Carrie  F.  and  Ira  L. 

JACKSON  J.  HAWLEY,  Register  of  Deeds,  Wautoma, 
was  born  in  South  New  Berlin,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  25,  1843;  settled  at 
Prairieville,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  in  1844,  where  they  lived 
about  two  years  and  then  moved  to  Waukau,  Winnebago  Co., 
and  lived  two  years.  They  then  moved  to  Poysippi,  where  his 
parents  still  live.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  8th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol. 
Infy  ,  Sept.  18,  1861,  and  served  until  Sept.  16,  1864.  He  re- 
turned to  Poysippi,  and  in  January  following,  clerked  in  Laud  Com- 
missioner's office,  at  Madison,  remaining  about  one  year,  and  re- 
turned home  and  assisted  his  father,  Mr.  Geo.  Hawley,  in  his 
mill,  etc.  In  January,  1875,  be  took  his  office  of  Register  of  Deeds, 
being  elected  in  fall  of  1874,  and  he  has  been  elected  the  succeed- 
ing terms,  including  1880.  He  was  married  in  Waushara  Co., 
January,  1868,  to  Marion  H.  Chamberlin,  who  was  bprn  in  New 
Y^ork,  September,  1844.     They  have  one  son — George  F. 

ROBERT  L.  D.  POTTER,  attorney  at  law  and  Circuit 
Court  Commissioner  for  the  County  of  Waushara,  Wautoma,  was 
born  in  Hillsdale,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  5,  1833.  Here  he 
spent  his  early  school  days  and  attended  the  Academy  at  Great 
Barrington,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  his  parents  having  moved  in 
that  county,  in  1842.  In  1853,  he  became  Tutor  in  the  Eastern 
High  School  in  Northhampton  Co.,  Pa.,  three  years;  during  that 
time  he  also  read  law  in  his  leisure  hours.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  in  1857.  He  came  West  in 
October  of  the  same  year,  and  settled  at  Wautoma,  where  he  has 
since  remained.  He  immediately  began  the  practice  of  law.  He 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  the  fall  of  1872,  and  served  two 
terms,  being  re-elected  in  1874.  He  was  the  author  of  the  cele- 
brated Potter  law,  enacted  at  the  session  of  1874,  that  being 
the  law  that  created  a  great  interest  at  the  time  for  the  reduc- 
tion of  tariff  on  the  railroads  throughout  Wisconsin.  He 
was  married  at  Wautoma,  Feb.  5,  1861,  to  Kmeline  Bingham, 
who  was  born  in  New  Milford,  Pa.  They  have  four  children — 
Clara  E.,  Ellen  E.,  Sherman  G.  and  Mary  A. 

CHARLES  P.  SOULE,  printer  and  farmer,  Wautoma,  was 
born  in  Potter  Tp.,  Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  23,  1843  ;  he  emigrated 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  and  lived  with  them  until  he  was 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  helped  print  the  first  paper  that 
was  edited  at  Wautoma.  He  was  married  at  this  place,  March 
28,  1868,  to  Nancv  A.  KcMit,  wlio  wns  born  in  Pierpont, 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  23,  1850.     They   have  two    children— L.  L.   Soule 


and  Lewis  M.  Mr.  S.  enlisted  in  the  3d  Wis.  Vol.  Infy..  at  Nee- 
nah,  Dec.  23, 1863,  and  served  until  July  18,  1865,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

ALLEN  L.  TRUFANT  &  SON,  dealers  in  groceries,  crock- 
ery, etc.,  Wautoma  ;  first  settled  here  in  January,  1856.  He  fol- 
lowed manufacturing  boots  and  shoes  two  years,  after  which  he 
went  into  general  merchandise,  which  he  followed  untill  1874. 
He  was  born  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  Oct.  15,  1824,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Delia  A.  Joy,  in  Winthrop,  Me.,  May,  1845.  She 
was  born  in  Winthrop,  November,  1828.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Ella  F.  (now  married  to  Mr.  A.  Walker  and  living  in 
Wautoma),  Mary  E.  (married  to  A.  Benum  and  living  in  St.  At- 
kinson, Wis.),  Allen  L.,  Jr.  (in  company  with  his  father  in  the 
store).  Allen  L.,  was  born  in  Winthrop,  Me  ,  May  19, 1850. 
He  was  married  Dec.  27,  1872,  to  Miss  Attie  E.  Brown,  who  was 
born  in  Lima,  Wis.,  Dec.  17,  1854.  Thcv  had  two  children — 
Stella  F.  and  Mary  B.  Mrs.  Allen  L.  Trufant,  Jr.,  died  Feb.  9. 
1881. 

JAMES  M.  WHITMAN,  physician  and  surgeon,  also  pro- 
prietor of  drug  store,  Wautoma,  settled  in  Rock  Co.  in  1 844, 
with  his  parents,  and  lived  there  about  ten  years  on  a  farm.  From 
there  they  moved  to  Waupaca  Co.  and  lived  on  a  farm.  The  doc- 
tor followed  teaching  until  1859.  Prior  to  this  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  attended  the  Rush  Medical  College  of 
Chicago  and  received  his  deploraa  in  1861.  He  soon  went  to 
Marquette  Co.  and  practiced  medicine  about  one  year,  then  he 
came  to  Wautoma,  where  he  has  since  resided  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  connection  with  the  drug  business.  He  was  born 
in  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  19,  1832;  was  married  in  Port- 
age Co.  in  1859,  to  Miss  Adaline  M.  Taylor,  who  was  born  in 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y,,  June,  1842.  They  have  three  children— 
Addie  B.,  Ella  F.  and  Hattie  M. 


PLAINFIELD. 

One  of  the  most  wide-awake  and  driving  villages  on 
the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  is  PlainSeld, 
situated  in  the  western  part  of  Waushara  County.  In  1852 
E.  C.  Waterman  settled  on  land  which  is  now  the  site  of 
the  village  and  erected  a  shanty,  16x12.  which  he  used  as  a 
dwelling-house  and  "  hotel."  This  building  was  afterward 
enlarged  into  the  nucleus  of  the  Plainfield  House,  still 
standing  on  Main  street.  Mr.  Waterman  died  in  the  vil- 
lage. In  March,  1855,  W.  W.  Beach,  still  living  and  one 
of  the  most  honored  of  her  citizens,  settled  in  the  village 
and  built  the  next  house.  Charles  Hamilton  was  among 
the  very  earliest  settlers  of  the  town.  He,  with  Messrs. 
Waterman  and  Beach,  built  the  first  schoolhouse.  and  Mary 
Chester  taught  the  young  ideas  how  to  properly  grow.  The 
very  first  settler  in  the  town  was  William  Kelley.  who  lo- 
cated on  a  piece  of  land  just  south  of  the  village  in  1848. 
For  some  time  after,  the  little  settlement  which  was  collect- 
ing on  the  present  site  of  Plainfield  was  called  Norwich  ; 
but  when  a  post  office  was  to  be  located  and  it  became  nec- 
essary to  choose  a  name,  "  Plainfield  "  was  decided  upon,  at 
the  suggestion  of  E.  C.  Waterman,  the  Postmaster,  whose 
home  in  Vermont  was  so  called.  This  was  in  1855.  About 
this  time  came  G.  W.  Sheardown,  present  Postmaster,  and 
Charles  Mann.  The  former  erected  the  second  house  after 
Mr.  Beach's,  and  the  latter  the  third.  The  location  of  a 
post  office  and  platting  of  a  village  is  always  the  signal  for 
a  fresh  growth.  Having  been  named,  the  village  was  plat- 
ted the  same  year  by  S.  W.  Hall,  Surveyor,  for  E.  C. 
Waterman,  proprietor.  Other  additions  have  since  been 
made,  the  most  important  being  Hamilton's  addition.  Pre- 
vious to  1855,  quite  a  number   had    located    in    the    town, 


HISTORY   OF   WAUSHARA    COUNTY. 


among  the  most  prominent  being  Judge  T.  H.  Walker,  the 
first  County  Judge,  who  came  in  18r?0  ;  Jesse  Bentley  and 
family,  in  the  same  year,  and  Samuel  Westbrook  in  1852. 
The  first  grist-mill,  a  saw-mill  being  run  in  connection  with 
it,  was  erected  by  Cady  &  Chamberlain  in  1856.  This  was 
burned  in  1857  and  rebuilt.  The  first  general  store  in  the 
village  had  been  opened  the  previous  year  (1855)  by  Beach 
&  Chester.  Thus  the  groundwork  was  laid  by  1856  for  the 
present  energetic  little  village,  which  now  has  half  a  dozen 
flourishing  general  stores — hard  ware,  drug  and  miscellaneous 
establishments,  several  manufactories  and  hotels,  a  school, 
two  churches  and  a  newspaper.  One  of  the  best  buildings 
in  the  village  was  erected  by  J.  B.  Mitchell  in  1880.  His 
hotel  is  one  of  the  best  in  this  section. 

The  village  school  has  two  grades.  The  Baptist  denom- 
ination has  a  society,  but  no  settled  pastor.  The  Method- 
ists have  a  new  church  building,  dedicated  in  the  summer 
of  1881,  and  a  society  of  seventy  members,  whose  pastor  is 
Rev.  W.  H.  Chynoweth. 

J.  W.  Durham  operates  a  grist  and  planing  mill,  and 
James  Ingell  is  about  to  put  a  feed  and  flour  mill  in  opera- 
tion. O'Cain  &  Williams  run  a  flour-mill.  There  are  two 
wagon-shops,  owned  by  J.  L.  Kretzer  and  McKeague  & 
Brother.  A  mere  mention  of  the  leading  features  and  busi- 
ness men  of  the  place  gives  some  idea  of  the  life  and  energy 
to  be  seen  daily  on  its  streets. 

J.  T.  Ellarson  is  proprietor  of  the  Plainfield  Times, 
which  has  now  entered  its  sixth  volume,  and  is  Republican 
in  politics. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

SHERMAN  BARDWELL,  dealer  in  general  merchandise, 
real  esiate  and  stock,  Plainfield;  first  located  at  this  place  May 
22,  1856,  and  began  the  mercaniile  business  in  1862;  he  started 
the  first  printing  office  in  the  village  in  1877,  and  built  the  first 
grain  elevator  in  1876,  and  started  the  first  manufacturing  inter- 
ests in  the  place;  he  was  born  in  Allegany  Co  ,  N.  ¥.,  Aug.  17, 
1828,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  ;  he 
was  a  member  of  our  Legislature  in  1872.  He  was  married  in 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  22,  1856,  to  Roxana  Swift  who  was 
born  in  Avon,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  she  died  leaving  one 
daughter — Charlotte  M.,  now  Mrs.  George  B.  Fox,  and  livint;  in 
Plainfield.  Mr.  B.  was  again  married  at  the  same  place  in  New 
York  to  Esther  Sherman  ;  they  had  four  children — Mary  A., 
Frank  D.,  Jay  and  Grace.  Mrs.  Bardwell  died  July  16,  1875  ; 
he  was  again  married  in  March,  1876,  to  Alice  H.  La  Selle,  who 
was  born  in  Swanton,  Vt.,  Feb.  5,  1850. 

WALTER  W.  BEACH,  Deputy  Sherifi"  of  Waushara  Co., 
Plainfield  ;  was  born  in  Chittenden,  Vt,  Oct.  3,  1823,  and  lived 
in  that  State  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age,  then  went  into 
Canada  with  machinery  for  the  first  woolen  factory  ever  operated 
in  the  eastern  part ;  he  remained  about  two  years,  then  went  to 
his  native  home  and  farmed  two  years,  after  which  he  came  West 
and  spent  the  winter  of  1849  at  Kingston,  Green  Lake  Co.  ;  the 
following  spring  he  settled  on  what  was  then  called  Big  Prairie, 
in  Marquette  Co. ;  he  got  a  mail  route  established  between  Port- 
age City  and  Stevens'  Point,  and  named  the  first  post  office  Oasis ; 
he  also  followed  farming  and  lumbering  ;  in  the  fall  of  1854,  he 
went  to  the  pineries,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1855,  settled  at  Plain- 
field,  since  which  he  has  followed  farming  and  lumbering.  He 
was  elected  Sheriff"  in  the  fall  of  1858,  and  served  one  term  ;  he 
was  re-elected  in  the  fall  of  187() ;  he  has  done  much  to  help  the 
town,  and  to  make  Plainfield  the  thriving  village  that  it  is ;  he 
was  one  of  the  loading  spirits  to  induce  the  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  runninj;  from  Stevens'  Point  to  Portage  City,  to  build 
through  the  village  ;  he  was  also  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  organization  of  the  township.  He  was 
married,  Jan.   13,  1845,  in   Chittenden  Co.,  N.  C.  ;  his  wife's 


maiden  name  was  Isabunda  I.  Dodge  ;  she  was  born  in  Addison 
Co.,  Vt.,  Dec.  24,  1823;  they  had  eight  children— Lorinda  T. 
(deceased)  ;  Clara  B.  (married  to  J.  B.  Mitchell,  of  Mitchell 
Hotel,  Plainfield,  and  she  died  July  19,  1881),  Martha  A.  (now 
deceased),  John  T.  (now  United  States  Postal  Clerk  between 
Chicago  and  La  Crosse),  Lucius  W.  (at  Plainfield),  Lotta  J. 
(married  to  Dr.  Frank  P.  Nourse,  and  living  at  Cable,  Bayfield 
Co.),  Lucy  A.  and  Walter  J.  (living  at  home). 

BISHOP  B.  BORDEN,  dealer  in  drugs,  groceries  and 
fancy  ware,  Plainfield;  settled  in  Plainfield  in  May,  1869,  and 
followed  farming  three  years :  he  then  went,  in  company  with 
Mr.  G.  W.  Sheardown,  in  the  drug,  grocery,  boot  and  shoe  busi- 
ness in  an  old  store  house  (moved  from  Campbell's  Corners,  in 
Plainfield,  about  twenty  years  ago)  ;  they  continued  in  company 
about  three  years,  but  only  a  short  time  in  the  old  store ;  Mr.  B. 
then  bought  the  entire  interest,  and  has  since  conducted  the  busi- 
ness; he  was  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1838.  He 
was  married  in  Tioga,  Penn.,  in  June,  1865  ;  his  wife's  maiden 
name  was  Jennie  E.  Mitchell ;  she  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  Penn., 
in  October,  1843;  they  have  three  children^T.  Ernest,  Ella  M. 
and  Frank  R.  Mr.  Borden  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  Eleventh  Regt. 
Penn.  Cavalry,  in  August,  1861,  and  during  the  following  winter 
he  was  mustered  into  the  the  regimental  band  ;  served  in  that 
capacity  until  he  was  captured  on  the  Wilson  raid  in  June,  1864  ; 
he  was  confined  in  Andersonville  Prison  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Annapolis  in  June,  1865. 

JAMES  BREEN,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Plainfield; 
born  in  Holton,  Me.,  Jan.  20,  1840  ;  he  attended  the  school  in 
his  village,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  went  with  his 
brother,  John  Breen,  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  lived  until  1870; 
in  1865,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  and  afterward  attended 
the  Georgetown  University,  and  graduated  from  that  institution 
in  the  class  of  1870 ;  he  then  went  to  Chicago,  and  there  began 
the  practice  of  medicine,  which  he  followed  until  1875;  losing 
his  health,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  to  recruit,  and  finally  located  at 
Plainfield,  where  he  continued  until  1879;  in  1880,  he  went  to 
California  ;  also  visited  Oregon,  W.  T.,  Arizona,  and  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  ;  he  remained  in  the  Western  World  fifteen  months, 
three  months  of  which  he  spent  on  the  Grand  Round  Reserva- 
tion in  Yam  Hill  Co.,  Oregon;  he  returned  to  Plainfield  in  1881, 
and  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
He  was  married  in  Stevens'  Point,  June  20,  1877,  to  Mary  E. 
Moody,  who  was  born  in  North  Hampton,  Mass.,  July  20,  1849. 

CALEB  GREENFIELD,  proprietor  of  the  Greenfield 
House,  Plainfield,  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1823. 
He  emigrated  to  Wyocena,  Wis.,  in  1857;  he  lived  there  three 
years,  and  followed  blaeksmithing,  after  which  he  moved  to  Plain- 
field,  and  followed  the  same  trade  until  he  enlisted,  March  4, 
1864,  in  Co.  D,  37th  W.  V.  I.;  he  served  one  year,  and  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  a  wound  received  in  the  battle  of  Peters- 
burg. Va.,  after  which  he  returned  to  Plainfield,  and  began  farm- 
ing. This  he  followed  until  1874;  then  he  kept  a  hotel  two 
years,  farmed  one  year,  then  he  went  to  Wautoma,  boui;;ht.  the 
Coon  Hotel,  kept  it  fifteen  months,  sold  it,  moved  to  Montello, 
and  lived  until  fall  of  1879.  Then  he  returned  to  Plainfield,  and 
bought  his  old  stand,  kept  it  one  year,  and  bought  the  Plainfield 
House.  He  was  married  in  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  23,1842, 
to  Lydia  Cheney,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  June  21,  1822; 
they  have  had  fuur  children,  named  Daniel  W.  Greenfield,  John 
W.,  Mary  L.,  and  Lydia  J.  (now  deceased).  Mrs.  Greenfield 
died  March  5,  1861.  Mr.  Greenfield  was  again  married  Sept.  19, 
1870,  to  Mrs.  Emily  J.  Baker  ;  she  was  born  in  Wells,  Penn., 
March  10,  1833.  Mrs.  G.  formerly  lived  in  Acton,  Meeker  Co., 
Minn.,  and  her  former  hu.sband,  H.  Baker,  was  massacred  by  the 
Indians,  Aug.  17,  1802.  Mrs.  Greenfield  mudc  a  very  narrow 
escape  with  her  two  sons,  David  E.  and  William  II.,  she  falling 
in  the  cellar  as  one  of  the  ladies  was  shot  and  fell  against  her. 
Her  son,  William  H.,  is  now  living  at  Plainfield,  and  assisting  in 
the  hotel.     Mrs.  Greenfield  settled  in  Plainfield  first  in  June,  1854. 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


ARTHUR  B.  KILBOURN,  tinuer  and  overseer  in  the  hard- 
ware store  of  C.  E.  Storm,  Plainfield,  was  born  at  Wautoma, 
Wis.,  Jan.  21,  1859.  He  lived  there  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age,  attending  school,  acquiring  a  good 
business  education.  He  came  to  Plainfield  in  1879,  and  began 
business. 

JEFFERSON  B.  MITCHELL,  proprietor  of  the  Mitchell 
House,  Plainfield,  was  born  in  Tioga,  Fenn.,  March  31,  1837, 
and  lived  there  until  1864  with  his  parents  on  a  farm.  He  began 
clerking  in  a  store  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  remained  in  that 
capacity  for  his  father,  Thomas  K.  Mitchell,  and  others,  about  ten 
years.  He  came  to  Plainfield  in  1864,  where  he  lived  about  nine 
years,  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  was  elected  County 
Treasurer  in  1872,  and  served  one  term.*  He  went  to  Centralia 
afterward,  and  took  charge  of  a  dry  goods  store  two  years ;  then 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  himself  for  eighteen 
months  ;  he  then  returned  to  Plainfield,  and  engaged  in  the  same 
business,  and  in  buying  grain,  etc.,  in  company  with  Mr.  L.  S 
Walker,  which  was  continued  about  three  and  a  half  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1880,  he  began  the  erection  of  his  hotel,  a  large 
brick  building,  aud  began  business  in  it  December,  1880.  He 
was  married  in  Plainfield  June  9,  1866,  to  Clara  B.  Beach,  who 
was  born  in  Canada  West,  June  16,  1847  ;  they  have  had  four 
children,  named  Charles  M.,  Maude  E.,  Guy  W.,  and  Thomas  W. 
Mrs.  Mitchell  died  July  19,  1881.  Mr.  Mitchell  enlisted  in  Co. 
I,  1st  W.  H.  A.,  Oct.  14,  1864,  and  was  discharged  Feb.  10, 
1865. 

GEORGE  OCAIN,  of  the  firm  of  Ocain  &  Williams,  pro- 
prietors of  steam  grist  mill,  Plainfield.  The  capacity  of  the  mill 
is  sixty  barrels  of  flour  and  twenty  tons  ot  feed  per  day.  Mr. 
Ocain  was  born  in  Mitchell,  Sheboygan  Co.,  March  28,  1846  ;  he 
lived  there  with  his  parents  until  he  was  eight  years  of  age  ;  they 
moved  to  Ripon,  and  from  there  to  Saxeville,  Waushara  Co. ;  his 
father,  I.  H.  Ocain,  followed  the  milling  business;  George  lived 
there  until  April,  1879,  when  he  moved  to  Plainfield,  and  began 
milling.  He  was  married  at  Pine  River,  Waushara  Co.,  Aug.  13, 
1871,  to  Rosa  M.  Skeel ;  she  was  born  in  Crawford  Co.,  Penn.; 
they  have  had  four  children — Willie  and  Eddie  (deceased ),  Eddie 
and  Lewis,  at  home.  Mr.  Ocain  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  16th  W.  V.  I., 
Jan.  1,  1862,  served  about  nine  months,  and  was  discharged  at 
Madison,  October,  1862,  for  physical  disability. 

G.  W.  SHEARDOWN,  Postmaster,  dealer  in  stationery,  also 
keeps  a  collecting  and  exchange  office,  Plainfield  ;  first  settled  in 
Plainfield,  May,  1856;  heclerked  in  a  general  store  for  Charles  Mann 
about  one  year;  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  and  continued 
until  1876  with  Mr.  B.  B.  Borden;  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  in 
May,  1861,  and  has  held  the  office  ever  since.  He  was  born  in 
Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  17,  1822.  He  was  married  in  Tioga, 
Penn.,  Jan.  31,  1849,  to  Mary  E.  Mitchell  ;  she  was  born  in 
Tioga,  Penn.,  Dec.  11,  1827  ;  they  have  one  son,  named  Ward 
B.,  born  June  23,  1858,  and  he  is  now  employed  at  Stevens  Point 
by  the  W.  C.  R.  R.  Co. 

HANCOCK. 

Hancock  was  organized,  in  1856,  by  the  legally  quali- 
fied voters  of  the  territory  comprising  the  town,  by  electing 
Sylvester  Richmond,  Jefferson  Abbott  and  H.  B.  Lewis, 
Supervisors,  and  Hiram  Barnes,  Town  Clerk ;  L.  A.  Bab- 
cock,  Assessor,  and  Benjamin  Chamberlain  and  H.  B. 
Lewis,  Justices  of  the  Peace.  Among  the  early  settlers 
were  William  Sylvester,  H.  Barnes,  L.  A.  Babcock,  Storys 
Abboots,  J.  F.  Wiley,  Chauncey  Wiley,  John  Rawson  and 
family,  S.  R.  Dunham,  J.  E.  Tilton,  C.  E.  Manger,  John 
Laselle,  Samuel  Hutchinson,  Stillman  Ordway,  Isaiah 
Moors,  Heyward,  William  O'Connor,  Thomas  O'Connor, 
A.  J.  French  and  Walter  Ware. 

Hancock  is  situated  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad, 
in  the  western  tier  of  towns  in  Waushara  County,  and  con 


tains  about  700  inhabitants.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  build- 
ing of  the  railroad,  the  town  seemed  to  be  on  the  retrograde. 
The  building  of  the  road  seemed  to  infuse  new  life  and  en- 
ergy into  the  people  of  the  town.  Farmers  turned  their 
attention  to  raising  stock  and  clover,  and  have  succeeded, 
by  the  use  of  plaster,  in  enriching  their  lands  and  raising 
crops  that  would  compare  favorably  with  any  portion  of  the 
State.  About  two-thirds  of  the  territory  comprising  the 
town  is  under  cultivation.  Quite  a  large  proportion  of  the 
land  not  improved  would  make  good  farms.  There  is  room 
for  at  least  100  families  more.  To  any  one  that  wants  to 
get  a  good  home  cheap,  and  one  that  they  would  be  proud 
of  in  the  future,  here  is  a  good  opportunity.  E.  Mont- 
gomery will  answer  all  communications  addressed  to  him, 
and  give  gratuitous  information  in  regard  to  soil,  products, 
markets,  schools  and  churches.  Prominent  among  the  set- 
tlers at  present,  we  would  mention  the  Hon.  J.  F.  Wilev, 
Hon.  C.  W.  Moors,  Hon.  E.  Montgomery,  F.  Chafee,  C. 
Chafee,  H.  E.  Heyward,  A.  K.  Edwards,  J.  B.  Rawson, 
Lorenzo  Rawson,  C.  and  G.  Hutchinson,  Yont  and  Abbot 
D.  Ostrum,  Samuel  and  Henry  Clark,  Lewis  Manley,  Sel- 
den  Minor,  J.  E.  Tilton,  B.  S.  Hales,  0.  J.  Wiley,  C.  C. 
Chollar.  F.  R.  Jones,  J.  P.  Wetmore,  Z.  T.  Laselle  and  W. 
D.  Weld. 

Hancock  Village  is  on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral road,  and  has  a  population  of  200.  Although  settle- 
ment commenced  over  thirty  years  ago,  the  growth  of  the 
place  has  occurred  within  the  last  ten  years — since  the  rail- 
road was  put  through  it.  A  Mr.  Sylvester  was  the  first 
settler,  and  erected  a  small  house,  called  a  hotel,  in  18.50. 
About  1855  quite  a  number  came — J.  F.  Wiley,  Levi  Bab- 
cock, G.  and  C.  Hutchinson,  J.  B.  and  L.  Rawson,  and  G. 
T.  Y'out.  Mr.  Wiley  opened  a  store,  and  is  now  the  lead- 
ing merchant  of  the  place,  owning  also  an  elevator  and 
warehouse.  Most  of  the  other  settlers  of  1855  took  up  land 
and  cultivated  it.  The  Moors  Brothers,  who  also  run  a 
warehouse  with  their  general  store,  are  pioneers  and  sub- 
stantial business  men. 

Hancock  is  not  incorporated  as  a  village,  but  was  sur- 
veyed and  platted  by  C.  F.  Atwood  in  1877,  J.  F.  Wiley 
being  its  proprietor.  It  has  a  number  of  stores,  a  first-class 
hotel,  built  by  Frank  Chafee  in  the  spring  of  1877 — present 
proprietor,  Thomas  Eubank  ;  a  village  school  and  a  Congre- 
gational Church,  organized  ten  years  ago,  by  Elder  J.  W. 
Donaldson.  Several  congregations  worship  in  its  neat 
edifice,  the  attendance  being  about  fifty.  Rev.  H.  T. 
Beach  is  the  present  Pastor.  Everything  taken  into  ac- 
count, Hancock  is  one  of  the  pleasant  and  live  little  stations, 
scattered  all  through  Northern  Wisconsin,  on  the  line  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad. 

BIOGRAPHIC.\L    .SKETCHES. 

CALVIN  CHAFEE,  farmer.  Sec.  3,  Hancock  Township; 
settled,  with  his  parents,  at  Watertown  in  1847.  They  lived 
there  one  year,  then  moved  to  Utiea,  Winnebago  Co.,  being  among 
the  first  settlers  there.  The  children  were  all  quite  small  at  that 
time.  They  lived  there  about  nine  years,  and  moved  to  Waushara 
Co.,  and  settled  in  Plainfield  Township  on  a  farm.  Mr.  Calvin 
Chafee  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  He  then  alternated  farming  with  work  on  the  river. 
He  went  to  Minnesota  and  returned  October,  1859,  and 
during  the  foUowins;  winter  he  attended  school.  In  the  fall 
of  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  30th  W.  V.  1.,  served  about 
twenty-two  months,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky., 
Sept.  20,  1865.     He  returned  home  and   moved  on  his  present 


HISTORY    OF   WAUSHARA    COUNTY. 


farm,  where  he  has  lived  since.  Ho  was  born  in  Monroe 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  25,  1836.  He  was  married  in  June,  1861,  to 
Tamer  E.  Kozelle.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  October, 
1842.  They  have  had  five  children,  Robert  E.,  Catharine  E., 
Frank,  deceased,  Leonard  H.,  living  at  home,  and  Letta,  deceased. 

FRANKLIN  CHAFEE,  proprietor  Chafee  House,  Hancock- 
settled  at  Watertown,  with  his  parents,  in  1847.  They  lived  there 
iliout  one  year,  and  from  there  moved  to  Winnebago  Co.,  and 
livid  about  nine  years.  The  father  followed  shoemaking,  and  the 
liuys  worked  a  farm  until  1855,  and  from  there  they  moved  to 
Waushara  Co.  and  lived  on  a  farm.  Mr.  F.  Chafee  lived  at  home 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  enlisted  Aug.  21,  1862, 
in  Co.  G,  30th  W.  V.  I.,  served  until  Sept.  20,  1865,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.  He  returned  to  Plainfield,  fol- 
lowed various  kinds  of  business  about  five  years,  then  followed 
farming  until  1875.  He  kept  hotel  in  Hancock,  known  as  the 
Hancock  House,  about  one  year.  He  erected  his  present  large 
hotel  in  the  summer  of  1877,  moved  in  and  opened  the  same  to 
the  public  Aug.  15  of  that  year.  He  was  born  in  Orleans  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  16.  1843.  He  was  married  at  Hancock  in  the  fall  of 
1870,  to  Caroline  A.  Whitmore,  who  was  born  at  Port  Chester, 
N.  Y.,  July  15,  1842. 

EUGENE  B.  JENNINGS,  general  merchandise,  Hancock, 
was  born  in  Wautoma,  May  20,  1861,  and  resided  there  until 
May  10,  1881.  He  visited  New  York  in  February,  1880,  and 
remained  until  November  of  that  year.  He  clerked  for  Mr.  A.  D. 
Mclutyre,  of  Wautoma,  about  six  years.  His  parents  live  in 
Wautoma.  He  entered  Eastman's  Commercial  College,  of  Pough- 
kepsie,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15,  1880,  and  graduated  from  that  institution 
Sept.  7,  of  that  year. 

SELDEN  MINER,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  also 
dealer  in  drugs  and  medicines,  Hancock ;  settled  in  Oshkosh  in 
1850,  and  lived  there  fourteen  years  and  practiced  his  profession  ; 
from  there  he  moved  to  Hancock,  where  he  has  since  resided,  in 
the  practice  of  medicine.  He  was  born  in  Bloomfield,  Ontario 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  26,  1814.  He  was  married  in  Batavia,  Gen- 
esee Co.,  N.  Y.,  1839,  to  Melvina  Rogers,  who  was  also  born  in 
Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1821.  They  have  one  son  named  Henry 
W.  Miner,  now  married  and  living  at  Mosinee.  Mrs.  Selden 
Miner  died  in  1855.  He  was  again  married  Nov.  12,  1862,  to 
Catie  Hales,  who  was  born  in  England  Feb.  28,  1841. 

EDWIN  MONTGOMERY,  farmer,  Hancock;  went  to 
Farmington,  Jeiferson  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1848,  and  from  there  to 
Iowa;  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  the  latter 
State  in  1850,  serving  two  years;  in  the  fall  of  1853  he  returned 


to  his  former  place  of  residence  in  Wisconsin,  and  followed  farm- 
ing; in  the  spring  of  1865  he  moved  to  Hancook  and  kept  hotel 
three  years  in  what  was  known  as  the  Hancock  House,  after 
which  he  moved  into  his  present  home;  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  in  fall  1860,  and  served  one  term,  the  Legislature 
being  in  session  nearly  contiaually  during  the  war.  He  was  born 
in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  May  27,  1817.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Brown,  Dec.  22,  1855, at  Farmington;  she  was  born  in 
Monroe  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  13,  1833.  They  have  three  children- 
Arthur,  living  in  Jefferson  County;  Cora  M.,  a  school  teacher  ; 
Nellie  E.,  at  home. 

AURORA. 
This  is  a  village  of  150  people  situated  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  county,  sixteen  miles  from  Wautoma. 
It  contains  one  grist-mill,  a  saw-mill,  cheese  factory,  two 
general  stores  and  two  hotels.  Its  early  settlement  dates 
back  about  thirty  years,  and  among  its  pioneers  may  be 
mentioned  E.  W.  Daniels,  A.  Strang  and  Chester  Clark. 
The  village  is  not  incorporated. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

FRANK  H.  CLARK,  farmer,  town  of  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1822,  but  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1829,  and  located  near  Philadelphia,  where 
his  father  followed  his  trade,  that  of  mason,  and  where  Mr.  Clark 
was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  cotton  manufacturing,  which 
he  followed  until  1852  ;  he  purchased  a  farm  near  Philadelphia  in 
1850,  which  he  sold  in  1854  and  came  to  this  State,  purchasing  a 
farm  in  Waushara  County,  where  he  has  lived  and  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  ever  since  ;  some  six  years  ago  he  sold  his 
first  farm  and  bought  the  farm  of  eighty  acres  upon  which  he 
now  lives  ;  he  has  bsen  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  Aurora  for  two 
years.  In  1845  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Dillon,  who  was  a 
native  of  Maryland.  Mr.  Clark  has  accumulated  a  competence  by 
honest,  persevering  indu.stry. 

OTHER  VILLAGES. 
Besides  the  above  is  Coloma,  situated  on  the  line  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central ;  Mt.  Morris  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  county,  in  the  town  by  that  name;  Pine  River,  at  one 
time  quite  a  flourishing  village,  in  the  town  of  Leon ;  and 
Poysippiville,  in  the  town  by  that  name,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  county. 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


NATURAL   FEATURES. 

Winnebago  County  is  the  central  gem  of  the  rich  Fox 
River  Valley,  bounded  north  by  Waupaca  and  Outagamie 
Counties,  east  by  Lake  Winnebago,  south  by  Fond  du  Lac, 
and  west  by  Green  Lake  and  Waushara.  It  contains  an 
area  of  270,000  acres — about  450  square  miles — and  is  the 
most  important  section  in  that  great  highway,  along  which 
flows  the  lumber  wealth  of  the  north  to  golden  grain  fields 
of  the  south  and  southwest.  Its  soil  is  varied  and  fertile, 
all  the  grains  and  fruits  of  the  West  flourishing.  The  sub- 
soil is  clay,  upon  which  rests  every  variety,  from  a  rich 
loam  to  clay  and  sand.  By  the  decomposition  of  the  lime 
rock,  which  prevails  in  the  geological  formation,  the  sub- 
soil is  made  strong  and  enduring.  Sandstone  also  is  found, 
and  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  county  good  brick 
clay  abounds.  Originally,  about  forty  per  cent  of  its  sur- 
face was  covered  with  timber,  the  oak  openings  being  found 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Fox  River  and  the  prairie  land  to 
the  south.  Winnebago  County  lies  in  the  natural  water- 
course between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Father  of  waters, 
and,  for  200  years  before  the  improvement  of  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  Rivers,  the  noted  French  and  English  traders, 
military  leaders,  and  Jesuit  missionaries  and  explorers  made 
that  highway  and  its  vicinity  historical  ground.  The  arti- 
ficial improvement  during  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury was  but  the  natural  outgrowth  of  natural  advantages, 
which  had  been  patent  to  the  pioneers  of  Northwestern  civ- 
ilization for  over  two  hundred  years.  Lake  Winnebago, 
which  forms  so  important  a  link  in  this  grand,  natural  water- 
course from  Green  Bay  to  Portage,  is  the  largest  body  of 
fresh  water  in  the  State,  and  hems  in  the  entire  county 
from  the  east.  It  is  twenty-eight  miles  in  length  from  north 
to  south,  and  its  greatest  width  from  east  to  west  is  ten 
miles — area  212  square  miles.  It  is  navigable  in  most 
parts.  Along  its  eastern  border  a  wall  of  rocks  extends 
some  fifteen  miles,  dipping,  in  some  places,  hundreds  of  feet 
below  the  surface.  Before  the  advent  of  railroads.  Lake 
Winnebago  was  the  binding  power  between  all  the  settle- 
ments which  were  grouping  themselves  around  its  shores, 
and  was  a  great  reservoir  of  wealth,  in  which  was  sometimes 
gathered  the  product  of  thousands  of  acres  of  the  pine  lands 
of  the  north.  The  Wolf  River,  which  flows  from  the  north 
through  Shawano  and  Waupaca  Counties,  is  the  means  of 
bringing  Winnebago  County  into  communication  with  the 
lumber  districts  of  the  north.  Lake  Poygan,  on  this  river, 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county,  and  Grand  Butte 
des  Morts  in  the  central  portion  on  the  Fox,  and  Rush 
Lake,  its  outlet  in  the  southwest,  with  the  streams  which 
flow  into  these  rivers  and  lakes,  form  a  complete  water  com- 
munication, not  only  with  all  sections  of  the  State,  but  with 
every  portion  of  the  county.  It  was  on  the  shores  of  these 
lakes  that  the  Indians  had  their  clearings,  planting  grounds 
and  villages,  and  on  them  now  are  located  the  cities  and 
villages  with  their  good  harbors,  net-work  of  railroads,  and 
enterprising  population,  which  have  given  to  the  county  its 


rank  of  second  in  importance  among  the  manufacturing  dis- 
tricts of  Wisconsin. 

The  greatest  altitude  of  Winnebago  County  is  117  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  Fox  River.  From  the  prevalence  of 
lakes  and  streams,  water  is  easily  obtained.  The  county 
presents  three  geological  features,  blue  and  lower  magnesian 
limestone,  and  a  superficial  Potsdam  sandstone.  The  lime- 
stone mostly  prevails  in  the  southeast,  southwest  and  north- 
east.    The  surface  of  the  country  is  generally  rolling. 

GENERAL    HISTORY. 

Winnebago  County  contains  sixteen  townships  (four 
fractional),  Algoma,  Black  Wolf,  Clayton,  Menasha,  Neenah, 
Nekimi,  Nepeuskun,  Oshkosh,  Omro,  Poygan,  Rushford, 
Utica,  Vinland,  Wolf  River  and  Winchester.  Its  popula- 
tion has  been  as  follows :  1850,  10,167  ;  1860,  23,770 ; 
1870,  37,325;  1880,  43,041. 

According  to  the  State  Board  of  Assessment,  the  value 
of  real  estate  and  personal  property  in  the  county,  for  1880, 
amounted  to  |14,749,848 ;  the  total  indebtedness  of  its 
towns,  cities  and  villages  being  $161,285.21,  of  which  sum 
$82,000  was  for  railroad  aid. 

The  schools  of  the  county  are  conducted  under  the  gen- 
eral district  system,  the  number  of  houses  in  the  county  being 
over  one  hundred.  For  their  maintenance,  $30,000  is  re- 
quired annually.  Excluding  Oshkosh,  Neenah  and  Menasha, 
there  were  7,010  persons  in  the  county  of  school  age,  in 
August,  1880,  5,013  being  in  attendance.  The  condition 
of  the  public  schools  in  the  cities  named,  will  be  set  forth 
in  the  history  to  be  hereafter  given. 

Winnebago  County  is  comprised  in  the  Eastern  District 
of  the  United  States  Court,  and  situated  in  the  Third  Cir- 
cuit. It  is  a  portion  of  the  Sixth  Congressional  District, 
and  forms  the  Nineteenth  Senatorial.  Both  as  a  business 
and  a  political  power,  Winnebago  County  wields  an  influ- 
ence which  is  felt  all  over  the  State. 

INDIAN    HISTORY. 

In  writing  the  history  of  Winnebago  County,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  trace  in  detail  the  various  changes  in  location 
of  the  tribes  who  were  shifted  around  the  Northwest  by  the 
fortunes  or  calamities  of  war  for  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  This  portion  of  history,  full  of  interest  and  thrilling 
in  parts  as  it  is,  partakes  more  of  a  broad  and  general  char- 
acter, and  has  thus  been  treated.  When  Father  Claude 
Allouez  and  other  early  missionaries  or  military  leaders 
came  among  the  fierce  Foxes  and  Sacs,  to  the  region  near 
Winnebago  Lake,  the  Winnebagoes  country  lay  to  the 
north  around  Green  Bay,  and  on  the  southern  shore  of  the 
Upper  Fox  was  the  Nation  of  the  Mascoutins.  The  Foxes 
were  scattered  along  the  streams  of  the  Wolf  River,  and 
were  occupying  the  whole  Fox  River  Valley.  To  the 
northeast  of  the  Winnebagoes  were  the  peaceable  and 
friendly  Menomonees,  but  who  were  to  prove  true  and  pow- 
erful allies  of  the  whites  in   driving  the  wild  and  bloody 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


Foxes  from  the  beautiful  valley  which  they  would  neither 
improve  nor  allow  civilization  to  inhabit.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Winnebagoes,  all  of  these  tribes  were  members 
of  the  great  Eastern  nation — the  Algonquins.  The  Win- 
nebagoes were  a  branch  of  the  Dakotas.  The  Algonquins 
called  them  Wennibegouk,  or  "Men  of  the  Salt  Sea." 
They  formed  the  Eastern  van  of  the  Dakota  migration,  and 
ruled  for  a  time  over  all  the  neighboring  Algonquin  tribes. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  by  an  alliance 
of  subject  tribes,  however,  and  a  second  war  with  the 
Illinois,  who  had  previously  befriended  them  and  been 
deceived,  the  Winnebagoes  were  almost  exterminated,  and 
never  gained  their  former  power.  But,  though  weak,  they 
always  retained  a  haughty  and  defiant  spirit,  as  if  ever  having 
present  before  their  eyes  a  remembrance  of  former  great- 
ness. Their  manners  and  language  were  different  from  the 
Eastern  tribes.  The  early  French  explorations,  by  way  of 
the  Fox  River  Valley  and  consequent  contact  with  the 
Winnebagoes,  seemed  to  confirm  the  travelers  in  their  belief 
that  this  tribe,  who  had  wandered  from  the  Far  West,  were 
in  communication  with  the  Celestials  of  the  East.  Thus  it 
was  that  religious  fervor,  woi'ldly  ambition  and  greed  com- 
bined to  bring  this  beautiful  valley  of  the  Foxes  into  notice 
and  favor.  This  powerful  tribe,  in  accordance  with  the 
usual  belief  of  savages,  claimed  all  the  land  they  could  hunt 
over  or  fish  in,  and  continued  to  levy  tribute  upon  all 
traders  or  travelers  who  passed  through  their  valley,  until 
punished  by  the  French  with  such  dire  results  at  Little 
and  Grand  Butte  des  Morts,  and  other  battle-fields.  They 
deserted  their  villages  and  camping-grounds  at  these  places, 
at  Grand  Kaukalin,  the  Chute,  and  Sauk-eer  (Oshkosh), 
and  finally,  by  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  find- 
ing the  French  and  nearly  all  the  Canadian  tribes  allied 
against  them,  deserted  the  valley  altogether.  Moving  to- 
ward the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  the  Winnebagoes  took 
their  places,  crowding  them,  within  the  next  forty  years, 
further  to  the  South  and  West.  The  Menomonees,  in  the 
meantime,  had  occupied  the  country  abandoned  by  the 
Winnebagoes  north  of  the  Fox  River.  These  two  tribes 
were,  as  a  rule,  not  only  friendly  to  each  other,  but  to  the 
whites,  whether  French  or  English.  When  Capt.  Jonatlian 
Carver,  an  English  traveler,  stopped  at  Doty  Island  in 
1766,  he  found  Tlo-po-ko-e-kaw  (Glory  of  the  Morning),  the 
young  widow  of  a  French  trader,  not  disinclined  to  an  alli- 
ance with  an  English  gentleman.  Later,  the  English 
traders  were  received  with  favor  by  the  Winnebagoes  and 
Menomonees,  and  the  English  Army  was  assisted  in  the 
siege  of  Mackinaw  in  1812.  During  this  campaign  against 
the  American  forces,  the  Menomonees  were  led  by  the 
war  chief  Tomah,  who  had  in  his  charge  the  young  but 
intrepid  boy  who  there  earned  the  title  of  "  Osh-kosh  " — 
"brave."  Fifteen  years  thereafter,  when  Cha-kau-cho-ka- 
ma,  their  old  chief,  had  breathed  his  last,  and  left  no  male 
issue  upon  which  the  honor  might  descend,  there  was  great 
commotion  and  threatened  anarchy.  But  through  the  Gov- 
ernment commissioners  and  the  wishes  of  a  majority  of  the 
tribe,  the  choice  fell  upon  the  brave  and  friendly  Oshkosh, 
and  the  medal  was  hung  around  his  neck  as  the  last  Chief 
of  the  Menomonees. 

The  treaties  made  by  the  Winnebagoes  in  1832,  and 
by  the  Menomonees  in  1830,  brought  all  the  land  of  this 
county  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  The 
Winnebagoes  were  given  a  reservation  on  the  Mississippi 
above  the  Upper  Iowa.  After  several  removals,  to  Dakota, 
71 


Minnesota  and  Nebraska,  finally,  in  1866,  most  of  them 
were  located  in  the  latter  State.  Those  left  in  Juneau, 
Adams  and  Wood  Counties — nearly  1,000 — are  mostly 
self-supporting.  In  1854,  the  Menomonees  accepted  their 
reservation  in  Shawano  County,  and  most  of  them  removed 
from  the  Chippewa  Reservation  on  the  Mississippi. 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

Charles  de  Langlade,  the  first  settler  of  Wisconsin,  who 
planned  the  ambuscade  at  Fort  Du  Quesne  whicli  defeated 
Gen.  Braddock  and  young  Washington  in  1755,  and  who 
is  a  historical  character  fully  sketched  in  the  chapters  de- 
voted to  Green  Bay  and  Brown  County,  had  a  gran'dson 
named  Augustus  Grignon.  He,  with  James  Porlier,  of 
Green  Bay,  established  a  branch  trading-post  at  Butte  des 
Morts.  Mr.  Grignon  was  then  a  resident  of  Kaukauna, 
now  in  Outagamie  County.  The  buildings  were  located  on 
Overton's  Creek,  which  fiowed  into  the  upper  end  of  the 
lake,  two  miles  below  the  Indian  village.  In  a  few  years 
Robert,  the  nephew  of  Augustin  Grignon,  became  the  agent 
at  Grand  Butte,  but  in  1830  established  a  post  at  Algoma. 
Soon  after  Louis  B.  Porlier,  then  a  smart  lad  of  fifteen,  was 
sent  from  Green  Bay  to  take  charge  of  a  post,  operated  by 
the  firm  Porlier  &  Grignon.  This  was  situated  a  few  miles 
above  the  Oshkosh  cemetery,  and  here  for  many  years  Porlier 
did  an  extensive  and  profitable  business.  A  mail  route  be- 
tween Forts  Winnebago  (Portage  City)  and  Howard  had 
been  established  in  1826,  and  the  next  year  came  Peter 
Powell,  a  trader,  who  built  a  log  hut  on  the  lake  shore,  a 
little  nearer  the  present  site  of  Oshkosh.  Mr.  Powell  made 
this  his  summer  home  and  spent  his  winters  at  his  trading 
post  on  the  Uppep-Mississippi.  He  died  in  1837  at  his  cabin 
on  the  shores  of  Butte  des  Morts.  The  trading-post  had 
been,  in  the  meantime,  moved  further  up  the  Wolf,  and 
quite  imposing  and  artistic  buildings  erected.  In  1841,  Mr. 
Porlier,  the  agent,  married  a  daughter  of  his  employer, 
Augustus  Grignon.  It  may  be  remarked  here,  incidently, 
that  Peter  Powell,  Augustin  Grignon  and  James  B.  Porlier 
took  part  in  1812  in  the  English  expedition  against  the 
American  fort  at  Prairie  du  Chien— Fort  Crawford.  With 
his  father  came  William  Powell,  who,  in  partnership  with 
Robert  Grignon,  bought  the  tavern  and  ferry  of  George 
Johnson.  In  accordance  with  the  treaty  of  1831,  made  with 
the  Menomonees,  the  Government  contractors  were  now  at 
work  in  Winnebago  Rapids  (Neenah)  erecting  the  saw  and 
grist-mill,  and  houses  for  the  official  farmers  and  for  Indian 
occupancy.  As  far  as  the  Menomonees  were  concerned,  the 
scheme  was  a  fiiilure,  as  will  be  seen  further  on  in  the  history 
of  Neenah  and  Menasha,  but  it  was  the  means  of  drawing 
to  the  spot  such  brisk  workers  as  Harrison  Reed  and  Harvey 
Jones,  and  of  eventually  laying  the  foundations  of  two  im- 
portant and  flourishing  manufacturing  cities.  Among  the 
twenty-five  workmen  who  were  given  employment  in  the 
erection  of  the  buildings  for  this  paternal  Indian  agency 
was  Webster  Stanley,  regarded  as  the  foundei  of  the 

"CITY  OF    ATHENS." 

In  July,  1836,  his  engagement  having  expired,  Mr. 
Stanley  loaded  a  Durham  boat  with  a  year's  supplies,  and 
with  his  family,  and  a  small  crew  to  assist  him  for  a  short 
time,  set  out  on  his  voyage  of  exploration.  After  being 
capsized,  undergoing  other  hardships  which  pioneers  expect, 
and  passing  through  a  short  season  of  indecision  as  to  choice 
of  location  between  the  point  on  the  south  side  of  the  Fox 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


River  and  Coon's  Point,  they  finally  deeiJed  upon  the 
latter  location,  the  shanty  was  erected  and  the  crew  took 
their  departure  and  left  the  founder  of  Oshkosh  to  found  his 
city.  Across  the  river  was  James  Knaggs,  a  half-breed,  who 
had  purchased  the  tavern  and  ferry  from  Messrs.  Powell  & 
Grignon.  In  a  few  days  Messrs.  Knaggs  and  Stanley  had 
entered  into  a  partnership,  and  together  were  running  the 
two  establishments,  which  were  on  the  new  trail  between 
Forts  Winnebago  and  Green  Bay.  Chester  P.  Gallup  and 
family,  whose  eldest  daughter  Mr.  Stanley  had  married,  fol- 
lowed him  to  Green  Bay  from  Medina,  Ohio.  About  the 
middle  of  August  Henry  and  Amos  Gallup,  Webster  Stan- 
ley's brothers-in-law,  arrived  at  his  little  log  hut,  having 
taken  the  journey  on  foot  from  Navarino  (Green  Bay). 
Returning,  the  remainder  of  the  Gallup  family  were  on  the 
ground  m  a  few  days,  and  while  the  erection  of  a  new  cabin 
went  on,  the  Stanley  hut  was  occupied  in  common.  In  Sep- 
tember of  this  year  (1836),  Gov.  Dodge  concluded  his 
treaties  with  the  Menomonees  at  Cedar  Rapids,  and  on  his 
return  was  ferried  over  the  river  by  the  Gallup  brothers, 
who  learned  from  him  the  welcome  news  that  the  land  north 
of  the  Fox  River  now  belonged  to  the  Government.  Web- 
ster Stanley  and  the  Gallups  at  once  staked  off  their  claims, 
which  comprised  the  land  between  Main  street  and  Lake 
Winnebago,  and  Merritt  Street  and  the  Fo.x  River — properly 
the  Second  Ward  of  the  city  of  Oshkosh.  It  was  then 
called  "  Sauk-eer,"  and  later  Merton's  Point.  The  settle- 
ment on  both  sides  of  the  river  became  known  under  the 
former  name.  The  lands  were  bid  in  at  public  sale  in  1838. 
The  Gallups  soon  had  a  new  shanty  erected  on  the  north 
side  of  what  would  now  be  River  street.  This  life  at  home, 
however,  was  not  t[uite  to  the  restless  ta^te  of  the  boys — 
Henry  and  Amos — so  in  November  they  journeyed  around 
Lake  Winnebago,  the  first  time  that  trip  had  been  made  by 
white  men.  Later  they  crossed  the  lake  on  the  ice  to  the 
Brothertown  settlement,  and  there  met  George  Wright,  a 
New  Yorker,  and  another  carpenter  named  Webster,  who 
had  been  at  work  building  the  agency  saw-mill  at  that  point. 
They  were  carried  away  by  the  stories  brought  to  them  of 
Sauk-eer,  and  the  adjoining  country,  so  that  in  the  following 
spring  they  both  entered  tracts  of  land  near  the  claims  of 
Stanley's  and  Gallup's.  George  Wright  brought  his  family 
with  him,  and  purchased  the  154  acres  now  bounded  by 
Algoma  and  Main  streets,  the  Fox  River  and  Wisconsin 
street  (First  Ward).  Webster  did  not  settle  but  sold  his 
land,  embraced  now  in  the  Sawyer  and  Paine  property,  to 
C.  J.  Coon  in  1839.  The  same  year,  David  and  Thomas 
Evans  settled  on  land  adjoining.  Chester  Ford,  whose 
starting-point,  like  all  the  others,  was  Green  Bay,  arrived 
at  the  Sauk-eer  settlement,  with  his  son  Milan,  in  the  fall 
of  1837.  He  had  been  a  partner  with  J.  P.  Arndt,  H.  F. 
Stringham  and  A.  G.  Ellis,  of  Green  Bay,  and  operated  a 
saw-mill  at  Neshotah,  Manitowoc  County.  He  sold  out  his 
interest  and  located  on  what  afterward  became  known  as 
Wright's  Point,  south  of  the  river.  During  March  of  the 
next  spring  Joseph  Jackson,  a  stirring  young  Irishman  who 
had  come  from  Detroit  to  Green  Bay,  and  there  met  George 
Wright's  daughter  Emeline,  before  the  family  had  removed 
to  Brothertown,  appeared  at  the  Sauk-eer  settlement  and 
the  house  of  his  prospective  fiither-in-law.  On  the  8th  day 
of  that  month  the  nuptials  were  celebrated  at  Stanley's  house, 
all  of  the  pioneer  families  being  present.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  by  Rev.  Stephen  Peet,  of  Green  Bay,  who 
had  inserted  in  the  Democrat  of  that  village  a  notice  there- 


of, locating  the  marriage  of  the  happy  couple  at  "  Athens." 
This  was  the  first  marriage  which  occurred  in  Winnebago 
County  between  two  white  persons,  and  when,  on  August 
26,  1838,  the  small  settlement  was  increased  by  the  advent 
of  G.  W.  Stanley,  son  of  the  founder  of  Oshkosh,  the  first 
birth  had  become  an  event  of  the  past.  When,  during  the 
year,  George  Wright  was  appointed  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
"all  of  Brown  County  west  of  Lake  Winnebago,"  the  god- 
dess first  balanced  her  scales  in  this  region,  and  brought 
them  into  use  in  November,  when  Knaggs,  the  trader,  sued 
a  half-breed  for  $14.25  worth  of  goods.  He  recovered  his 
suit  and  Mr.  Jackson,  the  pioneer  husband,  was  authorized 
to  enforce  the  collection,  but  the  difficulty  was  settled  and 
stern  justice  hid  her  head  for  a  time.  C.  J.  Coon  arrived 
in  1839  and  purchased  the  Sawyer-Paine  property,  several 
localities  were  made  a  few  miles  north  of  the  present  city, 
and  by  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  "  Sauk-eer"  settle- 
ment, "Athens,"  etc.,  began  to  have  quite  a  flourishing  ap- 
pearance. 

In  March,  1839,  the  town  of  Butte  des  Morts  was  or- 
ganized, but  the  county  of  W^innebago  was  not  created  from 
Brown  until  January  6,  1840.  Nathaniel  Perry,  Robert 
Grignon  and  Morgan  L.  Martin  were  appointed  Commis- 
sioners to  locate  the  county  seat,  but  as  the  county  was  en- 
tirely unorganized  for  judicial  purposes  little  attention  was 
given  to  this  doubtful  duty.  On  February  18,  1842,  Win- 
nebago and  Calumet  were  organized  and  attached  to  Brown 
County  for  judicial  purposes  after  the  first  Monday  of  A{)ril, 
1843.  Under  the  act  of  organization  the  town  of  Butte 
des  Morts  was  changed  to  Winnebago,  which  embraced  the 
county.  The  town  officers  were,  therefore,  the  county  qW\- 
cers,  and  the  Board  elected  in  April  at  Webster  Stanley's 
house,  where  all  elections  occurred,  performed  the  duties  of 
Supervisors.  William  C.  Isbell  was  chosen  Chairman ;  L. 
B.  Porlier  and  Chester  Ford,  Supervisors :  George  F. 
Wright,  Clerk  ;  W.  W.  Wright,  Treasurer.  The  two  lat- 
ter were  sons  of  George  Wright,  who  had  died  the  previous 
year.  This  is  the  first  regular  election.  Under  a  misun- 
derstanding, an  election  for  town  officers  had  been  held  in 
April  of  the  previous  year,  and  the  result  legalized  by  the 
Legislature  in  March,  1843.  At  tliis  irregular  election 
Chester  Ford  was  chosen  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board ; 
Chester  Gallup  and  William  C.  Isbell,  Supervisors;  John 
Gallup,  Clerk;  Webster  Stanley,  Treasurer.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1844,  occurred  the  first  election  of  regular  county  ofli- 
cers,  which  resulted:  George  F.  Wright,  County  Clerk; 
W.  W.  Wright,  Treasurer;  W.  C.  Isbell,  Register  of 
Deeds ;  Samuel  L.  Brooks,  District  Attorney ;  Ira  F. 
Aiken,  Coroner;  W.  C.  Isbell,  C.  Luce  and  Harrison  Reed, 
members  of  the  County  Board.  A  majority  of  nineteen 
was  polled  against  the  State  Constitution,  and  T.  J.  Town- 
send  elected  Probate  Judge.  During  the  winter  of  1844-45, 
an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  election  of  three  Com- 
missioners at  the  town  meeting  in  April,  who  should  locate 
the  county  scat,  now  that  Winnebago  was  assuming  polit- 
ical and  judicial  shape.  After  several  meetings  had  been 
held,  and  a  close  contest  between  Joseph  Jackson  and  Har- 
rison Reed,  the  latter,  with  Charles  Dickinson  and  Robert 
Grignon,  were  chosen  Commissioners.  The  latter  cham- 
pioned his  uncle's  claims  to  locate  the  county  seat  upon 
Augustin  Grignon's  land  at  Grand  Butte  des  Morts ;  Clark 
Dickinson  presented  and  urged  the  advantages  of  Chester 
Ford's  land  at  the  mouth  of  tiie  Fox  ;  Harrison  Reed,  who 
was  deep  in  his   speculations  at   Winnebago   Rapids   (Nee- 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBACxO    COUNTY. 


1123 


nail),  spoke  for  that  locality  and  himself.  Finally  the  Grig- 
iion  site  was  selected,  Mr.  Dickinson  voting  "nay."  On 
.Inly  31,  S.  S.  Brooks,  the  County  Surveyor,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  three  Commissioners,  staked  out  a  park  of 
IN), 000  square  feet,  the  gift  of  Augustin  Grignon,  and 
situated  in  Section  24,  Township  19,  Range  16,  near  the 
center  of  the  county.  Oshkosh  and  other  populous  and 
growing  sections  to  the  east  were  so  indignant  at  the  de- 
cision that  the  Board  never  met  there,  but  gathered  at  the 
house  of  H.  L.  Blood  and  there  continued  to  hold  their 
meetings  until  the  county  seat  was  changed  by  law  to  its 
present  site'.  In  February,  1847,  the  county  was  organized 
for  judicia^  purposes,  and  after  January  1,  1848,  the  county 
seat  was  to  be  located  in  Section  24,  Township  18,  Range 
16,  for  the  next  three  years,  if  the  proprietors  of  the  town 
would  furnish  site  and  buildings  free  of  cost.  Several  prop- 
ositions were  received  from  the  enterprising  and  delighted 
villagers  of  Oshkosh,  but  in  April,  1847,  the  ten  lots  in 
Block  19,  offered  by  L.  M.  Miller,  S.  A.  Wolcott  and  S. 
M.  Farnsworth,  were  accepted.  In  August  of  the  next 
year,  Alex  W.  Stow,  Circuit  Judge,  held  the  first  ses- 
sion of  court  in  the  village  schoolhouse,  and  in  April,  1849, 
two  years  from  the  time  the  site  was  accepted,  the  court 
convened  in  the  building  erected  by  popular  subscription. 
In  September  of  this  year  Jedidiah  IJrown  was  elected 
County  Judge.  In  April,  1850,  the  voters  of  the  county 
decided  not  to  remove  the  seat  to  Butte  des  Morts,  and 
Oshkosh  was  left  in  undisputed  possession  of  its  honors.  In 
1853,  the  question  of  erecting  suitable  county  buildings  was 
agitated,  and  the  next  year  a  small  brick  building,  at  a  cost 
of  $1,800,  was  built.  The  court  house  was  not  built  until 
1859,  when  the  county  was  authorized  to  issue  bonds  for 
that  purpose.  The  building  presents  a  fine  appearance,  is 
three  stories  in  height,  with  stone  foundation  and  Mansard 
roof.  The  square,  containing  two  acres,  is  situated  in  the 
Second  Ward,  on  Otter  street,  corner  of  Court.  The  offi- 
cers for  1881,  now  occupying  the  building,  are:  0.  F. 
Chase,  County  Clerk ;  J.  W.  Ladd,  Treasurer ;  T.  E.  Loope, 
Register  of  Deeds;  George  Gary,  County  Judge;  W.  D. 
Harshaw,  Sheriff;  T.  D.  Grimmer,  Clerk  of  Court;  George 
W.  Burnell,  District  Attorney;  C.  R.  Hamlin,  Coroner; 
C.  Palmer,  Surveyor;  W.  W.  Kimball,  Superintendent  of 
Schools. 

FROM    "ATHENS"    TO    '"OSHKOSH." 

When  the  county  of  Winnebago  was  created,  in  January, 
1840,  Webster  Stanley's  tavern,  or  house,  was  made  the 
political  center.  All  the  elections  were  held  here.  Embryo 
politicians  gathered  here,  and  upon  this  spot  was  discussed 
with  much  heat  and  some  bitterness  the  possibility  of  fet- 
tering, and  perhaps  strangling,  the  brisk  Sauk-eer  settle- 
ment, with  any  one  of  a  dozen  names  which  were  proposed 
for  the  new  post  office  Robert  Grignon  and  William 
Powell,  interested  as  traders  in  retaining  tiie  good  will  of 
the  Indians,  insisted  that  the  village  should  be  named  in 
honor  of  Oshkosh  or  Os-Kosh,  the  Menomonee  chief,  who 
had,  moreover,  befriended  the  whites  from  the  earliest  days. 
And  many  of  them  remembered  how,  even  after  the  Menom- 
onees  had  relinguished  their  title  to  the  lands,  the  brave 
chief  and  his  tribe  would,  at  planting  time,  pitch  their  wig- 
wams along  the  lake  shore  toward  Morton's  Point,  and  that 
Oshkosh  would  often  linger  around  his  old  haunts  as  if 
thinking  of  the  days  of  his  boyhood,  before  the  sword  and 
the  ax  and  the  brain  of  the  white  man  had  invaded  his 
hunting  and  fishing  grounds.     The  proposition  of  Grignon 


and  Powell  was  strongly  supported  by  those  who  wished  to 
retain  a  stamp  of  these  early  associations  in  the  name  Osh- 
kosh, and  firmly  resisted  by  those  who  wished,  either  to  cut 
clear  from  them  or  to  have  a  more  classic  name  chosen. 
John  P.  Gallup  insisted  "Athens,"  and  he  had  his  friends. 
The  Evanses  were  the  leaders  in  the  race  for  "  Galeopolis." 
The  Wrights  were  the  champions  of  "  Osceola."  "Fairview" 
and  "  Stanford,"  had  their  advocates.  Finally,  in  the  fall 
of  1840,  universal  suftrage  was  proclaimed  and  every  man, 
woman  and  child,  Indian,  half-breed  and  white,  who  took  an 
interest  in  naming  the  settlement,  assembled  at  the  "living 
room"  of  Squire  Wright's  house,  elected  him  Chairman  of 
the  meeting,  and  proceeded  to  settle  the  matter  for  all  time. 
Robert  Grignon  heading  a  phalanx  of  half-breeds  and  Indi- 
ans, was  eloquently  supported  by  William  Powell  and  several 
other  old  settlers.  Oshkosh  carried  the  day,  and  the  post 
office  became  thus  known  to  Uncle  Sam.  The  last  chief  of 
the  Menomonees,  ever  afterward,  took  a  fatherly  interest  in 
the  growth  of  the  village  and  the  city,  and  upon  his  visits 
to  Oshkosh  was  treated  with  consideration  and  kindness. 
But,  like  others  of  his  race,  his  blood  leaped  to  madness 
under  the  influence  of  fire  water,  and  his  death  occurred  at 
Keshena,  the  principal  village  of  the  Menomonee  reservation, 
August  29, 1856,  as  the  result  of  a  fierce  and  drunken  brawl. 
Oshkosh  was  born  in  1795,  at  Point  Bass  (Wood  County), 
and  was  therefore,  in  his  64tli  year  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  naming  of  Oshkosh  and  the  founding  of 
Oshkosh,  are  both  to  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  an  Indian ; 
for  when  Webster  Stanley,  the  founder  of  the  city,  was 
living  with  the  Gallups  at  Medina,  Ohio,  there  moved  into 
the  neighborhood  a  farmer,  whose  wild  son  had  joined  the 
army,  then  being  stationed  at  Fort  Howard,  and  afterward 
married  a  Stockbridge  wife.  Like  many  of  that  tribe,  she 
was  remarkably  intelligent  and  attractive,  well  educated, 
and  possessed  of  a  talent  for  graphic  word  painting.  Her 
descriptions  of  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  the  Fox  River 
Valley  charmed  the  two  families  to  their  homes  in  Wiscon- 
sin, and  made  them  the  founders  of  its  second  city. 

There  has  been  some  dispute  as  to  what  the  name  Osh- 
kosh or  Os  Kosh  (as  it  should  be  pronounced)  really  signifies. 
It  has  generally  been  translated  brave ;  in  the  Chippewa 
dialect,  "hoof,"  and  some  Indian  linguists  have  even  gone  so 
far  as  to  debase  the  name  to  "toe-nail."  But  what's  in  a 
name— except  that  a  name  be  given. 

Oshkosh  now  had  a  name  and  a  Postmaster  in  the  person 
of  John  P.  Gallup.  Chester  Ford  received  the  contract  for 
carrying  the  mail  between  Fond  du  Lac,  via  Oshkosh,  and 
Wrightstown,  a  route  of  fifty  miles.  The  trips  were  made 
on  horseback,  and  it  is  on  record  that  Mr.  Ford's  first  raai.l 
onsisted  of  one  letter  and  one  newspaper  carried  in  his 
coat  pocket. 

From  1839  to  1842,  the  settlement  was  quite  largely  in- 
creased in  numbers,  among  others,  coming  Stephen  and 
Samuel  Brooks,  Clark  Dickenson,  and  W.  C.  Isbell.  By 
1843,  the  settlement  had  commenced  to  draw  upon  the 
pineries  of  the  North,  and  several  rafts  of  logs  had  been 
floated  down  from  the  Rat  River,  cut  up  by  the  saw-mill  at 
Stockbridge,  and  then  towed  to  Oshkosh.  The  first  raft 
ran  down  the  Wolf  River  came  from  Samuel  Farnsworth's 
mill  at  Shawano,  in  tlie  spring  of  1842.  In  1844,  Winne- 
bago Rapids  came  more  prominently  into  notice,  Harrison 
Reed  having  purchased  a  large  tract  of  the  agency  property 
from  the  Government,  the  paternal  scheme  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Menomonees  having  proved  a  total  failure.     In 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


the  spring  of  that  year,  30,000  logs  were  sold  to  Mr.  Reed 
by  Daniel  Whitney,  having  been  cut  on  the  Rat  River 
pinery,  at  $2.50  per  thousand.  In  1845,  Gov.  Doty  settled 
on  the  island  which  has  retained  his  name.  Associated 
with  him  in  the  control  of  the  water-power  was  Curtis  Reed, 
the  brother  of  Harrison.  In  the  course  of  three  years,  ten 
families  had  settled  on  the  Menasha  side.  Four  mills  were 
in  operation  on  the  Neenah  side.  In  February,  1847,  a 
company  was  formed  for  the  improvement  of  the  water- 
power,  consisting  of  Gov.  Doty  and  his  son,  Harrison  and 
Curtis  Reed,  and  Harvey  Jones.  The  rivalries  of  the  two 
factions,  which  favored  either  Neenah  or  Menasha,  seriously 
interfered  with  the  growth  of  the  settlements  for  the  ne.xt 
few  years.  In  1850,  Curtis  Reed  obtained  the  contract  for 
building  the  State  canal  on  the  Menasha  side,  but  the  im- 
provement was  not  completed  by  him.  By  this  time,  Osh- 
kosh  had  become  a  village  of  importance,  its  population 
being  1,400.  Half  a  dozen  steam  saw-mills,  as  many 
planing  and  flour  mills,  and  sash,  door  and  blind  factories 
were  humming  with  life.  General  stores,  and  those  confined 
to  special  lines  were  starting  up  in  every  direction,  a  paper  had 
been  established,  a  steamboat  company  organized,  churches 
and  schools  were  flourishing,  and  everything  pointed  to  the 
city  of  Oshkosh.  The  villages  and  settlements  near  her 
were  growing,  but  she  had  the  start.  Omro  was  platted 
this  year  (1850),  and  was  maintaining  a  good  foothold.  It 
had  just  seen  its  first  steamer,  and  built  its  first  hotel.  The 
Mumbrues  and  the  Hydes  were  operating  a  hotel  and  a 
chair  factory  in  Winneconne,  which  had  been  platted  a 
year.  Butte  des  Morts,  Algoma,  Waukau,  were  all  alive 
and,  perhaps,  hopeful  eventually  of  outstripping  Oshkosh. 
This  general  view  of  the  early  settlements  around  Oshkosh 
has  been  presented  so  that  the  principal  facts  in  the  history 
of  the  country  might  be  brought  up  to  the  date  when  the 
village  commenced  more  than  ever  to  grow  into  the  dimen- 
sions of  a  wealthy  and  beautiful  city. 


The  city  of  Oshkosh  contains  a  population  of  17,000 
people,  and  is  located  in  the  eastern  part  of  Winnebago 
county,  on  Lake  Winnebago  and  both  sides  of  the  Fox 
'River.  It  is  the  great  lumber  manufactory  and  mart  in 
Wisconsin.  The  wealth  of  the  city  buds  out  in  solid  and 
tasteful  business  houses  and  public  buildings.  Main  street, 
on  the  North,  and  Kansas,  on  the  South  Side,  are  its 
principal  business  thoroughfares,  while  both  sides  of  the 
river  for  several  miles  are  packed  with  saw-mills,  sash,  door 
and  blind  factories,  and  manufactories  of  every  kind.  The 
cross  streets  are  also  alive  with  the  energy  for  which  Osh- 
kosh has  become  noted.  The  wealth  and  industry  of  the 
city  fairly  blossoms  in  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Wards,  in  the 
shape  of  beautifully  improved  streets  and  elegant  residences. 
All  her  public  buildings — the  court  house,  school  edifices, 
especially  the  magnificent  high  school  building  on  Algoma 
street,  post  office,  State  Normal  School,  between  Algoma 
and  Elm,  the  Insane  Asylum,  north  of  the  city  limits,  Ex- 
position building,  etc.,  etc.,  reflect  the  material  prosperity 
of  the  city.  Fine  churches  ornament  it  in  every  direction, 
throwing  over  its  material  wealth  an  influence  which  goes 
far  to  make  Oshkosh  an  attractive  city  home.  Societies  and 
sociability  flourish  here,  going  to  make  up,  with  the  other 
features  mentioned,  one  of  the  most  growing  and  substantial 
cities  of  the  Northwest. 


Oshkosh  was  incorporated  as  a  city  under  Chapter  118, 
private  and  local  laws  of  1853,  March  25.  On  the  5th  day 
of  April,  a  charter  was  adopted  by  177  majority,  and  Edward 
Eastman  was  elected  its  first  Mayor.  In  185G,  the  Legis- 
lature enlarged  the  municipal  limits  so  as  to  embrace  the 
village  of  Algoma.  The  officers  for  1881  are:  Mayor, 
Joseph  Stringham  ;  Clerk,  R.  J.  Harney;  Treasurer,  F.  B. 
Morgan  ;  City  Attorney,  M.  H.  Eaton  ;  Chief  of  Police, 
A.  Ford  ;  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Geo.  H.  Read.  The 
city  is  divided  into  six  wards,  and  covers  an  area  of  nearly 
eight  square  miles.  Its  streets  are  lighted  by  gas.  Six  and 
a  half  miles  of  mains  are  laid.  The  works  wer^ erected  by 
Joseph  B.  Davis  in  1869. 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

The  volunteer  department  of  the  village  was  governed 
by  fire  wardens — that  is,  it  was  so  laid  down  in  the  charter. 
But  the  firemen  refused,  at  times,  to  recognize  the  authority 
of  these  officers,  and  in  November,  1850,  a  board  was  ap- 
pointed to  examine  into  the  condition  of  the  apparatus,  and 
judge  the  refractory  members  of  the  fire  department.  Until 
the  organization  of  the  paid  department,  however,  reform 
and  improvement  was  slow.  The  present  paid  fire  depart- 
ment was  organized  in  October,  1877,  and  consists  of  three 
steamers,  one  hand  engine,  hook  and  ladder,  three  hose 
carts  and  one  supply  cart.  Thirty  men  comprise  the  force. 
There  are  four  engine  houses — the  Phoenix  Company  have 
their  headquarters  on  Main  street,  W.  H.  Doe  Company,  on 
High,  the  Brooklyn  on  Sixth,  and  the  Niagara  Hand  En- 
gine Company  on  Main.  C.  S.  Hasbrouck  is  Chief  En- 
gineer. 

THE    GREAT    FIRES. 

Oshkosh  has  been  so  remarkably  unfortunate  in  fires, 
and  so  unsubdued  in  the  spirit  with  which  she  has  thrice 
arisen  from  calamities  which  seemed  almost  irreparable, 
that  a  pause  in  her  municipal  history  is  here  taken  to  indi- 
cate briefly  the  ordeals  through  which  she  has  so  bravely 
passed.  In  May,  1859,  her  main  business  street — Ferry — 
was  swept  clean  of  buildings  on  both  sides  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  In  less  than  half  a  year,  Oshkosh,  which 
then  had  not  a  third  of  its  present  population,  was  newly 
attired,  and  pushing  itself  on  as  before.  The  city  met  with 
no  serious  calamity  again  for  seven  years.  In  ftlay,  1866, 
both  sides  of  Main  street,  from  High  to  Algoma,  and  from 
Waugoo  to  Washington,  were  burned  ;  also  the  north  side 
of  Washington,  from  Main  street  to  Jefierson  avenue.  The 
post  office  was  destroyed.  A  few  months  sufficed  to  restore 
this  destruction.  On  May  9,  1874,  a  fire  started  from  the 
lumber  yard  of  Spalding  &  Peck,  near  the  corner  of  Han- 
cock and  Marion  streets,  and  flying  up  to  Algoma,  swept 
away  $60,000  worth  of  property.  On  July  14  (same  year), 
a  district  for  a  mile  along  Upper  Main  and  North  Division 
streets  was  destroyed  ;  but  before  winter  set  in,  new  and 
better  buildings  were  proudly  standing  upon  the  ruins.  In 
this  fire  William  P.  Taylor,  City  Treasurer,  lost  his  life. 
In  less  than  a  year — April  28,  1875 — the  flames,  seeming 
to  remember  some  work  undone,  sprung  up  that  afternoon 
in  Morgan  Brothers'  mill,  and,  assisted  by  a  gale,  burned 
over,  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  the  western  portion  of 
the  Second  Ward  and  the  southeastern  part  of  the  First. 
They  licked  up  saw  mills,  jjlaning  mills,  machine  shops,  the 
banks,  the  post  office,  the  most  prominent  business  houses, 
hotels,  churches,  schools,  the  Harding  Opera  House,  print- 
ing offices  and  private  residences.     The  court  house  nar- 


I  I  26 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


rowly  escaped  destruction.  Main  street  was  in  ruins  to  the 
point  where  the  ruins  commenced  after  the  conflagration  of 
1874.  From  east  to  west  the  burned  district  was  a  mile  in 
length,  and  one  quarter  of  a  mile  from  north  to  south.  Be- 
sides the  business  wealth  which  had  gone  up  in  the  flames, 
over  two  hundred  private  residences  were  destroyed.  The 
loss  has  been  placed  at  $3,000,000.  Two  lives  were  lost — . 
an  employe  at  Morgan  Brothers,  in  attempting  to  check  the 
fire  with  an  extinguisher,  for  which  purpose  he  had  entered 
the  burning  mill,  was  fatally  burned;  and  an  old  man  was 
crushed  by  the  falling  walls  of  the  Harding  Opera  House. 
By  January,  1876,  over  $1,000,000  had  been  expended  in 
the  erection  of  new  and  fire-proof  buildings,  and  before  the 
close  of  the  year,  scarcely  a  sign  of  the  terrible  visitation 
remained.  There  is  hardly  an  important  business  or  manu- 
facturing locality  in  the  city  of  Oshkosh  which  has  not  been 
swept  by  fire,  and  sometimes  repeatedly. 

BECKWITH    HOUSE    FIKE. 

This  conflagration  does  not  figure  as  one  of  the  widely 
destructive  fires  to  which  the  city  has  been  subjected.  But 
in  loss  of  life  it  takes  its  solemn  place  as  a  sad  casualty. 
At  about  4  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  December  3,  1880, 
while  a  bell  boy  was  engaged  in  the  lamp-room  under  the 
main  stairs,  a  kerosene  lamp  exploded  and  the  flames  <juick- 
ly  spread  to  a  dozen  more  standing  near  by.  The  boy  ran 
across  the  hall,  and,  seizing  some  blankets,  attempted  to 
smother  the  fire,  but  the  flames  had  gained  such  headway 
that  he  was  driven  back,  and  a  sheet  of  fire  shot  and  waved 
up  the  staircase  to  the  rooms  above.  The  first  story  of  the  hotel 
was  occupied  by  stores,  its  entire  inside  being  of  wood.  Out- 
side, the  building  presented  a  substantial  appearance,  being 
constructed  of  brick,  with  stone  copings,  four  stories  in  height. 
The  wood  work  inside  was  like  tinder,  and  before  any  gen- 
eral alarm  could  be  given,  the  whole  house  was  in  flames. 
Mrs.  S.  B.  Paige,  at  the  time  the  fire  broke  out,  was  sitting 
in  her  room,  corner  of  Main  and  Algoma,  entertaining  Mrs. 
C.  E.  Harlow,  a  lady  friend.  They  heard  nothing  of  the 
disturbance,  and  were  unconscious  of  any  danger  until  a 
volume  of  smoke  and  flame  shot  up  the  staircase  toward 
their  room.  There  was  but  one  other  hall-way  in  the  build- 
ing— that  used  by  the  servants.  When  the  two  ladies,  hand 
in  hand,  attempted  to  escape  by  this  passage,  they  were 
driven  back,  nearly  smothered  and  burned.  Mrs.  Harlow 
raised  the  window  of  the  room  and  looked  out ;  it  was  a 
dizzy  leap,  but  the  crowd  seeing  her  danger,  obtained  a 
nnmber  of  blankets  and  held  them  to  break  the  force  of  her 
fall.  She  jumped,  and  fell  badly  burned  and  insensible. 
Mrs.  Paige  was  unable  to  get  to  the  window,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed was  smothered  soon  after  her  friend's  narrow  escape. 
A  ladder  was  raised  by  the  firemen  to  the  window,  but  so 
confident  were  all  that  Mrs.  Paige  had  escaped,  that  no  one 
ventured  into  the  burning  building  for  thirty  minutes  there- 
after. The  room  was  then  entered  and  the  body  of  the 
unfortunate  woman  taken  out  of  the  window  and  lowered  to 
the  walk  by  means  of  a  rope.  Just  as  this  pitiful  scene 
was  taking  place,  Mr.  Paige,  the  husband,  who  had  been 
away  riding,  drove  up,  only  in  time  to  assist  in  bearing 
away  the  body  of  his  dead  wife.  Miss  Mary  Hanrahan,  a 
dining  room  girl,  first  escaped  the  flames,  but  returning  to 
her  room  in  search  of  her  trunk,  despite  the  entreaties  of 
her  friends,  was  burned  to  death,  and  her  body  found  the 
next  morning.  The  night  watchman,  George  W.  Wood, 
asleep  in  his  room,  also  perished.     These  casualties  were 


what  made  the  Beckwith  House  fire  a  noted  event  in  the 
history  of  Oshkosh.  The  hotel  was  built  in  the  summer  of 
1875,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Beckwith  House,  being  150 
feet  on  Main,  by  150  feet  on  Algoma.  It  was  under  the 
management  of  Sanford    Beckwith. 

THE    FLOODS    OF    1881. 

The  prophecies  which  had  been  made  that  the  year  1881 
would  witness  a  second  coming  of  the  flood  seemed,  during 
the  fall  of  that  year,  about  to  be  fulfilled  in  Northern  and 
Central  Wisconsin.  Oshkosh  and  Fond  du  Lac  wore 
especially  selected  for  the  ravages  of  the  deluge,  and  for 
weeks  were  in  a  continual  state  of  alarm  ;  not  only  flood 
but  disease  threatened  to  devastate.  The  winter  of  1880- 
81  was  remarkable  for  the  ten  feet  of  snow  which  fell 
throughout  the  State,  and  then  in  early  spring  melted  sud- 
denly, the  water  pouring  in  torrents  into  the  tributaries 
and  main  streams  of  the  Chippewa,  the  Black,  the  Wiscon- 
sin and  the  Wolf  Rivers.  Bridges  were  carried  away,  log- 
ging booms  divided  and  tlieir  logs  lost,  farm  lands  flooded, 
and  incalculable  damage  done  to  mills  and  dwelling  houses, 

But  this  article  is  designed  to  treat  more  particularly  of 
the  rise  and  disaster-dealing  flow  of  water  in  the  valley  of 
the  Fox.  Almost  continuous  rains  during  the  months  of 
September  and  October  so  swelled  everything  like  a  tribu- 
tary to  these  streams  (Upper  and  Lower  Fox),  that  they 
rose  to  marvelous  proportions  and  entailed  widespread 
devastation.  Thousands  of  acres  of  tillable  lands  were 
inundated,  and  outstanding  crops  destroyed  or  rendered 
inaccessible  till  frost  completed  the  work  of  ruin.  In  the 
cities  of  Oshkosh  and  Fond  du  Lac,  on  Lake  Winnebago, 
people  were  driven  from  their  dwellings  by  the  inordinate 
rise  of  waters,  and  in  the  various  manufacturing  cities  lining 
the  Lower  Fox,  mills  were  flooded  on  the  lower  floors,  bulk- 
heads were  dislodged  and  broken,  and  in  some  instances 
factories  completely  despoiled  of  their  machinery. 

However,  the  natural  rise  of  the  Fox  waters  from 
the  causes  stated  would  hardly  have  entailed  such  wide- 
spread damage  had  the  usual  safe-guards  been  kept  in  force 
to  prevent  the  flow  of  the  W^isconsin  River  waters  into  the 
Upper  Fox.  Along  the  course  of  the  Wisconsin,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lewiston,  west  of  Portage,  is  quite  a  stretch  of 
lowlands  which  for  years  past  have  been  dyked  to  prevent 
damage  to  the  farming  lands  adjacent  thereto,  in  time  of 
freshets  in  that  river  The  dyke  was  built  and  maintained 
by  the  farmers  of  the  locality,  and  was  a  safe  barrier  to  the 
overflow  of  the  Wisconsin  till  the  June  freshet  of  1880, 
which  made  a  number  of  large  fissures  in  the  dyke,  and 
caused  much  loss  to  the  farmers  of  Columbia  County. 
These  fissures  were  filled  and  stopped  up  as  inexpensively 
as  could  safely  be  done  till  the  attention  of  the  Stale  could 
be  called  thereto.  It  was  set  forth  by  their  representatives 
that  Columbia  County  farmers  alone  had  suff'ered  a  loss  not 
less  than  $150,000  by  the  breaking  of  the  dyke  in  the 
spring  of  1880,  and  as  they  had  long  maintained  it  at  con- 
siderable expense,  they  felt  it  the  duty  of  the  State  to  come 
to  their  assistance.  Accordingly,  the  succeeding  winter  a 
bill  was  framed  having  that  object  in  view,  which  passed 
both  Houses  of  the  Legislature,  but  when  it  reached  the 
Governor  for  his  signature  to  make  it  operative,  he  vetoed 
it  on  the  ground  that  the  Constitution  forbids  the  State 
engaging  in  internal  improvements.  Thus  balked  in  their 
eflbrts  to  keep  the  dyke  impervious  to  the  waters  of  the 
W'isconsin  by  overflow,  time  went  by  and  the  fall  rains  of 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO   COUNTY. 


1881  descended  and  swelled  the  Wisconsin  to  flood-tide 
once  more.  The  dyke  was  swept  away  almost  in  entirety, 
and  thus  uninterrupted  the  waters  sped  on  into  the  Big 
Slough,  thence  into  the  Neenah,  and  finally  into  Lake 
Winnebago.  The  little  lake  rose  then  till,  as  has  been 
stated,  portions  of  Oshkosh  and  Fond  du  Lac  Cities  became 
inundated,  and  great  damage  was  incurred  to  property,  and 
much  suffering  wrought  among  the  inhabitants  thus  driven 
out  of  their  homes.  Add  to  this  the  distress  of  next  to 
impassable  roads,  and  in  consequence,  a  fuel  fiimine  staring 
the  people  of  these  cities  in  the  face,  and  the  situation  was 
one  decidedly  gloomy. 

As  in  the  spring  of  1852,  public  inrlignation  was 
directed  against  the  dams  at  Neenah  and  Menasha.  On 
November  2  and  3,  the  water  in  Lake  Winnebago  rose 
an  inch.  In  Algoma  the  sidewalks  were  afloat,  and 
there  was  no  egress  to  houses  except  by  boats.  The 
water,  in  places,  stood  to  the  sills  of  the  houses.  The 
people  in  the  flooded  districts  had  been  living  virtually  on 
the  water.  Refuse  and  slops  were  emptied  at  the  back 
door,  and  water  for  cooking  and  drinking  purposes  dipped 
up  at  the  front.  Diphtheria  commenced  to  appear.  The 
mills  were  shut  down  and  hundreds  of  workmen  out  of 
employment.  For  two  blocks  from  the  river  the  main  bus- 
iness street  was  flooded.  A  fuel  famine  threatened.  The 
citizens  of  Oshkosh  were  placed  in  a  terrible  position.  A 
committee  of  relief  was  at  once  appointed,  consisting  of 
0.  Cook,  of  Oshkosh,  A.  K.  Hamilton,  of  Fond  du  Lac, 
and  C.  B.  Clark,  of  Neenah,  and  proceeded  to  the  latter 
city  with  a  demand  that  an  outlet  be  made  through  the 
dam  for  the  escape  of  the  rising  waters.  Col.  Boardman, 
of  Fond  du  Lac,  hydraulic  engineer,  and  Capt.  Edwards, 
Government  Engineer  on  the  Lower  Fox,  also  accompanied 
the  party.  The  committee  met  finally  at  the  Waverly 
House,  Appleton,  and  Neenah  agreed  to  construct  a  sluice- 
way in  the  wing  dam,  and  open  all  the  flumes  for  the  pass- 
age of  the  pent-up  flood.  Appleton  became  now  seriously 
alarmed,  for  she  considered  herself  in  danger  of  receiving  a 
devastating  flood  which  so  far  the  dam  at  Neenah  had  held 
back.  She  threatened  to  hold  the  Neenah  Water- Power 
Company  responsible,  if  the  water  was  let  through.  The 
Government  oflicers  were  appealed  to,  and  a  stirring  memo- 
rial address  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  On  the  21st  the 
sluice-way  was  completed,  and  Appleton  served  an  injunc- 
tion. A  delegation  of  citizens  from  Oshkosh  left  on  a 
special,  to  see  that  the  sluice  was  opened,  and  the  posi- 
tion of  these  cities  seemed  really  warlike.  Force  was  not 
used,  however,  either  in  offense  or  defense,  and  on  the  22d 
the  gates  were  opened.  A  more  complete  passage  was 
made  on  the  29th.  This  seemed  to  be  the  culmination  of 
the  disasters  which  had  overtaken  Fond  du  Lac  and  Osh- 
kosh, and  the  averting  of  others  which  threatened.  The 
rains  ceased,  too,  the  waters  commenced  to  lower,  and  the 
cities  commenced  to  repair  the  damiges.  The  loss  to  Fond 
du  Lac  and  Oshkosh  is  placed  at  |800,000.  A  great  suf 
ferer  was  the  IMilwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western  road, 
whose  track  was  under  water  for  several  miles.  The  farm- 
ing lands  adjacent  to  Lakes  Winnebago  and  Butte  des  Morts 
were  under  water  from  one  to  five  feet.  But  fire  and  flood 
work  against  fate  when  they  attempt  to  break  the  spirit  of 
Oshkosh. 

BAXKS. 

In  1855,  Messrs.  Fletcher  k  Strong,  under  the  State 
Banking  Law,  established  the  Oshkosh  Commercial  Bank. 


In  November,  1858,  Thomas  T.  Reeve  and  Gilbert  W.  Roe 
purchased  the  institution,  and  carried  on  the  business  under 
the  old  charter  until  1861.  "  The  Commercial  Bank  of 
Oshkosh"  was  then  chartered,  and  continued  to  be  thus 
known  until  October  1,  1865,  when  it  was  re-organized  as 
the  "  Commercial  National  Bank."  Continuing  under  the 
National  Bank  Law  until  January  1,  1872,  Messrs.  Reeve 
&  Roe  conducted  the  business  as  private  bankers,  under  the 
name  "  Commercial  Bank  of  Oshkosh."  It  was  re-organ- 
ized as  a  State  Bank  -eptember  1,  1880,  retaining  its 
former  name. 

The  Commercial  Bank  of  Oshko.sh,  as  stated,  has  been 
doing  business  under  the  State  law  since  September  1, 1880. 
Its  cash  capital  is  $100,000  ;  deposits,  from  |200,000  to 
$250,000 ;  discounts,  about  the  same.  Present  officers : 
Thomas  T.  Reeve,  President;  G.  W.  Roe,  Vice  President; 
James  Johnston,  Leander  Choate.  Thomas  Wall  and  An- 
drew Haben,  Board  of  Directors  ;  Thomas  Daly  is  Cashier. 
When  Messrs.  Reeve  &  Roe  first  commenced  business, 
their  deposits  amounted  to  $10,000. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  July,  1864, 
with  the  following  Board  of  Directors :  A.  W.  Kellogg 
(President),  S.  M.  Hay,  Philetus  Sawyer,  William  Kellogg 
and  Frank  Leach.  Rufus  B.  Kellogg  was  Cashier.  The 
capital  stock  was  $50,000;  increased  in  October,  1873,  to 
$100,000.  The  first  statement  made  showed  the  deposits 
to  be  $112,000,  and  loans,  $41,000.  In  1865,  A.  W. 
Kellogg  sold  out,  and,  in  1869,  Charles  Schriber  succeeded 
R.  B.  Kellogg  as  Cashier,  they  having  been  connected  with 
the  bank  since  its  establishment.  The  present  Board  of 
Directors  are:  S.  M.  Hay  (President),  P.  Sawyer  (Vice 
President),  J.  H.  Porter,  Robert  McMillen,  Moses  Hooper 
and  R.  B.  Kellogg.  Charles  Schriber  is  Cashier  and  Sec- 
retary of  the  board.  As  a  contrast  to  the  first  statement  of 
the  bank,  is  the  last,  made  June  30,  18^1 :  Deposits, 
$963,436.81;  loans  and  discounts,  $653,899.70 ;  surplus 
fund,  $25,000  ;  undivided  profits,  $28,603.06  ;  circulation, 
$76,400. 

The  Farmers'  Bank  was  conducted  by  R.  C.  Russell 
from  1868  until  February,  1871,  when  the  Union  National 
Bank  was  organized  and  he  became,  and  continues,  its 
Cashier. 

The  Union  National  Bank,  organized  February  9, 1871, 
commenced  business  March  21.  with  a  capital  of  $100,000. 
There  has  been  no  increase.  The  Board  of  Directors  were : 
D.  L.  Libbey  (President),  R.  P.  Roberts  (Vice  President), 
J.  L.  Mead,  Nathan  Cobb,  R.  C.  Russell,  Franklin  Leach, 
Chris  Sarau,  Jr.,  Abel  Neff  and  E.  M.  Danforth.  The 
present  board  consists  of:  D.  L.  Libbey  (President),  Eben- 
ezer  Hubbard  (Vice  President)  R.  C.  Russell,  Joel  L. 
Mead,  James  Chase,  R.  T.  Morgan,  J.  Moore,  Robert 
Campbell  and  Charles  Barber.  The  first  report  of  the 
bank,  covering  thirty-nine  days'  business,  makes  this  ex- 
hibit :  Individual  deposits,  $36,525.69  ;  loans  and  discounts, 
$52,519.24.  Its  last  report,  made  June  30,  1881,  shows 
its  deposits  to  be  $367,011.13  ;  loans,  $393,902.68  ;  surplus 
fund,  $30,000  ;  undivided  profits,  $22,584.61. 

MANUFACTURINO. 

For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1880,  the  value  of  the 
products  of  the  city  manufactories  was  $4,628,085  on  an 
invested  capital  of  $2,746,153.  Over  2,000  hands  were 
employed.  These  figures  are  taken  from  the  last  census 
returns,  and  would  be  increased  for  the  year  1881  by  fully 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


twenty-five  per  cent.     The  business  of  some  of  the  leading 
nianut'acturers  is  recorded  as  follows  : 

Capital  invested.  A'alue  of  products. 

Lumber  ami  shingles $1,178,553  $1,046,850 

Sash,  doors  and  blinds 417,000  797,120 

Carriages,  sleighs,  etc 43,975  279,100 

Flour-mills  105,000  242,437 

Castings   and   machinery,    tin 

and  iron  work,  etc 120,000  180,000 

These  figures  represent  a  city  of  bustling  activity,  the 
center  of  the  lumber  manufacture  of  the  State.  During  the 
season  of  1880, 100,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  10,000,000  feet 
of  lath,  145,000.000  shingles,  440,000  windows,  doors, 
and  82,000  pair  of  blinds  were  turned  out  from  the  lumber 
mills,  and  sash,  door  and  blind  factories  of  Oshkosh.  On 
January  1,  1881,  60,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  5,600,000 
feet  of  lath,  30,000,000  shingles,  and  21,253,027  feet  of 
logs  were  on  hand. 

HOTELS. 

In  1846,  Webster  Stanley  opened  the  first  hotel  on 
Ferry  Street.  To  meet  the  demands  of  the  growing  village, 
he  erected  a  building  on  its  site,  which  had  more  the  appear- 
ance of  the  modern  hotel.  Next,  M.  Griffith  appeared  as  a 
landlord — then  Otis  &  Earl.  From  these  small  beginnings 
have  grown  the  harvest  of  hotels,  which  make  the  accom- 
modations of  Oshkosh,  for  travelers,  first-class.  The  Fre- 
mont House,  the  new  Revere  House,  just  completed  and 
opened  to  the  public,  the  Fowler  House,  the  Seymour  House, 
and  dozens  of  other  smaller  establishments,  supply  the  de- 
mands of  such  a  stirring  population  as  is  ever  surging 
through  the  city. 

LDMBER    MARKET. 

Oshkosh  is,  on  account  of  its  natural  position  and  the 
circumstances  of  the  development  of  the  country  to  the 
north  of  it.  the  great  lumber  market  of  the  State.  In  early 
days,  and  for  many  years,  the  valley  of  the  Fox  River  and 
the  region  near  the  shores  of  Green  Bay,  were  being  cleared 
of  timber  by  many  lumbering  settlements.  The  dense  pine 
lands  of  the  valley  of  the  Wolf,  on  the  contrary,  were,  and 
are.  tributary  to  one  point — Oshkosh.  A  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Oshkosh  has  thus  briefly  but  forcibly  described  her 
natural  advantages  of  position  :  "  The  City  of  Oshkosh, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  town  in  which  it  is  located,  orig- 
inally called  Winnebago,  stands  on  the  west  bank  of  Lake 
Winnebago,  eighteen  miles  from  the  head  of  the  lake,  and 
ten  miles  from  the  foot,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Fox  River, 
at  its  mouth.  This  river,  from  its  breadth  and  depth  of 
water,  forms  an  excellent  harbor,  and  affords  every  desirable 
facility  for  commercial  operations.  Its  navigable  waters 
for  110  miles,  form  an  outlet  for  the  products  of  a  large 
scope  of  productive  country.  The  Wolf  River,  a  much 
larger  stream,  mingles  its  waters  with  the  Fox  about  twelve 
miles  from  its  mouth,  the  two  immediately  widening  into  a 
beautiful  lake,  and  then  their  united  waters  form  a  deep 
and  broad  channel  to  the  lake  at  the  mouth,  where  the  city 
of  Oshkosh  now  stands.  The  question  is  often  asked,  why 
the  Fox  should  take  the  name  of  the  Wolf,  when  the  latter 
is  several  times  its  size ''.  The  answer  is,  the  Fox  Indians, 
for  many  years  far  back,  possessed  all  the  country  from  the 
headwaters  of  the  Fox  River  to  its  mouth  at  Green  Bay, 
including  both  the  Upper  and  Lower  Fox,  and  would  never 
relinquish  the  name;  though  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 
Lower  Fox  should  not  now  have  its  original  name — Neenah 
— by  way   of  distinction,  and  the   Wolf  have  retained  its 


name  to  its  mouth.     The  Wolf  River  is  navigable  for  boats  I 

of  large  size  for  seventy-five  miles,  and  an   equal  distance  j 

further  for  those  of  lesser  size,  and  drains,  with  its  tributa-  I 

ries,  the  great  pineries,  bringing  to  our  doors  the  rich  prod-  | 

nets  of  that  extensive  region — a  greater  source  of  wealth, 
perhaps,  than  all  others  our  city  enjoy.  Add  to  this  the 
agricultural  resources,  standing  as  it  does  in  the  midst  of  a 
country  whose  fertility  is  surpassed  by  none  in  the  State ; 
and  to  this,  again,  a  salubrious  and  healthful  climate,  and 
we  have  a  few  of  the  leading  attractions  which  belong  to 
Oshkosh  on  account  of  its  position.  It  is  on  the  44th  par- 
allel of  north  latitude;  52  miles  from  Green  Bay,  and  170 
feet  above  the  waters  of  the  bay  ;  110  miles  northeast  from 
Portage  City,  and  14  feet  lower ;  and  from  the  Mississippi 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  it  is  222  miles,  and 
140  feet  higher  It  is  90  miles  from  Milwaukee  and  192 
from  Chicago.  In  beauty  and  advantage  of  location,  it  is 
not  excelled  by  any  city  in  the  Northwest. 

"  L"p  to  the  year  1848,  Green  Bay  was  the  port  of  entry 
for  all  commercial  operations,  and  a  depot  for  all  supplies 
for  Northern  Wisconsin,  from  time  almost  immemorial. 
From  the  first  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  white  man. 
Green  Bay  was  the  outfitting  post  for  Northern  and  Western 
posts,  and  her  foundries  and  machine  shops  supplied  ma- 
chinery, her  mills  the  flour,  and  her  stores  the  provisions. 
In  short,  the  people  of  this  new  town  had  been  accustomed 
to  look  to  Green  Bay  for  almost  everything  they  had  to 
buy,  until  stores  and  provision  houses  could  be  started. 
The  change  of  trade  from  that  place  may  be  attributed  to 
several  causes.  Sheboygan  began  to  offer  a  better  market, 
with  a  means  of  transportation  more  favorable,  as  well  as  a 
market  better  supplied.  The  Lower  Fox  River  presented 
serious  obstacles  in  navigation,  and  caused  great  delays  in 
getting  goods  from  the  East,  while  the  new  route  from 
Sheboygan,  with  a  plank  road  to  Taycheedah,  on  the  East 
shore  of  Lake  Winnebago,  and  boats  to  this  place,  presented 
less  difficulties  and  delays,  and  at  cheaper  rates.  These 
were  some  of  the  causes,  and  perhaps  the  main  ones,  that 
caused  so  radical  a  change  as  took  place;  and  until  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  to  this  place,  the  trade  and  travel 
over  the  Sheboygan  and  Milwaukee  routes  was  a  large  one." 

In  1835,  the  first  commercial  logs  were  cut  by  employes 
of  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green  Bay.  upon  Rat  River,  in  the 
extreme  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  From  this  region 
came  most  of  the  timber  which  went  to  build  the  mill  and 
houses  at  the  government  agency  at  Winnebago  Rapids. 
New  camps  were  opened  up  in  this  region,  and  supplied 
and  were  rafted  through  the  lake  to  the  saw-mill  at  Stock- 
bridge  or  Winnebago  Rapids.  In  the  spring  of  1843, 
Samuel  Farnsworth,  of  Green  Bay,  with  his  foreman, 
Charles  \\^escott,  started  the  first  raft  of  logs  down  the 
Wolf  River,  with  Oshkosh  as  the  objective  point.  JNIorris 
Firman  commenced  the  first  saw-mill  at  this  point,  in  1847, 
near  the  present  site  of  the  old  gang  mill,  but  Forman  & 
Bashford,  of  Algonia,  completed  a  rival  mill  first  and  run 
through  the  first  lumber.  In  1849,  a  State  land  office  was 
opened  in  Oshkosh  ;  declared  a  board  of  public  works  with 
authority  to  direct  all  river  improvements.  Frank  Moore, 
of  Fond  du  Lac  County,  had  in  the  meantime  become  inter- 
ested in  the  splendid  outlook  of  the  Wolf  River  couutry  as 
a  lumbering  region,  and  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Shaw- 
ano mill.  Another  man  who  was  to  play  a  prominent 
part  in  the  development  of  the  lumber  interests,  not  so  much 
of  the  Wolf  River  Valley  as  of  that  region  applied  to  Osh- 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


129 


kosh,  now  appeared  upon  the  scene  as  a  leader.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1849,  Philetus  Sawyer,  then  thirty-two  years  of  age, 
removed  to  Oshkosh  from  Rosendale,  Fond  du  Lac  Co., 
where  he  had  settled  upon  a  farm  with  his  young  New  York 
wife.  He  first  contracted  to  run  a  mill  "  by  the  thousand," 
but  soon  branched  out  for  himself,  dealing  heavily  in  logs, 
contracting  with  other  mills,  and  finally  in  1855,  building 
a  mill  himself.  He  purchased  large  tracts  of  pine  lands  all 
along  the  river,  built  other  mills,  established  lumber  yards, 
and  built  up  that  fortune  whose  history  would  be  the  his- 
tory, virtually,  of  the  lumber  regions  of  Northern  Wiscon- 
sin. Largely  through  his  eflbrts,  the  Wolf  River  has  been 
improved  by  a  series  of  booms  along  flat  places  and  dams  at 
rapids,  until  it  is  now  considered  the  best  driving  stream  in 
the  Northwest.  Its  waters  are  generally  well  confined,  so 
that  with  these  improvements  logs  seldom  fail  to  reach  their 
destination.  The  sorting  of  the  immense  mass  of  logs 
which  is  driven  down  the  river  and  its  tributaries  is  done 
in  Boom  Bay,  which  is  connected  with  the  river  by  a  canal 
nearly  a  mile  in  length.  After  being  sorted  according  to 
ownership,  they  are  towed  through  Lakes  Poygan  and 
Butte  des  Morts,  principally  to  Oshkosh. 

Wolf  River  Boom  Company  was  incorporated  in  1857,  J. 
H.  Weed,  President,  and  re-organized  in  1870.  Its  officers 
are:  J.  A.  Paige,  President  and  Treasurer;  Philetus  Sawyer, 
D.  L.  Libbey,  E.  C.  Kellogg  and  James  .Jenkins,  Directors  ; 
Wm.  Wall,  Secretary  and  Superintendent.  The  capital  of 
the  company  is  $50,000.  Its  name  and  previous  remarks 
explain  its  object. 

Foster  &  Jones. — This  firm,  consisting  of  Carlton  Fos- 
ter and  James  V.  Jones,  was  established  in  1865,  and 
operates  a  large  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  with  glazing 
department,  and  a  lumber  and  shingle  mill.  The  buildings 
and  lumber-yard  occupy  a  large  area  on  Oregon  street,  near 
Sixth.  The  main  building  of  the  factory  is  95x120  feet, 
two  stories  in  height,  with  tin  roof.  During  1881,  this 
firm  manufactured  170,000  windows,  70,000  doors,  20,000 
pair  of  blinds,  and  cut  7,000,000  feet  of  lumber  and 
6,500,000  shingles.  They  employ  130  men.  This  is  one 
of  the  leading  and  most  substantial  lumber  manufacturing 
firms  in  the  city.  Both  of  its  members  iiave  been  residents 
of  Oshkosh  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Conlee  Brothers. — In  1864,  the  firm  of  Beach  &  Conlee 
(E.  N.)  commenced  lumbering,  and  built  a  saw-mill  in  1867. 
George  W.  Conlee  was  then  admitted  into  partnership.  In 
1874,  the  firm  (Beach,  Conlee  &  Bro.)  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds.  In  1879,  Orville 
Beach  retired,  and  the  firm  became  Conlee  Brothers.  They 
have  a  large  glazing  department  attached  to  their  factory, 
glazing  about  two  hundred  windows  per  day.  When  the 
firm  first  commenced,  3,500,000  feet  of  lumber  were  cut 
annually;  now  7,000,000  feet  are  manufactured.  The  fac- 
tory turns  out  250  doors,  100  pair  of  blinds  and  300  win- 
dows daily.  The  Canan  &  Wolf  improved  drying-kilns  are 
used.     Conlee  Brothers  employ  140  men. 

William.son,  Libbey  &  Co.— In  1856,  Richard  T.  Mor- 
gan and  his  brother  John  R.,  with  two  others,  purchased 
the  small  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  owned  by  John  G. 
Bailey.  This  was  destroyed  by  fire ;  also  a  second  one  in 
1859.  This  was  rebuilt  by  R.  T.  Morgan  and  his  partner, 
John  D.  Jones.  The  building,  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Light  and  Marion,  was  sold  in  1866  to  Williamson  &  Co. 
This  is  the  basis  of  their  present  extensive  business,  holding, 
as  they  do  now,  the  position  of  the  oldest  sash,  door  and 


blind  manufacturers  in  the  city.  The  factory  which  they 
now  occupy  was  erected  in  August,  1875.  In  March, 
1879,  D.  L.  Libbey  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  When 
operated  by  the  Morgan  Brothers  the  factory  employed  four 
hands  and  turned  out  twenty  pair  of  blinds,  and  from 
thirty  to  forty  doors  per  day.  It  now  manufactures  375 
doors,  600  windows,  250  pair  of  blinds,  and  employs  100 
hands.  The  factory  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  Marion 
and  Jay  streets. 

R.  McMillen  &  Co. — Robert  McMillen  came  to  Osh- 
kosh in  the  fall  of  1854,  and  has  resided  here  since,  with 
the  exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in  Muskegon,  Mich., 
when  he  first  removed  to  the  West.  Three  years  later,  C. 
W.  Davis,  his  present  partner,  located  in  the  city.  They 
purchased  J.  D.  Jones'  interest  in  the  sash,  door  and  blind 
factory  of  Morgan  &  Jones.  In  1861,  Messrs.  McMillen 
&  Davis  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles,  which 
business  they  continued  for  six  years.  Their  saw-mill  was 
built  in  1868,  and  their  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  in 
1873.  The  mill  commenced  by  cutting  25,000  feet  of 
lumber  daily ;  now  it  manufactures  twice  that  amount. 
The  increase  in  all  branches  of  their  business  was  propor- 
tionate.    Location,  No.  177  High  street. 

James  P.  Gould,  Sash,  Door  and  Blind  Factory,  Tenth 
street,  near  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railroad  Depot. — 
This  manufactory  was  estajblished  by  Gould,  Hume  &  Co., 
in  1868.  Thus  the  firm  continued  for  seven  years.  At 
first  fifty  doors,  thirty  pair  of  blinds  and  150  windows  were 
manufactured  daily  by  twenty  hands ;  now  225  doors,  200 
pair  of  blinds  and  500  windows  by  ninety  hands. 

Badger  &  Gould's  saw,  shingle  and  lath  mill,  east  end 
of  Eighth  street,  was  built  in  the  winter  of  1879-80. 
Twenty  men  are  employed  and  50,000  feet  of  lumber,  6,000 
of  lath  and  30,000  shingles  are  manufactured. 

S.  Radford  &  Bro. — This  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
manufacturing  firms  of  Oshkosh.  A  saw-mill  and  extensive 
sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  are  operated  on  Marion  street. 
They  have  also  an  extensive  lumber  yard.  The  frontage 
of  their  ground,  on  the  river,  is  850  feet  on  the  north  side, 
and  2,000  on  the  south.  During  the  past  six  months,  the 
sales  of  their  factory  amounted  to  $200,000 — the  daily 
manufacture  being  400  doors,  100  pair  of  blinds  and  700 
windows.  The  firm,  consisting  of  S.  &  William  Radford, 
was  formed  in  1870.  C.  W.  Radford,  son  of  the  latter,  is 
its  general  superintendent. 

0.  D.  Peck  &  Co. — Mr.  Peck  is  senior  member  of 
this  firm,  which  operates  a  planing-mill,  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory.  The  capacity  of  the  latter  is  300  doors,  300 
windows  and  300  pair  of  blinds  daily. 

0.  D.  Peck — Lumber  and  shingle  manufacturer,  Marion, 
near  Hancock.  Since  1877,  Mr.  Peck  carried  on  the  bus- 
iness alone.  In  1867,  the  saw-mill  was  started  by  the  firm 
of  Spaulding,  Badger  &  Co.  The  firm  afterward  became 
Spaulding  &  Peck,  and,  in  1877,  0.  D.  Peck.  He  manu- 
facturers 50,000  feet  of  lumber,  10,000  of  lath  and  50,000 
shingles  daily.  When  he  first  established  his  business, 
he  turned  out  30,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  when  he  started 
his  shingle  mill  in  1872,  he  manufactured  30,000  shingles 
daily. 

Morgan  k  Brother. — The  two  brothers  composing  the 
firm,  Richard  T.  and  John  R.  Morgan,  came  to  Oshkosh 
in  1855,  from  New  Y'ork.  They  operated  the  first  molding 
machine  in  the  city,  and  run  the  pioneer  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory,  built  "by  John  G.  Bailey.     Their  factory  was 


[30 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


burned  in  18")6,  ISf)!)  and  1M74.  Tiiree  saw-mills  were 
burned  on  the  present  location,  in  1870,  1873  and  1875. 
In  1864,  they  built  the  Northwestern  Planing  Mills  near 
the  depot,  and  sold  it  to  Gould  k  Hume  in  1867,  having 
sold  the  Light  street  factory  to  Williamson  &  Co.  in  1866. 
During  this  year,  they  purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  the 
McCartney  saw-mill,  and  the  next  year  the  entire  property. 
The  mill,  which  manufacturers  lumber,  lath  and  shingles, 
is  located  on  Marion,  east  of  Jay. 

George  W.  Pratt, — Manufacturer  and  dealer  in  lumber, 
lath,  shingles,  etc.,  mill  on  Marion  street.  Mr.  Pratt  was 
interested  in  the  lumber  business  two  years  prior  to  the 
building  of  the  mill  in  1871.  In  1878,  he  became  its  sole 
owner.  He  employs  fifty  hands,  and  manufactured  8,000,- 
0^30  feet  of  lumber  and  5,000,000  shingles  during  the  sea- 
son of  1881. 

C.  N.  Paine  &  Co.,  Algoma,  manufacturers  and  dealers 
in  lumber,  lath,  shingles,  etc.  In  1855,  E.  L.  Paine  &  Co. 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  Edward  L.,  the 
father  of  C.  N.  and  George  M.  Paine,  retired  from  active 
business  about  ten  years  ago,  and  the  present  firm  was 
formed.  They  are  among  the  heaviest  manufacturers  and 
dealer's  in  the  city. 

Hume,  Paine  &  Co. — This  firm  was  formerly  composed 
of  William  Hume  and  John  R.  Washburn.  The  latter 
gentleman,  however,  disposed  of  his  interest,  in  the  fall  of 
1881,  and  the  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  on  Iowa  street 
is  now  conducted  by  Messrs.  Hume  &  Paine.  They  employ 
seventy  men,  and  manufacture  60,000  doors,  100,000 
windows  and  30,000  pairs  of  blinds  per  annum. 

Buckstaff  Bros.  &  Chase,  lumber  and  shingle  raanu- 
facturei-s,  mill  on  Fifth  street.  Employ  sixty  hands ; 
capacity  of  mill,  40,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  35,000  shin- 
gles per  day. 

0.  Beach  &  Bros.,  lumber,  lath  and  shingle  mill,  south 
side  of  river  near  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  Capacity,  6,000,- 
000  feet  of  lumber,  500,000  feet  of  lath,  and  6,000,000 
shingles  per  annum.  They  employ  fifty  men.  Orvdle 
Beach,  senior  member  of  the  firm,  is  a  most  successful  busi- 
ness man,  having  been  a  resident  of  Oshkosh  since  1855. 
About  six  years  ago,  Mr.  Beach  formed  a  partnership  with 
his  brother,  D.  Beach,  and  his  brother-in-law,  W.  P.  War- 
wick, under  the  above  firm  name. 

Scott  &  Libbey  (J.  R.  Scott  and  D.  L.  Libbey),  "  old 
gang-mill,"  corner  of  Mill  and  River  streets.  This  mill 
was  was  started  in  1856.  It  was  built  by  Burnham,  Fos- 
ter (i  Knapp,  and  afterward  passed  into  the  hands  of  A.  B. 
Knapp  &  Co.,  J.  Jenkins  &  Co.,  and  Swift  &  Scott.  The 
present  partnership  was  formed  in  the  spring  of  1880. 
They  employ  sixty  men.  The  cut  of  the  mill  amounts  to 
6,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  4,000,000  shingles  per 
annum. 

Ripley  &  Mead  (S.  Ripley  and  J.  L.  Mead),  lumber  and 
shingle  manufacturer  ;  mill  at  the  foot  of  Blackhawk  street. 
When  the  business  was  first  commenced  in  1850,  one  saw 
was  used,  from  five  to  six  men  were  employed,  and  16,000 
feet  of  lumber  was  sawed  per  day.  Now  the  firm  employs 
thirty-five  men,  while  40,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  40,000 
shingles  are  manufactured  per  day. 

Campbell  Bros.  &  Cameron  (J.  D.,  D.  M.  and  R.  C. 
Campbell  and  George  H.  Cameron),  manufacturers  of  lum- 
ber, lath  and  shingles ;  mill  on  the  south  side  of  the  river 
near  the  C,  M.  &.  St.  P.  R.  R.  bridge.  The  mill  was 
erected  in  1873,  and  manufactures  45.000  feet  of  lumber, 


6,000  feet  of  lath  and  40,000  shingles  per  day.  The  firm 
employ  sixty-five  men. 

J.  II.  Weed,  lumber  and  shingle  manufacturer,  mill  at 
the  foot  of  Tenth  street.  The  mill  was  built  in  1862.  Its 
capacity  is  45,000  feet  of  lumber,  8,000  feet  of  lath  and 
30,000  shingles.      He  employs  thirty-eight  men. 

A.  Thompson,  shingle  manufacturer,  mill  corner  of 
River  and  Bay  streets.  It  was  built  by  its  proprietor  in 
1876.  He  employs  thirty  hands  and  manufactures  90,000 
shingles  per  day. 

J.  C.  Griffith  &  Co.,  shingle  manufacturer,  mill  oppo- 
site court  house.  The  firm  employ  thirty  hands  and  manu- 
facture 130,000  shingles  per  day. 

Henry  Sherry,  lumber  and  shingle  manufacturer,  mill 
east  end  of  Seventh  street,  employs  fifty  men  and  turns  out 
40,000  feet  of  lumber  and  30,000  shingles  daily. 

John  S.  Fraker,  shingle  manufacturer,  mill  on  Marion 
street,  commenced  business  in  1869,  and  has  increased  from 
an  out-put  of  60,000  to  100,000  shingles  per  day.  He 
employs  thirty-two  men. 

James  McNair  purchased  the  old  Sawyer  Mill  in  1879  ; 
employs  forty  men  and  turns  out  40,000  feet  of  lumber  and 
9,000'of  lath  per  day. 

Derby  &  Curran  (Geerge  M.  Derby  and  Daniel  Curran), 
shingle-mill  on  Pearl  near  Blackhawk  street.  When  the 
business  was  established  in  1864,  from  seven  to  eight  hands 
were  employed,  and  the  cut  was  30,000  shingles  per  day. 
The  firm  now  employs  twenty-five  hands,  and  manufactures 
80,000  shingles  daily. 

Charles  S.  Webb,  shingle  manufacturer,  mill  on  Marion 
street.  The  business  was  commenced  in  1868  by  Webb, 
Albert  &  Co  ,  and  the  annual  manufacture  7,000,000,  now 
it  is  18,000,000  shingles  per  annum,  and  thirty-six  hands 
are  employed. 

J.  L.  Clark  &  Son,  former  proprietors  of  the  Star 
Match  Works,  have  just  completed  one  of  the  largest  car- 
riage and  sleigh  manufactories  in  the  country.  They  will 
employ  300  men  and  turn  out  thirty  carriages  and  buggies 
per  day.  In  1855,  Mr.  Clark  removed  to  Oshkosh,  being 
then  a  poor,  but  energetic  young  man.  After  engaging  in 
various  capacities  in  the  lumber  business,  he  commenced  in 
1863  to  make  match  splints  on  one  small  machine,  having  two 
assistants  and  the  sorting  being  done  at  his  own  house.  In 
1868,  he  commenced  the  manufiicture  of  matches  in  the  same 
modest  way.  From  this  beginning,  through  the  foresight  and 
untiring  energy  of  James  L.  Clark,  grew  the  largest  factory 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  manufacture  of  matches  on  this 
continent,  and  which  became  the  property  of  the  Diamond 
Match  Company  in  December,  1880.  The  firm,  J.  L. 
Clark  &  Son,  have  now  established  another  industry,  which 
will  tend,  more  than  ever,  to  make  Oshkosh  the  grand 
manufacturing  center  of  the  Northwest. 

Parsons  &  Goodfellow  (J.  G.  Parsons  and  T.  M.  Good- 
fellow).  This  firm  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  buggy  manu- 
facturers in  the  United  States.  From  1874  to  the  latter 
part  of  1878,  they  were  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  busi- 
ness in  Chicago.  The  citizens  of  (Oshkosh,  realizing  the 
benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  location  of  such  works, 
raised  a  bonus  of  $5,000,  and  the  manufactory  was  per- 
manently located  here  January  1,  1879.  In  addition  to 
their  manufactory  they  have  a  fine  repository  for  finished 
work.  All  kinds  of  open  and  top  buggies  are  turned  out. 
They  employ  185  men  and  manufacture  4,000  vehicles  per 
annum.     Their  yearly  pay-roll   amounts   to  $85,000   and 


HISTORY    OF    WINNEBACJO    COUNTY. 


their  sales  to  $350,000.  The  works  of  the  firm  are  on 
Main  street,  near  the  bridge. 

Neville  &  Holden  (Thomas  Neville  and  Edward  Holden). 
This  firm  commenced  the  manufacture  of  carriages  and 
sleighs,  and  a  general  repairing  business,  July  10,  1880. 
The  first  year  they  turned  out  150  vehicles.  They  are 
among  the  leading  manufiicturers  of  Oshkosh. 

Thompson  &  Hayward,  manufacturers  of  carriages  and 
buggies.  The  above  firm  commenced  business  in  Omro  in 
1S74.  They  now  employ  125  men  and  manufacture  twelve 
vehicles  per  day. 

Diamond  Match  Company,  successors  to  J.  L.  Clark  & 
Son.  This  corporation  controls  twenty-five  match  factories 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  mostly  in  the  East,  and 
has  a  capital  of  $2,250,000.  George  W.  Gates  is  the  man- 
ager of  the  works  at  Oshkosh.  The  buildings,  situated  at 
the  corner  of  Pearl  and  Osceola  streets,  cover  an  area  of 
80,000  square  feet.  From  200  to  250  hands  are  employed, 
and  the  annual  product  of  the  works,  including  stamps,  is 
$500,000.  The  nucleus  of  this  enormous  establishment 
was  formed  in  1864,  when  James  L.  Clark  erected  a  small 
building  and  removed  his  workshop,  in  which  he  manufact- 
ured splints,  from  his  house  to  his  new  quarters.  In  1868 
he  commenced  the  manufacture  of  matches  in  a  small  way. 
In  1877  J.  L.  Clark  &  Son  erected  a  saw-mill.  This  also 
was  sold,  in  December,  1880,  with  the  other  buildings  at- 
tached to  the  factory,  to  the  Diamond  Match  Company.  It 
employs  about  thirty-nine  men,  and  the  daily  output  is 
100,000  shingles.  The  mill  has  two  machines — one  double 
and  one  single.  It  also  saws  splint  timber.  During  one 
day,  September  14,  1881,  when  the  entire  force  was  em- 
ployed in  the  manufacture  of  shingles,  the  Challoner  double 
machine  turned  out  211,500  in  a  run  of  eleven  hours,which 
is  a  record  hard  to  beat. 

Union  Iron  Works,  J.  F.  Morse,  proprietor,  Nos.  10  to  16 
Ceape  street.  Mr.  Morse  commenced  business  for  himself  in 
1853,  and  has  since  continued  to  reside  in  Oshkosh  devoted 
to  his  calling.  He  established  the  Eagle  Iron  Works,  of 
which  C.  C.  Paige  is  proprietor,  in  1859.  These  are  the 
leading  iron  works  of  the  city,  and  stand  in  the  van  of  the 
foundry  and  machine  shops  of  the  State.  Mr.  Morse  em- 
ploys fifty  men,  his  works  turning  out  castings  and  all 
kinds  of  machinery.  The  steam  engines  which  he  has 
manufactured  stand  in  the  market  as  A  No.  1. 

Eagle  Iron  Works,  C.  C.  Paige,  proprietor.  Nos.  8  to  14 
Marion  street.  These  works  were  established  in  18511,  by 
J.  F.  Morse  and  W.  C.  Fredericks.  In  1862,  Mr.  Paige 
purchased  the  latter's  interest,  and  the  firm  of  Morse  & 
Paige  continued  to  conduct  the  business  until  October,  1862, 
when  the  latter  became  sole  proprietor  of  the  works.  He 
employs  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  men.  the  annual  sales 
amounting  to  $75,000.  The  principal  work  of  the  manu- 
factory is  saw-mill,  flour-mill  and  steamboat  machinery. 

Union  Boiler  Works,  M.  T.  Battis,  proprietor,  corner 
of  Market  and  Pearl  streets.  Mr.  Battis  commenced  bus- 
iness in  a  small  way,  in  1856  ;  he  now  employs  fifteen 
hands,  and  manufactures  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  boilers 
per  annum,  besides  doing  a  large  amount  of  repairing. 

The  boiler  works  of  A.  Burns,  on  Ceape  street ;  the 
machine  shops  of  C.  II.  Avery,  on  Marion,  and  the  repair- 
ing works  of  Daniel  Mierswa,  corner  of  Ceape  and  Moore, 
are  further  indices  of  the  enterprise  evinced  in  this  line  of 
manufacture.  Mr.  Avery  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1854,  having 
had  thirty-five  years'  experience  in  this  country  and   En- 


gland in  his  chosen  occupation.  Mr.  Mierswa  built  his 
shop  in  1869,  and  does  a  business  of  $8,000  per  annum. 
Near  C.  H.  Avery's  machine-shop,  on  Marion,  is  the  old 
established  shop  of  James  Gillingham  &  Son.  The  senior 
proprietor  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1852,  and  has  since  built  up 
a  large  business  in  boat,  mill,  sleigh  and  carriage  black- 
smithing. 

Wakefield  Flour  Mills,  Foote  Brothers  &  Co.  (A.  D., 
W.  A.  and  F.  G.  Foote  and  Warren  Nutting),  proprietors, 
corner  of  River  and  Broad  streets.  The  firm  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  flour  in  1876  ;  they  also  do  much  cus- 
tom work.  The  mills  turn  out  200  barrels  of  flour  per  day, 
by  the  patent  roller  process. 

Keystone  Flour  Mills,  corner  of  Sixth  and  Nebraska 
streets,  H.  C.  Gustavus  &  Co.  (Casper  Smith),  proprietors. 
The  firm  purchased  the  property  in  1875,  which  was  then 
known  as  the  South  Side  Flouring  Mills.  They  have  since 
made  such  improvements  as  made  the  mills  complete  and 
modern.  The  manufacture  is  equal  to  125  barrels  of  flour 
per  day. 

On  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Minnesota  is  F.  Laabs'  nnill, 
which  does  a  good  business.  One  or  two  smaller  establish- 
ments complete  the  manufactures  in  this  line. 

Wisconsin  Manufacturing  Company,  Oshkosh,  S.  P. 
Nelson,  manager ;  manufacture  cheese  boxes  and  stock- 
head  linings,  berry  boxes.  The  works  turn  out  about  fifty 
thousand  or  sixty  thousand  cheese  boxes  and  stock  annually, 
in  addition  to  large  amounts  of  other  specialities. 

Brooklyn  Brewery,  Horn  &  Schwahn  (August  Horn 
and  Theo  Schwalm),  proprietors,  on  Doty,  near  Six- 
teenth street.  The  building  was  erected  in  1879,  at  a  cost 
of  $35,000,  and  is  the  largest  brewery  in  the  city. 

On  the  same  street,  just  outside  the  city  limits,  is  the 
establishment  of  John  Klatz,  of  about  the  same  capacity. 

There  are  several  breweries  of  smaller  size. 

In  the  above  sketches  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  give 
a  complete  history  of  all  the  manufacturing  establishments 
of  Oshkosh.  The  leading  ones  have  only  been  held  up  to 
view ;  many  deserve  notice  which  space  only  forbids. 
Those  not  already  mentioned,  or  found  in  the  succeeding 
group,  appear  elsewhere,  woven  into  the  biographies  of 
their  proprietors. 

Since  these  sketches  were  prepared,  there  have  been 
several  changes  in  the  manufactories  of  Oshkosh.  Parsons 
i&  Goodfellow's  large  carriage  works  suspended  in  October, 
and  its  affairs  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  Board  of 
Directors,  elected  by  the  creditors.  Thompson  &  Hayward, 
in  the  same  line  of  business,  failed  soon  after.  The  firm  of 
Neville  &  Holden,  also  carriage  and  sleigh  manufacturers, 
was  dissolved  in  November,  Mr.  Holden  retiring  from  the 
partnership.  Messrs.  Foster  &  Jones,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  firms  in  Oshkosh,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
sashes,  doors  and  blinds,  and  lumber  and  shingles,  dissolved 
partnership  November  2,  James  V.  Jones  retiring,  and 
C.  Foster  conducting  the  immense  establishment  alone.  On 
November  29,  G.  C.  Griffith  &  Co.'s  shingle  mill  was  burned. 

Below  are  a  number  of  leading  industries  gf  a  miscella- 
neous character : 

Cook,  Brown  &  Co.  (Ossian  Cook,  R.  C.  Brown,  F.  E. 
Waite  and  B.  F.  Carter),  manufacturers  of  lime,  brick  and 
drain  tile,  and  dealers  in  cement,  stucco,  land  plaster,  fire 
brick,  etc..  No.  13  Marion  street.  The  present  firm  was 
established  in  1874,  being  the  successors  of  J.  A.  Day  & 
Co.,  who  did  business  twenty  years  ago.     Their  brick  yards 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


and  tile  works  are  in  Calumet  County;  also  a  portion  of 
their  limekilns.  Their  large  warehouses  and  cooper-shops 
are  in  Oshkosh.  There  is  also  a  barrel  manufactory  at 
Clifton,  Calumet  County.  The  firm  also  deals  largely  in 
wood  and  coal.  They  own  their  own  vessels  used  in  the 
transportation  of  their  manufactures  from  the  eastern  to  the 
western  shore  of  Lake  Winnebago.  Over  100  men  are 
employed  by  Cook,  Brown  &  Co.,  and  100,000  drain  tile 
and  8,000,000  brick  manufactured  per  annum;  also  500 
barrels  of  lime  per  day. 

Alfred  Chappie,  proprietor  of  stone  yard  and  cutter.  No. 
14  Marion.  Mr.  Chappie  has  had  an  experience  in  his 
business  of  thirty-two  years,  coming  to  Oshkosh  in  1863. 
He  has  done  the  stone  woi-k  on  some  of  the  finest  buildings 
in  the  city — the  post  office.  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows' 
Block,  St.  Peter's  and  M.  E.  Churches  and  the  last  addition 
to  the  Normal  School. 

Julius  Kusche  &  Bro.  (Julius  and  Edward  Kusche), 
manufacturer  of  lirae,  kiln  on  Ceape  street.  Its  capacity  is 
6,000  barrels  per  annum,  but  it  is  not  worked  up  to  that 
figure.     The  quarries  are  located  in  Calumet  County. 

J.  R.  Leper's  Soap  Works,  corner  of  Marion  and  Mar- 
ket streets,  were  established  in  a  small  way  in  1862.  Mr. 
Loper  came  to  Oshkosh  from  New  York  in  1865.  His 
works  were  burned  three  times,  but  each  time  rebuilt  and 
improved,  until  now  they  take  rank  with  the  most  complete 
in  the  West.  The  toilet  and  laundry  soap  made  by  his  man- 
ufactory is  A  No.  1. 

Eagle  Trunk  Factory,  Nos.  15  to  18  Polk,  warehouses 
Nos.  211  to  21.3  Main  street,  Schmit  Bros.  (Peter  and 
Henry),  proprietors.  The  business  was  established  in  1868 
by  H.  Schmit  &  Co.,  the  present  firm  being  formed  in  1872. 
The  annual  product  of  their  factory  amounts  to  $80,000, 
and  they  employ  seventy-two  men.  This  is  one  of  the  larg- 
est trunk  factories  in  the  Northwest. 

The  manufactories  of  Oshkosh,  however,  do  not  repre- 
sent all  her  business  activity.  Her  wholesale  and  retail 
trade,  in  those  branches  which  usually  grow  and  flourish  in 
a  metropolitan  place,  is  very  extensive.  The  pioneers  of 
her  general  trade  first  established  themselves  on  Ferry 
street,  then  expected  to  become  the  main  business  thorough- 
fare of  the  city.  First,  in  1843,  J.  H.  Osborne  opened  a 
store  near  the  lower  end  of  that  street,  selling  out  to  Amos 
Dodge,  who  moved  to  a  location  near  the  old  gang-mill  ; 
Smith  &  Gillett,  corner  of  Main  and  High  streets;  Miller 
&  Eastman,  Ferry  street,  and  others  branched  out  into  bus- 
iness during  the  next  three  years.  At  the  close  of  1849, 
six  dry  goods  stores,  two  shoe  stores,  four  groceries,  two 
taverns,  one  saloon  and  seven  lawyers,  one  doctor,  one 
steam  saw-mill,  one  shingle-mill,  one  furniture-shop,  one 
sash  and  door  factory,  two  cabinet  makers,  one  watch 
maker,  one  gun-smith,  one  harness  maker,  three  blacksmith- 
shops  and  one  newspaper,  the  Oshkosh  Free  Democrat. 
The  lake  and  river  means  of  transportation  were  improv- 
ing, the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  River  improvements  were  being 
pushed,  a  new  route  had  been  opened  to  Sheboygan,  the 
county  seat  question  had  been  finally  settled  in  favor  of 
Oshkosh,  and  everything  pointed  to  the  brisk  activity  in 
general  trade  which,  from  this  time  on,  assisted  to  push  the 
village  on  to  prosperity.  Since  then,  increase  in  trade  has 
been  steady  and  rapid.  Large  dry  goods  establishments, 
grocery  stores,  elegant  drug  stores  and  jewelry  establish- 
ments, etc.,  now  line  her  streets  and  give  voice  to  her 
wealth  and  solidity. 


MEANS    OP    COMMUNICATION. 

As  is  always  the  case,  the  water  highways  first  served  | 

Oshkosh  in  opening  up  communication  with  other  points.  | 

The  steamer   Manchester  was  built  near  Pipe  Village,  on  ' 

the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Winnebago,  and  made  her  first  i 

appearance  at  this  place  in  the  fall  of  1844.     Capt.  Hotal-  ' 

ing  was  her   commander,   and   Stephen  Brooks,   engineer.  i 

Her  route  included    Oshkosh,.  Fond   du   Lac,    Winnebago  \ 

Rapids,  Pipe  Village,  and  the  trading-posts  on  the  Fox. 
Her  sphere  of  usefulness  was  soon  extended  up  the  Wolf 
River  to  the  Gill's  Landing  and  Shawano  saw-mills.  In 
1849,  a  steamboat  company  was  formed  by  Morgan  L. 
Martin,  M.  C.  Darling,  Capt.  A.  B.  Bowen,  John  Bannister, 
Theodore  Conkey,  Augustine  Grignon  and  Joseph  Jackson. 
The  latter  was  President,  and  Capt.  Hotaling  was  Admiral 
of  the  fleet  of  flve  boats.  Since  then  the  shipping  interests 
of  Oshkosh  have  grown  and  extended  over  Lake  Winne- 
bago and  along  the  rivers  which  are  tributary  to  her. 

At  this  point  it  is  fitting  to  say  a  word  in  regard  to  the 
trouble  experienced  in  the  replacement  of  the  ancient  ferry 
by  a  bridge — free  to  all — which  finally  connected  the  two 
portions  of  the  village,  so  that  the  people  felt  as  if  they 
were  of  one  kindred.  The  first  bridge  built  across  the  Fox 
River  at  Oshkosh  was  commenced  by  the  Fox  River  Bridge 
Company,  the  first  team  passing  over  it  July  3,  1847.  The 
old  ferry  went  the  way  of  all  wood,  and  the  new  bridge 
took  its  place.  One  Abel  Neff"  completed  the  structure  in 
spite  of  the  opposition  of  parties  who  wished  the  river 
spanned  at  other  points.  In  1850,  Messrs.  Weed,  Gu- 
maer  &  Coon  built  a  bridge  at  Algoma,  which  was 
the  "making  of  the  place,"  although  it  did  not  get  out 
of  sight  of  Oshkosh  in  the  race  for  supremacy.  In 
the  spring  of  1854,  the  dispute  over  free  bridge  or  toll 
waxed  almost  into  a  small  civil  war.  The  opponents 
of  the  free  bridge  measure  served  an  injunction  to  restrain 
the  city  from  issuing  $2,000  bonds  for  the  purchase 
of  the  Broad  street  bridge  which  was  to  be  converted 
into  a  free  thoroughfare.  Commissioner  Buttrick  granted 
it,  but  Mayor  Eastman  refused  to  obey  his  order.  The 
injunction  was  finally  withdrawn,  as  the  majority  of  the 
citizens  voted  in  favor  of  "no  toll."  The  next  morning  a 
portion  of  the  bridge  was  carried  down  stream  at  a  kind  of 
a  "free-for-all"  speed.  It  was  recovered,  placed  in  posi- 
tion, and  used  sometime  before  a  new  one  was  built. 

But  the  great  triumph  of  the  city  was  complete  when 
the  first  railroad  reached  its  limits.  The  first  through  pas- 
senger train  arrived  at  Oshkosh,  over  the  Chicago  ()t  North- 
Western  road.  October  13,  1859.  This  city  remained  the 
northern  terminus  until  1862,  when  the  line  was  extended 
to  Appleton.  Its  subsequent  mighty  extensions  have 
opened  up  to  Oshkosh  and  to  all  the  cities  along  the  road 
the  rich  lumber  and  mineral  regions  of  Northern  Wisconsin 
and  Michigan,  and  given  them  the  benefit  of  communica- 
tion with  Milwaukee,  Chicago,  and  all  Southern  points.  In 
1866,  the  Oshkosh  &  Mississippi  Railroad  Company  was 
chartered  to  build  a  road  from  Oshkosh  to  the  Mississippi. 
In  1872,  twenty  miles  of  it  was  constructed  to  Ripon, 
where  it  connected  with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul's  main  line,  verging  away  off  to  the  great  wheat  fields 
of  the  Northwest.  There  the  people  rested.  The  short 
line  was  leased  to  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road Company,  and  for  all  practical  intents  and  purposes 
Oshkosh  has  the  benefit  of  a  railroad  to  the  Mississippi  and 
far  beyond.     The  branch  of  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  & 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


133 


Western  Railroad,  built  from  Oshkosh  in  1879,  strikes  the 
main  line  at  Hortonville,  which  extends  into  the  heart  of 
the  lumber  country  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  Through  the 
construction  of  this  line  the  whole  country  to  the  north  and 
west,  over  which  stretch  the  Wisconsin  Central  and  the 
Green  Bay  &  Minnesota  roads  was  placed  in  communica- 
tion with  Oshkosh,  and  the  city  entered  into  a  new  and 
more  expanded  career  of  prosperity. 

THE    PRES.'^. 

Oshkosh  True  Democrat. — The  first  paper  published  in 
the  city  and  the  county  was  the  Oshkosh  True' Democrat, 
issued  by  Messrs.  Densmore  &  Cooley,  February  2,  1849. 
It  was  a  Free-Soil  paper. 

Oshkosh  Courier. — In  June,  1852,  J.  H.  McAvoy 
founded  the  Courier,  a  daily  paper,  the  first  printed  in  Osh- 
kosh, was  issued  July  10,  1854.  Three  years  thereafter,  in 
August,  the  Democrat  issued  a  daily,  and  they  both  were 
discontinued  in  December,  1857.  The  Courier  was  for  a 
long  time  the  leading  Ilemocratic  journal  of  this  section. 
j  Oshkosh  Northwestern. — In  August,  1857,  Charles  R. 

[  Nevitt  withdrew  from  the  Courier,  which,  in  connection  with 
'  George  H.  Read,  he  had  been  publishing  for  four  years.  In 
1860,  he  associated  himself  with  D.  C.  Felton  and  others  in 
the  publication  of  the  Nortlnvestcrn.  The  first  number  was 
!  issued  May  18,  the  publishing  firm  being  D.  C.  Felton  & 
i  Co.  In  the  meantime,  under  the  management  of  Markham 
&  Felker,  in  August,  1856,  the  politics  of  the  Democrat  had 
been  changed  from  Free-Soil  to  Republican.  On  October  3, 
1860,  George  Gary,  having  become  its  sole  proprietor,  sold 
his  paper  to  the  proprietors  of  the  Northwestern,  and  a  new 
firm  was  formed  in  its  publication,  consisting  of  C.  R.  Nevitt 
and  C.  F.  Pike,  known  under  the  name  of  C.  R.  Nevitt  & 
;  Co.  In  January  a  daily  was  issued  and  continued  for  seven 
months.  This  firm  continued  to  manage  the  Northwestern 
until  its  consolidation  with  the  Courier  in  August,  1864. 
The  latter  paper  was  then  being  conducted  by  Hiram  Morley 
and  B.  F.  Davis.  Upon  the  consolidation  of  the  two  papers 
the  latter,  with  George  Gary,  assumed  the  management, 
forming  the  firm  of  Gary,  Morley  &  Davis.  During  the 
next  four  years  several  changes  occurred,  resulting  in  the 
retirement,  by  1870,  of  all  the  members  of  the  firm.  The 
daily  edition  was  re-established  in  1868.  In  October,  1870, 
Gen.  Thomas  S.  Allen,  of  Madison,  and  John  Hicks,  who 
had  been  the  local  editor,  formed  the  present  partnership. 
In  April,  1873,  the  Oshkosh  Journal,  established  by  Rounds 
&  Morley  in  1 868,  was  consolidated  with  the  Northwestern, 
which  made  the  third  paper  it  had  absorbed.  Its  ofl^ce  was 
burned  in  the  great  conflagration  of  April  28. 1875,  but  the 
dnWy  Nor thivesf em  never  -'missed  fire,"  being  printed  in 
Fond  du  Lac  during  the  four  days'  time  that  was  required 
to  obtain  a  new  outfit.  This  journal  is  consistently  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  wields  a  general  influence  throughout 
the  State. 

Oshkosh  Times.— In  the  fall  of  1862,  the  Review  {Demo- 
cratic)  was  established  by  A.  P.  Swineford.  Robert  V. 
Shirley  revived  the  paper  under  the  name  Oshkosh  Democrat. 
His  office  was  burned  in  May-,  1866.  Although  he  lost 
heavily  the  journal  was  started  again  in  June  and  continued 
until  the  fall  of  1867,  when  it  was  purchased  by  George  Hyer 
and  D.  W.  Fernandez,  a  vigorous  and  enterprising  journalist, 
of  Madison.  On  October  1,  1867,  the  first  number  of  the 
Oshkosh  Times  was  issued.  On  April  20,  1872,  Mr.  Hyer 
died,  and  in  the  summer  S.  D.  Carpenter,  of  Madison,  be- 


came associated  with  him.  He  served  but  a  short  time 
Gus  O'Brien  being  an  editorial  writer  until  the  summer  of 
1874.  After  that  date  Mr.  Fernandez  continued  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Times  alone  until  April  28,  1875,  when  the 
oflice  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire.  But  with  character- 
istic energy  Mr.  Fernandez  soon  had  the  office  in  working 
order  again,  associating  with  himself  A.  T.  Glaze,  who  had 
been  connected  with  the  press  of  Ripon  and  Fond  du  Lac 
for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  latter  continued  in 
this  connection  until  October,  1879,  when  Mr.  Bright 
bought  his  interest.  The  Times  is  now  published  by  Messrs. 
Fernandez  &  Bright,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  weeklies  of 
the  State.  It  is  Democratic  in  politics  and  sustains  the 
cause  with  ability. 

Wisconsi7i  Telegraph  (German)  is  a  weekly  Democratic 
journal,  which  has  been  conducted  by  Charles  ami  Valen- 
tine Kohlmann  since  October,  1866.  Its  predecessors,  con- 
ducted by  the  same  firm,  Kohlmann  &  Brother,  were  the 
Wu'chter  am  Winnebago,  established  in  April,  1858,  and 
a  monthly  magazine  published  from  October,  1860,  when 
the  Wcechter  was  discontinued,  until  the  founding  of  the 
Telegraph  in  1866.  This  is  the  only  German  paper  in 
Oshkosh. 

Oshkosh  Standard. — This  journal  was  established  in 
February,  1878,  as  the  Greenback  Standard,  by  Messrs. 
Levy  &  Ryckman.  In  October  of  that  year,  upon  a  change 
of  proprietors  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Oshkosh  Stan- 
dard. Various  parties  associated  themselves  in  its  publica- 
tion, the  last  firm  being  Morley,  Karnie  &  Waring.  After 
being  conducted  for  some  time  by  the  Standard  Publishing 
Company,  the  paper  was  removed  to  Milwaukee  in  Septem- 
ber, 1881. 

SCHOOLS. 

Oshkosh  is  splendidly  accommodated  with  educational 
facilities.  In  addition  to  the  State  Normal  School  and  pri- 
vate educational  establishments,  seven  good  schools  are  con- 
nected with  the  public  system.  Of  the  6,000  children  of 
school  age  within  the  city,  1,000  attend  private  and  deno- 
minational schools.  This  does  not  include  the  attendance  at 
the  State  Normal  School.  In  1880-81,  nearly  $32,000 
was  required  for  the  support  of  the  public  school  system, 
and  notwithstanding  that  the  city  gives  so  much  to  her  chil- 
dren, she  stands  next  to  Milwaukee  (fourth)  in  the  economy 
with  which  she  maintains  the  system  of  public  instruction. 

Up  to  1851,  there  was  but  one  schoolhouse  in  the 
village,  and  that  as  badly  arranged  and  cramped  as  it  could 
be.  During  that  year  it  was  proposed  to  raise  §1,000  to 
build  a  new  one  ;  to  use  the  court  house  and  do  other  vari- 
ous things  which  did  not  come  to  a  head  for  several  years. 
With  the  erection  of  the  First  Ward  school  building  in 
1859,  .and  the  introduction  of  the  graded  system  in  1863, 
commenced  the  new  era  which  placed  Oshkosh  in  the  front 
rank  of  cities  which   possess   superior  educational  facilities. 

There  are  seven  substantial  structures  in  the  city,  the 
most  elegant  and  imposing  of  which  is  the  High  School 
building  on  Algoma  street  near  Jackson.  It  was  erected  in 
1867,  at  a  cost,  with  grounds,  of  §65,000.  The  building 
is  three  stories  in  height,  with  mansard  roof  and  a  lofty 
tower,  the  play  grounds  being  large  and  well  arranged.  At 
the  time  of  its  erection  it  was  the  finest  structure  of  the 
kind  in  the  State,  and  few  now  are  its  superiors  in  conven- 
ience or  beauty  of  design.  A  large  hall  is  located  in  the 
upper  story.  The  building  will  accommodate  500  pupils. 
E.  B,  Wood,  the  Principal,  has  eight  assistants. 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN 


The  First  Ward  school  building,  corner  of  Algoma  and 
Wisconsin  streets,  was  built  in  1859,  and  improved  into 
almost  a  new  structure  in  1863.  It  is  a  two-story  frame 
building  and  will  accommodate  400  scholars.  A.  L.  Osborn 
is  the  Principal. 

The  Frentz  School  (Second  Ward)  is  a  two  story,  brick 
and  stone  building,  situated  between  Winnebago  and  Fifth 
streets.  Its  value  is  §512,000.  The  seating  capacity  of 
the  building  is  350  ;  H.  C.  Thorn,  Principal. 

The  Third  Ward  (Eleventh  Street  School),  will  accom- 
modate 375  pupils.     A.  A.  Spencer  is  Principal. 

The  Dale  School  (Fourth  Ward)  is  a  two-story  brick 
building,  corner  of  Irving  and  Mount  Vernon  streets ; 
built  at  a  cost  of  $16,000,  it  is  the  most  elegant  and  sub- 
stantial school  edifice  in  the  city,  next  to  the  High  School. 
It  will  accommodate  500  pupils.  James  Brainerd,  the 
Principal,  has  seven  assistants. 

Another  beautiful  school  building  is  that  situated  corner 
of  Vine  and  Algoma  streets,  and  thrown  open  to  the  public 
in  February,  1880.  The  building  is  two-stories  and  base- 
ment, metal  roofed,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $10,- 
000.  It  accommodates  200.  Henry  Barber,  the  Principal, 
has  five  assistants. 

The  Sixth  Ward  building,  two  story  brick,  accommo- 
dates 200,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  The  Prin- 
cipal is  James  M.  Jones. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  there  are  several  small  frame 
buildings  used  by  the  city  in  overcrowded  wards. 

State  Normal  School.  Under  legislative  enactment  in 
1866,  a  Board  of  Regents  was  incorporated  to  take  charge 
of  the  Normal  School  Fund,  which  had  been  collecting  since 
1857,  from  the  sale  of  the  swamp  and  overflowed  lands  re- 
ceived from  the  United  States  in  1850.  In  1857,  an  act 
to  appropriate  25  per  cent  of  the  proceeds  aris- 


ing from  their  sale  to  the  maintenance  of  normal  institutes 
and  academies,  which  was  done  under  the  direction  of  a 
Board  of  Regents.  In  1865  the  Legislature  divided  the 
fund  into  two  equal  parts — one  for  drainage  purposes,  the 
other  to  constitute  a  Normal  School  Fund.  In  1866,  with 
the  incorporation  of  the  Board  of  Regents,  and  a  produc- 
tive fund  of  $600,000,  the  board  determined  to  establish 
several  schools  in  the  State.  During  that  year  Platteville, 
Grant  County,  was  conditionally  selected  as  a  site,  and  sub- 
sequently Whitewater,  Walworth  County,  for  the  south- 
eastern district  of  the  State.  The  school  at  Platteville  was 
opened  in  October,  1866,  and  at  Whitewater  in  April,  1868. 
The  third  school  established  was  that  at  Oshkosh.  The 
main  building  was  completed  in  1870,  but  owing  to  a  lack 
of  funds  the  dedicatory  ceremonies  did  not  occur  until  Sep- 
tember 19,  1871.  The  classes  were  then  organized  and  the 
school  was  formally  opened  under  the  presidency  of  George 
S.  Albee,  A.  M.,  previously  Superintendent  and  Principal 
of  Public  Schools  in  Racine.  The  increasing  wants  of  the 
school  made  an  addition  to  the  building  necessary.  As  it 
stands  now,  in  the  center  of  a  large  park  of  seven  acres  on 
Algoma  street,  it  presents  an  imposing  and  beautiful  ap- 
pearance. The  property  is  valued  at  $75,000.  Over  600 
pupils  are  enrolled,  representing  seven  States,  and  thirty- 
five  counties  of  Wisconsin.  The  normal  department  has  an 
enrollment  of  383 ;  the  model  department,  consisting  of 
Kindergarten,  Primary,  Intermediate,  Grammar  and  Ac- 
ademic grades,  230.  Each  Assembly  District  is  entitled  to 
eight  representatives  in    the   Normal    Schools,  and  a  prime 


requisite  is  sound  bodily  health  and  good  moral  character. 
Three  literary  societies  are  connected  with  the  school.  The 
scholars  have  the  privileges  of  a  good  library  and  reading- 
room.  The  cabinet  and  apparatus  are  growing  in  value  and 
completeness.  In  fact,  every  auxiliary  possible  is  brought  to 
bear  to  make  the  school  a  developing  influence  in  the  cause 
of  education.  This  it  is,  and  to  President  Albee  is  due  very 
much  of  the  credit  which  attaches  to  its  enviable  standing. 
The  Faculty  is  as  follows  :  George  S.  Albee,  President, 
School  Management,  Didactics  and  Mental  Science  ;  Robert 
Graham,  Vocal  Music,  Reading  and  Conductor  of  Insti- 
tutes ;  Waldo  E.  Dennis,  Natural  Science  ;  L.  W.  Briggs, 
Book-Keeping ;  Anna  W.  Moody,  History  and  Civil  Gov- 
ernment; Mary  H.  Ladd,  Mathematics;  Helen  E.  Bate- 
man,  English  Grammar,  Composition  and  Rhetoric ;  Rose 
C.  Swart,  Geography,  German  and  Art  of  Teaching ; 
Emily  F.  Webster,  Latin  ;  Amelia  E.  Banning,  Drawing 
and  Penmanship;  Nancy  M.  Davis  (Adjunct),  Mathematics 
and  Geography;  Lillian  A.  Duflies  (Adjunct),  Grammar 
and  History. 

German-English  Academy. — This  school  was  founded  in 
1858.  As  its  name  implies,  both  the  German  and  English 
branches  are  taught.  It  is  conducted  by  a  Boanl  of  Man- 
agers. Prof  Vogel  is  the  present  Principal.  He  has  one 
assistant.  The  attendance  is  about  100.  The  building  was 
burned  in  1875,  the  one  now  occupied  on  Court  street  be- 
ing erected  soon  after. 

Oshkosh  Business  College — W.  W.  Daggett,  Principal. 
This  is  one  of  the  institutions  that  Oshkosh  is  proud  of,  and 
which  draws  a  large  number  of  pupils  from  abroad,  and  has 
the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best  conducted  Commer- 
cial Colleges  in  the  Northwest.  It  has  acquired  a  national 
reputation  for  possessing  uuequaled  facilities  in  every  de- 
partment for  imparting  a  sound,  practical,  business  educa- 
tion. This  educational  institution  is  designed  to  supply  the 
constant  demand  for  thorough,  practical  training  in  studies 
essential  to  business.  It  is  so  organized  as  to  accommodate 
either  regular  students  or  those  having  but  a  few  hours  to 
spare  from  business  pursuits  during  the  day  or  evening. 
To  accomplish  this  the  instruction  is  individual,  and  adapted 
to  the  needs  of  each  pupil,  who  advances  as  fast  as  his  abil- 
ities will  allow,  without  the  embarrassment  of  class  organiza- 
tions. Persons  whose  education  is  deficient  are  thus,  with- 
out regard  to  age,  enabled  to  remedy  the  defect  speedily, 
without  publicity,  and  fit  themselves  for  lucrative  and 
responsible  positions.  Young  men,  on  leaving  the  ordinary 
public  or  private  schools,  can  here  obtain  what  is  usually 
omitted  or  imperfectly  taught  in  such  schools,  and  become 
qualified  to  assume  advanced  positions  on  account  of  their 
superior  attainments.  This  college  was  organized  by  E.  C. 
Atkinson,  in  September,  1867.  Prof  W.  W.  Daggett  took 
charge  of  the  school  in  September,  1870,  and  became  its 
sole  proprietor  in  1871.  Mr.  Daggett  has  that  natural 
aptitude  for  teaching  which  is  one  of  the  essential  require- 
ments for  the  attainment  of  success  in  his  calling,  and 
possesses  the  most  eminent  qualifications  for  imparting  to 
his  pupils  the  most  thorough  knowledge  of  the  branches 
taught.  All  branches  of  a  full  academical  course  are  taught, 
and  the  most  competent  assistants  are  employed.  The  gen- 
eral estimation  in  which  the  institution  is  held  will  be  seen 
in  the  fact  that  over  3,000  students  of  both  sexes  have 
attended  it  since  it  was  first  organized. 

The  denominational  schools  will  be  noticed  hereafter  in 
connection  with  the  churches. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'3S 


CHURCHES. 

Methodism — In  1841,  Jesse  Halstead,  a  Methodist  cir- 
cuit rider  from  Brothertown,  preached  the  first  licensed 
sermon  in  Oshkosh  in  Webster  Stanley's  bar-room.  He 
had  visited  the  place  the  year  before,  but  did  not  find  the 
religious  soil  so  fertile  then.  In  1838.  Clark  Dickenson, 
one  of  the  Government  farmers  of  Neenah,  had  exhorted  in 
the  same  place.  He  preached  at  various  intervals,  settling 
in  Oshkosh  in  1842.  The  next  year  he  relinquished  his 
part  to  John  P.  Gallup,  who  was  regularly  ordained.  In 
1850,  the  society  which  had  been  formed,  erected  a  building 
on  Church  street.  This  was  occupied  until  1875,  when  the 
handsome  building,  corner  of  Main  and  Merritt,  was  pur- 
chased. The  property  of  the  First  Methodist  Church,  Rev. 
D.  J.  Holmes,  Pastor,  is  valued  at  $^2,000.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  society  is  203.  From  this,  sprung  the 
Second  Methodist  Church,  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Minne- 
sota, and  the  flourishing  society  known  as  the  Algoma 
Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  J.  R.  Creighton, 
Pastor. 

Rev.  A.  H.  Kopplein  is  Pastor  of  a  strong  German 
Methodist  society,  whose  neat  church  edifice  is  situated  cor- 
ner of  Nebraska  and  Tenth.  It  was  organized  in  1860,  and 
the  church  built  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  The  parson- 
age was  purchased  at  the  same  time.  The  membership  of 
the  society  is  over  100. 

Besides  the  above,  the  sect  is  represented  by  small 
Welsh  and  Wesleyan  societies. 

Congregationalism — The  First  Congregational  Society 
was  organized  in  July,  1849,  the  prime  movers  in  the  enter- 
prise being  Joseph  Jackson  and  his  wife,  assisted  by  Rev. 
Cutting  Marsh.  A  building  was  completed  the  next  year, 
Rev.  H.  Freeman  becoming  the  first  pastor.  A  large 
church  building  upon  the  present  site  was  completed  in 
1857,  but  destroyed  by  fire  in  1872.  The  elegant  structure 
now  occupied,  corner  of  Algoma  and  Bond  streets,  was 
completed  the  next  year,  but  not  dedicated  until  October, 

1875,  when   the   society  was  out  of  debt.     In  December, 

1876,  Rev.  K.  C.  Anderson  assumed  the  pastorate.  The 
present  membership  of  the  society  is  230,  and  the  property 
is  valued  at  over  $30,000.  There  is  also  a  small  Welsh 
Society,  organized  in  1849,  whose  church  is  corner  of 
Franklin  and  Church  streets. 

Catholicism. — For  some  time  previous  to  the  erection  of 
St.  Peter's  Church,  services  were  held  in  private  houses 
and  mass  celebrated.  Father  F.  J.  Bonduel,  Indian  Mis- 
sionary at  Lake  Poygan,  was  the  first  officiating  priest. 
During  1850,  the  society  was  formed,  and  a  building  erected 
on  the  present  site  of  its  imposing  edifice.  This  was  after- 
ward enlarged,  but  the  present  structure  was  not  erected 
until  1880.  The  school,  connected  with  the  church,  was 
organized  in  1866,  and  has  an  attendance  of  120.  The 
value  of  the  entire  property  is  $23,000.  Rev.  Father 
James  O'Malley  is  in  charge  of  the  church,  which  has  a 
membership  of  1,100. 

The  fine  church  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  and  the  fine 
academy  connected  with  it,  are  situated  on  Oregon  street, 
near  Thirteenth.  The  academy  building  is  three  stories  in 
height,  and  was  built  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  The 
school,  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  has 
an  attendance  of  over  200.  Rev.  Father  J.  Reindl  is  the 
priest  in  charge  of  the  society.  This  numbers  230  families, 
and  was  formed  in  1867,  when  the  church  building  was 
erected,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000.     Between  the  church  and  the 


academy  building  is  the  priest's  house,  the  entire  group 
presenting  quite  an  imposing  appearance. 

St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  (German)  has  a  membership 
of  about  800.  Connected  with  it  is  a  school,  which  is  at- 
tended by  over  100  pupils.  Rev.  Father  Roman  Shelter 
is  the  priest  in  charge. 

Episcopal  Churches. — The  Trinity  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1854,  Rev.  D.  W.  Talford  becoming  the  first  resi- 
dent pastor.  Services  had  been  held  for  a  few  years  pre- 
vious. In  1859,  the  building  was  erected,  at  the  corner  of 
Algoma  and  Light.  It  was  improved  in  1866  and  1876. 
The  property  is  valued  at  $6,000.  Rev.  F.  R.  Hoff"  is  the 
rector.     Membership  of  the  society  180. 

The  St.  Paul's  Society  worship  corner  of  Melvin  and 
Forest  streets,  while  Grace  Church,  or  Chapel,  corner  of 
Minnesota  and  Eleventh,  has  its  pulpit  supplied  under 
direction  of  the  Bishop. 

Baptist  Churches. — The  First  Baptist  Church  was 
formed  in  May,  1854,  Rev.  E.  C.  Sanders  becoming  its 
pastor  during  the  succeeding  month.  The  building  erected 
in  1859,  on  Jefferson  avenue,  was  burned  in  1874.  The 
edifice  now  occupied,  corner  of  Church  and  May  streets, 
was  dedicated  in  1875.  The  church  property  is  valued  at 
$20,000;  membership  of  society  200;  pastor.  Rev.  H.  0. 
Rowlands.  -A.  small  society — the  Second  Baptist  Church — 
worships  on  Ninth  street. 

Presbyterianism. — The  first  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized  March  26,  1871,  Rev.  A.  G.  Eagleson  being  its 
first  pastor,  continuing  until  March  23,  1872;  Rev.  F.  Z. 
Rossiter  served  from  that  date  until  June  23,  1872.  The 
present  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  F.  Bacon,  began  his  labors 
October  19,  1879.  In  1875,  the  property  formerly  owned  by 
the  First  M.  E.  Society,  corner  of  Church  and  Division 
streets,  was  purchased  by  the  church.  The  church  edifice 
and  parsonage  have  since  been  improved,  presenting  a  neat 
and  tasty  appearance.  When  first  organized,  the  society 
contained  fifteen  members ;  now  the  membership  is  ninety. 
Its  property  is  unencumbered,  and  the  organizatjon  is  one 
of  the  prominent  societies  of  Oshkosh.  The  United  Pres- 
byterians hold  services  at  the  south  end  of  May  street. 

Lutheran  Churches. — The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  (Trinity)  was  organized  in  1856.  In  1876,  the 
present  church  edifice,  school  and  parsonage  were  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  The  society  has  a  membership  of 
110,  and  the  school  an  attendance  of  100.  Rev.  J.  L. 
Daib  has  been  pastor  for  ten  years.  There  is  also  a  strong 
German  Lutheran  Church  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  on 
Eighth  street,  and  a  large  school  in  connection  with  it. 
The  Danish  Lutheran  Church  is  on  Bay  street,  near  Otter. 

In  addition  to  the  above  are  Evangelical  Reform,  Evan- 
gelical and  Union  Societies,  which  are  weak,  but  struggling. 

HOSPITALS. 

Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane. — The  Wisconsin 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  near  Madison,  was  opened  in  I860, 
and  in  1870  a  law  was  passed  for  an  additional  asylum. 
The  commissioners  chosen  to  locate  a  site  selected  a  spot 
four  miles  north  of  Oshkosh,  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake 
Winnebago.  The  grounds  consist  of  337  acres  of  land.  In 
April,  1873,  the  central  building  and  the  north  wing  were 
opened  to  patients,  and  the  massive  structure,  as  it  stands 
completed,  in  1875.  Upon  the  main  building  was  expended 
$495,484.80  ;  outhouses,  land  and  furnishings,  $129,765.- 
20  ;  total,  $625,250.     Patients,  to  the  number  of  about 


136 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


five  hundred,  have  been  received  from  thirty-three  counties. 
The  structure  is  built  to  accommodate  550.  Dr.  Walter 
Kempster,  formerly  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  one  of  the  best 
authorities  in  his  specialty  to  be  found  in  the  country,  has 
been  the  superintendent  in  charge  since  1873. 

Alexian  Brothers'  Hospital. — The  Alexian  Brothers  is 
an  ancient  order  of  the  Catholic  Church  established  for  the 
care  of  the  sick.  Large  hospitals  are  maintained  in  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis.  The  branch  in  Oshkosh  was  established  in 
August,  1879.  At  this  time  were  purchased  the  fine 
grounds  and  residence  of  J.  J.  Moore,  on  Jackson  street, 
the  cost  being  $9,000.  This  is  the  only  hospital  in  the 
city,  and  treats,  on  an  average,  twenty  patients.  Brother 
Stanislaus  is  Superior. 

SOCIETIES. 

Masons. — This  order  has  a  fine  hall  corner  of  Al- 
goma  and  Bond.  The  building  was  erected  in  1875,  at 
a  cost  of  $20,000.  It  is  of  brick,  100x40  feet,  the  lower 
story  being  occupied  by  the  city  ofiicers.  The  hall  proper 
-^40x65  feet — is  elegantly  furnished.  Oshkosh  Lodge, 
No.  27,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  is  the  oldest  one  in  the  city,  being 
instituted  April  23,  1849.  Tyrian  Chapter,  No.  15,  was 
instituted  in  1856,  and  re-organized  in  1860.  Oshkosh 
Commandery,  No.  11,  was  instituted  in  1873,  and  Centen- 
nial Lodge,  No.  205,  in  1876.  There  are  some  three  hun- 
dred members  in  the  city. 

I.  0.  0.  F. — This  order  is  of  about  the  same  strength 
as  the  Masonic,  and  is  represented  by  Oshkosh  Encamp- 
ment, No.  31 ;  Winnebago  Lodge,  No.  120  ;  Union  Lodge, 
No.  179,  and  Ivy  Lodge  (Daughters  of  Rebecca),  No.  38. 

Temperance  and  Benevolent  Societies. — One  of  the 
earliest  temperance  societies  organized  in  Oshkosh  was 
Lodge  No.  28,  I.  0.  G.  T.,  February  8,  1858.  Brooklyn 
Lodge,  No.  26,  was  formed  in  1869.  Between  1873  and 
1876,  the  temperance  organizations  sprung  up  like  magic, 
and  number  now  a  dozen,  most  of  them  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition. The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the 
Ladies'  Benevolent  Society  have  also  done  much  to  assist 
the  other  orders  in  furthering  the  temperance  cause.  The 
latter  is  composed  mostly  of  the  wives  of  leading  citizens, 
and  is  a  power  for  good. 

A.  0.  U.  W.— The  two  lodges,  Oshkosh  Lodge,  No.  31, 
and  Brooklyn  Lodge,  No.  57,  were  both  organized  in  1879, 
and  have  a  membership  between  them  of  125.  The  former 
is  the  stronger. 

Miscellaneous. — The  Sons  of  Hermann,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  Royal  Arcanum,  Druids  and 
German  United  Brothers  have  all  local  organizations.  The 
latter  organization  was  formed  in  December,  1853. 

The  Oshkosh  Stock-growers'  Association  was  incorpo- 
rated September  4, 1875.  Its  capital  stock  is  $15,000.  Its 
grounds  at  the  north  end  of  Jackson,  consisting  of  sixty 
acres,  are  leased  to  the  Northern  Wisconsin  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  Association.     Its  President  is  S.  M.  Hay. 

The  Northern  Wisconsin  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Association  was  organized  in  March,  1870,  having  since 
then  held  an  annual  fair  in  September.  A  large  exposition 
building,  400x63  feet,  and  two  stories  high,  was  erected  in 
1879  and  thrown  open  to  the  public  in  September  of  that 
year.  In  October,  1880,  it  was  burned  to  the  ground. 
Before  the  time  for  holding  the  next  annual  fair  had  arrived, 
through  the  liberality  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of 
Oshkosh,  another    exposition    building,   402x68    feet,   had 


been  erected.  It  was  opened  September  1,  1881,  by  a 
grand  dance,  and,  in  less  than  two  weeks  from  that  time, 
the  regular  fair  was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Associa- 
tion. The  late  A.  M.  Skeels,  of  Ripon,  was  its  first  Presi- 
dent, holding  the  office  four  years.  The  present  officers  are  : 
Chester  Hazen,  Ladoga,  President;  R.  D.  Torrey  and  E. 
W.  Viall,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  respectively. 

The  Oshkosh  Turnverein  was  organized  January  5, 
1869,  and  is  one  of  the  strongest  in  the  State,  having  a 
membership  of  220.  The  society's  hall,  corner  of  Merritt 
street  and  Jefferson  avenue,  was  erected  in  1875  at  a  cost 
with  furnishings,  of  $12,000.  The  size  of  the  building  is 
100x54  feet,  and  of  the  hall,  which  is  devoted  to  public 
uses,  54x54  feet. 

The  Oshkosh  Yacht  Club,  Oshkosh,  has  become  quite 
noted  for  its  love  of  aquatic  sports,  and  Lake  Winnebago 
quite  famous  as  a  resort  of  such  lovers.  Its  yacht  club  was 
organized  in  1868,  and  incorporated  in  1871.  It  numbers 
150  members,  and  owns  fifteen  fine  yachts.  In  June  occurs 
the  annual  cruise,  and  the  regatta  in  July.  George  W. 
Burnell  is  the  Commodore  of  the  club. 

Oshkosh  Sharpshooters'  Association  was  organized  in 
1873,  and  have  now  thirty  members;  Ferd  Hahn,  Presi- 
dent. The  grounds  consist  of  five  acres  at  the  west  end  of 
Sixth  street. 

Winnebago  County  Sportsmen's  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  1879.  The  membership  is  one  hundred;  C.  W. 
Felker  is  President. 

Oshkosh  Post  No.  10,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  in  1875, 
Gen.  T.  S.  Allen,  Commander.  It  has  about  one  hundred 
members;   its  motto,   "Fraternity,  Charity  and  Loyalty." 

The  Oshkosh  Guards  were  organized  in  1876,  and  have 
103  members. 

The  Oshkosh  Rifles  were  organized  in  1880,  and  have 
sixty-one  members. 

There  is  also  an  organization  known  as  the  Oshkosh 
Cadets. 

The  Oshkosh  Library  Association  was  organized  in 
1868.     Its  name  is  explanatory  of  its  objects. 

The  Casino  Society  is  a  literary  and  musical  organiza- 
tion formed  in  December,  1865.  It  has  done  much  to  raise 
the  standard  of  music  in  the  city,  consisting  at  present  of 
one  hundred  members ;  A.  F.  Baehr  is  President.  Their 
fine  hall  is  located  on  Washington  street. 

BIOGEAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

PROF.  GEORGE  S.  ALBEE,  distinguished  as  the  Presi- 
dent of  thu  State  Normal  School  at  Oshkosh,  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  baviug  been  born  in  the  town  of  Hunn  in  that  State.  He 
received  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  his  native  town,  and 
having  completed  his  preparetory  course,  matriculated  at  the  State 
University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  subsequently 
graduated.  Soon  after,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Faculty 
of  Rushford  Academy,  a  well-known  institute  in  Western  New 
York,  where  he  remained  several  years.  Eleven  years  ago  he 
founded  and  put  in  operation  the  school  with  which  he  has  since 
been,  and  now  is  so  prommently  indentified.  Under  his  adminis- 
tration the  institution  has  grown  in  popularity  and  influence  ; 
having  for  the  past  five  years  held  one  half  the  counties  in  Wis- 
consin tributary  to  it,  as  a  source  of  education  to  students,  and 
attracted  a  reputation  which  has  become  synonymous  with  the 
cause  of  learning  in  the  Northwest. 

FRANK  ALLEN,  filer,  Conleo  Bros.  Was  born  in  James- 
town, Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  18,  1853,  his  parents, 
Ashel  and  Hannah  (Stone)  Allen  being  old  residents  of  New  York 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


State.  His!  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin  in  1864,  and  located  in 
Fond  du  Lao,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  got  his  schooling. 
He  moved  to  Osbkosh  in  1875  and  engaged  with  Conlee  Bros. ; 
has  been  iu  his  present  position  about  two  years. 

JOSEPH  ARNOLD,  soda  water  manufacturer.  Was  born  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1842;  his  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin  in 
1843,  and  settled  in  Milwaukee  where  they  remained  eight  years, 
and  then  moved  to  Oshkosh.  Mr.  Arnold  was  engaged  in  keeping 
a  meat  market  during  this  time,  a  business  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  followed  up  to  April,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  1st 
Wis.  Inf,  for  three  months;  re-enlisted  August,  1862,  in  Co.  E, 
26th  Regt.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg 
July  1,  1863;  .sent  to  Belle  Isle  and  paroled  May  7th,  1864; 
was  exchanged,  and  took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  was 
mustered  out  in  June,  1865.  Mr.  A.  held  a  commission  as  1st 
Lieutenant  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  in  command  of  Co. 
H,  26th  Wis.  On  his  return  to  Wisconsin,  he  settled  in  Fond  du 
Lac  and  kept  a  meat  market  there  some  seven  years  ;  then  moved  to 
Oshkosh  and  commenced  present  business.  He  was  married  in 
Oshkosh  Nov.  24,  1868,  to  Miss  Matilda  Moss,  of  Winnebago 
Co.  They  have  four  children— Nellie  L.,  Lizzie,  Olive  and  Florence. 
Mr.  A.  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  "  Sons  of 
Hermann." 

GEO.  W.  ATHEARN,  proprietor  of  livery  stable  and  omni- 
bus and  transfer  line,  was  born  at  Starks,  Somerset  Co.,  Me., 
Feb.  27,  1847.  Was  a  resident  of  Waterville,  Kennebec  Co., 
Me.,  when  the  war  broke  out ;  he  served  about  eighteen  months 
in  Co.  K,  2d  Maine  Cavalry  ;  when  he  left  the  army  he  returned 
to  Waterville  and  remained  there  until  he  came  to  Wisconsin  rn 
fall  of  1867  ;  he  bought  a  dairy  farm  near  Oshkosh,  and  for  about 
three  years  carried  it  on  ;  he  built  a  grain  elevator  at  Lanark, 
Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  grain  busine.ss  there  for  a  few  months, 
and  then  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  began  his  present  business. 
Mr.  Athearn  was  married  at  Lawrence,  Mass.,  in  1867,  to  Miss 
Eliza  A.  Pressey,  a  native  of  Waterville,  Maine.  They  have  two 
children — Geo.  W.,  Jr.,  and  Frederick. 

GEORGE  BADGER,  lumber  manufacturer;  was  born  a* 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  March  4,  1814.  When  a  youth,  he  wen' 
to  Reading,  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  Mass. ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in 
1855  ;  prior  to  coming  here  he  was  engaged  in  manufacturing 
lumber,  after  coming  to  Wisconsin  he  carried  on  building  business 
to  some  extent,  and  later  engaged  in  provision  trade,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  several  years.  In  the  fall  of  1866  he,  in  partnership  with 
James  C.  Spalding,  built  a  sawmill,  and  operated  the  mill  with  part- 
ners until  1874,  then  engaged  in  lumbering  alone  until  1880. 
During  the  winter  of  1879  and  1880,  he  and  his  present  partner, 
J.  P.  Gould,  built  the  mill  which  they  now  run.  Mr.  Badger 
was  married  at  Reading,  Mass.,  in  November,  1837,  to  Elizabeth 
H.  Pierce,  a  native  of  Hebron,  N.  H.  They  have  three  children 
living — Emily,  now  Mrs.  John  N.  Hoagland,  George  A.  and  Fred. 
Lost  three  children  who  died  in  infancy. 

JOHN  S.  BAKER,  packer  in  Thompson  &  Hayward's  car- 
riage works  ;  Mr.  B.  was  born  in  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April 
28,  1841;  settled  in  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1849,  with  his 
mother,  and  lived  there  about  one  year ;  then  moved  to  Utica, 
Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  and  lived  about  four  years;  then  went  to 
Waushara  Co.,  and  followed  farming  twelve  years,  after  which  he 
moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1865.  He  enlisted,  Aug.  11,  1862, 
in  Co.  C,  21st  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inf,  and  served  until  June  18th, 
1865,  engaging  in  the  battles  of  Perry ville,  Stone  River,  etc.,  was 
in  hospital  about  six  months,  after  which  he  joined  Sherman's  army 
at  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  was  in  the  latter  battle,  also  marched  to  the  aea, 
and  was  with  the  army  in  all  the  engagements  after  he  joined  the 
same,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  D.  C,  June  18, 
1865.  He  returned  to  Omro,  and  lived  until  the  fall  of  1879; 
th(>n  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  worked  in  the  shipping  department 
of  Parsons  &  Goodfellow's  carriage  works  five  months ;  then  en- 
gaged in  shipping  department  April  20,  1881,  as  above  noted. 
He  wa.s  inarrieil'  in  Berlin,  Wis.,  Sept.  24,  1865,  to  Mrs.  Clar- 
7^ 


rissa  E.  Rolph,  who  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N,  Y.  They  have 
one  daughter — Hattie  Bell. 

CHARLES  BARBER,  lawyer,  was  born  at  Burlington,  Vt., 
Sept.  21,  1851.  Came  to  Oshkosh,  with  his  father.  Dr.  Ammi 
P.  Barber,  in  1857  ;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Oshkosh, 
graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1868.  He  read  law  with 
Chas.  W.  Felker,  and  his  present  partner,  Earl  P.  Finch,  and 
graduated  from  the  school  of  Columbia  College,  N.  Y.  City,  in 
May,  1874,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  Wisconsin  the  same 
month;  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  the  same 
year,  and  afterward  to  U.  S.  Circuit  and  Supreme  Courts.  He 
is  Attorney  for  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  Ry.  Co.,  and  of  the  Union 
National  Bank,  being  a  Director  of  the  latter  institution.  In 
1874  and  1875  he  was  Inspector  of  the  public  schools  of  this  City, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  He  was  married  at 
Oshkosh,  January  1,  1880,  to  Daisy  C,  daughter  of  James 
Jenkins,  who  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1857.  Mr.  B.  has  one  child — 
Elizabeth  W.,  born  Nov.  6,  1880.  Mr.  Barber's  father  was  a 
skillful  and  popular  physician,  and  was  engaged  in  active  practice 
until  his  death  in  October,  1880. 

R.  BARLOW,  engineer,  Buckstaff  Bros. ;  was  born  in  Lower, 
Canada,  Oct.  24,  1835  ;  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  St.  Law- 
rence Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1838;  came  to  Wisconsin  iu  1857,  settled  in 
Oshkosh,  and  engaged  in  sawing.  Prom  1860  to  1863  was  en- 
gineering in  Pennsylvania  mines.  Lake  Superior ;  he  has  been  in 
the  business  in  all  some  eighteen  years.  He  was  married  in  Eagle 
Harbor,  Lake  Superior,  in  1860,  to  Minerva  Green,  of  Beaver 
Dam,  Wis.  They  have  six  children  living — Frank,  Charles. 
Thomas,  James,  George  and  John.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  order 
of  A.  0.  of  U.  W.,  and  also  Temple  of  Honor. 

JAS.  A.  BARNES,  foreman,  R.  Bros. ;  was  born  in  Suffolk 
Co.,  England,  June  16,  1849.  Moved  to  Guelph,  Canada 
West,  with  his  parents  in  1852.  Mr.  Barnes  came  to  Wisconsin 
in  1865  and  located  in  Janesville,  and  engaged  in  a  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory;  moved  to  Oshkosh  in  1867  and  engaged  in  same 
business ;  was  foreman  for  J.  P.  Gould  five  years,  and  was  for  a 
time  in  same  position  with  McDonald  &  Stuart,  of  Fond  du  Lac  ; 
has  been  with  his  present  employers  about  two  years.  Was  mar- 
ried in  Grand  Rapids,  Wisconsin,  Dec.  27,  1872,  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Sutton,  of  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  one  child,  a  daughter — 
Eva,  born  Sept.  10,  1878.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  follow- 
ing societies  :  A.  0.  U.  W.,  "  Royal  Temple  of  Honor"  and  "Am. 
Legion  of  Honor." 

JACOB  F.  BASSLER,  of  the  firm  of  Goe  Bros.  &  Bassler,  was 
born  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Penn.,  Oct.  3,  1839.  In  1S5S  he  en- 
gaged as  an  apprentice  to  this  present  business  in  Philadelphia,  and 
followed  it  there  until  the  opening  of  the  war,  when  he  volunteered 
his  services  in  defense  of  his  country,  and  enlisted  in  10th  Penn.  V. 
I.  April,  1860,  and  after  a  service  of  three  months  he  returned  and 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  9th  Penn.  Cav.,  was  commissioned 
2nd  Lieutenant,  May  22,  1862,  and  remained  in  the  service  till  the 
end  of  the  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out  as  Captain  Co.  I,  9th 
Penn.  Cav.,  at  Lexington,  N.  C,  as  veteran;  honorbly discharsred 
July  29,  1865.  After  his  war  services  he  engaged  at  his  business 
again  in  Pennsylvania,  wiiich  be  prosecuted  for  five  years  after  which 
he  came  West,  and  after  a  stay  of  three  years  in  Waukegan,  111. ; 
he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1873,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  his 
present  business.  In  1867  he  was  married  to  Miss  Angelina 
Miller,  in  Millersburg,  Penn.,  who  passed  away  this  life  January, 
1809,  and  is  buried  in  Oakhill  Cemetery  there.  In  1877  he 
was  married  again  to  Miss  Mary,  sister  of  his  first  wife;  Mr. 
Bassler's  family  consists  of  Edwin  M.,  Angela,  Rebecca  and  May; 
his  wives  are  daughters  of  the  late  John  Miller,  of  Millersburg. 
Penn.,  from  whose  antecedents  the  place  obtained  its  name. 

MARTIN  T.  BATTIS,  boiler  manufacturer;  was  born  at 
Boston,  Miuss.,  Oct.  28,  1832.  He  was  a  resident  of  California 
from  December,  1849,  to  June,  1856;  carried  on  boiler  manufactur- 
ing in  San  Francisco  for  four  years ;  in  August,  185(>,  he  came 
to  Oshkosh  ;  besides  being  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boilers. 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


he  was  for  five  years  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Beckwith,  Davis  & 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  agricultural  implements,  and  for  several 
years  he  was  engaged  in  saw-mill  business;  he  was  Chief  of  the 
Fire  Department  fourteen  years,  and  is  now  serving  the  fifth 
year  as  Alderman.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  having  taken  the  32d  degree  :  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
K.  of  P.  Mr.  Battis  was  married  at  Boston,  Mass.,  July  11, 
1854,  to  Sarah  Ellen  Osgood,  a  native  of  Salem,  Mass.  They 
have  three  children — Harry  L.,  Allen  P.  and  Martin  T.,  Jr.,  all 
born  at  Oshkosh. 

JOHN  B  AUDEROB,  furniture  factory  ;  commenced  business 
in  1876  ;  was  burnt  out  in  December,  1880,  and  built  his  present 
establishment  during  the  winter  1880-81;  uses  steam-power; 
employs  eight  men,  and  does  all  kinds  of  turning,  scroll  sawing, 
ornamental  work,  etc.,  in  addition  to  furniture.  John  Bauderob 
was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  Aug.  23,  1838;  came  to  United 
States  and  to  Wisconsin  with  parents  in  1855;  located  in  O.-^h- 
kosh,  and  engaged  in  wood-turning.  Enlisted  April  21,  1861, 
in  Co.  E,  2d  Wis  ,  for  three  months;  re-enlisted  June  11,  1861, 
for  three  years;  mustered  out  June  11,  1864;  returned  to 
Oshkosh,  and  resumed  his  trade.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh, 
Oct.  18,  1864,  to  Miss  Annie  Kremer.  They  have  six  children — 
Olga,  Alma,  Arthur,  Walter,  George  and  Leo.  Mr.  B.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  G.  A.  R.  and  I.  0.  0.  P. ;  also  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Wisconsin,  of  the  latter. 

LOUIS  H.  BAUMMESSELL,  cigar  manufacturer,  factory 
over  No.  44  Main  St. ;  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Dec.  2, 
1855;  his  parents  moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1856,  and  he  has 
lived  there  since,  but  has  visited  many  portions  of  Wisconsin, 
Illinois  and  Michigan  ;  he  began  the  cigar  business  in  Oshkosh 
when  he  was  a  small  boy,  and  since  has  followed  the  same ;  he 
worked  in  a  hotel  for  his  father,  H.  Bauoimessell.  on  South  Side 
about  two  years,  and  began  business  for  himself  in  fall  of  1877, 
beginning  in  a  small  way,  which  he  is  slowly  increasing.  He  was 
married  in  Winneconne,  \\'is.,  June  23,  1877,  to  Miss  Emma 
Gustavus,  of  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  she  was  born  in  Vinland,  Winnebago 
Co.     The  have  one  daughter — Blanch  E.,  now  deceased. 

ORVILLP]  BEACH,  who  for  more  than  twenty-five  years 
has  been  a  resident  of  Oshkosh,  was  born  in  July,  1826,  in  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father  was  born  and  now  lives.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  his  grandmother 
a  native  of  New  York.  Orville  was  the  oldest  of  sis  children,  and 
until  the  age  of  twenty  worked  on  a  farm,  having  meanwhile 
attended,  for  a  brief  period,  the  common  schools  of  that  section. 
Having  grown  to  manhood,  he  commenced  to  work  in  the  woods, 
and  his  connection  with  the  lumber  business  dates  from  that  time. 
He  met  with  success  in  his  early  efforts  and  his  operations  became 
extensive,  shipping  at  Sandy  Hill  and  Glens  Falls  and  marketing 
the  lumber  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  In  1855,  having  accumulated  a  few 
thousand  dollars,  he  removed  to  the  West.  After  a  brief  stay  in 
Fond  du  Lac,  he  located  in  Oshkosh  in  October  of  that  year. 
Shortly  after,  he  commenced  his  operations  in  this  section,  and 
turning  his  attention  to  pineries  up  the  Wolf  River,  entered  a 
tract  of  timber  lands.  During  three  years  he  spent  much  time  in 
looking  up  and  entering  lands.  He  then  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping  grain,  and  built  a  grain  elevator  at  the  North- Western 
depot,  it  being  the  second  built  in  this  city.  Ho  continued  in 
this  trafiic  until  1862,  when  he  entered  into  partnership  with  E. 
N.  Conlee,  under  the  firm  name  of  Beach  &  Conlee,  building  a 
saw  mill  where  the  Conlee  Bros,  mill  now  is.  Also  built  another 
grain  elevator,  which  was  used  for  that  purpose  a  number  of  years 
and  finally  converted  into  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  The 
partnership  continued  about  eight  years,  when  G.  W.  Conlee 
became  a  member  of  the  firm,  under  the  name  of  Beach,  Conlee 
&  Bro.  Both  of  the  Conlee  brothers  were  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Beach  before  they  became  his  partners.  The  new  firm  continued 
in  business  together  for  five  years,  when  Mr.  Beach  retired  from 
the  concern  and  formed  a  copartnership  with  his  brother,  D.  Beach, 
and  his  brother-in-law,  W.  P.  Warwick,  under  the  firm  name  of 


0.  Beach  &  Bros.  They  built  their  present  mill  in  the  winter  of 
1879,  and  confined  it  to  ihe  manufacture  of  lumber.  Mr.  Beach 
is  one  of  the  most  competent  and  successful  business  men  in  the 
city.  He  was  elected  County  Supervisor  in  1875,  and  was  twice 
re-elected,  as  a  Republican.  In  all  public  enterprises  he  has 
promptly  given  aid  ;  was  one  of  the  original  projectors  and  direct- 
ors of  the  Oshkosh  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  running  from  Oshkosh 
to  Ripon,  and  aided  in  its  successful  completion.  The  road  is  now 
leased  to  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  and  Mr. 
Beach  is  still  a  director  of  this  branch.  Mr.  Beach  was  married 
in  January,  1859,  to  Miss  Helen  A.  Thompson,  of  Saratoga  Co.. 
N.  Y.,  having  returned  to  his  native  State  for  that  purpose,  him- 
self and  bride  returning  in  February  of  that  year. 

DARWIN  BEACH,  of  Beach  Bros.,  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  20,  1827;  he  went  to  sea  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  and  followed  whaling  some  six  years  ;  returned  to  New 
York  State  and  engaged  in  engineering  in  his  brother's  mill ;  was 
then  partner  in  a  lumber  mill  for  a  time,  and  again  went  to  sea  ; 
after  being  engaged  in  Peru,  South  America,  engineering  some 
ten  years,  and  in  Puget  Sound  about  the  same  time,  and  in 
Nevada,  running  a  quartz  mill  about  eighteen  months,  he  finally 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1867,  and  located  in  Oshkosh;  went  into 
the  firm  of  Conlee  Bros.  &  Co.,  and  sold  out  to  his  brother  in 
1873 ;  about  this  time  he  invented  Beach's  Spark-Catcher, 
which  he  patented  and  traveled  about  one  year  introducing  it ; 
returned  to  Oshkosh  and  went  in  with  Conlee  Bros.  &  Beach  ;  in 
1879,  the  present  mill  was  built.  Mr.  B.  was  married  in  Glens 
Falls,  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Mary  A.  Waters,  of  Horicon,  War- 
ren Co. 

REGINALD  H.  BINGHAM,  physician  and  surgeon;  was 
born  at  Hampton,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  8,  1829; 
removed  to  Berkshire,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  when  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age;  remained  there  three  years,  and,  in  1846,  he  went 
to  Clarenceville,  Canada,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
his  uncle.  Dr.  J.  P.  Barber  ;  he  attended  one  course  of  lectures  at 
Pittsfield,  Mass.  ;  afterward  at  Castleton  Medical  College,  and 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  1849,  then  returned  to  Clar- 
enceville and  purchased  his  uncle's  practice;  in  1853,  he  re- 
moved to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until  September,  1854, 
then  came  to  Fond  du  Lac;  in  March,  1856,  he  located  at 
Winona,  Minn.,  where  he  resided  until  July,  1861,  when  he 
entered  the  army  as  Surgeon  of  the  2d  Minn.  V.  I. ;  served  until 
June,  1862,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  ill-health  ;  in  April, 
1863,  he  again  entered  the  service  as  Surgeon  of  the  9th  Minn. 
V.  I.,  a  position  which  he  held  until  August,  1865  ;  after  leaving 
the  army  he  located  at  Chicago,  and  remained  there  until  he  came 
to  Oshkosh  in  December,  1880  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Chicago 
Association  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Chicago  Medical  Society, 
and  for  fourteen  years  he  was  physician  to  the  Chicago  Protestant 
Orphan  Asylum,  the  oldest  institution  of  its  kind  in  Chicago, 
having  been  incorporated  in  1849;  he  was  also  one  of  the  dis- 
pensary staff  of  the  Chicago  Medical  College.  The  Doctor  was 
married  at  Highgate  Springs,  Vt.,  in  March,  1853,  to  Emily  Isa- 
belle  Gould,  a  native  of  Henrysville,  Canada  East,  in  June,  1835. 

DANIEL  L.  BISHOP,  yard  foreman ;  was  born  in  Eaton, 
N.  H.,  March  4,  1841  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1856;  located  in 
Oshkosh ;  engaged  in  lumbering ;  returned  to  the  East  about 
1859.  Enli.sted  in  Maine  in  1861,  in  Co.  E,  13th  Me.  V.  I.,  and 
served  until  mustered  out  in  1865  ;  was  in  the  Nineteenth  Army 
Corps  under  Gen.  Butler  for  a  time;  in  1864,  left  New  Orleans 
and  went  with  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh  in  1865,  to  Miss  Vilona  Jordan;  they  have 
five  children — Frank,  Jenny,  Arthur,  Elmer,  Daniel. 

GABE  BOUCK,  lawyer,  a  native  of  Fultonham,  Schoharie 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  came  to  Milwaukee,  Wis,  in  September,  1848 ;  read 
law  with  Finch  &  Lynde;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  the  fall  of  1849, 
having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  at  that  time.  Mr.  Bouck  has 
been  prominent  in  his  profession,  being  one  of  the  leading  lawyers 
of  Wisconsin.     He  was  twice  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature, 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'39 


one  term  Speaker  of  the   House  of  Representatives,   Attorney 
General  one  term,  and  served  in  Congress  two  terms. 

W.  A.  BRADLEY,  filer  D.  match  works,  was  born  in  Erie 
Co.,  Penn.,  Sept.  13,  185Jr.  His  parents  moved  to  Cuyahoga  Co., 
Ohio,  and  in  1862  they  moved  to  Wisconsin.  They  are  now 
located  in  Eau  Cliire  Co.  Mr.  Bradley  worked  in  a  mill  in  Osh- 
kosh  four  summers  and  went  to  school  in  winter.  He  then  spent 
some  years  in  Owego,  Shawano  Co.,  engaged  in  shingle-mill  pack- 
ing and  sawing,  then  moved  to  Clinton,  Iowa,  engaged  in  filing; 
the  mill  burning  down,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in 
Oshkosh.  In  1878  he  engaged  with  Clark  &  Son,  and  remained 
with  their  successors.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  Dec.  24,  1879, 
to  Miss  Carrie  Robbins,  of  Oshkosh. 

HY.  BREASMEISTER,  engineer  for  J.  H.  Weed,  was  born 
in  Prussia  in  1830,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1851,  locat- 
ing in  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  was  engaged  for  a  short  time  in  a  store, 
and  also  in  a  hotel  for  a  time  ;  then  went  to  Manistee,  Mich., 
where  for  about  three  years  he  was  in  a  saw-mill  ;  came  to  Osh- 
kosh in  1860  ;  has  been  engaged  engineering  eighteen  years,  all 
the  time  with  J.  H.  Weed.  He  was  married  in  Milwaukee  Co., 
July,  1857,  to  Miss  Sophia  Leibar,  of  that  county.  They  have 
seven  children — Louisa,  Henry,  Edwin,  William,  Charles,  Amelia 
and  Clara. 

S.  M.  BRIDGE  &  SON,  dealers  in  pianos,  organs  and  musi- 
cal merchandise.  They  have  a  store  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  also  one 
at  Omro.  Established  in  1876  in  Omro,  and  in  Oshkosh  Septem- 
ber, 1881.  Mr.  Bridge  was  born  in  Canton,  St.  Lawrence  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1828  ;  he  settled  in  Waupun,  Wis.,  in  1857.  He 
previously  lived  one  year  in  Janesville,  Wis.  He  followed  farm- 
ing in  Waukau  ;  lived  there  until  1876,  then  went  to  Omro  as 
above  noted  and  engaged  in  musical  merchandise.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Canton,  N.  Y.,  June,  1852,  to  Miss  Laura  L.  Wright. 
She  was  born  in  Addison,  Vt.  They  have  three  children  living — 
Rollin  W.,  Royal  C.,  Loyal  M.,  and  one  deceased,  Charles  C. 

L.  W.  BRIGGS,  Director  of  the  State  Normal  School,  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  near  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.  In  1852,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  came  to 
Kenosha  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  parents,  who  located  there,  and 
where  he  was  educated,  graduating  in  a  full  classical  course  at  the 
Kenosha  High  School  in  1861.  After  graduating  he  turned  his 
atiention  to  teaching,  at  which  he  was  engaged  until  May,  1862, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  7th  Wis.  Light  Artillery.  He  remained 
in  the  service  for  two  years,  when  he  re-enlistcd  as  veteran  and 
served  as  such  until  the  end  of  the  war  ;  was  honorably  discharged 
as  Quartermaster  Sergeant,  which  position  he  had  held  for  the 
last  two  years  of  sarvice.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned 
home  and  was  elected  to  the  Coimty  Superin  tendency  of  the 
Schools  of  Kenosha  Co.,  which  honorable  position  he  held  for  two 
years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  teaching  again,  and  after 
serving  as  Principal  of  a  ward  school  in  Racine  for  five  years, 
the  Principal  of  Green  Bay  High  School  for  five  years,  the  Prin- 
cipal of  Manitowoc  High  School  for  one  year,  which  he  resigned 
in  consequence  of  sickness,  he  took  a  professorship  in  the  State 
Normal  School  at  Oshkosh  and  was  made  director  of  the  model 
department,  wliich  position  he  has  very  successfully  maintained 
since. 

RUFUS  CHOATE  BROWN,  of  the  firm  of  Cook,  Brown 
&  Co.,  manufticturers  of  lime,  brick,  tile,  etc.;  was  born  at  Belvi- 
dere,  Boone  Co.,  111.,  July  2,  1848  ;  came  to  Fond  du  Lac  about 
23  years  ago;  lived  there  three  years  then  came  to  Oshkosh, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm 
with  which  he  is  now  connected  since  April  1,  1874.  He  was 
married  at  Oshkosh,  Jan.  11,  1877.  to  Cornelia  M.  Doe;  they 
have  two  children — William  Doe,  and  Rufus  Choate,  Jr.  Mr. 
Brown  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  K.  of  P. 

JOHN  BUCKSTAFF,  Jn.,  of  the  firm  of  Buckstaff  Bros.  & 
Ciiase,  lumber  manufacturers,  a  son  of  John  Buckstafl";  was  born 
at  Rolling  Dam,  Charlotte  Co.,  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  Dec. 
7,  1823 ;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  West  Bend,  Wis.,  in  1849. 


The  winter  of  that  year,  he  manufactured  cedar  shingles  with  a 
draw-knife.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  he  returned  to  New  Bruns- 
wick and  remained  there  until  he  came  to  0.shkosh,  Oct.  19, 
1853;  engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering  operations  with  his 
father,  his  brother  James  and  James  Chase ;  built  a  shingle-mill 
in  1865,  his  father  and  brothers  George,  James  and  Robert  being 
in  partnership  with  him  ;  Mr.  Chase  became  interested  in  the  mill 
in  1872,  purchasing  the  interest  of  James  Buckstaif.  John 
Buckstafi',  Sr.,  retired  from  the  firm  in  1873,  but  still  resides  in 
Oshkosh.  They  built  their  saw-mill  in  the  summer  of  1866.  Mr. 
Buckstaif  was  first  married  in  May,  1852,  at  the  Rolling  Dam, 
N.  B.,  to  Lavina  Hopkins,  a  native  of  that  place  ;  she  died  in 
Juno,  1855,  leaving  two  children,  John  Allen,  who  is  still  living  ; 
Eugene  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Mr.  Buckstafi'  was  mar- 
ried to  his  present  wife,  Sarah  Hopkins,  in  September,  1857,  at 
Rolling  Dam  ;  she  was  born  there.  They  have  six  children — 
Noel  H.,  David  Clyde,  George,  Aaron,  Esther  and  Minerva.  Mr. 
Buckstaff  has  been  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward. 

ROBERT  BUCKSTAFF,  of  the  firm  of  Buckstaff  Bros.  & 
Chase;  was  born  at  Rolling  Dam,  Charlotte  Co.,  Province  of  New 
Brunswick,  Sept.  9,  1841  ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1851.  He  was 
married  at  Oshkosh,  Oct.  1,  1864,  to  Sarah  D.  Abrams  ;  she  was 
born  in  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  and  died  at  Oshkosh  in  1871,  leav- 
ing two  children— Frances  M.  and  Robert  H.  Mr.  Buckstaff's 
present  wife  was  Mary  Shepard,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Oshkosh. 
They  have  one  child — Daisy  M.  Mr.  Buckstaff  is  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  0.  O.  F.,  and  T.  of  H. 

GEORGE  W.  BURNELL,  lawyer;  was  born  at  St.  Albans, 
Vt.,  Dec.  19,  1839;  he  attended  the  New  Hampton  Institute  at 
Fairfax,  Vt.,  and  graduated  from  the  Albany  Law  School,  in 
1861  ;  commenced  practice  at  Highgate,  Vt.  In  July,  1862,  he 
enlisted  in  Co.  F,  10th  Vt.  V.  I.;  was  sergeant  of  that  company, 
and  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  of  the  same 
regiment,  in  January,  1863.  In  January,  1864,  he  was  made 
Captain  of  Co.  C,  19th  U.  S.  Colored  Troops  ;  he  left  the  army 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  in  May,  1865,  he  came  to  Oshkosh, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  practice  of  his  profession. 
He  has  been  District  Attorney  for  three  years ;  now  holds  that 
office;  Commodore  of  the  Oshkosh  Yacht  Club  three  years.  Mr. 
Burnell  was  married  near  Fishkill  Landing,  N.  Y.,  in  January, 
1864,  to  Carrie  S.  Morgan,  a  native  of  Fairfax,  Vt. 

N.  R.  BURNHAM,  lumberman.  Mr.  B.  was  born  in 
Maine  in  1820.  In  1854  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  engaged  in 
the  lumbering  industry  here  ;  in  1855-56,  he  assisted  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  gang  saw-mill  here,  and  has  been  actively 
identified  with  the  industry  since  ;  in  1845  he  was  married  to 
Bliss  Annie  Ruggles  in  Maine ;  she  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia. 

WILLIAM^  BUTTRICK,  filer  for  Foster  &  Jones;  was 
born  Chelmsford,  Middlesex  Co.,  Mass.,  March  3,  1813  ;  learned 
trade  of  millwright,  and  followed  this  business  until  he  came  to 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  May,  1855.  When  first  in  Oshkosh  engaged 
in  business  under  firm  name  Buttrick  &  Griffith's  planing-mill  ; 
added  a  saw-mill  after  a  time.  After  running  about  four  years 
Mr.  Foster  bought  out  Grifliths ;  about  1860  Mr.  Buttrick 
bought  out  his  partner  and  ran  the  business  alone  until  he  sold 
out  to  Foster  &  Jones.  Mr.  Buttrick  has  since  been  with  the 
present  firm  with  the  exception  of  odd  intervals.  Mr.  B.  married 
in  Carlisle,  Mass.,  April  10,  1834,  to  Mary  Ann  Green,  of  Car- 
lisle. Her  family  settled  the  town  of  Carlisle.  Mrs.  Buttrick 
died  March  17,  1876,  leaving  two  children — Nathan  Aloozo  and 
William  Green.     Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  1.  0.  O.  F. 

ALTON  J.  CALKINS,  foreman  and  manufacturer  of  all  the 
bodies  and  seats  in  the  carriage  works  of  Thompson  &  Hayward. 
He  does  the  work  by  contract  and  employs  nine  men.  Mr.  C. 
was  born  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  8,  1851.  His  parents 
moved  to  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853,  and  settled  in  the  town- 
ship of  Pacific.  His  father,  Cyrus  Calkins,  followed  farming. 
Mr.  A.  J.  Calkins  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age  ;  then  went  to  Escanaba,  Mich.,  and  engaged  in  a 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN 


hardware  store  two  years,  then  returned  home  and  farmed  one 
year;  after  which  he  en.aaged  with  Messrs.  Thompson  &  Hay- 
ward  at  Omro,  Wis.  ;  during  the  time  he  was  with  the  above 
firm  ho  spent  eighteen  months  in  Southwestern  Minne.^ota  and 
Eastern  Dakota  ;  he  returned  and  worked  in  the  above  factory  at 
Omro  until  it  burned;  then  moved  with  them  in  February,  1881, 
to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  where  he  engaged  as  above  noted.  He  was 
married  Oct.  14,  1874,  to  Miss  Helen  I.  Hiker,  of  Wyocena, 
Wis.;  she  was  born  in  the  latter  city  Dec.  23,  1856.  They  have 
two  daughters — Edna  May  and  Nana  Pearle. 

JOHN  J.  CAMERON,  of  the  firm  of  Williamson,  Libbey 
&  Co.,  sash  door  and  blind  manufacturers,  was  born  at  Schenec- 
tady, N.  Y.,  Oct.  2,  18l'4  ;  in  1848  he  went  to  Albany,  N.  Y., 
and  resided  there  eight  years  ;  engaged  in  carpenter  and  joiner 
work  there;  afterward  lived  at  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
carried  on  mercantile  business,  until  he  came  to  Oshkosh  May  31, 
1869  ;  he  has  been  engaged  in  present  business  ever  since  he 
came  here.  He  was  married  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  in  1850,  to 
Jane  Williamson  ;  she  died  in  1855,  leaving  two  children — Fan- 
nie and  Jane,  both  of  whom  have  since  died.  Mr.  Cameron's 
present  wife  was  Jessie  Williamson,  a  native  of  Schenectady. 
They  have  four  children  living— Jane  C,  George  W.,  Harry  B. 
and  Jessie  B. 

EDWARD, CASEY,  engineer,  Casey  Bros.,  was  born  in 
County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  Feb.  22, 1832;  came  to  United  States 
about  1847,  and  settled  in  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  spent  some  years 
on  the  lakes ;  engineer  on  propellers  between  Chicago  and 
Ogdensburg  and  Buffalo  to  Chicago  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1859, 
and  settled  in  Oshkosh,  engaging  in  engineering,  which  he  has 
followed  in  all  some  twenty-seven  years.  Married  at  O.shkosh 
April  11,  1864,  to  Miss  Eliza  Delany,  a  native  of  Canada.  They 
have  five  children— Sarah  E.,  Mary  M.,  George,  Charles,  Robert. 
Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  T.  A.  U.  of  A.,  and  St. 
Peter's  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

WILLIAM  E.  CASTERSON,  foreman  of  the  boxing  depart- 
ment in  Parson  &  Goodfellow's  Carriage  Works  ;  he  was  born  in 
London,  England,  Nov.  9,  1848;  he  emigrated  to  America  in 
1869,  and  arrived  in  Chicago,  Dec.  1,  1869  ;  he  worked  in  dif- 
ferent capacities  until  February,  1872  ;  then  into  the  lightning  rod 
business  one  year,  after  which  he  worked  in  a  book  bindery,  then 
in  a  meat  market  a  short  time ;  then  began  business  for  the  above 
firm,  who  were  then  doing  business  in  Chicago,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Parsons  &  Neville ;  he  came  to  Oahkosh  with  them  in 
January,  1879 ;  he  was  married  in  London,  England,  January, 
1869,  to  Miss  Isabella  Lawson,  who  was  also  born  in  the  latter 
city.  They  have  four  children — Eusebius  H.,  Emily  E.,  George 
and  Joseph. 

ALLAN  CASWELL,  dealer  in  dry  goods  and  notions.  Has 
a  fine  store  at  105  Main  street  (established  in  September,  1878). 
Mr.  Caswell  was  born  in  Scotland  in  May,  1823;  emigrated  to 
America  in  1846  and  located  in  Buffiilo,  N.  Y.;  he  followed  the 
mercantile  husiness,  having  charge  of  a  large  dry  goods  house  four 
years  ;  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  in  1850,  and  engaged  in 
business  under  firm  name  of  Caswell  &  Dee ;  continued  in  com- 
pany fifteen  years,  after  which  Mr.  Caswell  sold  his  interest,  and 
again  embarked  under  firm  name  of  Caswell  &  Mason ;  continued 
five  years,  sold  out,  then  engaged  under  firm  name  of  Caswell  & 
Sewell  some  time;  sold  out  and  was  alone  one  year  in  business, 
after  which  he  morcd  his  stock  to  Oshkosh  and  went  in  company 
with  Mr.  Hughes  and  continued  until  February,  1881,  since  which 
he  has  been  in  business  alone. 

OTIS  F.  CHASE,  County  Clerk;  was  born  at  Woodstock, 
Oxford  Co.,  Maine,  July  14,  1834;  came  to  O.shkosh  May  27, 
1 854 ;  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  for  five 
five  years,  afterward  until  1861  he  taught  school  winters  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  summers;  in  1861  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  8th 
Wis.  Vol.  Inft.;  served  in  that  regiment  for  two  years  and  eight 
months,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability,  andon 
the  organization  of  the  46th  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.  he  waa  commissioned 


Second  Lieutenant  of  Co.  K,  of  that  regiment,  having  been  Cor- 
poral and  Sergeant  of  his  old  company  ;  he  mustered  out  of  the 
service  in  the  fall  of  1865,  and  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  was  em- 
ployed in  the  office  of  the  U.  S.  Internal  Revenue  Assessor  until 
the  fall  of  1866.  when  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  ;  he  has  been 
re  elected  every  two  years  since  that  time.  Mr.  Chase  was  mar- 
ried in  the  town  of  Omro,  Wis.,  Feb.  6,  1806,  to  Ellen  E.  Rich- 
ards, a  native  of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child — 
Leorr  O. 

JAMES  CHASE,  of  the  firm  of  Buckstafi'  Bros.  &  Chase, 
lumber  manufacturers  ;  was  born  at  Rolling  Dam,  Charlotte  Co., 
Province  of  New  Brunswick,  where  he  resided  until  he  came  to 
0.shkosh,  Oct.  19,  1853.  Besides  being  engaged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  lumber  he  has  carried  on  a  farm  for  twenty-one  years  ;  he 
is  a  director  of  the  Union  National  Bank,  and  has  been  a  stock- 
holder of  that  institution  ever  since  its  organization  ;  he  is  also  in- 
terested in  various  other  enterprises.  Mr.  Chase  was  married  at 
Rolling  Dam,  N.  B.,  in  October,  1850,  to  Lucy  Backstaflf,  a  native 
of  that  place.  They  have  nine  children — William,  James  Turner, 
Ida,  Lucy,  Mary,  George,  Nellie,  Francis  and  Elizabeth, 

PETER  CHARBOUNEAU,  general  blacksmith  and  jobbing, 
shoeing,  etc.,  also  wagon  and  paint  shop  up-stairs.  He  was  born 
in  Canada,  opposite  Montreal,  in  Naperville  Co.,  June  29,  1835. 
He  settled  in  Oshkosh  in  1859,  in  June,  and  began  blacksmithing. 
He  began  business  on  his  own  hook  April  10,  1862;  built  his 
present  large  shop  in  1877.  He  has  beeu  burned  out  two  difierent 
times  on  his  present  location.  He  was  married,  Jan.  22,  1860, 
to  Miss  Catharine  Cary,  who  was  born  in  Ireland  in  October,  1835. 
They  have  three  children — A.  Theodore,  Mary  F.  and  Thomas 
P.  Mr.  C.  is  one  of  the  enterprising  workmen  of  this  city,  and 
now  occupies  a  fine  shop. 

LEANDER  CHOATE,  of  the  firm  of  Choate,  Bray  &  Co., 
loggers  and  dealers  in  pine  lands,  was  born  in  Bridgeton,  Maine, 
Nov.  17, 1834.  In  1854,  he  left  home  and  went  to  Massachusetts, 
and  for  three  years  worked  in  the  wood  and  coal  yard  of  Choate 
&  Bray.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857;  located  in  Oshkosh, 
and  engaged  in  difierent  occupations  connected  with  the  lumber- 
ing business.  In  1877,  the  firm  bought  about  6,000,000  feet  of 
Indian  logs,  run  them  down  the  Oconto  River,  and  manufactured 
them  into  lumber.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  in  1859,  to  Miss 
Adeline  P.  Choate.  They  have  five  children,  of  whom  there  sur- 
vive three — Frank  L.,  Louisa,  and  Ona  Irene.  Mr.  C.  is  a 
member  of  the  Business  Men's  Association. 

DAVID  CHRISTENSON,  engineer  in  Parsons  &  Good- 
fellow's  carriage  works.  Mr.  C.  was  born  in  Norway,  Sept.  28, 
1826,  emigrated  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  in  Menasha; 
followed  his  trade  there  four  months,  then  went  to  Neenah  and 
followed  same  to  1857  ;  then  engaged  as  engineer  on  Lake  Win- 
nebago and  Fox  River ;  followed  that  in  connection  with  operating 
and  owning  a  shingle  mill ;  sold  his  mill  in  1876,  and  since  has 
followed  engineering.  He  moved  to  Oshkosh  in  1875,  and  began 
work  as  above  noted.  He  was  married  in  Neenah,  May  19,  1857, 
to  Miss  Ann  Paulson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  They  have 
three  children — Peter  C,  Albert  S.  C.  and  Jennie  O. 

CARLOS  D.  CHURCH,  real  estate  and  loan  agent,  was 
born  in  Chesterfield,  Kssex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  11,  1818;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  June,  1855,  engaged  in  building,  as  a  carpenter  and 
joiner,  for  about  a  year,  helped  to  construct  the  first  circular  .saw 
mill  erected  in  Oshkosh ;  also  assisted  in  the  construction  of  Green 
&  Conro's  grist-mill.  Afterward,  for  a  number  of  years,  he  was 
engaged  in  dock  building  and  spile  driving.  He  was  in  the  gro- 
cery business  about  three  years,  and  then  began  the  real  estate 
and  insurance  business.  About  ten  years  ago,  he  discontinued 
insurance,  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  real  e-state  and 
money  loaning.  Mr.  Church  was  married  at  KeeseviUe.  N.  Y., 
in  March,  1840,  to  Esther  Derby.  She  was  born  in  Willsboro, 
N.  Y.  They  have  two  children  living,  Elizabeth  S.  and  Edward 
A.;  lost  two  sons — Harry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years,  and 
Edwin,  aged  fourteen  months. 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


141 


JAMES  L.  CLARK,  is  a  native  of  Alton,  Belknap  Co., 
New  Hampshire,  and  was  born  April  17,  1824.  He  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  at  an  early  age  learned  the  carpen- 
ter and  joiner  trade.  This  occupation  he  continued  in  until  1855, 
when  he  emigrated  to  the  West  and  located  at  its  present  home 
— Oshkosh.  Here  he  followed  his  trade  for  two  years,  after  which 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  about  three  years,  and  sub- 
sequently held  the  position  of  superintendent  in  the  mills  of  dif 
ferent  parties.  In  1863,  he  engaged  in  making  match  splints,  hav- 
ing purchased  from  Daniel  Ruggles  a  round  splint  machine.  This 
machine  was  imperfect  and  Mr.  Clark's  inventive  genius  replaced 
it  with  a  new  one,  which  worked  so  successfully  that  he  engaged 
exclusively  in  the  manuflicturo  of  splints.  Beginning  modestly, 
his  assistants  consisted  only  of  two  persons,  and  the  "sorting" 
was  done  at  his  house.  In  time,  every  room  was  so  occupied.  In 
July,  1864,  he  transferred  his  work-shop  from  his  house  to  a 
building  he  bad  erected  for  his  growing  business,  and  the  business 
grew  in  five  years  to  an  annual  product  of  $20,000.  Mr.  Clark 
had  started  without  means,  but  with  energy,  integrity  and  perse- 
verance, had  slowly  reached  this  point.  He  felt  his  eiforts  had 
been  rewarded,  and  dreamed  not  of  the  mammoth  establishment  he 
would  create  in  the  following  thirteen  years.  In  1868,  he  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  matches  in  a  small  way,  branding  them  "  Star 
Matches."  The  superiority  of  this  make  soon  gained  for  it  a 
general  sale  throughout  the  Northern  and  Western  States,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  the  business  steadily  increased.  The  daily 
capacity  of  the  factory  was  two  thousand  gross  (one  gross  of 
matches  constituting  14,400  matches),  requiring  the  use  of  gov- 
ernment stamps  amounting  to  $860,000  annually,  being  largely  in 
excess  of  that  paid  by  any  other  factory  in  the  United  States,  and 
one-fourth  of  the  entire  amount  paid  the  Government  from  this 
source.  The  factory  consumed  at  the  rate  of  150  tons  of  brim- 
stone, 1 1  tons  of  phosphorus,  320  tons  of  straw  board  and  paper, 
and  4,000,000  feet  of  lumber  in  the  manufacture  of  these  matches, 
annually,  and  Mr.  Clark  gave  employment  to  nearly  600  hands. 
In  the  conduct  of  this  immense  establishment  Mr.  Clark  was 
assisted  by  his  son  Herbert  M.  Clark,  who  was  the  superintendent. 
For  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  full  supply  of  the  best  straight- 
grained  timber  for  splints,  Mr.  Clark  erected  in  1878,  a  mill  for  the 
purpose  of  sawing  splint  timber.  In  addition  to  this  he  manufact- 
ured a  superior  tjrand  of  shingles.  His  success  in  that  direction 
was  noteworthy.  In  two  years  he  cut  more  shingles  than  any 
other  mill  on  the  Wolf  River,  the  product  in  1879  being  nearly 
13,000,000,  while  in  1880  it  reached  18,000,000.  Mr.  Clark 
.'jold  his  match  works  in  December,  1880,  and  immediately  erected 
the  most  complete  carriage  factory  in  the  West.  Mr.  Clark  is 
quiet  and  unassuming  in  his  manners,  and  he  possesses  sterling 
([ualities;  he  has  devoted  himself  untiringly  to  his  business,  and 
by  combining  industry,  integrity  and  perseverance,  he  has  given 
his  adopted  home  two  institutions  that  are  a  great  benefit  to  the 
city  in  furnishing  employment  and  support  to  so  large  a  number  of 
hands.  Mr.  Clark  was  married  July  26,  1851,  to  Miss  Sarah 
Flint,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  sons,  only  one  of  whom,  Herbert 
M.,  survives,  and  is  now  a  partner  with  his  father. 

HKRBERT  M.  CLAHK,  of  the  firm  of  J.  L.  Clark  &  Son, 
carriage  and  buggy  manufacturers,  was  born  at  Oshkosh,  Feb.  26, 
1857,  and  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  manufacture  of 
matches  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  until  his  father 
sold  that  business  in  December,  1880  ;  for  the  last  four  years  he 
was  Superintendent  of  the  immense  works;  Nov.  1,  1876,  he  was 
married  to  Julia  P.  Frentz,  also  a  native  of  Oshkosh  ;  they  have 
one  child — Amy.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of  the  Turners  and 
German  Musical  Societies. 

F.  B.  CLAGGETT  &  CO.,  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  in 
drugs,  paints,  oils,  wall  paper,  etc.  Firm  composed  of  F.  B. 
Claggett  and  J.  C.  Huber,  of  Fond  du  Lac ;  commenced  business 
November,  1875;  carry  a  stock  of  about  $10,000  to  812,000; 
do  a  large  and  increasing  business;  sales  of  1881  will  probably 
reach  $25,000  to  $30,000  ;  purchases  of  coal  oil  alone,  during  the 


three  months  previous  to  September,  1881,  will  amount  to  1,(100 
barrels. 

Frank  B.  Claggett,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  F.  B.  Clay- 
gett  &  Co.,  druggists,  was  born  in  El  Dorado,  Fond  du  Lac  Co., 
Wis.,  Jan.  6,  1849.  Parents,  John  and  Melissa  (Huffcott)  Clay- 
gett.  In  1866,  moved  into  the  city  of  Fond  du  Lac,  and  engaged 
as  clerk  in  J.  C.  Huber  &  Co.'s  drug  store  until  1874,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Huber  and  bought  a  stock  of 
drugs  in  Fond  du  Lac;  sold  out  in  a  few  months,  and,  in  1875, 
moved  to  Oshkosh  and  opened  present  business.  Mr.  Claggett 
was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Jan.  21,  1872,  to  Miss  Louise  C.  Gibbs, 
of  Fond  du  Lac ;  they  have  two  children — Benjamin  Franklin 
and  Samuel.     Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

C.  D.  CLEVELAND,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn., 
in  October,  1839.  Attended  common  schools  and  seminaries; 
entered  Williston  Academy  at  East  Hampton,  Mass.,  and  gradu- 
ated in  1860.  On  the  breaking-out  of  the  late  war,  he  enlisted 
as  private  in  the  2d  Connecticut;  served  three  months;  re-enlisted 
in  the  19th  Connecticut,  which  was  changed  to  the  2d  Regt. 
Heavy  Artillery;  held  commission  as  2d  Lieutenant  in  the  19th, 
and  was  advanced  to  1st  Lieutenant  in  the  change ;  advanced  in 
grade  until  he  held  a  commission  as  Colonel  of  the  Regiment ; 
was  mustered  out  in  September,  1865,  and  returned  to  Connecticut 
and  entered  Yale  Law  School ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in 
1866,  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  located  in  Oshkosh,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  ;  he  was  married  in  Osh- 
kosh, in  October,  1869,  to  Miss  Catherine  Hughes;  they  have 
two  children — Chester  and  Catherine.  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of 
A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge  and  Chapter,  and  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and 
K.  of  H. 

W.  COLVIN,  American  Express  agent,  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  3,  1826.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  June, 
1857,  located  in  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  in  the  steamboat  and  for- 
warding business ;  was  appointed  agent  of  the  Express  Co.  in 
1859,  a  position  he  now  holds,  in  addition  to  dealing  in  coal  and 
salt,  and  representing  the  following  passenger  and  freight  steam- 
boat lines:  Wolf  River  Transportation  Company,  Green  Bay 
Transportation  Company,  and  the  Merchants'  Dispatch  Transpor- 
tation Company.  Six  boats  leave  the  wharf  daily.  Mr.  C.  was 
married  in  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1856,  to  Miss  P.  M.  Chapman, 
of  Wayne  Co.,  originally  from  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  C.  is  a 
member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  and  of  the  Ladies' 
Benevolent  Association. 

E.  N.  CONLEB,  of  the  firm  of  Coulee  Bros.,  lumber  manu- 
facturers and  proprietors  of  planing-mill,  and  sash,  door  and  blind 
factory,  was  born  at  Sandy  Hill,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  for 
three  years  prior  to  coming  to  Oshkosh  in  1861,  and  had  for  sev- 
eral years  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Kingston,  Can- 
ada. After  coming  to  Oshkosh  he  was  engaged  in  grain  business 
until  1866,  in  partnership  with  Orville  Beach  ;  commenced  log- 
ging and  lumbering  in  1865,  and  commenced  manufacturing  lum- 
ber in  1867  ;  in  1874,  commenced  the  manufacture  of  sash,  doors 
and  blinds.  Mr.  C.  was  married  at  Ganesvoort,  Saratoga  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  in  November,  1861,  to  Sarah  V.  Thompson;  she  died  in 
1873,  leaving  one  child.  Marg-aret  M.  Present  wife  was  Delia  H. 
Cringle;  they  were  married  at  Belvidere,  111.,  Aug.  18,  1874; 
they  have  one  .son,  Noyes  N.  Mr.  Conlee  was  Alderman  of  the 
Second  Ward  for  two  terms. 

GEORGE  W.  CONLEE,  of  the  firm  of  Conlee  Bros.,  pro- 
prietors of  saw-mill,  planing-mill,  sash,  door  and  blind  factory, 
was  born  at  Sandy  Hill,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  During  the 
late  war  of  the  rebellion  he  served  for  two  years  in  the  Regi- 
mental Band  of  the  22d  N.  Y.  V.  I.  He  was  for  one  year  at 
Kingston,  Canada,  with  his  brother,  E.  N.,  who  w;is  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  there.  Afterward  he  was  with  a 
lumber  firm  at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y..  for  two  years  prior  to  coming 
to  Oshkosh  in  the  fall  of  1865.  Engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
ever  since  he  came  here. 


142 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


A.  CONRO.  shingle  manufacturer,  was  born  at  Grand  Isle, 
Vt.,  Sept.  10,  1827.  When  an  infant  he  was  removed  to  Essex 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  about  eight  years  of 
age  ;  afterward  lived  in  Vermont  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old, 
then  he  went  to  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  learned  the  trade  of 
millwright.  He  was  a  resident  of  that  county  and  its  vicinity 
until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  1850,  he  went  to  Mis- 
souri, where  he  resided  one  year,  then  three  years  in  Georgia, 
when  he  returned  to  the  State  of  New  York,  where  he  remained 
until  he  came  to  Oshkosh,  in  the  spring  of  1855 ;  built  a  grist- 
mill here  with  his  brother  and  Green  &  Powers,  the  firm  being 
Powers,  Conro  &  Co. ;  run  the  mill  about  three  years ;  afterward, 
until  1861,  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  millwright.  In  1861  and 
1862,  for  one  year,  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  ; 
then  he  engaged  in  steamboating,  which  he  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1877.  For  nearly  a  year  he  was  connected  with  the 
Fox  River  Improvement,  and  in  the  summer  of  1879  he  engaged 
in  his  present  business,  in  partnership  with  G.  C.  Griffith. 
Mr.  Conro  was  married  at  Westville,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  De- 
cember, 1854,  to  Eliza  C.  Mann,  a  native  of  that  place.  They 
have  three  children  living — James  M.,  Samuel  A.  and  Charles  A. 
Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

OSSIAN  COOK,  of  the  firm  of  Cook,  Brown  &  Co.,  manu- 
facturers of  lime,  tile,  brick,  etc.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Shipton, 
Canada  East,  Feb.  11,  1832.  From  1836  to  1850,  he  lived  in 
Ohio,  first  at  Canaan,  Wayne  Co.,  afterward  at  Massillon.  In 
1850,  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and  lived  there  until  May,  1855, 
when  he  came  to  O.shkosh,  engaged  in  boot  and  shoe  trade  until 
1857  ;  then  he  went  to  Pike's  Peak  ;  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  in 
1860  he  began  the  manufacture  of  lime  in  partnership  with  J.  A. 
Day.  They  carried  on  busine.ss  together  until  187-1,  when  the 
present  firm  was  organized.  Jan.  1,  1877,  Hon.  B.  F.  Carter 
became  a  partner.  Mr.  Cook  was  married  at  Bombay,  Franklin 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  1,  1855,  to  Rlioda  Waite,  a  native  of  that  place, 
and  a  daughter  of  Oriday  D.  Day.  They  have  five  children — 
Allen  B.,  William  Grant,  Ada  B.,  Jessie  A.,  and  Thomas  P. 
Mr.  Cook  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  I.  0.  0.  F.  He 
is  an  only  son  of  William  Grannis  and  Sarah  (Andrews)  Cook, 
both  born  at  Claremont,  N.  H.  His  father  was  bora  in  1801, 
and  died  at  Oshkosh  in  1867.  His  mother  was  bora  in  1800, 
and  died  at  West  Brookfield,  Stark  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1852. 

TIMOTHY  E.  CRANE,  otherwise  known  as  Uncle  Tim, 
lumberman  and  logger,  employs  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred 
men,  and  gets  out  from  five  to  ten  million  feet  during  the  logging 
season.  Established  in  1859.  He  was  born  in  Eddington,  Me., 
June  24,  1813;  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  began  working 
for  his  father,  the  Hon.  AUin  Crane,  who  followed  lumbering, 
milling,  farming  and  mercantile  business,  and  he  has  also  been  a 
member  of  both  houses  of  the  Maine  Legislature.  Timothy  E. 
worked  for  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  then 
worked  out  by  the  month  four  years  as  a  laborer,  and  part  of  the 
time  as  foreman,  working  in  the  lumber  woods  during  the  winters, 
and  summers  improving  the  lumber  streams.  He  left  Maine  in 
1853  and  went  to  northern  New  York,  at  Potsdam  in  the  employ 
of  a  Boston  company,  where  he  remained  until  September,  1856, 
at  which  time,  he  started  through  the  lakes  on  a  steamer  for  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.,  arriving  October,  1856.  He  first  handled  stock  dur- 
ing the  winter,  and  next  season  took  charge  of  a  gang  mill  and 
repairs  of  the  same.  The  next  fell  he  was  employed  on  the  Han- 
nibal &  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  having  charge  of  sixty  men  ;  was  in 
employ  of  railroad  two  years,  after  which,  he  went  into  the  employ 
of  C.  C.  Washburn,  on  the  Chippewa  River,  in  the  capacity  of 
repairing  mills,  manufacturing  lumber,  logging,  etc.,  one  and  a 
half  years.  He  then  returned  to  Oshkosh,  first  as  one  of  the 
company  of  James  Jenkins  &  Co.,  in  lumbering  extensively,  after 
which,  he  engaged  alone,  and  since  which  time,  he  has  been 
actively  engaged.  He  was  married  in  Kenduskeag,  Me.,  1841,  to 
Miss  Apphiah  B.  Gordon,  of  Hollis,  York  Co.,  same  State.     They 


had  three  children — Mary  E.  (deceased) ;  Harriet  A.,  married  to 
Mr.  I.  H.  Lawrence,  and  living  in  Mosinee,  Wis.;  Emma  A., 
married  to  Mr.  T.  Swan  and  living  in  New  London.  Mr.«.  Crane 
died  Oct.  7,  1854,  in  Orono,  Me.  He  was  again  married  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  July  5,  1870,  to  the  widow  of  late  Col.  J.  W.  Scott, 
who  was  shot  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Henrietta  A.  Wright,  born  near  Sackett's  Harbor,  N. 
Y.,  being  the  first -female  white  child  who  lived  in  Oshkosh, 
coming  there  with  her  parents  at  age  of  five  years.  Her  father's 
name  was  George  Wright,  who  was  the  third  or  fourth  pioneer  of 
Oshkosh. 

I.  H.  CRAWFORD,  engineer,  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada 
West,  June  8,  1850.  Parents  came  to  United  States  in 
1857,  and  located  in  Monona,  Clayton  Co.,  Iowa,  where  they 
engaged  m  farming.  His  first  work  was  braking  on  C.  M.  &  St. 
P.  R.  R.,  then  firing,  then  in  shops.  Came  to  Oshkosh  in  1866, 
and  engaged  in  steamboating  on  the  lake.  Was  assistant  engi- 
neer five  seasons,  and  was  chief  engineer  of  the  Milwaukee  five 
seasons ;  after  this,  engaged  in  engineering  in  the  mills.  Has 
been  in  present  position  since  March,  1880.  He  was  married  in 
Oshkosh  in  1872,  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Mintor,  of  Booneville,  N.  Y. 
They  have  three  children — George,  Mary,  and  an  infant  unnamed. 

GEORGE  V.  CROFT,  Clerk  Tremont  House,  was  born  in  St. 
Catharines,  Canada,  Aug.  24, 1845.  His  parents,  George  and  JIary 
A.  (Vaughan)  Croft,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851,  locating  in  Fond 
du  Lac.  In  1864,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Oshkosh 
and  engaged  with  Bigger  &  Hill,  dry  goods  merchants;  remained 
with  them  until  1873.  About  two  or  three  years  later;  having, 
in  the  meantime,  sold  goods  for  diS"erent  firms,  he  took  an  inter- 
est in  firm  of  E  L.  Hughs  &  Co;  sold  out  three  years  later,  and 
engaged  with  William  Hill  &  Co..  with  whom  he  remained  until 
he  took  his  present  position  March  1,  1881.  Mr.  Croft  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Oshkosh  Lodge,  27,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  now 
J.  W.,  and  of  Tyrean  Chapter,  15. 

JOHN  P.  CROSBY,  foreman  in  the  wood-work  machinery 
department  of  Thompson  &  Hay  ward's  Carriage  Works.  Mr. 
Crosby  was  born  in  Oshkosh  Nov.  5,  1852.  He  began  work  in  a 
planing-mill  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  worked  one  year,  after 
which,  he  worked  in  shingle-mills  during  the  summers  until  he 
was  nineteen  years  of  age,  attending  school  in  winter.  He 
worked  in  the  shops  of  the  Geiser  Threshing  Machine  Company 
about  five  years,  then  went  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  and  worked  for 
Seymour,  Sabin  &  Co.,  in  their  Threshing  Machine  Works  about 
two  years ;  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  worked  at  the  carpenter  and 
joiner  trade,  and  began  work  as  above  noticed  Feb.  22,  1881 . 
Was  married  in  Oshkosh  Aug.  16,  1877,  to  Miss  Dora  E.  Hall ; 
she  was  born  in  Pontiac,  Mich.     They  have  two   children — Cora 

1.  and  Lendall  C. 

J.  W.  CROZIER,  firm  of  Crozier  &  Tyrrell,  was  born  in 
Canada  in  May,  1853 ;  came  to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his 
parents  in  1861  ;  attended  school  in  Oshkosh,  and  graduated  from 
Business  College  in  1876 ;  read  law  in  the  city,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  November,  1879,  and  to  the  Supreme  Court  Oct. 
18,  1881. 

MARSHALL  D.  DAGGETT  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  Sept. 

2,  1859;  resided  there  until  April,  1860;  he  then  went  to  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.,  and  was  engaged  in  railroading  four  years,  eighteen 
months  and  two  a  half  years  as  conductor.  He  enlisted  in  the  3d 
W.  V.  I.,  and  after  fourteen  months'  active  service,  he  was  for 
one  year  employed  as  Adjutant's  Clerk.  When  he  left  the  serv 
ice,  he  returned  to  Neenah,  where  he  resided  most  of  the  time 
for  two  years  ;  then  he  came  to  Oshkosh,  where  ho  has  since  been 
connected  with  the  sash,  door  and  blind  manufactories  as  foreman, 
and  more  recently  Wiis  a  partner  in  one  of  them.  He  was  born  in 
Bakersfield,  Vt.,  July  15,  1844;  lived  there  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  in  1859.  He  was  married  at  Neenah,  Dec.  20,  1868, 
to  Kate  Brown,  a  native  of  Neenah,  Wis.;  they  have  one  child — 
Bessie.     Mr.  Daggett  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


143 


PKOF.  W.  W.  DAGGETT,  proprietor  of  the  Oshkosh 
Business  College,  was  born  at  Bakersfield,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt., 
Aug.  24,  1833.  When  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  re- 
moved to  Kane  Co.,  111.,  taught  school  at  Elgin  and  in  that 
vicinity,  until  he  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  the  fall  of  1858.  He 
was  Principal  of  Neenah  High  School  six  years,  and  held  the 
same  position  in  the  Menasha  High  School  two  years,  and  two  years 
Principal  of  the  Doty's  Island  School ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  Sep- 
tember, 1 870,  and  engaged  in  present  business  here  since  that 
time.  Prof  Daggett  was  married  at  Geneva,  111,  April  10,  1858, 
to  Ann  Rogers  ;  she  died  June  30,  1866,  leaving  two  children — 
Fred  E.,  born  Oct.  25,  1861,  now  living;  Willie  De  Forest,  died 
at  the  age  of  three  months.  Present  wife  was  Martha  L.  Bow- 
man, a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  they  were  married  at 
Menasha,  Wis.,  April  3,  1867  ;  they  have  six  children — Jennie 
N.,  Martha  A.,  Nellie  A.,  Belle  S.,  Wallace  H.,  and  Hattie  C. 
Mr.  D.  has  been  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  of  the  city  of  O.sh- 
kosh ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chap- 
ter and  Commandery  ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  While  at  Neenah,  he  served  six  years  as  City  Clerk, 
and  was  City  and  Town  Clerk  at  the  time  he  came  to  Oshkosh. 

H.  B.  DALE,  physician  and  surgeon,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Romulus,  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  23,  1835  ;  read  medicine  at 
Bath,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.;  graduated  from  Cleveland  Homoeopathic 
Medical  College  in  1860;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1860.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Homoeopathic  Society,  was  Pres- 
ident of  the  society  two  years  ago  ;  he  was  Superintendent  of  the 
Oshkosh  City  Schools  for  eight  years;  Mayor  two  terms,  Alder- 
man one  term.  The  Doctor  was  married  at  Fond  du  Lac,  in 
May,  1860,  to  Augusta  Olcott,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  ; 
they  have  one  son — Harvey  B.,  Jr. 

R.  E.  DANIEL,  insurance  agent,  born  in  Wales,  in  1844. 
His  parents  came  to  Racine  in  1848.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  F,  22d  W.  V.  I.;  the  battles  fought  were — Resaca,  Kenasaw 
Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Goldsboro  and  Savannah  ; 
Sherman  was  in  command ;  was  taken  prisoner  at  Brentwood 
Station,  Tenn.,  in  1863;  endured  the  horrors  of  Libby  Prison  a  num- 
ber of  months;  was  discharged  from  there;  he  returned  to  Racine, 
and  engaged  in  book-keeping.  He  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1866,  and 
acted  as  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds  for  a  time.  In  1868,  be 
began  his  present  business  ;  it  has  increased,  and  is  increasing, 
owing  to  his  careful  and  shrewd  management.  He  is  special 
agent  of  Boston  Underwriters,  Fire  Insurance  Association  for 
Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Michigan  ;  he  represents 
Liverpool,  Loudon  and  Globe,  North  British  and  Mercantile,  of 
London  ;  also  ten  of  the  principal  insurance  companies  of  the 
United  States;  also  the  Travelers'  Accident  Co.,  the  only  one  in 
the  United  States  of  importance.  Mr.  Daniel  is  passionately  fond 
of  music,  and  has  devoted  much  time  to  the  study  of  it ;  his  voice 
is  baritone,  of  fine  quality,  good  range  and  a  most  pleasing  voice 
to  which  to  listen.  He  studied  under  Prof  Bailey,  of  the  Boston 
Conservatory,  a  prominent  teacher  some  years  ago.  Mr.  D.  is 
very  enterprising  in  any  of  the  musical  affairs  in  Oshkosh.  He 
married  Mary  E.  Lewis,  of  Berlin,  Wis.,  in  1867,  who  sings  finely. 
She  has  a  sister,  a  prominent  singer,  in  Green  Bay,  and  one  in 
Chicago,  also  a  very  prominent  singer. 

ALLIE  DAMUTH,  firm  Damuth  Brothers,  proprietors 
of  livery  and  hack  stables,  established  in  1877  ;  he  was  born  in 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1849;  he  settled  in  Oshkosh, 
Wis.,  with  his  parents  in  1852.  He  first  followed  farming,  team- 
ing, etc.;  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  February,  1881,  to  Miss 
Minnie  Sears  ;  she  was  born  in  Markesan,  Wis.  The  Damuth 
Brothers  have  an  extensive  livery  stock,  and  are  ever  ready  to 
accommodate  the  traveling  public. 

CHARLES  W.  DAVIS,  lumber  manufacturer;  was  born 
at  Castleton,  Vt.,  Jan.  5,  1827.  When  he  was  a  youth,  his  par- 
ents removed  with  their  f\imily  to  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.;  he  lived 
there  until  1857,  then  went  to  Muskegon,  Mich.,  where  he  was 
employed  in  a  lumber   establisbmcDt  until  he  came  to  Oshkosh, 


June  1,  1860.  For  about  fifteen  months  after  coming  here,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  planing  mill  business,  then  sold  out  and  built 
a  shingle-mill ;  sold  that  af \er  running  it  several  years  ;  afterward 
for  seven  years  was  in  machine  shop  and  foundry  business ;  logging 
for  two  or  three  years.  Since  January,  1874,  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  present  firm,  R.  McMillen  &  Co.  Mr.  Davis  was 
married  at  Stony  Creek,  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Christie  A. 
McMillen,  a  native  of  that  county.  They  have  three  children — 
Sarah,  Alden  H.  and  Helen  Grace. 

EVAN  DAVIS,  foreman  for  W.  L.  &  Co.;  was  born  in 
Denbigh,  Wales,  March  8,  1848;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1845,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  and  settled  in  Fond  du  Lac  Co., 
Wis.;  engaged  in  farming.  Came  to  Oshkosh  in  1868,  and  en- 
gaged in  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  in  different  departments, 
and  has  followed  the  business  since.  Mr.  Davis  was  married  in 
Oshkosh  in  1873,  to  Mary  E.  Edwards,  a  native  of  Wales.  They 
have  had  four  children,  of  which  there  survive  three — Ellen  E., 
Bessie  and  Hugh  Edwards.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Welsh 
Calvinistic  Church,  and  of  the  order  of  Good  Templars. 

A.  A.  DEAN,  sawyer  for  McM.;  was  born  in  Warren  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  10,  1844.  His  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1844, 
and  located  in  Oshkosh  ;  Mr.  Dean  ran  an  engine  in  a  machine 
shop  when  he  first  came  to  Oshkosh;  has  been  in  his  present  position 
with  McMillen  about  eleven  years.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  May 
4,  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  Sheldon,  of  Oshkosh,  a  native  of  Burling- 
ton, Wis.  They  have  had  four  children,  of  whom  there  survives 
Carrie  E.,  George  S.  and  William  H. 

WILLIAM  J.  DEAN,  engineer  for  McMillen;  was  born  in 
Stony  Creek,  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1842.  His  parents  came 
West  in  1854,  and  after  spending  about  three  months  in  La  Salle 
Co.,  111.,  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Oshkosh.  Mr.  Dean 
first  worked  on  the  river  for  a  time,  and  was  watchman  in  the 
mill  for  three  months  in  1860,  and  in  1861  commenced  engineer- 
ing, lu  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  21st  W.  V.  L,  and 
served  until  he  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865 ;  was  detailed  as 
nurse  for  some  six  months,  and  was  for  several  years.  Postmaster 
of  his  regiment.  On  his  return  from  the  war.  he  worked  in  the 
saw-mill  at  Appleton  several  years,  engaged  in  setting  and  filing  ; 
after  spending  one  year  in  Oshkosh  and  some  three  years  in 
Wrightstown,  he  bought  an  interest  in  a  portable  saw-mill ;  after 
running  it  about  one  year,  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Oshkosh 
and  engaged  with  McMillen.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Oct. 
18,  1865,  to  Miss  Marion  Howard,  of  Oshkosh.  They  have  had 
four  children,  one  only  survives^Jesse  A.  Mr.  Dean  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

WILLIAM  DECKER,  dentist;  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Glover,  Orleans  Co.,  Vt.,  in  October,  1826;  came  to  Horicon, 
Wis.,  in  1855;  came  to  Oshkosh'  in  1876;  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  dentistry  for  over  thirty  years  ;  in  January, 
1849,  he  was  married  at  Derby  Line,  Vt.,  to  Julia  A.  Oilman,  a 
native  of  Lower  Canada ;  they  have  three  children  living — Clara 
M.,  Mary  and  Jessie  A.  ;  lost  four  children.  The  Doctor  has 
been  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  for  twenty-eight  years ;  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 

HERMAN  DERKSEN,  manufacturer  and  wholesale  dealer 
in  cigars,  52  Main  street;  Mr.  D.  was  born  in  Germany  Feb.  15, 
1844;  he  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  America  in  1852,  and 
settled  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  they  lived  about  two  years, 
then  moved  to  Chicago  and  lived  four  years,  then  moved  to  Port- 
age, Columbia  Co.,  and  lived  seventeen  years,  where  he  worked 
for  his  father,  T.  V.  Derksen,  who  was  also  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cigars ;  he  thtn  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  began  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  in  company  with  his  flither,  where  they 
continued  until  the  fire  of  1875,  after  which  he  began  alone,  and 
has  since  continued  ;  he  is  steadily  increasing  his  business.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  Oct.  9,  1872,  to  Miss  Emilia 
Ernst,  who  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  April  20,  1853;  they 
have  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter— Oscar  H., 
Theadore  R.,  Ernst  R.,  and  an  infant  daughter.  He  employs 
twenty-five  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars. 


144 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


LEANDER  DIMPSEY,  164  Main  street,  dealer  in  general 
line  of  hardware,  tinware,  etc.  ;  agent  for  Boynton  heating  fur- 
naces for  wood  and  coal ;  established  first  in  1857  ;  he  was  born 
in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  Nov.  7,  1832  ;  he  lived  there  until  1849,  and 
moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  the  same  year,  and  worked  at  journey- 
man work  about  three  years ;  then  he  went  to  Weyauwega  and 
began  business  in  the  hardware  trade  in  company  with  J.  C. 
Stringham  (firm  name  of  Stringham  &  Dimpsey),  in  1855  ;  con- 
tinued one  year,  then  sold  out  to  his  partner,  and  then  he  returned 
to  Oshkosh  and  located  ;  since  then  he  has  continued  the  business, 
except  acting  as  traveling  salesman  for  Ransom  &  Co.,  of  Albany, 
N.  Y. ;  he  was  engaged  for  the  latter  company  about  three  years  ; 
since  then  he  has  followed  the  hardware  business  as  before  stated ; 
employs  four  men,  and  does  a  large  amount  of  tin  roofing.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh  in  February,  1857,  to  Miss  Marion  Gill ; 
she  was  born  in  Crawford  Co.,  Penn. ;  they  have  three  children — 
Emma  T.,  William  N.  and  Charles. 

JOHN  DOBSON,  ice  dealer,  was  born  in  Leeds,  England, 
in  1830  ;  came  to  Massachusetts  in  1849,  and  to  Plattsburg  in 
1851.  He  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1853  and  engaged  as  engineer  on 
a  steamboat  here  ;  he  run  as  engineer  of  the  first  steamboat  from 
here  to  Green  Bay.  In  1860  he  opened  a  machine-shop;  sold 
out  in  1865,  and  engaged  in  farming;  began  dealing  in  ice  fall 
of  1872.  He  is  sole  owner  of  the  Winnebago  Ice  Company. 
It  does  the  largest  business  here  ;  ships  ice  everv  year ;  one  year 
it  shipped  50,000  tons  to  a  Chicago  firm.  Mr.  Dobson  got  up  the 
first  American  brass  band  here ;  was  Alderman  also.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Cecelia  H.  Moore  in  1850.  They  have  one  child, 
Mary  Hettie. 

ROBERT  DOYLE,  engineer;  was  born  in  County  Kil- 
kenny, Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1871,  locating 
in  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering;  in  1873,  he 
moved  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  engineering,  a  business  he  has 
since  followed  ;  has  been  with  present  firm  about  five  years.  He 
was  married  in  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1875,  to  Sarah  E.  Pollard, 
of  that  county,  who  died  May  22,  1880,  leaving  three  children — 
William,  Catherine,  Robert.  Mr.  D.  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

J.  J.  DRISCOLL,  sawyer  ;  was  born  in  Howard,  Brown 
Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  15,  1856 ;  his  parents  are  now  in  Shawano  Co. ; 
about  1869,  he  commenced  his  business  in  Big  Suamico  in  knot 
sawing  ;  after  a  time,  moved  to  Pittsfield,  Brown  Co.,  where  he 
engaged  with  Monroe  &  Bro.,  packing  and  sawing ;  followed 
general  occupations  about  three  years,  then  took  charge  of  double 
cutter  at  Angelica,  Shawano  Co.,  where  he  remained  until  he 
came  to  Oshkosh  in  1879  ;  has  been  engaged  in  milling,  in  all 
some  thirteen  years ;  has  been  in  present  position  about  three 
seasons. 

F.  DUMKE,  yard  foreman  for  Scott  &  Libbey ;  was  born  in 
Gerinany  June  5.  1840  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1864,  first 
.settled  in  Milwaukee,  AVis.,  for  a  short  time  ;  in  1865  he  located 
in  Oshkosh  and  engaged  with  Swift  &  Scott,  who  were  succeeded 
by  Scott  &  Libbey  ;  he  has  been  foreman  seven  years  ;  he  was  mar- 
ried in  Germany  in  1863,  to  Charlotte  Ruege ;  they  have  one 
child — Edward. 

II.  M.  DYER,  superintendent  Conlee  Bros.'  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory;  was  born  in  New  Sharon,  Franklin  Co.,  Maine, 
Oct.  8,  1846;  his  parents,  James  and  Betsie  (Snell)  Dyer,  are 
still  in  Maine.  About  1865  the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  to 
Lawrence,  Ma.ss.,  where  he  learned  his  trade  and  engaged  in  build- 
ing until  he  moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1868  ;  when  he  first  came 
to  Oshkosh  he  engaged  in  building,  which  he  followed  about  two 
years,  then  engiL^od  in  pattern  making  about  eighteen  months  and 
has  since  been  will,  Cnril..  iJn.s.;  Mr.  Dyer  was  marriedin  Menasha, 
Wis.,  Oct.  S,  1-t:i  im  .Mi<s  Carrie  Brown,  of  Menasha.  They 
have  one  child  —Mmiun  Siu'll ;  Mr.  Dyer  is  a  member  of  "  Osh- 
kosh "  Lodge,  No  27,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  "  Tyrean  "  Chap- 
ter, No.  15. 


EUGENE  A.  EARLE,  foreman  of  the  running-gear  depart- 
ment of  Thompson  &  Hayward's  Carriage  Works  ;  Mr.  Earle  was 
born  in  Lowville,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  12,  1857;  emigrated 
with  his  parents  to  the  West  in  October,  1865,  and  settled  in 
Omro,  Wis.,  where  he  lived  until  February,  1881  ;  he  has  followed 
the  carriage  business  since  1876,  doing  the  work  by  contract,  and 
employes  four  men  ;  he  engaged  at  the  latter  date  with  the  above 
firm  and  since  continued  ;  he  was  married  in  Omro  November, 
1879,  to  Miss  Lennie  H.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Eureka,  Winne- 
bago Co.,  Oct.  17,  1857  ;  they  have  one  daughter — Ethel  Earle, 
born  April  10,  1881. 

M.  H.  EATON,  City  Attorney  ;  was  born  1851,  in  this  county. 
His  parents  came  to  this  county  about  1837,  and  were  among  the 
first  settlers  here  ;  they  still  live  on  their  farm.  Mr.  Eaton  took 
an  academic  course  at  Ripon  and  Appleton  ;  he  began  study  of 
law  in  1871,  with  Finch  &  Felker,  and  finished  with  Jackson  & 
Halsey;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875;  has  practiced  alone  till 
1881.  Mr.  Eaton  takes  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  though  a 
stanch  Republican,  he  was  elected  to  his  present  office  in  1879 
by  the  Democratic  Council,  such  was  their  respect  for  and  confi- 
dence in  him.  Also  in  1880  the  Democratic  Council  elected  him. 
In  1881  the  Council  was  Republican  and  elected  him.  Mr.  Eaton 
has  acquired  as  large  a  practice  as  any  young  lawyer  that  ever 
started  in  this  city ;  he  married  Alice  Kimble  in  1875  ;  they  have 
two  children — Leo  Kimble  and  Fred  JefiFerson.  Mrs.  Eaton  is  a 
prominent  singer  here. 

ANDREW  EDNIE,  foreman  in  the  trimming  department  of 
Thompson  &  Hayward's  Carriage  Works ;  was  born  in  Andover, 
Mass.,  Oct.  27,  1850;  he  lived  in  the  Ea.st  until  1876;  Mr. 
Ednie  learned  his  trade  of  Henry  Hale  &  Co..  of  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  and  has  worked  in  the  following  places.  East  Merrimack, 
New  Haven,  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  Elkhart,  and  was  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  hook  about  two  years  in  New  Paris,  Indiana,  up 
to  Jan.  1,  1881,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  be- 
gan work  as  above  noted  ;  he  was  married  in  South  Bend,  Ind., 
Dec.  26,  1878,  to  Miss  Sadie  A.  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Saint 
Stephens,  N.  B.,  May  6,  1854. 

R.  P.  EIGHME,  lawyer;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  September, 
1850  ;  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  until  1865,  when  he  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Oconto,  Wis.,  and  continued  in 
that  business  for  five  years ;  he  carried  on  logging   business  until 

1876.  In  1877  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession;  Mr. 
Eighme  was  born  in  Hamburg,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  20,  1823  ; 
read  law  with  Geo.  W.  Clinton  and  Nichols,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  He 
has  held  various  offices  since  coming  to  Wisconsin,  Register  of  the 
State  Land  Office,  member  of  the  Assembly  and  several  city  and 
town  positions.  He  was  candidate  for  State  Senator  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  when  the  district  was  Republican  by  a  majority  of 
1,500,  and  was  defeated  by  only  45  votes.  Mr.  Eighme  was  mar- 
ried at  Buffalo,  N.  Y..  to  Sarah  M.  Tanner ;  she  died  in  May, 

1877,  leaving  three  children — Anna  Lydia,  now  Mrs.  John  A. 
Bishop,  of  beadwood;  Carrie  E.,  now  Mrs.  Chas.  N.  Black,  of 
Chicago  ;  and  Richard  S. 

COOK  ELY,  photographer.  No.  2  Elm  street.  His  business 
amounts  to  §5,000  per  annum;  established  in  1876.  He  was 
born  in  England,  near  Boston,  June  21,  1847.  His  parents  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1852  and  located  at  Ripon,  Wis.  Mr.  Ely 
was  about  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  began  learning  his  trade  in 
Ripon,  with  a  Mr.  William  Lockwood,  where  he  remained  about 
four  years;  then  went  to  Peru,  111.,  and  worked  for  W.  E.  Bow- 
man in  til"  i-lioioL'r;ipliic  business  about  two  years.  Then  he  went 
to  RiiciiK'.  \Vi-  .  innl  licL'an  business  in  company  with  Mr.  William 

Lorkw l.his  I   iiihi  iii.^tructor,  where  he  continued  until  1876,  at 

which  lime  hi'  .sold  liis  interests  and  moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  where 
he  has  since  remained,  and  has  built  up  a  splendid  business  and 
secured  a  good  reputation  as  an  artist  of  the  first  water.  He  en- 
listed in  Co.  B,  41st  W.  V.  I.  He  was  married  in  Ripon,  Wis., 
in  1870,  to  Miss  Lucy  J.  Snyder,  of  the  latter  place.  They  have 
four  daughters — Mary  L.,  Dora,  Grace  and  Florence. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'45 


WILLIAM  H.  ENGLEBRIGHT,  firm  of  King  &  Engle- 
briglit,  proprietors  of  a  saloon  and  billiard  tables  in  west  end 
Tremont  House.  Established  in  June,  1881.  Mr.  E.  was  born 
in  England  Jan.  1(5,  1857.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1873, 
and  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.  He  first  engaged  as  elcrk  in  the 
liquor  business,  and  was  in  that  capacity  until  December,  1880, 
when  he  went  in  company  with  Mr.  K.,  and  opened  a  liquor  store 
on  Main  street,  which  they  operated  until  June,  1881,  when  they 
moved  into  the  Tremont  House,  as  above  noted. 

T.  B.  FAIRCHILD,  mechanic,  working  in  the  machinery 
department  of  Parsons  &  Goodfellow's  carringe  works.  He  was 
born  in  Chenango  Co.,  at  Bainbridge,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13,  1821.  He 
settled  in  Marquette,  Green  Lake  Co.,  in  1857  ;  he  lived  there 
until  June  1,  1879,  and  followed  the  manufacture  of  sash,  doors 
and  blinds.  Mr.  F.  came  to  Oshkosh  in  June,  1879,  and  moved 
his  fomily  in  September  of  the  same  year.  He  was  married  in 
(juilford,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  4,  1847,  to  Miss  Laura  A. 
Humphrey,  who  was  born  in  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  two 
children  living — Georgiana  T.  (now  married  to  Edward  Armes, 
and  living  in  Guilford,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.)  and  Mary  L.  (now 
married  to  Mr.  E.  S.  Knight,  and  living  in  Hebron,  Thayer  Co., 
Neb.)  ;  Luella  A,  deceased;   Margaret  E.,  deceased. 

ANDREW  FELKER,  deceased,  was  born  in  Ontario  Co., 
N.  Y.  In  1844,  he  removed  to  McHenry  Co.,  111.;  in  1846,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  selected  a  location  on  Sec.  35,  in  the  town 
of  Omro,  and  removed  his  family  to  that  place  in  1847.  He  died 
there  in  184  9;  then  his  family  returned  to  New  York.  His 
widow,  Maria  Pixley,  returned  to  Wisconsin  in  1860  and  resided 
in  Oshkosh  until  her  death,  in  July,  1881.  She  was  a  native  of 
Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.  Four  children  survive  her — Charles  W., 
residing  at  Oshkosh  ;  William  B.,  residing  at  Oshkosh  ;  Mary, 
now  Mrs.  Dr.  McMennamy,  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  Henry,  of 
Nashua,  Wis. 

CHARLES  W.  FELKER,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Penn  Yan, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  25,  1834 ;  came  to  McHenry  Co.,  111.,  in  1844 ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  and  lived  in  the  town  of  Omro,  Winnebago 
Co.,  until  1849.  He  then  went  to  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
attended  school  and  commenced  the  study  of  law,  which  he  re- 
sumed in  the  ofBce  of  Judge  Edwin  Wheeler,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1858;  engaged  in  practice  at  Omro  until  1864. 
During  the  late  war  of  the  rebellion,  he  served  one  year  in  the 
48th  W.  V.  I.,  being  Captain  of  Co.  A.  He  came  to  Oshkosh 
March  1,  1866.  His  father,  Andrew  Felker,  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  located  on  Sec.  35,  in  the  town  of  Omro,  in  1846,  and  removed 
his  family  there  in  1847.  Charles  W.  Felker  was  married  at 
Omro,  Wis.,  in  January,  1862,  to  Sarah  C.  Douty,  a  native  of 
Maine.  They  have  five  children — Lillian,  Fred,  Carl,  Mollie  and 
Sadie.  Mr.  F.  was  Postmaster  in  1866  and  1867;  he  has  been 
Alderman,  School  Commissioner,  School  Superintendent,  etc. 

WILLIAM  B.  FELKER,  lawyer;  is  a  native  of  the  Sta'e  of 
New  York  ;  born  Feb.  9,  1837  ;  came  to  McHenry  Co.,  III.,  with 
his  parents,  Andrew  and  Maria  Pixley  Felker,  in  1844;  lived 
there  until  1847,  when  they  removed  to  Omro,  Winnebago  Co., 
Wis.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Oshkosh,  and  read  law  with  Judge 
Wheeler;  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1860  ;  practiced  at  Shawano  four 
years ;  Omro  six  years  ;  since  then  at  Oshkosh.  He  was  married. 
at  Omro,  in  December,  1859,  to  Sara  J.  Sprague ;  she  is  a  native 
of  New  York.  They  have  one  child  living — Willie  Bright.  Lost 
two  children — Charles,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and  Eva  was 
seventeen  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death  in  1878. 

EARL  P.  FINCH,  lawyer;  was  born  in  the  town  of  Jay, 
Es.sex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  October  27,  1828.  He  was  employed  in  the 
nail  factory  and  iron  works  of  J.  &  J.  Rogers,  at  Au  Sable  Forks, 
N.  Y.,  for  three  years  prior  to  his  removal  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in 
1849.  He  was  employed  by  John  and  Harvey  Kimberly  as  a 
clerk  at  Neenah,  and  was  Deputy  Postmaster  there.  In  1851,  he 
entered  the  preparatory  department  of  Beloit  College  ;  spent  one 
year  there ;  then  entered  Middlebury  College,  in  Vermont,  where 
he  remained  until  the  beginning  of  the  last  term  of  junior  year. 


He  then  went  to  Union  College,  and  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution in  1856.  In  1857.  he  was  appointed  Entry  Clerk  of  land 
ofiice  of  United  States  Register  for  this  district.  In  1859,  he 
came  to  Oshkosh,  and  entered  the  office  of  Judge  Edwin  Wheeler, 
where  he  continued  the  study  of  law,  which  he  had  commenced 
while  in  the  land  office.  In  1860,  he  was  admit'ed  to  the  bar, 
since  which  time  he  has  practiced  in  Oshkosh.  He  is  a  member 
of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  K.  of  H.  He  was  married,  at  Menasha, 
Wis.,  to  Anna  E.,  daughter  of  Judge  John  A.  Bryan.  They 
have  seven  children  living— Herbert  G.,  I]arl  P.,  Edgar  Bryan, 
Fannie  E.,  Mary,  George  C.  and  Julia  Lost  one  child,  which 
died  in  infancy. 

E.  M.  FLYNN,  filer  for  Paine ;  was  born  in  Waterford,  Ire- 
land, March  27,  1849;  came  to  United  States  in  1861,  and 
located  in  Baraboo,  Wis. ;  worked  in  stave  factory  for  a  time,  and 
was  with  Baraboo  Manufacturing  Company  about  four  years;  from 
there  he  went  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  where  he  engaged  as  filer  with 
John  Hungerford  about  six  years;  moved  to  Oshkosh  in  1873, 
and  has  been  engaged  as  filer  with  a  number  of  firms.  He  was 
married,  in  Portage  City,  Wis.,  Sept.  9,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary 
Drinkwater,  of  Stark  Co.  They  have  four  children— Ephraim, 
John,  Edmund,  Mabel. 

J.  H.  FOLSOM,  filer  for  J.  H.  Weed;  was  born  in  Penobscot 
Co,  Maine,  Oct.  15,  1837.  His  parents,  James  and  Deborah 
(Adams)  Folsom,  where  originally  from  New  Hampshire ;  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1862,  and,  after  stopping  about  one  month  in 
Ripon,  settled  in  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  with  Beach  Bros.,  sawing; 
went  to  Chippewa  Falls  in  1872,  remaining  about  three  years; 
then  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  with  Beach  &  Conlee, 
remaining  with  them  about  five  years.  He  then  engaged  with  J. 
H.  Weed.  Married,  in  Ripon,  Wis.,  Aug.  30,  1862,  to  Eliza  A. 
Knofsker,  of  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.  They  have  one  child- 
Cora. 

FRANK  G.  FOOTE,  of  the  firm  of  Foote,  Bros.  &  Co.,  pro- 
prietors of  flouring-mill ;  was  born  at  Eureka,  Wis.,  March  21, 
1854;  lived  there  until  1876,  then  came  to  Oshkosh.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  K.  of  P. 

Argalus  I.  Foote  was  born  at  Danesboro,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass., 
March  23,  1817;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Eureka,  Wis.,  in 
the  foil  of  1849  ;  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering  until  he  came 
to  Oshkosh  in  1876.  He  was  engaged  in  flouring-mill  business 
here  until  1877,  then  sold  out.  He  was  married  at  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  in  March,  1848,  to  Adelia  M.  Gregory,  a  native  of  Chester. 
Conn.  They  have  three  children — Andrew  D.,  William  A.  and 
Frank  G. 

CARLETON  FOSTER,  lumber  manufacturer,  was  born  in 
Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  August,  1826  ;  son  of  Auran  and  Chloe  Fos- 
ter, natives  of  New  York.  Carleton  passed  his  eariy  life  in  farm- 
ing, receiving  a  common  school  education  in  Essex  and  Clinton 
Counties;  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  commenced  at  the  business 
of  mill-wrighting  at  Keeseville,  N.  Y. ;  during  the  next  ten  years 
he  was  actively  engaged  in  this  business,  and  he  built  mills  at  a 
great  many  points  in^New  York  State  and  in  Canada,  the  firm  by 
whom  he  was  employed  doing  the  largest  business  in  that  section. 
In  1855  he  left  his  native  State  and  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.  ; 
here  he  engaged  in  the  same  business,  and  until  1859  carried  on 
.some  extensive  operations  ;  in  the  spring  of  that  year  he  bought 
Ira  Griffin's  saw-mill,  located  at  the  foot  of  Nebraska  street,  and 
his  connection  with  the  lumber  trade  dates  from  that  time.  Com- 
mencing the  manufiicturc  of  lumber,  he  cut  2,000,000  feet  that 
year,  and  maintained  this  average  until  1865,  when  he  formed  a 
copartnership  with  J.  V.  Jones,  his  present  partner.  The  busi- 
ness at  once  increased,  and  the  product  of  the  mill  was  4,000,000 
feet.  In  the  fall  of  1872  the  firm  of  Foster  &  Jones  tore  down 
the  old  Griffin  mill  and  built  the  present  Conlee  Bros.'  mill  ;  this 
increased  the  capacity  to  6,00(1,000  feet.  In  1876  they  sold  this 
mill  to  Beach  &  Conlee ;  in  1866  they  purchased  of  P.  Z.  Wilson 
his  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  which  they  enlarged,  Mr.  Jones 
having  direct  supervision  of  it;  in  1870  this  mill  was  burned,  and 


<46 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


they  immediately  commenced  the  erection  of  their  present  mill ; 
from  1876  to  1879  they  manuflictured  no  lumber,  but  in  the  lat- 
ter year  they  bought  the  Sheldon  mill,  and  re-built  it  to  produce 
50,000  feet  per  day.  In  the  past  ten  years  the  business  of  man- 
ufacturing sash,  doors  and  blinds  has  grown  to  enormous  propor- 
tions, and  the  firm  of  Foster  &  Jones  ranks  among  the  largest 
manufacturing  concerns  in  Oshkosh.  Their  factory  contains  all 
the  best  and  latest  improved  machinery  and  every  facility  for  the 
manufacture  of  their  product  at  the  lowest  possible  cost.  In 
November  last  this  firm  introduced  gas  into  their  immense  work- 
shops and  all  their  buildings  are  lighted  with  it.  This  firm 
shipped  the  first  car-load  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds  billed  from  this 
town.  Mr.  Foster  is  one  of  the  liberal,  progressive  men  of  Oshkosh, 
and  foremost  in  enterprises  that  will  enable  the  city  to  maintain 
its  prestige.  In  1861  he  was  elected  Alderman  from  the  Third 
Y\''ard,  and  re-elected  to  the  same  position  in  1863,  serving  four 
years  continuously  ;  in  1865  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  of 
Oshkosh,  and  re-elected  in  1866.  While  filling  his  second  term 
he  vetoed  the  "Bill  of  extras  on  bridge  contracts,"  which  saved 
the  city  over  $3,000.  In  the  fall  of  1872  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  as  Assemblyman  from  the  Third  District,  running 
against  Nelson  Beckwith,  whom  he  defeated  by  400  majority  ;  in 
1873  he  recived  a  marked  compliment  from  his  fellow  townsmen 
by  being  nominated  and  indorsed  by  both  parties,  and  he  ran 
without  an  opponent.  While  in  the  Legislature  he  served  as 
Chairman  of  the  Lumber  and  Manufactures  Committee,  and  on 
other  committees ;  during  his  second  term  his  party  was  in  the 
minority,  but  he  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  colleagues  and  was 
called  to  the  chair  to  preside  over  Committee  of  the  Whole. 
While  always  a  liberal  and  conservative  Republican,  he  has,  since 
1875,  taken  no  part  in  politics.  In  1854  he  was  married  to 
Sybil  Storrs  at  Keeseville,  N.  Y. 

JOHN  S.  FRAKER,  shingle  manufacturer,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Edinburg,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  10,  1836  ;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  December,  1857;  engaged  in  mercantile  busine.ss  until 
1869,  when  he  engaged  in  present  business.  He  was  married  at 
Oshkosh,  June  5,  1862,  to  Carrie  R.,  daughter  of  Thomas  T. 
Reeve;  she  was  born  at  Goshen,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have 
one  child — Mary  R.     Mr.  Fraker  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

H.  P.  FREDERICKSON,  general  blacksmithing  and  horse- 
shoeing a  specialty.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Denmark.  He  was 
born  in  Denmark  Sept.  25,  1853 ;  emigrated  to  America  in  June, 
1871,  and  settled  in  Manistee,  Mich.,  and  followed  his  trade  one 
year;  then  to  Clem  Lake  a  short  time;  then  to  Detroit  Mich., 
where  he  followed  his  trade  about  eighteen  months ;  then  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  and  worked  at  his  trade  a  short  time;  then 
to  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.;  worked  a  short  time  and  in  various  places 
sometime;  also  in  Chicago,  fifteen  months,  and  finally  located  in 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  where  he  is  doing  a  fair  business. 

0.  F.  FREEMAN,  engineer,  was  born  in  Washtenaw  Co., 
Mich.,  in  1840.  In  1864,  engaged  in  milling  in  Flint,  Mich., 
firm  of  Flanders  &  Freeman  ;  sold  out  about  two  years  later,  and 
for  some  ten  years  off  and  on  was  engaged  in  livery  business  ;  went 
again  into  milling  firm — Freeman  Bros.,  and  sold  out  in  1877  ; 
then  moved  to  Greenville,  Montcalm  Co.;  opened  livery,  and 
also  bought  a  saw- mill ;  burnt  out  same  year.  Mr.  Freeman  then 
went  to  Bangor,  Mich.,  and  built  and  started  chemical  works  for 
H.  M.  Peirce  &  Co.,  of  New  York  ;  continued  in  charge  for  about 
one  year,  when  he  moved  to  Wisconsin  ;  located  in  Oshkosh,  in 
1880.  For  about  one  year,  was  with  the  Wisconsin  Manufacturing 
Company  ;  then  took  present  position.  He  was  married  in  Bangor, 
Mich.,  March  16,  1879,  to  Mi.ss  Melinda  Crowner,  of  Bangor. 
They  have  one  child — Alda  L. 

JAMES.  FREEMAN,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
March  19,  1828  ;  read  law  there  with  Mr.  Starkweather,  and  was 
admitted  to  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  to  Illinois  Su- 
preme Court  at  Ottawa,  in  1851  ;  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law 
in  Chicago  and  Waukegan  up  to  1854,  when  he  removed  to  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  L.  P.  Crary.     In  Sep- 


tember, 1862,  he  raised  a  company  of  volunteers  in  Oshkosh, 
which  were  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  Co.  D, 
32d  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.,  and  of  which  he  was  Captain;  served  until 
June  12,  1865,  then  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  in  1850,  to  Miss 
Emily  A.  Granger.  They  have  six  children — -Shepherd,  Netta, 
Emma  E.,  Sarah  G.,  Charles  N.,  Margaret.  Mr.  F.  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church  and  of  the  A.,  F  &  A.  M.  Lodge,  and 
chapter  ;  has  held  oflBce  of  City  Attorney  three  years. 

HON.  GEORGE  GARY,  County  Judge;  second  son  of  Eli 
B.  and  Frances  0.  Gary  ;  was  born  at  Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  16.  1824.  When  he  was  five  years  old,  his 
parents  removed  to  Clintonville,  in  Clinton  Co.,  and  afterward  to 
Keeseville,  Essex  Co.  His  father  was  a  carpenter  and  builder, 
and  also  engaged  somewhat  in  lumbering  at  various  points,  which 
caused  frequent  changes  of  location,  and  therefore  a  considerable 
part  of  his  boyhood  was  spent  in  the  woods  among  mountains  and 
trout  streams,  and  remote  from  any  regular  schools.  When  two 
years  old,  his  eyes  were  attacked  with  a  violent  inflammatory  dis- 
ease, from  which  they  have  never  recovered  entirely,  which  dur- 
ing his  life  has  seriously  impaired  his  sight,  and  which  during  his 
boyhood  and  youth  rendered  any  steady  application  to  any  occu- 
pation impossible.  His  early  education  was  therefore  only  such 
as  could  be  acquired  by  very  irregular  attendance  at  the  common 
schools,  and  three  terms  at  an  academy  in  Keeseville.  In  the 
spring  of  1845,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  acting  upon  the 
suggestion  of  physicians  that  a  sea  voyage  might  benefit  his  eyes, 
he  shipped  before  the  mast  on  board  a  Nantucket  whaler  bound 
around  Cape  Horn.  After  various  adventures,  which  included 
a  residence  of  seven  months  at  Callao,  in  Peru,  he  returned  home 
in  the  fliU  of  1847,  with  eyes  and  health  somewhat  improved. 
He  was  engaged  teaching  school  winters,  and  in  various  tempo- 
rary employments  until  the  spring  of  1850,  when  (after  a  surgical 
operation  by  which  his  eyes  were  further  improved),  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  In  June,  1850,  he  landed  in  the  then  village  of 
Oshkosh,  without  any  trade,  profession,  capital  or  business  ex- 
perience. Two  years  before,  he  had  declined  a  proposition  from 
Hon.  George  A.  Simmons,  of  Keeseville,  one  of  the  leading  law- 
yers of  Northern  New  York,  to  enter  his  office  as  a  student,  be- 
cause it  was  believed  the  condition  of  his  eyes  would  not  permit 
the  necessary  application  to  books.  After  a  short  employment  as 
clerk  in  a  general  store  at  Oshkosh,  he  took  charge  of  the  for- 
warding and  commission  house  of  W.  A.  Knapp  &  Co.  from  the 
fall  of  1850,  until  the  spring  of  1854,  when  he  became  cashier 
and  book-keeper  for  the  steamboat  line  of  Fitzgerald  &  Moore, 
which  then  included  all  steamers  on  Lake  Winnebago  and  the  Wolf 
and  Fox  Rivers.  He  had  participated  as  a  Whig  stump-speaker 
in  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1852.  In  the  spring  of  1853, 
he  was  an  unwilling  and  un.successful  candidate  of  the  opposition 
to  the  Democratic  party  for  City  Clerk  at  the  first  election  in  the 
young  city  of  Oshkosh.  In  the  fall  of  1853,  he  was  nominated 
and  elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly  for  the  First  District,  com- 
prising the  city  of  Oshkosh  and  south  half  of  Winnebago  Co. 
During  the  session  of  the  Legislature  the  ensuing  winter,  a  break- 
ing up  of  political  parties  in  consequence  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska 
agitation  in  Congress,  laid  the  foundation  for  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  in  Wisconsin  ;  and  the  next  fall  he  was 
nominated  without  opposition  and  re-elected  to  the  Assembly  of 
1855.  Of  this  body,  he  was  elected  speaker  pro  tern,  (^which 
was  then  a  permanent  oflice  for  the  session),  and  served  as  the 
presiding  officer  at  various  periods  during  the  session.  In  the 
spring  of  1855,  he  became  connected  with  Hon.  Horace  Rublee 
in  the  publication  of  the  State  Journal  at  Madison,  but  retired 
the  following  spring  and  engaged  as  clerk  and  book-keeper  in  the 
forwarding  and  transportation  business  at  Green  Bay.  That 
business  being  ruined  by  a  low  stage  of  water,  and  suspension  of 
navigation  on  the  Lower  Fox  River,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
he  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  in  the  forwarding  and  com- 
mission business   in  partnership    with  M.   E.   Tremble,  now    of 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO   COUNTY. 


t47 


Suamico.  In  the  fall  of  1857,  he  was  elected  without  opposition 
to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Winnebago  Co.,  caused  by  the  death  of  the  Clerk.  To  this 
office  he  was  re-elected  in  1858,  and  having  declined  a  re-nomina- 
tion in  1860,  retired  from  it  in  Jan.  1,  1861.  In  1859,  he  had 
purchased  the  Oshkosh  Democrat,  which  under  his  control  was 
devoted  especially  to  sustaining  the  national  and  conservative 
view  of  the  then  much  agitated  question  of  State  Rights.  In 
December,  1860,  he  sold  this  paper  to  the  proprietors  of  the 
Northivestern  with  which  it  was  consolidated.  During  and  pro- 
ceeding his  term  as  Clerk  of  the  court,  he  had  devoted  considera- 
ble time  to  reading  law,  and  on  the  17th  of  April,  1861,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven.  In  1802,  on  the  passage 
of  the  Internal  Revenue  Act,  through  the  friendship  and  influence 
of  Senator  T.  ().  Howe,  he  was  appointed  Assessor  of  Internal  Rev- 
enue for  the  old  Fifth  District  of  Wisconsin,  comprising  thirteen 
counties.  Physical  debility  following  a  severe  attack  of -diph- 
theria, and  the  duties  of  editor  of  the  JVorfhwestern,  of.  which  he 
had  become  proprietor  with  B.  F.  Davis,  induced  him  to  resign 
the  oflice  of  Assessor  a  few  days  before  the  assassination  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  in  the  spring  of  1865.  In  the  summer  of  the  same 
year,  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  Northwestern  to  C.  G.  Finney, 
and  in  company  with  G.  W.  Burnell,  Esq.  (now  District  Attor- 
ney), engaged  exclusively  in  the  practice  of  law.  In  the  fall  of 
1866,  he  was  elected  State  Senator  for  Winnebago  Co.  On  the 
passage  of  the  bankruptcy  act  in  1867,  he  was  appointed  Regis- 
ter in  Bankruptcy,  the  acceptance  of  which  recjuired  his  resigna- 
tion as  Senator  after  serving  one  session.  This  position  he 
resigned  in  186;),  to  take  the  office  of  County  Judge  of  VVinne- 
bago  Co.,  which  he  has  held  since  Jan.  1,  1870.  The  court  over 
which  he  presides,  besides  the  general  probate  jurisdiction,  has  an 
extensive  civil  jurisdiction  under  a  special  statute.  Judge  Gary 
is  the  author  of  "  Gary's  Probate  Law,"  a  work  published  in 
1879,  which  has  been  well  received  and  spoken  of  by  the  bar  in 
this  State  and  elsewhere,  and  is  the  only  standard  work  on  the 
subject,  as  adapted  to  the  Northwestern  States.  Judge  Gary  is 
able  writer  and  a  clear-headed  thinker,  and  possesses  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people  to  a  remarkable  extent.  He  was  married 
Aug.  24,  1854,  to  Georgiana  Enery,  then  a  resident  of  Berlin, 
Wis.,  but  who  was  born  near  Frederickton,  in  the  Province  of 
New  Brunswick  ;  they  have  two  children  living — Mary  Krances 
and  Paul  ;  lost  two  children — George  H.,  died  September,  1877, 
aged  twenty-one  years;  Ann  Eliza,  May,  1862,  at  the  age  of  five 
years. 

JAMES  GILLINGHAM,  firm  of  Gillingham  &  Son,  manu- 
facturers lumbering  and  logging  tools,  sleighs,  boat  and  mill 
blacksmiths.  Mr.  G.  was  born  in  Eugland.^Dec.  14,  1832.  He 
emigrated  to  America  at  the  age  of  twent3-ono  years,  in  1852, 
and  settled  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  followed  his  trade  about  two 
years.  Went  to  Oshkosh  in  1854,  and  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1809,  then  began  business  for  himself  He  was  married  in  Osh- 
kosh June  30,  1855,  to  Miss  Louisa  Clark,  who  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  7,  1834.  They  have  three  children- 
Thomas  E.,  assisting  and  in  company  with  his  father  ;  Ida  May, 
and  Alma  Alice,  at  home.  They  employ  from  six  to  ten  men  the 
year  round,  and  do  a  fine  business. 

JOHN  GLATZ,  proprietor  Union  Brewery,  erected  in  1873  ; 
capacity  3,500  barrels  per  year;  employs  eight  men.  The  first 
brewery  Mr.  Glatz  bought  was  burned  in  December,  1872.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  Sept.  24,  1329;  emigrated  to  America  in 
1S53,  and  located  first  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  lived  there  about 
three  years,  following  brewing  business ;  he  learned  his  trade  in 
Germany  ;  he  then  went  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  was  five  or  six 
months  at  work  brewing  ;  then  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and 
was  foreman  in  South  Side  Brewery  about  twelve  and  a  half 
years  ;  then  he  went  to  Oshko.sh  and  bought  the  brewery,  since 
burned;  he  built  the  new  Union  Brewery  in  1873.  He  was 
married  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1861,  to  Miss  Louisa  Elser;  she 
was  born  in  Germany,  July  12,  1842.     They  have  three  children 


—J.  William,  born  May  25,  1862;  Emma  L.,  born  Feb.  20, 
1867;   Pauhue  R.,  born  Jan.  21,  1870. 

JOSEPH  B.  GOE,  firm  Goe  Bros.  &  Basler,  dealers  in  gen- 
eral line  hardware,  stoves  and  tinware,  also  make  a  specialty  in 
tin  roofing  ;  established  in  1878  ;  employ  five  men  ;  trade  amounts 
to  S25,000  per  annum.  He  was  born  in  Clarion  Co.,  Penn., 
March  6,  1842  ;  he  lived  there  until  spring  of  1861,  and  enlisted 
in  Co.  E,  111th  Penn.  V.  I.  ;  engaged  in  battles  Cedar  Mountain, 
Aug.  9,  1862;  all  through  the  .retreat  from  Cedar  Mountain  to 
Bull  Run,  and  was  in  second  fight  there  ;  then  at  South  Mount- 
ain and  Antietam,  Gettysburg ;  then  followed  through  to  the 
sea  under  Gen.  Sherman  ;  he  was  wounded  at  Atlanta ;  he  was 
taken  to  the  hospital,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
1865.  He  then  came  lo  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing about  four  year.s  ;  then  went  to  Michigan,  was  in  the  same 
business  there  two  years  ;  then  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  clerked 
in  a  hardware  store  three  years.  He  was  married  June  16,  1874. 
After  clerking  in  the  hardware  store,  he  went  to  Deadwood, 
Dakota,  and  followed  mining  about  fifteen  months ;  sold  out  and 
returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr.  J.  F. 
Basler,  under  the  firm  name  of  Basler  &  Coe  ;  dealt  in  stoves  and 
tinware  about  two  years.  Then  the  present  firm  was  established. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Minnie  Hutchinson  ;  she  was  born 
in  Waukegan,  111.  They  have  one  son,  Harold  H.  Goe,  who  was 
born  Aug.  13,  1880. 

THOMAS  REED  GOE,  firm  Goe  Brothers  &  Bassler, 
dealers  in  a  general  line  hardware,  etc.,  tin  roofing  a  specialty,  41 
Main  street.  Sir.  G.  was  born  in  Armstrong  Co.,  Penn.,  June 
10, 1828  ;  left  Pennsylvania  in  1851  and  went  to  California,  where 
he  engaged  in  mining,  mercantile  and  various  pursuits  for  twelve 
years.  He  returned  in  1863  to  Pennsylvania  to  his  father's,  James 
Goe,  who  then  lived  in  Meadville,  Penn.  He  remained  in  Penn- 
sylvania the  following  summer,  and,  in  fall  of  1863,  came  to  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.,  and  first  engaged  in  lumbering,  under  the  firm  name 
of  H.  W.  McCoy  &  Co.  They  bought  a  saw-mill  same  fall  on 
south  side,  and  operated  it  until  1875;  sold  same,  but  still  con- 
tinued under  the  firm  name  of  Kellogg,  Rumery  &  Co.,  who  owned 
a  large  tract  of  pine  land,  and  did  an  extensive  business  in  logging, 
etc. ;  continued  until  spring  1881.  Mr.  G.  engaged  as  one  of  the 
firm  in  store  in  March,  1881.  Was  married,  in  Oshkosh,  Feb. 
22,  1865,  to  Miss  Abbie  J.  McKoy,  who  was  born  in  Nashua,  N. 
H.  They  have  four  children — Arthur  B.,  V\'alter  R.,  Gertrude 
M.,  Phebe  C.  Mr.  G.  lives  in  Algoma  Township,  on  Sec.  16,  west 
of  city  limits,  and  has  13  acres  land  in  a  fine  location,  all  im- 
proved. 

THOMAS  M.  GOODFELLOW,  carriage  manufacturer,  was 
born  at  Winchester,  Va.,  Oct.  24,  1853.  His  parents  moved  to 
Hannibal,  Mo.,  while  he  was  yet  an  infant.  After  residing  there 
a  short  time,  they  located  at  Burlington,  Iowa.  Mr.  G.  was 
married  at  Hannibal,  Mo.,  Jan.  21,  1880,. to  Bessie  0.  Milton,  a 
native  of  that  plaee.-  They  have  one  child — Richard  Milton. 
Mr.  Goodfellow  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  K.  of  P.,  A.  0. 
U.  W  ,  and  T.  of  H.  His  father.  Rev.  Miles  Goodfellow,  died  at 
Arlington  Heights,  111  ,  Jan.  1,  1872. 

ROBERT  GRAHAM,  now  State  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  ;  late  of  the  Faculty  of  the  State  Normal  School  at 
Oshkosh.  He  was  born  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1831.  With- 
out his  being  a  candidate  for  this  office,  he  was  nominated,  and 
ran  on  all  the  tickets,  and  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  ma- 
jority. Mr.  G.  had  not  used  the  slightest  endeavor  for  a  nomina- 
tion, it  being  given  him  by  eminent  and  numerous  friends,  who 
well  knew  his  unusual  qualifications  and  abilities  for  such  a  posi- 
tion. He  graduated  with  honor  from  the  State  Normal  School  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.  His  life  since  has  been  given,  with  great  industry 
and  success,  to  educational  work.  He  came  to  Kenosha,  Wis., 
1861,  and  remained  uj)  to  1871;  enlisted  in  1864  in  39th  W.  V.  I.; 
was  Captain  of  Co.  C.  He  served  with  much  distinction.  For 
some  years  he  was  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Kenosha  Co. 
He  was  then  employed  by  the  Regents  of  Normal  Schools  as  the 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


agent  of  (hat  board  for  conducting  Educational  Institutes  in  the 
State  of  Wisconsin.  In  1871,  took  the  chair  of  English  Lan- 
guage as  one  of  the  Faculty  of  State  Normal  School  at  Oshkosh, 
which  he  leaves  for  his  present  honorable  position.  In  all  posi- 
tions he  has  shown  his  superior  ability  and  tact  as  an  educator. 
Whatever  he  enters  upon,  it  is  with  the  whole  heart,  indomitable 
energy  and  industry  ;  consequently  his  efforts  are  followed  with 
eminent  success.  Mr.  Graham  brings  to  the  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  Superintendent",  ability,  integrity  and  practical  expe- 
rience in  teaching  that  will  render  his  administration  of  the  affairs 
of  the  office  easy  to  himself  and  profitable  to  the  educational 
interests  of  the  State.  Strong  adherence  to  the  right  is  a  chief 
characteristic  of  Mr.  G.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Maxwell,  of 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1851.  She  is  a  woman  of  most  happy 
and  cheerful  disposition,  and  of  sterling  qualities  of  character. 
They  have  one  child — William.  He  graduated  from  the  Normal 
School  at  Oshkosh,  and  later  from  Oberlin,  Ohio.  Now  he  is 
studying  law  with  Prof.  Carpenter,  in  Madison,  Wis.  He  has 
been,  and  is,  a  diligent  student,  and  a  general  favorite. 

E.  F.  GRAVES,  lumberman ;  was  born  in  Massachusetts, 
1835.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  shortly  after  engaged 
ia  his  present  industry,  which  he  has  successfully  prosecuted  for 
the  last  twenty-two  years,  on  the  Wolf  River.  In  1879,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Angelina  Greenlaw,  who  was  born  in  Maine, 
1846.     They  have  one  son — Francis  Russell. 

G.  C.  GRIFFITH,  shingle  manufacturer,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Steuben,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  27,  1828.  When  he 
was  quite  young  his  parents  removed  with  their  family  to  Fair- 
view,  ('attaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  most  of  the  time 
until  he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1856.  For  about  six  years  after 
coming  here  he  was  engaged  in  the  bu.siness  of  contractor  and 
builder,  and  then  for  twelve  years  manufactured  sash,  doors  and 
blinds.  For  the  last  nine  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  present 
business.  He  was  married  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  25, 
1856,  to  Sarah  J.  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Frankliuville,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  children — Willis  Terry  and  Jennie  Annie.  Mr. 
Griffith  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

WILLIS  TERRY  GRIFFITH,  son  of  G.  C.  and  Sarah  J. 
Griffith,  was  born  in  Oshkosh  Aug.  17,  1859.  He  is  now  em- 
ployed in  his  fluher's  mill,  but  expects  to  enter  the  Wisconsin 
University  at  Madison.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Finch  & 
Barber  for  about  three  years,  and  expects  to  follow  the  profession 
of  law.     He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 

THOMAS  DUNCAN  GRIMMER,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
Court,  was  born  in  St.  Stephen,  in  the  Province  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, March  27,  1828;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  July,  1851  ;  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  until  1868.  Since  then  he  has  dealt  quite 
extensively  in  pine  lands.  For  several  years  he  was  Treasurer 
and  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Northern  Ho.spital  for  the  Insane. 
In  1872  he  represented  his  district  as  Assemblyman,  and  he  has 
been  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  the  last  five  years.  Mr. 
Grimmer  was  married  in  the  town  of  Utica,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis., 
Dec.  21,  1857,  to  Miss  Frances  C.  (3ook,  a  native  of  Shrewsbury, 
Vt. 

B.  C.  GUDDEN.  physician  and  surgeon,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Black  Wolf  Winnebaso  Co.,  Wis.,  Jan.  11,  1857.  He 
graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College  in  the  spring  of  1879. 
For  two  years  he  was  House  Phy.sician  and  Surgeon  at  the  (^ook 
Co.  Hospital.  He  is  now  associated  in  practice  with  Dr.  Christian 
Linde,  who  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1842. 

II.  C.  GUSTAVUS  &  CO.,  flour-mills  (firm  composed  of  H. 
C.  Gustavus  and  Casper  Smith),  commenced  business  in  1876. 
They  employ  fifteen  men  and  turn  out  125  barrels  of  flour  daily. 

H.  C.  Gustavus,  of  the  firm  of  Gustavus  &  Co.,  flour-mills, 
was  born  in  Brandenburg,  Prussia,  Sept.  11,  1846;  came 
to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  in  1851 ;  located  in  Winne- 
bago Co.,  Wis.,  and  followed  farming  up  to  1867,  when  he  moved 
to  Neenah  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour,  the  firm  be- 
ing Gustavus  &  Son.     In  1876  he  came  to  Oshkosh  and  formed 


the  present  firm.  He  was  married  in  Neenah  Oct.  14,  1868,  to 
Mi.ss  Eliza  Schmidt.  They  have  two  children — Henry  and  Louisa. 
Mr.  Gustavus  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  of  the  Turn- 
verein  and  Sharpshooters. 

RICHARD  HACKETT,  general  blacksmith,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  July  12,  1835.  Emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  he  was  two  years  of  age,  and  settled  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
He  lived  at  home  until  1864;  then  came  to  Oshkosh,  and  was 
foreman  in  the  N.  W.  R.  R.  blacksmith  shops  for  sixteen  years ; 
then  began  business  for  himself  in  May,  1880  ;  he  employs  four 
men,  and  does  a  large  business;  was  married  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
May  12,  1857,  to  Miss  M.  A.  Maloy,  who  was  born  in  the  latter 
city  ;  they  have  four  .sons  and  three  daughters — Mary  C.,  Thomas 
H.,  Walter  F.,  Richard  H.,  Annie  E.,  Alice  L.  and  Edward  M. 

ORANGE  H.  HARRIS,  real  estate  and  loan  broker,  was  born 
in  Parishville,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  7,  1812  ;  he  was 
reared  in  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  at  Sackett's  Harbor  for  some  time ;  afterward,  for  six 
years,  he  published  the  Sackett's  Harbor  Observer ;  during  four 
years  of  this  period  he  was  also  Postmaster;  in  1855,  he  removed 
to  Burlington,  Iowa,  where  he  was  editor  of  the  loica  Farmer, 
and  for  a  while  associate  editor  of  the  Burlington  Haiokeye.  In 
1857  published  the  Plattsmouth  (Neb.)  Republican ;  after  that  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  and  auction  business  in  Burlington  for  nearly 
five  years ;  after  a  residence  of  five  and  a  half  years,  he  removed 
to  Chicago,  where  he  .carried  on  produce  and  commission  business 
for  about  one  year;  then,  for  three  years,  he  was  employed  as 
traveling  salesman,  handling  druggists'  sundries ;  during  this 
period  he  visited  all  the  cities  and  towns  of  any  importance  in  the 
Northwestern  States.  In  18C6,  he  came  to  Oshko.sh,  and  had 
editorial  charge  of  the  Weekly  North-  Western  for  a  short  time. 
In  1867,  he  commenced  his  present  business,  and  for  a  year  pub- 
lished Harris's  Real  Estate  Bulletin  and  Trades  Journal.  He 
was  Alderman  in  1870  and  1871.  Mr.  Harris  was  married  in 
March,  1870,  to  his  present  wife,  Mary  H.  Kilmer,  a  native  of 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y. 

W.  D.  HARSHAW,  Sheriff,  was  born  in  Argyle,  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  5.  1831.  Lived  there  until  he  came  to  Ocono- 
mowoc.  Wis.,  Oct.  26,  1849.  Came  to  Oshkosh  in  1856.  In 
1864,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  5th  W.  V.  I.;  continued  in  the  serv- 
ice until  bis  regiment  was  mustered  out.  He  was  first  elected 
Sheriff  in  1876,  and  again  elected  in  1880.  Mr.  Harshaw  was 
married  in  Saxeville,  VVaushara  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Lydia  A.  Allen  ;  they 
have  five  children — Mary  R.,  Jennie  M.,  Annie,  Henry  A.  and 
William  G.    Mr.  H.  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  and  G.  A.  R. 

HENRY  B.  HAKSHAW.  lawyer  and  Postmaster,  was  born 
in  Argyle,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1842;  lived  in  Erie  Co., 
N.  Y.,  from  1844,  to  June,  1851  ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  October, 
1854.  He  enlisted  April  18,  1861,  in  Co.  E,  2d  W.  V.  I.  He 
was  in  all  battles  of  his  command  prior  to  May  8,  1864,  when  he 
was  wounded  at  Spottsylvania  and  lost  his  left  arm;  June  30, 
1864,  he  was  mustered  out  of  service ;  he  returned  to  Oshkosh, 
and,  in  the  fall  of  1864,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
Court;  held  that  position  by  re-election  until  Jan.  1,  when  he 
w;vs  appointed  Postmaster.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Dec.  21, 
1864,  to  Georgia  M.,  daughter  of  Darwin  E.  and  Betsey  M. 
Wright  Finney,  early  settlers  of  Oshkosh. 

JOSEPH  H ARTEL,  sawyer  for  0.  D.  Peck;  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  Au'i  27,  1827  ;  engaged  in  saw  mills  in  Ger- 
many ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1861,  and  located  in  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.;  engaged  in  saw-mills  and  continued  in  them  in 
different  positions ;  has  been  sawing  about  thirteen  years.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  1861,  to  Kraust  Aeigan,  of  Oshkosh. 
They  have  three  children — Phillip.  Joseph  and  Augusta.  Mr. 
Hartel  is  a  member  of  the  German  Catholic  Church. 

D.  G.  HATCH,  yard  foreman  for  0.  D.  Peck  ;  was  born  in 
Oconomowoc,  Wis.,  July  31,  1850;  moved  to  Green  Bay  about 
1872,  and  engaged  in  the  freight  business  about  seven  years,  then 
came  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  with  0.  D.  Peck  ;  he  drove   team 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


149 


at  first;  has  occupied  his  present  position  since  August,  1881. 
He  was  married  in  Oconomowoc,  Oct.  5,  1871,  to  Alice  Young, 
of  Oconomowoc.     They  liave  one  child  — George. 

SAMUEL  M.  HAY,  hardware  merchant  and  President  of 
the  First  National  Bank ;  came  to  Whitewater,  Walworth  Co., 
Wis.,  August  1 ,  1845.  In  1846,  he  visited  Oshkosh  and  was 
greatly  pleased  with  the  n  itural  scenery  of  the  region;  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Indians  made  it  particularly  attractive  to  him,  and  in 
October,  1848,  he  located  here,  engaging  in  mercantile  business, 
being  now  the  oldest  merchant  who  has  been  continuously  in  bus- 
iness here.  He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  various 
public  enterprises  of  Oshkosh. 

ROBERT  W.  HAYTER,  sawyer  for  Paine;  was  born  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  16,  1843.  His  parens  moved  to  Mich- 
igan in  1844,  where  they  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1850,  they 
removed  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Oshkosh.  Mr.  Hayter 
commenced  working  in  the  mills  at  an  early  age;  has  been  with 
his  present  employer  since  1869,  engaged  in  setting  and  sawing. 
He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  1862,  to  Lucy  Hill,  who  died  in 
1877,  leaving  two  children — John  and  Viola.  He  was  married 
to  his  present  wife  in  November,  1830  ;  she  was  a  Miss  Orvie 
Delia  Newtnn,  of  Oshkosh,  a  native  of  Wisconsin. 

F.  HERIOMANN,  dealer  in  general  Hue,  groceries,  provisions, 
crockery,  liquors,  etc.,  88  Main  street ;  was  born  in  Germany, 
Nov.  9,  1827  ;  emigrated  to  America  in  1850,  and  settled  in  Mil- 
waukee; lived  there  three  years,  engaged  as  carpenter  and  joiner, 
then  went  to  Oshkosh  and  worked  at  his  trade,  and  in  1862  went 
into  his  present  business.  He  was  married  in  0.shkosh,  Wis.,  in 
1854,  to  Miss  Sydoma  Suhl,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  three  children — Rudolph  A.,  Bertha  and  Clara. 

T.  HERZOG,  forman  for  Humes;  was  born  in  Oshkosh  Oct. 
28,  1859.  His  parents,  Michael  and  Prederica  (Machina)  Her- 
zog,  having  moved  there  from  Germany  the  previous  year.  The 
subject  of  this  ske;ch  got  his  schooling  in  Oshkosh,  and  as  a  boy, 
entered  the  lumber  mills ;  has  been  engaged  in  general  depart- 
ments ;   was  seven  years  with  the  the  firm  of  Williamson  &  Co. 

WILLI.\M  HILL,  merchant;  was  born  at  Niagara  Falls, 
Canada,  Nov.  11,  1820;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  December,  1855, 
since  which  time  (except  during  the  year  1871)  he  has  been 
engaged  in  mercantile  business;  six  months  prior  to  locating  here, 
he  had  acquired  an  interest  in  the  business.  R.  L.  Bigger  was 
associated  with  him  as  a  partner  until  1871.  In  1872,  the  pres- 
ent firm  of  Wm.  Hill  &  Co.  was  organized,  J.  M.  S.  May  and  A. 
F.  Baehr,  being  his  partners.  Mr.  Hill  was  married  at  Niagara 
Palls,  Canada,  to  Elizabeth  Brook,  a  native  of  that  place.  They 
have  five  children — William  R.,  Edgar  J.,  Alice  C,  Lizzie  and 
Mary. 

THOMAS  HINDS,  engineer.  Mr.  Hinds  was  born  in  Staf- 
fordshire, England,  in  1841;  was  working  as  a  machinist  and 
engineer  in  England  some  thirteen  years  previous  to  coming  to 
the  United  States  in  1873;  located  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1873, 
at  first  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  married  in  England,  in 
1873,  to  Miss  Sarah  Bates.     They   have  one   child — Flora  May. 

HOBART  &  HOLMES,  livery  and  sale  stables,  corner  Wau- 
goo  and  Shonaon  streets.  The  firm  consists  of  J.  S.  Holmes  and 
A.  O.  Hobart.  Mr.  Holmes,  the  practical  man,  was  born  in  Paris, 
Maine,  1834,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858;  settled  in  Oshkosh, 
where  he  has  successfully  prosecuted  the  present  business  since. 
In  the  meantime  paying  attention  to  the  introduction  and  handling 
of  trotting  stock  here.  In  1859,  he  was  married  to  MLss  Thirza 
Fair,  who  was  born  in  BuflPalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1837.  They  have  a 
family  of  two  sons — Arthur  S.  and  E.  Austin,  and  two  daughters 
—Jessie  F.  and  Helen  P. 

REV.  F.  R.  HAFF,  Rector  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  ;  born 
in  December,  1821,  city  of  New  York  ;  graduated  at  Union  Col- 
lege in  1843;  came  to  Chicago  a  year.  In  1847,  graduated  in 
Nashotah  Seminary,  Wiscoitsin,  then  he  took  charge  of  the  mis- 
sions among  the  Oneida  Indians  at  Green  Bay ;  he  continued 
there  six  years.     His  labors  were  very  successful.     Was  Rector  in 


St.  Paul's,  La  Porte,  Ind.,  a  year;  in  Berlin,  Iowa,  five  years ;  in 
1859,  came  to  Oshkosh  and  took  charge  of  his  present  church. 
He  resigned  in  1870  ;  went  to  Kansas  City  and  took  charge  of  a 
new  p;irish,  now  Grace  Church  ;  at  Manitowoc,  temporarily.  A 
new  church  in  Green  Bay,  St.  James,  was  organized  about  then, 
and  Mr.  Half  was  its  Rector.  In  1875,  his  former  chuich, 
Trinity,  extended  a  unanimous  and  urgent  call  to  him.  He 
accepted  it.  Mr.  Haff  is  very  earnest  in  all  his  work,  and  has 
made  his  church  one  of  the  leading  ones  here.  Married  Lucretia 
11.  Boyington,  of  Green  Bay,  in  1848.  Miss  Boyington  was  born 
in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children — Franklin 
B.,  Emma  Cornelia,  Nettie  Jane.  Mr.  HafT  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the  Knights  Templar,  and  of  the  Masons. 

T.  J.  HOFFMAN,  mechanic  in  Thompson  &  Hayward's  Car- 
riage Works.  Mr.  Hoffman  was  born  at  Rome  Center,  Mich., 
Aug.  11,  1848  ;  he  lived  there  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age, 
he  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  there  he  attended  school  about 
six  years ;  he  also  worked  in  car  shops  there,  and  remained  there 
about  six  years  in  all ;  from  there  he  went  to  Hannibal,  Mo.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  eighteen  months,  then  he  went  to  Oshkosh  ; 
he  worked  at  cabinet-work  about  three  years  and  a  half,  then 
engaged  in  Thompson  &  Hayward's  Carriage  Works,  April,  1881. 
He  was  married  in  Adrian,  Mich.,  May  15,  1875,  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Hoffman  ;  she  was  born  in  Ida,  Mich.,  January,  1847. 

J.  R.  HOLLAND,  yard  foreman,  Radford  Bros.,  was  born  in 
Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  Sept.  3,  1856.  His  parents,  William  and 
Sophia  (Abrams)  Holland,  came  to  Winnebago  County  in  1855, 
and  to  Oshkosh  in  1859.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  common  schools,  and  also  the  Oshkosh  Business  College,  and 
afterward  kept  books  for  MoMillen  and  others.  Has  been  yard 
foreman  for  several  firms  ;  was  with  Paine  six  years,  Hy  Sherry 
two  years,  and  after  this  with  his  present  employers.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh  Sept.  24,  1879,  to  Miss  Sarah  Howard,  of 
Oshkosh.  Miss  Howard  was  born  in  Racine.  Mr.  Holland  is  a 
member  of  K.  of  P. 

S.  W.  HOLLISTER,  lumbermaq,  established  in  1846,  employs 
one  hundred  men  in  logging  season,  and  gets  out  from  eight  to 
twelve  million  feet  logs  during  the  .season.  Mr.  Hollister  was 
born  in  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  17,  1845.  His  parents  moved  to 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1845.  His  father  built  the  second  hotel 
erected  in  city  of  Oshkosh,  called  the  Winnebago  Hotel.  At  a 
suitable  age,  Mr.  S.  W.  Hollister  attended  the  city  schools  and 
began  business  for  himself;  at  twenty  years  of  age,  first  connected 
himself  with  the  lumber  business,  and  since  followed  the  same. 
He  was  married  in  Kewaunee  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  7,  1868,  to  Miss 
Katie  G.  Smith ;  she  was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  two 
children — Asa  R.  and  Sarah  W. 

F.  W.  HOUGHTON,  lawyer,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ogden, 
Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  21,  1849.  Came  to  Brown  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1866;  resided  there  until  1870,  he  then  entered  Lawrence 
University,  at  Appleton  ;  remained  there  until  he  graduated  in 
1876,  afterward  was  Principal  of  school  at  Wausau  for  four  years. 
He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Carpenter  &  Smith,  Milwaukee,  and 
w;is  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879.  In  May,  1880,  he  commenced 
practice  in  Oshkosh.  Mr.  Houghton  was  married  at  Weyauwega, 
Wis.,  Sept.  29,  1877,  to  Mary  J.  Balch,  also  a  graduate  of  Law- 
rence University,  and  a  classmata  of  his  in  that  institution  ;  she 
was  born  at  VVeyauwega.  They  have  two  children — Laura 
Madge  and  Mary  Ruth. 

JOHN  H.  HUGHEY,  foreman  for  B.  Brothers,  was  born  in 
Plattsburg,  N.  v.,  Aug.  8,  1848 ;  was  engaged  on  the  Vermont  Cen- 
tral Railroad  firing  four  years  and  as  engineer  two  years ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1865  and  located  in  Oshkosh  ;  was  engineering  some 
four  or  five  years,  and  since  then  in  sash,  door,  and  blind  business; 
was  foreman  for  Conlee  Brothers  four  years ;  has  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Radford  Brothers  since  1880.  Mr.  Ilughey  was  married 
in  Oshkosh  November,  1872,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Monahan,  of  Osh- 
kosh. They  have  two  children — Saide  and  Maggie.  Mr.  Hughey 
is  a  member  of  the  Oshkosh  Rifles. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


JKSSE  Y.  HULL,  of  the  firm  of  J.  G.  Hull  &  Co.  (Boston 
90e.  Store),  55  Main  street,  dealers  in  a  general  line  of  fancy 
goods  and  other  articles  generally  found  in  a  99c.  store.  He  was 
born  in  Butte  des  Morts,  Wis.,  Oct.  28,  1857 ;  lived  with  his 
parents  until  1875,  and  was  about  eighteen  years  when  he  began 
life  for  himself,  and  first  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store, 
which  he  followed  until  Jan.  1,  1879,  at  which  time  he  assumed 
the  duties  of  Deputy  County  Treasurer,  being  appointed  at 
that  time.  He  served  two  years,  after  which  he  was  engaged 
in   the  dry  goods  trade  until  he  began  in   his  present  place  of 

JOHN  W.  HUME,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis., 
April  12,  1852  ;  received  bis  preliminary  schooling  in  Janesvelle, 
and  entered  Lawrence  University  in  Appleton,  Wis.,  in  1869; 
graduated  in  1874  ;  then  located  in  Oshkosh,  where  his  parents 
had  moved  ip  18G6,  and  read  law  with  Jackson  k  Halsey  ;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876;  to  the  Supreme  Court  in  January, 
1879,  and  to  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  in  1880.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh  Oct.  29,  1879,  to  Miss  Nettie  Scott,  of  Osh- 
kosh. They  have  one  child,  John  Scott.  Mrs.  Hume  is  a 
daughter  of  Col.  J.  W.  Scott,  who  was  killed  at  Chancellors- 
ville. 

WILLIAM  HUME,  manufacturer  of  sash,  doors  and  blind.s  ; 
was  born  in  Roxburyshire,  Scotland,  Nov.  1,  1816;  came  to 
America  with  his  parents,  John  and  Isabella  (Brown)  Hume, 
when  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  ;  settled  at  New  Lisbon,  Ot- 
sego Co.,  N.  Y.,  that  was  his  home  until  June,  1847,  when  he 
came  to  Rock  Prairie,  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  resided  seven 
years ;  afterward  lived  in  Milton  for  a  year ;  then  at  Janesville 
until  he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1868.  When  he  first  came  to  Wis- 
consin, he  worked  at  his  trade  of  carpenter  and  builder  most  of 
the  time ;  while  at  Janesville,  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufiicture 
of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  and  for  seven  years  after  coming  to 
Oshkosh,  he  carried  on  the  same  business;  for  five  years  he  was 
in  the  lumber  shipping  business  here  ;  in  the  spring  of  1880,  he 
resumed  his  present  business.  Mr.  Hume  was  married  in  the 
town  of  Cherry  Valley,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Rebecca,  daughter 
of  Robert  Airis.  She  was  born  in  Roxburyshire,  Scotland  ;  they 
have  four  children — Alice,  now  Mrs.  John  Hicks,  Belle,  John 
W.  and  Robert  G. 

HENRY  B.  JACKSON,  lawyer,  was  born  in  NaperviUe, 
Du  Page  Co.  Ill  ,  July  24,  18S7  ;  read  law  in  Elgin,  111.;  came 
to  Oshkosh  in  April,  1859  ;  has  been  been  constantly  engaged  in 
practice  here  since.  He  held  the  office  of  City  Attorney  two 
terms  and  was  twice  District  Attorney.  He  was  for  one  year  in 
the  army  during  the  late  war  of  the  rebellion,  most  of  the  time 
on  Gen.  Sherman's  staff;  he  was  Second  Lieutenant  of  Co.  E,  2d 
W.  V.  I.  He  was  a  student  at  Hiram  College  while  James  A. 
Garfield  was  an  instructor  in  that  institution.  Mr.  Jackson  was 
married  at  Oshkosh  in  May,  1862,  to  Miss  Annette  Harwood,  a 
native  of  Rushville,  N.  Y.  They  have  four  children — Jessie  C, 
Lulu,  Isadore  and  Heman  Harwood. 

ANDREW  JOHNSON,  mechanic  in  running-gear  depart- 
ment of  Parsons  &  Goodfellow's  Carriage  Works.  Mr.  Johnson 
was  born  in  Sweden  November,  1838.  He  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1863,  and  lived  in  New  York  three  months;  then  went  to 
Chicago,  111.  He  enlisted  in  1864,  in  the  Engineers  Corps,  and 
served  fourteen  months  and  was  mustered  out  in  Nashville,  Tenn., 
in  1865.  He  returned  to  Chicago  and  erected  a  dwelling-house  of 
of  his  own  and  worked  at  the  carpenter  and  joi'ier  trade  and  car- 
riage work.  He  made  a  fine  carriage  for  Gen.  Thomas,  of  Chatta- 
nooga, Tenn.,  during  his  service  in  the  army.  He  has  worked  in 
Chicago  for  different  parties  about  fifteen  years,  and  when  the 
above  carriage  works  were  moved  from  Chicago  to  Oshkosli  he 
went  with  them.  He  has  invented,  and  has  a  patent  for,  one  of 
the  most  useful  mechanic's  planes  in  use  ;  also  a  patent  spoke- 
shave.  He  was  married  in  Chicago  in  1870,  to  Miss  Temperance 
Wilcox,  who  was  born  near  Georgian  Bay,  Canada  West.  They 
have  two  children — Alice  E.  and  Willie  A. 


ANDREW  M.  JOHNSON,  filer  for  0.  D.  Peck,  was  born 
in  Province  of  New  Brunswick.  His  parents.  Benjamin  and 
Elizabeth  (Brisley)  Johnson,  moved  to  Maine  when  he  was  a  few 
days  old,  and  from  there  they  moved  to  Wisconsin,  in  1849,  locat- 
ing in  Oshkosh.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  engaged  at  carpenter- 
ing work  and  lumbering  ;  has  been  filing  about  four  years  ;  with 
0.  D.  Peck  since  1881.  He  was  married  in  Oshko.sh  in  1861,  to 
Sarah  Chase,  of  Oshkosh,  formerly  from  N.  B.  She  died  in  187(i, 
leaving  three  children — William,  Sarah  and  Lucy. 

EDWIN  R.  JOHNSTON,  sawyer  Diamond  Match  Co., 
born  in  Colchester  Co.,  Nova  Scotia,  Aug.  3,  1850  ;  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  1858,  and  located  in  Oshkosh;  has  been  engaged  in 
several  different  shingle-mills ;  was  shingle  and  stave  sawing  about 
four  years,  and  has  run  a  drag-saw,  his  present  occupation,  about 
eleven  years.  He  was  married  in  Stockbridge,  Calumet  Co.,  July 
24,  1872,  to  Miss  Ella  Eldridge,  of  that  county,  a  native  of  New- 
York  State.  They  have  two  children — Gracie  and  Jessie.  Mr. 
Johnston  has  belonged  to  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department  about 
ten  years,  six  of  which  he  was  foreman. 

HON.  JAMES  V.  JONES,  lumberman.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  a  native  of  Williamstown,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  was  born  Oct. 
29, 1827,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Florilla  Jones.  His  father  was 
a  farmer,  and  James  V.,  the  youngest  of  five  children,  passed  his 
boyhood  in  working  on  a  flirm,  and  received  only  a  very  limited 
education.  Reaching  manhood,  he  learned  the  carpenter  and 
joiner's  trade,  and  worked  in  this  way  four  years,  when  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Duncan,  at  Geddes,  Onondaga  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  a  native  of  County  Kent,  England.  In  1855,  he  moved  to 
Wisconsin,  and  located  at  Oshkosh,  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
He  came  here  without  means,  but  with  qualities  of  heart  and  good 
traits  of  character,  and  these  he  directed  to  build  up  an  honorable 
career.  Ambitious,  energetic,  industrious,  he  persevered.  For  a 
time  he  worked  by  the  day,  and  was  forced  to  practice  the  severest 
economy.  After  a  few  years  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own 
account  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  continued  so  for  several 
years.  In  1865,  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Hon.  Carlton 
Foster,  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber. 
In  this  co-partnership  was  combined  vigor,  enterprise  and  execu- 
tive force,  and  rapidly  the  fiim  took  the  lead  in  the  manufacture 
of  lumber.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  they  built  the  mill  now  occupied 
by  Conlee  Bros.  This  increased  their  business,  and  the  product 
reached  6,000,000  feet  of  cut  lumber  per  annum.  In  1876,  they 
sold  this  mill  to  the  firm  of  Beach  &  Conlee.  In  1866,  they  had 
purchased  a  small  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  from  P.  Z.  Wilson, 
and  suon  added  and  enlarged  it,  but  in  1870  it  was  burned.  They 
then  erected  the  present  sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  and  gradually 
added  to  its  capacity,  and  are  ranked  among  the  largest  manufact- 
urers in  this  section.  This  firm  was  the  pioneer  firm  in  the  whole- 
sale manufacture  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds,  having  shipped  the 
first  carload,  and  also  having  shipped  their  manufacture  by  boat 
down  the  Mississippi  River  at  an  early  day.  Mr.  Jones  took  a 
prominent  part  in  politics,  and  was  first  elected  an  Alderman,  and 
afterward  elected  Mayor,  and  the  only  Mayor  who  filled  the  office 
three  terms,  twice  re-elected.  At  the  time  of  the  Chicago  fir.-, 
Mr.  Jones  was  Mayor  of  this  city,  and  he  telegraphed  to  the  man- 
agement of  the  Northwestern  R.  R.  Co.  if  they  would  furnish 
transportation  free,  the  good  citizens  of  Oshkosh  would  furnish  a 
car-load  of  food  for  the  sufferers.  They  replied  in  the  affirmative, 
and  through  Mr.  Jones'  efforts  the  car  was  filled,  and  was  the  first 
donation  of  food  received  by  the  authorities  of  Chicago  from  Wis- 
consin. In  1877,  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  served 
with  credit  to  himself  and  his  constituents.  In  1878,  the  Repub- 
licans of  the  Sixth  District  nominated  a  candidate  for  Congress 
who  was  ineligible.  His  name  was  taken  from  the  ticket,  and 
Mr.  Jones  received  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  convention.  It 
was  but  twenty  days  before  election,  and  no  time  for  an  active 
canvass,  but  Mr.  Jones'  popularity  secured  for  him  11,000  votes, 
but  falling  short  of  an  election.  In  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
Mr.  Jones  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  active  members.     He 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


Was  a  charter  member  of  Winnebago  Lodge  of  Oshkosh,  No.  120; 
has  filled  every  office  in  this  jurisdiction ;  also  Past  Grand  Master 
and  Grand  Representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Jones  is  one  of  the  best  representatives  of  the  self- 
made  men  of  this  country,  and  in  his  own  person  exemplifies  the 
possibilities  of  well  directed  efforts,  combined  with  strict  integrity. 
He  is  public  spirited,  liberal,  and  a  leader  in  all  public  enter- 
prises that  will  promote  the  interests  of  the  city. 

JOHN  E.  JONES,  of  the  firm  of  Williamson,  Libbey  &  Co., 
manufacturers  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in 
December,  1857 ;  employed  for  a  few  months  in  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory;  then  worked  at  trade  of  carpenter  and  builder  for 
two  years ;  then  he  went  to  the  Southern  States,  where  he  remained 
until  the  war  broke  out,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  State, 
New  York  ;  remained  there  two  years  ;  and,  after  another  year's 
residence  at  Oshkosh,  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  was  there  two 
years,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  permanent  resident  of  Osh- 
kosh. For  the  last  seven  years,  he  has  had  a  partnership  interest 
in  the  sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  He  was  married,  at  Racine, 
Wis.,  in  May,  18G6,  to  Mary  A.  Davis,  a  native  of  Madison  Co., 
N.  Y.  They  have  five  children — Edward  V.,  Robert  R.,  Bessie 
R.,  Susie  M.  and  John  W.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  A.  0.  U.  W.  and  K.  of  H. 

CHARLES  0.  JOSSLYN,  of  the  firm  Lane  &  Josslyn,  Tre- 
mont  House;  was  born  in  Penobscot  Co.,  Maine,  April  11,  1845, 
his  parents  being  Thomas  S.  and  Sarah  G.  (Chapman)  Josslyn. 
About  1864,  he  took  a  position  as  hotel  clerk  in  East  Corinth, 
Me.,  and  remained  about  three  years.  After  a  short  time  in 
Dexter,  he  then  went  to  Eangor,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  dry 
goods  store.  Three  years  later,  he  went  into  business  for  himself, 
selling  dry  goods  in  Ellsworth,  Me.,  the  firm  being  Lyon  &  Joss- 
lyn ;  sold  out  in  two  years,  and  went  to  Boston,  engaging  as 
traveling  salesman,  a  business  he  followed  five  years.  In  1876, 
he  came  to  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business,  the 
firm  being  Josslyn  Bros.  In  March,  1881,  formed  a  partnership 
with  Mr.  Lane,  and  took  the  Tremont  House.  Mr.  J.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge  and  Chapter  of  Maine,  and  Oshkosh 
Commandery,  No.  11. 

E.  C.  KELLOGG,  lumberman  and  logger ;  came  to  Oshkosh) 
Wis.,  in  fall  1855  ;  employs  from  100  to  150  men  during  the  log- 
ging season,  and  85  to  110  horses  and  oxen,  and  get  out  from 
4,500,000  to  6,000,000  feet  annually.  The  firm  name  is  Kellogg 
&  Rumery.  Mr.  K.  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Vt.,  Jan.  20,  1817. 
He  went  to  Massachusetts  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  five 
years,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  until  he  was  thirty- 
eight  years  of  age,  being  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  business  for  himself  He  came  to  Oshkosh  in  the  fiill  of 
1855,  and  the  following  winter  he  began  the  lumbering  business, 
which  he  has  been  engaged  in,  excepting  two  years,  owing  to  the 
hard  times  of  1857-58,  and,  no  means  of  transportation,  he  was 
obliged  to  suspend  operations,  but  since  then  he  has  been  actively 
engaged.  He  was  married,  in  Shutesbury,  Mass.,  June,  1839,  to 
Miss  Maria  S.  Stetson,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place  Oct.  14, 
1828.  They  have  four  children— George  E.,  Clara  M.,  Olive  C. 
and  Nanie  S. 

DR.  WALTER  KEMPSTER,  Superintendent  of  Northern 
Hospital  for  the  Insane;  was  born  in  Syracuse,  Onondaga  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  May  25,  1841  ;  attended  common  graded  and  high  schools  in 
Onondaga  Co. ;  then  spent  about  five  years  traveling  with  a  tutor 
in  the  United  States  and  Europe;  returned  to  New  York  State 
about  1857,  and  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  his  profession  at 
the  Long  Island  Medical  College,  from  which  ho  graduated  June 
30,  1864.  He  went  into  the  civil  war  as  private,  in  Co.  H,  of 
the  12th  New  York  Infantry;  became  Hospital  Steward  of  the 
10th  New  York  Cavalry;  was  detached  and  placed  on  duty  at 
the  United  States  General  Hospital  at  Patterson  Park,  Baltimore, 
Md.;  made  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  D,  in  10th  New  York  Cav- 
alry ;  participated  in  the  various  battles  of  the  Potomac,  including 
that  of  Gettysburg;  and,  in  1864-65,  8erv«d  as  Acting  Assistant 


Surgeon  of  the  United  States  Army ;  was  in  the  service  in  all 
from  1861  to  1864,  with  the  exception  of  six  months,  during 
which  he  absented  himself  to  take  his  degree  in  medicine.  In 
1866,  he  was  the  Assistant  Superintendent  of  the  New  York 
Asylum  for  Idiots,  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y. ;  from  1867  to  1873, 
Assistant  Physician  of  the  New  York  State  Insane  Asylum,  and, 
from  1873  to  present  time.  Superintendent  of  the  Northern  Hos- 
pistal  for  the  Insane  at  Oshkosh,  Wis.  He  was  married,  in  Balti- 
more, Jan.  1,  1863,  to  Miss  Mirriem  P.  Baynes,  eldest  daughter 
of  Thomas  Baynes,  of  Baltimore.  They  have  three  children  liv- 
ing— Sarah  W.,  Agnes,  Mary.  For  a  number  of  years,  Dr. 
Kempster  has  been  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  microcopic  path- 
ology of  the  brain,  on  which  subject  he  has  written  several  papers, 
beside  taking  a  large  number  of  photo-micrographs  of  brain  tis- 
sue, normal  and  abnormal,  a  work  in  which  he  was  the  first  in 
this  country  to  engage.  He  delivered  a  lecture  in  the  fall  of  1881 
before  the  Chicago  Biological  Society.  His  most  notable  case  in 
surgery  is  that  of  the  excision  of  three  inches  of  tiie  tibia,  with 
recovery,  reported  in  the  American  Journal  of  Medical  Science. 
His  literary  contributions  to  medicine  consist  of  articles  in  the 
American  Journal  of  Insane,  of  which  he  was  for  five  years  asso- 
ciate editor;  in  the  transactions  of  the  International  Medical 
Congress  in  1876,  as  also  in  the  transactions  of  the  Wisconsin 
State  Medical  Society,  and  the  reports  of  Northern  Wisconsin 
Hospital  for  the  Insane.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Winnebago 
County  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  has  been  President ;  of 
Wisconsin  State  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  has  been  Vice 
President ;  of  New  York  State  Medical  Society ;  of  American 
Medical  Association,  of  which  lie  has  been  Chairman  of  the 
section  on  Physiological  Medical  Jurisprudence  and  Chemistry ; 
of  the  Association  of  Superintendents  of  American  Institutions  for 
the  Insane ;  of  the  United  States  Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Sanitary  Science,  and  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Historical 
Society. 

JAMES  E.  KENNEDY,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  groceries, 
staple  and  fancy  goods,  147  Main  street,  settled  in  Oshkosh 
Wis.,  in  1858,  and  began  the  grocery  business  the  same  year, 
in  company  with  E.  W.  Viall,  and  continued  in  company  until 
1872;  sold  out  and  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  boots  and 
shoes,  which  he  continued  unttl  the  fire  of  1875,  when  he  was 
burned  out.  He  began  his  present  business  in  the  fall  of  1875. 
He  was  born  in  Ireland,  May  14,  1833  ;  emigrated  to  America  in 
in  1849.  He  was  married  in  Cleveland,  Oho,  in  1858,  to  Miss 
Ellen  Andrews  ;  she  was  born  in  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  13, 1838. 
They  have  four  children— Charles  A.,  Ella  K.,  Bell  and  Jane  A. 
Charles  A.  assists  his  father  in  store.  They  do  about  $100,000 
business  per  annum.  Mr.  K.  was  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin 
Legislature  in  1 869. 

KENNY  BRdS.,  hat  and  bonnet  bleachers  and  shapers  ; 
firm  composed  of  Daniel  and  John  T.  Kenny,  commenced  busi- 
ness in  1878;  run  by  steam  and  have  complete  apparatus '  for 
doing  all  kinds  of  work.  Daniel  Kenny  (firm  of  Kenny  Bros.)  was 
born  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  in  1854;  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  with  his 
parents  in  1856  ;  he  went  to  Chicago  and  learned  his  trade,  remain- 
ing six  years,  and  then  returned  to  Oshkosh.  Mr.  K.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  St.  Peter's  temperance  society. 

IRA  KEZERTEE,  dentist,  office  in  Beckwith  Block,  estab- 
lished in  1853.  He  w;is  born  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  Sune  4, 
1825,  and  lived  there  until  1845,  and  learned  dentistry;  also 
studied  medicine.  He  settled  in  Marysville,  Union  Co.,  Ohio,  and 
followed  his  profession  until  1853,  when  he  moved  to  Oshkosh 
and  established  as  above  noted,  being  the  oldest  established  dentist 
in  the  city.  He  has  also  a  good  run  of  custom.  He  was  married 
in  Bergen,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  12,  1850,  to  Miss  Esther  L. 
Ward,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place,  Feb.  22,  1826.  They 
have  two  children — Irene  A.  and  Lyman  W.  Irene  A.  was  mar- 
ried to  Mr.  Albert  Evans,  Aug.  18,  1881  ;  he  is  Principal  of  First 
Ward  School ;  and  Lyman  W,  is  clerking  in  a  grocery  and  fruit 
store. 


'52 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


FREDERICK  KING,  of  the  firm  of  King  &  Englebright, 
proprietors  of  saloon  and  billiard  tables  in  west  end  of  Treniont 
House.  Mr.  K.  was  born  in  Switzerland,  July  1,  1855.  He 
emigrated  to  America  in  1864,  and  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.; 
attended  the  public  and  select  schools  about  two  years,  then  he 
worked  in  a  stave  factory  about  one  year ;  then  he  engaged  as 
ilerk  in  a  cigar  store  two  and  a  half  years,  after  which,  he  clerked 
for  another  firm,  doing  the  same  business  two  and  a  half  years. 
March  11,  1870,  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  liquor  store  until  Dec. 
3,  1880.  He  engaged  in  the  liquor  business  until  15th  of  March, 
1881,  on  Main  street,  and  followed  the  same  until  June  1,  1881, 
when  he  went  in  company  with  Mr.  William  H.  Englebright  in 
rear  of  Tremont  House.  He  wag  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  May 
1879,  to  Miss  Mary  H.  Gorman  ;  she  was  born  in  Cherryfield, 
Me.,  May  20,  1859.     They  lost  one  daughter— Anna  King. 

JOHN  LAABS,  logger  and  lumberman,  located  in  1864,  and 
began  lumbering  in  1872;  usually  employs  thirty  men  and  gets 
out  2,000,000  feet,  which  he  markets  generally  in  Oshkosh,  Wis. 
Mr.  L.  was  born  in  Germany,  Jan.  10,  1840  ;  emigrated  to  Ame- 
ica  in  1856,  and  settled  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  and  farmed  on 
shares  until  1864,  then  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  the 
flouring  mill  business  until  1872,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in 
the  lumber  business.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  February,  1865, 
to  Miss  Matilda  Wessenberg;  she  was  born  in  Germany.  They 
have  three  children  living,  named,  William  J.,Lydia,  Daniel  (de- 
ceased) and  Elsie  (living). 

LAABS  &  LAMPERT,  boots  and  shoes;  commenced  busi- 
ness in  1881,  succeeding  J.  B.  Stone;  carrying  stock  of  about 
$5,000  or  $6,000.  Matt  Lampert,  firm  of  Laabs  &  Lampert, 
was  born  at  West  Bend,  Washington  Co.,  Wis.,  June  12,  1857  ; 
his  parents  having  come  from  Switzerland  and  settled  in  Washing- 
ton Co.  in  1849  ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1875,  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business,  and  was  burnt  out  in  1877  ;  after  this  moved  to 
Kansas,  where  he  was  book-keeper  and  salesman  in  a  general 
store;  returned  to  Oshkosh  in  1880.  Mr.  Lampert  is  a  member 
of  the  Lodge  of  Good  Templars. 

JAMES  WILLIAM  LADD,  County  Treasurer;  was  born 
at  Campton,  N.  H.,  May  5,  1838;  lived  there  until  May,  1845, 
when  his  parents,  with  their  family,  removed  to  Beaver  Dam, 
Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  resided  until  October,  1846,  when 
they  came  to  what  is  now  the  town  of  Menasha,  Winnebago  Co., 
where  his  father,  James  Ladd,  pre-empted  his  present  farm  in  the 
spring  of  1846;  James  William  Ladd  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
graduated  from  Lawrence  University,  at  Appleton,  in  June,  1862  ; 
subsequently  taught  school  for  nearly  a  year  at  South  Beaver 
Dam,  and  then  went  to  Kansas,  where  he  was  employed  for  a 
short  time  as  Special  Deputy  to  the  United  States  Marshal ;  in 
October,  18  3,  he  went  to  Fort  Lamed,  and  was  chief  clerk  in 
a  mercantile  establishment  and  the  post  office  for  eighteen  months; 
from  1865  to  Jan.  1,  1867,  he  was  Postmaster  at  Fort  Dodge, 
and  was  also  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  there  during  that 
period;  in  January,  1867,  he  returned  to  Menasha  and  engaged 
in  the  grocery  trade  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Christopher ; 
he  continued  in  that  business  until  the  fiill  of  1879 ;  he  was  City 
Clerk  and  Overseer  of  the  city  poor  of  Menasha  for  several 
years,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  one  year  prior  to  entering  upon 
the  duties  of  County  Treasurer  Jan.  1,  1881;  he  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  school  interesis  of  Menasha  for  several 
years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  some  time ;  he 
is  President  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  Lawrence  University, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter 
and  Commandery ;  also  of  I.  0.  0.  F.  Lodge  and  Encampment. 
He  was  married  at  Evanston,  111.,  May  20,  1874,  to  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  A.  B.  Jackson,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  at 
Kenosha,  Wis. ;  she  was  born  in  the  town  of  Bristol,  Kenosha 
Co.,  Wis. ;  they  have  one  son  living — Andrew  B.  Jackson,  born 
in  April,  1878;  lo.st  one  daughter — Florence;  she  was  born 
June  10,  1875,  and  died  May  18,  1877.  Mr.  Ladd's  father  was 
born  at  Sudbury,  Vt.,  in  1799,  and  first  came  to  Wiscimsin  in  the 


spring  of  1844  ;  he  is  a  vigorous  and  active  man  now,  personally 
looking  after  his  farming  interests ;  his  wife.  Charity  Willey,  was 
born  at  Campton,  Grafton  Co.,  N.  H.,  in  January,  1804,  and  died 
in  December,  1864. 

G.  R.  LAMPARD,  musical  instruments;  commenced  busi- 
ness in  1866  ;  Mr.  L.  is  general  agent  for  the  State  of  Wisconsin 
for  W.  W.  Kimball,  of  Chicago  ;  the  yearly  sales  have  run  up  to 
$42,000,  and  during  the  month  of  June,  1881,  they  were  $10,- 
000  ;  Mr.  Lampard  has  written  and  composed  a  great  deal  of 
music,  some  of  the  pieces  having  a  large  sale,  of  which  we  may 
enumerate  the  following  instrumental  music  :  '•  Going  to  the  Pic- 
nic," waltz  ;  "  Singing  Birds,"  polka ;  "  Golden  Plume."  schot- 
tische,  and  "  Cymbella  March  "  for  ball  organ  ;  the  best  known 
of  his  songs  are,  "  My  Home  by  the  Sea,"  "  Gathering  Up  the 
Pearly  Shells,"  "  Don't  Wait  for  a  Better  Time  to  Come,"  and 
"  Fun  With  the  Boys."  He  has  published  in  all  fifty-three 
pieces;  was  born  in  Deerfield,  Ohio,  June  9,  1836;  his  parents 
moved  to  Illinois,  when  he  was  three  years  old,  locating  near 
Quincy,  in  which  place  his  father  was  a  merchant  for  some  time  ; 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  employed  in  his  father's  store  for  a 
time ;  studied  music  in  Quincy  and  finished  his  education  in  the 
Normal  Musical  Institute  at  North  Reading,  Ma.ss.  ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1856,  and  located  in  Appleton  ;  engaged  in  teaching 
music ;  moved  to  Oshkosh  the  next  year  and  followed  the  same 
business  about  two  years  ;  after  spending  about  one  year  in  Chi- 
cago in  the  music  store  of  Higgins,  the  pioneer  house  of  Chicago, 
he  removed  to  Ripon,  Wis.,  where  he  kept  a  store,  and  also 
taught  music  for  some  four  years.  Was  married  at  Fremont, 
Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  Aug.  23,  1857,  to  Miss  Delia  A.  Sherburne, 
of  Waupaca  Co.;  thev  have  two  children — Frank,  Jennie  (widow 
of  Mr.  F.  J.  Clark.  Mr.  L.  belongs  to  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 
Lodge. 

GILBERT  LANE,  hotel  proprietor;  was  born  in  Camillus, 
Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  1,  1821.  In  1844  he  came  to  Ceres- 
co.  Wis.,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  Fourierite  Association  ; 
he  ran  the  first  separator  threshing  machine  in  that  region  ;  in 
1845  he  drove  an  ox  team  to  Oshkosh,  which  was  the  first  team 
which  was  driven  through  to  that  point  from  Ceresco ;  in  1856 
he  went  to  Southern  Illinois,  and  kept  hotel  there  until  1861  ; 
he  had  been  engaged  in  teaching  at  Paris,  Edgar  Co.,  111.,  prior 
to  1844;  in  1861  he  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and  located  at 
Ripon,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  earliest  location  in  Wisconsin ;  about 
the  time  the  war  closed  he  purchased  the  Mapes  House,  at  Ripon  ; 
owned  and  operated  the  hotel  for  about  three  years,  then  sold  out 
and  came  to  Oshkosh,  and  was  engaged  in  hotel  business  here  un- 
til 1873;  from  that  time  he  was  not  engaged  in  active  business 
until  he  became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Tremont  House,  in 
March,  1881  ;  in  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  say  that  there  is 
no  hotel  in  Northern  Wisconsin  which  is  better  conducted  than 
the  Tremont  House.  Mr.  Lane  was  married  at  Paris,  111.,  in 
March,  1846,  to  Mary  J.  Kimbrough,  a  native  of  Kentucky  ; 
Mr.  L.  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  and  A.  M.  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter 
and   Commandery. 

C.  H.  LARRABEE,  superintendent,  Paine  &  Co.;  was  born 
in  McKean  Co.,  Pa.,  July  6,  1837  ;  his  parents,  Ebenezer  and 
Lucinda  (Knapp)  Larrabee,  were  originally  from  Massachusetts; 
they  moved  from  Pennsylvania  to  Wisconsin  in  1855,  locating  in 
Omro,  Winnebago  Co.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Osh- 
kosh in  1862,  and  engaged  as  shipping  clerk  with  C.  N.  Paine  & 
Co.,  and  has  been  superintendent  for  Paine  since  about  1864;  he 
was  married  in  Oshkosh  in  December,  1865,  to  Annetta  C.  George, 
of  Winnebago  Co.,  who  died  in  1868,  leaving  one  son — Herbert  N.; 
Mr.  L.  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Miss  Josephine  E.  Mans- 
field, of  JanesvillcWis.,  in  December,  1871;  they  have  one  child,  a 
daughter — Josephine  A.;  Mr.  L.  is  a  member  of  Knights  of  Hon- 
or, and  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

W.  F.  LAllISH,  foreman  machinery,  Foster  &  Jones ;  was 
born  in  Columbia,  Penn.,  Jan.  31,  1843;  learned  his  trade  in 
Philadelphia;  enlisted  Oct.  10,  1861,  in  Co.  D,  84th  Penn.  V.  I. 


HISTORY    OF    WINNEBAGO    COUNTV. 


ti53 


as  private;  served  until  mustered  out,  July,  1865;  during  this 
time  Mr.  L.  was  with  the  regiment  in  eighteen  general  engage- 
ments, in  addition  to  skirmishes  ;  was  at  "  Petersburg,"  "  Wilder- 
ness," "  Spottsylvania  Court  House,"  and  the  surrender  of  Lee; 
came  to  Wisconsin  to  settle,  in  January,  1880  ;  located  in  Oshkosh; 
was  married  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Penn.,  Aug.  27,  1868,  to  Hattie  E. 
Downing,  of  that  county  ;  they  have  two  children — Frank  A.  and 
Arthur  f  is  a  member  of  I.  0.  O.  F.,  of  Philadelphia. 

FRANK  LARIK,  proprietor  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad 
House;  he  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Sept.  19,  1840;  be 
came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  farmed  twenty  years  ;  then 
moved  into  the  city,  built  his  hotel  in  1874,  and  it  burned  down  in 
a  few  days  after  he  moved  in  ;  he  immediately  began  the  erection  of 
his  present  large  hotel  building ;  he  has  a  large  barn  in  connection 
with  his  hotel,  and  is  doing  a  good  business.  He  was  married 
Oct.  20,  1867,  to  Miss  Barbara  Herman,  who  was  born  in  the 
South.  They  have  five  children  living  and  three  deceased,  as  fol- 
lows;  Charles,  Joseph  and  Mary,  deceased;  and  John,  Tina, 
Peter,  George  W,  and  Rosa  A.,  living. 

HENRY  L.  LAWSON,  insurance  and  loan  agent;  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  Md..  March  27,  1843;  came  to  Winnebago  Co., 
Wis.,  June  8,  1861.  He  served  for  nearly  three  years  in  con- 
struction corps  of  the  army,  during  the  late  war  of  the  rebellion, 
afterward  was  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  N^kinii  for  about  six 
years,  then  catne  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  his  present  business. 
He  was  married  in  the  town  of  Utica,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
February,  1868,  to  Rosamond  Stone,  a  native  of  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  have  three  children — Carrie  Stella,  Lester  Henry  and  Edith 
Vern  ;  lost  one  daughter,  Olive  Ann,  who  was  born  Jan.  20, 
1869,  and  died  Nov.  12,  1879.  Mr.  L.  is  a  member  of  the  A., 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Oshkosh  Commandery. 

S.  B.  LAWRENCE,  lumberman  and  logger,  settled  in  Osh- 
kosh in  1855,  and  began  lumbering  in  winter  of  1855-56.  He 
employed  about  65  men  in  winter  of  1881,  and  gets  out  from  one- 
half  to  five  million  feet  per  annum,  and  sells  to  manufacturers  in 
Oshkosh  and  Fi)nd  du  Lac.  He  was  born  in  Winslow,  Me.,  Jan. 
31,  1824  ;  ho  began  lumbering  for  himself  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  on  the  St.  Croix  River,  in  Washington,  Me.,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1854,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and 
since  settling  there  has  made  the  above  his  business.  He  was 
married  in  Springfield,  Me.,  Sept.  15,  1849,  to  Miss  Nancy  A. 
Craig,  who  was  born  in  Providence,  N.  B.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren living — ^Gustave,  Carrie  S.,  Samuel  B.,  Jr.,  Matt  and  Dwight; 
Carrie  S.  is  married  to  Mr.  G.  Metz,  who  is  engaged  in  the  leather 
business  in  Oshkosh. 

WILLIAM  LEARD,  manufacturer  of  and  wholesale  dealer 
i-j  clothing ;  was  born  in  Ashippun,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  Oct.  23, 
1849,  engaged  in  farming  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
then  removed  to^Oeonomowoc.  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business, 
which  he  continued  for  two  and  a  half  years.  In  February,  1875, 
he  came  to  Oshkosh  and  began  clothing  business  in  a  small  way, 
now  he  employs  from  sixty  to  eighty  hands;  in  1879  he  intro- 
duced steam  for  running  the  machinery  in  the  manufacturing 
department  of  bis  business ;  he  being  the  first  to  use  steam  in 
clothing  factories  of  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Leard  was  married  at  Ocono- 
mowoc,  Dec.  3,  1872,  to  Maggie  Dousilas,  a  native  of  Ashippun, 
Dodge  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  three  children — Maggie,  Ida  and 
William,  Jr. 

D.  L.  LIBBEY,  President  of  the  Union  National  Bank; 
was  born  in  Ossipee,  N.  H.  In  the  spring  of  1841,  he  went  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  where  be  learned  molder's  trade :  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia in  the  winter  of  1849-50,  where  he  remained  until  1855  ;  then 
returned  to  the  East,  and  remained  until  he  came  to  Oshkosh, 
Wis.,  in  September,  1855  ;  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness ever  since  he  came  here.  Mr.  Libbey  is  one  of  the  mo.-t 
enterprising  business  men  in  this  region,  having  been  prominently 
identified  with  various  manufacturing  institutions;  he  has  been 
President  of  the  Union  National  Bank  since  its  organization. 
73 


GUSTAV  M.  LINDEMANN,  foreman  in  Schmit  Bros.' 
Trunk  Factory  ;  Mr.  Lindemann  was  born  in  Germany  Jan.  26, 
1846  ;  emigrated  to  America  in  1850  and  settled  in  Manitowoc, 
Wis.;  lived  there  until  he  w;is  nineteen  years  of  age,  where  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  111.,  and 
learned  his  trade,  living  there  eleven  years  in  the  trunk  business 
for  H.  Volger  &  Co.  He  then  came  to  Oshkosh  and  began  as 
foreman  for  the  Schmit  Bros.;  he  was  married  in  Madison,  Wis., 
July  6,  1870,  to  Miss  Josephine  Zaunbrecher,  who  was  born  in 
Germany  Nov.  27,  1850.  They  have  three  children — Osear  G., 
Walter  E.  and  Adela  L. 

CHRISTIAN  LOOK,  wholesale  ana  retail  dealer,  and  manu- 
facturer of  cigars ;  manufactures  300,000  per  annum;  employs 
eight  hands;  established  first  in  Berlin,  Wis.,  in  1870;  was  there 
until  1875  ;  he  then  came  to  Oshkosh  and  began  business.  He 
learned  his  trade  in  New  York  City  in  1866-67  ;  he  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  June  17,  1847  ;  emigrated  to  America  in 
1866  and  lived  in  New  York  City  eighteen  months  ;  then  to  She- 
boygan and  worked  until  1870  at  cigar  making.  Was  married  near 
Oshkosh  in  1870  to  Miss  Henrietta  Kobs,  who  was  born  in  Prussia 
Oct.  31,  1851  ;  they  have  four  children — Nettie,  Emma,  Else  and 
Martha. 

T.  J.  LOUGHRIDGE,  engineer  J.  L.  Clark  &  Son  ;  was  born 
in  Mansfield,  Richland  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1847,  learned  his  trade  in 
Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  a  portable  mill  for  the  A.  &  G. 
W.  R.  R.;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1871  and  located  in  Oshkosh, 
and  engaged  in  engineering  in  mills.  Mr.  Loughridge  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  0.  O.  F. 

WM.  H.  LUCE,  filer  for  G.  W.  Pratt;  was  born  in  Ashtabula 
Co.,  Ohio;  his  parents  were  originally  i'rom  New  York  State, 
though  long  residents  of  Ohio;  in  company  with  them  he  came  to 
Wisconsin  and  located  in  Dane  County,  engaged  iu  farming ;  after 
spending  some  three  yeais  iu  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, the  subject  of  our  sketch  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  located 
for  a  time  in  Stevens'  I'oint,  engaged  in  milling;  followed  the  same 
business  in  Wausau  about  three  years,  and  then  returned  to 
Stevens'  Point  and  engaged  with  his  brother  in  a  wagon  shop ;  en- 
listed at  Stevens'  Point  September,  1861,  in  the  3rd  Wis.  Art., 
serving  until  1864,  when  he  was  mustered  out.  During  this  time 
he  participated  in  all  actions  the  company  were  engaged  iu.  He 
returned  to  Stevens'  Point,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  1866,  where  he  has  remained  since,  with  the  exception 
of  short  intervals  spent  at  different  parts  of  the  State  ;  was  with 
Payne,  of  Oshkosh,  some  eleven  years ;  he  engaged  with  G.  \V. 
Pratt  in  1881.  He  was  married  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1866, 
to  Miss  Emeline  Darmuth,  of  that  county;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren living — Daniel  H.,  Henry  and  Daisy  May.  Mr.  Luce  is  a 
member  of  the  Royal  T.  of  T..  and  of  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

THOMAS  LYONS,  sawyer  for  Scott  &  Libbey ;  was  born  in 
New  York  City  Feb.  12,  1844;  his  parents,  Patrick  and  Cath- 
erine (McCormiek)  Lyons,  moved  from  there  to  Wisconsin  in 
1849;  located  in  Dodge  County  and  engaged  iu  farming.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  commenced  working  in  the  mills  at  Fond  du 
Lac  in  1872,  in  general  occupation.  In  1S80  he  moved  to  Osh- 
kosh and  engaged  in  sawing  for  0.  D.  Peck ;  engaged  with  Scott 
&  Libbey  May,  1881. 

0.  McCORISON,  furniture,  picture  frames,  moldings,  etc.; 
he  commenced  this  business  in  May,  1878,  and  carries  a  stock 
of  from  S3,000  to  $4,000  ;  will  do  a  business  this  year  of 
about  $10,000.  Mr.  McCorison  was  born  in  Brownsville,  Me., 
July  2,  1843  ;  in  1850  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents, 
and  they  located  in  Oshkosh  ;  they  remained  only  one  year,  and 
then  removed  to  Waupuca  Co.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  learned 
his  trade  in  Illinois,  and  worked  for  a  time  in  Appleton,  Wis. 
He  enlisted  in  New  London,  Wis.,  August,  1861,  in  Co.  A,  1st 
W.  V.  I.;  mustered  out  Dec.  18,  1862;  di.seharaged  for  disability, 
having  been  about  four  months  iu  hospital.  In  1864,  he  com- 
menced bu.sinesa  in  New  London,  in  which  he  continued  for  nine 
or  ten  years,  when  he  sold  out,  and  moved  to  Oshkosh,  where  be 


'54 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


clerked  for  two  or  three  years,  and  then  opened  his  present 
business.  He  was  married  in  New  London,  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis., 
in  18G8,  to  Miss  Louisa  Myers  ;  they  have  three  children — Lulu 
M..  Alta  and  Guy;     Mr.  MeC.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

H.  W.  McKOV,  lumberman  and  logger;  established  in  1863; 
of  the  firm  of  Kellogg,  Rumery  &  Co.;  employs  usually  seventy- 
five  men  ;  gets  out  about  five  million  feet  annually.  Mr.  MoKoy 
was  born  in  Caledonia  Co.,  Vt.,  March  13,  1834  ;  he  left  there 
with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  and  moved  to  Nashua, 
N.  H.,  where  he  lived  until  1849;  then  went  to  Bangor,  Me.,  and 
clerked  in  a  store  until  1852  ;  then  he  went  around  Cape  Horn 
to  California,  and  there  followed  mining  two  years  ;  then  engaged 
in  lumbering  eight  years;  after  which  he  returned  to  Oshkosh, 
Wis.,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  and  the  manufacture  of  the  same 
nine  years ;  since  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  logging.  He  is 
also  engaged  largely  in  the  cattle  business  in  Texas,  owning,  in 
company  with  0.  .1.  Wiren  &  Co.,  a  ranch  with  10,000  head  of 
catile.  He  was  married  in  California,  August,  1860,  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Goe ;  she  was  born  in  Crawford  Co.,  Penn.  ;  they  have 
two  children — Mary  B.  and  James  W.;  also  Horace  W.,  deceased, 
and  Anna,  deceased. 

ROBERT  McMILLEN  was  born  in  1830,  in  Warren  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  isa  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  McMillen,  natives  of  New 
York,  received  his  early  education  at  the  common  schools  in  his 
native  place,  and,  after  leaving  school,  worked  on  a  farm,  and  in 
winter  "went  into  the  woods."  In  1853  he  married,  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  following  3'ear  he  removed  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.  He  found 
employment  as  a  carpenter  for  some  time,  and  having  accumulated 
a  small  sum  of  money,  he  bought  a  horse  and  wagon,  and  teamed 
for  a  year  and  a  half  N^'t  prospering  in  this  way,  he  sold  out 
and  went  to  Muskegon,  Mich.,  where  he  found  employment  with 
the  Newago  Lumber  Co.,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  lumber, 
dock  and  shipping  department.  In  the  following  year,  his  suffer- 
ing with  fever  and  ague  compelled  his  return  to  Oshkosh.  Soon 
after,  Mr.  C.  W.  Davis,  his  present  partner  in  bu,«iness,  came  to 
this  place.  Having  some  little  means,  they  purchased  the  interest 
of  J.  D.  Jones,  of  the  firm  of  Morgan  &  Jones,  who  were  carrying 
on  the  manufacture  of  sashes,  doors  and  blinds,  and  the  firm  name 
became  Morgan,  Davis  &  Co.  The  firm  continued  a  year  and  a 
halt,  when  Davis  and  McMillen  sold  out  their  interest  to  the 
brother  of  R.  T.  Morgan,  and  s'arted  under  the  firm  name  of  Mc- 
Millen &  Davis  in  the  shingle  business.  They  ran  this  mill  until 
1867,  and  accumulated  some  considerable  capital.  In  the  latter 
year  they  traded  a  one-half  interest  in  this  business  for  an  interest 
in  Walker,  Adams  and  Co.'s  foundry,  and  the  firm  became  Beck- 
with,  Davis  &  Co.  The  following  year  they  sold  their  remaining 
interest  in  the  shingle  mill,  and  increased  their  interest  in  the 
foundry.  \  year  and  a  half  later,  Mr.  McMillen  traded  his  in- 
terest in  the  foundry  for  a  mill  property,  built  where  his  present 
mill  now  stands,  belonging  to  M.  T.  Battis  and  others.  His 
brother,  J.  H.  McMilkn,  sold  his  shingle  mill  and  became  inter- 
ested with  him  under  the  firm  name  of  McMillen  &  Brother. 
This  continued  until  the  death  of  J.  H.  McMiilen,  in  1871.  He 
then  organized  the  firm  of  R.  McMillen  &  Co.,  and  the  name  has 
rem;ii  led  the  i-ame  to  the  present  day.  From  the  organization  of 
the  firm  of  McMillen  &  Brother  to  the  present  day,  the  firm  has 
met  with  uninterrupted  prosperity,  due  solely  to  diligence,  business 
sagacity  and  integrity.  The  pn.sent  saw  mill  was  built  in  1868, 
but  their  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  not  until  1873;  this  has 
been  enlarged  from  time  to  time  to  meet  the  demands  of  their 
enormous  business.  Mr.  McMillen  is  a  man  of  great  energy, 
much  kindness  of  heart,  and  has  a  liberal  share  of  public  spirit. 
In  his  political  opinions  he  is  a  Republican,  but  not  an  active 
politician,  uniformly  declining  office. 

JAMKS  McNAIK,  lumber  manufacturer,  was  b(irn  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland  (of  Scotch  parentage),  in  1836  ;  came  to  Amer- 
ica wit»i  his  mother  in  1840  ;  resided  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y., 
until  he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  the  spring  of  1856;  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  lumber  business  for  about  twelve  years  ;  then  he 


commenced  jobbing  in  logs  for  himself  and  eight  years  ago  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  lumber;  in  1870  he  purchased  the 
old  Sawyer  mill  which  he  now  runs  ;  he  is  Alderman  of  the  Fifth 
Ward  and  has  held  that  office  for  several  years.  Mr.  McNair  was 
married  at  Oshkosh,  in  1862,  to  Caroline  Lane,  a  native  of  Cat- 
taraugus Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  four  children — Cora  A.,  Kstella, 
Mattie  and  William  Wallace.  Lost  four  children,  who  died  in 
infancy. 

J.  McWILLIAMS,  grocer,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  in 
1819  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1847  ;  located  in  Jefferson  County, 
and  engaged  in  farming  ;  from  there  he  removed  to  Winnebago 
County  and  followed  the  same  business  until  1864,  when  he 
moved  into  the  city  of  Oshkosh.  He  was  married  in  Erie  Co., 
Penn.,  in  1841,  to  Amanda  Church,  who  died  in  Winnebago 
County  in  1856,  leaving — Amelia  (now  Mrs.  Gordon! ;  Robert 
N.  (killed  at  Shiloh  in  18th  W.  V.  I.)  ;  Euthelia  J.,  Eugene, 
Amanda  (now  Mrs.  Anderson).  Mr.  McW.  was  married  to  his 
present  wife  (Miss  Maria  L.  Belknap)  in  Oshkosh,  May,  1857. 
They  have  two  children — Leonora  and  Herbert  G.  Mr.  McW. 
is  a  member  of  the  Temple  (pf  Honor. 

WILLIAM  MANSER,  foreman  ;  he  was  born  in  Berlin, 
near  Grand  River,  Canada,  Dec.  10,  1857  ;  came  to  United 
States  with  his  parents  in  1865;  they  settled  in  Outagamie  Co., 
Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  in 
a  mill  about  thirteen  miles  from  Appleton  some  five  years  ;  then 
moved  to  Wausau,  where  he  was  foreman  of  W.  B.  Kelly's  mills 
ab-mt  three  years;  meeting  with  an  accident,  he  was  disabled 
eight  or  ten  months.  Came  to  Oshkosh  in  1880  and  engaged 
with  Hume  &  Washburn,  now  Hume  alone. 

0.  H.  MANZER,  photographer,  over  16  Kansas  St.,  South 
Side ;  works  in  all  branches  of  the  business ;  he  was  born  in 
Swanton,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  Jan.  7,  1853  ;  his  parents  moved  to 
Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  lived  there  two  years;  then 
moved  to  Hancock,  Waushara  Co.,  where  they  still  live  ;  he  was 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  began  life  for  himself; 
taught  school  and  pursued  various  avocations  three  years  ;  then 
began  practicing  photography,  having  previously  learned  the 
trade ;  went  to  Ripon,  Wis.,  and  worked  at  the  business  two 
years  ;  then  came  to  Oshkosh  in  June,  1880,  since  which  time  he 
has  pursued  his  calling  there,  and  receiving  a  liberal  share  of  the 
public  patronage.  He  was  married  at  Richfield,  Wis.,  April, 
1874,  to  Miss  Electa  J.  Smith ;  she  was  born  in  Andover, 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  10,  in  1856.  They  have  one  daugh- 
ter, Lela  M.,  born  April  25,  1876. 

J.  H.  MARTIN,  agent  for  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  was  born 
in  Saxony,  Germany,  Jan.  21,  1845;  came  to  the  United  States, 
with  his  parents,  in  1856  and  settled  in  Milwaukee.  He  visited 
Oshkosh  in  1858,  and  finally  located  there  in  1861  ;  engaged  in 
different  occupations  up  to  April,  1865,  when  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  railroad  company.  He  has  been  agent  at  Oshkosh  six 
years.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  August  1867,  to  Miss 
Annie  Reeve,  of  Oshkosh.  They  have  four  children — Clara, 
Arthur,  Jennie  and  Annie.  Mr.  M.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Lodge  and  Chapter;  of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  also  of  the 
Business  M.n's  Association  and  Casino. 

WILLIAM  T.  MAY,  yard  foreman;  he  was  born  in  Fond 
du  Lac  in  1853;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  August,  1881  ;  has  been 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  in  diflferent  departments,  some 
eleven  or  twelve  years  ;  was  with  Mr.  Sherry  in  Fond  du  Lac.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  1876,  to  Miss  Emma  Hill.  They 
have  two  children — Annie  and  Verne.  Mr.  May  is  a  member  of 
the  Temple  of  Honor  of  Fond  du  Lac. 

GEORGE  MAYER,  Jr.,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  watches, 
clocks  and  jewelry,  27  Main  street.  He  was  burn  in  Oslikosh. 
Wis.,  March  18,  1854,  and  spent  his  school  days  in  the  city, 
beginning  when  a  small  boy  to  learn  his  present  trade  with  his 
father,  George  Mayer,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  same  business 
in  tiie  city.  He  established  his  store  in  March,  1881.  Previous 
to  that,  he  had  been  in  Topeka,  Kan.,  about  two  years.     He  was 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'55 


married  at  Fond  du  Lac,  May  21,  1879,  to  Miss  Anna  C.  Huse, 
who  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1859.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Ernie  W.,  born  Sept.  10,  1880. 

JOHN  MENTZER,  proprietor  of  saloon  and  dealer  in 
tobacco  and  cigars,  37  High  street.  He  was  born  in  Germany 
Dec.  9,  1846.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  June,  1869,  and 
settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.  He  followed  shoemaking,  having  learned 
his  trade  in  Germany,  working  three  years  there  and  four  years  in 
Oshkosh  ;  then  he  clerked  in  a  boot  and  shoe  and  grocery  store 
for  one  year  ;  then  he  clerked  in  a  grocery  and  saloon  store  for 
four  and  a  half  years  ;  then  he  returned  to  Germany  and  remained 
from  June,  1878,  until  May,  1879,  and  came  back  to  Oshkosh 
and  ran  a  saloon  for  another  party  fourteen  months,  then  he  began 
in  his  present  place  for  himself  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  in 
May,  1881,  to  Miss  Louisa  Liohtenberger.  She  was  born  in 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  1854. 

ROBERT  MEHLMAN,  firm  of  Mehlman  Bros.,  wholesale 
and  retail  dealers  and  manufiicturers  of  cigars,  smokers'  articles, 
etc.,  etc.;  was  born  in  Keno.sha,  Wis.,  Sept.  1,  1853.  His  parents 
soon  inoved  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.  He  lived  at  home  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  learned  the  cigar  trade  and  worked  for 
diEFerent  parties  until  1877  (in  Milwaukee  and  Oshkosh),  and 
settled  in  this  place  April  29,  1873;  began  business  as  above 
noted.  They  do  a  large  wholesale  business,  with  an  increasing 
trade. 

Adolph  Mehlman,  firm  of  Mehlman  Bros.,  began  business 
in  1872,  firm  name  of  J.  Baum  &  Co.,  where  he  continued  until 
the  fire  of  1875,  after  which  the  firm  was  known  as  Baum  &  Mehl- 
man. He  continued  about  fifteen  months,  when  he  began  business 
with  his  brother,  as  above  noted.  He  was  born  in  Milwaukee 
Oct.  29,  1852,  and  lived  there  about  sixteen  years;  traveled  in 
different  portions  of  the  West,  working  at  the  cigar  trade,  and 
finally  located  in  Oshkosh.  Was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in 
November,  1875,  to  Miss  Paulina  Zeilinger,  who  was  born  in 
Oshkosh,  Wis.  They  have  three  children — Alma,  Albert  and 
Matilda. 

AUGUST  METZ,  firm  of  Metz  &  Schloerb,  tanners  and 
leather  dealers  in  all  grades.  Mr.  M.  was  born  in  Germany  Oct. 
12,  1821,  emigrated  to  America  in  1854,  and  located  in  Oshkosh, 
Wis.  He  worked  as  foreman  in  a  shoe  shop  one  year,  then  begun 
his  tannery  and  leather  store  in  1859  ;  capacity  20,000  skins,  of 
all  kinds,  per  annum  ;  employ  seventeen  men.  He  was  married 
in  Germany,  in  1848,  to  Miss  Amelia  Petersilia,  who  was  born  in 
Germany.  They  have  four  children — Frank,  Gustave,  Alma  and 
Herman.  Frank  assists  in  the  leather  store  and  Gustave  and 
Herman  work  in  the  tannery. 

George  C.  Schloerb,  of  the  above  firm,  was  born  in  Germany 
June  3,  1821,  emigrated  to  America  in  1848,  and  located  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio  ;  worked  there  one  year  in  a  tannery,  having 
learned  his  trade  in  Germany.  He  then  went  to  Racine,  Wis., 
and  followed  his  trade  one  year;  then  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and 
immediately  engaged  in  the  tannery  business  alone  until  1859, 
after  which  he  went  in  company  as  above  noted.  He  was  married 
in  Racine,  Wis.,  in  1850,  to  Miss  Wiihelmina  Strangman,  who 
was  born  in  Germany.  They  have  two  children — Amelia  and 
Otto  E.  Amelia  married  Richard  Guenther,  the  present  Member 
of  Conu'ress,  this  District. 

HENRY  F.  MEYER,  cigar  manufactory,  established  Sept. 
15,  1881.  He  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Oct.  17,  1852.  His 
parents  lived  there  a  short  time  and  then  moved  to  Watertown, 
Wis.,  where  they  lived  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
he  learned  the  manufacture  of  cigars  in  the  meantime.  He  then 
went  to  different  places  and  followed  his  trade,  and  went  to  Osh- 
kosh in  1872.  He  has  worked  for  Mr.  Derksen  nine  years.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  March,  1875,  to  Miss  Minnie 
Yagers.    They  have  tli-ee  children — Alexander,  Blanch  and  Clara. 

DANIEL  MIERSWA,  general  blacksmith,  including  saw- 
mill work,  etc.,  was  born  in  Germany  Aug.  8,  1828;  emisrated 
to  America  in  August,  1852,  and  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in 
May,  1853,  and  began  business  in  company  with  Mr.  John  New- 


bauer  in  general  blacksmithing,  and  followed  it  for  thirteen  years 
in  company,  then  sold  his  interest  and  built  his  present  shops  and 
began  business  alone.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  Dec.  4,  1860, 
to  Miss  Mary  Berhend,  who  was  born  in  Germany  Feb.  20,  1841. 
They  have  eight  chiidren — Lizzie  E.,  Jennie  M.  D.,  Daniel  T., 
Jr.,  Gustav  E.,  Frederick  W.,  Otto  R.,  Clara  0.  and  Meta  S. 

JOSEPH  MIES,  yard  foreman  for  McMillen,  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia in  1840,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  mother.  In 
1857  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Oshkosh  for  a  time, 
then  moved  to  Calumet  Co.,  where  he  remained  about  one  year  ; 
then  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  in  milling.  In  1870  he 
went  with  McMillen,  the  first  year  engaged  in  scaling  and  then 
took  charge  of  the  yard.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  in  1869, 
to  Miss  Katharine  Wagoner,  of  Oshkosh.  They  have  had  six 
children,  of  which  there  survives  four — John,  Jacob,  Martin, 
-Mary.     Mr.  Mies  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Joseph  Society. 

RICHARD  T.  MORGAN,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Catherine 
Morgan,  was  born  in  Wales  Oct.  6,  1829.  When  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  but  three  years  old  his  parents  emigrated  to  this 
country  and  settled  in  Utiea,  N.  Y.  His  educational  privileges 
were  poor  and  limited.  In  1847  his  parents  removed  to  Cattarau- 
gus Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  Richard  commenced  work  at  carpentering. 
In  the  following  year  he  worked  in  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory, 
and  here  became  possessed  of  an  ambition  to  engage  in  that  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  Twenty-six  years  ago,  with  but  little 
means,  he  started  for  the  great  West,  and  located  in  Oshkosh, 
Wis.,  where  he  found  employment  as  a  carpenter  and  joiner  with 
John  D.  Jones.  By  diligence  and  economy  he  accumulated  a 
small  amount  of  capital  ;  then,  in  company  with  his  brother,  John 
R.  Morgan,  and  two  others,  purchased  of  John  G.  Bailey  his 
small  sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  Fire  visited  them  early  and 
they  lost  their  all,  having  failed  to  effect  insurance  on  their  build- 
ing. The  next  winter  was  one  that  taxed  their  best  energies.  R. 
T.  and  his  brother  made  sash  and  doors  by  hand  and  sold  them  to 
dealers,  and  in  the  following  March  he  returned  to  New  York 
State  and  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Roberts,  of  Cattaraugus  Co. 
In  the  spring  he  returned  with  hii  wife,  and  shortly  after  organ- 
ganized  the  firm  of  Morgan,  Watts  &  Jones  (E.  Watts  and  J.  D. 
Jones),  and  built  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  This  factory  was 
totally  destroyed  by  fire  in  July,  1859,  involving  a  loss  of  $9,000, 
with  only  $500  insurance.  Mr.  Watts  then  withdrew  from  the 
firm,  and  the  remaining  partners,  R.  T.  Morgan  and  J.  D.  Jones, 
built  a  new  factory,  which  stood  for  many  years,  at  the  corner  of 
Light  and  Marion  streets.  At  this  time  they  employed  ten  to 
twelve  hands.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Jones  sold  his  one-half  inter- 
est to  R.  McMillen  and  C.  W.  Davis,  and  the  firm  became  Mor- 
gan, Davis  &  Co.,  and  continued  so  for  one  and  a  half  years, 
when  McMillen  and  Davis  withdrew.  From  this  time  on  their 
business  prospered.  In  1866  this  firm,  with  R.  P.  Roberts,  built 
the  Northwestern  Planing  Mill,  near  the  Northwestern  depot. 
The  Light-street  factory  was  placed  in  charge  of  J.  R.  Morgan, 
who  superintended  it  until  the  following  year,  when  it  was  sold  to 
Williamson  &  Co.  They  then  purchased  a  one-half  interest  in 
the  McCartney  saw-mill  and  disposed  of  the  Northwestern  Plan- 
ing-Mill  to  Gould  &  Hume.  In  18(:8  they  purchased  McCart- 
ney's remaining  interest  and  devoted  their  time  exclusively  to  the 
operations  of  this  mill,  and  the  first  season's  cut  was  4,000,000 
feet.  They  operated  this  mill  two  years,  when  R.  P.  Roberts  sold 
them  his  interest.  The  firm  of  Morgan  &  Brother  was  then  or- 
ganized aud  has  remained  the  same  without  any  changrs  to  the 
present  time.  In  the  fall  of  1870  they  were  again  sufferers  by 
fire,  and  their  mill  was  totally  destroyed.  Its  value  was  $6,00ii, 
but  was  insured  for  SI, 500  only.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  they 
built  one  of  the  best  mills  in  Oshkosh.  at  a  cost  of  S20,000,  and 
with  a  capacity  of  6,000,000  feet  per  annum.  Again  the  fire- 
fiend  swept  away  their  property,  and  in  October,  1873,  this  S-!0,- 
000  mill  was  destroyed  ;  insured  to  the  extent  of  S7,000.  Nothing 
daunted,  they  rebuilt  this  mill,  at  a  cost  of  §20.000,  adding  a 
fire-proof  engine  and  boiler  house.  They  operated  this  but  one 
season,  when  the  great  fire  of  1875  again  wiped  out  their  property. 


1156 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Besides  their  mill,  the  fire  destroyed  3,000,000  feet  of  lumber, 
and  their  loss  was  §25,000  over  and  above  insurance.  This  last 
misfortune  tested  them  severely,  and  for  a  time  they  lost  heart. 
Finally  they  took  courage  and  ventured  into  business  again,  this 
time  on  the  south  side.  They  purchased  L.  B.  Read's  small  saw- 
mill and  operated  it  three  years  and  met  with  good  success.  They 
then  moved  back  to  their  old  mill  site,  the  ground  of  which  they 
owned,  and,  adding  the  James  mill  site,  they  enlarged  their  mill 
to  its  present  capacity.  This  additional  purchase  gives  them  a 
river  frontage  of  1,000  feet.  Their  "cut"  during  1879  was 
7,000,000  feet,  and  their  business  averages  $100,000  per  annum. 
They  own  25,000,000  feet  of  standing  timber,  which  they  are 
cutting  and  supplying  their  own  mill  with.  For  pluck  and  energy, 
this  firm  has  no  equal.  They  have  contended  with  adversity, 
they  have  battled  on,  against  great  odds,  but  they  maintained  their 
courage  and  their  credit,  to  which  they  owe  their  success.  So 
great  is  the  confidence  reposed  in  them  by  those  with  whom  their 
transactions  have  been  greatest,  that  they  were  able  to  rebuild 
their  mills  when  they  had  no  means — only  their  word  to  pledge. 
To-day  Mr.  R.  T.  Morgan  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  Osh- 
kosh.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  Director  in  the  Union  National 
Bank ;  was  Alderman  from  the  First  Ward  three  terms.  Mr. 
Morgan,  while  not  a  politician,  has  always  been  a  consistent  Re- 
publican and  lent  his  aid  to  the  success  of  that  party.  He  is 
much  respected  and  looked  up  to  by  the  Welsh  settlers  of  this 
section,  who  are  quite  numerous,  and  among  whom  his  political 
sentiments  prevail.  But  to  most  people  Mr.  Morgan  is  known  as 
a  philanthropist  and  a  Christian  worker.  While  kind  to  all,  he 
has  made  the  Welsh  communities  his  special  field  of  labor,  by 
whom  his  name  is  revered  far  and  near.  While  a  terror  to  sloth- 
fulness  and  vice,  he  is  a  friend  to  thrift  and  virtue  in  all.  He  has 
done  much  for  temperance  and  education,  Bible  and  missionary 
societies ;  often  presides  at  the  public  meetings  of  his  own  na- 
tionality, for  which  office  he  has  great  tact,  though  a  man  of  few 
words.  The  hospitality  of  his  family  is  spoken  of  everywhere,  his 
house  being  always  open  to  his  numerous  acquaintances,  especially 
ministers  of  the  Gospel,  that  visit  the  city.  His  religious  tiials 
also  have  been  many  and  fiery,  but  he  never  "  grows  weary  in 
well  doing,"  knowing  that  "  it  is  given  to  us  in  behalf  of  Christ, 
not  only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake." 

JOHN  R.  MORGAN,  lumber  manufacturer,  was  born  in 
Wales  Jan.  lit,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Catherine 
Morgan,  who  came  to  America  with  their  family  in  1833.  They 
resided  eight  years  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  then  removed  to  Her- 
kimer Co.,  where  they  lived  for  about  the  same  length  of  time, 
when  they  went  to  Cattaraugus  Co.,  in  the  same  State  ;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  July,  1855,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sash, 
doors  and  blinds  for  twelve  years  ;  since  then  he  has  been  manu- 
facturing lumber.  He  was  married  in  Chattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  May,  1857,  to  Miss  Ellen  Hughes,  a  native  of  Rome,  NY. 
They  have  three  children — Elnora  L.,  Grace  and  J.  Earl.  Mr. 
Morgan  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  and  has  been  Grand 
Representative,  and  been  through  all  the  chairs  of  both  the  Sub- 
ordinate Lodge  and  Encampment.  He  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  Alderman. 

HARVEY  C.  NASH,  dealer  in  flour  and  feed,  grain,  etc.,  15 
Algoma  street,  established  Feb.  9,  1880.  Mr.  Nash  was  born  in 
Utica,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  27,  1854.  His  parents  lived 
there  until  1863,  then  moved  to  Ripon,  Wis.,  was  there  five  years, 
then  moved  to  Oshko.sh.  At  a  suitable  age,  he  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and,  after  completing  his  education,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  fire  department,  with  which  he  continued  nine  years, 
first  as  a  volunteer,  then  on  part  pay,  full  pay,  etc.,  and  in  Febru- 
ary, 1880,  he  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  was  married 
in  0.shkosh,  Wis.,  Nov.  15,  1880,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Taggart. 

CAPT.  W.  W.  NEFF,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Burlington' 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  28,  1839,  and  came  to  Oshkosh  with  his 
parents  in  1850.  He  engaged  in  boating  and  was  successful,  ply- 
ing mainly  on  Fox  and  Wolf  Rivers  and  Winnebago  Lake.     In 


the  spring  of  1881,  he  became  associated  with  N.  C.  Holmes  in 
the  grocery  trade.  He  is  a  member  of  Masonic,  Odd  Fellow  and 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodges.  Capt.  Neff  was  married  in  1862,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Ellinwood,  formerly  of  Keeseville,  N.  Y.  They 
have  four  children— Myra  E.,  Anna  M.,  George  M.  and  an  infant 
not  named. 

JAMES  NELSON,  foreman  in  wood-work  department  of 
Parsons  &  Goodfellow's  Carriage  Works ;  he  was  born  in  Den- 
mark April  5,  1840.  He  learned  his  trade  in  his  native  country, 
beginning  in  1855,  and  worked  until  1868;  then  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Oshkosh  and  began  work  for  Rudd  & 
Holden,  where  he  remained  five  years,  then  went  to  Clinton  Junc- 
tion and  worked  two  and  a  half  years,  then  returned  to  Oshkosh  ; 
worked  in  several  shops  in  Northern  Wisconsin  ;  he  began  in  his 
present  place  May  26,  1879.  Was  married  in  Denmark  in  1865, 
to  Miss  Mary  Brandt,  who  was  born  in  Sweden.  They  have  one 
child  living — Caroline  P.  Mrs.  N.  died  in  1871.  He  was  again 
married,  in  1873,  in  Oshkosh,  to  Mrs.  Katie  Peterson,  who  was 
born  in  Denmark.  They  have  three  children — Peter  F.,  James 
L.  and  Edward.  Mrs.  N.  had  one  daughter  by  former  mar- 
riage— Anna  C.  Mr.  N.  took  charge  of  wood- work  Dec.  1, 
1879,  in  the  above  carriage  works. 

S.  B  NELSON,  manager  of  Wisconsin  ^Manufacturing  Com- 
pany was  born  in  Marlboro.  Cheshire  Co.,  N.  H.,  March  6.  1828. 
His  parents,  William  and  Lucy  (Batcheler)  Nelson  beins  old 
residents.  Mr.  Nelson,  Sr.,  was  a  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  The  subject  of  this  sketh  was  engaged  in  wooden  ware 
and  sash,  door  and  blind  business  in  New  Hampshire.  In  busi- 
ness for  himself  about  three  years  in  West  Swanzey.  In  1857, 
he  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Menasha,  and  engaged  with 
Menasha  Wooden  Ware  Company.  In  1862,  Mr.  Nelsun  raised 
a  company  of  volunteers  in  Menasha,  which  were  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  as  Company  I,  21st  W.  V.  I.  In  1863, 
Capt.  Nelson  was  taken  prisoner  at  Stone  River,  and  after  being 
detained  several  days,  was  paroled.  He  then  went  to  Camp  Chase, 
and  by  the  advice  of  his  physician,  resigned  in  1863  and  returned 
to  Menasha.  Re-entered  the  wooden  ware  works,  and  remained 
about  three  years;  after  spending  some  two  years  in  farming,  Mr. 
Nelson  moved  to  Peshtigo  and  took  charge  of  wooden  works 
there.  In  the  famous  fires  o''  1871,  these  were  swept  away,  and 
he  returned  to  Menasha  and  took  a  posiiion  as  Superintendent  of 
the  Menasha  Wooden  Ware  Works,  wht-re  he  remained  until 
1878,  in  which  year,  he  came  to  Oshkosh  and  bought  an  interest 
in  the  Wisconsin  Manufacturin'.;  Company.  He  was  married  in 
Swanzey,  N.  H.,  in  1851,  to  Miss  Lovisa  M.  Bailey,  who  died, 
leaving  two  children — Sarah  Imogene  (now  Mrs.  C.  A.  Spicer) 
and  Lulu  Lovisa;  was  married  in  Stoekbridge,  N.  H.,  in  May, 
1864,  to  Mrs.  Lestina  (Eldridge)  Holt.  They  have  two  children 
— Elwin  F.  and  Roy  B.  Mr.  N.  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Menasha. 

SAM.  C.  NESSLING,  conductor  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.;  was  born 
August  14,  1 845,  at  March,  Cambridgeshire,  England  ;  came  to 
America  in  1853  with  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Alice  (Edgeley) 
Nessling ;  first  located  at  Chicago,  where  his  father  took  contract 
for  the  construction  of  Chicago  depot  of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Ft. 
Wayne  R.  R.;  he  died  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  about  two  years  later  ; 
his  widow  survives  him  and  resides  at  Oshkosh  with  her  son. 
Sam  was  employed  for  some  lime  as  errand  boy  in  Chicago  mer- 
cantile establishments  ;  he  was  one  of  the  first  newsboys  on  the 
Norih  Side  of  that  city,  afterward  worked  at  the  tinsmith's  trade 
for  three  and  a  half  years  ;  he  was  for  four  months  a  member  of 
the  Ellsworth  Zouaves  ;  he  was  connected  withMcVicker's  Theater 
one  year,  and  with  a  minstrel  troupe  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
He  then  engaged  in  railroading  and  has  since  been  connected  with 
the  C.  &  N.  W.  K.  R.  Mr.  Nessling  was  married  at  Oshkosh  in 
March,  1866,  to  Charlotte  A.  Rice,  a  native  of  Canada;  they 
have  two  children — Charles  R.  and  Frances  Alice.  Mr.  Nessling 
is  a  member  of  A.  0.  U.  W.,  and  American  Legion  of  Honor  ; 
he  is  also  Chancellor  Commander  of  Lodge  No.  25,  K.  of  P.,  and 
President  of  the  Endowment  Rank,  K.  of  P. 


HISTORY   OF    WINNEBAGO   COUNTY. 


1157 


TtlOS.  NEVILLE,  firm  of  Neville  &  Holden  (establisbed 
July  10,  1880)  Carriage  Works.  Mr.  Neville  has  been  engaged 
in  the  business  nine  years ;  he  was  born  iu  Mount  Forest,  Canada, 
May  24,  1852;  he  lived  there  until  he  was  about  nineteen  years 
of  age,  but  was  absent  one  year  during  the  time  in  Detroit,  Chi- 
cago, Cleveland,  etc.;  he  went  to  Detroit  in  1871  and  followed 
working  in  a  carriage  shop  about  one  year ;  then  to  Chicago  and 
worked  four  months ;  then  went  home  and  lived  five  or  six  months  ; 
returned  to  Chicago  in  the  winter  of  1873  and  worked  as  before 
six  months  ;  then  went  into  business  there  one  year  alone  until 
January,  1879,  after  which  he  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  began 
business  under  firm  name  of  Parsons,  Neville  &  Co.,  and  operated 
from  January,  1879,  to  April,  1880;  he  began  in  his  present 
shops  July  10,  1880,  and  the  first  year  turned  out  150  carriages 
and  sleighs.  He  was  married  August  18,  1879,  to  Miss  Katie  L. 
Donnelly  ;  she  was  born  in  New  York  City  Jan.  18,  1854.  Mrs. 
Neville  died  August  21, 1881.  Mr.  Neville  served  an  apprentice- 
ship of  three  years  in  Mount  Forest,  Canada. 

GEORGE  W.  NEWMAN,  proprietor  saloon  and  billiard  hall, 
51  Main  St.;  he  was  born  in  Germany  Sept.  2,  1836  ;  emigrated 
to  America  in  1847  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  Washington 
Co.,  Wis.  Some  time  after,  he  went  to  Milwaukee  and  lived  sev- 
eral years,  and  followed  shoe  making,  after  which  he  came  to  Osh- 
kosh,began  the  same  business  and  followed  it  until  the  fall  of  1861. 
Then  enlisted,  in  December,  in  Co.  F,  19th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.; 
served  about  three  years  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis., 
April  29,  1865;  during  his  service  he  was  promoted  to  Second 
Lieutenant.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
Oct.  27,  1864,  and  was  exchanged  March  4,  1865;  after  he  was 
mustered  out,  he  soon  returned  to  Oshkosh  ;  he  began  business 
January,  1866,  and  has  since  followed  same  ;  he  was  married  in 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Catharine  Soherff',  who  was  born 
in  Germany;  they  have  six  children — Hellen,  Martin  J.,  William 
J.,  George  F.,  Katie  and  Anna. 

J.  W.  NICOLAI,  engineer.  0.  D.  Peck,  was  born  in  Perth 
Amboy,  N.  J.,  Oct.  9,  1843;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  parents  in 
1853,  and  located  in  Oshkosh,  where  they  engaged  in  farming. 
Mr.  Nicolai  has  been  engaged  in  engineering  about  eight  years ; 
had  charge  of  that  department  in  State  Hospital  over  two  years ; 
was  also  engaged  in  same  building,  laying  steam  pipe  with  Baylis, 
of  Chicago,  some  twelve  months.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh, 
Feb.  28,1868,  to  Miss  Nellie  Knight,  of  Oshkosh,  formerly  from 
Illinois ;  they  have  one  child,  a  daughter — lola.  Mr.  Nicolai 
belongs  to  the  Temple  of  Honor. 

ANDREW  OERTEL,  expressman,  etc.;  was  born  in  Germany 
August  22,  1828;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1865  and  located 
at  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  in  a  tannery  and  peddled 
goods  over  Wisconsin.  In  1869  he  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged 
in  his  present  business ;  also  carries  the  U.  S.  Mail  between  depot 
and  postoflSce.  Was  married  in  Germany  Oct.  11,  1855,  to  Miss 
Amelia  Zwengee ;  they  have  three  children — Henry,  Moritz  and 
Ida. 

MORITZ  OERTEL,  jeweler;  was  born  in  Germany  March 
1,  1859;  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  and  to  Osh- 
kosh also  with  them.  Learned  his  trade  in  this  city  and  has  fol- 
lowed it  about  nine  years;  commenced  present  business  in  1879. 

SEBASTIAN  OSTERTAG  ;  wa-s  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
many, April  21,  1839;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  father  in  1847, 
and  remained  on  a  farm  near  Oshkosh  until  the  rebellion  began  ; 
enlisted  in  Oshkosh  in  April,  1861,  in  Co.  E,  2d  Wis.  Vol.;  served 
three  years  and  was  mustered  out  at  Washington  June  16,  1864. 
He  came  home  on  a  furlough  in  1862,  and  was  manied  in  Osh- 
kosh to  Miss  Sophia  Kuebler,  a  native  of  Bavaria  ;  they  have  five 
children— Albert  J.,  Eddie  S.,  Ida  M.,  Theodore  L.  and  Lilta  H. 
S.  Mr.  Ostertag  is  a  member  of  the  Turners'  Society,  the  Sons 
of  Hermann  and  the  G.  A.  R. 

SIMON  BAILEY  PAIGE,  a  native  of  Wentworth,  Grafton 
Co.,  N.  H.,  was  born  Aug.  26,  1824.  His  father,  James  K. 
Paige,  a  prosperous  farmer,  an  honest,  industrious  Christian  man. 


was  born  in  the  same  town,  and  was  of  English  descent ;  his  an- 
cestors coming  to  this  country  at  an  early  day,  settled  in  and  about 
Newburyport,  Northeastern  Massachusetts,  and  in  his  early  man- 
hood was  imbued  with  a  military  spirit,  and  for  some  years  was 
Colonel  of  a  Regiment  of  New  Hampshire  Militia.  His  mother, 
Ann  Maria  Ramsay,  was  born  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Rumney, 
was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  came  from  the  distinguished  '■  Ramsay 
Clan,"  of  Scotland;  was  a  woman  of  marked  ability,  with  sterling 
traits  of  character,  possessing  a  memory  which  retained  everything 
she  saw  or  read,  being  able  to  quote  verbatim  passages  of  Scripture 
in  any  part  of  the  Bible  ;  so  of  history,  poetry,  hymns,  etc.;  she 
was  a  school  teacher  when  in  her  "  teens,"  before  her  marriage. 
Both  of  his  parents  were  for  many  years,  until  their  death,  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Wentworth  ;  his  father 
being  first  deacon  of  the  same.  Mr.  Paige  was  brought  up  a 
thorough  farmer  and  in  all  other  ways  in  a  manner  strictly  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  views  held  to  by  Christian  parents  of  that  pe- 
riod. Winters  he  attended  the  district  school,  receiving  additional 
instructions  in  his  lessons  from  his  mother.  After  attending  seve- 
ral terms  at  a  private  school  he  entered  Plymouth  Academy,  clos- 
ing his  studies  with  the  fall  term  of  1844;  having  taught  a  dis- 
trict scho  )1  several  winters,  commencing  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 
Of  his  class  at  the  Academy  in  Latin,  algebra,  geometry,  survey- 
ing, intellectual  philosophy,  etc.,  were  a  brother  and  two  sisters  of 
Hon.  James  F.  Joy,  the  celebrated  lawyer  and  railroad  man  of 
Detroit,  Mich.;  also,  William  and  Alfred  Russell,  the  latter  an 
able  and  distinguished  lawyer  of  the  same  city.  In  December, 
1834,  soon  after  leaving  the  Academy,  his  father  giving  him  his 
freedom,  being  then  past  twenty,  he  started  for  Lowell,  Mass., 
and  in  two  days  after  reaching  there  was  at  work  for  Messrs.  G.  J. 
&  D.  Bradt,  extensive  bakers,  continuing  with  them  and  Isaac 
F.  Scripture,  another  extensive  baker,  for  three  year^  then  form- 
ing a  copartnership  with  Matt  H.  Cochran,  now  a  manufacturer 
of  boots  and  shoes  at  Montreal,  and  prominent  breeder  of  blooded 
stock  upon  his  extensive  farm  at  Hillhurst,  Canada  ;  went  into  the 
grocery  trade,  continuing  in  it  several  years.  In  1852,  he  received 
the  appointment  of  Deputy  Sheriff  for  the  County  of  Middlesex, 
holding  the  office  until  the  overthrow  of  the  Whig  party  by  the 
Know  Nothings  in  the  fall  of  1855.  In  April,  1856,  he  left 
Lowell,  for  the  West,  meeting  in  Chicago  his  brother  John  A. 
Paige.  Coming  through  Milwaukee  and  Fond  du  Lac,  parties 
desired  them  to  locate  at  each  of  those  places,  but  they  continued 
on  to  0.shkosh.  Arriving  here  the  last  day  of  April,  were  received 
at  the  dock,  foot  of  Main,  then  Ferry  street,  as  were  all  strangers 
of  that  early  day,  by  almost  the  entire  population  of  the  town, 
who  were  accustomed  to  go  there  daily  at  the  arrival  of  the  boat. 
Within  one  week  they  had  bought  out  the  extensive  business  of 
general  merchandise  and  lumbering  carried  on  by  Messrs.  Cottrill, 
Peaslee  &  Johnston,  in  Mark's  building,  corner  of  Ferry  and 
Ceape  streets.  They  then  formed  the  firm  of  S.  B.  &  J.  A.  Paige, 
which  has  not  changed  since  and  is  the  oldest  firm  in  this  city, 
taking  possession  on  the  10th  day  of  May.  In  just  three  years 
they  were  burned  out  by  the  great  fire  of  May,  1859,  losing  their 
entire  stock,  on  which  there  was  no  insurance.  This  was  almost 
disheartening,  but  in  three  days  after  the  fire  they  leased,  for  a  term 
of  years,  forty  foot  front  thraugh  to  Shonaon  street  of  Mr.  Griffin, 
adjoining  the  Marks  property,  erecting  thereon  a  two-story  build- 
ing containing  two  stores,  with  offices  above  and  a  fire-proof  ware- 
house for  the  storage  of  their  heavy  goods  upon  the  back  end  of 
the  lot.  After  turning  over  to  their  creditors  all  their  lumber, 
logs,  land  and  other  proporty,  it  was  found  insufficient  to  pay  in  full 
by  several  hundred  dollars,  and  they  gave  their  notes  bearing  in- 
terest for  the  balance.  With  this  load  upon  them,  actually  worse 
than  nothing,  they  commenced  a  severe  struggle  for  existence, 
and  well  did  they,  by  industry,  economy,  sobriety,  integrity  and 
good  management  overcome  all  obstacles,  such  as  the  hard  times 
then  existins,  want  of  capital  to  do  business  with,  etc.  Their  in- 
tegrity has  been  such  that  they  never  have  been  asked  by  any 
bank  when  wanting  money  to  put  up  a  dollar  of  collateral,  or  an 


'58 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


indorser  outside  their  firm.  Mr.  Paige  has  always  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  development  and  improvement  ot'  this  city,  iiavint; 
always  been  a  firm  believer  in  the  benefits  which  ample  and  com- 
peting railroad  facilities  give  to  a  place,  has  from  the  commence- 
ment of  his  settling  here  taken  an  active  part  in  assisting  in  the 
bringing  of  all  the  railroads  now  here  to  this  place,  and  with  a  few 
others  tried  all  that  was  possible  to  prevent  the  Oshkosh  &  VVau- 
sau  Railroad  —now  the  Wisconsin  Central — from  being  permitted 
to  change  its  initial  point  to  Menasha.  His  firm  has  contributed 
several  thousand  dollars  in  taking  stock  (usually  proving  worth- 
less, or  nearly  so)  and  in  other  ways  to  these  enterprises,  himself 
devoting  a  large  amount  of  time  and  labor  in  accomplishing  their 
entrance  into  this  city.  In  1866,  a  bill  was  passed,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  Hon.  Gabriel  Bouck,  Hon.  Joseph  Stringham 
and  himself,  incorporating  the  Oshkosh  and  Mississippi  River 
Railroad  Company,  they  being  the  only  corporators  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  organization,  Mr.  Paige 
was  chosen  a  Director,  which  place  he  has  occupied  ever  since,  and 
at  the  first  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors  was  elected  the  Treas- 
urer of  said  company,  holding  the  same  until  after  the  comple- 
tion of  the  road  from  here  to  Ripon.  Through  his  haiids  passed 
all  the  moneys  and  bonds  used  in  its  construction,  collecting  the 
subscriptions  made  by  individuals,  towns  and  cities  to  the  capital 
stock,  which  with  the  bonded  debt  amounted  to  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  For  all  this  labor  he  never  charged  or  received 
one  cent,  but  gave  a  heavy  bond  with  sureties  for  the  faithful 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  upon  giving  up  his  trust 
in  1874  to  his  successor,  the  committee  appointed  to  examine  the 
accounts,  as  was  done  yearly,  found  them  correct  to  a  cent.  Many 
thousand  dollars  would  not  now  tempt  him  to  do  the  labor  and 
talking  given  to  the  enterprise. 

During  the  several  years  previous  to  and  during  its  con- 
struction, it  is  well  remembered  that  the  N.-W.  R.  R.,  backed  by 
many  of  our  leading  citizens,  opposed  the  building  of  this  road, 
and  actually  put  it  back  several  years.  In  the  last  enterprise — 
that  of  bringing  the  M.,  L  S.  &  W.  R.  R.  into  our  city,  he  took 
an  active  part  in  favor  of  it,  both  in  the  meetings  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  O.  &  M.  R.  R.  Co. — which  was  mainly  instru- 
mental in  making  the  connection — and  by  urging  our  citizens  to 
vote  in  favor  of  the  city  lending  its  aid. 

For  many  years  previous  to  1872,  the  firm  of  S.  B.  &  J.  A. 
Paige  did  a  large  wholesale  trade  in  groceries,  employing  several 
traveling  men,  and  their  sales  exceeded  those  of  any  other  house  in 
Northern  Wisconsin.  In  addition  to  this,  they  continued  to  carry 
on  their  logging  operations.  Mr.  Paige's  health  commenced  to 
fail  him  in  1872,  and,  by  the  advice  of  his  physicians,  he  closed 
out  his  merchiindising  concern,  and,  during  the  following  six 
years  he  traveled  continuously  and  extensively,  visiting  nearly 
every  Stati  in  the  Union.  He  pa.ssed  a  5  car  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
between  Oregon  and  Mexico,  and  visited  every  place  of  interest  in 
California.  He  next  visited  Europe,  and  traveled  over  the  con- 
tinent three  times.  Egypt  and  th'^  Nile  he  visited  twice,  and  made 
an  extended  trip  through  the  Holy  Land,  Syria,  Turkey,  Greece 
and  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  Cyprus,  Malta,  Sicily, 
Corfu,  etc  — his  last  travels  being  a  tour  around  the  world.  In  all 
his  travels  he  was  accompanied  by  his  estimable  wife.  This  was 
the  same  trip  recorded  by  Miss  Risley,  who  accompanied  the  Hon. 
William  H.  Seward  in  his  tour  around  the  world. 

Since  his  return  two  years  ago,  he  has  again  applied  himself  to 
business.  From  November,  1879,  his  firm  has  .sold  over 
100,01)0  worth  of  logs,  taken  from  their  lands  on  the  Wolf  River 
and  its  tributaries,  and  in  the  same  time  have  purchased  8237,000 
worth  of  pine  land,  mill  property  and  logs — the  latter  being  for 
their  extensive  mill  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  which  they  purchased 
last  February  at  a  great  bargain,  from  the  administrator  of  the 
estate  of  John  L.  Davies,  the  former  owner,  who  refused 
S100,000  for  this  property  previous  to  his  death.  The  firm  of 
Paige,  Dixon  k  Co.,  composed  of  S.  B.  Paige,  J.  A.  Paige,  E.  W. 
Dixon  and  R.  F.  Paige,  was  formed,  and  are  now  actively  operating 


this  mill.  The  magnitude  of  their  bu.sincss  is  indicated  by  the 
trial  balance  from  their  books  Nov.  HO,  being  $226,845.48.  Mr. 
Paige,  with  his  brother,  John  A.,  own  large  tracts  of  pine  lands  in 
this  State  and  Minnesota.  A  large  tract  in  the  vicinity  of  Pine 
Lake,  head-waters  of  the  Wolf  River,  is  said  to  contain  a  body  of 
the  best  quality  of  pine  in  the  State,  and  is  also  owned  by  them. 
Mr.  Paige  is  an  owner  in  the  store  of  J.  M.  Rollins  &  Co.,  hav- 
ing been  a  member  of  that  firm  since  its  establishment  in  1865. 
He  was  instrumental  in  getting  the  stock  of  the  Commercial  Na- 
tional Bank  subscribed  in  1865,  his  firm  taking  one-fifth  of  the 
capital  stock  of  $100,000,  and  at  its  organization  he  was  elected  a 
Director  and  Vice  President,  which  office  he  held  for  several 
years.  The  bank  always  paid  a  semi-annual  dividend  of  5  per 
cent,  and  at  its  closing  up  the  stock  sold  for  40  per  cent  above  the 
par  value.  The  firm  of  S.  B.  &  J.  A.  Paige  are  large  owners  in 
the  Wolf  River  Boom  Co.;  the  latter  is  and  has  been  its  President 
and  Treasurer  for  some  years,  since  the  company  went  into  bank- 
ruptcy. He  is  looked  upon  by  all  as  one  of  the  best  business  men 
in  the  country,  seldom  making  a  mistake,  possessing  foresight, 
good  judgment,  honesty  and  integrity  to  a  remarkable  degree.  His 
word  is  a  bond  to  any  one  who  gets  it.  As  one  illustration  of 
many,  showing  his  business  qualifications:  In  the  season  of  1869, 
the  Wolf  River  Boom  Co.,  through  bad  management,  became 
bankrupt;  in  April,  1870,  Judge  Miller,  of  the  U.  S.  District 
Court,  appointed  him  assignee  of  the  bankrupt  estate.  On  taking 
possession  of  the  same,  there  was  found  to  be  less  than  one  dollar 
in  its  treasury.  He  conducted  the  operations  of  the  company, 
paying,  in  sixteen  months  all  the  debts  in  full,  with  interest,  all 
costs  and  fees,  amounting  to  $53,563.22,  leaving  a  balance  besides, 
which  sum  he  paid  over  to  the  old  stockholders.  On  receiving 
his  discharge  as  assignee  in  the  court  of  bankruptcy,  the  Judge 
took  occasion  to  compliment  him  as  having  made  the  best  showing 
of  any  assignee  ever  in  his  court.  His  firm  has  been  among  the 
largest  tax-payers  in  the  city  for  many  years,  and  with  the  taxes 
upon  the  many  thousands  of  acres  of  pine  lands  which  they  own — 
paid  in  the  several  towns  where  located — make  their  yearly  taxes 
very  heavy.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Paige-Sexmith  Lumber  Co., 
of  Superior,  Douglas  Co.,  Wis.,  a  corporation  with  $200,000  cap- 
ital. 

Mr.  Paige  is  strictly  a  temperate  man  in  all  things,  using  no  in- 
toxicating liquors  of  any  kind,  or  tobacco  in  any  form.  His 
moral  character  is  without  a  taint.  His  extensive  travels,  with  a 
clear  perception  of  men  and  things,  and  with  a  retentive  memory, 
make  him  one  of  the  best-informed  men  in  the  State. 

Mr.  Paige  is  quite  a  coimoi'ssetir  of  art,  particularly  of  paint- 
ings and  sculpture.  In  his  several  visis  to  Europe,  he  gave  a 
good  deal  of  time  to  a  careful  examination  of  these  works,  in  the 
many  galleries  of  art  throughout  that  country,  also  visiting  great 
numbers  of  studios  where  he  saw  hundreds  of  artists  at  their  work 
with  the  brush  and  the  chisel.  During  his  last  visit  to  P]urope, 
he  collected  about  sixty  paintings,  many  of  them  very  fine  ones  ; 
also  several  pieces  of  fine  marble  statuary  and  Florentine  Mosaics, 
which  are  stored,  remaining  in  the  shipping  cases  unopened.  Mr. 
Paige  is  a  lover  of  good  horses,  and  is  the  owner  of  a  dozen  or  so, 
possessing  the  best  strains  of  high-bred  trotting  blood  in  the  coun- 
try ;  among  them  the  noble  horse  "Akbar,"  and  the  celebrated 
mare,  '■  Lady  Mac,"  the  fastest  five-miler  in  the  world,  are  well 
known.  In  politics,  he  was  in  his  early  years  a  Henry  Clay  and 
Daniel  Webster  Whig.  When  that  party  passed  out  he  became 
a  Republican.  During  the  war  he  was  very  activi;  in  assisting  in 
putting  down  the  rebellion,  and  filling  the  quota  by  a  free  use  of 
his  money  and  time.  Since  coming  to  thi-s  city  he  has  never 
sought  nor  accepted  a  political  office ;  is  not,  although  thoroughly 
Republican  in  his  views,  a  "  machine  ''  devotee,  and,  in  local  afli"airs, 
would  rather  see  in  places  of  trust,  a  good,  honest  Democrat,  than 
a  dishonest,  bad  Republican. 

He  was  married  to  Leafy  Cushing  Bean,  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  in 
January,  1848.  They  never  had  any  children  born  to  them.  She 
came,  on  her  mother's  side,  from  the  distinguished  Cushing  fam- 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


159 


ily,  who  were  early  settlers  in  Eastern  Massachusetts.  She  was  a 
most  estimable  woman  ;  by  her  remarkably  sweet  disposition  and 
Christian  graces,  she  won  the  hearts  of  all  her  acquaintances,  and 
was  beloved  by  every  one  who  knew  her.  They  were  never  sep- 
arated from  each  other  but  a  few  weeks  at  a  time,  durinir  their 
long  and  happy  married  life  of  nearly  thirty-three  years,  until  her 
tragic  death,  which  occurred  on  the  3d  of  December,  1880,  from 
the  burning  of  the  Beckwith  House.  This  sad  and  awful  loss  to 
her  kind  and  affectionate  husband  falls  with  a  crushing  force  on 
him,  carrying  sorrow  and  mourniag  to  thousands  of  hearts. 

Since  coming  to  this  city,  the  Sre-fiend  has  been  unrelenting 
toward  him,  burning  out  the  firm's  business,  entire  and  in  part, 
five  different  times,  the  firm  of  J.  M.  Rollins  &  Co.  twice,  and  of 
R.  Ash  &  Co.,  once,  in  which  he  was  a  partner.  His  residence 
was  destroyed  a  few  days  after  returning  from  Egypt  and  the  Holy 
Land,  with  all  its  contents,  and  last,  the  awful  and  sad  calamity  of 
burning  his  wife  alive,  in  the  destruction  of  fhe  Beckwith  House, 
thus  closing  an  eventful  and  happy  period  of  many  years  in  his 
life. 

He  is  a  Mason  of  the  thirty-second  degree.  Is  kind  to  the 
poor  and  unfortunate,  contributing  liberally  to  their  assistance. 
Mr.  Paige  is,  by  force  of  his  early  training,  a  constant  attendant 
upon  church,  although  not  a  member  of  one,  always  giving  freely 
toward  their  building  and  support,  more  especially  the  Episcopal, 
it  being  the  church  of  his  late  lamented  wife.  Possessing  no  big- 
otry, he  is  pleased  to  see  all  denominations  prosper,  lending  a  help- 
ing hand  to  them  when  in  need. 

CHARLES  C.  PAIGE,  proprietor  of  foundry  and  machine 
shops  ;  was  born  at  Wentworth,  Grafton  Co.,  N.  H.,  April  (5, 
1835.  He  learned  machinist's  trade  at  Manchester,  N.  H.,  in  the 
Amoskeag  locomotive  works,  where  he  was  employed  for  four 
years;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1856,  clerked  for  his  brothers  until  the 
spring  of  1859,  when  he  removed  to  Freeport,  111.,  and  ran  a 
lumber-yard  there  four  years;  in  the  spring  of  1863  he  returned 
to  Oshkosh,  having  purchased  an  interest  in  machine  shops  at  this 
place  in  1862  ;  since  October,  1872,  he  has  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness without  a  partner.  He  manufacturers  saw-mill  and  flour- 
mill  machinery,  steam  engines,  steam  pumps,  turbine  water  wheels, 
steamboat  machinery  and  general  jobbing  work  ;  he  is  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Wolf  River  Transportation  Co.;  he  also  owns  a 
steamboat  and  is  interested  in  other  enterprises.  He  is  a  member 
of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery,  and  of 
the  A.  0.  U.  W.  Mr.  Paige  was  married  at  Oshkosh,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1862,  to  Lizzie  J.  Brayton,  a  native  of  Turner,  Oxford  Co., 
Maine.  They  have  three  children — Annie  M.,  Leafie  C.  and 
Lizzie  B. 

J.  A.  PAIGE,  lumberman ;  was  born  in  Wentworth,  Grafton 
Co.,  N.  H.,  May  16,  1826.  He  and  his  brother,  Simon  B.  Paige, 
are  associated  together  in  extensive  lumbering  operations,  opera- 
tors in  pine  lands  and  logs ;  they  are  also  members  of  the  firm  of 
J.  M.  Rollins  &  Co.,  boot  and  shoe  merchants,  of  Oshkosh,  and 
of  the  Paige-Sexmith  Lumber  Co.,  of  Superior.  Douglas  Co.,  Wis., 
a  corporation  with  $200,(100  capital.  J.  A.  Paige  is  President 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Wolf  River  Boom  Co.;  he  is  also  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Paige,  Dixon  &  Co.,  lumber  manufacturers,  of  Dav- 
enport, Iowa. 

NATHAN  PARKER,  superintendent  and  manager  of  Sher- 
ry's mill ;  was  born  in  Lower  Canada,  in  1825  ;  parents  originally 
from  Vermont.  U.  S.  In  1844,  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
located  in  Massachusetts  ;  remained  one  year,  and  then  removed 
to  Michigan.  In  1846,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  at 
Hartford,  Washington  Co.,  where  for  twenty  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  and  at  the  same  time,  running  a  saw 
and  grist-mill ;  was  then  for  five  years  on  the  Chippewa  River, 
engaged  in  the  logging  business  ;  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac,  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business;  his  health  failing  about  1875,  Mr.  Par- 
ker moved  to  Nevada  and  engaged  in  silver  mining,  returning  to 
Fond  du  Lac  in  1S79;  In  1881,  took  present  position.  Mr. 
Parker  was  married  in   Dodge  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852,  to  Miss  Mary 


Taylor,  of  that  county.  They  have  two  children — Edward  H. 
(engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  at  Eau  Claire)  and  Willard  N. 
REUBEN  PARKINSON,  dealer  in  real  e.state,  residence,  88 
Algoma  street.  He  located  in  Oshkosh  in  September,  1850  ;  he 
first  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  another  party  ;  followed 
the  same  two  or  three  years,  then  sold  out ;  ho  also  practiced  law  with 
his  son,  D.  J.  Parkinson,  who  was  an  attorney  ;  he  has  made  the 
real  estate  his  principal  business  since.  There  were  not  over  300 
inhabitants  in  Oshkosh  when  he  settled  here,  and  only  two  or 
three  small  variety  stores.  He  was  born  in  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1808  ;  he  was  married  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1833,  to  Miss 
Esther  A.  Woodard  ;  she  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  They 
had  one  son  and  one  daughter — Hannah  J.,  now  married  to  Mr. 
Samuel  G.  Norton,  and  living  in  Jasper  Co.,  Mo.;  Joseph  Park- 
inson died  in  January,  1881,  in  Missouri.  Mrs.  Parkinson  died 
in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1838 ;  he  was  again  married  in  1840,  in 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.;  his  wife's  maiden  name  was  Chloe  L.  Pratt;  she 
was  born  in  New  York,  near  Waterloo.  They  had  four  children 
— D.  J.  Parkinson,  who  practiced  law  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  about 
eight  years,  who  died  Dec.  22,  1878;  Morris  B.,  now  living  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  practicing  music ;  Clara,  married  to  Walter  R. 
Barns,  a  lawyer,  and  living  in  Stevens'  Point,  Wis.;  Nellie  mar- 
ried Mr.  James  Cavhnagh,  living  in  Kenosha.  Wis.,  also  a  lawyer. 
Mrs.  Parkinson  died  in  Oshkosh,  in  April,  1873. 

JOHN  G.  PARSONS,  carriage  manufacturer;  was  born  at 
Halbeach,  Lincolnshire,  England,  March  16,  1841 ;  removed  to 
Canada  in  1851  ;  lived  there  eight  years,  then  located  at  Chicago. 
He  commenced  working  in  a  carriage  shop  when  he  was  twelve  years 
of  age,  and  has  since  been  connected  with  that  branch  of  business, 
cirriage  building.  He  was  first  married  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  in 
August,  1866.  to  Elsie  Starks ;  she  died  in  February,  1877,  leav- 
ing one  child — Charles  Johnson  Parsons.  Present  wife  was 
Isabella  Nicol,  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York ;  they  were  mar- 
ried at  Chicago  in  June,  1871.  Mr.  Parsons  came  to  Oshkosh. 
Jan.  1,  1870  ;  he  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  K.  of  F. 
WILLIAM  PAUL,  yard  foreman.  Mr.  Paul  was  born 
in  Germany,  in  1843,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856, 
coming  to  Wisconsin  ;  located  in  Wausau ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in 
1867  and  engaged  in  lumbering;  has  been  foreman  of  the  yards 
some  six  years.  He  was  married  in  Wausau,  Dec.  22,  1865,  to 
Caroline  Schweighusen  ;  they  have  had  eight  children,  of  whom 
survive— Mary,  Liddie,  Lizzie,  William,  Emma  and  Ida. 

WORTHIE  H.  PATTON,  Assistant  Postmaster;  was  born 
at  Deansville,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  26,  1841  ;  canje  to  Apple- 
ton,  Wis.,  in  1855,  with  his  parents,  Henry  F.  and  Eliza  J.  (Ser- 
geant) Patton.  In  June,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  6th  W.  V. 
I.;  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  July  15,  1864,  being 
Orderly  Sergeant  of  his  company  at  that  time.  He  came  to  Osh- 
kosh in  October,  1864,  and  for  two  years  was  employed  in  the 
mercantile  establishment  of  Bigger  &  Hill,  then  was  at  Appleton 
about  six  months.  In  the  spring  of  1 867,  he  returned  to  Oshkosh, 
and  has  held  his  present  position  since  that  time.  For  the  last 
two  years,  he  has  been  Captain  of  the  Oshkosh  Guards;  he  is 
prominently  connected  with  the  A.,  F.  &  A,  M.  Mr.  Patton 
was  married  at  Oshkosh,  in  October,  1869,  to  Susie  M.  Heath, 
who  was  born  here ;  they  have  one  child — Sadie  A. 

OSCAR  D.  PECK,  lumber  manufacturer  and  proprietor  of 
planing-mill  and  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  ;  was  born  at  Lima. 
Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  3,  1827;  he  was  re.ired  at  North 
Norwich.  Chanango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to 
West  Troy,  Wis.,  in  1849;  lived  there  two  years,  then  removed 
to  Palmyra,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  was  connected  with  the  Mil- 
waukee &  Prairie  du  Chien  Railroad  for  eighieen  years;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  July,  1867,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber, which  business  he  has  since  continued  ;  after  coming  here  he 
built  the  Portage  &  Madison  Railroad.  Mr.  Peck  was  marriod 
at  Palmyra,  Wis.,  in  May.  1852,  to  Mary  Starrett.  a  native  of 
Vermont;  she  died  in  1854,  leaving  one  son — Merrick  J.,  now  a 


[i6o 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


lumber  merchant  and  farmer,"  at  New  Hampton,  Iowa.  Mr. 
Peck's  present  wife  was  Lucinda  W.  Whitney,  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  They  have  four  children  living — Harry  L., 
now  associated  with  his  father  in  business,  Charles  W.,  Lulu  M. 
and  Helen  G.  Their  first  child,  Nellie,  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years.  Mr.  Peck  is  a  son  of  Joel  M.  and  Amanda  Peck ;  his 
father  is  a  resident  of  Palmyra,  Wis.,  but  his  mother  is  dead. 
Mrs.  Peck's  parents,  Isaac  and  Laura  Whitney,  were  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  West  Troy,  Wis.     Neither  of  them  are  living. 

DANIEL  McPECK,  proprietor  saloon,  Waugoo  street,  began 
in  spring  of  1881  ;  he  was  born  in  Holton,  Aroostook  Co.,  Me., 
April  19,  183S;  lived  there  until  18(j5  and  went  to  Chicago; 
clerked  in  a  store  one  year  ;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1866,  and  worked 
in  sawmills,  lumbering,  etc.,  in  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  until 
spring  of  1881.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  Oct.  5, 1875, 
to  Miss  Lizzie  Crummy  ;  she  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.  They 
have  two  children  named  John  and  Annie. 

WILLIAM  PERRIN,  Fowler  House,  which  was  recently 
improved  and  made  one  of  the  most  commodious  hotels  in  the 
city.  Mr.  P.  was  born  in  England,  Aug.  1,  1821,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  1850,  and  located  in  Oshkosh,  and  then  followed 
steamboating  eleven  years ;  after  which  he  went  into  the  Seymour 
House  and  kept  the  hotel  two  or  three  years  ;  then  went  to 
Green  Bay  alone  and  took  charge  of  the  Beaumont  House  one 
year  ;  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  kept  the  Grant  House  at  railroad 
two  or  three  years  ;  then  went  into  the  Adams  House  and  kept 
that  two  years  ;  then  retired  about  two  years;  then  went  into  the 
Fowler  House  June  15,  1876.  He  was  married  in  England; 
came  to  America  with  two  children,  whose  names  were  Annie  and 
Martha.  Annie  is  now  deceased  and  Martha  is  living  with  her 
father.  He  has  also  two  sons  living,  born  in  America,  named — 
Joseph,  living;  Charles,  living;  and  William,  deceased  ;  John, 
deceased.  Mrs.  Perrin's  maiden  name  was  Kate  Dobson  ;  she 
was  born  in  England.  They  were  married  in  Norton,  England, 
in  Shropshire. 

H.  W.  PERRY,  veterinary  surgeon,  was  born  in  Winnebago 
Co.,  Wis.,  April  26,  1852  ;  his  father  is  a  veterinary  surgeon  and 
Mr.  P.  studied  under  him  for  years;  in  1879  he  went  to  Milwau- 
kee and  entered  the  classes  of  Dr.  Taylor,  graduating  in  1880, 
when  he  returned  to  Oshkosh  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  He  was  married  in  Winnebago  County  June  15, 
1880,  to  Miss  Annie  Roberts  of  Winnebago  County. 

JAMES  PETERSON,  foreman,  Hume,  was  born  in  Copen 
hagen,  Denmark,  .Vov.  1,  1842;  came  to  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  Racine,  Wis.,  for  a  few  months  ;  after  spending  a  short 
time  in  Michigan,  finally  located  in  O.shkosh  the  same  year  ;  was 
employed  as  carpenter  and  joiner  some  three  or  four  years,  and 
then  engaged  with  Foster  &  Jones  where  he  remained  eight 
years,  and  was  then  engaged  by  Hume  &  Washburn  ;  was  mar- 
ried in  Oshkosh  June  27,  1867,  to  Emma  Rey.  They  have  four 
children — Gertrude,  Lillie,  Maud,  Harvey.  Is  a  member  of 
Royal  Arcanum. 

CHARLES  E.  PIKE,  was  born  in  Calais,  Maine,  graduated 
at  Bowdoin  College,  and  studied  law  at  Cambridge  Law  School, 
Massachusetts;  was  afterward  admitted  to  th.e  bar  in  Maine.  In 
1847,  was  a  member  of  the  Maine  Legislature  ;  removed  to  Mas- 
sachusetts in  1849,  and  practiced  law  in  Boston.  Was  married 
in  1853,  and  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  in  1856. 
Removed  to  Oshkosh  in  1859,  and  engaged  partially  in  profes- 
sional practice.  In  1860,  helped  to  establish  the  Norfhivestern 
newspaper,  of  which  he  was  editor-in-chief  and  part  owner  for  four 
years.  Returned  to  Boston  in  1865  ;  admitted  to  bar  of  Supreme 
Court,  Washington,  s:imc  year,  and  appointed  Solicitor  of  Internal 
Revenue,  which  oflBce  he  resigned  in  fall  of  1866,  and  resumed 
the  practice  of  law  in  Boston.  In  1878.  again  came  to  Oshkosh, 
and  is  now  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  I'ike  &  Van  Keuren. 

SYLVESTER  D.  PITCHER,  proprietor  meat  market.  No.  7, 
High  street,  established  in  1869;  docs  $30,000  business  per 
annum ;  employs  five  men  in  winter  and  three  in  summer,  and 


deals  in  all  kinds  of  fresh,  salt  and  smoked  meats.  He  was  born 
in  Martinsburg,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1838,  where  ho  lived 
until  1852;  then  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  with  his  parents 
(they  yet  live  there).  He  lived  at  home  until  1858  ;  then  went 
to  Iowa  and  spent  one  year  ;  thence  to  Oshkosh  ;  enlisted  in  Co. 
E.  2d  W.  V.  I.,  April  18,  1861 ;  was  wounded  at  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  Libby  Prison  five 
months  and  twenty  days,  and  was  exchanged  January  3 ;  re- 
turned to  0.shkush  and  remained  until  April  ;  relumed  to  the 
army;  served  until  July,  1864;  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg and  all  the  principal  battles,  including  Aniietam  and 
Second  Bull  Run,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  July  18, 
1864.  He  then  livul  in  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  and  worked  as  engi- 
neer five  years;  then  he  went  to  0-hkosh,  Wis.,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  began  his  market  in  fall  of  1869.  He  was 
married  in  Oconto,  Wis.,  in  fall  1869,  to  Miss  Plunia  Simons, 
who  was  born  in  Sardinia,  N.  Y.  They  have  five  children — 
Edith,  Hei'bert,  Willie,  Jennie  and  Lula.  Mr.  P.  was  previously 
married  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Sarah  White- 
more,  who  died  in  fall  of  1867.  They  had  one  son,  Clayton,  who 
lives  with  his  grand-parents  in  Fond  du  Lac. 

WILLIAM  POOL.  Superintendent  Webb's  saw-mill,  was 
born  in  Oldtown,  Penobscot  Co.,  Maine,  Jan.  24,  1850;  came 
West  with  parents  in  1865,  and  located  at  Stevens'  Point,  Wis.  ; 
engaged  in  milling  there  for  a  lime,  and  moved  to  Oshkosh  the 
same  year:  eng:tged  in  filing,  and  followed  it  up  to  1879,  when 
he  took  charge  of  Webb's  Mill.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh, 
April  3,  1873,  to  Miss  Mary  Godey,  of  Harrison,  Outagamie  Co., 
Wis.     They  have  two  children — Edith  A.  and  Fred  W. 

PHILO  F.  PROSSER,  body  maker  of  carriages  in  Parsons  & 
Goodfellow's  Carriage  Works.  Mr.  P.  was  born  in  Orleans  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  10,  1836;  he  lived  in  New  York  until  1870,  then 
emigrated  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  October,  1869.  He  worked  at  car- 
penter and  joiner  work  about  nine  years,  also  taught  school  three 
terms  during  the  winters  and  in  summer  season  ;  engaged  at  his 
trade  in  1880,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  as  above 
noted.  He  was  married  in  Kendall,  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  17, 
1859,  to  Miss  Charlotte  D.  Ripsom,  who  was  born  in  Clarkson, 
Monroe  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  July  24,  1839.  They  have  three  children- 
Mary  E.,  Charles  H.  and  Frank  H. 

WILLIAM  RADFORD,  a  native  of  Needingworth,  Hunting- 
donshire, England,  was  born  Aug.  31,  1828,  and  is  the  son  of 
Richard  and  Olive  Radford,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  En- 
gland. His  ftjther  was  a  tavern-keeper,  of  limited  means,  and 
William  was  early  drilled  in  work.  From  the  early  age  of  nine 
years  until  he  was  sixteen  he  worked  on  a  farm.  Commencing 
thus  early  to  rely  on  his  own  exertions,  he  made  an  effort  in  a 
different  direction  and  tried  railroadins;,  receiving  a  place  as  a  sec- 
tion boss.  He  continued  at  this  until  he  was  nineteen  years  old, 
when  he  again  returned  to  farming.  In  1852,  he  emigrated  to 
America  and  located  at  West  Canada  Creek,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
found  employment  in  a  saw-mill.  He  removed  to  Oshkosh,  Oct.  1, 
1855.  Chase  &  Libbey's  saw-mill  then  stood  on  the  site  the 
Radford  mill  now  occupies,  and  with  this  firm  he  found  work 
during  the  two  following  years;  was  next  in  the  employ  of  Bray 
&  Choate,  and  then  with  Tolraan  &  Co.  until  1870.  In  that  year 
he,  in  company  with  his  brother  Stephen,  engaged  in  business  on 
their  own  account,  under  the  firm  name  of  S.  Radford  &  Bro. 
Mr.  D.  L  Libbey  was  a  silent  partner  and  owned  a  half  interest 
during  the  first  three  years  of  the  firm's  existence.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  retired.  Their  saw-mill  at  first  was  of  very  limited 
capacity;  but  this  grew  rapidly,  and  the  firm  worked  to  the  front, 
until  to-day  they  occupy  a  place  second  to  none.  In  the  winter 
of  1879  they  commenced  the  erection  of  their  sa«h,  door  and 
blind  factory.  Mr.  William  Radford  was  married  in  October,  1851, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Robertson,  in  the  county  of  Huntingdon,  and 
has  nine  children.  Mr.  R.'s  mental  charact  ristics  are  those  of 
practical  common  sense,  a  clear,  discriminating  judgment  and  in- 
domitable perseverence   in   the  accomplishment  of  the  objects  of 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


[i6i 


his  pursuits.  His  son,  Charles  W.  Radford,  is  general  superin- 
tendent of  the  sash,  door  and  blind  department,  and  is  a  valuable 
assistant  to  the  firm.  The  other  children  are  Lucy  J.,  Lizzie, 
Stella,  George,  Willie,  Stephen  S.,  Dolly  and  Dick. 

STEPHEN  RADFORD,  of  S.  Radford  &  Bro.  ;  was  born 
in  June,  1832,  in  Needingworth,  Huntingdonshire,  England.  In 
iUay,  1851,  he  emigrated  to  this  country  and  located  in  Oneida  Co., 
New  York  State,  where  he  found  employment  for  two  years  and  a 
half;  he  then  romoved  to  Oshkosh  in  1854,  and  found  work  in 
Knapp's  mill,  where  the  gang  mill  now  stands,  but  remained  there 
only  six  months ;  the  nest  two  years  and  a  half  he  was  in  John 
Butler's  mill  at  Fond  du  Lac.  At  this  time  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  returning  to  England  ;  having  accumulated  some  money,  he 
made  a  trip  to  his  native  place,  and  prolonged  his  stay  nearly 
three  years,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  buying  and  sell- 
ing cattle.  Returning  to  America,  he  again  settled  in  Oshkosh, 
which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  worked  for  Bray  &  Ciioate 
a  few  weeks  ;  at  Porter's  mill  he  worked  two  seasons,  and  then 
with  Chapman  &  Danforth  seven  years.  In  company  with  W.  D. 
Harshaw,  he  rented  Chapman  &  Danforth's  mill  and  ran  it  one 
season.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  formed  a  copartnership 
with  his  brother,  William  Radford,  and  together  they  purchased 
John  and  Webb  Libbey's  interest  in  the  Libbey  Bros,  mill,  the 
firm  name  being  changed  to  S.  Radford  &  Bro.  D.  L.  Libbey, 
however,  retained  a  half  interest,  which  was  eventually  purchased 
under  a  contract  to  saw  a  certain  amount  of  timber.  In  the  winter 
of  1879,  they  commenced  the  erection  of  their  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory.  Stephen  Radford  was  first  married  in  England,  to 
Anna  Heppingstall ;  she  died  in  Oshkosh,  leaving  two  children — 
Walter  James  and  Florence  Olive.  Mr.  S.  was  married  in  Osh- 
kosh to  his  present  wife,  Mary  E.  Ruby  ;  they  have  eight  chil- 
dren— Jennie,  Nellie,  David,  Ida,  Anna,  Charles  and  Ruby. 

CHARLES  W.  RADFORD,  superintendent  of  sash,  door 
and  blind  factory  of  S.  Radford  &  Bro.;  was  born  in  Prospect, 
Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  11, 1853  ;  came  to  Oshkosh  with  his  par- 
ents, William  A.  and  Elizabeth  Robinson  Radford,  in  1854.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  lumber  business  since  he  was  ten  years  of  aa;e, 
first  with  Tolman  &  Harris,  afterward  with  Chapman  &  Danforth. 
Since  1871,  he  has  been  connected  with  S.  Radford  &  Bro.,  until 
1877  as  bookkeeper,  since  then  as  financial  manager  and  super- 
intendent of  the  sash,  door  and  blind  department  of  the  firm's  bus- 
iness. 

CHARLES  RAHR,  firm  of  Rahr  Bros.,  proprietors  of  a  large 
brewery  ;  manufacture  about  one  thousand  barrels  per  annum  ; 
employ  five  men  ;  erected  in  1865.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, in  1836,  Nov.  27;  he  learned  his  trade  in  Germany,  and 
emigrated  to  America  in  1855  ;  settled  in  Manitowoc,  Wis.,  and 
worked  in  a  brewery  six  months  ;  then  went  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
and  worked  in  a  brewery  eighteen  months  ;  then  returned  to  Green 
Bay,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  a  brewery  for  his  brother  and  brother- 
in-law  one  year.  Then  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  9th  W.  V.  I.,  and  was 
employed  fighting  the  Indians  and  bushwhackers  in  Kansas,  Indian 
Territory,  Arkansas  and  Missouri  ;  he  was  mustered  out  in  Mil- 
waukee, December,  1864.  Returned  to  Green  Bay  a  short  time 
and  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and,  in  company  with  bis  brother, 
erected  their  brewery  as  above  noted.  Married  in  Green  Bay, 
Wis.,  Jan.  1,  1864  and  1865,  just  on  the  hour  of  12  o'clock, mid- 
night, to  Miss  Caroline  Hochgrave,  who  was  born  in  Hanover.  Ger- 
many ;  they  have  one  son  and  six  daughters — Charles,  Carolina, 
Clara,  Anna.  Ella,  Mary  and  Olga. 

CHARLES  D.  RAND,  foreman  in  the  paint  department  of 
Thompson  &  Hay  ward's  carriage  works.  Mr.  R.  was  born  in  Port- 
land, Me.,  July  8,  1849,  where  he  lived  until  he  was  twenty-six 
years  of  age;  he  also  learned  his  trade  of  his  father  Joseph  M. 
Rand,  in  the  latter  city,  who  was  a  general  painter,  including  ship 
painting,  etc.  Mr.  C.  D.  Rand  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all 
branches  of  the  business.  He  went  from  Maine  to  Omro,  Wis., 
arriving  in  March,  1875,  and  immediately  engaged  with  his  pres- 
ent employers,  who  were  there  doing  business.     Mr.  R.  does  his 


work  by  contract  ;  has  thirty  five  men  under  his  supervision.  He 
was  married  in  Omro,  Wis.,  March  4,  1876,  to  Miss  Allie  E.  Reed, 
who  was  born  in  Omro  ;  they  have  one  fon,  named  George  C. 
Rand. 

RICHARD  RAWLEY,  foreman  Payne's  planing-mill;  was 
born  in  Kent  Co.,  New  Brunswick,  May  10,  1848  ;  was  engaged 
in  mills  there  for  a  time  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1867,  and 
located  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.;  worked  in  mills  in  summer,  and  spent 
two  wiuters  in  the  woods.  Had  charge  of  sash  department  of 
Gould,  Hume  &  Cos',  mill  about  1869-70,  and,  after  th'u,  moved 
to  Oconto,  Wis.,  and  took  charge  of  pi  ining-mill  ;  remained  about 
three  years;  n  moved  from  Oconto  to  West  DePere,  Wis.,  where  he 
was  fireman  in  planing  mill  ;  afu  r  this  was  in  Merrillon  with 
Payne  fir  a  few  months,  then  finally  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  en- 
gaged with  Payne,  where  he  has  remained.  He  was  married  in 
Oconto,  Wis.,  September,  1873,  to  Mi.ss  Elizabeth  Kecfer,  of 
Oconio  ;  they  have  two  children — Maggie  and  Lizzie. 

J.  J.  REAM,  head  miller  at  Foote  Bros.'  Mill;  was  born 
in  Saxeville,  Waushara  Co ,  Wis.,  Feb.  20,  1852.  Has  been 
engaged  in  milling  about  nine  years;  was  in  Eureka,  Winnebago 
Co.,  some  five  years  of  this  time;  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1877  and 
engaged  with  Foote  Bros.,  where  he  has  remained  since.  He  was 
married,  in  Eureka,  Nov.  12,  1874,  to  Miss  Maggie  Rounds,  of 
Winnebago  Co.  They  have  one  child — Edward.  Mr.  R.  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

THOMAS  T.  REEVE,  President  of  the  Commercial  Bank 
of  Oshkosh,  has  been  engaged  in  banking  business  in  Wisconsin 
since  1857,  first  in  Milwaukee,  and  since  November,  1858  in  Osh- 
kosh. At  that  time  he,  in  partnership  with  Gilbert  W.  Roe,  pur- 
chased the  Oshkosh  Commercial  Bank,  and  they  have  been  asso- 
ciated together  in  banking  business  continuou.«ly  ever  since.  Prior 
to  coming  to  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Reeve  had  been  Cashier  of  the  Bank 
of  Goshen,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  thirteen  years 

SYLVANUS  RIPLEY,  lumber  manufacturer;  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Barry,  Vt.,  March  3,  1818;  reared  in  that 
vicinity,  and  came  from  Muntpelier  to  Illinois  in  1843;  engaged 
in  threshing  in  Illinois  for  four  years.  In  June,  1848,  he  came 
to  Oshkosh,  brought  the  first  threshing  machine  west  of  Fox  River, 
in  Wisconsin,  and  he  introduced  the  first  reaper  which  was  oper- 
ated niar  Rock  River.  He  was  engaged  in  threshing  in  Wiscon- 
sin for  sixteen  winters;  engaged  in  farming  the  year  he  came  to 
this  State,  logging  that  winter,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1848,  com- 
menced threshing;  commenc  d  ihe  manufacture  of  lumber  in  part- 
nership with  his  present  partner,  Mr.  Meed,  in  1850.  and  they 
have  continued  that  business  since  that  time.  Mr.  Ripley  was 
married,  at  Appleon.  Wis.,  June,  1861,  to  Phoebe  Bowen,  she  is 
a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children — 
Alton,  Montague  and  Mary. 

WILLIAM  M.  RIPSOM,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
shafts  for  carriages  in  Parson's  &  Goodfellow's  carriage  works. 
Mr.  R.  was  born  in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1833; 
served  his  apprenticeship  in  his  native  State,  where  he  lived  until 
1861,  and  settled  in  Dane  Co.,  at  Marshall,  Wis.,  and  followed 
his  trade  until  1871,  and  moved  to  Clarksville,  Butler  Co.,  Iowa, 
and  engaged  in  carriage  business;  remained  until  1873,  and  moved 
to  Oshkosh,  Wis. ;  worked  at  his  trade  for  different  parties  until 
February,  1878;  then  began  as  above  stated.  He  was  married, 
in  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  3, 1861,  to  Miss  Charlotte  C.  Nichols ; 
she  was  born  in  the  latter  county  Dec.  25,  1842.  They  have  one 
son  and  a  daughter — Francis  H.  and  Gertrude  L. 

JOSEPH  B.  RIPSOM,  carriage  maker  in  Parsons  &  Good- 
fellow's  Carriage  Works ;  was  born  in  Clarkson,  Monroe  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  Dec.  1,  1835;  he  Uved  in  New  York  until  1863,  following 
his  trade;  then  went  to  Marshall,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  followed 
his  present  business  on  his  own  account  about  three  years  ;  he  then 
returned  to  New  York  in  1870  and  lived  there  until  April,  1880, 
engaged  in  teaching.  He  then  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  en- 
gaged as  above  stated.  Mr.  Ripsom  was  married  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  Oct,  10,  1861,  to  Miss  Abigail  Lawton,  who  was  born  in 


l62 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Rochester,  N.  Y.  They  had  four  children  hy  this  union — Frank 
H.  (now  in  Nebraska),  Lydia  F  ,  William  L.  and  Josephine  G. 
Mrs.  Ripsoui  died  in  ihc  fall  of  187(i,  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Mr.  Rip.^om  again  married  Nov.  10,  187H,  to  Miss  Mollie  A.  Dean, 
who  was  born  in  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  son  — Harry 
R.  Mr.  Ripsom  was  engaged  in  teaching  prior  to  1862,  and 
studied  law  in  the  law  office  of  Norton  Si.  Bowman,  of  Brockport, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877,  during  the  time  be- 
tween 1862  and  1S77,  he  spent  his  time  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  legal  profession  in  Oshkosh  in 
November,  1880. 

GRIFFITH  ROBERTS,  filer,  Morgan  Bros.;  was  born  in 
Wales  in  1841,  and  came  to  the  United  States  wi  h  his  parents  in 
1842.  They  settled  in  Ohio,  where  they  died.  Griffith  was 
adopted  by  D.  Bowen  and  wife,  and  came  with  them  to  Waukesha, 
Wis.,  about  1851.  Came  to  Oshkosh  about,  1861,  and  for  a  time 
was  in  the  bakery  business.  In  1872  he  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  with  the  firm  C.  L.  Chapman  &  Co.;  ihey  ran  a  saw-mill 
up  to  1874,  when  the  mill  burned  out;  the  firm  then  dissolved. 
Mr.  Roberts  has  been  with  the  present  firm  since  that  time,  'he 
first  seven  or  eight  years  engaged  in  sawing.  Mr.  Roberts  was 
married  in  Oshkosh  in  November,  1864,  to  Miss  Jane  M.  Davis, 
of  Winnebago  County,  formerly  of  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  She 
died  in  1876,  leaving  two  children — Arthur  Eieu  and  John 
Wallace.     Mr.  Roberts  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F. 

GILBERT  W.  ROE,  Vice  President  of  the  Commercial  Bank 
of  Oshkosh  ;  was  born  in  Warwick,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  banking  business  at  Chester,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y., 
being  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Chester  for  several  years  prior  to 
coming  to  Wisconsin  in  1857.  At  that  time  he  commenced  a 
private  banking  business  in  Milwaukee,  in  partnership  with  Thos. 
T.  Reeve.  In  November,  1858,  they  purchased  the  Oshkosh 
Commercial  Bank.  Mr.  Roe  has  been  continuously  in  the  bank- 
ing busine.ss  since  coming  here.  He  is  also  extensively  interested 
in  pine  lands  and  has  recently  erected  an  elegant  building  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  Commercial  Bank  of  0.shkosh.  Prior  to  Septem- 
ber, 1880,  he  had  been  Cashier  of  the  various  banks  which  suc- 
ceeded the  original  institution  which  he  first  became  interested  in 
here. 

HENRY  ROENITZ,  firm  of  Jaenicke  &  Roenitz,  dealers  and 
manufac  urers  of  leather  of  all  grades,  consisting  of  harness  and 
shoe  leather,  etc ;  established  in  1861,  43  Main  St.  Mr.  Roenitz 
was  born  in  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  July  1, 1856.  He  spent  his  school 
days  there  until  1870.  Then  went  to  0.shkosh  and  attended  the 
Business  College.  He  returned  to  Sheboygan  and  served  his  time 
as  tanner  and  learned  the  leather  trade,  and  in  1876  he  visited 
Europe  and  inspected  the  tanneries  in  different  portions  of  that 
country  with  a  view  of  gaining  a  better  knowledge  of  the  business. 
He  returned  in  October,  1876;  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  be- 
gan business  in  July,  1877,  and  the  firm  is  now  doing  a  large  and 
increasing  business. 

D.  W.  ROWLAND,  veterinary  surgeon  ;  was  born  in  Racine 
Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  IH,  1852.  Received  schooling  in  his  native 
county.  In  1871  he  went  to  Chicago  and  attended  medical  lect- 
ures ;  went  to  Milwaukee  in  1872  and  remained  to  1876,  under 
instruction  from  Dr.  Taylor,  with  whom  he  practiced  for  a  time. 
In  June,  1877,  he  located  in  Oshkosh  and  commenced  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  Mr.  Rowland  was  married  in  Menasha,  August 
3,  1881,  to  Miss  Emma  S.  Jones,  of  Menasha. 

R.  C.  RUSSELL,  Cashier  of  the  Union  National  Bank  ;  has 
been  cashier  of  this  institution  ,since  it  commenced  business,  March 
21,  1871.  He  had  previou-sly  been  proprietor  of  the  Farmers' 
Bank  of  Oshkosh,  which  he  started  in  1868. 

T.  P.  RUSSELL,  physician  and  surgeon;  was  born  at 
Bethel,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  April  19,  1827;  in  1843,  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  medicine  in  his  native  town  with  Dr.  Harry 
Palmer,  and  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Vermont  Medi- 
cal College  the  same  year  ;  later  he  continued  his  studies  with 
Prof  \V.  Carpenter  at  Randolph,  Orange    Co.,  Vt.,  and,  in  1850 


and  1851,  he  resumed  his  studies  at  the  Vermont  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  latter  year,  prac- 
ticed for  two  years  at  Weston,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  and,  in  1854, 
Came  to  Oshkosh,  where  he  has  since  continued  in  practice, 
except  a  period  of  two  years  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion ;  he 
was  one  year  in  active  service  as  Surgeon  of  the  1st  Wis.  V.  C, 
and,  for  nearly  a  year,  he  was  incapacitated  from  duty  by  reason 
of  sickness.  He  was  married  at  Oshkosh  Jan.  8,  1856,  to  Sophia 
Edgarton,  a  native  of  Madison,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.;  they  have 
one  child  living — Thomas  C. ;  lost  two  children.  The  Doctor  is 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Surgeons  of  the  United  States, 
American  Medical  Association,  and  Wisconsin  State  Medical 
Association. 

HON.  PHILETUS  SAWYER,  United  States  Senator;  was 
born  in  Vermont  Sept.  22,  1816,  and  is,  therefore,  now  sixty-four 
years  of  age.  He  was  not  born  great,  nor  wealthy,  for  his  father 
was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith  at  a  time  when,  and  in  a  region 
where,  those  employments  promised  little  but  hard  work  and  a 
subsistence.  He  has  not  had  greatness  thrust  upon  him  by 
adventitious  circumstances,  for  there  has  been  nothing  accidental 
in  the  career  which  has  now  reached  a  place  in  the  highest  repre- 
sentative body  in  the  world.  Whatever  of  wealth  and  of  honor 
in  station  and  reputation  he  has  attained  has  been  achieved  by  an 
honest  and  industrious  use  of  the  faculties  with  which  nature 
endowed  him,  and  of  the  opportunities  which  were  open  to  all 
competitors.  When  he  was  a  year  old  his  fither  removed  to 
Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  childhood  and  youth  were  passed 
among  the  mountains  and  f  rests  of  the  Adirondacks.  His  early 
life,  like  that  of  most  of  the  dwellers  in  that  region,  was  one  of 
manual  labor,  with  only  such  opportunities  for  education  as  the 
common  schools  of  that  time  and  place  furni.shed  for  the  children 
of  those  whose  life  work  was  to  toil  for  bread  and  raiment.  In 
every  stop  and  in  every  phase  of  his  life,  Mr.  Sawyer  has  been 
constantly  acquiring  that  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs,  which  is 
a  condition  of  leadership  and  success  in  a  generation  eminently 
practical  and  looking  mainly  to  material  results.  At  seventeen, 
by  an  arrangement  with  his  father,  he  became  the  master  of  his 
own  time  and  labor.  These  he  employed  so  successfully  that,  in 
1847.  at  the  age  of  thirty-one,  he  was  enabled  to  seek  a  more 
profitable  field  for  his  future  efforts  in  Wisconsin,  with  a 
capital  of  about  ''52,000.  Two  seasons  of  not  very  success- 
ful farming  in  his  new  home  turned  his  thoughts  to  his  former 
occupation  of  "  logging  "  and  lumbering.  The  great  Wolf  River 
pinery  was  then  scarcely  touched.  To  the  practical  lumbermen  it 
offered  a  prospect  for  accumulating  wealth,  and,  in  Decemlier, 
1849,  Mr.  Sawyer  removed  to  the  village  of  Algoma,  now  in  the 
city  of  Oshkosh.  Here,  the  following  season,  he  took  a  contract 
to  run,  and  subsequently  rented,  and  finally  purchased  a  saw-mill 
which  had  nearly  ruined  its  owners,  and  from  that  to  the  present 
time  his  career  as  a  business  man  has  been  a  constant  success. 
Where  others  have  fiviled  he  has  succeeded.  When  others  have 
stood  still  he  has  advanced.  His  industry  and  sagacity  have  been 
so  rewarded  that  his  financial  standing  is  now  in  the  front  rank 
among  the  solid  men  of  Wisconsin.  His  reputation  for  integrity, 
open-handed  genepisity  in  his  dealings,  and  for  sound  judgment 
in  business  enterprises  has  been  uniform,  and  doubtless,  has  con- 
tributed to  his  success.  It  is  inevitable  that  such  a  man  should 
be  called  into  the  public  service  in  a  new  and  thriving  country. 
Mr.  Sawyer  served  several  years  in  the  Common  Council  of  the 
young  city  of  his  residence.  In  1857,  and,  in  1861,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature.  He  served  as  Mayor  two 
years.  In  1864,  he  was  clothed  with  full  power  and  discretion  to 
compromise  and  settle  the  bonded  debt  of  the  city,  which  he 
accomplished  on  exceedingly  favorable  terms.  In  1862,  though 
strongly  solicited,  he  declined  on  account  of  his  private  business 
to  become  a  candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  a  Republican  of 
Free-Soil  Democratic  antecedents.  In  1862,  the  district  elected 
the  Democratic  candidate  by  a  majority  of  over  one  thousand. 
Two  years  later,  Mr.  Sawyer  consented  to  be  a  candidate,  and  was 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'63 


elected  by  a  majority  of  about  three  thousand.  From  1865  to 
1875  he  was  continued  in  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
retired,  after  a  continuous  service  of  ten  years,  only  because  he 
refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  re-election.  His  record  as  a  member 
of  Conp;ress  is  part  of  the  history  of  that  time.  He  was  one 
term  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Government  Expenditures. 
In  the  Forty-third  Congress  he  wus  Chairman  of  the  Pacific 
Railroad  Committee.  Eii;ht  years  he  was  on  the  Committee  on 
Commerce.  Six  years  he  was  the  second  member  on  that  com- 
mittee, and  during  a  large  portion  of  that  time  the  Acting  Chair- 
man. Therefore,  it  became  his  duty  several  times  to  report  and 
take  cliarge  of  the  bills  making  appropriations  for  rivers  and  har- 
bors, and  a  fair  illustration  of  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  mem- 
bers is  found  in  the  fact  that  such  bills  appropriating  millions 
were  sometimes  passed  under  suspension  of  the  rules  when 
reported  and  vouched  for  by  him.  Mr.  Sawyer  is  not  fitted  by 
nature,  training  or  inclination  for  speech-making  in  Congress. 
But  his  acknowledged  influence  and  sound  judgment  on  matters 
of  practical  legislation  have  been  of  more  influence  in  obtaining 
and  retaining  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  Wisconsin  than 
would  any  number  of  speeches  reported  in  the  Congre.ssionid 
Record,  and  if  the  future  may  be  judged  by  the  past,  he  will  be 
a  useful  and  influential  Senator.  In  any  legislative  body,  a  clear- 
headed man  of  affairs,  who  does  not  form  conclusions  from  super- 
ficial examiuations  and  brings  strict  integrity,  as  well  as  sound 
judgment  to  the  work  of  legislation,  is  a  valuable  and  a  respected 
member.  Such  a  member  Mr.  Sawyer  has  always  been  heretofore, 
and  doubtless  will  be  in  his  new  position.  He  is  President  of  the 
Sawyer-Goodman  Co.,  of  Chicago,  a  corporation  owning  a  saw- 
mill at  Marinette,  Wis.,  and  lumber-yards  in  Chicago  and  various 
other  places.  He  is  Vice  President  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  & 
Omaha  Railway  Company,  and  has  charge  of  the  lands  of  that 
company  ;  Vice  President  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Osh- 
kosh,  anJ  is  largely  interested  in  the  lumber  interests  of  Wiscon- 
sin, having  been  prominently  identified  with  thera  since  his  settle- 
ment here.  He  was  married  at  Schroon,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
June,  1841,  to  Melvina  M.  Hadley,  a  native  of  Vermont;  they 
have  three  children — Edgar  P.,  Emma  M.  (now  the  wife  of 
Howard  G.  White,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.),  and  Erna  M.  (now  W 
0.  Goodman,  of  Chicago). 

EDGAR  P.  SAWYER,  of  the  firm  of  P.  Sawyer  &  Sonj 
lumbermen  ;  was  born  at  Crown  Point,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  4, 
1842;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  Philetus  and  Melvina 
M.  (Hadley)  Sawyer,  in  1847  ;  since  he  became  of  age  he  has 
been  identified  with  his  fiither's  extensive  business  enterprises, 
having  a  third  interest  in  all  their  operations  ;  he  is  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  Sawyer-Goodman  Company,  of  Chicago,  a  lumber  com- 
pany with  a  paid  up  capital  of  §500,000.  Mr.  Sawyer  was  mar- 
ried at  Oshkosh,  Oct.  18,  1864,  to  Mary  E.  Jewell,  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York;  thev  have  two  children — Maria  M.,  and 
Philetus  H. 

J.  F.  W.  SCHMIDT,  drugs;  commenced  in  1874;  was  born 
in  Prussia,  Dec.  15,  1850;  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents  in  1855  ;  they  settled  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis.;  Mr.  S.  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  1868,  and  clerked  in  a  drug  store  until  he  commenced 
for  himself;  married  in  Oshkosh,  Feb.  24,  1874,  to  Miss  Bertha 
Voight,  of  Oshkosh  ;  they  have  two  children — Clara  and  Hugo  ; 
is  a  member  of-  Union  '  Lodge,  No.  179,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  and  of  the 
•'  Turnverein." 

PETER  SCHMIDT,  firm  of  Schmidt  Bros.,  211  and  2i:5 
Main  street,  manufacturers  of  trunks,  valises,  traveling-bags,  etc.; 
established  in  1868,  employ  seventy-three  men  annually,  and  do 
about  a  890,000  business  annually ;  they  used  800,000  feet  of 
lumber  in  1880;  he  was  born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  16  1842;  emi- 
grated to  America  in  June,  1854,  and  located  in  Washin'iton  Co., 
Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
D,  6th  W.  V.  I.,  April  27th  of  that  year,  and  after  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  he  was  transferred  to  Battery  B,  4th  Artillery  ;  served 
until  June  27,  1865,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  VVis. ;  he 


also  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville,  Fredericksburg, 
Mine  Run,  Bull  Run,  Gettysburg.  Atlanta,  Macon  and  Savannah  ; 
he  kept  hotel  in  Racine  until  1866,  then  he,  with  his  brother, 
Henry  Schmidt,  engaged  in  the  above  business  at  Racine,  until 
October,  1868,  and  moved  to  Oshkosh  as  above  noted;  he  was 
married  in  Oshkosh  in  1870,  to  Miss  Catharine  Gores ;  she  was 
born  in  Prussia. 

JOSEPH  SCHNEIDER,  proprietor  Phoenix  House,  Main 
street;  he  was  born  in  Prussia,  July  3,  1840;  emigrated  to 
America  with  his  parents  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Albany,  N.  Y., 
where  they  lived  about  fourteen  months ;  then  moved  to  Toledo, 
Ohio,  in  1854  ;  lived  there  about  two  years,  then  moved  to  Osh- 
kosh, Wis  ;  he  worked  at  lumbering  in  winters,  and  summers 
worked  in  saw  mills  for  ten  years  ;  he  began  hotel  keeping  in  1874, 
and  has  since  continued  that  business ;  he  was  married  in  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.,  in  October,  1865,  to  Miss  Tracy  Hess,  who  was  born 
in  Bavaria,  Germany  ;  they  have  three  children — Joseph, William 
and  Dalia. 

HUGO  SCHROTTKY,  engineer  G.  W.  Pratt;  was  born  in 
Prussia  in  1841  ;  learned  engineering  and  millwrighting  in  Prus- 
sia, and  catne  to  the  United  States  in  1860  ;  located  in  New  York 
City;  enlisted  May  8,  1861,  in  Co.  F,  20th  N.  Y.  S.  V.  I. ;  mus- 
tered out  in  1863  ;  came  to  Wiscon.''in  in  1864,  and  located  in 
Ripon  ;  engaged  in  engineering;  in  February,  1880,  moved  to 
Oshkosh,  followed  millwrighting  for  a  time,  and  engaged  in  pres- 
ent position  in  1881;  married  in  Milwaukee  in  1864,  to  Miss 
Louisa  Lieber  of  Milwaukee;  they  have  six  children — Annie,  El- 
len, Henry,  Louisa,  Bertha  and  Arthur;  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  of  Ripon. 

LOUIS  SCHWALENK,  paints  and  oils;  commenced  busi- 
ness in  1875  ;  carries  stock  of  about  §3,000 ;  was  born  in  Leip- 
sic,  Prussia,  Dec.  15,  1824  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1850, 
and  located  in  Winnebago  Co.,  and  engaged  in  farming;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  the  fall  of  1853,  and  commenced  in  1854  the  saloon 
and  grocery  business ;  was  for  a  time  brewing  in  the  county,  but 
lost  his  buildings  by  fire  in  1864  ;  was  in  the  saloon  and  grocery 
business  off  and  on  about  twenty-two  years ;  married  in  Germany, 
March  7,  1850,  to  Mi>s  Rosina  Meisener;  they  have  two  children 
living — Alvina,  no.v  Mrs.  E.  Beigler,  and  Emma. 

GEORGE  F.  SCOTT,  foreman  ;  was  born  in  Washington 
Co.,  Maine,  in  1842;  followed  the  business  of  milling,  filing,  etc., 
up  to  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  22d  Regt.  Me.  Vol. ;  was 
mustered  out  in  1863,  and  then  went  into  the  25th  Maine  as  a 
member  of  brigade  band  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1864  and  located 
in  Oshkosh  ;  has  been  foreman  of  mill  since.  Mr  S.  was  married 
in  Washington  Co.,  Me.,  Nov.  16,  1858,  to  Miss  Ida  A.  Knight, 
of  Washington  Co.;  they  have  three  children  living — Mary, 
Frank  F.  and  John  C. 

JESSE  R.  SCOTT,  lumber  manufacturer  ;  was  born  at  Cal- 
ais, Maine,  April  30,  1830;  resided  for  three  years  in  St.  Law- 
rence Co.,  N  Y.,  prior  to  moving  to  Oshkosh  in  August,  1855. 
Mr.  Scott  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  business  ever  since  he 
came  here  ;  he  was  married  at  Calais,  Me.,  in  March,  1852,  to 
Charlotte  A.  White,  a  native  of  St.  John,  Province  of  New 
Brunswick  ;  they  have  five  children — Lorenzo  D.,  Frank  L.,  Her- 
bert C,  John  W.  and  Edwin  C. 

LYMAN  C.  SESSION,  Gill's  Block,  Division  street;  dealer 
in  genuine  Singer  Sewing  Machines  ;  located  in  jMay,  1870.  He 
was  born  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  8,  1825;  ho  lived  at  home 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  then  learned  the  tailor's  trade, 
in  Johnstown,  Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  working  four  or  five  years; 
returned  home,  and  enlisted  in  the  Regular  Army,  in  Co.  K,  1st 
U.  S.  I. ;  engaged  in  the  Mexican  war,  in  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto ; 
the  next  day  a  continuation  of  the  same  battle;  Monterey,  Tam- 
pico;  and  was  in  that  division  of  the  army  that  Gen.  Scott  took 
from  Gen.  Taylor.  He  was  discharged  for  physical  disability  at 
Tampieo;  he  then  worked  his  way  back  to  N.  Y.  State,  where  he 
remained  three  or  four  years;  then  went  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and 
began  his  trade,  worked  three  or  four  years ;  then  to  Ripon  for  odh 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


year;  then  returned  to  Neenali,  uiitil  1870;  then  moved  to  Osh- 
kosh,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged.  He  has  sold  the  same 
brand  of  sewing  machines  for  seventeen  years,  and  evidently  under- 
stands his  business.  He  has  three  men  employed  working  for 
him.  He  was  married  in  Neenah,  Wis.,  Dec.  31,  1852,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Jane  Hedgins,  who  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  in 
183G;  they  have  five  children — George  N.,  May  E.,  Lillie  A., 
Willet  A.  and  Margaret  Jennett. 

GEORGE  T.  SHARP,  filer,  for  B.  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1837;  and  from  there  moved  to  Wisconsin 
in  1856,  locating  in  Oshkosh ;  commenced  sawing  in  mill,  which 
he  followed  some  four  years,  then  commenced  filing,  which  he  has 
followed  since  in  the  employ  of  different  firms.  He  was  away  five 
winters  in  saw-mill  near  Fort  Howard.  He  enlisted  in  Oshkosh, 
in  1864,  as  mechanic,  and  was  engaged  four  months  bridge-build- 
ing, etc.  Mr.  S.  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  in  1861,  to  Miss  Olive 
Skinner,  of  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y. 

WILLIAM  SHELL,  yard  foreman  for  Buckstafi'  Bros.,  was 
born  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  April  1,  1849  ;  was  engaged  in  that 
city  as  foreman  of  lumber  yards  for  a  number  of  years  ;  came  to 
Oshkosh  in  1880,  and  engaged  with  present  firm.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Fond  du  Lac,  March  26,  1872,  to  Miss  Ida  Weymer; 
they  have  one  child.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of 
Honor. 

AUSTIN  SLATTERY,  foreman  of  Paige's  Foundry,  mold- 
ers,  was  born  in  Montello,  Sept.  15,  1850  ;  his  parents,  Patrick 
and  Mary  fVauirhn)  Slattery,  moved  to  Oshkosh  in  1868,  and  in 
this  city  the  subject  of  this  sketch  learned  his  trade,  which  he  has 
followed  some  four  or  five  years. 

CASPER  SMITH,  of  the  firm  of  Gu.stavus  &  Co.,  flour 
mills,  was  born  in  Obailand,  Prussia,  in  1843;  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1857  ;  located  in  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  enlisted  Novem- 
ber, 1861,  in  Co.  F,  19th  W.  S.  V",  and  served  until  mustered 
out  in  1865;  was  wounded  in  front  of  Petersburg,  and  on  his  re- 
covery, was  attached  to  the  ambulance  train,  in  which  he  served 
about  eleven  months.  He  returned  to  Wisconsin  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  farmed  in  summer,  and  lumbered  in  winter  time  ; 
moved  into  Oshkosh  in  1876,  and  formed  present  firm.  He  was 
married  in  Oshkosh,  in  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Root;  they  have 
three  children — Frank,  Ralph  and  Clara.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member 
of  the  following  societies— A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  American 
Legion  of  Honor  and  G.  A.  R. 

GEORGE  W.  SNELL,  of  the  firm  of  A.  &  G.  Snell,  dealers 
in  general  line  groceries,  farmers'  produce,  etc.,  82  Algoma  street, 
cstablLshed  February,  1872.  Mr.  S.  was  born  in  Anson,  Somerset 
Co.,  Me.,  Jan.  11,  1829;  he  began  business  for  himself  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  ;  he  followed  the  manufacture  of  cotton  cloth 
two  years  in  Cabotville  ;  twenty  years  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  two 
years  in  Hookset,  N.  H.;  then  went  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  in 
October,  1870,  where  he  worked  at  the  trade  of  machinist  and 
other  work  three  years  ;  then  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  engaged 
in  the  latter  business.  He  enlisted  in  Lowell,  Ma.ss.,  in  1861,  in 
Co.  A,  6th  Mass.  I.  V.,  and  served  three  months  ;  he  then  enlisted 
in  the  same  company  and  regiment  in  Aug.  31,  1862,  and  was  in 
the  battles  of  West  Branch  Church,  Oct.  3  ;  Franklin,  Oct.  24  ; 
Lawrence  Plantation,  Nov.  18  ,  Joiner's  Ford,  Jan.  3;  Deserted 
House  Church,  April  11,  and  b.attle  of  Suffolk,  lasting  eleven 
days.  He  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,  and  was  mustered 
out  in  Lowell,  Ma.ss.  His  was  the  famous  Massachusetts  6th 
Regiment,  assaulted  in  Baltimore.  Mr.  Snell  had  two  brothers 
killed  in  the  war — Walter  and  Cyras ;  Walter  was  killed  when 
carrying  dispatches,  and  Cyrus  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness. 

PETER  H.  SOPER,  sawyer,  McM.  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  Delaware  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  30,  1830.  His  parents  moved 
to  Sangamon  Co.,  111.,  in  1839,  and  from  there  to  Wisconsin  in 
1843,  locating  in  Walworth  County,  where  they  engaged  in  farm- 
ing.    The  subject  of  this  sketch  enlisted  March  21,  1847,  in  4th 


Regular  Infantry  and  served  until  March  21,  1852,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  in  California;  returned  to  the  States  and  engaged  in 
milling  a  short  time  and  also  in  mining  up  to  1859,  when  he 
located  in  Winnebago  County;  engaged  in  milling.  May  10, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  5th  W.  Y.  I.,  as  Orderly  Sergeant; 
mustered  out  May  17,  1865;  took  part  in  all  the  marches  and 
engagements  of  his  regiment  during  this  time;  was  wounded  three 
times;  returned  to  Winnebago  County  and  moved  into  Oshkosh 
in  1873.  He  was  married  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  17, 1863, 
to  Miss  Eliza  S.  Robertson,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  They  have  five 
children — Carrie  A.,  Eugenia  E  ,  Amy  C.,  Fred  E.,  George. 

WILLIAM  SPIKES  &  CO.,  furniture,  undertaking,  etc.; 
firm  composed  of  William  Spikes  and  Joseph  Stringham,  and  was 
organized  May,  1875;  employ  four  men;  carry  stock  worth 
about  §12,000,  and  do  a  business  of  about  $30,000  yearly. 

WILLIAM  SPIKES,  of  above  firm,  was  born  in  London- 
derry, Ireland,  JIarch,  1832;  came  to  United  States  in  1849; 
located  in  Boston  and  learned  trade  of  cabinet  making;  remained 
there  about  two  years  and  then  removed  to  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt., 
where  he  followed  his  trade;  in  1853  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
located  in  Oshkosh  and  worked  at  his  trade  up  to  January,  1862, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  3d  Cavalry;  was  mustered  out  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1865;  returned  to  Oshkosh,  and  for  a  time  resumed  his 
trade;  in  1865  bought  an  interest  with  Soper,  and  two  years  later 
sold  out  to  his  partner  and  took  chartre  of  the  business,  continuing 
in  this  position  up  to  1875.  He  was  married  in  Boston  in  1849 
to  Miss  Matilda  Taggert.  They  have  one  daughter — Eliza  Jane. 
Mr.  Spike  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge,  Chapter 
and  Council,  and  G.  A.  R.  Mr.  S.  was  City  Alderman  for  one 
year. 

WILLARD  SPRAGUE,  en£?ineer  Diamond  Match  Co.,  born 
in  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  30, "^1848;  in  1868  he  removed  to 
Wisconsin  and  located  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  where  he  remained 
engaged  in  farming  until  he  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1870;  engaged 
in  firing  when  he  first  came  to  the  city;  made  an  engagement 
with  J.  L.  Clark  &  Son  in  1870,  and  remained  with  them  until 
they  sold  out,  when  he  took  a  position  with  their  successors.  He 
was  married  in  Oshkosh  July  24,  1870,  to  Miss  Sarah  Johnston, 
of  Oshkosh.  They  have  two  children — George  Elmer,  Stella 
May. 

GEORGE  B.  STREETER,  lumberman  and  logger,  began 
lumbering  in  1863;  employs  usually  twenty-five  men  during  the 
season ;  gets  out  on  an  average  2,000,000  feet  yearly,  and  sells 
his  product  usually  to  the  manufacturers  in  Oshkosh  and  Fon3  du 
Lac.  He  was  born  at  Whitefield,  N.  H.,  Jan.  28,  1830  ;  he  was 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  began  business  for  him- 
self His  father,  Ezekiel  Streefer,  was  a  lumberman  in  the  New 
England  States,  where  George  B.  first  followed  the  business  until 
1855;  then  went  to  Oshkosh  where  he  worked  for  others  by  the 
month  about  eight  years,  after  which  he  began  business  for  him- 
self and  has  since  continued.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh,  June 
19,  1861,  to  Miss  Adaline  C.  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Green- 
field, N.  H.  They  have  four  children— Edward  E..  Merton  R., 
Stella  C.  and  Ben. 

GABRIEL  STREICH,  firm  of  A.  Streich  &  Bros,  (estab- 
lished in  1855  by  John  F.  Streich);  they  employ  thirteen  men; 
they  build  about  200  wagons  and  two-seated  buggies,  sleighs  and 
four-wheel  saw-mill  dump  carts  yearly;  also  heavy  mill  and  brew- 
ery wagons;  they  are  also  extensive  manufacturers  of  Babbit 
metals  for  filling  boxes  in  machinery.  Mr.  G.  Streich  was  born 
in  West  Prussia,  city  of  Charnekau,  Sept.  17,  1846;  emigrated 
to  America  in  1854  ;  he  first  woiked  eleven  years  in  a  machine- 
shop  ;  then  began  with  his  brother  and  formed  the  copartnership 
as  above  noted.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh.  Wis.,  Oct.  24, 
1870,  to  Miss  Augusta  Kreppane,  who  was  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many; she  died  Feb.  9,  1878.  They  had  five  children — Clara 
A.  N.,  Alma  (deceased),  Walter  (deceased),  E.  Hatwig,  August 
F.  (deceased);  he  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  Wirehaust ;  sha 
was  born  in  Wisconsin  June  24,  in  1879, near  Oshkosh. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO   COUNTY. 


GEORGE  P.  STROUD.  One  of  the  most  public-spirited 
and  enterprising  business  men  of  the  city  is  George  V.  Stroud. 
He  was  born  Dec.  10,  1836,  in  Willsboro,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.  His 
father,  William  D.  Stroud,  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Laura  A.  Lee,  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont. Two  of  Mr.  Stroud's  ancestors  on  his  mother's  side  were 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  In  1851,  Mr.  Stroud's 
family  emigrated  to  Wisconsin  and  located  at  Oshkosh  the  15th 
day  of  April  in  that  year.  For  some  time,  George  F.  Stroud 
attended  a  select  school,  and  afterward  assisted  his  father  in  the 
management  of  his  farm,  and  also  in  getting  out  building  stone 
from  the  stone  quarry  now  known  as  the  Lutz  quarry,  which  was 
managed  at  that  time  by  William  D.  Stroud.  He  next  engaged 
as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  Rochester  nursery  until  the  fall  of 
1867.  In  that  year  he  engaged  in  the  paint  and  oil  trade,  and, 
in  the  spring  of  1868,  opened  the  first  store  in  the  State  devoted 
exclusively  to  this  specialty.  The  business  proved  a  success  from 
the  start.  Commencing  in  a  small  way,  with  limited  capital,  it 
gradually  increased,  until  it  now  requires  two  large  stores  and  two 
warehouses,  and  Stroud's  traveling  salesmen  visit  every  town  and 
village  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Stroud  was  married  Dec.  29, 
1859,  to  Miss  Angeline  F.  Reed,  sister  of  Maj.  L.  B.  Reed,  and 
has  three  children.  Mr.  Stroud  is  always  ready  to  encourage  and 
promote  any  enterprise  which  promises  to  benefit  the  city,  and  is 
ever  foremost  in  all  public  works.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Business  Men's  Association,  and,  in  connection  with  Mayor  Beck- 
with  and  Ossian  Cook,  worked  up  the  subscription  which  secured 
to  the  city  the  carriage  works  of  Parsons  &  Goodfellow,  which  now 
employ  upward  of  150  men.  During  the  political  campaign  of  1880, 
Mr.  Stroud  was  President  of  the  Garfield  and  Arthur  Club,  and  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  in  the  same  energetic  and  whole-souled 
manner  which  characterizes  all  his  business  transactions.  Mr. 
Stroud  is  emphatically  a  self-made  man,  and  one  who  deserves 
great  credit  for  the  success  which  has  marked  his  efl^orts. 

W.  D.  STROUD,  agricultural  implements;  commenced  his 
present  business  in  1878;  has  the  agency  of  the  Warrior  Mowers, 
Buford,  Deere  &  Co.,  Moline  Company,  and  Furst  &  Bradley's 
walking  and  sulky  plows,  Manny  mower  and  reaper,  and  Appleton 
seeder  and  cultivator.  Was  born  in  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  10, 
1808.  His  parents  were  originally  of  Connecticut.  Mr.  S.  was 
engaged  in  the  iron  business  with  the  Peru  Iron  Company  until 
he  moved  to  the  West ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1852  and  settled  in 
Oshkosh.  Engaged  in  farming  and  also  operated  a  stone  quarry; 
worked  the  latter  for  fourteen  years  ;  sold  his  farm  in  18ti8,  and 
went  into  patent  rights,  a  business  he  followed  until  1878.  Mr. 
S.  was  married  at  Wilmington,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  22,  1832, 
to  Laura  Ann  Lee,  a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  had  nine 
children— William,  Laura  (now  Mrs.  E.  S.  Thompson),  George  F., 
Horace,  Amanda  (now  Mrs.  R.  J.  Harney),  Albert,  James,  Irene 
(married  Rev.  J.  Blymau)  and  Charles.  Mr.  Stroud  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church. 

SAMUEL  SUTTON,  foreman  of  Paige's  foundry,  was  born 
in  Liverpool,  England,  March  7,  1835 ;  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1850  ;  located  in  Baliimore,  where  he  learned  his  trade  and  re- 
mained until  1861,  when  he  moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in 
Oshkosh,  and  worked  at  his  trade.  Mr.  S.  had  charge  of  shops 
at  Grand  Rapids  some  fifteen  months.  He  was  married  in  Balti- 
more to  Miss  Mary  Llewellyn,  of  Baltimore,  a  native  of  Wales. 
They  have  eight  children  living — -Mary  A.,  Louisa,  Lizzie,  George, 
Tbomas,  Samu-1,  William  and  Margaret.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Legion  of  Honor  and  Royal  Templars. 

A.  M.  THOMES,  engaged  in  land  hunting,  locating  and  ex- 
amining pine  lands  ;  settled  in  Oshko.sh,  Wis.,  in  1854  ;  was  born 
in  Harrison,  Cumberland  Co.,  Me.,  Jan.  16,  1821.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age ; 
clerked  in  a  store  some  time,  then  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  clerked 
two  years,  then  went  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1854.  He  there  en- 
gaged in  land-looking  and  lumbering  the  second  year  of  his  resi- 
dence there,  and  continued  the  same  until  April,  1861  ;  then 
enlisted  in  Co.  E,  2d  W.  Y.  I.,  was  engaged  in  the  two  battles  of 


Bull  Run,  Gainesville,  Antietam,  South  Mountain,  and  many 
skirmishes,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1863.  He  returned  home  and  the  following  winter  was 
drafted  ;  paid  $300  for  a  substitute.  He  engaged  in  lumbering 
until  1860,  then  went  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  became  one  of 
the  firm  of  F.  0.  &  A.M.  Thomes,  dealers  in  woolen  goods,  where 
he  continued  about  one  year,  sold  out  and  returned  to  Oshkosh, 
and  since  has  been  in  business  as  above  noted. 

DR.  JOHN  R.  THOMSON,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
of  the  Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  was  born  in  Northum- 
berland, England,  July  20,  1845.  His  parents  came  to  United 
States  in  1847  and  located  in  New  York  City.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  received  a  common-school  education  in  New  York,  and, 
in  1857,  he  went  to  Scotland,  where  he  remained  until  1861,  pur- 
suing his  classical  studies.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  New  York  City.  In  1869.  he 
entered  Columbia  College  and  graduated  in  1872;  was  then  sur- 
geon on  an  Atlantic  steamer  for  a  short  time;  after  practicing 
medicine  in  New  York  about  one  year,  and  in  Colorado  some  three 
years,  he  then  took  a  position  in  the  Northern  Hospital  for  the 
Insane.  He  was  married  in  Appleton,  Wis.,  May,  1880,  to  Miss 
Annie  Galpin  ;  they  have  one  child — Georgiana.  Dr.  Thomson 
is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge  and  Chapter. 

E.  W.  TILTON,  agent  for  branch  Crookes  &  Go's  saws, 
emery  wheels,  and  diamond  tools ;  saw-repairing  a  specialty,  also 
patentee  of  Tilton's  slotted  circular  saws.  Mr.  Tilton  was  born 
in  Charleston,  Penobscot  Co.,  Me.,  June  1,  1828,  where  he  lived 
until  1856.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Bangor,  Me.,  and  followed 
the  same  in  Calais,  Me.,  eight  years  previous  to  emigrating  to 
Oshkosh  in  1856,  where  he  has  since  made  the  above  his  princi- 
pal busines.  Mr.  'I'ilton  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Oshkosh  and 
vicinity,  and  was  the  first  saw-maker  who  located  in  this  part  of 
Wisconsin.  He  was  married  in  Calais,  Me.,  Jan.  11,  1853,  to 
Miss  Nancy  M.  Ellsworth;  she  was  born  in  Calais,  Me.,  in  1834. 
They  have  four  children— Helen  M.,  Mark  H.,  Edward  W.,  Jr., 
and  Benjamin   E.,  all  at  home. 

A.  A.  TOBEY,  yard  foreman  for  Conlee  Bros.,  was  born  in 
Somerset  Co.,  Me.,  July  6,  1845;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1875; 
located  in  Winnebago  County  and  engaged  in  fanning,  which  he 
followe.l  three  years,  and  then  moved  to  Oshkosh.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Somerset  Co..  Me.,  Oct.  16,  1872,  to  Miss  Olive  Snell,  of 
Somerset  County.  They  have  two  children — William  and  Henry. 
JOHN  and  ROBERT  TURNER,  lumbermen.  The  broth- 
ers came  here  from  Vermont  in  1855,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber- 
ing industry,  which  they  have  successfully  prosecuted  since. 

G.  E.  TYRRELL,  of  the  firm  Crozier  &  Tyrrell,  lawyers,  was 
born  in  Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  February,  1858;  came  to  Oshkosh 
with  parents  in  1870;  received  his  schooling  at  graded  and  high 
schools  in  the  city.  Was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  bar  in  1879. 
J.  H.  VAN  DOREN,  dealer  in  general  line  of  groceries, 
crockery,  seeds,  notions,  cigars,  etc.,  17  Main  street.  He  was 
born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1847.  He  settled  in  Nekimi, 
five  miles  from  Oshkosh,  and  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  came 
to  this  city  in  1855;  located  in  his  present  place  of  business  in 
1878,  and  began  on  a  capital  of  $2,000,  in  company  with  another 
party,  under  firm  name  of  Holmes  &  Van  Doren,  which  they  con- 
tinued until  Feb.  23,  1881,  since  which  time  he  has  had  the 
whole  business.  He  was  married  in  Nekimi,  Wis.,  March,  1869, 
to  Miss  Anna  M.  Cook,  who  was  born  in  same  town.  Have  four 
children — Guy  A.,  Flora  M.,  Ray  N.  and  Dee  W. 

A.  VON  KAAS,  drugs,  successor  to  R.  Gucnther,  carry 
stock  of  about  $4,000  to  $5,000,  strictly  drugs,  no  paints  and 
oils;  sales  about  $12,000  yearly.  Was  born  in  Sheboygan  Co., 
Wis.,  Jan.  18,  1854,  his  parents  having  located  there  two  years 
previously;  educated  in  Sheboygan  in  Graded  and  High  School; 
came  to  Oshkosh  in  187 1,  and  went  into  Guenther's  store.  Mr. 
Von  Kaas  is  a  member  of  "Centennial"  Lodge,  No.  205,  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  "  Casino "  Musical  Society,  Turners,  and  Oshkosh 
Yacht  Club. 


ii66 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


B.  E.  VAN  KEUREN,  of  Pike  &  Van  Keuren,  lawyers,  was 
born  in  Utica,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851  ;  entered  Ripon  Col- 
lejie  in  1871  and  remained  until  1875,  when  he  entered  Appleton 
College  ;  read  law  with  Moses  Hopper  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  April,  1878,  and  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  January 
term,  1381.  He  was  married  in  Oshkosh  September,  1879,  to 
Miss  Hattie  Thomas,  of  Oshkosh.  They  have  one  child— Emmett 
B.,  born  Nov.  18,  1880.  Mr.  Van  K.  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Con};rei;ational  Church  and  of  Association  of  '  Royal  T.  of  T." 

WILLIAM  WAKE  MAN,  Jr.,  dealer  in  all  kinds  of  fresh  and 
salt  meats,  also  does  general  packing  and  jobbing  business,  150  Main 
street;  employs  eight  or  ten  men  ;  established  in  1860.  He  was 
born  in  Birmingham,  England,  June  (5,  1843.  His  parents  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1847  and  settled  in  Racine  Co. ;  lived  there 
five  years,  then  went  to  Indian  Land,  near  Berlin,  and  lived  one 
summer ;  then  went  to  De  Pere,  Wis.,  and  lived  eight  years ; 
then  moved  to  Waupun,  where  they  lived  six  months  ;  then  to 
Oshkosh.  Mr.  W.  took  entire  control  of  the  meat  market,  then 
grown  into  an  extensive  business,  in  September,  1875,  which  was 
established  by  his  father,  William  Wakeman,  Sr.  They  suffered 
the  loss  of  their  shop,  dwelling  house  and  warehouse  during  the 
great  fires,  aggregating  a  loss  of  $20,000.  They  now  have  a 
large  trade  and  do  considerable  wholesaling.  William  Wakeman, 
Jr.,  was  married  in  Oshkcsh,  Wis.,  Jan.  26,  1865,  to  Miss 
Rebecca  L.  Hamer,  who  was  born  in  Kenosha,  Wis.  They  have 
two  children — Carrie  C.  and  Mary. 

HON.  GEORGE  W.  WASHBURN,  lawyer,  was  born  in 
Livermore,  now  Androscoggin  Co.,  Maine,  Oct.  29,  1823;  came 
to  Oshkosh  in  June,  1847.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate 
in  1859-60;  has  served  as  County  Judge,  and  for  six  years  he 
was  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  besides  holding  various  city  and 
county  offices.  The  Judge  has  been  interested  in  real  estate  and 
lumbering  most  of  the  time  since  he  came  to  Wisconsin.  For  the 
last  five  years  he  has  given  nearly  his  entire  time  to  his  logging 
and  pine  land  interests.  In  November,  1850,  he  was  married,  at 
Oshkosh,  to  Sarah  B.  Strickland,  a  native  of  Livermore,  Maine. 
They  have  four  children — Clara  W.,  now  Mrs  Charles  H.  Morgan, 
of  Lamar,  JIo. ;  John  R.,  associated  with  his  father  in  lumber 
business ;  Mary  G.  and  Alice. 

S.  H.  WATERMAN,  filer,  with  McMiUen,  was  born  in  Nor- 
wich, Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Dec.  23,  1844;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1863,  and  located  in  Oshkosh ;  engaged  in  milling  and  general 
occupations,  sawing  two  seasons.  Has  been  filing  since  1865, 
and  with  his  present  employer  since  fall  of  1874.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Oshkosh,  Dec.  24,  1865,  to  Miss  Maria  L.  Howard,  of 
Oshkosh.  They  have  three  children — Albert  H.,  Alice  M.,  and 
Grace  E.  Mr.  Waterman  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  I.  0.  0.  F. 

DAVID  WETHERBY,  lumberman  and  logger.  He  was 
born  in  New  Brunswick  Oct.  1,  1823,  and  began  work  for  his 
father,  David  Weatherby,  of  the  St.  Croix  River,  in  Maine  and 
New  Brunswick,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  where  he  followed 
lumbering  until  1855,  and  in  September  of  the  sime  year  came  to 
Oshkosh,  Wis.;  he  first  worked  four  years  for  other  parties  in  the 
pineries,  and  began  business  on  his  own  hook  in  the  winter  of 
1859;  he  employs  about  thirty  men  during  the  logging  season, 
and  gets  out  on  an  average  two  million  to  three  million  feet ;  for 
the  last  seven  years,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  Little  Wolf  pine- 
ries, and  sells  his  products  in  Oshko.sh  and  Fond  du  Lac.  He  was 
married  in  New  Brunswick,  Sept.  22,  1847,  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Mc- 
CuUough,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place  ;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren living — ^Joseph  M.,  now  married  and  engaged  for  his  father 
in  the  pineries  ;  Nettie  M.,  now  married  to  Mr.  Evan  Ewens  and 
living  in  the  city;   David  T.,  at  home. 

JAMES  II.  WEED,  lumber  manufacturer;  came  to  Oshkosh 
in  1846  ;  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  many  years  after 
coming  here;  in  1862,  he  built  his  present  saw-mill,  and  since 
then  he  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber. Mr.  Weed  is  recognized  as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  has 
contributed  largely  toward  promoting  the  interests  of  Oshkosh. 


A.  W.  WEISBROD,  lawyer;  was  born  in  Oshkosh  Oct.  4, 
1851  ;  he  graduated  from  the  Classical  Department  of  the  Michi- 
gan University  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  spent  two  years  in  the  univer- 
sities of  Berlin,  Heidelberg  and  Leipsic,  in  Germany  ;  prior  to 
going  to  Europe,  he  had  commenced  the  study,  and  when  he  re- 
turned to  Oshkosh  in  1873,  he  again  took  up  that  study,  and,  in 
October,  1874,  was  admitted  to  the  bar;  he  was  associatsd  with 
his  father,  Charles  A.  Weisbrod,  and  Charles  W.  Felker,  in  prac- 
tice, until  his  father's  death  in  1876;  afterward,  for  about  one 
year,  he  continued  with  Mr.  Felker;  since  January,  1879,  he  has 
been  engaged  in  practice  with  Henry  B.  Harshaw.  Mr.  Weis- 
brod's  father  was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1849  ; 
he  was  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  this  region,  and  for  ten 
years  prior  to  his  death  (May  21,  1876)  he  had  been  a  partner 
with  Charles  W.  Felker;  his  widow  (Eliza  Goetz  Weisbrod)  still 
resides  at  Oshkosh. 

C.  S.  WESTON,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  groceries,  pro- 
visions, and  commission  business,  15  Main  street.  He  settled  in 
Oshkosh,  Wis.,  in  1858,  and  began  buying  produce  of  all  kinds, 
making  trips  on  Fox  River  from  Oshkosh  to  Portage  City,  follow- 
ing that  two  years ;  bought  live  stock  two  years,  shipping  to  Chi- 
cago and  the  Lake  Superior  region,  and  established  his  grocery 
trade  in  1862;  he  was  very  successful,  but  during  the  great  fires 
which  laid  the  city  in  ruins  he  lost  heavily ;  he  now  has  a  fine 
store  and  is  doing  a  good  trade.  Mr.  W.  made  a  trip  to  the  fa- 
mous Black  Hills  of  Dakota  in  the  spring  of  1878;  remained 
during  the  summer  season  ;  returned  soon,  and  has  since  continued 
his  business  as  noted.  He  was  born  in  Warren,  Litchfield  Co., 
Conn.,  June  5,  1826;  was  married,  Jan.  17,  1857,  in  Akron, 
Ohio,  to  Miss  Philena  M.  Stilwell,  who  was  born  near  the  latter 
city;  they  have  four  sons — Wilber  K.,  now  married  and  doing 
business  in  Florence,  Wis.;  Frank  D.,  assisting  his  father;  Harry 
B.,  at  home  learning  telegraphy  ;  Warren,  attending  school ;  Maud, 
now  deceased. 

FRANK  WESCOTT,  tank  maker  in  Schmit  Bros.'  factory. 
Mr.  Wescott  was  born  in  England  Dec.  24,  1839,  and  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1860.  He  was  a  member  of  the  British 
army,  and  went  to  Halifiix,  Nova  Scotia ;  remained  in  the  army 
five  years  and  eight  months ;  was  then  discharged  Aug.  20, 1863. 
He  then  went  to  New  York  City,  lived  there  a  short  time,  went 
to  Chicago,  111.,  and  learned  the  trunk  maker's  trade,  remaining 
three  years.  Went  to  Racine  and  followed  his  trade  in  company 
with  Schmit  Bros.,  being  a  partner.  He  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis., 
in  1868,  and  has  been  there  since,  engaged  as  above  noted.  He 
was  married,  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  May  1,  1871,  to  Mi.-s  Susannah 
Trausch,  who  was  born  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxemburg,  Ger- 
many. 

GEORGE  WHITTAKER,  of  the  firm  of  C.  Heim  &  Co., 
marble  dealers.  Mr.  Whittacker  was  born  in  Scotland  Sept.  8, 
1843,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1848,  with  his  parents,  and 
settled  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  where  they  lived  one  year.  Then  moved 
to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  lived  there  until  1862,  and  learned  a 
portion  of  his  trade.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  24th  W.  V.  I. ;  served 
during  the  war,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Perryville,  Stone 
River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Resaca,  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Franklin,  Nashville,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain 
and  all  the  principal  battles  in  that  vicinity.  Was  mustered  out 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  June,  1865.  He  returned  to  Jlilwaukee 
and  engaged  in  marble  cutting  one  year.  Went  to  Chicago,  111., 
and  followed  his  trade  until  1870.  Went  to  New  York  City,  worked 
three  months  at  same.  Then  to  Boston,  Mass.,  worked  at  his  trade 
five  years,  and  returned  to  Milwaukee  and  worked  at  his  trade 
three  years.  Then  kept  a  summer  resort  until  Oct.  13,  1880, 
when  he  moved  to  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  the  marble 
business.  He  was  married,  in  Chicago,  111.,  May,  1875,  to  Miss 
Eliza  Daily,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.  They  have  three 
children — Dorrit,  Nellie  and  Charles. 

FRANZ  W I LLE,  dealer  in  general  line  hardware,  stoves  and 
tinware,  25  Main  street,  established  his  store  in  1867.  Trade 
amounts  to  $23,000  per  annum  in  good  business  times.     He  em- 


HISTORY   OF    WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


167 


jiloys  two  men.  He  was  born  in  Germany  in  Kingdom,  Prussia 
Sept.  23,  1825.  Emigrattd  to  America  in  1843,  and  located  in 
Milwaukee,  Wi.s. ;  followed  different  kinds  of  business  ;  also  clerked 
for  the  once  hardware  king,  Mr.  John  Nazro,  a  number  of  years. 
He  then  came  to  Oshkosh  in  1867,  his  goods  arriving  before  he 
did.  He  was  married,  in  Milwaukee,  in  1854,  to  Miss  P]miiy 
Buestrin,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee.  They  have  five  children 
living — John,  Edward,  Ida,  Richard  and  Ada.  His  oldest  son, 
John,  is  now  married  and  living  in  Oshkosh. 

GEORGE  M.  WILLIAVISON,  of  the  firm  of  Williamson, 
Libbey  &  Co.,  sash,  door  and  blind  manufacturers;  was  born  in 
Melrose-on-the-Tweed,  Scotland,  Feb.  18,  1830;  came  to  Schnec- 
fady,  N.  Y.,  with  his  parents,  in  1833.  In  1854,  he  went  to 
California,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  In  September,  1856, 
he  came  to  Oshkosh,  Wis. ;  engau:ed  in  carpenter  and  joiner  busi- 
ness here  until  1864,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  Morgan 
Bros  ,  and  was  connected  with  their  planing-mill  until  1866,  when 
he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Grifilth  &  Co.,  who  purchased 
the  planing-mill  of  Morgan  Bros.  In  187U,  the  firm  of  G.  M. 
Williamson  &  Co.  was  formed,  and  continued  until  the  establish- 
ment of  the  present  firm  of  Williamson,  Libbey  &  Co.,  which  is 
composed  of  G.  M.  Williamson,  J.  J.  Cameron,  J.  R.  Jones  and 
D.  L.  Libbey. 

HENRY  WILSON,  foreman  W.  L.  &  Co.;  was  born  in 
Lincoln  Co.,  Maine,  Sept.  17,  1820  ;  was  first  engaged  in  milling 
business  in  Maine.  About  1854,  he  moved  to  Williamsport, 
Penn.,  and  engaged  in  same  business.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in 
1859,  located  in  Oshkosh,  and  engaged  in  tiling,  which  he  followed 
until  he  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  Co.  B,  3d  W.  V.  I.  ;  taken  prisoner  in 
1862  in  Banks'  retreat  in  Shenandoah  Valley.  He  was  sent  to 
Belle  Isle,  where  he  remained  some  four  months  ;  then  exchanged 
and  discharged  for  disability.  Returned  to  Oshkosh  for  a  time, 
and  then  he  removed  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  remained  some 
twelve  years  engaged  as  foreman  of  a  planing-mill.  Then  returned 
to  Oshkosh,  where  he  finally  located.  Has  been  with  pre-eat  firm 
BIX  years.  Was  married,  in  Chicago,  in  1865,  to  Mary  Reynolds, 
of  Chicago.  Mrs.  R.  had  at  time  two  children  by  her  former  hus- 
band— George  (died  in  1881),  John  R.,  now  in  Oshkosh.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  a  member  of  I.  0.  0   F. 

ANDREW  WILSON,  lumberman,  also  dealer  in  real  estate, 
mining  lauds,  etc.  He  first  located  in  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1843  ; 
farmed  one  year ;  moved  to  Walworth  Co.  in  1844;  engaged  in 
farming  six  years,  then  moved  to  Omro,  Wis.,  and  located  and  en- 
gaged in  lumber  business  until  within  a  few  years.  He  also  has 
recently  completed  a  fine  large  brick  building,  costing  about  $8,000, 
in  Omro,  Wis.,  to  be  used  for  stores  and  offices.  Mr.  ^V.  has  been 
a  resident  of  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  since  October,  1880.  He  was  born 
in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1821.  Was  married  in  Omro,  \Vis., 
in  1868,  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Holcomb,  who  was  born  in  Essex  Co., 
Vt.  They  have  five  children — Harley  A.,  now  married  and  living 
in  Omro,  farming,  Myron  E.,  Cora  E.,  Mary  E.  and  Fannie  L. 
Mr.  W.  is  a  member  of  the  Commandery  Lodge  of  Masons.  He 
went  on  a  pleasure  trip  to  California  in  fall  1875,  taking  his  family 
with  him  and  spent  two  years  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

E.  BARTON  WOOD,  M.  D.,  Principal  of  High  School ;  born 
in  1838,  at  Whitestown,  N.  Y.;  graduated  at  Hamil  on  College, 
Clinton,  N.  Y.,  in  1864  ;  enlisted  in  1863,  in  3d  Artillery,  N.  Y. 
Vol.;  promoted  to  Reg.  Com.  Sergeant.,  then  to  Regt.  Q  M.  Ser- 
geant ;  then  2d  Lieutenant.  Soon  after  promoted  to  1st  Lieutenant. 
He  was  in  command  of  a  battery  a  number  of  months,  under 
Gen.  Schofield  ;  joined  Gen.  Sherman  at  Gold.sboro,  and  went  to 
Raleigh.  Lieutenant  Wood  was  allowed  a  furlough  to  return  to 
Hamilton  College  in  1864,  having  kept  up  his  college  studies.  He 
resigned  from  the  array  in  May,  1865.  Was  clerk  in  Quarter- 
master's department  till  August,  1865  ;  engaged  as  Principal  of 
Ward  School,  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  In  1866,  Principal  of  Loweville 
Academy.  In  1867,  an  offer  was  made  to  Lieutenant  Wood  from 
Romeo,  Mich.,  to  establish  a  system  of  graded  schools  ;  left  there 
1873,  for  Racine,  to  be  the   Principal  of  High  School;  came  to 


Oshkosh  in  1874,  and  has  been  Principal  of  the  High  School  ever 
since.  He  is  a  very  popular  man,  and  his  teaching  is  highly  suc- 
cessful. His  graduates  take  high  positions  as  teachers.  In  1865, 
he  married  Sarah  Tolman,  of  Medford,  Mass.;  she  died  July, 
1867.  He  married  again  in  18V9.  Miss  Helen  Palen,  of  Romeo, 
Mich.  They  have  three  children — Jessie  P.,  aged  nine  years,  Al- 
fred E.,  seven  years,  and  Clinton,  of  five  years.  Mr.  Wood 
is  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  here,  now  elder 
and  trustee. 

L.  B.  WRIGHT,  filer  for  Radford  Bros.,  was  born  in 
Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  16.  1840.  His  parents,  Joseph  and 
Phoebe  fNeal)  Wright,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1858,  settling  in 
Oshkosh  where  they  still  live,  they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding 
Sept.  22,  1881.  L.  B.  engaged  in  sawmills  as  a  young  man, 
setting  for  a  short  time,  and  filing  and  sawing  since  1862,  with 
the  exception  of  two  summers  he  was  away  from  Oshkosh  ;  with 
present  firm  since  1880.  He  was  married  in  Fremont,  Waupaca 
Co.,  WHs,,  April  16,  1861,  to  Miss  Susan  Isbel.  They  have  two 
children — Custis  Joseph  and  Charles  Henry. 

WM.  H.  WYMAN,  engineer  at  Foote  Bros.'  mill,  was  born 
in  Montpelier,  Vt.,  Feb.  16,  1853.  His  parents  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1859,  and  located  in  Berlin;  they  remained  until  about 
1865,  when  they  returned  to  Vermont.  Wm.  H.  left  home  in 
1869,  and  lived  at  different  places  ;  was  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  about 
two  years,  engaged  as  engineer;  has  followed  this  business,  in  all, 
some  seven  or  eight  years ;  engaged  with  present  firm  April, 
1881. 

W.  WYL  AND,  manufacturer  of  carriages,  wagons,  and  repair- 
ing done,  also  general  blacksmithing.  Mr.  W.  was  born  in  Elk- 
hart Co.,  Ind.,"'Sept.  1,  1843;  settled  at  Oshkosh,  July  14,  1871  ; 
first  worked  at  his  trade  for  other  parties,  and  began  for  himself 
in  1878.  He  began  in  a  small  way  at  first,  but  now  has  all  he 
can  attend  to.  Was  married  in  Oshkosh,  June  17,  1874,  to  Miss 
Jennie  McMillan,  who  was  born  in  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1853. 
They  have  one  son  named  Levi  A.  Mr.  W.  enlisted  in  Co.  C, 
11th  Reg.  Mich.  Inft.,  Oct.  28,  1864  ;  served  eleven  months  and 
was  mustered  out  at  Jackson,  Mich.,  Sept.  28,  1864. 


NEEXAH  ANDMENASHA. 

Where  the  north  end  of  Lake  Winnebago  contracts  into 
the  outlet  of  the  Wolf  River  lies  a  tract  of  land,  some  800 
acres  in  extent,  known  as  Doty's  Island.  On  each  side 
runs  a  narrow  channel,  which  unites  and  expands  again 
above  the  island  into  Little  Butte  des  Morts.  Before  civil- 
ization came  to  despoil  her  of  her  beauties,  this  spot  was  a 
favored  child  of  nature  and  beloved  as  a  home  by  nature's 
children.  For  a  long  time,  within  the  memory  of  man, 
Doty's  Island  was  the  headquarters  of  a  tribe  of  Winneba- 
goes,  while  across  the  northern  channel,  on  what  is  now  the 
Menasha  side,  lived  a  friendly  band  of  Menoraonees.  To 
the  south  again,  on  the  mainland,  was  an  Indian  settlement, 
now  Neenah.  The  land  thus  occupied  became  the  sites  of 
Neenah  and  Menasha,  a  line  passing  nearly  tlirough  the  mid- 
dle of  the  island  separating  tlie  two  cities.  Before  the  advent 
of  railroads,  when  the  Fox  River  promised  to  be  the  great 
commercial  highway  of  Wisconsin  and  the  Northwest  in 
point  of  natural  location,  the  two  cities  seemed  to  be 
tinrivaled. 

"Tread  lightly,  for  this  is  historic  ground."  All  the 
early  Jesuit  Fathers  and  French  and  English  travelers  have 
at  times  set  foot  upon  this  soil.  Here  it  was  where  occurred 
the  final  conflict  between  the  French  with  the  allied  Indian 
tribes  and  the  fierce  and  implacable  Foxes,  which  resulted 
in  the  expulsion  of  the  latter  from  the  lovely  valley  which 
they  had  disgraced.  On  the  south  bank  of  the  Fox  was 
that  "  Treaty  elm,"  under  whose  branches  were  conducted 


1 68 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


so  many  councils  by  the  dusky  children  of  the  valley.  On 
this  spot  was  finally  laid  the  foundation  of  Neenah,  upon  an 
idea  based  upon  the  improvement  and  civilization  of  its  na- 
tive occupants. 

FOUNDING    OF    NEENAH. 

In  1834,  in  pursuance  with  the  treaty  made  with  the 
Menomonee  Indians  in  1831,  Winnebago  Rapids  was  selected 
as  the  site  for  the  Government  agency.  The  next  year  the 
saw  and  grist  mill  was  erected,  known  as  the  "  Old  Govern- 
ment Mill,"  and  thirty-three  log  houses  divided  into  three 
rows  were  built  for  the  itccommodation  of  the  teachers, 
farmers,  other  (Jovernment  officers  and  the  Indians  wlio 
were  to  be  civilized.  The  contractors  were  William  Dicken- 
son and  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green  Bay.  Nathaniel  Perry, 
one  of  the  farmer  teachers,  had  arrived  in  1834  and  moved 
into  his  log  house  with  his  family.  Afterward,  in  the  same 
capacity,  came  Clark  Dickenson,  Robert  Irwin  and  Ira 
Baird,  also  of  Green  Bay,  who  moved  into  the  houses 
erected  for  them  by  the  Government.  Five  houses  were 
built  for  the  men  who  were  to   run   the   mill.     That  which 


tlie  market  in  1846,  and  although  for  some  reason  it  was 
very  difficult  to  have  the  land  officers  at  Green  Bay  admit 
that  they  were  for  sale.  Many  settlers  commenced  to  enter 
claims  and  locate.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  G.  P.  Vin- 
ing  and  George  Harlow,  who  had  been  employed  by  Mr. 
Reed  on  the  mills  and  wing-dam  during  the  winter,  went  to 
Green  Bay  for  the  purpose  of  entering  land,  but  were  met 
with  the  old  reply,  "The  lands  were  not  in  the  market." 
Foreseeing  this,  however,  they  had  armed  themselves  with 
the  Presidential  Proclamation  offering  the  lands  for  sale, 
and  presenting  the  document  like  a  weapon  of  offense, 
forced  the  sale  and  returned  triumphant  to  the  Rapids.  In 
1S45,  ex-Gov.  James  Duane  Doty  settled  with  his  family  upon 
the  island,  which  bears  his  name.  In  March,  1846,  Rev. 
0.  P.  Clinton,  of  the  American  Board  of  Home  Missions, 
took  up  his  residence  in  one  of  the  log  houses  near  the 
Council  Tree,  and  in  May  the  first  minister  married  the 
first  couple,  John(?)  F.  Johnston  and  Jeanette  Finch,  sister 
of  Mrs.  Clinton.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  came  Harvey 
Jones,  of  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  who  had  lent  Mr.  Reed  funds 


.5^^^ 


»^ 


-4,   -.^&^i^- 


CITY  OF  NEENAH. 


Stood  on  the  lake  shore,  at  the  east  end  of  Wisconsin  avenue, 
was  for  years  the  residence  of  Harrison  Reed,  the  real  founder 
of  Neenah.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  the  Indian  agency 
proved  a  failure.  The  Menoraonees  preferred  to  shelter 
their  horses  rather  than  themselves  in  the  Government 
houses,  or  to  build  fires  upon  the  floors  of  their  log  huts 
rather  than  in  the  civilized  iron  receptacles.  The  Govern- 
ment farmers  and  teachers  became  discouraged  and  moved 
away.  In  September,  1836.  both  parties  were  glad  enough 
to  annul  the  agreement.  At  the  same  time  they  ceded  the 
remainder  of  their  lands  in  Winnebago  County  north  of  the 
Upper  Fox.  Tliese  were  surveyed  by  Garret  Vliet,  of  Mil- 
waukee, under  the  direction  of  A.  G.  Ellis.  Surveyor  Gen- 
eral, in  1839.  In  1844  Harrison  Reed,  who  had  visited 
the  locality  the  previous  winter,  came  into  possession  of 
562  acres  of  the  agency  land,  with  buildings  and  improve- 
ments, and  settled  here  with  his  family,  to  found  a  city. 
He  is  not  entitled  to  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  set- 
tler, however,  for  in  August,  1843,  George  H.  Mansur  and 
family  had  been  induced  to  permanently  locate  here  and 
assist  in  putting  the  old  mills  and  buildings  into  decent 
shape.     The  other  lands  upon  the  site  of  Neenah  came  into 


with  which  to  avert  the  threatened  sah;  of  tlie  property  by 
the  Government,  on  account  of  non  payment  of  the  pur- 
chase money  ($4,760).  Other  new  comers  settled  about 
this  time,  there  being  a  decided  influx  during  1846-47. 
The  settlement  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  was  growing 
into  a  decided  village,  but  upon  the  island  and  the  Menasha 
side  there  was  virtually  nothing,  although  the  lands  in  that 
locality  had  been  offered  for  sale  as  early  as  1835. 

In  August,  1835,  when  the  land  upon  which  Menasha 
now  stands  was  first  oS"ered  for  sale,  James  Duane  Doty 
bid  in  most  of  it,  settling  upon  a  portion  of  his  purchase  in 
1845.  In  February,  1847,  a  company  was  chartered  to 
improve  the  water-power.  It  consisted  of  Gov.  Doty 
and  his  son  Charles,  Harrison  Reed  and  his  brother  Curtis, 
and  Harvey  Jones.  Curtis  Reed  had  been  a  Government 
beef  contractor  for  the  Indians,  at  Grand  Butte  des  Morts, 
and  altogether  quite  a  man  of  afl[;iirs.  He  determined,  in 
company  with  ex-Gov.  Doty,  to  found  a  rival  town  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river.  With  this  object  in  view,  he 
came  to  reside  permanently.  He  built  a  log  house  at  ihe 
head  of  the  present  canal,  started  a  store  in  another  build- 
ing which  he  erected,  and  commenced  the  construction  of 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


169 


the  dam.  The  company  which  had  organized  for  the 
mutual  improvement  of  a  water-power  which  should  benefit 
both  localities,  was  divided  into  two  factions.  Gov.  Doty 
and  Curtis  Reed,  of  course,  were  one  in  aims.  Har- 
rison Reeil,  because  of  his  disagreements  with  Harvey  Jones 
in  regard  to  their  rival  village  plats,  often  threw  his  influ- 
ence with  them,  although  his  interests  were  with  Neenah 
and  Winnebago  Rapids.  In  1849,  the  disputes  and  legal 
quarrels  culminated  in  the  strife  over  the  location  of  the 
State  canal,  which  was  to  connect  Lake  Winnebago  and 
Butte  des  Morts.  Curtis  Reed  obtained  the  contract,  but 
on  account  of  the  enlargement  of  the  original  plan,  turned 
the  work  over  for  completion  to  another  company.  Not  to 
be  outdone,  however,  Harvey  Jones  commenced  the  building 
of  a  canal  to  supply  power  to  the  Neenah  mills,  but  did  not 
live  to  see  it  completed.  He  died  in  November,  184!'. 
The  work  was  continued  under  the  administrators  of  his 
estat*.     The  canal  lock  was  completed  in  1852,  and  in  1856 


ing-mill,  transformed  soon  into  a  furniture  factory,  and  after- 
ward known  as  the  Empire  Flour  Mills.  The  building 
was  torn  down  in  1874,  and  Patten's  paper  mills  erected 
upon  the  site.  In  1850,  J.  R.  and  H.  L.  Kimberly,  late 
settlers,  commenced  the  erection  of  the  flouring-mills  which 
stand  as  the  oldest  representatives  of  the  early  manufac- 
tories along  the  water-power.  The  machinery  and  grinding 
stones  were  shipped  by  water  to  Green  Bay,  having  been 
taken  from  an  old  mill  at  Rensselaerville,  N.  Y.,  and  then 
transported  to  Neenah  by  Durham  boats.  The  portages 
were  overcome  at  great  e.vpense  of  time,  patience  and  mus- 
cle, as  this  was  before  the  days  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
River  improvements.  In  1852-' 3,  Edward  Smith,  Hugh 
Sherry  and  H.  Wheeler,  built  the  Winnebago  Flouring 
Mills.  In  1857,  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Proctor  (John  Proc- 
tor) was  formed.  The  mills  were  greatly  improved  in  1877. 
This  may  be  said  to  close  the  list  of  the  early  manufactories 
of  Neenah. 


the  steamer  Aquila  passed  through  it  on  the  first  trip  to 
Green  Bay  and  return.  These  affairs,  which  may  seem  so 
unimportant  now,  when  railroads  supply  business  life  and 
maintain  commercial  relations  with  the  world,  were  then 
weighty  with  significance  and  future  importance. 

The  old  Government  saw  and  grist-mill  was  the  father  of 
the  manufactories  of  Neenah,  and  was  burned  in  the 
spring  of  1874.  In  the  spring  of  1848,  Charles  Linds- 
ley  and  Harvey  Jones  commenced  the  erection  of  a  saw- 
mill, which  was  the  first  manufactory  built  on  the  water- 
power  by  private  parties.  It  was  situated  where  the  Nee- 
nah Paper  Mdls  now  stand.  The  latter  soon  became  sole 
proprietor,  and  thus  continued  until  his  death  in  1849. 
In  1850,  Robert  Hold,  Asa  Jones  and  William  L.  Linds- 
ley  purchased  the  mill  of  his  estate,  and  operated  a  lath 
and  furniture  manufactory.  The  former  became  proprie- 
tor in  1852,  and  continued  to  carry  on  the  business  until 
tlie  building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  18(54.  About  the 
same  time  that  Messrs  Jones  and  Lindsley  commenced  the 
erection  of  their  mill,  Donaldson,  Lajest  k  Co.  built  a  plan- 
74 


Returning  to  Menasha,  it  is  found  that  Curtis  Reed  and 
Cornelius  Northrup  had  been  just  finishing  the  dam  com- 
menced in  1848.  This  year  (1850)  they  put  their  saw-mill 
in  operation,  and,  soon  after,  with  the  assistance  of  H.  A. 
Burts,  an  addition  was  built,  and  run  as  a  grist-mill.  Upon 
its  site  now  stands  the  large  Eagle  Flouring  Mills,  Alex- 
ander Symes,  proprietor.  H.  A.  Burts  is  a  skillful  mill- 
wright, on  Winnebago  avenue.  Two  saw-mills,  a  furniture 
factory,  and  a  tub  and  pail  factory,  were  in  operation  before 
the  year  1850  had  come  to  a  close.  The  next  year  the  steamer 
Menasha  was  built  by  Messrs.  Doty  and  Reed,  a  dock  and 
warehouse  were  constructed,  and  the  village  on  the  island 
(Menasha  it  had  been  named  several  years  previously,  by 
Mrs.  Doty),  snappe<l  her  fingers  at  the  village  to  the  south, 
which  hitherto  had  been  giving  her  the  go-by  in  the  way  of 
transportation  facilities.  Another  steamer  was  soon  put  on 
between  Menasha  and  Grand  Chute ;  through  the  efforts  of 
Capt.  L.  B.  McKinnon,  a  plank  road  was  constructed  to 
Appleton,  and  Menasha  so  fairly  "  boomed  "  with  enterprise 
as  to  cause  serious  uneasiness  to  the  Twin  City.    It  seems 


HISTORY   OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


that,  at  tills  stage  of  the  rivalry,  when  it  was  evident  that 
both  Neenah  and  Meiiasha  were  bound  to  live  and  grow,  as 
two  of  the  important  manufacturing  points  of  the  State, 
that  the  twin  cities  began  to  see  how  much  better  it  would 
be  to  bridge  over  their  differences  to  some  extent,  and  work 
together.  At  all  events,  in  1851.  a  bridge  was  thrown  across 
the  south  channel  of  the  river  to  the  island,  as  a  peace- 
offering  from  the  people  of  Neenah,  and  Menasha  did  her 
part  by  constructing  one  across  the  northern  stream. 

MENASHA    AS  A  VILLAIiE. 

In  May.  1849,  the  original  plat  of  Menasha  was  recorded, 
and  the  village  incorporated  in  July,  1853.  The  village 
was  divided  into  two  wards,  and  Curtis  Reed  was  first  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  Its  business  steadily  in- 
creased, a  new  impetus  being  given  in  1861  by  the  e.xtension 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  road  to  Appleton  via  Neenah 
and  Menasha.  Ten  years  later  came  the  Wisconsin  Central, 
and  in  1873  the  Milwaukee  &  Northern  road  was  built. 

NEENAH  AS  A  VILLAGE. 

In  September,  1847,  Harrison  Reed  recorded  the  first 
village  plat  of  Neenah,  and  in  January,  1848,  Harvey  Jones 
recorded  the  village  plat  of  Winnebago  Rapids.  It  was 
Mr.  Jones'  intention  to  have  his  plat  known  as  "Neenah," 
but  although  he  had  his  land  surveyed  first,  Mr.  Reed  re- 
corded his  plat  first,  stealing  the  former's  name.  The  latter 
therefore  recorded  his  village  as  Winnebago  Rapids,  which 
was  incorporated  in  1850.  In  March,  1856,  the  two  plats 
were  consolidated  and  the  corporate  name  of  the  village 
changed  to  Neenah.  J.  B.  Hamilton  was  the  first  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

NEENAH  AS  A  CITY. 

Although  Menasha  was  regularly  incorporated  first  as  a 
village,  Neenah  preceded  her  twin  sister  one  year  as  a  city. 
The  latter  took  these  honers  upon  herself  March  9,  187-3, 
adopting  the  old  "  council  tree  "  as  the  municipal  seal.  Ac- 
cording to  the  last  census  her  population  is  4,205,  leading 
Menasha  by  over  1,000.  C.  B.  Clark  is  Mayor  of  the  city. 
The  principal  residence  streets  are  clean  and  shaded  with 
thick  foliage  and  adorned  with  beautiful  residences.  Sub- 
stantial business  blocks  line  her  principal  thoroughfares  of 
trade,  while  the  island  and  vicinity  of  the  water-power  are 
covered  with  her  many  manufoctures.  She  has  schools  and 
churches  well  maintained  ;  hotels  and  summer  resorts  at  the 
head  of  which  stand  the  Russell  House  and  Roberts  Hotel. 
The  former  was  erected  in  1875  upon  the  site  of  the  old 
Weeden  Hotel,  the  city  voting  $4,000  to  aid  in  its  erection. 
John  Roberts'  Resort,  located  upon  the  old  homestead  of 
Gov.  Doty,  was  opened  to  the  public  in  1877  and  is  a 
favorite  and  favored  locality  with  summer  tourists.  The 
city  has.  moreover,  gas  works,  of  so  much  convenience  to 
her  peoflj.  Neenah  was  first  lighted  by  gas  in  December, 
1878.  But  her  great  pride  is  still  her  manufactures,  and 
a  brief,  yet  comprehensive  view  of  them  will  be  given  as 
they  exist  to-day. 

MANUFA(TUKIN(i. 

After  the  erection  of  the  Winnebago  Flouring  Mills  in 
1852-53,  other  mills  were  built  near  A.  W.  Patten's  estab- 
lishment. But  the  next  important  manufactory  was  the 
Fox  River  Mills,  erected  by  Hugh  Sherry,  in  1856.  After 
passing  into  the  possession  of  Wm.  E.  and  J.  R.  Ford,  Kim- 


berly,  Clark  &  Co.  purchased  the  property  of  the  latter  and 
erected  the  Globe  Paper  Mills  in  1872.  In  1876  the  firm 
bought  the  Peckham  k  Krueger  foundry  and  moved  the  build- 
ing to  the  site  of  the  paper  mills,  where  it  was  transformed  into 
an  addition  thereof.  The  establishment  is  one  of  the  most 
complete  in  the  State.  The  firm  also  operate  the  Neenah 
Paper  Mills,  erected  in  1866  upon  the  site  of  Harvey  Jones' 
first  mill,  and  the  first  manufactory  of  the  kind  established 
on  the  water-power.  It  was  run  first  by  a  stock  company, 
of  which  Nathan  Cobb  was  President.  Then  the  mills  were 
run  by  Dr.  N.  S.  Robinson,  and  by  Smith  k  Van  Ostrand, 
coming  into  the  hands  of  the  present  proprietors  in  1874. 
During  the  same  year  A.  W.  Patten  established  his  large 
paper  mill,  upon  the  site  of  the  old  Empire  Flour  Mill.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  extensive  on  the  power.  In  February 
of  this  year  the  Winnebago  Paper  Mill  was  commenced 
upon  the  site  of  the  old  Government  mill,  which  was  des- 
troyed by  fire.  In  1876  it  came  into  possession  of  the  stock 
company,  J.  R.  Davis,  President.  All  of  these  mills  are 
substantially  built  of  brick,  and  if  nothing  more  were  in 
sight,  would  establish  Neenah's  reputation  as  the  city  of 
manufectures. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  manufacture  of  paper  is  that 
of  flour,  and  after  the  erection  of  the  D.  L.  Kimberly  and 
the  Winnebago  Mills,  the  next  large  establishments  which 
sprung  up,  were  the  brick  and  stone  mills,  now  united  under 
the  management  of  Clement  &  Stevens,  and  known  as  the 
Falcon  Mills.  After  undergoing  many  changes  and  im- 
provements, they  were  purchased  by  the  present  proprietors 
in  1873.  In  1877,  the  rear  walls  of  the  stone  mill  were 
torn  down  and  the  establishment  rebuilt.  The  Reliance 
Mill  was  erected  by  J.  R.  Kimberlv  k  Co.  (J.  R.  Kimberlv, 
his  son,  J.  A.  and  H.  Babcock).  m  1868  and  1869.  For 
ten  years  the  business  was  carried  on  by  the  above  parties, 
when  the  present  firm  was  formed.  Their  building  is  of 
stone,  large  and  handsome.  There  are  several  other  mills 
in  operation,  which  in  any  other  city  would  be  considered 
foremost  in  this  line  of  manufacture. 

The  manufacture  of  lumber  in  its  various  forms,  is  also 
quite  extensively  conducted.  Wickert's  and  Sanford's 
planing  mills,  Henry  Sherry's  lumber  manufactory,  Theo 
dore  Bruin's  barrel  and  stave  factory,  etc.,  etc.,  are  fair 
illustrations  of  the  push  and  enterprise  shown  in  this  par- 
ticular. There  are  several  large  dealers  in  agricultural 
implements,  one  manufacturer  of  farm  machinery,  brick 
manufacturers  and  several  large  machine  shops  and  found- 
ries. Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  iron  manufactur- 
ers is  the  Neenah  Stove  Works.  They  were  established 
as  a  foundry  in  1857,  by  W.  N.  and  A.  K.  Moore  and  B. 
W.  Wells,  under  the  firm  name  of  Moore  &  Wells.  After 
passing  under  several  managements,  and  gradually  develop- 
ing into  the  present  extensive  works,  the  works  came  into 
the  possession  of  Bergstroin  Bros.  &  Co.  The  plow  works 
were  established  by  John  Bergstroin,  the  father  of  the  pres- 
ent proprietors.  The  plow  works  of  William  Aylward  were 
established  by  the  present  proprietor  in  1872,  and  do  a 
good  business  in  their  line. 

National  Bank  of  Xi-emi/i. — Messrs.  David  Smith  and 
Robert  Sheills  estal)Iished  a  private  bank  in  September 
1861.  In  November,  1865,  the  National  Bank  of  Neenah 
was  organized,  with  Henry  Hewitt.  Sr.,  President,  and 
Robert  Sheills,  Cashier.  It  does  the  usual  banking  busi- 
ness, and  is  one  of  the  institutions  of  which  Neenah  is 
proud. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


Tlie  Press. — Harrison  Reed,  D.  Hyer,  J.  N.  Stone  and 
others,  established  several  papers  between  1856  and  1863. 
The  Island  City  Times,  founded  by  the  latter  in  October, 
1863,  and  issued  until  July,  1870,  was  removed  to  Mena- 
sha  in  1871,  and  became  the  basis  of  the  Press.  Its  name 
had  been  changed  to  the  Winnebago  County  Press  before 
it  was  removed  to  Menasha.  This  left  Neenah  without 
a  paper,  and  in  1871,  Charles  H.  Boynton  established 
the  Neenah  Gazette.  In  1874,  G.  A.  Cunningham  became 
proprietor,  and  so  continued  until  shortly  before  his  death, 
in  April,  1878,  when  he  sold  out  to  H.  L.  Webster.  The 
firm  afterward  became  Webster  &  Bowron.  L.  F.  Cole 
has  assumed  the  management  for  about  a  year. 

In  October,  1875,  J.  N.  Stone  first  issued  the  Neenah 
Xews.  In  1876,  its  name  was  changed  to  the  Neenah  City 
Times.  In  the  summer  of  1881,  the  Daily  Twin  City  News 
was  established  by  Messrs.  Bowron  &  Potter. 

7'he  Schools. — In  the  spring  of  1847,  a  small  building 
was  erected  for  a  grocery  store,  but  in  the  summer  the  first 
public  school  was  opened  and  taught  by  Mrs.  Samuel 
Mitchell,  nee  Miss  Caroline  Boynton.  In  1875,  the  office 
of  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  was  created.  Now  in 
addition  to  the  magnificent  high  school  building  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $25,000,  there  are  three  other  structures  devoted 
to  educational  purposes,  that  in  the  Second  Ward  not  being 
in  use.  The  high  school  building,  a  brick  structure,  two 
stories  and  basement,  was  finished  in  May,  1880,  at  a  cost 
of  $25,000.  It  is  100  feet  square,  and  is  provided  with  all 
the  conveniences  known  to  school  architecture.  The  seat- 
ing capacity  of  the  building  is  800.  H.  0.  Hobart,  the 
principal,  has  two  assistants. 

The  First  Ward  building  (Point  School)  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  100.  It  is  a  one-story  brick  structure,  built  in 
1871.     Miss  Amy  Warren  is  Principal. 

The  Third  Ward  building  has  a  seating  capacity  of  200  ; 
is  a  one-story  frame,  built  in  1864  and  since  improved. 
Mrs.  Montgomery  is  Principal. 

The  Fourth  Ward  building  was  erected  in  1875,  at  a 
cost  of  $4,500,  being  a  twostory  brick.  M.  E.  Mills  pre- 
sides over  the  two  departments,  consisting  of  100  pupils 
each.     J.  R.  Barnett  is  City  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

Churches — The  first  Protestant  services  were  held  by 
a  Methodist  Episcopal  circuit  preacher,  at  the  house  of 
Harrison  Reed,  in  1845.  Rev.  0.  P.  Clinton,  the  first  res- 
ident minister,  organized  a  Congregational  Society,  April 
4,  1847.  The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  C. 
Northrup,  on  January  22,  1847.  In  1851,  letters  were 
granted  to  those  desiring  to  form  a  Congregational  Society 
in  Menasha,  which  is  the  basis  of  the  church  in  that  city, 
over  which  Rev.  S.  V.  S.  Fisher  is  pastor.  A  building 
wjis  erected  by  the  Menasha  society,  in  February,  1851. 
In  1858,  their  church  building  was  erected,  now  occupied 
by  the  Catholics,  and  in  1867,  their  present  edifice  was 
built.  Their  property  is  now  valued  at  $8,000.  The 
membership  of  the  society  is  110. 

In  August,  1848,  Rev.  H.  M.  Robertson,  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  of  Missions,  visited  Neenah  and  was  the 
means  of  organizing  a  society  in  December  of  that  year. 
Thus  was  formed  the  "First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Win- 
nebago Rapids."  In  1852,  the  old  church,  which  became 
the  property  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society,  was  dedi- 
cated. The  Congregational  Society  was  re-organized  as  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church,  in  1860.  In  1870,  the  two 
Presbyterian    societies   united    as    the    First    Presbyterian 


Church,  and  Rev.  J.  E.  Chapin  became  its  pastor.  In 
1864,  a  beautiful  house  of  worship  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$5,000,  enlarged  upon  the  union  of  the  two  societies,  and 
finally  dedicated  January  1,  1871.  This  society,  one  of 
the  strongest  in  Neenah  or  Menasha,  is  still  under  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  J.  E.  Chapin,  and  is  the  only  representative 
of  that  creed  in  the  Twin  Cities. 

Although  semi-occasional  services  were  held  by  the 
Catholics  at  Winnebago  Rapids,  as  early  as  1836,  during 
the  existence  of  the  Government  agency,  it  was  not  until 
1848,  that  Father  Vanderbrook,  then  stationed  at  Little 
Chute,  established  a  regular  mission  a  few  miles  west  of  Me- 
nasha, for  the  accommodation  of  both  places.  Various  priests 
officiated  up  to  1854,  when  the  societies  in  the  two  villages 
were  united,  and  the  church  building  on  the  Island  was 
erected.  This  now  occupied  by  the  Catholic  Church  of 
St.  Charles,  Borroraeo,  whose  presiding  priest  is  Rev.  Father 
Balde,  and  whose  membership  is  about  200  families.  In 
1868,  the  brick  school  building  was  erected.  The  Sisters 
of  Notre  Dame  have  charge  of  the  120  pupils  who  attend 
it.  The  value  of  the  propertv,  including  the  priest's  house, 
is  $20,000.  In  1867,  St  Mary's  Catholic  (German)  Church 
was  organized  from  the  original  society,  a  building  pur- 
chased, from  the  Congregationalists  of  Menasha,  and  an  edi- 
fice for  the  accommodation  of  its  flourishing  school,  erected 
in  1868.  Father  Andrew  Siebert  is  the  rector.  Both 
church  and  school  are  of  about  the  same  strength  as  the  St. 
Charles  Borromeo. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  Rev.  W.  H.  Sampson  organized  the 
M.  E.  Society,  which  is  now  in  charge  of  Rev.  W.  G.  Hor- 
ton.  The  society  numbers  over  100,  and  is  strong  in  every 
detail.  The  organization  in  Menasha  was  formed  in  18.53, 
E.  Yocum  being  the  first  pastor.  In  1856,  a  church  edifice 
was  erected  upon  the  site  donated  by  Governor  Doty.  The 
society  flourishes  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  M.  Hime- 
baugh. 

In  July,  1851,  Rev.  Peter  Prink  organized  a  Baptist 
society  in  Neenah.  The  society  disbanded  in  November, 
1860,  and  the  Menasha  organization  was  formed.  In  June, 
1867,  Rev.  0.  W.  Babcock  became  pastor,  and  services 
were  held  in  both  places.  In  November,  the  first  B&ptist 
Church  of  Menasha  and  Neenah  was  formed,  a  building  pur- 
chased of  the  Norwegians,  and  removed  to  Commercial 
street.     Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  is  the  present  pastor. 

In  November,  1857,  Rev.  C.  C.  Edmonds  commenced 
to  hold  Episcopal  services  in  the  village  of  Menasha.  St. 
Stephen's  parish  was  organized  in  1859,  and  a  church 
edifice  erected  in  1859-60.  Trinity  Church,  Neenah,  was 
organized  in  July,  1866,  services  having  been  held  for  some 
years  previously.  The  society  was  formed  by  Rev.  Will- 
iam D.  Christian,  Rector  of  St.  Stephen's.  In  1869,  a 
building  was  erected.  Rev.  E.  Peake  being  in  charge  of  the 
two  societies.  Rev.  James  Upjohn  is,  at  present,  pastor  of 
both. 

The  First  Universalist  Society  of  Neenah  and  Menasha 
was  organized  in  1866,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Hussey  as  its  Pastor. 
A  church  was  erected  the  next  year  on  the  island,  the  pres- 
ent value  of  thefine  property  being  $7,500.  The  membership 
of  the  society — which  is  a  leading  one — is  between  sixty  and 
seventy.  Since  December,  1870,  Rev.  S.  W.  Sutton  has 
been  Pastor. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church,  Neenah,  organized  in 
December,  1865,  has  a  membership  of  105,  and  has  been  in 
charge  of  Rev.  G.  Denninger  since  the  spring  of  1880.     The 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN, 


society  at  Menasha,  under  his  charge,  was  founded  in  1856. 
The  Norwegian  Lutherans  of  Neenah  have  also  a  good  society, 
organized  in  1871.  There  is  also  a  Danish  Lutheran  and  a 
Danish  Baptist  Church.  The  Welsh  Calvinistic  and  Con- 
gregational Union  is  a  small  organization,  the  Calvinistic 
society  coming  into  existence  in  1848,  and  the  Congrega- 
tional in  1861. 

Societies. — As  in  the  case  of  her  churclies,  Neenah  and 
Menasha  have  become  so  closely  related  of  late  years,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  separate  her  secret  and  benevolent  societies. 
An  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge,  Neenah  No.  41,  was  organized 
December  12,  1849,  and  reorganized  in  1870,  after  sleeping 
ten  years  This  lodge  and  Menasha  No.  187,  are  now  both 
strong  and  flourishing.  The  first  lodge  of  Masons  was  or- 
ganized by  the  two  cities,  in  1855.  A  separation  took 
place  in  1857,  and  Menasha,  No.  61,  was  changed  to  Kane, 
No.  61 — the  Neenah  organization.  A  Good  Templar's 
lodge  was  formed  in  Neenah  at  an  early  day,  and  the  order 
now  is  strong  in  both  cities.  There  are  many  temperance 
societies  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  besides  those  connected 
with  the  churches  and  devoted  to  benevolent  purposes. 

The  Schuetzen  Bund  Sliooting  Society  of  Neenah  was 
formed  in  1870,  which,  with  the  Turnverein  of  Menasha, 
are  educators  in  the  manly  sports.  They  both  have  halls. 
The  Neenah  Yacht  Club,  organized  in  1874,  has  done  much 
to  draw  visitors'  attention  to  this  locality  as  a  pleasure 
resort.     The  club  has  thirty  active  members. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

WILLIAM  AYLWARD,  manufacturer  of  stoves,  plows, 
kettles,  etc.;  was  born  in  Ireland  May  4,  1838  ;  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  in  1844;  lived  at  Bellevue,  Canada,  one  year, 
father  died  there;  then  came  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  his 
mother  died.  William  lived  in  the  State  of  New  York  most  of 
the  time  until  he  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  1859  ;  he  was  fore- 
man in  the  foundry  of  Moore  &  Bro.  for  several  years,  and  in 
1871  he  established  his  own  factory  ;  he  began  with  two  men, 
now  employs  eip:hteen  men,  and  is  now  meUinf^  3,000  pounds  of 
iron  per  day.  Mr.  Aylward  was  married  at  Neenah  in  February, 
18G0,  to  Catharine  Dolan,  a  native  of  Ireland  ;  they  have  seven 
children — William,  Catharine,  Edmund,  Ella,  James  and  Mary. 
Mr.  A.  is  now  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward. 

GEORGE  O.  BERGSTROM,  of  the  firm  of  Berj^strom 
Bros.  &  Co.;  was  born  in  Norway,  March  Ki,  1849;  came  to 
Neenah  in  1852  ;  enj^aged  in  blaoksmithing  and  manufacturing 
plows  until  1878,  when  the  present  firm  was  organized.  He  is 
now  serving  as  Alderman  of  the  Second  Ward.  In  November, 
1874,  he  was  married  in  Neenah  to  Alice  D.  Smith,  a  native  of 
New  York.  They  have  two  children — Edwin  George  and  Lucy 
Seymour. 

Bergstrom  Brcs.  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  stoves,  hollow-ware 
and  plows  ;  they  employ  from  seventy  to  seventy-five  men,  and 
use  in  the  manufacture  of  their  goods  from  1,800  to  2,000  tons  of 
iron  per  annumn. 

ALEXANDER  BILLSTEIN,  merchant ;  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  Oct.  5,  1831;  came  to  America  in  1851  ; 
lived  in  Ohio  until  1854;  then  came  to  Milwaukee  where  he  re- 
mained until  became  to  Neenah,  May  7,  1851);  since  coming 
here,  hu  has  been  engaged  continuously  in  mercantile  business 
(never  sold  out  nor  failed);  he  is  also  extensively  engaged  in  deal- 
ing in  wool,  hops,  grain,  furs,  hides,  pelts,  etc.;  he  does  a  business 
of  about  $175,000  per  annum;  he  does  all  the  hide,  pelt  and 
hop  business  here;  some  years  he  handles  1,000  bale  of  hops,  and 
so  far  this  season,  he  has  bought  over  200,000  pounds  of  wool. 
Mr.  B.  was  President  of  the  village  two  terms;  in  1875,  he  was 
Mayor,  and  has  served  as  Alderman  ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  A., 
F.  &  A    M.,  I.  ().  O.  F.,  and  K.  of  II.      He  w;is  married  in  Mil- 


wankee.  May  4,  1856,  to  Elizabeth  Alschul ;  she  was  born  near 
the  city  of  Prague,  in  Bohemia ;  they  have  five  children — Sarah, 
now  Mrs.  H.  Katz,  of  Yankton,  Duk.,  Belle,  Moses,  Eva  and 
Celia. 

GEORGE  BOOZER,  green  house  ;  was  born  in  Kent  Co.,  En- 
gland in  1822;  engaged  in  plant  culture  in  England;  in  1870, 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Menasha,  Wis.,  where 
he  built  a  green  house,  and  removed  it  to  its  present  location  in 
the  fall  of  1880  ;  has  a  house  85x15  feet,  and  sells  both  cut 
flowers  and  plants.  He  was  married  in  Kent  Co.,  England  in 
1846,  to  Miss  Ann  Knight,  of  Kent  Co.;  they  have  one  son — 
Arthur. 

THEODORE  BROWN,  barrel  and  stave  manufacturer; 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  April  29, 1824  ;  came  to  America 
in  1848  ;  lived  most  of  the  time  in  the  State  or  New  Y'ork.  until 
he  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  July,  1854;  engaged  in  the  business 
of  coopering  since  he  came-here  ;  began  with  one  man  besides  him- 
self; they  made  about  fifteen  barrels  per  day;  he  now  employs 
twenty  men  in  his  cooper-shop,  and  manufactures  250  barrels  per 
day.  In  his  stave  factory  he  gives  employment  to  forty  hands, 
and  cuts  2,000  cords  of  stave  boards  and  1,500  cords  of  heading 
per  annum  He  was  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  before  the 
city  organization.  In  January,  1855,  Mr.  Brown  was  married,  at 
Neenah,  to  Elizabeth  Haber,  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt ;  they 
have  six  children — Adam,  Sophia,  Julia,  Theodore,  Jr.,  Jacob 
and  Willie.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Striddle  & 
Brown,  promident  merchants  of  Neenah. 

J.  E.  CHENE VERT,  saloon  ;  was  born  in  St.  Cuthbert,  Can- 
ada, May  10,  1852  ;  was  engaged  in  clerking  in  Canada  ;  in  1876, 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  located  in  Menasha,  Winnebago  Co., 
Wis.,  and  for  three  years  was  engaged  in  clerking ;  then  started 
in  business  for  himself  in  Menasha ;  opened  his  Neenah  place  in 
January,  1881.  He  was  married  in  Menasha,  June  13,  1880,  to 
Miss  Mary  Newton  ;  they  have  one  child,  Emma. 

E.  W.  CLARK,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon;  was  born  in 
Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y,,  Feb.  19,  1840;  in  1852,  he  came  West 
with  his  parents  to  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis  ;  received  preliminary 
.schooling  there,  and  entered  Lawrence  University,  at  App'eton  ; 
had  been  there  only  one  term  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  en- 
listed in  September,  18G1,  and  was  mustered  into  Co.  G,  1st  W. 
V.  C,  in  October,  1861  ;  served  until  mustered  out,  Oct.  31, 
1864.  Returned  to  Appleton  and  re-entered  college,  graduating 
in  1866  ;  then  entered  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  in  Chicago, 
and  took  his  degree  in  1868 ;  returned  to  Appleton  and  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  continued  until  he 
removed  to  Neenah  in  1870,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  was 
married,  in  Appleton,  June  28.  1866,  to  Miss  Helen  M.  Wait,  of 
Appleton;  they  have  one  daughter.  Mary.  Dr.  Clark  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  of  the  following  societies:  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Lodge  and  Chapter  ;  Temple  of  Honor ;  Knights  of  Honor ; 
Royal  Arcanum  ;  A.  0.  U.  W. ;  and  of  the  Homa^opathic  Medi- 
cal Society  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  American  Institute  of  Homa?o- 
pathy. 

H.  E.  COATES,  of  the  firm  of  Rounds  &  Coates,  elevator; 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  1857  with  his  parents;  located  in  Winne- 
bago Co.;  he  remained  on  farm  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  late 
civil  war;  in  1861,  he  enlisted  at  Neenah,  in  Co.  G,  3d  W.V.  I., 
for  three  months  ;  the  company  was  not  organized,  and  the  reg- 
iment was  changed  to  three  year's  men  ;  he  remained  with  the  3d 
about  eighteen  months,  when  he  was  trans'erred  to  the  6th  Cav- 
alry; wounded  at  Beverly  Ford  in  1863,  he  was,  in  April,  1864, 
discharged  for  disability.  Returned  home,  and,  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  enlisted  in  the  1st  W.  V.  C,  and  served  until  mus- 
tered out,  in  July,  1865.  Returned  home  and  remained  on  the 
farm  about  four  years ;  then  moved  into  Neenah  and  was  clerking 
two  years,  when  he  went  to  Minnesota  and  took  up  some  land 
remaining  only  about  one  year ;  he  returned  to  the  farm  near 
Neenah  ;  two  years  later  be  came  into  the  city  and  engaged  in  the 
sewing  machine  business,  and,  after  a  time,  went  into  the  grocery 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


"73 


business  ;  remained  in  the  latter  about  three  years,  and  sold  out 
on  being  elected  City  Treasurer,  April,  1880;  was  re-elected  to 
the  same  office  April,  1881.  He  was  married  in  Ncenah,  Novem- 
ber, 1807,  to  Miss  Maggie  E.  McCallum,  of  Neonah  ;  they  have 
two  children — Fannie  B.  and  Charles  A  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  and  K.  of  H. 

S.  H.  CONKI.IN,  head  miller  Winnebago  Mills,  was  born  in 
Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  April  10,  1837.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents  and  located  in  Winnebago  Co.,  where  he 
attended  school.  His  parents  removed  to  Waupaca  about  1859, 
and  here  he  had  his  first  milling  experience.  In  1875.  he  moved 
to  Neenah  and  engaged  with  his  present  employers.  Was  married 
in  Waupaca  Co.,  May  10,  ISGO,  to  Miss  Mary  McQueen,  of 
Waupaca.  They  have  had  two  children.  One  son  survives — 
Everlin. 

THOMAS  COOKE,  marble  works,  came  to  the  town  of  Clay- 
ton, VVinnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  April,  1849,  lived  there  about  four 
years,  then  removed  to  Ncenah  and  engaged  in  the  nursery  busi- 
ness;  soon  afier  he  commenced  the  milling  business,  which  he 
con'inued  for  twenty  years;  engaged  in  present  business  since 
Jan.  1,  1880.  Mr.  C.  was  Assessor,  Town  Clerk,  Town  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  ;  he  was  elected  Deacon  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  1851,  and  continued  as  such  until  he  was  elected  Elder 
in  185().  He  was  chorister  for  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Cooke  was 
born  in  County  of  Northumberland,  England,  Feb.  2,  1823,  came 
to  America  in  1840,  located  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  until  he  came  to 
Wisconsin.  He  was  married  in  September,  1849,  to  Sarah  Denny, 
a  native  of  County  of  Northampton,  England.  They  have  six 
children — S.  Jennie,  William  Denny,  Sumnor,  Seward,  Jessie  A. 
and  Myron  E. 

MARTIN  COOK,  manufacturer  of  light  and  heavy  harness, 
and  keeps  on  hand,  on  sale,  robes,  blankets,  whips,  valises,  etc., 
etc.;  established  in  1865;  employs  three  men;  trades  between 
86,000  and  $7,000  per  annum,  and  carries  about  $1,800  worth  of 
stock.  He  was  born  in  Germany  Aug.  11,  1842;  emigrated  to 
America  with  his  parents  in  1853  and  settled  in  Bellville,  Canada 
West,  lived  there  ten  years  and  learned  his  trade,  then  went  to 
Oswego,  N.  Y.,  worked  at  his  trade  and  finished  his  knowledge  of  the 
same  ;  there  one  year.  He  enlisted  in  December,  1864,  in  a  rifle  com 
pany  in  Canada,  and  served  on  the  frontier  four  months.  He 
went  to  Janesville,  Wis.,  in  1865  and  worked  at  his  trade  two  and 
a  half  years,  then  to  Edgerton,  Dane  Co.  and  worked  one  year, 
then  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  began  business.  He  was  married  in 
Oshkosh.  Wis.,  Dee.  25,  1870,  to  Miss  Mary  Murkley,  who  was 
born  in  Vinland  Township,  Winnebago  Co.  They  have  two  sons 
and  one  daughter — Lewis,  Albert  and  an  infant  daughter. 

J.  R.  DAVIS,  President  of  the  Winnebago  Paper  Mills,  is  a 
native  of  Wales,  born  in  April,  1817,  came  to  Quebec  in  1840, 
remained  there  but  a  few  weeks,  then  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  was  employed  in  carriage  making  for  about  a  year  ;  after- 
ward, in  Oneida  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  five  years,  then  went  to  Ohio,  being 
there  but  a  few  months,  however ;  then  became  to  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  arriving  at  the  South  pier  at  6  o'clock  in  the  morning.  May 
6,  1846.  In  the  spring  of  1848,  he  came  to  Neenah  and  pur- 
chased some  real  estate,  and  in  June,  1849,  he  removed  his  family 
to  this  place.  He  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  wagons  until 
1852,  when  he  purchased  the  old  Government  mill  and,  after 
repairing  it,  commenced  manufacturing  flour  and  continued  that 
business  until  his  mill  was  destroyed  by  tire,  in  February,  1874. 
He  then  organized  the  Winnebago  Paper  Mills  Company  and  built 
works  here  immediately.  The  original  capital  stock  of  the  com- 
pany was  $60,000  ;  $100,000  is  now  used  in  the  business.  They 
give  employment  to  twenty  men  and  forty-five  females  in  the 
various  departments  of  the  works,  the  average  monthly  pay-rolls 
amounting  to  $1,100,  outside  of  ofliccrs  and  clerical  expenses. 
The  product  of  the  mills  is  about  six  tons  per  day  of  book  and 
colored  paper.  Mr.  Davis  was  interested  in  the  stave  and  lumber 
business  for  about  three  years.  He  has  been  Village  Trustee, 
Alderman,  Supervisor,  etc,,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 


National  Bank  of  Neenah.  He  was  married  at  Milwaukee,  in 
January,  1848,  to  Jane  Jones,  a  native  of  Wales.  They  have  six 
children  living— John  R.,  Jr.,  David  R.,  Ann  M.,  William  LI., 
George  A.  and  Benjamin  W.  Lost  one  son,  Henry,  who  died  in 
1873,  aged  twenty  years. 

JOHN  R.  DAVIS,  Jr.,  flour  manufacturer,  was  born  at 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Nov.  22,  1848;  came  to  Neenah  with  his 
parents  in  1849;  engaged  in  mill  business  since  he  was  thirteen 
years  of  age  When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  he  took  charge 
of  his  father's  mill  as  "  boss"  miller,  and  continued  in  that  posi- 
tion until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old;  he  then  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  lumber  and  staves,  which  he  continued  for  two 
years ;  afterward,  for  three  years,  he  had  charge  of  Clement  & 
Stevens's  Mill,  as  chief  miller ;  continued  with  them  five  years  in 
all,  and  then  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  W.  Howard,  which 
continued  two  years  ;  since  then  he  has  been  associated  in  busi- 
ness with  A.  H.  F.  Krueger ;  he  also  owns  a  two-third  interest  in 
a  mill  at  De  Pere.  He  and  John  Stevens,  of  this  place,  are  the 
proprietors  of  the  famous  Stevens  round  edge,  non-cutting  rollers, 
which  are  being  used  in  the  best  mills  throughout  this  entire 
country,  and  are  being  placed  in  the  mills  of  the  "Old  World.'' 
Mr.  Davis  was  married  at  Neenah,  April  15,  1872,  to  Nellie 
Oborn,  a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  three  children — Myra 
Milsom,  Ellen  Amelia,  and  an  infant  daughter. 

A.  EISKNACH,  brick  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
came  here  May,  1854,  and  began  his  trade  of  shoemaking,  which 
he  successfully  conducted  for  fourteen  years.  In  the  meantime 
he  carried  on  the  fire,  life  and  accident  insurance  business  for 
nineteen  years ;  he  has  also  been  active  in  the  political  life  of  his 
place,  and  has  filled  almost  every  office  of  trust  in  it.  In  1876, 
he  began  his  present  business,  which  he  has  successfully  conducted 
ever  since.  Feb.  16,  1852,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Bertha 
Hilliges,  in  Prussia.  She  was  born  Nov.  16,  1826,  and  was 
buried  in  Oakhill  Cemetery,  Neenah,  March  16,  1881.  He  has 
seven  sons  born  on  the  16th  of  the  month,  and  three  sons  buried 
on  the  16th  of  the  month — a  coincidence  of  a  remarkably  rare 
nature. 

JOHN  R.  FORD,  Treasurer  of  Winnebago  Paper  Mills,  was 
born  inthetownof  Stillwater,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.Y.,  MarchlS,  1823; 
lived  in  that  county  until  he  came  to  Oshkosh,  in  April,  1850; 
engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering  for  six  years.  In  1857  he 
came  to  Neenah ;  a  year  or  two  later  he  engaged  in  milling  busi- 
ness here,  which  he  continued  for  about  thirteen  years ;  afterward 
in  grocery  trade  until  December,  1873,  when  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  paper.  He  has  been  Treasurer  of  the  Winnebago 
Paper  Mills  since  the  organization  of  that  corporation.  Mr. 
Ford  was  married  at  Neenah  in  March,  1858,  to  Hattie  M.  Imus. 
They  have  three  children — Mary  E.,  Albert  E.  and  Jesse  R. 

HERBERT  J.  GLEASON,  druggist,  is  a  native  of  Medina, 
N.  Y. ;  born  Jan.  1 1, 1844  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  infancy,  with  his 
parents,  John  and  Harriett  { Bell )  Gleason ;  they  located  in  Walworth 
Co.  Herbert  entered  the  army  in  the  fall  of  1861,  as  Hospital  Stew- 
ard, in  the  3d  W.  V.  C. ;  he  served  until  December,  1864.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1866,  he  engaged  in  drug  business  at  Neenah,  and  has 
since  continued  in  that  trade.  Mr.  Gleason  was  married,  at 
Neenah,  Jan.  6,  1870,  to  Mary  E.  Shoemaker,  a  native  of  Doty 
Island,  being  the  first  white  girl  born  on  the  island.  Mr.  Gleason 
was  associated  with  Dr.  J.  C.  Bell,  in  drug  business,  from  January, 
1866,  until  1870  ;  then  Jacob  Bell  was  his  partner  until  October, 
1875,  since  which  time  F.  A.  Wilder  hits  been  associated  with 
him. 

JAMES  F.  GLEASON,  furniture  dealer,  came  to  Neenah  in 
1873;  engaged  in  paper  making,  in  the  paper-mill  of  A.  W. 
Patten,  for  five  years,  having  been  a  paper-maker  since  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age.  For  the  last  eighteen  months  he  has  been 
engaged  in  furniture  business  in  partnership  with  Albert  Smith. 
Mr.  Gleason  was  born  at  Boston,  Mass.,  May  9,  1837.  He  was 
married  at  Lawrence.  Mass.,  in  1860,  to  Frances  Augusta  Morton, 
a  native  of  Gardner,  Maine. 


H74 


HISIORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


A.  F.  HAKRTL,  dealer  in  watches,  clocks  and  jewelry  ;  also 
silver  and  plaicd  ware;  established  in  1878;  he  was  bjrn  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  Oct.  25,  1844  ;  emigrated  to  America  in  185:5, 
and  settled  in  Heaver  Dam  Township,  Dodge  Co.,  on  a  farm, 
where  he  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  21  years  of  age  ;  he 
then  worked  in  a  flouring-mill  until  1871,  then  learned  the  jeweley 
trade  working  as  an  apprentice  until  1873,  in  Beaver  Dam;  then 
went  to  Maj'ville,  Dodge  Co.,  and  went  in  company  with  his 
brotherin-law  into  the  jewelry  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Mirlach,  Bro.  &  Co. ;  continued  two  years,  then  purchased  the 
whole  interest  and  carried  on  the  business  until  January,  1878, 
•  then  went  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  began  business  ;  he  has  built  up 
a  good  trade.  Married,  in  Beaver  Dam  Jan.  29,  1876,  to  Miss 
Theresa  Steib,  who  was  born  in  Chicago,  111. ;  they  have  five 
children  living — Anna,  Peter,  Albert,  Henry,  Agnes  (deceased), 
and  Frank,  living. 

LOUIS  HERZIGER,  meat  market,  grocery,  etc.;  was  born 
in  Saxony  July  26,  1838  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1847  ; 
located  in  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  butchering  with 
with  his  father ;  in  1868,  he  moved  to  Appleton  and  opened  a 
meat  market,  remaining  until  1776,  when  he  moved  to  Waupaca 
Co.,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  brewing,  and  from  there  moved 
to  Neenah  in  1881 ;  was  first  married  in  Ozaukee  Co.  to  Miss 
MoUie  Gaulitz  ;  she  died,  leaving  two  children,  of  which  survives 
one  daughter — Annie.  Was  married  to  his  present  wife — Miss 
E.  Stagemann,  in  the  same  place;  they  have  seven  children^ 
Charlie.  Mollie,  Emma,  John,  Ida,  Louis,  Minnie.  Mr.  H.  is  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Appleton,  and  the  I.  0.  0. 
F.,  of  Waupaca. 

THOMAS  HIGGINS,  of  the  firm  of  Higgins  Bros.,  proprie- 
tor of  the  gas  works ;  was  born  in  Roscommon  Co.,  Ireland,  Nov. 
9,1348;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1850  with  his  parents ; 
they  located  at  fin-it  in  New  Jersey,  but  some  twelve  years  later 
they  moved  to  Sterling,  111.  ;  at  the  age  of  tweaty-two  years,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  engaged  in  railroad  contracting  in  Illinois 
and  Ohio;  about  1876,  he  went  to  Florence.  Ohio,  and  built  gas 
works  ;  had  previously  built  works  at  Dixon,  111.,  and  at  Waterloo. 
Iowa;  the  latter  he  sold;  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  1878,  and 
opened  gas  works.  He  was  married  in  Neenah  Nov.  6,  1879,  to 
Wus  Mary  Gafi'ney,  of  Neenah  ;  they  have  one  daughter — Eva  M 

J.  C.  HILTON,  jeweler,  and  dealer  in  watches,  clocks,  silver 
and  plated  ware  ;  also  keeps  a  full  line  of  all  goods  generally 
found  in  a  jewelry  store;  also  deals  in  music  and  musical  instru- 
ments ;  established  Oct.  1,  1881  ;  Mr.  H.  was  born  in  Waukesha, 
Wis.,  Nov.  18,  1848,  but  has  lived  in  Winnebago  Co.  nearly  all 
his  life,  being  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  since  he  was  six- 
teen years  of  age ;  he  began  in  1865,  and  served  an  apprentice- 
ship of  three  years  and  has  always  made  the  jewelry  business  a 
specialty.  He  was  married  in  Neenah,  Wis,  Feb.  23,  1871,  to 
Miss  Endora  E.  01ni.stead,  who  was  born  in  Alabama;  they  have 
three  children— Allie  S.  fborn  Jan.  29,  1872;  she  died  in  October, 
1881),  Lemar  (born  Feb.  4,  1874).  and  Harley  C.  (born  May  25, 
1876). 

HENRY  A.  HOBART,  Principal  of  the  Neenah  High 
School;  settled  at  Menasha  in  the  spring  of  1869,  and  did  gen- 
eral work  until  the  following  fall,  then  moved  to  Winneconne  and 
took  charge  of  the  school  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  where  he 
continued  teaching  three  years,  after  which  he  was  appointed  to 
fill  the  vacancy  for  County  Superintendent,  which  he  held  until 
expiration  of  the  term,  and  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1871,  and 
held  the  office  one  full  term  ;  was  again  elected  for  the  second 
term,  which  he  held  until  September,  1874,  when  he  resigned  to 
take  charge  of  Neenah  High  School,  and  has  taught  the  same 
since;  he  was  born  in  Westford,  Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  March  4, 
1H41.  Was  married  in  (Jambridge,  Vt.,  Sept.  2,  1868,  to  Mi.ss 
Julia  M.  Wires,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place. 

AUG  HOEPER,  foreinan,  Brown's  cooper-shop;  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  Aug.  5,  1881  ;  came  to  the  United  State?  in 
1858;  learned  his  trade  in  Buflfalo.  N.  Y.,  and  followed  it  in  dif- 


ferent parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  located  in  Neenah  ;  has  been  foreman  for  Brown  some 
twelve  or  thirteen  years.  He  was  married  in  Chicago,  March  7, 
1861,  to  Miss  Louisa  Thela,  of  Chicago,  born  in  Germany  ;  they 
have  six  children — Henry  W.,  Sophia,  George,  Albert,  Edward, 
Louisa.     Is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

HY  HOEPER,  foreman  of  L.  J.  Mathews'  cooper-shop; 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Feb.  28,  1827  ;  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1852  ;  located  in  Sandusky,  Ohio;  engaged  in  farming  for  a 
short  time,  then  moved  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  his 
trade;  was  after  a  time  with  his  brother  in  Sandusky,  Ohio; 
came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  1854,  engaged  in  coopering  which  he 
has  since  followed  ;  has  been  with  his  present  employer  about  four 
years.  Ho  was  married  in  Neenah  in  1857,  to  Miss  Helena  Sall- 
anion,  of  Neenah,  born  in  Germany;  they  have  six  children — 
Henry,  August,  Nettie,  John,  Fred,  William.  Mr.  H.  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  society. 

FRED  HOKPER  &  SON,  coopers;  business  was  estab- 
lished in  188(J  ;  employ  twelve  to  fifteen  men,  and  turn  out  about 
1,000  barrels  weekly,  flour  barrels  exclusively. 

Fred  Hoeper,  Sr  ;  was  born  in  Hanover  Germany,  Sept.  16, 
1826;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848;  located  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  his  trade;  afterward  spent  some  time  in 
Penn.sylvania,  Canada  and  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1868;  located  in  Neenah,  and  engaged  in  coopering.  He 
was  married  in  Sandusky,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Magdelena  linger  ;  they 
have  seven  children  living — Magdelena,  Fred,  May,  Caroline,  Henry, 
Sophia,  Lizzie. 

Fred  Hoeper,  Jr.,  firm  of  Hoeper  &  Son  ;  was  born  in  Seneca 
Falls,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  29,  1855  ;  went  to  school  in  Buffalo  ;  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  liis  parents  in  1868,  and  learned  his  trade  in 
Neenah.  Mr.  H.  is  a  member  of  A.,  F.  &■  A.  M.,  and  belongs  to 
the  fire  department  of  the  city. 

FRANCIS  J.  HO  KFM AN,  dealer  in  Wheeler  &  Wilson's 
No.  8  Sewing  Machines,  agent  for  Neenah,  Menasha  and  the  sur- 
rounding country;  established  in  1876;  was  in  business  in  Chi- 
cago about  two  years  previously  ;  employs  two  hands  besides  his 
own  help.  .Mr.  H.  was  born  in  Chicago,  111.,  Aug.  15,  1855, 
where  his  parents  still  reside  ;  his  father,  Matthias  Hoffman,  is  in 
the  dry  goods  business  in  the  latter  city  ;  he  clerked  in  his  father's 
store  until  August,  1876,  then  went  to  Neenah  as  above  noted. 

J.  W.  HUNT,  agent  C.  &  N.  W.  Ry.;  was  born  in  Otsego, 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  7,  1833,  and  from  there  moved  to  Wis- 
consin in  October,  1850;  Iccated  in  Neenah,  aid  for  four  years 
clerked  in  general  store  ;  then  moved  to  Chicago,  and  about  two 
years  later  returned-to  Neenah  and  went  into  Cronkrite  &  Go's. 
Bank  as  teller;  bank  failed  in  1860;  clerked  until  August  1861, 
when  he  enlisted  in  a  company  raised  in  Neenah,  and  which  was 
mustered  into  the  LTnited  States  service  October  17,  as  Co.  K, 
11th  W.  V.  L;  in  June,  1864,  Mr.  Hunt  resigned  (being  then 
Adjutant  of  the  Regiment),  and  located  in  New  Orleans  where  he 
remained  engaged  in  keeping  books  until  1867,  when  he  returned 
to  Neenah  ;  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R. 
since  May,  1868.  He  was  married  in  Janesville,  Wis.,  May  31, 
1855,  to  Miss  Amanda  M.  Hicks,  of  Clayton,  Winnebago  Co.; 
they  have  three  children — Edwin  L.,  Helen  L.,  Clara  W.  Mr. 
H.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  ().  O.  F.  Lodge  and  Encampment. 

JOHN  HUNT,  pork  and  beef  packer;  is  a  native  of  County 
Slii;o,  Ireland;  was  born  Oct.  9,  1821;  came  to  America  in 
1842  ,  .settled  at  Clayton,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.;  lived  in  New 
York  State  umil  1849,  when  he  went  to  California  where  he  was 
engaged  in  lumbering;  remained  thereuntil  1852,  then  came  to 
Neenah,  first  engaged  in  grocery  and  provision  trade  here,  and  at 
an  early  day  he  commenced  pork  packing  on  a  small  scale,  put- 
ting up  about  fifty  barrels  per  year  at  the  start;  now  he  packs 
from  700  to  900  barrels  of  pork,  and  from  50  to  100  barrels  of 
beef;  ho  also  buys  cattle  for  shipment ;  he  owns  a  fine  farm  near 
the  city.  Mr.  Hunt  was  thrioc  a  member  of  the  Village  Board. 
He  was  first  married  at  Clayton,  N.  Y..  Dec.  27,  1852,  to  Mary 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY 


t7S 


McLaughlin  ;  she  died  March  6,  1867 ;  they  had  four  children, 
two  of  whom  are  living,  their  names  are  John,  Jr.,  and  Kittie. 
Mr.  Hunt's  present  wife  was  Mary  Ann  Hayes,  a  native  of  New 
York  ;  they  were  married  Feb.  25,  1868 ;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren living,  Mary,  Ellen  and  Edward. 

HENR^  E.  HUXLEY,  Secretary  Wisconsin  State  Grange, 
farmer  and  stoek-raiser,  Sec.  21,  town  of  Neenah.  The  subject 
of  our  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stafford,  Genesee  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1832.  In  1846,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  people, 
who  settled  in  Neenah,  and  where  Mr.  H  has  been  identified  with 
the  agricultural  industry  since.  In  1872,  when  the  Wisconsin 
State  Grange  was  organized,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  in  1873 
was  elected  to  the  incumbency  of  his  present  position  and  has 
continued  in  it  for  each  consecutive  term  since.  In  1855,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Swaub,  who  was  born  in  Delaware  and 
reared  in  Pennsylvania.     They  have  a  family  of  three  daughters_ 

JOHN  JAMISON  was  born  in  Jefi'erson  Co.,  Ind.,  Dec.  10, 
1826,  moved  to  Neenah  in  May,  1851,  and  engaged  in  the  erection 
and  repairs  of  flour,  paper  and  saw  mills.  He  was  married  in 
Switzerland  Co.,  Ind.,  Feb.  21,  1850,  to  Miss  Jennette  Culbert- 
son.  They  had  three  children — James,  Jane  (^now  Mrs.  J.  E. 
Paine)  and  Robert. 

ROBERT  JAMISON,  proprietor  Neenah  Machine  Shops,  son 
of  the  above,  was  born  in  Neenah  July  6,  1853,  learned  the  trade 
of  millwright  and  followed  it  up  to  1879,  when  he  entered  the 
firm  of  Johnson  &  Jamison.  Johnson  retired  in  1881,  and  Mr. 
Jamison  has  since  run  the  business  alone. 

H.  C.  JASPERSON,  head  miller  at  Howard's  flour  mills,  was 
born  in  Denmark  Oct  5,  1850,  was  engaged  in  flour  mills  in 
Denmark.  In  1873,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  located  in 
Neenah,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  a  foundry  as  molder,  a  business  he 
followed  some  three  years.  He  then  engaged  in  flour  mills  ;  has 
been  with  Mr.  Howard  five  years.  He  was  married  in  Neenah 
Dec.  27,  1874,  to  Miss  Mary  Christians,  of  Neenah,  a  native  of 
Denmark.  They  have  three  children — Rjberf  0  ,  Clarence  A. 
and  Harvey  C.  Mr.  J.  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  and 
of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

N.  JENSEN,  head  miller  at  the  Island  City  Mills,  was  born 
in  Denmark  May  21,  1845;  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Denmark. 
In  1869,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  located  in  Winnebago  Co., 
Wis.,  and  engaged  in  farming  ;  continued  in  this  some  three  years, 
when  he  moved  into  Neenah  and  engaged  in  milling,  a  business 
he  has  since  followed.  He  was  married  in  Neenah  March  27, 
1873,  to  Miss  Maria  Rasmussen,  of  Neenah.  They  l.ave  three 
children — Carl,  Christian  and  Albert.  Mr.  J.  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church  and  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

CHARLES  W.  JOHNSON,  grocer,  was  born  at  Mt.  Morris, 
Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  2,  1854;  came  to  Neenih  with  his 
parents,  Peter  and  Maria  (Whitenack)  Johnson  in  1855.  In 
1861,  they  moved  to  the  town  of  Menasha  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing there  until  1866,  then  returned  to  Neenah  Charles  W. 
worked  at  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner  until  1875,  when  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  his  father,  who  died  here 
March  1,  1880.  He  was  also  a  native  of  Mount  Morris.  His 
widow  resides  in  Neenah.  Charles  W.  Johnson  was  married  at 
Neenah  Oct.  15,  1877,  to  Ada  0.  Wheeler.  She  was  born  at 
Rocky  Run,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  July  4,  1853.  They  have  one 
child,  Frankie  M.,  born  Nov.  1,  1879.  Mrs.  Johnson's  father, 
Samuel  Wheeler,  came  to  Neenah  in  1854  ;  he  served  three  years 
in  Co,  K,  11th  W.  V.  I.  He  was  a  druggist  of  Neenah,  and 
died  March  15,  1879.     His  wife  survives  him. 

G.  C.  JONES  was  born  in  Kingsboro,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  14, 
1837.  In  1846,  he  came  here  with  his  father,  who  settled  here. 
In  1850,  he  returned  to  New  York  ;  in  1857,  he  came  back  here, 
and  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  developing  industries  of  this 
locality  since.  In  September,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah 
J.  Scott,  who  was  born  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  a 
family  of  three  sons — William  H.,  George  G.  and  Lucian  W, 


J.  H.  JONES,  head  miller  at  the  Atlantic  Mills,  was  born 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  17,  1853;  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  with 
his  parents  in  1856  ;  received  his  schooling  in  this  place,  and  in 
1866,  engaged  in  the  Atlantic  Mills;  he  was  married  in  Neenah, 
Dec,  1876,  to  Miss  Edith  La  Grange,  of  Winnebago  Co,  They 
have  one  daughter — Emma,  born  Oct,  21,  1877.  Mr,  Jones  is 
Fleet  Captain  of  the  Neenah  Yacht  Club. 

THOMAS  JONES,  ice  business,  corner  Doty  and  Pine 
avenue.  Mr.  Jones  was  born  and  reared  in  Cardiganshire,  Wales, 
where  he  learned  the  trade  of  millwright ;  in  1845,  he  came 
to  Canada  and  stopped  in  Hamilton  for  five  years,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  vocation  of  builder,  after  which  he  went  to  Ohio, 
and  stopped  in  Fremont  for  about  five  years,  where  he  continued 
his  adopted  business ;  he  then  came  to  VVisconsin  and  settled  here, 
where  he  took  up  millwright  again,  and  has  followed  it  until  1874, 
when  he  engaged  in  his  present  business,  which  he  has  success- 
fully conducted  since ;  in  the  meantime,  he  built  several  yachts — 
the  Minie  Groves,  Albatros  and  Mermaid  being  the  most  promi- 
nent; in  1844,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Thomas,  in 
Wales,  who  was  born  and  reared  there.  They  have  a  family  of 
two  sons  grown  to  man's  estate,  they  are  Arthur  Thomas  and 
James  Henry,  the  oldest  is  in  company  with  the  father  and  the 
youngest  is  head  miller  in  Clements  &  Stevens'  extensive  mill 
here,     Mr,  and  Mrs,  Jones  was  born  in  the  year  1817, 

WILLARD  JONES,  Postmaster  and  insurance  agent,  is  a 
native  of  New  York,  having  been  born  in  Gloversville,  in  that 
State,  March  7,  1842;  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Neenah 
in  1846;  he  was  employed  for  many  years  in  the  mitten  and 
glove  and  mercantile  establishment  of  his  father,  Harvey  Jones, 
the  pioneer  settler  of  Neenah  ;  he  died  here  in  1849  ;  his  wife, 
Sally  D.,  daughter  of  Judge  Samuel  A.  Gilbert,  of  Cranberry 
Creek,  Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y„  died  at  Gloversville,  N,  Y,,  prior  to 
Mr,  Jones'  settlement  in  Wisconsin.  Willard  Jones  was  engaged 
in  mercantile  business  at  Oshkosh  for  some  time  and  was  burned 
out  there;  he  has  been  Postmaster  at  Neenah  since  August,  1868. 
He  was  married  at  Oshkosh,  iu  December,  1869,  to  Mary  C, 
Gary,  a  native  of  Milwaukee.  They  have  one  child — Mary 
Josephine,  Mr,  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F,  &  A.  M.,  Blue 
Lodge,  Chapter  and  Oshkosh  Commandery. 

WM,  KELLETT,  merchant,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Olive, 
Ulster  Co.,  N,  Y,,  .\ug,  2,  1828,  He  came  to  the  town  of  Osh- 
kosh, Wis.,  in  July,  1855  ;  engaged  in  farming  about  five  years  ; 
he  then  moved  to  Oshkosh  and  engaged  iu  mercantile  business, 
which  he  continued  there  for  several  years.  In  1866,  he  came  to 
Neenah  and  has  since  carried  on  mercantile  trade  here.  He  was  nine 
years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  while  i\  resident  of 
Oshkosh,  Since  coming  to  Neenah  he  has  been  five  years  an  Al- 
derman and  one  year  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I,  0,  O.  F.  and  K,  of  H.  Mr,  Kellett  was  first  married  in  Ulster 
Co,,  N.  Y,,  Oct,  4,  1851,  to  Martha  Maria  Matthews;  she  died 
at  Oshkosh,  June  10,  1865,  leaving  one  child— Mary  Isabella, 
who  has  since  died ;  present  wife  was  Augusta  Maria  Kimball,  a 
Dative  of  Illyria,  Ohio,  They  were  married  at  Ripon,  Wis.,  Oct, 
14,  1867,  They  have  four  children — Aggie  Maria,  Bertha  Sophia, 
Thomas  Anthony  William  and  Richard  Arthur  Pearl, 

HARVEY  L.  KIMBERLY,  was  bom  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in 
July,  1811.  In  June,  1S4S,  he  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  re- 
move his  family  to  this  place  in  the  spring  of  1849,  he  having 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  here,  the  previous  autumn,  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  John  R,  Kimberly  ;  continued  in  mer- 
cantile trade  until  1857,  They  built  the  Neenah  flouring  mill 
about  two  years  after  locating  here,  and  ran  it  together  until  1861, 
Harvey  L.  continued  in  the  milling  business  until  1870,  when  his 
son,  Daniel  L.,  succeeded  to  the  business,  he  having  been  associ- 
ated with  his  father  as  a  partner  since  1865.  Harvey  L.  Kimberly 
was  married  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  to  Mabel  Ann  Hoadley,  who 
died  at  Neenah,  leavini;  two   children — Daniel    L,  anil    Ausiustus. 


,176 


III.'- 


)RY    OF    NOR  1  HERN    WISCONSIN'. 


D.  L.  KIMBERLY,  proprietor  of  flouring  mill,  is  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  liavin;:  boen  born  in  New  Haven,  in  that  State,  May 
ir,  1841  ;  came  to  Nnenali  with  Iii.s  parents,  Harvey  L.  and  Mabel 

A.  (Hoadley)  Kimberly,  in  the  spring  of  1849.  In  1861,  he  en- 
gaged in  drug  trade  ;  in  1865,  he  became  a  partner  with  his  father 
in  the  flouring  mill,  .still  continuing  the  drug  business  until  1874. 
In  March,  1881,  he  re-purchastd  the  drug  store  in  partnership 
with  Fred  Elwers.  Mr.  K.  was  married  at  Neenah,  in  June, 
1878,  to  Frances  J.  Hewitt.  They  have  one  child — Augustus. 
Mr.  K.  has  been  Mayor,  Alderman,  Village  Treasurer,  Village 
Trustee'and  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board.  Hi.s  mill  has  a  capac- 
ity of  175  barrels  of  flour  per  day,  it  contains  five  sets  of  cor- 
rugated rollers,  three  sets  of  smooth  rollers  and  three  sets  of  .stone. 
The'mill  started^^with  a  capacity  of  only  100  barrels  per  day;  now 
employs  ten  men. 

JOHN  R.  KIMBP:RLY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Neenah ;  settled  in  Nee 
nah.  Wis.,  in  1849,  emigrating  from  Troy,  N.  Y..  where  he  was  born 
Jan.  1, 1801.  Mr.  John  R.  Kimberly  was  fifteen  years  of  age  when 
he  began  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade  with  his  father.  Hazard  Kim- 
berly ;  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years,  after  which  he 
followed  his  chosen  occupation,  building  and  contracting,  buying 
lots,  building,  renting  or  selling  houses.  He  followed  that  Ijusi- 
ness  until  his  father's  death,  at  which  time  he  had  accumulated 
property  to  the  value  of  $5,000.  His  father  left  him  another 
$5,000,  making  the  nice  capital  of  $10,000,  making  a  good  start 
for  the  then  energetic  and  wide-awake  young  man  to  begin  busi- 
ness and  life  anew  in  the  then  far  Western  world  at  Neenah, 
Wis.,  where  he  first  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  company 
with  his  brother  L.  Kimberly;  firm  was  called  J.  &  H.  Kimb  rly. 
They  followed  the  same  in  connection  with  milling  business,  buy- 
ing wheat  and  other  produce,  frighting  down  the  Fox  River.  They 
also  shipped  large  quantities  of  flour  to  the  Eastern  States,  they 
followed  the  above  business  until  1859;  clo.sed  their  store  and 
continued  the  milling  business  three  or  four  years  longer.  Then 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother.  After 
selling  out  he  started  his  son  John  A.  and  Mr.  H.  Babcock  in  the 
mercantile  business.  Mr.  K.  went  East  and  bought  $15,000 
worth  of  goods.  The  young  men  coniinued  successfully  for  many 
years.  Mr.  Kimberly  also  went  in  company  with  them  and  built 
a  large  stone  flouring  mill,  now  called  the  Reliance  Mills,  which 
they  are  now  operating.  Mr.  K.  was  married  Nov.  3,  1828,  at 
Rochester.  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Aurelia  Aldrich,  born  March  8,  1802, 
in  Wrenthaui,  Mass.  They  have  six  children,  five  daughters  and 
one  son — Eliza  11.  (deceased),  Mary  A.  (now  married  to  Judge  J. 

B.  Hamilton,  of  Neenah,  now  serving  second  term  in  State  Sen- 
ate), Delia  F.  (deceased),  Susan  A.  (deceas-d),  J.  Alfred 
(married  and  living  in  Neenah")  and  S.  Emma  (at  home). 
Mr.  Kimberly  has  evidently  seen  much  of  the  pioneer  life  of 
Wisconsin. 

OLE  0.  KLEVROD,  merchant,  was  born  in  Norway  Dec.  24, 
1853  ;  came  to  America  and  located  in  Will  Co.,  111.,  in  1870, 
where  he  resided  for  two  years ;  afterward  in  Chicago  ei'jTit 
years ;  engaged  in  marble  business  while  in  Chicago  ;  came  to 
Neenah  in  May,  1880  ;  engaged  in  mercantile  business  since  com-" 
ing  here. 

WILLIAM  KRUEGER,  hardware  merchant,  was  born  in 
Mecklenburg,  Germany.  Sept.  17,  1830;  came  to  New  York  in 
1850  ;  lived  in  that  State  one  year  and  came  to  the  town  of  Clay- 
ton, Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.;  engaged  in  farming  until  1866,  then 
came  to  Neenah  and  engaged  in  his  present  business  ;  he  was  also 
interested  in  stove  factory  here  for  several  years  ;  he  is  now  one 
of  the  Supervisors  and  has  served  in  that  position  before  ;  he  is  a 
member  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  K.  of  H.,  Schuutzen 
Society  and  Fire  Company  ;  he  ha.s  been  a  member  of  the  tire 
department  for  several  years.  Ho  was  married  in  the  town  of 
Clayton,  Wis.,  in  February,  1854,  to  Mary  Haag,  a  native  of 
Bavaria.  They  have  four  children  living — Henry  Fred,  Mary 
Anna,  Martin  William  and  Ida.  Lost  one  .son,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 


ANDREW  HENRY  FREDERICK  KRUEGER,  flouring- 
D)ill  proprietor,  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  July  21, 
1823  ;  came  to  America  in  the  fall  of  1848  ;  resided  in  Niagara 
Co.  N.  Y.,  until  the  autumn  of  1851,  when  he  came  to  Winne- 
bago Co.,  Wis.;  engaged  in  farming  until  1868  ;  at  that  time  he 
bulk  flouring-mill  in  partnership  with  Carl  Stridde  ;  they  contin- 
ued together  until  June,  1875  ;  since  January,  1879.  Mr.  J.  R. 
Davis,  his  present  partner,  has  been  associated  with  him.  The 
original  capacity  of  the  mill  was  150  barrels  of  flour  per  day  ;  now 
they  manufacture  200  barrels  ;  they  have  twelve  sets  of  rollers 
and  three  runs  of  stone  in  their  mill  ;  employ  twelve  men.  Mr. 
Krueger  was  married  at  Hamburg,  Germany,  in  March,  1851,  to 
Mary  Hess.  They  have  five  children — Fred  W.,  Dora  F.  Louise, 
Matilda  and  William.  Mr.  K.  was  Po.stmaster,  Chairman  of  the 
Town  Board  and  a  member  of  the  County  Board  while  living  on 
his  farm  ;  since  coming  to  Neenah  he  has  served  two  terms  as 
Mayor,  Alderman,  etc.;  he  also  represented  this  district  one  term 
in  the  Wisconsin  House  ol  Representatives. 

GEORGfil  H.  LADD,  dealer  in  and  manufacturer  pumps  ; 
also  dealer  iu  the  Waupun  wind-mills  ;  established  in  spring  of 
1880;  sales  amount  to  $3,000  per  annum;  employs  three  men 
and  two  teams  on  road.  He  was  born  in  Campton,  Grafton  Co., 
N.  H.,  Feb.  22,  1843.  His  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  set- 
tled in  Beaver  Dam  in  1847;  lived  there  one  year,  then  moved 
to  Neenah,  Wis.  His  father,  James  Ladd,  built  the  first  frame 
building  and  what  was  afterward  called  the  Winnebago  House. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  G.  H.  Ladd  began  business  for 
himself,  and  first  farmed  three  years  ;  also  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping  produce  and  stock  to  the  Lake  Superior  country  two 
years  ;  engaged  in  wood  business  one  season,  since  which  he  has 
been  engaged  as  above  noted.  Married  in  Clayton,  Winnebago  Co., 
Oct.  22, 1863,  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Bidewell,  who  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire.  They  have  five  children — Mary  E.,  G.  Frank,  William 
Henry,  Delia  and  Charles. 

HENRY  LAUDAN,  ftirmer,  P.  0.  Neenah,  was  born  in 
Mecklenburg,  Germany,  July  27,  1819  ;  engaged  in  farming  in 
Germany  ;  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1849  and  located  in 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  about  eighteen  months  ;  he  then  moved  to 
W^iscousin  ;  located  in  Clayton,  Winnebago  Co.,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Neenah  in  1868. 
He  was  married  in  Mecklenburg,  Germatiy,  Aug.  2,  1849,  to  Miss 
Charlotte  Kruger.  They  have  one  daughter — Henrietta.  Mr. 
L.  is  a  member  of  the  Schuetzen  Society. 

GEORGE  LeTOURNEUX,  clerk  of  the  Russell  House; 
born  in  Chicago  August  12,  1S54.  His  parents.  Dr.  Gabriel  and 
Adela  (Francher)  LeTourneux,  being  residents  of  that  city  ;  his 
first  business  experience  was  with  Field,  Leiter  &  Co  ,  with  whom 
he  remained  five  years,  in  both  wholesale  and  retail  departments. 
In  1879  he  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  engaged  as  clerk  with 
Francher  Bros.,  dry  goods.  Was  clerking  in  Appleton  after  this 
for  a  time,  and  iu  April,  1881,  he  took  his  present  position.  He 
was  married  in  Neenah  Feb.  2,  1881,  to  Miss  Isabel  Brown,  of 
Neenah. 

WM.  F.  McARTHUR,  lawyer  ;  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Canada, 
April  11,  1852  ;  when  a  youth  he  went  to  Maloue,  Franklin  Co., 
N.  Y.;  remained  there  until  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  then  went  to 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  attended  the  Jesuit  College  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Malono  and  engaged  in  carriage  and 
wagon  manufacturing  business,  which  he  continued  until  he  came 
to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  April,  1875.  In  September,  1876,  he  entered 
the  Law  Department  of  the  Wisconsin  University,  at  Madison. 
He  has  been  engaged  in  practice  at  Neenuh  sincj  1877,  and  now 
enjoys  a  lucrative  practice.  Mr.  McArthur  is  in  every  sense  a 
self-made  man. 

JOHN  McDERMOTT,  yard  foreman  for  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.; 
was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  Jan.  1,  1855.  First  engaged  in 
plauing-mill  some  two  years;  then  after  a  short  time  in  the  employ 
of  the  M.  &  N.  R.  R.,  he  went  to  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  engaged 
in  switching,  in  which  position  he  remained  until  he  took  his  pres- 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAC;0    COUNTY 


1177 


ent  one  Aug.  9,  1880.  He  was  married  in  Fond  du  Lac  Oct.  ], 
1876,  to  Miss  Ellen  PI  Gainer,  of  Fond  du  Lao.  They  have  two 
children — Alice  Catharine,  Mary  Jane. 

J.  W.  NICHOLSON,  agent  Singer  Sewing  Machine,  was 
born  in  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  Dec.  19,  1856;  came  to  Neenah 
about  1879  ;  engaged  in  green-house  at  first  and  commenced  pres- 
ent business  in  November,  1880.  He  was  married  in  Neenah 
Dec.  27,  1877,  to  Miss  Schooley.  They  have  two  children — 
Maud  and  one  child  unnamed. 

G.  OLDS,  manufacturer  omnibuses.  Trade  extends  over  all 
the  Western  country  ;  now  employs  two  men  ;  established  in 
1866.  He  was  born  Nov.  23,  1815,  and  lived  in  his  native  place 
until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  and  learned  his  trade  ;  he  went  to 
Brockvijle,  Canada  West,  and  carried  on  a  shop  twenty  years  ;  had 
a  large  trade  and  employed  eight  to  ten  men  ;  after  which  he 
went  to  Neenah,  Wis  ,  and  made  the  first  omnibus  in  that  country ; 
he  was  married  in  Canada  to  Miss  Ellen  English  ;  she  was  born 
in  Ireland.  They  have  three  sons  and  one  daughter— William 
H.  (married  and  living  in  Chicago)  ;  Anna  (now  married  to  John 
McGloyn  and  living  in  Marinette,  Wis.)  ;  Augustus  G.  (traveling 
and  working  at  the  millwright  business) ;  and  Rubert  (working 
with  his  father). 

A.  W.  PATTEN,  paper  manufacturer  ;  is  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, having  been  born  Middlesex  Co.,  in  that  State,  Oct.  20, 
1828  ;  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  June,  1856  :  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  furniture  four  years,  then  built  the  "  Bay  State 
Flouring  Mills ;  "  engagei  in  the  milling  business  several  years  ; 
also  dealing  in  logs  and  pine  lands.  Eis;ht  years  ago  he  built  a 
paper-mill  at  Neenah,  which  h  s  a  capacity  of  three  and  a  half 
tons  per  day.  He  jiives  employment  to  fifty  hands ;  he  is  now 
building  a  two-machine  mill  at  Appleton,  which  will  have  a  capac- 
ity of  thrice  that  of  the  Neenah  factory.  Mr.  Patten  has  been  a 
member  of  the  County  Board,  also  of  the  Common  Council ;  he 
represented  his  district  one  term  as  Assemblyman.  He  is  a  large 
operator  in  pine  lands,  and  is  the  owner  of  10,000  acres  of  min- 
ing land  on  the  Menomonee  River.  In  1849,  he  was  married  at 
Billerica,  Mass.,  to  Sarah  J.  Morrell ;  she  died  at  Neenah  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1877,  leaving  two  children — Thomas  and  Emma  J. 

W.  P.  PECKHAM,  hardware  merchant;  is  a  native  of 
Ballston  Spa,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.;  born  Oct.  28,  1836 ;  came  to 
Neenah,  Wis.,  in  September,  1855  ;  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a 
hardware  store  for  four  years,  then  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self;  he  was  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  stoves  from  1867 
to  1875.  He  was  Village  President  two  terms.  Village  Trustee 
one  terra,  member  of  the  Town  Board  one  year,  'I'own  Treasurer 
one  year,  and  iwo  years  Alderman, being  President  of  the  Council 
during  that  period ;  he  also  served  one  term  in  the  Wisconsin 
Legislature.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge, 
Chapter  and  Oshkosh  Commandery.  He  is  Treasurer  of  the  I. 
0.  0.  F.  society;  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  of  the  Ma- 
sonic Benefit  Association.  Mr.  Peckham  was  first  married  at 
Neenah,  in  April,  1862,  to  Eleanor  E.  Babeoek,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont ;  she  died  in  1865,  leaving  one  child — Eleanor  E.  Present 
wife  was  Lucy  A.  Willard,  a  native  of  New  York  City.  They 
were  married  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  May  9,  18G5;  they  have  four 
children  living — Helen  Chloe,  born  March  26,  1866;  Laura  W., 
born  Dec.  31,  1867;  Luc/  K.,  born  Oct.  26,  1871,  and  William 
N.,  born  March  26,  1879.  Lost  one  child,  Charles  H.,  who  was 
born  Feb.  18,  1869,  and  died  at  tbe  age  of  fifteen  months. 

A.  J.  PEDERSON,  merchant ;  was  born  in  Norway,  Feb. 
15,  1854  ;  came  to  America  and  located  at  Chicago  in  September, 
1873  ;  emplo3'ed  as  clerk  in  Chicago  mercantile  establishments 
until  he  came  to  Neenah,  in  May,  1880. 

ERASMUS  W.  PRIDE,  representing  John  T.  Noye  &  Sons, 
general  mill  furnishers,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  the  oldest  firm  in  the 
country  dealing  in  those  goods.  They  commenced  business  in 
1834.  Mr.  Pride  is  a  native  of  Coopersto\''n,  N.  Y.,  born  March 
24,  1843  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  father.  Ransom  W.  Pride, 
in  the  fall  of  1845.     After  spending  a  few  months  in  Milwaukee, 


they  removed  to  the  town  of  Metomen,  Fond  du  Lac  Co.  Eras- 
mus W.  Pride  has  been  engaged  in  milling  business  ever  .since  his 
youth.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Co.  1, 1st 
W.  V.  C,  being  the  twelfth  man  who  enlisted  in  the  company. 
After  serving  two  and  a  half  years  he  was  discharged  on  account 
of  disability'.  In  March,  1864,  he  re-enlisted  in  Co.  A,  38th  W. 
V.  I.  ;  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  F  Dec.  16,  1864, 
and  commissioned  Brevet  Captain  July  11,  1865.  When  he  left 
the  aimy  he  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac  Co.,  and  after  remaining 
there  a  short  time  ho  located  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  milling  busine  s  for  several  years.  In  1875  he  became 
connected  with  the  firm  which  he  now  represents,  making  his 
headquarters  at  Brandon,  Wis.,  until  August,  1877,  when  he 
located  at  Appleton,  remaining  there  until  he  came  to  Neenah  in 
July.  1880.  He  was  married  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  May  10, 
1871,  to  Miss  Lottie  Stewart,  a  native  of  that  place.  They  have 
three  children — lessie,  Hattie  and  Byron.  Mr.  Pride  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

JOHN  PROCTOR,  flour  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, having  been  born  in  the  town  of  Rowley,  Essex  Co  ,  in  that 
State,  March  30, 1818;  came  to  DaneCo.,  Wis., in  December,  1856, 
having  resided  in  Pennsylvania  for  five  years  prior  to  his  removal 
to  this  State.  He  has  been  in  the  flouring-mill  business  at  Nee- 
nah since  Feb.  16,  1857,  his  present  partcer,  Edward  Smith,  be- 
ing associated  with  him  during  the  entire  period.  He  has  twice 
been  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  Legislature.  Before  coming  to 
this  State  he  held  many  prominent  positions.  In  June,  1858,  he 
was  at  Lewiston,  Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Mary  Phelps,  a  na- 
tive of  that  place.  They  have  five  children — Edward  M..  Anna 
L.,  Francis  R.,  Benjamin  G.  and  Mary  C. 

ROBERTS'  SUMMER  RESORT,  Doty  Island,  has  been 
opened  five  years  ;  has  present  accommodation  for  about  100  peo- 
ple, and  Mr.  Roberts  is  now  building  a  number  of  cottages,  which 
will  be  ready  for  the  season  of  1882. 

JOHN  ROBERTS,  proprietor  of  Roberts'  Summer  Resort, 
was  born  in  Oneida  Co  ,  N.  Y.,in  1833;  kept  hotel  in  Schnectady 
and  other  places,  and  about  1858  he  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  remained  until  1862;  was  then  in  .Newark,  Ohio,  about 
five  years;  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1866,  and  located  in  Columbus, 
Columbia  Co.,  and  opened  a  hotel,  and  from  there  moved  to 
Mennsha.  Mr.  Roberts  has  been  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness as  clerk  and  proprietor  about  thirty-four  years.  He 
was  married  in  Fonda,  Montgnmery  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1861,  to 
.Miss  Martha  Lingenfelter,  of  Fonda.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— John,  George  C.  and  Stella.  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  I.  0.  O.  F.  Lodge  and  Encampment  and 
the  Royal  Arcanum  ;  has  been  Alderman  two  or  three  terms  and 
County  Supervisor  two  terms. 

J.  B.  RUSSELL,  proprietor  of  the  Russell  House,  came  to 
Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  May,  1851;  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  that  town  for  seventeen  years,  then  he  removed  to 
Neenah  and  eng;iged  in  mercantile  business,  which  he  continued 
for  three  years,  and  for  two  years  of  that  time  he  also  kept  a  hotel 
and  carried  on  a  livery  business.  Aflerward,  for  two  years,  he  was 
farming.  In  1875  he  built  the  Ru.ssell  House,  which  he  has 
since  successfully  conducted.  The  hotel  is  commodious  and  ele- 
gant, and  admirably  kept.  Mr.  Russell  is  a  native  of  Ogdensburg, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  Aug.  12,  1822.  While  a  resident  of 
Vinland  he  was  Superintendent  of  Schools.  Since  coming  to 
Neenah  he  has  been  Alderman,  and  Superintendent  of  City 
Schools. 

F.  T.  RUSSELL,  superintendent  of  Patten's  Paper-Mill,  was 
born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  .\ug.  19,  1847;  came  West  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  father  {J.  B.  Russell)  in  May,  1851  ;  was 
reared  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.  He 
was  for  two  years  a  student  at  Jefl^erson  Institute,  and  then  en- 
ga.ed  in  hotel  business  in  Neenah,  which  he  followed  about  one 
year.  After  this  he,  for  two  winters,  taught  school  and  spent  one 
summer  in  railroading.     Then  for  a  time  he  was  engaged  in   the 


178 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


Goat  Harbor  improvement.  After  one  summer  spent  in  Chicago 
he  returned  to  Neenah  and  tauifht  school  for  five  winters,  and 
during  the  summer  engaged  in  other  employment.  In  1875  he 
engaged  with  Mr.  A.  W.  Patten  as  book-keeper  and  continued  in 
the  office  four  years,  at  the  same  time  having  charge  of  the  paper 
and  stock  ;  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  in  1879.  He 
was  married  in  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.,  in  November,  18G8,  to 
Miss  Eletta  Brown.  She  was  born  in  Vinland.  They  have 
three  children — John  A.,  Hugh  E.  and  Lucy  J.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  K.  of  H.  and  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 
Mr.  Russell  served  about  one  year  in  Co.  B,  1st  W.  V.  C,  enlist- 
ing in  August,  1864,  and  being  mustered  out  in  July,  1865 

GEORGE  SCHMID,  dealer  in  and  manufacturer  of  cigars, 
Cedar  street ;  also  deals  in  fruits,  confectionery,  smoker's  articles, 
and  keeps  a  restaurant,  bakery  and  confectionery  on  Wisconsin 
avenue  also.  Mr.  S.  was  born  in  Germany,  May  6,  1833;  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1847,  coming  with  an  uncle,  and  located 
near  Milwaukee,  and  lived  there  nearly  all  of  ihe  time  until  1857. 
He  then  went  to  Washington  Co.,  and  farmed  until  1865;  then 
to  Oshkosh,  and  worked  at  carpenter  work  until  1874  ;  then  to 
Neenah,  Wis.,  where  he  began  his  present  business,  and  the  manu- 
facture of  cigars  in  1877;  manufactures  150,000  per  year;  em- 
ploys five  hands.  Married,  in  1858,  in  Washington  Co.,  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Rapp  ;  she  was  born  in  West  Point,  N.  Y.  They  have 
four  children — George  M.,  Perpetua  T.,  Emma  C.  and  Adaline. 

CALVIN  W.  SEAVER,  boots  and  shoes;  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  Co.,  X.  Y.,  Oct.  4,  1818;  commenced  clerking  in 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there  went  to  Dunkirk,  N.  Y., 
and  to  Bertrand,  Mich.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  other  places. 
Finally  located  in  business  for  himself  in  Findlay,  Ohio,  keeping 
general  store,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Rock  Co.,  remaining  only  about 
one  year ;  then  opened  a  hardware  store  in  Janesville,  Wis. ;  ten 
years  later,  he  moved  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  engaged  in  the  boot 
and  shoe  business ;  was  here  twelve  years,  with  the  exception  of 
one  year  spent  in  Chicago.  In  1880,  he  came  to  Neenah,  and 
for  a  time  had  a  store  in  Menasha  also  ;  but  finally  closed  the 
latter.  He  was  married,  in  Genesse  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Catherine 
Taylor,  of  Genesee  Co.,  who  died  in  August.  1880,  leaving  three 
children— William  W.,  Kate,  now  Mrs.  George  H.  Patty,  of 
Fond  du  Lac ;   Alice,  widow  of  F.  Clark,  of  Fond  du  Lac. 

HENRY  SHERRY,  lumberman;  was  born  in  Monroe  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1837  ;  came  with  his  parents  to  Columbus,  Colum- 
bia Co.,  Wis.,  in  1846  ;  lived  there  until  1 849  ;  then  they  removed 
to  Neenah,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  1861,  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  business,  which  he  continued  for  several  years.  Since 
1868,  he  has  been  engaged  in  lumbering,  being  an  extensive 
dealer  in  pine  lands  and  logs  ;  also  running  saw  mills  at  Oshkosh 
and  Marshfield.  He  stocks  the  mills  with  his  own  logs,  cutting 
this  year  7,nOO,000  feet  of  lumber  at  Oshkosh,  and  5,000,000  at 
Marshfield.  Last  winter,  he  got  out  25,000,000  feel  of  logs,  and 
his  logging  operations  will  be  quite  as  exten>ive  the  present  sea- 
son. His  real  estate  operations  are  quite  large  outside  of  pine 
lands.  Mr.  Sherry  was  married,  at  Neenah,  May  2,  1865,  to 
Abbie  Paddock,  a  native  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child — 
Eddie. 

ROBERT  SHIELLS,  Ca,shier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Neenah;  was  born  at  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  Nov.  21,  1825;  came 
to  America  in  1849,  first  located  at  Milwaukee;  connected  with 
the  Milwaukee  &  Prairie  du  Chien  R.  R.,  as  Civil  Engineer,  until 
the  road  was  completed,  being  with  that  company  several  years; 
afterward,  was  engaged  in  government  and  railroad  engineering 
for  some  time;  and,  for  two  years  prior  to  his  removal  to  Neenah, 
in  September,  1861,  he  was  in  the  bank  of  Prairie  du  Chien. 
When  he  came  here,  he  established  the  Bank  of  Neenah,  in  part- 
nership with  David  Smith,  a  non  resident.  They  continued 
together  until  November,  1865,  when  the  National  Bank  of 
Neenah  was  organized,  with  a  capital  stock  of  850,000.  which  was 
increased  to  $75,000   in    1874.      The   first    Board   of  Directors 


was  composed  of  Henry  Hewitt,  Sr.,  President;  Robert  Shiells, 
Cashier;  J.  A.  Kimberly,  A.  W.  Patten  and  Alexander  Syme. 
Messrs.  Patten  and  Syme  have  since  retired  from  the  board,  and 
J.  R.  Davis,  Sr.,  and  H.  Babcock  have  been  elected  to  succeed 
them.  The  first  report  of  the  bank,  January,  1866,  shows  that 
the  deposits  amounted  to  $45,956.16  ;  loans  and  discounts,  $6,260. 
The  last  report  of  the  condition  of  the  institution,  Oct.  1,  1881, 
indieate.s  the  immense  growth  of  business  here  in  the  last  fifteen 
years.  Deposits,  262,935.80  ;  loans  and  discounts,  $195,244.14. 
Mr.  Shiells  was  married  at  Montreal,  Canada,  in  October,  1852, 
to  Helen  Swan;  she  died  in  February,  1860.  Present  wife  was 
Grace  Graham,  who  was  born  near  Montreal,  Canada.  They 
were  married  at  Whitewater,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  in  April,  1861. 
Mr.  S.  has  six  children — -Margaret,  Jacobine,  Helen,  John,  Grace 
and  Jeanny.  Mr.  Shiells  was  Postmaster  from  1873  to  1877. 
He  was  President  of  the  village  prior  to  city  organization. 

A.  SORENSON,  furniture,  of  the  firm  of  Sorenson  &  Son  ; 
was  born  in  Denmark  in  1826  ;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1867  ;  located  iu  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  the  cabinet  work  ; 
commenced  present  business  in  1877.  He  was  married  in  Den- 
mark in  1863,  to  Louisa  Lunt ;  she  died,  leaving  one  son — 
Charles.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife  in  Neenah  in  1869  ; 
she  was  formerly  Mrs.  Wolf,  who  had  one  daughter  by  her  first 
husband^Annie. 

P.  H.  SPERRY,  jeweler,  and  deals  in  watches,  clocks,  silver 
and  plated  ware,  and  everything  usually  found  in  a  jewelry  store ; 
established  July  21,  1879;  did  about  $6,000  woith  of  business 
the  first  year,  and  did  about  $13,000  worth  in  1880,  and  carries 
stock  to  the  value  of  $3,500  ;  employs  one  man  ;  he  was  born  in 
Menasha,  Wis.,  Jan.  28,  1855,  where  his  parents  lived  until 
1857,  then  moved  to  New  London,  Wis.,  and  lived  until  1864, 
then  to  Hortonville;  lie  lived  at  home  until  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age,  then  joined  the  Eastman  Business  College,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y..  and  graduated  in  x\ugust,  1872,  entering  in 
February,  of  the  same  year,  then  returned  to  Menasha.  and  was 
operator  in  a  telegraph  office  ten  months  ;  then  worked  for  Charles 
Dunbar  in  a  jewelry  store  some  time ;  then  moved  to  Wausau, 
Wis.,  with  Mr.  D.,  where  he  remained  in  the  jewelry  business 
two  and  a  half  years  ;  then  went  to  Oconto,  Wis.,  and  worked  in 
the  same  busine.ss  from  August  until  May  following;  then  went  to 
Menasha  and  worked  in  the  stoneware  business,  keeping  books 
about  two  years,  then  entered  into  business  for  himself  He  was 
married  in  Neenah  June  16,  1880,  to  Miss  Helen  L.  Hunt;  they 
have  one  son — Wallace  A.,  born  July  4,  1881. 

J.  W.  TOBEY,  architect,  carpenter  and  builder;  was  born  in 
Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  Aug.  3,  1827;  moved  to  Cuyahoga  Co., 
Ohio,  in  1848;  learned  his  trade  in  Massachusetts  and  followed  it 
in  Ohio;  in  1864,  he  moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Neenah. 
Mr.  T.  designed  the  plans  for  the  Russell  House,  Neenah,  and 
superintended  the  erection  of  it,  and  also  the  High  School  in  the 
same  place,  as  also  the  Patten  Mill  at  Appleton.  He  was 
married  in  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1853,  to  Miss  L.  D.  Smith,  of 
that  county,  formerly  from  Massachusetts  ;  they  have  two  daugh- 
ters— Isora,  May.  Mr.  Tobey  was  County  Superintendent  one 
year,  and  a  member  of  the  City  Council  two  terms  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Rcyal  Arcanum. 

H.  A.  WEBB,  foreman  of  cooper  shop  ;  was  born  in  Madison, 
Ohio,  April  25,  1833;  came  to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  with  his 
parents  in  1849;  remained  on  their  farm  until  he  was  of  age 
when  he  commenced  farming  for  himself;  followed  this  two  years, 
and  then  with  the  Menasha  Woodenware  Company,  with  whom 
he  remained  some  three  years,  then  he  moved  to  Niles,  Mich,, 
where  he  learned  his  trade  and  remained  until  ho  moved  to  Nee- 
nah, Wis.,  about  1866;  in  the  winter  of  1864,  he  assisted  in 
the  delivery  of  supplies  to  the  troops  at  Niles,  Mich.  He  was 
married  in  Milton,  ne:ir  Niles,  Mich.,  Feb.  24,  1858,  to  Miss 
Loretta  J.  Enos,  daughter  of  the  late  Uriot  Enos,  a  former 
member  of  the  Legislature  ;  they  have  one  daughter — Lillien 
M. 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


D.  WELLS,  pumping  engine  Chicago  &  North- Western 
Railroad;  was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  21,  1818;  was 
engaged  in  the  foundry  and  machine  shops  in  Oswego  until  he 
moved  to  Wisconsin  in  1860,  wheu  he  located  in  Necnah  and 
worked  in  the  foundry  until  1874,  when  he  went  with  the  Chi- 
cago &  North-Western  Railroad.  He  was  married  in  Oswego  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  10,  1838,  to  Miss  Mary  Wilson,  of  Jeffenson  Co.  ; 
they  have  seven  children — Charles,  Wilbur,  Samuel,  Lucy  A., 
Maryette,  Marcia,  Alice. 

ANDREW  J.  WHITEN ACK,  grocer,  is  a  native  of  Mt. 
Morris,  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  May  14,  1837  ;  came  to 
Neenah,  Wis.,  Oct.  1,  1856.  Engaged  in  the  business  of  car- 
penter and  builder  until  April,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  3d  W.  v.  I.;  served  until  March  1,  1863,  when  he 
was  discharged  on  account  of  disability  ;  returned  to  Wisconsin 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  the  town  of  Menasha,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  six  years,  then  worked  in  pail  factory  at  Menasha  for 
five  years.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Neenah  and  engaged  in  present 
business.  He  is  now  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward.  He  was 
married  at  Nrenah,  Oct.  25,  1864,  to  Eliza,  daughter  of  John  and 
Isabelle  Mitchell ;  she  was  born  at  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y.  They 
have  one  child — Willis  Herbert,  born  July  16,  1865.  Mr.  W. 
is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  ±\..  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Oshkosh  Commandery.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Royal 
Arcanum  and  K.  of  H.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Hannah 
(Johnson)  Whitenack,  both  of  whom  died  at  Mt.  Morris,  N.  Y. 
His  wife's  father  died  in  June,  1881  ;  her  mother  now  resides  in 
the  town  of  Menasha. 

GEORGE  A.  WHITING,  Secretary  and  Superintendent  of 
the  Winnebago  Paper  Mills,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Gilboa, 
Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  came  from  there  to  Ripon,  Wis.,  with  his 
parents,  Charles  and  Catherine  Whiting,  in  1854,  lived  there 
until  August,  1865,  when  he  came  to  Neenah,  employed  as  a 
clerk  in  dry  goods  store  here  for  nearly  three  years,  afterward  for 
three  years  engaged  as  traveling  salesman  fir  the  Harris  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  Janesville,  Wis.,  having  charge  of  their 
sales  and  collections  in  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  member.s  of  the  firm  of  Kimberly,  Clark  & 
Co.,  but  soon  severed  his  connection  with  that  house,  and,  for  two 
seasons,  he  traveled  in  the  West,  selling  woolen  goods.  Nov.  1, 
1875,  he  purchased  the  interest  of  Hiram  Shoemaker,  in  the 
Winnebago  Paper  Mills,  and  was  elected  Secretary  of  that  cor- 
poration the  same  year,  and  has  since  held  that  position,  besides 
being  Superintendent  of  the  works  since  June,  1877.  He  was 
Vice  President  of  the  Chicago  Division  of  the  National  Paper 
Makers'  A.s.sociation,  and  is  now  serving  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  same  division.  He  has  held  various  offices  in  the  civic 
societies  of  Neenah,  being  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  K. 
of  H.  and  Royal  Arcanum.  Mr.  Whiting  was  married  at  Neenah, 
June  29,  1870,  to  Edna  F.,  daughter  of  Rev.  O.  W.  Babcock,  of 
this  place ;  she  was  born  in  Vermont. 

P.  R.  WILLIAMS,  retired  from  bu.siness.  Mr.  Williams 
settled  in  Neenah  in  1856.  He  first  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness under  firm  name  of  Crane,  Williams  &  Robinson,  all  of 
whom  formerly  came  from  Honesdale,  Wayne  Co.,  Penn.  ;  they 
continued  in  company  about  three  years,  then  Mr.  Williams 
bought  wheat  for  several  years ;  then  bought  the  same  product  in 
Oshkosh,  shipped  to  Green  Bay  and  sold  there  to  large  wheat 
dealers;  he  continued  in  this  busine.ss  several  years,  he  then  went 
into  the  grocery,  boot  and  shoe  business  as  a  silent  partner ;  ho 
also  engaged  in  sale  of  house  furnaces,  and  assisting  in  improving 
and  completing  the  same  and  putting  them  up,  etc.  He  was  born 
in  Exeter,  N,'Y.,  April  15,  1808.  Mr.  Williams  went  to  Upton, 
Mass.,  and  engaged  in  sash  and  blind  business,  he  being  the  first 
party  to  engage  in  that  business  at  that  place ;  he  was  there  until 
1834,  then  went  to  Lanesboro,  Sus((uehanna  Co.,  Penn.,  and 
engaged  until  1838  in  sash,  door  and  blind  bu.siness,  then  went  to 
Honesdale,  Penn.,  and  engaged  in  same  business  until  he  went  to 
Wisconsin.     He  was  married  in  Amherst,  Mass.,  Oct.  30,  1834, 


to  Miss  Almira  D.  Thayer,  born  in  Dresden,  Me.,  June  29,  1808. 
They  have  two  children  living — Mary  E.,  who  was  married  to 
Alex  K.  Moore,  who  established  the  foundry  business  in  Neenah  ; 
he  died  Jan.  24,  1873  ;  Willis  H.  died  Nov.  16, 1874,  at  Neenah, 
Wis.;  Maria  S.,  died  Oct.  9,  1867;  Elbridge  T.  married  May 
10,  1871,  and   traveling  salesman   for   the  Neenah  Stove  Works. 

MENASHA    AS    A    CITY. 

On  March  5,  1874,  Menasha  was  incorporated  as  a 
city.  According  to  the  last  census,  her  population  was 
3,144.  Her  streets  present  the  same  appearance  of  activity 
as  Neenah,  and  her  pride  also  is  with  her  manufacturies. 
The  advantages  of  her  location,  both  as  a  city  in  which  to 
reside  and  do  business  are  patent  to  all.  Her  high  school 
building  in  the  First  Ward,  is  a  two-story  brick  edifice,  a 
credit  to  the  city,  as  is  also  the  Principal,  E.  A.  Williams. 
There  are  four  other  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
500  pupils  who  attend  school.  About  as  many  more  are  in 
attendance  at  the  denominational  schools.  C.  R.  Smith  is 
City  Superintendent  of  schools.  In  the  first  frame  build- 
ing erected  by  Elbridge  Smith  in  1848,  as  a  law  office,  Miss 
Hattie  Frost  also  taught  the  first  school  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  village  of  Menasha.  In  1849,  Mrs.  Alden 
took  charge  of  the  first  public  school.  A.  J.  Webster,  one 
of  the  leading  and  early  business  men  of  Menasha,  is  its 
Mayor. 

Menasha  and  Neenah  depend  upon  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral, and  the  Chicage  &  Northwestern  Railroads  for  railroad 
facilities.  The  depot  of  the  former  is  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  former  city,  of  the  latter,  on  the  island  between  the 
two  cities.  The  location  of  the  depots  and  grounds  was  a 
matter  of  almost  as  much  dispute,  as  the  old  question  of 
which  place  should  have  the  State  canal.  The  opening  of 
these  roads  and  the  construction  of  side  tracks  all  along  the 
water-power  at  Menasha,  has  been  a  constant  impetus  to 
her  business,  and  especially  her  manufactures.  Two  of  her 
most  important  establishments  are  the  great  Wooden  Ware 
Company's  Manufactory,  and  the  hub  and  spoke  factory 
operated  by  the  Webster  Manufacturing  Company.  It  is  a 
noteworthy  fact  that  the  gentlemen  now  at  the  head  of 
tliese  immense  establishments  have  been  virtually  their 
proprietors  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  by  their 
energy  and  business  talent,  have  pushed  them  on  from 
nothing  to  their  present  standing.  In  IS.'rl,  E.  D.  Smith, 
President  of  the  Wooden  Ware  Company,  purchased  the 
little  tub  and  pail  factory  which  had  been  operated  about  a 
year  by  Keyes  &  Price.  The  shanty — dubbed  factory — 
was  located  on  the  canal,  in  the  woods.  Mr.  Smith  at 
once  commenced  to  improve  the  machinery  which  had  been 
made  by  the  original  proprietors,  made  several  additions  to 
the  building,  and  then  waited  for  the  product  of  the  factory 
to  reimburse  him.  This  was  not  a  period  of  long  waiting, 
and  that  little  factory  in  the  woods  has  gone  on  growing, 
with  the  improvement  of  its  surroundings,  until  now  it  is 
an  immense  establishment — a  small  village  of  buildings, 
with  its  saw-mills,  its  dry  kilns,  its  paint  and  cooper  shops. 
Employing  250  hands,  it  consumes  about  7,000,000  feet  of 
lumber  in  the  manufacture  of  tubs  and  pails,  fish  kits, 
churns,  buckets,  etc.,  in  fact,  all  kinds  of  wood  'n  ware.  It 
loads  its  own  ware  upon  its  own  cars  upon  its  own  tracks, 
and  the  shipments  e.ictend  over  the  country.  At  the  head 
of  the  Webster  Manufacturing  Company  which  operates  the 
immense  hub  and  spoke  factory,  is  A.  J,  Webster,  who 
established  it  himself  in  1856,  upon  the  site  of  the  Coral 
Flour  Mills.     For  the  first  five  years  he  was  unfortunate. 


niSI'ORY    OF    NORIHKRN    WISCONSIN. 


The  dam  was  carried  away  he  removed  his  factory  to  Nee- 
nah,  where  he  did  not  prosper,  returned,  another  break  in 
the  dam,  removal  from  one  place  to  another,  and  finally,  in 
1861,  the  formation  of  a  partnership  with  P.  V.  Lawson 
seemed  to  end  his  business  uncertainties  and  disasters. 
The  latter  had  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sash, 
doors  and  blinds.  During  that  year,  they  erected  a  small 
factory  upon  the  present  site  of  the  immense  one,  which 
occupies,  with  its  shipping  docks,  side  tracts,  etc.,  over  ten 
acres  of  ground,  and  employs  nearly  two  hundred  men. 
Hubs  and  spokes,  sleigh  and  cutter  material,  hard  and  soft 
lumber,  with  all  the  "  etceteras,"  are  turned  out  to  the 
amount  of  $200,000  per  annum.  The  firm  of  Webster  & 
Lawson  now  run  a  saw-mill  on  the  water-power,  which  was 
built  by  Joseph  Keyes,  in  1850.  Since  writing  the  fore- 
going, there  has  been  a  change  in  the  above  firm — a  change 
occasioned  by  the  inevitable.  Mr.  Lawson's  death  occurred 
in  November,  and  Neenah  lost  one  of  her  most  intelligent 
and  influential  citizens. 

In  the  fall  of  1847,  Daniel  Priest  put  a  carding  machine 
in  operation  on  the  Neenah  side.  This  he  ran  until  he 
came  to  Menasha  to  live,  several  years  thereafter,  carrying 
his  machine  with  him,  and  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
Menasha  Woolen  Mills,  one  of  her  prominent  manufactories. 
This  is  operated  by  Messrs.  Chapman  &  Hewitt. 

Of  the  three  flouring  mills,  the  Eagle  and  Coral  are 
operated  by  Alex  Symes.  and  the  Star  (erected  in  1855) 
by  John  Cloves. 

The  paper  and  pulp  mill  on  the  water-power  is  run  by 
Hewitt  iS:  Scott  (Henry  Hewitt  and  R.  M.  Scott),  the  latter 
having  been  a  resident  of  Menasha  for  thirty  years.  He 
erected  the  National  Hotel  in  1870,  and  is  its  proprietor. 
This  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city. 

James  Little  &  Sons  and  Havard  &  Jennings'  iron 
works  are  the  only  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the  city. 
Besides  the  manufactories  mentioned  above,  there  are  several 
planing  mills,  broom-lianJle  and  bedstead  factories,  brick 
yards,  a  limekiln,  the  '■  E.xcelsior  Works  "  (which  manufact- 
ures packing  paper),  one  brewery  and  a  large  one  in  course 
of  erection  by  Mueller  &  Habermehl. 

In  the  above  account  given,  both  of  the  manufactories  of 
Neenan  and  Menasha,  an  attempt  has  merely  been  made  to 
give  a  general  outline  of  their  development,  and  a  brief  out- 
line of  some  of  the  leading  establishments.  For  more  de- 
tailed information  the  reader  will  look  elsewhere. 

The  National  Bank  of  Menasha  was  established  in 
November,  1870,  with  Robert  Shiells  (Cashier  of  the  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Neenah),  President,  and  H.  Hewitt,  Jr.,  son 
of  the  President  of  that  institution.  Cashier.  This  is  the 
only  bank  in  the  city,  and  is  conducted  with  ability. 

The  Press. — As  previously  stated,  the  Winnebago  County 
Press  was  removed  to  Menasha  in  1871,  and  its  name 
changed  to  the  Menasha  Press.  This  journal  was  con- 
ducted by  T.  B.  Reid  for  six  years,  George  B.  Pratt  then 
coming  into  possession  of  it.  He  continued  its  publication 
until  June,  1881,  when  Arthur  J.  Dodge  assumed  the  man- 
agement. 

The  Beohachter  (German)  was  established  in  1873,  by 
John  Klinker.  The  paper  is  controlled  by  H.  W.  Meyer, 
proprietor  of  the  Volksfreund.  Appleton. 

The  Twin  City  News,  a  product  of  the  friendly  feeling 
and  present  close  union  of  Neenah  and  Menasha,  has  been 
published  by  Messrs.  Bowron  &  Potter,  since  the  summer 
of  1881.     Their  place  of  publication  is  on  the  Island. 


liKKlRAPHICAL    SKETCHE.S. 

BACHELDEIl  &  FISHER,  stoue  ware,  tile,  etc.;  firm  com- 
posed of  C.  Bachelder  and  M.  C.  Fisher,  orj^anized  in  1874;  em- 
ploy two  meu  ;  sales  about  820,000  annually  ;  Mr.  B.  travels. 

C.  Bachelder,  of  the  firm  of  Bachelder  &  Fisher,  was  born  in 
Concord,  N.  H.,  June  22,  1829;  came  West  with  his  father  in 
1847,  and  located  in  Fond  du  Lao,  Wis  ;  ciiga<;ed  in  clcrkiDgfiist, 
and  devoted  about  one  year  to  the  photographing  business  Id 
1850,  he  removed  to  Menasha,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
pottery  ware,  and,  some  years  later,  also  en<ragcd  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  stone  ware,  importing  clay  from  New  Jersey  and  Ohio. 
About  1876  he  ceased  manufacturing,  but  continued  in  business, 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  this  class  of  goods.  He  was  married  in 
Portage  Co.,  Oct.  27,  1859,  to  Miss  Sarah  L.  Phelps,  of  Portage 
Co.  Mrs.  B.  was  born  in  Oneida  Cu.,  N.  Y.;  they  have  two 
children — Nannie  J.  and  Carlton  P.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  and  K.  of  H. 

M.  C.  Fisher,  of  the  firm  of  Bachelder  &  Fisher,  was  born  in 
Addison,  Addison  Co.,  Vt,  Aug.  2,  1848  ;  came  to  Wisconsin  in 
March,  1866 ;  located  in  Winnebago  Co.,  remained  about  three 
years ;  then  moved  to  Calumet  Co.,  where  he  was  teaching  school 
some  four  years.  In  March,  1874,  entered  into  partnership  with 
Mr.  Bachelder.  He  was  married  in  Hortonville,  Outagamie  Co., 
Wis..  Aug.  31,  1870.  to  Miss  Annie  C.  Sperry,  of  Outagamie  Co.; 
they  have  one  son — Haldane.  Mr.  F.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.  and  of  K.  of  H. 

REV.  BONFILIO  BALDI,  a  Catholic  priest  of  St.  Charles 
Borromeo.  He  is  a  member  of  the  oriler  of  the  Servites  (or 
Servants)  of  Mary.  He  was  born  in  Italy  (near  Genoa,  the 
birthplace  of  Christopher  Columbus-,  March  11,  1842.  He  began 
studying  for  the  ministry  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  at  Perugia, 
where  the  Persian  Pope,  Louis  XIII,  was  Bishop  and  Cardinal. 
He  remained  there  until  I860,  at  which  time  the  Italian  Govern- 
ment went  to  take  the  State  of  the  Pope,  and  Mr.  Baldi  was 
expelled;  he  then  went  to  Rome  in  1860,  which  was  free,  and  in 
going  there  and  passing  through  a  little  village  called  Narni,  he 
was  put  in  prison  and  kept  overnight ;  the  following  day  was 
liberated,  when  he  went  to  Rome,  and  remained  from  1860  to 
1870,  and  finished  his  .studies,  and  April  18,  1870,  he  started  for 
America,  after  going  to  his  native  place  to  see  his  mother,  where 
he  remained  one  month  ;  then  he  started  on  his  journey,  going 
through  Paris,  France;  remained  two  weeks;  then  to  London, 
England,  and  remained  one  month,  and  July  1,  1870,  he  started 
for  Liverpool  and  took  the  steamer  for  America,  and  arrived  iu 
New  York  City  July  13,  1870;  went  to  Philadelphia  and  re- 
mained one  week;  then  directly  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  whore,  at 
the  house  of  Bishop  Joseph  Malchar,  he  remained  two  weeks ; 
then  he  was  sent  to  Menasha,  Wis.  He  could  not  understand 
our  language.  Remained  there  until  November,  1871,  and  was 
sent  to  Appleton  to  take  charge  of  the  Irish  Congregation  of  St. 
Mary's  Church,  and  remained  until  August,  1875 ;  then  went  to 
Chicago,  where  the  Order  of  the  Servites  of  Mary  owned  five 
acres  of  land  on  West  Jackson  street,  he  being  a  member  of  the 
same.  They  built  a  brick  church  and  house  for  themselves  and 
students  who  wished  to  join  the  order.  He  had  charge  of  the 
congregation  of  Lyons,  near  Riverside,  and  built  a  church ;  was 
there  one  year ;  then  engaged  entirely  in  missionary  work  until 
September,  1879.  He  then  went  to  Preston,  Minn.,  and  took 
charge  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  also  had  charge  of  a  church  in  the 
country  eleven  miles,  and  was  there  one  year ;  then  went  to  Menasha, 
Wis.  He  visited  many  portions  of  Minnesota  and  Dakota ;  returned 
to  Menasha  Oct.  27,  1880.  There  is  a  school  in  connection  with 
the  church  at  Menasha,  conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame 
of  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in  a  flourishing  ccndition,  with  an  average  of 
140  pupils.  They  have  made  many  improvements,  under  the 
guidance  of  Father  Baldi,  around  the  church  and  school  buildings. 
G.  F.  BELLOWS  &  CO.,  manufacturers  of  bedsteads  and 
furniture  ;  firm  composed  of  G.  F.  Bellows  and  C.  B.  Fay  ;  or- 
ganized in  1881,  succeeding  G.  F.  Bellows,    Employ  about  twenty 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


men,  and  turn  out  300  bedsteads  weekly,  in  addition  to  other 
articles. 

George  F.  Bellows,  firm  of  G.  F.  Bellows  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Upper  Canada  Oct.  28,  1831 ;  came  to  United  States  in  1856, 
located  in  Minnesota,  and  in  1858  returned  to  Canada.  In  1860, 
came  to  Wisconsin,  located  in  Omro,  Winnebago  Co.,  engaged  in 
saw-mill ;  settled  in  Menasha  in  1876,  and  commenced  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture  in  1877.  Was  engaged  in  the  same  business 
in  Canada  for  a  time.  He  was  married  in  Canada  June  8,  1851, 
to  Matilda  Stone.  They  have  two  children — -Julia,  now  Mrs. 
Linscott,  and  Emma.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church  and  the  ''  K.  of  H."  Society. 

C.  B.  Fay,  firm  of  G.  F.  Bellows  &  Co.,  was  born  in  Warren 
Co.,  N.  ¥.,  Oct.  19,  1843.  In  1861  he  enlisted  at  Saratoga,  in 
Co.  G,  77th  N.  Y.  V.  I.,  as  Sergeant;  was  in  command  of  his 
company  at  Autietam,  the  other  officers  being  all  killed.  Was 
discharged  in  1863  on  account  of  disability,  caused  by  a  wound 
received  in  same  fight.  In  1864  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  located 
in  Pensaukee  Co.,  and  engaged  as  book-keeper  for  the  Pensaukee 
Company.  In  1868  he  went  into  the  office  of  Harrison,  Luding- 
ton  &  Co.,  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  remained  about  three  years, 
then  moved  to  Kewaunee  Co.,  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself 
for  about  nine  years,  milling  and  merchandising,  then  settled  in 
Menasha.  He  was  married  in  Menasha  Sept.  23,  1875,  to  Miss 
Ida  Bates,  of  Menasha.  They  have  two  children — Baitlett  and 
Allen.     Mr.  F.  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

J.  A.  BRYAN,  was  born  in  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.  In  his 
early  days  he  practiced  law  in  Olean,  N.  Y.  In  1850  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  located  in  Milwaukee,  and  was  editor  of 
the  Commercial  Advertiser  for  some  two  years,  when,  he  moved 
to  Washington  Co.  In  1853  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Pierce,  Register  of  the  Land  Office  in  Menasha.  Died  in  Men- 
asha, May  24,  1864. 

L.  D.  BRYAN,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  came  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  father,  J.  A.  Bryan ;  was  engaged  clerking  in  U.  S.  Land 
Office  in  Menasha  from  1853  to  1857,  and  since  that  was  en- 
gaged in  general  clerkships  until  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  April,  1880,  an  office  he  still  holds. 

0.  P.  CLINTON,  Pastor  Seymour  Church,  of  Outagamie- 
Co.,  Wis  ;  also  the  church  at  Freedom,  same  county.  Mr.  Clinton 
was  born  in  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  22,  1808  ;  his  paren's  moved 
to  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  whe-i  he  was  seven  years  of  age, 
where  he  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  and  was  about  twenty-two  years  of  age  when  he  entered  the 
Potsdam  Academy;  he  attended  that  school  about  two  years,  then 
engaged  in  teaching  and  clerking  about  three  years  in  Essex  Co., 
after  which,  he  studied  theology  with  private  instructors,  Mr. 
Chancy  Stephens,  of  the  latter  county,  and  Solomon  Lyman,  of 
Keeseville,  same  county,  and  Joel  Fisk,  same  county;  he  was  with 
the  above  pastors  and  instructors  about  three  years,  a  portion  of 
which  time  he  taught  school.  He  got  a  license  to  preach  in  1835, 
and  settled  as  a  pastor  at  Lewis,  Essex  Co.,  seven  years,  then  he 
went  to  Salem  and  assisted  as  Pastor  a  short  time.  He  then  went 
West  and  was  employed  at  Southport,  now  Kenosha,  Wis.,  a 
short  time  ;  then  went  to  Lake  Mills ;  preached  there  and  at  Ft. 
Atkinson  about  two  years ;  afier  closing  there,  he  was  appointed 
missionary  for  Northern  Wisconsin,  by  the  American  Home  Mis- 
ionary  Society,  which  field  he  has  labored  in  mostly  since.  He 
enlisted  as  Chaplain  21st  W.  V.  I.  at  Menasha,  served  about  three 
years,  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  July  1,  1865.  He  previously  moved  to  Neenah, 
Wis.,  in  184(i,at  which  time  ho  was  appointed  missionary.  There 
were  only  four  white  families  within  eight  miles  of  Neenah  at 
that  time,  and  only  two  Pastors  to  assist  him  in  his  vast  field  of 
labors,  which  extended  over  the  whole  of  Northern  Wisconsin. 
He  traveled  no  less  than  7.000  miles  the  first  year  of  his  labors, 
in  the  .saddle,  buggy  and  sleigh.  He  saw  the  foundation  laid  in 
midwinter  for  the  first  shanty  between  Oshkosh  and  Ripon.  He 
was  married   in   Jay,  E'sex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  January  of  1836,  to 


Miss  Caroline  C.  Finch  ;  she  was  born  in  the  latter  place,  July  1, 
1815,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Major  Isaac  Fitch,  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  a  member  of  the  United  States  Congress  under  Gen- 
eral Jackson's  first  term.  They  have  three  sons  and  three 
daughters  — Hattie,  now  married  to  W.  D.  Meeker,  and  living  in 
Chicago;  Katie  A.,  now  married  to  Capt.  A.  B.  Bradish,  and 
living  in  Atchison,  Kan  ;  Alice  D.,  married  and  living  in  Chica 
go;  Lucius  A.,  married  and  living  in  Chicago;  Evva  I.,  living  at 
home,  and  John  W.,  also  at  home. 

J.  J.  FISH,  agent  W.  C.  R.  R.;  was  born  in  Cooperstown, 
Otsego  Co.,  N,  Y.,  May  13,  1845  ;  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Oxford,  Chenango  Co.,  in  1847.  In  1868,  he  went  into  business 
for  himself  in  Oxford,  in  merchant  tailoring  and  gent's  furnishings ; 
two  years  later,  moved  to  Bingham  ion  and  opened  a  hat  and  cap 
store;  returned  to  Oxford  and  engaged  in  clerking  until  1872, 
when  he  moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  De  Pere,  where  he  was 
a  telegraph  operator  for  a  time,  and  was  then  made  agent  of  the 
M.  &  N.  R.  R.,  now  the  W.  C.  R.  R. ;  three  years  later,  he  came 
to  Menasha,  where  he  has  remained  since.  He  was  married  in 
Mogadore,  Summit  Co.,  Ohio,  May  13,  1868,  to  Miss  Chloe 
Bradley.  They  have  had  six  children,  of  which  there  survive 
Herbert  H.,  Flora  E.,  Amy  B.  and  Clarence  C.  Mr.  Fish  is  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

FOX  RIVER  IRON  WORKS,  J.  Little  &  Sons,  proprie- 
tors; organized  in  1876;  do  all  kinds  of  job  work  and  make  a 
specialty  of  a  patent  feed  cutter  ;  employ  twelve  men.  James 
Little,  senior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  Halifax,  Windham 
Co.,  Vermont,  May  15,  1810.  In  1828,  he  went  to  Lewis  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  cloth  dressing  ;  from  there  he 
moved  to  Chautauqua  Co.  about  1835,  and  five  years  l.ter  to 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1845,  he  moved  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in 
Sheboygan  Fal  s.  where  he  remained  engaged  in  farming  until  he 
moved  to  Menasha  in  1876,  and  formed  present  firm.  He  was 
married  in  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1832,  to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Wood. 
They  have  had  eleven  children,  of  whom  there  survive  only  five 
— Addison  M.,  Emmett  A.,  Orton  C,  Adell,  now  Mrs.  Crosby 
and  Walter.  Mr.  Little  was  Member  of  the  Assembly  in  1859, 
from  Sheboygan  Falls  ;  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Assessor 
and  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

DR.  GEORGE  W.  FAY,  Register  of  the  Land  Office ;  was 
born  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Feb.  22  1823;  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth Medical  Colhge  in  1847,  and  in  1850  moved  to  Wiscon- 
sin, locating  in  Fond  du  Lac;  about  eighteen  months  later,  he 
moved  to  Menasha  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profusion, 
in  which  he  continued  until  1875,  at  which  time  he  was  appointed 
Register  of  'he  Land  Office.  In  1862,  he  was  appointed  .\s.sist- 
ant  Surgeon  of  the  32d  Wis.,  and  remained  with  them  until  April, 
1865,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  they  spent  in  the  march  to 
the  sea,  during  which  he  was  located  in  Dalton  Ga.  He  was 
married  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1847,  to  Miss  Nancy  Robinson. 
They  have  four  children — George  A..  Ida  M.  (now  Mrs.  L.  S. 
Jones),  Charles  I.  and  William  M.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of 
the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the  K.  of  H. 

ERNST  FUECHSEL,  dealer  in  confectionery,  bread,  cakes, 
etc.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  G'lmany,  Oct.  17,  1856,  emigrated 
to  America  in  1870,  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  lived  there  four  years,  then  moved  to  Whitehall,  Mich.; 
was  there  one  year,  then  returned  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  was  there 
one  year,  after  which  he  went  to  Port  Washington  and  lived  one 
year.  Returned  to  Milwaukee.  Wis.,  in  six  months,  then  went 
to  Neenah,  Wis.,  and  was  there  eighteen  months ;  then  moved 
into  Menasha,  Wis.,  and  has  since  lived  there  and  followed  the 
above  business.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.  He 
was  married  in  April,  1880,  to  Miss  Paulina  Neubauer,  who  was 
born  in  Reedsville,  \Vaupaca  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  one  daughter, 
named  Armand  P.  A. 

FRANK  FULLER,  foreman  of  the  weaving  department 
Menasha  Woolen-Mills.  Mr.  Fuller  was  born  in  County  Derry, 
Ireland,  in  1836,  where  he  was  reared  to  the  business  which  he 


HISTORY    OF   NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


now  so  ably  represents.  In  1854,  he  came  to  this  country  and 
engaged  in  his  business  in  Melville,  .Mass.,  which  ho  followed  for 
three  years,  then  went  to  Amcsbury,  when,  after  prosecuting  his 
business  for  a  few  years,  he  went  to  Barnet,  Vt.,  and  remained 
there  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  war,  when  he  went  to  Auburn, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  stayed  for  four  years,  after  which  he  camu  West 
and  followed  his  business  in  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Wisconsin  up  to 
the  present  time. 

E.  M.  HULSE  &  SON,  brick  manufacturers,  Sec.  16,  They 
make  about  700,000  brick  per  annum,  all  hand  made  ;  factory 
covers  about  two  acres,  established  in  June,  1866.  Mr.  Hulse 
was  born  and  reared  in  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1853,  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  settled  here  and  took  up  a  pioneer  course  of  life. 
When  the  war  broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  I,  W.  V.  I.,  and 
remained  in  active  service  till  the  end  of  the  war  ;  was  honorably 
discharged.  In  June,  1844,  he  was  married  to  Mi.ss  Catharine 
Milnes,  who  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England.  They  have  a 
family  of  one  son,  George  N.,  and  one  daughter,  Charlotte  A.,  now 
Mrs.  Jacobs. 

HOWARD  &  JENNINGS  (Menasha  Iron  Works),  manu- 
facturers of  hub,  spoke  and  broom  handle  machinery,  self-feeding 
saw  machines  and  engines,  a'so  all  kinds  of  wood-working  and 
grist-mill  machinery,  piping  and  brass  goods,  agents  for  Hancock 
inspirators. 

Peter  Jennings  came  from  Canada  to  Racine  in  1850, 
in  his  eighteenth  year.  In  1856,  he  was  united  to  Miss  B.  L. 
Kearney,  of  Racine.  After  a  residence  of  several  years  respect- 
ively in  Racine,  Chicago,  Green  Bay  and  Appleton,  he  finally 
located  in  Menasha  in  1873.  In  1875,  he  became  associated  with 
M.  L.  Howard  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Howard  &  Jennings. 
His  family  consists  of  his  wife  and  six  children,  named  respectively 
Louise  (Mrs.  Johnson),  Robert,  Nettie,  Hattie,  Addie  and  Bennie. 

JAMES  KAYE,  head  miller  City  Mills,  Alex  Sy me,  proprietor; 
was  born  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  Great  Britain,  in  1839.  Learned  bis 
business  in  Liverpool  and  came  to  the  United  Stales  in  1879, 
locating  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  flour  mills 
until  March,  1881,  when  he  came  to  Menasha  and  took  his  present 
position.  He  was  married  in  the  Isle  of  Man  in  1858,  to  Miss 
Annie  Cowin.  They  have  seven  chilnren — Eliza  A.,  John  W., 
Thomas  H.,  James  E.,  Evan  0.,  Emma  and  Ida.  Mr.  K.  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

CARL  KOCH,  dry  goods,  grocery  and  saloon,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  Feb.  2,  1830;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1852  ;  located  in  New  York  City  for  a  time  ;  was  then  in  Johns- 
town, Penn.,  in  the  grocery  business  ;  moved  to  Milwaukee,  and 
from  there,  in  1855,  to  Menasha;  opened  a  saloon  at  first;  has 
been  in  present  business  some  sixteen  years.  Now  carries  a  stock 
of  about  810,000,  and  does  a  business  of  $25,000  to  $30,000 
yearly.  He  was  married  in  Menasha  May  20,  1855,  to  Miss 
Mary  Stum.  They  have  five  children — Emma,  Caroline,  Carl, 
Lizzie  and  Arthur.  Mr.  K.  is  a  Notary  Public,  has  been  a  Justice 
of  the  Peace  three  terms,  Alderman  one  term.  Clerk  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  one  term.. 

JAMES  P.  LOMAS,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  P.  0.  Neenah, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Staffordshire,  Eng.,  where  he  followed  the 
business  of  contractor  for  fourteen  years  previous  to  his  coming 
here.  In  1849,  he  came  to  this  country  for  the  further  prosecu- 
tion of  his  business,  but  subsequently  engaged  at  the  farming  in- 
dustry with  which  we  find  him  still  actively  engaged.  In  1849, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  M.  Beattie,  who  was  born  in 
New  York.  The^  have  a  family  of  four  sons  living  and  two  of 
the  family  buried  in  the  cemetery  here. 

JAMFiS  LADD,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  P.  O.  Neenah,  was 
born  in  Sudbury,  Vt.,  in  1799,  but  was  reared  in  New  Hampshire, 
being  left  dependent  at  an  eaily  age.  He  braved  misfortune  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  was  able  to  commence  the  business  of 
of  farming  for  himself,  which  he  has  very  successfully  carried  out 
since.  In  1826,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Charity  Willcy,  in  New 
Hampshire.     In  1844,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  finally  settled 


here  in  1846,  .since  which  time  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
tlie  general  development  of  the  different  industrie^  of  this  locality. 
In  December,  1865,  Mrs.  Ladd  died  and  was  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery at  Neenah,  aged  sixty-two  years.  In  September,  1866,  he 
was  married  again  to  Miss  Theressa  M.  Kellogg,  of  Appleton, 
Wis.,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Ladd  has  a  family  of 
three  sons  one  daughter. 

EMMETT  A.  LITTLE,  firm  of  J.  Little  &  Sons;  was 
born  in  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  2,  1839  ;  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin with  his  father  ;  entered  Lawrence  University  at  Appleton, 
and  graduated  in  1867.  Read  law  with  John  Thomas,  at  She- 
boygan Falls,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1869;  practiced  law 
in  Plymouth  for  a  time  ;  was  appointed  Postmaiter  at  Sheboygan 
Palls,  by  President  Johnson,  and  was  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  for  two  years.  Came  to  Menasha  in  1876,  and  entered 
the  firm  of  Little  &  Sons.  He  was  married  in  Appleton,  Dec. 
22,  1880,  to  Miss  Catherine  A.  Shaver,  of  Appleton.  Mr.  Little 
is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  McLEAN,  foreman  of  the  dying  department  of  the 
Menasha  Woolen  Mills,  Menasha,  Wis.,  was  born  in  Pickaway 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1856;  wai  raised  to  the  prosecution  of  his  present 
profession.  He  began  this  vocation  in  Rome  City,  Ind.,  and  fol- 
lowed it  for  three  years,  then  be  went  to  Ft.  Wayne,  where  he  pros- 
ecuted it  for  a  similar  term  oF  years,  after  which,  he  came  here 
and  has  been  identified  with  his  industry  since,  with  the  exception 
of  one  year  spent  at  the  business  in  Northington,  Pa.  In  1880, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Anthony,  who  was  born  and  reared 
in  Menasha,  her  people  having  come  here  from  Germany  at  an 
early  time. 

HEMAN  MILLER,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  P.  0.  Neenah, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1852,  he  came 
here  with  his  wife  and  daughter  ;  began  a  regular  pioneer  course 
of  life  which  he  has  successfully  cnnducted  since.  In  1852,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Celia  Miller,  in  Burlington,  N.  Y.  They 
have  a  family  of  two  daughters — Emma  and  Clara,  now  Mrs.  Lu- 
cian  Sandford. 

T.  D.  PHILLIPS,  dealer  in  all  kinds  of  household  furniture, 
also  undertaker,  etc.,  and  all  kinds  of  parlor  ornaments,  and  all  that 
pertains  to  a  first  class  furniture  store  established  in  1872;  trade 
averages  about  $11,000  per  annum,  and  carries  a  stock  of  $5,000. 
Mr.  P.  was  born  in  Jefferson  Cj.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1842.  He 
settled  in  Fond  du  Lac  in  1862,  and  lived  a  short  time,  and  enlist- 
ed in  the  fall  of  1863,  in  Co.  G,  36th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  InR.  He 
was  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spotsylvania  C.  H.,  North 
and  South  Anna,  Cold  Harbor,  Weldon  R.  R.,  Petersbuig.  Hat- 
chert's  Run,  including  first  and  second  battles.  He  was  at  Peters- 
burg at  the  breaking  of  the  lines,  then  followed  Gen.  Robert  E. 
Lee  until  his  surrender,  and  was  present  at  the  same  June  17, 
1874.  He  was  at  Washington  at  the  grand  review.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  July  12,  1865.  He  returned  to 
Menasha,  Wis.,  and  worked  in  a  hub  foctory  for  about  four  years. 
He  then  went  to  Middle  Tennessee,  but  soon  returned  to  Menasha 
and  engaged  in  sash  and  blind  business  and  a  part  of  the  time 
worked  for  other  parties.  He  soon  after  began  his  furniture  busi- 
ness which  he  ran  about  four  years  alone,  then  took  in  a  partner 
and  was  in  company  five  years,  after  which  Mr.  P.  bought  the 
whole  interest,  and  has  since  conducted  the  same  alone.  Waa 
married  Oct.  3,  1866,  in  Stockbridge,  Calumet  Co.,  to  Miss  F.  C. 
Thompson,  who  Wiis  born  in  New  York.  They  have  two  sons  — 
William  A.  and  Everett  T. 

THOMAS  PRICE,  foreman  of  Menasha  Wooden  Ware 
Company;  he  was  born  in  Cararvonshire.  Wales,  May,  1818. 
In  1842,  he  came  to  America  and  .stayed  in  N.  Y.  State  until 
1845,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  stopped  in  Milwaukee 
till  1846;  he  then  went  to  Watertown  and  stayed  until  1849, 
when  he  came  here  and  has  been  identified  with  the  manufactur- 
ing industries  of  the  place  since,  principally  as  foreman  of  this 
Company  ;  he  had  formerly  carried  on  the  chair  furniture  manufact- 
uring, having  built  two  factories  here.     In  1845,  he  was  married 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


'83 


to  Miss  Elizabeth  Humphries,  who  was  bora  in  Wales.  They 
have  a  family  of  two  sons — Joseph,  finisher  in  the  employ  of  the 
company,  and  Byron  Ed.,  of  Star  and  Times,  Hudson.  In  con- 
nection with  this  family  biography  we  record  the  sad  loss  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Price's  son  William  T.,  which  occurred  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  5th  June,  1869,  by  the  capsizing  of  the  boat  upon 
which  he  was  sailing  on  l^ake  Winnebago. 

FRANK  A.  SCHRAGE;  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Prussia, 
Aug.  16,  1825;  came  to  United  States  in  1843  and  located  in 
Baltimore.  In  1845,  moved  to  Wisconsin  ;  located  in  Milwau- 
kee, and  was  there  several  ye  irs,  studying  under  Bishop  Henni; 
then  moved  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  employed  in  dry 
goods  business.  In  1858,  he  came  to  Menasha,  and  was  engag.  d 
in  hotel-keeping  up  to  1879.  Was  married,  in  Racine,  Wis.,  to 
Miss  Catherine  Schott,  of  Washington  Co.;  she  died  leaving  seven 
children — Frank,  George,  Edward  H.,  August  H.,  Charlie  H., 
Matilda,  Mary  M.  Was  married,  in  Menasha,  in  1874,  to  Miss 
Maggie  Derfees,  of  Washington  Co.,  Wis.;  they  have  two  children 
— Hattie  Bell,  Levrette  Oito.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
cordia Society. 

WILLIAM  SILL,  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Sec.  9;  P.  0. 
Menasha.  Mr.  S.  was  born  and  reared  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.  In 
1854,  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  took  up  a  regular  pioneer  course 
of  life,  which  he  has  successfully  conducted  since,  in  the  mean- 
time taking  an  active  part  in  the  political  life  of  his  municipality. 
In  1865,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Stowe,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  have  a  fiimily  of 
two  sons— Edward  P.  and  William  L.  Edward  P.  Sill,  father  of 
the  subject  of  our  sketch,  lives  with  him,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
two  ;  he  was  born  in  Connecticut ;  at  the  age  of  five  years,  he 
went  to  New  York  ;  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  came  to  Wisconsin  ; 
has  lived  here  since. 

JAMES  SLOVER  Mr.  S.  was  born  and  reared  in  Greene 
Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1846,  he  came  here,  after  a  tedious  trip  through 
the  wilds  of  Wisconsin,  and  entered  the  second  piece  of  land  in 
Township  20,  and,  after  returning  for  his  mother  and  brother,  he 
came  here  and  began  an  active  pioneer  life  ;  he  established  the 
brick  and  lime  industry,  with  which  he  was  prominently  connected 
for  several  years.  In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  43d  W.  V.  I.,  and 
remained  in  ihc  service  till  the  end  of  the  war,  when  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  as  2d  Sergeant  of  his  company.  In  1852,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Emma  G.  Milnes,  who  was  born  in  York- 
shire. England,  and  who  came  to  this  country  about  1842  ;  they 
have  one  daughter — Etta — living,  and  one  son  and  daughter  bur- 
ied in  the  Neenah  Cemetery. 

P.  VERBECK,  farmer  and  stock-raiser  ;  P.  0.  Neenah.  Mr. 
V.  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  Nov.  9,  1816.  In  1846,  he  came 
to  Washington  Co.,  and,  after  following  farming  there  for  nine 
years,  he  came  here,  and  has  been  successfully  identified  with  that 
industry  since,  in  the  meantime  taking  an  active  part  in  the  polit- 
ical life  of  the  place  In  1848,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Cherissa 
Holcomb,  who  was  born  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  July  10,  1826  ;  they 
were  married  in  Owego,  N.  Y.;  they  have  a  family  of  four  sons, 
all  grown  to  man's  estate. 

H.  A.  WHITNEY,  hotel;  was  born  in  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  1835,  and  from  their  moved  to  Wisconsin  in  1861,  locating  in 
La  Crosse  ;  engaged  in  millwrighting ;  came  to  Menasha  in  May, 
1881. 

OMIiO. 

The  early  history  of  the  region  in  which  the  village  of 
Omro  is  situated  lias  been  given  in  previous  pages.  With 
Neenah,  Menasha  and  Oshkosh,  it  is  situated  in  the  course 
of  that  stream  of  historic  travel  which  poured  for  two  cen- 
turies through  the  Fox  River  Valley.  The  village  is 
situated  on  the  south  bank  of  that  river,  and  is  surrounded 
by  a  fine  agricultural  district,  of  which  it  is  the  business 
center.    Previous  to  184;'),  Charles  Omro,  a  half-breed,  had 


put  up  a  log  hut  and  established  a  trading  post  near  where 
the  Compound  Company's  building  afterward  stood.  But 
Edward  West,  who  is  the  builder  of  the  canal  in  Appleton 
and  a  prominent  business  man,  is  regarded  as  the  first  white 
settler  in  the  town.  Having  purchased  500  acres  of  land, 
he  erected  two  log  cabins,  and  in  the  spring  of  1845,  having 
cut  through  a  wagon-road  from  Rosendale.  Fond  du  Lac  Co., 
to  his  new  home  in  Butte  des  Morts,  removed  his  family. 
Mr.  West  having  thus  opened  the  way,  Myron  Howe.  H. 
Gifford,  Isaac  Germain,  A.  Beals,  George  Stokes,  David 
Hume,  Al.  Pease,  M.  C.  Bushnell,  A.  Quick,  George  Beck- 
with,  William  Remington,  Joseph  Whitehead,  Lenman 
Scott,  John  Monroe,  J.  H.  Perry,  N.  J.  Forbes,  Richard 
Reed,  John  Johnson,  W.  0.  Giddings  and  others  settled  in 
the  town  and  at  or  near  the  village  in  1846-49.  The  town 
of  Butte  des  Morts  was  organized  in  1839,  while  it  was  yet 
a  part  of  Brown  Co.,  and  in  1843  Winnebago  Co.  having 
been  created,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  town  of  Winne- 
bago. In  1847,  the  towns  of  Winnebago,  Butte  des  Morts, 
Boughton,  Neenah  and  Rushford  were  organized.  From 
the  records  of  the  first  town  meeting  of  Butts  des  Morts, 
held  in  April,  at  the  house  of  Edward  West,  it  appears  that 
twenty-one  votes  were  polled,  and  Nelson  Olin  was  chosen 
Moderator  and  elected  Clerk,  while  Edward  West,  John 
Monroe  and  Fred  Tice  became  Supervisors.  In  1848,  Win- 
neconne  was  set  off  from  the  town,  the  next  year  the  name 
Butts  des  Morts  was  changed  to  Bloomingdale,  and  to  Omro 
in  1852.  Mr.  West  continued  to  lead  in  the  village's 
march  of  improvement.  In  1848,  Elder  Pillsbury  preached 
the  first  sermon  in  Richard  Reed's  '•  big  house" — 18x22 
feet — and  Mrs.  George  Beckwell  taught  the  first  school.  In 
the  spring  of  1847,  David  Hume  settled  upon  the  present 
site  of  the  village,  built  him  a  home  and  returned  to  Janes- 
ville  for  his  family.  Nelson  Beckwith,  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Humes,  erected  a  saw-mill  the  same  year.  In  1849,  the 
original  plat  of  the  village  was  laid  out  by  Elisha  Dean, 
who  had  been  associated  with  Mr.  Beckwith  in  his  saw-mill 
enterprises,  Joel  V.  Taylor  and  Nelson  Beckwith,  the 
"  ^Vestern  addition,"  being  laid  out  the  following  year.  In 
1850,  the  first  hotel  was  built.  The  building  has  been  since 
enlarged  and  improved  and  is  known  as  the  Larrabee 
House.  During  the  winter  of  that  year  Henry  Purdy 
taught  the  first  public  school.  Within  the  next  ten  years 
the  village  so  increased  in  population  and  trade  that  it 
sighed  for  the  advantages  of  a  railroad.  Through  the  de- 
termination of  its  citizens  the  track  of  the  St.  Paul  Com- 
pany's branch  was  extended  to  Omro  by  January  1,  1861, 
it  having  reached  Waukau  soon  before  that  time.  Omro 
did  not  have  to  depend  longer  upon  the  irregular  running  of 
the  boats  up  and  down  the  river,  and  took  a  fresh  start. 
The  village  now  has  a  population  of  about  2,000  people, 
and  next  to  Menasha,  is  the  most  important  business  point 
in  the  county.  J.  M.  Beals  is  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees. 

Its  schools,  three  in  number,  are  well  conducted.  The 
Principal  of  the  High  School  is  II.  W.  Rood.  The  North 
Side  School  is  conducted  by  Walter  Case  and  the  East  Ward 
by  D.  L.  Barnes.     The  graded  system  is  in  vogue. 

In  May,  1865,  the  first  permanent  newspaper  in  the  vil- 
lage was  established,  called  the  Omro  Union,  by  S.  H. 
Cady.  In  1870,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Omro  Jour- 
nal.  In  April,  1878,  Piatt  Wright,  its  present  editor  and 
proprietor,  came  into  possession.  The  Journal  is  a  five- 
column  quarto  weekly,  independent  in  politics.     The   Stal- 


t84 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


wart  was  establishe;!  September  25,  1880,  by  Charles 
Carter  and  W.  A.  Hilton,  its  present  editors  and  proprie- 
tors. It  is  a  seven-column  folio,  weekly.  Republican  in 
politics. 

Omro  has  several  flourishing  church  societies.  The 
Baptist  Church  was  built  in  1859,  the  first  pastor  of  the 
society  being  Elder  Theodore  Pillsbury.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  113,  and  Elder  0.  W.  Babcock  has  the  society  in 
charge.  Eider  Pillsbury  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the 
town  at  Richard  Reed's  "big  house."  A  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  was  formed  at  an  early  day,  and  a  vigorous 
one  of  180  members  still  exists,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Jesse  Cole.  The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  May 
10,  1851,  by  Rev.  L.  Robbins.  A  good  building  was 
erected  in  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $3,500,  which  has  since  been 
improved  and  enlarged.  The  present  membership  of  the 
society  is  ninety.  Rev.  F.  Z.  Rossiter,  pastor.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  above  there  is  a  small  Episcopal  Mission,  Rev. 
Charles  T.  Susan,  rector,  and  a  Catholic  society  in  charge 
of  Father  Mazzeaud,  of  Berlin. 

Being  in  the  center  of  so  fine  an  agricultural  district  the 
general  trade  of  Omro  is  large,  as  is  evident  to  any  visitor 
by  the  general  busy  appearance  of  her  streets.  Several 
large  manufactories  serve  to  increase  her  reputation  as  a 
thriving  village.  The  Northwestern  Burial  Case  Company 
commenced  to  erect  their  building  in  March,  1881,  and  put 
the  factory  iu  operation  in  July.  It  turns  out  not  only  cof- 
fins of  every  variety,  but  manufactures  moldings,  sash, 
doors  and  blinds.  An  annual  business  of  $100,000  is 
being  conducted.  The  company  owns  two  large  buildings, 
one  being  used  as  a  factory  and  the  other  for  finishing  work. 
Over  thirty  men  are  employed.  Its  members  are  C.  C. 
Morton,  M.  E.  Small,  J.  D.  Trelevan,  J  T.  Orchard,  S. 
Lcighton  and  S.  D.  Oilman. 

H.  W.  Webster's  mill  manufactures  35,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber, 5,000  of  lath  and  30,000  siiingles  per  day  ;  employs 
fifty  hands  and  was  built  in  1867.  Mr.  Webster,  who  is 
one  of  Omro's  early  settlers,  took  charge  in  1868. 

D.  Grossman's  cheese  factory  was  built  iu  1873,  and 
manufactures  180,000  pounds  of  cheese  annually.  It  is  one 
of  the  busiest  institutions  of  the  place. 

George  Challoner's  Sons  foundry  and  machine-shop  was 
established  by  George  Challoner,  father  of  Frank  and  John 
Challoner,  present  proprietors,  in  1862.  It  was  burned  in 
1871.  George  Challonor  conducted  it  alone  up  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1880,  when  the  firm  became  as  above.  From 
thirty  to  thirty-five  men  are  employed.  The  product  of  the 
manufacture  is  $52,000  yearly,  and  its  nature  shingle  and 
saw  mill  machinery,  steam  engines,  pumps  and  general 
work. 

A  small  grist-mill,  several  busy  wagon-shops  and  a  bar- 
rel fii-ctory,  run  by  A.  Gray,  complete  the  raanufiictories. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MILO  C.  BUSHNELL,  real  estate,  rents  buildings,  etc.; 
first  located  in  Omro  Township,  Sec.  27,  in  184G,and  farmed  until 
180G,  since  which  lime  he  has  been  occupied  in  fruit-raisinjr,  farm- 
ing, etc.;  he  is  also  engaged  in  settling  estates.  He  has  been 
Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors,  also  Assistant  Internal  Rev- 
enue Collector,  Town  Treasurer,  etc.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Wisconsin  Legislature  in  1867,  again  in  1868;  has  al<o  been 
Chairman  of  County  Board,  and  has  held  many  other  offices  and 
positions  of  trust.  Was  born  in  Waitsfield,  Washington  Co.,  Vt., 
May  2,  1824.      Married  in  Vormnnt,  in   1851,  to  Miss  Marey  (i. 


Taylor,  of  Vermont,  who  died  in  1852.  Was  again  married,  in 
Omro,  Wis.,  in  1853,  to  Mary  S.  Bidwell ;  she  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.;  they  have  one  daughter — Linnie  A.,  living 
at  home;  Ervie  J.,  deceased.  Mis.  B.  died  in  1866.  He  was 
again  married,  in  1867,  at  Omro,  Wis.,  to  Mary  J.  Bradish,  who 
was  born  in  Vermont. 

WILLIAM  BLACKBURN,  re  ired  ;  wasb.rn  in  Woolwich. 
England,  Aug.  11,  1806;  enlisted  in  the  British  Army  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  and  served  thirty-five  years  and  forty-one  days, 
being  ail  through  the  Crimean  war;  spent  seven  years  in  East 
Indies,  and  has  evidently  experienced  much  of  military  life;  he 
was  discharged  July  27,  1856  ;  he  now  draws  half  pay  as  an  officer 
of  the  army,  from  the  British  Government.  He  emigrated  to 
America  to  settle  in  1857,  and  located  in  Omro  and  farmed  until 
1881.  Was  married  in  Newcastle,  on  the  River  Tyne,  Jan.  3, 
1829,  to  Miss  Ann  Blackburn,  who  was  born  in  Northumberland, 
Hexhamshire,  England,  April  27,  18U5;  they  have  one  son — 
William  H.,  now  married  and  living  on  their  tarm,  near  Omro. 

FRANK  CHALLONER,  of  "the  firm  of  Challoner's  Sons, 
proprietors  of  a  foundry  and  manufacturers  of  Challoner's  Shingle 
and  Saw-Mill  Machinery,  for  cutting  shingles,  etc.,  established  in 
1862  by  their  father,  George  Challoner.  They  did  work  to  the 
amount  of  $52,000  during  the  season  of  1880-81,  in  one  year  ; 
employ  from  twenty  to  thirty-five  men,  whose  wages  amount  to 
from  $10,000  to  S12,000  per  year.  Sales  extend  over  the  whole 
United  States  and  Canadas,  where  lumber  is  manufactured.  He 
was  born  in  Omro,  Wis.,  July  6,  in  1853,  and  worked  for  his 
father  until  he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  His  father  died 
Oct.  4,  1880,  since  when  himself  and  brother  have  operated  the 
above.  He  was  married  in  Omro,  Sept.  27,  1876,  to  Miss  Addie 
Hicks,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place  ;  have  two  children,  one  of 
whom  is  named  Grace,  and  the  other  an  infant  not  yet  named. 
Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  a  beneficiary  asso- 
ciation. 

F.  A.  COLE,  firm  of  S.  M.  &  P.  A.  Cole,  dealers  in  a  gen- 
eral stock  of  dry  goods,  clothing,  notions,  etc.;  established  Jan- 
uary, 1870.  Peter  Cole,  the  father  of  F.  A.  Cole  and  husband 
of  S.  M.  Cole,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York  Feb.  18, 1821, 
and  lived  in  Allegany  Co.  of  that  State  the  greater  part  of  the 
time,  and  followed  the  mercantile  businiss  until  1869,  and,  in  the 
spring  of  that  year,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Omro,  Wis., 
where,  in  the  following  Jnnuary,  ho  established  the  mercantile 
business,  which  has  been  increa.sed  from  year  to  year,  and,  at  the 
present  time,  his  wife  and  son  have  one  of  the  finest  stores  in 
Omro.  Upon  his  death,  which  occurred  Oct  25,  1880,  the  style 
of  the  firm  was  changed  to  S.  M.  and  F.  A.  Cole.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1841,  to  Sarah  M.  Ellis,  of  the  same  place,  but  whose  par- 
ents were  from  Connecticut;  they  had  a  son  whom  they  named F. 
A.  Cole,  born  in  Allegany  Co..  N.  Y.,  in  1854.  He  clerked  in  his 
father's  store  until  he  became  one  of  the  firm  with  his  mother. 
F.  A.  Cole  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  also  of  the 
I.  0.  O.  F. 

SERENO  D.  GILMAN,  member  of  the  firm  of  North- 
western Burial  Case  Co.  ;  established  in  the  spring  of  1881  ; 
capacity,  200  coffins  per  week  ;  also  do  a  jobbing  business  in  sa.sh, 
doors  and  blinds,  moldings,  brackets,  and  planing  lumber,  etc., 
with  a  capacity  of  dressing  60,000  feet  per  day  ;  he  was  born  in 
Tamworth,  Carroll  Co.,  N.  H.,  June  22,  1832  ;  lived  there  until 
1853  ;  then  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  and  engaged  in  pattern  mak- 
ing for  steam  engines  about  one  year,  then  went  to  Richland  City, 
Wis.,  and  was  in  the  building  business  about  two  years,  then  went 
to  Bradford,  Chickasaw  Co.,  Iowa,  and  followed  niillwrighting 
seven  years,  and  followed  the  same  business  in  different  portions 
of  Wisconsin  about  one  year;  then  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  worked 
about  seven  years  house  building;  went  to  Omro,  Wis.,  in  1872, 
and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  three  years,  then  into  the 
mercantile  business  six  years  ;  then  into  his  present  business.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  a  beneficiary  association  ; 
also  a  member  of  the  Village  Board. 


HISTORY    OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


DR.  J.  GIBBS,  physician  and  surgeon  ;  located  at  Omro, 
Wis.,  on  North  Side,  in  1855  ;  ho  bought  an  interest  in  a  lumber 
mill,  intending  to  discard  his  profession  ;  was  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing five  years,  when  he  disposed  of  his  lumber  interest  and  again 
took  up  his  profession,  and  has  since  followed  it.  He  was  born 
at  Sturbridge,  Mass.,  Nov.  8,  1816;  ho  graduated  at  the  Hudson 
Medical  College,  located  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1848;  wasin  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  in  1851  and  1852,  where  he  took  an  honorary  degree 
from  the  Cambridge  Medical  College.  He  practiced  medicine  in 
Avon.  Lorain  Co.,  Ohio,  some  time,  then  came  to  Omro,  Wis.,  as 
above  stated.  He  was  married  in  Deerfield,  Ohio,  in  1839,  to 
Miss  Harriet  Reed,  who  was  born  iu  Deerfield,  Ohio  ;  they  have 
three  daughters,  Gertrude  R.  (living  at  home)  ;  Mary  J.  (married 
to  Mr.  F.  W.  Hart  and  living  in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  manufacturer  and 
dealer  in  sash,  doors,  blinds,  etc.)  ;  Carol  A.  (now  at  home,  but 
formerly  married  to  Mr.  George  Carter).  The  Doctor  is  a  mem- 
mber  of  the  M.  E.  Church;  he  is  also  a  strong  temperance  advo- 
cate. He  was  appointed  as  Assistant  Surgeon  19th\V.  V.I.,  Feb- 
ruary, 1865,  and  served  until  November,  1865.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Sawyer  Grand  Army,  Post  No.  7. 

A.  B.  HALL,  carriage  manufacturer,  painting  and  black- 
smith shops;  employs  five  men,  and  does  trade  and  jobbing  to 
the  amount  of  $ti,UOO  per  annum ;  located  in  Omro  in  February, 
1870,  and  began  house  and  carriiige  painting,  which  he  carried  on 
about  five  years,  and  began  his  present  business  in  1875;  Mr. 
H.  was  born  in  Orwell,  Vt.,  Feb.  26,  1840.  Was  married  at 
Omro,  Wis.,  Jan.  5,  1871,  to  Miss  L.  M.  Drake,  who  was  born  in 
the  Slate  of  New  York  ;  they  have  two  children — Edgar  A.  and 
Leo  D.  Mr.  Hall  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  14th  Vt.  V.  L,  Oct.  21  ; 
was  mustered  out ;  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Get- 
tysburg. 

EMMET  E.  HENRY,  of  the  firm  of  Henry  &  Charle.s- 
worth,  dealers  in  a  ij;eneral  line  ot  drugs,  paints,  oils,  lamps, 
notions,  etc.  ;  established  in  February,  1880  ;  also  have  a  branch 
store  at  Ledyard,  Wis.;  trade  amounts  to  from  810,000  to  $12,- 
000  per  annum;  employ  one  clerk,  besides  their  own  help  ;  he 
first  settled  at  Rushford  Township  in  1857,  and  lived  there  until 
1867  ;  he  afterward  followed  stcamboating  three  years  on  the 
Mississippi  River  ;  was  two  years  in  the  flouring-mill  at  Cleve- 
land, 111.,  then  went  to  Omro,  Wis.,  and  took  charge  of  a  grocery 
store  of  Henry  &  Carter  two  years  ;  he  then  purchased  an  insur- 
ance agency  and  followed  the  business  one  year ;  sold  out  and 
engaged  as  clerk  in  the  Omro  Post  OBice  eighteen  months,  then 
went  in  the  drug  business.  He  is  a  member  of  tlie  Knights  of 
Honor,  a  beneficiary  society.  He  was  born  in  Medina,  Medina 
Co.,  Ohio,  Dec.  23,  1847.  Mariied  at  Omro,  Wis.,  May  9,  1880, 
to  Mi.^^s  Edna  I.  Crawford,  who  was  born  in  Omro,  Wis. 

ABU  AH  B.  LA.RRABEE,  proprietor  of  the  Larrabee 
House;  established  in  1854;  he  located  in  Omro  in  1854; 
clerked  six  years  in  a  general  store,  then  bought  an  interest — 
firm  name  of  Larrabee  &  Schimmerhorn — and  continued  two 
years  ;  in  1862,  he  clerked  on  the  steamer  Fountain  City,  run- 
ning from  Oshkosh  to  Green  Bay  ;  he  soon  after  engaged  in 
the  livery  business;  since  continued  in  company  with  his  brother, 
A.  J.  Larrabee  ;  he  bought  the  hotel  in  1858,  and  began  operat- 
ing the  hotel  in  June,  1879  ;  he  also  bought  the  Northwestern 
Hotel  of  Omro  in  January,  1881  ;  he  was  born  in  McKean  Co., 
Penn.,  June  13,  1832.  Married  in  Omro  July  19,  1865,  to 
Miss  Jennie  Blackburn,  who  was  born  Jan.  12,  1842,  at  New- 
castle, on  the  River  Tyne,  Eng.  ;  they  have  three  children — Leo 
L.,  Irvie  M.  and  George  M. 

CHARLES  C.  MORTON,  a  member  of  the  Northwestern 
Burial  Case  Co.  ;  they  also  manufacture  sash,  blinds  and  doors  ; 
erected  during  the  season  of  1881  ;  employ  thirty  men,  and  have 
all  of  the  latest  improved  machinery;  Mr.  M.  settled  in  Winne- 
conne.  Wis.,  in  1854,  followed  farming  and  carpenter  and  joiner 
trade  until  1871,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Omro  and 
engaged  in  the  sash  and  door  business  until  the  spring  of  1881, 
when  he  became  a  partner  in  the  above-mentioned  company ;  was 
75 


born  in  Canton,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  7,  1837.  Was  married  in  Winne- 
cunne,  Wis.,  June  3,  1863,  to  Miss  Lois  S.  Olin,  who  was  born 
in  Waukesha,  Wis.  ;  they  have  three  children— Lucy,  Irene, 
George  Edwin  and  Mary  Altha.  Mr.  M.  enlisted  in  L'o.  E,  1st 
Wis.  V.  C,  and  was  mustered  in  the  United  States  service  Sep- 
tember, 1861,  and  his  regiment  was  principally  employed  in  skir- 
mishing and  guerrilla  warfare  in  the  States  of  Arkansas,  Mis- 
souri and  Tennessee ;  he  was  discharged  at  Memphis,  Teun.,  in 
December,  1862  ;  he  again  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  48th  Wis.  V.  [.,  in 
February,  1865  ;  the  regiment  was  sent  to  the  Far  West  on  the 
plains,  where  it  did  duty  ;  he  was  mustered  out  in  December, 
1865.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  at 
Winneconne,  Trustee  of  Omro  Village  two  years,  and  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  in  1880.  He  is  a  member  vt'  the  Grand 
Army  Post. 

JOHN  T.  ORCHARD,  member  of  the  Northwestern  Burial 
Case  Company.  They  occupy  two  large  buildings,  one  of  which 
is  40x110,  being  the  manufacturing  department;  the  other  (the 
finishing  department)  is  40x90  ;  the  capacity,  200  coflSns  per  week  ; 
the  other  particulars  will  be  found  in  tbe  bi-  graphy  of  C.  C.  Mor- 
ton Mr.  0.  was  born  in  England  May  30,  1849,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  May,  1869,  and  settled  in  Omro;  he  first  engaged 
as  merchant  tailor,  which  he  now  continues  under  the  firm  name  of 
Treleven  &  Orchard  ;  Mr.  0.  is  book-keeper  and  Secretary  of  the 
first  mentioned  company.  He  was  married  in  Omro,  Wis.,  in  .May, 
1875,  to  Miss  Elizabetli  Ross,  who  died  July  I,  1876  ;  he  was 
again  married,  Aug.  18,  1880,  to  Miss  Lizzie  C.  Peaselee,  who 
was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.;  he  has  one  son  by  his  first  wife, 
named  Frank  Orchard.  Mr.  0.  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge  of  Masons  of  Omro. 

P.  H.  PATTON,  M.  D.,  located  at  Omro,  Wis.,  in  July, 
1878  ;  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  13,  1855,  and  was 
about  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  began  the  study  of  medicine 
at  Burlington,  Vt.,  entering  the  Medical  Department  of  that  Uni- 
versity, and  graduating  iu  July,  1876;  he  then  went  West,  and 
finally  located  as  before  stated,  and  began  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine. He  was  married  iu  Omro,  Wis.,  iu  July,  1879,  to  Miss 
Hattie  C.  Jlcdberry,  who  was  born  iu  Omro,  Wis.,  in  1860.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  a  beneficiary  association. 

WILLIAM  W.  RACE,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  hardware; 
established  in  1863.  He  first  settled  in  Waupun,  Wis.,  in  185L 
with  his  parents,  where  he  lived  until  the  spring  of  1864,  at  which 
time  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  41st  W.  V.  I.,  that  being  a  100-days' 
regiment ;  was  mustered  in  in  May,  1864,  and  served  until  the  ex- 
piration of  his  time,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Wash- 
burn;  was  disabled  for  sometime  on  account  of  sickness.  He 
then  went  to  Cambria,  Wis.,  and  worked  a.s  a  jour  in  the  tin  shop, 
having  previously  worked  at  the  same  business  in  Waupun,  Wis.; 
he  was  engaged  wholly  three  years ;  he  went  to  Omro,  Wis.,  in 
the  spring  of  1865,  and  began  his  present  business;  he  was  pre- 
viously engaged  in  the  same  business  in  Omro.  He  was  born  in 
Clarkson,  Monroe  Co.,  N.  V.,  May  4,  1839.  He  was  married  in 
Scott  Township,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  June  14,  1866,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Thorn,  who  was  born  in  New  York  City  ;  they  have  one 
son,  Archie  D.  Race. 

RICHARD  REED,  Jr.,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of  grocer- 
ies, provisions,  crockery,  etc.;  established  in  April,  1876;  trade 
amounts  to  $13,000  to  815,000  per  annum  ;  employs  two  clerks. 
His  father,  Richard  Reed,  Sr.,  settled  at  Omro,  Wis.,  in  Oeiober, 
1847,  and  has  since  lived  there,  engaged  in  farming,  until  1873  ; 
Mr.  Reed,  Jr.,  lived  at  home  until  he  was  eigiitoen  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  he  went  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colo.,  and  was  there  two 
years,  mining;  then  returned  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.;  engaged 
there  in  the  hardware  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Edwards 
&  Reed,  where  he  continued  one  year.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  14th 
W.  V.  I.;  was  mustered  in  at  Madison,  in  the  latter  part  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  and  engjged  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  under  Gen. 
Sherman;  he  was  soon  transferred  from  the  17ih  to  the  16th 
Army   Corps,  and  engaged   in  the   battles  of  Franklin,  Nahville 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  the  seige  of  Spanish  Fort,  opposite  Mobile;  was  mustered 
out  at  Mobile,  Oct.  9,  1S65;  returned  to  Omro.^bought  a  farm, 
and  followed  farming  until  1873  ;  then  moved  into  the  village  and 
formed  the  company  of  Davis  &  Reed  ;  continued  two  years,  then 
sold  his  interest  to  his  partner;  then  engaged  in  business  on  his 
own  account.  He  was  born  in  Pottsdam,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  12,  1841  ;  married,  in  February,  18(i3,  at  Fond  du  Lac, 
Wis.,  to  Miss  Maggie  Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Scotland  ;  they 
have  three  children —  Frank  R.,  Howard  E.  and  Grace  M.  Mr. 
R.  is  a  member  of  Post  No.  7,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  also 
the  Knights  of  Honor. 

JAMES  W.  SAMPHIER,  of  the  firm  of  P.Samphier  &  Bro., 
retailers  and  jobbers  in  all  grades  of  boots  and  shoes,  trunks,  va- 
lises, etc.  Mr.  S.  was  born  in  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  13, 
1845 ;  he  came  to  Omro,  Wis.,  with  his  brother,  P.  Samphier,  in 
1857  ;  they  farmed  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  rebellion,  when 
he  enlisted,  Oct.  21,  1861,  in  Co.  F,  18th  W.  V.  I.;  was  mustered 
in  the  following  January,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  siege  of  Corinth,  battle  of  Corinth,  luka,  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  Missionary  Ridge  and  all  through  that  campaign;  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Altoona,  Ga.,  and  was  held  as  such  two  months 
in  Andersonville  and  Milan,  Ga.;  was  exchanged  and  came  home, 
but  soon  rejoined  his  regiment  at  Raleigh,  N.  C;  was  at  the  grand 
review  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and  was  musti-red  out  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  in  July,  1865 ;  there  were  only  five  men  of  his  company  that 
returned  and  were  mustered  out;  he  returned  to  Omro,  Wis.,  and 
since  has  been  in  trade  there  as  above  stated.  He  was  married,  at 
Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  25,  1877,  to  Miss  Senora  Snyder,  born 
at  the  same  place,  in  May,  1847  ;  they  have  one  son — Charles  J. 
Samphier.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of  Omro, 
Wis. 

PETER  SAMPHIER,  firm  of  P.  Samphier  &  Brother,  dealer 
in  general  stock  of  boots  and  shoes,  gloves  and  mittens  ;  estab- 
lished in  fall  1865;  sales  amount  to  about  $8,000  per  annum  ;  he 
located  at  Omro,  Wis.,  September,  1857,  and  worked  at  the  boot 
and  shoe  business  until  Feb.  23,  18GT,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C, 
3d  Wis.  Cavalry;  served  about  one  year;  then  the  regiment  was 
re-organized  and  he  went  into  Co.  H  ;  he  was  all  through  Price's 
raid,  first  battle  Lexington,  Big  Blue,  Fort  Seoit,  Newtonia,  and 
was  mustered  out  in  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  October,  1865;  returned 
to  Omro,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  boot  and  shoe  trade,  and  has  since 
followed  the  same  in  company  with  his  brother,  James  W.  Sam- 
phier. Peter  Samphier  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y., 
April  5,  1835  ;  was  married  in  Appleton,  Wis.,  Feb.  14,  1858,  to 
Miss  Mary  L.  Curtis,  who  was  born  in  same  county,  New  York. 
They  had  une  son — Thaddeus  J.,  deceased.  Mr.  S.  has  been  Chair- 
man of  his  town  for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  also  of  L  0.  0.  F. 

DR.  I.  H.  SHEERAR,  dentist,  located  in  Omro,  Wis.,  in 
1864  ;  he  learned  his  profession  in  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  beginning  in 
1859,  where  he  remained  one  year  ;  then  went  to  Virgil,  same 
State,  and  began  his  profession  at  his  old  homestead,  where  he 
continued  three  years  ;  went  to  Ouiro  Junction,  Wis.,  and  lived 
one  year ;  then  traveled  and  practiced,  and  finally  located  as 
above  noted,  being  there  from  fall  of  1863  to  the  following  spring, 
and  went  to  Wautau,  Wis.,  and  was  there  one  year  engaged  in 
his  profession  ;  he  returned  to  Omro  Junction  and  practiced  until 
1878  ;  then  moved  to  Omro  and  since  practiced  here  ;  he  was 
born  April  1,  1840,  in  Virgil,  N.  Y.  Married  at  Omro  Junction 
Nov.  14,  1866,  to  Miss  Josephine  U.  Reals,  who  was  born  in 
WheatlMid,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov.  9,  1846.  They  have  one 
daughter — Florence,  born  Jan.  2,  1868,  died  Juno  12,  1868; 
Frank  B.  Sheerar,  born  Sept.  19,1870.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  also  Good  Templars'  Lodge,  and  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Ci'y  Board. 

EDWARD  SARGEANT  was  born  in  Chester,  Windsor  Co., 
Vt.,  Dec.  8,  1832.  Parents  were  farmers.  He  received  a  com- 
mon  school   and   academic  education  at   Chester,  Vt.     Came  to 


Wisconsin  December,  1856;  taught  school  in  Lake,  Milwaukee 
Co.,  Wis.,  during  winter  of  1856  and  1857  ;  next  summer  in  Fari- 
bault Co.,  Minn.,  then  home  for  three  years;  was  in  Waukesha  and 
Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.;  in  spring  of  1860  returned  to  Chester,  Vt., 
returned  to  Waukesha,  Wis.,  spring  1861  ;  home  at  Waukesha, 
Wis.,  until  June,  1863.  He  was  married  June  17,  1863,  at 
Lake,  Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Martha  A.  Austin,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Austin;  she  was  born  in  Rochester,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt  , 
Aug.  19,  1838;  came  to  Lake,  Wis.,  with  her  parents  in  1844; 
spent  the  next  year  in  Chester,  Vt.;  back  to  Lake,  Milwaukee 
Co.,  Wis.,  September,  1864  ;  home  at  Lake  until  spring  of  1866  ; 
occupation  during  last  ten  years  mostly  teaching  and  farming, 
1856  to  1866;  came  to  Omro,  Wis.,  spring  1866,  employed  for 
a  few  years  about  the  lumber  and  shingle  mill  of  H.  Johnson  ; 
last  ten  years  occupation  has  been  farming  and  local  agent  to  1881  ; 
has  held  ofifice  Town  Assessor  four  years ;  Clerk  of  School  Board 
village  Omro  six  years;  member  of  Village  Board  and  represent- 
ative of  village  of  Omro  in  County  Board.  Children  living  are^ 
Marian  M.,  born  in  Chester,  Vt.,  April  25,  1864  ;  Jennie  M., 
Omro,  Wis.,  May  4,  1874;  Ernest  E.,  Omro,  Nov.  20,  1875; 
Harvey  0.,  Omro,  July  6,  1878. 

J.  D.  TRELKVEN,  of  the  firm  of  Treleven  &  Orchard, 
dealers  in  a  general  line  of  clothing,  including  custom  and  ready 
made  furnishing  goods,  etc.;  established  in  1867  ;  trade  amounts 
to  about  $20,000  annually  ;  stock  about  $S,000.  Mr.  T.  settled 
in  Omro,  Wis.,  in  1864,  and  worked  at  the  tailor's  trade  about  fuur 
years  ;  after  which  he  began  business  for  himself  and  has  since 
continued  ;  he  has  been  Town  and  Village  Treasurer  since  1877, 
also  School  District  Treasurer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  a  beneficiary  association  ;  he  is  also  a  member  I.  0.  0. 
F.  He  was  born  in  England  June  14,  1844  ;  he  was  married  in 
Omro,  Wis.,  June  14,  1877,  to  Miss  Anna  R.  Rout,  who  was  born 
in  Vermont.  They  'uave  three  children — Elizabeth  E.,  Eva  B. 
and  Minnie  B. 

ANDREW  J.  WHITE,  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
in  Princeton,  Wis.,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  where  he  continued  until 
spring  of  1856  ;  then  moved  to  Omro,  Wis.,  and  began  speculat- 
ing ;  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  1858;  continued  two 
years,  sold  out  his  interest  and  engaged  in  lumbering,  farming, 
etc.  ;  in  1862  he  again  opened  trade  in  Omro  and  continued  until 
fall  of  1865,  and  was  elected  County  Sheriff,  which  he  held  one 
term ;  was  appointed  Postmaster  under  first  Administration  of 
U.  S.  Grant,  served  about  three  years  and  resigned  ;  he  was  soon 
appointed  Postmaster  of  State  Senate  one  term,  and  afterward 
was  engaged  in  speculating,  etc.  He  was  born  in  McKcan  Co., 
Penn.,  April  26,  1826  ;  was  married  to  Miss  Melissa  Chapin  of 
same  county  in  flill  of  1846.  They  had  two  children — Harriet 
E.  and  Nellie  M.  Mrs.  W.  died  July  14,  1855  ;  was  again  mar- 
ried at  Dartford,  Wis.,  October,  1855,  to  Cordelia  P.  Coates,  who 
was  born  in  McKean  Co.,  Penn.  They  have  one  child — Lulu  B. 
Mr.  W.  was  the  first  Marshal  of  Omro. 

PLATT  M.  WRIGHT,  proprietor  and  publisher  of  Omro 
Journal;  established  in  1864;  originally  called  Omro  Union; 
circulation  about  500  copies;  job  work,  etc.;  deals  in  school 
books,  stationery,  etc.  He  was  born  in  Wrightstown,  Brown  Co., 
Wis.,  Sept.  11,1846.  His  fether,  Hoel  S.  Wright,  settled  in 
Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1833.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  lived  there 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age  ;  they  then  moved  tj  Green- 
ville, Mich.  ;  was  there  four  years  with  his  parents;  then  went  to 
Omro,  Wis.,  1870,  engaged  in  clerking  about  four  years;  he  then 
bought  a  half  interest  in  Omro  Journal,  firm  name  of  Kaine  & 
Wright ;  was  in  company  three  or  four  years  ;  he  then  bought 
the  whole  interest  and  has  since  continued.  He  was  married  in 
Greenville,  Mich.,  in  1871  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Johnson.  He  was 
again  married  in  Charlotte,  Mich.,  in  1878  to  Miss  Edie  Archer. 
He  has  one  son  living  named  George  A.  Wright.  Mr.  W.  has 
been  a  member  of  the  County  Board,  also  Police  Justice,  and  is 
nuw  Justice  of  the  Peace. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


187 


WINNECONNE. 

At  the  foot  of  Lake  Winneconne,  and  the  terminus  of  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Company's  northern  branch, 
is  the  neat  little  village  of  Winneconne.  The  fertility  and 
beauty  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  its  own  location, 
explain  the  fact  that  its  site  was  long  a  flourishing  Indian 
village.  When  the  Fo.xes  were  so  terribly  cut  to  pieces  at 
Butte  des  Morts,  the  remnant  fled  to  this  spot,  and  rested 
for  breath  before  forever  relinquishing  their  claim  to  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Fox.  When  civilization  fairly  became 
established,  for  many  years  the  village  was  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  river.  The  first  settler  on  the  site  of  the  village 
was  Jeremiah  Pritchell,  who,  in  1847,  built  a  log  house. 
Two  years  later,  when  C.  R  Hamlin  arrived  from  Ohio,  he 
found  in  the  vicinity  a  couple  of  dilapidated  log  cabins  and 
a  Government  building.  Others,  however,  commenced  to 
be  attracted  by  the  location  of  the  place,  and  the  village  was 
platted  in  October,  1849,  Hoel  S.  Wright  and  E.  Gordon, 
proprietors.  With  the  laying  out  of  the  village,  came  the 
need  of  a  school ;  so  the  next  year  the  settlers  induced 
William  Mumbrue  to  open  one  in  a  16x28  feet  concern, 
which  "  structure  "  had  been  erected  for  the  purpose.  This 
building  served  to  foster  both  education  and  religion.  Dur- 
ing the  previous  year  (1849),  John  Scott  had  launched  out 
as  the  first  general  store-keeper,  and  E.  D.  Gumaer  built 
a  frame  house  on  the  east  side  of  the  rivor.  In  the  winter 
of  1850,  Joseph  Edwards  was  appointed  Postmaster  of 
"  Wanekuna."  H.  C.  Mumbrue  built  a  chair-factory,  oper- 
ated by  horje-power.  Hyde  Brothers  erected  a  saw-mill — 
and  what  more  could  be  asked  of  a  village  so  young?  In 
1853,  a  floating  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  river,  which 
proceeding,  however,  did  not  advance  settlement  on  the 
west  side  thereof  But,  in  1867,  Capt.  Mapes  purchased 
a  tract  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  exerted 
himself  to  improve  that  locality  and  obtain  railroad  com- 
munication for  the  village.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  the  exten- 
sion was  made.  The  results  of  its  reviving  eff"ects  were  soon 
seen.  The  village  increased  in  population.  Winneconne 
was  incorporated  by  the  Legislature  in  1871.  A  fine 
bridge,  costing  $18,000,  took  the  place  of  the  old  floating 
structure,  and  new  business  enterprises  were  established. 
Winneconne,  within  the  next  ten  years,  seemed  determined 
to  make  up  for  lost  time.  The  village  has  now  a  popula- 
tion of  about  1,600.  It  has  two  fine  schools,  graded;  that 
on  the  east  side  is  taught  by  Chester  Smith,  with  Miss 
Jennie  Allen  as  assistant,  and  the  west  side  school  has  0. 
A.  Parkes  as  its  Principal,  and  Miss  Clara  Summer  as 
assistant.  The  Lake  View  House  is  its  leading  hotel. 
The  churches  are  the  Catholic — Father  H.  Anen,  Piistor; 
tlie  Baptist,  Rev.  D.  B.  Coppien,  Pastor,  and  the  Lutheran, 
Rev.  Oscar  Griebling,  Pastor.  The  Presbyterians  have  no 
settled  Pastor. 

Winneconne  has  several  manufactories,  prominent  among 
which  is  the  lumber  and  shingle-mill  just  started,  after  a 
period  of  rest,  by  Lefevre  &  Co.  The  saw-mill  was  built 
in  1870,  and,  after  being  idle  from  1878,  to  1880,  was 
purchased  by  Thomas  Wall  and  G.  H.  Lefevre.  Its  capacity 
is  50,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  40,000  shingles.  Stickles  & 
Starks  also  operate  a  good  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  on 
the  west  side.  E.  McNutt  runs  a  small  mill  on  the  east 
side,  and  there  are  one  or  two  other  smaller  establishments. 
A  ship-yard  is  in  operation  by  Paulson  &  Pierson,  whose 
business  is  mostly  confined  to  repairing.     Theodore  Yager 


has  a  small  brewery  in   this  vicinity,  built  in  1880,   and 
which  manufactures  400  barrels  of  beer  annually. 

BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  S.  BARNUM,  retired,  Winneconne;  first  settled 
in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  near  Green  Lake,  Wis.,  in  1S47,  and 
engaged  in  farming,  but  being  brought  up  a  merchant,  soon  gave 
up  that  occupation,  and,  after  a  brief  residence  there,  settled  on 
Democrat  Prairie,  Winnebago  Co.,  where,  after  a  short  time,  he 
moved  to  Waukau,  same  county,  and  engaged  in  milling  under 
firm  name  Barnum,  Parsons  &  Daniels,  continued  several  years, 
then  firm  was  changed  to  Barnum,  Bean  &  Wood  and  continued 
until  1868,  at  which  time,  he  moved  to  Winneconne,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  real  estate,  loaning  money,  etc.  He 
was  born  in  Monkton,  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept  26,  1819.  He  wa.s 
married  at  the  latter  place,  Jan.  6,  1842,  to  Miss  Mary  P.  Kins- 
ley, who  was  born  and  reared  in  same  place.  They  have  two 
children — Mary  E.,  now  married  to  Mr.  E.  W.  Enos,  and  living 
in  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co. ;  Jerome  W.,  married  and  living  in 
Winneconne.  Mr.  Barnum  was  the  first  Town  Clerk  of  Nepeus- 
kum  Township.  He  has  served  two  terms  in  the  Wisconsin  State 
Assembly,  also  two  terms  in  Senate. 

GEORGE  C.  KING,  Postmaster,  and  dealer  in  groceries, 
notions,  etc.,  Winneconne;  established  in  1876.  He  first  located 
at  New  London,  Wis.,  in  1858,  and  first  engaged  in  the  livery 
business,  then  hotel,  and  ran  a  stage  from  New  London  to  Osh- 
kosh  two  years.  He  followed  boating  on  Wolf  and  Fox  Rivers 
two  years  ;  ran  a  meat  market  until  he  was  appointed  Postmaster 
in  1876,  and  has  since  held  that  oiBce  and  engaged  as  above 
noted.  He  was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  12,  1837. 
Was  married  in  Winneconne  Township,  Oct.  28,  1860,  to  Miss 
Martha  M.  Ashby,  who  was  born  March  14,  1842,  at  Strongs- 
ville,  Ohio,  whose  parents  .settled  in  Winneconne  in  1846.  Her 
brother,  Lucius  Ashby,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  that 
township,  Sept.  10, 1846.  They  have  one  son — George  E.  King, 
who  assists  his  father.  Mr.  King  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order,  No.  186,  of  his  village,  and  was  the  first  Master  of  his 
lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chapter,  Masonic  Lodge,  of 
Omro. 

THEODORE  NEILSEN,  Winneconne,  dealer  in  dry  goods, 
groceries  and  general  as-;ortment  found  in  a  country  store  ;  located 
in  Winneconne  in  fall  of  18.50,  and  engaged  in  working  in  the 
lumber  business  and  different  kinds  of  employment  until  1863, 
when  he  began  in  Butte  des  Morts  in  mercantile  trade,  where  he 
remained  three  years  and  moved  to  Winneconne.  He  was  born  in 
Norway  June  14,  1826;  emigrated  to  America  in  fall  of  1850. 
Married  in  Winneconne,  Nov.  7,  1863,  to  Miss  Lydia  Pritchet, 
who  was  born  in  Delaware  Oct.  13, 1844.  They  have  two  sons — 
Frank  and  Eddie.  Mr.  Neilson  served  as  Postmaster  in  Butte 
des  Morts,  also  as  Town  Treasurer  and  several  other  oflSces. 

K.  McNlITT,  lumberman,  Winneconne,  Wis.;  located  at 
Manitowoc,  Wis.,  1858,  where  he  lived  until  1867,  in  the  above 
business ;  he  then  went  to  Fond  du  Lao  and  engaged  in  same 
business  five  years,  then  moved  to  Winneconne  and  followed  lum- 
bering since.  He  put  in  the  machinery  in  the  saw- mill  on  east 
side  of  river  and  operated  the  same  four  years ;  was  engaged  on 
west  side  of  river  previous  to  operating,  as  last  mentioned,  four 
years.  Was  born  in  Blandford.  Hampden  Co.,  Mass.,  Oct.  26, 
1821.  Was  married  in  Heart  Grove,  Ohio,  July  29,  1848,  to 
Miss  Laura  M.  Burdick,  who  was  born  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  children— Carrie  E.  and  Gail  H.  Mr.  McNutt  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  served  on 
special  duty  in  the  Union  army  four  months  until  close  of  war, 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis. 

J.  D.  RUSH,  attorney  and  counselor  at  law,  Winneconne, 
Wis. ;  first  settled  in  Winneconne  in  December,  1847,  and  taught 
school  three  years ;  he  was  also  connected  with  the  lumber  and 
logging  business  up  to  1868,  after  which,  he  engaged  in  real  estate 


HIS'l-ORY    OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


and  law  business,  and  is  at  present  making  the  latter  more  of  a 
specialty.  He  was  born  in  Cass  Co.,  Mich.,  March  lU,  1825. 
AVas  married  in  Waupaca  County  in  winter  of  1853,  to  Miss 
Eliza  J.  Edward-%  who  was  born  in  Bedford  Co.,  Penn.,  Aufi.  23. 
18.^4.  Her  parents  settled  in  Winneconne  from  Ohio  in  1849, 
They  have  two  children — Mary  Ella,  now  married  to  Mr.  Jerome 
W.  Barnum,  of  Winneconne,  and  Arthur  D.  Rush,  now  engaged 
in  freighting  from  Deadwood  to  Ft.  Pierre,  D.  T.  Mr.  Rush  i.s 
a  member  of  tlie  Masonic  Fraternity  of  his  village,  No.  186 ;  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  Legislature  in  1850.  Has  been 
Town  Clerk  several  years,  and  Chairman  of  his  town  five  or  six 
years. 

LUCIUS  WEBSTER,  farmer,  P.  0.  Winneconne;  .settled  in 
Winneconne.  Wis.,  in  1854,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  five 
years,  afterward  Postmaster  eight  years,  and  kept  a  grocery  store  in 
connection ;  ho  afterward  engaged  in  the  apiary  culture  in  connection 
wiih  farming.  Was  born  in  Kingsville,  Ashtabula  Co.,  Ohio,  Jan. 
10,  1814.  "Married  in  the  latter  place  in  1847,  to  Miss  Lydia  M. 
Webster,  who  was  born  in  Monroe,  same  county,  Ohio.  They 
had  three  children — Lora  F.,  Luriottis  L.,  Phebe  E.  Mrs.  Web- 
ster died  in  the  latter  place  in  1833.  Mr  Webster  was  again 
married  in  Andover,  same  county,  Sept.  3,  1834,  to  Miss  Emily 
A.  Pickett,  who  was  born  in  Ashtabula,  same  county,  Ohio. 
They  have  two  children — Emily  F.  and  S.  Adelaide.  Mr  Web- 
ster is  a  member  of  Presbyterian  Church,  also  a  member  of  L  0. 
0.  F.,  and  member  of  temperance  lodges,  and  has  held  several 
offices  of  his  town. 

WAUKAU 

is  a  clean  little  villao;e  of  300  inhabitants,  situated  on  roll- 
ing land,  at  the  outlet  of  Rush  Lake,  and  upon  the  line  of 
the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Company.  It  possesses 
a  charming  natural  site  for  a  summer  resort.  The  village 
is  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  town  of  Rushford,  in 
the  western  part  of  Winnebago  County.  All  are  agreed 
that  this  pure  and  fair  location  was  first  discovered  by 
L.  IM  Parsons,  who  removed  to  Ceresco  from  Fox  Lake, 
Fond  du  Lac  County,  in  1845,  and  thence  to  Waukau.  in 
March,  1846.  John  R.  Hall,  E.  D..  Uriah  and  J.  M.. 
arrived  soon  after.  The  former  states  that  when  he  settled 
in  Waukau,  there  was  not  a  cabin  between  that  spot  and 
Rosendale.  Fond  du  Lac  County.  Him.self,  E.  D.  and 
Uriah  Ilall,  who  came  in  the  fall  of  1846,  were  given 
shelter  in  Mr.  Parsons'  cabin,  until  they  could  erect  huts  of 
their  own.  A  considerable  infusion  of  new  blood  was  drawn 
into  the  young  settlement  during  the  next  spring.  So  en- 
couraging did  the  outlook  appear,  tliat  Mr.  Parsons  platted 
what  is  now  the  northern  portion  of  Waukau,  the  southern 
portion  being  laid  out  in  December  of  the  next  year  by 
Messrs.  S.  W.  White  and  G.  W.  Woodruff.  Edward  West 
was  the  surveyor.  It  was  at  this  time  (the  spring  of  1847) 
that  mail  communication  was  established  with  Ceresco,  four- 
teen miles  distant.  A  post  office  was  established  at  Waukau 
during  the  next  year,  W.  H.  Elliott,  Postmaster.  In  the 
meantime,  Mr.  Pirsons  had  put  in  operation  the  first  grist 
mill  in  the  county,  except  the  one  at  the  Government  agency 
at  Neenah  ;  a  store  had  been  opened  by  Elliott  &  White; 
a  school  started,  Elder  William  R.  Mantling,  teacher;  and 
sundry  other  establishments  were  born,  indicating  that 
Waukau  meant  to  live.  Among  other  events  that  indicated 
a  desire  among  the  people  to  locate  permanently  and 
"grow  up  with  the  country,"  was  the  marriage  of  Henry 
Bixby  and  iSIiss  Mary  Palfrey  (John  G.  Palfrey,  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Waukau,  had  located  in  the  "fall  of  1846). 
The  second  event  which  tended  to  prove  this  statement  was 
I  he  birth  of  a  son  to  the  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Johnson.      In 


1848,  Lester  Rounds  came  from  Ceresco,  where  he  had 
been  acting  for  the  past  four  years  as  Secretary  of  the 
"Wisconsin  Phalanx  of  the  Fourier  Association,"  and  es- 
tablished the  second  general  store  in  Waukau.  This  he  re- 
moved subsequently  to  Eureka,  and  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  that  village.  From  1848,  up  to  the  present  time,  the 
growth  of  the  village  has  been  slow  but  steady.  It  received 
the  invariable  benefit  of  railroad  communication  when  the 
branch  of  the  St.  Paul  road  was  extended  to  Winneconne, 
in  1868. 

Waukau  has,  at  present,  three  general  stores,  owned  by 
R.  D.  Paris.  H.  E.  Robinson  and  Pomeroy  &  Wood.  The 
Waukau  Flouring  Mills,  succe.ssors  to  the  old  grist  mill, 
built  by  Mr.  Parsons,  are  owned  and  operated  by  .Messrs. 
Bean  &  Palfrey,  the  Etnpire  Mills  by  Messrs.  Wood  lS:  Lin- 
coln ;  R.  D.  Paris  &  Co.  are  the  proprietors  of  the  woolen 
mills.  Rush  Lake  is  the  source  of  the  water-power  which 
runs  these  manufactories.  The  Carter  House  represents 
well  the  hotel  business,  inaugurated  in  Waukau  in  1849 
by  Warren  Beach.  As  to  schools,  the  village  being  unin- 
corporated, depends  upon  the  district  school,  which  has  an 
average  attendance  of  12.5.  Of  churches,  there  are  two, 
the  Baptists  being  without  a  pastor;  Rev.  R.  S.  Hayward 
is  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society.  There  is  no 
reason  why  Waukau,  with  its  healthful  location,  its  railroad 
facilities,  its  manufactories  and  its  good  general  trade, 
should  not  grow  for  years  to  come. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

DAVID  R.  BEAN,  firm  of  Bean  &  Palfrey,  proprietors  of 
Waukau  Flouring  Mills,  Waukau,  erected  in  1848,  capacity  125 
barrels  per  day  ;  employ  four  men,  including  proprietors.  He  first 
settled  in  Omro  in  the  winter  of  1856,  and  in  the  following  spring 
moved  to  Waukau  and  begin  the  erection  of  the  Empire  Mills  (com- 
pleted in  1857),  being  in  company  with  H.  P.  Becker  and  0.  D. 
Wood,  Mr.  B.  owning  a  half  interest  twelve  years,  until  1869,  when 
he  exchanged  his  interest  for  the  lower  mills,  after  which  he  took  in 
his  present  partner,  each  owning  half  interest.  They  have  put  in 
all  the  latest  improvements,  including  the  celebrated  Stevens 
rollers,  etc.  He  was  born  in  Milton,  Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  June 
25,  1827,  lived  there  until  1851),  went  to  California  and  engaged 
in  mining;  was  three  and  a  half  years  there,  including  two  trips 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  He  returned  to  Vermont,  spent  one  year, 
then  went  to  Wisconsin,  as  above  stated.  Was  married  in  .\lberg 
Springs,  Grand  Isle  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept.  14,  1863,  to  Miss  Julia  M. 
Boardman,  who  was  born  in  Milton,  Vt.,  Sept.  21,  1839.  They 
have  two  children — Clarence  H.  and  Helen  M.  E.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of  Berlin.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Wisconsin  Legislature  in  1861  ;  was  again  a  member  in  1880,  and 
has  been  Chairman  of  his  town  two  or  three  years. 

A.  D.  PACKARD,  manufacturer  of  sugar-cane  sirup,  and 
farmer,  Waukau:  located  at  Waukau,  Wis.,  in  1858,  and  engaged 
in  farming  Kept  hotel  seven  years ;  was  also  engaged  in  other 
branches  of  business.  He  was  born  in  Castile,  N.  Y.,  March  20, 
1839;  was  married  in  Waukau,  Wi.s.,  in  May,  1863,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Avery,  who  was  born  in  Norwich.  Conn.  They  have 
three  children — George  D.,  Lillie  B.  and  Maggie  E. 

ROBERT  D.  PARIS,  firm  of  Waukau  Woolen  Mills  Com- 
pany, W.iukau;  mills  were  erected  and  began  operating  in  1868. 
The  mills  contain  two  sets  of  cards,  one  for  manuiacture  and  one 
set  for  custom  work.  They  manufacture  20,000  pounds  of  wool  per 
annum,  Hnd  run  from  seven  to  eight  months  during  the  year  ;  em- 
ploy twelve  persons.  They  paid  $7,400  for  wool  in  1881. 
Mr.  P.  was  born  in  Canada  West,  at  Ganlt,  Nov.  29,  1844,  lived 
in  Canada  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  learning  his  trade 
in  Canada  and  the  United  States.  He  went  to  .lanesville,  Wis.. 
and  worked  in  a  woolen  factory  about  two  years,  then  had  charge 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


of  a  woolen  mill  at  Hanover,  111.,  eighteen  months  ;  he  then  went 
to  Appleton,  Wis.,  and  took  charjre  of  Appleton  Woolen  Mills 
eighteen  months;  then  he  wont  to  Waukau  and  began  the  erec- 
tion of  their  present  mill.  Was  married  in  Waukau  Jan.  25, 
1870,  to  Miss  Frances  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Orange  Co.,  N. 
Y.     They  have  two  children — John  W.  and  Robert,  Jr. 

ARTHUR  R.  POMEROY,  firm  of  Fomeroy  &  Wood,  dealers 
in  a  general  line  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  and  hard- 
ware, crockery,  etc.,  Waukau  ;  established  in  1876;  trade  amounts 
to  about  $1  2,000  per  annum.  Mr.  P.  first  settled  in  Omro,  Wis.,  in 
1S55,  with  his  parents.  He  was  about  twenty-five  years  of  age 
when  he  began  business  for  himself;  engaged  in  lumbering  on 
the  Wolf  River,  which  he  followed,  including  boating  on  the 
Wolf  and  Fox  Rivers,  un  il  1876,  at  which  time  he  sold  out  his 
interest  and  began  as  above  noted.  Was  born  in  Niagara  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  3,  1845;  married  at  Waukau,  Wis.,  March  2G,  1871, 
to  Miss  Minnie  Kinsley,  who  was  born  in  Vermont.  They  have 
one  child,  named  Mamie  Pomeroy.  Mr.  P.  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Lodge.  He  was  Village  Postmaster  three  and  a  half 
years,  etc, 

DAVID  W,  SAFFORD,  miller  in  Waukau  Flouring  Mills, 
Waukau,  Mr.  S,  was  born  in  Vermont  Dec.  3,  1848.  His  parents 
moved  to  Poygan,  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851.  He  began  life 
on  his  own  hook  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  worked  on  a  farm 
the  first  year.  He  enlisted,  November,  1862,  in  Company  D, 
32d  W.  V.  I.;  served  until  August,  1865,  close  of  the  war,  and 
was  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  August,  1865.  He  returned 
to  his  home,  in  Poygan.  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  1867;  then 
went  to  Waukau,  Wis.,  and  began  work  in  Empire  Mills;  there 
one  year  ;  then  changed  into  Waukau  Mills  and  has  since  been 
there.  Was  married  in  Waukau  Feb.  1871,  to  Miss  Jane  Lowe, 
who  was  born  in  the  latter  village.  They  have  one  daughter 
living,  Ernestine  S,,  the  youngest,  and  Oli^a  M,,  deceased,  and 
Maud  E,,  deceased.  Mr,  S,  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge 
of  Omro,  Wis, 

EUREKA. 

This  village,  of  nearly  the  same  population  as  Waukau, 
is  situated  on  the  Fox  River,  five  miles  from  Waukau  and 
about  the  same  distance  from  Rush  Lake  Junction,  on  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway,  so  that,  although 
not  situated  upon  the  direct  line  of  the  railroad  itself,  the 
village  is  not  debarred  from  its  privileges  by  any  means. 
It  is  consider.ible  of  a  steamboat  point,  the  city  of  Delhi, 
three  miles  down  the  river,  and  its  bitter  rival  in  the  early 
fifties,  being  "  lost  to  sight,  to  memory  dear."  W.  C.  Dick- 
erson  and  Lester  Rounds  may  be  regarded  as  the  fathers  of 
the  village.  The  former  had  settled  upon  the  site  as  a 
favorable  one  for  a  village,  and  induced  Mr.  Rounds  to 
remove  his  general  store  from  Waukau.  Mr.  Dickerson 
had  removed  from  the  town  of  Nepeuskun,  Winnebago 
County,  having  previously  resided  in  Salem,  Racine  County. 
In  1846,  E.  D.  Hall  entered  the  fifty-one  acres  of  land  at 
the  Green  Bay  office  which  now  comprises  the  site  of 
Eureka.  Israel  Trow,  a  land  speculator  of  this  region, 
intended  to  make  the  purchase.  It  was  entered  in  Mr. 
Hall's  name  instead,  and  through  financial  embarrassments 
the  property  passed  from  the  nominal  possession  of  Mr. 
Trow  into  the  hands  of  Lester  Rounds  and  W.  C.  Dicker- 
son.  The  village  was  platted  May  10,  1850;  proprietors, 
Lester  Rounds,  W.  C.  Dickerson  and  William  Starr,  the 
latter  one  of  the  original  settlers.  0.  H.  Capron,  of  Berlin, 
surveyed  the  land.  Ne.xt,  a  ferry  was  established,  and  a 
post  office  appeared  in  July,  Lester  Rounds,  Postmaster. 
The  first  saw-mill  was  built  by  J.  M.  Rounds,  E.  B.  Rounds 
and    William   Starr,    in   1851.     A    second    soon    followed. 


Three  years  thereafter,  in  1854,  a  bridge  was  substituted 
for  the  ferry.  A  grist-mill  was  added  to  the  village's  busi- 
ness life  in  1856.  These  manufactories,  with  the  daily 
landing  of  boats  plying  between  Berlin  and  Oshkosh,  made 
Eureka  a  very  brisk  little  settlement.  Lester  Rounds  and 
W.  C.  Dickerson  still  reside  in  the  village  they  founded, 
the  former  still  operating  a  general  store ;  firm  name. 
Rounds  &  Cole.  W.  M.  Dana  and  N.  A.  Chapell  k  Son 
are  in  the  same  line  of  trade.  H.  K.  Priest  is  proprietor 
of  the  Eureka  House.  The  saw-mills  are  not  in  operation. 
E.  G.  Woodworth  is  the  proprietor  of  the  grist  and  flour 
mills.  The  village  has  two  churches  ;  the  Unitarian  Society, 
however,  has  no  settled  pastor.  Rev.  R.  Blackburn  is  in 
charge  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  The  cause  of  education  is 
fostered  by  W.  McGoorty,  Principal  of  the  District  School. 
Eureka  is  in  the  midst  of  a  productive  farming  country, 
which,  with  the  trade  she  derives  from  the  steamboat  trafiic, 
are  her  chief  business  supports. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

ROBERT  BOANTREE,  miller.  Eureka,  was  born  in  Mid- 
dleton,  Eng.,  July  20,  1844,  and  emigrated  with  his  mother  to 
America  in  February,  1855,  and  settled  in  Clockville,  Madison  Co., 
N.  Y.,  where  they  lived  about  two  years  ;  then  went  to  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  worked  five  years  in  Helca  Furnace  Works,  and 
attended  school  in  winter;  went  to  Morrisville,  Madison  Co.,  N,  Y,, 
and  learned  his  trade,  living  three  years  ;  then  to  Durhamville, 
Oneida  Co,,  N,  Y.,  worked  in  a  mill  about  one  year ;  then  to 
Oriskany  in  fall  and  lived  there  about  one  year  ;  then  to  Clinton, 
sime  county,  and  took  charge  of  his  first  mill,  where  he  worked 
fifteen  months  ;  then  to  Northwestern,  same  county,  and  ran  a 
mill  eight  months;  then  went  to  Michigan  prospecting;  then  to 
East  Troy,  Walworth  Co,,  Wis,,  and  took  charge  of  a  grist  mill 
eighteen  months;  then  to  Milwaukee,  worked  two  and  a  half  years 
in  a  mill ;  then  to  West  Troy,  Wis,,  and  started  a  new  mill ;  was 
there  three  years.  He  was  married  there  Sept.  16,  1878,  to  Miss 
Sophia  C.  Wright,  who  was  born  in  West  Troy.  From  there  he 
moved  to  Milwaukee  and  worked  in  different  mill  a  number  of 
years  ;  then  to  Nebraska  and  worked  two  and  a  half  years  in  a 
mill  at  Schuyler,  Colfax  Co.  His  wife  died  there  May  15,  1874 ; 
then  he  went  to  Parsons,  Kans.is,  and  took  charge  of  a  mill  two 
and  a  half  years  ;  then  returned  to  Milwaukee  and  engaired  in 
milling  two  years;  then  to  Eureka,  Wis,,  July,  1879,  He  was 
again  married  in  Milwaukee,  April,  1879,  to  Miss  Clara  Molser; 
she  was  born  in  Austria,  He  had  two  children  by  his  first  wife 
— Jennie  S.  and  Robert  E,  He  is  a  member  of  the  I,  0,  0.  F., 
also  the  Kniirhts  of  Pythias,  a  beneficiary  association, 

NOUMAN  A,  CHAPELL,  Eureka,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of 
drugs,  groceries,  patent  medicines,  paints,  oils,  etc.;  established  in 
1877.  He  located  in  Eureka  in  1871,  and  followed  the  lumber  bus- 
iness until  'lie  engaged  in  his  present  occupation,  but  was  engaged  in 
dry  goods  bu.-iness  in  connection  with  lumbering.  He  has  been 
Town  Treasurer  one  year.  He  enlisted,  at  Bradford,  Chickasaw 
Co.,  Iowa,  in  1861,  in  Co.  H,  4ih  lown  V.  C.  mustered  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1862  ;  he  was  engaged  in  all  of  the  battles  with  his  regi- 
ment, under  command  of  Gen.  Curtis,  and  went  through  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  and  they  were  the  first  that  crossed  ihe  Mississippi 
River  below  Vicksburg ;  was  in  battle  at  Raymond,  and  three 
battles  at  Jackson,  siege  of  Vick>burg,  Miss.,  under  Gen,  Sher- 
man ;  he  was  also  in  skirmishes  of  Selraa  and  Montgomery,  and 
was  finally  mustered  out  at  Atlanta,  Ga„  in  August,  1864,  He 
returned  to  Bradford,  Iowa,  and  lived  until  spring  of  1871,  en- 
gaged in  lumber  business.  He  was  born  in  Vates  Co,,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  25,  1830  ;  married  in  the  latter  place,  in  July  1856,  to  Miss 
Siirah  J.  Foster,  who  was  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  June, 
18.-i5  ;  they  have  six  children — Lester  E.  (attending  to  drug 
store  and  post  ofiice),  Cora  B.,  Minnie  E.,  Susan  J.,  Margaret  E, 
and  Roy  L. 


I  igo 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


E.  F.  COLE,  firm  of  Rounds  &  Cole,  dealers  in  a  general  line  of 
country  merchandise.  Eureka.  Mr.  Cole  located  in  Eureka  in  186S, 
and  engaged  as  clerk  in  office  of  Eureka  Lumber  Company,  where 
he  served  until  1876,  then  became  a  partner  as  above  noted.  He 
was  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  1,  1832;  was  married  in 
latter  county,  in  September,  1854,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Foster,  who 
was  born  in  same  county  ;  they  have  one  daughter  living — Ella 
M.  Cole,  and  Flora  M.,  deceased.  Mr.  C.  is  a  member  of  M.  E. 
Church ;  also  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

WILLIAM  M.  DANA,  Eureka,  dealer  in  a  general  line  of 
dry  goods,  groceries,  hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes,  and  all  kinds  of 
goods  found  in  a  country  store  ;  established  in  April,  1879  ;  trade 
amounts  to  $12,000  to  §15,000  per  annum.  He  first  located  at 
Ripon,  Wis.,  in  1848,  with  his  parents,  until  war  broke  out, 
and  enlisted  in  Co.  M,  1st  W.  V.  C,  in  18(52;  was  mu.stered 
into  service  at  Madison  in  March,  18G2;  his  regiment  was 
constantly  doing  skirmish  duty,  and  participated  in  the  tak- 
ing of  Nashville,  Tenn.;  also  at  Atlanta,  and  many  battles  in 
that  vicinity,  and  finally  brought  up  at  Macon,  Ga.,  at  close  of 
the  war.  Mr.  D.  was  a  Special  Orderly  to  Gen.  0.  H.  La  Grange 
during  his  service.  Was  mustered  out  at  Edgefield,  a  suburb  of 
Nashville,  in  July,  1865.  He  returned  to  Ripon  and  attended 
college  eighteen  months  ;  then  visited  the  States  of  Iowa  and  Min- 
nesota, remaining  eighteen  months,  iu  mercantile  trade ;  he  then 
went  to  Eureka,  Wis.;  engaged  in  milling  business  in  company 
with  E.  B.  Rounds  ;  continued  three  years ;  sold  out  and  went  to 
Minnesota  and  farmed  three  years.  He  then  went  to  San  Fran- 
cisco and  clerked  in  the  post  office  eight  months ;  then  as  melter 
in  United  States  Mint  one  year;  returned  to  Minnesota  and 
farmed  one  year,  then  to  Eureka  and  farmed  one  year,  after  which 
he  engaged  in  his  present  business.  Was  born  in  Schoharie  Co., 
N.  Y.,  "June  16,  1846.  Married,  in  Eureka,  Feb.  22,  1871.  to 
Miss  Laura  Coats,  who  was  born  in  Walworth  Co..  Wis.;  they 
have  two  .sons — Hiram  W.  and  William  L.  Mr.  D.  is  a  member 
of  the  ancient  I.  0.  0.  F. 

WALTON  C.  DICKERSON,  retired,  Eureka;  was  born  in 
Kingston,  R.  I.,  June  9,  1809  ;  his  parents  lived  there  about  three 
years,  then  moved  to  Massachusetts  and  lived  until  he  moved  to 
Wisconsin,  in  1838,  and  opened  a  fiirm  in  Kenosha  Co.,  where  he 
remained  until  1846,  then  moved  to  Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  at  Ne- 
peuskun  Township,  and  farmed  until  1850,  when  he  settled  Eu- 
reka, and  assisted  to  lay  out  the  town  plat,  present  site  of  Eureka. 
He  soon  engaged  iu  mercantile,  forwarding  and  commission  busi- 
ness, and  built  the  first  docks  and  warehouse  ;  he  continued  in  the 
above  business  until  his  building  and  goods  were  burned.  He  has 
held  various  town  offices,  and  has  been  a  member  of  difierent  tem- 
perance organizations  in  his  village.  He  was  married,  in  Omro, 
Wis.,  in  1872,  to  Mrs.  Lucy  Flagg,  who  was  born  in  Saratoga 
Co.,  N.  Y.  He  had  ton  children  by  former  wives — Edward  E., 
Albert,  by  first  wife ;  George  A.,  Ann  M.,  Julia  E.,  Emeline, 
Francis,  Florence  K.,  William  E.  and  Elzada,  by  second  wife. 
Mrs.  I.  G.  Trow,  a  sister,  settled  in  Kenosha  Co.,  in  July,  1836, 
with  her  husband  ;  they  settled  in  Eureka  in  1847,  and  followed 
farming;  the  first  white  child  born  in  Eureka,  June  20,  1849, 
was  named  Elliott  E.  Trow.  Town  site  of  Eureka  was  laid  out  in 
1850,  by  0.  H.  Capron ;  the  land  was  owned  by  Dickenson,  L. 
Rounds  and  William  Starr.  First  saw-mill  was  built  by  Starr, 
Rounds  &  Co.;  begun  in  1850  and  completed  early  in  1851. 

WILLIAM  W.  KIMBALL,  County  Superintendent  ,)f 
Schools,  was  born  in  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  July  7,  1850,  and  at  a 
suitable  age  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  city,  and 
moved  to  Omro,  Wis.,  with  his  parents  at  five  years  of  age,  and 
there  attended  the  village  schools  until  October,  1864,  and  enlisted 
in  Co.  A,  17th  Reg.  Wis.  Vol.  Inft.,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Nashville,  Tenn.  His  regiment  then  met  Gen.  Sherman  at  Golds- 
boro,  having  previously  landed  at  Beaufort,  N.  C;  engaged  in  the 
battle  of  Kingston,  and  went  with  Sherman  on  his  famous  march 
to  the  sea.  Was  at  grand  review  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  and 
was  mustered  out  July  25,   1865,  at  Louisville,  Ky.;  returned 


home  and  was  under  the  doctor's  care  for  about  one  year  ;  after 
recovering  he  fUowed  boating  on  the  Wolf  River  two  seasons; 
then  attended  the  State  Normal  School  at  Whitewater  two  years; 
then  followed  teaching  about  three  years.  His  health  then  ftuling 
he  was  obliged  to  give  up  teaching.  He  then  engaged  in  the  har- 
ness trade  about  three  years.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  Utica 
High  School  of  Winnebago  Co.,  five  and  a  half  years.  He  was 
elected  County  Superintendent  in  full  of  1879,  which  office  he  has 
since  held,  and  now  has  the  renomination  for  the  same  office  with 
every  prospect  of  a  re-election  for  a  second  term.  He  was  mar- 
ried February,  1871,  at  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  to  Miss  Clara  Cole, 
who  was  born  in  the  latter  city  in  1849.  They  have  one  son  liv- 
ina; — William  W.,  Jr.  They  also  lost  two  sons — Albert  I.  and 
Edward  E. 

E.  B.  ROUNDS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Eureka,  located  at  Eureka  in 
1863;  formerly  of  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  He  built  the  flouring  mills 
at  Eureka  in  1863,  and  operated  them  twelve  years;  then  sold 
for  a  farm  in  Rushford  and  Omro  Tps.  He  was  born  in  Dunham 
Canada  East,  May  29,  1807.  His  parents  moved  into  Vermont 
when  he  was  a  small  child,  where  he  lived  until  he  moved  to  Wis- 
consin. Was  married  in  Swanton,  Vt.,  Oct.  6,  1830,  to  Miss 
Harriet  Speels,  who  was  born  in  the  latter  place,  Nov.  1,  1807. 
They  had  three  children — Harley  M.,  married  and  living  at  Clear 
Lake,  Iowa ;  Juliette,  now  married  to  Mr.  William  M.  Martin 
and  living  on  a  farm  in  Rushford  Tp.;  Gilbert  E.,  married  and 
living  in  Berlin,  Wis.  Mrs.  Rounds  died  Aug.  15,  1838.  He 
was  again  married  Nov.  19,  1838,  to  Aurelia  Reynolds,  who  was 
born  in  St.  Armand,  Canada  East,  July  20,  1806.  They  have 
one  daughter — Mary  E.,  now  married  to  William  H.  Penman, 
living  in  Eureka. 

GEORGE  W.  ROUNDS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Eureka,  owns  64 
acres  upland,  and  225  acres  meadow  land  and  pasture,  and  all 
improved.  He  settled  in  Southport,  now  Keno.sha,  Wis.,  in  fall 
of  1840,  and  lived  there  fifteen  years,  followed  blacksmithing, 
having  learned  his  trade  in  Vermont.  He  followed  the  livery 
business  four  years,  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Eureka,  Wis., 
in  the  spring  of  1846,  and  first  kept  a  hotel  known  as  the  Eureka 
House,  twelve  years  ;  then  sold  out  and  moved  on  his  present 
farm  where  he  has  lived  since.  He  was  born  in  Berkshire,  Frank- 
lin Co.,  Vt.,  Aug.  19,  1816.  Married  in  Franklin  Vt.,  in  1841, 
to  Miss  Martha  J.  Titemore,  who  who  was  born  in  Canada,  eight 
miles  from  Montreal,  May  12,  1820.  They  have  three  children 
Elma  M.,  George  M.  (deceased),  Jas.  Madison  and  Albert  (mar- 
ried and  living  in  Jlanawa. 

JAMES  M.  ROUNDS,  Eureka;  now  engaged  in  the  culiiva- 
tion  cranberries.  He  was  born  in  Berkshire,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt., 
Oct.  10,  1814.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  went  to  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  with  his 
eldest  brother,  Horace  Rounds,  five  years,  and  farmed  ;  worked 
in  a  cotton  factory  a  part  of  that  time,  at  Thorndike,  Mass.  He 
went  to  Southport,  now  Kenosha,  Wis.,  in  1839,  and  worked  at 
carpenter  and  joiner  work  and  other  business  about  thirteen  years, 
after  which  he  went  to  Eureka,  V/is.,  with  his  brother  Lester 
Rounds.  He  there  became  one  of  the  firm  of  Starr,  Rounds  & 
Co.,  and  built  a  saw-mill,  and  engaged  in  manufacturing  lumber, 
etc.,  sixteen  years  ;  sold  out  and  erected  a  barrel  factory  at  Eureka 
and  Manawa;  followed  that  ten  years;  sold  out  and  began  bis 
present  business.  Was  married  in  Eureka,  Wis.,  April  10.  1860, 
to  Miss  Sarah  A  Freeman,  who  was  born  in  Weathersfield, 
Windsor  Co..  Vt.,  Feb.  28,  1832.  They  have  three  children— 
Dwi;;ht  C,  now  in  Iowa;  Starr  K.  Rounds,  attending  Spencerian 
Business  College  in  Milwaukee;  Ward  L.,  at  home.  Mr.  R.  is  a 
member  I.  0.  0.  F. 

LI<]STER  ROUNDS,  Eureka  ;  firm  of  Rounds  &  Cole,  dealers 
in  a  general  line  dry  goods,  groceries,  etc.  He  settled  at  South- 
port,  now  Kenosha,  Wis.,  in  1839.  Ho  lived  there  until  1844, 
and  taught  school  occasionally ;  held  several  town  offices.  He 
moved  to  Ceresco,  now  Ripon,  in  1844,  going  there  as  Secretary 
of  Wisconsin  Phalanx ;  but  soon  engaged  in  mercantile  business. 


HISTORY   OF   WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 


He  was  Chairman  of  Board  of  Supervisors  of  that  town  ;  held  the 
office  two  years,  being  Chairman  County  Board  the  second  year. 
He  was  also  the  first  Postmaster  of  that  place;  was  there  until 
1848,  and  moved  to  Waukau,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
business.  He  held  the  offices  of  Town  Clerk  and  Justice  of  the 
Peice;  was  there  two  years,  and  moved  to  Eureka  in  1850,  where 
he  began  trade,  and  has  since  continued,  selling  the  first  goods  in 
the  latter  place,  and  being  the  first  Postmaster.  Was  first  Notary 
Public,  and  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  several  years,  also  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  under  town  system  two  or  three  years.  He 
was  born  in  St.  Armand,  Lower  Canada,  May  11,  1805,  and  was 
raised  in  Berkshire,  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  Was  married,  in  Richford, 
Vt.,  Sept.  2,  1827,  to  Miss  Aurilla  Parker,  who  was  born  in 
Richford,  Vt.  They  have  three  children — Sterling  P.  Rounds 
(now  married,  and  living  in  Chicago,  III.,  and  a  candidate  for 
Public  Printer);  Horace  E.  Rounds  (married  and  living  near 
Rodgers'  Park,  Chicaijo,  111.  The  two  brothers  keep  a  printer's 
furnishing  store  in  Chicago,  111.,  175  Monroe  street) ;  Rhoda  A. 
(now  married  to  Mr.  A.  S.  Bolster,  and  living  in  Kane  Co.,  III. 
Rhoda  A.  taught  the  first  school  in  Eureka,  and  was  the  first  one 
married  there,  and  her  oldest  daughter  was  the  first  white  child 
born  there).  They  also  have  an  adopted  daughter — Maggie,  now 
married  to  J.  J.  Ream,  and  living  in  Oshkosh,  Wis. 

JAMES  W.  VANDERHOOF,  Eureka;  dealer  in  general 
line  of  hardware  and  tinware ;  does  about  $3,000  business  per 
annum;  established  Sept.  1,  1877.  He  first  located  in  Darien, 
Walworth  Co.,  fall  of  1848,  and  lived  there  until  fall  of  1860; 
then  to  Packwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  dealt  in  general  merchandise 
six  years,  and  a  part  of  the  time  was  engaged  in  steamboating  and 
built  several  boats  and  barges,  carrying  on  traffic  between  the  latter 
place  and  Green  Bay  until  fall  of  1869,  when  he  moved  to  Eureka, 
and  began  work  as  engineer  in  a  saw-mill  two  years ;  then  in  a 
flouring-mill  until  he  began  in  hardware  business.  Was  born  in 
Deerfield,  Oneida  Co..  N.  Y.,  Sept.  30,  1827,  where  he  lived  until 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  went  with  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin.  Was  married,  in  Packwaukee,  Wis.,  Oct.  12,  1854, 
to  Miss  Harriet  A.  Aldrich,  who  was  born  in  Cortland  Co.,  N. 
Y.  They  have  two  children— Ella  L.,  now  married  to  Mr.  Madi- 
son Rounds,  and  live  near  Eureka ;  Harry  A.  at  home  ;  Susan 
deceased ;  Ray  W.  deceased.  Mr.  V.  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  22d  W. 
V.  I.,  fall  of  1864  ;  was  in  service  six  months  ;  but  did  not  leave 
the  State,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Madison  in  June,  1865.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  of  his  village. 

E.  G.  WOODWORTH,  proprietor  flouring-mills.  Eureka; 
erected  in  1863;  capacity,  100  barrels  in  twenty-four  hours;  abo 
do  custom  work,  and  contains  three  run  stone,  and  three  set  of 
rollers,  etc.  He  located  in  Green  Lake  County,  at  Lake  Maria, 
in  1846,  where  he  lived  until  1867  ;  engaged  in  foruiing,  mercan- 
tile business,  etc.  He  then  moved  to  Davenport,  Iowa ;  farmed 
and  dealt  in  real  estate.  He  soon  returned  to  Berlin,  Wis.,  and 
engaged  in  the  milling  in  what  is  known  as  the  Berlin  City  Mills, 
and  owned  and  operated  the  same  ten  years,  until  fall  of  1881  ; 
sold  out,  when  he  bought  his  present  mills  (steam  mills.)  Was 
born  in  Painsville,  Ohio,  April  13,  1823,  where  he  lived  until  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age  ;  then  went  up  the  lakes  and  into  Knox 
Co.,  111. ;  from  there  to  Rock  Island,  III.  ;  then  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  from  there  to  Wisconsin  in  spring  of  1846.  Was  married, 
at  Galesburg,  III.,  in  1844,  to  Miss  Susan  Burner,  who  was  born  in 
Tennessee.  They  have  six  children  living  and  two  dead — Josephine, 
now  married ;  Leroy  G.,  Warren  W.,  Alice,  Frank  (deceaaed), 
Theresa  (deceased),  Monroe,  Theresa. 


BUTTE  DES  MORTS. 

This    village — the    scene    of  the    sanuguinary    conflict 

which  resulted  in  expelling  the  fierce  Fo-xes  from  the  valley 

— was    also   a   favored    Indian    haunt.      Mere  it   was    that 

Father  Marquette  landed,  and  first   learned  from  the  Mas- 


coutins  of  the  great  river  which  flowed  toward  the  south. 
In  1818,  Augustus  Grignon  and  James  Porlier  established 
a  trading-post  one  mile  below  the  site  of  the  village.  A  son 
of  the  latter  still  lives  upon  the  site  of  the  old  trading-post, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  intelligent  residents  of 
Butte  des  Morts.  In  1832,  L.  B.  Porlier,  the  gentleman 
referred  to,  succeeded  Robert  Grignon.  a  nephew  of  Augus- 
tus, as  agent  of  the  post,  his  father,  James  Porlier.  being  a 
resident  of  Green  Bay.  Augustus  Grignon  lived  formerly 
in  Kaukauna,  a  short  distance  below  Appleton.  In  May, 
1846,  George  Bell  and  family  settled  in  this  vicinity,  and, 
after  them  a  few  weeks,  Greenbury  Wright  and  family, 
with  his  brother,  Dr.  A.  B.  Wright.  They  t.jok  up  land 
upon  the  present  site  of  Butte  des  Morts.  During  the  same 
year,  Julius  Ashby,  Stephen  Allen,  William  Calkins  and 
others,  swelled  the  settlement.  In  1849,  a  post  oSice  was 
established  and  Augustus  Grignon  appointed  Postmaster. 
The  Postmaster,  not  content  with  the  "emoluments  of  his 
position,"  put  up  a  house  which  he  called  a  hotel.  F.  F. 
Hamilton  opened  a  general  store  in  the  first  frame  building 
erected  in  the  village,  which  saw  the  light  of  day  also  during 
that  year.  The  village  had  been  platted  during  July  of  the 
previous  year,  and,  in  1849,  Augustus  Grignon  and  other 
leading  villagers  (as  has  been  previously  detailed),  made  an- 
other and  final  and  unsuccessful  effort  to  have  the  county 
seat  fi.xed  at  Butte  des  Morts.  This  failure  appeared  to  be 
the  rock  upon  which  the  village  split  as  a  really  progressive 
burgh,  and  she  is  now  looked  upon  as  a  curious  memento  of 
a  noted  historical  point  in  the  historical  valley  of  the  Fox. 
Among  the  oldest  settlers  still  living  within  the  limits  of  the 
village  are  Thomas  B.  Patford,  L.  W.  Hull,  Samuel  L. 
Odell,  Whitman  Brown,  J.  Neubiert  and  Peter  C.  Peterson. 
In  early  times,  Butte  des  Morts  was  busy  as  a  lumber 
market.  In  18.51,  Smith  k  Vibbert  erected  the  first  mill. 
In  1868,  after  lying  idle  four  years,  it  was  rebuilt  by  Allan 
Vosburg  &  Co.,  who  continued  the  business  until  the  mill 
burned  in  1871.  During  this  period,  her  dealings  in  wheat 
were  also  quite  large.  But  later  the  village  became  chiefly 
known  for  the  enormous  traffic  which  it  carried  on  in  muskrats, 
the  transactions  amounting  to  thousands  of  dollars  annually. 
Butte  des  Morts  has  a  number  of  thriving  general  stores,  an 
Episcopal  Mission  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  John  Blyman, 
and  is  accommodated  by  a  good  district  school. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

D.  W.  HULL,  retired,  Butte  des  Morts  first  located  here  in 
1855,  bought  a  sawmill  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber 
ten  years;  then  bought  real  estate,  speculated,  etc.  He  was  elected 
County  Treasurer  of  Winnebago  Co.  in  November,  1878,  held  the 
office  one  term  and  refused  a  second  nomination  unanimously  in 
his  favor.  He  was  born  in  Stonington,  Conn.,  June  26,  1828; 
was  married  to  Miss  Phebe  E.  Hewitt,  who  was  born  in  North 
Stonington,  same  State,  March  23,  1831.  He  was  married  at  the 
latter  place  Sept.  1,  1851.  They  have  three  children — Erastus 
Hewett  Hull,  at  home,  Jesse  York  Hull,  proprietor  in  company, 
Boston  99-cent  store  of  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  Frank  Henry  Hull, 
at  home. 

PETER  C.  PETERSON.  Butte  des  Morts,  dealer  in  general 
merchandise  and  all  goods  found  in  a  country  store,  also  Postmas- 
ter ;  established  in  1858;  sales  amount  to  about  S5, 000  per  annum. 
Mr.  P.  settled  in  Butte  des  Morts,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  clerked  some 
time,  then  engaged  in  business  in  company  with  T.  Tounesou,  which 
continued  until  1860.  Mr.  P.  then  bought  the  entire  interest  and 
conducted  the  same  until  1863;  sold  out  to  T.  Neilson  and  went  to 
Virginia  City,  Nevada ;  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  two  years ; 


II92 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN   WISCONSIN. 


sold  out  and  returned  to  his  present  business.  He  was  born  in 
Clirii'tian  Sand,  Norway,  Dec.  29,  1829  ;  emi<:rated  to  America  in 
1855  ;  married  in  Butte  de;  Morts,  Jan.  30, 187G,  to  Miss  Bertha 
Bogk.  who  was  born  in  Germany  July  18, 1853.  They  have  one 
son^  Percival  Charles  Peterson.  Mr.  P.  has  been  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  his  town  six  years,  also  Notary  Public,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


GENERAL  TOWN  HISTORY. 

In  1843,  the  town  of  Butte  des  Morts  was  changed  to 
the  town  of  Winnebago,  which  embraced  the  whole 
county.  In  1847  it  was  divided  into  five  towns — Winne- 
bago, Butte  des  Morts,  Brighton,  Neenah  and  Rushford. 
From  the  subdivision  of  these  five  original  towns,  have  been 
created  the  sixteen  which  now  comprise  the  county.  In 
1850,  the  town  of  Brighton  was  changed  to  Nekimi,  and  in 
1852,  Winnebago  to  Oshkosh,  and  Bloomingdale  (formerly 
Butte  des  Morts),  to  Oinro.  The  salient  facts  forming  the 
history  of  the  towns  have  already  been  given. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

MRS.  ISABELLA  DARROW,  relict  of  tlie  late  Daniel 
Cady  Darrow,  was  born,  reared  and  married  in  New  York  State  ; 
married  Dec.  29,  1841  ;  in  184G,  they  removed  to  the  present 
place,  and  have  been  actively  identified  with  the  development  of 
the  agricultural  industries  of  this  place  since  ;  in  1862,  June  5, 
Mr.  Darrow  died  and  is  buried  in  the  Neenah  cemetery,  aged 
forty-six  years.  Mrs.  Darrow  was  formerly  Miss  Isabella  Murray, 
whose  people  were  among  the  very  early  settlers  of  this  locality. 
The  family  consists  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters  living,  two 
sons  and  one  daughter  buried  in  Neenah  Cemetery,  and  one  son 
died  in  hospital;  he  belonged  to  Co.  I,  21st  W.  V.  I. 

D.  L.  McCORPIN,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  P.  0.  Neenah, 
town  of  Clayton,  was  born  in  Todd  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb.  26,  1815;  in 
1841,  he  came  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  and  after  a  stay  of  a  few 
years  there,  and  one  year  in  Fond  du  Lac,  he  came  here  in  1846, 
and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  development  of  the 
agricultural  industries  of  this  locality  since;  in  October,  1847,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Tacey  Wilsey,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
State.  They  have  a  family  of  two  daughters — Phoebe  and  Eliza- 
beth, now  Mrs.  Douglass  Arnold,  of  Arcadia,  Wis. 


MRS.  GEORGE  CLARK,  town  of  Vinland,  P.  O.  Vinland 
Mrs.  Clark  is  the  widow  of  the  late  George  Clark,  who  was  born 
in  Linconshire,  England,  1810,  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1813. 
She  was  Miss  Catharine  Baird,  born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland, 
and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1840;  in  1844,  they  were  married  in 
Waukesha,  and  came  here  in  1846  and  settled  upon  the  present 
place,  where  Mr.  Clark  passed  away  this  life  in  1872.  and  is  bur- 
ied in  the  family  cemetery  here,  leaving  a  family  of  five  daughters, 
all  grown  to  woman's  estate  and  married. 

FR.^NCIS  GILLINGHAM,  farmer  and  stock  dealer.  Sec.  2, 
town  of  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.,  P.  0.  Neenah  ;  was  born  in 
Dorcetshire,  Dec.  14,  1829  ;  came  to  America  in  1850  ;  lived  in 
Monroe  Co.,  N  Y.,  until  he  came  to  his  present  home,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1854;  besides  farming  he  has  dealt  in  stock  extensively  every 
year;  for  five  years  he  was  in  partnership  with  John  Hunt,  in 
pork  and  beef  packing  business  at  Neenah  ;  for  the  last  three 
years  he  has  carried  on  the  same  business,  his  son,  Francis  J.,  be- 
ing in  partnership  with  him.  Mr.  G.  was  first  married  at  Genoa, 
N.  Y.,  in  1853,  to  Elizabeth  Miller;  she  died  in  January,  1864; 
they  had  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living^Francis  J., 
Alma  S.  (now  Mrs.  Geo.  Phipps,  of  Baraboo,  Wis."),  Letta  May  and 
John  M.  Mr.  Gillingham's  present  wife  was  Mary  Quatermas  ; 
they  were  married  in  Vinland.  Jan.  1,  1865  ;  they  have  one  child 
—Fred  D. 

JOHN  HART,  town  of  Vinland,  Sec.  12,  P.  0.  Neenah; 
was  born  and  reared  in  Lincolnshire,  Enijland  ;  in  1837  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Hudson,  in  England;  in  1848  he  took 
passage  for  America,  and  lost  his  wife  on  the  voyage,  by  whom 
he  had  five  sons  and  one  daughter;  in  1849  he  was  married 
again  to  Miss  Mary  Taylor,  who  died  Jan.  30,  1869.  leaving  a 
family  of  five  daughters ;  in  May,  1870,  he  was  married  for  the 
third  time  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Dalby ;  Mr.  Hart  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1848,  and  began  the  life  ot  pioneer  in  Waukesha  Co.,  which 
he  successfully  carried  on  for  nine  years,  after  which  he  came  here 
and  has  been  actively  engaged  since. 

W.  H.  SCOTT,  town  of  Vinland,  farmer  and  stock  raiser, 
Neenah  P.  0.  Mr.  Scott  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  May  16, 
1816  ;  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  went  to  Livings'on  Co.,  N.  Y., 
where  he  followed  the  lumbering  and  milling  interests  until  1846, 
when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  upon  the  present  place, 
where  he  has  had  an  active  pioneer  experience  of  thirty-five  years  ; 
in  1841  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Enos,  who  was  born  in 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.  ;  they  have  a  family  of  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  grown  to  man's  and  woman's  estate. 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


WOOD   COUNTY. 


PHYSICAL   FEATtlRES. 

This  Count}'  is  situated  nearly  in  tlie  geographical 
center  of  the  State.  It  embraces  twenty-three  town- 
ships, which  lie  immeiliatel}'  west  of  Portage  County 
between  Townshijis  21  and  25  inclusive,  in  Ranges  2 
to  5,  and  21  to  23  in  Range  6.  It  contains  near- 
ly 550,000  acres,  of  which  only  about  45,000  acres  are 
under  cultivation  ;  two-thirds  of  the  balance  is  capable 
of  ini[irovements.  There  is  but  little  government  land 
in  the  county.  The  greater  part  of  tliat  in  the  odd- 
number  sections  having  been  withdrawn  from  the 
market  for  the  benefit  of  the  Wisconsin  Cential  Rail- 
road.    About  100,000  acres  is  owned  by  the  State. 

The  general  slope  and  drainage  of  the  county  is  to- 
ward the  south  and  southwest — the  average  incline 
being  about  seven  feet  to  the  mile.  The  soil  in  the 
central  and  northern  portions  is  a  lich  loam,  contain- 
ing an  admixture  of  clay  and  sand  and  vegetable  mold. 
In  the  southern  and  eastern  sections  it  is  lighter  and 
contains  more  sand.  The  marshes  in  Wood  County 
are  very  extensive,  jiaiticularly  in  the  southwestern 
portion,  and  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  cranberry  cult- 
ure and  hay-growing.  With  regard  to  forest  trees,  it 
may  be  said  that  originally  three-fourths  of  the  county 
was  timbei-  land,  the  greater  part  being  covered  with 
heavy  forests  of  white  pine. 

In  addition  to  this  tliere  is  in  the  northern  tier  of 
townships  considerable  quantities  of  white  and  red 
oak,  white  and  black  ash,  ma[)le,  hemlock  and  butter- 
nut. It  has  been  estimated  that  about  one-half  of  the 
pine  has  been  removed.  The  land  as  it  is  cleared  of 
the  timber  is  converted  into  farms  or  allowed  to  return 
to  the  State,  and  the  marsh  region  in  the  southwest 
portion  is  decreasing  in  size  yearly.  The  useless 
"floating"  areas  of  marsh  are  fast  becoming  hard 
meadow  land,  some  being  even  capable  of  cultivation, 
the  result  of  ditching,  natural  drainage,  and  the  de- 
crease in  the  annual  rainfall. 

The  county  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water,  and 
numerous  streams  afford  good  drainage  for  all  but  the 
southwest  part  or  corner.  The  Wisconsin  River,  flow- 
ing in  a  southerly  direction,  crosses  the  soutiieast  cor- 
ner, and  the  Yellow  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin, rises  in  the  northern  part  and  crosses  the  county 
from  north  to  south,  draining  tiie  entire  central  region. 
Besides  these,  there  is  the  east  fork  of  the  Black 
River,  which  rises  in  the  western  part  of  this  county, 
and  numerous  small  creeks  which  flow  in  all  directions. 
The  streams  rising  in  the  north  have  their  origin  in 
springs,  while  those  in  the  south  originate  in  marshes. 
AH  of  these  streams  abound  in  the  different  vaiieties 
of  fish,  such  as  buffalo,  bass,  pickerel  and  catfish. 
They  also  supply  magnificent  water-j  ower.  The  fall 
of  the  Wisconsin  River  through  Wood  County  is  fully 
one  hundred  feet,  the  distance  being  but  fifteeu  miles. 
76 


It  is  broken  into  different  channels  at  several  points, 
affording  greater  opi)ortunities  to  utilize  the  water  priv- 
ileges and  also  to  multi()ly  their  number.  At  present 
there  are  situated  on  these  water-powers  nine  saw- 
mills, having  a  sawing  capacity  of  about  75,000,000 
feet  per  annum  ;  two  flouring  mills,  shingle  mills,  plan- 
ing mills,  foundries,  machine  shops,  etc.,  all  driven  by 
water-power,  without  the  digging  of  canals,  cutting  of 
channels  or  other  expensive  improvements.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  an  hundred  mills  could  be  run  ou 
this  river  within  this  county  alone. 

The  leading  industry  of  Wood  County  is  lumbering. 
The  admirable  water-power  and  the  heavy  forests  of 
pine  combined,  in  an  early  da}-,  to  induce  lumbermen  to 
seek  this  region,  and  ihe  same  circumstances  have  con- 
tinued to  make  this  the  dominant  interest.  In  later 
years  many  farms  have  been  opened  and  cultivated,  the 
productsof  the  soil  finding  a  ])r()litable  and  read}' market 
among  the  lumbermen.  Cranberry  culture  is  a  promi- 
nent industry  in  the  county,  large  quantities  growing 
wild,  the  marsh  region  being  such  that  their  cultiva- 
tion is  attended  with  very  little  exi)ense. 

In  early  days  the  region  of  forest  meadows  along 
the  Wisconsin  and  its  tributary  streams,  was  a  rich 
hunting  ground  of  the  aborigines.  That  portion  near 
the  river  was  at  one  time  a  succession  of  beaver  dams  ; 
deer,  bear,  and  other  game  was  in  abundiince.  Even  at 
the  present  time  Indians  and  trappers  obtain  a  liveli- 
hood fiom  the  sale  of  furs  secured  in  this  region. 
Wolves  and  bears  are  quite  numerous  in  the  forests  of 
the  western  townships. 

The  geological  exposure  in  Wood  County,  divides  the 
area  about  equally  into  Potsdam  sandstone  and  rocks  of 
the  Metamorphic  or  Azoic  age,  the  latter  being  the 
great  mineral  strata  of  the  world.  Quarries  have  been 
opened,  and  a  superior  qualit}'  of  building  material  has 
been  obtained.  The  azoic  rocks  when  polished  are 
quite  equal  to  the  Scotch  granite  so  much  used  for 
monuments  and  ornamental  work.  They  consist  of  a 
bright  cleavable  feldspar,  mingled  with  iiyaline  or  smoky 
quartz,  in  such  a  manner  that  they  are  capable  of  re- 
ceiving a  very  high  polish.  Iron  ore  is  found  in  this 
region,  belonging  mainly  under  the  head  of  bog  ore. 
This  exists  under  the  marshes,  and  shows  an  excellent 
quality  in  abundance.  Nothing  has  been  done  as  yet 
to  develop  this  resource.  Copper  ore  is  also  found  in 
considerable  quantities.  On  both  sides  of  the  Yellow 
River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  westward 
along  the  line  of  junction  of  thegneissic  rocks,  toward 
the  north,  and  the  Potsdam  sandstone  toward  the  south, 
is  an  extensive  deposit  of  kaolin.  This  material  in 
Wood  County  occurs  entirely  as  "  Kaolinized  "  rock, 
and  underlies  a  large  area  of  the  county,  in  a  strata 
from  four  to  twenty  feet  thick.  All  that  is  needed  to 
make  this  a  source  of  wealth  to  the  county  is  capital. 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


SETTLEMENT. 

In  the  Winter  of  1827,  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green 
Bay,  obtained  a  permit  from  tlie  Winnebagoes.  grant- 
ing him  the  privilege  to  make  shingles  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin River.  He  employed  twenty-two  Stockbridge 
Indians,  with  his  nephew,  David  R.  Whitney,  and  an- 
other man,  to  superintend  the  party.  Col.  Childs  was 
engaged  to  take  the  party  iip  the  river,  and  supply  them 
with  provisions.  He  conveyed  tliem  to  the  month  of 
the  Yellow  River,  where  he  left  them.  On  his  return, 
subsequently,  he  was  informed  by  Major  Twiggs,  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  Winnebago,  that  Whitney's  men 
must  be  sent  out  of  the  country,  and,  if  he  went  up  the 
river,  he  would  get  into  trouble.  Disregarding  all  the 
advice  of  Twiggs,  Childs  went  up  to  where  the  men 
were  working.  They  had,  he  says,  made  about  two 
hundred  thousand  shingles.  Major  Twiggs,  not  long 
after  this,  sent  up  the  Wisconsin,  took  away  a  part  of 
Whitney's  shingles  and  destroyed  the  rest.  By  this 
deed,  Whitney  lost  about  $1,800.  Mr.  Sampson  says 
that  in  this  way,  the  fort  was  built  by  shingles  and  lum- 
ber stolen  from  Mr.  Whitney.  Major  Twiggs,  for  some 
unknown  reason,  was  very  much  opposed  to  Whitney's 
securing  his  water-site.  Following  this,  in  1831,  Mr. 
Whitney  obtained  a  permit  from  the  War  Department 
to  erect  a  saw-mill,  and  cut  timber  on  the  Wisconsin 
River.  In  1831-2,  he,  assisted  by  his  nephew  and  A. 
B.  Sampson,  built  the  first  mill  at  a  place  which  they 
named  Whitney's  Rapids,  below  Point  Bausse,  and 
about  ten  miles  below  Grand  Rapids.  Messrs.  Grignon 
&  Merrill,  obtaining  a  similar  permit  to  that  of  Whit- 
ney's, built  a  mill  at  Grignon's  Rapids,  in  1836.  These 
two  establishments  were  the  pioneers  in  the  lumbering 
business  on  the  Wisconsin  River  and  in  Wood  Count)^ 

The  treaty  of  1836,  by  which  the  title  of  the  Me- 
nomonee  Indians  was  extinguished  to  a  strip  of  land 
six  miles  wide,  from  Point  Bausse  forty  miles  up  the 
stream,  was  obtained  especially  to  open  the  country  to 
the  lumbermen.  The  high  price  and  great  demand 
quickened  the  business,  and  the  river  was  explored 
from  Point  Bausse  to  Big  Bull  Falls  that  year.  The 
occupation  and  clearing  of  the  most  eligible  sites 
quickly  followed.  Two  mills  were  soon  established  at 
Grand  Rapids,  one  at  Mill  Creek  and  others  on  same 
stream.  The  Indian  title  to  the  land  was  extinguished 
in  1848.  This  opened  the  whole  of  Upper  Wisconsin 
country  to  the  settler. 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  first  mills  on  the  Wis- 
consin River.  It  may  be  proper  to  say  that  the  timber 
consists  of  while,  yellow  and  Norway  pine,  rock  and 
soft  maple,  nearly  all  the  varieties  of  oak,  balsam  fir, 
white  and  red  cedar,  spruce,  hemlock,  ash,  poplar, 
basswood  and  hickory.  The  home  demand  is  but  an 
insignificant  part  of  what  is  cut,  as  the  markets  of  all 
the  Slates  west  of  the  Mississippi  are  largely  depend- 
ent for  their  supply  upon  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

Tlie  first  white  woman  in  Wood  County  was  Mrs. 
Whitney,  wife  of  David.  It  is  said  of  lier  liiat  she  was 
noted  for  securing  the  respect  and  fear  of  the  Indians. 
Upon  one  occasion,  she  intrusted  herself  and  two  ciiil- 
dren  with  two  of  them  in  a  bark  canoe  for  the  jour- 
ney of  150  miles  to  reach  her  husband's  side,  who 
was  lying  very  sick. 

The  first  log  house  in  the  county  was  built  by  Whit- 


ney at  Whitney's  Rapids.  The  house  was  a  double 
log  tenement,  built  for  the  purpose  of  trafficking  with 
the  Indians,  and  as  a  house  of  entertainment  for  trav- 
elers. Whitney  was  a  generous,  open-hearted  luan, 
who  took  great  pains  to  make  everybody  who  stopped 
with  him  as  comfortable  as  his  situation  would  permit. 
The  accommodations,  as  maj'  be  imagined,  were  neces- 
sarily very  poor.  Travelers,  in  lieu  of  beds,  were  com- 
pelled to  sleep  as  best  they  could.  They  would  wrap 
their  blankets  about  them  and  lie  upon  the  floor,  to  be 
howled  to  sleep  by  hungry  wolves,  which  often  .stuck 
their  cold  noses  through  the  crevices  and  snorted  in 
anticipation  of  what  a  supper  they  might  have  could 
they  but  get  a  little  nearer. 

In  1842,  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Hurlbut,  a  Methodist  mis- 
sionary, began  his  labors  in  the  county.  He  held  a 
meeting  and  preached  his  first  sermon  here,  the  serv- 
ices being  held  in  a  building  within  the  limits  of  the 
present  city  of  Centralia.  After  this,  he  held  meetings 
wherever  the  people  would  have  them,  very  often  jour- 
neying for  miles  through  an  almost  trackless  wilder- 
ness, to  hold  services  for  some  family  who  had  sent  him 
an  invitation ;  sometimes  going  on  horseback,  but  of- 
tener  on  foot.  Occasionally,  the  entire  population 
would  turn  out  and  meet  at  some  place  in  the  county 
to  enjoy  the  services.  During  his  lonely  wanderings, 
this  zealous  minister  was  often  pursued  by  wolves, 
which  were  as  numerous  then  as  dogs  are  now.  They 
would  surround  dwellings  and  make  night  hideous 
with  their  howls,  plundering  whenever  an  opportunity 
offered. 

In  1842,  the  first  school  was  established,  with  the 
Rev.  J.  S.  Hurlbut  as  teacher.  This  school  was  held 
in  a  log  house,  in  Centralia.  Dr.  G.  W.  Whitney,  who 
was  the  first  resident  physician  iu  Wood  County,  found 
practice  at  an  early  da}-  extremely  laborious,  as  he  often 
had  to  be  not  only  physician,  but  nurse  and  watcher. 
The  veteran  blacksmith,  J.  B.  Hasbrouck,  located  in 
the  county  in  1842,  and  built  himself  a  shop  in  Grand 
Rapids.  One  of  the  first  merchants,  Lemuel  Kromer, 
arrived  in  1846,  and  settled  at  the  county  seat.  Joseph 
Wood,  from  whom  the  county  has  taken  its  name,  has 
been  a  continuous  resident  since  1848,  during  which 
time  he  has  held  many  offices  of  honor  and  trust.  In 
the  year  1853,  L.  P.  Powers,  the  first  resident  lawyer 
in  the  county,  made  his  appearance,  locating  in  the  cit}' 
of  Grand  Rapids.  For  many  years,  Mr.  Powers  was 
the  only  lawj-er  in  the  county,  being  joined  in  1858  by 
the  Hon.  C.  M.  Webb,  ex-State  Senator,  who  has  been 
one  of  the  leading  attorneys  since  his  coming. 

The  first  important  business  of  the  pioneer  settler 
upon  his  arrival  in  Wood  County  was  to  build  a  house. 
Until  this  was  done,  he  had  to  camp  on  the  ground,  or 
live  in  a  wagon.  The  style  of  a  home  entered  veiT 
little  into  his  thoughts.  It  was  a  shelter  he  wanted — 
protection  from  stress  of  weather  and  exposures.  A 
mere  cabin  or  hut  was  sufficient,  and  when  completed 
and  looked  upon  by  the  brave  pioneer,  seemed  to 
him  as  satisfactory  as  the  city  home  he  probably  had 
left,  as  many  did,  to  begin  anew  the  struggle  with 
fortune.  The  furniture  of  a  pioneer's  cabin  was 
generally  of  the  most  primitive  description,  unless  it 
was  where  they  had  brought  with  them  their  old  house- 
hold supplies,  which,  owing  to  the   distance  some  of 


HISTORY  OF    WOOD  COUNTY. 


"95 


them  had  to  come,  was  very  seldom  the  case.  It  was, 
however,  very  easy  to  improvise  tables,  chairs  and  bed- 
steads. The  former  could  be  made  of  split  logs  ;  the 
latter,  constructed  as  follows :  A  forked  stick  driven 
into  the  ground,  diagonally  from  the  corner  of  the 
room  and  at  proper  distances,  upon  which  poles  reaching 
from  each  side  could  be  laid,  the  wall  ends  of  the  poles 
either  resting  in  the  openings  between  the  logs,  or 
driven  into  auger-holes.  Either  bark  or  boards  could 
be  used  as  a  substitute  for  cords  or  slats.  Among 
other  things  calculated  to  annoy  and  distress  the  pio- 
neer, was  the  prevalence  of  wild  beasts  of  prey,  the 
most  numerous  and  troublesome  of  whicli  was  the  wolf. 
While  it  was  true  in  a.  figurative  sense  that  it  required 
the  utmost  care  and  exertion  to  "  keep  the  wolf  from 
the  door,"  it  was  almost  as  true  in  a  literal  sense. 
There  are  two  species  of  these  animals  that  prey  on 
the  pioneer — the  large  black  timber  wolf  and  the 
smaller,  gray  wolf,  which  usually  inhabits  the  prairie. 
At  first,  it  was  next  to  impossible  for  a  settler  to  keep 
small  stock  of  any  kind.  Sheep  were  not  deemed  safe 
property  until  late  years,  when  their  enemies  were  sup- 
posed to  be  nearly  exterminated.  Large  numbers  of 
wolves  were  destroyed  during  the  early  days  of  set- 
tlement, when  they  were  hungry,  which  was  not 
uncommon,  particularly  during  the  Winter.  They 
were  often  too  indiscreet  for  their  own  safety,  and 
would  approach  within  easy  shot  of  the  settlers'  dwell- 
ings. Smaller  animals,  such  as  panthers,  lynx,  wild- 
cats, catamounts,  were  also  sufficiently  numerous  to 
prove  trouijlesome.  The  trials  of  the  pioneer  were  in- 
numerable, and  the  cases  of  actual  suffering  might  fill 
a  volume  of  no  ordinary  size.  Timid  women  became 
brave  through  combats  with  real  dangers.  Patient 
mothers  grew  sick  at  heart  with  the  sight  of  beloved 
children  failing  in  health  from  lack  of  the  commonest 
necessaries  of  life.  The  struggle  was  a  constant  one 
for  the  sustaining  means  of  life  itself. 

The  title  acquired  by  tiie  Government  by  treaties 
with  the  Indians,  and  these  lands  being  surveyed  and 
and  brought  into  market,  and  offered  at  mere  nominal 
prices,  increased  the  number  of  settlers.  Where  once 
stood  one  log  shanty,  villages  and  cities  began  to  spring 
up.  Settlers  from  Eastern  and  other  States,  flocked  in- 
to Wisconsin,  manufacturing  and  general  industries 
grew  rapidly,  giving  promise  that  the  region  would  be- 
come, as  it  is  fast  doing,  one  of  the  first  States  in  the 
Union. 

The  experiences  of  the  early  pioneer,  in  Wood 
County,  were  no  worse,  and  in  some  respects  they  were 
better  than  those  who  lived  farther  in  the  interior  of 
the  State.  The  narratives  of  the  early  settlei-s  that 
have  been  published  from  time  to  time,  where  details 
are  frequently  given  and  incidents  related,  all  show  the 
difficulties  and  hardships  these  brave  men  and  women 
had  to  pass  through,  before  they  could  live  with  any 
degree  of  comfort. 

ORGANIZATION. 

On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  March,  1856,  an  act  of 
the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  was  approved  by  the 
Governor,  to  divide  the  county  of  Portage  and  organize 
the  county  of  Wood.  By  said  act,  all  that  portion  of 
country,  then  embraced  within  a  boundary,   beginning 


at  the  southwest  coiner  of  Township  21  north,  of  Range 
2  east ;  running  thence  east  on  the  township  line,  be- 
tween Townships  20  and  21,  and  north  on  said  range 
line,  between  Townships  25,  and  26,  east,  thence  north 
on  said  range  line,  to  the  township  line  between  Town- 
ships 23  and  24  north,  thence  west  on  said  township 
line,  to  the  range  line  between  Ranges  5  and  6  east, 
thence  north  on  said  range  line  to  the  township  line 
between  Townships  25  and  26  north,  thence  west  on 
said  township  line  to  the  range  line  between  Ranges  1 
and  2  east,  thence  south  on  said  range  line  to  place  of 
beginning,  was  set  off  into  a  separate  count}',  and  called 
Wood.  By  the  organic  act,  it  was  proved  that  the 
county  should  be  organized  for  all  the  xjurposes,  both 
of  count}'  and  judicial  government,  and  that  it  should 
enjoy  all  the  rights,  privileges,  immunities  ;ind  powers 
of  the  other  counties  of  the  State.  It  was  also  provided 
that  an  election  should  be  held  in  November  of  same  year, 
the  several  towns,  or  precincts  ot  the  county,  such  as 
were  then  or  might  thereafter  be  established  by  law, 
for  the  election  of  all  such  town  and  county  officers,  as 
the  county  by  virtue  of  its  organization  and  the  provis- 
ions of  the  organic  act,  should  be  entitled  to,  who  were 
severally  to  hold  their  offices  until  the  next  general 
election  and  until  their  successors  were  duly  elected 
and  qualified. 

It  was  provided  by  the  act  just  mentioned,  that  the 
first  election  to  be  held  in  the  county  should  be  con- 
ducted in  all  respects  in  the  manner  then  provided  by 
law  for  holding  general  elections,  and  the  votes  cast 
were  to  be  returned  and  canvassed  as  therein  provided, 
and  the  Judges  of  Election  were  authorized  to  issue 
certificates  of  election  to  any  person  duly  elected  to 
office.  It  was  further  provided  that  the  official  terms 
of  those  elected  begin  on  the  first  Monday  in  January 
of  the  ensuing  year. 

In  1870,  it  was  thought  advisable,  for  certain  rea- 
sons, to  annex  a  portion  of  Wood  County  to  the  county 
of  Jackson  ;  but  as  Wood  County  contained  less  than 
900  square  miles,  it  could  not  be  divided  without  a 
popular  vote.  Therefore,  six  townships  were  added  to 
this  county  from  the  contiguous  territory  of  Jackson 
by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  February  11,  1870,  to 
take  effect  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  April,  of  same 
year.  The  county  was,  by  this  addition,  of  sufficient 
size  to  render  legislative  division  allowable,  and  by 
another  act,  passed  on  the  same  day,  which  took  eii'ect 
six  days  subsequently,  or  on  the  first  day  of  May, 
1870,  these  same  six  townships,  together  with  the  ob- 
noxious corner  of  Wood  County,  were  attached  to 
Jackson  County.  Both  of  the  above-mentioned  acts 
received  the  Governor's  signature  on  the  11th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1870.  Just  before  the  building  of  the  Green 
Bay  &  Minnesota  Railroad,  the  tract  was  restored  to 
Wood  County,  as  noted  in  act,  approved  March  9,  1872. 
The  boundaries  of  the  county  have  thus  become  the 
same  as  before  the  legislation  of  1870,  and  have  re- 
mained since  unchanged. 

The  new  county  was  attached  to  the  Seventh  Judi- 
cial Circuit,  and  Grand  Rapids  fixed  upon  as  the  county 
seat,  by  the  act  of  organization,  and  by  an  amendment 
of  September  19,  1856,  it  was  located  on  Lots  2  and 
3,  in  Block  31,  Wood's  Addition  to  Grand  Rapids,  pro- 
vided these  lots  would  be  donated  to  the  county. 


196 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


There  was  no  action  taken  on  the  above  amendment, 
however,  and  it  was  tlierefore  a  dead  letter.  Apjain,  in 
April,  1866,  an  act  was  passed  locating  the  county  seat 
on  "  fractional  Lot  2,  of  Section  i7,  of  Township  21, 
Range  6  east,  in  Grand  Rapids."  Conditioned,  as  in 
case  with  the  amendment  of  September  19,  1856,  that 
a  gift  of  the  same  be  made  to  the  county,  and  the  ap- 
proval of  a  majority  of  the  voters.  Although  there  is 
no  record  of  this  vote  ever  having  been  taken,  and  no 
deed  to  the  county  of  the  land  lias  ever  been  regis- 
tered, yet,  in  1866,  tlie  first  court-house  in  tlie  county, 
a  small  wooden  building,  was  erected  upon  the  site 
above  described.  Tliis  building  is  slill  used  as  a  court- 
house, yet  the  county  offices,  with  one  exception,  are 
held  elsewhere,  nearer  the  business  portion  of  the  city. 
The  date  of  the  first  warranty  deed  recorded  is  Octo- 
ber 1,  18.58,  and  was  given  by  Mark  A.  Wilkes  to  Mrs. 
Ann  Black.  It  was  entered  for  record  Januarv  1, 
1857. 

The  first  county  officers  were  chosen  in  1857,  as 
follows:  County  Judge,  Joseph  Wood  ;  Sheriff,  Ben- 
jamin Buck;  District  Attorney,  L.  P.  Powers;  Sur- 
veyor, H.  A.  Temple ;  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court,  L. 
Kromer ;  County  Clerk,  L.  P.  Powers ;  Treasurer,  I. 
L.  Mosher  ;  Register  of  Deeds,  L.  Kromer. 

Pursuant  to  a  general  call,  a  meeting  of  citizens  was 
held  at  the  Council  Rooms,  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids, 
June  9, 1877,  to  arouse  ])ublie  interest  in  the  re-organiza- 
tion of  the  Wood  County  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Association.  The  meeting  convened  at  2.30  P.  M., 
electing  Dr.  G.  F.  Witter  president,  and  S.  D.  Lord 
secretary.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  an  unsuccessful 
effort  was  made  several  years  ago  to  organize  a  Fair 
Association,  there  were  inquiries  made  to  find  records 
of  same,  and  it  was  discovered  that  all  books  and  rec- 
ords had  been  destroyed  by  fire,  March,  1873.  The 
funds,  however,  having  been  intrusted  to  H.  B.  Philleo, 
were  accounted  for,  there  being  -$25  on  hand,  after 
paying  the  expenses  incurred  by  the  Association.  There 
was  then  a  motion  brought  before  the  meeting  by  Seth 
Reeves,  and  seconded  by  S.  D.  Lord,  wherein  it  was 
proposed  that  those  members  of  the  old  organization, 
who  could  either  produce  their  card  of  membersiiip  or 
in  any  manner  prove  membership,  should  be  admitted 
to  membership  in  the  new  organization.  After  a  gen- 
eral discussion  the  motion  was  lost,  the  feeling  appear- 
ing to  exist  strongly  that  an  entirely  new  organization 
was  to  be  preferred,  and  not  a  re-organization  of  the 
defunct  Association.  It  was  furthermore  agreed  that 
if  all  wlio  held  old  membership  tickets  would  file  them 
with  Mr.  Philleo,  that  tiie  pro  rata  share  of  each  would 
be  determined,  and  money  would  be  refunded.  The 
attendance  at  this  meeting  was  large,  there  being  a 
good  representation  from  tiie  cities  of  Centralia  and 
Grand  Rai)ids,  and  delegations  from  the  towns  of  Seneca, 
Rudolph,  Grand  Rapids  and  Saratoga.  Tiie  secretary 
was  instructed  to  correspond  with  leading  influential 
men  in  different  parts  of  the  county,  send  them  sub- 
scription lists  and  invite  their  attendance  at  the  next 
meeting.  At  the  next  meeting,  held  at  the  Council 
Rooms,  June  20, 1877,  the  subscription  list  was  returned 
with  a  total  of  104  names  in  following  order  : 
Grand  Rapids,  83  names  signed  ;  Centralia,  12  names; 
town  of  Remington,  5  names;  Auburndale,  4  names. 


At  this  meeting  the  following  subscriptions  for  shares 
were  paid,  the  price  having  been  fixed  at  one  dollar 
jier  share  :  Grand  Rapids,  20  ;  Remington,  5  ;  Auburn- 
dale,  5  ;  Seigel,  1  ;  Rudolph,  1 ;  Centralia,  1 ;  Seneca  1. 
Total  amount  of  money  received  for  shares  being  thir- 
ty-four dollars.  In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
Chapter  83,  of  the  General  Laws  of  1858,  the  meeting 
then  proceeded  to  organize  and  form  itself  into  a  body 
corporate  by  adopting  a  constitution  and  electing  offi- 
cers. The  officers  of  the  association  were  to  consist 
of  a  president,  vice-president,  secretary,  treasurer  and 
one  director  from  each  town  and  city,  having  five  or 
more  members  in  the  Association ;  these  officers  alto- 
gether to  constitute  the  executive  committee,  five  of 
whom,  including  the  president  (or  vice-president)  and 
secretary  to  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of 
business.  At  this  meeting-  the  following  officers  were 
elected  :  President.  D.  G.'Witter,  Grand  Rapids  ;  Vice- 
President,  A.  G.  Cad}',  Seneca  ;  Secretary,  S.  D.  Lord, 
Grand  Rapids  ;  Treasurer,  Seth  Reeves,  Grand  Rapids. 
The  Board  of  Diiectors  were:  Joseph  Hasbrouck, 
Grand  Rapids;  Tliomas  J.  Cooper,  Centralia;  John 
Edwards,  Port  Edwards ;  E.  A.  Bentley,  Seneca ; 
James  Ranhan,  Seigel;  Jasper  Crotteau,  Rudolph; 
Jolin  (Jonnoi-,  Auburndale;  J.  B.  Grieves,  Marshfield ; 
S.  L.  Nason,  Lincoln ;  F.  W.  Pitts,  Wood ;  George 
Hiles,  Dexter  ;  James  Joy,  Remington  ;  John  McCart- 
ney, Saratoga ;   John  Timm,   Town  of  Grand   Rapids. 

The  next  matter  to  be  attended  to  was  the  finding 
of  suitable  grounds  to  be  used  for  the  annual  exhibi- 
tion. A  committee  on  grounds  was  appointed,  and  at 
the  following  meeting  it  was  reported  tiiat  after  look- 
ing at  a  number  of  places,  the  committee  were  unani- 
mous in  agreeing  tiiat  the  Woiden  Race  Course  forty 
was  the  most  suitable,  and  that  they  had  made  an  offer 
for  it.  On  the  18th  of  July,  the  offer  was  closed,  and 
the  association  became  the  lessees  of  tiie  ground 
for  one  year,  with  the  privilege  of  eitlier  buying  or 
leasing  it  for  a  term  of  years. 

The  first  fair  was  held  on  the  eiglith,  ninth  and 
tenth  daj's  of  October,  1877,  and  was  in  all  respects  a 
great  success.  In  1878,  final  arrangements  were  made, 
by  which  the  association  was  to  have  the  use  of  its 
present  grounds  for  fair  purposes,  and  its  meetings 
have  since  been  held  there.  The  grounds  have  been 
well  fitted  up  for  all  purposes  of  an  agricultural  and 
mechanical  exiiibit.  A  good  half-mile  track  affords  an 
opportunity  for  the  display  or  training  of  fast  horses. 
A  hall  for  agricultural  purposes,  cattle  pens  and  booths 
for  domestic  manufactures,  are  among  the  attractions. 
By  legislative  action,  it  has  been  placed  on  the  same 
footing  as  county  societies. 

TBE   PRESS. 

Twenty-four  3'ears  ago,  J.  N.  Brundage  settled  in 
Grand  Rapids,  and  there  established  tlie  Wood  County 
Reporter.  The  paper  was  Republican  in  politics,  and 
tiioroughly  en  rapport  with  tlie  spirit  of  improvement 
then  existing.  The  editor,  in  his  salutatory,  said : 
"  I  this  day  publish  the  first  number  of  the  Wood 
County  Reporter.  I  trust  that  the  citizens  will  rally 
around  the  first  paper  in  Wood  County.  This,  the 
initial  sheet,  will  in  tiie  course  of  time  be  a  curiosity, 
as  the  first  paper  published   in  Wood  County   and  the 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


future  city  of  Grand  Rapids."  The  initial  number 
was  a  well-printed,  creditable  sheet,  full  of  vigor  and 
vigilance,  for  those  days.  Its  contents  were  well  se- 
lected, and  calculated  to  insure  interest.  Brundage 
continued  to  edit  the  Reporter  until  the  year  1864, 
when  lie  went  into  the  army.  At  this  time,  the  paper 
was  purchased  by  J.  E.  Ingraham,  who  continued  its 
publication,  with'C.  M.  Webb  as  editor.  In  1869,  In- 
graham associated  with  H.  B.  Pliilleo,  who  has  since 
had  full  editorial  control.  Messrs.  Ingraham  &  Philleo 
edited  the  Reporter  until  April,  1880,  when  it  was 
purchased  by  the  present  owners  and  editors,  Fontaine 
Bros.  The  paper  is  a  seven-column  folio,  and  claims 
a  circulation  of  400. 

Grand  Rapids  Tribune  was  also  founded  by  the 
Nestor  of  the  press  in  Wood  County,  in  April,  1873. 
At  this  time,  he  associated  himself  with  L.  P.  Powers, 
who  acted  as  political  editor.  Early  in  July,  the  oiBee 
took  fire,  and  all  was  destroyed.  In  1879,  it  was  again 
burned,  it  was  supposed  by  an  incendiary  mob.  Not- 
withstanding tiiese  severe  reverses,  the  pluclcy  editor 
again  started  liis  office,  and  in  April,  1880,  gave  it  in 
charge  of  his  son,  A.  A.  Brundage.  It  was  operated 
for  a  year  by  A.  A.  Brundage,  when  the  present  man- 
agers took  charge,  Messrs.  J.  N.  and  E.  B.  Brundage. 
The  paper  claims  a  circulation  of  about  450.  In  form, 
it  is  a  seven-column  qiuirto. 

The  Ceutralia  Enterprise  was  established  on  the 
twenty-second  day  of  May,  1879,  by  C.  H.  Clark,  now 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Marsiifield  Times.  On  the 
twenty-seveutli  day  of  September,  1879,  Clark  disposed 
of  his  entire  interest  in  the  paper  to  Judge  Henry  Hay- 
den,  who  was  killed  on  the  ninth  day  of  October  follow- 
ing, and  the  Enterprise  was  conducted  by  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Harriet  S.  Hayden,  until  January  1, 1880,  when  it 
was  sold  to  E.  B.  Rossier  and  C.  O.  Baker.  January  1, 
1881,  Baker  disposed  of  his  interest  to  E.  B.  Rossier,  but 
is  still  connected  with  the  paperas  associate  editor.  This 
is  the  only  Greenback  paper  in  the  county,  and  claims  a 
circulation  of  nOO.  On  the  twenty-second  day  of  Oc- 
tober, C.  H.  Clark  established  the  Marshfield  Times, 
a  fine  breezy  little  newspaper,  very  creditable  in  ap- 
pearance, and  very  ably  edited. 

CRANBERRY    CDLTURE. 

But  few  persons  have  any  idea  of  the  commercial 
importance  of  the  cranberry  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
though  the  berry  is  acknowledged  and  appreciated  l)y 
all  as  the  last  fruit  of  the  season.  In  the  year  of  1876 
there  was  more  than  7,600  acres  of  land  used  for  the 
cultivation  of  this  berry,  and  at  present  more  than 
twice  that  area  is  under  cultivation,  and  fully  twice  as 
much  used  as  wild  marsh,  where  the  berry  grows  to  as 
high  a  state  of  perfection  as  in  a  cultivated  marsh,  al- 
though the  yield  cannot  be  as  great  on  account  of  the 
inaccessibility.  The  cultivation  of  the  berry  consists 
simply  in  ditching,  damming,  draining,  and  flooding 
the  marshes  at  the  proper  season  of  the  year,  the 
plants  or  vines  being  under  water  from  November  till 
May.  To  the  cultivator  the  berry  is  a  paying  invest- 
ment, as  it  costs  but  little  to  raise,  and  yields  in  return 
about  thirty  per  cent,  net,  annually,  on  the  investment 
in  lands,  selling  in  market  for  from  $2.50  to  fl.SO  per 
bushel.     Wisconsin  is  said  to  be  entirely  free  from  the 


blight  common  in  the  New  Jersey  marshes,  and  from 
the  worm  to  be  found  in  the  marshes  of  Connecticut, 
and  the  attention  of  Eastern  capitalists,  who  are  be- 
coming interested  in  the  culture  of  the  berry,  is  being 
drawn  to  the  marshes  of  tliis  State.  To  encourage 
the  culture,  the  Agricultural  Society  of  the  State  in- 
tend offering  a  premium  at  their  State  fair,  for  the 
best  specimen  of  the  fruit. 

Wood  County  has  some  of  the  best  marshes  in  the 
State,  tlieir  yield  being  enormous,  and  more  attention 
is  being  given  this  year  to  the  berry  than  of  any  pre- 
ceding it.  The  largest  marsh  in  the  State  is  owned 
and  operated  by  the  Grand  i\Iarsh  Cranberry  Company, 
located  in  Jackson  County,  near  Beaver  Station,  on  tiie 
line  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad,  a  branch  of  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul.  In  this  marsh  alone 
there  are  4,500  acres,  and  has  at  the  present  time  600 
acres  under  cultivation.  Two  hundred  acres,  started 
five  3'ears  ago,  will  yield,  it  is  estimated,  this  season,  200 
bushels  to  the  acre,  and  the  remaining  400,  about  fifty 
bushels  to  the  acre.  This  is  an  excellent  crop,  but  will 
probably  be  doubled  in  another  j-ear.  This  company 
was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Illinois  some  months 
since,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000,  by  B.  P.  Moulton, 
Frank  I.  Wilson,  Joseph  White  and  E.  A.  Hunter. 
The  company  have  made  extensive  improvements,  hav- 
ing a  warehouse  at  the  mar.sh,  and  one  at  Beaver  Sta- 
tion, and  has  tliirty  miles  of  ditch  and  ten  miles  of  dam 
completed.  Charles  J.  Adriance,  the  superintendent 
at  the  marsh,  says  tire  crop  is  a  large  one  this  year,  but 
if  properly  cared  for  this  Winter,  the  vines  will  bear 
double  next  season.  One  of  the  best  cultivated 
marshes  in  Wood  County  is  known  as  Bearss'  Marsh,  lo- 
cated on  the  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad,  in 
Town  21,  Range  4,  and  in  Sections  16  and  21.  This 
marsh  contains  120  acres,  all  under  cultivation.  In 
1880,  the  yield  was  fully  3,600  bushels.  The  proprie- 
tors. Messrs.  Bearss  &  Alexander,  have  made  very  ex- 
tensive improvements,  building,  as  well  as  warehouses, 
permanent  shanties  for  the  use  of  their  pickers  during 
the  season.  John  Arpin's  marsh,  located  on  same  rail- 
road, and  situated  in  Town  22,  Range  4,  Section  33, 
contains  about  forty  acres,  from  which,  in  1876,  there 
were  1,200  bushels  picked.  In  1877,  the  marsh  fire  de- 
stroyed a  great  deal  of  the  marsh,  and  for  some  time 
the  crop  was  very  light.  In  1880,  the  crop  yielded  400 
bushels.  The  Bear.^^s  marsh  has  about  eight  miles  of 
ditch  and  three  miles  of  dam.  Arpin's  marsh  has  about 
four  miles  of  ditching  and  excellent  damming  facili- 
ties. 

GR.\ND  R.\PIDS. 

Grand  Rapids,  the  seat  of  the  county  of  Wood,  as  well  as 
being  the  chief  city  in  the  county,  is  the  oldest  town  on  the 
Upper  Wisconsin  River.  It  is  situated  in  Township  22, 
north  of  Range  6  east,  and  lies  wholly  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Wisconsin,  which  is  here  interspersed  with  many  small 
islands.  The  river,  in  passing  the  city,  has  a  descent  of 
thirty  feet  over  an  irregular  and  rocky  bed,  thus  constitut- 
ing the  rapids  which  gave  the  name  to  the  city  and  town- 
ship. The  water-power  is  immense;  five  thousand  horse- 
power is  still  not  utilized. 

The  first  settler  to  niake  improvements   of  a  permanent 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


and  progressive  character,  was  Nelson  Strong,  in  1838.  As 
has  been  stated  elsewhere,  Mr.  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green 
Bay,  established  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  county,  having  re- 
ceived a  permit  from  the  War  Department  allowing  him 
the  privilege.  In  1838,  Strong  obtained  a  similar  permit, 
and  secured,  in  connection  with  A.  B.  Sampson,  who  was 
at  this  time  running  Whitney's  mills  at  Whitney's  Rapids, 
the  mill  site  at  Grand  Rapids.  Sampson  disposed  of  his 
claim  to  Strong,  who  associated  himself  with  R.  Bloomer, 
who  arrived  about  that  time  on  a  prospecting  trip.  During 
this  year,  these  two  men  built  the  mill,  and  manufactured 
tlie  first  lumber  in  the  limits  of  the  present  city.  George 
Kline,  Jr.,  another  prospector,  arrived  late  in  this  year,  and 
believing  that  the  location  was  good,  concluded  to  stop,  go- 
ing to  work  for  Strong  &  Bloomer.  They  had  at  this  early 
day,  some  little  trouble  in  finding  sufficient  men  to  work  the 
mills,  but  owing  to  the  treaty  recently  made  with  the  Indi- 
ans, settlers  were  constantly  arriving,  and  although  many  of 
them  stayed  but  a  short  time,  they  soon  found  their  full 
complement.  This  mill  was  in  successful  operation  for 
some  time.  The  first  lumber  manufactured  by  Messrs. 
Strong  &  Bloomer  was  used  by  the  former  to  build  a  house 
for  his  family.  This  was  in  1838,  and  was  the  first  frame 
house  in  the  county,  and  the  second  of  any  description  in 
Grand  Rapids.  The  first  house  was  erected  by  H.  Mc- 
Cutcheon,  cook  for  the  men  at  Strong  &  Bloomer's  mill;  it 
was  a  small  log  house,  located  on  the  present  site  of  John 
Bablin's  store.  From  this  time,  there  was  quite  a  number 
of  frame  and  log  houses  erected,  and  the  future  city  began 
to  put  on  the  appearance  of  a  busy,  thriving  village.  The 
earliest  pioneer  now  living  in  the  county  of  Wood  is  Mr.  A, 
B.  Sampson.  He  arrived  in  the  county  in  1832,  He  came 
hither  under  an  agreement  with  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green 
Bay,  as  the  superintendent  of  his  mills,  in  connection  with 
Mr.  Whitney's  nephew,  David  R.  Whitney.  David  Whit- 
ney died  in  1838,  and  Sampson  had  sole  charge  of  the  mills 
at  Whitney's  Rapids  until  1840.  In  the  year  1838,  as  has 
been  stated,  he,  with  Nelson  Strong,  took  possession  of  the 
site  at  Grand  Rapids  but  did  not  work  the  claim,  disposing 
of  his  share  to  Strong.  In  1840,  Sampson  gave  up  his  po- 
sition at  Whitney's  Rapids  and  moved  his  family  to  the 
present  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  has  been  a  con- 
tinuous resident  ever  since.  In  Mr.  Sampson's  house  at 
Whitney's  Rapids,  in  1839,  occurred  the  first  marriage  of 
(irand  Rapids  folks.  The  contracting  parties  were  Mr. 
George  Kline,  Jr.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  Mrs.  Maria  Whit- 
ney, widow  of  David  R.,  of  Whitney's  Rapids,  the  knot  being 
tied  by  S.  R.  Merrill,  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

In  1842,  Rev.  Mr.  Hurlbut  made  his  appearance,  and 
l)egan  exhorting  the  settlers  to  "turn  from  the  errors  of 
their  ways."  He  had  charge  of  a  large  circuit,  and  was  a 
/..alous  worker  in  the  good  cause  which  he  represented, 
liy  this  time,  owing  to  the  great  influx  of  pine  seekers  and 
prospectors,  it  dawned  upon  the  mind  of  Nelson  Strong 
that  a  hotel  would  not  be  a  bad  investment.  Accordingly, 
in  1843,  he  erected  one.  This  hotel,  in  a  short  time,  was 
bought  by  A.  B.  Sampson,  who   for  many  years  was   noted 


for  keeping  the  only  public  house  in  what  is  now  the  county 
of  Wood.  Mrs.  Sampson,  his  wife,  who  came  to  him  at 
Whitney's  Rapids,  in  1838,  was  remarkable  for  her  energy 
and  bravery  against  pioneer  hardships  and  Indian  inso- 
lence. 

"  Upon  one  occasion,"  says  Mr.  Sampson,  "  three  of 
Oshkosh's  tribe  came  to  my  house  and  asked  Mrs.  Sampson 
for  something  to  eat.  She,  having  never  been  known  to 
refuse  them  when  they  came  in  a  proper  manner,  gave  all 
three  quite  a  good  meal.  One  of  them,  upon  the  food 
being  handed  to  him,  commenced  to  behave  in  a  most 
shocking  manner,  eating  and  destroying  his  food  in  such  a 
way  that  it  was  very  disgusting.  Mrs.  Sampson,  who  had 
witnessed  the  act,  became  very  much  incensed,  and  spoke 
very  sharply  to  him,  telling  him  not  to  act  like  an  '  ani- 
mose '  (dog).  This,  in  turn,  angered  the  Indian,  who, 
jumping  to  his  feet,  threatened  to  shoot  her,  at  the  same 
time  bringing  his  gun  to  bear  upon  her.  Before  he  could 
carry  out  his  intention,  Mrs.  Sampson,  with  great  presence 
of  mind,  shut  the  door  in  his  face,  and  ran  into  another 
room.  He,  inflamed  with  rage,  forced  the  door  and  fol- 
lowed her.  In  the  meantime,  Mrs.  Sampson  had  secured  a 
large  stick  of  wood,  and  as  he  came  toward  the  second 
room,  threw  the  door  open,  rushed  upon  him,  and,  with  one 
well  directed  blow,  disarmed  him  ;  a  second  blow  staggered 
him,  and  being  followed  up  by  others  in  succession,  so  com- 
pletely demoralized  the  '  noble  red  man  '  that  he  ignomin- 
iously  fled,  leaving  his  gun,  which  Mrs.  Sampson  retained, 
lying  on  the  floor."  Of  this  kind  were  our  brave  pioneer 
women. 

In  1842,  the  first  village  "smithy"  was  started  by  J.  B. 
Hasbrouck,  who  arrived  that  year.  Mr.  Hasbrouck  still 
wields  his  hammer,  and  can  be  seen  at  his  post  in  his  shop, 
apparently  as  hardy  a§  ever. 

In  1843,  George  Kline,  Sr.,  and  Ira  Purdy  settled  here. 
During  the  next  two  years,  quite  a  number  of  settlers  made 
their  appearance,  prominent  among  them  being  Mr.  E.  S. 
Miner,  who  arrived  in  1845,  opening  a  general  store.  This 
year  was  one  of  note-worthy  events.  A  post-office  was  es- 
tablished here,  and  E.  S.  Miner  appointed  as  Postmaster, 
Miner  appointing  as  Deputy  his  partner,  John  Warner. 
There  was  at  this  time  only  one  mail  each  week,  and  that 
did  not  amount  to  more  than  a  dozen  or  thirteen  letters 
and  two  or  three  papers,  when  it  arrived.  There  were  a 
few  new  comers  during  the  next  year ;  L.  Kromer,  one  of 
the  first  merchants,  settled  here  this  year.  Mr.  Kromer 
was  for  many  years  a  prominent  merchant  in  the  city  of 
Grand  Rapids,  but  gave  it  up  some  time  ago,  accepting  a 
position  as  agent  for  Adams  Express  Company.  Joseph 
Wood,  for  whom  the  county  was  named,  came  here  in  1848^ 
and  has  held  many  offices  of  trust  and  honor  in  the  county. 
The  city  was  in  its  zenith  from  1848  to  1857. 

In  1853,  Mr.  L.  P.  Powers  made  his  appearance  and 
hung  out  his  shingle,  and  until  1S58  was  the  only  lawyer  at 
the  county  seat.  Early  in  that  year,  he  was  joined  by  C. 
M.  Webb,  ex-State  Senator,  who  has  been  a  leading  attor- 
ney   since    his    coming.     Mr.   Powers  has  been  one  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


[99 


most    active    citizens,  and   has  been   honored  with  some  of 
the  most  important  offices  the  county  can  confer. 

In  the  year  1855,  Dr.  G.  W.  Whitney  settled  here,  and 
was  the  first  resident  physician  in  the  county.  He  is  still 
practicing  at  Grand  Rapids.  The  Winter  of  1856-7  was  a 
period  of  peculiar  interest  to  the  residents  of  the  present 
county  of  Wood.  On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  March,  1856, 
all  that  territory  known  as  the  town  of  Grand  Rapids, 
county  of  Portage,  was  detached  from  that  county  and  or- 
ganized as  the  county  of  Wood,  at  which  organization, 
the  present  city  of  Grand  Rapids  was  made  the  county 
seat,  still  remaining  under  town  government. 


groceries  and  boots  and  shoes.      Mr.  St.  Amour  is  noted  for 
his  fair  dealing,  and  his  first-class  business  qualities. 

From  1S50  to  1861,  may  be  denominated  the  speculative 
period  of  Grand  Rapids,  while  the  era  of  permanent  success 
occupies  the  time  from  the  latter  date  to  the  present.  Lum- 
bering was  the  business  toward  which  every  one  looked, 
and  the  thoughts  of  all  reverted.  Immigrants  were  constantly 
pouring  in,  and  but  few  of  them  chose  to  locate  back  in  the 
town,  some  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  what  is 
now  the  city  of  Centralia,  then  a  part  of  Grand  Rapids. 
Between  these  two  settlements,  a  brisk  rivalry  has  always 
existed,  and  when  the  county  seat  was  established,  the  offi- 


m 


GR.A.ND    RAPIDS. 


In  1859,  Dr.  G.  W.  Witter  made  his  appearance  in  the 
county,  settling  at  Grand  Rapids.  Since  his  coming,  the 
doctor  has  been  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  faithful  workers 
for  the  success  and  prosperity  of  the  city  that  she  can  boast 
of.  Being  a  great  advocate  for  good  schools,  he  turned  his 
mind  and  attention  in  that  direction,  and  it  is  mainly 
through  his  indefatigable  efforts  that  the  schools  have 
reached  their  present  high  standard.  He  was  followed  to 
the  new  town  by  his  cousin,  J.  D.  Witter,  who  has  also  been 
identified  with  the  success  and  prosperity  of  the  present  city, 
since  the  date  of  his  arrival  in  1859.  One  of  the  new-comers 
this  year,  was  Mr.  T.  C.  St.  Amour,  now  engaged  in  keeping 
a  general  store  on  the  main  street,  near  the  bridge;  upon  his 
arrival  in  Grand  Rapids,  St.  Amour  commenced  clerking  for 
Mr.  J.  L.  Mosher,  one  of  the  early  residents,  continuing  in 
his  employ  until  1869,  when  he  opened  a  clothing  store, 
three  doors  from  his  present  location.  A  few  years  later, 
Mr.  St.  Amour  rented  his  present  large  store,  and  launched 
out    into  a    regular   general    business,  clothing,  dry  goods. 


ces  being  on  the  east  side,  the  west  felt  very  much  chagrined. 
The  energy  and  industry  of  all  classes,  however,  soon  united 
in  the  common  cause  of  progress,  until  1S69,  the  two  settle- 
ments were  one. 

In  the  Fall  of  1861,  there  were  si.x  general  store 
houses  in  Grand  Rapids,  with  an  aggregate  stock,  amount- 
ing to  about  $1  75,000.  Of  other  mercantile  establishments, 
such  as  grocery,  drug,  clothing,  hardware  and  tin  stores, 
there  were  six;  this  number  did  not  include  the  "  grocery 
stores  "  where  liquor  was  the  chief  commodity  dealt  in.  The 
war  of  the  rebellion  came  and  the  progress  of  the  future  city 
was  checked,  many  of  the  brave  defenders  of  the  Union, 
never  returning.  Hundreds  of  the  best  men  gave  up  their 
homes,  wives,  and  children,  to  respond  to  the  call  for  troops 
to  aid  in  quelling  treason.  A  new  generation  has  sprung  up 
and  business  has  again  received  an  impetus,  that  the  en- 
ergetic and  enterprising  citizens  of  Grand  Rapids  will  not 
fail  to  take  advantage  of.  The  reverses  she  has  had  to  en- 
counter simply  checked  and  not  diminished  her  prosperity. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


In  iS68,  there  was  a  suggestion  made  by  the  residents,  that 
the  village  of  Grand  Rapids  be  incorporated,  that  they  might 
receive  all  the  advantages  from  which  they  were  debarred 
while  under  town  government.  The  question  was  agitated, 
and  finally  culminated  in  a  final  meeting  being  lield,  and 
votes  cast  to  decide  whether  the  present  village  of  Grand 
Rapids  and  county  seat  of  Wood  County  should  petition  for 
a  charter  to  incorporate  said  county  seat  as  a  village  or 
appeal  for  a  city  charier.  The  majority  were  in  favor  of  a 
city  corporation,  and  the  petition  was  forwarded  to  the 
proper  authorities  for  consideration.  Being  favorably  re- 
ceived, the  charter  incorporating  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids 
was  granted,  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  .4pril,  1869.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  list  of  the  Mayors  elected  since  the  incorpora- 
tion. 

1869— S.  Reeves;  1870— L.  P.  Powers;  1871— Joseph 
Wood;  i872-'s— J.  F.  Lunt ;  1S76— G.  R.  Gardner;  1877 
— J.  L.  Mosher;  i878-'79— J.  L.  Brundage  ;  i88o-'8i— C. 
U.  Webb. 

Sc/wols. — The  subject  of  education  is  one  of  prime  im- 
portance to  every  community,  and  the  degree  in  which  it  is 
fostered  and  promoted  is  always  a  sure  inde.x  to  the  intelli- 
gence and  liberality  of  the  people.  The  first  school  in 
Grand  Rapids  was  established  by  J.  S.  Hurlbut,  in  i8.j3, 
and  was  held  in  a  log-house  in  the  present  city  of  Centralia. 
Mr.  Hurlbut  taught  this  school  for  a  short  time,  but  his 
duties  as  missionary  being  very  arduous,  was  compelled  to 
give  it  up.  It  was  then  taken  by  Mr.  John  AVarner,  in  1844. 
Warner  arrived  this  year,  and  had  charge  until  1845,  when 
he  gave  it  up  to  Mrs.  Searles,  ^Varner  at  this  time  going  into 
partnership  with  Mr.  E.  S.  Miner,  who  had  opened  a  general 
store  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in  the  present  city  of 
Grand  Rapids.  The  school,  at  this  time,  was  a  very  small 
one,  comprising  in  all  but  eight  pupils,  and  was  maintained 
by  subscriptions  from  those  who  had  children.  The  next 
school  was  opened  in  1846,  by  a  Miss  Hannah  Davis,  and 
was  held  in  a  private  house,  on  Grand  Rapids  side  of  the 
river.  In  1850,  a  regular  school  was  organized,  and  Mr. 
Hdsbrouck's  blacksmith  shop  was  purchased,  and  with  some 
little  additions,  made  a  very  comfortable  school  building. 
At  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  this  school.  Miss  L. 
Compton  was  appointed  teacher,  being  succeeded  by  Miss 
Powers,  in  1854.  This  was  the  only  school  building  in  the 
city  until  1861,  when  a  suitable  building  was  erected.  At 
the  completion  of  the  building,  the  brave  boys  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  were  preparing  for  war,  and  the  new  build- 
ing was  dedicated  by  a  supper  and  dance,  in  their  honor. 
The  first  term  in  this  new  building  commenced  the  first 
Monday  in  September,  1 861,  when  the  graded  school  system 
was  adopted.  The  first  ])rincipal  of  this  school  was  Mr. 
Martin.  The  following  able  teachers  have  served  as  princi- 
pals since  that  time,  in  the  following  order:  J.  A.  Sabin, 
Prof.  Jackson,  H.  H.  Heinback.  The  school  in  1867-8,  was 
in  a  very  [)rosperous  condition,  the  citizens  appreciating  the 
value  of  good  teachers,  used  the  greatest  efforts  to  obtain 
the  best.  The  success  of  the  schools  is  owing  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  energy  and  capability  of  tlie  first  Superinten- 


dent of  .Schools,  Dr.  G.  F.  Witter,  who  was  elected  to  that  of- 
fice in  1862.  The  doctor  served  several  consecutive  terms  as 
Superintendent,  and  by  his  earnest  efforts,  worked  a  com- 
plete change,  stimulating  by  his  e.Ksmple,  others,  to  take  the 
matter  up,  and  push  the  subject  of  schools  forward.  The 
institute  for  teachers  was  organized  this  year,  and  the  first 
session  held  in  the  school-house,  in  Grand  Rapids,  under 
the  immediate  direction  and  control  of  the  able  Superintend- 
ent.    The  schools  from  this  time  began  to  loom  up. 

In  1873,  Dr.  Witter,  who  had  again  been  elected  as 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  made  application  to  the 
State  Superintendent  of  Schools,  for  funds  to  help  maintain 
the  institute,  and  a  person  competent  to  conduct  it,  to  be 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  it.  Both  of  the  above  men- 
tioned requests  were  complied  with,  and  the  institute  is  now 
on  a  solid  basis.  The  citizens  of  Grand  Rapids  should  feel 
themselves  under  obligations  to  Dr.  Witter  for  the  earnest 
attention  he  has  given,  and  the  great  interest  he  has  always 
taken  in  the  advancement  of  the  educational  advantages, 
not  only  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  but  of  the  whole 
county  of  Wood. 

The  Howe  Free  High  School. — In  August,  1875,  at  a 
meeting  held  by  the  School  Board  in  Grand  Rapids,  the 
necessity  and  expediency  of  building  a  new  high  school 
was  introduced,  and  favorably  received.  The  actual  neces- 
sity felt  for  an  institution  of  this  kind,  induced  the  School 
Board  to  hurry  the  matter  up,  and  in  the  same  year  (1875) 
the  building  was  gotten  underway.  To  raise  the  necessary 
funds  to  push  the  building,  it  was  decided  to  take  a  loan  of 
$[o,ooo  from  the  Slate;  this  in  connection  with  $10,000  left 
as  a  legacy  by  Howe,  after  whom  the  school  was  named,  en- 
abled them  to  forward  the  w-ork  with  dispatch. 

The  school  was  finally  completed  and  furnished,  early 
in  1877,  the  first  school  meeting  for  the  Fall  term.  The 
actual  cost  of  this  handsome  edifice  was  $32,500.  The  fol- 
lowing principals  have  had  charge  since  the  building  has 
been  completed  :  I.  N.  Stewart,  Prof.  Chittenden,  J.  Ros- 
holt,  and  the  present  principal,  Mr.  Frank  Cooley.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  teachers  since  1870  : 

List  of  teachers  from  1870  to  1881:  Principals. —  1S70-74, 
J.  Q.  Emery;  1875,  John  Gaynor  ;  1S76-77,  I.  N.  Stewart; 
1878,  Prof.  Chittenden  ;  1879-S0,  J.  Roshult  ;  1S81,  Frank 
Cooley. 

First  Assistants. — 1870,  Ira  Compton;  1871-2,  Hester 
Baker;  1873,  Frances  Miller ;  1874,  Helen  Mosher;  1875, 
Mrs.  Pratt;  1876,  Alice  Grace;  1877-8,  Mrs.  Stewart; 
1S79-80,  Helen  Mosher;  1881,  Miss  E.  Phalin. 

Second  Assistants. — 1870,  Miss  Frances  Potter :  1871-2, 
Mrs.  Emery;  1873,  Clara  Goodhue;  1874,  .\lice  Mosher; 
1875,  Mrs.  Vaughan  ;  1876-7-8,  Mary  Dougherty;  1879, 
Maggie  Burns;   1880,  Josie  Kerns  ;  1881,  Mrs.  Vaughan. 

Third  Assistants. — 1876,  Fannie  Baker;  1877-8,  Mary 
Dougherty;  1879,  Lillie  Grace  ;  1880,  Miss  Mitchell ;  1881, 
Mary  Dougherty. 

Fourth  Assistants. — 1877-78,  Mrs.  Vaughan;  1879, 
Mary  Dougherty;   1880,  Mrs.  Vaughan  ;   1881,  Miss  Doug- 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


Fifth  Assistants. — 1879,  Mrs.  Vaughan;  1880,  Mary 
Dougherty;  1881,  Miss  Abbie  Barry. 

Societies. — The  common  tendency  of  civih"zed  people  to 
form  themselves  into  societies  developed  itself  at  a  very 
early  day  in  Grand  Rapids.  The  F.  &  A.  M.  Society  formed 
a  lodge  here  as  early  as  1848,  but  the  records  have  been  de- 
stroyed, and  notliing  authentic  can  be  learned  regarding  it. 
In  June,  i86t,  the  present  lodge,  known  as  Grand  Rapids 
Lodge,  No.  1 28,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  under  dis- 
pensation, the  petitioners  being  8.  J.  Carpenter,  Jesse  H. 
Lang,  A.  Pierce,  A.  Lamb,  Henry  Clinton,  Robert  Farrish, 
Thomas  Barbour,  S.  H.  Pearson  and  J.  Stanley  Rood.  The 
charter  was  granted  July,  1862,  the  first  officers  under  the 
charter  being  S.  J.  Carpenter,  \V.  M.;  Jesse  H.  Lang,  S.W. ; 
S.  H.  Pearson,  J.  W  ;  J.  Stanley  Rood,  S.  D. ;  Thomas 
Barbour,  J.  D. ;  Robert  Farrish,  secretary;  Abijah  Pierce, 
treasurer.  In  1867,  the  records  of  this  lodge  were  entirely 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  first  record  after  that  time  is  De- 
cember 16,  1867,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected 
to  serve  the  term  of  one  year:  A.  Pierce,  W.  M. ;  C.  S. 
Taylor,  S.  W.;  J.  D.  Witter,  J.  W. ;  A.  B.  Sampson,  Treas.  ; 
M.  C.  Stamer,  Sec. ;  Peter  Berg,  S.  D. ;  S.  A.  Spafford,  J.  D. 
1S68.— J.  D.  Witter,  W.  M.;  C.  S.  Taylor,  S.  W. ;  H.  B. 
Philleo,  J.  W.  ;  E.  Mennett,  Sec. ;  L.  E.  Hitchcock,  Treas. ; 
L.  Kromer,  S.  D.  ;  J.  G.  Pomeroy,  J.  D.  In  1869,  the  same 
were  elected,  with  the  exception  of  L.  E.  Hitchcock,  who 
was  succeeded  by  A.  Pierce,  as  treasurer.  1S70. — H.  B. 
Philleo,  W.  M.;  J.  G.  Pomeroy,  S.  W.  ;  A.B.Hamilton, 
J.  W. ;  A.  Pierce,  Treas.;  L.  Kromer,  Sec;  F.  W.  Burt,  S. 
D.  ;  S.  J.  Purdy,  J.  D.  1871.— A.  B.  Hamilton,  W.  M.;  J. 
A.  Robb,  S.  W.  ;  S.  J.  Purdy,  J.  W. ;  A.  Pierce,  Treas.;  F. 
W.  Burt,  Sec. ;  Charles  Herschleb,  S.  D. ;  Eric  McKay,  J.  D. 
1872.— J.  .\.  Rabb,  \V.  M.  ;  S.  J.  Purdy,  S.  W. ;  F.  W.  Burt, 
J.  W. ;  Seth  Reeves,  Treas. ;  William  Hooper,  Sec. ;  Charles 
Herschleb,  S.  D.  ;  Henry  Pigg,  J.  D.  1873.— L.  Kromer, 
W.M.  ;  F.  W.  Burt,  S.  W.;  Eric  McKay,  J.  W.  ;  R.  C. 
Worthington,  Treas. ;  H.  \V.  Jackson,  Sec.  ;  Charles  Hersch- 
let,  S.  D. ;  W.  L.  Sprowl,  J.  D.  1874.— L.  Kromer,  W.  M. ; 
Charles  Herschleb,  S.  W. ;  H.  Pigg,  J.  W.  ;  R.  C.  Worthing- 
ton, Treas.  ;  H.  W.  Jackson,  Sec.  ;  F.  W.  Burt,  S.  D. ;  Ira 
Purdy,  J.  D.  1875.— L.  Kromer,  W.  M.;  Charles  Hersch- 
leb, S.  W. ;  H.  Pigg,  J.  W. ;  N.  E.  Emmons,  Treas. ;  Will- 
iam T.  Jones,  Sec;  F.  W.  Burt,  S.  D. ;  Ira  Purdy,  J.  D. 
1876.— Charles  Herschleb,  W.  M. ;  H.  Hayden,  S.  W.  ;  F. 
W.  Burt,  J.  W.  ;  N.  E.  Emmons,  Treas. ;  W.  T.  Jones,  Sec. ; 
T.  M.  Nash,  S.  D.  ;  R.  E.  McFarland,  J.  D.  1877.— L. 
Kromer,  W.  M. ;  H.  Hayden,  S.  W. ;  C.  B.  Garrison,  J.  W. ; 
J.  N.  Brundage,  Sec. ;  N.  E.  Emmons,  Treas.  ;  G.  F.  Wit- 
ter, S.  D.;  R.  E.  McFarland,  J.  D.  1878.— G.  F.  Witter, 
W.  M.  ;  N.  E.  Emmons,  S.  W. ;  B.  Silber,  J.  W. ;  G.  J. 
Jackson,  Treas.;  E.  S.  King,  Sec.  ;  J.  N.  Brundage,  S.  D.  ; 
V.  Talmadge,  J.  D.  1879.— L.  Kromer,  W.  M. ;  G.J. 
Jackson,  S.  W. ;  Charles  Herschleb,  J.  W. ;  V.  Talmadge, 
Treas.;  Seth  Reeves,  Sec;  Jl.  Wortliington,  S  D. ;  E.  S. 
King,  J.  D.  1880.— G.  J.  Jackson,  W.  M. ;  B.  Silber,  S.W. ; 
C.  M.  Webb,  J.  W. ;  Seth  Reeves,  Treas. ;  E.  S.  King,  Sec. ; 
Charles   Herschleb,  .S.    D.  ;    N.    E.   Emmons,   J.  D.      The 


present  number  in  the  lodge  is  forty-nine,  with  seven  Past 
Masters.  The  meetings  are  held  every  first  and  third 
Wednesday  in  each  month,  in  their  hall,  over  Seth  Reeves' 
store.     The  value  of  the  lodge  property  is  about  $750. 

Grand  Rnpids  Lodge,  No.  91,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized 
March  11,  1873,  with  the  following  charter  members  :  Oscar 
Taylor,  C.  L.  Powers,  F.  W.  Burt,  Seth  Reeves  and  Lemuel 
Kromer.  This  lodge  is  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition  ; 
they  number  eighty-eight  members  in  good  standing,  and 
own  lodge  property  to  the  amount  of  $1,629.52.  They  have, 
in  connection  with  the  lodge,  a  circulating  library  of  350  vol- 
umes, valued  at  $500.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members 
who  have  been  presiding  officers  since  the  organization  of 
the  lodge  :  Oscar  Taylor,  F.  W.  Burt,  H.  E.  Benedict,  A.  B. 
Brastell  (two  terms),  H.  Pigg,  J.  W.  Cochrane  (five  terms), 
L.  O.  Schultz,  H  W.  Lord  and  F.  J.  Wood.  The  present 
officers  are  :  J.  W.  Cochrane.  N.  G.  ;  George  Hiers,  V.  G.; 
C.  O.  Doud,  secretary;  George  R.  Gardiner,  treasurer. 
The  lodge  hold  their  meetings  every  Tuesday  evening,  in 
their  hall  over  the  First  National  Bank. 

Wood  County  Temple  of  Honor,  No.  77,  was  organized 
and  charter  granted,  November  20,  1876.  At  the  time  of 
organizing  there  were  fifty-five  charter  members,  among 
wliom  may  be  mentioned  Paul  Fontaine,  J.  D.  Witter,  F.  J. 
Wood,  J.  Gaynor,  J.  E.  Ingraham,  George  R.  Gardiner  and 
J.  N.  Brundage.  The  first  meeting  of  this  society  was  held 
upon  the  evening  of  November  20,  1876,  and  the  following 
officers  installed  :  Charles  M.  Webb,  W.  C.  T.;  Henry  Hay- 
den, W.  V.  T.;  A.  A.  Brundage,  recorder;  F.  L.  Moore,  as- 
sistant recorder;  W.  A.  Roe,  financial  secretary;  J.  W. 
Hodges,  treasurer;  C.  S.  Haskell,  chaplain;  James  Oliver, 
usher;  George  N.  Wood,  deputy  usher;  Charles  Quinn, 
guardian;  Paul  Fontaine,  sentinel.  The  lodge  numbers  at 
the  present  time  (1S81)  seventy-five  members.  The  elec- 
tions are  held  in  May  and  November,  making  six  months  a 
term.  The  officers  elected  May  i,  1881,  are  as  follows  :  R. 
P.  Bronson,  W.  C.  T.;  H.  Worthington,  W.  V.  T.;  P.  Ros- 
holt,  recorder;  P.  S.  Bennett,  assistant  recorder;  Paul 
Fontaine,  financial  secretary;  Frank  P.  Solar,  treasurer; 
W.  E.  Simons,  usher;  R.  B.  Emmons,  deputy  usher;  Frank 
P.  Solar,  guardian ;  Thomas  Frechette,  sentinel ;  C.  M. 
Webb,  J.  P.  Horton  and  Paul  Fontaine,  trustees.  The 
value  of  lodge  property  is  about  $500.  They  hold  their 
meetings  in  a  large  room  over  Mr.  J.  E.  Ingraham's  store, 
which  they  share  in  common  with  tlie  Good  Teni])lars  or- 
ganization. 

The  St.  Jean  Baptiste  Societie  was  organized  on  the  fif- 
teenth day  of  June,  1856,  with  about  seventy  charter  mem- 
bers. The  originator  of  this  order  in  Grand  Ra])ids  was 
Joseph  Closuit,  a  Frenchman.  The  first  officers  of  the 
society  were  elected  by  acclamation,  upon  the  fifteenth  day 
of  June,  1876,  and  were  as  follows  :  Henry  Ballanger,  presi- 
dent ;  F.  La  Rochelle,  first  vice  president ;  Thomas  Leveque, 
second  vice  president ;  G.  A.  Janson,  corresponding  secre- 
tary ;  \.  Masse,  financial  secretary;  J.  D.  Labreche,  treas- 
urer; Oswald  Voger,  marshal.  Thi:  society  has  for  its 
object  the  welfare  of  their  countrymen,  emigrating  to  this 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


country  and  to  this  section.  None  are  eligible  to  become 
members,  except  those  who  are  Frenchmen,  or  speak  the 
French  language,  which  they  use  in  all  their  meetings,  in 
order  to  perfect  it.  The  society  in  Grand  Rapids  is  in  an 
extremely  flourishing  condition.  The  officers  elected  from 
1876  to  1881  are  as  follows:  1876 — John  Arpin,  P.;  F.  La 
Rochelle,  ist  V.  P.;  N.  Pepin,  2d  V.  P.;  L.  Gaudette,  Sec. 
Min.;  T-  C.  Closuit,  Sec.  Finance;  R.  Arpin,  treasurer;  J. 
Cottet,  marshal;  1877— John  Arpin,  P.;  G.  Corivau,  ist  V. 
P.;  A.  Bernier,  2d  V.  P.;  F.  Pomainville,  treasurer;  L.  Gau- 
dette, Sec.  Min.;  F.  LaRochelle,  marshal;  Joseph  Closuit,  Sec. 
Finance;  1878 — John  Arpin,  P.;  J.  Biron,  ist  V.P.;  G.  B.  Lan- 
dry, 2d  V.  P.;  R.  Arpin,  Treas.;  Joseph  Gervase,  Sec.  Min.; 
Toseph  Closuit,  Sec.  Finance;  F.  LaRochelle,  marshal;  1879 — 
G.  Labreche,  P.;  F.  LaRochelle,  1st  V.P.;  L.  Bellefeuille,  2d 
V.  P.;  A.  Masse,  Sec.  Min.;  J.  Closuit,  Sec.  Finance  ;  W. 
Felton,  treasurer;  R.  Arpin,  marshal ;  Joseph  Cottet,  ser- 
geant-at-arms;  1880 — G.  Labreche,  P.;  H.  Lambert,  ist  V. 
P.,  L.  Garupy,  2d  V.  P.;  A.  Bernier,  Sec.  Min.;  Joseph 
Closuit,  Sec.  Finance  ;  W.  Felton,  treasurer;  F.  La  Rochelle, 
marshal;  A.  Bassillon,  sergeant-at-arras;  1881 — G.  Labreche, 
P.;  O.  Denis,  ist  V.  P.;  L.  Limett,  2d  V.  P.;  O.  Rocheleau, 
Sec.  Min.;  Joseph  Closuit,  Sec.  Finance  ;  John  Laudrey, 
treasurer;  Joseph  La  Vigne,  marshal;  Louis  Garupy,  ser- 
geant-at-arms.  There  are  a  board  of  directors  elected  every 
year.  Following  is  a  list  in  order:  1875— H.  C.  Clermont, 
A.  Morceau,  John  Cardin,  H.  Lambert,  O.  Leroux  and  O. 
Morin;  1876 — H.  Lambert,  G.  Cardin,  A.  Masse,  Joseph 
La  Vigne,  L.  Meanier  and  M.  Depres  ;  1877— L.  Garupy, 
Joseph  Gervase,  A.  Morceau,  A.  Brazeau,  R.  Arpin  and  J. 
Biron;  1878 — R.  Bernier,  A.  Masse,  G.  Cardin,  Joseph  La 
Vigne,  H.  Lambert,  O.  Rocheleau;  1879 — A.  Bernier,  G. 
Cardin,  Joseph  La  V'gne,  H.  Lambert,  A.  Bassillon,  L.  Ga- 
rupy ;  1880  —  I,.  Limett,  A.  Masse,  N.  Pepin,  O.  Denis,  H. 
Clermont,  Joseph  La  Vigne;  i88r — H.  Clermont.  A.  Mor- 
ceau, John  Cardin,  H.  Lambert,  O.  Leroux,  O.  Morin. 

Excelsior  Lodge,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  No.  395,  was  organized 
with  twenty-one  charter  members,  January  15,  18S1.  First 
officers  were  as  follows  :  A.  L.  Fontaine,  W.  C;  Kitty 
Clark,  W.  V.;  W.  A.  Roe,  W.  S.;  J.  M.  Lord,  F.  S.;  F.  So- 
lar, T.;  Mamie  Latham,  A.  S.;  P.  G.  Bennett,  Chaplain  ; 
Oscar  Gagnon,  M.;  Lucy  Woodworth,  R.  H.  S.;  Nellie  Kro- 
mcr,  L.  H.  S.;  Josie  Kern,  I.  G.;  George  Zenier,  W.  S. 
At  the  second  quarter,  commencing  April  i,  1880,  A.  L. 
Fontaine  was  re-elected  W.  C;  Ella  Roe,  W.  V.;  D.  Worth- 
ington,  S.;  Oscar  Gagnon,  F.  S.;  C.  Purdy,  T.;  J.  S.  Norris, 
Chaplain  ;  W.  W.  Meade,  W.  M.;  Carrie  Butterfield,  A.  M.; 
Emma  Zeiner,  I.  G.;  Auren  Kromer,  W.  S.  Third  quarter, 
August  I,  1880,  W.  W.  Meade  was  elected  W.  C;  Minnie 
Spafford,  W.  V.;  O.  St.  Amour,  S.;  Mrs.  P.  G.  Bennett, 
Chaplain;  W.  Reeves,  T.;  F.  Solar,  M.;  Auren  Kromer, 
F.  S.;  CoraKline,  I.  G.;  Geo.  Huntingdon,  S-;  Maggie  Bra- 
zeau, R.  H.  S.;  Miss  Spafford,  L.  H.  S  Fourth  quarter,  No- 
vember I,  1880  :  F.  Solar,  W.  C;  Tamie  Baidersen,  \V.  V.; 
Ella  Hathaway,  S.;  Hattie  Kline,  T.;  Miss  Douglas,  Chap- 
lain ;  O.  St.  Amour,  F.  S.;  Auren  Kromer,  M.;  W  A.  Roe, 
A.  S.;  Maria  Reeves,  R.  H.  S.;  .Vurelle  Fontaine,  L.  H.  S.; 


Olive  Huntingdon,  I.  G.;  Fred  Kiugar,  W.  S.  The  fifth 
quarter,  commencing  February  i,  188 1  :  F.  Solar  was  again 
elected  W.  C;  Maggie  Brazeau,  W.  V.;  Minnie  Spafford,  S.; 
Hattie  Kline,  T.;  George  Brazeau,  F.  S.;  Mrs.  Beadle, 
Chaplain;  M.  Lesselyong,  M.;  Mabel  Meade,  A.M.;  A. 
Frank,  W.  S.;  Olive  Huntingdon,  I.  G.;  Maria  Reeves, 
R.  H.  S.;  Mamie  Spafford,  L.  H.  S.;  F.  S.  Woodworth,  A. 
S.  Sixth  quarter,  beginning  May  i,  1S81  :  F.  S.  Wood- 
worth  was  elected  W.  C;  Minnie  Spafford,  W.  V.;  Ella 
Hathaway,  W.  S.;  Harry  Worthington,  F.  S.;  Ella  Roe,  T.; 
Charles  Compton,  A.  S.;  Anna  Compton,  Chaplain  ;  M. 
Lesselyong,  M.;  Carrie  Butterfield,  A.  M.;  Maggie  Brazeau, 
R.  H.  S.;  Aurelle  Fontaine,  L.  H.  S.;  Anna  Hasbrouck, 
I.  G.;  Henry  Edward,  W.  S.  Seventh  quarter,  commenc- 
ing August  I,  1881  ;  F.  Solar,  W.  C;  Ella  Hathaway,  W.  V.; 
E.  B.  Brundage,  S.;  Hattie  Philleo,  F.  S.;  Maggie  Brazeau, 
T.;  Walter  Wood,  A.  S.;  Mrs.  Beadle,  Chaplain;  William 
Dustin,  M.;  Jessie  Huntingden,  A.  M.;  Mabel  Meade,  R. 
H.  S.;  Minnie  Spafford,  L.  H.  S.;  Anna  Hasbrouck,  I.  G.; 
George  Roe,  W.  S.  The  society  has  a  membership  in  good 
standing,  aggregating  104;  are  in  a  highly  prosperous  con- 
dition, with  a  comfortable  surplus  in  the  hands  of  the  treas- 
urer. They  hold  their  meetings  Monday  evening  of  each 
week,  in  the  Temple  of  Honor  Hall  on  Front  street.  In 
1S73,  there  was  a  Good  Templars'  lodge  started,  but  it  was 
short-lived,  being  completely  extinguislied  in  the  Fall  of 
1874- 

Religious  I/is/i/uiinns. — The  history  of  religious  institu- 
tions in  Wood  County,  and  particularly  in  Grand  Rapids, 
dates  as  far  back  as  1843,  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hurlbut,  a 
Methodist  missionary  held  his  first  services  and  preached 
the  first  sermon  in  the  county  at  a  place  called  "Four 
Points,"  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Sanfords.  The  same  year  he 
held  services  in  Grand  Rapids  and  Centralia,  then  one  town, 
and  at  "Point  Bousse"  and  Mill  Creek.  The  manner  in 
which  Mr.  Hurlbut  received  pay  for  his  services  was  indeed 
very  primitive.  The  settlers  would  form  together  and  pre- 
sent him  with  felled  timber,  which  he  would  run  down  the 
river  at  opportune  seasons,  have  it  sawed  into  boards  or 
slabs,  and  thus  realize  upon  it.  This  additional  work,  when 
added  to  the  already  arduous  duties  lie  imposed  upon 
himself,  made  his  life  a  very  hard  and  laborious  one. 

Mr.  Hurlbut  was  on  the  'circuit' until  1850,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Haywood,  then  residing  in  Plo- 
ver, Portage  Co.  The  services  held  by  Mr.  Haywood  were 
very  irregular,  and  in  1853  Rev.  Mr.  Holmes  was  sent  here 
by  the  Methodist  Conference,  staying,  however,  but  one 
year.  Rev.  Mr.  Annas  preached  a  short  period,  being  fol- 
lowed in  the  work  by  Rev.  Edwards  in  1856.  Mr.  Edwards 
this  year  held  his  services  in  La  Vignes  Hall,  in  Grand  Rap- 
ids, every  four  weeks. 

This  was  a  large  commodious  building,  standing  upon 
the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  First  National  Bank.  The 
services  were  very  well  attended,  but  the  preacher  worked 
under  very  difficult  circumstances,  says  Mr.  Philleo,  an  old 
resident. 

The  hall  was  a  good  one,    but  had  at  that  time  to  be  di- 


HISTORY    OF   WOOD   COUNTY. 


[203 


vided  into  separate  rooms  for  different  purposes.  The  main 
room  was  divided  into  two  apartments,  by  a  partition  near 
the  rear  entrance,  whicli  did  not  quite  reach  the  ceiling. 
The  rooms  back  of  this  partition  being  used  as  sleeping 
apartments  for  some  "Kanucks"  or  French  Canadians,  who 
always  seemed  to  make  it  a  point  to  be  late  to  bed  and  late 
arising,  especially  on  the  Sunday  mornings  the  church  met. 
It  was  no  unusual  thing  to  hear  the  snore  of  a  lusty  sleeper 
mingling  with  the  "Amen"  of  the  worthy  preacher.  Nor 
was  it  any  more  unusual  to  hear  the  "High,  Low,  Jack  and 
Game"  uttered  in  the  broken  English  peculiar  to  their  class, 
in  a  game  of  cards,  during  the  progress  of  the  minister's  ser- 
mon. Fumes  of  tobacco  arising  from  filthy  pipes — and  plug 
tobacco  of  the  vilest  kind  at  that — made  the  entire  hall  red- 
olent with  the  smell.  Such  were  the  early  experiences  of 
those  whose  efforts  finally  succeeded  in  planting  the  Stand- 
ard of  the  Cross  in  Grand  Rapids. 

The  Baptist  Congregational  Society  was  organized  in 
1858,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith.  This 
organization  comprised  two  congregations,  the  Baptists  and 
Congregationalists,  hence  the  name.  The  society  at  this 
time  held  their  services  in  the  old  school-house,  in  common 
with  the  Methodists,  and  a  small  body  over  whom  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Lewis,  a  Baptist  minister,  presided.  Mr.  Lewis  arrived 
this  year,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  services  for  those  who 
were  disinclined  to  enter  into  an  alliance  with  the  Congre- 
gational society.  Mr.  Smith  continued  with  the  society 
until  i860,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Free- 
man, who  remained  but  one  year,  when  he  in  turn  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Harris,  in  1861.  During  Mr. 
Harris'  pastorate  the  present  church  was  organized  in  Hur- 
ley's Hall,  and  by  his  energy  and  unfailing  efforts  the  pres- 
ent church,  on  Water  street,  where  the  congregation  now 
attend  divine  service,  was  erected.  This  was  in  1864.  A 
sad  accident  occurred,  that  served  to  throw  a  gloom  over 
the  whole  place.  In  raising  the  structure,  some  part  of  it 
gave  way,  and  several  of  those  assisting,  were  seriously  in- 
jured. The  following  are  the  names  of  the  founders  of  the 
church  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  first  members  of  the  church  : 
Mr.  J.  H.  Harris  and  wife,  Mr.  J.  H.  Long  and  wife,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  B.  Salmon,'  Mrs.  H.  F.  Black,  Mrs.  Lemley,  and 
Miss  Lucinda  Clark.  None  of  the  above  are  connected  in 
any  way  with  the  church  at  the  present  time.  The  first 
board  of  trustees  were,  H.  Wood,  A.  Pierce  and  Orestes 
Garrison.  Mr.  Harris  remained  in  charge  until  1867,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr.  Cameron,  who  remained 
until  1S68.  In  this  year,  Rev.  E.  J.  Carpenter  was  called, 
and  spent  two  years  laboring  for  the  church.  During  Mr. 
Carpenter's  pastorate  the  church  was  blessed  by  a  very  suc- 
cessful revival.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  assisted  in  the  good 
work  by  Rev.  R.  M.  Webster,  who  afterward  succeeded  Mr. 
Carpenter,  and  continued  with  the  people  five  years,  at  the 
end  of  that  time  he  was  called  to  another  charge,  and  after 
an  interval  of  about  seven  or  eight  months,  the  Rev.  L.  M. 
Foster  was  called,  remaining  for  five  years.  After  an  in- 
tervening period  of  five  months,  during  which  time  the  con- 
gregation   were    without   a  regular  pastor,  the  Rev.   J.    L. 


Norris  was  called,  remaining  in  charge  until  about  the 
middle  of  August,  1881,  when  he  resigned  his  charge.  At 
the  present  time  there  is  no  regular  clergyman  connected 
with  the  church,  and  the  services  are  very  irregularly  held 
in  consequence. 

The  Sabbath-school  connected  with  the  church  was  also 
established  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harris,  who,  for  some  time, 
officiated  as  its  superintendent.  The  school  has  prospered 
greatly  since  its  organization,  a  great  deal  of  interest  being 
shown  by  the  congregation  of  the  church  in  its  welfare. 
The  following  gentlemen  have  been  in  order  at  the  head  of 
the  school  since  its  establishment :  J.  L.  Emery,  L.  B. 
Warren,  and  its  present  superintendent.  The  school  can 
now  record  fully  120  members,  with  a  corps  of  efficient 
teachers. 

The  Methodist  Church. — The  first  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Grand  Rapids  was  organized  in  1857,  having 
but  eight  constituent  members.  The  first  resident  pastor 
was  the  Rev.  L.  D.  Tracey.  The  meetings  at  this  early 
day  were  held  wherever  most  convenient,  sometimes  at 
one  of  the  members'  houses,  and  occasionally  using  La 
Vigne's  Hall.  The  church  did  not  grow  very  materially 
during  the  years  1857-58  and  1859.  Mr.  Tracey  was 
succeeded,  in  1858,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wood,  who,  in  turn, 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Smith,  who  remained 
until  i860.  Rev.  G.  W.  Slater  took  charge  in  i860,  remain- 
ing until  1861.  He  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Rev.  B.  C. 
Hunt,  who  remained  until  1862,  serving  two  years.  Dur- 
ing Mr.  Hunt's  pastorate,  the  church  was  blessed  with  a 
very  encouraging  and  profitable  revival  season,  increasing 
its  membership  to  quite  an  extent.  Mr.  Hunt  was  ap- 
pointed to  another  church  in  1863,  and  the  Rev.  A.  S. 
Tompkins  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  He  remained 
but  one  year.  Rev.  Mr.  Ames  taking  charge,  also  remain- 
ing one  year,  being  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  W.  G.  Bancroft, 
who  remained  until  1867.  During  Mr.  Bancroft's  incum- 
bency the  project  of  a  church  building  was  broached,  and 
plans  were  proposed,  which  culminated  in  an  eligible  site 
being  chosen,  and  ground  broken.  The  church  was  finished 
during  this  year  and  1868,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Rev.  W.  J.  Mitchell,  who  succeeded  Bancroft  in  1868. 
This  church  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  In 
1870,  Rev.  J.  D.  Cole  was  appointed  to  succeed  Rev.  Mr. 
Mitchell,  staying  in  charge  until  1873,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Jesse  Cole,  who  was  the  pastor  for  two 
years,  being  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  M.  Evans  in  1875,  Rev. 
C.  S.  Haskell  in  1876,  Rev.  W.  C.  Waldron  in  1878.  In 
1878  the  present  efficient  and  worthy  pastor  was  appointed, 
remaining  in  charge  until  the  present  year,  1881.  During 
Mr.  Bennett's  pastorate  the  church  has  been  singularly 
blessed.  The  church  has  experienced  some  very  profitable 
revivals,  and  the  membership  been  very  much  increased. 
There  will  be  deep  and  sincere  regret  felt  by  the  congre- 
gation, when  their  beloved  pastor  leaves  them  for  a  new 
charge.       The    value    of   the    church    property    is    about 

$3,500- 

The  first  Catholic  Church    was  organized   and   built    in 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


Centralia,  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  Wisconsin  River, 
opposite  Grand  Rapids,  in  1854.  Previous  to  this  time  in 
the  same  )'ear,  Father  Vanderbruck,  of  Green  Bay,  was  in 
the  habit  of  visiting  the  people  and  holding  services.  After 
the  first  church  was  built  it  was  visited  by  the  Rev.  Father 
Dale,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  who  died  there  in  1879.  In  1856, 
the  church  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  in  1857,  rebuilt  on 
the  Grand  Rapids  side.  The  people  of  this  denomination 
will  long  hold  in  grateful  remembrance  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Francis  Beron,  through  whose  great  liberality  the  church 
was  re-built,  and  also  for  the  pecuniary  aid  he  proffered  to 
help  the  church  support  a  resident  pastor.  By  the  efforts 
of  Mr.  Beron,  the  Rev.  Father  Stehl  arrived  and  took 
charge  this  year,  remaining  six  months,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Stehl,  his  brother.  In  June, 
1859,  Father  Nicholas  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Father  Davids,  during  whose  pastorate  the  present  parson- 
age was  erected.  Father  Davids  remained  in  charge  until 
August,  iS6r,  when  he  was  appointed  to  another  charge, 
leaving  the  church  without  a  pastor  until  January,  1862, 
when  the  Rev.  Father  Hens  made  his  advent. 

Previous  to  this,  during  Father  David's  pastorate,  the 
church  was  supplied  with  a  bell,  which  is  still  in  use  at  the 
church.  In  1864,  Father  Hens  was  removed,  and  the  church 
was  again  for  a  few  months  left  without  a  pastor,  it  being 
visited,  however,  during  the  interval  by  Fathers  Stehl,  Grif- 
fin and  Schweback,  the  latter  coming  from  Stevens  Point. 
In  June,  1867,  Father  J.  Gieason  received  the  appointment, 
remaining  two  years.  Father  Gieason,  during  his  jiastorate, 
began  building  the  present  church  edifice,  but  was  removed 
before  it  could  be  completed.  His  successor,  who  came  in 
187 1,  a  young  French  Canadian,  named  Father  F.Tonguay. 
succeeded  in  finishing  and  paying  for  the  church  in  one 
year.  In  June,  1873,  Rev.  Wm.  DeKeller  made  his  appear- 
ance, being  in  turn  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Father  Perrin, 
during  whose  pastorate  the  church  building  was  partly  de- 
stroyed by  lightning,  and  was  rebuilt  by  the  kindness  of  the 
two  insurance  companies  in  which  it  was  insured.  Both  of 
these  companies  presented  the  church  with  $250.  The 
present  incumbent  the  Rev.  Father  C.  Beyerle,  succeeded 
Perrin.  In  1880,  the  church  was  again  so  unfortunate  as 
to  take  fire,  and  it  was  only  by  the  zeal  and  good  manage- 
ment cf  the  Grand  Rapids  fire  company  tl  at  it  was  not  en- 
tirely destroyed.  As  it  was,  the  damage  and  loss  was  con- 
siderable, amounting  to  fully  $1,000,  which  however,  was 
covered  by  insurance.  The  congregation  of  this  church 
numbers  140  families,  or  about  seven  hundred  souls, 
The  proportion  of  the  different  nationalities  making  up  this 
are  about  one-third  Irish,  one-third  French  Canadians,  one- 
sixth  German,  one-sixth  Polanders.  'J'he  value  of  the 
church  property  is  estimated  at  $12,000. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

CARL  W.  I5RI(;GS,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Benson,  Rutland 
Co.,  Vl.,  April  2r,  1846.  Harvey  Briggs,  his  father,  a  lawyer  by  ]iro- 
fession,  moved  to  Lewiston,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  three  years  after  removed 
to  Marquette  County.  Here  his  father  was  soon  after  elected  County 
Judge  and  moved  to  P.ickwiuUee,  remaining  there  until  the  close  of  1S60, 
when  he  moved  to  lirigij^ville.  where  he  still  re^ides.  In  i860,  Carl  \V. 
commenced  attending  school  at   the  Baraboo  Collegiate  Inslitule.     In 


1S61,  Gen.  Maloy  raised  a  company  consisting  largely  of  students  at 
Baraboo.  Although  too  young  to  be  allowed  to  enlist  with  his  school- 
mates, young  Briggs  left  school,  and  in  the  following  December  enlisted 
under  Capt.  Kershaw  in  Co.  K  of  the  iSth  Wis.,  and  served  with  the 
regiment  until  the  Fall  of  1863,  climbing  fiom  corporal  to  sergeant 
meanwhile.  On  his  arrival  home  he  accepted  the  position  of  assistant 
general  agent  of  the  State  Insurance  Company,  of  Lansing,  Mich.  In 
1864  he  raised  a  company  in  thirteen  days' lime,  and  joined  the  44th 
Wis.,  as  captain  of  Co.  F.  being  then  but  eighteen  years  of  age — the 
youngest  captain  in  the  State.  This  regiment  reached  Nashville.  Tenn.. 
in  time  to  participate  in  the  battle  at  Nashville.  Capt.  B.  took  charge 
of  the  picket  lines  at  Nahville  for  some  time,  and  in  February,  1865. 
went  to  Paducah  as  ac  ing  assisiant  inspector  genera]  of  the  post,  under 
detail  order,  first  of  Gen.  Guppy,  then  of  Gen.  Meredith,  and  then  of 
Gen.  Palmer.  During  all  this  time  he  was  also  president  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  Administration  of  the  Post.  He  remained  there  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  Oct.  2.  1865  was  mu-tered  out  of  service.  In  December, 
1865,  he  took  the  general  agency  of  the  Michigan  Central  Insurance 
Company  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich.  In  the  Fall  of  1866  he  helped  organize 
the  Merchants  &  Farmers  National  Insurance  Company,  of  Michigan, 
atid  acted  as  secretary  of  that  company  for  about  two  years,  then  quit 
insurance  and  commenced  reading  law;  was  admitted  10  the  Bar  in 
1872;  practiced  in  Marquette  County  until  he  came  to  Grand 
Rapids  and  formed  a  copartnership  with  L.  P.  Powers.  They 
were  general  solicitors  of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad  until  its 
puichase  by  the  St.  Paul  Company,  since  which  time  they  have  been 
retained  by  that  company. 

WILLIAM  H.  BROWN,  ice  dealer, 'Grand  Rapids.  Came  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in  1853.  and  engaged  in  logginij  and  lumbering  ; 
continued  at  this  until  he  enlisted,  in  January,  1S64,  in  Co.  G,  I2ih 
Wis.  Vids.  Was  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  having  joined  the  com- 
mand near  Vicksburg.  the  17th  Army  Coips;  was  attached  to  the  15th 
Ohio  Battery  for  a  few  months  ;  then  detailed  to  the  Corps  headquarters, 
where  he  remained  to  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  discharged  June, 
1865.  Returned  to  Grand  Rapids  and  resumed  his  former  employment 
in  which  he  continued  until  1S73,  when  he  commenced  his  present  busi- 
ness of  dealing  in  ice  and  moving  buildings.  Mr.  B  was  born  June  6, 
1S32,  in  Wilford  Township,  Canada,  near  the  Rideau  Canal.  Lived  at 
the  head  of  Lake  Ontario  a  few  years,  then  at  Niagara  Falls.  Came  to 
Chicago  in  1S53  ^"'^  '''£  same  year  to  Grand  Rapids.  Wis.  Was  mar- 
ried  to  Miss  Sarah  Norton,  July  6.  1855.  She  died  Feb.  3.  1872.  Was 
married  Feb.  27,  1S79,  to  "Mrs.  Maiy  Ward,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Mr. 
Brown  has  served  as  member  of  the  School  Board  and  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil of  Grand  Rapids. 

FREDERICK  W.  BURT.  Grand  Rapids,  son  of  W^illiam  Hub- 
bard and  Elizabeth  Jones  Burt,  was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  in  1S30. 
His  father  died  of  cholera  in  1833.  In  1836  his  mother  moved,  with 
her  three  children,  to  St.  Catherines.  Canada,  where  tliey  remained  until 
1850,  when  they  removed  to  Stoughton,  Wis.  In  1352  F.  W.  Burt  ob- 
tained a  position  as  clerk  in  a  hotel  at  Madison,  and  not  long  .nfter  as 
salesman  in  a  wholesale  grocery  house,  where  he  remained  until  1855, 
when  he  came  to  Grand  Rapids^  He  has  remained  here  ever  since,  with 
the  exception  of  two  years,  which  he  spent  in  Missouri.  Mr.  B.  has 
been  Town  Clerk,  justice  of  the  Peace.  Clerk  of  the  C"ourt  for  Wood 
County  for  three  terms,  and  Assistant  Postmaster,  with  the  office  in 
charge  for  over  six  years,  and  is  holding  the  place  at  the  present  time. 
He  enlisted.  Sept.  12,  1S61,  in  Co.  G,^7th  Wis.  Vols.,  which  was  in  the 
"Old  Iron  Brigade";  was  discharged  March  28,  1862,  because  of  chronic 
diarrhoea  and  rheumatism.  Mr.  B.  was  married  in  1S55  to  Miss  Celeste 
E.  Jersey,  of  Portage  City.  They  have  had  seven  children — Jessie  Eva, 
Fredericka  Wilma,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years  ;  Harrie  A.  Frede- 
rick  William,  fr.,  Walter  Edwin,  William  Wallace  and  Carson  Otto. 
Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

PETER  NICHOLAS  CHRISTENSEN,  Grand  Rapids.  Was 
born  on  the  small  Island  of  Laaland,  the  most  southeasterly  island  of 
Denmark,  on  the  1st  of  October,  1S47.  His  father  was  a  school  teacher 
by  profession.  Mr.  C.  left  home  in  1862  to  oversee  a  large  farm,  where 
he  remained  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  soon  af- 
ter to  Wisconsin.  He  worked  at  logging  and  lumbering  until  1S70, 
when  he  bought  a  heavily  timbered  tract  of  land  in  the  town  of  Lincoln, 
Wood  Co.,  which  he  has  cleared  and  cultivated,  and  upon  which  he  has 
built  a  large  barn  and  comfortable  dwelling,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
has  been  Clerk  of  the  town  of  Lincoln  nine  years,  and  connected  with 
the  Board  of  Education  since  1S73.  In  1880,  he  was  elected  Register 
of  Deeds  for  Wood  County,  which  office  he  at  present  holds.  Mr.  C. 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Thompson  Ebbe,  step-daughter  of  I.  H. 
Ebbe,  of  Nasonville,  Feb.  r,  1873.  They  have  four  child'ten— Caroline 
M.,  Lewis  P.,  Clarence  C.  and  B  Lillian.  Mr.  C.  has  living  next  neigh- 
bor to  him  his  only  brother,  Jacob,  who  came  here  in  1S67.  and  has  fol- 
lowed farming  also.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Blaagard  Seminary,  Copen- 
hagen. 

CAPT.  JOSEPH  L.  COTEY,  Deputy  Lumber  Inspector.  Came 
to  Grand  Rapiils.  Wis..  November,  1S46,  and  engaged  in  lumbering 
with  his  uncle,  Francis  X.  Biron.     Continued  with  his  uncle  until   1S50, 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


1205 


when  he  went  to  California.  Stayed  in  California  two  years,  then  re- 
turned and  l)oui;lit  in  with  his  uncle  in  the  lumbering  business  again. 
Remained  with  him  about  a  year,  then  sold  out  and  bought  the  Grignon 
Mill,  at  that  lime  cilled  the  Merrill  Mill.  Great  freshets  washed  out 
the  dam  and  the  Ing^  for  two  years  in  succession,  so  he  had  to  give  up 
the  mill.  Then  went  up  the  river,  near  Like  Flambeau,  on  the  "  Toma- 
hawk," exploring  and  locating  pine  lands  for  himself  and  others.  Enlist- 
ed as  private,  Nov.  5.  1S61,  in  Co.  G,  iSth  Wis.  V.  T.  Veteranized 
and  stayed  to  the  close  ol  the  war,  and  was  discharged  July  20,  1865.  as 
captain  Co.  G,  i8ih  Wis.  V.  I.,  his  captain's  conimis>ion  dating  No- 
vember, 1S64.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  and  in  fifteen  pitched 
battles  and  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment.  Since  his  discharge, 
he  has  been  employed  in  sealing  logs,  and  Lumber  Inspiector  under  ap- 
pointment from  the  several  Governors.  This  office  he  resigned  in  l83o. 
Capt.  Cotey  was  born  in  St.  Francis,  Lower  Canada,  March  IQ,  1S31, 
and  came  from  there  to  Grand  Rapids  in  1S46.  Was  married,  Sept.  5, 
1853,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Byrne,  of  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  had  three 
children,  one  of  whom  is  now  living,  Appleton  B.  Cotey,  now  merchant 
at  Pittsville,  Wis. 

PETER  T.  DESSATNT,  proprietor  of  Grand  Rapids  House.  Came 
to  Grand  Rapids  in  1S62  Is  a  painter  by  trade,  and  worked  at  it  un- 
til iSSo,  wheli  he  rented  the  Grand  Rapids  House.  He  was  born  in 
St.  Roche,  in  Lower  Canada,  Feb.  12,  1831.  Left  therein  1S49.  and 
came  to  Milwaukee;  stayed  there  until  i860,  then  came  to  New  Li-,bon, 
where  he  enlisted,  July,  1S61,  in  Co.  H,  10  h  Wis.  V.  At  the  baitle  of 
Chattanooga  was  ruplured  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Louisville,  and 
was  discharged  in  April,  1S62  ;  was  married,  Oct.  18,  1S50,  to  Miss  Mary 
Tebo,  of  Milwaukee,  a  niece  of  Solomon  Juneau.  Have  had  ten  chil- 
dren— Mary,  now  Mrs.  Boldue  ;  Magdalen,  now  Mrs.  Berard  ;  Louis, 
Andrew  and  John,  all  killed  by  lightning  ;  Albert,  Emery,  J.  B.,  Rosalie, 
and  George  William. 

WM.  H.  H.  EDWARDS,  born  in  Hazel  Green,  Grant  Co.  Wis., 
Dec.  4,  1840.  Received  a  common  school  education,  and  at  twenty-one 
years  of  age  went  to  Port  Edwards,  and  into  the  lumber  business  with 
his  father  and  brothers.  In  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Janette  Kirk- 
wood,  who  has  since  died,  leaving  one  daughter.  Was  engaged  for 
two  years  in  a  lumber  yard,  and  afterward  in  Dunlieih,  part  of  the 
time  on  his  own  account  ;  finally  came  back  to  Port  Edwards  in  the 
lumber  interest.  Since  1S76  has  been  in  Grand  Rapids.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  merchandising.  While  at  Port  Edwards  he  was  for  two  terras 
town  Treasurer.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fiaternity. 

ROBERT  FARRISH,  merchant.  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  New 
Brunswick,  in  June,  1832.  His  father,  William  Farrish  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  He  followed  lumbering  in  New  Brunswick  until  1857,  when 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  where  he  dieu  June  21, 
186S,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  leaving  seven  childien — Elizabeth.  Mrs. 
Richards,  who  has  since  died  at  Grand  Rapids;  Jane,  now  Mrs.  McKay, 
of  Stevens  Point;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Swicher.  of  Wausau  ;  Catharine, 
now  Mrs.  Canning,  of  Grand  Rapids  ;  William,  who  is  now  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  in  Anatone,  Columbia  Co.,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory. John  and  Robert,  of  the  firm  of  Farrish  &  Bro.,  Grand 
Rapids.  Robert  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  December,  1856,  and  engaged 
in  logging  and  lumbering,  also  was  clerk  in  a  store  some  time,  and  in 
1876  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brothers,  William  and  John,  as 
dealers  in  hardware,  dry  goods  and  groceries.  In  1878,  William  with- 
drew from  the  firm.  Robert  was  manied,  December,  1S63,  to  Miss 
Mary  Ann  Seeley,  of  Barrabo.  They  have  had  four  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living.  Robert  was  made  a  Mnson  in  New  Brunswick,  in 
1S56,  and  now  belongs  to  the  Chapter  at  Stevens  Point.  John  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Ellen   McKay,  of  New    Brunswick,  Oct.  22,  1874. 

GEORGE  A.  FERGUSON,  Mr.  Ferguson  was  born  March  10, 
1847,  in  New  York  Slate.  Received  an  academic  education,  and  a 
commercial  one  as  well,  besides  learning  the  tinsmith  trade.  In  July, 
1865,  with  his  brother,  A.  H.,  came  to  this  State,  and  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business,  in  Lima  Center.  At  the  end  of  five  years  went  to 
Berlin  and  into  business,  and  while  there  invested  in  cranberry  marshes 
near  Grand  Rapids,  working  at  his  trade  Winters,  at  Winona  and  other 
places.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids.  On  the  nth  of  Febru- 
ary. 1S78,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  an  estimable  lady,  Miss  Jen- 
nie M.  Gunn.  They  have  one  daughter,  Blanche.  In  April,  1879,  ''^ 
went  into  the  hardware  business  with  J.  N.  Brundage.  During  the 
flood  of  June,  1880,  on  the  13th,  while  engaged  in  removing  tools  and 
goods  from  a  part  of  the  shop  threatened  10  be  submerged,  some  float- 
ing timbers  struck  the  foundation,  and  that  part  went  down,  carrying 
him  wiih  it.  His  body  was  never  recovered.  He  was  thirty-three  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church.  No  man  in  town  was  more  highly  esteemed 
as  an  honorable  and  upright  citizen,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt. 

PAUL  AND  ALBERT  FONTAINE,  editors  and  proprietors  of  the 
IVood  County  Keporler,  published  at  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  are  sons  of 
H.  L.  Fontaine,  who  was  born  in  Lucerne,  Switzerland,  October,  1S25, 
of  French  parents.  In  the  Spring  of  1S50,  he  married  Miss  Ernestine 
Milber,  of  Gniuiid,  Wurlemburg,  Germany,  and  immediately  started  for 


the  United  States,  landing  in  New  York,  May  24,  1S50.  They  proceeded 
thence  to  Si.  Louis,  remained  there  a  few  days,  then  settled  in  Highland, 
III.,  where  they  remained  about  two  years,  then  came  to  Grand  Rapids. 
Wis.,  in  the  Summer  of  1852,  where  the  family  still  reside.  Six  children 
were  born  to  them— Ernest,  Paul,  Marie,  Albert  L.  and  Angelle.  Full  of 
patriotism  for  his  adopted  country,  Mr.  Fontaine  enlisted  in  Co.  G.  of 
I2th  Wis.  V.  I.,  and  started  for  headquarters  in  February,  1864,  where 
he  continued  in  active  service  at  the  front,  until  the  close  of  the  war,  but 
he  was  not  permitted  to  return  to  his  home,  for  he  was  taken  sick  in 
April,  1865.  and  on  the  30th  of  the  same  month,  died  in  hospital,  at 
Newburn,  North  Carolina. 

JOHN  HAMM.  merchant,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Hiddesheim, 
Prussia,  May  1,1837.  His  parents  were  also  born  here,  the  father  in 
1796,  and  the  mother  in  1798.  The  family  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  the  Summer  of  1S60,  settling  at  Waukesha,  Wis.,  in  August  of 
that  year,  and  engaged  in  farming.  Plere  the  father  died  in  1S76  and  the 
mother  in  1S7S.  John  spent  the  years,  from  five  to  fifteen  years  of  age, 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  from  fifteen  '.to  twenty-ihree,  was 
employed  in  one  of  the  government  offices.  Alter  hisarrival  at  Waukesha, 
he  spent  the  Winter  of  i860  in  school,  learning  our  language,  and  in  the 
Winter  of  1862.  attended  one  term  at  a  commerc  al  college  in  Milwaukee. 
He  soon  after  commenced  clerking  for  H.  PfeiH'cr.of  Richfield,  Wis.  and 
remained  with  him  nine  years.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Barbara  Thiel- 
mann,  of  Richfield,  in  1871.  They  have  four  children— M,iggie,  Frank, 
Mary  and  Clara.  Mr.  Hamm  commenced  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
himself,  at  Grand  Rapids,  in  1874,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness still. 

LOUIS  C.  JAHREN.  tailor.  Grand  Rapids,  son  of  Christian 
Michaelson,  was  born  at  Ringsaker.  Hedemarken,  Norway,  Sept.  25, 
1849.  He  learned  the  tailor's  trade  in  Norway,  and  came  to  La  Crosse, 
May  9,  1871,  and  worked  at  his  trade,  at  Ru  hford,  near  La  Crosse,  and 
then  at  La  Crosse,  and  afterward  at  Winona,  about  six  years;  then  came 
to  Grand  Rapids,  September,  1879,  ^"d  started  a  shop  of  his  own.  He 
was  married,  Dec.  4  1874,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Johnson,  of  Winona.  Their 
chrldren  are  Gina  E.  and  Carl  O. 

JACOB  LUTZ  Grand  Rapids  was  born  in  Kork.  Baden.Germany.  Jan, 
6,  1840  came  to  United  States  in  April,  i860,  came  directly  to  Wisconsin, 
and  lived  with  abrother  on  alarm,  in  Almond,  Portage  Co,.  Wis.,  lor  about 
a  year,  then  went  to  Sievens  Point,  and  worked  in  the  brewery  for  Frank 
Wahle,  forabout  three  years,  then  in  company  wiihhis  broiher  Andrew; 
bought  him  out  and  has  since  run  the  brewery  at  Stevens  Point,  and  in 
October,  18S0,  bought  the  brewery  at  Grand  Rapids,  which  they  have  re- 
paired. Andrew  takes  charge  of  the  Stevens  Point  brewery  and  Jacob, 
that  at  Grand  Rapids. 

PETER  McCAMLEY,  Grand  Rapids.  Son  of  John  and  Catharine 
Turley  McCamley.  Was  born  at  Kenosha,  Wis..  April  15  1S50.  When 
about  seven  years  of  age,  his  father  moved  to  Grand  Rapids  Wis.,  and 
engaged  in  farming.  In  i860,  his  father  went  to  Idaho,  leaving  his  family 
to  carry  on  the  farm.  Here  Peter  remained  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  left  the  farm  and  worked  at  logging  and  lumbering, 
which  he  followed  about  ten  years,  then  learned  the  wagonmaker's  trade, 
at  which  he  worked  some  three  years.  He  was  at  this  time,  1S77,  ap- 
pointed Under  Sheriff  for  two  years,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1878,  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Wood  County.  He  was  married,  Oct.  29  1S79, 
to  Miss  Maggie  Hannifin,  of  Centralia.  He  formed  a  Co-partnership, 
Jan.  1, 188 1,  with  E.  S.  King,  under  the  firm  name  ol  McCamley  &  King, 
and  are  dealing  in  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  building  material  and  farm 
implements. 

JOHN  McELREA,  retired.  Grand  Rapids.  Son  of  Andrew  and 
Vin'W.  McElrea.  Was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Omach,  Ireland,  Feb. 
8,  1820.  Came  to  Galena,  111.,  in  1S37,  and  mined  for  lead  at  Galena, 
Platteville  and  Dodgeville  some  six  years,  then  built  the  Four  .Mile 
House,  near  Galena,  III.,  in  1844-  He  moved  to  Mill  Creek  in  1845. 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  for  about  six  >ears,  then  came 
to  Grand  Rapids  and  built  the  house  he  still  lives  in.  He  has  followed 
teaming  most  of  the  time  since  he  came  here,  until  recently.  He  was 
married,  Nov.  17,  1844,  to  Miss  Ann  Lipsey,  of  Galena,  111. 

DAVID  P.  MORRILL,  proprietor  of  tannery.  Grand  Rapids.  Was 
born  in  Canaan,  Essex  Co.,  Vt.,  March  22. 1S18.  His  father,  Moses  Mor- 
rill, was  a  farmer,  and  for  eighteen  years  represented  his  consliuients  in 
the  Vermont  Assembly.  He'also  hekl  the  oflice  of  County  Judge  several 
years.  His  mother,  Mary  Morrison  Morrill,  is  still  living  at  Sauk  Prairie 
at  the  advanced  nge  of  ninety-eight.  David  P.  Morrill  learned  the  trade, 
of  tanner  and  currier  in  Woburn,  Mass.,  and  in  1844  came  to  Wisconsin, 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Sauk  Prairie,  which  business 
he  continued  for  about  five  years,  then  bought  a  larm,  which  he  carried 
on  until  1S61,  when  he  moved  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  bought  an  interest 
in  the  tannery  of  J.  McGrath  ;  remained  in  company  with  him  about 
two  years,  then  bought  him  out,  and  has  since  run  the  tannery  himself. 
Mr.  Morrill  was  married  to  Miss  Emeline  C.  Tabor,  just  before  he  moved 
West.  She  died  about  three  months  after,  in  July,  1S44.  He  was  after- 
ward married  to  Miss  Sarah  Pound,  of  Sauk  Prairie,  in  1846.  She  died 
in  August,  1854,  leaving  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  still  living.     Mr. 


2o6 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


M.  married  Miss  Lydia  Harlow,  of  Concord,  Me.,  Feb.  4,  1856.  Five 
cliildren  bless  this  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mis.  Morrill  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church. 

ISAAC  L.  MOSHER,  Grand  Rapids.  Son  of  Jabez  and  Elizabeth 
Mosher.  Was  born  at  Wliite  Creek,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  24, 
1S19,  and  resided  there  until  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age.vvhenhis 
f.ither  removed  to  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.  Here  he  resided  until  the  Fall 
of  1844,  following  farming,  when  he  came  to  Sauk  Cn.,  Wis.  Here  he 
followed  lumbering  for  four  years,  coming  to  Grand  Rapids  in  the  Fall 
of  1S48,  and  entering  into  the  employ  of  the  mercantile  fiim  of  Mirer 
&  Werner,  as  clerk  for  three  years.  At  this  time,  they  obtained  their 
supplies  and  groceries  at  Galena  and  Freeport.  a  trip  for  a  load  of  goods 
requiring  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  days.  The  next  three  years  he  clerked 
for  Kablin  &  Clinton,  of  St.  Louis,  who,  in  addition  to  their  stock  of  gro 
ceries  and  provisions,  brought  in  large  stock  of  ready-made  clothing,  the 
first  ever  brought  here.  In  the  Winter  of  1S55-6,  Mr.  M.  went  into  the 
mercantile  business  for  himself,  to  which  he  added  lumbering,  in  which 
business  he  remained  until  1876.  Merchants  from  this  section  first  began 
getting  goods  at  Milwaukee  about  the  year  1S56  or  1857.  M""-  M.  has 
filled  various  offices,  among  which  are  those  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
County  Judge.  In  1S76,  he  was  elected  Treasurer  of  Wood  County,  to 
whch  office  he  has  been  continuously  re-elected  since  that  time.  Mr.  M. 
was  married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  Olive  Maria  Moore,  of  Grand  Rapids. 
They  have  five  children  living  —  Antonette,  Eva,  Morton,  Carson  and 
Milton. 

R.  J.  S.  NORRIS.  Mr.  Norris  is  an  able  Congregational  clergy- 
man, born  in  the  English  Channel,  on  the  Isle  of  Wight.  Dec.  4,  1844. 
He  received  an  academic  education,  and  came  to  Canada,  locating  in 
Ontario.  Having  a  decided  taste  for  music,  he  early  became  a  teacher 
of  this  art.  He  began  a  course  of  theological  study,  and  not  being 
very  robust,  he  engaged  as  a  traveling  agent  for  a  mercantile  house. 
Having  qualified  himself,  he  preached  several  years  in  Canada,  and 
then  took  a  charge  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  his  health  failing,  he 
came  West  at  the  end  of  a  year,  on  a  vacation,  and  the  Wisconsin  air 
seeming  to  brace  him  up,  he  located  in  Milton,  Rock  Co.,  in  1873 
and  since  then  has  done  considerable  evangelical  work,  having  organ- 
ized several  churches.  In  1879  he  was  stationed  as  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  in  Grand  Rapids,  which  charge  he  resigned  in  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  on  account  of  failing  health.  Mr.  Norris  has  been  a  suc- 
cessful author,  contributing  to  the  current  literature  of  the  church,  fur- 
nishing hymns  and  music.  He  was  married,  Oct.  lo,  1870,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  A.  Hurd.     They  have  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

JOHN  PATERICK,  farmer  and  milk  dealer,  was  born  in  Oneida 
Co.,  N.Y.,  Nov.  16,  1825.  In  1845,  he  came  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis., 
where  he  resided  some  five  years,  then  took  charge  of  the  Marsh  Hou.'e. 
between  Portage  and  Grand  Rapids.  At  this  time  there  were  but  three 
hotels  between  Portage  and  Grand  Rapids— the  Walworth  House,  the 
Marsh  House  and  the  McCartney  House.  In  1857.  he  went  to  Mar- 
quette County,  and  then  to  Stevens  Point,  and,  in  1874.  came  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  married,  Oct.  i,  1859,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Fryer,  of  Otsego  Co.,  N.Y.  They  have  two  children  living,  Lena 
M.  and  Elmer  R. 

LEVI  P.  POWERS,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Marshfield,  Vt., 
May  9,  1828.  His  father  removed  soon  after  to  Cabot,  where  he  lived 
with  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  attended  the 
common  school  of  his  town,  and  then  the  Caledonia  Grammar  School  of 
Pcacham,  Vt..  and  afterward  the  Peoples'  Academy  at  Morrisville,  Vt. 
Mr.  Powers  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in  1853,  and  engaged  in  log- 
ging for  about  a  year.  Had  read  law  as  he  had  opportunity,  and  had 
practiced  some  before  in  Justices'  courts,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar 
in  Portage  County,  in  1855.  Has  practiced  here  ever  since.  Mr.  Powers 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Dickinson,  of  Janesville,  Wis.,  in  1870. 
He  has  held  various  town  offices  ;  has  been  County  Clerk  nine  years. 
County  Judge  eight  years,  member  of  the  Assembly  for  the  term  1862-3, 
and  United  States  Marshal  in  i860.  When  Mr.  Powers  came  here,  all 
of  Wood  County  belonged  to  Portage  County,  and  constituted  the  town- 
ship of  Grand  Rapids.  It  contained  about  1,000  inhabitants,  over  one- 
half  of  whom  were  young  men  who  shaved  shingles  from  Government 
timber,  which  was  considered  free  to  all  at  that  time.  The  Government 
surveyed  a  strip  of  land  three  miles  wide  on  each  side  of  the  Wisconsin 
River,  beginning  about  three  miles  below  here  and  extending  as  far  up 
as  Wausau,  which  came  into  market  in  1840,  and  was  mostly  sold  to 
those  who  wished  to  build  mills  and  engage  in  lumbering.  The  rest  of 
the  land  did  not  come  into  market  until  1851,  and  not  much  was  sold 
until  1856,  and  afterward.  When  Mr.  Powers  came  here,  there  were  three 
saw-mills  near  here — two  with  one  upright  saw  each,  and  one  (Rablins') 
with  two  upright  saws.  Mr.  D.  Whitney,  of  Green  Bay,  built  the  first 
saw-mill  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  in  1836,  about  nine  miles  below  here, 
who  got  a  permit  before  the  Indian  titles  had  been  extinguished.  He 
brought  all  his  supplies  from  Green  Bay,  boating  up  the  Fox  to  Portage, 
and  up  the  Wisconsin.  There  was  no  church  in  Grand  Rapids.  Mr. 
Powers  started  a  Sunday-school,  and  was  its  superintendent  one  Sum- 
mer— the  first  one  ever  held  here. 


HON.  THOMAS  B.  SCOTT,  born  in  Scotland  in  1829;  came  to 
America  with  his  father  and  mother  in  1839,  and  settled  in  New  York  ; 
has  had  but  a  common  school  education.  Removed  to  Columbia  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1848,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  and  lumber  business  un- 
til 1851  ;  then  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  where  since  resided;  first  en- 
gaged in  manufacturing  lumber  there  in  1855,  since  which  time  he  has 
almost  exclusively  engaged  himself  in  that  business.  For  ten  years  pre- 
vious to  1877,  did  an  immense  business,  having  yards  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  1870,  became  interested  in  the  saw-mill,  run  by 
water-power,  at  Merrill,  and  is  now  owner  entire  ;  manufactures  10.000, 
000  per  year.  Is  head  of  the  firm  of  T.  B.  Scott  &  Son,  merchants,  and 
member  of  the  firm  of  Ross,  McCord  &  Co.,  bankers  at  Merrill.  Mr. 
Scott  married  in  Grand  Rapids,  in  December,  1S53.  Miss  ."^nn  Eliza 
Neeves,  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  Neeves;  children — Cassia  M., 
aged  twenty-four,  Walter  A.,  aged  twenty-two,  and  Thomas  B.,  Jr..  aged 
eighteen,  all  living.  Mr.  S.  held  the  position  of  County  Treasurer  of 
Wood  County  two  terms,  and  County  Clerk  of  same  county  one  term. 
Is  now,  and  has  been  since  Jan.  i,  1874,  State  Senator;  term  expires 
Jan.  I,  1883.  Has  always  been  leader  in  Republican  party  since  organ- 
ization. 

VROOM  TALMADGE,  contractor  and  builder,  was  born  in  Morris 
Co.,  N.  J.,  in  1829;  learned  the  trade  of  wheelwright  at  seventeen  years 
of  age,  and  was  for  some  years  in  wheelwrighting  business  in  company 
with  his  father,  Elias  C.  Talmadge.  He  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.,  in 
1855,  and  for  past  twenty  years  lias  been  engaged  building  mills,  elevators, 
etc.,  in  different  States ;  has  been  for  the  past  four  years  in  the  employ 
of  the  Chase  Elevator  Co.,  of  Chicago,  III.,  as  superintendent  of  the 
building  of  elevators,  etc.;  has,  since  May,  1881,  been  engaged  superin- 
tending the  building  of  the  Omaha  Union  Elevator,  "  B,"  at  Omaha. 
Neb.  Mr.  Talmadge  was  married  in  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.,  in  1852,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Davenport,  native  of  that  place.  They  have  two  children,  Fran- 
cis, foreman  for  his  father,  and  Ellis,  superintendent  of  planing  mill  at 
Grand  Rapids. 

ELLIS  C.  TALMADGE,  engineer  and  millwright,  son  of  Vroom 
Talmadge,  was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  March  i,  1858.  His  father  is 
engaged  principally  in  building  giain  elevators  in  cities.  Ellis  C.  is  an 
engineer  and  millwright  by  profession.  He  was  married  July  9,  1S79, 
to  Miss  Laura  Bottsford,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa. 

FRANK  L.  TIBBITS,  superintendent  of  lumber  yard  at  Wharton's 
Mills,  Grand  Rapids.  Was  born  in  the  province  of  New  Brunswick, 
Sept.  18,  1846.  His  father  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  St.  Johns 
River  some  fifty  years  ago  ;  was  a  farmer  and  also  carried  on  a  tannery, 
was  for  many  years  a  Custom  House  officer  for  goods  brought  up  the  St. 
Johns  River.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  leaving  seven  children 
living,  only  two  of  whom  are  in  Wisconsin.  Mary,  now  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Cameron,  and  Frank  L.,  who  came  here  in  October,  1877,  and  engaged 
in  his  present  business.  He  was  married,  Dec.  iS,  1S67,  to  Miss  Char- 
lotte Street.  Thev  have  four  children — Frederick,  Page,  Heber  and 
Edith  Maude. 

M.  C.  WARREN  &  SON,  furniture  dealers.  Grand  Rapids.  Marcus 
C.  Warren,  the  senior  partner,  came  to  Grand  Rapids  in  the  Spring  of 
1S56,  and  in  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  moved  his  family  here  and  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business  as  furniture  dealer.  He  was  born  in  Sar- 
atoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1813.  and  in  1827  his  father  moved  to  Steuben  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  was  married  in  1S41  to  Nancy  Logan.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Elizabeth  (now  Mrs.  Baker,  of  Rudolph),  and  Clarence  Shepherd, 
who,  for  several  years,  has  been  junior  member  of  the  firm.  He  was 
born  Dec.  17,  1843,  at  Bath,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  Grand 
Rapids  in  1856.  He  enlisted,  Sept.  iS,  1S61,  in  Co.  G,  12th  Wis. 
v.,  veteranized,  and  was  mustered  out  Aug.  10,  1S65.  He  was  neither 
wounded  nor  sick  while  in  the  service,  but  alwavson  duty.  He  was  mar- 
ried, Dec.  25,  1S66,  to  Miss  Mary  I.  Searl,  of  G'rand  Rapids.  She  was 
born  in  Blackhawk,  Iowa,  in  1S43,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  Grand 
Rapids  in  1846,  being  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  place.  They 
have  five  children  living — Walton,  Marcus  C,  George  L.,  Robert  Em- 
met, and  Clarence  L.  Mr.  W.  has  been  Assessor  seven  years,  Deputy 
Clerk  of  the  County  of  Wood  eight  years,  and  Clerk  of  the  County  two 
years. 

EDWARD  WHEELAN.  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Ireland,  Coun- 
ty Wicklow,  Feb.  20,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward  and  Catharine 
Wheelan.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Cody.  His  father  removed 
to  the  United  States  in  1848.  and  came  directly  to  Milwaukee.  Wis.  There 
he  died  the  next  year  of  cholera.  His  mother  removed,  scon  after,  to 
the  town  of  Friendship,  on  Winnebago  Lake,  remained  there  some  two 
years,  then  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac  two  years,  then  in  Oakfield,  thence 
to  Oasis,  in  Waushara  County,  where  he  lived  until  1859,  when  he  came 
to  Grand  Rapids  and  engaged  in  logging  and  lumbering  on  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Wisconsin  River  and  its  branches  ever  since,  until 
he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Wood  County,  in  the  Fall  of  1S80,  which 
office  he  now  holds.  Mi.  W.  was  married,  Jan.  6,  1S70.  to  Miss  Mary 
Wright,  of  Centralia.  They  have  five  children— Wm.  Edward,  Har- 
rison Valentine,  Nettie,  Edniond  Wright  and   Francis  Richard. 


HISTORY    OF    WOOD   COUNTY. 


GEORGE  L.  WILLIAMS,  Grand  Rapids,  son  of  Orrin  and  Ann 
Williams,  was  borh  at  Homer,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  24,  1848. 
His  father  was  from  Connecticut  and  his  mother  from  England.  Ilis 
father  moved  to  Whitewater,  Wis.,  in  1855,  where  he  died  the  same 
year.  George  continued  to  make  his  home  with  his  mother  until  iS68, 
meanwhile  he  attended  Milton  Academy  in  the  Spring  and  Fall  of 
1865,  and  taught  his  first  school  in  the  Fall  of  1867.  He  entered 
Appleton  University  in  1868,  and  was  graduaied  in  the  scientific 
course  in  1873.  He  was  mail  route  agent  between  Appleton  and 
Manitowoc  on  the  M.,  L.  S.  &  W.  R.  R.  for  three  and  one-half  years, 
and  studied  law  with  H.  G.  &  W.  F.  Turner,  of  Manitowoc,  and  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  1875.  He  came  to  Grand  Rapids  in  May,  1877, 
and  was  elected  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Wood  County, 
in  November,  1877,  and  served  one  term  ;  then  resumed  his  practice  of 
law,  and  was  elected  District  Attorney  for  Wood  County  in  the  Fall 
of  1880.  He  was  married,  October,  1S73,  to  Miss  Edith  J.  West, 
daughter  of  Edward  West,  of  Appleton.  wlio  is  said  to  have  taught  the 
first  public  school  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  at  Milwaukee.  Mr.  W. 
is  also  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  W. 
had  brain  fevei  when  he  was  four  years  old.  at  which  time  the  muscles 
of  his  lower  limbs  became  paralyzed,  from  which  he  has  never  but  par- 
tially recovered,  necessitating  a  life-long  struggle  with  this  physical 
infirmity. 

DR.  G.  F.  WITTER  was  born  June  6.  1831,  in  Brookfield,  Madison 
Co.,  N.  Y.  Attended  the  common  school  and  Alfred  Academy,  teach- 
ing school  after  sixteen  years  of  age.  during  the  Winter,  and,  securing  suffi- 
cient means,  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Michigan  University, 
where  he  graduated  in  1856,  having  studied  in  the  office  of  Janes  &  Bab- 
cock.  Began  practice  in  Wautoma,  Wis.,  remaining  there  three  years. 
In  1859.  est.iblished  himself  in  Grand  Rapids,  at  once  taking  a  high 
rank  in  his  profession.  In  1877,  was  appointed  on  the  State  Board  of 
Health — a  position  he  stdl  holds.  Is  a  member  of  the  American  Public 
Health  Association,  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  president  of 
the  Northwestern  Medical  Society  and  Examining  Surgeon  for  Pensions. 
Was  married,  in  i860,  to  Miss  Frances  L.  Phelps.  They  have  three 
children.  The  doctor  was  for  eight  years  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  and  has  always  been  foremost  in  educational  matters,  early  ar- 
ranging scliool  matters  so  as  to  produce  the  best  results.  He  v/as  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  by  Grant,  re-appointed  by  Hayes  and  again  by 
Arthur.     The  doctor  is  a  very  useful  citizen. 

PORT  EDWARDS. 
The  city  is  handsomely  laid  out,  well  up  above  high 
water  mark,  and,  with  its  manufacturing  establishments  and 
business  places,  is  attracting  a  thrifty  population.  It  has 
quite  a  number  of  French  Canadians,  who  are  an  industri- 
ous class  of  citizens.  The  city  has  an  advantageous  loca- 
tion in  many  respects,  with  remarkable  booming  and  mill 
privileges,  which,  however,  will  reqtiire  concentrated  capi- 
tal to  develop  and  secure  the  best  results. 

15I0GRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HAMILTON  CORNING,  superintendent  of  booms  and  river 
works,  at  Port  Edward  mills.  Was  born  in  Canada,  near  Montreal,  May 
19,  1820.  He  worked  at  lumbering  in  Canada,  and  after  he  came  here 
in  August,  1S51,  worked  on  the  river,  and  at  logging  for  Clinton  and 
others  awhile,  and  afterward  built  dams,  piers  and  booms  in  the  Wiscon- 
sin River.  For  many  years  past  he  has  been  superintendent  of  river 
works  for  J.  Edwards  &  Co.  He  was  married,  Feb.  4,  1849,  to  Miss 
Charlotte  Arnold  ;  she  died  in  1S55,  leaving  four  children  —  Charles  J., 
Margaret  A.  (now  Mrs.  Tibbets),  William  G.  and  Mary  E.  (now  Mrs. 
Allds).  Feb.  6,  1 861.  he  married  Miss  Margaret  A.  Arnold,  a  sister  of 
his  first  wife.  They  have  two  children,  John  J.  and  Hamilton.  Charles 
J.  was  born  Dec.  24,  iS£4.  He  has  attended  the  Riverside  Institute,  at 
Lyons,  Iowa,  one  year,  and  two  years  at  the  Iowa  Agricultural  College, 
also  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa,  and  has  taught  school 
several  terms. 

LOU  IS  GRIGNON,  river  pilot  and  logger.  Came  to  Grand  Rapids 
in  July,  1S48,  and  engaged  in  logging  and  running  the  river,  which  occu- 
pation he  still  follows.  His  father,  Charles  Grignon,  was  born  and 
brought  up  in  Oshkosh.  Louis  Grignon  was  born  at  DePere,  Aug.  17, 
1829;  lived  there  until  1843,  then  went  to  Iowa,  remained  there  about 
five  years,  then  came  through  Portage  City,  remaining  there  a  short  lime, 
and  then  to  Grand  Raydds  in  1848.  Was  married,  Aug.  15,1856,  to  Miss 
Catharine  Maloney,  of  Portage  City.  Have  one  child,  George,  who  was 
born  .Aug.  27.  1S63. 


CENTRALIA. 

This  city  was  organized  after  the  .April  election  in  1874. 
The  first  Mayor  was  R.  C.  Moore.  He  was  followed  by  S. 
B.  Coleman  and  Reuben  C.  Lyon.  The  first  City  Clerk 
was  J.  T.  Houston,  followed  by  R.  C.  Worthington,  J.  W . 
Cocoran,  E.  B.  Rossier,  G.  L.  Williams,  L.  O.  Garrison 
and  E.  B.  Rossier,  the  present  Clerk. 

The  census  of  1880  gave  Centralia  800  and  over;  now 
there  is  probably  1,000. 

It  is  located  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  on  the  right  bank. 
Previous  to  its  incorporation  as  a  city,  it  was  a  part  of  the 
town  now  called  Port  Edwards. 

Grand  Rapids,  across  the  river,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settled  points  on  the  river,  and  while  most  of  the  business 
and  all  of  the  manufacturing  was  on  that  side,  the  whole 
thing  is  reversed,  so  far  as  manufacturing  is  concerned. 
The  exhaustion  of  the  pine  logs  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  distance  to  run  them  down  the  river,  has  closed  the 
mills  there,  while  new  ones  have  sprung  up  in  Centralia, 
and  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  the  city  will  not  have 
a  steady  growth  and  continued  prosperity. 

INDUSTRIAL    INl'ERESTS. 

Machine  Shops. — Batrick  &  Mahoney.  The  concern  was 
started  on  the  Grand  Rapids  side  of  the  river,  in  1869,  and 
ran  there  for  ten  years,  by  A.  J.  Robb.  It  was  constructed 
by  John  Rabling.  It  was  removed  here  in  1870.  A  spe- 
cialty is  made  of  turbine  wheels,  gang-edgers,  trimmers,  saw- 
mills and  steam  engines,  with  repairing. 

Hard  Wood  Manufacturers. — Mackinnon  &  Griffith,  F. 
Mackinnon  and  C.  L.  Griffith.  Manufacture  spokes,  hubs 
and  wagon  stock  in  great  variety,  to  the  extent  of  $75,000  a 
year.     Started  in  1879.     It  is  an  extensive  establishment  * 

Wharton  Bros.,  manufacturers  of  pine  lumber.  W.  G. 
and  J.  H.  Wharton  constitute  the  firm.  The  planing  mill  is 
near  the  railroad  station,  the  lumber  mills  are  at  Seneca,  or 
what  is  now  called  Vesper,  about  twelve  miles  west.  They 
have  a  capacity  of  35,000  per  day. 

Chair  Factory. — F.  Haertel,  proprietor.  Has  been  in 
operation  several  years.  It  was  formerly  a  shingle  mill,  and 
is  a  valuable  industry. 

Machine  Shop  and  Foundry. — F.  W.  Bremnier.  Repair- 
ing machinery  a  specialty,  models,  brass  castings,  etc. 

Flouring  Mill. — Centralia  has  one  of  the  best  flouring 
mills  anywhere,  the  flour  having  a  wide  reputation  and 
being  sold  as  fast  as  it  can  be  delivered,  which  is  at  the  rate 
of  150  to  200  barrels  a  day.  It  has  stones  and  rollers. 
The  firm  name  is  Coleman,  Jackson  &  Co.  The  mill  is  on 
a  splendid  mill  privilege,  on  a  part  of  the  Wisconsin  as  it 
goes  around  an  island  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city. 

Physicians. — George  De  Marr,  C.  W.  Whitney,  P.  Hurley. 

Attorney. — E.  B.  Rossier. 

Hotels. — Landry  House,  John  Landry,  projirietor;  New 
Star  House,  Alf.  Noiseux,  proprietor;  Kcllner's  restaurant. 

Meat  i}/,7;/!r/.— McCarthey  &  Daily. 


[208 


HISTORY  OF  NORTHERN  WISCONSIN. 


Grocery  and  Drug  S/o/f.  —  R.  O-  W  ortliington  ;  also  flour 
and  feed. 

Wagon  Works. — Wagons,  buggies,  sleighs,  with  repair- 
ing and  horse-shoeing,  J.  F.  Moore,  proprietor. 

Lyon  Brothers — Manufacturers  of  and  dealers  in  Wis- 
consin River  pine  shingles,  also  wood  turning. 

Trade. — Joe  Laniadeleine,  fancy  groceries,  tobacco, 
shelf  goods,  etc.  Garrison  &  Whittlesey,  general  merchan- 
dise ;  large  stock  in  great  variety.  G.  A.  Corriveau,  dry 
goods,  groceries,  clothing,  hardware,  etc. 

Railroads. — What  was  formerly  the  Valley  road,  now  a 
division  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  runs  through 
Centralia,  with  a  depot  on  Cranberry  street.  The  Green 
Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul  runs  through  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  town,  but  the  station  is  on  the  Grand  Rapids  side  of 
the  river.  T.  K.  Nash  is  the  station  agent  of  the  C,  M.  & 
St.  P.  Co.  The  through  freight  carried  from  here  fills  1,500 
cars  each  year,  while  the  way  freight  will  fill  500  cars,  and 
for  passenger  fares,  $1,200  a  month  is  received. 

Judge  Henry  Hayden,  of  Centralia,  was  shot  dead,  Oc- 
tober 9,  1879,  at  the  door  of  his  office,  by  W.  H.  Cochran, 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Grand  Rapids;  was 
at  the  time  the  head  of  the  law  firm  of  Hayden,  Rossier  & 
Baker.  He  was  a  prominent  Greenbacker.  Cochran  was 
subsequently  tried  for  murder,  at  Neillsville,  Clark  Co.,  and 
adjudged  not  guilty,  by  the  jury. 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church. — This  society  has  a  good 
church  edifice,  and  is  the  only  one  on  this  side  of  the  river. 
There  is  at  present,  service  on  the  first  and  third  Sunday  of 
each  month  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Armstrong. 

Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  Centralia  Lodge, 
No.  75,  instituted,  December,  1879.  This  is  a  flourishing 
in'stitution,  and  meets  every  Thursday  evening  at  Garrison's 
Hall.  S.  N.  Whittlesey,  M.  W.;  E.  B.  Rossier,  recorder  ;  has 
thirty  members. 

A.  IV.  W.  G.,  Centralia  Encampment,  No.  i,  meets  ev- 
ery Saturday  eve  in  Garrison's  Hall.     C.  O.  Baker,  G.  C. 

City  0_^cers.— Mayor,  R.  C.  Lyon;  Clerk,  E.  B  Rossier; 
Treasurer,  F.  H.  Jackson;  Marshal,  A.  C.  Green;  Physi- 
cian, Patrick  Hurley. 

Post-office. — N.  Johnson,  Postmaster;  sales  of  stamps, 
etc.,  about  $100  per  month.  Pigeon-hole  boxes  rent  for  25 
cents  a  year,  lock  boxes  at  %i. 

The  oldest  inhabitant,  John  Mascott,  who  is  still  hale 
and  hearty,  and  lives  in  the  original  log  house,  with  its  other 
log  buildings,  put  up  by  him  as  one  of  the  first  settlers, 
claims  to  be  105  years  old.  lie  is  a  Frenchman  and  speaks 
very  little  English,  and  he  must  have  been  past  middle  age 
when  he  settled  here,  or  he  would  have  picked  up  the  lan- 
guage. 

Perhaps  one-quarter  of  the  citizens  of  Centralia  are  Ca- 
nadian French.  They  are  industrious,  intelligent,  and  a 
valuable  acquisition. 

Schools. —  There  is  a  remarkably  fine  brick  school-house, 
with  graded  schools  and  good  teachers.  The  educational 
interests  of  the  town  are  always  cared  for. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  A.  CORKIVK.AU,  merchant.  Centralia,  was  bom  in 
Quebec.  Canada.  Feb.  4.  iSSr.  Ills  fallier.  Peter  Corriveau,  was  a  con- 
tractor and  liuildcr,  and  aUo  carried  on  a  f  rai.  lie  had  five  giils  and 
seven  hoys,  of  which  George  A.  is  ihe  youngest.  Geoige  remained  at 
homeunli  four  een  years  of  age,  when  heengaged  ascleik  for  four  years  in 
Montreal,  then  worked  seven  years  as  carpenier  in  Rochester,  N.  V.  He 
spent  one  Winter  in  Michigan,  and  then  in  the  .Spring  of  1S5S,  came  to 
Centralia,  Wis.  Built  first  wagon  shop  and  blacksmiili  shop  in  Centralia. 
Commenced  as  merchant  in  1S66,  built  his  present  store  in  1879,  hasalso 
a  store  at  Pittsville.  Mr.  C.  was  married,  Dec.  12,  1S60.  to  Mi.-s  Cotey, 
of  Grand  Rapids,  Wis.   a  niece  of  F.  Beron.     Have  seven  children. 

GEORGE  E  D.  DkMAR.S,  M.  D.,  Centralia,  was  born  March  31, 
1849,  in  the  city  of  Cleveland.  Ohio.  His  father  was  of  French  parent- 
age and  his  mother  of  Scotch.  George  received  his  literary  education 
at  Brooklyn  Academy  ;  was  graduated  at  Western  Reserve  .Medical  Col- 
lege, Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1S74,  Remained  in  Cleveland  and  practiced 
a  year,  and  in  1S75  came  to  Cenlialia,  Wis.,  and  commenced  practice  as 
a  physician.  He  was  married,  .May  iS,  1S75.  to  .Miss  Emeline  Lafond, 
daughter  of  J.  E.  Lafond,  a  banker,  then  of  Montreal,  now  of  Chicago, 
HI.     'Ihey  have  two  children,  Everett  and  Maude. 

ELIAS  S.  ERICKSON,  came  to  Centralia  in  1855,  and  eagaged  in 
lumbering  and  most  of  the  time  since  has  follnwed  ihe  same  business. 
He  went  to  Nevada  in  iS72and  stayed  there  seven  years,  lumbcringand 
mining.  He  was  born  in  Burosan,  Sweden,  May  13,  1S35,  and  came  to 
the  United  S'ates  in  1S54,  and  went  to  Chicag.i,  tlien  to  Elgin,  and  the 
next  year  came  to  Centralia,  Wis.  In  1S62.  heenli-ied  in  ihe  23id  Wis. 
V.  I.,  Co.  C,  and  served  to  the  close  ol  the  war,  and  left  Mobile,  Ala., 
July  4.  iS65,and  was  discharged  at  Madison,  July  20.  He  was  under 
Gen,  Grant  at  siege  of  Vicksburg.  and  with  Gen  banks  at  ihe  Red  River 
expedition,  and  at  the  siege  of  Mobile,  Ala.  lie  eniered  ihe  service  as  a 
private  and  was  dischaigcd  a  sergeant.  His  fallier,  John  Enckson,  died 
iiefore  Elias  was  born,  and  his  mother  died  when  he  was  only  four  years 
old.     He  has  tliree  sisters  and  one  brother  living. 

FRANK.  GARRISON,  merchant.  Centra  ia,  son  of  Orestes  and 
Viola  (Stielden)  Garrison,  was  born  in  Greenwood,  Mcllenry  Co.,  Nov. 
18,  1852.  His  father  moved  10  Centralia,  Wis.,  in  December,  1S54.  and 
bouglil  the  mill  property  on  the  Centralia  side  of  the  river,  since  known 
as  tlie  '■  Garrison  Mills,"  and  engaged  in  the  manufaciure  ol  lumber.  He 
died  in  June,  1875.  Mrs.  G.  is  living  with  her  .son  Frank.  '1  ht-y  have 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living — Charles  H.,  Lewellyn  O.,  Frank; 
Elina  (Mrs.  S.  S.  Bcnsley)  died  in  1S62.  and  Henry  in  1S63.  Frank 
commenced  business  as  merchant  in  1875,  and  in  January,  1S79.  '""k  in 
Whittlesey  as  partner.  He  was  married,  March  22  iS7t).  to  Miss  Celia 
Rossier.  daughter  of  E.  B.  Rossier,  of  the  Centralia  ttiltiprhe.  They 
have  two  children,  Emil  !>., and  Orestes.  Mr.  G.  has  been  Postmaster 
at  Centralia  five  years,  and  also  member  of  the  County  Board. 

WILLIAM  H.GET  PS,  painter,  Centralia,  w.as  born  in  Wilks  Bane, 
June  ir,  1845.  The  family  moved  to  Lake  View,  near  Oregon.  Dane 
Co.,  Wis.,  hi  \%\^,  where  his  parents  still  live.  William  H.  enlisted  in 
Co.  H,  31st  Wis.  V.  I.,  as  private,  in  1862,  and  was  mustered  out  as 
corporal,  July,  1865.  His  regiment  went  to  Nashville,  and  went  with 
Sherman  to  the  sea.  He  was  disabled  by  the  cars  running  ofT  the  track, 
July  17,  1S64,  near  Kingston,  Ga.,  by  which  accident,  lie  received  a  severe 
contusion  of  the  back  and  chest,  and  his  right  leg  was  fractured;  this  laid 
him  up  in  hospital,  until  January  1865.  when  he  rejoined  his  regimental 
Savannah.  He  came  to  Centralia  in  1S66  and  engaged  in  painting.  He 
was  married,  June  11,  1S70.  to  MissSirah  M.  Page,  of  Armenia  Juneau 
Co.,  Wis.     They  have  threechildren,  Grace  E.,  Minnie  A.,andGuy. 

GILBERT  J.  JACKSON,  miller,  Centralia,  w;is  born  in  Dumfries- 
shire, Scotland,  May  4,  1843  Came  to  the  United  Slates  in  1S56,  and 
settled  in  Delaware  Co.,  N.  V.  Soon  after  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he 
joined  the  8lh  Independent  N.  Y.  Battery,  October,  1S61,  and  served 
during  the  war.  Aincnig  other  engagements,  he  was  at  the  siege  of 
Yorktown,  battles  of  Williamsburg  and  Fair  Oaks,  was  befo.e  Peters- 
burg and  was  engaged  most  of  the  time  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war  in 
raiding.  Afier  he  w^as  mustered  out,  July  6,  1S65.  he  came  to  New  Yoik 
Ciiy,  and  remained  there  about  nine  months;  then  came  to  Eureka, 
Wis.,  near  Oshkosh,  in  the  Spring  of  iS66,  and  engaged  in  various 
kinds  of  labor.  Went  into  the  steamboat  business  in  the  Spring  of  lS6g 
on  the  Wolf  and  Fox  rivers,  under  the  name  of  the  Wolf  Kiver  Tians- 
portation  Company,  and  continued  this  business  about  five  years.  Came 
to  Centralia  in  March,  1S74,  and  bought  into  the  Centralia  Flouring 
Mills,  now  owned  by  Coleman.  JacUson  &  Co.  Mr.  Jackson  was  mar- 
ried in  1867,  to  Miss  Flora  Dickinson,  daughter  of  \V.  C.  Dickinson,  of 
Eureka.  Wis. 

WILLIAM  T.  JONES,  merchant,  Centralia,  was  born  in  Geneva, 
Wis.,  Nov.  21,  1856.  His  father,  John  Jones,  moved  to  Madison,  Wis., 
in  1S69,  where  he  still  resides,  lie  received  a  common  and  high  .■■chool 
education  in  Madison.  Came  to  Grand  Kajiids  in  1S72  and  cleiked  for 
.Spoflf.jid  &  Conipton  four  years;  then  entered  into  partnership  with 
Spafford,  where  he  remained  until  the  Spring  of  1879,  when  he  formed  a 


HISTORY   OF   WOOD   COUNTY. 


partnership  with  L.  M.  Nash,  in  their  present  business  of  dealers  in 
hardware,  building  material  and  agricultural  machinery.  Mr.  Jones  was 
married,  Dec.  25,  1876,  to  Miss  Carrie  Compton,  of  Grand  Rapids. 
They  have  one  child,  Delia. 

REUBEN  C.  LYON,  retired,  Centralia,  was  born  in  Franklin- 
ville,  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  remained  with  his  father,  Jonathan  H. 
Lyon,  until  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  took  a  trip  West, 
through  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Michigan.  Came  home  and  remained  about 
a  year,  then  went  down  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio,  and  up  the  Mississippi 
to  Galena,  111.  After  tarrying  there  a  few  months,  came  to  Grand  Rap- 
ids, Wis.,  arriving  May  16,  1846,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  Here 
he  engaged  as  carpenter  and  millwright  for  about  two  years,  then  in 
company  with  A.  B.  Sampson,  built  a  saw-mill  in  1849  and  1S50,  and 
ran  it  some  seven  years;  then  sold  it  to  T.  Hurley.  In  1861,  bought 
the  Whitney  mill,  on  the  Centralia  side  of  the  river,  and  erected  the 
first  shingle  and  planing  mill  in  this  place,  if  not  on  the  Wisconsin 
River.  Sold  out  the  planing  mill  in  1880.  Mr.  L.  was  one  of  the  incor- 
porators of  the  Wisconsin  Valley  Railroad,  also  a  member  of  the  con- 
struction company  that  built  it.  Was  married,  Jan.  14,  1849,  to  Miss 
Esther  J.  Hill,  of  Illinois.  Have  six  children— Lydia  (now  Mrs.  I.  T. 
Houston,  of  Stevens  Point),  Theron,  Clark,  Reuben,  Henrietta  and 
Russel. 

FALKLAND  MACKINNON,  son  of  Capt.  L.  B.  Mackinnon,  of 
English  Royal  Navy,  who,  while  on  a  visit  to  Washington,  in  1849, 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Gov.  Doty,  who  persuaded  him  to  visit  Wis- 
consin. They  came  to  Cleveland,  and  from  there,  on  a  Government 
boat,  came  to  Green  Bay,  and  together  drove  to  Menasha,  where  the 
Governor  had  property,  on  Doty's  Island.  The  Governor  secured  a  loan 
from  the  captain,  and  in  due  time  he  was  obliged  to  foreclose.  The  cap- 
tain lived  here  some  time,  returning  to  England,  occasionally,  to  look 
after  his  interests  there.  Being  a  non-resident,  his  property  here  suf- 
fered considerably,  and  finally,  the  young  man,  Falkland,  who  was  born 
May  19,  1849,  near  Richmond,  Surry,  England,  came  to  America  to  care 
for  his  father's  interests,  in  1873,  remaining  thirteen  months.  In  August, 
1875,  he  came  to  this  country  with  a  commission  to  report  as  to  the 
value  of  certain  iron  mines,  which  work  was  satisfactorily  executed.  In 
1877,  he  was  recalled  to  England  by  the  sudden  death  of  his  father,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-nine.  On  his  return,  he  became  interested  in  the  Me- 
nasha Wooden  Ware  Company.  Was  afterward  in  the  lumber  business 
in  Wausau.  Sold  out  there  and  came  to  Centralia  in  1878,  in  the  hard 
wood  lumber  business,  where  he  still  is.  It  is  related  that  the  first 
night,  while  stopping  with  Gov.  Doty  on  the  island,  the  captain  occu- 
pied the  ground  floor,  with  an  open  window,  against  which  a  large 
wooden  tray  was  placed,  to  be  upset  if  a  bear  should  poke  in  his  nose  ; 
and,  sure  enough,  a  bear  came  and  awoke  the  captain,  who  seized  his 
gun,  and  they  had  bear  steak  for  breakfast  the  next  morning. 

JOHN  F.  MOORE,  carriage  manufacturer,  Centralia,  was  born  in 
Rushville,  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  April  3,  1851,  and  lived  there  until 
January,  1872,  when  his  father,  John  L.  Moore,  came  to  Centralia  and 
bought  a  marsh  of  400  acres  and  commenced  preparing  it  for  cranberry 
culture.  Here  he  died  Jan.  25,  1873.  John  F.  engaged  in  blacksmith- 
ing  at  Centralia  for  about  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania 
and  remained  there  until  1879,  when  he  returned  to  Centralia  and  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  carriage  making  and  blacksmithing,  which  he 
still  follows.  He  was  married,  at  Waverly,  N.  Y.,  April  26,  1878,  to 
Miss  Emma  Hasbrouck,  of  Centralia,  Wis. 

LAWRENCE  M.  NASH,  merchant,  Centralia.  Came  to  Centralia 
Aug,  9,  1879,  as  station  agent  on  G.  B.  &  M.  R.  R.,  and  the  next 
year  had  charge  of  the  Wis.  Val.  R.  R.  depot  at  Centralia,  which 
position  he  held  until  Jan.  15,  1881.  In  April,  1879,  formed  the 
partnership  with  Wm.  T.  Jones  in  the  hardware  business.  Mr.  N. 
was  born  in  Stoughton,  Wis.,  Jan.  28,  1854.  His  father,  Lawrence 
Nash,  moved  to  Milwaukee  and  then  to  Granville,  where  he  died. 
Mr.  L.  M.  Nash  was  married,  Sept.  25,  1877,  to  Miss  Amelia  Lefe- 
bore,  of  Centralia.  They  have  two  children,  Lawrence  Eugene  and 
Amilla  Wm. 

WM.  A.  PEESO,  dentist,  Centralia,  was  born  at  Rooseboom,  Ot- 
sego Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  i,  1846,  Resided  there  until  1868,  when  he 
came  to  Centralia,  Wis.  He  was  graduated  at  Cherry  Valley  Acad- 
emy, then  learned  the  profession  of  dentistrj'  at  White  Creek,  Wis., 
and  has  been  practicing  in  Centralia  since.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Celia  M.  Hughes,  of  Centralia,  Sept.  9,  1873.  Have  two  children — 
Cedric  and  Louis. 

E.  B.  ROSSIER,  editor  Enterprise,  was  bom  at  Vevay,  near  Gen- 
eva,  Switzerland,  Dec.  2,  1832.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1851, 
and  settled  in  Madison  Co.,  III.,  and  followed  farming  there  until  1858. 
Came  to  Centralia,  Wis.,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  the 
first  twelve  years,  and  then  became  cashier  of  the  bank  of  Grand  Rap- 
ids in  1870,  and  so  continued  three  years.  Was  superintendent  of 
construction  of  the  Wis.  Val.  R.  R.,  and  for  the  past  two  years  editor 
and  publisher  of  the  Enterprise,  a  Greenback  paper,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  law  firm  of  Rossier  &  Baker.  Was  Chairman  of  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors, Wood  Co.,  for  1877  and  187S.  Has  been  Postmaster  atCen- 
77 


tralia  about  ten  years,  and  City  Clerk.  Mr.  R.  was  married,  Nov.  3, 
1853,  to  Miss  Caroline  Mennet,  of  St.  Louis.  Have  four  children — 
Celia  (now  Mrs.  Frank  Garrison),  Alfred,  Edmond  and  Emiele. 

WM.  S.  SCOFIELD,  fruit  and  restaurant,  Centralia,  was  bom  in 
Laurens,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  9,  1848.  His  father,  David  Scofield, 
a  farmer,  moved  to  Friendship,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1857,  and  remained 
there  four  years,  then  went  back  to  Otsego  County.  Wm.  S.  came  to 
Baraboo,  Wis.,  in  August  1868,  whither  his  parents  followed  the  next 
year.  While  at  Baraboo  he  followed  painting,  and  was  most  of  the  time 
in  charge  of  the  painting  department  on  the  Madison  Division  of  the 
C.  &N.  W.  R.  R.  In  1876  he  moved  to  Portage,  where,  after  one 
year,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  was  obliged  to  quit  painting,  and  then 
he  went  on  to  his  father's  farm  at  Friendship.  He  came,  in  1879,  to 
Centralia,  and  opened  a  fruit  store  and  restaurant.  He  was  married, 
May  5,  1873,  to  Miss  J.  AUeda  Sharpe.  They  have  one  child.  Frank 
S.     He  has  been  Town  Clerk,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

GEORGE  W.  WHITNEY.  M.  D.,  Centralia,  was  born  in  Cum- 
berland Co.,  Me.,  April  12,  1833.  Was  educated  in  Portland.  Grad- 
uated at  Maine  Medical  School  in  1854.  Practiced  at  the  Marine  Hos- 
pital, Boston,  previous  to  coming  to  Grand  Rapids  in  1855.  Was  the 
firgt  physician  who  settled  here.  Was  married,  June  20,  1S57,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Anson,  of  Portland,  Me.  She  died  July  24,  1863,  leaving  one 
child,  Willis,  who  was  born  July  23,  1863.  Was  married,  July,  1865, 
to  Miss  Emily  Hanson,  by  whom  they  have  one  son  living.  Max. 

MARSHFIELD. 

This  is  a  post-village  in  town  of  Marshfield,  county  of 
Wood,  located  on  Section  8,  Town  25,  Range  3  east,  with  a 
population  of  about  800.  The  town  and  village  take  their 
name  from  J.  J.  Marsh,  of  New  York,  who  was  the  owner 
of  the  greater  part  of  the  town,  but  who  has  since  disposed 
of  nearly  all  of  it. 

In  April,  1871,  two  brothers,  named  Louis  and  Frank 
Rivers,  settled  here,  coming  from  Necedah,  Juneau  Co., 
this  State.  They  purchased  from  Marsh  a  large  portion  of 
the  present  village,  and  toward  the  latter  part  of  April  built 
the  first  log  house  in  the  village.  This  house  was  located 
upon  the  site  of  the  present  depot  of  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral Road,  and  was  used  by  the  Rivers  as  a  dwelling,  store 
and  tavern.  In  June,  1 87 1 ,  the  brothers  were  joined  by  Peter 
McGingan,  who  also  opened  a  small  store  and  saloon. 
During  this  year,  there  were  a  number  of  settlers  came  to 
the  village,  and  buildings  began  to  be  put  up  with  a  rush. 

At  this  time  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  Company 
were  constructing  their  present  line,  and  it  made  the  new 
village  very  lively.  In  September  of  same  year,  the  line 
was  completed  as  far  as  Marshfield,  a  depot  erected,  and 
Mr.  Fred  Buck  appointed  agent.  This  proved  a  great  in- 
centive for  settlers  to  stop  here,  and  it  began  to  fill  up  rap- 
idly. 

In  1872,  Jerry  Couture,  G.  Hoghdon  and  Peter  Bell 
settled  here,  each  building  a  house  and  branching  off  into 
business.  In  1874,  Couture  built  the  first  frame  house  in 
the  village,  on  South  Depot  street.  This  was  the  commence- 
ment of  a  different  style  of  dwellings,  and  during  this  year 
and  1875  the  village  had  no  less  than  twenty-two  frame 
buildings.  Louis  Rivers,  the  pioneer  of  the  village,  says  : 
"  My  brother  and  myself  came  here  in  April,  187 1,  at  the 
time  the  Wisconsin  Central  was  constructing  its  road 
through  this  country,  thinking  it  would  be  a  good  point  for 
lumbering  business,  providing  we  had  good  facilities  for 
shipping.  When  we  came,  there  was  no  one  in  this  region 
at  all,  and  after  we  had  our  bargain  ratified  (over  which  we 
had  some  little  difficulty),  we  concluded  that, as  the  laborers 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


on  the  road  would  soon  reach  our  point,  a  shanty  erected  to 
be  used  as  a  boarding-house  would  not  be  amiss.  We  then 
set  to  work  and  erected  the  first  house  in  the  present  vil- 
lage. This  we  used  as  our  dwelling,  as  a  tavern,  store  and 
saloon.  We  also  claim  the  credit  of  doing  the  first  lumber- 
ing in  this  section,  in  fact,  the  first  in  the  tov\n  of  Marsh- 
field.  This  was  very  hard,  laborious  work  for  awhile,  as, 
having  no  mill  in  the  town,  we  had  to  haul  it  to  the  railroad 
and  ship  to  De  Pere.  This  was  after  the  road  had  been  com- 
pleted to  this  point." 

In  1S72,  the  post-oflSce  was  established,  and  Louis  Riv- 
ers appointed  Postmaster.  Rivers  acted  in  this  capacity 
until  June,  1S77,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  in- 
cumbent, E.  S.  Renne. 

The  first  school  in  the  village  was  established  in  the 
Summer  of  1S73,  with  Miss  Clara  Davis  as  teacher.  The 
first  couple  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  were 
Louis  Bennett  and  Miss  Florence  Hoghdon,  in  the  Fall  of 
1873.  First  birth  in  the  village  was  Inez  Goodwin,  in  the 
Fall  of  1875.  The  first  death  was  F.  Ludencke,  January, 
1875.  In  1879  the  first  church  was  built,  it  being  erected 
by  the  Catholic  denomination. 

Lumbering  is  the  principal  business  in  Marshfield.  In 
1878,  C.  Upham  &  Brother  built  the  first  saw-mill  in  the 
village,  and  in  August,  1880,  a  large  planing  mill.  The 
average  number  of  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  turned  out  by 
this  firm  alone,  amounts  to  nearly  75,000  feet.  They  have, 
in  connection  with  their  lumbering  business  the  largest 
general  store  in  the  village,  and  employ  altogether  about 
150  hands. 

This  same  year  the  Webster  Manufacturing  Stock  Com- 
pany, of  Menasha,  built  a  large  hub  and  spoke  factory,  em- 
ploying about  twenty  men  and  boys.  They  ship  on  an  av- 
erage, seven  cars  per  week. 

A  stave  mill,  built  by  Messrs.  Simms  &  Brother,  in  1881, 
is  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  whole  State,  and  em- 
ploys some  sixty-two  hands.  In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year 
a  grist  mill  was  built,  with  two  run  of  stone,  which  are 
driven  by  an  engine  of  thirty  horse-power. 

In  August  of  this  same  year,  1880,  the  Post-office  was 
converted  into  a  money-order  office,  the  first  order  issued 
being  to  John  Cole,  for  $22.50,  on  the  second  day  of  Au- 
gust, 1880.  The  first  one  was  received  by  A.  C.  Miner, 
.\ugust  23,  and  called  for  $8.90. 

Since  1872  the  village  has  grown  wonderfully.  At  that 
time  there  were  but  one  or  two  stores,  poor  ones  at  that, 
and  at  the  present  time  there  are  sixteen,  consisting  of  gen- 
eral stores,  drug  store,  hardware  stores,  and  furniture  and 
clothing  stores. 

There  are  two  district  schools,  with  still  another  in  pro- 
cess of  building  which  will  cost  the  sum  of  $3,500 — the  last 
one,  built  in  1877,  costing  $1,400. 

The  Marshfield  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  was  es- 
tablished on  the  first  day  of  January,  1880,  and  does  a  reg- 
ular banking  and  exchange  business.  It  is  a  branch  of  the 
Clark  County    Bank,  which  was   establisbtd,   October  16, 


1874.  The  Marshfield  Bank  has  for  its  officers:  Presi- 
dent, Levi  Archer,  and  Cashier,  L.  A.  Arnold. 

This  village  is  still  under  town  government,  having  nev- 
er been  incorporated. 

The  village  supports  one  weekly  paper,  edited  by  the 
founder  of  the  Centralia  Enterprise,  C.  H.  Clark,  called  the 
Marshfield  Tribune.  The  initial  sheet  of  the  Tribune  was 
issued  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  October,  1879,  and  it 
has  proved  to  be  a  great  success,  being  a  fresh,  newsy  pa- 
per, well  edited,  giving  all  the  county  news,  as  well  as  fur- 
nishing a  well  recapitulated  list  of  the  current  items  of  the 
day.  The  Tribune  is  independent  in  its  politics,  and  broad 
enough  in  its  views  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting.  Mr. 
Clark,  the  editor  and  proprietor,  has  long  been  identified 
with  the  Wood  County  press,  having  established  the  Cen- 
tralia Enterprise,  May  22,  1879,  which  he  afterward  sold  to 
Judge  Henry  Hayden,  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  Sep- 
tember, same  year. 

The  village  of  Marshfield  supports  three  congregations, 
the  Catholic,  Presbyterians  and  German  Lutherans.  The 
Catholic  Church  was  built  in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500. 
This  denomination  has  a  membership  at  the  present  time  of 
about  100  families.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Father 
Schuttlehofier,  who  delivered  his  first  sermon  in  August, 
1878.  He  was  succeeded  in  August,  1881,  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Scholler,  the  present  pastor.  It  is  owing,  in  a  great 
measure,  to  the  energy  and  never-flagging  efforts  of  Father 
SchuttlehofTer,  that  the  church  was  built  and  paid  for. "The 
name  of  this  worthy  man  will  long  be  held  in  grateful  re- 
membrance by  this  church,  for  his  zealous  and  untiring 
efforts  to  establish  the  church  on  a  solid  basis.  The  value 
of  church  property  is  estimated  at  $4,000. 

The  Presbyterians  are  well  represented  in  the  village, 
although  as  yet  they  have  not  erected  a  place  of  worship. 
They  have,  however,  purchased  an  eligible  site,  and  are 
making  preparations  for  the  building  of  a  church  that  will 
cost  them  from  $1,900  to  $2,000.  The  church  numbers 
about  sixty  members,  who  hold  their  services  in  school- 
house  No.  I,  being  visited  every  second  Sunday  by  the  Rev. 
L.  F.  Brickels,  who  alternates  between  here  and  Auburn- 
dale. 

The  Lutheran  denomination  was   organized   in   April, 

1880,  and  up  to  the  present  time  have  been  compelled  to 
hold  their  services  wherever  most    convenient.     In    June, 

1881,  they  commenced  to  build  a  house  of  worship,  but 
have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  complete  it.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Ungrodt,  of  Medford,  officiates  for  this  congregation  once 
each  month.  When  the  church  building  is  completed,  it 
will  cost  about  $700. 

The  Rivers  House,  a  large  square  frame  hotel,  was  built 
in  1880,  by  L.  Reeves,  at  a  cost  of  $6,500.  It  has  rooms  to 
accommodate  about  sixty  guests,  is  well  situated,  and  re- 
markably well  managed. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 
JAMES  W.  BEATTIE,  warehouseman,  Marshfield.     Was  born  in 
Claylon.Winnebago  Co.,  Wis.,  April  2S,  1S53;  l'\«<5  ihereever  since, until 
December,  iSSo,  when  he  came  to  Marshfield.  Has  followed  farming  and 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


well-drilling,  and  is  now  preparing  to  engage  in  general  warehouse  busi- 
ness at  Marshfield,  with  N.  Blau.  Was  married,  Oct.  i8,  1876,  to  Miss 
Loraine  Babcock,  of  Clayton,  Wis.  They  have  two  children,  Jessie  O. 
and  Florence  E.  His  father,  Isaac  Beattie,  came  to  Clayton  in  1844,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  there.  He  died  Nov.  4,  1872.  Mother  still 
lives  on  the  old  homestead. 

NICHOLAS  BLAU,  warehouseman,  Marshfield.  Was  born  in  the 
Rhine  Province,  Nov.  2,  1841.  He  came  to  the  United  States,  and  set- 
tled in  Calumet  Co.,  Wis.,  in  March,  1866,  and  worked  at  farming,  also 
as  stone  mason  at  Clifton,  Has  been  in  the  employ  of  J.  Symes  &  Bro., 
for  the  past  nine  years,  at  Sherwood,  Calumet  Co.,  until  February  last, 
when  he  came  to  Marshfield,  to  superintend  the  building  of  their  stave 
factory.  Has  now  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  W.  Beattie,  to  build  and 
operate  a  grain  and  general  warehouse  at  Marshfield.  He  was  married, 
April  12,  l868.  to  Miss  Lena  Marx,  of  Calumet  County.  Have  five  chil- 
dren— Nicholas,  John,  Jacob,  Mary  G.  and  Jennie  L.  His  father, 
Bernhardt  Blau,  was  a  wine  grower,  and  died  a  few  years  ago,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  years. 

WILLIAM  A.  CAIN,  architect  and  builder,  Marshfield.  Came  to 
Marshfield  in  August  1880,  from  Arcadia,  Trempealeau  Co.  He  was 
born  in  Ornville,  Piscataquis  Co.,  Me.,  March  19,  1844.  His  father, 
William  F.  Cain,  moved,  in  1855,  to  Waupaca  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he 
bought  a  farm,  on  which  he  still  resides.  William  A.  enlisted  in  Co.  B, 
38th  Wis.  V.  I.,  Feb.  23,  1S64,  and  received  liis  discharge  in  November, 
1865.  He  was  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  in  every  battle, 
from  that  of  Spottsylvania  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war,  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  at  Oshkosh,  and  has  worked  at  it  ever  since, 
but  principally  as  architect  and  builder.  He  was  married.  Nov.  28, 1868, 
to  Miss  Delia  S.  Davids,  of  Amherst,  Wis.  She  was  born  in  West 
Poultney,  Vt.,  Nov.  2,  1847.  He  has  built  nearly  all  the  depots  on  the 
G.  B.  &  M.  R.  R.  Has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Arcadia,  and  is  at 
present  holding  that  ofiice  in  Marshfield. 

CHARLES  H.  CLARK,  publisher  of  Marshfield  Times.  Wasborn 
in  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.,  July  4,  1842.  His  mother  died  in  1846,  and  his 
father  moved  to  DeKalb  Co.,  111.,  in  1849,  then  to  Milwaukee  in  1852, 
then  to  Manistee.  Mich.,  where  his  father  died  in  1868.  Charles  H.had 
no  opportunities  for  an  education,  his  father  living  nearly  all  the  time  on 
the  frontier.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  commenced  to  learn  the  cooper's 
trade,  and  worked  at  it  eight  years,  then  inspected  lumber  about  six 
years,  and  was  in  a  drug  store.  In  1S76,  he  started  the  Ceniennia/ news- 
paper, at  Waterloo,  Neb.  ;  then  next  year  moved  to  Craig,  Mo.,  and  for 
two  years  published  the  Craig  Enterptist.  Came  to  Centralia,  Wis.,  in 
1879,  and  started  the  Enterprise,  as  an  independent  paper  ;  sold  out  to 
Judge  Hayden  some  six  months  after  ;  then  came  to  Marshfield  and  pub- 
lished the  Marshfield  Times,  also  the  WooJ  Courtly  Herald,  a  German 
paper,  both  Republican.  The  Herald  is  no  longer  published,  but  he  has 
just  started  an  independent  paper  in  Cumberland,  Barron  Co.  Was  mar- 
ried, Oct.  4,  1863,  to  Miss  Elnora  A.  Taylor,  of  Newbury,  Wis.  Have 
one  child,  Ida  May.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow. 

CHARLES  A.  COON,  bookkeeper,  Marshfield,  son  of  E.  W.  Ward 
and  Marcia  M.  Coon,  was  born  at  Palmyra,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  25, 

1856.  His  father  was  a  merchant  and  hotel  keeper,  formerly  from 
Honeoye  Falls, N.Y  Charles  received  a  common  and  high  school  education 
at  Palmyra,  and  afterward  attended  Milton  College  a  short  time.  He  com- 
menced teaching  at  the  age  of  sixteen.and  in  1875  came  to  Marshfield  and 
taught  school  for  three  years  near  Nasonville.  Since  then  has  been  en- 
gaged as  bookkeeper,  with  C.  M.  Upham  &  Bro.  He  was  married,  24th 
of  April,  1878.  to  Miss  Ella  McShane,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Have  one  child, 
Marcia.     He  is  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  Clerk. 

ARTHUR  E.  DEMING,  attorney  at  Marshfield,  was  bom  at  Vien- 
na, Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  March  29,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Betsy 
Fisher  Deming,  who  still  reside  on  their  farm  in  Vienna.  He  received  a 
common  school  and  acadamic  education.  Taught  school  two  terms. 
Studied  law  with  Burr  Jones,  Esq.,  of  Madison,  and  pursued  the  full 
course  in  the  law  school,  and  was  graduated  at  the  State  University  at 
Madison.  He  came  to  Marshfield  and  commenced  business  as  an  attor- 
ney, Feb.  20,  1880. 

SYLVESTER  EVANS,  station  agent  for  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road, Marshfield,  was  born  in  Skictz,  Germany,  June  4,  1857.  John 
Evans,  his  father,  moved  tothe  United  States  and  settled  at  Iron  Ridge, 
Wis.,  April.  1869.  Sylvester  Evans  has  been  connected  with  the  Wis- 
consin Central  Railroad  about  four  years,  three  years  of  which  at  Marsh- 
field.  He  was  married,  June  13,  1878,  to  Miss  Kate  Hartz,  of  Charleston, 
Mich.      Have  two  children,  Theresa  and  Mary. 

LOUIS  J.  GLASS,  attorney,  Marshfield,  was  born  at  Charleston, 
Mass.,    Feb.  20,  1846.     His  father,  Peter  Glass,  moved  to   Wisconsin  in 

1857,  and  settled  in  Sheboygan  County,  where  he  still  resides.  Louis  J., 
enlisted  in  the  Spring  of  1S62,  in  Co.  G,  6lst  111.  V.  I.  and  received  his  dis- 
charge, Aug.  20, 1S65.  He  attended  the  Chicago  Law  School  one  year, 
and  studied  law  with  Frisbie  &  Weill,  at  West  Bend.  Was  married,  Aug. 
24,  1868,  to  Miss  Carnelia  E.  Trumbull,  of  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.  Have  six 
children — Fred,  Frank,  Robert,  Elmer,  Laura,  and  Maiicn.  Mc^cd  10 
Neillsville,  Clark  County,  was  appointed  Cleik  of  Circuit  Court  ofClaik 


County,  to  fill  vacancy  in  1875,  and  was  elected  to  the  same  office  for  the 
years  iS76-'77.  Commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Marshfield,  March 
27,  18S0.  Have  charge  of  the  interests  of  the  Fox  &  Wisconsin  Im- 
provement Company,  for  the  sale  of  their  lands  in  Wood  County  and  the 
southern  portion  of  Marathon  County. 

O.  F.  HARKNESS,  artesian  well-driller,  Marshfield.  Was  born  in 
Springfield,  Bradford  Co.,  Penn.,  June  to,  1841.  His  father,  George  H. 
Harkness,  moved  to  Wisconsin  in  1847,  and  settled  in  Fond  du  Lac 
County,  afterward  moved  to  Royalton,  Waupaca  Co.,  where  he  died. 
O.  F.  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  14th  Wis.  V.,  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  received  his  dis- 
charge Oct.  15,  1865.  Was  with  Grant-in  the  Western  department ; 
was  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh ;  at  the  second  battle  of  Corinth.  He  was 
detailed  as  wagon-master  in  1863,  and  continued  in  that  position  about 
eighteen  months  and  was  a  while  after  detailed  as  chief  division  forage- 
master  of  the  17th  Army  Corps,  which  position  he  held  the  last  twelve 
months  he  was  in  the  army.  After  the  war,  returned  to  Wisconsin  and 
engaged  in  lumbering  for  about  two  years;  then  followed  farming  until 
1873,  when  he  commenced  in  the  well-drilling  business.  He  was  mar- 
ried, March  5,  1866,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Kendrick,  of  Appleton.  They 
have  three  children — Frank,  Fred  and  James.  Mr.  H.  is  at  present 
Chairman  of  the  Town  Board  of  Marshfield. 

ANTON  HOERSCH, furniture  dealer,  Marshfield.  Came  to  Marsh- 
field, from  Oshkosh,  July,  1S77.  He  was  born  at  Polg,  Rhine  Province, 
May  II,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Mathias  and  Anna  Maria  Hoersch.  He 
came  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  July,  1872;  stayed  there  about  six  months,  then 
came  to  Sherwood,  Wis.,  and  has  also  worked  at  Appleton,  Menasha  and 
Fond  du  Lac  and  Oshkosh,  at  his  trade  of  cabinet  maker,  which  was 
the  trade  of  his  father  and  his  grandfather  also.  He  was  married,  Sept. 
22,  1S74,  to  Miss  Margaret  Best,  of  Sherwood.  They  have  three  boys — 
Mark,  Joseph  and  John. 

GEORGE  E.  INGALLS,  news  office  and  restaurant,  Marshfield, 
Wis.,  son  of  S.  E.  and  Fanny  Ingalls.  Was  born  in  Concord,  Jefferson 
Co.,  Wis.,  Sept.  13,  1850.  Commenced  business  at  Unity,  as  head  saw- 
yer in  a  saw- mill ;  remained  there  five  years,  during  which  time,  how- 
ever, he  spent  a  Summer  in  Kansas;  then  came  to  Marshfield,  and  was 
employed  as  clerk  for  Upham  &  Bro.,  for  two  years;  then  commenced 
his  present  business.  He  was  married,  April  l5,  1872,  to  Miss  Jennie 
Gaston,  of  Concerd,  Wis. 

ALONZO  KEYES,  groceries,  restaurant  and  fruit,  Marshfield. 
Was  born  in  Virgil.  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  5,  1829.  Came  to  Wau- 
pun.  Wis.,  in  185 1  ;  was  employed  at  drilling  wells  for  three  years,  also 
at  other  employment.  Enlisted  in  the  Fall  of  1S63,  in  Co  A,  32d  Wis. 
V. ;  was  transferred  to  Co.  A,  of  the  i6th  Regt.;  received  his  discharge 
July,  1865  ;  was  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea.  In  1872,  went 
to  Winneconne  and  worked  on  railroad  ;  came  to  Marshfield  injanuary, 
1877,  for  two  years.  The  last  two  years,  has  been  a  dealer  in  groceries 
and  fruits,  in  connection  with  restaurant.  Was  married,  Aug.  20,  1S67, 
to  Miss  Maria  Graves,  of  Waupun.  Have  two  children,  George  W.  and 
Ada  Belle. 

FRANK  S.  KIRKLAND,  Attorney,  Marshfield. 

Joseph  H.  Kirkland  came  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1846,  and 
settled  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.  He  engaged  in  shipping  and  transporta- 
tion. He  modeled  the  famous  steamer  "Fountain' City,"  built  and  owned 
her,  and  to  this  day  she  is  a  pattern  of  beauty,  and  as  a  sea  boat  still 
plies  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago.  He  built  the  first  grain  elevator  in  She- 
boygan, or  in  that  part  of  the  State.  He  also  built  the  first  plank  road 
from  Lake  Michigan  to  Fond  du  Lac,  and  some  time  after,  although  a 
source  of  revenue,  gave  it  to  the  county,  with  the  provision  only  that  it  be 
kept  in  order.  He  was  the  principal  actor  and  first  president  of  the 
Sheboygan  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  the  first  Mayor  of  the  city  of  She- 
boygan, and  it  was  principally  to  his  energy  and  influence  that  Sheboy- 
gan took  such  a  start  in  public  works.  He  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y., 
March,  30.  i8l8;  was  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College.  His  father's  family 
founded  Kirkland  Hall  at  Hamilton  College.  He  had  four  children — 
Frank  S.,  now  attorney  in  Marshfield,  Wis.;  Catharine,  now  Mrs.  Thos. 
Hogan,  of  La  Crosse  ;  Edith,  now  Mrs.  L.  W.  Pruss,  of  McGregor,  Iowa, 
and  Charies.  still  with  his  parents. 

HENRY  N.  MAURER,  stave  manufacturer,  Marshfield,  wasborn 
in  Columbus,  Ohio,  Nov.  23,  1851.  He  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Eliza- 
beth Maurer,  who  came  some  years  before  from  Pennsylvania.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Richmond.  About  the  time  he 
reached  his  majority  Mr.  Maurer  became  manager  for  Syme  Bros.,  man- 
ufacturers of  flour  barrel  staves  and  headings.  He  has  recently  become 
a  partner,  as  well  as  manager,  and  in  that  capacity  has  come  to  Marsh- 
field to  superintend  the  erection  of  a  new  stave  factory  that  Syme  Bros. 
&  Maurer  are  building  at  Marshfield. 

ALBERT  C.  MINER,  druggist,  came  to  Marshfield  from  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  in  March,  18S0,  and  bought  out  a  small  drug  stock  from  C.  H. 
Clark.  He  was  born  in  Harrison,  Dec.  n,  1S51,  went  to  Keokuk  in 
1869,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  store.  Was  married  Feb.  21,  1878,  to 
Miss  Louisa  Ttbelman,  of  Keokuk;  have  one  child,  Alice  Louisa.  In 
the  Fall  of  1878,  went  to  Omaha;  remained  over  one  year;  then  re- 
turned to  Keokuk,  thence  to  Marshfield,  Wis.   His  father,  Henry  Miter, 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


was  a  dealer  in  hardware  and   cutlery   in   Cincinnati,   Ohio.     He  died 
Oct.  17,  1871.     His  mother  is  still  living  at  the  old  homestead. 

HERMANN  J.  PANKOW,  photographer,  Marshfield,  came  to 
Marshfield,  June  4,  1879.  He  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Dodge  Co.,  Wis., 
April  27,  1847.  His  father  came  to  Dodge  County  from  Germany  in 
1843;  he  is  now  pastor  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church  in  Lebanon. 
Herman  was  married  Nov.  8,  1875,  to  Miss  Ottilie  Schelpeper,  of  Addi- 
son, Washington  Co.,  Wis.  Have  four  children— Ella,  Alma,  Ottilie 
and  Agnes.  He  has  been  a  photographer  since  1869.  He  built  and 
owns  the  Central  Hotel,  and  ran  it  about  two  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Marshfield  Brass  Band. 

M.  J.  POWERS,  general  superintendent  of  Henry  .Sherry's  steam 
saw-mill,  near  Marshfield,  was  born  in  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  20, 
1843.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and  Ellen  (Harney)  Powers,  farmers,  still 
living  in  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  came  to  Neenah,  Wis.,  in  1864,  and 
engaged  in  lumbering  for  Armstrong,  of  Neenah,  and  worked  for  him 
four  years.  Since  186S,  has  been  in  the  service  of  his  present  employer. 
EDWARD  S.  RENNE,  Postmaster  and  druggist,  Marshfield,  was 
born  near  Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  27th  June,  1855.  His 
father,  Henry  Renne,  moved  to  the  town  of  York,  Clark  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
lS6i,  where  he  died  in  1864.  He  had  no  facilities  for  an  education,  as 
he  lived  on  the  frontier.  He  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store  and 
post-office  at  Nasonville  some  time  ;  then  came  to  Marshfield  in  March, 
1877,  and  in  July  of  the  same  year  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Marsh- 
field, which  office  he  still  holds.  He  also  keeps  a  stock  of  drugs  and 
groceries.  He  was  married,  Oct.  I,  1876,  to  Miss  Lottie  A.  Parkill,  of 
Keene,  Wis.  Have  had  three  children,  only  one  of  which,  Delia,  is  liv- 
ing.     Mr.  Renne  is  Chairman  of  the  Town  Board. 

JOSEPH  RUMANOFF,  hardware  merchant,  Marshfield,  came  to 
Marshfield  in  August,  1S77,  from  Sherwood.  Was  born  in  Kreutzler, 
Germany,  Oct.  5,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Katharina  Ruma- 
noff ;  is  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1S66.  Lived 
a  year  at  Hollandtown,  Calumet  Co.;  then  went  to  Green  Bay  ;  then 
hved  four  years  in  Vinland,  Winnebago  Co.;  then  to  Sherwood.  Com- 
menced in  the  hardware  business  at  Auburndale,  in  April,  1877,  and  in 
August  of  the  same  year  came  to  Marshfield.  Was  married,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1872,  to  Miss  Magdalena  Brandmeyer,  of  Sherwood.  They  have 
four  children — Andrew,  Christiana,  Maggie  and  Frank. 

JOHN  H.  RUSSELL,  engineer,  Marshfield,  was  born  in  Canada, 
Feb.  I,  1833.  In  1834,  his  father  moved  to  Clarence  Hollow,  Erie  Co., 
N.  Y.,  where  they  lived  until  1845,  when  they  removed  to  Westfield, 
Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.  Then  to  Milton,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1848. 
Lived  there  three  years  ;  then  moved  to  Dakota,  Waushara  Co.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three,  he  learned  engineering.  Has  followed  this  busi- 
ness at  Madison  and  Milwaukee.  In  1877,  he  Went  to  farming,  in 
Clark  County,  which  he  followed  four  years,  and  in  the  Fall  of  1880 
came  to  Marshfield  as  engineer  for  Upham  &  Bro.  He  was  married, 
.April  2,  1858,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Reifsnider.  They  have  seven  children 
— Fred,  Mary,  John,  Hilda,  Jessie,  Vincie  and  Neva. 

ERNST  G.  SCHMIDT  came  to  Marshfield  in  the  Spring  of  1880; 
is  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise.  He  was  born  in  Saxony,  May  18, 
1835.  Came  to  the  United  States  in  i860.  Came  to  Port  Huron,  Mich.; 
thence  to  Milwaukee.  Remained  there  ten  years,  then  went  to  White 
River,  Mich.;  then  came  to  Marshfield,  Wis.  He  was  married,  in  1867, 
to  Miss  Catherine  Dornhardt,  of  Milwaukee.  Has  six  children— Henry, 
Rosa,  Katie,  Joseph,  Ernestine  and  Ernest.  Has  been  engaged  most  of 
the  time  in  mercantile  business.  Kept  a  hotel  part  of  the  time  while  in 
Michigan. 

CHARLES  SCHNEIDER,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Marsh- 
field, was  born  at  Vargenten,  in  Mecklenburg  Schwerin,  Oct  4,  1845. 
He  is  a  son  of  August  and  Mary  (Schmidt)  Schneider,  who  are  still  liv- 
ing in  the  old  country.  He  attendedthe  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
then  for  a  while  the  university  at  Berlin.  Served  four  years  in  the  hospital 
.-crvice  in  the  army,  then  at  a  school  in  Russtock,  after  which  he  studied 
and  practiced  medicine  with  Dr.  Schenen,  of  the  city  of  Magin.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1873,  and  located  in  the  city  of  New  York,  then 
into  the  country  near  there,  and  in  1876,  came  to  Milwaukee,  lived 
there  about  two  years,  then  to  Delafield,  Waukesha  Co.  and  to 
Longwood,  Clark  Co.,  and  in  June,  1880,  to  Marshfield.  He  was 
married,  Oct.  15,  1880,  to  Miss  Demarest  Lumbert,  of  Marshfield. 

CHARLES  E.  SMITH,  filer  and  machinist,  Marshfield,  was  born 
in  Wrightslown,  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  Feb.  9,  1858.  His  father.  Barber 
Smith,  came  from  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  about  1856.  They  moved  to 
Kaukauna,  Outagamie  Co.,  in  1868,  then  to  Milladore,  Wood  Co., 
where  they  own  and  operate,  a  stave,  shingle  and  lath  mill.  Charles  E. 
moved  to  Marshfield  in  September,  1880,  is  a  filer  and  machinist  by 
trade.  He  was  married  in  1879,  to  Miss  LottieSnider,  of  Granville, 
Milwaukee  Co.,  Wis.     They  have  one  child,  Elmer. 

CHARLES  S.  SMITH,  foreman  for  Upham  Bros.,  Marshfield, 
has  been  at  Marshfield  since  May,  1878.  He  was  born  in  Lexington, 
Mass.,  March  17,  1822,  left  Massachusetts  in  1848,  and  came  to  Milwau- 
kee; is    a  mason  by  trade,  at  which  he  worked  until  1855,  when  he  wen 


to  Branch,  Manitowoc  Co.,  as  a  foreman  in  a  saw-mill,  remained  there 
eight  years,  then  went  three  miles  above  there,  and  bought  a  shingle  and 
sawmill,  which  he  ran  forabout  two  years,  then  went  to  Glenmore,  Brown 
Co.,  and  in  October,  1871,  went  to  Angelica,  Shawano  Co.,  built 
a  saw-mill  there,  and  in  1878,  came  to  Marshfield.  He  was  married. 
May,  1845,  to  Miss  Caroline  Wright,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.  Have  three 
children — Sumner  C,  now  in  Denver,  Col.,  Austin,  and  lustain. 

MARVIN  SMITH,  engineer,  Marshfield,  was  born  in  Ephratah, 
Fulton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  13,  1839.  About  1851,  the  family  moved  to 
Farmington,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  worked  on  the  farm  until  the  age  of 
fifteen,  when  he  learned  to  bean  engineer,  which  occupation  he  has  ever 
since  followed,  at  Farmington  four  years,  at  Watertown  two  years,  Wau- 
paca six  years,  and  on  the  Fox  and  Wolf  rivers,  at  Winneconne,  from  1870 
to  1876,  at  Little  Eau  Plaine  two  years,  and  since  then  at  Marshfield.  Was 
married,  Nov.  14,  1861,  to  Miss  Augusta  Vanduzee,  of  Waupaca.  Wis. 

EDWARD  J.  SPRAGUE,  salesman,  Marshfield,  was  born  at  Two 
Rivers,  Wis.,  Feb.  16,  1849,  His  father,  James  M.  Sprague,  was  engaged 
in  lumbering  there.  The  family  removed  to  Racine  in  iS6o,|but  continued 
the  business  at  Two  Rivers.  Edward  received  his  education  at  Racine; 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  about  four  years,  then  went  to  Angelica, 
Shawano  Co..  as  salesman  for  CM.  Upham  &  Bro.,  has  remained  with 
them  ever  since.  Removed  to  Marshfield.  when  they  transferred  their 
business  from  Angelica  to  Marshfield.  He  was  married,  Aug.  14,  1878, 
to  Miss  Louisa  Heine,  of  Stockbridge,  Wis.     Have  one  child.  Earl. 

WILLIAM  H.  UPHAM,  lumberman,  Marshfield,  was  born  in  West- 
minster, Mass.,  May  3,  1842.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Alvin  Up- 
ham, the  family  moved,  in  1851,  to  Racine,  Wis.  His  mother  died  in 
1878.  He  received  his  common  and  high  school  education  at  Racine. 
In  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  of  the  2d  Wis.  I. ;  was  badly 
wounded  (shot  through  the  left  lung)  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July 
21,  1861 ;  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  the  old  tobacco-factory 
prison  at  Richmond,  until  March,  1862,  the  week  of  the  "  Monitor  fight." 
He  was  appointed  by  Pres.  Lincoln,  in  June,  a  cadet  to  West  Point.  He 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1866.  Was  officer  of  the  guard  over 
Jeff.  Davis,  while  prisoner  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  first  lieutenant  of  artillery.  He  resigned  his  position  in 
the  army,  in  November,  1869,  and  soon  after  went  to  Kewaunee,  Wis., 
where  he  remained  about  a  year;  then,  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
C.  M.  Upham,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Angelica,  Shaw- 
ano Co.,  Wis.  There  this  firm  continued  in  business  until  in  1878,  when 
they  bought  lands  and  built  mills  and  a  store,  and  transferred  their  busi- 
ness to  Marshfield.  Mr.  W.  H.  Upham  was  married  Dec.  19,  1867,  to 
Miss  Mary  C.  Kelly,  daughter  of  James  H.  Kelly,  Esq.,  of  Racine. 
They  have  two  children,  Elsie  and  Carrie.  Mr.  Upham  is  one  of  the 
corporators  and  the  business  manager  of  the  proposed  Neillsville  & 
Marshfield  Railroad.  He  has  furnished  a  room  and  started  a  public 
library  and  reading  room.  This  library  has  been  largely  increased  by  a 
donation  of  books  from  Mr.  J.  J.  Marsh  of  Haverhill,  Mass.,  for  whom 
the  town  was  named. 

FRED.  VOLLMAR,  member  of  the  firm  of  Dorschel  &  Co.,  gen- 
eral merchandise,  came  to  Marshfield  from  Chilton,  Wis.,  and  com- 
menced business  here,  Oct.  25,  iSSo.  He  was  born  in  Waterloo  Co., 
Canada,  March  11,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Catherine  (Kumpf) 
Vollmar,  who  came  from  the  Rhine  Provinces  to  Canada.  They  still 
live  in  Canada.  He  came  to  "  the  States,"  July  6,  1876,  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Dorschel,  of  Chilton,  as  clerk  for  a  while  ;  afterward  be- 
came a  member  of  the  finn  of  Dorschel  &  Co. 

FRED.  D.  WATERMAN,  filer,  Marshfield,  was  born  in  Norwich, 
Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  18,  1848.  His  father,  Henry  Waterman,  died  in 
1866,  and,  in  :868,  he  left  home  and  came  to  Oshkosh,  and  was  employed 
in  saw-mill  as  sawyer,  for  the  last  four  years  as  filer.  Was  married.  May 
4,  1872,  to  Miss  Eva  Miner,  of  Oshkosh.  Have  two  children,  Maud  and 
Myra.    Came  to  Sherry's  Mill,  near  Marshfield,  April  16,  i88l. 

M.  H.  WHEELER,  general  superintendent  of  company  store,  was 
born  in  Rutland,  Mass.,  Aug.  :8,  1851.  After  the  death  of  his  father 
in  1853,  the  family  removed  to  Westminster,  Mass.,  where  his  mother 
died  in  1S67.  In  the  Spring  of  1872,  he  came  to  Racine,  Wis. ;  thence, 
in  a  short  time,  to  Shawano,  Shawano  Co.,  Wis.  Was  in  the  employ  of 
Upham  &  Russel.  Came  to  Marshfield,  in  October,  1S79,  as  general  super- 
intendent of  Upham  &  Bro.'s  store.  He  was  married  May  26,  1875  to 
Miss  Cora  A.  Kelly,  daughter  of  James  H.  Kelly,  Esq.,  of  Racine,  Wis. 
They  have  three  children — Herbert  M.,  Rae  E.  and  William  D. 

ELI  E.  WINCH,  superintendent  hub  and  spoke  factory,  at  Marsh- 
field, for  the  Webster  Manufacturing  Company  of  Menasha  ;  also  in 
charge  of  all  their  business  west  of  Stevens  Point.  He  was  born,  April 
20,  1848,  in  Wilmington,  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Samuel  R.  Winch, 
was  born  at  the  same  place,  April  18,  1S21.  In  1856  the  family  removed 
to  Illinois,  and  in  November  of  the  same  year  came  to  Rubicon,  Dodge 
Co.,  Wis.,  from  there  to  Fond  du  Lac,  where  he  remained  five  years, 
then  to  Charleston,  Calumet  Co.,  where  he  follows  fanning.  Eli  E. 
commenced  to  work  for  the  company,  at  Menasha,  in  1872.  Worked 
before  that  at  Fond  du  Lac  about  seven  years.      He  was  married,  Goto- 


HISTORY   OF    WOOD   COUNTY. 


ber28,  1877,  to  Miss  Orpha  Willey,  of  Fond  du  Lac.      Have  two  chil- 
dren. 

LUMAN  D.  WOOD,  engineer,  Marshfield,  son  of  Edmond  and 
Huldah  Burtcli  Wood,  was  born  at  Brownstown,  Mich.,  March  20, 
1848.  His  father,  who  was  a  master  mechanic  and  millwright,  moved 
to  Wisconsin  in  1851.  and  settled  at  Omro,  where  he  lived  until  1861, 
then  to  Berlin  until  1S76,  then  to  California.  The  son,  L.  D.  Wood, 
enlisted  in  Co.  F,  3d  Wis.  Vols.,  February,  186-),  and  received  his  dis- 
charge. 28th  of  June,  1865.  He  was  detailed  as  hospital  steward  most 
of  the  time  while  in  the  army.  After  the  war,  worked  with  his  father  as 
a  carpenter,  then  learned  engineering.  He  was  married,  in  1871,  to 
Miss  Matilda  Rumble,  of  Uniontown,  Pa.  They  have  one  child  living, 
Ida.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  member  of  the  Temple  of  Honor,  also  of  the  Good 
Templars. 

AUBURNDALE. 

The  village  of  Aiiburndale  was  first  settled  by  William 
St.  Thomas,  in  April,  1871,  when  he  built  a  claim  shanty, 
and  commenced  to  clear  his  land  for  cultivation.  The 
first  men  to  make  improvements  of  a  permanent  and  pro- 
gressive character,  were  two  brothers,  John  and  Robert 
Connor,  who  came  in  May  of  same  year.  The  first  dwell- 
ing at  all  resembling  a  house,  was  built  by  John  Connor,  in 
June.  The  Connors,  being  purchasers  of  a  large  amount 
of  the  property  in  this  section,  drew  up  a  plan  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  proceeded  to  lay  it  out.  They  also  opened  a 
general  store.  In  1872,  the  village  was  farther  improved 
by  the  erection  of  a  saw-mill  by  Messrs.  F.  W.  Kingsbury 
&  Bro.  This  mill  did  a  lively  business  until  December, 
1880,  when  it  was  completely  destroyed  by  fire.  Another 
saw-mill  was  erected  in  the  Summer  of  1S74,  by  Messrs. 
Hoskins  &  Roe,  who  ran  it  until  the  Winter  of  1876,  when 
they  sold  it  to  R.  Connor,  who  has  owned  and  operated  it 
ever  since.  In  1878  he  built  a  planing  mill,  to  run  in  con- 
nection with  the  saw-mill.  The  average  amount  of  lumber 
turned  out  from  Connor's  mill,  per  year,  is  10,000,000  feet. 
R.  Connor  vk^as  obliged,  on  account  of  the  great  increase  of 
business,  to  enlarge  his  store  in  1874.  In  1875  he  erected 
upon  the  same  site,  a  large  frame  building,  putting  in  a 
large  stock  of  goods.  In  1877  he  was  again  compelled  to 
enlarge,  this  time  building  an  addition  to  his  new  building. 
The  line  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  passing  through 
this  region  in  September,  1871,  made  it  a  good  point  for 
lumbering  business,  and  the  village  has  "boomed"  ever 
since  first  settlement.. 

One  of  the  first  things  attended  to  by  the  Connors 
Brothers,  on  their  arrival  at  this  place,  was  to  petition  the 
Post-office  department,  at  Washington,  to  establish  an  office 
at  this  point,  which  was  finally  done  in  June,  1873,  and 
Mr.  John  Connor  appointed  first  Postmaster.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded, June,  1874,  by  his  brother,  Robert  Connor,  who 
has  remained  in  office  ever  since. 

On  the  completion  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Road 
through  the  village,  they  erected  a  station  and  established 
a  telegraph  and  express  office. 

In  1873,  the  first  school  was  established,  with  Miss 
Waters  as  first  teacher,  the  school  being  held  in  a  small 
house  erected  for  the  purpose.  In  1876,  this  house  was 
decided  as  being  too  small  to  accommodate  the  number  of 
scholars  living  within  the  limits,  and  in  1877  another  one 
was  built,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500. 

The  Presbyterian  society  was  organized    in    1875,    and 


services  held  in  the  school-house,  and  in  the  following  year 
they  erected  a  small  church  edifice.  The  first  pastor  in 
charge  was  the  Rev.  R.  Fuller,  who  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  pastor,  L.  F.  Brickies. 

The  Catholic  society  was  established  in  the  village  of 
Auburndale  in  1876,  and  was  under  the  pastorate  of  the 
Rev.  Father  Schuttlehoffer,  of  Marshfield,  who  held  services 
here  every  two  weeks.  In  1879,  they  erected  a  church 
building  at  a  cost  of  $400,  which  was  paid  for  by  subscrip- 
tion. 

There  is  a  congregation  of  some  seventy  members  of 
the  German  Lutheran  Church,  who  hold  their  services  in 
the  new  school-house,  presided  over  by  the  Rev.  John 
Schutte. 

The  first  couple  to  be  joined  in  the  holy  bonds  of  mat- 
rimony, were  J.  D.  Vomb  and  Miss  Mollie  Johnson,  on  the 
twentieth  day  of  March,  1875,  at  the  official  word  of  Justice 
Phelps.  The  first  birth  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John 
Connor,  in  April,  1873.  The  first  death  was  John  Wilson, 
killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree. 

As  the  village  grew  in  size  and  importance,  the  neces- 
sity for  its  incorporation  became  apparent,  in  order  that 
such  improvements  might  be  made  as  would  best  advance 
its  interests,  improvements  that  the  town  would  not  con- 
sider. A  preliminary  meeting  to  take  into  consideration  the 
subject  of  incorporation  was  held  on  the  eleven  th  day  of  April , 
1 881.  John  Connor  was  made  chairman  of  the  meeting,  and 
J.  Lusk,  secretary.  At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  that  a  charter 
be  applied  for  from  the  Circuit  Court.  A  draft  of  application 
was  made  out,  also  a  map  of  the  village  plat,  to  be  em- 
braced in  the  application.  The  application  of  the"  citizens 
was  favorably  considered  by  the  court,  and  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  day  of  May  the  village  was  duly  incorporated.  The 
first  election  for  village  officers  being  held  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  day  of  June,  1881,  resulting  in  the  choice  of  J.  Con- 
nor, President;  S.  L.  Smith,  Joseph  Austin,  H.  A.  Bean, 
M.  Cavenaugh,  Louis  Reynolds  and  Jos.  St.  Thomas,  Trus- 
tees; J.  Lusk,  Clerk;  R.  Connor,  Treasurer;  John  R. 
Armeah,  Marshal ;  L.  Reynolds,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
J.  Lusk,  Police  Justice. 

The  village  of  Auburndale  is  just  ten  years  old,  during 
which  time  it  has  grown  very  rapidly.  Mr.  Connor  says: 
"When  I  came  here,  in  1871,  I  thought  it  the  wildest  look- 
ing place  imaginable.  There  was  nothing  but  marsh  on 
that  side  of  the  railroad  where  the  village  now  stands,  and 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  get  through  it.  But,  like  every- 
thing else,  it  takes  energy  and  time  to  build  up  a  place,  and 
while  we  do  not  boast  of  a  handsome  village  with  handsome 
residences,  we  do  demand  a  little  credit  for  our  persever- 
ance in  making  the  village  of  Auburndale  what  it  is.  We 
have  fine  timber,  good  facilities  for  shipping  it  and  any 
produce  we  may  have,  either  by  railroad  or  by  stage.  Be- 
ing near  the  Wisconsin  River,  we  can  send  our  produce  into 
the  pineries,  where  we  can  demand  and  get  the  best  prices. 
Thus  we  have  our  choice  of  several  markets.  In  1871, 
there  was  one  house  built  in  what  is  now  the  village  of  .'Au- 
burndale, and  now  we  have  about  thirty  dwellings,  five  gen- 


I2I4 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


eral  stores,  blacksmith  shop,  saw-mills  where  we  turn  out  mil- 
lions of  feet  of  lumber  per  year,  three  organized  churches 
and  two  church  buildings,  telegraph  and  express  office,  and 
a  tavern." 

Auburndale  village  is  situated  in  town  of  same  name, 
and  is  described  as  commencing  at  quarter  post  and  run- 
ning west  on  quarter  line  on  Section  21,  thence  south  on 
quarter  line  one  mile  to  center  of  Section  28,  thence  east 
on  quarter  line  two  miles  to  center  of  Section  26,  thence 
north  on  quarter  line  one  mile  to  center  of  Section  23, 
thence  west  on  quarter  line  one-half  mile  to  the  quarter 
post  of  place  of  beginning,  containing  an  area  of  two 
miles,  and  sub-divisions  southwest  Section  23,  south  one- 
half  Section  22,  southeast  one-quarter  Section  21,  northeast 
one-quarter  Section  28,  north  one-half  Section  27  and 
northwest  one-quarter  Section  26. 

MIL.\DORE. 

Is  a  pleasant  little  village  on  the  Wisconsin  Central  Rail- 
road, located  in  Section  36,  Town  25,  Range  5  east,  in  Au- 
burndale Township. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

JOHN  ARMEAH.  proprietor  of  Connor  House,  Auburndale.  Was 
born  at  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  March  9.  1S48.  Left  home  in  the  Spring  of 
1S65,  and  went  to  Pike's  Peak  ;  remained  in  the  mining  regions  some  six 
years,  then  returned  as  far  as  Portage  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  1S74,  settled  at 
Auburndale.  He  was  married.  Oct.  9,  187S,  to  Miss  Alice  Shadduck,  of 
Plainville,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.     They  have  one  child,  Oracle  Belle. 

JOSEPH  AUSTIN,  foreman,  .Auburndale.  Has  been  at  Auburn- 
dale since  December,  1S77.  He  is  foreman  and  manager  for  the  Mena- 
sha  Woodenware  Company,  at  their  stave  mill,  at  Auburndale.  He 
was  born  in  Montreal,  Can.ida,  Oct.  3,  1S4S.  Came,  in  1S70,  to  Chicago, 
remained  there  about  eighteen  months,  then  went  to  Menominee,  Mich.; 
then  in  the' Spring  of  1874,  went  to  Menasha,  Wis  ,  and  worked  at  lum- 
bering there  until  1S77,  when,  after  spending  a  few  months  at  Wausau, 
he  came  to  Auburndale,  as  manager  for  the  company.  He  was  married, 
April  1,1877.10  Miss  Mary  Crowley,  of  Waukesha.  They  have  two 
children,  Annie  and  Willie. 

HENRY  A.  BALDWIN,  merchant,  Auburndale.  Came  to  the  vil- 
lage of  .Auburndale,  in  November,  1S77,  and  worked  in  the  mill  until 
about  a  year  ago,  when  he  commenced  his  present  business.  He  was 
born  in  Depere,  Wis.,  Oct.  2,  1851.  His  father,  Samuel  E.  Baldwin,  was 
a  farmer  and  surveyor.  Henry  A.,  after  he  left  home,  worked  four  years 
for  the  C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R. ;  then  lived  two  years  at  Stevens  Point.  He 
was  married,  April  4,  1875.  to  Miss  Althea  Cleveland,  of  Medford,  Wis. 
They  have  one  child,  Francis. 

HIRAM  A.  BEAN,  foreman  for  R.  Connor  &  Co.,  Marshfield,  was 
born  in  Warner,  N.  H.,  27lh  July,  1839.  His  father  moved  to  Wauke- 
sha Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851.  He  learned  the  trade  of  millwright,  and  has 
followed  that  business,  and  that  of  running  mills  as  overseer,  ever  since. 
He  lived  at  Plainfield  one  year ;  ran  Neeves's  mill  at  Grand  Rapids  ten 
years;  then  a  mill  at  .Seneca;  and  has  been  in  charge  of  this  mill  at 
Auburndale  for  the  past  three  years.  He  was  married,  July  19,  1863,  to 
Miss  Ellen  Lewis,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Have  four  cliildren — Clarence, 
Herbert,  Elsie  and  Alice. 

JAMES  CONNOR,  lumberman  and  farmer,  Auburndale,  was  born 
in  Johnstone,  Renfrewshire,  Scotland,  April  15,  1S49.  He  commenced 
farming  in  1S71,  in  Wellington  Co.,  Canada.  Continued  there  until 
1S73,  when  he  came,  in  company  with  his  brothers  Robert  and  John, 
and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  on  Sec.  23,  25,  4,  east.  His 
farm  was  heavily  timbered,  as  was  also  the  site  of  the  village  of  Auburn- 
dale. He  has  cleared  about  sixty  acres  on  his  home  farm,  and  erected 
good  buildingi.  He  was  married,  Feb.  II,  1870,  to  Miss  Mary  H. 
Thompson,  daughter  of  Samuel  Thompson,  of  Toronto,  Canada.  They 
have  three  children — Thomas  J.,  Albert  A.  and  Daisy  H.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Good  Templars,  and  is  President  of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees 
of  the  village  of  Auburndale. 

JOHN  CONNOR,  lumberman  and  merchant,  Auburndale,  son  of 
William  and  Margaret  {nee  Prentice)  Connor,  was  born  Feb.  29.  1844,  at 
Johnstone,  Renfrewshire,  Scotland.  His  father  moved  to  Stratford, 
Canada,  in  1855.  In  1873,  John,  in  partnership  with  his  brothers  Rob- 
ert aad  James,  came  to  Wood  Co.,  Wis.,  founded  Auburndale,  and  built 


there  mills,  store,  hotel  and  dwellings,  and  settled  there  with  their  fam- 
ilies. John  Connor  was  married,  Oct.  10,  lS6g,  to  Miss  Maria  Thomp- 
son, of  Richmond  Hill,  Ontario.  They  have  six  children — James,  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Robert,  Charles  and  Franklin  W.  Mr.  Connor  is  Supervisor, 
to  represent  the  village  of  Auburndale  in  the  County  Board. 

ROBERT  CONNOR,  lumberman  and  merchant,  Auburndale,  was 
born  in  Johnstone,  Renfrewshire,  Scotland,  Nov.  25,  1838.  His  father, 
William  Connor,  who  was  a  farmer  and  canvasser,  came  in  1855,  with 
his  three  sons,  Robert,  John  and  James,  to  Belle  Isle,  then  to  Stratford. 
Canada  ;  and  the  following  year,  the  mother  came  to  them,  with  the 
rest  of  the  family,  to  Stratford,  where  they  settled  and  followed  farming. 
Here  their  father  died,  Nov.  11,  1S60.  The  three  brothers,  Robert, 
James  and  John,  came  to  Wood  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1873,  and  commenced 
making  clearings  in  the  dense  woods,  for  a  place  to  build  mills  and 
dwellings.  They  were  the  first  settlers  in  that  immediate  vicinity,  and 
having  built  a  steam  saw-mill,  a  planing  mill,  a  shingle,  lath,  stave  and 
heading  mill,  a  store  and  dwellings,  they  named  the  place  Auburndale. 
Here  their  mother  came  to  live  with  her  sons,  and  her  eyesight  failing, 
she  learned  to  read  with  her  fingers  in  her  raised-letter  Bible  they  ob- 
tained for  her,  such  as  is  printed  for  the  blind.  She  returned  to  Scot- 
land, in  1878,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  where  she  still  remains 
among  the  scenes  of  her  childhood.  Robert  was  married,  Jan.  5,  1861,  in 
Canada,  to  Miss  Mary  McLeish,  of  Perthshire,  Scotland.  They  have  eight 
children — Maggie,  Jessie,  Willie,  Annie,  Mary,  Lizzie,  Aggie,  and  Robert. 
He  has  been  Postmaster  ever  since  an  office  was  opened  in  Auburndale. 
He  is  also  express  agent.  Town  Treasurer,  and  School  District  Treasurer. 
He  is  the  general  manager  of  the  business  of  the  firm  of  R.  Connor 
&Co. 

DELOSS  R.  COON,  merchant,  Auburndale,  was  born  in  Truxton, 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13,  1841.  His  father,  Ambrose  Coon,  moved 
to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  after  living  there  one  year,  moved  near  Montello, 
where  he  still  resides.  In  1S60,  Deloss  was  employed  by  J.  &  B. 
Knowles  to  take  charge  of  their  grain  wirehouse  at  East  Randolph, 
and  continued  in  their  employ  two  years  ;  then  he  bought  a  farm  in  Da- 
kota, Waushara  Co.  He  enlisted,  Nov.  16,  1S62,  in  Co.  G.  30th  Wis. 
Vols.,  and  received  his  discharge  in  the  Fall  of  1S65.  His  regiment  was 
at  Ft.  Wadsworth  and  then  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  doing  provost  duty.  Af- 
ter the  war,  he  returned  to  his  farm  at  Dakota  ;  afterward,  engaged  in 
selling  fanning-mills  for  two  seasons,  then,  in  April,  1872,  went  within  a 
few  miles  of  where  Auburndale  now  is  and  started  to  clear  up  a  farm  on 
Sec.  28,  Town  25,  Range  5  east,  and  cleared  about  forty  to  fifty  acres 
before  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  had  been  built  further  west  than 
Stevens  Point.  He  remained  on  this  farm  about  six  years,  took  a  trip 
to  Colorado,  then  came  to  Auburndale  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  was  married,  March  5,  i860,  to  Miss  Sarah  Witter,  of 
Dakota,  Waushara  Co.  Have  one  child,  Ralph.  Mr.  C.  has  been  mem- 
ber of  Town  Board,  Assessor  and  Census  Enumerator. 

CHARLES  W.  DEAN,  apiarist,  Auburndale.  Was  born  in  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  Dec.  27,  i85S.  His  father,  William  C.  Dean,  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  was  born  in  Coburg,  Canada,  April  26,  1830;  moved  to  Roch- 
ester, in  iSsi.  Was  married,  in  1S54,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Parker,  of  Lima, 
N.  Y.  Charles  W.  was  married,  Aug.  16,  1S80,  to  Miss  Martha  Syms, 
daughter  of  Peter  P.  Syms,  of  .\uburndale,  Wis.  He  is  engaged  prin- 
cipally in  bee  culture  in  the  season  of  it.  He  is  also  employed  in  lum- 
bering. 

JOSEPH  P.  DEAN,  foreman,  Marshfield.  Was  born  May  28,  1857, 
in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  His  father,  William  C.  Dean,  moved  soon  after  to 
Kenosha,  Wis.,  then  to  Omro,  in  1859,  where  he  lived  until  1S76,  when 
he  moved  to  -Auburndale.  Joseph  P.  commenced  business  for  himself  in 
1878,  and  is  now  foreman  in  R.  Connor  &  Co.'s  planing,  shingle,  stave 
and  lath  mill,  at  Auburndale. 

EDWIN  L.  FLEMING,  clerk,  Marshfield,  son  of  O.  S.  and  Lydia 
Fleming,  was  born  in  Lowell,  Orleans  Co.,  Vt.,  Feb.  22,  1S59.  He  left 
there  in  1873  and  went  to  Quebec,  from  there  to  Cuba,  thence  to  -Aus- 
tralia, where  he  remained  nearly  two  years,  thence  to  Brazil  and  worked 
about  six  months  on  an  India-rubber  plantation,  then  to  Florida  and 
home  to  Vermont.  He  then  went  to  Mexico  and  spent  a  year,  and  af- 
terward spent  a  year  in  Iowa.  He  came  to  Auburndale,  November, 
18S0,  and  is  clerking  for  R.  Connor  &  Co.  He  was  married  in  Vermont, 
July  3,  1S78,  to  Miss  Josephine  Freeman.  His  father  is  a  merchant, 
still  living  in  Lowell,  Vt. 

FOREST  W.  KINGSBURY,  lumberman  and  merchant,  Auburn- 
dale, was  born  in  Dexter,  Me.,  July  30,  1853.  His  father.  J.  R.  Kings- 
bury, County  Judge  oT  Portage  County,  cime  to  Stevens  Point  in  1S60. 
Forest  W.  commenced  business  at  -Auburndale,  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  John  J.,  .May  7,  1S74,  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles,  staves, 
and  heading,  which  business  they  continued  until  December,  lS8o,when 
their  mill  burned.  Although  they  have  not  rebuilt,  they  are  still  engaged 
in  lumbering,  employing  other  mills  for  this  purpose.  Forest  W.  was 
married,  Dec.  24,  1877,  to  Miss  Sarah  Heigl,  of  Neenah,  Wis.  They 
have  one  child,  Grace. 

JOHN  J.  KINGSBURY,  Auburndale,  a  son  of  Judge  J.  R.  Kings- 
bury, of  Stevens  Point,  was  born  in  Dexter,  Me..  March  26,  185a.     He 


HISTORY  OF  WOOD  COUNTY. 


T2IS 


has  been  connected  with  his  brother,  Forest  W.,  in  business  at  Auburn- 
dale,  Wis.,  since  May,  1874.  They  are  also  dealers  in  a  general  stock 
of  merchandise.  Since  their  mill  burned,  they  deal  principally  in  lum- 
ber, hiring  their  logs  sawed  at  other  mills.  John  J.  was  married,  May 
15.  1873,  to  Miss  Alice  C.  Page,  of  Stevens  Point.  They  have  three 
children  living — May,  Arthur  and  Carl.  Their  firstborn,  Bessie,  died  at 
the  age  of  four  months. 

JACOB  LUSK,  farmer  and  Justice  of  Peace,  Sec.  2S,  P.O.Auburn- 
dale,  was  born  in  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  Oct.  13,  1840.  His  father,  Peter 
Lusk,  moved  to  Hastings  Co..  Canada,  in  1842.  At  eighteen  years  of 
age,  he  left  home  and  entered  into  the  employ  of  A.  S.  Page  &  Co.,  of 
New  York,  cutting  lumber  in  Winter,  and  exploring  and  surveying  dur- 
ing the  Summer,  in  the  pine  lands  of  Canada,  continuing  in  their  em- 
ploy some  ten  years.  Then  came  to  Bay  City,  Mich.,  and  became  a 
salesman  in  a  dry  goods  store.  From  there,  in  the  employ  of  Henry 
Hewitt,  of  Neenah,  he  went  into  the  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan 
and  explored  for  pine.  Then  spent  one  year,  from  April,  1874,  to  April, 
1S75,  on  the  Penoke  Iron  Range,  exploring  for  iron  mines  for  Hewitt ; 
afterward  exploring  and  locating  lands  for  others  along  the  line  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad.  He  was  marrried,  July  18,  1878,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Colman,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  settled  on  a  farm  at  Auburn- 
dale.     He  is  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary  Public  and  Town  Clerk. 

LEWIS  REYNOLDS,  firm  of  R.  Connor  &  Co.,  Marshfield,  son  of 
Alfred  H.  and  Ann  Reynolds,  was  born  in  North  East  Hope,  Perth  Co., 
Canada  West,  Dec.  17,  1S53.  Lived  there  until  1865,  when  his  father 
moved  to  Brandon,  Iowa.  In  1874.  he  graduated  at  Bayliss  Commercial 
College,  at  Dubuque,  Iowa.  In  1875,  came  to  Auburndale  as  agent  at 
the  depot,  then  connected  with  the  firm  of  R.  Connor  &  Co.,  principally 
engaged  in  the  company's  store.  Has  been  Town  Clerk  of  Auburndale, 
and  is  now  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

PETER  P.  SY.MS,  farmer  and  logger,  Auburndale,  was  born  in 
Berthier,  Lower  Canada,  July  15,  1839.  Went  to  live  at  Belleville, 
Hastings  Co.,  Canada,  in  June,  1856.  Left  there  in  the  Winter  of  1865, 
and  came  to  Stevens  Point,  Wis.  In  1874,  went  to  California,  Oregon, 
Puget  Sound  and  British  Columbia.  Returned  early  in  1876.  and  set- 
tled, in  the  Summer  of  1S76,  at  Auburndale.  He  was  married,  Jan.  12, 
1864,  to  .Miss  Britania  Ellis,  of  Belleville,  Canada.  They  have  seven 
children — Margaret  I.  (now  Mrs.  Wolcott,  of  Marshfield),  Martha  Ann 
(now  Mrs.  C.  \V.  Dean,  of  Auburndale),  Charles,  Minnie,  Philemon, 
llenry  L.  and  Frank.  He  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  Clerk, 
and  has  been  Town  Clerk. 

JAMES  M.  TUTTLE,  farmer  and  lumberman,  P.  O.  Auburndale 
came  to  Auburndale  in  May,  1S75.  He  was  born  at  Erie,  Pa.,  Oct.  II, 
1834.  He  left  there  in  1855.  and  came  to  Portage  Co.,  Wis.  Worked 
about  five  years  at  logging  and  on  the  river,  then  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber  and  shingles  in  Marathon  County.  In  1861,  he  went 
to  farming  in  Portage  County,  which  he  followed  two  years;  then  was 
employed  as  foreman  in  lumbering  camps  until  he  came  to  Auburndale. 
He' was  married,  in  September,  1871,  to  Miss  Emma  Bowman,  of  Mara- 
thon City.  They  have  four  children — Maria  Theresa,  Josephine,  Mary 
Maria  and  Anna  Catherine.  Mr.  T.  has  been  Assessor  of  Auburndale, 
and  is  Chairman  of  Town  Board. 


DEXTERVILLE. 
In  the  Summer  of  1849,  George  Hiles  made  a  trip  through 
the  northern  part  of  Wisconsin,  in  search  of  a  suitable  place 
upon  which  to  locate,  and  where  he  could,  in  time,  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  thriving  village.  He  found  that  a  great  deal  of 
the  best  government  land  had  been  taken  up,  principally  by 
speculators,  but  Section  14,  Township  22,  Range  3  east,  in 
county  of  \\'ood,  was  yet  subject  to  entry,  and  there  being 
a  fine  water-power,  he  determined  here  to  set  his  stakes.  He 
therefore  entered  his  claim  and  settled  upon  it,  in  the  month 
of  October,  1S50.  When  Hiles  made  his  final  move,  in  Oc- 
tober, he  brought  with  him,  Mr.  H.  Searles;  together  they 
commenced  building  a  log  shanty  to  live  in.  A  saw-mill 
was  completed  and  in  running  order  by  the  first  of  the  next 
year.  About  the  same  time  a  dwelling  house  was  completed 
and  ready  for  occupancy,  Searles'  family  moving  in.  In 
1852,  the  village  had  some  twelve  inhabilanls,  and  Mr.  Hills 
intent  upon  developing  the  resources  cl    the  peace,  applitd 


to  the  Government  for  an  established  mail  route  through 
here.  The  petition  was  not  complied  with  however,  until 
five  years  later.  In  1857,  the  post-office  was  established, 
and  Hiles  oppointed  Postmaster.  The  first  school  was  estab- 
lished in  September,  1858,  with  Miss  Nancy  Plato,  teacher. 
First  marriage  was  Mr.  William  Dixon  and  Miss  Nancy 
Plato,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Jacob  Benson, 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  November,  1858.  First  birth  was  T. 
G.  Seailes,  son  of  H.  Searles,  in  Spring  of  1854.  First  death 
was  that  of  James  Sprague,  in  May,  1853.  George  Hiles 
started  the  first  general  store,  which  is  still  in  operation. 
The  lumber  business  has  been  the  leading  business  of  Dex- 
terville.  George  Hiles,  the  founder  of  the  village,  operates 
saw-mill,  shingle  and  planing  mill,  and  has  in  course  of 
erection,  a  large  tub  and  pail  factory.  There  were  but  four 
dwelling  places  when  the  village  was  platted.  The  village 
is  well  situated,  being  on  the  line  of  the  Green  Bay  &  Min- 
nesota Railroad.  The  business  directory  of  Dexterville  is 
as  follows  : 

W.  H.  Clarke,  lawyer;  George  Hiles,  general  store  and 
lumbering  business;  W.  R.  Jarvis,  hotel;  C.  J.  Krueger, 
A.  S.  Robinson,  store  ;  Syme  Hewitt,  &  Co.,  stave  manufac- 
turers.    The  population  of  Dexterville  is  about  200. 

SCRANTON. 
Scranton  is  a  village  in  tow'n  of  Dexter,  located  in 
Section  29,  Town  22,  Range  2  east,  on  the  east  fork  of  the 
Black  River,  and  a  station  on  the  Green  Bay  &  Minnesota 
Railroad,  near  the  line  of  Wood  and  Jackson  counties. 
The  first  settler  in  the  village  was  E.  C.  Bullis,  who  came 
to  this  region  March  17,  1873.  This  same  year  Mr.  Bullis 
erected  a  frame  house,  it  being  the  first  of  any  kind  in  the 
village.  The  first  couple  joined  together  by  the  holy  bands 
of  matrimony  were  Mr.  P.  Ryan  and  Miss  Mary  Bullis. 
They  were  pronounced  man  and  wife  by  Frank  Mosher, 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  first  children  born  were  Frank 
and  Laura  Bullis,  twins.  They  were  born  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  day  of  February,  1874.  The  first  death  was  Mrs. 
Susan  Anthony,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years,  February, 
1876.  The  first  school  was  established  January,  1876, 
Miss  Jennie  Harlan,  teacher.  At  time  of  commencing  the 
school  there  were  some  fifteen  pupils.  On  the  fourth  day 
of  November,  1S73,  the  post-office  was  established,  E.  C. 
Bullis  receiving  the  appointment  of  Postmaster,  having  held 
the  office  since  the  establishment  up  to  the  present  time. 
Mr.  George  Hiles,  proprietor  of  saw  and  shingle  mills  does 
a  business,  when  running,  that  keeps  about  fifteen  men  em- 
ployed. The  principal  business  men  in  the  village  is  James 
Hiles,  general  store  ;  Benjamin  Seeley,  carpenter;  William 
Tucker,  tinsmith,  and  William  Downing  blacksmith.  There 
is  one  hotel  in  the  village,  owned  and  managed  by  Mr.  E. 
C.  Bullis,  Postmaster  and  founder  of  the  village.  The  saw- 
mill and  shingle  mills  have  not  been  operated  for  some 
weeks,  on  account  of  some  misunderstanding  with  the  rail- 
road company.  The  principal  shipments  are  lumber  and 
shingles.     Population  about  sixty-five. 


HISTORY    OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GEORGE  HILES,  lumberman,  Dexterville,  was  born  in  Oakland 
Co.,  Mich.,  in  1S31.  Came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850.  and  settled  in  Bara- 
boo.  His  first  work  was  with  Wood  &  Moore,  for  $15  per  month,  near 
Baraboo.  He  then  removed  to  Dexterville,  Wood  Co.,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  following  the  lumber  business.  He  has  been  Chairman  of 
the  town  of  Dexter  for  twenty  years ;  is  the  present  Chairman  of  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors.  Was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in 
1866.  He  has  endured  the  hardships  of  an  early  pioneer  life.  By  sobri- 
ety, honesty  and  fair  dealing,  he  is  now  awarded  with  sufficient  compe- 
tency to  carry  himself  and  family  comfortably  through  life.  Hastwo  sons 
and  one  daughter — James  K.  P.,  of  Dexterville ;  Frank  P.,  at  Taylor, 
Jackson  Co..  Wis.,  and  Phoebe,  a  widow. 

SAMUEL  HILES,  lumberman,  came  to  Dexterville  in  1850;  started 
the  first  mill  above  Necedah— sash,  saw,  water-power  mill — Hiles  & 
Searles.  Searles  soon  went  out  of  the  firm.  He  was  born  in  Oakland 
Co..  Mich.,  Oct.  S,  1S27.  As  early  as  1847,  in  company  with  his  brother, 
George,  he  Inmbered  in  .Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  on  the  Baraboo  ;  then,  in  1849, 
on  Lemonweir,  and  soon  after,  came  to  Dexterville.  He  was  married, 
Feb.  6,  1852,  to  Miss  Harriet  Seeley,  of  Elkhorn,  Wis.,  formerly  of  Con- 
necticut. Have  three  children  living^George  Franklin,  Alia  Adelia, 
Clara  .\ntus.  He  has  been  Town  Treasurer  and  Assessor  of  Dexter,  also 
Depuiy  Sheriff  of  Wood  County  two  years.  He  and  his  brother  George 
together  have  about  three  sections  of  cranberry  marsh. 

LISTOX  A.  HOUSTON,  farmer  and  hotel-keeper.  Sec.  10,  22,  3 
east,  came  to  this  place,  two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Dexterville,  in 
1856.  and  built  the  Hurlburt  saw-mill  and  ran  it  awhile  as  superintend- 
ent. He  was  bom  in  Lewes,  Sussex  Co.,  Del.,  May  20,  1815.  His  father, 
Thomas  Houston,  moved  the  next  year  into  Ohio,  and  settled  near  Zanes- 
ville  ;  afterward  moved  into  Licking  County,  and,  in  1828,  into  Delaware 
County.  He  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  in  Delaware  County,  and 
worked  in  several  places  at  his  trade  ;  then  went  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio, 
and  worked  as  millwright  and  machinist.  He  was  married,  Oct.  28, 
1S49,  to  Miss  Susan  Kenmer,  of  Circleville,  Ohio.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren living— Emma  (Mrs.  Dodge,  of  Medford,  Taylor  Co.,  Wis.)  ;  Anna 
(Mrs.  W.  T.  Wheelock,  of  Medford,  Taylor  Co.,  Wis.) ;  Charles,  drug- 
gist, at  Pittsville,  Wis. ;  Thomas,  at  home.  Mr.  Houston  has  been  mem- 
ber of  Town  Board,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  also  Postmaster  thirteen  years, 
from  1862  to  1875,  when  the  post-office  was  moved  to  Pittsville. 

WILLETT  R.  JARVIS,  hotel-keeper  and  merchant,  Dexterville, 
came  to  Dexterville,  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  and  was  in  the  employ  of 
George  Hiles,  as  salesman  and  book-keeper,  for  six  years.  He  then 
moved  to  Sauk  County,  and  engaged  in  raising  hops  for  several  years  ; 
moved  back  to  Wood  County  in  1869  and  started  a  ranche  some  ten 
miles  below  Dexterville,  raising  stock  and  keeping  a  hotel  there  until 
1874.  when  he  moved  back  to  Dexterville  and  built  the  Jarvis  House 
and  store,  which  he  still  occupies.  He  was  born  in  Norwalk,  Conn.. 
Nov.  4,  1S13.  His  father,  Samuel,  moved  in  1820,  into  Jefferson  Co., 
N.Y.  When  about  twenty  years  of  age,  he  commenced  teaching  school, 
and  taught  seven  years.  Also  engaged  as  clerk  for  a  while,  and  at  one 
time  took  a  saw-mill  at  Watertown,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.Y.,  and  engaged  in 
lumbering;  then  came  to  Newport,  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855.  He  was 
married,  June  3,  1S62.  to  Mrs.  Leet,  formerly  Miss  Anna  Hiles.  They 
have  six  children  living — Nellie,  Charles,  Frank,  Kittle,  Daisie  and 
Willett  R.,  Jr.  Mr.  Jarvis  has  held  nearly  all  the  different  offices  in  the 
town  of  Dexter. 

Rudolph. 

THOMAS  E.WHITMAN,  farmer.  Sec.  17,  P.  O.  Grand  Rapids. 
Was  born  in  Goshen,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  24.  1824.  He  lived  with 
his  father  in  Gishen,  in  New  Jersey,  and  then  in  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y., 
until  he  was  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Elmira  to  live,  working  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  there  for  ten  years  ;  then  he  moved  to  Rudolph,  Wis.,  and 
took  up  a  farm.  He  now  owns  240  acres  on  Sees.  16  and  17,  Town  23, 
6  east.  When  he  came  to  Rudolph,  there  were  but  six  families  in  the 
limits  of  the  town.  He  was  married,  in  Elmira,  to  Miss  Jane  VanEpes, 
of  Homer,  Cortland  Co.  They  have  five  children —  Edward  L.,  Clara 
Isabel,  Georgiana,  Lewis  E.  and  Frank  A.  He  has  served  in  several  of 
the  town  offices,  such  as  Town  Superintendent,  Town  Clerk,  member  of 
Town  Board,  etc. 

WILLIAM  H.  WHITMAN,  farmer,  Sec.  17,  P.  O.Dowdville.  Son 
of  Daniel  and  Hannah  Whitman.  Was  born  in  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May 
14,  1829.  His  father  moved  into  New  Jersey,  and  then  into  Chemung 
Co.,  N.  Y.  He  came  to  Rudolph.  Wis.,  in  the  Winter  of  1856-7,  and 
has  lived  there  ever  since.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  46th  Wis.  V.  I.,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1864;  was  discharged  September.  1865,  at  Athens,  Ala,  He  was 
married,  Nov.  5,  1876,  to  Miss  Anna  .May,  of  Rudolph,  Wis.  Have 
one  adopted  child,  George. 

Nasonville. 

JOH>^  H.  EBBE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Nasonville,  northwest  one-fourth 
Section  27.  Came  to  the  town  of  Lincoln,  Sept.  24,  1867.  He  was 
horn  on  the  Island  of  Laaland,  Denmark,  May  28,  1826.      His  brother, 


C.  H.  Ebbe,  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1863.  John  H.  followed  in  1864  ; 
came  to  Lake  Mills,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  lived  there  until  1867.  He  is 
a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  and  followed  that  occupation  in  the  old  country, 
but  has  followed  farming  principally  in  this  country.  He  was  married, 
Feb.  2.  1854,  to  Miss  Maria  Henderson,  of  Laalen.  She  died,  leaving 
four  children,  two  of  whom  are  still  living — Mary,  now  Mrs.  Cuttule, 
and  John  J.  He  was  married,  in  1865.  to  Mrs.  Thompson,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Julia  Alison.  He  has,  by  this  marriage,  five  chil- 
dren— Hans,  Willie,  Henry,  Julia  and  Albert.  He  also  adopted  Thom- 
as and  Lewis  Thompson,  sons  of,  and  Martha,  the  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Thompson,  now  Mrs.  Peter  N.  Christensen.  His  father,  Hans  Ebbe, 
and  his  mother  Bodel.  hiv  Hanson,  Ebbe,  are  still  living  at  the  old 
homestead  in  Denmark.  He  is  Chairman  of  Town  Board,  County  Su- 
pervisor, also  School  Director. 

SOLOMON  L.  NASON,  farmer  and  lumberman.  Sec.  32,  P.  O.  Na- 
sonville, came  to  settle  where  he  now  resides,  in  August,  1S54.  Was 
the  first  settler  in  the  northwest  part  of  Wood  County.  The  nearest 
near  neighbor  was  O'Neills,  where  is  now  Neilisville.  "Our  party 
consisted  of  self,  two  brothers  and  hired  man."  ,  He  was  birn  in  Stan- 
dish,  Cumberland  Co.,  Maine,  Dec.  16,  1825.  His  father,  Solomon 
Nason,  was  a  farmer  and  lumberman,  of  Norman  French  ancestry.  S. 
L.  left  home  in  the  Spring  of  1849.  and  took  passage  for  San  Francisco; 
spent  six  months  and  twelve  days  in  the  journey  around  by  Cape  Horn, 
He  traveled  extensively  through  California  and  Oregen.  mined  in  sever- 
al  places,  then  engaged  in  buying  cattle  in  Southern  California,  driving 
them  to  the  mines  and  selling  them.  Returned,  in  June,  1853,  via 
Nicaragua,  to  Maine.  Came  West  the  Fall  of  the  same  year,  and  trav- 
eled in  Minnesota  and  Iowa,  then  came  into  Wisconsin.  In  passing 
from  Chippewa  Falls  to  Stevens  Point,  he  passed  through  the  place 
where  he  now  resides,  found  it  heavily  timbered  with  pine  and  hard- 
wood mixed,  liked  the  soil  and  the  timber,  and  located  about  5000 
acres  in  this  vicinity.  Engaged  at  logging  during  the  Winter  of  1853- 
4.  about  twenty  miles  south  of  here.  Next  year  came  here  and  built 
the  first  log-house,  in  which  he  lired  two  years,  then  built  the  first  frame 
house  here.  Was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1859,  which  office  he  held 
continuously  until  1878.  He  was  married,  June  Ig.  1S64,  to  Miss  Me- 
lissa Rensse,  of  Clark  County,  She  died  June  7,  1S76;  leaving  five 
children — Vernon  U.,  Stella  J.,  Adalaide  E.,  Grace  L.  and  Vinton  G. 
He  married,  Sept.  2,  1S78,  Miss  Celia  Rustad.  Had  by  her  one  child, 
Gail  L.  He  organized  the  town  of  Lincoln.  Has  been  Chairman  of 
Town  Board,  was  County  Commissioner  under  the  old  County  Com- 
mission system,  and  was  member  of  the  State  Legislature  for  the  session 
of  1877-S.  He  was  nominated  by  the  Greenbackers.  His  nomination 
was  endorsed  by  the  Republicans  and  also  by  the  Democrats,  so  was 
elected  without  opposition. 

Pittsville. 

LUKE  W.  PITTS,  farmer,    lumberman  and  hotel    keeper,    came 


West 


ith  hii 


1858,  and  has  lived  here  at  Pittsville  ever 


since.  His  father,  Luke  Noble  Pitts,  was  born  Nov.  8,  1808,  and  died 
at  Pittsville,  March  27,  1S74.  His  mother,  Louisa,  died  April  3,  1871. 
His  brother.  Oliver  W.,  was  born  Jan.  10,  1831,  and  died  March  12, 
1879,  at  Eau  Claire.  Luke  W.  was  born  April  i,  1849,  in  Springfield, 
Bradford  Co.,  Pa.  In  company  with  his  brother,  he  built  a  shingle-mill 
which  he  ran  for  several  years,  then  sold  it  to  A.  J.  Webster  &  Co.,  of 
Menasha,  who  turned  it  into  a  hub  and  spoke  factory.  He  built  the 
hotel  he  now  runs,  in  1876.  He  is  also  engaged  in  farming  and  lum- 
bering. He  finds  time  to  shoulder  his  gun  occasionally,  as  his  father 
did  before  him,  and  he  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  successful 
hunter.  He  was  married.  May  24,  1874,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Reed,  of  Ne- 
cedah, Wis.  They  have  three  children  living — Luke  Noble,  Frank 
Homer  and  Leroy  Burdette. 

THOMAS  WOOLCOTT  PITTS,  lumber  manufacturer,  Pittsville, 
came  here  with  his  parents  in  185S.  His  brother,  Oliver  came  in  1S56. 
and  ran  a  saw-mill  about  two  years,  and  his  being  here  was  the  means 
of  the  family  coming  here  to  live.  His  father  soon  after  bought  the 
mill  property  and  considerable  land  in  the  vicinity.  The  only  persons 
living  here  when  they  came  were  Oliver  Pitts  and  wife,  Wallace  Potter, 
William  Baker  and  Elijah  Vroom.  J.  Q.  Severn  had  resided  here  sev- 
eral years,  but  had  gone  away  and  had  not  yet  returned,  and  .Mr.  L.  A. 
Houston  lived  some  three  miles  south.  Thomas  W.  was  born  in  Spring- 
field, Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  17,  1844.  He  taught  the  first  school  ever 
taught  in  the  town  of  Wood,  in  1859  Thomas,  John  and  Oliver  en- 
listed in  the  army.  John  was  wounded  in  a  battle  near  Chancellorville. 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  soon  after,  in  the  hospital.  He  was  in 
the  Iron  Brigade  ;  Thomas  and  Oliver  in  the  l8th  Wis.,  Co.  G.  Thomas 
W.  was  married,  November,  1867,  to  Miss  Susie  M.  Edic,  formerly  of  Wau- 
kegan.  III.  They  have  five  children— Byron  P.,  Perley  B.,  Thomas  M., 
Fred  E.  and  Jessee  A.  He  owns  a  large  farm,  also  village  lots  of  Pitts- 
ville yet  unsold,  in  addition  to  mill  property  and  timber  lands.  He  has 
been  Town  Clerk,  and  is  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary  Public,  and  has 
been  Postmaster  since  1877. 

JAMES  QUICK  SEVERNS,  surveyor  and  land  agent,  was  born 
near  Ovid,  Seneca  Co.,    N.  Y.,  Oct.   12,   1825.      His  father  moved  in 


HISTORY    OF   WOOD    COUNTY. 


[217 


1826  to  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio,  and  in  1825,  to  Walkins'  Grove,  Will 
Co.,  111.,  and  in  1839  to  Rock  Island.  J.  Q.  left  home  in  1842; 
worked  at  cabinet  work  and  as  millwright  until  in  1845  he  commenced 
surveying  at  the  land  agency  in  Henry  Co,,  III.,  which  business,  to- 
gether with  acting  as  land  agent,  he  has  chiefly  followed  ever  since. 
In  1847,  he  came  to  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  near  Kilbourn  City,  and  June 
15,  1848,  married  Miss  Susan  Washburn,  of  Baraboo.  In  the  Fall  of 
1850.  he  came  to  Wood  township.  Wood  Co.,  and  settled  near  where 
he  now  resides.  He  was  the  first  settler  in  the  township,  and  his 
wife  the  first  white  woman  in  the  town.  In  1S51,  he  built  the  first 
saw-mill  in  the  town,  the  "  Pitts  Mill,"  for  C.  D.  Newbery,  who  left, 
however,  before  the  mill  was  finished,  and  it  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Daniel  T.  Bunker,  who  finished  it  and  sold  it  to  Miller  &  Avery,  and 
they  to  B.  N.  Pitts.  Mr.  Severns  enlisted  twice  in  1862,  but  was  rejected 
both  times  (in  the  4th  and  the  l6th  Regiments)  and  in  1S64,  enlisted 
in  the  37th.  Co.  G. ;  was  accepted  ;  arrived  at  Petersburg  July  7  ;  was  at 
the  "  explosion  of  the  mine,"  on  the  30th,  and  was  wounded  that  day 
in  five  places,  only  one  wound  being  serious,  that  on  the  shoulder  laid 
him  up  two  months,  but  he  was  back  in  time  for  the  fight  at  Poplar 
Grove,  and  continued  in  active  service  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  have  eleven  children,  five  boys  and  six  girls,  also  seven 
grand  children.  He  has  held  most  of  the  town  offices,  among  which 
are  those  of  Town  Clerk  and  member  of  the  Board  several  terms, 
and  has  now  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  about  thirteen  years  consecu- 
tively. 

BYRON  R.  TARBOX,  farmer  and  blacksmith.  Sec.  15,  23,  3  east. 
A  clearing  was  commenced  on  the  farm  on  wl  ich  Mr.  Tarbox  resides  in 
1854,  for  T.  Weston  &  Co.  The  Octagon  mill,  just  below  here,  was 
built  by  Williams  &  Bro.  in  1852,  and  Mr.  Tarbox  came  here  about  that 
time  to  work  at  the  mill,  although  he  did  not  settle  down  on  the  farm  he 
now  lives  on  until  May,  1870.  His  father,  Roswell  B.,  a  lumberman, 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  l84g,  and  the  next  year  moved  his  family  to  Quin- 
cy,  Adams  Co.,  Wis.,  via  Milwaukee  and  Portage.  Here  he  died,  March 
24,1851.  His  mother  also  died  at  the  same  place  July  17,  1872.  Byron 
R.  Tarbox  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Penobscot  Co..  Me.,  June  21,  1838. 
He  and  his  brother,  C.  D.  Tarbox,  enlisted  in  Co.  D,  4th  Wis.  V.,  May 
17,  1861;  was  in  the  igth  Army  Corps,  department  of  the  Gulf.  Was 
at  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson  and  at  Baton  Rouge,  and  many  others. 
Mr.  T.  was  married,  March,  1869,  to  Miss  Eliza  Bullis.  They  have  two 
children  living,  Mary  E.  and  Robert  Owen. 

Re.mington. 

H.  W.  REMINGTON.  His  parents  were  New  Englanders;  father 
being  a  descendant  of  the  Turkey  Hills  Remingtons,  of  Connecticut  ;  his 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Matilda  Williams,  a  descendent  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Williamses  ;  her  father,  emigrating  from  Rhode  Island 
to  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass..  where  they  were  married.  They  left  Washing- 
ton Mountain,  Mass.,  in  January,  1822,  for  Ohio,  moving  all  the  way 
with  an  ox  team  on  a  sled,  and  ended  their  journey  at  town  No.  4  (now 
Pittsfield),  Lorain  Co.,  Ohio,  in  March  following,  cutting  their  own  road 
through  the  dense  forest  for  the  last  six  miles  to  get  there;  being  the  first 
family  to  settle  in  that  town.  This  was  the  place  where  H.  W.  was 
born,  on  the  gth  of  August,  1823,  being  the  first  white  child  born  in  that 
town ;  his  recollections  of  his  first  years  of  life  were  of  Indians, 
wolves  and  wild  woods'  life.  Settlers  came  in  very  slow.  When  five 
years  of  age,  he  made  a  trip  to  Massachusetts  with  his  parents,  and  for 
the  first  time,  saw  ho.v  people  lived  in  civilization.  When  Jackson  ran 
for  President  the  second  time,  he  accompanied  his  father  to  the  polls,  and 
will  never  forget  the  exciting  scenes  of  that  day.  All  seemed  on  the 
war  path,  and  ready  to  fight  for  their  man.  In  1837,  his  father  again 
thought  it  was  best  to  go  West,  and  moved  to  Steuben  Co.,  Ind.,  stopping 
in  another  wilderness.  There  he  fought  for  existence  for  three  years, 
against  fever  and  ague,  bilious  fever,  and  trials  of  a  wild  and  new  coun- 
try, until  at  last  he  came  near  dying,  twenty  miles  from  home,  with  bil- 
ious fever ;  the  family,  then  consisting  of  father,  mother,  three  boys  and 
three  girls,  all  but  himself  being  at  home,  sick,  and  not  aware  of  his  con- 
dition. This  determined  his  father  to  retrace  his  steps,  and  in  January, 
1840.  he  wended  his  way  back  to  Lorain  Co.,  Ohio,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Amherst,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  The  presidential 
election  of  that  year  aroused  him,  and  he  took  an  active  part  in  all  the 
political  meetings  within  reach,  frequently  mounting  the  stumps  or 
benches  and  talking  to  the  crowds  gathered.  Although  he  knew  but 
little  about  schools  at  that  time,  he  was  very  familiar  with  the  history  of 
his  country,  and  its  gre.at  men ;  his  leisure  hours  in  the  woods  and 
log  cabins  had  not  been  wasted  ;  his  mother  was  a  great  teacher  in  the 
chimney  corner,  and  never  allowed  time  to  run  to  waste.  The  year  fol- 
lowing, he  got  the  privilege  of  leaving  home  and  trying  his  hand  at 
school-keeping.  From  this  time  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  his 
tim;  was  mi-stly  employed  in  teaching  or  going  to  school.  At  twenty  he 
wjnt  into  the  County  Treasurer's  office  as  assistant,  and  while  there, 
studied  surveying  with  John  Sherman.  About  this  time  his  father  be- 
came very  much  embarrassed  financially,  and  was  so  discouraged  that 
he  expressed  as  ready  to  give  up  the  contest  for  his  home;  judgments 
were  entered  ud  against  him  that  would  take  all  he  had.     H.  W.  being 


just  of  age,  saw  only  the  bright  side  of  life  ;  he  concluded  to  make  an 
effort  to  get  the  family  out  of  trouble.  Had  but  little  time  to  act  in. 
but  interposed  legal  block  to  gain  time  ;  bought  goods  on  time  and  went 
peddling;  found  his  way  East  as  far  as  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  West  as 
far  as  Nauvoo,  111.,  during  the  next  four  months.  At  the  latter  place, 
Joe  Smith  and  his  brother  had  just  been  killed,  and  the  Mormon  war 
was  in  progress.  At  Carthage,  111.,  he  was  captured  by  the  anti-Mor- 
mons, and  held  a  prisoner  for  a  week,  as  a  Mormon  sympathizer;  soon 
after,  he  was  captured  by  the  Mormons,  and  was  held  by  them  for  about 
three  weeks,  and  was  a  witness  lo  the  killing  of  the  Sheriff  of  Hancock 
County,  and  most  of  the  incidents  of  that  war,  and  the  settlement  by 
which  the  Mormons  agreed  to  leave  the  State ;  he  improved  the  time 
while  a  prisoner,  in  buying  up  the  heaviest  claims  against  his  father,  which 
were  owned  by  Mormons  living  at  Nauvoo,  and  when  he  succeeded  in 
getting  away  from  that  ill-fated  city,  he  was  master  of  the  situation  so  far 
as  his  father'sdebts  were  concerned.  He  then  wended  his  way  down 
the  Mississippi,  up  the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati,  and  on  foot  across  the  State  to 
his  home,  having  in  about  six  months  paid  off  his  father's  debts,  seen 
considerable  of  the  world,  and  saved  a  good  family  home,  which  still  re- 
mains theirs.  He  again  went  into  the  County  Treasurer's  office  as  as- 
sistant ;  served  a  few  months,  but  found  the  office  too  dull ;  went  out ; 
bought  150  acres  of  timber  land,  married  a  wife,  built  a  house,  cleared 
up  fifty  acres,  fenced  and  sowed  to  wheat,  signed  notes  as  surety  for  his 
friends,  sold  property  on  credit,  and  bought  in  the  same  way,  all  in  one 
year,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  found  those  he  owed  must  have  their 
pay,  those  who  owed  him,  would  not  pay,  and  his  friends  whom  he  had 
become  surety  for,  could  not  or  would  not  pay.  He  was  not  long  in  de- 
ciding what  to  do.  Sold  all  he  had,  paid  his  debts,  paid  what  was  left 
over  to  his  father-in-law,  to  board  his  wife  and  child  as  long  as  it 
would  last,  and  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Humphriville,  in  Medina, 
Ohio,  as  a  law  student ;  read  with  him  two  years,  as  the  law  required,  before 
admission  to  practice,  supporting  himself  in  the  meantime,  working  at 
the  carpenter  and  joiner  business,  teaching  school,  trying  causes  in  jus- 
tice's courts,  etc.,  and  during  the  time,  making  a  trip  to  Chicago,  Madi- 
son, Wis.,  and  Milwaukee,  with  a  team  and  peddler's  wagon,  and  from 
the  latter  place  home,  by  the  lakes.  Having  completed  his  studies  with 
Judge  Humphriville  in  October.  1848,  he  packed  up  his  carpenter  chest 
of  tools,  surveyor's  kit,  and  what  few  books  he  had  gathered,  and  house- 
hold goods  enough  to  commence  keeping  house  and  with  them,  his  wife 
and  little  girl,  now  about  two  years  old,  took  a  steamer  at  Cleveland,  for 
Milwaukee,  where  he  landed,  Nov.  i,  1848,  sick  and  so  weak,  he  had  to 
be  helped  ashore,  having  had  the  measles  very  hard  while  on  the  boat. 
With  but  a  few  dollars  in  his  pocket,  sick,  all  around  him  strangers,  the 
roads  so  bad  that  teams  could  not  get  out  or  into  the  town  (no  railroads 
then),  the  world  looked  a  little  dark  and  rough  to  him.  But  in  a  couple 
of  days  he  could  sit  up,  and  the  world  looked  different  from  what  it  did 
when  he  was  on  his  back.  He  hired  a  man  with  a  pair  of  horses  and 
lumber  wagon,  loaded  in  wife  and  little  girl,  and  at  the  end  of  twelve 
hours'  hard  riding,  found  themselves  outside  of  Milwaukee  fourteen 
miles.  A  little  incident  occurred  this  day  which  shows  how  little  a  man 
may  know  of  his  own  strength ;  he  thought  in  the  morning  he  was  not 
strong  enough  to  sit  in  a  chair  and  ride  more  than  a  mile  or  two.  At  about 
two  o'clock,  in  the  afternoon,  the  team  stopped  by  a  mud  hole  in  front, 
filled  with  wagons  and  teams  mired,  on  the  left  an  impenetrable  swamp, 
and  on  the  right,  a  wheat  field  with  a  man  armed  with  a  double-barreled 
shot  gun,  swearing  death  to  the  first  man  who  attempted  to  destroy  his 
grain  field.  It  was  snowing,  and  the  snow  melted  as  it  came  down. 
There  was  no  shelter  there  for  them,  and  something  must  be  done  ;  tried 
to  hire  the  privilege  of  going  through  the  field,  but  it  was  no  use.  Gun- 
ner was  hot-headed,  and  would  not  be  reasoned  with.  Mr.  Remington 
grew  mad  and  stout  very  fast,  forgot  all  about  being  sick,  got  near 
enough  to  the  gun  to  get  a  good  hold  of  it  on  first  move,  took  posses- 
sion of  it,  fired  off  both  barrels  (in  the  air),  and  stood  over  his  man, 
using  the  gun  as  a  club,  until  the  team  was  driven  through  the  field, 
around  the  mud  hole  ;  took  all  the  powder  away  from  the  man  that  he 
had,  and  threw  it  into  the  water,  offered  him  a  dollar  to  pay  damages, 
which  he  refused  to  take;  marched  him  ahead  of  him  a  little  way,  when 
he  concluded  to  take  the  dolhar  and  his  gun  and  return,  promising  not 
to  disturb  them  further.  Mr.  Remington  was  able  to  go  on  foot  the  rest 
of  the  day,  and  felt  like  a  new  man.  Six  days  of  hard  traveling  brought 
them  to  Madison  ;  his  little  daughter  w.as  soon  taken  sick,  and  in  about 
three  weeks,  on  the  day  she  was  two  years  old,  breathed  her  last.  She 
was  a  very  bright  and  beautiful  child,  and  leaving  them  at  such  a  time, 
and  under  such  circumstances,  her  mother  took  it  very  hard,  and  sink- 
ing into  a  very  quiet  melancholy,  bordering  at  times  on  wild  insanity, 
required  much  care  to  preserve  her  and  tide  over  life's  fitful  scenes. 
Thus,  among  strangers,  out  of  money  or  means,  in  bad  health  himself; 
family  suddenly  snatched  away,  or  worse  than  helpless  ;  the  outlook  to 
him  was  hard  for  a  little  time,  and  he  saw  the  world  and  its  people  with 
a  vastly  different  vision  from  that  which  was  before  him  three  years 
previous.  But  the  stern  necessities  of  life  permitted  no  foolishness  ;  his 
skill  as  a  land  surveyor  was  in  good  demand,  and  he  was  soon  well  em- 
ployed ;  he  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Judge  Hubbell,  then  presiding 
on  the  bench  in  the  Madison  and  .Milwaukee  Circuit,  which  he  presented 
to  him  at  a  term  of  his  court,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.     There  was 


I2l8 


HISTORY   OF    NORTHERN    WISCONSIN. 


a  case  pending  against  a  man  for  assault  with  intent  to  kill.  He  was 
defenied  by  the  ablest  attorneys  in  Madison,  hid  been  once  tried  and 
the  j  iry  disat;reed.  The  district  attorney  declined  to  prosecute  further, 
and  Judje  H.  appointed  Mr.  Remington  at  once  to  act  in  behilf  of  the 
State.  He  pushed  the  case  to  trial  the  next  day,  and  after  two  days  of 
sharp  work,  the  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty  after  being  out  but  a 
few  minutes.  It  had  become  understood  that  \t  was  his  first  case  in  a 
court  of  record,  and  when  he  left  the  court-room,  he  was  cheered  on 
every  side,  and  within  twenty-tour  hours  his  pockets  were  overflowing 
with  retainers,  and  he  knew  that  the  tide  had  turned,  and  that  he  was 
financially  on  top  of  the  wave.  Governor  Dewey  soon  invited  him  to 
take  an  appointment  to  appraise  the  school  and  university  lands  of  the 
State,  which  he  thought  best  to  accept  as  a  means  of  extending  his 
knowledge  of  tlie  State.  One  year  was  mostly  spent  at  this  employment. 
His  law  practice  soon  became  large,  and  his  office  was  crowded  day  and 
night ;  he  formed  a  co  partnership  with  Judge  L.  B.  Vilas,  at  his  solici- 
tation, and  for  a  few  years  found  a  world  of  pleasure  in  hard  work.  But 
his  health  failing,  he  became  nearly  blind  ;  had  to  be  led  from  his  resi- 
dence to  the  office  and  the  court-room.  Physicians  advised  him  to  leave 
his  office  and  get  outside,  which  he  did  ;  at  this  time  he  was  compara- 
tively rich  for  a  young  man.  Turned  his  law  business  over  to  others  as 
much  as  possible,  and  engaged  in  helping  to  push  the  Milwaukee  & 
Prairie  Du  Chien  Railroad  through  to  the  Mississippi  ;  in  improving  the 
streets,  etc..  of  Madison,  in  building  the  Watertown  &  Madison  Rail- 
road ;  in  building  up  the  village  of  Black  Earth,  etc..  etc.,  and  every 
thing  went  merry  and  prosperous,  until  the  year  1857,  when  the  tides 
changed;  his  wife  became  insane  from  the  effects  of  a  long  run  of  typhoid 
fever,  and  left  him  in  January  with  three  little  children.  Three  days 
later,  he  had  a  large  amount  of  property  burned  at  Black  Earth  ;  a  little 
later  a  bank  failed,  wiping  out  about  $16000;  this  was  followed 
by  as  much  more,  by  the  collapse  of  the  Madison  &  Watertown  Rail- 
road, so  that  at  the  end  of  one  short  year,  he  was  completely  mired. 
He  had  seen  the  storm  coming,  but  domestic  relations  had  prevented 
his  preparing  to  meet   it.     He  could  not  give  satisfactory  title  to   real 


of  which   he  had 


large 


md   all 


one  general 


whirlpool.  Durini;  all  these  times,  he  had  been  somewhat  active 
certain  way  in  political  matters.  Much  excitement  attended  election 
days,  and  much  damage  and  ill  feeling  grew  out  of  it.  On  one  occasion 
a  stranger,  a  personal  friend  of  his,  not  interfering  in  any  way  with  the 
election,  was  stabbed  in  one  of  these  drunken  melees,  and  for  a  1  mg 
time  was  not  expected  to  live.  A  meeting  was  called  to  devise  some 
plan  to  remedy  this  evil.  Much  was  said,  and  Mr.  Remington  was  called 
upon  for  his  views.  He  chirged  the  evil  upon  the  drinkingof  intoxicat- 
ing drinks  on  those  days,  and  advocated  the  closing  of  all  dram  shops 
on  election  days,  and  introduced  a  resolution  which  embraced  his  views 
of  the  necessary  things  to  be  done.  They  were  opposed  by  Hon. 
Myron  H.  Orton  and  Judge  Botkin,  two  able  lawyers  of  Madison,  but 
they  were  adopted  by  the  meeting  almost  unanimously.  He  followed 
this  lead  with  sufficient  force  to  procure  the  passage  of  the  present  law 
in  regard  to  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks  on  election  days,  at  the  next 
session  of  the  Legislature.  The  law,  however,  was  not  enforced  with  as 
much  vigor  as  sume  desired,  and  he  was  soon  nominated  as  candidate 
for  District  Attorney,  and  M.  H.  Orton  in  opposition.  The  fight  was  a 
hot  one,  and  he  was  beaten  by  only  sixteen  votes,  in  one  of  the  most 
populous  counties  in  the  State,  but  the  law  has  been  well  enforced  ever 
since,  and  largely  copied  by  many  other  States,  which  has  been  more 
satisfactory  to  him  than  any  political  favors  could  be.  He  was  never 
much  of  a  seeker  after  ofiice,  but  enjoyed  manipulating  elections  inde- 
pendently, and  has  often  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  election  sur- 
prises, and  of  accomplishing  what  he  wished  through  those  more  yield- 
ing than  himself.  Often  defended  criminals,  but  always  found  it,  more 
congenial  to  his  nature  to  prosecute  than  defend  in  criminal  cases,  and 
naturally  on  the  defense  in  all  civil  cases.  Many  pleasing  anecdotes 
are  told  of  occurrences  and  incidents  which  transpired  during  these 
years  of  his  practice,  in  connection  with  trials  of  suits.  The  break  of 
1857  changed  the  current  of  his  life  to  some  extent ;  having  seen  too 
much  of  the  world  to  be  easily  discouraged  ;  he  began  to  reconnoiter  for 
an  outlet  to  pent-up  forces.  Satisfied  that  there  was  little  use  in  hunting 


for  treasures  in  beaten  paths,  watched  close  by  eyes  sharpened  by  hun- 
ger, he  concluded  to  strike  out  anew,  and  engaged  a  brother  who  loved 
to  roam  in  search  of  wild  game,  to  go  hunting,  fitted  him  and  a  com- 
panion out  in  good  style  and  sent  them  into  the  swamps  of  Wood  and 
Juneau  counties,  to  hunt  until  they  got  tired  of  it.  observe  all  they  saw, 
and  report  to  him  when  they  got  tired.  After  a  three  months'  trip,  they 
reported  what  they  saw  in  the  cranberry  marshes  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  Wood  County,  etc.  He  immediately  paid  that  region  a  visit  in 
person,  thought  he  saw  something  good  in  the  future,  and  formed  plans 
immediately  ;  traced  with  his  mind's  eye  the  Northwestern  Railroad 
from  Madison  close  by  the  Baraboo  Bluffs  to  Mauston.  up  the  Yellow- 
River  Valley  and  through  to  St.  Paul,  and  immediately  set  to  work  t  > 
make  a  reality  of  his  vision.  First  secured  all  the  cranberry  lands  he 
could  from  the  State,  moved  his  home  into  the  midst  of  these  swamps, 
twenty-five  miles  from  a  post-office,  church  or  physician,  and  far  from 
any  living  white  man  or  woman;  built  mills,  houses,  etc.,  and  pushed  in 
every  direction  for  improvements  and  the  useful.  But  the  war  came  and 
he  lost  five  years;  jealousies,  bickerings  and  strife  ruled  the  hour;  men 
died  or  were  killed,  scenes  changed,  the  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  was 
built,  which  absorbed  the  land  grant  he  had  counted  on,  and  at  the  end 
of  ten  years,  after  much  that  makes  a  man  grow  old  had  passed  over 
him,  he  was  still  out  in  the  cold,  far  from  things  desirable.  He  could 
see  good  things  all  around  but  could  not  utilize  them;  as,  when  stopped 
by  the  mudhole  and  the  man  with  the  gun,  something  must  be  done. 
He  had  been  feeling  around  in  every  direction  for  relief.  At  one  time, 
siarted  a  week  before  election  and  ran  independent  for  the  Legislature 
against  the  regular  nominees,  who  had  been  some  time  regularly  in  the 
field ;  got  the  certificate  of  election,  went  down  to  Madison  and  took 
his  seat  in  the  Assembly.  His  seat  was  contested,  and  being  satisfied 
that  the  other  fellow  had  the  most  votes  and  that  there  was  no  opening 
for  any  good  thing  there,  he  retired  to  his  lumber  business  again  for 
awhile,  annually  floating  down  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississippi  and  back 
again,  until  that  became  a  dread.  In  1S71,  he  mapped  out  in  his  mind 
the  W.  V.  R.  R.,  and  soon  sought  for  assistance  to  make  it  a  reality  ; 
laid  his  views  and  plans  before  Judge  L.  P.  Ponus,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
who  immediately  fell  in  line  and  went  to  work.  John  Rablin,  Seth 
Rivers,  R.  C.  Lyon  and  John  Edwards  soon  joined  with  them  and  he 
went  to  Madison,  procured  the  necessary  legislation,  using  an  old  charter 
in  part,  and  soon  had  the  scheme  well  underway.  But  a  powerful  oppo- 
sition was  soon  waked  up  and  a  fight  for  existence  commenced.  The 
struggle  was  short  and  sharp,  but  the  work  went  steadily  on  until,  at 
the  end  of  two  years,  the  road  was  a  fixed  fact  and  in  full  operation,  and 
beyond  the  reach  of  its  enemies.  In  the  meantime,  quite  a  settlement 
had  gathered  around  him,  a  town  had  been  organized  and  named  after 
him  as  the  beginning  of  a  monument  to  his  memory,  by  those  who  were 
pleased  with  his  doings.  He  was  repeatedly  elected  as  Chairman  of  the 
Town  and  Chairman  of  the  County  Board,  and  has  lived  to  see  many  of 
his  friends  enjoy  themselves,  and  has  not  the  remotest  idea  that  his  life's 
work  is  yet  more  than  well  begun.  His  hope  is  to  be  able  to  do  some- 
thing worih  making  a  memorandum  of  hereafter.  The  W.  V.  R.  R.  has 
opened  up  a  country  and  made  it  available  for  man's  use,  and  several 
hundred  thousands  of  dollars  are  now  annually  paid  out  for  berries  along 
its  line  which  formerly  went  to  waste.  Yet  this  new  resource  is  scarcely 
touched;  the  country  adapted  to  the  berry  culture  is  as  yet  almost 
wholly  lying  waste  and  unoccupied,  but  its  great  future  is  near  at  hand. 
He  has  now  a  family  of  a  wife  and  one  child  with  him  (a  boy  fourteen 
years  old).  Has  one  son  and  two  daughters  married  and  in  active  life. 
His  father  is  living  at  eighty-six  years  old  ;  his  mother  has  just  passed 
away  at  eighty-two.  There  was  no  sign  of  age  about  her  a  year  ago  ex- 
cept  white  hair.  He  has  two  brothers  and  two  sisters  living.  They  all 
regard  life  as  given  to  them  for  the  purpose  of  tempting  them  to  do 
some  good  in  some  way.  Mr.  Remington  never  drank  whisky  enough 
to  secure  the  love  of  tipplers,  never  was  violent  enough  in  his  temper- 
ance notions  to  secure  the  admiration  of  temperance  societies;  never 
used  rough  language  to  secure  the  good  will  of  the  profane,  nor  served 
the  churches  enough  to  secure  the  love  of  church  members  ;  never  gam- 
bled enough  to  please  gamblers,  nor  condemned  them  enough  to  satisfy 
the  other  side. 


PASSENGERS    BOUND    FOR 


CALIFORNIA,    COLORADO,    NEBRASKA, 

j^3srx3  THE  TEieiaiTOieiES, 

Should,  if  they  would  consult  their  interest,  buy  their  tickets  via  the 

Chicago  &  North  -Western  Railway 

This  is  the    I-.E^a.XDia>T(3-    I^.^IXj-^;^ua.-2-   of  the 

V^^ST  JLND    JVOMTIIJV^EJST. 


This  important  system  of  Railway  Lines  is  c 


'  the  Largest  Corporatic 


img  and  operating, 


2,390   MIILES    OK    ROAD. 


Its  Li 


1  from  Chicago  in  so  many  directiona 
reel  idea  to  the  passenger  of  the  par 


it  is  necessar)'  to  designate  its  Lines  hy  certain  specific 
iUntry  each  Line  traverses.    These  Lines,  niimljering  uit 


Chicago,  Oouacil  Bluffs  &  California  Line. 
Chicago.  Sioux  City  &  Yankton  Line. 
Chicago,  Clinton,  Dubuque  &  La  Crosse  Line. 
Chicago,  Preeport  &  Dubuque  Line. 

Chicago,  Green 


These  Lii 


8  enable  the  "CHICAGO  &  NOETH-WESTEKN " 
I  FAB  WEST. 
It  oftra  every  ftici  ity  for  Quick,  Safe  and  Comfortable  Transit 
'■  I  the  West,  and  offers  inducements 

^ -„..„  -.  ^ry  improvement  known  to  the 

WESTERN  RAILWAY  shall  remain  the  LEADING  Railway  of  tlie  GREAT  WEST. 


Chicago,  La  Crosse  &  Winona  Line. 
Chicago,  Minnesota  &  Dakota  Line. 
Chicago,  St,  Paul  &  Minneapolis  Line. 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Lake  Superior  Line 
,y  &  Marquette  Line, 

reach  all  principal  points  in  the  WEST,  NORTHWEST,  and,  through  ita 


It  standssecond  to  no  road  1 


Passengers  should  ask  for  and  be  certain  their  Tickets  have  a  Coupon  which  reads,  over  the 

"CHICAGO  &  NORTH-V\^ESTERN  RY/' 

All  Ticket  Agents  will  be  glad  to  sell  them  via  this  Line. 

REMEMBER  ' PULLMAN      HOTEL   CARS   Erenow  running  regularly  between  CHICAGO  and  COUNCIL 

THROUGH  between  Chicago  and  the  Missouri  River.    This  is  the  only  Line  that  has  THROUGH  EATING  CARS  of  any  sort. 


NO  TRANSFER  at  ST.  PAUL  via  tlie  CHICAGO  &  NORTH-WESTERN  RY. 


Passengers  procuring  tickets  to  points  beyond  ST.  PAUL  should  use  GREAT  CARE  I 

Oliicag^o  &;  North-Western  Railvray, 


)  that  they  read  over  the 


Chicago,  St.  Paul  &,  AXiniieapolis  IL.iiie. 

route  having  a  SIMILAR  NAME,  as  this  is 


fi^THE  ONLY  ROUTE  YOU  CAN  TAKE  TO  AVOID  A  CHANGE  OF  DEPOT  AT  ST.  PAUL. 


NEW  YORK  OFFICE-No.  415  Broadway. 
BOSTON  OFFICE-Xo.  b  State  Street. 

MILWArivi.K  .11  V  rii^KET  OFFICE— 102  Wisconsin  Street. 
\\  1  '  iT  I  Ii'K— Cor.  Third  and  Jackson  Streets. 
Tl    KIT   OFFICES-13  Nicollet  House,  and  St. 


MIN.S 


CHI 


'KI:t  111  pices— G2  Clark  Street,  under  Sherman 
House;  7..  CanalStreet;  Kinzie  Street  Depot,  corner  West  Kiniie 
and  Canal  Streets;  Wells  Street  Depot,  corner  Wells  and  Kin- 


SAN  FRANCISCO  OFFICE— 2  New  Montgomery  Street 


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